Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Gaijin ❯ Chapter 17
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: PerfectCarrot 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Comedy / Hentai / Martial Arts | Type: Self Insertion | Uploaded On: 04.11.2004 | Pages: 16 | Words: 10.1K | Visits: 388 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Comedy / Hentai / Martial Arts | Type: Self Insertion | Uploaded On: 04.11.2004 | Pages: 16 | Words: 10.1K | Visits: 388 | Status: Completed
Gaijin
Part 17
Carrot's revenge.
+++++++++++++++++++
Morning over Tokyo, the sun began to peer through the towering
skyscrapers as it rose in the distant horizon, bathing the city in a
golden light. It was peaceful, serene, calm. The day had just begun
for the inhabitants, and it was a day they would most likely never
forget. A day that two new legends were born, a story that would be
told for centuries to come. A story that oddly enough, was one that
had been told for years in another universe.
Today, it would begin.
++++++++++++++++++++
Carrot sat up and glanced around with a gasp. His body was covered
in sweat and his eyes were wide. He paused when he realized that he
had been sleeping in an actual bed. Glancing around himself he found
himself confused by his surroundings.
"I'm in...a girl's room?" he muttered dumbly.
Pain laced across his torso and head as he shifted his feet off
the side of the mattress and felt the soft carpet under his feet. The
room was decorated sparsely, with a few framed posters of classical
musicians along the wall. There was a dresser, a closet, and a small
beauty table with a chair. It all looked rather expensive really.
"Where am I?" he muttered groggily. He rubbed at his chest and
noticed that his wounds were bandaged, his shirt was gone, but his
pants remained. He could feel the bindings of another bandage on his
lower left leg as well. "What happened?"
"Oh! You're awake!" said a soft voice from the doorway he hadn't
quite registered yet.
Carrot slowly turned his head and stared at the young woman
looking at him nervously from the doorway. "Who are you?"
The girl flushed as he stared at her, she pushed back her shoulder
length aqua colored hair so that it rested behind her ear. She was
dressed in a simple dress and blouse. "I'm Michiru Kaiou. We met
yesterday at the concert hall..."
Carrot's stare suddenly brightened somewhat as the memories
flooded back to him. "Oh. You're that girl that..."
"Yes," she interrupted quickly.
"You should have just left, it would have been easier for me to
get out on my own," said the boy as he stood up and frowned at her for
a moment. She could tell there wasn't much heat to his tone though.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't just..."
"Morals can get you killed," replied the boy calmly.
"Yes," replied the girl as she nodded at him once.
"Thanks anyway," he muttered under his breath. Her gaze was a
little unsettling, she was staring at his chest with a rather odd
expression. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
They stood in silence for a moment watching each other.
"This is certainly awkward," said Carrot as he arched his eyebrow.
He put on a confident looking grin as he crossed his arms over his
chest and stared her down.
That had the desired effect and she backed off a little, turning
her gaze towards the wall for a moment.
The boy noticed his shirt on the back of a nearby chair and put it
on. It was still torn a bit, but he wasn't particularly worried about
it. "So. Michiru is it?" The name sounded familiar and he paused
suddenly. "Senshi."
"Huh?" muttered the girl as she looked at him in confusion.
"It's nothing," he replied a little more coolly than he had
intended. "I'm sorry to bother you..."
"It's no bother at all. I'm sorry I brought you here, but I wasn't
sure if..."
Carrot nodded and sighed. At least she hadn't thought to call an
ambulance or something. He'd be in a world of trouble once they
started looking for his identity. "Yeah. Thanks for helping me out and
all."
"You've been out since last night," said the girl as she turned
away. "If you'd like to eat..."
Carrot grinned at the unfinished offer. "Sure. Thanks."
The girl nodded and showed him out of the room.
In the hallway Carrot found himself glancing around. "This place
is pretty big? Yours?"
The girl looked back over her shoulder for a moment. "Yes. It is
my family's."
"Ah," said the boy as he nodded. "Well, money isn't everything.
Believe me, I know."
Michiru was obviously not expecting a response like that. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I'm guessing you're home alone? Otherwise I doubt if I'd
have found myself in your room when I woke up."
Another comment that caught her off guard. "Well..."
"Heh. You're jumpy. I wouldn't have bothered to save you if I had
something like that in mind anyway," he said as he noticed her
nervousness again. "I owe you."
"But you said earlier..."
"Yeah. You still helped me out though, even if you did more harm
than good." He actually seemed a bit cheerful. "Plus, you're feeding
me."
The girl looked at him with an odd expression on her face. The boy
was obviously confusing her utterly, and she had no idea what to make
of her mysterious savior. "I suppose so. You never told me your name?"
"Huh? I didn't? Sorry. People call me Carrot."
Michiru sighed. The boy was getting stranger the more she found
out about him. She wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing, but on
the other hand, it wasn't bad either.
"Well, I've managed to piss all the others off, might as well try
to be nice to at least one of them," he thought to himself a little
bitterly as he walked behind her.
They came into a large kitchen and Carrot found himself staring
again. "Whoa. This place is bigger than I thought."
Michiru giggled a little at this. "You're American?"
"Yeah. Seems silly that I'm impressed doesn't it?"
"Well, I can assume that you know a lot about my country," she
said as she pointed him to a stool at the kitchen counter.
"I've been here a while now," he agreed with a small nod.
"Where are you from?" The girl started to prepare a sandwich for
him as she talked.
"Very far away," he replied with a shrug.
"You're pretty secretive," she commented as she stopped making the
meal for a moment.
"I've got reason to be," he said calmly.
"I see," she said with a small nod. She didn't really understand,
but didn't press the matter either.
The pair sat together and exchanged pleasantries while the boy
ate. When he was finished he stood up and wiped his mouth with the
paper towel she had given him. "Well. Thanks for the help. I should be
going."
Michiru nodded at this. "We'll meet again?"
Carrot smirked at her. "I'm pretty sure we will. I'm sorry if I'm
being a bit rude and all, but I've got places I need to be today."
The girl nodded again. "I see." She stood up to lead him towards
the door. The boy arched his eyebrow as she paused. "Carrot. What was
that thing?"
Carrot found himself at a loss for words for a moment. "A Youma."
"Where did it come from? Why did it attack me?"
"That was a fluke I'd say," he replied calmly. "I haven't been
able to figure out exactly what it is they're after just yet. Those
senshi are involved as well."
Michiru nodded and started forward again. "Oh. I see." She led him
to the door and bowed politely as he left. The boy looked somewhat
uncertain about what to do after that and scratched the back of his
head.
"Do you need a ride?"
"Nah, I got my own way of getting around," he said cryptically as
he winked at her.
"Oh," muttered the girl in confusion as she blushed a little.
"Well. See ya around."
"I think you will," she said as he left. As soon as she was gone
she turned back into the home with a slightly contemplative frown on
her face. "That boy. He's some sort of monster hunter?" It was an idea
that she would have never believed if she hadn't met him in such an
unusual fashion. His answers told her that he had more to do with what
happened than he was letting on as well.
The strangest feeling of all, was that she felt as if she should
be involved, but not yet. She had no idea why.
++++++++++++++++++
High above Tokyo, a lone figure floated above a skyscraper. The
antenna at the top was just below the bottom of the wings that he
stood on to keep himself airborne. "Tokyo."
The day had just started, and he had much to do. Revenge was sweet
indeed, and his target was somewhere inside the city. As where the
senshi, he owed his creators that much at least. He would carry out
the task of destroying them for the man who had allowed him his
revenge. Then his debt would be cleared.
"Easy enough," said the thing with a cruel grin as it looked down
into the streets. The bustle of the crowd began as the city woke from
its slumber.
+++++++++++++++++++
Haruka frowned as the gates opened in front of her. They slid to
the side as a familiar figure strolled out into the streets. He was
still wearing the clothes from the night before, they were torn and
ragged still. She could see his bandages from the holes in the fabric.
"It's him."
She frowned deeply as she watched the boy emerge from the Kaiou
home and rolled up the window of her car. She had followed them after
that night, and the memory came back to her as she angrily thought
about how she'd ended up where she was.
+++++++++++++++++
Haruka stood outside the burning building. Her face contorted as
she stood among the crowd of dazed and confused victims. Some of them
where crying, others were sort of frozen in a horrified state. What
had just happened to them was beyond imagination.
She paused when she realized that there was a face missing from
the crowd. The senshi walked out of the building and were given a
large area of clearance. A tall Chinese woman was with them, and they
spoke to each other for a moment. It didn't take long for them to
disperse after the sirens started in the distance.
She looked around and ignored them as she desperately searched
through the faces around her. "Michiru?"
"She's not here?" muttered her date as she staggered over to her
side.
"Damn!" growled Haruka as she ran towards the doors of the
building. She stopped cold when a plume of flames erupted from inside,
blocking any that wished to enter. "No!"
"What's going on?" muttered the blonde girl as she staggered up to
her side.
"You stay here! I'm gonna go see if there's an emergency exit or
something! Michiru is still inside!"
"What?" muttered the blonde dumbly as her date ran around the side
of the burning building. "Hey!"
Haruka ignored the girl's cries as she rushed around to the back
of the building. The door was there, but the smoke billowing out from
underneath told her that it was probably blocked off as well. She
rushed up to it anyway and jerked back as she placed her hand on it
and felt it burn her skin in an instant. "Damn!"
She almost didn't notice the feminine scream from above. "What the
hell?" As she looked up, she saw them. The boy and Michiru flew from
the rooftop, jumping. "No! You'll be killed!" she muttered in angry
horror as she ran towards where they would land.
The boy's hand shot out and a think wire snagged one of the nearby
buildings. He swung skillfully down to the sidewalk and landed with
Michiru safely.
"Huh?" she muttered as she realized that the pair was safe.
Michiru said something to the boy, and he passed out on his feet,
crumpling to the ground in her arms.
Haruka wasn't sure what to do. She started walking towards them,
but found herself a little too slow as the girl pulled him towards one
of the cars that was parked behind the building. There was a small
parking lot there for the performers. "Hey! Wait!"
Michiru either ignored her, or didn't hear her at all. The girl
pulled him into a small car and slid into the driver's seat.
"Damn!" growled Haruka as she glanced around. She paused when she
realized that her car was parked just across the street. Without
really thinking about it, she rushed over to the vehicle and jumped
inside.
+++++++++++++++++
That was how she ended up where she was that morning. Sitting
outside the gates waiting. She had no idea why she'd waited this long.
Her eyes were bleary and she had a sour frown on her face from lack of
sleep. There was a stabbing pain in her chest, and she felt an
unexplainable anger welling up inside her.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" she muttered as she started up
her engine and pulled out onto the street.
She drove up next to the boy and pulled up beside him. Carrot
blinked and turned towards the car as he stopped walking for a moment.
"Get in," said Haruka as she frowned at him.
Carrot was thoroughly confused by this turn of events and did as
he was asked. He hopped inside the car and looked at the girl.
"You remember me?" she asked him calmly.
"Of course," he replied with a shrug. "Car looks nice. Hope it
wasn't too expensive to fix."
Haruka growled and stared at him.
"I'm assuming you want something?" he asked as he ignored her. She
pulled forward again and started driving. Driving in silence for a
time, she quickly sped the vehicle up and switched gears.
Carrot wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and didn't look particularly
bothered by her speed.
"I want you to stay away from Michiru Kaiou," she said as she
frowned at him.
"Why?" He had a devilish looking smirk as he turned his gaze
towards her.
"Because..." it was obvious she was frustrated. She wasn't sure
why.
"I bet I know," he replied calmly as he looked out the window.
"What would you know?" she growled angrily.
"More than you think Uranus," he replied as he watched the road go
by outside his window.
"What?" she spat as she glared at him.
"I know why you're so jealous of Michiru Kaiou," he replied with a
small shrug.
"I am not jealous!" she growled as she took a hard turn, which
caused Carrot to hit his head on her window.
The boy grumbled in pain and rubbed at the spot in irritation.
"Ouch. Jeez."
"Just stay away from her!" she grumbled as she looked at him
again.
"Watch the road. I've got one hell of a story to tell ya," replied
the boy as he smirked at her again. "Ya see, you and her. You're
Sailor Senshi, but your memories haven't been awakened yet. Like
Sailor Moon and her dumbass friends."
Haruka's temper flared again, she wasn't sure why.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"It's pretty simple really. You're Sailor Uranus, and she's Sailor
Neptune, Michiru that is. You just haven't been awakened yet."
Haruka growled. "So what if I am?" Her anger faltered as she
realized her denial hadn't gone as she had planned.
"You're upset because you and Michiru used to be lovers," said
Carrot calmly.
Haruka slammed on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the
street. "What?"
Carrot nodded forward. "Drive, and I'll talk."
The girl growled in frustration and shifted the car into gear.
"A long, long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away..."
+++++++++++++++++
"...and then, Serenity used the power of the crystal to send you
all into the future to lead new lives. The crystal was sealed away,
and you were all tossed into the present. Now, the inner senshi are
looking for their princess, the crystal, and are trying to fight off
the evil that came with them. Somehow, Beryl was awakened again."
Haruka found herself frowning as the boy told his tale. "That's
the biggest load of crap I've ever heard."
"You think so?" he asked with a small chuckle. "Funny, you don't
look like you don't believe it."
A small blush crept onto the girl's face and she glanced over at
him. "You know who the princess is don't you?"
Carrot nodded. "That's right. I also know where the crystal is
hidden. I think they can find out for themselves though."
"What?" muttered the girl as she pulled over and parked on the
side of the road.
"I've got my own agenda, and my own score to settle with these
things. Plus, I've got enough problems as it is. They aren't the only
ones after me."
"Why are you telling me this?" she said as she looked at him. Her
face was contorted as she tried to understand what he had told her.
"Because I'm tired of playing dumb. The senshi have burned me one
too many times, and this time I'm not going to sit back and take it."
The girl's face darkened at this a little. "What are you going to
do?"
"I can't hurt them, I need them around, even if they are trying to
kill me. I'm not strong enough to beat Beryl, and I doubt if I ever
will be. I've got my own way of doing things."
Haruka nodded slowly. "So?"
"So what? You want Michiru, you're gonna have to go after her
yourself. Whatever happens, I'm not particularly interested in you
right now."
"You still owe me for my car," she muttered angrily.
Carrot nodded. "So I do. I guess I'll have to pay you back." He
opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle. "See you around
Haruka."
The girl went pale, she had never told him her name. "What? Hey!"
Carrot was already gone.
"Damn him!"
+++++++++++++++
Carrot chuckled as he watched her leave. A light rain started to
fall as he melted out of the shadows of a nearby alleyway. "That was
interesting. The outers shouldn't be awakened for some time yet
though." He turned and smiled as he noticed the phone booth on the
corner. "Well, shall we begin?"
+++++++++++++++++
"Hello?"
"Yes. Is this the Mizuno residence?"
"Yes, yes it is. Can I help you?"
Carrot smirked at the woman looking at him. She was wearing a long
white coat and appeared to be walking out the door when he had
arrived.
"I've come to speak with you about something rather important
concerning your daughter."
The woman blinked. The boy was about Ami's age, perhaps he was in
a class with her or something? A small blush crept onto her face as
she realized what he might want with her. "Ami?" He was a rather
handsome looking boy, even if he did look a little rough. The scar on
his face bothered her slightly though.
"Yes. Ami Mizuno," he replied calmly with a cheerful smile.
"Well, I was about to leave for work..."
"Oh. I think you should call in today. This is going to really
surprise you," said the boy with his grin widening a bit.
++++++++++++++++++
Ami Mizuno smiled cheerfully as she waved to her friends as they
continued to walk home. It was a beautiful day, despite the rain that
had fallen earlier in the day. She didn't even notice that the door
was unlocked as she entered her home.
She did pause when she saw her mother sitting on the couch with
her head hung and a blank looking stare on her face.
"Mother? I thought you had to work..." She smiled at her parent.
The woman looked up at her for a moment. Her face hadn't changed a
bit. "Ami. Sit down, we need to talk."
Ami Mizuno felt the happiness melt away in an instant. Sitting on
the table, were photographs of her. Photographs of her, and Sailor
Mercury. Photographs taken from the same angles while she was standing
in almost identical positions. "Uh-oh."
+++++++++++++++++++
Carrot smirked as he looked at the steps before him. He was
waiting patiently at the gates with his arms crossed over his chest.
He had a pair of sunglasses over his eyes and watched the path to
Haikawa Jina calmly.
Rei Hino came into view down the street and he stood upright with
a somewhat cruel look in his eyes. "Next."
Rei noticed him about ten feet before she reached the steps.
"You!" Shock was clear on her face as she froze in place. "You died!"
"Heh. Yeah," he replied calmly. He made no move to approach her
and stood in a relaxed pose.
There were people everywhere. The girl growled and backed away.
"Damn."
"I'm not here to fight this time Mars," he said as he pulled the
sunglasses off his face. "I figured I'd warn you though."
Rei put up her fists and stepped back into a loose defensive stance.
"You really think you can take me Hino? Don't forget you're
surrounded now, none of those nasty powers. Even then, you'd still
lose, or I'd escape. Your friends aren't here to back you up this
time."
The girl relaxed but her glare hardened. "What do you want?"
The boy simply cocked his head in a rather self-satisfied looking
grin. "He knows."
"What?" stammered the girl in confusion.
"You pushed me too far last time," he replied with a small shrug.
"That was too close for comfort."
"We'll..."
"You're probably grounded or something," replied the boy with a
shrug. "No big deal, it'll probably take some time before you can talk
the old man into letting you go out again. Well, maybe not you, the
old man probably knew; he didn't seem that surprised. Minako and Ami's
parents were though. You should have seen the looks on their faces
when I gave them these and laid it out for them." He held up a set of
photographs. Some of them were of the senshi in their civilian forms,
while others were of them in their transformed state. The poses in all
the photos were exactly the same. "You wouldn't believe how difficult
it was to get these. I started way back when you tried to kill me the
first time."
"You..." stammered Rei as complete horror washed over her face.
"Yeah. Next time, I might decide to spread the info a bit wider,"
he said as he put his glasses back on. "See that you don't forget my
warning this time."
"You'll pay for this," she sputtered at him angrily.
"Maybe I will, maybe not. I'm still not through yet. Usagi has
been behaving herself lately, but that's not really her fault..."
"How dare you?! You've got no right too..." snarled the girl as
she tensed her body.
The boy merely turned his back on her. "You relieved me of any
burden when you started trying to kill me." He put his hands into his
pockets and glanced back at her. "By the way, did I also mention that
I know who the princess is, and where the Silver Imperium Crystal is?
Too bad you've got such bad tempers, or I might have told you."
"What?" Rei's angry face fell in an instant. "You...know?"
"I know everything, things you don't even comprehend yet. Like the
identity of Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor
Pluto. You won't see them for some time yet though. I know what Beryl
wants in regard to you, I know who the enemy really is, I know who
Tuxedo Mask is, what he wants, and who he was, I know... where Luna
is. See you around Hino."
"Luna?!" Rei lunged for the boy, but he vanished from in front of
her eyes in a blur of motion. "No!" She looked up and saw him sitting
in a tree branch over her head.
"Heh. Want me to share?"
"You bastard!"
"Maybe, but you're still in the dark. I think I like it that way,"
he replied as he jumped back into the branches of the small forest
that surrounded the shrine grounds.
Rei looked up at the steps to the shrine and then back to where
the boy had disappeared. "Who is he?" She slowly turned towards the
stairs and started her climb to the shrine. "Damn. How does he know
all this? Is he bluffing? Are there other Senshi?"
She raised her head and froze in place. Her grandfather was
standing in the doorway to the shrine with his arms crossed over his
chest and a small frown on his face.
"Rei."
She swallowed hard and tried her best to smile.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hisami stood looking over his empire. The towers that stretched to
the sky below him, the streets, the homes, all of it was his, but
something eluded him.
Kei kneeled beside him, the tight leather clung to her curvy
figure as she kept her head held low. Her mother was back in the
corner of the room, watching silently.
"You're not getting any results," he said calmly.
"It is a difficult target. The deaths of my Uncles should make
that clear enough. It will take time," replied the girl in an
emotionless monotone.
"He's out there, I can feel him," said the old man as he continued
to gaze through the window.
"Not as much as I do," growled Kei quietly. The old man hadn't
heard her, but her mother arched her eyebrow. "I will kill him," she
stated firmly.
"Your Uncle searches for him even now, but he has found no trail
to lead him," said the old man as he glanced down at her.
"I have been able to find him in the past," said Kei.
"Yes, so I've heard," agreed the man calmly. "You've also
consistently failed to slay him."
"At least I managed to survive," she replied icily. "That's more
than the others can say."
The door to the office opened and the trio turned to face it as
one.
"Oh. I wouldn't say that, niece."
"What?" whispered the girl in shock as her eyes went wide.
Standing in the doorway was a figure clouded by the shadows. His
black clothes hung off his body in tatters, and his mask was wrapped
around his neck. "I wouldn't say that at all."
"Who are you?" demanded Mitsuki as she appeared at the newcomer's
side with her blade drawn. It was held at the stranger's neck and he
didn't even react to it.
"Come now, don't you recognize your own dear brother?" said the
thing as its eyes began to glow with a dull yellow.
The woman's expression never changed, but he noticed her foot move
back slightly from the shock.
Kei stood up and faced him, moving between the Oyabun and the
dangerous creature that now stood before her. "Hikyu."
"Perhaps once. Now, I am the Goblin." It grinned at her, the fangs
protruding over its lips becoming rows of sharp teeth. "This boy, I
will find him, I will kill him."
"He's mine!" snarled Kei angrily.
"Feh," snorted the thing as it raised its palm and pointed it at
her. "He has offended nothing but your libido girl." An orange light
formed in front of his hand and Kei stepped back, not quite sure what
to make of it.
The last thing she remembered seeing was a dark looking grin
appearing on the ball of light. The ghoulish projectile shot forward
and slammed into her chest. Papers were blown across the office as the
explosion shook the room.
The girl was flat on her back, groaning in pain as she struggled
to rise.
"So, you've come back have you?" asked Hisami as he sat down
behind his desk and narrowed his eyes at the thing before him.
"Perhaps," it said as it cocked its head. "Lord Hisami, I swore my
life to you once, but honor is a thing for humans. I am not a human
any longer. I will bring you this boy's head, and you will pay me one
million yen for my trouble."
The man jumped to his feet, his face red with rage.
Mitsuki was behind the thing with her blade drawn.
"I have already died for my honor and my clan," said the thing
simply. "I have been reborn to exact my revenge. Do not try to get in
my way sister."
"You go too far," she hissed angrily.
"Perhaps," said the thing as it nodded. "That does not concern me.
I do as I will, and answer to no man or power."
Hisami looked down at Kei. The girl was still struggling on the
ground, obviously in immense pain. "Release him."
"My lord?" said the woman as she narrowed her eyes at the thing in
front of her. Her tone had tensed suddenly.
"At once. He may still have his uses too us."
"I thought you might see it that way," said the Goblin as it
leered at the woman behind him for a moment.
She withdrew her blade and placed it back in its sheath. Her eyes
promised nothing but pain to the thing.
"Now. You will bring me that boy. Do not return until you have his
head with you."
The thing gave a sort of mocking bow and strolled out of the room.
Mitsuki was the first to speak. "That thing, was not my brother."
"It was," said Hisami calmly. "I wasn't told the change would have
such an impact on him. Still, it is of little consequence to us. He
will be dealt with, we need not bother with it ourselves."
"More dealings with those demons Hisami?" said an aged voice from
the shadows.
The Oyabun merely looked at the diminutive old man and said
nothing.
"This game of yours grows dangerous, and threatens to destroy us
all."
The man merely smiled at this. "It is too late for that, my game
will ensure that only we are saved in the end."
The old man nodded slowly at this and sighed. "As you say."
Kei was finally back on her feet, she glared at the Oyabun for a
moment with an unreadable frown. "If there is nothing else, I should
be hunting."
"Go."
With a quick bow, she left the room.
The old man nodded towards Kei's mother and she bowed and left as
well. He then turned towards the Oyabun. "This boy. If he could be
turned, he would become a powerful ally."
Hisami looked at him for a moment. "That is not possible."
"I think that it is. Kei might be upset, but I think she'd get
over it rather quickly." He eyed the door for a moment. "Very quickly
indeed."
Hisami snorted at this. "There are other forces that wish him dead
as well. I will not cross that power."
"Perhaps you already have?" said the old man as he turned away.
"Tread carefully Hisami, there are not many who have made deals with
demons and come out unscathed."
The Oyabun frowned deeply and glared at the spot the old man had
been in before he left.
+++++++++++++++++++++
"Umino, Naru?" said the dumbfounded looking boy standing just
inside the arcade.
"I'm looking for them," replied the boy. He was about their age,
but didn't look like the type that would hang around them.
"Why?"
"I'm selling the Sailor Senshi's identity for only three thousand
yen," replied the boy calmly.
"What?" stammered the blonde kid as he almost dropped his broom.
"I figured they'd be interested, that's all," said the boy with a
small shrug. "Do you know where they are?"
"I'll buy them!" said the boy as he clenched his broom a bit
tighter.
"Really? What's your name?"
"Mitoki Furuhata," replied the boy dumbly.
"Hey. I guess I could tell you, but you have to promise not to
tell anyone. Otherwise I'll hunt you down and kill you. You also have
to promise to tell them that you know."
The boy blinked at this. "What? Are you crazy kid?"
"A little, but that doesn't mean I don't really know," said the
boy cheerfully. "In fact, I'll bet you even know them!"
"Um, how do I know this is authentic?"
"Don't worry, you don't have to pay me unless you believe me,"
said the boy cheerfully.
"Deal!" said Mitoki as he grinned at the boy. "This ought to be
good for a laugh!"
"I was just thinking the same thing," said the boy as he grinned
at Mitoki cheerfully. The scar on his face made it a little disturbing
though.
++++++++++++++++++
Carrot turned away from the boy as he scanned the arcade and
wandered around. Mitoki was sitting at the table with a confused and
somewhat sullen look on his face. Carrot also had a wad of cash in his
hand that he had just received from the boy. "Ah, life is good,
revenge is sweet, and all that jazz."
He blinked when he realized that just outside, were the two people
he was looking for. Umino was badgering the girl with a long banter of
nothingness. Explaining things that didn't need to be explained, and
going on and on about who the Senshi might really be.
Naru was apparently hanging out with him because Usagi either
couldn't, or didn't feel like hanging around her anymore. That struck
Carrot as rather odd, what with all the down time the girl had
recently. Still, he couldn't complain, he walked out calmly and waited
for them to reach the door he was leaning against.
++++++++++++++++++
Naru found herself wondering why she was hanging around Umino. The
boy was kind of pathetic, but not in all that bad a way. Still, he'd
been around when Usagi wasn't, and it was nice to have someone to talk
too. Besides, she couldn't just dump him now. He'd been a good friend
when she'd needed one.
"Man, he's really cool! That Tuxedo makes him..." Umino's rant was
cut off by an unfamiliar voice.
"Hey."
The pair turned and saw a rather tough looking boy with a
predatory smile on his lips watching them from just outside the
arcade. "You're talking about Tuxedo Mask aren't you?"
"Yes! He's..."
Usagi rushed up behind the pair holding a bag of popcorn in her
grip. She had a cheerful grin on her face until she noticed who was
standing with her friends.
Carrot froze and stared at her for a moment.
The popcorn fell to the ground and spilled out all over the
pavement. The girl's eyes were wide with terror as she struggled to
even gasp.
Carrot growled and turned his gaze away from the pair. "Damn."
"No!" whispered Usagi as she clutched at her throat.
"Usagi! Are you all right?" cried Naru as she moved up beside her
friend quickly.
"She's fine, she's just scared out of her mind right now," said
Carrot calmly.
The two teens that could still move turned to look at him in
confusion.
"Usagi, don't you have something you should be doing right now?
There is a way back, you've just got to find it for yourself."
The girl blinked in confusion. She staggered back under the boy's
cold glare, and her entire body was shaking as she stared into his
hard glare.
Carrot shook his head and turned away. "I'm the least of your
worries Tsukino. They need you. They're failing miserably without you.
Get your ass in gear." He started to walk off.
Usagi stood frozen until he was out of sight.
"Usagi? You know him? Who is that guy?" muttered Naru in concern.
"What a weirdo," mumbled Umino.
Carrot froze and turned to glare at him. The boy laughed nervously
and backed away. Usagi froze again and backed away.
"By the way. Would you like to know why your friend Usagi has been
too busy to hang around you lately? It wouldn't be very fair if I left
her out of the loop after all. I suppose I'm going easy on her, since
I haven't told her parents."
"No!" muttered Usagi in horror as her eyes went wide. Her throat
was already becoming raw again.
"What?!" cried Naru as she looked at the boy for a moment.
"You...Usagi?" She turned to look at her friend for a moment in shock.
She could see it she supposed, the guy wasn't that bad looking. Her
face went firm and she scowled at him. "I don't care! Leave her
alone!"
"What are you talking about?" muttered Carrot dumbly. "Oh. No, not
that. She's dating some college age guy, doesn't even know his real
name as I recall. This is something else."
Umino looked at Usagi. The girl was shaking with tears in her
eyes. "You'd better leave!"
"Why? Cause I made Sailor Moon cry? I've done worse," he replied
with a small snort. "Look. Do you want to know who the Sailor Senshi
really are or not?"
Her two friends were frozen in shock and looking at Usagi. Neither
of them could even speak.
Usagi raised her head, anger clear on her face as she cried.
"Why?"
"You know why. Your friends have only gotten worse since you've
been gone. I'm getting tired of it."
The girl turned her head away.
"Usagi? You're..." muttered Naru.
"Coooolll," stammered Umino.
"Heh. Not really, I beat the brats up on a regular basis. Murder
is apparently a hobby for them," said the strange boy as he smirked at
the pair. "They've been trying to kill me for some time now."
"That's not true! The senshi..."
"What would you know?" snorted Carrot. "Usagi here has been rather
well behaved, even if she has lost her powers. I'll spare her having
to face her parents later. If anything, I've made her life easier. You
won't betray her, and I doubt if Mitoki would either. Next time, I'll
sell them to the highest bidder. I could probably say the same for the
others as well."
"What do you want?" growled Naru hatefully as she stood in front
of Usagi.
"At the moment? Nothing, I've humiliated her enough for now." He
started walking again and didn't look back. The three teens stood
together in the street, Usagi was backing away from the other two with
tears in her eyes.
"Usagi? Are you all right? Who was that guy?" asked Naru as she
tentatively approached her friend.
Usagi sobbed quietly and rushed into her friend's open arms.
Naru patted her head and rocked her gently. "Shh. It's all right."
"I'm sorry," whispered the girl as her voice started to fail
again.
Umino stood back and watched the scene. He wasn't sure what to say
or do. Scratching the back of his head nervously he gave a weak laugh.
"Um, so you're Sailor Moon? That's pretty cool."
++++++++++++++++++
An hour and a half later...
Mitoki, Naru, and Umino sat around a table at the Crown Arcade.
Usagi was with them, as was Makoto. Rei, Minako, and Ami were present
by way of their communicators, which were resting on the table.
Artemis was sitting underneath Usagi's chair. The place was empty and
in a roped off area of the arcade.
"Who else knows?" grumbled Rei sourly.
"He didn't tell Usagi's parents," said Makoto with a heavy sigh.
"There was no one to really tell for me."
"I can't believe my parents grounded me for saving the world!"
lamented Minako.
"He claims he knows all sorts of things," muttered Rei. "The scary
thing is, I believe him."
"Who is he? Why did he do this?" said Ami.
"He must be the enemy!" said Artemis from under Usagi's chair.
"That must be why he knows so much."
"He's also proven he's willing to use it. What can we do?"
muttered Ami.
"That solution is easy," said Rei coldly.
Mitoki was rather pale at the moment, the senshi was one thing,
but the talking cat was something else entirely.
Naru was growing nervous. Some of what the boy had said before was
starting to make sense now.
Usagi slammed her palms onto the table and glared at Rei. The
senshi all knew what it meant. "That's what started this mess!" Usagi
couldn't speak the words with enough force, but her actions were clear
enough.
"We have to finish it, we have no choice," said Rei calmly.
Makoto looked somewhat uncomfortable about the argument.
Finally, Ami spoke up. "How many times has he had the chance to
kill us?"
"Bah! We always manage to beat him in the end!"
Ami shook her head. "Not really no, he's never attacked us first.
He's quite capable of killing, but he's never really tried to kill us
before."
"What about Usagi!" snapped Minako as she frowned at her.
"He knows where we live, who we are, and could find any one of us
alone easily. He's never done anything with that until now."
"Are you out of your mind?" snapped Rei.
Ami shook her head. "He's left us with another option you know."
"What's that?" asked Umino rather nervously. He hadn't seen this
side of the girls before, and it bothered him.
"We leave him alone," said Ami simply.
"I don't like it," grumbled Makoto.
"No way!" cried Rei angrily.
"What choice do we have?" asked Ami.
"We can beat him!"
"But can we take him out?" said Makoto calmly. "What if he escapes
again?"
"This is, rather disturbing," said Mitoki as he leaned in towards
Naru.
The girl nodded in agreement and blushed slightly. Usagi gave her
a rather halfhearted smile and pointed at the scar on her throat.
The girl looked confused for a moment and then her eyes went wide.
"What? That was the guy?!"
The blonde nodded once and turned back to her fellow senshi.
"After he did it, Usagi lost her powers," explained Makoto. "We've
run into him a few times, but he always manages to escape. He's fast
and strong too, a master martial artist. I've seen him do things with
an iron pole you wouldn't believe."
"This is like some sort of spy novel!" cried Umino as he stared at
the others sitting with him.
"I thought he was just some scam artist, or it was a joke. I'd
never have done it if I knew..." muttered Mitoki.
Naru and Umino looked at each other and wondered what the hell
their friends had gotten themselves into. Almost as one, they seemed
to realize that they were involved as well.
++++++++++++++++++
Carrot stood staring at Queen Serenity, a cold scowl on his face
as he bowed before her. His eyes were cold and hard, and his hand was
on the hilt of a sword that was shoved aside to accommodate his
kneeling.
"You have returned?" said the woman in a stately tone.
"It went well," he replied calmly.
"Good. Take your leave," said the woman as she nodded.
Carrot looked down at the sword at his side. "I have it!" he
thought to himself as he stared into the ruby eyes of the dragon's
head that was carved into the hilt. He walked out of the Queen's
throne room and into the great hallway that lead into the room. "After
years of searching. I have found it. Now I can..."
"Oh! You've returned!" said a feminine voice he could not place.
He slowly turned and found himself in the embrace of a woman. Her
breasts squeezed against his chest and her chin rested on his
shoulder. He didn't know who she was, but she was familiar. A memory
that he should easily remember, but could not. Her hair was...
+++++++++++++++++++
Carrot sat up from his nap and frowned as he rubbed his eyes.
"Okay. This is getting really annoying."
Luna stared at him dumbly. She had been curled up in his lap as he
slept.
"Pardon?"
"Are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" muttered the cat as she frowned at him.
"I'm having dreams about the Silver Millenium. I know for a fact I
don't have a past life in the Silver Millenium."
"Well, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about,"
grumbled the cat as she curled up again.
"Damn. It had better not be Setsuna screwing with my head." Carrot
paused, he had no idea what the woman wanted with him, and was fairly
certain that the times he had seen her were not hallucinations now.
Exactly what she was doing, or what she wanted was still a mystery. He
glanced down at Luna and frowned. "Get up, I'm not sleeping anymore."
She hopped off him and muttered irritably as she moved off to
another corner.
He stood up and walked into the office area of the clinic. Gia was
examining an elderly lady who had her shirt pulled up over her head.
Carrot frowned at the sight and continued walking, picking up a
cup of cold coffee that was sitting on one of the counters as he
walked by. "I'm going out again."
"You just got back," said Gia as she frowned at the look he got on
his face.
"Yeah. Well I don't exactly envy your position right now either,"
he commented as he walked out the door.
The old woman was frozen in place with a huge blush on her face as
she watched him leave. Gia turned back just in time to see her cover
her breasts and scream loudly. She put her head into her hands and
sighed. "Why me?"
++++++++++++++++++
Mei Lin smiled cheerfully as she lugged the huge bag of camera
equipment behind her new mentor. People were bustling about in the
chilly weather and going from booth to booth in the small fair.
"I don't believe this. That asshole sticks me on some crummy
shithole festival. There's real news out there, and I'm stuck here
with you. Just because you need to get your 'feet wet'." The man
frowned sourly at the girl behind him and continued to complain as
they walked.
The teen merely smiled at him cheerfully and ignored the ranting.
It was a rather nice festival in her opinion. There was a lot to see,
even if she couldn't really stop to enjoy the attractions. She held
one of the three cameras ready in her hand and glanced around. "It's
not so bad. You should enjoy the atmosphere."
"I could be enjoying the atmosphere of a national convention, or
sitting in the mayors office asking him about jobs in the city, or..."
The man trailed off and looked up in the air. "What the hell is that?"
Mei Lin shrugged. Japanese festivals were weird. She raised her
camera and started taking photos.
+++++++++++++++++
The Goblin stared down at the crowd below him with his grin fixed
as he surveyed the specks of humanity below him. "Ha. First rule of
hunting, don't go to your prey, when you can make it come to you!" He
swooped through the air, performing several loops as he spun down
towards the ground. A large gathering would work nicely. Luckily for
him, there was one just below. His insane smile widened as an orange
ball of light formed in his hand as he buzzed the crowd and swooped
over their heads. "Heh. Perfect!"
He turned in mid-air and tossed the ball of flame in his hand into
one of the small booths of the festival. "Come out! I'll get you my
pretties! And that little boy too! Bwahahahahahahaaa!"
The booth exploded in flames and the crowd began to stampede. The
thing circled the festival in the air and continued to lob the balls
of flame into the crowd and structures. Each one had a tiny ghoulish
grin on it, like that of a Jack-o-lantern.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Carrot walked down the sidewalk again with his hands in his
pockets. He knew he'd have to lay low for a little while again. The
senshi's first reaction would probably be to hunt him down and kill
him again. After they managed to cool down some they might see reason
and leave him alone. He doubted it though, especially with as much as
he knew. Still, there was some comfort in being able to hold it over
their heads. He knew his problems were far from over anyway, that
little stint of evil did a world of good for his mood though.
A wry grin cracked on his features and he paused in front of an
electronics store. He blinked and looked at the image on the screen.
"Some sort of sentai thing?" It was a monster attacking some sort of.
He blinked as he realized he recognized that thing. "Green Goblin?
What the?"
That was when he noticed the caption on the bottom of the screen.
"Breaking News! Channel 5 Live!"
The image shrank and an anchor appeared on the screen. It was an
anchor he'd seen before, reporting the news. He put his hands on the
glass to steady himself. Most of the senshi were grounded or otherwise
under close watch from their parents. "Oh shit."
He slowly raised his eyes to stare at the tiny frozen picture of
the monster. "Damn. I knew this Spiderman thing was a bad idea."
+++++++++++++++++++
Okay. You really hate me this time. ^_^
TBC...
Part 17
Carrot's revenge.
+++++++++++++++++++
Morning over Tokyo, the sun began to peer through the towering
skyscrapers as it rose in the distant horizon, bathing the city in a
golden light. It was peaceful, serene, calm. The day had just begun
for the inhabitants, and it was a day they would most likely never
forget. A day that two new legends were born, a story that would be
told for centuries to come. A story that oddly enough, was one that
had been told for years in another universe.
Today, it would begin.
++++++++++++++++++++
Carrot sat up and glanced around with a gasp. His body was covered
in sweat and his eyes were wide. He paused when he realized that he
had been sleeping in an actual bed. Glancing around himself he found
himself confused by his surroundings.
"I'm in...a girl's room?" he muttered dumbly.
Pain laced across his torso and head as he shifted his feet off
the side of the mattress and felt the soft carpet under his feet. The
room was decorated sparsely, with a few framed posters of classical
musicians along the wall. There was a dresser, a closet, and a small
beauty table with a chair. It all looked rather expensive really.
"Where am I?" he muttered groggily. He rubbed at his chest and
noticed that his wounds were bandaged, his shirt was gone, but his
pants remained. He could feel the bindings of another bandage on his
lower left leg as well. "What happened?"
"Oh! You're awake!" said a soft voice from the doorway he hadn't
quite registered yet.
Carrot slowly turned his head and stared at the young woman
looking at him nervously from the doorway. "Who are you?"
The girl flushed as he stared at her, she pushed back her shoulder
length aqua colored hair so that it rested behind her ear. She was
dressed in a simple dress and blouse. "I'm Michiru Kaiou. We met
yesterday at the concert hall..."
Carrot's stare suddenly brightened somewhat as the memories
flooded back to him. "Oh. You're that girl that..."
"Yes," she interrupted quickly.
"You should have just left, it would have been easier for me to
get out on my own," said the boy as he stood up and frowned at her for
a moment. She could tell there wasn't much heat to his tone though.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't just..."
"Morals can get you killed," replied the boy calmly.
"Yes," replied the girl as she nodded at him once.
"Thanks anyway," he muttered under his breath. Her gaze was a
little unsettling, she was staring at his chest with a rather odd
expression. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
They stood in silence for a moment watching each other.
"This is certainly awkward," said Carrot as he arched his eyebrow.
He put on a confident looking grin as he crossed his arms over his
chest and stared her down.
That had the desired effect and she backed off a little, turning
her gaze towards the wall for a moment.
The boy noticed his shirt on the back of a nearby chair and put it
on. It was still torn a bit, but he wasn't particularly worried about
it. "So. Michiru is it?" The name sounded familiar and he paused
suddenly. "Senshi."
"Huh?" muttered the girl as she looked at him in confusion.
"It's nothing," he replied a little more coolly than he had
intended. "I'm sorry to bother you..."
"It's no bother at all. I'm sorry I brought you here, but I wasn't
sure if..."
Carrot nodded and sighed. At least she hadn't thought to call an
ambulance or something. He'd be in a world of trouble once they
started looking for his identity. "Yeah. Thanks for helping me out and
all."
"You've been out since last night," said the girl as she turned
away. "If you'd like to eat..."
Carrot grinned at the unfinished offer. "Sure. Thanks."
The girl nodded and showed him out of the room.
In the hallway Carrot found himself glancing around. "This place
is pretty big? Yours?"
The girl looked back over her shoulder for a moment. "Yes. It is
my family's."
"Ah," said the boy as he nodded. "Well, money isn't everything.
Believe me, I know."
Michiru was obviously not expecting a response like that. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I'm guessing you're home alone? Otherwise I doubt if I'd
have found myself in your room when I woke up."
Another comment that caught her off guard. "Well..."
"Heh. You're jumpy. I wouldn't have bothered to save you if I had
something like that in mind anyway," he said as he noticed her
nervousness again. "I owe you."
"But you said earlier..."
"Yeah. You still helped me out though, even if you did more harm
than good." He actually seemed a bit cheerful. "Plus, you're feeding
me."
The girl looked at him with an odd expression on her face. The boy
was obviously confusing her utterly, and she had no idea what to make
of her mysterious savior. "I suppose so. You never told me your name?"
"Huh? I didn't? Sorry. People call me Carrot."
Michiru sighed. The boy was getting stranger the more she found
out about him. She wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing, but on
the other hand, it wasn't bad either.
"Well, I've managed to piss all the others off, might as well try
to be nice to at least one of them," he thought to himself a little
bitterly as he walked behind her.
They came into a large kitchen and Carrot found himself staring
again. "Whoa. This place is bigger than I thought."
Michiru giggled a little at this. "You're American?"
"Yeah. Seems silly that I'm impressed doesn't it?"
"Well, I can assume that you know a lot about my country," she
said as she pointed him to a stool at the kitchen counter.
"I've been here a while now," he agreed with a small nod.
"Where are you from?" The girl started to prepare a sandwich for
him as she talked.
"Very far away," he replied with a shrug.
"You're pretty secretive," she commented as she stopped making the
meal for a moment.
"I've got reason to be," he said calmly.
"I see," she said with a small nod. She didn't really understand,
but didn't press the matter either.
The pair sat together and exchanged pleasantries while the boy
ate. When he was finished he stood up and wiped his mouth with the
paper towel she had given him. "Well. Thanks for the help. I should be
going."
Michiru nodded at this. "We'll meet again?"
Carrot smirked at her. "I'm pretty sure we will. I'm sorry if I'm
being a bit rude and all, but I've got places I need to be today."
The girl nodded again. "I see." She stood up to lead him towards
the door. The boy arched his eyebrow as she paused. "Carrot. What was
that thing?"
Carrot found himself at a loss for words for a moment. "A Youma."
"Where did it come from? Why did it attack me?"
"That was a fluke I'd say," he replied calmly. "I haven't been
able to figure out exactly what it is they're after just yet. Those
senshi are involved as well."
Michiru nodded and started forward again. "Oh. I see." She led him
to the door and bowed politely as he left. The boy looked somewhat
uncertain about what to do after that and scratched the back of his
head.
"Do you need a ride?"
"Nah, I got my own way of getting around," he said cryptically as
he winked at her.
"Oh," muttered the girl in confusion as she blushed a little.
"Well. See ya around."
"I think you will," she said as he left. As soon as she was gone
she turned back into the home with a slightly contemplative frown on
her face. "That boy. He's some sort of monster hunter?" It was an idea
that she would have never believed if she hadn't met him in such an
unusual fashion. His answers told her that he had more to do with what
happened than he was letting on as well.
The strangest feeling of all, was that she felt as if she should
be involved, but not yet. She had no idea why.
++++++++++++++++++
High above Tokyo, a lone figure floated above a skyscraper. The
antenna at the top was just below the bottom of the wings that he
stood on to keep himself airborne. "Tokyo."
The day had just started, and he had much to do. Revenge was sweet
indeed, and his target was somewhere inside the city. As where the
senshi, he owed his creators that much at least. He would carry out
the task of destroying them for the man who had allowed him his
revenge. Then his debt would be cleared.
"Easy enough," said the thing with a cruel grin as it looked down
into the streets. The bustle of the crowd began as the city woke from
its slumber.
+++++++++++++++++++
Haruka frowned as the gates opened in front of her. They slid to
the side as a familiar figure strolled out into the streets. He was
still wearing the clothes from the night before, they were torn and
ragged still. She could see his bandages from the holes in the fabric.
"It's him."
She frowned deeply as she watched the boy emerge from the Kaiou
home and rolled up the window of her car. She had followed them after
that night, and the memory came back to her as she angrily thought
about how she'd ended up where she was.
+++++++++++++++++
Haruka stood outside the burning building. Her face contorted as
she stood among the crowd of dazed and confused victims. Some of them
where crying, others were sort of frozen in a horrified state. What
had just happened to them was beyond imagination.
She paused when she realized that there was a face missing from
the crowd. The senshi walked out of the building and were given a
large area of clearance. A tall Chinese woman was with them, and they
spoke to each other for a moment. It didn't take long for them to
disperse after the sirens started in the distance.
She looked around and ignored them as she desperately searched
through the faces around her. "Michiru?"
"She's not here?" muttered her date as she staggered over to her
side.
"Damn!" growled Haruka as she ran towards the doors of the
building. She stopped cold when a plume of flames erupted from inside,
blocking any that wished to enter. "No!"
"What's going on?" muttered the blonde girl as she staggered up to
her side.
"You stay here! I'm gonna go see if there's an emergency exit or
something! Michiru is still inside!"
"What?" muttered the blonde dumbly as her date ran around the side
of the burning building. "Hey!"
Haruka ignored the girl's cries as she rushed around to the back
of the building. The door was there, but the smoke billowing out from
underneath told her that it was probably blocked off as well. She
rushed up to it anyway and jerked back as she placed her hand on it
and felt it burn her skin in an instant. "Damn!"
She almost didn't notice the feminine scream from above. "What the
hell?" As she looked up, she saw them. The boy and Michiru flew from
the rooftop, jumping. "No! You'll be killed!" she muttered in angry
horror as she ran towards where they would land.
The boy's hand shot out and a think wire snagged one of the nearby
buildings. He swung skillfully down to the sidewalk and landed with
Michiru safely.
"Huh?" she muttered as she realized that the pair was safe.
Michiru said something to the boy, and he passed out on his feet,
crumpling to the ground in her arms.
Haruka wasn't sure what to do. She started walking towards them,
but found herself a little too slow as the girl pulled him towards one
of the cars that was parked behind the building. There was a small
parking lot there for the performers. "Hey! Wait!"
Michiru either ignored her, or didn't hear her at all. The girl
pulled him into a small car and slid into the driver's seat.
"Damn!" growled Haruka as she glanced around. She paused when she
realized that her car was parked just across the street. Without
really thinking about it, she rushed over to the vehicle and jumped
inside.
+++++++++++++++++
That was how she ended up where she was that morning. Sitting
outside the gates waiting. She had no idea why she'd waited this long.
Her eyes were bleary and she had a sour frown on her face from lack of
sleep. There was a stabbing pain in her chest, and she felt an
unexplainable anger welling up inside her.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" she muttered as she started up
her engine and pulled out onto the street.
She drove up next to the boy and pulled up beside him. Carrot
blinked and turned towards the car as he stopped walking for a moment.
"Get in," said Haruka as she frowned at him.
Carrot was thoroughly confused by this turn of events and did as
he was asked. He hopped inside the car and looked at the girl.
"You remember me?" she asked him calmly.
"Of course," he replied with a shrug. "Car looks nice. Hope it
wasn't too expensive to fix."
Haruka growled and stared at him.
"I'm assuming you want something?" he asked as he ignored her. She
pulled forward again and started driving. Driving in silence for a
time, she quickly sped the vehicle up and switched gears.
Carrot wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and didn't look particularly
bothered by her speed.
"I want you to stay away from Michiru Kaiou," she said as she
frowned at him.
"Why?" He had a devilish looking smirk as he turned his gaze
towards her.
"Because..." it was obvious she was frustrated. She wasn't sure
why.
"I bet I know," he replied calmly as he looked out the window.
"What would you know?" she growled angrily.
"More than you think Uranus," he replied as he watched the road go
by outside his window.
"What?" she spat as she glared at him.
"I know why you're so jealous of Michiru Kaiou," he replied with a
small shrug.
"I am not jealous!" she growled as she took a hard turn, which
caused Carrot to hit his head on her window.
The boy grumbled in pain and rubbed at the spot in irritation.
"Ouch. Jeez."
"Just stay away from her!" she grumbled as she looked at him
again.
"Watch the road. I've got one hell of a story to tell ya," replied
the boy as he smirked at her again. "Ya see, you and her. You're
Sailor Senshi, but your memories haven't been awakened yet. Like
Sailor Moon and her dumbass friends."
Haruka's temper flared again, she wasn't sure why.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"It's pretty simple really. You're Sailor Uranus, and she's Sailor
Neptune, Michiru that is. You just haven't been awakened yet."
Haruka growled. "So what if I am?" Her anger faltered as she
realized her denial hadn't gone as she had planned.
"You're upset because you and Michiru used to be lovers," said
Carrot calmly.
Haruka slammed on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the
street. "What?"
Carrot nodded forward. "Drive, and I'll talk."
The girl growled in frustration and shifted the car into gear.
"A long, long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away..."
+++++++++++++++++
"...and then, Serenity used the power of the crystal to send you
all into the future to lead new lives. The crystal was sealed away,
and you were all tossed into the present. Now, the inner senshi are
looking for their princess, the crystal, and are trying to fight off
the evil that came with them. Somehow, Beryl was awakened again."
Haruka found herself frowning as the boy told his tale. "That's
the biggest load of crap I've ever heard."
"You think so?" he asked with a small chuckle. "Funny, you don't
look like you don't believe it."
A small blush crept onto the girl's face and she glanced over at
him. "You know who the princess is don't you?"
Carrot nodded. "That's right. I also know where the crystal is
hidden. I think they can find out for themselves though."
"What?" muttered the girl as she pulled over and parked on the
side of the road.
"I've got my own agenda, and my own score to settle with these
things. Plus, I've got enough problems as it is. They aren't the only
ones after me."
"Why are you telling me this?" she said as she looked at him. Her
face was contorted as she tried to understand what he had told her.
"Because I'm tired of playing dumb. The senshi have burned me one
too many times, and this time I'm not going to sit back and take it."
The girl's face darkened at this a little. "What are you going to
do?"
"I can't hurt them, I need them around, even if they are trying to
kill me. I'm not strong enough to beat Beryl, and I doubt if I ever
will be. I've got my own way of doing things."
Haruka nodded slowly. "So?"
"So what? You want Michiru, you're gonna have to go after her
yourself. Whatever happens, I'm not particularly interested in you
right now."
"You still owe me for my car," she muttered angrily.
Carrot nodded. "So I do. I guess I'll have to pay you back." He
opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle. "See you around
Haruka."
The girl went pale, she had never told him her name. "What? Hey!"
Carrot was already gone.
"Damn him!"
+++++++++++++++
Carrot chuckled as he watched her leave. A light rain started to
fall as he melted out of the shadows of a nearby alleyway. "That was
interesting. The outers shouldn't be awakened for some time yet
though." He turned and smiled as he noticed the phone booth on the
corner. "Well, shall we begin?"
+++++++++++++++++
"Hello?"
"Yes. Is this the Mizuno residence?"
"Yes, yes it is. Can I help you?"
Carrot smirked at the woman looking at him. She was wearing a long
white coat and appeared to be walking out the door when he had
arrived.
"I've come to speak with you about something rather important
concerning your daughter."
The woman blinked. The boy was about Ami's age, perhaps he was in
a class with her or something? A small blush crept onto her face as
she realized what he might want with her. "Ami?" He was a rather
handsome looking boy, even if he did look a little rough. The scar on
his face bothered her slightly though.
"Yes. Ami Mizuno," he replied calmly with a cheerful smile.
"Well, I was about to leave for work..."
"Oh. I think you should call in today. This is going to really
surprise you," said the boy with his grin widening a bit.
++++++++++++++++++
Ami Mizuno smiled cheerfully as she waved to her friends as they
continued to walk home. It was a beautiful day, despite the rain that
had fallen earlier in the day. She didn't even notice that the door
was unlocked as she entered her home.
She did pause when she saw her mother sitting on the couch with
her head hung and a blank looking stare on her face.
"Mother? I thought you had to work..." She smiled at her parent.
The woman looked up at her for a moment. Her face hadn't changed a
bit. "Ami. Sit down, we need to talk."
Ami Mizuno felt the happiness melt away in an instant. Sitting on
the table, were photographs of her. Photographs of her, and Sailor
Mercury. Photographs taken from the same angles while she was standing
in almost identical positions. "Uh-oh."
+++++++++++++++++++
Carrot smirked as he looked at the steps before him. He was
waiting patiently at the gates with his arms crossed over his chest.
He had a pair of sunglasses over his eyes and watched the path to
Haikawa Jina calmly.
Rei Hino came into view down the street and he stood upright with
a somewhat cruel look in his eyes. "Next."
Rei noticed him about ten feet before she reached the steps.
"You!" Shock was clear on her face as she froze in place. "You died!"
"Heh. Yeah," he replied calmly. He made no move to approach her
and stood in a relaxed pose.
There were people everywhere. The girl growled and backed away.
"Damn."
"I'm not here to fight this time Mars," he said as he pulled the
sunglasses off his face. "I figured I'd warn you though."
Rei put up her fists and stepped back into a loose defensive stance.
"You really think you can take me Hino? Don't forget you're
surrounded now, none of those nasty powers. Even then, you'd still
lose, or I'd escape. Your friends aren't here to back you up this
time."
The girl relaxed but her glare hardened. "What do you want?"
The boy simply cocked his head in a rather self-satisfied looking
grin. "He knows."
"What?" stammered the girl in confusion.
"You pushed me too far last time," he replied with a small shrug.
"That was too close for comfort."
"We'll..."
"You're probably grounded or something," replied the boy with a
shrug. "No big deal, it'll probably take some time before you can talk
the old man into letting you go out again. Well, maybe not you, the
old man probably knew; he didn't seem that surprised. Minako and Ami's
parents were though. You should have seen the looks on their faces
when I gave them these and laid it out for them." He held up a set of
photographs. Some of them were of the senshi in their civilian forms,
while others were of them in their transformed state. The poses in all
the photos were exactly the same. "You wouldn't believe how difficult
it was to get these. I started way back when you tried to kill me the
first time."
"You..." stammered Rei as complete horror washed over her face.
"Yeah. Next time, I might decide to spread the info a bit wider,"
he said as he put his glasses back on. "See that you don't forget my
warning this time."
"You'll pay for this," she sputtered at him angrily.
"Maybe I will, maybe not. I'm still not through yet. Usagi has
been behaving herself lately, but that's not really her fault..."
"How dare you?! You've got no right too..." snarled the girl as
she tensed her body.
The boy merely turned his back on her. "You relieved me of any
burden when you started trying to kill me." He put his hands into his
pockets and glanced back at her. "By the way, did I also mention that
I know who the princess is, and where the Silver Imperium Crystal is?
Too bad you've got such bad tempers, or I might have told you."
"What?" Rei's angry face fell in an instant. "You...know?"
"I know everything, things you don't even comprehend yet. Like the
identity of Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor
Pluto. You won't see them for some time yet though. I know what Beryl
wants in regard to you, I know who the enemy really is, I know who
Tuxedo Mask is, what he wants, and who he was, I know... where Luna
is. See you around Hino."
"Luna?!" Rei lunged for the boy, but he vanished from in front of
her eyes in a blur of motion. "No!" She looked up and saw him sitting
in a tree branch over her head.
"Heh. Want me to share?"
"You bastard!"
"Maybe, but you're still in the dark. I think I like it that way,"
he replied as he jumped back into the branches of the small forest
that surrounded the shrine grounds.
Rei looked up at the steps to the shrine and then back to where
the boy had disappeared. "Who is he?" She slowly turned towards the
stairs and started her climb to the shrine. "Damn. How does he know
all this? Is he bluffing? Are there other Senshi?"
She raised her head and froze in place. Her grandfather was
standing in the doorway to the shrine with his arms crossed over his
chest and a small frown on his face.
"Rei."
She swallowed hard and tried her best to smile.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hisami stood looking over his empire. The towers that stretched to
the sky below him, the streets, the homes, all of it was his, but
something eluded him.
Kei kneeled beside him, the tight leather clung to her curvy
figure as she kept her head held low. Her mother was back in the
corner of the room, watching silently.
"You're not getting any results," he said calmly.
"It is a difficult target. The deaths of my Uncles should make
that clear enough. It will take time," replied the girl in an
emotionless monotone.
"He's out there, I can feel him," said the old man as he continued
to gaze through the window.
"Not as much as I do," growled Kei quietly. The old man hadn't
heard her, but her mother arched her eyebrow. "I will kill him," she
stated firmly.
"Your Uncle searches for him even now, but he has found no trail
to lead him," said the old man as he glanced down at her.
"I have been able to find him in the past," said Kei.
"Yes, so I've heard," agreed the man calmly. "You've also
consistently failed to slay him."
"At least I managed to survive," she replied icily. "That's more
than the others can say."
The door to the office opened and the trio turned to face it as
one.
"Oh. I wouldn't say that, niece."
"What?" whispered the girl in shock as her eyes went wide.
Standing in the doorway was a figure clouded by the shadows. His
black clothes hung off his body in tatters, and his mask was wrapped
around his neck. "I wouldn't say that at all."
"Who are you?" demanded Mitsuki as she appeared at the newcomer's
side with her blade drawn. It was held at the stranger's neck and he
didn't even react to it.
"Come now, don't you recognize your own dear brother?" said the
thing as its eyes began to glow with a dull yellow.
The woman's expression never changed, but he noticed her foot move
back slightly from the shock.
Kei stood up and faced him, moving between the Oyabun and the
dangerous creature that now stood before her. "Hikyu."
"Perhaps once. Now, I am the Goblin." It grinned at her, the fangs
protruding over its lips becoming rows of sharp teeth. "This boy, I
will find him, I will kill him."
"He's mine!" snarled Kei angrily.
"Feh," snorted the thing as it raised its palm and pointed it at
her. "He has offended nothing but your libido girl." An orange light
formed in front of his hand and Kei stepped back, not quite sure what
to make of it.
The last thing she remembered seeing was a dark looking grin
appearing on the ball of light. The ghoulish projectile shot forward
and slammed into her chest. Papers were blown across the office as the
explosion shook the room.
The girl was flat on her back, groaning in pain as she struggled
to rise.
"So, you've come back have you?" asked Hisami as he sat down
behind his desk and narrowed his eyes at the thing before him.
"Perhaps," it said as it cocked its head. "Lord Hisami, I swore my
life to you once, but honor is a thing for humans. I am not a human
any longer. I will bring you this boy's head, and you will pay me one
million yen for my trouble."
The man jumped to his feet, his face red with rage.
Mitsuki was behind the thing with her blade drawn.
"I have already died for my honor and my clan," said the thing
simply. "I have been reborn to exact my revenge. Do not try to get in
my way sister."
"You go too far," she hissed angrily.
"Perhaps," said the thing as it nodded. "That does not concern me.
I do as I will, and answer to no man or power."
Hisami looked down at Kei. The girl was still struggling on the
ground, obviously in immense pain. "Release him."
"My lord?" said the woman as she narrowed her eyes at the thing in
front of her. Her tone had tensed suddenly.
"At once. He may still have his uses too us."
"I thought you might see it that way," said the Goblin as it
leered at the woman behind him for a moment.
She withdrew her blade and placed it back in its sheath. Her eyes
promised nothing but pain to the thing.
"Now. You will bring me that boy. Do not return until you have his
head with you."
The thing gave a sort of mocking bow and strolled out of the room.
Mitsuki was the first to speak. "That thing, was not my brother."
"It was," said Hisami calmly. "I wasn't told the change would have
such an impact on him. Still, it is of little consequence to us. He
will be dealt with, we need not bother with it ourselves."
"More dealings with those demons Hisami?" said an aged voice from
the shadows.
The Oyabun merely looked at the diminutive old man and said
nothing.
"This game of yours grows dangerous, and threatens to destroy us
all."
The man merely smiled at this. "It is too late for that, my game
will ensure that only we are saved in the end."
The old man nodded slowly at this and sighed. "As you say."
Kei was finally back on her feet, she glared at the Oyabun for a
moment with an unreadable frown. "If there is nothing else, I should
be hunting."
"Go."
With a quick bow, she left the room.
The old man nodded towards Kei's mother and she bowed and left as
well. He then turned towards the Oyabun. "This boy. If he could be
turned, he would become a powerful ally."
Hisami looked at him for a moment. "That is not possible."
"I think that it is. Kei might be upset, but I think she'd get
over it rather quickly." He eyed the door for a moment. "Very quickly
indeed."
Hisami snorted at this. "There are other forces that wish him dead
as well. I will not cross that power."
"Perhaps you already have?" said the old man as he turned away.
"Tread carefully Hisami, there are not many who have made deals with
demons and come out unscathed."
The Oyabun frowned deeply and glared at the spot the old man had
been in before he left.
+++++++++++++++++++++
"Umino, Naru?" said the dumbfounded looking boy standing just
inside the arcade.
"I'm looking for them," replied the boy. He was about their age,
but didn't look like the type that would hang around them.
"Why?"
"I'm selling the Sailor Senshi's identity for only three thousand
yen," replied the boy calmly.
"What?" stammered the blonde kid as he almost dropped his broom.
"I figured they'd be interested, that's all," said the boy with a
small shrug. "Do you know where they are?"
"I'll buy them!" said the boy as he clenched his broom a bit
tighter.
"Really? What's your name?"
"Mitoki Furuhata," replied the boy dumbly.
"Hey. I guess I could tell you, but you have to promise not to
tell anyone. Otherwise I'll hunt you down and kill you. You also have
to promise to tell them that you know."
The boy blinked at this. "What? Are you crazy kid?"
"A little, but that doesn't mean I don't really know," said the
boy cheerfully. "In fact, I'll bet you even know them!"
"Um, how do I know this is authentic?"
"Don't worry, you don't have to pay me unless you believe me,"
said the boy cheerfully.
"Deal!" said Mitoki as he grinned at the boy. "This ought to be
good for a laugh!"
"I was just thinking the same thing," said the boy as he grinned
at Mitoki cheerfully. The scar on his face made it a little disturbing
though.
++++++++++++++++++
Carrot turned away from the boy as he scanned the arcade and
wandered around. Mitoki was sitting at the table with a confused and
somewhat sullen look on his face. Carrot also had a wad of cash in his
hand that he had just received from the boy. "Ah, life is good,
revenge is sweet, and all that jazz."
He blinked when he realized that just outside, were the two people
he was looking for. Umino was badgering the girl with a long banter of
nothingness. Explaining things that didn't need to be explained, and
going on and on about who the Senshi might really be.
Naru was apparently hanging out with him because Usagi either
couldn't, or didn't feel like hanging around her anymore. That struck
Carrot as rather odd, what with all the down time the girl had
recently. Still, he couldn't complain, he walked out calmly and waited
for them to reach the door he was leaning against.
++++++++++++++++++
Naru found herself wondering why she was hanging around Umino. The
boy was kind of pathetic, but not in all that bad a way. Still, he'd
been around when Usagi wasn't, and it was nice to have someone to talk
too. Besides, she couldn't just dump him now. He'd been a good friend
when she'd needed one.
"Man, he's really cool! That Tuxedo makes him..." Umino's rant was
cut off by an unfamiliar voice.
"Hey."
The pair turned and saw a rather tough looking boy with a
predatory smile on his lips watching them from just outside the
arcade. "You're talking about Tuxedo Mask aren't you?"
"Yes! He's..."
Usagi rushed up behind the pair holding a bag of popcorn in her
grip. She had a cheerful grin on her face until she noticed who was
standing with her friends.
Carrot froze and stared at her for a moment.
The popcorn fell to the ground and spilled out all over the
pavement. The girl's eyes were wide with terror as she struggled to
even gasp.
Carrot growled and turned his gaze away from the pair. "Damn."
"No!" whispered Usagi as she clutched at her throat.
"Usagi! Are you all right?" cried Naru as she moved up beside her
friend quickly.
"She's fine, she's just scared out of her mind right now," said
Carrot calmly.
The two teens that could still move turned to look at him in
confusion.
"Usagi, don't you have something you should be doing right now?
There is a way back, you've just got to find it for yourself."
The girl blinked in confusion. She staggered back under the boy's
cold glare, and her entire body was shaking as she stared into his
hard glare.
Carrot shook his head and turned away. "I'm the least of your
worries Tsukino. They need you. They're failing miserably without you.
Get your ass in gear." He started to walk off.
Usagi stood frozen until he was out of sight.
"Usagi? You know him? Who is that guy?" muttered Naru in concern.
"What a weirdo," mumbled Umino.
Carrot froze and turned to glare at him. The boy laughed nervously
and backed away. Usagi froze again and backed away.
"By the way. Would you like to know why your friend Usagi has been
too busy to hang around you lately? It wouldn't be very fair if I left
her out of the loop after all. I suppose I'm going easy on her, since
I haven't told her parents."
"No!" muttered Usagi in horror as her eyes went wide. Her throat
was already becoming raw again.
"What?!" cried Naru as she looked at the boy for a moment.
"You...Usagi?" She turned to look at her friend for a moment in shock.
She could see it she supposed, the guy wasn't that bad looking. Her
face went firm and she scowled at him. "I don't care! Leave her
alone!"
"What are you talking about?" muttered Carrot dumbly. "Oh. No, not
that. She's dating some college age guy, doesn't even know his real
name as I recall. This is something else."
Umino looked at Usagi. The girl was shaking with tears in her
eyes. "You'd better leave!"
"Why? Cause I made Sailor Moon cry? I've done worse," he replied
with a small snort. "Look. Do you want to know who the Sailor Senshi
really are or not?"
Her two friends were frozen in shock and looking at Usagi. Neither
of them could even speak.
Usagi raised her head, anger clear on her face as she cried.
"Why?"
"You know why. Your friends have only gotten worse since you've
been gone. I'm getting tired of it."
The girl turned her head away.
"Usagi? You're..." muttered Naru.
"Coooolll," stammered Umino.
"Heh. Not really, I beat the brats up on a regular basis. Murder
is apparently a hobby for them," said the strange boy as he smirked at
the pair. "They've been trying to kill me for some time now."
"That's not true! The senshi..."
"What would you know?" snorted Carrot. "Usagi here has been rather
well behaved, even if she has lost her powers. I'll spare her having
to face her parents later. If anything, I've made her life easier. You
won't betray her, and I doubt if Mitoki would either. Next time, I'll
sell them to the highest bidder. I could probably say the same for the
others as well."
"What do you want?" growled Naru hatefully as she stood in front
of Usagi.
"At the moment? Nothing, I've humiliated her enough for now." He
started walking again and didn't look back. The three teens stood
together in the street, Usagi was backing away from the other two with
tears in her eyes.
"Usagi? Are you all right? Who was that guy?" asked Naru as she
tentatively approached her friend.
Usagi sobbed quietly and rushed into her friend's open arms.
Naru patted her head and rocked her gently. "Shh. It's all right."
"I'm sorry," whispered the girl as her voice started to fail
again.
Umino stood back and watched the scene. He wasn't sure what to say
or do. Scratching the back of his head nervously he gave a weak laugh.
"Um, so you're Sailor Moon? That's pretty cool."
++++++++++++++++++
An hour and a half later...
Mitoki, Naru, and Umino sat around a table at the Crown Arcade.
Usagi was with them, as was Makoto. Rei, Minako, and Ami were present
by way of their communicators, which were resting on the table.
Artemis was sitting underneath Usagi's chair. The place was empty and
in a roped off area of the arcade.
"Who else knows?" grumbled Rei sourly.
"He didn't tell Usagi's parents," said Makoto with a heavy sigh.
"There was no one to really tell for me."
"I can't believe my parents grounded me for saving the world!"
lamented Minako.
"He claims he knows all sorts of things," muttered Rei. "The scary
thing is, I believe him."
"Who is he? Why did he do this?" said Ami.
"He must be the enemy!" said Artemis from under Usagi's chair.
"That must be why he knows so much."
"He's also proven he's willing to use it. What can we do?"
muttered Ami.
"That solution is easy," said Rei coldly.
Mitoki was rather pale at the moment, the senshi was one thing,
but the talking cat was something else entirely.
Naru was growing nervous. Some of what the boy had said before was
starting to make sense now.
Usagi slammed her palms onto the table and glared at Rei. The
senshi all knew what it meant. "That's what started this mess!" Usagi
couldn't speak the words with enough force, but her actions were clear
enough.
"We have to finish it, we have no choice," said Rei calmly.
Makoto looked somewhat uncomfortable about the argument.
Finally, Ami spoke up. "How many times has he had the chance to
kill us?"
"Bah! We always manage to beat him in the end!"
Ami shook her head. "Not really no, he's never attacked us first.
He's quite capable of killing, but he's never really tried to kill us
before."
"What about Usagi!" snapped Minako as she frowned at her.
"He knows where we live, who we are, and could find any one of us
alone easily. He's never done anything with that until now."
"Are you out of your mind?" snapped Rei.
Ami shook her head. "He's left us with another option you know."
"What's that?" asked Umino rather nervously. He hadn't seen this
side of the girls before, and it bothered him.
"We leave him alone," said Ami simply.
"I don't like it," grumbled Makoto.
"No way!" cried Rei angrily.
"What choice do we have?" asked Ami.
"We can beat him!"
"But can we take him out?" said Makoto calmly. "What if he escapes
again?"
"This is, rather disturbing," said Mitoki as he leaned in towards
Naru.
The girl nodded in agreement and blushed slightly. Usagi gave her
a rather halfhearted smile and pointed at the scar on her throat.
The girl looked confused for a moment and then her eyes went wide.
"What? That was the guy?!"
The blonde nodded once and turned back to her fellow senshi.
"After he did it, Usagi lost her powers," explained Makoto. "We've
run into him a few times, but he always manages to escape. He's fast
and strong too, a master martial artist. I've seen him do things with
an iron pole you wouldn't believe."
"This is like some sort of spy novel!" cried Umino as he stared at
the others sitting with him.
"I thought he was just some scam artist, or it was a joke. I'd
never have done it if I knew..." muttered Mitoki.
Naru and Umino looked at each other and wondered what the hell
their friends had gotten themselves into. Almost as one, they seemed
to realize that they were involved as well.
++++++++++++++++++
Carrot stood staring at Queen Serenity, a cold scowl on his face
as he bowed before her. His eyes were cold and hard, and his hand was
on the hilt of a sword that was shoved aside to accommodate his
kneeling.
"You have returned?" said the woman in a stately tone.
"It went well," he replied calmly.
"Good. Take your leave," said the woman as she nodded.
Carrot looked down at the sword at his side. "I have it!" he
thought to himself as he stared into the ruby eyes of the dragon's
head that was carved into the hilt. He walked out of the Queen's
throne room and into the great hallway that lead into the room. "After
years of searching. I have found it. Now I can..."
"Oh! You've returned!" said a feminine voice he could not place.
He slowly turned and found himself in the embrace of a woman. Her
breasts squeezed against his chest and her chin rested on his
shoulder. He didn't know who she was, but she was familiar. A memory
that he should easily remember, but could not. Her hair was...
+++++++++++++++++++
Carrot sat up from his nap and frowned as he rubbed his eyes.
"Okay. This is getting really annoying."
Luna stared at him dumbly. She had been curled up in his lap as he
slept.
"Pardon?"
"Are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" muttered the cat as she frowned at him.
"I'm having dreams about the Silver Millenium. I know for a fact I
don't have a past life in the Silver Millenium."
"Well, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about,"
grumbled the cat as she curled up again.
"Damn. It had better not be Setsuna screwing with my head." Carrot
paused, he had no idea what the woman wanted with him, and was fairly
certain that the times he had seen her were not hallucinations now.
Exactly what she was doing, or what she wanted was still a mystery. He
glanced down at Luna and frowned. "Get up, I'm not sleeping anymore."
She hopped off him and muttered irritably as she moved off to
another corner.
He stood up and walked into the office area of the clinic. Gia was
examining an elderly lady who had her shirt pulled up over her head.
Carrot frowned at the sight and continued walking, picking up a
cup of cold coffee that was sitting on one of the counters as he
walked by. "I'm going out again."
"You just got back," said Gia as she frowned at the look he got on
his face.
"Yeah. Well I don't exactly envy your position right now either,"
he commented as he walked out the door.
The old woman was frozen in place with a huge blush on her face as
she watched him leave. Gia turned back just in time to see her cover
her breasts and scream loudly. She put her head into her hands and
sighed. "Why me?"
++++++++++++++++++
Mei Lin smiled cheerfully as she lugged the huge bag of camera
equipment behind her new mentor. People were bustling about in the
chilly weather and going from booth to booth in the small fair.
"I don't believe this. That asshole sticks me on some crummy
shithole festival. There's real news out there, and I'm stuck here
with you. Just because you need to get your 'feet wet'." The man
frowned sourly at the girl behind him and continued to complain as
they walked.
The teen merely smiled at him cheerfully and ignored the ranting.
It was a rather nice festival in her opinion. There was a lot to see,
even if she couldn't really stop to enjoy the attractions. She held
one of the three cameras ready in her hand and glanced around. "It's
not so bad. You should enjoy the atmosphere."
"I could be enjoying the atmosphere of a national convention, or
sitting in the mayors office asking him about jobs in the city, or..."
The man trailed off and looked up in the air. "What the hell is that?"
Mei Lin shrugged. Japanese festivals were weird. She raised her
camera and started taking photos.
+++++++++++++++++
The Goblin stared down at the crowd below him with his grin fixed
as he surveyed the specks of humanity below him. "Ha. First rule of
hunting, don't go to your prey, when you can make it come to you!" He
swooped through the air, performing several loops as he spun down
towards the ground. A large gathering would work nicely. Luckily for
him, there was one just below. His insane smile widened as an orange
ball of light formed in his hand as he buzzed the crowd and swooped
over their heads. "Heh. Perfect!"
He turned in mid-air and tossed the ball of flame in his hand into
one of the small booths of the festival. "Come out! I'll get you my
pretties! And that little boy too! Bwahahahahahahaaa!"
The booth exploded in flames and the crowd began to stampede. The
thing circled the festival in the air and continued to lob the balls
of flame into the crowd and structures. Each one had a tiny ghoulish
grin on it, like that of a Jack-o-lantern.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Carrot walked down the sidewalk again with his hands in his
pockets. He knew he'd have to lay low for a little while again. The
senshi's first reaction would probably be to hunt him down and kill
him again. After they managed to cool down some they might see reason
and leave him alone. He doubted it though, especially with as much as
he knew. Still, there was some comfort in being able to hold it over
their heads. He knew his problems were far from over anyway, that
little stint of evil did a world of good for his mood though.
A wry grin cracked on his features and he paused in front of an
electronics store. He blinked and looked at the image on the screen.
"Some sort of sentai thing?" It was a monster attacking some sort of.
He blinked as he realized he recognized that thing. "Green Goblin?
What the?"
That was when he noticed the caption on the bottom of the screen.
"Breaking News! Channel 5 Live!"
The image shrank and an anchor appeared on the screen. It was an
anchor he'd seen before, reporting the news. He put his hands on the
glass to steady himself. Most of the senshi were grounded or otherwise
under close watch from their parents. "Oh shit."
He slowly raised his eyes to stare at the tiny frozen picture of
the monster. "Damn. I knew this Spiderman thing was a bad idea."
+++++++++++++++++++
Okay. You really hate me this time. ^_^
TBC...