Space/time continuum...
“I
must commend you.” Flute smiled at Meredith, “You made the creature exactly
to my specifications.”
“I am pleased to gain your approval, Master.” Meredith nodded.
“I am about to begin the first true phase of my plan.” he said, taking a sip from his wine. “I’ll need another, this time more powerful. It must take all of the Scouts to defeat it.”
“You intend to measure their strengths?”
“Yes. You are quite right.”
“I see.” Meredith’s yellow eyes shut a moment to make note. “This one will be no challenge.”
“Good.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Luna sat down next to Serena’s schoolbooks to watch the spectacle. Serena was so terribly pathetic in the morning it was almost hilarious.
“Ack. I have my shoes on the wrong feet!” And she promptly began switching her Cole Haans. She gave herself a look in her mirror and found another problem. “My earrings don’t match.” and she began digging frantically through her jewelry box. “Mom, where are my pearl studs?”
“And we entrust her with protecting the universe?” Luna mumbled to herself and lay down. Serena soon began shoving her seldom used schoolbooks into her satchel and was not paying attention when she scooped up Luna and threw her in with the books.
The black cat screeched but to no avail, for Serena had grabbed a muffin and was out the door like a jet off an aircraft carrier.
Serena did not drive to school. Crossroads Private Highschool was well within walking distance in a relatively safe neighborhood. Also, she had been walking to school ever since she was six. It was just habit now, not to mention good exercise. And there was the fact that she had also recently wrecked her car.
She rushed inside the schools doors and to her locker. She opened her bag and Luna popped out, sore and angry. Not yet realizing it was Luna, Serena shrieked. This drew a curious glance from everyone in the room.
“Oh, Luna.” the blonde giggled, “How’d you get in there?” Luna spat and flicked her tail; normal cat behavior. Serena set her down and she tranced off, throwing an angry red glare at her mistress.
Serena had no time. She streaked on to math class and slid into her desk right as the second bell rang.
“Right on time.” the teacher raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry, teach.” Serena once again giggled in embarrassment. He smiled and checked her off as present.
“Okay,” He put down his clip board and picked up a small stack of papers, “I hope you have all kept to your books over the holidays. I’ve got a quiz for you.”
As usual, the cold sweat began to run down Serena’s back.
Ah, Tuxedo Mask. From what he had heard, the masked hero had saved the Scouts several times. His roses were quite lethal. Something had to be done about them.
Oddly
enough, phase one of his plans would render them ineffective, though it
would be gradual.
He held the black crystal out and watched
it glow.
“Ugh, was that lecture not the most boring! History is so whacked.” Mina asked, sliding her history book into her bag.
“I’ve always liked learning about the Abolitionist Era.” Amy shrugged, throwing her satchel over her shoulder, “It helps me understand why the Civil War happened in the first place.”
“Well it bores me silly.” Mina smirked. “I can’t stand history.” They were both silent a moment.
“Serena and Rei are going to the arcade and Lita has to cook dinner,” Amy said, ”so do you want to go for ice cream?”
“Eh,” Mina shook her head, “I have to get home. My parents grounded me this week for getting drunk on New Years.”
“Are you allowed to have friends over?” Amy asked, “We could hang out. I could tell you the latest in Scout news.”
“I think they’ll let me get away with that.” the blonde smiled at the shorter girl.
“If not, I could always walk you home.” Amy chirped.
“Okay let’s go.” They walked on for a while when Mina asked what was up with Scout business. “So we have a new enemy?”
“Yep,” the blue-haired genius said, “I still can’t figure out much about who it is, though. Usually we meet our enemy the first battle, but this one’s a mystery.”
“You’re smart,” Mina patted her shoulder, “It’ll come to ya.”
Just then, the world seemed to ripple a moment as if it were water disturbed by a stone. The two friends were hit with an overwhelming wave of nausea. Amy, whose stomach was more sensitive, leaned over and vomited, dropping her books. Mina, overcome by dizziness, leaned against a street sign and shut her eyes. A moment later, it was over.
“That was whacked!” Amy picked up her bookbag.
“Sure was,” Mina stood upright again, “Even more than history.” She looked around. Everywhere, people were standing back up in shock. Simultaneously, their communicators beeped.
“Mina here.” the beauty queen got to hers first. Amy was still dizzy. Luna’s feline face popped up on the screen.
“Girls, did you all feel that?” the cat asked.
“Sure did. So did Amy.”
“I felt it too.” Rei said, “Whatever is was, Serena passed out.”
“I have a very bad feeling about this.” Luna told them, “I think the Negaverse is behind it.”
“Oh, I’m not doubting that.” Amy agreed.
“Hey, Mina,” Lita called, “I could meet up with you guys to watch for trouble.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Luna nodded, “Trouble is sure to come.”
“I think that’s our cue.” Mina plucked a wand similar to the one Rei had used but it was orange with the symbol of Venus on the star. “Venus Star Power!” and an orange chain of shimmering stars engulfed her energized body and Sailor Venus replaced the teenage beauty. Her collar, skirt, and pumps were yellow-orange as was the jewel in her tiara. Her bows were Mediterranean blue.
“Mercury Star Power!” It was agreed among the scouts that aside from Sailor Moon, Amy had the most beautiful transformation. The blue wand spouted water that surrounded her and when the air rippled, Sailor Mercury stood ready for battle. Her knee-high boots, skirt, collar, and Star Crystal were all dark blue while the bows on her chest and at the small of her back were light blue.
“I think we need to divert that hellraising hound!” Venus said, “Ready Sailor Mercury?”
“Right,” the other agreed, “let’s teach this bad dog some obedience. Mercury Bubbles...” she held her hands out before her and a water bubble formed and began vibrating with energy, “...blast!” and she cast the bubble away. It proliferated into hundreds and then thousands of bubbles, creating a thick mist. The monster stopped, confused.
Mercury then tapped her right earring. Instantly a visor materialized over her eyes and began analyzing the new threat. “It looks like the same stuff.” she confirmed after a moment.
Sailor Venus held her arm up, forming the sign of the crescent moon with her hand. “Venus Crescent Beam smash!” and the lowered her hand to point at the beast. A bolt of coherent light flashed out and slashed the wolf-thing in the shoulder, searing flesh while burning away Mercury’s mist. The thing howled and placed a clawed hand over it’s wound.
Sailor Mercury wasted no time. She folded her arms against her chest and cried out for another spell. “Shine Aqua Illusion!” A drop of water formed at her feet and she began spinning, drawing the water to her now upstretched hands, collecting it there, and then flung it at the creature. The icy-cold water splashed over the negamonster and everything within the splash zone froze solid.
The werewolf, uninhibited, roared in anger and vomited a ray of light at them. The two Scouts dove in opposite directions as the beam turned the concrete molten.
“Come on...” Venus helped her friend up, “We need something a bit stronger.”
“The Aqua Illusion’s the strongest thing I have.” Mercury reminded her.
“Then run.” Venus ordered, “Go get the others.”
Sailor Mercury did as she was told, hearing Venus cry “Venus Meteor Shower,” and could envision the highly inaccurate but deadly pulses of energy crashing into the creature. She was looking over her shoulder as she rounded the block. It surprised her when she bumped into something.
“Oh, I’m terribly...” she began to apologize. But when she looked up, Lita was already pulling out her green transformation stick.
“Jupiter Star Power!” lightning crashed, engulfing Lita in electricity. Soon, Sailor Jupiter replaced her. “Where’s the trouble?”
“Back that way,” Mercury said, “Venus is taking it on all alone. We need the others.”
“Right.” Jupiter fished out her communicator.
“Venus Love Chain encircle!” A chain of hearts loosely entwined her from pumps to her upraised hand and then followed the lead of her pointed finger, smashing against the negamonster and rising a cloud of dust.” For a moment there was no movement.
“Yeah! Love conquers all.” she hooted, “Eat that you son of a...” before she could finish, the wolf-thing appeared out of the dust cloud. “Oh, hell.” Venus shrieked.
The creature shook its head to clear it and glared at her with the glowing yellow eyes. it’s drooling, foaming mouth snarled in anger.
“Uh,” she said nervously, “gotta go!” and she turned and ran. The beast gave chase, blasting energy from its mouth.
Frantically, Sailor Venus made her way through the alleys and backstreets, tossing any obstacle she could find behind her; garbage cans, bistro tables, newspaper machines, anything that would get between her and that werewolf.
“Bad dog!” she heard a familiar, English-accented voice snap, “Sit!” Above her, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter stood on a roof, back to back, their arms folded.
They were somewhat mismatched, since Jupiter was seven inches taller than the five-foot-two Mercury, but an impressive sight none the less.
“Back down, boy.” Jupiter growled, “I usually like dogs, but in your case I have to make an exception. I am Sailor Jupiter...”
“And I am Sailor Mercury...”
They finished in unison, “We are the Champions of Justice.” Jupiter crossed her arms before her face, making the sign of the crescent moon with each hand. An antenna raised from her tiara. “Jupiter Thunder crash!” and the bolt of lightning arced between her and the creature. It howled and stepped back.
The two Scouts landed on the street. Mercury once again blinded the wolf thing with her bubbles, then added some cold with the highly accurate ice bubbles. The two then took Venus by the arm and led her away.
“Nice entrance, guys.” Venus chided, never one for flash and pomp, “I think it just might have had enough intelligence to still be stupefied by what you said!”
“We told the others.” Jupiter reported, turning a garbage can over to cover their path, “They’re on their way.”
“Good,” Venus lead them around a corner. The ally was a dead end. “Sh...!” Even before she could finish blurting out the curse, the creature knocked her over.
“Hey, nasty!” Jupiter folded her hands, preparing to deliver a Jupiter Thunderclap. The monster acted first and with a fierce slap, knocked her against a wall. He then turned his attention to Sailor Mercury.
“Uh, nice puppy.” she spat nervously. Before she could turn and run, it pounced. Mercury was too frightened to do much of anything. She knew it was going to kill her as its mouth drew closer to her face. It snarled and she turned her head in revulsion as the hot, stinking breath seemed to make her skin boil. A rivulet of drool ran slowly from the creature’s chin and onto her cheek. The aquabelle could do nothing but whimper. She shut her eyes tight and prepared herself for the end.
Suddenly, the wolf screeched and leapt off her. She opened first one dark blue eye and then the other to see a single rose, blood red, stuck into the pavement. The stem was stained with orange fluid from passing through the creature.
“Though you could use some help, Sailor Mercury.” a familiar male voice said. Standing atop a light post was a tall man dressed in a black tuxedo. A long, flowing cape swirled around him. A top hat covered the head of black hair and a white mask disguised the blue eyes. At first glance, he looked like a magician, but this man was a worker of a far greater magic.
“Thank you, Tuxedo Mask.” she said, wiping her cheek on her white, elbow-length glove.
“Not a problem.” the masked man nodded.
“Okay Mercury,” it was Sailor Moon this time, “stay down.” With the usual burst from the Moon Scepter, the wolf-thing was vaporized.
“Nice shot, Sailor Moon.” Mercury got up and dusted herself off.
“Your timing was fashionably dramatic,” Venus grumbled, “and on time.”
“I’m
gonna feel that in the morning.” Jupiter rubbed her numb shoulder. Mercury
was already taking a sample of the creature’s ashes.
“Is
it from the same source?” Sailor Mars asked
“In my first analysis I made during the battle it appeared so.” Mercury tucked the vial of ashes into one of the nearly invisible pockets knitted into the Sailor Scout uniform, “But I’m going to run another diagnostic when I get home to make sure.”
“Well guys,” Sailor Venus metamorphosed back into Mina, “I’ve got to get home or face a serious ass-whooping. Let me know what happens.”
“Will do, Venus.” Tuxedo Mask plucked the rose from the pavement to hide it in his jacket. Soon, he was Darien again. The group split up fifteen minutes later to continue their ordinary lives.
“I am sorry, sir.” Meredith apologized, “I was not aware you wanted to kill anyone yet.”
“I was hoping for one or two.” he sighed, “But that is beside the point. You did a splendid job once again.”
“Shall I create another, sir?”
“Not for a long while.” Flute shook his head, “I have something much more dreadful in store for them.” He gazed down at the Pluto Star Crystal. It winked at him in the dim light. He was slowly learning it’s secrets and its capabilities. He might need Jekter to expand them in a while, but what he had accomplished today would keep those blasted Scouts busy for a time.