THE PERSON I LOOK UP TO

Chapter 3: "Ruling Philosophy"
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

Michiru Kaioh cut through the water of the swimming pool like a jet-propelled torpedo, her wake washing over the lane markers in the pool. Though she was swimming at top speed,her utter calm and contentment gave her stroke an effortless quality and invigorated her rather than tired her.

Oh, it had been so long. Her time as a prisoner on Ravenheim and then her recuperation from injuries suffered during that period had effectively denied her the water that she so loved. Looking back on being deprived of so many things - - of Haruka, of freedom, of her art and music, of the simple pleasure of feeling the water envelope her in its safe, soft embrace - - how did she endure it and remain sane?

Ami watched her swim from a vantage point in the pool. She wore a conservative blue one piece suit, high cut in contrast to Michiru's audaciously low cut, scooped back green suit. Ami could have just as easily monitored Michiru from out of the pool - - but that would have been no fun. As a hopeless water baby, the doctor had long since given up resisting the siren call of the water. However, even in the pool she was business-like. Her watchful eye sifted through Michiru's speedy stroke and focused on the movement of her legs, noting the power of her kick and the suppleness of movement.

Michiru reached out and touched the side of the pool at the end of the lane, then pulled up. She treaded water as she turned to her physician.

"How did you feel during those laps?"Ami asked.

"Great!" exhaled Michiru. "Oh, Ami, it's been so long! I haven't felt this good since my first night back with Haruka!"

"Well," Ami began, reflexively checking the holographic monitor display to conceal her discomfort, "that's encouraging. Your vital signs are all excellent and your range of movement seemed nearly normal. Do you feel any pain or stiffness?"

"None." Michiru laid her head back on the rim of the pool. "And it's about time, too. I was beginning to give up hope that I'd ever recover."

"I warned you it would be an arduous process, didn't I? But I think you've just about made it back."

"My kick's not as strong as it used to be," Michiru confessed. "Will that be permanent?"

"I doubt it. Your muscles are still regaining their strength. All the damage has been healed. It's just a question of building them back up to their previous levels." Ami checked her readouts again. "In fact, this might be the perfect regimen for doing that. Aqua therapy is a legitimate option, despite its age."

"Really?" Michiru inquired, excitement dancing in her eyes.

"Yes, provided you don't overdo it. I think a half hour to an hour a day swimming for no more than three days a week should show very promising results over time."

"That's the sort of prescription I can get behind," the green-tressed artist said. Then she smiled mischievously. "Care for a race, Doctor?"

"Michiru," Ami sighed, "you know I'm not a competitive person."

"I just thought you might like to try," Michiru smirked. "After all, with me not at 100 per cent yet, you might actually have a chance of beating me."

Ami was about to respond, but suddenly a message was piped through the room's computer environmental control.

"Dr. Mizuno," the computer said flatly. "The time is 09:00. You are due in classroom one."

"Oh dear!" gasped Ami, hauling herself out of the pool. "I took longer with this than I planned! I have teaching duties this morning! Please forgive me, Michiru!"

"It's all right," Michiru smiled.

"Honestly, I get in the water and just completely lose my mind," Ami muttered as the robotic drying rod passed over her body, evaporating the water in her hair and on her skin.

"I know the feeling," Michiru sympathized.

"Computer!" Ami said as she scurried for the changing room. "Initiate holographic Ami program in classroom one. Convey my apologies at being late to the students, then initiate test three for Vector Geometry."

"Acknowledged," the computer replied.

"Michiru, please remember," Ami said just before disappearing into the changing room. "Don't overdo it. You've already been in the pool for twenty minutes. No more than an hour total."

"Understood, Doctor," Michiru said to the rapidly disappearing Dr. Mizuno. Then she pushed off the side of the pool with her feet and lazily glided down the lane on her back. "But then I've also been known to lose track of time once I get in the water."

And Michiru grew a very contented smile.


Sailor Moon greeted the morning with her usual distaste. Rather than being awaken by her environmental computer unit in her room, though, she was awakened by the strange songs of strange birds and the peak of sun through clusters of leaves. It was an odd change of pace, but a pleasant one, reminiscent of the mornings in Elysian during one of her visits. She gradually pulled herself from slumber, shifting in the cozy nook she'd made for herself. After a few minutes, the girl realized that she was awake to stay. With a sigh of frustration, she rolled over.

And nearly fell out of the tree she was sleeping in. Quick action by her hands and feet, coupled with a very undignified squeal of alarm, kept her on the branch.

"Oh yeah," she sighed, grimacing. "Kinotai."

The girl searched her body mentally, expecting to be stiff and sore. To her surprise, she wasn't. As their hosts had promised the night before, the bark of the Louna tree was surprisingly soft and cushiony, and one could find a very comfortable sleeping place where bough met trunk. Sailor Moon and her mother had both been skeptical, but tried it in order to be diplomatic guests. The results were a lot better than she expected.

"You're not used to sleeping in trees, are you?" Danro Ganjou said. Sailor Moon turned and found him balanced effortlessly on the tree limb, his near naked, muscular form looking very imposing in the morning light. She wondered if he and the rest of these people were part monkey.

"Does it show?" Sailor Moon responded, smiling uncomfortably. He seemed amused by her response. With very little motion, so as not to disturb the limb and upset Sailor Moon's balance, Danro dropped to the ground thirteen feet below.

"Come," he waved to her. "The spring is nearby. You may wash the taste of morning out of your mouth."

"You people have that too, huh?" Sailor Moon said. With considerably less grace than he showed, Sailor Moon eased herself over the limb until she dangled by her hands. Her feet were still eight feet from the ground and the girl tried to talk herself into just dropping.

"Do not fear," Danro told her jauntily. "I will catch you."

"Look, just because I'm not used to climbing trees as a way of life," Sailor Moon replied, releasing her hold on the limb and dropping to the ground, "doesn't mean I'm helpless." She stood up from her crouch and dusted off her gloves.

"My apologies for offending you," Danro replied with a laugh. He turned and headed off,
expecting Sailor Moon to follow.

Curious, she did. Danro led her through a small thicket of trees and bushes. When the forest parted, she found a crystal blue stream. Several of the other members of Queen Shinrin's 'clan', as she referred to them, were already there, gathering water in shaped wooden vessels, drinking or splashing the water upon their faces and arms. Without hesitation, Danro knelt down to the stream and cupped some water to his mouth with his hands.

"I don't think I've ever seen water this clear," Sailor Moon gasped. She peered down into the stream and saw her reflection almost as clearly as if she was looking in a mirror. "The filtration crystals back home don't even get it this clear!"

She knelt down in the grass and dipped her hand in. The sip trickled down her throat like liquid gold.

"Hey, it tastes different," Sailor Moon exclaimed. "It's good - - but it doesn't taste quite like the water on Earth."

"Perhaps there are different elements in this water that do not exist on your world," Danro suggested. "Or perhaps your water has elements that dull the natural taste. Who can say?"

Sailor Moon looked around at the others by the river. Everyone looked happy.

"You're the leader of this 'clan'," Sailor Moon observed, "and yet you don't have any problem mixing with the others."

"Why would I? We are all one in our dedication to our Queen Shinrin. We pledge to follow her and to accept her beliefs as truth and she in turn protects us and guides us. Just because I am luckier than others because my Shinrin has chosen to share her more intimate life with me doesn't place me above anyone else."

"That's sort of the way my Mom talks," Sailor Moon replied. "It must come with the crystal."

"Your mother,' Danro inquired, "she had been ascended long?"

"Almost a thousand years."

"You are that old?" Danro gasped in amazement.

"She's that old. I'm only sixteen. Aunt Ami explained it to me once. Part of the power of the crystal is that it keeps her and her defenders ageless for a thousand years. Mom and Dad and all my aunts are over a thousand. She says I'll live a thousand years, too. I don't know if that's good or not."

"And then after a thousand years have passed, what will happen?"

Sailor Moon's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure. Mom's mother died in battle with Queen Beryl. And nobody knows about before that."

Danro rolled back on his heels. Suddenly a very contented smile covered his face. Sailor Moon looked at him inquiringly.

"I was just thinking," he replied to her unspoken question. "Thinking of sharing my Shinrin's life for a thousand years."

Elsewhere, Queen Serenity was levitating down to the ground from the bough she had slept on. As she glided to the ground, Serenity couldn't help but admire the natural beauty of the forest floor as illuminated by the peeks of morning sun through the dense foliage. Her slipper touched down on the grassy floor. She turned to a movement to one side.

Shinrin was bounding down the side of the tree with the speed and dexterity of any woodland creature back home. Her hands found holds where there seemed to be none. Her descent seemed at once speedy and graceful. With her long white hair flowing behind her,
Shinrin made the final few feet in a bold leap and landed on the ground near Serenity.

"Serenity, you must teach me how to do that!" Shinrin gasped excitedly, her eyes dancing. "To hold yourself aloft as the birds do! It's so remarkable!"

"Only if you've never done it," Serenity replied modestly. "I'll be glad to teach you, but can we eat first? I've never met a morning where I wasn't hungry."

"You are hungry! Of course! Wait here."

Shinrin turned and dashed toward the nearest tree at top speed. When Serenity thought the woman was about to crash headlong into the very solid trunk of the tree, Shinrin pushed off and sailed toward the tree. Her momentum allowed her to run up the side of the tree several feet before gravity slowed her ascent. The woman merely pushed off the tree and executed a fantastic double somersault in the air, reaching out at the last moment to pluck something from amid a cluster of leaves on a limb. Shinrin arced to the ground, landing with the ease of a cat. She brought out the prize she cradled to her, presenting them to Serenity.

"What are they?" Serenity asked, staring at the cluster of berries in Shinrin's hands.

"They are Simpa Berries," Shinrin smiled. "They are quite good. Try one."

Curious, Serenity reached out and plucked one from the cluster. Trusting her host, Serenity popped the berry into her mouth.

"It is good!" gasped Serenity. "Oh my, this is like eating a whole box of candy!"

"I'm glad the taste is familiar to you. The berries are so delicious, we sometimes have to monitor our young so they do not gorge themselves."

Serenity stopped, her tenth berry hovering just outside her mouth. She looked sheepishly at Shinrin, suddenly remembering her manners.

"Do not fear," Shinrin giggled. "Simpa Berries are both nutritious and plentiful. You may eat your fill. I will trust your judgment to know when to stop."

"I hope I can," Serenity replied, her mouth full of berries.

The pair reclined against the trunks of two trees, eating berries and talking.

"So tell me, Shinrin," Serenity ventured. "How many are in this 'clan' of yours?"

"Our last count was seventy-two," Shinrin recounted. "That was after the attack."

"Attack? Are you at war with someone?"

"The Torgus Clan," Shinrin replied, scowling. "They defy the holy spirit of the forest. They wish to eradicate the forest. As Sailor Hayashi, I have sought to stop them, to bring them to the word and make them see the light." Shinrin grew melancholy. "I was aided by my darling mate, in his role as Kamen Irori, and by my two friends and guardians, Sailor Kokoro and Sailor Eichi."

"If you'd rather not go on . . ." Serenity whispered.

"No, the sadness will not defeat me," Shinrin proclaimed. "Many died in the attack. Many trees were lost, and many lost mates or children or parents. I lost my two good friends, Kaiki - - who was Sailor Kokoro - - and Shintoru - - who was Sailor Eichi."

Serenity looked on helplessly.

"It was only through my ascension, which delivered the power to me in my darkest hour, that allowed me to save my wonderful Danro. Without him I would truly have been lost." Suddenly she looked up at Serenity, focusing on her with a desperation born of loss and agony. "Teach me, Serenity! I feel the power rumbling in my breast! It is like a caged animal, roaring out for vengeance! Teach me how to release it, to control it! I am eager to learn."

"That's why I'm here, Shinrin," Serenity smiled warmly. Then her smile dimmed and her gaze dropped. "Forgive me if I abuse your hospitality and warm friendship, but I feel I should say this. I've never been known as a very smart person, but there are a few things I've learned to be true over my long life. One of those things is the futility of vengeance. Forgive me if I've misinterpreted things, but I hope you aren't letting the genuine and rightful pain you feel for the loss you've endured push your soul toward the thirst for vengeance. It's not the way, Shinrin. It only sends you and your enemy down a spiral path to mutual destruction and robs your world of all that you and your enemy can contribute were there only peace."

"But why would such power come to you if not to aid you in protecting that which you hold most dear?" Shinrin countered.

"Protection and vengeance are two different things, Shinrin," Serenity said. "Protecting life and all who live it is the noble height to which you should aspire. That allows your power and spirit to grow and flower for the benefit of all."

"Guardian of the way," nodded Shinrin. "It is all I have ever aspired to, Serenity. You need not worry. While I grieve still for those fallen of my clan and for my fallen friends, I seek only to use my new gifts to right that which is wrong and to spread the sacred word of the forest to those who cannot see it. Nothing more."

Serenity grasped Shinrin's hand.

"That's the first step, Shinrin," Serenity said. "My, that was a good breakfast."

"You are contented?" Shinrin asked. Serenity nodded. "Then may we begin? I am very eager to learn!"

"All right," Serenity smiled. "But pace yourself, please. Otherwise you'll wear me out."

Sailor Moon wandered back from the stream to check on whether her mother was up yet. After all, the sun hadn't reached its highest point in the sky yet, so she might still be curled up in her bough sleeping.

Not that she wouldn't mind doing that herself. Sometimes she was as lazy as her mom was.

"Ewww!" Sailor Moon gasped to herself. "No way do I fall in that trap! I can't let myself be infected by Mom's bad habits."

The teen didn't move at a very fast pace to check up on her charge. There was something about this land that was making her feel different from the modern life of Crystal Tokyo.

"It's so rusti c- - so primitive," Sailor Moon thought. "An entire developed society that lives in trees? I don't think I've seen a hint of a building yet - - or metal, for that matter, except for those medallions that Shinrin and Danro wear. It's so completely uncivilized, and yet it seems to be an orderly society at first glance."

She wandered along, looking as a quartet of young children ran past her, laughing and playing. They, like the adults, wore only simple dresses or loincloths and seemed very fit for their age.

"And everyone looks so healthy and energetic," Sailor Moon mused. "Particularly the guys. I can see why Shinrin is attracted to Danro. He's - - very impressive and yet very sensitive. I wonder if they're all like that?" She smiled to herself. "I wonder if Shoko's like that?"

Suddenly Sailor Moon's eyes grew wide with alarm.

"Helios, if you're listening, you DIDN'T HEAR THAT!" the girl thought.

Sailor Moon entered a small clearing. She found Serenity and Shinrin there. Serenity was instructing Shinrin on how to mentally mold a rock into something else. Leaning against a tree, the pink-haired teen watched her mother coach the white-tressed woman with a sure, gentle manner. It was at times like this that she admired her mother, times when it seemed that nothing was beyond her mother's power and no one was beneath her gentle soul. Seeing her like this struck memory chords from her childhood when she would secretly observe her mother and pine to be a fine and beautiful lady some day.

What happened between them to change that? Sailor Moon sighed wistfully.

Shinrin held her hands over the rock. At Serenity's soft urging, Shinrin's demeanor shifted from intense concentration to a distant trance-like state. And after a few moments, the rock's very essence seemed to shift. As Sailor Moon watched, the rock shimmered like a mirage. When it came back into focus, it was no longer a rock. Instead, it was a medium-sized water vessel. Shinrin opened her eyes, unsure of what to expect. When she saw the water vessel, the woman let out a squeal of happy surprise, then launched herself at Serenity and hugged the woman. Sailor Moon felt good for her, and just a little envious.

Then she noticed Danro standing by another tree several yards away. He was watching what had happened, too. There was pride and happiness in his demeanor - - but to young Sailor Moon, it almost seemed like there was something more. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something just didn't feel right.

Continued in Chapter 4