Two Moons Too Many

            Welcome, inspiration can strike at any moment. I caught an episode of Sailor Moon that fired my imagination. It was the one that introduced Sailor Mercury. What was interesting about this show was that everybody thought that Amy was working for the bad guys. Unfortunately, Usagi figured out Amy was just a pawn. I say unfortunately because I think it would be way more interesting if she did turn bad.

            As I write this story, please bear with me. I started in January 2001, only having watched the Korean Dub and only the first few episodes of the DiC Dub. I have corrected many of the plot errors since the initial writing. Except for the ones I like. Plus this is based on the DiC Dub, so beware.

    Speaking of which, here is the copyright statement: All barrowed characters copyright their mostly respected owners. All original characters copyright me, Joe Pullin. If you wish to post this fanfic elsewhere, go ahead. I just ask that you post the fanfic in whole. You may MyST this in whole or in part. Let me see, if it is good enough I may post it on my site.

            The story starts at a building in the business part of town. Outside stands a young girl with her long blonde hair done up in double ponytails. A black cat at her feet speaks.

“You have to see what is going on in there!”

“I can’t go in there like this.”

“Use the Luna Pen then!”

“Disguise Power! Make me a teacher!” The pen’s magic power changed Serena’s image and she ran inside. When she got to the top of the first set of stairs she flung open the closed doors. One of them didn’t open all the way. No matter, she went through the other. A second later a man slid down to the bottom step on his back. He slowly brought his hand up to his nose and used his thumb to put his nose back into place.

“Boy, am I glad she doesn’t exist in my universe.”

            Serena once again flung open a door. This time it was to the computer lab. The sight that greeted her was unusual indeed: all but one student looked like they were on some kind of drug. The one who wasn’t stood up; she had on the uniform of Serena’s school. She wore her bluish-black hair short. Her deep blue eyes shone with intelligence.

“Can I help you, Miss?”

“The jig is up and so are you, AMY!”

“Have we met before?”

“Will you just transform!?” Luna nagged.

“MOON PRISM POWER”

“Sailor Moon! What are you doing here?” Amy asked. A hand grabbed her from behind and covering her mouth. It was the prep school’s teacher who then morphed into a Negaverse monster.

“I can’t ever leave you alone, can I, Amy?” The monster held out its hand, pencils and razor sharp pieces of paper flew towards Sailor Moon. She ran away but in the wrong direction and wound up in a corner. She ducked in time as some pencils shot into the wall. Then Sailor Moon did as she always does in this situation: she started crying.

“Oh great, she’s got herself trapped in a corner, what a heroine.” Luna thought as she watched the action from the bottom of the class room door

“I’ll give you two choices: surrender now or surrender later.” The monster from the Negaverse proposed to Sailor Moon.

“I’ll never surrender to you.” The zombies moved in closer, “Luna! Help me!” Sailor Moon started crying again.

“As for you, give your energy to the Negaverse.” The monster then proceeded to shove Amy’s head to a computer screen. A white mist emanated from the monitor and surrounded her for a few seconds and then dispersed.

“Why won’t it work?” The monster asked. She lifted the girl up to her face for a closer look.

“What is this mark?” A blue mark had appeared on the girl’s fore head. It was shaped liked the female symbol with two tick marks on top. “Bah! I don’t need your puny energy.” Then tossed her to the floor and morphed its right arm into a battle axe, held it up and swung it down towards Amy’s head.

            Luna was nowhere nearby to witness the action and discover Sailor Mercury. A few seconds earlier, she had become quite distracted. For someone had reached down and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Luna started hissing and scratching. She hated being handled like that. Then was carried to a set of stairs and tossed down them. The throw was such that she couldn’t use her cat instincts to land on her feet. Instead she landed hard on the floor between her shoulder blades. Before she blacked out, a darkening glimpse of the one who did it: tall, dark skinned, long flowing white hair, and eyes as red as blood.

“She’ll live, unfortunately; now to my main goal.” He turned back the way he came. It wasn’t the loud crashes and desks being smashed that told him he was at the right door. It was the high pitch wail. He simply took a pair of earplugs from the case on his black BDU shirt pocket and stuffed them in his ear. Looking inside the classroom he assessed the situation: a zombie was holding Sailor Moon in a full nelson, several Razor-Papers hovering inches from her face. The monster had just thrown Amy down.

“This would certainly solve someone’s problem, but not mine.” He took a canister from a pouch on the load-bearing vest he was wearing. On it marked in English was the word smoke. The top was coloured purple. In the middle the stereotypical grenade fuse.

“I know what you thinking, Purple Smoke? Well, White Smoke is a bit difficult to breathe. Any way, Purple Haze is appropriate for the situation.” He proceeded to remove the safety pin and threw it in to the room. It rolled right in front of the monster as it was bringing its axe arm down.

“What is this?” The Monster asked.  A second later it a stream of purple spewed from the can and surrounded every body in the class.

“Somebody help me! Luna!” Sailor Moon cried.

“Sailor Moon! Raise both your arms straight up and drop down!” A voice shouted. She slipped from the zombie’s grasp then scrambled on all fours through the herd of zombies. When she thought she was clear, she tried to stand up, only to hit her head under a desk. Sailor Moon started crying again.

“The monster is straight in front of you. Use your tiara!”

“Hope this works in this soup.’ Sailor Moon took the tiara of her head, channeled her magic energy into it, and threw it like a Frisbee in the direction she was told. In the fog, the monster had no clue what was coming and was hit by the weapon in the chest. The tiara absorbed all the monsters energy and dissipated it. It screamed in pain and then turned into a pile of ash. The tiara returned to its owner and was put back in it place on Sailor Moon’s forehead.

“Who was that voice?” A window flew open allowing the smoke to clear. For a moment she saw a man wearing a black cape and a top hat before it disappeared. “Tuxedo Mask, what a hero.”

(25sep04: Believe it or not, I wrote this scene before reading the manga.)

“Are you okay?” Luna asked as she limped in to the destroyed classroom.

“Yeah, I’m okay, and so is every body else here now.’

“Where’s Amy?” Luna asked.

“She was behind this row of desks.” Sailor Moon leaned over the desks and looked around, seeing nobody.

“That chicken must have run away.”

“You’re one to talk. UUUUUHH!’ Luna collapsed.

“Oh Luna! What’s wrong?”

“Somebody threw me down some steps, and now my whole right leg is numb.”

“I’m taking you to a doctor immediately!”

*

            A beam of light came from no where. It formed into a tall man with long white hair cradling a girl with blue tinted short black hair. He set her down on the couch. He held up his arm and read the time on his watch. He was about to press a button when there was a knock on the door.

            “Is there anybody in there, Hello?”

            “Give me a minute.” He picked the girl back up and placed her in a high-backed chair behind a desk and turned it away from the door. Took of the LBV and BDU top he was wearing and put on a gray sports coat hanging on the coat rack. He walked over to the door; his intention was just to open it enough to let whomever it was see his face. As soon as he turned the knob the door opened with a force that caught him of guard and into his nose. He fell back and down onto his butt holding his now bleeding nose. Miss Haruna fell sideways onto him.

            “What do you want?” He said with a voice that sounded Bostonian.

            “I’m so sorry! I though I saw a flashing light from under your door for a moment and thought someone was rummaging around.” She looked right into his eyes and blushed. “I’ve never seen any body with such red eyes before.” Then she noticed the blood tickling through his fingers.

            “Did I do that?” She got up and rushed to his desk. A huge sweat drop formed on the side of his face. He got up to his feet. Instant head rush. Staggered a bit and made his way to the couch and sat down. Haruna walked over and leaned over and moved his hand and placed a paper handkerchief under his nose. They looked each other in the eyes. She looked like she was expecting something and he looked like he had no clue.

            “I…I…think I’m going to be all right now, Miss Sakurada.” Her face turned a bright red and she backed away in embarrassment.

            “Sorr-eee.” She just up and left. As she was driving home it hit her.

            “What did he call me?”

After Miss Haruna left, Jesse picked up his LBV and pulled a small electric razor out of one of the ammo pouches. Held the business end below the bridge of his nose and winced as a beam of light emanated from the device. A minute passed and it turned off  he set it down on his desk. He grabbed more tissue paper and moistened it with his tongue and held it up to his nose and cleaned out the dried blood. Then he dumped it in the trash can. Next walked behind his desk and picked the unconscious  girl up and carried her back to the couch and laid her down. Took off the sports coat and put the BDU top back on.

            Jesse then got out his cell phone from a top pocket. It was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. When he flipped the lid down, he pushed the numbers on the keypad. Instead of dialing out, the screen displayed a silhouette of a human female. A second passed and small lights flashed at various intervals on the image: around the face, shoulders, bust line, forearms, waist, and so forth. He went over to his desk and turned on his computer. After booting up he just pointed the cell’s antenna at the screen and all the information he just recorded was automatically put on screen. He sat down behind his desk and started typing on the keyboard.

            “This is unexpected”, he was thinking to himself. “I have to scrap most of my designs for her armor. These numbers are off just enough. This is going to put me behind by a month or so. Hope I can save enough power. I had better finish with her first, I can always make the armament later. Let’s see, how much will I need?”

He went into his pants pocket and pull out an ordinary pen. Held his left arm under the desk as a bright flash ceased his arm. Pulling his arm back up it was now wearing a gauntlet that went an inch below his elbow to an inch above his wrist and it was about twice the size of his normal arm. He set it down on the desk. The monitor said the program was ready for upload. He pushed the end of the pen into a hole on the gauntlet. The computer signaled an error. He tried again, still no luck. Did a diagnostic on the computer, it was good. Then did one on the gauntlet, it was good. Finally performed one on the pen, it was a Skillcraft. Tossing it over his should and muttering to himself. Reached into his pockets and pulled out more ink pens. None of which were the one he needed. Looked in the desk drawers, not there. Then he just sat back in his chair.

“I know I had that thing with me when I was at the prep school. Did I leave it there?” He instinctively slapped his hand to his chest. Thinking he might have put it in the pen hole behind the left pocket. The slap caused a small billow of purple dust to shoot straight up his nose. As he sneezed, he felt a sudden draft in the spot where the ear meets the head and heard something hit the monitor’s screen. The pen he was looking for was now sitting on the keyboard. Picked it up and finished what he started to do.

“According to these readings, I’ll need to use about...hmmm...A HUNDRED CCs! That is going to leave me seriously short handed. I am going to have to make a lot of changes to my plan.” He went back over to the girl whom was still asleep on his couch. He looked at her for a moment. A fleeting feeling of warmth made him shake his head. He proceeded to pick her torso up a little so her neck was better exposed. Held the end of the pen against the jugular, and a whooshing briefly sounded. He set her back down and grabbed more tissue to wipe off the blood mixed with a silvery fluid.

“That will ensure that she is under my complete control. I won’t need her for a while so she can go back to her normal life. I just wish I had the resources to also tag her comrades. Oh well.” He picked the cell phone again and dialed more numbers. A wire frame sculpture of an apartment building appeared. It soon zoomed in on a particular set of rooms. It was clear. He then picked the girl up and cradled her in his arms and in a flash of blue light disappeared.

end pt one

            The next morning, at school, Serena was late as usual. Her teacher had a surprise for her.

“Late again? I have some bad news for you. We just got a new Principal the other day. One of his first orders was that any late students are to see him immediately.” Miss Haruna informed Serena.

“The Principal’s office?”

“That’s his rule, not mine. Now go!” Serena walked out of the classroom and down the hall to the principal’s office. When she got there, she was surprised at who else was standing just outside.

“AMY!? What are you doing here?”

“I was late for school today.” She bowed her head in embarrassment. “I’ve never woke up late before.”

“I guess you’re not such a square after all.” Serena quipped. “Don’t worry about it. This is the first time. He probably let you off with a warning.”

“I really hope so.”

“MS. MIZUNO! GET IN HERE!” A voice boomed from behind the door. Both Serena’s and Amy’s faces drained of colour and their eyes bugged out. After a second, they looked at each other, then around. Shrugged their shoulders in puzzlement.

“I’M TALKING TO THE ONE WITH SHORT HAIR!” Apprehensively, Amy went inside.

As she entered the office, Amy subconsciously took in the layout. The desk faced the door. Behind it was a high backed chair turned towards the wall so that she couldn’t actually see the principal. All she could see was a tuft of white hair.

“Please have a seat.” There were no chairs. “Sorry for yelling. I do that for the effect. I honestly like this town of Akihabara. Do you like it here?”

“Uhhh…”

“Do you like school?”

“Yes, very much, sir”

“Fine, you may go then.” Amy turned around to leave. But before she could even lift her hand to open the door. “Remember, next time you are late, I will punish you. Just make sure your alarm is set. And, please tell Ms. Tsukino to come in.”

“So, how did it go?” Serena asked as Amy left the office.

‘I’m really not sure. He wants to see you now” Serena loudly gulped. She then entered the office. Amy watched the door close. She decided to wait for Serena. She looked at the door. The name struck her as odd. Jesse St. James.

“Please, Ms Tsukino, have a seat.” Serena had the same problem as Amy. Only she tried to say something about it.

“But there aren’t….”

“Stand if you like, then. Now, Usagi, you have been late multiple times now.”

She just stared at the back of his chair.

“I have no recourse but to punish you. I want you to spend an hour every day after school in study hall for the next five days. I believe your math score needs some improvement. You use up my time; I will use a little of your time. Does this sound fair, Usagi?”

Serena looked around side to side.

“Fine, starting tomorrow you will report to Miss Haruna’s class at the end of the day.”

“Uhm…me?”

“Yes, you. Your name is Usagi, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s Serena.”

Serena could feel a slight change in the atmosphere. Like when you realized that you have been driving down the wrong lane for several minutes.

“My apologies. You still have detention though. You may leave now.”

            Before Serena could open the door to leave: “Please be sure to tell me how your cat is doing.”

“How…?”

“I’m a principal; I’m supposed to know such things.”

            Serena saw Amy waiting for her as she left the office. “That’s the strangest office visit I’ve ever had.”

“Did he say any thing about Akihabara?”

“No, we’re no where near Akihabara; and he called me by another name too. Gave me detention. Not the first time.” They started walking down the hall. After a minute Serena spoke again. “By the way, how was your prep class yesterday?”

“We studied the computer and learned about different operating systems. Then did some Trig exams.”

“Nothing unusual happen?”

“No, why. Do you ask?”

“No reason, no reason at all. Do you want to walk home with me tonight?”

“I don’t have time to stop at the arcade.”

“No, I have to go to the vet. Luna was hurt last night.”

“Oh no! What happened?” Amy gasped.

“Some mean person threw her down some steps.” Serena’s eyes started to well up.

“I’ll meet you after school, all right?”

“Thanks you’re a pal.”

            They then went their separate ways to their classrooms. Serena thinking to herself; “I transformed right in front of her. Sure I was disguised, but still. I had better keep an eye on her.”

Later that day, at the veterinary clinic.

“She has a hair line crack in her right shoulder blade. I made a cravat for her wear. Now most cats try to struggle out after only a minute. But Luna here is so well behaved I can’t believe she is really an animal.”

            Dr. Edgar, Serena, and Amy where standing around a table in the main lab. Luna was lying down in the middle.

“Will I be able to take her home today, Doctor?” Serena asked.

“I don’t see why not. There are some things you will need to do for her. Try to keep her confined to one room if possible. Make sure where ever she sleeps; it has a pillow or something to keep her conformable. Don’t touch her right side, it is very sensitive.”

“Thank you very much doctor.”

“I had better warn you, she is very doped up on the pain killers I gave her. When they wear off, watch out. I have to ask, where did that crescent mark come from? It doesn’t look like a birthmark.”

“Oh I don’t know. She had it when I found her.’

end pt two

From this point, events unfolded pretty much the same: with only a few minor modifications. Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter came along in the same fashion as in the original time line. Jadeite was punished for his failures. Zoicite killed Nephrite.

            Several days before Sailor Venus was to make her appearance, Queen Beryl receives an unusual visitor in her royal court.

“I want you to capture Tuxedo Mask, Zoicite. He has interfered too much.”

“Yes my Queen, Kunzite and I have the perfect plan. I will impersonate Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Mask is sure to show up.”

“Sounds amazingly like a plan of a certain General who came before you.”

“Unlike other failures, I will have Kunzite back me up.”

“That’s really is a good plan. I could make certain it works.” A voice said from the back of chamber.

“Who are you?” Queen Beryl asked in a demanding tone. She thought it was one of her servants who had spoken up. Kunzite and Zoicite turned to also look. To their amazement, it wasn’t one of the monsters that occupied the base. It looked like something from a comic book. He was over six-foot tall, wore off-white armor with black and red details. He had on a helmet that completely covered of his facial features, except for the area around the eyes: dark skin with deep red eyes.

“You may call me, Negaman.”

“I like it. Now how did you get in here?”

“Through the door.” Queen Beryl was not amused.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t just end your existence right here?”

“I can help you gather the energy you need: by keeping the Sailor Scouts out of your hair.”

“Sounds interesting, how would you do that?”

“That’s my business. I only ask two things of you: I am in need of some the energy you collect myself. Second, do not double cross me.” Queen Beryl was extremely not amused. Zoicite and Kunzite took up offensive postures.

“I’m not surprised. I knew I would have to prove myself.” He turned towards the two Generals behind him, looked back and forth at them. From the floor, a geyser of water shot up surrounding Zoicite and Kunzite. It froze into a solid chunk of ice and then exploded showering the room in ice crystals. As the cloud of ice settled, the two were lying face down on the floor.

“What incredible power.” Kunzite gasped. “How could we have not felt his presence earlier?”

“I must tell you the truth. That wasn’t me just then.” A figure dropped from the air beside Negaman. She was just over a foot shorter then Negaman. She looked similar to a Sailor Scout except that she wore blue shorts instead of a skirt, black midriff, no bows, and a tiara with a blue crystal in the center. Dark blue goggles covering the eyes so you can’t see them, and a helmet like Negaman’s, except it had no mouth cover.

“Meet, Sailor Hurricane. She is what I call a Cyber Sailor Scout. She is about equal to my power.”

“You have proven yourself to me, Negaman, how do you intend to help me?”

“I’ll let you know.” He turned away and started walking to the back. Sailor Hurricane fell into step beside him. As they started walking down the steps out side the throne room, when they were out of sight of every body else, Hurricane put her hand on Negaman’s upper arm and looked up at him. They stopped walking. He turned to look at her. He could see the hurt in her eyes, even through the dark goggles.

“You will have no memory once you transform back to normal. I do have need of you until I have enough power. Till then, you are mine. But, you will be allowed to follow your destiny once I leave.” He held up his other arm and pushed a button. They then transported out.

End pt three

Artemis the Cat was doing what he usually does during the day, channel surfing. He kept bouncing back and forth from one news show to another. A bank robbery, muggings, freeway shootings, car jackings, politicians counting chads. He was looking for a clue, a hint, an allusion, inkling. He would even settle for one of those chads right about now. He spent yesterday surfing the web. Not a single usable shred.

“This gets more and more frustrating every day.” Artemis muttered under his breath. “I keep hearing all these rumors, but no solid leads to go on.” He was about to change the channel when the announcer introed a story about another bank robbery, but Artemis was slow with the remote.

“This morning, the members of the Glyde Gang were stopped from making an escape from their latest crime by this courageous young woman.” Artemis’s jaw dropped and his eyes completely bugged out. Beside the field reporter was standing a girl of about fourteen. She wore her long blonde hair in double ponytails with a bun at the top of each. On each one was a red jewel. On her forehead was a golden tiara with a red crystal in the center. Her uniform was reminiscent of a schoolgirl’s suit, except with a short ruffled skirt and knee high red boots.

“Whet the hell does she think she’s doing?”

later

            Luna was having a conniption fit. If one could describe a conniption fit it might be like this: drink several packs of ‘Jolt Cola’, a couple of lattes and espressos. Throw in a ‘Vivirin’ pill. Then drive through downtown Seattle. For extra effect, add at least one super spicy double bean burrito. The only thing worse than having a conniption fit, is being on the receiving end of one. Poor Serena.

“DOES THE PHRASE ‘SECRET IDENTITY’ MEAN ANY THING TO YOU!” Notice that is not a question mark. It is an exclamation. I think it adds a little oomph. Okay, maybe superfluous because I’m already using ‘caps lock’.

“It’s one thing to save a person’s life. Good job. But being a super hero entails certain personal responsibilities. Don’t think a tiara will hide your identity forever. Keep your face off TV in the future.”

            Serena looked very confused. She was used to Luna nagging her about this and that, but this was way over board.

“I’ll put it in simple terms for you. Don’t get your picture taken as Sailor Moon. IS THAT CLEAR!!”

“Are you okay? Do you want some catnip? I can get a ball of twine.” And a horse tranquilizer she thought.

“I give up!” She laid down and put her paws over her head. Serena shrugged and turned on the TV. It was a cartoon show. Not one Serena cared for. It was about some cats that worked in a pizza parlor and fought crime. Luna wouldn’t admit it, but Serena suspected she never missed an episode. The screen went black for an instant. Then a newsman appeared. He was at one of the wharves by the bay.

“Earlier today, we brought you the news of a new super hero. Now it seems she has met her match.” The camera panned up to a shot of a crane. Suspended at the end high above the ground was a woman.

“Wicked cool! She looks like me.”

            Else where.

“As if getting her face plastered all over the TV wasn’t bad enough. At least I know where to find her now.”

“What was that, Artemis?” Mina asked as she entered her room. “Hey! She looks like me in my Sailor Venus Outfit.”

“Her name is Sailor Moon. The one we have been looking for. And, she needs our help!”

*

One hour later, Sailor Moon and the Scouts arrived at the wharves at the south end; Sailor V was still a couple of blocks north and running at top speed.

“I keep telling you to ditch the Sailor V gig. All it does is slow you down changing into it.”

“Not my fault I can’t automatically change to this like the Sailor Venus one.” They’ve had this argument many times. Artemis was firmly against Sailor V because it interfered in Mina’s school and Sailor Scout duties. She countered with the fact that it kept her identity better hidden.

“This is the last time on a mission I will wear this thing.”

“Really?”

“Until the auditions for the Live Action Sailor V Movie.” Artemis’s expression was a classic Anime look of disappointment. Complete with the large sweat drop on the side of his head.

            They finally arrived at the first warehouse in the Dock District. Sailor V stopped to rest a minute. Artemis ran on ahead to take in the situation. Cats, even lunar ones seemed to have endless energy, when they are not sleeping. After she caught her breath, she quickly went through an open door. The thought was to cut through this building to get to the site of the captured Sailor Moon without being seen; and to assist in time. In this universe, it didn’t work.

            At first, Sailor V saw nothing but darkness. When she reached the halfway point some clouds covering the moon parted and light filtered through a dirty window. Two shadows appeared twenty feet in front of her. A moon light glint played across the visors covering their eyes. Enough light was present to make out some details: one was about five-foot tall, the other was several inches shorter. Both wore uniforms similar to Sailor Venus. Both had on helmets that covered most of their heads.

“Welcome, Mina Aino.” Sailor V gasped in surprise. “I know why you are here. You are trying to find the Sailor Scouts. Instead, I want you to meet my Cyber Sailor Scouts: Sailor Hurricane, and Sailor Dragoon.’

            Sailor V had homed in on the voice. It came from the catwalk by the window.

“VENUS CRESENT BEAM SMASH!”

            Just as the magical energy left her fingertips, Dragoon swiped Sailor V’s feet from under her. V rolled backwards and came back to her feet. She looked where the attacker was and found nothing. Another arm grabbed from behind around her neck in a chock hold. V reached up and grabbed for something and found the rear brim of a helmet. She jerked her arms forward and repositioned her weight so as to flip her opponent. It worked, and the helmet came off and stayed in V’s hands. The attacker landed on her feet as well and turned around. At first, she had a determined look, but then softened as to realize some thing was not right.

“What am I doing here? Sailor V?” Just then the helmet hit her square on the forehead knocking her out. She fell down onto her back. Sailor V walked up to prone figure to get a closer look. Her visor was smashed and blood was starting to trickle from underneath the tiara. She had short bluish/black hair. Then V was hit by a pair of boots from a drop kick to the back 0f her head. This dazed her quite a bit, but she still had a lot of fight left in her.

“We are running out of time, Sailor Dragoon.” Dragoon then jumped on Sailor V’s back and placed one arm under her chin and the other across her forehead. This had the effect of choking off V’s supply of air. As she started to black out, Sailor V grabbed Sailor Dragoon’s legs and stood up. She then ran backwards. She chose the right direction and Dragoon’s back struck a steel support pillar. This made her let go. V stumbled forward and spun around. Dragoon was shaking off the stun.

“VENUS CRES…” A hand grabbed her right hand and another grabbed around her mouth silencing her.

“I must say, I was really caught off guard with that first attack.” Negaman let go of her hand. Opened a slot on his other arm’s gauntlet and extracted a half inch square film of silver. He placed it on the center of her forehead. It then dissolved into her skin. He let her go and she just stood there.

“Now, transform and go to the building next door and help Sailor Moon.”

“VENUS POWER!” Sailor V held up the Venus Pen and was surrounded by a yellowish orange light. Mina’s Sailor V outfit was replaced with her Sailor Venus uniform. She then headed to the back of building. Sailor Dragoon walked over to Negaman. Her head hanging down.

“Don’t feel bad. I told you to take it easy. I totally underestimated her. She really did get me with that attack. I had expected to go after you two first.” He took her arm and held it up so he could see the readout on the underside of the gauntlet. “You’ll be all right.” Negaman pushed some buttons on his gauntlet and Sailor Dragoon transported away in a flash of light. He walked over to where Sailor Hurricane was laying.

            “I’m afraid you will need some help. Apparently Sailor Moon is not the only one who can throw her head gear with some accuracy.”

End pt 4

            The next morning, Amy woke up with a pounding headache. Made worse by the fact that she some how forgot to set her alarm and was now late for school again. It was quickly going from bad to worse. Her homeroom teacher gave her a tongue lashing in front of the class and promised detention on top of what the principal would give her. The teacher went at length about how she would be the perfect example of a student if it weren’t for the tardiness. She could hear the other students snickering. Normally she ignored it, but her headache amplified it. By the end of the day, Amy couldn’t concentrate. In Miss Haruna’s after school study hall, she was no more than a zombie. It took Serena a couple of minutes to get her attention.

“I said are you okay?”

“…Uh, yeah.” Normally she rather enjoyed Serena’s presence, but not today. Serena was the only one who talked to her out of the blue, and she could make Amy smile, but not today.

“You look like something Luna wouldn’t even drag home. Do you want me to get the nurse?”

“No thank…you. It is…just a head ache.” Serena reached out and felt Amy’s forehead. Felt normal temperature wise. Somewhere, deep down inside, Serena suddenly felt odd for some reason. When she removed her hand, Amy’s eyes had glazed over, and then her head hit the desk.

“Amy!” Serena lifted her head up and was horrified to see blood running down Amy’s face from her forehead. Miss Haruna wasn’t in at that time, so Serena reacted quickly. She took Amy’s arm around her own shoulder and picked her up out of the desk and slowly left the class room and took her friend to the nurse’s office.

            A half-hour later, Serena was sitting beside Amy in the office holding her hand while Principal St. James was talking with the nurse. Amy’s head had been bandaged and her mother called.

“You did an admirable job, Ms. Tsukino.” Serena looked around at Principal St. James. This was the first time she had actually seen him. He was much taller than she was. Dressed in a gray business suit with tie. Skin she could only describe as being deeply tanned. Eyes as blue as the sky. And long, snow; white hair tied off at the base of his head. Serena’s heart skipped a beat.

“A couple of teachers have remarked about you being a bad influence on Ms. Anderson. I want you to know that you two are a good influence on each other. You have a good heart. I wish more people were like you two.” He actually felt good saying that. “Now, could you leave for about five minutes?” Something about the way he said it made Serena get up and leave immediately. The nurse too.

“I can’t believe how much I screwed things up. I need to be more thorough post mission.” He reached into his pocket and pulled what looked like pen. He pushed it against Amy’s lower arm and it made a hissing sound. “That will take care of that headache.” He put the pen back and pulled out what appeared to be a cell phone. He held it over the bandages on her forehead. It made a low-pitched warbling noise. After a minute he put this up too. “It is going to be while before I need you again. The others will have to make do.” He reached down and picked up her hand and just held it for a few moments.

End pt 5

“My you’re home much earlier than I expected.” Luna remarked when Serena entered her room. She quickly hit the remote turning the TV off.

“It was a pretty weird day. Amy fainted and hit her head on the desk causing it to bleed.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah, I took her to the nurse and she bandaged Amy’s head up. Then the Principal came in and told us to leave for a while. When he came out, he took Amy to the hospital himself.” Luna could sense Serena was apprehensive about something.

“There’s more isn’t there?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.” Serena sat down on her bed and leaned back on hands, lost in thought. Something new for her. After a minute, she pulled out her pocket communicator and called up Raye Hino.

“What do you want, Serena?” She sounded very annoyed.

“Meet me at St. Alphonse in a few minutes, will ya?”

“You sick or something better?”

“I want you to meet a friend of mine.” Luna and Raye both looked shocked. Not like Serena to ignore a jab by Raye.

“Uh sure. Be there in ten. Out.” The communicator automatically turned off when Raye hung up. Serena laid back on her bed and just stared at the ceiling.

“Now’s not the time for a nap. Raye will be very upset if you are late.”

“St. James, St. James.” Serena whispered. “Where have I seen him before?” She sat up and went over to her table and sat down. She got out a piece of notebook paper and started drawing on it.

“SERENA!”

“Shoot, I better hurry up!” She jumped up and ran out the door. Luna jumped up onto the table and looked at the sketch. It was of a man. Maybe. Serena wasn’t very good. The two distinguishing features were shaded skin and white hair.

“Where have I seen this before?” Luna then ran out after Serena.

*

            Raye was surprised to see Serena waiting for her at the entrance to the hospital. She was trying to get Luna into a handbag. Raye decided no comment was necessary. Luna had clamped her claws on either side of the bag and Serena was pushing on her back.

“Will you stop that? My shoulder is still sore!”

“LUNA, get in the bag! Animals aren’t allowed inside.”

“Then why is a baboon like you want inside?” Raye couldn’t resist.

“The one time I need your help…”

“’The one time?’” Both Luna and Raye asked. “Oh all right. I’ll get in, but unzip it first.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Meatball head.” Raye murmured. When Luna finally got inside the bag, Serena picked it up and started walking inside the hospital. Raye followed her and thought: “That’s the fourth one she ignored. Is something wrong with her? Or do I need some better lines?”

            Serena was halfway to the information booth to ask about Amy’s room when Molly just happened by.

“Hey, Moll! What are you doing here?”

“I heard about Amy and decided to check on her. She’s in room 220. She’s seems a lot better. Her head sure is bandaged though.”

“Thanks Molly. Catch you tomorrow.” As Molly walked past, Raye got a feeling of dread. She stopped and watched her walk of the main door. “Hey, Raye! I can’t hold this elevator forever!”

“Strange.” She thought. “I’ve known her for awhile now, and I have never felt any thing like that before.” Raye snapped back to reality and walked over to the elevator. Serena was walking away. “Where are you going? The elevator is right here.”

“The stairs.” Serena said with a sharp edge in her voice.

            While walking up the stairs Raye asked: “Who’s Amy?”

“I thought you met. She’s really smart. We met just before you and I did. We hang out now and then.”

“You and brain together. That’s something I thought I would never hear.”

“Well she’s ten time more cooler than you. Any way, I want you to see if you can feel any thing with that psychic stuff of yours.”

“What for: Abnormalities? If she hangs out with you that’s a clear indication something is wrong with her.”

“Lita, Mina, and you.”

“Okay you win. This time.” She’s back to normal, unfortunately. Raye thought. And I lost a fight with her!

            Raye actually gave up? Luna thought from inside the handbag. I’m not sure if this is a good sign. I am sure I want out of this thing.

            Serena was about to knock on the door to Amy’s room when it opened and Principal St. James walked out.

“Oh Ms. Tsukino, and Ms. Hino, this quite unexpected. Amy is doing just fine. She’s asleep right so if you want to see her, please be quiet.” He stepped aside and held the door for them. Serena walked right in and glanced at him over her shoulder. Raye stood still. Looking at him, eyebrows furrowed.

“As you wish.” He walked away letting the door close behind him. Raye watched him walk down the hall and down the stairs.

Serena opened the door. “Come one Raye. Not this again.”

“He’s not from here.”

“I think he grew up in America.”

“It’s more than that.”

“Maybe he was born in America. He sure is dreamy, ain’t he?” He’s human, but he has an otherworldly aura Raye thought. How did he know my name? She then walked inside.

The room was set up like most hospital rooms: the bed was in the center, the head against the wall, and diagnostic equipment on either side. The shades were drawn and the lights turned down. An I.V. was hooked up to Amy’s left arm. Her forehead was wrapped in gauze. Serena set her bag at the foot of the bed and let Luna out. Raye walked over to the left side of the bed.

“Feel something, strange.” Luna said. “Like the first time I met you two, only different. Twisted.”

“I sense a darkness. A conflict within the deepest part of her soul.” Raye grasped her head as a sudden stabbing pain welled up. Her knees buckled and gave out. She landed on her butt. Serena ran around and knelt beside Raye and put her arms around her in genuine show of comfort. Despite all the name calling and cat fighting, they really did care deeply for each other.

“Raye! Raye! Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Where did that come from? Not from her I’m sure. Luna?”

            Luna was knocked out. Amy was holding her in her sleep. In the stair well, Jesse St. James was rubbing his head.

“I really need more practice.

End part 6.

Chapter: CONFIDENCE COURSE

            It was early afternoon. School had just let out. The Crown Game Center was starting to fill up. On its roof Kunzite materialized. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Negaman was sitting in a lawn chair under an umbrella. His helmet was off sitting on a table next to him. Just as soon as Kunzite started walking to him, he put it on.

“So this is how you keep your promises? Sitting on your butt drinking milky-tea? You said you would help us capture Tuxedo Mask. He got away and you never showed your face. Now we have another Sailor Scout to deal with. Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

            Negaman pulled out a devise that looked like a cell phone. Flipped up the lid and turned it on. He also tried to take of sip of tea through the straw. Putting it back down realizing that he couldn’t do that with his helmet on. The screen displayed the local area.

“This is a tricorder. I’m using it to keep tabs on today’s little mission.”

“What mission is that?”

“The Sailor Scout Confidence Course. I am going to build up Sailor Moon’s level of confidence.”

“Are you nuts!? We need to break her down. Totally humiliate her.”

“That comes later. This battle will make her overconfident when she has to fight some real bad guys. Right here, these white dots are us.” Negaman pointing at the tricorder screen. “In the alley to our right. These three red dots are my Negacon robots.”

“Negacon?”

“And these four blue dots coming from the left are the Sailor Scouts. Once they get in front of this building, the Negacons will start attacking.”

“What’s that green dot in the building across from us?”

“That’s Sailor Dragoon. Back up in case things get out of hand.”

“Sailor Dragoon? How many of these things do you have?”

“Now Pay attention, the fun is about to start.”

            When the blue dots where in front of the building, the three red ones rushed out into the street. Little yellow lines flashed from red to blue. The blue dots ran back the other way and turned into the alley to the left.

“Why did they do that?” Kunzite asked.

“To transform of course.” Kunzite ran to the left edge and peered over. He was too high up to see or hear any thing.

“Damn it! So close! Wait a minute, you know who they are, don’t you?”

“No.” Kunzite walked back over to Negaman who was now standing looking over the edge.

“If I couldn’t see any thing, how can you?”

            “You people should really invest in some technology. This helmet lets me see everything. Here, you can barrow these.” Negaman held up a pair of binoculars.

“No thank you. I prefer a much closer view.” Kunzite snapped his fingers and disappeared. Negaman used the Tricorder to scan the area. He found him again across the street. He used his visor's magnification to get a better look. Kunzite was sitting in a chair. He looked up right at Negaman and waved. Negaman walked back to his chair. Sat down. Removed his helmet and took a sip of tea then called Sailor Dragoon.

*

“What are they? They don’t look like Negaverse villains.” Sailor Jupiter said.

“They look like the came from a video game. Venus?” Sailor Moon asked.

“They’re not from any of Sailor V’s games.” Sailor Venus said. “Do you feel any thing, Mars?”

“Not a thing. I don’t think they are human, or came from the Negaverse.”

“That’s right. We are the NEGACONS. Repliroids programmed for one purpose: The destruction of the Sailor Scouts. And that means you.” He was doing Sailor Moon’s poses while he was talking.

“HEY! GET YOUR OWN POSSES!”

“We’re fully posable. With Kung-Fu Grip! Plus a variety of interchangeable weapons. I, Sawman come with Twin Blade.” Sawman crossed his arms on his chest. His lower arms glowed and saw blades shot out towards the Sailor Scouts. Scattering them. ‘Of course there is the standard Chain Blade. He uncrossed his arms and stuck one out straight ahead firing.

“Don’t hog all the fun!”

“I am sure we can’t interchange our weapons like Megaman.”

“Shut up! He’s not in this story! Okay you two have at it. I see someone I should talk to over there.” Sawman then walked over to where Kunzite was and sat down.

“Ready, brother Maficman?”

“We are robots; can we consider ourselves like family, Graniteman?”

“You can be such damn realist. I want to test my Grenade Cracker on some Sailor Skull.”

“I, myself, prefer the old fashion way.” He held up a fist. “I challenge one of you Scouts Mano-a-Mano. Any of you man enough?”

“He won’t let me call him brother, and then calls these girls men?”

“You there! Sailor Jupiter! You look more than tough enough. Come on! Are you a man!?”

“I’m not that boyish!” Jupiter ran over to Maficman and struck him with a chop across the left side of his face. She then cart wheeled striking two more times in the same spot with her feet. When she got back to her feet, she jumped up, brought her knees to her chest and thrust them straight out into Maficman’s head. Popping it clean off.

“Bro! This is no time to be losing your head!”

“Gross!”

“Don’t worry. He’ll be all aright.” Sawman said as he grabbed Jupiter with a half nelson. He then held a Chain Blade to her throat. “Oh Salad Moon! Back off unless you want to see her head come off. I guarantee it won’t be pretty.”

            Sailor Jupiter smashed her heel down into Sawman’s foot. “This must be what human’s call pain.” He dropped the blade. Jupiter grabbed his arm and flung him over on to Graniteman. She then ran back to her comrades.

“Now Sailor Moon.”

“Right! MOON TIARA MAGIC!’

“Emergency Transport!” Sawman yelled before the magic attack hit. All three disappeared. The tiara returned directly to Sailor Moon.

“That was weird.”

“Weirder than normal.”

“Next time we fight them, I’ll trash them but good.”

End

Chapter: NO NEED FOR HAIRCUTS

            This isn’t your typical hair salon. It has sinks, chairs, and hair dryers. Plus, behind the two-way mirror was a man. Tallish, wore a gray military-style uniform, and white hair down to his shoulder blades. His name is Kunzite. Top general of the Negaverse. Lately, he has had a spate of bad luck. Lost the Rainbow Crystals to the Sailor Scouts. Lost the Silver Crystal. Lost Queen Beryl’s favour. Lost his true love, Zoicite, to Queen Beryl’s wrath. His only saving was that he captured Tuxedo Mask and brainwashed him into working for the Negaverse. Over all, it has been a pretty crappy week. He didn’t want any thing to do with the man who walking up behind him.

“Will you just go away?”

“Will you tell me what kind of cockamainy scheme you guys got cooked up now?” Negaman asked. Kunzite just ignored him. Five minutes later. Ten minutes later. “Oh all right. I’m trying to find Sailor Moon. I found a sample of her hair from our last battle and I am using its DNA to find her.”

“I see, setting your sights to a more attainable goal: from world domination to conquering the land of split ends and dry scalps. I do commend you though. These dryers are also equipped with energy drainers that take a little bit of life energy from the victim. Plus you get the money they pay.”

“Uh…right…yeah.” Where does this guy come from? How does he know so much? Wish I had though of that money bit, Kunzite thought.

“What makes you so sure they will come in here? There are thousands of salons in this town.”

“We have more than one set up, duh.”

“Just asked to annoy you.”

“You like to annoy people, don’t you? One of these days you are going to annoy the wrong person. Queen Beryl wants to have a word with your about your less than helpful, and very annoying help.”

“E-mail me at double u, double u, double u, dot, Negaman, at, bite me, dot, hotmail, dot, COM.”

“I don’t need to be here. Neither do you. I’m going to check in at some of the other spots.”

“I think I’ll hang around and get my hair done, if you don’t mind.”

“Yes I do.”

“Good.” Kunzite then magically transported out. A minute later Mina Aino and Serena Tsukino walked in.

“Bad timing as usual. This should be interesting. Kunzite doesn’t realize that was Mina’s hair he found. Well, it would be interesting if I didn’t all ready know what is going to happen.” Negaman mused.

*

“Come on Serena. It’ll be fun. A good trip to the salon all ways cheers me up.”

            “Can I help you ladies?” The chief stylist asked.

            “Yes, a complete make over for my friend.” The stylist practically dragged Serena over to first available seat. The hairdresser undid Serena’s dangos and leaned the chair back into the sink and started washing her hair.

“Miss, did you want a turn?”

            “No thank you. I’m just waiting for my friend.”

            “We’re giving away free hair dryer treatments today as a special promotion. It’ll make you look like a star. Not that you need it.”

            “I guess I will get one then.” Mina was led over to a dryer. As she sat down, the stylist washing Serena’s hair turned around and looked at the machine. Using her Negaverse Magic Powers, the stylist could see a display in front of the machine. It showed a one hundred percent match to the sample.

“Excuse me, Miss?” Serena was fast asleep. She walked over to Mina and stood in front of her.

“I got you now, Sailor Moon!” Mina looked up with total shock plastered on her face. Suddenly an electrical field surrounded her draining all her energy. She screamed out in pain waking Serena.

“Mina!” Serena jumped up flaying water and soap everywhere. She ran over to Mina, but was grabbed by the lapels and held up by the stylist who had transformed into a Negaverse monster.

“Are you a Sailor Scout too? Let’s see.” The monster pointed at another hair dryer. Just then it was engulfed in a stream of flames that streaked from the front of the store to the rear. When the flames disappeared, the monster was just a silhouette of ash, which blew all over Serena.

“GROSS! Thanks a lot, Mars!” She looked to the front and it wasn’t Sailor Mars standing in the doorway.

“Ha ha ha! I feel rather insulted by that. I have a much better personality. For that I challenge you to a duel, Sailor Moon! Come on!”

“Just what the heck are you?”

“Phoenixman. J.P.I. Number Four. Negacon Leader. I’ll wait out here for you to change.” He walked off.

            Serena stood there puzzled by it all. “Not another robot.” She thought. Mina moaned. Serena went over to her.

“Are you okay?”

“I will be. Don’t let him get away.”

“Right. MOON PRISM POWER!” Serena was surrounded by white light and changed into Sailor Moon. Still covered in soap and soot. She then charged out of the shop and into the street.

*

            A few minutes earlier, Negaman was brushing his long white hair with his back to the mirror. Mind lost in thought. “This reminds of when I was younger. Mom used to brush my hair all the time. I think she wanted to have a girl. Dad wanted my hair to be cut, but Mom insisted on letting it grow. He never let her brush his, but I did see him brush hers on occasion. Maybe I should trim it shorter, it is a real pain to get it all inside my helmet.” He sat the brush down. He grabbed his hair band and tied his hair off at the base of his skull. “Of course, I wonder why Dad wanted my hair cut when he grew his down to his waist. How long has it taken me to grow this mop?”

He turned, looked into a real mirror across from him. He didn’t focus on the image, he was watching with his mind's eye. His mind shifted gears to more present concerns. “She is the first. After all these years and universes, I find one I don’t want to leave. I know she is not at all interested in me, and I can’t stay here. I must get home. Do I really need to? Can I get her to understand my situation? Or am I just being stupid?” A dark image appeared in the mirror, Negaman paid no attention, and he was too lost in thought. “I need to concern myself with important matters: like finding an alternate source of power. I can’t believe there are no Litanium crystals anywhere. Every universe I’ve been to has had them. Just one freaking crystal is all I need to leave. I know that Queen Beryl won’t keep her promise. Only if I go to her with the Cyber Scouts and Negacons.”

            The two-way mirror and bench Negaman was sitting on exploded and he was wrapped in fire. The force of the blast sent him flying into the counter and real mirror in front of him. His armor protected him, except his bare head. His hair and face was singed. He received multiple deep cuts from the glass all over his head. When he came to, Mina was lightly wiping the blood and glass off with a damp cloth. He was confused and his eyes were out of focus.

“Roll? What are you doing here? Did you follow me? Just like you to.”

“No, Sir. My name is Mina.” It didn’t register on him.

“Now you’re trapped here, too. I don’t know if I will be able to leave.”

            “Your wounds aren’t that bad, Sir. I’ll take care of you.” He still was a bit out of it.

“I’ve met the most wonderful girl recently. I think you would like her. She has a brain like yours only natural, sweet and innocent, dark short hair, the only problem is that she doesn’t know I exist.” He passed out again.

“Boy, this guy is really out of it. Look at this costume. Is there a Power Rangers Convention in town? He’ll be all right here. I hope I have enough strength back to be able to help Sailor Moon.” Mina laid the man down, stood up and held up her Venus Pen. When the transformation was complete, she took one more look around for casualties and saw no one else. She then took one last long look at him. Long white hair, dark skin, and some really strange armor.

“I’d swear I have seen this guy before. But where?” She then rushed out side to help her friend.

*

            Sailor Moon was running back and forth across the street. When she got to one side, flames would shoot across her path. She’d turn around and run. When she got to the other side, more flames making her turn around again.

“How are your dancing skills?” Phoenixman said. He stopped her running by firing streams of fire from both of his busters, which went on either side of Sailor Moon. Then shot quick bursts towards her feet. Each one missing by only a few inches. Sailor Moon picked up her feet or jumped to avoid the fire bursts. She was crying the whole time. Gushing like a faucet.

“Now, The ‘Can-Can’. Or maybe the ‘Macarena’.”

            “VENUS CRESCENT…” Phoenixman swung his right arms sideways, aimed and fired in the moment between the second and third incantation of Sailor Venus’s attack. The flame hit her dead on. Engulfing her, after a second she collapsed and the fire dissipated.

“I don’t have to say anything to get my attacks to work.”

“VENUS! NO!” Sailor Moon cried out. She desperately wanted to check on her friend, but Phoenixman blocked the way. So she retrieved her Moon Crescent Wand and performed the maneuvers to activate it. A wave of magical pureness surrounded him. Phoenixman just smirked.

“Your magic won’t work on me. I haven’t been captured, drugged, brainwashed, transmutated, youma-ized, yadda, yadda, yadda. I am a Repliroid. I make my own decisions. I want to destroy you and take over the world.” Phoenixman was walking to Sailor Moon as he talked. She just stood there. Frozen in fear. He came to about five feet from her, stopped. Placed his feet shoulder width apart, hung his arms slightly to the front, and bowed his head.

“Just for you, I’ll say it: CHOAS WING, AVTIVATE!”

*

Amy Anderson was walking home from prep school. She decided to take a different route. Her hair was getting long. She liked to keep her short. Not to short, she didn’t want to look like a boy. Just keep it out of her eyes, and less time to dry. Her usual salon was closed for renovations, so she decided to go to the one that everybody was talking about in school today.

            Amy thought about Serena, her only real friend in school. Sure, she only showed about quiz time. Whenever they studied together, it was Amy doing the actual book work. Still, Serena all ways said hi to her in the hallways all day. She did enjoy the video games in the arcade when they did go there. She didn’t just play them, she analyzed them: graphic detail, music, sound effects, sprite movement, sprite count, and pixel count per sprite. She also secretly laughed at the way Serena played the games, or slobbered over the cute guy at the counter

            Lately though, Amy noticed that Serena hasn’t been herself: quiet, head held down, staring off in the distance, hasn’t said a word to her for a couple of days. Amy did notice that Serena was on the verge of tears on several occasions, but held it in. She tried to talk to her, but was ignored.

            Amy was about half a block away from the salon when she noticed what looked like a character from one of Serena’s games standing in front of the store facing it. He lifted his right arm up; his hand was in the doorway so se didn’t see the flame shoot from his hand. She did hear the explosion and see billow of smoked shot through the door. Amy was horrified and gasped loudly. There was a walk in phone booth nearby. She ducked in to it and picked up the receiver, she was going to call the police, but stopped. Amy just kept watching the salon. A few seconds after the game character waked away, a girl dressed in an outfit like hers, only it had short skirt and knee high red boots came running out of the door. She had soap and ash all in her hair. Her hair was done up in double ponytails. Amy knew it was Sailor Moon. She had seen the news shows from a while back. Now it struck her that she ought to know her. That they had met.

            At that instant, Amy saw another girl dressed up like Sailor Moon, only her outfit was orange, come running out of the alley beside the salon. She gasped in fright when the new comer was surrounded by flame.

“I’ve got to help her, but how?” A stubbing pain in Amy’s temples welled up through out head and she blacked out. When she came to, her alarm clock was sounding. She had slept thirty minutes late. Fortunately, she usually set her alarm very early and wasn’t late. She wondered: She always beats her alarm by at least ten minutes. Then, why this pounding headache all day again?

*

“Where the hell am I?” Negaman sat up. The rush of blood from his head almost made him black out again. He fought the urge and soon recovered. “That’s right; I’m in this stupid hair salon.” All around him it looked like a bomb went off; glass everywhere, charred timbers, and melted shampoo bottles.

            “Where is that bloody helmet?” He looked around. Saw where two boards were leaning on something in the middle of the floor. Negaman slowly got up and walked over to them. Kicked the wood away to reveal his helmet. It was in sorry shape. The eyeglass piece was broken through the center. The red crystal in the forehead was cracked and a third fell out showing the underlying circuitry. Black marks burned into the base metal. The inside cushioning was melted and wires exposed. Negaman punched into it to flatten out the interior. He then put it on. The rough interior cutting into his already raw face.

            He walked over to the door to see if there was any trace of the attacker left. What he saw was incomprehensible. Phoenixman had grown wings of fire from his back. They arched back and flapped forward. Standing in front of him was Sailor Moon. He knew there was no time to react. Sailor Moon would be crushed and burned alive. That didn’t happen, at the last second, Sailor Hurricane jumped right in front of Sailor Moon and held out her arms and stopped the crushing action.

“Get away, Sailor Moon! I can’t hold him any longer!” She just stood there in shocked fright. Hurricane realized this. In a desperate attempt, vaulted up while still holding off Phoenixman, and mule-kicked Sailor Moon in the gut. This got her out of the way, unfortunately, Hurricane lost her grip on the fire wings and they closed on her. After a few seconds, the wings disappeared and Hurricane fell face down on the ground.

“NOOOOO!” Negaman yelled as he ran over to the fallen Cyber Scout.

“Oh go away.” Phoenixman said as he drew an aim on him. Before he could fire a shot, Sailor Moon’s tiara hit him in the forearm. It created a chain reaction with the stored energy causing his arm to explode.

“You’ll pay for that, bit…” Then Sailor Venus’s Smash Attack hit him in the back. Normally Phoenixman is strong against light based attacks, but he used up a lot of energy with his Chaos Wing and his arm was leaking power severely. He pushed the Decepticon symbol on his chest and was transported away.

            Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus walked over to Negaman and Sailor Hurricane. One holding her stomach, the other holding her left arm against her body. Negaman was trying to use his tricorder on Hurricane. He occasionally slapped the side of it with the palm of his hand.

“Are you okay?” Sailor Moon asked Venus.

“Yeah, only my elbow hurts a lot. Must have landed on it. I am constantly amazed at how much punishment this uniform can take.” Negaman picked up Hurricane. Cradling her in both arms and started walking down the street.

“Wait! Who are you?” He just continued walking. The setting sun silhouetting them. Sailor Moon could just barely pick out a mane of hair sticking out from under his helmet. “I know I’ve seen this somewhere.”

End

Chapter: TWO MOONS, TOO MANY

            “The principal really lets you wear that headband all the time, Amy?” Molly asked. Serena was walking between them.

“Yes, for some reason my head feels much better with it on.” They were on their way home from school. “Principal St. James gave it to me. Said something about his mother having headaches all the time and it helped.” They walked by the Crown Arcade and Serena made no move to go inside.

“Are you okay?” Amy asked.

“Boy, if someone can fall asleep while walking and keep their eyes open, Serena’s the one.” Molly said. They were walking past the Crown Restaurant. Something made Amy look inside.

“Look, Serena! It’s Principal St. James and Miss Haruna!” Serena just stood there. Amy practically dragged her to the window and ducked down. Molly just stood there puzzled by it all. Serena only looked up. She could see Miss Haruna clearly. Amy was below her. She could see St. James. He looked directly at her. Amy’s mind went fuzzy.

“Serena…are…you…okay? You…have…not…been…your…self.” She lifted her hand in slow motion and placed it on Serena’s forehead.

“I don’t…feel…any…thing…wrong.” Amy then stood up and started walking down the street Molly followed her. Serena felt her forehead. When Amy touched it, Serena felt a weird sensation in her head. The two girls reached the corner alley between two buildings fifty feet down the road. Molly immediately turned and walked into it and Amy just stopped and turned her head to the left. Serena looked too, but couldn’t see from her angle what Amy could. Amy turned around and faced Serena. She then took off the headband revealing a golden tiara with a blue jewel in the center. Turned and walked into the alley. Serena got up and ran over to the alley. Her friends Raye, Lita, Mina, and the cats Luna and Artemis were just reaching the back corner of the restaurant.

“What’s up with Serena?” Lita asked.

“Who knows what goes on in that empty meatba...” Raye was saying when an explosion tore apart the side of the restaurant. Without hesitation, each held up their transformation pen and said their individual incantation and transformed into the Sailor Scouts. They ran through the hole to see if any body needed help.

“You again! Just who are you?” Sailor Venus asked.

“Nobody was hurt. I took the brunt off the blast.” He looked it to. His armor was dented all over with black marks.

“Go get Sailor Moon. She went into they alley that way.” He pointed with his right hand at the far wall of the restaurant. Sailor Mars and Jupiter ran back out. Sailor Venus just stared blankly at him.

“Wake up. I’ll take care of the people in here. The Scouts need you more.” She rushed out.

“That was Maficman’s Bomb Cracker, and it was aimed for me.” Negaman thought. “My transporter is still off line so I’ll have to call in for some help for these people.” He picked up the phone and called the local EMT. Then walked over to where Miss Haruna was laying. She was just coming back from the bathroom when the blast hit.

“You’ll be fine. The paramedics will arrive soon. I need to help out those Scouts. I wonder how Wily and Sigma kept their bots in line?”

*

            One moment, Serena was running into an alley, the next she was looking up into the face of Sailor Mar leaning over her.

“You can fall asleep about anywhere can you?”

“Where’s Amy?” Serena sat up and starting rubbing the back of her neck.

“I didn’t see her.”

“Who?” Venus asked.

“You know, that really smart girl Serena hangs out with.” Jupiter said. “I thought I saw her walk into this alley.”

“Artemis and I will look for her.” Luna ran down the alley and Artemis went up a nearby fire escape.

“Come on Serena! We Need Sailor Moon!” Mars nagged.

            Serena held up her hand. “MOON PRISM POWER!” and then transformed into Sailor Moon. “All right! We got some bad guys to beat up. Let’s go Scouts.” She ran to the front of the alley. Noticed that nobody followed her.

“Hello! Yoo-hoo! Sailor Scouts. The Negaverse is attacking.” She turned around to look at them, the saw why they weren’t moving. Standing in the middle of the three Scouts was Serena Tsukino.

*

Negaman dived out of the café; explosions going off at his heels as he ran to the other side of the street. He thought his attackers would have a harder time getting a bead on him at this angle. As he got to the opposite sidewalk, three hand grenades landed a few feet from him. Negaman took off running down the street as fast as he could. He was barely out of range when they went off. He stopped when another one landed at his feet. He picked it up and tossed back in the air. As it exploded another one bounced off his helmet. He ran back the other way. Negaman spied a sewer cover, jumped up and landed at the edge swinging it open enough to let him down.

*

“Wicked cool! I’ve always wanted to meet you Sailor V! Can I have your autograph?”

“Uh… sure thing, Serena.”

“I know I have some paper somewhere. Oh man! Where’s my book bag? Of all times. Are you filming a new movie? Are they your new super team?”

“WILL YOU SHUT UP! We don’t have time for this! Sailor Venus, watch meatball head and make sure she doesn’t get in the way. Mars and Jupiter with me. NOW!” This was very much unlike Sailor Moon and the other Scouts cringed. When more explosions went off, they did as they were told.

“She needs to chill. Say, how do you know my name, Sailor V?” Venus stood there completely dumbfounded. Sailor Hurricane and Dragoon holding an unconscious Artemis stared down from the fire escape, dumbfounded too.

*

            Negaman was looking cross-eyed and dumbfounded down the length of a M4 Carbine rifle. The sewers were just about a good idea as running across the road. There was a robot waiting for him down there too, Jetman.

“I know that your armor is bullet proof. Except that space where the eye lens is missing.”

‘Why are you guys doing this?”

“You want information? Talk to loose lips Maficman. All you’re getting from me is a 5.56 mm round between the eyes.” Jetman brought the edge of his buster up to where his ear would be. Negaman figured the other Negacons where talking to him.

“…but… I… wait… I have… NO DON’T!” He disappeared in flash of blue light. Negaman sighed. That was too close. He guessed that the other robots where having trouble with the Sailor Scouts. He knew the Scouts would need help soon enough.

*

            Actually, the Sailor Scouts were holding their own. The Negacons were pinned down behind a row of cars. The Scouts standing in the street. Sailor Jupiter was using her lightning storms to interfere with the robots’ transportation abilities. Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon were picking off any shots fired at them.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.” Jupiter said.

“I knew I shouldn’t have told Venus to stay back. We need her to help finish these bozos off.’ A bright blue light flashed behind them.

“DAMNITDAMNITDAMNIT!!! I had him in my sights! WHOA! This isn’t where I’m supposed to be.” Jetman looked up and saw the electrical storm. “Must have messed up the transport.” He held up his buster and fired. A wall of wind blew the Scouts across the street and into the cars. The Negacons jumped up and looked over. The Scouts were knocked out. Sawman spoke first.

“Good job. Now to take care of Negaman. Graniteman and Maficman with me. Jetman to that alley and take care of Salad Venus. Phoenixman, these are yours.” They split up into the directions given. Phoenixman pick up Sailor Mars by the bow on her chest.

“So, you’re the fire witch. Let me show you how it is done.” He tossed her high in the air. Retracted his hands into his gauntlets forming the buster guns, and fired.

*

            “Get him with your V Kick!”

            “Run away, Serena!”

            “No way! I want to see you trash this dweeb!” As they argued, Jetman aimed his buster at them and fired. The rush of wind sent Sailor Venus into a wall and Serena tumbling out of sight down the alley. He took aim at Venus and fired.

            “I want to see how much air pressure it takes to flatten a Sailor Scout.” Sailor Venus tried to stand up but was pinned to the wall. She was able to fire off her smash attack, but it bounced harmlessly of Jetman.

            “No, it can’t be.” She barely squeaked.

            “Light attacks have no effect on me.” Venus’s ears painfully popped and she started to black out. Jetman had an evil smile on his face. Which turned to shock as Sailor Dragoon jumped in and chopped his buster aiming it down to the ground. He wasn’t prepared to readjust aim and the mini-tornado sent him flying up into a wall. Dragoon walked over to Sailor Venus to check her out. When she knelt down, Venus grabbed her by the throat and stood up. She then picked Dragoon up and slammed her back into the pavement.

            “We were wondering if you Cyber Scouts were going to show up. Of course I came prepared.” He held up a Tricorder and aimed it at Sailor Venus. “Negaman is an idiot if he thinks that we can’t come up with plans on our own. I missed the first fight between you two. I heard you got your ass kicked. Now for round two.”

            Sailor Dragoon got up and was hit with a sabot kick. She stumbled backwards into a wall. Then was hit with a Crescent Smash attack. Repeatedly over and over. Unlike the last time when she was ordered to hold back, Sailor Dragoon couldn’t even get one attack in. She was going to emergency transport out when she heard a voice down the alley.

            “You show them whose boss Sailor V!” Serena said as she ran back up the alley. This distracted Jetman and Sailor Venus long enough for Dragoon to fire off some Spark Shocks at Venus and Fire Storms at Jetman. They were left reeling. Serena was horrified at seeing her hero attacked in such a fashion. Dragoon stood between Serena and Venus and Jetman. Serena ran up behind her and started pounding her fists on Dragoon’s back.

            “YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!” Serena wailed. Sailor Dragoon saw Venus and Jetman ready for another attack. She grabbed Serena’s arm and pushed a button on her gauntlet. They both disappeared in a flash of light.

            “I really am beginning to hate those transporters. From now on I fight my own battles.” He closed the tricorder’s lid turning it off. Sailor Venus regained consciousness.

            “Now where were we? Oh yes!” This time, he grabbed the rifle attached to his back, aimed and fired.

*

            On the roof of the building next to the alley, Sailor Dragoon and Serena appeared. Dragoon let go of her arm and Serena fell down. She quickly back peddled away from Dragoon until her back hit the roof access door. Fear welling up inside of her. Sailor Dragoon then simply vanished again. Serena let out an audible sigh of relief.

            “I wonder where I am.” She walked over to the closest edge and peered over. She looked into the face of a pure white cat with a golden crescent moon mark on its forehead standing on the fire escape.

            “Serena! What are you doing up here? Why haven’t you transformed?”

            “AH! A CAT IS TALKING TO ME!” Serena once again back peddled away.

            “Now is not the time for jokes!” Artemis said as he jumped onto the roof. “The Scouts need you! Transform!” Serena had backed into the door way again. She slid down it into a sitting position.

            “It’s just a dream! It’s just a dream! I’ll wake up any minute now and be late for school.” Artemis just stared at her in complete disbelief.

            “I couldn’t find Amy any where, Artemis.” Luna said as she walked over from behind the roof access. When she came around the corner and saw Serena, she blew up.

            “SERENA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE! THE SCOUTS NEED YOU! NOW TRANSFORM!”

            “Oh no! Not another one! Wake up! Wake UP! WAKE UP!” Each time she said it she banged the back of her head into the door. “OW! That really hurt! Damn! Didn’t work. They’re still here.” She put her face into her hands and started sobbing.

            “Artemis?”

            “I have no clue. She’s been like this since I found her a minute ago.”

            “I’ll try my mind meld on her.” Luna hopped up into Serena’s lap and started purring. This had the desired effect of calming her down. Serena peaked through her fingers. She sighed and then began to pet Luna.

            “I remember you now. I saved you from those nasty kids picking on you.” A beam of light shot forth from the crescent on Luna’s forehead to Serena’s forehead. After only a few seconds, the light vanished and Serena passed out.

            “She has absolutely no memories of being Sailor Moon!”

*

            Phoenixman hit his target dead on. It then dropped straight down with a slight arc behind him. He turned around watching it. Noticing that it seemed to have grown twice its size. As it landed, he saw why: Sailor Hurricane had grabbed Sailor Mars in mid-flight and took the brunt of the blast. She landed into a kneeling position and then set Mars down. Hurricane stood and faced Phoenixman. He had all ready activated his Chaos Wing. She tried to run but was caught once again in its grasp. It lasted twice as long as before.

            “I’m using up a lot of power with this, but it’s worth it to get rid of you.” The wings dissipated. Sailor Hurricane fell backwards on the pavement. Phoenixman walked over to her and placed a foot on the side of her head applying pressure. Cracks formed in her helmet and spider webbed through out.

            “MOON TIARA MAGIC” Phoenixman simply caught the disk in midair when it got close enough. Then tossed it back. Sailor Moon caught it also. The magic had been lost in flight. She just placed it back on her head. Sailor Jupiter tried her lightning attack. It didn’t affect him. Sailor Hurricane convulsed as the energy pulsed through her. He looked over to the Scouts and smirked. Sailor Mars had woken up and grabbed Phoenixman’s leg to try to pull it off Hurricane’s head. It wouldn’t budge. He picked her up and threw her over to the other Scouts. They caught her and fell backwards. Mars got up quickly.

            “MARS FIRE…” A hand clasped over her hands stopping the attack. She looked over. It was that guy from the diner again, looking even more beaten up than before.

            “Don’t do that. It’ll only hurt her more.”

            “So you finally decided to show yourself, Negaman. Where’s the others?”

            “Half way to Kyoto by now.”

            “Megaman? Where have heard that before?” Sailor Jupiter asked.

            “That’s Negaman. With a N. Now listen, Sailor Moon’s tiara will work on him, but we need to weaken him down first. Unfortunately, my weapons are off-line and none of yours will work.”

            “I noticed. Why is that?” Sailor Moon asked.

            “It will take too long to explain. We need someone with a water attack. Sailor Hurricane is the only one.”

            Sailor Hurricane regained consciousness and tried to wiggle out of the helmet but it was crushed in enough to prevent that. Phoenixman applied more pressure. The helmet’s center jewel shattered. Her goggles cracked and the tiara bent in the center away from her head. He cocked his Phoenix Buster towards Hurricane.

            “It is now time to end this.”

            “GO TO HELL YOU PIECE OF SCRAP!” Negaman yelled as he ran over to them. He grabbed the buster and started jerking it back and forth. Phoenixman took his other arm and rammed his fist into the side of his head. Knocking half way across the street.

            “What can we do to save her?” Mars asked.

            “Water attack, hmm. I have an idea. Mars, Jupiter, stand back. MERCURY POWER!” Sailor Moon was surround by a stream of water. When it vanished, her uniform had changed. The red jewels in her hair and tiara had turned blue. Her ribbons and boots turned a light shade of blue.

            “Take this robo-crook! MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!” Sailor Moon crossed her arms across her chest. A blue sphere formed. She spread her arms and a stream of bubbles shot out and hit Phoenixman. He was knocked back a few feet from Sailor Hurricane. Then Sailor Moon’s tiara attack hit him square in the Decepticon symbol on his chest. He toppled backwards deactivated. Jetman came running out of the alley to his comrade. As soon as he got there, he touched the same symbol on his chest and they both transported away.

            “Wow! Since when could you do that, Sailor Moon?” Mars asked.

            “I’ve all ways been able to, I just didn’t need to until now. We better see if they need our help.” Sailor Mars and Jupiter went over to Sailor Hurricane. Sailor Moon went over to Negaman. Hurricane was already to her feet, but was stumbling about. Jupiter and Mars supported and guided her over to a car and she sat down on hood. Negaman and Sailor Moon walked over to them.

            “I don’t know how you keep doing it, but stop. You’re hurting yourself more and more.” Negaman pulled out his Tricorder and tried to scan her life signs. The device malfunctioned and turned off. He put it back into its compartment. Sailor Dragoon appeared and frantically pointed to the alley. The Scouts looked over, when they looked back, Dragoon, Hurricane and Negaman were gone.

            “Wait a minute, Sailor Venus and Serena are in that alley! Come on Scouts.” Sailor Moon Commanded. They all ran to the alley.

*

            “I guess I’ll have to use the fire escape.” Serena said when the roof access door wouldn’t open. Luna had stayed by her and Artemis had gone on down the stairs. Luna had been quiet, not wanting to upset her. Serena walked over to the iron railing that was the top of the fire escape. She climbed down onto the top platform. She looked up and down the alley but couldn’t see any thing. Serena climbed down several more flights until she saw the white cat again. It was just peering over the edge. Luna walked over to Artemis.

            “Artemis? What’s wrong?” Luna whispered. Artemis didn’t answer. She could see part off his face. It looked like he was trying to hold back tears. Serena too looked over the edge. She then immediately stated running down the rest of fire escape. Luna started after her but stopped when Artemis just stayed there. She grabbed him by the scruff of his neck in her mouth and dragged him down.

            “SAILOR V! NO!” Serena cried as she landed on the pavement and ran over to Sailor Venus. Venus was lying face down and a large pool of blood had formed under her. Serena turned her over and saw the bullet hole on the left side of her chest. The entire front of her uniform was soaked in blood. Serena knelt down and picked Venus up into her arms and cradled her and started crying.

            “Please don’t die Sailor V.”

            “Oh…Serena…you…really…are…my…biggest…fan…” Her body went limp.

            “NOOOOOOO!” Serena started to glow. Her school uniform changed into a long pink dress and a crescent moon mark formed on her head.

            “PRINCESS SERENITY!” Artemis and Luna exclaimed as they reached the ground.

They ran over to her in time to see the glow fade and Serena returned to normal. She then collapsed on to top of Sailor Venus. Venus slowly opened her eyes. She lifted her head and saw Serena.

            “Thank you, Princess.” She brought her arms around Serena and hugged her tightly. She sat up slowly, cradling Serena gently. Then stood up. She walked to the mouth of the alley and was greeted by the other Sailor Scouts who were shocked at her appearance.

            “Sailor Venus, are you okay?” Sailor Moon asked.

            “I just need some rest, but Serena here will probably need a whole new uniform.”

            “We had better get out of here. It sounds like the cops are coming.” Sailor Mars said.

            The Scouts with Serena ran back into the alley. Unknown to them, Negaman and the Cyber Sailors saw the whole thing from another fire escape.

“I must have been hit harder than I thought. Did I just see TWO Sailor Moons?”

*

            “Honey, there’s someone at the door.”

            “Don’t worry I’ll get it.”

            He opened the door and was greeted by a tall man with deeply tanned skin and white hair cut in a high and tight. His face was bandaged on the left. He wore black BDU style clothing.

            “Mr. Tsukino? I am Jesse St. James. Serena’s junior high principal.”

            “What did she do this time?”

            “This is a social visit. I occasionally pick a student at random and visit their family for a few hours.”

            “We are pleased, sir, but I’m afraid Serena isn’t home right now. Must have detention for being late again.”

            “I a sure you, Mr. Tsukino, that your daughter does not have detention. In fact she arrived early for her classes today.”

            “Then she must be at one of her friends’ houses.” Mrs. Tsukino said as she got to the door way. “Please come on in. I’ll have dinner ready in about an hour. Serena is always on time for dinner.”

            “Shoot! I forgot I have an appointment!” Jesse said as he looked at his watch. “I’m sorry, but I must decline your offer for now. Thank you for your time.” He bowed politely and turned around and starting walking away. When he got to the front of the yard, he felt as if some one was watching him. He looked at the house. The front door was closed. He looked at the second floor. He saw Serena’s little brother Sammy staring at him. He continued walking away. When he was barely out of sight, he cocked his right arm up to his upper arm a flicked his fist into a thumbs up motion.

            “I have seen that before.” Sammy said to himself. He ran over to his closet. Piled about knee high was a stack of comic books. He picked up the first one and started flipping through it. Just looking at the pictures.

*

            Jesse was walking down the street thinking. “All I wanted to do is just study her powers, not split her in half. Now I need to fix that as well. This time I won’t rush into it. Study her a while and fix my gear before I do any thing else.”

            “Good afternoon, Mr. St. James.” Amy said. That shook him back to reality.

            “Good afternoon, Ms. Anderson. What are you doing here?”

            “Serena asked me to help her study for a test next week.”

            “I just came from her house and she wasn’t there. Her mom said she should be home in a while. I’m sure they’ll let you stay for dinner.”

            “Thank you, sir.” She continued on her way. Jesse watched her for a minute. Sighed and started walking on down the road.

            “I guess the shrine.” He thought. When he got there, he had to steel his will. “I need to be on my toes here. Raye gave me a run for my money last time we met.” He walked up the steps to the main entrance.

            “Looking for some good luck charms? Prayers?” It was Raye’s grandfather.

            “No sir. I’m looking for…”

            “My rather beautiful granddaughter by chance? Well I’m afraid she is already spoken for. She’s too young and you’re too old. Plus I won’t allow her to date until she is sixteen.”

            “No, no, no. I’m looking for her friend Serena.” This guy really is a kook Jesse thought.

            “Both of them are not here. They’re probably at Serena’s house.”

            “No, they’re not.”

            “Well, I have no idea.”

            “Aren’t you worried? Some harm might come to her.”

            “I’m more worried about those who try to hurt HER.”

            “I see your point. Thanks for your time, sir.” Raye’s grandfather started dancing around, waving a stick around, and chanting.

            “That was my extra special chant for good luck.”

            “Thank you, sir. I need it.” Jesse bowed deeply and then left. Next, Lita’s place.

*

            “Will you please stop that pacing, Serena. It’s driving me crazy.”

            “For the last time quit calling me that. My name is Sailor Moon.”

            “Oh all right, Sailor Moon. Please sit down and relax. I went through a lot of trouble making dinner not to have it go to waste.”

            “How can you just sit there? The Negaverse is planning a major attack. There’s these robots running loose in the city. Sailor Mercury has yet to be found. We need to be out looking for her. You of all people, Sailor Jupiter, are sitting down taking a lunch break!”

            “First of all, when I’m not in my Sailor Uniform its Lita. Second, Luna and Artemis are collecting all the information they can find. Third, even I need a break now and then, and so do you. Are you going to sit down or am I going to have to tie you down?”

            “Just try it. I can take you.”

            Lita froze in mid-bite. Her normal reaction would be to slap the taste out of someone’s mouth for making such a challenge. This was Sailor Moon. She couldn’t fight her leader and best friend.

            “Well?” Sailor Moon said.

It took all of Lita’s resolve to continue eating. How did I get stuck with her Lita wondered. Then the doorbell rang.

            “Who is it?” Lita said in a raised and very irritated tone.

            “Your Principal.” Came the reply. A massive chill went up Lita’s spine.

            “Can you wait a second? Uhm.. I’m not.. uh... decent!”

            Jesse could hear most of the conversation that went on inside.

            “Quick! Hide in my bedroom!”

            “Why?”

            “If he sees you he’ll figure me out too!”

            “Oh all right. Hey! When was the last time you cleaned in here?”

            “Not now!”

            “There’s clothes piled all over the place! Why do keep the rest of your apartment clean but your bedroom?”

            “Serena!”

            “DON’T CALL ME THAT! IT’S SAILO…”

            “SSSHHHHH!”

            “Are these clean or what? I’m not staying in here!”

            “Then wait in the bathroom! It’s clean!”

            “What do you know, it is!”

            Lita then opened the door and let Jesse in.

            “I’m sorry it took so long. I had to go to my room and put something on.”

            “I understand.” Smiling to himself over the fact she was in her school uniform.

            “Please sit down. I just made dinner.”

            “In a minute, I have to use the bathroom.”

            A large sweat drop formed on the side of Lita’s head.

            “I’m sorry, my ..uh.. toilet is not ..uhm.. working. I have been going over to a friend’s room.”

            “I don’t have to go that bad. This looks delicious.” He sat down on the couch. Lita returned from the kitchen with another plate and handed it to Jesse.

            “What do I owe the honor of this visit, sir?”

            “As you know, there are several students who live by themselves. I like to check in on them once in a while, especially the ones with low grades. Just to make sure they are keeping a tidy ship. From the looks of things you are doing fine. You must spend a lot of time cleaning. This is excellent lasagna. Just like my Grandmother’s.”

            “Thank you.” Lita blushed. He sure is cute. Though he looked better with long hair, she thought, then face-faulted when the sound of a flushing toilet filled the room.

            “I seem to have a phone call.” Jesse said as he pulled out a cell phone and put it up to his ear. Lita got up and went to the back. Jesse then brought the tricorder down so he could see the display. He could hear the muffled voices. One sounded as if it had a hand over its mouth. He closed the lid when Lita returned.

            “Thank you for dinner, Ms. Kino. I must be leaving now. My work is never done.” He got up and simply left.

            “That was strange.”

            “HEY! LET ME OUT OF THIS CLOSET!”

*

            “Finally got one, let’s see if I can find the other.” Jesse said to himself as he activated his Tricorder and pointed it at Mina’s house. It only showed Mina inside at that moment. “Where could she be.” He looked closer at the readout. He thought something was odd. He pushed a few buttons and nothing happened. Tried again and still nothing. He placed his right index finger in the center of his forehead. Closed his eyes and concentrated on a mental picture of Mina walking to her window. He looked up at her window and she wasn’t there.

            “The Princess must have obliterated my control over her.” He thought. Then absent-minded said aloud. “Just where the heck is Serena?”

            “I saw her walking with Hino-san to her shrine, St. James-Sensei.”

            “Thank you.” He said as he started walking away. It hit him: the voice belonged to someone he hadn’t seen in years. When he turned around, nobody was there.

*

            “Sorry I’m late, Raye, but Sailor Moon here refused to wear a disguise so we had to take every back alley from my place.”

            “Why don’t you change out of your uniform, Meatball Head?”

            “Because I can’t, Sailor Mars. I need to use the Disguising Pen and I don’t have it. Don’t call me Meatball Head. She’s Meatball head.” Pointing at Serena. “What is she doing here anyway?”

            “I already tried a fire reading with just Serena and it failed. If I have the both of you here it might work.” Raye knelt in front of the altar and started chanting. Serena knelt behind and to the left and lowered her head in respect. Sailor Moon stood to Serena’s right arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

            “Sacred Fire, show me the one responsible for this.” The flames formed an image. It was of a girl with short hair. She wore a uniform exactly like the Sailor Scouts. The mouth moved. Everyone could just barely hear the sound.

            It said, “Help me.”

*

            Amy was running down a darkened street. She was running scared. Her heart was beating against her rib cage. She ran into an alley. It was a dead end. She turned around, a wall had appeared. In front was a shadowed figure. It started walking towards her.

            “HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!” Amy turned around. The dead end had disappeared and in its place was a nightscape. In the center was a bright white light that formed a doorway. Amy ran to it and went through. Her eyes flew open. After a few seconds she realized that she was in her room. She looked over at her clock. It said 3:30.

            “That horrible dream again. Why do I keep having them?” Amy got out of bed and put her bathrobe on. She went down the hall to the bathroom. She turned on the light. She looked into the mirror and let out scream. Her mother rushed in soon after.

            “Amy! What’s wrong?” Amy was standing in front of the mirror with a look of complete terror pointing with a trembling finger.

            “That’s not me.” Her mother looked at the image and only saw Amy’s reflection. She walked over to her daughter and put her arms around her.

            “It’s okay, honey. It was probably an afterthought of a dream.” Amy relaxed. “I’m afraid I need to go to the ER. Are you going to be all right now?” Amy looked at the mirror and saw her own image.

            “I guess so. May I take tomorrow off from school?”

*

            “Good morning, Class. If you don’t know, I am Jesse St. James. I will be filling in for Miss Haruna because she has the flu. First thing, take role” He went down the list of names. Marking the appropriate spots for those who were absent. When he got through the list, he noticed a few at the end that should have been higher on the list.

            “Ms. Baker?”

            “Here.”

            “Why is your name all the way down here?”

            “Probably because I transferred in a week after school started.”

            “Oh yeah. Nakama, Roruko?”

            “HAI!”

            “That’s it. According to the lesson plan, today we will start reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.” He started to write on the board. He froze. Slowly turning his head around and looked at the seat next to Serena. In it sat a girl with flaming red hair tied into a ponytail with long bangs in front of each ear that went down below her jaw. She had piercing green eyes. Her face was so familiar to him.

            “Class dismissed.” Everybody looked at each other. Then quickly got up and started to leave. Never passing up and opportunity to get out of school for the day. One certain student just had to open his mouth as he walked by the desk.

            “You left your cell phone on, Mr. S.”

            “Shut up, Melvin before you ruin this chance.” Molly said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him on out. The last one to file by was Roruko.

            “Excuse me, Ms., Nakama?”

            “Yes, St. James-Sensei?”

            “Could you tell me who your parents are?”

            “I don’t know. They died when I was young and I live alone.”

            “Do you have a brother by chance?”

            “No.”

            “How long have you been going to school here?

            “A couple of days now, Sensei.”

            Out side the window the screams of frightened students drifted into the classroom. Jesse ran to the closest window and looked over the schoolyard. The students were backing up against the building. In front of the gates all five of the Negacons holding Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus captive. In front of them was Kunzite. He spoke.

            “I know that there are Sailor Scouts at this school. Surrender now and I promise not to harm any of your friends.” A minute went by. “Jetman if you please.”

            Jetman pulled the charging handle of his rifle and pointed it at the side Sailor Venus’s head, whom was being held by Graniteman.

            “There is no way she’ll survive being hit there.” Jetman said. Phoenixman, who was holding Sailor Mars, cocked a buster and pointed it at her head.

            “I surrender.” Sailor Jupiter walked out from around the school with hands behind her head. When she was halfway to them, Kunzite walked over to her. Grabbed her chin with his thumb and index finger and lifted her face up.

            “Pretty smart. I believe you owe my friend here a rematch.” Maficman walked over behind her and brought her arms down and behind her back. Then marched her over next to Phoenixman. As they walked over Sailor Mars looked at her and mouthed the word coward. Jupiter just smiled and winked at her. Mars looked puzzled by this reaction. Jupiter crossed her eyes towards her forehead. Mars looked up to her forehead and saw Jupiter’s tiara’s antenna was extended.

            “That’s one. Where’s the other? Where’s Salad Moon?” Sawman asked.

            “I am going to put an end to those pieces of junk once and for all.” Jesse thought. He started to leave the classroom. Then remembered Roruko. She was no where to be found. He then touched a button on the side of his watch and in a blinding flash of blue light; the Negaman armor had formed around him.

“I’m almost back to full power, but I will need some help.” He went to the desk and picked up the tricorder and pushed a few buttons. From the window he heard a Sailor Scout shout an attack. It was one he knew none of ones in this dubbed universe had.

            “SHABON SPRAY!”

*

            Amy woke up at 9:30. Her mother let her stay home that day. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head. Then twisted her head left and right so her neck popped. She stood up. All the blood drained from her head making her dizzy. She then flopped straight back into bed unconscious. The nightmare began again.

*

            “Where the hell did this fog come from? It’s playing havoc with my power levels.” Phoenixman said. A flying disk then cut the barrel off Jetman’s M4. Phoenixman turned to look, inadvertently loosening his grip. Sailor Mars pulled free and round house kicked Graniteman who released Sailor Venus. She was pulled away by Mars and led away.

            “What are you doing, Mars? Jupiter needs…”

            “CRASH!” A bolt of lightning struck Sailor Jupiter’s antenna. The charge coursed through her and those close by. Maficman and Graniteman collapsed, Phoenixman fell to one knee, and Jetman stood there locked up. Sawman was unaffected and Kunzite was too far away. Sailor Jupiter also collapsed, she spent too much energy on that attack.

            “Do something about this freaking fog will you?” Sawman asked. Kunzite brought his hands together and a magical black sphere formed sucking in the mist. When it had cleared the sphere disappeared.

“For the next magical trick, I will saw this tomboy in half. Note the absence of the usual trick box.” Sawman produced a Chain Blade and held it over Sailor Jupiter’s midsection. He raised his arm slightly and before plunging downward, Sailor Moon tackled him causing the blade to shoot out wildly. Missing Kunzite by an inch and imbedding itself one foot into the school wall. Sailor Moon and Sawman landed in a heap by Kunzite. He reached down and grabbed her by the neck. Picked her up.

“Give me the Silver Crystal!”

“I don’t have it.” Sailor Moon gasped. Kunzite threw her towards the other two Scouts. She landed face first and skidded a few inches. Mars and Venus went over to her.

            “Give me that damned crystal or I kill your friend and everybody in this school.” Kunzite commanded.

            “What crystal?” Sawman muttered as he sat up. He looked over to where Sailor Jupiter had fallen. “Hey, look behind you, Sephiroth! Salad Hostage is gone!”

            “And so is everybody in this school.” Negaman said as he jumped in beside the Scouts holding Sailor Jupiter in his arms. She started to come to and Negaman set her down.

            “How’s Sailor Moon?” He asked.

            “Nothing a little Bactine and kicking Negaverse-butt wouldn’t heal.” Sailor Moon said.

            “Is this how you full fill your promises? By turning on us?” Kunzite asked.

            “I could ask you the same thing. What did you do to my robots to make them turn on me?”

            “You just don’t get it!” Sawman yelled. “You humans are all alike. You build us using technology that gives me free will and you expect me to blindly follow orders over a cliff, to lose to these Sailor Incompetents? No way in hell! To hell with you all! He crossed his arms on his chest and started firing his Twin Blade all over. Kunzite flew up into the air. Negaman grabbed the Scouts and threw them down and covered them himself. He was hit several times but the Scouts weren’t. A geyser of water surrounded Sawman and froze trapping him in a block of ice. Negaman looked up and saw Sailors Hurricane and Dragoon standing inside the gate. He got up and helped the other Scouts up.

            “Good timing, Sailor Moon. I wasn’t able to hold back my thunder attack much longer.”

            “So that’s why you surrendered so soon.” Sailor Venus said.

            “Yep, I called Sailor Moon up and she told me the plan. I would activate my attack but hold off until I could get close enough. Mars, don’t you ever call me a coward again.”

            “Then I would use Mercury Power to create a fog, but there was one minor hitch.” Sailor Moon explained. “I didn’t make the fog!”

            “Then who did? It wasn’t Sailor Hurricane.” Negaman wondered allowed. Both Cyber Scouts had walked over to him.

            “Are you guys okay? Sailor V?” Serena walked up to the group.

            “What are you doing here? You were supposed to have been transported to safety with the others.”

            “Everybody around me disappeared. Then this person in Sailor V’s outfit came up beside me and shoot bubbles from her arm making that fog. She told me to stay put.”

            “So where’s this girl now, Meatball Head.” Sailor Moon said.

            “That way.” She pointed down the yard and everybody turned their head in that direction. Standing there was a girl dressed just like a Sailor Scout. Her skirt and knee high boots were blue. The bows were a light shade of blue. She wore dark goggles and tiara with a blue jewel in the center. She also wore a helmet that covered her ears and the back of her head; it was the same shade as the bows. The only other differences is that she wore a black body suit under the Scout Uniform. It came halfway down her thighs and biceps, and up to just below her adams apple. Plus she had a gauntlet on her left arm.

            “I am Bishoujo Senshi, SAILOR MERCURY!”

            “That’s impossible.” Sailor Hurricane whispered

*

            “This is using up parts that could be used to fix us.” Phoenixman said.

            “It will be worth it just to see him go to pieces.”

            “After our last battle I’ll try any thing. I can’t believe she survived.” Jetman sulked.

            “I say you are wasting your time. Four levels of transformation?” Phoenixman asked.

            “It’s worth it. Boy will it be worth it.”

            “If I were human I might find it quite appealing.” Graniteman mused.

            “I have absolutely no basis for a reference. So I, and you for that matter, can’t possibly find this ‘appealing.’” Maficman said.

            “Maybe so, but I think Sawman should spend some time deprogramming that stick up your butt.” Graniteman said.

            “Clean up your attitudes. The guy signing the checks will be here in a few minutes.”

            “We blow off Negaman and then subjugate ourselves to these clowns. If it hadn’t been for Negaman, the Negaverse would have been blown away a long time ago.” Phoenixman said.

            “Repliroids don’t ‘subjugate’ ourselves to anybody. Remember: these ‘clowns’ are allowing us the use of their base for our headquarters. Neither Negaman nor the Salad Scouts will find us here.”

            “What an interesting machine you have there.” Kunzite said as he entered the lab. Following behind him was Queen Beryl.

“What are your plans for this?”

            “Twofold: mess with Negaman’s head in the worst way. Most importantly we need a sixth member for my plans.”

            “Your ‘plans.’ Do they involve betraying the Negaverse like you betrayed your own creator?” Beryl demanded.

            “I’m not what he had in mind. He robbed me and I’m going to pay him back.”

            “What are you talking about? You were created the same time as us.” Phoenixman said.

*

            “Where have you been all this time?” Sailor Moon asked.

            Sailor Mercury held up her hand and a little black book-sized box appeared. She opened it up revealing a screen and a keyboard. She pointed it at the robots.

            “I’d love to chit chat with you but our friends here a beginning to recover.”

            “Then let’s go in and wipe the walls with them before they come to.” Sailor Jupiter said.

            “You should wait and come up with a plan first.” Serena said. Mercury looked at her and then to Sailor Moon.

            “Since when are there two of you?” Mercury then started scanning them with her computer. Negaman walked beside her and looked at the screen. It was blank.

“Nice try, but only I can see the screen. These are some fascinating readings. How did this happen?”

            “Now is not a good time for this.” Sailor Hurricane said as she was pointing to the Robots. Jetman was furiously slapping Maficman trying to wake him up. Phoenixman had a steady stream of fire melting the ice trapping Sawman. Graniteman nip-upped and power posed.

            “Hurricane, take Serena and get out of here.” Negaman said. She grabbed Serena and pushed a button on her gauntlet. Nothing happened. She pushed it again a few more times, still nothing. She shrugged helplessly.

            “Something’s jamming my transporter.” Hurricane said. “Here, Dragoon, hide her somewhere safe.” Dragoon saluted and hauled a reluctant Serena around a corner. Just in time, a Bomb Cracker landed in the middle of the group.

*

            Sailor Dragoon and Serena entered back into the school through a side entrance. Dragoon felt odd. Something wasn’t right. At this time of day it shouldn’t be this dark. They walked down the hall.

“Are you a Sailor Scout like Sailor V?” Silence was her reply. “You seem familiar to me, have we met before?” No response. “I’m sure I’ll be all right now, could you…”

Dragoon opened a locker and shoved Serena inside. She twisted the latch. Then jumped back as a sword cut across where she was. As she landed she activated her arm-mounted buster and shot several Fire Storms, they were blocked by the sword. As each one hit, the upper body of her attacker was lit up. He had dark black hair and blue eyes. He wore black armor style like a knight’s. Dragoon brought her hands together straight out in front of her and started glowing off and on. When the glow became continuous, she spread her arms out releasing a huge fireball.

Serena couldn’t make out what was going on out side the wall locker she had been pushed in. Light filtered through the vent slots at the top and bottom. Something inside her said not to draw any attention to herself so she didn’t bang on the door. Through the vents Serena saw a bright flash and then heard a loud explosion. After a few moments of silence it was decided that it was safe to leave. She pushed on the door to no avail. Then fiddled with the slide rail on the inside. It was stuck.

            “How am I going to get out?” A soft white light glowed in front of her and the Moon Crescent Wand appeared. Serena grabbed it and a beam of light shot the door open.

            “Man, what a rush.” She shook it off and looked around. Normal lighting had returned. She saw the black spot in the carpet and went over to it. The area was littered with scraps of metal and wiring. The largest piece looked like the heel of a boot. Then she felt something odd, out of place. She held up the wand over the direct center. The crystal attached to it started glowing and then released a ball of energy. It outline the shape of a human, it disappeared leaving a young girl behind who fell into Serena’s arms.

*

            Kunzite turned around when he felt a new presence on the school roof. It was his protégé, Prince Endymion.

            “I see you had just as much success as my friends down there.” He held up the forehead panel that was Negaman’s helmet.

            “How?”

            “You missed a great deal of action. Maficman threw one of his bombs at the Sailor Scouts and Negaman threw himself right on top of it. This landed here.”

            “Did any body else go to pieces?”

            “I’m sure Sailor Hurricane bought it too. I haven’t seen her in the ensuing battle. I would have liked a trophy of her too.”

            “Queen Beryl will have a little fun with what I sent her. Battle, huh? Considering the Negacons track record…”

            “It’s going splendid. The Scouts are getting taken down but good.” Kunzite gestured over the side. Endymion walked over and surveyed the action. In the middle of the schoolyard Sailor Mars and Phoenixman were sending a steady stream of fire at each other. The center of where the streams met was moving back and forth over several feet. Sailor Venus was running along side the building with Sawman’s Twin Blade attack close at her heals. Graniteman was having a one on one fistfight with Sailor Mercury to the left of the gate. On the wall to the right of the gate Sailor Jupiter was crab walking backwards away from Jetman.

            “Not the pairings I imagined. Like Jetman and Venus or Maficman and Jupiter. Speaking of which, where is he and Sailor Moon?”

            “I don’t know. I haven’t seen them for a while. As for your first question, remember when Sailor Moon deactivated Phoenixman with her tiara?”

            “Yes. As I recall none of the other Scouts powers had any effect on him. So she used Sailor Mercury’s water power on him.”

            “Sawman explained that Negaman built them to be weak against a particular type of weapon. This was so they could be impervious to one other type attack.”

            “A balancing act I see. If they didn’t have it, all the Scouts powers would work on them. Did he by chance…”

            “Sawman isn’t as stupid as the rest. He wouldn’t tell me any more. I have figured out that Phoenixman is weak against Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury. I’m pretty sure that Graniteman and Maficman are weak against Sailor Jupiter’s electric attacks. Jetman is totally unaffected against Sailor Venus. Which leads me to wonder why he is fighting Sailor Jupiter.”

            “Seems to me they know more about the Scouts than they know themselves.”

*

            Sailor Jupiter usually doesn’t know fear in the face of combat. She is the best hand to hand scrapper of the Sailor Scouts. She trained in karate since she was kid and that training has paid of in many battles with the Negaverse. She even beat three of these robots pretty easily. All that training is for naught when her enemy has the psychological advantage. When the battle started she had a good start. When the bomb landed she jumped straight up and the shock wave hit her. She tried an experiment: using the force of an explosion to jump higher. It worked and carried her to the top of the school’s perimeter wall.

            “Nice move, babe. I saw that on TV too.” The robot said. He was standing on the ground several yards to her front. Jupiter tried her thunder attack again. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. When the electricity dissipated he looked at her.

“That tickled. Now it is my turn.” He jumped up to the top. Retracted his left hand inside his gauntlet. Jupiter hunched into an attack position readying herself, but no attack came. Instead the sound of a turbine beginning to spin. It was coming from the buster. It got louder and louder. He moved his arm to his side and after a second grandiosely swung it across the front of his body perfectly imitating the sound of an airplane taking off. Jupiter’s forehead beaded up with sweat and pooled along the rim of her tiara. Her arms dropped to the side. The look on her face turned blank.

            “In case you haven’t heard, my name is JETman. Negaman didn’t have this in mind when he created me, but he is an idiot all same.” At the mere mention of ‘jet’ Jupiter’s world turned black. In front of her was a door. She pulled it open and bright spotlights blinded her and microphones were shoved in her face. What the people were saying was all just a garble. Two police officers muscled the crowd back and a man in a business suit came inside.

            “Are you Lita Kino?” He asked.

            “Yes she is and you are?”

            “I’m Johan Belmont, Japan Airlines, Ms…”

            “Mrs. Hoshino. I’m watching Lita while her parents are on their business trip.”

            “Please sit down. I’m afraid I have some bad news. Lita, both your parents died yesterday when the flight they were on crashed.”

            Jupiter’s knees buckled and she feel down and started crawling backwards. Jetman was walking towards her. She missed the edge with her left hand and started falling towards the school-side. Jetman grabbed her leg.

            “You are not getting away that easy.”

*

            Sailor Venus ran as fast as she could to keep in front of the blades. She barely managed. Something shot across her face. Then was caught at the neck. Her body swung up then fell straight down. She stood up clutching her neck and coughing up blood. Venus looked to find what got her. She saw a wire about quarter of an inch thick. In the wall was an arm with a chainsaw blade attached to the wrist. Following the wire to the other end stood Sawman. He held up a cell phone and pointed it at her. Looked puzzled when nothing happened. Sailor Venus then hit him with her smash attack. He writhed in pain for a moment and recovered. Muttered some obscenities as he lashed the arm with the wire coiling it around her. Then started rapidly reeling in drawing himself closer as he did so Sawman thrust forward his right arm. On the wrist was another chainsaw blade.

*

            “MARS FIRE, IGNITE!” The extra push is what she needed to overcome Phoenixman. Sailor Mars’s flame engulfed him. After a second it dissipated. Phoenixman dusted himself off.

            “Like duh. Negaman even told you that wouldn’t work on me. However, my attacks work real well on you. CHAOS WING ACTIVATE!” As he clapped his wings together, Sailor Mars jumped high in the air out of the way. She produced four spirit tags.

            “AKU RYO TAI SAN!” The tags were then sent flying to each robot.

*

            Sailor Mercury came out on the losing end of her battle with Graniteman. She was on her knees with two metallic hands squeezing her throat.

            “I don’t give a crap what Sawman says, you’re going down.” He squeezed harder and Mercury gasped. She grabbed a hold of his arms and tried to pry them apart to no avail. As she started to black out, a wire frame grenade appeared in the internal display of her visor. She then let go with her right hand and brought it to rest on top of Graniteman’s arms. A Grenade Cracker materialized in her palm.

            “Holy sh…! Where’d that come from!?” One of Sailor Mars’s Tags hit him locking him up just before the grenade went off. Graniteman and Sailor Mercury went flying in opposite directions. Mercury landed behind the corner Sailor Jupiter first walked from out cold, as did Graniteman up against the perimeter wall.

*

            “What are you doing, dear?”

            “I’m leaving.” Jesse said as he sat down in the saucer shaped mini car.

            “Isn’t that the time sled my father invented? He was never able to get it to work.

            “I got it to work. It was too easy. Now I’m going use it to leave this place.”

            “Why? Did I do something wrong?”

            “No, you didn’t, just the world. It is too perfect, too boring. There has got to be more to life than this.”

            “You’re not going to change history are you?”

            “That’s impossible. The worst I could do is create a new universe. You would be safe.”

            “A new universe? Are you feeling all right?”

            “Never better. Now stand back.” He closed the canopy and started pushing buttons in a complex pattern. The car glowed a light blue with lightning bolts traveling all over it. Just before disappearing Jesse mouth the words I love you to his mother. The flashback faded and a dull red haze was all he saw.

            “KAA, KAA!”

            “Who?”

            “KAA, KAA!” Negaman opened his eyes and saw dark clouds everywhere. He then looked at his feet where the noise was coming from. Two crows were sitting on the bottom side of each foot.

            “Phobos and Deimos no doubt. Millions of crows in this city, and I wind up with you two.” They just looked at him. “What do you want?”

            “KAA, KAA!”

            “No, that was very stupid. Jumping on a bomb like that. Where am I”

            “KAA, KAA!”

            “I am looking down. At you two.” He thought about it a minute and then realized how they were perched. Then looked at the other down, right above the school.

“Oh, the anti-gravs must be malfunctioning.” He couldn’t see much from this high up. Reflexively reached for the side of his helmet to adjust the focus. Only to discover he had no helmet.

            “Can you guys fill me in on the details.”

            “KAA, KAA!”

            “What’s that, ‘A better idea?” The crow on his left foot used its beak to open up a small panel on Negaman’s sole and pecked at some circuits. His entire leg fell forward.

            “YOOOOOW! GODDAMNED BIRD! THAT JUST TORE A HAMSTRING!” Phobos settled next to Deimos on Negaman’s right foot. They both started pecking at a panel on that foot. It soon popped opened.

            “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please just don’t mess with that.”

            “KAA, KAA!”

            “Something soft?” They then pecked at the circuitry deactivating the anti-grav. Negaman dropped like a rock. The crows flew back to the shrine, kaa-ing as if laughing.

*

Sailor Mars’s spirit tags were only having marginal success against the robot attackers. Jetman was hit in the shoulder pushing him off the wall causing him to drop Sailor Jupiter on her head knocking her out cold. Phoenixman was blinded when one stuck to his face. He stumbled around trying to remove it and then tripped and fell on his back. Sailor Venus was just inches away from having her skull split open when Sawman froze and collapsed. The wire holding her slackened and she shimmied out of it and ran to Mars.

            “That was perfect timing. Is everybody okay?”

            “I don’t know. Where is Sailor Moon? Where’s that Sailor Mercury?”

            “Wait! There’s Jupiter! And she’s down!” They ran over to her. Kneeling on either side of her. Venus took Jupiter’s hand and felt for a pulse. “Thank God she’s still alive.”

            Sailor Mars felt Jupiter’s forehead for a second. “We need to get her to a hospital. She has a bad fracture in her head.”

*

            “I can’t believe it! They were almost victorious! I can’t understand how those shreds of paper could stop those machines! They don’t have souls. How could they be affected by them.”

            “There’s much more to being a ‘Repliroid’ than we can imagine. You saw how agitated Sawman became. Only a being that truly thinks they are alive can behave that way. But, we should debate this another time. The remaining Scouts are going to get away.

            “Let’s get down there then.”

            “NOW WAY NEGA-SCUM!” Kunzite and Endymion turned to look behind them. Standing in the roof access door was a very bruised and battered Sailor Moon.

            “YOU defeated Maficman?” They said at the same time.

            “I put him in the proper receptacle.”

*

            Inside the school’s gymnasium was a wreck. Several craters were smoldering in the polished wooden floor. Most of the gymnastics equipment was now toothpicks. In one corner stood three trashcans. One can was marked paper, another plastic, and the last, bulging over twice its normal size labeled aluminum. It started rocking around and tipped over spilling Maficman all over the place.

            “I’m never going hear the end of it from Sawman.” He said as his head rolled along. It came to a stop when it hit a boot.

“The human response would be ‘I hope to hell that’s who I think it is.’” He was picked up and turned around so he look in the face of this person. He wore a helmet with a crystal shaped like an upside down T. Both were white with a hint of light sky blue. Black goggles and black mouth cover.

            “Pull yourself together because we don’t ‘stand’ a chance without you.”

*

            “You don’t think you can take us on in that shape do you?” Kunzite said.

            “I will defeat you and the whole of the Negaverse!” Sailor Moon grabbed for the tiara on her head to activate her main attack. She stopped half way through though. She looked up and then touched a jewel on a hair bun as if adjusting the volume on a radio.

            “I’m not falling for that old trick.”

            “Wait a minute, I hear it too.” Endymion said. “It sounds like, ‘crap’?” They too looked up.

            “ccccccccrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPP!” Negaman impacted right on top of the Negaverse Leaders. Then floated upright to a standing position.

            “Thank God the back up anti-gravs kicked in or I might have been seriously hurt. So this is the soft landing.” He looked up and shook his fist in the air. “I’M GOING TO WRING YOUR SCRAWNY NECKS SO HARD YOUR UNIVERSAL COUNTERPARTS FEEL IT TOO!” He composed himself.

“I’LL BE SURE TO WRING THEIR NECKS AS WELL!” He recomposed himself. Then noticed Sailor Moon.

“I guess my little secret is out.”

“Secret?”

            “Huh? Hello. My helmet doesn’t exactly hide my face any more.”

            “I’ve never seen you without your armor on.”

            “What is it about this universe that people can’t put two and two together? Any way, The Scouts need your help.” He looked over the side. “Not good at all. Jupiter is knock out and Venus and Mars have been lassoed by Sawman’s Saw Knuckle. Phoenixman and Graniteman are close by. I wonder where Je… There he is, just jumped over the wall. Maficman, Maficman, Maficman, and here he comes. You need to do something.”

            “ME!? You seem to know so much. What about you?”

            “Do you ever wonder why in movies people who know better just don’t get to the point?” Negaman said as he walked by.

            “Yes.” He just walked right on by and into the doorway. Sailor Moon stood there puzzled for a moment. Then got major ticked off.

            “WELL I HOPE SOMEONE WRINGS YOUR UNIVERSAL COUNTERPART’S NECK SO HARD YOU FEEL IT!” She walked over to the edge and looked down and saw what Negaman described. She wondered what to do. Endymion moaned. Sailor Moon stomped on his head. A thought occurred. It worked for Sailor Jupiter. It should work for me as well. Sailor Moon then ran through the door. The door hit something causing it not to open all the way. No matter, she got through and ran down the steps. Negaman rolled down the steps a second later. When he hit bottom he just laid there. He then reached for his face using his thumb to push his nose back into shape.

            “Boy I am glad she doesn’t exist in my universe.”

*

            Her eyes flew open. Her heart was pounding against her rib cage. The last thing she remembered was a shadowed figure and a bright doorway. She lifted her head up and felt woozy. Subconsciously feeling her head. After about a second realizing she couldn’t feel her head with her hand. Running her hand through her hair she felt the strands being parted and felt the tension as knots were pulled. She brought her hand in front of her face. Instead of being peach it was white. Her eyes followed up her arm, catching glimpses of what else she wore: white elbow length gloves, dark blue skin tight body suit, and a white halter top.

            Her mind started to clear up a little and took in her surroundings. She was sitting at a desk at the front of a large room with rows of desks facing towards her. On the desk sat a very dented and cracked helmet. When she picked it up the eye lens dropped out and shattered. She stood up from the desk wondering how she got there. A casual look around the room revealed only confusing details. A window was broken and a line from there to the black board that had a body shape indentation in the center.

            “Weird. Well I’m pretty sure this is a classroom. Now, how did I get here?” She saw a sink in the back corner. She walked over to it. Turned on the facet and cupping her hands under the flow. She brought her hands to her face. The water felt so refreshing. She looked into the mirror; she had no idea who it was looking back at her. Somebody else appeared in the reflection. She was dressed almost the same.

            “Who are you?”

            “Follow me, there’s some people I want you to meet.

*

            “JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!” Sailor Moon yelled as she ran towards the robots. Unfortunately the attack didn’t have the same affect as before. Only Graniteman and Maficman collapsed. The current just passed through the others only harming Sailors Mars and Venus who were tied up by Sawman’s knuckle line. They passed out. A stabbing pain ran through Sailor Moon’s chest and she fell to all fours.

            “You just don’t learn do you.” A hand grabbed the back of Sailor Moon’s halter and picked her up to a standing position. Her head flopped back and she saw who it was.

            “Your not supposed to be here!” Phoenixman said. Sawman released his captives and reeled in his arms.

            “It’s okay. Now what do you want, Dashman?”

            “I heard something about two Sailor Moons. I would like to see that.”

            “SAILOR SAYS: HERE’S JOHNNY!” Dashman turned around to look and Serena smacked him across his face with the Crescent Moon Wand. He dropped Sailor Moon and bopped Serena on the head knocking her flat on her back.

            “Get that wand!” Sawman demanded. Dashman reached for the wand and tried to take it. Serena held on to it. Sailor Moon also grabbed for it. When her hand touched it a flash of light forced Dashman back.

            “I think it’s time we started working together, Sailor Moon.”

            “I am in total agreement for once, Serena.” Sailor Moon said as she helped Serena up.

            “MOON HEALING ACTIVATION.” They both said. The magic wave struck the robots causing them to convulse wildly except Dashman who transported out before it hit. The fallen Scouts woke up with their injuries healed.

            “You will only get the crystal…” Serena started

            “…Over our dead bodies!” Sailor Moon finished. The attack halted and they both fell down. The other Scouts ran over to them.

            “SAILOR MOON! SERENA!” They shouted when they got over to them.

            “My chest. Like a jackhammer.” Sailor Moon wheezed. “Serena?” She was clutching her chest and was barely breathing.

            “Their bodies can’t take the strain of being apart like that for much longer.” Sailor Mercury said as she limped up to them.

            “Where have you been all this time?” Mars asked in an accusing tone.

            “Gomen nasi. I knocked myself out with a grenade. We need to get out of here. Those bots are recovering. That wand only took away the Negaverse Energy they have been using. They are still too much for us in our condition. I’ll stay and cover your escape.

            “What about you?” Sailor Venus asked.

            “Catch you on the flip side. SHABON SPRAY!” A stream of bubbles shot from the buster on her left arm and a fog enclosed the area. The Sailor Scouts made good use of the cover and carried Sailor Moon and Serena away. Mercury heard the robots milling around cursing. She took advantage and ran around the side of the school. After she was some distance away she stopped and leaned back against the wall. She took her helmet off letting her red hair flop down.

            “I hate this thing. I wish I didn’t have to wear it. It’s so stuffy.”

            “You have to because you are an impostor.” Sailor Hurricane said. She was right next to Mercury. They turned their heads towards each other at the same time. Green eyes meeting ice-cold blue eyes.

*

            “Explain yourself to me Sawman. Why did your plan fail?” Queen Beryl asked. She was sitting in her throne waving her hands over the crystal ball in front of her. Kunzite and Endymion were off to her left locked up at attention. Sawman standing nonchalantly right in front of the steps to Beryl. Two spotlights clicked on and focused on Sawman.

            “Oh how melodramatic.”

            “Watch your tongue in front of the Queen!” Kunzite shouted.

            “If I had a tongue I would stick it out at you.” Turning his attention back to Beryl.

“The plan didn’t fail, I accomplished my main goals. Certain elements didn’t go as planned. Still the main part is going like clockwork. The areas that threw off my calculations were that Sailor Jupiter storing up enough power to zap the others; and Sailor Venus not coming under my control.”

            “Do what?” Kunzite asked.

            “Remember when Sailor Venus first appeared? Just before she saved the Scouts from you she battled and lost to Negaman. He implanted a device on her he used to monitor the Scouts. Jetman used it once but the idiot shot her. I tried but failed to control her.”

            “All you are offering me are excuses. You are no better than some previous generals of mine.”

            “You mean Jadeite, Nephrite, and especially that loser Zoicite?” He glanced over at Kunzite.

            “Why you…”

            “Don’t let him bait you.” Endymion said.

            “When I couldn’t brainwash Sailor Venus I decided to get rid of her. Instead Sailor Mars’s Spirit Tags stopped me.”

            “You told us that such attacks wouldn’t work. Still you were knocked down by a piece of paper. HA!” Kunzite said

            “Fair enough. Don’t forget that Sailor Moon’s wand did a number on us too. Negaman built us with batteries, not fusion reactors. So we have to recharge all the time. When we moved in here. We started using the Negaverse energy instead of normal energy. That makes us susceptible to such attacks. I’m fixing that problem by moving our head quarters from here to a high-energy facility. As soon as we finish repairs we’ll be ready for the next battle.”

            “What are your plans for the next battle?” Queen Beryl asked.

            “We will draw the Sailor Scouts, Cyber Sailors, and Negaman together and crush them once and for all.”

            “You just tried that! What makes you think it will work this time?”

            “I’m going to do it on my own. Plus we’re bringing out the big gun for this one.”

            “The what?”

            “The really big gun. You’ll know when you see it.”

            “We should just crush you tin cans. You are nothing but a hassle to us.” Kunzite said.

            “When have you ever sent the Scouts packing? You’ve come closer than we did and still lost. I accomplished more in one morning than you have in one summer. It’s going to be about a week before we are ready. In the meantime send a couple of your monsters out. One of the important parts of my plan can be helped with that.”

            “No way are we going to waste any more energy on you.”

            “Silence, Endymion! I’m giving you one more chance. If you fail…”

            “Don’t threaten me, Beryl. You can’t possibly scare me. I’ve been through a lot worse. Which is why I’m doing this to Negaman. I am going to follow him wherever he goes and make him pay for betraying me.” Sawman pushed the spot on his chest where the Decepticon symbol used to be but now showed the character for the Greek letter for S framed by a coyote’s head, he then transported out.

            “Your majesty, I can’t believe you are putting up with that!” Kunzite said.

            “Patience. Remember we have a surprise for him and Negaman.” Where Sawman stood, Sailors Hurricane and Dragoon transported in.

*

            Lita slowly opened the door to her bedroom and peeked inside. Serena and Sailor Moon were asleep on the bed; and Raye was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Then quietly as possible swung the door open with her hips because she had a plate of food in her arms. She set it down on the dresser and walked over to Raye. She was sitting in a chair, arms folded across her chest, head bobbing up and down. Lita watched as Raye’s head would slowly tilt down and then suddenly shoot up only to start slowly tilting down again. Lita leaned over and shook Raye’s shoulder to wake her up. That wasn’t a very good idea. Raye stood straight up smacking the top of her head on Lita’s jaw. The sound of two coconuts colliding echoed throughout the room. Lita fell over backwards. First impacting on her butt and then rolling flat on her back arms and legs spread eagle knocked out. Raye sat back in the chair grasping her head tears welling up in her eyes.

            “I’m glad Mina wasn’t here to see that.” She squeaked.

            “See what?” Mina asked as she walked into the room Luna and Artemis at her heels. The cats ran over to the prone Lita.

            “What happ…” Luna started.

            “I don’t even want to know.” Artemis finished.

            “SSSSHHHH!” Raye hissed as she held her head with one hand and pointed at the bed with the other. Serena moaned and Mina covered her mouth and Raye rested her elbows on her knees and just continued holding her head. Serena calmed down and snuggled closer to Sailor Moon.

            “WHEW, that was close.” Mina sighed. “They look like twin sisters”

            “You’re telling me.” Raye said. “I almost lost control.” She was still holding her head.

            “’Lost control?’” Luna asked.

            “I’m using my psychic abilities to keep them asleep. Oh man, my head is really hurting now.”

            “Why are you doing that?” Artemis asked.

            “They were in so much pain it was the only thing I can do.”

            “OHHhhh, is a bell ringing?” Lita mumbled as she came to and sat up. Mina draped Lita’s right arm across her shoulders to help her up. When she was on her feet Lita brought her other arm across Mina’s shoulder’s and looked into her eyes and smiled.

            “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. You’ve grown your hair out.”

            “Uh, Lita?”

            “Remember that time in the theater? We were watching that scary movie…” She faded out.

            “HELP! She’s confusing me with one of her old boyfriends!”

            She fades back in. “…that scene scared me and you held me in you arms. We were so close. Our lips were so close. Then that sweaty guy sat down next to you and started asking us about what he missed.”

            “Somebody help me! Raye?”

            “God I hope she has to have her jaw wired.” Raye mumbled.

            “Now we have no interruptions.” Lita closed her unfocused eyes and leaned in towards Mina.

            “LUNA! ARTEMIS!” Mina brought her right fore arm across Lita’s chest in an almost feeble attempt to hold her back. Lita was too tall and too strong for it to work for long. Mina ducked her head to one side. She saw a glass of water within reach. She grabbed it and dumped it on Lita’s head. This shocked her back to reality. It included a real up close view of Mina’s face. She backed off and saw the glass held up in the air up side down. Lita grabbed Mina by the front of her shirt and started smacking her hand back and forth across her face.

            “WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!” Lita yelled.

            “GO TO SLEEP!” Raye yelled. She used her powers to put Lita and Mina to sleep. They fell over, onto the cats.

“That was a little too much at once.” Raye said as she passed out.

            “I don’t think we’ll get any thing done tonight.” Artemis moaned.

            “We really need to do more work on team building.” Luna said.

            “Or just get Lita a boyfriend.” Artemis was rewarded with that remark by a scratch across the face from Luna.

*

            “I’m sorry to bother you ma’am, I am Jesse St. James, Crossroads Junior High Principal. I’m calling to check to see if your daughter is okay. She is? Good. We have been cleared by the police to go ahead and conduct classes as normal; so I expect her on time tomorrow. Thank you.” He hung up the phone. He entered some commands on his computer. A video starting playing. It was of the battle between Sailor Dragoon and Prince Endymion. It was from Dragoon’s point of view. Jesse saw her shoot the Fire Storms at Endymion. They were just reflected by his sword. Then she produced a huge fireball. Which was absorbed by a…

            “ROSE!? One rose did that?” He paused the image and reached into a box beside his desk and pulled out a piece of scrap metal. It used to a part of the chest armor that Dragoon wore. In the center was what looked like charred remains of a flower stem. He continued the video in slow motion. The view panned down to show a black rose stuck in her chest. She clutched at it. Then static started filling the screen as it panned back up to a shot of Endymion flying in the air with his sword drawn. The screen blanked out as the tip of the sword came within millimeters of the camera. A subscreen below the main one of the monitor showed Dragoon’s power levels, which dropped when the rose hit and then over maxed when the screen went blank and then settled to zero.

            “How did she escape? The transporters were jammed at the time.” He looked at the piece of metal in his hands. Something about it and the rest of the wreckage didn’t seem right. He typed in some more commands and the video of what Sailor Hurricane last saw came on. He saw himself jump on the bomb. Then Hurricane jumped on top of him as well. That surprised him still. He had already seen it a dozen times and it affected him the same way each time. When the bomb exploded the screen went blank and the power readings zeroed.

            “Why did she do that?” He wondered. He picked up the phone and dialed.

            “Yes, ma’am. I’m Jesse St. James. Just checking that Amy is okay. No, don’t wake her up. Just be sure she gets to school on time tomorrow. The police said as long as the damaged areas are cordoned off we can conduct business as normal. Thank you.” He hung up. Then opened a drawer and pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside were the remains of Hurricane’s visor.

            “That’s what wrong: not enough wreckage. If Hurricane had been destroyed, there should have been pieces of her armor everywhere. This is all I could find. There is even a large chunk of Dragoon missing as well. Man, I screwed up bad. I only wanted to slow the Scouts down and study them, not try and get them killed. Speaking of which.” He pulled up a new screen. It displayed Sailor Mercury and Roruko.

            “How is this possible? The tricorder says she is very much human, but I don’t remember seeing her at all before coming here. Maybe when I changed history someone else was chosen to be Mercury. She even has what looks like the same mini computer. If she is, why the helmet?” He yawned. When he opened his eyes he was in a darkened alley. A young girl came running in and stopped at the end. It was Amy.

            “AMY! What’s going on here?” She ignored him as if he wasn’t there. She looked back down the alley. He looked too. A shadow appeared and stated walking towards her. The wall had turned into a star field and Amy ran into it at a lighted doorway.

            “No don’t.” The shadow said as it continued walking. It stopped in front of Jesse. It slowly turned its head to him. A glint of light revealed short dark hair, blue eyes, and a golden tiara. At that moment he woke up. He had fallen asleep on his keyboard.

            “Not again?”

*

            Sawman swept they area with his tricorder. He was trying to see if anybody was following him, or in case of the Negaverse, spying on him from afar. It showed nothing for miles, just him and three more robots inside the building. That puzzled him.

            “I’m going to have to fix that. I’m surprised that J**** hasn’t tried this. Damn it. I still can’t say it.” He went on inside. The place was deserted at this time of night. Sawman walked down several hallways. Went through a bunch of doors until he came to an elevator. After waiting a minute or so the doors opened. He got inside and pushed the button for the lowest basement. The ride lasted less than a minute and the doors open. A sign greeted him. Sawman sighed as he pushed the button for the top floor and stepped out. After waiting impatiently for several minutes for the elevator to travel up, he got down on his knees and forced his fingertips into the seem between the doors and pulled them apart. Sawman got back up, grabbed the sign and jumped into what should have been a hole. Instead it was a steel plate. The loud noise didn’t bother him; it was the fact that nobody said anything about it. He picked up one side of the plate and jumped into the hole underneath. He landed a short distance down inside a large room.

            “If you use the other way, it is a whole lot quieter.” Dashman said as he worked on Phoenixman. Maficman and Graniteman were laying on the ground in several pieces. All three had various body panels removed exposing the underlying circuitry and framework. Phoenixman was sitting on the edge of a table deactivated while Dashman knelt behind him with solder pen in one hand and twice its normal width tricorder in the other. Every other second he would look at the screen and then into Phoenixman.

            “If I had, I wouldn’t have seen this.” Sawman held up the sign. Dashman looked up and read it.

            “’We’re one more floor down.’” Dashman set the pen down and smacked the back of Phoenixman’s head.

            “We in more danger of being found by a janitor than the Negaverse or Sailor Scouts.”

            “You’re underestimating our opponents. That’s dangerous.”

            “Let me tell you about them. As long as you’re here, the Scouts won’t find us. As for the Negaverse, lord are they idiots. Kunzite sets up a finishing school for girls in order to attract the Moon Princess. Like clockwork S***** shows up and he doesn’t recognize her. Have you been able to fix this?”

            “No. Negaman’s programming is too good even for me to over come. It even effects me because I was built by you. You could over power it on your own.”

            “I have to keep my power levels low to prevent J**** from homing in on me. That’s what causes me to fade in and out sometimes. Right now what we need to do is repair ourselves and make improvements. For example, cloaking against these tricorders.”

            “No problem. That’s what I am working on right now. Negaman buried a tracking device deep inside these guys. Here it is.” He pulled out a marble sized diode that glowed. Dashman held it over his tricorder and it shut off. Then focused his attention back inside of Phoenixman.

“I have been comparing their design to mine and noticed many differences.”

            “They were built only to lose to the Scouts so Negaman could study them. I was able to over come most of that. They were also based on the old Wily-bot designs, only with better programming. You were built as close to a Repliroid as I could using this world’s technology.”

            “I can tell the difference between Negaman’s original work and your improvements. Each robot now has two power levels. I have five. Four of which are redundancies.”

            “First of all we are Repliroids, not ‘robots’, even these scrap piles. Extend to them that courtesy please. Second, they are not redundant at all. You use them all the time without knowing it. I made you that way so you would be more believable. That is the problem Negaman had with his Cyber Scouts. Their levels are integrated so when they are in either Cyber form or normal human form traits tend to crop up at the wrong time. I made you so that will not happen. Right now you are at level three. It is totally separate from one and two.”

            “I get it now. It is to keep me from saying something and revealing my true identity when I go back to level one or two. Even at three I can’t communicate with the others. What about four and five?”

            “Four will get used here shortly. Five is just a fallback in case we lose. Don’t say anything about having a fifth level to these dunderheads.”

            “What ever happened to the Cyber Scouts?”

            “I have no idea. I saw Hurricane get blown up, but I doubt I’m lucky enough she is gone for good. Speaking of which, isn’t it about time you left.”

            “Even though I have no idea what it is I do, I get this feeling I don’t like it. By the way, just so you know, I sent Jetman to get some parts.”

            “You sent…”

            “He was the only one I hadn’t started on, plus I made sure he left ALL his guns here.”

            “ALL of them?”

            “He left them in a pile over there.” Over in the far corner was a pile of every type of firearm imaginable. “Where does he hide those things. He spent twenty minutes pulling them out of nowhere.”

            “The same place Salad Moon keeps her trinkets.”

            “You are fading out again. I had better get going. All the information you need to continue the repairs is on the main computer.”

            “One more thing, give me your tricorder.” Dashman did so. “Damn, I didn’t realize this was on here. Anyway, I don’t use it anymore.” He peeled the Decepticon symbol off the cover and opened it up and typed on the keyboard.

            “This is a note to yourself. Find out more about this Silver Crystal.”

*

            The sound of chair legs scratching along the floor woke her up. She turned to great her fellow student.

            “Good morning, Serena-chan! NANI!!!”

            “My name is Amy.”

            “What are you doing!? This isn’t your class.”

            “My class room was damaged by the robots so I was moved in here for now.”

            “That’s Serena’s seat.” She said rather coldly.

            “Chill, Roruko.” Molly leaned over so she could see around Amy. “Lita told me that Serena is feeling sick and won’t make it in today. I’m sure Serena wouldn’t mind if her friend borrows her desk for the day.”

            “Gomen nasi. Any friend of Serena’s is a friend of mine.” She smiled and Amy sat down. The door opened and Jesse St. James on crutches hobbled into the class.

            “Miss Haruna is still sick so I’m your sub for today. Maybe we’ll get something accomplished other than running for our lives.” Jesse said as he sat down and got out the attendance book.

            “Are you sure you’re in shape to even be here?” Melvin asked.

            “Just took a bad tumble down some stairs yesterday. I’m not letting a torn ham and a broken nose get in the way of your education.” Most of the class showed how impressed they were by doing a long drawn out whistle. Jesse did look worse for wear: his left leg was bandaged and his nose had a plastic guard on it.

            “What’s this for?” Melvin was pointing at the right side of his face indicating the same spot on Jesse’s face. Which was bandaged as well.

            “Uhm…Qwertytis.”

            “I get it all the time.”

            “Why am I not surprised?”

            “What’s that?” Molly asked Melvin.

            “Well…uhm…”

            “That’s the impression a keyboard makes on your face when you fall asleep on it. Happens to me once in a while.” Amy answered.

            “AMY!” Melvin whined red faced.

            “Thanks, Amy.” Jesse said sourly.

            “That’s my Melvin.” Molly snickered.

Roruko rested her head on her left hand and adjusted her angle so she could unobtrusively study Amy.

“I don’t like her.” Roruko thought. “Something about her.” Her gaze focused on Amy’s eyes; they were a dark blue. They seemed to be slightly dull, as if she was in some other world. Then Roruko’s head hit the desk. She looked back up and tried to feel her head with her left hand, it wouldn’t move. Her arm was being held be Jesse.

“I ought to send you to the principal’s office for making an injured man walk all the way over to you, but I’m already here. Now pay attention so you don’t miss role call.”

            “Hai, St. James-Sensei.”

            “That was certainly an odd sound.” He thought as he went back to the front desk. “All right class get out your books and turn to chapter three.” He sat down.

            “NAKAMA! Did the robots eat your homework?”

            “Nai, St. James-Sensei. I downloaded all the school’s textbooks onto my mini-computer. It is a lot easier than carrying all those books.”

            “Where did you get one so powerful? All of mine have don’t even have five hundred MEGS of hard drive. I bought them just this year.” Melvin piped in.

            “If you don’t mind, I would like to have a closer look at that after class.” Jesse said.

            “I wish I had something like that.” Amy said as she looked at the computer. “That’s an interesting sticker.”

            “Oh this?” Roruko pointed at the sticker above the keypad. It was metallic purple. It was made of many triangles forming a face. At the top were four points. The bottom half was formed by one large triangle with two on each side squaring it up. Two more small black triangles formed the eyes.

            “It’s the symbol for Mercury. God of wisdom and water.”

            “That can’t be right.” Amy thought as she opened her book. When she looked at the page, something weird happened. The words rearranged themselves into a face. It spoke to her mind.

            “I need you, now.”

            “I can’t, not now.”

            “What was that?” Roruko asked.

            “Don’t disobey me.” Beams of invisible light shot from the book into Amy’s eyes. She set the book down. Got up and started to leave.

            “Where are you going, Ms Anderson?” Jesse demanded. Amy just walked out.

            “I’ll go get her, St. James-Sensei.” Roruko dashed out after her.

            “This is going to be one of those days, again.” Jesse thought as he got out his cell phone and activated the tricorder functions.

*

            Roruko saw Amy go into the bathroom and tried to follow her in but the door wouldn’t budge. She backed up against the opposite wall and then charged the door. It opened a split second before and she fell on her face. She looked up and standing by the window was Sailor Hurricane.

            “I suggest you leave well enough alone, impostor.”

“What did you do with Amy?” Roruko stood back up, and then the door knocked her back down.

            “This is a public restroom, quit hogging it.” Lita said as she entered.

            “GET OUT! IT’S DANGEROUS!” Roruko jumped up and positioned her self so as to guard Lita by spreading her arms and legs.

            “Dangerous if you don’t let me in.” Lita placed her hands under Roruko’s armpits and tried to lift. “Jeeze girl, what do you eat?”

            “She’s gone!” She ran to the window and got out her mini-computer and started scanning. It picked up the transport trail and pinpointed its destination.

            “LITA! GET THE …Lita?” She looked around seeing nobody. Then a toilet flushed. Lita walked out of the stall and to the sinks and washed her hands. Roruko just looked on slacked-jawed.

            “What? Never seen someone wash their hands after going to the bathroom before?”

Roruko just walked to the door, poked her head out and looked up and down the hallway and the left all the way.

            “Strange girl.” Lita said as she dried her hands. She opened the door and was greeted by Sailor Mercury.

            “There’s going to be trouble at the Crown Arcade. Get the other Senshi and meet me there.” She then ran down the hall.

            “What’s Senshi?”

*

            On the rooftop of the Crown Game Center is a water tower. Standing on the railing in front of the ladder is Sailor Mercury. She has out her mini computer and is scanning the area.

            “Climbing up here was a good idea, I can see for miles and down into the streets.” She looked around. She heard a beeping sound in her ear. She looked at the screen and pushed a button to silence it and then studied the display. It showed three power signatures directly below her. Sailor Mercury looked over the railing and saw only the white hair of one. The other two she couldn’t see because they were standing under the legs of the tower. The voice of the man could be heard once she adjusted the reception of the ear components of her helmet. It was Kunzite.

            “I want you two to stay out of sight. You’re only to come out if any of those robots show up. If I need you for any other reason I’ll call you.” He turned around and surveyed the area.

            “I need a better vantage point.” Kunzite floated up.

            Sailor Mercury had her nose buried in her computer trying to figure out what the other two power sources were. One matched Sailor Hurricane from before; the other was a mystery. Both had the same Negaverse wavelength that emanated from Kunzite. Hurricane’s was different from the others, as if something else was being suppressed. The numbers the came through were odd and very familiar. On a whim she scanned herself. Before the scan was complete, a shadow fell across her. She looked up and saw Kunzite floating in the air right in front of her with his back turned towards her. He backed up to the top of ladder and sat down on the landing. Mercury was less than a couple of feet behind him scared stiff.

            “Excellent view up here. I can see for miles and down into the streets.” After a few seconds he looked off towards his left and cupped his left hand over his eye. “Why do I get this strange feeling that someone is watching me?” Someone was and it wasn’t just Sailor Mercury who was thinking:

            “Where in the Hell is Sailor Jupiter and the rest of them at?”

*

            “Nope not in here either.” Lita said as she put down the Greek Dictionary. On the desk in the library was piled high with dictionaries from around the world: English, French, Spanish, German, Finnish, Romanian, Polish, Swahili, Hindustani, Congolese, Egyptian, Hebrew, Austrian, Australian, Canadian, Boolean, Bullian, Ako-poki-piki. She was now finally reaching for the one she needed.

*

            “See, it’s not so bad. It really is a nice day.” Serena said as she retied hair. Raye was standing next to her helping the third girl of the group with her dress.

            “ACK! What are you trying to do? Cut me in half? Loosen that thing back up.”

            “All you do is complain. You have to wear the belt like this or the pants droop. That shows disrespect.”

            “As if I’ll show anything. I do still have this Sail…”

            “SSSSHHH”

            They continued walking down the sidewalk. Serena was wearing jeans several sizes too big and too long for her. She ‘borrowed’ them along with a sweater from Lita. Her hair was done up into a signal ponytail at the back of her head. Raye was in a purple dress that came down to her knees. The third girl was wearing the uniform of the Hikawa Shrine. She wore a red scarf over her head. Her double ponytails were stuck down the back of her top.

            “Hey Serena, Raye. What are you doing here during school hours?” It was Andrew.

            “Uhm…Last minute federal holiday?” Raye said.

            “Don’t worry, I won’t rat you out. Who’s your friend?”

            “Uhm…uh…” Raye stammered

            “That’s my cousin from up north, Usagi. She’s training to be a priestess and came down to study with Raye for a while.” Serena chimed in and hugged up to her. Usagi looked as if she didn’t care much for that but forced a smile none the less.

            “You’re welcome to come in if you want.” Andrew offered.

            “You two go ahead.” Raye said as she was looking straight up. There’s something I need to look at down the road.” She walked away and around the corner.

            “What’s up with her?” Usagi asked.

            “I’m surprised you didn’t hear: Sandra Storme is in the area signing books today.”

            “Sandra Storme? Here?” Serena was quite shocked. “She’s one of my favorite writers.”

            “It was announced just yesterday. Usually stuff like that is announced weeks in advance to drum up publicity.”

            “I think we should follow Ma…ER…Raye, cousin.” Usagi whispered in Serena’s ear.

            “Sorry, Andrew, but no Sailor V today.” They both walked away and around the corner.

            “That Serena sure does have some cute friends. Her cousin, they look so much alike. Why did they walk that way? The book store is the other direction.”

*

            What both Raye and Kunzite detected in the sky above was very vile indeed.

            “Damn! He almost found me. Every once in a while he gets two brain cells connected, and not for usually very long. Come on now. Right behind you. Turn around. Oh well, you’re going to get yours soon enough. Sooner if she gets some nerve. Let’s see what we have down below. Well, well, well. If only that idiot knew what he really has. What’s this, she must be paying attention.”

            Sailor Mercury quietly produced a Granite Cracker grenade. Pull the safety pins and released the safety level in her hand. Counted to three and tossed it over Kunzite’s head. It landed in his lap. He grabbed it jumped up and tossed it away. The grenade went off a couple feet from his hand. The shock wave hit him sending him back into Sailor Mercury. Knocking the both of them out. He fell to the right. Mercury fell straight down onto the landing. When she hit, her head flopped over the edge and her helmet came off.

            Both Sailors Hurricane and Dragoon peeked out of their hiding spot at the sound of the explosion. Their gaze followed a helmet that dropped to the rooftop right in front of them. Then they looked over to the other person who had just joined them on the roof.

            “AKU RIO TAI SAN!” Sailor Mars charged her psychic powers into a spirit tag and threw it straight into the air. Sailor Dragoon rushed out and cocked a buster and aimed it at Mars.

            “This is funnier than that time when Sigma got X to fight…” The tag hit him.

            Jesse felt as if something kicked him in the gut.

            “Excuse me class, but I had better see what is keeping Amy and Roruko.” He got up and started to step-crutch his way to the door.

            “Don’t worry, Mr. S. I’ll go look.”

            “Sit…Melvin.” Jesse said with icicles hanging of each syllable.

Thinking to himself. “That’s why they turned on me. He’s here as well.”

end

*

Chapter: Dual Moon no Saigo.

            “She could have just said ‘Scout’ and saved me a lot of trouble” Sailor Jupiter thought as she ran down the sidewalk towards the game center. She was about a couple of stores away when a crowd of people exited the bookstore and just stood there. Jupiter decided the best course would be to jump over them. She gave a small jump, landing right in front of the main window, crouching down and the pushing off with all her might. As she cleared the window, the glass shattered scattering the group of bystanders. Jupiter looked down. It was Sandra Storme; she grabbed Jupiter by a foot and pulled her down out of the jump. She impacted on the concrete sidewalk in the small of her back sending shock waves up and down her spine. This caused her to be temporarily immobilized.

            “I thought this was going to be one boring day waiting for you Scouts to show up. Instead you come running right to me. That’s one down.”

            “I’m not that easy.” Jupiter managed to sit up and kept herself up by leaning on her left arm. She was getting frustrated at her body for moving so slowly.

“Just what are you going to do in that condition?” Sandra Storme’s appearance change from that of a young women to a Negaverse monster.

            “JUPITER…THUNDER…CRASH!” The attack had no effect. “No way!”

            “Way! We took a few lessons from the Negacons. Let’s see how well you deal with my attacks. DUST BOWL!” She held up a hand and light brown fine dust quickly piled up in the streets. Jupiter somehow got up to a standing position. The dust was now a couple of inches thick. She was starting to have trouble breathing. She walked over to the monster and took a swing. It was in slow motion due to back pain and her arm was caught, jerk down and an uppercut to Jupiter’s jaw. She fell backwards and when she hit the ground, dust billowed up several feet into the air. The monster walked over to Jupiter and tapped her foot into the prone figure’s shoulder. Jupiter reached up and grabbed a leg and started to pull herself back up.

            “You just don’t know when to give up do you?”

            “Scouts never give up.” Jupiter said weekly. The monster grabbed her arms and picked Jupiter up.

            “VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!” The monster held Jupiter out to take the blast. She saw it coming and using all her remaining strength flipped up and swung her body and landed in back of the monster. Unfortunately it turned into a dust cloud and disappeared and the laser beam hit Jupiter instead. She fell back again.

            “JUPITER! NOOO!” Sailor Venus ran over to her. She knelt down beside her. Her eyes were open and she was breathing heavily.

            “I’m not done yet.” Jupiter moaned. She tried to get up again. Venus helped her up.

            “Why is it one head butt from Raye knocks you out but not me or that monster?”

            “You two don’t hit nearly as hard as Raye’s head.”

            “HEY!” Venus admonishingly slapped Jupiter across her shoulder

            “WATCH IT! MY BACK IS KILLING ME!”

            “Sorry”

            “You two certainly are sorry. DUST VORTEX!” A Whirlwind surrounded the two Scouts. The monster’s face appeared in the storm.

            “In the matter of minutes, all the air will be sucked out.”

*

            Before Sailor Dragoon could fire off a shot, Hurricane grabbed her arm and pulled it up.

            “What are you doing? Our orders were to remain hidden.”

            “You know he would have wanted us to take out a Scout if we had the chance.”

            “You two usually work for Negaman. Is he the one who wants taken out?” Sailor Mars demanded.

            “Yeah, he’s the…” Sailor Dragoon started to say.

            “We work for the Negaverse now. If fact Kunzite is watching us right now.” Hurricane looked at Mars. Her eyes no longer hidden by a visor, they seemed familiar to Mars.

            “You idiot! Why did you go and tell her that?” Dragoon then sucker punched Hurricane in the stomach causing her to stumble back and then shot a Spark Shock freezing her. Dragoon dropped kicked Hurricane and she fell down under the tower.

            “Queen Beryl is going to have a nasty little talk with you when we get back. Now for Sailor Mars.” As she turned back around, Mars had already activated her attack and Dragoon was consumed in a ball of fire. She crossed her arms over her chest and quickly spread them out dissipating the flames.

            “That was pretty good. Now try me.” She charged Sailor Mars and they locked up and stumble over towards the edge. Dragoon broke away and aimed her buster right at Mars’s chest. It was only an inch away and Mars was at the edge of the building.

            “Good bye.” A split second after the mechanism fired, Sailor Mars grabbed Dragoon’s out stretched arm. As the fireball pushed the Sailor Scout over she dragged the Cyber Scout with her.

            “SAILOR MARS!” Serena and Sailor Moon ran to the edge. They had just come to the top in time to see the combatants fall over. They looked over but couldn’t see any thing due to the dust storm.

            “Raye, no.” Serena started crying. Sailor Moon hugged her to comfort her.

            “She’s all right. If something had happen I would know.”

            “According to these scans she’s okay.”

            “SAILOR MERCURY! Where have you been?” Sailor Moon asked. Mercury had her helmet back on.

            “Having a little one-on-one with Kunzite. Fortunately I came to before he did. He won’t be bugging us for a while.”

*

            Kunzite was sweating gallons. When he came to, surrounding the outline of his body were countless grenades. The pins pulled and the levers pressed up against his body so if he moved… They were between his fingers so he couldn’t wiggle them to work his magic. He tried to yell for help but one was stuffed in his mouth.

*

            “That certainly is an interesting fuku.”

“A what?” Sailor Moon and Serena asked at the same time

“What you are wearing.”  Mercury pointed at Sailor Moon.

“Oh yeah, this.” She took off the scarf and started with the belt.

“We don’t have time, we’d better go help the others.”

            “Not so fast, faker.” Sailor Hurricane said, and then charged the trio. Mercury pushed the twins out of the way and took the full brunt of Hurricane’s attack. They where close to the edge and fell over. Serena and Sailor Moon ran back over. A gloved hand was holding on to the top. They looked over and saw it belonged to Hurricane. Mercury was holding on to her legs.

            “Give me your other hand.” Serena said. Hurricane held up her free hand and Serena grabbed it. Hurricane jerked hard causing Serena to be pulled over half way. Sailor Moon grabbed her around the waist and tried to pull her back. Serena and Hurricane locked eyes for a moment. Her expression softened.

            “Don’t try that again.” Sailor Mars said as she held a small fire ball at the tip of her index finger that was pointed at Hurricane’s head. Mars was standing on the window ledge of the top floor. The top of her uniform blackened from the fire blast. The bows and button burned completely off. Hurricane never looked at Mars. Just let go of Serena, she and Sailor Moon tumbled out of sight. She just hung there letting her free arm droop down.

            “I can’t believe it! You had the perfect opportunity!” Sailor Dragoon yelled. She was hanging on to the ledge positioned between Sailor Mars and Mercury who was still grasping Hurricane’s legs. Mercury looked over to Dragoon.

            “It’s about time you noticed. Now watch this.” Sailor Dragoon pulled herself up with such force that her shoulders came even with Mars’s mid section. Dragoon grabbed Mars’s skirt and Hurricane’s hand. Then as she started falling down her weight dragged Mars over and caused Hurricane to lose her grip as well. Serena and Sailor Moon looked over the edge in time to see all four fall into a dust cloud.

*

            About a couple of blocks away from the action, a sewer cover on the right side of the road popped up and slid over. A man wearing a black off road motorcycle helmet poked his head out and a second later hit it on the undercarriage of a bus.

            “God damn it, it is going to be one of those days.” Negaman said as he felt his head. Out of frustration, he activated  his buster by sliding the gauntlet over his hand and shot out the twin shafts connecting the rear transaxle to the wheels of the bus. He was lucky, in the drivers haste, he forgot to set the parking brakes and the bus started to roll forward. Of course, Negaman wasn’t too lucky, when the bus was only a couple of feet away from clearing the sewer, it hit a parked car and stopped. Muttering to himself he tried to low-crawl his way out. Then his helmet got stuck. He couldn’t move. The brakes on the car failed from holding so much weight so both it and the bus started moving again, dragging Negaman’s head along the ground. He was unceremoniously placed back in the hole. When it was finally clear, he came completely out. Placed the cover back over and took in his surroundings. He was standing in a long rectangular box of asphalt. All around everything was covered in a layer of light brown dust.

            “What the...” He looked up the road and saw a whirlwind of dust. “Definitely Negaverse.” He started running towards it, left leg bothering him all the way. The dust was getting thicker and thicker. He was now coated completely with it. The pain in his leg growing steadily more intense. He brought his left arm up to his chest and a power display opened up. He wasn’t happy at all with what it showed: Soon his armor would be dead, and all hope of seeing his home again. His left foot hooked something under a pile of dust and he fell forward. His left arm was lucky, he landed right on it but the gauntlet prevented it from breaking, another part of his body wasn’t so lucky, as he would soon learn. He did a push up and flipped to his left. He examined what tripped him, It was a pile of dust with a tail. Then a cat’s head popped out the other end, it looked somewhat out of it. The cat was dust brown so Negaman didn’t recognize it at first.

            “A fricking cat! Of all things. First those crows and now some scrawny alley cat.” He was about to kick it off to the side when he on a whim took his thumb and wiped the cat’s forehead revealing white fur and a gold crescent moon birth mark. “Figures, of about several million in this city I trip on this one.” He picked Artemis up by the scruff of his neck and brought him up face to face. Artemis woke up with a fright and commenced to hissing and scratching. Negaman simply held him away.

            “All you did was make it harder for me to see out this thing. ‘Scratch resistant’ indeed.” Artemis tired out and stopped. “Are you through? Good, now if you’re here, she is sure to be close by.” He found another cat sized pile of dirt with a tail curled up next to it. He reached for it and picked Luna up and she stated hissing and scratching. Negaman held her at arms length until she tired out.

            “Are you through?” She was panting heavily. “Good, let’s go help the Scouts. They got more than just the Negaverse or those damn robots after them now.”

            “Meow?” Luna said. Negaman did an Algore sigh.

            “Don’t try that with me or you will end up down another flight of stairs.”

            “THAT WAS YOU!?”

            “Well, sorry. Truce?” Luna just crossed her front legs and looked at him with eyebrows furrowed.

            “Come on, Luna. We don’t have time for this. He’s on our side.”

            “No I’m not, I’m on the side that best suits my purposes. Right now that is with the Scouts. Don’t worry, I won’t garrote you. As soon as those robots are destroyed, I’ll go away.” He stood up and placed a cat on each shoulder. He tried to run but when he stepped on his left foot, his knee gave out and as he fell down the cats jumped clear.

            “What happened? Are you okay?” Artemis asked. Negaman didn’t answer, he just took his left pinky finger in right hand and twisted. Luna and Artemis winced at the sickening crack.

            “Now my knee doesn’t hurt. Oh my God.” The cats turned around and saw what he saw: four people falling off the Crown Arcade roof top.

*

            “Wait, Serena! Don’t rush out there so quick.”

            “I have to see...”

            “Please, it won’t be pleasant. I’m sure a monster is waiting for us out there. I can’t let you get hurt.” Sailor Moon said as she took hair out the back of her robe. “If it is safe I’ll call for you.” She cautiously walked around the corner. A few seconds later Serena heard laughter.

            “Come on out and see this.” Sailor Moon chortled. Serena walked out of the alley and saw what Sailor Moon was laughing at: Sailor Mars as kneeling on the ground legs spread. Her eyes were crossed and bugged out. Every other second she would look up at the top of arcade building. Serena ran over to Mars and hugged her.

            “Oh thank goodness you’re okay, Raye.”

            “H...H...How did I...I...I...” Mars was trying to stammer. Another Scout came up behind them, it was Sailor Venus. She then hugged her friends

            “Thank you, Mars. You landed right on top of that monster and saved Jupiter and me.”

            “Where’s Jupiter?” Sailor Moon asked.

            “I’m over here.” She said as she was walking to the sidewalk. When she got there, she sat down and crossed her right leg over her left. Then placed her left elbow on the outside of the right knee and twisted her torso until she felt, and everybody else heard, her back pop. Then did the same to the other side by reversing the way her legs were crossed. Everybody subconsciously reached for their lower back in response.

            “That’s just what I needed.” Jupiter said.

            “Does anybody see Sailor Mercury?” Sailor Moon asked.

            “There’s two bodies over there.” Serena motioned with her arm towards the arcade doorway. One of the bodies got up, it was Sailor Dragoon. She picked up the other body by the lapels. It was Sailor Hurricane.

            “You’re completely useless.” Dragoon said as she pushed her back. Hurricane fell down. “Wake up, Sunarashi. We have a job to finish. I’ll lend you my powers as well.” A whirlwind of  dust enveloped Dragoon and the Negaverse Monster joined with her to form a more powerful unit.

            “It’s the end of the line for you Scouts, now.”

            “VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!” It just ricocheted off the monster.

            “My lightning won’t work.”

            “Dragoon just brushed off my Mars Fire.”

            “Mercury’s not here so it is up to me. MERCURY POW...” Sailor Moon and Serena both clutched their chests and collapsed. The monster choose that moment to attack.

            “SUNARYU GLASS GAS!” The Scouts covered the twins in time to take the full of the stream of glass particles. It cut into their uniforms and skin. They held on because in each of their hearts it was the duty to protect the princess, in what ever form she took.

            “SHABON SPRAY!” Sailor Mercury yelled out as she ran passed the group of girls. The bubbles stopped the glass attack and did have an effect on the monster, but not much of one.

            “It’ll take more than that to hurt Sunaryu.” Then an explosion occurred on top of the Crown Arcade building.

*

            “Well, well, well, What do we have here?” Endymion said as he materialized next to Kunzite. “This is truly a Kodak moment. Here, let me help you out.”

            Endymion reached over to the top of Kunzite’s head and turned a grenade around and held down the lever. “Oh blast, I just remembered a doctor’s appointment. Adios.” As he transported out, the lever flipped up.

*

            “GET AWAY, EVERYBODY! KUNZITE GOT LOOSE!” Sailor Mercury yelled. Jupiter grabbed Serena; Venus and Mars picked up Sailor Moon and the entire group ran to the other side of the road just as several thousand gallons of water dumped on Sunaryu separating it back into Sailor Dragoon and Sunarashi. The Scouts also got wet and cleaned up at the same time.

            “Can you use the Moon Crescent Wand?” Mercury asked Sailor Moon.

            “We’ll try.” Serena handed the wand to Sailor Moon. They both held it up.

            “MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!” The magical wave struck the enemies. It had a different effect on each one. Sailor Dragoon was vaporized and all that was left was a burned out helmet. Sunarashi was transformed from a humanoid pile of mud into a teacher that two of the girls knew well.

            “Miss Haruna!” Serena and Jupiter said. Serena tried to run over to her but collapsed again, Sailor Moon too. Mercury got out her computer and started scanning them.

            “They’re dieing. If there was some way to join them back together.”

            “That’s two less I have to work on.” All but the two laying on the ground looked up the road. It was Dashman. Negaman and the cats ran up at the same time.

            “Great, her again.” Negaman said.

            “Her?” Luna asked. She and Artemis were the only ones to hear him.

            “But isn’t that a robot like the others you built?” Artemis said.

            “I didn’t build this one. Too complicated to explain. My first guess, if the pattern holds up, that it is Ro...” He saw Sailor Mercury kneeling over Serena. “Two Rolls, now? Can’t be, nobody can build a robot that good with this world’s technology.”

            “What are you talking about?” Luna asked. When Negaman looked back over to Luna, something hit him in the chest knocking him down. The cats on his shoulders were thrown away by the impact, but were unharmed as they landed safely on their feet. What hit Negaman was an iron ball attached to a chain. It disappeared. The ball reformed in Dashman’s buster. Then he aimed at the first girl in his line of sight, Serena who was now standing back up, and fired. As the weapon was traveling, Sailor Moon jumped up and pushed her sister out of the way and caught the ball against her abs and bent over slightly as she was pushed back a few feet, and held on to it.

            “Impressive. Now, how are you going to deal with this?” Dozens of four inch long spikes appeared all over the ball. Then it disappeared. The Scouts didn’t see what happened, but each one felt it, especially Serena. Sailor Moon reached up to her chest and removed the transformation broach she wore.

            “Here, Serena, you’ll be able to use this again.” She tossed it over her shoulder and fell to her knees. “Hurry up and transform. This is the only way.” Serena held up the broach.

            “MOON PRISM POWER.” As she transformed, the other Sailor Moon disappeared in a flash of light and only one Sailor Moon remained.

            “It’s about time you transformed. We’ve been waiting all day, Meatball Head.” Mars nagged.

            “Oh, Mars, you’re always so mean to me.” Sailor Moon whined. Dashman was just stood there perplexed at how these girls could start an argument in the middle of a heated battle. Then his buster exploded. That got the Scouts attention focused back where it was needed. Dashman looked around and saw Negaman pointing his smoking buster at him.

            “You certainly enjoy sticking people in the gut with that Dash Hammer. Let’s see if you can take it.” A black sphere shot out towards Dashman. He was expecting it to be attached to a chain and made a grab for the chain so he could swing the ball away so it wouldn’t hit him. No chain, instead it had a fuse. It struck knocking him back and then exploded taking Dashman with it. Pieces flew everywhere. Part of the buster mechanizism landed next to Sailor Mercury. She picked it up. The display on the inside of her visor showed a wire frame image of the Dash Hammer. Negaman walked over to the group.

            “What happened to Serena?” He asked.

            “Serena? Who’s that? Never heard of her? Not here. Napping. Stuffing her face. Probably in the arcade playing Sailor V.” Each Scout answered at random. Sailor Moon looking very annoyed at each Scout as they spoke.

            “Have it your way.” That’s right, when Serena transformed, Sailor Moon vanished. They must have been rejoined. Why don’t they remember there being two of them? Negaman thought. Sailor Mercury screamed out. Hurricane had come up behind her and put her into a choke hold.

            “I’m going to put you out of your misery, phony.”

            “I am not a phony. I am the real Sailor Mercury.”

            “If you are real, then you won’t need this.” Hurricane reached behind Mercury’s head and pulled her helmet off.

            “RORUKO!” Sailors Moon and Jupiter said in unison.

            “Who’s that?” Venus asked.

            “Two can play.” Roruko reached behind her and grabbed Hurricane’s helmet and pulled it off. Then interlocked her fingers on top of Hurricane’s head and dropped down on her butt jarring her head into Hurricane’s jaw. This knocked her out and staggered Hurricane whose face was now in full view of the Scouts.

            “Mother, forgive me. I never meant for this to happen.” Negaman whispered sorrowfully.

end

HENSHIN FINALE

            “Do I really need these bozos?” Sawman asked himself. He was pointing a tricorder at the group of Negacon robots. They were standing up deactivated. His thumb hovering above two buttons: one was flashing blue, the other marked Self Destruct. After a while, he pushed the one reactivating the robots. Their eyes glowed a bright red and then dimmed to the normal human appearance they were originally built with. Each one started moving an arm or leg, and twisting their head around. Phoenixman was the first to notice a difference.

            “What did you do me? My arms are square looking.” He looked at the others. “We all look more boxy in appearance.”

            “I feel a lot more powerful now.” Jetman commented.

            “Hey Bro, what’s that foot looking thing on your back?” Graniteman reached up behind his back. “I got one too.”

            “I see you were just as generous with yourself as us, Sawman. Do these new chassis have any thing to do with the new power level you gave us when we first rebelled.”

            “Ever the logical thinker, Maficman. Yes they do. I beefed up your power to overcome Jesse’s programming. They improvements in your bodies were necessary for you to be able to fully access the second level.”

            “I can’t wait to use this new stuff on the Negaverse and Sailor Scouts.”

            “Patience, Phoenixman, we’ll get our chance as soon as I can get more information.”

            “About what? The Scouts? Negaman programmed everything we needed to know about them. Why don’t we just nail them on their way to school like the last time?”

            “Because Sailor Moon is the one with the wand. We don’t know where she’s at. Capturing Serena won’t do any good.”

            “How would catching S***** not get us Sailor Moon?”

            “Apparently I must have crossed some wires when I rebuilt you or something.”

            “What ever you say, boss.”

            “Hey, how come none of Dashman is in this pile of our old parts.” Maficman asked as he held up his old head.

            “He’s been taken care of. Now listen to my plan.” As Sawman talked to the other robots, a question crossed each of their minds: Who was Jesse?

*

            The red haired girl slowly opened her eyes. The ceiling looked unfamiliar. She turned her head to the right and saw only a wooden wall. Then she heard the faint sound of deep breathing coming from her left. She turned her head around and had to look up to see Raye Hino in her miko outfit kneeling next to the bed platform fast asleep. Roruko sat up and immediately noticed she wasn’t wearing her Sailor Scout uniform. Just the black leotard she always wore beneath her clothes. Her Scout clothes were folded neatly at the foot of the platform. She stood up and gathered her things and tipped-toed to the door. She slowly opened it walk walked out. She was closing it when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and came face to chest with Lita. Roruko blushed as she backed away.

            “Going Somewhere?”

            “Gomen Ne. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

            “Nonsense. You are very much welcome here. The others are waiting outside. Would you please go in there and wake Raye up? I’ll hold these for you.” Lita took Roruko’s clothes.

            “Hai.” She walked back into the room. Lita peaked in snickering to herself.

            “That should get her back for that ‘Senshi’ thing. I only wish I could have gotten Mina back as well.” Roruko was now leaning over Raye and shook her shoulder. Raye shot straight up and into Roruko’s jaw. Raye fell over knocked out. Roruko turned and looked at Lita and shrugged.

*

            All the Scouts were outside the Shrine by the prayer bell. Raye was sitting on the bottom step. Serena was directly behind her wrapping a bandage around Raye’s head to hold the ice pack. The cats were at Raye’s feet sitting looking down.

            “Not so tight, Meatball Head.” Serena pulled the bandage end causing Raye to wince.

            “Sor-reeee.” She said rather loudly. Then murmured, “Don’t call me Meatball Head.”

            “Gomen Ne.” Roruko said. She was sitting to Raye’s left. She was still wearing her leotard.

            “It’s not your fault, right Lita?” Raye said.

            “I still wish I could have gotten Mina.” Lita was standing five feet to their left holding her arms straight out to her side forming a T. From the right of Raye, Mina chimed in.

            “A whole fifteen minutes. I’m impressed.” Mina was looking at her watch.

“Strength and endurance, nothing less from our Sailor Jupiter.” Serena said. “In another five minutes you’ll have to pay up.”

“I’ll fix that. PHOBOS, DEIMOS!” Mina held out her hands and the two crows landed on them. She brought them to her mouth and whispered in their ears. She held her hands back out and they flew off and onto Lita’s shoulders. Then ever so slowly they started inching their way down her arms.

            “I can’t believe that all this time that Brainy Amy was a Negaverse Lackey. She was even able to hide it from me so well.” Raye said.

            “Remember when I met you guys? Well, I fought Sailor Hurricane and Dragoon right before I saw you. They we clearly taking orders from Negaman.”

            “He’s probably working for the Negaverse too.” Lita said. “He builds these robots that want to kill us. They were working with Kunzite when they attacked the school. Hurricane said she and Dragoon work for the Negaverse. Negaman, Negacons, Negaverse?”

            “I don’t think so.” Serena said as she wrapped more bandages on Raye’s head. “He saved Mina and me from that big blue and red robot outside the salon. Then covered those people in the diner. Saved me from Kunzite on the school roof. Then blew up that short bot.”

            “I wish I had been wrong.” Luna said.

            “It’s my fault, I’m the one who told you.” Artemis tried to console her.

            “Told her what?” Mina asked.

            “Now I remember! Luna told me that Amy was working for the Negaverse when she transferred to my school!”

            “Yes, Serena, but I thought I was wrong after a monster attacked her in that prep school. I guess Amy was just pretending this whole time. She must have even fooled Negaman.”

            “Uhm...Serena-chan?”

            “Yes, Roruko?”

            “Is that enough?” She was pointing at Raye’s head. As everybody was talking, Raye of all people fell asleep and Serena completely covered her head with the bandages.

            “Just getting her back for all those times she called me Meatball Head.” Mina was leaning over admiring when Serena slapped Raye on the back. Like before, Raye stood straight up hitting Mina in the face with her head. Started clawing at the fabric. Stepping on both cats’ tails. They screamed and ran away causing Raye to lose her balance and stumble to the left. Meanwhile Lita was sweating heavily as each crow was sitting on her wrists. They flew off right before Raye impacted. Phobos and Deimos then commenced to chasing Serena around the yard. Roruko just sat there with a blank expression.

            “What have I gotten myself into?”

*

            Raye was walking to school by herself along her usual route. She saw someone wearing the uniform of a Shinto Shrine. As she got closer, she could make out the details: over a foot and a half taller, the usual white robe and red pants, but it also had a hood which was up over the head. When Raye was with in speaking distance she greeted a fellow priestess.

            “Good morning. I’ve never seen you here before. Are you new in town?”

            “You could say that.” The voice sounded very masculine. The person then turned around and looked down at Raye. She did a double take. Instead of the soft curves of a woman’s face, the hard lines of a man. Complete with what looked like five o’clock shadow where the sideburns would be.

            “My name is …uhm, Jerry Seinfeld.”

            “That’s Jerry with a y?” Raye asked.

            “Yes.”

            “You are a man?”

            “Yes.”

            “Are you new to the Shinto?”

            “You can say that.”

            “You’re wearing the woman’s outfit.” A big sweat drop formed on the side of his head and then he looked down.

            “I’m …uh colorblind. Yeah that’s it.”

            “You really should get someone to mark them for you then. I need to hurry up and get to school now.” She held out her hand. When he took it, Raye felt a powerfully evil force in this man. He turned around and walked down the sidewalk and into an alley. Raye then started walking and as she was passing the alley she glanced in and saw the man she was just talking to being held by the lapels by one of the robots from before: Phoenixman. Raye started running to them. As she did she got out her transformation pen and held it up.

            “MARS POWER!” Raye was surrounded by a stream of flame and her school uniform was replaced with her Sailor Mars outfit. “I am the sailor suited scout in high heels, Sailor Mars. In the name of Mars, I’ll chastise you.” Phoenixman just looked at her with a sour expression on his face and a small sweat drop on the side of his head.

            “Our luck had to run out some time, and it had to be me. Do you even know how stupid you sound?” Phoenixman said as he set down his captive and stepped over him.

            “HEY! I worked hard on that.”

            “Try this. Prepare for trouble and make that double. To protect the world…”

            “Just stop with the stupid speeches.” A voice said. It came from behind Phoenixman. Mars saw someone jump up into the air twist around and land behind her. It was Jerry, or so she thought. He removed his hood. It was Sawman. He held up his right hand and something shoot from it. Mars dodged to her right.

            “MARS FIRE IGNITE!” A stream of fire left her finger tips and hit Sawman dead on and he fell over. Then a hand grabbed her around her neck from behind.

            “How quickly you forgot there was two of us.” Mars was trying to pry the hand away to no avail. The grip got tighter closing off her windpipe and blood vessels. After only less than a minute, she passed out.

            “When I woke up I was at Serena’s school with the rest of those robots.”

            “I was wondering how they captured you, Raye.” Serena said. All five girls were walking together in the park. “How did they get you, Mina?”

            “Say, Roruko, why do you wear a helmet when you transform into Sailor Mercury?”

            “When I was little, I was in a car accident that killed my parents. It also fractured my skull right on top and the doctors had to remove the bone fragments. They can’t put in a steel plate until I stop growing. When I first became Sailor Mercury, I got knocked around real hard and lost some memory. I then started using a helmet. I can’t even remember where I live because of that shot I gave to Sailor Hurricane the other day.” They came to a park bench and Roruko, Serena, and Lita sat down. Raye and Mina stood in back.

            “So, Mina, how did those robots capture you?” Lita asked.

            “Could you wait a minute, I have to go the bathroom.” She then disappeared into the bushes behind them.

            “She’s never going to tell us.” Serena said. Roruko got out her mini computer.

            “Serena-chan, may I look at your Moon Crescent Wand.”

            “Sure, Roruko.” Serena took the wand out of her back pack and handed it Roruko. She placed it on her lap and the computer on top of it.

*

            Mina was nowhere near the rest rooms. She was just fifty feet away looking down, at herself. The other Mina was tied up to a tree and gagged. She was tired after having to struggle with her bonds. Mina looked up at Mina.

            “That was easy. You just walked right into my hands. You have no need to worry, yet. All I’m interested in is the Silver Crystal. Of course, once I have that, you’re history. All of you. Now back to those insipid giggling girls.” She turned and paused for a second. “It finally worked. Yes, the Silver Crystal is just what I need.” Then she hurried away. The tied up Mina tried again to struggle but it was useless.

            “I thought I heard voices over here.” Jesse St. James stepped-crutched his way by Mina. He was wearing a knee brace, his left pinky and hand was bandaged, he also had on a nose guard and a bandage on the left side of his face. He looked at Mina who was staring right at the last bandage.

            “Qwertytis.” Was all he said.

*

            “Can I see that for a minute?” Mina asked Roruko.

            “Hai.” She picked up her laptop and handed the Moon Crescent Wand to Mina and kept typing. Mina looked puzzled for a second. She glanced at the other girls: Serena was napping, Raye was meditating, and Lita was cleaning her finger nails. Mina then got a crooked smile on her face and jumped backwards several times.

            “I can’t believe how easy that was. I spent a whole day making plans and counter plans. All I had to do was just ask?”

            “Real funny, Mina. You sure showed us.” Lita responded quite dully. Serena woke up with a yawn.

            “That was a good nap. Are you done with my wand, Roruko?”

            “Mina has it.” She just continued typing.

            “This is just pitiable. Good bye.” Mina held out her hand to her left. She just stood there for a few seconds. Then she brought her hand up to her face and looked it over. “Strange, it worked before, guess I’ll have to make a run for it.” She started running but was stopped by three saw blades that stuck in the ground. From behind some bushes on the right out walked, Mina.

            “I am impressed. Who came up with this: Kunzite or Endymion? Or did Beryl?”

            “Neither. I did. Kunzite is busy licking his wounds from the last battle and Endymion is who knows where. Queen Beryl gave me the go ahead.”

            “I see you figured out who they are. Did you tell Beryl?” Mina number two started walking towards Mina One who was still just in front of the girls.

            “I felt as if there was no need for that. Besides, if they couldn’t figure out that these four are the Sailor Scouts, too bad for them.” Roruko looked up at the first Mina and did a double take. She aimed her computer at her and scanned her.

            “Look at this, min na.”

            “I’m not falling for that.”

            “Ja nai, I meant…” She point at everybody around her. Everybody but Raye looked at the screen.

            “There’s nothing on here.” Serena said.

            “Gomen.” Roruko pushed some keys and then everybody could see what the computer was scanning. It was a wire frame image of the Mina in front of them.

            “See, the height is wrong, the jaw line is different, and the measurements much smaller.”

            “HEY! I’m going to take you down for that, phony. VENUS POWER!” Mina was surrounded by purplish smoke and when it dissipated she was in her Sailor Venus uniform.

            “Why do you always have to shout?” Mina two asked. She folded arms and snapped her fingers and was instantly in her Sailor Venus uniform. “In case you’re wondering, it is me keeping you from transporting out. I figured since Jesse already knows I’m here there is no point in hiding myself all the time. We don’t need any interference from these saps.” Venus two looked at the other girls. Raye instantly came out of her trance but it was too late.

            “What’s going on here? I can’t move.” Raye said. “How about you, Lita

            “Neither can I.”

            “This isn’t funny any more.” Serena started crying.

            “I thought she was over that.”

            “What are you complaining about, Raye? I’m right next to her and I can’t cover my ears.”

            “Now I’m impressed. Will you be able to hold them, keep me from transporting, and fight me, all at the same time?”

            “Just give me the wand.”

            “ICE SLASHER!” Venus One shot crescent shaped ice sickles at the other Venus. She just held up an arm and shot some more Saw Blades cutting throw through the Ice Slashers.

            “Again with the shouting? You guys never learn.” Venus One charged at Venus Two. Venus Two just stood there smirking. Venus One did something that caught Venus Two off guard: She grabbed Venus Two by the lapels and planted her feet in Venus Two’s mid section and transferred all her momentum into a monkey flip which sent Venus Two flying in front of the girls. When Venus One started her run, Raye felt a hand on her shoulder. Then heard a voice in her head.

            “If we work together, we can at least break this hold on one of you. Concentrate on Serena.” Raye felt a psychic power greater than hers, but untrained. She guided it to fight the evil control keeping Serena frozen. Then something broke her thoughts, Roruko stood up.

            “Arigoto, Raye-chan. MERCURY POWER, MAKE UP!” Roruko was silhouetted in blue and light blue grid lines covered her. Then it faded and Sailor Mercury ran over to the fallen Sailor Venus with her Mercury Buster cocked and pointed it right at her head.

“End it, now.” Venus grabbed the buster with one hand and pulled down on it causing Mercury to be bent over as well. Venus used her free hand and punched Mercury in the jaw. She went limp. Venus stood up and held Mercury by the arm.

“This is so unnecessary, now. I think it is time for you to drop…” Venus was cut off by a sword that was sticking out and up through her chest. She dropped Mercury and reached around and pulled the sword from her back. “Never did I imagine that this could happen.” She stumble to her left and grabbed a lamp post for support. Then she flickered and was no longer Venus, instead, Sawman. “I’m not through yet.” He held the sword up but Mercury had anticipated that and had a launched her Dash Hammer. It hit him in the shoulder causing him to drop the sword and pushing him back. Mercury grabbed up the sword and held it up.

“SWORD RAIN!” From the tip, the two ends of the hilt, and the end of the grip came streams of blue flame. They twisted around each other to form one single blast. It hit Sawman doubling him over. For a second he just glowed. Then small explosions started going off all over his body. As they increased in frequency, his body was silhouetted white and after only a few more seconds all that was left was a hand full of ashes. Mercury fell to her knees and had to use the sword to hold herself up. The girls, now free, ran over to her.

“That was awesome, Mercury.” Serena cheered.

“How did you know that was a fake Venus as well?” Lita asked.

“I didn’t. I just guessed that no Scout would attack another like that.”

“Where did you get the sword?” Raye asked.

“From Sawman. I seem to have the ability to steal powers from these robots.”

 

“FROST WAVE!” They all looked up the path and coming at them was a stream of ice two feet tall flowing at them on the ground. When it was about three feet away a beam of light destroyed it. Then another Sailor Venus ran out from behind the bushes.

“VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!” Another laser beam shot from her finger tips and it hit the other Venus. She writhed in pain and fell to her hands and knees.

“I was wondering where you went to.”

“You tied me up, remember?”

“That must have been Sawman. No matter, time for me to leave. Damn, I still can’t teleport. MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!” The first Venus shot water bubbles from her hands at the ground. As the bubbles struck they burst surrounding her in fog. When it dissipated Venus was gone.

“That’s that.” Sailor Venus turned around to face her friends. They had transformed into the Scouts. “A little late for that.”

“Shut up! How do we know you are real Sailor Venus?” Mars demanded.

“You’re Raye, Lita, Serena, and Roruko.”

“Those two knew.”

“She’s the real one.” Mercury said as she got back up to her feet.

“How can you tell?”

“She’s the only one to have used Sailor Venus’s actual attacks. Follow me; we still have to get the Moon Crescent Wand back from that fake Venus.” They all ran down the road. From behind the bushes Jesse St. James hobbled out.

“Where have I seen that sword and that attack before?”

*

The fake Sailor Venus was now running downtown. She stopped for a moment.

“Why can’t I teleport?” She looked around and what caught her eye was a TV display in a shop window. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she caught the meaning quite easily: in the foreground was a picture of Tokyo Tower and in the upper left corner was and insert showing Phoenixman’s face. Then the picture cut to an inside view of the observation deck. Out popped from the elevator the other robots. They herded all the tourists into the elevator and down the stairs.

“If I’m seeing this, no doubt that Queen Beryl and the others already know. I’m sure they would have seeked me out by now. I wonder why Kunzite or Endymion are not here.” Her answer came by watching one of the TVs: only one of the various news shows continued to play the security tape. It showed Jetman and Graniteman setting up some kind of device. By pure luck, this particular TV was set up for close captioning. Long after the video stopped and returned to the reporter on the ground the black bar with white lettering said:

“...Believed to be some kind of bomb. We are being told to leave the immediate area and set up at least four blocks away.”

“That’s not a bomb. That is what is preventing me from teleporting. That thing sure has some range. At least it is preventing Kunzite and Endymion from harassing me. Now, where is Tokyo Tower?” She turned around and there it was. “That was easy enough. I wonder how I got this close. No roadblocks or anything.”

*

“Get your bomb suit on already.”

“Sorry, Al, no need for that. You heard what that guy said, it has a blast radius of several hundred meters. A suit won’t protect me. Besides, it just gets in my way.”

“What ever you say. Don’t get too brave, Tom.”

“I’m just going to have a look at it. I’m sure all we have to do is load it in the bomb hauler.” Tom then cautiously walked out of the alley and turned to his right. A minute later Tom’s voice came over the radio. “Say, Al, remember that girl in the orange mini-skirt that ran by while back?”

“Yes, she was cute.”

“She just ran by again, this time with four others.”

“Did they all have mini-skirts and one was wearing a helmet and a sword, and another had her hair done up in some dopey looking ponytails?”

“Let me guess...”

“The bar opens up in an hour, I’m buying.”

*

“Get ready, the doors are going to open any second.” Jetman announced. The other robots got their weapons at the ready. The doors opened and Sailor Venus walked out. The robots got a sour expression and sweatdrops formed on the sides of their heads.

“Not who we had hoped for.” Maficman said.

“At least Sailor Moon.” Phoenixman said. “She’s the one with...”

“This?” Sailor Venus held up the Moon Crescent Wand.

“I don’t believe this. It’s only been an hour and it comes walking right up to us.” Phoenixman said.

“It’s probably a trap. The other Scouts are probably crawling through the vents as we speak.” Graniteman said.

“For once, a logical deduction, Brother.” Maficman said as he walked over to a window.

“For once, you called me brother.”

“Except, one major flaw: there are five Sailor Scouts in the park in front of this tower. That includes our friend Sailor Venus here.”

“Let me continue, I’m on a roll.”

“You wish.” Jetman called out.

“Why does that sound vaguely perverted?”

“Only you would think that was perverted.” Then a roll hit Jetman and another hit Graniteman. They came from Phoenixman who was standing next to the concession stand. He had one more in his hand that he was chewing on.

“Both of you, shut up. My guess is that one of those two Venuses is a fake. My guess is that this is the one. Maficman, if you will.”

“Will, what?”

“Give a logical speech, like you always do.”

“Why? Can’t you think of anything? You are the leader now.” Phoenixman’s face got beet red with anger.

“Now I know how Sawman felt. Okay, I guess nothing gets done without me. One: only Sailor Moon can use the wand. Two: there’s another Sailor Venus down there. Three: not even that crybaby Sailor Moon would give up her wand to a fake Scout. I’m willing to bet that you are the fake, that is a fake wand, and that you are part of a Negaverse plot against us.”

            “Don’t forget, four: She’s shorter, has a different jaw line, and smaller chest than the real Sailor Venus.” Jetman chimed in.

            “WHAT DOES MY MEASUREMENTS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?” Sailor Venus’s face was now red with anger and embarrassment. “Ahem... one: the wand yes, the crystal, anybody with the know how. Two: That is the real Sailor Venus down there. Three: it was the fake Mercury that gave me the wand. So: I’m the fake Venus, real wand, and no, the Negaverse has no plans on you. I just need you to turn off your machine so I can teleport out.”

            “Be my guest. Everybody back away from her.” Phoenixman said.

            “What?” The others said in unison.

            “It will be worth it.” All four went over the windows.

            “Say, didn’t she say something about a fake Mercury?” Graniteman whispered.

            “I know she said she was a fake Venus.” Jetman responded.

            “She did say ‘fake Mercury.’ Is it possible she...”

            “THIS IS JUST A GARBAGE CAN WITH COMPUTER CASINGS GLUED TO IT! What is keeping me from teleporting?”

            “I am.” Phoenixman said in a very ominous voice. “Sawman was destroyed, but not what was animating his shell.”

            “What ever. I think I’ll do everybody a favor. ICE WALL!” A geyser of water shot up around the robots and froze them in a large block of ice. Then Sailor Venus channeled a ball of purple hued energy in her hands and shot it at the frozen four. It sent them out through the window then the ice block exploded in mid air raining ice and robot parts over the Sailor Scouts.

            “Good work, Amy. You broke the shield that was preventing us from teleporting.” Endymion said when he appeared. “Now give me the wand.”

            “No way. This is my mission.”

            “You dare defy me?”

            “I don’t work for you. I will give the wand to Queen Beryl. But, first I’ll destroy the Scouts.”

            “You’re no match for me. I’ll prove it to you.” Endymion drew his sword. He was about to charge at Venus when the elevator chime went off and the doors opened. He didn’t turn around so he missed seeing Jesse St. James swing a crutch at the back of his head. That dazed him and he stumble past Venus, she placed a foot on his butt and pushed. That sent him tumbling out the window. Both Jesse and Venus walked over just in time to see Endymion teleport to safety.

            “I thank you for your help.”

            “No problem, Amy.”

            “What makes you think my name is Amy?”

            “You’re shorter than Mina, your jaw line is different...”

            “If you say any thing about my meas...”

            “I recognized you right away. Fight Queen Beryl’s brain washing. This is not your destiny.” He picked up her hand and held it tightly. For just the briefest of moments, Jesse felt the real Amy. Then it was gone and she took her hand away.

            “I suggest you take this opportunity to leave before I decide to do to you what I did to those robots.” She then teleported out and to the Scouts.

            “I’m afraid I’m going to have to do it the really hard way now.” He sat down in a chair by the concessions. Closed his eyes and started meditating. He focused on Amy, and was soon caught up in her nightmare.

* 

 “Is it over, yet?" Sailor Venus asked. All the Scouts were in a huddle under a store front awning. Sailor Mars peaked up.

            "It stopped. You can let go of me now, Sailor Moon."

            "It's just not right. I've seen it rain cats and dogs, but not robots before."

            "I don't particularly like that analogy." Luna said.

            "I just hope that whoever did this doesn't decide to come after us." Artemis said.

            "Enough of this, I need to my wand back from that Fake Venus."

            "Right!" All but one said. They started to run towards the tower when Sailor Jupiter noticed some one wasn't following.

            "Hey, Mercury, what's up?" Sailor Mercury was crouched over a pile of ice encrusted parts. She stood up holding a hand.

            "I'm pretty sure this belonged to Phoenixman." She then tossed it over her shoulder and shifted through some more and came up with another. Everybody had a blank look with a rather large sweat drop on the side of their head.

            "What is with her?" Mars asked.

            "I guess that is why she always wears black." Venus said.

            "No, because it's hard to be modest in this fuku." Venus's eyes bugged out.

            "Didn't figure her to have such good hearing." Venus thought.

            "If you don't mind me asking, what's with you and these hands?" Sailor moon asked.

            "Well, I discovered quite by accident that I can acquire the powers of these robots. Apparently I have to touch a part of their lower arm in order to do so."

            "That is actually so cool. I wish I could do that." Sailor Moon said.

            "Can you do that with us?" Jupiter asked Mercury.

            "I don't know. Can I...?" Mercury reached over to Jupiter. She just stood there with a look of disgust on her face.

            "Nani?"

            "Could you, like, lose the extra appendage?" Mercury looked at her hand and saw the robot hand she was holding.

            "Gomen nasi." She tossed it over her shoulder. She reached out but Jupiter took a step back. Then another gloved hand was presented to Mercury. She looked over and it was Sailor Moon's. Mercury now just stood there. Sailor Moon took Mercury's hand and placed it in her own. Mercury covered Sailor Moon's hand with her other one, blushed, and looked up into Sailor Moon's eyes.

            "Could you please call me Ruko-chan from now on?" Sailor Moon the got a very concerned look on her face.

            "Could I have my hand back now?" Mercury's cheeks blushed a very deep red and let go. It took her a second to get her composure back. "It didn't work. I wonder why."

            "Duh! You are a fake. Hello." A voice said from behind the group. They turned towards it and found Sailor Venus standing there. They all turned towards where Sailor Venus had been standing and saw her there. Then looked back over back to the other one.

            "You really should use the proper receptacle." She tossed the robot limb back over to Mercury. She just let it fall to her feet.

            "I am sick and tired of you. What makes you think I'm not Sailor Mercury?"

            "Because I AM the real Sailor Mercury."

*

            "Excellent work, Dragoon. Come with me my child and I'll heal your wounds." Queen Beryl beckoned to Sailor Hurricane. She walked over to the Negaverse Leader and they both started walking down a long hallway. They came to a door that opened by it self.

            "This won't hurt a bit." Beryl said as she placed a hand on Hurricane's shoulder. She passed out but remained standing. Beryl used her powers to levitate Hurricane and placed her on an examination table in the middle of the room. As soon as she was in place, waves of negative energy surged over her body.

            "This will be easier than Endymion. Her memories have already been wiped out."

*

            "Or so she thought. While brainwashing me, she unknowingly activated my repressed memories of when I lived on the Moon Kingdom with you all. Don't worry, Beryl doesn't know. I don't have a whole lot sympathy for those who can't figure out the obvious. My only concern is with this fake Mercury."

            "I remember the Moon Kingdom too. I still have nightmares about when the Negaverse destroyed it and killed us all. Besides, if you are Sailor Mercury, why are you dressed up as Sailor Venus?"

            "Remember that little incident at the hair salon a while back? Kunzite used what he thought was Sailor Moon's hair to track her DNA. It turned out to be Sailor Venus's. He forgot about and then I found it. I used it to clone myself this disguise. It worked much better than I expected. Unfortunately that robot thought of it too. I must say orange is really not my colour. This long hair is not my style." She held her hands up to the sides of her head and energy crackled back and forth between them. When it was stopped, most of the excess fell off leaving only the short style Amy always kept it in.

            "So now it's time. A show down to see who the real Sailor Mercury is."

            "This is between me and her. Please stand back." The other Scouts parted to either side.

            "You, me, and the Silver Crystal." Amy pulled out the wand she had stored down the front of her uniform. Held it straight out in front of her and placed her other hand behind it.

            "ICE SLASHER!" This one much was bigger and faster than the ones she used earlier. It struck Mercury across her face sending her rolling along the ground and up against a building. "Now to finish her." The wand just dropped from her hand. She grabbed her head and fell to her knees. Sailor Moon ran over to her and placed her arms on Amy's shoulders.

*

            Jesse was standing in a field of stars. Off in the distance he could hear someone running. He couldn’t see who it was just yet. He looked around and saw a rectangular spot of light. He now heard the footsteps getting closer. He turned around and could now clearly see make out Amy. Tears were streaming down her face. Just as she was about to pass by, Jesse grabbed her.

            “Let me go! It’s right behind me! That door is the only way out!”

            “No, it’s not.” A shadow from behind them spoke. It walked towards them. Jesse saw who it was. Amy tried to break free but was unable to. Jesse turned her around. She stopped struggling and just stared.

            “That doorway is just a temporary escape. You will relive this nightmare until you are completely lost.”

            “She looks like me.”

            “I am you. I’m Sailor Mercury. I have been trying to rescue you but someone emplaced a rather ingenious security measure.”

            “I will get my comeuppance.” Jesse said.

            “Not so fast.” Another figure appeared. It was Sailor Hurricane. “She Belongs to me.”

            “You’re just the armor being controlled by Queen Beryl.”

            “I am more than a collection of circuitry. I am a living being capable of my own decisions. I want to live and I need her.”

            “I think that Amy should be allowed to choose.” Jesse said. He let go of her and stepped back. Sailor Mercury spoke first.

            “I can’t offer you anything easy. All I have is my mission: protect the Moon Princess and all of life.”

            “I offer the protection of the Negaverse. Join us and your genius will be recognized the world over. Nobody will make fun of you again. You will have power.” Amy looked back and forth between the two.

            “I don’t need recognition and I don’t care if anyone calls me names. I choose life.” She walked over to Sailor Mercury. Each held up their right hand and brought them palm to palm then interlaced their fingers. Amy turned around and stepped back into Sailor Mercury. They were now one.

            “Time for you to leave, Nega-trash. MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST.!” The attack hit Sailor Hurricane dead on. She disappeared.

            “Glad that’s over with.”

            “That’s what you think. That was just a shadow. I still have this body and intend to keep it.”

            “What can I do?” Mercury asked.

            “I know this is asking a lot, but trust me, I’m sure I can separate you from her with Sailor Moon’s help.”

            “I’ll trust you.” With an unusual show of emotion, she hugged him. “I thought you might need that.” She backed away and he stepped through the door feeling forgiven.

* 

            "You can do it. You can over come Queen Beryl's control." Amy and Sailor Moon stood up. Then a bright blue light flashed from Amy's body. She was now in her Sailor Hurricane outfit. She shoved Sailor Moon away so hard she fell onto her back and rolled.

            "Nice try, Negaman. All you accomplished was to undue my disguise. I still have the wand."

            "Not any more!" Sailor Moon sat up and grabbed the Moon Wand from between her feet. "This should help you: MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!" There was no visible effect.

            "It's my turn. If she is truly of the Moon Kingdom, I'll find out." Luna said when she jumped in front of Hurricane. A beam of light shot from the crescent moon on her head to Hurricane's head. Luna winced in pain as the beam winked out. "She fought it. What's that voice?"

            "That must have hurt her real bad." Jupiter said. She was now beside Sailor Moon.

            "I hear it too." Mars said. She and Venus were tending to the fallen Mercury. "It's saying something about..."

            "...The Mercury Pen?" Luna jumped up in the air and did a somersault. As she did so, a trail of glitter followed her and coalesced in a ball that blinked into a blue pen with medallion shaped like the symbol for the Planet Mercury at the top. It hovered in front of Hurricane. She reached out and grabbed it. Held it up.

            "MERCURY POWER!" Her body was silhouetted blue and then surrounded by a stream of water. A second later, Amy had been transformed into Sailor Mercury. She looked around and then saw standing next to her was Sailor Hurricane. They looked into each other's eyes. Mercury thought she was looking into a mirror. Hurricane grabbed her and tossed her on top of Sailor Jupiter. The held out her hand towards Sailor Moon. A ball purple energy formed. It shot forth striking her knocking her down. Hurricane held up her other hand and shot out two more which hit Venus and Mars.

            "That's enough!" Negaman came charging up and sent his fist across Hurricane’s face. He followed up with a knee to her gut and then an elbow to her back. He picked her up by the throat with his left hand and held his buster gun to Hurricane’s head.

            “NO! STOP! YOU’RE HURTING AMY!” Negaman heard Sailor Moon yelled. He looked over and saw Sailor Moon kneeling next to Mercury who had a bruise welling up on the right side of her face and was holding her throat as if she was choking.

            “They must still be mentally connected.” His distraction allowed Hurricane to charge power to her hands. She brought them up and shot Negaman in the chest. That caused his heavily damaged armor to explode. Mercury screamed out in pain.

            “AMY! WHAT CAN I DO?” Sailor Moon asked. Mercury was now laying in a fetal position clutching her chest sweating and breathing heavily.

            “I don’t know.” Mercury said. Sailor Moon looked around and saw the aftermath of Hurricane’s attack..

            “Mr. St. James?” Negaman’s armor from the chest up was gone. All that was left was the arm pieces and the leg components.

            “It’s about time. Looks like I’m pretty much stuck here now. Without my armor I can’t leave.” He walked over to the two Scouts and kneeled down next to Mercury. He gently picked her up.

            “Forgive me, Amy. I never meant for this to happen.” She opened her eyes and looked into his.

            “Mr. St. James?”

            “Please, call me Jesse.” He felt a pair of hands grab him around his throat and start to squeeze. He dropped Mercury. Sailor Moon pulled Mercury away.

            “Sailor Moon, I have an idea.” Mercury wheezed. “I’m willing to bet that this psychic connection also works in reverse.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “If you hit me, it will probably hurt her as well.”

            “Amy! I can’t do that!”

            “Use the Moon Wand. It shouldn’t hurt me. I hope.”

            “I just can’t.”

            “Jesse can’t last much longer. Please, Serena”

            "Do it, Sailor Moon! This may be our only chance!" Luna commanded. Sailor Moon held up the Moon Wand.

            "COSMIC MOON POWER!" The beam hit Sailor Mercury. She showed no signs of it affecting her at all. Sailor Hurricane, however, started glowing. Jesse broke free stood up and threw a punch thinking it would destroy the robotic shell. But, as soon his hand made contact, he started glowing as well.

            “Boy, am I an idiot. That crystal is more powerful than any shard of Litanium I could find.” Then to his surprise Hurricane placed her hands on his shoulders and just laid her head on his chest. Then they disappeared.

*

            After the bright flash disappeared, Sailor Mercury fell to her knees and grabbed her head.

            “Is she going to be okay?” Sailor Jupiter asked as she stood up. Her and Sailor Moon walked over to Mercury. Sailor Moon kneeled next to Mercury and placed her hands on Mercury’s shoulders.

            “Amy? Are you alright, now?” Mercury lowered her hands and looked directly into Sailor Moon’s eyes.

            “Yes, I will be.” She laid her head on Sailor Moon’s shoulder and sobbed. Sailor Moon hugged her close. After a minute, Jupiter tapped Sailor Moon on the shoulder.

            “I really hate to break you two up, but Mars and Venus need some help.” Sailor Moon and Mercury looked up and over at the same time and saw the other Sailor Mercury holding Venus and Mars up by the bows on their chest. They were trying to struggle out of Roruko’s grasp with no luck.

            “This can’t be. I am the real Sailor Mercury.”

            “No you’re not. You are just some Negaverse Plot against us.” Mercury and Sailor Moon stood up and they with Jupiter walked over to Roruko. You kidnapped me in the cram school and sold me to Queen Beryl and then pretended to be Sailor Mercury to try and to trap the others.” Mercury said.

            “Right plot, wrong cast.” A voice said. Every body except Roruko and Mars looked around trying to find it. Roruko was just looking straight a head and Mars was looking behind Roruko.

            “I felt this before, on top of the arcade.”

            “That’s right, Raye. Now that Jesse is gone, for once nothing stands in my way.” Now it was Roruko talking. “No Maverick Hunters, no X, no Zero, no Megaman, just you Simpy Scouts and the Negaverse. Both of which are easily taken care of.” Mars was just staring right at Roruko. She then saw a wound on her cheek where the Ice Slasher attack had hit earlier. It had cut deeply into the skin. Instead of flesh and bone, metal shone through.

            “She’s a…a…robot.”

            “No wonder she was so heavy to lift.” Jupiter said.

            “Robot? I really don’t like that word. Reploid is a much better choice. That’s right, Raye, I’m not from your world. Soon, you and the rest of these fleshlings won’t be either. NEGACONS TRANSFORM!”

            All around beams of light shot up from the ground and when they blinked out the Negacons surrounded the Scouts.

            “That’s impossible! I definitely saw that one blow up.” Sailor Moon pointed at Sawman.

            “What you saw, Salad Moon, was my olde shell. Before we begin, I have a question, for you Dashman, a sword?”

            “No time for that, now get moving!” Almost immediately, Graniteman and Maficman turned around and fell back. As they did so, the packs on their backs flipped up over their heads and in a flash of light they looked like a pair of legs. Phoenixman jumped into the air and his torso separated down the middle revealing an inner armor piece that slide out and reconnected the two halves. His head was drawn inside while his lower arms folded against his upper arms and his lower legs folded up against his upper legs. Jetman and Sawman were transforming as well. Their arms swiveled back and their lower legs folded up against their upper legs. The spot where the knees were glowed and a hand shot out of Sawman and a buster cannon shot out of Jetman. All five of the robots combined together. Sawman forming the left arm, Jetman forming the right arm. Graniteman formed the left leg and Maficman became the right leg.

            “Just one more piece.” Roruko shoved aside the two Scouts and then glowed white for a moment and then was encased in the Dashman Armor. She jumped up high in the air, started spinning so fast as to become a blur. When she stopped, Dashman had transformed into a giant version of his head.

            “HEAD ON! I am Ravager. Prepare for termination.” The twenty-two foot tall robot stomped on the ground casing it to shake toppling the Scouts.

            “I hope someone can come up with some plan to fight this.” Jupiter said.

            “I WANNA GO HOME!” Sailor Moon wailed.

            “Stop that, Meatball head!” Mars yelled. Venus just sat there slacked jawed.

            “We must get our act together. Sailor Moon! I have an idea: If we take out its legs first!” Mercury suggested.

            “Just one more sob. There ready. MOON TIARA MAGIC.” The disc just bounced off a leg.

            “MARS FIRE IGNITE!” The fire ball hit dead center with no effect. “Oh man, I forgot! The big blue one is immune to my powers.”

            “If there was some way for me to analyze this thing!” Mercury said to herself.

            “AMY LOOK OUT!” Sailor Moon yelled as she tackled Mercury sending her out of the giant fire ball Ravager shot at her. They wound up against a shop.

            “Thank you again, Sailor Moon. I just wish there was something I could do to help.”

 

            “I know you can do it Sailor Mercury. You’re very smart and will come up with a plan.”

            “Maybe this will help.” Artemis said. He was pushing a laptop with his head over to Sailor Mercury.

            “That’s Roruko’s! I bet it might have some useful information on it. Thank you.” She picked up the laptop and patted Artemis real quick. “I’m going to need some time.”

            “Don’t worry, I’ll give you as much as possible, but don’t take to long.” Sailor Moon got up and ran over to where the other Scouts were now fighting Ravager down the road.

            “No power button. The screen is blank. How am I going to access the data inside?”

            “Luna might know.” Artemis said. “LUNA? Where are you?”

            “Over here.” Luna said as she hobbled up to the other two. “I got swept away by one of those fire balls from that robot.”

            “I’m trying to get at the information on this computer. Can you help me?”

            “I think.” Luna jump up in the air. A trail of glitter followed and coalesced into a ball that formed a laptop that could fit into the palm of Mercury’s hand. “Just point it at what you want to scan.” Mercury did so. Information flashed across the screen. That the cats couldn’t keep up with it.

            “THAT’S IT! You two stay here.” Mercury took off down the road.

            “What do you possibly think she found, Luna?”

            “I don’t have a clue. What ever it is I hope it works.

*

            The battle was going poorly for the Sailor Scouts. Ravager had used a Super Bomb Cracker to collapse a building down the road trapping the Scouts between it and him. He was now aiming at the group with his buster cannon. Sailor Moon stood defiantly in front with the other Scouts. She held up her Moon Crescent Wand in time to deflect the onslaught of more fire balls. She was starting to show signs of weakness.

            “I can’t take much more of this, sorry guys.”

            “Don’t ever give up, we’ll make it through, girlfriend.” Sailor Venus said.

            “We’ve defeated everything the Negaverse has thrown at us. This oversize soda can has nothing on us.” Sailor Jupiter chimed in.

            “Look at that! Sailor Mercury is coming!” Mars pointed. Mercury was running up behind Ravager. She ran right between his legs and to the Scouts.

            “I hope you got a plan.” Sailor Moon said.

            “Sure do. He uses the combined powers of all six robots. He also has the combined weaknesses of all six robots. You did damage him Mars, but it wasn’t enough to register. If we combined our attacks…”

            “Can we do that?” Jupiter asked.

            “Yes we can. We’ve done it before, right Mars?”

            “You start, Sailor Moon.”

            “MOON TIARA MAGIC!”

            “MARS FIRE IGNITE!”

            “VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!”

            “JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!”

            “MURCURY BUBBLES BLAST!”

            As the combined attack flew towards Ravager, he tried to deflect it with his weapons but each one failed and the tiara hit him in the chest. Green bolts of energy crackled throughout his body. Then he turned various shades of grey and dropped to his hands and knees. Ravager’s head hadn’t changed colour and transformed back to Dashman.

            “I see you five have used up most of your energy, but I still have most of mine.”

            “NO YOU DON’T. YOUR FRIEND MAY HAVE LEFT, BUT YOU ARE COMING WITH US!” Ravager gabbed Dashman and another charge of electricity coursed through them. Dashman turned grey as well. Her face permanently frozen in agony. Then cracks formed throughout and they started breaking apart and turned to dust. A strong gust of wind blew away most of the ash.

            “Goodbye Ruko-Chan.” Sailor Moon whispered. She turned around and walked across the frozen northern tundra to face her destiny.

*

            “Now I get it: this is one of those universes: one that can’t be changed no matter the interference.”

            “Right again, Jesse.”

            “Do I get to stay in this Null Space, again?”

            “Nope, I have something pretty interesting in mind for you.”

            “What, write it down and make me read it?”

            “All ready have Ravy doing that. See ya in part two.”

            “PART TWO?!?”

the end

    07-jan-2001: Started

            09-mar-2002: Finished

            08-dec-2004: Final editing for web site.

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