by Haruka

Malachite walked into the coffee shop and looked around, his gaze sweeping over the patrons one by one. Great, he thought bitterly. How was he supposed to recognize his contact without a description? "You'll know her when you see her," is all he'd been told, and it clearly wasn't going to be enough. There was no one here who stood out in any particular way--
Except her.
She was seated in the only shadowed booth, but the lack of direct light couldn't disguise her exquisite beauty. A mass of rich purple hair was piled on top of her head, ornamented by mother-of-pearl combs. Matching earrings adorned her lobes. Her facial features fit the epitome of female distinction, from her delicate nose and sensuous lips to the enormous maroon eyes with their long, thick lashes. Even the tiny beauty mark by her left eye seemed designed to arouse desire. Her clothes were also traditionally female and unmistakably Chinese, the colours showing off her hair and eyes to their best advantage. Without even realizing he was moving, Malachite approached the table and sat down.
No sign of surprise or annoyance registered on her lovely visage. "You have something to show me?" she asked without looking at him. Malachite reached into his shirt pocket while the girl sipped her tea delicately. He pulled out a photograph and slid it across the tabletop to her. She glanced down at it. "Beautiful girl."
"Takes one to know one," Malachite offered. The purple-haired beauty finally looked at him, and he was disconcerted to see amusement in her eyes. She picked up the picture and tucked it into her robe.
"I'll deal with it," she said.
Malachite studied her thoughtfully. She couldn't be any older than he was, and seemed to be of slight build. "Are you sure you'll be able to do this?" he asked frankly. "Your target is strong, maybe more than you can handle." He covered the delicate hand that rested on the table with his own. "You seem more like a lover than a fighter."
Her other hand slid over his. She lifted his hand off her own, then wrapped hers around his wrist. She then took another calm sip of her iced tea.
Malachite looked at his wrist in the grip of the lovely girl and decided he felt a little conspicuous, so he moved to pull it away. To his surprise, nothing happened. He yanked harder, with the same lack of result. He looked at the girl, who pointedly ignored him. Insulted by her the insolence of her inattention, Malachite decided to jerk her out of her seat and gave his arm a mighty pull. He next found himself sprawled unceremoniously across the table, reeling from shock. Not only had he not succeeded in freeing his wrist from the girl's delicate hand, she hadn't seemed to strain with the effort of holding him fast. In fact, she gave no indication of even having noticed his attempt at release.
"All right," he conceded. "Maybe you _can_ handle the job."
She let go of him and tucked her hands into her sleeves. Malachite straightened himself out and tried to focus on the matter at hand rather than the revelation of the girl's super-human strength. "How soon will you do it? I need to establish an alibi."
"Give me twenty-four hours," she replied. "If I can't do it within that time, I'll see that you're informed."
"Very well," he responded. "As long as this is over with quickly. Every day they're together is like a sword twisting in my back."
"Your reasons for doing this are of no interest to me." The girl got to her feet with a fluid motion. "You are not one of those I must please."
Malachite watched her go, feeling deliberately rebuffed, yet fascinated in spite of himself.

Haruka looked up from untying her sneaker to where Zoisite was pulling her hair free of its ponytail. "Good practice, huh?"
"For you, especially." Zoisite gave her a knowing look. "Everyone could tell you were raring to go after missing the last practice."
"You aren't kidding," Haruka told her. "I hate being inactive, and Michi wouldn't let me do anything while I was sick."
"She loves you too much to let you push yourself," Zoisite pointed out.
"Yeah," Haruka said fondly. "I'm just glad she didn't catch it from me. Must be all that saltwater in her bloodstream."
Zoisite grinned, then realized the busy hum of their track teammates was absent. "Wow, we're slow today. Everyone else is gone already."
Haruka picked up her towel. "Half of them left without taking showers. A new CD by some band I've never heard of is coming out today, and they all want to get their copies before they're sold out."
"Oh, right," Zoisite said thoughtfully. "It is a pretty popular group. The Three Lights, I think they're called. A bunch of people were chattering about the new album in art class."
"I heard about it in Modern Japanese," Haruka said dryly. "I don't know which was more boring--the lesson or their star-struck conversation."
"Be careful!" Zoisite warned jokingly. "I think most of the girls we live with like them, too!"
"God help us," Haruka remarked, disappearing into the shower while Zoisite laughed. She stopped laughing when Haruka began to sing in the shower, and shook her head. "Now she should be recording CDs," she mused, closing her locker.
Before she could pull back her hand, someone else's covered it. Zoisite gasped in surprise and started to turn, but another hand clamped over her mouth.
"Don't fight me and I won't hurt you."
Zoisite's eyes widened. The voice that whispered in her ear was feminine. That meant she had a better-than-average chance of overpowering this person. Remembering what Haruka had shown her about self-defense, she grabbed the arm that was around her, pivoted and lunged to throw the attacker over her shoulder. Her stomach dropped when she realized the move had no effect--not only was her attacker still standing, she hadn't budged an inch. If it weren't for the muscle she'd pulled trying to throw her, Zoisite would have thought she imagined her attempt.
"Didn't I tell you not to fight me?" the voice asked wearily.
"Hold it right there!"

Haruka had shut off the shower and dried herself when she heard a voice that wasn't Zoisite's. It was warning her not to fight. Not wasting any time, Haruka transformed into Sailor Uranus and went to confront the intruder.
"Hold it right there!"
The girl holding Zoisite was beautiful and slight-of-build. She hardly looked like a threat, but Zoisite seemed trapped in her grip. A pair of purple eyebrows went up at the sight of the newcomer.
"Sailor scout? Here?" she said, then smiled. "No matter."
"Oh yeah?" Sailor Uranus ran for the woman at full speed, then leapt into the air, preparing to karate kick her in the face. At the last moment, the girl raised a hand and caught Sailor Uranus' foot. She remained stationary while Sailor Uranus hit the floor, smacking her head against a corner locker.
"Haruka!" Zoisite cried.
Still holding firmly and effortless onto Zoisite, the girl leaned down to examine Sailor Uranus. "She'll be all right," she remarked, then added thoughtfully, "she's rather beautiful. Good thing, since we'll now have to bring her along."
"Along where?!" Zoisite demanded, trying in vain to struggle. "What do you want with us?!"
"It's not me who wants you, I'm simply a servant." The girl produced a cloth from within her voluminous sleeve. "Rest, and you'll learn everything when you awaken."
"No!" Zoisite protested, but the cloth was pressed over her nose and mouth and the world gradually faded away.

"Zoisite!" Setsuna gasped, jumping to her feet. She'd been sitting in the stands waiting for Zoisite to finish changing after practice when suddenly she knew her girlfriend was in danger. Taking the stairs two at a time, Setsuna began running. She nearly collided with Michiru, who had come from a different direction wearing her bathing suit, her hair dripping wet. Their fear-filled eyes met.
"I ran out on swim practice," Michiru said. "Haruka ...."
Setsuna nodded. "I felt it, too. Let's go."
They ran into the locker room. "Zoisite!" Setsuna called, looking up and down the rows of lockers.
"There's no one in the showers," Michiru said, darting over to Haruka's locker. Setsuna joined her and watched as she opened the combination lock. "Her uniform is here."
"I saw she and Zoisite come in here together, but I didn't see them come out."
"There's another exit." Michiru gestured. "It leads directly into the school hallway."
"Do you know which locker is Zoisite's?"
"That one." Michi pointed. Setsuna turned to it and took the lock in her hand.
"This is just hooked on--she didn't latch it." She removed the lock and opened the door. "Her track uniform is here, so she got changed before--"
"Before what?" Michiru murmured.
"I wish I knew," Setsuna said quietly. "Try Haruka on the communicator."

"Oh, my head ...." Haruka massaged the sore spot where she'd hit the locker. Not only did it hurt, there was an annoying droning sound that surrounded her and cut right through her aching skull. She slowly sat up and noticed Zoisite laying unconscious beside her. She shook her shoulder. "Zoisite, wake up!"
The seventeen-year-old gradually opened her eyes, but seemed to have trouble focusing. "Haruka?"
"Yeah," she replied. "You okay?"
"I think so." Zoisite carefully pushed herself into a sitting position. "Wow, I don't know what she knocked me out with, but it was strong stuff."
"Chloroform, probably." Haruka looked down at herself with a puzzled expression. "Why did I de-transform? And where'd this robe come from? It isn't mine."
"We're on a plane, did you notice?" Zoisite remarked, twisting around to look out the window. "Wherever we're going, we won't be able to walk home."
"Michi's going to freak," Haruka said softly, then looked around. "I wonder where that purple-haired Hercules went to?"
"Looking for me?"
The two girls turned to see their abductor standing at the door to the cabin holding a tray. She put it on the table in front of them and sat in the opposite chair. "I may be strong, but as you can see, I'm not exactly a Hercules."
Haruka and Zoisite were staring, hardly able to believe that this slip of a girl had overpowered them both. Haruka's expression darkened and she got to her feet. "You'd better start explaining what this is all about."
"Yeah!" Zoisite yelled. "I just fell in love with someone who loves me back and I'm not thrilled at being taken away from her!"
"You just answered your own question," the girl said. "The explanation for why you were taken is because you fell in love."
"Malachite," Zoisite said through gritted teeth. "I should have known."
"He's too squeamish to kill you so he has you removed instead," Haruka concluded.
"And you were taken because you were a witness and a Sailor Scout," the stranger finished for them. "My owners have a particular interest in Sailor Scouts."
"Is that why you knew how to de-transform me?" Haruka asked suspiciously.
"Yes," the girl replied. "And don't bother looking for your communicator or transformation stick. They've been confiscated."
"You mentioned your 'owners'," Zoisite said uneasily. "What exactly do you mean?"
"Just what I said," the girl answered. "My name is Nuriko. I was sold by my parents to be a pleasure slave to the highest bidder."
"That's horrible!" Zoisite exclaimed, then paled. "Oh no. You're not saying that Haruka and I will be--"
"Pleasure slaves as well, yes," Nuriko said.
"Like hell we are," Haruka stated. "You don't know who you're dealing with."
"I know more than you do about whom _you're_ dealing with," Nuriko said. She poured tea for the three of them. "Take my word for it. All you can do in our situation is strive to please our owners. I suppose you'll try to fight back--everyone does. Just realize that they expect it, too, and they know how to handle it."
"How many of them are there?" Zoisite asked warily.
"Three, and they each have their own preferences in what they like in and from a slave."
"Are there a lot of slaves there already?" Haruka asked.
"Including myself, there are nine, but not all of us are used in the same capacity. Some are primarily servants, while others are more frequently used for pleasure. However, a situation can change without notice. It depends on the whims of our owners."
"Nine slaves for three people?" Haruka snorted. "Pretty greedy."
"Not when you consider that part of their enjoyment comes from voyeurism," Nuriko replied.
"Look, I'm telling you right now that there's no way I'm being forced into sex with anyone," Haruka declared. "I love my girlfriend, and she's the only one I want to be intimate with."
"Same with me and my girlfriend," Zoisite chimed in emphatically.
Nuriko shook her head. "There is much more involved in being a pleasure slave than just sex, but that is something you'll learn. And as for saying you won't be forced, do you think that any of us have chosen to be what we are? Do you also think that if I, with my strength, cannot avoid it, that either of you has a chance?"
Haruka and Zoisite exchanged a look of trepidation.

The mood in the living room was grim. The younger scouts were uncomfortably aware that Setsuna and Michiru were barely in control of themselves, and yet they were trying not to get emotional. Alan and Ann were present, sitting close together with their arms around one another. Zoisite's disappearance had affected them as strongly as it had Setsuna.
"We have to assume they've been abducted," Luna said frankly. "The fact that Haruka can't be reached on her communicator attests to that, as well as the way they left their lockers."
"It's hard to believe anyone would try and kidnap a Sailor Scout," Alan said softly.
"Whoever did it may not have known Haruka was a scout," Raye said. "You didn't."
"I can understand why someone would want to kidnap Zoisite," Lita said slowly. "She comes from a very wealthy, well-known family. But no one in town knows much about Haruka."
"My guess is that she tried to intervene and was taken out of necessity of the moment," Artemis replied, then frowned. "Although it's hard to believe Sailor Uranus couldn't defeat any average kidnapper."
"So we have to assume the kidnapper is more formidable." Amy sighed.
"Malachite is behind this," Setsuna said in a chilling voice none of the scouts had heard from her before. "I know he is."
"You may very well be right," Luna agreed. "And I think we should let him know we're on to him."
"Leave that to us!" Ann jumped to her feet.
Alan joined her. "We'll get him to tell us where she is or he'll be sorry!"
"Keep out of his reach, both of you," Artemis warned. "Who knows what he'll do when cornered."
"Don't worry, he won't catch us off-guard." Alan took Ann's hand and they vanished.
"Haruka," Michiru whispered. Setsuna put an arm around her and Michi laid her head on her shoulder.
"What I don't know is what Malachite would have done with them," Serena remarked thoughtfully. "They can't be taken anywhere nearby. I guess ... he could just have had them taken and mur--"
"NO!" Michiru's head came up sharply. "Haruka's not dead! I would know if she were."
"Zoisite's still alive, too," Setsuna said softly.
"We'll get them back," Raye told them.
"Or they'll get themselves back," Mina said. "Can you imagine the plight of any poor kidnapper who tries to hold onto both Haruka and Zoisite?"
"That's nothing compared to what the kidnapper's plight will be if I get hold of him," Setsuna vowed.
The tree sprites reappeared suddenly. "He's gone!" Ann cried.
"Who?" Luna asked.
"Malachite!" Alan answered. "He's packed up his personal belongings and left!"
"That bastard!" Setsuna screamed, startling everyone present. "He knew we'd come after him!"
"The servants are all moved out, too," Alan said. "So it looks like he's gone for good."
"But the furniture's still there and the dishes and everything," Ann added. "There's no 'for sale' sign on the house, so who knows what's going on."
"At the moment I don't care," Michiru stated, getting to her feet. "I'm going after Haruka _now_."
Setsuna stood as well. "I'm with you."
"How are you planning to do that?" Ann asked. "Maybe you're Sailor Scouts, but does that mean you can find people who seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth?"
"Yes," Michiru said, "it does." She and Setsuna exchanged a glance, then pulled out their transformation sticks.
Alan and Ann stared as the two girls were changed into Sailor Scouts.
Lita got up. "We'd better transform, too."
"No," Sailor Pluto said. "We don't know what we're dealing with here. We can't put the princess in danger. Neptune and I will deal with this ourselves."
"The two of us can teleport to wherever they're being held."
"But you can't go in there alone," Alan said.
"We'll go with you," Ann stated.
"Are you sure?" Sailor Neptune asked seriously. "We can't guarantee your safety."
"Remember, we have resources of our own," Alan remarked. "And we intend to use every one of them to save Zoisite and Haruka."
Sailor Pluto managed a small smile. "Thank you."
"If you and Neptune use Sailor Teleport, Alan and Ann can teleport themselves while standing between you. There's more chance that way that you'll all end up at the same place," Amy advised.
"Then let's do it," Sailor Neptune said. Alan and Ann joined hands, and Neptune and Pluto joined their hands around them.
"Sailor Teleport!" Artemis shouted.
The two sailor scouts began to glow with their own coloured energy, as did Alan and Ann, who were activating their own teleportational powers. The four vanished as one.
"Good luck," Lita whispered.

"This is bad," Haruka muttered.
Zoisite couldn't help but agree. Despite the opulent surroundings of their new home, Nuriko's final words before they left the plane kept coming back to her, "This is an island," she'd said. "Privately owned, with no unauthorized access allowed. You know how long we were in the air, so unless you think you can swim that long, I wouldn't advise the attempt."
Haruka looked around as she got out of the limousine that had picked them up at plane. An enormous mansion loomed before her, fronted by a meticulously-tended lawn that must have matched the length of a football field. She'd thought Zoisite's property was expansive, but this place was twice as big. Of course, she mused, these people had an entire island to build on.
"No wonder Nuriko seems sure of their ability to keep us here," Zoisite murmured. "With money comes control, and her owners must have a ton."
"We'll find a way out," Haruka said with confidence. She refused to believe there no escape. No one would be able to keep her from Michiru forever.
They climbed the marble stairs and paused in front of the door while Nuriko opened it and stood aside. "Enter," she said.
Haruka and Zoisite walked in cautiously. The inside was as impressive as the outside, but the girls were instantly distracted by a rainbow of colours charging them at full speed.
"NURIKO!"
The colours zoomed past them and converged on Nuriko except for one that stopped before Haruka. She found herself staring into the magenta eyes of a handsome, muscular young man. He had pink spiky hair, pointed ears with two earrings on each lobe, two coloured streaks on his left cheek, and a black dot on his forehead. He wore a lavender outfit consisting of a sash over one shoulder, a short skirt, tights, and high heels. The finishing touch were brown gloves with spiky-cut cuffs reminiscent of his hair.
"Who's this?" he asked.
Nuriko looked over a couple of bright heads and everyone followed her gaze. "An unexpected addition." She surveyed the group around her. "Where are Fish Eye and Cere Cere?"
"Busy," the girl in red answered softly.
"Not anymore!"
Zoisite and Haruka looked toward the stairs, down which were coming another odd group of people. Two of them, both girls, streaked over to Nuriko and were warmly embraced, but it was the remaining three that held the captives' attention. Their smug expressions held an air of command, and Haruka and Zoisite knew that these were their new 'owners'.
"Are they male or female?" Zoisite murmured.
Haruka wasn't sure, and for once could understand why her own androgyny so easily confused others. One of the owners was very tall, with auburn hair pulled back into a very long thin ponytail. He wore a yellow suit with a white rose in the front breast pocket. His intelligent eyes were a smokey grey. The next was smaller, with his silvery blonde hair also tied into a thin ponytail, equal in length to the other's. However, this one had a shaggy quality to the hair that framed his pretty face. Wide eyes the colour of a peridot jewel regarded the captives with amusement. His suit was blue, and the rose in his breast pocket was yellow. In the centre stood a third well-dressed, handsome individual with a long ponytail. His was black with midnight-blue highlights that matched his sensuous eyes. His suit and rose were both red, and his height fell between his two partners'. All three appeared to be as flat- chested as men, but were as beautiful as girls. Haruka felt a chill up her spine as the mysterious dark blue depths fixed on her.
"Nuriko," said the black-haired one, "what's the meaning of returning with an extra person?"
To Haruka and Zoisite's surprise, Nuriko dropped down to one knee, keeping her eyes on the floor. "I'm sorry, Master Seiya, it was unavoidable. She was a witness to the capture."
Master? Haruka thought. Then the raven-tressed one was male.
The blonde snorted. "If you'd been more careful, Nuriko, there wouldn't have been any witnesses."
"Yes, Master Yaten."
Another 'master'. Zoisite and Haruka shared a quick glance of confirmation.
The tall redhead raised an eyebrow. "Then you agree that you should be punished for your carelessness, Nuriko?"
"If that's what you think is best, Master Taiki."
So all three of them were men. Or boys, actually. None looked any older than sixteen. Nuriko was probably a year or two older, yet was humbling herself before them. It was unnerving. What powers did these kids have over everybody?
"If I might, Masters," Nuriko ventured, "I would like to ask for leniency on the grounds that the girl is a precious find."
"How so?" the one named Seiya asked. He looked Haruka over appreciatively. "I'll admit she's beautiful, but so are all our slaves."
"She is a Sailor Scout, Master," Nuriko said. "Sailor Uranus."
The other slaves gasped, and even the three masters weren't able to hide their surprise.
"Is that true?" the redhead asked.
Nuriko rose to her feet and pulled Haruka's transformation stick out of her robe. Haruka automatically made a grab for it, but her wrist was abruptly caught in the pink-haired boy's grasp. She glared at him, but he only shook his head, his expression neutral. She saw Nuriko hand over her transformation stick to Seiya, and he and the other two studied the Uranus symbol on it, glancing at her.
"You saw her transform with this?" Taiki asked Nuriko.
"No," she said. "She was already Sailor Uranus when she approached me. I de-transformed her and confiscated the power stick."
"Good work, Nuriko," Seiya said decisively. "For capturing a Sailor Scout, you'll be spared punishment this time."
Nuriko bowed. "Thank you, Master."
"All right then," Yaten spoke up impatiently. "Let's get on with introductions." He turned to Haruka. "Who are you when you're not Sailor Uranus?"
"Ten'ou Haruka," she replied coldly, "and I'm no one's slave."
"That's what they all say," Yaten remarked, and looked at Zoisite. "So you're the one whose brother hated her enough to let us take her."
"Stepbrother," Zoisite corrected angrily. "He was jealous because the girl he wanted fell in love with me."
"So now neither one of you has her." Yaten stroked Zoisite's cheek with a forefinger. "But we have you."
"Drop dead!" Zoisite snapped.
Seiya laughed. "They're spunky. I like that."
"Yes." Yaten nodded slowly. "Breaking a slave is always a challenge." He turned to the assembled group. "Everyone, this is Zoisite, and this is Haruka, alias Sailor Uranus." He glanced toward the two of them. "There are nine slaves other than yourselves. I'll introduce them now, but you'll come to know each one intimately."
Haruka and Zoisite looked at one another uneasily.

Sailor Pluto opened her eyes and saw Sailor Neptune blinking back at her. They released each other's hands and looked around.
"Where are we? And where are Alan and Ann?" Sailor Neptune asked worriedly.
"I guess we became separated during the teleport," Sailor Pluto said in a troubled voice. "I wonder if they made it here at all." She surveyed their surroundings. "I wonder where 'here' is," she murmured.
"Sailor Scouts," a voice breathed nearby.
The two turned as one toward the sound and were surprised to see a beautiful young boy staring at them. He looked about twelve, with shining orange eyes and wavy white-blonde hair. He was clothed befitting a prince in white pants and a long white robe trimmed in light blue satin with five dark blue tassels across the chest. A choker with a gold medallion encircled his throat while pointed crystal earrings dangled from his lobes. A red teardrop-shaped jewel shone from the centre of his forehead, and protruding above it rose a conical gold horn.
"Who are you?" Pluto asked.
"My name is Erios," he said in a warm soft voice. "You shouldn't have come here. They'll find you and never let you go."
"Who's 'they'?" inquired Neptune.
"The Three Lights," Erios answered. "They own this island and everyone on it."
"Island?" Sailor Pluto gasped. "They own an entire island?"
"Wait a minute!" Neptune broke in. "Are these the same Three Lights who are idol singers?!"
"Yes, my lady." Erios nodded politely. "And more than that, they are the Sailor Star Lights."

End of Scouting Out Life Chapter 13

Story contents (C) 1997 Tenou Haruka

Sailor Moon characters (C) Naoko Takeuchi

Fushigi Yuugi characters (C) Watase Yuu