Scouts Of Justice

Episode 2 � Shrouded Scout

Lancelot and the Cerulean Girl were enjoying a clear, sunny day as they walked across a vast beautiful meadow; there was a marble-shod castle in the background.

�Will we stay together Lancelot?� She turned and looked at him in the face, her clear blue eyes looked up in his eyes.

�Of course we will,� Lancelot answered, this time not so confidently.

She looked down then looked up, her eyes sparkling, �You�re starting to doubt our love and commitment.�

Lancelot grabbed her shoulders, �No I am not, I am willing to die for you.�

�Is that love?� Her sad voice almost wrecked his heart.

She suddenly felt cold to the touch. As Lancelot looked on in disbelief, she transformed into an ice sculpture and the meadow around them froze. Everything shattered.

Lancelot gasped as he woke up. �WHO ARE YOU?� He roared at her image.

�Who are you?� She replied as she faded away.

* * *

Jasmine was chatting with a few other girls about the newest television star to enter the scene.

�She�s so talented!� One of them said.

�Yeah,� Jasmine agreed, �she�s a model, actress, singer, dancer, and an awesome volleyball player.�

�I hear that she�s also a kind, trustworthy person,� Another said.

�And she�s only thirteen years old,� the first one said wistfully. They all sighed in chorus.

�So, Jasmine,� the second one said with naughty glint in her eyes. �Found anyone special?�

Jasmine was caught off-guard by seemingly innocent question. �I�umm�� she floundered until their homeroom teacher, Mr. Kazinsky came in. He had a strange girl in tow.

�Okay everyone,� he started, �let�s start off with today�s register.� He looked around for a while and noted the absentees. �Jasmine Diamond? Here? On time? Amazing!� He said playfully as he marked her down as present. �Okay everyone. Unless you�re blind, like Jimmy over there,� everyone laughed their heads off at this, �you would have noticed that we�ve got a shy, quiet, attentive, young girl in our noisy, disruptive, teacher-eating class. So please guys, don�t rip her apart like poor Trinity,� he gestured at a girl who was currently talking to a guy. �Please introduce yourself, don�t worry, they won�t bite, yet.�

She smiled shyly and stepped forward. �Hello, my name is Nicole Serenity. I�m thirteen years old and had just moved in from Cambridge, England,� she greeted in a quiet, British-accented voice. She was quite short and wore the same uniform that Jasmine and the girls wore. She had clear blue eyes behind her small, round, blue-framed glasses and carried a normal double strapped bag on her left shoulder. Her file was cerulean and Jasmine had to admit, it was large. She had brown, long hair that was severely tied back into a pony tail, that was about the same length as Jasmine�s hair.

Mr. Kazinsky looked over the class, �Okay, Nicole, Jasmine over here will be your guide through this first week of school.� He looked at Jasmine with threatening glare, �Isn�t that right Jasmine?�

Jasmine nodded her head quickly, �Yes sir!�

* * *

�Here it is,� Jasmine sighed as she remembered all the moments she had experienced in the class they were currently outside of. �Science.�

�What�s the matter, Jasmine?� Nicole asked in her self-effacing voice.

�Ms. Catalis is so mean!� Jasmine exclaimed as she took up her usual seat in the class. Right in front of everyone else.

�I�m sure that it�s just her teaching methods,� Nicole replied as she sat next to her.

�Trust me,� Jasmine growled as the teacher sauntered in, �it�s not.�

�Good morning class,� Ms. Catalis greeted warmly with a smile. �Good morning Jasmine,� she said more quietly with a sinister tone. �Ah! A new member to our class! What�s your name?� She asked, all smiles again.

�My name is Nicole Serenity ma�am,� Nicole replied quietly.

�Pleased to meet you. Now then everybody, pull out your homework on classification,� she turned to the board. �According to the Binomial System, what�s the true name of Humans, Jasmine?�

Jasmine rummaged around in her file and found her homework, �Homo Sapien Sapien.�

Ms. Catalis turned around and smirked, �I�m sorry Jasmine, but that�s the wrong answer, you were so close too. The right answer is Homo Sapien.� The whole class laughed at this.

Nicole looked at the crestfallen Jasmine and raised her hand.

�Yes Nicole?� Ms. Catalis responded to her with a wide smile.

�I�m sorry miss, but Jasmine actually isn�t exactly wrong. Homo Sapien is a convention that Zoologists use to classify Modern Humans. In fact the name also refers to the Neanderthal Man which existed about seventy to thirty-five thousand years ago. We, the Modern Human can also be classified as Homo Sapien Sapien in order to differentiate ourselves from the Neanderthals.�

The silence afterwards was deafening. Ms. Catalis� mouth was wide open and so was the collective mouth of the rest of the class. The only one who was not really astounded was Jasmine, who broke out into a large grin and leapt off her stool.

�I was right!�

* * *

�How did you know that stuff?� Jasmine asked as they walked out of the school yard after an amazing day.

�I read a lot,� Nicole shrugged, as if her answer was a natural thing. �When I took the IQ test back in Cambridge, they told me that I had an IQ of three hundred.�

�An IQ of three hundred!� Jasmine�s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. �Wow, you�re a genius!�

�No I�m not,� Nicole replied sadly. �If I was a genius then I would be able to have friends.�

�Like me?� Jasmine asked with a naughty smile.

Nicole�s eyes widened as she realised the implications of Jasmine�s question. �You mean��

�Sure!� Jasmine nodded, �It would be cool to have a genius as a friend�what�s the matter?�

�You�re like the rest of them,� Nicole said sadly as she turned around and walked in the opposite direction. �I�m sorry, I have to go home now.� Jasmine noticed a small tear running down her face.

* * *

Lancelot kneeled before Morgan on the throne. Somehow, it just did not feel right.

�Lancelot,� Morgan started, �Zhouqiao needs some help with the Sailor Scout.�

�Can�t he just deal with it himself?� Lancelot asked as he stood up. He was very close to what he had been looking for; he did not want to lose it.

�Whatever you have in plan will have to wait,� Morgan overrode his objection. �He needs your help, after all, he is the weakest out of all of you.�

�There was a time when we were equals,� he thought to himself.

�I�ll help him, Morgan,� Augustus stepped forward with a bow.

�Good,� she smirked then frowned as she saw Lancelot walking out of the room. �It seems like his mind is troubled, time to relieve him of that excess baggage.�

* * *

�It would be cool to have a genius as a friend.�

The words kept on repeating themselves in her mind. Nicole wondered who she was kidding; no one would actually be her true friend. It always happened that way. No matter what school she went to, as soon as she revealed her intelligence, two things always happened. Firstly, people would always alienate her, and secondly there will be those few �friends� who stepped forward just because she was smart. Nicole silently wondered if her curse of intelligence could just leave her, she wanted to experience what it felt like to be average.

�Maybe father was right,� Nicole whispered to herself. �Maybe I should go to straight to University.�

She wiped away another tear and continued to walk home, she did not even notice a hazy cobalt image following her.

* * *

�And then she just left,� Jasmine said, finishing the day�s events at lunch.

Lana frowned thoughtfully and asked, �Did you try catching up to her and apologizing?�

�Apologizing?� Jasmine was very confused, �For what?�

�The way you arranged your words Jasmine, they made her think that you were befriending her because of her intelligence.�

�That�s stupid,� Jasmine scoffed, �I would never do that.�

Lana nodded, �I know that, but she doesn�t.�

Jasmine looked down at her plate. She looked up at Lana; �I�ve got to get going mom.� She stood up and ran to her room, changed into some casual clothes, grabbed her pen and a certain toy. �Don�t wait up!� She said as she ran out of the house.

Lana sighed with a smile, �Why can�t she be that fast when it�s time to do her chores?�

* * *

�Now if I�m right, she lives here,� Jasmine stood outside a normal, everyday Sub-Urban home.

�What makes you think that?� Minerva�s voice was mildly curious.

�I don�t know,� Jasmine admitted, shrugging, �it�s just is.�

She walked up to the door and knocked. After a short while, a man answered the door. He was taller than Jasmine and was fairly well muscled. He wore a pair of rectangular glasses and carried a bunch of books under his right arm.

�Yes?� His voice sounded pretty husky, but was soft. It had an element of confidence and assurance as well.

�Could I see Nicole?� She asked nervously.

�Please come inside, I apologize for the state of the house, but we had just moved in,� he stood aside to let her pass. �My name is Jay Serenity.� He offered his free hand after closing the door.

�I�m Jasmine Diamond,� she shook his hand.

As Jasmine looked around, Jay went up the stairs. She was amazed at how clean and organized the place was. She turned at the sound of footsteps from the stairs. It was Nicole.

�Hey Nicole,� Jasmine suddenly felt awkward, this quiet young girl that had been hurt by her careless use of words.

�Hello Jasmine,� Nicole sounded distant, her face solemn.

�I came here to say�� the words suddenly failed Jasmine. �What I�m trying to say is that��

Jay was looking at the situation with a grin, he knew his daughter, she needed to be nudged in the right direction. �Listen you two,� he said, walking into the lounge. �Why don�t both of you have some fun outside.� Nicole opened her mouth to object, �Don�t worry Nicole, I�ll be okay. Go on, have some fun.�

�Yes father,� Nicole nodded. �Please wait here Jasmine, I need to get changed.� She ran up the stairs to her room.

Jay looked Jasmine with sympathy. �Jasmine, don�t let Nicole�s cool exterior get to you, she was hurt and this is how she deals with it. She cares for people a lot and she doesn�t want them to be overburdened with her problems.�

Jasmine was struck by the sudden revelation of the cause of Nicole�s actions.

�Gets easier as you go along, doesn�t it?� Minerva�s little mysterious question rang through her mind.

�I�m ready,� Nicole stood at the door. She wore a blue, non-sleeved dress that was knee-length and had a pair of blue high heels on.

�Okay,� Jasmine smiled and nodded, �don�t worry Mr. Serenity, Nicole will be back in no time.�

* * *

Jasmine and Nicole ended up at a brand new entertainment center, it was a restaurant, arcade center, karaoke bar, and an Internet Caf�. The center also had private rooms where parties can be held, without disturbing the other customers.

�Wow,� Nicole was stunned as she looked at the All-In-One (AIO) Center; �we never had anything like this back in the UK.�

�I�ll be very surprised if you did,� Jasmine said, smiling as they entered. �The center is fairly new, this is the first branch that had opened about six months ago.�

They sat down at one of the tables; it had a clear view of the waterfront.

�Hello ladies,� a young man greeted as came to their table, Jasmine guessed he was about twenty. �I�m Christopher, I�m the resident waiter of this center.� He wore green, three-quarter pants, an open, blue Hawaiian shirt, a plain white T-shirt underneath it, and a pair of black socks with red sneakers.

�Hi Christopher,� Jasmine smiled at the color riot, �I�m Jasmine and this is Nicole.�

�Pleasure to meet both of you and please call me Chris,� he smiled back, �is there anything I can get for you?�

�Sure,� Jasmine looked through the menu; �I would like a bubblegum milkshake.�

�Could I please have a glass of 7up?� Nicole asked, quietly.

�Certainly,� Chris scribbled down the two orders and whisked off.

�That was an experience,� Jasmine sighed, Nicole giggled.

Jasmine looked at her with a raised eyebrow; Nicole looked up at her and smiled. The earlier hurt had vanished and a new friend was made.

�Hello Jasmine Diamond,� Nicole greeted somewhat shyly as she extended her hand, �my name is Nicole Serenity.�

Jasmine grinned and shook the offered hand, �Hello Nikki, pleasure to meet a new friend.�

Nikki�s eyes widened, she looked down and smiled.

�Well done, Sailor Crystal,� Minerva�s voice echoed in her mind, it was full of awe. �You�re a lot better than I thought.�

�Thank you,� Jasmine replied to both Nicole and Minerva with a warm, almost golden smile.

* * *

It was late afternoon when the two new friends were enjoying a mime act. The act was quite funny, but something more serious happened.

The mime had just finished his act and was taking a bow, when Jasmine sensed something dark hurtling to the mime. She screamed out a warning, but was too late. A dark ball had collided with him and he was transforming into a skinny, black and white striped Fiend.

Jasmine gasped and heard Nicole�s scream. She spun around and saw that five strange Fiends surrounded Nicole, all of them had dark hooded cloaks, and looked human except they had no faces.

�They�re Minions, Sailor Crystal,� Minerva identified them, �Morgan must have unlocked more of the Dark Queen�s Power!�

Jasmine ran to her and punched the first one she came to in the back.

�Get out of here!� She half shouted at a stunned Nicole, she thrust her plush toy at her and pulled out a golden pen, �GO! NOW!�

Nicole nodded fearfully and ran out of the deadly circle. She turned around as she heard, �Crystal, make up!� Her eyes widened as she saw a golden aura form around Jasmine and shatter, leaving a white and gold clad heroine.

Sailor Crystal viciously jabbed another of the Minions with her elbow in the chin, and kicked one more in the side. She was suddenly thrown away from the Minions. The Mime Fiend looked at her and grinned in a psychotic manner. It started to make some gestures in the air. First came a long cylindrical object, topped of by a blunt head. It grabbed it out of the air and struggled with the weight. The Fiend finally gained control and made a swinging movement at Sailor Crystal, who was promptly smashed by an invisible sledge hammer. She was thrown back and tumbled untidily. She stood up instantly and thrust out her hands at the Fiend.

�Crystal Beam!� A clear beam shot out of the crystal ball that formed between her hands.

The Fiend threw away the hammer, causing a huge dent in a car�s bonnet behind it. It made a gesture of a wall in front of it. The beam hit the barrier and the Fiend was not scratched.

�No way,� Sailor Crystal gasped.

It broke down the �wall� and ran around Sailor Crystal, forming a prison of sorts. The Scout was trapped.

The Fiend suddenly made some exaggerated gestures; it seemed to be laughing. Nicole at first did not understand, but then Sailor Crystal�s tawny hair started to float as if she was in water.

�That thing is trying to drown her,� she was frightened. Sailor Crystal was thrashing around and Nicole believed she could not do anything about it.

Behind her, the plush toy came alive and stared at Nicole, who was faintly glowing azure. Minerva felt like smiling but it would have been difficult to do so in the body of a cat, �Do you want to help Sailor Crystal?�

Nicole looked at the talking cat and backed up to the wall, �Who are you?�

�There�s no time for that,� Minerva twitched her nose, her heart started to glow azure and a bubble flew out of it. �Take this,� the bubble popped in front of her and a small, simple sapphire heart floated in front of her in an azure aura, �it will help you release your power.�

As if for the first time, Nicole looked at herself and her eyes widened as she saw the same aura surrounding her. She looked over at the scene in the street, seeing her friend�s plight and remembering the selfless friendship she offered her, as Nicole turned to the sapphire heart it flew to her glasses and latched on. The glasses flared azure for a second then the frames disintegrated. The two lenses left fused together to form a visor and got washed over with azure, the jewel flew to her forehead and latched on.

�Mist, make up!�

The jewel flared up and covered Nicole with an intense azure aura. The cerulean form floated and two clear azure eyes snapped open, shattering the aura.

Minerva tweaked her head at the new scout, �So there you are Sailor Mist, I�ve been looking for you.�

Sailor Mist smiled and nodded. She ran out of the building into the street and struck a pose, �Release her, Fiend.�

The Fiend suddenly turned around and stared at the new Scout. This one wore the same white bodysuit, but had an azure skirt, and a white streaked azure sailor collar. She had azure, knee high, high-heeled boots, and white elbow-length gloves. Her hair was short and was sky blue. She wore a clear, azure visor and there was heart-shaped sapphire above that on her forehead.

It made some gestures of exaggerated irritation. Behind it, Sailor Crystal suddenly fell down and gasped for breath. The Mime Fiend turned around and looked at the other Scout.

�Of course,� Sailor Mist�s quiet voice said as she figured out the Fiend. �Your power needs you to concentrate fully on what you are doing, any deviation, no matter how small, from the task would make that it fail.� She looked at the Fiend and concentrated, white lines suddenly appeared and flashed across the visor. Sailor Mist nodded, she ran to it.

The Fiend made some wild gestures and wrapped its hands around something. It barreled to Sailor Mist and swung. Sailor Mist arched back and slid past it. She did a strange cartwheel and landed facing the Fiend.

�You missed,� she said quietly.

The Fiend spun around and threw whatever it was holding at her. Sailor Mist waited for a few seconds then thrust out her hand and spun as she grabbed the object. As she faced the Fiend threw the object at it. The Fiend�s eyes widened as it was struck in the chest and collapsed.

�I am the shrouded Scout, Sailor Mist, and I will punish you.� Sailor Mist pointed at the Fiend and said quietly, �Chill Mist.�

A fog suddenly burst out of the ground beneath the Fiend and covered it. Sailor Crystal was suddenly chilled as a low level mist crept past her. A white glove reached to her, Sailor Crystal looked up and took it. Sailor Mist smiled.

�Thanks,� Sailor Crystal smiled back.

A form came limping towards them; it was the Mime Fiend. It was covered by frost, moving very slowly and painfully. Sailor Crystal thrust out her hands at it.

�Crystal Beam!� The clear beam hit the Fiend and shattered it. Pieces of darkness flew off it and disintegrated, leaving a very cold and tired mime artist.

�Are you okay?� Sailor Mist helped the mime up, who nodded. �Good.� Sailor Mist looked around at the obscuring haze. She swept her right arm and mist suddenly swept back to its origin.

The mime looked around; the two girls who helped him were gone.

* * *

�Thanks Sailor Mist,� Sailor Crystal said with a smile when they on a tall building over-looking the city.

�You�re welcome Sailor Crystal,� Sailor Mist replied in her quiet voice.

Sailor Crystal looked at the new Scout, �How does it feel to be a Scout?�

Sailor Mist suddenly broke into a warm smile, �Beautiful, it�s just awesome.�

�Sailor Mist, you performed as I expected,� Minerva said as she appeared.

�How did you do that?� Sailor Mist inquired curiously.

Minerva looked at Sailor Crystal accusingly, �Did you influence her in any way?�

�Not that I�m aware of,� Sailor Crystal shook her head.

Sailor Mist looked at both of them and suddenly thought, �Maybe I was wrong, there are true friends in this world.�

* * *

As they were walking to her home, Nicole thought about everything that had happened to her. Including the aspect of her new identity.

�The Shrouded Scout,� Nicole whispered, mostly to herself.

�Cool, isn�t it?� Jasmine smiled, �It�s almost like our official titles, I�m the Precious Scout.�

Nicole smiled and said nothing.

As they got to the porch of Nicole�s home, Jasmine suddenly stopped and grinned mischievously.

�What�s the matter?� Nicole asked.

�I�m just thinking about how much fun we�ll have with the Paladins,� Jasmine grabbed something out of her pocket. �Here, a gift from me to you,� she gave a speechless Nicole a blue dolphin necklace.

�I can�t�� she stammered, but was quickly interrupted.

�Yes, you can,� Jasmine asserted, �I�m wearing another-� she showed Nicole hers, a yellow dolphin, �they�re two halves of a whole, just like two best friends.�

The effect on Nicole was amazing. Her eyes were wide and she was flushed with rose, perfectly complementing the rose-tinted sky. She suddenly hugged Jasmine with teary eyes and whispered, �Thank you.�

Jasmine hugged her back; �You�re welcome.�

Inside, Nicole�s father, Jay smiled, �Nicole has finally come out of her shell.�

Minerva sat on a fence behind the scene. She suddenly had a vivid flash.

It was sunset and there was a beautiful rose-tinted sky.

Two friends standing on the balcony of the princess�s room. They both wore long, flowing gowns, though one was pearl, the other cerulean. They were talking out of earshot of a pink gown-clad young girl. The one in pearl said a few things to the other and they both laughed out loud. They then hugged each other.

Minerva looked at the two friends going their separate ways and wondered.

* * *

�That was so useless Augustus,� Musashi said as they were walking away from the throne room. �Not only did your Fiend fail to destroy the Scout but another one has awoken.�

�So I miscalculated,� Augustus replied, understating the predicament that they were in. �But I�ve got a sure fire plan.� They walked into Augustus� room only to find a dark Fiend.

Musashi whistled, �Augustus, you are devious.�

Augustus smirked evilly and nodded.

* * *

�I just know I�m missing something...�� �Why are you coming with us? You�re not invited.� They all left; laughing at Nicole, who stood there, too stunned to even shed a tear� Nicole replied, her normally sweet; soft voice added whole loads of insult to injury. �It�s about time I made a few changes.�� �Well isn�t this going to get interesting?� A voice echoed� The lake�s surface started to bulge as a bubble of water rose from it; Sailor Mist was trapped inside� As Sailor Crystal collided with a park bench and fell down, she had spasms of sheer pain� Nicole was looking at her friendship necklace with a few tears falling down her face.

Jasmine�s eyes opened and focused on her ceiling, �Not again.� Jasmine was pretty tired and wondered about what the dream was about, but it had already faded into her memories. �This is so annoying,� Jasmine muttered to herself as she went back to sleep.

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