Magical Girls Dream Team
    By Henry J. Cobb

Usagi was going to be late, once again, for the first day at a new
school.  She was running as fast as she could, but she was starting at
the bottom of a big hill.

Another girl casually pulled up alongside Usagi. "Hi, I'm Eiko Magami,
are you going to Graviton Girls?"

Usagi stopped for a moment to catch her breath and greet the other
student. "Yes, starting today, I'm Usagi Tsukino, but it looks like
we'll be late."

A-ko wore a sailor suit similar to Usagi and unusual metal bracers on
her forearms.  A-ko's eyes were Copper instead of Usagi's Blue and her
red slightly wavy hair was fairly short, only coming down to her
shoulders, as opposed to the twin balls Usagi wrapped her straight blond
hair in and it still came down to her own ankles, but the girls shared a
slender, slightly athletic look.

"I know a way to get there on time." A-ko suggested, extending her hand.

Usagi extended her hand in response, but only had time for a quick "Yip"
of surprise as A-ko grabbed the offered wrist and headed down the road at
high speed, towing Usagi in the air behind her.

"Hold on Usagi, I'm gonna try the shortcut." A-ko left the road to cut
across the switchback, jumping across rooftops.

Usagi was quite alarmed at this show of speed and strength.  Is this
some Negaverse plot to abduct me?  Maybe they're not quite sure of my
identity.  I'd best just play along.

Leaving a trail of destruction behind them, the pair arrived at the
school gate a few minutes before the bell.  Usagi took a moment to look
back along the trail of ruin.  She had never quite understood the
dangers of tardiness before so clearly.

There was another girl waiting at the gate, in a more formal school
uniform with long lavender hair, her eyes, a deeper shade of blue than
Usagi's seemed quite surprised to see A-ko with somebody else.  "Who's
the new girl A-ko?"

Usagi had never seen anybody with Lavender hair before, but she
remembered that her mother, the earth one, and Ami had had bluish hair
so it wasn't totally impossible.  Usagi banished the thought, she didn't
want to think about Mom or Ami, not now.

"Usagi Tsukino, meet Biko Daitokuji", A-ko introduced the two, releasing
Usagi.

"Just call me B-ko"

"You can call me anything you like, as long as it isn't Meatball-head"
Usagi winced as the phrase left her lips, it reminded her of all the
times Rei had said it and now never would again.

"That's very funny", B-ko replied, studying Usagi's unusual hairstyle,
"but Usagi is shorter, have you considered decorating those balls with
something..."

Oh no, Usagi despaired, she knows, she's taunting me.

"...like flowers?" B-ko finished.

Usagi was very relieved that B-ko had not said crystal barrettes, but
she did not understand the sharp glance A-ko threw at B-ko at the
mention of flowers.  There was something between these girls.

The three hurried into class.

"We have a new student today girls" Miss Ayumi announced "please
introduce yourself."

"Usagi Tsukino, pleased to meet you all."

"Now where can you sit?", Miss Ayumi wondered.

"Teacher"

"Yes, B-ko?"

"There is an empty seat here by me, next to the window."

"An excellent choice."

As Usagi took the seat on the far side of B-ko, she saw the pained
expression on A-ko's face.  What is so special about this seat, Usagi
pondered, what had happened to the last girl to sit here?

Miss Ayumi began her lecture, a strange mixture of literature, history,
mathematics and geology.

Usagi was quickly lost, and as she glanced up from her book in
bewilderment, she noticed that B-ko was openly staring at her.  None of
the other students seemed to notice or care, except for A-ko, who once
again had the pained expression.

What is going on here?, Usagi worried. Is this all an elaborate
Negaverse trap, with fake students and school?  What are they waiting
for, before they spring it?

Usagi tried to ignore B-ko and concentrate on her studies, but it was a
great relief when the bell rang to end the first period.

It was also a relief to "visit the facilities", but while Usagi was in
the girls' room, two other girls entered.

"I hear that A-ko went to B-ko's last weekend, with flowers in her
hair."

"Yes, but now B-ko has this new blonde."

"Poor A-ko."

The next period was only a little bit better for Usagi, B-ko continued
to stare and Miss Ayumi's lecture made as little sense as the last one,
even if it was possibly on a different subject, but at least some of the
students had to be real, no Negaverse illusion would gossip that way.

Finally the bell rang for lunch.

A-ko popped out of her seat and approached "Usagi, would you like to have
lunch with me today?"

"Sure, A-ko, I'd love to." It seemed an excellent way to avoid B-ko for
thirty minutes.

"But A-ko", B-ko complained, seeming to snap to her senses, "I thought
you were having lunch with us again today?"

What is it with this girl, Usagi worried, does she use a royal we?

"I'm sorry" A-ko backpedaled, "I meant to invite Usagi to come sit with
my usual group, if it's OK with you girls."

"I don't see any problem with that." B-ko replied and four other girls
chorused their agreement.

"Usagi, I'd like you to meet my close friends" B-ko introduced the four,

"Asa", a cute girl with freckles,

"Ine", a homely girl with beady eyes and buck teeth,

"Mari", a huge girl with features that would be brutal on a man,

"and Ume", a short dumpy girl with thick glasses.

"Pleased to meet you all" Usagi replied.

As they settled down on the front grounds, A-ko and B-ko sat next to
Usagi, while the other four completed the circle.

"What is it with Miss Ayumi" Usagi asked the group "and what subject is
she teaching?"

"It is a bit of an advanced class" B-ko admitted, "but I'm sure that
with some personal tutoring, you'll do OK."

"Yeah" A-ko added, "you could join our study group."

B-ko was about to reply to this, when a scream sounded from the other
side of the Gymnasium.

A-ko was instantly to her feet and rushed off in that direction.

Next, B-ko tossed off her school outfit, revealing a strange metallic
purple swimsuit to which she added similar boots and gloves and a
transparent visor.  Her transformation complete, B-ko flew off after
A-ko. Asa, Ine, Mari and Ume followed on foot, leaving Usagi alone.

Usagi knew she should investigate and so grabbing her locket, she
invoked "Moon Crystal Magic" and transformed herself into the slightly
less revealing garb of Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon leaped up onto the roof of the Gymnasium and approached the
edge closest to the disturbance, there she saw A-ko pinned under a large
pig-like monster, which seemed to be draining her energy.

B-ko flew up rammed the Pig "Get off of her, you."

The Pig turned to B-ko.

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice" It seemed like a good ideal to
impress on this monster the gravity of it's situation. "Schools should
be places of learning, not carnage.  For attacking these students, I
cannot forgive you.  In the name of the moon, I'll punish you."

B-ko and the Pig looked up at Sailor Moon, but B-ko seemed the more
surprised and stunned of the two.

This was all the opening a recovered A-ko needed as she threw the Pig on
it's back and KO'ed it with a single punch. "What is this thing?"

"Most likely a transformed innocent victim" Sailor Moon invoked her
powers, "Moon Healing Activation" and the Pig was returned to its true
form as one of the students.

Seeing no other threat, Sailor Moon turned away from the ledge and was
surprised herself as B-ko flew up and landed right in front of her.

"Usagi" B-ko admired the Sailor Moon costume, "what a cute outfit, I
love it."

"I am Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice, and I don't know what you're
talking about."

"Usagi" B-ko grabbed Sailor Moon's hands, "is this supposed to be some
kind of a disguise, it doesn't cover your eyes.  Those eyes could never
fool me."

"You're famous, aren't you Usagi?" B-ko continued "as Sailor Moon, I
mean.  Monsters don't usually attack this school.  They must be after
you, right?"

"It's a possibility" Sailor Moon admitted.

"Oh my dear sweet Usagi" B-ko hugged Sailor Moon tightly, "I won't let
them hurt you."

Sailor Moon appreciated the thought, but it seemed most familiar for a
girl she'd only met that morning.

A thump sounded on the ledge behind her, turning out of B-ko's grasp, she
noticed it was A-ko.

"B-ko, Usagi."

Didn't her disguise work against anybody today?, Sailor Moon worried.

"Yes?" The annoyance clearly showed in B-ko's voice, "what is it?"

"Lunch is almost over" A-ko continued, "You'd best switch back to school
outfits now, you know how much Miss Ayumi dislikes it when we're tardy."

$Id: mgdt_chp1.txt,v 1.2 1996/08/11 14:08:44 hcobb Exp $