Preface: After my character's initial debut in Sailor Moon Defenders, I tried finding out how I can expand the character's growth a bit more. It took a couple of years, but eventually, I ended up coming up with this story.
For context: This story coincides with the Defenders of the Earth series. Inspired by Marzena's story "Defenders of the Earth: This is Their Story", I created these chapters which would be set during certain points of the series, and the Defenders will be making at least one appearance during the story, hence the crossover.
Disclaimer: See chapter one!
Plot: (Episode: set during "The Lady and the Tiger") Duncan, Tessa, and Richie are in for a surprise when Tori reveals Amanda to be her first teacher, and Tori gives Tessa some assurance.
Past Teacher Surprise
Tori smiled as this was going to be quite an interesting day. Duncan was going to treat his friends to a trip to the circus in Paris. She was going to be intrigued as she knew what a circus was like in America, but she assumed that a circus in Paris was just the same as any other circus in the world, but she wasn't sure.
For the past couple of weeks, Tori had proven herself to be useful to Duncan when it came down to tracking down the enemy they were tracking down each time.
Now, today was appearing to be a day off, at least that was what she hoped.
"Heya Tori," Richie arrived in the room, "are you just about ready for our trip to the circus?"
"Yeah," Tori nodded, "I think it's going to be quite interesting, given that it is a circus in Paris, and all."
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Tori walked over with Richie, Tessa and Duncan in tow as they made it to the circus entrance.
"Ah, the roar of the crowd, the smell of..." Richie stated before smelling something, "What's that smell?"
"Beats me," Tori shrugged her shoulders, "it could be anything: peanuts, the animals."
"I love the circus," Tessa spoke up, "but why would anyone send you tickets?"
"I'm not sure," Duncan replied.
"But you can guess," Tessa stated, the couple walked further into the tent.
"I'm actually going to a circus," Richie stated in awe, "Unbelievable!"
"It can't be that bad," Tori quipped.
"I mean it in a good way," Richie smirked.
She nodded as she found it unbelievable as well as she and Richie walked into the circus tent, preparing to enjoy the show. Duncan, Tessa, Richie, and Tori ended up seated side by side with each other.
"Merci, messieurs et mesdames!" the announcer spoke through the microphone, "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! And now, please direct your attention high overhead, to the high wire...and give a big round of applause...to the dazzling, the electrifying, the death defying, the Amazing...Amanda!"
Tori perked up upon hearing that name, "Amanda?"
Moments later, she saw her first teacher approaching the high wire as she felt the Buzz. Tori assumed Duncan felt it too. The three of them were immortals after all. Tori saw Amanda take part of the high wire act, and felt dizzy as she couldn't see herself doing something like that.
Tori watched as Amanda saw her and Duncan, who was smiling at her. She assumed Amanda felt the Buzz at that moment. A momentary distraction caused Amanda to wobble briefly, and the crowd gasped. Luckily, Amanda regained focus, and continued her act.
"Friend of yours?" Tessa asked.
Duncan wryly responded, "Just a bad habit."
"I'll explain later myself," Tori answered.
Richie looked at her, intrigued at what she was going to say regarding this Amanda.
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Tori looked in surprise as Duncan was talking a little more about her first teacher, including their history together.
"You mean the Amazing Amanda is," Richie asked, "like a thief?"
"Not like a thief," Duncan answered, "she is one. A master thief who steals when it suits her."
"You mean whenever she needs the money," Richie stated.
"Yeah," Duncan replied, "or when she needs a little excitement."
"But she could have gotten you killed," Tessa interjected.
"Or worse," Duncan replied, "When I finally caught up with her, she swore she hadn't meant to get me into trouble."
"She never told me any of that," Tori quipped quietly, "or the extent of her knowing Duncan MacLeod."
"You act like you know her too," Richie spoke up.
"You might as well know," Tori sighed before speaking up, "Amanda was my first teacher."
"What?!" Duncan, Tessa and Richie simultaneously replied in surprise.
"Surprise," Tori replied to them before explaining, "Amanda was able to save me from being beheaded by the creep who made me immortal in the first place while I was at Central City. Then, she trained me the next day while the Defenders went to look for something regarding their home base."
"Duncan!" Amanda called out as she arrived outside the tent, "Tori?!"
"Hi, Amanda," Tori smiled as she hugged her teacher, "it's a surprise to see you again."
"I know," Amanda replied, "you seem to be doing better since I last saw you."
"Thanks to my friends," Tori replied.
"Hi," Duncan greeted his old lover.
"It's been ages," Amanda replied before the pair kissed each other's cheeks, European style. Tori couldn't help but to think Amanda was like the Catwoman to Duncan's Batman. That wasn't fair, Tessa was Duncan's girlfriend. She took a deep breath and looked around her friends.
"Barnum and Bailey, 1926," Duncan replied, "Tour of the Southwest, as a matter of fact."
Amanda glanced behind him and Tori at Tessa and Richie.
"They know," Duncan assured them.
"Oh," Amanda replied, "well, I'm sure they don't know everything."
"You'd be surprised," Tessa replied.
"I'm sorry," Amanda stated, "I hope he didn't bother you. After Bavaria, I never forgave myself."
"You don't look like someone who would worry about forgiveness," Tessa inquired.
"Tess," Richie stated, "you do know that they all carry big swords with them."
He glanced off Tessa's look, "Hey, it's just a thought."
"You've always had a taste for beautiful and spirited women, Duncan," Amanda stated.
"And modest," Tessa interjected, "Don't forget modest."
"Time to go," Duncan told the group, "It's been thrilling."
"It's been over sixty-five years," Amanda said, "A girl might think you're trying to avoid her."
Tori looked over at Tessa as she could tell she was insecure with Amanda being an old lover of Duncan's. She sighed.
"Now how could you think that?" Duncan asked before saying, "Goodbye, Amanda."
"If you ever want to run away with the circus again, look me up," Amanda told him. She leaned in to kiss him, but he brings her hand up between them and kisses it instead.
"I will," Duncan replied before joining Tessa and walking away.
"It was good to see you again, Amanda," Tori shook hands with Amanda.
"Listen," Richie glanced at Amanda, "you know, you should, uh, stop by...you know, maybe say hello, something like that."
"I'd love that," Amanda replied.
Richie reached for something in his coat pocket, "I've, uh, I've got a business card somewhere around here..."
He searched jacket pocket until he managed to pull out his wallet, "Here you go."
"Oh, Richie," Tori muttered with a smirk.
"Just, uh," Richie handed Amanda his card, "feel free, drop by...anytime...love to see you."
Suddenly, Tori glanced over as Duncan grabbed Richie, and pulled him away.
"We better go," Tori told her first teacher.
"Bye-bye," Richie chimed as the two left, meeting back with Tessa with Duncan.
"So, now you've met Amanda," Duncan told his girlfriend.
"Yep," Tessa replied shortly, "Now I've met Amanda."
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Tessa sighed with a small smile on her face just as Duncan left to deal with Amanda. She was relieved to know the assurance that Duncan would never leave her.
"Are you okay?" Tori asked as she walked over to her friend.
"I will be," Tessa nodded, "Amanda just made me a bit insecure."
"I don't blame you, but you do know that Duncan chose you, right?" Tori asked.
"Yeah, it's just that feeling," Tessa answered, "you may not experience it yet, but when an old lover of your current flame returns to the picture, you're bound to be insecure too."
"I'll make note of that in the future when I cross that bridge," Tori nodded before giving Tessa some assurance of her own, "Amanda may have been my first teacher as an immortal, but you are teaching me a lot with the world outside the IUA and immortals, and I consider you, Duncan and Richie to be family."
Tessa looked at her in awe. She was touched by that statement, "Thank you."
She leaned forward and gave Tori a hug, in which she accepted.