Ok, it’s been a while since my last chapter for this story. I plan to pick it back up and finish it over the next 2 months at least. Usual Disclaimers apply. Enjoy! Sailor Scouts R: Chapter 9 - Ray’s Day in the Spotlight Amy, and Lita found Mina at the temple while looking for Ray. Things over the last few days have been quiet and have had no activity from the cardiens or the two aliens, and they wanted to know if she got any recent fire readings on them. When they found Mina at the front helping Grandpa Hino, Lita asked, “Hay, Mina, you seen Ray anywhere? We’re looking for her.” Grandpa Hino answered, “She’s been working everyday this week till diner time working on the Autumn Festival at her school. Maybe you’ll find her there.” “Thanks, Grandpa. Maybe she’ll give us a sneak preview,” was Lita’s reply as she and Amy, who picked up Luna and Artemis, and with Mina in tow, went to Ray’s school. Ray, meanwhile was this close to pulling out her own hair. People kept asking her about various parts of the festival that Ray already explained about a bazillion times already, and very little work was getting done. Ray was walking off the stage when she noticed equipment that wasn’t set up, “What’s this? What’s this sound equipment still standing here for? It should already be set up. I swear a cat would be more helpful.” “Hay Ray. Luna and Artemis at your service,” Ray turned around to see Mina, Amy, and Lita, “Mina, what are you getting at?” Luna and Artemis, who were stupidly laying on both of Mina’s shoulders, were flung off of Mina’s shoulders and hit the wall behind her. Both cats grumbled about Venus and Moon being similar as Mina said, “Well you said a cat would be more helpful. Do you mind if we take a look around?” “No, go right ahead. We’re just about to start rehearsal,” Ray said as various equipment and lights were turned on, and Ray’s friends went back stage to watch. The music started and Ray was about to start singing. There are days when those gray skies…… All of a sudden the stage lights changed colors and Ray fumed, “Hay turn the color down a bit. Oh, forget it. Take a 5 minute break. I swear have to do all the work around here.” Ray walked off of the stage as Mina said, “Hay that was a cool song, Ray. Who wrote it?” By this time Luna and Artemis took to Amy’s shoulders. Ray said, “You really liked it Mina? Actually, if you must know I wrote all the songs for this year’s Festival.” This got shocked faces from the girls and Amy said, “It must have taken ages to write them all Ray. Aren‘t you worried it will look like it‘s trying to promote yourself?” Ray said, “Amy, I look at it this way. If it were not for me there would be no Autumn Festival.” “Well Ray definitely doesn’t suffer from any low self-esteem,” Artemis replied. “Boy, Artemis, you can say that again,” Mina replied. Meanwhile in another part of the school, Allen and Ann were standing up in a tree. Allen just looked at the activity below and snorted, “Boring dumb pageant.” “But it is a chance to get us some energy, Allen,” Ann replied with a wicked smile on her face. “My mouth is already watering just thinking about it, Ann.” The next day, the Autumn festival was in full swing. Amy went to the biology and chemistry booth, Lita and Mina checked out the food booths, and Ray, in her spare time she could manage, was seen at some of the game booths. As for Allen and Ann, well, that’s a different story. Our two favorite aliens were walking around when someone grabbed their arms and started doing measurements of their height, width and arm lengths. This put Allen and Ann into total confusion, as they wondered what was going on. Finally one of the 3 girls that had grabbed Allen and Ann said, “There perfect. Come on you two, we have to get ready.” Allen, however, stopped short and asked, “Hold it. Who are you, and what’s going on?” The lead girl turned around and said, “Oh I’ve been so rude. Sorry about that. My name is Suzan Lockhart, and I’m the president of the Fashion Design Club. Our models got the flu and called in sick, so we needed replacements for them. Will you please help us?” Ann was confused, “Models?” Allen was also confused, “Fashion Design?” Suzan said, “Ya, our theme this year is Aliens from another planet.” Ann didn’t like this, thinking there cover was blown, “Allen!“ Allen was also scared, “How did she figure out who we are? She must have special powers or something.” Suzan asked, “You two ok? Oh I get it, your one of those who believe in little green men with little antenna, and weird hair, right?” Ann got steamed at unknowingly being insulted, but Allen quickly covered, “Oh, no. Not at all.” Before the two could talk any further, they were dragged backstage by the club. Some time later, Mina, Lita and Amy, along with Luna and Artemis with bumps on their heads from Mina’s through yesterday, were looking at more booths when the intercom system went off with Ray’s voice, “Attention! The high light of the Autumn Festival will be starting in 15 minutes. We’ll start with the fashion show, followed by a concert staring the Festival president, me.” “Boy, Ray sure doesn’t suffer from low self-esteem, but she sure is a hard worker,” Amy said. Artemis replied, “Ya, Ray has got a lot of charisma.” Luna replied, with a smile on her face, “Even though she’s a shameless self promoter.” The girls and cats cut their chit chat and made their way to the auditorium. As luck would have it, they managed to get front row seats with minutes to spare before the show started. Backstage, the Fashion Design Club and their two victims…… I mean volunteers, were just finishing to get ready for the show when Suzan said, “Ok, it’s almost time to go on.” Allen and Ann looked at each other and asked, “You mean we have to go out there?” Suzan replied, “Sure, that’s why it’s called a fashion show.” Before either could protest further, they were pushed on stage and the spot lights came on. Allen could only look on and wave while saying, “I feel so embarrassed.” “Ya, but there’re building up lots of energy,” Ann said as they continued to pose for the show. Amy, Lita, and Mina were watching the show from there seats, and Amy said, “Hay isn’t that Allen and Ann up there?” Mina got stars in her eyes while Lita said, “They’re being super cool about this.” Meanwhile, Allen and Ann were grinning evilly as Allen said, “They want aliens, we’ll give them aliens.” After the show the two made themselves scarce. A short while later, Ray was on stage and the crowd cheered as she began singing her song. While Ray was singing, Allen and Ann were on top of the auditorium as Allen took out a deck of cards, “Choose us a cardien Ann so we can take all that energy.” Ann chose a card and Allen threw it up into the air as he said, “Cardien Amphibia, I summon you.” Allen played his flute that resulted in the card turning into a flying mermaid. Ray was still in the middle of her first song when she stopped and thought, (“I sense something.”) No sooner did Ray think this did Amphibia appear and sprayed gold dust over the whole audience. Mina say all this and announced, “I don’t think this is part of the show.” Artemis agreed and shouted, “Don’t let the gold dust touch you.” The girls and cats went under the seats as the dust landed on all the other people in the audience, and got their energy drained. Seeing no problem, the two aliens left to wait at the doom tree for the cardien's return. The cardien went at Ray shouting, “Stage hog.” Ray didn’t have time to react, and the cardien extended its hair and grabbed Ray. The rest of the scouts didn’t waste their time, as they got out from under the chairs and raised their pens. “MERCURY POWER” “JUPITER POWER” “VENUS POWER” “SAILOR SCOUT POWER” The scouts finished transforming, and the cardien started draining Ray, “OH, my energy, your zapping me.” “HOLD ON RAY. Jupiter, Mercury, get her loose,” Venus commanded. Jupiter and Mercury decided on a combined attack and Jupiter started first. “JUPITER THUNDER” “MERCURY BUBBLES” “CRASH” “BLAST” The electrified, water based, attack slammed into the cardien and it lost its hold on Ray. Ray fell to the floor, unconscious. The cardien turned toward the scouts and said, “Try to upstage me will you?” The cardien got its hair around Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter and started draining their energy. By this time, Ray came to and struggled to stand up, “Hang on you guys. Be right there.” “Be careful Ray,” Artemis warned. Luna asked, “Ray are you strong enough?” Ray didn’t answer. Instead, she transformed. “MARS POWER” “How dare you zap my friends. Fish face, your going to pay,” With that said, Sailor Mars went into action. “MARS FIRE……… IGNITE” Sailor Mars’s attack managed to burn the cardien’s hair enough to free the other scouts, but the cardien managed to get out without any other harm done to it, which made Mars scared, “Oh no! My fire doesn’t work against this squid.” Venus managed to sit up long enough to say, “I’m so weak. Sailor Mars, It’s up to you.” When Venus finished saying this she lost consciousness. “Sailor Venus!” The cardien, buy this point, began stalking toward Sailor Mars. Finally, it lunged at her, “Your finished.” The cardien’s efforts were stopped when a white rose flew in between them as a figure said, “In the vast Universe, there is a planet that sings a beautiful melody. It is called the planet Earth. I, the Moonlight Knight have vowed to never allow anything to disturb its eternal song. Let music and romance live on forever.” Sailor Mars and the cardien have, by this time, found the source of the voice among the support beams above them as Mars said, “It’s the Moonlight Knight.” The Knight said, “Sailor Mars, I’d love to hear you sing again one more time.” “Thank you, Moonlight Knight,” Ray said just before the Moonlight Knight charged at the cardien with his sword. However, the cardien just used its tail to send the Knight flying back up onto the support beams above. The attack also hit the music stand Ray’s music was on, and the papers scattered everywhere. This infuriated Sailor Mars beyond reason, “MY MUSIC! WHY YOU SCALY FURBAG! Your sushi.” Ray took out a prayer strip. “I CALL APON THE POWER OF MARS, FIREBALLS CHARGE” Then ray summoned her fire, originally planning to combine her two attacks to strike a deadly blow, but something unexpected happened. “MARS FIREBIRD STRIKE” Sailor Mars’s fire attack merged with the prayer strip and formed a bird made totally of fire as it screeched, while heading toward the cardien. The cardien let out a an attack of its own, right out of its mouth. The firebird dodged this attack easily, and the cardien screamed in fright before the firebird hit the cardien as all the energy it gathered went back to everyone in the auditorium, including the scouts. Artemis, remembering this attack being used during the Silver Millennium, said, “Sailor Mars has her full powers back.” As the scouts got back up, Luna said, “They all have their energy back.” Sailor Mars wasted no time, “Sailor Venus, do it.” “You got it,” Venus said as she took out the Moon Tiara. “MOON TIARA MAGIC” As the Tiara hit, the cardien turned into a burnt out playing card at fell to the stage floor. The Moonlight Knight, who just got his balance back from trying to stand back up in the support beams, said, “Well done Sailor Scouts. Keep the harmony in your hearts, and a little tune to your voice, see ya.” With that, the Moonlight Knight disappeared into thin air. After everyone else woke up, the girls hid to detransform, and returned to their places for the rest of the consort. After the consort, everyone sat at a bon fire in the Track and Field lot of the school. Ray was enjoying the fire when she turned to Mina and saw a depressed look on her face. Ray immediately knew why Mina was so glum, “Thinking about Serena again, Mina?” Mina just nodded and asked, “How did she handle it? The leadership I mean. I just don’t think I have the knack like she did. Also, how will we eventually defeat the two aliens with their cardiens without Sailor Moon, Ray?” Those were questions going threw Ray’s head and the rest of the Sailor Scouts‘ heads as well. They knew the final battle would come one day, but Sailor Moon was the only one who could defeat Beryl when they went up against her. Now they were without their leader, and they were at a loss as to how to defeat this enemy. Back in the time stream, Sailor Pluto was wondering the same thing. Even Sailor Moon’s Tiara wont be enough in the final fight. For the final fight, you’ll need healing power, which none of the inners had. Suddenly, Pluto detected a small shift in the time stream. Further investigation revealed that someone from about 20 years in the future has traveled to the present, and when she found out who did, Pluto wondered, “Now why didn’t think about asking him? I’ll need both him and, most likely, Sailor Saturn for the final fight.” Well that’s this chapter. During Thanksgiving break I should be able to get another one out. Send all comments, to gbess@iname.com Visit my web site at www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Courtyard/2058