Chapter 12: Sailor Moon vs. Ensign Jupiter Hiya!! Chibi-Mamoru Darien Chiba here. The world of Sailor Moon and the people and objects belong to Naoko Takeuchi except for the Adaptation Sceptre, the tournament judges Shelly Desiree LaPhoenix and Sandra Gregory Naturalier, and the Inners' daughters Cara, Hermione, Ariadne, and Clotilda. *************************************************************** *******Royal Palace: July 10, 2996, 1:45 am******* I toss and turn in my sleep disturbed by Ensign Mars's apparent attempt to char-broil me alive yesterday. My mom Neo-Queen Serenity and my dad King Endymion are asleep right now. I miss Diana and I have Ensign Jupiter and the Outers' kids left to defeat. Pulling the covers upon me, I pray that sleep overtake me . . . *************************************************************** *************************************************************** I wake up to find myself in a fiery land. Volcanoes erupt all around me. I walk for a short distance but feel a need to stop. "I don't think that exploring this place is a good idea, Reenie," a high-pitched girlish voice warns me. "Who are you?" I ask the voice as I look around fearfully. "Where am I and why have you brought me here?" "Reenie, it's only little ol' me, Ariadne," the voice giggles as its owner, a little girl about 3 feet and 10 inches tall with long unstyled reddish- brown hair and deep red eyes appears in front of me. "I'm the one who is visiting you in your dreams. I'm here to get some things off my chest. Remember when I accidentally set your costume on fire today and our daddies came running to your aid?" "Yes, I do, Ariadne," I reply. "I never got the chance to apologize to you for that, Reenie," Ariadne whispers regretfully as she rubs her bottom and makes a pained face. "Ariadne, what happened to you?" I ask curiously. "My mommy and daddy yelled at me, spanked me, and sent me to bed without supper," Ariadne explains to me. "My tush still hurts from the whipping I got. I tried to tell my mommy and daddy that I didn't mean to set your costume on fire, but they ignored me. They thought that I was actually aiming for you." Ariadne then hugs me and sobs, "Reenie, why did I get those creeps for a mommy and daddy? Sometimes I wish that my mommy had aborted me!!!" "Ariadne!!! Don't say that!!!" I scream as I shake Ariadne, nearly in tears myself. "God does NOT make junk!!! You of all people should know that!!! Things can always be worse, Ariadne. Did you know that Amy once told Hermione that she often wished that she had aborted her?" "Oh, my God," Ariadne gasps. "Amy and Greg also often yelled at and beat Hermione," I add. "So see; that could be *your* mommy and daddy doing that to you. OR . . . worst case scenario, you could have NO parents at all to take care of you." "Do you *really* think that things are not as bad as they seem?" Ariadne asks me. "Of course, Ariadne," I reply. "This is called 'keeping things in perspective.' Raye and Chad can say and do worse things to you when you mess up than they already have said or done but are not likely to. Anger can make people say a lot of things they don't really mean, Ariadne. I can betcha that Raye and Chad were trying to scare you into being more careful with your powers and didn't mean half the things they said to you tonight." "They didn't?" Ariadne asks me. "No, they didn't," I tell Ariadne as I shake my head and hug her. "Boy, do I feel better, Reenie!!!" Ariadne exclaims. "Reenie, listen. I'm here only because I'm meditating in front of the Great Fire. If my mommy and daddy catch me in front of the Fire at this hour, there's no telling what they'll do to me!!! Clotilda/Ensign Jupiter doesn't have the mental powers that I do, but she's still a formidable opponent. She and I are rivals. That goes ditto for Hermione. Ensign Jupiter's attacks do have thunder to them, so I hope you're not brontophobic." "What do you mean 'brontophobic?'" I ask Ariadne. "Having an irrational fear or dread of thunder," Ariadne replies. I begin shaking. "What? Was it something I said?" "I am scared of thunder, Ariadne," I admit. "Oh, you are," Ariadne says to me as she checks her pockets. "Oh, heck!!! I don't have any of my mommy's charms with me!! If I could, I'd hypnotize you to have no fear of thunder until you beat Clotilda, but I'm still trying to master my psychic powers. If I had a charm, I'd use the power of Mars to banish your brontophobia from you altogether, Reenie, or at least take it as my own while you fight Clotilda. Anyway, watch out for the ground laser and the balls of lightning. I believe Clotilda calls them the 'Jupiter Thunder Snake' and the 'Jupiter Thunder Ball,' respectively." "Sailor Pluto came to me in a dream and mentioned something about that," I say. "But now I know what to listen for. Anything else?" "Try to beat Clotilda legitimately if you can, Reenie," Ariadne advises. "She has been watching Cara, Hermione, and me as we took our turns against you. Clotilda has seen us slip and let defeat be snatched from the jaws of victory for one reason or another and will thus be extremely careful not to make the same mistake. And the Outers' kids . . ." "What about them, Ariadne?" I ask, aroused by Ariadne's trailing off. "There's no telling what they can do, Reenie," Ariadne says. "The only way to know for certain is to defeat Ensign Jupiter. Clotilda will fight as fiercely as the Outers are expected to fight but doesn't believe in pummeling her opponents into the ground. That's the *only* thing that's working in your favor, Reenie. Use it wisely. My time is short here. It is best you get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast; you'll need the energy." "Ariadne, will your powers help against Ensign Jupiter?" I ask as I grab the leaving Ariadne. "I don't know, Reenie; that's something you might want to ask Hermione," Ariadne replies. "My powers might be of help against her; then again, maybe not. But what I do know is that if I don't leave now, I'll get into a lot more trouble than I'm already in and if I do, it won't be good for me . . . or you." Ariadne then wrenches her arm free and vanishes. ************************************************************ ************************************************************ The dream ends and I slumber for about six more hours. At breakfast, Serenity and Endymion are wide awake and I'm a walking zombie. "Can I go back to bed and snooze a little while longer?" I yawned. "No, you may not, Reenie," Serenity told me. "Just splash some water on your face and keep moving." "Come on, Serenity," Endymion protested. "Reenie has been in three battles; she has a right to be tired." "What do I have to do today?" I yawped. "You have to defeat Ensign Jupiter today, Reenie," Endymion said. We then eat breakfast in silence, but then I realize that I have no idea what will stop Ensign Jupiter. "Daddy, can I call somebody?" I asked Endymion. Endymion confers with Serenity for a while about my request. "Who are you going to call and why?" Serenity asked me, suspicion shining like a lighthouse beacon in her blue eyes. Okay, Reenie Chiba, this is no time to slip up!!! You've got to be correct here; one wrong move results in disaster!!! "I'm going to call Hermione for some moral support, Mommy," I finally replied. "Moral support is usually given to younger people by older people, Reenie," Endymion said. "Hermione is younger than you." Now how am I going to get out of this mess? Saying 'Mommy, Daddy, I got a magic sceptre known as the Adaptation Sceptre and I need to call Hermione so that I know which set of powers to use against Ensign Jupiter' may seem like the right thing to do, but come on, let's face it. The powers I have as Sailor Moon, the Pink Sugar Heart Attack and the Twinkle Yell, are pathetic and so it is for that reason I have the Adaptation Sceptre. But now back to this. "Daddy, I want to learn more about Ensign Jupiter and I want to see what Hermione knows," I told Endymion. God, please let my excuse be accepted without question. I promise to be a good little girl to my mommy and daddy if you save me from being caught in a lie, God. Just please let me off scot free. Pretty please with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. "Please, not the hopeful puppy dog look," Endymion groaned when he realizes what I'm going to do next. "Okay, Reenie. You can make your call; just don't take too long. We're due to leave soon." Ecstatic, I kiss Endymion and waste no time calling Hermione. "Hello?" the voice on the other end supinely greeted me. "Hello, this is Reenie Chiba," I replied. "Could I please speak to Hermione Mizuno?" "This is she, Reenie," Hermione yawned. "Ariadne came to me in a dream and told me that you wanted a couple of questions answered." "That's what happened to me!!" I exclaimed. "Reenie, Reenie, please don't yell; I have a headache and I'm half awake," Hermione groaned. "And my tush hurts, too. Don't ask why that is; just listen to what I have found out. Sailor Mars's powers are weak when compared to those of Sailor Jupiter, BUT Sailor Jupiter's powers will burn out when they meet Mars's. If you had Ariadne's powers you would also enjoy greater accuracy than Clotilda does." "But I don't, Hermione," I said. "I know, Reenie," Hermione sighed, "and that puts you in a real bind now and when you take your turn against Ensign Neptune if something short of a miracle doesn't happen to you in your favor before then. Ariadne's powers make defeating Irvette almost too easy if she and Cecelia are not allowed to use their mothers' talismans against you. Using my powers against her is your best bet right now, but if your parents and Ariadne's parents don't come to an agreement soon, you won't be able to acquire Ariadne's powers which means that you'll have the short end of the stick when it comes time for you and Irvette to go at it and that's *IF* you manage to defeat Cecelia. Cara's Venus Crescent Beam and Venus Meteor Shower will also work well against Clotilda and Irvette, but they're a pain to ready and launch. Ariadne also said that she sensed that the Adaptation Sceptre is low on energy. If I were you, I'd try to get that thing recharged before I went to battle today . . . or find a way to recharge it during battle . . ." "Hermione, I have an idea!!" I cried. "I'll feed the Adapation Sceptre to the Jupiter Thunder Dragon!!!!" "I could tell that those gears in your head were working; I could hear them over the phone," Hermione smiled. "I bet you know how you're going to trick Clotilda into summoning it and how you're going to throw your Sceptre into the Dragon's mouth without getting eaten yourself too, right?" "Well, yeah, kind of," I replied. "I think you should wait until you're actually in the arena fighting Clotilda before you actually plan anything, Reenie," Hermione advised. "Having several alternate plans is also a good idea. In fact, it's not just a good idea that you do; it's essential. Remember, Reenie, defeating Clotilda is a key part in your preparation to take on the Outers' kids. We all know that you'll have to face them at some point and that they all have powerful powers that make them difficult to defeat, but we don't know when they'll take their turn against you or what they have in store for you. I do know, though, that Cecelia is the hardest of the bunch to beat and it may be necessary for Ariadne, Clotilda, Cara, and me to go in with you against her to keep things fair. So be careful not to charge into this!!!" I could hear Hermione's obnoxious laughter at her own joke. But when I get what Hermione is hinting at, I begin to laugh. "Reenie, you've been on the phone long enough," Serenity firmly and rudely interrupted me. "It's time to get dressed." "Well, Hermione, I gotta run," I said. "Bye." I then hang up and waste no time in getting dressed. *******Crystal Tokyo UltraDome: July 11, 2996, 8:15 am******* "Will Reenie Chiba and Clotilda Kino please report to the center of the arena?" Shelly announced. Serenity and I look at each other. "Go on, Reenie; you can do it," Serenity whispered as she squeezes my hand assuringly. I take a deep breath and walk towards the center. On the eastern side of the arena, Clotilda's parents Lita and Ken Kino had told Clotilda to report as called. I arrive at the center and hand over my transformation brooch to Shelly and Clotilda arrives a few seconds later and hands Shelly her transformation ring. Shelly then places the items at our feet. "All right, girls; face me!!" Shelly belted out from the north. Clotilda and I do as we are told. "Bow." We bow to Shelly and she returns our bow. "Now face me!!" Sandra declared from the south. "Bow." Clotilda and I, of course, do as we are told. Sandra then bows back and says, "Face your parents!! Bow." I bow to my parents and Clotilda bows to hers. "Face each other!!" Shelly barked. "Bow." Clotilda and I bow to each other. "Out of the inner rectangle." Clotilda and I walk to our respective ends of the inner rectangle, the western end for me and the eastern end for Clotilda. "Yohi?" Shelly asks Sandra. Sandra sets his watch for one hour and nods after he and Shelly back away from us. Shelly sets hers and cries out, "HAJIME!!!" "You're gonna get a charge out of me, Reenie!!!" Clotilda yelled as she runs toward her transformation ring. "Go ahead and try it, Clotilda; I'm properly grounded!!!" I shouted as I race toward my transformation brooch. "We'll see about that!!" Clotilda called out as she reaches her ring first and puts it on her finger. "Jupiter quasar power, blast off!!!!" I quickly grab my brooch and fumble with it trying to get a good grip on it. "Moon prism power!!!!" I shouted when I finally get a good grip on my brooch. As I begin my transformation, I look over and see Ensign Jupiter ready for battle. But she's not attacking me. I find that odd, but it does buy me the time I need to transform. Transformation complete, Ensign Jupiter begins her attack with a side kick right at my chest!!! Before I could react, she then follows with a lunge punch, several reverse punches, and a hook kick to the right shoulder blade. I have never seen such fury!!! The next thing I know, I find that Ensign Jupiter has just hefted me over her head like a sack of potatoes!!! "Hey!!!" I yell down at Ensign Jupiter. "Take your rusty ol' paws off of me, you musclebound Amazon!!!" "Ask and you shall receive, Sailor Moon," Ensign Jupiter replied as she flings me into the air at a 90-foot arc that's about 20 feet at its highest point to the southwestern corner of the arena. When I land, I summon the Adaptation Sceptre to battle and ask it to do a diagnostic on how much energy is left. "Energy supply down to 30%, Sailor Moon," the Adaptation Sceptre reported. Now that makes me wonder just how I could have used up that much of the Sceptre's energy, but that's not my main problem right now. I should be thinking about how to best use what little energy the Sceptre has against Ensign Jupiter. Okay, so I can't duke it out with Ensign Jupiter. Hermione said that her powers would work well against Ensign Jupiter. I need time to recover myself, activate the Mercury battle mode, and attack. "Jupiter Thunder, crash!!!" Ensign Jupiter shouted. Before I even have time to get scared of the thunder, I leap high into the air over Ensign Jupiter's head and land in the northeastern corner of the arena. The thunder is but a growl when I land. Ensign Jupiter whips around and fires off another Jupiter Thunder at me. This time, I'm prepared. I turn off the Adaptation Sceptre and stick it right into the path of the lightning. Owie, the Sceptre's hot!!! Ensign Jupiter watches intently as her lightning is absorbed by my Sceptre. I hope the Adaptation Sceptre has enough energy now to last me through this battle. I turn the Sceptre back on and Ensign Jupiter comes to and readies herself to launch a third Jupiter Thunder, but before she can: "Mercury battle mode!!!" I yelled out with the Adapation Sceptre held high above my head. Ensign Jupiter stops DEAD in her tracks as my costume changes to incorporate some characteristics of that of Sailor Mercury. "Huh?? What's happening?" Ensign Jupiter asked me. "You're going to get a few short circuits!!" I replied as I point the Adaptation Sceptre at Little Sailor Jupiter. "Mercury Bubbles, blast!!!!" Under the cover of fog, I have free reign to launch a series of flips, jumps, kicks, and punches. When the fog lifts, Ensign Jupiter is out cold on the floor!! "Shut down!!!" I shout with the Sceptre above my head. I return to using my regular powers and my costume returns to normal. Sandra walks over and counts down slowly from 10 while I retire the Adaptation Sceptre. "Point: Sailor Moon!!!!" Sandra declared. The crowd breaks into a massive cheer. My parents King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity are cheering the loudest of all and are giving me a standing ovation. I could do nothing but walk out and curtsy respectfully to the crowd. I look to my left and seeing Hermione, Cara, and Ariadne smiling and giving me the thumbs-up sign, I think to myself how good it will feel to have Clotilda among those rooting for me. I salute back and then I hear Ariadne's name being called. I vault up to where my court is standing. "Reenie, you were great out there!!" Hermione cried. Cara and Ariadne agree. "Thanks, Hermione," I replied. I hear Ariadne's name being called more loudly. "Ariadne, I think someone's looking for you." "ARIADNE!!!!" the voice shouted. "I definitely heard it that time, Ariadne," Cara said, tossing back her long blond hair. "I think that's my daddy," Ariadne guessed, turning to leave. "I'd better go see what he wants with me." Ariadne then leaves calling for her dad by his first name. "Reenie, you got a point!!!" Cara exclaimed. "Girl, if you can keep this up, you can win over Clotilda hands down." "Yeah, but I hope that Ariadne doesn't get busted for visiting us using the Great Fire in the middle of the night last night," Hermione uttered. "Ariadne can enter into people's dreams?" I asked Hermione. "Yes, she can, Reenie," Cara replied. "All she has to do is plop herself down in front of the Great Fire or any large bonfire, choose someone and wait until they're asleep, and concentrate. Ariadne got spanked for sending me a nightmare once. It gives me the creeps when she does that." "Ariadne can also use the Great Fire to look in on your dreams, Reenie," Hermione added. "She did that to me a couple of times and brags about it, too!! Ohhh, that just burns me up!!!" I look out into the arena and see Shelly has just revived Ensign Jupiter and determined she's fit to continue fighting. "Well, guys, it's back to the grind," I cried as I leap back down into the arena. "See ya later." "Yohi?" Shelly asked Sandra as they get into position to either side of Ensign Jupiter and me at the center of the arena. Sandra nods. Come on, Shelly; say 'hajime' so I can hurry up and discharge Ensign Jupiter!!! "HAJIME!!!!" I charge Ensign Jupiter and successfully flip her over my shoulder, but I fall prey to a sneaky foot sweep for my trouble. "YAME!!!!" Sandra screeched as he steps between Ensign Jupiter and pulls me to my feet. "You girls can do better than just tripping each other. A LOT better." A chorus of boos and hisses rings all through the stadium. Once again at the center of the arena, Ensign Jupiter and I find ourselves standing with Shelly and Sandra to either side of us. "HAJIME!!!!" Shelly bellowed. Ensign Jupiter and I begin circling each other. I throw a left hook punch which Ensign Jupiter blocks with a right outside block and then I reply with a powerful right roundhouse!!! "KIAI!!!!" I shouted as my kick pounds Ensign Jupiter's unprotected left side. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!!!" The attack knocks Ensign Jupiter off balance and buys the time to leap over her, land behind her and tag her right between the shoulder blades with a back heel kick. "Surrender!!" I demand of Ensign Jupiter who is eating floor. "You're as good as defeated!!!" "Jupiter Thunder Snake . . ., SSSSSSSSSSTRIKE!!!!" Ensign Jupiter hissed as she sends a stream of fast- moving lightning toward me. Before I could jump out of the way, I find myself flying through the air . . . right into Neo-Queen Serenity's lap. "You know, Reenie," Serenity explained as she stands up and carries me to the front of the box, "that you're going to have to have a lot more emotional strength than what you are showing; you won't be able to always to come to your father and me for comfort." "Yeah, just hang in there, kiddo," Endymion encouraged me. "Just score two more points and you'll be halfway through this ordeal." With a mighty heave, Serenity then hurls me out into the arena and I land with a hard plop. Man, my tush hurts!!! Of course, my hurting rear end quickly takes a back seat when I find Ensign Jupiter standing only a yard to my left powering up for an attack. Uh oh. I get to my feet in a hurry as this doesn't look good. "Jupiter Thunder Ball . . .," Ensign Jupiter chanted. "Reenie, shield your eyes!!!" Ariadne yelled from the audience. "CORUSCATE!!!!" Ensign Jupiter screamed. At this point, I waste no time in doing what Ariadne told me to. Even with my eyes closed tight and covered with my left forearm *and* looking in the opposite direction, I could still see the bright flashes of light. When I straighten up to see if the attack is finished, I feel three sharp blows to my stomach which immediately double me over. I'm having difficulty seeing, but I know that Ensign Jupiter had attacked me while I was incapacitated. I'm gasping for air because I feel like I'm being choked. I can't breathe!!! Let me out of this bodysuit; it's too tight. I look around the arena and I see a lot of fuzz and small black circles. I stumble over to the arena wall and use it for support. "YAME!!!" Sandra declared as he stops a charging Ensign Jupiter. "Why are you stopping the fight?!?" Shelly growled at Sandra. "Sailor Moon is unable to continue fighting Ensign Jupiter, Shelly," Sandra explained. "There's no need to allow them to continue. Ensign Jupiter gets a point." "Sandra, you're getting too bossy for my tastes, you know that?" Shelly complained. She then walks out into the center and declares, "Point: Ensign Jupiter!!!!" This provokes a chorus of boos and hisses from the audience. "Victory to Sailor Moon!!!" a man cried. The chant soon spreads throughout the stadium and it seems like everyone is saying it. By this time, I have recovered most of my normal vision. Lita transforms to Sailor Jupiter and fires off a Jupiter Thunder over the audience's heads. "Don't any of you EVEN think of rioting!!!!" Sailor Jupiter thundered. The crowd continues chanting and it's only until Sailor Jupiter angrily incinerates several people at random using her Jupiter Thunder Dragon that the chanting stops and most of the frightened crowd sits down. Pointing to a frightened group whose members are still standing, Sailor Jupiter growls at them, "Sit your asses down or I'll personally shovel your ashes out of this stadium!!!" "Thank you, Sailor Jupiter," Shelly gasped. "That helps a lot." "No sweat, Shelly," Sailor Jupiter replied as she detransforms and returns to the southern box and her husband Ken. "Sandra and I *will* NOT have our judgment calls challenged!!!" Shelly shouted at the crowd. "Sandra and I are in charge of this tournament!!! What we say goes. Right now, Sailor Moon and Ensign Jupiter both have one point a piece. They have legally earned them and you have NO right to say otherwise." "You all right?" Sandra asked. I had recovered my wind and my vision and I nod yes. Sandra escorts me to the western side of the rectangle around the center of the arena and Shelly escorts Ensign Jupiter to the eastern side. Sandra and Shelly then assume their positions to either side of us and take a moment to compose themselves. Okay now, so how do I score the two points I need to win? I could use the Adaptation Sceptre to assume the Venus battle mode and bowl Ensign Jupiter over with a Venus Meteor Shower. I could get a quick point that way, but the Sceptre could be so low on energy that the transformation alone could be enough to completely discharge it. But I need to make up for lost time, so the Adaptation Sceptre it is. "Yohi?" Shelly asked Sandra. "Hai," Sandra replied as he nods his head. Shelly looks at us for a while and then takes a deep breath. "HAJIME!!!!" Shelly shouted. Before Ensign Jupiter could do anything, I immediately belt her with a left front kick and a right lunge punch in the stomach. I then grab her left arm and give her several knee kicks in the lower ribs followed by an axe kick to the kidneys. "KIAI!!!!" I screeched as my axe kick fells the already doubled over Ensign Jupiter. Well, how about that?!!? I didn't need to use the Adaptation Sceptre at all!! My battle cry brings Shelly who slowly counts down from ten. "Point: Sailor Moon!!!!" Shelly declared. The audience breaks into massive cheers but remains sitting. Serenity and Endymion stand up and applaud. "Bravo, Reenie!!!" Endymion shouted at me. I curtsy to my dad gratefully. I turn and curtsy to the cheering audience. Hermione and Cara are cheering the loudest of all. Ariadne arrives shortly thereafter with her dad Chad and Cara fills her in on what has happened while Sandra helps up a very pissed Ensign Jupiter. "I'll get you for this, Sailor Moon!!!!" Ensign Jupiter growled at me. Oh, boy; I'm going to have a tough fight on my hands. I leap up out of the arena to where my court is. "Reenie, I think you're overdoing it a tad," Hermione said nervously. "Yeah, Reenie," Cara agreed. "If you beat Clotilda down into submission, she may not provide you with the information about the Outers' kids that you need." "Clotilda is fierce!!!" I exclaimed. "I'd hate to think about how much worse the Outers' kids are when they take their turns against me." "Reenie, if Clotilda had really wanted to whip your butt, you would not have been able to make the vault up here," Ariadne said. "Really?" I asked Ariadne. "Really," Ariadne replied. "Clotilda can do much worse to you than she already is. She doesn't believe in fighting to the death like Hermione, Cara, and I do. Clotilda's philosophy is to fight just hard enough to intimidate her opponents which in turn makes them not want to continue fighting. Despite everything that Clotilda has thrown at you, you've hung in there and even scored a couple of points against her. But now since she can't bully you into accepting defeat and surrendering, the ferocity of her fighting will take a sharp spike and it will be harder than ever to score that last point you need to win. And even after you score the three necessary points to win, Clotilda will probably still fight like crazy. Watch yourself, Reenie." Seeing Ensign Jupiter in position, I bid my court farewell and spring back down into the arena. "I'm going to cut you off at the circuit breakers, Sailor Moon!!!" Ensign Jupiter snarled at me. "Have fun trying!!!" I shouted back. "My, you two are fired up," Shelly remarked. "I hope you do remember that you're not here to kill each other. HAJIME!!!!" Ensign Jupiter lashes out with a left front kick which almost gets me in the face!!! "Hey, what's wrong with you!?!?" I asked Ensign Jupiter. The next thing I know, I'm blocking a shuto strike!! That does it!!! I whip out the Adaptation Sceptre and wave it angrily. I then raise it high above my head and bark out, "You're going to be the third to fall to the Adaptation Sceptre!!! Venus battle mode!!!!" Transformation now complete, I side kick Ensign Jupiter away and cry out with the Adaptation Sceptre aimed right at her, "Venus Meteor Shower!!!!" "Jupiter Thunder, crash!!!" Ensign Jupiter shouted. The two attacks meet and I'm hoping that mine would come out on top. "Arrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhh!!!!!" Ensign Jupiter screeches. I break into a giggle and Ensign Jupiter squawks at me, "That's not funny; that hurt!!!" Of course, I stop laughing when I find that the Adaptation Sceptre is out of energy. I try to return to using my normal powers but realize that I need the Sceptre to start up and shut down battle modes and since it's out of juice, I'm stuck in Venus battle mode with no powers!!! I can't even retire the Adaptation Sceptre. "Having technical difficulties, Sailor Moon?" Ensign Jupiter taunts. "Or should I say . . . Sailor Moon/Venus??" I may not have any powers other than my strength, speed, wits, and agility, but I *am* NOT helpless!!! "You're still going to join my court, Ensign Jupiter," I declared as I begin circling. "Oh, yeah? You and what army, Sailor Moon/ Venus?!!" Ensign Jupiter challenged me back as she too begins circling. She cuts loose with a rabbit punch which I block with an inside block and I reply with a right roundhouse kick to the ribs and then a thrust using the reverse end of the Adaptation Sceptre to the sternum. "Surrender, Ensign Jupiter!!!" I demanded. Ensign Jupiter simply groans in pain and holds her chest. "You're beaten!!!" "NEVER!!!!" Ensign Jupiter shouted as she charges at me with a jumping front kick. I couldn't get out of the way in time and the attack sends me flying into the western portcullis, a distance of 90 feet. I bounce off and fall in a heap. "Reenie!!! Get up!!!" Ariadne yelled at me from the stands. With a groan, I wake up and pull myself together. I see the Adaptation Sceptre lying on the floor just out of my reach. Ensign Jupiter is closing in on me, her yellowish-green eyes drooling in satisfaction of my imminent defeat. "Now, Sailor Moon/Venus, you *will* surrender to me!!!" Ensign Jupiter bellowed. I feel a metal object nudge my hand. The Adaptation Sceptre!!! I grab it and its cold metal skin comforts me. "Bite me!!!" I defiantly declared as I get to my feet. "I have just the thing for that," Ensign Jupiter replied. "Jupiter Thunder Dragon!!!!" A 20-foot dragon of pure lightning is formed and I check to see that the Adaptation Sceptre is turned off. "Engulf her!!!!" Ensign Jupiter orders the Dragon. The Dragon lunges toward me and I throw the Sceptre straight and true into its mouth while jumping high into the air overhead. "Oh, pardon me, you meant the Dragon for me," I told Ensign Jupiter with fake disappointment. "What!?!? You survived!??!" Ensign Jupiter growled at me in astonishment and anger. "Dragon, seize Sailor Moon!!!" The Dragon does nothing. "What did you do to my Dragon???!??!" "Dragon, lay down!!!" I ordered. Much to my surprise, the Jupiter Thunder Dragon does as ordered. Wow, I could get to like this, big powerful beasts like the Jupiter Thunder Dragon being reduced to gentle, docile critters. "Face it, Ensign Jupiter; you've lost. Why don't you surrender to me so we can call it even and be friends?" Ensigns Mercury and Venus arrive beside me in case Ensign Jupiter tries anything. Ensign Mars walks up. "I-I-I just . . . can't get rid of you, Sailor Moon!!!" Ensign Jupiter exclaimed. "No, I guess you can't," I told Ensign Jupiter with a smile. "Well then, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," Ensign Jupiter sighed as she offers her hand. I shake hands. "You put up a great fight, Sailor Moon." "You did also, Ensign Jupiter," I replied. "Crystal Tokyo needs warriors like you." "I suppose that you girls are now on the same side," Sandra interrupted. "Yes, Sandra, we are," I said. Sandra then relays the news to Shelly. "Winner: Sailor Moon!!!!" Shelly declared. Ensign Jupiter and I detransform and stride into the center of the arena hands clasped and raised high for all the cheering audience to see. I take my western position and Clotilda takes her eastern position. "All right, girls; face me!!" Shelly belts out from the north. Clotilda and I do as we are told. "Bow." We bow to Shelly and she returns our bow. "Now face me!!" Sandra declared from the south. "Bow." Again, Clotilda and I do as we are told. Sandra then bows back and says, "Face your parents!! Bow." I bow to my parents and Clotilda bows to hers. "Face each other!!" Shelly barked at Clotilda and me. "Bow." Clotilda and I bow to each other. "Good job, ladies. You are both dismissed." *******Cherry Hill Temple: July 11, 2996, 11:30 am******* "I never want to go through that again!!!" I declared. "That goes for all of us, Reenie," Ariadne agreed. "Just whose bright idea was it to have you fight us!?!" "My mommy told me that this tournament is an item of the Moon Kingdom culture, Ariadne," I said. "I sure wish I could go ask Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom if this is true." "Let me know when you plan to leave," Cara told me. "I want to go with you." "I don't know if I want to say that I hated fighting in that tournament, Reenie," Hermione disagreed with a giggle. "I kinda enjoyed myself." "Hermione!!!" Clotilda scolded as her yellowish- green eyes meet Hermione's dark gray eyes. "I'm surprised at you!!!" "What!?!?" Hermione asked, shocked that she's on the hot seat. Cara, Ariadne, and I look at Hermione. "What is it, guys!?!? Why are you looking at me like that?" Silence reigns for about ten minutes. "Hermione, I just don't see the thrill in fighting," Ariadne spoke up. "Educate me; why do you enjoy fighting?" "With the trashy treatment I get from my parents, I have to find happiness somehow, Ariadne," Hermione replied. Cara and Ariadne look at each other as if to ask whether or not to buy Hermione's story. "I don't believe that for a second, Hermione!!" Clotilda declared. "My mommy and daddy told me that I have to make my own happiness." "I couldn't have put that better myself, Clotilda," Ariadne agreed. "Now, Hermione, let's try this again. Why do you really enjoy fighting?" "Amy and Greg hate me," Hermione sobbed. "I mean it's one thing if your parents die loving you, but I have never gotten any love from them at all!! Do any of you know what that's like?? Amy once told me that she often wishes that she had aborted me. She and Greg have yelled at me for no reason, called me every name in the book you can imagine, starved me, and abused me in ways you can't even begin to imagine." When Hermione finishes her story, there's not a dry eye among the five of us. "Hey, girls, how about . . . whoa ho!!!" Raye exclaimed when she sees that we have been crying. "Why are you all crying?" "Mommy . . .," Ariadne sobbed as she reaches up to Raye wanting to be picked up. Raye picks up Ariadne who then whispers in her ear Hermione's heart-wrenching story. "I don't believe that!!!" Raye shouted, nearly dropping Ariadne. "Hermione, I have known your mother for a long time and what I have heard is totally unlike her." "Ms. Hino, I assure you that I'm not lying," Hermione promised Raye. "Greg is no better. Please don't send me back to them!!!" "CHAD!!!!" Raye bellowed. Chad appears on the scene very annoyed. "Some example you're setting for our daughter, Raye," Chad scowled. "Anyway, what do you want?" "Call over to the Mizunoes and ask them if it's okay for Hermione to spend the night with us for a few days," Raye told Chad. Chad goes inside to make the call. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" Hermione wailed gratefully as she hugs Raye around the legs. "Don't thank me yet, Hermione," Raye said as she peels Hermione off her legs. "It's just as possible that your parents may not let you spend the night with us as it is that they may." Chad arrives a few minutes later, eyes bugged out and his face as white as a ghost. "Chad? What's the matter?" Raye asks as she puts a pouty Ariadne down. "Daddy? Daddy!?!?" Ariadne asked Chad. "Speak to me!!" Chad gradually comes out of his trance. "This is going to come as a shock, guys," Chad began after a period of silence. "Hermione, your father answered the phone. Your mother had been drinking and he says that she's in no condition for you to be around her. Your mom was upset that you're spending the night with us, but your dad says it's okay. He'll bring over some clothes for you in a little while." "Thank you, Mr. Kumada!!!" Hermione cheered happily. "I suppose I should ready a room for you," Chad told Hermione as he turns and leaves. Mina drives up at this point. "Mommy!!" Cara cried out to Mina as she runs toward her mother. Cara trips and falls flat on her face. It takes a stern look from Raye to keep Ariadne, Clotilda, Hermione, and me from laughing at Cara. "Cara, don't cry," Mina said compassionately as she picks up her sobbing daughter. "Nothing's hurt except maybe your pride." "I'm so embarrassed," Cara whispered in Mina's ear. "Go ahead, guys; laugh at me. You know you want to." "We won't laugh at you, Cara," I declared. "Will we, guys?" I meant that question mainly for Hermione. "Nope," Clotilda replied. "Ditto," Ariadne agreed. Hermione shakes her head. Mina then turns to leave and the heel on her shoe gives out and she falls on her butt. Cara lands on Mina. I burst out laughing. Raye and Ariadne are next followed by Clotilda and Hermione. "Stop laughing at my mommy!!!" Cara bellowed at us. "Mina, are you okay?" Raye asked. "Yeah, I'm okay, Raye," Mina replied. "I just have a little hitch in my get-along. Cheap heels." We all have a good laugh at that until Ken and Endymion come to fetch Clotilda and me. I'm just glad that for several hours I don't have to get back into that arena where I had to "win" my friends. THE END Now that's the best ending I have ever come up with!!! So what do you think? I was going to originally have Clotilda/Ensign Jupiter keep fighting Reenie/Sailor Moon even after time ran out and then have Cara, Ariadne, and Hermione get involved to subdue her. I then was going to have Reenie take her powers right then and there. But that's okay; I think Reenie had a fierce enough fight with Clotilda without all that. Ja ne!!! Chibi-Mamoru Email address: CMDChiba@hotmail.com Please put the title of this fanfic in the subject line of your letter. Doing so will enable me to get back to you much faster.