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Tanya Cambridge tried to listen to the teacher as he dragged on the day's lesson in class, but found it impossible. It was just too boring! She looked out the window at the late-Spring blue skies and chirping birds, then looked at the other students. She saw that most of them were feeling the same way. Boredom and restlessness showed on all their faces. Tanya sighed, laying her chin on her left hand. Can this day go any slower? she thought bitterly. A moment later, she heard a hissing noise behind her. She turned around to see what it was.
It was Usagi, trying to get her attention. When Tanya looked back at her, the blonde gave a grin of satisfaction. Tanya sighed in annoyance, then gave a look that implied, "Well, what do you want now?", and rolled her eyes. Usagi smiled again, held up two fingers and pushed up against her nose. She quietly began making a noise of a pig to signify what she, and probably the rest of the whole class, thought of the teacher. Tanya couldn't help herself, and snickered so loudly that the rest of the students turned to look at her, giving her a questioning and slightly annoyed glance.
"...and so, that is how World War II was supposedly started..." The teacher looked up from his book, "Ahem! Miss Tsukino, Miss Cambridge? Is there something you would like to contribute to the class?" Sensei Ichitiru glared at the two giggling girls.
Tanya quickly snapped to attention and folded her hands, "Ahh.., no Ichitiru-sensei! It was just something we were..err..thinking over. I apologize sensei," She bowed her head as customary.
"Well then, I suppose you and your companion will not mind thinking over what to do in detention after school today, won't you? For disrupting the class?" asked the old sensei as he gave a smug expression.
"What, AGAIN?" Tanya shouted angrily. She gasped and blushed when the teacher looked at her in shock. Oh man, he probably would give her detention NEXT week too, just for that! She sighed sadly before taking a deep breath. "NO Ichitiru-sensei, I suppose not," Tanya replied quietly.
Tanya looked behind her and gave Usagi a murderous look. I'll GET you for this Odango Atama! Baka! she promised, then imagined herself dunking Usagi in a cauldron of hot oil and screaming her head off. Usagi gave Tanya a helpless expression, as if to say "Hey, it wasn't MY fault!" and shrugged her shoulders. The dark-skinned girl looked at Aino Minako and the blonde girl gave her a look of complete understanding and sympathy. She had gotten into plenty of trouble thanks to the pig-tailed blonde too. Tanya sighed again and let her head fall onto her folded hands on the desk.
"Now, if we can continue. In 1946..." began sensei Ichitiru. All the students sighed in defeat as the boring lecture continued.
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Later that day after detention:
"USAGI! THAT WAS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR!" exploded Tanya as soon as they were off the school grounds and headed for home. Tanya was red in the face and breathing hard, barely able to keep herself from strangling the girl besides her.
"Hey, calm down girl, it was only a joke!" Usagi tried to explain as she waved her arms. Man, she's got a worse temper than Rei-chan! Usagi desperately hoped she wouldn't get hit.
"Ha! Nice joke! Want to explain to my dad why I have detention for the THIRD time in one week!" growled Tanya angrily. She stopped for a moment to calm down, then sighed and continued walking. Usagi watched her for a second in concern, then walked up faster to catch up with her.
"Look, I'm sorry Tanya-chan. I didn't mean to get you in so much trouble back there. It's just that...ever since...I mean..." Tears began to well in Usagi's eyes, and she bent her head down to try to hide them.
Tanya looked at her slightly taller friend with concern. "What is it Usagi-chan? Please tell me you're not going to bawl again!"
"No, I'm not going to bawl again," Usagi said defensively. "It's just that..ever since Mamo-chan..." The petite blonde pouted and lowered her head once again, too heartbroken to let her or anyone else know that she hadn't heard from him since the day he left. Memories of them hugging and kissing filled her memories once more, and the pain grew in her heart.
"Oh, right. He went to America to study abroad a few weeks ago. You miss him a lot already, don't you?" Tanya walked back to Usagi and laid a sympathetic arm around her shoulder, knowing how hard it is to see a loved one go. Her own father left constantly, and it saddened Tanya every time she had to tell her father good-bye, "I guess I was a little harsh. Gomen," the shorter girl whispered. "But I'm not like you, you know. I'm not used to living in detention as you do, Odango!" She chuckled softly as she playfully pinched Usagi's nose. The blonde girl frowned slightly at that, then smiled and began to laugh too.
"Hey, there you guys are!" yelled Minako, running up the sidewalk. She stopped right in front of them and bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing hard to catch her breath. After a moment, she looked up. "Guess what? The Crown Game Center just got the new version of the Sailor V game, and I hear it's TOTALLY COOL! Wanna go check it out?" Minako looked at both girls excitedly.
"A new Sailor V game?" shouted Usagi, "Alright! Let's go! My mom won't expect me to be home so soon after school!" She started to run off, but stopped and looked back at Tanya. "You coming?" Her eyes shined bright once again with excitement for the challenge of the new game.
"Naaah, you guys go on ahead. I still need to read a couple of chapters in science," Tanya replied, scrunching up her face and sticking her tongue out. "You know I'm not so good in that subject, HEEHEE!" She gave a grin of embarrassment and placed her hand in the back of her head.
"You're probably hanging around Ami-chan too much!" laughed Usagi, grabbing Minako's hand and dragging her off. "Okay, I'll see you in school tomorrow. Ja!" With that, she and Minako rushed off. Tanya shook her head at the departing figures, then began walking the next block to catch the bus home.
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Galaxia's Fortress:
"SAILOR LEAD CROW, COME FORTH!" screamed Sailor Galaxia. She winced in pain as soon as she said those words. The last battle with the Sailor Senshi nearly destroyed her and her right-hand henchman, Sailor Iron Mouse, was injured and probably won't be able to work for weeks.. Now matter what, those Senshi are going to PAY! she promised herself. Her plan must not fail! Those baka humans are done for!
"Yes, Most Exalted One?" said a sly, sexy voice. Sailor Lead Crow materialized in front of Galaxia after a moment, and she bowed humbly.
"You will take Sailor Iron Mouse's place. I want Star Seeds, and I want them NOW!" said Galaxia, her eyes glowing red with greed. She then paused just as she was about to say something else, and her eyes began looking around wildly, as if looking for something, hearing something. "What's this? I feel a tremendous amount of mental energy. So strong, so strong! I must have it! It can help me find more of the correct Star Seeds,"
"But where, Your Majesty?" asked Lead Crow, eager for action to start.
Galaxia opened her right hand and a map of the Juuban 10th District in Tokyo appeared. "I believe we will start here," replied the Golden Senshi, the mere thought of so much power making her salivate. The image of her next target appeared, and she smiled evilly. "Yes, I believe we will definitely start here!" Both women looked at each other, then laughed loudly, their voices echoing through out the dimension.
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Cambridge Residence:
"Hi! Dad I'm home!" shouted Tanya. She walked briskly into the kitchen, going to the refrigerator and taking out an apple to munch on. Silence was all she got. "Oh, he must have gone on a trip again." she said to herself, her heart sinking. "Can't he say good-bye at least once before he leaves?" She sighed dejectedly as she prepared to leave the kitchen.
"Well, he would have, if you'd been here," said a cheery voice as a figure of a young girl walked out of the shadows. "SURPRISE!"
"Ronnie!" shouted Tanya. She dropped the forgotten apple in the sink and ran up to the girl, then gave her a gigantic hug. Ronnie bent her taller form to kiss Tanya on her forehead and the top of her dark head, smiling wistfully. Oh, how she missed doing that!
The smaller girl was so glad to see her, tears filled her eyes. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and joy like no other filled Tanya's heart.
"Veronica Naomi Waters, what in the world are you doing here?" asked Tanya, wiping away tears and looking up at her god sister and best friend. "Why didn't Dad tell me you were coming?" Tanya led her to the living room and sat with her on a big couch.
"Who do you think told him not to tell you, silly?" grinned Veronica, ruffling Tanya's long black hair. "I've been planning this for weeks, and I wanted to surprise you so badly! Your dad stayed as long as he could, but then it got real late. He mumbled something about women and time not belonging in the same sentence," She giggled mischievously, "He hasn't changed a bit!" The girls then laughed quietly at that.
A few moments later, Marco excitedly walked into the living room, his tail wagging, and sat right in front of Tanya. The golden-furred dog nuzzled Tanya for a moment, then turned his head and gave Veronica a curious look. "Hey Ronnie, you remember Marco, right?" smiled Tanya, sitting down on the red rug and hugging Marco close. "He's the dog that I got for my birthday!"
"Of course I do!" Veronica knelt down next to the golden dog and started scratching his ears, "What a nice looking dog. Hi there pooch," she said softly.
Marco's ears jerked up, and he gave an outraged look at the taller, light-skinned girl. He turned and gave Tanya an expectant look. "Oh yeah!" Tanya giggled, "I forgot to tell you, I don't think Marco likes to be called "pooch". It's like he can understand us humans!" She looked at her golden-furred guardian and gave him a wink only he can see. Marco just blew out an offended breath and calmly walked away.
Strange. It feels almost like that dog has high...intelligence? Veronica shook her head to clear it. That was impossible. "So what kept you at school?" she asked, forgetting the strange thought and giving an amused expression to her god sister.
"Oh...ahh...you know...school stuff!" Tanya gave a second embarrassed look of the day. "I mean, that school IS tough you know!" She laughed nervously.
"Mmm hmm, I bet," Veronica gave her an unbelieving glance.
Tanya couldn't help but blush at her god sister's knowing look. "Heh, heh, you know me so well!" she giggled as Veronica laughed.
"Hey, I got an idea," Tanya said, jumping up. "Since you just got here, why don't I show you around the neighborhood?" She grabbed the girl's hand and dragged her off the couch. "There's this cool park me and my friends always hangout in. It's supposed to be like...60 years old or something. It has great water fountains and tons of other stuff,"
The older girl frowned and thought about it for a moment, then smiled excitedly. "Sure, let's go!"
The girls left the house and they walked briskly through the afternoon past the few blocks leading to Tokyo Tower. A little further down, they entered the Ichinohashi Park, which covered over two and a half blocks. The girls saw many statues and monuments dedicated to Japan's past leaders and heroes, and Tanya showed Veronica the flower displays and the world wide famous cherry blossom trees. Unknown to them, a pair of cat-like eyes watched them, evil in intent, waiting for the moment to pounce.
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After about an hour, the two finally decided to rest and got into talking about times long ago and what they remembered of their lives in Northern Africa. Each girl relaxed more and more in each other's company as time went on. For Tanya, it was like living her old life again. Never had she imagined missing her country so much; the food, the culture, the clothes...everything. Talking to Veronica again made her heart pound with a happiness she hadn't felt for a long time, and she welcomed and cherished every memory. Deep inside, Tanya missed those days, the friends she made back home. But she also knew that she had great friends here in Japan too, and it made living so far away from Libya so much better. Her heart then felt lighter at that though, and she listened fondly as Veronica went on with her funny stories of when they were younger.
"Remember the time you wanted to go horseback riding when you were 5?" laugh Veronica when the two rested on a bench, "You threw the biggest tantrum in the world when your parents said no! I have never seen them look so mortified. You were a REAL brat! Did you have any idea how embarrassing that was?" She burst out laughing again.
"Heheh! Well, that WAS a long time ago, you know," said Tanya as she gave a short laugh of embarrassment, lowering her head. "No need to bring up the forgettable past. I don't even remember that incident very well!" Tanya shook her head in disbelief. "All I remember was that the horse was so beautiful, and I wanted to at least touch it,"
Tanya suddenly raised her head and gave Veronica a sly, knowing look. "As I recall, you weren't exactly an angel yourself. I seem to remember SOMEBODY wanting to see how a television works when she was 7, and in the morning, that certain someone's family found the television on the living room floor, totally gutted out! And the time you almost caught fire on the..."
"Ouch!" Veronica interrupted, putting her hand over Tanya's mouth to silence her, "Touche`, you got me there! I know when a point is being made," She lowered her hand and gave Tanya a pleading look, "Let's just keep this between us, alright? Mom still has no clue how that small fire started."
"Yeah right!" giggled Tanya, giving Veronica a playful push. She then sighed and laid her head on the older girl's shoulders. "You know Ronnie, I really missed you. The first couple of weeks here have been so lonely! I missed our conversations on boys, music, and what we wanted to be when we grew up. When I had to leave, it was like a part of me...almost died. I...I thought I would never see you again," Tears moistened her eyes as she remembered the sad, lonely days she endured.
"Hey Ti, like I told you before, I will NEVER leave you! You're so important to me!" Veronica placed her nimble fingers under Tanya's chin and lifted her head up to meet her eyes, "No matter what, you and I are connected in the spirits, and we will always be one, no matter where you go, no matter where I go. We may not be sisters in the flesh, but in our hearts and souls, we are closer than even blood sisters, understand?" Veronica kissed Tanya lightly on her forehead.
"Yeah, I understand," nodded Tanya, hugging the taller girl. They sat in silence a few moments more, listening to the rushing waters and chirping birds, the wind softly blowing cherry blossom leaves around them. No matter what the situation, Veronica always had a soft and gentle way that made Tanya feel better when she was hurt or confused, and she was glad for that more than anything. No words were exchanged as they just sat there, letting the scenery speak for what they felt in their hearts.
Suddenly, Tanya's ears picked up the sound of laughing girls, and she looked behind her to see Usagi, Minako, Ami, and Makoto quickly walking up to them.
"Hey, those are the girls I go to school with! Come on, I'll introduce you!" she said, jumping up and pulling Veronica's hands so she can stand with her.
"Oh...well, alright, I suppose," Veronica blushed shyly, hoping that the Japanese she studied would help her communicate with these girls.
"Guys! You're back from the Crown Game Center? How was the new Sailor V game? Where's Rei-chan?" said Tanya, looking at each of them. Unfortunately, Makoto, Usagi, and Minako started shouting at once, giving Tanya a big headache.
"Usagi lost TEN games in a row!"
"DID NOT!"
"I think she must have used all her allowance!"
"She couldn't even pass level two!"
"That's A BIG LIE!"
"Guys, guys!" shouted Ami, holding her hands over her ears. "Cool it, NOW!" A hush suddenly fell, and she turned red with embarrassment when everyone stared at her in astonishment. "I..er.. think Tanya-chan wants to introduce us to somebody. Oh, and Rei-chan is still at school, rehearsing for her school play at The T.A. Academy for Girls," she said. She eyed the new girl with curiosity.
Veronica giggled softly under her breath as Tanya gave Ami a grateful look. "Thanks Ami-chan. Everyone, this is my godsister from back home, Veronica Waters. She came for a few days while she was off from the University of Nigeria to visit me. Veronica, this tall one here is Makoto Kino. Lady Red Bow here is Minako Aino, the quiet one is Ami Mizuno." Veronica said hello to the girls and gently shook their hands.
"The big-mouthed one here is Usagi Tsukino!" said Ami just as Tanya was about to introduce her.
"HEY! No fair! You can't call me big-mouthed!" wailed Usagi as everyone began to laugh hard, nearly falling to the ground.
Veronica was the first to recover as Usagi continued to scowl. "Well, it's very nice to meet all of you. I'm sure I'll have a pleasant stay here now that I've met all of Tanya's friends!"
"Thanks, nice to meet you too! Now, with the introductions said and done, how about we all go to the Crown Fruit Parlor to welcome you properly?" said Makoto, twining her arm around Veronica's waist. "We don't usually do this, but it IS a special occasion," She winked at the rest of the girls.
"COOL!" they all shouted in unison.
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Crown Fruit Parlor:
"Mmmmm...Mmmmmm! This is so delicious! What do you call it again?" asked Veronica, licking off the ice cream on her lips.
"A banana split!" answered Minako, licking chocolate ice cream of her fingers and grinning with delight. "When the clerk heard about it in America, he knew he had to make them here. As you can tell, they're very popular now."
"Ahh, yes! The banana split," smiled Veronica, diving in once again, "I will forever remember this taste!" A figure suddenly overshadowed the table, and the taller girl looked up to see who it was.
"Hi! Everyone enjoying their ice cream?" asked a sandy-haired young man, wearing a waiter's uniform and a tan-colored apron. His blue eyes fell on the new person who came in with the regulars. "Oh, hello there." he nodded.
"Umm, Veronica, this is Motoki Furuhata. He usually works at the Crown Game Center for his father, but he sometimes helps out here." introduced Tanya, giving Motoki a warning glance, "Motoki-chan, this is my godsister, Veronica. She will be here with me for a few days."
"Ahh, I see. Well, let me welcome you to Tokyo, dear lady," He bowed, "If you would like a very personal tour, please let me know. It would be my pleasure, fair maiden." Motoki took Veronica's hand and kissed the top part. The young girl blushed harshly, hardly believing her good luck.
"Don't even think about it, Romeo!" warned Tanya as she snatched away Veronica's hand, "You don't think I know about you, huh? What about "what's her name?" "
The young man blinked a few times, "Oh, you mean my girlfriend Nishimura Reika? Well, she'll be in Africa for a few more weeks studying insects. What, I can have a little fun, can't I?" Motoki gave the girls a grin to mean he wasn't really serious with his flirting. Veronica rolled her eyes as the rest of the girls groaned in annoyance.
"In your dreams, Lover Boy! Have fun on your own time!" laughed out Makoto. Motoki made an over-exaggerated show of being rejected, and walked off from the booth with his head hanging.
"OH! Look at the time!" gasped Ami, "I have so many things to study for! My test in calculus and history is tomorrow afternoon. Bye everyone!" She flew off from the booth and ran through the door.
"Good idea, I think I better head out too," agreed Minako, "See you!" She followed Ami out the door.
"Come on Usagi, let's go too! I know you have a test tomorrow." Makoto stood up from the booth and grabbed Usagi's arm in her own just as she gobbled some ice-cream, "It was nice to meet you Veronica!" she waved to Tanya and Veronica as she dragged Usagi along.
"AWWWW...I wasn't finished my ice-cream yet!" whined Usagi. The two girls laughed at that, then a few moments later, prepared to leave.
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Veronica and Tanya walked home through Ichinohashi Park in the sun's fading light. "You 've got some really great friends Ti. I'm glad you were able to meet them so that your days won't be so lonely,"
The smaller, dark-skinned girl smiled sadly. "Thanks. You wouldn't believe it if I told you, but we have been through a lot already." she said, thinking of the last battle with Sailor Galaxia. How she wish she could have told her about those adventures! About her and her friends being the legendary Sailor Senshi! But inside, Tanya knew that would be impossible.
A chilly wind suddenly picked up, making Tanya shiver, "Hmmm, weird wind. I hope this doesn't mean trouble is on the way," she muttered aloud, then looked to see that Veronica was shivering also
"Yeah," Veronica replied, "The last thing I came to look for is trouble!" She looked expectantly at the sky. An evil, low-pitched laugh suddenly filled the early evening air, and the girls looked wildly around them. Sailor Lead Crow suddenly materialized out high above them.
"That's just too bad, sappy humans, because trouble has just found you!" she laughed wickedly.
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Marco was quietly resting in front of the water fountain in the backyard of the Cambridge residence, when suddenly, a sense of an evil presence was so strong, it caused him to shiver uncontrollably flashed through his mind. His head snapped up and he looked around him, trying to sense what was wrong. He looked at the setting sun. Something is very wrong! She should have been home by now. Where IS that wayward girl?
Suddenly, Marco felt the evil presence increase, this time mixed with growing fear, and nearly fainted with the strength of it. A picture of Tanya flashed in his mind, and Marco felt fear flowing out of her and the young girl she was with. "Oh no! The princess! She's in danger!" Marco bolted from the back yard, sending dirt, leaves, and grass into the air. "Can't that girl stay out of trouble for at least five minutes!" grumbled Marco as he hurried to the park.
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Ichinohashi Park:
Tanya stared at the woman floating in the air, not really believing what she was seeing. The woman was wearing mostly black and red and had black wings and red hair.
The woman laughed as she began to descend to the ground, and then started to slowly walk up to them. "I am Sailor Lead Crow!" She pointed a black nail colored finger at Veronica, who was standing next to Tanya with a very confused look on her beautiful face.
"And you there, missy, are coming with me!" She moved to grab Veronica by the top part of the dress she was wearing. Not even the look of fear on the young woman's face was enough to sway her. If it was one thing Lead Crow was known for, it was getting what she wanted, no matter what.
The tall girl dodged out of the way just as Lead Crow was about to take hold of her, then tripped on a small rock and fell to the ground. "Don't touch me!" she yelled in a frightened, strangled voice. She suddenly began moaning, holding her head in pain. The amount of power and evil she was sensing from this figure was so strong, it made her feel like her head was about to explode. "Just stay away!" She groaned in more pain.
Tanya quickly snapped out of her stupor and ran next to her, kneeling down to see if she was alright. When she saw the pain the girl was in, she looked to the weird looking woman still standing in front of them, her eyes burning red as her hair. "What...What are you doing to her?" demanded Tanya, more afraid for her friend than herself. She started to get angry. "Look, I don't know who the hell you are, Miss Thing, but she's not going anywhere with you!" Anger like nothing she's ever felt before enter her heart then. How DARE this person interrupt such a beautiful afternoon with a friend she hadn't seen for so long! This was supposed to be their time together, and this...this NUTSO had to come ruin it. Well, she wasn't about to let her get away with it!
"SHUT UP girlie!" shouted Lead Crow, balling her hands into a fist, "This has nothing to do with you, so I suggest you get your scrawny little butt out of here, before you get HURT!" Lead Crow flicked her hands, and a roll of black chains suddenly appeared in them. She laughed loudly and threw the chain at the two girls. The chain unraveled in the air and quickly wrapped around Veronica. In a quick flash, it lifted her high up into the air. As she rose, Veronica let out a scream of terror.
"NOO! Ronnie!" Tanya screamed, looking up helplessly as the girl rose higher and higher, then disappeared in a flash. She turned to Sailor Lead Crow with pure hatred. "You bring her back right now, or I swear I'll make you wish you were never born..or however you got to be!" Unconsciously, her small hands balled into hard fists.
"Oh really?" smirked the evil Anima-mate, "And just how are you going to do that? Go into another tantrum? Forget it. You are small and weak and you will never defeat me!" She laughed again.
"Don't bet on it!" Tanya commented with a sad smile. She had no choice but to fight, even though she didn't want to. She looked to make sure one was around, then threw up her right hand. "SIRIUS STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!" She transformed in a blinding flash of blue light that distracted Sailor Lead Crow to become Sailor Sirius.
Lead Crow looked Sailor Sirius up and down, amused. "HA! You think that fancy outfit is going to help you? Not a chance!" She sighed, "Well, you could have been a worthy opponent, but I'm afraid I'll have to kill you now. So sorry." She raised her arms, and pointed them at Sirius,
"GALACTIC BLACK WATERS!"
A stream of water mixed with dark energy shot out of her hands, ready to rip through Sailor Sirius's body.
The Sirius Senshi dashed out of the way just in time, falling face down on the dirt ground and rolling away. The power missed her by a few inches and hit a tree she was standing in front of. The tree exploded in a burst of splinters and falling leaves.
Sailor Sirius quickly got up and raised her right hand, concentrating while she did so. Her scepter appeared, and she clutched it and aimed it at the dark Anima-mate. "Now it's my turn!" she shouted in challenge. "SIRIUS SCEPTER, ILLUMINATE!" A massive beam of white light energy shot out with the strength of the sun and headed for the evil woman.
Lead Crow quickly crossed her arms in front of her, and the golden bracelets that she was wearing glowed. The power from the scepter went straight to them and was absorbed with hardly a scratch to her. Sirius gasped in surprise, not expecting this, and watched as Sailor Lead Crow smiled evilly. The bracelets began to glow brightly again, and the white laser energy shot back out, tinted red because it was now converted to pure heat.
The energy hit Sailor Sirius with such force she was slammed hard on the ground as she still held her scepter. She screamed loudly in pain from the heat and the burning sensations on her skin, then watched in horror as small blisters appeared on her arms and legs. Oh God! It hurt so much! Her body turned numb with pain.
Sailor Lead Crow laughed again and walked up to the fallen girl. When she reached her, she stepped over her so that she was standing directly on top of the smaller Senshi, her legs on both sides of Sirius's body. She squatted down and leaned forward until her face was at least an inch from Sailor Sirius's own.
"Haven't you ever learned, little girl," taunted the woman, "that when you play with fire, you get burned? Now you can watch as your precious Veronica is turned into Galaxia-sama's ultimate Anima-mate and become the key to destroying this worthless galaxy!" She placed a hand on the side of Sirius's face in a mocking gesture of kindness, although inside, the evil woman wanted nothing more than to rip the girl's Star Seed away from her body.
"NOOOO! Get off me!" screamed the dark-skinned Senshi. She landed a punch into Lead Crow's stomach. The Anima-mate flew off her in a surprised grunt and doubled over on her knees in pain. She didn't notice as Sailor Sirius got up and ran to hide behind a large statue.
Sirius fumbled with the small communicator that Ami gave her, and began typing. The small screen only showed static and she shook it in frustration. "Hello? Hello? You guys out there? Please! I need help! Can any of you guys hear me! Please, I need you!" Tears began flowing down her cheeks.
Like a prayer, the static finally cleared, and Ami Mizuno's face appeared with her glasses on. "Tanya-chan, is that you? What's going on? Where are you?" Ami's eyes widened as she saw Sailor Sirius's disheveled state.
"Oh thank God! Ami-chan!" the small senshi exclaimed, "I'm at the Ichinohashi Park! Veronica and I were attacked by this freak! Please, I need you and the rest of the Senshi here...Veronica's gone!" She sobbed hysterically, wiping away her tears.
"Hang on Tanya! We'll be there in a flash! Don't worr..." The statue that Sailor Sirius was hiding behind suddenly exploded. Sirius screamed in pain as she was knocked down by the force. The communicator fell, smashing to pieces on the ground as large debris from the statue fell on her back, nearly rendering her unconscious.
"Your friends will never make it here on time!" shouted Lead Crow. A shiny object was in her hand now, and Sailor Sirius realized with horror that it was an elongated black dagger. The evil senshi raised it above her head, ready to plunge it into the girl's heart.
Suddenly, a loud barking was heard, followed by growling. Marco jumped up on Lead Crow's back and bit down hard on her right shoulder. She went down in a high-pitched scream of pain, dropping the dagger. When she was on the ground, Marco laid another chomp on her rear end. "YEOWWWWWW! Get back! Back! You mangy mutt!" she screamed. She tried to run, but Marco held on hard onto the hem of her cape, ripping it to shreds. "THIS isn't over yet girl! I will get you, one way or another! Galaxia Transport!" The servant of Galaxia disappeared in a blinding white light.
Marco quickly ran up to where Sailor Sirius lay, hoping that she was alright. "Marco! She's...gone." Sirius whispered in pain. Before she can say any more, she fell into a dead faint. In a flash, her Sailor fuku disappeared and reverted back to normal.
Whimpering softly, Marco leaned over and licked her cheek. Suddenly, he heard shouting and turned to see the rest of the Sailor Team running up in full speed, Ami in the lead and pointing. "There she is, over there!"
When she reached the dark-skinned girl, Ami knelt down and felt for her pulse on the side of her neck. "Is she okay?" Usagi wanted to know, kneeling with her and concern on her face.
"Yes, for now, but we've got to get her out of here before the police come. Marco, you better come with us and tell what you know happened. If I'm not mistaken, Galaxia is on the move AGAIN..." Ami commanded, her normally soft voice very serious.
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Aino Residence
At first, Tanya saw nothing but darkness and tried to fight against it, then she felt cool water on her lips. With a moan, she began to drink with relish. An instant later, the events in the park came back in her mind. Her eyes snapped open, and she bolted up from the bed with a small scream, looking around at the unfamiliar room.
"Whoa there girl, take it easy!" said Minako, laying her hands on her shoulders and gently pushing her back to lay down on the red, heart shaped pillows. Tanya soon began to relax when she recognized the familiar faces of her friends. She sighed with relief when she turned to each of her friends and saw the look of concern on their faces, and knew she was now safe.
"I think you should start from the beginning." said Haruka, sitting on the floor near Michiru. At the expectant look from all the girls, Tanya gulped, and slowing began telling her tale of her life back in Libya and her relationship with Veronica, hoping with all her heart that her godsister was alright.
To be continued...
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