Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of a Doubt ❯ Black Hole Mystery ( Chapter 1 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Konran no Tenshi 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.04.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 176 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.04.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 176 | Status: Completed
Shadow of a Doubt
by Konran no Tenshi
Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon and all characters etc. belong to the wonderful Naoko Takeuchi-sama, and not me. *sniff* However, Chantrea, Gemini, Draugwath, Callista, Elendae, Ithildae, Anordae, and Kemendae belong to me. They are ALL MINE. You may NOT use them without asking. Tsuki and Chandra are Shinimegami-chan's, used with permission. Musume and Death Blade-sama are sort of shared between us. *sweatdrop* ^.^;; If you would like to use one of these original characters, please ask first. Arigatou.
Oh yes... Note: Chibiusa and Hotaru are now 14 and 12, respectively. The other Senshi maintain the same age gap. I'm too lazy to figure out how old that makes everybody. Do the math yourself.
Part 1: Black Hole Mystery
"Wake up."
The voice reverberated through her sleep insistently, forcing her to pay attention. She moaned and tried to ignore it, to fall back into the warm dark depths of sleep. But it wouldn't let her.
"Wake up. Kudasai - you must awaken."
Sitting up, she opened her eyes slowly. They widened.
There was a boy maybe a few years older than her standing in her room.
A shaft of moonlight illuminated him, shining softly off his dark brown hair and glinting in his equally dark brown eyes. He wore black pants and a simple dark green shirt.
But what caught her attention was the fact that she could see right through him.
"D-dare wa nan desu ka?" Her voice quavered slightly. "What do you want?"
He smiled slightly. "Shimpai janai, Chibi Ichi. I haven't come to harm you. I have come to give you warning."
She stood up and slipped out of bed, coming to stand before him. She had to tilt her head up to look at him, since he was several inches taller than her. "Warning of what? Am I in danger?"
"Hai, you are. And the entire universe as well. You and the Sailor Senshi are the only ones who can stop the coming destruction."
Gasping, she took a step back. "You know..."
He made a move with his hand that silenced her. "Hai. I know your identity as a Senshi, and those of your friends. But as I said before, I do not come to harm you. Onegai... come closer. I have something I wish to give you."
Hesitantly, she stepped closer. She reached out her hand as the boy put out his closed fist. Her hand brushed his - and went right through. She sucked in a breath. "Are... are you a ghost?"
He smiled again, this time a bit sadly. "In a manner of speaking. I'm not quite dead - but to this world, yes, I am a ghost. But please, take this. Keep it safe." He opened his hand, and a carved moonstone in the shape of a heart dangled from it on a chain.
"It's so pretty! Nan desu ka?"
"You will know what to do with it when the time comes. Now... I am afraid I cannot stay any longer. It was a stretch to do even this much. I must go."
"Matte! I don't even know who you are!"
"You will know soon enough, I think, though it may be a while. Take care of that charm. It's important." The boy began to fade out, becoming even more transparent than he had been.
"Will I see you again?" she cried desperately.
"You may. But never face to face - not unless I am freed. Ja ne, Chibi Ichi. I will be watching over you, you can be sure of that."
He faded out completely, and she was left standing in the middle of her room, the moonstone charm the only evidence that the whole thing had been no dream.
She slipped the chain around her neck and crawled back into bed. She eventually drifted off to sleep again.
And it seemed, just before she fell into the dark, soft abyss, that she heard an echo borne on the gentle breeze.
"Sayonara..."
***
"And you say then he just disappeared?"
"That's right." Chibiusa crossed her legs and leaned back against the table in Rei's room. It was after school, and they were having one of their many meetings. "But he gave me this first." She held up the charm for inspection.
The Senshi all crowded around to take a look.
"It's beautiful!" Hotaru exclaimed. "I wonder where he got it."
"And where was Diana during all this?" Makoto asked.
"Asleep, I guess. She doesn't remember anything."
"If he was a ghost, then how could he have held something physical?" Ami wanted to know.
"Well, he didn't say he was a ghost, exactly. He just looked like it." Chibiusa glanced over at Hotaru, who was holding her moonstone charm and turning it over and over, gazing at it.
Rei took the charm from Hotaru. "Well, it seems all right... but let me check it." She whipped out an ofuda. "Aku ryo tai san!"
There was no effect on the moonstone.
"All right, then... whatever it is, it's not evil. It should be all right for you to wear, or do whatever you want with it." Rei handed it back to Chibiusa.
"But why did he come to you?" Usagi grumbled. "He could have come to *me*. I *am* Sailor Moon, you know."
"Probably for the same reason he didn't come to any of us," Haruka remarked. "For some reason, he went to Chibi-chan. So stop wasting time whining about it, and let's figure out what's going on."
"Well, uh... you guys go on ahead and try to work it out. I think I'm going to go home. I've got a headache... and I've got a test tomorrow, I should really study for it. See ya." Chibiusa got up and left the temple.
The skies were grey and overcast, and a light drizzle was beginning, the weather perfectly matching her introspective mood. She didn't really have a headache; she had just said that. The truth was, she wanted a little more time to replay the experience in her mind without a bunch of others looking over her shoulder.
She knew exactly what would have happened had she stayed. Usagi would have whined about not being the one the boy had talked to, Ami would want to scan the charm over and over with her computer, Rei, Makoto, Minako, and the others would question her mercilessly, and of course Hotaru would want every single detail. She loved all of them, but sometimes she just wanted room to work things out herself.
As she walked, a light rain began to fall. She cursed herself for not thinking to bring an umbrella. *Baka!* she thought. Chibiusa sighed and resigned herself to walking home in the rain. She would get wet, but she didn't really have a choice.
Suddenly, the rain stopped falling on her.
She glanced up to see Mamoru walking beside her, holding an umbrella over both of them. "Oh! Mamo-chan! I didn't see you! Kon'nichiwa!"
He grinned down at her. "Kon'nichiwa, Chibi-chan. How come you're out here in the wet all alone?"
"Oh, I was walking home from our meeting, and I guess I forgot to take an umbrella with me today."
Mamoru frowned. "How come Usagi-chan isn't with you?"
"She's still at Rei-chan's. I... I had a headache, so I just left."
"Hmm." He suddenly noticed the moonstone hanging around her neck. He picked it up and looked at it. "That's pretty. Where did you get it?"
"Uh... it was... a gift."
"Someone special?" Mamoru asked with a teasing grin.
Chibiusa stared out at the grey, rainy horizon. "Yeah. I think so."
***
A few miles away, a hole opened up in the air in a deserted alley. A grey cat jumped out, followed by a girl with bright red hair and startling violet eyes. She had a nasty-looking scratch down one cheek that stood out sharply with fresh red blood. The girl glanced around. "So, this is it? We're here?"
"We're here," the cat confirmed.
The girl raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look like much."
"Just wait. This isn't exactly the scenic route."
"Hmmph. Well, I suppose you're right. Let's go." The girl stooped down and took off the small backpack she wore. The cat jumped in and she replaced it on her back. "No sense in both of us getting wet."
Violet eyes flicking from side to side, taking in everything, the girl walked off down the street.
***
Mamoru left Chibiusa outside her house and headed home. She watched as his figure dwindled off into the distance. Turning to go inside, she stopped as someone yelled out, "Hey!"
She looked over to see a boy with black hair, dressed all in black, running towards her. He stopped right in front of her, panting for breath. She noticed his strange, silver-colored eyes and odd, delicate appearance.
"You've got to come with me!" he gasped. "My friend... she needs help!"
Chibiusa stared at him. "Daijobu?" she asked finally. "What's wrong with her?" She didn't know this person, but she figured she could take him if she had to, especially transformed.
"She got attacked by this monster a little bit ago. She got rid of it, but she got scratched, and then a few minutes ago she just fainted. The scratch must have been poisoned. She could die!" He looked frantic. Chibiusa wondered if he was this girl's boyfriend or something.
"Okay, okay, calm down," she soothed. "Take me to her. I'll see what I can do."
The odd boy grabbed her wrist and ran off, pulling her along. She followed the best she could. This boy was *fast*! He ran like the wind. It seemed like only a few minutes before he stopped. She nearly ran into him, it happened so suddenly. "There," he said, indicating a crumpled form lying in the small space between two buildings.
Chibiusa cautiously stepped forward. As she neared the unconscious form of the girl lying on the ground, a white cat leaped out at her, hissing. The boy stepped forward and caught the cat neatly. He nodded for Chibiusa to go ahead, and crouched down, still holding the cat. He almost seemed to be having a silent conversation with it.
Chibiusa knelt by the side of the girl. She rolled her over onto her back and gazed at her. She had red hair done up in a bun, and there was an ugly scratch down one cheek. Her breathing was fast and labored, but when Chibiusa felt for a pulse, it was slow and weak, barely there at all.
She stood up. "I think we should take her to a hospital," she announced.
The boy looked worried. "How do we get her there? Where is it?"
"We'll have to carry her. There's one not too far from here, but it is kind of a long ways to walk and carry something heavy. Hope you're strong."
"Shimpai janai. I can handle it."
Chibiusa and the boy carried the unconscious girl through the streets until they reached the hospital, the white cat trailing behind all the way.
"So who is this girl?" Chibiusa panted.
"A friend of mine."
"What's her name?"
"She'll have to tell you that, if she chooses."
"What, are you guys like secret agents or something? Classified information?"
The boy grinned humorlessly. "Something like that."
Chibiusa just shook her head. This was getting weirder and weirder.
***
"What?! You have failed me again? Musume, you'd better have a good reason for this."
"Master, please forgive me! This world is not as easy to take as the last! This one has fierce warriors with deadly weapons guarding it. They are called Sailor Senshi."
"No excuses, Musume. I expect you to be competent enough to handle whatever situations may arise."
"Demo, Death Blade-sama..."
"Go! You have one last chance. Defeat these warriors and win this world for the glory of our mission. And remember... the penalty for failure is death."
"Hai, Master. I will do as you say."
***
"What do you mean Chibiusa-chan's not with you?"
Usagi glared at Rei through her communicator. "I mean that when I got home, she wasn't here! Something might have happened to her!"
Rei sighed dramatically. "Usagi-chan..."
"Hey, it's not my fault the little twerp decided to wander off!"
"Just forget it. I'll call the others, and if she's not home in a few hours, we should go out looking for her. It's getting dark."
"Hai. Oh, and when you get Hotaru-chan, tell her I told my parents that Chibiusa-chan's over at her house."
"Hai."
Usagi disconnected her communicator and sat back, pursing her lips in annoyance. Where in the world could Chibiusa be?
***
Musume had one plan left. She transported herself down to Chikyuu-sei and stood looking around for a second. Then she pulled some sort of device from her pocket and gazed at it.
She smiled and began walking, staring down at the object every so often. Soon she stopped, double-checked with the object, and reached up to her neck.
She took a piece of crystal off of the necklace she was wearing and placed it on the ground. She spent a few moments fussing over its position. Then she touched it with her index finger and stared fixedly at it.
Chuckling to herself, she slowly stood up and disappeared.
***
Chibiusa was sitting with the odd boy in a hospital room, looking down at the girl lying in the bed. It seemed much too big for her slender form. Sweat had appeared on her face, and every now and then she would moan a little.
"So... can you at least tell me your name?" Chibiusa asked. "I mean, I can't just call you 'hey you', you know."
The boy looked uncomfortable, but answered, "It's Leo."
"Leo... is that a nickname for something else? Leonardo or something?"
He sort of half smiled. "No, it's not a nickname."
Just then, a girl wearing a white dress dashed into the room. She had long white hair and gold eyes. "I got here as soon as I could..." She trailed off as she noticed Chibiusa.
"It's all right," Leo reassured her. "We were just in the middle of introductions."
"Oh, right! Oname wa Chibiusa."
The new girl's eyes flicked from her to Leo, and at some silent, invisible signal from him, replied, "I am called Lyra." Turning to Leo, she stepped closer and murmured softly, "How is she?"
"Not too good." The boy's face had turned grim.
"I did all I could..."
"Yes, I know you did. Don't fret. But you're forgetting our little friend over there."
"Oh... gomen. You're right."
However, Chibiusa wasn't listening. She had drawn closer to the bed as something seemed to be happening. A small symbol had appeared on the girl's forehead, which looked like a spiky disk. It glowed gold, and pulsed rythmically for several moments. The girl's body appeared to be surrounded in the same type of glow for a second, then it dissipated.
She slowly blinked her eyes, which turned out to be a startling violet. "Wha... where..." Her voice was shaky and weak.
As one, Leo and Lyra turned around. Immediately they were at her bedside.
"Are you all right?"
"Does anything hurt?"
"Can we do anything?"
Chibiusa unobtrusively stepped out into the hall. She glanced around, decided it was too public, and went into the women's restroom. After checking to make sure there was no one else in there, she pulled out her communicator.
"Hai, nanii... Chibiusa-chan!"
Uh oh. Usagi sounded mad. "Usagi-chan, I-"
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick! Just walking out like that..."
"Listen!" Chibiusa cut her off. "I'm at the hospital. Don't worry, I'm fine," she added before Usagi's shriek could go on for more than a few seconds. "But listen, there was this guy who said his friend needed help, and we brought her here. The weird thing is, though, a symbol of some sort appeared on her forehead, and she appeared to heal herself. I think you'd better get down here."
"Hai! And I'll bring everyone else too."
"Iie, we don't want to scare the poor girl and her friends. Just bring Luna along. She'll be able to tell if anything's fishy."
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
Chibiusa pocketed the communicator and went back to the hospital room. The two hadn't even noticed that she was gone. The girl in the bed sat up at her arrival. "Dare wa nan desu ka?" she asked, clearly on guard.
Leo touched her on the arm, a tacit signal that everything was okay.
"Watashi wa Chibiusa. Your friend there asked for my help in bringing you here. Are you okay now? What happened?"
She relaxed slightly. "I go by Chantrea Tanabe."
What did she mean by "I go by"?
She smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Chantrea-san." She noticed that Chantrea was toying with a ring she wore on her right hand. "That's such a pretty ring!" It had a deep purple amethyst set in it, and the gold band twined around her finger so gracefully it looked like it belonged there.
Chantrea hid her hand beneath the other one. "Oh, that? It's nothing worth bothering with."
"Hmm... well, it's pretty." *Better not do anything to freak her out till Usagi-chan gets here,* Chibiusa decided. She sighed and wondered how much longer it would take. There was definitely something odd about this girl.
And she wanted to know what it was.
***
Mamoru quickened his pace as he neared his apartment. He wanted to get home out of the wet and curl up with a book and a hot drink. He wondered what was wrong with Chibiusa. She had been acting so strange, and that charm was something he'd never seen before. He'd felt some sort of power emanating from it, and he hoped it wasn't anything to harm her.
Suddenly, he spied a young girl standing on the sidewalk. She seemed to be around six or so. She had black hair down to her knees, framing her thin body in a dark cloud, and dark brown eyes that seemed much too large for her small face. She had a frightened, miserable look on her face, and a few tears slid down her cheeks as she stood staring into the street.
He walked up to her and bent down so that they were equal in height. "Kon'nichiwa."
The girl glanced at him. "Kon'nichiwa," she said softly.
As Mamoru squatted on the ground, he didn't see the crystal next to him. Slowly it began to change. It formed itself into a small spider and began crawling towards him.
"Are you lost?" Mamoru asked the young girl.
She just stared at him, while the spider attached itself to his shoe.
He bent closer. "Daijobu?" he asked gently.
The crystal spider climbed into his shoe and began to drain his energy. Before Mamoru could even scream a protest, the girl grabbed his hand. In a flash of light, they both disappeared, leaving only a few dry leaves blowing along the wet sidewalk in the wind and rain.
***
End Part 1
by Konran no Tenshi
Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon and all characters etc. belong to the wonderful Naoko Takeuchi-sama, and not me. *sniff* However, Chantrea, Gemini, Draugwath, Callista, Elendae, Ithildae, Anordae, and Kemendae belong to me. They are ALL MINE. You may NOT use them without asking. Tsuki and Chandra are Shinimegami-chan's, used with permission. Musume and Death Blade-sama are sort of shared between us. *sweatdrop* ^.^;; If you would like to use one of these original characters, please ask first. Arigatou.
Oh yes... Note: Chibiusa and Hotaru are now 14 and 12, respectively. The other Senshi maintain the same age gap. I'm too lazy to figure out how old that makes everybody. Do the math yourself.
Part 1: Black Hole Mystery
"Wake up."
The voice reverberated through her sleep insistently, forcing her to pay attention. She moaned and tried to ignore it, to fall back into the warm dark depths of sleep. But it wouldn't let her.
"Wake up. Kudasai - you must awaken."
Sitting up, she opened her eyes slowly. They widened.
There was a boy maybe a few years older than her standing in her room.
A shaft of moonlight illuminated him, shining softly off his dark brown hair and glinting in his equally dark brown eyes. He wore black pants and a simple dark green shirt.
But what caught her attention was the fact that she could see right through him.
"D-dare wa nan desu ka?" Her voice quavered slightly. "What do you want?"
He smiled slightly. "Shimpai janai, Chibi Ichi. I haven't come to harm you. I have come to give you warning."
She stood up and slipped out of bed, coming to stand before him. She had to tilt her head up to look at him, since he was several inches taller than her. "Warning of what? Am I in danger?"
"Hai, you are. And the entire universe as well. You and the Sailor Senshi are the only ones who can stop the coming destruction."
Gasping, she took a step back. "You know..."
He made a move with his hand that silenced her. "Hai. I know your identity as a Senshi, and those of your friends. But as I said before, I do not come to harm you. Onegai... come closer. I have something I wish to give you."
Hesitantly, she stepped closer. She reached out her hand as the boy put out his closed fist. Her hand brushed his - and went right through. She sucked in a breath. "Are... are you a ghost?"
He smiled again, this time a bit sadly. "In a manner of speaking. I'm not quite dead - but to this world, yes, I am a ghost. But please, take this. Keep it safe." He opened his hand, and a carved moonstone in the shape of a heart dangled from it on a chain.
"It's so pretty! Nan desu ka?"
"You will know what to do with it when the time comes. Now... I am afraid I cannot stay any longer. It was a stretch to do even this much. I must go."
"Matte! I don't even know who you are!"
"You will know soon enough, I think, though it may be a while. Take care of that charm. It's important." The boy began to fade out, becoming even more transparent than he had been.
"Will I see you again?" she cried desperately.
"You may. But never face to face - not unless I am freed. Ja ne, Chibi Ichi. I will be watching over you, you can be sure of that."
He faded out completely, and she was left standing in the middle of her room, the moonstone charm the only evidence that the whole thing had been no dream.
She slipped the chain around her neck and crawled back into bed. She eventually drifted off to sleep again.
And it seemed, just before she fell into the dark, soft abyss, that she heard an echo borne on the gentle breeze.
"Sayonara..."
***
"And you say then he just disappeared?"
"That's right." Chibiusa crossed her legs and leaned back against the table in Rei's room. It was after school, and they were having one of their many meetings. "But he gave me this first." She held up the charm for inspection.
The Senshi all crowded around to take a look.
"It's beautiful!" Hotaru exclaimed. "I wonder where he got it."
"And where was Diana during all this?" Makoto asked.
"Asleep, I guess. She doesn't remember anything."
"If he was a ghost, then how could he have held something physical?" Ami wanted to know.
"Well, he didn't say he was a ghost, exactly. He just looked like it." Chibiusa glanced over at Hotaru, who was holding her moonstone charm and turning it over and over, gazing at it.
Rei took the charm from Hotaru. "Well, it seems all right... but let me check it." She whipped out an ofuda. "Aku ryo tai san!"
There was no effect on the moonstone.
"All right, then... whatever it is, it's not evil. It should be all right for you to wear, or do whatever you want with it." Rei handed it back to Chibiusa.
"But why did he come to you?" Usagi grumbled. "He could have come to *me*. I *am* Sailor Moon, you know."
"Probably for the same reason he didn't come to any of us," Haruka remarked. "For some reason, he went to Chibi-chan. So stop wasting time whining about it, and let's figure out what's going on."
"Well, uh... you guys go on ahead and try to work it out. I think I'm going to go home. I've got a headache... and I've got a test tomorrow, I should really study for it. See ya." Chibiusa got up and left the temple.
The skies were grey and overcast, and a light drizzle was beginning, the weather perfectly matching her introspective mood. She didn't really have a headache; she had just said that. The truth was, she wanted a little more time to replay the experience in her mind without a bunch of others looking over her shoulder.
She knew exactly what would have happened had she stayed. Usagi would have whined about not being the one the boy had talked to, Ami would want to scan the charm over and over with her computer, Rei, Makoto, Minako, and the others would question her mercilessly, and of course Hotaru would want every single detail. She loved all of them, but sometimes she just wanted room to work things out herself.
As she walked, a light rain began to fall. She cursed herself for not thinking to bring an umbrella. *Baka!* she thought. Chibiusa sighed and resigned herself to walking home in the rain. She would get wet, but she didn't really have a choice.
Suddenly, the rain stopped falling on her.
She glanced up to see Mamoru walking beside her, holding an umbrella over both of them. "Oh! Mamo-chan! I didn't see you! Kon'nichiwa!"
He grinned down at her. "Kon'nichiwa, Chibi-chan. How come you're out here in the wet all alone?"
"Oh, I was walking home from our meeting, and I guess I forgot to take an umbrella with me today."
Mamoru frowned. "How come Usagi-chan isn't with you?"
"She's still at Rei-chan's. I... I had a headache, so I just left."
"Hmm." He suddenly noticed the moonstone hanging around her neck. He picked it up and looked at it. "That's pretty. Where did you get it?"
"Uh... it was... a gift."
"Someone special?" Mamoru asked with a teasing grin.
Chibiusa stared out at the grey, rainy horizon. "Yeah. I think so."
***
A few miles away, a hole opened up in the air in a deserted alley. A grey cat jumped out, followed by a girl with bright red hair and startling violet eyes. She had a nasty-looking scratch down one cheek that stood out sharply with fresh red blood. The girl glanced around. "So, this is it? We're here?"
"We're here," the cat confirmed.
The girl raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look like much."
"Just wait. This isn't exactly the scenic route."
"Hmmph. Well, I suppose you're right. Let's go." The girl stooped down and took off the small backpack she wore. The cat jumped in and she replaced it on her back. "No sense in both of us getting wet."
Violet eyes flicking from side to side, taking in everything, the girl walked off down the street.
***
Mamoru left Chibiusa outside her house and headed home. She watched as his figure dwindled off into the distance. Turning to go inside, she stopped as someone yelled out, "Hey!"
She looked over to see a boy with black hair, dressed all in black, running towards her. He stopped right in front of her, panting for breath. She noticed his strange, silver-colored eyes and odd, delicate appearance.
"You've got to come with me!" he gasped. "My friend... she needs help!"
Chibiusa stared at him. "Daijobu?" she asked finally. "What's wrong with her?" She didn't know this person, but she figured she could take him if she had to, especially transformed.
"She got attacked by this monster a little bit ago. She got rid of it, but she got scratched, and then a few minutes ago she just fainted. The scratch must have been poisoned. She could die!" He looked frantic. Chibiusa wondered if he was this girl's boyfriend or something.
"Okay, okay, calm down," she soothed. "Take me to her. I'll see what I can do."
The odd boy grabbed her wrist and ran off, pulling her along. She followed the best she could. This boy was *fast*! He ran like the wind. It seemed like only a few minutes before he stopped. She nearly ran into him, it happened so suddenly. "There," he said, indicating a crumpled form lying in the small space between two buildings.
Chibiusa cautiously stepped forward. As she neared the unconscious form of the girl lying on the ground, a white cat leaped out at her, hissing. The boy stepped forward and caught the cat neatly. He nodded for Chibiusa to go ahead, and crouched down, still holding the cat. He almost seemed to be having a silent conversation with it.
Chibiusa knelt by the side of the girl. She rolled her over onto her back and gazed at her. She had red hair done up in a bun, and there was an ugly scratch down one cheek. Her breathing was fast and labored, but when Chibiusa felt for a pulse, it was slow and weak, barely there at all.
She stood up. "I think we should take her to a hospital," she announced.
The boy looked worried. "How do we get her there? Where is it?"
"We'll have to carry her. There's one not too far from here, but it is kind of a long ways to walk and carry something heavy. Hope you're strong."
"Shimpai janai. I can handle it."
Chibiusa and the boy carried the unconscious girl through the streets until they reached the hospital, the white cat trailing behind all the way.
"So who is this girl?" Chibiusa panted.
"A friend of mine."
"What's her name?"
"She'll have to tell you that, if she chooses."
"What, are you guys like secret agents or something? Classified information?"
The boy grinned humorlessly. "Something like that."
Chibiusa just shook her head. This was getting weirder and weirder.
***
"What?! You have failed me again? Musume, you'd better have a good reason for this."
"Master, please forgive me! This world is not as easy to take as the last! This one has fierce warriors with deadly weapons guarding it. They are called Sailor Senshi."
"No excuses, Musume. I expect you to be competent enough to handle whatever situations may arise."
"Demo, Death Blade-sama..."
"Go! You have one last chance. Defeat these warriors and win this world for the glory of our mission. And remember... the penalty for failure is death."
"Hai, Master. I will do as you say."
***
"What do you mean Chibiusa-chan's not with you?"
Usagi glared at Rei through her communicator. "I mean that when I got home, she wasn't here! Something might have happened to her!"
Rei sighed dramatically. "Usagi-chan..."
"Hey, it's not my fault the little twerp decided to wander off!"
"Just forget it. I'll call the others, and if she's not home in a few hours, we should go out looking for her. It's getting dark."
"Hai. Oh, and when you get Hotaru-chan, tell her I told my parents that Chibiusa-chan's over at her house."
"Hai."
Usagi disconnected her communicator and sat back, pursing her lips in annoyance. Where in the world could Chibiusa be?
***
Musume had one plan left. She transported herself down to Chikyuu-sei and stood looking around for a second. Then she pulled some sort of device from her pocket and gazed at it.
She smiled and began walking, staring down at the object every so often. Soon she stopped, double-checked with the object, and reached up to her neck.
She took a piece of crystal off of the necklace she was wearing and placed it on the ground. She spent a few moments fussing over its position. Then she touched it with her index finger and stared fixedly at it.
Chuckling to herself, she slowly stood up and disappeared.
***
Chibiusa was sitting with the odd boy in a hospital room, looking down at the girl lying in the bed. It seemed much too big for her slender form. Sweat had appeared on her face, and every now and then she would moan a little.
"So... can you at least tell me your name?" Chibiusa asked. "I mean, I can't just call you 'hey you', you know."
The boy looked uncomfortable, but answered, "It's Leo."
"Leo... is that a nickname for something else? Leonardo or something?"
He sort of half smiled. "No, it's not a nickname."
Just then, a girl wearing a white dress dashed into the room. She had long white hair and gold eyes. "I got here as soon as I could..." She trailed off as she noticed Chibiusa.
"It's all right," Leo reassured her. "We were just in the middle of introductions."
"Oh, right! Oname wa Chibiusa."
The new girl's eyes flicked from her to Leo, and at some silent, invisible signal from him, replied, "I am called Lyra." Turning to Leo, she stepped closer and murmured softly, "How is she?"
"Not too good." The boy's face had turned grim.
"I did all I could..."
"Yes, I know you did. Don't fret. But you're forgetting our little friend over there."
"Oh... gomen. You're right."
However, Chibiusa wasn't listening. She had drawn closer to the bed as something seemed to be happening. A small symbol had appeared on the girl's forehead, which looked like a spiky disk. It glowed gold, and pulsed rythmically for several moments. The girl's body appeared to be surrounded in the same type of glow for a second, then it dissipated.
She slowly blinked her eyes, which turned out to be a startling violet. "Wha... where..." Her voice was shaky and weak.
As one, Leo and Lyra turned around. Immediately they were at her bedside.
"Are you all right?"
"Does anything hurt?"
"Can we do anything?"
Chibiusa unobtrusively stepped out into the hall. She glanced around, decided it was too public, and went into the women's restroom. After checking to make sure there was no one else in there, she pulled out her communicator.
"Hai, nanii... Chibiusa-chan!"
Uh oh. Usagi sounded mad. "Usagi-chan, I-"
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick! Just walking out like that..."
"Listen!" Chibiusa cut her off. "I'm at the hospital. Don't worry, I'm fine," she added before Usagi's shriek could go on for more than a few seconds. "But listen, there was this guy who said his friend needed help, and we brought her here. The weird thing is, though, a symbol of some sort appeared on her forehead, and she appeared to heal herself. I think you'd better get down here."
"Hai! And I'll bring everyone else too."
"Iie, we don't want to scare the poor girl and her friends. Just bring Luna along. She'll be able to tell if anything's fishy."
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
Chibiusa pocketed the communicator and went back to the hospital room. The two hadn't even noticed that she was gone. The girl in the bed sat up at her arrival. "Dare wa nan desu ka?" she asked, clearly on guard.
Leo touched her on the arm, a tacit signal that everything was okay.
"Watashi wa Chibiusa. Your friend there asked for my help in bringing you here. Are you okay now? What happened?"
She relaxed slightly. "I go by Chantrea Tanabe."
What did she mean by "I go by"?
She smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Chantrea-san." She noticed that Chantrea was toying with a ring she wore on her right hand. "That's such a pretty ring!" It had a deep purple amethyst set in it, and the gold band twined around her finger so gracefully it looked like it belonged there.
Chantrea hid her hand beneath the other one. "Oh, that? It's nothing worth bothering with."
"Hmm... well, it's pretty." *Better not do anything to freak her out till Usagi-chan gets here,* Chibiusa decided. She sighed and wondered how much longer it would take. There was definitely something odd about this girl.
And she wanted to know what it was.
***
Mamoru quickened his pace as he neared his apartment. He wanted to get home out of the wet and curl up with a book and a hot drink. He wondered what was wrong with Chibiusa. She had been acting so strange, and that charm was something he'd never seen before. He'd felt some sort of power emanating from it, and he hoped it wasn't anything to harm her.
Suddenly, he spied a young girl standing on the sidewalk. She seemed to be around six or so. She had black hair down to her knees, framing her thin body in a dark cloud, and dark brown eyes that seemed much too large for her small face. She had a frightened, miserable look on her face, and a few tears slid down her cheeks as she stood staring into the street.
He walked up to her and bent down so that they were equal in height. "Kon'nichiwa."
The girl glanced at him. "Kon'nichiwa," she said softly.
As Mamoru squatted on the ground, he didn't see the crystal next to him. Slowly it began to change. It formed itself into a small spider and began crawling towards him.
"Are you lost?" Mamoru asked the young girl.
She just stared at him, while the spider attached itself to his shoe.
He bent closer. "Daijobu?" he asked gently.
The crystal spider climbed into his shoe and began to drain his energy. Before Mamoru could even scream a protest, the girl grabbed his hand. In a flash of light, they both disappeared, leaving only a few dry leaves blowing along the wet sidewalk in the wind and rain.
***
End Part 1