Frito saunters into the theatre, late as usual... and stops when he sees
Windir and Lyra sitting stiffly in their seats, not saying a word. He
jogs down to the front of the the theatre and turns to Lyra.
Frito: Hey, Lyra! What's going on?
Lyra: <In a dull monotone> I never thought he'd do it.
Frito: Huh?
Lyra: I never thought he'd do it.
Frito: What?
Lyra: I never thought he'd do it.
Frito: Do *WHAT*?!? Windy, what's she talkin' about?
Windir is sitting bolt upright in his chair, staring off into infinity,
twitching slightly. He doesn't respond.
Frito: WINDY! What's wrong with 'cha?
Lyra: <Still in the same monotone> He's making us review...
Frito: Review?
Lyra: A *Sailor Moon* fanfic.
With a soft crunch, Windir topples over into the pile of stale popcorn
Frito left from the last review.
Frito: Woo, woo! Babes in sailor fuku's! *Panty shots*! I can't wait!
[Editor's note: Well, I'm afraid it's not going to be *quite* like
that...]
Frito: Huh?
[Editor's note: Sorry to disappoint you, Frito...]
Frito: <Suspiciously> What're you talkin' about?
Windir climbs out of the pile, brushing small bits of popcorn off of his
suit, and joins Lyra in an inquiring look at the projection booth.
[Editor's note: <With a hint of malicious delight> There are no panty
shots in this story, Frito.]
Frito: WHAT?
[Editor's note: <With an increasingly smug tone> In fact, there isn't a
single... no, pardon me. There is *one* transformation sequence... it's
about two sentences long, and it doesn't reveal a *thing*.]
Frito: *HEY*! You can't DO that!
[Editor's note: He he he... watch me. Trust me, Frito; you'll *enjoyyy*
this one. Hohohuhuhehehehahahaha!]
Lyra: Uh-oh.
Windir: <Grimly> Well, if it must be done, we may as well set about doing
it.
This episode of what may be a very long saga is dedicated to John
Walter Biles, author of more fanfics than you can shake a stick at,
scholar, and gentleman of the first water.
[Editor's note: And the person who showed me the only Sailor Moon I've
seen. Perhaps he's getting kickbacks? ^_^]
[MPAA Rating: PG-13]
And now, our feature presentation.
Serena & Luna: The New Adventures of Sailor Moon
Episode 102
Battlesong
Serena nibbled on her popcorn, awaiting the most important moment
of her life.
Windir: Really? <Dripping sarcasam> How *special*.
The theatre was not very crowded, as very few people had
been given or acquired the special passes for this, *the* otaku event of
the season. Melvin had wrangled one from an associate of his, and he had
given it to Serena when Molly had made it completely clear that Melvin
was *not* going to spend Friday night gazing in awestruck wonder at the
silver screen, but rather enjoy a romantic evening with his wife. At
home. So Serena, lucky Serena, was going to watch *the* movie.
Lyra: Wait a minute. Wife? Sailor Moon characters acting *responsibly*?
What's going on here?
[Editor's note: Well, all right; I'll bring you up to date. In the
original show (as I understand it; I don't know that much about it
myself), at the end of the first season there was a big knock-down,
drag-out fight against Queen Beryl, the baddie behind all the evil of the
first season. As they battle to get into the secret hideout, all of the
good guys are killed off one by one, until Serena/Usagi is the only one
left to go one-on-one with the Queen. She wins, but (IIRC) is mortally
wounded herself... and in a dying wish, asks that none of the evil things
ever happened. *Poof*, all of the good guys are resurrected -- but
without their memories of the time they spent fighting evil as the Sailor
Scouts. In the original story, they regain their memories when another
threat arises; this story takes an alternate history, where no threat
arose, and they all went on living relatively mundane lives. Part 1 of
this story takes place about 7 years later, and has Serena regaining her
memory -- nuking a youma and gaining quite a bit of maturity in the
process.]
Bishoujou Senshi Sailor V-III.
It was strange, watching this, and knowing ... or at least having
known, once, the girl who had inspired it. She remembered, with a quiet,
bittersweet smile, going to an animation studio with Amy and Raye, hoping
to meet Sailor V ... *had* Mina had any involvement in the marketing of
her secret identity? It didn't seem likely ... and if she had, she
certainly wouldn't be collecting any royalties now, having forgotten
everything about her life as Sailor V, and later Sailor Venus.
Serena missed Mina. She missed all of them, of course ... Raye,
Amy, and Lita ... but right now, she missed most the kind, secretive, yet
strong warrior who had helped her out of the darkest of her depressions
in the days after the Dark Kingdom had taken Darien from her.
Lyra: You're *sure* this is Sailor Moon?
Windir: The second paragraphic is at least a little melodramatic...
but... erm, well, overall this is surprisingly mature.
It was then that Serena realized that she had eaten all of her
popcorn while musing about Mina. `Damn,' she thought, `I have got to
stop eating while I'm thinking, or stop thinking while I'm eating ... or
something like that.' Carelessly, she crumpled up the popcorn bag, and
made to throw it over her shoulder
Lyra: *Mature*, you said?
... then paused, and checked.
"Good," Darien said, "you're learning."
Windir: <In tones of slightly pained surprise> Mature.
[Editor's note: I think that's a big part of the reason I like this
fanfic so much. The one (and only) time I saw a few episodes of Sailor
Moon, I had two main reactions -- I liked a lot of the characters, the
environment, the premise and storyline -- but could hardly stand the
childish, melodramatic tone of a lot of the show itself. I wished a lot
of it could just grow up -- and that's exactly what this fic is about, in
a very real way. The characters are maturing, outgrowing a lot of the
childishness they showed in the original story.]
She wasn't exactly surprised to see him there ... he was, after
all, the Globe's film reviewer, and he probably got passes to see new
anime movies all the time.
Lyra: 'New anime movies' sounds a bit awkward. Maybe "new feature-length
animes"?
She was a bit startled to see him so close to
her without having realised that he was there ... she had mixed feelings
about his presence; on the one hand it was annoying to have him there,
because this was supposed to be a private experience for her. On the
other, he was the man she loved. Even if he didn't know it, and would
have laughed to hear it.
`Oh well.'
She started to climb over the seat. "What are you doing?" Darien
asked, bewildered.
"I'm coming to sit with you ... and share your popcorn," she
replied, eyeing his large, mostly full bag. She plopped down next to him,
and smiled her most engaging smile.
Lyra: <Sourly> Obviously she's still got *some* childishness left in her.
[Editor's note: Uh-hm. And who was it that started a food fight a few
weeks ago?]
Lyra: <Pointing at Frito> *He* started it! <As the echo comes back to
her, she puts her hand over her mouth in realization, and blushes.>
In response, Darien stared at her as though she had grown a third
eye in the middle of her forehead, and clutched his popcorn close to
himself. "Why in the world would I want to give my popcorn to you ... let
alone sit with you?!! You almost threw a bag at my head!"
Frito: He he he... I *like* this part!
Windir: <Dryly> I admit I can hardly blame him for saying it.
"But I didn't actually throw ..."
The movie previews started, so the two were forced to simply
trade mean looks while a trailer for Dread Space Pirate Bailesu II was
shown. Serena was amazed by the resemblance of the heroine to Amy ... and
more than a little scandalized by what the trailer implied about her
relationship with the Pirate -- the whole thing seemed fairly ecchi ...
something about a stolen video tape and some Dragonballs ...
Lyra: <Reluctantly admiring> My, you *are* a nasty one, aren't you?
Windir: Hmmm. Did you give your actual address? I have a very strong
suspicion that it would be a good idea to keep oneself at least 300 miles
away from it, for at least the next few weeks.
Frito: Weeks, months... what's da difference? GO GET 'IM, JIMBO!
Yip-Yip-*YAHOOOO*!
Finally, the film they had both come to see began, with the lovely
(and very un-Mina-like) Sailor V battling through hordes of blood-crazed
robots.
"What's the matter?" Serena whispered after she noticed Darien's
bored expression. "I would have thought you liked this sort of thing."
"Nah ... I hate shojo stuff like this."
Serena watched as Sailor V tore off a robot's head with her bare
hands, and wondered at Darien's definition of shojo. Well, as long as he
was distracted, she took the opportunity to swipe a bit of popcorn, just
as Sailor V delivered her first line of the film, one of her trademark
fracturings of the fourth wall.
Frito: Awww! You didn't show none of da gory bits!
Windir: Thank goodness.
Serena began to hack and choke on the popcorn. Darien stared at
her. "I take it you don't like Sailor V's new voice actress?" he asked.
"It's Raye!"
Darien checked his press packet. "According to this, she's
actually some girl named Shigotomei Hikane. No photo ... who's Raye?"
"You don't remember her?" As soon as she asked the question, she
realized how stupid it was ... he'd only ever met Raye because she'd been
with Serena that one time. If she hadn't known Raye, neither had he ...
"Is there some reason I should remember one of your weird junior
high school friends?
`Yes,' she replied silently, `you should remember her because she
was in love with you! It isn't fair! It ...'
Lyra: This went by me a little too quickly the first time through; I
missed the 'silently' part.
`Wait a minute.'
`Raye was in love with Darien? But ...'
Windir: This part was also confusing. Once I deciphered it, the sentiment
seemed appropriate, but it was difficult to tell that these lines were
thought and not spoken. You might wish to use one of the 'standard' (if
there is such a thing) delimiters for thought in pure ASCII text --
asterisks, for example, or angle brackets.
"I've gotta go to the washroom," Serena said aloud. "Watch my
things, okay?" And she got up and ran to the ladies' room.
Staring at her image in the mirror, Serena tried to make sense out
of the welter of confusing thoughts in her brain. "Okay," she started,
"Raye was going out with Darien ... but she told me, after he was
kidnapped ... that she knew it was just a crush, that she was over him,
and so forth. But she didn't act like she was over him at times ... but
that means ... she lied to me. But Raye would never lie to me! Insult
me, yes, slap me around, okay, but never actually LIE ... or would she?
I don't know ... I need to talk to her. Now! But I don't know where she
is. And she doesn't know who I am! Dammit!" she finished, punctuating
her statement by slamming a fist into the wall.
Windir: <Reluctantly> Some... nice... introspection here, as well.
A flushing noise came from the row of toilet stalls behind
Serena. A young-looking red-headed girl in a red Chinese shirt and black
trousers came out of the toilet, and stared at Serena for a long moment,
before commenting, "Your love-life is ALMOST as screwy as mine is ...
good luck!" And then the red-head strode out of the bathroom, leaving
Serena in as much confusion as she'd been in when she went in.
Lyra: Heh.
Windir: Heh.
Frito: But how'd he know? It ain't like he's no mind reader, ya know!
Windir: <Gently> Does it really matter, Frito?
"Well, at least we know she's still alive," Luna commented after
Serena had brought her up to date on the situation. "That's more than we
can say for the others ..."
"WHAT?"
Lyra: <Looking up from a copy of the first chapter she'd found on her
seat> *What*?
"I mean," Luna continued quickly, "that we don't know anything
about the whereabouts of the others -- Amy went to Germany six years ago
and hasn't come back yet; Lita went to North America -- California, I
think -- four years ago; and Mina just plain vanished about the same
time. At the very least, we know that Raye's still alive and in Japan,
somewhere."
Lyra: Oh.
"You're right ... that is something ..." Serena noted, quietly,
her brief moment of anger subsiding.
The two of them sat on Serena's futon, not speaking for a few
moments. Finally, Luna had to break the silence. "What are you thinking
so intensely about?"
"Would I be doing the right thing if I tracked Raye down and gave
her back her memories? I mean, it's not as if I need help -- aside from
that one youma last week, things have been pretty quiet."
Windir: Another nice piece of introspection.
"The, calm before the hurricane, Serena," Luna replied, shaking
her head. "Where there is one youma there will always be others."
Windir: There shouldn't be a comma after the 'The'.
Lyra: <Sounding amused> My, aren't we nit-picky?
Windir: Ah, well -- <Embarrassed cough> the story's grammar is of good
enough quality overall that, well... the little mistakes stand out more.
"Yeah ..." Serena muttered, and continued to brood. She didn't
look right, brooding, Luna thought.
"So what's the other reason ..."
Windir: One exception to the overall quality of the grammar: the ellipses
are overused. Ellipses are most commonly used to signal a long pause, or
a trailing off in the conversation; and conversations that are filled
with large numbers of long pauses and trailing-offs will gain (if that is
the proper connotative term) a rather unfortunate 'chunky' or 'blocky'
feel to them. You might consider using semicolons to replace some of the
ellipses used in the middle of sentences; a semicolon indicates a pause,
but a more comfortable one. Also, consider ending some of the sentences
definitively, instead of letting them trail off. The above sentence is a
case in point; it would likely flow better if it were ended with a
question mark.
[Editor's note: Um, yes. I have a tendency to overuse them myself.
Unfortunately.]
Serena shot Luna a look. "You know me too well ... do I have the
right to take away whatever peace and contentment Raye's managed to gain
just for selfish reasons?"
"What selfish reasons would those be?"
"I want a friend who knows who and what I am, that I can talk to
about my life, and how things were before everything was different ..."
"Well, there is me, after all ..." Luna noted, ever so faintly
offended.
Lyra: A little *too* self-agonizing here. But still, some nice
characterization bits. Especially with Luna.
"Luna, you know what I mean. I can't talk to you about ... you
know, GIRL things."
"Why not, did I suddenly acquire a phallus?"
"Luna!" Serena shouted, embarrassed.
Frito: Um, yeah. <Sounding a bit embarrassed himself> I ain't never heard
Luna be dat crude before.
"Uh, let's not go into that, okay, Luna? This isn't about me,
it's about Raye. Do I have the right to interrupt her life so we can go
chasing after youma? I mean, she could be perfectly happy with the way
her life is, and be really annoyed if I drag her out of it ..."
"Or she could be utterly disgusted with her life, and welcome any
change to it ..." Luna suddenly trailed off, as she realized what Serena
had just done. She'd TRICKED her into arguing against her previous
stance on this issue ...
Luna fixed her protege and pupil (who was trying, unsuccessfully,
to hold down giggles) with a baleful glare. "You," said Luna, "are a
very, very naughty girl."
Lyra: Heeee! *Nice* one, lady! <Her head jerks up, as if remembering
something; then she shakes it ruefully, and starts laughing again.>
Serena finally let out her laughter.
"And the only reason I think Raye would probably appreciate being
reminded of her past is that she'd go back to fighting with you ... so
there!" It was a pitiful defense, but Luna had to make it to retain some
small shred of dignity ...
Windir: <Sigh> Yes, very nice indeed.
*****
Serena knocked hesitantly on Molly's office door.
"Come in, unless you're the men in white suits come to take me
away!" Molly responded.
Frito: They're coming to take me away, ha ha, ho ho, he he, ha ha!
"Hey, Molly, you got a moment?"
"Sure! I got your comic this morning ... yet another
masterpiece! Where'd you get the idea to have an ersatz Sailor V figure
representing police brutality?"
Frito: This reads kinda false, havin' her spoonin' it on dat heavy. I
dunno 'bout Serena, but *I'd* be gettin' suspicious 'bout just how much'a
dat praise is real. 'Specially considerin' da next bit.
"I dunno ... something about the newest movie bugged me. But
that's not really what I want to talk you to about. I've got a little
problem, and I was wondering if you could help me out ..."
"Sorry, Serena, no raises in sight, and I can't float you a loan
this week ..."
"Molly! I don't need any money! I just need for you to listen,
and give me some advice ..."
Lyra: <Tapping the rolled-up printout of chapter 1 on her chin> Hmmm. A
reminder of how recent her change was, and of the bad old days *before*
she grew up... but I'm not quite sure how well that works. I don't get
any real sense of how much time's passed between her turn-around and now,
and that affects how this whole scene with Molly reads. A short time, and
some of the doubt and excess praise makes sense; longer, and it comes off
kinda odd.
Molly sat and considered Serena's question for a few minutes,
giving it deep thought. "Serena, lemme ask YOU something. Do I look
even remotely like Confucius?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, really, Serena, you come in here, spout this weird,
hypothetical tale ... you don't even tell me if the person you're talking
about is a guy, a girl, or whatever ... and then you expect me to give
you advice? Come ON!"
Windir: <Flipping through his own copy> This *does* sound a lot like the
old Molly from part 1, dealing with an unreconstructed Serina. I can see
where the author is placing Molly in the 'goad' or 'gadfly' role, as a
catalyst for Serina's maturing process; but she comes across as rather
too harsh in passages like these.
`Well, that was pointless,' Serena grumbled silently. She
slouched through the newsroom, feeling depressed, and unconsciously
(okay, not so unconsciously) walked past Darien's desk.
"Hey, Mea ... uh, Serena!"
Lyra: My, aren't we *full* of people growing up here!
"Um ... I'd just like to say that you made an extremely
unpleasant cinematic experience marginally bearable."
Serena blinked. Twice. "What?"
"The movie ... last night. It was lousy, but you were pretty
good company, after you got back from the ladies' room."
Frito: Alright, so how come we ain't been seein' it?
The Hikawa shrine was in much worse shape than it had been when
Serena had last visited it, the night the Sailor Scouts had teleported to
the Arctic ... but that had been seven years ago. Serena remembered
reading about the old priest, Raye's grandfather, dying of a heart attack
five years ago, but she hadn't known him when she'd heard about it, so
she didn't remember any of the details.
`Poor old Hentai-Grandpa ...' she thought, walking up the stairs
to the shrine. `I guess Raye really did abandon this place, like you
always worried she would. Damn. I wonder who's taken your place?'
Lyra: Well, I don't know more about him than the one-sentence
descriptions I've seen, and I didn't like what I saw of him there... but
I have to feel kind of sorry for him, right here. Good job.
"Kin I help you?" a strangely accented voice asked from the
shadows. Serena turned to the voice, and stared for a few seconds.
It was Chad ... but a Chad who had bulked up as he'd grown. When
she'd first met him, seven years ago, Serena had thought he was a hunk;
now, he was drop dead handsome ... if you ignored the unkempt beard, and
the world-weary, half-dead expression in his eyes.
"Uh ... hi. I understand there used to be a spiritual girl at
this shrine ... do you know where she is?" Serena asked, not very sure
how to go about doing this.
"No." The word was delivered in a flat voice.
"Er ... you don't have any idea where she might be?"
"No. She could be alive, she could be dead. She could be sick,
she could be healthy. I don't know. She could be hiding somewhere on
this STUPID LOUSY STINKING shrine, and I wouldn't know. She might be
hiding in plain sight, standing behind me, and I wouldn't know. And
astoundingly enough, I wouldn't care." Chad stepped out of the shadows a
bit more as he spoke, and Serena could see him pushing a broom. He
punctuated his last words with a particularly vicious attack on the dust
that covered the floor.
Frito: <Wince> Ouch. This hurts.
"The last thing I said to her ... `Raye, please come back' ...
I've changed my mind. I never want to see her again as long as I live!"
"No!" Serena shouted. "You don't ... you shouldn't say that."
"Why not?! It's true!"
"No, you're only saying it because you're hurt and angry with her
.. you'd regret never seeing her again."
"What the hell do you know about it?!" Chad shouted. "Do you
know what that ... that ... WOMAN did to me?"
"No ... but it's nothing compared to what you're letting your
bitterness and anger do to yourself," Serena replied, quietly.
Chad stared at her, then swore once, and turned and walked away.
"Bloody Buddhist nonsense ..." she heard him mutter.
`Buddhist nonsense?' Serena wondered as she walked home. `Common
sense!'
Windir: Another good continuation from part one, and the lessons she's
learning.
She hopped out of bed, and ran to her phone book. She'd checked
the directory without success for "Shigotomei Hikane" already, but it
hadn't occured to her to look for ... damn. No "Hino Raye" either.
But what about ... flip over the page, and there she was.
"Hino Rei".
She'd tried to blend in, hide in plain sight, by adopting the
Japanese spelling of her personal name, instead of the Western spelling
that her father, who'd converted to Christianity, had given her. It
would have worked, except for Serena's intuition.
Frito: Retcon alert! Retcon alert!
"Smart rabbit, such tricks are for kids!" she murmured to
herself.
Windir: <Grudgingly> As reasonable an excuse for the differences between
the English and Japanese names as one could probably come up, I suppose.
Along with an acknowledgement of *her* Japanese name.
Frito: Huh?
Windir: Her Japanese name -- Usagi -- means 'rabbit.'
His name was Shraven, and he had the best job in all of Tokyo.
Manager to the almost all the hottest young idol singers in town, he was
the one who pulled the strings that made them dance. Whether they liked
the music or not.
He was also a youma.
Frito: Ahhhhh, I *knew* it!
Windir: It does seem... rather appropriate. That the sharks and vultures
of the U.S. entertainment industry would become the youma of Japanese
legend.
"Maybe you oughta make a little time for me, babe," he said with
a smile. "I can make all your dreams come true ... just give me a call,
and ..." he set a thick-fingered hand on her shoulder, and let his fleshy
smile say the rest.
The knee to his groin came as an utter surprise, as did the slap
to his face. "Keep your FILTHY hands off me, you lech!" she said in a
voice of steel. Then she strode down the hallway, leaving Shraven curled
up against the wall.
Shraven was going to enjoy corrupting this one. But maybe he'd
get to that a bit later ...
*****
Serena fumed as she walked down the hall, trying to get how the
man's hand had felt on her shoulder out of her mind. There was something
about him that had triggered her fight-or-flight instinct, and with her
newly acquired confidence, she'd elected to fight. Damn, it had felt
good to be able to dish it out ...
Frito: HAH! Way ta go, baby!
"GOOD!" Raye's voice bellowed in response. "I never want to see
you again as long as I live! Get out of my life!"
`There's that phrase again', Serena thought numbly.
Lyra: <Softly> Ouch.
The other
woman stormed past her, taking no apparent notice of Serena as she
stalked along repeating the word "bitch" over and over again. With
extreme hesitation, she knocked on the door.
Lyra: I'd heard that Rei had a temper... but like this?
"My second year at college. I got a few small parts ... I was
one of the screaming voices in the most recent Patlabor series, for
instance ... but nothing really major until Sailor V." Raye undid the
straps of the dressing gown she was wearing to show off the costume she
had on underneath. It was pretty silly-looking ...
Lyra: <Teasing> Not bad, eh?
Frito: She's pretty.
Windir: Eh? That's all?
Raye's expression grew more pensive. "Yes ... those are the
first words that came to my mind ... but even though I can't remember
seeing someone with hair like that, I think I knew you. Did you ever buy
good luck charms at the Hikawa shrine?"
"Uh, maybe once or twice ..." Serena said, on the edge of panic
but trying to hide it.
"What's the matter?" Raye asked, suspicious now. "Why are you so
nervous about my questions?"
"Because I'm the one who's supposed to ask questions!" Serena said
quickly.
"Listen, you meatball head, I'll ask questions if I want to ask
questions!" Raye exclaimed, angry now.
Lyra: "The best way to understand someone is to fight him, make him
angry. That's when you see the real person."
Windir: <Raised eyebrow> Quoting Babylon 5, now?
And that's when Serena knew, beyond any logic or intuition, that
she had to do it. She hadn't realized, until just now, exactly how much
she missed her argument with Raye. She remembered what Raye had said
just after Mina's horrible, horrible death ... "We fought all the time
.. but it was fun."
"Raye, you may hate me for this ..." Serena began, pulling the
Mentatic Force Adjuster out of her pocket.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"But I need you to REMEMBER!"
And she did.
Bidding her farewell. Walking alone into the desolation. Two
against one, extremely unfavorable odds. And they moved so fast!
Caught! One went to ... no. That would not happen. With all her might
.. and then the other began to slowly kill her. When it was done ...
above the ice. The other rising up. Seizing a grip. "It's ... not over
yet." FIRE. Explosion. Lying on the ice. So much to say. So much ...
"You were right, Serena ... it would have been better to kiss ... the one
I loved ... goodbye." Then a long, bright light. Then standing beside
her once more, giving everything that a ghost could give. And then,
reborn. Never knowing.
Until now.
Lyra: <Thoughtfully> Ah, so that's how it worked. All right.
"Oh, Serena ..." Raye whispered.
"Hi, Raye," Serena said softly.
"You meatball head ..." Raye sighed. "Why did you go through
that? Why didn't you just give me back my memories immediately?"
"I didn't know if you'd want it back or not ..."
Frito: <Softly> Touching, ain't it?
"Oh," Serena murmured with a blush, "just this guy I met in the
hallway ... he kept trying to get me interested in a career as an idol
singer, and I think he was also coming onto me ... so I gave him a shot
in his ... um ... you know." She demonstrated.
"You WHAT?" Raye exclaimed, her jaw dropping.
"It's what they taught me in my self-defense class ..." Serena
replied, shrugging.
Frito breaks out laughing.
"There's nothing the matter, Serena ... really. So, you married
Darien, huh?"
Serena blinked. Then she remembered. "Oh! No, I just used his
last name as a cover. He works at the Globe too, though ... maybe you've
read his reviews ..."
"You let him get away?! Are you nuts, girl? You're at least
dating regularly, aren't you?" Raye shouted ... and then she noted the
tears that were starting to pool in Serena's eyes. "Serena, what's wrong
.."
"He doesn't remember, Raye. He doesn't remember any of it. Luna
tried to give him back his memories ... but she said it was like there
never were any to begin with ..." She slumped in her chair.
"He doesn't remember ... not even me?"
"No ... I mentioned your name, and he was like, why should I
remember one of YOUR silly friends ..."
Windir: Hmm. That's why. It makes more sense now.
Raye closed her eyes, and let out a long, slow sigh. "It's for
the best," she whispered. "He deserves a girl like Serena ... someone
pure, and innocent, and good ..."
"What do you mean?" Serena asked, perplexed. "Raye, you're as
good a person as I am. Maybe better! What do you mean by that?"
Raye looked mortified that she'd been caught thinking aloud. "Uh,
never mind."
Lyra: Oops.
"No, I do mind. What's going on?" Serena pressed.
"It's nothing, Serena," Raye sighed.
She was lying. Serena KNEW she was lying. Did this mean ...
"You WERE in love with Darien! You LIED to me!"
Her eyes snapped open. "What ..."
"When we were trapped in that avalanche, you told me that what
you had for Darien was just a silly crush! How could you lie to me like
that?! If I was in love with someone YOU were destined to be with, I'd
sure as hell fight you with everything I had to keep him!"
"Serena!"
"And you're lying to me now! Something IS wrong, Raye, and
you're not telling me what it is! I almost threw Luna out of my life for
hiding the truth from me, and I will NOT let you lie to me now! What is
the matter?!"
Windir: She *has* grown up. Miracles will never cease.
Raye turned away. "I can't tell you ... it's too horrible."
Serena got up out of the chair, and tried to get in front of
Raye. But the dark-eyed girl kept twisting and turning to avoid her.
"Raye, nothing could be so bad that you can't tell me about it!"
"THIS could! Serena ... to get where I am in show business ...
I've had to do some things I'm not proud of ... things I'm disgusted by
.. do you understand?"
"Raye, it's all right. No matter what you did, it doesn't ..."
"Yes it does! I've done HORRIBLE things, Serena! If *I* don't
love me after what I've done, how could someone like Darien ..."
"Raye!" Serena grabbed her on the shoulders, and forced her to
hold a gaze with her. "Forget Darien. Forget everybody else. No matter
what you've done, I will always be your friend. I care about you, dammit!
Now what did you do that was so horrible?"
Lyra: Yeah. She has, hasn't she.
And then, because there was nothing left to do, Raye told her, in
graphic detail, about the pornographic film she'd made when she was
seventeen.
And then she lowered her eyes, and waited for the scorn, the
contempt, the disgust.
"Oh, Raye ..." Serena whispered in a voice of anguish.
Raye dared a look. Serena's eyes were filled with pain ... not
for herself, it was obvious, but for Raye. It was not pity ... it was
compassion.
[...]
"Well isn't that the cutest thing," the smarmy voice of the man
>from the hallway sounded behind them.
They whirled around. He was leering at them, his teeth almost
looking as if they had been filed to points. "Rei, my dear, your taste
in companions has improved, even if your luck has not ..."
"Raye, is this the guy who ..."
"Yes," Raye answered flatly. "His name is Shraven. And he's kept
copies of it, as blackmail material ..."
"Oh, so you told her about your little cinematic accomplishment
.. honest of you ... I wouldn't call it blackmail, that's such a nasty
term ... let's call it incentive to perform? And you haven't been
performing to my expectations, Rei honey ..."
Lyra: My, I'd bet you'd like to get a look at that film... Right, Frito?
Silence.
Lyra: Frito?
Frito: <Softly> That bastard. That dirty, stinkin' bastard. You're gonna
die, buddy.
Lyra stares at Frito for a moment, before her eyes soften. She pats him
compassionately on the shoulder.
Lyra: You're learning, kid. You're learning.
"You're going to give me all those copies, or proof of their
destruction ..." Serena informed Shraven.
"What?"
"Or else."
"Or else what?" Shraven sneered.
"Remember where I kicked you before?" Serena asked sweetly, then
made a tearing motion with her hand.
Frito: <Grinning viciously> Now *dat's* da spirit.
"You wouldn't DARE," Shraven sneered, again.
"Who dares, wins. One of my grandpa's favorite sayings ..."
Serena trailed off as she realized that something was wrong with the man
before her.
His eyes ... their pupils had dilated so that they almost filled
the eye with a single black dot ... and his neck was swelling up ...
Serena had only a handful of seconds to jump back as a second
pair of arms burst from the sides of his body, and he grew a foot in
height.
"YOUMA!" she shouted at Raye.
"No shit!" Raye shouted back. "What do we do?"
"Transform and fight it of course! MOON!"
"I don't have my pen anymore ... I ..."
"Yes you do! PRISM!"
"How do you know?!"
Windir: Good question.
"I just do! POWER!"
Lyra: Bad answer.
And as the transformation began, Raye suddenly realized that she
did indeed have the pen in her left pocket ... but where had it come
from? Time to worry about that later. "MARS POWER!"
Lyra: And unsatisfying.
Fire danced around her, burning her clothes and body to ashes and
beyond, until there was nothing but flames. And the flames took form,
and she was at last who she was meant to be.
"I am the no-longer-solo fighter of love and justice, Sailor Moon!"
"I am Sailor Mars! You have toyed with my life for the last time!"
"In the name of the Moon ..."
"... and the planet Mars ..."
"... we will right wrongs and triumph over evil!"
"And you are DOGMEAT!"
Sailor Moon gave Sailor Mars a quick look. "Dogmeat?"
"I like the sound of it. Sue me."
Frito: <Respectfully> No way in hell, lady. No way in hell.
[Editor's note: Hey, Frito! There's that transformation sequence!]
Frito: So?
[Editor's note: <Smirk>]
"I did love him. But I knew it was one-sided," Raye spoke
quietly. "If he ever felt anything for me besides the same, good-natured
liking that somebody might feel for a younger brother or sister, I never
got any indication of it."
"All right. And how do you feel about him, now?"
"I haven't SEEN him in seven years, Serena! I don't KNOW how I
feel."
"Okay. I'm going to win him back, Raye. Please, please, don't
interfere."
"What do you mean, interfere?"
"Exactly what you think I mean!"
"Oh, it's great to know that my best friend has such a high
opinion of me!"
Windir: It is to wonder. At least a little.
"Well, what do you expect, considering all the times you've been
giving me YOUR high opinion of ME!"
Raye decided to use her time-tested way of winning a fight with
Serena. She stuck her tongue out.
Serena, who would in no wise allow herself to lose the fight that
easy, stuck her tongue out in retaliation.
And they were still like that, four hours later.
The End.
(For Now)
Lyra: What an ending.
Windir: <Hesitantly> Well, it was a small bit... 'cheesy', is the term?
Lyra: Like I said, what an ending.
Frito: Hey!
[Editor's note: <Raising an eyebrow of his own> Well?]
Windir: Er.
Lyra: <Doing a thorough and detailed examination of her toe, digging a
piece of gum out of the carpet> Um.
Frito: <Angrily> Alright, I liked it! Is dat what ya wanted me ta say?!?
Lyra: Uh, well, so... when's the next episode?
[Editor's note (a real one, this time): I know, there's at least one
episode waiting after this one. I just didn't have the time to knock out
more than this one tonight, and I don't want to lose the flow by
spreading it out for long enough to handle the rest. Gomen. I'll try to
give at least quick comments on the other parts as I have time, OK?]
Travis Butler
(The Professor, formerly of Myth and Magick!, Lawrence, KS;
tbutler@tfs.net, now from the Wandering Powerbook;
<http://www.tfs.net/personal/tbutler/>;
Mac page <http://www.tfs.net/business/tbutler/>)
...Cats are the proof of a higher purpose to the universe.