Good Princess, Bad Princess - Part 4
Vrumugen scratched his chin and 'hmmm'ed. He'd been doing that for quite some time, as he stood examining the residual energy of the temporal vortex that had appeared in Princess Martina's Zoamalgustar shrine.
"Well?" snapped Zangulus as he stalked impatiently around the room.
". . . . It's possible for the portal to be reopened."
"How?! Tell me how!"
"It would require the use of an implement such as the Sword of Light, which possesses the power to cut through the astral barrier and . . ." Vrumugen's sentence trailed off when he found himself talking to a Zangulus-shaped puff of smoke where Zangulus had been standing.
And a few short hours later. . .
"I got it! I got it! Ha ha!! Aww, you should have been there, Vrumy! It was the battle of the century!"
"Let me guess. He kicked your ass and then lent the Sword of Light to you because he felt sorry for you."
". . . . . . . . . . . . yes."
"I'm not even going to ask how you found Gourry that quickly."
"Oh stuff it."
"Seriously, Zangulus, have you ever considered seeking psychiatric counseling?"
"You're not suggesting that I have issues, are you?"
"Uh, never mind."
* * *
''All too easy,' thought Martina, smiling madly as she stared at the jar of olives in her hand. Her first mission as Queen Beryl's evil minion had been rather uncomplicated. The next step would be to mysteriously disappear from this strange other world called Tokyo and return triumphantly to the Negaverse.
"Ooooh, Queen Beryl will be pleased, won't she, Zoamelgustar-sama?" she said to no one as she stood before the portal that would take her back. "Oh, Martina, you've done an outstanding job. Why, I've never had a better minion. I officially declare you the heir apparent of the Dark Kingdom. You are now free to use my studly henchmen in whatever way you see fit. . ."
Martina nearly dropped her olives when a rather ridiculous-looking girl burst onto the scene, posing dramatically. Her hair was done up in two buns, with a long ponytail trailing from each. Her outfit was a flashy mutation of a normal schoolgirl uniform.
"Stealing is inexcusable, evil villain from the Negaverse! I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice, and in the name of the moon I will punish you!" she cried, emphasizing her words with dramatic gestures.
Martina blinked. This was the invincible warrior who was giving Queen Beryl so much grief? She mustered her courage and struck a pose with her favorite talisman. "Ha ha ha! I don't care who you are, you'll never defeat me! I am protected by the great Zoamelgustar!"
Sailor Moon blinked. She had run across some pretty bizarre-looking youma, but this one seemed especially weird. Oh well. She raised her hand to her forehead. "Moon Tiara. . . . Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
Martina looked up from the magic circle she was drawing around the girl who called herself Sailor Moon. "Just shut up and don't move, I'm almost finished!" she snapped. A few seconds later she stood up and brushed the chalkdust off of her hands. She again brandished her talisman. "Oh great Zoamelgustar, curse this annoying meatball-headed little waif . . ."
Unbeknownst to the two girls, lurking on a nearby rooftop and stifling laughter, was Zoycite. Zoycite had been feeling particularly malicious lately, and was determined to spoil the upstart alien's first mission. First missions were very important to the Negaverse status quo. Early humiliation was often what separates the extremely short-lived from the key power players. However, personal intervention had thus far proved unnecessary.
Tuxedo Mask, having climbed a suitably tall building in order to make one of his trademark dramatic entrances, was more than a little surprised to see Zoycite on the roof nearly doubled over with laughter.
Tux was irked when Zoycite failed to notice the rose that struck the ground and the accompanying guitar riff. He tossed his cape dramatically and strode towards his giggling nemesis. "AHEM!"
Zoycite squealed in shock and jumped back, forgetting how close the edge of the building was, and tumbled off.
Martina and Sailor Moon were startled by the sound of a piercing, girly shriek followed shortly thereafter by the sound of something crashing into a nearby dumpster. They turned in time to see Tuxedo Mask jump down gracefully and land in perfect form. Their eyes went gaga.
"Oh Tuxedo Mask, you came!" shouted an elated Sailor Moon.
"Whoa baby!" shouted an elated Martina.
A filth-covered, copper-haired head popped out of the dumpster. "I'm gonna get you for this capeboy!" Zoycite snarled viciously while clambering out of the trash.
"Butt out, Zoycite! He's all mine!" snapped Martina.
"I'm not taking any crap from you!" said Zoycite, shaking off rank debris while facing Martina.
"Oh yeah?!"
"Yeah!"
Martina and Zoycite growled at each other.