On My Own?
.------------------------Prologue------------------------
gasp!
gasp!
gasp!
"Only five… gasp! more… blocks…" A girl struggles to pull an ancient suitcase with a broken wheel along the sidewalk. Clearly exhausted, she is sweating buckets, and nearly bent over double managing the massive bag. When I get there… oh, when I get there… gasp I am so going to dump all this and take a shower! On her other side she pulls a backpack with wheels and an extendable handle, filled to bursting with clothing; on top of this rests a laptop in its case. While on her back she carries another pack, this one filled with all her school materials.
"Usagi, maybe you should have done this over three trips, instead of two?" suggests a small black cat bearing a yellow crescent moon on her forehead.
The girl sighs as she collapses onto the ground amidst all her possessions. "No Luna," she says, her head resting on her hands, elbows on knees. "School is finally over and I just want to be home." Those passing give her strange looks, yet none offer to help her with her things. "Besides, the landlord wanted that room empty for the new guy, and whatever her name is doesn't want me in her room."
Despite her concern for her charge, Luna was very glad to be going home. She and Usagi had been living alone in Nagoya for the past year, while Usagi attended school. The first nine months they had spent in a nice, one bedroom apartment. A rent increase had forced them to search for a new place, yet with only two days notice nothing suitable could be found. In desperation, Usagi had resorted to asking Hana, her brother's girlfriend, if she could live at her place. Hana and three friends had an apartment they were renting for the school year. The lease began in May, yet it would remain empty until September when they moved in. Luna had secretly hoped that Hana would let her live there free, but it was not so. One of Hana's friends had dropped out on the deal, so the landlord had decided that Usagi would be the fourth renter.
The girls had left the place a mess, simply dumping their things in their chosen rooms. The landlord was using the summer to move the kitchen from one room to another, so there was constant construction and no privacy. Luna had suffered through his suspicions, always worried about being vocal. When Hana's friend had learned that Usagi was using her chosen room, Usagi was chastised into moving into the basement, where she had stayed until a new fourth renter was chosen.
Sweat dripped down Usagi's face, and she wiped her sleeve across her forehead. "Why did today have to be record breaking hot?"
"It's not," the cat chuckled. "It's just all this work that's making it feel so. It's only 35°C."
"Mom always said that she wanted a one person helicopter," Usagi got back to her feet and resumed work. "I wish I had one for this." The first time Usagi had come home for the weekend, her brother Taisetsu had refused to pick her up at the train station. Though she had not asked again until now, this time was no different. "Three blocks…"
As Luna walked along behind, she wished desperately that she was able to help. Why is no one offering to help Usagi? Surely the people of Tokyo are more courteous than this?
"Just a little bit more Usagi, and then we are home!" she cheered encouragingly.
m---------------------------------------------------------------------------m
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Watch out!"
"Shabon Spray!" The nightclub was filled instantly with a blinding fog. This did not stop the youma, however, which used its infrared sensors to continue to attack the senshi.
"Fire Soul!" came Mars' attack. "This isn't working Mercury! It's still getting us, but now we can't see it."
"Mercury, can you recall the fog?" shouted Venus, as she re-coiled her love-me-chain.
"Yes, one moment," answered Mercury, climbing to her feet. "Shabon Spray disperse!" The fog faded out, and the room was once again visible. Dozens of unconscious revellers lay about the floor, their energy drained by the youma.
"Love-Me-Chain!" The enchanted chain flew through the air to ensnare the body of the youma. "Oh no! Mars, watch out!" Mars turned to see a tendril shooting right at her. She had no time to move.
A flash of red in the corner of her eye, and Mars saw the tendril pinned to the ground by a rose. "Need some help ladies?" asked the deep voice of a man in a tuxedo.
"Yes," she replied as she saw Jupiter arrive. "Can you hold it still while we synchronize our attacks?"
"I'll try." The youma pulled the rose free from the floor and lifted its injured tendril.
"I'll get you!" It screamed. Tuxedo Kamen hastily conjured several roses, pinning one tendril after another to the floor, the wall, and even to itself.The senshi quickly manuvered into position surrounding the youma.
"Fire Soul!"
"Supreme Thunder!"
"Crescent Beam!"
The nightclub filled with the bright lights of the senshi attacks, red, green and orange. The youma screeched an unholy scream as it was struck from three sides at once. It exploded in a cloud of ash and then all was eerily silent.
"Is it just me, or is it getting harder to destroy these youma?"
"You're right," came another male voice from near the floor. The senshi and Tuxedo Kamen turned to see a small white cat with a crescent moon on his forehead emerge from behind the bar. "This youma was stronger than the last. But our team is not yet complete. We need our leader and the strongest senshi of all. We need Sailor Moon."
The girls nodded, while Tuxedo Kamen drifted in thought. 'Serenity… I miss you so… I need you.'
