Rei grinned, stretching out her back as the bell rang. “Ahhh… That seemed like an unnaturally long day Clarissa-chan!” She pronounced, twisting around to smile at her friend.
Clarissa giggled and nodded her head. “But now it’s over Rei-chan! I can’t wait to show you my house!” She tossed her ponytail back as she stood up and the two raven-haired girls left the school together.
The streets were bustling with students but they didn’t notice, enjoying their sense of friendship as they strolled down the street. “I feel bad coming to your house after what happened at the temple yesterday,” Rei confided in Clarissa.
Clarissa looked confused. “Why? What happened Rei-chan??” She asked quickly.
“Didn’t you hear on the news? Some vandals attacked it destroying some of the pillars and uprooting some trees even! Luckily the Sailor Senshi arrived in time to hold them off! It happened while I was in a study class with the other girls and I’m just so glad Grandpa and Yuuichiro were out as well!” Rei let out a relieved sigh.
A strange expression crossed Clarissa’s face. “Are you sure the Sailor Senshi saved the temple or are they the ones who caused it? How can you really know?” She asked.
“Of course they saved it!” Rei exclaimed. “They have done much to save our city in the past years! Everyone here knows the Sailor Senshi protect us and most of us have even seen them in action!”
Clarissa frowned. “But still Rei-chan. In America many people think the Sailor Senshi stage all these stunts just to get fans when they don’t really save anything! I believe that the Sailor Scouts are the cause of most problems!”
“Of course they aren’t!” Rei stopped walking to stare at the other girl trying to think of how to convince her.
“Oh lets not fight Rei, gomen.” Clarissa smiled and took Rei’s hand earnestly. “It’s ok I just don’t want you to be upset if the Senshi turn out to be evil like people in America believe!”
The rest of the walk passed in silence, each girl caught in her own thoughts. When they came to Clarissa’s house however, Rei broke the silence with a surprised and slightly awed gasp.
The large house was surrounded in majestic lawns, elegantly trimmed and decorated. The house itself looked more like a mansion from the future, sleek and expensive. “How can four college boys and a girl in high school afford this??” Rei demanded surprised.
Clarissa giggled. “We made quite a bit of money from an entrepreneur class we once took that was very successful!”
Rei grinned at that. “Sign me up!”
Clarissa led Rei to her room and they settled on the floor talking and giggling until Clarissa offered to go get some snacks.
Alone in the room Rei stood and went to the window, looking out and thinking about Clarissa’s opinions on the Senshi. She turned as something black caught her eye and frowned seeing nothing on the bed. Walking closer to the bed she felt a slight distortion. She passed an ofuda scroll over the bed chanting softly then blinked seeing two black daggers on the bed.
She stood totally still staring the weapons a clear picture in her mind. Opposite Earth standing at her temple, her daggers in her hands as she fired an attack at the Sailor Senshi. “Clarissa-chan is…” Rei’s voice was stunned.
Grabbing one of the daggers Rei ran towards the front of the house, yanking the door open only to see Sean, Flamme, Frost, Storm and Ange standing there.
“Rei-san hi,” Flamme started, only to have his smile freeze on his lips as she saw the dagger clutched in Rei’s hand. “What are you doing with that??” He demanded grabbing her wrist in a harsh grip.
Clarissa appeared in the doorway holding the other dagger in her hand her eyes cold. “Rei-chan why did you take it?? I thought you were my friend.”
“I won’t be friends with someone who is evil!” Rei replied, jerking her hand back as Flamme took the dagger from her. In front of her now stood the Opposite Senshi. She held up her pen, light glinting off the gold crown on the cap.
“Sailor Mars,” Opposite Mars hissed. “I should have known.
“Mars Eternal Make Up!” Rei cried holding up the pen. The white crown flew from the pen, swirling around her and bursting into fire. The fire covered her body and formed her fuku. She now had a two-layered skirt, the bottom layer red and the top white. Her purple bows had streaks of white in them as well and elegant white wings graced her back. Her pen lifted in front of her closed eyes and the sign disappeared from it, reappearing on her forehead. Then the bow sign also disappeared leaving then pen to vanish as her flame bow appeared in her hands. “Eternal Sailor Mars!” She cried, dropping into her pose.
“Impressive,” Opposite Mars murmured under his breath, his eyes faintly apreciative.
“Mars Flame Sniper!” Sailor Mars yelled, sending a rain of arrows at the Opposites.
“Dark Mercurian Music!” Opposite Mercury countered, strumming a loud cord on his electric guitar and causing waves of sound to crash onto the arrows. Mars fell back as the waves hit her, knocking her head on the wall and slipping into darkness.
When Mars awoke she was laying on Clarissa’s bed. Opposite Earth stood by the window watching her, the Flame Bow in her hands. “Glad you joined the living Sailor Mars.” Opposite Earth smirked.
Mars stared up at the girl she thought was her friend. “Clarissa-chan…”
“Don’t call me that!” Opposite Earth snapped angrily. “You Sailor Senshi are fakes and the peace you spread is false!”
“That’s not true!” Mars sat up to glare at the other girl.
“Isn’t it? That seemed to be the fact in the Silver Millennium when you Senshi abandoned us!” Opposite Earth’s voice dripped hatred.
“Abandoned you…?” Mars closed her eyes then opened them. “I don’t know why you believe that but I can’t let you hurt the people of Earth! Mars!” She held up her hands and the white golden crown formed between them. “Destruction!” The crown burst into flames, glowing white-hot. “FIRE!” The white flames shot at Opposite Earth before she could move, their oppressive heat smothering her scream of pain.
Mars quickly ran over to the burnt girl lying on the ground. “Gomen Clarissa-chan,” She whispered. Tears gathered in her eyes as she knelt next to her unconscious friend. Suddenly, the Mars symbol vanished from her forehead to be replaced by the white crown. Healing light shone from the crown and washed over both girls. The uniform of Opposite Earth burned off, leaving an unmarked Clarissa staring up at Mars.
“Princess Rei, I remember.” She whispered, her hand wrapped tightly around a green transformation stick. “I remember.”
Six girls, two cats and one man sat on the steps of the Hikawa Shrine a couple hours later. “Then we got out the window and came here” Rei finished her story.
“It’s so neat you got a new weapon Rei-chan!” Usagi whined, “I want one!”
“Usagi-baka!” Rei shook her head. “You already have an eternal form and weapons!”
“Oh,” Usagi thought about that then gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head. “I guess I do!”
“I can’t believe you’re my sister Clarissa-chan.” Mamoru smiled at Clarissa who blushed and ducked her head shyly. “I remember you so well from the Silver Millennium now and can’t believe I had forgotten you before…”
“There wasn’t much way you could have remembered Mamoru-san.” Luna interjected. “Just like you didn’t remember Usagi at first!”
“I think we should just keep on going as if we didn’t know Sean and the others are the Opposite Knights.” Ami said, looking up at her computer.
“Why?” Makoto demanded from where she was leaning against the wall. “We can attack them while they don’t have their transformed weapons and be rid of them!” She punched her fist into her other hand suggestively.
“Well until we find reasons to power up like Rei-chan did we are much weaker then they are.” Ami explained. “Besides if they are the same as Clarissa they are just misled and not evil.”
“That’s true.” Minako mused. “Besides Ange is really cute! I don’t want to destroy him!” The others laughed while Ami and the cats sighed.
“We thought you were all evil.” Clarissa said quietly. “I don’t know what made us think like that though, I can’t imagine how I thought it now at all!”
Mamoru smiled at his younger sister and slung an arm around her shoulder. “You will live with me of course!” He smiled.
“Ma-mo-chan...” Usagi hissed, her eyes flashing angrily. “I don’t want any girl living in your apartment except me!!” Growling, she tried to separate the brother and sister pair.
Mamoru looked nervous until Rei grabbed Usagi’s pigtails and pulled her back to the steps. “Usagi-baka,” She muttered yet again, while Usagi cried. “She is his sister and has every right to live with him!”
Usagi sniffled, tears streaming down her face. “But he’s my boyfriend! Other girls can’t live with him! No no no no no!!” She yelled, throwing her head back and screaming as her tears came faster. “He’s mine he’s mine!” However when she opened her eyes she found the shrine area empty, Rei was on the other side of the path sweeping, and thoroughly ignoring Usagi. Minako, Ami and Makoto were getting on a bus and Mamoru’s car was driving off with Clarissa in the passenger seat. “Wahhh!! Mamo-chan!” She screamed, causing Rei’s ravens, Phobos and Demios, to fly off into the sky squawking.
End of chapter four.
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