I Was a Teenage Moon Guardian: L-chan/Nakuru
Unimpressed with my choice of television programs for the evening, I popped in a favorite DVD. I never got tired of watching the adventures of the happy magical girl and her friends, even though I had seen each episode at least ten times. I knew exactly what scene was coming next, and I could probably recite the dialogue by heart, if I spoke Japanese. I stretched out on the sofa and closed my eyes, listening to the familiar voices of old friends. The last thing I heard before drifting off to sleep was the cheery, skippy melody announcing the arrival of one of my favorite characters.
A knock on the door pulled me out of my restless slumber, and I buried my head under the pillow, hoping that whoever it was would go away. I wasn't in the mood to listen to a sales pitch for roofing repairs or to explain to one of my neighbors why our lawn hadn't been cut in over a month. My home was in perfectly suitable shape, thank you very much.
"Did you forget it's your turn to make breakfast?" a quiet, gender-ambiguous voice called through the door.
What? Breakfast? I don't make breakfast. I don't eat breakfast. "Leave me alone," I mumbled sleepily. "I was dreaming that Xander was still an important character on Buffy."
"You'd better get up," the voice warned.
I felt like I should recognize that voice. "Who are you?" I asked with annoyance, but no one answered. Whoever it was must have left, knowing it was futile to try and get me out of bed so early in the morning. But how could they know?
When I pulled my head out from under my pillow and opened my eyes, I had no idea where I was. It was a fairly small bedroom, filled with gorgeous antique furniture. I sat up in the twin-sized bed, which had a rich, intricately carved mahogany headboard and footboard. There was a matching wardrobe and dressing table, and sumptuous brocade drapes puddled beneath a beautiful picture window, which was currently streaked with the trails of falling raindrops. The walls were decorated with a floral wallpaper, and an ornate rug covered the hardwood floor. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was in an old, Victorian-era house in England. Yeah, that's what I should be concentrating on-where I was, instead of how the heck I got there. Maybe I was still dreaming after all.
There was another knock on the bedroom door, louder this time. "Ruby Moon!" The voice was different, too. Lower and more authoritative. And definitely masculine, whereas the first one had been fairly androgynous. "We're waiting for you downstairs. Will you be joining us sometime this century?" It was a polite enough request, but something in his tone said that he was not used to being disobeyed.
"Yes, I'll be right there," I answered automatically, as if this were something I did every morning. But, wait a minute. Did he call me... Ruby Moon?
No way.
I threw back the heavy ivory coverlet on my bed and ran to the dressing table. The face in the mirror was not mine, but I recognized it immediately. The heart-shaped face with large brown eyes and rosy cheeks, the perkily upturned nose, the genki perma-grin, the waist-length russet-colored hair. I looked like a teenager, and I was a little taller than I should be. "Nakuru," I whispered in surprise. And for the first time, I realized it wasn't my own voice. It was higher-pitched and had a bit of an accent that I couldn't quite place. If it was possible to have a cross between an English and Japanese accent, that might be the best way to describe it.
"Ohayo," I said to the girl in the mirror. "Akizuki Nakuru desu. Yoroshiku ne." And that pretty much used up all the Japanese I knew.
I reached out to trace my reflection with a shaky finger. The girl in the mirror did the same. Yep, it was me, all right. I was Nakuru. But, if I was Nakuru, then that meant... I was Ruby Moon, too. Just like Eriol had said.
Oh, crap. That was Eriol telling me to get my butt downstairs. I was going to be in so much trouble!
So as much as I would have liked to ponder my new situation, looking out at a strange world through strange eyes, I'd have to worry about that later. I opened the wardrobe and found a simple blue dress. I pulled Nakuru's-I mean, my-way-too-frilly ankle-length nightgown over my head and quickly got dressed, then brushed my wonderfully long hair and pulled it into a sleek ponytail, accented with a matching blue ribbon.
I checked my reflection again, trying to get used to seeing that other girl looking back at me. Well, whether Nakuru was technically a girl or not could be debated, but I was relieved that she'd chosen a female body. I knew how to be a girl. What I didn't know how to be was a magical creature.
And I'd already said I'd be downstairs. Darn, darn, darn. I should've said I was sick. Except... do magical creatures get sick? This was going to be a serious problem. There was no way I was going to pull this off. How could I hide from people with such strong magical abilities? They were going to see right through me. So I'd better get it over with and ask Eriol to find a way to get me back home.
Except....
Except I wasn't so sure I wanted to go back home. Not just yet, anyway.
How many people got the chance to step into their favorite series? It could be fun, right? And it was my privilege-nay, my very duty- to find out as much as I could and report back to my friends. If they'd ever believe me, that is.
Who knows? Maybe I could do this. I had to try. If I could fool them, then I could stay.
Okay. Time to get into character. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what was to come. I knew some of it, but not all of it. How much would follow a script, and how much would be up to me? Only one way to find out.
I skipped downstairs, Nakuru style, bouncing into the dining room with a cheery, "Good morning!"
Three pairs of eyes looked back at me. "Good morning," Eriol, Kaho, and Spinel replied in unison with matching perplexed expressions. Oh, thank the sweet Lord above. They spoke English. They were all sitting stoically at the dining table, waiting patiently. For me? Aw, that's so sweet!
Then I noticed the empty plates on the table. Oh. They were waiting for their breakfast.
"I'm sorry I overslept. Must be all the rain we've been having. I'll whip up some eggs for everyone. How does that sound? Yummy, huh?" The words poured out in typical, hyper Nakuru fashion. I didn't wait for an answer as I headed for a doorway which I prayed led to the kitchen.
It did. I found everything I needed, just as if I knew where it all should be. I concentrated all of my attention on cooking, so I wouldn't have to ponder what would happen when I went back in there to face them all again. Where did I learn to make eggs benedict? The hollandaise sauce was perfect, the ham nicely sautéed, and I'd even made some fried potatoes and fresh fruit salad to go with it. And there weren't words to describe my amazing toast! Tea, orange juice... also good. I had no idea I possessed such culinary talents. Then again, they weren't my talents; they were hers.
I balanced the many serving plates on my arms like a seasoned diner waitress and went back to the dining room. "Breakfast is served!" I chirped as I set the dishes on the table. "I hope you enjoy it!" Did Nakuru always talk like this? Like everything was so exciting? I was going to be worn out by the end of the meal. Maybe I should bring it down a notch.
My efforts were received with more wary glances before everyone started eating. Eriol and Kaho both complimented my cooking before engaging in a muted conversation. I strained to listen but couldn't make out what they were saying. I turned to Spinel, who was quietly reading the arts section of The Sunday Times, which was laid out on the table in front of him. Was it like this every morning? They weren't acting as if anything out of the ordinary had happened, so it would be best not to draw attention to myself. And while they were all involved in their own activities, I had the perfect opportunity to observe them all.
Spinel Sun. Suppi. He really was cute in his midnight-blue plushie form. You just wanted to hug and squeeze him, but he didn't look like the type who enjoyed cuddling. Definitely liked his space. I could tell that by the way he sat at the opposite end of the table, subtly apart from the rest of us. It was a good thing I'd grown up with two younger sisters, because I was used to the sibling rivalry and teasing that came with the territory. We'd probably bicker a lot. I was a bickering type anyway, so that should be easy enough.
Mizuki Kaho. Was she as insufferable in real life as she seemed on the show? She certainly was prettier in person. God, how I coveted that gorgeous red hair. So, what was our relationship? I'd never seen her really interact with Nakuru. Were they friends? Rivals for Eriol's affection? Did they shop and gossip together? Or did they secretly loathe each other with the fiery heat of a thousand suns? I had mixed feelings about her myself, and I had a strong suspicion that Nakuru and I had that in common.
Hiiragizawa Eriol. He might have looked like a ten-year-old boy, but he had the bearing of someone so much older. His voice was low, and his stormy gray-blue eyes were filled with knowledge and experience beyond my measly, mortal comprehension. I was an adult, and yet I felt like a child in his presence. I'd always thought he was, well, a little creepy, but up close, he just seemed... familiar. Again, I wasn't sure where my impressions left off and any of Nakuru's lingering feelings began, but I was filled with awe and respect for her... my... our master. There was a vague prickling sensation along my spine, and I knew it was because of the power he possessed, and its resonance in me. It was very peculiar, but somehow comforting at the same time.
Either I was too obvious in my staring, or, more likely, Eriol was always aware of everything going on around him, because those blue eyes slid in my direction for a brief moment. I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment, and I focused my attention on my plate instead, shoveling down the eggs and potatoes as if they were the best food I'd ever tasted. And I didn't even like eggs.
When I cautiously looked up again, Eriol was most definitely studying me. He cleared his throat as he stood up from the table. "Please join me in the garden, Ruby Moon."
I set my fork down and stood also. If I were truly being myself, I'd say something like, "Are you crazy? It's pouring cats and dogs out there." But I wasn't myself. I was Nakuru, and it wasn't my place to disobey my master, so I bit my tongue and nodded submissively.
After a quick whispered exchange with Eriol, Kaho began clearing the table. "If you'd care to help me clean the kitchen, Spinel," she said softly, "then we can have our chess rematch."
"All right," he replied, hovering in the air with a teacup between his plush paws. "But don't expect me to let you win this time."
I didn't hear the rest of their conversation, except for a warm laugh from Kaho, as I followed Eriol outside. It was still raining, but before I could comment, he pulled a golden key out of his pocket and chanted the spell to turn the key into his magic staff. He then waved the staff as he mumbled something, and a transparent, domed barrier appeared over the back yard. The rain drummed angrily against it, but not a drop penetrated the magic shield. "That should do," he murmured.
Then he pointed the sun-tipped staff at me. "Return to your true form. Ruby Moon!"
I was immediately surrounded by a cocoon of warmth and power, and a jolt of electricity shot up my spine, sending the strong current through my entire body. The connection to him that I'd felt before was even stronger now, like I was a part of him rather than a separate being. When my feet touched the ground again, I knew I was different. I looked down at the bizarre dominatrix-esque attire I was now wearing, and my formerly brown hair was now pink, hanging down over my shoulders. I automatically flexed my back muscles and felt the large butterfly wings flutter behind me. Cool.
I didn't have much of a chance to adjust to my new form, because I heard Eriol begin chanting again. Then he waved his staff, and a large fire ball came racing toward me. So I, Ruby Moon, the magical creation of the great Hiiragizawa Eriol, bravely defended myself against this sudden attack with natural instinct.
I ducked.
Which was obviously the wrong response. "Just as I thought," Eriol mused quietly. He walked forward and stopped just a few inches in front of me. Never in my life had I been so intimidated by someone so much shorter than me. "Would you care to tell me just who you are?" he asked, and he almost sounded amused.
When I regained the ability to speak, as I had been a little freaked out by both the fire ball and his apparent knowledge of my situation, I filled him in on everything I knew. That I was a mere, nonmagical human, a homemaker from the States whose homemaking skills left something to be desired. That I had fallen asleep while watching television and woke up here, but I didn't know how or why. That I hadn't meant any harm by pretending to be Nakuru, and that I'd just wanted to have a little fun before I had to go home again.
He nodded, mostly to himself, as he took this information in. Then he shrugged. "Well, and this may be a first, but I have absolutely no idea how this happened. And until I can figure it out, I'm going to have to assume that you're going to be with us for a while."
He certainly was taking this well. Maybe he just didn't like to appear out of sorts in front of others, so he was hiding his concern about his missing moon guardian. Of course, I was taking it pretty well, too, but that's because I still had the hazy feeling that this was all a dream. So, then, why shouldn't he take it well, if it wasn't really happening?
Or was it?
Either way, for now I was going to stay. I tried to hold back my excitement, which was easy enough, as it was immediately dampened by more pressing concerns. "But what about Kaho and Spinel? Surely they've realized-"
"Don't worry about them," he interrupted. "As soon as you came downstairs, I noticed something wasn't right, and I've cast a spell to hide your true aura from others. Everyone else will only sense Ruby Moon, just as they should." I must have looked puzzled, but he continued before I could say anything. "I think it's best that way, for now. Until we know more. Don't you think?"
He'd know better than I would, so I simply nodded in agreement. I had a hundred questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't know where to start. Maybe with this ridiculous outfit. Or the pink hair. Or-
"Let's try this again, shall we?" Eriol returned to his original position and raised his staff again. "This time, try to block my attack."
"How?" The word was barely out when another fire ball came toward me, a little slower this time. Rather than ducking as I had before, I thrust my hands out, palms forward, as I'd seen in a dozen different anime series. That usually helped ward off magic attacks, right? The ball bounced off the invisible shield I'd somehow created, and then it disappeared. My mouth dropped open in shock. Did I really do that?
"Good, good," Eriol said with a satisfied nod. "The powers are still there; you just need to learn how to use them. We should begin your training immediately."
Training? God, this was going to be hard. But as Eriol gave me an encouraging smile, I knew that it was also going to be the most fun I'd had in a long time.