"I'm LAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEE!" Usagi screamed running at Mach 5 towards Jubaan High.
"Usagi! I thought that after all you've been through you'd at least become a little more responsible!" A black cat with a crescent moon mark on its brow said as she ran after her.
Usagi, ignoring her, pumped up her speed to Mach 7, which of course Luna couldn't catch up to. She sighed as she saw Usagi ran and turn right, almost bowling over an elder couple and lost sight of her. Luna smiled slightly as she walked back past a small dead-end street. After everything that had happened, it seemed all was back to normal, except that maybe there wouldn't be any more enemies for a while, it made her feel much better to see Usagi taking it as well as she had.
On the dead-end Luna had just passed by, some rats were digging into the trashcans while others fought for scraps of almost anything imaginable they could find.
A sudden, popping sound, followed by sizzling startled them and on the cement wall, directly in front of the street a long claw came out of the solid wall and slowly slid down opening a tear on it. Strangely, the wall didn't show any signs of being damaged as the claw descended from its point of origin to the ground, as if it were a piece of paper being cut with a sharp blade.
The tear in reality revealed an infinity of stars and novas floating in the dark blue empty space.
The claw pulled back and a humanoid creature passed through. Its features were obscured by the shadows. Looking back at the disappearing tear on wall, the creature smiled, revealing rows and rows of white pointed fangs.
By now all the rats were gone.
Masks & Dragons
Chapter 1
"The New Student ... A New Enemy"
By Wanderer D
Usagi did arrive late, despite her inhuman efforts to the contrary, and as she stood outside her classroom gloomily and cursing her luck, she noticed a boy standing outside of Ami and Makoto's classroom.
She hadn't seen him before, and he obviously wasn't Japanese. She was about to talk to him, when he was called inside.
Usagi sighed, prepared for another day alone in the hallway. At that moment she noticed Minako puffing as she ran up the stairs, still to get to class… and smiled.
---
Ami and Makoto looked at the new student as he was introduced by the teacher as Nathaniel Hunter. He had blondish hair and blue eyes, he was tall, but that was normal, being a foreigner. Still, if she didn't know better Ami would've sworn that the name was made up... she also half expected to hear an obvious accent from the boy, so she was quite surprised (as were many others) when he spoke almost perfectly, his accent barely noticeable. Nathan nodded shyly after the teacher told him to tell the class a little about himself.
"Uh, hi. Well, um, well... I..." he stammered.
"Tell us what you like to do." The teacher prompted. "Any hobbies?"
"Well, I like playing the guitar, I like to read, write music and also to cook." He said, as the teacher nodded.
One of the girls close to Ami asked; "Why did you come here to Japan?"
"Well, my aunt has lived here in Japan for close to thirty years now. I had been staying with my grandfather in the States, but he passed away last year." Nathan explained, the smile fading a little.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl said.
Makoto sympathized. She knew that the death of a loved one was a terrible thing to have to live through. At least he still had his aunt.
Nathan shook his head. "Nah, it's alright. In the end, my aunt agreed to help me out if I came here, so she got me an apartment in the building she lives in and enrolled me into school. She's very busy, but she really cares for me. We used to visit her a couple of times each year."
The girl nodded and the teacher decided that it was time to get on with the class. He pointed to the empty seat next to Makoto's and as soon as Nathan was seated started the class.
Makoto couldn't help comparing him to her old sempai.
---
During the lunch break all the girls gathered under one of the trees in the garden and started talking and sharing lunch with Usagi, who had forgotten hers.
While she devoured the offered food, Usagi asked Ami something.
"Excuse me?" Ami asked, eyeing Usagi's food-full mouth. Usagi gulped down everything. "I said: who was that guy I saw standing in front of your classroom this morning?"
"Oh, that was Nathaniel Hunter, a new student who just moved in from the US." Amy answered.
"Oh, and, did you find anything about him?" Usagi asked, interested. They didn't know many people from the states and Mamoru was considering going there as soon as the new terms started.
"Not much... Makoto, where are you going?" Ami asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.
"I'm going to see how Nathaniel's doing..." Makoto answered, picking up her lunch.
"Where is he, anyway?" Asked Minako looking around curiously. "I'm the only one who hasn't seen him yet!!"
"Up there," Makoto pointed at the school's roof. "I saw him going up the stairs."
When Makoto finally arrived at the roof, she found Nathaniel seated on the floor, back against the wall and looking at the sky. He turned his head in her direction and rose and eyebrow.
'Second time in a day I get an upraised eyebrow.' Makoto thought as she walked to sit next to him.
---
Usagi, Ami and Minako looked up at Makoto as she talked with the new student. The two were standing next to the fence and apparently looking at the distant buildings.
Ami had told the others what Nathaniel had said and, even muttering under her breath that the name sounded made up, but who understood occidentals anyway?
Usagi, as always, had been close to tears upon hearing of the death of his grandfather. "It must be so hard to lose someone like that!" she said with a sniff.
Minako nodded her head sadly.
---
"So, you like playing the guitar, huh?" Makoto asked, glancing at her companion.
"Yeah, I tried playing other instruments too, but the only one I have managed to get the hang of is guitar."
"You also said you could cook, Nathaniel." He blushed slightly. "Call me Nathan, please. That's how my friends call me, and honestly, I like it better."
"Sure. Nathan-kun" Makoto said with a happy nod.
"Just Nathan..." He said, smiling "Anyway, I find that cooking is quite an experience. I especially like cooking for my friends, it's nice to see them liking it... or at least pretending to."
"Hey, I like cooking too!" Makoto said. "Maybe we should get together someday to exchange recipes."
"I'd like that," he smiled again, but Makoto could see that his smile didn't really reach his eyes, they were sad.
They kept on talking about everything and nothing for the reminder of the lunch break and then had to run down to class.
---
The gibbous moon shone amongst the stars with only a few of the latter barely visible with the flare of the lights of Tokyo, but for the few couples walking together in the park the skies above gave the place a romantic and ephemeral feeling that they could bask on and lose themselves in.
One of the couples, a young man and his golden haired companion, were particularly lost in the moon gazing, remembering, perhaps, past lives and experiences.
On one of the small clear areas of the park, a figure stepped into the light of the moon. It was humanoid in the general form. It stood seven feet high, with a reptilian head… leathery wings stretched a little with unconscious fluidity. Its hands ended in sharp claws and all its body was covered in green scales, darkened by the lack of light.
Its white fangs almost gleamed as the creature's eyes flared red and he spoke in a whispered and ancient tongue, drawing glowing symbols in the air with an almost commanding tone.
When it finished speaking nothing seemed to happen for a moment. Then, slowly and without making a sound, the leaf-covered ground around him shuddered and seemed to flow upwards. Grass, leaves, dirt, and all earth went up without falling -without making any noise besides the rustle of dried leaves- until it formed four creatures that looked humanoid from the waist up, while underneath, everything else was a mass of moving earth.
They slowly seemed to flow towards different directions. They did not leave any mark of their passing. To the observing creature it seemed as if something was moving under a carpet, never disturbing the top of it, but its form clearly visible.
The winged creature stood for a moment in the same place and then jumped up spreading wings twice its height in length and started flying over the park.
---
Usagi, walked with Mamoru through the park. Their arms entwined, their gazes lost in a limbo of memories and enjoyment of the moment when suddenly, they heard a scream.
---
A young couple staring in horror and backing away from the earth creature as it flowed towards them.
It suddenly stopped where it was and it seemed that all its flowing motions stopped completely for a full second before they began anew. One moment it was covered with grass and leaves and the next it was dark soil, it continued to flow inside out where it was as the couple tried to turn and run.
The girl screamed again when she saw another of the creatures moving towards them, followed by two more.
Turning around yet again, the desperation evident in their faces, they bumped into yet another creature.
Falling backwards, they stared at the green creature with wings and a long fang filled snout as it smiled cruelly at them.
"You are young, a pity that your life will end so quickly." It said, showing the paralyzed couple a claw that gleamed in the moonlight. "You have seen what you shouldn't have. I could erase your memories, but this is much more easy."
It raised its claw to strike, the slow movement followed by the horrified eyes of the couple.
"Stop!" a voice ordered.
The creature turned around to glare at the idiot who would dare try to stop him.
Eternal Sailor Moon stood silhouetted against the gibbous moon. "How dare you threaten a young couple in their moment of intimacy! That cannot be forgiven! I was having so much fun! I am Sailor Moon and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"
The creature stood mutely, its smile was gone and a huge sweat drop ran down its brow. There was a small sound and it turned around. There, on the other side, standing on a lamppost was Tuxedo Mask. Tux held a red rose in his right hand, bringing it up to his nose as he spoke.
"Love is one of the most beaurk!" His tirade was stopped suddenly. The winged creature held him up by the throat, and threw him to the ground. Tuxedo Mask hit the ground unceremoniously. With a cry, Sailor Moon jumped down next to him. The young couple took the chance and ran away,
"Tuxedo Mask!!" Sailor Moon wailed. She was relieved when he groaned and looked at her.
"Damn, he's fast!" he muttered.
The creature looked at its creations as they dug into the ground.
"This is taking too long!" it snarled. "Take care of this pair of idiots!"
Sailor Moon helped Tuxedo Mask up as the four creatures moved towards them.
They jumped away when the first of the creatures attacked.
With the rest of its body moving slowly, it pulled back and with a sudden jerk, sent an incredibly long arm flying towards them at a great speed. The other creatures did the same and soon Tux and Moon were busily trying to avoid earth-made blades, maces and spiked balls.
The leader and creator of the creatures stood hovering over the large hole its servants had made. He put his hands in front of him and fired a blue blast at the hole. The earth trembled.
Tuxedo Mask jumped back with a spin and threw five roses at one of his antagonists.
The roses embedded themselves in the creature. Then they started to grow.
Tuxedo Mask flinched slightly. "Uh oh…" he said as all the creature was covered in rose foliage. It continued attacking Tux and the prince was barely able to avoid the attacks. Soon his cape was completely shredded by the thorns he had unwittingly given to the creature.
He gasped in surprise. Then he heard laughter.
"How stupid can you be? Throwing flowers at an Earth Elemental!? That's a first!" The leader had spoken to him, never taking its eyes from the hole as it blasted into the earth.
"Yes, it is a first, but it is within human nature to learn from its mistakes." Said a new voice.
There was a silver flash and the sound of a moving cape, and Tuxedo Mask's attacker was blown to pieces.
Tux landed from his last jump a few feet away and looked at his savior.
He was covered from head to tow with a silver armor; a silver mask covered his face revealing only blue eyes, his head was covered with a silver helm that closely resembled the enemy's draconian head. A black cape that reached his ankles was held from under the shoulder guards and he held katana that shone a little too brightly in the light of the moon.
The winged creature stopped blasting at the hole and glared at the intruder. "Who are you and what do you want?" it asked with a threatening growl.
"I'm known as Mask! As for what I want Jade... that would be your head... and the thing you're looking for." The armored man answered.
"I don't know how you know my name, human. But you're going to find out that my head will stay where it is. As contrary to yours!" Jade then dived towards Mask while the latter glanced back at Tux.
"Try to feel the center of the elemental's power! Attack there! Disrupt the spell!" he said quickly.
He was thrown back by Jade as the creature slammed into him dragging him to a sudden stop against a tree, his feet leaving a parallel trail in the soft grass.
Tuxedo Mask transformed into Prince Endymion and pulled out his sword. He noticed that the Inner Senshi had arrived to help Sailor Moon and were already fighting the remaining three creatures.
"Mercury!" he shouted as he ran towards one of the elementals, "Find the origin of power in each creature and destroy it!" Sailor Mercury nodded and activated her computer.
Endymion concentrated and found that he could feel the origin of power within the creature. To his surprise, it felt as a small heart that pulsated on the edge of his awareness. He poised his sword and jumped forward.
---
Jade clawed at his opponent's armor and was surprised to discover that it didn't bend or break. He sighed inwardly, just more work.
Jade jumped into the air and fired a small blast. Mask recovered quickly and sliced the blast with his katana. Jade's eyes opened wide and he barely managed to cross his arms protectively as the katana's cut sent a white u shaped ray at him.
Jade closed his eyes as the blast reached him; too fast and close for him to avoid.
The 'u' shaped ray cut deeply into his left forearm, scattering a few green scales. Blood dripped from the wound, but Jade managed to blast the sword from Mask's hand. Instead of diving for it and giving Jade the respite he was looking for, Mask held out his fingers as if they were claws.
The armor seemed to become liquid silver for a moment and it created metallic claws for the annoying human.
---
Jupiter looked down at the crater Jade and his creatures had dug and saw something glistening between the dirt. Jumping down she took a small chest from the dirt. She tossed it up to Sailor Venus, who caught it as Jupiter jumped out.
Endymion had finished destroying the last of the earth elementals when they heard Mask's challenge.
The armored man had launched himself at Jade, swiping with the razor sharp claws of his right hand first.
The winged creature grabbed his outstretched armed and tried to hit back with his own claws.
Something like recognition seemed to glint in Jupiter's eyes when she saw Jade. Raye noticed this and was about to say something about it when Jade threw Mask to the ground, following the maneuver with hundreds of small red blasts.
Mask bounced of the ground with the strength of the blow and then the blasts hit him. Dust flew up around him as all blasts connected, creating small explosions, the Senshi could hear Mask scream out in pain.
"JADE!!" Everyone turned to look at Jupiter as she jumped-tackled the creature.
"You're going to pay for everyone that you've hurt and murdered, you sorry excuse for a dragon!" She growled. Then she shot a black energy blast at point blank.
Jade, surprised and winded, received the hit and grunted in pain as Jupiter landed, confused, nearby.
Makoto looked around. How on Jupiter's name had she gotten that far from everyone else? She hadn't run or jumped or anything... and why were they staring at her like that?
Then she heard the roar. Turning around she gulped. Jade was standing behind her, his green scales covered with soot and his right wing hanging useless from his back, grazing the ground.
"DAMN YOU!!!" the green dragon shouted as he fired a large black energy blast at her.
Makoto saw her life flashing as she closed her eyes. She was engulfed in a strong wind that seemed to try to pull her apart. And then she felt something cold fall over her.
She opened her eyes slowly and grabbed the cause of the extra weight with her hands.
Jade was gone and she was the only thing preventing Mask from falling down.
She was about to lie him down on his back when Ami stopped her.
"Look at his back!" Mercury said, horrified.
Looking over his shoulder, Makoto could see that Mask's back armor was red hot. The cape was gone and she noticed the smell of burnt flesh in the air.
Ami used her powers to cool down the armor.
Mask grunted and looked up at her. He suddenly jerked back to his feet. He looked at the Senshi without recognition, his sight falling for a moment longer on Jupiter, then he kneeled down looking tired and disappeared.
The Senshi and Tuxedo Mask looked at each other confused, and then, hearing sirens from the police cars, ran towards their safe haven: the Hikawa Shrine.
As she ran, Jupiter asked herself the same question that lingered in the minds of the others; what had happened to her?
---
Jade stumped through the tear between dimensions and into the space like place where his master was. The streets of Tokyo disappeared behind him as it closed.
He stumbled forth until he arrived before his master, and hissing in pain, he knelt before him.
The throne couldn't be seen clearly, nor the dragon that sat on it, he looked very similar to Jade, but the aura of darkness that surrounded the dragon in the throne was incredible.
"Jade. Did you bring the statue?" he asked.
Jade flinched slightly when he heard the cavernous voice, and was rewarded with pain as his burnt skin moved. "No my Lord."
"Idiot!" the figure stepped forward, revealing black scales and ice-cold white glowing eyes.
"How dare you show yourself without the prize I sent you for?!" the black dragon demanded.
"I... I'm sorry my Lord!!" Jade stammered and moved back, pain forgotten in his panic. "But I encountered resistance and..."
The black dragon seemed to notice Jade's burns for the first time, as well as the cuts in his arms and the state of the wing. "Tell me everything." He said flatly.
---
"Okay," Said Raye as soon as they all were seated and silent. Artemis and Luna had arrived shortly after and had found everyone talking at once.
It had taken some time but Raye, being Raye, finally shut them all up.
"Let's get things straight, you start Mamoru." She said when she was sure she had everyone's attention.
Mamoru coughed softly. "Well, Usagi and I were walking in the park when we suddenly heard a scream," He conveniently avoided mentioning Usagi's whining about getting into another fight.
"After changing we arrived at the scene and found that one these earth elementals had scared a couple that apparently found it. The creature ignored them and started digging into the ground along with the other three. Then Jade appeared he was about to kill the two of them when we arrived." Mamoru continued, taking a moment to sip gratefully at his tea.
"He was pretty fast and hit me shortly after I had arrived. He then muttered something to the elementals and they attacked us while he blasted a hole into the earth."
"That's when that Mask guy arrived, isn't it?" Minako said, interrupting him.
Mamoru nodded. "Yes, after one of the elementals almost killed me with my own roses. He destroyed it, and gave me the clue on how to do so. He then began fighting Jade, seemingly on even ground."
"Seemingly." Ami said, nodding. "I get the feeling that if Makoto hadn't intervened, he'd be dead. If you watched closely, you'd have noticed that Jade had gained the upper-hand in the battle."
"Yeah, and what happened to you Makoto? How did you know Jade's name and what kind of attack did you use against him?" Usagi asked.
Makoto was speechless for a moment. "I.. I don't know... all I really remember is standing besides you, then 30 feet away facing a maddened dragon! Then he shot me, and..."
"Mask received the blast instead of you," Ami finished. "Makoto I would have liked you to see what size the energy blast you threw was and what Jade's blast size was. I mean, everyone saw what kind of damage it did to Jade, if his had hit you..."
Raye frowned. "I wonder how both managed to sustain that extent of damage and survive."
Ami sighed. "Well, did any of you manage to find out what Jade was looking for?"
Makoto handed Ami the small chest she had found in the hole. "I think I did, this was the only thing in there..."
Ami spared a look at the others before opening the chest. Inside, on a velvet cushion, was a small dragon statue about the size of two hands. It was a western dragon, with four limbs, wings and a tail. It was made of solid gold, crafted -probably by hand or magic- to the smallest detail. The dragon's eyes were a couple of miniature emeralds, etched opals made the fangs, the tongue in the slightly open mouth was made of a ruby. The tips of the claws and the talons on the wings were made of silver.
For a moment, as Ami held the small statue almost reverently in her cupped hands it seemed as it would suddenly fly into the air. It had a life-like quality on it that shouldn't be possible to achieve with metal and stones.
Very carefully, the Senshi of Mercury placed the statue on the table. The others let breaths that they had been unconsciously holding in.
Raye looked at Ami as she used her computer on the dragon statue. Trying not to ogle at it as were the rest of the Senshi.
"Well?" she asked.
"I don't know," Ami started. "There's nothing in here about this enemy or the statue even the earth elementals are new, although they've been stored, but about the dragons... nothing"
Minako shrugged in defeat. "Well, that's it. We can't do anything now until we find and interrogate our enemies."
"How about this Mask guy?" Makoto asked.
Ami shook her head. "I might have an idea, but nothing's sure." She didn't elaborate more and the others took the hint.
Finally, deciding it was already getting late, they agreed that they should call it a night. Ami took the gold statue with her for further analysis and had to swear to Minako that she was not going to sell it to a museum.
---
The next morning everything went as normal.
Nathan and Makoto talked during class, which annoyed Ami a little, but they did pay attention to it so in her view there was no mayor harm done.
She did notice however that Nathan avoided putting his back to the chair. Suspicious, she decided to check on that note, as it was probably not a coincidence that Nathan, the Dragons and Mask had arrived on the same day.
During the lunch brake that day, Makoto insisted that Nathan meet her friends and so, they went towards the girl's favorite spot.
"I heard you were good with math, Ami." Nathan said a few minutes later, leaning against a tree.
Ami noticed he didn't flinch when the tree touched his back. 'So much for that lead…' she thought, before answering. "Yes, why Nathan-san?"
"Well.." he scratched his head "I'm having trouble with the advanced calculus course my aunt forced me into taking to 'Bring me up to date', and I was wondering if you'd be able to help..." he stopped. Ami was looking at him strangely.
"Did you say advanced calculus!? Sure! I'd love to help!" Ami said enthusiastically. Makoto sweat-dropped.
"Help with what?" Asked Minako as she arrived followed by Usagi with both Artemis and Luna resting -respectively- on their shoulders. When she found out what it was about, Minako lost interest almost magically.
They all seated down, Makoto sat very close to Nathan, but he didn't seem to mind.
After eating, they all started talking. Luna looked at Artemis and sighed. With Nathan here they wouldn't be able to talk about anything.
Nathan looked curiously at the cats.
"Hey, those are weird marks for a cat," he said pointing at Luna's forehead "Like a crescent moon, hmm.. Reminds me of something I once read.."
Everyone turned to look at him. "What did you read?" asked Usagi.
"Well.. it was one of those old legends, like Atlantis. It talked about an ancient moon kingdom, or some such thing. Well anyway, the people there were supposed to have crescent-moon marks on their foreheads," He scratched Luna's head softly and patted her. "Who knows, maybe these are moon cats, huh?"
He smiled. The girls smiled nervously. Ami, thinking fast, changed the subject. "That's interesting, maybe you could lend me that book someday…"
Nathan nodded. "Sure, if you're interested…" he looked up at the sky, leaving everyone to their own thoughts.
When the bell rang, he looked at Makoto. "Well, Mako-chan, then, we'll meet today for that recipe exchange?"
Makoto blushed as the others stared at her, "Sure."
---
After school they all shadowed Nathan and Makoto to his apartment. Both had decided to buy some ingredients before stopping there and they were painfully aware of the group of girls following them.
"Are they always like that?" he whispered as he watched with undisguised amusement how they tried to hide themselves behind a tree.
Makoto blushed furiously. "Yeah.."
They stopped.
"It's okay girls, you can come out now..." The girls fell over themselves from behind a post.
As they started making up excuses, Nathan stopped them.
"It's okay, really. Why don't you all come along? I sure could do with the company..."
The girls looked a little unsure, so he insisted. "I also have a recently made pie that..."
Luna and Artemis sweat-dropped. They knew what would happen next.
The next thing Nathan knew, he was standing in front of his apartment. "How..." he started to ask, but Usagi interrupted him.
"Don't ask!" She urged. "Just take me to that pie!"
He sweat-dropped. "Uh... sure..."
He opened the door and stood to one side, motioning for them to go inside.
End Chapter 1