Over The Rainbow 2
Crystal Collector
Disclaimer: Lydia/Sailor Rainbow is my character. The other sailors you see on the series are not.
"Oh are you?" Zoicite teased.
"Yeh bet I am!" She cried, raising her shamrock wand. "RAINBOW SHAMROCK SHOWER!" A flurry of shamrocks hit Zoicite in the face.
"Arggh!"
"Maybe shamrocks aren't good luck charms for the bad, eh, lassie?"
"Whatever." Zoicite said. "Now I need to go but my friend wants a play mate for his game, or should I say, blood bath?"
"Eh?" Sailor Rainbow asked. "Just what are yous talkin' 'bout?"
"Awaken, Game Machine Man!" Zoicite pointed to Game Machine Joe, now turning to the shadow warrior. Zoicite laughed, “Let the game begin!” Zoicite disappeared, but her annoying laughter seemed to linger for a moment.
"Whoa!" Sailor Rainbow cried, "The first Shadow Warrior!"
"Terminate," Game Machine Man said. He looked like a seven-foot-tall metal robot with a dark red body and gray boots, gauntlets and a scary helmet. A red stone was in the center of his chest.
"How do I change him back?" Sailor Rainbow asked Lucky, dodging the red laser he shot at her.
"I don’t know," Lucky said.
"You're no luck," she hissed. "There must be a way to stop him without hurting Joe."
"He's made out of metal," Lucky said, "He'll be fine."
"Hey!" she shouted, "That's not very nice!"
"Do something, Sailor Rainbow! Before he barbeques us!"
"Okay, okay," she said. "SHAMROCK SHOWER!"
Her attack distracted him to buy her some time.
"Now, there must be a way to destroy the shadow warrior without destroying Joe!" Sailor Rainbow muttered to herself, "but how? How?"
She tightened her hand around the crystal. It began to glow and shoot red beams of light.
“Of course!” Lucky said. “Sailor Rainbow, you have to the crystal.”
The incantation for Sailor Rainbow to use appeared in her mind and she knew what she had to do, “yes—RED CRYSTAL ACTIVATION!”
A gold belt appeared over her violet skirt and the red crystal settled on it. Her thigh-high green clover-shaped boots evened out to a curve and they turned white. A red stripe appeared at the top of her boots and her choker changed from white to red. The white bows at the top of her braids changed to red and the diamonds in her tiara and at the ends of her braids became rubies. Her white studs became red crystals.
"Wow!" she cried and put her silver shamrock wand into the hoop of her belt, now having a red stripe underneath the shamrock. "It gave me more power!"
"Good, you can use it to destroy the shadow warrior!" Lucky cried. "It's getting up!"
"Right," she said. "RAINBOW RED STREAK!" She picked up the red crystal off her belt and it shot a red laser into the red stone on the shadow warrior's chest. She put it back on her belt. Her attack broke the stone and it made the shadow warrior leave Joe's body in a red fog.
"He's back!" Sailor Rainbow cried, "he's okay!" she ran to him and knelt down at his side. "Are ye all right, laddie?"
"My head," he groaned. "What happened? Something attacked me and…."
She giggled. "You'd better get home now," she said.
"Where's that girl…Lydia? Is she all right?"
"Yes, she got help," she informed him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the help!" she replied with a laugh.
"A sailor scout? Like Sailor V?"
"Yes, I am Sailor Rainbow." She said, pulling him up. "Now run along before something else happens."
"Can you tell Lydia to meet me at the arcade so I can thank her?"
She nodded.
He smiled thankfully and walked away.
Sailor Rainbow grinned and looked at her hands. She laughed, as she looked herself over.
“What’s so funny?” Lucky inquired.
“How I took care of that,” she answered. “Remarkable. You know, Lucky, I have a feeling I’m going to like this!”
“Me too,” Lucky nodded, “but don’t get ahead of yourself. We still have the other crystals to find.”
“Of course,” Sailor Rainbow said. “This is going to be fun!”
She turned and looked at a fallen trashcan and it came back up with the trash falling in it.
"Sailor Rainbow," Lucky asked, "how?"
Sailor Rainbow gasped, also shocked. "I-I I am not sure, Lucky. I just looked at the garbage and it picked up itself. It's almost as if I--I have Joe's powers now! It must be the power of the crystal! Hurry, we have to let Madame Indigo know about this!"
"Why did Lydia run off like that?" Serena asked herself as she brushed her hair. "Was it something I said?"
“Serena, something has come to my attention,” said Luna.
“Oh, what is it now?” Serena groaned.
“Queen Beryl is working to bring back her shadow warriors.”
“The shadow warriors?” Serena gasped. “Oh no, not the shadow warriors!” Serena balled her hands into fists and she hopped from foot to foot. “Not the shadow warriors, Luna, anything but the shadow warriors…whaaa!” She sobbed and rubbed her eyes then quickly paused, “um, Luna, who are the shadow warriors anyway?”
“Queen Beryl’s finest soldiers,” Luna explained, “long ago the Moon Kingdom was attacked but Queen Serenity used the power of the Silver Imperial Crystal to conceal the shadow warriors and send them to earth. But the crystal broke before it reached Earth and now there are seven rainbow crystals inside seven people. You must find them before the Negaverse!”
“But how?” Serena asked.
“How to find them, I’m afraid I cannot say,” the cat said sadly, “but if the Negaverse does get a hold of a victim and extracts a rainbow crystal, they change into a monster. Should that happen, you must use this to change them back.”
Luna made a back flip and a small crescent moon wand appeared.
“The Crescent Moon Wand. Just say Moon Healing Activation and the victim shall change back to normal.”
“But how can I heal them if I can’t find them?” Serena questioned. “Shouldn’t this thing have a tracer on it?”
‘Yes, it did once,” said Luna with a nod. “But the tracer has been removed and placed somewhere else.”
“The Negaverse does not have it, do they?” Serena asked nervously. “If they do, we are doomed!”
“No,” Luna shook her head. “Only a sailor scout has the power to use the tracer.”
“So then maybe one of the other sailor scouts has it?”
“Perhaps.”
Serena gazed at the wand. Where could the tracer be?
"Lydia!" Joe shouted from the stuffed animal machine.
"Sailor Rainbow gave your message," she said.
"I just want to thank you for helping me back there." He said. "How did you know how to find Sailor Rainbow?"
"Ah, don't mention it laddie," she said, waving her hand casually, "it was nuthin'. I guess I just have good luck."
"You know, I use my gift to take the toys from this machine," he whispered to her.
"Ye cheat?" she gasped, "I knew it had to be more than just luck!"
"But I give them to poor little kids," he added quickly.
"How nice."
"I just want to give you a stuffed animal," he said, putting a coin in the machine, "which one do you want?"
"I like that rabbit," she said.
"A rabbit?" he asked, "I know a rabbit's foot can give you good luck but why would you need a whole rabbit with all the luck you've already got?"
She laughed. "I like to collect good luck charms. Bunnies are really cute."
"I'll get you two prizes," he said, moving the machine. He stared at the rabbit, trying to use his telekinesis to move it to the claw but nothing happened. He had to do it manually and drop it into the pick up box. "That's weird," he said, reaching into the gate to get it for her.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"I tried using telekinesis to get it," he explained, "but it didn't work."
"Don't worry, Joe," she said, "maybe ya will get it back soon."
He peered closer into the glass at a stuffed tiger. "I know I can do this. I'm going to get that tiger for you."
"Don't strain yerself, laddie," Lydia said, "ye don't want the attendants to see ye, do ye?"
"You saw me use my power, Lydia," Joe told her, "why can't I do it now? Did it have anything to do with that freak that attacked us?"
"Might be," she said, "but you're fine now, Joe. That's all that matters. You take care of yourself, okay? Why don't you go and get yehself some sleep?"
He smiled, "okay. Thanks."
She smiled back and watched him leave the arcade. She looked back into the window and stared at the unicorn inside. Lydia checked to see that there were no eyes on her and made the unicorn fall in the drop box and she reached in to get it out.
'He lost his power,' she thought, 'and I got it. Was it the crystal that did it?'
Darien tossed and turned with a recurring dream. He was standing under a balcony as Tuxedo Mask and on the balcony stood the moon princess, begging for him to set her free.
"Who are you?" he asked. "Show me your face!"
But her face was still hidden from the shadows. "You must acquire the silver Imperium crystal. Please, help me to be free again."
"But how?"
"I can do it," said a voice behind Tuxedo Mask. He turned around to see a peasant girl in rags but he couldn’t see her face either. She lifted her foot and she changed into a sailor scout in mid step. When she brought her other foot forward, her sailor costume changed somewhat. The green boots became white with a red stripe.
"Who are you?"
But before she could answer him, the sailor scout disappeared.
Gasping, Darien sat up in bed. "That dream again," he said. "Who's Tuxedo Mask? Am I Tuxedo Mask?" He got out of his bed and onto his balcony. "And that new girl, who is she? She wasn't in the dream before."
Lydia sat up suddenly, disturbing Lucky who was sleeping at her feet. "Lydia, what's wrong?"
"I uh, had a strange dream," she mumbled.
"A nightmare?" he asked. "Maybe it's from all the junk food you eat before go to bed."
"I didn't eat any junk food," she grunted. "And it was no nightmare, just…an odd dream." She shook her head. "Oi, strange. A masked man is talking to a princess. She asks him to set her free and I appear to them. So…odd…" She sighed and lay back down. "Oh well, dreams are always strange. Goodnight, Lucky."
When Lydia went back to school, she saw Serena staring at an empty desk where Molly should be.
“What’s wrong, Serena?” Lydia asked.
“My friend Molly hasn’t been in school for weeks,” Serena said.
“Why, is she sick?”
“Just heartbroken,” Serena explained. “Really sad. She lost someone very close to her.”
“I have an idea, Serena,” Lydia suggested, “Yeh ought to go and see her. Try to cheer her up.”
“Good idea. I’ll drop by today.” Serena said. “I’ll bring you with me.”
"Zoicite, how dare you come back empty handed!" Queen Beryl scowled.
"I am so sorry, my queen," Zoicite said, her eyes on the cold floor.
"How hard is it to get one crystal?" she demanded, "With the homing crystal, you should have had no problems! You fool!" She began to create an ice shard.
"Your majesty, please," Malachite begged, "Allow her to explain!"
"This had better be good," Queen Beryl muttered.
“A new sailor scout took the crystal,” Zoicite stated, “She was alone. Sailor Moon and the others were not with her.”
“Did you get her name?” Queen Beryl demanded.
“Sailor Rainbow," Zoicite answered.
"Sailor Rainbow. How convenient she is after the rainbow crystals." Queen Beryl cupped her chin in thought.
Zoicite waited for Queen Beryl to dismiss her, punish her, or give her another chance.
"I wonder why she is after them," Queen Beryl said.
"No doubt to keep us from getting our hands on them," Zoicite said.
Queen Beryl grinned, "Zoicite, I shall let you try again. This Sailor Rainbow might be of some use to us."
"You believe she can come to our side?"
"Keep a close watch on her," Queen Beryl commanded. "We might not need the crystals after all. Yes, we'll just take Sailor Rainbow. When you see Sailor Rainbow again, just let her take the crystal and watch what she does with it. She can be our new shadow warrior, our own crystal collector!"
Zoicite breathed a sigh of relief, bent at the waist with her arm across her chest, "Yes, my queen."
After school, Lydia walked with Serena to Molly’s house. Serena rang the doorbell and turned to Lydia.
“Poor Molly,” Serena said, shaking her head. “She must be feeling horrible.”
“Down on her luck?” Lydia asked.
“Yeah, you can say that,” Serena replied and Molly’s mother opened the door.
“Serena, hello!” she exclaimed. “It’s so nice to see you!”
“This is Lydia, she’s a new girl from school.” Serena said. “Can we come in and see Molly?”
“Sure, of course!” She let them enter. “I’ll get some goodies for you. She’s just up in her room.” She made a plate of cookies and brought them upstairs. “Molly, dear, Serena’s here to see you!”
“Serena?” Molly asked. “Did you bring Melvin with you?”
“Why would I bring him?” Serena demanded as they came inside her room. Molly’s mother placed the cookies in Serena’s hands and went downstairs. “Molly, this is Lydia. She’s an exchange student from Ireland.”
“Hi,” Molly said sadly, sitting down on the floor.
“Serena’s told me you’ve been down on your luck lately,” Lydia said.
“I have,” Molly frowned.
Serena and Lydia spent the next ten minutes talking about school trying to get Molly to talk about something but Molly was still staring out the window. Lydia and Serna looked at each other skeptically.
“She must be really sad,” Lydia whispered. “Poor lassie.”
“It’s such a lovely day,” said Molly, breaking the silence. “How about we go for a walk?”
“Excellent idea!” Lydia said cheerfully. “We can go look for four leaf clovers. They always cheer me up!”
“Okay,” Molly said, forcing a smile and the three girls went to the park. Molly still felt horrible about Nephlyte’s death and talked to Serena about it as Lydia walked around the ground, looking for four leaf clovers.
“I miss him so much, Serena,” said Molly sadly.
“I know it hurts, Molly but don’t forget that I’m still here with you.”
“Hey, lassies,” Lydia called. “Aren’t we going to find any four leaf clovers today?”
“Um, sure,” Serena said, “Come on Molly.” Serena went to join Lydia.
But Molly didn’t join her and the two girls were on looking for four-leaf clovers when Serena just realized that Molly wasn’t around.
“Where’d Molly go?” Serena asked.
“She was just here,” said Lydia. “Let’s split up and look for her.”
“Right!”
They split up. Thinking she may have gone for ice cream, Serena went to the ice cream shop while Lydia walked to a cemetery. “Hmm,” Lydia said to herself, “Serena said Molly lost someone. Maybe she went to see his tombstone.”
She lucked out once again and found Molly walking through the cemetery.
“Hey, Molly, why did you leave us?” Lydia asked. “Serena and I were worried.”
“I just wanted some time alone,” Molly said.
“Yeh miss him, don’t you?” Lydia inquired.
“How did you know?” Molly gasped.
“Serena told me that you lost someone,” Lydia answered.
“I did,” Molly sighed. “I miss him very much.”
“There, there,” Lydia said.
Suddenly, Lydia noticed her locket changing orange. 'The orange crystal is nearby,' she thought, 'where?'
"What is it that you are searching for, my child?" said a soothing, low voice.
Lydia looked at the priest, 'he has the orange crystal!'
“We’re looking for four leaf clovers, sir,” said Lydia, “my friend here has been down on her luck lately so I thought a four leaf clover would help.”
"But actually, Father," Molly said, "I think I just want someone to talk to."
"Of course, child."
"You don't mind, do you, Lydia?" Molly asked.
"Who me?" Lydia joked, "It's also good luck to “talk to a priest, so go right a head."
"Thanks, Lydia," Molly said and went to sent with the priest
"Just go on and talk," Lydia muttered, "I'll just stay here and look for four leaf clovers…in a cemetery." She groaned and got on her hands and knees, crawling over the cemetery to search for four leaf clover and glancing at the Priest. 'I'd better keep a good eye on them and make sure that Nega-bad-lass comes to stir some trouble.'
"Lydia!" Lucky shouted, scampering to her, "are yeh out of yeh mind? What duh ye think ye are doing?"
"Looking for four leaf clovers," she replied.
"At a time like this?"
"It's always a good time to look for four leaf clovers," Lydia said coolly. "I know the orange crystal is nearby. It's inside the priest, the one talking to Molly. I'm keeping an eye on them until that creep comes to get it."
"Just don't let her get away with it!" Lucky said.
"Blimey! I found one!" Lydia cried, picking up a four-leaf clover. She was unaware that Zoicite was on her way.
"Father, I need to confess my sins!" Zoicite said, appearing over Molly and the priest.
"You're the one who killed Nephlyte!" Molly shouted.
"You again?" Zoicite said. "How ironic that I should find you in a cemetery!"
"It's Zoicite!" Lucky cried.
"I found a four leaf clover in a cemetery!" Lydia went on, staring at the four leaf clover she just found, "Today must be me lucky day!"
"Lydia," Lucky hissed, "transform! Zoicite is here to collect the crystal!"
"What? She is?"
"You have a bigger good luck charm to collect than a four leaf clover," Lucky said. "The orange crystal!"
"Oh, that's right!" she said.
"Hurry, she's already taking it from the priest," he said, "you must collect it before she does!"
"I will, I will," she said, "here, hold this for me!" she jabbed the clover in his mouth, making the cat look quite angered. She hid behind a big tombstone of an angel to transform.
"RAINBOW PRISM POWER!"
"Oh no, you leave him alone!" Molly shouted. "Someone help!"
"Hold it right there!" Sailor Rainbow said, walking up to the gazebo. "How dare you attack a priest? Don't you know it's bad luck to attack a religious person? I see you're no saint!"
"Sailor Rainbow, we meet again," Zoicite said.
"Ah, you remembered my name!" she laughed, "I’m honored! I collect good luck charms and I’m going to collect the crystals and there’s nothing yeh can do to stop me!”
"Then come get the orange crystal if you think you can," Zoicite teased.
"Don't mind if I do!" She held out her hand and used telekinesis to take it away. "I call upon the power of the orange crystal! ORANGE CRYSTAL ACTIVATION!" She held it against her chest and Zoicite watched her absorb the power. Her choker and ribbons changed from red to orange and an orange stripe appeared right under red stripe of her boots and on her shamrock wand. Her tiara and braid gems changed into orange ambers. Then the crystal floated on her belt, right next to the red one.
"It gave you more powers," Zoicite whispered, "then you will need them to stop my new friend! I hope you like birds! BO BO THE VULTURE, AWAKEN!"
"Oh no!" Molly gasped as the priest became a man-vulture monster with boxing gloves.
"Get out of here now!" Sailor Rainbow ordered Molly.
"But--" Molly protested.
"Lucky, get Molly out of here!" she ordered her cat.
"Yes," the cat meowed and scampered to Molly, "this way Molly."
"But what about--"
"Don't worry, Sailor Rainbow will take care of it." He led her away.
"Let's see you get out of this one, Sailor Rainbow." Zoicite snickered.
The vulture man creature flew toward her with his left right hand. Sailor Rainbow jumped to the side.
"Ha, I'm too fast for yeh, buzzard head!" she laughed. "I'm going to clip yer wings! RAINBOW ORANGE SLASH!" she sent a beam of orange colored energy to the orange belt buckle on his waist. It destroyed the belt buckle and broke the spell. An orange smoke lifted up away from him.
“My gracious," the priest mumbled as he rubbed his head. "What happened?"
"I win again, Zoicite!" Sailor Rainbow cried.
"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Crystal Collector," Zoicite laughed and went back to the Negaverse.
"I wonder what she meant by that," Sailor Rainbow mumbled as she walked to the priest. "You all right?"
"An angel?"
Sailor Rainbow laughed, "I'm no angel, father--just a sailor scout. Sailor Rainbow." She smiled then ran off to de-transform.
"Molly, are yeh over here?" Lydia asked as she stepped to the sidewalk.
"Oh, Lydia, you should have seen it!" Molly cried.
"Seen what?"
"The same person who killed Nephlyte attacked the priest!"
"Who's Nephlyte?"
"The man that I lost,” she explained.
“He was killed?” Lydia inquired, ‘by Zoicite? I wonder…’
"Then a sailor scout came to save us!" she said excitedly.
"Wow, cool," Lydia said, "oh, I forgot," she quickly snatched up the four-leaf clover that she had given Lucky, which he dropped and handed it to Molly. "Here, I found a four leaf clover. Yeh can have it.”
“You sure?” Molly asked.
“Yeah,” Lydia said.
“Thanks.”
“Molly!” shouted Serena. “Lydia!”
“It’s all right, Serena, I found her,” Lydia said. “I’ve got to get back home. I’ll see you two later! Bye!”
“Bye, Lydia!” said Serena as Lydia left. She turned to Molly. “Molly, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Serena,” Molly replied. “It’s getting late and tomorrow’s a school day.”
“You’ll be coming back to school tomorrow?” Serena questioned.
Molly nodded. “I think it’s time for me to come back.”
“Great! I’ll walk you home.”
Serena walked with Molly to her home and began walking to hers when she met up with the other scouts.
“Hi guys, what’s up?” she asked.
“Bad news, Serena,” said Luna. “The second rainbow crystal has been found!”
“The Negaverse got hold of it?” Serena questioned, shocked.
“Somebody has it,” Raye muttered. “If the Negaverse gets all seven of those crystals they’ll get the shadow warriors back!”
“Well, Raye, I can’t find them with my wand!” Serena snapped. “The tracer inside my wand has been placed somewhere else.”
“The Negaverse couldn’t have gotten hold of the tracer, could they?” Lita asked.
“No, the tracer that was in Serena’s wand can only be used by a Sailor Scout,” Luna explained.
“Then maybe there’s another scout out there somewhere,” Mina said.
“And she’s already got the first two,” Ami added.
“You don’t think she’s working for them, do you?” Mina wondered.
“No way!” Serena yelled, shocking the others. “If there’s another scout out there, she’s on our side. We just haven’t met her yet! Scouts can’t be bad!”
“We’ll need to keep our eyes open,” said Artemis. “It is very important we find those rainbow crystals. They make the Imperial Crystal.”
“I know, I know,” Serena groaned. “We’ll find them…somehow…”
"So, did you run into Sailor Rainbow again, Zoicite?" Queen Beryl asked.
"Yes,” Zoicite answered.
"And what did you learn?" she demanded.
"She absorbed the orange crystal's power," she replied, "and became stronger. Should I take the two crystals away from her next time?"
"No, let her take the crystal and pretend to give up," Queen Beryl commanded.
"My Queen, I don't think that is wise--" Zoicite began, taking a step.
"Silence!" she shouted, holding her long finger-nailed hand and zapped Zoicite with a blast.
Zoicite fell down and Malachite knelt down to her.
"How dare you question my orders!" Queen Beryl scowled.
"She's only being wary, your majesty," Malachite said. "How can we know this will work?"
"All my orders work," Queen Beryl hissed.
“I apologize, Queen Beryl,” said Zoicite and Malachite helped her to her feet.
"Just let Sailor Rainbow take the crystals," Queen Beryl commanded. "I know what I am doing. Any objections?"
"No, your majesty," Zoicite sighed.
"Malachite?"
"No, my queen." Malachite said.
"Good."
Next Chapter: Inaccurate Predictions