Chapter 10: Sailor Raspberry

Like Hotaru and Setsuna, Nanaka was eager for the others to come home from the hospital. She had gotten bored with only Setsuna and Hotaru for company; they weren’t that much fun to prank. Nanaka knew that Setsuna had the power to send her back to the future, and Hotaru was her mother’s past self. She had the perfect prank planned out for when the others came home. She waited, giggling as she read a book about stupid mistakes made by famous people, and then she heard their voices. Kozue sounded eager to see her mother again.

“It’s time,” Nanaka whispered to herself as a wicked grin spread across her face. She pulled a large purple squirt gun out from under her bed and crept into the kitchen to fill it. Luckily for her plan, she was able to do this without being noticed, since she didn’t have to pass by the front door.

“Yaten tried to steal your wand, Kasumi?” Setsuna was asking as Nanaka snuck up behind them. Kirameki spotted her and shrieked in fear.

“She’s going to get us! Nanaka’s going to attack me with water!” she screamed. Nanaka glared at Kirameki for ruining her surprise attack and let loose a soaking spray of water that was aimed more at Haruka and Michiru.

“Now I have water attacks too, Neptune!” she bragged.

“Can I play water fight too? Let me go get my squirt gun too!” Kozue giggled, not noticing that Kirameki had fled in fear and was hiding behind Haruka and Michiru. Kasumi was crying too, clinging to Setsuna.

“No you may not, Kozue, not in the house. Both of you take that outside,” Setsuna scolded. In response, Nanaka sprayed her this time, and Haruka stomped up and wrenched the squirt gun out of Nanaka’s hands.

“That is enough. I don’t know what possessed you to assault us with a squirt gun when Kirameki is so afraid of water, but...” Haruka trailed off, noticing the smirk on Nanaka’s face. “That is the reason, isn’t it. You like scaring her on purpose.”

“Of course I do. Isn’t it ridiculous that Sailor Neptune’s own daughter can’t swim?” Nanaka giggled.

“But you’re not nice like Aunt Hotaru, and I know I talk a lot more and like to play more than my mom. So why should Kirameki be like Aunt Michiru?” Kozue pleaded. Kirameki peeked through the door and was relieved to see that Haruka was holding the squirt gun now.

“Not that she has to be exactly like Michiru, but it’s weird that she has water powers and she’s scared of it. What kind of Senshi is scared of their own powers?” Nanaka explained.

“You don’t really help her not be scared, though,” Kozue argued.

“So? Maybe I think it’s too funny to help her,” Nanaka snapped back.

“You think it’s funny?! What if I made you see something you were scared of, would you think it’s so funny then?!” Kirameki retorted, feeling brave enough to come inside the house now that Nanaka wasn’t holding the dreaded water gun anymore.

“That wouldn’t work. I’m not afraid of anything,” Nanaka bragged.

“Even the enemies? What if they stole your powers like Yaten tried to do to Kasumi?” Michiru pointed out.

“Not if I burn them first,” Nanaka asserted, “Why should we be scared of the Starlights, anyway? I’m sure if we called Usagi, she could use her Silver Crystal and heal them, like you told me she healed some of the other bad guys in the past.”

“Usagi told me she tried to heal Seiya and it didn’t work. I wasn’t a Senshi when it happened, but from what she said about people like the Black Moon, they had to want to be healed first. She doesn’t just force it on people, that’s like brainwashing,” Hotaru remembered, “I know because she wasn’t able to force Mistress 9 out of my body. I had to do it myself, and that may have been only because it was time for me to be Sailor Saturn, although it helped a lot to have experienced the friendship and kindness Chibi-Usa and the others gave me.”

“So are you saying it might help if we’re nice to the Starlights? It might help them remember that they were our friends on Earth and that they helped you defeat Galaxia,” Kasumi suggested.

“Usagi and her group would be a lot better at doing that, since they actually were friends with the Starlights, especially Usagi. None of us really got along with them, to put it lightly,” Haruka explained.

“Couldn’t you at least try to be friends with them this time? That could help them want to return to being good Senshi even more, if people who used to hate them showed them kindness,” Kasumi said. She had heard about her mother’s feuding with Seiya, but she still didn’t understand why they had fought so much. Sure, Haruka and Michiru had been suspicious of the Starlights because they were alien Senshi at a time where the enemies were other alien Senshi, but it had seemed more personal in the case of Haruka and Seiya’s fighting.

“And if you didn’t want to, I could still be friends with them and we could play together!” giggled Kozue.

“I’m glad you want to be friends with us,” said an unfamiliar voice, “My name is Bubbles and the Starlights would like it very much if you would join them.”

“Join the Starlights? Are they ready to stop attacking us?” Kasumi asked.

“Probably not, she might be after your wand like Yaten was. Raspberry Galaxy Power, Make Up!” Nanaka yelled, transforming into her purple Senshi outfit.

“But why would you need to use your wand? If you join the Starlights, you can have the same new powers they have. You won’t have to transform to be a Sailor Senshi,” Bubbles said gently, addressing Kasumi.

“I’m not really looking for power, though. I just want the Starlights to be our friends again. I don’t want to join them if it means I have to fight Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama, though,” Kasumi replied nervously, holding her wand though she wasn’t sure if she should use it.

“What about you? Don’t you want to be able to use your fire powers without transforming?” Bubbles asked Sailor Raspberry, “If you join us, then Kiki can give you that power.”

“Nah, I think I would rather just use my powers right now. Raspberry Firestorm Flash!” the blond Senshi called, raspberry-scented flames flying from her gloved fingertips. Bubbles gasped in surprise and jumped out of the way. Kirameki, who had been standing behind her, getting ready to transform, was hit by the fire attack.

“Neptune Power, Make Up!” Michiru shouted. While Kozue and Hotaru ran off to get some water to throw on Kirameki, who was being burned a second time, Haruka and Setsuna also transformed, ready to defend their children.

“Blueberry Galaxy Power, Make Up!” Kirameki cried out, transforming despite the pain of her burns. As she transformed, Sailor Cherry and Sailor Saturn managed to throw water over her body, and the flames disappeared as Sailor Blueberry emerged, angry tears filling her blue eyes as she glared at Sailor Raspberry.

“You hit me on purpose! I’m sure you did!” she sobbed.

“I was aiming for Bubbles,” Sailor Raspberry snapped back, “You just need to get out of the line of fire quicker.”

“Stop bickering, you two. We need to....AAAGGH!!” Sailor Uranus collapsed as Bubbles flung a combination of electricity and water at her.

“I don’t want to hurt potential allies, but I must defeat you if you won’t join us,” Bubbles stated coldly, and a whirlpool of water and sparking electricity began to form in her hands.

“Cherry Soundwave Blast!”

“Dead Scream.” The double attack from the mother and daughter pair struck Bubbles from behind, knocking her headfirst into her own electric whirlpool. She screamed and then disappeared as she fell unconscious.

“They’re recruiting now,” Sailor Uranus muttered, “And we still don’t know what their goals are, either.”

“Nanaka needs to learn to not hit her teammates with her attacks. That should be HER goal,” Kirameki snarled, detransforming and wondering if she would need to go back to the hospital again.

“It was an ACCIDENT!! You need to not stand right behind the enemy when I’m attacking her!” Nanaka shouted back.

“Someone is using the Time Gates,” Setsuna suddenly said, “It’s okay, though. I feel that these people will be allies, and that they were needed to come to this time, just like our children did.”