Sailor Moon Remastered Episode 2 (10)

"It's me, let me in." Hotaru whispered, standing outside of Haruka/
Michiru's apartment door waiting for a reply. From inside she could hear
Michiru say "Don’t you still have your housekey? Come on in.“

Hotaru sighed, reaching into her purse to dig her key out. “Alright, alright, hold on a second."

"You didn’t forget your key, did you?“ (Michiru)

"Yes, mama, I have my key, just wait a… got it!“ she pulled the keychain out, and regretted it almost immediately. “Dammit.”
At the end of the keychain was an old memento, something old ChibiUsa gave her a lifetime ago.

"Maybe I’m having a hard time letting go.“ Hotaru concluded, sitting at the kitchen table as Michiru watched Haruka cooking. "Maybe if I let every last piece of her go I’ll finally be able to put her behind me once and for all… I should never have kept this, reopening this part of me that should never have been opened. ChibiUsa is gone, the one I first loved, and nothing can bring her back. Nothing.”

“Will you really be able to put it aside just like that?” (Haruka looks at the food) “Speaking of putting things aside is this done yet?”

"It's exactly the way Mako-chan taught you. Now flip it on the plate
and start the next one." Michiru chided, bringing Hotaru her
breakfast as Haruka started another omelet. "It is abit hard to put aside memories of someone you loved, but once you set your mind to it and put ChibiUsa of the past to rest you’ll be able to move on with your life without regrets.”

"PAPA!!" Hotaru cried, looking disturbed, "You actually made a good breakfast… are you ill?“

“Lay off of my cooking! You and “mama“ need to pay me more respect for my cooking!“ Haruka shot back, which received a deafening silence as Michiru set down to eat without replying. "I thought so."

"You don't have to be so mean, you know. I don‘t have too many complaints about the way you cook." Michiru whispered, to which
Haruka hissed back "I'm just telling her the truth. You seem to have a complaint a day when I’m cooking, and you know it. Anyway what‘s with you and that pink haired “girl“? You sure are into old people, what with her being over 1000 years old and all that.“

"927 this year." Hotaru said, head lowered. Michiru shot her love a dirty look and mouthed the words "Now you've done it" before going back with her breakfast to talk to Hotaru. Haruka simply started on another omelet and mouthed "What would you know." in a bit of a huff.

For a few minutes nobody spoke, until finally Hotaru muttered "I -- I've
been having -- visions of her. Dreams."

"Of ChibiUsa?" Michiru asked. "Yes. For the past few nights I dreamed
of the sleep chamber where they were going to imprison us -- I was
locked into one, surrounded by the hypersleep fluids -- but outside the
chamber I saw all of you out of your pods, raping ChibiUsa -- torturing her like they tortured us. Then, behind me, I saw ChibiUsa standing there, goddess the horrible things they did to her before she died -- her eyes gone -- her --" Hotaru stops eating and shoved the food away, crying into her hands. Slowly Michiru moves herself over, taking her into a soft embrace and holding Hotaru tightly. "I can't forget what they did to her! Over 20 years and I still can't forget!!"

Michiru nodded her head slowly, rocking Hotaru in her arms, "I know--- I know--- there, there now. It's going to be alright. There, there---"

"She---" Hotaru whispers suddenly, shivering as she spoke, "She asks me
why I don't love her anymore. Begs not to be left alone---" her tears
burst outward and rage fills her voice suddenly, "Why couldn't they have
brought her back? Made her whole again? This is supposed to be a world
of dreams so why did they fail her?!? WHY??"

Uncertain what to say, Michiru merely replies "I don't know. I -- I
don't know."

Eventually Hotaru goes back to eating, silently, as the two exchange
glances wondering what to do next.

* * * * * *

The next day.

Haruka and Michiru's apartment was located in what the officers that
maintained it called the "Tower". The huge complex which once held what
would have been Sailor Trooper HQ. You see, once upon a time there was
a series in the works about the children and friends of the Sailor
Soldiers, who marched to a different beat and did things their own way,
called "Sailor Troopers".

The title doesn't exist anymore, and most of the "cast" moved on.

Keiko Yamanaka, who would have played Trooper Moon, is presently
assisting the Mistress of the Clow Cards in recapturing her lost cards.

Nina Kotobuki, who would have played Trooper Venus, is also assisting.

Trooper Mars, aka Phillip Rhienhart, was back at work at the Alliance.

Trooper Jupiter, aka Eve? She was with Keiko, of course.

Trooper Mercury, the original one, was back at the Alliance happily
married.

Nothing was left of the old Sailor Troopers but their gigantic
"headquarters" which was brought back online to act as a base of
operations for Clow Card captures, and recently to house the Sailor Soldiers who didn’t have a “home” to go back to in Tokyo. Their apartment was on the private 80th floor reserved for command officers and VIPs, right near a giant Olympic sized pool (perfect for Michiru).

Every morning before classes Michiru would swim in the pool, getting her exercise. As she finished her laps she'd listen for the arrival of the new Kaioh-Tenohmaru II, straining to hear the soft whirl of it's repulsorlifts as it passed by the 80th floor for a landed in the upper level hangar bay. Once she and Haruka had separate rides, but these days they shared a ride as they also shared a last named as married lifemates. Haruka kept her last name, but Michiru changed her's to Michiru Kaioh-Tenoh, taking Haruka's last name and adding it to her own.

Today however, today was different. As she listened for the Kaioh-
Tenohmaru II she heard a soft sad music coming from the balcony outside
of the pool area. There, sitting quietly in one of the balcony chairs
quietly playing away at her harmonica was Makomi-chan.

Her name was Makomi Mizuno-Kino, the daughter of Ami and Makoto, her
name derived from Makoto slash Ami. Makomi.

As Michiru marveled at her skills with the small instrument she heard the soft hum of the Kaioh-Tenohmaru II's engines and knew it was time. With a flick o the wrist she brought the wall commsystem to life. "Good
morning. Is that the Kaioh-Tenohmaru?"

"Yes Miss Kaioh." the deck officer answered, the sound of the huge tech
shuttle landing in the backdrop illuminating the once quiet hangar bay
behind him (still calling Michiru "Miss" out of respect as did all of
the officers of the Tower). "She'll be ready to go in five minutes."

"Thank you. I'll have to go pick Haruka up for classes soon, does she
know it's time?"

"I called it in when we picked up the Kaioh-Tenohmaru's access link.
She's been informed."

"Thank you. I'll be up in a few minutes then. Out."

As she shut the link off and turned to offer Makomi a lift she noticed
the girl was gone.

"Ami would never approve." she whispered, realizing how deeply worried
Ami would be if she knew half the things Makomi was doing behind her
back, even with her special "condition" and all. Knowing Makomi she
probably is skimming down the side of the building like a spider,
flaunting her "condition" as she went.

She put those thoughts behind her though, and got dressed for classes.

Suddenly she stops, and for the first time says something even she
didn't think she'd say.

"The stars are rough today."

* * * * * *

"I honestly don't know why I bother---" Admiral Keller groans, watching
the lift raise the OmegaTech up into the hangar bay, the doors closing
behind it. With a stifled groan he quickly moves over to the fighter
where it's pilot awaited him. "Dammit this is the LAST time I let
someone talk me into letting someone's friend of a friend do the test
piloting of new tech! You stressed out the damn Normal Drives didn't
you?!"

Haruka removed the helmet, smirking a bit as she ran a hand across the
smooth black metal of the Gen V OmegaTech, feeling the cool heat
resistant metal with only the slightest hint of the heat she poured into
the engines as she gave it a workout. "This new model is the best
OmegaTech yet. I had to push her to her limits---" she whistled a bit
as she walked past the fighter and towards the prep area, "I had to push
her to the edge of her abilities. She has so much power---"

"You can't, dammit! That'll crack the drive casing -- AGAIN -- and lord
knows the last time that happens I was sure the project's financier,
Misho Namocatcat, was going to give birth to kittens right in front of
me! This is an experimental model and has to be put through it's paces,
not beaten to death by it's--" (stops as Haruka vanishes into the prep
area to change) "--and your not listening to a word I say, aren't you."

"CLEAR THE FLIGHT DECK, PLEASE." the comm. system announced, the lights
in the hangar bay turning red, "INCOMING TECH SHUTTLE. PLEASE CLEAR--"

"Oh." the Admiral sighs, turning towards the exit, "She's here."

As the deck is cleared another drop hatch is opened which admits one
shuttle into the bay, which is quickly locked down as the doors swing
shut behind it. As Haruka comes out of the prep room dressed for school
she scowls a bit, "You're late."

"Not soon enough for my taste." the Admiral grumbles, motioning for
Haruka to leave as he turns and heads back to the bridge. As Haruka
boarded the shuttle the first thing Michiru said was "The stars are
rough today."

Silent, Haruka sat next to her, and didn't question her. Yet what she
said didn't make sense either -- yet.

"Please stand by, Kaioh-Tenohmaru II. Lowering into position now --
prepare for drop."

The Admiral watches as the shuttle is dropped, moving away from the
carrier as it falls away. "Next time let's get a normal test pilot, like
other test fighter assigned carriers."

* * * * * *

Rei didn't know what was worst. Waking Usagi up, or keeping up with her
when she wanted to have fun.

She was lethargic at all the wrong times, and hyper at all the wrong
times. Definitely not a good combination. As she pranced happily into
the Grey Neko Arcade, its owner Felini Mia'shou greeted her, "Hey there,
Usagi. Come to play the new games that came in?"

She nodded her head vigorously. Apparently college life hasn't changed
her one bit -- sad to say.

From her sitting position in the eating area, Ami waved at Usagi while
holding her book up. "You're late again! I finished a whole book waiting
for you."

Usagi smiled, then nearly choked. The book in question was the very
thick, very wordy (very difficult word type of wordy) Eragon. She didn't have the heart to ask just how much of the book she read while waiting.

"She messed up again." Rei grumbled, dragging herself in behind Usagi,
"As always!"

"Rei! How can you say that?!?" Usagi yells, blushing like mad, to which
Rei counters "I sleep with you, which is a misadventure in itself."

Before everyone could lean forward to listen, Usagi walks quickly over
to Mako/Minako mostly to get away from Rei for a few minutes.

At this point Rei goes into a minute long disconcerting rant about
Usagi's poor bedside habits.

"She is such a klutz. She can't even lubricate a simple---"

The rest of the conversation is best left to the imagination.

* * * * * *

Mako-chan held the "bike"'s controls, which were set up like a real
bike, and concentrated on her "driving". Minako was having too much fun
and was goofing abit as she played. As they both saw Usagi they waved
her over. "You gotta try this! It's great!"

Mako-chan grunted and nodded her head, her focus locked on her "bike".

"What's this?" Usagi asked, before looking up at the machine itself. It
was called BLITZKRIEG RUN and was a hard edged motorcycle racing game
through the streets of major cities across the world. Right now the two
were tackling the streets of San Francisco. Quickly Minako motioned for
Usagi to grab one of the four bike stations and put her coins in, "It's
just like real bike racing! Try it out!"

It took awhile, but Usagi was soon working the bike rather well for a
newcomer to both the game and bikes in general. "It's like a real bike--
creepy though, I keep wobbling."

Minako nods her head, teeth clenched as she makes a sharp turn, "It's
real hard to master but I got it down pat in nothing flat. I---" A bike
blazes past her, leaving her behind. "What the---"

On the fourth machine was a young woman. She had short blue hair, wore
an ensemble of blue and green pants, top, and long trailing coat with
black boots and gloves. Her focus was dead on the screen, and her body
relaxed as she played as if she was one with the bike.

"Makomi." Usagi cried, already regretting glancing over as her bike
cartwheeled over an obstacle and into a building bursting into flames.
Makomi didn't seem to mind the speed, and her reflexes were dead perfect
as she made each turn with a base minimum of movement which meant no
loss time or crashes which cost her more valuable time.

"How was classes today?" she asked mildly, making another perfect turn.

Mako-chan was flustered that she was practically dead focused on the
game, yet Makomi could carry on a conversation while still making
perfect moves.

Usagi was just plain frustrated that she was so lousy at the game.

Minako groaned and hunkered down swerving a little bit from left to
right, "Who cares about the race, I'm just enjoying the feeling right
between my---"

If Mako-chan had a free hand, she would have took a swing at Minako. She
really didn't need to hear that from her right then and there since Ami-
chan was just a few feet away and she was beginning to feel that way
about the machine as she played. That cost them dearly. Mako-chan swung
her bike too far in one direction at the final few feet of the race,
clipped Minako who spun into Usagi, causing all three bikes to barrel
over the finish line cartwheeling end over end until they exploded in a
fiery mess.

Usagi collapses into her controls and sighed, "The crash felt real too."

"Ugh." Minako sighed, "Just a few more minutes and---"

"Don't say it." Mako-chan growled.

Everyone else was already marveling at Makomi's racing time, she came in
a full half a minute before the rest (and in one piece no less). She
smiled, got off the bike and helped the three over to the tables so they
could catch their breaths. "Your really good at that---" Usagi sighed,
to which she replied "It's nothing, really. It just comes from having a
"body" like mine."

* * * * * *

Outside Nina was walking past, checking her readings once again.

"Clow Card shows up on radar, then vanishes. Where is it --"

She bumps into someone, breath expelling as she gasps, "Sorry! Didn't
mean to--" she stops, and finds herself staring into the eyes of a girl
wearing a visor. She was a little shorter than Nina, her hair a soft
warm sunset glow of yellow and red. The visor Nina recognized instantly,
pointing at it. "Your light blind, aren't you." the girl blushes,
backing away slightly. 'Brilliant Nina, you just insulted her. Idiot!'
she scolded herself, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean---"

"You have beautiful eyes." she remarked, looking up at Nina as she
spoke, "They're pretty."

"Uh -- thanks. I--"

Another woman, blue hair wearing blue and green matched with black
boots/gloves, walked out catching the soft spoken girl's attention.
"There you are." she smiled, wrapping an arm around the taller woman's
body as she lets herself be led away by the other woman.

* * * * * *

“Hungry for a little of Mako’s cooking, are we?“ Michiru asked, to which she got the usual wave-off from Haruka. She walked next to Haruka, smirking slightly as she followed her partner for “study buddies“. “We’re just going there to lend our intelligent to those poor girls, they can’t all be as smart as Ami after all.”

“Of course.” Michiru said, not believing a word Haruka said.
It was true, after all, since Mako-chan was doing the food for the "study buddies" meet who wouldn't have dropped everything to sample her fine cooking skills? Admittedly, after five years, Haruka had become rather attached to Mako-chan's superb meals and never argued about going anyplace (as long as she was cooking).

She liked Michiru's cooking, but there was something about Mako-chan's
meals that -- well, sufficient to say Michiru occasionally becomes a
tad jealous when the topic of Mako-chan's cooking comes up.

It was as they were passing through the park that it happened.

Two girls in front of the group were suddenly set upon by several
strange reptilian beasts colored in a dark green shade. Usagi, first in
line, pointed at them and screamed "T-Rexes--" (and promptly got
whacked in the head by Rei who growled "Raptors!!")

"They're Galerians." Ami mumbled, her attention focused on the strange
reptiles. Sure enough, as they moved one could see the fine skullcap
and spine molding of cybernetic circuitry which betrayed their alien
origins. Through their rippling muscles they could also see hints of
cybernetic augmentations, which also gave away their non-dinosaur
lineage. From the trees another one of these creatures, whose hard
reptilian skin was blood red, jumped into the clearing ahead of the
girls and bared it's teeth. From it's wetware on it's head a loud yet
droning artificial voice rang out. "THIS UNIT HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH
YOUR TERMINATION. THERE WILL BE NO ROOM FOR APPEAL. TERMINATION TO
BEGIN IN 10 SECONDS."

All the drone units turned on Usagi and the other girls, jaws opening
as they powered up (their eyes burning bright and the inside of their
mouths glowing).

"I think they're getting ready to use their bio-weapons on us." Ami
announced, deeply fascinated by their movements and motions. Mako-chan,
glancing over at Ami, scowled, "This isn't the time to be impressed!"

Minako pulled her top open a bit, shoving her hand into her blouse,
"Everyone! Let's Mo--"

She stopped, and blushed.

"What? Minako-chan!!" Usagi prodded, until she gasped, "I forgot my
transformation pen at home! (I'm just groping myself, there's nothing
in my hidden pocket to retrieve!)"

"I didn't bring mine." Mako-chan admitted, which brought a nod in the
affirmative from Ami. Usagi scowled in Rei's direction, "Well SOMEBODY
made me leave my transformation gear at home with her stuff in a display case in our bedroom!"

"It's supposed to be an age of peace!” Rei cried out in her defense, “Who would have thought we needed them like this?!?"

Haruka blushed, noticing that all eyes had turned in their direction.
"I don't have mine." She admitted.

"We have to tear apart our bed when we get home because last night we used ours to--"

Usagi covers her ears, while Rei takes mental notes (listening with an
apt attention and wide eyes).

Suddenly a blue streak cut across the creature's path, cutting it's
face. The countdown stopped as everyone looked about, only for the
silence to be broken by a soft sad tune being played out on an all too familiar harmonica.

"What's that--?" Minako said, "It can't be--"

"It is." Rei sighed, head lowered. "It's her."

Usagi, looking about as confused as the Galerian Assassins, started to
panic. "Where is she? Where is--?" (pak) "Are you some stereotypical
bad guy? Stop acting up!" Rei yelled (after hitting Usagi), getting
Usagi riled up if only for a second.

All eyes turned towards King Penguin, where a young woman dressed in
blue/green clothes (from coat to dress clothes and pants) with black
boots and gloves to accentuate, was slowly blowing out the tune as
she watched. The lead creature looked at her, reptilian eyes narrowing
as it stared. "You."

She stopped, lowering the instrument from her lips as she regarded them, "I think it's safe to say you want me, right?"

The lead Galerian hunkered down, claws at the ready and tail whipping the air in a frenzy. "Get her! Get her!! GET HER!! KILL HER!! TERMINATE HER!!" it's cold mechanical voice screamed.

The creature spun about, ignoring the girls they had originally corraled, and attacked. Two of the creatures however didn't make it as Haruka rushed forward to knock one back and rip the second one down with her sword. As the first one rose to meet her she quickly hacked it's head off. Michiru was at her side in an instant. "So you forgot your transformation pen but brought your sword in your pocket tesseract?"

"You lost your transformation pen too so don't get preachy with me."
Haruka countered. “I have to admit though I did take the time to lick mine’s clean before losing it.” (Michiru blushed, but nodded her head in agreement) “Me too.”

Makomi leaped down into the fray, kicking away one Assassin drone and
back kicking away a second one. As she fought the creatures their
"master" screeched at them to fight harder as it watched from afar. But
it was soon apparent that they were no match for her. As she wrapped
the drones up she quickly leaped back onto the top of King Penguin.

"Well," Usagi sighed, watching the fight from afar. "She didn't bring
her's either so we're even."

From her coat she pulled her transformation amulet out, holding it
forward as she knelt to jump. "Mercury Trooper Cosmic Power, MAKE UP!!"
As she leapt forward she barely dodged a bio-weapon attack from the
lead Galerian, it's power blast skimming beneath her as she transformed
in mid air, landing next to her target as Trooper Mercury. In this form
she wore Mercury's Sailor Solider uniform with touched up appearance
here and there giving it it's own unique look (which was readily
apparent if stared at by the casual Sailor Moon fanatic).

The creature, eyes locked on her, was furious. It leaped forward
swinging it's rear legs rapidly at her trying to claw her up. She
quickly leaped over it, landing behind it as it used it's tail to try
and knock her down. The first swing knocked her off her feet, but a
quick recovery put her back on those feet again. Infuriated, it jumped
at her with all claws extended. She quickly slipped to one side, and
pummeled it with kicks at it landed behind her. She then quickly
grabbed it's tail and yanked it upwards, "Hurricane Spin!" she cried
out, focusing her energy towards spinning to disorient the creature. As
she let go it slammed into the ground and bounced a few times before
landing face down in the grass. She was quickly on it before it could
recover, lashing out with more kicks before closing with a punishing
back-kick called "Scyther Kick" which shattered the wetware components
on it's head and spine stunning it into silence.

She quickly dropped back, holding her right hand back as she drew power
into her open palm. As the power built to full she fell to one knee and
thrust her right hand forward, screaming "AQUATIC RETRIBUTION!" which
unleashed a great deal of energy. The resulting "shot" disintegrated
the creature, blowing it apart before their eyes.

As Mako-chan saw to the two girls that were originally assaulted by the
creatures, Haruka pouted to one side with sword in hand. "She did quite
a good job." Michiru whispered, but if that was to set Haruka's mind at
ease it did nothing of the sort. She was angry, and Makomi was the one
she blamed.

That's when Minako noticed somebody was watching from behind.

However all Makomi could think of was -- "I hate this skirt." she
grumbled, tugging at it, "Every move constitutes a panty flash with
this thing on (whatever happened to good sturdy pants!)"

"Keiko.” Minako whispered, noticing their “watcher” before anyone else.

Makomi, not noticing Keiko Yamanaka (the 7th Judgement) walked over to one of the fallen Galerian and taps it with her foot, "This is a Scorpion Guild Assassin Guilder codenamed Carnage. This particular type is known as a Prime Drone unit, quite a feisty opponent not to be underestimated."

"Prime Drone?" Michiru asked, to which Makomi explained "That means
it's a prime surrogate for the real entity. You see that a lot. The
real assassins uses a half a dozen Prime Drones apiece to do jobs while
they do their own work half a galaxy away. That way he or she is
working several jobs and nobody knows the difference between the two
(the original and the Prime Drone) so they pay the fee as if it was the
original, which it might as well be since they're indistinguishable
from the original."

“So I see.” Rei said, “But--”

The cell phone in Makomi's pocket rings and she quickly waves off the others, "That'll be Grace. I better get going, see you!“
Before anyone could think of stopping her, Makomi was already changed back to her "other" self (her costume sliding away as she reverts back to her normal self).

To Be Continued