Minako's New Rival. Strive for Victory!
Eight senshi worked their way silently up the winding staircase of the High Turret. When they reached the top, Sailor Spectrum sighed and said, "Well this is it. The High Turret is the highest point in all of the Golden Millennium. Look how much of our beautiful kingdom we can see from here." The princess gestured out towards the open air and their kingdom. "Not even Jupiter's Kingdom in its prime rivaled what we have now."
"We're up really high," Brown Sun whimpered, her long red-brown hair blowing every direction in the wind.
"Don't worry," Gray Sun, Brown Sun's partner, reassured her quietly, "You are perfectly safe up here."
"Are we ready, highness," Black Sun asked firmly.
"I suppose," Spectrum answered, taking one last look at the golden sky.
"Take your positions," Gold Sun ordered, her extremely short, layered, golden hair becoming nothing more than a nuisance in the high winds.
The eight senshi moved to their places on the outermost of the three circles engraved onto the floor of the High Turret. The smallest, innermost circle had only three points on it, for the three Royal Sun Senshi, Spectrum, Sunlight, and Sun. The middle circle of seven points was for the seven Sun Spectrum Senshi. Finally, the outermost circle, which they were using, was for the Sun Color Senshi. It had nine points. Each point was a small crystal star set into the floor that radiated the color of the senshi it represented. In the center of the High Turret sat a large crystal star inside a crystalline circle that shone a pure, bright light that was not one color or another.
Instead of taking her place at the innermost circle, the princess took her place between the two unoccupied points between Bronze Sun and Brown Sun on the outermost. Pink Sun was lost on Earth and Teal Sun had never been found after the Re-Awakening.
Spectrum shivered nervously. She hadn't used the power of the Sun Prism since the Re-Awakening and wasn't sure if she could.
"Can we go already, Highness?" Silver Sun asked impatiently.
She nodded and grabbed hands with the senshi on either side of her while the rest of her soldiers followed suit. Then she began summoning the power of the Sun Prism. "Spectrum Solar Power!" Princess Enogu yelled as a thin beam of multicolored light joined her tiara jewel to the Sun Prism.
The first to follow was Sailor Brown Sun, "Brown Sun Color Power!" A thin beam of black light joined her tiara jewel to the crystal in the center of their circle. The others followed in order around the circle.
"Gray Sun Color Power!"
"Black Sun Color Power!"
"White Sun Color Power!"
"Silver Sun Color Power!"
"Gold Sun Color Power!"
"Bronze Sun Color Power!"
Now eight beams of colored light shot outward from the Sun Prism and each of the eight senshi was glowing their respective color. Together all eight of them chorused, "Blast Off!"
A multicolored, spherical shield formed around them as they blasted into the air and towards the golden, burning atmosphere of the sun.
"Why are you so down, Artimis," Aino Minako asked the white cat energetically.
"It's that poster we saw," he sighed, slumping his shoulders as he walked. "My memories from the Silver Millennium are not totally back, but I know that I recognize that cat, Apollo. I'm not sure where from. It's on the verge of coming to me. I wish I knew."
"Don't be so hard on yourself!" Minako gave Artimis a hard pat on the back that sent him stumbling and laughed. "Right now all I want to worry about is getting back to school on time."
"You actually wanting to go to school at all?" Artimis commented skeptically.
"The volleyball tryouts are today, silly!" Minako exclaimed then went starry-eyed, "We haven't had any problems with major enemies for a long time. You know how much I've missed playing it. Now that I'm in senior high, I should join in!"
The blond giggled, grabbed Artimis, and ran off towards the school.
Minako scurried into the gym changed into her gym clothes. Despite her efforts, she was late. She skidded around the corner and right into another girl. The two went tumbling to the ground. The other girl was tall, thin, and beautiful with long, wavy, orange hair and a slightly darker orange bow tying it up in the back. She pushed Minako off of her and got up, dusting herself off and glaring harshly at Minako. She turned without a word and headed off to the center of the gym where the rest of the girls trying out for the team stood.
Minako stood up slowly and went to join the line. Gee that girl is stuck up! I've never seen her before. I wonder who she is. She must be rich.
The volleyball coach, Mrs. Yuugi, cleared her through and said sternly, "You two are late. What are your names?"
"Aino Minako."
"Omoino Kanami," the beautiful girl replied.
"Alright Kanami and Minako, since you were late you will also have to tell us what experience you have with volleyball," the coach continued.
"Well," Minako began, "I use to play volleyball every year, but I had to stop for three years."
"Good," Mrs. Yuugi nodded and jotted something down on her clip board. "Now, Kanami?"
"I just have played it a couple times with my friends and liked it," Kanami answered, brushing her hair over her shoulder gracefully.
"I see," the coach answered and wrote down some more. Then she turned to the whole group of girls. "Now that that's through, go and line up at that end of the court. I'll start lobbing balls to you as you rotate through the line."
The girls lined up at one end of the court and Mrs. Yuugi stood at the other end with a basket of volleyballs. "The first thing I want to see from all of you is a bump," she said and began hitting the balls across the net.
Each of the girls took their turn rushing up, bumping the ball over the net, and hurrying back to the line. All of them did well.
"Next the set!"
This time a few girls messed up.
"Now the spike!"
More girls missed, but both Minako and Kanami continued to do flawlessly.
For just playing a couple times with her friends that Kanami is awfully good. Minako hurried up to the net and cleanly spiked the ball.
Mrs. Yuugi collected the balls and had the girls line up again. "You six," she gestured to some of the girls and then to the court, "go on that side. You six, go on the other. The rest of you, go and sit on those benches over there. Those of you on the court, I'd like you to play a quick scrimmage; five minutes long. Then, you other twelve can play a game as well."
Both Minako and Kanami were in the group to sit on the benches. As the scrimmage began, Kanami sat down and Minako took a sat near her.
After a short while of watching the intense game, Minako turned to the beautiful orange-haired girl and asked, "Hey, Kanami, are you new to Juuban High?"
"Of course," she answered dismissively, "I am a freshman, and so are you. I'm just as new as you are, I'm sure."
"That's not what I meant!" Minako said defensively. The beautiful girl was definitely acting stuck up. "I mean, didn't you come to this school since the school year started?"
"Yes," she replied, "why do you ask?"
"Well, I didn't recognize you," Minako answered, "Out of curiosity, where are you from?"
"You shouldn't be so nosey," was Kanami's only answer. She turned away and continued to watch the game.
Minako sighed. She wasn't going to let this girl get on the team and not her.
The coach blew the whistle signaling the end of the first scrimmage. "You girls can have the bench now," she said, "You six there, go on that side. The other six can go on the other."
Minako, Kanami, and the other ten girls got up and went to their respective sides. Soon she found out that Kanami was on her team. She wouldn't be competing against her as she had hoped. She would have to work with her.
The whistle blew and the game started. The ball was volleyed back and forth before it finally came to Minako. She reached up to set it, but missed. She couldn't believe it. Her team was doing so well, and she was the one to ruin it for them!
An instant later, the ball came back over her head from behind her. She turned around. Kanami had bumped even after Minako had missed. The thin girl gave her s smug look that said, 'I know I'm better than you. You don't have to point it out.'
That girl never ceased to make Minako angry. She wasn't going to let anything like that happen again.
The game went on at a lightning pace with Minako giving it her all. Mistakes would be made and points scored, but never again did Minako miss. Not only was she playing flawlessly but so was Kanami. She had to somehow prove that she was better.
Seconds before the end of the game with the score tied, a girl on the other side spiked the ball right in front of Minako. She didn't have time to think. Not again! It'll be my fault that we loose! Before she could even try to make the awkward dive for it, Kanami had. She bumped it up high: high enough, in fact, for Minako to spike it. And that's exactly what she did. The ball struck the floor on the other side of the net with a loud smack and bounced away as Mrs. Yuugi blew the whistle.
"That's enough girls," she said then called the girls who had been sitting on the bench over to the court. "All of you did a very good job. I congratulate you. It will be difficult to choose only fifteen of you for the team. A list of those who made the team will be posted tomorrow outside of this gym. You may all go now."
As the girls headed out of the gym chatting with one another, the coach called out, "Minako! Kanami!"
The two girls paused and turned around.
"You two had some great teamwork in that scrimmage!" she said. "Are you two friends?"
Kanami raised an eyebrow and put forth an expression that said quite plainly, 'Friends?'
"Well, um... We just met today," Minako said tactfully.
"Oh," Mrs. Yuugi said, "At any rate, you two did exceptionally well."
"Thank you," the orange-haired girl replied politely and headed out of the gym.
Minako beamed and hurried out of the gym as well.
Minako pulled on her uniform and straightened her bow. Then she strolled back out of the locker room and headed outside. Artimis was waiting patiently in the bushes for her.
"So how did it go?" he asked, emerging from the bushes.
"Really well!" Minako answered enthusiastically as she continued walking. "Yuugi-san seemed to think I was good, but there was this girl..." Minako stopped short as she heard a scream coming from the parking lot. She took off at a sprint. It must be some of those Youma! I hope no one is seriously injured! She skidded to a stop as she reached the parking lot. Sure enough, there were six Youma surrounding the volleyball coach. She screamed again and one of the creatures blasted her with dark energy.
"Mina-chan!" Artimis urged.
Minako nodded and ducked behind a car and pulled out her henshin pen. "Venus Crystal Power, Makeup!"
From her place on top of a car Sailor Venus announced, pointing at the group of Youma, "Stop right there! Attacking an admired volleyball coach is something I cannot forgive! I'm Sailor Venus, and in the name of Beauty and Love, I'll punish you!"
All six of the creatures turned to look hungrily at her. Two let out blasts of dark energy in her direction. She leapt off the car and dodged them then attacked: "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Both disappeared with a moan. The others hesitated, not sure whether to attack or not.
"Impressive," a familiar voice said sarcastically. Minako whirled around to see another senshi, clad in two shades of orange and two shades of black. She had long, wavy, orange hair tied up in an orange bow. Her broach bore the sign of the Negamoon.
"Kanami!" Venus gasped quietly.
"Now watch a professional, Silver Senshi!" the orange senshi said and took up an attack stance. "Orange Solar Flare!" Orange light shot though the air and enveloped the four remaining Youma. They all disintegrated.
Sailor Venus gaped. This senshi was more powerful than she was. "You're—" she stuttered.
"Sailor Orange Sun of the Golden Millennium," she finished for Minako, smirking, "I know what you're thinking. Of course I'm better than you Aino-san. I always have been and always will be!"
Minako simply gaped, hurt.
"Take that back!" Artimis yelled charging at Orange Sun, claws ready.
"Not so fast kitty. Orange Solar Flare!" she directed her attack at Artimis.
"Artimis! No!" Venus yelled. She had see what that attack had done to four Youma. The soldier of love dove for her guardian cat and pushed him out of the way, taking the full blast of the attack herself. She screamed and moaned while her transformation reversed.
"Minako..." Artimis gasped quietly.
"That will teach you to mess with a Sun Spectrum Senshi!" Sailor Orange Sun said and strutted off chuckling to herself.
Once the orange senshi was gone, Artimis trotted up to the limp Venus and nudged her gently. "Minako?"
When she didn't answer, the white cat panicked, "Minako!"
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Setsuna standing near by, looking worried. "I'll take her to the nurses' office," she began, visibly concerned, "and I'll see what I can do to help her. She'll recover, but I'm not sure how soon. I should probably take Yuugi-san as well. She looks like she's been hurt as well."
Artimis nodded, wanting to cry.
Setsuna picked up Minako and carried her off towards the school.