Sailor Sun of the Moon Kingdom
Chapter 4

Phobie, shivered at the prospect of having this women as a roommate, it was horrible enough for her not to be paired up with Minaca, but to have to live with this person, who less then a hour ago yelled and teased her and many of her friends. Attempting to discourage them from competing in the contest.

" What are you doing by my door, wimp?", the women bellowed from down the hall, most of the other girls either got out of her way, or watched her from behind. Phobie quickly check the door one last time. "Phobie, Earth", it said, "Makoto, Jupiter Alliance", Yep this was undoubtedly her room. Phobie, only once knew anyone from the Jupiter Alliance. It was rumored that usually, the Jupiter Alliance had rather tall subjects. Most of which acted like bullies. Phobie knew one man who took up residence on Earth for a few years, he like the rumors was taller then even her father, but he was sweet and gentle. He would give Phobie a flower whenever she passed his home, as he worked in his garden. Phobie had just dismissed the rumors as exenterated truths, and lies with no bases. Maybe Phobie was wrong and the man she once knew was a exception to the rule.

"I'm... I'm your room.. ah, room mate." Phobie quickly responded when Makoto got within arms length.

"So your Phobie.", she smirked, "Good, I'll so have a room to myself". Makoto walked past her and into the room.

Phobie mentally question what that mean. " We'll hurry up.." the women said to Phobie, who was still standing out side the room door. "We have to be in uniform, and out in the arena in a hour." Phobie just looked back, puzzled... the hallway was like magically empty. And less ten a second ago, Phobie trembled in fear as Makoto stomped up to her. Now she was acting like she wanted to be friends.

Phobie walked back into the room, and when directly to her closet. In the closet, hung a body suit, a rubbery-leather like material, all white, with a lace mini-skirt attached on to it and the sailor like collar white, except for the black strip on the collar. "They can't expect us to wear this." She looked back at Makoto who already had most of the costume on. Phobie unhooked the uniform and started to dress. It sadden her, taking off her old cloths, thinking that this might be the last thing she would ever have worn, before her parents last saw her.

"Come on..." Makoto mumbled. Phobie turned to she was trying to put on her boots. Makoto had pretty much the same white costume as Phobie, a white, body-Sailor-suit but she had white boots that extended up to her knees, Phobie didn't remember seeing boots in the closet. In fact, she didn't remember seeing any foot wear in her closet, she doubled checked. Yep, no foot wear, she then looked in one of the drawers she had, and there were two pure white shoes. A tiara, white gloves a set of earrings and two white shoes.

Phobie was almost done dressing when she decided to look over her shoulder and see what Makoto was doing... She looked, and Makoto was still trying to put on her last boot. Phobie could tell she was having trouble. "Should I help?", Phobie thought to herself. She didn't want to do anything to get Makoto mad at her, Not if they had to live in this room together. Of course, the opposite was true, if she didn't help her then she might be in a general unpleasant mood. "I better Help", Phobie confirmed to herself.

"Here, let me help." Phobie started to keel down to help Makoto.

Makoto kicked Phobie, knocking her down on the floor. " I don't want your help." Makoto had a cruel, unforgiving face. Phobie had tried and failed without even knowing it. She got up and walked over to her closet, to finish dressing. Tears had started coming down her face. A little from the pain that she had after being kicked, but also that she didn't succeed and that Makoto may now have a reason to not be nice to her, even though she tried to be nice.

"LADY'S, YOU MUST ALL HURRY." the voice of the guide came thought the doors from the hallway. "YOU ARE SOON EXPECTED TO BE IN THE ARENA SHORTLY" Phobie couldn't help but to smirk at the way the man talked. Her tears had stopped but the wet trails of tears were still fresh. Some how, the guide's seriously comical way of speaking help her to feel a little better about herself. She had finished putting on her uniform.

Phobie could still see that Makoto still didn't have her last boot on. It didn't look like their was a problem with the size, but she wasn't putting it on right. Phobie had a pair much like them once, and she remembered the trouble she had, trying to put them on for the first time. Just pointing her foot didn't work, she had to stretch it back as far as she could, so the boot could slide on. This boot probably was the same. But Makoto didn't want help. She refuse it last time, by kicking and Phobie didn't want to repeat that even, but if Makoto was late, then she would probably blame Phobie and so would anyone else. "A... Makoto", Phobie said nervously, "if you stretch your foot, back I bet you could slip the boot on." Makoto just glanced at Phobie, like she barely paid attention to her. A second after the boot slip all the way on Makoto's foot.

"Finally", She looked up at Phobie," You, know, you might be alright." She punched Phobie in the arm and walked out the door. Phobie ad a big smile on as she help her shoulder as she followed. She had succeed, the first step was made, and with luck, she and Makoto may get along.

Within the hour Phobie found Minaca and stood with her in a large group of females Everyone wore a sailor uniform. Phobie though they all looked silly, and many others had unhappy faces on. Minaca also had a white sailor suit of, she had short shoes with heels that, if they were any higher would qualify as high heels. Minaca never did like dressing up, and her expression on her face showed it. they both lived out in the country of Japan for all their lives, and rarely dressed up out of long dresses and ceremonial gammons. These sailor suits were the pits. The girls from Venus seemed not to care. They always wore different types of clothing. Styles on Venus were constantly changing and to be in style, a girl would have to shop every day.

The general stepped onto the balcony, and started his speech. "I will not bother welcoming you again. keep in mind that this is a test. every moment you will be watched and marked. Your test will consist of the hardest training and competitions, you will be tested on ever aspect of humanity and skills." Phobie could only think that she liked him better before this speech. He continued, "Any questions, you can ask, but any complains, you will keep to yourself. This is no vacation, when you fail, your sent home. Only one of you will remain, and that one will become the new sailor scout. Is that understood?" Everyone was silent. "IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" the general yelled.

"Yes, sir" Main yelled back in fear.

Minaca smirked, ready for the challenge, Phobie unlike her best friend was unsure. "I thought this was contest, not a military test."

"YOU THERE! The brown haired girl. WHAT DID YOU SAY?" the general screamed pointing out Phobie.

"Uh... Nothing sir." Phobie responded, quivering.

"You said something. Spit it out girl." the general once again yelled.

"Ah, I was just saying that I thought this was a contest." Phobie said, scared. Very rarely has she ever been singled out like this and she felt small and insignificant in the large group.

"This is a contest. A contest that will decide the future protector of everything. Do you think that's a game?" the general paused. Phobie opened her mouth as though to answer but the general cut her off. "This is no game. You better be prepared to fail because most of you are going to."

Minaca whispered reassuring words to her friend, hoping to cheer her up, from the general's words. Phobie just though about it. She though that this is what she ran away from home for, this is what she lied to her parents for, and this is what she was now face with.

The general left and the guide came to the rear of the group. "YOU WILL ALL PLEASE FOLLOW ME." Everyone started to follow the guide as he turned and walked though another set of large doors to the rear of the arena. In the next room, the roof was much lower and their were many marked chalk squares on the floor. Each square had another yellow line drawn from one corner to the next, cutting the boxes into triangles. And each triangle had a name and planet on it. "PLEASE, FIND YOUR TRIANGLE, SIT AND REFLECT, THEIR MUST BE NO TALKING OR COMMUNICATION IN ANY FORM TO EACH OTHER.", the guide left leaving the group of girls allow in the room. One by one each girl found her triangle, Phobie sat in hers and looked to see that a Venus girl shared her box. She had blond hair with a long pony tail in the back that extended down to the base of her back. She sat down with her legs crosses and closed her eyes. She was pretty, Phobie couldn't help thinking how many boys must go after her.

Phobie closed her eyes and started to think. She though about home and her friends who were still on earth. She daydreamed and pretended in her head what her life would be like if she were as pretty as the Venus girl. She thought about what her parents were doing right now, and what her dad did when they found out that she was gone. Never once did she open her eyes. She didn't want to, she was afraid of what she would see if she did. This had to be some kind of test. She kept on daydreaming and thinking until the guide taped her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw that half the room was empty. The guide whispered to her in a quite almost unhearable voice, "YOU ARE THE ONE, NEVER FORGET THAT.", and he left her triangle, Phobie looked at the Venus girl, still in front of her, and then noticed a shadow by a door, at the far end of the room. She couldn't tell who it was, only that it was a he, a he she had never seen before.

Phobie blinked from squinting her eyes and then opened them again. The shadow was gone.

The general came to the center of the room, Phobie seeing him, quickly closed her eyes again. She hoped and prayed that the general would not see her.

"Alright... Everyone Get up!" Each girl stood up, many wondering and whispering comments like, "What happened to her?", "Was that a test?", "Where did everyone go?"

"You girls should be proud of yourselves, you all past the first test." the general slightly smirked, he knew what was to come next, and after that. Each test was to get harder.

"Phobie?", Minaca approached from behind, "You passed."

"Yea, I did, and so did you?" Phobie asked back.

"Yea!" Minaca cheerfully replied. " I don't quite get what it was thought."

Many of the girls started to leave out the doors. Phobie and Minaca must have missed a important instruction or something. Makoto came up from behind Phobie and grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her away from Minaca's company. "Come on, I want you as my partner."

Phobie hurting at being pulled so roughly, "What?"

Makoto looked at her with a strive and determine face. "I want you as my partner"

Phobie confused at the suggestion, "Ahh... well I wanted to be partners with my friend."

Makoto glimpsed a look at Minaca who had stared cruelly at her. "Why, you'll stand a better chance with me."

"But she's my best-friend."

Makoto quickly countering the argument, "But now your mine."

The girls were all taken to another room, this one with mats all over the floor. The general was apparently in charge of this test. "SIT!" He yelled. Everyone quickly sat here they were, scared that this may also be a test. "This test will be harder then sitting. You will have to demonstrate you combat skills wit a handicap."

One of the girls spoke suddenly, "What handicap?"

The general stormed up to her. "Don't talk While I'm Talking", he paused for a moment, "get up!". The girl quickly rose to her feet, " And your partner!" Another girl rose to her feet, slower and more nervous then her partner. "This..", He held up a large half hoop, " is a jointer. It's designed to pull two objects together." The general positioned the two girls back to back then continued, "it is placed like so", He positioned the horseshoe looking half ring so the two girls were both inside of it. And it started to shrink, getting smaller and smaller. One of the girls typed to move out of it by moving t the open part of the ring. But she couldn't get out, she was trapped.

The jointer shrank but started to widen, turning into almost belt like object. It continued until both of the girls were starting to be squeezed together.

"And this will be the handicap you will all have. You will function the rest of the day with someone literal on your back."

The who originally spoke the first time screamed, "Let me out of this thing!", she pulled and tried to loosen the belt that kept the two together. "What's this support to prove?"

The general turned around looking at the insolent teenager. She was going to fail this test the general mentally thought. " This proves that your able to overcome adversities.", The general paused, ginning to the though of his next statement, "If any of you want to quit now..." Many of the girls had a nervous look, a hole day with someone on your back wasn't something many looked forward to. Phobie looked at Makoto who was smiling at the whole idea. Minaca on the other had looked worried.

* * *

Luna sat in front of a monitor, conserved that about the testing.

"Is everything satisfactory?" Luna asked. This was perhaps the most important task she was ever given. As aid to the queen and Princess Serena's garden, she was always worried that something may go wrong or a attack my cause her, well she never wanted to think of the consequences of such thoughts, but with a protector, then she could relax a little more. The moon's armored forces usually was good for protecting the queen and kingdom, but they lacked the ability to stop anything too powerful.

Answered Luna's question in a proper military fashion, respecting her higher ranking and letting her know that everything was Ok. He informed her that the candidate have shrunk in size to nearly half the original group. This only after one test.

"You have my trust ", Luna replied, " Head out!"

The screen went blank. Luna was now alone, or at lease she thought.

"Why the long face?" a voice come from the back of the room. Luna heard the voice meanly times but was still surprised to hear it break the silence. Artemis, a white cat jumped on to the Plato that Luna was sitting. He walked up to her and sat down beside her.

"I wish you wouldn't do that." Luna told him, while still staring at the screen.

Artemis, truly confused at the comment, looked at her and he could tell she was worried. More so then he's ever seen her before. "What's wrong, Don't tell me the general's being a suborned it again.

"No, the general's not giving me any problems."

"What is it then?"

"Artemis, ",Luna looked into his eye, "Am I doing the right thing. Should anyone really have so much power?"

Artemis looked bluntly at Luna. "Luna, I think your doing the right thing, so does serenity, and head other advisors."

"Yes, I now, but I just don't want this to back fire."

"How?"

"What if the wrong girl is picked? How will we be able to stop her?"

"Luna, "Artemis paused, choosing his words carefully, "I know you'll do the best that you can. And anyone who meets your standards will be the right girl."

A five year old girl ran into the room and right up to were the cats were talking. "Luna, let's play!"

Luna turning around again to see Princess Serena. She was but only five any has already began to look like a royal member of the family. She wore a long white dress, with jewels in her hair and perils around the two balls of hair on the top of her head, where her short pony tails were hanging off.

Luna answer Serena in the softest voice she could, "I'm sorry, princess, but I'm very busy."

Artemis quickly jumped in "Why don't you see if lord Darien wants to play? He's visiting for a little while with his father."

Serena's suck out her tongue at the suggestion. "There's no way I'm playing with that poppy-head."

"Why not?" Luna inquired.

"He pulls on my pony tails and calls me names, like meat ball head."

"I'm sure he doesn't mean it." Luna tried to calm the child.

"He does!"

"Well, Serena, I'm not very busy right now. I'll play with you for a little while." Artemis told Serena.

"Yea!" Serena cheered jumping up and down.

"See you later Luna." Artemis said as he jumped off the Plato and on to the floor.

Luna just watched as they exited, Serena asking Artemis what they should play.


* * *

Phobie stood on her toes, keeping up to Makoto's height. The two were tied to gather with the jointer. Phobie couldn't match Makoto's height, but she didn't care, she was content with just getting her way. Minaca was also attached to someone, the Venus girl that was sitting across from Phobie earlier, was constantly moving the Venus girl's long blond hair off from her shoulders. It seemed like every time either of them moved, blond hair would move and land over Minaca's shoulders.

"Let's go eat." Makoto said to Phobie.

"Eat? How? I can't walk anywhere." Phobie replied to her comment.

"Don't worry about that." She replied. Makoto slightly jumped and lean forward, in effect making the jointer feel tighter between the two. Phobie also was completely lifted off the ground and was riding on Makoto back like a back pack. " Their."

Phobie didn't like being positioned like this. Her stomach felt like it was being squeezed like a piece of fruit, and with every step Makoto took, she felt more and more uncomfortable. but on the plus side, they were doing to get some food, Phobie hasn't eaten since she arrived on the Moon and she was famished. The two entered the dinning hall, Makoto knew right where it was and she went right to the line. Makoto stood up right again, but Phobie's feet didn't touch the floor, with riding like that, any freedom of slack from the jointer was gone.

"Get down!" Makoto yelled to her back.

"I can't." Phobie replied back to Makoto.

Makoto jumped up and down, trying to loosen Phobie a little, so her feet would also land on the ground. Phobie's stomach couldn't take anymore abuse from the jointer and Makoto and she hulled any food that remand in her stomach on to herself and the floor.

Minaca quickly came to Phobie's rescue and told Makoto to stop.

Makoto stopped for the sole reason to argue with Minaca. "Why should I?"

"Because you're making Phobie sick."

"Bug off pipsqueak."

"PIPSQUEAK!" Minaca responded. Phobie knew were this was going to and she lunged herself forward, pulling Makoto onto Phobie's back, much like what Makoto did earlier and turned around, just in time to receive a punch in the jaw that Minaca was intending to use on Makoto.

"Owwwww." Phobie put her hand on her jaw, a small drop of blood feel from her month. Makoto, not liking being pulled away from a fight elbowed Phobie in the side, in a fit.

Minaca was shocked that she hit Phobie instead of Makoto and quickly apologized to her friend. The general quickly came out and saw the condition the Phobie was in. "You too, OUT!" The general roared.

Makoto, "What, What did we do?"

"No fighting among each other, unless authorized. You too couldn't ever be together for a hour." He pulled the jointer off of Makoto and Phobie. "Your both out. Now leave!"

"But... " Phobie started. She wanted to defend herself and tell him what really happened, but doing that would only hurt Minaca's chances of staying. She couldn't do that to Minaca, She wanted to win, and her parents also wanted her to come. Phobie's argued the point, to where she ran away to go. Phobie winked at Minaca and turned, slowly walking, follow Makoto out of the doors of the dinning room. She was defeated, as she left the room she took one last look around, she looked at all the other girls then she was the shadowy figure again. This time he was on a balcony in the dinning hall, and this time she could actually see him. He watched Phobie as she walked out and they both exchanged looks as she left. He man had a still face neither sad nor happy, he just stood their watching.