Sailors of Mercy Chapter Five: Break the Cutie
Legal Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters involved in this chapter, aside from Cerabela. I do, however, maintain that my use of them is covered under Fair Use, as this story exists both as a way to show appreciation for the original work, and to make a commentary on it. Sailor Moon was a wonderful show full of positive messages about the power of love, friendship, forgiveness, and solidarity, as well as tons of PSA-style messages that helped me immensely growing up. But one thing I felt it never adequately explored was the implications of the various types of Monster of the Week being living, feeling beings, who sometimes showed signs of being redeemable. I wanted to explore what would happen if that changed.
Cerabela awoke at seven in the morning, as she did every day, and sat up with a smile. She went to her bookshelf and watered Mr. Green Leaf, then wandered down to the dining hall. She grabbed her favourite: two hardboiled eggs, a croissant, and an onigiri, all with a glass of iced tea to wash it down. She sat down next to the other youma and began to eat cheerfully.
"Ugh, how can you be this chipper so early in the morning?" asked Widow.
"It's a beautiful day, and I can't wait to enjoy it!" Cerabela responded.
"Are you ever going to tell me what you put in that tea?" Widow asked grumpily.
"Just my mouth!" Cerabela answered.
"You're the worst," Widow sighed, "But don't ever change."
Cerabela continued to happily munch her croissant, when she spotted the DD girls walking over to her.
"Please just leave me alone today," she muttered to herself.
"Well, if it isn't the girl who farts rainbows," the red DD girl mocked.
"H-hey girls!" Cerabela laughed weakly.
"Aww, look, she's trying to be friends," the green DD girl smirked.
"You should try that on the Sailor Scouts, I bet you make it about fifteen seconds," the blue DD girl sneered.
"When I face the Sailor Scouts, I'll just have to do my best!" Cerabela responded, trying to hide her nervousness at the prospect.
"God, you're such a fucking waste," the red DD girl spat.
Cerabela looked down at the floor. "At least I get to have my own name," she muttered.
"What was that?" the red DD girl asked angrily.
"You heard me!" Cerabela yelled in response.
The purple DD girl slapped her across the face, sending a murmur through the dining hall.
"Hey!" Jumou shouted, "Leave her alone!"
"You really want to start something?" the pink DD girl yelled.
"No, but I'm willing to bet you don't either," Jumou responded, not budging an inch.
The DD girls felt the eyes of the room on their backs, and slowly returned to their table.
"Don't let them get you down," Jumou said.
"Thanks, Jumou," Cerabela smiled.
Cerabela finished her breakfast and went to the gym to train. After an hour of weights and an hour of cardio, Petasos approached her for a sparring session. They spent half an hour throwing each other around, before calling it a day.
Back in her room, Cerabela sat on her bed and read. She was almost done Great Expectations, and she couldn't wait to start Stranger in a Strange Land. She was interrupted by Nephrite at her door.
Before he spoke, an immediate chill went down her spine. She already knew the news that was about to be delivered, it was unavoidable. Everyone in the Dark Kingdom knew that it was only a matter of time before their number was drawn, and the inevitability was quickly becoming immediacy for Cerabela.
"It's time," he told her grimly.
"I'm not ready," she replied panickedly.
"No one ever feels like they are," he replied.
"What if I fail?" she asked.
"Then you'll die a hero," he answered matter-of-factly.
"How much time do I have?" she asked.
"You're going out this evening," he told her.
She struggled to catch her breath. Finally, fighting every urge in her body, she composed herself. "Who's the target?"
"Takagi Sho," he informed her, "Acclaimed gymnast with the Tokyo Circus. His athletic stamina and frenetic personality will make him an excellent target."
"Is he also a real bad guy?" she asked.
"Oh yeah, the worst," he answered, looking away, "Cheats on his wife, mean to dogs, the works."
"Let's get him!" she grinned.
Nephrite walked up to Cerabela and kissed her on the forehead. "You're going to do great, sweet one," he crooned, before walking off and wiping a tear from his eye.
Cerabela sat on her bed, trying to collect her thoughts. She was absolutely terrified. Every Youma who had tried to steal energy had ended up facing off with the Sailor Scouts, and dying at their hands. Every single one. That fact kept running through her head, ceaselessly, almost intrusively. Maybe she could just steal the energy really fast before the Scouts could get there. Maybe she could just run away. Everyone else had tried to fight, maybe she could just run away. Maybe she could handle the Scouts in combat. Maybe she'd get to be the lucky one.
Her head was awash with these thoughts as she made her way hazily through her afternoon. It was her turn to clean the bathroom, and she was determined to do it, circumstances be damned. She scrubbed diligently, trying to focus on the porcelain as a way to chase away thoughts of impending doom. Her success was limited, to say the least.
"You'll do great," Widow told her as they passed in the hallway, "Just remember, the most important thing is getting back here safe. Nothing else matters before that."
"Everything will be fine," Jumou assured her, "You've got heart."
As evening came, Nephrite approached her. "We need to hide you in this water bottle," he told her, "Close your eyes."
Cerabela did as she was told, and in an instant was transported into the water bottle. When she opened her eyes again, it was like she could see from the perspective of the bottle. It was a little disorienting, but also kind of fun being carried around by Nephrite, like an amusement park ride. It briefly took her mind off the fear.
Two hours later, Cerabela and Nephrite were backstage at the circus. Nephrite approached a lithe, toned gymnast, and offered a handshake. "Sanjouin Masato," he introduced himself, "Talent agent. Here, take a bottle."
Sho took the bottle, looked it over, and handed it back. "Sorry, I'm quite happy with my current representation."
"Thought it was worth an ask," Nephrite responded, "Have a great evening."
The momentary contact had been enough; Cerabela was now inside Sho, slowly draining his energy. She was worried she wouldn't know how, but it was proving surprisingly self-evident.
Sho walked past the curtain and into what was to be the site of the show that night. He walked up to the trapeze and pulled on it with his hand.
"Everything alright?" the technician asked.
"Just checking to make sure everything's sturdy," Sho answered, "We're not going to have a repeat of Kyoto, are we?"
"No, of course not," the technician replied deferentially.
"Good, because I will absolutely fucking kill you," Sho snapped.
"Yes sir," said the technician, bowing out.
Oh wow, he really is a jerk! Cerabela thought to herself, I don't feel bad for taking his energy at all. He'd probably just use it to bully someone.
Sho walked backstage again. "Watanabe Shuntaro!" he called to one of the stretching performers, "Gonna put on a great show tonight! If you can stay away from the glug glug, eh?"
"What the fuck, man?" the performer yelled back in shock.
A young woman wearing a headset pulled Sho aside, "What was that about? That's not like you."
"Don't think you can lure me back here just to make a move on me!" Sho laughed, "I told you, no means no!"
"I'm trying to be serious with you, how dare you bring that up?" she hissed.
"You're the one trying to get me alone," Sho sneered.
"To tell you to get your shit together," she responded, "Now get your head right. Lights go up in thirty."
Sho went back to his dressing room and stretched until show time. He sat and watched the human cannonball, then the clown, and then finally it was his turn. He stepped out to the roar of the crowd, and climbed the tightrope, before walking it to the delight of the onlookers. He then grabbed on to the trapeze and dove off the platform, hooking his legs around the beam in midair, and laying upside down as he swung across the arena. As he bathed in the adoration of the audience, Cerabela felt his energy beginning to peak. Now was her moment, she just had to wait until it was safe to—now! He had dismounted and was beginning to take a bow.
Cerabela shot up as a beam of energy, hitting the roof of the big top as Sho collapsed in a heap. She took form atop the tightrope, and took a bow. "Sorry Mr. Takagi!" she called from up high, "But also, maybe be nicer to the people around you?"
The crowd roared in approval, catching Cerabela off guard. She responded by doing a back flip on the tightrope, sending the patrons into an absolute frenzy. She took another bow, then jumped down, causing the crowd to gasp, then explode with applause as she landed gingerly on the ground and stood up, unharmed.
"I know what's going on here!" came a voice from the other side of the guard rail. Cerabela's heart sank when she saw that it was Sailor Moon. "I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice! On behalf of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you!"
Cerabela felt her cheeks redden at these words. She was a good person, wasn't she? "You're the evil ones!" she screamed in rage, "Killing all my friends!"
"What?" Sailor Moon asked incredulously, "They were—and you're—Oh, whatever, you know what you're doing is wrong!"
"All I'm doing is taking energy from a jerk and giving it to my friends!" Cerabela retorted, "They need it more than he does anyway!"
"I'm not here to argue with you," Sailor Moon responded, jumping the barricade and charging at Cerabela. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury were running up behind her.
Cerabela balled her hand into a fist, digging her nails into her hand to steel her resolve. She turned on her heel and threw a mule kick straight into Sailor Moon's jaw, then spun around to land a spinning back kick squarely on the side of Sailor Mars' head. For the moment, this just left Sailor Mercury.
"Please," Cerabela pleaded, "I don't want to fight you. Please just let me leave."
Sailor Mercury stood in place, conflicted, before Sailor Moon made it back to her feet and charged Cerabela, tackling her with her shoulder and sending her tumbling to the ground. Cerabela rolled and made it to her feet, only to walk into a knee to the gut from Sailor Mars. She stumbled backward, and Sailor Mars took the opportunity to clock her squarely in the jaw, sending her flying back and splayed out.
Sailor Moon took the tiara from her forehead. "Moon… Tiara…"
Cerabela panicked, and in her panic, her eyes glowed white. "Disorient!" she called out. The three Sailor Scouts lost their balance and tumbled toward the ground.
Cerabela took the opportunity to look for a way out. She wasn't sure she could make it through the crowd without getting mobbed, so she looked up. She saw a small opening in the tenting. If she could make it to the tightrope, she was pretty sure she could jump out it. She ran over to the ladder and began to climb. The Sailor Scouts regained their balance and started climbing up the other side.
"Please, don't!" she pleaded, "I don't want to do this!"
"You started it!" Sailor Mars retorted.
They made it to the top of their respective platforms, and Cerabela ran for the centre of the tightrope, hoping to use it as a spring. Sailor Mars ran after her and attacked with Fire Soul. Cerabela deftly side-stepped it and, on instinct, sent a balance-disrupting attack her enemy's way. Sailor Mars stumbled, then began to tilt off the tightrope and fall to the ground.
"No!" Cerabela yelled, hooking the tightrope with both feet and swinging upside down to catch her.
"Did she just—" Sailor Moon gawked.
"She absolutely did," Sailor Mercury answered.
Cerabela used her one free hand to shimmy along the tight rope toward the platform where the other two Scouts stood. She pulled a still-dizzy Sailor Mars up and handed her arm to a waiting Sailor Moon. Then she realized where she was, panicked again, and ran toward the centre of the tightrope, where she buried her head in her hands and tried to catch her breath.
"Now's my chance!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, "Moon… Tiara…"
Sailor Moon tried to muster up the last word, but every time she tried, her eyes focused on Cerabela's distraught face, the fear in her eyes, the confusion in her agape mouth. "Oh god, I can't do this, can I?"
"I don't think you can," Sailor Mercury responded.
"So what do we do?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Excuse me, miss?" Sailor Mercury called out, "I think we got off on the wrong foot. Can we all climb down and just talk?"
Cerabela peered one eye out through her fingers. "Promise?" she asked.
"I promise," Sailor Mercury answered.
"So it's actually being possessed by a Youma that makes the victim act like a jerk," Sailor Moon explained, sipping her tea.
"Although we had always wondered if it was the state of having one's energy drained that caused the irritable behaviour, or if it was the personality of the possessor leaking through," Sailor Mercury elaborated, "I think we can consider that question solved."
"I'd never even considered the possibility that a Youma could be good-natured," Sailor Moon confessed.
"But my friends were all good people!" Cerabela insisted, "They were always nice to me, and we'd help each other out whenever we were in trouble."
"It's valid that you feel that way," Sailor Mars interjected, "But when we met them, we only knew them as the ones trying to kill us."
"You mean you didn't try to kill them first?" Cerabela asked.
"No, not really," Sailor Moon answered.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know," Cerabela conceded.
"I'm just glad we didn't do something horrible and kill you," Sailor Moon winced.
"Yeah… definitely prefer being alive," Cerabela responded.
"So what do you want to do now?" Sailor Mars asked.
"I think… I think I just want to be done with all of this," Cerabela answered, "No more fighting, no more stressing, just living."
"I think we can make that happen," Sailor Mercury affirmed, "I know a guy who owns a building and owes us a favour, let's see if we can get you set up with a place and find a job. You might have to assume a fake name, though."
"How about… Iizuka Momoko?" Cerabela suggested.
"Sounds as good as anything else!" Sailor Moon agreed.
"My new life, I can't wait!" Cerabela beamed.