Mako's Rant Black Beyond ------------- First season, stardard disclaimer apply. READ LETTER AT BOTTOM!! IMPORTANT!! ------------- Before I even *begin* to tell you why I'm here, sit down, because I've got four words for you. For words you're going to remember, okay? I. DIDN'T. WANT. IT. Okay! Remember that? Good! Didn't want what? Or better yet, who am I? Good questions. I'm Kino Makoto. Yuppers, that's me. Sailor Jupiter, Princess Hera of the Silver Millenium... yeah. I think you understand. And, you see, I've got this little green stick, about the length of my hand, with an orb with the astrological symbol of Jupiter and a laural wreath inside of it. Not very large. I didn't want it. Believe it or not, a little black cat gave it to me. A little, black, talking cat, with a cute crescent moon on it's forehead. Her name was Luna. I didn't exactly stop to ask her at the precise moment she threw the stick at me, because at that very precise moment, I was standing off against a really big, ugly, half-machine half- something that wanted to kill me. Well, the nice, black kitty told me to hold it up and say "Jupiter Power!" and I, being the angry, idiotic fourteen year old, did. It felt so very right... you could never understand how right everything seemed after I had shouted those words, when the thunder and lightning was envading my system with it's power. I felt like a goddess, a goddess that was having a very good day. But underneath that, I still didn't want it. Like Usagi, even though I'd never been one, I still wanted to be the average teenager, who's worst nightmare was a zit on prom night, not a bloodthirsty monster at 2:00 a.m. in the morning. And we did get a lot of those, you know. And I'm not talking about the zits. After that, I kept talking out my henshin stick and glaring at it. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY DATES I BROKE AND HOW MANY POTENTIAL BOYFRIENDS I LOST BECAUSE OF THAT THING?! HOW MANY TIMES I *DIED* BECAUSE OF THAT THING?! Of course, I get the fabulous looks, the demi- immortality, and the skirt that makes any guy fall to their knees and worship me, but IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I CAN'T EVEN GO ON A DATE BECAUSE KUNZITE OR COONAN OR MIMMETTE DECIDES IT'S A GREAT TIME TO SEND OUT A YOUMA!! Sorry if I'm scaring you. Some people say I've got a nasty temper. As morbid as it sounds, I learned to love pain. Each fight, each time, there would be pain. And I couldn't very well break down into tears everytime I felt it. Absorbing the pain, letting it spread, and then using my own strength, not Jupiter's, to absorb it into my mind and let it vanish. Pain can be exquisite. Fortunatly, unlike what I know Hotaru does, I don't obsess over it. I try to forget it as soon as it's gone. It's hard to do sometimes. Because sometimes, I just want to let it overwhelm me and take me with it to the hell where I know I will finally be taken to, sometime, in the distant, or not so distant, end. Hey! Enough with the serious stuff! I was complaining, not telling you about my death wishes! Luna! Man, she is a slavedriver. If that cat was human during World War II, I know she would have been right up there shouting commands and cursing them all with every deity she knew (I've seen her do it, the list is about twelve miles long and *very* scary) when the Japanese lost the war. Artemis is better. He's more mellow and laid- back.... until you've got a crisis. And then he's like Oprah after two hundred cups of coffee. Let me tell you, that is frightening to think about, let alone deal with. I'm not allowed to complain about the senshi. Haruka will dice me and Rei will fry me into a piece of KFC extra crispy. Okay, what is the point of this rant, exactly? Well, it's a *very* interesting story, and it kind of began with Minako and I staring at Motoki... ~'~ It was innocent, I swear. What fourteen year old girl would not take precious time out of her busy schedule to stare at the local arcade dream hunk? Especially when that dream hunk has thick, sandy golden hair and sparkling green eyes, and a body made for fanstacys? And that dream hunk seems to think you like him as an older brother so he actually notices you exist and talks to you? "And Usagi-chan is absolutely crazy over Tuxedo Kamen-sama, and that's why when Cye-kun asked her to the dance she said no." Minako was talking about last night's dance, which none of our group attended except her. "So then Cye-kun asked me. Sure, I was angry that he didn't ask me first, but I went anyway." "Wow, and what did Usagi-chan say?" Motoki asked. I took up the conversation, smiling fabulously. "Oh, she was happy for Minako-chan, we all were. I wish I could have gone. But I'm taller than all the boys my age, none of them will ask me." But you, Mr. Gorgeous, are just the right height for me. "Oh, that's too bad, Mako-chan. Maybe in a few years you'll be looking up to them." He said apologeticly. Damn you, take the hint! Minako smiled victoriously at me. "Ah, Mako-chan's always gonna be tall. Me? I'm the right height for any guy, but better suited to a guy perhaps around *your* height?" Motoki nodded, and I seethed at Minako "You know, my friend Mamoru-kun is just my height, and single. I could ask for you--" Minako's face fell, and it took all my will power not to crow in triumph. "Motoki-san, how *is* Rika-san?" I asked. Motoki's face went from happy-go-lucky to is-my-grave- ready-yet in point two seconds. "Oh, did I say something wrong?" I was genunily worried. Really. "Rika-san called the other day--- we're over." I saw the faintest edges of a smile on Minako's lips as we both comforted him. I knew I was ready to stand up and dance and yell "I'VE FINALLY GOT A CHANCE!" but we couldn't exactly to that when he was right in front of us. We were still 'comforting' Motoki when the really big, really nasty, really pissed off youma burst in through the door. JUST WHEN I WAS GOING TO MAKE A MOVE! We were the only people in the Arcade. The youma was blocking the only exit. And worst of all, it was eyeing us the way Usagi eyes a peice of strawberry cheesecake. And I have always pitied that poor cheesecake. Minako and I really and truely had no choice, because the youma had started to pounce. It was pure instinct as we both reached out for our power. "Jupiter Power Make up!" "Venus Power Make up!" I caught the expression of pure and utter shock and realization on Motoki's face before the lightning enclosed me. Hoo boy, we were going to have a lot of explaining to do after we dusted Mr. Tall Dark and Ugly. "Crescent Beam!" "Supreme Thunder!" It took twenty minutes, a countless number of Crescent Beams, curses, and Supreme Thunders to make that youma die. That's very annoying. Not so much as draining as it is annoying to throw a thunder bolt at it and it actually have the balls to *laugh* at you. And finally, it was a pile of dust bunnies on the floor. Sailor Venus struck up the conversation again. "So, Motoki-chan, any luck finding a girlfriend?" He gave us both a long, hard look. Now, any other person would have fainted. I was actually counting on Motoki to faint. You know all those stories people write about us? And the part where someone sees us transform, those person/persons are supposed to faint. He, Mr. Gorgeous himself, just slapped himself on the forehead, and grinned at both of us. "I should've guessed, I really should've." "What?" I yelped. Yelped. Me. Yelping is an Usagi or Minako thing. Not me, Makoto. "Well, you know, *Mako-chan*, you really are like Jupiter, and Minako is a dead ringer for Venus." Minako blushed as we both dehenshined. Her's was definatly a compliment. I don't know about mine, but her's, damn her, was most assuredly a compliment. "Yeah, well, Luna says it's a kind of magic that keeps people from guessing. Apparently it works." I replied, a little steamed about his words. "Luna... Usagi's cat? Then that would make Usagi..." Sailor Moon. That shocked him. Dammit, we freaking TRANSFORMED two inches FROM HIS NOSE and when he puts TWO AND TWO together and figures out who our leader is, HE FALLS DOWN! Well, he caught the counter in time to save him the indignity from hitting the floor, but the point is, he was shocked. "Sweet little Usa-chan... is..." "Sailor Moon, buddy boy." Minako nodded. "Our little tiara thrower is your sweet little Usa-chan. And we'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell her we trans--" She was cut off. "OH MY GODS! IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! THAT MEANS MAMORU IS TUXEDO KAMEN!" We both stared at Motoki. We were starting to get really good at saying the exact same word at the exact same time. "What?!" "Duh! What, you gyus didn't know? Well, Mamoru- kun is totally gone on Usa-chan, and Tuxedo Kamen is obviously gone on Sailor Moon. Usagi is Sailor Moon, and thiunk about how much Mamoru resembled Tuxedo Kamen--" He grabbed a king riong from under the conter and *LEAPT* over the FOUR FOOT HIGH counter and over at the claw machine thingie. He unlocked it and grabbed a Tuxedo Kamen plush doll. "Lookee!" He shouted. "Same black hair. Same eyes. Same build. Same attitude!" It was hard imagining Mamoru as a plush dool, but somehow, we did, and everything snapped into place like the last piece of a five thousand piece jigsaw puzzle. "He's right..." Minako whispered. I nodded, not having the gall to trust myself to speak. Dammit, my crush is turning out to be a genius. "Usagi-chan is going to DIIIIIE!" Minako shouted, climbing onto the counter and doing a victory dance, singing, "WE'VE GOT THE POWER! OOOH, WE'VE GOT THE POWER! SING IT BABE, WE'VE GOT THE POWER!" I turned to Motoki. "See what you did?" "Hey, Motoki-ku... Minako-chan?" Minako froze, right in the middle of her fifth "OOOOH!" and almost fell off the bar. Motoki threw the doll back into the machine and locked it, while I gave Mamoru a big, goofy smile. "Konichiwa, Mamoru-san. Minako-chan and I were *just* leaving, and well..." "MAMORU-KUN! GUESS WHO MAKO--" He didn't get the rest of his sentence out. Minako and I both dove at him. I put my hands over his mouth while Minako pinned him up against the wall. "Not a word of any of it." "Act normal." "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING." We whispered furiously. He nodded, looking scared. We all looked to Mamoru, who had taken a tentive seat at the counter. "If you're busy..." "NO! Not at all! You see, Motoki was going to say something about Mako-chan that we WANT TO KEEP A SECRET, so we'll just be going now, and TRUST MOTOKI NOT TO SAY *ANYTHING*." Minako said, smiling sweetly at Motoki. "Yeah, because I really wouldn't want it getting out." I said, glaring. We both left, praying Motoki could keep his mouth shut. Ami really should have been there. She would have remembered about the... ~'~ "HOW COULD YOU FORGET ABOUT THE SECURITY CAMERAS?!!?!" I dodged the very thick chemistry book. Now, Ami is a very sweet, kind, gently, non- violent girl. Or at least, she was, until she saw the headlines of every paper Tokyo distributed. "Well, we were too busy with Motoki-san." Minako said apologeticly, yelping as a physics book caught her leg. Rei had left the room, and suspicious sounding explosions were going on in the fire room. Usagi, thank God, was at home, listening to Luna rant. We were facing the full wrath of Mizuno Ami. "We" being Minako and I. "YOU JUST EXPOSED YOUR TRUE IDENITY TO THE WORLD AND YOU WERE TOO BUSY WITH MR. SMILE?!" Did I mention Artemis was at our little party, using claws and teeth to full advantage. "Well, after he figured out who Usagi was, we had a time keeping his voice down, and Minako started dancing-- OW! I'M BLEEDING, YOU STUPID CAT!" "IDIOTS! THE CAMERAS! THEY'RE IN EVERY SINGLE SHOP FROM HERE TO MAINE AND YOU FORGOT ABOUT THEM BECAUSE MOTOKI WAS YELLING ABOUT USAGI AND MINAKO WAS DANCING!" That's it, I'm all for book burning. "Yes!" Ami shoved the paper in my face. Right across the front page, in very large, very bold letters, was "AINO MINAKO AND KINO MAKOTO DISCOVERED AS SAILOR SENSHI". Underneath was a color photo of us in mid- transformation. "Yeah, so they caught my bad side. Ami, you realize that this could be great publicity? Sailor V revealed as Sailor Venus? Chef protogee is Sailor Jupiter?" Minako asked innocently. Artemis yelled a phrase I'm seriously not going to repeat and be able to keep this below an 'R' rating. "Hey, where did you get that?" Minako's face was flushed. "Gee, Artemis, you know, we're minors." "I DON'T CARE!" "Oh, man." Ami stopped yelling. "Do yuo realize that they're going tot alk to our friends? We are always together. They'll out two and two... this temple will be flanked by reporters..." "Did I mention that Mamoru-san is Tuxedo Kamen?" Artemis froze. Ami made a choking noise. "What?" A low, dangerous whisper came from the doorway. We all looked up to see Rei. Well, actually, Sailor Mars holding a ball of fire. Holding a ball of orange and red fire like a softball in her gloved hand. Ready to throw it. "Yeah! You see, Motoki-san figured it out." I looked nervously at the flames. "You know, Rei, we had to protect Motoki-san." "We couldn't very well let him get *drained*." Minako added. We both screamed and jumped out the window as Rei began doing what she does best-- Throwing fire... ~'~ Which was a lot less than what Luna did. We were beginning to wish we were back at Rei's when Luna found us. I will swear it to the gods, that cat is SCARY. She and Usagi both yelled at us for a while. When we finally convinced them it was a must do, and after we escaped from the "OH MY GOD IT'S THE SENSHI!" mob, we were forced to explain to friends and family etc who and what we were. But that's really a story for another day, especially the part where Mamoru and Usagi come face to face with the knowledge of the other's alias. Another day, anothr bottle of asprin. And thus ends my rant. ~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~ Readers of my fanficion: # # # ## ### ## ### ##### ### #### ####### #### ################# ################# ############### ########### ####### *** *** *** *** ***************** *** ********* *** *** *** *** ****** *** ************ *** ****** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** * Just a flower to everyone who has read my fics or e- mailed me. (I didn't make this up, but it was hard enough to figure out how to type it out. You can copy paste it to whatever, if you want.) Okay, there will definatly be a sequel to this. You think I'd leave you all hanging like that? However, when that above mentioned sequel will be written/posted, I cannot promise nor say. As for me, well, Miru is complete at the moment, the next book, Centuries, is pending progress. Believe me, don't hold your breath, or your face will be a match for Ami's hair. My to-do list looks something like this, in the order of importance. 1. Of Stars and Bunnies (OSABUNNY) 2. The Pluto Cronicles (TPC) 3. Stalkers of the Night (SOTN) 4. Tenshi of Sorrow (TOS) After, and only after these stories are done will I devote time to Centuries and the sequel to this fic. Sorry, but I have a life too, you know. Luckily, most of the these stories are mostly done. SOTN is | | <-- that close to being done, as is TPC and OSABUNNY. Tenshi of Sorrow is still developing. I just thought an explanation of why everything is so late in coming was deserved. Indifference: Destiny's Battle, the second part, is complete and in the revision stages. Maybe it will be out this or next update, look for it. There will be a third part, contrary to eariler statements. I guess that's all. E-mail me, please, at black_beyond@hotmail.com with your comments, complaints, and flames. Domo Arigato to everyone who's e-mailed me so far. -Who cares about patience? I say INSANITY is a virture!- Quoted from Black Rose Thanks for listening and reading, Black Beyond PS Ack! Want to hear a funny story? Okay, we had a fair going on last week, through the 2nd, right? Well, I was with my two aunts. We got out of the car. I went around and locked my aunt Amy's door. Carey, who was driving, shut her door, but forgot to lock it and roll her window up, so she opens the door and rools her widow up, and locks her door. FOUR HOURS LATER, we are tried, exhausted, and sleep- wanting. We head for the Gates. Carey: WHERE ARE MY KEYS?! She frisked herself in search for the missing items to no avail. I volunteered to go back tio the car and look for them. I run to the car, and try to the doors. Oh, yeah, definatly locked. I'm mad, so I lean up against the door. Guess what, my friends? The car was running. HAD been running. For four, long, lonely hours. With the keys locked inside. Hilarious, right? Right. Well, I tell Carey, and she begins listing off oaths I can now say are a shocking part of my vocabulary. She went back and called a wrecker, while Amy went off somewhere. The wrecker had to come a very long way, and when it did, I missed it the first time around. Luckily, it came back. And so ended my Saturday. PPS Happy Birthday to my friend Laurella!