Daniel Amsler amslerd@globalserve.on.ca Tuxedo Dan NefCanuck on Undernet #sailormoon -------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Notes: Yes, here's another chapter folks! This will represent the first chapter done with IBM's VoiceType dictation system. I hope this method will prove as entertaining as my previous manual typing efforts. All comments to: amslerd@globalserve.on.ca Copyright Notice: Sailor Moon is copyright Naoko Tenchi and is being used without permission (I hope that no one takes offense!) and I reserve all posting rights. Note: Sailor Pluto = Susan Sailor Uranus = Erica Sailor Neptune = Michelle Chapter 7 of "Whose Reality is Right" : Future Shock(Rabbit Season) As Mina and the other Scouts read Daniel's note they could only marvel at how he had left them behind again. Serena spoke first "Guys, this doesn't look good. He just doesn't understand that we want to help him" Amy spoke next "But Serena, we really didn't believe his story about the little girl with pink hair. I got the feeling that he was bound and determined to prove that she actually existed" Darien spoke "Okay guys enough chatter we have to find him, who knows what trouble he's in!" Oh if they only knew. Daniel found himself back in the forest where he had first met up with the little girl "Reeny" he reminded himself. Suddenly, he saw what looked like a flash of pink and he made to chase her. But his chase was short lived as he was attacked by three women and one man with flaming red hair "We have you now Daniel or should I say 'Lord Light' please do not resist us we have no desire to hurt you!" "Much" Avery sneered. Daniel looked confused "I don't know how you know about me being 'Lord Light' but I don't think you people know who or what you're dealing with 'LORD LIGHT DAWN!'" And with that Daniel felt the familiar wash of power that signified his transformation to Lord Light. Rubeus appeared unimpressed "You just have to do it the hard way don't you? You're just as stubborn in the future! GET HIM GIRLS!" Daniel found himself surrounded by three women. Daniel could only smirk to himself "If I wasn't involved with Mina, this could actually be fun! Okay you fashion challenged females whose first?" The first of the women attacked Daniel with what looked like an ordinary leather whip. Unfortunately, it was much more than that as a dark energy traveled down the whip and attacked Daniel as it wrapped around his arm! "Yow!" Daniel groaned "That hurt! I see I'm going to have to bring out the heavy artillery myself. Take this!" And Daniel fired off a volley of golden energy, seeking to trap the woman's arms and make the whip ineffective. A nice plan except there were three other people interested in attacking him! As Daniel's back was turned Rubeus let loose a devastating dark energy attack that caused Daniel to pitch forward in the snow. Rubeus sneered "Pathetic, and to think the Wiseman thought we would actually have a problem defeating you!" Daniel turned to his attacker "Who does your hair? The local hydro company?" Daniel's weak joke was met with a boot to the ribs. "Foolish human! You can't beat us here, much less in the future. Give us the rabbit and things will be easier for you." Daniel felt his smarting ribs "'Rabbit'? I have no idea who or what you are referring to! If that's what you attacked me for then you picked a stupid reaso, and what are you talking about with that "in the future stuff?" Rubeus sneered "Defiant to the last and as naive as ever, it's too bad we walk on opposite sides Daniel you would make a fine ally with a bit of an 'education'" "No thanks, if I wanted a boring lecture I'd have stayed where I was!" Daniel wheezed as Rubeus kicked him again. Mina led the other Scouts into the forest "Okay guys, we have to split up if we're going to find him!" Suddenly, they heard Daniel's exclamation of pain. Mina looked ashen faced "Guys, I think we found him TRANSFORM!" And with that the Scouts assumed their fighting identities. Daniel lay in the snow his breath coming in ragged gasps "Sorry Mina, I did it again" he muttered weakly to himself. A familiar cry of "Hold it!" made Daniel look up, he thought he must be hallucinating for there he saw the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask. Rubeus looked concerned "I don't like these odds anymore, Come girls there will be another chance" and with that Rubeus and the three women disappeared! As Daniel started to gain his bearings, Mina towered over him "Just what did you think you were doing? Running off all alone could have gotten you killed!" Daniel sat up weakly "Look, I had a strange dream last night and thought that I should try and find out what it means!" Serena kneeled down to where Daniel sat "Okay, just what was this dream? We all want to help you if we can" Daniel could only sigh "Look, I'm sorry I ran off like I did, but telling you about my dream won't help me understand it. Only one person could interpret what I saw last night and she isn't here" and with that Daniel got to his feet "Let's head back to the cabin I'm sure Chad is wondering where we are" Daniel walked unsteadily off in the direction of the cabin. Mina thought to herself "He won't tell the group what he saw but I'll make sure he tells me when we're alone" Chad sat by the fire and looked again at his watch. The girls and Darien after reading Daniel's note had run out of the cabin at top speed only pausing long enough to tell Chad to stay put if Daniel returned. That had been over an hour ago and Chad was getting seriously bored. Suddenly he heard a faint knocking on the door of the cabin. "That's odd the girls have a key and I don't think Daniel would knock that softly, I'd better see who that is." Chad made his way to the door, opened it and saw no one until a soft cough caused him to look down. He saw a little girl holding what looked like a beach ball resembling Serena's cat Luna "Like can I help you little dudette?" The little girl spoke "Where is Daniel? I have to see him!" Chad looked at the little girl puzzled, she didn't look at all like Daniel so her being a relative was not likely, "What could she want with Daniel?" he thought to himself. An impatient cough brought Chad's attention back to the strange little visitor. Suddenly, the little girl began bouncing her beach ball on the ground while running in a circle shouting " Kitty Magic!" and a red and yellow umbrella appeared in her hands where her ball had been. Chad could only stare as the little girl began twirling the umbrella around in a circular fashion, Chad felt his eyelids grow heavy and the little girl handed Chad an envelope "Please give this to Daniel when he is ALONE! Do you understand?" Chad nodded with a vacant stare (Well, more vacant than usual anyway) The little girl smiled "Very good, when I leave you will remember nothing of my visit except the envelope your gonna give Daniel. See you later!" And the little girl ran off happily. By and by the Scouts and Daniel returned with Daniel leading a very distressed group of people, for he had hardly said two words since they found him in the forest. Chad welcomed the group back and looked at Daniel quizzically as he looked like he'd gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson! "Hey! I was going to send out a search party soon. You guys were gone forever. Is anyone up for some skiing?" The rest of the group agreed except for Daniel and Mina, Daniel begging off because of his injury from long ago (not to mention his current battered state) and Mina for her own reasons. As the group piled out the door Daniel said to Mina "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep, could you please wake me in an hour if I'm not already up?" Mina just steamed and Daniel took this as an indication he should get to his room. Daniel had hardly laid his head on the pillow when the dreams started again. This time he was in a wedding chapel not as a seated guest nor as a groom but off to the side, almost as if he were the best man. Daniel didn't know why but this seemed almost natural, inevitable. He tried to get a look at the bride and groom but for some reason their faces were surrounded in darkness. Daniel looked over to the bridesmaid, she had long blond hair but her face was shrouded as well, all in all it was a very surreal scene. As the preacher spoke the words "Do you take this woman to be..." The far wall of the church exploded! And a horde of people came pouring through the hole towards the bride and groom! Daniel was confused but he knew when he was needed "Lord Light Dawn!" And Daniel became once more the wielder of the golden power. He looked back as the bride and groom made their way to the opposite side of the chapel and Daniel noticed that the blond bridesmaid had also changed clothes into a Scout uniform! The color identified it as Sailor Venus. Daniel could only wonder to himself "Curiouser and curiouser" before the invading horde set upon them. It was a fierce battle, although none of the guests were seriously injured there were minor scrapes from episodes where Daniel and Sailor Venus could not get there in time. Suddenly, they noticed there was a woman trapped under one of the columns in the church, the black mark on her forehead indicated that she was a member of the attacking force. Daniel made to go to the woman "What are you doing Daniel? She might be playing possum!" said Sailor Venus. Daniel looked back "Of course she might be playing possum, but from here it looks like she is hurt very badly and therefore needs help" Venus looked unconvinced "Okay but watch your back." Daniel smiled "Don't I always?" He made his way towards the woman. She had been unconscious but was slowly reviving, as she began to look around she saw the gravity of the situation. Here she was alone in enemy territory with undetermined injuries and an enemy approaching. She was unsure of what to do but she knew she had to do it soon. Daniel came closer "Well I guess you didn't get lost looking for the ladies washroom I take it?" The woman looked at Daniel harshly "I don't have to answer any of your questions fool!" Daniel smiled "Oh I'm sure that you'd rather answer MY questions rather than say, Sailor Mars. I hear she hasn't had a chance to interrogate someone for quite a while and is looking for the practice. The woman shuddered involuntarily, throughout the galaxy Sailor Mars was known for her ability to get confessions. Oh her methods weren't by any means brutal, just ruthlessly efficient. The woman looked at Daniel "Okay, I'll answer your questions then" Daniel nodded "Okay, first question would you like me to remove this column from your leg?" The woman was stunned into silence, this was a strange human, one who didn't seem interested in seeing someone suffer to get information they wanted. She smiled weakly "Yes please" Daniel concentrated and the column was vaporized in a flash of light. The woman looked at her leg. It was badly bruised and very swollen and the pain make sure that she couldn't concentrate enough to teleport out of the area. Daniel spoke again "Better?" The woman nodded. Daniel continued "Okay first question. Your name?" "Catsy" the woman replied. "Okay Catsy, by that mark on your forehead it would seem your from the Dark Moon am I correct?" Catsy nodded "Yes and what is your name?" Daniel looked at her quizzically "Just who is interrogating whom?" Daniel smiled "My name is Daniel" Catsy smiled "I must thank you Daniel for helping me with my leg, it was getting painful!" Daniel returned to his questions "Now that we are on a first name basis how about you tell me who sent you to break up this gathering?" Catsy replied "I shouldn't be telling you this but it was the Wiseman he..." And suddenly Catsy disappeared with a look of confusion on her face. Daniel muttered "Damn, someone teleported her away!" he turned to the bride and groom "Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" The groom turned to look at Daniel, it was Darien! "It's nice to seen that living this long hasn't dulled your sense of humor Daniel" The bride turned to face Daniel and as he somehow expected it was Serena! "I think we should find ourselves another church at least" she giggled. Daniel laughed "Okay, but I'm not putting down the damage deposit!" suddenly Daniel's vision clouded and the scene dispersed. Daniel awoke with a start "Oh boy, I think it's time to bring in Mina and the others, these visions are getting too weird for me!" Daniel then noticed a note placed on the night stand before his bed. Curious he opened it and read it's contents: "You don't know who I am, but I need your help badly, please come to the forest where we first met for 3:00 today. If you can find the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask please bring them too. Without your help the battle will be lost!" Signed "Reeny" As he finished reading the note he said "This is Scout business for sure !" and he got dressed and went downstairs to find Mina. He found Mina brooding over a cup of hot chocolate "Why is he not letting us help him? We only want to help" Daniel announced his presence with a gentle cough "I know, I know I should have told you all about this sooner but it didn't make much sense until I was attacked by that group. The clincher is this note" and he handed the note to Mina who read the note and whose eyes got bigger and bigger. "Do you know what this means? It means that this mysterious little girl knows who you are and what you can do" Daniel mused "Yes, I was thinking that this could in fact be a trap but given the visions I've been having every time I lay my head on a pillow it seems unlikely" and with that he explained all of his visions to Mina (careful to omit just who it was he saw in the church, he didn't like the thought of messing with the timestream in any way). By the time the Scouts got back from skiing Daniel and Mina had decided on a course of action. The Scouts on the reading the note (after sending Chad back into town for some "forgotten" supplies( were in agreement that Daniel and themselves should meet this mysterious "Reeny" Sailor Mars however was in full defense mode "This could easily be a trap you know, we don't know anything about this little girl" Daniel seemed annoyed "Yes Mars, this is a possibility but I personally don't think so" Sailor Venus spoke "Besides which, we are going in full battle readiness, so I don't think being ambushed is likely" Sailor Jupiter added "Frankly, I wouldn't mind an attack, my powers are getting rusty from non use" Daniel grinned "You could always rent yourself out as an electric generator" and Daniel yelped as a tiny bolt of electricity hit him in the arm "Touchy touchy Jupiter" Daniel grinned. Sailor Moon spoke next "Enough fooling around you guys, let's go meet our mysterious visitor" and with that the group took off in the direction of the forest. Daniel led the Scouts into the forest, it was oddly calm and Daniel found it very disturbing "Why do I have this feeling my middle name should be 'Ensign'?" Suddenly a noise got the group's attention. Sailor Moon looked up "Hey guys, look up in that tree!" As the group looked where she pointed they saw a little girl holding a ball that looked like Luna's head. "You came Daniel! I knew you would help me" and suddenly the ball turned into an umbrella and little girl floated down to the ground holding the umbrella. She ran to Daniel "I was so afraid you wouldn't come." Daniel looked down at the little girl , "Okay Reeny you brought us out here what is the problem?" Reeny started crying "It's horrible! Mommy and Daddy are trapped in a Dark Crystal! We can't get them free!" Daniel kneeled to Reeny's eye level "Who is we?" Reeny caught herself "I'm sorry but Pu said I can't say any more" Daniel was puzzled "Who is 'Pu'? Does that name ring any bells with any of you?" A negative shake of the group's heads told Daniel what he expected. Daniel looked into Reeny's eyes once more "Listen here, we want to help but we need to know what it is we are going to have to do. We need you to tell us just what is going on" Reeny started to sniffle "But Pu said if I told you too much things might get messed up where I'm from" Suddenly it hit Daniel with the force of a 10 ton truck! "Is 'Pu' Sailor Pluto Reeny? Please tell me" Reeny looked shocked "Yes, how did you know?" Daniel looked at her "She and I know each other here and I know she can manipulate time and space. It makes sense now that a future version of Sailor Pluto sent you back here to contact us if there was trouble" Reeny brightened "Does that mean you'll help me?" Daniel smiled "Okay Reeny, you've got yourself some help!" Reeny's eyes spoke volumes, she was relieved that she could finally help her mother and father. Daniel spoke "Okay Reeny, next question, how do we get to where your parents are?" Reeny grasped at the key hanging around her neck "Crystal Key take me and my friends back to the future" Daniel could only wonder to himself as the group began to disappear "Where is Michael J. Fox when you need him?" The group reappeared in what looked like a landscape of crystal, what made the scene so unreal was the fact that there was no sound, no birds, no people, no nothing. Sailor Moon remarked "Where are we ?" Reeny spoke "We're in the future, this is Crystal Tokyo!" Tuxedo Mask could only stare in dismay. " It looks like there has been a war here! You came from this?" Daniel cut off the questions "We have to find Reeny's parents" Suddenly the group was overcome by a blinding light. Daniel was the first to have his vision clear, he made his way first to Sailor Venus and when he saw her stirring he went to Reeny "Take it easy you'll be able to see in a minute" As Daniel looked at the other scouts and Tuxedo Mask he saw that they appeared frozen almost as if... He went over to the nearest Scout who happened to be Sailor Mercury. He felt her skin, it was cold and rough and as he looked closer he saw that it was actually stone! Daniel got worried "This is very bad" he went back to where Sailor Venus had risen and was looking over the other Scouts. "It's horrible! They're all stone! " Daniel gathered the near hysterical Scout in his arms "Shhhh, everything will be all right. We'll find out how to fix this" he looked over at Reeny "Do you know who could have done this and how we can undo it?" The little girl looked sad "I don't know who could have done it but the only one I know who could undo this is Mommy and she's..." And the little girl began to sniffle. Daniel went to the little girl and looked her in the eye "Listen, where are your mother and father? We have to get to them, this may in fact be something that must be reversed as soon as possible or it could be permenant" As the three of them made their way to the castle that Reeny pointed out in the distance, they were met by a ghostly apparition. It was Sailor Pluto! Or at least what looked like her "Greetings, it's good to see you again Small Lady and you as well Lord Light!" Sailor Venus looked disturbed, it was then that the apparition noticed her "Oh and of course the Lady Venus " the ghost of Pluto muttered. "I bring a warning, only Lord Light may pass into the castle this is something that he must do alone! There will the many challenges and it will not be easy!" As Daniel started to question the spirit it began to fade "Remember only Daniel...." Daniel turned to his companions "And now with that cheery message delivered shall we go?" Reeny looked concerned "But Pu..." Daniel looked down at Reeny "I know what she said but I'm not convinced that she's completely correct, besides what were you going to do? Just stand here in the middle of nowhere?" Sailor Venus looked at Reeny "He's right sweetheart, we'd better stick together" ("and make sure that Daniel makes it to whatever fate awaits him at the castle" she thought to herself) The group got closer to the castle and could see that it was surrounded by five columns of light in various colors. Sailor Venus spoke "Don't those colors look familiar Daniel?" (she used his real name since Reeny obviously knew who he was) "Yes" Daniel replied "Almost like..." and as he turned to Venus he saw her turning to stone before his very eyes! Sailor Venus features were frozen in a look of terror "No! what's going *ON* here?" Daniel looked at Reeny with a pained expression on his face but he recoiled in horror as he realized that she too was a statue! The ghostly form of sailor Pluto we appeared "When I said this was something only you could do, I meant It!" Daniel was visibly shaking in anger "What the hell is that supposed to mean? And what happened to my friends? You had better come up with some answers fast!" The ghostlooked unimpressed "All I will say is you must enter the castle, at that point all will be revealed" and the apparition disappeared yet again "Great, a ghost with an attitude" Daniel grumbled as he made his way towards the castle. The castle came into view and Daniel could only marvel at it, not only for it's size but for it's sheer beauty. Then the columns of color snapped back into his field of view... and he could only stare in shock as he recognized the Scouts as the source of the color! It appeared that the Scouts had linked their powers together to create some type of forcewall that was impenetrable (the shattered skeletons of what looked like spacecraft stood in mute testimony to the shield's strength) Daniel took a second look at the closest scout, it happened to be Mercury. She looked only slightly older than the girl he had left back at the point of their arrival, perhaps twenty rather than sixteen but her eyes though glazed over in obvious exertion seemed haunted by knowledge that made her seem ages older. Daniel came to with a start "If Amy's here that means...." and he ran to the orange glow that signified where Venus was. He looked at her and felt his heart skip a beat as he took in her lovely face, he noticed her face was tear stained, almost as if she had been crying. Daniel felt a wave of sadness wash over him "Whatever made her so sad must be pretty horrible. But how do *I* get past this forcefield?" he mused out loud. Suddenly a disembodied voice spoke "You can get past the forcefield, just walk on by Venus..." Daniel was puzzled, the voice at first listen didn't seen familiar but there was something he recognized, and why had the voice specifically mentioned walking by Venus? Daniel felt an unexplained knot grow in his stomach "Well, only one way to find out" he mused and proceeded to walk past Venus, once again marveling just how beautiful she was (not that the Mina he knew was any slouch in the looks department either but age had definately *NOT* hurt her beauty) As he passed her and looked back he noticed that Venus had *two* rings, one on each hand, one was the duplicate of the ring he had given *his* Mina ("It was probably the same ring dummy, this *IS* supposed to be the future after all!" he chided himself) the other... That's when Daniel *really* got scared, it looked like *his* ring but it was charred and blackened so as to be nearly unrecognizable save for the initials that were carved into the ring being visible he wouldn't have recognized it. Daniel just stood there scared witless "My ring, and looking like *that* can only mean..." and the voice spoke again "Come into the castle, we have much to discuss Daniel" There was that voice again, so maddeningly familiar yet elusive "WHO ARE YOU?" Daniel shouted into the air. Suddenly a ghostly figured appeared and as it came into focus Daniel's eyes bugged out and he promptly fainted! What did Daniel see that got him so scared? Tune in for the next Chapter of "Whose Reality is Right?" 8 (A Ghost Story and More)