[AKO] [SM] Magical Girls Dream Team (1/6)

Chapter One, The New Girl.

    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 High School?"



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."



Eiko wore a sailor suit similar to Usagi's but with unusual metal

bracers on her forearms.  Eiko'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." Eiko suggested, offering her hand.



Usagi extended her hand in response, but only had time for a quick "Yip"

of surprise as Eiko 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." Eiko 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.



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 behind them.

She had never quite understood the dangers of tardiness before so

clearly.



There was another girl waiting at the gate, in a school uniform simular

to Eiko's but with vest and jacket.  She had long lavender hair and her

eyes, a deeper shade of blue than Usagi's, seemed quite surprised to see

Eiko with somebody else.  "Who's the new girl Eiko?"



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", Eiko introduced the two, releasing

Usagi.



"Just call me Biko"



"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", Biko 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?" Biko finished.



Usagi was very relieved that Biko had not said crystal barrettes, but

she did not understand the sharp glance Eiko threw at Biko 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, Biko?"



"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 Biko, she saw the pained

expression on Eiko'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 Biko was openly staring at her.  None of

the other students seemed to notice or care, except for Eiko, 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 Biko 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 Eiko went to Biko's last weekend, with flowers in her

hair."



"Yes, but now Biko has this new blonde."



"Poor Eiko."



The next period was only a little bit better for Usagi, Biko 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.



Eiko popped out of her seat and approached "Usagi, would you like to have

lunch with me today?"



"Sure, Eiko, I'd love to." It seemed an excellent way to avoid Biko for

thirty minutes.



"But Eiko", Biko 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" Eiko 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." Biko replied and four other girls

chorused their agreement.



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



"Asa", a cute girl with freckles,



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



"Mari", a huge girl with brutal features,



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



"Pleased to meet you all" Usagi replied.



As they settled down on the front grounds, Eiko and Biko 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" Biko admitted, "but I'm sure that

with some personal tutoring, you'll do OK."



"Yeah" Eiko added, "you could join our study group."



Biko was about to reply to this, when a scream sounded from the other

side of the Gymnasium.



Eiko was instantly to her feet and rushed off in that direction.



Next, Biko 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, Biko flew off after

Eiko. 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 Eiko and Biko standing

over an unconscious large pig-like monster.



"What is this thing?"  Eiko asked Biko.



"Most likely a transformed innocent victim" Sailor Moon announced and

invoked her powers, "Moon Healing Activation" and the Pig was returned

to its true form as one of the students.



Eiko looked up surprised, but Biko simply stared at Sailor Moon,

stunned.



Seeing no other threat, Sailor Moon turned away from the ledge and leapt

down.  She walked behind some trees and transformed back, then sat and

waited for the other girls to return to lunch.



Eiko came running back, towing Biko, in that suit, behind her.



"Eiko, how did you get that scratch?"  Usagi asked innocently.



Eiko examined a nasty tear in her blouse around a tiny scratch in her

side.  "Damn, it must have tagged me!  Biko, could I borrow your jacket

for the rest of the day?"



"Uh, huh", Biko replied dazed.



"You should have seen it Usagi.  A monster attacked the school!"  Eiko

continued.



"Really?"  Usagi thought she'd best play along, no sense in letting on

to more than she had to.



"Yeah, me and Biko took it down, and then Sailor Moon showed up."



"That... that was Sailor Moon?"  Biko asked.  She had switched back to

her school outfit in an instant, minus the jacket, which Eiko was still

fidgeting with.



"Yeah, what's she doing in Graviton City?  Not that I blame her, given

what happened to Tokyo.  Say Usagi, aren't you from Tokyo?  What

happened there?"



"Well there was a rash of monster attacks in the city and then one day

this giant black crystal appeared and..."  Usagi gave the public story

of the black moon attack, leaving out her own role in the mess.



"Brrring!"



"There's the bell.  We'd best get back to class, you know what Miss

Ayumi thinks about tardiness."  Eiko grabbed Usagi and Biko and rushed

in, followed by the other four girls.



After school on Monday, Usagi walked to the main gate with Eiko and Biko.



"Usagi, you're new to Graviton City, aren't you?" Eiko asked.



When Usagi nodded, Eiko continued "Why don't we show you around then?"



"I'm sorry." Biko interrupted. "But I have to finish a design this

evening."



"Is is the aircraft carrier?" Eiko asked.  "The one with the hinge on

the end?"



"Yes." Biko looked to the heavens with anger.  "One of these days those

fools at the Space Defence Force will wake up to the need for a

transforming space battlefortress with adequate fighter cover!  But,

it's OK, you two go ahead."



"Study session tomorrow night at your place right?"



"Yes, Eiko, you and Usagi are welcome to come over."



As they walked down the hill, Usagi asked Eiko. "Your friend Biko, she

builds real aircraft carriers?"



"As far as I know, this is her first.  She's done some frigates before,

but she mostly designs land, air and space vehicles and mecha."



"What?"



"Miss Daitokuji is the Military Industrial Complex in a skirt.  As a

hobby, she tries out prototype weapons on me."



"That sounds dangerous."



"Not really", Eiko grinned, "I'm tougher than I look."



"This is my aunt's house."  Usagi noted.



"You're staying with her for the semester?"



"At least."



"Let me go home and change, I'll meet you back here in about thirty

minutes or so and show you our town."



As they exited the theater, after watching "Ninja Jungle Commando IV",

Usagi could not contain her curiosity. "Eiko, why were you taking notes

during that movie?  It was fun, but it didn't seem to have much depth."



"I just want to practice some of those moves."



"Come on now, that was a movie.  The movie people were just kidding when

they filmed that.  Nobody could really do that."



"That's what they think."



Usagi could feel eyes on her and spun around. "Hello?  Oh, it's

uh.. Ine, right?  Wait, where are you going?"



Eiko placed her hand on Usagi's arm.  "Please don't pay Ine any

attention, you'll only get her in trouble."



"She's spying on us? For who? Biko?"



"Biko's just curious about you.  I imagine she'll know more about you

than you do tomorrow.  Don't you want somebody looking out after you?"



"No thanks, I've had enough getting stalked for several more lifetimes.

Why do you put up with it?"



Eiko gave Usagi a significant glance. "I think we'd best cut across the

street here."



"Why?"



"I've had some bad luck with construction sites before."



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