---LATE NIGHT NOODLES-
Written by Jeffjaffe. Dan (C) Jeffjaffe. Shadow Senshi (C) Wild Nature. Canon senshi/storyline/basis (C) Naoko Takeuchi.
“Sigh…” Dan stared up to the pale ivory painted ceiling. “What is with this country…” Dan whispered to himself. “Are the Japanese just drawn to me or something?” Dan grumbled to himself as he rolled over on the couch facing the back rest. “ I mean, I’ve got people from Japan trying to kill me, screw me, teach me, stalk me, ruin me, or just annoy the hell out of me.” Dan continued to grumble looking back on the three dozen people/demons/half demons he knew from this country. “Ah well… I like sushi anyway.” Dan chuckled to himself stroking the side of the couch nonchalantly then closed his eyes to try and get some sleep..“Crap.” Dan grumbled unable to sleep. “Well.” Dan said to himself slowly sliding himself up along the arm rest. “If I can’t sleep….” Dan steadied himself up on the couch pushing the blanket off revealing his skinny but somewhat muscular form and hanging his head down as he stared at his own feet. “I may as well find something to do.” Casting his head back, with an open hand he pushed his wild locks of blond hair from his eyes and looked up across the room to the small round clock that hovered above the door way into the kitchen. He couldn’t very well make out the kanji written across the face, but he was able to make out the hands. “Two-thirty A.M… glorious. Quietly Dan rose to his feet and snuck into the kitchen which was quite dark. Centering his eyes and concentrating Dan tried to activate his night vision mode. “Come oooon.” Dan squinted straining himself and looking quite foolish while doing it. “Just keeps getting better and better.” Dan remarked sarcastically as he reached to the left and flicked on a light switch, flooding the small kitchen with light. “So.” Dan announced to himself as he made his way over towards the kitchen. “No super strength, no ultra eye, no resistance to flame.” Dan counted on his fingers cringing at the last part. “…venus…” Dan whispered under his breath, immediately a flame of emerald energy washed over his body shifting his proportions and body around and with a gust of unseen wind the energy flames blew away revealing her female form. “Yeah…that still works.” Danielle sneered closing her eyes and shifting back.

---Meanwhile 5 seconds ago in Kakure’s room-
“Huh?” Her emerald eyes flicked to life as her room was briefly cloaked in the strange green radiation originating from the kitchen. “What was that?” Kakure asked aloud thrusting herself up from her bed. Suddenly her room was washed over with another flash of green light and the sound of flames. “What the?” Kakure asked tilting her head inquisitively. “Better check on Danny boy.” She decided nodding her head and pulling herself out of bed. Kakure pulled on her light green bath robe and headed for the door grabbing her crystal on the way out, just in case.

----MEANWHILE IN THE KITCHEN-
“Moo milk?” Dan asked himself shaking the half empty miniature container of milk. “So that’s like…milk from moo’s?” He asked squinting his eyes puzzlingly. Dan continued to scower the mostly empty fridge for something that looked edible. “Hmmm, that looks like ham…nope! Definitely NOT ham!” He shrieked putting the mystery meat back into the fridge.
“YA”
“Eh?” Dan turned around just in time for his face to be smashed in by a baseball bat. “OMFG!” Dan screamed stumbling back into the kitchen counter while holding his nose. “eeh eeeh…” Dan moaned smacking his right hand repeatedly against the counter in pain.
“Dan?” Kakure said stunned as she watched Dan clasp his now rapidly bleeding nose.
“No really?” Dan replied sarcastically rubbing his nose. “Come on…heal…” Dan cursed waiting for the feeling of cartilage reshaping itself. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Kakure dropped her bat and reached out cautiously for Dan. “Your bleeding”
“Oh really? And I just thought I had a runny nose.” Dan moaned looking left and right for something. “Please, just let me take a look at it.” Kakure asked reaching out for Dan to move his hands away from his busted up nose.
“Get back…” Dan snarled. “It’ll heal, just give it a moment.” “Just let me take a look at it.” Kakure replied more intensely.
“Leave…leave me alone.” Dan shivered trying to back away more along the counter poping himself ontop of it and still sliding back.
“Stop being so stubborn, I just want to help.” Kakure pleaded looking into Dan’s big light brown eyes intently.
“…”Unintentionally Dan’s rapidly shifting eyes fell upon Kakure’s own, for a few moments they exchanged a gaze. “Just get me some tissue.” Dan mumbled looking away.
“Right.” Kakure bit her lip and nodded her head rushing off for a cabinet where she pulled out a full pink box of tissues and brought it back over to Dan. “Here…but I’d really like to get a better look at it.” Dan snatched the box out of her hands and turned a bit on the counter so that he didn’t face her.
“Why?” Dan asked sternly wadding the tissue together and stuffing it up his nose.
“Well, I said I’d take care of you, and already I’m bustin’ your face in.” Kakure chuckled nervously.
“It’s not that bad.” Dan grumbled trying to wipe the blood away from his face.
“What were you doing up at this time anyway?” Kakure asked answering her own question as he eyes fell upon the still open fridge. “Oh… of course! You haven’t eaten anything since we found you. It’s been almost twelve hours since then hasn’t it?” Kakure said worryingly looking to Dan who still had his back turned to her.
“Suppose so… I had a big lunch though…” Dan mumbled.
“Well if your looking for food here, you probably won’t find anything you’d like.” Kakure explained closing the fridge then turning back to Dan. “See my parents do most of the shopping, and when their gone I mostly just order take out, heh.” Kakure nervously laughed trying to lighten the situation. “Ha, ha…” Dan replied.
“How bout we go down the street Hiyo’s is open 24 hours!” Kakure suggested excitedly.
“Are you asking me out now? I was right, you’ve got it bad for me huh?” Dan chuckled as he finished cleaning his face. Slowly Dan turned back to face Kakure his nostrils now filled with white tissue that jutted a solid inch out of his face.
“giggle.” Kakure’s face turned red as she giggled at Dan’s ridiculous appearance.
“What”
“Your, nose. Giggle” “Great you smack me in the face with a bat then you laugh at the handy work.” Dan snickered.
“Well how bout it?” Kakure asked clapping her hands.
“Ah what the hell, I’ve been addicted to Ramen for months now anyway.” Dan shrugged sliding off the counter and walking towards the door.
“Uhh…” Kakure’s eyes shifted back and forth nervously.
“What now?” Dan asked slouching a bit and looking back.
“Don’t you think you should put something else on?” Kakure said looking up and down Dan’s thin and short frame. Topless, wearing baggy PJ’s and with tissue hanging out of his nose, he certainly look strange.
“Yeah, I’d better get my cloths…” Dan replied snorting and nodding his head causing his bushy blond hair to bounce up and down a bit.
“Those rags?” Kakure asked placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head back and forth. “Yeah, sure, my rags.” Dan replied waving his hands back and forth in the air.
“I threw them out.” Kakure said crossing her arms. “They were blood stained, torn up and smelled terrible!” Kakure shook her head back and forth with a disappointed expression. “What!” Dan exclaimed looking dumb founded.
“I can’t let a boy as cute as you go running around in those rags, they looked more like something you’d see on a corpse.” Kakure continued to argue.
“Boy? Your, what 16? I’m way older then you!” Dan cursed shaking his head back and forth. “Wait…cute?” Dan stumbled.
“Of course, you look like an American but your so tiny“
“Short, I’m just short.” Dan grumbled as he stepped towards her. “Anyway, if you threw out my cloths, what do you expect me to wear”
“Oh, never really thought that far ahead.” Kakure giggled to herself. “How bout you can borrow some of my dads’ cloths and later on we can go shopping together”
“Really?” Dan replied with way too much enthusiasim. “I mean, I’ve got to meet up with Setsuna…and none of your fathers cloths fit me!” Dan exclaimed following Kakure up the stairs to the top floor.
“Oh I’m sure I can find something…” Kakure smirked.
-----5 minutes later in front of Kakure’s mirror-
“NO WAY!” Dan exclaimed staring at himself. He was wearing a very frilly red dancing shirt (Think Seinfield fluffy shirt) and super tight leather pants. “Well if you don’t like it you could borrow some of my stuff.” Kakure giggled.
“That may actually—I mean… Well yes this will do.” Dan shook his head correcting himself and adjusting the tight leather pants while looking into the mirror, suddenly he noticed something. “My scar…” Dan quickly patting/stroking the part underneath his right eye where a jagged mark had once been. “It’s gone”
“Scar?” Kakure raised her eyebrows questioningly. “It’s…its nothing.” Dan said with a slight smile. “Absolutely nothing.” Dan turned and headed for the door. “NOW ONWARD! TO EATS!” Dan shouted walking out of the room and heading for the stairs.
“Wow, he cheered up awfully quick.” Kakure thought to herself.

----------MEANWHILE IN THE DIMENSION KNOWN AS XJ7-136-------

Prince Daroshay scanned the landscape before him. It was a landscape filled with a never ending flow of city trickled with millions of neon lights. “I remember this place…” Daroshay said to himself as David walked up alongside him. “Tokyo… how it used to fascinate me so.” “The seeds are being brought through the gateway as we speak sire.” David informed looking to his holographic note-board then back to his sire. “Any specific places you’d like to see them go?” David asked.
“Hmmm…the tower.” Daroshay said pointing towards Tokyo Tower. “I’ve always wanted to see that eye-sore destroyed… I missed out on that the last time we did this”
“Yes… you were in Sydney then weren’t you?” David asked as he typed in the coordinates for the drop ships.
“Ah yes, the opera house really blew up quite nicely didn’t it… I mean, enough of this idle chit-chat! Are their any THREATS in this world?” Daroshay asked cautiously.
“It is quite similar to our own dimension. However the meta-human quota is much smaller around thirty or so worth mentioning, and if the feed back from initial scan from our drones is correct, only one could be considered a real threat.” David explained scanning through a projected list of heroes, for the most part they wore less fantastic get ups preferring to wear leather outfits over skin tight and bright colored uniforms.
“Who is he and where?” Daroshay asked continuing to look across the horizon. “One, Hirobi Yamibaba.” David projected an image of a man wearing long marauder white robes along with a muffler that hid his face. On his back was an extremely long (7 foot long blade) curved Katana. Her wore no mask but a visible third eye hovered above the first pair. “Based in Morocco, he’s a psychic with extreme martial arts abilities and speed. He is THIS earths greatest champion”
“Oh THAT’S interesting. And the odds of him joining our ranks?” Daroshay asked.
“530311:1…he’s rather moralistic. I hardly doubt he’d be willing to align himself with the Rosellas sire.” David explained. “Very well. I’ve killed the fool once, I can do it again. Lure him out.” Daroshay announced reflecting on his past. “Just release a wave or two of Creepers, that should do the trick…” Daroshay suggested as a large hovercraft swooped in overhead, in the center of its holding ring was a liquid metal seed roughly twice the size of an SUV. “Have them round up the strong and dispatch the weak and elderly… we’ll have no need for them.” “Very well…” David reached into his cloaks and pulled out a single cookie jar sized glass bottle of inky black ooze. He raised a small metallic cylinder to the side of it and flicking a few toggles along the side he projected an eerie green beam of energy into the jar programming the restrained Creepers. Tentatively he unscrewed the lid and flung the jar as far away as possible. The contents burst forth flowing out larger and larger till the empty jar lay a few feet from a 60 foot tall 200 foot wide blob of ooze which began to segment itself off into dozens of ferocious creatures. “I’ll contact the fly boys to drop their Creeper-Supplies into the city as well sire”
“Perfect…this ought to draw him out—“ Daroshay was interrupted by a burst of purple light just a few km’s away accompanied by the sound of flashing tempered steel. “Back, foul demon spawn!” Yelled Hirobi Yamababa as he kicked off with one foot and sliced his way through yet another horde of Creepers. “Oh well that’s convenient.” Daroshay smirked casting back his long fair blond hair, David quickly typed in a few keys on his wrist communicator and disappeared in a flash of orange light. “How nice of you to show up so early, old friend.” Daroshay laughed as his right arm slowly glew bright orange.
“You are no friend of Yamababa!” Hirobi screamed as he let off a psychic blast, the force of which sent the last line of Creepers flying up into the air.
“Whatever…” Daroshay grumbled as the orange energy glowing around his arm shifted and contorted into the form of a 5 foot long sword.
“HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-YAH!” Hirobi flung forward slashing for a kill move at Daroshays upper left jugular. “Nuh-uh.” Daroshay smirked as he easily blocked the 7 foot long sword with his own blade. Hirobi pushed with all his might to no avail, he relinquished the pressure, drew back his blade around for a second strike but once more Daroshay easily blocked him.
“They told me you were fast.” Daroshay mocked as he continued to volley with Yamibaba. “You want speed?” Hirobi asked tilting his head a bit. “I’ll give you speed.” In a flash of purple energy Hirobi disappeared from view and reappeared directly behind Daroshay with his sword ready for a stabbing maneuver. But no sooner could he thrust his sword forward did Daroshay twist around and catch the sword with a bare hand. “Hmf…” Daroshay’s eyes burst into an orange flames as a similar energy bled out from his hand and devoured Hirobi’s blade. “Poof.” Daroshay mocked as the blade disintegrated into dust.
“What!” Hirobi said with a startled gaze.
“You are nothing.” Daroshay snarled grabbing the surprised Hirobi in a head lock.
“GRAH! HA! GRAH!” Repeatedly Hirobi shot off psychic blasts directly into Daroshay’s forehead but it simply bounced off a briefly flickering orange force field. “The Hirobi I knew was a god.” Daroshay snarled as he body slammed Hirobi into the grass. “You are nothing but a mortal that flouts his powers…and his name.” Daroshay pushed his weight down snapping both of Hirobi’s legs.
“AAAAAAAAAAGH!” Hirobi cried out in extreme pain as he felt his body bend around on itself.
“If this is the best this world can offer.” Daroshay clamped one of his hands around Hirobis turbaned head. “It’s already dead”
CRACK Daroshay rose to his feet letting the limp corpse of Hirobi Yamababa slump to the ground. Off in the distance a liquid silver seed was dropped directly at the base of Tokyo Tower and in but a few seconds…
SWOOOOOOOOSH A pillar of liquid metal flew out of the ground straight towards the sky, piercing barbs already beginning to flow out of it. The Tower began to bend and give way as the stalk continued to fly higher and higher. In a few days time the rest of the rose would form but for now the polymorphic based liquid metal would stand erect above the clouds while below the surface the flow of liquid metal slowly cracked away at the earths mantle, slowly reaching towards the core.
“David.” Daroshay reached for his ear piece and contacted his loyal assistant once more.
“Yes, sire”
“My presence is no longer needed here. I’ll be returning to the portal realm to resume my search.” Daroshay instructed as he walked back up the hill towards the tear in space and time that his guards were keeping open. (They close after a given amount of time) with the most powerful matter vices available. “Of course sire”
--------MEANWHILE ON A STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF TOKYO-
The streets were mostly empty with only a few people in sight. The light red and pink neon glow lit up the side walks, numerous closed shops sat enshrouded in darkness, above in the night sky a half crescent moon glew a light ivory glow. In the middle of this scene was Hiyo’s, what would one consider to be a low scale take away snack shop. Hanging above the tiny store were dozens of red paper lanterns with slashes of kanji written across them. Kakure and Dan had long since already been served and were currently slowly eating their half decent noodle bowls while conversing. Dan had spent nearly a half an hour trying to explain to Kakure what his world was like and what his powers were supposed to be, he explained to her the journey he had taken to get to this universe and his rough theories on how to get back home. Kakure just stared at him smiling the entire time. Quite frankly she didn’t believe a bit of it, some guy falls out of a tree and starts babbling nonsense, it really wasn’t too far fetched to say he had hit his head way to hard. Still his perfect accent and comprehension of the Japanese language continued to impress her, he couldn’t just be another tourist she thought, after all he did seem to know Usagi… Kakure continued to pine away in the back of her mind, trying to figure out who exactly this mystery man could be all the while Dan continued to ramble on.
“So if we can create an energy influx powerful enough too relaunch the portal…” Dan droned on writing all across his napkin drawing very confusing diagrams.
“You know what I don’t get?” Kakure asked leaning across the counter closer to Dan. “Why didn’t the portals stay open like it did last time?” Kakure said poking a hole into Dan’s theories.
“…” Dan stared blankly for a few seconds. “Well uh”
“How about this, stop obsessing about finding a way home, and take some time to enjoy yourself while you’re here.” Kakure suggested. “I mean if your team really needs you, won’t they come looking for you?” “Well I suppose that’s true…and its not every day you get to visit an alternate reality…” Dan shrugged between slurping up a few more noodles. “Come on Dan! How about instead of meeting up with Setsuna, we go and buy you some new cloths.” Kakure said bringing up her suggestion once more. Dan looked at her for a few moments then cringed a bit. “Ah what the hell.” Dan said smacking his palm against the counter. “This pessimistic attitude isn’t getting me anywhere anyway. Your right, I should treat this more like, a…a”
“Vacation?” Kakure asked nodding her head.
“Yeah! Exactly!” Dan yelled out with a smile and in doing so earning himself some strange looks from the chef behind the counter. “And I can be your body guard!” Kakure shouted punching and jumping into the air.
“Oh no, not that again!” Dan squealed reaching over to pull Kakure back down into her seat.
“Oh you know I’m just kidding, now come on, hurry up and finish that!” Kakure said pointing back to Dan’s food. “We have a big day tomorrow”
“But it’s already 3:00 am.” Dan moaned mouth filled with soup broth and noodles as he wolfed down the last of the soup.
“Oh your right… We have a big day today!” Kakure corrected herself.
“Yeah’ll right.” Dan mumbled as he finished the last of his soup and slid off the stool. The couple began to slowly walk their way back to Kakure’s house. “So you still haven’t told me. What do you got against Usagi?” Kakure asked looking over to Dan.
“The two of us have some history.” Dan replied trying to tip toe around the facts.
“You mean the Usagi from your universe?” Kakure asked.
“Yes… I guess… I guess it’s kinda stupid isn’t it?” Dan said, thinking to himself: If my powers aren’t working here, and if these people don’t know who I’am, the whole Sailor Energy thing is probably just as redundant! I’ve got nothing to fear!
“What is”
“Holding grudges against people that don’t even know you. I guess I’ll be nicer around Usagi from now on… and her cat.” Dan smiled convincing himself that he had nothing to fear.
“Well that’s good.” Kakure smiled thinking to herself: Alright I did it! I’m not quite sure how I did it but I got him to stop worrying about an aspect from that imagined life of his! If I can keep this up maybe he’ll stop thinking about “going home”, maybe I can fix him!
“Brrr…” Dan shivered for the first time in nearly three years. “Why’s it so cold out?” Dan asked as he wrapped his arms around his thin red shirt.
“It’s not that cold… (Celsius so ummm think cold wind in the morning cold) Kakure replied shrugging a bit, before pausing. “I mean, don’t worry I’ll keep you warm!” Kakure announced out loud, Dan’s eyes bugged out momentarily before he felt something soft and light green fall on his shoulders. “Here you go.” Kakure smiled lightly as she finished placing her sweat/coat around Dan’s shoulders.
“Uh…this looks bad.” Dan said shifting his eyes hoping nobody just saw the GIRL place HER coat on the GUY. “What do you mean? You were cold so”
“Well what about you?” Dan asked with real concern to his voice.
“Hey didn’t I say I’d take care of you?” Kakure asked repeating herself for what felt like the fourth time that day (third actually). “Well I guess as long as nobody notices…” Said Dan looking left and right. Chat-chat-chat Dan’s his eyes shifted back towards Kakure, she was already shivering and was now chattering her teeth together rapidly. “I, think you need it more then me.” Dan said handing her back the green winter jacket.
“No, I’m supposed to protect you, I can handle the cold.” Kakure replied shoving the coat back into Dan’s arms.
“Hey, I’m from Canada, I can take it. I just…haven’t been out in the cold for awhile…” Dan explained whispering the last part and shoving the green winter jacket back onto Kakure.
“You’re my guest!” Kakure shoved it back to Dan.
“I’m Canadian!” Dan shoved it back to Kakure.
“Oh thats it!” Kakure said stomping her foot on the ground and not moving another inch. She unbuttoned a few pieces in the back and rushed forward behind Dans back, wrapping the coat around him once more.
“I thought I made my point-“ Dan paused briefly having noticed not just the fuzzy feeling of the winter coat but something else, something much warmer. “clear”
“You don’t feel cold at all…” Kakure remarked snuggling slightly closer to Dan as she continued to squeeze into her side of the coat.
“What is this?” Dan asked still a bit shocked and feeling quite awkward.
“It’s called a compromise.” Kakure stated matter of factly. “We both wanted each other to wear the coat, so now we are.” “Uh….okay.” Dan said nodding his head with a somewhat confused smile. “I’m not going to argue this any further.” He announced remembering his promise to stop being so pessimistic. Sure he was stuck mind-shatteringly far away from home, sure he’d lost all of his powers, but right then and their on that little grey, metropolitan strip of Tokyo. None of it seemed to matter.

---END CHAPTER 3---