Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Brace Face. If I did, I would have to be a genius, and that, I am not!
A/N: I would like to say a special thanks to Tenshi-of-Saturn, who helped me with my writer's block and came up with this great idea. Where would I be without you? LOL. BTW, I tried to make this long to make up for the writer's block. Enjoy.
Sharon raced out of the door, heading to the arcade. It had been her first week in Japan and she was finally getting used to the different lifestyles it had to offer. She and Ami became close during the last week, and Ami had invited her to the park to meet some friends of hers. Sharon had eagerly agreed, and they decided to meet at the arcade, which they passed everyday on their way home.
Sharon could see Ami's blue hair sparkle in the rising light of the sun and waved after her. Ami happily returned the gesture and when they finally caught up they exchanged greetings.
"Ami! What's up?" Sharon asked coming to a halt in front of her.
"Sky, Sharon-san. That is what's up."
Sharon blushed slightly and bit her bottom lip.
"Sorry Ami, I meant…."
"I know what you meant," Ami interrupted, smiling down at her, "I was just kidding."
Her and Sharon laughed as they headed down the street, passing little boutiques and stands as they went.
"Wow, I wish I had some money," Sharon stated, pulling her pockets inside out, "I feel so out of place."
Ami studied Sharon's usual Capri pants with sky blue belly blouse and black sandals.
"Maybe you're right, you stand out like a sore thumb." She giggled looking down at her own kiwi green dress with yellow trim, "But it looks comfortable."
Sharon smiled slightly, trying to hide her braces as a group of boys went by, eyeing them both.
"They are, but I'd much rather look like you."
"Well you can," Ami replied matter-of-factly, stopping in front of a purple painted boutique, "This is my favorite store and I happened to have $15 dollars worth of yen in my purse."
Sharon shook her head. She couldn't let Ami pay for her like this.
"Oh please, Sharon-san, I want you to make a good impression with my friends."
Sharon looked up at Ami's pleading eyes and nearly wanted to hit herself. Who was she to pass up a shopping rendezvous? Especially if she wasn't paying!
"Sure!" Sharon finally gave in, and Ami grasped her hand eagerly.
"Great! You'll love this place!"
Serena quietly bit into her slice of pizza, enjoying the gooey cheese that came off the pizza in strings. It was so good she gobbled down one after another, like a bottomless pit, soon asking her friends for their slices.
"Wow, Serena!" Maria cried, baffled, "You can eat!"
Serena smiled shyly. A week had passed and she still wasn't adjusting so well. She was friendly at times, but she was so stuck on missing her friends in Japan, that she often became distant and lonely.
Connor handed her his slice of pizza and Serena almost swallowed it whole, enjoying the delicious greasy taste in her mouth. She knew her friends would enjoy this if they were there. Finally, Serena decided she was full, and they each chipped in to pay the bill before leaving.
Connor and Maria had told Serena they had a surprise for her, and she was really eager to find out what it was.
They walked down the sidewalk, chatting about random things, when they came to a crosswalk.
"Serena, Maria, Connor!" A male voice cried out and they swung around to see who had called them.
Alden was racing down the sidewalk, nearly knocking over a woman pushing her baby to the nursery.
"Hey, you rotten brat!" She called, raising her fists at him.
"Sorry!" he called back, still heading for the three other kids.
When he finally reached them, slightly out of breath, they exchanged greetings and began to cross the street.
"Alden is coming with us." Connor explained straightening his glasses on his face.
Serena's bright blue eyes turned onto Alden.
"What's a brat?" She questioned looking back to where the lady had once been.
Alden looked at her with a confused expression on her face, then it slowly twisted into a mischievous smirk.
"Oh that?" he chuckled nonchalantly, "I'm almost always called a brat. It doesn't bother me. It's like me second name."
Serena, slightly mystified, smiled down at him.
"Okay, brat, where are we going?"
"Here!" Maria exclaimed, pointing to a rather large brick building, "Serena, welcome to the skating rink!"
Sharon stepped out of the shop in a black halter-top, with a pink frilly skirt and matching black belt.
"There," Ami declared, circling Sharon as she posed for her, "now you look like one of my friends."
Sharon snickered as she and Ami continued to walk down the street. The lush green of the park came into view and Sharon became more nervous than she knew she could be.
"What if they don't like me?" she thought, "What if Ami doesn't want to talk to me anymore because her friends don't like me?"
As if reading her thoughts, Ami rested a hand on Sharon's exposed shoulder.
"As you would say, chill out Sharon-san, I'm sure my friends will think you're, um, cool is it?"
Sharon nodded and smiled at her blue-haired friend's attempt at English.
"You're right. I'm sure it will be fun!"
They finally reached the park and began crossing the flourishing summer green grass to the fountain. It was a beautiful marble statue, carved in the likeness of a pig-tailed girl in a mini skirt and a tiara resting on her forehead, sat in a pool of crystal water. A plaque rested upon it reading: In Honor of Senshi of the Moon. Beneath it sat three lovely girls and a blue cat, quietly watching them approach.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was Tsukino Usagi!"
"Yes, she looks just like Usagi-chan!"
"No, her hair is very different, and look, she has braces."
The three girls plastered phony smiles on their faces as they eyed the girl suspiciously. Sharon stared at the cat that was observing her with keen interest.
"Oh! A kitten! I love cats." Sharon cried scratching the cat's ear, "What's her name?"
Everyone glanced at Ami.
"Luna. Hence the moon on her forehead." She replied, taking a seat next to her friends.
"Mizuno," said a blond haired girl sitting next to her, "Is this the girl you told us about?"
"Yes. Minako, this is Sharon-san. Sharon-san, this is Aino Minako, Hino Rei, and Kino Makoto." She introduced, pointing to each.
Sharon's jaw fell slack as she tried to remember the names Ami had just told her, but it had disappeared from her mind faster than a fleeting butterfly.
The raven-haired girl laughed at Sharon's bewildered face.
"Mizuno, you can't expect her to memorize all that can you? She is American."
Sharon looked at the girl with extreme disgust. She could tell she wasn't going to like her.
"Hino. Chill." Ami threatened, using Sharon's slang again.
"Ami, what's going on?" Sharon asked, eyes jumping from each girl.
Ami sighed. This was harder than she thought.
"This is Minako. You can just call her Mina."
She patted the shoulder of the blonde haired girl with the red bow.
"Hello Mina." Sharon greeted and Mina happily returned it.
"This is Rei."
"Rei." Sharon acknowledged and Rei returned it.
"And this is Makoto… You can call her,"
"Lita!" Makoto interjected, "I love that name."
"Hi Lita!" Sharon giggled.
All names aside, Sharon began to relax and each girl began to chat. But Rei was more reluctant to open up, and her and Sharon were soon engrossed in constant bickering, that the girls soon gave up talking and listened to them. Finally the sun began to set and the young ladies all departed ways, Luna leaving with Mina.
"Mina," she mewed from below and Mina looked down at her.
"That girl…" Luna looked up, something bothering her
Mina smiled slightly at her.
"She's nice isn't she? She reminds me of Usagi."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Yes. That aside, that girl is very familiar."
Mina stopped and stooped close to her.
"Familiar? Familiar how?"
Luna took a deep breath before answering.
"I think she's a scout."
Serena dashed around the tiled floor with as much grace as she could muster. She had fell into fellow skaters quite a few times, and even caused a huge pile up in the middle of the floor, but she was having the time of her life, and could feel herself opening up. Feeling like her own self again…
A hand reached out and grasped hers and she looked back to see Alden trying to catch up.
"Having fun?" he asked, laughing at her blissful face.
"This is amazing!" she giggled, feeling liberated as she glided smoothly around a slight turn.
"Great!" he shouted over the blast of music, "but now I hope you're ready to race me!"
He skated off ahead of her, picking up his pace slightly. Serena, somewhat stunned at first, became focused as she lifted her legs in something of a run. She bent her knees slightly, slowly catching up to Alden who was desperately trying to out skate her.
"Almost there," she whispered to herself, reaching out to touch Alden, "Almost… there…."
Bam!
Some kid skating backwards sent Serena flying into Alden. In a desperate move to keep his balance he reached out behind him and grabbed Serena, who swirled slightly under the pressure and sent him turning, face forward into her stomach.
"Oof!" Serena breathed out as she landed on the ground.
"Sorry." He chuckled, helping her to her feet.
"It's okay."
She looked down at the watch on her wrist.
"Oh no! It's late! I have to go!"
And as Serena raced across the room a person lurked in the shadows watching intently.
"Alden better not get too close to her. Or he's going to be sorry."
Serena dashed down the street and heard sudden screams echo around her.
"What's going on?" she wondered heading toward the sounds.
And there, in front of her, in a dark alley, was tall hooded monster with bony hands.
"In the name of Beryl-sama, give me your pure soul!" He cried, dipping his hands into her chest and through her flesh.
Beryl! They followed her to America? No time to think! Time to act!
"Moon Crystal Power!" she shrieked and was engulfed in red ribbons.
As she transformed into Sailor Moon, all eyes were on her, the woman startled as the creature pulled something out of her heart.
"Not so fast you Reaper!"
The hooded creature looked up at her, clenching a crystal in his fingers.
"For love and justice, I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"
And not allowing it a chance to move she pulled out her scepter.
"Moon Sceptor Elimination!"
Flashes of color filled the sky and seconds later the monster was turned into dust.
"Didn't stand a chance." She smiled picking up the crystal and placing it back in the woman.
"Thank you." She told her when she finally awoke, "who are you?"
Serena laughed to herself, thinking to change her speech since she was in America.
"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice! On behalf of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that doesn't mean you!"
And with that she dashed off down the alley, leaving the woman staring after her, and feeling more like her than she had ever felt before.
-meguru meguru toki no naka de Bokutachi wa ai o sagashiteiru
-In endlessly repeating time, We were searching for love,