Today was a new day, her mother had told her early this morning before she left, today she would start over at a new school. She did not look forward to it. She did not look forward to wandering the halls of her new school alone, her fellow classmates lined against the walls, whispering and spreading rumors about her.
She picked up her hairbrush, running it through her shoulder-length blue hair. Glancing at her new school I.D. card, she scowled, a frown that did not fit her pale delicate features. The card read; Mizuno Ami, 8th grade, the first class, Juuban Junior High School.
Mirror of Reflections
Prologue
Reflection of Strength
Rating: PG - PG 13
Email Alecto:
"Why do so many people never amount to anything? Because they don't think. It's astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brain definitely and systematically to work. They seem to insist on somebody else doing their thinking for them. The individual who doesn't make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure of life. He not only misses the greatest pleasure, but he cannot make the most of himself."
-Thomas Edison
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko-san. I do not own it. Please don't sue me. However this story is mine and any other characters I will create along the way.
She stood near the windows, clinging to the satin tapestries, terrified of the scene before her. Her mother hovered over her godfather, trying desperately to cure his ailment. Her godmother sat besides her godfather's sick bed, crying hysterically as she clutched her eleven-year-old son, her best friend.
"I'm sorry, Gemma. There's not much more I can do to help." Her mother croaked. River of tears ran coursed down her pale cheeks. Her mother hadn't slept in days, her eyes bloodshot and swollen.
"You did your best Galena, it's not your fault." Her godmother cried, grasping her husband's hand tightly, "Oh, Alroy."
"Gemma, calm down, I'm as healthy as I was ten years ago." Her godfather, Alroy, said in reassurance, and then beginning to cough, "Bring Purity over here."
Galena, her mother, guided her to Alroy's deathbed. Alroy smiled warmly at Purity, "You're going to grow up to break a lot of hearts." He chuckled deeply. He affectionately brushed her bangs away to reveal a pair of frightened azure eyes. "Take care of your mother for me alright? And never lose faith in Him, our God. No matter how bad things look, He'll always be there for you. Never lose faith and do not forget what His son has taught us. There will come a time when darkness and despair will surrounds you, but if you can live through it, your life will become more complete then it ever was. To do so you must believe in Him, or Satan will obtain your soul. Be careful with what you do."
He turned to his son by his bedside. "She's your best friend and I want you to take good care of her and your mother. Son, I'm sorry I couldn't have spent more time with you. There was so much I wanted to teach you, show you. But I guess fate is against me. I'll always be there, watching over you, even if you can't see me."
Alroy turned to Galena. "I leave them in your hands now, protect them well and teach my son well. Be firm if you have to, he can be rather mischievous at times."
"Papa, I promise I'll be good, I'll never make trouble again. I'll listen to my tutors and I'll stop playing tricks on them. Just stay." He whispered brokenly as tears began to course down his cheeks.
"Stop crying." Alroy ordered firmly, his features then softened. "There no need to cry, I'm not going anywhere. Didn't I say I'm always going to be there?" His son nodded meekly. "That's my boy."
"Children, go outside and play." Galena ordered softly. She gently pushed the two protesting children out the door and closed it in their face.
The two turned and were about to leave when Gemma's voice screamed, "Alroy! Alroy! Wake up! This isn't funny! Alroy! Alroy! Come back!"
He ran back to the door and pulled and pulled at the handle. The door did not open as everyone else in the household heard Gemma's mourning. He banged on the door as tears once again fell incessantly from his deep sapphire eyes. "Let me in! I order you! Papa! Answer me! Papa!"
Purity stared at her best friend. Her heart wrenched in pain for all of them. Her five-year-old mind could not fully comprehend everything that was going on. Tears sprang from her eyes as confusion and turmoil tore at her soul.
With a loud wail she raced outside, dodging various servants and maids. It was sunny outside. The irony tore at her. She threw herself onto the grass and cried out her pain and confusion.
Galena watched her daughter sob from the window of Alroy's deathbed on the second floor. She closed the tapestries, plunging the dreary room into a more fitting darkness. Gemma continued to mourn the loss of her husband as her son continued to cry outside the room. She walked over to Gemma; she gently lifted her sister-in-law to her feet and guided her out of the room.
Gemma enveloped her son in a loving embrace as soon as she caught sight of his shaking form. The mother and son mourned their loss in each other's embrace.
Galena closed the door sadly behind herself. She made her to her Alroy's deathbed. She held his cold, lifeless hand and desperately checked for a pulse. Nothing. No pulse, no breathing, no heartbeat, nothing. She pulled the sheet over the face of his lifeless corpse. She sunk to a corner of the room, staring dully at her older brother's deathbed. Sobs racked her body as the stress and worries of the past few weeks finally took a toll on her. Yet despite all that was happening, the sun continued to shine
---
"Tsukino Usagi, get up this instant!" Tsukino Ikuko yelled for the fourth time.
Mumbling sleepily, she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and sat up as her mother left the room. A cascade of gold fell over her face, she tossed her purple moon and bunny sheets aside. Usagi yawned tiredly.
Had she been dreaming? She couldn't remember any of it...
Glancing wearily at her clock she began to panic. She was going to be late. So begins another day in the life of fourteen-year-old Tsukino Usagi.
Five minutes later, Usagi was racing through the streets, barely dodging a number of people. She skidded around another corner and to her dismay; she had run over a pedestrian in the process. Books and papers flew in all possible directions.
Swearing gently under her breath, Usagi looked to see exactly whom she had run down. Her eyes interlocked with a pair of ocean blue. Time seemed to cease.
The sound of her school's late bell ringing a block away brought reality crashing back down. Usagi quickly gathered her books and apologized quietly. She ran down the street, she was late.
Twenty year-old Chiba Mamoru stared as the girl's shadow disappeared around the corner. Slowly he picked up his books and his other belongings.
He looked down at one of the textbooks, it was an algebra textbook. He hadn't taken algebra in years now. The girl must have taken off with his book for multivariate calculus.
Mamoru peered into the book, the name inside the cover read "Tsukino Usagi." Mamoru couldn't help but smile at how cute the name was. He glanced at his watch and groaned. No point in running, he was already late.
---
She was two hundred light years away from what she called home, with no friends or family. Silver white hair tied into a long, thin ponytail with dull ice blue eyes, she wore a black uniform fitted her comfortably. How she longed to return home. How many years has it been? A few? Tens? Hundreds? Thousands? She could not remember, not that it truly mattered.
"Serenity." She sighed.
It was time to go home.
---
Usagi rushed up the stairs and came screeching into the classroom just as Haruna-sensei called her name. She let out a deafening "HERE!" before crashing painfully into the broom closet. Here class stared dumbly at her and blinked in unison. Haruna-sensei stalked over to the fallen girl and pointed angrily to the door.
Usagi sighed; she picked herself up and dusted herself off. By now, this was her daily morning routine. Looking up, she caught Ami's gaze, the two stared at each other.
Usagi's mind screamed in joy. 'Kallan! It's you! You're here!'
---
Purity ran across the wide-open meadow. Today was her fourteenth birthday, her simple whit dress fluttered around her. From a distance, a pair of warm blue eyes watched her closely, short blue hair swayed slightly in the wind. She sat between the boughs of a tree, watching her with a philosophy book resting in her lap. Purity spotted the girl. She was no more than five years older than her, dressed in an elegant blue dress.
Purity approached the base of the tree where the girl sat. The girl simply hopped off the branch, landing perfectly and uninjured on her feet. "I presume you are Lady Galena's daughter, Lady Purity. Please to make your acquaintance." The girl curtsied.
"You must be a member of the delegates from the moon. Please to meet you." Purity curtsied deeply. She knew the girl's station was well above her own.
"Actually I'm the ambassador for Mercury." She smiled.
"Since you have my name, may I have yours?" Purity asked.
"Chishiki Kallan, but please call me Kallan." The young ambassador smiled.
"That would not be proper, Chishiki-sama." Purity protested.
Kallan chuckled, "I insist, now do you know anything of philosophy?" and as Purity nodded, she continued. "What is your opinion of the Socratic Paradox?"
---
"Tsukino-san!" Haruna-sensei roared, "OUT!"
Usagi blinked, continuing to stand in the same spot. What was that?
"NOW!!!" Haruna-sensei bellowed.
Usagi mumbled under her breath, she leaned against the wall outside of the classroom as Haruna-sensei started to teach. She decided to do the math homework she had neglected to do, but she could not find her algebra textbook.
"I'm not in calculus." Usagi said curiously then smacked her forehead. "We must have switched books."
'Well, no duh, baka. This was not going to be a good day, but seeing him makes it all worth it.' Usagi mentally slapped herself. 'Who the hell are you thinking about? You can't, remember, you can't.'
Usagi squeezed her eyes shut as tears welled up in her cerulean eyes, threatened to spill. She furiously wiped away her tears and glanced inside the book, the name read Chiba Mamoru.
---
"Usagi-chan, what did you get?" Osaka Naru asked her best friend who stared depressingly at the scoreboard.
"Don't ask, Naru-chan." Usagi groaned. She was not looking forward to the afternoon ahead. She had failed her second test this week.
"Mizuno Ami got top score again." Naru stared at the name to the most left.
"Who?" Usagi asked.
"You should know by now." Umino Gurio said as he popped out of nowhere, scaring Usagi half to death. "She's the new girl at school, supposed to have 300 IQ.
Rumor is she's attending the new Crystal Seminar Cram School."
"I've heard of that place from my mom. She said it's very expensive and very exclusive." Usagi said.
"Usagi-chan, Mizuno-san was the girl you were staring at this morning when you came in." Naru sweat dropped.
"Honto ni? I've never really noticed." Usagi said blankly.
"She's just a rich snob." Shiranai Kodomo, one of the popular students at school, snorted as she and her friends passed by the group. Komodo was the dark beauty
that could make any men swoons at her feet any day she wanted.
"Why's that?" Usagi asked.
"Her mother's a leading doctor at Juuban Hospital. Mizuno-san never talks to anyone and all she does is study during break. We all know how smart she already is." Komodo sneered.
"She's seems kinda lonely to me." Naru stated quietly.
"All I know is her stay at Juuban Junior High won't be a nice one." Kodomo and her friends grinned cruelly as they spotted Ami. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of." Komodo and her friends walked off toward Ami.
Usagi knew well of what Komodo's gang did. They would taunt and humiliate the new student until they drove them out of the school or until they grew tired and found someone else. Some survived, some were not so fortunate. She was about to run up to Komodo and stop her before any damage could be inflicted, but Naru and Umino stopped her.
"Let me go!" Usagi demanded.
"No, you can't fight them, you'll never win." Naru exclaimed, shaking her head.
"But..."
---
Ami clutched her books tightly, trying desperately to ignore the stares she was suddenly receiving from her peers. She did not know it was only because they saw Shiranai Komodo and her friends were heading her way. At that moment almost everyone in that hallway pitied Ami for what was about to happen to her.
Ami was flung back when something slammed into her petite body. The contents of her schoolbag were spilled out as Ami was thrown to the floor. She found herself surrounded by a circle of stuck up cheerleaders wearing too much makeup.
"Well, well, well, isn't it the girl-genius? Where are your study books today?" Komodo sneered.
Another girl stepped on Ami's pencil case, squashing it purposely into the floor. "You're not welcome here, nerd. Why don't you just go home, little girl?"
"This is just a warning, you're not welcome. Your life here will be hell." With those last words Komodo and her group left a red-faced Ami sitting on the floor.
Ami fought back tears that threatened to spill forth. She tried to ignore the stares she received from her classmates. Her blue bangs hid her tearful cerulean eyes. She was strong. She would not be discouraged. She would not lose. She would not be defeated.
Ami was surprised when she saw a hand hold out her notebook for her. She looked up and met the bright blue sky of a wonderful new day.
---
"Kallan-chan, do you think I'll see him again?" Her princess asked, her golden hair shining brilliantly under the light of the Earth.
"Of course, Serenity-hime. The odds of you seeing him again are 3 out of 5. Let's not forget the ratio that your mother, her Majesty, owns him and his family. Why do you ask?" Kallan asked, brushing aside a blue bang.
Serenity sighed dreamily, "Kallan-chan, you wouldn't understand."
"Why might that be?" Kallan raised an eyebrow.
"I'm in love." Serenity sighed dreamily again as she leaned against the railing, staring at the Earth above.
"Love?" Kallan questioned as if love was something very foreign to her and it was. Her whole life, she was raised and trained to be a soldier, diplomat, and princess in the Moon Kingdom, millions of miles away from her home world. She never got to know her mother, father, or brother.
"Hai, love. I'm in love, Kallan-chan. I think he's the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, no, I'm sure." Serenity turned around to face Kallan, a large grin plastered on her face.
"Love." Kallan paused for a second, "Love. I wish you the best of luck. You have my blessings from here to eternity."
Serenity looked into Kallan's eyes, as if she was searching for something, and she found what she was looking for. "Kallan-chan, you know I love you too." Serenity enveloped Kallan in a sisterly hug.
"I know." Kallan whispered as she fought back tears of joy.
---
"Are you okay?" Usagi asked Ami.
"Yes...yes, I'm fine." Ami muttered and quickly swiped her eyes.
Usagi's face softened then brightened. "You want to eat lunch with us?"
Ami was taken back by the offer, fearing it was just a trick. "Yes," she answered hesitantly.
---
Somewhere out there, a woman slept on, unaware her destiny was beginning to unfold as she slumbered. She could only dream of the life she once cherished and the ghosts of her memories could only haunt her.
---
"Galena, I think we've found a side effect of your powers." A grim faced Alroy said to his newly sorceress sister.
"A side effect?" Galena clutched her seven-year-old nephew in her lap.
"Galena, I'm sorry but I'm afraid you'll never be able to have children." Gemma said, taking Galena's hand comfortingly into her own.
"I...I can't have children?" Galena stuttered.
Alroy nodded grimly as his wife embraced his shocked sister. "As a sorceress, you can't have children of your own. The closest thing to children is the person you pass your powers onto when you die."
"I can't do that. How could I give this horrid side effect to another person?" Galena exclaimed. Her nephew stared up at her, not quite understanding the commotion.
"You'll have to, Galena. A sorceress cannot die in peace unless she is free of her powers, so you will have to pass it on." Gemma explained. "I know this is hard for you but you must accepts things as they come to you. It's the way things are."
Galena put her nephew down from her lap, "I need some free air." With that she walked off, leaving her brother and sister-in-law to wonder about her.
Galena wandered into the garden, thinking about the past few days. How exciting her newfound powers had been at first, but now... "I've so wanted a little girl of my own, to raise, to cherish, to teach." Galena glanced up at the moon. She had always been fascinated by the moon and by all its legends of prosperous kingdoms and gods and goddesses. "Selene, please I've so wanted children. Why did this have to happen to me?"
Galena stopped as she heard the crying of a baby coming from a nearby bush. She cautiously peered through the leaves. Her emerald eyes met a pair of frightened sky blue. Galena found a basket with a child no more then two months old. She watched in shock as a strange insignia on the girl's head faded away.
"Where did you come from? Where are your mommy and daddy?" Galena cooed as she tickled the child. The baby girl giggled and grabbed Galena's index finger. Galena felt a shiver of power run down her spine.
As she lifted the basket, a piece of paper fell out. It read: Please take care of my little girl, she is in grave danger. I will be back one day to claim her. You will know when the white lilies bloom once more.
The white lilies within the garden have failed to every year for five years. Her powers told Galena they lied dormant, asleep, until the time came.
Galena stared at the elegantly written note. Who would dare to try and harm such an innocent child? She would let no harm come to this girl, she would raise this child as her own. Galena thanked Selene for answering her prayers. She looked down at the baby cradled in her arms and smiled, "I think I'll call you Purity."
---
She awoke abruptly from her slumber, gasping for her breath. It was the same dream, no, memory again, every night. The time was near to take back her daughter and everything that was rightfully hers. It was time.
---
A lone black cat wandered the streets. On its forehead, there appeared to be a crescent moon bald spot of some sort. Its ruby eyes seem to wearily watch the pedestrians walking around it and the pedestrians nervously avoided this strange animal.
"Look at that cat! Let's get it!" A group of teenage boys exclaimed as they grabbed the cat without any discretion or concern for the cat. Its face held a humanly expression of panic as it was carried off by the boys.
---
Ami walked home alone, wishing Usagi was with her but Usagi lived in the opposite direction. Her first day at a new school was better than she had thought, now that she met Usagi.
She was beginning to wonder what tomorrow would be like when she heard the strangled cries of a tortured animal. Ami ran toward the direction of the cries, finding a group of boys inhumanely torturing a poor, defenseless cat.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Ami demanded, despite the fact that the boys were much taller and stronger then her.
"Get lost, Toots!" The ringleader exclaimed, "This is none of your business."
"Then I'm making it my business. How dare you hurt such a defenseless creature? In the name of Mercury, I will punish you!"
Ami blinked blankly. Where in the world did that come from?
The boys blinked in confusion. "Defenseless?" the leader asked. "You know how many scratches we got before we even started beating the cat?!"
"Then that'll teach you not to pick on others! Get lost now!" Ami shouted.
The leader waved her off, "No point in arguing with ya, here's your stupid cat. Come on boys, we have better things to do."
Ami stared hatefully at the group's retreating backs. She had no idea why she said all the things she had and how she said the things she had. Ami rushed over to the cat, cradling it in her arms. A pair of rubies glanced up at her before the cat slipped into unconsciousness.
---
Ami bandaged the cat's wound and placed its broken leg into a mini cast. The cat slept for three days straight before waking up long enough for Ami to feed it some milk and meat before it went back to sleep for another two days.
Meanwhile at school, things were getting worse. Komodo and her gang were getting worse and worse. They humiliated her during her classes, at lunch, in the bathroom, everywhere. She took every blow silently they threw, her face getting redder and redder every time. The only thing that kept her from losing it completely was Usagi and her soothing words and her caring smiles.
"Good afternoon, kitty-chan. How are you today?" Ami asked the cat, who meowed in response.
She checked the cat's bandages, and to her surprise she found the cat's wounds were healed already. "Amazing! Your wounds are all healed!" The cat meowed and licked Ami's face and she giggled in return.
"I'm glad you're okay, kitty-chan."
Ami held the cat up, examining the cat in the light. Ami checked the cat's gender despite its dignified protest. "Sorry, kitty, but I needed to know. Okaa-san said I could keep you. You like that?"
The cat seemed to purr in reply and rubbed against Ami's arm.
"What should I name you?" She caught sight of the strange crescent symbol on the cat's forehead. "Let's name you Luna, after the Roman goddess of the moon."
Luna meowed approvingly.
Ami glanced at the clock on the wall of her room, it was 3:30 and she had to go to cram school. "Well, Luna, I have cram school. I'll see you later."
Luna meowed, as if she was bidding Ami farewell. Just before she left the apartment, she turned back and said to Luna. "Funny, it's almost like you understand me."
With those last words, Ami turned and left.
"I can, Ami-chan." Luna said and headed toward the open window to follow her new mistress. It was time.
---
She sat on her throne, thousands of shadows stood before her, awaiting her command. She brushed aside a bang of tarnished red hair. Her once emerald eyes were now a lifeless orange-red. Her milky white fangs shone in the light of her raven-colored crystal ball on a snow-white staff. Her ivory skin gleamed a ghostly pale in the light of the torches in the cavern.
A man stepped forth from the dark crowd. He bowed to the lady on the throne. He wore his long blond hair in a ponytail with cold green eyes that were lifeless. "Queen Beryl, the time has come. We've come to the final stage of the experiment. We need only one more test run. I wish to test it with a youma."
"Very well, Zoisite. I grant you permission on the use of your project on Jadeite's present operation." Beryl shifted in her seat, waving her hand in a careless manner.
Another man stalked out of the crowd, his face overflowing with anger. He had short blond hair and fuming ice blue eyes. "Queen Beryl, I would appreciate it if Zoisite did not interfere with my missions."
"Well, Jadeite," Zoisite mocked. "Queen Beryl, gave me permission. Deal with it."
"You dare insult me?! Why you insolent son of a-" Jadeite was cut off by a unhappy Queen of the Dark Kingdom.
"ENOUGH!!! I will hear no more! Zoisite, proceed. Jadeite, return to your post." Beryl ordered, her eyes glowed a deadly red.
Jadeite scowled as he vanished while ranting a very long list of profanity directed at Zoisite. Zoisite grinned with triumph. He had won this round easily.
Beryl peered into her crystal ball, an evil darkness spreading across the globe. She smirked. It was time.
---
Usagi walked into Crown Game Center, clutching the college math textbook in her hand. She looked around in hopes of seeing a familiar dark head. And there
he was, talking to Motoki as usual.
'Come on girl, you can do it. All you have to do is go over there, give him back his book and get your book back. How hard can that be?'
Taking another glance at Mamoru's handsome figure, she sighed.,'You're in way over your head.'
---
Ami rushed toward Crown Game Center. It was now a habit for Ami to squeeze in a quick game at the arcade with Usagi before rushing off to cram school.
"I'm going to be late." She felt like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland and began to wonder if Usagi's habit were beginning to rub off on her.
Her trip was cut short just outside the arcade doors when she ran into Komodo's friends.
"Well, well, isn't it the genius girl?" Komodo sneered, "Shouldn't you be at your little juku?" Komodo's friends smirked as they surrounded the small blue-haired girl.
"Where's your dumb blond friend?" One of the other girls mocked.
"You hear the joke about the dumb blond who couldn't tell the difference between a sheep and the dog? Tsukino-san sure has the grades to be her. You think the joke was about her?" Another laughed annoyingly, and then the others followed her lead.
Something inside Ami snapped. It was one thing to insult her but it was another thing to insult the first girl that befriended her in a long time. She lunged at Komodo and grabbed her long black hair.
Usagi had finally gathered the courage to approach Mamoru when she heard a scream echo through the game center. And through the glass door, rolled in Ami and Komodo, each kicking the crap out of each other.
"Cat fight!" A few of the boys shouted.
"Place your bets over here!" A certain red-haired boy called and was soon flooded by cash and bets.
"My money's on the blue-haired freak."
"I'm going for the cheerleader. I heard they could be pretty nasty sometimes."
"Why you, bitch!" Komodo screamed as she broke away from Ami. "I'll show you!" Komodo aimed an uncoordinated kick at Ami's chest, who easily blocked it and threw the brunette cheerleader back.
"Ami-chan! Stop!" Usagi cried but her calls went unheeded.
"What's going on?" Motoki asked as he and Mamoru made their way to the crowd.
Komodo threw another uncoordinated punch at Ami. Ami dropped to the floor and swung an expert kick, knocking Komodo off her feet. Out of nowhere, Luna streaked across the room and left a few scratches on Komodo's face. The black cat landed protectively in front of Ami, her hairs standing at its ends as she hissed at the cheerleader. It was over.
Usagi raced up to Ami. "Ami-chan, are you all right?! Why did you do that?!"
Komodo's friends proceeded to help Komodo and carry her out. "You'll regret this, bitch. I'll make your life a complete hell! This isn't over!"
Ami blushed in embarrassment. She gently pushed Usagi aside and ran off to juku. Luna took one look at the crowd and Usagi before chasing after Ami.
"Ami-chan, wait!" Usagi chased after Ami but she was long gone.
"Usagi-chan, what was that all about?" Motoki asked as he came after Usagi with Mamoru not far behind.
"I don't know, Motoki-onii-chan, but that's not like Ami-chan at all." Usagi muttered as she stared after the fleeing form of a black cat.
"Usagi-chan, I think Ami-chan left this behind." Motoki said as he handed Usagi a blue disk.
"Your friend must attend the Crystal Seminar Cram School." Mamoru stated as he peered at the computer disk over Motoki's shoulder.
"Yeah, I better go return this to her." Usagi took the disk and started to walk away when she remembered. Usagi ran back up to Mamoru and bowed to him. "Before I forget." Usagi handed Mamoru back his math book and rushed off to catch up with Ami.
"What's this about?" Motoki asked as he gazed suspiciously at Mamoru.
"Nothing." Mamoru mumbled as he watched Usagi's form disappear into the distance.
---
Ami gasped for her breath as she slowed at the door of her juku. Luna wheezed as she caught up with her blue-haired mistress.
"Oh, how could I do that? Now no one will ever speak to me again." Ami whispered to no one in particular. Tears gathered in her cerulean eyes, threatening to spill forth. Luna meowed encouragingly as she rubbed against Ami's leg. 'I am strong. I will not be discouraged. I will not lose. I will not be defeated.'
"It doesn't matter, as long as you're still there for me. Thank you for watching over me." Ami picked up Luna and hugged the cat tightly. "You must be a guardian angel." Luna licked Ami's face in a sympatric manner. "I have juku now, but you can't come in, as much as I would like you to," Ami sighed as she placed Luna down. "You stay here, don't go anywhere."
Luna sat on the ground obediently, her ruby eyes narrowed at the building before her.
Ami sighed as she slid into her seat before her computer. She checked her bag and made a startling discovery. "Oh no, my disk is missing."
A shadow fell over her suddenly. It was only her sensei. "Something wrong, Mizuno-san?"
"Nothing, sensei." Ami muttered.
"Use the crystal disk, Mizuno-san. You are our best student. We want you to receive the best education." The teacher said before moving over to another student.
"I don't want to use that stupid disk, it gives me a headache." Ami whispered.
---
"The Crystal Seminar Cram School introduces the new revolutionary 'crystal disk,' which is capable of turning anyone into a genius." Usagi read the ad at the door of the juku. "Kinda far fetch if you ask me." Usagi examined the small disk in her hand. "Can this really make people smart? If so, maybe I should try it."
"Meow." Usagi looked down at the sound of a cat. She saw Luna sitting at her feet.
"Hi there. Are you Ami-chan's friend?" Usagi bent down to meet Luna's eyes.
"Meow."
"Is she inside?"
"Meow."
"Can you bring me to her?"
"Meow." With that, the cat raced inside the building.
"Wait!" Usagi called, chasing after the cat.
---
"Jadeite-sama, I am ready for the final stages of our operation." The teacher spoke into her watch, her face suddenly taking a hideous transformation.
"Youma Gakumon, I have something for you." Jadeite said, his eyes darkening.
A small ball of light appeared before the youma. Gakumon grasped the energy carefully, feeling its power running and coursing through her vein.
"Do what you must. Do not fail me." Jadeite said before he signed off.
"Of course, master." The youma grinned evilly as she glanced back at the room full of students.
Ami looked up from her work, she couldn't shake from the feeling there was something evil going on amidst. 'Ok, you've obviously been working too much. Just breath and relax.' Ami told herself.
"Pssh, Ami-chan." Ami looked up, she was surprised by Usagi's face.
"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here! Go before the sensei comes back." Ami hissed.
"I just came to give you back your disk." Usagi handed Ami her crystal disk.
"How did you get up here?"
"Your cat brought me up here."
"Meow."
"Luna?"
"Is that her name?"
"Hai."
"Do these crystal disks really work? If so I better enroll here."
"I don't know. They just give me headaches."
"What are you doing here?!" The teacher demanded as she stepped back into the classroom.
"I just came to return the crystal disk to my friend. I'll be leaving now." Usagi edged nervously toward the door as she stared warily at the sensei.
"I don't think so. You're not going anywhere." The teacher smirked as she changed back to her youma form.
"Ami-chan, is that supposed to be your sensei?" Usagi squeaked.
"I don't think so." Ami choked. She glanced around at her fellow student, but all of them were out cold- slumped against their desks.
The youma glanced at Ami and then the rest of the class and back. "You didn't use the crystal disk like I told you to." She growled.
"Studying is something done with one's mind, not with a machine or a disk." Ami shouted.
"Doesn't matter." The youma grinned as she grabbed Usagi by a pigtail and shoved her face into a nearby computer screen. Ami watched in shock, as streams of steam appeared to flow from Usagi's head to the computer.
"What are you doing?! Stop it! Leave her alone!" Ami screamed. A strange blue emblem appeared on her forehead.
Usagi slumped against the computer, her energy all gone. She moaned as she struggled to stay conscious. "Ami-chan, run." And with that she slipped into the darkness.
---
Meanwhile on the street right outside of Crown Game Center, a dark haired man walked out of the arcade. His head started to pound, his heart constricted in fear for someone, and his breathing slowed. What was happening to him?
"Serenity."
Those were his last thought and words before he slipped into unconsciousness.
---
"I've found you, Kallan-chan!" Luna exclaimed. She proceeded to execute a back flip, a strange blue pen landed on the floor at Ami's feet. "Ami-chan, the pen. Remember! If not for yourself, then for your friend. Do you want her to die here?"
The youma looked around in a confused manner. "Who said that?! Show yourself."
Ami picked up pen, staring at it strangely. "Usagi-chan." She closed her eyes and did as Luna said. 'For Usagi-chan.' Her eyes snapped open; she knew what she had to do.
Holding the pen in the air, Ami called. "Mercury Power! Make Up!"
Luna grinned happily before she closed her crimson eyes and began to glow with an unearthly light. The youma was automatically attracted to Luna's light, which was none other than the light of the White Moon. In the cat's place stood a young woman with long black hair tied in twin buns on each side of her head. She wore a dress of the palest sunshine yellow; with pair of crescent moon earrings adored her earlobes. A yellow crescent moon hung over her claret eyes.
"You are one of them, aren't you?" The youma demanded. Luna simply smiled, looking right pass the youma and right at Ami, who had just finished transforming.
Ami looked down at her costume and couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. 'What is this? Do I have to wear such a short skirt?' She fingered the tiara on her forehead, wondering if this was all a bad dream caused by stress and lack of adequate rest.
Ami-chan, can you hear me? Ami's head shot up. Don't be afraid, I'm just speaking to you through telepathy.
Luna?
Yes, it's me. Now think water, say whatever comes to your mind. Don't be afraid. You are Sailor Mercury, the soldier of wisdom and the senshi of Mercury. It's up to us now to save these students and Usagi-chan.
'Think water. Calm, quiet water.' Sailor Mercury's eyes snapped open. She raised her hands in the air. "Shabon Spray!" A mist rolled over the room, obstructing everyone's sight.
A presence appeared besides Mercury, who blindly threw a punch in that general direction. "Ami-chan, it's me, Luna."
"Luna? How is it that you're human all of a sudden?" Mercury asked in shock.
"Later." Luna hissed. "We have to figure a way to defeat the youma."
"How? We can't even see." Mercury questioned.
"You created this fog, you should be able to see through it at least. Just concentrate." Luna ordered.
Mercury closed her eyes and concentrated her mind on the before her. A strange buzzing sound caught her attention, it sounded as if something was flying through the air at a very high speed. And that thing was heading straight for Luna by the sound of it. "Luna! Watch out!" Mercury pushed Luna down just in time. Mercury felt a sting on her left cheek. The flying object had grazed her cheek, and a small trail of blood ran down her face.
"Ami-chan, are you all right?" Luna asked.
"Hai, but we better figure something out before that thing kills us." Ami gasped, touching her injured left cheek.
The mist cleared out, its time and usefulness had expired. The youma glared hatefully at Mercury and Luna. "You will both die. I will not fail, Jadeite-sama." She waved her hand and the flying object flew by Mercury again, this time cutting Mercury's right cheek. It appeared to be nothing more than a streak of energy.
"Question 1, the genius Newton's question. Why did the apple fall from the tree?" The youma asked, a group of rather sharp looking test paper appeared around her.
"That's easy." Mercury stated. "The Earth's gravity." The test papers vanished, in their place raised a group of zombie like students.
"That was an easy one. Explain what gravity is in under 50 words in one sentence."
Mercury paused for a second to think. "Gravity is the force of gravitation, being, for any sufficiently massive bodies, directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them especially the attractive central gravitational force exerted by a celestial body such as the earth."
The zombie students dropped back to the ground as the youma sensei gaped at Mercury. "How is that possible?! Not only did you do it in one sentence but you managed with 46 words too! This isn't possible! I'm the most intelligent youma of the Dark Kingdom! How can I be outsmarted by a mere slip of a girl?! Tell me!"
Mercury sweat dropped as she watched the youma continue to rant endlessly. Luna sniffled a giggle but then burst out laughing at the most "intelligent" youma of the Dark Kingdom.
"Luna could we end this? She's beginning to scare me." Mercury whispered.
"Of course." Luna choked on her laughter. She closed her eyes and her crescent moon began to glow with a soft white light. "Moon Twilight Flash!"
A rush of light slammed into the unsuspecting youma, turning her into dust. "NO!!! You just wait, the Dark Kingdom will rule this world and plunge it into darkness. And when they do, you'll wish I were the one who did you in. Jadeite-sama, I've failed you!" The youma's last words echoed through Mercury's mind.
A hand landed on Mercury's shoulder, she met Luna's eyes.
"You did well." Luna smiled.
"I'm glad. It's good to matter." Mercury smiled. "Let's check on Usagi-chan now."
---
"It has begun." He whispered to no one in particular but himself. He glanced up at the sun as a shadow passed over it for a mere second. "Don't worry, love, it'll be over soon enough. Then we can be together again." He watched as Sailor Mercury changed back to Mizuno Ami to help her fellow student. He smiled softly. "She is the first of them, and they will free us." With that he jumped to the next rooftop and disappeared into the distance.
---
"Like they say, payback's a bitch." Komodo laughed as she and her friends cornered Ami in a corner of the schoolyard during lunch the next day.
"So are you!" Ami spat.
"Not a very smart thing to be saying for someone in your position. And here I am thinking you were a genius." Komodo mocked.
A strange glee entered her eyes, like the time right before she had first transformed. "Compared to you, Shiranai-san, everyone is a genius."
"Are you implying that I'm dumb?!" Komodo seethed.
"No, I'm congratulating you for passing the geometry test, which I seriously doubt. Get a clue." Ami rolled her eyes. She was not used to sinking to their level and hoped she never needs to again, but they pushed her to this point.
"Why you, bitch!" Komodo screamed hatefully, started to catch the attention of other students.
"Are those the only word you can say? I guess that cheerleaders have a pretty limited vocabulary." Ami smirked. The students who bothered to listen laughed as the cheerleaders flushed an angry red.
"Why you-" Komodo was cut off by Ami.
"Yes, we know what you're going to say. It's not like you can say much more." Ami sneered. This time her classmates laughed louder.
"Come on girls, we have better things to do than talk to this slut." Komodo huffed and began to stalk away.
"Look who's talking," Ami called after them. "You think that skirt can be any shorter? And could you wear less makeup, Shiranai-san, your face might just crack the next time you try to smile." Her fellow students' laughter echoed through the schoolyard. Many came up to Ami to congratulate her on her victory.
"Wow, Ami-chan, I've never seen anyone handle them like that!" Naru gazed at Ami like she was like a saint.
"I wish I had the guts to say all that stuff to them. God knows I've wanted to for the longest time." Usagi sighed.
"Although, I don't really approve of such vulgar methods, I still happy for you." Umino grinned.
Ami smiled softly, this was the beginning of a new day and a new life. She was not alone. She had Luna, Usagi, Naru, and even Umino.
'I am strong. I will not be discouraged. I will not lose. I will not be defeated. I am Sailor Mercury.'
---
Usagi walked into Crown Fruit Parlor with Ami and Naru chatting at her side. She was happy for Ami. Ami had overcome her obstacle and was getting over her fears.
A finger tapped her on the shoulder, Usagi turned. Mamoru stood before her with her Algebra book. "Here, I believe this is yours."
"Thank you." Usagi whispered.
"Chiba Mamoru." Mamoru extended his hand to the girl before him.
Usagi took his hand and looked up into his ocean eyes with an expression that was hauntingly familiar to him. "I know." Usagi smiled as she took her book. "I know."
---
"Queen Beryl, we might have lost Youma Gakumon, but our experiments proved to be successful." Zoisite bowed to the red-haired queen. "All we need now is the candidate to complete this project. The choose is yours, Queen Beryl, anyone you wish."
Queen Beryl peered into her crystal ball, scanning the streets, the building, and the houses. That was when a small petite figure caught her attention. "Her, I want her."
To Be Continued
The sayings, about payback being a bitch, are Stef-onee-chan's. I believe it's from chapter 18 or 19 of Final Awakenings. Read her stuff. Especially if you're bored by what's on ASMR these days like me.
As you can see, this is a first seasoner. In fact, I plan to rewrite the first season in this. Keep in mind how the youma was attacking Mercury. I didn't put the AN at the beginning because I thought it might ruin the format of the fic. Most of the senshi will follow their manga personalities, especially Rei and Usagi. FEEDBACK!!! Review or an e-mail. Ja ne.
