Chapter 11: Circus of Senshi

"Why? Why didn't it work? I mean, the cats were killed, but so was Excel...should we try more anime characters? Go back to the old monsters we were using?" Umi cried. She knew that the monsters were what they had to go back to. That Excel Saga DVD had appeared right before they used it and then it had disappeared, almost like killing Excel had killed the DVD she was in too.

"Umi, we don't have any choice. We do, however, have a chance to restart our old strategy with a new spark. There's a circus troupe coming to Crystal Tokyo soon and I'm sure at least one of the Senshi will want to attend. If we send out a monster there, it might be able to blend in with the circus animals and thus the Senshi might not notice it until it's too late for their magic bracelets," Fuu said. Umi nodded, sighing. She wished that DVD had stuck around, or that she could have sent out the title character from Excel Saga's spinoff, Puni Puni Poemi. Now there was a really good enemy that the Senshi would find hard to beat, she thought.

As Fuu had predicted, Michiru Kaiou went with Ami Mizuno and her daughter Sakura to the circus along with Basil Anderson, the boy from Canada they had taken in. When they arrived, they also found that Galaxy Chang, Serena McDouglas and Jessica Cornflower were already seated, with 4 empty seats nearby.

"You know, don't you ever get the feeling that we're in some kind of story? I mean, what a coincidence that you four came and there's four seats here. It's almost like there's some magical author of life setting up these coincidences," Serena remarked.

"That's because Galaxy wanted to leave the spaces, mon, she knew about Michiru coming with them," Jessica said coolly.

"Oh right, I forgot. Come take the seats then, they're not boobytrapped by fate," giggled Serena embarrassedly.

"Are you sure? Do you want me to sit on the floor? Then you won't have to waste money on me, eh," Basil said shyly.

"Waste money? Why would letting you have a seat by us be wasting money?" Serena asked, confused.

"Don't all Scottish people like to be thrifty?"

"Basil, don't be so constrained by stereotypes and sit down. It's starting now," Sakura said in a tone that nearly scared Basil away from the circus tent.

"Really, Sakura, you needn't be such a shrew. The boys won't like you if you boss them around too much," mumbled Galaxy.

"I think you have things backwards. Girls need to keep boys in their place, which is in the home. I tried to tell Mother that, but she wouldn't listen," hissed Sakura in retort.

"Shh, stop arguing, you two. The show's started. Don't the graceful acrobats give you a peaceful feeling?" Serena sighed happily, pointing out at the arena so that Sakura and Galaxy would be distracted. Basil looked nervously at the two, who seemed on the verge of drawing Serena into their fight, but Michiru tapped him and set a lime green bracelet into his lap.

"Give this to Sakura. She's the Senshi with powers that are similar to mine," she whispered, and Basil obediently did as he was told. Sakura stared at the bracelet, then back at him.

"I think he likes you," teased Serena. Basil blushed deeply, and Jessica rolled her eyes.

"No, that's a Senshi transformation thing," she corrected.

"Me, a Senshi? Well, duh, that makes perfect sense. This way I can carry on the Mizuno family tradition and be the warrior that I always wanted to be!" Sakura blurted out loudly, causing several people in the audience to shush her.

"Wow! That horse is so beautiful! And the girl riding it is too!" exclaimed Serena, who wasn't paying attention to Sakura.

"Who cares about some dumb horse?! I wanna try out my new powers!" shouted Sakura.

"Please don't. You might hurt people," Basil whimpered.

"You're just jealous because you're not a Sailor Senshi. Milkshake Prism...MPPPHHH!!!" Sakura squeaked as Ami and Michiru both grabbed her and shoved her back down into her seat.

"Be quiet, Sakura. And if you attack without reason then I shall take away your powers until you promise not to do so," Michiru scolded her. Sakura glared at the aqua-haired woman but she did not speak. Then she shrieked as Serena tugged on her lime curls eagerly.

"I can't believe you don't think the clowns are funny!"

"Get off of me! I only came 'cause Mom told me to!" Sakura snapped.

"You know who would make a good clown? Pierre. He's silly and likes to say goofy things, and he's kind of funny-looking because he's so fat," giggled Serena, who shrugged off Sakura's grumpy attitude.

"Him? Maybe he should go and join the circus, then I wouldn't have to see him wearing that stupid Senshi outfit. It just doesn't look right at all on a male," Galaxy agreed.

"How cute! That big fat guy clown is wearing a frilly ballet tutu!" squealed Serena. Galaxy, having the opposite reaction, screamed in horror and hid her eyes.

"And you told ME to be quiet," grumbled Sakura. Galaxy opened her eyes and then screamed again, this time sounding even more frantic.

"There's a monster in the audience!" Indeed there was a monster. A strange creature that looked like a gigantic living rock was rolling through the seats throwing stones.

"Now it's time! Milkshake Prism Power, Make Up!"

"Peanut Butter Power, Make Up!"

"Popsicle Prism Power, Make Up!" The rock monster was getting closer, and the Senshi had to dodge aside from the panicked people who were running away from it.

"How are we going to attack it without hurting the people?" Sailor Popscicle asked nervously.

"You're so wimpy. This is how. EVERYONE!!! EXIT PAST THE MONSTER! IT'S COMING FOR US!!! NOT YOU!!!" shouted Sailor Milkshake. Amazingly, most people did as she commanded them, and as she predicted, the rock monster rampaged towards the Senshi specifically.

"Fruity Punch!" called Sailor Peanut Butter. The bombardment of fruit got the last few lingerers to leave, and because of the water content of the fruit, it also made pieces of the rock monster erode off.

"Deep Submerge!"

"Shabon Spray!" The combined splashing wave and wet fog from Sailor Popscicle and Sailor Milkshake served to dissolve the monster until it was just a muddy, dead mess dripping on the floor and seats of the arena the circus was held in.

"Are we supposed to clean this up?" asked Sailor Peanut Butter, staying transformed since she thought being Senshi might mean they would get excused for possibly staining the cloth seats with mud.

"There's an easy way to get rid of the mud. Deep Submerge!" shouted Sailor Milkshake, and she sent another wave of water gushing through the seats. However, this had the effect of spreading the mud out so it made a large ring around the Senshi.

"Too bad there's no Senshi with a soap attack. That would be really useful right now," commented Sailor Peanut Butter.

"There's someone coming. Um, we didn't mean to make the mess! We melted the rock monster that was attacking people!" called Sailor Popscicle.

"I understand that, Sailor Senshi. Don't worry, we'll clean it up. Sorry, but the rest of the day's show is cancelled. Please go home and enjoy yourselves, thank you for saving the people," the ringleader told the Senshi.

"Oh well, we already kind of live with a circus. So many of us Senshi have strange traits, like how Jessica is only 2 feet tall," shrugged Serena, finally feeling like it was okay to detransform.

"Just don't put her in a freak show like that girl at the amusement park tried to do, or so I heard," warned Michiru playfully.

"No, that's not what I meant. I just meant that we already live in a world of magic and whimsy," giggled Serena.