Shadow Moon
Dragon Lady
Ch.2 Scout of the Darkness of Night Parts 1 and 2
Disclaimer: * Sighs * Once again, I do not own Sailor Moon except perhaps in my wildest dreams, only the characters that I make up.
PART 1
Altera looks out at the big city as the scenery flies by her. Pushing her silvery-white hair out of her eyes, she stares at the sight that lies before her. It's so big! I never thought that Tokyo could look like this, and with so many people. It's nothing compared to the U.S.
The bus screeches to a stop. The driver yell s back. "This is as far as I go Miss. From here it's only a block to you destination."
Altera grabs her duffel bags and thanks the driver before stepping out into the crowded street. She pulls out a piece of notebook paper from her pocket and glances at the street number of a nearby house. He's right. Grandmother's house should be only a block form here.
Altera had spent most of her life being tossed around form foster home to foster home, never staying in the same place for more that a few months. That is, until a year ago. Last year, her social worker had received a letter from some unknown grandmother in Tokyo who she's never met.
Now here she was. She had taken a plane into Tokyo two days ago and had spent a very eventful night in a small room of a hotel (cubical really).
The rows of houses become less and less, the street begins to widen and trees line the road. Eventually, Altera finds herself alone on the street.
Creepy.
"Wow"
The trees finally clear and Altera finds herself before a gorgeous two story wooden, Victorian style house. Alter smiles. Well this looks a little out of place.
She steps up to the door and knocks. No sound comes from inside. Frowning, she knocks again, harder. After a third time, she decides to try to open it. To her surprise, the door opens with a creek.
That's strange, why would she leave the door open? Is there some reason why she can't come to the door?
The inside of the house is just as nice, expensively furnished with hard, oak floors. "Grandmother?"
After searching the first floor and finding nothing, Altera makes her way up the stairs and begins going from room to room, each time with no result.
At last, she comes to the door at the end of the hallway. Suddenly, the ring on her right hand becomes hot.
What the… My mother's ring why is it so warm?
Swallowing her fear, Altera opens the door to the room and gasps. The room is a delicate red with bay windows, the sun setting in the west, setting it ablaze.
"It's beautiful!"
"Of course, it's yours."
Altera looks around startled. "Who said that?"
"I did."
"Huh?"
"OH, LOOK UP ALREADY!" Altera looks above her head and sees a tiny ball of purple light hovering above her. NO, not a light, she thinks, a tiny person! Squints. "With wings!"
"Yup." A pair of tiny purple eyes meets hers and the tiny creature runs a small hand through short red hair. "My name's Renasoramosemicia til Pelenamithos ap Gilmiria, of the …"
"I think I've got it."
The tiny thing smiles and laughs. "But you may want to call me Rena."
"What are you!" Altera blurts out.
Rena frowns. "Your fairygodmother."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course not! I'm a fairy as well as guardian of this house." Pauses. "I guess I'm also the legal guardian of you. Sort of."
"Guardian of me? Where's my Grandmother?"
Rena's face falls, her smile fading. "Lily has been dead for three years now."
"Then why…"
"She left you the house and everything in it and you are also financially covered for at least the next ten years of so. Her last command to me was to summon you here when you turned sixteen. She always thought that you would be happy here."
Altera collapses into a chair by the door. "I don't believe this."
"Believe it," Rena says, smiling now. "I also took the liberty of enrolling you in the local high school. You start tomorrow morning, your uniform's in the closet and you have to be on the bus by 8:00."
Altera only stares.
"This should be quite interesting. It's been a long time since anyone your age has been in the souse. Oh well, we'll talk more later. Right now, would you mind helping with dinner? It's incredibly difficult to cook, me being so small and all. It's been a long time since I had a home cooked meal."
"Sure," Altera says, bewildered.
Rena smiles and begins to physically drag her to the kitchen (quite an accomplishment for someone that small, huh.). "I'm glad fate decided to bring you to me Altera."
"Fate, that sounds like something off a fortune cookie."
Rena turns to her, stricken. "What's wrong with fortune cookies?"
"Nothing, it's just that some of the fortunes on them seem a little…corny."
"Corny! I'll have you know that some of those predictions are very good and usually come true! I've come up with a couple good ones myself."
Altera's eyes widen. "You don't mean to tell me that you make fortune cookies."
"Well, it is actually a big part of the economy where I come from. After all who else would be small enough to write those tiny messages. It isn't easy, I'll tell you that."
"Uh, huh."
A bell rings, signaling the beginning of class at the high school. Altera stands up in front of the class, facing the students as the teacher introduces her.
"Class, this is Altera Jackson. She is from the United States and has just moved here. Please make her feel as welcome as possible."
The class stares at her menacingly. Students who have no one sitting near them begin to shift restlessly.
Figures. It's just like every other first day. Everyone ignores the new girl because she looks a little different.
She brushes a strand of silvery hair form her eyes and glances at a boy in the back row, meeting his brown eyes with her icy blue and white ones.
Then the boy smiles, offering her a seat beside him in the back. Well here's a first! I think this may be the first time I've been offered a seat. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
The boy with the fiery red hair and brown eyes leans over and whispers to her. "Welcome to Tokyo."
"Lita!"
Lita looks up from her lunch to see Serena standing over her. "What is it?"
Serena gets closer, tears welling up in her eyes. "I forgot my lunch again. Is it okay if I have some of yours?"
"Sorry Serena, I've already eaten all of my lunch."
"WHAT! NO!" Serena stomps off. I am so hungry! I can't believe I forgot again!"
Serena reaches the end of the sidewalk and sees a girl sitting by a maple tree by herself. Why is she sitting alone? She spots a lunch bag. Hmmm, maybe…
"Excuse me," Serena says, coming up behind her.
"What? Oh, can I help you?
"Is that a chocolate covered rice ball you have in your hand?"
The girl looks startled, then smiles. "Yes it is. Do you want it?"
"PLEASE!" Serena replies, drooling.
The girl's smile broadens. "Well, if you want it so much, of course you can have it."
Serena glances at her, surprised. "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" She replies, laughing out loud now. She hands Serena the rice ball.
"Thanks," Serena replies and sits down beside her.
The girl glances at her, looking surprised. "You're staying?"
"Well, why not? I'm sitting here, eating your lunch, the least I can do is stick around."
"So, you're not embarrassed to stay with me or anything?"
"Huh?"
"Well, it's just that you're one of the few people today who hasn't stared at me like I'm some kind of freak."
For the first time, Serena took a really good look at the girl. Her hair, a silvery-white with a single black streak down the middle of it really made her stand out. The girl's eyes are an icy blue streaked in some places with white.
Finally, Serena just shakes her head. "Yeah, I suppose you do stand out a bit, but that most certainly doesn't make you a freak. And besides, if it's your hair you're worried about, believe me, I've seen worse," she says, thinking of Reni's flamingo, pink hair. Those eyes though, are another story. I feel like she's staring right through me. That is kind of creepy, but still, she seems really nice.
"By the way, my name is Altera, I just moved in yesterday."
"Nice to meet you. My name's Serena." Serena finishes swallowing a piece of rice ball. "Did you say yesterday? And you're already going to school?"
Altera laughs again. "Yeah, I know, it's rough. I really haven't gotten a chance to meet many people."
Serena is silent for a moment. "Altera, I just had a wonderful idea. My friends and I have a study group after school at the Cherry Hill Temple. If you don't have any plans, why don't your join us?
"Thanks Serena, I'd like that."
Author: Okay, author needs a break, her hands hurt and she can't type anymore, therefore I'm dividing this chapter into two parts because it's so long. Therefore, this is the end of part one.
PART2
"Pyra!"
"Yes master?"
"You failed yesterday."
"I know master."
"Who sere those girls that intervened?"
"I'm not sure master, but is looked like the sailor scouts."
"Serenity? It can't be, she's dead!"
"I only report what I know master."
"Yes, yes, blasted woman! Do your job. I need life energy, scouts or on scouts!"
"Understood Master."
"Good then, get on with it!"
` Pyra stares into the pool. An image of the Cherry Hill Temple appears.
"That girl at the temple looks like a good candidate. Perhaps I shall send my next minion there."
"Altera, this is Ami, Rei, Lita, and Mina. Gus this is Altera. She just moved here from the United States and I thought perhaps she could join our study group for today," Serena says.
Lita comes forward and shakes Altera's hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Like wise." One by one, the others welcome her, but coolly.
Rei pulls Serena aside. "Meatball head, what do you think you're doing? You know this meeting was suppose to be used for scout purposes."
"I know, I know, but she looked so lonely," Serena stammers.
Rei sighs. "It doesn't really matter now, but don't do anything like this again. This scout business is serious."
"I know."
"I know you do," Rei smiles. "You always did." The two of them rejoin the group.
"Wow, so you really came here from the U.S?" Mina exclaims.
"Yes."
"Wasn't the language hard though? English is vastly different from Japanese," Ami asks.
"Now that you mention it, no not really. I had about a year to prepare, and I studied very hard."
"So Altera, did your parents come with you, or are you just here on exchange?" Rei asks.
Altera hesitates. It had never hurt her to talk about it before, but with the week's pressures, it was not a question she wanted to answer. "I haven't had parents in a very long time. My father left when I was born and my mother died in an accident when I was very young. I was shipped from foster home to foster home until I received a letter from my grandmother, inviting me to live here with her." Better keep Rena out of this, she thought.
Rei looks startled. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. Forget I mentioned it."
"No, it's okay, I'm asked about it a lot. I..."
The ground beneath them begins to shake violently.
"What is this, an earthquake?" Serena yells, clutching the table for support.
"Quick," Ami yells, "everyone outside!"
As the girls reach the open yard, they are greeted by a large monster covered head to toe in armor, a large broad sword in one hand and a shield in the other. "Ah, lunch has arrived."
"We ain't no one's lunch," Lita yells in fury.
Rei whispers. "What do we do guys? We run, we'd never get away, but we can't transform in front of Altera either."
"We don't really have a choice," Ami replies. "It looks like it's kill or be killed."
"Right, let's do it," Serena replies.
"I hope this isn't a mistake," Rei murmurs.
"Moon Crystal Power!"
"Mercury Crystal Power!"
"Mars Crystal Power!"
"Jupiter Crystal Power!"
"Venus Crystal Power!"
Altera stares as the five scouts transform. So they're the Sailor Scouts. No wonder I felt so comfortable around them. Maybe I should…"
"I'm going to crush you like bugs," the monster says, and takes a step forwards, sword raised.
"Mars, Flame Shooter!"
The monster throws up a shield and deflects her attack. "That was nothing."
Sailor Jupiter catches Venus's eye and nods.
"Jupiter, Orb Evolution!"
"Venus, Love and Beauty Shock!"
The monster dodges the attacks easily. "That was an attack? I'm done playing, I think I'll just destroy you now."
Suddenly, Altera appears between the monster and the scouts. "Not so fast! I won't let you hurt my new friends!"
"Altera no! Get out of the way!" Sailor Moon yells.
"And just who are you?" the monster asks, stepping up to Altera's challenge.
Altera just smiles. "Pisces Nega Power!"
The ring on Altera's hand shimmers and Altera's body becomes a dark shimmering figure. Dark purple jewels appear on her chest and forehead and dark shadowy wings shoot from her back, sending black feathers flying as they do so. The feathers cover her and then leave her standing in a black scout uniform. Altera raises her arms above her head. A silver tiara appears on her head and black, obsidian colored swords appear in her hands. Behind her, the zodiac symbol for Pisces. Glows brightly.
"Me, I'm the scout of the darkness of night. I'm Sailor Pisces!"
Author: Geez, that took a long time to type. I hope everyone reads this because I hate wasting effort. I've got to make these things shorter. By the way, please excuse any spelling/grammer mistakes.