*--*--SAILOR MOON:  Elementary, Dear Makoto--*--*

DISCLAIMER
Sailor Moon, the Sailor Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, Queen Beryl,
and all those happy people and the locations, events, and
other stuff related to them are the creation and property
of Naoko Takeuchi.  I am in no way trying to compromise
Naoko-sensei's copyrights or work, I'm doing this for fun
and because I love Sailor Moon.  Also because if I didn't,
I think my Moonie sister would disembowel me.  -_^

NOTES
This story takes place after Sailor Moon R, and before Sailor
Moon S.   I've also made some tiny revisions, which is why 
I'm reposting.  By the way, I'm using the original Japanese
names because they make more sense and are (IMHO) very pretty.

*--*--Part 2--*--*

     His name was Kuromori Hikari.
     He had been able to remember that much, as well as the 
fact that he was different from the pretty young woman that 
had taken him in.  He had powers that she'd have a hard time 
understanding...although, she *did* kind of resemble the 
Princess...
     He shook his head.  It was still pretty much jumbled up 
in his head, and he didn't know when and if it was going to 
become clear.  He pulled his black overcoat closed, for it was 
rather windy on the roof of the girl's apartment building.  
What was her name again...?
     "Makoto," he repeated to himself.  It had a familiar 
ring to it, as if it was a name he had said many times before.  
He closed his eyes and tried to remember something from his 
past.
     "You're different from the others, aren't you?"
     It was a voice from his past, soft and stern at the same 
time.
     "Yes," he replied.
     "Don't fear.  I know you can take care of yourself.  
You're not only different, you're special."
     "What do you mean?"
     "You will find out in time.  Things are happening that 
will surely remind you of the past...and me...and her."
     "Who are you?"
     "You will learn soon enough, but for now, you must 
awaken... "
     "What?"
     "You're asleep, sleeping standing up, Hikari.  Wake up."
     Hikari's eyes snapped open.  It was late afternoon... he 
had been... was it really asleep?  Anyway, it had been several 
hours.  Mako would be home soon...
     Something told him to move.  His overcoat moved of it's 
own accord, becoming a slightly tattered dark grey hooded cloak 
and helping him jump aside as a bolt of energy shattered the 
concrete where he had been standing.  He felt his clothing shift 
to cover his face and become what he had been wearing when he 
had defeated the creature yesterday.
     He spun two see two angels of stone facing him, their rock 
wings somehow keeping them aloft.  The one with the bow leveled 
the weapon and let another bolt of energy fly from the invisible 
string.  Hikari launched himself in the air, his energy flowing 
through him, granting him flight.  He shot straight at the stone 
angels...

*

     "Do you have any idea where this guy is from?"
     "None," Makoto replied to Usagi.  "The thing is, 
neither does he.  He didn't have any ID on him, either.  He had 
a litte money, but that was pretty much it."
     "Hmm...that's really weird..."
     Mako grabbed her friend's arm.
     "Well, *that's* pretty weird too!"
     Above them, near Mako's apartment building, two stone 
monsters with wings tried to grab a hold of...
     "It's him!" Mako exclaimed.  "That guy that helped us 
yesterday!"
     "Well, let's go help him!  MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
     Mako nodded as Usagi spun, glowed, and was replaced by Sailor 
Moon.
     "JUPITER STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
     As soon as Sailor Jupiter was fully transformed, the two Senshi 
began to run up the stairs.  Sailor Moon began to fall behind a bit.
     "You okay?" Sailor Jupiter asked.
     "Huff...puff...I wish I didn't like your cooking so much," Sailor 
Moon wheezed.  Jupiter smiled.  They made it to the roof.
     Now they saw it better.  The monsters looked more like angels 
made of stone, and it was definitely the dark man that had defeated 
the creature yesterday.  He was flying along with the angels, avoiding 
the sword of the one he was engaged with.  The other one, with a bow, 
tried to gain a bead on the dark man without hitting his buddy.  
Sailor Jupiter, however, didn't have to worry about hitting anyone 
but the angel.
     "SUPREME THUNDER!"  A stream of lightning blew the angel 
backwards, his bolt of energy going straight up.  The dark man looked 
down at them, nodded thanks, and ducked to avoid the stone sword, 
glowing with the same energy as the "arrow."
     "Think I should dust him?" Sailor Moon asked, Moon Sceptre in 
hand.
     "No, you might hit..."
     Before Mako could finish, an energy bolt nearly hit them as 
the stone angel with the bow came back for revenge.  Neither of the 
girls could move in time...
     A red rose that drove itself into the roof stopped the stone 
angel in it's path.  Standing on top of the water tower was the 
unmistakable figure of...
     "Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon cried in jubilation.
     "These guys are tough, but nothing you can't handle, 
Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen replied.  "I think this archer needs a 
good dusting!"
     "Right!  MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
     The powerful burst of positive energy reduced the stone 
angel to moondust.  Above them, the dark man unsheathed his katana 
and parried the incoming blow from the remaining stone angel.  The 
riposte of the dark man's sword laid open the belly of the rock 
warrior.
     "Wow," Jupiter said, "that thing can cut through stone like 
flesh.  Must be sharp."
     Sailor Moon nodded, mesmerized by the movements of the dark 
man.  He moved with deadly grace, kicking back behind the angel, 
his katana coming down where his foe's shoulder met its neck.  But 
the sword didn't stop there.  Pulsating with an energy that Sailor 
Moon, Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen recognized, the katana sliced 
the angel in half.
     The stone angel yowled in pain and exploded into stone shards.  
The Sailor Senshi held up their arms to protect themselves from 
the shower of rock.  When they looked up, the dark man was gone.  
Tuxedo Kamen gracefully leapt down beside them.
     "Who *is* that guy?" Sailor Moon asked.
     "I have no idea," Tuxedo Kamen replied.
     "Neither do I," Sailor Jupiter added.  "But something about 
him..."

     Not long after, Makoto, Mamoru and Usagi walked back into 
Mako's apartment. Everything was in very good order, except for 
the fact that Hikari was nowhere to be found.
     "Where'd he go?!" Mako asked, rushing back to the door, 
throwing it open, and almost ran headlong into Hikari.
     "Sorry," he said.  "I just stepped out for a second."
     "You scared the hell out of me!!" the tall girl yelled, 
giving Hikari a good smack in the arm.
     "Hey, Mako, lighten up!" Usagi said, coming up next to her.  
"Hi!  You must be Hikari!"
     "Yes, that's right."
     "Well, I'm Usagi and I'm an *expert* at helping people get 
their memories back!" 
     "I wouldn't go as far as expert," said Mamoru, "but you're 
good at it, sure."
     Usagi spun and blew a raspberry at Mamoru.  Mako laughed, 
and Hikari found himself smiling.
     A few minutes later, Makoto had made some hot cocoa and the 
four of them sat around the table in her kitchen.
     "So...what brings you to our humble town?" Mamoru asked 
Hikari.
     "I...honestly don't know," the other young man replied.  
"I don't remember much before Mako found me."
     "Well, you remeber your name, right?" Usagi asked.
     "That's a bit of a no-brainer, Usagi," Makoto said, 
much to Usagi's chagrin.
     "No, it's all right, Mako," said Hikari, with a slight 
smile.  "Anything helps.  Yes, I remember my name, but that's 
about it.  It's very hazy...like a big mess up here."  He 
pointed to his own head.
     "I've had a bit of experience in this," said Mamoru, 
trading meaningful glances with Usagi and Mako.  "That haziness'll 
pass as events trigger your memories.  I don't think you need a 
hospital... just time."
     "You're probably right."
     "I know what you need!" said Usagi, leaping up on the chair 
as if she had made a major scientific discovery.  "A STRAWBERRY 
SHAKE!"
     Hikari raised an eyebrow.
     "And that is...?"
     Mako stared at Hikari.
     "You don't *know* what a strawberry shake is?"
     "No...is it something you eat, or something you do?"
     The other three laughed while Hikari scratched his head.  He 
followed them to Mamoru's car, where the cat inside jumped up on 
Usagi's lap.  She gave Hikari a disconcerting stare.
     "Um...Usagi...is there any particular reason why your cat is 
staring at me like that?"
     Usagi looked down at Luna, who looked back up with a 
concerned face.
     "Oh, she's just nervous around strangers," Usagi said lightly, 
wondering herself why Luna was so worked up.  But she didn't get 
the chance to ask until they reached the ice cream parlor.
     "Luna, what's the big deal?"
     "I'm getting a funny feeling about this guy, Usagi," the cat 
replied as Mamoru, Mako and Hikari entered the parlor.
     "He's just a guy with the same memory thing that Mamoru 
had..."
     "Exactly.  How do we know this guy isn't behind all the 
attacks lately?"
     "It's not like any innocent people have been hurt...just 
that dark guy."
     "That's another thing.  Who is he, and why is he here?  
Artemis told me about how he arrived...doesn't that seem kind 
of odd?"
     "No more odd than a talking cat, Luna," said Usagi with a 
smile.  "Come on, I want a strawberry shake!"
     "Usagi, they don't allow pets in there!" But Usagi was 
already inside.  Luna sighed.
     "I just hope that girl is right about this guy."
     That's when the communicator on Usagi's wrist went off.

*

     "I was a fool."
     "My lord?"
     "To think a couple Stone Angels could succeed where 
Titanius failed.  It's obvious we cannot defeat the Dark Ronin 
in direct conflict."
     "Then what do you suggest?"
     Kartaron looked around the cavern.
     "How many Stone Soldiers have you created for me, Granitus?"
     "Five more, my lord, and two Stone Angels to replace your 
losses."
     "Excellent."
     The dark lord gestured at the wall.  A tall creature, resmbling a
misshapen man with think grey skin, stepped from it.
     "You summoned me?" it rumbled.
     "Ferrus," Kartaron said.  "You are one of the only intelligent 
creatures I have left."
     "I always told you Titanius would work better with a brain," 
Ferrus said with a lopsided smile.
     "Now is not the time for critiques for our lord," Granitus 
chided.
     "No, it's all right, Granitus," said Kartaron, raising an 
eyebrow at Ferrus.  "If he fails, his comments will simply be 
remembered in his punishment."
     "And what is my mission, my lord?" Ferrus asked.
     Kartaron made the wall beyond them clear as glass and conjured 
a picture of the mall.
     "This is place where many people gather, to trade goods.  You 
are to lay waste to it, and when the Dark Ronin comes - and he 
will - crush him."
     "It will be a pleasure, my lord."
     "What of the Moon Princess, my lord?" asked Granitus.
     "Let's get the Dark Ronin out of the way," Lord Kartaron 
replied.  "Then we can take the time necessary to bestow upon the 
Moon Princess the slow, agonizing death she so richly deserves."

*

     "I still think this is a bad idea," Ami sighed.  "We could be 
using this time to study for tomorrow's test!"
     "Oh, lighten up, Ami!" Minako replied as they walked into the mall.
"You can always study later, and Rei said this was Sailor business!"
     "And I suppose it doesn't hurt that there's a sale going on?"
     "Of course not!  A girl's got to take advantage of deals whenever she
can!"
     Ami smiled slightly and shook her head.
     "Hey guys!" called Rei as she ran up.  "What took you so long?"
     "I had to pry Ami away from her study group," Minako said.  "She's
committed to finishing her finals with the best score ever, isn't that
right, Ami?"
     "I just want to do well," Ami replied quietly.
     "Come on, we all know you can beat the record," Rei told Ami as she
lay a hand on her friend's shoulder, "but you can have some fun, too!"
     "Well, I suppose it can't do any harm..."
     "Of course it can't!  By the way, has anyone seen Usagi lately?"
     "I don't know, I'll give her a call," said Minako, flipping her
communicator open.  Rei and Ami walked to the railing of the circular
balcony and looked down at the shoppers on the first level of the mall.
     "Usagi here!" came the voice from across town. "What's up?  Is 
something wrong?"
     "Yeah," Rei replied.  "It's a Friday afternoon and you're not at the
mall!"
     "Oh, right, the sale!  Well, Mako, Hikari, Mamo-chan and I were about
to get a strawberry shake..."
     Ami was looking around the mall and looked up through the glass
ceiling into the blue sky.
     "Hey, guys, what is that flying by there?"
     It looked like two angels carrying something.  They all took a 
step back into preperatory stances, tensing for combat.
     "What's going on?" Usagi asked.
     "Get here as fast as you guys can," Minako growled, all business.
"There's about to be trouble."
     The angels let go of whatever they were carrying.  It crashed 
through the ceiling, sending glass shards and metal fragments flying in all
directions.  It made a huge crater in the atrium, scattering people who had
not been knocked down by the explosive enterance of whatever this thing
was.  The three girls knew exactly what they had to do.
     "MARS STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
     "MERCURY STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
     "VENUS STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
     As people came to or fled the mall, they cheered for their local
heroes, who mysteriously appeared (as they always did) and immediately went
about the business of saving the day.  The Sailor Senshi leapt down to the
perimeter of the crater as the creature hauled itself out of the hole it
had made by falling into the mall.  It was along the same lines as the
brute they had fought the day before, only this one was a lighter shade of
gray, looked a bit more human-like, and his eyes flickered with intelligence.
     "Where is the Dark Ronin?" he rumbled.
     "Whoever that is, you can't have him!" said Sailor Mars.  "How dare
you try to destroy such a good place for people to meet and have fun!  I
shall punish you, in the name of Mars!"
     "I want the Dark Ronin!" the creature demanded.  "Stone Soldiers!
Dispatch these annoying brats!"
     From the very walls came seven figures resembling the stone angels,
but without wings.  They carried spears, swords, and axes, and they didn't
look very friendly.
     Two of them tried to smite Sailor Venus.  She leapt backwards, 
pointing at one.
     "VENUS LOVELY CHAIN!"
     The rapid stream of energy hearts broke the soldier's polearm in half.
 Behind her, she heard the clamour of more combat.
     "FIRE SOUL!"
     While fire did little to hurt the stone soldiers, they were 
certainly slowed by the impact of the fireball.  Mercury was back-to-back
with Mars, and already scanning the group.
     "I have to help them," Minako thought.  She moved to enter the fray
but her path was blocked by a dark gray shape.
     "Going to help your little friends?" it rumbled.  She looked up at him.
     "Yeah.  Get out of my way."
     The creature pounded concrete to powder where she had been standing.
But Venus had already moved, rolling with the impact of her jump and coming
up in a crouch, her arm raised at the creature.
     "CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!!"
     It yowled in pain as several beams of coherent light perforated it in
the mid-section.  Incredibly, however, it still came at her, grabbing her
by the throat and hauling her aloft.
     "That hurt," it told her.  "Now I will hurt you."
     "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"
     A ball lightning attack caused the creature to drop Venus.  Mars and
Mercury looked up to see Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon on the level above
them.
     "It's one thing to drop in on a mall to get to a sale," Sailor Moon
began, "but entirely another to terrozie innocent people!  And for that, I
cannot forgive you!  For I am the soldier of love and justice...Sailor
Moon!  In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!"
     The creature turned to the shattered glass ceiling.
     "And how do you feel about that, Angels?"
     The Stone Angels dove right for Sailor Moon.  She and Jupiter leapt
down to where the fighting was, the angels crashing headlong into a
fountain.  The five senshi found themselves surrounded by Stone Soldiers.
It was a minute or two of fierce hand-to-hand combat...with sore hands,
considering the soldiers were made of stone.  Sailor Mars kicked one out of
her way, bolted about a meter, then turned and gestured.
     "FIRE SOUL BIRD!"
     The firebird screeched as it plowed straight through three of the
soldiers.  They exploded into shards, forcing the others to dive for cover.
 Mars smiled.
     "So these things *do* have a melting point," she mused, then cried out
as a bolt from one of the angels hit her in the shoulder.
     "Mars!" cried Sailor Moon, running to get her friend out of harm's way.
     But the angel carrying the ax was coming at them awfully fast...

*--*--End of Part 2--*--*