Well, looks like I'm updating this quicker than I had intended .:sweatdrop:. Unfortunately, I'm probably going to start a slue of new fics -.-; I've kinda lost my inspiration to updating some of the older ones due to lack of remembrance and plot ideas.. I dunno though. I'm so very indecisive :d
Ages: Hotaru's age always varies a bit...In this fic, she's 16; The Inner senshi and Usagi are 17; Haruka and Michiru are 18; All of the Gundam Boys are 17.
Note: Pluto/Setsuna is not in this story (for the time being anyway, or at least for this situation) She' guarding the gates of time...or something... maybe she'll come into the plot later .:sweatdrop:. And Chibi-Usa isn't going to be in this story at all I don't think.
Well, here's the next chapter.. it didn't turn out quite as I had planned for it to ;/ Lemme know whatya think!
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Kuro-Inoch PrisonChapter One:Arrival Without Rivalry
Usagi trembled as she looked through the window of the bus, her vision blurred by the constant watering of tears. "Why," she whispered softly, a tear escaping down her cheek with the motion of the word. It was a simple word, really. Three small letters. Yet they sent her shoulders heaving and small sobs tumbling from her lips.
A comforting hand upon her shoulder made her jump a little before relaxing. "Daijbou, Koneko-chan," Haruka said gently. She pulled the trembling girl close to her in a reassuring embrace, allowing the petite blonde to rest her head upon her shoulder.
"It'll be okay, Usagi-chan," Rei whispered from her seat behind her. "I promise, we won't let anything happen to you here."
Minako nodded fiercely from her seat nearby in the bus, the tears in her eyes reflecting the sorrow for her princess, rather than for herself. All of them… all of the senshi were used to being alone, or had at least experienced that feeling. But not Usagi. Usagi was the one that had drawn them out of the depths of their solitude; she had been their light of hope. She didn't deserve anything less than perfect happiness.
She didn't deserve this.
Makoto scowled in frustration, her fists clenched so tightly the knuckles were tinged with an alabaster hue. "This is the respect and honor we get after protecting those ungrateful people for this long?" she hissed out bitterly, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. "All the help and fighting we do for them, and they go and—"
"Mako-chan," Ami interrupted quietly from her seat in the bus next to the fuming brunette. "It's not their fault," she reminded them.
Minako sighed with an air of disapproval, sinking back into her seat with disdain. "Even still… A new, powerful enemy emerges and where are we? Behind bars. Stuck in jail. In prison with actual convicts! Locked away—"
"Urusai!" Haruka snapped angrily, her hand coming to rest against the back of Usagi's head as the blonde began sobbing heavier with Minako's words. Haruka whispered soothing words as she gently stroked the soft hair of her princess, casting a death glare to Minako that made the loquacious female shrink back into her seat with a mouthed apology.
Michiru frowned as she looked out the window, pressing her fingers against the cool surface of the glass pane. "We need to figure out a way to get out of the jail as quickly as possible to defeat the enemy," she said decisively. "If we don't….they'll only grow more powerful due to our absence."
"An enemy finally smart enough to realize the key to their success is keeping the Sailor Senshi out of the way," Hotaru said ruefully, her wise, deep eyes troubled with apprehension.
"Are we sure though?" Minako asked hesitantly. "I mean, are we positive that the reason this happened is because of the enemy manipulating the entire city?"
Ami nodded gravely, her blue eyes looking at the blonde senshi of love with unmasked sadness. "I'm afraid so, Minako-chan," she answered softly. "The dark energy surrounding the people of the city is exactly similar to the negative force detected in the youma's released by this new enemy. I just wish we knew who the enemy was! Then perhaps we could have stopped them from casting the controlling spell upon all of the people of Juuban… then we wouldn't have had to deal with that fixed trial…" Ami trailed off, shaking her head.
"That trial was ridiculous," Rei muttered. "They might as well of just said 'Thanks for saving us countless times, here's your jail sentence!' It didn't even make sense! Obviously the enemy had prior knowledge of the Sailor Senshi, and knew each of our identities in advanced to deliver the court letters."
"You should of seen the look on my mother's face," Usagi whispered, her voice slightly muffled against Haruka's shirt. "She looked so….angry. And my father…He looked ready to send me off to prison for the charges they claimed without even hearing my side of the story."
"That was the influence of the enemy," Michiru reminded her gently. "They don't really feel that way about you, Usagi-chan. The dark spell that's taken over the entire city is what makes everyone believe that the Sailor Senshi are….murderers."
"I'm glad you guys are enjoying your little chit-chatting," The bus-driver sneered, an elderly-looking woman with streaked graying hair and a crooked-nose. "Here we are…. Kuro Inoch Prison."
Makoto's eyes widened. "Ku…Kuro…Inoch…Prison?" she gasped out in disbelief. "I…I thought we were going to Vera-Saint? The all-girl prison..?"
The bus-driver cackled, her frail shoulders heaving with the motion. "Ya mean ya hadn't heard? Vera-Saint's funding suddenly ran out for some reason. All the girlies there are being transferred to Kuro-Inoch, along with you lot. Weren't many girls there to begin with, don't see how the funding coulda possibly ran out but who'm I ta judge…" The bus driver mumbled to herself a bit longer, pulling the bus to a screeching stop.
"Makoto," Minako began slowly. "Why are you so worried about going here instead of Vera-Saint? I mean… a jail's a jail, right…?"
Haruka's face took on a pallid shade of white. "No," she said in a trembling tone, a barely masked fear that was quite uncharacteristic for the sandy blonde woman. "It looks like the enemy really has it out for us….I bet they purposely shut down Vera-Saint somehow, to ship us here… Kuro-Inoch is…" Haruka trailed off, remembering the trembling blonde next to her. She shook her head fiercely. "It'll be fine," she said unconvincingly.
Rei looked increasingly apprehensive, her heartbeat quickening. "I don't understand…" She tilted her head in confusion as Makoto pulled out her transformation pen. "Mako..chan?"
"All of you, transform," she said calmly, her eyes taking on a cold look that hid her underlying fear.
"You really think they're going to allow us to transform for prison?" Minako asked incredulously.
Makoto merely nodded.
"Why?" Minako pressed, though she too took out her transformation pen.
"If you want to even think about surviving this prison, the only way you'll manage is at your full transformed abilities. We were considered powerful in Juuban. Here… we're just another set of power, power that probably doesn't even compare to half with some of the stronger convicts," Haruka answered flatly. She stood up dutifully, helping Usagi up as well. "Transform, Koneko-chan… I promise to protect you."
"As do I," Michiru vowed, whispering her transformation.
"And I," the inner senshi echoed, their transformations ensuing.
"Watashi mo," Hotaru murmured, Sailor Saturn soon taking her place.
Usagi looked at all of your loyal senshi, closing her eyes as she whispered the words. Opening her eyes again, Sailor Moon nodded calmly. "Let's go."
The eight exited the bus, all of them sharing the equal thought of if they'd ever make it out of here.
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Hiiro Yui watched with slightly widened eyes as he made out the figures of eight rather scantly clad girls getting off of the bus. "Man Hiiro," Duo breathed out, squinting to try and get a better look. "This doesn't seem like it'll be so bad…"
Hiiro replied with a small huff, though his lips curled slightly. He was not a very sexual person, but it had been two years since he'd last even seen a woman. Trained soldier as he was, the hormones of a 17 year old were still present.
Duo remained silent as the girls began walking nearer. Even from afar, he couldn't help but notice how the seven girls seemed to surround the eighth as though she were a princess of some sort. They all seemed to walk with an air of regality, their heads raised high and their eyes defiant. 'Wonder how long that'll last,' Duo mused silently.
"Alright all of ye!" Mamoru Chiba roared. "I'll allow ya to give the girls a proper welcoming…" The crows of laughter and howls of delight that met his comment made him smirk slightly. The powerful warden watched as the inmates began gathering toward the gate, but his eyes quickly widened as he realized whom exactly was coming through. "No way," he breathed out, his heartbeat quickening just slightly. "All of ye, away from the gate NOW!"
The inmates grumbled at the bipolar nature of the warden, but nonetheless complied.
Mamoru strode quickly to the gate, his hand coming to his mouth as he watched the eight girls approach. "No bloody way," he whispered. Waving his hand in a complex series of movements, along with the intricate mastery of several heavy locks, he opened the gate with a final series of whispered words. "Usako!" he called, his voice strained with the disbelief of the situation.
Usagi slowly raised her head at the familiar voice. "Mamoru?" she whispered. The other eight senshi looked blessedly relieved. They hastened their steps just slightly, entering The Playground. All of the senshi jumped as the gate slammed soundly shut behind them, a good few moments passing before it had completely locked itself up again.
Thus began the official beginning of their sentencing at Kuro-Inoch Prison.
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o.o I'm sorry if this chapter was confusing. I'll try and resummarize:
A new villain came to town, but the senshi don't know who… The villain cast an evil spell on all of the people of the city to make them believe the Sailor Senshi were cold murderers rather than heroes and put them on a very fixed/nonsense trial to get them jail terms for Vera-Saint. Vera-Saint wasn't that bad of a prison, so the new enemy devised it so that the funding mysteriously ran out and they'd be forced to go to Kuro-Inoch, where there was little chance of their survival.
Next time, on Kuro-Inoch Prison…The girls are regrettably separated into groups for their cell confinement, but get to be together during lunch and time on the Playground. During lunch, they meet the boisterous Duo and his new "friends" who present themselves as allies, along with offering inside information on some of the wardens. How did Mamoru end up with a head position at Kuro-Inoch Prison? In what way did he know the Sailor Senshi and Usagi? Find out next time, in "Chapter Two: Unpredicted Allies."