Notes at the bottom, as usual.
The majority of characters in this story are owned and/or copyrighted by
Naoko Takeuchi, DiC, Disney, Bandai, Toei Animation, Seagull Entertainment,
Graz Entertainment, Sunrise, Mixxzine, Saban, Playmates, and probably a half
dozen other corporations which I've neglected to mention. I should add for
the benefit of their respective legal departments that I make no claim to
the characters which the previously listed or referred to companies have
copyrighted, and I am not making any money from the distribution of these
stories (if I were, do you think I'd still be working at McDonald's?)
The characters which do not appear in either the Sailor Moon or Ronin
Warriors shows are mine. Touch them and die.
Now that that's out of the way...
Crystal Scouts #4
"Branching Out"
There are times when nature seems intent on showing off. The dead
of winter, when majestic pines are crowned by snow; or the first bright
blaze of the summer sun. Many New Englanders and Midwesterners would cite
the autumn change of green leaves into vivid reds and golds; but for true
nature lovers, the most impressive event nature has to offer can be summed
up in three words.
Cherry blossom time.
One girl who felt that way sat on a park bench, wind ruffling
through her green hair. Her green eyes surveyed the bright white and pink
blossoms, a perfect contrast to the dull brown and green of the trees
themselves. She let out a satisfied sigh, took a pad and pencil from the
schoolbag beside her, and began to draw the scene.
Rough outlines quickly gave way to detailed shading under the girl's
expert hand. Leaves and blossoms alike appeared on the paper as if by
magic.
As she sketched the cherry trees, she noticed an odd reflection from
something high in one of them. Placing her sketchpad on the bench, she
approached the tree.
The sun was definitely glinting from something...but what? The girl
decided to find out. Lucky I'm wearing these overalls instead of a skirt,
she thought as she made her way up the tree.
Finally she reached the object. It was a green crystal, lodged in a
fork of two branches. She retrieved it from its perch and climbed back down
the tree.
Drawing forgotten, she returned to her bench and sat down, staring
at the crystal. Its facets glittered as she slowly turned it. She finally
snapped out of her reverie as a squirrel scampered across the toe of her
tennis shoe. She shoved the crystal into her pocket and began to put her
art supplies away.
While putting her pad back into her bag, she glimpsed her watch.
With a high shriek, she took off at a dead run.
"Aieee! I'm going to be late!"
"This is so much fun!" Roxanne laughed.
"I know," Tori agreed. "The first time I visited San Francisco, I
rode the cable cars for three hours..."
"And you were fifteen at the time," Merry interrupted.
"I hadn't learned the thrill of driving yet," Tori retorted as the
others groaned mockingly.
The trolley stopped to let some people off, as a few others boarded.
Roxanne took the opportunity to check her watch.
"Are you _sure_ we still have half an hour? The brochure for the
academy didn't say anything about ninety-minute lunch breaks."
Tori and Merry exchanged knowing grins. "Well...we really only get
half an hour. But Mr. Lewis never takes roll, so nobody knows if we
attended his class or not."
"You really enjoy corrupting innocents, don't you?" Roxanne fired.
"We're showing you the ropes," Tori protested, "which is exactly
what Miss Lawrence told us to do."
"Somehow I don't think this is what she had in mind," Roxanne
sighed. "All my friends back in New York were a lot less--"
"Fun?" Tori and Merry interrupted.
"Impulsive," Roxanne concluded as the trolley began to move again.
Tori had just opened her mouth to protest when she heard a girl
shout from behind the trolley. The girl was running as fast as she could,
green hair streaming behind her.
"Wait!" the girl shouted again.
Tori latched onto the post on the rear of the cable car while
putting her foot onto the step. She reached out toward the girl with her
other hand.
The girl had come within two feet of Tori's outstretched hand, but
she was becoming tired and the trolley was picking up speed.
"Jump!" Tori ordered.
The girl's green eyes looked at Tori as if she were crazy. Tori
stretched out a little further.
"Jump!"
This time the girl obeyed. She took two last steps and launched
herself at Tori. Tori grabbed the girl's forearm and pulled as hard as she
could. The girl landed on top of Tori as she fell backward into the
trolley. The only casualty was the girl's schoolbag, which had spilled most
of its contents.
Merry looked at Roxanne. "You're right. She _is_ impulsive."
Tori groaned. "You two could have helped me."
"Only room for one on the step," Merry pointed out.
The green-haired girl had risen and helped Tori to her feet.
"Thanks a lot," she said. "I'm--"
"Chloe Bloom," Roxanne broke in, handing Chloe her books.
"Uhh--yeah."
"Now who's impulsive?" Tori teased.
"Don't mind them," Merry interjected. "I'm Merry Rivers, and these
two are Roxanne Grant and Tori Brand."
"Well, it's great to meet you. Thanks again," Chloe said. "It's
like you were some kind of hero, Tori."
Tori blushed as Roxanne and Merry smiled secretly. "Umm---yeah, I--
I guess you could say that," she stammered.
The cable car drew to a stop. Chloe quickly jumped from it and took
off again. "Thanks, Tori!" she yelled as she vanished down the sidewalk.
"Looks like you've just got yourself a fan club," Roxanne said.
"So, _hero_, can I have your autograph?" Merry asked.
Tori's stare could have incinerated them both.
"Um, wow, look at the time," Roxanne said nervously, conspicuously
checking her watch. "Shouldn't we be headed back to the academy?"
"Whatever you say, Heckle and Jeckle," Tori sniffed.
"You actually _remember_ that show?"
"Sure. It's one of the classics of animation."
"Just like 1960s Hanna-Barbera stuff, right?"
"Since when did you become an art expert, Roxanne?"
"Since I flipped through Chloe's book that she left here. Looks
like we'll have to return it to her...which means you get another chance to
meet your biggest fan."
Tori's face turned redder than her crystal.
Tori was already in the driver's seat of the red Camaro when Roxanne
and Merry arrived.
"I've looked through this book four times, and I can't find any
clues about Chloe," Tori complained.
"I may be new here," Roxanne said as she clambered into the back
seat, "but I can think of at least one place where Chloe would need all
those art books."
"Where's that?" Tori asked crossly.
"The San Francisco Art Institute," Roxanne answered.
"But...but that's a college!" Tori exclaimed. "She looked about as
old as we are!"
"Worth a try," Merry mused. "Probably the best place to start."
Tori grumbled as she started the car.
"The way you're acting," Roxanne said, you'd almost think you didn't
want to go."
The Camaro's spinning tires were her only answer.
Tori wheeled into the parking lot of the Art Institute, chose a
spot, cut the engine and stalked away from the car. Merry and Roxanne
exchanged worried glances before leaving the Camaro themselves.
They caught up to Tori at the front desk. The receptionist seemed
surprised at their mixed expressions--two smiles, one scowl.
"Can I help you?"
"I want--"
Merry cut in. "We'd like to see Chloe Bloom, please."
"Any specific reason?"
"We're her friends."
"I...see," the receptionist said, noticing Tori's brow crease a
little more. She quickly tapped a few keys and pointed at the monitor.
"Her class is just ending," she announced, sketching a rough map.
"Follow this and you'll just catch her."
Tori snatched it from her hand. "Thanks," she said gruffly, rapidly
vanishing down the hall.
"Umm...you'll have to excuse her," Merry said. "She's a little
angry with herself about losing Chloe's schedule."
"Ah, I see," said the receptionist, although she clearly didn't.
Roxanne and Merry chased Tori down. "Any reason you were awfully
rude back there?" Merry asked.
"I just want to get this over with," Tori said. "I _hate_ having
people fawn over me."
Students were leaving the classroom now, many with canvases under
their arms. The three waited until Chloe appeared.
"Tori!" she said, surprised.
"Hello, Chloe," Tori said, a little tonelessly. "I brought your
book back. You left it on the trolley."
"Thanks, Tori," said Chloe, taking the book. "But how did you find
me?"
"These two--" Tori jerked her thumb-- "helped me."
"Oh," Chloe said. "Thanks, Marianne and Roxie."
"That's Merry and Roxanne," Merry corrected.
"Umm--right. You two must be detectives or something."
"Or something," Merry agreed. "How'd you get into this place,
anyway? You look about as old as we are."
"Well, I'm sixteen now, but I'll be seventeen in July. I _am_ still
only a junior, though. I got a full scholarship already because of my
artwork--so I decided to start college a little early. As long as I'm
passing my high school classes, the college doesn't mind."
"What about your parents?" Roxanne asked.
"I'm--on my own," Chloe said quietly.
"I'm sorry," Roxanne quickly apologized.
"It's okay," Chloe said, changing the subject. "Did you want to see
the sketch I was working on?"
She showed the three the drawing she had begun earlier that day, of
the cherry trees in the park.
"Wow..." Merry said, impressed. "It looks almost like a
photograph."
"I've got more at my place. Would you like to see them?"
"Sure!" Roxanne and Merry said.
"What about you, Tori?" Chloe asked.
"Huh?" Tori said, startled. "Oh, yeah, of course."
"Wow," Chloe said, running her hand over the Camaro's rear spoiler.
"Is this your car, Tori?"
"Yeah."
"It's lovely," she said, standing up. "But I still think that
European coachwork from the 1930s is more artistic."
Merry smiled. Chloe would freak out if she ever saw Tori's entire
collection. "Go ahead and take the front seat, Chloe. Roxanne and I will
ride in the back." She ignored Tori's gaping stare as she and the other
two took their places.
"Admittedly," Chloe continued, "they didn't have the good stuff,
like air conditioning or radios or--"
Roxanne quickly tapped Tori on the shoulder. "You might want to
buckle up," she whispered.
"What for? It's a short trip--"
"I mean it," Roxanne said more urgently. She jumped back as Tori
took her place behind the wheel and turned the ignition. She slowly backed
the Camaro out.
"S--she didn't do it," Roxanne murmured.
"So, where's your place from here?" Merry asked.
"Only a couple miles. I'll give directions, okay?"
"Good idea," Tori muttered under her breath.
Chloe's navigation got them there in ten minutes. She jumped out of
the Camaro as Tori shut off the engine.
"Here we are: the Trident Gallery," Chloe announced.
"You _live_ here?" Roxanne asked.
"Yeah, I've got a studio apartment. Helen's got the other. She's a
sculptress--and sort of the caretaker, I guess."
Chloe unlocked the door, then relocked it behind her. "I'll show
you some of my work here in the gallery, but I've got some more up in my
apartment too, okay?"
A row of statues lined the hall that Chloe led the others down.
"This is some of Helen's work," she explained. She stopped and stared at
the last statue in the line.
It was roughly hewn from rock and seemed to depict a fanged creature
holding a chisel and hammer. If four-year-olds ever carved gargoyles, this
would probably be what they would look like.
"I don't think I've seen _this_ one before..." Chloe mused.
"Maybe it's new," Roxanne suggested.
"Oh well," Chloe continued, bubbly as ever. "Let's go see _my_
stuff!"
Roxanne followed Chloe as Tori and Merry fell back slightly to
continue their own conversation.
"I can't believe you let her sit next to me!"
"Common courtesy, Tori. Why don't you give her a chance? She seems
like a nice girl."
"I never said I didn't like her. What I don't like is her fixation
on _me_."
"Grow up. You're acting like she has a crush on you."
Tori's jaw dropped, unable to retort, as Merry walked away. Chloe
peeked back around the corner.
"Coming, Tori?"
"Be right there," she said, in a very small voice.
Roxanne and Merry were already examining Chloe's paintings when Tori
arrived.
"I like this one," Merry said, pointing at an autumn forest scene.
"Me too," Roxanne agreed.
"I painted that one in Washington," Chloe said. "You can see, I
kind of like to paint nature scenes." She turned to Tori. "Do you have a
favorite?"
"Yup." Tori pointed at a large canvas at the end of the hall. It
showed a seascape at night, waves gently lapping the sands of the beach as
a bright moon blazed overhead, reflected in the water. "That one."
Chloe giggled. "I didn't do that one."
Tori blushed. "I'm sorry. I thought--I mean--"
"It's okay," Chloe said. "That one was painted by the owner of this
gallery--a de la Mer original."
Tori's red eyes blazed, making her look almost demonic. "_Michelle_
de la Mer?"
"Yes. She also plays the violin--"
"I know," Tori growled. Roxanne looked clueless while Merry simply
wanted to find somewhere to hide.
"Have--have you met her?"
"Yes," Tori said, eyes blazing brighter. "Three years ago, Merry
and I went to congratulate her after a concert. She laughed at us and said
we seemed a little too close to be friends or sisters. It wasn't until
later I found out she owns our competitor. To sum it all up, _I_ _hate_
_Michelle_ _de_ _la_ _Mer_."
"It's been three years, Tori," Merry said softly, as if reciting
something she'd said many times before. "Can't you just forget about it?"
Tori turned on her. "No, I _can't_ just forget about it. And thank
you very much for bringing it up earlier."
Merry shook her head sadly.
Chloe cleared her throat nervously. "Umm, who wants to check out my
apartment?"
Roxanne and Merry quickly agreed.
"Anything as long as I don't have to look at that picture anymore,"
Tori said angrily.
Chloe led the way, with Tori right behind her, averting her gaze
from the seascape.
"I'm not too sure I needed to hear that," Roxanne commented dryly.
"You'd probably have found out sooner or later," Merry said. "Just
try not to mention her or Godwin-de la Mer Enterprises, okay?"
"Sure, no problem. I won't even take her to the beach at night
now."
Chloe had two more landscapes hanging on her wall. Her desk had two
unfinished drawings, while an easel in the corner held a third.
She cleared the desk and pulled a file from a drawer. "I'll show
you some pictures I don't show many people. Have you ever heard of Japanese
animation?"
"Sure," Roxanne said. "From Astro Boy in the 60's, Star Blazers in
the 70's, Voltron in the 80's..."
"You read my book," Chloe said. "Anyway, drawing characters from
them is my--well, my other hobby. Here's one that's popular in Japan right
now."
She opened the folder and removed a picture. The girl in it had
long flowing hair, a mask--
And wore a very familiar sailor costume.
"Who--who is that?" Tori stuttered.
"That's Sailor V," Chloe answered. "She's got her own video games,
movies, comic books, action figures, you name it. I hear she may even get a
TV show."
"Who created her character?" Merry said, picking up on Tori's
thoughts.
"Nobody. She's--she _was_ real."
"Real?" the three others said simultaneously.
"She fought in England for a while, then--then she died in an
explosion. Only--"
"What?" Tori demanded.
"Only now there's other sailors supposedly showing up in Japan.
Officially, the Japanese government denies it, but..." Chloe shrugged.
"How many--sailors--are there?" asked Roxanne.
"Estimates range from five to fourteen Sailor Scouts," Chloe
replied. "There's also a couple of guys who have been seen with the Scouts
at times. One wears a tuxedo with a cape and mask, and the other wears
Arabian clothes."
"This is a tough story to swallow," Merry weighed in. "Is there any
proof? Pictures, videos, eyewitnesses?"
"The Scouts seem to have an aversion to photographs," explained
Chloe. "It makes the Japanese government's stand easier. As for
eyewitnesses, three years ago in Tokyo, a busload of kindergarteners saw two
Scouts--Sailors Moon and Venus--along with the Arabian guy. A couple of
weeks later, over three hundred people in the Little Theater saw five Sailor
Scouts and the Arabian guy."
"Nothing since then?" Roxanne queried.
"Nothing reliable. Like I said, the Scouts try to stay out of the
limelight."
"What do _you_ think?" Merry asked.
"Oh, I think they're real," Chloe said. "At first, I was kind of
skeptical, but then I talked with--_her_." Tori rolled her eyes. "Anyway,
she said they were real. In fact, the way she was talking, she might have
even met some of them."
Tori snorted. "Bet she didn't tell _them_ she thought they were--"
Chloe's ear-piercing scream caused all heads to turn to her, then
follow her eyes.
In the doorway behind them stood the gargoyle sculpture, chisel and
hammer held at the ready.
The three girls exchanged glances that all returned to Chloe. Each
knew what the others were thinking: can't transform with her around...
The monster brought the chisel up to its face, then swung the hammer
at the chisel's head, letting go upon impact. Tori dodged as the chisel
embedded itself into the wall where her head had been.
Another chisel had appeared in the gargoyles' hand.
"Any way out of here besides through Ugly here?" Merry asked.
Chloe was staring at the chisel in the wall. "Door to fire
escape...at end of hallway..."
Tori tensed, preparing herself to run for it. She stared the
gargoyle down, stone eyes gazing back at her. Suddenly she moved--
The gargoyle was faster. It sent the chisel flying toward her.
Chloe grabbed Tori's ankle. "Duck!" she yelled as she pulled it out
from underneath Tori, sending her sprawling. The chisel was again buried in
the wall where her head would have been.
"Now what, Einstein?" Tori muttered.
A blue blaze attacked the gargoyle, sending hammer and chisel
skittering across the floor.
"Now's our chance!" Roxanne shouted. "Let's go!"
"Don't need any prompting here," Tori said, already on her feet.
"It's a Sailor--" Chloe said in awe as Merry clutched her wrist and
dragged her away.
Tori already had the door open when they arrived. "Come on!" she
urged.
"Shouldn't we help her?" Chloe asked.
"How are we going to do that?" Tori asked caustically. "Now go!"
she ordered, pushing her out the door.
Tori turned to Merry. "She's right, you know. We should help."
Merry snorted, quickly moving out the doorway. "If you can think of
a way to ditch Chloe, go ahead."
Tori looked back at the battle. The dark blue Sailor had found that
punching stone hurts the puncher, so she had picked up the hammer and was
cracking pieces off the gargoyle.
"On second thought," Tori said, quickly departing, "maybe she
doesn't need help."
Tori had just reached the bottom of the fire escape when she heard
the explosion above ehr. She tackled the other three, trying to shield
them.
The fire escape door crashed to the ground. The dark blue Sailor
landed on top of it.
The gargoyle jumped from the landing. It was missing a horn, but
was unscathed from the three-story drop.
Chloe was stretching out her arm, trying to reach something that had
fallen from her pocket. The monster noticed it too.
"Crystal..." it said in a raspy voice, moving toward them.
Tori rolled off Chloe, coming up with her own crystal. "Chloe, get
that crystal!" she ordered, raising her red crystal high. "Red Crystal
Power!"
Roxanne and Merry weren't far behind.
"Orange Crystal Power!"
"Blue Crystal Power!"
Chloe clutched her green crystal to her chest. "You're--you're
Sailors..." she whispered.
"You can be too," Tori explained. "Just hold up that crystal and
shout 'Green Crystal Power!'"
Chloe nodded. "Green Crystal Power!"
A flash of green light appeared around Chloe. As it faded, she was
revealed in a green sailor suit.
"What do you feel like?" the Blue Sailor asked.
"Strong and powerful, like a tree," the Green Sailor said. "What
would that--"
Her hand briefly glowed green.
"That's your power then, Green Sailor," the Blue Sailor said.
"What? Trees?"
"No, wood."
"What kind of power is that? Wood isn't all that strong--"
"It's more like nature, growing things--"
The gargoyle charged.
"Wood--Sprout!" the Green Sailor yelled.
Thin reeds rose from the ground, wrapping themselves around the
gargoyle's legs.
"Fire--Flame!" the Red Sailor shouted.
"Earth--Shake!" yelled the Orange Sailor.
The first attack paralyzed the gargoyle as the second one demolished
it.
The Blue Sailor was leaning over the dark blue one.
"Is she--" the Red Sailor asked.
"No, she's still got a pulse."
"We'd better get her to a hospital--" the Orange Sailor said.
"Not a good idea," the Blue Sailor said, lifting the dark blue one
with the Green Sailor's help. "We'd better take her to our place."
"All right," Tori said, detransforming as sirens wailed in the
distance. "Let's get out of here."
Hi, it's me again. Here are the notes...
* No doubt about it: cherry blossom time _is_ beautiful. I should
think that Tokyo would have a better show than Washington, though...
* The first timme I visit San Francisco, I'm going to do the same
thing that Tori did.
* (lecture mode on) 1960s Hanna-Barbera work is usually held up as an
example of the worst animation of all time. 2-D characters, recycled
backgrounds, poor subject matter, bad artwork...probably why I like anime.
(lecture mode off)
* There _is_ a San Francisco Art Institute. It's on Russian Hill, and
has about 600 students.
* Tori's dislike of admirers is a trait of mine that kind of crept
into her personality.
* Like the original five Sailors, all the Crystal Scouts were born in
the same year (1980, same year as the original Sailors, by my reckoning,,,
which is probably wrong...)
* I make no excuses for the 1930s automobile line either. I just
happen to like classic cars, that's all...
* The crack about Tori and Merry being closer than friends becomes
_really_ ironic, considering the speaker. (I only did this because it's a
necessary setup for a later scene; it's probably not the way you're used to
seeing Michelle (or Michiru) act.) The subject of the painting is
significant too.
* Chloe's hobby sure is convenient, huh?
* The "five to fourteen" estimate doesn't include Crystal Scouts, only
Tokyo-based Sailors.
(
geocities.com/tokyo/bay) (
geocities.com/tokyo)