Please email all responses to ikari@wantree.net.au or
darkdayforanime@hotmail.com ^_^
Yoriko reached in and lifted out one of the files, opening it.
After a couple of seconds of studying the photographs in the file,
she elicited the expected response. "Oh WOW! This guy is a HUNK!"
Before she knew it, there were three other noses pressing for space
within the file.
"Who is this?" Aoi frowned. "What does he have to do with
this Tsukino girl?"
"It's her boyfriend.... One Chiba Mamoru." Yoriko tapped a
finger on the paperwork at the bottom of the photograph. "According
to this...." She started reading, then lifted up her head.
"According to this, there was some concern by the school authorities
in a girl of her age having a relationship with someone several
years older."
"How much older?" Aoi looked hopeful, staring at the
photograph of Mamoru. Natsumi gave Aoi a dubious look.
"Why don't you just ask for his blood group and star sign
while you're at it, Aoi-chan? You're drooling all over the folder."
Aoi stood up, putting a hand to his mouth in embarrassment.
"Oh, I'm so terribly sorry. Was it that obvious?"
The three nodded at him. "I'm sorry to say, Aoi, that I am
VERY certain this Chiba person shall not change his mind about his
choice of partner, no matter how hard you try." Natsumi stood up,
looking smug.
"What makes you think that?" Aoi huffed. "After all, I AM
better looking than the three of you." He crossed his arms and
started to sulk.
"Has a high opinion of himself." Natsumi growled as she
leaned back over Yoriko's shoulder. "Pity he is. Damn my genes."
"So, what was it that worried the counsellor about this
relationship? There is no mention in any of this paperwork that he
mistreated her at any stage." Miyuki had pulled some of the papers
out and was rifling through them. "Just the opposite, in fact.
There have been occasions where he has placed his own reputation on
the line for her."
"Hey, this scholastic report looks like mine." Natsumi
pointed at the lines in the report she was reading. "Damn, I
like this girl, already. Who says learning anything at school is of
any benefit? I wonder what she is like at eating? I need a
challenge in the lunchtime guzzlers contest."
"I don't think she has a chance." Miyuki looked at Natsumi
dubiously.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILORMOON / TAIHO SHICHAUZO
NOT A GOD
by nIGHT rIDER (Assistance by DDFA)
Disclaimer - all characters pertaining to the series Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon and Taiho Shichauzo are owned by Takeuchi Naoko,
Fujishima Kosuke, Bandai, TBS, and Kodansya. All other characters
were thought up by me. Well, its true, isn't it?
Chapter 9
Little Pieces of a Life
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"I really don't think it was a good idea to leave Makoto on
her own with Arimus...." Rei huffed, hunched over with hands in her
pockets as she, Ami and Minako wandered away from Makoto's apartment
block. "No matter what Setsuna-san says."
"It doesn't really matter much now, does it?" Minako patted
Rei on her back. "Anyways, Setsuna will get in touch with Usagi and
tell her what happened."
"Why isn't that baka at home yet?" Rei huffed again.
"Someone who is supposed to be so damned sick at the moment
shouldn't be gallivanting about at this time of the night. I'll
whip her ass the next time I see her."
"Well, look at it this way.... Can you imagine what Usagi
will think when Setsuna arrives?" Minako giggled. "The very worst,
I can tell you." Rei raised her head, an evil smile on her face.
Ami sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.
"Honestly, the pair of you can be so sadistic, sometimes."
"And we do it so well." Rei chuckled.
"Mou...." Ami crossed her arms, closing her eyes, trying to
contain her temper, which is what she was doing when she collided
with the large man who had come running around the street corner.
Ami fell on her rump, letting out a yelp of surprise as Rei and
Minako cringed.
"Hey, why don't ya look where ya goin', bitch." The large
man pointed down at Ami. Rei looked up at him, angrily.
"What did you call her, you bas...." She made a double-take
when she saw him.... As ugly as he was, there was no doubt the man
was some kind of cheap gangster.... His face was scarred and
misshapen, with most of his hair shaved off.... He wore a garishly
coloured Hawaiian shirt with the top two button undone, showing a
full thatch of chest hairs, and his arms were covered in tattoos,
the most alarming of which was the storm of sakura that could be
seen poking out from underneath both sleeves.
"Hmm, you got something to say, jo-chan?" The man lowered his
face into Rei's as Minako stood behind her, trying her best not to
be seen. "Girls like you should be careful who you might run into,
walking the streets at this time of the night. Course, we know what
kind of girls frequent the streets at this time of the night, don't
we?" He sneered in her face, reaching forward and grabbing the
collar of her jacket.
This was like a red rag to a bull for Rei. Just as she was
about to perform the nutcracker on the guy, however, they could hear
laughter.... Deep laughter, echoing throughout the street. The
gangster let go of Rei, sweatdropping. "Oh shit.... Not HIM."
The gangster made to run, but he didn't get very far, as he
was struck over the head with a baseball, flying out of nowhere at
great speed. The gangster sprawled over the sidewalk, seeing stars.
The three girls stared at the gangster, then turned as the
laughter started again. Standing on the top of a nearby lightpole
was the figure of a man in a masked superhero costume, with the word
"STRIKE" emblazoned on the front. The man crossed his arms, both
covered with heavy-looking, metallic forearm protectors, and looked
down at the girls. "No need to fear, little girls. The Great Hero
of Justice is watching over you."
"Who.... Who are you?" Minako managed to burble out. The
man started to laugh again, so much so that the three girls started
to sweatdrop, nervously, convinced that they'd just been rescued by
a nutcase.
"You pretend not to know of the great STRIKEMAN? Well, I
suppose there are a few still in this world who have not heard my
great and honored name."
"Thinks a lot of himself, doesn't he?" Minako whispered to
Ami as she helped her from the ground.
Strikeman produced another baseball, from the dimension where
superheroes keep their important items, and began to scribble on it
with a pen. He then tossed the ball to Rei. She caught it and
stared at it with confusion. "A gift." Strikeman grinned widely.
"Remember, young girls, to keep the fire of justice in your hearts.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" And with a flourish of his cape, he leapt
from the lightpole and disappeared into the night sky, leaving the
girls none the wiser.
"What a strange, eccentric man." Ami rubbed her sore nose.
"What did he write on the ball?"
"His autograph." Rei sighed. "His writing is terrible. Even
I was better than this in pre-school." She held the ball up for Ami
and Minako to see.
"Yes, you are quite correct." Ami nodded. "Even Usagi's
handwriting is better than this."
"So.... What do we do about...." Minako gestured to the
gangster who appeared set to be off with the birdies for quite a
long time. Beside him sat the ball that struck him, with a note
attached.... "Judged guilty by Strikeman." The trio sweatdropped.
"I say we leave and pretend this never happened." Rei cleared
her throat. The other two nodded in agreement, and they slunk away.
----o
"She's come close to failing almost every subject she's ever
studied at school." Miyuki sighed, putting down the file. "You're
right, her academic record is a lot like yours." Natsumi stuck her
tongue out at her partner.
"No need to dwell on the subject." Natsumi lay back, her face
covered with another file. "This one says she's getting better.
With time, she might prove to be as intelligent as you."
Miyuki smiled. "Is that a compliment for her, or an insult
for me? And how can you read it with it plastered all over your
face like that?"
"I have good eyesight." Natsumi said, disinterestedly. "Why
do we have to read all this, anyway?"
"You know why." Yoriko swatted the top of the file on
Natsumi's face with a rolled-up school publication. Natsumi let out
a small cry and sat up quickly, the file flying across the room.
"Oi, that hurt."
"You deserved it." Yoriko grinned at Miyuki, who smiled back.
"Oohhh.... Mamoru-saaaan." They all turned with dubious
expressions as Aoi drooled over another photograph of Mamoru. He
looked up at them, then put a hand behind his head, giggling
nervously. "Ah, just studying for future reference, that's all."
He quickly hid his face behind the folder.
"Gonna be trouble if we let Aoi-chan and this girl's man
meet." Yoriko whispered to the other two.
"More like if someone lets on Aoi is interested in him to
her." Natsumi prodded Yoriko in the chest. "And I know someone
perfect for the job."
"Oi oi oi...." Yoriko put her hands up. "Don't look at me.
I don't tell everyone in the station everything I know."
"And just how much do you know about what goes on in the
station, hmm?" Natsumi leaned forward, grinning evilly. Yoriko
waved her away, nervously.
"Oh Natsumi, you're such a teaser."
Natsumi turned to Miyuki. "She thinks I'm joking."
"In these cases, you usually are." Miyuki looked away,
smiling as she nonchalantly flicked through the school publication
that Yoriko had put down. "I wonder why this is in here.... It's
got absolutely nothing to do with the girl."
"What is it?" Natsumi choosing to ignore Miyuki's previous
comment, sat back in her chair, arms crossed.
"It's a student publication.... A selection of short stories
and poems.... Wait a minute...." Miyuki stopped at one of the
pages. "Here. It's a short piece of prose the Tsukino girl has
written." Miyuki started to read through the piece. "Something
about a dream the girl had, of being a Princess in the dim distant
past...."
"Oh barf." Natsumi waved at Miyuki, dismissively. "I hope
she's beyond that kind of crap. How long ago did she write it?"
"When she was nine or ten.... It's not all that badly
written, actually.... The prose and form are fairly primitive,
but the spelling, the punctuation, are all sound."
"They probably edited it before the publication. Seeing
this girl's record, I doubt it appeared in its original form."
Natsumi shrugged. "They probably needed a translator as well....
She probably speaks a version of Japanese known to nobody else on
the face of the planet."
"Don't be so cruel." Miyuki shot Natsumi a look, which her
partner missed entirely. "If they DID edit this, then the original
HAD to have been good, because the others in here are pretty damn
childish. There is a complex discriptiveness within this short
piece that almost makes me believe she actually visited this place."
"Yes, I'm sure a lot of young girls could bring themselves to
believe their own fantasies. I did, too.... at that age." Natsumi
waved a finger in the air. "I wanted to be the first female World
500cc Grand Prix champion." Natsumi sat up. "I had myself a mini-
motorbike at the age of 9, custom made for my size and physical
build. It was only a 50cc Honda, but I could still beat my old man
around the block with him on his Kawasaki 750.... Course, he wasn't
trying all that hard, but it really made me believe I could be
really great when I grew up...."
"So what happened?" Yoriko had her notebook out. Natsumi
looked daggers at her, and it immediately disappeared.
"They wouldn't let girls participate in the local district
competition.... Despite the fact that, when I DID have an
opportunity to ride some of the circuits, I was close to five
seconds faster a lap than any of the boys my age...." Natsumi's
expression dropped with her mood as she stared, distantly, then
shrugged and smiled. "I guess they missed their opportunity, those
officials, the team bosses, the advertisers and all.... A girl
whipping the asses off all the boys would have made a great
publicity vehicle for the sport. I have the satisfaction of KNOWING
I was better."
"But not the kudos to prove it." Miyuki looked at Natsumi,
sympathetically.
"Not really...." Natsumi grinned. "A large number of the
motorcycle runners I've booked were those I would have raced
against. What life gives, life can take away."
"Awwww.... He's out of the country...." Aoi butted in,
dropping the file beside him. "It's soooo unfair. Why are all the
good-looking guys taken?"
"Aoi-chan...." Miyuki muttered, sweatdropping.
"So, apart from being terrible at school, having a really good
looking boyfriend, writing poetry at a young age and rescuing young
girls from blazing infernos, what do we know about this girl?" Aoi
crossed both arms behind his head. "I mean, honestly.... We can
look through files like these until we're red in the face, but it
still doesn't give one a real feel for her character...."
"Oh, come on...." Natsumi picked up one of the files. "You
can pretty well gauge the kind of person someone is from their works
and evaluation. As far as I'm concerned, Tsukino is as clear as
water. There can't be too many things she has to hide." Natsumi
looked from Aoi, to Miyuki, to Yoriko, although the bespectacled
girl now had her head in another one of the files. Natsumi sighed
and turned from her.
"Though she may not be very bright.... She certainly seems to
be a fairly open and accepting individual. She's had a lot of
different friends over the years.... The eye of the storm, socially
speaking. A calming factor around a lot of people, even if she's a
mess, personally. That ability to relate well with others will come
in handy if the Chief Superintendent�s plan goes ahead."
"Whatever. I'm thirsty." Natsumi stood from her seat.
"Anyone want something?" Aoi and Miyuki nodded. Natsumi turned to
Yoriko. "You?"
"Hmm?" Yoriko peered over the top of the file.
"Do you want a drink?"
"Hmm." Yoriko waved a hand at her, disappearing back behind
the file. Natsumi shrugged and stepped around her seat, into the
kitchen.
Aoi stretched and lay himself down on the couch, propped up on
an elbow. "She petitioned to look after the little girl, you know?"
"Hmm?" Miyuki turned to him, distractedly.
"Tsukino-san.... She petitioned the welfare ministry to look
after the little girl she saved."
"Yes, I know. What about it?"
"I just thought I'd mention it. It just seemed strange that
she would place herself in such a position of responsibility." Aoi
played with the fabric of the sofa. "I was raised by my mother from
a very young age. She was sixteen when I was born.... Good thing
my Grandparents were well off...." Aoi paused. "They've been
trying to arrange me with girls ever since I left High School.... I
don't have the heart to tell them...."
"....The truth?" Miyuki finished his sentence for him. "Why
not? If they could accept your mother having you at such a young
age, why not just come out and tell them?"
"Oh for Kami's sake, Miyuki.... I'm supposed to provide them
with an heir to the family fortune.... Keep the Futaba name alive
and all that. I don't have any brothers or sisters.... What do I
do?" Aoi raised his free hand, helplessly.
"Honestly." Miyuki pursed her lips. "I think you worry too
much. If they don't already know about your.... Well.... if they
don't already know about it, it would be a miracle."
"I suppose you know what happened with the last Omiai?"
"No. What?"
"My mother had a hand in the selection of the right girl....
She chose a girl who dressed in men's clothing...."
Drink sprayed across the room as Natsumi, who had chosen that
moment to walk back in with her arms full of beercans, emptied the
swig she had just taken. "She did WHAT?" She said, still dribbling
beer from her chin.
"My mother thought it would be the perfect match for her
'errant' son...." Aoi sighed. "Unfortunately.... she wasn't
handsome enough for my tastes."
Natsumi and Miyuki stared at Aoi, dubiously. Aoi looked hurt.
"Look, she already had a girlfriend, too.... Okay? It wasn't going
to work even if I DID like her."
"I'm confused." Natsumi wiped her chin. "It's too late in
the day to try and make me think. Why do I have to be a cop? It
hurts my brain." Natsumi handed Aoi and Miyuki their drinks, then
placed Yoriko's next to her, and collapsed back into her chair. "Oh
the pain, the agony.... What fate lies in store for sad li'l ol'
me?"
"A punch up the conk, if you aren't careful." Miyuki rubbed
her head. She then noticed that Yoriko was sniffling. "What's
wrong, Yoriko? You got a cold, or something?"
"A cold?" Natsumi shifted her seat a foot further away from
Yoriko. "Don't you start sneezing in here, or anything. Last thing
I need right now."
Yoriko lowered the file, placing it on the coffee table
between them. Her eyes were red and watery, which she tried to dab
away with a handkerchief she pulled from her pocket. "I don't have
a cold. I'm trying not to cry, you fool...."
"Whatever for?" Miyuki enquired. Yoriko pointed to the
folder. "It's about the Tsukino family.... Or about something that
happened in Tsukino Usagi's past...." Yoriko sniffled. "It's too
sad...."
Miyuki picked up the folder Yoriko had left on the table. Aoi
drew himself up behind Miyuki, with Natsumi sitting on the arm of
Miyuki's chair. After several minutes of reading, Miyuki sat back,
letting out a long breath. "Well, now.... This explains a lot....
Why she was so quick to adopt the girl."
----o
>From the Personal Journal of Neo-Queen Serenity
(Tsukino Usagi I)
6/29/98
Arriving home was something of a magic moment for us all....
The very first glimpse that Miki would have of the house she would
be living in. The first opportunity both my mother and I would have
to show her around, get used to things. It seems so long ago,
now.... So much has happened since that moment. So much has
changed....
But, of course, it also meant introducing Miki to Papa and....
Shingo. Well, we all have our crosses to bear.
----o
"Waaaai." Miki was up against the window, her small hands
creating mist, washing upwards towards its top as she pressed
against its chill surface, trying to catch a glimpse of the Tsukino
house, lit up like a Christmas tree in welcoming. Kenji and Shingo
were standing on the front doorstep as Ikuko and the driver alighted
from the taxi, walking around to the trunk to retrieve Miki's
suitcase.
"What do you think?" Usagi put her arms around Miki, leaning
over the girl's shoulder. Miki nuzzled her cheek against Usagi's,
trying to counter some of the cold she was feeling.
"It.... It's so BIG."
"Well, Papa works for a good company. Houses like this don't
come cheap in Tokyo." Usagi giggled, nervously.
"Where is your bedroom?" Miki looked up at the top floor.
"Up there." Usagi nodded.
"Yep. Right at the front, where it's always been. Course, I
have to share the bathroom with Shingo in the morning and at night,
but I'm used to the hassle now."
"Shingo...." Miki's voice trailed off. "That's your brother.
The one standing with your Papa on the front step."
"Yep, that's the little bas.... I mean, yes, that's him."
Usagi swallowed, doing a double take as Miki giggled, knowing
EXACTLY what Usagi was going to say.
"He looks gentle." Miki smiled. "He reminds me of somebody
I knew.... I can't remember where.... Must have been one of my
preschool friends, before I got sick."
"Did you have many friends in preschool?" Usagi asked softly.
Miki was quiet for several moments, making Usagi think she'd asked
the wrong kind of question. Eventually, Miki found voice to answer.
"Yes.... I did have one or two friends. But they became
sick, like me. After...." Usagi felt a crushing sensation fill her
as Miki spoke. "After the monster attacked us." Miki's expression
fell and she started to shiver. Usagi wrapped her arms tightly
around the girl. "The monster won't come back, will it oneechan?"
"No. No, I think I can say, with some certainty, that it will
never come back." Even as Usagi said it, she felt it to be a lie.
And lying was one of the things she didn't want to do with Miki.
She could NEVER be certain that a monster, ANY monster, would
not attack Miki, or any of her friends and family.... It had
happened SO many times before, again and again and again, she had
lost count. To make such a statement seemed to her to be rather
bold, even if they had spent a great deal of time free of the usual
monster attacks.
Ikuko opened the rear door of the taxi and gestured for Usagi
and Miki to alight. Miki turned and held onto Usagi as she stood,
smiling at Kenji, who seemed, despite his nervousness, to be rather
proud of his daughter's undertaking, and was doing his best to be
the stern and in-control fatherly figure which he actually wasn't.
Shingo merely wiped his nose, leading Usagi to suspect that he had a
lot in store for them when they got inside the house.
The driver placed Miki's suitcase at Kenji's feet, gesturing
to him with his hat, then walking back to Ikuko, who paid him for
the ride. "Thanks, Ma'am." He nodded to her. "Must say, you have
a loverly pair o' daughters, there." Ikuko raised an eyebrow, but
said nothing as the driver walked over to Usagi and Miki, shaking
Miki's outstretched hand. "See you later, little lass." He smiled.
"Yah, seeya." Miki giggled. "Thanks for the ride through
town. It was pretty."
The driver gave her a lopsided grin and whispered to Usagi....
"Ah kids.... They can find beauty in anything, even a dingy ol'
town like Tokyo."
"Er, yeah...." Usagi sweatdropped as the driver gave them a
little wave and got back into his car.
As he drove away, Ikuko put out her hand to the two girls.
"Well, shall we go in? We don't want the night air getting to Miki,
do we?" Miki hugged Usagi, tightly, as Usagi nodded, and they
walked up the front path to begin their new life, together....
END OF PART 9
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Next Chapter.... "Teething Problems and Little Brothers"
Naito Raida ikari@wantree.net.au
Member of the AJAS Fanfic Circle