Author's Notes: This is set post BSSM: Another Story, the SNES game. Characters from the game will make a few notable appearances. As per the ending of the game, Hotaru has returned to being a baby. It is about one year later, so she is still a young child, though I may make use of a little accelerated aging. Aside from the game, I make no promises as to the cannon reliability of the story to the majority of the series. The story has original characters. Several. Important ones. Hopefully cool (or at least less than lame) ones. There is a plot. It may not be a good one, but it's definitely there. Things will be episodic in the style of the show. This is one part parody, two parts legitimate story, though I would argue that such a thing matches the spirit of the show, which was my aim in this.
Content and Warnings: Action, adventure, humor/parody, warnings for shojo ai with Haruka/Michiru, rated PG-13
Archive : Bolt of Tien Mu and FFnet
Disclaimer: This is the equivalent of singing classic rock songs in a school talent show: you obviously don't own them, you're not making any money, and your lack of talent may be a painful thing for others to witness.
Sailor Moon: Seasons, part one
A Sailor Moon 'More Punishment!' Fic by Tien Mu
Usagi yawned hugely and leaned back against the back of the park bench she was sitting on. Next to her, Makoto and Ami dodged her wide-flung arms. Rei was seated on the edge of the fountain, facing them.
"What's the matter, Usagi-chan, missing out on your beauty sleep?" Rei asked. "It shows."
"Mou, meanie! I was up all night playing Sailor V 3, but I got stuck on the last level," Usagi said.
"Oh, you mean the brick puzzle?" Ami asked. "You just have to push the first one to the left, then up. It's easy after that."
"Eh? I wouldn't expect you to know anything about video games, Ami-chan," Makoto commented.
"Well, that is, since it was spring break, even though we're about to become second years in high school, I thought a little relaxation wouldn't hurt."
"That's the spirit," Usagi said.
"But speaking of relaxing, weren't we going to check out that new sweetshop?" Makoto asked.
"We have to wait for Minako. She should be here any minute," Rei answered.
A moment later, Minako and Artemis ran up. They were both panting and Minako leaned her hands on her thighs for support.
"Sorry... guys. Got distracted. Cute boy."
"Eh! Cute boy? Where?" Usagi asked.
"Baka," Rei said. "You already have one, remember?"
"Rei-chan is grumpier than usual," Usagi muttered.
"Well, aren't we going to the sweetshop?" Minako asked.
Everyone nodded and they walked together to the other side of the street and around a corner. A new sweetshop and cafe, named Mikkaji, had been opened there. Inside, everything was decorated in pale yellow and with the many windows of the corner shop, the place looked very bright and cheerful. There was a front counter and display cases to the left and many tables and booths to the right. The counter was attended by a redhead with her hair done up in buns like Usagi's, only towards the back of her head, and the tails that came from them were each braided neatly. And talking to the girl was a familiar handsome blonde.
"Ah, Haruka-san," Usagi called.
"Oi, everyone, hi. Usagi-chan, you have competition as Odango Atama."
The girl at the counter laughed and waved away Haruka's comment.
"Everyone, welcome to Mikkaji Panya. Please allow me to help you in any way I can."
Usagi pressed her face up against the glass of the display.
"Uwah! Éclair, cake, pie, doughnut, ice cream, cookie... You have everything!"
"That and more," the girl said. "What can I get for you? One of everything?"
"Whatever you want, ladies," Haruka said. "My treat. Since we haven't seen each other in a while."
Usagi squealed and started pointing out item after item, which the girl dutifully set aside.
"Usagi, leave some for me," Minako whined.
"Don't be a pig, Usagi," Rei scolded.
Haruka just laughed and slipped a small stack of bills across the counter to the girl. Haruka helped the girls move the numerous plates of sweets and drinks over to a large booth.
"Enjoy. Later," she said with a wave.
"Eh? Won't you stay?" Usagi asked.
Haruka held up a pink box from the store.
"Sorry. I'm supposed to fetch these for the Chibi Usa as thanks for babysitting Hotaru."
"Just don't let her get a sugar high or she'll annoy me more than ever!"
Haruka nodded and left them behind.
"Haruka-san certainly is generous," Ami said.
"But with her work at the track, she makes good money," Makoto said.
The girls spent a large part of their afternoon in the shop, which was just fine by the hostess, as the sight of five pretty girls enjoying her shop at a window booth did wonders for her sales.
It was the first day of school, Usagi's first day as a second year in high school, and the homeroom teacher was standing at the front of the classroom and gesturing to a student standing beside him.
"Everyone, this is Hakuchou Sabuwa-san. She is a transfer student and I want you all to make her transition as easy as possible."
"Ah! Miss Sweet Shop," Usagi exclaimed.
Everyone laughed at the outburst and ridiculous form of address.
"Oh? You know Hakuchou-san? Very good, you can take the desk next to Tsukino-san," the teacher said.
The redhead sat down next to Usagi and flashed her a quick smile. After comparing their schedules, they found that they were very different, so they only saw each other at lunch during the day. They agreed to meet out on the lawn, where Usagi usually ate lunch with her friends.
"So, Sabuwa-san, the shop is just your part-time job?" Usagi asked.
"Not exactly. My parents technically own the shop and run it while I'm at school, but it was originally my idea."
"Wow! For someone our age to already have her own business is really impressive," Minako said.
"I'm jealous," Makoto said. "I love cooking, but I could never start a business on it."
"Ah! Mako-chan is just being modest," Usagi said. "You two should work together some day. Oh, you would make the most delicious things... I could just die!"
Both girls blushed and tried to deflect the compliments.
"Still," Rei said, "It must be hard to find time for both work and school."
Sabuwa got a sad look on her face and stared down at her hands, which were fitfully plucking blades of grass.
"The truth is... There's something else that I need to find time for as well. I'm looking for someone."
"A lost love?" Minako suggested.
"No. Two people, actually," Sabuwa clarified.
"Lost twin sisters?" Usagi asked.
"That would make them triplets," Ami corrected.
"No, no, nothing like that. They're my... important people," Sabuwa said.
"Important people?" Usagi repeated.
Sabuwa stood up abruptly.
"At any rate, there's some work I need to do in the library. Please, everyone, if you're able, come with me to the shop this afternoon."
She walked away briskly towards the school library. 'That was strange,' Usagi thought. 'I hope everything is alright.'
After school, Usagi, Ami, and Minako met up with Sabuwa to walk to the shop. They were cutting through the park when Sabuwa stopped dead in her tracks.
"Sabuwa-san, are you okay?" Ami asked.
Luna, who had been following Usagi, rubbed against her leg to get her attention. When Usagi bend and picked her up, Luna whispered in her ear.
"Usagi-chan, something feels strange. Be on guard."
Usagi was about to respond when several of the park benches began to glow and transform into a set of three monsters. They looked like women dressed in corsets made of the wood slats from the benches, while the metal scrollwork of the armrests decorated their shoulders. At the sight of them, Sabuwa made a mad dash for the little building that housed the public bathrooms and did not look back.
"Everyone, with Sabuwa gone, it's safe to transform," Luna said.
Minako blushed and looked away.
"That is, since we haven't had any enemies since Sin and her friends, I sort of left my henshin wand at home."
Artemis hissed and glared at her.
"How could you!"
"It's okay," Ami said. "Mercury can back up Sailor Moon this time. You should get somewhere safe."
"Minako-chan, we three should go make sure Sabuwa stays safe as well," Luna suggested.
Minako and Artemis followed her towards the bathrooms while Ami and Usagi transformed. As sailor senshi, they confronted the three monsters.
"Monsters who cannot respect these peaceful times, in the name of the moon, I'll punish you," Sailor Moon announced.
"Likewise, this soldier of Mercury will not allow you to destroy the happiness for which everyone struggled."
"Oh ho, happiness?" One of the monsters answered as leader. "Yet this park has seen the heartbreaks of young lovers. Could there really be happiness in such a place? We, who feed on hidden sadness, will show you a colder season of love!"
The three monsters rushed them and when Moon and Mercury dodged the ones headed directly for them, the other two changed directions so that all three ended up striking both senshi. They were knocked backwards and the monsters loomed over them. Suddenly, there was the sound of something striking the ground at the monsters' feet and they sprang backwards.
"What's this?"
"Tuxedo Ka-," Usagi said as she scrambled to her feet, "men-sa...mur? Where is he?"
When she looked, she saw that he was not there and what had held back the monsters was not a rose, but a skewer with dango on it. Someone jumped down between the senshi and the monsters. The person appeared to be an almost exact replica of Sailor Moon. She was even carrying a moon rod.
"Wha-wha-wha?"
The person looked back at her.
"Oh? This one is already taken? Rats! Butterscotch Ripple!"
The glimmer of the gems on her fuku expanded until the person's entire image began to shimmer and change. In a moment, a completely different person stood before them. This one still had hair similar to Sailor Moon's, but it was red. Her fuku was almost all white, except for a single band of pale yellow at the edge of her skirt, and iridescent gems were pinned to the centers of pink bows.
"You," the monsters exclaimed.
"Though you may have followed me to this town of good hearts," the mysterious girl said, "I will not permit you to remain."
"Our masters send their best wishes. But we will find the other two before you!"
"The sailor suited fighter who unites souls, Star Deneb, will stop you!"
A long wire appeared in the girl's hands. The ends each had a metal ball that looked like more dango, but there was a long, sharp-looking needle coming out of them. She set the ends spinning, then released them so they flew like a boomerang at the monsters.
"Bon-bon Pin!"
But the weapon flew past the monsters, who started laughing.
"You aim has not improved!"
"And after all that practice," the girl complained.
The weapon came back to her and she prepared to attack again. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury jumped to stand on either side of her.
"Let us help you," Mercury said.
"Thanks, but this is-" The girl stretched out her arms and seemed to have the ends of the weapon fuse with her hands, so that she had metal knuckle guards with several thick spikes. "-my mission!"
Deneb, as the girl had called herself, launched herself at the lead monster and landed a solid punch to its torso, causing boards to crack and splinters to fly at Deneb's face and arms. Her fist crashed all the way through the monster and it dissolved around her arm, leaving behind the bench, now in a totally different location than before.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
The attack hit the other two and they also returned to their original forms. Deneb was left panting, the wire weapon hanging from her limp hand and splinters studding her right arm.
"Man, I'm out of shape. The price of a vacation," she mumbled.
"Please allow me to help you," Mercury said.
Deneb started to pull her arm out of Mercury's grip, but the girl persisted in gently pulling out each splinter.
"It's not necessary," Deneb said.
"It won't do to have these get infected. So, you are named for Deneb, part of the Cygnus constellation."
"That's right. Most... Most people don't know that."
"Mercury is super smart!"
Sailor Moon was hovering by them, wincing at each splinter.
"Are you the next generation of senshi?" Moon asked.
"Next...? No. I'm not really even a senshi. Our missions are related, but- Never mind. I have to go. I'm sorry you had to be involved in my fight. As far as those minions go, please leave everything to me."
She ran off, despite the protests of the others.
"Saa... what a strange situation. Oh, we better find Minako and Sabuwa," Moon said.
The two ran to the bathroom building, where they could transform without being seen. Minako was inside and both of them looked frantic.
"Guys, I can't find Sabuwa anywhere! The monsters didn't get her, did they?"
"Really? No, we did see her at all and the monsters are gone."
"Hello?" A voice echoed into the bathroom where they were standing. "Is anyone in here?"
They ran to the door and found Sabuwa, looking no worse than they had left her.
"Oh, thank god you're safe," Usagi said. "We were worried those monsters had gotten you."
"No, I'm fine. I'm sorry I left you guys behind. But you stayed safe as well, right?"
"Yeah, we're okay," Minako said.
Sabuwa tugged nervously at her long shirtsleeves.
"I think I'd better get to the shop. Mom and Dad will want me to start my shift."
"We will return home as well," Ami said. "We'll see you tomorrow instead."
"But cookies," Usagi complained.
Ami dragged her away by the arm and whispered harshly to her as Sabuwa jogged towards the shop.
"Usagi-chan, don't you think we should tell the others that there's a new enemy? And a new senshi?"
"Whoa, what?" Minako asked. "A new senshi appeared?"
Ami nodded and pulled out her communicator.
"Rei? There's a problem. We need everyone to meet at the shrine, okay?"
Rei's voice crackled over the tinny radio connection.
"I'll contact the others right away."