The Rebound Effect--Chapter 6
The Rebound Effect--Chapter 6
Part 6
The Third Annual Juuban Area Gem and Precious Stone Show was well underway by the time Usagi talked her way past the man at the door. As luck would have it, he remembered her from the last two conventions where she had helped out Naru's mother at the Osa-P's display and let them in without much hassel.
Everywhere, the place was swarming with people. Many of them were the owners of jewelry shops from outside Tokyo or wealthy collectors, though many of them were just normal people who wanted to see the beautiful items on display.
Excited as it was for most of them, Naru found the whole thing insanely booring. She had spent most of the evening listening to her mother drone on endlessly about the gems in their collection. That, in itself, wasn't so bad. It was the fact that everyone asked about the exact same pieces that got booring.
Her mother, however, didn't seem to mind, her love of the trade was enough to sustane her through her twentyith recitation of the history of a particularly large diamond. Naru just leaned back in her chair and tried to pretend that it was close to closing time.
Too bad the show had only been going on for an hour.
Then, suddenly, the crowd parted and she spotted Usagi and the two new students making their way toward her table. Strangely enough, the blond girl was wearing something that looked like a cat.
"Naru-chan! This place is a mad house. Want to get out of here? We're going for ice cream," Usagi exclaimed eagerly. The thoughts of ice cream already causing the outside world to fade slightly.
"Well..." Naru turned to look at her mother, who nodded her approval. "Sure, I'd love to. Let's go." She wormed around the table and into the aisleway.
"Be careful, this place is a bit crowded." Usagi began leading them toward the relative safety of the entryway.
They were almost half way there, right in the middle of the showroom, when the screaming started. If Naru hadn't known better, she would have sworn that Minako's cat muttered an "I told you so."
People began to drop in growing circle originating very close to the main exit and the crowd began to surge back, looking for another way out of the building. Naru found herself alone in the crowd as her friend was pulled away from her.
She soon found herself between the source of the disturbance and the leading edge of the crowd, which provided her a good, though unwelcome, view of the antagonist. The dark grey... thing spotted her, too.
Reaching out one of it's misshapen hands, it began to pull the air slowly toward it. Naru felt something deep inside her being drawn toward it creating a painful, tearing sensation all through her body. She screamed and dropped to her knees, overcome by the pain and begining to lose conciousness.
"Hold it right there!" A shout rang out in the mostly deserted room. The beast thing stopped it's guesturing and turned to look at the source of the shout.
Naru sighed in relief as the tearing stopped and fell forward, drifting into unconciousness. The last thing she heard was the name of her savior. Sailor Moon.
***
Usagi wasn't having a good time. She had just gotten seperated from Naru and the others and the whatever it was that was causing the disturbance had spotted her friend.
//Damn, why do they always want to hurt her?// Serenity's voice asked. //Quick, Usagi, duck under one of those tables and transform into Sailor Moon!//
//How do I do that?// Usagi asked, confused and angry.
//That's right, you slept through the whole thing. Take the broach you're wearing, hold it and shout out the words that come to your mind. It will do the rest. Then you have to get out there and save Naru.//
//Okay.// She dove under the table and fumbled for the broach she hadn't remembered putting on. "Moon Prism Power, MAKE-UP!"
The standard transformation scene followed (listen, if you don't know what it is, how did you ever make it through 5 chapters of this story without getting totally confused?). Soon Sailor Moon walked the earth for the first time... again. She rolled out from under the table and assessed the situation.
//Now remember what I told you about speeches. You want to get his attention from the side so he has to stop watching Naru, so sprint over there,// Serenity directed her eyes down an aidle. //Quickly now, before he drains her too much.//
Usagi was eager to comply, having heard the scream of agony that Naru had just uttered. She darted down the indicated aisle and soon had the beast in her sights.
//Shout something at it to get it's attention. Then give it a speech, doesn't matter what just make sure it's about half a minute long.//
//Err... Why?//
//Didn't you listen to anything I told you earlier? It buys you some time in which to examine your foe.//
//Yeah, but it makes me look like an idiot!//
//Of course, that's just an added bonus. If your enemy things you're an idiot, they can get overconfident or angry that you dare to challenge them. Either way works to your advantage.//
"Hold it right there!" she shouted. She was relieved to see that the pale white glow that had stretched between the thing's fist and Naru faded out as he shifted her attention to her. Well, not too relieved since he was now staring straight at her. Searching frantically for something to yell, she siezed the first thing that came to mind.
"You who would destroy a young girl who's only crime was to be amongst pretty things, with hopes and dreams for her future, should beware. I am the Pretty Suited Soldier of Love, Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" The entire speech was coupled with a series of bizzare hand guestures that she hadn't conciously done.
//Not bad, but you could use a little work.// The beast roared in rage and lifted one of it's hands above it's head. //There, see how angry it is? This isn't one of the brighter ones, it seems.//
//Was that a good idea?//
//With a big villan, it wouldn't be, but this is just a third rate henchman.// Black lightning began to crackle around the thing's right fist. //Okay, it's forming an energy bolt. When you she his hand start to move, dive to the right and roll. Any attack that comes from a hand or arm has more trouble tracking if the arm has to move across they body to do it.//
The massive fist swung forward and a spitting beam of black energy slammed into the spot where Sailor Moon had been standing a full second and a half before.
//You've got to work on your response time. Get up, fast as you can.//
Usagi groaned as she threw herself to her feet. //What now?//
//It got overconfident and tried to finish you off with one shot. Now it's weakened after putting out so much energy in one go. See how it's chest is designed?// Serenity made Usagi look at the very center of it's chest carapace which was slightly discolored. //That's the most likely weak spot. Remove your tiara and say the words that come to you.//
Sailor Moon removed her tiara and recited the words to turn it into a blazing disc of energy.
//Aim for that weak spot!// Serenity offered as a final piece of advice.
The shot was straight and true and the monster was soon just so much dust.
//Good job! You're learning fast. I certainly had a rougher time on my first youma.//
Usagi groaned a bit in pain from the bruises caused by her headlong dive. //You mean there are going to be more of those... things?//
//Yeah, but they get easier after the first few. Now crawl under a table or something and reverse the transfor... well, look who decided to join us.//
Sailors Venus and Jupiter rounded the corner at a run and skidded to a halt in front of Sailor Moon.
"Sorry we're late," Venus stammered, "but SOMEone couldn't remember how to get out transformation pens."
"Let's just get out of these fukus and make sure that Naru's okay."
//Isn't there some way we can be super heros without the drafty uniforms?//
//What? And lose the distraction factor of Mina-chan's legs?//
***
Naru woke up slowly, her head hurt but at least she was alive. Being alive had a lot more value attached to it when you get a good, clear look at death.
"Naru-chan? Feeling better?" Usagi's voice cut through the fog in her head and she opened her eyes. Her friend was kneeling beside her, holding her hand.
"Usagi-chan? What happened?"
"Some strange monster attacked you and a bunch of other people, but somebody managed to kill it."
"Girl in a sailor fuku with blond hair?" Naru asked groggily.
"Yeah, that's what the witnesses say. Feel up to getting some ice cream still? The people it hit before you are going to the hospital, but it didn't get as much of a chance to do whatever it was doing to you."
"Uhhh... I think I just want to lay here for a while. I'm sooooo tired."
"I guess I'll sit with you for a while, then," she replied with a smile. She raised her head and called to her two new friends. "Mina-chan, Mako-chan, why don't you two go ahead without us? I'll see you tomorrow at school."
The two other girls agreed and departed.
"Usagi-chan? Who killed that... thing?"
"I have no idea... Maybe she's some kind of government agent?"
"A government agent assigned to hunt down monsters?" Naru chuckled softly at the idea. "Sounds like you've been reading too much manga."
***
In the shadow of a second floor window, Tuxedo Kamen leaned back against a support and watched Usagi tend to Naru.
//Serenity's giveing her tips, I see,// Endyminon's voice rang out in his head.
//How can you tell?//
//Simple, most of the time she got into a fight in my world, I got there well before it was over. She took that thing out fast and hard.//
//What does that mean for me?//
//That means that we're going to have to do some training on our own. It's best if you don't get involved in their fights as part of the team. That way there's backup in case of a trap.//
//Sound advice. So what should we practice first?//
//Simple. We have a rather unique ability in that we can manifest out emotions into physical objects. It works best with warm feelings.//
Tuxedo Kamen vaulted his way onto the roof of the building.
//Now,// Endyminion's voice continued. //Remember the love you felt for Princess Serenity in your past life. It's still there for her now, so all you have to do is will it into a physical form?//
//What kind of physical form?//
//Try a rose. A red rose.//
***
Elsewhere in the city, a blue-black cat was wandering the streets aimlessly.
She was searching for something... something that she couldn't quite remember. It had to do with the Moon, but other than that, she was at a loss.
Things weren't going well. The cut paw was just making things worse.
//Never should have tried to climb that fence,// she cursed herself as she limped out of an alley. She sank to her haunches and did her best to not put any weight on her injured foot. //I'll just rest here for a while before I move on...//
***
Mizuno Ami was walking home late. Of course, she always walked home late. It was rare that her cram school sessions ended before dark, and even then, she sometimes stayed after for a while to use the computer systems.
She had her own computer at home, sure, but it didn't have anywhere near the power of the network at school. Studying to be a doctor was one thing, but she had found a secondary passion in programing.
//If only,// she thought. //If only I had the time to do both.//
She sighed heavily and came to a sudden stop as she spotted something golden laying near the mouth of an alley. Curious, she bent to pick it up and found that it wasn't real gold, afterall.
It was a shining crecent on the forehead of a dark blue cat that had fallen asleep just inside the alleyway. Looking closer, she noticed two things: it wasn't wearing a collar and it's paw was hurt.
Normally, Ami wasn't the kind of person to pick up a stray cat, but this one was injured and she had a soft spot for those in pain.
Gently, she stroked the creature, hoping to bring it around and find out if it was tame or not. It wouldn't do to take home a wild animal.
The cat stirred at her touch and rubbed back against her hand. //Well, at least it's tame. Probably someone's pet.//
She bent to scoop the cat up. //I'll just take it home and tend to that paw. Then it'll be time to look for it's owner, it's far too tame to be someone's pet.//
***
Hino Rei had gotten the feeling that something was up when her grandfather had given her the train ticket. He had been planing on visiting the Misaki Shrine in a nearby provience, but a visiting ambassador had decided to include the Hikawa Shrine in his tour of Tokyo.
Strangely enough, he had decided that she might as well go on the trip in his place.
Rei's older half thought this was probably the work of Pluto. The Hikawa Shrine wasn't unknown, but most important visitors to Tokyo prefered to see the larger shrines in other areas of the city. It wouldn't have been hard to arrange, either.
Rei held her doubts about that until she found the envelope in her room. Inside were five more tickets for the same train and a note with a name and address.
She sighed. Then she began to wonder who the sixth ticket was meant for.
END
Tim Williams
https://www.angelfire.com/tn/twillia/
twillia4@utk.edu
