Legal Disclaimer (short version): I'm not them, they're not me, and it's all in fun, so don't be cruel!
Empire's Expansion
by Artful
Introduction part 2: Festivities
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Usagi was bored.
She lay back on the rumpled covers of her bed and thrust the tattered manga over her face. The young girl on the page swung her staff downward, sealing the wayward spirit. Usagi flipped to the next page and sighed. She had reached the back cover. Briefly she scanned the advertisements for x-ray glass and sea monkeys before tossing the magazine aside.
The abused pages flapped like a severely intoxicated bird until the flying object collided with the far wall. It slid down and landed on a pile of similarly discarded material that shuddered under the new weight before settling into a shorter and wider stack.
The entire room was in a state of frightful disarray. Light filtered in through drapes half torn from their runners. Clothes were spread across the entire floor, broken by several heaps of manga and soda cans. The closet door was jammed open by a bulge in the clutter, evidence of a futile attempt to conceal the entire mess.
Usagi sighed. She had been looking forward to Golden Week for what seemed like forever. A whole seven days off of school, slacking off and enjoying herself. That had been the expectation, anyway. She had not been prepared for so much free time. Already, she had exhausted every activity she owned. Every video game had been finished and every scrap of manga read and reread until she could nearly recite them from memory. She had spent the last of her allowance yesterday at the game center in an unsuccessful attempt to capture a sailor senshi plushie, and her friends had all made it very clear that they weren't going to loan her any money.
So with two full days of vacation left Usagi was stuck at home with nothing to do. An idle longing for homework hovered at the edge of her mind, but was quickly overwhelmed by a wave of disgust. Deep despair welled up in her chest, and she tilted her head back and let it out. "There's nothing to DOOOO!!!" she cried with a high nasal shriek. A squirrel spasmed in terror on the windowsill, then frantically jumped into the nearest tree.
"Good morning, Usagi!" a cheerful voice came from outside her room. The door was forced open and a young man stuck his head in. "Hey, where's your cat? Did you bury under here?" Shingo stirred a pile of clothing with his foot.
Veins bulged on Usagi's forehead as the statement hit home. Luna had snapped at her this morning, claiming that the girl was impossible to deal with. She said she was going out to do some "research". The lunar cat had disappeared and Usagi hadn't seen her since.
"What you want, spore?" Usagi snapped as she directed a blazing glare at her brother.
Shingo put on his most winning smile. "I thought you might be a little bored."
Usagi put her nose up and turned away, closing her eyes. "For your information, I'm perfectly happy right now." There was absolutely no way she was playing with her dorky little brother, no matter if she was bored or not.
His hands came up in an exaggerated shrug. "Ok then. I guess you don't want to go the festival." He turned to leave.
"Festival?" Usagi asked in surprise. "What festival?"
The head popped back into the room. "They're having a big festival over in Juuban Park. There's rides and food and games and everything. Dad said he would give me some money to go, but I don't feel like it today." Shingo brought his hand over his mouth and hacked loudly.
"Well I wanna go!" Usagi jumped off the bed and dashed for the door. "Outta my way!"
"Umm... Usagi." Shingo squeaked, not moving.
She stopped in front of her brother, getting right up in his face. "What!?"
Shingo grinned nervously as a drop of sweat formed unseen on the back of his head. "You might want to get dressed first."
Usagi glanced down and sure enough, she was still wearing her pajamas. "I knew that. Now get out of my room, spore. I need to change." She pushed the door back shut, making sure it was secure this time.
With lightning speed Usagi doffed her sleeping cloths and put on her favorite orange summer dress and yellow shirt. She pulled her flaxen blond hair up in the trademark two small buns, barely containing squeals of joy for having someplace to go. Two small combs were jammed in to secure her hair.
Usagi admired herself in the mirror. She never went out without looking her very best; after all, you never know when you're going to run into your boyfriend. Usagi blushed at the thought. Her relationship with Mamoru had gone through some rough times recently, but now she was more devoted to him then ever. Satisfied with her eternal beauty, she ran out of her room and down the stairs.
"Good morning father! Good morning mother!" Usagi called out as she entered the dining room. Shingo had already come down and was sitting at the table with Kenji. She gave her father a quick peck on the cheek.
"Good morning daughter. Nice to see you finally up and about." Kenji said as he continued to read the morning paper.
Usagi giggled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Ya, well, I was really looking forward to that festival."
Ikuko walked into the room in her apron, carrying a tray of fresh-baked muffins. "Good morning daughter." Usagi snatched a muffin and crammed it in her mouth. "You missed breakfast again."
Usagi mumbled something that sounded like an apology.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Ikuko remarked absently. "I think it's good of you to volunteer to take your brother to the park today."
The dignified moon princess choked on her muffin. The brat was supposed to sick!
A miraculously healed Shingo patted her on the back. "Thanks sis. You're the greatest," he said wearing his best look-I'm-cute face.
Usagi swallowed frantically. She was going to tell on him for lying and oh boy was he gonna be in trouble then...
"If you don't feel like going out, maybe Mom will help you look through your room for your cat." said her dear brother, patting her back just a little too hard.
"Oh yeah! You know how much I love my little brother." Usagi smiled widely. "I'll take him anywhere, the park, the zoo, the river, whatever." Her parents just looked at her suspiciously. She grabbed Shingo by the arm and dragged him out the front door. "Come on, let's go dear little brother!"
Ikuko walked over to close the door Usagi had left wide open. "That girl..."
"Don't worry dear. She'll grow out of it eventually," said Kenji. "I hope," he added under his breath.
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Usagi screeched to a halt at the park entrance. She finally released the death-grip on her brother, who doubled over desperately gasping for air.
'What a wimp', she thought as she went to the ticket booth. When she came back Shingo had recovered slightly.
"You didn't... have to run... the whole way... here," he gasped out between breaths.
"That's what you get for tricking me," Usagi scolded him.
Shingo shrugged. "They wouldn't let me come by myself; and you would have said no if I had just asked you. I don't know what you're complaining about, I got you out the house."
"Hmph."
"Well, we're here now, so why don't we just drop this for today?"
Usagi tossed her head in disdain. She was going to get him later, but right now there were more important things, like getting some of that popcorn she smelled cooking. "Ok, spore. Let's go have some fun!"
Seconds later she was happily munching on a bag of popcorn as she walked down the midway. The PA system tried to play cheerful music but was drowned out by the chattering hubbub of the crowd. Lights flashed and vendors called from every booth offering every variety of game known to festival folk. Usagi scanned each, trying to find a game she liked, when she spied a familiar figure sitting on a stool.
Stealthily she crept up on her unsuspecting victim. Suddenly she struck, clapping a hand down on a shapely shoulder. "Ha!"
"Ack!" A long fall of raven black hair swiveled to reveal the face of a young priestess.
"Hi Rei! I didn't know you were here!"
"Silly girl! Don't bother me right now. I'm about to win a prize," Rei said nearly shouting.
"Oh no you're not," Makoto said from the next stool with an intent look. She crossed her leg under her long brown dress and firmly took grip of the water pistol. "Usagi, don't make noise. We're busy."
"Well you don't have to yell," Usagi pouted. The two sitting girls ignored her and looked into the booth. A bell sounded and high-pressure streams of water came out of the pistols and struck a row of gaping clown heads. Balloons filled quickly, Rei and Makoto being evenly matched. Suddenly a popping sound came from the other end of the booth and the game was over. A crowd of disappointed gamers stood, momentarily obscuring the winner. Soon the crowd cleared to reveal a carnie handing a large stuffed cabbit to a girl with short blue hair.
"Thank you," the girl said in a quiet voice. She stood up to leave the booth. The other girls followed.
"Ami? What are you doing here?" Makoto reached her first.
"Oh, hello." Ami gave a half wave in greeting. "I finished all the advance work the teacher gave me, so I decided to take some time off. How about you?"
Rei grimaced. "That idiot Yuuruchiru was trying out one of his new songs, so I called Mako and we decided to go here."
Usagi piped up. "Well, I'm here with my brother." She pulled said brother forward. Now why was he trying to hide behind her? And why in the world was his face flushed? "Say hello, brother."
Shingo bowed his head politely. "Hello Ms. Rei. Hello Ms. Makoto." His flushed deepened. "Hello Ms. Ami." All three greeted him in return. He turned back to Usagi. "I think I saw some of my friends over there. I'll spend the day with them and meet you later, OK?" He ran off before she could answer.
"What a polite kid," said Ami.
"I wish I had a little brother like that," Makoto said wistfully.
"Are you kidding?" Usagi steamed. "He's a worthless spore! I can't stand him! If I could I would drop him in a second!"
"It's nice to see you too, meatball head," a gruff male voice sounded behind and above her.
Anger melted in a second as her demeanor underwent a complete reversal. "Mamo!" She spun to capture him in a powerful embrace. "Oh, I wasn't talking about you!" She always made so many mistakes, she was always so clumsy around him. Usagi wondered why he tolerated so much.
"I know, Usako." Mamoru ruffled her golden hair with a firm but gentle hand. "I know you would never say something like that."
"Right! We're together forever!" She felt the connection between them, strengthened by their proximity. They shared a fate; to marry, to have children, to rule a perfect future, and to share their love forever. Truly she would never abandon him, for all of eternity.
Rei noticed the dreamy sparkle enter her friend's eye. "Oh, great, she's off in dreamland again," she complained to Makoto.
"You're just jealous because she has a steady boyfriend and you can't even get Yuuruchiru to look twice," she shot back with a wink.
"Am not! Are you crazy!?"
"Come on, I've seen the way you look at him when you think noone's watching."
Rei turned away in a huff. "At least I don't moon over all my failed relationships all the time."
"Hey!" Makoto stepped toward Rei with the intention of continuing this friendly conversation with a headlock when Ami held her back.
"I can't believe you're arguing about something so silly!" Both the arguing girls stared in surprise at their usually restrained friend's sudden outburst. Ami wilted under the scrutiny and continued with a quieter voice. "Please, don't fight."
Makoto turned to Rei with a face full of embarrassment. "I'm sorry."
The apprentice priestess soothed her anger and managed a small smile. "Me too."
Usagi was oblivious to this exchange, wrapped up in fantasies of a gleaming crystal city and a little pink-haired girl. When Chibi-Usa had departed it felt like a part of her soul had been torn out. She felt the dull ache even now, pulsing in her with every heartbeat; but even so she felt a stronger joy. She was in love, surrounded by her loved ones and protectors. As long as she held on to that love her future was guaranteed, and some day she would meet that wonderful little girl again.
"Let's go have fuuuun!" Usagi skipped forward, tightly holding the hand of her beloved. The Senshi followed close after.
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The day progressed without further incident from that point. Mamoru proved his throwing skill by winning a Sailor Moon mini-plush at the dart game, which resulted in an explosion of gratitude from Usagi. They had finally left the midway and entered the center of the park, where the rides had been set up. The cry of vendors was replaced by the clack and squeal of motors. The happy couple had gone on the Ferris wheel, while Rei and Makoto had decided on the miniature roller coaster. Ami had begged off, saying she didn't feel well. She wandered into a plaza secluded by flower terraces and sat on a bench next to the fountain. Next to her was piled the various prizes everyone had won that day.
The subtle gurgling of the fountain masked the rush of noise from the park. Ami trailed her hand across the turbulent surface of the water. All around her she saw the bright faces of the crowd. Lovers holding hands. Parents leading their laughing children. All the troubles and woes of the world forgotten in the warmth of the sun and the joy of celebration. Ami wished desperately that she could join them.
One figure caught her eye. It was young girl, dressed in denim and bearing a long sheaf of bright golden hair. She moved through the crowd furtively, glancing in every direction as if she were looking for something. The girl caught sight of Ami and gave her a grin and a huge wave. Ami lifted her hand from the fountain and waved back absently, scattering drops of water.
Minako looked concerned for a moment, but quickly hid it under a cheery mask. "Hey Ames!" she burbled, plopping down on the bench next to unresponsive Ami. "What are you doing here by yourself?"
Ami forced a smile. "I'm not here alone. I'm with Usagi and the others. They're on the rides right now and I agreed to watch their things. How about you?"
Minako dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "That's not what I meant. Where's your sweetheart Urawa?"
Ami didn't speculate on how Minako had found out. The self-proclaimed Sailor of Love had made it clear that she had ways of knowing about their relationships. There were many times, like now, that her friends wished she didn't.
"He said he couldn't make it. He was too busy studying," Ami said in a defeated tone.
"That's his loss then. Do you know what you need?" Minako continued without waiting for an answer. "You need to have a fling. Nothing serious, just a quick date to loosen you up. Wait right here and I'll get a nice cute guy for you!" Minako had already stood by the time she finished. She dashed back into the crowded plaza.
Ami was still in shock when Minako ran off. A million thoughts ran through her head. It might be nice to talk to someone. But she couldn't possibly spend time with some random stranger. What would her friends think? Who would even want to talk to her now? But Mina was going to all this trouble... No. She would politely refuse and apologize to whomever Mina had managed to snare.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a scream. Ami looked up to see a bolt of light strike a nearby tree, lighting it on fire. She traced the bolt backward to its source. Two figures stood at the end of the plaza. One was tall, with a scaly green hide and antennae. The other was shorter, although he had an unlikely crest of black hair that nearly topped the other. He wore a gleaming set of blue and white armor and had what appeared to be a tail wrapped around his waist. The shorter one made a negligent gesture in her direction. Ami frantically jumped clear as another bolt came at her. The energy packet missed her feet by inches and struck the fountain, completely destroying the centerpiece and spraying water everywhere.
Ami was frozen in terror. This wasn't possible. The Dark Moon family had been defeated. Youmas couldn't be attacking anymore. She shook her head to clear out the cobwebs. Youmas were attacking, and she had to do something about it. She stood with determination. The plaza had emptied within moments and now stood vacant and free from prying eyes. A wave of the hand produced a blue transformation wand, which Ami lifted to chant the activation phrase.
"Mercury Star Power!"
A bright light obscured the area for several seconds. When it disappeared there stood Sailor Mercury. The youma pair noticed the sudden flare and started to walk toward it. Mercury tapped her earring to produce her visor and took a reading of the two monsters advancing toward her. Their power was significantly higher than any youma they had faced before. Worse, they didn't have any weaknesses. The armor and the green one's hide seemed impenetrable.
Mercury resolutely stood her ground. Every moment they spent on her was an opportunity for someone to escape the park. The youmas stopped several meters in front of her. The tall one grinned, exposing a row of fangs; the short one scowled. They raised their arms toward her. The senshi crossed her arms over her chest, preparing to counterattack.
"Crescent Beam!"
A line of coherent light slammed into the taller youma, sending him sprawling into the shorter and knocking them both off balance. Mercury took advantage of the momentary distraction to lay down cover. "Shabon Spray!" A flood of bubbles came forth from nowhere and covered the area in a thick fog.
She ran toward the ride area. Their only hope was getting allies quickly. "Venus! Mars and Jupiter are on the roller coaster!" A moment later an energy beam passed through the area she had just been. Any reply was lost in the explosion as the beam struck a stone retaining wall.
Mercury kept her head down as she ran out of the plaza. Several patrons had been trapped in the rides when everyone had fled the park, and most were screaming in terror. Including one very distinctive high-pitched wail. With a single bound leapt into the basket of the Ferris wheel where Usagi had been stuck with Mamoru.
Usagi was latched on to her boyfriend's jacket bawling into his chest while he tried to comfort her. Their expressions quickly changed to concern when a transformed Ami dropped in on them.
"Two youma are attacking the park!" Mercury stated without preamble.
"Whaaaat?" a very surprised Usagi whined.
Mamoru looked like his face had been carved from granite. "It seems our trip to the park is going to be more exciting then we had thought." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a red rose. The outline of his cloths grew fuzzy as they shifted into a formal tuxedo.
Ami lifted Usagi and jumped back to the ground. "You better transform."
"Right! Moon crystal power!"
Moments later two fuku clad girls made their way back to the plaza. Tuxedo Kamen followed soon after, his cape flapping dramatically.
The fog had cleared by time they arrived back at the plaza. The sounds of battle rang out. The other Senshi were already on the scene directing a rain of fire and light at the intruders. The youma absorbed the attacks without complaint. Not so much as a dent or scratch appeared on them. When a momentary lull in the onslaught appeared the youma struck back with a volley of energy blasts. Venus and Mars managed to dodge, but a beam hit Jupiter on the leg, sending her sprawling.
Usagi struck an imperious pose. "Hold it right there! Everyone was having fun in the park today, and you ruined it." She launched into her usual song and dance. "For Love and Justice, I am the Pretty Sailor Suited Soldier Sailor Moon!"
Mars and Venus had regrouped with an injured Jupiter. On their cue they shouted, "Sailor Senshi!"
Mercury remained silent she worked her away around the edge of the plaza. She stopped opposite of Usagi and prepared to strike.
"and in the name of the Moon," continued Sailor Moon, "I will punish you!"
The youma were not impressed by such threats. They turned on the source of the interruption and concentrated their fire on her. Sailor Moon screamed and ducked for cover. Tuxedo Kamen sent out a wave of roses that nullified the incoming blasts.
Now, while their backs were turned toward her, Mercury attacked. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" A high-pressure jet of ice cold water sprang out and struck the armored youma on the upper back. The short monster overbalanced and fell forward flat on his face.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" A kneeling Jupiter lobbed the ball of highly concentrated electrical energy up the now exposed kilt of the armor. For the first time the youma appeared to be injured as he let loose an unearthly keening. The green youma staggered and tossed his head, his antennae flapping wildly.
Venus gestured toward the disabled monster. "Love-Me Chain!" A chain of golden energy in the shape of hearts wrapped itself around the legs of the green youma. Venus yanked and sent it to the ground on top of the other. "Sailor Moon! Finish them!"
A much more composed (now that noone was shooting at her) Sailor Moon complied. The royal Moon Scepter appeared in her outstretched hand. She performed the technical lovely but unnecessarily elaborate aiming movement, then called out, "Moon Scepter Elimination!" A focused cone of moonbeams washed over the prostate youmas. Their bodies seemed to melt together under the intense power of the blast. Finally they burst apart into a cloud of steam.
"Moondusted!" an excited Sailor Moon crowed proudly.
A breeze popped up in the plaza, clearing away the dust and debris of battle. Huge hunks had been torn out of the flowered terraces surrounding the plaza, and everything near the fountain had been completely destroyed. Including, Ami noticed with dismay, the bench she had been sitting on. A fire had caught among the dry upper branches of the trees and was spreading at an alarming rate, aided by the wind. The breeze also brought with it the sound of approaching sirens.
"We should leave," Ami said with a tired voice.
Rei and Mamoru picked up Makoto. Together the Senshi bounded out of the park. Without speaking a word, they went toward Cherry Hill Temple.
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Where are these monsters coming from? Why are they attacking our heroes? Keep reading to find out!
A/N: That was a Namek and a Saiyan, in case you didn't catch it. I'm male, so I'm not sure how well I did with the girls' thoughts. Too much?
Next up; enter the villains! *dun Dun DUN* Hopefully ff.net will be stable for a while and the next installment will be up next week. Ja na!
Empire's Expansion
by Artful
Introduction part 2: Festivities
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Usagi was bored.
She lay back on the rumpled covers of her bed and thrust the tattered manga over her face. The young girl on the page swung her staff downward, sealing the wayward spirit. Usagi flipped to the next page and sighed. She had reached the back cover. Briefly she scanned the advertisements for x-ray glass and sea monkeys before tossing the magazine aside.
The abused pages flapped like a severely intoxicated bird until the flying object collided with the far wall. It slid down and landed on a pile of similarly discarded material that shuddered under the new weight before settling into a shorter and wider stack.
The entire room was in a state of frightful disarray. Light filtered in through drapes half torn from their runners. Clothes were spread across the entire floor, broken by several heaps of manga and soda cans. The closet door was jammed open by a bulge in the clutter, evidence of a futile attempt to conceal the entire mess.
Usagi sighed. She had been looking forward to Golden Week for what seemed like forever. A whole seven days off of school, slacking off and enjoying herself. That had been the expectation, anyway. She had not been prepared for so much free time. Already, she had exhausted every activity she owned. Every video game had been finished and every scrap of manga read and reread until she could nearly recite them from memory. She had spent the last of her allowance yesterday at the game center in an unsuccessful attempt to capture a sailor senshi plushie, and her friends had all made it very clear that they weren't going to loan her any money.
So with two full days of vacation left Usagi was stuck at home with nothing to do. An idle longing for homework hovered at the edge of her mind, but was quickly overwhelmed by a wave of disgust. Deep despair welled up in her chest, and she tilted her head back and let it out. "There's nothing to DOOOO!!!" she cried with a high nasal shriek. A squirrel spasmed in terror on the windowsill, then frantically jumped into the nearest tree.
"Good morning, Usagi!" a cheerful voice came from outside her room. The door was forced open and a young man stuck his head in. "Hey, where's your cat? Did you bury under here?" Shingo stirred a pile of clothing with his foot.
Veins bulged on Usagi's forehead as the statement hit home. Luna had snapped at her this morning, claiming that the girl was impossible to deal with. She said she was going out to do some "research". The lunar cat had disappeared and Usagi hadn't seen her since.
"What you want, spore?" Usagi snapped as she directed a blazing glare at her brother.
Shingo put on his most winning smile. "I thought you might be a little bored."
Usagi put her nose up and turned away, closing her eyes. "For your information, I'm perfectly happy right now." There was absolutely no way she was playing with her dorky little brother, no matter if she was bored or not.
His hands came up in an exaggerated shrug. "Ok then. I guess you don't want to go the festival." He turned to leave.
"Festival?" Usagi asked in surprise. "What festival?"
The head popped back into the room. "They're having a big festival over in Juuban Park. There's rides and food and games and everything. Dad said he would give me some money to go, but I don't feel like it today." Shingo brought his hand over his mouth and hacked loudly.
"Well I wanna go!" Usagi jumped off the bed and dashed for the door. "Outta my way!"
"Umm... Usagi." Shingo squeaked, not moving.
She stopped in front of her brother, getting right up in his face. "What!?"
Shingo grinned nervously as a drop of sweat formed unseen on the back of his head. "You might want to get dressed first."
Usagi glanced down and sure enough, she was still wearing her pajamas. "I knew that. Now get out of my room, spore. I need to change." She pushed the door back shut, making sure it was secure this time.
With lightning speed Usagi doffed her sleeping cloths and put on her favorite orange summer dress and yellow shirt. She pulled her flaxen blond hair up in the trademark two small buns, barely containing squeals of joy for having someplace to go. Two small combs were jammed in to secure her hair.
Usagi admired herself in the mirror. She never went out without looking her very best; after all, you never know when you're going to run into your boyfriend. Usagi blushed at the thought. Her relationship with Mamoru had gone through some rough times recently, but now she was more devoted to him then ever. Satisfied with her eternal beauty, she ran out of her room and down the stairs.
"Good morning father! Good morning mother!" Usagi called out as she entered the dining room. Shingo had already come down and was sitting at the table with Kenji. She gave her father a quick peck on the cheek.
"Good morning daughter. Nice to see you finally up and about." Kenji said as he continued to read the morning paper.
Usagi giggled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Ya, well, I was really looking forward to that festival."
Ikuko walked into the room in her apron, carrying a tray of fresh-baked muffins. "Good morning daughter." Usagi snatched a muffin and crammed it in her mouth. "You missed breakfast again."
Usagi mumbled something that sounded like an apology.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Ikuko remarked absently. "I think it's good of you to volunteer to take your brother to the park today."
The dignified moon princess choked on her muffin. The brat was supposed to sick!
A miraculously healed Shingo patted her on the back. "Thanks sis. You're the greatest," he said wearing his best look-I'm-cute face.
Usagi swallowed frantically. She was going to tell on him for lying and oh boy was he gonna be in trouble then...
"If you don't feel like going out, maybe Mom will help you look through your room for your cat." said her dear brother, patting her back just a little too hard.
"Oh yeah! You know how much I love my little brother." Usagi smiled widely. "I'll take him anywhere, the park, the zoo, the river, whatever." Her parents just looked at her suspiciously. She grabbed Shingo by the arm and dragged him out the front door. "Come on, let's go dear little brother!"
Ikuko walked over to close the door Usagi had left wide open. "That girl..."
"Don't worry dear. She'll grow out of it eventually," said Kenji. "I hope," he added under his breath.
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Usagi screeched to a halt at the park entrance. She finally released the death-grip on her brother, who doubled over desperately gasping for air.
'What a wimp', she thought as she went to the ticket booth. When she came back Shingo had recovered slightly.
"You didn't... have to run... the whole way... here," he gasped out between breaths.
"That's what you get for tricking me," Usagi scolded him.
Shingo shrugged. "They wouldn't let me come by myself; and you would have said no if I had just asked you. I don't know what you're complaining about, I got you out the house."
"Hmph."
"Well, we're here now, so why don't we just drop this for today?"
Usagi tossed her head in disdain. She was going to get him later, but right now there were more important things, like getting some of that popcorn she smelled cooking. "Ok, spore. Let's go have some fun!"
Seconds later she was happily munching on a bag of popcorn as she walked down the midway. The PA system tried to play cheerful music but was drowned out by the chattering hubbub of the crowd. Lights flashed and vendors called from every booth offering every variety of game known to festival folk. Usagi scanned each, trying to find a game she liked, when she spied a familiar figure sitting on a stool.
Stealthily she crept up on her unsuspecting victim. Suddenly she struck, clapping a hand down on a shapely shoulder. "Ha!"
"Ack!" A long fall of raven black hair swiveled to reveal the face of a young priestess.
"Hi Rei! I didn't know you were here!"
"Silly girl! Don't bother me right now. I'm about to win a prize," Rei said nearly shouting.
"Oh no you're not," Makoto said from the next stool with an intent look. She crossed her leg under her long brown dress and firmly took grip of the water pistol. "Usagi, don't make noise. We're busy."
"Well you don't have to yell," Usagi pouted. The two sitting girls ignored her and looked into the booth. A bell sounded and high-pressure streams of water came out of the pistols and struck a row of gaping clown heads. Balloons filled quickly, Rei and Makoto being evenly matched. Suddenly a popping sound came from the other end of the booth and the game was over. A crowd of disappointed gamers stood, momentarily obscuring the winner. Soon the crowd cleared to reveal a carnie handing a large stuffed cabbit to a girl with short blue hair.
"Thank you," the girl said in a quiet voice. She stood up to leave the booth. The other girls followed.
"Ami? What are you doing here?" Makoto reached her first.
"Oh, hello." Ami gave a half wave in greeting. "I finished all the advance work the teacher gave me, so I decided to take some time off. How about you?"
Rei grimaced. "That idiot Yuuruchiru was trying out one of his new songs, so I called Mako and we decided to go here."
Usagi piped up. "Well, I'm here with my brother." She pulled said brother forward. Now why was he trying to hide behind her? And why in the world was his face flushed? "Say hello, brother."
Shingo bowed his head politely. "Hello Ms. Rei. Hello Ms. Makoto." His flushed deepened. "Hello Ms. Ami." All three greeted him in return. He turned back to Usagi. "I think I saw some of my friends over there. I'll spend the day with them and meet you later, OK?" He ran off before she could answer.
"What a polite kid," said Ami.
"I wish I had a little brother like that," Makoto said wistfully.
"Are you kidding?" Usagi steamed. "He's a worthless spore! I can't stand him! If I could I would drop him in a second!"
"It's nice to see you too, meatball head," a gruff male voice sounded behind and above her.
Anger melted in a second as her demeanor underwent a complete reversal. "Mamo!" She spun to capture him in a powerful embrace. "Oh, I wasn't talking about you!" She always made so many mistakes, she was always so clumsy around him. Usagi wondered why he tolerated so much.
"I know, Usako." Mamoru ruffled her golden hair with a firm but gentle hand. "I know you would never say something like that."
"Right! We're together forever!" She felt the connection between them, strengthened by their proximity. They shared a fate; to marry, to have children, to rule a perfect future, and to share their love forever. Truly she would never abandon him, for all of eternity.
Rei noticed the dreamy sparkle enter her friend's eye. "Oh, great, she's off in dreamland again," she complained to Makoto.
"You're just jealous because she has a steady boyfriend and you can't even get Yuuruchiru to look twice," she shot back with a wink.
"Am not! Are you crazy!?"
"Come on, I've seen the way you look at him when you think noone's watching."
Rei turned away in a huff. "At least I don't moon over all my failed relationships all the time."
"Hey!" Makoto stepped toward Rei with the intention of continuing this friendly conversation with a headlock when Ami held her back.
"I can't believe you're arguing about something so silly!" Both the arguing girls stared in surprise at their usually restrained friend's sudden outburst. Ami wilted under the scrutiny and continued with a quieter voice. "Please, don't fight."
Makoto turned to Rei with a face full of embarrassment. "I'm sorry."
The apprentice priestess soothed her anger and managed a small smile. "Me too."
Usagi was oblivious to this exchange, wrapped up in fantasies of a gleaming crystal city and a little pink-haired girl. When Chibi-Usa had departed it felt like a part of her soul had been torn out. She felt the dull ache even now, pulsing in her with every heartbeat; but even so she felt a stronger joy. She was in love, surrounded by her loved ones and protectors. As long as she held on to that love her future was guaranteed, and some day she would meet that wonderful little girl again.
"Let's go have fuuuun!" Usagi skipped forward, tightly holding the hand of her beloved. The Senshi followed close after.
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The day progressed without further incident from that point. Mamoru proved his throwing skill by winning a Sailor Moon mini-plush at the dart game, which resulted in an explosion of gratitude from Usagi. They had finally left the midway and entered the center of the park, where the rides had been set up. The cry of vendors was replaced by the clack and squeal of motors. The happy couple had gone on the Ferris wheel, while Rei and Makoto had decided on the miniature roller coaster. Ami had begged off, saying she didn't feel well. She wandered into a plaza secluded by flower terraces and sat on a bench next to the fountain. Next to her was piled the various prizes everyone had won that day.
The subtle gurgling of the fountain masked the rush of noise from the park. Ami trailed her hand across the turbulent surface of the water. All around her she saw the bright faces of the crowd. Lovers holding hands. Parents leading their laughing children. All the troubles and woes of the world forgotten in the warmth of the sun and the joy of celebration. Ami wished desperately that she could join them.
One figure caught her eye. It was young girl, dressed in denim and bearing a long sheaf of bright golden hair. She moved through the crowd furtively, glancing in every direction as if she were looking for something. The girl caught sight of Ami and gave her a grin and a huge wave. Ami lifted her hand from the fountain and waved back absently, scattering drops of water.
Minako looked concerned for a moment, but quickly hid it under a cheery mask. "Hey Ames!" she burbled, plopping down on the bench next to unresponsive Ami. "What are you doing here by yourself?"
Ami forced a smile. "I'm not here alone. I'm with Usagi and the others. They're on the rides right now and I agreed to watch their things. How about you?"
Minako dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "That's not what I meant. Where's your sweetheart Urawa?"
Ami didn't speculate on how Minako had found out. The self-proclaimed Sailor of Love had made it clear that she had ways of knowing about their relationships. There were many times, like now, that her friends wished she didn't.
"He said he couldn't make it. He was too busy studying," Ami said in a defeated tone.
"That's his loss then. Do you know what you need?" Minako continued without waiting for an answer. "You need to have a fling. Nothing serious, just a quick date to loosen you up. Wait right here and I'll get a nice cute guy for you!" Minako had already stood by the time she finished. She dashed back into the crowded plaza.
Ami was still in shock when Minako ran off. A million thoughts ran through her head. It might be nice to talk to someone. But she couldn't possibly spend time with some random stranger. What would her friends think? Who would even want to talk to her now? But Mina was going to all this trouble... No. She would politely refuse and apologize to whomever Mina had managed to snare.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a scream. Ami looked up to see a bolt of light strike a nearby tree, lighting it on fire. She traced the bolt backward to its source. Two figures stood at the end of the plaza. One was tall, with a scaly green hide and antennae. The other was shorter, although he had an unlikely crest of black hair that nearly topped the other. He wore a gleaming set of blue and white armor and had what appeared to be a tail wrapped around his waist. The shorter one made a negligent gesture in her direction. Ami frantically jumped clear as another bolt came at her. The energy packet missed her feet by inches and struck the fountain, completely destroying the centerpiece and spraying water everywhere.
Ami was frozen in terror. This wasn't possible. The Dark Moon family had been defeated. Youmas couldn't be attacking anymore. She shook her head to clear out the cobwebs. Youmas were attacking, and she had to do something about it. She stood with determination. The plaza had emptied within moments and now stood vacant and free from prying eyes. A wave of the hand produced a blue transformation wand, which Ami lifted to chant the activation phrase.
"Mercury Star Power!"
A bright light obscured the area for several seconds. When it disappeared there stood Sailor Mercury. The youma pair noticed the sudden flare and started to walk toward it. Mercury tapped her earring to produce her visor and took a reading of the two monsters advancing toward her. Their power was significantly higher than any youma they had faced before. Worse, they didn't have any weaknesses. The armor and the green one's hide seemed impenetrable.
Mercury resolutely stood her ground. Every moment they spent on her was an opportunity for someone to escape the park. The youmas stopped several meters in front of her. The tall one grinned, exposing a row of fangs; the short one scowled. They raised their arms toward her. The senshi crossed her arms over her chest, preparing to counterattack.
"Crescent Beam!"
A line of coherent light slammed into the taller youma, sending him sprawling into the shorter and knocking them both off balance. Mercury took advantage of the momentary distraction to lay down cover. "Shabon Spray!" A flood of bubbles came forth from nowhere and covered the area in a thick fog.
She ran toward the ride area. Their only hope was getting allies quickly. "Venus! Mars and Jupiter are on the roller coaster!" A moment later an energy beam passed through the area she had just been. Any reply was lost in the explosion as the beam struck a stone retaining wall.
Mercury kept her head down as she ran out of the plaza. Several patrons had been trapped in the rides when everyone had fled the park, and most were screaming in terror. Including one very distinctive high-pitched wail. With a single bound leapt into the basket of the Ferris wheel where Usagi had been stuck with Mamoru.
Usagi was latched on to her boyfriend's jacket bawling into his chest while he tried to comfort her. Their expressions quickly changed to concern when a transformed Ami dropped in on them.
"Two youma are attacking the park!" Mercury stated without preamble.
"Whaaaat?" a very surprised Usagi whined.
Mamoru looked like his face had been carved from granite. "It seems our trip to the park is going to be more exciting then we had thought." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a red rose. The outline of his cloths grew fuzzy as they shifted into a formal tuxedo.
Ami lifted Usagi and jumped back to the ground. "You better transform."
"Right! Moon crystal power!"
Moments later two fuku clad girls made their way back to the plaza. Tuxedo Kamen followed soon after, his cape flapping dramatically.
The fog had cleared by time they arrived back at the plaza. The sounds of battle rang out. The other Senshi were already on the scene directing a rain of fire and light at the intruders. The youma absorbed the attacks without complaint. Not so much as a dent or scratch appeared on them. When a momentary lull in the onslaught appeared the youma struck back with a volley of energy blasts. Venus and Mars managed to dodge, but a beam hit Jupiter on the leg, sending her sprawling.
Usagi struck an imperious pose. "Hold it right there! Everyone was having fun in the park today, and you ruined it." She launched into her usual song and dance. "For Love and Justice, I am the Pretty Sailor Suited Soldier Sailor Moon!"
Mars and Venus had regrouped with an injured Jupiter. On their cue they shouted, "Sailor Senshi!"
Mercury remained silent she worked her away around the edge of the plaza. She stopped opposite of Usagi and prepared to strike.
"and in the name of the Moon," continued Sailor Moon, "I will punish you!"
The youma were not impressed by such threats. They turned on the source of the interruption and concentrated their fire on her. Sailor Moon screamed and ducked for cover. Tuxedo Kamen sent out a wave of roses that nullified the incoming blasts.
Now, while their backs were turned toward her, Mercury attacked. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" A high-pressure jet of ice cold water sprang out and struck the armored youma on the upper back. The short monster overbalanced and fell forward flat on his face.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" A kneeling Jupiter lobbed the ball of highly concentrated electrical energy up the now exposed kilt of the armor. For the first time the youma appeared to be injured as he let loose an unearthly keening. The green youma staggered and tossed his head, his antennae flapping wildly.
Venus gestured toward the disabled monster. "Love-Me Chain!" A chain of golden energy in the shape of hearts wrapped itself around the legs of the green youma. Venus yanked and sent it to the ground on top of the other. "Sailor Moon! Finish them!"
A much more composed (now that noone was shooting at her) Sailor Moon complied. The royal Moon Scepter appeared in her outstretched hand. She performed the technical lovely but unnecessarily elaborate aiming movement, then called out, "Moon Scepter Elimination!" A focused cone of moonbeams washed over the prostate youmas. Their bodies seemed to melt together under the intense power of the blast. Finally they burst apart into a cloud of steam.
"Moondusted!" an excited Sailor Moon crowed proudly.
A breeze popped up in the plaza, clearing away the dust and debris of battle. Huge hunks had been torn out of the flowered terraces surrounding the plaza, and everything near the fountain had been completely destroyed. Including, Ami noticed with dismay, the bench she had been sitting on. A fire had caught among the dry upper branches of the trees and was spreading at an alarming rate, aided by the wind. The breeze also brought with it the sound of approaching sirens.
"We should leave," Ami said with a tired voice.
Rei and Mamoru picked up Makoto. Together the Senshi bounded out of the park. Without speaking a word, they went toward Cherry Hill Temple.
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Where are these monsters coming from? Why are they attacking our heroes? Keep reading to find out!
A/N: That was a Namek and a Saiyan, in case you didn't catch it. I'm male, so I'm not sure how well I did with the girls' thoughts. Too much?
Next up; enter the villains! *dun Dun DUN* Hopefully ff.net will be stable for a while and the next installment will be up next week. Ja na!
