The Celestial Warrior

Sailor Moon: The Celestial Warrior
by Sandy Cosimano
Part one: Competition? Mamoru\'s female friend.

\"You\'re going away?!? How long? How am I suppose to be here alone without you?\" Usagi was near hysterics seeing the set of airplane tickets in her boyfriend\'s hand. She quickly put down her nikuman back on herte, te, she didn\'t want to drop it if she starts her wild crying.

\"Usako, listen, you\'re coming with me.\"

Immediately her tears and hysterics turned off like a switch.

\"I\'ve got two plane tickets to America. I have an old college friend there who invited me to visit. I haven\'t seen \'em in a long time.\"

\"I didn\'t know you went there to study?\"

\"It was before I met you. It was my first college experience, and I made a few friends there. So, they wanted to have a reunion of some sort, and they wanted me there.\"

\"How come I get to come along, Mamo-chan?\"

He smiled. \"I\'m not sure how long I\'ll be over there. I told them that I was bringing along a special friend of mine, and they didn\'t mind. They said they\'re looking forward to meeting you.\"

She clapped her hands together in delight. \"Great! I can tell my parents that I\'m looking over a college there. And that wouldn\'t be far from the truth either.\"

\"I don\'t know. Would they believe that you were actually serious about visiting another school?\" he teased her. Her face got that somber look again, so he moved closer to her so he could wrap an arm around her. \"I\'m just teasing. Look, you know how to delicately put this to your parents. And we\'ll be leaving next week.\"

\"This is going to be great. We\'re going to be alone for a while, together. I\'m so excited.\"

**************************************

Dear Mamoru-kun,

Hey, remember me? It\'s been a long time since we\'ve written to each other. Gets to be kind of frustrating when you send out a lump of letters and only a few get responses. But, I kind of chalk it up to you trying to translate my English and me trying to translate your Japanese. Speaking of, you should see how beaten up my English/Japanese dictionar. Y. You remember, the one you bought me when you heard I was taking the course at the university. But now I\'ve gotten this terrific program for my computer that does the translating for me. And you were starting to wonder why you could read this so well.

I heard that you were going to attend the little reunion of ours. I can\'t wait to see you again. From what I can tell, Bob and Joe will definitely be there. I\'m not too sure about Carol or Yoshi. I think they\'re going to try, but they\'ve got a lot of responsibilities to take care of. Nothing like being a swinging bachelor, like us. Speaking of, I heard your bringing over a girlfriend. That\'s neat, because I never figured you for being the dating type. No offense but you were kind of cold to the girls that tried to hit on you, including ME!!! But I\'m over that, really.

Did you ask if Motoki is going? I\'m sure he\'s gotten the invite by now. I hope he\'s going to be there. I regret my decision, and I hope he can forgive me. I kind of miss him terribly, but you didn\'t hear that!! I\'ve been really lonely these past few days, thinking about this reunion, and I\'m thinking about all those great times we had. Like trying to drag me back home because I wiped myself out on beer. Actually, that wasn\'t fun, I had a terrible hangover. But I heard you guys laughing your heads off as each one held on to one of my limbs. That was the worst pick up that I\'ve ever had from men!!

Well, talk to him and ask him if he\'s coming along. Don\'t mention my name or he might not come along. I miss him terribly, and you too. Write back, because I\'m dying to hear from you again.

With love,
Raven.

********************************************

Dear Raven-chan,

How long has it been since we wrote to each other? Had to have been a year, at least. I\'m sorry for keeping you in suspense like that. I\'ve been incredibly busy with school and work, and other things which I could never explain to you fully, that I\'ve never had the chance to sit down and write you back. Letters had slip my mind, but not you. I remember all the times we had. And even though you had a problem with the Japanese, I\'m glad I did so well in English so that we could still talk.

I did ask Motoki, and he\'s not sure. He\'s got a job too, and he\'s not sure about his replacement. He\'s a little too slow in learning the job, and it\'s a video arcade too. I wonder why they hired him in the first place. But I should warn you, Motoki does have a girlfriend. But it could be good news or bad. See, he does have a girl, but she\'s away in Africa on an archeological dig. He\'s really attached to her, but it\'s starting to take it\'s toll on him. I did tell him that a long distance relationship wouldn\'t work, but he wouldn\'t listen to me. Of course, if you two got back together again, that would be another long distance relationship. But you\'ve always kept mentioning about moving and becoming a Japanese citizen. I\'m not trying to steer you the right way, because you know that I don\'t bring couples together. My girlfriend, Usagi, would, but I won\'t set anyone up. And I know that you don\'t like people doing your work. See, I do remember.

I\'m looking forward to seeing you again.

Sincerely,
Chiba Mamoru

************************************************

Dear Mamoru-kun,

\"Sincerely\"? Come on, you don\'t have to go back to your Japanese politeness with me. And contrary to what my friends say, I do remember your full name. I\'m teasing but I do mean it. Your a dear friend of mine, so we don\'t need formalities, do we?

Anyway, that is good news and bad. Well, I\'ll sort it out. Do encourage him to come back to the States, everyone\'s looking forward to seeing him again, especially me.

This is a short note, sorry. But the others wanted me to tell you that seeing how little we have money wise, you can stay over at my apartment. It\'s really roomy. It\'s an apartment that you see that dancers have. I need the room to practice my dancing, and the polished floors make it ideal for tap dancing. So I have plenty of room where you and your girl can stay as my guests. And my cooking has improved, trust me. If you don\'t like it, we can always go out to one of the local sushi bars. They\'re really good.

Don\'t bother writing back. By the time I get it, you\'ll already be here, so it\'s not worth the postage. I\'ll let you go this time with not writing back. But only tim time. Just kidding. I\'ll be meeting you at the airport, so you don\'t have to figure your way around. Consider me as a personal chauffeur.

Looking forward to seeing you again,

With love,
Raven-chan.

****************************************

\"Did you remember everything?\" he asked as they carried their luggage into the airport.

\"Little late to ask, isn\'t it? Yep, I\'ve got everything. Couple of dresses, my pair of comfy jeans, my bathing suit, and a little makeup. Not to mention the stuffed bunny you bought me for my birthday.\"

\"Why did you bring a bathing suit? We\'re not going to be near water.\"

She shrugged, \"You never know. Might be a pool or something nearby. Hey, Mamo-chan, did you ever find out if Motoki-san is coming?\"

\"He\'s still not sure. He\'s going te ife if he can, but he\'s not sure.\"

\"It would be neat to see him there.\"

Mamoru smiled. \"Well, an old flame of his is certainly looking forward to seeing him.\"

\"How many girlfriends does he have?\" she said with a shocked look on her face.

\"Planning to replace me with Motoki?\"

\"No!\" she0n}arly yelled, grabbing onto his arm. \"I could never replace you. I was just thinking about Mako-chan, and how upset she\'d be if he was taken again.\"

He laughuietuietly. \"I don\'t think Makoto is going to be losing too much sleep over it. Every guy she sees looks like her old boyfriend, so she\'ll get over it.\" Hugging Usagi tightly, she let go of her death grip on his arm. He picked up her suitcases and his and walked over to the ticket counter. Taking their claim tickets, they walked over to the gate of their flight.

\"What\'s America like?\" Usagi asked to pass the time waiting for the boarding call.

\"It\'s quite different. It\'s a more loose of a society than what you\'re used to. I think you\'ll like it there once you get used to it. And most of the people are really friendly. Some like a big difference in people, like my friends. But then there are some who hate difference, so you have to be careful. You usually can tell the difference by the way they look at you. But my friends are good people, so you don\'t have to worry about that. There are lots of things to do and see. You\'ll have fun.\" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him. \"I hope you don\'t get jetlag too easily, this is going to be a long flight.\"

\"Don\'t worry. As long as there are empty restrooms and plenty of food I\'ll be set.\"

\"Oh, that we will have. It\'s a dinner flight, but most airline food isn\'t all that great.\"

\"Let me be the judge of that,\" she said, smacking her lips. He couldn\'t help but laugh.

The announcement came on that their flight was ready. They grabbed their carryon luggage and headed for the bridge.

********************************************

It was late evening when they arrived in America. Usagi yawned loudly as she wandered off the plane with Mamoru. There was a crowd of people in the terminal, he had a hard time looking around for his friend. \"Where are they? I thought they were going to meet us here.\"

\"It\ot got going to be \'they\', Usako,\" he said as he craned his neck over the crowd.

\"Then who?\" Her question went unanswered as he found who he was looking for. A bunch of roses were being waived above the heads of the other people, yellow ones with orange rims on the petals. Taking Usagi\'s hand, he pushed through the people into a clearing.

Raven was good for her word. She found a quiet place farther away from the gate so they could hear each other over the noise. And she hadn\'t changed from last he remembered her. She still had her brown to black hair in a pageboy, the ends curling this way and that as a defiance to all the mousse and hairspray she used on it. She still wore the large round frames that made her look like an owl when the lights bounced off the lenses. She was wearing a loose and light dress patterned with pink and purple flowers, a dress he remembered from a time where he introduced her to Motoki. She still had that crooked smile and the hand made jewelry she made herself. There was nothing different about her, like time never changed her.

\"Mamoru!\" she yelled in her medium pitched voice as she went running towards him. He scooped her up in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet. He set her back down as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. \"Geez, it\'s been too long! My god, did you actually build up muscles on that thin frame of yours?\" she said as she went squeezing his arms.

\"I had to work off that rich food you kept cooking,\" he responded in his slightly accented English. \"And how have you been doing?\"

\"I could be better, and I could be worse.\" She finally noticed Usagi standing next to him. \"Mamoru, is she your girl?\"

Placing his hand to her back, he gently pushed her forward. \"Raven, this is my girlfriend, Tsukino Usagi.\" He turned to Usagi and spoke again in Japanese. \"Kyoo wa atarashi yuujin o shookai shimasu. en-cen-chan to mooshimasu.\"

Usagi smiled at her, blushing a bit. \"Nice to meet you,\" she said shakily. \"Sorry, English not too good.\"

\"Don\'t worry. My Japanese is terrible.\" She turned back to him, whispering, \"Isn\'t she a little young for you, old man?\"

\"She\'s fifteen, she\'s not that young.\"

\"I\'m teasing you. You can date anyone you\'d like.\" Reaching into her pocket, Raven took out a candy bar and handed it to Usagi. \"I\'d thought I\'d grab one of these for you. Airline food isn\'t good, and I\'d thought you\'d be hungry.\"

As soon as she saw the chocolate, her eyes turned into stars. \"Arigato, Raven-chan!\" She lovingly took it from her hand and started to gobble it down.

\"I thought you would be hungry.\"

\"No, she ate the dinner,\" Mamoru interjected. \"She enjoyed it, and asked for more. She\'s got a pretty healthy appetite.\"

\"And she\'s still thin, very few of us can do that.\"

\"From what I can remember, you could pack it away just as well as the rest of us.\"

\"And loved every moment eating you guys under the table.\" They laughed while Usagi puzzled over what she said. \"Come on, let\'s get your luggage and go to my place. I\'m sure your both tired.\"

\"Exhausted, actually,\" he said as she gave another jaw cracking yawn.

\"Let\'s go, then. I\'ve got your rooms ready so if you two want to take a nap, you\'re welcome to.\" They followed her to claim their luggage anen ten to her car for the half-hour drive.

*********************************************

Usagi fell asleep in the car, and she wouldn\'t wake up when Mamoru nudged her. He ended up carrying her with Raven taking their luggage. They took the elevator up to the top floor to her studio. Opening up the gates, they walked straight into her apartment. She could tell by the look on his face that he was impressed. It was large, with lots of floor space. He could see some of the scuff marks on the polish whher her dancing shoes slid across it. He laid Usagi on a fold out bed Raven put out for her, and then went to the wall sized windows to look out over the city.

\"Like the view?\" she asked as she went to a section of the room made to be a kitchen.

\"It\'s incredible. Like sitting on a perch. Do you have any windows that open?\"

\"Only the ones that are divided, like the one next to you. Just flip it inward. Would you like a cup of tea?\"

\"Yes, thank you.\" He opened the window and leaned out. The air had a slight touch of coolness to it, but otherwise it was warm and dry. He could feel at home here, looking out over the city like a protector during the night.

She placed the two cups of tea on her dining table. \"I see you\'ve gotten over your fear of heights.\"

\"No, I still have that. I just don\'t look direcdowndown.\" He walked over to her table, sat down and wrapped his hands around the cup. \"We haven\'t changed much, have we?\"

\"Speak for yourself. I\'ve gotten some acting and dancing roles, whereas all the ads you posed in have disappeared.\"

\"I only did that for college money. I wasn\'t thinking of doing that for the rest of my life.\"

\"Well, the average life span for a model is until they turn twenty-five, so you would need something else to bacu upu up.\"

\"True,\" he said before he took a sip of tea.

\"I still have that scrapbook with all your ads in them.\"

\"You didn\'t...\"

\"Still like that underwear spread you did when you were, what, nineteen?\"

He started to blush furiously. \"You haven\'t...shown that around...have you?\"

Raven patted his hand. \"Don\'t worry. I don\'t share you with everyone. I just like to look at them, especially the ones you managed to get my plain face in them.\"

\"When you\'re not wearing glasses and have your face painted up, you are hardly plain.\"

She smiled, \"Thanks. I like to hear that.\" Toying with the spoon in her drink, she tried to think of something else to say. \"Man, it\'s been so long since I\'ve talked to you, yet I can\'t think of anything to say.\"

\"I know the feeling. It\'s been too long, maybe. We don\'t know where to start up again.\"

\"Well, we can figure out something else for tomor I\ I\'ve gotta go to bed so I can go to work tomorrow. I wanted to take the day off, but they wouldn\'t let me. So we can do something in the evening.\"

He nodded, \"Sounds good, I\'m about to fall asleep here myself.\"

\"You can use the bathroom to change in, I\'ll change in my room.\"

\"Thanks again,\" Mamoru said as he got up and went to his suitcase for his pajamas. As he took them to her bathroom, Raven touched him on the shoulder. He turned around, looking into her face that was smiling gently at him.

\"I\'m really glad that you\'re back,\" she whispered. He smiled and wrapped her up into a hug. They held each other tightly for a few moments, then let go. She whispered her good night to him, then disappeared into her room. He watched her walk away, then went into the bathroom.

Usagi saw them hug, and started to wonder about their relationship, then fell back asleep with thoughts of worry.

*************************************************

The next day, Usagi and Mamoru woke up to find Raven gone. He found a note on her refrigera say saying there was some chicken still in the fridge if they wanted it. He took the pan out and put it in the oven to reheat. Usagi got dressed in her jeans and shirt and went to the television set. She flipped it on and found what seemed to be a children\'s show, with colorful puppets and simple english. She sat down in front of it and began to watch.

\"What are you watching?\" Mamoru asked, speaking again in Japanese to her.

\"They have a show where they can learn their own language,\" she told him. \"Maybe I can learn a little something so that you don\'t have to translate for me all the time.\"

\"Well, that would help.\" He leaned over to kiss her on top of her head, which wasn\'t tied up in her usual hairstyle yet.

She hesitated for a moment, but she leapt into her question. \"Mamo-chan, how did you come to know Raven? Is she just a friend, or...did you two used to date?\"

He spun around. \"Why? What worries y"
"

She began to twiddle with her fingers, a sure sign of worry on her part. \"Well, I saw how you two act around each other, and that hug last night. I was just curious.\"

\"That? She\'s just a close friend that I haven\'t seen in a long time, that\'s all. Nothing happened between us at all. She was too taken with Motoki than anyone else.\"

Usagi nodded, but she felt something was up. She wasn\'t always suspicious in life, but there was something odd about Raven, and she wished she could figure it out.

\"I was thinking that we\'ll have something to eat, then we\'ll visit one of the local malls. I thought you would like that.\"

That cleared her mind. \"I would love to.\"

**************************************************

\"This is the slowest day I\'ve ever seen.\"

\"Well, it is past the lunch hour. I think it\'ll pick up in a few hours.\"

\"Cassy, that\'s what you keep saying, every hour on the hour. It\'s not going to pick up.\"

\"You are too pessimistic, Raven.\" Her partner in waitressing, Cassy, leaned against the bar and fluffed out her bleached hair. \"But what I\'d like to be doing is sunning right now.\"

\"You don\'t even have a bathing suit that fits you.\"

Just then, four men entered the restaurant. They wore suits and dark sunglasses. Raven saw them, and her blood ran cold. There was something not right about them, something that seemed familiar. Suddenly, she felt terribly ill.

\"Cassy, can you take care of them. I\'ve gotta visit the ladies room.\"

\"Sure thing,\" and she dashed off to the customers.

Raven ran into the restroom and leaned against the wall. A wave of nausea washed over her. It wasn\'t until it past that she heard the guns they carried go off.

*************************************************

In the mall, people went screaming and running in different directions. Mamoru and Usagi managed to avoid the stampede by hiding in the alcove of a deserted store. As soon as the halls cleared, they went running to check out the problem. They found it, in a restaurant, the one that his friend worked at.

\"I think we\'re going to be needed,\" he whispered.

\"Right,\" she responded as she whipped out her broach. \"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!\" In a flash of light, Usagi was transformed into Sailor Moon.

Mamoru took out a rose and in a flurry of petals became Tuxedo Mask.

Once their transformations were complete, then ran into the bullet-riddled restaurant. Inside, there was smoke and confusion. Someone was shot, and Sailor Moon went over to her. \"What happened?\" she asked with her much improved English.

\"Men...four men...came in and...shot everything....\" A wild look took over her eyes. \"Raven...where\'s Raven?\"

Sailor Moon looked up at Tuxedo Mask, and saw the panic in his eyes. \"Which way did they go?\" he asked.

\"I...I don\'t know. They just shot everything up...and left.\"

\"Sailor Moon, go hunting for them, they\'re probably still around. I\'m calling for an ambulance for her.\"

\"Hai!\" She ran out back into the mall and dashed around, making sure no one saw her. As she went deeper into the mall, she could hear the sound of fire and lightning and men screaming. Jupiter and Mars? No, how could they follow her. She peeked around the corner and was shocked.

A woman with long fiery red hair was standing in the center of the circle the men created. She wore something similar to a sailor fuku, only the top was gold and the skirt and bows were as red as her hair. The disk in the center of the bow had a crescent moon on the top and bottom of the disk, the corners touching the circle, looking something like a small spiral galaxy. She had the same sailor cape only it was slightly longer. Her face was painted with lines stretching from her eyes, her lips painted blood red. The nails on her hands were black and long, almost like claws. Her very face read vengeance.

One of the men whipped out a gun, ready to shoot her down. Just as lightning flashes, she threw a ball of fire at him, instantly burning him. Another came running up behind her. She grabbed the back of his neck and threw him over her shoulder. The third didn\'t know what to do. While his partner called someone on his cellular phone, he charged her. Out of nowhere, two sticks appeared in hends.nds. Flames leaped out of the ends and formed fiery blades. He was cut down before he could stop. He literally slid into the blades.

Sailor Moon heard footsteps running her way. She was about to warn the seemingly fellow senshi till she was hit in the head by one of the guys. She fell like a brick and tried to move out of the way of their stomping feet. Rubbing the sore spot, she stood up again. That\'s when their eyes locked. The mysterious one\'s blood red eyes bore into her blue ones. \"Get over here Serenity!\" she yelled.

She nearly passed out. How did she know my former name? Sailor Moon shook it off and ran into the fray. Doing a flying leap, she joined the side of the mysterious senshi. There were fifteen men now surrounding them. She made a quick prayer that she would survive this one, and took out her Moon Rod.

\"Ready?\" she growled.

Sailor Moon nodded.

Raising her red tipped hands she entoned her spell. \"Celestial Solar Flare, Erupt!\" An arch of red hot fire and lava boiled from her hands and burned away three of the men. Sailor Moon stood in horror, then regained her composure as two charged her.

\"Moon Princess Halation!\" she screamed as a shower of stars blew them through a plate glass window. Without her spotting it, two others grabbed her arms and tried to brace them to her sides. Her partner whipped around and clawed the two, making them drop her and they dropped to the floor. \"Watch out!\" Moon yelled. Another rushed after them. The senshi ducked as Moon hit him in the head with the Moon Rod.

Just then, Tuxedo Mask came charging in. He used his cane as a catapult, sending himself flying in the air and kicking two more men down as he landed. \"Looks like I came just in time,\" he quipped. \"You ladies don\'t mind me cutting in?\"

\"Never, Tuxedo Mask,\" Moon teased back.

The senshi took advantage of the surprise attack, sending a roundhouse kick into the face of one man while she slashed out at another. The other two stood out of the way of her flying attacks. After eliminating the rest with her fire power, there was one man left standing. \"Who are you?\" he asked in a shaking voice.

She narrowed her volcanic eyes and hissed from her bloody lips, \"I am Sailor Celestia, Goddess of the Galaxy. All who are evil, must be punished.\"

Sailor Moon saw the pause in her speech, and then added hers. \"For love and justice, I am the pretty warrior Sailor Moon. In the name of the Moon, I punish you.\"

With a howl, Celestia let out a powerful blast of fire and lightning at the last man, leaving nothing left.

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask stared in terror at her. Celestia collapsed to her knees, panting from the exertion of her power. Moon went to her side and touched her shoulder. \"Are you all right?\"

\"I\'ll be fine. I appreciate your help, Serenity. Yours also, Endymion.\"

Tuxedo Mask was shocked again. \"How do you know that name?\"

\"I am a goddess, just like you Serenity. But now I must return to my former state. We will meet again.\" She stood up, the gleam in her eyes starting to die off. She leapt up and sailed in a beam of light. Once the beam faded, she was gone.

\"Another goddess?\" Moon whispered. \"Is that possible?\"

\"Must be,\" he whispered, taking off his hat and combing his fingers through his drenched hair. \"Come on, we\'ve got to revert back and find Raven.\"

******************************************************

Raven\'s eyes flared open. They felt like they were on fire. The fear she felt a moment ago seemed to be gone, but she was going through violent hot flashes. She scrambled for the sink and turned on the cold water. She splashed it on her face, getting the rest of her clothes wet, but it wasn\'t cooling her down. She looked up into a mirror, saw the blood red sigil on her forehead. \"Damn!\" she breathed. \"I didn\'t imagine that.\"

She heard a knock at the door, and it swung open. Raven brushed her bangs over her forehead in time for her visitor. Usagi leaned in and spotted her. \"Are you all right? There was shooting here.\"

\"I...I know. I panicked and hid in here.\" She tried to rub out the water from her shirt and then gave up. \"Is anyone hurt?\"

\"Just one girl. Shot in shoulder. Come, police coming.\" Usagi grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.


To be continued....