AUTHORS NOTES: Okay, I'm going to attempt to write a fanfic without MY Outer Scouts in it. (MY Outer Scouts being the main characters of my Alternate Series)This one happens after Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Sailorstars, which was the fifth and final season if you've been under a rock and don't know that already, and I'm going to stay mildly close to what happened in the last episode... Let's see, if I remember from the summaries correctly, the Starlights and Princess Kakyuu all went back to wherever they came from. This twisted tail happens not too long after that.... Oh yea, Sailor Moon and all related characters and stuff are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, Toei Animation, and who knows who else depending on which language you're watching it in (if you don't know that you don't know much, actually this is a pretty standard thing to say... just nobody sue me please -like Immicolia has any money to take if someone does sue her-). And just about every character in this is one of those related characters (except for Kaen, I thought her up all by my self -sad huh?-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THE FIRE YET ANOTHER SAILOR MOON FANFICTION YET AGAIN BY: Immicolia The First Part: "How Many More Senshi Are There!?" Tsukino Usagi stood on the roof of the school looking toward the horizon. She missed him already. Mamoru had been back but he had told her that he had to leave again. She couldn't help but fear for him. Last time he had left he hadn't even made it off the plane, Galaxia had attacked... But she didn't have to worry about that anymore, Galaxia had been defeated the danger was past. It didn't stop her from worrying about him though, or missing him. She missed Seiya too. He had been a good friend... She sighed and looked toward the ground, her brow furrowing as she noticed someone she didn't recognize. A girl, looking around confusedly like she wasn't quite sure as to where she was going. Her hands were twisting nervously on the handle of her book bag and one lifted to brush her shaggy red bangs out of her eyes. She looked from side to side, her long ponytail brushing across her back as she turned her head and finally squared her shoulders starting forward, into the school. Usagi wondered, watching her go. Kaen walked into the school, clutching her bag in front of her like a talisman. She was late, the main danger had past. She didn't even know if the rest of her group was still here. Or if they had even been here at all. That didn't matter though, there was still a danger near. Whether they had been here or not was redundant now. If they were still here then she would find them, if they weren't... well she was on her own again, she had done it before and she could do it again. She stopped at the administration desk. "Hello, I'm the new transfer student," she said softly to the woman at the desk. "Name," the woman asked flatly. "Kaen Kou," she replied. **** **** **** **** "So, you were participating in a foreign exchange program," the principal said, looking up from her file. "Yes sir," Kaen replied uncomfortably, shifting a little in her seat. "I just got back not that long ago." "Yes... Well everything seems to be in order for your transfer." He looked her over. "Things were a little laxer appearance wise where you were, weren't they?" She looked nervously down at herself. "Yes they were. I haven't done anything wrong have I? Is there something wrong with my uniform?" She fidgeted with her broach, wondering what she had done wrong already. "No," the principal replied, closing her file. "It's just not many girls add things to their uniforms like that. I presumed you must be used to it." "You presumed right," Kaen said, an odd look on her face. **** **** **** **** Kaen strolled up to the door of her first class and took a deep breath. she told herself, trying to psyche herself up. She straightened her star shaped broach, smoothed back her hair, squared her shoulders, and opened the door praying that she wouldn't collapse into a quivering heap on the floor. Mizuno Ami turned to look at the new student standing nervously in the door. Her head was down and she was regarding the class nervously, fidgeting with a broach she had pinned to the center of the bow on her uniform. It was strange, she wore her broach in almost the exact same manner as Usagi wore her transformation broach. The girl's pin was star shaped however, and seemed to be cast in sterling silver, the sunlight filtering in from the windows glinting off it brilliantly. As if finally screwing up enough courage, she lifted her head slightly causing the sunlight to glint off of her two pairs of earrings as well. The lower was a pair of silver hoops, and right above that was a simple pair of tiny star shaped studs. She smiled, a forced smile if Ami had ever seen one, and finally spoke. "Hi. I'm Kaen Kou, the new transfer student. This _is_ the right class I'm in, right?" Ami blinked. Had she caught the girl's name right? It seemed strange, too coincidental, especially with the manner that she wore her hair, and the definite leaning towards a "star" theme in her manner of dress... Then again, it _could_ just be a strange coincidence. After all, Galaxia had been defeated. Why would a new senshi show up _now_ of all times. Especially a star senshi. Especially after the other three had left with their princess to try and rebuild. It was just foolishness... But still... Ami couldn't shake the feeling that there was something odd about the new girl. Kaen slid into a desk and heaved a sigh. She'd be glad when this day was over. She had things she should be doing. Like searching for the rest of her group, or any indication that they had even been here. She opened her books and settled in to listen to the teacher's lecture, intently doodling on the upper left corner of the page. If anyone asked she could always say it was a bad habit she had picked up when she had been out of the county. It was partially true, and the idle doodling did help her focus her thoughts. She had to figure out how to go from here. When she had been separated from those three she had never thought that they would get that far apart. How they had handled _anything_ without her around she'd never know... She had to fight to stop herself from deeply sighing and glanced at the picture she had drawn. It was a tiny caricature of herself, looking proud and strong, and the other three, looking meek and helpless. She had to smile, she was the driving force out of the four of them, no doubt about that. Quickly she flipped the page, hiding the little doodle. It wouldn't do to have anyone see that. They might start wondering, asking awkward questions, then what would she do. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, swept back he tousled bangs and tried to focus on what the teacher was saying. she told herself. **** **** **** **** "What did you say her name was," Aino Minako asked in shocked disbelief. "Kaen Kou," Ami repeated. "She said she was participating in a foreign exchange program and had just got back. I just found it all odd..." "Especially her name," Kino Makoto agreed. "It's either some wild coincidence, or something's up again. "Ooooh, I hope it's just a coincidence," Usagi whined. "Everything was supposed to be over when we freed Galaxia from the chaos." Usagi sat there looking upset and Minako finally realized the problem. "You're worried about Mamoru, aren't you?" Usagi nodded. "Have you heard from him since he left?" Usagi nodded again. "He phoned me the minute he landed... but I can't help worrying about him... Especially now that weird girl's shown up..." She trailed off as said weird girl walked past and watched her go. "Maybe we should keep an eye on her," Makoto suggested. Ami nodded. "Yes, that would be the wisest course..." Kaen fought back the urge to look back. She knew those girls were looking at her, they were talking about her too. She didn't know why, but it was making her uncomfortable. But what could she do about it? She couldn't just up and start acting like some sort of paranoid weirdo, asking four girls she didn't even know why they were talking about her. But... she could try and be social with them, find out carefully why they found her something to talk about. Hell, it was probably just normal school gossip about the new kid. Why was she being so paranoid? she told herself. She sighed and sat down, pulling her lunch out of her book bag along with her trusty portable CD player. She smiled as she slipped on the headphones. she thought as she flipped through her collection of discs, finally settling on Black Sabbath. She was about to turn on, turn up, and tune out when she noticed someone walking up to her. One of those four girls who had been talking about her she realized with a start. She took in the short blue hair and realized that she had been in some of her classes this morning too. "Hi," she said with a brief smile. "You're in some of my classes aren't you." "Yes, I'm Mizuno Ami," the girl replied precisely. "Kaen Kou," she said back. Then thinking a bit she added with a shrug, "but you probably already knew that." "Yes... What are you listening to?" Ami asked suddenly. Kaen handed her the case with another shrug. "English music?" Kaen nodded. "I really got into it when I was away. All of it, old stuff, new stuff, any style, I like most of it." "Oh... well I don't suppose you've heard of the Three Lights then?" Ami asked, a stab in the dark. "The What-What?" "The Three Lights," Ami repeated. "A really popular idol group. They had their farewell concert not too long ago. Actually..." Ami thought for a moment, wondering whether or not to bring this up. "They all had the same given name as you." "What?" Kaen fought to control her surprise. "They had the same name," Ami repeated. "Kou." "Really?" Kaen laughed nervously. "That's wild. You a fan of theirs?" She blushed. "Yes. Actually I knew them." "Oh... really..." "Yes, they used to go to this school." "'Used to...?'" "They left not too long ago..." "Oh... too bad I didn't come back sooner. I would have loved to have met an idol group. Especially one that shared my name. That would have been wild...." Kaen's mind was going a hundred miles a minute. An idol group. That shared her name. And used to go to this school. Three of them. Could it be...? "Say have you got any of their stuff?" Kaen suddenly asked. "I'd love to hear it." Ami blinked in surprise. "Well... Yes... I suppose I could lend you a CD... if you wanted...." "Thanks!" Kaen replied, cutting her off. "I wanna catch up with the latest trends. I've been away for _far_ too long." **** **** **** **** Usagi looked up from the homework she was reluctantly doing. It had sounded like something had hit her window. She shook her head, dismissing it. She must be imagining things. Her head jerked up as she heard it again, and again. A light pinging against her window, like someone was throwing something. Quickly she dashed to the window and looked down, gasping at who she saw there. "Seiya," she called down at him as she opened the window. "What are you doing here?" "Usagi," he alled back. "I have to talk to you. It's important. Something's happened..." Usagi felt a sick feeling beginning creep up on her. "What?" she asked, knowing that it couldn't be good. Then noticing that the other two were missing she quickly asked. "Where are Yaten and Taiki? Nothing happened to them, did it?" "No! No..." Seiya shook his head, wondering how to explain the whole mess. "They're at our apartment, trying to sort things out there. It... it's Kakyuu. Something's happened to her again." "What!?" "She went looking for her sister," Seiya continued. "You see, when we went after Galaxia there were four of us. But Kakyuu's sister, she was kinda the leader I guess, got separated from us. We're not even sure if she's still alive, but Kakyuu thought so and went looking by herself. Then she didn't come back. We figured if they're anywhere they're here 'cause this is where we got separated from Nova. So..." He nervously put a hand behind his head. "Have you seen anything weird lately?" Usagi blinked, shocked at the whole story and confused at the disjointed way he told it. "Anything weird," she repeated, trying to focus on the question. "Well there is a new transfer student... She has the same name as you guys. That's pretty weird." "What?" "Her name's Kaen Kou," Usagi repeated. "She just showed up today. We decided that we should be keeping an eye on her. Just 'cause it seemed like a strange coincidence." "Sounds like a good idea to me...." **** **** **** **** Kaen tossed the magazine aside. "Guys," she spat disgustedly. "I think that I might have a half decent lead and they turn out to be guys. Hmph, probably thought it was clever and changed their names or something..." She glared at the magazine on the floor, fighting back the urge to kick it somewhere. "Guys," she said again, as if not believing it. She picked up the magazine and looked at the picture one more time. "Cute guys... but still guys, not girls." She sighed and read over the article again. "Don't even have a drummer," she mumbled with a shake of her head. "What kind of a band are they?" She put the magazine down, on a table this time, and put the CD that Ami had lent her into her player so she could find out. Thirty seconds into the first song she realized _exactly_ what kind of a band they were, and quickly hit stop. "Well it's obvious now," she mumbled, quickly taking the CD out so it wouldn't contaminate her system. "They're an incredibly stinky band, all looks, no talent, and far too nauseatingly mellow for my tastes..." She fought back the urge to toss the disc out the window since it wasn't hers and sat down, her brow furrowed in deep thought. "You've hit another dead end Kaen, now what?" Unfortunately no one answered her so she sat there, watching the lights of the city through her window and wondering what to do next. "Guys," she growled again, still disgusted. **** **** **** **** Kaen strolled into the classroom and was stopped short by what she saw there. One of those guys that she had been cursing last night, but why was he there. Ami had told her that those three had left... Taiki regarded the girl with an equal amount of wonder. So this was the new transfer student that Usagi had told Seiya about. He looked at her closely, wondering if she was Nova. The hair color was right, but there was a lack of something in her stance... less certainty, it made her not seem like Nova at all. But then would Nova be able to recognize him now either. He sighed and not knowing what else to do, walked up to her. "Hi there, you're the new transfer student aren't you?" She nodded and looked him over. "Yea, and you're one of the Three Lights, right?" He looked shocked for a moment, wondering how she had caught up so fast if she had been out of the country. Kaen quickly explained. "I've heard a lot about you recently. Everybody mentions it to me, the name similarities and everything... Oh, I'm Kaen Kou." "Taiki Kou," he introduced himself in reply. They looked at one another and Kaen finally laughed nervously. "Boy, this is weird," she said looking up at him. "I was telling Ami just yesterday how wild it would be to meet you guys and here you are. I thought you had left." "Well we... decided to finish the year here after all," he replied carefully, praying that the other two would reply to similar questions in the same way. It was an obvious response after all. He was about to say more when the teacher walked in, causing the students to scramble to their seats. Kaen glanced at him sidelong as she sat down. she thought idly. She blinked, shocked at the direction her thoughts were heading and steeled herself. she told herself sternly, **** **** **** **** "So Taiki," Yaten asked impatiently, "what do you think? Is she like Nova or not?" Taiki sat for a moment, thinking, and irritating his friend more, before he spoke. "In some ways she is, in others she isn't." "What?" "If she is Nova she's not the same. Something's changed her..." "So you're saying it _is_ her." "No, I'm not even sure about that. We don't even know if she survived _remember_." "But if she did..." Seiya prompted. "Then this _could_ be her," Taiki admitted with a sigh. "That's all we needed to know..." Kaen carefully peeked around the tree, watching them. From here she couldn't hear what they were saying but she didn't dare get any closer. If they caught her spying on them they'd wonder why someone who hadn't even heard of them until yesterday was stalking them. But then she wasn't sure why she was either. They weren't her group. If they were girls it could be possible, but guys... no way. But somewhere in the back of her mind there was this little nagging doubt that kept saying, 'way'.... "Hey Kou, what ya doin'" Kaen let out a squawk as she whipped around, wondering who had caught her. She spotted her tormentor a few feet back and looked her over, taking in the two long blond ponytails with a weird ball of hair on top of each. Kaen thought. "Do I know you," she finally asked, voicing her concerns. The girl blushed. "Oh I'm sorry. That was totally rude of me. I'm Tsukino Usagi, a friend of Ami's." Kaen nodded knowingly. So that's how this girl knew who she was. She was one of that group who had been talking about her yesterday. "Pleased to meet you," Kaen replied. "I guess you already know who I am." "Yea. So what _are_ you doing?" Usagi glanced in the direction that Kaen had been looking and smiled at what she saw there. "Oh, those guys... You like them?" "No! I... uhh... I'm... I'm just curious about them, that's all." "Oh. I can introduce you to them if you want." Kaen blushed. "Well... ah... that's not really necessary... I mean..." "Aww... come on! It's no trouble. Hey guys!" She started heedlessly forward, grabbing Kaen's wrist and dragging her along. "Hey Odango!" Seiya replied with a wide smile that earned him a few funny looks. "Guys I'd like you to meet Kaen Kou, the new transfer student," Usagi continued, oblivious to his attention and just wanting everyone to be friends. "And this," she continued inticating the guys, "is the Three Lights Seiya, Yaten and..." "Taiki," Kaen finished for her. "Yea, I already met him." "Oh... you have..." Taiki nodded. "Nice to see you again Kou." "Kaen," she replied bluntly. "What?" "I prefer to go by Kaen," she said simply. "I always have. And with so many people named Kou around it'll be easier anyways. After all, you guys go by your family names." "Yea," Yaten began slowly, "but we're...." "Guys?" Kaen snapped back. "So what. Who says a girl can't go by her family name if she wants to, huh?" An uncomfortable silence followed her outburst, and Kaen finaly broke it again. "Ah... not to be rude or anything but I've got other things to do. Bye!" She made a hasty retreat. She wasn't sure why but she got the strangest feeling that they were sizing her up. But then what reason would they have to do that..... **** **** **** **** Somewhere in a dark and empty void four shapes converged. They were vaguely humanoid and each stopped on a mark on the floor, creating a roughly square shape. "Alright," the first one, a creature of living flame, called out. "We are here. What is it you ask of us." There was no answer and the second, who's form seemed liquid, began fidgeting. "I don't think it's here Blaze." The third, who appeared to be made of pure electricity, shook its head. "It called us here. You're just _hoping_ that it's not here Brooke." The final creature, a conglomeration of mud and vines, snorted. "Would you two stop it! Honestly Breeze, how's it gonna look if we get caught sniping at one another?" "You are correct as always Blossom," a sexless voice said. The quartet turned their attention to the center of the square they formed, where it could be seen that the darkness had gotten a little darker. "I have come to tell you, the time has drawn close now. Are you prepared?" "Yes," the four answered flatly. "Good. Be ready my Elementals. Your services will be used very soon..." **** **** **** **** Kaen stared at the homework in front of her with and ill look on her face. With a sigh she picked up her pen and, once again, tried to start on a math problem. "Okay, there's an eastbound train and a westbound one..." she mumbled, starting to draw a diagram. "Boy I hope they have a head on collision... Urgh... Kaen, focus! Okay the westbound one left at 12:40 and is traveling... Ugh like anyone cares. That's it, time for a break." She closed her notebook, which had the assignment written neatly at the top and the number one written, also neatly, in the margin. She stood up, stretching, and was about to put some music on when she noticed that she still had Ami's CD. She picked it up and pondered for a moment, wondering whether or not to put it on. "Oh why the hell not?" she asked herself finally, popping it into her player. She let it play as she went to look for a snack and slowly felt herself getting into it. There was something about the song, it spoke to her. It seemed to touch something deep inside her. She snorted as she felt herself humming along. "I must be getting soft. I'd never go for mellow crap like this in the old days." Her jaw stiffened as she thought about the "old days." What had happened to separate her from her group... She cut off that train of thought quickly. The wound was still too fresh, she couldn't think about what had happened yet. But she could think about what had happened after. She had ended up in the wrong place. Right planet, they had known that Galaxia was going to strike Earth next, but wrong country.... She shook her head and steeled herself. Why was she being so wistful anyways? She never thought about _that_ anymore. She stormed over to her CD player and immediately shut the music off. "It's this lousy mellow music," she mumbled to herself. "It's making me all weepy for the past. The past is gone Kaen, remember that!" She flipped through her discs, looking for something with more of an edge. "Some metal, that's what I need. Pound that wistfulness out of me. Why'd I even put that stupid thing in anyways? Those guys are a pack of no-talents. They don't even have a drummer...." END THE FIRST PART..... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Immicolia... immicolia@hotmail.com Immicolia's Fanfiction Nebula http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/8671 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------