THE ACCIDENTAL MAGICAL GIRL
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.
Season one.
Chapter 2: First day in school.
Akemi Sekirei awoke to a beeping alarm clock.
For an instant, she wondered where she was and abruptly sat up as the rush of her new memories came back.
She looked at herself in her t-shirt and panties and sighed deeply. "Oh god... I'm still a girl... I really wish it was a nightmare..."
She was really appreciating the "tragedy" of a manga like "Ranma 1/2". It was perhaps a romantic comedy for the viewers, but it was certainly a horrible tragedy for poor Ranma. And she didn't have the benefit of having an actual Jusenkyo curse.
Just think about everything a female do and imagine an ignorant male having to do or more exactly discover the same things. Merely pointing at what happened or is required in a bathroom should be enough to mentally scarred anyone with the right chromosomes.
Oh she had help: A male cat... that knew enough... because no one would peg an animal a peeping tom... for a tomcat...
Akemi emerged from the morning ordeal with barely a functional mind but fully traumatized. She managed to rally herself enough to take her breakfast with her mother who was a housewife. Her father Murata had already gone to work to his accounting agency.
Curiously, she let herself fussing about by her mother Sakura and truly smiled at the woman. She kissed her on the cheek and retrieved her lunch-box. She looked at the blue and silver simple design and nodded as she took a decision. "Say mom..?"
"Yes, Akemi-chan?"
The new girl hesitated a little. "Would you mind if I help you next time?" Her mother blinked at the surprising question. "I'm old enough to begin, I think I would appreciate if you'll teach me how to properly cook my own lunches..?"
Sakura beamed at her daughter. Fourteen years old and despite or more probably because of their relocation, she was showing a more mature side of herself. She hugged her. "With great pleasure, daughter. With great pleasure." The proud mother pushed her child to the door. "Don't forget to take your anti-thief lock with your bicycle. Take your time this afternoon when choosing your club and try to make some acquaintances in your class."
As she took the lift, Akemi asked herself why she just did that with her Fake Mother. It has been instinctive and she certainly didn't regret it, but still... Sakura Sekirei was a stranger to her... Perhaps, she sub-consciously reminded her of her true mother..? Or perhaps Akemi empathized with a fellow victim of the Puchuus..?
Going to school was simpler than she thought. Thanks to technology, Akemi simply used the GPS app of her smart-phone to find her school and take a direct path to it with her bicycle.
She joined the crowd of her fellow schoolmates and gazed upon the "Juuban Junior High" building. A little nasty surprise as going to the same school as the Sailor Scouts didn't seem... Why was she so reluctant to interact with the premier team of Magical Girls..? Besides, at this time period, the Scouts should be young adults and entering the workforce.
She shake her head and entered the facility, searching for her assigned locker to put on her "Uwabuki" or soft slippers. If it wasn't for her fiery hair and emerald eyes, she probably looked like a clone of the "Standard Japanese Schoolgirl". Most of the other girls changed their appearances a little by adopting "Loose Socks" styles, showing small accessories and charms on their backpacks or having small changes in their hairstyles.
'Of course, it seems a little stupid when you see the variety of hair colours... I'm really in an anime world...' Akemi sweat-dropped as she looked at the veritable festival of …weird hair colours: Blue, green, pastels, golden blonde, pink, silver and many variations of red... Nope, she shouldn't be too much different in such a colourful array. Eyes colours weren't different and she could swear she did see a flash of golden eyes at one moment.
Finding the staff room wasn't difficult and she found herself rapidly in front of her class. She sighed internally in relief as no Sailor Scouts were present. The school was mixed, but there was a distinct higher number of girls: At least more than 60%.
Her class didn't seem bad, at least there was an absence of "special" people both in appearance or personality. She genuinely smiled and bowed to them after the Home-teacher, one Akira Arisawa, wrote her full name on the blackboard and revealed that she was a transfer from Kyoto.
"Good morning everyone, I am pleased to meet you."
And then Murphy struck...
Before her classmates began to ask her questions, she heard the clarion of Apocalypse outside the building. "I'M LAAAATTTEEE!"
Akemi was petrified. There was a squeaking sound as she slowly turned her head and comically widened eyes to the window. Blonde hair gathered into a "Odango" hairstyle, blue eyes deep as the sky and a dust trail left as she ploughed through the closed gate, the main entry door and a few unlucky classmates and teachers...
Akemi paled as she realised that she was in a completely alternate universe, different from what she remembered from the manga "Sailor Moon".
Usagi Tsukino..! It was the 14 years old main protagonist of the entire series that Akemi just saw through the window. It was April 2016 and the Sailor Scouts time-line should have begun April 1992... Akemi barely felt Arisawa-sensei tapping lightly her shoulder. "Don't worry, Sekirei-san, It's... hum... well normal for here... Sakurada-sensei know how to handle her... I hope... Please, take your seat, we're going to begin."
"... Yes... Sensei..." Like a zombie, Akemi gained her seat near the back of the classroom and managed to take out what she needed for the current lesson.
The rest of the morning was typical for a Japanese school. The curriculum covered Japanese language, social studies, mathematics, science, music, fine arts, health, industrial arts and home-making. The year schedule also included moral education and special activities.
The pause for lunch saw most of her classmates "interrogating" the new girl. They didn't seem that bad at first, but Akemi knew that time will reveal their true nature. After all, she was herself bearing a mask: Akemi Sekirei wasn't her original self.
The subjects spoken were mainly about her cooking skills, her favourite school subject, why was she wearing the Juuban uniform instead of her old school uniform and if she had a cool and cute big brother...
Needless to say that Akemi did regain her balance after the revelation of the Moon Bunny. She even had "the joy" to be grilled, as in police style, by the Juuban Gossip King, Umino Gurio, easily recognizable by his big and thick glasses.
The afternoon began with an assembly of all the school in the amphitheatre where the school principal welcomed the children to another year. Akemi was surprised when everyone sung the national anthem, the "Kimigayo" while saluting the "Hinomaru", the Japanese flag.
Thousand of years of happy reign be thine;
Rule on, my lord, until what are pebbles now
By ages united to mighty rocks shall grow
Whose venerable sides the moss doth line.
The afternoon was consecrated to physical education and the various Activity Clubs. Well, Akemi did exercised in t-shirt and shorts and then joined her classmates to discover the various existing clubs...
More likely being "mobbed" by the various clubs...
It was as if the clubs were "competing" to have the maximum of recruits. Akemi did fear that some of the sport and martial art clubs would come to physical violence when head-hunting for new people.
Those martial arts clubs were the most interesting for the new Magical Girl as they could help her in training her fighting skills, but...
She hesitated. No matter what, she was committed: There wasn't a practical way for her to evade everything around the Sailor Scouts unless she escaped somewhere else. And...
She wasn't a coward. She knew some key events and she knew that people will be hurt or worse in the future.
No, Akemi wouldn't withdraw from what could or should happen. She put her hand over her heart as she felt something strange after acknowledging that she will act. There was a warmth inside her,... a tingling sensation and also... something like a discreet heartbeat in symphony with her own... Was it her own power as a Magical Girl "approving" her decision..?
However, there was something curious about Usagi Tsukino. Through her eyes, Akemi "saw" something powerful hidden deep within the girl and yet, she was sure that she hasn't been empowered as Sailor Moon yet. She thought she saw glimpses of the Lunar Cat "Luna" around the school, but nothing she wasn't sure it was wishful thinking.
She also confirmed that Ami Mizuno, future Sailor Mercury, and Naru Osaka, best friend of Usagi, were present in the same classroom as the clumsy future Lunar Princess. Ami was interesting as she had the same hidden wellspring of power as Usagi. More curious was the fact that Usagi wasn't that more powerful than Ami under the gaze of her Sight.
Here and there, some of her schoolmates did show a modicum of latent Magical Power, but nothing like her and the two future Sailor scouts.
Well, she had a little time before everything changed. And proper preparation was half of the battle.
Since she was constrained by her school obligations, she needed a properly constructed plan to maximize her time both in and out the school. She couldn't afford to have too much attention on her from her Fake Parents, and that meant good results and an acceptable social life.
Good results meant a good "Juku" and a social life meant to not shy from her schoolmates. And thus Akemi searched for pamphlets about the various private extracurricular schools and the school clubs that could help her in her career as a Magical Girl...
She face-palmed: She couldn't believe she did think that particular phrase. Despite her amnesia, despite her doubts on an eventual brainwashing or hypnosis on her, she really wanted to continue on the path of Magic... Why..?
As the evening arrived, Akemi sighed in relief as she took her bicycle to ride home. A good day, she would say. She didn't have too much difficulty in class: She wasn't a genius, and the intensive focus on study surprised her, but she managed by.
Her classmates weren't too bad. She certainly didn't sense deviants among them and none had big magical potential. Of course, she wasn't yet integrated, but she didn't think she would be isolated or bullied... at least inside her class.
Bullying and violence were real problems in today education and Juuban Junior High wasn't exempted: She did see some people with shadowy or creepy attitudes, mostly in older classes. It was something to look for and to prepare for. Some internet searching should tell her the current laws on bullying and violence in Japanese schools. And especially what she could do if... WHEN she'll encounter bullying.
She also escaped a TV trope as she hadn't been accosted by any of the Sailor Moon protagonists so far. Akemi face-palmed as she suddenly realized that she just taunted the Murphy Demon...
"Say girl, you're very cute. What is your phone number and rates? I know a good Sushi restaurant around Roppongi."
Akemi blinked at the adult overweight bald Japanese salary-man inside a costly-looking car and leering at her. Did he just... ask her for COMPENSATING DATING?!
Notes: Just a little characterization and a few background points.
