[FFML] [fanfic][Sailormoon] Moonshadow, chapter six (draft)

[The Eternal Lost Lurker]

Not quite as long as I thought it was going to be, because I cut some bits
short.

Once again:

Mature content warning - strong language, suggestive dialogue, and
objectionable content. Reader discretion is advised.

C&C welcome.



===========================================

She stood silently on the roof of the school, watching the sun rise over the
foolish city of weak, pathetic humans.

Her instincts were to descend into the living mass below and rend, tear,
rip, kill, devour--to take the souls of these prey creatures for her own, to
become stronger, to...

But she served a master whose will was much stronger. She had her orders,
and had been forbidden from doing anything to draw undue attention to
herself.

She sighed as the sun became a bright yellow-gold pool of fire on the
horizon, tinging the hazy clouds with the light of early morning.

Soon, it would be time to begin. She had much to prepare...



=-------------=



Studio ELL Presents

MOONSHADOW

Adapted from "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" by Takeuchi Naoko.

6: Six feet from the edge

=-------------=

Makoto sat across from the vice-principal of her school, face hard, fists
clenched tightly in the fabric of her skirt, eyes narrowed.

"Kino-san," the officious little man was saying, peering at her through
tiny, oval-framed spectacles, "you must understand that we care very deeply
about the reputation of this school. The actions of our students reflect on
the entire school--for good, or for ill."

"Hai, sensei," Makoto replied in a dull, flat tone.

"We cannot abide behaviour which brings shame and dishonour to the school.
You do understand this, do you not?"

"Hai, sensei."

"Kanzou-sensei has submitted a disturbing report. I am certain you know the
contents."

Makoto debated lying, feigning ignorance, but knew it was futile. She
lowered her head, eyes closed, and nodded.

The vice-principal coughed once, then opened a folder and withdrew a single
sheet of paper from it. "We will, of course, not be alerting the
authorities. The negative attention that would bring to the school would be
far more damaging than the behaviour alluded to by Kanzou-sensei's
observations." He paused, then started to speak again. "Now, Kino-san, as a
man of responsibility and as a teacher, I feel I must--"

"Skip the lecture," Makoto bit off tersely. "This isn't the first time I've
had to put up with this shit. Just give me the fucking expulsion slip and
I'll get out of your hair."

The vice-principal's eyebrows climbed, and his eyes narrowed. "Kino-san,
your tone is dangerous. You should keep your position in mind, and--"

"My position?" Makoto demanded angrily. "I'll tell you my POSITION. It's
FLAT ON MY DAMN BACK, every goddamn night, usually with people JUST LIKE
YOU, who are married, or have children my age--or even older! Disgusting,
filthy pedophiles, perverts, disgraces...if their employers, if the police,
knew half of what I've seen in the last two years..."

"Kino-san, that's enough!"

"No it's not! I haven't said a damn word to anyone about what my life is
like, but if I'm about to be thrown out of another school because of it, I'm
damn well gonna have my say!" The anger in her eyes seemed to quell the
vice-principal's ire; he sat back in his seat, staring intently at the
raging girl.

"Since my parents died, I've been on my own. My one living relative, my
uncle, squandered my entire inheritance--enough money to see me through my
entire education including university--on gambling debts, cheap whores, and
greedy personal desires. He also tried to abuse me." Makoto smiled grimly.
"The hospital bills drained the last of the money that was rightfully mine.
Then the loan sharks he still hadn't paid off got hold of him, and that was
that.

"So there I was, an orphan, penniless, everything my uncle had bought
repossessed by the people he owed. I spent two months in an orphanage, and
in that time, I saw HELL. I refused to endure the kind of suffering and
torment I saw in that place for another six years, so I left.

"I was twelve, already taller than all the boys my age, with a ridiculously
huge chest that earned me a lot of ridicule and unwanted attention. I had
nobody to turn to, nowhere safe to go.

"But I had one thing, one very important thing: my dignity. The dignity to
refuse to live on the street eating filth. The dignity to refuse to tuck
tail and run back to the orphanage to be mistreated and neglected. So I made
a decision: to make my own way in the world, in the only way I could."

Makoto fixed the vice-principal, whose face had turned very pale, with a
steely, penetrating gaze. "I became a whore. A twelve-year-old whore.

"I've been expelled from three schools and moved twice since then. I still
work to provide for myself, using the only asset I have. In short, sensei,"
she spat, "I don't care what you, Kanzou-sensei, or anyone else thinks of
me. When I walk out of this school, I'll go with my head held high, because
whatever I may be, whatever I may have done, I'm a survivor...and I *still*
have my dignity." With that, Makoto roughly snatched the expulsion paper
from the annoying, insignificant man, turned sharply on her heel, and
marched out of the office and off the campus, head held high.

It was only five minutes later, when she had put most of the distance
between the school and her apartment behind her, that Makoto threw back her
head and screamed.

=-------------=

Monday saw a return to a more sedate pace for the students of Juuban Junior
High. The police presence had disappeared entirely, everyone had stopped
talking about the bizarre death of Saegusa-sensei, and attentions had
returned to more run-of-the-mill matters: mundane gossip, rote lesson
recitals, and the general drudge of Japanese school life.

Only the most observant would have noticed a glance pass between the
quasi-popular class ditz, Tsukino Usagi, and the friendless, unapproachable
model student, Mizuno Ami. Such an observant person would have noticed a
very slight change in the usually hostile, aloof gaze the genius girl held
for all of her classmates, and the barest nod of--respect?--she afforded the
long-haired girl before returning to her textbook.

One person, out of the thirty in the class, did in fact notice. But Umino
Gurio, for once, decided it wasn't his business, and promptly forgot all
about it.

As class 2-C settled down for homeroom, the teacher trudged wearily in,
leaning against her desk and yawning before beginning to speak. "Alright,
listen up. I'm supposed to tell you that tomorrow during homeroom period,
there will be a special health lecture for all second years." Several
students groaned. "I know, but it's one of those things. Besides, it means
you don't have to listen to me ramble on. Now..."

Usagi drowned the teacher out, concentrating on the more important concerns
in her life: worrying about the upcoming "date" with her ersatz fiance, and
wondering when and where she would find the next Senshi.

*Two to find,* she mused. *Mars and Jupiter...or Mars and Venus...or Jupiter
and Venus...what kind of people will they be? What kind of powers do they
have? I hope they're a little less mean and grumpy than Ami-san...*

A piece of chalk bounced off her forehead, to the laughs of several
classmates. "TSU-KI-NO-SAN!" the teacher growled.

Usagi laughed nervously. Across the room, Ami frowned, pushed her glasses
up, and turned a page.

=-------------=

Mina looked at her new school, and had to admit she was impressed.

After her parents had separated and she and her mother had moved from
England to Japan, there had been many arguments. Mina fought her mother
daily about speech, food, manners, friends, clothing, and just about
everything else. The most heated discussions involved the subject of school.

Simply put, Mina wanted nothing to do with a Japanese school, preferring to
attend one of the schools set aside specifically for foreigners. Her mother,
on the other hand, wanted her to have the benefit of a proper Japanese
education at one of the drill-intensive, rote-learning, high-discipline
schools she herself had attended as a girl.

Ultimately, Mina's mother realised that on this one issue, she needed to
make a concession to avoid potentially serious trouble. Thus it had been
settled that Mina would attend a private school which combined the benefits
of Japanese and Western education standards.

The school was a bit pricey, but well within their budget. It taught at all
grade levels, so Mina would not need to deal with the stressful entrance
exams which were the bane of Japanese students.

And, as a bonus, the school uniform wasn't one of those annoying sailor
suits. She didn't mind dressing like that as her alter-ego, but she'd be
damned if she was seen wearing that ridiculous crap every day.

Tugging at the lapels of her magenta blazer and smoothing down her green
plaid skirt, Mina walked through the gates to begin her first day of school
in Japan.

=-------------=

Makoto sat in a small restaurant a block from home, picking morosely at a
poorly-cooked okonomiyaki.

Expelled. *AGAIN*. Dammit.

She supposed it was bound to happen, though. Really, it was amazing she
hadn't wound up arrested or worse yet.

*I hate my life.*

Fortunately, she had contacts to handle this kind of situation, and by the
end of the day, would be enrolled in a new school.

Still, she envied the ordinary girls who spent their afternoons hanging out
with friends, gushing over pop idols, worrying about nothing except bad test
scores and whether or not to give chocolates to this boy or that one.

A normal schoolgirl's life. It was her only wish, aside from a fam--

*Stop that,* she chided herself. *There's no use living in the past or
wishing for things you can't have. Life isn't pretty and it isn't fair, but
it could be a HELL of a lot worse.*

"NOBODY FUCKIN' MOVE! HANDS ON THE TABLES OR I START CUTTIN' BITCHES!"

The handful of people in the small diner screamed. Makoto sighed, placing
her hands on the table, and bowed her head in defeat.

*God I hate my life.*

=-------------=

Minako stifled a yawn as the class shifted in preparation for the next
period. *One good thing about Japanese schools,* she mused, *at least it's
the teachers who move from class to class and not the students.*

Many murmurs stirred as the teacher for the next lesson entered, accompanied
by a strikingly handsome youth. Mina immediately sat up straight and focused
her full attention on the front of the room. *I think I'm in love,* she
mused, before reminding herself she already had a boyfriend.

The person who had accompanied the teacher could not be more than seventeen
or eighteen years old, with a strong, firm jaw, perfect cheekbones, and
short, tousled blonde hair. Eyes concealed behind small, mirrored glasses,
the attractive youth's skin tone hinted at foreign origin, possibly mixed
heritage; a faint Oriental hue to what largely seemed Mediterranean to Mina.
The youth smiled easily at the students, causing several girls to giggle.

"Class," the teacher said, "This is Mr. King. He will be assisting me in our
English lessons together for the rest of the term."

Mr. King bowed to the class. "Pleased to meet you."

"Now, you were all to choose a passage in English to recite in class today,"
the teacher continued, ignoring the continued giggling of several girls at
the handsome new teaching assistant. "Is anyone prepared?" Three hands went
up out of the thirty-one students. The teacher seemed slightly surprised at
one of the hands, and nodded in that direction. "Hino-san, we'll start with
you."

Mina watched as an elegant-looking girl with long, glossy black hair and
deep violet eyes stood, posture straight, hands behind her back. There was
no hint of a book or paper on her desk. The girl faced straight ahead and
began a memorised recitation, her pronunciation slow but crisp, with little
of the thick accent common to Japanese speaking English:

"And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the
tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said,
The woman Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

"And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And
the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

"And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou
art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field; upon thy
belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life."

Mina's eyebrows climbed nearly to her hairline. Mr. King looked similarly
surprised, smiling bemusedly and arching a slim eyebrow. The teacher simply
nodded. "Well done, Hino-san. Extra marks for memorisation." The
raven-haired girl bowed, sat back down, and proceeded to ignore the
remainder of the lesson.

=-------------=

Makoto stumbled into her apartment, grimacing at the blinking message light
on her phone. "What next?" she demanded of the empty air. Slamming the door
behind her, she shuffled over to the phone, stabbing a button with her index
finger.

//You have. One. New message. First message.//

A brief pause.

//Mako-chan. Call me as soon as you can.//

She hissed, closing her eyes. Her pimp. *Just perfect.* With a frustrated
groan, she picked up the phone and hit a speed-dial button.

//Motoki speaking.//

"It's Makoto," she said tersely.

//Mako-chan! How're things?//

"Save it. What's the job?"

//Ah. Well, you see...I wouldn't bother you with this since I know it hasn't
been the best day, but...//

*Oh hell.* When Motoki got evasive, it was bad.

//Couple of American football players. Really big black guys. In town
shooting a commercial, want a little fun. Um...they said something about
Oreos, I don't know what--//

"I do," Makoto replied, turning faintly green.

//Ah. Well, um...I can't get any of the other girls. They're scared of these
guys. I figured, you being, um...//

"This REALLY isn't the best time," Makoto practically growled. *I wouldn't
do THAT even on a GOOD day.*

//Mako-chan...// Motoki whined. //Come on, kitten, it's 120,000 yen...//

Makoto blinked. *THAT much? Holy--* "Motoki? I..." She sighed. "Alright, but
these guys better behave themselves, or I'm taking it out of YOUR ass."

//Great, thanks Mako-chan. I knew I could count on you.// *CLICK*

"Yeah, count on me to be that desperate," Makoto replied to the dial tone.
With an angry roar, she slammed the phone down onto the charger, then
stalked off to the bathroom.

Best to get the vomiting over with before the fact.

=-------------=

After the final bell, Mina collected her things, then moved to stand by the
dark-haired girl's desk as she put away her books. "Hino-san, was it?" she
asked.

The girl looked up, her face impassive. "Hai." She frowned. "You're the
transfer student. The Amerikajin."

Mina pulled a face. "I'm British, not American."

"Oh. I apologise."

"Eh, easy enough mistake around here." *Right. Like I sound anything like a
sodding Yank...* "Anyway, my name's Mina."

"My name is Rei." Rei stood, hefting her bag over her shoulder. "It has been
a pleasure."

As she moved to leave, Mina fell in step beside her. "Hey, mind if I walk
with you for a bit?"

Rei paused, frowning. At length, she shrugged. "If that is your wish."

*Wow, real friendly one.* "Listen, your recitation in English..." Mina
paused. "That was really good. I knew there were some Christians in Japan,
but--"

"I'm...not a Christian," Rei interrupted, face bowed. She seemed
almost...ashamed? "I...I just find the Bible interesting. And things related
to it."

"Oh." Mina wasn't sure what else to say about that. "Well anyway, you got my
attention, that's for sure." She paused. "I'm really, really new here, and
I..."

Rei glanced at her, head tilted. "Yes?"

"Well, it's just...I'm having a hard time getting used to Japan. And my mum
wants me to make friends with as many Japanese people my age as I can." She
rolled her eyes. "She's kidding herself, but...I really do want to have
friends, you know? And I was kind of hoping, since you seem..." She paused.
"Well, would you mind? Studying together and eating lunch together and
stuff."

Rei stopped walking, turned to face Mina, and considered her carefully. Then
the barest hint of a smile touched her face. "You are very forward,
Mina-san. It is an unusual thing here, to be this forward."

"So I've heard."

Rei continued onward, Mina trailing a pace behind her. She decided not to
say anything else for a few minutes, having sensed that perhaps it would be
best to wait for the other girl to speak next.

After a few minutes, they approached a bus stop. "My bus will arrive
momentarily," Rei said. "Where I live...is very far from the school, and
most likely from your home as well. We can speak again tomorrow, if you--"

"Actually, do you mind if I tag along on the bus?" At Rei's sharp glance,
she added, "I'm not in any hurry to get home, so I don't care if I get a
little sidetracked." She paused, then admitted, "I'm kind of pissed at my
mum, so I like to put off going home as long as possible."

Something sympathetic flashed in Rei's eyes for a moment. Then it was gone,
her face impassive once more, but she nodded. "I do not object."

=-------------=

Class 2-C was in for a surprise Tuesday morning.

"Everyone, we have a new student today! I'll just let her introduce herself
before we head for the auditorium for the health lecture."

The class murmured; the new girl was very, VERY tall, and had a rather
prominent bust. She was still wearing the uniform of her previous school,
and her brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She bowed stiffly. "Kino
Makoto. I am pleased to be here."

The teacher observed her with some concern. "Kino-san, are you alright? You
seem to be in pain..."

Makoto grimaced, but waved a hand dismissively. "I just pulled something
last night. It's of no consequence."

"If you're sure..." Shrugging, the teacher instructed the students to stand,
and led them in a single-file line to the auditorium, where they were joined
by the other second-year classes.

As they stood, the principal came out onto the stage, and spoke into the
microphone on the podium. "As per instructions from the Ministry of
Education, you will now listen to a special health lecture. May I introduce
Kamiki Amami-san."

A tall, dark-eyed woman with reddish-gold hair and a sedate, frumpy brown
suit walked onto the stage. Bowing, she began to ramble on about things
nobody particularly cared about.

As the lecture droned on, Makoto glanced around at her classmates. Most of
them seemed to be in the same kind of stupor she herself would usually be in
for one of these absurd lectures.

It was as her gaze drifted over a girl with long, tea-coloured hair that she
felt a strange sensation, the hair on the back of her neck prickling.

The girl looked up, met her gaze with a startled, guilty expression, then
smiled shyly before returning her attention to the front of the room.

*Okay, what was THAT?*

=-------------=

In the empty classrooms on the second-years' floor, something very unusual
was taking place.

Sheets of paper--loose writing paper, old tests, freshly copied
worksheets--rose into the air, folding themselves into neat origami cranes,
and flew high into the corners. As each crane reached a corner of the room,
it unfolded, pressing itself flush against the wall. Charcoal-black runes
burned into the center of each leaf, emitting a thin trail of smoke which
dissipated rapidly. The runes pulsed with a red glow, and then the
oddly-behaved pages faded from view, blending flawlessly into the walls
behind them.

=-------------=

Makoto had braced herself for the usual lunchtime rush of chatter,
questions, and intensive interest that accompanied her transition into a new
school. However, for some reason, very few people seemed motivated enough to
approach her, and indeed there was a general lull of apathy hovering through
the class.

She herself felt...listless, tired; not in the way she usually did after a
gruelling night at "work", but in a deeper, more bone-weary way. Even the
teachers, she had noticed, were becoming somewhat lifeless. Their Japanese
history teacher had even fallen asleep during his own lecture.

School finally ended, and the students departed in a shuffling malaise.
Makoto went straight home, turned off the phone, and collapsed on her bed.

Wednesday did not seem to be much of an improvement. Everyone seemed a bit
better rested and lively at first, but almost as soon as homeroom began, the
lethargy and apathy of the previous day returned in full force.

*I know school's dull and tiring, but something is REALLY off here,* Makoto
thought to herself as she yawned hugely.

The half-asleep daze of incoherence that most everyone in school had slipped
into lasted well into the lunch hour.

Makoto had almost fallen face-first into her uneaten bento when all hell
broke loose.

=-------------=

"Princess! Princess!"

Usagi looked up from where her head lay on her arms. "Hmmwha?" She felt
something tugging at her skirt, and looked down.

"Luna?" Suddenly, she was alert. Leaning down, she hissed, "You shouldn't be
in here! You
shouldn'tbetalkingIshouldn'tbetalkingtoyouwecouldgetinsomuchtr--"

"Does anyone look awake enough to notice me?" the cat asked sharply.

Usagi blinked, looking around. Most of her classmates were sound asleep on
their desks, except for herself, the new girl, and Ami--both of whom looked
about as worn down as she felt. "Um...now that you--" She broke off to yawn.
"--mention it, not really."

"There's a youma here," Luna stated without ceremony.

Usagi frowned. "Well, yeah--"

"BESIDES ME!" the cat hissed. "You see how everyone's all tired and
listless? This is a class one energy draining operation! I'm telling you,
there is a youma in this school, draining everyone's energy!'

Usagi was instantly alert. "Can you find the youma, Luna?"

The cat hesitated, head up, sniffing. "Not in here, but I can smell
something dark in this room. Probably whatever the youma is using to drain
energy, which means..."

"Which means?"

Luna frowned. "If the youma isn't draining energy directly, then it's
overseeing the operation, which means it's under someone else's control."
She shook her head. "Nevermind that! If we find the youma and kill it,
whatever's draining energy will stop working."

"Are you sure?"

"Almost positive."

"Well alright. Let's go on a youma hunt." Usagi stood, stretching and
yawning. She tiptoed across the room, glancing around to make sure nobody
had noticed her strange conversation, and crouched by Ami's desk, where the
genius girl had finally given in to slumber. "Ami-san, wake up."

Ami stirred, her glasses askew and a bleary haze in her eyes. "Tsukino-san?"
she asked drowsily.

"Youma. Draining everyone's energy. Making us all sleepy. We've gotta stop
it. Come on."

Ami seemed not to understand for a moment, then the haze fell away from her
eyes and she nodded sharply. "Right."

=-------------=

Makoto looked up sleepily as the tea-haired girl she'd noticed at
yesterday's assembly and a girl with glasses stood and walked toward the
door. They had just reached the exit when it flew open, and the health
lecturer stepped in, blocking their path. There was a cruel, predatory smirk
on her face. "Going somewhere, ladies?"

"Actually, yes," the tea-haired girl said, frowning. "There's some very sick
people in here, so we're going to go find the nurse."

"I'm a nurse," Kamiki Amami said, still smiling coldly, "and I'd be more
than happy to take care...of YOU!"

Makoto wasn't entirely sure she was awake; what happened next seemed to be
something from a nightmare.

The health lecturer's clothing exploded outward, pulsing black light
surrounding her as strips of--paper?--unwound from the frumpy garments,
reforming into new patterns. Her eyes turned golden and double-pupilled,
floating in fields of blood-red. Her skin changed, taking on the colour and
texture of aged parchment. The paper storm around her coalesced into a
tight-fitting black halter and exercise shorts. Her distorted mouth
stretched into a wicked, sharp-toothed grin. "SURPRISE!" she yelled,
throwing back her head and laughing wickedly. Two large, twisted ribbons of
paper erupted from her hands, slamming into the two girls with the force of
a runaway bus and sending them crashing through the window.

The sound was enough to wake everyone up; when they noticed the monstrosity
standing in the doorway, they began screaming.

=-------------=

"Mercury Power, Make-Up!"

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!"

Ami and Usagi transformed in mid-fall, completing the transformation just in
time to catch themselves, cracking the pavement beneath their boots.

Moon swept the back of her glove across her forehead. "That was a close
one."

Luna sprinted up to them, transforming into her panther form mid-run. "Are
you girls alright?" she asked.

"Yes, just barely. What the heck just happened?"

"That," Luna said, glancing sharply upwards, "is the Papyrus Witch, Amami.
She's fairly dangerous. She can control all forms of paper, making weapons,
clothing, traps, and even explosives out of it."

"A paper-controlling youma in a school. That makes sense, somehow," Ami
commented.

Suddenly, every window in the building exploded, thousands of origami cranes
pouring out of the empty panes. A tidal wave of screaming students stampeded
out of the entrance. A swirling ribbon of paper hit the ground in front of
the two Senshi, resolving into the maniacal form of Amami. She sneered at
them. "So, I was right. I'd wondered how you girls managed to stay awake,
caught in my sap-trap. Now I understand." An unholy leer split her face.
"Senshi, and I have the honour of disposing of you. Lord Jadeite will be
pleased."

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen! School sucks the life out of
students on its own, without any help from monsters like you! Your presence
is not welcome here, youma! We've got you outnumbered, and we're sending you
to the paper shredder!'

Mercury groaned into her gloved palm. "Embarassing."

"You talk a big game, Senshi! Let's see if you can back it up!" Hundreds of
ribbons of razor-sharp paper enveloped the two Senshi, and they were soon
running for their lives.

=-------------=

Makoto stared at the bedlam that had erupted all around her.

She had fled with the others when the screaming started. A searing pain in
her lungs, coupled with a fresh wave of pain from abused portions of her
body that hadn't quite forgiven her for the other night, forced her to stop
running and take shelter under a large tree.

Now, she stared around the schoolyard at the chaotic nightmare the peaceful
lunch hour had degenerated into. Of the two girls the monster had thrown
from the second floor, there was no sign; Makoto idly wondered if they were
alive or dead after a fall like that. Two odd-looking girls in strange
costumes were leaping around the courtyard, throwing blasts
of...*SOMETHING*...at the bizarre monster that had been the health lecturer,
who was now flinging razor-sharp paper in every direction. There was also a
huge black panther leaping around, slashing at the flying paper with
dagger-like claws.

*Okay, I think I'm going insane or something...*

An origami crane shot at her at impossible speeds, and she raised her arms
to block. A silvery burst of light hit the projectile, causing it to explode
violently. Makoto hissed in pain as sharp shards of paper left minute cuts
on her forearm.

The golden-haired girl dropped down in front of her, landing in a crouch.
Eyes firmly on the monster the blue-haired girl was still fighting, she
asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"I...what the hell IS that thing?"

"It's--" Suddenly, the golden-haired girl paused, glancing sharply back over
her shoulder. "Uso," she hissed, eyes wide.

"What? What's wrong?"

The girl's blue eyes pierced her, making her squirm uncomfortably. Suddenly,
the girl stood. "Mercury," she yelled, "Give us some fog! Nice and deep!"

"Ryoukai," the blue-haired girl called back. She made a wave of her hands,
and a deep, chilly mist blanketed the area. The monster screeched in anger.

The golden-haired girl was now focusing intently on Makoto. "You..." She
paused. "Yes, you are. I'm certain."

"Certain I'm *what*?" Makoto asked, eyes narrowing.

The golden-haired girl suddenly began to glow silver...and *changed*. Her
strange miniskirted outfit was replaced by a long, elegant white dress, and
a glowing golden crescent moon replaced the tiara on her brow. She fixed her
brilliant blue eyes on Makoto, and intoned in an echoing voice, "Awaken,
Senshi!"

Suddenly, Makoto felt like every cell in her body was ablaze. Oddly, the
sensation was not painful or unpleasant, just...strange. The feeling coursed
to every extremity, then swept upward, coalescing in an icy-hot, prickling
tingle on her forehead. The strange golden-haired girl nodded, smiling.

"Wha...what did you do to me?" Makoto asked.

Suddenly, there was a scream, and the black panther erupted from the fog,
crimson eyes ablaze. "Princess!" it roared. "Mercury's in trouble! What the
hell are you--" The cat broke off as it stared at Makoto. "...Jupiter?!"

"Quick, Luna! She needs her henshin thingy!"

The panther made an odd snorting noise at that, but lowered her gaze to the
ground, where a burst of crimson flames flared into existence briefly,
fading to leave a glittering metallic green bracelet. Without preamble, the
strange girl picked it up, unclasped it, and slapped it around Makoto's
wrist. "There's no time to explain, we've got to help Mercury. You know what
to do."

"What--"

"Say the words." The golden-haired girl glowed again, changing back into her
previous costume and charging through the thinning fog.

Makoto stared down at her wrist, a sudden strange sensation overtaking her
senses. *This is...not happening,* she thought. *This is some kind of...*

She heard another scream, and the delighted roars of the monster.

She scowled. Whatever was going on, those girls had just saved her life, and
they needed help...

With determination, Makoto stood, clenching her fist, and screamed the words
that blazed through her mind:

"Jupiter Power, MAKE-UP!"



=-------------=

to be continued

=-------------=



================================
This is a test of the Emergency Ass Dance System.
              ~~*~~
The Eternal Lost Lurker
www.lurkerdrome.com