2 – New Friends, New Opponents, New Pets.
"Here we go, you're going to love her!" Mina grinned as she led Serena, Amy, Lita and Luna up the Risoltos' path the very next day.
"From what you've said, I think we will." Amy smiled back at her excited friend as she pressed the doorbell. Miaka was the one who answered.
"Well good morning Mina, back again? Aren't you getting fed up with us yet?" she asked in a teasing manner; Mina laughed heartily.
"Not one bit, I thought I'd bring over a few of my friends." she smiled.
"Hello Mrs Risolto, I'm Serena, and this is my cat Luna!" Serena pushed in front of Mina and took her hands. "I hope you're settling in well!" Miaka chuckled merrily.
"Nice to meet you Serena, you're a lively one! Anyway please call me Miaka - all of you."
"Hello Miaka, I'm Lita." Lita smiled, "And this is Amy."
"Good morning." Amy murmured shyly.
"Lita and Amy, well you all have lovely names." Miaka smiled. "Please come on in, Alexia's in the basement."
"Thanks, how do we get to there?" Mina asked as they walked in.
"Oooh your house is pretty!" Serena exclaimed.
"I'm glad you think so Serena, it'd be a great deal prettier if there weren't so many boxes!" Miaka laughed, opening a door. As soon as she did beautiful piano music floated out of the room. "Now just go down these stairs and you'll find her!"
"Thanks Miaka, see you later!" Mina smiled, and led the way down.
"What a nice lady!" Amy exclaimed.
"Yeah, I'd like a mother like her." Lita agreed rather quietly.
"I bet she can be strict though, she reminds me of my mom…" Serena shuddered. "She probably moans about homework and not getting up for schoooo…" she froze, and her eyes started to shine. "Ooooh!" she'd spotted Alexia at the bottom of the stairs, executing a perfect arabesque.
"Wow!" Lita and Amy exclaimed. The girl stopped and looked up at the girls in surprise, at last she noticed Mina.
"Oh hey! Come down!" she gestured for them all to join her as she switched the music off.
"I brought some friends to meet you - Alexia this is Serena, Lita and Amy. You guys this is Alexia Risolto."
"Hello, nice to meet you. Oh, Mina, you haven't introduced Luna!" Serena indicated the black cat perched on her shoulder.
"Oh, another cat! Hello Luna!" Alexia scratched Luna behind the ears, and just as Artemis had she began to purr. "Heeey, she has the same mark on her head as Artemis!" Mina felt a rock drop into her stomach as she exchanged glances with her friends.
"Oh, um, that's because Luna is Artemis's…sister! Yeah that's it they're siblings!" Mina giggled, sweatdropping.
"Oh right, that explains it." Alexia smiled.
"That move you did, balancing on your tip-toe like that…it was incredible!" Lita exclaimed.
"Oh thanks, it takes a lot of practising and training."
"I hear you've been practising ballet since you were three? That's a terribly long time." Amy said softly; Alexia nodded.
"Yep, that's right."
"Oh, and could I ask? Your surname is very unusual - where does it originate from?" the blue-haired girl inquired.
"It's Italian for resolved, my parents say it suits me because I can be pretty determined at times!" she laughed. "My father's Italian you see, his parents divorced and he moved out here with his dad when he got a job."
"I see, thank you for explaining." Amy smiled.
"So do you still have relatives in Italy then?" Serena asked excitedly.
"Yup, we go out there every summer to stop with my aunt and uncle - all my relatives live really close together so we have huge parties, it's so much fun." she said dreamily.
"Cool, so do you know a lot of Italian?" Lita inquired. "And are the guys all really as cute as they are on TV?" Alexia giggled.
"Yes they are, definitely." she smiled. "And I'm almost fluent in Italian actually."
"Ooooh…" all of the other girls sighed in awe.
"Anyway, I'm done down here, why don't we go up?" she grabbed the towel which was lying next to the CD player and put it around her neck. Just as they were about to walk up the stairs Miaka stuck her head around the door:
"Alexia honey? Snuggles needs some more water, just thought I'd let you know." she called to her daughter.
"Oh, thanks mom I'll get onto it right away." Alexia called back.
"Snuggles?" Serena inquired.
"My rabbit, c'mon, I'll show you." they all headed from the basement to the back garden. Against the wall of the house was a hutch, containing the white and grey rabbit.
"Oh, how cute!" Serena gushed. "Hello, bunny!"
"Good morning Snuggles, are you feeling thirsty?" Alexia asked sweetly as she took the water bottle off of the hutch and took it inside to fill.
"Well?" Mina quickly whispered to the others.
"She's sooo cool!" Serena squealed excitedly under her breath.
"She seems like a very pleasant person Mina, I think she will become a good friend of ours." Amy agreed in her own way.
"Yeah." Lita added.
"Luna?" Mina looked at the cat curiously.
"What? Oh Alexia? Yes she appears to be…a very charming girl indeed." she said distantly. "I've got to go and meet Artemis now, goodbye." she leapt from Serena's arms and bounded off.
"Weird, Artemis never mentioned a meeting!" Mina exclaimed, then hushed herself as Alexia reappeared.
"There you go Snugs!" she announced, and the rabbit stuck its twitching nose through the bars and sniffled. "Hey you know mom she seems to have got used to her new surroundings already, she looks a lot happier today." Miaka laughed as she looked at them through the open window.
"Oh Alexia, the way you talk about those pets of yours anyone would think they could talk or something!"
"I wish mom, wouldn't it be cool? Don't you guys agree, wouldn't it be great if say Luna or Artemis could talk?" Alexia questioned innocently.
"Uhh…yeeeah…hehehe." Mina and Serena giggled in unison, sweatdropping.
If only she knew! they both thought. All of a sudden Amy gasped, and clutched her wrist as her communicator went off.
"What's that?" Alexia inquired.
"Oh it's my wrist-watch's alarm - it's going off to remind me that we all have to be at the temple to help Rei right now!" Amy exclaimed.
"Oh my goodness, I'd forgotten!" Mina smacked her hand against her forehead. "I can't believe we have to cut this short again! So sorry Alexia, some day we'll have to take you with us to meet Rei - she's a real-life Miko! She's psychic too! See you later!"
"Bye Alexia, it's been soooo great to meet ya! I'll come visit soon!" Serena grinned.
"Yeah me too!" Lita waved.
"It was a pleasure." Amy bowed before she departed.
"Bye everyone…" Alexia sighed. "They're so lucky, having places to go." she sat on the grass and her mother came to sit next to her.
"Oh honey, you'll be just like that soon! You start your new school in two days time! There'll be lots of girls your age there!"
"Mmmhmm, I'm fine mom, just a little homesick, I guess." she looked up. "Is it alright if I go and phone Manami?"
"Sure." Miaka smiled sympathetically. "Take as long as you want as well."
"Gosh, thanks." she kissed her mother on the cheek and skipped inside.
x x x x x
Meanwhile the girls were stood in front of Mina's, answering the communication from Rei.
"I felt a strange presence near where you guys were, I don't think it's from the Negaverse but it's certainly not from this world." she explained.
"Right, I'll check it out on my computer and get back to you if I find anything." Amy told her.
"Okay, see you guys later." Rei nodded and signed off.
"You mean we didn't really have to go help Rei?!" Serena gasped. "We lied to Alexia!"
"Well we couldn't exactly say we had Scout duty, could we?" Lita remarked.
"Oh…yeah." Serena giggled bashfully. "Good point!"
"I've got it!" Amy exclaimed as she tapped away on her pocket-sized computer. "Follow me!"
"Right." the others nodded and they ran after the Mercurian.
x x x x x
"Do we ever get a break?" Serena groaned as they reached their destination. "We've had what, one day off and we're back on the job already?"
"Yup, nothing like being a Champion of Justice, hey?" Mina teased as they looked on. The Venusian couldn't help but think it looked like a giant polar bear crossed with some kind of wild cat; with its shaggy white fur, a long tail which waved around violently, cat-like green eyes and huge powerful paws with claws that looked as if they could scratch a diamond with the slightest of touches. At that moment it was stalking round like a tiger hunting an antelope and roaring threateningly at the swerving cars below it. "Anyway, what are we waiting for?"
"Mercury Star Power - Make Up!"
"Jupiter Star Power - Make Up!"
"Venus Star Power - Make Up!"
"Moon Crystal Power - Make Up!"
The four Scouts took to their positions as their 'fearless' leader started to talk:
"Hey, you over there! How dare you disturb a Sailor Scout's break! I am Sailor Moon - and thanks to you I'm not in a good mood!"
"And I am Sailor Mercury-"
"Sailor Jupiter-"
"Sailor Venus-"
"And on behalf of our planets - you're punished!" the three others called out together. The creature had just caught a car under one of its mighty paws and was taking pleasure in letting it go for a moment then catching it again like a cat with a mouse when its incredible hearing made out the yells of the Scouts, which were merely squeaks to it. Finally letting its plaything escape it turned to look at the girls and roared again, except this time it sounded more like laughter.
"Grrrrrawwmaaath!" it announced, Grawmath being its name, then fired a huge energy blast at them, sending them scattering.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I certainly don't plan on sticking round here for long." Sailor Jupiter yelled at her friends over the loud sound of flames coming from a blazing car near her. "Jupiter Thunder!" She shot back, however all the electric charge did was get absorbed into the long fur of the monster. Grawmath let out what sounded like a contented sigh as it felt its power be recharged.
"Dammit, Venus Love Chain - Encircle!" Venus was up next, this time slightly more effective as the golden hearts wrapped around Grawmath's middle, causing it to rear up on its hind legs.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury joined in and soon the white furred creature was imprisoned in ice as well as the chain of golden hearts.
"Wow, looks like I'm not needed here!" Sailor Mars teased as she came running up.
"Don't be too sure…" Amy murmured, just as Grawmath broke free.
"Graaaaamaaaaaath!" it hisseed angrily as its dishevelled fur suddenly stood on end like a frightened cat's and crackled with the charge that Jupiter had given it. In an instant it ducked its head down beneath its front paws, and fur shot at the girls like needles, one of which scraped past Sailor Moon's arm, cutting her flesh slightly.
"Owww!" she cried out.
"Mars Celestial Fire - Surround!" Mars took her chance as the monster stood half snarling, half laughing at Sailor Moon's pain. Grawmath yet again raised up on its back legs and howled like a wolf as the flames singed its fur, letting off a foul stench. That was all the blonde leader of the Sailor Scouts needed.
"Moon Sceptre Activation!" she called, and soon their adversary was nothing but dust.
"Hmmm, that was kind of…dissatisfying." Jupiter remarked, folding her arms.
"Well not all fights can be as exciting as the ones we've had recently." Venus replied.
"Hey do you guys wanna come back to the temple to help out? We've been rushed off our feet this morning." Rei asked as she changed back.
"Hey sure, sounds like fun." Mina grinned.
"Awww, do I have to?" Serena moaned.
"Come on Serena, it'll only be for a couple of hours, right Rei?" Amy inquired.
"Yup, then we can go for ice cream…"
"Ice cream? Did you say ice cream? Count me in!" Serena's feelings changed in record time.
"Heh, works like a charm." the black-haired girl murmured under her breath.
All the while this had been happening a figure had been stood nearby.
"See? It's already beginning Estrella." Pluto murmured to the kitten in her arms.
"But…" Estrella was about to reply.
"But nothing Estrella." she looked down at her with the usual firm look in her eyes. "I rescued you and Charon in your time of need, think of it as returning the favour," the Plutonian paused. "Anyway, whatever would Queen Serenity think? One of her trusted advisors being so aloof?" the kitten looked towards the ground.
"You're right…alright, let's go." she murmured meekly.
"That's more like it." with that Pluto turned on her heel and walked away.
x x x x x
"Anyway, I'd better let you go Manni - I'll talk to you again soon alright?" Alexia twisted the phone cord around her fingers as she sat on the bottom step. "Sure thing, you too. Bye." she hung up and sighed.
"Nice chat sweetie?" Miaka walked over as her daughter got to her feet.
"Yeah, Manami's doing just fine by the sound of things." she smiled. "She's lucky, she still has all her friends out there, and I have no one…" she started to sniffle, then suddenly broke down. "Mom I miss Kyoto! I miss our old house, the garden, Manami and my other friends…I even miss my teachers! Why did dad have to get this stupid job? We were happy enough there!" her mother sat next to her on the step and wrapped her arms around her.
"Oh Al, you have to understand. Sometimes there's nothing anyone can do! How do you think we felt, it wasn't an easy choice for us as well you know? And what about your father, he had to move countries as a boy!"
"I…know." she hiccupped. "I'm sorry, I'm being selfish…"
"Not at all honey, anyway you shouldn't be sad! You've only been here a day and already you've made friends! Mina and the other girls seem extremely genuine and I can feel you're all going to be great friends!" Miaka grinned.
"Really?" Alexia asked hopefully.
"Oh, definitely!" her mother laughed just as the doorbell rang. "Oh I wonder who that could be?" she got to her feet and opened the door. "Oh my goodness! Trista!" the woman exclaimed at the green-haired Plutonian stood on her doorstep.
"Hello, Aunt Miaka." Trista smiled, hugging Miaka with her free arm (the other, of course, was still holding Estrella who at that moment was trying to scratch the young woman, having had a sudden change of heart.)
"Trista? Cousin Trista's here?" Alexia's face suddenly lit up as she leapt to her feet to hug her cousin.
"Well you told me to come and visit when I wanted." Trista smiled. "So I thought I'd drop by and also give you a welcome present Alexia." she held Estrella out to her. "You always said you wanted a cat of your own."
"Oooh! It's just like the cat I saw outside here yesterday!" Alexia squealed. "Oh he's lovely!"
"She, actually." Trista smiled. "And she's all yours - that's if it's alright with your mom…"
"Yes, of course it is." Miaka said, rather distantly actually.
"Yes! Oh what shall I call you?" Alexia looked down at the nervous kitten in her arms. "Oh yes I know, because you're orange why don't we call you Marmalade? Yes I like that!" Trista laughed, especially when she noticed Estrella's dismay at her new name. "Oh I'm so happy! Wait 'til I tell Mina about you!"
"I'm sorry it's such a short visit, but I'm afraid I've got to go now - look after her for me cousin, she's very special." Trista winked and opened the door.
"Oh come and visit us again soon!" Miaka exclaimed. "You'll have to stop by for dinner when we're unpacked properly!"
"Bye Trista, and thanks so much for the gift!" Alexia beamed, waving.
"It was my pleasure." with that Trista closed the door behind her.
"Well, that was nice of her!" Alexia's mother smiled, looking at her daughter as she held the kitten up in front of her face and gazed into her emerald-green eyes.
"Yes…" the girl murmured. There's something about you kitty, something unusual… she thought to herself. The sparkle in your eyes, it's so vibrant… Meanwhile the kitten was trying desperately not to let her emotions take her over.
I won't speak out…I can't speak out…and I surely can't call you by your real name! she thought with a slight panic. Oh I do wish you could remember me, or at least have given me a better name!
x x x x x
"Quickly! This way!" Alexia found herself in what she could only describe as a war zone, following a girl with long blonde hair and three others away from a falling column.
"Wait! Queen Serenity's still in there!" one of the other girls, who had short, blue hair, exclaimed.
"Mercury's right, we can't leave her!" another one, this time with a long brown ponytail, declared. They suddenly stopped running when they realised one of their number had stopped and was looking back. Alexia was staring back at the ruined palace they had just run from.
"Charon? What's wrong?" The black-haired girl, who was also with the group, inquired as she walked up to her. Alexia (or was her name Charon?) turned to look at her, determined that no one was going to stop her from doing what she was about to do.
"Estrella, Luna and Artemis are there too. I have to go back, we can't just leave them behind!" she announced and ran back towards the building.
"Charon!" the others yelled after her.
She was oblivious to their yells as she entered the destroyed entrance hall of the once magnificent palace.
"Your Majesty! Estrella, Luna, Artemis!" she called out, but she was worried that her voice had been drowned out by the sounds of explosions and falling marble that surrounded her.
"Charon!" her heart leapt as a familiar voice shouted back to her and she felt something collide against her foot. She looked down to face an orange kitten, who must've skidded across the floor to her. A golden crescent moon shone on the cat's forehead and her green eyes were full of anxiety.
"Estrella!" Charon exclaimed, full of relief. "Where are Queen Serenity, Luna and Artemis?"
"They're safe! Come on, it's too dangerous here!" the kitten informed her quickly, before starting back for the exit with the girl.
"Not so fast, Princess…" a voice hissed suddenly from behind them. Turning around once again Charon came to face with a woman.
She was clad in a black leotard and red, knee-length boots. Gold bangles sparkled on her upper arms and a strange lens, made of blue glass, covered one of her eyes. Her white and red hair sprouted from the middle of her head and fell down the right side of her face.
Charon knew immediately who she must be.
One of the Dark Queen's Seven Shadows.
The warrioress from the Negaverse bared her teeth in a triumphant grin as she attempted to stare down Charon."Take in what is left of your precious home…for this shall be your last memory of it!" she let out a laugh as she sent forth a barrage of gold-coloured capsules.
"No, you shall not win!" Charon yelled back at her, raising her hands above her head "Charon Psy-Wave!" Charon spread her arms out in front of her as she called all the name of her attack and felt a warmth against her forehead as a beam of energy shot towards the capsules. As the two attacks combined there was a huge reaction. Charon covered her eyes and yelled out as the light became pure white and she felt like the sound of the huge blast shattered her eardrums.
Then, everything was black…
…"Woah!" Alexia sat up in her bed and gasped for breath. "What was that??" she looked out through her bedroom window - it was a full moon that evening. "That was such a strange dream…those girls looked really familiar to me, like I met them a long time ago…but I can't think where I met them. And I mentioned Luna, Artemis and…" her pale eyes drifted to gaze at the kitten, fast asleep on the foot of her bed. "Marmie? But her name was something else…" she scratched her head. "Strange, I can't actually remember what it was! And now I come to think about it I had a different name, too…And then there was the other person I mentioned, Queen Serenity, now that's a pretty name!" she snuggled back under her covers and sighed blissfully as she closed her eyes. "Oh well, it was only a dream, kinda scary but still, just a dream…"