Hi everyone, here's part 3 (so far so good :) Hope you all enjoy it, please
get back to me with some C&C. My webpage should be up and running soon, and
I'll have all the back stories archived there, as well as info on the
characters. See the web address below, and please be patient, as this is my
first attempt at making a webpage :) Enough of that, though; here's this
weeks episode:
Solar Knights - Night's Dark Shadow
A fanfic of Sailor Moon By StarKnight
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**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, all associated characters and situations created by
Naoko Takeuchi, used here without permission. All other characters are mine.
Writing notes:
^...^ indicates thoughts
*...* indicates telepathic messages
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Episode 3 "Kat-napped"
"WHAT? What do you mean I'm broke?!!" Nephlite gripped the edge of his
chair where he sat across the desk from the bank manager.
"Well, it's simply that no one has been able to contact you for
several months. According to our rules of trade, after such a time that you
are declared missing or dead, your investments are passed on to your heir.
But, as you have no will and no next of kin, in your case they defaulted to
your broker, which is us." The manager stopped a moment, and then continued
with a slight smile on her face. "Since you're obviously not dead though, we
will immediately start the process to restore your funds and investments."
"Thank you. It was quite a shock when I found that all my money was
gone." Nephlite looked at the attractive woman across the desk from him a bit
more calmly.
"The paperwork should be finished by this evening, Mr. Stanton."
"Please, call me Maxfield, Ms. Masters."
"And you call me Crystal, please. Anyway, as I said, the paperwork
should be done tonight, and I'm sure that you don't wish to wait any longer
than you have to, so why don't you stop by my house later this evening? We
could have dinner." Her smile widened slightly.
"Yes, I would enjoy that very much." Nephlite smiled back at the
woman, wondering why she had such an effect on him.
"Excellent. Come to my home about eight o'clock. Here is my address."
She handed him a small business card.
"I look forward to it. Eight o'clock it is." Still smiling, he turned
and left the office.
* * *
A sleek red Ferrari pulled up the drive of a secluded mansion outside
of Tokyo. Nephlite parked the car and started walking towards the front door,
whistling cheerfully to himself when he noticed Naru sitting on his front
doorstep.
"Hello Naru. I didn't expect to see you here. How did you get over
the wall?" For some reason, Nephlite felt slightly uneasy.
"I walked out here after school when you didn't show up. You didn't
seem to be at home, so I changed to Venus Knight and leaped over the fence."
Naru was looking down at the path between the two of them and was playing
nervously with the bow on her school uniform.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't make it today, but I had to go to my bank
to take care of some business. I'm certainly very glad to see you here. Would
you like to come inside? I have a fresh pitcher of lemonade waiting." Nephlite
stepped forward and held out his hand to her, giving her his most winning
smile.
"OK." Naru took the offered hand shyly and stood up, still looking
down. "I need to talk to you about Umino."
* * *
Inside the house the two of them sat at a table, a pitcher and two
glasses between them.
"Wow. You really don't have a lot of furniture here, Nephlite." Naru
said, looking around at the otherwise empty room.
"Well, I never really needed anything else."
An awkward silence passed between the two of them.
"I wanted to tell you..." Naru began.
"Just who is this Umino..." Nephlite started to say at the same time.
They both laughed for a moment and then Nephlite said, "Why don't you begin."
"Okay. Well, after you d-died." Naru paused a second, looking down.
"After you died, I was a wreck. I couldn't think about anything else. My mom
was worried because I wouldn't tell her what was wrong. How could I? I barely
understand it myself, now." She stopped and took a drink of her lemonade.
Nephlite watched her sympathetically.
"After a week, Usagi and Umino came over to cheer me up. We went to
see a movie, but on the way there we were attacked by a monster. Umino saved
my life, and I guess it reminded me of you. Afterwards I guess we sorta
started to go out together. He takes it way too seriously, though. I really
never felt for him the same way I felt for you. Then we lost our memories, and
I didn't even remember why we were going out, but it just seemed kind of,
natural I guess. Then you came back and restored my memories. Up until that
point I didn't remember how much you meant to me." Naru stopped and looked up
into Nephlite's shining eyes.
"Oh, Naru, you don't know how happy I am to hear that. I was so
worried that you didn't like me anymore. After I died, I drifted thorough
space for a while, and the only thing that kept me together was your memory.
You know," he broke of looking to the side "I never felt that way about anyone
before. I didn't understand my feelings at first, but you're very important to
me. I think I would rather not go on if you didn't care for me."
"Oh, Nephlite." Naru got up and ran around the table into his embrace,
tears in her eyes. "I love you! I couldn't be with anyone else but you!"
Nephlite looked surprised at first, then put his arms around her and rocked
her back and forth, soothing the sobbing girl.
* * *
Later, outside the house, Nephlite was seeing Naru off.
"Are you sure you don't want me to give you a ride home?" Nephlite
asked.
"No, my mom would flip out if she saw me come home in your car. But,
before I go, what are we going to do about the Sailor Senshi? Yesterday you
said we need to find some cats to restore their memories."
"I know that one of them is a black cat named Luna. She always
was there when I fought against the Senshi."
"Hey, you know, that's weird. Usagi has a cat named Luna." Naru's eyes
widened in realization. "You don't mean to tell me that Usagi's a Sailor
Senshi!"
"Actually, yes, she's Sailor Moon. Didn't you know?"
"I never would have guessed! Now that I think about it though, why
didn't I realise it before? They look exactly alike. Especially her hair."
"That's part of their magic. No one who looks at both of them will
realize that they are the same person. The same thing applies to you and I.
We can know that they are the same if it's pointed out to us because we know
magic, too. I didn't realize it myself until I saw her transform."
"So weird. I wonder why she never told me. I was supposed to be her
best friend." Naru shook her head. "Well, if that's the Luna we need to talk
to, then I'll go by Usagi's before school." She began to walk down the drive,
then turned to wave. "I'll see you tomorrow after school." She shouted back.
Nephlite watched her walk down the road until a clock chimed inside
his house. Seven chimes. "Oh, no! I've got to get to Ms. Masters' house by
eight to sign those papers." Nephlite jumped into his car and roared off.
* * *
In a fashionable area of Tokyo, a red Ferrari sits outside a maison.
<ding-dong> Nephlite stands outside of the house's door looking
nervous until Crystal Masters opens it up. "Good evening, Maxfield. Please
come inside." She moved aside, motioning for Nephlite to enter.
He stood there staring for a moment. Her long golden hair was flowing
around her, and she looked stunning in a long black clinging evening dress.
"Y-yes, of course. Thank you." Nephlite stepped inside hastily.
"Please, forgive me for staring. I wasn't expecting you to look like..."
Crystal gave a small, musical laugh. "I'll take it as a compliment."
She said, closing the door behind him. "You didn't expect to see me like this?
I don't wear business suits and glasses all the time, you know." She smiled
teasingly and Nephlite found himself smiling back.
"Come on, or dinner will get cold." She held out her hand to him and,
taking it, led him into the dining room.
Afterwards, they sat together on the sofa in her sunken living room,
with the lights low and a fire burning in the fireplace. Nephlite sat stiffly
on the sofa with Crystal curled up next to him, sipping a glass of wine.
"Thank you for dinner, it was excellent. Now I believe that you have
some papers for me to sign?"
Crystal sighed and walked over to her desk, pulling out a pen and
folder. She returned to her place on the sofa and handed the papers to
Nephlite.
"Here you are, Maxfield. Just sign here, here, here and here. That's
it, you're all set. Your millions will be returned to you tomorrow when the
paperwork is processed." She sat back, with a triumphant smile in her eyes.
"Now then, since that's out of the way..."
"I really must be going. Thank you again for a lovely meal and all
that you've done for me." Nephlite started to rise, but stopped when Crystal
laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Surely you don't have to leave quite so soon. We could stay a while
and... talk." She smiled and leaned back.
"Well, maybe..." Nephlite sank down again, looking deeply into her
eyes. ^She reminds me of Naru, somehow. Naru? What am I doing?!^
"Please, forgive me, but I really must be going!" Nephlite jerked up
again and practically dashed across the living room to the door.
Crystal looked at the closing door until she heard a car engine start
and tires screeching down the road, then threw her head back and laughed.
* * *
"Usagi! I'm leaving now! Get up or you'll be late for school again!"
Usagi's mother called from the front doorway.
"Umph, yeah, sure Mom." Usagi rolled over and promptly fell back to
sleep.
Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the room, a shadowy figure crept ever
closer to the sleeping, unsuspecting girl. Closer it came until it was in
striking distance. Suddenly it leaped and landed squarely on the back of
the poor girl!
"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Usagi bolted upright and flailed about as Luna
leaped off her and back onto the floor, out of reach. "Luna! How dare you
scare me like that!"
Usagi hopped out of bed and got onto the floor, lowering her head
until she was face to face with the cat. "How many times do I have to tell
you not to do that! Oh, great, look at me. Now I'm talking to a cat.
Ohmygosh, look at the time!" She said, glancing at her clock. "I'll be late
again! Why does this always happen to MEEEEE!" She sprinted out of the room,
grabbing her school uniform as she went.
Luna hopped out of the window onto the roof just as the door slammed
and Usagi, ran out of the house and down the street, passing a moving car
while doing so.
"He he. I knew setting her clock ahead would work. She'll actually be
on time two mornings in a row." Luna said quietly to herself.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Little kitties shouldn't talk to themselves like that,
you know. You never know who might be around to overhear."
Luna spun around at the familiar voice. "Zoicite! What are you doing
here! Come to get Sailor Moon? Well, you're to late. We defeated the Queen
Beryl and the rest of the Dark Kingdom, so you might as well leave now."
Zoicite laughed. "You may have defeated Queen Beryl, but the Negaforce
still leads us, and the Dark Kingdom will triumph! Here, I brought someone to
see you." A crystal sphere floated out from behind Zoicite and Luna could see
Artemis trapped inside.
"Luna! Run! Go tell the Senshi!" Artemis scratched feebly at the
crystal.
"Don't worry, you'll join him soon enough. Zoi!" Zoicite held out his
hand and crystal shards flew out, surrounding Luna as she tried to leap away
and fusing into a crystal sphere around her which floated up to join Artemis'.
Just then, on the street, Naru walked up to the house. Hearing the
cats yowling, she looked up and saw Zoicite standing on the roof outside
Usagi's window. Recognition hit her and her face hardened. "That's the woman
that killed Nephlite. And she's got Luna!"
Naru held up her hand and the sign of Venus appeared in her palm. She
brought both palms together in front of her as though she were praying, crying
out "VENUS KNIGHT POWER!" Brilliant streamers of golden light shot out,
covering her from head to toe, dissolving her school uniform and changing her
form into that of Venus Knight.
Zoicite looked down at the commotion and saw Venus Knight standing
there. "I know you, from the final fight at the Moon Palace. You're Venus
Knight, correct? So, you've come to save the cats, eh? Well, it's to late,
they are already captives of the Dark Kingdom." He move back to the peak of
the roof as Venus Knight leaped up to the rooftop.
"Give it up, Zoicite. I'm not just some helpless girl to be pushed
around anymore! Now give those cats to me." Venus fell back into a fighting
stance.
Zoicite just stood there looking bored. "How can you goody types
stand talking like that all the time. Here, catch! Zoi!" Zoicite's hand shot
up and released a torrent of flying sakura blossoms at Venus Knight, blocking
off her vision.
Venus held out her hands. "VENUS SHIELD!" The glowing wall sprang up,
blocking of the shower of petals and clearing her vision. "Now where did she
go? Aha!" Spying him leaping from rooftop to rooftop, she sprang off in
pursuit.
Laughing, Zoicite looked back, but couldn't see Venus Knight anywhere.
Looking forward again, he saw her land on the roof in front of him a screeched
to a halt, stopping the crystal spheres that had been following him.
"Well, you managed that neatly enough. But as I remember, you don't
have any offensive powers, so I'll just be leaving."
As he turned to go Venus said "You're in for a surprise then."
She thrust both fists toward Zoicite and cried "PULSE WAVE!" sending her
psychokinetic energy in a powerful beam, knocking Zoicite back off the roof.
Zoicite reappeared, flying back up into the air. "I'm surprised that
you actually have the guts to face me directly. Lets see what you're made of,
then." He snapped out his hand and a crystal sword appeared in it. He then
floated back down the roof, standing in a ready position.
"VENUS SPEAR!" A glowing sphere of energy grew between Venus Knight's
hands, elongating as she pulled them apart until the glow faded and Venus
was holding a long naginata, the blade embossed with the symbol of Venus.
Staring at each other from opposite ends of the roof, they remained
silent for a few seconds, their eyes locked on each others and both weapons
held in ready hands.
Suddenly, Venus gave out a cry and charged towards Zoicite, who met
her halfway across the rooftop. They began to fight, sword versus spear,
dancing back and forth across the roof. Quickly it became evident that Zoicite
was far more skilled, and was steadily forcing Venus back. Suddenly, Venus
lunged in desperately and her blade drew a red line across the side of
Zoicite's face.
Zoicite jumped back and touched a hand to his face, noticing his
fingers stained with red as he pulled them away. His eyes hardened as he
clenched his hand tightly and glared at Venus Knight. "How dare you! You
actually cut me! For that, I'll see you DIE!!!"
Zoicite suddenly sprang into motion, slashing quickly and viciously at
Venus far to quickly for her to defend. Most of the swings that got past her
guard slid off her armor, but several times the crystal blade drew it's own
line of blood.
^She's too good. I can't block them all, and I can't use my shield
while she's so close to me.^ Venus thought while slowly backing up to the edge
of the roof peak. ^I need help to defeat her. If only Nephlite were here.^
Across town, Nephlite's head was bowed in concentration and small
constellations of light rotated in the air around him. Suddenly the lights
winked out as Nephlite's head shot up. "Naru!"
Nephlite appeared above the roof, where Zoicite had Venus backed all
the way to the roof edge, and was trying to shove her over, sword pressed
against spear staff.
"Zoicite! I might have known that you would show up soon. But
attacking a single girl, that is low, even for you."
Zoicite spun around towards the new threat. "Ah, Nephlite, I wanted
the chance to face you again." Then he sprung into the air, avoiding the spear
that Venus was aiming at his back.
"But then again two to one odds never appealed to me."
"Say instead even odds." A hand came down on Zoicite's shoulder and
he turned to see Kunzite floating next to him.
"Excellent, now we can finish of this traitor and his pathetic little
girlfriend once and for all, my love."
"Unfortunately, that is not to be. Lord Jadeite commands that we
return with the cats immediately. Come Zoicite."
Nephlite landed on the roof by Venus while the two above them talked.
After making sure she was allright, he turned towards Zoicite and Kunzite.
"That's right, run back to Jadeite and tell him that the Solar Knights and I
stand ready to defend the Earth.
"Ho-hum, How droll. Now if you will excuse us, we have a world to
conquer." Kunzite drew Zoicite to him and both they and the globes containing
the cats disappeared from view.
"Wait!" Venus Knight shouted as the pair faded away. "Those spheres
have the cats in them!"
"Blast! I didn't see them in there! Now we have no way of waking up
the Sailor Senshi." Turning to Venus and taking her hands he said "You will
fight with me, won't you?"
"Of course, Nephlite. You know I'll go with you anytime."
"Excellent, but now you had better get to school quickly, you're
already late."
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Stay tuned for the next episode: "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
Same Knight time
Same Knight channel
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Star Knight Otaku, Fanfic Author and Gamer
Solar Knights Battle Angels<<
email: starknight@mindspring..com or starkght@netrax.net
web: www.minsdpring.com/~starknight
IRC: EFNET channel #ani-mayhem
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