Sailor Moon X by Starling Sinclair
Chapter 2: Usagi's Beautiful Transformation
1/15/2019
The chaos of the Youma blurred everything. Usagi felt the force of the monster's intrusion sweep her off her feet. She hit her head against the coin machine and white flashes crossed her vision like little fireflies. Struggling to see straight, she heard the youma first - its weird monstrous roar and the sound of something walking on glass.
Maybe it was the head wound, or maybe it was something more, but in that moment, Usagi couldn't think of anyone else besides her patrons and that they needed her now.
She stood up and held her hand to her head. She pulled it away checking for blood, and when she saw none, started searching for others. The boy on the claw machine was cowering. She stumbled, her balance thrown off, as she grabbed his shoulder and pushed him into the nearby supply closet.
She nearly tumbled over the money bag, spilling hundred yens all across the floor, as she rushed to the next machine that had a cowering young girl.
She saw the youma. It was a gruesome shell of a human. Grey skin stretched over a skeleton that had to be twelve feet high. It's eyes were sunken and it's hair stringy. Long fingernails and protruding joints. It was holding a man by the throat. The man was glowing, as was the youma's hand. Energy absorption. A healthy adult could survive the energy absorption, but anyone with a weakened heart or lungs, well, the odds weren't in their favor.
Usagi rushed in front of the little girl, making sure her body was protecting the child's. She pointed to the supply counter, "Go. Hide there."
The girl was frozen, and Usagi knew it was no good. The youma dropped the man, and Usagi looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. With no better option in sight, she grabbed an umbrella and charged at the youma.
She knew it was hopeless, but dammit, she wasn't going to go down without a fight.
Outside, Minako was walking toward the arcade, Luna curled around her neck. Minako had wanted to thank the arcade girl in person for her tenderness with the cat. But there was also Luna's suspicion - that there was something more to this arcade girl than just kindness.
All of this made for timing that seemed too fortuitous to just be coincidental. Minako paused on the sidewalk, watching for just a moment.
The arcade girl was swinging an umbrella at the youma, trying to pull its attention away from something. The something, Minako realized a second later, was a child hiding between arcade machines. A little girl, frozen and terrified behind a Pokemon machine.
Usagi wasn't much of a warrior. Her form was terrible, yet, it was miraculous that her own clumsiness was keeping the brunt of the attack off of her. She would swing with too much force, and trip over her own feet just as the youma would swipe back at her. When one umbrella broke, the girl grabbed another. Or whatever was closest to her. (Which happened to be a large bag of hundred yen at some point.)
If she hadn't been so engrossed, Minako might have intervened sooner.
The arcade manager's luck ran out, and the youma finally got its hands around her neck. It lifted the girl up, and the girl, for her part, still fought against the youma. Her tiny hands clawing at the youma's hands or scratching at the arms. She flailed her whole body, kicking at air, but anything to make it more difficult for the creature to keep its hold.
"Now hold still," the creature hissed, and the energy transference began.
Minako was about to call her transformation phrase when she saw something peculiar happen. Usagi, captured, didn't stop. She kept fighting, and as her energy started to pour away, a symbol glowed on her head. The symbol of the moon.
A Senshi of the Moon? Minako wasn't sure of that, but, whatever was happening, Luna had been right about this girl.
"Luna, get to work," she said. Checking to make sure no one was paying attention to her, Minako called out "Venus Power Make Up!"
Across the room, Usagi could feel her energy draining. It was painful, like pins and needles all over her body. Yet, she felt something deep inside her stir. Something like a memory. Something like power. Something like she could be fighting, and fighting better. But she was missing some key component.
"Crescent Beam!"
And then Usagi (and the arm of the youma) hit the ground with a thud. Now her hip hurt with her head.
"Here," a new voice said, "Take this and say, Moon Prism Power Make Up!"
A compact slid across the floor. It was about the size of her palm with a golden intricate inlay. Four stones marked the cardinal corners and a crescent moon was in the center. Usagi ran her fingers over the pattern and it warmed to her touch. It whispered her name. Usagi just knew what to do.
She held her hand up and called "Moon Prism Power Make-Up!"
And what she was missing washed over her. There was this soft power, like moonlight on her skin. Ribbons of magic forming armor around her arms, her legs, her torso. The ghost of something more whispering in her ear. A power she didn't fully understand, but some corner of her soul remembered. This happened in an instant, and she felt different. She opened her eyes, and she realized, that after all the years of playing Sailor V, of wishing she could be a Senshi, of following Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars on the news and blogs, that she was one of them.
"I am the Pretty Sailor Suited Guardian, Sailor Moon," Usagi called out. "You can't just attack innocent people relaxing with a few games. So on behalf of the moon, I will punish you!"
Usagi didn't think, she just let this moonlight feeling guide her. Let the whispers tell her what to do. Her hand went to her forehead, where she felt a tiara. She took the tiara off her head, and it started to spin in her hand. It became a golden disk of power, like concentrated light.
"Moon Tiara Action!" she called out, and like a discus, she tossed the tiara now weapon at the monster.
It cut through the youma like paper, ripping it's already stretched skin in half. The creature screamed, and it exploded into dust. Little sparkles of energy scattered, and she saw it land on the man who'd been attacked. They absorbed into him, and he started to regain consciousness. Even a few of the particles came her way and landed on her now gloved hand. They were warm and refreshing, and she knew that it was her energy being returned to her.
"Holy Moly," was all she could say.
Usagi looked at her hands. They were covered in white gloves with a red trim. She ran her hands over her white bodysuit and down the blue skirt. The sailor collar spread across her clavicle and somehow wasn't as choking as her middle school uniform had been. Red knee high boots with kitten heels tapped against the floor. She felt her face, and found no mask, but a choker and earrings. She looked around the arcade hoping to find some mirror so she could see herself. This was so fucking cool.
But before Usagi could get into more basking, Sailor Venus's arm wrapped around hers and pulled her quickly from the scene of the wreckage.
Sailor Venus! Usagi's eyes widen with surprise (and a just touch of hero worship).
"Oh my goodness, Sailor Venus! Is it really you? I'm such a big fan," she babbled. She barely registered that they were heading out the staff entrance and into the back alley.
Once they were behind the arcade (in the place only people up to no good went), Sailor Venus let go.
"What's your name?" Sailor Venus demanded.
"Usagi Tsukino," Usagi answered, happily. Sailor Venus had a lot on her plate; a little bit of gruffness was expected.
"Well, Usagi, looks like you're a Sailor Senshi," Venus said. Venus closed her eyes, and yellow magic ribbons unwrapped themselves, revealing the woman in the red bow who'd claimed the cat. "My name is Minako Aino."
"Woah, how did you do that?" Usagi asked.
"Just relax your mind," another voice said. The voice, Usagi recognized, was the one who gave her the compact. But she didn't see anyone else in the alley.
A thump on the dumpster had Usagi looking over to see the black cat she'd rescued. The cat was bandaged, but looking leagues better. Its crimson eyes blinking in anticipation. "So, whenever you're ready," the cat said. "We don't want anyone seeing you."
Usagi's eyes widened, then blinked slowly.
"Woah, that cat can talk," Usagi said to Minako.
"And has a name," the cat continued, rolling her eyes. "I'm Luna."
Usagi's gawking softened. "Luna. That's such a pretty name. I'm happy to see you again too."
She scratched behind Luna's head, and the cat closed her eyes in appreciation. Minako gave Luna an odd look. Normally, the feline wasn't much into affection. This new Senshi was going to change things it appeared.
"You need to detransform before someone sees us," Minako urged.
"Oh right, of course," Usagi said. She closed her eyes and imagined ribbons, like Minako had around her, unwinding and letting go. She felt the weight of the costume slip away, and she found herself back in her normal clothes, clutching the compact in her hand.
"Woah," Usagi said. "This is unreal."
"Well, it's all very real," Minako continued. "It appears that you are Sailor Moon. Welcome to the team."
Usagi smiled. This was all so crazy. Like a dream. Like something she had be wishing for. Like the answer to why her life felt so sucky. Minako, on the other hand, looked less thrilled. The woman appraised Usagi silently, and even Usagi could see she was found wanting.
"I see, we're going to have a lot to talk about," Minako continued.
"Yes," the cat said. "We'll head to Rei's place and go over everything."
Usagi opened her mouth to say, "Of course" but then she remembered the shape of the arcade.
"Oh, shit, I need to call my boss!" she said. "And an ambulance! All those people!" She turned to rush back into her business, but Minako grabbed her arm.
"Will be fine. We have other matters to attend to," Minako insisted.
Usagi chewed the inside of her lip while staring at Minako's arm. "But, someone needs to take charge, and that someone is supposed to be me," Usagi said with a surprising air of authority and certainty. "Once I know that everything is taken care of, I can meet you at... Rei's?"
Minako dropped her hand suddenly. She was startled by Usagi's sudden authority, then scowled.
"Well," Luna interjected. "Be quick. There is a lot we need to discuss before another youma attack. Meet us at the temple on Cherry Hill when you're done."
Usagi nodded. "I'll do my best to get there as soon as I can."
"As soon as you can," Minako reiterated. Usagi nodded then rushed through the backdoor into the arcade.
AN: I would like to thank everyone so much for reading and reviewing! But a special thanks to Runic for her awesome beta notes and pushing me to elaborate more (it's getting there). A special thanks to Matt for reading early drafts and giving me confidence, and to Chelsea for being my writing buddy! And a very special thanks to my husband for making me a better artist.
