Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Looking Up To You ❯ A Night At The Opera ( Chapter 18 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters, blah, blah, blah.

NOTE: This story takes place after Sailor Stars, however, I haven't seen Sailor Stars, so forgive me if I miss a plot point or two. Also, I'm gonna go for American attack names here… *begs forgiveness from the purists*

---

The next afternoon, Sammy and Rick were sitting up in Sammy's room, playing on the computer.

"Your mom let you off already?" Rick asked. "What did you do?"

"I… uh… I cleaned the whole house," Sammy lied. "So Rick, I heard you and Mika were going on a date!"

"You bet!" Rick said. "But it's not really a cool date… we're going to this opera downtown called La Seri Angeli. Mika said she's been wanting to go, so…"

"That's weird, Ami and Greg are going to the exact same opera!" Sammy said.

"Wow, cool… I'd buy you a ticket, but they're really expensive. Mika bought ours," Rick said. "So what are you gonna be doing tonight?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll be watching TV," Sammy said.

"Too bad you can't go to the opera with us," Rick said. "But you probably don't wanna go to some boring opera anyway.

Sammy and Rick laughed.

"How is Ami, anyway?" Rick asked. "You guys still friends?"

"We're friends, but not boyfriend and girlfriend," Sammy said, sighing.

"That's too bad," Rick said. "I could hook you up with someone…"

"I'm fine," Sammy sighed.

"You seem kinda down," Rick said. "Hey, you wanna go to the arcade or something? It might cheer you up."

"Yeah, sure," Sammy said. "Arcade. Okay."

---

Meanwhile, Scion's castle continued to float down toward the planet Earth. It entered Earth's atmosphere.

"Father's plans coincide with mine," Scion said. "I still don't know why he'd want to possess the body of a human boy, but I guess that's the only body he could get."

Scion smiled.

"For now."

---

At the arcade, Ami, Serena, Rei, Mina, Lita, and Greg were standing around a shooting game.

"Ami, shoot him down!" Serena shrieked.

"Don't bother her," Rei said. "I think she's in the zone."

"Go Ami!" Greg cheered, standing next to her for support. A loud chime sounded.

"I reached level 7!" Ami said triumphantly. "Yes!"

Sammy and Rick walked into the arcade. Sammy immediately spotted his blue-haired friend.

"Ami?" Sammy said in surprise. "You're at the arcade?"

Ami turned her head and saw Sammy and Rick. She waved at them.

"I convinced Ami to come to the arcade!" Serena said. "She's an even better gamer than you, Sammy!"

"It probably has something to do with her being so smart," Mina stated. "Whatever it is, she's good!"

Sammy and Rick ran up to the machine and watched Ami play for several more minutes before finally, Ami lost at level 11.

"Oh no, I lost…" Ami said.

"Level 11's pretty good for a first time!" Serena said. "It took me three weeks to reach level 11!"

"Ami just started playing this game?" Rick said. "Geez…"

Ami stepped away from the machine.

"It really was fun, but Greg and I have to be going," Ami said. "We're going to study at the library!"

"Yes, thank you all for giving Ami your support!" Greg said.

"Ami, wait!" Sammy said. He took two quarters out of his pocket. "I want to play a game with you!"

Ami smiled.

"Well, okay, Sammy, but just one game!" Ami said.

"I challenge you to a game of Road Brawler 3!" Sammy said, pointing at the Road Brawler III machine.

"Oh, I'm not good at fighting games!" Ami said. "They're so violent… two grown adults trying to pummel each other… but it does look like a lot of fun! Okay, Sammy!"

Sammy, Ami, and the others walked over to the machine. Sammy put in two quarters, and the Character Select screen appeared. Sammy immediately moved his cursor over to a large robot-looking man and pressed Start.

"I picked Robrawl!" Sammy said. "He's the best fighter in the game!"

"Let's see here," Ami said, looking at the list of characters. "My my, there's over 40 people to choose from…"

"Choose carefully, Ami!" Greg advised. "Sammy's probably really good at this game…"

"Let's see… here's a good one!" Ami said, moving her cursor over to a picture of a small boy and selecting it.

"You picked Red? He's just a little kid!" Sammy said.

"Yes, but that never stopped anyone before!" Ami said, winking at Sammy. Sammy smiled.

"Here they go!" Serena yelled as the game began. Robrawl lunged forward and launched a flurry of punches and kicks at Red, taking off nearly a third of Red's life bar and knocking Red to the ground. Red got up and kicked at Robrawl, but Robrawl dodged it and kicked Red again.

"Oh no, oh no!" Ami cried, watching Red's life bar fall below 50%.

"And now…" Sammy said, moving his control stick around and pressing several buttons at once. "It's over!"

Robrawl lunged forward and launched both of its fists at Red. The fits hit Ami's fighter, knocking his life bar to 0.

"Robrawl Special!" Sammy said. "I win!"

"I lost!" Ami said, looking at the screen.

"A perfect victory," Sammy said. "You didn't hit me once!"

"Sammy rules!" Rick said.

"I have to win two rounds, so you still have another chance," Sammy said. The fight started again. Robrawl punched Red twice, knocking him back.

"Don't give up, Ami!" Greg said. Robrawl kicked at Red again. This time, Red dodged out of the way.

"Wha?" Sammy exclaimed. Red fired three energy balls at Robrawl. The balls hit Robrawl and knocked it down.

"Red's Energy attack!" Serena said, watching the attack knock down Robrawl. "Good job, Ami!"

Red kicked Robrawl into the air, then grabbed him and slammed him back down to the ground. Robrawl's life bar went to 0.

"Yes!" Ami said. "Now it's tied at one a piece!"

"You're pretty good at this game, Ami!" Greg said.

"Thank you, Greg!" Ami said, kissing Greg on the cheek.

The fight started again. Robrawl kicked Red in the face. Red replied by punching at Robrawl. Robrawl dodged, and then launched a high kick, which Red avoided by ducking under it.

"Now they're both fighting evenly…" Lita said. Red and Robrawl continued pummeling each other, until both were down to within an inch of their life bars.

"Next hit will probably win!" Sammy said. He moved Robrawl toward Red. Robrawl kicked at Ami's fighter, but Red jumped out of the way and fired an energy ball at Robrawl. Robrawl blocked the ball, then lunged forward and punched Red.

"Oh no!" Ami cried.

"Yes!" Sammy cheered. "That's it!"

"Wait a second, Red still has a sliver of life left!" Ami said. "Now's my chance!"

Ami pressed several buttons. Red charged energy in his arms. The energy took on the shape of a huge sword.

"Red's special move…" Rei said. "I forget what that is, though. I never use him."

"Plasma Sword!" Sammy said. "Oh no!"

Red brought his huge sword down on Robrawl, knocking out Robrawl's entire life bar. Robrawl yelled out in pain, and then fell to the ground.

"I won!" Ami said, jumping into the air.

"That was a fun game, Ami!" Sammy said. "I enjoyed it!"

Sammy and Ami shook hands, and then Ami turned back to Greg.

"Well, we have to go now!" Greg said.

"It's been really fun!" Ami said. "Bye!"

The iris of Greg's eyes flashed red for a split-second. Sammy caught the flash out of the corner of his eye.

"Wha?" Sammy said, looking at Greg's eye. "Greg… your eye flashed all red and stuff!"

"Something must have flown into it," Greg said, rubbing his eye. "Dust or something."

"I hope it's okay!" Ami said. "I wouldn't want your eye to get injured! Then you wouldn't get to see the opera!"

"No, I'm fine," Greg said. "Let's go."

Greg and Ami left the arcade.

"That was weird," Sammy said. "I could have sworn Greg's eye turned all red for a second there…"

"Maybe you're just seeing things, Sammy!" Serena said. "Or maybe you're just turning green with envy!"

Serena giggled.

"Aw, leave poor Sammy alone, Serena!" Rei said.

"Yeah, leave Sammy alone!" Rick yelled. He turned to Sammy. "Hey Sammy, you wanna play the new baseball game they have here?"

"Sure," Sammy said. He looked down. "I know Greg's eye turned red. There's something wrong here… maybe Serena's right, maybe I'm just jealous… but I know I saw something…"

---

A while later, at the library…

"Well, that was a pretty good study session, wouldn't you say?" Ami asked, closing a large book. Greg nodded his head.

"The show starts in two hours," Greg said. "We'd better get ready!"

"Yes," Ami agreed. "You have to dress appropriately at operas like La Seri Angeli… I'll meet you at the operahouse at 7:30, okay?"

"Alright!" Greg said. "Bye, Ami!"

Greg kissed Ami on the cheek, and then got up from the table and began to walk toward the entrance. Before Greg could reach the entrance, he bumped into Sammy.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Greg said, smiling at Sammy. "You're Ami's friend, aren't you?"

"I, uh… came to bring her something," Sammy said. "I hope you two have fun at the opera tonight!"

"Thank you," Greg said. "Ami's already going the other way… you'd better hurry if you want to catch her!"

"Okay!" Sammy said. "Well… see ya!"

Sammy walked back Greg toward the other end of the library.

"Nothing too unusual about Greg," Sammy thought. "I'm paranoid."

Sammy sighed and looked back toward Greg one more time. Greg began to walk out the door to the library, but as he did, Sammy noticed a dark mist floating around him. The dark mist floated around Greg for two or three seconds, and then disappeared as Greg left the library.

"That's definitely something," Sammy said. "I'm not paranoid! I have to tell Ami!"

Sammy started to run to try and catch Ami, but then he stopped.

"She'd never believe me," Sammy said. He turned around. "I guess I'll just have to talk to her tonight at the opera… no… the Golden Masked Warrior will have to talk to her!"

---

Sammy's room, at 7:15…

"Rick, I need to ask you a big favor," Sammy said.

"What is it, Sammy?" Rick asked. He was wearing a black-and-white tuxedo with a corsage on the front. "I have to go meet Mika at the theatre in 15 minutes."

"Rick… you have to get me a ticket for the opera," Sammy said. "It's important."

"Sammy, are you crazy? Tickets are at least 10,000 yen!" Rick said. "Besides, they've been sold out for hours. What made you change your mind about wanting to go?"

"Rick, I want to show you something," Sammy said. "You can't laugh."

Sammy reached under his bed and pulled out a box and the katana that he had gotten from Alexis.

"Whoa, Sammy, neat sword!" Rick said. "But what's in the box?"

Sammy reached into the box and pulled out his Golden Masked Warrior costume.

"Cool costume!" Rick said. "Why would I laugh about something like that? But why would you need a costume?"

"It's hard to explain, but for the past week, I've been using this costume to help Sailor Mercury fight bad guys," Sammy said.

"Oh," Rick said. He began chuckling.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" Sammy yelled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Rick said, still laughing. "But, I mean… that's pretty farfetched that you'd be helping Sailor Mercury fight. I mean, you're just a kid, and-"

"Sailor Mercury is Ami," Sammy said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rick said. "Wait a second, you expect me to believe this?"

"I know it's a lot, but please, it's all true!" Sammy said. "Sailor Mercury is Ami, and I put on this costume to help her fight bad guys. But you can't tell anyone!"

"I still don't know if I believe you," Rick said. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But I still don't understand why you want to go to the opera…"

"Ami is going to the opera with Greg, and I think Greg's been possessed by a bad guy who wants to get to Ami," Sammy said, beginning to take off his clothes. "Don't look!"

Rick turned away from Sammy as Sammy changed into his Golden Masked Warrior costume.

"Okay, you can turn back now," Sammy said. Rick turned around and faced Sammy.

"Wow, you look really cool in that!" Rick said. "Okay, I believe you about being a superhero and about Ami being Sailor Mercury. But still, I don't think you'll be able to get into the building…"

"Sneaking in will be a small task for the Golden Masked Warrior!" Sammy declared.

"Whatever you say, Sammy," Rick said. "Geez, I hope Mika doesn't freak out…"

---

Outside the opera house…

Ami walked up to the front of the large building, wearing a sparkling dark blue gown with high-heeled white shoes and shimmering diamond earrings. Greg waved to her.

"Ami, over here!" Greg yelled. Ami ran over to Greg and kissed him on the lips. Greg was wearing a black tuxedo with a grey bowtie and black dress pants. He smiled at Ami.

"Greg, you look great tonight!" Ami said.

"And so do you, my dear," Greg said. He lifted Ami's hand to his lips and kissed it, causing her to giggle.

"Let's go, okay?" Ami said. Greg nodded in agreement and walked into the building with Ami. Just as they went into the building, Rick walked up and saw Mika.

"Hello, Rick!" Mika said. She was wearing a white dress with black gloves on her hands. She hugged Rick.

"Mika, um… we might not be going in the front way," Rick said.

"Why not?" Mika asked. "Rick, you didn't get the tickets!"

"No, I've got them, it's just that I need to help someone else get in," Rick said. He took Mika's hand and ran over to an alley beside the building.

"What are we doing?" Mika said.

"You'll see," Rick said. He ran into the alley with Mika. There, they saw Sammy waving at them, dressed in his Golden Masked Warrior costume.

"Who's this guy?" Mika asked, looking at Sammy. "Rick…"

Sammy took off his mask.

"Rick, Mika, you came!" Sammy said. "Great!"

"Sammy?" Mika gasped. "Wow, you look really nice…"

Rick walked up to Sammy.

"Alright, Sammy, this had better not get Mika or me into trouble…" Rick said.

"Don't worry, I've got it all planned out!" Sammy said. "Mika, you go into the theatre, okay?"

"But what about Rick?" Mika asked. She sighed. "Rick, Sammy, you two better not get into any trouble!"

Mika ran out of the alley and out to the front of the opera house. Sammy took out a large instrument box that had a small hole cut into it. He opened the box and climbed inside.

"Sammy, what are you doing?" Rick asked. "Oh, wait… I get it! I'm supposed to be one of the band, right?"

"Exactly!" Sammy said. "Okay, close the box!"

Rick closed the box and picked it up, straining somewhat.

"Oh man, Sammy, you're heavy!" Rick said. "Now, let's see here…"

Rick walked around to the back of the building, where he saw a door that said "Orchestra Only". He opened the door and went inside, but was immediately stopped by a large-looking man wearing a tux.

"Are you part of the orchestra?" the man asked. Rick lifted up the box containing Sammy. "You look a bit young to be in the orchestra…"

"I'm the child prodigy tuba player," Rick said. "Surely you've heard about me in the news."

"No, I haven't," the man said. "Where's your orchestra pass?"

"Well, you see-" Rick stammered.

"No pass, you no pass. You got it?" the man said.

"Sevini Marcelli, the child prodigy tuba player! We've been expecting you!" yelled a voice from behind the guard. The guard turned about to see the conductor, who had a large smile on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the guard said. "He didn't have a pass, you see-"

"Sevini Marcelli needs no pass!" the conductor said, taking the hand of the slightly bewildered Rick. "Right this way, sir!"

Rick walked past the guard, looking back and blowing raspberries at the guard as he walked past. The guard growled.

---

"Whew, I thought I'd never get out of that box," Sammy said, crawling out onto the floor of a small bathroom.

"And I thought I'd never get to use the bathroom," Rick said. "Actually, I did. They like this Sevivi Macaroni guy an awful lot…"

Sammy stood up and brushed himself off.

"I don't know how I'm going to sneak around here in this getup, but I'll manage," Sammy said, starting to open the door to the bathroom.

"What about me?" Rick asked. "I don't have a tuba…"

"That Macaroni guy will get here pretty soon," Sammy said. "You'd better go find Mika. She's probably worried."

"Alright," Rick said. He walked out of the bathroom and ran off.

"Now, what am I supposed to do?" Sammy said, looking down at his costume. "I won't be very conspicuous…"

Sammy walked out of the bathroom and looked around. Apparently, this was the private bathroom backstage. Sammy looked and saw Rick exiting out a door.

"That door must lead to the audience area," Sammy thought. He ran toward the door, but was immediately stopped by a security guard.

"What are you doing here?" the security guard yelled in a gruff voice.

"Er, you see… I'm Japan's famous midget luchadore, Rodu Buroreru!" Sammy said.

"Oh, I see…" the security guard said. "Well, what are you doing back here in the orchestra area?"

"The bathroom for the spectators was full," Sammy said. "I came down here to see if there was a bathroom."

"Did you find one?" the security guard asked.

"Yes, I did," Sammy said.

"Good, sir," the security guard said. "But please take a seat in the audience."

"Alright," Sammy said. He ran to the door and walked out of the orchestra area.

"Wait, I need to see your tick- he's gone," the security guard said. "Well, I'm sure he has one. He couldn't have gotten in without a ticket!"

---

A little while later, the opera began. Sammy had found a seat in the fifth row, two rows in front of Ami and Greg, and three rows in front of Rick and Mika. He had taken off his mask, but his shimmering gold costume did get some looks from the other spectators.

"What a lovely voice," Ami whispered, referring to the actress on stage.

"Yes, very," Greg said.

"Oh no," Ami said, frowning. "I have to use the restroom…"

"You should have gone before it started," Greg said.

"That's the funny thing. You never have to go when you can, but when you can't… I'll be right back, okay?"

Ami got up and hastily walked up the ramp toward the lobby. Greg looked up at her as she left.

"This could be my chance to take one of the Senshi out. There's a lot of people here, though… but that's a chance worth taking. They're disposable anyway."

Greg got up and began to follow Ami. Sammy turned his head.

"What's he doing…" Sammy thought. "I wonder…"

Sammy began following Greg.

---

In the lobby…

"Well, that didn't take too long," Ami said, stepping out of the bathroom. "I hope I didn't miss too much…"

Ami began to walk back toward the opera hall. Little did she know that Greg was watching her from behind a nearby hallway, hiding behind a corner.

"No one's here," Greg thought, looking around. "Now's my chance."

Ami walked past the hallway. Greg lunged forward and grabbed Ami from behind, one hand covering her mouth and one hand holding a sword to her throat.

"Ami…" boomed a dark voice inside Ami's head. "It's me, Greg."

Sinister laughter echoed inside Ami's head. She tried to get away from Greg, but it was no use. He began pulling her toward a door that led to a stairwell. Suddenly, Sammy, now wearing his mask, leaped out of the men's bathroom and ran in front of Greg and Ami. He pointed his sword at Greg's head.

"Let her go," Sammy said. "Or face the wrath of the Masked Warrior!"

"Sammy, how did you get here?" Ami thought.

"Ah yes, the child," Greg said. "You're a clever one, aren't you?"

"I don't know who you are, but you're not Greg!" Sammy yelled. "Whatever you are, get out of Greg and face me like a man!"

"I've no time to deal with you," Greg said. He dragged Ami over to the door and ducked inside, taking her with him.

"He's going upstairs!" Sammy yelled. "Well, so am I!"

Sammy ran over to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Locked!" Sammy said.

"No. Sealed with dark magic," said a loud, booming voice. "A mere mortal like you could never break it. And soon, Ami will be dead."

"Why didn't you just kill her when you grabbed her?" Sammy said.

"I have to drain her energy, and that takes time," the booming voice said. "But you won't get to see it."

"AMI!!!" Sammy shouted in despair.

---

Uh oh, Ami's in trouble! Can Sammy rescue her in time? Only three chapters to go!