The Princess of Water and Sports
(Chapter was written by Japananimegirl. Minor editing done by me)
After so much changing going on with Chibiusa and her Neo-Sailor Senshi finally maturing into teens, not to mention a death taking place at school, Ami and Urawa thought it might be best for their daughter, Crystal, to train harder as Neo-Sailor Mercury!
She's wasn't smart like her mother Ami and nor could sense things like her father Urawa, but Crystal nevertheless loved anime, sports, animals, and romance novels. She also to be doctor one day as well however as veterinarian, she wanted to help sick animals, not sick humans.
When not in her Sailor Senshi form or school uniform, Crystal wore a white shirt with the shape of an eagle in light blue on it, blue shorts, and white sandals with light blue tear drop-shaped markings. With hopes of adventure full of magical proportions, she runs toward the Crystal Palace.
Despite having to train and do schoolwork, Crystal participated actively in each and every sport she could find! Luna, Artemis, Comet, Asteroid, and Diana liked Crystal too very much, as she fed, cleaned, and played with them the most. Also, Crystal spent one hour reading and-with her friends/teammates-watched one anime a day to rev them up to study fast and train hard!
In the courtyard, all of her friends and teammates stood at one edge of the courtyard like they were about to watch an event, on the other hand Crystal knew:
She was late for battle practice!
Her friend and teammate, Gracie, who she most often practiced against was already in her Neo-Sailor Venus form was waiting for her. She stood at the other end of the courtyard, looking a bit impatient with her. Therefore Crystal quickly dropped her bags off next to her friends' things and took out her pendant to transform!
"For the future of Mercury! Pendant Power! Make up!" Crystal shouted proudly to the heavens above. These pendants looked like a colored jewel, corresponding to the Senshi's color, disguised as necklaces.
So Crystal's necklace was an aquamarine jewel within a gold frame and rope chain. Her transformation sequence and pose is exactly like her mother's before her.
"In the continuing name of Mercury, I will whittle away at my foe with water!" she stated with pride as the sequence finished and she was fully transformed into a Neo-Sailor Senshi.
"Sweet catch phrase, Crys- I mean, Mercury!" Neo-Sailor Venus called across the courtyard appreciatively. They didn't call each other Neo-Sailor. Instead they just used their planets names which made it much made it easier to communicate.
At that moment her expression turned a bit more serious. "Let's see how your weak water does against this: Heart Chain Constrict!" she yelled out quickly, not giving the newly transformed Neo-Sailor Mercury a chance to think at all as she attacked with blazing speed.
"Bubble…BLAST!" Neo-Sailor Mercury created a mist and then tried to outrun the chain of golden hearts, but she wasn't fast enough as it wrapped around her from her shoulders down to her toes!
"Mercury, try and use your Ice Freeze!" Chibiusa advised from the sidelines as she saw Neo-Sailor Venus charging up a Neon Venus Shower attack!
"I-I-Ice Freeze!" Neo-Sailor Mercury couldn't move her arms, but an explosion of bubbles erupted from the ground where she stood, turning Neo-Sailor Venus's chain to ice and making it a bit easier to break free! Turning her cold, blue eyes on Neo-Sailor Venus, Neo-Sailor Mercury screamed more confidently, "AQUA ILLUSION!"
Neo-Sailor Venus screamed as she was flung into the air by a surging wall of water! Luckily, she used her chain to safely guide herself back to solid ground. De-transforming back into Gracie, the girl couldn't stay mad at Crystal for beating her.
After all, Crystal could've used 'Aqua Storm Blast' or 'Aqua Rhapsody' and that would've torn Gracie's body apart! Then again, Gracie tried not to use 'Crescent Beam…SMASH 'or 'Heart Shock' during battle practice either. Neither of them weren't as dangerous as the former attacks; on the other hand, both could still leave a person unconscious.
Besides it wasn't often Crystal won; she was slow in attacking or using the right attack at the right time so it was nice to see her win one once in a while. It did wonders for her self-confidence as a Senshi.
Crystal and Gracie looked up at the balcony of the Crystal Palace to see the Sailor Senshi, Ami, Urawa, Yuuichirou and standing behind them was Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. They're all smiling at Crystal telling her congratulations for winning the match!
So that explained why Christen had kept her mouth shut all that time; their parents were watching. In a line, with Chibiusa at the front, the girls entered the Crystal Palace. Of course, Gracie looked like she had just gotten out of a pool as she was still soaking wet from the Aqua Illusion attack!
After Gracie had dried off she and the rest of the girls headed to the den where Crystal was soon to show up with the moon cat family.. Then they quickly became involved in watching Howl's Moving Castle whilst also doing their homework till their parents came in to check on them.
Christen hadn't complained about the choice of anime either. Apparently she liked anime as much as the other girls did. Crystal then walked causally in with her proud parents. Comet and Asteroid on her shoulders as Diana scampered around all of them to lay on Chibiusa's bright pink hair. Emily took the moment to pause the movie.
"Congrats on winning the match today, Crystal." Urawa hugged his daughter tightly with such pride in both his voice and with the smile on his face.
"Yes, we're very proud of you, sweetie." Ami hugged her beautiful daughter as well with the same amount of love and pride for her accomplishments today.
"Thanks, Mom, Dad. I guess trying my best paid off." Crystal smiled elatedly as she felt the warmth of her parents' embrace.
"As long as you do your best, that's what matters. We'll always be proud of you. Alright, everyone, dinner will be ready in 15 minutes, try and get all your homework done by then. If you need any help, all of us will be in the living room." Urawa announced and he left the room with Ami.
Crystal always felt guilty because Ariel, Emily, and Trisha's dads were separated from their mothers, though this didn't seem to bother them at all!
After they completed their homework it was very much a normal day for Crystal. The rest of her day consisted of honing her sport skills in swimming, track, baseball, volleyball, badminton, soccer, archery
Her absolute favorite sport had to be basketball as Chibiusa, Gracie, Ariel, and Trisha joined her, usually Mina, Rei, Makoto, or Haruka joined them to make equal teams.
Over a kingly dinner of sandwiches, curry, fugu (blowfish), salad, Sashimi (raw fish, soy sauce, and wasabi paste), Nihon Soba (buckwheat noodles), tea, ice cream cake, pudding, and pie, her restless mind was constantly on the death of her classmate, however she didn't want to worry the others.
As she waited for her parents to tuck her into bed that night she wished her mom and the other Senshi could solve this mystery for them. Ami and Urawa could tell their daughter was troubled just by the look on her face. Consequently they took her to their room to talk about it in private.
"If there's something bothering you, you can always talk to us about it, Crystal." Ami told her daughter sweetly, yet firmly.
"It's just…my classmate…the death…Mom, why can't you and the other Senshi help us fight evil?" Crystal inquired in confusion to her mother who sighed and answered her daughter's inquire.
"When Neo-Queen Serenity thinks you need us, she'll send us, nevertheless it's important for you and your friends to learn how to protect yourselves and each other. We didn't have anyone to look out for us.
We acquired each attack and transformation on our own. If we're defending you all the time, you'll never learn to try for yourself. I know all this practicing is getting on your nerves, nevertheless it is helpful." Ami explained calmly and patiently to her pretty little girl who wasn't gonna be her little girl much longer.
"We'll never leave you in more danger than we think you can handle together, Crystal, her father promised her in an assuring tone that put her mind at some ease, not a lot but some.
"I'll try my hardest, I just hope I can live up to the name of Sailor Mercury," she said in unsure voice at first but then looked her mother before looking determined to become the best Senshi she could be. "I'll do you proud, Mom! I swear it!" she vowed.
"All you need to do is be yourself. That will be more than enough," her dad once again assured along with kissing her forehead in a tender loving fashion.
Her parents did their best to comfort her as she sobbed; she just needed a good cry to vent all her worries out. After a few minute her sobs quieted then she quickly started to fall asleep.
Being the loving parents they help walked her back to bed. It was clearly apparent all her friends were fast asleep already lost in dreamland. This made it a lot easier to help Crystal quickly fall into her own safe and warm slumber.
Sadly, however, Crystal's dreams of her and her friends celebrating her winning trophies for championship games unfortunately turned into nightmares of the succubus killing one of them!
Thus it was no great surprise she really didn't feel like going to school the next day but like everyone else she still had to go anyway. Pleasant dreams or not you don't get to stay home because of something as petty as bad dreams.