Earth's Delicate Petal By Julia Kamenetzky (Earth Princess) **This story takes place during the Negamoon plot arch of Sailor Moon R** Well this was the first Sailor Earth fanfic of the trilogy...I wrote it a while ago, I believe my writing as improved since then. This story uses AMERICAN DIC DUB names. Those were the ones I knew best at the time when I wrote this. "Miko Chino" means "Beautiful Child of Earth". And, if you can't figure why she would be Sailor Earth, let me explain. Each Sailor Senshi was the princess of their planet...so Sailor Mercury was the princess of Mercury. In Sailormoon, Earth was the only planet without a princess...instead, it had Endymion, the prince. So why couldn't he have a sister? That sister...the princess...would be Sailor Earth. Enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------- "Quiet down class! Today is Miko's first day here, so let's all do our best to make her at home. Miko, would you like to introduce yourself?" asked Miss Haruna. The thin girl looked up at the watching eyes of the other students. She remembered her promise to herself. She'd get a lot of friends here. Oh yes, this was her chance. She flashed her bright smile. "My name is Miko Chino. I just moved here, so I don't know anyone. My family moves around a lot, so I'm kind of used to new schools. I like writing poetry." "Very good, Miko," chimed Miss Haruna. "Now take a seat, and we'll begin our lesson." * * * Miko stirred her drink with a spoon at an outdoor cafe as she listened to the blabber of three girls, Serena, Amy, and Lita, from her school. They were so dull and boring! Didn't they ever hope for something more? Were all the kids in this school so bland? "Hi!" Miko jumped at the sudden voice behind her. "I'm Mina! You must be the new girl at Serena's school, right?" Miko turned around and told that her she was. This girl looked full of energy. Not wasting a chance for good conversation, she added "Sit right down and order something! This cafe is great. We're going to an arcade later." "Excuse me!" said another voice. Miko looked behind Mina to find another girl with long black hair and hands on her hips. "It's not very polite to only invite one person." Miko was startled for a moment, but soon found her voice. "I'm so sorry." "Ah, don't listen to her Miko. That's Raye. She's always like that. Come on Raye, have a seat!" said a girl whom Miko learned was named Lita. After listening for what seemed like hours to pointless gossip about people she didn't even know, she scanned the area. There were some fine guys. Most of the people looked hurried. Then she caught site of one man. Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened as he slowly strolled down the street. Not even remembering about the girls behind her, she walked through the crowds fixated on the man. His dark hair and eyes were so fascinating. There was something very special about this man. "Miko! Hey, where's she going?" and other such remarks went in one ear and out the other. Halfway to him, she was stopped by Raye. "What do you think you're doing just walking away like that? You need to learn some manners!" Miko shook off her trance as she stared at Raye. "Oh, I...sorry. I wasn't thinking." "Obviously." "Well, anyway, I need to go now." "Why?" "I just do!" Raye turned around in disgust. "How rude!" she said as she walked back to the cafe. Good. Now Miko could get back to business. She located the man leaning on a lamp-post. She would have to get him to notice her. She hid behind the corner of a building and prepared to run out and casually bump into him. Perfect plan. How could it not work? Miko soon found out. At the start of her run, she tripped over her heels and fell to the ground under the man. Almost in tears, she looked up. He was gone. How could she be so stupid? Scaring him off like that. What a klutz! "You okay?" asked a deep voice behind her. She turned around to find the man crouched beside her. "Are you hurt?" Cupid's arrow does kind of sting. "I'm okay," she said as she met eyes with the man. A flash went through both of them. Something unexplainable. Miko struggled to get back to earth after floating in space. She saw the man stuttering too. "Um...what's your name?" Why can't she remember! Look away, look away! Miko looked at the man's feet. "Miko. You?" "Darien. Are you sure you'll be okay?" "Yeah," she said. As the struggled to stand up, her ankle begged to differ. "Look, I have a friend who wants to be a doctor. I'll take him to you." Darien reached around the girl and lifted her up. Why was it so familiar? After a short walk, the two arrived at an gaming arcade. Oh no, would the girls see her in this condition with an older man? "Hey Andrew! Come over here, will you?" Darien called. Another man with light hair that looked about Darien's age stopped sweeping and came over to the corner. "What's up? Oh, ouch! Looks like a twisted ankle!" Andrew said. Miko almost slapped herself. Why did she wear these creepy heels? Darien set Miko down in a chair as Andrew went to get some ice. They stared at each other for a few minutes. He's so handsome. And we look kind of alike. I feel like I know him somehow. I've never felt like this. Being with him makes me so happy. I don't know what the girls at school will think, but I can't deny this obvious destiny. Miko scanned the area for the girls. What's with this girl? She appears off the street and we suddenly click, like we've always expected each other. Haven't we met each other? Everything feels so familiar. What will Serena think? "Do you like poetry?" the girl asked. "Huh?" Darien said. "Oh. Yeah, I guess it's okay." "I'll read you one of my poems." She dug into her skirt pocket and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper. She began to read the poetic story of a princess from the moon awaiting her prince. "It's just the beginning, I don't know if I'll finish it." Miko said. Darien was speechless. As Andrew returned with some ice, Darien looked out the window and saw Serena and the other girls nearing the arcade as they window shopped. How could he be seen with this new girl? But oh, how it would pain him to leave and keep secrets from Serena. She was so youthful and innocent, but this girl... Darien regretfully turned his back to Miko. "I've got to go," was all he said before leaving. Miko was close to tears. But she just met this guy, why was she crying? Outside, Darien turned and winked before going out of view. Miko wiped her tears and smiled. "Hey, look, it's Miko!" Serena called. "Hi! Hey, what's wrong?" Andrew took the duty of responding. "She twisted her ankle. Darien brought her in." Serena smiled. "Yeah, Darien's really nice. He'd help anyone. You know Miko, he's my boyfriend. Isn't that great?" The words seemed to rip through Miko's heart. Boyfriend? Why hadn't he told her? Miko brought up her courage and decided that Serena's relationship with him was just a school-girl crush. A guy like Darien would never go for someone as clumsy as Serena. Besides, only destiny and fate could have brought them together on that busy sidewalk. What would simple minded Serena know about that? Amy noticed Miko's silence and inner despair. Changing the subject, she chimed, "So, do you think you'll be all right?" "Oh, yeah, sure. It's not too bad." "But you were crying," Mina said. She showed such passion. What was with these girls? They really cared about someone they just met. Then again, she was in the same situation with Darien. What was with this town? * * * "No, I have to go. I must go to Princess Serena to warn the Moon Kingdom of Queen Beryl. I'll come back soon and we'll have a picnic. I promise," Prince Darien said to Miko. What? Oh, it was just a dream. Darien wiped the sweat from his brow and stood on his apartment balcony. The gentle breeze whispered through his hair. Something was definitely strange. There was no way he could talk to Serena or the other girls. Ah! In this case, the best guy for help would be... * * * "Hey Mina! Is Artemis home?" Mina was struck dumb. Why was Darien at her door, and why did he just ask to see her cat? Mina stuttered, "Yeah, I'll go get him...I guess." Walking slowly up the stairs, Mina called to Artemis, and he obediently came down. Concentrating on the stairs, Artemis replied, "Tell Luna she needs to start using the window. Normal cats don't knock on-" "Artemis?" Darien called. Artemis' face turned red as he looked up. "Uh, Darien...." "Mina, could Artemis and I be alone?" Feeling too bewildered to say anything, she nodded and went upstairs. "So, Artemis, what's up?" "I was about to ask the same question." Darien laughed an incredibly fake laugh as a weak attempt to ease the tension. "Look, I met this girl-" "Miko?" Darien uneasily fingered through his dark hair as he continued. "Yeah, well, it was weird. As soon as we met eyes, it was like we had known each other for years. Every thing I said and did was so familiar. I think she was feeling the same way too. Then last night I had this weird dream. I was telling her I was going to the moon to warn Serena of Queen Beryl, and that I'd be back soon. She looked so deeply sad." "But you never did come back," Artemis remembered. "Well, in real life. But that doesn't mean it really happened. Did it?" Darien asked. "I mean, was it really something that happened?" Artemis put on a straight face. However, Darien could see past it into the big childlike eyes and grin just waiting to escape. "I have to talk to Luna." * * * "Serena for the last time! We'll get the ice cream after I talk to you!" Luna yelled. "Gosh, Luna!" Serena answered as she stopped clicking her heels on the sidewalk pavement. "What is your problem?" "I believe that we have found another Sailor Scout. It seems that your new friend Miko is our sixth scout, from Earth." Serena jaw dropped. "Miko? No way." "Serena listen to me! We'll get some ice cream, then we need to go home and talk to Rini. She'll know about the Scouts of the future." Serena and Luna arrived home shortly before sunset. "Let's track down that little brat for some info. If she's looking through my stuff again I'm going to throw her out the window by her hair!" Serena and Luna found Rini napping on the couch. "The little twits kind of cute when she's sleeping," Serena noticed. She gently shook Rini, but had to resort to yelling in her ear. "Stupid Serena! Don't do that!" Rini yelled. "So, Rini, we were just wondering, you come from the future, so...is there by chance a Sailor Earth there?" Serena interrogated. Rini closed her eyes and lay her tired head on a pillow. "No." Serena smugly looked down at Luna. "See? You were totally wrong Luna. LUNA WAS WRONG! LUNA WAS WRONG!" she taunted. * * * Miko shivered as she limped through the cold dark alleys of an evening Tokyo. Her eyes glanced from the pavement once at a cat. Stupid cat, following her around at night. Miko looked up to the top of a dumpster where the cat's tail tauntingly waved back and forth. "Look, I like cats, but your freaking me out!" Miko yelled. She quickly covered her mouth in surprise. "Who am I talking to?" she asked. She glared into the cat's glowing eyes as she slowly turned to walk away. As she continued to limp home, a sharp cry of fear turned her attention to a nearby trinket shop. Miko ran around the corner. As she skidded to a stop on the sidewalk, she watched in horror as a hideous monster plucked a man out of the running crowd. Throwing him like an old shoe back into the crowd, the monster's wet body slithered back into the trinket shop. "Miko Chino," Miko whispered to herself, "you are the stupidest person I know," and with that she tip-toed past the market and threw herself under the store display window. Now this was exciting. The crowd gone, Miko quietly peeked into the store. Through the glass and past the display tables, she saw the monster and another character reveling their triumph. The women inside had a wicked laugh that made Miko cover her ears. It must have frightened the cat, Miko figured, because it meowed and ran past Miko. Stupid cat, what if they heard it? Her attention back to the store, Miko carefully analyzed the situation. There was a giant monster and some evil lady taking over a trinket store. Okay, she knew that, but now what? Miko turned around and slowly sat against the brick wall. She then noticed a twinkle on the sidewalk. Crawling over, she discovered a light purple wand with a strange symbol on it. The cat must've dropped it, Miko figured. She carefully placed it in her pocket. From inside the store, Miko heard the women's voice proclaim, "Well, whoever left this won't be needing it anymore." With that, she threw a purse out the store window, crashing the glass. Broken shards hit Miko, but she knew she couldn't make a sound. To move at all would shift the glass and create a sound audible to whoever it was in the store. Miko sat and held back her tears. Then she figured it out. She had a twisted ankle, was covered in broken glass, and was out alone at night sitting almost in front of an evil person and some monster. The night couldn't get any worse. Miko stood up, took a deep breath, and just as she began to yell- "Everyone needs something cute to hang off their backpack, and you, Emerald, have ruined our pleasures again! I am Sailor Moon! I fight for love and justice, and on behalf of the moon, I shall punish you!" Miko turned around to see the girls she had met earlier in some pretty weird outfits. "Serena?" Miko asked. "Huh? How'd you know it was me?" Serena said. Emerald suddenly appeared levitating over the middle of the street. "Hate to interrupt the reunion girls, but you and your scouts are getting on my nerves! Droid Aquata, take care of them! Miko, standing in the middle of the street was bewildered by all the action of this crazy town. She had just enough concentration to hear a voice say, "Miko, do you have the wand I dropped?" Miko turned around searching for the voice. "Yes, I....wait a minute! Cat?" The black cat emerged from the shadows. "Quickly Miko! Hold it up and say 'Earth Star Power'!" Miko did so, and found herself in a whirlpool of colors and light. She discovered herself enveloped in what seemed like an everlasting garden of flowers, and emerged back into the moonlight a new person, in the same fuku as the other girls, but hers a shade of light purple with a bow of lime-green. "I can't believe it!" said Sailor Mars. "Yeah, Serena,' Venus said, "You said Luna was wrong!" Serena blushed. "Uh, yeah, but you see Rini said-" Emerald clenched her fists. "Look, girls, your time's up! Droid Aquata, now!" The droid grinned in delight. "Yes, Emerald. With pleasure." As she neared the scouts, Miko held her ground. This was her first day in a new town, and now she finds herself battling some swamp-thing in the middle of the night. Didn't she want an exciting life? Was this how it really was? All of her rage built up until she just couldn't hold it any longer. "Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you're about to get another one! I'm Sailor Earth, and you're ancient history!" Miko once again found herself in the blinding light and color as she yelled "FLOWER...SPIRIT..." A whirl of flowers twirled around her in a massive fury as she concentrated them into her delicate gloves. "CHARGE!" The petals flew through the street beating the droid senseless. Miko fell off balance from the force and landed hard on the pavement. Had she done that? Was this for real? Emerald gritted her teeth. "Aquata, get up and fight!" The droid emerged from the pile of flowers larger than ever. Miko backed up with the other scouts. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her," Sailor Moon said. Miko watched as her leader raised a strange device and called the words "Moon....Scepter... ELIMINATION!" Then the monster vanished in a flash of light, and left only a pile of ash and a dead crystal. Emerald landed on the pavement opposing the scouts. "You've foiled my plans one too many times Sailor Moon. Let's see if you're so strong without...say, Sailor Jupiter!" Suddenly Jupiter rose into the air. "Let me down, you witch!" Jupiter yelled. "That's it! I've had it with you, Emerald. MARS...FIRE-" "No, Mars!" cried Sailor Earth. "If we injure Emerald, her powers over Jupiter will cease and she'll fall." Emerald freely waved Sailor Jupiter high over the town with her right arm. Raising her left, Sailor Mercury found herself in the air too. "Well, Sailor Moon, with her gone, you'll have to use your tiny brain to get out of this one." Miko suddenly felt a power in her. She knew what she was doing. She found a pink rose from a nearby flower stand. Miko stood on the flower cart in the shadows, and took aim for Emerald's left arm. The rose pierced her hand, and Mercury started falling at a drastic speed behind a building. Sailor Mars turned around to face Miko. "What did you do that for...and how?" Just as she finished, a masked figure appeared on the roof of the building. In his arms was Sailor Mercury. "It runs in the family," Tuxedo Mask said. "Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon yelled. "Darien!" Sailor Earth chimed. "That's right, Miko, and from what I know we've got a lot of catching up to do," Tuxedo Mask answered. He let Mercury down as he jumped the building to face Emerald. Emerald carefully watched everyone. "Come any closer," she said, "and Jupiter takes the drop!" Sailor Earth knew that Jupiter was one of the best fighters around. What did Miko have to offer? Some bad poetry? She slowly walked next to Tuxedo Mask, facing Emerald. "No," she said. "Take me instead." "No, Earth!" Tuxedo Mask yelled. He grabbed Miko's shoulder. "Don't do that to me! You and I...in the past...we were brother and sister! I've finally found my family. Please, don't take that away from me!" "I have to. You don't need me-" "Yes, I do! We all do!" he said as he motioned to the scouts. "Earth does." "Look," Emerald interrupted, "This is a touching moment, but-" Before Emerald could finish her sentence, Sailor Earth took advantage of her close spot to surprise Emerald with a punch in the face. Losing control, Emerald's power let go of Jupiter. Sailor Jupiter starting hurling toward the center of the street. "Ha Ha Ha! My job here is done!" Emerald said as she disappeared. The Sailor Scouts gathered in the center of the street. Holding hands, they yelled "SAILOR PLANET POWER!" and created a kind of force-field around themselves. Jupiter athletically used it as a trampoline to bounce off of and land on the cold pavement. When the scouts let go of hands, Miko fell to the ground in exhaustion. Everyone gathered around her, including Tuxedo Mask. Luna carefully pushed her way to Sailor Earth. "Sailor Earth, you have to get up," she said. "I...I can't," Miko stuttered. Her transformation began to fade with every breath. Tuxedo Mask picked her up. "What's hapwanding to her?" he asked. In his arms, Miko seemed to fade. "She's not ready. Sailor Earth was very strong, but Miko Chino is not. Her body just couldn't handle that kind of power," Luna said. Miko's body continued fading and flickering. "Will she be gone forever?" Tuxedo Mask asked. "Like every Princess, she'll eventually become a Sailor Scout. Miko will be reborn, most likely, and all memory of the current Miko will be erased from her family." "Rini said there wasn't a Sailor Earth in Crystal Tokyo," Serena noted. Luna nodded. "Maybe that's right. Oh maybe she's there, but hasn't been found. Either way, someday there will be a Sailor Earth. And don't worry, she'll be back." Tuxedo Mask lay the flickering body of Miko down. He took off his hat and glasses, laying them upon her. The girl then disappeared as the sun began to rise. Darien bowed his head and solemnly said, "Someday...I will find you." -------------------------------------------------------- Contact me: JadeFireJ@aol.com , AIM: PrincessFuu I would love your comments!