[Vote] 1st Writing Contest

Lotus Crystal

The Galaxy Cauldron is proud to announce its first writing contest. The theme for this writing contest is "Transformation." The writers were interpret the theme as they liked.

Entries from the 1st Writing Contest are posted below in random order. Do not announce anyone's identities or guess at them in this thread. The writers of the entries may still vote in the poll. I trust you all to vote for what you honestly believe is the best entry, regardless of who wrote it.

Note: Voting will be opened for 8 days (until April 8th). All questions may be directed to Sailor Venus.

Lotus Crystal

Entry #1

Evolution

Hisako Masao cursed under his breath as coffee spilled everywhere, the archeologist earning a disgruntled hiss from his daughter’s cat when it nearly sloshed over the feline’s paws. Nebi shot the steaming brown liquid a venomous glare, before the black and white tuxedo darted out of the kitchen. Masao grabbed a cleaning towel from underneath the counter to wipe up the spill, but glanced up as Akira entered the kitchen.

“You okay, Dad?” the white-haired teenager asked, arching a brow as she surveyed the kitchen floor. Although she was nearly ready to head out for school, she stopped to take off her socks to help him, although paused when Masao shook his head.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about it. Just a spill. But you don’t have to run late because of me,” the brunette added with a small smile, pushing his glasses back up his nose as he put the hot towel in the sink to wring it out. He hesitated a moment after turning the tap on, before glancing back at his daughter. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

A nervous smile curved her lips, before skirting around the remaining coffee to give him a brief hug. “Always do. Don’t work too hard,” she added, before darting from the room. When he heard the door shut behind her, his head bowed with a sigh.

“Sometimes, you worry me a bit much, kiddo,” Masao murmured, crouching to finish cleaning up. Afterwards, he poured himself another cup of coffee and sat down at the table, pulling a notebook out of his briefcase and flipping open the newspaper. The now solemn archeologist’s blue eyed gaze almost immediately sought out the column that was reserved for the city’s self-proclaimed ‘knight’, Sailor Sidus.

One in the same with his daughter.

He took in information like a starving man of what had happened while he was out of town again; from the latest exploits, to complaints and commentaries. As much as he wanted to tell her, the night that he’d found out had resulted in a trip to the ER. And she had begun avoiding long conversations since then. Perhaps just guilty for missing his birthday, but to him, that was irrelevant.

The changes had been small at first – She had seemed more tired than usual, a couple of bruises that she passed off as learning a new sport. That was believable in itself. But that was months ago. As the weeks crept by, sometimes when he came back from the dig; he’d find the house in a mess despite Akira’s usual tidiness, one time even a wad of bloody rags.

Having mostly been gone since the appearance of this ‘Sailor Sidus’, the thought didn’t occur to be zealously reading the newspapers or harping over the broadcast. But she still vehemently denied trouble in or outside of school, and even when he went up there, they confirmed that there was no harassment – at least that had been caught.

The next month he came home, he noticed that she had started wearing makeup. While that in itself shouldn’t have been worrying on its own, coupled with what had been going on, the paranoid father in him screamed that it was trying to hide abuse. From there on out, though, the warning signs, try as she might to hide them, seemed to multiply. But it wasn’t going in the direction he expected.

Masao’s pen scratched against the notebook as he wrote down the most important parts of the article; half of the notebook now chronicling places of interest and what had supposedly happened, months worth of backtracking having pieced together parts of the story he had been excluded from. His gaze flicked towards the manila folder resting on top of other things in his briefcase, before shaking his head. Getting a local teaching job was vital, even as much as he loved the dig. Now that he knew what was going on, how could he be out of the country three weeks of the month?

Still … it was amazing how she had changed, in other ways. For all the struggle she went through, Akira seemed more confident, no longer trapped by timidity. She had changed in more ways than one could take for granted, really. But it was bittersweet. Masao combed his fingers through his hair, ruffling it. He set down the pen after a moment, before shuffling the chronology back into his briefcase and finishing his coffee.

The archeologist pulled on a suit jacket over the sky blue button-up as he headed out of the kitchen, but paused at the painting hanging in the hallway. His hand lightly touched the young woman’s blue-gray curls as she smiled back at him, green eyes seeming to light up the picture. A sad smile curved his lips. “Watch over our little girl, Kayo.”

Lotus Crystal

Entry #2

There was no going back.

She knew that with a strange certainty, and yet her hand clasped the light blue rod anyway, knowing with just as much conviction that if she didn’t take it her life would be forfeit.

----------

As the piano melody danced through the air, its calming voice spinning a tale of awe and regret, the young violinist closed her eyes, her heart threatening to lose itself in the tender tones. But even with the beautiful music moving through her, she could not shake a feeling of suspense. Nervously she approached the curtain from her place backstage and peered through a small opening. The theater was packed, the audience quiet and absorbed with the performance; nothing out of the ordinary caught her attention, but the feeling of foreboding remained.

“Michiru, are you alright?” her benefactor asked quietly from behind her, placing her hand softly on Michiru’s bare shoulder. “It’s not like you to be nervous, my dear.”

She nodded absently and turned to face the elderly woman, “I’m fine, thank you.”

“You’re on next,” she reminded her gently just as the solo ended to immense applause.

Michiru Kaioh, age fifteen, straightened her white gown and checked her bow, waiting for the previous artist to take his bows and leave the stage. She nodded to him in passing – he was another of the talents from her academy of Fine Arts, home to the young musical geniuses of Japan. This was just a concert, one of many used to attract the attention of the city at large, and any possible benefactors for the young students. Already Michiru had collected four; those four would be enough to supply any tuition she may need to advance her musical studies, but her teachers had instructed them to gather as many as possible – who knew when your instrument could break and you may need a new one? Who would fund sheet music, buy gowns and tuxedos, rent performance areas? To be famous and successful you needed three things: Talent, Determination, and Benefactors.

She strode to center stage and positioned her instrument on her shoulder. Nodding to the audience’s initial applause, she set immediately to a particularly tricky tune. It was a favorite of hers: while it was quick and had a good beat, it also brought forth feelings of deceit. The audience wasn’t expecting this tune; usually she chose more languid pieces, soft and slow and beautiful, but today she wanted to show them that she could do playful just as well.

Just as one brave soul started clapping along, the air of frivolity was shattered with a hair-curling shriek. Michiru played on, hoping to calm the audience and give authorities time to sort things out, but suddenly the doors at the end of the auditorium burst open and arched through the air to land somewhere amongst the seats to a chorus of screams. She saw the silhouette of the creature standing in the threshold for only a moment before it shot off into the audience. It was a monster – there was no other way to describe it. Huge, bulking, like a worm upended without limbs to speak of; while her knees started to shake, Michiru played on. Like the musicians on the Titanic, she thought to herself as the room erupted into chaos. What could she do? She was only fifteen, a middle schooler with a knack for music. The police would arrive soon, else those Sailor Senshi the newspapers reported about; someone would come to save these people.

But as the monster approached the stage with a bulking lunge, the teenager wondered if they would come soon enough.

She was knocked aside, her violin and bow sliding across the stage with the force of the blow as someone from backstage pushed her away, saving her from a direct hit. The creature writhed in the backdrop, tangling the heavy red velvet curtain about its freakish mass, momentarily stopping it’s rampage. Michiru turned to see that it had been the pianist that had tackled her, and he now awkwardly struggled to his feet, still unsure of his movements in his white tuxedo. She, too, struggled with coming to her feet, the tight dress not allowing her much movement. He reached down and she accepted his hand, but the pair of them weren’t on their feet for long.

With a strong lurch, the beast pulled the curtain down, its rod and the catwalks above with it. The falling obstacles butchered the stage with sharp metallic pieces, crushing the beautiful piano with a solid blow and littering the wooden floor with fresh shrapnel. She had seen the piece falling seconds before it would have hit them, and this time she dove covering him; miraculously, both of them came out unscathed, but their closest escape to backstage was demolished. To get away, they would either have to jump off stage or directly cross the path of the monster.

They had just managed to get to their feet again when they found that the monster had a ranged attack. Wrapped tightly in the curtain, it had seemingly had enough, and now spat a substance that was similar to fire. The flaming liquid arched out into the audience and immediately found kindling in the seats. The audience screamed anew, but the knot of people at the doorway wasn’t lessening. It was impossible to get out that way, and with the central isles engulfed in flames, the front exits were no option for the captured people. Backstage, artists and their benefactors were evacuating quickly while she spied stagehands hurrying for fire extinguishers. The elderly woman and a middle-aged lady were beckoning for them frantically, intent not to leave them behind, and she shoved the pianist that way.

Thrown off-balanced, he managed to clear the stage at an awkward run, but the monster was free now, and it had her in its sights. With one swipe of its hindquarters, her remaining exit was blocked; with another, she found herself pinned to the ground on her stomach by heavy machinery. The monster loomed before her; the audience screamed in despair beyond her, their desperate attempts to escape futile; the brave stagehands who would have helped were now trapped behind debris. With the theater filling with smoke and flames, there was no hope.

And then an object appeared, floating just within her reach…

Lotus Crystal

Entry #3

Nobody could wipe the beaming smile of pride off the lips of Neo-Queen Serenity. Today was the day her daughter became the lady she had always dreamed of becoming! The birthday festivities would be held later after the official proclamation and naming ceremony. Of course, the queen was also celebrating her birthday, but she had lived through so many birthdays already and she did not want to diminish her baby girl’s special day.

Neo-Queen Serenity frowned. She would have to stop thinking of her daughter as her ‘baby’ girl; she was a woman. But, it was so hard. It seemed like just yesterday that she had held Small Lady as a newborn baby girl in her arms.

She felt as if she had just been through hell and back, but all such thoughts left Neo-Queen Serenity’s mind when Sailor Mercury placed a small bundle wrapped in a pink blanket in her majesty’s arms.

“Chibi-Usa,” the new mother sighed happily. Exhaustion was eaten away when her daughter gurgled and moved closer. The smile on Neo-Queen Serenity’s face broadened and a tear leaked out of her eye. King Endymion wiped the tear away with a loving finger, and then gently straightened his daughter’s pink hair.

“I’ve missed you,” he said softly, smiling at his daughter.

Neo-Queen Serenity knew their relationship was unique. Long before this day, they had met their daughter. They had already forged precious memories that would never be forgotten. Now, they would forge more precious memories together. She looked forward to seeing her daughter transform into a lady.

Neo-Queen Serenity smiled fondly at the memory and squeezed King Endmyion’s arm just a little tighter. “Remember when she was just a baby?” She whispered, motioning toward her full-grown daughter. King Endmyion smiled and nodded. “I can’t believe she grew up so quickly.” The mother sighed.

“She quickly outgrew that little pink blanket and latched onto Luna-P, instead.” King Endmyion said with a chuckle and a smile. “She has led a difficult life, but she matured beautifully as a guardian of love and justice.” King Endmyion nodded.

“Mama!” A joyous voice cried!

Neo-Queen Serenity could not hold back the tears as her precious daughter ran across the garden. Heedless of the heels she wore, she ran toward her daughter and gratefully collapsed with Chibi-Usa in her arms. King Endmyion was not far behind. Oh, to be reunited!

“Mama, Papa, I’m so sorry!” Her daughter cried, sobbing in her mother’s arms as she clung tightly to both of her parents. “I never knew what would happen. Please, don’t hate at me.”

“Do not fret,” King Endmyion said, lifting up Chibi-Usa’s chin, so he could wipe the tears away. “We could never hate you.”

“You saved us all, Chibi-Usa.” Neo-Queen Serenity said. “We are so proud of you!”

A thought and a smile came to Chibi-Usa’s face. She gently pushed away from her parents and stood up. “You’ll be even more proud of me in just a minute. I did something amazing.”

Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endmyion smiled knowingly at each other.

Chibi-Usa touched the brooch on the front of her bodice. “Moon Prism Power, Make Up!” She was engulfed in a shower of pink and light colors. The young child, who was relentlessly teased about her heritage and apparent lack of potential, laid all doubt to rest with those few words. By the end of it all, Sailor Chibi-Moon stood proudly with a huge smile on her face.

“In the name of the moon, I will punish you!” She said loudly, clumsily motioning through Sailor Moon’s famous catchphrase and accompaniment hand movements. No one could take this moment, this proud feeling away from her or her parents.

“Oh, Small Lady!” Neo-Queen Serenity cried happily. Feelings of pride and joy overflowed and she caught her daughter in another strong hug. “What shall I call you, my young warrior?”

“Sailor Chibi-Moon,” the young warrior of love and justice said without hesitation.

“Sailor Chibi-Moon,” King Endmyion repeated, liking the way the title sounded. “Sailor Chibi-Moon,” he repeated again,” you have taken yet another step toward becoming a lady.”

And Sailor Chibi-Moon had continued to grow and mature as a guardian of love and justice. As she grew older, she began to take her position as a future leader more seriously. Neo-Queen Serenity knew that Small Lady had admired her mother’s role as the guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon, and that she aspired to be as great as her one day. Perhaps it was because she was her mother, but Neo-Queen Serenity always thought that Sailor Chibi-Moon had long ago surpassed Sailor Moon’s abilities as a senshi and a leader.

“Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!” Eternal Sailor Chibi-Moon cried with strength and power. The enemy screamed as it exploded into a cloud of fine dust, and then vanished with the wind. Eternal Sailor-Chibi Moon relaxed and turned to her four guardians with a smile on her face. “We did it!” She cried triumphantly, thrusting her fist into the air. The four sisters of the Amazon Quartet also cried joyously and rushed forward to hug their leader after their first victorious battle as a group. They had saved the day together.

Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endmyion watched the happy celebration on a large screen connected to a computer system from afar in the Crystal Palace. Neo-Queen Serenity squealed unbecomingly and threw herself into her husband’s arms. “They did it! Did you see it?” She asked eagerly, suppressing another happy squeal. “Did you see it?” She asked again before King Endmyion could respond.

“I do not think that she would agree, but she has already surpassed my leadership skills as Sailor Moon. They work together well, don’t you think so?”
Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endmyion signaled for their daughter to approach the podium and receive her full title as Usagi Lady Serenity, Sailor Moon, and the official heir to the throne of Crystal Tokyo.

“You have truly transformed into a lady. What dream shall you accomplish next?”

Lotus Crystal

Entry #4

A steep number of paces, a steep curve to ascend.

Her hair flourished in the golden embrace of sunshine, and her eyes were downcast, half-blind to the fate of conflict lying imminently before her. Half-blind, she never walked, and half-blindness was, to her, a failure of self-structure. All ought to be neat and arranged, tuned to the fine and smoky tones of her watery violin.

Day and day rain and sun cycled and bred indifference. They consummated and begot a neutral-hued child who would not move; not stillborn, but dumb and defective with complacency.

The monsoons brought more rain, nourishing skin withered in Winter’s frozen pyre. Soon there will be rebirth, and soon there will be true flourish. The ocean will give its gratitude to land, and the sea’s foamy ravage will convert to a warm cyan blanket. The first drop of monsoon had fallen into her eye.

It hurt her, and it burnt, for it was saltwater, not rainwater, saturated with the ocean’s gifts, inwardly accepted, but surfaced as pain.

But in a way she recognised that pain. Evoked from golden antiquity, she knew that very pain of salt and intimacy; the contact of Cosmos’ tears with her own. It was familiar, with so much clarity drawn from her heart, like a block of that salt sitting upon her back feeling every unit of weight it burdened her spine.

Her contemplation dissipated upon the manufactured, homogenous rain that drenched her clothes in impurities. The salt of protection was washed away into the sewer and out back to sea. Her fate ran with the trickles of rainwater escaping her skin and rushing to the suppression it had become accustomed to.

No longer would destiny assimilate into the dregs that fell aloof from her mind. Yes, those precious pearls of the future were lost back to sea, but would soon rise again with the monsoon. It would rise into the sky, seek her out of the bureaucratic net of the modern era and lift her up gracefully as the protector of intimacy.

She alone, she the aquatic violinist was elected as the keeper of humans’ gift of emotion. Her glistering pearls were liquid and she shined in the underwater light. She was the connection between ocean, earth and Cosmos.

Yet still…

Against the ominous silence, exists only her, swimming in green waters and unaffected by the poisoned atmosphere floating above. And nothing could shatter the ocean’s vigour, for silence forms nothing but a reflection on the water’s surface, imposing itself onto itself. As she slumbered, submerged deep into the seabed, silence waited, dormant upon the Pacific.

The sea’s silent reflection will not hold steady if water itself vanishes into the depthless dark of silence’s core.

So she will emerge, a goddess of the origin.

Her contemplation returned in the barrage of salty drops of flying ocean. So fast the cycle, but in the same way, so fast will her allocated time pass soundless before her eyes.

The sea is to resist the foreign invaders; humankind’s origin will fight to protect its descendants.

Her lips began to compose the incantation that will reroute the future:
Neptune Planet Power Make-Up.