Moving Changes
Author's Notes: Hello, dearest readers! Sorry I'm late with the update! Originally, this chapter had about three thousand more words to it, but I'm now limiting my chappies to about two thousand words, but updated a bit more often. (Then again, a lot of time intervals are more often than the three months I held you guys in suspense for previously! ^_^ *sweatdrop*) I hope to get the rest of this chapter out within the week, and thank you again for all your support! *Goes all misty eyed* Domo Arigato to Sailor Mairz, kaze, Marsh Angel (I love your stories!), Amethyst Serenity, Ten'ou Rachiru, Jessica, Marni, Hatami, Truchinook, and Moonie chef for your reviews. All of them are greatly appreciated! *Mwah* You make me feel so special! And thank you THANK YOU to the person who put me in some form on their favorite's list. You made my day! ^_^ Arigato for listening- er, reading- my rambling, and enjoy the story, minna-san!
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Haley and Usagi were giggling in Usagi's upstairs room when they heard the doorbell ring, and Mrs. Tsukino answering the door. "Usagi-chan," she shouted in English, "Makoto is here!"
"Send her up!" Usagi responded. Makoto came thundering up the stairs.
"Usagi-" she paused in the doorway. "Sorry for being rude, Haley, but what are you doing here?" Usagi waved the comment off.
"Don't worry, Mako-chan, she's invited, and she and Drew know." This startled Makoto.
"They… know?"
"Yup," she nodded her head.
"Alright," Makoto shrugged, "If you think that's the best thing to do, it's cool with me. Well, what did you want to talk about?" She dropped her small suitcase and sleepover stuff on the floor.
"Well," Usagi began mischievously, "Mamo-chan is here."
If Makoto had anything left to drop, she would have dropped it. "NANI- I mean, WHAT?" she yelled in shock.
"SHH, SHH!" Usagi replied, "I don't want Kenji-papa to know, and if Ikuko- mama hears, she'll tell him." Makoto still gaped at her. "Mako-chan, don't give me that look. See," she fished out a scrap of paper. "Here's his number, and address. Si and Drew are staying with him this evening to get better acquainted. Call up and ask if he's there, if you like." Usagi smiled triumphantly, and Haley giggled.
"No, I believe you," Makoto said, "But how'd he get here, and why, and what for?"
"Well, he said after his three semesters at Harvard that he wanted to switch to Stanford for its medical school, but needed to earn more money to get in, so he's an assistant biology teacher, and Health teacher at Los Conejos." Makoto raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Stop that, Mako- chan! Any way, he started a few weeks ago after settling in- he needed to wrap up some business in Cambridge first- Makoto!" Usagi yelled at her friend who kept on giving her evil looks, "…so anyway, he's subbing for the rest of the year for a teacher on maternity leave, and he just needs to have a certified long-time teacher sit-in in all his classes and he gets to teach, gets paid, and gets credentials. Nice of the school to do that, huh! Uh, Makoto?"
Makoto was glaring daggers at her, "When did he get here again?" she asked dangerously. Usagi shifted on her seat on her bed.
"Er, uh, about three weeks ago," Usagi answered. The girl who wore the insignia of Jupiter stared her in the eyes and looked about ready to whack her head off. Haley backed up.
"You… never… told us?" She whispered dangerously again, inching in on Usagi.
"Eheehehe," Usagi smiled nervously, "Mako-chan, you aren't mad at me are you?" Haley muffled a giggle in the background. Makoto exploded, face red.
"Agh! Usagi, you should have told us! Of course I'm mad! We're supposed to tell each other everything! We're your-" she cut herself off, looking at Haley, then shrugged as she recalled that the girl was in on their secret- "We're your Senshi," Makoto finished with a flourish of her hands.
"Ah, Makoto," Usagi sighed happily, "I know you're just mad at me because you care."
"Yeah, well, whatever Usagi," Makoto grumbled back, a smile on her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~
The walk to the teacher's parking lot was filled with awkward, but thoughtful, silence as the three men digested what had just happened in the last fifteen minutes. The two students followed Mamoru as he walked to the tiny '84 used Honda Prelude that was his car. It was a little banged up, and the grey paint was worn, but Mamoru had gotten it for a good price and loved it the same as any car he owned. Well, maybe he loved his sports car back in Japan better. He sat down in the driver's seat of his trusty Prelude after putting his briefcase in the trunk. "Drew, front passenger, Si in the back," he ordered. Si balked at the order as he looked at the incredibly tiny back seat.
"Hey, can't I sit in the front? My legs are longer!" Si protested. Drew stood outside the car, caught between the front and back doors. The back seat did look awfully small, in fact the front seat had to be flipped forward in order to get to it and there was only about six inches of foot room. Drew looked dubiously from the seat, to Si, to Mamoru. With a nod to Drew, Mamoru cast Si a roughish smile,
"Guests are always up front, Si, and before long you'll be over so often for training you'll think you're family." Rolling his eyes, Si scrunched into the backseat and then Drew climbed into the front. Switching the car into gear, Mamoru high-tailed it out of the school.
The car ride was in silence, much like the walk to the faculty parking lot was. After leaving the school grounds, the car turned onto the freeway. Mamoru didn't speak, but focused on the road, as it still required some concentration to remember he was not driving on the wrong side of the road. The other two men in the car were silent as well, absorbing the hills that their county seemed to have so much of. After sitting peacefully in the car watching the scenery go by for ten minutes, Si hesitantly started a conversation.
"So, Mamoru, about this 'Sen-shee' stuff, what is it that we do?" Mamoru answered immediately, non-chalant,
"Defend the world from evil beings." Si nodded in understanding and mulled over that for a few seconds.
"Okay," he replied, "But…how?" The car turned down off the freeway exit into a residential area. Mamoru lifted his eyes from the road for a second and gaped at him through the rear-view mirror.
"You really don't know?" They drove down a lane and turned into the parking lot of a small, brown apartment complex. Mamoru sighed, then smiled. "Seems I have a ways to go with you, new recruit. Come on, you two, let's go." They got out of the car and Mamoru took his briefcase out of the trunk. He led Si and Drew up to the building where he lived and opened the door to a bottom floor apartment. It was a small, but still clean and good looking –no piles- studio.
"Here," Mamoru said, nodding to a space near the coffee table in the middle of the room. "You can put down your stuff…" he trailed off and then turned around to face his guests again, "I forgot to go pick up your stuff, didn't I?" They nodded. "Well, can you guys live without your own stuff for a night? I have extra sleeping bags, tooth brushes and toothpaste. It's all new, but if you want your own stuff…"
"Nah," Si said, "that's fine with me. It's Friday anyway, we won't need anything to get dressed up or anything, will we, Drew?" Drew shook his head.
"Nope, I'm cool with that." Mamoru nodded in understanding and asked,
"Do you need to call your parents?" The guys grumbled out an agreement and went to the phone on the counter parting the sitting room and kitchenette. Mamoru put away his briefcase while they called their parents to say they were going to spend the night at a friend's house. Drew was having a bit of a time trying to convince his mother that no, he didn't need anything, no, she couldn't call later to wish him goodnight, and yes, the adult in the house was a very responsible person. Although his mother had already agreed he could stay, he had no choice at the end of the conversation but to put Mamoru on the phone to speak with his mother who "just wanted to make sure everything is alright" since Mamoru was the adult in the house. Drew leaned on the counter, somewhat exasperated, but smiling, as Mamoru calmly answered his mother's inquiries.
"No, Mrs. Gallagher, I'm afraid you have your personalities mixed up. I'm not the parent of the house, just the adult… How old am I? Ma'am, that's not a proper question to ask! I assure you I'm responsible… I'm a teacher at Los Conejos, to be honest… Most certainly, Linda…Health, since the former teacher is on maternity leave, but I substitute for biology sometimes…I'm not really Si's blood relation, I'm more of a mentor…" At this point in the conversation Mamoru laughed a bit, "Oh, I didn't know that. Yes, I'll make sure he gets home in the morning." Drew winced. "No problem, Linda. Glad I could help…Sure, maybe we'll talk at the next PTSA meeting. Goodbye." Mamoru hung up the phone and turned to Drew. "I knew you walked home from school but I didn't know you didn't have a car or license yet," he said with a miniscule bit of teasing in his voice. Drew rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Yeah, yeah, pick on me because I'm one of the youngest in my class why don't you. Bully." Everyone laughed good-naturedly and settled around the sitting space. Mamoru pulled up a wooden kitchen chair near the coffee table, and the guests sat down on the couch. Mamoru sat down after offering drinks (Coca-Cola) and started the conversation.
"So guys, down to biz. How has Usagi adjusted?" Si and Drew relayed their stories of the past few months, elaborating on all things Usagi-related. Mamoru contentedly leaned back a little into the kitchen chair he was sitting in, absorbing everything the guys said. He was the perfect audience, laughing at the right places, frowning at others, giving a "hmp" of amusement when Si recounted his "awakening" and the Senshi's reaction to it. He cringed when the two of them told of their meetings with Keni-papa, and smiled at the remembrance of Ikuko-mama's enthusiasm for baking things. When their tales were done, they asked Mamoru for the long version of his and Usagi's story. Mamoru raised an eyebrow,
"Are you sure? Usa's and my story goes a lot like a soap opera; Long and very melodramatic; Lots of blood and mushiness. Are you sure?" he asked again. After they waved aside his comments and questions, he began their tale with all the gory, mushy, melodramatic details, from the silver millennium, through Sailor Galaxia and Chaos. By the time he was done, it was 6:40 and the sun was setting.
"Woah," Si said, even though he'd heard the story before. Drew frowned thoughtfully amazed at the things these people had to face so early in life.
"You guys did all that? That's just…" he trailed off, unable to find the right words, "…I can't believe you got reborn three times. That's amazing! It was three, wasn't it?" he gave a small snort and a smile. "Guess getting rid of evil isn't all it's cracked up to be, huh." Mamoru shook his head.
"No, it isn't. It's much more. The Senshi and I have learned to live with it, however, so it's almost an abnormal day when a youma or a new villain doesn't show up. We haven't had a new evil in a while, however," he looked over at a calendar hanging in the kitchenette, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "It's been over a year now since Eternal Sailor Moon and Sailor Cosmos defeated Chaos, and we were reborn. Since we were reborn where we left before Galaxia, more or less, we have to assume that evil was reborn too, beings and people who desire Sailor Moon's power, or, like Nepherenia, my Golden Crystal. Their desire for power never stops, and they're getting harder to defeat every time they come. We Senshi are getting out of practice as well," his mouth tweaked up in a half-smile, "To be truthful, I'm worried, but it's probably just peace-time jitters. I really can't help but think a new threat should be coming soon- perhaps more powerful than the last." They sat in silence for a while, the last few words hanging in the air to be absorbed and linger in the back of their minds. Mamoru interrupted the silence after a minute- "So," he gave a smile, "Who's up for pizza?"
~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Kent growled to himself in frustration. Whoever first called Christmas "the most wonderful time of the year" obviously hadn't been x-mas shopping in an indoor mall crowded with rabid shopaholics before. Tromping over to the Discovery Store, second story, he found that one item he was going to get Nev for the holiday was clear sold out, and the other stuck next to the most popular item in the store, where everyone was congregated. He sighed in frustration. He hated mobs with a passion, and shopping mobs were the worst of the bunch.
"EEEEEEEEEE!!!" He turned his head towards the sound.
"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Yeah, he felt like screaming too, but wasn't this a bit much for simply releasing frustration? He hustled towards the shop exit as a more fearful scream pierced the air. He ran out of the shop and leaned over the second story railing. Kent drew in a sharp breath. A youma! Shit! My first youma and Mamoru isn't here. Uh-oh, where do I transform? Looking down at the green Christmas tree youma terrorizing the Santa booth and draining people of their energy, he knew he had to act fast. Looking around for a hiding place, he tried to keep his cool. Don't panic, don't panic…there! He found a spot behind a shelf in the store since everyone rushed out and away to either look at the monster or get as far away from it as possible. Rushing past the telescope planet filters he wanted to buy Nev, he concentrated completely on transforming, the adrenaline pulsing through him helping him transform in a few seconds. Now in his General uniform, he ran past the crowd.
"Let me take care of this," he shouted, jumping off the second story railing to the first floor with ease. The general area was clear except for a few people having their energy drained by evil Christmas tree ornaments. The tree-youma cackled evilly, and hurled more ornaments at the people running away. Kunzite took a deep breath and prepared for his attack. Placing his arms perpendicular to his body, he cupped his hands so the palms were down. He built up his energy, facing the youma's back. "BRIGHT ENERGY DOME!" he shouted suddenly, turning his palms to face the monster as a bright, light blue/ white sheet shot from his hands and jumped over the youma's head, turning into a dome that trapped the monster inside. Here was a problem. The youma was trapped- what to do with it? His shield was weakening as the youma's Christmas ornaments pashed into the energy walls surrounding it, slowly breaking it down. What am I going to do now? I know I have an offensive move, but is it strong enough? More importantly, can I control it? He lifted his hand up. "Light boomerang," he called, and an energy boomerang appeared in his hand. Kunzite aimed it at the youma and let it loose… straight into Santa's Workshop.
A collective gasp echoed through the crowd. Was he one of the monsters?
Damn it, this isn't as easy as it seems to be! He caught the boomerang and threw it again as soon as he received it.
Crash! Right down the mall's main corridor, through a sign that rotated ads for "Cheer" bleach and an art museum, and back to his hand. The crowd was getting worried. He aimed and threw again. It flew towards the youma, but went right over its head and towards a shop window.
No, no, please, don't go, turn around, turn around, DON'T hit the window, turn around, turn around, turn around… He gritted his teeth in preparation for the giant "CRASH" sound that was to come, but instead heard a scream, and a howl of "NOOOOOO! This can't BEEEEE!" from the youma as it burst and disintegrated into a pile of dust as the boomerang went through it. He mentally commanded the boomerang to dissipate into loose energy again; the boomerang disappeared, and he felt stronger. A giant iridescent shimmer from the youma fell upon the fallen people and spectators, and as the drained shoppers and children started getting up, the people who had been watching broke out into applause. Kunzite bowed, his cape dropping over his shoulder, and then turned away, concentrating on teleporting away. There's no way I can detransform here without being seen! Mamoru said I used to do this at some point in time. Time to see if it still works, he thought wryly. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his apartment. He felt himself lift off the ground and heard a gasp of amazement from the crowd. Then, there was an incredible rushing feeling from his head to his feet, and he was back in his apartment. He growled to himself. He STILL hadn't gotten Nev's Christmas present. He sighed, looking at the familiar Cambridge setting as he detransformed, then paused;
"Damn it! I forgot my car is at the mall!"
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
Author's Notes: Hello, dearest readers! Sorry I'm late with the update! Originally, this chapter had about three thousand more words to it, but I'm now limiting my chappies to about two thousand words, but updated a bit more often. (Then again, a lot of time intervals are more often than the three months I held you guys in suspense for previously! ^_^ *sweatdrop*) I hope to get the rest of this chapter out within the week, and thank you again for all your support! *Goes all misty eyed* Domo Arigato to Sailor Mairz, kaze, Marsh Angel (I love your stories!), Amethyst Serenity, Ten'ou Rachiru, Jessica, Marni, Hatami, Truchinook, and Moonie chef for your reviews. All of them are greatly appreciated! *Mwah* You make me feel so special! And thank you THANK YOU to the person who put me in some form on their favorite's list. You made my day! ^_^ Arigato for listening- er, reading- my rambling, and enjoy the story, minna-san!
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Haley and Usagi were giggling in Usagi's upstairs room when they heard the doorbell ring, and Mrs. Tsukino answering the door. "Usagi-chan," she shouted in English, "Makoto is here!"
"Send her up!" Usagi responded. Makoto came thundering up the stairs.
"Usagi-" she paused in the doorway. "Sorry for being rude, Haley, but what are you doing here?" Usagi waved the comment off.
"Don't worry, Mako-chan, she's invited, and she and Drew know." This startled Makoto.
"They… know?"
"Yup," she nodded her head.
"Alright," Makoto shrugged, "If you think that's the best thing to do, it's cool with me. Well, what did you want to talk about?" She dropped her small suitcase and sleepover stuff on the floor.
"Well," Usagi began mischievously, "Mamo-chan is here."
If Makoto had anything left to drop, she would have dropped it. "NANI- I mean, WHAT?" she yelled in shock.
"SHH, SHH!" Usagi replied, "I don't want Kenji-papa to know, and if Ikuko- mama hears, she'll tell him." Makoto still gaped at her. "Mako-chan, don't give me that look. See," she fished out a scrap of paper. "Here's his number, and address. Si and Drew are staying with him this evening to get better acquainted. Call up and ask if he's there, if you like." Usagi smiled triumphantly, and Haley giggled.
"No, I believe you," Makoto said, "But how'd he get here, and why, and what for?"
"Well, he said after his three semesters at Harvard that he wanted to switch to Stanford for its medical school, but needed to earn more money to get in, so he's an assistant biology teacher, and Health teacher at Los Conejos." Makoto raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Stop that, Mako- chan! Any way, he started a few weeks ago after settling in- he needed to wrap up some business in Cambridge first- Makoto!" Usagi yelled at her friend who kept on giving her evil looks, "…so anyway, he's subbing for the rest of the year for a teacher on maternity leave, and he just needs to have a certified long-time teacher sit-in in all his classes and he gets to teach, gets paid, and gets credentials. Nice of the school to do that, huh! Uh, Makoto?"
Makoto was glaring daggers at her, "When did he get here again?" she asked dangerously. Usagi shifted on her seat on her bed.
"Er, uh, about three weeks ago," Usagi answered. The girl who wore the insignia of Jupiter stared her in the eyes and looked about ready to whack her head off. Haley backed up.
"You… never… told us?" She whispered dangerously again, inching in on Usagi.
"Eheehehe," Usagi smiled nervously, "Mako-chan, you aren't mad at me are you?" Haley muffled a giggle in the background. Makoto exploded, face red.
"Agh! Usagi, you should have told us! Of course I'm mad! We're supposed to tell each other everything! We're your-" she cut herself off, looking at Haley, then shrugged as she recalled that the girl was in on their secret- "We're your Senshi," Makoto finished with a flourish of her hands.
"Ah, Makoto," Usagi sighed happily, "I know you're just mad at me because you care."
"Yeah, well, whatever Usagi," Makoto grumbled back, a smile on her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~
The walk to the teacher's parking lot was filled with awkward, but thoughtful, silence as the three men digested what had just happened in the last fifteen minutes. The two students followed Mamoru as he walked to the tiny '84 used Honda Prelude that was his car. It was a little banged up, and the grey paint was worn, but Mamoru had gotten it for a good price and loved it the same as any car he owned. Well, maybe he loved his sports car back in Japan better. He sat down in the driver's seat of his trusty Prelude after putting his briefcase in the trunk. "Drew, front passenger, Si in the back," he ordered. Si balked at the order as he looked at the incredibly tiny back seat.
"Hey, can't I sit in the front? My legs are longer!" Si protested. Drew stood outside the car, caught between the front and back doors. The back seat did look awfully small, in fact the front seat had to be flipped forward in order to get to it and there was only about six inches of foot room. Drew looked dubiously from the seat, to Si, to Mamoru. With a nod to Drew, Mamoru cast Si a roughish smile,
"Guests are always up front, Si, and before long you'll be over so often for training you'll think you're family." Rolling his eyes, Si scrunched into the backseat and then Drew climbed into the front. Switching the car into gear, Mamoru high-tailed it out of the school.
The car ride was in silence, much like the walk to the faculty parking lot was. After leaving the school grounds, the car turned onto the freeway. Mamoru didn't speak, but focused on the road, as it still required some concentration to remember he was not driving on the wrong side of the road. The other two men in the car were silent as well, absorbing the hills that their county seemed to have so much of. After sitting peacefully in the car watching the scenery go by for ten minutes, Si hesitantly started a conversation.
"So, Mamoru, about this 'Sen-shee' stuff, what is it that we do?" Mamoru answered immediately, non-chalant,
"Defend the world from evil beings." Si nodded in understanding and mulled over that for a few seconds.
"Okay," he replied, "But…how?" The car turned down off the freeway exit into a residential area. Mamoru lifted his eyes from the road for a second and gaped at him through the rear-view mirror.
"You really don't know?" They drove down a lane and turned into the parking lot of a small, brown apartment complex. Mamoru sighed, then smiled. "Seems I have a ways to go with you, new recruit. Come on, you two, let's go." They got out of the car and Mamoru took his briefcase out of the trunk. He led Si and Drew up to the building where he lived and opened the door to a bottom floor apartment. It was a small, but still clean and good looking –no piles- studio.
"Here," Mamoru said, nodding to a space near the coffee table in the middle of the room. "You can put down your stuff…" he trailed off and then turned around to face his guests again, "I forgot to go pick up your stuff, didn't I?" They nodded. "Well, can you guys live without your own stuff for a night? I have extra sleeping bags, tooth brushes and toothpaste. It's all new, but if you want your own stuff…"
"Nah," Si said, "that's fine with me. It's Friday anyway, we won't need anything to get dressed up or anything, will we, Drew?" Drew shook his head.
"Nope, I'm cool with that." Mamoru nodded in understanding and asked,
"Do you need to call your parents?" The guys grumbled out an agreement and went to the phone on the counter parting the sitting room and kitchenette. Mamoru put away his briefcase while they called their parents to say they were going to spend the night at a friend's house. Drew was having a bit of a time trying to convince his mother that no, he didn't need anything, no, she couldn't call later to wish him goodnight, and yes, the adult in the house was a very responsible person. Although his mother had already agreed he could stay, he had no choice at the end of the conversation but to put Mamoru on the phone to speak with his mother who "just wanted to make sure everything is alright" since Mamoru was the adult in the house. Drew leaned on the counter, somewhat exasperated, but smiling, as Mamoru calmly answered his mother's inquiries.
"No, Mrs. Gallagher, I'm afraid you have your personalities mixed up. I'm not the parent of the house, just the adult… How old am I? Ma'am, that's not a proper question to ask! I assure you I'm responsible… I'm a teacher at Los Conejos, to be honest… Most certainly, Linda…Health, since the former teacher is on maternity leave, but I substitute for biology sometimes…I'm not really Si's blood relation, I'm more of a mentor…" At this point in the conversation Mamoru laughed a bit, "Oh, I didn't know that. Yes, I'll make sure he gets home in the morning." Drew winced. "No problem, Linda. Glad I could help…Sure, maybe we'll talk at the next PTSA meeting. Goodbye." Mamoru hung up the phone and turned to Drew. "I knew you walked home from school but I didn't know you didn't have a car or license yet," he said with a miniscule bit of teasing in his voice. Drew rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Yeah, yeah, pick on me because I'm one of the youngest in my class why don't you. Bully." Everyone laughed good-naturedly and settled around the sitting space. Mamoru pulled up a wooden kitchen chair near the coffee table, and the guests sat down on the couch. Mamoru sat down after offering drinks (Coca-Cola) and started the conversation.
"So guys, down to biz. How has Usagi adjusted?" Si and Drew relayed their stories of the past few months, elaborating on all things Usagi-related. Mamoru contentedly leaned back a little into the kitchen chair he was sitting in, absorbing everything the guys said. He was the perfect audience, laughing at the right places, frowning at others, giving a "hmp" of amusement when Si recounted his "awakening" and the Senshi's reaction to it. He cringed when the two of them told of their meetings with Keni-papa, and smiled at the remembrance of Ikuko-mama's enthusiasm for baking things. When their tales were done, they asked Mamoru for the long version of his and Usagi's story. Mamoru raised an eyebrow,
"Are you sure? Usa's and my story goes a lot like a soap opera; Long and very melodramatic; Lots of blood and mushiness. Are you sure?" he asked again. After they waved aside his comments and questions, he began their tale with all the gory, mushy, melodramatic details, from the silver millennium, through Sailor Galaxia and Chaos. By the time he was done, it was 6:40 and the sun was setting.
"Woah," Si said, even though he'd heard the story before. Drew frowned thoughtfully amazed at the things these people had to face so early in life.
"You guys did all that? That's just…" he trailed off, unable to find the right words, "…I can't believe you got reborn three times. That's amazing! It was three, wasn't it?" he gave a small snort and a smile. "Guess getting rid of evil isn't all it's cracked up to be, huh." Mamoru shook his head.
"No, it isn't. It's much more. The Senshi and I have learned to live with it, however, so it's almost an abnormal day when a youma or a new villain doesn't show up. We haven't had a new evil in a while, however," he looked over at a calendar hanging in the kitchenette, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "It's been over a year now since Eternal Sailor Moon and Sailor Cosmos defeated Chaos, and we were reborn. Since we were reborn where we left before Galaxia, more or less, we have to assume that evil was reborn too, beings and people who desire Sailor Moon's power, or, like Nepherenia, my Golden Crystal. Their desire for power never stops, and they're getting harder to defeat every time they come. We Senshi are getting out of practice as well," his mouth tweaked up in a half-smile, "To be truthful, I'm worried, but it's probably just peace-time jitters. I really can't help but think a new threat should be coming soon- perhaps more powerful than the last." They sat in silence for a while, the last few words hanging in the air to be absorbed and linger in the back of their minds. Mamoru interrupted the silence after a minute- "So," he gave a smile, "Who's up for pizza?"
~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Kent growled to himself in frustration. Whoever first called Christmas "the most wonderful time of the year" obviously hadn't been x-mas shopping in an indoor mall crowded with rabid shopaholics before. Tromping over to the Discovery Store, second story, he found that one item he was going to get Nev for the holiday was clear sold out, and the other stuck next to the most popular item in the store, where everyone was congregated. He sighed in frustration. He hated mobs with a passion, and shopping mobs were the worst of the bunch.
"EEEEEEEEEE!!!" He turned his head towards the sound.
"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Yeah, he felt like screaming too, but wasn't this a bit much for simply releasing frustration? He hustled towards the shop exit as a more fearful scream pierced the air. He ran out of the shop and leaned over the second story railing. Kent drew in a sharp breath. A youma! Shit! My first youma and Mamoru isn't here. Uh-oh, where do I transform? Looking down at the green Christmas tree youma terrorizing the Santa booth and draining people of their energy, he knew he had to act fast. Looking around for a hiding place, he tried to keep his cool. Don't panic, don't panic…there! He found a spot behind a shelf in the store since everyone rushed out and away to either look at the monster or get as far away from it as possible. Rushing past the telescope planet filters he wanted to buy Nev, he concentrated completely on transforming, the adrenaline pulsing through him helping him transform in a few seconds. Now in his General uniform, he ran past the crowd.
"Let me take care of this," he shouted, jumping off the second story railing to the first floor with ease. The general area was clear except for a few people having their energy drained by evil Christmas tree ornaments. The tree-youma cackled evilly, and hurled more ornaments at the people running away. Kunzite took a deep breath and prepared for his attack. Placing his arms perpendicular to his body, he cupped his hands so the palms were down. He built up his energy, facing the youma's back. "BRIGHT ENERGY DOME!" he shouted suddenly, turning his palms to face the monster as a bright, light blue/ white sheet shot from his hands and jumped over the youma's head, turning into a dome that trapped the monster inside. Here was a problem. The youma was trapped- what to do with it? His shield was weakening as the youma's Christmas ornaments pashed into the energy walls surrounding it, slowly breaking it down. What am I going to do now? I know I have an offensive move, but is it strong enough? More importantly, can I control it? He lifted his hand up. "Light boomerang," he called, and an energy boomerang appeared in his hand. Kunzite aimed it at the youma and let it loose… straight into Santa's Workshop.
A collective gasp echoed through the crowd. Was he one of the monsters?
Damn it, this isn't as easy as it seems to be! He caught the boomerang and threw it again as soon as he received it.
Crash! Right down the mall's main corridor, through a sign that rotated ads for "Cheer" bleach and an art museum, and back to his hand. The crowd was getting worried. He aimed and threw again. It flew towards the youma, but went right over its head and towards a shop window.
No, no, please, don't go, turn around, turn around, DON'T hit the window, turn around, turn around, turn around… He gritted his teeth in preparation for the giant "CRASH" sound that was to come, but instead heard a scream, and a howl of "NOOOOOO! This can't BEEEEE!" from the youma as it burst and disintegrated into a pile of dust as the boomerang went through it. He mentally commanded the boomerang to dissipate into loose energy again; the boomerang disappeared, and he felt stronger. A giant iridescent shimmer from the youma fell upon the fallen people and spectators, and as the drained shoppers and children started getting up, the people who had been watching broke out into applause. Kunzite bowed, his cape dropping over his shoulder, and then turned away, concentrating on teleporting away. There's no way I can detransform here without being seen! Mamoru said I used to do this at some point in time. Time to see if it still works, he thought wryly. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his apartment. He felt himself lift off the ground and heard a gasp of amazement from the crowd. Then, there was an incredible rushing feeling from his head to his feet, and he was back in his apartment. He growled to himself. He STILL hadn't gotten Nev's Christmas present. He sighed, looking at the familiar Cambridge setting as he detransformed, then paused;
"Damn it! I forgot my car is at the mall!"
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