I found this in my files, and since I've been working so much lately, I
haven't had a chance to write anything new. So, just to keep the C&C
coming in ....
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: Redux.txt
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Sailor Moon Redux
by Jack Staik, Bookkeeper-At-Arms
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FOREWORD: The basic concept came from Gregg Sharp; namely,
Sailor Moon without the offensive sentai crap. This is my
own idea in that direction.
What this author knows about Sailor Moon comes from three
tapes watched several years ago and assorted fanfics; my
knowledge is insufficient to take it much further. So no
writing asking for sequels or prequels.
If anyone wants to take the concept and run with it, you
have my blessing.
* * * * * * * * * *
Artemis heard the girls talk excitedly among themselves in
the next room.
The dreams of a thousand cold years were coming to fruition;
the Inner Senshi were reunited, the Dark Kingdom could be
destroyed, and, in the distant future, shining Crystal Tokyo,
the true successor to the Moon Kingdom, could reign over a
happy and peaceful human race.
But everything was so *wrong*!!
"Spill it, Luna," Artemis said harshly. "What happened?"
"I'm not really sure," the black cat said guiltily. "I have
only a theory that I worked out by using the Mercury
Computer. It seems to fit the observed facts -"
"Dammit, Luna!" the white tomcat hissed. "Stop the double-
talk! Where are the Sailor Senshi?"
"Those *are* the Sailor Senshi!"
Artemis went to the door and peeked out.
The blonde - Usagi, they said her name was - looked
decidedly unfeminine in a muscle-shirt and camouflage pants.
Looking at her face-on, you might mistake her for a boy
unless you noticed her small breasts. Or she turned and you
saw the single long braided ponytail reaching clear to her
ankles.
The blue-haired girl with the blue eyepiece of the Mercury
Computer - Ami, he recalled - had a cheerful expression,
with oddly deep and wise eyes. The denim jacket and jeans
and plain white t-shirt didn't diminish her femininity in
the least.
The black-haired girl called Rei wore a Shinto temple-
maiden's garb. She had an intense air about her, as if
everything were serious. She hovered a few centimeters
above the floor in lotus position; no one seemed to notice.
The girl with the ponytail who he learned was named Makoto
seemed full of energy. Her leotard in green and silver at
least seemed close to the appropriate colors. She briefly
vanished, only to reappear a second later, soft drinks in
hand for all assembled.
Only his own protege, Sailor Venus, *looked* like a Senshi,
or had the abilities that senshi were supposed to have.
"Then where are their uniforms? Their special attacks?
During that battle with the Dark Kingdom Generals, they used
attacks I never heard of! And displayed abilities no Sailor
Senshi ever possessed!"
Luna sighed. "As I said, I only have a theory."
Artemis nodded. "Well, maybe it'll help."
Luna began; "When Usagi Tsunkino was a child, her parents
were killed in an accident. She went to live with the Kumon
family, relatives of her mother. They were poor martial
artists, barely able to maintain their family dojo.
"About a year later, Kumon-sensei acquired the secret of the
Yamasenken, a powerful and exotic martial art. So powerful,
in fact, that he accidentally destroyed his own dojo, dying
in the process.
"The sole survivor of the Kumon family, Ryu, taught Usagi
the Yamasenken as well as his own family's Art, and they set
out on a quest for the creator of the Yamasenken. A quest
Usagi is still on."
Artemis nodded. "Go on."
"The Yamasenken techniques involve some immensely powerful
maneuvers - and advanced techniques of ki manipulation are
part of its fundamentals."
"Ki manipulation?" Artemis asked. "But even the basic
techniques take years to master. An advanced form can't be
mastered at her age."
Luna snorted. "That's what I believed, too. But the
techniques of the Yamasenken are apparently unique, and
Usagi began as a child."
"So what does that have to do with the dearth of Sailor
Senshi among our ranks?"
"I believe - and the Mercury Computer agrees that it's a
possibility," Luna answered, "that when I gave Usagi the
Moon Locket and tried to transform her into Sailor Moon, her
trained and focused ki resisted the change and somehow
destroyed the power template for Sailor Moon.
"When the power entered her, it had no template to shape it,
so it simply reshaped itself to her previously existing
abilities.
"Techniques that she knew before as theory became actual.
Her strength and speed increased. Her senses became more
acute."
"But what about the rest?" Artemis demanded. "Were they all
trained in exotic martial arts?"
"No - but I believe that Usagi may very well be the Moon
Princess. If so, her template would have been the central
one, the one all the others would be based on. Any changes
in that template would affect them all. Her power-up may
have destroyed all the templates for the Sailor Senshi. Only
your Sailor Venus seems unaffected, and that may be because
she was awakened first."
"So when they used the henshin sticks -"
"They were flooded with magic power. This power was without a
template to shape it, so it simply shaped itself according to
the inclinations of the host."
"Hmmm ... " Artemis thought hard. The situation might yet be
saved. "What abilities are we talking about here?"
"Usagi's abilities are an amplification of her martial arts
style," Luna explained. "Before her power-up, she had been
training much of her life. And she had become good - the day
before I gave her the Moon Locket, I saw her defeat six
armed men with her bare hands."
Artemis whistled appreciatively. "And those energy crescents
she was throwing -"
"It's called the Kijin Raishu Dan - the Demon God Assault
Bomb. An advanced maneuver of the Yamasenken, one which
Usagi had failed to master before receiving the Moon Power.
Her foster brother Ryu has completely mastered that
technique."
Artemis looked apprehensive. That such power could exist
apart from magic - a power *anyone* could learn - made him
nervous. "And with the Moon Power, she's fully mastered the
Yamasenken?"
"And other forms as well," Luna confirmed. "Without the Moon
Power, she is still a formidable warrior. With it, she's all
but invincible."
"And the others?"
Luna continued. "The girl Ami - with the Mercury Power - was
a very intelligent girl before her power-up, but isolated.
Her need to expand her intellect and desire to be less
isolated enhanced her genius and changed her into a
telepath."
"'Telepath'?"
"A telepath," Luna confirmed. "Of at least seventh order, by
the Silver Millenium-era rankings. She's destroyed more than
one youma by simple psychic blasts."
"A telepath and genius, with the scanners and databases of
the Mercury Computer," Artemis said quietly, his mind seeing
the potentials.
Luna nodded. "Already, she's the de facto leader of the
group. Her tactical and strategic abilities are quite
formidable."
"The rest - the rest," he said impatiently.
"Calm yourself!" Luna admonished.
"Sorry," Artemis said. <Watching all we've worked for go
down the toilet isn't exactly conducive to relaxation.>
"Rei received the Mars Power," Luna continued. "Before her
power-up, she served in her grandfather's temple, and had
developed her spiritual gifts to a high level. With the
Mars Power, those gifts have been magnified enormously.
"Without the Mars Power, she could do things like ward
spirits and even see the future to an extent. With the
power, she can penetrate most disguises and psychic
camouflage, sense exact locations of specific individuals
from great distances, astrally project, and even create
solid objects from spiritual force. Her Spirit Javelins are
rather effective against Youma."
Artemis was impressed so far. This group seemed formidable
even before their power-ups. "And the other one - Makoto,
was it? The one with the Jupiter Power?"
"She was a street brawler," Luna answered. "She had some
martial arts training, but nothing on Usagi's level."
"So what did the Jupiter Power do to her? I noticed she was
- fast." He saw her run to the kitchen and back so fast she
might as well have teleported.
"An understatement," Luna confirmed. "The Jupiter Power took
her desire to be tough enough not to be hurt, and her desire
to run away from problems, and made those traits tangible.
She's little slower than a bolt of lightning. Few human eyes
can follow her. And she's all but indestructible; cars have
destroyed themselves running into her, and bullets bounce
off."
Artemis whistled in awe.
"It sounds like these girls might be tougher than the Sailor
Senshi we were supposed to train!"
"They have fewer restrictions on their abilities," Luna
commented.
Artemis sat deep in thought.
"Now how can we turn them into proper Sailor Senshi?" he
said.
"I don't believe that would be wise."
"It's necessary!" Artemis argued. "The Sailor Senshi weren't
just a military force; they were a political and propaganda
tool. They allowed the concepts of unity and cultural
conformity to be sold to the masses in a pleasing shape. A
sentai that dressed alike, had complimentary abilities, and
followed the lead of the Moon Princess aided us in creating
a single unified culture over an entire solar system that
followed the lead of the Moon Kingdom. If we're to recreate
the Moon Kingdom, we need that tool!"
"And how are you going to get that tool?" Luna asked.
"We have Sailor Venus," Artemis said. "We can use her
template to restore the Sailor Senshi to their proper
state."
"And if they don't agree?" Luna asked.
"We won't tell them. Besides, I know a few tricks with that
Mercury Computer; it can affect neural patterns with the right
reconfiguration. We can use it to edit their memories. They'll
think it's their own idea."
<I think not.>
The powerful mind of Ami Mizuro settled over Artemis'
consciousness. He sat immobilized.
<I've been monitoring your conversation, and must say that
I don't like your plans, and I'm not terribly keen on your
goals.>
"But it's for a greater good!" he whined.
<Rei has seen the future you would create - materially
perfect, but cold and heartless, with brainwashed drones
living comfortable lives like mice in a cage. World peace,
in return for stagnation and a lack of freedom of even basic
thought.>
"But Evil would be banished!"
<Your ancient Moon Kingdom 'banished' its 'evil', and what
happened to it? The Evil returned, a thousand times
stronger, and they were utterly defenseless against it.
Good against Evil is a conflict that can only be fought in
the heart.>
"You can't allow the Dark Kingdom to triumph!"
<We have no intention of it. But neither will your attempt
to resurrect the Moon Kingdom succeed.>
Artemis felt something strange, like tiny pinpricks in his
mind. "What's happening?!?"
<I'm doing to you what you planned to do to us - making a
few corrections.>
<Rest assured, it's all for a greater good.>
* * * * * * * * * *
Artemis and Luna trotted out of the other room and went to
their respective humans, Minako and Usagi.
"Say, Artemis," Minako said. "I was wondering - how come the
rest of the girls didn't get fuku's and magic phrases like I
did?"
"The Powers shape themselves to your desires and personas,"
Artemis explained. "What did you want to be before becoming
Sailor V?"
"I wanted to be an idol!" Minako said dreamily. "With a fan
club and movie deals and maybe even my own manga and TV
show!"
"And now you're practically a stereotype of a magical girl,"
Artemis said wisely.
"And magical girls have fan clubs and movies and manga and
TV shows!" Makoto said helpfully.
Sailor V nodded understandingly. "Oh, I get it!"
Luna hoped no one saw her shudder. Artemis wasn't even aware
of what Ami did to him!
Ami smiled briefly. Everything seemed to be going well;
there was no need to let the rest know about what she had
discovered about the source of their powers, or the goals of
the moon-cats.
After all, what they don't know won't hurt them.