The Boy Genius

Jadeite took a deep calming breath. He was standing on the edge of an office type building staring into the setting sun. He'd been in this position for a while, meditating on recent events. His contemplative expression grew angrier.

"Sailor Moon…" A few pebbles on the rooftop rose into the air as dark energy swirled around him.

A few paces behind Jadeite, a spiral of pink cherry blossoms appeared. In the center of the petals appeared a young man dressed similarly to Jadeite except his uniform had green trim while Jadeite's trim was red. This newcomer had long strawberry blonde hair gathered into a ponytail. He observed Jadeite's demeanor and aura.

"I'm sensing some tension here, some pent-up anger. That's really not healthy, Jadeite. Have you considered yoga?"

"That's not funny, Zoisite" Jadeite replied. He took a deep breath and everything around him calmed. "You'd be angry too if a dumb child kept interfering with your every plan. King Beryl is losing patience with me."

"I wouldn't worry too much" Zoisite replied "Sure things have gone awry a few times…"

"Awry?" a new, much deeper voice laughed, "He's been a total failure."

Jadeite and Zoisite turned to see the newcomer sitting on an air conditioner unit. He also wore a Dark Kingdom uniform with a yellow trim and large golden shoulder epaulets with red jewels in the center. He was gazing at an enraged Jadeite with an arrogant smirk.

"I have not been a total failure, Nephrite!"

"That's right" Zoisite added "Jadeite has collected plenty of energy for our Great Leader."

Nephrite shrugged and replied, "A few scraps here and there doesn't equate to plenty."

"I haven't seen you bring any in at all!"

"The King gave you the mission, not me" Nephrite answered. "Although I fail to understand why."

"Boys!" Zoisite said as he stepped between them "Arguing like this won't help."

"I don't know" Jadeite said, as a few pebbles twitched again. "Teaching this guy a lesson might be the outlet I need."

Nephrite stood up and cracked his knuckles. "You can try."

The villains were suddenly distracted by a noise below them. A window a few floors below them had slid open and the chatter of youthful voices reached their ears. Jadeite discreetly turned and peered over the edge.

A group of young teens were clustered near the window. A boy in front was leaning out and undoing the top button of his shirt.

"Dang it's hot in there. If we have to suffer through cram school, you'd think they'd at least fix the AC."

"I hear you" a girl said.

The first boy said "Whoever came up with high school entrance exams should be shot. No test should be so hard that we need several hours of extra school just to prepare."

"Not to mention all the studying at home" a third voice said. "This stress just isn't healthy."

"Wouldn't it be great" the first boy said as he popped a piece of candy into his mouth "If we could somehow learn everything at once and be done with it?"

The other kids laughed and agreed. Suddenly a deeper voice, presumably the teacher, called out. The exact words were muffled but the kids withdrew and shut the window.

Jadeite looked up and turned the overheard conversation over in his mind. A smile played at the edges of his lips.

The next morning, Haruna Sensei was writing notes on English grammar on the whiteboard. As she broke down the structure of a long English sentence, Kaemon struggled to copy it down. He tried to find another note he'd written earlier to better understand but couldn't find it. He internally panicked as he realized he had completely missed what the teacher had just said.

"Tsukino?"

"What? I mean, yes Haruna Sensei!"

"Could you please tell the class the proper word for the blank part of this sentence?"

Kaemon stared at the string of English words. He recognized one or two words, but the rest were gibberish. He inwardly bludgeoned his brain, but it simply wouldn't respond.

"I…I'm not sure. I'm sorry."

A few students giggled but Haruna Sensei looked at them sternly. "Alright then, could another student help Tsukino out?"

Kaemon barely heard the correct answer being given. He knew this was a relatively simple question, but his mind just went blank when it came to languages. Of course, he mused bitterly, his brain didn't do so well in other subjects either.

This train of thought caused him to have even less focus concerning the lesson. He was startled when the bell rang at the end of class. He was even more startled to see Haruna Sensei standing near his desk.

"Could I speak to you for just a moment?"

"Of course, Haruna Sensei."

"Tsukino…Kaemon, I'm concerned about your grades. You seem to be deeply struggling in my class. I've spoken to a few of your other teachers, and they have similar reports."

"I'm trying, Sensei, I promise I am. I study every night, er, most nights, but it doesn't seem to help."

"Calm down, Kaemon, I'm not here to scold you."

"You aren't?"

"No. I was wondering if you wouldn't benefit from a tutor. Someone to give you a little extra help and possible help you reevaluate your study habits."

"Oh…I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"My thoughts exactly. It's already arranged. Please go to this classroom at lunchtime." She handed him a slip of paper and continued "You'll find your assigned tutor waiting for you there."

"Today? Haruna Sensei, at lunch I was going to…"

"Tsukino" she interrupted him "Please don't argue. I want you to try this, and I'll know if you don't."

With that she turned and left the classroom. Kaemon sighed and Nao gave him a sympathetic look.

His stomach rumbling, Kaemon walked down a school corridor. This area seemed less crowded and noisy than the rest of the school. He supposed that was good for the tutoring, but he'd much rather have been with his friends.

He stopped outside a door and glanced up at the sign above it. This was the right place. Kaemon knocked but there was no response. He knocked a second time with the same result. This was the room Haruna Sensei told him to visit, so what was going on?

Kaemon slid the door open and peeked inside. Akria Mizuno sat alone in the center of the room. A thick book was open on the desk in front of him and a partially eaten sandwich was in his hand. Akira took a bit of his sandwich without ever taking his eyes off the page before him.

Kaemon approached Akria and said, "Excuse me?"

Akria jumped in his seat. He clutched at his throat with a pained expression. Kaemon gasped and ran forward to thump the other boy on the back.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

Akira swallowed and took a deep breath. "That's quite alright. It's my fault for not paying attention to what was going on around me" Akira stood up and bowed. "I'm Mizuno Akira."

"Uh, yeah, I know. We've met before, you know."

"I do know, yes. I apologize if that was unnecessary, Tsukino."

"That's ok. I guess it's good to be polite."

"Indeed. I believe Haruna Sensei wanted me to tutor you. Please sit down and tell me what your problem areas are."

Akira indicated a chair on the opposite side of the desk. Kaemon sat down and said "Um, would you believe everything?"

"You're struggling in every subject?"

"Yeah" Kaemon sighed. "I made only a 30 on a recent English test. None of my other tests in any class have been much better."

Akria's jaw dropped and his glasses slid down his nose. Kaemon chuckled bitterly and said "Yeah, I guess I'm pretty stupid."

Akira adjusted his glasses and said "Please don't be so hard on yourself. Everybody learns differently and everybody has unique ways in which they absorb information. Perhaps the issue is in your study habits. I believe I can help there. I'm an expert on studying." Akira's smile faded and his cheeks turned red. "I'm sorry. That was an arrogant thing to say."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. I think great study skills are something to brag about. At least my mother would say so."

"Th…thank you for saying that." Akria looked a little surprised at these kind words. He was quickly distracted by Kaemon's stomach rumbling loudly.

"It is lunch time after all" Kaemon said with a smile as he opened his lunchbox. He grabbed his chopsticks and began to dig in. He glanced at Akira's lunchbox and saw that it contained only sandwiches. "Is that all you brought?"

"Yes. I like sandwiches because you can eat them while reading."

"Judging by a few minutes ago, it sounds dangerous."

Akira chuckled and soon both boys were laughing.

"I will now be passing your recent tests back" Haruna Sensei announced to the class. "I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised at the improvement I've seen."

Kaemon perked up. He'd only been studying with Akria for about a week, but maybe it was already paying off.

Haruna Sensei walked in the aisles passing back tests. Several students looked very happy as they saw their scores. Umino silently pumped her fist behind the teacher's back. Kaemon felt his spirits rising. He took his test paper…and banged his head on his desk.

"Is everything alright, Tsukino?"

"Yes, Haruna Sensei."

Nao gave him a questioning look. Kaemon sighed and showed him the test paper. A big red 40 was at the top. Nao grimaced and then gave a sympathetic look. Meanwhile, Shigeru and a few other boys were loudly whispering about their remarkable improvement.

"This is the best!"

"I'm so smart."

"Our new study technique is the best." The word technique was said in a facetious tone. The other boys shushed him and glanced at the teacher. Haruna Sensei glanced at them but didn't seem to have heard what they were saying.

"I know tests give you a lot to think about but maybe the discussions can wait until later."

They nodded and quieted down. They kept grinning arrogantly though.

Kaemon simply shoved his test into his bag and tried to put it out of his mind. He tried to listen to his lessons as the day wore on, trying to implement the note-taking tips Akria had worked out for him. His mind still wandered a lot though.

Finally, the bell rang at the end of the day. Kaemon stretched and said, "Sitting all day isn't healthy for you."

"Yet I imagine you'd have no trouble sitting on a couch all day" Nao snarked.

"That's completely different. For one thing…" He stopped as he stepped out of the classroom and found Akira waiting for him.

"Tsukino. Could I please have a word?"

"Huh? Oh Akira, yeah sure. Walk with us."

Akira looked at Kaemon and Nao. "Oh, I don't want to intrude."

"Don't be silly" Nao said, "The more the merrier."

Akria blushed a little, but he turned and walked with the boys as they made their way to the shoe lockers.

"I was simply wondering how your test went this morning, Tsukino."

It was Kaemon's turn to blush. Nao laughed and said, "That's right, you're the tutor who's been stealing my buddy at lunch."

"No! That is to say…"

"Relax dude" Nao said "I was joking. I think it's very cool."

"Oh…thank you."

Nao turned to Kaemon "Hey Buddy, your tutor asked you a question."

"Ah ok" Kaemon pulled the exam paper out of his bag and handed it to Akira. "It's terrible, isn't it?"

Akira silently studied the paper for a few more seconds before answering. "No, it's not. It's not terrible when you consider where you started. Your grade improved and I expect it can continue to do so if you work hard."

Akira looked up to see that Kaemon had tears in his eyes. "I..I'm sorry. Did I offend you in some way?"

"Offend me? Not at all! You're the miracle worker teaching me how to pass tests!"

Nao muttered "Not forgetting that you haven't actually passed one yet."

"Whose side are you on?" Kaemon growled at him. Nao laughed as he pretended to defend himself from Kaemon's mock attacks. Akira suddenly burst out laughing and the boys turned to look at him.

"Watching the two of you…it's very fun. I imagine it's like having friends."

Akira suddenly looked sober. Nao looked uncomfortable. Kaemon was simply shocked.

"What do you mean, Akira? We are friends now!"

"Do…do you mean that, Tsukino?"

"Of course! So, you can stop being so formal."

"Very well, Tsu…I mean Kaemon."

The group had reached the lockers. Akira opened his, and trash poured out. Nao and Kaemon watched in horror as a group of boys from Akira's homeroom laughed.

"Hey genius" a mean looking boy at the front called out "What was the probability of that happening?"

"Yeah Mizuno" another added. "I would have thought a genius would have seen that coming."

Akria didn't reply. He simply took one of his street shoes and began to pull trash out of them.

"Yeah, that's right. Nothing to say when there isn't a teacher to show off for."

Kaemon's brain unfroze. He ran forward and stood between Akira and the bullies. "Leave Akria alone, you jerks! He hasn't done anything to you, so back off!"

The bullies paused and then started laughing. "Mizuno might not be as smart as he looks if he thinks that crybaby is a good bodyguard."

"Kaemon, it's ok, really" Akria said in a soft voice.

"No, it isn't!" Kaemon said. "You don't have to take this from these guys."

Akria reached for his other shoe, but Kaemon had already picked it up. He was carefully shaking it out. "These are really nice shoes. How sad that some people" he glanced at the bullies "don't know how to apricate nice things…or nice people." He handed the shoe back to Akria who seemed absolutely stunned.

"Thank you, Kaemon" he whispered.

Nao hadn't said anything, but he was glaring at the bullies while cracking his knuckles. They glanced around and saw a crowd forming. "Ah let's get out of here" the leader said, and the gang of bullies left.

"I can't stand people like that" Nao said as he joined the other two.

"Me neither" Kaemon huffed. "Now I'm all upset. We need to cheer up, so how about a visit to the arcade boys?"

Nao said, "No practice today, so why not?"

Akria looked at them both and said, "I've never been to the arcade before."

"What!?" Kaemon exclaimed so loudly that several students looked over in confusion. "Never? Ok, now we have to do this. Your deprived existence demands it!"

Akira's mouth was open in a half grin, half embarrassed laugh. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and said "I don't know if I'd put it quite like that, but it does sound fun. Let's go."

"Look out, Nao, there's a monster there!"

"I see it, Kaemon! Let me concentrate!"

Nao was seated at the Sailor V game while a crowd of students from their school watched. Akria was at the front of the crowd staring at the screen intently. Occasionally, his eyes would dart down to Nao's hands as they manipulated the controls. His expression was blank but intense.

"Crap, crap, crap! Not the sea monster!" Nao froze as the screen went black and displayed a large Game Over. "It got me."

"That was still a good run, buddy" Kaemon reassured Nao. "Hey, we've been hogging it. We should let our honored guest have a try"

Shigeru's voice called out "The super nerd playing Sailor V? Yeah right."

"Yeah, we'll finally see the genius fail at something" Shigeru's friend Honda said as Kameon pushed Akria onto the stool.

Kaemon was going to pay but Akria stopped him. "Oh no, that's not necessary." Akria dropped his coin in the slot and pressed start.

It was a sight to behold. The animated Sailor V slayed every beast, avoided every trap, and navigated every puzzle with ease. The crowds quickly fell into shocked silence. Akira's was the only face without a dropped jaw or a raised eyebrow. In contrast, he wore a mask of stoic concentration as he ran calculations in his head and memorized enemy patterns.

Kaemon's shock quickly turned to joy. "Wow, Akria, you rock."

"Hush!" Nao said as he clamped a hand over Kaemon's mouth. "You'll break his concentration" he whispered.

Akira was soon past the sea monster and racking up a new high score. Even Unazuki had stopped by to watch. He hadn't even taken any damage, and the score only clicked higher and higher.

The spell was suddenly broken by an alarm going off. Akria gasped and looked at his watch. "Oh no! I forgot about cram school." He stood up and quickly bowed to Nao and Kaemon. "I thank you both for a fun afternoon. I'll see you later."

Without further ado, Akira picked up his schoolbag and ran from the arcade. Outside on the sidewalk, Luna was taking a stroll. She halted as Akira ran past her. She turned on the spot and gazed thoughtfully as he faded from view.

Back inside, Kaemon had quickly jumped into the seat to try to salvage the abandoned game. Sailor V was being pummeled by a hoard of monsters, and it was too late to save him. The Game Over screen popped up.

"That was odd" Kaemon said, "He was doing so well too." He looked at the blank space next to the high score and put in Akira's name. "There."

"It was like he was one with the machine" Nao said in awe. "I've got chills."

"I guess that explains it" Shigeru said, "Mizuno is half machine already, so I guess he was just communicating with his own kind."

"Don't make fun of Akria!" Kaemon insisted

"Ok, ok" Shigeru replied, "I guess I'd be protective too if I had a super nerd helping me, especially if I needed as much help as you do."

"Can it, Shigeru" Nao said, "If you have any aggression, save it for the field."

"This isn't aggression, it's just honesty. Actually, I can help Kaemon too."

"Oh really" Nao said skeptically.

"Yes, really." By this point, the crowd had broken up and only a few students remained. Shigeru plopped down on the stool next to Kaemon's and said, "You might have noticed that I was one of the golden students this morning when we got our tests back."

"No need to rub it in" Kaemon muttered but Shigeru simply carried on.

"I didn't need to spend hours sweating over textbooks or doing endless worksheets. I simply got a little help from Jou."

"Jou?" the boys asked

"Jou Satou. He's a cool guy, a little older than us, who has this amazing stuff. It's called Cerebral Candy?"

"Cerebral?" Kaemon said in confusion, but Shigeru ignored him as he pulled a small bag from his pocket. He opened it to reveal several round, red candies. "If you eat one of these, your intelligence goes way up."

"That sounds like a crock" Nao said with an eye roll.

Honda spoke up. "I thought so too but this stuff really works. My memory is perfect now, I barely need to study. I also seem to just understand everything better as well."

"Wow" Kaemon looked at the candies with wide, sparkling eyes. Nao was far more skeptical.

"Even if that's true, it sounds like a drug. Are you guys really dumb enough to get caught up in something like that?"

"Not anymore" Shigeru grinned. "My perfect grade this morning speaks for itself."

"Perfect grade!" Kaemon gasped. Shigeru and Honda both pulled their test papers from their pockets and the numbers didn't lie. "Where did Jou get such awesome stuff!"

"He says his dad is some kind of scientist, and he cooked this stuff up by accident. He would sell it, but teachers would raise a fuss."

Nao still looked skeptical. "That's more like the plot of a movie than real life."

"Oh yeah? What about your good luck coin? Was that out of a movie?"

"He's got a point" Kaemon said, "All kinds of strange things are possible if you think about it."

"Here" Shigeru said, as he pushed a candy into Kaemon's hand. "To show that I'm not a bad guy, you can have one. If you like it, I'll tell you how to find Jou to get some more."

"Kaemon, please tell me you aren't considering this!" Nao said

Kaemon didn't reply. He simply stared at the red, sugary orb in his hand.

"Alright class" Haruna Sensei said "Who can translate this sentence into English?"

A few hands went up but none higher than Kaemon's. Haruna Sensei stared at him in shock. "Do you need the hall pass, Tsukino?"

"No Sensei." He stood up and looked at the whiteboard. He then proceeded to recite sentence in perfect English, with excellent grammar and accent. Haruna Sensei, as well as most of the students, looked shocked. Shigeru, on the other hand, smirked.

"That…that was wonderful Tsukino!"

"Why thank you, Haruna Sensei" Kaemon responded in a self-assured tone. Nao scoffed but no one seemed to hear him.

"I don't know what you've been doing in your study sessions but it's obviously paying off."

Kaemon smiled and sat back down. He answered a few more questions correctly in this and his other morning classes. When the lunch bell rang, he stretched and said "What boring morning. That was too easy."

"This can't be good for you, Kaemon" Nao said. "I can't believe you actually ate that candy!"

"Can you deny that it works?"

"It works but who knows what else it's doing to you. You're the one who was freaking out over all the odd stuff going on and people being possessed. Now you're volunteering for it!"

Kaemon laughed unkindly but was distracted by a figure at the classroom door. "Oh, hello Akira."

"Hello Kaemon. Are you ready for today's tutoring session? I thought we'd walk together…"

"Oh that" Kaemon interrupted. "Eh, I don't think I'll be needing it anymore."

"What? No, you must keep studying…"

"Nope. I'm good now. I think I'll go eat outside. It's a beautiful day after all."

"I guess you can scram, nerd boy" Shigeru called while making a "shoo" gesture.

Akria looked back at Kaemon who was already on his way out the door. Akria stood there trembling. "I suppose…I'll just go."

Shigeru and his friends giggled at him as Akira backed out of the classroom. He took his glasses off and wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. When he opened his eyes again, Nao was standing in front of him.

"Oh…Osaka. I'm sorry, I'll get out of your way."

Nao suddenly bowed and said, "I apologize on behalf of Kaemon. I don't think he heard what Shigeru said. He'd never normally treat a friend that way."

"What do you mean normally? Is he sick?"

"Sick in the head maybe" Nao bitterly replied. "He…dang, there's no way to say this without it sounding really bad."

"Bad? Please Osaka…I mean Nao…please tell me what's happening?"

"You can see for yourself. I'm going to try to talk some sense into him. Let's go."

"Oh no, there's really no need…" Nao didn't listen but continued to drag Akria in Kaemon's wake.

They quickly found him sitting under a tree and eating his lunch with a contended smile. Nao let go of Akira's hand and marched up to Kaemon.

"Ok buddy, we need to talk."

"Of course. What stimulating conversation topics shall we contemplate on this fine day." He giggled and said, "I love being smart."

"You aren't smart!" Kaemon and Akria both gasped and Nao looked apologetic. "That came out wrong…"

"No, I think it came out quite correctly" Kaemon coldly replied. "I've known for a long time how everyone, including you, must see me. Kaemon the stupid. Kaemon the crybaby. Well, now the truth is out. I'm tired of being that person, and thanks to the Cerebral Candy, I'm free of that stupid persona. In fact," Kaemon said as he stood and looked Nao in the eyes "I do believe that you are jealous me, Nao Osaka."

"Jealous? For taking a strange drug Shigeru suggested?"

"Drug?" Akria repeated in shock.

"Look at you!" Nao went on "You're turning into a different person. You're not like this."

Kaemon looked at Nao and coldly said, "You didn't deny it."

He turned and walked away. Nao stood there frozen. Akira's head was spinning. He sat down on a bench and pulled a sandwich from his lunchbox. He took a large bite and chewed it slowly. He closed his eyes and thought deeply.

'It's true,' he thought 'Kaemon has never been known to be cruel before. He helped me with bullies before we even knew each other.'

Akria concluded that his friend was in trouble. He felt his heartrate increase at the word friend.

"Nao" he called out. Nao was still standing under the tree. He turned now to look at Akira. "Please join me. I want you tell me about this candy you mentioned."

Nao nodded and took a seat on the bench. Neither boy noticed Luna lurking in the bushes across the way.

Akira was standing outside a warehouse down a canal. After hearing Nao's account of the events at the arcade, Akira spent the rest of the school day asking other students for more information on this Jou Satou. He'd been laughed at or ignored by many, but he had pieced together the fact that Jou liked to use this old place as his hangout.

His heart was beating wildly, and he was trembling. Rationally, he knew this plan was crazy. He didn't even really have a plan if he was honest with himself. That wasn't like him at all, but Akira felt he had to do something after Kaemon had showed such kindness towards him.

Akria gulped and inched very carefully through the partially open warehouse door. The place was a mess, dust everywhere, old crates, and piles of wood. Crouching low to the floor, Akria tip toed across the room, always staying near the shadows.

He could hear voices. He picked up the pace, remaining hidden all the while. He peered over the top of a large crate and spied on two people. One was a tall, blonde man in a grey uniform. The other was a tall, handsome boy appearing to be high school age. He wore a black school uniform with the coat open. He seemed like the sort of boy who would be the class rebel. However, Akira noted with interest, that the boy was treating the uniformed man with great respect.

"Yes, Master Jadeite. The plan is proceeding perfectly."

"The candy is influencing the children as we want it to?"

"Certainly sir. The fools come to me wanting higher intelligence so badly they'd sell their souls." The boy grinned. "Little do they know, that's exactly what they are doing."

"You collect their energy as well?"

"Of course, Master. They don't even notice." The boy placed a hand on his chest and said "I feel them. They are mine, which in turn makes them property of our Great Leader."

Jadeite laughed softly. "Excellent, Uwaki. Excellent!"

Akira was petrified. Great Leader? Selling souls? Could Kaemon really be involved in any of this?

"It's almost time, Master. Often victims come in the evening for more candy."

"I shall leave you to it then. We'd hate to disappoint our new friends."

The blonde man vanished. Akria screamed and stumbled backwards. The boy turned his head sharply. "Who's there? How long have you been lurking?"

Akira felt sweat running down his back. He had to get out of here. He looked up and screamed again. The youth was standing on top of the crate with his hands in his pockets. He glared at Akira before turning his head and spitting.

"You heard something you shouldn't have, kid."

Akira took a deep breath and said, "What I heard is that you're hurting people. My friend has become entangled in your scheme, and I won't stand for it."

"Tough words, Four Eyes. Let's see you back them up."

Akira rolled to the side as the boy leapt down. The boy's fist slammed into the ground, leaving a dent.

"You're a slippery little worm. So am I, kid, so am I."

The boy stood up straight. Akira gasped as the boy's skin and clothes turned red, the same shade as the Cerebral Candy. His body also melted slightly until Akria was looking up at a humanoid figure composed of red slime.

"I am the Monster Uwaki. It's the last name you'll ever hear!

Kaemon was humming as he approached the warehouse. Shigeru had given him the address and it looked exactly as described. Shigeru had also said that the candy's effect was temporary, and Kaemon wasn't having any of that.

He stepped into the warehouse door just as Akria's scream filled the air. Kaemon's eyes popped wide open and looked inside the building. Akria had just been backed into a crate. A red, slimy monster leapt through the air at him, one hand forming into an axe. Akira ran to the side and the crate was torn open by the force of the axe.

Kaemon stumbled backwards in a daze. What on earth was Akria doing here? What was that monster?

"Snap out of it, Kaemon!"

He turned to see Luna glaring at him. "Luna what…"

"Do you really need to ask at this point. Your friend is in trouble and it's your fault!"

"My fault! How do you arrive at that hypoth…hypo…oh what's the word? Stupid candy starting to wear off."

"Are you seriously thinking about that candy! Transform right now and save Akira!"

It was as if a fog was suddenly removed from his brain. He saw his actions of the past 24 hours in a new, horrifying light. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Inside the warehouse, Akira was gasping for breath. The monster had him by the throat, his other hand morphing from an axe into a javelin.

"Time to die!" Uwaki growled.

A golden boomerang sliced right through the arm holding Akria up. He fell to the floor while the arm returned to its original shape. Uwaki looked to see Sailor Moon standing nearby.

"Sailor Moon."

"That's right. You've been…"

"No, not a stupid speech. Stop!"

Sailor Moon froze. Uwaki grinned and laughed. "I thought I felt my presence in your body. You belong to me Sailor Moon."

"What do you mean?"

"You must have eaten my candy" Uwaki said as he held up a hand, palm down. Several candy orbs formed and fell to the floor.

"You mean that stuff was made of you?"

"Indeed. Spin around puppet!"

Akira and Luna watched in horror as Sailor Moon did a silly pirouette on the spot. Uwaki cackled loudly.

"Oh, this is delicious" the monster said with a smile.

"Alright…I messed up. I admit it. However, I'm not going to let my friend suffer for my mistakes!"

"You aren't going to do anything that I don't tell you. What I tell you is…kill this boy, Sailor Moon!"

Akira gasped. Sailor Moon turned slowly to face him. It seemed as if he was struggling against his own body. "No…I won't. I won't hurt Akira!"

While simply frightened for his life on the surface, Akira's subconscious mind had absorbed all the clues.

"Kaemon?" he asked in shock.

"Oh" Kaemon replied. "I guess you really are a genius." Kaemon ran toward Akria but then stopped with a pained cry. "I said no! I won't hurt him!"

Uwaki was stunned. "Incredible. I should have complete control over you. No matter though" he said as he smiled again. "I can still destroy you with perfect ease!"

The monster ran for Kaemon while both arms turned into swords. He raised them in the air and cackled madly. "Goodbye and good riddance, Sailor Moon."

Akira didn't think. His only thought was that his friend was in mortal danger. He was running before he was aware of it. He threw his body between Uwaki and Kaemon.

"I won't let you!" Akira screamed

"Akria no!" Kaemon shouted

Uwaki began to speak but his words were drowned by cries of pain. A brilliant blue light was emanating from Akira, and the monster was thrown across the room. In the center of his forehead appeared the planetary symbol for Mercury.

Kaemon stared in slack jawed confusion while Luna beamed. "I thought so."

Her crescent moon symbol flashed, and a pen appeared in her mouth. It was blue on the bottom with a golden upper half. Atop the pen was a golden oval with a ball in the center. The Mercury symbol was engraved upon this orb.

"What? Did that cat just speak?" Akria asked

"Yes, I did" Luna said. Her words were slightly muffled but still audible. "Take this pen."

She tossed it at Akria who caught it automatically. He felt a strange stirring deep within.

"Kaemon, you mentioned a cat."

"Yes, that's Luna. She's with me. Luna what's…"

Kaemon was cut off by Uwaki's scream. He was on his feet again, looking murderous.

Luna said "There's no more time. Akira, hold that pen up high and say Mercury Power, Make Up!"

Akria looked at Kaemon. He was still frozen in place.

"Ok." He held the pen above his head and cried out "Mercury Power, Make Up!"

The pen filled the area with blue light. Streams of what seemed to be frosty water erupted from the top of it and surrounded Akria. His body was wrapped in the watery ribbons and there was a final flash.

Akira was now dressed in a sailor suit like Kaemon's. His collar, hat band, belt, and tall boots were royal blue. His neckerchief was a paler blue and was held together by a round broach that matched the darker blue.

"You've disguised yourself and your intentions in order to destroy vulnerable young students. You promise instant transformation, but all true growth is slow, like a flower approaching bloom. I won't allow this corruption anymore! I am Sailor Mercury, the soldier who fights for truth and wisdom. Douse yourself in water, and repent!"

"Sailor Mercury!" Kaemon shouted in surprise and joy.

Uwaki growled "It doesn't matter how many of you show up! I'll still win!"

"I don't think so!" Akira firmly replied. He held his hands in front of him as if holding something. A ball of blue energy appeared, and it remained in place as he crossed his arms.

"Bubble Spray!"

Akira threw his arms open wide and the energy sphere exploded. Bubbles of all sizes flooded the warehouse, popping quickly and creating thick fog. The temperature plummeted and Kaemon shivered.

Uwaki moaned in pain. The icy air was causing his slimy body to congeal. "I can't move" the monster screamed.

"I can!" Kaemon declared as he realized it was true. The monster's red body contrasted against the blueish fog and Kaemon took aim. "Moon Boomerang Action!"

The weapon easily found its mark. Unlike before, it caused the frozen body to shatter. The fog faded as the various pieces crumbled into sand.

Akria was in shock. He raised his hands and looked down at his body. He touched the sailor uniform in disbelief.

"What just happened? I felt some sort of instinct take over and I…did I really do that?"

"Yes, you did" Luna said with pride. "Akria Mizuno, you are Sailor Mercury. You are the solider of wisdom who is aided by the element of water."

Kaemon was shivering with joy. He threw his arms into the air and whooped.

"Yahoo! This is amazing!" He hugged Akria tightly, grinning all the while. "Welcome to the team, Sailor Mercury!"

I've been really looking forward to this one :) I'm glad to finally add a new member to the team. I hope you guys like my version of Sailor Mercury.