Fan Fiction / Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Yamato Gun IV ❯ Going Under ( Chapter 1 )

"Blurring and Stirring the truth and the lies, so I don't know
what's real and what's not..."

The scene is the Crown Arcade. Makoto is waiting for Ami, who said she was going to be there at about 4:30.

Makoto glanced at the clock on the wall as she sipped her drink. The time ticked over to 4:20. "She should be here any time soon..." She said to nobody in particular. "Speak of the devil... Hi, Ami!" she got up, drink in hand, and walked over to meet her blue-haired friend.

"Hi, Makoto!" Ami said.

"How's life treating you today?"

"Same as usual... though it looks like it'll get worse, since it's forecasting rain-"

"Hi, Mako-chan!"

Both Ami and Makoto turned to see Ami walking through the doors of the arcade.

Again.

She walked over to the two and said "Hi, Ami, I didn't know you were going to be heee..." before realizing what she was saying and blinking in confusion. "That's me!"

"That would be you. Although you look a lot like you too." Makoto said in confusion, still staring at the Ami that just walked in the door but motioning to the first Ami. "That's funny, I didn't remember ordering any Long Island with this Iced Tea." She glanced down into her glass.

"I should hope I'm me. Have been all my life." The first Ami said.

"Me too!" The second Ami said.

"What's going on!" Both Amis said at the same time.

"Ok, ok, let's figure this out. Either of you remember meeting a mad scientist in your travels?"

"No." Both Amis said.

"Either of you remember attempting some kind of cloning device?"

"No."

"What about another alternate universe?" The second Ami suggested.

"What?" Makoto said confusedly.

"Like the DigiDestined. The other universes. Only this time it's the 'North American' version of Sailor Moon or something."

"Uh, me? You're doing a great job of confusing the heck out of me."

"Oh. So you're not a cloned me."

"Not if you understood what you just said, no."

"Alternate universes." Ami One said to Makoto before turning to Ami Two. "Apparently we're an anime show."

"We are? When did this happen?"

"Well, in both your and my universes it didn't. We're an anime show in every other alternate universe, as is Sakura and Tomoyo of Card Captor Sakura fame, the DigiDestined of Digimon and Raynor of the American PC game known as StarCraft."

"Oh. So these are real people and real worlds?"

"And they just happen to sync up with a completely fictional show or game in every universe they're not in. Weird, isn't it?"

"Truly." Ami Two said before shaking her head, as if to get the cobwebs out.

"You alright?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. I'm... just-just trying to get my head around this."

"Ah. Well, now that we know what's happening, for the most part..." Makoto said, getting out her Senshi communicator. "...I'll page Raynor and we'll go from there." She said, pressing several buttons as she did.

"Raynor got us back the last time, when me and Usagi were unceremoniously dumped into the StarCraft universe with no way of getting back." Ami One explained.

"I see. Think he'll be able to help me?" Ami Two asked.

"Definitely."

"’Lo." Raynor answered from the communicator. "You've got horrible timing."

"'Lo to you too. Why is that?"

"I'm in the holodeck in a kind of R&R program I've had going for the better part of the last six months and over two ships. But no matter, just so long as it's warranted."

"It's warranted, believe me. We've got a little paradox happening here."

"Like?"

"Like I'm looking at two Ami Mizunos."

Raynor's image blinked. "You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding."

"No, I'm not."

"Copies?"

"No, only one knows of your universe. The original Ami and I figure some vortex deposited this one here or something."

"Somehow I doubt that. The universe is a lot more ordered than it seems.”

“Protoss wisdom?”

“Terran observation." Raynor replied with a grin. "Anyway, you and the Ami that doesn't belong come here, I'll page Zeratul, and hopefully we'll get this sorted out."

"Will do. Be there in fifteen. Mako out."

Makoto turned to the two Amis. "Alright then, Ami Two, come with me. We're going to go see Raynor, he can sort this-"

Makoto's communicator blipped. "-Out." She finished flatly as she flipped it open. "Forget something, Raynor?"

Rei appeared on the screen. "Do I look anything like Raynor?"

"Sorry, I just talked with him. So what's up?"

"You up for solving a little mystery?"

"I've got one of my own at the moment."

"Really? Is it as weird as a clone of both me and Venus?"

"Actually, yes. I've got a Mercury clone here."

"Greeeat." came the sarcastic reply. "Bring her here, Moon's got her own clone too and she's coming here."

"Alright. What about my clone?"

"We'll copy that bridge when we come to it. For the time being, we'll just try to figure out what's happening without the box set. Your girl know why she's there?"

"No, and actually that's why I paged Raynor. He's expecting me and the clone Merc there. "

"Oh. Well, come here anyway, we'll all go there from here... uh, Jupiter?"

"Yeah?"

"Your clone just walked up the steps of the shrine. So much for not having the box set."

"Well, at least we don't have to go looking for me."

"Yeah. I just hope there isn't anybody else cloned. Mars out."

"What's this about clones?" Makoto Two said through the communicator before it cut out.

¯¯¯---

Raynor looked at his watch. "She said she'd be here now. Although I suppose any number of things could happen with two of the same person walking beside you..." He said, mostly to himself, as the rest of the Conference Room was empty.

A flash of light momentarily blinded him. Ah. There she is. Raynor thought. Though next time I should really remember some sunglasses.

When the flash of light faded, the five Senshi and their clones stood in the conference room. "Are you people in meitosis or what! I thought it was just Ami!" Raynor said when he noticed it wasn't just Makoto and Ami's clone standing there.

"That was before I found out Usagi had her clone and Rei had the other three at the shrine." Ami One replied.

"I see. So is there any way to differentiate you five from the clones?"

"Well, Ami Two and Usagi Two don't have the eye thing..."

"What eye thing?" Usagi Two asked.

"Me and Ami have this coloring in our eyes. I have yellowish eyes and Ami, bluish ones." Usagi One replied.

"But I never noticed anything."

"We think only people who have the colored eyes can actually see it."

"Anyway, Makoto Two's in the green dress." Makoto One said.

"Rei Two's in her, my, whatever, shrine uniform." Rei One said.

"And Minako Two has the sunglasses." Minako One said. "Nice ones, too. I've got great taste, don't I?" This made the rest of the Senshi, clone and Original, laugh.

"Maybe you could recommend a pair to me the next time I have to be here when you DigiPort in. Any of the clones remember how they got to the Originals' universe?"

"Nope." came the chorus from the five Clones.

"Well, I guess if Zeratul has the programs set up we should be able to get you five back to your universe or universes without any trouble."

"What programs?" Ami One asked.

"Zeratul said he was going to make a Scanner subroutine that told us what universe the scanee was from, as well as a Transporter program that transported people a la DigiPorting to another universe, no D-3 required."

At that point Zeratul walked in the door. "En Taro Adun, Raynor, Senshi... and copies. Raynor, did you not say there was only a second Ami?"

"En Taro Adun." The Original Senshi and Raynor chorused. The clone senshi followed suit, stumbling over the unfamiliar syllables.

"They found more." Raynor explained.

"Ah. It is fortunate we have completed the programs, then."

"Excellent! You've got the Scanner with the program on it?"

Zeratul handed Raynor a Tricorder-like device. "More Star Trek references." Ami observed.

"Science Fiction is often the basis for Science Fact." Raynor said, getting up and facing Minako Two. "This won't hurt a bit."

Raynor pointed the Scanner at Minako Two, pressed a few buttons, and moved it in front of her from her head to the ground. "Ow!" Minako Two joked as the scan was being performed.

The Scanner blipped when it had the results in. "...Says here Multiverse 20080514... Universe... 28090519420."

He repeated this with the other four copy Senshi, which got the same result. "Well, that's simple enough to fix then. To the transporter room."

The twelve of them walked out onto the bridge, then went to the Turbolift. "This thing only holds six people at a time, so how about me and the Clones go first, then Zeratul and the Senshi take the next one?"

"That is fine." Zeratul replied.

"Fine by us." Makoto One added.

"Alright. Senshi Two, right this way."

The five Clones walked forward and onto the Turbolift with Raynor. "Transporter room." Raynor said as the doors closed.

"Just out of curiosity, how were you able to make a program for a Terran Scanner?" Ami asked. "I mean, wouldn't it be a different operating system and program language and, well, written language?"

"You underestimate the technological advancement of the Protoss, young Ami." Zeratul replied. "We have created programs designed solely to convert and reverse-engineer program languages and OSs. If need be, we could incorporate the D3's function as DigiPort Link to your Senshi Communicator, as well as nearly anything else."

"Well, you lost the rest of us at about 'technological advancement'," Rei said, "but don't worry about trying to explain it."

"To put it at its most basic, we can manipulate computer programs very easily."

"Oh." Rei, Usagi, and Makoto said.

"So what's the name of the operating system you-ow-use?" Minako said before starting to blink rapidly and rub her eyes, along with Makoto and Rei.

"Are you three alright?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, I'm Ok..." Makoto said. "I just got something in my eye or... something."

"Or your eyes are finally changing." Usagi said. "It was the same for Raynor."

"But not you?"

"Nope. Didn't feel a thing."

"Not conciously, anyway." Ami added.

"So do we have colored eyes now?" Rei asked, as she stopped blinking.

"Yeah, yours are red... Makoto's are green, and Minako's are orange."

"Cool." Minako said. "I just hope my parents don't notice."

"My mom hasn't yet." Ami said. "I think only we DigiDestined can see it."

"That explains it." Zeratul said.

"Explains what?"

"Why I have no idea what the five of you are talking about."

"I thought you'd be a DigiDestined, seeing as you are like the leader of the Dark Templar now, and at least the most powerful," Rei said. "Strange."

"Perhaps my time simply has yet to come."

The turbolift doors opened again and the six stepped in. "So you could convert Mac programs into PC Programs?" Makoto asked.

"Without a doubt."

"He could also convert it into Protoss." Ami added.

"Oh." Makoto said, sweatdropping and chuckling nervously. "That was kinda dumb of me, wasn't it?"

"Just a little." Usagi said.

"Have you been under many Psionic Storms lately?" Zeratul said, making the five Senshi laugh.

"Well, that was unexpected." Ami said.

"Am I not allowed to make jokes because I am Protoss?" Zeratul said in obvious mock anger. "We have senses of humour also, you know. We just choose to use it sparingly."

The doors opened and the six walked out into the transporter room where the Senshi Two were already in the transport chambers. "Hi." Raynor greeted the group. "Hey, you three finally got the eye thing. Excellent. Anyway, these five are all set in their chambers." He turned dramatically to the clones. "Any last words?"

"I knew this didn't look like a transporter chamber." Makoto Two joked.

"My mom always said never to trust strangers, but did I listen? Nooo..." Minako Two added.

"As good Last Words as any. Executioner Schezar, you may fire when ready."

"Hell, if I knew you were going to do that I would have gotten my Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come costume. Ah well, hindsight's 20/20." Schezar said as he pressed a few buttons and the clones disappeared.

"So why are we here?" Ami said.

"Witnesses." Raynor said, then dropped the joke. "I figured I'd kill ten birds with five stones and transport you five back to where you were."

"Oh. Thanks."

"So where were you all?"

"Me, Minako and Usagi were at the Shrine." Rei replied. "And... Mako and Ami were... Mako's apartment?"

"Crown arcade." Makoto corrected.

"Oh. There, then."

"Alright. You got that, Schezar?" Raynor said over his shoulder.

"Programmed and ready." Schezar replied. "One through three go to the shrine, four and five go to the arcade's side entrance."

"Why the side entrance?" Usagi asked.

"Oh, I forgot. Appearing out of thin air is common in your universe."

"I knew that." Usagi said, chuckling nervously and sweatdropping.

Schezar smiled. "So long as you don't have to program one of these things."

"Hey... that hurt."

"Now now, children, play nice." Raynor said.

Usagi stuck her tongue out at Schezar as she and the rest of the Senshi went into the transporter booths. "Beam us up, Scotty." Minako said. "Sorry, always wanted to say that."

"Perfectly alright... you're just going to burn in Hell for it." Schezar said.

"How's about I just singe her for you?" Rei suggested.

"Can I order the Extra Crispy recipe?"

"Sorry, can't do that to a close friend. Original only."

About a second later everyone in the room burst into laughter. "You people are too much, I'm sending you out of here." Schezar laughed, pressing a couple of buttons on the panel. The Senshi were still laughing when they disappeared from their booths.

"Man, I've never seen you do a back-and-forth like that." Raynor said. "You'd be a good comedian."

"Yeah, well, I'll save it for peacetime." Schezar replied as they both walked out of the transporter room.