Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Change of Fate ❯ A New Perspective ( Chapter 5 )

Standard disclaimer. Sailor Moon is not mine, the idea and the show belong to people much richer than I. Please don't sue!

Dimmer however is mine.. of course if someone wants to use him or any of his transformations for ANY reason "thbbt" go ahead. You have my complete and total permission. I only request you tell me… Hell, I don't care if you do it without my permission, it's not like I could find out anyway.

Warning: mild language, and first fic. Maybe lime sometime in the far future, but I seriously doubt it.

For this chapter there is some views of sexuality preference. They are my own. No, I'm not gay, this is just my outlook. I'll probably be flamed for it anyway, but if you can't take other people seeing life differently than you. Sorry you found this offensive. Other people who know enough to realize sticks and stones do hurt and words don't. Keep reading ^^V

On with the fic.

Hey! Read the warning! It's there for a reason! I don't want ya coming back to yell at ME if you don't realize what you're getting yourself into here!

The Next Morning

Dimmer sat straight up after seeing his clock. He had forgot to set his alarm. "I'm LATE!"

He took off, throwing his clothes on as he ran about his room in a mad fit. He sprinted toward the kitchen where Rei, Chad, and his Sensei sat chatting cheerily.

"Where are you going in such a rush?" Rei asked calmly as she took a bite out of her toast.

"Work." Dimmer smiled laughing a bit at the scene he could imagine he was putting on for them. "Where else?"

"I already called the arcade, you didn't have to work until tonight, and now not until next Friday. And you don't have to work for Miss. Grant today either." Rei smiled. She knew she had everything covered.

"Oh, is that why no one woke me up today? Well sorry Rei, I must have forgot to tell you I got another job working as a video game tester, and movie store worker two days ago. I'll catch ya later!"

Rei sat stunned. Three jobs? Mind you he seemed more happy to go this one than the other two. Since he was only working two days a week, Mondays and Thursdays he did have time for it she found out. He may be a workaholic but that wasn't where his loss of sleep was coming from. But just to make sure he's not too stressed at work, (she knew working with the kids was sometimes stressful, but at the arcade he played as many games as the kids that went there. His score had quickly become the one to beat at Sailor V.) …"

"Don't mind if I tag along do you?"

"What about school?" Dimmer mumbled around a peace of toast while getting his shoes on.

"Skipped it. I was going to stay home and make sure you got some sleep, but it's too late to give that kind of notice to your new boss now. Besides I can help explain why you're late." Rei got up and got her own shoes on.

"Well than don't see why not, store owner said he could use any opinion he got. As long as Sensei doesn't mind" He flung the toast in the air with his mouth and when it came down he ate the rest in an audible gulp.

"No, I don't mind. Go ahead you two have fun!" the old man cackled. As his granddaughter and student left, he looked over at Chad and raised his juice in motion to tap glasses.

Chad raised his own about to tap glasses when his sensei spouted off with "Didn't you have to play down at the club today." Chad's eyes bulged and the temple once again was filled with the familiar cry of "I'm LATE!" and the evil cackling of an old man.

Rei and Dimmer were running hard down the street. "What time did you have to be there?" she huffed out as she ran.

"Two hours" Dimmer answered back.

"Than why are we running?"

"I like to say "hi" to Pidge and John every morning."

"Who are they?"

"The police officers first on the scene at my point of impact, if we hurry we'll run into Serena on her way to school."

"Isn't this a bit late?"

Than came the Serena's familiar whine as she sped towards her school. "I'm LAAAAAAATTEE!! Oh there you are Dimmer. Late for your usual talk with Pidge and John?"

"As usual" Dimmer replied as the three sprinted along.

"You two do this often?" Rei asked

"Oh! Hi Rei! I didn't see you there. That's a surprise, you're usually early. Besides I thought you're turn was a while back there" Serena pointed behind them while absently dodging one of the many other pedestrians along the road.

"I'm not late Serena. I'm skipping today. Dimmer has seemed a little stressed out lately so I'm going to see if I can help out at his job today."

"Hey! That's right you're working at the new video store that moved now, aren't you? Wow Dimmer, that's three jobs! I don't know how you do it."

"A lot of running"

"I'll bet, Rei told you to meet Amy after school at the library today right?"

"Nope, glad you remembered meatball head! We were so busy this morning I forgot all about it."

"Don't call me that! It's bad enough Darien does that!"

"Don't matter I was planning to drop by the library anyway, I gotta look up some songs for Chad."

Both girls blanched at thought of Chad finding more songs he could mutilate. "Hey! I'll drop by too, we can make a date of it!"

"Wow. Serena in a library? I never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh be quiet you!" Serena stuck her tongue out.

" Stick that back in your mouth, you! Your turns coming up!" Dimmer diffused the fight before it could start.

"Alright. Bye you guys! See you after school!"

"Bye Serena!" both called out.

"You meet with her like this every morning?"

"Pretty much. Hey there's Pidge and John's favorite coffee shop."

"Well would you look at that, John. He's brought a girl with him today." Pidge stood up chuckling while inviting Dimmer and Rei to sit down.

"Rei, this is Pidge and John. Guys this is Rei, the girl who's the daughter of the priest at the temple I told you about?"

"Hi Rei, pleasure to meet you. Please sit down you two. We were just discussing the way hallucinations have been increasing lately."

Dimmer rolled his eyes "do you ever talk about anything else?"

"No," John laughed "but he's got reason to today. We got a bunch more phone calls about a fight at an ice cream vendor's place."

Pidge sat down. "Strange thing is, there was no ice cream stand anywhere around 22nd and high St. The people in this city are going nuts"

Rei had a big sweat drop on the back of her head and was fidgeting.

John noticed this, "Know something, young lady?"

Rei blanched.

"John! I'm sorry miss… um Rei was it? but we were assigned onto the case of all the sailor scout sightings as of late. Don't mind him we haven't had any breaks yet, and he's a bit stressed."

Dimmer looked up from trying to remember something. "Actually, Pidge, John was right she does know something."

If Rei's face could've gone paler it would've. "Did Dimmer know about them? Was he going to rat them out? How did he find out? Did he follow her and Luna?"

"She does?" Pidge looked at her questioningly.

"Yup, both me, her, and a few other friends ate at that stand yesterday. So it was definitely there. It's the fact that it disappeared without a trace that's nuts not the people of the neighborhood."

John looked up surprised "For certain? Well than young lady. Thanks a lot! You two just lead us to our first real break. We'll go check that out now before the trail gets too cold. See you tomorrow Dimmer, and nice meeting you miss. C'mon Pidge, work to do."

"Be right there. Thanks Dim, if you find anything else out don't hesitate to tell, kay?"

"Anything to help, Pidge."

With that the two policemen left out the door.

Rei was feeling rather stupid. "Of course he meant the ice cream stand." She let out a sigh. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Out loud she said "Wow Dimmer, they really have a lot of faith in you. They went with your word everyone on that entire streets."

"Well it's difficult to judge what people can make up Rei. We don't live on that street, so our opinions had a little more believability to them."

"Still, it's nice to have trusting friends"

"Yeah, those two have been watching out for me ever since I was thrown on their doorstep. Nice couple of guys. Serious about their job too."

"We should go, maybe we won't have to run all the way there this time. I'm still trying to catch my breath. Don't know how Serena does it."

Dimmer laughed, "Years of practice Rei, but you're right, let's take off."

It didn't take long before they arrived at the rundown video store. The windows had been broken and replaced by planks, it was a two-floored building, and probably just long enough for the old, small business place it used to be. There was a small sign saying "Tenaka's Comics, Videos, and Games."

"Your new boss must be a real fixer-upper."

"Yeah, only I'm the "Upper".

"Huh?"

"He fixes stuff, I put it up."

"Ah."

They walked into the store and while Dimmer told her to have a look around while he went to find his boss. Rei looked at the shabby shelving holding the movie displays. Truthfully they had a great selection for a store that just opened, and was about 2 steps away from being condemned. It seemed they only held the most popular video games, and had a rather large area of cartoons. There were comic displays of every nature on the far wall, and they had a few books on Role- playing games and other things of the sort.

"Rei?" Dimmer called from the back. She looked over and seen Dimmer waving for her to come into the back room with him, so she went.

"Rei, meet anime lover, RPG'er, and comic collector, Kintaro Tenaka. Mr. Tenaka? This is my housemate Rei."

Mr. Tenaka was a strongly built man in his forties, his red hair was short and receding, while his beard was well grown in and a smile that seemed permanently etched onto his face.

"Well nice to meetcha Rei. I hear dat you wanted ta help Dimmer today?"

"Umm… yes sir, if that's okay with you?"

"Only if ya let me pay you for da effort, and not call me sir."

"Oh uuh… No sir, I don't need… I mean Mr. Tenaka, sir, I don't…"

"Nonsense. Any one working at dis store will get pay. Simple as dat. And don't take after your frien dover dere, jus' call me Kintaro." Kintaro had shaken her hand over the deal before she could protest any more, and was talking to Dimmer about how there really wasn't anything to put up today. She couldn't understand it all because they would break into English and back into Japanese and back again. "Sorry Dim, me b'y," He was saying in English, if you could call it that, "wasn't able to get the real shelves fixed, I got caught up wit de orders for otter supplies and de painters. I'll probably be done 'em all by yer next morning shift on Friday toh'. Can ya still make it in?"

"Yeah, no prob Mr. Tenaka, but witout da shelving, what does I do taday?"

"Weelll… there is the new orders, and games to check out, make sure dey work, and test which you'll tink to be the best sellers. Jus' make sure everything's clean and to serve any straggling customers dat can look past the outside of dis place." Kintaro smiled as he watched his only employee drool over the chance to watch anime and play the latest games on the latest system. Besides being a storeowner, and a carpenter, he was also a computer programmer and repairman. He took pride in the way he could make this guy turn green with envy. Especially since he was a fellow Canadian. "There's no mistaken that accent," he thought to himself, "wonder if he's a fellow *Newfie or a *Caper?" He made a mental note to ask later. For now, there was work to be done.

"What does he want us to do, Dimmer?" Rei was curious of why Dimmer was still standing there like he was about to enter heaven's gate.

"C'mon Rei, you are about to catch a glimpse of the latest gaming systems and games of the 21st century."

Dimmer said computers, Nintendo cube, Playstation 2, X-box, and their former counter-parts. After that though, when he went into tech-talk she hardly understood any of it after that, but at least he was finally stopping. Rei wasn't even trying to understand anymore. She figured what ever he was saying, he was saying that Kintaro had cool systems and games.

"… And so in short you could say that Kintaro Tenaka is the very essence of l33t."

"Huh?"

"Ugh" Dimmer wished that Amy was interested in video games. She was the only one out of the lot of them that could even understand any tech. talk. Truthfully he didn't even know enough about computers to put up his own web page, but these girls were pretty much illiterate, though Serena at least tried. He smiled. "I'll make a gamer outta her yet."

"In simple terms, Rei, This guy has wick~ed stuff. But you'll never get it if you don't see for yourself, c'mon I'll show ya."

They walked into the "Game Room" and even Rei gasped. It was filled to the brim with stereo speakers, multiple systems, TV's for each, and two Computers side by side. Wires ran everywhere, while the stench of a three-week-old pizza box wrinkled her nose.

Dimmer breathed it all in. "Amazing isn't it? It's everything every true computer nerd dreams of."

"I bet he has enough stuff in here to launch missiles!"

Dimmer couldn't help but laugh at her ignorance. "Rei" he held up one of the systems, "do you know what this is?"

"Yeah, Serena got for Christmas. It's the new Nintendo Cube right?"

"Correct, and with the right knowledge, with this alone one could "launch a missile". "This." He gestured to the room around him "could destroy, create, and control worlds."

When put that way Rei couldn't help but be impressed. The fact that they used it mostly for video games, Internet usage, and entertainment was a little unsettling.

"Isn't it a shame to use all of it only for games and such than?"

"It's all according to perception, Rei" Dimmer was rummaging through the inventory lists to make sure everything was there.

"Ah. Here it is, Serena'll love this. It's the new Sailor V game. Those sightings of sailor scouts have made an increase in sales and so new games and their sequels are pumping out like crazy. Any way as I was saying, It depends on how you look at it Rei. Amy would agree with you 100%, but me? No. She would rather use her computer to help to control the world. That isn't a bad thing, in fact it's quite the opposite. Today's world is run by computers, it's only natural to want to use them to help you gain control of your own life. She sees most of these games as just that. Games.

"But as I said, I differ. Each of these games is their authors ideas and worlds. I said computers could destroy and create worlds. I meant it. These people invent entire worlds through their ideas. To say that these games are a waste of time is just like saying a fantasy novel is a waste of time. Which the famous Lord of the Rings series and Shakespeare are I might add. The only difference is in games the author lets you play a role in it. To get really into a game is just like getting really into a book."

"Wow. Never knew you felt that strongly about it Dimmer."

"Bah. Don't worry about it. What I would like you to do is play this game and rate it as far, what the controls are like, that is how easy they are to get used to, the graphics, how fun the game is to play, and the how good the story line is. I'm going to check out a few PC games that came in."

"Alright". "Stressful?" she thought about Dimmer's newest job, and his boss, "hardly."

The time passed too quickly for Rei as Dimmer and her played the games all day until 2:30pm. Dimmer told her the time and she could hardly believe him. They had to meet Amy and Serena at 3:15pm at the library.

"So, how was the game Rei?"

"Well, I don't play often, and the controls on the paddles were a bit hard to get used to."

"Don't worry about that, it's the fault of the system, the old controllers in my opinion were a lot easier to get the hang, even if they were a little bulky. What I wanna know is how easy it was to use the moves the game taught you."

"Oh, well after I figured out where all the buttons were it was a sinch."

"Good controls than, how about graphics?"

"Like all the other sailor V games."

"Graphics are crappy gotcha. You'd think they'd finally put the dam thing in 3d wouldn't ya? Ah well, how about game play?"

"Oh it was fun. You never really get bored, whenever you're about to they came out with some new weapon or move you could do."

"Cool, that's new, usually for those games you just keep blasting away continually. Good fun factor, something you can note for later there, Rei. Bad graphics doesn't mean bad game, and good graphics doesn't mean good game either. And what about story line?"

"Now that was cool! The scouts and I… er the new sailor scouts are in it and you can play through as them too, getting different story and moves."

"And a real good rating for story line. Good job Rei." Dimmer put the notes he made on a shelf and waved his good bye to Kintaro, who grunted his reply behind the sandwich in his mouth.

"There was one thing about the story that frustrated me though, Dim."

"And that would be?"

"Why Sailor Moon, she was the main figure in this game, why she got the guy that her and Mars were after."

"Don't let it get to ya Rei. Did Mars end up with anyone at the end of it?"

"Yeah, her lackey" Rei gestured by putting her finger in her throat, "Blah"

"At least she had that. Games and anime are so much alike, and most cases if she didn't end up with someone you ASSUME she got with, the populace deems her as lesbian and moves on."

"What?!" Rei paled.

"Don't be surprised in most cases the populace is right after all. Sidekicks like that never end up with their own guy/girl they can fall in love with as much as the heroes do. It's stupid really; the hero's love can conquer all! The sidekick's love might be able to conquer money problems, and that's only if luck is on their side.

"I AM NOT A LESBIAN!"

A few of the other people walking by decide to walk quicker while trying to keep in their laughter. Dimmer didn't even try.

"Aaaahahhahhhahahahhahahah!"

Rei turned a bright red realizing what she just yelled out, while Dimmer wasn't doing anything to deter the attention from her. In fact he probably caused a little more attention to be pointed at her when he had to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk still laughing.

"Oh my god… hahha ah, oh jeez… ahah, oh my god… ahaaa ahaaa." His laughter finally had died down. He had to take a few deep breaths before he was able to stand up right again. " My GOD! Rei, thank you…" wheeze "… memory or no memory I can assure you that I haven't laughed that hard in a looong time…" another deep breath "… oh yes."

Rei was steamed by this time; "you didn't have to laugh that hard you know." She said angrily.

"Oh, don't take it so hard Rei. Even if you're feeling like someone's sidekick, I assure you that's not how things work in real life." Dimmer didn't think saying that would calm her any but was surprised how well it worked.

"Okay than", She forced herself to calm down. No use getting upset over it, I can't give myself away over some stupid game. She thought. To Dimmer she said "But if you mention to ANYone what just happened here, I will hunt you down, you got that?"

"Sure, sure, but really Rei, don't fret. It's not like you're going around in a Sailor Mars costume fighting monsters from another universe. Competing for your love's attention from the one and only Sailor Moon who, even though she is a complete ditz, upstages you every step of the way."

Rei had a big sweatdrop on the back of her head. "Right!" She said with a tad too much protest. That game just hit way too far close to home for her comfort.

"Those types of things don't happen. And only if they did, I'm sure, is about the only way any one will believe you to be a lesbian." Dimmer continued on.

Dimmer would've been hearing low growling sounds from Rei's proximity if he was bothering to listen.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that mind you. I just hate the way it seems people are turning being heterosexual into a bad thing. And why parade downtown Toronto just because you're gay? Don't see me running down a street with horns and floats just because I have a sexual preference do ya?"

The crowd that had been laughing at Rei was now gathering and laughing at Dimmer. In truth he was trying to keep his own laughter in. Rei couldn't keep hers in either, and her bad mood had pretty much flown away leaving her smiling with the rest of the crowd. But enough was enough and they were keeping their friends waiting.

"Hey if there is a gay pride day in the states, Do you think they'd make it a national holiday? How about a heterosexual day ? Sure I'm just looking for another day off work, but the question is would it work? And are you behind me?!" he finished with a yell.

This earned him a few cheers, and much more laughs from the crowd, and a slap in the back of the head from Rei. "C'mon Dimmer" She had to pull him by his ear toward the library. "Really, it's bad enough I embarrassed myself without you to embarrass us both."

The crowd continued to laugh so Dimmer went with it. "I'll be here all week!" he called back to the crowd. "Ow!"

"No! He won't!" Rei gave an extra hard tug on Dimmer's ear, on the word "No" and a second one on the word "won't".

Dimmer was yawning again by the time they made it to the library. He had more sleep last night than he had had the whole rest of the week, as in about 6 hours. Obviously to anybody else this would be way too little sleep, but Dimmer had done this type of thing on a regular basis since he first arrived in Tokyo. Sleep isn't easily found on a park bench no matter how you decorate it. So in the end Dimmer looked at his being tired as himself getting weaker.

He was thinking to himself, "Man, I've even got Rei worried about my sleeping habits. It ain't right; I should be able to last a lot longer than this. I was hoping my work and training would be able to keep me busy enough that I wouldn't have to worry about it for a while. There's still so much I gotta do and learn before I can stand on my own two feet around here. I don't wanna intrude on Sensei, Rei, and Chad forever." *Yawn* "To bad my body doesn't agree with my way of thinking."

The conversation had died since the whole fiasco with the crowd. Rei was still simmering a bit. "Sidekick? I'll give her a sidekick all right! Always upstaged when she is falling on her face at least twice every time we fight! Yeah right Rei, no one can be upstaged by a klutz. Least of all you." This was the last bit of convincing she tried to give herself, but in her heart she knew there was little truth in what was said. In the game Sailor Mars was nothing more than a sidekick to Sailor Moon. Was reality so different? Serena was her friend, even if she was a twit. She was also voted the leader of the scouts, even if no one knew why.

"I'm loyal to Sailor Moon. I always will be. As a friend, and as a follower, but I want to be known as myself, not as her sidekick." Rei sighed. Maybe she was overreacting. "Of course that's it! It's just a stupid game, just like Dimmer said. Reality is different. It isn't some world made up by an author trying to make a name for themselves by putting characters they made up into all sorts of embarrassing and deadly situations. And I was not made for someone's entertainment! I've been getting upset over nothing. If Tuxedo Mask does choose her, it will be his choice. Not some writer's choice who has decided to give a love to the lead roll." (don't ya kinda feel sorry for them now?)

With this cleared up she looked up at Dimmer to catch him yawning and looking a little drowsy "Look at yourself Rei! You were so caught up in some stupid game that you forgot to look after Dimmer. The whole reason you skipped school today."

"Dimmer are you all right? You look like you're ready to fall asleep. We should go back to the temple, we can do this all tomorrow, Amy and Serena would understand."

"Dammit" Dimmer immediately thought to himself. "Rei caught me dosing off. She's gonna start thinking I'm too weak for this and getting Sensei to cut back on my training! I gotta keep going now!"

"No, don't worry about it Rei. The excitement of our walk died down after ya chased the audience away. I'm just getting a little bored. That's all." Dimmer put on his best smile. "I hope she bought that."

Rei smiled in answer "Sorry, I haven't been the best company, I just got to thinking to myself and forgot to keep the conversation going." Rei looked into his blood shot eyes and past the over blatantly obvious false smile. "No way Dimmer" she thought to herself as she continued her own false smile "you're easier to read than Serena."

He was tired, and his ego was in the way of his good sense. "Ugh, MEN! Why must they always try to look so macho! Now I'm gonna have to think of some way to get him home, and not hurt his ego at the same time. Thbbt! And than they wonder why women have to be so good at mind games!". Okay, I don't know a lot about Dimmer so I need someone who does know him. Hey! Amy knows him best, she knew him since he first came down. I'll have to tell her the problem."

15 minutes later

Now they were on their way home from the library. Dimmer was slouching, and he looked very much like a sulking puppy that just got scolded. Rei was very much trying to hold her laughter in. She now knew that "how to handle Dimmer" was a whole lot simpler than having to play any mind game. It was the ol' tried and true way of "yelling at him until he seen sense" that would get the job done. Once told the situation, all Amy did was go over and holler at him until he agreed it would be wise to go home get some sleep, than come back the next day to help with Amy's research.

"Can't believe you told Amy on me." He mumbled.

"I'm sorry Dimmer I didn't quite catch that"

"I said "Can't believe you told Amy on me! Right in the library too. Even the Librarian was too freaked out to tell her to be quiet."

"Hey! You forced me to, all right? I didn't want to. It was you who wasn't getting any sleep, and for no real reason that you'll tell anybody I might add. I should take you for a doctor's appointment, but you don't have any registration papers to put you in."

"Good, hospitals unnerve me. Don't like the sight of blood, and all their needles freak the hell outta me."

"Well were almost home now, and you'd better go in and get some sleep this time!"

"What about my katas? And I gotta train with Chad today. Oh yeah! I was still able to get this sheet music for Chad and me to go through too."

"Don't make me walk all the way back to the library to sick Amy at you!"

"All right, all right… but at least you can give the music to Chad for me, jeez."

"As long as you promise to go straight to bed, look at you you're either beat or you're getting into drugs, and I better not start thinking you're into drugs or your butt will be out on that stupid park bench so fast you're head will spin!" She grabbed the binder he'd put the music in and stomped off into temple heading toward Chad's room he suspected.

"I'm not into drugs!" he yelled. Than he looked around to see if there was anyone that could hear him. Seeing no one he finished what he was going to yell in a rather quiet voice, "And I liked my bench." He walked into the temple after her heading toward his own bed.

Endnotes:

So does Dimmer have anyone's dream job yet? Heh, I know he got mine. The word "L33t" belongs to a delicious web comic called megatokyo at www. megatokyo .com please by all means go there if you like gaming and anime. It kicks! And no, I'm not friends with any one who draws it. I doubt they'll ever even hear of this.

*Newfie: person from Newfoundland, an Atlantic Canadian province with very friendly people, and horrible grammar.

*Caper: person from Cape Breton Island, Island very close to Newfoundland, yet belongs to the maritime province, Nova Scotia. Also have horrible grammar, just not as bad as a newfie.