hi Steve,
Hallo! I am a FFML newbie. Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Steve, though I write under the pen name of Komodo. I'm
22, I
live somewhere near a computer with a modem and no matter what the
rumors
say, my mind is NOT controlled by my cat.
*pets the cat*
I write mostly SM fanfiction, I use the American versions as that is
what I
am most familar with. As the saying goes. Write what you know.
*nod*
This is NOT Spam! ^_^ This is the promising beginning of a new
story, which I enjoyed.
C&
Part 1
They came, just like they always did. Five females in costumes with
energy
powers.
Like always, there was horrific battle, the enemy destroyed and the
costumed
women left, leaving the Police to clean things up and explain things
to the
media.
Molly Naru, age nineteen, was sick of it.
She sat on the rock next to the lake in Central Park, her knees
pulled up to
her chest and her arms keeping them there.
Glumly, she watched as policemen and women stood there, scratching
their
heads in confusion. Eventually, it would be blamed on mass hysteria,
gas, or
bad food, the claims of monsters and women in sailor suits with
superhuman
powers dismissed as illusions.
Hallucinations.
Just like last time. And the time before that. And the time before
that.
You idiots! She wanted to scream. Don't you think that there might
be some
grain of truth? Don't you think that so many mass fainting spells
combined
with monster stories might be more then just a coincidence?!
They wouldn't listen, why would they? She was just a Gaijn, a
foreigner, and
^I think it's Gaijin
not even an important one. Just the daughter of a jeweler.
Molly felt her hands curl into fists as the hot tears rolled down
her cheeks.
She wanted so desperately to fight back, even to the point of taking
up
Martial Arts.
That had been no good.
The tears flowed faster as she unwillingly remembered how the youma
had
simply laughed and then drained her of energy. Just like all the
other times
before.
The tears became a flood, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why did they always seem to come to her?
She raised her eyes up and looked at the lake.
So cool. So inviting. All it would take would be one little
movement, the
shock of hitting the water would stun her, her weight would drag her
under,
the cold would numb her.
They wouldn't find her body till tomorrow, or even the day after.
No more pain, no more youma.
No more. . .
She looked up at the sound of shoe soles on rock.
"Hey Moll." Said the shoe's owner, a pretty blond haired coed with
her hair
^Unless Serena has only one leg (grin), it's
shoes' owner
in a most peculiar hairstyle.
"Hey Serena." Molly said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion as
she resumed
staring at the lake.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sick of it."
"It?"
"The youma. The endless fighting," Molly waved a hand at the
controlled chaos
at the other side of the lake. "The way they go on like sheep
because they
don't want to think of what might really be going on." She sighed.
"I'm sick
of being attacked, I'm sick of worrying about my friends, I'm sick
of
answering questions from the police." She exhaled loudly, her breath
forming
into steam as it hit the night air. "I'm just sick of it."
"You think we aren't?" Serena asked. "Not a day goes by that I wake
up and
wonder if today's the day when I'll be required to give my life up
to keep
the Earth safe. The others are the same way. We're sick of it too.
But we do
it because its got to be done."
Molly let out a chuckle. "What's so funny?" Serena demanded.
"Just thinking that six years ago you never would have said
something like
that." Serena smiled.
"No, I suppose I wouldn't have." Serena admitted. "I guess I've done
some
growing up."
"Everyone has." Molly said as she looked at Serena, her question
clear on her
face.
"No." Serena said.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Serena said. "We even asked Pluto. I'm sorry Molly,
there is no
Sailor Sun, Earth, Asteroid, Comet, Cosmic, Red, or anything like
that. None
of us had a sister back during the Silver Millennium. Nothing."
"So that's it then. I'm doomed to a life of being youma chow."
Serena said
nothing. There was nothing she could say.
"Hey." She said at last. "How about some hot fudge sundaes at
Tomoe's? My
treat."
"Sure." Molly said as she stood up. "Why not?"
Absolutely. Chocolate cures everything!
#--#
Late afternoon, The Lake in Central Park, Two Weeks Later. . .
Molly sighed as Melvin continued to babble about the latest project
in his
biotechnology class. Gradually, he realized she wasn't even
listening and
trailed off.
"Hey Molly? Something wrong?"
"I'm just sick of it all. Life, school, Youma."
"Youma? Molly, have you been getting enough sleep?" Molly then
remembered
that Melvin had never been told and that therefore the mysterious
"Central
Control" hadn't released him from what Mina had, for God knew what
reasons,
dubbed "The Matrix", which was a field projected across the world
that kept
people from being too interested in what was going on in Tokyo.
The thought that there was an entity out there capable of that kind
of feat
made Molly shudder and she tried very hard not to think about it.
"Yeah Melvin." She said, forcing some humor into her voice as she
screwed her
face up into a somewhat rictus grin. "Youma. And they work for these
aliens
that want to steal all the life energy on earth." She waggled her
fingers at
him and made moaning noises.
"You read to much Manga." Melvin said. Molly hmphed and turned,
walking away.
She hadn't gone more then a few feet when a pair of arms wrapped
around her
waist from behind and she heard Melvin's voice in her ear.
"Bah, I'm a Youma, give me your life energy." He made slobbering
noises.
"Oooh Help!" Molly said, laughing, unable to help herself. "A big
mean scary
youma! Oh help!" Squirming, she broke free of his grip and starting
running,
Melvin in hot pursuit.
Laughing, she led him across the park and into the woods surrounding
it,
where he finally managed to bring her down in an isolated part,
known
affectionately as "Love Alley."
Still laughing, Molly squirmed until she was lying on her back
underneath
him.
"Oh Mister Youma," She said, making herself sound like one of the
brainless
female leads in a movie. "Now that you have me what will you do with
me?"
"I'll think of something." Melvin replied.
"Just," She said breathlessly, "just keep it short." Then she
fluttered her
eyelashes at him
"Short?" He smiled his best evil smile. "Never." He promised as he
kissed her.
"Good." Molly said, returning the kiss as she pulled him down, her
body
arching up into his. "Mmmmm"
#--#
The Sun was setting by the time they emerged from the woods, hand in
hand.
Both were faintly flushed and several people gave them knowing
grins.
They walked until they reached the rock by the lake and there they
stood,
watching the sun slip beneath the horizon.
"Melvin? Have I told you that I love you lately?"
"Hmmm, I believe the most recent thing you said to me involved some
loud
moaning." Melvin said, his tone of voice mockingly serious.
"Well," She said, leaning against the rock as Melvin came closer. "I
love
you."
"Say it again." Melvin said, leaning against her.
"I love you." Molly whispered.
"I love you too." Melvin whispered back and they kissed again.
Things were just getting interesting when Melvin pulled away and put
his hand
in his pocket. "I got something to show you," He began when they
heard
shouting. There was a flash of color and some sounds that sounded
like an
animal growling.
"Oak Evolution!" Someone cried. There was a blinding flash and Molly
suddenly
found herself hurtling through the air. She saw the water coming up
fast,
there was a jolt of pain and everything went black.
She drifted in the blackness. A voice was talking to her and Melvin.
Melvin
insisting that the voice save her. There was a roaring noise and she
felt
something envelop her.
#--#
Her head was breaking the surface. Coughing, she tried to keep
afloat even as
she took her bearings.
It was definitely nighttime. She was somewhere in the middle of the
lake and
she could see bright lights of what looked like a work crew at the
lake's
edge. Grateful for her choice of clothes, she kicked her sandals off
and
struggled out of her jacket, letting it all sink to the lake bottom
before
she struck out for shore.
Looked like it was time to find out if all that time she put into
swimming
back in the Brownies would pay off.
#--#
She was nearly to shore before somebody spotted her. Shouts soon
went up and
she was helped to shore.
"What happened to you?" A Paramedic asked as he put a blanket around
her
shoulders. "Did you get caught in the Tornado?" Molly took the cup
of hot
chocolate and had some in her mouth before his question registered
and she
spat the liquid out
"T-Tornado?" She asked, wiping her mouth.
"Yeah. Weirdest thing anyone ever saw. Freak Tornado ripped through
the park
tearing up everything. Conspiracy nuts are blaming the Americans."
"Y-yeah. Those crazy Americans." Molly took another drink of hot
chocolate to
buy time to get her emotions in order. When she looked up again, she
saw
Serena, Amy Raye, Lita and Mina standing nearby. Mina had a bag
slung over
her shoulder and she could see Luna and Artimes peering out.
^Artemis
Setting the Hot Chocolate aside, Molly wrapped the blanket tighter
around
^no need to capitalize
herself and walked over to them.
"Hey guys." Molly said, smiling brightly until she noticed that none
of them
were smiling back. "What's wrong." Nobody said anything for a long
moment,
then Serena indicated something with a jerk of her head.
"I'm sorry." She half whispered.
"Sorry for what?" Molly asked, turning to see. All she saw was
Paramedics
loading a body into an ambulance. Then the stretcher hit a bump and
an arm
fell out from beneath the sheet.
On the wrist was a distinctly familiar wristwatch. A watch she had
given to
someone very special on his eighteenth birthday.
"NOOOOOO!" Molly cried, half running and stumbling towards the
ambulance.
Shoving the startled men aside, she tore the sheet aside and stared
at
Melvin's face.
He was bloated and blue, his face covered with cuts and bruises.
"No." She
whispered, clutching his hand and holding it to her face. The tears
flowed
down her cheeks and his arm.
"Um Miss? Ma'am?" Molly didn't hear the paramedic. She didn't hear
anything
except Melvin's voice telling her that he loved her. She didn't feel
anything
except his hands moving over her body, or see anything but his eyes,
locked
with hers. The only thing she tasted was his lips on hers.
But she did feel it when the Paramedics pulled her away so they
could load
Melvin into the ambulance.
"No! Wait!" She cried, reaching out for him. "Don't take him from
me!" Then
Serena was there. "They took him Serena!" Molly wailed, sinking to
her knees,
"they took him!" Serena held the trembling girl as she looked up at
her
friends.
#--#
One week later, A cemetery in Tokyo.
"And so, we commend the body of Melvin Umino to the earth. Let us
pray."
Molly bowed her head, but did not pray. Instead, her eyes were
staring at the
diamond ring in her hand, which her mother had given to her.
^Her mother or his?
I'd think his...
"He bought this only a few days before. I think he'd want you to
hold on to
it." She had said. He had never even gotten a chance to ask her.
"I would have said yes." She whispered under her breath.
#--#
6 months later. . .
"Molly!" Serena cried, running up to her. You look terrific!" Molly
gave her
best friend a smile and twirled. She wore a light blue silk thin
dress, cut
low, the ring Melvin gave her now on a twenty four karat gold chain
that she
wore around her neck.
"I'll second that." Said the tall, dark haired man who came up
behind Serena.
"Its a shame I'm already taken." He teased just before Serena's
elbow dug
into his ribs. "Ow. Take it easy Meatball Head." He protested,
rubbing his
side.
"You'll pay for that later." Serena said, her tone of voice
promising that
the payment demanded could be interesting if he played his cards
right.
"Yes Ma'am." He said, tossing off a mock salute. "How about I get
you ladies
some punch?"
"Thank you." Molly said and resumed staring out the window at the
Garden.
The girls were at an inter-school mixer held at the beautiful Asasho
Gardens
mansion, formal wear required.
"Still miss Melvin huh?" Serena said.
"Yeah." Molly said. "Every day it become easier to deal with but I
still feel
like I'm betraying him every I so much as look at another guy."
"Aw come on Moll." Serena said, grabbing the redhead's arm and
leading her
towards the crowd of people. "You know Melvin would want you to find
someone
to be happy with." Molly let herself be led, mainly because deep
down, she
knew she was right.
It was at that point that Destiny made a roll of the Cosmic Dice.
Snake Eyes.
The roof over the band all but collapsed as the youma burst in. It
was a
snake headed beast, with a sword in each hand.
"Ethka." It hissed as the sword blades began to glow, drawing in
energy.
Molly, concealed behind the safety of a plant, curled herself up in
a fetal
position. She could hear the Senshi getting their butts handed to
them.
Closing her eyes, she prayed silently, trying to ignore the pounding
sound in
her ears.
Opening her eyes, she saw Sailor Moon hit the wall and fall, not
moving.
The pounding in her ears became a roar that drowned out everything
else.
Now. Whispered a voice in her mind.
#--#
Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Mercury were in trouble and they knew it,
Tuxedo
Mask and Sailor Moon were both down for the count. Venus had the
Moon
Crescent Wand, and not a hope in hell of being able to use it.
"This is it guys." Mars said. "Last call."
"We can't give up." Venus said. "All we need is a plan."
"All we need is a Miracle." Jupiter retorted.
Destiny Made another roll.
Two Sixes.
The youma raised its swords high, intent on fullfilling prime
directive
number one: Terminate the Senshi.
"And Lo." An electronically filtered voice said. "There shall come a
warrior,
clad in living armor, and all that the warrior faces, shall fall."
Recognizing the words from a recent fantasy flick, the Senshi
turned.
Standing in the doorway was a figure, the body shape suggested a
female. She
was clad in what looked like living armor. That is, the armor seemed
to
resemble the hard carapace of a beetle or perhaps plates of bone.
"And you are?" The Senshi looked at the Youma, surprised. It was the
first
time a youma had ever talked in its true form.
"Just a concerned citizen." She said, looking at the ball of energy
that was
forming in her hand as though she had never seen it before. "Warrior
will
do." Almost casually as her arm snapped forward, hurtling the energy
ball
across the ballroom to smack the youma on the chest.
It staggered back, hissing loudly.
"I'm here to kick ass and take names." Warrior said as blades slid
forward
out of her forearms and over her hands.
"What's that supposed to mean?" It demanded, dropping into a
fighting stance,
swords at the ready.
"It means," Warrior said as she started forward at a steady walk.
"That I've
had a really bad day. You're about to have a worse one." At that,
she broke
into a run, leaping into the air, twising as she jumped, and landing
on the
youma's shoulders, driving the blades into into its brain.
The youma howled, jerking back, swinging the deadly blades in an
attempt to
find its oppenent, but Warrior was already moving, leaping off of
the youma's
shoulders to land behind it. Spinng on the balls of her feet, she
slashed at
^Spinning
its back, cutting a strip across its spine. The Youma howled again
as it
spun, bringing both swords down. But Warrior had backflipped out of
harm's
way, landing in a spiderlike crouch.
"Not bad." The youma said, breathing heavily.
"Thanks." Warrior said, rising and taking a fighting stance. The
youma also
took a fighting stance. For a long moment, they faced each other,
each one
sizing up their oppenent.
Then, seemingly as one, they moved. Their arms were a blur, a
whirlwind of
flashing blades.
There was no room for mistakes. No room for even the tiniest error.
Even
Jupiter's trained eye had trouble following the battle. But it did
pick out
one thing. Warrior, intentionally or not, was buying them time.
As one, they raced back to where Sailor Moon groggily lay.
"Sailor Moon!" Mars cried, falling to her knees as Mercury grabbed
the prone
girl's other wrist, and began counting under her breath even as she
was
looking over Sailor Moon's face.
"Pulse is good, everything looks normal, how are you feeling?"
"What happened?" She asked, sitting up slowly.
"New kind of Youma." Jupiter said curtly.
"Where is it?"
"It found a new playmate." Venus quipped. "Rather energetic one
too."
"Who is that?" Sailor Moon demanded, catching sight of the armored
figure who
had the youma's attention.
"Dunno, as she put it, and I qoute; 'Warrior will do'" Jupiter said,
helping
^ quote
Sailor Moon to her feet.
At that point, the youma made an error so slight even Jupiter
couldn't be
sure it was an error.
Swinging its swords, the youma lunged with one, the other one held
up to
block. But it had over extended its reach just a little to much.
Warrior
^overextended
feinted, batted the blocked sword aside, chopped off the
outstretched arm
then ran her blade right into where the Youma's heart roughly was.
The Youma howled, glowing brighter and brighter, before crumbling
into dust.
Sitting on the dust was a brightly colored jewel with a black upside
down
cresenct moon. As they watched, the color faded.
Warrior picked up the jewel and looked at it for a moment, then her
fingers
closed tightly around the jewel, triggering a distinctive crunching
sound.
When she opened her hand, there was only dust.
"Warrior?" Sailor Moon called. The helmeted head turned to look at
them. "I'd
like to thank you for your help."
"Unessacary. They all have to die."
^Unnecessary
"Yes. Well. . ." Sailor Moon said, obviously taken back by Warrior's
bluntness.
"Stay out of my way." Warrior snapped and then lept into the
rafters, from
there, out the hole in the roof.
Running to the window, the Senshi saw Warrior leap over the wall.
"Damn." Jupiter breathed out as the distant sounds of sirens reached
their
ears.
"Lets get out of here." Venus said.
#--#
The Next Morning
Though she no longer lived at home, Molly did have a decent loft
apartment
near her mother's Jewelry store. The building was owned by a family
friend
and Molly got to live there virtually rent free.
She lay on her stomach, bare back to the ceiling trying to process
what the
ringing sound in her ears was.
At that point, the ringing stopped and Molly heard her own voice.
"Hi, this is Molly's phone. Leave a message at the beep."
"Molly? Its Serena. Again. There's a meeting at Raye's temple today.
We could
use some input. Molly, if you're there please pick up."
Molly's flaiing hand finally managed to find the button for the
speakerphone.
^flailing
"Serena?" She asked, her mouth dry and feeling like it was full of
cotton.
"Molly?! Thank God! AreyouokayWecouldn'tfindyouafterthepartyI've
calledlikefifteentimesalready!"
"Party?" Molly asked. Then she remembered, along with the weird
vision. "Oh
yeah. I hid in the plants."
"Oh. Okay! Well the meetings at five today. I'll see you then!"
Molly hit the
off button and rolled over in bed, her eyes falling on the clock on
her wall.
"Three in the afternoon?" She groaned as she sat up. "I hate
youmas."
#--#
The Dark Kingdom. . .
The man who walked through the hallways was not happy. He was tall,
athletic
man, with bright red hair, and cruel eyes. He wore a vest over his
bare
chest, green pants, and boots.
He bowed respectivly to the man and woman sitting on the thrones as
he
entered the throne room through the double doors.
The woman was all woman, tall, lush, with ripe curves and thick red
hair.
But there was nothing human about her eyes. All that had been stolen
away
millenia ago.
The man lounged in his chair, a wine glass in his hand, laconic
expression on
his face. But his eyes were bright and alert behind half closed
lids.
"Well?" The woman demanded.
"The youma/droid hybrid worked well." The man reported. It collected
more
then enough energy to create another of its kind."
"Then where is it?" Demanded a third voice. It was a woman's voice
and the
man in the vest raisied his eyes to the crystal behind and above the
thrones.
"There was unexpected interference."
"You let the Senshi interfere again Rubius?" Demanded the redhaired
woman.
"No." Rubis gestured and an image of the female in the strange armor
battling
the hybrid appeared. "She calls herself Warrior."
"A Guyver Unit!" Hissed the man on the throne.
"Guyver Unit?" Asked the voice from the crystal.
"A device created by a long dead alien race. They were sent to
planets that
either had or possessed the potential for sentient life. They're a
type of
bio-armor and they fuse with lifeforms in a symbiotic relationship,
providing
protection and physical enhancement in return for some of the host's
life
energy."
"Interesting." Said the redhaired woman. "If we could get our hands
on such a
device, it could prove most useful."
"Then you shall have it Beryl." Said the man. "Rubius. Do whatever
it takes
to get the Guyver Unit!"
"Yes Prince Diamant." Rubius replied.
#--#
Yawning, a cup's worth of cofee in her stomach, Molly stepped into
the shower.
^coffee
The dream she had still haunted her, it seemd so real.
"Must have been the caviar." She said to herself as she began to
soap up.
Not exactly, said a dry voice in her mind
"Who?" Molly gasped, throwing open the shower door as she dropped
into a
fighting stance, her eyes darting around the loft.
I don't have a name, at least not one that would make sense to you.
Said the
voice. Suffice it to say I am you.
"What? You're some alternate personality? I've gone skitzo?"
Not exactly. Why don't you make us some breakfast and we'll see if I
can't
explain it better.
"You'd better." Molly growled as she put on her robe and headed for
the
kitchnette even as the rediculousness of what she had just done hit
her.
^ridiculousness
Great. I'm arguing with a voice in my head. I must have flipped.
Very, very nice. Not too much to correct, either! (Of course I'm not
the expert here with punctuation, so if you made any mistakes I'll
leave it to them.) I'm looking forward to seeing more of this. The
idea of Melvin's death giving Molly the last push she needed to become
what she wanted to be--a warrior--is very interesting.
June
www.karaohki.com