A/N: I know you spell Rei (from Sailor Moon) name "Rei" in Japanese, but in order to avoid confusion with MY Rei, I'll spell it "Raye". K? No one bitch at me.

Chapter 6: Stuck With Love and Justice

'Neechan? Neechan?'

L'risia moaned, and tried to turn over. A ripping pain through her back instantly told her that wasn't advisable.

'Ow. Roudy, where am I?'

'Can't you open your eyes?'

'Are the lights on?'

'Yes.'

'In that case, no, I can't. What the hell happened?'

'You almost got hit by…a car.' His tone was a bit frightened. L'risia's eyes flew open despite what she had just said, and she looked around the room.

'Metal bed… monitor…' she looked out the window. 'What the hell are we doing in TOKYO?!'

'Neechan…' Roudy said, his frightened voice almost a whisper. He came from a world of swords and magic, L'risia sighed inwardly. And carts. Not cars and trains.

'It's all right, Roudy. Just don't tell anyone about magic or the world you come from.'

'This is another world?'

'Yeah.' L'risia said. 'I'll show you around. Help me up.'

'Your back-'

'I intend to heal my back.' L'risia said. Roudy nodded, too tired from his fright to do anything, and helped her out of bed. L'risia leaned on the little boy's shoulder slightly, painfully reaching around to her own back. She smiled as the warmth of the magic spread through her skin, healing the muscle and skin.

'Roudy, did I teleport out of the way of the car?' she asked him. He nodded.

'Yeah, but I didn't tell them that 'cause Mama said that humans get edgy if you tell them someone who looks human can teleport.'

L'risia that whatever gods there were in existence for Lina's base common sense and sat back down on the bed, looking at the sack-like hospital robe.

'Well, I'd teleport outta here but I'll be damned if I'll go out in this…eh?' she followed Roudy's finger, and he eyes rested on the sailor school uniform neatly ironed and folded over the back of a chair. She looked back at Roudy, and really noticed for the first time he was wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

'…what?'

'Our clothes changed.' Roudy grinned.

'What now?' she asked suspiciously.

'Well some guys were staring at you and they seemed very concerned about your health.' Roudy said innocently. 'That skirt's quite short.'

'ROUDY!'

Roudy was still giggling when L'risia threw him out of the room to get changed. As he was sniggering to himself, a young girl of about fifteen walked up to him.

'Hey Roudy!'

She had very, very long purple-black hair, and her school uniform was a strange shade of grey.

'Raye!'

'How's it going? Why are you standing outside the room giggling to yourself anyway?'

'L'risia kicked me out while she got changed.' Roudy said happily.

'L'risia?' Raye blinked. 'She's awake? She's all right? But she had that huge gnash through her back!'

'She's all right now.' Roudy said, getting the feeling magic wasn't an eligible explanation here. Raye raised an eyebrow, puzzled, but said nothing. L'risia yanked open the door, and stared at Raye for a few seconds.

'Hi!' Raye said, amazed the pretty blue-haired girl was up and looking perfectly all right. She'd been as white as death when Raye had gotten into the ambulance to comfort the boy she had assumed was her younger brother…

'Are you feeling okay?'

'I'm fine.' L'risia said, getting a grip on herself. No freaking way…. 'Um, were you the one who got me here?'

'Yes, I was.' Raye said, giving L'risia a small bag.

'Eh?'

'This was with you.' Raye said, looking at her strangely. 'Your student card and wallet, you know. Stuff.'

L'risia's eyes glinted.

'Oh yes. Thankyou. Was there anyone else with us? Roudy?'

Roudy took his thumb out of his mouth.

'I couldn't see Val-niichan or Rei or sis or that bossy princess girl anywhere.'

'Bossy princess-' L'risia giggled, shaking her head. She adjusted the uniform. The skirt really was short. Rei was never going to let her forget this… she was too OLD to be in sailor fuku!

'You. Stop smirking. You're supposed to be too young to have hormones.' She told Roudy sternly. The little boy snapped off a perfect salute, clicking his heels together.

'Yes ma'am!' he barked. Raye giggled, and then asked,

'Were you separated from your group, Miss L'risia? The nurse said you were an exchange student from Australia.'

'Well… something like that.' L'risia muttered. She stared out the window, and a few more rules about stories like this one clicked into place. 'Raye-san… did one of your friends happen to ring you up about a probably rather confused and extremely hot guy she found?'

Raye blinked in surprise.

'Yes, actually. His name is Val. He had a little girl with him, I think. Mina dragged them off to show her prize off to Usagi, though…'

'….' Roudy and L'risia said.

'Could you take us to him? Them?' L'risia corrected herself. 'They're, uh, friends.'

Val waited until the blonde whirlwind who had introduced herself as Minako Aino  went back into the changing rooms before sliding down to the floor in misery. Rina patted his head. She knew Val's opinion of shopping escapades.

'There, there.'

'I wish we could find L'risia.' Val moaned. 'Or even Rei. I'm sure he knows something about this weird world…'

Rina and Val had not exactly had an easy time. After hitting the ground in the middle of a shopping mall, Val had taken one look at the technology stores and skyscrapers and knew magic was not going to be publicly acceptable. L'risia had told him about worlds like this.

So he and Rina were conveniently amnesiacs. They had been adopted by Mina, whose intentions Val was beginning to suspect. He hoped she didn't think he had a big credit card limit. Cleo, L'risia's best friend had explained about credit cards. Val was rather glad he didn't have one so he didn't have to lie to the girl.

'This world's fun.' Rina said. 'But I wish we knew more about it. We can't ask Mina to explain.'

'Yeah, I know. That's why I wish L'ri or Rei was around…' Val groaned and shut his eyes. 'I'm gonna try something. Rina, don't let Mina wake me up.'

'Sure.'

Val shut his eyes. That didn't stop him from seeing. He could see the outline of Rina; azure-blue, like her father. Strange, that. The rest of her took after her mother, but Rina didn't seem too interested in magic. Val moved on, past the people, and brought L'risia to mind. Dark and light at the same time. Silvery, shimmering with raw power and a multi-dimensional existence. Somehow warm and cold at the same time.

No one else was like her. She was easy for him to find, against the darkness… her outline took on colours and- what was she wearing, anyway? Her grey eyes flashed silver, her head swinging around to stare straight at him.

'Where are you?' she asked, without her mouth moving. Val described it to her.

'We're there. See you soon. Have you seen Rei?'

'No.'

'Oh well. He can look after himself.' L'risia turned around. Val let his consciousness come back. He stared into Mina's dark blue eyes.

'…Mina?'

'Oh, hi!' she said, flustered. She was blushing, Val noticed. A part he didn't really like to admit he had sniggered. The rest of him ignored it.

'Well?' Rina asked. Definitely took after Lina in most ways. That look was kind of scary. 'Was it a good dream, Val?'

'Yeah.' Val sighed. Hah. His dreams weren't so businesslike.

'Anyway.' Mina said, standing up and twirling. 'What do you think?'

Val resigned himself.

'It looks good, Mina-san.'

'Why did you want to go there all of a sudden?' Raye said, as the three of them ran through the streets and crowded people.

'Oh, just a feeling.' L'risia said evasively. Raye pointed.

'Well, that's it…'

'Damn, forgot to ask which floor…' L'risia muttered, staring up at the huge shopping centre. 'You said he was with a friend? Which floor will she be on?'

'Well, the forth, probably-'

'Right. Ooh, manga store.' L'risia said, and walked off in the opposite direction. Roudy trailed after her.

'What's a manga store?'

'What?! You don't know- come forth, young one, and be educated!'

'…h-hey L'risia-san… I thought we were going to find your friends?' Raye gawped.

'He's a big boy. He can take care of himself as long as he doesn't lose his temper and blow something up. Roudy don't go in that aisle!'

'Hey, L'risia, this one's got naked ladies in it…'

'…put that back, Roudy, and never mention that to your parents. Ever.'

'….' Raye said.

Val glanced out of the window about an hour later. He stared and read the writing of one of the stores below again.

'Oh… shit!'

'Val?' Mina gasped as he stood up and grabbed Rina's hand.

'Gotta go Mina, thanks for looking after us!' Val and Rina dived down the stairs.

'Val, where are we-'

'There's a Japanese comic book store down there! L'ri will be in there!'

'She won't come and get us?'

'What, is that supposed to be a joke?'

There voices faded away. Mina changed back into her school uniform at light speed and dove into the elevator.

'No way am I going to lose a hunk like that- EVER!'

'L'-RI-SI-AAAA!'

L'risia dropped the comic book she was reading and turned around, grinning nervously. Val glared at her from point-blank range, one hand thumping next to the bookshelf by her ear.

'Oh, er, hi Val…'

'What do you think you're doing?! We have no idea where we are, what the hell happened, you know where we are and you're reading COMIC BOOKS!'

'But I've been wanting this series for ages…' L'risia said weakly, up against the shelves. Val sighed, feeling like banging his head on something. L'risia took it for granted sometimes people could handle themselves in a world totally alien to them.

'L'risia…'

'Sorry.' She mumbled. Val nodded, and took his arm away. He ran a hand through his hair and looked her up and down. Faint colour tinged his cheeks.

'Um, by the way, L'ri…'

'Don't ask!' L'risia said, turning around to get a book out of the shelves. She glanced over her shoulder. 'Stop staring.'

'I can't help it! Sorry!' Val wailed, and looked down as Roudy started giggling again. 'Oh, hey kid. How's things?'

'Cool.' Roudy grinned. 'Guess what, Val, that next aisle's all full of comic books with naked-'

'Rou-dy!' Raye (who had been staring at Val), L'risia, Val and one shocked elder sister shouted at him. He giggled insanely. L'risia rolled her eyes and absently noted Val looked good in that black school uniform. Well, mostly black. The jacket and pants were but the shirt was white- the top few buttons were undone and Val somehow managed to look neat but at the same time like he'd just rolled out of bed.

'Now look who's staring.' Raye whispered in L'risia's ear, grinning evilly.

'…hey…' L'risia muttered, her cheeks flushing. Val looked at the ceiling. 'He's got really good hearing..'

'Do you, Val?' Raye grinned, still whispering.

'Uh, yeah, actually.' Val said, and then blinked. 'Damn!'

'You gave yourself away again.' L'risia told him.

'I did, didn't I?' he grinned sheepishly. Raye glanced between them and rolled her eyes heavenward. God forbid, they were too shy/in denial to do anything. Hello Project.

'Raye!'

Raye spun around.

'Mina?'

L'risia stared at Mina.

'What's up?' Val asked her. L'risia leaned on a bookshelf.

'I bet Rei is having the time of his life, stuck in the Sailor Moon universe…'

'Er… what did you just say?'

Rei stared out of the bus window, tapping his fingers on his cheek as he leant his elbow in the window ridge. He had managed to shut Rebecca up with a bandanna he'd borrowed from Mako-chan. Yes! Mako-chan! Sailor Jupiter! And she was hanging out with Ami-chan today, too. Rei giggled to himself. He was so lucky. He was in a universe where the Sailor Scouts existed… he wondered of one of the others had gotten stuck with Usagi, and then decided that was impossible since a Dragon Slave had not actually appeared anywhere yet. Rei had been on a high, but now he was calming down enough to sort through the problems of the situation, just like L'risia and Val were doing in whispers at the back of the manga store. The more immediate problem for him was that he was after all a Dark Lord. A Mazoku, as Val had bluntly pointed out. Of course, the dragon didn't know about the little… modifications made during Rei's creation, but the fact remained positive feelings, love, etc, did injure him after a while. He was in a universe where Love and Justice triumphed over all, and common sense (which he seemed to have picked up after hanging around L'risia, which was very annoying) told him he probably couldn't stand up to it after a long time. He had tried teleporting. It seemed he could only do it for small distances; jumping dimensions was impossible. L'risia would be in the same state. He didn't really mind Sailor Moon actually, watching it on TV anyway. In real life, though, he could definitely see some major problems occurring. Of course, he could…

Hm… well, it was an interesting idea. Of course unless she agreed, L'risia would kill him. Val probably wouldn't mind and now that he thought about it, Rei couldn't see L'risia hating the idea. He'd need to talk to her about the… thing, though. It appeared to have opened the dimensional fault to get them through here and then seal off the reality. Rei was thinking that the creature might be a good deal more powerful that they had initially predicted.

Hell with it, it was. No one had thought it would be able to rip open a dimension, suck six people into it and seal the dimension off.

Of course if it really was sealed off then things were going to start going a bit strange. Rei wasn't sure if that meant the souls of the dead could leave, after all. He'd have to ask L'risia about that.

'What's wrong, Rei?' Mako-chan asked, tapping his shoulder.

'Huh?' Rei said, taking his chin off his hand.

'You look so serious.' Makoto said. 'What're you thinking about?'

'Oh, I was just worried about my friends, that's all.' Rei lied.

'But I thought you said you knew where they were?'

'I do.' Rei said, and tossed his head dramatically. 'But they're so helpless without me, you know?'

The girls laughed. Rei looked out the window again. It was amazing how it could throw people off your tracks if you made a bit of a joke about the subject…

'Sailor Moon.' Val said, after L'risia finished explaining what Rei had been thinking in the last paragraph. Val's brain had understood all of that and gone back to something it had highlighted for later examination. Later was now. 'That's the meatball-head in a very short skirt who squeaks about love and justice all the time, right?'

'Bingo.'

'Oh great. You know those routines she does before she fires of her magical-attack things?'

L'risia and her best friend Kai'ila had taken it upon themselves to introduce the Lina-tachi to the wonderful world of anime. The Slayers DVD Collections were flung in a steel safe and locked with three different kinds of locks and were not taken out again until all of them had left the vicinity.

'Yeah,' L'risia nodded.

'I always wondered why the bad guys stand there and watch? Why don't they just blast her?'

'I always wondered about that too. I think a lot of people do.'

Raye and Mina popped up.

'So, what're you guys talking about?' Mina grinned.

'Oh, something happened back home I needed to talk to him about.' L'risia said. Val nodded.

'Yeah.. Roudy… your fascination with those things…'

'ROUDY!' Rina yelled, grabbing her younger brother by the back of his shirt and dragging him out of the hentai aisle for the third time. L'risia pulled her wallet out of her back and glanced at it. Her eyebrows shot up and she pulled a five thousand yen note out and gave it to Rina, who was keeping a firm grip on her brother.

'Here, go get some ice creams. Take Roudy.'

'I certainly don't intend to leave him in here. What do you want?' Rina asked.

'Um… chocolate, I think.' L'risia said. Rina looked up at Val.

'I'll have the same, thanks Rina.' Val smiled. Rina flushed and nodded, turned on her heel and marched out of the door, dragging Roudy behind her.

'Waah, neechan's being meeeean!'

'Shut up, you little pervert.'

The four apparent teenagers in the manga store sweatdropped.

'What a loving sister.' Raye commented.

'Oh yeah. She takes after her mother.' Val groaned. Raye and Mina, thankfully, decided not to ask.

'Oh look, an aisle full of hentai!' Rei said, materialising in the doorway. Ami and Makoto, behind him, blushed scarlet. L'risia and Val stared at him.

'Rei?'

'Oh great, you found us.' Val muttered.

'Like I'm going to let you take L'risia way from me that easily.' Rei teased, flinging his arms around L'risia's neck and kissing her cheek. Val sighed heavily.

'Okay, so what do we do now?' L'risia asked. 'We were just going to find you.'

'Well, we're stuck here,' Rei said, resting his chin on her shoulder, 'so we'll-' he glanced at the four girls looking at the trio curiously. 'Excuse us, ladies?'

Three girls blushed and hurried out of the room. Then Raye came back and grabbed Mina, dragging her out in a manner not unsimilar to Rina's. Val sweatdropped.

'Anyway.' Rei said. 'We should find an apartment to stay in.'

'Okay, but Rei-'

'Hm?'

'…where's the princess?'

There was a small silence. Rei fell onto the floor, laughing his head off.

'Rei!' L'risia growled.

'I left her on the bus!'

'You… you did what?!'

'Good plan.' Val nodded. 'Let's leave her there.'

'She's your groupie, buster.' L'risia said, grabbing both the boy's arms and teleporting. The woman behind the counter blinked, and then blinked again. She looked at her coffee. Then she sighed, picked it up, and poured it out the window.

Rei and L'risia cringed.

'VAL-SAAAMA!' Princess Rebecca bawled, no doubt getting Val's shirt soaked. 'You came to save me!'

'Um, actually… not really.'

She didn't seem to hear him. L'risia was just glad her clothes had changed, just like the rest of them. The bummer was it looked like she and Rebecca were going to the same school. On that note-

'Rei, what school are you going to? You're in junior high, right?'

'Hm? Middle school actually.' Rei showed her the card in his wallet. 'You're in senior school?'

'Yeah. Well, I don't think I could look much younger.'

'Maybe if you wore your hair in a higher ponytail.' Rei suggested, likewise ignoring the bawling going on in the background. 'Or pigtails, perhaps.'

'I'll pass on the pigtails, but I think I can handle the ponytail. Good idea. I don't look too old as I am now, right? I mean for a school uniform?'

'Well, not really. You just look like a beautiful high school girl instead of a pretty one.'

'Thanks.'

'No problem… Val, stop flirting and come on.'

'WHO'S FLIRTING?!'

'Rei, be nice.' L'risia said, helping Val peel Rebecca off and beginning to walk back down the street. Fortunately the bus station where it had stopped wasn't too far from the shopping centre. 'Val, what school are you going to?'

'No idea, but Mina did say something about us going to the same school to Raye, so I guess the same as you. Rebecca, get a grip already, no one's going to attack you!'

'Oh, you're so gallant, Val-sama!'

'….'

'So tell me again…' L'risia said, finishing off her second ice cream of the day as she dropped the groceries on the couch. 'Exactly how did you get this large, luxurious apartment with a nice view so quickly, Rei? And so cheaply. I'm impressed.'

Rei had the grace to look sheepish.

'Well, it's not really blackmail, right?'

'No. I believe the phrase you are looking for is "cheating".'

'Neechan, what did Rei do?' Roudy said, who had been with the boy the whole time and had only seen the nice landlady agreeing heartily with everything the boy suggested. Rina, on the other hand, was not as naively innocent as her brother and had the sharp business sense of her mother. She was young, but knew enough to know something was going funny when a landlady agreed for a rent of what Rei told her was about twenty dollars a week. Rina didn't understand "yen". Especially, she said aloud, when there was a spa that could be used as a swimming pool in the bathroom. L'risia, Rina and Rebecca had gone shopping; Val had been with Rei. L'risia had talked almost non-stop the whole way to the shopping centre, while in there and on the way back, explaining about this world and things like televisions and baths. Fortunately it seemed Rebecca and Val were quick adaptors. Children were children and so they just took everything in their stride.

L'risia looked over the little girl's head and stared at the bathroom.

'So, are you still going to tell me off?' Rei asked, digging a can of cola out of the bags.

'… I think I'm done with telling you off on general principle, yes.'

Val narrowed his eyes at Rei.

'You really know how do manipulate people, don't you?'

'Of course.' Rei grinned. 'Now… what's for dinner? And we have to go to school tomorrow, L'ri, I rang up the office.'

'What?! Crap…'

This… is so not funny. I was just going to bed!

Death stared at the blown up café and glanced down at the spirit little child, who had been among the first of the dead to rise out of the ashes.

Yes?

'Excuse me, but… something happened… before this… I can't quite remember…'

I know what happened. Stop trying to remember.

The little girl nodded, and Death continued to watched the faintly transparent spirits rise out of the ashes. Gloved hands clapped together sharply, the sound like a thunder crack in this shadow of the world. The spirits turned to look at her.

I don't know whether you're aware of this but… I'm afraid you're all due to become ghosts.

'Why?!' someone shouted. 'I want to go to heaven!'

Death ignored this.

Don't ask me why. I'm just telling you this because it would be too much to expect the others to tell you.

'The others?'

Fate. Destiny. All the rest of them, Death said, sounding rather fed up. There was a silence. Some things were rather apparent when you are dead, and now one was inclined to doubt the words that came in a voice like a tombstone being dropped.

'Do we have to do the whole… you know, screaming and moaning thing?'

Do you want to?

'Well… not really, no.'

I shouldn't bother with it then. You'll find picking up things rather difficult anyway, I should think. And now I really must be going…'

'Hey, wait, what happens now? You can't leave!'

Do you know who I am? Death. I look after the dead. You're the undead, you see. You're not my responsibility.

Death disappeared.

A few seconds later, L'risia sniffed the smoky air and sighed, wandering over to the rubble. She poked a piece of brick with her shoe, putting her hands on her hips.

'Hm…'

'How dare you blow up a café full of innocent citizens!'

'Oh no.' L'risia said, looking up in genuine horror. Outlined against the moon, five female figures… the voice sounded like it had been crying. Well, she would be.

Sailor Mars gasped.

'Mina, that's-'

'L'risia.'  Mercury breathed. 'I'm detecting a strange aura about her, but it's quickly fading.'

'Is it the Negaverse?'

'No, I've never seen anything like it!'

'But- this is L'risia!' Venus protested. 'She was so nice! Well, I mean she was kind of sarcastic and blunt but underneath she seemed really sweet!'

'We can't think of that!' Luna snapped. 'The evidence suggests she just BLEW UP a whole café full of people! They're DEAD!'

'Girls?'

'But I can't believe this! She wouldn't! She was just a girl, like us!' Sailor Jupiter said. 'She was with Rei and Val and the kids!'

'Ladies?'

'So that's the L'risia you were telling me about?' Sailor Moon said. 'But you said she was really nice!'

'She was! I don't think she would ever-'

'EXCUSE ME1' Artemis bellowed. He pointed down with a paw. 'She's GONE!'