Mercury's Troubles. The Battle of Minds!
Ami sighed as she walked down the street, book bag in one hand swinging carelessly. She had just finished her schoolwork for the weekend and had nothing to do. She did not really want to return home yet.
Like the rest of the Sailor Senshi, she was slightly depressed. Minako was recovering and had been returned to her home to rest, but she was in no condition to battle yet. Sailor Venus' defeat and the apparent power of the Sun Senshi was hitting all of them hard.
"I suppose I could stop by school and see how my scores on that last test came out. They should be up by now. And maybe the volleyball team listing will be up as well..." the blue-haired girl mused quietly to herself. Acting on that thought, she headed off towards Juuban High.
"A tie!" she exclaimed quietly as she looked at the standings. Someone by the name of Mame Bengosha had also gotten a score of 100. She hadn't seen anything like this for a long time...
A shadow moved across the announcements board and a low female voice spoke from behind her, "So you're Mizuno Ami, I presume. I see that our scores tied, not surprising at all. I would expect my counterpart to be at least close to as intelligent as myself."
Ami turned around slowly, mouth hanging untactfully open. "Mame Bengosha?" she asked quietly as she surveyed the girl. Bengosha was a full head and a half taller than Ami and had intelligent looking sapphire eyes and boyishly short hair the same color. It was tied into a thin, curling ponytail at the nape of her neck, the ponytail being no longer than her hand. For no apparent reason, she had a large, light blue bow in her hair on the top of her head. She had a very thin, yet strong build, making her look very dangerous. The scowl on her face looked fixed there. She, like Ami, was wearing the Juuban uniform of navy and red.
Bengosha shrugged indifferently and sauntered over to another part of board and ran her fingers up and down a list with 'Volleyball Team Standings' written in bright letters across the top. "Ah," she said as she examined it, "It looks like both your friend and mine received top slots on the team. Too bad that Aino girl is out of action, and will be for quite a while yet. It is also too bad that they will never work together. Not ever." She turned and finally made eye-contact with Ami, her eyes filled with contempt. Her last phrase cut right through to Ami's heart.
"You're the one who attacked Jupiter!" the smaller girl said accusingly, her anger building.
"Not without her deserving it," she said indifferently, not yet breaking her angry gaze.
"You and your senshi need to stop hurting my friends!" Ami exclaimed, clenching her fists.
"The first offense was no ours!" Bengosha declared angrily, taking one step forward.
"It doesn't matter who started it! I just want to end it!" Ami yelled back, taking a defiant step forward as well.
"I'd like to see you try!" Bengosha challenged her back, advancing yet another step.
"Trust me, I will!" Ami retorted, her transformation pen appearing in her hand. "Mercury Crystal Power, Makeup!"
"I'll take that challenge!" Bengosha retorted, pulling a blue crystal heart from the bow in her hair. "Blue Sun Spectrum Power, Makeup!"
Dual flashes of blue surrounded the girls, when they came out of their transformations the two senshi continued to glare angrily at one another.
Sailor Blue Sun was the first to make her move. "Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"
Sailor Mercury shrieked in pain as the blue light hit her and sent her flying into a nearby wall. She shakily pulled herself back to her feet. "Don't think I can be defeated that easily!" she declared proudly, but was breathing hard. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
Sailor Blue Sun was caught off guard and took the attack full force. She stumbled backwards and cursed, glaring hard at her opponent. "I'll say the same to you!" the blue senshi said, her sapphire eyes filled with rage. "Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"
Mercury was prepared this time, and dodged the blast of light as Blue Sun cursed.
As she caught her balance, Sailor Mercury caught a glimpse of a cluster of youma creeping across the schoolyard.
"Youma!" she exclaimed and sped off for the door to stop them.
Sailor Blue Sun held her ground and fumed. "Coward!" she screamed after Sailor Mercury as she ran away.
Mercury ducked out the door and sighed in relief. She might have eleven youma to deal with, but at least Sailor Blue Sun had not followed her. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" she yelled, pouring her energy into the attack to destroy as many of the evil creatures as possible. Seven of them disappeared shrieking. "Alright!" she exclaimed happily, "Now here goes another. Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" The remaining five disappeared this time.
Sailor Mercury considered going back to face her Golden Counterpart, but quickly decided against it. Instead, she untransformed and headed home.
"I can't stand this fighting!" a small, sickly girl whimpered. She had two pointy blond buns on either side of her head and pigtails that looped back up into them while her outfit was unremarkable. "I know you all say it is avenging me, but sooner or later, one of you will get hurt. They Silver Moon Senshi are not as weak as you believe."
"It is necessary for us to fight!" Sailor Pink Sun, who was standing near her, declared, "We must secure this area for us to stay safely in and teach the people here that we are not to be trifled with. Besides, I will not let you to command no confrontations while Red Sun has not yet met her counterpart."
"True," the girl responded and sighed.
Just then a rather ragged looking Sailor Blue Sun burst through the doors and marched up to the chair that the young girl had been using as a throne. She knelt to one knee and began. "Princess Aiji," she addressed her princess formally, then started right into her story with vehemence, "I have just returned from a violent confrontation with my counterpart, Sailor Mercury. We spoke for a short while before she transformed and demanded a duel. In which she hurt me badly and then fled after she had gotten a blow in. Coward, I say! These senshi here do not have peaceful intentions! I request a petition for Sailor War."
The young princess paled and nodded. "Pink Sun," she began quietly, "Poll my soldiers and we shall see how the votes fall."
Sailor Pink Sun's salmon-colored eyes wend blank and out of focus for almost a minute. When they returned to focus, she announced the totals, "Including myself, six say yes, one is undecided, and a final one says no. The votes have fallen in favor of the idea. Although, Sailor Red Sun requests that you do not put it into effect until she has met with Sailor Mars."
"Traitors!" Blue Sun cursed quietly.
"I declare that we are now under the conditions of Sailor War with the Silver Moon Senshi as soon as Red Sun returns," the sun princess declared with a certain tone of uncertainty in her voice.
Blue Sun looked rather pleased. "Thank you, Highness," she said and stood up to go just as Aiji curled up in a fit of coughing.
"Princess!" Pink Sun exclaimed and immediately went to her aid.