AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, standard disclaimer. Sailor Moon and all related characters do _not_ belong to me. They are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, Toei Animation, and who knows who else depending on what language you're watching it in.... However the character of Kaen Kou of this fanfiction is purely a creation of my own insanity..... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THE FIRE MY SAILORMOON SAILORSTARS FANFICTION BY: Immicolia The Second Part: "The Leader Of The Star Senshi Appears" "Hey Kaen! Come here!" Kaen glanced in the direction of the shout and finally spotted Usagi gesturing franticly to join her. She started in that direction with a shrug and finally stopped near the blond girl. "Yea, what is it?" "I'm going to the Crown after school with some friends for ice cream. You wanna come?" Kaen immediately felt her empty stomach tighten. She had stayed up so late last night, thinking pointlessly about the past, that she had ended up sleeping in and not having time for breakfast. Plus she had been in such a hurry that she had forgotten her lunch and was starving. "Are you serious?" Kaen asked with a laugh. "I'd love it." Usagi smiled brilliantly. "Great! You can meet some of my other friends too. I'll meet you here after classes, then we can go down there together, okay?" "Sure." Kaen gave a brief smile. "Speaking of classes, we'd better hurry or we're gonna be late." Usagi dismissed that statement with a wave of her hand. "Aww... it's not that late...." She glanced at her watch and gaped. "It's even later! Come on Kaen! We gotta bookit!" She immediately dashed in the direction of the school and Kaen hurried after her, wondering how she was going to make it through the day without starving to death. **** **** **** **** "Are you ready?" The four Elementals nodded. "Yes," Blaze said flatly, the self-appointed spokes-Elemental. "Good. We must go about this carefully however.... We cannot alert the protectors of this planet to our true motives until it is too late for them to stop us. But first we must be sure that our scapegoats are here...." "Oh they're here," Breeze said with an evil grin. "They were here when the senshi of the moon of this lousy rock freed the Chaos and by doing so freed us. They must still be here, where else do they have to go?" "Anywhere Breeze!" the figure snapped at its minion. "And if you recall, there was only three of them at that time. We must be sure that all four of them are here. Now, you know what to do?" "O... of course," Breeze stuttered, unnerved slightly by its leader's fury. "Twistia is ready for your command." "Good... send her out to wreak a minor amount of havoc. And make sure she doesn't stop until _all_ of the senshi show up or until she is defeated, whichever comes first...." "Ummm.... If you don't mind my asking..." Brooke started slowly. "Just how many senshi are there supposed to be here?" "One for every planet in this pathetic solar system," it answered simply. "Except for this planet, but there is one for this planet's moon...." "Plus our four scapegoats," Blossom added calmly. "If they're even here...." "Lucky thirteen," Blaze mused. "Gotta like that.... Well Breeze, send Twistia out... and remember to tell her, thirteen senshi or she doesn't come back...." **** **** **** **** "You know Kaen..." Ami began carefully as they sat down to eat lunch. "Being late on your third day here can't be good for you...." "I know.... I know..." Kaen wailed, trying to ignore her empty gut. "What happened, did you sleep in?" "Yea... I was up so late last night.... Uh.... Trying to finish that stupid math homework...." She let out a deep sigh and concentrated on stopping her stomach from growling. "You have trouble in math?" "You could say that," Kaen growled bitterly. "Well.... If you'd like, I could help you. I usually help Usagi with her math. It wouldn't be too much trouble to help you too...." "REALLY!?!?" Kaen immediately fell by her feet. "Thankyouthankyou thankyouthankyou.... I am _such_ a dunce in that class, and I heard that you're a 300 point IQ genius. You don't _know_ how much I'll owe you if you can help me pass...." "Kaen... really... it's no trouble.... Kaen... please get up. You're making a scene...." Kaen stopped her groveling and blushed. "Sorry. I've just never actually met anyone willing to help me before. I'm kinda a loner.... And a pest.... And usually just plain rude, so...." "You're also too hard on yourself," Ami cut her off. "You haven't been rude or annoying yet." "You don't know me very well yet," Kaen replied simply. "Look, I'll tell you next time I'm going to tutor Usagi and you can join us, alright?" Ami smiled at her. "And maybe you can bring my CD back when you do...." Kaen winced. "Right! I am _so_ sorry. I don't mean to keep forgetting it...." "Do you like it that much?" Ami asked innocently. "Hell no!" Kaen snapped back, causing Ami to flinch slightly at the other girl's tone. "Not meaning to trash your taste in music or anything, but they're just not my style.... Personally I think they're all looks and no talent, they don't even have a drummer.... I wonder if they want one..." she began wondering out loud. "What?" "Well..." Kaen blushed slightly. "Not intending to show off or anything, but I drum.... People have told me that I'm pretty good.... I was just kinda thinking out loud when I mentioned the last thing. Although...." She stopped to ponder for a moment. "I would fit in with them pretty good, don't ya think?" "Well...." Ami gave an uncomfortable laugh. "You do have the hair and the name...." "That's exactly what I was thinking.... But then I'm a girl," she said suddenly with a laugh. "I don't think I'd fit in too good after all...." She dismissed the subject with a slight wave of her hand and the two girls began chatting about other things. But no matter how hard she tried to stop it, her mind kept going back to the possibility.... Maybe she _could_ join them. But why would she want to? She had more important things to do... like finding her team.... But if she put herself in the limelight and became an idol, maybe her team would find her.... She smiled slightly at the idea. It was perfect. Now she had a plan. All she had to do was convince the talentless trio to let her join them... and pulling that off couldn't be too hard. After all, they were just guys... and she was a beautiful flirtatious girl.... They'd be eating out of the palm of her hand.... **** **** **** **** "Hey Usagi!" Usagi turned at the shout and smiled. "Oh! Hi Kaen! Hi Ami!" Kaen grinned as she walked up. "Well let's go! I am _starving!_" "And no wonder," Ami said with a laugh. "You did skip lunch...." "I forgot my lunch, and _someone_ wouldn't share theirs," Kaen snapped back with mock ferociousness. "Well you didn't say anything.... I would have been happy to share." Kaen looked at her, shocked. "What!? Say something and impose myself? As if! That would be so rude of me. I've only just met you...." "This coming from the girl who _claims_ to be rude and obnoxious," Ami said disbelieveingly. "I told you that you were too hard on yourself." Kaen blushed. "And I told _you_ that you haven't known me for long enough...." "Oh Kaen," Usagi put in. "I'm sure you'll still be the same when we're all little old ladies. We'll still be trying to tell you that you're not rude and you'll still be saying that...." She suddenly stopped as a sudden gust of wind blew her back. "Woah! Where'd that come from?" "From me blondie!" The three girls looked up in shock at the irritating voice and gaped at the insubstantial creature that they saw there. "What the..." Kaen began slowly. Then the creature yanked up a lamp post with another gust of wind and Kaen decided not to question it anymore. "RUN!" she shouted as the post was flung in their direction. The girls scattered and Usagi and Ami shared a glance, knowing what they had to do. They watched Kaen carefully, wanting to be sure that she was safely away before transforming and gaped as the redhead turned to glare at their foe. "I don't know what you are or where you came from and I don't care," she snapped at it. "But I would like to know where you get off attacking innocent people!" "It is my orders," it replied flatly. "I am to wreak havoc." Kaen stared at it in shock and was unprepared when a gust of wind struck her and tossed her back, causing her to hit her head on a curb and knocking her unconscious. Ami and Usagi immediately ran to her side and drug her into an alley. "She's out cold," Ami said, checking her pulse. "But otherwise she seems okay." "Good, she should be safe here.... Come on Ami, let's show that thing what happens when you mess with our friends." "Right.... MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER...." "MOON ETERNAL...." "MAKE UP!" they finished in unison, beginning their transformation.... **** **** **** **** Not too far away, the Three lights were on their way home. "You know," Seiya began. "I don't feel like going straight home. Why don't we... stop for ice cream or something?" "You mean like at the Crown?" Yaten asked snidely. "Yea!" "I thought so." Yaten rolled his eyes. "We heard Usagi talking about going there after school too you know. Haven't you given up on her _yet?_" "Never! As long as her boyfriend's away there's still hope...." "Yea, just don't let anybody else hear you talk like that.... Especially Haruka. Or else you might just find yourself beaten into a bloody pulp...." Seiya glared at him and was about to say something when he was hit by a sudden gust of wind. "Woah.... Is it just me, or did it get really windy all of a sudden?" "It's not just you," Taiki said flatly. Seiya glanced in the direction that he was staring and quickly did a double take. The wind was coming from some sort of a creature made up of dust and small bits of debris. And at the moment it was tossing Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury around. "Usagi..." he breathed. "She's in trouble! We have to help her!" "You know..." Yaten began dryly. "We aren't here to help them protect their planet...." "Don't start this again!" Seiya snapped back. "I don't care! She's our friend and she's in trouble. I'm helping her even if you're not!" "Easy man, I was just kidding. I wouldn't just leave her there when she's in obvious trouble. Let's go!" **** **** **** **** Breeze watched the proceedings from a distance, only half interested. "That's two senshi," it sighed, bored already. "Where's the rest of them?" "Maybe they don't know that their friends are in trouble yet?" Brooke put in, peaking over the Air Elemental's shoulder. "Well they better hurry up and get there," Breeze snapped. "Or else this planet will be minus two senshi...." **** **** **** **** Sailor Moon gasped as her back struck a wall and she got the wind knocked out of her. Not too far away Sailor Mercury was also lying prone on the ground. she thought in panic. She looked up at the creature, which looked about ready to attempt to finish them off, and braced herself, squeezing her eyes shut.... "STAR SERIOUS LASER!" That familiar shout caused her eyes to immediately snap open again and she watched as the creature was flung aside. Smiling she turned her head in the direction of the voice and finally spotted the Sailor Starlights. Starfighter smiled back and started forward to help Sailor Moon up when she was suddenly knocked off her feet by a gust of wind. She let out a small grunt of pain as she hit the ground and was about to get to her feet again when another gust hit her, tossing her against the wall beside Sailor Moon. A few moments later the other two Starlights joined her. "That's them!" Breeze suddenly exclaimed from her vantage point. "Or three of them at least," Brooke added. "You're right," Breeze said, eyeing the situation carefully. "Where's the fourth one? She's needed for our plan as well." "You'd better hope she shows up soon... along with the others," Brooke said, watching Twistia wreak her havoc. "Cause your monster was told to keep it up until thirteen senshi show up and if they don't show soon she's gonna end up offing our scapegoats...." Twistia smiled. It was fun doing this sort of thing, wreaking small amounts of havoc. And all she had to do was wait until thirteen senshi showed up... that was easy. There were five here all ready. Slowly she created a small vortex and began pulling them all together. That would hold them, and then she could go back to playing until the other eight got here. She pulled the vortex closed a little tighter, not noticing the pain that her captives were in, only thinking about what she could do next.... Maybe she could.... "Hold it right there ya windbag!" She looked over her shoulder and her smile widened. Another one. Now she just had to wait for seven more. She watched in mild amusement as the senshi went through the usual ritual of silly poses. "With the flare of destruction and rebirth that burns throughout time," she was saying, "Sailor Supernova. Stage on!" "Nova..." Fighter gasped, hearing the speech. "She _is_ here. She's still alive...." The five trapped senshi watched in awe as the fourth member of the Sailor Starlights stepped into full view. She was clad in the same black leather fuku as the other Starlights and the only differences were the same minor ones that were common between all of their outfits. The straps on her fuku were of a bright blue color and her choker was the same color, with a silver star in its center. The monster regarded her dumbly and she smiled coldly at it. "Okay now. I've done my speech and such, so now it's time for you to let my group go or I may be forced to get rough." The creature hissed at her and immediately lifted some debris with a gust of wind to throw at her, whereupon Nova just rolled her eyes at it. "Really now. Must you?" The creature flung the debris in her direction and Nova dodged effortlessly aside. "Hmm... I guess you must. Very well then...." She squared her feet on the ground and closed her eyes, drawing into herself momentarily. "STAR MYSTERIUM FLARE!" she shouted, pointing in the monster's direction. A stream of fire licked out and struck the thing square in the chest, knocking it aside and dissipating its vortex. The other five senshi collapsed to the ground and slowly got back to their feet, watching as their enemy was slowly began to break apart under the heat. Finally the last of it faded and Nova slowly turned to face them. "So you _are_ here," she said bluntly. "That's good. Something big's up and I was afraid that I'd have to handle it myself." She nodded slightly to Sailor Moon and Mercury then turned back to the Starlights "It's nice to see that you fight along side the senshi of this planet too. Not that we're gonna need the help or anything but a little backup never hurts.... I'll see you guys later, there are a few other things that I have to do as well...." And with that she sprung off into the shadows of a nearby alley. Starfighter started after her but was suddenly held back by the other two. "What's the big idea?!" she snapped at them. "Let me go! We have to talk to her!" "I don't trust her!" Healer snapped back. There's something very funny about her." "What do you mean? She seemed the same to me...." "Exactly," Maker said calmly. "It just doesn't seem right.... Don't you think that after all this time she might have changed.... After all, we did...." "So what you're saying," Fighter began disbelieveingly. "Is that she's too much like Nova to actually be Nova." "Yes." "That's... the _STUPIDEST_ theory I've ever heard in my life!" Fighter began fuming. "What are you suggesting we do then!?" "Just be careful, that's all...." **** **** **** **** Kaen pulled an icepack out of the fridge and groaned as she gingerly put it against her forehead. "Boy... am I gonna feel this tomorrow...." She glanced in a nearby mirror and winced as she saw that she looked as awful as she felt. "Man... I'm gonna have such a bruise...." She sighed and sunk down into a chair. was all she could think. Her eyes narrowed. END THE SECOND PART..... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Immicolia... immicolia@hotmail.com Immicolia's Fanfiction Nebula http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/8671 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------