Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse
A Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover
Chapter 1: Welcome, True Believers!
2-4-2017
by Grey-X
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon was originally created by Naoko Takeuchi and the property of Toei Animation. X-Men was originally created by Stan Lee and is the property of Marvel Comics and Disney.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The midday sun beat down on the personnel ousted from Cape Citadel, an incessant barrage that surely only punctuated their simmering frustration. In one fell swoop, a single man had forcibly exiled them from the missile base, using some strange, unearthly power. All as a means for this terrorist, this… Magneto, as he called himself, to show the destructive potential of his kind. Mutants, he called them.
Kenji Tsukino had heard the word uttered from time to time, but never quite understood its meaning when referring to people. Indeed, the newspaper that currently employed him hadn't assigned him to spend several months in the United States to brush up on sociology and genetics.
But now, along with the rest of this country and perhaps soon the world, Kenji was learning firsthand that these rumored 'mutants' were very real. As was their power. Power that let one man effortlessly seize missile silos. And if this was just a demonstration, Kenji shuddered to think what the mutant terrorist aimed to do next. Japan had already suffered the fury of nuclear weapons firsthand. Such carnage could not be unleashed again.
Kenji thought of his wife Ikuko back in Japan, seven months pregnant with their second child. And his little girl, Usagi. If Magneto was every bit the madman the base personnel made him out to be, he may never get to see them again, or their unborn baby. From what Kenji gathered in interviews thus far, Magneto was obsessed with proving mutants should rule the world, and would do anything to pave the way for their ascendancy. As his thoughts kept drifting back to his family, a strange thought crept up. Supposedly, these mutants were born with their powers, and more and more were being born each year. Would his own children be mutants? Would they have power greater than Magneto's?
But at the moment, it looked as if no one was equipped to oppose Magneto. Certainly not ith what the U.S. Army had amassed thus far. Volley after volley of shells lashed out toward Cape Citadel, but nothing got through the forcefield erected around it. Kenji scribbled some things down, half-thinking it was pointless if Magneto got control of the missiles themselves. The shells detonated uselessly against the barrier, and Kenji could almost hear Magneto laughing contemptuously over them.
Eventually, seeing the futility of the bombardment, the base's commander called off the attack. "Cease firing! It's useless! We haven't anything in our arsenal that'll penetrate Magneto's magnetic forcefield!"
"To all intents and purposes, he's in full control of the installation, while we're on the outside looking in!" chimed in one of the generals.
Kenji began working his way over to them, hoping to get some more material, assuming a nuclear holocaust wasn't unleashed by nightfall. But then, Kenji heard another voice, one unfamiliar to him. To add to his confusion, it sounded like the voice belonged to… a teenage boy? "With due respect, General, I represent the X-Men. Perhaps we can help."
X-Men? Kenji wondered. Despite his fluency in English, the phrase sounded odd to him. In all his years as a reporter, Kenji never heard of such a group. Who were these X-Men?
When he got close enough to see who was speaking to the general, Kenji got more questions than answers. Indeed, it was a teenage boy, in some bizarre blue-and-yellow costume. Kenji thought he and the other reporters looked out of place, but this boy stood out like a sore thumb. He had a blue hood over his head, leaving only the lower half of his face exposed. And covering his eyes, some sort of ruby visor, almost making him look like a cyclops.
The general eyed the boy up and down, and his grim expression grew even more sour. At length, he demanded, "Look, we're having enough trouble with one guy in a cornball costume! Now, who or what are the X-Men!?" Kenji got the feeling that, like with Magneto, he'd be reporting on these X-Men a whole lot more in the future.
"No time to explain, sir!" the boy said quickly, pointing toward the base. For such a young man, he seemed quite dutiful, sure of himself. "I respectfully request you to hold your fire for fifteen minutes while my partners and I go into action!"
Kenji expected the general to tell the costumed youngster off. To his amazement, he said, "Alright! We've nothing to lose, but I feel like a damned fool!"
His voice still filled with confidence, the boy said, "You won't regret it, sir. X-Men… ATTACK!"
As Kenji looked on in confusion, he was dimly aware that it was getting colder, despite the blazing sun overhead. Moments later, his teeth were chattering uncontrollably. Some of the troops were complaining about a cold snap as well. Looking around, Kenji's eyes widened again as what looked like another young man, covered in chunky ice and snow, charged past all of them. He was muttering apologies, but sounded as confident as the other 'X-Man', and even more eager to tackle Magneto.
Then, to add to the insanity, Kenji heard a voice ABOVE them! "At last we'll have a chance to use all the training the professor gave us!"
Looking up, Kenji saw another youngster in a blue-and-yellow costume. But instead of a visor, he sported huge, white wings!
A nearby soldier echoed Kenji's bewilderment. "A walkin' snowman, a guy with wings flyin' above us!? Wha-What's next!?"
He got his answer when what looked like a human gorilla used him to leapfrog toward Cape Citadel. As Kenji watched that impossibly huge yet agile… beast of a man charge at the base, he suddenly found himself thrust aside by some invisible force. And he wasn't the only one being pushed aside. Other soldiers toppled over along with Kenji.
Then came another apologetic voice, but this time, it was a girl's! "Sorry boys, but this is the easiest way to clear a path for myself."
Picking himself up off the dirt, Kenji looked back to the base. Indeed, that was definitely a girl in one of those garish uniforms, some red hair sticking out from her hood. She ran toward Cape Citadel after the others, betraying the same sense of purpose.
As Kenji watched them go, it was clear that Magneto wasn't the only mutant revealing himself today. These five teenagers... It seemed they were ready, expecting a fellow mutant would one day try something like this. Clearly, his earlier notion that no one was equipped to oppose such mutants was in error.
He furiously scribbling things down on his notepad. Somehow, those five kids filled him with hope. He'd be home in time to see the birth of his son, see his family again. And if his little Usagi did turn out to be just like those five kids, Kenji could only hope she'd be just as capable and brave…
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The world around Naru Osaka became a shadowy blur as she desperately tried to pry off the hands choking the life out of her. And Naru still couldn't quite process that it was her OWN MOTHER trying to wring her neck! The day had started like any other, with her best friend Usagi showing up late yet again. But soon after Usagi left her family's jewelry store, their patrons began fainting one by one, and her own mother turned on her.
Naru futilely kept trying to pry off the hands clamping down on her throat. After desperately sucking in what little air she could, scared out of her mind, Naru managed to croak something out. "Mom, stop it! What're…y-y-y-you doing!?"
Through the haze brought on by oxygen depravation, Naru glimpsed her mother's face twisting into a hideous, sneering scowl.
"I'm not your mother, you little fool!" she shot back, a cruel mockery of her mother's voice. It sounded so distant, on top of her mother's snarling face now becoming as fuzzy as everything else. But still, Naru hung on long enough to see one last unthinkable thing. Her mother's face, was it… changing!? Naru's heart hammered as that face twisted and reformed, the skin becoming something brown and rough like tree bark, the eyes turning coal-black except for hideous, sallow irises. "I've got her locked up in the basement. And after I polish you off, I'll send her to join you!"
Naru was dimly aware of this… thing hoisting her off the ground, just as her thumbs pressed down on her throat even tighter. Convinced it was over, Naru felt herself letting go, slipping away. But as everything began to finally fade, Naru heard another voice, impossibly distant, yet firm and resolute. "Let go of Naru!"
A hint of surprise shone in those ghastly black-and-yellow eyes, right before that thing's head spun around 180 degrees. But at that point, Naru couldn't care less about more weirdness piling up. Despite being on the verge of blacking out, Naru heard that creature demand who shouted that. The answer they received would stick in Naru's head forever: "I am the guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon! And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
The creature spluttered something else as she turned her attention to this Sailor Moon, letting Naru drop to the floor, seconds before death's sweet release would finally come. Still, what happened in the next few moments were a blur, as Naru flitted on the verge of unconsciousness, laying on the shop floor. In the days that followed, as Naru tried to piece it all together, she could recall screaming and crying. A LOT of screaming and crying. Including one bout of bawling so intense, it rattled her skull and FINALLY made her black out.
But only for a few moments. When Naru's eyes fluttered open again, she found the strength to lift her head up and look around. Her vision was still fuzzy, but whatever had gone down, it looked like that monster was long gone. The bodies of the shoppers who fainted still littered the place, but they were stirring too. Yet there was one person who was already up and about, walking toward the front door.
Squinting, Naru thought she could make out the silhouette of a young girl like herself, in some sort of sailor fuku. But there was something odd about her. Twintails done up in the odango style that swished about as she made her exit, the thumping of knee-high boots growing more distant as she faded from view. Carrying herself with a gait that betrayed both timidity and… some unknown purpose, even to her.
No doubt this was the 'Sailor Moon' that rushed in and saved everyone. Naru had called for someone, anyone to help, and got an answer.
At first, Naru figured she dreamed the whole thing up. But at school the following day, other girls who had been there said they all had the same dream! And then this Sailor Moon popped up more and more. The eyewitness reports said that this girl was quite klutzy, and a bit of a crybaby, but somehow always got the job done. And then MORE of these 'Sailor Senshi' started showing up…
And Naru was enamored by the Sailor Senshi. Idolizing them, wanting desperately to BE one of them. Especially after her first love, a former enemy of theirs named Nephrite, died in her arms. She wanted to strike back at his former masters, get payback for Nephrite personally, but had to be content with her faith in the Sailor Senshi. That they would finish the job. Faith that was unshakeable.
Or at least, it used to be.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just as dawn broke, shedding its gentle rays over the wreckage of Juban Odyssey, the alien beings known as Ail and An began their ascent, taking the sprout gifted by the dying Makai Tree. With one last look of thankfulness down at Mamoru and Sailor Moon, they smiled before shooting themselves up into space, leaving a calm yet awkward silence in their wake.
Sailor Moon watched them go, hope welling in her heart as Mamoru held her close. It was such a relief for a long struggle to end this way. No one had died, their former enemies learned the error of their ways, and were off to begin anew.
The complete opposite of when the Dark Kingdom finally went down. Nephrite was possibly on the right path before Zoisite's goons cut him down, right in front of Naru. And despite how Queen Beryl's crimes could never really be forgiven, Sailor Moon had felt a little sorry for her.
Of course, those qualms were nothing next to seeing her fellow Sailor Senshi die right in front of her, one by one, and then forced to fight Mamoru before HE died. And all those horrible memories, rushing back in an instant, when Ail and An first appeared.
So much pain, so much suffering. But at least, this one time, things had ended on a happy note. Ail and An learned important lessons, albeit the hard way. If only more conflicts could end this way, instead of raging on and bringing nothing but ruin. Why couldn't it be that way more often? But right now, the future could be awaited with a sense of hope.
Leaning into Mamoru a little more, Sailor Moon muttered, "I'm sure those two will be happy together."
Sailor Moon squealed a little with delight as she felt Mamoru's hands press her close to him. "Yeah, I'm sure of it," he replied.
Pulling away a little to look up into Mamoru's eyes, Sailor Moon then said, "And I'm sure we'll figure out a way, too…"
It looked like Mamoru was about to pull her in for a kiss, which made Sailor Moon tingle with excitement. But of course, the moment was fated to not last. The rest of the Sailor Senshi just HAD to come up out of nowhere, all teasingly shouting "Good for you!" in unison. Mamoru and Sailor Moon sheepishly looked around at their prattling friends, their gently teasing faces making both of them blush a dark shade of crimson.
"I need to find a boyfriend, too!" Sailor Venus said.
"I want one like Mamoru!" Sailor Mars chimed in.
"Hey hey HEY!" Sailor Moon shot back quickly, suddenly concerned. "You can't have my Mamo-chan!"
"Just kidding, meathead!" Sailor Mars replied with a smile.
And so it went on, now that the battle over the Makai Tree was over. But unbeknownst to the Sailor Senshi, a new conflict was brewing right there. As they talked, right before vacating what remained of Juban Odyssey, none of them noticed a woman watching them from far across the rooftop.
The rising sun was to her back, so even if the Senshi had looked in her direction, they probably couldn't have made out her face. On top of that, big, dark glasses obscured her face, along with a head full of long, disheveled raven-black hair.
Her hair wasn't the only unsightly thing about her at the moment. She pulled herself up onto a huge, upturned chunk of concrete that had been part of the roof. Her hand was bloody and even sported minor burns. As more light filtered across the condo's roof, the blood dribbling down her face could be seen as well.
Though her eyes were hard to make out, there was no mistaking the tears that streamed down along with her blood. And given how her teeth gnashed as she peered over the concrete chunk at the Sailor Senshi, one could hazard a guess that those eyes were full of hatred and pain.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The lights flickered on and off outside the robotics lab, which was quite disorienting. Of course, in this line of work, one learned to ignore such distractions. Steadying her breathing, Sailor Uranus kept her back pressed against the wall, right next to the door leading to the laboratory. Sailor Neptune did the same at the other side of the door, sharing a knowing gaze with her partner.
Their search for the talismans, and the dark forces trying to beat them to those relics, had led them here tonight. Their enemy's next victim was supposedly the one in charge here. Without a reliable means of extracting and examining a pure heart themselves, Uranus and Neptune had to rely on waiting for their enemy to make a move.
Both of them would stop at nothing to secure the three talismans first. Still, despite how hard she knew Neptune could be, Uranus caught her partner's scowl in that flickering light as one of their enemies spoke.
"Ugh, I can't wait till the professor finally perfects the Daimon eggs. So far, hunting and examining pure hearts has been too bloody slow," came an arrogant, sing-song voice. "So, what do you think about this one, Telulu?"
"It's hard to say, Viluy," replied a voice brimming with almost as much imperiousness. "It's… doubtful this pure heart contains a talisman. Yet, it's so different from the others thus far."
"Hmmm, perhaps some further examination at our facilities is in order," Viluy replied, malfeasance dripping in her voice along with haughtiness. "Even if it's not a talisman, I'm betting some… enticing discoveries can be made with this one."
With another look over to Neptune, Uranus nodded to her. It was go time. Some might accuse the two of them of being cold, inhumanly so. Their plan, after all, was to sacrifice whoever had the pure hearts that held the talismans. But it was only because they saw no other choice. The way these two seemed giddy about sacrificing someone for their pure heart, even if it had no talisman… It made Uranus's blood boil. Sacrifice should be made ONLY when necessary!
But something had already given the two of them away. Just as Neptune and Uranus were about to storm through the door, Viluy shouted, "Wait Telulu, my nanobots just picked up some movement… Telulu, the door!"
Uranus only caught a glimpse of a woman with green hair in some strange black garb. 'Garb' was being too generous, as it seemed her arms and legs were only covered in some weird black strings.
This Telulu beat them to the draw. Before either Senshi could unleash an attack, putrid vines shot out from something on her wrists. Instead of ensnaring the two of them, however, Telulu knocked over a steel cabinet by the door, aiming to make it topple onto them.
Fortunately, with her strength, it was easy for Uranus to shove it aside. But in the brief moment needed to do so, Telulu and Viluy had given them the slip.
"They got away," Neptune spat acidly. "Oh well, there's always next time. For now, let's check on their victim."
Uranus and Neptune cautiously walked across the robotics lab, broken glass crunching under their feet. They spotted a consistent yellow glow amid the flickering lighting in the lab, coming from the other side of an oak desk with a computer.
Small wonder Telulu and Viluy had been curious. For one thing, the cross-shaped crystalline structure was a noxious, sallow color instead of the usual pinkish-red. As she knelt to examine it more closely, Uranus's gaze drifted over to who it was ripped from.
One of the lab's staff, no doubt, given that she was wearing a white coat. Even with the glow of her pure heart washing over her, her face was hard to make out, given the long, raven-black hair spilling over it, not to mention the big, dark glasses. Plus, she wasn't tall at all, looking quite puny on the floor, propped up against her desk.
Looking back to her pure heart, Uranus sighed. "They were right, no talisman here." With that, she gave it a nudge forward, and it retreated back into its owner. Annoyed they had struck out yet again, Uranus rose, fists clenched. "Come on, Neptune. There's nothing left for us here."
But Uranus and Neptune barely took a few steps before the woman croaked something out. "So… s-s-s-she's got some new recruits." The two of them whirled around to stare down at her, but those dark lenses still obscured her eyes. "This… changes… nothing…" the woman got out before blacking out again.
They stared at the downed lab worker a moment longer, the uncomfortable silence broken when Neptune asked, "What… do you suppose she meant by that?"
"Who knows? Who cares?" Uranus replied dismissively. "Whatever she was babbling about, it has nothing to do with us."
Not sparing the lab worker another thought, Uranus made her way off the premises, Neptune right behind her. Unfortunately, Sailor Uranus would learn in due time that it most certainly DID involve her, her partner, and Sailor Senshi they had yet to meet.
And if Uranus had had the patience to stay a little longer, she might have found a clue as to what on the computer screen. Telulu and Viluy's victim had been ambushed in the middle of her work, which was still displayed on the screen. Schematics for her creations. On the screen were things like turbine engines of various sizes and power, a minigun…
But most telling was one word near the bottom of the screen, the only one in English: SENTINEL
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A gentle drizzle began to fall onto the park, just as the sun was disappearing behind Tokyo's skyscrapers. Thankfully, Mamoru had had the foresight to bring an umbrella. He shielded both of them from the rain as he held Usagi close.
Usagi gazed up at the hazy, red clouds on the horizon, but her mind was focused on other things. Namely, savoring Mamoru's warmth and touch, her hand clasped over his as they continued their stroll through the park. It wasn't too often that they could just enjoy an evening together like this, what with Mamoru's work and this Amazon Trio popping up more and more. Every time it looked like the Sailor Senshi stopped some apocalyptic evil from wrecking Tokyo and then the world, someone else would spring up to their their place.
Sometimes, Usagi would wonder if, one day, there'd be a threat the Sailor Senshi couldn't handle themselves. But Usagi would swiftly banish such pessimism. That sort of thinking just wasn't in her nature. Besides, with a track record like theirs, was there reason to worry? The Dark Kingdom, the Black Moon Clan and the Death Busters, all gone for good, and Usagi had faith that whoever the Amazon Trio worked for would soon join that list.
Of course, there had been a lot of heartache involved. Prince Endymion, Black Lady, Mistress 9… Forced to fight dearest friends, who were brainwashed and out of control. Usagi desperately wished to never go through pain like that again.
But as usual, Usagi didn't allow herself to dwell on such thoughts for long. For the moment, at least, there was something much better to focus her attention on. Squeezing Mamoru's hand a little tighter, she leaned into him as they walked deeper into the park. The rain was falling a little harder now, and Usagi felt mud giving way underneath her feet. It didn't bother her though, so long as she could have at least one quiet evening with her Mamo-chan.
Apparently, Usagi wasn't the only girl who wanted nothing more. Suddenly, Mamoru stopped, and Usagi would've kept walking ahead had he not been holding her close. She heard Mamoru mutter, "Oh, it's Umino and Naru," as her eyes fluttered back open.
Indeed, her old friends were just a few paces ahead. But they lacked an umbrella, so the rain was steadily soaking their clothes. On top of that, Naru hadn't even changed out of her school uniform. As Usagi wondered about all that, she suddenly remembered that NARU was saddled with detention all week.
That was not supposed to happen. Usagi was known all throughout Juban Middle School as the Queen of Detention! No one would ever expect Naru to get it for a whole week, while Usagi could just skip off.
As Usagi racked her brains a little more, it did seem as if Naru was horribly distracted as of late. What could it be, though? She had long gotten over Nephrite's death. Perhaps she was still shaken up by Tigers-Eye's attack, and how that almost drove a wedge between her and Umino. Perhaps it was the attack itself. It was nothing short of an unforgivable violation, someone forcefully peering into your dreams, your very soul.
Whatever the reason, Usagi was now determined to find out. Naru had been looking sullen enough these last couple of weeks since the attack. And now, seeing her getting soaked as the rain picked up, Naru looked absolutely miserable. Gently pushing Mamoru's arm aside, she made her way to the other couple.
Umino spotted her right away, looking up as raindrops dribbled down the lenses of his glasses. "Oh, Usagi! You're here too?"
Naru's gaze had been downcast, and she only slowly looked up at the mention of her friend. "Oh, hey Usagi," Naru muttered, her mind clearly somewhere else. Usagi's presence barely seemed to register, and Naru didn't seem to notice the rain at all.
Now Usagi just KNEW something was wrong, and was even more determined to get to the bottom of it. "Naru, what's bothering you? I mean, you landed in detention instead of me this week. Let that sink in: you in detention and not me. That's got to violate a few laws of probability or something." It was a few seconds before Naru even made eye contact with her. And when she did, there was a… dullness in her turquoise eyes, a sense of defeat. Of hopelessness. And that would not stand while Usagi was around. Not now, not ever. "Please Naru, if there's anything wrong, you can tell me…"
Naru's gaze suddenly grew hard as well as defeated. "Maybe I should come by the Hikawa Shrine and blather about it, while all those new friends of yours are there," Naru snapped back. "After all, that seems to be where you spend most of your time these days."
"Naru, come on," Umino pleaded. "There's no need for…"
"You're right, Umino," Naru said quickly as she shut her eyes. Usagi wasn't sure, but tears could've been mingling with the raindrops splashing across Naru's face. "Come on, let's just go."
With that, Naru grabbed Umino's wrist and dragged him away. Umino looked confused, and was seemingly powerless to resist as Naru dragged him past a confused Mamoru. In fact, he seemed to wince a little when Naru grabbed him.
Usagi could only watch them go, unable to think of a thing to say. After all, Naru had a point. Even since becoming Sailor Moon, she spent more and more time with the other Senshi, and having semi-regular meetings at the Hikawa Shrine to discuss impending threats. Granted, half the time she was at the shrine, Usagi was either reading Rei's manga or daydreaming about Mamoru, but still.
At any rate, it wasn't as if Usagi INTENTIONALLY shut Naru out. Things just happened to progress this way, also growing close with the friends she continuously fought alongside. There was a bond with the other Senshi, things she couldn't discuss with just anyone. Of course, one time, it seemed Naru knew EXACTLY who she really was…
Usagi shook her head. None of that was important now. All that mattered at the moment was that something was troubling Naru deeply, and Usagi had to find out what.
She turned to follow them, but was stopped when Mamoru clasped a hand on her shoulder. "Let them go, Usa-ko." Usagi looked up at Mamoru, then watched as Naru led Umino deeper into the park. "Whatever's troubling your old friend, it's clearly something that she won't be browbeaten into talking about. Just give her time."
Usagi could only sigh in defeat. Mamoru did have a point. Still, even as they got on their way, it continued to nag at Usagi. Never before had Naru sounded so resentful of how Usagi grew closer with the rest of the Sailor Senshi. It just reinforced how something was very, very wrong. And now, it looked like Naru wanted nothing further to do with her.
That unnerving revelation gnawed at Usagi, even as Mamoru held her close again. Usagi desperately wanted to savor what was left of their evening together, but she simply couldn't shake the notion she had to do something.
And when Usagi heard a pair of terrified screams coming from where Naru took off with Umino, it was apparent even more troubles were being dumped on her shoulders. Muttering under her breath, Usagi broke away from Mamoru and took off for the center of the park, having an idea about what she'd soon find.
Usagi panted as she ran, muddy water splashing everywhere. Stealth was never Usagi's strong suit, but at the moment, she couldn't be bothered with subtlety. All she knew right then, all that mattered, was that her old friend was probably caught right in the middle of Sailor Moon's troubles AGAIN.
When she finally found Naru and Umino, Usagi's heart sank, seeing how right she was. But it wasn't precisely Naru being targeted this time. Ducking behind some bushes, Usagi looked on as another one of the Amazon Trio, Fish-Eye, had Umino restrained, his mirror of dreams summoned forth already.
Naru, however, was having none of it. Whatever was bothering her, it no doubt fueled her anger, and she was NOT taking another attack like this lying down. With a howl of fury, she launched herself at Fish-Eye. Usagi had to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming when Fish-Eye launched a blast of water. It slammed Naru against a tree hard. Usagi wasn't exactly a physicist, but with how forcefully that tree shook… Fish-Eye's attack might have been strong enough to kill.
Usagi's fist clenched as rage welled up with her. Something had already been troubling Naru, and now, her enemies decided to go after her again. Possibly KILL her this time.
Without a word, Mamoru knelt beside her behind the bush. Turning to Mamoru, Usagi saw he was holding up his rose. Usagi looked into his eyes and nodded, getting the hint. It was time to get to work.
"MOON CRISIS MAKE-UP!"
And so, the power washed over her, transforming her from the klutzy crybaby schoolgirl everyone thought they knew, and into Sailor Moon. Someone who could make a difference, rush in to help a friend. Or, if necessary, avenge one.
With Naru down, Fish-Eye walked back over to Umino. But before he could poke his head into his dreams, a resounding cry interrupted him. "Hold it right there!" With an annoyed grunt, Fish-Eye turned to see Sailor Moon standing a few paces away. "Bad enough your partner tried to break up the blossoming love between these two already! Going for a two-fer is unforgivable!" Sailor Moon brayed, pointing right at Fish-Eye.
Tuxedo Kamen was right behind her, judging from the sound of his cape billowing in the storm's breeze. She also heard Tuxedo Kamen whisper that Naru was somehow still alive. Good to know. The sooner we drive off Fish-Eye, the sooner we get Naru to a hospital, Sailor Moon reasoned.
"Ugh, this again?" Fish-Eye spat, scowling at them. But then, that scowl twisted into a sinister smile. "But wait, something tells me it won't be the same-old same-old this time."
Sailor Moon blinked in surprise, unnerved by the swift shift in Fish-Eye's mood. "Huh? Why'd you say that?" she demanded.
Fish-Eye chuckled eerily. "Isn't it obvious? Aren't we minus one pink-haired munchkin? And without that little troublemaker, it's impossible to summon Pegasus!"
Sailor Moon gulped, and swore she heard Tuxedo Kamen shift anxiously behind her. Fish-Eye was right about that. Sailor Moon had been too hasty after seeing Naru struck down, and Fish-Eye had them at a disadvantage.
Even with the overcast, stormy sky, Fish-Eye's shadow was visible. Looking down at it, he commanded, "Come out, my Lemure… Nanomashinko!" Emerging from Fish-Eye's shadow was what at first glance looked like a young girl in a blue, sleeveless qipao. But where there should have been bare skin, there was a green, rough covering with golden lines woven into it. Like a computer board, Sailor Moon soon realized.
Even though it was raining in full force and electricity crackled over Nanomashinko's circuit-skin, her power wasn't being shorted out. The Lemure glared at them with solid, red eyes, her navy-blue hair done up in a tight bun. Sailor Moon also noticed the straps across Nanomashinko's chest, as if something was fixed to her backside.
"Hee-hee, shall I show them my synchronized drone act?" jeered the Lemure in a saccharine, high-pitched voice. Spreading her arms out, she began to wave them in circles. Suddenly the pair of golden bangles Nanomashinko was wearing expanded, and as if on their own volition, they floated overhead. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen eyed the hoops warily as they hovered in a circle overhead, aiming to be ready for anything. Then, Nanomashinko bent over. Sailor Moon saw the bulky knapsack fixed to her back just as half a dozen buzzing somethings shot out, fluttering overhead to where the levitating hoops were.
"They're… just drones?" Tuxedo Kamen muttered as the little machines sporting multiple propellers began a synchronous flying pattern through the two moving hoops. "But, what's the point!?"
"Oh, you like the first act?" Nanomashinko asked giddily, clapping her hands. "Well, here's stage two!"
Suddenly, something popped out from the bottom of Nanomashinko's drones. The next moment, what might have easily been machine gun fire rained down from the drones.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Sailor Moon cried. She frantically danced around to avoid having her feet shredded into hamburger. Thankfully, Tuxedo Kamen was on top of things, dashing to the side and unleashing a volley of roses. One managed to clip a drone's propeller, and it spun out of control before smashing into a tree. The rest broke formation and began circling overhead.
That, at least, gave Sailor Moon an opening. As another drone moved in to fire, she had her tiara ready. "Moon Tiara Action!" she bellowed. The blazing disc shredded the incoming drone. And it looked like Tuxedo Kamen was making short work of the rest. "C'mon, that can't be all you've got!" Sailor Moon spat.
"Uh, forgetting about the hoops, Shinko?" Nanomashinko shot back, pointing behind Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon risked a glance over her shoulder, just in time to see one of those enlarged bangles spinning toward her.
With a startled cry, Sailor Moon jumped aside. But as the hoop narrowly missed her, it kept going, catching Tuxedo Kamen unawares as he downed the last drone. The impact slammed him against the tree that Naru was smacked into, and then the hoop somehow fastened itself around the trunk, pinning him against it.
With a frantic cry, Sailor Moon ran toward the tree, but suddenly there was a blinding light punctuated by Tuxedo Kamen screaming in agony. Forcing herself to look, tears ran down Sailor Moon's cheeks as she watched electricity arc all over his body, made worse by the rain. The light faded as suddenly as it had come. Tuxedo Kamen's head bobbed forward, unconscious or possibly worse.
Full of fury once more, Sailor Moon looked around for Nanomashinko, but the Lemure was nowhere to be seen. Only Fish-Eye was still conscious, still standing near the subdued Umino, grinning triumphantly at her. "Where's your Lemure gotten to?" Sailor Moon demanded.
"Oh, she's still, how shall we say, TRUCKING along…" Fish-Eye said dangerously. Sailor Moon was perplexed for a moment, but then she heard something like a police siren, barreling toward the center of the park.
Looking over her shoulder again, Sailor Moon's face fell dejectedly. "Oh, you've GOT to be kidding me…" Nanomashinko was indeed coming back, standing atop a fire engine, its sirens blazing as it charged full speed at Sailor Moon.
"I don't just have complete control over my drones and bangles, Shinko! I can also mentally control anything else powered by a computer, Shinko!" the Lemure taunted as the fire engine closed in.
With a frantic cry, Sailor Moon ducked aside as the truck sped by. Mud splattered everywhere as Sailor Moon's momentum propelled her toward the tree. Tuxedo Kamen was still out cold, from the looks of it, but Sailor Moon swore she saw his chest rise and fall. So he was safe, for now. Just out cold, just like…
"Urgh…" came a barely-audible groan from the base of the tree. Happiness and shock swirled within Sailor Moon as she looked down. There was Naru, soaked to the bone and caked with mud, slowly getting back to her feet. That was a miracle in itself. Fish-Eye's attack hadn't killed her, but Sailor Moon figured some bones must have been broken. Yet Naru was standing again as if his attack had been nothing.
Rubbing mud out of her eyes, Naru looked around until her eyes fell on Sailor Moon. "Sa-Sa-Sailor Moon?" she croaked. "When did y-y-you get here? Where's Umino, and where's…" Naru was cut off as the blaring siren approached again. Turning toward it, Naru froze as headlights washed over them.
"THERE'S Fish-Eye's Lemure, so let's MOVE!" cried Sailor Moon, grabbing Naru by the wrist. Thankfully, that was enough to snap Naru out of it. They took off together, letting out frantic wails as the fire engine chased the two of them all across the park.
At least it couldn't reach full speed too easily within the park, thanks to the mud. That was only a small comfort, though. Even over the sirens, Sailor Moon could hear Umino screaming as Fish-Eye forcibly peered into his dreams. Plus, Nanomashinko's jeering laughter was as plangent as the sirens.
"Suddenly I'm not so envious of the 'fun' you Sailor Senshi get to have," Naru cried as they tried to keep ahead of the fire engine. Sailor Moon was about to point out that these battles were hardly her idea of 'fun', but bright light to her left distracted her. Looking toward it, Sailor Moon saw Nanomashinko's second hoop spinning toward them. In a panic, Sailor Moon shoved Naru out of its path and the fire engine's, but she wound up getting slammed by the hoop, hopelessly pinned against another tree.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Sailor Moon screamed as millions of volts coursed through her. She swore she could smell her own flesh char. There was only so much even a Sailor Senshi could take, but she forced herself to stay awake. Naru, Tuxedo Kamen, Umino… They all still needed her.
Eventually, the surge abated, but Sailor Moon barely hung on. Forcing herself to look up, she saw Naru running toward the tree, while Nanomashinko jumped off the fire engine as it sped by, unable to stop or change direction quickly. But it did turn around, a good fifty or so meters away. It wheels spun in place, digging into the mud, as if eager for Nanomashinko to give it the mental command to splatter her against the tree.
"And now, for the final act, Sailor Pancakes served firehouse style!" quipped Nanoshinko. The Lemure stood a dozen or so paces from the tree Sailor Moon was pinned against, electricity crackling all around her.
Sailor Moon looked over to the Lemure, and then at the fire engine itching to flatten her. "No no no no no! I don't want to be a pancake!" she wailed, futilely struggling against her bonds.
In the meantime, Naru had reached the tree. Naru looked to the Lemure, her power arcing all across her circuitous skin. She looked to Sailor Moon, gazing anxiously at the golden hoop still sparking, then over at the fire engine ready to run them over.
Naru turned her gaze to Sailor Moon one last time, sorrowful tears mixing with the mud and rain. "Sailor Moon, you've saved my life and Umino's so many times, I've lost count," she said apologetically. "It's… high time I returned the favor." Gritting her teeth, she glared right at the Lemure, her terror evaporating in an instant. "OK, do your worst!"
For an instant, Nanomashinko looked chastised, even nervously taking a step back. But then, she regained her composure and shrugged her shoulders. "As you wish, Shinko," she said with a smile, looking back to her fire engine.
At once, the fire engine cut loose and barreled forward, but so did Naru. With a furious howl, Naru took off, running right at the incoming truck.
Sailor Moon would've screamed for Naru to just get away, but she was dumbstruck. Who, in their right mind, would run RIGHT AT A FIRE ENGINE!? The fire engine kept accelerating, but Naru never wavered, running right at the oncoming juggernaut. It only took a few seconds for the distance between Naru and the fire engine to be bridged. Long, painful, torturous seconds for Sailor Moon that dragged on for eons, all while she wondered just what possessed her old friend to do something so stupid. Sailor Moon could only look on helplessly as Naru's torso twisted to shoulder-charge it, certain she would be splattered against its grille.
Instead, the fire engine's grill caved inward, as if it had just struck a telephone pole. Its back wheels were lifted off the ground as it slammed into Naru with a thunderous crash. They bounced off the muddy ground as it kept careening forward, but now, it was definitely slowing down.
As it crept ever closer, Sailor Moon got a better look. By some miracle, Naru was still alive, though buried halfway into the fire engine's front end. Naru held one hand out against the front, fingers dug into the metal as if it were pizza dough. Her feet dug up mud and grass as she struggled to force it back, screaming the whole time. In stark contrast to Sailor Moon, who was just staring wide-eyed, still dead quiet.
This… was not possible. It would take the strength of at least a couple dozen Sailor Jupiters to pull off a stunt like this. And somehow Naru Osaka, who typically was the one she had to rescue, was stopping well over a couple dozen metric tons of incoming metal, water and plastic with NOTHING BUT HER BARE HANDS!?
But stop it she did. The heel of Naru's foot came to a rest mere centimeters from Sailor Moon's, just as the engine sputtered and died out. Naru pried herself out of the deep indentation she had left, her breathing ragged and labored, drenched in motor oil and radiator fluid. Other than all that, she looked perfectly fine.
"Naru…" Sailor Moon finally breathed out. "H-H-H-How did you… did you really just…"
Sailor Moon was interrupted by the cackling of the Lemure. "Wow, what a great act! Bravo, truly inspiring!" Nanomashinko shrilled while clapping.
Her gaze fixed on the Lemure, Naru knelt down and grabbed underneath the fire engine's ruined fender. Sailor Moon's eyes widened even more as the fire engine was hoisted up, as if it were one big styrofoam block. Metal groaned in protest, but Naru kept lifting, grunting through gritted teeth. Naru's feet sank deeper into the mud as she lifted it up past her shoulders. And then Naru lifted it even higher, until she was balancing the entire fire engine, now perpendicular to the ground, right over her head.
"Oh oh oh, this act just keeps getting better!" squealed Nanomashinko, still clapping. The Lemure seemed totally unconcerned that Naru had turned around, inching closer while balancing a fire engine over her head. "Oh yes, I must ask Zirconia if we can have your dreams eaten so your act can be part of the circus permanently, and…" Nanomashinko's words drifted off when she finally looked Naru in the eye, seeing a gaze no doubt full of rage. "W-W-W-Wait a second, what do you plan to do with…"
With one last shriek, Naru threw the entire fire engine down onto Nanomashinko, making the entire park quake. After the rumbling faded, Sailor Moon swore she heard Nanomashinko splutter, "S-S-S-Stage Out…"
With Nanomashinko done for, her golden hoop corroded and crumbled away, freeing Sailor Moon. With tepid steps, she drew closer to Naru. Her friend's back was still turned to her, fists clenched. "N-N-N-Naru, h-h-h-how did you DO THAT!?" So far, she had needed Pegasus's help to polish off those Lemures. Naru offed this one with her bare hands! How!?
Naru didn't answer. Instead, she looked elsewhere. Sailor Moon followed her gaze and saw that Fish-Eye had hung around. But after seeing the collective power he faced, he let out a fearful shriek before backflipping into a hastily-conjured watery portal. The instant he was gone, the board restraining Umino vanished, leaving him to slump unceremoniously to the ground.
Sailor Moon and Naru ran over to Umino to help him up. Thankfully, he came to rather quickly, due to the rain still falling. "N-N-Naru?" he whimpered, taking Naru's hand. Naru squeezed back, and Sailor Moon briefly wondered how she did that without crushing his hand. Those hands… they just stopped a fire engine dead in its tracks! Where did that sort of strength come from!? "Naru, where'd that guy go? W-W-Was that the same one who attacked you? And…why do you smell like motor oil?"
Naru blushed, looking ready to cry. Once Umino could stand on his own, his gaze fell on the fire engine, which had come down on its side. But he could see where the front end had caved in, and where Naru's hand had wrenched into the metal. Umino kept looking from the fire engine to Naru and back again.
Now Sailor Moon's face colored with unease. Umino was no Ami Mizuno, but he was certain to put the pieces together. "The ground, dug up… The front end… Naru, did you, how did… T-T-T-There's no way someone could do that, not even a Sailor Senshi… Wait, unless… Naru, why didn't you tell me? I-I-I-I mean, are you really…"
The whole time, Naru had been ready to burst into tears. Now that it looked like Umino had solved this puzzle, one which still perplexed Sailor Moon, she couldn't contain it a moment longer. She let out a shriek full of sorrow, then bellowed in shame, "Yes, Umino… I'm a MUTANT!" She turned and ran, still bawling, desperate to get away.
"Wait, Naru! It's no big deal!" Umino cried, taking off after Naru. "You could've told me! I don't care! I never will! Naru!? NARU!"
And then, Sailor Moon was alone, left with her confusion. Mutant. She had heard that word before, but wasn't really sure what it meant. Obviously, it was something Naru felt ashamed about. If nothing else, along with explaining Naru's strength, now she knew what was distracting Naru at school. She would have to ask Ami just what a 'mutant' was…
Especially since, soon enough, Sailor Moon would be hearing that word quite often. As its significance would hit home – hit all of Japan – hard.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For eons, while situated on Earth's moon, the being known as Uatu, though more commonly known as the Watcher, observed the goings-on of the solar system. Observing the policy set by his people long ago, to ever observe, but never interfere. Not even when the horrors of war came quite close to home, as the Moon Kingdom met its unceremonious end thanks to Queen Beryl and the Shitennou. Uatu finally got to see that conflict resolved once and for all some time ago. A destiny fulfilled by Princess Serenity, after observing how she had been reincarnated as Usagi Tsukino many years before that.
But that was not what was on Uatu's mind at the moment, having just seen Usagi's friend Naru Osaka reveal her mutant powers right in front of her. Rather, this incident made Uatu recall a rather significant event from many decades prior. One which also involved two people who, by all accounts, should have gone on to be lifelong friends: Charles Xavier and Eric Magnus Lehnsherr.
Uatu had watched these two men, perhaps the two most powerful mutants ever born, first meet in Israel while doing volunteer work at a hospital. So much alike, who could accomplish so much together. But while one was driven by hope and a sense of justice, the other was plagued by his bitterness and loss. While Professor Charles Xavier went on to start a school for mutants to make his hopeful dreams a reality, Eric Lehnsherr became Magneto, determined to see the ascendancy of mutants by any means necessary. And so, two good friends found themselves in fierce opposition more often than not.
And as Uatu watched Naru run away in fear and shame, leaving a confused Usagi behind, he feared he was seeing the same tragedy play out again. Usagi Tsukino, full of hope and dreams, and Naru Osaka, full of doubt and frustration. Doubt and frustration that could take her down a dangerous path, leaving her old friend no choice but to stand against her.
But Uatu was not exactly a pessimist. That was why he once broke his vow of non-interference to warn the Fantastic Four of Galactus's approach. Here, he saw a chance for such a tragedy to avoid coming about a second time. But if this was to be, it had to be done without his interference. Only Usagi Tsukino herself could find a way to avoid her and Naru going down the same road. Succeed with her friend where Professor X ultimately failed with his.
Many would scoff at Uatu's optimism, thinking that someone like Usagi could figure out how to do what had eluded one of the most brilliant minds humankind had to offer. But Sailor Moon had her own gifts, which could let her avert such a sad fate. At the very least, in the next few months, Uatu might get an answer to the age-old question…
Is the future truly set?