I want to be leader!
Shashita leaned against the rocky wall, indifferent to its sharp curves. She heard footsteps approaching. "Who's there?" She timidly demanded. "It's Eagret. The Duchess wishes for your presence." Shashita winced. "OK, I'm coming, bro."
She knelt before Duchess Vladia. Curling her locks around her finger and studying herself in a mirror, Vladia motioned for her to rise. Shashita obeyed. "I require the knowledge of your new plan. Make it a good one. That new threat is disturbing." Shashita gulped hard. "I agree. I have been studying stories of the Sailor Soldiers. Something that stuck out was Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars often argued over the Leader position." "True. What is your point." "Well.um.with this new team, I assume they have no leader. They didn't appear to when I fought them. I figured I could hold an Olympic-style contest to test people. It will bring the Sailors out, and I will be able to gather lots of aura energy from spectators. Is this OK?" Vladia closed her limpid emerald eyes. She sighed softly, and sat back. "Very well, do not fail."
The bell rang through the building. Stampedes of students ran outside, into the warmth of the sun. Rini wandered to her favorite tree. She set herself down, and began to open her lunchbox. "Hmmm. I wonder what Mum packed for me today," she nervously quivered. Rini made an exasperated face as she looked down at her burnt bran muffin, single banana, spoonless yogurt, and some moldy thing she couldn't put a name to. "I'm cursed! I can feel it!" "Hey, Rini! " Cheerfully greeted two girls. Rini looked up and smiled. "Di! Ledy!" The two girls joined Rini. Diana usually was in her natural cat form, but during school hours she found it safer to be Human. She was thirteen, like her friend Leda. Leda wore her golden hair in a single long braid, with bangs on the side. "So.how'd you go on your test?" Inquired Rini. Diana grinned, "Hundred percent. Woo-hoo!" "Sixty-eight," Leda sadly replied. "My papa's going to flip." Don't worry, Rini thought to herself. You're doing better than your mother ever did." Leda and Diana opened their lunchboxes. Rini peeked into them and grumbled. "Ledy," sobbed Rini, "you're sooo lucky!" Inside Leda's lunchbox were yummy cupcakes, sushi, and fancy carrot sticks. Leda looked inside Rini's box and giggled. "I see your mother's still learning to cook." "I think she's slowly trying to kill us off, - particularly my dad," joked Rini. The three ate their lunches, then spied on some boys playing soccer in the field. As they were walking to the water fountain, Diana jumped. Her cell phone had gone off. She grabbed it out of her book bag, then activated it. A projection shot out of the phone into the air. It was Rachael. "Hi Rach, what's up?" Greeted Diana. Rachael seemed worried. "Oh.er.nothing much. Have your parents been acting weird today by any chance?" Diana, Leda and Rini eyed each other. "W-weird?" Questioned Leda. Rachael wryly smiled. "It's nothing, I guess. After my mum picked up the paper today, she kept giving Rae and I this unsettling look. Ameilia rang Minnie and said the same thing." Rini raised an eyebrow. "Could it be possible they know about yesterday? We were photographed, right?" There was a silence amongst them. "Call up the others, Rachael. It's time for a.a Sailor Meeting, Sailor Chibi-Soldiers," commanded Rini. Rachael gasped. "Was that an order? I thought we agreed not to pick a leader yet until we can fairly?!" "Please, let's not go through this again," begged Leda. "Look, you all can come to my house. My papa will be at a shoot, and my mum's working late. Sound good?" Rini and Rachael huffed, and turned away from each other. Diana sighed. "Oh, we'll be there."
Raeline and Rachael rang the doorbell. As they waited, they took in the dazzling scenery of the mansion grounds. There were beautiful gardens with every flower and shrub you could think of, marble statues of Gods, Pixies, animals, Angels, and best of all, a wondrous fountain in the center of the masterpiece the Filip family calls home. "Hi guys," said Leda, surprising the twins. Raeline and Rachael spun around. Leda welcomed them inside. Inside, their hearts flew as they came face to face with the classical architecture of the mansion. Most of it was ivory marble. It resembled a swanky motel. Not the sort of place you'd chance breaking something. They'd been there many times before, and every visit gave them heart attacks. "You know, by all rights we should live in a place as totally huge as this mansion," complained Raeline. Leda smiled, as she led the way up the stairs to her room. "Well, at least you get to live in a Temple. You're tied to it and it has so much history." "History? Who cares about history? You've got a gym!" Countered Raeline.
As they neared Leda's room, the twins heard hysterical laughter. "What's going on?" Asked Rachael. "Twister," replied Leda. The twins stepped inside Leda's room, where Ameilia, Rini and Minnie were tangled together on a Twister map. Diana was manning the arrow board. "Red, left foot, Ameilia," said Diana. Ameilia growled, as she stretched her left foot to the nearest red dot. She finally set it just under Minnie, who was twisted in every area over the map. Her face was puffy, and she was faint. Rini began to shake. "I.I don't think I c-can hold on much l-longer." "Come on, Rini," encouraged Diana. "No. No I can't!" Rini shrieked, and collapsed. Ameilia and Minnie fell with her in a heap. "I'll go with ouch on that one," laughed Rachael. Ameilia got up and dusted herself off. She folded her arms, and frowned at Rini as she and Minnie helped each other up. "You could've lasted longer than that y'know," Ameilia stated firmly. "Would it have killed you to go another five minutes?" "Five minutes?" Echoed Rini in disbelief. Diana whistled out loud to grab their attention. They all turned their gaze to the gray kitten. "We mustn't waste time here girls. Our parents could possibly know you've been activated. You girls have been photographed." Minnie smiled. "Gosh, so, why is that so bad? It's not like we look so bad on film." "And who cares if our parents know? If so, we can get some advice on how to handle this whole thing," added Rachael. Rini shook her head. "Forget advice. They'd want to handle this new threat themselves, so we wouldn't be in danger." Leda agreed. "My mother is an accomplished warrior. I know she used to like to fight - a lot. She wouldn't even consider the consequences to protect me. I would hate to have to lie to my parents, but it's the only way." The others felt a ghastly chill. Leda and lying did not go down well together. "Now that we've got that in order, who'll be leader?" Eagerly inquired Ameilia. "Me, duh," laughed Minnie. "I thought we decided on me?" Retorted Rini. "Dream on, Devil Girl!" Growled Rachael. Diana sighed. "I'm getting sick of this. Is this whole leader thing so important?" "YES!" They all screamed with one voice. Leda grinned. "Good. Diana and I enlisted you all into a sort of sport's carnival tomorrow." "Is this a school thing?" Whined Raeline. "Nope," replied Diana. "I saw an ad for it on TV. It's a thing for teens. There's supposed to be a heap of cool events that will test your every capability." Rini was skeptical. "That's all well in theory, but how are we supposed to choose a leader?" "The last five in each event will be disqualified from everything else," answered Leda. "The last one standing of you five will get the job." "You're not doing it?" Asked Minnie. "Who? Me? No, thank-you. I can barely keep my sisters and brother in order, I'm not ready to organize you girls." The five competitors looked each other over, and took deep breaths. They all agreed to it. That is, if their parents would let them.
"Forget it, Rini," said King Darien, as the Royal family ate their dinner. Rini gasped. "Oh, Daddy, please! Don't be slack." He drew in a deep breath. "Look, the last time we let you have an after school activity, people got hurt." "No, they didn't," she sharply countered. "That chemical explosion only made their hair fall out. It's not like it didn't grow back. Mummy, tell him!" Neo-Queen Serenity sighed, and turned to her husband. "Darling, it was an accident, and she did pay the damages out of her own pocket money. Besides I did see the ad for this sporting thingy on TV, it seems harmless enough." "Thingy?" Echoed Arcturus. "Don't you mean: thing?" Serenity frowned at her youngest son. "That's what I said." "No it isn't, I heard you say thingy, Mummy. Are you sure you've been studying that literacy course?" Sweetly asked RT. Darien tried to hide his amusement, as Serenity became increasingly frustrated. DJ, grinning, kept his head low. Serenity eyed her family menacingly. "You know, lately I've felt the urge to take up my cooking lessons again." Panic swept over the Royal family. Darien swallowed hard and forced a smile. "You know Arcky, I do believe your mother said thing." "I agree," the twins said robotically. Rini folded her arms, and huffed. "Um, can we get back to me now?" "Yes, of course," replied Serenity. "You may compete." Darien gasped. "I said she can't, and that's final." Rini finished off some peas, and then got up to hug her mother. "Thanks Mummy!" "Am I invisible or something?" Darien asked DJ, exasperated. DJ shrugged. "Eh, kinda. Mum's word is law, you know that."
That night, Rini and her friends were excitedly ringing each other, complaining about all the nasty chores and babysitting they had to promise to do to be allowed to complete in the sports carnival after school days. But it was worth it. By the end of the week a leader would be chosen, and that would be the end of that debate.
Meanwhile, Shashita was making preparations in Silver Light Park. With only streetlights, and the crescent moon above for light, she strained to weave her magic to create the arena for the sporting events. "I want to go home," she whined to the wind. "It's cold here and I want some cocoa!" After a stadium was weaved into reality, she bent over and began to breathe heavily. "I need aura energy."
Day One
"Welcome one and all to Teen Quest," blared the speakers, "where we will determine who is the most athletic youth in Crystal Tokyo!" The large crowd cheered, as the thousands of competitors made their way out to the center of the field. They waved to the many spectators. Among them, Rini, Rachael, Ameilia, Raeline and Minnie were sizing each other up, indifferent to their other competition. Near the center of the left stand, Leda held her feline companion, Diana in anxiety. "Hey, not to tight, Ledy," laughed Diana. Leda loosened her grip. "Oh, sorry, Di. I'm just nervous." "Me too. Who do you think will become our esteemed leader?" Leda tilted her head in thought. "To be honest, I haven't a clue. They're all qualified in their own right. Even you are, Diana." Diana made a curious face. "Me? Get real! I am the supreme Kitty Guardian. Now you." "Please, don't even start that." A few kids began to play around Leda. She ignored them as they pushed each other around, getting her a few times. "Prepare to die!" Declared a boy. He roughly pushed his friend against Leda's back with such force that Diana went flying out of her lap, and into the crowd! Leda watched in horror as Diana was bounced around like a ball at the beach. Leda clutched her mouth with both hands as she tried to hold back laughter. Diana cried out in fury at her friend as she bounded through the crowd.
"Runners," called out the gunman, "on your marks.get set." Bbbbbbaaaang! The runners were off at a lightning speed. It was Rini and Raeline's first event. Raeline was in the lead, with Rini trailing in fourth. The other eight competitors were struggling to overcome their opposition. Raeline cheered as she approached the finish ribbon. Rini powered through the others as she spotted Raeline leap through the finish ribbon. She made one last effort, and came in third. Afterwards, the children puffed and panted, as the ones with the last five times were told to leave the field. Both Rini and Raeline had survived their first test. They wondered how the others were going.
"Oh, this is just super," Ameilia sarcastically sneered. "I came in second to Karen Derk!" Ameilia had just completed her first test, the hurdles. She wasn't exactly thrilled that her arch nemesis from school had come in first. "Hi there, Meil," came a silky voice. Ameilia slowly turned around, recognizing the voice. It was Karen Derk. Karen the glamour student. Always one hundred percent in each test. Beautiful, well-known parents. Mansion. Her own pool. Captain of her hockey team. A.Oh, not that she was jealous or anything. "Oh, hi Karen," Ameilia greeted with fake enthusiasm. "You were spectacular out there." Karen lightly laughed, and gently pushed away some locks of her auburn hair. "Why, thank-you, Meil. You sure were.uh, something too." Ameilia folded her arms and forced a smile. I will not let her get to me, she told herself. Even if she does annoyingly refer to me as Meil, and oh, what was up with that pause - how dare she! "Listen, I've got to go. I've got discus next - " "Me too," Karen cut in. Ameilia felt like exploding, but caught herself. "O-Ok. I'll see you there, I guess." Karen winked, "I guess so." She daintily walked off like the Princess she practically was. Ameilia clenched her fists and felt the sweat mount on her face. "Ameilia, you dummy. Remember why you're here: To become the leader of the Sailor Chibi-Soldiers." Ameilia suddenly brightened, smiling. "Although, beating Karen would be a serious confidence booster - and every good leader has to be confident!"
Minnie steadily held the pole upwards. She began to jog to the marked line, and halted, letting the pole fly through the air. A few people behind her began to clap. She suddenly heard a whistle. It was Rachael. Minnie smiled to her, and giggled. She held her breath, awaiting the results. A projection of the javelin results was posted before them. Minnie scanned the names. She let out a sigh of relief. She'd just made it. Rachael had come first. Minnie made her way through the others to sit with Rachael on the lush, green grass near some nets. "OK, fess up young lady," Minnie mockingly demanded. Rachael looked at her curiously. "About what?" "Bout how the heck you learnt to throw a javelin so damn far!" Rachael shrugged. "Uncle Darien gave me some lessons a few years ago when I want to be overall champion in my sporting carnival." "Did it work?" Rachael bit her lip, and went red. "Well, I did get the javelin pretty far." Minnie was confused. Embarrassed, Rachael explained that she'd flicked her wrist the wrong way, causing it to fly in the incorrect direction - the teacher's parking lot. To make matters worse, it crashed through the principal's windscreen! Minnie began to laugh uncontrollably. Rachael didn't share her amusement, but lightened up as she recalled the delight it gave her fellow classmates. She joined in, and laughed her head off too. A few people walking by gave them sorry looks. "Cracking already," sorrowfully commented a boy to his friend. "How sad."
The first day of competition was over. Many hopeful youths were left, ready to face the next day after school, while the defeated ones attempted to hide their tears. Leda and Diana were relieved to know all five of their friends were still in the running.
Day Two
"Shot put's so easy," laughed Rini to herself as she waited her turn. "You just throw a heavy ball." Rini popped her head from the line to see the next person do their throw. The girl held it with caution to her shoulder, directed it, then let it fly. Rini watched the small, heavy ball go a short distance, then pelt toward the ground. Ppshwoooo! The ground exploded below it, like an underground missile. Rini's eyes bulged as she went a gruesome green. She popped her head back into the line and began to shake. I don't remember that being part of the event! Rini cringed to herself in horror.
Ameilia leaned against the cold, steal railing, overlooking the pool. Before it was her turn, she wanted to mentally get her strategy together. Continually, she imagined herself pushing the small waves away from her face, and taking short breaths after every three counts. As she strategized, the ripples of the pool reflected in her eyes. Ameilia half-smiled, just picturing a shark ruining Karen's chances of winning. A gray shadow in the ripples broke her concentration. Ameilia followed it, as it did laps of the pool. She studied in further. The gray shadow began to surface. Ameilia drew back, as a dorsal fin broke through the water. It was small, and sharp. "An infant shark is in there!" She shrieked in disbelief. "That's not a real shark," assured Karen Derk. Ameilia gasped, turning around to meet Karen's smiling face. "What are you talking about?" "As the days go on, the events become less easy. To flush out the weaker athletes mechanical devices such as that shark are used during the events."
Ameilia just couldn't believe her ears. "That's barbaric! And that's a lot coming from me." "I think it's clever. It gives one more ambition." "Ambition?" She echoed in disgust. "While we swim we could be attacked by Robo-Jaws!" Karen did her award-winning smile. "Silly Meil, I doubt it's designed to hurt people." Ameilia took another look into the water. She gulped hard, as the fin poked its way out of the water again.
Minnie huddled herself into a ball and began to cry. She played the scene over and over again. She saw herself run up the dusty strip, and out of nowhere see a line of spikes instead of a red line. She had faulted, leaping into the sand clumsily, falling onto her face. She was now out of the competition, and had no chance of becoming leader. "If I'm not brave enough to go through with a stupid long-jump," she said between sobs, "perhaps I'm not worthy to be Sailor Chibi-Venus."
Day Three
"Come on Rae!" Cried out Minnie. "Go for it Rach!" Leda and Diana clapped, and shook with anticipation as the Kumada twins raced around the track. It was an eight hundred-meter run, and the twins were on their last lap. Half of the runners were out with injuries, mysteriously tripping from sudden bumps on the track. Minnie, Diana and Leda were unsure who to cheer for. Raeline was leading with Rachael closing in. Neither of them appeared to be tiring. Dust flew up everywhere, as the runners pooled their strength to reach the finish line first. Pppppshshhh! Another one down. The boy rolled off the track. Leda gasped as he was helped off. None of the other runners seemed to care. Raeline began to run in long strides. Rachael pulled her body in to gather speed. "AAAaaaaahhhhaaa!" Screamed Rachael, as she tripped, tumbling off the track. With her sister's screams fading, Raeline burst through the finish line.
"Omigod!" Yelped Diana. Minnie's eyes filled with tears of sympathy, as Rachael tended to her wounds.
Day Four
"Ten is left, ladies and gentleman," blared the speakers, "only two will come out of this to compete tomorrow to become the ultimate young athlete of Crystal Tokyo!" The ten athletes stood apart, waving and bowing to the audience. Rini smiled, she was surprised to see her parents in a special box in the audience. Ameilia and Raeline were also stunned to catch their parents amongst the crowd. All went quiet as a large, rocky wall raised from the earth in the center of the field. A foam mat was placed before it. The ten athletes were fitted with gloves, pads and a helmet. It was explained to them that the first two to punch the buzzer at the top would make it to tomorrow's showdown. The mat was there for those who fell off the wall. Slowly, the ten made their way to the starting point. They held their breaths, awaiting the starting signal. "On your marks.get set.GO!" Bbbbbbbbvvvvvvv! As the siren went off, they exploded up the wall.
Every move Ameilia took, she kept a close eye on Karen's tactics. As Karen reached for another hold; Searched for a firm footing; Ameilia evaluated her every step. For Ameilia, it was prime crimping time.
Raeline frantically searched for a higher hold. She desperately needed higher altitude. Her hand scraped into every crevice. Ah-ha! She'd found what she was searching for.
Oh, this whole thing is nuts, complained Rini to herself. This is no way to pick a leader. This is not what being a Sailor Soldier is all about! Rini felt her grip begin to loosen. Her head grew lighter from the strain. A sudden gust of wind caught her off-guard. Rini looked just above her and was stunned to see a rose. A pink rose. It sparkled so beautifully. Was it a dream? Was it an illusion? Rini stretched her arm, and took hold of it. It was real and real strong too. Rini was able to pull her weight closer to the top. As she did so, she hid the rose in one of her thick hair cones.
Ameilia reached for another hold, as her hand went down on a rocky grip, she felt another hand press down. Ameilia turned her head. No! It was Karen Derk! The grip began to crumble. Both girls went bug-eyed. "O-Oh." They stammered. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaooooo!" They both wailed, as they sped to the mat, taking four other people with them. All six bounced onto the mat.
Rini was leading, she felt more confident. It worried her though that someone like Ameilia had lost. Raeline was still on her tail.
Raeline was relieved. She'd spotted the buzzer. Soon the nightmare would be over. Two other kids were coming up from behind. Raeline growled, and pushed herself to go faster. "AAAAaaaaah!" She heard from behind. One more person down. Excellent.
Sunlight washed over Rini as the end came near. A metallic yellow light blinded her. Closing her eyes lightly, she reached out. BBBBBBbbbbbzzzzzz! Another hand joined hers. It was warm. Raeline. She was laughing. Rini soon realized, she was too.
Day Five
"In moments we shall determine who is the ultimate athlete in all of Crystal Tokyo," blared the speakers. "Will it be Raeline Kumada, daughter of F.I.R.E Records owner Chad Kumada, and acclaimed herbal scientist Raye Hino-Kumada; or will it be our own Princess Serena Shields, child of King Darien and Neo-Queen Serenity?" Wide screens were set up around the arena for the viewing pleasure of the crowd. Raeline and Rini were stationed in Firefly Forest; ready to venture through the obstacle coarse designed for them. Cameras were set up all over the place to capture their every move. "Ok girls," said Sasha Shita, the coordinator, "the object is to find the flag with your name on it. When you do that an alarm will go off, and you'll be dubbed the Ultimate Young Athlete of all of Crystal Tokyo. Now, won't that be nice?" Raeline and Rini glared at each other. "I can think of something nicer," replied Raeline. Rini nodded her hair head. "Yeah, me too." If they're not Sailor Chibi-Soldiers, I'm in a lot of trouble, Shashita thought to herself, smiling and sweating. Shashita had been watching their everything. She was fully convinced that Rini and Raeline were more than they appeared. "OK kiddies," said Sasha. "Get set.on your marks - " Rini and Raeline exchanged looks of confusion. "Go!" After a pause, the girls were off, racing through the foliage. Rini and Raeline went down opposite paths.
Ameilia, Rachael, Minnie, Leda and Diana sat together, watching their friends run down their tracks. Raeline was leading. Meanwhile, Rini was beginning to go the wrong way! "What the heck is Rini up to?" Wondered Ameilia. Diana blankly blinked. "I.I think she's trying to track down Raeline."
Rini pushed away a bunch of shrubs. Little light shone through the forest the deeper she ventured. Something bad was going down. She was furious with herself. The whole thing was a trap, it was so obvious! She had to locate Raeline, and soon. Rini leaped over a small pile of rocks. She landed on a slimy substance. She.she couldn't move. "Gross!" She wailed. "What is this stuff?" He body began to descend. "Oh.quicksand. Original." "Help! Somebody! Anybody!"
"Help!" Raeline stopped. Rini was calling was calling out. She was in trouble. But she couldn't help her, or she'd be disqualified. She cleared her head; she'd have to stay focused if she wanted to be leader. Raeline continued her run. There was a rustle in a treetop. Probably birds. Shwshwshw! Another rustle. More birds. Shwshwshw! Raeline became nervous, deciding on increasing her speed. The rustle followed her. Each tree shook as she passed them. Or was she just paranoid? Raeline stumbled on a rock. She fell to her knees. "This is just brilliant," she grumbled, wiping off a grass stain on her knee. She steadily rose, breathing heavily. A warm liquid slapped her forehead. Raeline looked up and screamed. Fangs dripping with saliva.attached to a hideous hairy ball of green fur. It was a sight of nightmares. It licked its teeth with a serpent-like tongue. Raeline went red, and began to sweat.
"What is that?" Demanded Rachael, as a hairy beast stood before her twin on the screen. Diana gasped. "Trouble! It's a trap. Rini must've been trying to warn Rae. Come on, it's transformation time!" They all nodded. "Right!" In a flash, the screens went out. The crowd was perplexed.
Raeline slowly shuffled back. "Uh, hi there," she managed to get out. "I'm Rae. And you are?" "Gggggrrrrrrraaaah!" It snarled. The creature took Raeline by her long, brown locks. She screamed and wriggled about. "Mars Inferno Daggers, slice!" The beast let go of Raeline. Raeline fell to the ground with a thud. After she pulled herself together, she thanked her twin for the help. The others all began to scout the arena for the green monster. "What direction did it go?" Asked Chibi-Venus. "To that foresty part," replied Chibi-Jupiter. "Wait, isn't that where Rini is?" After a slight pause, the girls hastily sped in Rini's direction.
Rini sobbed, as she felt her body sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand. "Oh, I'm doomed, things couldn't get any worse," she wailed in frustration, observing the sticky mud around her waist." Just as she finished her statement, a huge green fur ball with fangs leaped out from behind a few trees, landing in front of her, snarling. Rini looked upon it with contempt and rolled her eyes. "I just set myself up there." The beast growled and leaped for Rini. Rini screamed, closing her eyes. After a few moments with nothing but silence, she opened an eye and timidly looked around. On the grass lay the creature, furious and perplexed. A pink rose had stopped it in its tracks. "A pink rose?" She wondered. "It's not nice to pick on semi-innocent kids y'know!" Yelled a boy from.where? Rini looked up to the trees and spotted a sight that made her want to crack up laughing. It was Tuxedo Mask.but not. This guy was too short. It was some kid, like eight or ten years old. The beast rose to its feet and snarled at the boy. The boy leaped from the trees, falling to the ground clumsily. Rini stifled a laugh, he reminded her of her brother DJ. The boy wobbled to his feet and ruffled his cape. "I am Mini Mask, defender of the weak, helpless and beauty-challenged!" Rini growled. "How dare you?" Mini Mask snickered. "What? Trying to enhance your all ready gross looks with a refreshing mud-bath?" She blinked a few times and whispered, "DJ?" Mini Mask nodded, turning his attention to the green fur ball with Rabbis. "Come and get me!" Mini Mask drew out a black cane, aggressively holding it in front of himself. The fur ball lunged at him. He ducked and ran off laughing. Full of rage, it ran after him. Mini Mask realized it was much faster and freaked out, gaping and crying. He threw a few roses in panic, but it just weaved away from them. "Oh nooo! What was I thinking?!" He cried out. Mini Mask yelped, feeling the fabric of his cape under his shoe. "Uh-oh." Mini Mask fell over, face-first into the dirt. "I bet dad never had this problem," he sobbed. "This sucks on so many levels." Growling, the green ball of fur looked over the shivering boy and wrapped its tongue around his neck, sucking up his aura energy. Mini Mask wailed, but there was nothing he could do. He just felt so weak. "Fire Lash!" The creature unwrapped its tongue and looked in disgust at five teenaged girls in Sailor outfits. "Leave that kid alone!" Yelled Chibi-Mercury. "If you wanna take his energy, you'll have to deal with us first!" "Hey, who is that weird kid anyway?" Wondered Chibi-Venus. "Did he come from a costume party?" Mini Mask faintly heard her and grumbled. Feeling their strong auras, the fur ball lunged at them. "Aquatic Hurricane, go!" Cried out Chibi-Mercury. From her fingertips she sent millions of pelts of water at the fur ball drawing near to them. It fell to the ground, snarling. "That's my queue," laughed Chibi-Jupiter. "Jupiter Thundernet, seize!" An electric net appeared above her. Willing it, she flung it at the creature. Caught in the net, the net began to drain its energy. Wriggling about, it couldn't escape. Beta Sailor Chibi-Mars cackled, "Bye-bye! Mars Inferno Daggers, slice!" Two burning daggers of flames appeared in her hands. She took aim, and threw them accurately toward the fur balls heart. Wailing in pain for a few seconds, it quickly perished, transforming into a small wind-up monster toy. They edged toward it. Leda picked it up and smiled. "I'll give it to Ian, he loves toys like this." "Hey, I have a feeling we're forgetting something." said Chibi-Venus. "Rini," moaned the odd boy in the tuxedo. "That's it," laughed Alpha Sailor Chibi-Mars. "Rini!" they all yelped, running toward her direction, trampling the boy. Mini Mask growled and sobbed.
Rini sighed and realized she was going to die. The quick sand had taken her body; all that was left was her beautiful face. She decided to go out with dignity. "Oh, dear God, save me! I'll do anything you want!" She wailed. "Hell, I'll even be nice to DJ, I swear!" Rini could hear a rustling in the bushes and prepared herself for the worst. But it was just the Sailor Chibi-Soldiers. Oh great, now she had people to laugh at her! "Hi, guys," she timidly greeted. "So.how's it going?" They all stared at her blankly, but then burst out laughing. Rini didn't find it too funny and attempted to turn her head away from them. "We're sorry," apologized Alpha Chibi-Mars, "We'll help you out.Ah, any ideas girls?" "Use a vine or a long stick," suggested Chibi-Venus, "That's what they do on TV and in the movies." "No offense, Gilligan, but what's Rini going to do, hold onto it by her teeth?" Giggled Beta Chibi-Mars. "Rini, I don't think anyone here has a clue how to help you." Rini bit her lip and began to think. "Hey, you guys have your powers, I suggest you use them." They lifted their eyebrows in curiosity. "Alpha Mars, use your daggers to strike a tree in my path. Venus, explode the front of the quicksand, but not at full power. Mercury, get to the other side of my and weaken the sand with your hurricane. Then, I need Jupiter to create a net, walk along the tree and scoop me up. Got it?" Obediently, they all went to work. Beta Mars watched as her friends used their powers one by one to help Rini escape. As Sailor Chibi-Jupiter encased Rini in her net and pulled her safety, everyone clapped and cheered. Just as she was being pulled out, Mini Mask stumbled over. "Well, there goes my heroic rescue," he sighed. "How are you feeling, sis?" "Sis?" They all echoed in disbelief. Mini Mask bowed. "Yep. Mini Mask at your service, ladies. Please, no autographs. Oh, what the heck, praise me babes!" Sailor Chibi-Mercury narrowed her eyes. "Yep, it's DJ. So, Rini, you gonna be OK?" Rini slowly made her way up and nodded. "I'll be fine." She turned to Beta Sailor Mars. "Well, Raeline, looks like you're the leader." "Huh?" "Well, since I got stuck in this quicksand you would have won anyway." Beta Chibi-Mars bit her lip and felt faint. "Rini, I can't. You're the one who deserves the position." Alpha Chibi-Mars tugged on her twin's hair. "Sis.What the heck are you doing? You get to be leader!" Beta shook her head. "Rini deserves to. Look Rachael, she got stuck trying to find me, ditching the stupid competition even though she might have lost, and just look what happened now! Rini was able to organize us. We need that. Besides, we need a leader that'll inspire us and keep us going.That's why her mum was leader in the first place, and not ours." Alpha wearily smiled. "I guess. So.everyone agree?" They all nodded. Rini was speechless. Mini Mask grumbled, "I'm supposed to date the leader, I can't date my sister!" "I don't know, a lot of Royals did that sort of thing," offered Chibi- Venus. "Gross!" Mini Mask and Rini cried out. Sailor Chibi-Jupiter giggled. "Come on, let's go home and get some rest Ultimate Athletes." They all laughed and began to walk home. Mini Mask gaped, "Hey, I was supposed to make a cool exit!" Rini pulled him close to her. "Later bro. I've seen your entrance, I'd dread to see your exit." They all linked arms, skipping, fading back to their original clothes. The universe had gotten a new band of defenders, and now.they were team.
Oblivious to them, Neo-Queen Serenity, King Darien, Luna, Artemis, Amy, Raye, Lita and Mina were watching them from a distance, silently. When they were out of view, the group blew out a sigh of relief. "I thought for sure they'd see us," said Artemis, wiping away a bit of sweat. "Once again a Mars has lost the chance to be leader," sighed Raye. "Too bad, so sad," laughed Serenity. Raye growled at her. "Oh, be quiet Meatball Head!" Serenity smirked. "You still revert to name calling? Raye, if I can grow up, surely you can." "You grow up? Huh! I'd like to see that!" Serenity growled and blew out her tongue. Raye scrunched up her nose and also poked out her tongue. As the two ladies called each other profanities and poked their tongues out further, the rest shook their heads and walked away. "Just like old days," sighed Amy. "Let's hope the girls can pull it off better than we did," Lita laughed, resting an arm over Amy's and Mina's shoulder.
Shashita leaned against the rocky wall, indifferent to its sharp curves. She heard footsteps approaching. "Who's there?" She timidly demanded. "It's Eagret. The Duchess wishes for your presence." Shashita winced. "OK, I'm coming, bro."
She knelt before Duchess Vladia. Curling her locks around her finger and studying herself in a mirror, Vladia motioned for her to rise. Shashita obeyed. "I require the knowledge of your new plan. Make it a good one. That new threat is disturbing." Shashita gulped hard. "I agree. I have been studying stories of the Sailor Soldiers. Something that stuck out was Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars often argued over the Leader position." "True. What is your point." "Well.um.with this new team, I assume they have no leader. They didn't appear to when I fought them. I figured I could hold an Olympic-style contest to test people. It will bring the Sailors out, and I will be able to gather lots of aura energy from spectators. Is this OK?" Vladia closed her limpid emerald eyes. She sighed softly, and sat back. "Very well, do not fail."
The bell rang through the building. Stampedes of students ran outside, into the warmth of the sun. Rini wandered to her favorite tree. She set herself down, and began to open her lunchbox. "Hmmm. I wonder what Mum packed for me today," she nervously quivered. Rini made an exasperated face as she looked down at her burnt bran muffin, single banana, spoonless yogurt, and some moldy thing she couldn't put a name to. "I'm cursed! I can feel it!" "Hey, Rini! " Cheerfully greeted two girls. Rini looked up and smiled. "Di! Ledy!" The two girls joined Rini. Diana usually was in her natural cat form, but during school hours she found it safer to be Human. She was thirteen, like her friend Leda. Leda wore her golden hair in a single long braid, with bangs on the side. "So.how'd you go on your test?" Inquired Rini. Diana grinned, "Hundred percent. Woo-hoo!" "Sixty-eight," Leda sadly replied. "My papa's going to flip." Don't worry, Rini thought to herself. You're doing better than your mother ever did." Leda and Diana opened their lunchboxes. Rini peeked into them and grumbled. "Ledy," sobbed Rini, "you're sooo lucky!" Inside Leda's lunchbox were yummy cupcakes, sushi, and fancy carrot sticks. Leda looked inside Rini's box and giggled. "I see your mother's still learning to cook." "I think she's slowly trying to kill us off, - particularly my dad," joked Rini. The three ate their lunches, then spied on some boys playing soccer in the field. As they were walking to the water fountain, Diana jumped. Her cell phone had gone off. She grabbed it out of her book bag, then activated it. A projection shot out of the phone into the air. It was Rachael. "Hi Rach, what's up?" Greeted Diana. Rachael seemed worried. "Oh.er.nothing much. Have your parents been acting weird today by any chance?" Diana, Leda and Rini eyed each other. "W-weird?" Questioned Leda. Rachael wryly smiled. "It's nothing, I guess. After my mum picked up the paper today, she kept giving Rae and I this unsettling look. Ameilia rang Minnie and said the same thing." Rini raised an eyebrow. "Could it be possible they know about yesterday? We were photographed, right?" There was a silence amongst them. "Call up the others, Rachael. It's time for a.a Sailor Meeting, Sailor Chibi-Soldiers," commanded Rini. Rachael gasped. "Was that an order? I thought we agreed not to pick a leader yet until we can fairly?!" "Please, let's not go through this again," begged Leda. "Look, you all can come to my house. My papa will be at a shoot, and my mum's working late. Sound good?" Rini and Rachael huffed, and turned away from each other. Diana sighed. "Oh, we'll be there."
Raeline and Rachael rang the doorbell. As they waited, they took in the dazzling scenery of the mansion grounds. There were beautiful gardens with every flower and shrub you could think of, marble statues of Gods, Pixies, animals, Angels, and best of all, a wondrous fountain in the center of the masterpiece the Filip family calls home. "Hi guys," said Leda, surprising the twins. Raeline and Rachael spun around. Leda welcomed them inside. Inside, their hearts flew as they came face to face with the classical architecture of the mansion. Most of it was ivory marble. It resembled a swanky motel. Not the sort of place you'd chance breaking something. They'd been there many times before, and every visit gave them heart attacks. "You know, by all rights we should live in a place as totally huge as this mansion," complained Raeline. Leda smiled, as she led the way up the stairs to her room. "Well, at least you get to live in a Temple. You're tied to it and it has so much history." "History? Who cares about history? You've got a gym!" Countered Raeline.
As they neared Leda's room, the twins heard hysterical laughter. "What's going on?" Asked Rachael. "Twister," replied Leda. The twins stepped inside Leda's room, where Ameilia, Rini and Minnie were tangled together on a Twister map. Diana was manning the arrow board. "Red, left foot, Ameilia," said Diana. Ameilia growled, as she stretched her left foot to the nearest red dot. She finally set it just under Minnie, who was twisted in every area over the map. Her face was puffy, and she was faint. Rini began to shake. "I.I don't think I c-can hold on much l-longer." "Come on, Rini," encouraged Diana. "No. No I can't!" Rini shrieked, and collapsed. Ameilia and Minnie fell with her in a heap. "I'll go with ouch on that one," laughed Rachael. Ameilia got up and dusted herself off. She folded her arms, and frowned at Rini as she and Minnie helped each other up. "You could've lasted longer than that y'know," Ameilia stated firmly. "Would it have killed you to go another five minutes?" "Five minutes?" Echoed Rini in disbelief. Diana whistled out loud to grab their attention. They all turned their gaze to the gray kitten. "We mustn't waste time here girls. Our parents could possibly know you've been activated. You girls have been photographed." Minnie smiled. "Gosh, so, why is that so bad? It's not like we look so bad on film." "And who cares if our parents know? If so, we can get some advice on how to handle this whole thing," added Rachael. Rini shook her head. "Forget advice. They'd want to handle this new threat themselves, so we wouldn't be in danger." Leda agreed. "My mother is an accomplished warrior. I know she used to like to fight - a lot. She wouldn't even consider the consequences to protect me. I would hate to have to lie to my parents, but it's the only way." The others felt a ghastly chill. Leda and lying did not go down well together. "Now that we've got that in order, who'll be leader?" Eagerly inquired Ameilia. "Me, duh," laughed Minnie. "I thought we decided on me?" Retorted Rini. "Dream on, Devil Girl!" Growled Rachael. Diana sighed. "I'm getting sick of this. Is this whole leader thing so important?" "YES!" They all screamed with one voice. Leda grinned. "Good. Diana and I enlisted you all into a sort of sport's carnival tomorrow." "Is this a school thing?" Whined Raeline. "Nope," replied Diana. "I saw an ad for it on TV. It's a thing for teens. There's supposed to be a heap of cool events that will test your every capability." Rini was skeptical. "That's all well in theory, but how are we supposed to choose a leader?" "The last five in each event will be disqualified from everything else," answered Leda. "The last one standing of you five will get the job." "You're not doing it?" Asked Minnie. "Who? Me? No, thank-you. I can barely keep my sisters and brother in order, I'm not ready to organize you girls." The five competitors looked each other over, and took deep breaths. They all agreed to it. That is, if their parents would let them.
"Forget it, Rini," said King Darien, as the Royal family ate their dinner. Rini gasped. "Oh, Daddy, please! Don't be slack." He drew in a deep breath. "Look, the last time we let you have an after school activity, people got hurt." "No, they didn't," she sharply countered. "That chemical explosion only made their hair fall out. It's not like it didn't grow back. Mummy, tell him!" Neo-Queen Serenity sighed, and turned to her husband. "Darling, it was an accident, and she did pay the damages out of her own pocket money. Besides I did see the ad for this sporting thingy on TV, it seems harmless enough." "Thingy?" Echoed Arcturus. "Don't you mean: thing?" Serenity frowned at her youngest son. "That's what I said." "No it isn't, I heard you say thingy, Mummy. Are you sure you've been studying that literacy course?" Sweetly asked RT. Darien tried to hide his amusement, as Serenity became increasingly frustrated. DJ, grinning, kept his head low. Serenity eyed her family menacingly. "You know, lately I've felt the urge to take up my cooking lessons again." Panic swept over the Royal family. Darien swallowed hard and forced a smile. "You know Arcky, I do believe your mother said thing." "I agree," the twins said robotically. Rini folded her arms, and huffed. "Um, can we get back to me now?" "Yes, of course," replied Serenity. "You may compete." Darien gasped. "I said she can't, and that's final." Rini finished off some peas, and then got up to hug her mother. "Thanks Mummy!" "Am I invisible or something?" Darien asked DJ, exasperated. DJ shrugged. "Eh, kinda. Mum's word is law, you know that."
That night, Rini and her friends were excitedly ringing each other, complaining about all the nasty chores and babysitting they had to promise to do to be allowed to complete in the sports carnival after school days. But it was worth it. By the end of the week a leader would be chosen, and that would be the end of that debate.
Meanwhile, Shashita was making preparations in Silver Light Park. With only streetlights, and the crescent moon above for light, she strained to weave her magic to create the arena for the sporting events. "I want to go home," she whined to the wind. "It's cold here and I want some cocoa!" After a stadium was weaved into reality, she bent over and began to breathe heavily. "I need aura energy."
Day One
"Welcome one and all to Teen Quest," blared the speakers, "where we will determine who is the most athletic youth in Crystal Tokyo!" The large crowd cheered, as the thousands of competitors made their way out to the center of the field. They waved to the many spectators. Among them, Rini, Rachael, Ameilia, Raeline and Minnie were sizing each other up, indifferent to their other competition. Near the center of the left stand, Leda held her feline companion, Diana in anxiety. "Hey, not to tight, Ledy," laughed Diana. Leda loosened her grip. "Oh, sorry, Di. I'm just nervous." "Me too. Who do you think will become our esteemed leader?" Leda tilted her head in thought. "To be honest, I haven't a clue. They're all qualified in their own right. Even you are, Diana." Diana made a curious face. "Me? Get real! I am the supreme Kitty Guardian. Now you." "Please, don't even start that." A few kids began to play around Leda. She ignored them as they pushed each other around, getting her a few times. "Prepare to die!" Declared a boy. He roughly pushed his friend against Leda's back with such force that Diana went flying out of her lap, and into the crowd! Leda watched in horror as Diana was bounced around like a ball at the beach. Leda clutched her mouth with both hands as she tried to hold back laughter. Diana cried out in fury at her friend as she bounded through the crowd.
"Runners," called out the gunman, "on your marks.get set." Bbbbbbaaaang! The runners were off at a lightning speed. It was Rini and Raeline's first event. Raeline was in the lead, with Rini trailing in fourth. The other eight competitors were struggling to overcome their opposition. Raeline cheered as she approached the finish ribbon. Rini powered through the others as she spotted Raeline leap through the finish ribbon. She made one last effort, and came in third. Afterwards, the children puffed and panted, as the ones with the last five times were told to leave the field. Both Rini and Raeline had survived their first test. They wondered how the others were going.
"Oh, this is just super," Ameilia sarcastically sneered. "I came in second to Karen Derk!" Ameilia had just completed her first test, the hurdles. She wasn't exactly thrilled that her arch nemesis from school had come in first. "Hi there, Meil," came a silky voice. Ameilia slowly turned around, recognizing the voice. It was Karen Derk. Karen the glamour student. Always one hundred percent in each test. Beautiful, well-known parents. Mansion. Her own pool. Captain of her hockey team. A.Oh, not that she was jealous or anything. "Oh, hi Karen," Ameilia greeted with fake enthusiasm. "You were spectacular out there." Karen lightly laughed, and gently pushed away some locks of her auburn hair. "Why, thank-you, Meil. You sure were.uh, something too." Ameilia folded her arms and forced a smile. I will not let her get to me, she told herself. Even if she does annoyingly refer to me as Meil, and oh, what was up with that pause - how dare she! "Listen, I've got to go. I've got discus next - " "Me too," Karen cut in. Ameilia felt like exploding, but caught herself. "O-Ok. I'll see you there, I guess." Karen winked, "I guess so." She daintily walked off like the Princess she practically was. Ameilia clenched her fists and felt the sweat mount on her face. "Ameilia, you dummy. Remember why you're here: To become the leader of the Sailor Chibi-Soldiers." Ameilia suddenly brightened, smiling. "Although, beating Karen would be a serious confidence booster - and every good leader has to be confident!"
Minnie steadily held the pole upwards. She began to jog to the marked line, and halted, letting the pole fly through the air. A few people behind her began to clap. She suddenly heard a whistle. It was Rachael. Minnie smiled to her, and giggled. She held her breath, awaiting the results. A projection of the javelin results was posted before them. Minnie scanned the names. She let out a sigh of relief. She'd just made it. Rachael had come first. Minnie made her way through the others to sit with Rachael on the lush, green grass near some nets. "OK, fess up young lady," Minnie mockingly demanded. Rachael looked at her curiously. "About what?" "Bout how the heck you learnt to throw a javelin so damn far!" Rachael shrugged. "Uncle Darien gave me some lessons a few years ago when I want to be overall champion in my sporting carnival." "Did it work?" Rachael bit her lip, and went red. "Well, I did get the javelin pretty far." Minnie was confused. Embarrassed, Rachael explained that she'd flicked her wrist the wrong way, causing it to fly in the incorrect direction - the teacher's parking lot. To make matters worse, it crashed through the principal's windscreen! Minnie began to laugh uncontrollably. Rachael didn't share her amusement, but lightened up as she recalled the delight it gave her fellow classmates. She joined in, and laughed her head off too. A few people walking by gave them sorry looks. "Cracking already," sorrowfully commented a boy to his friend. "How sad."
The first day of competition was over. Many hopeful youths were left, ready to face the next day after school, while the defeated ones attempted to hide their tears. Leda and Diana were relieved to know all five of their friends were still in the running.
Day Two
"Shot put's so easy," laughed Rini to herself as she waited her turn. "You just throw a heavy ball." Rini popped her head from the line to see the next person do their throw. The girl held it with caution to her shoulder, directed it, then let it fly. Rini watched the small, heavy ball go a short distance, then pelt toward the ground. Ppshwoooo! The ground exploded below it, like an underground missile. Rini's eyes bulged as she went a gruesome green. She popped her head back into the line and began to shake. I don't remember that being part of the event! Rini cringed to herself in horror.
Ameilia leaned against the cold, steal railing, overlooking the pool. Before it was her turn, she wanted to mentally get her strategy together. Continually, she imagined herself pushing the small waves away from her face, and taking short breaths after every three counts. As she strategized, the ripples of the pool reflected in her eyes. Ameilia half-smiled, just picturing a shark ruining Karen's chances of winning. A gray shadow in the ripples broke her concentration. Ameilia followed it, as it did laps of the pool. She studied in further. The gray shadow began to surface. Ameilia drew back, as a dorsal fin broke through the water. It was small, and sharp. "An infant shark is in there!" She shrieked in disbelief. "That's not a real shark," assured Karen Derk. Ameilia gasped, turning around to meet Karen's smiling face. "What are you talking about?" "As the days go on, the events become less easy. To flush out the weaker athletes mechanical devices such as that shark are used during the events."
Ameilia just couldn't believe her ears. "That's barbaric! And that's a lot coming from me." "I think it's clever. It gives one more ambition." "Ambition?" She echoed in disgust. "While we swim we could be attacked by Robo-Jaws!" Karen did her award-winning smile. "Silly Meil, I doubt it's designed to hurt people." Ameilia took another look into the water. She gulped hard, as the fin poked its way out of the water again.
Minnie huddled herself into a ball and began to cry. She played the scene over and over again. She saw herself run up the dusty strip, and out of nowhere see a line of spikes instead of a red line. She had faulted, leaping into the sand clumsily, falling onto her face. She was now out of the competition, and had no chance of becoming leader. "If I'm not brave enough to go through with a stupid long-jump," she said between sobs, "perhaps I'm not worthy to be Sailor Chibi-Venus."
Day Three
"Come on Rae!" Cried out Minnie. "Go for it Rach!" Leda and Diana clapped, and shook with anticipation as the Kumada twins raced around the track. It was an eight hundred-meter run, and the twins were on their last lap. Half of the runners were out with injuries, mysteriously tripping from sudden bumps on the track. Minnie, Diana and Leda were unsure who to cheer for. Raeline was leading with Rachael closing in. Neither of them appeared to be tiring. Dust flew up everywhere, as the runners pooled their strength to reach the finish line first. Pppppshshhh! Another one down. The boy rolled off the track. Leda gasped as he was helped off. None of the other runners seemed to care. Raeline began to run in long strides. Rachael pulled her body in to gather speed. "AAAaaaaahhhhaaa!" Screamed Rachael, as she tripped, tumbling off the track. With her sister's screams fading, Raeline burst through the finish line.
"Omigod!" Yelped Diana. Minnie's eyes filled with tears of sympathy, as Rachael tended to her wounds.
Day Four
"Ten is left, ladies and gentleman," blared the speakers, "only two will come out of this to compete tomorrow to become the ultimate young athlete of Crystal Tokyo!" The ten athletes stood apart, waving and bowing to the audience. Rini smiled, she was surprised to see her parents in a special box in the audience. Ameilia and Raeline were also stunned to catch their parents amongst the crowd. All went quiet as a large, rocky wall raised from the earth in the center of the field. A foam mat was placed before it. The ten athletes were fitted with gloves, pads and a helmet. It was explained to them that the first two to punch the buzzer at the top would make it to tomorrow's showdown. The mat was there for those who fell off the wall. Slowly, the ten made their way to the starting point. They held their breaths, awaiting the starting signal. "On your marks.get set.GO!" Bbbbbbbbvvvvvvv! As the siren went off, they exploded up the wall.
Every move Ameilia took, she kept a close eye on Karen's tactics. As Karen reached for another hold; Searched for a firm footing; Ameilia evaluated her every step. For Ameilia, it was prime crimping time.
Raeline frantically searched for a higher hold. She desperately needed higher altitude. Her hand scraped into every crevice. Ah-ha! She'd found what she was searching for.
Oh, this whole thing is nuts, complained Rini to herself. This is no way to pick a leader. This is not what being a Sailor Soldier is all about! Rini felt her grip begin to loosen. Her head grew lighter from the strain. A sudden gust of wind caught her off-guard. Rini looked just above her and was stunned to see a rose. A pink rose. It sparkled so beautifully. Was it a dream? Was it an illusion? Rini stretched her arm, and took hold of it. It was real and real strong too. Rini was able to pull her weight closer to the top. As she did so, she hid the rose in one of her thick hair cones.
Ameilia reached for another hold, as her hand went down on a rocky grip, she felt another hand press down. Ameilia turned her head. No! It was Karen Derk! The grip began to crumble. Both girls went bug-eyed. "O-Oh." They stammered. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaooooo!" They both wailed, as they sped to the mat, taking four other people with them. All six bounced onto the mat.
Rini was leading, she felt more confident. It worried her though that someone like Ameilia had lost. Raeline was still on her tail.
Raeline was relieved. She'd spotted the buzzer. Soon the nightmare would be over. Two other kids were coming up from behind. Raeline growled, and pushed herself to go faster. "AAAAaaaaah!" She heard from behind. One more person down. Excellent.
Sunlight washed over Rini as the end came near. A metallic yellow light blinded her. Closing her eyes lightly, she reached out. BBBBBBbbbbbzzzzzz! Another hand joined hers. It was warm. Raeline. She was laughing. Rini soon realized, she was too.
Day Five
"In moments we shall determine who is the ultimate athlete in all of Crystal Tokyo," blared the speakers. "Will it be Raeline Kumada, daughter of F.I.R.E Records owner Chad Kumada, and acclaimed herbal scientist Raye Hino-Kumada; or will it be our own Princess Serena Shields, child of King Darien and Neo-Queen Serenity?" Wide screens were set up around the arena for the viewing pleasure of the crowd. Raeline and Rini were stationed in Firefly Forest; ready to venture through the obstacle coarse designed for them. Cameras were set up all over the place to capture their every move. "Ok girls," said Sasha Shita, the coordinator, "the object is to find the flag with your name on it. When you do that an alarm will go off, and you'll be dubbed the Ultimate Young Athlete of all of Crystal Tokyo. Now, won't that be nice?" Raeline and Rini glared at each other. "I can think of something nicer," replied Raeline. Rini nodded her hair head. "Yeah, me too." If they're not Sailor Chibi-Soldiers, I'm in a lot of trouble, Shashita thought to herself, smiling and sweating. Shashita had been watching their everything. She was fully convinced that Rini and Raeline were more than they appeared. "OK kiddies," said Sasha. "Get set.on your marks - " Rini and Raeline exchanged looks of confusion. "Go!" After a pause, the girls were off, racing through the foliage. Rini and Raeline went down opposite paths.
Ameilia, Rachael, Minnie, Leda and Diana sat together, watching their friends run down their tracks. Raeline was leading. Meanwhile, Rini was beginning to go the wrong way! "What the heck is Rini up to?" Wondered Ameilia. Diana blankly blinked. "I.I think she's trying to track down Raeline."
Rini pushed away a bunch of shrubs. Little light shone through the forest the deeper she ventured. Something bad was going down. She was furious with herself. The whole thing was a trap, it was so obvious! She had to locate Raeline, and soon. Rini leaped over a small pile of rocks. She landed on a slimy substance. She.she couldn't move. "Gross!" She wailed. "What is this stuff?" He body began to descend. "Oh.quicksand. Original." "Help! Somebody! Anybody!"
"Help!" Raeline stopped. Rini was calling was calling out. She was in trouble. But she couldn't help her, or she'd be disqualified. She cleared her head; she'd have to stay focused if she wanted to be leader. Raeline continued her run. There was a rustle in a treetop. Probably birds. Shwshwshw! Another rustle. More birds. Shwshwshw! Raeline became nervous, deciding on increasing her speed. The rustle followed her. Each tree shook as she passed them. Or was she just paranoid? Raeline stumbled on a rock. She fell to her knees. "This is just brilliant," she grumbled, wiping off a grass stain on her knee. She steadily rose, breathing heavily. A warm liquid slapped her forehead. Raeline looked up and screamed. Fangs dripping with saliva.attached to a hideous hairy ball of green fur. It was a sight of nightmares. It licked its teeth with a serpent-like tongue. Raeline went red, and began to sweat.
"What is that?" Demanded Rachael, as a hairy beast stood before her twin on the screen. Diana gasped. "Trouble! It's a trap. Rini must've been trying to warn Rae. Come on, it's transformation time!" They all nodded. "Right!" In a flash, the screens went out. The crowd was perplexed.
Raeline slowly shuffled back. "Uh, hi there," she managed to get out. "I'm Rae. And you are?" "Gggggrrrrrrraaaah!" It snarled. The creature took Raeline by her long, brown locks. She screamed and wriggled about. "Mars Inferno Daggers, slice!" The beast let go of Raeline. Raeline fell to the ground with a thud. After she pulled herself together, she thanked her twin for the help. The others all began to scout the arena for the green monster. "What direction did it go?" Asked Chibi-Venus. "To that foresty part," replied Chibi-Jupiter. "Wait, isn't that where Rini is?" After a slight pause, the girls hastily sped in Rini's direction.
Rini sobbed, as she felt her body sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand. "Oh, I'm doomed, things couldn't get any worse," she wailed in frustration, observing the sticky mud around her waist." Just as she finished her statement, a huge green fur ball with fangs leaped out from behind a few trees, landing in front of her, snarling. Rini looked upon it with contempt and rolled her eyes. "I just set myself up there." The beast growled and leaped for Rini. Rini screamed, closing her eyes. After a few moments with nothing but silence, she opened an eye and timidly looked around. On the grass lay the creature, furious and perplexed. A pink rose had stopped it in its tracks. "A pink rose?" She wondered. "It's not nice to pick on semi-innocent kids y'know!" Yelled a boy from.where? Rini looked up to the trees and spotted a sight that made her want to crack up laughing. It was Tuxedo Mask.but not. This guy was too short. It was some kid, like eight or ten years old. The beast rose to its feet and snarled at the boy. The boy leaped from the trees, falling to the ground clumsily. Rini stifled a laugh, he reminded her of her brother DJ. The boy wobbled to his feet and ruffled his cape. "I am Mini Mask, defender of the weak, helpless and beauty-challenged!" Rini growled. "How dare you?" Mini Mask snickered. "What? Trying to enhance your all ready gross looks with a refreshing mud-bath?" She blinked a few times and whispered, "DJ?" Mini Mask nodded, turning his attention to the green fur ball with Rabbis. "Come and get me!" Mini Mask drew out a black cane, aggressively holding it in front of himself. The fur ball lunged at him. He ducked and ran off laughing. Full of rage, it ran after him. Mini Mask realized it was much faster and freaked out, gaping and crying. He threw a few roses in panic, but it just weaved away from them. "Oh nooo! What was I thinking?!" He cried out. Mini Mask yelped, feeling the fabric of his cape under his shoe. "Uh-oh." Mini Mask fell over, face-first into the dirt. "I bet dad never had this problem," he sobbed. "This sucks on so many levels." Growling, the green ball of fur looked over the shivering boy and wrapped its tongue around his neck, sucking up his aura energy. Mini Mask wailed, but there was nothing he could do. He just felt so weak. "Fire Lash!" The creature unwrapped its tongue and looked in disgust at five teenaged girls in Sailor outfits. "Leave that kid alone!" Yelled Chibi-Mercury. "If you wanna take his energy, you'll have to deal with us first!" "Hey, who is that weird kid anyway?" Wondered Chibi-Venus. "Did he come from a costume party?" Mini Mask faintly heard her and grumbled. Feeling their strong auras, the fur ball lunged at them. "Aquatic Hurricane, go!" Cried out Chibi-Mercury. From her fingertips she sent millions of pelts of water at the fur ball drawing near to them. It fell to the ground, snarling. "That's my queue," laughed Chibi-Jupiter. "Jupiter Thundernet, seize!" An electric net appeared above her. Willing it, she flung it at the creature. Caught in the net, the net began to drain its energy. Wriggling about, it couldn't escape. Beta Sailor Chibi-Mars cackled, "Bye-bye! Mars Inferno Daggers, slice!" Two burning daggers of flames appeared in her hands. She took aim, and threw them accurately toward the fur balls heart. Wailing in pain for a few seconds, it quickly perished, transforming into a small wind-up monster toy. They edged toward it. Leda picked it up and smiled. "I'll give it to Ian, he loves toys like this." "Hey, I have a feeling we're forgetting something." said Chibi-Venus. "Rini," moaned the odd boy in the tuxedo. "That's it," laughed Alpha Sailor Chibi-Mars. "Rini!" they all yelped, running toward her direction, trampling the boy. Mini Mask growled and sobbed.
Rini sighed and realized she was going to die. The quick sand had taken her body; all that was left was her beautiful face. She decided to go out with dignity. "Oh, dear God, save me! I'll do anything you want!" She wailed. "Hell, I'll even be nice to DJ, I swear!" Rini could hear a rustling in the bushes and prepared herself for the worst. But it was just the Sailor Chibi-Soldiers. Oh great, now she had people to laugh at her! "Hi, guys," she timidly greeted. "So.how's it going?" They all stared at her blankly, but then burst out laughing. Rini didn't find it too funny and attempted to turn her head away from them. "We're sorry," apologized Alpha Chibi-Mars, "We'll help you out.Ah, any ideas girls?" "Use a vine or a long stick," suggested Chibi-Venus, "That's what they do on TV and in the movies." "No offense, Gilligan, but what's Rini going to do, hold onto it by her teeth?" Giggled Beta Chibi-Mars. "Rini, I don't think anyone here has a clue how to help you." Rini bit her lip and began to think. "Hey, you guys have your powers, I suggest you use them." They lifted their eyebrows in curiosity. "Alpha Mars, use your daggers to strike a tree in my path. Venus, explode the front of the quicksand, but not at full power. Mercury, get to the other side of my and weaken the sand with your hurricane. Then, I need Jupiter to create a net, walk along the tree and scoop me up. Got it?" Obediently, they all went to work. Beta Mars watched as her friends used their powers one by one to help Rini escape. As Sailor Chibi-Jupiter encased Rini in her net and pulled her safety, everyone clapped and cheered. Just as she was being pulled out, Mini Mask stumbled over. "Well, there goes my heroic rescue," he sighed. "How are you feeling, sis?" "Sis?" They all echoed in disbelief. Mini Mask bowed. "Yep. Mini Mask at your service, ladies. Please, no autographs. Oh, what the heck, praise me babes!" Sailor Chibi-Mercury narrowed her eyes. "Yep, it's DJ. So, Rini, you gonna be OK?" Rini slowly made her way up and nodded. "I'll be fine." She turned to Beta Sailor Mars. "Well, Raeline, looks like you're the leader." "Huh?" "Well, since I got stuck in this quicksand you would have won anyway." Beta Chibi-Mars bit her lip and felt faint. "Rini, I can't. You're the one who deserves the position." Alpha Chibi-Mars tugged on her twin's hair. "Sis.What the heck are you doing? You get to be leader!" Beta shook her head. "Rini deserves to. Look Rachael, she got stuck trying to find me, ditching the stupid competition even though she might have lost, and just look what happened now! Rini was able to organize us. We need that. Besides, we need a leader that'll inspire us and keep us going.That's why her mum was leader in the first place, and not ours." Alpha wearily smiled. "I guess. So.everyone agree?" They all nodded. Rini was speechless. Mini Mask grumbled, "I'm supposed to date the leader, I can't date my sister!" "I don't know, a lot of Royals did that sort of thing," offered Chibi- Venus. "Gross!" Mini Mask and Rini cried out. Sailor Chibi-Jupiter giggled. "Come on, let's go home and get some rest Ultimate Athletes." They all laughed and began to walk home. Mini Mask gaped, "Hey, I was supposed to make a cool exit!" Rini pulled him close to her. "Later bro. I've seen your entrance, I'd dread to see your exit." They all linked arms, skipping, fading back to their original clothes. The universe had gotten a new band of defenders, and now.they were team.
Oblivious to them, Neo-Queen Serenity, King Darien, Luna, Artemis, Amy, Raye, Lita and Mina were watching them from a distance, silently. When they were out of view, the group blew out a sigh of relief. "I thought for sure they'd see us," said Artemis, wiping away a bit of sweat. "Once again a Mars has lost the chance to be leader," sighed Raye. "Too bad, so sad," laughed Serenity. Raye growled at her. "Oh, be quiet Meatball Head!" Serenity smirked. "You still revert to name calling? Raye, if I can grow up, surely you can." "You grow up? Huh! I'd like to see that!" Serenity growled and blew out her tongue. Raye scrunched up her nose and also poked out her tongue. As the two ladies called each other profanities and poked their tongues out further, the rest shook their heads and walked away. "Just like old days," sighed Amy. "Let's hope the girls can pull it off better than we did," Lita laughed, resting an arm over Amy's and Mina's shoulder.