Orion Saga
Part 1
Quest for the Orbs
Chapter 11: The Second Orb
"How was your lunch date with Samaru?"
Zentora plops down on the bed and looks at the floor.
"Zentora?"
"There was another orb and I didn't get it."
"Why not?"
"The planets." She silently gazes at the floor.
"They stopped you?"
"More like distracted. But it's okay. I know who the holder is. I can try again this weekend."
"This weekend?"
"There's going to be a modeling contest. The holder will be there."
"You'd better not fail, Thorn. We've already lost one orb."
"Orion will not get this one."
"Orion?"
"Yes."
Andromeda's cold eyes focus on her general. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, Queen Andromeda." His rose colored eyes jerk up when he hears what he thinks to be fear in Andromeda's voice.
"Very well…this weekend."
It is Friday and Zentora is in the park with a sketchbook. The moving on the page, but the thoughts are not with it.
"Zentora-chan, hi!"
Startled, she drops her pencil and quietly looks up to see Minako and the girl from the salon. "Hello, Mina-san…" She casts liquid eyes on the other girl.
"Oh, this is Nuriko-chan."
Nuriko smiles. "Hey."
Zentora nods quietly and looks at them, wondering what they could possibly want with her. She also secretly hopes that they go away and leave her to her own thoughts. However, the two of them continue to stand over her. "Did you want something, Mina-san?"
"No need to be so formal."
Nuriko looks at the quiet girl. "We're sorry. It's just that we were wondering if you…"
Zentora stands and looks at them.
"We wanted to give you this." Mina thrusts a piece of paper at her.
Reluctantly, the younger girl accepts it and begins to read. She is looking at a flyer for the modeling contest. When she finishes, she lowers the paper. "Why give this to me?"
"Like you don't know."
Zentora looks at Minako with surprise. "What?"
"You'd be a great model. I mean not to brag, but I should now. Being beautiful myself, I can recognize potential."
"Me? This girl's bow must be on too tight." Zentora glances at the paper. She realizes that this was the modeling contest that she was planning on staking out anyway. "If I'm with them, I might have an easier time getting the orb." She looks back to Mina and Nuriko. "It's not really my thing…I mean-isn't it too late to sign up? It's tomorrow."
"I don't think so." Nuriko looks at Mina.
"Don't worry. Besides, we can coach you."
Nuriko nods. "Yeah…just watch us."
Zentora reluctantly nods and tries to sound enthusiastic. "Alright then."
Mina smiles. "Great. Meet us there at ten o' clock."
Zentora nods as they walk off. She is on her way home when she hears her name. Turning, she sees Samaru walking up to her. "Hello."
"Hey. I was hoping I'd find you here."
Standing at the edge of the park, she looks at him. "Okay?"
"I wanted to invite you to my place on Sunday. My cousins are visiting."
"Really?"
"Yeah. They'll be in Japan for a while."
"Okay. I'll be there in the afternoon."
"Thanks." He looks at the piece of paper in her hand. "What's that?"
Pulling the hair away from her eyes, she lets him look at it. "A modeling contest."
"Are you going?"
"Yeah, I am."
"I'm sure you'll win it."
"That's very nice of you, but I'm just going as a favor to someone."
"Well, I hope you have fun."
"Thanks."
Zentora is in front of the building when she sees Minako and Nuriko. The former greets her first. "Hey, Zentora-chan."
"Hello."
"Mina-chan, Zentora-chan."
Zentora looks up at the sound of the familiar voice to see Haruka walking toward them. Michiru is at her side.
"Hello?" The quiet young lady looks at them, her surprised eyes, partially hidden by the thick hair covering them. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Oh. All of us were coming." The sweet musician smiles at Zentora.
Mina nods. "Kind of like moral support."
"Yeah…something like that."
Zentora gazes at Haruka from the corner of her eye.
"Hey. We need to go in and get you signed up." Mina takes Zentora's hand and drags her into the building.
"I'm still trying to figure out how Mina-chan got her to come."
Michiru giggles at her partner. "I think it's cute. Maybe she'll open up a little if she has us to help her."
"Hmm. Well. We'd better go ahead and keep an eye out for Sailor Orion."
"Right."
Usagi and Mamoru arrive with Makoto and Chibi-Usa just as Rei and Ami get to the door.
"Everybody's here?"
"Yeah." Makoto looks at Rei and then to Chibi-Usa. "If anything happens, be careful."
"Okay." Chibi-Usa had been filled in earlier on what was going on. Even though Usagi wasn't sure about it, the young senshi had been adamant in joining her older counterparts in battle.
Zentora puts the pen down when she finishes filling out the form and looks around nervously. High school and college aged girls are everywhere hovering around the tables of talent scouts. Mina and Nuriko are at a nearby table and wave to Zentora who joins them.
"I've signed in."
"Good." Mina looks up at her.
"How does this work anyway?"
"Well, you basically go through the tables and talk to the talent agents. I think that later they were letting everyone on the catwalk."
She brushes the purple locks away from her eyes and nods. "Somehow I thought there would be more to it."
"What do you mean?" Mina looks at her curiously.
The quiet girl shakes her head. "Nothing. I'm going to go look around." Zentora leaves them and walks past a few tables, flipping the hair out of her face.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Turning, the liquid eyes land on a woman with a clipboard in her hands. "Yes?"
"Hello, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind an interview."
"I'm not really-"
"Please. It would only take a moment."
Zentora reluctantly takes a seat in front of the woman.
Fifteen minutes later, Zentora stands up and clasps the woman's extended hand. "Thank-you. I know you said this isn't what you want to do, but I really do think you have potential. At least stay for the end of the program."
"Um, thank-you. I'll try." She takes a few of the pamphlets that are handed to her.
Minako and Nuriko eagerly go from table to table being interviewed until they are called to go behind the stage. When they join the other young women behind the stage, Mina and Nuriko overhear some of the other contestants talking.
"Hey, did you see that koijin?"
"Yeah. She's really pretty."
"She looks so exotic. I'm sure she'll win."
"Kiojin?" Mina looks up when she hears the word for a black person. "They think Zentora's going to win!"
Nuriko looks at Mina. "She is pretty."
"Hmm." Mina looks over at the quiet girl standing by herself.
Zentora leans against the wall backstage, casually taking everything in. From her vantagepoint, she sees Nuriko and Minako standing together. "So she's Sailor Venus. This makes things a little more difficult."
"Hey, Mina-chan." Zentora glances over to see Makoto at the edge of the stage curtain.
"Mako-chan, hi."
"Everybody's waiting."
"This is kind of exciting isn't it?"
Nodding, Makoto lowers her voice. "Do you really think she'll be here?"
"Yeah I do. Tell the others to keep an eye out."
"Okay." Makoto leaves just as one of the program administrators goes back stage.
Zentora is standing behind the stage when she suddenly senses something/ Looking around, all she can see is Nuriko preparing to walk onto the stage and a young woman standing behind her. As Nuriko walks onto the platform, the young woman begins to change as the cherry blossoms adorning her hair begin to wrap around her body. With everyone in the room watching, the new plant monster goes after Nuriko, who can only scream as her energy is stolen.
Having taken this time to transform, Sailor Orion is reluctant to let the youma finish. Once the orb surfaces, she destroys the evil plant by using Star-shock spark. Nuriko falls to the floor with the orb hovering over her body waiting for Orion to retrieve it. When her gloved hand reaches for the orb, a rose sails through the air. Stinging her hand, it catches her off-guard. Rubbing it, she looks up.
Tuxedo Kamen is standing on one of the tables with his arms crossed over his chest. Gazing down at her, he speaks. "A place full of so much beauty should not be tainted with thievery."
"That's right!" Sailor Moon appears in front of the table with Sailor Chibi-Moon at her side. "A girl's dreams are to important to be stolen."
Sailor Orion looks at them. From the corner of her eye, she sees Sailor Venus going over to Nuriko's orb. "No!" The star soldier raises her hand to her tiara gem while pulling back on the bow. "Hunter's Arrow!"
Sailor Venus manages to dodge the attack as the arrow hits the stage. Orion runs to get the orb. With the senshi of love watching, she takes it. "We can't let her take it!"
"I'll take care of it Sailor Venus." Sailor Jupiter begins to twirl. "Jupiter…Oak…Evolution!"
Sailor Orion ducks under the leaf shaped energies that are being launched at her. Standing slowly, she looks at the planetary soldiers. "Please…I don't want to fight. But if I have to, I will take you out."
Sailor Uranus narrows her eyes at the challenge. With that half smile playing on her lips, she responds to it. "Well, in that case…Uranus…World…Shaking!"
The ball of energy barrels toward Sailor Orion, who tries to dodge. However, attack catches her full in the back. Still clutching the orb, she falls to the ground. The bruised soldier struggles to stand as the other scouts look at her.
A black gloved hand holds a rose up to its owner's nose. "It looks like it's time for me to step in." The person peers down at Sailor Orion and the other scouts.
While Orion is still trying to get back up, the other soldiers wait, unsure of whether or not they should attack. Sailor Venus looks at Sailor Moon. "We have to get it back."
Just as they prepare to approach her, a rose falls in the space between them. Sailor Moon steps back in surprise. "Tuxedo Kamen?"
"I didn't do it." The senshi of the planets are looking at a black rose flecked with blue just as something suddenly whizzes past them. They look up in time to see a black figure drape itself over Sailor Orion and disappear.
"What was that?!" Sailor Mars looks at the spot where Orion had been seconds earlier.
Mercury's visor is suddenly visible. "I don't know, Sailor Mars. It was moving too fast."
Sailor Moon looks at Sailor Venus as she stands over her fallen friend. The orange clad senshi speaks with urgency. "We have to go after her."
The tiny senshi leader nods.
"Ughhh…" Sailor Orion opens her eyes to see a rather tall young man squatting next to her. With the orb still in her arms, she pushes him away. "If you're after the orb, you can forget it." The quiet voice has a tinge of curiosity as she looks at the black clad young man.
Mirrored blue lenses of the black shades on his goateed face reflect her image. "You don't have anything to worry about from me." His deep voice is sincere. "Are you alright?"
Sailor Orion looks at him. Noting her expression, he speaks again. "You were hit pretty hard."
"I'm fine." She stands slowly and leans against the building that they are standing next to. "Who are you?"
Standing over her, he shakes his head. "They will be looking for you. You'd better go."
"But-"
"I told you. I'm here to help. Now go."
Nodding, she gingerly makes her way down the street.
Minako is waiting with Nuriko when her fellow scouts return. "Did you have any luck?"
Chibi-Moon shakes her head. "She was gone."
"Yeah." Sailor Jupiter nods. "Even after being hit with Uranus's attack."
The tall blonde soldier is quiet for a moment. "She was helped."
"But by who?" Sailor Mars looks at them.
The frustrated senshi can only shake their heads as they detransform too. Minako sits next to her friend, angry that she was unable to stop the new sailor scout. When she hears moaning, she looks down to see Nuriko opening her eyes. "Nuriko-chan?"
"Mina-chan, what happened?"
Minkao looks at all of the other contestants milling about as if nothing happened. "You fainted."
Nuriko sits up at shakes her head as though trying to clear it. "I'm so embarrased."
"It's okay, Nuriko-chan. Maybe we should get you home. Do you feel okay?"
Nuriko is silent for a moment. When she speaks, her voice is unusaully soft. "Yeah. I'm okay…but maybe I should go home now."
"Okay. I'll go with you."
Zentora walks into the apartment and heads straight for her bedroom. Her parents had taken Nyumi to a movie and Louise was with friends.
When she walks in, Pup and Sirius glance up. The green eyed feline looks at her charge with concern. "Zentora, are you alright?"
The girl is unable to hide the expression of pain on her face. "I'll be okay after a hot bath."
Pup looks at her as his calm voice penetrates her mind. "What happened?"
"I managed to get the orb."
"It looks like you've gotten more than that." Sirius walks over to the edge of the bed.
Nodding slightly, Zentora pulls the orb out of one of the large cargo pockets. Only when she is standing at her dresser placing it with the other, does tell them what happened. "The other sailor soldiers were there. I didn't want to fight and they did. That's all."
"Well, you've managed to get the orb, but are you sure you're alright?"
"Zentora? Are you here?"
"It's my parents." She looks over to her concerned guardians and answers Pup's question. "Yes, I'll be okay." Turning from them, she pokes her head out of the door. "Hi. I'm going to be in the tub. I'll tell you about it when I get out, okay?"
Jalise nods. "Okay, sweety."