Chapter Two
A
figure stirred in the darkness and turned around. As she stepped into the
light, her servants bowed.
One
stepped forward and bowed deeper,
"Lady
Phobia, I…I have seen the tension between the Chibi Scouts."
The
woman turned and her servant trembled.
"Speak
Isolo."
"I…I
the girl named Annika…"
"Sailor
Chibi Mars."
"Yes."
"Go
on."
"She
is next to helpless, with a twisted ankle. The others are blaming Gloria."
"Sailor
Chibi Venus."
"Yes,
My Lady."
The
woman stepped forward. Everyone got a good look at their mistress.
She
was short, about the size of a normal twelve year old. Her hair was curly and
fell in black spirals to her waist. Her skin was a dark black and her eyes an
even darker shade than her hair. The only thing on her that wasn't black was
her sword's blade. It swung from a leather belt and it was solid silver. She
sat on her chair and faced her minions, one leg crossed over the other. She
twisted her hair absentmindly.
"You
know our goal?"
"Yes."
"Repeat
it to me."
"Our
goal is to find the Scout of-"
"No!"
she thundered. Her servant quivered. She calmed and stated, "Our mission, Isolo
is to find the Chibi Scout of Loyalty. In the future, our own time, it is not
the Scouts that are a problem; it is the Cosmic Scouts. Our mission is to find
the Scout of Loyalty and destroy her before she becomes a Cosmic Scout. It is
her loyalty and determination that is preventing my take over."
"My
Lady, how can we tell?"
"We
cannot Isolo. There are nine Chibi Scouts. Each one has her own strength, a
crystal within her that waits to be awakened. There is the Scout of
Forgiveness, the Scout of Reason, the Scout of Strength, the Scout of
Protection, the Scout of Love, the Scout of Harmony, the Scout of Strategy, the
Scout of Greater Good and finally, the one we search for, the Scout of Loyalty.
It is those crystals that supply power."
"But
we cannot use them!"
"Correct.
But they are merely a guide so to speak of which scout we have. The Scout of
Loyalty is the true danger. She must never awaken as a Cosmic Scout. Now listen
carefully, Isolo. Here is your mission. Go and retrieve a Scout. I do not care
which."
"Of
course Lady Phobia…but why?"
"Fool!
The Scout of Loyalty will come for her."
She
smirked and leaned back as Isolo vanished. "Then I will finish her off,
myself."
*
* *
Rini
laid her head down on her desk and fought to stay awake. Her teacher was so
boring. She had sworn that she would never act as Serena had in school but it
was no use. Before long, the Princess of Crystal Tokyo had become her mother
and was fast asleep, head on her desk.
A
boy beside her, Tommy smirked at this and raised his hand. When the teacher
called on him, he said,
"Ms.
Haruna? I know we were all glad Rini was not like her mother, study wise, but
well…" he trailed off.
Ms.
Haruna walked over and her mouth nearly dropped. Rini was one of her better
students. It was a nice relief from Serena's slacking. But now it looked like
Serena was back and had merely dyed her hair pink. The woman sighed.
"It
must run in the Tsukino family." She walked over until she was directly by her
and then said into her ear,
"SERENITY!"
Rini
sat right up at the sound of her legal name. When she realized what she'd done
her face turned as pink as her hair.
"Ms.
Haruna. I…I've had Princess duties. I need sleep to think."
Ms.
Haruna couldn't resist. She laughed out loud. "Rini dear, you sound exactly
like your mother, except she used something else for 'Princess duties.'
Princess or not, you're my student and I expect you to stay awake."
"I…I
just need a quick nap."
"No!
You need detention."
Rini
sighed deeply. "Aw man."
The
whole class burst out laughing and Rini buried her face in her hands.
*
* *
Neo-Queen
Serenity and the other adults waited as their daughters came home. The King and
Queen quickly noticed their daughter was not among them. The queen asked Hope,
"Hope?
Do you know where Rini is?"
The
blue haired girl giggled. "Yeah, she got detention."
The
woman stood up and hit her head. The King laughed.
"I
knew some of you rubbed off on her."
She
sent her husband a glare. "Very funny, Muffin. I think we should go get her and
get an explanation."
"Why?
She's fourteen."
"I
know. I always went to the arcade and then told my mother that's where I was so
she wouldn't wonder why I was late."
Darien
shook his head but his wife had a point.
"Okay.
But let's change first."
The
queen nodded and before long she and the king were headed towards Crystal Tokyo
Middle School.
*
* *
Rini
walked home, utterly miserable. This was her first time that she had gotten in
trouble for something that was not scout related. She knew her mother would ask
and she couldn't tell her a lie. Her mother knew her too well. She was in
trouble, she could smell it.
Isolo,
watching from the bushes, said to her self,
"If
I can find the Scout of loyalty, I'll be rewarded. This one is already Cosmic
but she is the leader, if I can be rid of her, it will make my job all the more
easy."
She
smiled, evilly.
"Then,
let's see which one you are, Cosmic Moon."
Rini
stopped as she heard a crackle in the bushes. Her hand went to her broach by
instinct. She steadied her voice and called,
"Who's
there?"
A
split second later, a form burst from the leaves, knocking her broach from her
grasp. It was black, with gargoyle wings and red hair. Its eyes were piercing.
She gaped in shock and fear and tried to activate her communicator.
The
gargoyle hissed,
"It's
no use, Cosmic Moon. You're alone. You fear the loneliness, don't you? You know
that alone without your broach you are weak and helpless."
The
accusation stunned Rini. That was what Isolo had been counting on. She ripped
Rini's shirt open, baring her chest and dug her claws in, directly over her
heart. Pressing against her breasts, she called,
"Appear
Senshi Crystal!"
Rini's
scream could be heard for miles. Isolo hissed again. The crystal appeared. It
was shaped like a diamond and hummed a blood red.
"So
you're the Senshi of Forgiveness."
"But
I won't forgive you," a new voice called. Isolo turned. There standing
by the bushes was a senshi she had not seen before.
She
was taller, but still fairly short and had long blond hair in two Odangos. She
had broad white wings and a multicolored skirt with no tiara. In its place was
a crescent moon. Rini sighed as she recognized her.
"Momma."
Eternal
Sailor Moon ran forward shouting, "Release my daughter!"
It
clicked. Isolo said, stunned, "Neo-Queen Serenity?"
The
senshi narrowed her eyes, "The same. Now let my daughter go!"
"Oh
I will," Isolo sneered. "Once I take her heart out!"
Rini
yelped and closed her eyes. But before Isolo's hands were in a centimeter, a
blast of power knocked her from the Princess. Rini turned as her mother cried
again,
"Moon
Crystal Power!"
Isolo
gave in and vanished.
Sailor
Moon detransformed and ran to her daughter as she collapsed.
"Rini?
Rini?" the queen shook her unconscious child desperately. "Come on baby, speak
to me."
The
bushes parted and the king ran in.
"Darien,
Rini's not responding. My baby's not waking up!"
The
king noted the red crystal and said, "Let's try this."
He
held it over her chest and released it. But instead of rejoining her body, her
broach appeared and it merged with it.
Color
flooded back into Rini's cheeks. She slowly opened her eyes. They were filled
with pain.
"Momma?
Daddy? I wanna go home."
