--------
Prologue
--------
It was an average day in the tranquil city of Tokyo. The
sun was shining brightly, as it did every summer, and there was hardly
a cloud in the sky. And those clouds that did dare mar the beauty
of the July sky were promptly ignored by all the inhabitants of the
city. After all, it was summer, the golden time of the year when
students did not have to attend classes, baseball stadiums were crowded
to capacity, and the beaches were covered with fully and half-clothed
bodies, hoping desperately to turn that just-right shade of golden
bronze.
The Juuban shopping district was no exception to the rule. The
warm sun beat down on the high-rise building and glimmered yellow
through windowpanes, causing diamonds to sparkle in their golden
settings and elegant dresses to appear worthy of a queen. Streets were
subject to bumper-to-bumper traffic, cars zooming from place to place,
rushing to either find a parking spot or to get out of their spot so
someone else could complete their shopping. Sidewalks were crowded with
people, windowshoppers and otherwise. Everyone was so focused on their
goal, whether it be to get away from the hub-bub or to find that perfect
blouse, that they didn't notice a certain blonde girl creeping, slowly,
through the throng.
She was relatively short, only perhaps five foot one, but she
seemed to have an air of self-assured certainty about her. Long
golden hair fell about her shoulders and down her front, ending well
past her slender waist. A large bow tied back a portion of her flowing
hair -- a bow that was usually bright red but was now, for some odd
reason, brown. Baby blue eyes peered through a magnifying glass and
out at the world, analyzing every passer-by with a careful scrutiny,
certain that no detail escaped her. A brown trenchcoat, complete with
a tie around the waist and large, round buttons, hung limply around
her figure. It was probably about three sizes too big.
Behind the girl was a cat. He was a white cat, rather petite
as toms go, with bright, shining blue eyes and stark white fur. He
almost looked as though he had been dropped in a vat of bleach. A
golden crescent moon was tattooed upon his forehead, glinting in the
bright summer sun. He walked silently, whiskers straight, head held
high, but he seemed rather...annoyed. If a cat can seem annoyed.
When they stopped in front of a bench, for reasons that he did
not know and did not ask, the cat sat down on his haunches and sighed.
It was a miserable, long sigh. "Minako-chan," he groaned, staring up
at the blonde with tired eyes, "we have been wandering the streets for
three hours. I've had enough."
The girl flipped a strand of long hair. A smug smirk crossed her
face. "You were the one who insisted on coming along, Artemis," she
reminded him matter-of-factly, resting her hands on her rounded hips.
"'I'm not letting you act out this ridiclous plan on your own,' you
said. 'You're only going to get yourself into trouble,' you said." She
shrugged. "You practically BEGGED to come along!"
Artemis blinked, and his jaw fell open. "Na-nani desu ka?" he
gaped, shock crossing his little cat face. "I BEGGED? Minako-chan, you
all but dragged my by the tail on this ludricrous search of yours!"
He stood up, tail whipping from side to side, and turned around. "I'm
going home, with or without you!"
She wrinkled her nose and harumphed. "You just do that," she
snapped back at him, turning away. "But don't expect ME to be the one
to buy you cat food when you run out."
The cat frowned. "Now, Minako..."
"Nope."
"But there's only one can left!"
"I hope you like begging Luna to share."
"This is insanity!"
Minako stopped sulking and spun to face Artemis. She narrowed
her eyes to slits and stared at him intensely, trying to work her
mouth to form words.
"Insanity?" she finally managed. "What do you know about
insanity? Insanity is the fact that I, a young, attractive female,
cannot attract the attentions of any sort of decent male. Insanity is
the fact that Usagi, the most immature and child-like of all of us --
don't you even try and deny it, Mister! I know you and Luna make
comments like that when you think none of the rest of us are
listening!" She sighed, shaking her head. "Insanity is Usagi, the
immature one, finding a sophisticated boyfriend whom she JUST SO
HAPPENED to be destined to fall in love with."
By this point, Artemis was forced to contend with the large
sweatdrop on the back of his head. He knew well that the only reason
people were not staring at Minako was that in Tokyo, where weird was
the
norm, and nobody ever cares to stare at the norm.
Minako, however, was still ranting.
"Insanity is Ami, who barely saw Urawa for two years, suddenly
stopping by his place and coming back with a big, goofy grin on her
face! Insanity is the fact that I, the one who is Ai no Senshi, have
not been on more than one date in my entire life!" Her fists clenched
as her sides. "Insanity is the fact that the Love Goddess -- that's
me! -- has never actually been in love!"
She was now nearly hysterical, her breathing ragged and blue
eyes tear-rimmed, but, of course, she was still not generating stares.
Her entire tirade went entirely unnoticed, which, considering the fact
she was talking to a white cat, said a lot about the denizens of Tokyo.
"Well you know what?" she continued, more tears filling her
eyes as she did so. "It ends now! No longer will I sit and wait, while
others around me do nothing and find their happiness. For today,
today I launch my epic quest! Today begins the journey... The journey
of Aino Minako and her amazingly fabulous search for a boyfriend!"
Minako struck a determined pose. If anyone had been looking her
direction, they would have noticed that the post was strikingly
similiar to Sailor V's famous pre-battle pose. But no one noticed
whatsoever. Somewhere down the street a light changed colors, the
resulting honking of horns somehow adding to the insanity of the
entire scene.
The white cat let out a long sigh, hanging his head. He was
almost speechless. Almost.
"Oh, boy."
Prologue
--------
It was an average day in the tranquil city of Tokyo. The
sun was shining brightly, as it did every summer, and there was hardly
a cloud in the sky. And those clouds that did dare mar the beauty
of the July sky were promptly ignored by all the inhabitants of the
city. After all, it was summer, the golden time of the year when
students did not have to attend classes, baseball stadiums were crowded
to capacity, and the beaches were covered with fully and half-clothed
bodies, hoping desperately to turn that just-right shade of golden
bronze.
The Juuban shopping district was no exception to the rule. The
warm sun beat down on the high-rise building and glimmered yellow
through windowpanes, causing diamonds to sparkle in their golden
settings and elegant dresses to appear worthy of a queen. Streets were
subject to bumper-to-bumper traffic, cars zooming from place to place,
rushing to either find a parking spot or to get out of their spot so
someone else could complete their shopping. Sidewalks were crowded with
people, windowshoppers and otherwise. Everyone was so focused on their
goal, whether it be to get away from the hub-bub or to find that perfect
blouse, that they didn't notice a certain blonde girl creeping, slowly,
through the throng.
She was relatively short, only perhaps five foot one, but she
seemed to have an air of self-assured certainty about her. Long
golden hair fell about her shoulders and down her front, ending well
past her slender waist. A large bow tied back a portion of her flowing
hair -- a bow that was usually bright red but was now, for some odd
reason, brown. Baby blue eyes peered through a magnifying glass and
out at the world, analyzing every passer-by with a careful scrutiny,
certain that no detail escaped her. A brown trenchcoat, complete with
a tie around the waist and large, round buttons, hung limply around
her figure. It was probably about three sizes too big.
Behind the girl was a cat. He was a white cat, rather petite
as toms go, with bright, shining blue eyes and stark white fur. He
almost looked as though he had been dropped in a vat of bleach. A
golden crescent moon was tattooed upon his forehead, glinting in the
bright summer sun. He walked silently, whiskers straight, head held
high, but he seemed rather...annoyed. If a cat can seem annoyed.
When they stopped in front of a bench, for reasons that he did
not know and did not ask, the cat sat down on his haunches and sighed.
It was a miserable, long sigh. "Minako-chan," he groaned, staring up
at the blonde with tired eyes, "we have been wandering the streets for
three hours. I've had enough."
The girl flipped a strand of long hair. A smug smirk crossed her
face. "You were the one who insisted on coming along, Artemis," she
reminded him matter-of-factly, resting her hands on her rounded hips.
"'I'm not letting you act out this ridiclous plan on your own,' you
said. 'You're only going to get yourself into trouble,' you said." She
shrugged. "You practically BEGGED to come along!"
Artemis blinked, and his jaw fell open. "Na-nani desu ka?" he
gaped, shock crossing his little cat face. "I BEGGED? Minako-chan, you
all but dragged my by the tail on this ludricrous search of yours!"
He stood up, tail whipping from side to side, and turned around. "I'm
going home, with or without you!"
She wrinkled her nose and harumphed. "You just do that," she
snapped back at him, turning away. "But don't expect ME to be the one
to buy you cat food when you run out."
The cat frowned. "Now, Minako..."
"Nope."
"But there's only one can left!"
"I hope you like begging Luna to share."
"This is insanity!"
Minako stopped sulking and spun to face Artemis. She narrowed
her eyes to slits and stared at him intensely, trying to work her
mouth to form words.
"Insanity?" she finally managed. "What do you know about
insanity? Insanity is the fact that I, a young, attractive female,
cannot attract the attentions of any sort of decent male. Insanity is
the fact that Usagi, the most immature and child-like of all of us --
don't you even try and deny it, Mister! I know you and Luna make
comments like that when you think none of the rest of us are
listening!" She sighed, shaking her head. "Insanity is Usagi, the
immature one, finding a sophisticated boyfriend whom she JUST SO
HAPPENED to be destined to fall in love with."
By this point, Artemis was forced to contend with the large
sweatdrop on the back of his head. He knew well that the only reason
people were not staring at Minako was that in Tokyo, where weird was
the
norm, and nobody ever cares to stare at the norm.
Minako, however, was still ranting.
"Insanity is Ami, who barely saw Urawa for two years, suddenly
stopping by his place and coming back with a big, goofy grin on her
face! Insanity is the fact that I, the one who is Ai no Senshi, have
not been on more than one date in my entire life!" Her fists clenched
as her sides. "Insanity is the fact that the Love Goddess -- that's
me! -- has never actually been in love!"
She was now nearly hysterical, her breathing ragged and blue
eyes tear-rimmed, but, of course, she was still not generating stares.
Her entire tirade went entirely unnoticed, which, considering the fact
she was talking to a white cat, said a lot about the denizens of Tokyo.
"Well you know what?" she continued, more tears filling her
eyes as she did so. "It ends now! No longer will I sit and wait, while
others around me do nothing and find their happiness. For today,
today I launch my epic quest! Today begins the journey... The journey
of Aino Minako and her amazingly fabulous search for a boyfriend!"
Minako struck a determined pose. If anyone had been looking her
direction, they would have noticed that the post was strikingly
similiar to Sailor V's famous pre-battle pose. But no one noticed
whatsoever. Somewhere down the street a light changed colors, the
resulting honking of horns somehow adding to the insanity of the
entire scene.
The white cat let out a long sigh, hanging his head. He was
almost speechless. Almost.
"Oh, boy."