fdb@jhk.com (Warthog)
Sailor Moon 1.02T1
(The Trechcoat-Mask Episodes cut from the N.A. Dub)
Part 1 (Introductions are in order.)
After a full evening of teaching at cram school, I'm beat. To
top it off, the weather is cold and wet tonight so I have to wear
my heavy trench-coat. In Atlanta, where I'm from, it hardly ever
snows much less gets this miserable. "Why am I here?" I mutter to
myself. When I picked up the paper one morning about six weeks
ago, on impulse, I turned to the classifieds. I was perfectly
happy where I was working but for some reason I looked. Strange,
it wasn't something I wanted to do, it was something I had to do.
I skipped over the jobs that paid more and stopped at a really odd
one: "International Education Corp. Seeks CS teachers for Japan."
It seems some big multinational couldn't find enough computer
science talent in Tokyo of all places. (I later found out why.)
I was proficient in Japanese, (in my field, my vocabulary on other
matters is quite limited.) so I decided to see a bit of the world.
My fingers seemed to already know the number as I dialed it. I
don't know why I pursued this job like my life depended on it, but
I did. Coming here and teaching, though, seems to be only half the
story. Something is going to happen but I don't know what or when.
I just feel I'm supposed to be here. How odd it is to find myself
thinking that way.
At last the train pulls up and I can get out of this drafty
station. Because it's so late the car has only a few people aboard
when I step on. A few factory workers, and salary men doze in some
of the seats. The cold wet weather must be keeping most everyone
else indoors. I notice several young men who got in the other door
start to cluster around a young woman at the far end of the car.
Not too unusual in this teeming metropolis of Tokyo, except that
the girl in question has short, dark blue hair. I have her in one
of the early cram-school computer classes I teach. What is her
name, Muzumo? Muzui? She is sort of hunched over next to the door
with her back to me in a rather defensive posture. The punks, for
that's what they are, have almost cartoonish leers on their faces.
Little wonder what they have in mind. Strange thing is, she will
probably take a manhandling in silence to avoid embarrassing
herself to the other passengers. Face is so important to the
Japanese.
First impulse is to shout a hello to Ami and glare at these
hentai so they move off. I'm slightly over six feet, not very tall
in Atlanta but a veritable giant here. With my grey fedora and
black trench-coat, I look even more imposing. (Winters are cold
and wet here.) Nah! I decide to play the ragin' gaijin full
force. Transferring my umbrella in the same hand as my brief case,
I free up my good hand sinister. A habit of mine, acquired in
college, is to squeeze one of those grip strengthener thingies
while waiting for the computer to finish compiling. And I compile
a lot of code. When you can crush one of those steel Supporo beer
cans in your fist, ya' got braggin' rights. The shorter better
dressed one is probably the leader, so he is my target. Let's see
what happens when I turn the tables on him. Before they can lay a
hand on my little student, I reach out and touch someone.
Grabbing the leader's left butt cheek, I give it a gentle
squeeze; gentle as in brick crushing. He's so startled he drops
his manga. His head whips around like I jabbed him with a cattle
prod. I've got my best pervert face on for him: glassy unfocused
eyes, idiot grin, a little slobber out of one corner of the mouth.
Just in case he's slow, I wink at him and blow him a kiss. Hah!
How do you like it punk? His friends are concentrating on Ami so
they see none of this. Remember what I said about face? He's got
two choices, either call in his friends and prepare to fight or
flee with muscle in tow. If he calls them in he's got to admit
what just happened. He'd never hear the end of it! He elbows his
friends slightly and with a jerk of his head they quietly move off.
I scoop up his book, my Katikana is kind of weak but I make out the
title: "Confessions of a Subway Molester". Humph! In some ways
the Japanese mind is straight out of the dark ages. I read about
this one in the L.A. Times, it was a best seller.* And people say
American popular literature is in the toilet. I set down my
briefcase and umbrella and rip his funny-book in half. Tearing a
paperback in half is not really any great shakes; if you first
break the spine it's actually kinda' easy. But it sure looks
impressive. The trio moves off a little more briskly. Since I
recycle, I stuff the halves in the pocket of my trench-coat.
(* No joke, "Confessions of a Subway Molester" was a million seller
manga. )
Ami is still braced, eyes closed tight, fists clenched. Not
a word has been said, and the whole thing took less than thirty
seconds; she probably thinks those three jokers are still behind
her. I reach out and tap her on the shoulder. Big mistake. She
isn't tensed up to take it, she's tensed up to fight! Her blind
punch catches me in the solar plexus. Good shot! Not much force
behind it, she is a dainty little thing after all, but she hits me
where it will do the most damage. The air whooshes out of me and
I reflexively snap forward a little. This causes me to bang my
head on the bar the passenger straps hang from. I recoil and take
a step backwards as my hand goes up to rub my injured forehead. My
own briefcase trips me up and I start to fall backwards.
"Oh no!" Ami exclaims, eyes as wide as saucers in horror, as
she realizes she has just punched her computer teacher in the
stomach and reaches out to keep me from falling. I grab her hand
to steady myself. Since she weighs maybe ninety pounds at most, I
just succeed in pulling her down with me. Landing badly, my head
slams on the floor. My vision goes tunnel for a second to be
punctuated by the sharp pain of Ami's head butting me in the nose.
"Ouch..." (Actually, the Japanese equivalent which is sort of
like, "Aye-yah".) I say, stifling the vocabulary I picked up as a
Navy second looie on Okinawa, ( you learn all the local swear words
in the service). "Oh, my goodness!" Ami exclaims in her curiously
accented Japanese, "are you all right Sensei-Davis?" That is
followed by a string of red faced, non-stop apology as she quickly
gets up off me. I stare at the roof of the subway car for a moment
taking stock of the damage. In the background I can hear the punks
laughing fit to die. Bruised ego and a slight headache, not too
bad, but that's what I get for playing knight in shining armor.
"Please let me help you up," she says as she takes my hand.
Big mistake. Just as I am about on my feet, the train jerks to a
halt and I fall back down again. Pulling her, of course, back down
on top of me again. She reflexively tries to stop her fall with
her free hand and stiff-arms me in the neck. "Gack!" I gack.
It's a good thing she is the delicate flower of young womanhood
that she is, otherwise that might have really hurt. She snaps her
hand away causing her to land bodily on top of me again. I just
lay there with her stretched out on me as she shamedly covers her
face with her hands and says, "Oh!ImsorryImsorryImsorry..." ad.
infinitum.
"Ahem!" Someone clears their throat noisily from the door. It
is a couple of girls about Ami's age, both with very surprised and
shocked looks on their faces.. "Are we interrupting anything?"
The one with long black hair asks. "We can come back later if you
are busy." Ami goes from red faced to crimson to deep maroon and
stammers incoherently as she scrambles up. "Clumsy me," I say
sitting up, "the train came to a sudden halt and Ami-chan tried to
keep this inept one from tripping over his own fat feet." (I sure
hope what I'm saying comes across better than I think. Speaking in
my less than perfect Japanese probably makes me sound like a dork.)
"Sadly, my colossal clumsiness overcame inertia and down she went
too." "Yes," Ami agrees gratefully. I guess she's glad I didn't
mention that she punched me in the gut to her friends. "He's my
sensei from cram school," she continues, "Mr. Davis. He teaches
computer."
Ami and the first one pull me to my feet. The train jerks as
it accelerates, but we all remain standing. "Nuts! That was my
stop," I say as we pull out of the station. A sharp stabbing pain
in my leg causes me to jump and give a small yelp. The one with
long blond hair done up in two odd pony tails jabbed me with my own
umbrella while trying to pick it up. "Usagi! You're such a
klutz!" The one with long black hair shouts at blondie as she
snatches my umbrella away. Wow, what a temper on that one.
Absently she thrusts it into my hands as she continues to berate
her companion, "why can't you do a simple act without making a
disaster of it?"
Usagi doesn't take this too well and starts to sniffle, "Oh
Rei, You're so mean." "Er I'm all right," I say tying to preempt
the eminent flood of tears." I smile at Usagi and she abruptly
changes expression and smiles back. "See Rei? Mr. Davis doesn't
think I'm clumsy," she says to her dark haired companion. "That's
'cause he hasn't known you long enough." Rei shoots back.
"Please," Ami pleads as peacemaker, "I'm embarrassed enough as it
is." "Yeah," Rei continues railing at Usagi, "Why'd you have to go
and embarrass Ami?" "Me?" Usagi says, "You're the one picking a
fight you... oh you..." She glares daggers at Rei and sticks her
tongue out at her. Rei reciprocates and they sort of lock in that
position of mutually exchanging raspberries. Such is their ire, I
can almost see lightning flashing back and forth between them.
"Sensei Davis," Ami says bowing her head forward and puffing
out a sigh of embarrassment, "these are my friends, Hino Rei and
Tsukino Usagi." "A pleasure," I say giving a slight bow. Rei does
the oddest thing, though. She stares at me, hard and straight,
without blinking. It is not a threatening stare, however, but one
that takes the measure of the person observed. Meeting her gaze,
I stare back in the same fashion. She is a very self-confident
young lady to be so bold with strangers. I wonder what it is that
has made her so mistrustful. The others become nervous at the
extended silence and seem to contemplate someway to break us up.
Apparently Rei sees something in me that strikes a sour note with
her because she abruptly turns away and looks out the window.
The other two share a glance that sort of says, "what's her
problem?" Usagi takes it upon herself to cover for the perceived
rudeness of her friend and says, "Er...So where did you learn to
speak Japanese?" "I was stationed on Okinawa during my time in the
Navy," I answer, "I was in communication. We had to coordinate
with the locals a lot. I seemed to have a knack for it." "You
speak better than a lot of gaijin," Usagi says complimenting me.
Then, realizing the slight, her arm whips around and scratches the
back of her head and she hurriedly adds, "Er, no offense, Davis-
san." Her hand clumsily tips the brim of my hat, knocking it off
my head. "Er, sorry..." she says embarrassed. "It's all right,"
I say as I go to pick it up.
When I bend to retrieve my hat, a flash of movement draws my
attention to the half-open, oversized handbag Usagi has slung over
her shoulder. I look at the dark shadows under the flap and a pair
of yellow eyes stare back out at me. I raise an eyebrow and ask,
"Isn't it a little cruel to carry him around that way?" "Oh!"
Usagi exclaims following my gaze, "that's Luna." She unzips the
bag and a black cat with a curious marking on its forehead sticks
his head out of the stuffy handbag. "They won't let me take her on
the subway openly." "Aw, poor kitty," I say and give Luna a
scratch in the small of her back right at the spot that cats just
can't quite reach. She arches her back and it sort of sounds like
he says, "Mmmph, ahhh, Meow." I could almost swear she smiles.
"You ladies shouldn't be out so late all alone," I say,
"People say strange things are going on in Tokyo nights." They
look a little startled at my pronouncement. "Oh," Usagi says
nervously, "we're just going to check out..." "We're on our way
home," Rei quickly interrupts. Hmm, beyond my stop the train
continues through a factory district, a shopping district and then
on out to the airport. I doubt that there are many houses around
there. They must be on their way to meet some boys or something.
Ami backs up her friends assertion and adds, "besides you can't
believe every rumor you hear." "Yeah!" Usagi agrees hurriedly,
"all those stories about demons and monsters can't be true. Heh,
heh. " Strange, how did she know I was thinking about demons?
"Actually, that's how I got my job at your cram school, Ami.
There was some incident that scared a lot of people off." Ami acts
a little nervous as I tell my story. "One night a lot of people
complained about disorientation, weakness, hallucinations. The
corporation that owns the school had to advertise overseas to get
teachers. Seems no one local would work there anymore. The
official story was a gas leak but that doesn't explain why so many
people consistently reported the same thing: life sucking aliens,
and battles between angles and demons." When I heard this it was
no wonder no one would work there. Orientals, as a culture, take
their spirits very serously. "Angels?" Usagi asks with an oddly,
pleased expression. "Yes," I continue, "People say two angels
chased off or destroyed a demon." For reasons I can't fathom,
Usagi looks smugly over at Rei. Rei just rolls her eyes and
snorts. "A lot of teachers quit and many students transferred or
dropped out," Turning to my student I ask, "Did you hear anything
about it Ami?"
She looks down evasively when she answers, "I haven't asked
around. Studying keeps me pretty busy. Do you believe the
stories?" It's interesting how she changed the subject away from
herself. "I don't know. I kind of think they're true," I answer.
"If you think that something strange is happened then why do you
still work there?" Rei asks directly.
I really don't know how do answer that simply. "Do you
believe in destiny?" I ask, suddenly feeling as if I can open up
a little to them. It surprises me when it is Usagi who answers me.
With the clearest conviction I have ever heard, she simply says
"yes." Her eyes are clear and bright almost as if she can see what
lies ahead. "Somehow," I say, "fate has brought me here." There
is a bit of a pause before Rei suggests, "Maybe you should come by
my temple for a reading. I'm a priestess at a the Hinto shrine.
Maybe we can offer you some guidance on omens and fate." Great, I
think to myself, a holy-roller looking for converts. "Maybe I
will," I answer noncommittally.
The train pulls evenly into the station at the next stop.
"Well," I say, "I've got to get off here and go back to my stop.
You girls be careful." A blast of cold air enters the car when the
doors open. "There's something in the air tonight." "Don't
worry," Usagi answers confidently, "we can take care of ourselves."
"No doubt you can," I answer, "but still be careful." The door
closes on any further conversation as the train starts out of the
station. They suddenly seem agitated for some reason, and Rei
holds up my brief case. Doh! I left it on board. I slap my
forehead at my stupidity. Big mistake. My headache comes back
with a vengeance. Ami motions to me that she will return it later
as I watch them pull out of sight.
With a sigh, I go to the other platform and wait for the
train that will take me back to my stop. This station is in the
center of a factory district so it's deserted this time of night.
I feel quite alone as I wait on the drafty platform. It's a full
moon tonight and quite chilly. I flip the collar of my Trench-coat
up and shove my hands in my pockets to keep them warm. I discover
that I still have the punk's torn manga. Good thing that didn't
fall out of my pockets while the girls were around. I wouldn't
want them to think I was some kind of pervert or something. "The
japanese word for pervert is spelled "H-e-n-t-a-i" the school marm
portion of my brain recites. I walk over toward the bin near the
stairs to put it with the rest of the trash.
As I go, the sound of running footsteps echo throughout the
station. I look around for the source but it's hard to pinpoint
it. Then I hear a snarl, sort of like a wild animal, several
grunts and then a cry of anguish. It's coming from the other side
of the platform, not far from the tunnel entrance. It sounds like
someone is being mugged. Since this is Japan, it would be unlikely
that the assailant is armed with a gun. So, gripping my umbrella,
I charge over to help out. Coming around the corner of the stairs
leading up and out, I see them. There are two: some guy in formal
evening wear is being mugged by some guy in traditional japanese
dress. The guy in the tuxedo has apparently taken a hit because he
goes down, a puddle of blood forming at his feet. I'm a head
taller than his attacker so I confidently yell, "Hey you! Back
off!"
Then she turns around and... it's a demon! No, not a western
demon: like a cross between a lizard and a line backer, An eastern
demon: sort of like a cross between a bear and a kabuki dancer.
But this kabuki dancer has six inch long nails that glitter in the
light like knives. A grin splits her frog-like mouth and drool
cascades over her wickedly pointy, needle-like teeth. Frozen by
the sight of her, I don't even move as she brings a clawed hand
around like a scythe to eviscerate me. She strikes me pretty hard
in the gut and I get knocked backwards by the force of the blow.
Strangely I'm still in one piece as I land flat on my back. The
demon looks surprised at the lack of blood and entrails so she
dives on me to finish me off. More by accident than design, my
foot comes up and catches Kabuki here, in the stomach. Her
momentum catapults her over my head and onto the subway tracks.
She twists like a cat in the air and deftly lands on her feet...
right on the third rail! She gives a bone chilling howl as the
electricity growls like a hungry animal and consumes her. To my
amazement, she doesn't convulse and burn like any other living
creature but turns grey, like a statue, before she crumbles into a
pile of dust. A gust of wind from the tunnel blows what is left of
her away.
I struggle up to go see if I can help the guy. As I go, the
remains of the shredded manga dribble out of my torn open pocket.
If I hadn't taken it from those punks and had it double thickness,
I'd be dead now. What irony: saved by hard core pornography. The
guy in the tuxedo looks pretty rough as he lays in the corner next
to the news rack. He grips his right thigh, his blood staining his
white gloves. Looks like the kabuki-demon hit the femoral artery.
I've had some first aid classes so I know what this guy needs is a
tourniquet and fast. He starts to struggle up, but I push him back
down and manage to say in my stilted Japanese, "Don't worry, pal,
everything is okay." Geeze, there sure is a lot of blood. I pull
the belt off my trench coat, wrap it around his leg several times
and tie it off. I need something to use as a lever to tighten it
down. There, his cane is the perfect thing. He grimaces in pain
as I twist the cane around a couple of times. The bleeding stops
on the third twist, so I rip up his pants leg and tie it off. Not
pretty, but it will hold him until an ambulance arrives. "Now,
just stay here," I say as start to get up, "I'm going to call for
help."
With a look of fanatical determination, he starts to get up
again. I have trouble translating as he gasps out, "Have to help
the senshi... in danger... Have to protect... her," I push him
back down and lapse into english, "Look, don't move or you could
loosen the tourniquet and start to bleed again. Whatever party you
were going to, you can miss. Unless you stay right there while I
get a doctor you are going to die! Do you SAVVY?!" He is pale
and trembling; he realizes he is not going anywhere and he reaches
out to me pleadingly. In english he says, "Will you help them?"
He searches my eyes for something and adds, "please?" Part of me
wants to run from him like the devil himself another wants to
embrace him like a long lost brother.
The rational side wins; I jerk my hand away before he can grab
my wrist. "Oh no you don't!" I exclaim, "This is like one of those
melodramas on t.v. You, the hero, can't fulfill his duties due to
injury. So he passes the torch to someone else." Tuxedo-boy has
a very surprised look on his face at my analysis. "Well, yer' not
stickin' me with fightin' things like that kabuki-demon, pal. I'm
just gonna' go call a doctor, load you on the ambulance, and catch
the first flight back to the good ol' U.S. of A! Destiny be
damned!" He makes a grab for my hand and I snap to a standing
position. Big mistake. My head creams the underside of the
concrete stairway. (Must be my night for head injuries.) Sight
contracts to a pinpoint and I feel myself fall forward. Then, like
the roar of a river, a babble of the voices, each different from
the rest, begins to fill my head. Strange thing is, the voices are
all my own. He catches my hand and I remember...
Part 2 (Flashback)
He catches my hand and I remember when making a jump like that
was a lot easier. "Careful, cousin, " Prince Endimon chides in a
low voice as he pulls me to the top of the wall, "you're getting
soft in your old age." Having just passed out of my youth, he
knows that cracks about my age bug the hell out of me. "Soft in
the head you mean," I hiss back at him. "We should be safely on
board the H.M.S. Nemesis right now on our way back to Earth. The
armies of Beryl are not going to wait forever while you romance the
Moon princess. Why, I have half a mind to knock you on the head
and toss you over my shoulder, right now! Your father would back
me up on such action." "Please, Ferrite" the prince is suddenly
serious, he rarely calls me by my title, "Just this one last time.
I might not ever get a chance to see her again. An hour or two
won't make that much difference." I sigh. Ah, to be so in love;
I envy my young cousin. The elder Endimon said I was to obey
Prince Endimon so long as he stayed out of danger. I was also to
prevent his son from doing anything too stupid, like carrying off
Serenity's daughter and eloping, or some such.
Things were really made more complicated by yesterday's secret
communique that Jadeite made an attempt on King Endimon's life.
While the king is getting on in years, he's still quite good with
a sabre. The elder Endimon was unscratched while Jadeite was lucky
to have escaped at all. Since the other three guardians are
missing, we can only assume that Zoicite, Nephrite and Kunzite have
either turned traitor or have been captured by Beryl's agents.
Because of similar incidents with spies of the Dark Kingdom here on
the moon, everyone from Earth is suspect. There's even been a few
arrests of Earth nationals in some cases.
Which is the reason we are leaping the wall at the Moon
palace. Queen Serenity is holding a masked ball in honor of her
daughter's birthday and coming of age. Invited are guests from the
noble houses of the planets, moons and asteroids. They're also on
the Moon to discuss the war on Earth and to plot strategy. Endimon
and I were at the embassy getting ready to depart when he hit on
this crazy scheme to sneak inside and see his princess one last
time. His father is quite pleased with Endimon's relationship to
Serena and gave secret orders to me, the least powerful of
Endimon's guardians, to do anything in my power to facilitate their
eventual union. (And incidentally, bind the two most powerful
houses in the solar system by blood.) A last visit might be the
glue that will hold Princess Serena and Prince Endymion's romance
together during a long separation. And since the tide of the war
with Beryl suddenly turned against us, it looks like it is going to
be a long one. I just hope this little excursion doesn't end up in
the queen's dungeon. The Nemesis sails at midnight and it could be
months before we can get another ship out.
Eluding the guards has been fairly easy, so far. Once we got
inside the wall, we blend in with the other guests as we make our
way to the palace. I don't how the King did it, but some how he
obtained a Lunar disguise wand. (The Mages of the moon are quite
loath to part with their artifacts. I suspect no small amount of
blackmail was involved somewhere.) We used it to change our
uniforms into formal evening wear, Endymion is in a tuxedo and
cape, complete with top hat and cane. I have taken a more
conservative route so we don't look like we're together and appear
to be dressed in a tuxedo with a long coat and fedora. Instead of
a cane I have an umbrella. (The rain showers on the moon are light
but they can appear out of nowhere.) In reality, we have our
uniforms on, his is that of royal Prince of Earth and I have my
naval captain's uniform complete with sabre and pistol. (I never
did like that plain grey guardian uniform the others wear.)
The magic wand and our weapons, plus Endymion's and my
magically heighten strength and speed give me confidence we can
pull this off or, at least, escape if discovered. Finally, there
is a secret reserve, I have not even told the prince about.
Entrusted to me by the King personally, is a flask of the elixir of
life: a magic potion made from rare herbs of three worlds. Its
magic is so powerful it can bring a person back from the very edge
of death. I have been instructed to save it for the prince should
an assassin get too close. The king told me to keep this a secret
as it might make the prince reckless; young men can be that way.
I sincerely hope I never have to use it.
Inside the palace we mingle with the guests in the greeting
hall. We pose as members of one of the great merchant shipping
houses that are based on the moon. I am nervous that we might be
discovered, but my naval background allows me to talk of ships and
cargos while Endymion relies on his charm. The Sailor-Senshi are
about the hall and we steer clear of them. In some cases, we see
both the elders and the youngers. I have met all the younger
Senshi on at least one occasion and a few of the elders. We give
the younger Mars an especially wide berth because she might
recognize us disguise wand or no. She has strong feelings about
both of us, him she remembers as her first love, me the one that
broke them up. I'm relieved that the younger Venus is not about at
the moment; I really don't know what I would do if I saw her again.
The war news from Earth has put an edge of false gaiety on the
party. It's as if we are all dancing on the deck of a sinking
ship. Endimon and I catch a glimpse of Serenity and her King, with
Serena in attendance, meeting with important visitors through the
heavily guarded doors of a back conference room. When the guards
are dismissed we know that they have left the room by another door.
So, whatever affairs of state Serenity was attending to tonight,
they have just been concluded. If she is true to form she will be
headed back to her apartments to change into some costume that will
be the envy of the ball. That means she has dismissed her daughter
for the moment. If I know Serena, she has gone to the balcony
overlooking the reflecting pool in the back garden. There is a
beautiful view of the Earth and it was also hers and Endymion's
favorite place to go and spoon.
Endymion is already nonchalantly moving towards the doors that
will take him to the lower level of the palace's multitiered
balconies. Making my way past party goers, I join him outside. We
go to the corner and search the upper levels for Serena. There,
standing like an angel in the earthlight is the princess of the
Moon. Endymion is about to go to her but I stop him. "Wait," I
whisper, "she ought to see you as you really are, A Prince of
Earth." I pull out the disguise wand and revert his tuxedo to his
uniform. He does cut a dashing figure in his uniform and cape.
My, what a handsome young man. I think to myself, How can she not
fall in love with him? I stop him again before he can step around
the corner. His cape has caught over one of his shoulder plates so
I straighten it. He sighs and rolls his eyes to heaven. Giving
him a smile and a 'thumbs up', I send him off to his lady love.
He strides across the lower balcony and calls up to his
princess. She is not surprised to see him here, she says, she knew
he would come. They continue talking in that vein for some time.
It's impolite to eavesdrop but I do it anyway. The king will want
to know how the royal romance is progressing. While I'm listening
to the two exchange vows of infinite passion, (Boy, will king
Endymion be pleased.) I keep a look out for guards as I make a note
of alternate escape routes. Noticing a ball of twine used to tie
up the roses, I get this awfully, wonderfully, nasty idea. With
less than minutes work, I'm ready. Inevitably, the two lovers are
discovered by a roving patrol of guards. (Given the volume of
their speeches proclaiming their eternal love to the stars, I'm
surprised it took this long.) And then the shouting starts.
Prince Endymion dashes around the corner with a squad of the
palace guards in hot pursuit. Pulling my line taught and looping
it over the head of a stone cupid, I run after my charge. The
guards hit the maze of tripwires I laid out and go down in a noisy
tangle. Their armor clattering on the pavement sounds like the
cook dropped every pan in the kitchen. Endymion looks back and is
surprised to see that a guard is right behind him. I raise the
visor of my helmet to show him that it is me. "Slow down," I say,
"and I'll use the wand to disguise you as a guard too." He smiles
at my stratagem and in a moment we appear to be an ordinary patrol.
We trot past another troop of guards going in the opposite
direction and they don't even question us. Finding a secluded
hallway, we change back into our evening wear and rejoin the party.
We easily blend in with the croud again. There, I think a little
self-satisfied, now that the little rendezvous has been concluded,
we can wait until the party breaks up and quietly leave.
After a while, Serenity makes her entrance at the top of the
grand staircase with the king and a rather crestfallen Serena. All
conversation ceases as attention is focused on the royal family.
Serenity is every inch a Queen dressed in a white ball gown made of
moon-silk elegantly studded with diamond and pearls. In her hand
is the golden, crescent-moon wand, symbol of her regency and a
mighty magical artifact. She raises the wand overhead and brings
it around in a full circle symbolic of the full moon. The light
sparkles from within the Ginshousu, an enormous magical jewel and
one of the eleven wonders of the solar system that rests in the
cusp of the wand's crescent moon. "Fellow regents and citizens,"
says to the assembled throng of nobles, "I present to you my
daughter, Princess Serena." Magically, the lights in the rest of
the room dim as those near serena intensify. Dressed like her
mother, she is every inch the princess as she too sparkles in the
light. This should be the happiest moment of her life, she is the
center of the universe at this moment but she does not smile.
Serena bids the orchestra to play and has the first dance with
her father, the king. Other lords and ladies join in and the party
is in full swing. Good, with everyone watching the royals, we need
only wait a few minutes and then we can slip away. I smile
slightly at Endimon but he just frowns as he watches Serena and her
father move mechanically around the dance floor. I don't see what
he's so down about, he has seen his princess and we can easily
leave serupticiously. Not getting arrested makes it a good night
in my book.
A lot of the conversation around us concerns the Princess'
current demeanor. "Oh, doesn't she look so sad," one lady says.
"Yes," another answers, "her true love is far away and she is so
alone." "Poor thing, look she's leaving. I guess it is too much
for her." Serena is indeed politely making for the stairs. A
servant comes by me with a tray of glasses and offers one, I pick
up a glass and take a sip figuring I can relax. Big mistake. In
the moment I turned my back on him, Endymion has moved out across
the dance floor and has asked the princess to dance. Yikes! Why
doesn't he just paint a sign on himself? Doesn't the young fool
realize everyone in the entire room is looking at him?! I have to
get over next to him talk some sense into that thick head of his,
but quick!. For that, though, I need a cover.
"Scuze' me, may I have this dance?" I ask the first female
form that comes close. "Why..." she begins. "Thank you," I answer
before whomever it is can fully respond and half haul her out on
the ballroom floor. I don't really look at her as I have my eyes
glued to Endymion and Serena. Finally, I glance down at my dance
partner when I have her halfway maneuvered toward my targets. GAH!
It's the younger Mercury! The stock of blue hair should have clued
me in. She's not in her Sailor-senshi uniform, but a long, sky
blue gown that shows off her slim form. Opera gloves and a diamond
tiara make her look regal and elegant. I hope she can't tell who
I am; transformation magic prevents a person from being recognized
unless caught in the act of transforming, but she still might
recognize my speech or mannerism. The fact intruders were about
would make her naturally suspicious of anyone. "Uh... enjoying the
ball?" I ask lamely trying to make conversation of any sort.
"Very much so, Captain Ferrite," she says as she looks me
straight in the eye, "how about you and the Prince?" Argh! She
knows exactly who I am. "Uh... how," I stammer. She gives a merry
little laugh at my consternation. "You're not the only one using
a disguise wand. Look at me again, but use the corners of your
eyes." I do as she says; she looks the same but for a flicker of
an instant, I see her dressed in her Sailor-Senshi fuku with the
wide blue visor of her Mercury tiara down over her eyes. She can
see right through me. "I must say," she comments, "that your naval
uniform suits you a lot more than the tuxedo. I figured the
intruders must be using disguise magic since they disappeared so
quickly. Now, tell me why you are here."
My first thought is to bop her and make a run for it but I
force myself to relax. As the weakest of the guardians, I'm hardly
a match for one of the Senshi. No doubt my dance partner also has
backup. The elder Mercury is staring at me very intently from the
buffet. One false move and they'd both be all over me. And I
don't think they'll just throw spicy shrimp at me. "Lady Mercury,"
I say addressing her question, "there's nothing more I'd rather be
than aboard my ship on the way back to Earth right now. As to why
I'm here, look over at them," I nod in the direction of Endymion
and Serena. They are off in a universe all their own as they
dance... no float, across the ballroom floor. To them, probably
the only thing that is real is each other and right now. I
continue, "At this moment, for them, there is no strife, no
conflict, only each other. When he leaves here, he goes to lead
his kingdom in a war against a powerful and ruthless enemy. One he
might not come back from. He... they... deserve this night... this
moment... more than anything. The safest place she could be is
with him. He would never raise his hand against her." Mercury
gives a small sigh at the sight of the two of them. To know that
such love exists fills even a cynic like me with hope. To an
innocent like her, it gives visions.
Snapping back to the moment, she asks, "What about you?"
"Me? You think I might be some assassin?" Her question catches
me by surprise, "My years of service in His Majesties Royal Navy
speak for themselves. I'm completely loyal to the Endymions. And
by extension, all the houses of the Grand Council."
"Yes, but so was Jadeite," she counters, "why would you be
different?"
Jadeite's assassination attempt was supposed to be a state
secret. The news was sent by farspeaker using an encryption scheme
said to be unbreakable. Damn Mercurian cryptographers and the
horse they rode in on! I wonder how many more of our communiques
have been compromised. Keeping my face impassive at her
announcement I answer, "First, I don't think Beryl would ever have
me on her side. She would sooner see me dead... No, tortured then
dead. Second, I've had some good opportunities to move against the
princess or the queen and did not do so. Thirdly, if this were all
some elaborate plot to get close to the princess, dragging you out
on the dance floor would be the last thing I'd do. After all,
we've met before and I'm well known by the House of Mercury." I
hint at the service I performed for her Royal House some years ago.
Maybe this would be a good time to call in that favor.
"So you're not an assassin," she agrees, "What do you propose we
do? Queen Serenity has issued an order, for our own safety, that
all of the Kingdoms of Earth are to be expelled. Those that resist
are to be imprisoned for the duration."
"I wouldn't resist if you waltzed me out the door," I say with a
slight smile.
She smiles back and says, "I think we'll take a turn or two
around the floor to give them a little time."
My, she has grown up into an enchanting young woman! Perhaps
after the war with Beryl is over... My experience with Venus,
however, reminds me of the folly of loving one of the Senshi. Like
her... I sigh. As we dance, though, I start enjoy her company
since it looks like she is not going to turn us in. I ask about
the fortunes of her house and how her mother, Queen Sagacity, is
doing since I was last on her planet. We converse about such
matters for some time as we waltz to the music. When I check on
them later, the prince and princess still remain oblivious to
everything else going on around them. Turning back to my dance
partner, "I take it then, this squares me and the House of Mercury,
neh?"
"No," she says, "I'm not doing this because of your history. I'm
doing this for my princess... I'm doing it for them. They deserve
it. There's no telling..." She trails off and stares out the
window at the full Earth in the night sky.
At her words I'm filled with a sense of foreboding and
impending doom. A glance at the clock shows that it will soon be
midnight. "I'm afraid that it is time the prince and I should be
'expelled'," I say, "Shall we move closer and bring them back to
earth? I would like to avoid a scene, will the other staff
interfere?" "No," She replies soberly, "elder sister has informed
them to stand down. You will have no trouble if you leave
quietly." I look into her eyes and say, "Thank you for
understanding."
Suddenly I notice a tear trickle down her cheek. "Why, what
is the matter?" I ask. She wipes the corner of her eye and says,
"I feel so sad. It shouldn't be this way... Serena is my friend
and when he goes away it will break her heart." "I'll see to it
that he gets through," I vow to her, "I swear, on my soul, that
they will be together again. If I have to come back from death
itself, I'll make sure my cousin returns to her." I dry her tears
and give her a paternal kiss on the forehead, "Now take care of
yourself, young Mercury." She gives me a sad sweet smile one last
time before the room explodes.
I come to my senses some time later, under a heavy layer of
debris. Forcing it off me, I cut my hand but I get free. The room
is a shambles; a large portion of the west face is missing. Shouts
and the sounds of battle echo in my ears. Where am I? It takes a
movement to clear my head. Mercury? I look about me and spy a
gloved hand protruding from under the rubble. A massive beam lays
across the top of it. I feel her hand, it is cold and limp. No
pulse... she's dead. My heart is rended as I let go of the young
girl I met years ago: she who was so alive but moments before.
Dazed nobles, elegant in their dirty finery, wander about trying to
make sense of it all. Some wail over the dead, others try to help
the wounded, still others just stand and stare. Barely coherent,
I wander over to the gaping hole in the wall and look out.
On the Horizon, Beryl's armies march on the capitol of the
moon kingdom. Here and there her demons: youmas, wreak havoc on
the forces of the moon. My throat is dry as I gulp in fear at the
implications. Even the grand fleet could not move an army this
large from the Earth to the Moon in one trip, they must have used
the great portal of Mu. King Endymion would have fought Beryl to
the last man to keep the ancient wonder from her. I can only
conclude that my king is dead. "Long live the king..." I mutter as
I start my search for the Prince. He is nowhere in the room so he
must have gone outside. I scan the grounds, trying to shake off my
dizziness hoping to catch a glimpse of the new king of Earth.
Outside the fighting is horrific, even the surviving Senshi
are falling before the onslaught. The elder Jupiter stands atop a
nearby battlement hailing bolt after bolt of Supreme Thunder down
on the armies of the Dark Kingdom. Normally this would devastate
them but Beryl has taken countermeasures. The army of the dark
ones wheel forward what appear to be huge glass globes about thirty
feet in diameter that glow with an alien green light. Jupiter's
mystical energies are largely absorbed by the curious siege
engines. Only occasionally does a bolt get by to thin the enemies
ranks.
Behind the Elder Jupiter there suddenly appears a swirl of
cherry blossoms that coalesce into... Zoicite! Is he on our side,
or did he turn traitor like Jadeite? I shout a warning, but
Jupiter cannot hear me over the din of battle. Zoicite
materializes a spear of dark crystal and it hovers over his head,
pointed at the back of the Senshi. I vainly draw my revolver and
fire, but they are well out of range. In bleak horror at my own
helplessness, I watch Zoicite stab the elder Jupiter through. She
goes down, struggling to pull the spear from her body. Doomed, she
still hurls a final, futile bolt in defense of the Moon before she
dies. How did Beryl do it? I wonder in disbelief, how did she
turn the defenders of Earth against us? The wind shifts and
Zoicite's annoying giggle floats down from the battlement.
A series of reports drown the laughter and suddenly, one of
the globes explodes with spectacular violence. It's the Nemesis!
The sixty-four gun sky galleon dips below the clouds as she sights
in her long guns on another portion of the Dark Kingdom's horde.
With a whoop of celebration I cheer them on. A follow up salvo
puts a whole regiment of Beryl's army to flight. "That's it lads!
Lay fire and shot into them!" I shout to my ship, "Fire!" Almost
as if I were aboard giving the orders, the guns discharge again.
Another globe goes up in a fountain of fire. The embattled forces
of the moon give a ragged cheer. Mars, her raven hair swirling
about her head in the updraft of the conflagration surrounding her,
lays about with her fire soul into the portions of the army no
longer protected by the magic absorbing spheres. Her flames sweep
across their ranks leaving a horrible wake of burning soldiers.
The minions of the Dark Kingdom run this way and that as they char
and die.
Pop! Pop! Pop! The uneven firing of the Nemesis' carronades
draws my attention back to my ship. Flying youmas are swarming the
deck! Though some are brought down by grapeshot, many get through.
The royal marines try valiantly to repel them but they are no match
for their magical foes. As the crew are killed by the demons, the
H.M.S. Nemesis, pride of the Royal Navy of Earth, spirals toward
the ground like a wounded bird. A last valiant act of defiance by
the helmsman dips the nose of the ship toward the heart of the dark
army. Just before she strikes the ground, someone torches the
ship's magazine. The resulting blast encompasses five of the
spheres and they explode in a chain reaction that takes a full
fourth of Beryl's army with it: rending them with fire and shrapnel
and concussion. I mutter a prayer for the hundred and forty brave
souls aboard the mighty ship as I resume my search for prince
Endimon.
I clamber through the shattered rooms of the palace and am
appalled by the carnage wrought by Beryl's youmas. I make my way
deeper into the royal chambers hoping to find some sign of Endymion
and come upon a sight that shakes me to the foundation of my soul.
Nephrite stands over the body of his beloved, the younger Jupiter,
and laughs. Laughs! A smoking wound in her chest, gives testament
that she died from some unholy fire magic of his. A page boy
cradles the body of a lady of the court and weeps for her. He
doesn't care if he lives or dies, the horror Nephrite committed is
just one more to heap upon his broken heart.
Nephrite's back is to me as he steps over the bloody corpse of
his betrothed and prepares to kill again. Trembling, I pull my
pistol and aim it at the back of his head. What have they done to
you, my friend? What spell did they use? Are you possessed? My
finger tightens on the trigger, I want to end his life, but I
cannot. Instead I bash him on the back of the skull with the butt
of my gun. He falls to the floor unconscious near Jupiter's body.
Both of their faces are oddly serene, as though they merely sleep.
I will not kill my friend, no matter how Beryl may have twisted
him.
I continue my search, leaving the page boy to his fate.
Getting turned around in the maze of rooms, I wind up outside in
the garden. The fires from the burning buildings and pyre of the
Nemesis light up the sky with a hellish light. Smoke and cries of
agony and death fill the air. All is lost! The defenses are
collapsing, soldiers of the Lunar guard are routing in panic past
me.
Looking to the top of the palace, I see why. Beryl huge and
menacing is attacking. Metallia, the demon queen, has manifested
herself and adds her strength to this unholy alliance. Before I
can move, Prince Endymion, the object of Beryl's lust is swept up
in a whirlwind she creates to draw him to her. He's still alive!
I don't know what I can do against that power, but I draw my sword
and pistol and charge the stairs which are choked with the soldiers
of Beryl's army. Hacking and kicking I ascend to the second level
and glance upwards. Princess Serena will not let prince Endymion
go and tries valiantly to haul him to safety. With a sneer, Beryl
crushes the life out of her rival. Mad with rage and fear for my
prince I slaughter the enemies before me. The prince hugs the
broken body of his love to himself and sobs. The defenders of the
moon are dead I am alone in a sea of foes but I manage to ascend to
the third level.
Prince Endymion is now limp in the vortex; he appears dead.
With a cry of anguish, I feel an arrow pierce my side. I don't
know if it is the death of my charge or the pain of the barb that
makes me cry out. Using my last shot on the archer, I break
through to the stairway that leads to where Serenity now faces the
Demon Queen and Beryl alone. I start upwards, when I feel the
power of the Ginshouzhu wash over me. As one, the army of the Dark
Kingdom groan in despair as they are banished from this plane of
existence. Beryl shrieks in rage as the light drives her away.
Metallia hisses like a serpent when rays of light, emitted by the
crystal, force her toward the gaping hole it has opened in the
universe. With a mighty clap of thunder, the great youma of
Metallia are swept up into balls of colored light and sucked into
the silver crystal. I feel the presence of the queen fade; at the
cost of her own life, Serenity has banished the evil.
All is suddenly quiet as the invaders vanish; not a single cry
of pain or grief is in the air. The crackle of flames in the
burning buildings is the only thing to break the silence. I seem
to be the only one alive on the battlefield. What happened to
everyone else? All are dead, save myself... alone. Am I the only
one to survive? Frantic to hear anybody else, even an enemy, I
call out but no one answers. To my amazement, the body of a moon
soldier who died at his post, becomes encased in a sphere of amber
colored light. Like a soap bubble, it rises into the night sky.
Joining it are multitude of others that float upward toward the
blue globe of Earth above.
I make my way up the shattered stairway to the topmost floor
of the palace. The roof has been peeled back and I look out at the
stars. The sky is different now, blacker. The stars shine like
cold pinpoints of light. It's getting harder to breathe. I try
and take a deep breath to compensate but the pain from the arrow
forces me to keep breathing short and shallow. It looks like
Metallia's intrusion into this plane has disrupted the natural laws
as the scientists of Mercury hypothesized. Visions of disaster
pass through my fevered brain: the underground warrens of Mercury
turned into ovens, the jungle villas of Venus crushed under tons of
atmosphere, the floating islands of Jupiter plunging into the
depths of the gas giant, the canaled cities of Mars growing cold
and dying. The people on the asteroids and lesser moons have no
doubt perished in the void by now. I hobble over to the queen as
the air starts to thin and the moon starts to die.
Serenity looks regal even in death. Like a goddess carved
from marble, she lays upon a shattered pillar. Above her the
ginzoushu floats in the thinning air, its glow casts soft shadows.
The light allows me to see across this plane of existence and I
bear witness to the queen's last act: in the distance I see
countless bubbles containing the souls of the people of the planets
floating on the river of time toward reincarnation. It must me my
night for missing the boat, I observe sardonically.
I am comforted, though when I notice Prince Endymion and
Princess Serenity among the sleeping souls. Though they are dead,
they will live again. I sit down heavily upon the base of the
pillar and watch the light of the crystal. I am the last...
myself... alone. The last guardian of Endymion now is the last
guardian of the Moon kingdom and its queen. I can't tell if it is
the loss of blood or the thinning atmosphere, but I feel cold.
"Captain," the dead queen calls to me. Oddly, I'm not
surprised at this and I answer her, "Yes, your majesty?" "I have
one last service for you to perform," her voice in my head says.
"You have given my prince a second chance, my life is yours," I
start to cough in the thinning air and add, "what little there is
left." "Come forward," she says with her unmoving lips, "Observe
the ginzoushu." I limp over to look at the multifaceted gem,
colors swirl within it as though alive. "The seven great youma of
Metallia are trapped within. Together they might draw the crystal
to the demon queen, you must separate them so they may be hidden on
earth." "How?" I ask. "Shatter the crystal," she says. When I
laboriously raise my sword to strike, I totter a little but finally
gain control of my dying body. I pause with my sword above my head
and say to the dead monarch, "this is gonna' to hurt, isn't it?"
She doesn't answer, so after a moment I strike.
I flinch at the expected fireworks but the crystal only
shatters with a small pop. The shards, seven in all, fly toward
Earth where they will be hidden from the demon queen. I slump to
the floor my breathing labored. The light from the mystic jewel
still illuminates the body of the queen thought the pieces have
since departed. I stare upon that vision as my life slips away.
When death is about to claim me, the edge of the wave of light
washes over me and I am caught in between. The last vestiges of
power from the ginzaouzu calls me forward to reincarnate in a
future earth. Death draws me back to the peace of the grave. My
wild luck, however, draws me down a middle path. I begin a series
of reincarnations, one after the other. I am born immediately, a
refugee on Earth. What then follows is lifetime after lifetime,
death after death; each separate and ignorant of the previous.
They become a blur, a river of voices all different, all my own
telling me their story, telling me my story. I rush forward
through the lifetimes, the voices pounding at me, overwhelming me
with the ocean of memories.
Part 3 (Trenchcoat-Mask)
"QUIET!" I shout. Like the tide, the voices recede and I am
myself, in the present, I am Robert Davis the computer science
teacher. At the same time I am Ferrite, captain of the H.M.S.
Nemesis, the fifth and final guardian of Prince Endymion. What's
more, I remember everything! I remember every single little detail
as if it happened only yesterday. Whatever magic has brought me to
the present, it has restored me to the state I was in that final
night of the moon kingdom. I am in my tuxedo and great coat. My
broad brimmed fedora rests on my head and a black, silk mask covers
my face. The wind in the subway station tugs at my coat reminding
me that it is winter. At my feet, prince Endymion lays passed out
on the concrete platform. The wound in his leg is leaking blood
despite the tourniquet. I reach in my pocket and pull out the
flask given to me ten thousand years ago by the king of Earth. Was
it my promise to the younger Mercury that brought me back or was it
the power of the Ginzhouzu? Regardless, my charge is in jeopardy.
I was unable to prevent his death before, I will not let him die
again. Sitting him up, I open the flask and pour the contents down
his throat. He coughs as he swallows and after a few moments
regains consciousness.
"Are you all right, my Lord?" I ask him. His eyes are blank,
he does not recognize me. The elixir of life is working, but he
will not recover for some time. "I... I must go to her, I must go
to them... help them..." "I will do that, my King," I say that
because he is now King of Earth: My king, "You must stay here and
allow the potion to heal you. I will go in your stead." He
relaxes, either through loss of blood or in acceptance of what I
say. Convinced he will be all right, I step out from under the
stairway and run down the platform into the night.
The magic that draws me to this time and place also guides me.
I'm not exactly sure to what, but since this is Queen Serenity's
magic it is probably to the soldier Senshi. The part of me that is
Bob Davis marvels at my speed as I leap off the platform and onto
the tracks. Like a tightrope walker I run down the rail without
slowing. Each foot lands atop the narrow beam as if I were running
on the side walk. The sound of the train doesn't alarm me as it
starts to overtake me from behind. With a prodigious leap, I jump
of the track onto the service walkway and from the walkway to the
side of the passing train. In a corner of my brain, Bob Davis is
screaming his lungs out while Ferrite coolly calculates his hand
holds as he climbs to the top of the car. The train comes out of
the tunnel and I stand up. The icy wind whips past me flapping my
coat in the breeze. My hat should fly off my head but it remains
in place as if nailed there.
Heeding the call of the magic, I leap from the top of the
speeding train to the top of a brick wall. I hit the wall running
and use it as a highway past the shops and stores that line the
shopping district of the city. The sailor-senshi are nearby and
they need help. At last, I am drawn to a mirror shop, the patrons
of which are strewn about the sidewalk like puppets with their
strings cut. "Beautiful Reflections Mirror Shop," the sign reads
over the door. Inside I see the flash of movement behind the
display mirrors. Instead of running in the front door, I vault
through an open window on the second floor. "Why am I making like
a monkey?" I ask myself aloud. Because, the Ferrite part
explains, "we have a greater chance of surprising them. Beryl's
minions will be watching the obvious entrances, this way we will
surprise them. A rack of mirrors, jostled by my entrance falls
over with a crash. "Yeah, Right!" I say.
From the top of the stairs to the lower floor, I see them:
Three female forms in the uniforms of the Sailor Senshi. I almost
fall down the stairs when I realize who one of them is. Mercury,
Alive! Though it was over ten thousand years ago, it seems as less
than an hour since she lay before me dead. Confronting them is one
of Beryl's youma: a giant snapping turtle with a shell made of
framed mirrors. As I watch, Mars unleashes a ball of fire on the
turtle. It merely pulls its head into its shell and the fire is
reflected back at the senshi. They scatter as the flames burn the
carpet and melt surrounding display cases. The demon doesn't give
them a second to recover, it's head snakes out and almost snaps a
chunk out of a senshi that I don't recognize who has her hair done
up in two long pony tails. "Ha! You don't look so good now,
Sailor Moon," A voice gloats. I look around for the source and spy
the sales clerk behind the counter. Only, it's not a clerk, it's
Jadeite! It looks like he is directing the youma. I didn't want
to believe it but I guess he is on Beryl's side after all.
"Sailor Moon!" Another voice shouts, "Use your tiara!" I
scan the room to locate who is talking but all I see in that
quarter is a cat. Sailor Moon barely dodges another snap from the
turtle and falls flat on her backside. "Get on your feet and throw
it now!" the cat shouts. The cat? It must be one of the lunar
guardians. With a shout of, "Moon Tiara Action," the sailor-senshi
takes off her tiara and throws it at the turtle like a frisbee.
The tiara turns into a spinning, glowing discus of unstoppable
magical energy that strikes the turtle squarely in the shell. With
a flash it rebounds and almost takes Sailor Moons head off but for
an awkward dodge that leaves her sprawling. The turtle prepares to
strike the prostrate senshi when I choose that moment to intervene.
Reaching inside my trenchcoat I pull out... a yellow rose!?!
What kind of crazy magic is this? Ferrite had intended to draw his
revolver and break some of the mirrors with a few spelled bullets,
but somehow I come away with a floral arrangement. I charged
across town as though chased by the devil and the only weapon I
have is dead vegetation!?! This is Queen Serenity's doing, I know
it. This smells to high heaven like the symbolic magic the Moon
Mages just loved to use. In frustration, I throw it at the turtle
and look around for a two-by-four or something.
To my surprise, the rose flies like a dagger and imbeds
itself in the concrete floor between the turtle and Sailor Moon.
The youma hesitates and looks up at me; hate burns in its beady
eyes. "Look," Sailor Moon spots me at the top of the stairs and
points me out to the others, "it's Tuxedo... wait a minute you're
not Tuxedo-Mask!" "Sailor-senshi," I call out in the language of
the Moon kingdom, "quit hitting the turtle's shell, that's where it
is strongest! Flip the damn thing on it's back! Attack the
underside!" "Nani?" Sailor Moon calls out in Japanese, "What did
you say? I don't understand you. Where is Tuxedo Mask?" Uh-oh,
this may be harder than I first thought. I switch to my bad
Japanese and hope I can convey my idea before the turtle eats one
of them.
"No, I am not Tuxedo-Mask, I am he who wears the Trenchcoat and
the Mask. Battle not an enemy where he is strongest, but choose
your fight to your strengths and his weaknesses. For what can be
a strength can also be a weakness." I'll bet that came across as
clear as mud.
"Don't just stand there," Jadeite shouts at the turtle youma,
"get him!" Its head shoots out like a piston and breaks the
stairway I'm standing on off the wall with its powerful jaws. I
leap clear of the toppling stairs and land behind the counter,
right next to Jadeite. I've got to be carful, when I was a
Guardian with Jadiete he could clean my clock. Maybe a few taunts
are in order. "What did Beryl do to bring you over to her side,
Jadeite? Seduce you?" I ask him with a sneer, "that was so unlike
you in the past. I guess keeping company with Beryl has really
lowered your standards." "Mock me while you can, whoever you are,"
he growls as the turtle moves behind me. "You don't remember do
you? Your loss," I say glancing over at Mars, "you had such good
taste in women before." They had a very fiery romance back before
Beryl brought down the ruin of all. Mars just looks puzzled at my
words, apparently she doesn't get the back handed compliment, or
maybe she just doesn't remember either.
"What do you know of me?" Jadeite asks taken aback by my
familiarity. "Only that you betrayed your oaths and struck at your
king. Tell me, did King Endimon un-man you in your fight with him
or did Beryl do that first?" "Why you!" he growls enraged and
fires off a bolt of dark energy at me. Hoping he would do just
that, I duck and the beam flies over my head. The bolt strikes the
shell of the turtle behind me and rebounds to explode in Jadeite's
face. The force of the blast knocks him backwards right through
the plate glass window with a loud crash. I see reflected in a
mirror the turtle's head shoot forward to snap at me so I leap to
one side as he demolishes the counter. While his neck is fully
extended, I poke him in the eye with my umbrella. The turtle youma
shrieks in rage and pain.
"Mercury Bubbles... BLAST!" Mercury shouts and unleashes her
power. Hidden by the resulting fog, the turtle searches about for
me. The magic of her attack allows me to see through the fog since
I am an ally. Just to make sure it ignores the scouts, I whack the
turtle across the snout with my umbrella. All that does, however,
is just make it mad. "Now, while Trenchcoat-Mask has it
distracted," Mercury calls as she and Mars charge at the turtle.
At the last moment they drop and roll under the right side of the
shell. Acting in unison, the two push up off the ground and start
to tip the demon on it's back. I leap clear just in time to avoid
being squashed by the glass shelled monster. The turtle twists its
neck and tries to roll back to its feet but the shell is so heavy
it is trapped. "Now Sailor-Moon!" The cat yells, again. "I'm on
it... Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon shouts as she removes her
tiara again and lets it fly. Striking the unmirrored underbelly,
the tiara crashes through the shell as though it were porcelain.
Like a pinball, the glowing disc rebounds again and again within
the turtle youma's shell breaking mirror after mirror from the
inside. When the last one is shattered, the monster howls like the
damned and turns into a grey powder that is blasted away by the
breeze. "Oh, I hope this doesn't cause me bad luck," Sailor Moon
says. Tendrils of white, glowing vapor are emitted from the dust
and snake their way to the crowd outside. Groaning as their energy
is returned to them, the people start to revive. His plans
thwarted, Jadeite takes this moment to escape by leaping into a
dark portal that opens for him.
"Farewell sailor-senshi," I call out in the language of the
Moon kingdom as I leap out the window, "I don't doubt we'll meet
again." With the threat to the senshi dealt with, I must now see
to the safety of my prince. With my heightened senses, I'm kind of
embarrassed by what I hear them say as I run away. "Oh, he speaks
French, "Sailor Moon sighs, "He's almost as romantic as Tuxedo-
Mask." "That wasn't French you ditz!" Sailor Mars shouts. "Ah!
What do you know!" Sailor Moon shoots back. "Mars is right,"
Mercury confirms, "that wasn't french or any other language I've
heard." "I may be wrong but I think that was the ancient
language of the Moon kingdom, " Luna says. "A gentleman and a
scholar," Mercury sighs, "that's even more romantic." "HUH?" The
other two say surprised at her reaction. By then, however, I am
too far away to hear any more.
After hopping another train, I get back to the station in
record time. The platform is deserted as I leap off. Its quite
eerie when I listen for movement. Looking under the stairs, I see
that save for a scattering of rose petals, there is no trace of
Prince Endymion. With the adrenalin rush passing I suddenly feel
very tired. Sitting down heavily on a bench, by instinct, I
dismiss the magic and feel myself revert to Robert Davis. I'm no
longer Ferrite or Trenchcoat-Mask, but the memories remain. I
ponder the situation I now find myself in. At the beginning of
this long chain of life I'm Ferrite, the fifth guardian of Prince
Endymion. Now I am Robert Davis, computer teacher but also
Ferrite. Either my vow to Mercury or the magic of Queen Serenity
has brought me back to protect the prince. The question is,
though, where do I go from here? The prince has been reincarnated
and I don't know who he is. The sailor-senshi are back as well and
doing battle with youma from the dark kingdom. Again, I don't know
who they are, just that the magic drew me to them. Somehow Beryl
has found a weakness in the spell that banished her. She must not
be fully free or else her forces would be here in mass. So what
part am I to play in all this?
I'm supposed to be here, that's for certain. Do I just wait
until the magic comes back to me? No, I must know more. But where
to start? Probably the best place would be where the sailor-senshi
were seen. If I can find out what Beryl's goal is, I can discover
how the senshi are countering it and where the prince is. Yes, the
first thing tomorrow, I start asking around the school. Why did
Beryl send a youma there and what did she hope to accomplish?
Answer those questions and I will be on the road to my destiny.
I start out of my thoughts as the train pulls into the
station. I get in the car to go home when... "Sensei-Davis!" A
voice calls out. It's Ami-chan and her friends. "I'm happy I ran
into you again," she says handing me my brief case. "This will
save me a trip out to your school tomorrow morning." "I'm glad to
see you again too. Ami, I want to ask you a few more questions
about what happened at the cram school on the night of the
incident. I'd like to find out what you remember..."
_________________________________________________________________
Next week on Sailor Moon 1.02T
(The Trenchcoat-Mask Episodes cut from the N.A. Dub)
What the...? That was Nephrite! Damn and he's drivin' a
Ferrari too. Three days of staking out this jewelry shop where
ther've been some strange goings on and I am rewarded by Nephrite
roaring by in a red sports car. I really didn't expect this, or I
would have arranged for some sort of transport. Great, now I've
got to chase after him on foot. If I can just get close enough to
read his license plate it would give me something to go on. Better
yet, get really close and put a yellow rose through a tire. I
don't know what I'll do then, though, Nephrite was a first rate
Astrological mage. When he was a guardian of the house of Endymion
with me he could summon constellation avitars like nobody's
business. If he's still anywhere near that good he'll clobber me
in a straight up fight. Wait, what's he... Good, he's stopping at
the end of the street for the light. Even though I'm running flat
out, my top speed is only about twenty miles an hour. If that's a
quick light, I'm gonna' lose him.
Suddenly, a blue and white blur lands about half a block in
front of me and takes off after Nephrite too. It's Sailor Mercury!
She breaks into a sprint, but I start to gain on her with my longer
legs. She hears my pounding foot-falls and glances back at me in
surprise. "Don't let him get away," I call. Since I helped the
Senshi out in the mirror shop against Jadeite, she nods and
concentrates on running as I pull even with her. When, the light
turns green, we both wind up for our respective attacks. I reach
under my coat and pull a yellow rose she starts to summon her
Mercury senshi magic. I draw back to throw as she prepares to
unleash the shining blue ball of energy between her palms. Before
either of us can do anything, however, Nephrite peels out and
leaves us both standing there lookin' stupid. "Well, that was
certainly anti-climatic," I say after a pause.
Tune In again next week...
Same Moon-Time,
Same Moon-Channel