Hawk’s Eye View

	It was a beautiful late summer day in Tokyo. The sun shone brightly in 
the clear blue sky while a gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the trees, some 
which were already changing from dark green to warm shades of yellow, orange, 
brown and red in preparation for the coming autumn. Streets and sidewalks were 
crowded, as usual, but smiles graced the faces of most of the population, the 
beautiful day melting even the most cold of hearts.

	But was I out there, enjoying the warm, afternoon sun? No. Instead, I 
entered a dark, dingy drinking hole, our regular hangout, angered at yet another 
failed attempt to complete our mission. Dusting off the stool at the end of the 
bar, I took a seat in my usual spot and ordered a scotch on the rocks. It was 
definitely time for the hard stuff.

	I glanced around the empty bar, wondering where in the world my two 
accomplices in all that was wrong and evil were. Those two bakas were just at 
much to blame as I was, and I longed to give them a piece of my mind. Although, I 
couldn’t say that I necessarily hated the rare silence their absence afforded me. 
It was nice not to have to deal with Tigerseye’s constant ego trip or the weird 
looks Fisheye threw me whenever he thought I wasn’t looking. Oh, yes, I knew all 
about those secret glances and quite frankly, it gave me the creeps. Not that I 
wasn’t flattered, of course. I just didn’t swing that way.

	After taking a swig of my drink, I slammed the glass back down and 
reached into my pocket, pulling out a stack of colored photographs. They were new 
prospects for our mission, fresh from Zirconia and her freaky flying eyeball. I 
spread them across the scratched surface of the counter, eyeing them with a 
disinterested gaze.

	It was more of the same. Some blondes, a couple of redheads, mostly 
brunettes, young, pretty, although none stood out as particularly beautiful…what 
a yawn. There were a couple of males, but they were more of the dorky type, 
definitely not holders of the beautiful dream of which we were searching. I 
chuckled, tossing aside another rejected photo. Fisheye would not be pleased.

	“Ah, what do we have here?” 

	With a glove-covered hand, I reached over and selected one of the 
photographs, holding it to the light of the neon sign above the bar. She was 
beautiful. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The woman in the picture was tall, 
dressed in a smart lavender skirt suit that complemented her dark olive 
complexion quite nicely. Her hair, long and dark hunter green, was half pulled 
back into a small bun, but the loose tresses fell almost to the back of her 
knees, blowing softly in the wind. However, it was her eyes that interested me 
most. Those wonderfully gorgeous eyes!

	They were an unusual shade of deepest red, putting the rarest and most 
expensive Burmese rubies to shame. The color reminded me of human blood, or 
perhaps a beautiful rose in full bloom. Even more seductive than the color, 
however, was their maturity, contrasting with the otherwise youthful features of 
her face. I sensed that those two garnet orbs had seen more than I ever hoped or 
dreamed, despite the apparent age of the girl. It gave her a look of being wise 
beyond her years. Surely such hypnotizing eyes were able to see the most 
beautiful dreams.

	“Yo, Hawkseye!”

	Upon hearing Tigerseye’s voice call out to me from the entrance of the 
Dead Moon Bar, I flipped the girl’s photo facedown on the counter and placed my 
half empty glass on top, hiding her eyes from my associates. I then swung around 
on my stool, crossing my arms over my chest as I prepared to give them a proper 
scolding. As the most serious and dedicated of the Amazon Trio, it was often my 
job to keep the other two bakas in line. “Fisheye and Tigerseye, you’re 
late,” I replied as they sat down at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. 
“Zirconia-sama was not pleased.”

	“Sor-ry,” the bubblehead fish apologized, punctuating both syllables of 
the word. “I was out shopping in downtown Tokyo and I guess I just lost all track 
of time. But I did get us some fabulous disguises for our next mission.”

	Fisheye held up a large bag, proudly displaying the logo of a well-known 
local fashion designer named Yoshiku Usui. Funny, I thought he stopped buying his 
clothes after the designer rejected him during one of Fisheye’s missions, but I 
suppose the passion for fashion got the best of him once again. Beside the 
blue-haired acrobat, Tigerseye grabbed the bag and started digging through the 
purchases, making a face. A pile of skirts, dresses, tiny blouses, and a couple 
of pairs of high heel shoes quickly fell to the floor in large heap. 

	“Fisheye, these are all women’s clothes!” he complained, holding up a 
black lace bra for all to see. (Although, exactly what it was supposed to hold 
remained a mystery to me.)

	“Of course they are, sweetie. Usui-san only designs women’s clothing.” 

	Tigerseye tossed the bra onto the stack and continued digging in the bag, 
trying to find something he liked. “You mean to tell me that this was all you 
bought? What are me and Hawkseye supposed to wear? I’m not going to go out in 
public…Hey, wait a minute. I like these!”

	The lion tamer held up an insanely large pair of earrings he found hidden 
at the bottom of the bag. They were gold hoops encrusted with hundreds of tiny 
diamonds (or were they cubic zirconia?) and what appeared to be sapphires. 
Tigerseye didn’t waste anytime putting the earrings on, shaking his head so the 
gemstones shimmered slightly in the neon glow of the sign. “How do I look, guys?” 
he asked, holding up his glass in an attempt to see his reflection. “Don’t you 
think they are a perfect accessory to compliment my already overwhelming beauty 
and good…Ouch!”

	Fisheye roughly yanked the earrings away from Tigerseye and 
slipped them on himself. “I didn’t buy these for you, Tigerseye,” he said. 
“Besides, they are much more suited to me, don’t you think?”

	His companion flipped his long blond hair over his shoulder, wrinkling 
his nose in distaste. “Actually they make you look even more stupid than you 
already are. I can‘t believe I even wanted those earrings in the first place. 
They are so obviously fake.”

	“You’re just jealous because they look so much better on me.”

	“Am not!”

	“Are too!”

	“Am not!”

	I rubbed my temples, suddenly feeling the onset of a horrible headache. 
This was not what I needed today. “Will you two stop fooling around?” I shouted, 
finally having enough. “This is getting serious. If we don’t find Pegasus soon, 
there’s no telling what Zirconia-sama will do to us.”

	“Boy, somebody sure is cranky today,” Fisheye teased, dropping his 
purchases back into the bag. 

	Tigerseye nodded in agreement. “Did you get up on the wrong side of the 
bed this morning, Hawkseye?”

	“No, I did not,” I said, rather grouchily, if I do say so myself. Maybe I 
had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, after all. Or maybe it was just the 
alcohol. Who knows? I waved my hand over the counter, drawing their attention to 
the pile of pictures around me. “Zircon sent us a new batch of victims to 
inspect. You two might want to have a look, although I doubt you’ll find anything 
interesting.”

	Tigerseye and Fisheye flanked me on either side, their gazes falling on 
the photographs sitting on the counter. I could see the boredom seep into their 
eyes, proving what I already knew. Other than my hidden red-eyed goddess, this 
batch was full of nothing but duds. Zircon must be losing his touch.

	The feminine-looking man yawned, leaning against the bar as he took a sip 
of his martini. “What a sorry group of losers,” he sighed while twirling a strand 
of light blue hair around a scaly finger. “Not one single cute guy in the bunch. 
Looks like they‘re more your style, Tigerseye. You always did like the young, 
girly types.”

	“Hey, don’t look at me!” he exclaimed. Tigerseye held up both his hands, 
backing away slightly. “These girls don’t do anything for me at all.”

	“Well, we have to choose someone, or else Zirconia-sama will select for 
us and you know what happened last time…”

	There were groans all around, Tigerseye’s cat-like growls rising above us 
other two. Who could forget our last mission to capture the dream of the 
blue-haired genius at Zirconia’s insistence? That plan was doomed to fail from 
the start, yet we were still forced to deal with the consequences as if it was 
OUR fault. 

	“Don’t remind me, Fisheye,” the lion tamer grumbled, still obviously 
upset at the fact that the girl seemed to pay more attention to that bratty 
little kid than to him. “There has to be at least one decent dreamer in the 
bunch.”

	He gave the photos another look over, his dark green eyes suddenly 
falling upon a certain photo hidden underneath my glass. Curious, Tigerseye 
grabbed the photograph and held it up, managing the spill the rest of my beverage 
all over the other photographs and my skirt. I jumped up at the sudden coldness 
and cursed, trying to clean myself. “Shimatta, Tigerseye!” I swore. “I just had 
this suit dry cleaned yesterday.”

	However, it was obvious that nobody was paying attention to me, since 
neither of them even moved to hand me a towel. Tigerseye was too busy staring at 
the picture in his hand, a cocky grin spreading across his face. He let out a low 
whistle. “Now, here’s what I call a babe! I think I just found our next target.”

	“Oo, let me see!” Fisheye shouted, grabbing the picture from Tigerseye’s 
hand. He was not impressed though, evident by the way he rolled his blue eyes. 
“Honestly, Tigerseye, you have absolutely no taste.”

	“Give me that!” the blond growled, yanking the photo from Fisheye’s 
green-colored hands. “You wouldn’t know taste if it bonked you on the head.”

	He held the picture up, but before he could admire it any more, I 
possessively stole it from his hand. “Sorry, buddy, but this one’s already mine.”

	The lion tamer’s eyebrow arched in surprise. “Really? I wouldn’t think 
she was your type, Hawkseye. Isn’t she a bit young for you?

	I shot him a dirty look before setting the beautiful girl’s picture back 
down on the dry counter. The other two crowded around me, wanting to have another 
look. “She may be young, but she has experience,” I replied, answering 
Tigerseye’s question. “Just look at her eyes. Those are the eyes of one who has 
seen much in such a short life. They almost appear to be as old as Time itself.”

	A jewel-speckled finger fell on the photo and slid it the picture in 
front of its owner. Tigerseye laughed, taking a sip of his drink. “That’s a good 
one, Hawkseye. But it’s obvious that she’s much more my type than yours. Just 
leave this one to me. I will capture her beautiful dreams in no time.”

	My own red eyes, similar yet so different from hers, narrowed at my 
companion, a fire blazing in their depths. Underneath my skin, I could feel my 
blood start to boil at Tigerseye’s audaciousness. She was MY victim first. 

	After all the time we spent together, I was accustomed to Tigerseye’s 
inherent selfishness and narcissism. Never was a man alive who loved himself so 
much. But I could live with that. We may clash from time to time, mostly over who 
had the better taste in women or who had the superior skills, but it was, for the 
most part, friendly competition. But THIS! This was taking things way too far.

	I abruptly stood up from my stool and grabbed the picture, grunting when 
I felt a pull on the end of the photo. Glancing up, I found myself in a bitter 
tug of war with the challenger for the right to capture the timeless beauty’s 
beautiful dreams. “Let go, Tigerseye,” I ordered, not about to let him win. 
“She’s mine.”

	“I don’t think so,” he replied, equally determined. “I claimed her first 
and, as they always say, ’the early bird always catches the worm’. It’s kind of 
ironic, don‘t you think, Hawkseye?” He made sure to put a heavy accent on the 
first syllable of my name. 

	“Just because I didn’t say anything before doesn’t mean I hadn’t already 
claimed her.”

	“Too bad, so sad.”

	“Let go!”

	“No, YOU let go!”

	On the other side of the counter, where he’d moved in order to get a 
better view of the fight, Fisheye cracked open a nut and popped it in his mouth. 
“You know, guys, you really shouldn’t be fighting like this,” he said, wagging 
his nutcracker in our direction. “Especially over some silly girl. Anger’s not 
very attractive on either one of you.”

	Our heads turned toward the odd man out. “SHUT UP, FISHEYE!” we yelled in 
perfect unison before returning to the battle.

	He simply rolled his girlish blue eyes and tossed another peanut in the 
air, this time failing to catch the salty treat in his mouth. Instead, it hit him 
squarely on the end of his nose before falling to the floor. “I was only trying 
to help,” he mumbled, reaching for the empty bowl beside him. “Man, no more 
peanuts. Now how am I supposed to enjoy the fight?”

	Back in front of the bar, oblivious to Fisheye’s tragic peanut dilemma, 
Tigerseye and I continued our fight, slinging insults at each other as we pulled 
the photograph back and forth. I suppose it was pretty childish of us, especially 
me, but I didn’t care. All I knew was that I couldn’t let Tigerseye take her away 
from me.

	Who knows how long we stood there, playing our pathetic game of tug of 
war. It might have been just a couple of minutes or maybe even a few hours. All I 
know for certain is that we didn’t cease our battle until the sound of paper 
ripping in half echoed throughout the small tavern and we broke away from each 
other, both of us holding in our hands a piece of a photograph. Even Fisheye 
looked in shock as he finally looked up from behind the bar where he had been 
rummaging through the shelves, searching for some more peanuts.

	At first, neither of us spoke, too surprised to say anything. I looked 
down at my hand at the top half of the photograph, inspecting the damage. It 
appeared I held the larger of the two pieces since the girl’s face and the top 
half of her lavender suit were still visible. A jagged tear bordered the bottom 
where the paper had ripped. “Look what you did!” I accused, holding up the ruined 
photo as evidence. 

	“At what I did?!” he exclaimed, holding up his own piece. Some might say 
he got the better end of the bargain, as she did have gorgeous gams. I still 
preferred her eyes, though. “Look at what YOU did! You’re going to pay for this, 
Hawkseye!”

	I hadn’t wanted it to come to this, but it looked like I had no other 
choice. I clenched my hand into a fist and prepared to fight. “I’d like to see 
you try.”

	But before either of us could throw the first punch, the effeminate man 
in the puffy bodysuit jumped over the bar and came between us, pushing us back 
with his slimy, scaly hands. “Come on, guys, you don’t really want to do this, do 
you?” Fisheye asked. “Don’t you remember the last time this happened with that 
ditzy blonde chick? It‘s just not worth it.”

	“He started it!” Tigerseye said, pointing a finger at me. He reminded me 
of a naughty five year old tattling to Mommy or, perhaps more appropriately in 
this case, Daddy who just happened to like to dress like Mommy. He was such a 
child.

	“Did not!” I shot back, sticking out my tongue. If he was going to stoop 
to such childish levels, than so would I.

	Getting frustrated, Fisheye let out a long and drawn out breath, letting 
the air blow the strand of blue hair that always fell in his face every which 
way. He then gave the both of us stern looks, looking much different from the 
usual happy-go-lucky fish brain we both loved to tease and torture. “There’s only 
one way I know of to settle this,” he finally said. “What do you say to a 
friendly game of Jan-Ken-Pon? Winner gets the girl and the loser has to come with 
me on my next shopping spree and carry all my bags.”

	I rolled my eyes at Fisheye’s wager, but nonetheless agreed. This was 
going to be easier than taking candy from a baby. I was the undisputed champion 
of Jan-Ken-Pon. He didn’t have a chance against me. “Fine, I’ll play if he plays, 
but no shopping. The loser will just…lose.”

	“You’re no fun, Hawkseye,” he grumbled.

	Tigerseye reluctantly nodded too. “Okay, I’m game, too.”

	Regarding each other with suspicious eyes, we slowly hid one of our hands 
behind our backs. Fisheye served as the referee, making sure neither of us 
cheated, but it really wasn’t necessary. For as long as I’ve known him, Tigerseye 
has always chosen “rock”. However, from the self-assured gleam in his eye, I 
could tell that he thought he had me, because he knew that I knew that he always 
chose “rock”. That meant that “rock” was out and it was a fifty/fifty toss up 
between “paper” and “scissors”. Behind my back, I quickly made a fist, relying on 
my gut feeling that Tigerseye believed I was going to choose “paper” and 
therefore decided to choose “scissors” for himself. “I’m ready when you are, 
Tigerseye.”

	JAN-KEN-PON!

	On the third count, we revealed our choices, Tigerseye swearing loudly 
when he saw my hand clenched into a “rock” shape. He had indeed chosen 
“scissors”, making the V-for-Victory sign with his middle and pointer fingers.

	“No fair!” Tigerseye complained. “He cheated. I know he did. Let’s make 
it two out of three. I demand a rematch!”

	Smiling at my win, I patted Tigerseye’s shoulder in comfort before 
snatching the bottom half of my picture from his hand. Maybe I could tape the 
pieces back together and have it looking as good as new. 

	“Better luck next time, loser!” I called out as I exited the bar to plan 
my next move. “Ja ne!”

					*****

	The next day, I stood outside of the world-famous Tokyo Observatory, 
waiting patiently for my victim to arrive. From the notes I was able to gather in 
the short amount of time I had last night to prepare, I had learned that the 
girl’s name was Meioh Setsuna and that she was an astrophysics major at the 
nearby university who often visited the observatory to perform experiments for 
her classes. I was hoping to catch her on the way there and lure her toward a 
deserted parking lot I came across about five blocks down.

	Unlike Fisheye and Tigerseye, I liked to thoroughly prepare for each of 
my missions beforehand, carefully planning each and every detail of the attack. 
It was not in my nature to be impulsive unless provoked. Thus, even my civilian 
identity was perfectly crafted, tailor made to attract Setsuna’s attention, and 
more importantly, her dreams. I had decided on a cross between “intellectual 
scientist” and “hip twentysomething”, pairing my rather conservative 
khaki-and-polo shirt ensemble and wire-rimmed glasses with a small gold hoop 
earring in my left ear and a fake goatee, which was currently making my chin itch 
like crazy. A clean white lab coat and a slicked down hairstyle completed the 
look. If my suspicions were correct, she would be mine in no time.

	“Right on schedule,” I said to myself as I saw a flash of forest green 
pass by the sakura tree I was hiding behind and head toward the entrance of the 
observatory. 

	I quickly turned around to get a better look at her as she walked down 
the sidewalk, careful to remain hidden in the shadows. The college student was 
indeed even more beautiful than her photograph, which now rested in the pocket of 
my lab coat, taped but still in good shape. It really was a shame that I was 
going to have to kill her after I peeked into her beautiful dreams. Maybe I would 
let this one go if she played her cards right. It would be wrong to rob this 
dreary world of one of its only true treasures.

	Running a hand through my smooth hair, I finally decided to approach the 
goddess as she began climbing the stairs leading up to the observatory. She 
wasn’t in a hurry, so it was no problem catching up to her, but just as I was 
about to reach for her arm, she suddenly stopped and turned away from me, 
shielding her gorgeous red eyes from the harsh afternoon sun with her hand as she 
surveyed the area, searching for someone or something. A man’s voice called out 
her name and I swore under my breath. He was going to ruin everything.

	“Ohzora-sensei!” Setsuna said, returning the man’s wave. Forgetting about 
going inside, she retraced her steps, meeting her friend halfway. I stayed a 
respectful distance behind, not wanting to blow my cover, but unfortunately, I 
could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation.

	It was silly of me, but I couldn’t help but to feel a wave of jealousy 
wash over me as I watched her talk with the other man. He wasn’t bad looking, 
with friendly blue eyes and blond hair so pale it was practically white. Fisheye 
would go for him in a heartbeat. But who was he?  

	From the official ID hanging from the pocket of his lab coat, I deduced 
he was a scientist here at the observatory. Maybe he was simply her mentor or a 
former teacher. But what if he wasn’t? What if he was her lover? That would 
definitely complicate matters.

	I certainly didn’t like the way he kept touching her arm while they 
conversed or how she shot him soft, mysterious smiles every so often, her red 
eyes sparkling with amusement. They were getting a little too friendly for my 
taste. I was very tempted go up to the young scientist and punch him right in the 
nose but managed to control myself, knowing that losing my temper would 
accomplish nothing. So, I quietly moved closer to the couple and took a seat on a 
nearby bench, pretending to read a magazine left behind while eavesdropping on 
Setsuna’s and Dr. Ohzora’s conversation, which appeared to be ending.

	“Oh, Setsuna-san, before I forget…” Dr. Ohzora Kakeru said, reaching into 
his pocket and pulling out a stack of photographs. “Here are the copies of the 
photos taken during the solar eclipse that you were asking about. I hope they are 
what you wanted.”

	She smiled, taking the pictures from his hand and briefly looking through 
the stack. “Thank you, Kakeru-san. I’m sure these will prove to be very 
informative. I really do appreciate all you and Himeko-san have done to help me 
with my paper.”

	“We were glad to be of service, especially to such a promising student.”

	A very becoming blush spread across Setsuna’s cheeks at the complement, 
which she tried to hide by coughing into her hand. “How is your wife, anyway?” 
she asked once she regained her composure. Behind my magazine, I let out a silent 
cheer, glad to hear he had a wife.

	Kakeru let out a hearty chuckle, rolling his dark blue eyes. “She’s 
driving me crazy, as usual. Every day, when I walk into the door, it’s always 
‘Did you remember to get the sardines like I asked?’ or ‘I have a craving for 
chocolate mousse. Would you mind terribly driving all the way to that bakery I 
like in Tomoeda and get me some?’ And, of course, I always do, because if I 
don’t, she’ll start crying at the top of her lungs.” The scientist sighed 
heavily, leaning against the wall. “I cannot begin to tell you how much I’m 
looking forward to the end of this pregnancy. I don’t think I can take it much 
longer.”

	“Don’t worry. I’m sure you can,” she replied, glancing down at her watch. 
Her lips curled in a tiny frown. “Darn, I’ll be late for my meeting with 
Yamaguchi-sensei if I don’t hurry. I better get going. Tell Himeko-san I said 
hello.”

	He nodded, turning to leave. “I have go, too. It was good to see you, 
Setsuna-san, and if you need any more help, don’t hesitate to call.”

	“I will. Goodbye, Kakeru-san.”

	“See you later.”

	I watched as the young scientist left, a small smile tugging at my lips. 
Finally he was gone. I was beginning to think he’d never leave. Now was the time 
to make my move on Setsuna.

	Closing the magazine, I stood up and began walking toward the college 
student, careful not to seem too anxious. She was still standing at the bottom of 
the steps, flipping through the photographs the scientist gave her one more time 
before heading to her meeting and didn’t appear to hear me approach her. I 
scowled, but kept my cool. That could be remedied with a simple snap of my 
finger.

	“What a beautiful picture,” she remarked, holding up one of the photos. 
Her other hand moved to put the rest of the stack in her purse, but suddenly a 
blast of wind (courtesy of yours truly) blew pass, knocking the pictures right 
out of her hand and onto the ground, where they danced across the sidewalk in a 
beautiful ballet. Setsuna gasped, quickly bending down to gather the photos. “My 
pictures!”

	“Here, let me help you, miss,” I said, offering my assistance. Nothing 
warmed women’s hearts faster than a man lending a helping hand. Tigerseye might 
rely on his good looks and charm, but I preferred playing the part of the perfect 
gentleman. It worked every time (except with that bitter old woman who lived in 
the beautiful mansion in Juuban, but I vowed never to speak of that incident ever 
again), and this was certainly no exception. Setsuna gave me a grateful smile, 
taking the photos I held out. She had a beautiful smile. 

	“Thank you very much, Dr. - uh, I’m sorry. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

	“It’s Dr. Takano,” I said, giving her the fake name I used once before 
during that ill-fated mission to steal the blonde ditz’s beautiful dreams. “And 
you would be?”

	“Meioh Setsuna. I’m an astrophysics major at Tokyo University,” she 
replied, putting the pictures in her purse.

	“Ah, astrophysics! What a fascinating subject. In fact, a couple of 
colleagues and I are just about to begin a study on the Big Bang Theory and the 
origin of the universe.”

	“How interesting!”

	I nodded, noting how her wine-red eyes seemed to light up like a 
Christmas tree. This was really too easy. “Yes, it is. Perhaps, if you’re not 
busy, we could discuss the project over a cup of coffee. I would love to hear 
your thoughts on the subject.”

	“Oh, I would love to, Takano-sensei, but I’m afraid that I late enough as 
it is,” she said regretfully while looking down at her watch. “Yamaguchi-sensei 
was expecting me over five minutes ago. I really must go. Perhaps some other 
time?”

	“I’ll look forward to it,” I assured her, although mentally I was cursing 
my bad luck. If it weren’t for that stupid meeting, her dreams would be mine.

	We exchanged quick goodbyes and I watched her as she entered the 
observatory, admiring her classic, timeless beauty. I couldn’t quite explain it, 
but the image of her garnet eyes kept flashing in my mind, so beautiful and 
knowing. Pulling out her photo, I grinned. “You certainly are an intriguing young 
woman, Meioh Setsuna. I look forward to seeing you again.”

	Taking one last look, I put the photograph back in my pocket and started 
to throw my magazine in a nearby garbage can, only then realizing what I had been 
pretending to read. “Hello, Miss September,” I whistled, opening to that month’s 
centerfold.

	Needless to say, the Playboy went with me.

					*****

	When I arrived back at the bar, Tigerseye and Fisheye were engaged in a 
game of darts. As usual, the effeminate man was completely missing the target 
while Tigerseye consistently hit the bull’s-eye, letting out a cheer of victory 
with every point he made. They invited to me to join them, but I declined, taking 
a seat at the bar and plopping the heavy stack of books I was carrying on the 
counter with a loud thud.

	“I don’t understand this,” Fisheye whined after throwing his last dart 
and missing the board by a good five inches. “This isn’t fair! Why can’t I win?”

	“Because I’m the best and you just plain suck at this game,” his opponent 
said cockily. An orange dart flew from his hand and landed straight on the bull’s 
eye. “Wahoo! I win again. Looks like you owe me another drink.”

	Fisheye grumbled, but nonetheless ordered Tigerseye a Sex on the Beach. 
The two of them then took a seat at the bar, eyeing me curiously. “So, how are 
things going with your little girlfriend?” Tigerseye finally asked, a touch of 
bitterness in his voice. “Have you managed to capture her beautiful dream?”

	I closed the book I was reading and pushed the pair of wire-rimmed 
glasses I still wore up my nose with my middle finger, cleverly flipping him off. 
“Not yet, Tigerseye. But it’s only a matter of time. With the plan I cooked up, 
there’s no way I can lose.”

	The lion tamer snorted, obviously not believing me. “Just give it up, 
Hawkseye, and let me have a turn. You had your fun, so now it’s time for a real 
man to come and sweep the girl right off her feet. And I’m just the one for the 
job.”

	Fisheye rolled his eyes. “Oh, puh-leaze, Tigerseye. Stop being so 
jealous. She’s just a girl.”

	“I’m not jealous,” he insisted, brooding into his drink. “I’m just more 
qualified for the job. Just look at him. What girl would be interested in HIM?” 
He turned toward me, wrinkling his nose. “And what is that thing on your face? It 
looks like a rat.”

	Tigerseye reached over and yanked the goatee off my face, causing me to 
yelp in pain. But the itching finally stopped, which I suppose was a good thing, 
although my chin now glowed a bright pink that almost matched the shade of my 
hair. 

	“It’s a goatee,” I said, taking back the hairpiece and tucking it in my 
pocket. “And I happen to need it for my plan.”

	“Well, aren’t you the Master of Disguise,” he said, sarcasm dripping in 
his voice. Tigerseye picked up the book I was reading, raising a skeptical 
eyebrow. “The Theory of Relativity? Exploring the Cosmos? Are these books part of 
your brilliant plan as well?” 

	“As a matter of fact, they are,” I answered, grabbing another volume from 
the stack. “You see, Tigerseye, Setsuna-san isn’t like other women. It takes more 
than just good looks to impress her. Any man who wins her heart also has to have 
brains, which you, unfortunately, lack. That’s why I’m going to read these books 
tonight and impress her with my amazing intelligence. Seduce her mind, if you 
will.”

	“You’re going to read ALL these books tonight?” Fisheye asked dubiously. 
“If you ask me, that is going through way too much trouble just to impress some 
silly college coed.”

	“If I was in charge of this mission, I’d just charm her with roses and 
poetry,” Tigerseye said. “Girls can’t get enough of the mushy romantic bit. They 
don’t really care about your mind just as long as you buy them pretty things and 
act all loving and junk. You’re wasting your time, Hawkseye.”

	Shooting my comrades a dirty look, I stood up and started gathering my 
things. What did they know? They had never even met Setsuna. I, on the other 
hand, had seen the look in those hypnotizing garnet orbs when I mentioned the 
bogus Big Bang project. If staying up all night to finish reading these books was 
what it took to capture her beautiful dream, that was a sacrifice I was willing 
to make. Those two bakas were going to be sorry they ever made fun of my plan 
when I came back tomorrow with Pegasus in my possession.

	“If you two will excuse me, I’m going to go to the library to study,” I 
said, walking out of the bar. Laughter rang in the air, but I ignored them.

	Her dreams were mine.

					*****

	Stifling a huge yawn, I sat down on the bench right outside the 
observatory and pulled out the last book I had yet to read, turning to the first 
page. The words seemed to float around the page like the letter-shape noodles in 
a hot bowl of Alphabet Soup, my eyes entirely too tired to keep focus on the 
page. I hadn’t slept for a full twenty-four hours and I feared that my fatigue 
was finally catching up to me. Even the three cups of coffee I had this morning 
didn’t seem to have an effect.

	I yawned again, glancing down at my watch. It was almost noon, just about 
time for lunch. My stomach growled loudly. I longed to head over to the cozy 
little diner just down the street for a quick snack but decided against that, 
fearing that I would miss Setsuna on her way out. I had just missed her earlier 
that morning when she arrived and I had no intention of losing the opportunity 
again. Thus, I stayed on the bench and attempted to concentrate on the thick tome 
in my hands.

	To my surprise, it was actually she who approached me first, finding me 
half-asleep, the book I was reading long forgotten and fallen from my lap. She 
gently touched my shoulder, abruptly awakening me from my nap. “Takano-sensei, 
are you okay?”

	I quickly glanced up, finding Setsuna standing beside me with a worried 
look on her beautiful face. Boy, was she ever a sight for sore eyes! I nodded, 
rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “Meioh-san, how wonderful to see you again,” I 
said, standing up to greet the college student. “Although I must say this is 
quite embarrassing. I must not have gotten enough sleep last night.”

	Setsuna let out a soft chuckle, amusement dancing in her ruby red eyes. 
She then bent down to retrieve my book. “Ah, Copernicus’ De revolutionibus obium 
caelestium,” she said, reading the title off the cover with a smile. “I fell 
asleep reading this book as well, although his ideas were quite revolutionary for 
the time period, especially his theory of a heliocentric universe. To imagine 
that for so many years, humans believed Earth was the center of the universe. 
We’ve certainly come a long way from that way of thinking, but there’s still so 
much more to learn, don‘t you think, Takano-sensei?”

	“Yes, very much so,” I agreed, trying to think of something intelligent 
to say. But the words just wouldn’t come to me. Everything I read last night 
seemed to fly out the window with just a single glance from those knowing eyes. 
It was unnerving, to say the least. She wasn’t supposed to have so much power 
over me.

	Perhaps confused by my lack of speech, Setsuna handed me the book and 
said goodbye, turning to leave. Watching her walk down the sidewalk, I suddenly 
snapped from my temporary case of ineptitude, remembering why I was here. I 
couldn’t let her leave, not without capturing her beautiful dream and seeing if 
Pegasus lived within it. So, I quickly jogged up to her, reaching for her arm.

	“Meioh-san, are you busy right now?” I asked, returning to my old self 
once again. That brief lapse a few minutes ago was probably from a lack of sleep, 
nothing to worry about. At least I hoped. “Because I was hoping we could go for 
that cup of coffee I offered yesterday and perhaps talk more about my project. 
We’re going to need a couple of student assistants to help with research and the 
like, and I think that you would be perfect for the job.”

	Her eyes widened just a little bit, surprised by the job offer but trying 
not to show it. I could tell it wasn’t her style to show too much emotion, 
although her eyes spoke everything she wanted to say. It really was too bad that 
it was all just a hoax. If I actually had a heart or a conscience, I might even 
feel guilty for playing with her hopes and dreams like that. 

	“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she replied. “Actually, I was 
planning to go out for lunch before my next class at the university, so you 
managed to catch me at the perfect time.”

	“Great! I know just the place.”

	We started walking toward the vacant parking lot I staked out the day 
before, talking about the different conflicting theories concerning the origin of 
the universe. Well, technically, Setsuna did most of the talking while I mostly 
listened, but amazingly enough, I actually understood much of what she was saying 
and was able to contribute somewhat to the conversation. Maybe some of my 
studying really had managed to sink into my brain.

	However, about halfway there, we were interrupted by the excited shouts 
of “Puu!” coming from a young pink-haired girl running toward us, followed by a 
blonde teenager who was obviously related to the kid. They both had the most 
unusual hairstyles, their hair pulled into two pigtails topped with odangos on 
either side of their head. I raised a questioning eyebrow at Setsuna, who 
appeared to know them.

	“Poo?” I asked, wondering how she managed to pick up such an unflattering 
nickname.

	“It’s a long story,” she replied just as the little girl reached the two 
of us, throwing her arms around Setsuna’s slender waist. The timeless beauty 
smiled, affectionately ruffling the youngster’s cotton candy hair. “Hello, Sm- I 
mean, Chibi-Usa. It’s so nice to see you again.”

	“Puu, I’ve missed you!” Chibi-Usa exclaimed, embracing her friend even 
tighter. “So, so much!”

	The little girl’s “sister” (I suppose that’s what they were) arrived a 
few seconds later, breathless and noticeably angry. Once she caught her breath, 
the pretty blonde sat the bags she was carrying down on the sidewalk and placed 
her hands on her hips, blue eyes flaring with a mixture of anger and relief. 
“Chibi-Usa, what did I tell you about running off like that?” she asked. “You 
could have been killed! What if you had gotten hit by a car crossing the street 
or something?”

	Chibi-Usa stuck out her tongue, blowing a raspberry at the blonde. 
“You’re one to talk, Usagi. You’re the one always getting into situations without 
thinking.”

	“Am not!”

	“Are too!”

	“Am not!”

	Watching the sisters argue, Setsuna shook her head in mild amusement, 
trying her hardest not to laugh. “I see nothing has changed between you two,” she 
commented.

	The blonde teen suddenly stopped her argument, for the first time 
realizing that they were not alone. Her face quickly became the exact shade of a 
ripe tomato, embarrassed at their little fight. “Oh, Setsuna-san, I didn’t 
realize you were here,” she said, glancing over at me. Her crystal blue eyes 
seemed to sparkle with mischief. “Or that you were on a date. I didn’t know you 
had a boyfriend, Setsuna-san. When did THIS happen?”

	“A boyfriend?” Setsuna asked, momentarily confused. She blinked a couple 
of times before she realized that the teen was talking about me. “Oh, he’s not my 
boyfriend, Usagi-san. This is Dr. Takano, a scientist at the observatory. We were 
just going to go out for lunch to talk about a new project he’s working on. 

	Usagi blushed even brighter. “Oops! Sorry, I didn’t know. But it’s very 
nice to meet you, Takano-sensei. I‘m Tsukino Usagi and this is…my cousin, 
Chibi-Usa.”

	“The pleasure’s all mine, Tsukino-san,” I replied. I then bent down to 
smile at the little girl, who was still hugging Setsuna. It was obvious they had 
a close relationship. “Hello, Chibi-Usa-chan.”

	The girl’s wide red eyes narrowed in distrust as she slowly let go of 
Setsuna’s waist and examined me. I don’t know if it was because she was jealous 
or if I had said something wrong, but I got the distinct feeling she didn’t like 
me very much. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. 	“Are you really a 
scientist?” Chibi-Usa finally asked. “You sure don’t look like-”

	A hand quickly clamped over the little girl’s mouth, muffling her 
sentence. Usagi sighed, pulling her cousin toward her. “I’m sorry about that, 
Takano-sensei. She’s usually not this rude, at least not to strangers. I just 
don’t know what has gotten into her today.”

	“Oh, that’s quite alright,” I replied as Chibi-Usa struggled to escape 
from her cousin’s grasp. Usagi finally let her go, although the girl didn’t look 
very happy. Her attention was again turned to me.

	“And why do you have pink hair and a brown goatee? It‘s stupid-looking,” 
she asked, much to Usagi’s and Setsuna’s mortification. The blonde started to 
scold her once again, but I simply laughed, although inwardly, I was beginning to 
hate that curious little brat. If she didn’t stop with the questions soon, my 
whole plan might be ruined.

	“Isn’t that cute,” I said in a patronizing tone, bending down so that I 
was just about eye-level with the child, who immediately felt the need to stick 
her little pink tongue at me. Somebody really needed to teach her some manners, 
and I was just the man for the job. “Now, Chibi-Usa-chan, that’s not very nice. 
Is that anyway for a proper young lady to…Ouch!”

	Without warning, a sharp, blinding pain traveled across my left foot and 
I quickly stood up, hopping around like a one-legged chicken while muttering some 
rather impolite swears under my breath. Why, that little monster! That was it. No 
more Mr. Nice Guy. Once the pain subsided, I roughly grabbed the girl by the arm 
and pulled her toward me, holding up my hand as if to slap her.

	“You picked the wrong guy to mess with, brat!” I growled, enjoying the 
sudden fear in those large crimson eyes. “Don‘t you know your manners? Well, it’s 
about time you learned. I‘m going to teach you a lesson you‘ll never forget.”

	Behind me, Setsuna gasped. “Takano-sensei! She’s just a little girl. 
Chibi-Usa didn‘t mean it.”

	Hearing her voice, I slowly lowered my hand and released the girl from my 
grasp, aware that we still had an audience. It wouldn’t be a good idea to lose my 
temper when I was so close to capturing Setsuna’s beautiful dream. After I let 
her go, Chibi-Usa immediately ran over to the green-haired woman, seeking her 
protection. The fear from a few seconds ago was gone from her eyes, though I 
noticed that she was still noticeably shaken. Setsuna lightly rested her hands on 
the girl’s shoulders before giving me a strange look, no doubt surprised and 
shocked by my behavior. I was in trouble.

	I let out a nervous laugh, scratching the goatee on my chin that was once 
again irritating my skin. “I‘m deeply sorry about that,” I finally said, 
apologizing for my behavior, even though it was the little brat who really should 
be apologizing. My foot still throbbed from her attack. “I’m usually not like 
this, really. I think the lack of sleep is getting to me and I just snapped. 
Believe me, it was never my intention to harm the girl.”

	Setsuna’s eyes softened slightly, though she still held her grasp on the 
girl’s shoulders. Beside her, Usagi bowed, offering her own apology for her 
cousin’s rude behavior while Chibi-Usa pouted. “It‘s alright, Takano-sensei,” she 
said. “I don’t blame you. After all, she did provoke you first. Chibi-Usa’s 
actions were completely out of line and I’m sure that she is very sorry for what 
she has done. Right, Chibi-Usa?”

	Reluctantly, the pink-haired spore nodded her head and mumbled a short 
apology, not acting very sincere. But it seemed to satisfy her cousin. The blonde 
quickly gathered her shopping bags and took Chibi-Usa’s hand, pulling her away 
from Setsuna. “Come on, Chibi-Usa. We promised Mom we would be home by lunch 
time. Besides, I’m sure Takano-sensei and Setsuna-san have lots of things to do 
today. We don‘t want to waste any more of their time.”

	Setsuna smiled. “You aren’t wasting our time, Usagi-san. I love visiting 
with you and Chibi-Usa.”

	“But I’m afraid we do have other business to attend,” I said, 
interrupting her before she could convince them to stay for a couple more minutes 
or, worse yet, invite them to lunch. The farther away we were from the brat, the 
better. Setsuna nodded her agreement, saying a quick goodbye to her friends 
before allowing me to lead her away.

	Despite myself, I let out a relieved sigh when we finally crossed the 
street and started heading in the opposite direction of the odango-haired 
cousins. That was a close call. They could have put the entire mission in danger. 
It was a good thing that Setsuna seemed to believe my story about my sleep 
deprivation being the cause of my violent behavior. After a couple of minutes of 
uncomfortable silence, we picked up right where we left off before, discussing 
the drawbacks of the rival steady-state theory and comparing it to the Big Bang.

	It was probably about ten minutes later, about a block away from the 
parking lot, when I started to sense that something wasn’t quite right. Though 
the sidewalk we walked down was nearly deserted except for a group of 
pre-pubescent boys playing on skateboards and an elderly man taking his dog for a 
walk, I got the distinct feeling we were being followed. At first, I brushed it 
off as paranoia, but the feeling grew the closer and closer we got to the lot.

	“And so, the Big Bang theory can be used to explain…Takano-sensei, is 
something wrong?” Setsuna asked after about the third or fourth time I looked 
over my shoulder, hoping to catch our stalkers in the act. I couldn’t be certain, 
but I could have sworn I saw glimpse of familiar cotton candy pink hair ducking 
behind a parked Toyota Corolla on the other side of the road. Shimatta! Were 
those two girls following us? I thought they were going home.

	“What?” I asked distractedly, turning back around.

	“You keep looking behind you as if you thought we were being followed or 
something.”

	“Oh, it’s nothing. I just thought I saw something, that’s all,” I said, 
shrugging it off. Maybe I was hallucinating. I just needed to forget about them 
and concentrate more on the mission. “So, Meioh-san, what is your dream?”

	She raised a eyebrow, surprised by the sudden change in subject. “My 
dream?”     

	“Yes, your dream. Do you want to become an astronaut? Or perhaps discover 
a new planet?”

	The timeless beauty shook her head, letting the soft wind blow her forest 
green hair gently in the breeze. Then she smiled, her eyes getting a far off look. 

	“My dream…my dream is to protect the ones I love.”

	“Really?” Honestly, I wasn’t expecting such a small and unexciting dream. 
A girl with her beauty, talents and intelligence was surely destined for greater 
things. Fame, fortune, love… They were all hers for the taking. Yet, here she was 
telling me her dream was to protect her loved ones. Some might have called it 
noble; I found it boring. Maybe she wasn’t the one we were looking for, after 
all. “Do you have any other dreams?”

	“Yes, I suppose so,” she answered, a touch of sadness in her voice. “But 
I don’t think I’ll have the chance to achieve them. It‘s not in my destiny.”

	“I see,” I replied absentmindedly, no longer paying attention to the 
conversation. Instead, I looked over my shoulder once again, just in time to see 
a certain odango-haired blonde trip over her own two feet while trying to hide. 
She quickly got right back up and ran behind a nearby sakura tree, but I had seen 
it all.

	I knew it! The Tsukino cousins were following us. Why? I had no idea. I 
would think that the girls would have better things to do than to trail us around 
town. But now was not the time to dwell on such trivial matters. I needed to get 
this mission over with before they did something to ruin my plans.

	“Takano-sensei?”

	Thinking quickly, I immediately grabbed Setsuna’s hand and started 
pulling her toward an abandoned house just down the street, marked for 
demolition. It wasn’t the best place to enact my attack, however it would have to 
do in such short notice. The college student yelped in surprise and asked me 
where I was taking her, very confused. I ignored her questions and quickened our 
pace, hoping that we could somehow lose the two spies.

	When we reached the rundown mansion, I found the front door unlocked. 
Setsuna again asked where we were, but I just opened the door and shoved her in 
the house, making sure to bolt the entrance with the series of sliding locks on 
the inside. Ha! I’d like to see those two brats to get in now. The best they 
could do was call the police and by that time, it would be too late.

	Turning around to face my victim, I was surprised to find that there was 
no fear in Setsuna’s eyes, unlike the little girl, although there was plenty of 
anger. A fire seemed to light inside those garnet orbs, blazing proudly in the 
darkened room. “Do you intend to rape me, you lying scumbag?” she asked, picking 
herself up from the floor where she had fallen when I roughly pushed her inside. 
One of her hands reached into the pocket of the black jacket she was wearing, no 
doubt reaching for a can of pepper spray. She struck me as being the type of 
woman prepared for everything. “Who are you really, Takano-sensei? A mugger, a 
rapist, a murderer? What do you want from me?”

	I laughed, amused and at the same time impressed by her bravery. “What do 
I want from you, Meioh-san?” I repeated as I was suddenly hidden from view by a 
long red rug, suspended in air. Seconds later, the rug rolled back up and I was 
dressed in my normal attire, fresh from the dry cleaners. Setsuna gasped, not 
expecting what she saw. “All I want is to see your beautiful dreams.”

	ONE!

	A board...

	TWO!

	Four stainless steel restraints...

	THREE!

	And a pink mirror appeared at my command
 
	In the background, I could here shouts of “Puu!” and “Setsuna-san!” 
outside along with loud banging on the door as her two friends frantically tried 
to come to her rescue and I smiled, secure in the fact that there was nothing 
they could do.

	“Your friends certainly are persistent, aren’t they, Meioh-san?” I asked, 
walking toward the woman. She gave me an evil glare, her ruby eyes piercing me 
like a sword.

	“Who are you?”

	With the grace of a prima ballerina on opening night, I bowed and 
introduced myself to my audience of one. “I am Hawkseye, a member of the famed 
Amazon Trio of the Dead Moon Circus and your worst nightmare.”

	“The Dead Moon Circus?”

	I nodded, resting my gloved hands on either side of the mirror’s pink 
frame. “And now that the introductions are over, it’s time to see whether Pegasus 
hides in your beautiful dreams.”

	Despite her objections, I pushed my head inside her dream mirror, 
searching for the mythical winged unicorn. Her dreams were indeed very beautiful, 
as I suspected. Most of her them involved a small family dressed in fine garments 
and jewels, two members of which closely resembled Tsukino Usagi and her little 
pink haired cousin. The third was a handsome man clothed in a lavender tuxedo and 
a mask that concealed his eyes from view. But there was not a Pegasus in sight. 
Disappointed at another failure, I yanked my head out of the mirror and swore.

	“Not again,” I said, my eyes lustfully landing on Setsuna’s unconscious 
form. Still, I couldn’t say that this mission was a total letdown. Cupping her 
chin in my hand, I lightly kissed her slightly parted lips. She was very 
beautiful.

	DOUBLE SAILOR MOON KICK!

	Just as I was about to release the Lemures to get rid of Setsuna, the 
bolted door crashed to the ground, revealing the silhouettes of two very familiar 
annoyances. The party crashers were two girls wearing short sailor fukus with 
odangos in their hair. (It must be a popular hairstyle.) The taller of the two 
was currently jumping up and down in celebration while her companion rolled her 
eyes.

	“Yea, we did it! I told you we could knock down the door by ourselves,” 
the blonde said. “And you thought we should wait for the others.”

	“Sailor Moon…” the little one moaned, throwing an obvious look in my 
direction. The super heroine finally stopped and regained her composure, each 
preparing for the obligatory introduction speech that even I knew by heart. The 
older one stepped forward first, going through an intricate series of hand 
movements that had nothing to do with anything whatsoever.

	“Right. We are the pretty sailor-suited soldiers and we stand for love 
and justice. I’m Sailor Moon!”

	“And I’m Sailor Chibi-Moon!” the other shouted, jumping in front of her 
fellow senshi.

	“AND ON BEHALF OF THE MOON, WE’LL PUNISH YOU!”

	Same ol’, same ol’. Didn’t they ever say anything else? Bored out of my 
mind, I yawned, stepping in front of a window so the rays from the sun cast a 
shadow in front of me. “Yadda, yadda, yadda. Let’s just get this over with so I 
can go to bed. I call Lemures Genki-Genki! Get rid of these annoying little 
pests!” 

	From the shadows emerged a short, rather rotund figure with Size 22 feet 
and a red rubber ball as a nose. He wore a multicolored suit of mismatched 
patterns and styles that would probably cause Fisheye to kill himself if he ever 
saw it and his face was completely covered with garish oil make-up. Even I had to 
admit it was a freaky looking Lemures, but the senshi seemed to enjoy him. Eyes 
of crystal blue and blood red lit up at the sight of the Lemures pulling out a 
seemingly endless rope of colorful scarves from the sleeve of his oversized 
tuxedo jacket.

	“Look, Sailor Moon!” Chibi-Moon exclaimed, jumping up and down. “It’s a 
cute little clown.”

	Sailor Moon nodded, clapping her hands in glee. “Do another trick!”

	Taking a bow, Genki-Genki smiled and ran over to the blonde senshi, 
holding the end of his line of scarves. “You want to see another trick, little 
girls?” he asked, putting the end in Sailor Moon’s hands. “You’ll like this one.”

	Without warning, the evil clown began running around and around the teen, 
wrapping the rope tightly around her body until her entire upper torso was 
confined. The blonde struggled to break through the binds while Chibi-Moon 
laughed, enjoying her friend’s predicament. “You were right! I do like that 
trick.” 

	The blonde glared. “Chibi-Moon, this isn’t funny! Help me out of this 
mess.”

	“I can’t find the knot!” she said after a few seconds of trying to get 
her out.

	“Well, try harder.”

	From my spot by the window, I could barely contain my laughter. I was 
thoroughly enjoying the show. If I couldn’t capture Pegasus, then destroying the 
senshi was the next best thing and it would definitely put me in Zirconia’s good 
graces. And if I had a little fun while doing it, that would be frosting on 
the…pie? I raised an eyebrow at the Lemures’ next trick. This was going to be 
good.

	“Who wants some pie?” Genki-Genki asked in a sing-song voice, holding up 
a pie in each of his hands once Sailor Moon finally managed to untangle herself 
from the rope of scarves. At the mention of food, the girls looked up, drool 
flowing from the corner of their mouths. “I got lemon meringue and blueberry.”  

	“Did somebody say pie?” the blonde squealed in delight, her stomach 
grumbling. She blushed brightly, letting out an embarrassed giggle. “Oops! 
Sorry.”

	“Well, well, well…somebody certainly is hungry. Here, have some of my 
good old-fashioned blueberry pie. It’s my mother’s recipe,” Genki-Genki said, 
aiming the delicious looking pie in his right hand toward Sailor Moon’s face. It 
only missed her by a couple of seconds as the little girl quickly told her to 
duck, although some of the filling splattered in her hair and on her gloves.  

	The girl stood back up and licked one of her fingers, savoring the sweet 
taste of the pie. “Hey, this is pretty good!”

	“No time for compliments, Sailor Moon!” Chibi-Moon shouted, pushing her 
out of the way of another pie missile. “Run or we’re going to be covered with 
pie.”

	“I can imagine worst things to be covered with.”

	“Just move!”

	Yes, this was turning out to be quite a show. I watched Genki-Genki chase 
the two senshi around the room with his never-ending supply of hand-baked pies, 
pleased with how things were going. It was about time something went my way.

	*Splat* 

	Spoke too soon. Trying to keep my cool, I slowly wiped the whipped cream 
from my eyes and smeared it on the skirt of my uniform, finding no other object 
to clean the cream from my fingers. So much for dry cleaning. “Genki-Genki, get 
them, not me, you bozo!” I yelled.

	“Sorry, boss.”

	Stupid, idiot Lemures. It was going to take forever to get the whipped 
cream out of my hair. Not to mention that this was the third time in almost as 
many days that I was going to have to take my uniform to the dry cleaners. But I 
did have to admit the pie was pretty delicious. Heavenly, if you wanted to be 
poetic about it. 

	In fact, I was so engrossed in eating the part of the pie I managed to 
salvage that I never noticed as someone quietly walked behind me and smashed me 
over the head with some blunt object. With a blast of pain, I dropped the pie pan 
and fell to the ground.

					*****

	Birdies. I saw lots and lots of pretty birdies, flying around my head in 
a circular motion, one after another. I tried to follow them with my 
eyes, but they seemed to speed up as if to taunt me. I was becoming dizzy. I 
couldn’t keep up. They were going so fast. One, two, three, four…too many to 
count. Where am I? Who am I? And why so many birdies? "Look at the pretty 
birdies," I said, sitting up and trying to catch this one particular 
brown-feathered friend who kept repeating "Baka, Baka".

	Suddenly, the tiny hawks disappeared and the dizziness stopped, although 
there still was a horrible ache on the left side of my skull. Cautiously, I 
reached up and touched the tender area, grimacing. Luckily, though, there was no 
external bleeding. Thank goodness for minor miracles.

	Who did this? I carefully stood back up and turned my attention toward 
the battle still taking place. Genki-Genki had stopped throwing pies and was now 
squirting water from a plastic flower at the senshi, the two moon girls soaking 
wet. But with them was another senshi who managed to stay fairly dry. My eyes 
narrowed as I examined this new arrival.

	In all the times we battled the senshi, this was the first time I ever 
saw this one, dressed in a fuku of black and dark red. She had a dark tan, hunter 
green hair half pulled back into a small bun, and timeless red eyes that were 
somehow familiar, although where I’d seen them before, I had no idea. In her 
hands, she held a large key shaped staff topped with a garnet orb. How much did I 
want to bet that was the object used to knock me out?

	dead scream…

	With those whispered words, a bright sphere of lavender light was emitted 
from the staff and smashed into the evil clown. Genki-Genki laughed, but it was 
obvious he was in pain. “The show’s over!” he shouted before he collapsed on his 
knees.

	The mysterious senshi sat the butt of her staff on the floor, nodding 
toward the moon brats. “Small Lady, now.”

	“Right,” Chibi-Moon replied, kneeling as if to pray. “Please, Pegasus! 
Protect everyone’s dream! Twinkle Yell!”

	A flash of bright golden light filled the room as a beautiful winged 
unicorn appeared out of nowhere and gave his power to Sailor Moon’s Moon 
Kaleidoscope. The senshi shouted “Moon Gorgeous Meditation” and destroyed the 
Lemures, whose final words were, as always, “Stage out!” 

	Shimatta! Those sailor senshi beat us again. Well, it looked like it was 
time to leave. Opening my usual dimensional warp, I flipped inside and left the 
three senshi to their celebration.

					*****

	As I suspected, Tigerseye and Fisheye were at the bar, no doubt waiting 
for me to arrive so they could tease me about my failure. Especially Tigerseye. 
He lived for any opportunity to put me down.

	“Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” the lion tamer remarked, 
taking in my ruined uniform, cream covered hair and the ice pack I was holding to 
my head. “Was she too tough for you, Hawkseye?”

	I shot him a dirty look as I sat down on my normal stool and ordered a 
drink. “I don’t feel like talking about it, Tigerseye,” I mumbled. “Do either of 
you two bakas have some aspirin? My head is killing me.”

	“I do,” Fisheye said, handing me two pills from his purse. I gratefully 
took the pills and popped them in my mouth, washing them down my Bloody Mary. 
“Uh, Hawkseye?”

	“What?”

	The blue-haired acrobat raised an eyebrow at me. “Do you think it was a 
good idea to mix aspirin and alcohol?”

	Shimatta! I didn’t feel so good…




DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Any comments about this story can be sent to me at 
ElysionDream@aol.com.