Chapter 3: Gemini
Ami Mizuno stared down at the pendant in her hand. Hanging from a string was a purple medallion with a turquoise Gemini symbol on it. She then looked further down, her gaze catching a pair of expectant brown eyes.
"Well, come on! It's time to give Zylphia McDuff her special powers!" said the adorably fluffy Keeshond dog, whose name was Akiko. Ami nodded and went off with the dog to go find Zylphia. She found the Scottish girl with Kou Taiki, listening intently as Taiki told her about the time where she had to come to Earth and fight Galaxia.
"And Seiya became more and more...Miss Mizuno? Who's that dog with you?" Taiki asked curiously.
"I'm Akiko, the Air Sign dog! Guardian of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius!" the puppy announced importantly, and she nudged Ami with her paw, pointing to the pendant with her nose.
"Oh, that's right! I'm here to give you your Senshi powers, Zylphia!" Ami blurted out embarrassedly, not even thinking to correct Taiki that she was a "Mrs." now. Akiko jumped up and took the pendant gently in her teeth and carried it over to Zylphia's feet. Zylphia reached down hesitantly and picked it up. She looked up at Ami shyly from her seat.
"Thank you, Mrs. Mizuno," she whispered.
"No, no! Gemini people are supposed to be more excited! You're supposed to be all talkative and stuff, like me!" yapped Akiko. Zylphia blushed deeply.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"Don't tell her how to act, you silly dog. Astrology doesn't make sense anyway, first of all...OW!" Taiki exclaimed as Akiko bit her on the ankle angrily.
"Come on, Zylphia, show her! Show her the power of the stars!" she commanded. Zylphia shrunk back, frightened.
"Excuse me, pup, but I have the power of the stars already. And how can astrology make sense if on Kinmoku, one sees different constellations from on Earth? Astrology only made sense in the days when people believed that everything revolved around the Earth, which we now know isn't true," Taiki scolded the defiant dog.
"Then how come there are Zodiac Senshi?" Akiko challenged, "Sailor Senshi can't get power from things that don't exist."
"I was told by Miss Hino that they were the servants of the planetary Senshi in the Silver Millennium," shrugged Taiki, dodging the question.
"I think the Zodiac Senshi get their powers from the planets, just like we do. Thus, Sailor Gemini's powers come from me, actually," Ami said, blushing.
"Um, I can try to be more talkative if you want me too," Zylphia piped up meekly. Ami shook her head no.
"You don't have to. Astrology can be a wonderful inspiration, but it shouldn't be used to oppress people and force them to act unnaturally," she said gently.
"Yeah, that's right! Use your own brain, you silly doggies!" blurted out an eager child's voice. The four of them turned to see a rotund girl nearby. Her chocolate skin matched her hair, which was the same color, and she had a mischeivious look in her blue eyes which were behind a pair of glasses.
"I AM using my own brain, Alexandra! I'm all for innovation and exploration of the mind! Zylphia needs to do that too and stop being so quiet!" Akiko retorted. What a foolish, rebellious American girl, she thought.
"Hmmm..." Alexandra peered at her closely, then jumped back like she suddenly got a new idea she was excited about. "I got it! You have Astro-Deception Disorder! The cure for you is to stop reading horoscopes and think for yourself! And you," she added, pointing to Taiki, "have Astro-Boring Disorder! Science is also about having fun and exploring, so stop just wallowing in already-known facts!"
"What's that mean? Do you think you're a psychologist?" giggled Akiko.
"Of course I am! I am the expert psychologist girl, come to cure everyone in this beautiful Crystal Palace of their mental disorders so they can be sane like me!" Alexandra bragged. Akiko rolled her eyes.
"You are WAY too hyper for a Capricorn. You've got the right ambitions, but they should be more money-oriented. Don't you think about your future? Or will you be paying people for these diagnoses?" she asked Alexandra seriously.
"Huh? How did you know I was a Capricorn? Can you see into my past or something?" Alexandra replied, confused.
"Because that's your sign. We Zodiac dogs got a list of your birthdays when you arrived. That and I can sense your Senshi powers with my super doggy sense of smell. You smell like candy," Akiko asserted.
"Well, that's because I was eating some before I came over here," shrugged Alexandra, but Akiko shook her head.
"No, that's because your Senshi powers involve candy," she corrected.
"Candy! That's bad for you! That must mean you're evil and unhealthy! No wonder! You're too fat! You need to exercise more and stop eating candy!" a new voice ordered. Standing nearby was a girl who had her blond hair up in a ponytail, and she was dressed all in red.
"That's...you're Nanaka, Makoto's daughter. You didn't get turned bad too, right?" Ami asked tentatively.
"Me? No, you're the bad one! How DARE you give your powers to the Zodiac Senshi and not to us! No matter, Yumemi has your powers. So you can't do anything about it," Nanaka challenged.
"She didn't give her powers away. She gave a part of her powers, and from what I heard, the person who attacked us yesterday had ice magic just like Miss Mizuno," Taiki corrected her.
"ARRGGGH! Just get out of here! You Starlights are such a bother! I wish you had just come with us quietly instead of escaping when Bertha destroyed your puny planet!" Nanaka screamed, flames dancing on her hands.
"I will not give in to someone like you. Maker Star Power, Make Up!" Taiki called, and Zylphia watched, amazed.
"It's just like the history books said...now it's my turn to make history. Gemini Zodiac Power, Make Up!" When the two of them finished transforming, they were in their Senshi outfits. Sailor Star Maker looked as she always had, but Sailor Gemini was a new sight for Ami. She was clad mainly in purple, with matching heels, and her bows were turquoise.
"Just get out of here! KYAAAAA!" Nanaka roared, flinging fire at the two of them. Star Maker dodged it easily, but Sailor Gemini wasn't as quick to act and she got hit. Alexandra fumed at this and attempted to shove Nanaka, but she just got grabbed.
"Stop that! Makoto wouldn't want you to do this! And I'm not even a Senshi yet!" Alexandra shouted. Nanaka screamed wordlessly, flinging Alexandra away from her in a blast of fire.
"Star Gentle Uterus!" Star Maker countered, shooting a beam of star energy at Nanaka. The latter was smacked into the wall, but she didn't seem ready to give up yet, as she got right back up and rushed at Star Maker. Meanwhile, Sailor Gemini had been rolling on the floor, putting the flames out. Nanaka didn't see her, and she tripped over the startled Senshi, crashing in a heap on the floor. She barely had time to look up before an injured and completely enraged Alexandra jumped on top of her with a feral yell.
"Get off of me! What are you doing anyway, you non-Senshi!" Nanaka shrieked. Sailor Gemini was completely squished underneath Nanaka and Alexandra, especially since the latter was not at all lightweight and slender.
"No, Gemini! You're not supposed to be so slow to act!" Akiko yapped, running up and biting Nanaka on the ankle. She shrieked and jerked upwards, sending Alexandra tumbling across the floor. Sailor Gemini sat up slowly, dazed.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked innocently.
"Use your Senshi attack! Why do you think you're wearing that short-skirted outfit!" Akiko shouted. Sailor Gemini nodded obediently.
"Gemini Muffin Exaltation!" she called, causing a gigantic blueberry muffin to come crashing out of nowhere onto Nanaka's head. She shrieked again.
"You Zodiac Senshi are TOOO WEIRD! I gotta get out of here!" she exclaimed before disappearing in a flash of red sparkles.