Sailor Moon Z: #6 - The "V" Team By: Janelle Jimenez (pandora@indy.net) Official WebPage: http://www.indy.net/~pandora/sailormoon/zodiac/intro3.html Minako looked at the flyer before her, in big bold black letters the words screamed, "Volleyball!" She smiled excitedly, it'd been a very long time since she played with her being a Sailor Senshi. She grabbed the flyer and ran towards Rei's temple to tell the news. "Hi guys!" she said with a smile, Rei looked up. "Where were you?" she questioned. "Reading this.." she said and waved the flyer in front of Rei's face. "Stop moving it and maybe I can read it.." Rei said slightly annoyed. Usagi jumped up and grabbed the flyer, almost ripping it. "V-ball! I LOVE V-BALL!" she exclaimed and rolled up her sleeves, "This is great, Minako-chan! Are you gunna play?" Usagi asked. "Of course! And I'm going to win! I'm the best Volleyball player in Japan!" she said boastfully, "We get to pick our own teams, you wanna play Usagi-chan?" Minako asked turning towards her. "Yea! I'm all for it!" Usagi squealed, Mako-chan looked up, "Hey I wanna play too.." she said and smiled. Minako grined, "Wonderful, hey now..we need three more players? Ami-chan? Rei-chan?" Minako asked and turned towards them. "No, thats okay Minako-chan, I think I might need to study that night." Ami replied politely, Usagi rolled her eyes and grabbed Ami's hands. "Come on Ami-chan! Have some fun!" Usagi exclaimed. "Thats quite alright, I'm not exactly an athelete." Ami said sweetly and pulled her hands away. "I'll play.." Rei shrugged, "I'm not that great at it, but I can try.." she added. Minako grinned, "Great! Two more players..who's left?" Minako asked, "Why don't you ask Haruka and Michiru? I'm sure they'd love to play.." Mako said, Minako nodded in agreement and glanced at Usagi. "Michiru's probably too afraid to hurt her hands, she might ruin her violin career." Usagi said more sarcastically than even she expected. Rei and Ami exchanged a glance. "Anyway, what are we going to call our team?" Minako asked smiling brightly, ignoring Usagi's comment. Usagi smiled, as if she suddenly had a great idea. "The 'V' team! Its your team, and your Sailor V and as in V-ball!" Usagi suggested. Minako shrugged and looked around at Rei and Mako who gave her a look of apathy. "The 'V' team it is! Welcome girls..to the Winners Club.." Minako smiled. * * * * "Hotaru-chan..are you sure you don't want to come to this game with us?" Michiru asked, smiling. She was exceptionally happy this day, it was a beautiful sunny day as well as it was looking to be a day of fun. "I'm sure.." Hotaru sighed and walked away from the car that the rest of the Outer Senshi were standing around, Michiru, Haruka, and Setsuna watched as Hotaru opened the door and walked in. They were silent as they saw Hotaru looking at them from her window and weakly waving before she closed her curtains shut. "I'm sorry I can't come with you.." Setsuna apologized, "I'm being interviewed for a job.." she added. Haruka shook her head, "Its not your fault. Usagi told us about this just yesterday, you would have thought that they would be kind enough to tell us with a little more notice." Haruka replied. "Haruka..they did have to fight those little Zodiac witches..and that Scorpio woman.." Michiru began, Haruka looked angered and cut her off, "She HAS to die." Haruka said bluntly, "First Setsuna's talisman, then Saturn's glaive...and look at Hotaru's mentality! It's ruined..you know her mental health was shaky as it was, I don't know what Scoorpio did to her ..but whatever it was, she destroyed her.." Haruka added as if she had to prove her point. "Don't worry..we'll get Scorpio back.." Setsuna said, "Just go do this Volleyball game to relax..we don't want to let the Inners down, ne?" Setsuna added with a short small smile. Haruka nodded and silently got into the car, Michiru opened the passenger door and got in. They drove silently until they got to the park where the outdoor Volleyball festival was going to take place, the park had at least ten nets set up and hundreds of girls seemed to be there, Haruka's eyes widened. "Who would have thought so many people liked the sport..?" Michiru smiled, seeing Haruka's expression. Haruka smirked as if she were thinking something else, but kept her mouth shut. Michiru gracefully got out of the car and shielded the sun from her eyes, "MICHIRU-SAAN!!!" a voice said from behind her, Michiru turned around and saw Minako, Usagi, Mako, and Rei all wearing white shirts with red V's on them. "Tada!" Minako said holding out two shirts for Michiru and Haruka, "Glad you could make it, you guys.." Rei smiled. "Where's the bookwor..er, where's Ami?" Haruka asked, Mako blushed, "She uhh, back there.." she replied, Haruka looked to where Mako was pointing and in the distance she saw Ami walking towards them, her face buried in a book, Haruka smirked. "Can we go now?" Usagi whined, "Uh yea, we can.." Minako said and glanced at her, she gestured to the group, "Everyone, follow me.." she smiled. Meanwhile, Jessica, Joanna, Alana, Veronica, and Janie, better known as the Zodiac Senshi, had also decided to sign up for the Volleyball team. "I can't believe our team is called the 'Stars' can we be any more obvious?" Jessica hissed, glaring at Janie. "Hey! I like it, it fits!" Janie exclaimed putting on the shirt with the blue star in the front. "Ugh blue, why did it have to be blue?" Jessica asked. "Did anyone ever tell you that you never know when to shut up?" Joanna asked, "Excuse me?" Jessica demanded staring at Joanna, Alana sucked in her breath. "Uhh..the team that works together stays together.." Janie said out of the blue, "What?" Jessica asked. "Uhh, you guys need to follow me.." Alana said and started walking towards the registration table. However, instead of following Alana, Jessica leaned back against a tree. The rest of the girls, seeing Jessica wasn't moving stayed where they where as well. Jessica glanced at her nails and waited patiently seeing Alana was five more people from being at the table. "Oh my god! Who is that?" Veronica whispered, Jessica looked up and saw a handsome man with short black hair and deep blue eyes. "Masaya is cuter.." Joanna shrugged, Veronica looked at her wide-eyed, "Are you INSANE!?!" Veronica demanded. Jessica rolled her eyes, "Joanna is right for one, Masaya Kage is about ten times cuter.." she replied. "Whoa! He's coming this way.." Janie exclaimed and brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, "Since when did you care about what men want?" Jessica asked, "Well, maybe she needs to worry about it.." Joanna snapped, not realizing her comment was rather cruel towards Janie. Janie looked hurt seeing Joanna's comment as an insult. The man walked past the girls looking as if he were in extreme thought, he glanced up, and continued to walk, as he did a box fell out of his pocket. Jessica bent over and picked it up, she was about to open it when the man turned around, "Oh hey, thank you for picking that up for me.." he said, Jessica shrugged and handed the box to him. "Can I have your name?" the man asked, "I'm Jessica Taylor.."she said without enthusiasm. "Veronica O'Riley.." Veronica hasilty and stuck her hand out to him, "Yea and I'm Janie Lee.." Janie said fallowing Veronica's lead waving from behind Jessica. "Joanna McMannon.." Joanna replied and glanced in his direction. "Well, I'm Mamoru Chiba. Thank you Jessica Taylor..and the rest of you.." Mamoru smiled looking a bit overwhelemed, "for telling me about this box..I would have lost 3 months salary..I'm off to return it.." he explained. "And all of this matters to me because..?" Jessica asked. "Touche..well, madame and the rest of you ladies, good-bye and good-luck.." Mamoru said with a bow and walked off. "THAT WAS SO EMBARRASSING!" Veronica screamed and slapped Jessica on the arm, "Did you just touch me?" she asked. "That guy wanted you soo bad!" Veronica shrieked, "Your delusioned.." Jessica asked slightly annoyed. "He was going to return a wedding ring.." Janie mumbled, "Other things could be in a tiny black box that cost three months salary.." Joanna said somewhat sarcastically. "And you were about to open the box too!" Veronica squealed. "Did I miss someting?" Alana asked walking towards them with a sheet of paper, "Thank god we can get off the topic of Mamoru Chibi.." Jessica said and turned towards Alana, "ChibA..not i.." Veronica corrected, "So how's the girl on our team?" Jessica asked ignoring Veronica. "Her name is Tenshi Haato.." Alana explained, "You have got to be kidding me.." Jessica said, "Thats the koolest name!" Janie exclaimed. (Note: In Japanese "Tenshi" is the word for "angel" and Haato is basically how the english word "heart" would be pronounced, making Tenshi Haato mean Angel Heart) "Anyway, were are we going to meet her?" Jessica asked. "On Court 4 at 15 minutes before our first game..which is..right about..now.." Alana said looking at her watch. "EEK! Lets go! I wanna meet this Tenshi Haato!" Janie exclaimed and grabbed Joanna's hand and began to run, "Must we run?" Jessica sighed. "Go with the flow, Jessica.." Alana shrugged as she chased after Veronica. Jessica however, didn't follow the lead and sauntered her way over to Court 4. By the time she got there, they were all chatting happily with a girl with medium length white hair and glasses. "Hello, Tenshi.." Jessica said and walked over to her. "Hi.." she said rather timidily, but before they could make any small talk their first team to play came, the game started off. The other team seemed to purposely hit it towards the weakest most worst player. The ball came flying towards Tenshi, strangely however, the ball slowed down and she lightly tapped the ball. It went straight into the air and flew over the net, the ball then seemed to hover above their heads then just drop. Match after match went that way..and soon the Stars had beaten every team except one. The last team to play was the "V" Team, who where also undefeated. After beating the last match Rei looked excitedly to Court 6 where they were going to play next, she immediatly recognized five of the girls from school. "If we have trouble today..you know who's fault it is.." Rei said and pointed in the direction of Jessica and the rest. "Don't worry, we'll ace em like we did everyone else.." Minako said assuringly. "What are you girls saying?" Haruka asked as her and Michiru walked closer to them after shaking hands with the team they had just defeated. "Oh, Rei thinks those girls over there, except that short one, are the Zodiac Senshi.." Usagi laughed waving it off. Michiru pulled out her mirror, "We'll find out, ne?" Michiru smiled at Usagi. Michiru turned to look in the mirror and Usagi started to mimick Michiru, Mako poked her in the side. "Stop it.." she whispered. "Deep Aqua Mirror, tell me the truth about the 'Stars'.." Michiru whispered..