CHAPTER ONE: A Rude Awakening
Monday morning. Laura Carpenter rolled over and stretched. The clock read 6:15 am.
She slipped out of bed and ran her toes through her soft carpet. She stared out her window. The sun had not risen yet, but there were traces of pink on the horizon.
Laura took a shower and blow-dried her long brown hair. She tied it up with an elastic band and went to her closet, where she selected her favorite green shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
The spicy smell of cinnamon rolls drifted into Laura's room. She bounded out the door and down the hall to the kitchen. Her mother was taking the cinnamon rolls out of the oven.
"Good morning, Laura, did you sleep well?" Mrs. Carpenter turned around to face her seventeen-year-old daughter.
Laura sat down at the table and poured herself a glass of milk. "Yeah, I guess."
"Anything important happening today I should know about?"
"We're getting out at noon because it's Teacher-In-Service day."
Mrs. Carpenter set a plate of steamy cinnamon rolls on the table. Laura reached over and took one. The cinnamon roll tasted heavenly. Laura took a deep breath and inhaled the aroma.
"I'll be at work until 4:30, and I'll pick up Marcus because he has drill team practice today," Mrs. Carpenter was saying. Marcus was Laura's 12-year-old brother.
Laura finished off the rest of her cinnamon roll with a gulp of milk. "I have to go now."
"Have a good day, sweetie."
She passed him without so much as a glance. He watched as Laura drove off in her car. Soon, he would have to awaken her. But, he wondered, was she ready? He turned to his accomplice.
She nodded. "It is time."
Queen Ironia sat with her fist against her lip. Things were certainly not working out the way she had planned. Who would have seen that whole episode coming?
"Damn that Queen Serenity!" Oh yes, after Queen Serenity's so-called "heroic" act, Queen Ironia had destroyed the Moon Kingdom. At least she had gotten SOME satisfaction out of that. And since when did Queen Serenity have a son?
General Akura watched the Dark Moon Queen from across the throne room. These several days after the Moon Kingdom's demise, Queen Ironia had been a little on edge. Not that she didn't have the right too; God knows how long she had been scheming to bring down the Moon Kingdom.
Queen Ironia's eyes suddenly flashed. She turned her icy blues on her general. "Akura! Bring me Maya!"
Maya stood before her mother, her long, curly red hair tumbling around her shoulders. Her face showed no trace of emotion…she had gotten that from her mother.
The Queen rose from her throne and walked down the steps to where her daughter was standing. "Maya, you know the problems the Dark Moon Family is facing."
"Yes," Maya remained still.
"And you know that now that there is a Prince on the loose, there is a chance he will reclaim his throne and destroy us all."
"Yes, I understand."
Queen Ironia closed her eyes. "You must take your sister and travel to the past to find Prince Christian."
Maya blinked. "The past? With Selene?"
The queen nodded. "Yes. Inform your sister. You might have a big task ahead of you, but I'm sure it won't be hard to locate the general area of where the guardian energy is clustered."
Maya turned and left the throne room. As she walked down the silent hall, her apprehension grew. What on earth was she going to get into?
School let out at noon. Laura drove home. She dropped into a chair at the kitchen table, letting her backpack slid to the floor from her arm. Her cat Puff-Puff, a sand and white colored tabby, rubbed against her leg.
"Hey, Puff-Puff, how's my baby?" Laura picked up the cat and rubbed her cheek against his fur.
Puff-Puff purred. Laura dropped him and opened a can of cat food for him. After dumping it in his dish, she washed her hands and dried them on the back of her jeans.
Laura went outside to get the rest of her books from her car. As she stepped out the side door onto the patio, a white cat with an unusual marking on its forehead sat in front of her.
"Hey, kitty. What are you doing here?" Laura patted it on the head and walked past it.
"I've come here for you."
Laura spun around. The cat faced her, its tail lashing. Laura looked around. The only sound was the light breeze rustling through the trees.
She blinked. Her eyes rested on the white cat, innocently staring back at her.
"Call me crazy," Laura said slowly. "But did you just say something?" She jerked her head around, hoping it wasn't a practical joke. "Because if it is, I'll pulverize the dimwits doing it!"
"I assure you, Jupiter, this is not a joke."
"Huh?" Laura's mouth dropped open. THE CAT WAS ACTUALLY TALKING TO HER!
It bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself…or rather RE-introduce myself. I am Orion, Chief Guardian of the Moon Kingdom."
"Oh-whaaa? Chief-whaaaa?" Laura felt her forehead. Against her cool hand, her head felt hot. "I knew I was studying too much!"
Orion lashed his tail. "There is so much to do and in so short of time! We must awaken the power within you, Jupiter."
Laura shook her head. "I can't believe—wait—did you just call me Jupiter?"
Orion nodded. "You are the guardian of Jupiter."
Laura closed her eyes. This was too much to take.
"Perhaps I should just awaken the knowledge. It would take too much time to explain and you wouldn't remember anyways…" Orion came towards her.
Laura backed up against the brick wall of the house. She never thought she'd ever see the day when a cat would scare her so much! She turned around and saw her reflection. On her forehead was a peculiar glowing symbol in the shape of a 4.
While she was distracted, Orion's eyes closed. The unusual marking on his forehead, which was a crescent moon, began to glow. He opened his eyes which were balls of blinding light.
"AWAKEN THE POWER WITHIN!" he shouted.
The sky, which had been sunny, blue, and without clouds, had darkened to a fearful black color. The wind had picked up and was rushing through the trees. Thunder boomed from a distance. Lightening bolts struck nearby, threateningly.
Suddenly a lightening bolt struck Laura. The shock lifted her off the ground. Her skin felt dry and hot, like the sensation of the sun shining on her skin during the summer. The symbol on her head flashed and suddenly all Laura could see was a bright light. Flashes of scenes flooded into her mind, awakening all the memories that had been lost for nearly a millennium. She saw Queen Serenity, Pluto, and the Gates of Time. Everything that had been forgotten was back in her memory.
The brilliant display ended almost as soon as it had begun. Laura opened her eyes and found herself lying on the ground. The cement was cold on her cheek. She slowly rose up and saw Orion still there.
Laura stood up, shakily. "Orion……how long has---"
"Nearly a millennium from the future, Jupiter."
She touched her head. "That is too long. Why did you wait seventeen years to give me back my memory?"
Orion paced back and forth. "Because it just wasn't time. We had to wait until you were nearly of age to return the power to you."
"We?"
A slight sound caused the two to turn around. A woman emerged from the side of the house. She had long black hair with an odd green tint to it. She was dressed in a peculiar outfit, and carried a long silver staff with a dark red gem on the top.
"I see you have found the first guardian." She smiled, gracefully. "Good to see you again, Jupiter."
Laura returned the smile. "And you, Pluto."
Pluto turned to face the cat. "Orion, there is much work to be done. If we are to carry out our mission, we must begin right away. We have found Jupiter, but there are still six more guardians to awaken."
Orion nodded.
Pluto reached out and touched Laura's forehead. A green flash nearly blinded Laura. When the event was over, a small object floated in front of her eyes. The handle was green with golden spider-like veins along the outside of it. On the top, a gold circle with a star in the middle was attached. There was a smaller circle in the middle of the star. This had the 4 symbol like the one on Laura's forehead.
"When trouble arises, take this wand and say 'Jupiter Star Power'. This is your transformation wand. You will turn into Sailor Jupiter."
Orion turned. "I must leave now." He disappeared around the house.
"Wait!" Laura shouted as she held up her hand to stop Orion. "Orion can't leave now!"
Pluto touched her arm. "He has to leave. There are other guardians to awaken."
Laura dropped her hand. "Now what, Pluto?"
"Now we must begin our mission. We don't have time to wait until the guardians are all together. We have to begin our search to find Prince Christian now."
Laura nodded. "I guess so."
Pluto turned to leave.
"Now where are YOU going?" Laura protested. "I have a million questions now!"
Pluto smiled. "I have to go. My mission is to help Orion find the other guardians."
"But, Pluto!"
"Your questions will be answered, Laura…in time. And by the way, my name in this world is Trista Meiou."
"That's great, but….."
"Goodbye, Laura." Pluto disappeared.
Queen Ironia twisted a strand of black hair around her finger. "Any news from the past, Akura?"
General Akura nodded. He was dreading this. "I have good news and bad news."
"Give me the good news."
He cleared his throat. "Maya has made it safely to the past."
"And the bad news?"
Akura stepped back. "The guardians of Jupiter and Pluto have been awakened."
Queen Ironia leaped from her throne. "WHAT?!?"
Akura took another step back. "Yes, Supreme Highness."
She bit her lip so hard she drew blood. "Then it's only a matter of time before they find the rest. Do you know who the guardians are in this world?"
"No, but I'm working on it."
"Well work harder!" the queen's icy blue eyes raged. "Who knows what could happen!"
Monday morning. Laura Carpenter rolled over and stretched. The clock read 6:15 am.
She slipped out of bed and ran her toes through her soft carpet. She stared out her window. The sun had not risen yet, but there were traces of pink on the horizon.
Laura took a shower and blow-dried her long brown hair. She tied it up with an elastic band and went to her closet, where she selected her favorite green shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
The spicy smell of cinnamon rolls drifted into Laura's room. She bounded out the door and down the hall to the kitchen. Her mother was taking the cinnamon rolls out of the oven.
"Good morning, Laura, did you sleep well?" Mrs. Carpenter turned around to face her seventeen-year-old daughter.
Laura sat down at the table and poured herself a glass of milk. "Yeah, I guess."
"Anything important happening today I should know about?"
"We're getting out at noon because it's Teacher-In-Service day."
Mrs. Carpenter set a plate of steamy cinnamon rolls on the table. Laura reached over and took one. The cinnamon roll tasted heavenly. Laura took a deep breath and inhaled the aroma.
"I'll be at work until 4:30, and I'll pick up Marcus because he has drill team practice today," Mrs. Carpenter was saying. Marcus was Laura's 12-year-old brother.
Laura finished off the rest of her cinnamon roll with a gulp of milk. "I have to go now."
"Have a good day, sweetie."
She passed him without so much as a glance. He watched as Laura drove off in her car. Soon, he would have to awaken her. But, he wondered, was she ready? He turned to his accomplice.
She nodded. "It is time."
Queen Ironia sat with her fist against her lip. Things were certainly not working out the way she had planned. Who would have seen that whole episode coming?
"Damn that Queen Serenity!" Oh yes, after Queen Serenity's so-called "heroic" act, Queen Ironia had destroyed the Moon Kingdom. At least she had gotten SOME satisfaction out of that. And since when did Queen Serenity have a son?
General Akura watched the Dark Moon Queen from across the throne room. These several days after the Moon Kingdom's demise, Queen Ironia had been a little on edge. Not that she didn't have the right too; God knows how long she had been scheming to bring down the Moon Kingdom.
Queen Ironia's eyes suddenly flashed. She turned her icy blues on her general. "Akura! Bring me Maya!"
Maya stood before her mother, her long, curly red hair tumbling around her shoulders. Her face showed no trace of emotion…she had gotten that from her mother.
The Queen rose from her throne and walked down the steps to where her daughter was standing. "Maya, you know the problems the Dark Moon Family is facing."
"Yes," Maya remained still.
"And you know that now that there is a Prince on the loose, there is a chance he will reclaim his throne and destroy us all."
"Yes, I understand."
Queen Ironia closed her eyes. "You must take your sister and travel to the past to find Prince Christian."
Maya blinked. "The past? With Selene?"
The queen nodded. "Yes. Inform your sister. You might have a big task ahead of you, but I'm sure it won't be hard to locate the general area of where the guardian energy is clustered."
Maya turned and left the throne room. As she walked down the silent hall, her apprehension grew. What on earth was she going to get into?
School let out at noon. Laura drove home. She dropped into a chair at the kitchen table, letting her backpack slid to the floor from her arm. Her cat Puff-Puff, a sand and white colored tabby, rubbed against her leg.
"Hey, Puff-Puff, how's my baby?" Laura picked up the cat and rubbed her cheek against his fur.
Puff-Puff purred. Laura dropped him and opened a can of cat food for him. After dumping it in his dish, she washed her hands and dried them on the back of her jeans.
Laura went outside to get the rest of her books from her car. As she stepped out the side door onto the patio, a white cat with an unusual marking on its forehead sat in front of her.
"Hey, kitty. What are you doing here?" Laura patted it on the head and walked past it.
"I've come here for you."
Laura spun around. The cat faced her, its tail lashing. Laura looked around. The only sound was the light breeze rustling through the trees.
She blinked. Her eyes rested on the white cat, innocently staring back at her.
"Call me crazy," Laura said slowly. "But did you just say something?" She jerked her head around, hoping it wasn't a practical joke. "Because if it is, I'll pulverize the dimwits doing it!"
"I assure you, Jupiter, this is not a joke."
"Huh?" Laura's mouth dropped open. THE CAT WAS ACTUALLY TALKING TO HER!
It bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself…or rather RE-introduce myself. I am Orion, Chief Guardian of the Moon Kingdom."
"Oh-whaaa? Chief-whaaaa?" Laura felt her forehead. Against her cool hand, her head felt hot. "I knew I was studying too much!"
Orion lashed his tail. "There is so much to do and in so short of time! We must awaken the power within you, Jupiter."
Laura shook her head. "I can't believe—wait—did you just call me Jupiter?"
Orion nodded. "You are the guardian of Jupiter."
Laura closed her eyes. This was too much to take.
"Perhaps I should just awaken the knowledge. It would take too much time to explain and you wouldn't remember anyways…" Orion came towards her.
Laura backed up against the brick wall of the house. She never thought she'd ever see the day when a cat would scare her so much! She turned around and saw her reflection. On her forehead was a peculiar glowing symbol in the shape of a 4.
While she was distracted, Orion's eyes closed. The unusual marking on his forehead, which was a crescent moon, began to glow. He opened his eyes which were balls of blinding light.
"AWAKEN THE POWER WITHIN!" he shouted.
The sky, which had been sunny, blue, and without clouds, had darkened to a fearful black color. The wind had picked up and was rushing through the trees. Thunder boomed from a distance. Lightening bolts struck nearby, threateningly.
Suddenly a lightening bolt struck Laura. The shock lifted her off the ground. Her skin felt dry and hot, like the sensation of the sun shining on her skin during the summer. The symbol on her head flashed and suddenly all Laura could see was a bright light. Flashes of scenes flooded into her mind, awakening all the memories that had been lost for nearly a millennium. She saw Queen Serenity, Pluto, and the Gates of Time. Everything that had been forgotten was back in her memory.
The brilliant display ended almost as soon as it had begun. Laura opened her eyes and found herself lying on the ground. The cement was cold on her cheek. She slowly rose up and saw Orion still there.
Laura stood up, shakily. "Orion……how long has---"
"Nearly a millennium from the future, Jupiter."
She touched her head. "That is too long. Why did you wait seventeen years to give me back my memory?"
Orion paced back and forth. "Because it just wasn't time. We had to wait until you were nearly of age to return the power to you."
"We?"
A slight sound caused the two to turn around. A woman emerged from the side of the house. She had long black hair with an odd green tint to it. She was dressed in a peculiar outfit, and carried a long silver staff with a dark red gem on the top.
"I see you have found the first guardian." She smiled, gracefully. "Good to see you again, Jupiter."
Laura returned the smile. "And you, Pluto."
Pluto turned to face the cat. "Orion, there is much work to be done. If we are to carry out our mission, we must begin right away. We have found Jupiter, but there are still six more guardians to awaken."
Orion nodded.
Pluto reached out and touched Laura's forehead. A green flash nearly blinded Laura. When the event was over, a small object floated in front of her eyes. The handle was green with golden spider-like veins along the outside of it. On the top, a gold circle with a star in the middle was attached. There was a smaller circle in the middle of the star. This had the 4 symbol like the one on Laura's forehead.
"When trouble arises, take this wand and say 'Jupiter Star Power'. This is your transformation wand. You will turn into Sailor Jupiter."
Orion turned. "I must leave now." He disappeared around the house.
"Wait!" Laura shouted as she held up her hand to stop Orion. "Orion can't leave now!"
Pluto touched her arm. "He has to leave. There are other guardians to awaken."
Laura dropped her hand. "Now what, Pluto?"
"Now we must begin our mission. We don't have time to wait until the guardians are all together. We have to begin our search to find Prince Christian now."
Laura nodded. "I guess so."
Pluto turned to leave.
"Now where are YOU going?" Laura protested. "I have a million questions now!"
Pluto smiled. "I have to go. My mission is to help Orion find the other guardians."
"But, Pluto!"
"Your questions will be answered, Laura…in time. And by the way, my name in this world is Trista Meiou."
"That's great, but….."
"Goodbye, Laura." Pluto disappeared.
Queen Ironia twisted a strand of black hair around her finger. "Any news from the past, Akura?"
General Akura nodded. He was dreading this. "I have good news and bad news."
"Give me the good news."
He cleared his throat. "Maya has made it safely to the past."
"And the bad news?"
Akura stepped back. "The guardians of Jupiter and Pluto have been awakened."
Queen Ironia leaped from her throne. "WHAT?!?"
Akura took another step back. "Yes, Supreme Highness."
She bit her lip so hard she drew blood. "Then it's only a matter of time before they find the rest. Do you know who the guardians are in this world?"
"No, but I'm working on it."
"Well work harder!" the queen's icy blue eyes raged. "Who knows what could happen!"
