A Mysterious Hero Chapter 1 Trouble Brewing It was a hot, summer day when Neena called up her friend, Jenn-ai. Neena and Jenn-ai had been friends since they were in Junior High and ever since discovering their fate as Sailor Scouts, they'd been inseparable. "Hey Jenn-ai! What's new?" Neena asked. "The weather, I hope. Did you know that it's been three weeks since the start of that heat wave?" "Yeah, isn't it odd? Ever since Beryl came back, weird stuff has been happening. Do you think she could be behind it?" "There could be a chance. We haven't heard from her for a long while. What if she's planning something for us?" Jenn-ai gasped. "Let's just keep our minds off it for now. How about taking advantage of the heat and going to the beach? I'll call the twins (Nancelle and Chanelle) and Lesia." "And I'll call Saad and Gumby. I'll call you back. Bye." Hours later, the minivan screeched to a halt in front of a curb. Neena, Jenn-ai and the others climbed out of the car and made their way to the beach. In a matter of minutes, Neena and Jenn-ai had their art supplies out and the others were in the water. "Neena, do you ever wonder if we will have our own Tuxedo Mask- you know, a guy to help us in our quest to stop the Negaverse?" Jenn-ai asked, struggling on a drawing of Darien. "That would be so cool! Another scout member who would help us in our time of need. It would be a great addition to our team." "I can just picture it now," Jenn-ai said dreamily, "I'm defenseless against a monster that has me cornered. Then out of the blue, a flower comes flying through the air, and my hero comes to slay the monster. After that, we fall in love." "Like, gag me with a spork, okay! And your hero? For all we know, that guy could as well be after me!" "What!? You're trying to say that I'm not good enough for him? Well-" At that moment, Selene jumped out of Jenn-ai's bag. "Stop fighting girls! Seriously, if I didn't know any better, I would think you two were Raye and Serena!" "We try," Neena said with a laugh. "Hey, who let the cat out of the bag?" * * * Deep underneath the sands in the Mojave Desert, Queen Beryl's voice rang clearly in the damp but cool cave. "Come forth, Hematite. How is our plan coming along?" "Very well, my queen, the heat wave is influencing people to go to the beaches. Soon, with enough people, we will be able to take their energy for the Negaforce," he replied. "Good. But what are you going to do about those two Sailor brats?" "Don't worry. They won't be a nuisance to you anymore," he smiled. Chapter 2 Confrontation Back at the beach, Neena was just finishing up a group drawing of the original five Sailor Scouts: Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus with their newest members - Sailor Andromeda and Sailor Earth when Lesia came over and started gushing about a lifeguard who looked exactly like Alexei Nemov. All the girls at the beach had probably seen the commotion and flocked over to see. Suddenly, a bright light engulfed the whole beach and horrified screams came from the crowd. In the distance, Neena and Jenn-ai could see a poor girl being transformed into a hideous creature. "Ohmigosh! That's Chanelle! We've got to save her !" Jenn-ai cried. "Quick! Let's transform." Neena produced her scepter and raised it over her head. "Andromeda Power!" she shouted. "Earth Power!" Jenn-ai added. Sailor Andromeda and Sailor Earth appeared right behind the creature, who was in the middle of sucking the energy out of an innocent bystander. "We are the Sailor Scouts and we fight for love, friendship, and justice. In the name of the Earth and Stars, we will punish you, you Nemov- impostor!" they cried in unison. "Let the girl go!" Jenn-ai demanded. "What? And ruin all the fun?" Before their eyes, the Nemov-impostor transformed into a soldier of the Negaverse. "Beach bunny, get them!" he ordered. The creature let go of the energy-drained girl and started running toward the scouts. "I'll take care of her!" Sailor Andromeda shouted. "Andromeda crystal . . ." "No! Stop, you can't do that; it's Chanelle." Sailor Earth raised the Terra wand. "Earth healing activation!" "It's not working, Sailor Earth. She's too strong," Andromeda shouted. "We have to weaken her; it's the only way." As Andromeda spoke, something flew past her and embedded in the sand. The scouts stared at a single crystal rose protruding from the white sand. "Where in the world did that come from?" Andromeda exclaimed. "Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Earth shrugged. "There's always hope." A voice sounded from above them. "Sailor Andromeda is right, the creature is far too strong to transform." They looked up but were blinded by the sun's glare. "Who are you?" asked Sailor Earth. "That isn't important now, Sailor Earth. You need to stop the Negaverse." It took the scouts a few moments to focus on what they were doing. They were enthralled with the prospect of some handsome guy to mysteriously appear and save them from the Negaverse. Andromeda pulled out of the reverie and raised her hands high. "Andromeda crystal splash!" A glowing crystal flew towards the creature and in a great splash of blinding colors, the creature was encased in crystal. "Now, Sailor Earth!" Taking her cue, Sailor Earth once more tried the Terra Wand. "Earth healing activation!" A beam raced towards the captured Nega-creature. "Please work," she pleaded. The creature transformed back into Chanelle, and she collapsed into a heap. "What happened?" she whispered. "Girls, now you have to fight Hematite." Selene interrupted. "Hurry, before he returns to the Negaverse." "Who?" Sailor Earth asked in confusion. "Him," Selene pointed with her paw. "All right, let's dust some Negatrash! Star tiara- hey where did he go?! Come back, you cowardly Negascum. Are you too afraid to fight?" "You'll regret saying that, Sailor girl." The scouts looked up to see the Nemov-impostor, Hematite, suspended in the air. "Now, you will pay for disrupting my plans. I call upon the powers of the Negaforce. Prepare to meet your doom!" A huge gust of wind swirled toward them like a tornado. "Run girls, or you will be trapped inside!" Selene warned. As the girls were busy dodging the tornado, Hematite made a quick getaway. Finally, the wind died down and so did the tornado. "Hey, where did Hematite go?" Sailor Earth asked. "Hopefully to someplace really far from here." * * * After their encounter with Hematite and the mysterious stranger, Jenn- ai and Neena decided to take what they considered to be a well-deserved vacation--to the mall. They wandered from store to store, Neena buying whatever she could afford. Jenn-ai stocked up on more and more Sailor Moon stuff. As they were walking, a store window display caught Neena's attention. She studied it so intensely that she neglected to look where she was going. Neena collided with something solid and her packages went flying. She looked up, expecting to see a wall, but instead she saw two dark blue eyes glaring at her. "Oh, I'm so sorry," Neena apologized profusely. "I lost track of where I was going; it's my fault." "You're right, it was your fault," he said, getting up. In a flash Neena leaped to her feet. "Hey, what do you mean by that? You could at least be civil!" "I was only agreeing with you. Maybe you should loosen that volcano hair so you could think better. See ya." He walked off and was soon lost in the crowd. "I do not have volcano hair!" she called after him. "Jenn-ai, can you imagine the nerve of that? Oh, he was so. . . so. . ." Neena could barely contain her anger. "So handsome?" Jenn-ai swooned. "He reminded me of Darien." "Oh, get a life, Jenn-ai. Are you going to fall for every guy that just happens to have black hair and blue eyes?" "Is that a problem?" "I give up," Neena sighed. She angrily tore her jeweled band out of her hair, letting the high ponytail fall down into a violet cascade down her back. She picked up her countless shopping bags and continued walking. "Are you coming?" Chapter 3 Uninvited Guests The day after her somewhat disastrous shopping trip, Neena stood in front of a mirror, readying herself for her solo singing debut. Still rather defensive from the stinging remark attributed to her hair, she opted to leave it down. Last thing I need is some judge deducting points for volcano hair, she thought bitterly. "Hey Neena!" a voice called. She whirled around to see Jenn-ai. "I just wanted to wish you luck. And guess who I happened to see out there? It's your mystery guy!" "Who in the world are you talking about?" "Oh, you know. The hunky guy you bumped into yesterday. But don't worry, you'll do great. Good luck!" Jenn-ai returned to her seat in the front row. The lights dimmed in the theatre. The curtains opened and a band took center stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly bring you ... Tupperware!" The electric guitar screeched its opening chord and the rest of the band joined in. The music completely overpowered the singer who was going completely off key. People in the crowd started covering their ears and booing. The singer fled the stage in tears and the curtains closed. "We are experiencing some technical difficulties at this moment. Please stay in your seat." Backstage, everything was a mess. The band formerly known as Tupperware had split up and now they needed someone to liven up the crowd. "Neena!" the stage manager cried, "We need you--now!" "What?! Are you out of your mind? I'm not ready yet!" Neena whined. Oh no, I sound like Serena! The curtains opened once again and a silhouette appeared on the stage. "For our next performance, we introduce to you ... Neena!" Neena stepped onto center stage with her black dress rustling as it flowed behind her. As the song intro began, she glided up to the stand and took the wireless microphone in her hand. "Somewhere, in a corner in the universe is a planet that plays a beautiful melody, the planet Earth. My song for you this evening is called 'Oh Starry Night'." Neena's heavenly voice filled the auditorium as she began, I have waited all of my life For the day when love appears Like a fairytale in days of old He will rescue me from my fears And now suddenly he walks in like a dream. . . * A deafening crash interrupted Neena's line as Hematite appeared in mid-air over the stage. Perfect, he thought, there's enough energy here to make even Queen Beryl forget my previous. . . errors. With a mere thought Hematite was able to hypnotize the entire audience. He blanketed the room in a bluish haze, and the energy was quickly sucked out of the people in the theatre. "Jenn-ai, quickly, don't let that haze touch you! Duck under the seats," Selene advised, hiding under the seat in front of her. Jenn-ai started to follow suit but quickly hazarded a look at Neena, who was still on stage. Neena was pure fury personified. No one in their right mind would ever dare interrupt Neena's performance, but then, who ever said Negacreeps were in their right minds? "All right, this is the last straw, Hematite. You've ruined my show, and now you're gonna pay," Neena threatened. "Andromeda star power!" Neena transformed into her Sailor Scout persona and turned on Hematite. "I am Sailor Andromeda, and you're dusted! Andromeda crystal splash!" Before Hematite could be enveloped in crystal, he vanished in a swirl of darkness. "Oh, no, where'd he go?" Sailor Andromeda cried. "He couldn't have gone far; he hasn't finished collecting energy yet," remarked a voice from above. "Who are you?" Sailor Andromeda demanded. "Show yourself." "Hey, I agree," Sailor Earth added from the audience. She flew up onto the stage to join Andromeda. "I've just been dying to meet you, whoever you are." "You girls are curious, but I suppose curiosity can be useful." A figure in silver and white leaped down from the catwalk overhead. His face was partially obscured by the hood of his long cape. Two piercing blue violet eyes gazed at the scouts from beneath the hood. His eyes, Sailor Earth noted, were the same odd color as Neena's. An awkward silence hung over the trio. "So.. who do we have here," Hematite sneered. He reappeared behind the hooded stranger. "My, you do look familiar." "Hey, I recognize that voice," Andromeda exclaimed. "You're the guy who helped us beat that Nega-monster at the beach! Is it your destiny to, like, help us out, or something?" "I think there are more important matters at hand right now," he admonished. "Good point," said Sailor Earth. "Watch out. Earthquake thrash!" As the ground began to tremble, Hematite leisurely floated up and out of reach of the tremor. Andromeda tried not to panic as she reached for her tiara. "This is my last chance. Star tiara magic!" she cried, sending it in flight towards Hematite. He dodged, but not quite quickly enough. The tiara grazed his arm, and he howled in pain. "He's still here; someone do something!" As she spoke, another crystal flower soared past her and pierced Hematite's shoulder. "I've had quite enough of this abuse," he yelled, dropping the gem containing the energy of the audience. "I shall deal with you three nuisances at a later time." In another swirl of darkness, Hematite was gone. "Well, that takes care of him, for now. So, mysterious aide to the Scouts, tell us about yourself. . ." Sailor Earth began. "He's gone! Again" Sailor Andromeda sighed in frustration. Chapter 4 Jenn-ai's got a Guy?! The following day Jenn-ai, Neena, and Selene met at Neena's house to discuss strategy. Neena was still in a foul mood after the destruction of her debut, and she made sure everyone knew how she felt. "All right," she fumed. "How are we going to trash this Nega-creep? Selene, do you have anything on this guy? Any weaknesses?" The cat glanced around worriedly, but she was saved by a shout from the next room. "Neena, telephone!" "Tell them I'm not home!" Neena shouted back. The door to Neena's room burst open as a girl flew into the room with brown hair trailing behind her. "It's not for you," Connie, Neena's little sister retorted. "It's for Jenn-ai. It's some guy--I didn't catch his name." She looked at Jenn-ai mischievously. "Fine," Neena barked as Jenn-ai went to pick up the phone. "Now get out!" she roared at her sister. "Yes, oh high and mighty sister of mine," Connie replied sarcastically and bowed as she left. The entire time Jenn-ai was on the phone, Neena glared maliciously at the clock and the cat in turn, waiting for the call to end. Twenty minutes later, Jenn-ai was exuberant and practically bouncing off the walls. "He asked me out!" she exclaimed. Neena turned to her puzzledly. "Who?" "Adrian, of course," she said matter-of-factly. "Like I said, who?" "Oh, you know, the incredibly hunky guy from the mall," Jenn-ai said dreamily. "That jerk; that slime?!" Neena exploded. "How could you?!" "I think you're jealous, Neena. Anyway, why don't we come back when you've dumped this bad attitude. Come on Selene, let's book it." When Jenn-ai and Selene left, Neena slammed the door and yelled, "I am NOT jealous!" * * * "Oh no, I'm late!" Jenn-ai raced out the door and sprinted down the street. Panting, she reached the cafe fifteen minutes late. Adrian was outside, sitting underneath an awning. Gasping for air, she sputtered out an excuse. " I'm so sorry. It's just that...well..." "It's all right. Let's go inside." He opened the door to the secluded cafe. A waitress led them to a cozy table. "So, what would you like to order?" she said with a Brooklyn accent. "I'd like a cafe latte, please." "I'll have the same," Jenn-ai piped up. Silence hung over the table for the next few minutes. Should I say something? she wondered, "So...how did you get Neena's number and how did you know where I was?" "Oh, I got it from the stage manager yesterday. Since you and Neena were such close friends, I thought that I could reach you through her." "Wow... that's smart thinking," she gushed. The waitress arrived with the two cups of coffee. Taking a sip, she looked deep into his eyes. There's something really familiar about them, she thought, but... Suddenly, her train of thought was disrupted. Realizing that she had just drank a mouthful of boiling hot coffee, she frantically reached for a napkin and spat it out. In addition to her swollen tongue, the bitter aftertaste of the drink also lingered in her mouth. Across the table, Adrian gave her a strange look. "How's you're coffee?" "Just peachy!" Jenn-ai managed to say with a smile. Yeah, like a rotten peach. How can Adrian drink that stuff? she thought. "I know you're probably not used to drinking coffee. Why don't you order something else that won't make you gag?" he whispered knowingly. "Really?" a big smile spread over Jenn-ai's face. "In that case, I'll want a patty melt, large french fries, two slices of apple pie, a large chocolate shake, raspberry cheesecake for dessert... waitress! Waitress!" Adrian watched on in horror as Jenn-ai snarfed down her food like a pig. This can't be the girl I'm looking for, he quietly questioned himself. But she resembles her so much! Sighing he looked out the window. Jenn-ai on the other side of the table could sense something was wrong in between bites of apple pie. Adrian seemed so. . . preoccupied. But she was determined to figure out his troubles and win his affection. Little did she know what's in store for the Sailor Scouts! * "Oh Starry Night" Sailor Moon