Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Within ❯ The Acquaintance Part I ( Chapter 2 )

The Acquaintance

Part I

At the same time, Andre awoke from the ground. The first thing he saw is the platinum-haired girl in front of him. He almost jumped when she knelt not far from him,

"Whoa! Wait! Are you the girl I saw inside the café?" The girl didn't answer, instead turned to another direction. Suddenly someone came to them, it was the brown-skinned boy who immediately asked,

"Excuse me! Could anyone explain what happened here?" They stared him blankly.

After watching the surrounding carefully, Makoto commented, "Wherever we are, I'm sure this is not the Earth!" Usagi screamed,

"Oh, no! How do we going back now?" Rei answered her with a yell,

"Usagi!! This is not the time to think that! The question is how do we get out from this forest!" Mina added,

"Correct, how do we get out from here?" Ami shook her head only; it seemed she couldn't even rely to her friends right now. Then Mamoru broke the girls' fight,

"Girls, just stay calm first!" Everyone was silent then, and he asked the blue-haired girl,

"Ami, did you see Andre?" She answered,

"No, I don't see him, probably he was separated from us when we arrive here…" Mamoru sighed only, before he turned to Usagi,

"Usako, I'm going to look for Andre. Would you stay here with them? I won't be long…" The yellow-haired girl nodded only. After he left, she pouted and muttered,

"Why do I have feeling that he worries the boy much than me?" Rei began to tease her,

"Are you jealous with Andre, Usagi?" Usagi's face blushed upon hearing the statement. Immediately, she answered,

"No…I just…I just thinking that Mamoru spends more time with the American boy than with me since he's returned…" Then Mako went closer to her and patted her at the shoulder,

"Usagi-chan," she said gently, "I think it's normal that Mamoru worries the boy, because he looks him as a little brother. Beside, he is responsible to him since they are coming together to Japan. However, you still hold a special place in his heart, no matter how close the boy is with him…" Mina, Rei and Ami also followed her, and the blue, shorthaired girl spoke,

"I believe Mamoru won't ever forget you, Usagi! You are his Princess…Princess Serenity!" Mina continued,

"You are also our Princess! Nobody will doubt that…trust us!" Rei replied,

"That's right! Believe us, Mamoru still loves you…he won't leave you for the American! Trust us!" Usagi could only smiled, while wiping the tears from her eyes. Choked, she said,

"Thanks! I don't know what I'm going to do without you…friends?" The girls smiled in response. They remembered that they already passed every ordeal together and Sailor Moon never failed them. Suddenly, their musing was broken by a loud call,

"Don't forget about us then!" They turned around and saw another four girls stood not far from them. The tallest among them has a dark complexion and greenish, long hair. She held something like a huge key and wore a dark green fuku. The second after her was a short-cropped, blond girl with a dark blue fuku. Beside her, a wavy, green-haired girl stood. Finally, the smallest, black-haired girl with a purple fuku was not far from them. She brandished a spear-like glaive. The girls recognized them as…

"The Outer Senshi! You are coming at last!"

In other place, another three girls still tried to find a way out. Hikaru asked,

"So, how do we going back now?" Umi instantly snapped,

"Ho, not so fast! When we went to Cefiro last time, we can do that because you are the Pillar of Cefiro! Honestly I don't think this world has the same system as Cefiro!" Fuu agreed,

"Ms.Umi is right; this world is completely different compared with Cefiro…beside I don't think Primiera know where we are now…" A bass, masculine voice cut her before she has a chance to finish it,

"That is why he send me here," The tall, young man with a black armor appeared from nowhere. His stare looked cold, yet he let a faint smile as he saw her. The red-haired girl shouted with excitement,

"Lantis!"

Meanwhile, something watched them from another place. A huge relief of the eye was carved at the rough rock. There were the runes around its iris, and a pulsating, heartbeat-like sound was coming from the relief. Without warning, someone hissed,

"They have arrived…the Outlanders!" Then the heavy voice replied,

"Are they the one whom had been told by King Heyr?" The feminine, soft voice answered with a tinge of malice,

"They looks weak…I don't believe the Anderions looks for them as their savior…" Another voice, lighter than the others, mocked,

"No challenge! Killing them doesn't fun…" Slowly but sure, the silhouettes became clearer as they came closer to the faint light around the place,

"Eye of Bane will not show them, if they are not important! Perhaps we should wait first, I wonder what they are going to do now,"

Back to the place, the coming of the Outer Senshi made the girls excited. Usagi greeted them first,

"Pluto! Saturn! Neptune! Uranus! It is nice to see you here!" Sailor Pluto smiled in response, while Uranus commented,

"As usual, Princess. You always have a problem…fortunately, Pluto brought us here immediately." The yellow-haired girl smiled sheepishly. Then Mina asked Pluto,

"How do you know that we are here, Pluto?" The tall Guardian of Time answered,

"When I was at the Time Gate, I feel a ripple coming from the Earth. Then I found out that I couldn't sense your presence anymore! Therefore, I called Uranus, Neptune and Saturn to come and eventually found this world…"

Ami asked her again,

"Pluto, do you know what world is this?" Pluto shook her head,

"I'm sorry. I never come to this world before…by the way, tell me how you could come here," Then the girls told everything they know, starting from the meeting at the Crown café until their arrival at the mysterious world. Uranus could only nodded, before she asked,

"Only the Princess who can hear the voice? Strange…" Pluto continued,

"The one who called Princess and the girls here must be powerful…" Everybody stared her in surprise, and then Saturn asked,

"Is it possible, Pluto? Someone…who is more powerful than you or Queen Serenity?" The tall woman explained to her charge,

"Don't forget, Silver Millennium is like a speck of dust among the vast universe…there are other world that beyond our comprehension. This world is not an exception! But the question is why do we summoned here?" The blond, longhaired girl quipped,

"Usagi, did you say that the voice is asking help?" Usagi nodded,

"Yes, that's what I heard…or what Andre said…" Hearing upon that, Neptune frowned,

"Andre? Who is he?" Makoto immediately explained,

"Er, we forgot to tell you that we are not the only one who come to this world…Mamoru and his American friend also come along with us…" Now Pluto and Uranus have reason to worry,

"It is not good! Other people were not supposedly here…where are they now?"

At the same time, Hikaru and her friends relieved to see Lantis around. The Mage Knight explained his mission,

"The reason why I'm coming here is because Primiera sends me; Master Clef tells me that he couldn't sense your presence on Earth. Worry that something happened on you, he contacted Primiera…" Umi suddenly cut him,

"Let me guess…Mokona sent you here to fetch us! Am I right?" Lantis' nod confirmed the answer,

"Yes, I hopes that I can take you out here…but first, I have to recharge your magic again just in case," When they heard that, their face fell a little. Despite the cold exterior, Lantis couldn't hide his wonder to the sudden change. Hikaru asked hesitantly,

"Do we have to be the Magic Knights again?" Slowly, the knight patted her shoulder,

"Hikaru, I don't know what is your feeling. Master Clef also told me about your intention to not become Magic Knight again. The reason why he trusted me to give your magic is to protect you as the Pillar of Cefiro.

You can choose whether you want to be a Magic Knight or not, after we get out from this world…I'll support your decision whatever it is, don't worry!" The red, pig-tailed girl smiled in response, while her friends nodded. After all, it was their priority to get out from this world. Then Fuu asked,

"Excuse me, Sir Lantis. How do you give our magic? I thought only Master Clef who can do that…" Lantis took his sword and showed the glove pad at his left hand.

"After the end of Debonair, I studied again to Master Clef to improve my skills. As a result, now I'm considered as another 'pal' like Ascott…therefore I can give your magic right now. By the way, Plecea sends her regards for you!" Suddenly, the gem at Lantis' glove pad brightened. The blue, red and green lights came out and slowly materialized into three different swords! Hikaru cried with excitement,

"My sword!" She took the red sword, while Umi and Fuu took the others. They turned again to Lantis who began to speak again,

"Get ready, Magic Knights!" The Mage Knight brought his sword in front of him, while put his left hand horizontally at the sword. Silently, he whispered something. Hikaru, Umi and Fuu watched him tensely.

"Magic Inheritance!" Instantly, the red flame enveloped Hikaru and she vanished inside the roaring fire. At the same time, a whirling wind wrapped Fuu within and Umi was submerged inside the pillar of water. Lantis stood unmoved, while kept his concentration until the process finished. The girls were back to normal after a few minutes. They already wore a shoulder pad and a breastplate. Hikaru opened her eyes and saw Lantis looked exhausted. She immediately ran to him,

"Lantis, are you all right?" The Mage Knight nodded, before turned to her,

"I'm all right, the process is just exhausting…but we have no time! I'll call Master Clef to summon us to Cephiro…"

Back again, Makoto asked the others,

"What shall we do right now?" Everyone nodded, before Rei suggested,

"Why do we not use Sailor Teleport? Perhaps it can take us out from here," Mina cheered,

"Wow, nice idea!" Then she asked again, "What about Mamoru and Andre?" Everyone went to silence; they couldn't let Andre know about their secrets. Usagi thought it wasn't fair if they have to left Andre alone, while they returned to the Earth. Then Ami suggested,

"I think Pluto can fetch them after Usagi returns to Earth safely; the longer we are here, the more uncertain is our situation here…" Neptune agreed,

"I agree with Mercury; I and Uranus are going to look for Prince and the boy after you have returned. Don't worry; they'll be fine! Trust us, Princess!" Assured with their words, Usagi have to agree and touched her Eternal Brooch, then shouted,

"Moon Eternal, Make Up!" The Inners followed her by taking their transformation pen and shouts their chant. Instantly, the forest turned bright as daylight!

"I can't believe it! The Sailor Senshi! I heard about them from the refugee of Negaverse at Twisting Shade!" Then laughter was heard from another silhouette,

"Really? They don't impress me at all…what can you find from those skirt-wearing heroines?" Someone coughed before continued,

"Young one, don't judge the book from its cover…she's right! Those girls…or one of them, for exactly had been defeated several Lesser Lords of Darkness. Not too bad for a record…" They turned to the Magic Knights,

"As for them, they were responsible for overthrow the would-be-Lesser Lord…"

"It sounds they scares you…" The comment was answered with furious glare,

"Nothing scares me! I just…want to be sure only! The good warrior learns their enemy first!"

"Shh, let's see if they managed to get out from this damned planet…"

The Eternal Sailor Moon turned to the other Senshi, and then turned to Pluto,

"Pluto, let's use Sailor Teleport to send us back to Earth!" They immediately held each other's hand and formed a circle. Pluto closed her eyes; while the others followed and silently whispered an incantation to focus their powers in order to teleport themselves out from the planet.

At the same time, Lantis raised his sword and began to focus his power to contact Master Clef. The Magic Knights watched him hopefully, especially Hikaru Shidou.

Meanwhile, something like a huge meteorite floated above the planet's atmosphere. The reddish glare appeared from the meteorite and shot a red beam toward the planet. Within a second, the beam exploded into a bright halo and its brightness covered the planet from one end to another. Then something like electrical crackles appeared on the atmosphere and disappeared in a short time. The red glare also vanished as well.

After a few moments, nothing happened. Then Venus opened her voice,

"Excuse me, why don't we teleport to Earth?" Everyone opened their eyes and looked to Sailor Pluto. The Guardian of Time frowned; this never happened before. Silently, she focused herself to find the cause. Then she said dejectedly to Sailor Moon,

"Princess, I'm afraid we are being blocked from using Sailor Teleport…" Everyone shocked when they heard the news. Quickly, Sailor Moon asked,

"How…" Pluto shook her head, before she continued,

"I senses a magical barrier surrounding this planet; any attempts to going out will be blocked. It was erected a few moments ago as we try to use Sailor Teleport." Jupiter responded with a disappointment,

"If we can't get out from here, it means…" Mars inhaled deeply, as she said what the others have been dreading,

"We'll never going back to Earth…"

At the Magic Knight's place, Lantis still tries to contact Master Clef. Then he lowered his sword and his face showed an utter frustration. Sensed something wrong, Fuu asked,

"Mister Lantis, is there something wrong?" The Mage Knight replied with disbelief mixed with frustration,

"I don't understand…suddenly, I can't contact neither Master Clef and Primiera…" Umi almost jumped as she heard that. Then she asked with a trembling voice,

"Are…you…sure, Sir Lantis? Perhaps you can try again…" Lantis answered with a cold, sharp answer,

"I already try, but no avail…something or someone was blocked my link to Cephiro…" Instantly, the blue-haired girl let out the shrill scream. Hikaru was stunned with the revelation. The brown-haired girl immediately said something,

"So, we have to find what blocks Lantis from contacting Master Clef first, if we want to go back. Am I right?" Instantly, Umi stopped her scream and shouted,

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Without waiting, she ran to the East. Fuu called her,

"Wait, Ms. Ryuuzaki!" Then she turned back to Hikaru and Lantis and smiled,

"I'm go ahead to follow Ms. Ryuuzaki, so would you mind if I leave both of you for a while?" She instantly vanished, while the red-haired girl smiled nervously. Then she turned to the Mage Knight with a sorry look,

"Lantis, I'm sorry if we bother you…what happened to us isn't our intention," Lantis replied gently,

"I know, yet I don't regret it as long as you always by my side…" He paid her a thin smile, but it was enough to make Hikaru blushed.

"Come, let's follow Umi and Fuu!"

From the throbbing eye, the mysterious figures watched the event closely. A heavy voice commented,

"As I expected, they can't even get through the barrier…" The younger voice replied,

"Ha, so they were trapped here like us!" A feminine voice asked, "What shall we do now?"

The answer came, "Why don't we show our hospitality by inviting them to come here? Is it our duty as a good host?"

While at the other place, Mamoru was still looking for Andre. He shouted many times, but no reply. Before he turned back, someone called him,

"Mister Chiba?" Andre appeared from the bush. Then Mamoru came to him and asked,

"Thank Kami! Are you all right, Andre?" The American immediately shot him back with a question,

"Mister Chiba, where is Ms. Tsukino?" The Japanese was stunned for a while, before he replied,

"She's fine…she is waiting for us right now…" Instead, Andre was looked disappointed,

"You shouldn't do that…she is your fiancée and you left her alone like that…" Mamoru was astonished with such rebuke. Gently, he said to the boy,

"Andre, I'm sorry that I left Usako only for you, but I promised to your guardian and Chris to keep an eye for you…I don't want to let them down," Andre turned to him, and smiled mischievously,

"Adrian? Don't take him seriously, now you are almost like him! Don't worry about Chris; he can't even keep a goldfish for a long time…thanks for your concern!" Mamoru grinned only, before he grabbed the boy and knocked his head playfully. Both of them fell on the grass, before he spoke again,

"You, little brat! Come, Usako is worrying both of us! Let's go before she kills me…" Suddenly, Andre's face showed a sheepish smile and he asked Mamoru,

"Mamoru, can I ask them to join us? Please…" The platinum-haired girl and the brown-skinned boy appeared from the bush; Mamoru could only shake his head with amazement.

Above the trees, someone watched them with curiosity…

Back to the Senshi, Venus asked, "So, what are we going to do since we can't use Sailor Teleport?"

Pluto explained, "We have to find the source of the barrier or…the person who summoned us here, by then we can return to Earth again!" Jupiter gave her remarks,

"Excuse me, but I think it is impossible to do that, given we barely knows about this planet!" However, Mercury replied,

"Pluto's right! Probably, the person who summoned us might not far from here…" Neptune smiled in agreement with her. Excited, Sailor Moon shouted,

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's find the person and we can going back home!" Mars quickly stopped her,

"Ho, not so fast! Are you going to look for our 'caller' and say 'Hello, we are lost here and we want to going home!' with that costume?" Everyone stared to her; she still wore the Eternal Sailor Moon costume. Realized what Mars meant, the girl sweat-dropped only,

"Er, I think we should transform ourselves back first!" Uranus replied,

"Good idea!" Instantly, they shouted their transformation spell and instantly return to their previous costume. Uranus/Haruka wore the white blazer and pants, while Neptune/Michiru wore the casual gown. In other hand, Pluto/Setsuna has her usual purple gown and Saturn/Hotaru wore her yellow gown. Then Mina quipped again,

"Um, girls! I think we still out of place with this costume; do you think the people on this planet will recognized us?" Makoto shook her head only, while Haruka answered,

"We don't have any choice, but to find the summoner and get out from here fast!" Setsuna tried to comfort the others,

"At least, we're glad to find all of you unharmed! We shall find our way out from here…" Usagi smiled in return; somehow she felt thankful to have such friends like them,

"Thanks for your concern, Setsuna! Now let's find Mamo-chan…"

The girls wandered around the jungle, but it was clear that they were lost. Suddenly, Rei quipped,

"Hey, girls! Have you gone to the jungle before?" Mako replied absent-mindedly,

"The first and last time I enter a jungle is when I fought Tellu from Deathbusters! It isn't a pleasant experience…the jungle was full of flesh-eating plants!" As usual, Mina gave her peculiar comment,

"By the way, I think Tokyo is a jungle too…concrete jungle for exactly! Am I right?" Everybody who heard her, dropped his or her heads. It was clear that nobody among them have explored a real jungle before, not even as Senshi! Then Rei laughed with her own trademark,

"This small jungle doesn't deter me! Just imagine 'the One Hundred Acre Jungle'…" Ami quickly said,

"Er, perhaps you mean 'One Hundred Acre Forest' from Winnie the Pooh…" The Shinto priestess was face faulted. Usagi and Mina chuckled, while Michiru decided to join the fray,

"Be careful, it doesn't like our experience when we fought Neherenia a year ago…"

Mina teased, "Probably, we could find a dangerous animal here…" Rei yelled to them nervously,

"Would you stop saying that? If this is a dangerous place, then why I didn't see…" She was unable to continue her sentence, as the blue-haired girl appeared in front of her. They screamed very loud and simultaneously,

"KYAAAAAAH!! What are you doing here?" Haruka and Setsuna ran toward them, while the rest followed. They were surprised when they saw the girl. Mako quickly recognized her,

"Wait, is she the friend of the girl who was collided with you, Usagi?" The blond-haired girl frowned,

"You don't have to mention that, Mako-chan!"

Meanwhile, Rei and the blue-haired girl began to stare each other after finished their screaming. The latter gasped,

"Wait a minute, I know you! Are you studying at T*A School?" Rei's face beamed when someone knew her, even in this secluded place,

"That's right! Wait, I know you! You are…Umi Ryuuzaki!" Now it's Umi's turn to being proud,

"Oh, it is surprising that someone still know my name here! Of course, my school has a good reputation, especially myself!" However, Rei gave a mocking glance,

"Is that so? I'm sorry I have to disappoint you, Ms. Ryuuzaki! As you know, my school is the best! Your school only pretends to be the best…" Gritted her teeth; Umi stared sharply to her rival,

"Say again? Do you think I don't know who you are, Rei Hino? People called you 'fortune teller'…" Now she smiled evilly, "…but I think you should be called as a 'freak'…that's what I heard from people inside your school." Everyone gasped, nobody ever called Rei as a freak again after they met her. Rei's face turned red and hot like her element, and then she exploded,

"Oh, yeah! You are the snobbish girl I ever see in my life! Nobody likes to have a friend like you!" Umi's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably, as she heard the scathing words. She immediately pointed Rei angrily,

"You… big-mouthed girl! I'm going to teach you a lesson!" Instead afraid, the black-haired girl even taunted her by giving her a finger sign,

"Oh, I was afraid! Try me!" They might end to tear each other apart, if Setsuna and Mako didn't stop them. At the same time, Lantis, Fuu and Hikaru came. The Mage Knight instantly brushed Haruka, who went to stop him. He quickly held Umi together with Fuu. The brown-haired girl tried to persuade her,

"Please, Ms.Ryuuzaki! Don't add more problem here…"While the others still fixed with their fight, Hikaru went closer and called Usagi,

"Ms.Tsukino! You are here too? It is nice to see you again!" Though uncomfortable, the blond-haired girl tried to smile,

"Me too, Ms. Shidou…too bad, the situation is not right for us. By the way, how did you come here?" The red-haired girl answered,

"You will not believe me! When we still at the Crown Café, I heard a voice calling me and…"

"Wait, do you also heard the voice? It isn't more than a mere coincidence now…" Now Setsuna asked her,

"Excuse me, are you sure that you heard the same voice like what she hear?" Instead, it was Lantis who answered her,

"It looks like someone asking help…"Annoyed, Haruka inquired the Mage Knight rudely,

"Who are you?" Lantis replied coldly as a response to her,

"I am their friend! Other than that, none is your business!" Before they could find a solution, Mamoru called Usagi,

"Usako, I'm here!" Usagi's face instantly beamed when she saw him, yet her smile vanished as the American came to the picture. The boy walked behind Mamoru, who went closer to his fiancée.

"Thank Kami! You are all right, Usako?" Andre also greeted her,

"It is nice to see you, Ms.Tsukino! I'm sorry for bothering you…" Usagi replied the greeting with a cold shrug,

"Well…nice to see you again, Mr.Stevens." Both men was stunned with the response, but then Mamoru noticed something else,

"It seems we have a company here…" He noted the Outer's presence as well. Setsuna greeted him,

"Glad to see you around, my Prince!" In other hand, Haruka watched Andre who tagged along with them.

Nobody said that she doesn't like the Americans; in fact she has met plenty of them while accompanying Michiru's concert abroad. However, the boy…somehow looked different from the others. Rei had told her about her vision at the café, so she must exercised extreme caution to Andre Stevens until it was proven otherwise.

Quick to take a chance, the blond-haired girl immediately said,

"Mamo-chan, here is Hikaru Shidou! Hikaru, this is my boyfriend, Mamoru Chiba!" Hikaru gasped in excitement,

"Wow, you are so lucky! Nice to meet you, Mamoru-san!" Mamoru returned the handshake gently,

"And here is Lantis, her friend!" The Mage Knight ignored him only. Now Mamoru began to scratched his head before he said something,

"Um, I don't know how to tell you this, Usako, but we'll get another company right now…" Instantly, the platinum-haired girl and the brown-skinned boy came out from the bush. Rei and Umi immediately stopped their fight, while Fuu and Ami was quite speechless. Mina and Makoto stunned when they saw the other strangers. However, Lantis, Hotaru, Michiru and Setsuna was simply watched them with mixed feelings. The boy greeted them,

"Hi…what a nice morning…"

To Be Continued