Shattered Ice: Super Sailor Mercury
Chapter 62
Meanwhile, in an internet chat room...
"So, what do we know? I mean, KNOW know."
"Well, the first appearance of Sailor Moon was about three years ago. She them was joined by Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter, in that order."
"Were Sailor V, the earlier hero, and Sailor Venus the same person?"
"No one's entirely sure, but the public thinks so."
"And there was that Mini-Moon kid with pink hair."
"Yeah. Fans figured she was a side-kick, or something."
"Huh. Then... most of therm just vanished?"
"Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Venus, yeah. No one knows exactly what happened."
"Seriously?"
"The four just... vanished after their first winter. Fans are split between the idea that they retired... or died."
"Did you see thew wicked scar Mercury had, after? And her power up? I'm pretty sure they died and she got their powers, somehow."
"That's TOTALLY an anime trope, you know."
"STILL. It makes sense."
"Then those new ones turned up... Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Saturn. Does anyone know where they came from?"
"Apparently Pluto was sighted with the original five, but other than that no one seems to know. They DO appear to be more powerful."
"I wonder if the death/disappearance of the others triggered them? Or if they're separate and emerged now for their own reasons."
"Who knows..."
"And what's the deal with the three Starlights?"
"Well, considering how different the uniforms are, they could be seperate. Or even enemies."
"They've been sighted helping."
"Just because they have a common foe doesn't mean they're friends."
Annoyed, the questioner signed off.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Sitting in the classroom before classes started, Umino frowned as he saw the person leave the chat. He had a program that let him know if new people logged in...
"What's going on?" Naru asked, noting that he was studying the modified laptop he won in a online contest.
"Someone's been searching the online Sailor Moon groups," Umino noted.
"They ARE allowed to do that, you know," Naru pointed out, exasperated.
"Yeah, but...," Umino shrugged.
It was not THAT hard to realize that Usagi, Rei, Makoto and Mina's deaths matched up to the disappearance of Sailor Moon and her team. Umino suspected the 'disguise magic' that had protected their secrets had something to do with it...
"I know you think if someone picks at it long enough they'll figure it out," Naru said, "but so far, no one has."
"That we know of," Umino pointed out.
"Still," Naru shrugged.
The teacher arrived, Miss Haruna looking slightly harried, and other students filed in.
"Attention!" the class president barked.
"Yes, yes," Miss Haruna sighed. She took attendance as her assistant, Chuuko Nezu aka 'Iron Mouse' watched attentively.
"She is so cute," one girl muttered.
"Do you get the feeling there's something odd about her?" Naru muttered.
"Maybe," Umino admitted.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Hikari Littner, the one who had been searching the internet, sighed with frustration. There was so little actually known on the Sailor Soldiers!
"No luck?" the attractive bartender asked.
Hikari was there after work, wanted to get away from the office. She had just ranted to the cute guy... non-specifically, of course. She wasn't stupid.
"Hmm," Hikari nodded.
"Hey," Ritsuko Takahata, the manager of the Three Lights, waved as she sat at the bar. "Bartender, beer me," she ordered.
"Rits-chan," Hikari smiled at her friend, "how's managing those three babies?"
"Ha!" Ritsuko chuckled, "They're not my worst clients." She chugged nearly half her mug in one go.
"Seriously?" Hikari blinked.
"Ha, yes... there's this Idol group I'm managing, who's theme is 'purity'," Ritsuko said.
"Yeah?" Hikari asked.
"The lead singer just got PREGNANT," Ritsuko groaned.
Hikari winced, "Shit."
"The fans are going to freak," Ritsuko sighed, "the record label wants to fire the lot and I'm stuck doing damage control."
"What is she going to...,?" Hikari wondered.
"I don't know, and I officially don't WANT to know," Ritsuko groaned. She finished her first drink, "More?"
"I suppose," Hikari agreed.
"So what has you drinking on a weekday?" Ritsuko asked curiously.
"Oh lord," Hikari sighed and explained her quest to know about Sailor Moon and friends.
"Huh," Ritsuko blinked. "There was a animation studio that wanted to do a Sailor V series, maybe talk to them?"
"Huh," Hikari blinked, "yeah, that's a thought."
"And weren't there Sailor V games too? Might be worth while asking," Ritsuko said.
"Thanks for the tip," Hikari mused. She wanted to rush off, but honestly felt too tipsy for that.
"Buy me a drink for it?" Ritsuko teased.
"Refills!" Hikari waved to the bartender.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Sailor Pluto blinked as Luna and Artemis explained what they detected.
"I don't like that look on your face," Sailor Mercury noted.
"They're the Asteroid Sailors," she ignored Ami's comment, "and they're not supposed to be active, right now."
"There are Asteroid Sailors?" Sailor Uranus blinked.
"Shouldn't there be... lots of them, considering how many asteroids there are?" Mercury pointed out reasonably.
"It's a LONG story," Pluto waved that off. "They are Sailor Vesta, Pallas, Ceres and Juno."
"So, are they coming here?" Neptune asked, worried.
"I don't know," Pluto admitted.
"Any why aren't they supposed to be active?" Mini-moon asked. She added, "The names feel... strangely familiar."
"They were meant to awaken when you reached your full power," Pluto told her, "they would be your companions, like the Inners were with Sailor Moon."
Mercury hid a wince.
"Doesn't that mean they'll be our allies then?" Sailor Saturn asked, the quiet young woman speaking up."
"Theoretically," Pluto sighed.
Mercury guessed, "You think someone, maybe an enemy, intentionally woke them early?"
"Let's hope it's not THAT. We have enough problems," Luna said with a sigh.
To be continued...
Notes: It occurred to me your average character 'in universe' would know almost nothing on the Sailor Moon characters. I also have never touched onb Minako and her family... we know she has parents, but I can't recall if they ever show up.
I may or may not have a Codename: Sailor V character be responsible for the game and anime. I need to think about how it would work.