To the Reader:
After an appropriate amount of time spent on schoolwork and various other stories of my creation which I highly doubt I will ever finish in this life, I have finally gotten around to beginning the second episode. This is one of the fanfiction it is unlikely I will ever finish, if only because there are over 100 Sailor Moon episodes (I don't feel knowledgeable enough to venture even an approximate guess) and writing these takes much longer than it does to read them.
This is quite a tedious business. If I ever do finish this, however, and if I haven't been put off anime/manga forever, I just might do the same for Card Captor Sakura. It is highly unlikely, however.
And now, before I can ramble on any further, I would just like to make a note to any readers that reviews are appreciated, but if anyone does actually bother to read this, much less review, I would appreciate comments more than "That was great, rite more" and carefully-worded constructive criticism. Unfortunately, I don't take criticism as well as I would like to, but I will make sure to address such comments in my notes to the reader. As it is, I don't think anyone has even bothered to read my first chapter yet, much less review (at least not, when I started this chapter).
Until another day,
A. Lee
Episode 2:
Oshiokiyo! Uranai house ha youma no yakata
I'll punish you! The fortune house is a youma's mansion
There was nary a breeze in the secluded corner that held the mysterious fortune-teller's booth. Inside the fortune-teller's booth sat an old, venerable man with a wise look on his face. In front of his booth was a queue of young girls, each eagerly waiting for their fortune to be told, fingering their coins rather nervously, occasionally glancing at each other to make sure they weren't the only ones there.
The schoolgirls, still young and innocent, nervously struck up conversations with each other, doing their best to ignore the stirrings of excitement in their stomachs as the line moved. One girl with a shock of fuchsia hair was speaking in complete earnestness with the complete stranger behind her. "This place is very good, they say," she said rather excitedly.
The other girl answered more timidly, eyes darting to some of the more worn and slimy areas of the street. This street wasn't in a bad neighborhood, per se, but it bordered one and was treated with wariness. "I saw it on T.V."
The fuchsia-haired one's eyes lit up as she recalled the same documentary, and both began avidly discussing whether or not the fortune-teller was as good as they said.
Neither noticed a rather disdainful blonde in the distance, barely containing his disgust at the gullibility of these girls. "Stupid humans," was the only thing he said, before he turned abruptly and disappeared into the darkness.
The eerie throne room was unlit, the only luminescence emitted by the purple glow of the throne itself. The Queen that sat upon it emitted a dark aura that constantly battled the purple glow, as if determined to rule the throne room, at the very least, in all aspects.
Queen Beryl spoke, voice icier than the Arctic winters often experienced in the North. "You didn't find the secret ginzuishou yet."
Jadeite bowed his head, acknowledging his failure, knowing that protestations and excuses would give him only more punishments.
"I expect, at the very least, some energy from the humans." Her voice held an edge of warning.
"I have already begun, Queen Beryl," Jadeite said, seizing on a chance to prove himself to his queen. "I will collect much energy when I-"
Before he could continue, Queen Beryl signaled him to silence. "See that you do," she said. She seemed about to dismiss him, when something appeared to occur to her. "Oh, and Jadeite. Make sure this isn't a failure like last time." A quick move of her fingers, and the Dark General was writhing on the floor in pain, his pain-filled voice echoing throughout the throne room, feeding the Dark Queen's malice.
The pink-themed bedroom's occupant was once again oversleeping. The digital alarm clock at her side flashed the time 8:17 AM. Unlike before, however, Usagi was not going to spend much longer in dreamlike bliss. Luna, the midnight-colored cat, was approaching Usagi like one about to pounce upon its prey. All of a sudden, she leapt onto Usagi's face. "Wake up," she ordered rather imperiously.
Her charge awoke, rather panicked. "You're choking me!"
Luna backed off somewhat. "You'll never be able to perform your mission if you keep on acting like this-"
Any more of Luna's lecture was interrupted by Usagi's wail of disbelief as her gaze fell upon the clock. "Oh no! Is it that late already! Why in the world didn't you wake me up earlier?"
And once again, the whirlwind that was something known as Usagi spent less than five minutes throwing clothes on and pinning her hair up in the familiar "odangoes." Usagi caught herself thinking that thought, and was furious that the insolent jerk's one-time comment was rooting itself so deploy within her head.
Luna, meanwhile, was trying to stay out of the way, to avoid being trampled. "Oh dear …"
Meanwhile, Ms. Haruna was taking roll. "Umino Gurio!"
Usagi was making leaps and bounds on her desperate way to school.
Umino looked up brightly at the teacher, and piped, "Here!"
Usagi was at the school gates, trying to make it to class before her name was called
"Kimura Yuuji!"
Usagi ran inside the school, skidding to avoid a head-on collision with a janitor, and sprinted down the last hallway.
A bored-looking boy was prodded before he remembered to say his customary, "Here!"
Usagi was at the door, doing her best to sneak into her seat. To no avail. Despite her crawling (below the eye-level of the teacher), Umino, drat the boy, still noticed her.
"Hi, Usagi!" he chirped.
Ms. Haruna's lips curled into what might have been called a smirk. "We are delighted you found time to grace us with your presence, Usagi." Her eyes hardened. "Into the hallway! Now!" Out of what was perhaps malicious intent, she ordered Umino out in the hallway as well, for having stood up and greeted Usagi when he ought to have been doing the busywork she had assigned them.
Usagi huddled miserably in the hallway, wallowing in her desolation, before noticing that Umino was, for some peculiar reason, standing right next to her. "Why are standing here?" she demanded, edging away from him. Umino was well-known for his obsession with entomology as well as gossip, and she wanted to make sure he had no bugs with him right now.
Umino suddenly looked rather sheepish. "Er… that's … It's not something I can explain right now."
Usagi shot him a strange glance, and moved to the other side of the door. The dejected Umino made no attempt to follow.
The rest of the day passed rather normally for Usagi. She was, as usual, detained for detention and spent almost her entire lunch with Naru griping about how mean Ms. Haruna was being. She purposely avoided such subjects as superheroines, her new cat, and Naru's jewelry store robbery dream, all being subjects which made her uneasy. As they began talking about other subjects such as how unfair Mrs. Tsukino was being about certain restrictions, Naru mentioned in passing that Usagi should visit the old fortune teller whose reputation was wide-spread. Usagi determined to do so.
That afternoon, while Usagi was seeking the wise fortune-teller, Umino was having an interesting conversation with Naru. It went somewhat like this.
Naru: Hello? Who is this?
Umino: heavy breathing
Naru: Hello? nervously Answer or I'll hang up.
Umino: It- voice cracks It's me. Umino.
Naru: sigh of relief What did you want to talk about, Umino?
Umino: I- heavy pause I have a confession to make. words tumble out in a rush
Naru: Nani? I don't think I heard you very well. confused
Umino: I want to go on a date with Usagi.
Naru: absolute silence
Umino: I also want to exchange diaries with her.
Naru: the crickets chirp
Umino: I want to talk with her parents about our future together.
Naru: startled into talking I don't think that's a good idea, Umino.
Umino: Why not?
Naru: desperate Just take it from me. You will have no chance with Usagi if you go at it like that.
Umino: disappointed Oh. Then how do I go about it?
Naru: Just don't go at it like that. mutters She might die of a heart attack.
Umino: What's that? A heart attack?
Naru: sweetly Oh nothing.
Umino: So, you think I should attack from behind?
Naru: barks out No!
Umino: silence
Naru: I just mean … you have to have your fortune told to see what you have to do. I hear that the one on 10th street is really good.
Umino: Okay then. Bye.
click
Naru: silence Oh. My. God. doubles up in laughter I so cannot believe this. Can't wait 'til Usagi finds out that Umino has designs on her. snickers
click
Meanwhile, a rather apprehensive Usagi was making a visit to the aforementioned fortune teller. She was very nervous, as no-one was around. The streets were usually intimidating enough when they were filled with girls waiting to have their futures unraveled. Now that the streets were empty, anyone passing by would jump at the shadows. Usagi, who was afraid of just about everything, was quite unhappy.
Usagi made her way to the fortune teller, uncertain of whether this was the right one. Naru's description had included, among other things, an abnormally long line all of the time. She entered the rather raggedy stall, and approached the old man sitting wisely at the table.
"What happened?" she asked timidly. "Isn't there usually a long line?"
The old man sighed. "A rival appeared."
"Really?" Usagi asked. She peered out of what passed for a window at the direction the man pointed. Just through a barely visible lack of buildings and walls, where an alley of sorts allowed the old man to see what lay three streets over, there was a flamboyant tent covered with gaudy colors. There was an abnormally long line. "That's really … flashy. Does everyone go there now?"
"Yes. People like new things."
Now more to cheer the old man up than for any serious desire to have her fortune told, Usagi pulled out some coins, and asked to have her fortune told.
The old man thanked her, and prepared to take her palm. There was a silence. Finally, he spoke. "There is a boy who has a crush on you right now. It is a boy you encounter every day."
"Really?" Usagi squealed. "A boy I see all the time? Maybe it's …" she trailed off. She jumped up and, ignoring the old man, ran out of the door, screaming, "Motoki-san, I'm coming for you!"
The old man blinked and wondered whether he should correct her. Maalesh. It was too late to run after her anyways.
Usagi approached the game center with all the gravity of a girl about to meet her future husband. One glance told her what she was looking for. "He's not here yet," she moaned. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Motoki arrived.
"Hey, Usagi. Have you come to play some games? You have perfect timing. I have to start work now." The light-brown-haired young man smiled at the blonde.
Usagi looked up with stars in her eyes. "Hello, Motoki," she said dreamily. Love of my life and future husband, she added silently.
Oblivious to her designs, Motoki continued. "The new Sailor V game is in. You haven't played it yet, have you?"
"No," Usagi said excitedly, all thoughts of future husbands out of her mind as she brightened at the prospect of playing with the new arcade game.
As she pushed in token after token, her hands busied themselves with the controls of the action arcade game, oblivious as time passed. Unfortunately, her skill at defeating the monsters on the screen was not yet as good as her aim with her Moon Tiara (which Luna had made her practice many, many times). As a result, every five minutes, she would let out a groan as she lost a life. Soon, Motoki took pity on her and walked over, waiting for another death so he could give her some hints.
"Here, here, here," she muttered over and over as she forced her nimble fingers to obey her. "Shoot!" she growled, furious as the action figure on the screen fired a millisecond too late and died.
"It's pretty hard, isn't it?" Motoki asked from behind her. "I'll give you some hints if you want."
"That would be wonderful," Usagi said, eyes brightening and filling with hearts.
"Watch carefully," Motoki said, as he began to assume control of the arcade game.
Just as Usagi was going to watch him defeat the nth level and capture the Jewel of Immense Power, Luna leapt on top of the game, startling Motoki and losing his life.
"Oh, Luna, why did you have to go and do that?" Usagi wailed. "Now I'll never learn how to defeat Level 62!"
"Oh, is this cat called Luna?" Motoki asked, surprised. "She visits here very often, always meowing for me to let her in."
Luna tugged on Usagi's sleeve insistently, finally biting on the young blonde's finger to get her attention.
"Luna! What are you doing?" Usagi was shocked. Luna had scratched her to get her up on time once or twice, but never bitten her. "All right. I'm coming, I'm coming." She turned and waved good-bye to Motoki.
"I feel happy when I see your face, Usagi. I'll be waiting for you," Motoki told her, smiling at the abundance of innocence and purity in this young teenage girl.
"Okay," Usagi said, eyes softening, before Luna scratched Usagi in her haste. "And this had better be good, Luna," she added under her breath.
As soon as she had left the Crown Arcade Center and was out of earshot, she turned on her cat. First, there was a long lecture (given by her, for once) concerning privacy, and having a life outside of crimefighting. As she finally wore down, and finished scolding Luna for interrupting what could have been the deciding factor of her love life (Luna, of course, just rolled her eyes at this), she finished on a rather petulant note. "Why did you have to come now, anyways? It was just getting good."
Luna, who had tried her best to ignore Usagi's "lecture," sighed. "Did your mom or did your mom not say that you were to come straight home after school—which means no stops by the arcade! I was looking for you all afternoon!"
"Well," Usagi hesitated as she realized that she was in the wrong. "It's not what I'm supposed to do," she reluctantly admitted.
Luna sniffed. "I'm glad you realize that," she said somewhat primly. "You have a very important mission to complete, you know." There was a silence. "Usagi? Usagi!" To the black cat's dismay, Usagi wasn't paying attention.
Finally, Usagi responded. "Oh?" was her intelligent contribution. Her mind was obviously on something else. "Maybe I should have my fortune about Motoki told again?" she mused. Luna sighed as she realized that she would probably never get through to her charge. "But it's too late," Usagi realized. "The old man must be closed by now. The new fortune-teller should be open … but it is probably better to go the old man. He must be wiser. Yet, I want to hear my fortune told right away. What a quandary!" she exclaimed, not realizing that she just utilized a very large vocabulary word. Luna was startled by Usagi's demonstration of intelligence in the use of the word quandary that the scolding she was about to give Usagi died on her lips. Instead, she stared at the blonde in shock. "I know," Usagi finally said triumphantly. "I have to predict which one I should go to by myself!"
Luna looked at Usagi warily. "What are you planning on doing?" she asked apprehensively.
Usagi did not respond. Instead, she withdrew a coin and placed on the tip of her shoe. "If it's heads, I'll go to the old man. If it is tails, I'll go to the new fortune-telling house," she decided. "Here goes." So saying, she braced her foot, and bent her leg, balancing on one leg the coin carefully balanced on top of the shoe that was hovering in midair. Suddenly, she straightened her leg explosively, and the coin went flying into the air …
… along with her shoe. She watched with some shock as her shoe flew up and fell down in a graceful arc …
… and hit Chiba Mamoru's head.
For a few moments, the college student looked at the shoe with some surprise, and rubbed his head. "Ouch," he noted wryly, feeling the bump that was already beginning to form atop his head.
"Oh, no," Usagi wailed. "It's that conceited jerk again!"
Mamoru had by this time realized who had thrown the shoe. "That hurt, odango atama," he said.
"Is that all you can say?" Usagi challenged, standing firmly despite her missing shoe and looking him in the eye (or at least tried ... her short stature somewhat hindered her).
Mamoru let a smirk flit across his face. "If you don't behave any more gracefully," he drawled, "then … you won't get any boyfriends!"
Usagi's face crumpled into tears. "Thanks a lot!" she wailed. "I feel so terrible, thanks to you!"
Mamoru looked rather hesitantly at the blonde who had just collapsed in tears, not having expected her to cry just because of a well-placed insult. What was he to do now?
Umino gazed out from beneath his large bottle-type glasses, his eyes resembling those of a bug, magnified by the power of his lenses which reduced his myopia somewhat. He had taken Naru's advice, and come to the closest fortune-telling house. It was newly constructed, and a grandiose site to behold. Mysterious paintings and dim lighting magnified the altogether otherworldly look of the place. "Wow …" he whispered as he entered the house to have his fortune told.
The fortune-teller was a young girl whose form he could barely make out in the dim lighting. For a moment, he thought that she had red eyes, but immediately dismissed that as her obviously gray eyes stared at him mistily.
"Look into my eyes …" she whispered eerily, and he found himself mesmerized both by the sound of her voice and the color of her eyes. "You are a great servant to an evil devil," the girl continued, voice stressing great and evil as the nuances of her tone hypnotized Umino even more. "You can do whatever you desire."
"I do as I wish," Umino said in a dull tone, repeating her words as she instructed. At her gesture, he left the dark room. Unknown to him, the fortune-teller had thrown off her guise, and was now cackling madly in the form of a misshapen hag.
"I can get the energy soon, Master Jadeite!" she shouted at the ceiling, triumphant.
Didn't anyone ever tell her not to count her chickens before they hatched?
Usagi, meanwhile, had no idea that not far from her house, a youma was ensnaring Umino. As she walked into her house, she saw her father on the couch, reading the newspaper.
Tsukino Kenji looked up to see his daughter happily skipping the door. "Hello, Usagi. How was your day?"
"Fine," Usagi said, stopping to pick up an apple and munching on it. "So, were you shopping, Daddy?"
Kenji chuckled. "Yes. I came home early, and mother caught me. She told me to go to the store and buy the apples you are currently enjoying right now."
"You chose delicious apples," Usagi pronounced, throwing the core away in a nearby trash can (having finished the apple already). "I'm going upstairs now."
"Don't forget to do your homework," Kenji said, and then went back to his newspaper.
I bet Motoki is very kind, like my father.
No doubt if Kenji knew of his daughter's thought, he wouldn't be as complacent.
For the first time in a while, Usagi had not overslept, and she and Naru were walking to school together amiably. For some reason, Naru was particularly prone to giggles that morning. Finally, she asked something that had obviously been on her mind all morning.
"Did Umino talk to you?" Naru finally managed to ask.
"What are you talking about?" Usagi asked, completely confused. "Why would Umino talk to me?"
"Well," Naru suppressed another chuckle. "It appears that Umino has a crush on someone."
"Who?" Usagi asked blankly.
"You!" Naru declared triumphantly, collapsing in laughter at the poleaxed look on Usagi's face.
"What!" Usagi shrieked, her voice soaring several decibels higher than a normal human voice could manage.
"But," Naru continued teasing, "Since he's so pure-hearted and shy, he can't bring himself to say anything about it."
"You have got to be kidding!" Usagi cried. "Umino? Me? I always thought he had a crush on his little bugs."
"Who knows?" Naru asked. "You might end up married to him one day?"
Usagi sniffed. "Umino and me? As if. I'm going to end up with Motoki."
"Motoki?" Naru asked in a sly voice. "So have you been holding out on me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about-" Usagi was interrupted when Naru tackled her to "tickle the information out of her," and the two spent the rest of the walk to school chasing after each other. By this time, the matter of Umino's crush on her had long left Usagi's mind. She did not know, however, what Umino's little crush would portend.
The first clue she received that something was wrong was when Umino met her at the school gate, dressed in a peculiar suit and tie. His glasses had been replaced by thicker, blue ones that matched his suit.
"Hey, Usagi. Let's go on a date," Umino said, but his words were a command, not a request.
"Umino?" Naru asked, taken aback. "What happened to you?"
"If you come to school like that, you're going to get in trouble," Usagi pointed out.
"Forget that," Umino scoffed in a tone very unlike his usual self. "Let's go out, Usagi."
At this moment, Ms. Haruna arrived at the school gate. She stared at Umino in shock. "Umino? What are you doing dressed like that?"
Umino did not respond. Instead, he took out a biscuit and began eating it, purposefully ignoring his teacher.
"I repeat, Umino, what are you thinking about-"
Ms. Haruna was interrupted when Umino rudely reached over and flicked up his homeroom teacher's skirt, displaying her tights and panties for all (actually only Usagi and Naru) to see.
Ms. Haruna let out a shriek, not expecting her valedictorian-to-be to act so disgracefully.
"It's like this," Umino said, rolling his eyes. "I don't give a damn about you and what you want, so fuck off." He then proceeded to saunter away.
Ms. Haruna, who had just been dumped by her boyfriend the night before, was currently in a very fragile emotional mood, and she had been looking forward to taking it out on her students. Now, she proceeded to wail out her troubles to a very confused and shocked Usagi and Naru, proclaiming, "I'll never get married!"
Usagi and Naru mumbled a few platitudes before fleeing inside the school, leaving Ms. Haruna to wail her troubles out to thin air.
All through class, Ms. Haruna was visibly upset. Although she no longer unburdened her troubles to her students, she still looked ready to collapse in a nervous breakdown at any instant. When Umino (who was reading his manga, blatantly ignoring the lesson), let out a rather loud laugh, Ms. Haruna responded reflexively, beginning to scold Umino. As she moved in his direction, however, she fell flat on her face. Someone had tripped her.
Ms. Haruna winced and rubbed her back. "Itai," she muttered softly under her breath. She looked up into the lazy face of Yuuiji. "What do you think you're doing, young man?" she demanded in an outraged tone.
"You have to speak more quietly in the classroom," he said in a careless voice. "Teacher," he added as an afterthought.
For a moment, it looked as if Ms. Haruna was about to have a breakdown again. Instead, she erupted in anger, and ordered Yuuiji to the principal's office, promising his weeks and weeks of detention.
Of course, Naru and Usagi did not miss a chance to gossip about this later on at lunchtime.
"So Umino went to the fortune teller?" Usagi asked in a hushed tone.
"Mm-hmm," Naru said, eyes wide. "Because I told him to. But you know what's really creepy?"
"What?" Usagi asked eagerly.
"Yuuji also went to the fortune teller, and he's acting weird, too," Naru nodded wisely.
A contemplative look entered Usagi's eyes, as several pieces of the puzzle fit together in her mind's eye. Before her thought could cohere, she and Naru shrieked and jumped back as a rock flew through the now-broken school window.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing!" a nearby teacher exclaimed at the culprit, who was none other than Umino.
"Stop acting like such a big-shot!" Umino said, glaring at the teacher. "You're not as smart as you think you are."
"What?" the teacher demanded, unused to students challenging his authority.
"Yeah, yeah," another student chimed in. "Just because you have a little power doesn't mean you have to abuse it!"
"Yeah," other students chorused.
"Every day, it's the same old thing," another student picked up the train of thought. "We have to obey you. Well, who says we have to it? Your authority doesn't extend as far as you think it does!"
None were aware of the two shadowy creatures standing in the shadows. The youma hissed, its breath coalescing to form the words, "Go riot now, my seeds of hate."
The Dark Kingdom General, meanwhile, gazed on satisfactorily, pleased that he would not be punished this time, as he slowly extracted the surface energy from the increasingly appetizing mob mentality-synergy. "Ah," he inhaled the smell of the gathered energy with pleasure, "the energy of rebellious youth."
He watched in delight as two girls (a blonde and a redhead) ran up to the growing mob of teenagers. "What do you think you're doing?" the blonde demanded.
"Hey, Usagi," Umino slurred his words as he winked at the blonde. "Let's kiss!" He began staggering towards her, only to collapse slightly from lack of energy.
The blonde began wailing in fear, confusion, and plain unhappiness. "I don't like you like this," she cried, although Jadeite was almost certain he could catch a stray thought that went along the lines of not that I like you normally either.
Jadeite frowned, however, when his control over Umino faltered just enough so that Umino turned around and motioned for everyone to leave. "This is stupid," he said. "Let's go somewhere else."
Jadeite motioned for his fortune-teller youma to go back to its position, even as he determined to search the Dark Kingdom's Library for the reason he had lost control over the boy.
After Jadeite's departure, everyone lost their desire to riot almost immediately. For a moment, there was confusion as students milled about, uncertain of why they had just felt intense feelings of hate rushing through them. In the end, they gradually disbanded.
Luna was not easily put off track. "I feel some bad energy," she muttered to herself as she proceeded to leave her charge and investigate the surroundings.
Usagi, who had finally decided to peek out from beneath the fingers covering her eyes, asked tremulously, "Is it over?"
"It's all right," Naru said, although she, too, looked nervous as her eyes darted all around her, as if waiting for another mob to form immediately.
"Thank goodness that's over with," Usagi said, sighing with relief. "Can you believe what Umino did?" She shuddered.
"Did you hear you what you said?" Naru asked. "'I don't like you like this,'" she mimicked. "As if you ever like him."
"He's tolerable most of the time," Usagi said. "But … eurgh."
"Yes," Naru said thoughtfully. "He was acting strangely."
"I wonder-" but Usagi was interrupted by the insistent tug of Luna's teeth. "Luna," she scolded, "that hurts."
But Luna continued pawing at her legs and meowing, obviously wishing to speak to Usagi privately. Usagi rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Naru," she apologized, "but I think I have to take Luna home now. The excitement is making her nervous or something."
Naru, who was absentmindedly contemplating Umino's extreme change in behavior, nodded noncommittally and made a couple of farewell mumbles before forgetting about Usagi entirely. Her mind was on other matters.
Usagi, meanwhile, was talking to herself absentmindedly as well. "Umino did leave, but I wonder what in the world he was thinking about. It isn't like him to be so … violent …"
Luna finally managed to get a word in edgewise. "I believe that the evil ones are behind this and several other similar incidents."
"With Umino?" Usagi asked, surprised. She had not thought that her opponents would try to ally themselves with an entomology-obsessed nerd, of all things.
"I think he and the other students have been possessed," Luna said gravely.
"I think," Usagi said slowly, recalling once again the various pieces of the puzzle that had almost clicked together, "that the fortune teller has something to do with it."
"What?" Luna asked, brought up short by the seemingly random statement.
"Umino started acting strangely after he went to see the new fortune teller." Usagi walked more briskly, now heading in the direction of the new fortune teller. "It's all very suspicious."
"I agree," Luna said. "And that's very good thinking on your part. I would never have connected the two … the fortune teller … hmm … Very good observational skills," Luna said proudly.
"Then I get a new toy?" Usagi asked brightly. She had been experimenting with her tiara, and found it highly exciting to demolish trees with the flick of a wrist.
"Er … no," Luna sweatdropped. "I think the tiara is enough for now. Besides, we must get going."
"Right," Usagi nodded. "The fortune-teller is down the next block."
As Usagi began to sprint down the last block, she continued her conversation with Luna.
"Am I going to have to fight again?" she asked in a half-whine, half-tremulous whisper. Although the last battle had been a victory, she still had nightmares of the youma attacking her. That isn't to say that she didn't have dreams of Tuxedo Kamen saving her, of course.
"Of course," Luna said rather sharply, before her voice softened. "You have more experience this time. You'll defeat it easily," she said encouragingly as they arrived at the entrance of the massive and almost gaudily decorated tent.
"Moon-" Usagi paused. Her fear and nervousness as the tent seemed to loom before her and the sky began to darken (the thought that her mom was going to kill her for getting home so late briefly flitted across her mind), so much so that the transformation words completely fled her mind. "Luna," she half-whispered. "What are the transformation words again?"
"Moon Prism Power Make Up," Luna sighed. Somehow, her slightly dissipated memories of the past had included the fact that the senshi usually felt the transformation words instinctively. Usagi, however, defied all of the wispy memories Luna held, her mind muddled by the exceptionally freeze from then until now.
"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!" Usagi said confidently as the warm rush of power almost overwhelmed her yet again. She was not yet used to the feelings of bliss the transformation brought her. Then she proceeded to enter the formidable tent.
The dark room was illuminated by carefully placed, glowing crystal balls and eerie, flickering candles made of a type of phosphorescent wax. The youma was still clad in her human form. Dark green hair and black pools in the place of eyes adorned a face covered with gauzy veils and flimsy scarves. Surrounding her (if she could be called a "her" rather than an "it") were the students of the surrounding schools.
"That was most wonderful," the youma said hypnotically, "most wonderful. Now, you may have your reward. You can go wild all over the city. Just remember that we're striving for organized havoc here, all right? We wouldn't all of that death and destruction to go to waste, would we?"
"Okay," the students echoed dully and distantly.
"Stop in the name of the law," a voice announced, before snickering and whispering, "I've always wanted to say that."
"What?"
"What's worse than men who betray their true loves and stab them in the back after leading an entire troop of enemies into their city to sack and completely destroy the entire civilization is youma who don't care about other people's feelings!"
"Who is it?" the youma demanded, "and no youma care about other people's feelings," the youma added under its breath.
"For love and justice, I am the sailor-suited soldier, Sailor Moon, and in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"
The youma didn't appear very impressed by her speech. Its only response was to hurl what appeared to be an ordinary Tarot card at her. It developed a razor-sharp edge and enlarged, and Sailor Moon barely dodged it in time.
"That was close," Sailor Moon sighed in relief, before having to dodge yet another one.
"It's not time to be talking," Luna hissed, "the best defense is an offense."
At this moment, the youma remembered that it still had a mass of eager slaves awaiting its order. "Get her!" the youma roared, finally shrugging off its human disguise to reveal a rather humanoid youma with a leer and a gypsy costume that fluttered raggedly in the nonexistent wind to cover the monstrosity that was its body.
The possessed students began crowding Sailor Moon, who was very frightened. "Stop it. Go away!" she cried, trying not to hurt them, knowing that they were innocent. "If you get any closer, I will have to beat you up," she tried to threaten (and failed miserably, might I add).
Just as Sailor Moon was seriously considering using her tiara on the horde of students, a single rose hit the floor with a cling, and the students halted in their very steps. "Everyone stopped!" Sailor Moon said incredulously.
"Who is it?" the youma demanded, reading to take out any new enemy with its other tarot cards in its hands.
"Tuxedo Kamen," Sailor Moon sighed blissfully, recognizing the style.
"No matter what happens," the masked man encouraged, "don't give up." He refrained from mentioning that he would watch from the sidelines to make sure that she could really handle it.
"I will," Sailor Moon promised adoringly.
"See you later," Tuxedo Kamen said wryly before disappearing off in the darkness.
"Thank you Tuxedo Kamen," Sailor Moon sighed to herself. Her starry-eyed daydreams involving beds of roses and Tuxedo Kamen and her were interrupted by another attack by the gypsy youma.
This time, Sailor Moon barely dodged it and, as a result, she received a rather large cut. "That looks nasty," she murmured to herself, while wondering why she wasn't feeling any pain yet.
Luna, seeing that Sailor Moon wasn't going to remember on her own any time soon, cried out, "Sailor Moon! Remember to use the tiara!"
Sailor Moon blinked. "Oh, yeah." Her demeanor turned grim as she prepared to use her attack. "Moon Tiara Action!"
The youma had no time to dodge, not having expected such a powerful attack from one who was so cringing mere minutes ago. As a result, it disintegrated rather spectacularly.
When the last of the sparks died away, and all that was left was a dwindling pile of ashes, Sailor Moon allowed herself to let out a whoop. "I did it!" she cried, picking up Luna and swinging the cat around in her joy and relief. The ensorcelled students also broke out of their spell.
Umino, one among their number, blinked blearily as he emerged from his mental slumber. "What?" he asked dizzily, as the ones around him began to awake as well.
Sailor Moon paid them no heed, disappearing off into the night.
None noticed the shadow that was Jadeite. He closed his eyes in a combination of frustration and fear. "I failed," he whispered. "I'm in deep shit." He knew that the Dark Queen would not be happy when she received his news. She would be very unhappy indeed.
The next day, Naru took some pleasure out of the relating the details of the past few days to Umino, who was rapidly becoming more and more concerned for his life.
"I flicked up Haruna-sensei's skirt?" he asked incredulously.
"You also tried to kiss Usagi. And you broke the window of the teacher's office. And-" she paused. "Hey, Umino, where are you going?"
"Home," he said flatly. "There is only despair and expulsion in front of me. I might as well go home and miss the shame."
"Good morning!" Usagi said brightly as she greeted her friend, Naru.
Umino recalled dimly that Naru said he had tried to kiss Usagi. He had tried to kiss Usagi. "Umm … Usagi ... umm … I'm …"
"Don't worry about it," Usagi smiled gently, knowing that Umino was probably ready to run away and cry at this point.
"Yeah, that's right," Umino counseled himself. "Just don't worry too much about it." He continued whispering the words "Don't worry about it" like a mantra over and over as he approached the school.
Usagi, meanwhile, was having an internal monologue about ungrateful classmates who didn't realize what she had to go through on their behalves.
To be continued …
And that's another load off my back.