Sailor Moon: Never Too Late (closed!)

[HookerBoots]

Many millennia ago, there was a kingdom on the Moon called the Silver Millennium. It was a kingdom of peace and prosperity, and the entire Universe was at peace because of the just rule of Queen Serenity. Queen Serenity was beautiful and kind, and beloved by all of her subjects. She had one daughter, also named Serenity, who was as beautiful and kind-hearted as her mother. Queen Serenity also had one son, named Solomon. He was handsome and brave, a sword and shield for his sister as well as the other planets’ princesses.

The princesses from the other planets were the companions and defenders of Princess Serenity, powerful and beautiful in their own rights. Princess Rei of Mars, fierce and proud; Princess Ami of Mercury, soft-spoken and brilliant. Princess Minako of Venus, graceful and just; Princess Makoto of Jupiter, strong and passionate. Princess Michiru of Neptune, lovely and feminine; Princess Haruka of Uranus, strong-willed and bold. Princess Setsuna of Pluto, solemn and lonely; Princess Hotaru of Saturn, distant and cool. And Princess Yochi of Earth, sweet-tempered and generous.

Several of the Princesses had brothers, who were their defenders as Solomon was for Princess Serenity. Prince Endymion of Earth was beloved of Princess Serenity, and the leader of the Knights – the brothers and betrothed of the other Princesses. Solomon, Prince of the Moon, was his second-in-command, and in their absence, Prince Haruto of Uranus, the twin brother of Princess Haruka, was in charge of the Knights of the Kingdom. The last members of the Silver Guard were Prince Yuuichiro of Mars, brother to Princess Rei, and Prince Kenta of Mercury, brother of Princess Ami.

The Silver Millennium was a time and place of prosperity and happiness. But other people were not happy. A woman from Earth named Beryl was in love with Prince Endymion, and he had courted her before his first trip to the Moon. But his heart belonged to Princess Serenity from the first moment he saw her. Beryl despaired, and turned to a being called Metalia, who gave her great power in exchange for her service.

Beryl corrupted many people of Earth to her cause, and waged war on the Silver Millennium. There were seven powerful yoma among the Dark Kingdom, as Metalia called her organization, but Queen Serenity managed to trap them in the Silver Imperial Crystal, a powerful gem that was the source of the Silver Millennium’s power and prosperity.

In a final effort, Beryl mounted a desperate attack, throwing all of Metalia’s forces against the Silver Millennium. The force of the attack was too much for the already-weakened forces of the Moon, and Princess Serenity, Prince Endymion, and the other defenders of the Moon were killed. In that moment, the anger and pain of Queen Serenity was great, and she used the Silver Imperial Crystal to seal away the forces of Metalia, and Metalia herself.

Queen Serenity used the last of her strength to capture the souls of her children and their guardians in the Silver Imperial Crystal, so that they might be reincarnated in a time of peace, and live as normal people. She also set her two companions, cats named Luna and Artemis, to protect and guide them. And with the future of her children and the most faithful protectors of her realm secured, Queen Serenity died.

Modern Day; Tokyo

"Usagi! Usagi!" Ikuko Tsukino sighed and tapped her hip with a spatula. "I swear," she muttered under her breath, "eighteen, and still incapable of getting up on her own. Usagi! You're going to be late for school!"

The young mother sighed again as her son poked his head out of the kitchen. "Lazybones Usagi," he said around a mouthful of omelette. "I'm not going to wait for her, Mom - I don't want to be late for school."

Ikuko nodded. "Of course not, Shingo. You go ahead when you finish your food; Usagi may just have to head out without something to eat." Her face showed her displeasure at the idea. "Usagi Tsukino, get up this instant!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Usagi was sprawled on her bed, snoring like a lumberjack. Her mother's voice drifted up the stairs, and as it reached her ears, the sleeping teenager rolled over, muttering to herself. Suddenly, her nostrils flared, and her head came up, eyes still half-closed. "Eggs?"

She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand and blinked for a moment. Then she gasped, sitting bolt upright in bed. "Oh, no!" Launching herself from the bed, the blonde starting flying towards the dresser, pajamas flying off and a school uniform flying on. "Coming, Mom!"

 

[Armphid]

Usagi grunted as she fastened her bra behind her; such a pain! She almost missed being younger and not having to worry about one all the time. But there was no way she was going to run to school without one now; they were way too big. And was her bra tighter than usual? Had she gotten even...would that make them just right or too big? Or still not big enough?

The teen continued to fret about her appearance as she pulled on the rest of her clothes but she didn't need to. Not that she'd believe it but Usagi was a gorgeous girl. Just turned eighteen, her body was a picture of high school beauty; slender and supple, curvacious and lush, yet still not the fully defined woman she would become.

She was just about average in height, though the unique way she wore her hair added a few phantom inches to that. Her sunny blond locks were bundled into a pair of round buns high on either side of her head, with long tails coming from them that fell to past her pert, bubble butt. Her face was pretty, with clear features, small perky lips and large eyes of dreamy blue. Her limbs were clean and shapely, especially her long legs and she had a slim waist with small hips and high, plush breasts.

Usagi flew down the stairs, pulling her high socks fully up once she hit the bottom. She raced into the dining room, "Omelets, awesome, thanks Mom!" She reached for a plate at her usual seat, only to have it pulled away, "Awww!"

"Usagi, you don't have time to eat!" Ikuko sighed as she turned and walked back to the kitchen, "I'll wrap this up for you and you can have it as a snack when you get home."

"But Mooooom!"

Her mother rounded on her with a glower, "No whining! You're almost a woman, Usagi, and you have to learn to act like one. Sleeping in so much means you don't have time for breakfast. If you want to eat, get up on time!" She pointed imperiously towards the door, "Now move it before you're late again!"

"Ohhh, okay, okay! Man..." Usagi raced to the front of the house, pausing to pull on her shoes and sling her backpack over one shoulder. "I'm off!"

"Here's your lunch," Ikuko handed her a wrapped bento with a fond smile despite her irritation with her eldest. "Try and pay attention in school, all right?"

Usagi took the bento and sighed, "I will, I will. Bye, Mom!" Then she was out the door and sprinting for all she was worth through the neighborhood and towards the school. Years of being late and almost late for school had made her an excellent runner, one of the stars of the track team actually, but she would be cutting it close even for her.

She'd barely made it a block before she was joined by another girl wearing the same uniform. She wasn't as developed as Usagi, though she'd blossomed a bit earlier, and her hair was a light brown with a pronounced wave, decorated with a cute bow of red ribbon. "Usagi-chan! Good morning!"

"Naru-chan!" Usagi beamed and then harrumphed, "Nothing good about it! I had to skip breakfast."

"Yeah, me too," Naru sighed. "But at least you'll have a really cute lunch like always. I'll have to buy mine at school. My mom's too busy to make one for me. She's always at the store!"

"It's okay, Naru-chan, you can share my lunch!" Usagi frowned, seriously considering her friend's plight. Having a cute lunch was an imperative in high school for a girl! "Maybe you could come over after school and we could make y-ooofff!" Usagi's speech was cut off as she violently collided with something kind of soft but firm and warm. She fell back on her ass with a cry, landing hard on the sidewalk, her backpack flying a few feet away, a few books and papers scattering.

"Sorry, Usagi-chan," Naru called out as she streaked on past the fallen girl. "I don't want to be late!"

"That's friendship," Usagi hollered after her, "Forget sharing my lunch now!"

Then she looked at what she'd run into. Or rather who. He was getting up off the sidewalk himself, dusting off his dark slacks. The man was tall and had a broad shouldered but lean athletic build; he was at least five years older than her. He was cute, really cute, handsome even, with noble features and strong blue eyes under short black hair. At least, he would have been cute if he hadn't been scowling at her like that! His bright eyes took her in and he scoffed, offering her a hand up, "Watch where you're going, dumpling head."

"Dumpling head? Well, YOU shouldn't just be standing around in a daze either, buddy," she retorted getting to her feet. Then she flushed as she saw that he was gathering up the books and things that had fallen out of her backpack. Usagi retrieved the bag and stood there, not quite sure what to do or say now.

The man picked up the last paper and blinked, then held it closer for inspection. He grinned insolently, handing it back to her, "Here's what you dropped." The front sheet was her latest math test, red marks all over it, and a big "F" in the top right corner. "You know, you should really study more, and maybe actually be in school on time, and you'd do better."

"Jerk!" She snatched the items from his hands, blushing furiously. "How dare you look at a young lady's confidential papers! How I do at school is none of your-ack! School!"

The guy stepped back just in time to avoid being run into again as Usagi bolted past him and away. He laughed and called after her, "Just watch where you're going, meatball head!"

"Shut up, you!"

Unnoticed to either of them, a small shape slipped out from behind a set-out recycling box. The cat was fully grown but small, with rich black fur and a band-aid stuck to its forehead; with large eyes that were not a cat's. The eyes were human, blue, and watched the fleeing girl intently. The cat's tail waved once and it scampered forward, tracking Usagi's path with those unnatural eyes.

 

[HookerBoots]

"But Haruna-sensei, I-!"

"No buts!" Usagi was pushed into the hallway by a tall brunette wearing a skirt and blazer. "You were late again, Tsukino-san, and I told you what would happen!" She gave a final push, and the blonde stumbled out into the hallway all the way. "Now, you can come back in after we're done with English." And with that, she shut the door.

"Ooooh, drat!" Usgai leaned against the door, head sagging. "I can't believe it, this is the third time in two weeks!" She blew out a breath, and looked back and forth down the hall. "At least there aren't many people around to see my shame."

Suddenly, the door next to hers opened, and a similar set of wails emerged. "But, Yoshino-sensei!"

"No buts!" A pretty girl with brown hair and a curvy figure was pushed out of the room next to Usagi by a petite, black-haired woman. "I told you to stop talking during class! You can come back when we're done with English." The door slammed shut, and the brunette sighed. Then she seemed to notice Usagi, and her face lit up.

"Oh, Yochi-chan!" Usagi straightened up quickly. "You're in trouble, too, huh?"

Nodding, Yochi sighed and sank down to the hallway floor. "Yeah. I couldn't help it, though! There's a new girl in school, how could I not talk about it?"

Usagi joined her on the floor. "A new girl, huh? Here, I was gonna eat my lunch now, since I had to miss breakfast, we'll share and you can tell me about it!" She pulled her bento from her backpack and opened it up, revealing an assortment of foods arranged like a mountain landscape on the rice.

"Oh, yum, tempura eggplant!" Yochi crunched into one of the vegetables and started talking. "Well, her name is Ami Mizuno, and she just transferred . . . ."

~ ~ ~ ~​

Modern Day; Negaverse Base Alpha

The room itself seemed menacing. There was a platform, surrounded by darkness that seemed almost to throb as if alive. In the center of the platform was a throne, with a red-haired woman upon it, her eyes fixed on the orb in front of her that seemed to seethe with shadows from inside. Behind her, as a frame, was what looked like a cocoon, glowing red and pulsing softly, anchored beyond sight to the ceiling and floor.

In front of the throne was arrayed a large group of people, most of whom were still in shadow. In front of them, between the throne and the crowd at large, were four men in uniforms, standing at attention. "The Silver Imperial Crystal, Queen Beryl?" asked one of them, a slender man with short blonde hair.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Jadeite!" the woman on the throne snapped, revealing her unnaturally pointed canines. "The Crystal must be found, and it needs to be found now." Beryl moved her hands over the orb in front of her. "The time is coming for Metalia to awaken, and we need the Crystal." She peered into the globe. "It is in the place called 'Tokyo'."

The blonde man bowed from the waist, without glancing at the other three near him. "Please, my Queen, allow me the honor of retrieving it for you." The other three men, one as blonde as he was, one with auburn hair, and one with silver hair, glared at his back.

Beryl seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, Jadeite. Secure the Crystal for us." She looked at him, her eyes very hard. "Do not fail me. Start now."

 

[Armphid]

"Ohh, I'm so hungry!" Usagi was walking away from school, other students heading off to their extracurricular activities or going out or, more likely going home to study. This was their last year as high school students after all; college exams were coming. Even though they were still months and months away, many students would start studying and cramming now for the all important, life determining exams.

Usagi wasn't one of those students. Instead, she was wandering slowly home to start her homework. The pretty blond rubbed a hand on her stomach, "And I had to share with Yochi-chan and Naru-chan too...there just wasn't enough. I ate so little, I feel faint. Maybe I'll ask Mom to start making me two lunches." Then she giggled, "But I know where I can get a snaaack."

She bopped down the street with surprising vigor given how weak she claimed to be feeling. At the corner was a large cafe, a few sunny looking outdoor tables and chairs occupied with young folks. A sign above the double door entrance read "Motoki's." The teen hopped inside, "Motoki-oniisan, konnichi wa!"

"Ah, Usagi-chan." Motoki smiled as the girl came fully into the store, beaming at him with adoration that went completely unnoticed by the young entrepreneur. He was tall, though not as much as the rude galoot she'd run into earlier, and had a leaner build. His short cropped hair was sandy blond, curling just slightly at the ends, and his brown eyes were warm and kind. His features were gentle yet masculine, almost pretty. "It's always nice to see you smiling. Had a good day?"

"Uh...hee hee!" Usagi tittered and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand, "It started out pretty rough but things are better now that I'm here." Then she blinked, "But oh! I had to share my lunch with my friends and missed breakfast, so..."

"Say no more." Motoki moved behind the counter of the cafe, he cooked and served food as well as drinks and pastries. "You've got to get enough to eat if you're going to keep growing up so healthy. What would you like?"

Usagi wanted to say that she would like Motoki to leap over the counter, pull her into his arms, and nourish her with his love confession and a searing kiss. Instead she just sighed and then nodded, "I want pork ramen, please. Oh, and an eclair. And a cherry smoothie. And an order of yakitori."

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

A far more satisfied Usagi left the cafe an hour or so later, waving to Motoki as she set off and the sighing. "Oh, Motoki-oniisan...if only you knew." The girl spun in place in romantic rapture as romantic fantasies filled her mind, her backpack held by the straps in one hand. "Then you'd...and I'd...and then we'd...oh, and we'd get married, and-"Her romantic imaginings were interrupted by a plaintive yowl from one side. "Hm?"

Usagi blinked and turned her head to look down at alleyway. There were two boys, junior high students maybe but possibly younger, it could be so hard to tell with boys! One was using a stick to poke and prod a small, black cat that was being held by the other. The cat was struggling vainly, meowing and yowling. "Look at that mark! It's so weird...maybe it has a disease or something. Freak cat!" The kid with the stick lifted it high, not for a poke this time, but for a blow.

"Hey!" Usagi wasn't a brave girl, really, or an aggressive one. But there was no way she was going to let these two little brats hurt a cute little cat! "What do you two think you're doing? You let that cat go, right now!" She swept down on the two, glaring for all she was worth.

"Back off, Lady," the one with the stick said, "it's none of your business."

"Lady? Lady!" Usagi swung her backpack up and caught the snide little jerk in the stomach with it. He let out a muffled gasp as she blasted his breath away, dropping the stick. "I am a beautiful and delicate GIRL, not some "lady," you mean little jerks! Let that cat go and get out of here! NOW!"

The other boy dropped the cat, which let out another mewl and fell to the ground. He grabbed his friend by the arm and jerked him away, tugging the gasping youth after him. "Yeah! You two better run! And be nice to animals, or no girls will ever, ever go out with you!"

Usagi sniffed and turned to look at the cat, "Oh, you poor thing!" It was scuffed and rumpled, trembling there on the ground. It opened it's eyes and looked up at her; they were large and a light brown and didn't look like a cat's eyes at all. The small creature had a strange mark on it's forehead, a yellow bald spot that looked like a crescent moon. "Those guys really gave it to you, huh?" She knelt down to pet the poor feline, who immediately began to purr and nuzzle the girl's hand. "Those eyes and that bald spot...no wonder they gave you trouble, you look so strange."

Then she picked the cat up and snuggled it, the small animal's unusual eyes going wide with momentary alarm, "Oh, but you're so cute too! I can't just leave you here after all that...hm. Hey, kitty, can you keep quiet?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Usagi opened the door to her bedroom with a sigh of relief. "So far, so good." She held her backpack in one hand as before, but the other carried a tray with a heaping helping of dinner and a tall glass of milk. There were also two small saucers on the tray without any clear purpose. Usagi shut the door with a well placed butt tap and let out a breath, "Safe."

She set the tray down on her desk and then put the backpack on bed and opened it up. "There you are, you can come out now." The small cat's head poked up, looking around curiously. "Just be a good girl and keep it down, okay? I'll ask Mom about you in the morning. And don't you do anything on my bed either!"

As the cat hopped out of the bag and began to examine the room, Usagi went to the tray and cut off a few bits of her fish, chopping them up a bit and putting them in one of the saucers, then putting a little milk from her glass in the other. She set them down under the window, "You eat up, okay? I should really do my homework...but since it's been such a stressful day and I did a good deed, I think I deserve a little break first!"

She plopped down on her bed and lay back, pulling her DS out from under her pillow. It chimed on and she grinned, "Sailor V's going to get those bad guys today!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Modern Day; Tokyo - Jewelry Osa-P
"Mom, I'm home!" Naru set her bag down on the floor in the kitchen and poked her head into the living room. "Huh. That's strange." The room was black, no sign of motion anywhere. The red-haired girl grabbed an apple from the counter nearby and went out into the dark room. "Maybe she kept the store open late?"

~ ~ ~ ~​

After an hour and a half of video games, the cat was sitting on the bed, looking at Usagi in a reproachful way. The pig-tailed girl didn't notice, still absorbed in her video game. A few seconds later, the game beeped, and a the screen flashed "GAME OVER". Usagi sat up and sighed, snapping the system shut. "Ugh! The game must be bugged or something!"

She looked over, and saw the cat sitting on the bed eying her, and blinked. "Huh. What's up, kitty? Are you still hungry?" She looked over at the saucers she'd set out. "You sure ate everything, though."

"My name isn't 'kitty', it's Luna."

Usagi's head turned slowly to face the cat. Her blue eyes were wide, and she blinked a few times. "I must have fallen asleep on the bed," she murmured, studying the cat. "You couldn't have just talked. Maybe I do need to play less video games."

"I think that would be a good idea," the cat said, "but I did talk. My name is Luna."

The girl's mouth dropped open and she took a deep breath. "Ooookay, I'm gonna wake up any second now, cause this dream can't get weirder." She stood up and started to pace back and forth.

The cat made an exasperated sound and stood up. "This isn't a dream, Usagi. I'm from . . . well, here. Hold still a moment."

Usagi stopped, more out of startlement than anything else, and Luna leaned forward slightly. A beam of light seemed to come from the crescent-moon shaped bald spot on her head, and hit the same spot on Usagi's forehead. Both cat and girl paused, for a minute, then two, looking at each other.

When the cat blinked and shook her head, the beam of light broke, and Usagi blinked. "This . . . what just happened?"

Luna sighed. "You're one of the ones I've been trying to find. Here." She waved her tail back and forth a few times, and then jumped, flipping backwards through the air. Her path left a trail of sparkles behind, which, as she landed, coalesced into a brooch. "That's yours."

Usagi, drawn by the strangeness and sparkles, picked up the brooch and inspected it. The whole thing was made of metal - it looked like gold or bronze - and set with 4 gems around the outside, circling a silver crescent moon. "Wow! It's so pretty!" Her eyes narrowed, and she looked at the cat suspiciously. "Where did you get something like this, huh?" she asked, pinning it to the center of her uniform.

"It was trusted into my care a long time ago," the cat said, pulling herself up and looking affronted. "Now. Say 'Moon Prism Power, Make Up!'"

Casting a doubtful look at the cat, Usagi shrugged. "Okay, if you say so." She lifted her hand over her head and repeated, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

The world shifted in an alarming way. It felt as if she were made of colored lights, her whole body shifting into another form of pure, shining power. The brooch started to glow, and sheer, shimmering red ribbons sprouted from it, wrapping around her form. Her torso, her arms, and legs were all covered by them, and then the ribbons snapped into place, turning to a costume the likes of which she'd never seen before. A gem appeared on her forehead, glowing as a tiara popped into place around it, and two red gems appeared on the 'dumplings' of her hair.

Just as suddenly, everything stopped, and Usagi was there, posing out. She looked down at herself, and gasped. "Oh. My. God! I look like Sailor V!"

"You're Sailor Moon, a warrior for . . . are you even listening?" Luna sighed as the teenager twirled around in front of the mirror, checking out her new look. "Usagi, listen to me! This is important!"

". . . and then I'll be like, 'Pow! I won't forgive you, monster!'" Usagi chortled, then turned to look at the cat. "Wait, what? Were you saying something, Luna?"

The cat sat down on the bed and hung her head. "I hope I won't regret this," she muttered. "Yes, I was. You're Sailor Moon, the warrior of justice." Her tail twitched and covered her feet. "I'll explain the rest to you later, but for now, you should get used to the way your new form . . . what's wrong?"

Usagi's face had taken on a far-away, listening expression, and the gems on her hair flashed twice. "I hear . . . Naru-chan!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Negaforce Base, Private Room J

Jadeite held one hand out, a glowing ball of energy gathering there. "This is working perfectly! Morga, keep it up!"

His hand started to clench as the energy ball grew, glowing like a small sun. "Queen Beryl will be so pleased with me!"

 

[Armphid]

Naru made her way down to the store, her large eyes curious and a little concerned. It was so strange to have the store open this late...but maybe her mother had just gotten distracted with closing or needed a hand. She opened the door from the stairs, light pouring in from the jewelry store's main floor. "Mom, do you need help closing up or-"

She stopped speaking with a sharp gasp as she saw the store. It looked as it might during any busy day of business; save that all over the sales floor were the fallen forms of people. Mostly women, but some men as well, lay where they had fallen, various bits of jewelry they had been examining or purchasing having tumbled from their fingers. "Oh! Oh, no, what's going on? Mom?"

In the center of the floor was a woman in a half-crouch her arms held up and out, and there was...a visible stream of something flowing from the people on the ground into the woman's palms. She wore a red dress and her hair was the exact shade's Naru's, though her features couldn't be seen. "Naru, dead," came the woman's voice, clear and sharp, "Everything's fine, really. But you can help me. Such an energetic girl. I'll take every last drop."

Naru stared as the woman rose to her feet, stopping...whatever it was she was doing for now. "Y-you're not my mom! Where is she? What did you do?" The girl reached behind her and pulled the broom out from the stairwell, brandishing it, "You b-better tell me right n-now!"

"Heh." The woman's head turned fully around to look at Naru, looking exactly like her mother, though her body didn't move, "Oh, yes, lots of energy in you. I'll do you one better, little girl. I'll show you exactly what I did with your mother."

~~~~~~~~~​

Usagi pelted down the street at full speed, her hair flying out behind her like a pair of sunny streamers. Luna kept pace, the small cat looking at the girl, "You're sure she said energy?"

"Yeah! And that she'd take it from Naru-chan!" This was so crazy! She felt like...like she should be calling the cops or something instead of running to Naru-chan's mother's store like this. What could she do? But at the same time, she felt a strange certainty that if she didn't do something, no one would.

Which sucked. But she couldn't let her best friend get hurt! "Hold on, Naru-chan!"

~~~~~~~~~​

Naru cried out as she was thrown hard against the wall; a distended and elongated hand around her shoulders, "Nooo! Let me go, you ugly freak!"

"Ugly?" The monster masquerading as her mother had dropped its disguise fully now. It had unhealthy looking pink skin that was shot through with wrinkles, lines, and strange veiny shapes, the hair a wild and tangled mess of brown. She could stretch and move her body any way she wished, her arm now shortening as she approached Naru, then stretching again to bend far from her body as she closed both hands on the girl's throat, "Just for that, I'll take your energy the more...direct way."

The girl tried to yell or protest, struggling weakly, but her breath was cut off fully, only gasps and gurgling noises escaping her as the creature strangled her with glee. Her eyes looked around wildly, seeking something, someone that could help her. Her vision started to fade..."Hey, horse-face! Let Naru-chan go right now!"

"Who," she said weakly, trying to get a good look and only seeing someone...someone familiar wearing all white. Then she passed out.

The monster dropped Naru, turning, "What? Who dares order the youma Morga?"

"I do!" Usagi felt a sudden surge of anger and protectiveness, words pouring out of her that she'd never even considered saying before. "I am Sailor Moon, Guardian of Love and Justice! How dare you attack a young woman disguised as her own mother?" She stepped further in, gesturing at the fallen figures and then pointing at the youma in a heroic pose, "How dare you assault these innocent people! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Morga laughed, a chilling sound. "I'm not scared of a little girl playing dress up!" Her arms shot out to triple their length, grasping for the costumed heroine. The nails on each finger were as long as talons, it seemed, and eager to sink into Usagi's pretty flesh.

"Yiii!" The blonde scrambled out of the way of those grasping hands, throwing herself to one side. She landed badly, rolling head over heels and crashing up against one of the pillars in the store. "Owwwwww," Usagi moaned, rubbing her rear with one hand. She looked up just in time to see the arms shoot towards where she was now, and pitched herself to one side again. Morga's hands crashed into the pillar, shaking it and breaking the wood in a few places.

Morga followed her arms, but her face was no longer as confident. Either this girl was crafty, or she was exceptionally lucky. As the brat dodged another shot of her arms, Morga snarled. "Fine! Come, my slaves! Catch this pesky interloper!"

And as one, the people who were collapsed on the ground stirred. They straightened up, arms and legs moving as though they were puppets. Their heads hung at an angle, and they all seemed to have horrible, shadowed eyes as they turned to face Usagi.

She looked around the room and blinked. This was bad, very, very bad. Her instincts were warring inside of her. She should run, get out of here and get help. She should fight, take out the monster and save the people here.

Without any further thought, Usagi acted. She dropped to her knees and started wailing. "WAHHHHHHH!" Tears streamed from her eyes, and her whole face was contorted into a mask of fear and sadness.

There was a tremble in the gems on her odango, and Morga and her human puppets flinched as a scream that was both loud and terrible echoed from those gems. "What just -?" Morga shook her head, her arms extending toward the encircled Sailor. "It doesn't matter. You're mine, Sailor Moon!"

A flash of red broke the space between them, slicing through the air and nicking Morga's arm. She hissed in pain and anger, and the people that had been advancing on Sailor Moon stopped dead, heads turning to follow the streak. It landed stuck in the floor of the jewelry store, a red rose in full bloom, standing on its stem in the floor, still trembling from its journey.

From one corner, a deep voice - one that seemed terribly familiar to Usagi, spoke up. "Don't give up, Sailor Moon! You can beat this monster. All you have to do is believe in yourself!" She spun to look, and there was a man in a tuxedo, cape, top hat, and mask. He was so handsome, and he'd saved her!

But there was still the threat to deal with. And she had no weapons at all! Nothing. There was a thud, and Luna muscled her way into the door of the shop, panting. "Your tiara, Sailor Moon! Use the tiara, say 'Moon Tiara Action!'"

"Right!" The cat hadn't steered her wrong yet. Although, you could argue that putting her in a situation where she was in a battle for her life against a horrible monster . . . well, that was a thought for later! Usagi lifted the tiara from her brow and yelled, "I won't forgive you, monster! Moon Tiara Action!"

In her hand, the tiara turned from a simple arc of metal into a disc of light. She threw it forward at the horrible monster that had attacked Naru, and it was as if Morga was transfixed. "Noooo! I'll be back!" she cried, her voice grating, as she vanishing into a sparkling cloud of dust. The people she had been controlling collapsed like marionettes whose strings had been cut.

The tiara fell to the floor, robbed of whatever magic had infused it. As she ran to retrieve it, Sailor Moon called out, "Thank you for your help . . . um, what should I call you?" she asked, looking at the corner where the man had been.

"You can call me 'Tuxedo Mask'," he said, and in a swirl of cape he was gone.

Usagi stared for a second, holding the tiara in both hands. "He. Is. So. Dreamy." Around her, people started to stir again, and she started. "Oh, right! Luna, should I . . . do more here?"

The cat, still holding the door open with a titanic effort of will, shook her head. "No. The police are on their way, they'll help everyone."

As she dashed to the door, Usagi paused, looking back at Naru, slumped against the wall. "I'm sorry I wasn't faster, Naru-chan," she whispered.

It was almost as though the red-haired girl heard. Naru's head lifted slightly, and her eyes tried to focus on the door. "Thank . . . you," she managed.

 

[Armphid]

Negaverse Base, Private Room J

Jadeite clenched his hand into a fist and pulled it back slowly, his hard eyes looking at it. "Morga was slain. By who?" He'd only managed to keep a few slivers of the energy she'd stolen; most of it returned to the humans as it hadn't been fully taken. The thought of his Queen's wrath over his failure was not a pleasant one but there was a bigger concern for the moment.

Morga killed. How had it been managed and by who? Was it random chance? One of the humans could have a strong enough will to resist being drained and gotten lucky if they had a weapon, but it was very unlikely. But that would mean that the resistance had been organized and directed. But how? Who else knew of the Negaverse, let alone had enough power to even think of trying to stop them?

He grimaced, "Queen Beryl must know."

~~~~~~~~~​

Modern Day Tokyo - Tsukino Residence

"Sooo...these Negaverse guys want life energy from humans? And that monster lady was sucking energy out of people?" Luna nodded fervently; the cat and Usagi were both back in her room. The blond teen was lounging back on her bed looking unusually thoughtful; the small cat seated demurely and looking up at her with those large, non-feline eyes. "What do they want all that energy for?"

Luna's ears twitched and slumped slightly, "I don't know, Usagi, but it can't be good." She'd have to see if Mission Control had any more information. "We have to stop them whenever they try and get more energy though. And we have a more important mission than that! We must find the Moon Princess!"

"The Where Who?" Usagi blinked.

"The Moon Princess," Luna repeated. "She's like you, Usagi, her power hiding inside a normal teenage girl somewhere. Probably somewhere in or near Tokyo." The feline head moved from side to side, "We must find her before it's too late; only she can stop the Negaverse for good."

"Hmm." Usagi tilted her head and then gasped, sitting up on the bed, "Oh! What if I'M the Moon Princess? I mean, I am Sailor Moon, right? It's obvious!"

"No," Luna said stiffly. "Sailor Moon is the guardian of the Moon, and you're no one's idea of a princess."

"Hey!" The pretty girl glowered but just threw herself back on the bed, "Hmph! I bet Tuxedo Mask thinks I could be a princess."

"That man too..." Luna looked down at her small paws thoughtfully, "There's something going on here that's very strange." Then she shook her head and sighed, "Well, we'll get to the bottom of it, won't we, Sailor Moon?" There was no answer. "...Sailor Moon? ...Usagi?"

The girl had apparently passed out mid-sulk. Her head was back on her pillows with her eyes closed. She was snoring softly, her generous chest rising and falling. Luna rolled her eyes, "Oh, good gracious!" Then she sighed and smiled a little before padding over and curling up on the girl's stomach to sleep herself.

 

[HookerBoots]

Negaverse Base Alpha

Jadeite knelt on the floor in front of Beryl, one fist pressed to the hardened rock of the dais. He had just finished giving his report, and was waiting for the axe to fall. Queen Beryl was noted for many things; an overdeveloped sense of mercy was not among them. The silence was almost more ominous than immediate condemnation. "Please, my Queen," he said, "allow me the privilege of destroying this Sailor Moon."

Her hands moved faster over the orb in front of her, brilliant eyes distant. "They must have started looking for the Moon Princess," she muttered, her voice filled with contempt. "Yes, Jadeite. Destroy her for me. And continue gathering the energy of the humans - Sailor Moon is important right now because she threatens to disrupt our plan to wake Metalia."

The blond man looked up, his eyes wide. "Thank you, Queen Beryl! I will not fail you!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Three days later, Naru was back at school, a little paler than usual, but in good spirits. "It was amazing!" she held court before school started, the rest of the class gathered around her desk, listening raptly. "Like, this horrible monster attacked me, and then a beautiful warrior came to save me!"

A boy pushed his thick glasses up his nose. "Naru-san, it's very unlikely that a monster showed up. More likely, you had a delusion brought on by . . . ." He trailed off, noticing the others staring at him, more than a few gazes urging him to shut his trap. "Rather, that's an amazing story. But I bet this warrior wasn't prettier than Tsukino-san!"

The lovely rabbit in question stuck her tongue out at him. "You don't have to make fun, Umino!" She folded her arms over her chest and went back to listening to Naru. It was fascinating how the other girl's version of events was different from what she'd thought happened. Of course, until she'd woken up the next day and found out Naru was in the hospital for exhaustion, she'd thought she'd eaten something that had given her bad dreams.

"Maybe," Umino said thoughtfully, "if I get caught by a monster like that," he seemed to have given up his previous stance, " I could get saved by a beautiful warrior!"

"I dunno," said Naru, hiding a small smile. "But you should go check out a fortune teller - she'd be able to predict what days would be good for something like that! There's a new place downtown, you should try there!"

 

[Armphid]

Umino stood across the street from the fortune tellers, his eyes intent behind his massively thick glasses, not that anyone could tell. Fortune telling was unscientific, of course, and completely undependable to a rational person.

But at the same time, there were many mysterious things that couldn't be explained. And the pitfall of rationality was to reject traditional ideas because they seemed implausible or unscientific at first glace. After all, though modern medicine had turned away from herbal medicines, how many had been at least partially validated in studies in recent years? To the mind of the true genius, no avenue should be discounted without empirical investigation!

Besides, maybe the fortune teller could tell him if he had a future with Usagi after all! It was a crime that no one was dating her; she was so beautiful! Most of the guys in their year looked at her from afar but avoided getting closer than a stone's throw, which made no sense to him.

Either way, there was only one way to find out! He squared his shoulders, looked both ways, and dashed across the street.

~~~~~~~~~​

Usagi sighed as she waited out front of Motoki's. "What's taking her so long?" She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hurry up, Yochi-chan! I'm starving!"

"Well, well!" Usagi blinked and then turned her head sharply at the sound of a familiar voice. Walking towards her was the young man she'd run into, literally, a few days ago. "Hey there, meatball head." He looked up at the building she was in front of and quirked an eyebrow, "You're not here for a part-time job or anything, are you? I mean, seriously, with your grades you should really be focusing more on studying."

"Who asked you, Mr. Rude Guy!" Usagi bristled with wrath, the long tails of her hair twitching and almost thrashing about in response to her ire. "Maybe you should get a job here yourself, since all you seem to do is loiter around to pick on pretty girls!" Then she gasped, "Oh, you're one of those older pervert guys, aren't you? Hanging out where high school students go to try and sneak a peek or buy them an ice cream so you can watch them lick it!"

"Hey!" He glowered at her, "I'm interested in women, not little girls like you, dumpling head. Keep your fantasies to yourself!"

"Little girl!" She took a step forward, starting to shift her bag into crotch shot position, "I can't tell if you're a perv or an idiot, but you're the rudest person in the world, in the whole solar system!" She poked him in the chest with one accusing finger, "And don't call me those names, at least pick one and stay with it! Indecisive too! I guess that explains why I ran into when you were just standing around for so reason."

He smirked, "Well, it's tough." He reached out and flicked one of her hair "balls" with his index finger, "I mean, they look like dumplings but then you're blond so there's a Western touch as well."

"I didn't ask for your analysis of my hair, jerko!"

"Usagi-saaan!" Both people blinked as their argument was disrupted by the call. Yochi looked a bit confused but smiled as she approached, taking a moment to turn and wave at a pretty girl with short blue hair who bowed in response before crossing the street. "Sorry I was late! The transfer student wanted to borrow my notes to make sure her old school and ours didn't have any gaps and I was kind of trying to grill her for more information about herself and lost track of time." The lovely teen looked up at the dark haired man and smiled a bit shyly. Ohh, nice! "Usagi-chan, who's this? Did you meet a guy?"

"No way," both responded at once, making Yochi blink and step back a bit.

Usagi recovered first, "He's not a guy, Yochi-chan, just some jerk." She grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her along. "Come on, let's go."

"Pfft, whatever." He snorted and turned away as well, one hand going into his pocket. "I've got to meet a friend, anyway, no more time to waste on little kids."

Both Usagi and the man reached for one of the double doors that led into the store and pushed it open, stepping partly inside before realizing the other was doing the same thing. Both immediately glared at each other, speaking again at once, "What are you doing, following me?"

"Ah, welcome back!" Motoki smiled and then blinked, his soft eyes curious. "Usagi-chan, Mamoru-kun, I didn't know you two knew each other."

Both the teenage girl and the twenty something young man stared at Motoki for a few moments, back at each other. Yochi took the lead and hauled the shocked Usagi inside with her, "Don't ask me, Motoki-san."

"Yochi-chan, it's been too long since you've come!" Motoki beamed and gestured, "Come on and have a seat, girls, I'll get to your order right away. Mamoru-kun, you can hold on a minute, right?"

 

[HookerBoots]

There was a moment when Mamoru glowered at Usagi powerfully, then turned and smiled at his blond friend. "No problem, Motoki-kun. I'll just get myself some coffee while you take care of the girls." He walked over, his back stiff, and hopped onto the counter, swinging his legs over it and grabbing a mug on the way.

Usagi glowered back, but stopped short of sticking her tongue out at him - if he was a friend of Motoki's, she'd have to make an effort to be nicer to him. At least, while they were around Motoki. She turned a beaming smile on the blond shop owner. "I've run into him a few times, Motoki-san," she said sweetly, her blue eyes wide and innocent. "But I can't even remember, really, I'm so hungry!"

He took the hint, smiling back at her. "Of course, Usagi-chan! I'll get your food started right away - what did you want today?"

She picked up a menu and used opening it as a cover for giving Mamoru, who was now sipping a cup of coffee, a dirty look. "Um, let's see. It all looks sooooo good!" She set the menu down and started pointing. "I'll have a chocolate sundae, some tempura udon, and a small cup of . . . no, a bowl of the tomato-ginger soup. And a piece of the coconut cake." She looked over at the counter, and blinked. "Oh, are those doughnuts? With sprinkles? Three of those, too, please!" With a smile, she turned and handed the menu to Yochi. "Your turn, Yochi-chan!"

After Yochi had turned in her order as well - only slightly smaller in scale than Usagi's, the two turned to sit down. But before they could, a male voice came from the kitchen. "Hello? Motoki-san, could you open the door for me?"

It was like both girls' ears pricked up. "I'll get it right away, Mochi-san!" Motoki ran over and opened the door, letting through a young man with two boxes balanced in his arms. He walked over to where Mamoru was standing and set them down on the counter. "Ah, Mamoru-kun, have you met my new employee? This is Mochi Tachibana-san. Mochi-san, this is my good friend Mamoru Chiba-san."

Both men bowed, trying hard not to notice the two girls eying them both. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Chiba-san." Mochi opened up one of the boxes, his hands moving quickly to pull out the items inside. "I'll be working as a second set of hands for Motoki-san, as well as playing piano on occasion, so I'm sure we'll see a lot of each other."

Usagi was trying very, very hard not to intrude upon the introduction while still trying to get herself an introduction. Motoki was her handsome future husband, but if he proved faithless, Mochi was almost as handsome, with his pale blond hair and blue eyes. "Ahem."

Yochi, however, was under no such compunction to subtlety - even the little that Usagi was able to bring up when faced with not one but two boys she was interested in. "Gomen nasai, Mamoru-san, Mochi-san, but I feel that as one of Motoki-san's most frequent customers, I should introduce myself properly to both of you. I'm Yochi Hatana, and I attend Juban High School."

Showing a large amount of sense, Motoki was slowly edging his way back to the kitchen, his notepad clutched in one hand. The two other men bowed and introduced themselves as well, which prompted Usagi to introduce herself, which lead to more bowing. When everyone knew who everyone else was, Usagi clasped her hands in front of her waist and smiled shyly at Mochi. "Mochi-kun, when you're done with your other tasks, would you play for us?" She glanced at the piano in one corner of the shop. "Please?"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Walking into the fortune teller's shop was strange - it was darker in here, and much cooler. Umino looked around at the furnishings of the anteroom with interest. Chains of papers, prayers strung together and hung from the ceiling, several sticks of incense burning, giving the room a hazy appearance, framed pictures of the Chinese zodiac symbols, and a chart of the lines on a hand for palm reading. Very interesting.

He'd just turned to look over the chart, holding his own hand up for comparison when a voice spoke from nearer to him than he'd expected. "Welcome, honorable guest. Please, come in and sit down, so that I may divine your future." The voice was feminine, and a little husky. He peered through a sheer curtain and saw a female shape sitting at a table and stepped through the drapery quickly.

"Oh, um, hello, ma'am," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I'm here to - "

"Get your fortune told, of course." The woman leaned forward, and he could see that she was lovely, very stunning with long dark hair, a pixie-ish face, and a . . . a very low-cut top. "I know why my clients come to me. I specialize," she said, holding up a deck of large cards, "in tarot readings, for love."

He was in the chair next to her before he could think. "Do you really think you can tell if there's something between Usagi-san and I?"

The smile she gave him was mysterious. "Do I? Of course." She shuffled the cards, and Umino didn't even notice when one of them flew out from the deck and slipped into his jacket pocket, glowing briefly before vanishing. "Let's see what the cards say, hmm?"

 

[Armphid]

Mochi laughed and blushed noticably, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "Oh, well, my playing's not really that great, so..."

Oh, he was cute! Super cute! Usagi caught Yochi's eye and the other girl nodded. The girls eyes suddenly went wide and slightly dewy, Usagi's clasped hands in front of her mouth and Yochi's bottom lip out in a slight pout. "Pleeease, Mochi-san? Just one song, it's been such a long day at school!"

Mamoru snorted, "I bet it has." He waggled his coffee cup at Usagi from behind the counter, "Has it ever occurred to you, dumpling head, that Tachibana-kun's got work to do?" He tipped his head back and took several loud gulps of coffee before slashing his left hand out and pointing with the coffee cup in his right, "They can wait, Tachibana-kun. Kids shouldn't be spoiled!"

Mochi's will, however, had visibly crumbled beneath the twin-barrelled puppy dog eyes assualt. "Well, um, Chiba-san, they are customers. And they're hardly kids; I mean, I'm not much older. I just graduated last year after all." The platinum blond inclined his head to the girls, "Bear with me a few minutes while I finish this up, and I'll play something for you. What do you want to hear?"

"A love song," the girls chorused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Umino took a deep breath, "Are you sure?"

"The cards never lie." Her voice was husky and warm; combined with the way her dark eyes swept over him and the generous swath of cleavage available to his young eyes, it left him light headed and warm. "You must be strong and no longer hold back, and what you desire will be yours."

The geek nodded, his eyes gleaming brightly behind his thick glasses. The tarot card is his pocket was glowing faintly, not that he noticed. "And Usagi will like that?"

"All women do," she purred. "Including myself, strong young man." She rose from her table and moved to the side of it to look down at him with her hot eyes. "Take what you want."

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Usagi shivered suddenly; a chill running up her back. She and Yochi were seated at a table near the piano. Sweet, jazzy music filled the cafe as Mochi played out a wordless long song, the blue eyed boy's handsome face peaceful as he played.

"Ara?" Yochi blinked, breaking off her reverie of minutely examining and memorizing Mochi's face. "Usagi-chan, are you all right?"

She didn't answer right away but then nodded, "Yeah. I got a weird chill; one of those someone walking on my grave kinds of things." Usagi shrugged, "Buuut I probably just ate my sundae too fast." She picked up one of her doughnuts and was about to consume it whole when she felt eyes on her from outside.

The high schooler leaned back in her chair and turned to look out the long plate glass window that made up a lot of the front of the cafe. Perched on top of one of the outside tables and a familiar small black cat with strangely human eyes and a crescent moon on her forehead. "Or maybe not."

"Huh?' Yochi leaned over the table to follow her friend's gaze. Then she gasped and gushed, "Ahh! Kawaiiii! What a cute cat, Usagi-chan! And it's looking right at us! I wonder what it wants."

"To ruin my day," Usagi muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing!"

 

[HookerBoots]

After making up some excuse, Usagi paid for her food - leaving only a few yen in her purse - and headed out into the dusk where Luna pounced on her. Literally. The black cat landed on her shoulder, and whispered vehemently, "Honestly, Usagi, where have you been?" The words were spoken in a tone of amused frustration. "I've been looking everywhere for you! There's something wrong - it feels like the Negaverse is up to something!"

That got her attention immediately. "Where at?" She looked around, almost as though expecting to see a monster barreling at her down the street.

Luna's eyes were narrowed to slits. "Somewhere nearby." She looked around, her tail twitching. "Let's walk around a bit, and see if we can spot it."

"Ugh! I'm tired, Luna! And I have homework to do!" The cat hissed and batted at Usagi's head, connecting with one of the 'meatballs'. "All right, all right! Let's go - but not too long, okay?"

~ ~ ~ ~​

It was strange how something as hokey as fortune-telling could make you feel better. Umino whistled a little under his breath as he walked out of the shop and headed back to his house. The fortune teller had been very nice, very fetching, and he . . . well, he didn't remember everything she'd said, but she'd waved farewell to him like an old friend.

Tomorrow, he'd be more bold! He'd ask out Usagi, and say that he wasn't taking no for an answer! No, he wouldn't ask! He'd tell her they were going out on Friday night! Women liked it when men were assertive, and if that's what it took, he'd be by-god assertive!

He noticed as he walked down the street a pretty woman, maybe a university student, standing and looking in a shop window. On impulse, he reached one hand down and smacked her rear as he passed, feeling a strange pleasure in the act as she turned, gasping and staring at him.

~ ~ ~ ~​

An exhausted Usagi slumped in the door of her house that night, footsore and stiff. "Owwww, my feet hurt! Moo-oom, is dinner ready?" she called as she slipped out of her shoes.

Itsuko's face appeared in the doorway. "Almost, dear. Why don't you head upstairs for a bit and start your homework, and I'll call when it's done."

Usagi sighed. "I was thinking about taking a bath. I . . . went for a walk, and I maybe stayed out longer than I should have." She sat down on the bottom step of the stairs, rubbing one foot. "Ugh, I think I have a blister!"

"Go ahead and bathe, then - I think Shingo's out of the bathroom by now." Her mother waved a wooden spoon at her. "It's spaghetti tonight, so don't be late!"

 

[Armphid]

The next morning, Usagi flopped into her desk at school, after a wave and a smile for Naru-chan, like she'd gotten no sleep at all last night. Which was far from true, actually. She'd gotten to bed but way later than normal after Luna had badgered and kitty attacked her into doing her homework for a change.

Really! Didn't that feline fiend know how important sleep and relaxation were to a young girl? So much stress and work could make her break out!

"Usagi-chan, are you all right?" Naru's big blue eyes blinked a few times. "You aren't sick are you? I mean, yeah, they probably wouldn't believe you if you used that excuse and all but that's no reason to punish yourself and come in anyway."

Usagi sighed, "I'm fine, just tiiired. I spent hours walking around yesterday looking for...for sales. And then I had to do my homework so I didn't get to bed until late."

Naru gasped, one hand going to her mouth, "You did your homework? Oh, you really are sick!"

Before Usagi could reply, she felt a presence looming over her and a hand came down on her desk, "Feeling sick, gorgeous? You better go home and get better then." Umino was wearing an expression never seen before on his face; a confident smirk. "You've got tickets for the Umino train, baby, leaving this Friday at eight from your place."

There was several moments of stunned silence from both girls. The jolt of the craziness that had hit her ears was enough to make Usagi lift her head up at the desk to look at the boy leering at her in utter shock. "...What? Are you sure you're not sick?"

"Just sickeningly good looking, sweetstuff." The normally timid, geeky, hopelessly clueless dork winked behind his ridiculously thick glasses and made one of his hands into a "gun" to point at her, "Wear something slinky, doll, and don't tell your folks when we'll be back; we'll be up all niiight."

"...What?" He just made a clicking sound and winked at her again before heading back to his seat with a wave. Usagi blinked a few times. "Naru-chan...I didn't just fall asleep in class and dream that did I?"

"N-no," Naru said, shaking her head slowly. "Though I'm not ruling out a mass hallucination yet."

Haruna-sensei entered the classroom, "All right, everyone, let's get started. Now then, the roll for today. Will-"

"Hey, sensei," Umino called from his seat, "nice blouse! Really makes 'em look perky today."

Haruna-sensei's eyes went wide and she blinked. "Uh, well, thank you, Umino-san. This color is nice for my eyes, isn't it?" The class erupted into whispers at this point; understanding all too well what the class outcast had meant. "Settle down! Quiet, everyone! What's gotten into you today?"

 

[xcfrrdvd]

.....

 

[HookerBoots]

Umino grinned from his seat in the front of the class. "Nothin' but a shot of well-deserved confidence, sensei," he said, giving her a suggestive wink. The whispers around the room increased, and Usagi's skin was crawling. This was so odd! Maybe it was the Negaverse! Maybe that nerd Umino had been corrupted by them!

Haruna-sensei was aghast. "Umino-san, have you been drinking? I know that teenagers these days will try anything, but you've always been so level-headed." He didn't answer, just smirked at her. Her eyes narrowed. "Young man, leave my classroom immediately!" She pointed at the door, and he stood up, leaving all of his things at his desk.

He passed Usagi's desk and ran a hand down her face. "Remember, dollface, Friday night, you and me." The bespectacled boy didn't wait - which was just as well, since her response was blank, slightly horrified look - and walked past where their teacher was standing. "I'll be back later, sensei-san," he said, pointing a pair of finger guns at her.

"When you've come to your senses," she said firmly, turning away from him and starting towards the blackboard.

In a flash, his hands had gripped the hem of her skirt, flipping it up and exposing her panties to the class. Everyone gasped, and Umino just stood there, a triumphant grin on his face. Haruna-sensei was horrified, pushing the skirt down over the black lace underwear and thigh-high stockings. "Umino! Go to the office, right away! You are in such trouble, young man!"

 

[Armphid]

Usagi just stared as the door shut behind Umino. The class as a whole was starkly silent; save for a few faint sounds of phone cameras clicking. Then Haruna-sensei whirled around, "Get out your English books, all of you! Read Chapter 5!"

"Sensei, we're on-"

"I said read Chapter 5!"

Usagi frowned and leaned over to get her book out of her bag, "Hey, Naru-chan, did Umino say anything strange yesterday? I mean, he seemed his usual king dork self then, you know?"

"Yeah, he did seem fine." Naru tilted her head, "Well, I did mention that he should go and have his fortune told. There's this new place in town doing fortune telling and it's all the rage." She shrugged, "I don't believe in fortune telling but I might go there too, it's getting really popular. Especially among the guys!"

"That's weird...guys usually hate that kind of thing," Usagi mused. This was sounding more and more suspicious. It had to be the Negaverse! Otherwise, there was no way guys would go to a fortune teller! Or that Umino would ever be...whatever he was being right now.

Usagi then blinked, feeling a baleful presence and slowly turned her head to see Haruna-sensei standing next to her, hands on her hips. "Tsukino-san, Osaka-san..."

"Ahh! Gomen, sensei! I-I just couldn't find my book for a moment, so I asked Naru-chan, but here it is!" She was so scary right now!

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Usagi glared at the building across the street. The sky was brightly streaked with the colors of sunset. "There it is, Luna? What do you think? Is it all...Nega-y?"

The small cat paced in front of the schoolgirl, her tail lashing. "It certainly seems suspicious to me. We should go in and check it out, but be careful, Usagi!"

 

[HookerBoots]

"Right!" Usagi nodded firmly and strode forward, heading for the crosswalk that would take her to the side of the street the fortune teller's shop was on. She tried to keep her eyes on the shop, as though it might run away, or turn into something dangerous if she took her eyes off of it.

It was a surprise when she crashed into another body. "Ooof!" The teenager landed on her rear on the sidewalk, her schoolbag on the ground next to her. "Oh, I'm so sorry, please . . ." she started to say, before she looked up and registered who she'd run into. "Oh. It's you."

Mamoru Chiba stood there, one hand on his hip. "Honestly, dumpling-head, you should look where you're going!" But he reached a hand down to help her up.

Usagi ignored it and pushed herself to her feet, dusting the back of her skirt off. "Oh yeah? Well, why weren't you watching where you were going, huh?" She bent down and snatched up her bag, glaring at him all the while.

"I was standing still," he said dryly, "talking to a friend on the phone." He gestured with his cell phone. The dark haired man shook his head at her. "It's not my fault." He tucked his phone into his pocket, looking over his shoulder at the other side of the street. "Go home, dumpling-head. This area . . . feels wrong."

She sniffed disdainfully. "I don't have to be home for a few hours, you can't tell me where to go." He shrugged and started to turn away; her face softened a little. "Thanks, though. I'll be careful."

He nodded. "That's something, at least. Later, kid." Usagi watched as he walked away, her face filled with a mix of emotions. "Jerk," she muttered finally, tugging the hem of her skirt straight. "Come on, Luna."

~ ~ ~ ~​

The inside of the fortune teller's was very quiet, and smelled faintly of incense and something unpleasant that Usagi couldn't quite name. She stepped through the door and looked around with interest. It was dark in here, no harsh fluorescent lights or bright neon. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

There was a sound from the back of the shop, and in a moment, a woman appeared, tall and slender with short hair and a delicate face. "Ah, welcome, honorable guest! Forgive me, I was, ah, finishing up another client." She smiled mysteriously and bowed low. "Please, come in, and sit down."

Luna, who was twining around Usagi's ankles, leaped to the girl's shoulder, whispering into her ear, "Careful, Usagi! Something's wrong here!"

The fortune teller eyed the cat, her large, dark eyes narrowing. "What an . . . interesting pet. Please, come in and let me tell your future."

 

[Armphid]

The grey and purple mists of D Point swirled around the tall, lean blond man stood. In the air before him were varying images of young men and women committing various acts of passion; one girl had tackled her best friend against a wall, kissing her passionately. A young man thrust himself in and out of his girlfriend, finally taking her ass. Normally goofy Umino could be seen walking down the street, slapping girls asses as he passed them.

From each picture, a thin tendril of power snaked, all of them swirling together into an orb in front of Jadeite. "Excellent, Balm. Continue, turn the humans wishes against them and draw their energy for the Negaverse!"

~~~~~~~~~​

Usagi had almost forgotten about the whole Negaverse thing. The fortune teller was so pretty! And she was telling Usagi exactly what she had hoped for about her and dear Motoki! "So we'll be married?"

"So the cards say," The pale skinned beauty nodded. She plucked a card from the tarot spread, "This one in particular." Usagi leaned forward to stare at it in awe. "Take it; if you put it against your body, it will use the power of your heart to make this future come to pass."

The card seemed to shimmer for a moment as the woman turned it over in her hand and then held it out to Usagi. "Awesome!" The pretty blond teen reached for it, "I'll-oww!" Luna had jumped up and smacked Usagi's hand with one paw, knocking it away from the card. "Luna, what was that for?"

"Usagi!" Luna's hackles were raised; her back arched and her tail standing out like a bottle brush. "That card had dark magic in it. Remember why we're here!"

"The card?" Usagi blinked and looked at the fortune teller; who bore a similar expression of astonishment. "You mean the fortune teller is-yikes!"

The fortune teller stood up suddenly, throwing the table at Usagi, who rolled out of the way. "An interesting pet, indeed! I'll have to wring the truth of how you know about the Negaverse, and all your energy, out of the both of you!" She spread her hands and her features flowed and changed; her face becoming sharper and leaner, her eyes a baleful yellow with vertical slits and fangs protruding past her upper lip. Her hair sprayed out from her head in a mad swirl, "I am Balm, and both of you will wish your future was different when I-eh?" The girl and cat were gone; having run off during her speech. "Get back here!"

Outside, Usagi flattened against the side of a building and looked back at the fortune teller's small business. "Thanks, Luna, I nearly got zapped! Oh! She came out!"

"We have to deal with her, Usagi," Luna said. "She must be using those cards to drain energy from and control every person who goes there. You've got to stop her before she drains them dry or they hurt people. Quickly, transform!"

 

[HookerBoots]

There was a howling sound from the other side of the building they were on, and Sailor Moon flinched. "Ugh, Luna! It's so scary, the monster over there almost got me!"

The cat hissed softly. "Stop being such a baby, Sailor Moon! Get over there and finish that monster off. It's your duty!" She put her paws on the blond's leg and pushed firmly. "Go on!"

Reluctantly, she jumped up and onto the building - it was important to make an entrance. She stood on the edge of the building, illuminated by the moon behind her, posing like a proper heroine. "Hey, ugly! I'm Sailor Moon, the pretty soldier in a sailor uniform! I'm the guardian of love and justice, and you're abusing both!" She switched stances, fingers in a V, held near her face. "You've been using people's hopes for the future, making them wreck their hopes and dreams! I won't forgive you!" She pointed one finger at the beast that was staring up at her in shocked rage and fear. "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

The monster stood for a moment, amazed and a little disbelieving. The she lunged for the figure on top of the building, her hair swirling around her hair and heading for Sailor Moon like a mass of writhing ropes. "You won't escape this time!"

 

[Armphid]

"H-hey! You're supposed to be scared of me or something!" Sailor Moon scampered, a verb that normally should not be applied to a girl of her beauty and charm, to the right to avoid the swarming hair-tendril things. "And you really should use conditioner!"

"Brat!" Balm pulled herself up onto the roof, a number of her hair tendrils curling around the edge and hauling her up. "I'll have you know I take a lot of time on my hair!"

"Time doing what? Rolling it in sausage gravy?" She barely got the words out before she had to dive and roll to dodge another set of grabbing coils.

"Less quipping and more fighting, Sailor Moon," Luna called. Honestly! Could she be serious for even a few minutes? "Use your tiara!"

"Right!" Sailor Moon jumped to the very edge, "So much for you, Nega-crone! Mooon! Tiara-aahhh!" As she slid into the pose for her attack, her right heel slipped off the edge of the roof and the ripe bodied young woman windmilled her arms, her eyes wide as she regained her balance.

"Got you now!" Three hair tendrils lashed in to grab Sailor Moon about the wrists, the third looping about her right thigh and pushing her skirt up. "You drew the Tower, you know! Disaster about to strike!"

Then there was a flash and three red streaks flew through the air with a tearing sound followed by the monster's shriek. Sailor Moon fell backwards as the tendrils suddenly let her go and she began to fall backwards into the alley. "Ahh-wha?"

Suddenly, strong, warm arms grabbed her and she felt herself moving, cradled like a bride in her groom's arms. She looked up, gasping, "Tuxedo Mask!"

"Are you all right, Sailor Moon?" She nodded and the tall, dark haired man let her to her feet, standing behind her, his cane in one hand. "This one's dangerous, but I know you can do it. Stand firm and don't think about the future, just fight for right now!"

"It's so hard to not think about the future with you around, cutie! But okay!" She re-oriented on the stunned Yoma as it turned to face them, "For real this time! Moon Tiara ACTION!" The golden ornament spun to become a disk or glowing lunar power, the young girl hurling it towards Balm in perfect form.

"What? No! Master Jadeite! Forgive meeeee!" It blasted into Balm's distended torso and the monster shrieked again and then fell over, crumbling into dust that blew away on the wind.

"Wow...I did it." She beamed and then turned around, "Oh, Tuxedo Mask, thank you so much, I-huh?" She was alone on the rooftop. "...Oh, come on! Tuxedo Maaaask," she called out in a sing-song voice, "Don't you want your reward from a pretty and surprisingly busty high school age super heroine?"

Luna sighed. "Oh, Sailor Moon..."

~~~~~~~~~​

Usagi sighed as she looked out the window in her classroom. She'd even gone looking for him and no sign at all! Oh, well...there was always Motoki...

"Hey, Usagi!" Naru sat down in front of her with a smile, "I can't believe you beat me here."

"Yeah, I got up early because I couldn't sleep. I'll catch up in English class." She looked around, "Hey, has that Umino been in at all today?"

Naru nodded and pointed. The thick glasses wearing geek was in a corner of the room, his head bowed, despair and gloom pouring off of him. "I caught him coming in. He was acting like nothing had happened, so I set him straight about what he did and the kind of trouble he was in."

Usagi looked over at him. She felt kind of bad. Yeah, he was a total dork and all but it wasn't really his fault. Then she blinked as he rose from his seat and tentatively approached. "Umino..."

"Usagi-san, I...I'm sorry!" He bowed low to her, almost hitting his head on her desk. "I'm sorry! I behaved so badly towards you, please forgive me, I'll take any punishment you want, I know I deserve it!"

She blinked and then smiled, "...It's all right." He straightened and looked back at her, shocked. "I didn't think you were yourself but you're back to normal, so it's all okay."

"U-usagi-san..."

"Really, it's okay!" She leaned back in her seat. "I've forgotten about it already."

Umino laughed nervously then but off as a taller shape loomed behind him. He glanced over hsi shoulder and paled, their teacher glaring fiercely at him. "H-H-Haruna-sensei..."

"Umino-san. How dare you show yourself in my class again?"

"S-sensei, please, I'm sorry!"

"You're going to be!"

Usagi raised her eyebrows and shrugged, "I might be the only one whose forgotten though. Good luck, Umino!"