Legend of Cephiro, Fate of Earth
An Original fanfiction by Prince Nebula (Tuxedo Starr).
AN: This fanfiction is based on the general knowledge of the Rayearth OAV plot. I liked the idea so much that I had to write about it with the Knights we know and love, but I couldn't see it without the Sailor Senshi. Thus, "Legend of Cephiro, Fate of Earth" was born!
I draw from the Rayearth manga and the OAV, and the Sailormoon manga with Anime influences. Japanese names.
Enjoy!
Legend One: After the Battles.
Three years ago.
*~* Magic Knights; 15 years old, Ninth grade Inner Sailor Senshi; 18 years old, 12th grade Haruka and Michiru: 20 years old, college. They have just returned from a concert tour in the States. Setsuna: 26 years old in appearance, successful doctor. Mamoru: 20 years old, presently at Harvard Hotaru: 14 years old, Ninth grade
*~*
Umi Ryuuzaki moaned as she fell back onto the beige-carpeted floor of the Hououji sitting room. "Guys, can't we take a break?" she pleaded of her companions. "My head is ready to explode!"
To add a touch of melodrama, she flung her hand against her forehead and whimpered, closing her eyes.
Hikaru Shidou, sitting on Umi's left, laughed heartily as she flung her braid back over her right shoulder. "I have to agree," she said as she shut her science book with a slap. "I think we've studied for those high school entrance exams enough." She looked pointedly across the low table where she kneeled into emerald green eyes shielded by glasses.
Fuu Hououji winked slyly as she opened (yet another) textbook as thick as a dictionary. "But Hikaru," she said, glancing quickly at her blue-clad friend who lay sprawled on the floor, " we have so much more to cover still for today!"
"Oh really?" the redhead asked, barely able to restrain a chuckle as Umi glared at her from beneath her sleeve; "how much?"
"Three whole textbooks!"
"WHAT?!?"
The blue-haired girl bolted upright as the two girls fell backwards laughing. Umi glared at Fuu first, who quickly composed herself, then at Hikaru, who was nearly in hysterics.
"The . . ." the redhead laughed, pointing a finger in her glaring friend's direction. Her left hand held her stomach. "The look . . . on your . . . face . . . !"
Umi scowled. "I don't even know why I'm studying with you guys." The tallest girl of the group sniffed as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, raising her nose in the air about forty-five degrees. "It's not as if my exams are that important, anyway. I mean, my family has to pay for me to go to TE Girls School, so they have to admit me to high school whether they like it or not!"
"Your parents or the school?" Hikaru asked, a gleam in her ruby eyes. *AN: This is referring to the comment "whether they like it or not!"*
"My par . . ." The bluenette hesitated a moment, then scowled as the redhead began laughing again. With a swift, deft movement, she plucked one of the cushions off the floor and heaved the pink down-stuffed pillow into her friend's face. The short girl's laughter suddenly ended in a muffled "oomph."
"TE Girls School . . . isn't that a branch of the TA School for Girls?" the blonde asked, an amused smile on her face and an inquiring look in her eye.
Umi turned to her more intellectual best friend. "Uh huh," she nodded, her blue hair sparkling in the sunlight that pierced through the open window. "Except that the rules aren't so strict, and there is no set religion."
Fuu nodded. "It must be hard to have to study under the instruction of a set worship."
"I dunno about that," Hikaru piped up as she sat up and hugged the pillow to her chest. "I have a friend who's visited there, Minako Aino, and she said it's a lot of fun!"
"Really?" the two chorused, looking to their friend.
The light of the lion shrine nodded. "She said that she went as a guest of her best friend, who goes there. Said the place was beautiful, the food was good, and a lot of girls admired her." Pause. The girl frowned. "And I quote; 'I kicked ass in volleyball!'"
Umi raised an eyebrow. "What'd she do, break a window?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Actually . . . yeah."
***
"Rei-chan, does this make me look fat?"
Rei Hino rolled her eyes. "No one is going to see it under the graduation gown, Minako-chan."
"Oh."
Minako Aino frowned in concentration as she studied her reflection in the full length mirror of the dress shop. The silver surface threw back the image of the blonde in a tight-fitting, silk dress with an open back that laced up with silky, silver-blue strings. The light blue hue of the garment brought out the girl's sapphire eyes perfectly.
The blonde turned and looked over her shoulder at her reflection before breaking out into a large grin. "Course, being the goddess of love and beauty, I don't think I could EVER look bad, ne, Rei-chan?"
"Hai."
The gloomy tone of the priestess's voice brought Minako back to reality from her world of flashbulbs and spotlights. The blonde turned to see Rei propping her face up with her hands, elbows on her knees. A worry line creased her forehead as the corners of her mouth turned downward ever so slightly.
"Rei-chan? What is it?"
The girl looked up. Purple eyes met blue ones.
"Odd, isn't it?"
"Nani?" The blonde's eyes reflected her confusion.
Rei sighed as her friend came to sit next to her on the cushioned bench. "Only one more month, Minako-chan. Then, we graduate . . . and I'm scared."
"Scared?"
Rei looked up. "I'm mostly used to taking care of myself, what with my travelling dad and eccentric grampa" she said, looking Minako straight in the eye. "And I know what I want to do with my life. But . . ." A pause, then a sigh. "Things will never be the same."
"Hai. I know what you mean," the blonde replied, rising. Her eyes took one a faraway look, revealing the knowledge hidden away behind the bubbly, airhead exterior. "No more routine, no more just being a kid, no more getting up to an alarm clock to get to school on a regular basis . . ."
Her companion raised an eyebrow. "From what I understand, you got up to the alarm twice during the year." A pause. "Three times, at best."
Minako turned, a mock scowl on her face as she placed her pink-nailed hands huffily on her hips. "You've been talking to Mako-chan and Ami-chan, haven't you?"
"Hmm."
As swiftly as the weather, Minako changed moods from mock pouting to glad excitement. "Wasn't it great that Ami-chan got accepted to both Harvard and Stanford?" she cried, clasping her hands together as stars sparkled in her eyes.
"Hai!" Rei said, losing the gloomy look in her eye and the depressed tone of voice. She stood and stretched. "And doesn't she want to take classes at both schools?"
"You know Ami-chan. She's going to Harvard so she'll be around at least one familiar face . . ."
The priestess nodded. "Mamoru-san."
"Mm. And she'll take courses over the Internet offered by Stanford!" She frowned. "At a cost, of course, but her mom's a doctor! She has diamonds in spades!"
"I'm glad for her," Rei said, leaning over backwards to crack her back. "Much more involved than just going to religious training."
Minako's face split into a grin as she tapped her friend on the nose. "Don't sound so sad about it. You want to be a priestess, ya know."
"Yeah, it's just . . . there's so much more out there. I don't know if it's what I truly want to be . . ."
The future actress waved a hand in her friend's direction as if to shoo away the comment. "Don't worry about it. We still have a month till grad, then three months of summer!"
"Yeah." Rei crossed her arms. "Y'know, Minako-chan, I love dress shopping as much as the next girl, but . . . can we go? I've been sitting watching you for two hours now."
"Oh." The blonde laughed, turning to the dressing room. "Sure, Rei-chan.
"I just have three more dresses to try on . . ."
The priestess sighed and smacked herself in the forehead. Hard. "Oi . . ."
***
"AMI-CHAN!!!!!!!!"
Ami Mizuno started at the sound of her shouted name. Turning around, she placed the blue book she was reading and looked through her glasses at a very frazzled, very sad-looking, very LOUD blonde-haired girl with pigtails run up to her. A flustered and thoroughly embarrassed Makoto Kino smiled sheepishly as the librarian bent over the desk and hissed in the blonde's direction; "SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Usagi Tsukino turned at the noise and stared at the librarian blankly for a moment before realizing that, yes, she WAS inside the library. The few people sitting at the surrounding tables glared at her as she looked around. "Oops . . ."
She, Ami and Makoto all sweatdropped.
The librarian, a wrinkled, white-haired old lady who couldn't be younger than Rei's grandfather's age doubled, glowered at the blonde behind her pointy-rimmed, black-framed glasses, her makeup-lined eyebrows almost meeting between her eyes. She brandished a finger to her left to the "No Talking Please" sign posted on the wall between two bookshelves.
Satisfied that her work had been completed without having to talk to the lower orders of the residents of Tokyo, the gnarled woman turned and walked into the office.
"Well! If THAT isn't rude!" the blonde declared, thrusting her hands onto her blue-jean-short-clad hips. Her yellow top wrinkled as she hunched her shoulders forward and glared after the departed woman with a death look she reserved only for Rei.
"But Usagi . . . you DID barge in yelling at the top of your lungs . . ." the brunette stammered.
The words struck a wall. Usagi didn't respond at all. She was in full- blown temper-tantrum mode, a talent she had amazingly kept through all the battles and years.
The rabbit of the moon straightened as she brandished a finger toward the open doorway. "Just you wait! When I'm Queen, she'll be the first one I'll go after!"
"Usagi-chan . . ."
A disturbing gleam of insanity lit up the blonde's crystal blue eyes. It was obvious that the stress of high school was getting to her . . . Either that, or she had manga on the brain. Or both. "Mine to command! To CONTROL! . . ."
^^;;
"Usagi! Snap OUT OF IT!"
Usagi blinked, staring up at the brunette in front of her, grasping her shoulders. "Mako-chan?!?"
"Usagi . . ." Mako murmured between clenched teeth, a large sweatdrop adhered to her temple, "people are staring . . ."
The blonde looked around the room. Several people had looked up from their reading to gawk at the commotion the said blonde was making.
"Oh . . . yeah . . . we ARE in the library, aren't we?"
With that, the blonde fainted limply into the tomboy's arms.
Ami glanced sympathetically at the blonde as she removed her glasses. "Poor Usagi-chan. She's been so stressed out lately, what with school and all . . ."
The brunette nodded. "She reminds me of a friend of mine . . . Makura. A real ditz. Fits the blonde stereotype to a T."
With that, she turned and walked out of the front entrance to the library, her friend and savior hanging limply from her arms. Ami gathered her books and followed hurriedly after.
"You have to admit," the blue-haired genius murmured as they burst into the bright sunlight of the Sunday afternoon, "she has matured a lot since eighth grade."
A nod. "I know."
The brunette gazed down at the sleeping face cradled in her elbow. "I wonder if she's matured enough though."
"It IS her last chance to be a child. Before the weight of the world rests on her shoulders, and she has to grow up for real."
"Mm."
"Hey! Shorty!"
The pair started and turned as a familiar pair walked up to them. The taller of the two, a blonde dressed in a blue tank top and short white shorts, waved smilingly, her blue eyes twinkling. She was handsome rather than pretty, and at a distance and in different clothes, she could be mistaken for a man. She was the one who had called, her comment directed at Makoto.
The girl on her right was considerably shorter and incredibly pretty, with waist-length aqua-colored hair and blue eyes. She wore a simple dark blue dress, the hem of which swirled around her knees.
"HARUKA! MICHIRU!"
Before Ami or Makoto had a chance to respond, the once-unconscious blonde had jumped from the arms of the brunette and raced to fold the approaching college students in her arms in a giant hug. Michiru Kaioh laughed and returned the hug as Haruka Tenou started, surprised.
"Odango! Where'd you come from?!" she cried, obviously glad to see her old friend.
"Well I . . . I . . ."
A puzzled frown came over the shorter blonde's face before she turned to the other two. "Mako-chan, what were we doing? I know we went to the library, and . . . the last few minutes are a blank for me. When did Ami- chan get here?"
Makoto smiled widely. "Don't worry about it, Usagi-chan."
"Okay!"
Ami sighed, relieved to see that her friend was back to normal and acting eighteen years old again. More or less than usual, that is.
Usagi turned back to the couple, whom she had released from her grasp. "When did you guys get back? I missed you!"
Michiru smiled. "Just now, in fact. We dropped our things off at home, and decided to go for a walk."
"Jet lag, huh?"
"Mm-hmm."
"How did the tour go?" Makoto asked, coming up to give the new arrivals hugs.
"Quite well," the aqua-haired girl said.
"Michi-chan got four contract offers!"
"Haruka," the violinist muttered, flushed with pride and bowing her head in embarrassment. "Cut it out!"
"But it's true!"
"Congratulations, Michiru-san," the blue-haired girl said as she hugged her friend. "That's great news."
"Oh yeah, and Mamoru sends all his love," Haruka added.
Usagi saddened somewhat at this statement. The fingers of her right hand toyed unconsciously with the heart-shaped diamond and pearl ring on the third finger of her left hand.
Haruka saw this and smoothly changed the subject.
"Anyway, we were just on our way to check out where Setsuna works," the taller blonde said. Michiru looked up at her partner in surprise. Haruka looked at her out of the corner of her eye as she continued, and the violinist nodded understandably. "Who would've known she'd become the most prominent doctor in Tokyo after starting off as a school nurse?"
"You know Setsuna. Unpredictable as the fourth dimension," Makoto put in.
"Ain't that the truth."
***
Setsuna Meioh sighed and propped her elbows on her desk and her face in her hands. The computer monitor blinked silently in front of her, showing a file with so much tezt and appointments on it that she couldn't concentrate on it. So much to do in so little time . . . and to top it all off, she was having the feelings of nausea that accompanied an invader from a different dimension. Not coming now, but soon. Very soon.
"Setsuna-mama?"
The green-haired woman turned in her wheeled chair, garnet eyes probing the figure silhouetted in the doorway. Somewhat short, wearing a black, long- sleeved dress, amethyst eyes that shone inwardly, black shoulder-length hair . . .
"Hotaru. Come in, come in, hime," the doctor said, her shoulders relaxing considerably as she recognized her adopted daughter instead of a huge, tentacled monster bent on wreaking havoc.
Purple eyes studied red ones. "You've been feeling it too, haven't you. The beginning of a new invasion."
The doctor sighed, turning to gaze out the window at her left at the sunlit blue sky. Her eyes were troubled. "Yes," she murmured. "A slight disturbance in the astrophysical boundaries. Not an immediate threat. It's headed toward a different dimension . . ."
"But soon," Hotaru Tomoe muttered as a wisp of cloud covered the sun, momentarily plunging the room into semi-darkness. Her purple eyes shone out of her shadowed face.
"Soon . . ."
And, unbeknownst to anyone on Earth except two women, a shadow moved away through the galaxy to a planet similar to our own . . .
***
"She's dead . . ." the long-haired figure murmured. Her green eyes glinted as tears slid down her cheeks. "Dead . . ."
Pain filled her heart, a pain so deep that it shook the center of her soul. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
A glance around her. Crystalline walls. Bubbles.
Magic.
No way out . . .
"Why?!" she cried, slamming her fist against the wall. "Why have they DONE this to me?!?" A cascade of tears down marble-white cheeks. "I've done nothing wrong . . . and now I wake up and she's dead . . . dead . . .
"Emeraude . . ."
*~*
_End Legend One_
Gomen, Minna-chan, I know this chapter was kind of . . . well, stupid. But, I hate intros and boring, dragging parts. And I had to set up the story and tell what was going on . . . but, don't we all?
Review! Email me! And if you send me flames and/or hate mail, I will simply ignore them and continue the story through the love and support of others.
The Makura whom Makoto mentions is a reference to my imuoto-chan Makura Koneko, who's as blonde as you can get. Read her fanfictions. They are very well-written and creative! She just needs to get her rear in gear and write more! ^^
Till later, all! Ja!
Tux Starr "All with life were born to die." --Sailor Lethe, Sailormoon Stars
Standard Disclaimers Apply. In other words: don't sue me!
Completed July 2002.
An Original fanfiction by Prince Nebula (Tuxedo Starr).
AN: This fanfiction is based on the general knowledge of the Rayearth OAV plot. I liked the idea so much that I had to write about it with the Knights we know and love, but I couldn't see it without the Sailor Senshi. Thus, "Legend of Cephiro, Fate of Earth" was born!
I draw from the Rayearth manga and the OAV, and the Sailormoon manga with Anime influences. Japanese names.
Enjoy!
Legend One: After the Battles.
Three years ago.
*~* Magic Knights; 15 years old, Ninth grade Inner Sailor Senshi; 18 years old, 12th grade Haruka and Michiru: 20 years old, college. They have just returned from a concert tour in the States. Setsuna: 26 years old in appearance, successful doctor. Mamoru: 20 years old, presently at Harvard Hotaru: 14 years old, Ninth grade
*~*
Umi Ryuuzaki moaned as she fell back onto the beige-carpeted floor of the Hououji sitting room. "Guys, can't we take a break?" she pleaded of her companions. "My head is ready to explode!"
To add a touch of melodrama, she flung her hand against her forehead and whimpered, closing her eyes.
Hikaru Shidou, sitting on Umi's left, laughed heartily as she flung her braid back over her right shoulder. "I have to agree," she said as she shut her science book with a slap. "I think we've studied for those high school entrance exams enough." She looked pointedly across the low table where she kneeled into emerald green eyes shielded by glasses.
Fuu Hououji winked slyly as she opened (yet another) textbook as thick as a dictionary. "But Hikaru," she said, glancing quickly at her blue-clad friend who lay sprawled on the floor, " we have so much more to cover still for today!"
"Oh really?" the redhead asked, barely able to restrain a chuckle as Umi glared at her from beneath her sleeve; "how much?"
"Three whole textbooks!"
"WHAT?!?"
The blue-haired girl bolted upright as the two girls fell backwards laughing. Umi glared at Fuu first, who quickly composed herself, then at Hikaru, who was nearly in hysterics.
"The . . ." the redhead laughed, pointing a finger in her glaring friend's direction. Her left hand held her stomach. "The look . . . on your . . . face . . . !"
Umi scowled. "I don't even know why I'm studying with you guys." The tallest girl of the group sniffed as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, raising her nose in the air about forty-five degrees. "It's not as if my exams are that important, anyway. I mean, my family has to pay for me to go to TE Girls School, so they have to admit me to high school whether they like it or not!"
"Your parents or the school?" Hikaru asked, a gleam in her ruby eyes. *AN: This is referring to the comment "whether they like it or not!"*
"My par . . ." The bluenette hesitated a moment, then scowled as the redhead began laughing again. With a swift, deft movement, she plucked one of the cushions off the floor and heaved the pink down-stuffed pillow into her friend's face. The short girl's laughter suddenly ended in a muffled "oomph."
"TE Girls School . . . isn't that a branch of the TA School for Girls?" the blonde asked, an amused smile on her face and an inquiring look in her eye.
Umi turned to her more intellectual best friend. "Uh huh," she nodded, her blue hair sparkling in the sunlight that pierced through the open window. "Except that the rules aren't so strict, and there is no set religion."
Fuu nodded. "It must be hard to have to study under the instruction of a set worship."
"I dunno about that," Hikaru piped up as she sat up and hugged the pillow to her chest. "I have a friend who's visited there, Minako Aino, and she said it's a lot of fun!"
"Really?" the two chorused, looking to their friend.
The light of the lion shrine nodded. "She said that she went as a guest of her best friend, who goes there. Said the place was beautiful, the food was good, and a lot of girls admired her." Pause. The girl frowned. "And I quote; 'I kicked ass in volleyball!'"
Umi raised an eyebrow. "What'd she do, break a window?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Actually . . . yeah."
***
"Rei-chan, does this make me look fat?"
Rei Hino rolled her eyes. "No one is going to see it under the graduation gown, Minako-chan."
"Oh."
Minako Aino frowned in concentration as she studied her reflection in the full length mirror of the dress shop. The silver surface threw back the image of the blonde in a tight-fitting, silk dress with an open back that laced up with silky, silver-blue strings. The light blue hue of the garment brought out the girl's sapphire eyes perfectly.
The blonde turned and looked over her shoulder at her reflection before breaking out into a large grin. "Course, being the goddess of love and beauty, I don't think I could EVER look bad, ne, Rei-chan?"
"Hai."
The gloomy tone of the priestess's voice brought Minako back to reality from her world of flashbulbs and spotlights. The blonde turned to see Rei propping her face up with her hands, elbows on her knees. A worry line creased her forehead as the corners of her mouth turned downward ever so slightly.
"Rei-chan? What is it?"
The girl looked up. Purple eyes met blue ones.
"Odd, isn't it?"
"Nani?" The blonde's eyes reflected her confusion.
Rei sighed as her friend came to sit next to her on the cushioned bench. "Only one more month, Minako-chan. Then, we graduate . . . and I'm scared."
"Scared?"
Rei looked up. "I'm mostly used to taking care of myself, what with my travelling dad and eccentric grampa" she said, looking Minako straight in the eye. "And I know what I want to do with my life. But . . ." A pause, then a sigh. "Things will never be the same."
"Hai. I know what you mean," the blonde replied, rising. Her eyes took one a faraway look, revealing the knowledge hidden away behind the bubbly, airhead exterior. "No more routine, no more just being a kid, no more getting up to an alarm clock to get to school on a regular basis . . ."
Her companion raised an eyebrow. "From what I understand, you got up to the alarm twice during the year." A pause. "Three times, at best."
Minako turned, a mock scowl on her face as she placed her pink-nailed hands huffily on her hips. "You've been talking to Mako-chan and Ami-chan, haven't you?"
"Hmm."
As swiftly as the weather, Minako changed moods from mock pouting to glad excitement. "Wasn't it great that Ami-chan got accepted to both Harvard and Stanford?" she cried, clasping her hands together as stars sparkled in her eyes.
"Hai!" Rei said, losing the gloomy look in her eye and the depressed tone of voice. She stood and stretched. "And doesn't she want to take classes at both schools?"
"You know Ami-chan. She's going to Harvard so she'll be around at least one familiar face . . ."
The priestess nodded. "Mamoru-san."
"Mm. And she'll take courses over the Internet offered by Stanford!" She frowned. "At a cost, of course, but her mom's a doctor! She has diamonds in spades!"
"I'm glad for her," Rei said, leaning over backwards to crack her back. "Much more involved than just going to religious training."
Minako's face split into a grin as she tapped her friend on the nose. "Don't sound so sad about it. You want to be a priestess, ya know."
"Yeah, it's just . . . there's so much more out there. I don't know if it's what I truly want to be . . ."
The future actress waved a hand in her friend's direction as if to shoo away the comment. "Don't worry about it. We still have a month till grad, then three months of summer!"
"Yeah." Rei crossed her arms. "Y'know, Minako-chan, I love dress shopping as much as the next girl, but . . . can we go? I've been sitting watching you for two hours now."
"Oh." The blonde laughed, turning to the dressing room. "Sure, Rei-chan.
"I just have three more dresses to try on . . ."
The priestess sighed and smacked herself in the forehead. Hard. "Oi . . ."
***
"AMI-CHAN!!!!!!!!"
Ami Mizuno started at the sound of her shouted name. Turning around, she placed the blue book she was reading and looked through her glasses at a very frazzled, very sad-looking, very LOUD blonde-haired girl with pigtails run up to her. A flustered and thoroughly embarrassed Makoto Kino smiled sheepishly as the librarian bent over the desk and hissed in the blonde's direction; "SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Usagi Tsukino turned at the noise and stared at the librarian blankly for a moment before realizing that, yes, she WAS inside the library. The few people sitting at the surrounding tables glared at her as she looked around. "Oops . . ."
She, Ami and Makoto all sweatdropped.
The librarian, a wrinkled, white-haired old lady who couldn't be younger than Rei's grandfather's age doubled, glowered at the blonde behind her pointy-rimmed, black-framed glasses, her makeup-lined eyebrows almost meeting between her eyes. She brandished a finger to her left to the "No Talking Please" sign posted on the wall between two bookshelves.
Satisfied that her work had been completed without having to talk to the lower orders of the residents of Tokyo, the gnarled woman turned and walked into the office.
"Well! If THAT isn't rude!" the blonde declared, thrusting her hands onto her blue-jean-short-clad hips. Her yellow top wrinkled as she hunched her shoulders forward and glared after the departed woman with a death look she reserved only for Rei.
"But Usagi . . . you DID barge in yelling at the top of your lungs . . ." the brunette stammered.
The words struck a wall. Usagi didn't respond at all. She was in full- blown temper-tantrum mode, a talent she had amazingly kept through all the battles and years.
The rabbit of the moon straightened as she brandished a finger toward the open doorway. "Just you wait! When I'm Queen, she'll be the first one I'll go after!"
"Usagi-chan . . ."
A disturbing gleam of insanity lit up the blonde's crystal blue eyes. It was obvious that the stress of high school was getting to her . . . Either that, or she had manga on the brain. Or both. "Mine to command! To CONTROL! . . ."
^^;;
"Usagi! Snap OUT OF IT!"
Usagi blinked, staring up at the brunette in front of her, grasping her shoulders. "Mako-chan?!?"
"Usagi . . ." Mako murmured between clenched teeth, a large sweatdrop adhered to her temple, "people are staring . . ."
The blonde looked around the room. Several people had looked up from their reading to gawk at the commotion the said blonde was making.
"Oh . . . yeah . . . we ARE in the library, aren't we?"
With that, the blonde fainted limply into the tomboy's arms.
Ami glanced sympathetically at the blonde as she removed her glasses. "Poor Usagi-chan. She's been so stressed out lately, what with school and all . . ."
The brunette nodded. "She reminds me of a friend of mine . . . Makura. A real ditz. Fits the blonde stereotype to a T."
With that, she turned and walked out of the front entrance to the library, her friend and savior hanging limply from her arms. Ami gathered her books and followed hurriedly after.
"You have to admit," the blue-haired genius murmured as they burst into the bright sunlight of the Sunday afternoon, "she has matured a lot since eighth grade."
A nod. "I know."
The brunette gazed down at the sleeping face cradled in her elbow. "I wonder if she's matured enough though."
"It IS her last chance to be a child. Before the weight of the world rests on her shoulders, and she has to grow up for real."
"Mm."
"Hey! Shorty!"
The pair started and turned as a familiar pair walked up to them. The taller of the two, a blonde dressed in a blue tank top and short white shorts, waved smilingly, her blue eyes twinkling. She was handsome rather than pretty, and at a distance and in different clothes, she could be mistaken for a man. She was the one who had called, her comment directed at Makoto.
The girl on her right was considerably shorter and incredibly pretty, with waist-length aqua-colored hair and blue eyes. She wore a simple dark blue dress, the hem of which swirled around her knees.
"HARUKA! MICHIRU!"
Before Ami or Makoto had a chance to respond, the once-unconscious blonde had jumped from the arms of the brunette and raced to fold the approaching college students in her arms in a giant hug. Michiru Kaioh laughed and returned the hug as Haruka Tenou started, surprised.
"Odango! Where'd you come from?!" she cried, obviously glad to see her old friend.
"Well I . . . I . . ."
A puzzled frown came over the shorter blonde's face before she turned to the other two. "Mako-chan, what were we doing? I know we went to the library, and . . . the last few minutes are a blank for me. When did Ami- chan get here?"
Makoto smiled widely. "Don't worry about it, Usagi-chan."
"Okay!"
Ami sighed, relieved to see that her friend was back to normal and acting eighteen years old again. More or less than usual, that is.
Usagi turned back to the couple, whom she had released from her grasp. "When did you guys get back? I missed you!"
Michiru smiled. "Just now, in fact. We dropped our things off at home, and decided to go for a walk."
"Jet lag, huh?"
"Mm-hmm."
"How did the tour go?" Makoto asked, coming up to give the new arrivals hugs.
"Quite well," the aqua-haired girl said.
"Michi-chan got four contract offers!"
"Haruka," the violinist muttered, flushed with pride and bowing her head in embarrassment. "Cut it out!"
"But it's true!"
"Congratulations, Michiru-san," the blue-haired girl said as she hugged her friend. "That's great news."
"Oh yeah, and Mamoru sends all his love," Haruka added.
Usagi saddened somewhat at this statement. The fingers of her right hand toyed unconsciously with the heart-shaped diamond and pearl ring on the third finger of her left hand.
Haruka saw this and smoothly changed the subject.
"Anyway, we were just on our way to check out where Setsuna works," the taller blonde said. Michiru looked up at her partner in surprise. Haruka looked at her out of the corner of her eye as she continued, and the violinist nodded understandably. "Who would've known she'd become the most prominent doctor in Tokyo after starting off as a school nurse?"
"You know Setsuna. Unpredictable as the fourth dimension," Makoto put in.
"Ain't that the truth."
***
Setsuna Meioh sighed and propped her elbows on her desk and her face in her hands. The computer monitor blinked silently in front of her, showing a file with so much tezt and appointments on it that she couldn't concentrate on it. So much to do in so little time . . . and to top it all off, she was having the feelings of nausea that accompanied an invader from a different dimension. Not coming now, but soon. Very soon.
"Setsuna-mama?"
The green-haired woman turned in her wheeled chair, garnet eyes probing the figure silhouetted in the doorway. Somewhat short, wearing a black, long- sleeved dress, amethyst eyes that shone inwardly, black shoulder-length hair . . .
"Hotaru. Come in, come in, hime," the doctor said, her shoulders relaxing considerably as she recognized her adopted daughter instead of a huge, tentacled monster bent on wreaking havoc.
Purple eyes studied red ones. "You've been feeling it too, haven't you. The beginning of a new invasion."
The doctor sighed, turning to gaze out the window at her left at the sunlit blue sky. Her eyes were troubled. "Yes," she murmured. "A slight disturbance in the astrophysical boundaries. Not an immediate threat. It's headed toward a different dimension . . ."
"But soon," Hotaru Tomoe muttered as a wisp of cloud covered the sun, momentarily plunging the room into semi-darkness. Her purple eyes shone out of her shadowed face.
"Soon . . ."
And, unbeknownst to anyone on Earth except two women, a shadow moved away through the galaxy to a planet similar to our own . . .
***
"She's dead . . ." the long-haired figure murmured. Her green eyes glinted as tears slid down her cheeks. "Dead . . ."
Pain filled her heart, a pain so deep that it shook the center of her soul. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
A glance around her. Crystalline walls. Bubbles.
Magic.
No way out . . .
"Why?!" she cried, slamming her fist against the wall. "Why have they DONE this to me?!?" A cascade of tears down marble-white cheeks. "I've done nothing wrong . . . and now I wake up and she's dead . . . dead . . .
"Emeraude . . ."
*~*
_End Legend One_
Gomen, Minna-chan, I know this chapter was kind of . . . well, stupid. But, I hate intros and boring, dragging parts. And I had to set up the story and tell what was going on . . . but, don't we all?
Review! Email me! And if you send me flames and/or hate mail, I will simply ignore them and continue the story through the love and support of others.
The Makura whom Makoto mentions is a reference to my imuoto-chan Makura Koneko, who's as blonde as you can get. Read her fanfictions. They are very well-written and creative! She just needs to get her rear in gear and write more! ^^
Till later, all! Ja!
Tux Starr "All with life were born to die." --Sailor Lethe, Sailormoon Stars
Standard Disclaimers Apply. In other words: don't sue me!
Completed July 2002.