[Xover] Magical Girls Dream Team (3/6)
Chapter Three, The eternal teenager.
$Id: mgdt_chp3.txt,v 1.7 1997/05/22 13:42:58 hcobb Exp $
    By Henry J. Cobb

The story so far:

Usagi (Sailor Moon) Tsukino has transferred to Graviton Girls High
School, as there isn't much left of her old school, friends or family.

Girls of this new school have been transforming into monstrous, giant
animal forms, but Usagi has been able to restore them with the help of
her new companions, Eiko Magami and Biko Daitokuji.

------------------------------

Sunday morning, a trail of dust ended at the front gate of the Daitokuji
estate.

"A-choo!"

"Bless you!"  Usagi addressed Eiko, "You'd think they'd wash the streets
around here more often."

"Thank you."  Eiko pushed the intercom button.  "Eiko Magami and Usagi
Tsukino to see Biko."

A moment later, Biko's voice replied over the intercom.  "Yes, come up
here, both of you."

Eiko bowed deeply at the door to Biko's room.  "Biko, I'm so sorry."

"Yes, I know.  How did this happen?"

"It's my fault."  Usagi walked to Biko.  "Eiko had told me how you had
a crush on Kei, but hadn't spoken to him..."

Biko silenced Usagi. "So, you thought you'd just go fix me up right?
Next time please ask me first if I feel broken, OK?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Now, here's something I want you two to see."  Biko punched buttons on
a remote and the room lights darkened as a view screen lit up.

The screen showed Eiko and Biko sitting by, while Usagi was glomped by
Kei.  Then the monster cat walked into the background and everybody
started to scatter.  The camera followed Usagi as she ran away and then
the screen cut to Sailor Moon and Eiko fighting the monster.  The video
ended after Sailor Moon transformed the monster back into a girl.

As the lights came back up, Eiko turned to Biko. "Yeah, that was our
fight.  What were we supposed to see?"

"The interesting thing is what wasn't there."  Biko pulled out a
folder.  "I had the staff do a complete scan on Kumiko.  No trace of any
alien viruses.  Only a few bruises from where you two hit her."

"Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away."

"I'm sure she prefers being a little battered as a girl than remaining a
monster, but she says she doesn't remember anything.  Just like with
Momoe."

Usagi looked over the papers from the folder, they were complete medical
records of the victim, but how had Biko gotten them?  Then she noticed
that they were from Daitokuji General Hospital.

"Usagi, is this usual?"

"What?"

"That Sailor Moon's power would erase all traces like this."

"Geez Biko, how's she gonna know that?"

"Uh, that's right, I'm just an ordinary girl.  Is Kumiko going to be
OK?"

"Yes, she should be back in class on Monday.  And I want you to take
very good notes for us please, as Eiko and I will be elsewhere."

"What's up Biko?"

"These recent alien attacks have finally woken up the authorities.  We
have an appointment to see the minster of defence, as witness.  Usagi,
did you see anything that you think he should know?"

"Uh no, when that monster attacked I ran away and hid.  You saw that on
the tape."

Biko stood and looked at Usagi for several seconds then said.  "Well,
we'll see you on Tuesday then.  If you'll excuse me and Eiko please, we
have to work out the details for our presentation tomorrow.  My driver
will take you home."

Monday morning, Ume had a note for Miss Ayumi to explain Biko and Eiko's
absence.

Usagi was joined for lunch by the gang of four, but somebody's lunch
didn't seem very interesting.

"What's the matter Mari?"  Usagi asked.

"She's thinking about the princess", Ume went back to her lunch.

"It's my fault", Mari gruffly stated, "I mistreated her.  When she first
arrived I bullied her.  She treated it as a game of Janken.  I didn't
take the hint until she was in tears.  I don't blame her for going."

"That's not true!" Ine piped in, "She never held that against you.  She
just went back to be with her mother.  She always treated you as a good
friend, but family comes first."

"What was she like, this Shiko?"  Usagi asked the group.

"She was always very sensitive, the slightest thing would set her off
into gushers of tears",  The other three girls seemed shocked at Asa's
observation, "but, then she'd spot something interesting, and take a
final sniff and her smile would come out like a sudden ray of sunshine
breaking through the clouds."

Ume looked up from her lunchbox, "No matter how boring or hopeless
things seemed, she always had a cute joke or clever observation."

"She always saw behind appearances to the true nature of things."  The
other three girls nodded agreement to Mari's comment, but then she
sighed and retreated back inside herself.

"Whoever packed your lunch did an excellent job Mari", Usagi leaned over
to the other girl, "Just look at those fish rolls.  I'm envious.  It's a
pity it's going to waste.  A pity too, that you won't keep your strength
up.  When Shiko returns, you'll be too weak to keep up."

"Are you sure she'll return?"

"Of course she will.  With friends like you, how can she stay away?"

With this encouragement, Mari attacked her lunch with vigour.

"Qvawk!"

"Uh, excuse me", Mari said.

"Qvawk!"

"It's a duck", Ine looked across the schoolyard.

There stood an enormous white duck, it's head held twelve feet above the
ground.

"What are you packing?"  Asa asked Mari.

"Only two forty-fives and an HE rocket pack.  I wasn't expecting any
trouble today."

"Damn!  OK, hand me one of the pistols.  Ine, Ume, go grab some mecha
while we try to handle things here."

Ine turned to Usagi, "Please be careful."

"Don't worry, I'm about to run away."

Usagi thought that Asa was joking, until Mari handed her the pistol.

Usagi waited for the gang of four to scatter then walked behind some
trees and transformed.  "Moon Crystal Magic!"  Sailor Moon ran towards
the commotion.

"Blam!"

"Damn!, I'm sure I got an eye hit!"  Asa fell back before the Duck's
attack.

"I think it ducked."  Mari aimed the box launcher.  "Whooosh!  Boom!"

The duck had blocked the rocket with a wing then it caught Mari in a
wing strike and tossed her back into a wall.  "KaBlam!"  The Rocket pack
exploded in Mari's hands.

Sailor Moon had no time to see if Mari was OK, as she began her own
attack. "Sailor Moon Kick!"

The creature's head was pulled back, Sailor Moon sailed harmlessly over
it, then it reached up to try and bite her legs.  Sailor Moon did a
quick midair dance to keep kicking it's bill away as it attempted to
snap at her exposed legs.

"Blam! Blam! Blam!"

The duck turned back to Asa and with a sweep of its bill, sent her
flying.

<<Human.>>

"What?"  Sailor Moon looked around for the source of the voice in her
head.

<<Definitely human.  The monster you face is a human being, transformed
by the power of the Shinma.>>

Sailor Moon rolled out of the way of a bill strike, "Yes, I know that.
I think she's another schoolgirl from our school.  Can you help us?"

<<My powers are limited against humanity, but I might be able to destroy
this creature.>>

"NO!  I can restore it, if only it can be subdued."

<<You can?  Most interesting...>>

A girl, around 13 or so dropped next to Sailor Moon.  She wore a white
kimono with a red obi.  Her brunette hair was tied off to her left with
a red ribbon that wrapped her ponytail, a brown cord was wrapped around
her right foot.  Her eyes were gold and her skin was as pale white as an
anemic albino's.

She blew on her palm and a strange flame sprouted there.

"Qvawk?"  The Duck pulled back from this display.

"Interesting, it reacts to flame like an animal would."  The smaller
girl stood her ground, presenting the fire.

This was the distraction Sailor Moon had been waiting for. "Moon Crystal
Healing!"

"Owww!"  The smaller girl jumped away, her flame extinguished.

"Qvawk!" The Duck pecked at Sailor Moon, forcing her to roll aside.

"What was that?"  The other girl asked.

"It's my healing power.  It cleanses dark magics out of the victim's system."

"Please don't use it on me again."

"Sorry, I didn't think the backwash would effect you any.  I have a more
focused attack, but I'm afraid that it would simply dodge out out of the
way."

"OK, let me try something", the girl in the kimono summoned her flame
again and sent copies of it to circle around the fowl.

"Moon Tiara Action!"  The duck dodged the golden disk and moved to
attack the girl in the kimono.

Sailor Moon concentrated and the disk curved in midair to return and
bounce off of the duck's head, rendering it unconscious.

"Moon Crystal Healing!"  Sailor Moon used the power of her gem to
restore the creature to schoolgirl.

Again, the same pattern, innocents caught in some power struggle.  But,
who was behind it?  Who are these Shinma that other girl mentioned?

Sailor Moon looked around, but there was no sign of the other girl.

A Limo was waiting after school to pick up Usagi.

Biko and Eiko were waiting at the mansion.

"Are Asa and Mari OK?"  Usagi asked Biko.

"Yes, they're in the hospital, but they should be OK.  We'll go see them
later."

"So, how did it go today you two?"

"Not so well, we got shunted off to an undersecretary.  They just don't
get it yet."

"They'll get it, you'll show them."  Eiko attempted to comfort her
friend.  "You'll win that contract."

Biko turned to Usagi.  "So, it seems that you defeated a monster on your
own today Usagi?"

"No, I had help, er-- I mean Sailor Moon had some help.  Or so I heard."

"Eiko, how many short girls with long twin blonde ponytails have you met
lately?"  Biko ran a hand down Usagi's ponytail.

"Uh... Usagi here and Sailor Moon.  Now that you mention it, they do
look kinda alike...  Usagi, is Sailor Moon your cousin?"

"Uh, no, uh, I hardly know her, we've only met a few times really."

"Very well, take a look at this you two."  Biko, motioned for the other
two girls to sit down, then touched her control panel and the the room
darkened as the viewscreen lit up.

The appearance of the cat-monster was replayed, but the camera followed
Usagi around the corner of the building.

Usagi felt her knees go weak.

On the screen Usagi was surrounded by a pillar of energy which faded
away, revealing Sailor Moon, who rushed back towards the action.

"Usagi is replaced by Sailor Moon?  Kinda like Captain Marvel?"

"Eiko, you are soooo dense!  Here!"  Biko stabbed at another button.

The screen froze on a closeup of Usagi finishing her invocation.  The
next frame showed the column of energy reaching up to Usagi's knees,
then to her shoulders.  Usagi's naked outline could barely be made out
inside the column.  She spun around as ribbons flew out from her locket
to wrap around her and transform into Sailor fuku, boots and gloves.
Her tiara, barrettes and earrings completed the outfit.

"Oh!  It's a costume change!  Just like mom.  You're Sailor Moon Usagi,
that's great!"  Eiko grabbed Usagi's hands.

"What's this stuff?"  Biko reached towards one of the frames with
Usagi's naked outline mostly obscured by the column of energy.

"It's moon crystal magic", Usagi felt hungry eyes on her.

"It's some kind of alien supertechnology?"

"I guess, you could call it that.  Now, if you'll excuse me.  Moon
Crystal Magic!"  Usagi transformed into Sailor Moon, then placed her
hand on her locket and vanished, to reappear in a tree outside Biko's
room, right behind another girl.

"Most impressive", the smaller girl in the kimono turned her golden eyes
towards Sailor Moon.

"It's called a Sailor Teleport."

"No, I meant that you could detect me at all."

"I've gotten very good at knowing when I'm being watched.  Now, are you
going to tell me what you're up to?"

"No."  The girl vanished.

"At least tell me your name!"

<<Miyu.>>

"Who was that?"  Biko asked from her window.

"That was my help today, she calls herself Miyu."  Sailor Moon's locket
glowed as she concentrated on it, then the glow faded as she looked up
in frustration.

"What's up Usagi?"  Eiko asked.

"She dropped into a pocket dimension, then slipped away before I could
trace her."  Sailor Moon jumped over to Biko's balcony.  She touched her
locket and transformed back into the school uniform.

"Usagi, where are the other Sailor Senshi?"  Eiko asked.

"I guess--- I might as well tell you.  They're dead.  Well, one of them
is only as good as dead."

Usagi filled in the details of the Black Moon story.  Of the long
campaign and the casualties on both sides.  She told of the deaths of
the Sailor Senshi and Jupiter's coma.  She told them about the final
battle and the death of Tuxedo Mask and the evaporation of Chibi and her
final victory over Wiseman.  She left out only one detail, the secret
she kept close to her chest.

"Well, look at the time", Biko stood up, "You two best be getting home.
Your families will be worried."

	Henry J. Cobb	hcobb@slip.net          http://www.io.com/~hcobb