It was high noon and a transport flew through the sunless blackness
of the world. The craft was elaborately decorated; silver scrollwork
covered the wings and fuselage with the fine tracery fit for the
Queen's private yacht. Inside, a girl looked out a porthole with a
mournful expression. He needed her. He had called. If only she didn't
dread, and maybe hate... her father. If only Mother hadn't left her
alone, all those years ago.
The girl used her two elbows and partially clenched fists to provide
a platform for her chin as she looked out at the endless black vista.
Occasional flashes of lightning provided momentary illumination of
the world. It was in those brief instants that the weird shapes in
the distance resolved themselves into rugged mountains, instead of
mysterious phantoms. The interior light of ensorcelled globes
combined with the darkness outside and the glass windowpane to
provide a crude mirror for the girl to study her appearance. Not that
she cared too much about it right now; it was only her father she was
going to see, after all. And he wouldn't care WHAT she looked like,
as long as she could do whatever he needed her for.
The child in the dim reflection was a young teenager, quite short for
her age, but well on the way to becoming a lady. She wore her blonde
hair long, split into two ponytails. Her mother was first to gather a
bit of hair at the start of each ponytail into a small ball,
resulting in a unique hairdo. Children being children, she had gotten
her share of teasing over the way she wore her hair. Nicknames like
'meatball head' and 'dumpling head' were well known to her. As was
razzing her split ponytail hairstyle in general, especially in
reference to her name... Usagi, which means rabbit in Japanese. But
she kept her hair that way because... Her mom had fixed it like that,
and it provided her with a link, no matter how tenuous, with her
mother.
As her musings wound down, a small smile came to the girl's face. She
hadn't seen her father in years; maybe he had changed. If not, one
thing she could do was make even the most morose people smile... at
least a little. Maybe she could help her dad be happy. She would a
least try.
***
Sailor AngelS
By Kevin D. Hammel
A Sailor Moon/ Neon Genesis Evangelion Fusion
Episode 01: Lady Usagi
Sailor Moon is property of Naoko Takeuchi. Publication rights held by
Kodansha Ltd. in Japan and Mixx Entertainment in the US. Neon Genesis
Evangelion is property of Hideaki Anno. Video rights held by GAINAX
in Japan and ADV Films in the US. My purpose is to honor these
creators and their works. No infringement intended.
***
Only a few kilometers away, a man stared entranced at the same view
that his daughter studied. He was of early middle age, and average
height. Rather nondescript with brown hair, save for the orange
glasses perched on his nose and beard beneath his chin. His uniform
bore the rank of Commander; a golden nameplate identified him as
Tsukino.
Commander Tsukino continued to look out the window, and then he saw
it. The flashing red strobe light of the royal transport blinked as
the vessel brought his daughter to him at last. He turned to his
attache, a woman in her late twenties. "Captain Katsuragi, please
bring the Third Child to the hanger as soon as she lands. I will be
waiting."
"Sir!" The woman said with a crisp salute before executing a snappy
one-eighty and marching out the door. Tsukino wondered if he would
ever get used to his assistant's odd choice of non-regulation attire.
Somehow, a brown mini dress did not seem appropriate for a woman of
her station.
***
Castle Charon, the first and last outpost of the Solar System. Faint
sunlight glinted off the massive garnet crystal at its heart,
providing a dim beacon of a yet dimmer hope as it orbited the Pluto-
Charon system. In the main room, dominated by a darkened view screen,
Sailor Pluto addressed the Sailor Senshi. Pluto was a tall woman; a
glance at her deeply tanned body showed her to be in her early 20's.
A glance at her dark red eyes showed the wisdom and pain of one
vastly older. She was garbed as a Sailor Senshi, her sailor fuku had
a black skirt and collar, and black boots that reached almost to her
knees. "Today, it begins... again... Earth has endured the attacks of
the Dark Kingdom long enough. Now, we strike back."
Sailor Uranus, a taller teenager with close-cropped blonde hair had a
smirk of grim anticipation. "Can't wait for some payback." Her Sailor
fuku was dark navy blue, with a yellow bow. Her boots looked to be
calf-high at best.
"I too, am ready." Teenaged Sailor Neptune responded. She wore
sandals in place of boots, and her color was aquamarine, matching the
hair that cascaded to her mid-back.
Pluto acknowledged both with a grim nod. "Don't forget. We cannot
tolerate ANY losses. If you NEED to hit them hard, then pull back."
As her attention turned to Uranus, her eyes bored into the taller
woman. "No one-woman crusades, and no hot-dogging, Uranus. This is
NOT a race, and the only ladies you have to impress, Neptune and
myself, want to see you back here... NOT dead."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doin'." Uranus replied with just a
touch of arrogance.
"Good. You'd better." She offered them a hint of a smile as she
continued. "Good luck!" Pluto waved off her charges.
"Thanks," the two Sailor Senshi said as one, and then left.
Pluto watched the two girls leave, through her falling tears. It had
to work. It just HAD to. She had lived for this moment, ever since...
Sailor Pluto buried her head in her hands. Emotional displays were
almost unknown to her, but this one had been a thousand years in
coming, or was it only s few?
She recalled the last Sailor Senshi she had trained, fifteen years
before.
A less worried, more distant Pluto looked at Ami... Sailor Mercury...
with something almost resembling a mother's love. Ami was the only
reincarnated Sailor Senshi she had been able to find before Beryl's
return. "Are you ready, Sailor Mercury?" Pluto asked.
"Of course, Sailor Pluto. I can't wait." Excitement and confidence
were obvious in her bearing and firm smile. But her eyes were fringed
with the doubts any girl her age might have when confronting the
unknown. Not to mention bearing a burden that would weigh heavily on
a mature adult.
Finally, everything was ready, and Mercury and her prototype craft
were cast into the abyss between dimensions.
The distress beacon had returned, just a minute later.
"Coming out of dimensional gateway. Switching to..." Silence. "What's
this? No power!" Came the whisper from the other end. "I'm so sorry.
I'm..." Silence, again. Like a switch flipped to 'off', a young life
abruptly ended. The soul that had waited an eternity to be reborn
died before her destiny could be fulfilled. Sailor Mercury had
perished with the same quiet grace she had lived her life.
And it hurt. And Pluto hurt. Almost as much as much as when the
palace had fallen so long ago.
Mercury's last words as the propulsion system failed still haunted
Pluto's dreams, a decade and a half later. The other two reborn
Sailor Senshi she had found back then were mere babes in their
mother's arms. And where the others were, including the Moon Princess
herself, she could only guess. But she had some horrible suspicions.
Uranus and Neptune entered the dimension lock, and stared up at their
craft. It had taken Setsuna decades to design the prototype, years
more to re-design, and a fortune to construct. The vehicles were
gigantic, and almost alive; huge, graceful humanoids, hewn by magic
from gigantic ensorcelled gems. The machines were constructed of
topaz for Uranus and aquamarine for Neptune. These two weapons were
the most important in the struggle against the Dark Kingdom... They
were called the Angels. They would take the battle to the Dark
Kingdom itself.
Each Senshi held aloft her henshin pen. Calls of "Uranus Angel
Power!" and "Neptune Angel Power!" rang out. And in a few seconds,
each girl was consumed in her own inferno. The two flames, yellow for
Uranus and Cyan for Neptune, reformed into the two Senshi. Each of
the pilots wore an M-suit, a close fitting one-piece garment that
allowed a direct magical interface of the pilot and her craft. Uranus
wore a yellow and navy suit, while Neptune's was cyan and black. Only
the tiara each still wore identified the girls as Sailor Senshi.
Uranus and Neptune looked at each other, their faces showing
anticipation, and eyes shimmering with a hint of dread. The two young
women ran to each other, Uranus bowing slightly to meet Neptune's
upturned face. Each threw her arms around the other and poured all
their feelings into what might be their last kiss.
As they broke, they captured each other's eyes for one final time,
then hurried to their vehicles. With simultaneous flips, each was
inside her craft as she almost melted into it. Then, the twin Angels
came to life. They didn't begin to move in an approximation of a
living thing, but truly moved as if they were alive. Their chests
heaved as if breathing, and each Angel made the tiny, almost
imperceptible movements that a biped makes to remain standing.
Muscles flexed on Topaz as she stretched to limber her new form, just
as Aquamarine engaged in dexterity exercises.
Pluto regarded the now active view screen. She monitored the graphs
and readings for the two vehicles until... "Activating Dimensional
interface. Combat recording systems start on my mark... Now."
"Thanks, Control!" Neptune replied.
"Looks good. See you soon!" Uranus added.
Sailor Pluto looked at the green button, labeled 'Activate
Dimensional Interface'. The energy lattice needed to power the portal
was so great that it took manna from all three of their planetary
systems. When Pluto pushed the button, the whole castle shook, and
then began a low hum as the circuits tripped and fed the raw magical
energy of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto into the device.
"Dimensional interface active in five... four... three... two...
one... Now!" The cockpit screens faded to black as the two vehicles
and their pilots went... somewhere else.
All Pluto could now was wait, and hope. Uranus and Neptune were the
finest warriors she had ever trained; it was in their hands now.
***
Captain Katsuragi looked up at the descending craft, its manna drive
now switched to vertical anti-grav as it dropped to the center of the
landing pad adjacent to Nerv HQ. With a solid 'clang', the craft
touched down, then was locked in place buy the auto-capture
mechanism. An automated gangway lowered to reveal... the Third Child.
Katsuragi Misato had memorized the face of the girl who would form
one half of the EVA division of the DKDF.
Tsukino Usagi looked scared, angry, and small. Her hair was in the
trademark dual pigtails, and hung down below her waist. She wore
simple brown dress and a pair of lace-up work boots with gray
stockings. Why the commander stuck his child in Neibelheim was quite
beyond the Captain's understanding. Walhall, with the Second Child,
would have been much more appropriate place for the Commander's
daughter.
The captain clambered up to the hatch, offering the girl a hand.
"Hello, Usagi! Welcome to Nerv! I'm Captain Katsuragi Misato!" Misato
said, trying to be as upbeat as possible. The woman that reached up
and seemed to pull a bracelet out of thin air. "This for you Usagi."
She said as she snapped in around the girl's wrist. With a tiny flash
of light, all evidence of seams disappeared on the now solid gold
band.
"Thanks," Usagi replied in a distracted manner, then glanced at the
new bracelet. She examined it closely, then frowned as she began to
finger it. "Hey, it won't come..."
At that moment, a flash bright as Earthday illuminated the sky,
followed by twin claps of thunder. The sound shook the girl and her
chaperone to their cores with its power. Illuminated by the fading
light, twin shapes descended from above. Gigantic humanoid figures
riding iridescent wings came down from on high. "Damn! Angels..."
Misato shouted... "Let's go, Usagi!"
The small blonde stood petrified in shock. Tears fell from her eyes
as she responded, "Why me? I just want to be..."
"I dunno, Kid." Misato responded as she dragged the girl with her to
Nerv's underground lair.
***
"Time to kick some Dark Kingdom ass!" Uranus shouted to her partner.
"Uh... maybe!" Neptune replied. "This time we're just here for
reconnaissance."
"Aww... c'mon. How 'bout just a little payback?" Uranus pleaded,
trying to convince her partner to go on a little unsanctioned mayhem.
"Beginning reconnaissance pass one." Neptune said as she spoke to her
Angel, and Uranus.
"You're no fun, Neptune-chan..."
"Reconnaissance programmed and locked." Was all the reply the Senshi
received.
"Roger. Will follow." Uranus replied in resignation.
***
Klaxons blared as Misato pulled Usagi through countless corridors and
down unnumbered stairways. Finally, the pace slowed a bit as the
reached their destination, the Evangelion hanger.
Two gigantic, vaguely humanoid monstrosities loomed over the puny
organisms that scrambled to prepare them. Ignoring the milling
masses, a plaid girl with pale blue hair and red eyes studied one of
the giants, seemingly communing with it.
"Rei?" Her own name called the pale girl from her musings.
"What?" she asked in a voice devoid of emotion.
"This is the Third Child, Tsukino Usagi." Misato said to the First
Child, Ayanami Rei.
Usagi looked at the strange girl. Something about her tickled a
forgotten memory. "Hi, I'm Usagi!" she said with a smile as she
thrust a hand toward the other girl. At that moment, the building
shook as one of the Angels impacted on the roof.
"Rei. Usagi. Prepare for combat!" A voice called down from above.
"Father..." Usagi whispered as she looked up into the glare of her
surviving parent. Even at a distance of twenty meters, she was
daunted.
Thrusting two fists skyward, Rei called out "EVA Power!" Black flames
poured from the bracelet, consuming the girl in a flash. The fire
died down, revealing Rei wearing a close-fitting one-piece full-body
suit. The outfit was mostly white in color. The suit was cyan at the
knee joints and below. Rei wore a cyan scarf around her neck, which
was closed by an aquamarine brooch. A shiny, black, metal tiara
graced her forehead to complete her attire. Usagi noticed Rei had a
band like hers that remained outside the tight garment. Maybe there
wasn't room to squeeze it inside, she idly thought. Rei then
dematerialized and the orange creature, a cyclopean monster with a
huge green eye, came to life.
"Usagi!" Gendo shouted down from above.
Usagi cried torrents. "B... B... But! I don't want to do this! I c...
an't"
"Lady Usagi..." Her father said in a clinical voice, devoid of
emotion. "Should I inform the Queen of your insubordination?"
Usagi swallowed. She blinked and swallowed again. She sniffled a bit,
then wiped her eyes with the coarse brown material of her right
shirtsleeve. Raising two fists skyward as Rei had, she shouted, "EVA
Power!" And the dark power of Unit 01, HER Evangelion filled her. She
stood wearing a predominately white suit much like Rei's. At her
suit's knee joint, the color changed to bright red. Usagi's scarf was
red with a navy stripe and her brooch was diamond. The shocked girl
looked down at her new uniform, blinked, then was pulled inside as
Rei had been before she could look up. The purple and green monster
came to life.
"EVA Launch!" Misato shouted as the two vehicles were shot out of the
NERV base.
(End Chapter 1)
***
Well, I worked on this a while ago, (When it was called "AngelSide")
but decided to finally post it. This is my take on a Sailor Moon/
Evangelion fusion. I thought I would add my interpretation, which is
somewhat different from the norm. Thanks to Fire and Mike Koos for
C&C.
I wonder if the title "Sailor Angel" has been use before? If so, I'll
re-name.
Public and private C&C always welcomed...
Finally, Neibelheim and Walhall come from Germanic myth, not just
from a video game...
Kevin D. Hammel
January 25, 2000
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khammel@anime.sobhrach.com
kevinsff@pacbell.net
http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~khammel/
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