Magical Girl Fanfic Theater By Peter L. Ward Starring: - Miyakawa Mika as Exquisite Soldier Lovely Freesia - Toriyama Akiko as Exquisite Soldier Crimson Rose - Mura Natsumi as Exquisite Soldier Golden Poppy - Ferris as Exquisite Soldier Pretty Daisy - and Penko as herself Tonight's Feature Presentations: Magical Girls Dream Team, chapter 2 by Henry J. Cobb & Serena & Luna: The New Adventures of Sailor Moon - Episode 103 - "Hearthief" by Chris Davies [The lights come up on the holovid theater with the girls in their regular seats. Penko is being held in Mika's lap.] [Mika] I'm Miyakawa Mika! [Akiko] I'm Toriyama Akiko! [Natsumi] I'm Mura Natsumi! [Ferris] And I'm Ferris! [Mika] Welcome to Magical Girl Fanfic Theater! Well, we were supposed to get our fifth and final team member cast by today. However we were told that something's come up and we won't see her for a little bit longer. [Akiko] Actually, I think I know the reason why... [Mika] Oh, why's that? [Akiko] Well, the IAAPB filed a lawsuit recently to force the Magical Girl Corps to start an affirmative action program. [Ferris] "IAAPB"? What's that? [Akiko] "International Association for the Advancement of Pretty Boys". [Mika] "Pretty Boys"? You mean... [Ferris] We might be getting... [Akiko] I'm afraid so. [Natsumi] What? What? What are we getting? [Mika, trying to be patient] A guy on our team, you ditz! [Natsumi] Oh. [Mika, pointing at her costume] Wait a minute. If we do get a guy on our team, he won't be wearing one of these, would he? [Akiko] I don't think so. From what I understand from the rumors, both sides agreed to what they're calling the "Peter Brown clause" preventing such a situation. He'd be getting his own style of costume. [Mika and Ferris look at each other in anticipation, then jealousy.] [Mika] Dibs, catgirl! [Ferris] No way! He's mine! [Mika] Team leader's priveledge! [Ferris] Don't you dare pull rank on me! [Penko] Girls! Girls! Stop fighting over this. As Akiko said, it hasn't been settled yet, so simmer down! [Both Mika and Ferris stew, but at least they've stopped arguing for the moment.] [Penko] Now that the matter's been dealt with, on with the first feature! [The lights dim back down and the night's first fanfic starts showing on the screen.] ----- Magical Girls Dream Team, Chapter Two By Henry J. Cobb The story so far: Sailor Moon (Usagi Tsukino) has transferred to Graviton Girls High School, as there isn't much left of her old school, friends or family. ----- [Mika] You know, this never really was explained in part one. We got hints, but that was just about it until now. [Akiko] Maybe the author's assuming that the readers know something about the later Sailor Moon stories beyond R. [Mika] That could be. It'd cause quite a bit of confusion for the North American Sailor Moonies...most of whom may have only seen the dubs. ----- So far during her first day, she has helped defeat and restore a schoolgirl transformed into a monster pig, with the help of her new companions, Eiko (A-ko) Magami and Biko (B-ko) Daitokuji. These two girls instantly saw through the Sailor Moon magical disguise, which is a sure sign of powerful emotions or magic at work. ----- [Mika] Or maybe having sharp eyes would do the trick. Sometimes, I'm amazed that folks don't recognize us magical girls on the street. ----- After school on Monday, Usagi walked to the main gate with A-ko and B-ko. "Usagi, you're new to Graviton City, aren't you?" A-ko asked. When Usagi nodded, A-ko continued "Why don't we show you around then?" ----- [Akiko] You know, those last two lines could have been combined into one paragraph. After all, A-ko's the one speaking in both of them. ----- "I'm sorry." B-ko interrupted. "But I have to finish a design this evening." "Is is the aircraft carrier?" A-ko asked. "The one with the hinge on the end?" "Yes." B-ko looked to the heavens with anger. "One of these days those fools at the Space Defence Force will wake up to the need for a transforming space battlefortress with adequate fighter cover! But, it's OK, you two go ahead." ----- [Mika] This would explain a lot concerning a certain mecha show... ----- "Miss Daitokuji is the Military Industrial Complex in a skirt. As a hobby, she tries out prototype weapons on me." ----- [Ferris] Bwahahahaahah! Great line here! Fits that bitch to a "T"! ----- "That sounds dangerous." "Not really." A-ko grinned. "I'm tougher than I look." "This is my aunt's house." Usagi noted. "You're staying with her for the semester?" "At least." "Let me go home and change, I'll meet you back here in about thirty minutes or so and show you our town." [The Pair go downtown, enjoy sweets and watch "Ninja Jungle Commando IV"] ----- [Mika] You know, something's missing from this section, as well as most of this fic. [Akiko] You mean the lack of details and descriptions and other things that would bring the story more to life? [Mika] Yup. I mean, just having dialogue and actions would work great if it were in script format. If it's going to be prose instead, then there should be some beefing up of the story. The author should get more in depth with what's going on. Describe the scenes some more or something. ----- Tuesday at school was almost as bad for Usagi, Miss Ayumi simply wasn't making any sense. She seemed to be speaking in Japanese, but the sentences wandered widely between subjects. ----- [Akiko] While the author isn't having as much of a problem with run-on sentences like he did in part one, the first sentence could be split in two. ----- For a few minutes A-ko sat quietly then it came to her. "May 9th, 2044, my first day at Graviton Girls High School! Thanks B-ko." ----- [Mika] "2044"??? Where'd the author get that? [Akiko] I've no idea this time. If I remember correctly, Project A-ko took place in 2016. That would make it so that this story would take place in 2017 instead. ----- "You're welcome." B-ko had a small slice of the cake, while A-ko and Usagi evenly divided the rest, but they all seemed to finish about the same time. "Usagi, what happened to the other Sailor Scouts?" A-ko's prediction of B-ko's curiosity seemed to be coming true. "They're dead. Well, almost all of them. Jupiter's in a coma. Wiseman's agents tracked them down in their civilian identities. They would have gotten me too, if I'd ever been on time anyplace." "That sounds like me." A-ko noted. ----- [Mika] Good passage here. Needs some beefing up, though. We could get some indication of what Usagi was feeling as she was telling A-ko and B-ko her story, for instance. ----- A-ko then lead Usagi out of the Estate. "Usagi, why don't I run you home?" "OK, can you drive?" "No, this is quicker." A-ko grabbed Usagi's wrist and sprinted out at a speed Usagi deemed to too fast to drive on a moonless night. She wondered if A-ko had super vision too. ----- [Mika] Hahahahaha...now that's what I call running someone home! ----- In A-ko's slipstream, Usagi called out. "Was that true, about the alien abduction?" "If you call that an abduction. I looked after C-ko full time for eleven years. I did everything but change her diapers, and she hopped on the first ship back to the Black Nebula, with a simple ``Thanks for everything!'' ... That's the last time I put myself out for a space princess." ----- [Akiko] Wait a second. If this is in reference to the events of "Project A-ko 4", then the empire should be the Lepton Kingdom of Alpha Cygni. The Black Nebula attacked in "Be Forever Yamato". ----- "B-ko couldn't take the hint," A-ko continued, "she flew after them. They cut her down. I wish I'd gone with her. I wish I could fly." "What happened?" "I don't know," A-ko considered, "maybe I just don't have the knack for flying." "No, I mean, what happened after the aliens shot down B-ko?" "I caught her. I never ran so fast in my life. She was OK, just stunned, with her suit shorted out." ----- [Akiko] Then again, this retelling of events is a bit different from what happened in A-ko 4. In the movie, B-ko gave A-ko a lift to try to rescue them, but B-ko's suit ran out of juice, instead of them getting cut down. Both of them plummetted to Earth. ----- Usagi couldn't contain it any longer. "Are you and B-ko, you know, well, an item?" A-ko stumbled and fell. Usagi flew over her. The street rushed up too quickly for her to transform into Sailor Moon. Just before Usagi's face could impact the pavement, she felt herself being snatched from behind. "Sorry about that. I told you I'm fast." A-ko paused for a moment then continued. "Naw, me and B-ko are just best friends. We've got nothing in common. I'm a poor tomboy and she's the rich, glamourous genius, but we get along great." ----- [Mika] Well, this clears up any questions we had from part one regarding this subject. [Akiko] At least C-ko got her wish that those two would get along... [Ferris] I could never figure out why some of you humans are into these same- sex relationships, anyway. A waste, if you ask me. [Mika] Ferris! Geez! You're sounding like some homophobe. I thought we were beyond that by now! [Akiko, whispering to Mika] I don't think Ferris or any of her fellow myanarans have quite adapted to life on Earth just yet. [Mika, whispering back] No kidding. You ought to see how she acts in school around the guys! ----- "You both have superpowers." "Well, there is that, but mine don't short out." "I feel so bad, watching B-ko suffer like this, doesn't she have a boyfriend?" "Well, she fell pretty bad for Kei Yuki, but they never even spoke." "You see?, they just weren't properly introduced." ----- [Ferris] Not only that, but the fool had a fixation on C-ko, of all people! No taste at all, I tell you! ----- A-ko quickly replied. "Here's your Aunt's house, I'll see you tomorrow morning." Henry J. Cobb hcobb@slip.net http://www.io.com/~hcobb ----- [Mika] That's it? That was pretty short! [Ferris] Not only that, but nothing happened at all! What about you, Natsumi? [They look at Natsumi, who's asleep in her seat, snoring away.] [Mika] Geez! Just like in class! [Ferris] I don't blame her one bit. I felt like doing that at times myself. Okay, airhead! Wakey-wakey! [Ferris whaps Natsumi upside the head. Natsumi wakes up with a start and stands up.] [Natsumi] Forty-two! Yokohama! Silver Millenium! [Mika] Dimwit! We're not in class! We're doing Magical Girl Fanfic Theater! [Natsumi, looking around and sitting back down] Oh. Is it over already? [Akiko] Well, the first story is, anyway. I think that a lot more could be added to the writing. Maybe putting in the girls' emotions to various things, background elements, flashbacks, and other devices could liven things up and make the story interesting. Also, the author could put in another youma fight to add some action to this portion. The fact that he put in some background to the story helped things greatly, but it still needs more. [Penko] Well, if that's everyone's thoughts, or lack thereof in a certain case, then let's go on to the next story. [Mika] Right! While we missed the chance to do parts one and two of this fanfic miniseries, at least we got our hands on part three for review. For those who may not have seen the first two parts, "The New Adventures of Sailor Moon" rewrites Sailor Moon history by not giving Serena and her friends their memories back until seven years after their final assault on Queen Beryl. What makes this series interesting is that the characters have gone through several changes, including maturing, through those seven years. So far, only Serena and Raye have regained their memories, and Darien apparently has no memories to revive... ----- Serena & Luna: The New Adventures of Sailor Moon Episode 103 "Hearthief" Raye knocked at the door of Serena's appartment. "It's open!" Serena's muffled voice announced. Stifling her inclination to upbraid Serena for leaving the door unlocked, Raye stepped inside. Luna was lying in the sunlight, apparently deep asleep. Raye thought with a smile. "Where are you?" she asked aloud. "In the bathroom, just a minute!" Serena announced. A moment later, she strolled out in her pink kimono with a bunny head on the left breast. ----- [Natsumi] Oh! What a cute kimono! [Akiko] Having the bunny head on it was a very nice touch. It's things like this that helps make this fanfic series a cut above the others. ----- "Just a minute, I'll show you." Serena dashed back into the bathroom, and came out carrying ... Her sailor fuku. Raye stared at it for a few seconds, blinking. Then she looked up. "How did you ..." "Just transformed, and then squeezed it off ... a tight squeeze, but .." "Wait a minute. You mean you're Sailor Moon? I mean, NOW?" "Yeah! Couldn't you tell? I'm about an inch taller this way ..." ----- [Mika] I wonder if she ends up being a bit bigger in other measurements like I end up doing whenever I transform. I'm still getting the hang of going from a 34" bust to a 37" one everytime I go on the job. [Ferris] You know, Mika, some girls would nearly kill for your magical girl measurements... [Mika] They can have them! All mine have gotten for me are stares from drooling guys. [Ferris] So what's the problem? ----- "Why?" Raye demanded. "Should you really be turning into Sailor Moon for no reason at all?" "I had a reason!" Serena protested. "I was curious about this suit!" "Okay ... whatever," Raye sighed. Being patient with her was just as hard as it had been in the old days. "What did your experimentation find out." "Watch and be amazed," Serena said. She picked up a butcher knife, and without warning, stabbed the fuku repeatedly. "HEY!" Raye shouted. Serena calmly held up the fuku, and demonstrated that her stabs had had no effect on it whatsoever. "Cool, ne?" Raye's mouth dropped open. "But how?" "I dunno. But think about it ... how often did all those youma back then throw attacks that threw up a lot of shrapnel? Why didn't we get cut to ribbons?" "Because of the suits?" Raye guessed. "Right! Amy could give you a more scientific explanation, but ... we don't know where she is ..." Serena's smile twisted for just a moment. Raye pretended not to notice it. "The suits will stop anything sharp from getting to us, then?" "I dunno about that ... if something sharp was shot at us with a lot more force than I've got, or something *very* strong with claws came at it .. I'd get the heck out of the way." ----- [Akiko] Again, an example of what makes this fanfic series click. While the Serena of seven years previous wouldn't have been bothered to check things out like that, this one does. [Mika] Not only that, but it weaves in an explaination as to why the girls didn't get shredded up as much as they should have during battle. Sure, they got shredded a few times, but this explains why they didn't get shredded any more than that. ----- "Oh yeah! It's just that this is SO interesting. Oh well, time for more experiments later." She undid the belt of the kimono, and let it drop to the floor. "ACK! Serena!" "What's the matter?" she asked as she started to pull herself into the fuku, feet going into the neck hole first. "It's not like you've never seen me naked, Raye." "The window is wide open! Have you no modesty?! To say nothing of concern for your secret identity?" "Raye, get a grip," Serena sighed as she pulled the suit up her legs, holding the neck wide enough that she could squeeze it past her hips. "If some hentai is watching me, he's seeing me squeeze into a uniform just like the Hallowe'en costumes of the Sailor Scouts that were popular a few years ago. That's it. If you like, I'll close the blinds, but that'll annoy Luna." ----- [Mika] You know, just when you thought you had the old Serena peeking out, the new one's able to cover for the apparent carelessness. Of course, I'd still be careful about running around naked in the house. I have enough problems running around half-naked in this costume as is! [Akiko] Speaking of costumes, I think the author forgot to account for the boots and gloves that come with Serena's costume. [Natsumi] I'm confused again.... [Mika, rolling her eyes] What is it this time? [Natsumi] Why does Serena look like Usagi? [Mika] Arrrgghhh!!! That's because they're one and the same, bonehead! [Akiko] Let me handle this, Mika. Natsumi, when they brought Sailor Moon over to North America, they renamed most of the characters to sound like western names rather than the original Japanese names. Tsukino Usagi got renamed Serena. [Natsumi] Oh. Why did they do that? [Akiko] I don't know. Tell you what, Natsumi, let's sit back and watch the fanfic. Okay? [Natsumi] Sounds good to me! ----- Serena pulled the neck of the uniform up to her own neck, and squeezed her arms through the sleeves. "There!" she said triumphantly. And then her form shifted, and she was wearing an ordinary pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a picture of the Superdimensional Fortress Macross on it. "Oh, and how would your hypothetical hentai account for *that*, Ms. Flasher? Perhaps he'd think you're really Cutey Honey?" "RAAAAYE," Serena whined. "Lighten up!" ----- [Mika] Now *here* we have the old Serena emerging for a bit. Nice to know that some things haven't entirely changed! ----- They went out of the appartment, still arguing. Luna arched her back, and smiled a quiet feline smile. Serena hadn't been this happy in ... seven years. Neither, from what she'd gathered from Raye's comments, had the firey priestess ... no, wait, EX-priestess. ----- [Akiko] That should be spelled, "apartment". ----- Luna padded over to Serena's small television set, and pressed the power button on the remote control. Perhaps there'd be some clue as to what the enemy -- assuming, of course, that the two youma the Sailor Scouts had dealt with thus far were in fact part of a conspiracy, like the Dark Kingdom had been -- was up to in todays news ... "In a stunning and tragic development, we are forced to report that the mysterious fighter of justice, Sailor Moon, has descended into the penumbra of criminality, robbing a jewelry store last night at about eleven o'clock ..." ----- [Mika, Ferris, & Natsumi in unison] Eh?!?!!?!? What the??? [Akiko] Now this is an interesting development. Of course, we know it isn't Serena, but still... ----- Molly was very pleased with the cartoon, and was also visibly glad to see that Serena was making friends ... but she had no memory of ever having met Raye, while Serena was certain that she had introduced them to each other long ago. For only a moment, Serena was tempted to use the Mnemonic gadget to restore Molly's memories ... but then ... (... seeing a monster wearing her mother's face trying to choke the life out of her ...) (... being used as an energy source for the Dark Kingdom so often that her mother had been afraid that she'd been developing leukemia ...) (... Nephrite fading away in her arms, as she wept and screamed to heaven ...) ... Serena thought better of it. Molly was happy just the way she was. ----- [Akiko] Again, a sign of Serena's maturity. She now has the self-control to resist the temptation to revive memories that would've only caused pain for her friend with no benefit whatsoever. ----- Over the buzz of the newsroom, Serena couldn't hear what Darien was saying on the phone. She saw him stop talking when he realized that Raye was staring at him, put a hand over the mouth piece, and saw his lips move. She could read lips just well enough to see that he said, "Can I help you?" There was no recognition on his face. She saw Raye shake her head, and start walking out of the newsroom. For only half-a-second, she found herself wanting Darien to get up and go after her, as he had done for her a few weeks ago ... but it passed. "Uh, listen, Molly, I've got a lot of stuff to do this afternoon, so I guess I'd better get cracking, right? Gotta go!" Then she dashed off. She passed Darien, only barely hearing him say, "Hey, Serena ... I've got these passes to a movie and ..." "Later, Muffin." Darien, his jaw dropped, watched her speed out of the room, hot on the trail of that dark-eyed girl ... Molly came out of her office, and stood by his desk. "Is it just me," Darien asked slowly, "or is she getting weirder?" "It ain't just you ..." ----- [Mika, grinning] Great passage here. I especially liked the "muffin" bit as well as the look on Darien's face. ----- "LUUUUUNAAAAA!" Serena screeched as she burst into her appartment. "I take it you saw the news?" the black cat asked, a worried expression on her face. "What was I doing at eleven o'clock last night?!!!" "You were, unless I miss my guess, engaged in an erotic dream about Darien, judging by all the moans you were making ..." "Right! I mean, sorta right, but it wasn't an erotic ... but anyway, there's NO WAY I could have been robbing a bank last night, right?" ----- [Ferris] Yeah! You go, girl! As the line went in the song, "Don't dream it... be it." [Mika] Ferris! You trying to turn this wonderful fic into a lemon here? [Ferris] Hey, it wouldn't hurt, right? [Mika] Wrong. It would. You know, I'm beginning to think that you would make a great match for that damned Space Gopher... ----- "None. But I think I know who was ..." "Huh?" Luna produced a photograph. "I took that shot with my Lunarcam when I saw it on the televeision. It's an artist's composite of what the "Sailor Moon" who robbed the banks looked like." Serena stared at it for several seconds, her jaw working soundlessly. "No ..." she whispered, "... it just can't be, Luna, please, please, tell me this is some Negascumbag in disguise ..." "No, Serena," Luna said, and there were tears in her eyes. "We know where Mina is now. She's pretending to be you." ----- [All four girls sit there with their jaws dropping.] [Mika] No way... [Natsumi] It can't be! [Ferris] Sailor Venus a thief?? [Akiko] Well, this is one hell of a plot twist. ----- "How intriguing," said the Mastermind, watching the news item about Sailor Moon. "Lackey." "Yes, master?" "Bring me the three youma we have who have been trained as professional hitmen. I have an assignment for them." ----- [Akiko] Here, we're getting a look at the darker side to this fanfic that showed itself in part two. [Mika] I wonder who our mystery Mastermind is... [Akiko] Well, my guess would be that it's either a certain Dark Kingdom/ Negaverse general that didn't get killed like the others, or some enemy from the first Silver Millenium that we didn't meet until now. ----- Serena hadn't said a word to Raye since they'd transformed, after having made plans to track down Mina ... if it was her. The silence was beginning to wear on her nerves. Serena was supposed to be bubbly and full of spirit, not this taciturn, grim sentinel. ----- [Akiko] Like we observed earlier, Serena went through a lot of changes. Of course, some changes aren't always pleasant, like in real life. ----- She didn't know who these bruisers were, or what they wanted -- they didn't look like yakuza, actually they looked a lot MEANER than the yaks she'd run up against over the years -- and she didn't want to have to deal with them. So she ran. The Starlight Tower was almost finished the reconstruction it had been put through over the last seven years, ever since that weird night ... it would be the perfect place to hide. Or not, she realized when they finally found her. ----- [Mika] Another good reference to events in years past. ----- They had been slowed down incredibly by Serena's stubborn insistence that they should take the stairs. It was very frustrating, but she insisted that she'd had enough of the elevators in this particular building for one lifetime ... ----- [Mika] Yup! Nearly getting fried by a fireball will do that to you! ----- "Wha--? I'm not Sailor Moon, this is just a ..." "Give it a rest, Serena Tsukino." Only Raye's quick reflexes prevented Serena from letting out a gasp of stunned horror at the man's words. ----- [Ferris] How'd Raye's reflexes prevent Serena from giving them away? [Mika] Maybe by clapping a hand over Serena's mouth or something like that. [Akiko] In any case, it should be clarified a bit more. ----- "How dare you abuse even one who is illegally using my image for her own twisted self-gratification?!" Raye sighed silently. ----- [Mika] Okay. No jokes about the speeches *I* have to make... [Akiko] Never crossed our minds. Right, girls? [Ferris] Yeah. I couldn't make any jokes about them anyway, since I end up falling asleep during them... [Natsumi] Same here! ----- The one who had been holding Mina dropped her. "Well, boys, time to go to plan Y." And they exploded. Each of them shot up three feet in height, with an additional pair of arms shooting out of their sides. Their noses flattened, and their skin turned an olive green. "Y standing for Youma, I guess ..." Sailor Moon muttered. "After you, Princess Kitana," Sailor Mars gestured. It took her a second to get the joke, but when she did, she couldn't help smiling. "No, no, after you, Agent Blade." ----- [Mika, giggling] I wonder who's been playing Mortal Kombat lately... ----- Raye felt the arms of the youma grab her and lock her into a choke hold. "Okay, Sailor-Brat!" he snarled. "Unless you want to see your friend here turn a very lovely blue that won't go at all well with her little red dress, you're gonna turn back to normal, and surrender, capisc?" "Pardon?" "What?" "Capisc? I don't know what that means. What are you saying?" The youma looked to the ceiling. "Oh for crying out loud ..." Looking to the ceiling meant he couldn't see her fling her tiara, swinging it around so that it was coming at his back. He howled when it hit, releasing Raye from the hold so that she tumbled to the ground. "This is where you disintegrate," Serena said informatively, "capisc?" And it did. she thought with a thin smile. ----- [Mika] This is a great bit here! I have to wonder where the author comes up with this stuff! ----- "Mina, it's okay, everything is gonna be ... MINA WATCH OUT!" Mina didn't see the coil of rope that was behind her on the beam. She stumbled when her boot heel came down on it, and with a sudden hoarse cry she tumbled off the roof. "NO!" Serena cried, and faster than she'd ever moved in her life, she grabbed the rope and dove after her. Mina was helplessly flailing on her way down, while Serena was in a more aerodynamic dive. Serena zipped past her, then spread out to slow the fall, and caught Mina's tumbling form. "Relax!" Serena cried. "I've got you!" "You've got me?!" Mina shrieked. "WHO'S GOT YOU?!" It occured to Serena that she hadn't checked to see if the rope was attached to anything. Looking up, she saw the end of it slip off the beam and start to follow them downwards. "I'm sorry, Mina," she whispered, and closed her eyes, hoping that it wouldn't hurt too much ... ----- [Ferris] Oops! Nice idea, but too bad it didn't work out exactly as planned. [Mika] It's not as if she had time to plan it out or check the rope... [Natsumi, holding her hands over her eyes] I can't look! ----- She felt strong, gentle arms take hold of her, and her fall stopped. She could feel herself moving upwards. This wasn't how dying had felt before, there had been that bright light, and that kind, gentle voice and .. Serena opened her eyes, and realized that she was in the arms of a man wearing a white costume, and a mask that hid the lower two thirds of his face. His eyes were a deep, lustrous blue that were very familiar ... his arms cradled her like a very small child ... And then they were on the beam once more ... he helped her to put her feet back down, and also get Mina out of her own arms (wheron she promptly grabbed a vertical beam and began hyperventillating), before stepping back. "Who ... who are you?" "I," he said, in a deep, passionate timbre, "am the Moonlight Knight. Whenever your need is most dire, Sailor Moon, I shall ever be by your side. Until next time, adieu ..." And he leapt off the beam, vanishing into the shadows. ----- [Mika] I was wondering when he'd show up... [Ferris] What a hunk! Too bad we know who and what he really is, though... [Mika] At least you have *some* limits... ----- "Luna, would you mind doing the honors?" Serena asked, as the euphoria of what she'd just been through began to wear off. "Mina, look at me," Luna said patiently. Mina swiveled around, and stared at the black cat for several moments. "Oh crap, I've flipped. I'm outta my bloody head. Talking cat. Oh man. Oh crap. Oh ..." ----- [Mika] Kinda reminds me of my reaction when you first told me who and what you really were, Penko. [Penko] Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, your reaction was much stronger than Mina's... ----- "REMEMBER!" And she did. Quietly holding in her grief, wondering if the fact that the Princess could cry meant that she felt more for the fallen than she did. Seeing the red glow under the ice. No TIME. Shoving ... feeling it slam into her torso! Hearing her offer up the crystal, screaming a curse, being dragged into the darkness. Then ... trying very hard not to think about what they were doing to her lower body ... mustering all that she had, knowing that it would mean her end ... CRESCENT BEAM! Then being very far away from anything else ... being drawn back, once more, to give what she could ... then reborn. Never knowing. Until ... And that was when the link between Luna and Mina went berserk. For unlike Serena, there was no single point that divided where Mina's memories of her life as Sailor Venus ended and those of the life she'd led over the last seven years began. All Luna could do was let out a stunned caterwaul as Mina's mind became an open book to her. Lonely, but trying to convince herself that she didn't need friends, that her studies and hobbies were enough. Riding the train one day, noticing a white cat with a strange birthmark staring at her with a look of obscure pain. The cat opening its mouth to let out a meow ... and an ugly man kicking it! The half-formed meow sounding much like a word ... rememb ... and ... and ... memories. Things she'd never done, things she'd never wanted to do. Running across rooftops by night ... fighting. Killing. Something wrong in her head, all these thoughts. The wrongness affecting her schoolwork, her family life. Leaving home in anger at seventeen. Drifting into petty thievery to pay expenses, and ultimately for the thrill of beating another in a contest of wits. Seeing a report about the return of ... what a load of malarkey! Anyone could do that ... anyone ... hunting for the disguise, and beginning ... With a mighty effort, Luna separated her psyche from Mina's. Had she "ridden" her any further, she would have begun reading her mind far more intimately than was decent or proper ... and there was no guarantee that she would ever escape ... ----- [Akiko] Like in the first two parts of this story, these flashback sequences are very well done. This time, though, it helps serve as a way to fill in the readers as to what happened to Mina and why. [Mika] Yeah. Poor Mina. Must've been hell to go through what she did... ----- "Luna, your summary neglects one major thing," Mina interjected. "Nothing in my memories would have led me to become a criminal. That was MY choice. *I* screwed up my life, not Artemis, not you." "Come on, Mina, it's not that bad, is it?" Serena asked. "Not THAT BAD?" Mina burst. "Serena, I was a crook! I did things that turn my stomach to get by! I did things that ... do you have any idea what it's like to have done things you can NEVER forgive yourself for?" Serena was silent, feeling Mina's pain, but ... "Maybe she doesn't, Mina," Raye said quietly, "but I do." "What?" "Just take my word on this one, whatever you did ... it's not so terribly bad. You can make amends by being Sailor Venus ..." "No, dammit, I can't! I won't be Sailor Venus *until* I've made amends for what I've done. Sailor Venus upholds the law ... I broke it. I have to pay." ----- [Mika] Let's see now, Serena became mature, Raye became a bit maudlin over her loss of innocence as well as losing Darien, and now Mina's being overly harsh on herself for her past crimes. I wonder what kind of changes are in store for Amy and Lita... ----- Raye turned to look at Serena, who was staring down into her cocoa. "Are you okay?" She looked up, startled. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" "Don't give me that, Serena. Maybe you can't always tell when I lie to you, but I *CAN* tell when you're not telling the truth. Now, are you upset over ..." "... the fact that when those youma thought Mina was Sailor Moon, they called her by my name? Nope! I think ... I really, really think we misheard them. They said something like ... like "Marina Sukninobo". Not my name." Raye stared at her. "Your eyes oughta be turning brown." "YES, OF COURSE I'M UPSET OVER THAT! GOD, I'M FRICKING TERRIFIED!" Raye grabbed her, and held her tightly as Serena burst into tears. "They know who I am," she sobbed. "They can get me anytime. Any ... and they might know who YOU are, too. Oh god. That ... that agent of yours .. he was a youma ..." "What are you saying?" Raye asked, knowing exactly what she was saying. "They might have been screwing with our lives ..." Luna looked up, and thought of the ugly man who had kicked Artemis. "Oh, Lords of the Highest Heaven ... Serena, I think you're right." "Oh boy are we in trouble ..." Raye muttered. "Which means ... they could be after Amy and Lita, too!" The three of them sat, quietly, holding onto each other as if they were the only firm points in the crazy, unstable world they'd been catapulted into. ----- [Mika] Wow. That's scarier than any youma that either they or we have come up against. Geez... [Ferris] Geez. Talk about ominous! [Akiko] I think that the friendships that made Sailor Moon so special are going to be needed now more than ever. Those girls are going to have to stick really tight with each other if they want to get through this... ----- Elsewhere, the Mastermind recieved a report from the Lackey. "So. The false Sailor Moon was seen leaving Surveillance Point Omega, having shorn her disguise, some hours after the assassin squad were annihilated by the real Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars. How intriguing." The Mastermind's thoughts were racing. "Check the information we have about the false Sailor Moon against that we have on the other Sailor Scouts. Then find her. I want to have a discussion with the one who would take on our adversary's likeness ..." The End (For Now) ----- [Mika] Looks like Mina's going to have to turn to the others sooner than she thought she would. This mastermind, whoever he is, is going to be quite nasty before this is all over. [Penko] Any final thoughts on this, girls? [Mika] What could we say that hasn't been said? This is one of the best fanfics to come through the pike in a while. Very tense, to be sure. [Akiko] Not to mention all the character development so far in the series. If anything, Henry Cobb should take a good look at these stories to see just how to develop and round out his own storyline. [Ferris] I hope that Serena and the gang give this Mastermind what's coming to him for what he's done to them in the past seven years! [Natsumi] I hope things turn out okay! I'm really scared for Serena and her friends! [Akiko] We all are, Natsumi. We all are. [Mika] I think we'll wrap it up with that. It's been a long night, girls, and we need a rest about now. Good night, everybody!