Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Chaos Theory
Act 4: Hino Rei
By: Sora Kazeno
It is time for the flame senshi to appear again. Rei needed more time in the spotlight other than the small scene in the first act. Enjoy!
Usagi yawns as she wakes up on Saturday morning. She stretches her arms and slowly makes her way out of bed.
"I was going to wake you up soon," said Luna as she jumps up on the bed. "You are supposed to visit the shrine today with Mako-chan. And you don't have much time until you are supposed to be there."
Usagi begins the mad scramble around her room putting clothes on. Luna uses this time to try to talk to her about recent events. "I'm worried about the others. It has been a few days since anything happened and hopefully everyone is all right. I'm glad you and Mako-chan are checking on Rei-chan. Minako-chan is doing well."
Usagi raised an eyebrow as she walked over to Luna. "So you've been spending more time with Artemis, eh?"
"Usagi-chan!" Luna cheeks turned red. "I also needed to check on Minako-chan!"
"It's okay Luna. You don't have to pretend that isn't why you visit all the time."
"Usagi-chan, that's enough!" Luna said. She needed to change the subject or Usagi was going to keep saying things to her. "When is the last time you've seen Mamoru-san?"
Usagi pauses for a moment as she thought about it. Her eyes became downcast. "It's been a few days. It was right after Mako-chan got her memories back. Luna... what if he never gets his memories back?"
"Oh Usagi-chan I don't think he could ever forget you!" Luna tries to reassure her. "I'm sure it will only be a matter of time."
Usagi's mother knocks at the door. "Usagi-chan, Mako-chan is here! Hurry up!"
Five minutes later, Usagi is downstairs saying goodbye to her family.
"One more thing before you leave Usagi-chan," said Ikkuko with a large grin on her face. "When are we going to meet this Seiya?"
Usagi's eyebrow twitched and she began to fume. "It's not like that!" She shouts as she slams the door behind her. Usagi walks out the front gate as she mumbles inaudible things.
Makoto watches her fuming friend. She is afraid to ask what that was about.
"So he called my house one time. He saved me from getting run over by bus and it just happened to be on the news. Nothing is going on!" Usagi griped. Suddenly she became quiet in the middle of her rant.
Makoto looks over at Usagi and tried to understand what happened. She follows the direction where Usagi's eyes are. At the corner is Mamoru talking to a young gorgeous woman. She said something to him and they both laughed. The light changed and she grabbed Mamoru's arm as they both walked across the street.
"Usagi-chan did you want to...?" Makoto began to ask her unsure of how to finish the question.
"It's okay. Mamo-chan doesn't remember me... it's not like he's doing anything wrong. He can talk to other people just like I can talk to Seiya!" Usagi said as she flashed one of her fake smiles. She is trying to cover up the pain behind her smile.
"You should fight for him more like you did in the past Usagi-chan," Makoto adds with hesitation in her voice.
"Sometimes it is just too much. It hurts too much. It shouldn't be this hard," said Usagi as her voice grows softer.
It is clear to Makoto she didn't want to talk about Mamoru anymore. "How is Seiya?"
"He's fine but it seems like the news is after him because he saved me that one time," said Usagi. "Everyone keeps on wanting to know who I am for some reason."
"Well it's not every day a celebrity risks their life to save someone," Makoto comments when they enter the cross walk.
"He told me that he was going to protect me and that is what he was doing. It's not like I need someone with me all the time," Usagi said right as she came in the path of bicyclist trying to cut through the pedestrians in the cross walk. The bicyclist misjudged the distance and almost knocks Usagi over as he flew by on his bicycle.
Makoto stares at Usagi with her mouth hanging open.
Usagi laughs nervously as she places a hand behind her head.
The girls walk in silence as Makoto thinks about something Usagi had said that it shouldn't be this hard with Mamoru. Makoto couldn't help but wonder if Seiya had something to do with it. There is no way Usagi didn't know how Seiya feels about her. But she is destined to be with Mamoru...isn't she?
************
The two girls arrive at shrine steps and are about to ascend the steps when they see Haruka and Setsuna climbing down the steps. "Haruka-san! Setsuna-san!" Makoto exclaims in surprised.
Haruka smiled seeing Usagi with Makoto. She hasn't see Usagi in a couple days. "Michiru is doing well... but she hasn't awakened yet." She quickly answered since she knew they were going to ask. "Hotaru-chan is the same at Michiru."
"Even though there hasn't been an attack in the past few days we must keep our guard. The new senshi will not give up until they find what they are searching for," Setsuna frowns. "I wish there was something we could do to speed up their memories but anything we have tried with Michiru-san has been unsuccessful."
"Is there anything we can do? I mean Luna helped us in the past." Makoto asks taking a few steps forward. She feels like she hadn't been able to contribute much since she awakened a few days prior.
"Luna can't help." Usagi adds without hesitation. "This is different."
"All we can do is keep an eye on everyone. We know they will be targeted at some time but we do not know when. I don't understand why they want everyone's starseeds," Setsuna as she places her hand under her chin while she thinks. "I know we have to stop them but we need the others to awaken." She pauses before she continues because she knows Haruka isn't going to like what she was about to say and she is surprised she was even saying it herself, "we are fortunate to have the Sailor Starlights with us during this crisis."
Haruka rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything. She hates when Setsuna is right. Despite everything that had happened they are still from another solar system. She did not want them to influence Usagi anymore than they already have. Haruka changes the subject from the Starlights by asking Usagi, "how is Mamoru-san?"
"Nothing has changed..." Usagi's eyes are downcast.
"But we found a rose at the end of the battle the other day," Makoto chimes in. "Mamoru-san was there but he didn't seem to know where the rose came from."
"I guess it is something!" Haruka tries to cheer up Usagi. It didn't work. "Well... we need to be going."
************
Sailor Lethe looks over at her identical twin sister," I want you to keep an eye on Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon today."
Sailor Mnemosyne stares at sister. "I don't want to make Sailor Chi upset with us."
"We should have been put in charge rather than Sailor Chi," said Sailor Lethe as she tries to reassure her sister.
"But the blonde haired woman chose her, not us," Sailor Mnemosyne said to stop her sister from talking poorly about their leader. She is afraid someone might overhear them. "She knows what is best for us. We must help her be free and we if we all work together it will go faster against the Earth Senshi and the Starlights."
Sailor Lethe is quiet as she considers her sister's words. "She looks familiar. The blonde leader. I'm not sure from where." She said as she tried to picture where she had seen her before. "Either way I will find her and gain her confidence."
************
Usagi searches the grounds until she spots Rei in the corner with a broom. She didn't know how to approach her since Rei didn't remember her the last time she was here. Rei seemed okay. It is harder to check on Rei since she attends a different school.
"Girls! I haven't you seen you in a long time!" Exclaims Rei's grandpa as he rushes forward to greet them. "I was starting to think you were avoiding this place!"
Makoto and Usagi smile at the welcome they receive. They were hoping not to draw attention to themselves but it is going to be next to impossible at this point.
Rei stopped sweeping to see whom her grandfather is talking to make sure he wasn't creeping out any of girls out and creating any bad publicity for the shrine. Rei walks over to them.
"Rei! I was wondering what was taking you so long to greet your friends!" Grandpa said with a smile.
Rei looked at him completely confused.
Makoto and Usagi gave Rei a nervous smile unsure of what to do next.
"Well don't just stand there Rei! Say hi and go make them some tea!" Rei's grandfather directs her.
"Err.. hi.." Rei said with her eyes downcast. She tries to figure out what was going on. "I'll go start the tea," said Rei as she walks away toward the house. She is suspicious of the two girls but she wouldn't be able to confront them as easily in front of her grandfather. If she waited until they sat down for tea, she would be able to get to the bottom of things.
Usagi and Makoto talk with Rei's grandfather for a few minutes. He encourages them to study and to find a boyfriend so they don't end up cranky like Rei. After a few more minutes of talking he tells them to go see Rei since the tea should be almost ready.
Usagi and Makoto let themselves. They sit down at the table and waited to Rei.
"Mako-chan, what do we say?" Usagi whispers to her.
"Just go along with whatever Rei-chan says," Makoto whispered back. "If we try to explain everything to her she wouldn't believe us."
"Believe you about what?" Rei asks as she enters the room.
Usagi and Makoto become silent as they look at each other. "Ah that... we're not sure what we're doing here!" Usagi exclaims as she nervously puts her arm behind her hand.
Rei's eyes narrowed when she saw Usagi. "I've seen you before."
Usagi's eyes became really small. Did you she remember her from several days ago when she called her Rei-chan? "Umm... are you sure?" Usagi asked as she tries not be nervous under Rei's inquisitive gaze.
"I know I've seen you before. I remember that hair style. It is so unusual," Rei continues to stare at Usagi. Rei's eyes light up and she exclaimed, "you're that girl Seiya-san saved the other day from the bus!"
Usagi face palms into the table. Out of all things for Rei to remember it had to be that! "I...ah..." Usagi tries to respond back to Rei's statement.
"How do you know Seiya-san? Do you think you could get me an autograph? How about tickets to their concert coming up? Oh! Maybe an autograph picture! I can't believe that I know someone that knows one of the Three Lights!" Rei rambles on.
Makoto sighs in relief that they would have something to talk about with Rei other than wondering why her grandfather insists they all had tea together.
Usagi tries to answer all of Rei's questions the best she can. Usagi is sipping some tea from her cup when Rei asks, "so... is Seiya-san your boyfriend?"
Usagi spit out her tea and it landed on Rei across the table. "Why would you say something like that when you know I have Mamo-" Usagi stopped herself. Of course she didn't know she had Mamo-chan. How could she? She didn't remember the last couple years of her life.
Rei jump to her feet when the tea nearly hit her. "All I did was ask a question! You don't have to get all bent out of shape! Unless... he is! Wait a minute! You're even wearing a heart shaped ring! He has to be!"
A teardrop appeared to the side of Makoto's head as she continues to watch the scene unfold before her. Even if Rei didn't have her memories this is still a typical interaction between the two girls, shouting at each other.
A loud crash from outside redirects everyone's attention. The three girls immediately get up from the table and sprint to the door. The few people there were running toward the steps to leave the area.
Usagi gasps when she sees her. It is Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon, the senshi that attacked her which in turn led to her powers being awakened.
"Whoever you are, you are not welcomed here!" Rei said with a lot of confidence in her voice. "You need to leave."
Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon smiles at the girl before her. "Not until I get what I want...Sailor Mars." Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon focused all of her attention on Rei.
Rei turned to Usagi and Makoto, "you two get out of here. I sense a very evil presence from this woman." Usagi and Makoto didn't move. Rei pulled out a rectangular sheet of paper and placed it in front of her face, "rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen." The paper collected energy before Rei threw it at her opponent, "Akuryou Taisan!" The sheet of paper on landed on Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon and caused her to be temporarily paralyzed.
"Usagi-chan," Makoto holds her crystal wand.
Usagi nods her head in agreement. "Moon Eternal, Make Up!"
"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"
The two senshi finished their transformation seconds before Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon used black flames to burn the Ofuda Scroll off her face.
Rei stares at the fuku of the two girls next to her. There was something very familiar about the attire.
"The shrine was really peaceful until you came to ruin the day! For love and justice a sailor suited pretty soldier, Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon I'll punish you!"
"I am not going to let you get in my way," said Sailor Heavy Metal Papillion as she prepares an attack against the two senshi.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon is unfamiliar with Sailor Jupiter's attack and was caught by some of the energy blast. She didn't realize that her attack had such a wide range.
Rei wants to help the two girls but she isn't sure what she could do. She didn't have powers like them. Rei prepares another scroll to buy them some time to attack the woman with butterfly wings.
Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon notices Rei's movements and attacks her with a bolt of energy. Rei is blasted back several feet. She slowly sits up and pushes the strands of hair out of her face.
Sailor Moon's focus is on Rei for a few seconds rather than the battle in front of her. Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon fired another attack at Sailor Moon. She didn't see it coming.
"World Shaking!"
A golden sphere rose up from the ground and blocked the attack just in the nick of time.
"Invited by the New Age, the magnificent Sailor Uranus!"
"Uranus!" Sailor Moon exclaims relieved to see her allies.
"You can't seem to stay out of trouble," Sailor Uranus said to Sailor Moon with a wink.
Sailor Phi monitored the events from the sidelines. Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon quickly become overpowered. It is time for her to cut in while no one suspected it. She raised her golden bracelets and fired two bolts of energy at Rei.
Rei screams as she felt two bolts of energy hit her from behind.
"Rei-chan!" Sailor Moon screams as she rushed over to her. A tangerine color flower appeared over Rei's chest which quickly bloomed and revealed a red starseed. Sailor Moon frantically tried to grab the starseed before one of the animates could collect it but she was too late.
Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon pulled out the same clear crystal that Sailor Lethe had used during the past two attacks and was about to wave it over the starseed.
Sailor Phi stopped her. "It isn't the right starseed. If it was you would know within a matter of seconds. The starseed did not transform."
Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon is upset she didn't find the correct starseed and took her frustration out on Sailor Phi. "Why did you have to interrupt my battle Phi! I was doing fine without you!"
Sailor Phi laughed at her. "Four senshi against one? Surely you jest!"
"I will be the one to find Chaos not you!" Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon yelled back at her.
The two senshi are too busy arguing and didn't see Sailor Pluto appear. She grabs the starseed from Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon and returns it to Rei.
"Now look at what you've done!" Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon yells at Sailor Phi. "I had everything under control until you showed up!
"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!" Flames surrounded Rei as she feels her energy surge. She is ready for a battle. Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon and Sailor Phi were oblivious to the fact that she had transformed and was about to attack them.
"You ruined everything! I would still have the starseed!" Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon continued to yell.
Sailor Phi was is irritate at her outburst.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
Sailor Phi felt the air around her heating up and by the time she turned her head she was hit with the burning arrow. Sailor Phi glared at Sailor Mars. "This is far from over," she said as she vanished. Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon is silent and disappeared as well.
"Okay what is going on?" Sailor Mars looks at Sailor Moon, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Pluto and Sailor Jupiter for an answer. "Did I miss something?"
Sailor Jupiter laughed at Sailor Mars' question. "We've been under attack lately." Her voice turned serious. "They are after starseeds. One in particular but we don't know which one. Today they said something about Chaos."
"I'm glad you're back with us Rei-chan," Sailor Uranus said as she started to leave. "Ah," she said as she turned around. "Michiru had some tickets left for tomorrow and didn't know whom to give them too. I figure you might enjoy them." Sailor Uranus handed the tickets to Sailor Mars.
Sailor Mars gasped as she held the tickets. "We will definitely be there. I have a feeling something is going to happen tomorrow."
Sailor Uranus let out a soft smile. "Michiru said something similar." She turns and leaves with Sailor Pluto.
The girls de-transformed back to their normal selves. Rei said, "I'm surprised Michiru-san wasn't with her."
"We are the only one with our memories back," said Usagi with a tone if irritation in her voice. She is tired of this repeating pattern after each senshi is awakened. The sun was setting. "I'm going to head back," Usagi said as she turned to walk away.
"Usagi, where are you-"Rei began to ask when Makoto tapped her arm as a way to tell Rei to let her go. Rei turned to face Makoto. "Usagi seems different."
"Well..." Makoto said as she tried to come up with the right words. "...she doesn't have Mamoru-san. He doesn't remember her so she's been struggling a lot the past week. Today she saw him some other woman... the scary part is it didn't bother her as much as it should. The only one she has to open up to is Seiya-kun."
"I'm not sure if that is such a good idea," said Rei as she watched Usagi's retreating form. "They have a history...in a sense. Usagi just seems so... different. I can't quite put my finger on it."
************
Seiya sneezed. He chuckled to himself at the old Japanese saying that someone is talking about you when you sneeze. He looked out at the stars in the sky and part of him missed being on his own planet. But he knew he couldn't go back there. His heart is here.
The next act is going to have a lot more story movement! You are going to see many of the senshi without their memories and a few things that will make your head spin! Act 5: Kaiou Michiru