REAWAKENING
Book One of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon CosmicStars
by Nashie (aka ShadowSamurai)
December 1999 - April 2000
Revised - Summer/Fall 2002
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and her friends belong to Naoko Takeuchi. The author takes no credit for any of the original storyline. However, all the new characters belong to me and I'd appreciate it if you didn't take any without requesting permission.
Episode 212: A depressed Usagi is no fun! Cheer up the princess!
"Come on Ami-chan!" Minako yelled, carrying numerous pads of paper in her hands. "We're going to be late!" Ami quickly ran up to the blonde girl, breathing heavily.
"Gosh, Minako-chan!" Ami gasped. She stared at all the pads in the girl's hands. "What are you going to do with that?"
"I am going to help Usagi-chan!" Minako declared. She lowered her voice and motioned her blue-haired friend to come closer. "She's been awfully depressed since..." Minako looked around to make sure no one could hear, "...since Haruka-san disappeared."
"Don't you mean died?" Ami inquired. Minako shook her head furiously.
"No, that's not what I mean!" she yelled. Passersby gave her odd looks and Minako blushed the same color as the bow in her hair.
"Not Haruka-san, never her," Minako whispered. She sighed. "Have you talked to any of the outers yet?" Ami shook her head.
"I tried talking to Michiru-san at the pool yesterday, but she said she didn't want to talk about it and left," Ami said, her voice forlorn. Her blue eyes became misty. "I think they're taking it about as hard as Usagi-chan though they may not be showing it. I don't think they want to think that Haruka-san di…I mean disappeared." Minako nodded.
"Well, don't hate me when I say this," the blonde said, "but I think the mall might cheer her up. I just feel kind of guilty for trying to make her feel better. It's like I'm saying, 'don't worry about Haruka-san. Forget about her'."
"I know how you feel," Ami agreed. Frustrated, she shook her head. "But, when I scanned my computer for her, I didn't find a trace. Nothing." Minako sighed heavily.
"We can't worry about it now," she said, beginning to walk down the street. Looking back at Ami, she forced a smile. "Besides, we have to cheer Usagi-chan up."
"Okay," Ami agreed, then looked up. "Minako-chan, watch OUT!" Minako quickly turned, but ran smack into a girl walking down the street. The two fell to the ground, stunned.
"Ugh, what are you trying to do!?" the girl roared furiously. She stared at the pretty blonde angrily. "I just got this outfit, you idiot!" Minako stared at the girl with huge, pale blue innocent eyes.
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, miss," she said, climbing to her feet. Offering a hand, she helped the girl up. Geez. She was kind of tall, around Mako's height.
"Who are you?" Minako asked, recognizing the school folder under her arm. "I don't think we've met. My name is Aino Minako. You can call me Aino-san, Minako-chan, or Mina-P. I prefer Minako-chan though."
"Hmmph," the girl said. She checked her magenta colored hair, which had been pulled back into a high ponytail. Her hair fell gently down past her knees. If it had been let loose, it would trail on the ground! Her gray eyes were dark as she turned to face Minako. "Kinda forward there, aren'tcha, Minako-chan?"
"Y-your accent isn't from around here," Ami observed. She cupped her hand in her chin. "I think...I think it's American?"
"Nah, I just visited the States recently," the girl said. She smiled and Ami thought she had seen it somewhere else before. "My name is Tsukino Mirage. I'm in the 10th grade at Juuban High. Where do you go, gals?"
Flustered by her accent and the use of slang, Ami stumbled over her words. "J-Juuban High. M-my name is Mizuno Ami-chan. Call me Ami-chan, please." Mirage nodded. Both of their names. Aino Minako, meaning the beautiful child of love. Mizuno Ami, meaning friend of water. They both had the same meanings of the elements...hmm, too soon.
"We have a friend whose surname is Tsukino," Minako said slowly. Then she grinned. "She needs to meet new people. See, we've been going through a lot of stress lately."
"Really?" Mirage asked. She smiled. "May I bring a friend? My sister, Tsukino Reverie." Ami and Minako gasped, remembering the name.
"Reverie-chan is you sister?" Ami asked. "We met her a couple of days ago. You two attend different schools though. She said she at..."
"Mimi-chaaaan!" a voice called from far away. A girl with blue pigtails came running up. There was no mistake, this was Reverie. She wrapped her sister in a hug. "I. Am. So. Happy!" Mirage blushed with embarrassment from her sister's actions. Ami and Minako stared on, surprised.
"Rev-chan!" she gasped, supporting her younger sister. "Where've you been?"
"Ice cream!" Reverie exclaimed happy. Her usually pale cheeks and dark, brooding eyes were all fresh and glistening. "It tasted soooo good, Mimi-chan. I...I loved it."
Ami stared at the jubilant girl and couldn't believe that this was the same Reverie they had seen earlier. "We should be going."
"We'll catch up," Mirage assured, trying to smile and support her sister's weight. "I'll take care of her. She's not supposed to have sweets." Minako's ears perked up.
"She's a diabetic?"
"No, it's just when she gets sugar in her system, she acts like a fool!" Mirage replied, grabbing Reverie firmly by the shoulders.
"Okay, bye!" Ami said, grabbing Minako by the arm, and waving backwards. "See you at Usagi-chan's. You know where she lives?"
"Yeah," Mirage yelled, her eyes growing cold. "We pass there sometimes." The two girls departed. Mirage looked around to see if anyone was looking and pulled Reverie into a back alley. Propping the girl against the wall, she stared at her.
"Snap. Out. Of. It. Rev-chan," Mirage hissed. Reverie just laughed and wrapped Mirage in another hug.
"It. Was. Yummy!" Reverie exclaimed. Her eyes were cheerful. "We should get going to Usagi-chan's! We'll be late."
"REV-CHAN!" The girl quieted down, staring at her sister in confusion. "Get a grip. Remember why we're here. We are not looking for ice cream. We are here to get revenge."
"Revenge…is bad."
Mirage groaned. This was harder than she thought. She looked at her sister's gleeful eyes as the girl wrapped her in another hug.
"DREAMSTAR, STOP!" The girl stopped in mid hug. Pulling away from her sister, she stared at her.
"DreamStar?" Reverie asked. She smiled at her sister. "Oh, yeah. I know. I'm a sailor senshi. What. An. Honor!" Mirage grabbed the girl and stared deep into your eyes.
"Try and remember what the outer senshi did to us!" Mirage whispered, her voice pale. "Remember what they did. They tried to kill us and almost did. Remember the horrible tragedy. Remember!"
The light in Reverie's eyes began to fade, dimming into the cold, bitter dullness that had once been there. "The outer senshi," she snarled. Remembering what she had just done, she pounded her fist into the wall. "I can't believe I just did that. I have more important things to think about."
"Like, who's next," Mirage said, letting go of her sister. Reverie smiled.
"I know the perfect person with the planetary light." Raising her hands to the sky, Reverie shouted, "Hogoshi, come now!"
Ami and Minako burst into Usagi's room, where a figure lay sobbing on the bed, her back turned to the visitors. Kneeling next to her was her future daughter.
"Mama," Chibiusa whispered. Stroking her mom's hair, the girl whispered soft words. "It's not your fault. Please, Ikuko-mama, Kenji-papa, and Shingo-chan have tried every possible way to cheer you up. They don't even know what's wrong, mama!"
There was a muffled answer. Chibiusa turned toward the door and smiled at Ami and Minako. "Hey, guys. Maybe you'll have better luck then I had." With that, the little girl left the room.
"Usagi-chan, this is enough!" Minako declared. She plopped carelessly down on the bed. Her voice was firm, but soft. "You can't isolate yourself like this! Haruka-san is okay. I'm sure of it."
Usagi turned to Minako. Her blue eyes were shiny with tears and her face tear-stained. "It's my fault. I'm supposed to protect everyone. I couldn't even protect her!" With that, Usagi started crying again. But these weren't her regular bawling tears. These were the sincere, quiet tears.
"Haruka-san..." she whispered. Ami sat next to her, stroking the girl's blonde hair.
"It's all right," she said. "We protect you princess, remember? And you are to be kept safe because we love you. So, don't worry. We will find her. That's a promise, not a statement." Usagi slowly began to stop crying.
"Really and truly," Minako added. "You don't really need to worry about Haruka. If there's a problem, you know she's going to try every method to get out of it. Including some things that I'd like not to mention." Realizing this was true, Usagi began to giggle, but tried to muffle it.
"Is she laughing?" Minako asked, pulling the covers back. Usagi hid her mouth with her hand. "She is! All right!" Minako whipped Usagi out of bed and sat her up. "Now, we need to go to the Arcade."
"But, I don't have any money," Usagi said. Realizing what a tragedy this was, she began her regular crying. "No faaaaair!" Ami smiled gently.
"Oh, come on Usagi-chan," she said. Checking her pockets, there was a rattling noise. "We can get everyone to come."
"All right!" Usagi said and zoomed into her closet. Ami and Minako struggled not to laugh as piles of clothes began flying out.
Chibiusa walked into the room with her rabbit backpack on. "We're going to the arcade, right? You cured Usagi-chan, right? When are we leaving, soon?"
"Triple yes!" Usagi called from the closet as she walked out in a fresh black mini dress and a pink hooded sweatshirt. She rolled her sleeves up. "Now, let's go. I have some time to make up at the Crown."
There was a shuffle behind Usagi. Two older girls entered the room, silent. Ami and Minako smiled. "Reverie-chan! Mirage-chan!" Ami noticed with dismay that Reverie's eyes had lost their light.
Usagi stared at the two older girls. "Hi!" she said cheerfully. "We've met, Reverie-chan. Mirage-san, I'm Tsukino Usagi."
"Rabbit of the moon," Mirage whispered. Usagi nodded and they both shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Tsukino-san." Usagi stared at the girl before giggling.
"Call me Usagi-chan, please," she said, grabbing her two friends by the arms. Chibiusa ran out into the hallway, towards the phone.
"I'll call the others!"
"The others?" Reverie asked. She stared at Usagi with that same icy glance. "What others?"
"My friends!" Usagi replied, running down the hall, her two friends next to her. "I'll introduce you! Come on."
Mirage and Reverie nodded. There was little introducing with them.
Author's Note: Minako started calling herself Mina-P in the manga, I believe. Which is why she addressed herself as so (I don't understand it either.) Reverie's sugar-high was to demonstrate that not only was she the ditz of the two evil sailor senshi, but the fact that even bad guys have their weaknesses. It was around this point in the story that I liked Mirage, who is obviously the brains of the operation.
Am I the only one who gets a Cinderella feel with this? Hogoshi's evil step sisters…? Maybe it's just me…
Until the next episodes drops, I'm up!