Random jottings from Jo
"Jo, we really need to get you a car!"
"Why?"
"Cos you need to get a life and stop thinking about sailor moon."
"Gee, trek boy I never knew you cared."
"Hey leave the great god Star Trek alone, well apart from Voyager, any bugger can have that!"
"We agree on something, if they had some hot sex episodes with 7-of-9 and Janeway, I might have watched it. Heck anything resembling a decent story line would have done."
"Never would happen, American TV got its head stuck up so far up its ass about, love sex and all that shit."
"Yah look what they did to sailor moon, Michiru, Haruka cousins! Jesus what were thinking!"
"As doc points out to me, there is such a bunch of conservative people over there, who have not encountered an original idea since they were born. That and the few that are worried that fire might be a bad idea, and the wheel jeus, don't go there."
"So is the new chapter any good?"
"Not bad, keep jumping writing styles don't you."
"I am studying Psychology, not English."
"Fair enough, but wares the sex and action?"
"Bit of action in the next episode, sex well…"
"Ok, I get it. Anyway whos round is it anyway."
"Yours Trek boy!"
"Shit!"
Chapter Three
Evolution and Revelations
Try not to become a man of success, But rather a man of value.
Albert Einstein
"Next time we drive to Burger King." Complained Ota.
"Next time I eat Luna's food. Chizu was not kidding when she said about her dads cooking."
"Next time Usa, I am electing you to be camp cook."
"Ho no you don't, next time I bring my friend Makoto with us and let her do the cooking."
"I think I will retreat to my tent with a bottle of anti-acid and draw my plans for revenge. Good night Usa."
"Good night Ota." Said Usagi, watching the older woman stagger to her feet and stagger of to her tent. She looked down at the slightly smug looking black cat basking in the evening sun. "Come on Luna, I need to go and try and walk off this so called dinner."
Usagi, began a brisk walk around the outside edge of the camp site, which was accompanied by several loud and very un-lady like belches. After about 20 minutes she came to a small car park on the edge of the site, its sole occupants, were two benches, a litter bin and a rather batted VW mini van. The excise had left her feeling considerably better, so sat down on a bench. The sun had just set and the sky was moving from clear blue to the deep purple as the first stars of the night put in an appearance.
"You know I am very proud of you." Came Luna's voice from her lap.
"Why, cos I haven't fell down or anything." Commented Usagi, rummaging around in her subspace pocket and pulling out a bottle of water..
"No not that, well it does make a nice change, but no you have been very good with the children. I must admit I have never seen you so confident."
"Dealing with bunch of well behaved scouts, who biggest problem is going to be find the indigestion tablets is somewhat different to a leading the a group of superheros, specially Rei." Taking a gulp of water, she smiled, "Little miss big ego. But I love them all any know. Even Haruka, after that booze she served up at party though I did have my doubts."
"I should tell you off about that."
"I know, I know, we are too young, etc, etc. But we all needed to blow of some steam." Usagi rested her head in her hand. "We are all not the same as we were before the three lights came into our lifes. Galaxia may have been defeated and the Starlights have returned home. But the after effects of what happened in that time have yet to play themselves out fully yet." She added thoughtfully.
"What, oh I think I see." Said Luna thinking it though.
"Pluto is playing an interesting game. She revealed to us a threat just at the time when it made the maximum impact. Mina should really take lessons from her you know. I feel the threat she brought to us, was somewhat premature but by preparing us early for it the greater number of escape routes we have. Also it took our minds off what happened." She paused, taking another drink from her bottle.
"I lost all my senshi again; they sacrificed themselves again for me. It is a humbling experience to find nine people who lay there lives down for you, because they believe in you. I must find away to become worthy of the trust and the debt I own to them. Ami, Minako, Rei and Makoto have died three times for me. The others have made as great sacrifices. Each time I managed to get them back but that must effect them some how." She raised her head from hand and looked up brightly shining moon. "Now it is my time to ensure that their sacrifices are repaid for full."
"Usagi, what happened to you," asked Luna in a serious tone looking at her ward again. "I mean during the battle with Galaxia, something more than you have said happened."
She tilted her head back and laughed, closing her eyes and letting her face bathe in the moon light!
"Everything and Nothing, All things and no one….. In an instant, I knew sailor Galaxia and in that instant she knew me. It was a moment of revelation." A tear leaked from each eye and began their journey down her face."
Silence fell.
Eventually her face drooped downwards to the ground.
And in a whispered voice she added "and I will spend a lifetime trying to understand that moment!"
Silence fell again, Luna moved and snuggled in Usagi's lap, rubbing her head and purring as much as she could, wishing yet again, she had arms to hold her charge and had the words to help.
The sky grew darker and eventually the silence was broken by the sounds of foot steps and sound of men laughing. Usagi looked up as four men emerged from the woodland near to her.
Usa, shook herself, the moment was broken. She lifted Luna of her lap and picked up the empty bottle and went over to the bin.
"Hello Princess, you seem up set!" came a rough voice.
Usagi span around, three of the men now stood behind her.
"O, I am sorry." The middle one of three said, did we frighten you, sooo sorrryy!" the others laughed.
Usagi, swallowed her shock and fear "What do you want?"
"Wellll, since it seems your boyfriend has left you here on your own, we thought you might like us to show you a good time around here." He smiled, it was not a pleasant one.
Usagi held her head up, "My boyfriend is back in Tokyo and don't think I what 'good' time with you." And she stepped left to move away. The man on her left immediately moved to intercept her movement and with a flick of his wrist opened a butterfly knife in his right hand. Seeing the flash of metal in the moonlight, Usagi gasped as the other two men produced knifes as well.
"Well I guess we are going to have to insist, oh and don't think about screaming princess, I don't mind my women if there bleeding or not, in fact the bloods kind of a turn on don't you think." All three men were grinning evilly now as the van pulled up behind Usagi.
Suddenly a cry of like a banshee came as Luna jumped onto the back on the leader, her familiar many have not much to say, but she had sharp claws, which she sunk into his back and head. With a cry of pain he reached back and grabed the moon cat and though her on the floor. With a thud.
"Stupid animal!" he commented as he raised he boot up to stamp it down on the stunned cats head.
For Usagi time stopped..
Flashes of memory
"There comes a time when you must decide if you want to be the victim for the rest of your life!" Woman on television, talking about her violent husband.
"What does not kill us, only makes us stronger!"
"Grow up sailor moon!" Sailor Mars
"I think it is. And I speak from experience. Every night when I go home after a hard day on the streets, bone tired in body and spirit after wallowing in the filth human nature produces, I ask myself the same thing: is it worth it? Then, I see my wife and daughter, the lights of my life and I say: hell yes! For every dirtbag like Bullinger and the Mitsumos, there are millions of decent people who struggle each and every day to make this world a better place. They don't have super powers like you do, but they do have every bit as much desire and devotion to do what's good and right. Those are the people I fight for, Miss Moon. If you give up now, the bad guys win, and we all lose."
"Grow up sailor moon!" Sailor Mars
"We cannot choose who we are, we can only choose what we can be, for you my daughter, you must be warrior, queen, lover and friend. You must fight for what is right, rule by rules you set, love like there is only today and honour each your friends like they were your only one. Be all these things but most of be true to who are and what you become!"
"GROW UP USAGI"
Usagi felt the change and welcomed it, in an instant many things became clear. The Ginsuishou reacted, a bright light shone from her throat, causing those in front of her to pause and shield there eyes a moment's distraction. It was enough.
Usagi jumped and executed a perfect flying kick, planting both booted feet in the face of the unbalanced man, he head snapped back and blood flew from his nose. He landed with a sicking crunch on the gravel of the car park. Usagi landed on both feet crouched down and paused as one of men rushed with his knife aiming to plunge it into her back. At the last second she again jumped up and in a spinning twist, smashed her left hand into the right side of the mans head. Then using the mans falling body as a push off she headed for the final up right man who stood in awe of what he had just witnessed. She flew past and grabbed one his arms, back flipped, planted her feet on the ground and with a heave of upper body, pulled the man clean off his feet and sent him head first into the side VW van, leaving an large head shaped dint where he had hit it.
Her eyes fell on the man in van, he was attempting to pull and object out concealment. It was a twin barrelled shotgun, which attempted to point in Usagi direction. Without thinking about it, she summoned and energy disk the size of a small plate and threw it at the man. As she brought the shotgun to bear, the disk cut the shotgun cleanly down the middle in the horizontal plane and then disappeared, the top half of the gun slid to the ground. The man stared at the now useless gun as Usagi, jumped over and punched him cleanly in the face, knocking him out cold like his friends.
Silence fell, the whole fight had taken about 5 seconds.
"Usagi." Came a weak call.
She jumped over scooping up Luna up in her arms.
"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN" she screamed and then burst into tears in lunas fur.
"Its alright, my skinfield took most of the impact on the ground."
"IT WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN A 250 POUND MAN STAMPING ON YOUR HEAD THOUGH!"
"*GULP* but I had to do something, I could not let anything like that happen to you."
*Bleep, Bleep *
"Usagi your communicator." Usagi sniffed mightily and flipped open the communicator's lid, Mamoru's face appeared on the screen.
"Usa my love are you alright, no you aren't I can see that, what's happened."
"Its all right, some men tried to attack me, they failed. Badly!" She pointed the camera outwards and did a pan for the area. Showing the battered remains of her attackers.
"You do that?" asked Mamoru.
Usagi nodded numbly.
"Do you want me to come out there?" he asked gently. 'Oh sooo tempting' she thought, "No I will be fine. I just have to clean up some litter and then I am heading back to camp and staying there."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes my darling wonderful man! I will need a hug when I get back, though."
"Done."
"Love you."
"I love you too."
She closed the lid, Luna was now sitting her feet licking her bruises. "What do you mean 'clean up some litter'?"
For the first time in a while, Usagi smiled. "I'll show you!"
Some hours later on a road crossing the mountains four rather bruised men (in both body and ego) we driving home in a VW van.
"I swear that little bitch will pay for that!"
"Yah I think we should get everyone together and go and visit that site and find her and lay into her!"
"That and I want to know what she did with my best trousers!"
"I want to know what she did with all our trousers!"
"Bitch!"
"Who's that!" commented the driver as the headlights picked out a white and black clad figure in the road.
"Some dumb ass from a fancy dress party!"
The figure raised what looked like a staff, which began to glow.
"What the fuck…"
A ball of violet colour energy fired out of the top of the staff straight towards the van.
"Shit!" cried the driver and swerved to avoid it.
* SNAP *
The steering wheel now spun in his hands.
"Oh…."
The out of control van now ploughed a short incline, though a barrier and then over a sheer cliff.
Sailor Pluto walked over to edge of the cliff and watched the van plunge downwards followed the scene of the van crashing down nose first into the bottom of the valley bellow. It rolled a couple of times and came to a halt. A small fire then broke out as the engine caught fire with the fuel spilling all over it.
"Mess with my princess will you!" She said. She then turned and faded from sight.
After an restless night and not a few tears, Usagi woke about 7am and rose to try and get her team up to cook breakfast. She was surprised to find Makoto was by the campfire busy cooking breakfast for everyone, at her feet eating a plate of sausage was Artemis.
"Mako-chan, what are you doing here?" Usagi asked.
Makoto looked around and checked that no one was within hearing range.
"Princess, "Usagi eye brows shot up, the girls did not refer to her in that way unless it was considered very important, "your beloved called us all last night after what he called 'an incident'. We discussed what had happened and myself and the girls teleported in this morning dropped myself and Artemis off before returning."
"Makoto, I know the senshi are very sensitive to my safety but it was a incident that could have happened to anyone. I full admit my night has not been comfortable, nor will it for some nights to come, I think."
"Usa, Rei also had a vision last night, she could not give any details but it upset her enough to be about to call us all, Mamoru's message beat her to it. She sensed change around you in her vision."
"Something else did happen last night, but I don't know what." Usagi bit her lip. "Hold still Makoto and let me try something."
She placed one hand each side of Makoto's hips "I am going to try and lift you Ok, so I should struggle for a minute, turn bright red and fall over, right."
She lifted and Makoto was lifted about 10 cm of the floor, without appearing to strain.
"Oh.." went a surprised Makoto.
Usagi put her down. "I hoped I would have not been able to do that!" She closed her eyes and seemed to sag down on herself. Makoto reached over and pulled her in a hug.
"What ever it is princess, we will work it out!" She said and then kissed the top of Usagi head.
Usagi enjoyed the hug for a few moments and then commented wiping a couple of tears from her eyes, "Well if nothing else the food for the rest of the trip will be better."
"Count on it!"
Makoto walked away from the campsite after breakfast, which was hailed as a great improvement over dinner last night. She flipped open her communicator.
"Message service.. all senshi in Toyko area, meeting at my place Monday 12:30 pm bring empty stomach your thinking caps. We are going to need them."
"How long to I have to stay still for." Complained Usagi.
"Just another minute." Said Sailor Mercury.
Sitting around the room were Rei, Minako, Mamoru and Hotaru. Makoto was in the kitchen producing another culinary wonder.
"Ok I am done." Said Mercury.
"At last." Said Usagi, jumping back into Mamoru's lap and kissing him soundly. Mercury seemed to shrink in on herself and became Mizuno Ami again.
"Give me a few minutes!" she said sinking into a chair, intent on her computer.
"Lunch." Announced Makoto as she walked in from the kitchen bearing a large tray of various sorts of sushi, with different dips and large pot of green tea. Which everyone with the exception of Ami attacked with glee.
Makoto rolled her eyes in Ami's direction went back into the kitchen and came back with a small tray, which she put on the arm of Ami's chair, she then took Ami's left hand of the keyboard and placed it in the food tray. Ami's hand took a piece of sushi and popped it in her mouth, all the time her eyes were focused on the screen and her right hand moved over the keyboard. Makoto rolled her eyes again and sat on the floor next to the rapidly disappearing food supply.
"Ami in the 'zone' again?" ask Minako.
"Yes, if her subconscious didn't feed her body I am sure she would starve herself to death sometimes with all the studying she does."
"Pass me the chilli dip would please Rei, thanks." Said Usagi. "I wish I could stop feeling so hungry all time."
"Whats new!" commented Rei.
"Mamoru-chan could you blow a raspberry at Rei for me please, my mouths a bit full at the moment."
"Certainly dear, THHHRRRUUUUUPPP!"
Everyone apart from Rei, started to laugh.
"Your getting as bad as her." Rei grumpily commented.
"Hey, you trying to do six months worth of college work in two weeks. See how mental you feel after that."
"Hows it all going?" asked Minako.
"Handed the first batch into my tutor at Tokyo U this morning. Felt damn good let me tell you. I will hear what happens on Friday, until then I intend to catch up on the sleep, I have missed and I feel a trip to the coast with Usa, is in order."
"Any idea what you want to do now?" asked Makoto.
"Probably an general edu course to start off with, I think being a star seed for a year has rather nacked my chances of being a doctor. I must admit the appeal for it has gone as well, I think I might head towards a politics and / or law course. My father after all was a lawyer so there must be a gene for it somewhere."
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" came the shout from chair where Ami was sitting.
Everyone turned and looked.
"Ami, whats happening?" asked Usagi, in a slightly worried voice.
Ami looked up.
"Usagi, its fascinating. From the readings I took 10 weeks ago, your metabolic rate has increased 20%, 7% more neurotransmitters, nutrient uptake is up some 50%, increase in oxygen uptake by 15%, an increase of skeletal muscle of 30%, smooth muscle by 10%. Excitation-contraction-coupling has improved. You have more mitochondrion in slow/tonic muscles and an increase in myoglobin and cytochrome pigments in all muscle types, blood flow has increased and red cell count has increased. I am seeing an increase in Osteoblasts in all bone structures; classic Oestrogen trigged long bone fusion has ceased and is showing reversal of fusion that has already taken place. I read an increase in nerve cell impulse transmission to 150 m/s, an increase of activity in the anterior pituitary gland with consequent increase of activity in your ovary's, thyroid gland and adrenal cortex. Its, its, its fascinating."
* Silence *
"Why is everyone staring at me like that." Said Ami flushing slightly. Which was very true as everyone was staring at Ami, in a rather blank way. Even Mamoru who was rather bright had got lost early on in the mass of long words.
Finally as Ami turned even redder, Usagi spoke. "Ami please forgive us but I did not understand anything past 'I took 10 weeks ago' line would you please explain it to me what you just said again, in words that little miss C- for human biology would understand here."
"Sorry, I just got excited." Ami's face brighten as her flush faded, "In simple terms, your metabolism is increasing and with it your putting on more muscle and the muscle you have is working more efficiently, have your clothes started not fitting recently?"
Usagi's face changed, "Yes that would explain it, some of my tighter fitting clothes have been a bit more uncomfortable lately, I thought it was just due to my lazing around and not exercising as much."
"You mean running to school!" Commented Rei.
Usagi, briefly poked her tongue out at her, "Thank you Rei for yet again pointing out my short comings."
Ami was looking at her computer again. "Usagi, how many calorie's are in your diet at the moment."
"3500 as you told me last time."
"Make it about 5000, with more protein and dairy products."
"Ami, that's crazy. "Commented Mamoru, "that's nearly three times the normal intake for an adult female."
Ami looked up at Mamoru, "I know, but when have we been 'normal', I haven't been the same my meeting with Usagi, at the Crystal Academy two and half years ago." Mamoru flushed slightly at that. "Being senshi inflicts a price on our body system, I have to eat 2500 Cals a day to keep my weight the same, the rest of us have similar stories. Usagi also has the extra burden of the ginsuishou, which taps her body resources. Now this new change will increase those demands yet again."
"This change, is it normal?" asked Makoto.
"As far as I can tell, yes. It seems to be a further evolution in our abilities. The ginsuishou seems to partly responsible for the changes. Certainly the appearance of a Skinfield in Usagi's normal form indicates some sort of change, that and being able to produce energy disks much like her tiara shows that it's an senshi thing."
Silence fell, for a while then Hotaru spoke up. "Ami, what's a skinfield? And why is it important?"
Ami, kneeled down in front of the confused looking girl.
"I am sorry Hotaru-chan, I forget sometimes you were not involved in some of our early adventures and discussions, it feels like you have always been with us. A skinfield is my name for our personal force fields we have when we are senshi form. I called it that simply because is seems to appear about 1 mm from the surface of our skin. Luna and Artemis also have the same sort of field to protect them."
"Ok that makes sense. I like the way you explain things Ami, Setsuna-mama confuses me when she attempts to explain things to me."
"Don't worry about Setsuna confusing you, she does that to all of us from time to time." Commented Minako. Everyone laughed at that comment.
"Seriously though, what should I do now?" asked Usagi.
"Apart from increasing your portion size, both of had better start saving some money."
"Why?"
"Because your going to grow in size and height, your going to need some new clothes and with the amount of food your going to need, Mamoru and our father are going to have to have an over draft to keep you fed."
"Ohh wonderful, more piss taking opportunities for everyone else then!" Usagi said putting her head in her hands.
