BoRSS1 - Chapter 3, Part 1

[virgo186]

Oh hey, why not? That other one was short. :)

Title: BoRSS1 - Chapter 3
Author: virgo186
Beta: ...yup, Lan again. Super-helpful on the sailor side!
Rating: PG-13 unless I managed to make it higher somehow.
Genre: Epic magical girl crossover spitefic. Good times.
Notes/Warnings: Still own nobody here. Yup.
Summary: With the help of the girls, the newcomers get settled and the first of many new students arrives on the scene...


In her borrowed room, after the girls had parted ways for the night, "Kotori" finally had privacy to relax. "Don't have to worry about being someone else for now," she said, carefully touching the plain round pin on the front bow of her uniform. After a flash of light, her old clothing had returned, her hair unbound and the transformation card in her hand. "Much better," she said, tucking the card in her pocket and shaking her head. "Well, as better as it can be, anyway."

Keine sighed, removing herself from the cat body and standing near the window in her spirit form. "You realize, of course, they'll want to see us like this sometime, in our true forms, right?" she asked. "Even if they didn't ask tonight, they're suspicious as it is. They'll want to know."

"So I'll show them what I look like at some point, when they ask," Mokou replied, draping herself across her low bed. "They won't see you unless they trust me anyway, so why are you worried?"

"Who said I was worried?" Keine shot back. "I know how it works by now, they become friends with you and they can see me outside of the cat form. I know this, you know this, we've been able to deal with it. What if they can't handle the fact your so-called 'cat guardian' is actually a ghost in a fake cat?"

"They could in the other timeline," Mokou said. "Why wouldn't they here?"

"It took them a long time to deal with it in the other timeline, too," Keine answered. "How much are we going to be able to share with them before we end up damaging this timeline beyond any repair? Remember, I can't use my powers here, so I can't fix anything."

The entire reason Mokou had been given senshi powers in the first place: her powers only worked at home, inside the barrier. Magic wasn't common here. Of course if her powers were sealed, Keine's would be as well. Then again, did ghosts have powers in the outside world?

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, I guess," Mokou said. "For now, we focus on being here and trying to make sure the girls are safe when what's-her-name decides to show up and start making trouble. Did you notice all the name changes?"

"I also noticed you had trouble keeping up," Keine nodded. "This timeline is really odd. Everyone looks the same, but they've changed their names. Places have changed their names. Do you think anything's missing?"

Mokou dragged a pillow over her face. "More new stuff I have to remember in order to pass," she moaned. "This heroine stuff isn't easy. What if I screw it up?"

"You have a day or so before you have to actually be in class, right?" Keine asked. "Take the time to practice, see if the girls will help, and just make sure you wash really well. That's how you managed to get through without anyone catching your scent in the other timeline, right?"

"Never thought I'd regret being a fire-type at times," Mokou grumbled under her pillow. "Lucky Rei-chan doesn't have to deal with this, I'm sure."

Keine laughed, nearly transparent in the faint light coming through the window. "Sleep now, complain later," she directed. "If you're going back to school, you'll want to make sure you get enough sleep. Remember how Usagi-chan is always late?"

"Let me guess, you'll be doing the homework lectures again?"

"Admit it, if I didn't, you'd miss the whole thing. Get some sleep."

***

With Serena in detention again, Amy had collected the necessary paperwork herself and headed for the shrine alone. She didn't plan on staying long, just enough to drop off the forms and head back out. Her day was full enough, this would be just a quick errand.

As she came to the top of the staircase, she noticed a figure in the usual red and white shrine maiden outfit, holding a broom and sweeping the stone walkway leading to the house. It took her a moment to realize, however, that the maiden in question had lavender hair, not the usual dark purple-black of her teammate.

"Kotori?" Amy called. "Is that you?"

The maiden in question looked up from her sweeping, stared at her, then walked over. "Hello, Amy," Kotori said. "Raye's not home yet. Are you alone?"

"I wanted to bring you these as soon as possible," Amy said, handing over the folder she was carrying. "The office knows to expect your paperwork, just turn it in when you're ready. I can't stay long, but everything should be in there."

"Is Usa--Serena in detention?"

"Sadly, yes. Hopefully she'll learn someday. I have to be going, but the folder was worth the trip. Good luck!"

Kotori watched Amy run for the stairs, obviously in a hurry to get wherever she needed to be. "Well, I guess this counts as a sign they're starting to trust me," Kotori said, setting her broom aside and entering the house, heading for her borrowed room. The sooner she filled out the forms and turned them in, the sooner she could start her duties in full.

Keine, in her cat form today, was curled up on her friend's abandoned pillow for a warm snooze. A faint sunbeam came through the window, providing extra heat.

"Hey, lazy partner, I have news," Kotori said, tugging on the pillow. "Wake up, my forms came in. I need your help with this."

It took a little more tugging before the napping cat awakened, twitching her tail and letting out a yawn. "Paperwork?" Keine asked, still dazed. "I can't sign anything."

"No signing, just your help with filling in things," Kotori explained. "We have to come up with something convincing, remember?"

"You have your story from the other timeline," Keine replied, stretching across the pillow. "Why do you need my help?"

"Because things are messed up here and I want to make sure I don't end up making this confusing to whoever reads it," Kotori stated firmly, pulling the pillow away entirely. "Come on, you can get back to your nap after this."

With an annoyed look, tail fluffed and ears back, Keine sat up and stared at her friend. "Fine, then," she said. "Do you have a pen ready?"


(Eyecatch and commercial break. Go grab a refill and we'll be back!)