//------------------------------// // Sonata Homestay // Story: Sonata the Drama // by MythrilMoth //------------------------------// "We just found the Great Rabbit." In the stillness that followed that proclamation, the Sailor Soldiers exploded into laughter. "G-Great Rabbit?!" Venus exclaimed, clutching her stomach. "I...I can't even!" "It hurts," Mars said, eyes squeezed shut. "It hurts so much!" Sailor Moon stamped a foot and puffed out her cheeks, glaring at her friends. "Mou...!" "S-sorry, Usagi-chan," Mercury said. "It's just...I don't think any of us were expecting to hear something like...that..." She shook her head. Twilight coughed for attention, still pointing her spectrometer at Sailor Moon. "I'll admit that I'm not entirely certain how this device works myself—and I built the thing—but one of its intended functions is to find the most concentrated focus of magical energy in any given world and orient toward it, sort of a 'magical magnetic north'." She looked up at Sailor Moon. "You seem to radiate the strongest magical energy signature in this city, if not on this world." The Soldiers stopped laughing. All eyes turned intently toward Sailor Moon and Twilight. "Well...that's true enough," Mercury said. "Nothing is as powerful as the Silver Dreaming Crystal, and Sailor Moon is its protector and only mistress." "And powerful in her own right," Venus said. "As befitting the Moon Princess." "Silver Dreaming Crystal?" Kim asked. "It's an ancient magical artifact, wielded by my ancestors for tens of thousands of years," Sailor Moon said. "Yeah, so it's probably the thing we're looking for," Ron said flatly. "I don't think so," Twilight said, shaking her head. "I'm not reading any monkey magic from her." "Monkey magic?" Mars asked, raising an eyebrow. Kim sighed. "Long story. We're from another dimension, we got sent to a dimension other than ours by accident, we're trying to find our way home, but a mystic from our world contacted us from the astral plane and told us we need to travel across the Great Zodiac Animal Worlds and find these missing crystals that we need to defeat an ancient monkey demon that's destroying our world as we speak." The Sailor Soldiers digested this. Mars frowned. "The signs of the zodiac," she said, nodding thoughtfully. She looked at Sailor Moon. "If Usagi represents the Rabbit, then..." Sailor Moon blinked. "So...I'm the center of the universe?" "Don't let it go to your head," Jupiter said, seizing her in a headlock and giving her a noogie. Mercury scanned the Crystal with her visor, a thoughtful frown on her face. "Yes, there's a faint magical aura," she said. "It seems to be resonating with another aura, but it's too faint to get a bearing on." Venus shook her head. "Well, it doesn't look like it has anything to do with us, and we've still gotta get the scoop on those French kids and what they're doing dragging their fight onto our turd..." Mercury winced and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Turf, Minako-chan," she said tiredly. Sailor Moon shook her head. "No, we should help these people," she said. "Their world is in danger. Even if all we can do is help them find the thing they're looking for, we can't just wave goodbye and let them deal with this on their own. Besides, they'll need local guides, right?" "Well, that's true," Jupiter said. "Besides, I don't feel right not doing anything." Mars frowned. "That mess with the candy witch and these two French heroes aside, things have actually been pretty quiet lately," she said. She looked over the four travelers and frowned. "Besides, they'll need somewhere to stay while they're in our world, and even if money isn't a problem..." She glanced significantly at Twilight and Sonata. The others grimaced. "Yyyyeah," Jupiter said, "they'll draw way too much attention." Looking Twilight up and down, she added, "Possibly the kind teenage girls in a strange city don't want." Everyone looked at Twilight, who blinked rapidly. "What?" "I don't like the implication, but I won't disagree," Kim said with a grimace. "It's settled then," Sailor Moon said. "I don't think any of us has room for more than one houseguest, so..." She pursed her lips. "Stoppable-san, was it? I'll have to call my boyfriend and ask him to put you up for a bit." "I'll look after the blue girl," Venus said. "I believe Sparkle-san should stay with me," Mercury added. "Then Possible-san can stay over at my place," Mars said. "Don't we get a say in this?" Ron asked. "No, we don't," Kim said. "Because they're being very gracious and inviting us into their homes. Best we leave it to them. Besides, we could be here a while." "I don't mind!" Sonata chirped. "I haven't been to Neighpon in forever!" "Japan," Kim corrected. "Nihon," Mars said at almost the same time. They looked at each other, then burst into snickers. Kim shook her head. Venus tilted her head curiously. "Neighpon?" "Yeah, everything in horse world is like, horse named," Ron said. "Canterlot, Ponyville..." "Baltimare, Hoofston, Fillydelphia," Twilight continued. She frowned. "You know, I never even noticed until just now how strange that is." Mars groaned. "Your world sounds like a nightmare of puns," she said. "Alright, everyone," Sailor Moon said. "It's a little late to do anything else tonight, so we should..." She yawned. "Split up for the night, get our guests settled in. We can meet up first thing in the morning to talk about this whole monkey crystal thing." "Umm, Usagi?" Jupiter asked. "What about those French kids? We sort of told them to go to Tokyo Tower, and—" "I'll handle it," Sailor Moon said. "As soon as I drop Stoppable-san off at Mamo-chan's place, I'll go to Tokyo Tower and meet them." She glanced at Mars. "Can I tell them to drop by the shrine tomorrow?" Mars frowned. "Maybe ask them what their plans are first," she said. "Or, it might even be a better idea for us all to meet up at Chiba-san's apartment." "Right, good idea," Sailor Moon agreed. "Alright." Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. Her body glowed pink; her costume exploded away from her in ribbons, retracting into her brooch and leaving her wearing a pink sweater, white jeans, and cream flats. Around her, the other girls detransformed, revealing themselves to look more or less the same without their Sailor Soldier regalia, just in street clothes. Each of the girls motioned for her guest to come with her, then headed in different directions. The Executive Suite, Yamagoto Plaza Hotel A dark man sat in a dark room on one of the highest floors of a monolithic hotel, staring out into the neon glow of night as he swirled blood red wine in a glass. An array of expensive appetizers spread across the table before him. A small silver cage sat on the edge of the table; inside, a tiny glowing pink creature morosely but rapidly devoured morsels of food. The dark man examined a small object he held in his other hand: a perfectly round blue crystal with five golden bananas embedded beneath the smooth, shiny surface. "Nooroo," the dark man said, his voice deep, powerful, and commanding, "what can you tell me about this curious object?"