Her Support
In the Circus...
The monsters are all giggling and cackling.
'Did you hear? Tige's Eye-sama screwed up!' said a giant purple head with a wide-eyed doll face as if he was the one bearing the news.
'I heard he wasn't able to capture Pegasus...' said a giant blue-faced head with the face of a pink-haired classy woman in a gossipy, scandalized manner.
'And he wasn't able to finish off the holder of a beautiful dream either!' said a giant green head of a plump chubby boy mockingly.
'I'm sure Zirconia-sama is upset about it!' the balloon girl soared up in the tent in high-pitched laughter.
'It would be good if he doesn't get punished...' said the firebreather in mock concern who pulled out a sword out of his throat before breathing fire, while standing on top of muscleman as the monsters laughed jeeringly while dancing.
'Quiet! Quiet down!' Zirconia commanded as the monsters left their podiums. 'Is the Amazon Trio here?'
'Present, master!' the trio was there in a blink, bowing respectfully.
'We cannot waste this chance that we get once every several hundred years!' Zirconia boomed. 'The first step to world domination is to capture Pegasus! Be on your way...and look through the hearts of those with beautiful dreams where Pegasus hides, and find him!'
xxx
The Bar...
'Sheesh! They piss me off!' Tiger's Eye fumed, pouring himself brandy. 'They keep repeating 'failure', 'failure'!' he downed the glass of brandy down the hatch and huffily put it down. 'If not for those Sailor Senshi and that evil spirit we woke up somehow and freaked us out of out wits, I could've had it!'
'An evil spirit?' Fish Eye blinked.
'It was scary!' Tiger's Eye shuddered. 'Just like you'd expect out of a ghost from horror movies! I don't want to get cursed!' he whined.
'You sure have bad luck,' said Hawk's Eye wryly. 'Maybe you picked a bad place to strike.'
'Probably...' Tiger's Eye moped when his eyes fell on a bejeweled saddle Fish Eye had. 'What's that?'
'I found this in the corner of the tent!' said Fish Eye, bringing it out for better view. 'Isn't it pretty? When I capture him I'm going to put this saddle on him and get to ride!'
'Ohhh that sounds great!' Tiger's Eye squealed at the idea. They do need a horse for the stunts! 'He'll become a wonderful ride for us!'
'Welp, I found a new target!' said Hawk's Eye, taking out a photo. 'I got us a new girl!'
'Hey, lemme see!' Tiger's Eye peered over his shoulder. 'Hey, she's my type!'
'Isn't she?'
'Hmph, you guys still have weird taste!' Fish Eye sighed as he drank his martini.
On the picture was an Equestrian young woman with a horse.
Hawk's Eye picked her on purpose because Fish Eye gave him an idea when he brought out the saddle.
'Well, our next target's decided!' Hawk's Eye beamed. 'Next time don't disturb obvious grave sites OK?' he playfully teased Tiger's Eye.
'That was a Park, not a Cemetery!' Tiger's Eye sputtered defensively.
'Hey, people renovate all the time.' Fish Eye pointed out. 'What's not to say that was once a burial site before a street and park was built over it?'
'Yup yup. And builders never bother with somebody else's corpses anyway and just do their own thing.' Hawk's Eye agreed. 'Just choose a nice place to strike.' he advised.
'Damn right I will, that was terrible!' Tiger's Eye shivered, going blue. 'It was scary and ugly and it stinks! What can be more horrible than that?!'
xxx
Italy...
Timoteo called for Reborn.
'You called for a job, Nono?' Reborn asked him.
'Yes, I did...for a good reason.' said Timoteo as Reborn noted his damaged hands in bandages. 'I want you to find our last heir, train her and protect her.'
''Find'? What do you mean?' Reborn frowned as he could think of many things...
'Chikane ran away from home at a young age which we found out too late with a good reason...and its all our fault.' said Timoteo, shaking his head. 'We sealed her when she was young for her safety but the spirits of Primo and my mother weren't too happy. I used an obscure forbidden technique I thought was for her own good, but I just played a part in causing her grief and destroying a family instead. Granted, it was Iemitsu's idea but I did the deed on his request. Primo showed Iemitsu and I her life in a dream post-sealing.'
Reborn can already guess where this is going...
'Due to the Sealing...Chikane was in a state of disharmony...she was incredibly clumsy and had trouble learning in school. When she tries, it was like she's underwater and can barely hear a thing. But when learning time is over, her hearing clears. As a result, she became a terrible bully magnet and subject to heartless apathy of adults...and her own mother wouldn't stop talking and reminding her of her failures...that when having no support at home, the bullying got worse that she ran away from home and was on the street for years in who-knows-where but still in Japan. He wouldn't show us landmarks.'
Timoteo took out a picture of 13 years old Chikane. 'I had Bouche take this out of my dreams and created a photoshop out of it so you have an idea. Granted, the Chikane in our dreams was a little girl but we photoshopped for what she may look like when she's 13.'
'Dreams?'
'...Primo's imprint in my ring heard the distress of her heart and went to see her...and upon seeing her time, he wasn't too happy with Iemitsu and I. The ring now burns me and I cannot wear or touch the Sky Ring until I gain his and mother's forgiveness.' said Timoteo softly. 'Iemitsu also cannot hold the ring. It burns him worse than it does me.'
'I have known Daniela twenty years ago. Of course she won't be happy.' Reborn snorted. 'Very well. I'll look for Chikane in Japan. At least I had a face to go by.'
'And there are more things you need to know, while Iemitsu deals with his wife.' Timoteo sighed. 'Like her husband, she played a bigger role than he did in this situation.'
Little did they know that they can only find her by luck now.
xxx
The park, that morning...
'So it was here she appeared.' said Usagi as she and the girls came to the park.
'There doesn't seem to be any clues left behind...' said Ami, seeing nothing in her computer.
'A new enemy...and a possible ally...' Makoto mused.
'That girl was weird...she scared off that blonde weirdo by pretending to be a ghost...scared the life out of us too.' Chibiusa scowled.
'Dreams huh? Well, she might be a Dream Spirit against our Nightmare enemies.' said Rei. 'But we can hardly do a thing...for now. We don't know much.'
'Mamoru-san said she doesn't trust us much either.' said Ami, deflating.
'Its only natural, we don't know each other and she's dealing with an enemy on her own, she's gauging us.' said Rei.
'Probably...she seems to be a nice girl though. Playful, but nice.' said Usagi.
xxx
Speaking of Chikane...for her, it was simply business as usual, but she had a strange need to end her day early.
"That's weird...I have a weird urge to end my day early despite no danger near me." she thought as she quickly went home...and just in time too. When she was being summoned.
I call upon the Emissary of Dreams! She who protects Dreams from Nightmares! Chibiusa invoked in her mind as she transformed into her Guardian Form in her bedroom and prepared to depart. Wake Us Up! Somnio Kori!
The words 'wake us up' was spoken in English and Chibiusa rang the Carillion to complete the summoning.
In a University's school grounds...
A giant childlike door in gold, white and red jeweled accents popped out of the ground, wobbling like jelly. The white doors with ruby doorknobs sprang open much to the frozen stares of the senshi, Tiger's Eye and Danko and out came Chikane, flying out of what looked like a room full of smoke.
'Let's dream tonight!' Chikane cried in English as she shone golden light on Sailor Moon and Chibimoon, transforming them into their Super forms and summoning the Kaleidostick for Sailor Moon. She also upgraded the other four soldiers. Their brooches turned heart-shaped. Their chest ribbons bigger and wider. Their waist ribbons longer and flared. The third segment of their segmented sleeves turned transparent. On their chokers were the symbol of Elysion, the shape of the Golden Crystal but for each girl, its color was their respective colors.
'Our uniforms...' Sailor Mercury gasped out.
'They changed!' Jupiter exclaimed.
'And we got lots of changes with it too!' Minako squealed excitedly.
'And stronger!' Mars swore. 'We won't be sitting ducks next time!'
'MOON GORGEOUS...MEDITATION!' Sailor Moon invoked the power of the Kaleidoscope, killing Danko.
'Y-You won't get away with this!' Tiger's Eye then fled in a fiery hoop. When battle was over, the two moons changed back.
'Somnio Kori!' Chibimoon gasped out, but Chikane began singing that got them quiet.
A dream is a wish your heart makes
when you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
whatever you wish for you keep
Have faith in your dreams that someday
your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving
if you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true
Except for Mercury who was good in English, the others who weren't good in English, managed to understand the song clearly somehow...
'That song...it's from Cinderella!' Mercury gasped out, recognizing the song. Chikane nodded with a smile.
'Yup. Cinderella got one thing right in that song...' Chikane chimed in a playful, coy girl pose. 'Remember and understand the song, so that you will be stronger than nightmares. Its not just a song...but also a worthy prayer for those who dreams beautiful dreams, a hope for the future they wish for, and work hard for.' she said. 'Nighty-night~!' and she disappeared in gold sparkles.
'The rainbow is Sailor Moon's new power.' Mercury mused. 'And the rest of the song is an advice for us all.'
'Yeah, an advice to stay strong somehow.' said Mars. 'And effective against our new enemies.'
'We can imagine what we want to happen and we get it!' Venus squealed excitedly.
'Venus...' Mercury warned in a chiding manner making Venus look sheepish as the others sweatdropped. 'However, we test it for good, not for mischief, OK? We should know if it'll work for us as humans, or solely just as soldiers.'
'Yeah, let's do that!' Sailor Moon agreed.
xxx
Fruits Crown Parlor, above Game Crown Center...
Chikane dressed in a white dress with puffy sleeves and ribbons laced into her dress by her sleeves, collar and under the bust. For her feet she wore simple orange slippers.
Her hair that usually gleams glossily to the point it was mirror-shiny was of a more believable human gloss, and tied her hair into high twintails.
She was enjoying a fruit parfait and a piece of strawberry cake with mango shake for a snack...and discreetly gives some to her friend back home, eating only half of what she orders, sharing her food with Helios.
She was keeping an eye on Usagi and Chibiusa, and their associates, gleaning what she could.
Apparently, high schoolers and elementary schooler by day...soldiers when enemies come to play.
Then came a drama...about Lemon Pie!
Apparently, it was a reward to Usagi's brother and Chibiusa for scoring 100 in their exams. And Usagi's exam, was 28.
"H-her grades are as bad as mine..." Chikane flinched horribly, her trauma rising to the surface of memories of the belittling, demeaning and bullying, shaken by it.
She was honestly expecting Usagi to have the same fate as she had but instead of demeaning and put downs, she was instead told, 'I know I'm bad at Math myself but this is TOO much!' pointing at the 28.
Welp, from reading the woman's memories focusing on Math scores, she herself, was in the high forties.
That, and she was exasperated but never put down Usagi.
'Weird...why? Aren't parents all about points and usefulness of kids about points on paper...it goes against everything I've known...'
Shaken, Chikane went home.
xxx
'Chikane? What's wrong?' Pegasus asked his sulking protector who was hugging a pillow.
'Usagi-san was just as bad as me in school work.' said Chikane with teary eyes. 'But she was never put down and degraded mockingly like I was. She has friends, I don't. Everyone hurts me, nobody hurts her. In school, students shrug off her bad scores as if nothing happened while her teacher scolds her while encouraging her while mine humiliates me in class. Why are we so different?'
'There are good people in the world...there's also the bad.' said Helios. 'Everyone starts the same way, as innocent infants. Then life colors and shapes them into what they are as a person. They become good, bad or hurt depending on where they are. Those who suffered a bad environment and got hurt either come out stronger...or become just as bad, or break completely. Its up to you in the end. You are from an environment that hurt you but you retained a kind heart. And you know full well not to do to others what you suffered. You became the better person in the end. Karma will come. Someday, you will have your dearest wish...while those who hurt you, will find themselves in great irony in the future. Luck and Karma works in funny ways.'
'Ah...but still...I guess I got stronger but I had to get hurt first. I lost the people who cared for me. I could care less about those who hurt me. Why bother?' Chikane huffed. 'My grandmothers, great-grandpa and you are all I have. I don't need anyone else right now.'
'Chikane...nobody can live alone.'
'I managed.'
'But its painful.' Chikane flinched. 'See? Its painful to be alone...but you have what nobody has...the ability to determine people who would never hurt you. Not even I have such power. It took age and experience for me and that took years.' Helios pointed out. 'You will find new friends and people you would proudly call your family as he says you will. Don't give up on humanity just yet.'
'...OK...' Chikane sighed. 'But it still gets to me.'