Hm… for the first entry, let’s start off with something light, ne? The first Sailor Moon fanfic I have ever written, completely unedited.

June 1998 

Sailor Moon: Memory Problems
A fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor

For perhaps the seventeenth time that day, Mina checked her watch and said, "Where on earth is she?" Sitting next to her, Rei shrugged and watched a cute guy walk by. Sitting next to Rei, Amy stopped reading to glance at her watch. She frowned. "That's odd. She's normally never this late. I wonder where she can be."

The trio was in Crossroads Park on a beautiful Saturday morning. A morning that was rapidly turning into afternoon. They had gathered there with the purpose of going shopping at a new mall that had just opened nearby. "The mall's going to close soon." Mina complained, "We'll miss all of the grand opening sales." Artemis sighed heavily from his position on Rei's lap. "The sales are not what she is worried about," he muttered.

"The mall won't close for quite a while." Amy said as she resumed her reading. Just then, Serena jogged up to them with Luna close behind. Mina stood to meet her. She gave Serena an impatient look. "Well?"

Serena shook her head. "No sign of her, Mina." Mina gave an exasperated sigh. "Did you check her apartment?" Serena and Rei shared a look. Rei shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mina," Serena said, "I checked her apartment. Lita isn't home." Mina gave a cry of frustration. "We're going to miss him!"

Serena sat on the bench in the spot that Mina had vacated. Luna gave the blonde teen an odd look. "What's wrong with Mina?" she asked the others. Rei answered, "There's supposed to be some American movie star at the mall. Casper van something."

"Casper Van Dien," Mina quickly corrected. "He's from Starship Troopers." Rei shrugged. "Whatever. Never saw it."

Amy looked up at Mina. "Are you sure you told Lita where to meet us?"

"Of course I'm sure, Amy. I called her as soon as I got home." Mina remembered it clearly. "I called her up and told her to meet us right here."

<The night before...

Mina dashes into the kitchen and grabs the phone, a flyer held tightly in one hand. She punches in several numbers and waits impatiently while the other line rings. She quickly scans the flyer again and giggles.

"Hello?"

"Lita you will not believe this. You know that knew mall they're building near you? You will never guess who's going to be there."

"Who?"

"Casper Van Dien."

"Oh my God, are you serious?"

"Totally. He's going to be signing autographs at one when the place opens tomorrow."

"Oh wow! He is so cute. He looks just like Freddy. We have got to go see him!"

"Okay. We'll meet up at the park tomorrow at ten. That way we can get some shopping done, too."

"Cool. I'll see you then."

"No, wait, since your closer to the mall, why don't you go ahead and I'll meet you there."

"That's even better! I'll be there!"

"Great! Bye!"

"Bye!

Mina hangs up and proceeds to jump around screaming with delight, much to Artemis' annoyance. After awhile, she calms down and calls the others.>

Mina suddenly looked very embarrassed. "Uh oh."

I rate "Memory Problems" just slightly higher than the Captain N: The Video Game Master fanfic I wrote in sixth grade… which isn’t really saying much, I guess. To compare to what I wrote four years ago to what I write now…

Moving along…

30 January 2000

Corruption
A Sailor Moon fanfic
by Kristin Renee Taylor

It was a crappy day to begin with, all grey and dreary and drizzling. You know, one of those days that just begs you to sit at a window, stare out at all that grayness, and feel horribly depressed about the way your life had turned out. In fact, that's exactly what I had been doing ever since I had returned home from school. Just sitting here, hating life, and contemplating going to the store to buy some curry for dinner. And that's the stated I was in when the call came.

I sighed, both mentally and audibly, and retrieved my communicator from my nightstand. Flipping it open, I grumbled, "What is it this time?"

Mina's voice answered me, slightly staticy from cloud interference. "I just got a call from Rei. She thinks there's something strange going on at that deli near you, possibly connected with those two aliens, and she wants us to check it out."

"Rei always thinks there's something strange going on. But if she insists--"

"--And you know she will--"

"--then we might as well check it out."

"Yeah. I'll be there as soon as I can to back you up."

We said the usual "catch ya later" shticks and I stood, stretching. A small, detached part of me was actually hoping for a battle, but I squashed that thought rather quickly. Ever since the events at D-point I hadn't been exactly the most eager fighter. Leaping into a fight and getting killed will do that to you.

The trip to the deli was surprisingly uneventful, even to a young superheroine leaping across rooftops with the unnatural ease of mountain lion. After all, there's only so many times you can run a particular route before it bores the mess out of you. Right now, I was seriously considering flinging bolts of lightening at birds just to liven my day up, but that would've been cruel.

I dropped into the alleyway next to deli, fully prepared to be attacked by one of those cardian things, and fully prepared to blast its head off, only to discover that I was not up against a cardian.

The man looked up from the body, hands, forearms, shirt and pants covered in blood. his knife, still red, gleamed wetly, crimson drops slowly falling, splattering on her pale, cooling skin. His eyes, so brown, so beautiful, so eerily calm, bore into my own with such emotion that I was momentarily paralyzed with the sheer intensity of his gaze. He straightened, rising to his full height over the body, his thin, yet muscular body unfurling with a feline grace and beauty that would've taken my breathe away, had I been able to breathe. He smiled at me, a slight curving of his lips. One hand, the one not clutching the knife, lifted towards me, and he caressed the air where, had I been a couple of meters closer, my left cheek would've been. His lips parted and he breathed the word "Beautiful" into the air in such a reverent voice that he could've been talking about an angel.

I stood there, frozen to the ground as he started to walk towards me. Had I been able to, I would've laughed because, like almost every other man I've met, he reminded me of Freddy. Not in looks, not in sound, and surely not in the way he moved. It was the pain that he caused that was the same.

"Corruption" was written during my Dark Phase, what I now laughingly call "My College Year." Pretty much everything I wrote in mid-2000 had a decidedly depressing undertone ("Guardian Angel," by the way, was written during my Dark phase.), and very little of it was Sailor Moon related. I actually did finish "Corruption," but, for the life of me, I can’t find the original draft (The one above is the second draft.).

But, enough darkness. Time for something lighter.

Wednesday, February 09, 2000

Just Friends
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Kristin Renee Taylor

I had loved oak trees long before I had known that I'd be the Avatar of the god of oak trees. There was something about them – their strength, their majestic beauty, their permanence - that appealed to me on all levels at once. My father had planted an oak tree the day I was born. I discovered, through Ken, that on my first day at Crossroads Junior High my tree was struck by lightening.

To quote a famous Canadian singer, "Isn't it ironic?"

I sat down on the grass and leaned back, feeling the rough bark against my skin through the thin fabric of my school uniform. I chuckled quietly.

"What's so funny?" Ken's voice asked.

I looked up and saw him leaning against the tree, smiling down at me. He and I were at a park in my old neighborhood, underneath my tree. It had been such a long time since I had been here that, when Ken had called, I had practically leaped at the chance to come back here, even if briefly. I shifted slightly, making room for him, and began to roll up the

sleeves of my shirt. I really should've changed clothes before getting on the train. "Nothing, really. I was just thinking about my tree."

"Is that so?"

I smiled, "Yeah. I kinda thought it was ironic that it was struck by lightening. Y'know, the whole 'Jupiter, god of lightening and oak trees' thing."

He laughed and sat down beside me. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess it is funny."

"Y'know what else is funny?"

"Hm?"

I tilted my head back, letting it rest against the tree trunk while I stared at the few, thin clouds in an otherwise cloudless sky. "You remember my friend Serena, right?" I saw him nod out of the corner of my eyes. "Well, she told me yesterday that you and I would be perfect for each other. She practically ordered me to go out with you!" He was looking at me, a very faint smile on his face.

"And how did you respond to that?"

"Hm? Oh, I told her it wouldn't work."

"And why's that?"

I abruptly became aware that his left arm was pressed gently against the bare skin of my right. However, I didn't move my arm, and I didn't turn to look at him. "Best friends shouldn't date. It'd be bad."

"Oh really? Says who?"

"Says me," I said, giving him a sidelong look. "Something about dating totally wrecks the best friend relationship."

"Is that all?" he asked quietly.

I looked at him, then. For the not the first time, was amazed at the similarity between him and my first ex-boyfriend, Freddy. Freddy had looked a lot like Ken, but I should know, more than anyone, that appearances can be deceiving.

But the realization that I had dated Freddy because of his similarity to Ken was rather new and somewhat startling.

I leaned over and kissed him, very lightly, on the lips. Pulling back, I smiled at him, and giggled at the look of total shock on his face. He regained his composure a moment later and looked at me.

"Lita?"

I stood. "It wouldn't work, Ken. I've... other responsibilities... that would make it very, very difficult." I suddenly laughed, mostly just to drive away the awkward silence that I could feel approaching. "Besides, you're a lousy kisser."

"What?! You didn't even give me chance, Lita!"

I stared down at him, struggling not to grin. "Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. I demand you give me a second chance."

And with no more warning than that, he leaped to his feet, gently tipped my head up, and proceeded to make me change my mind about his skills.

A significantly endless time later, I said faintly, "You've made your point."

"So I'm a good kisser now?"

I mock-glared at him. "Yeah, but only because you cheated and caught me off guard.

"Just Friends" is my third attempt at what I deemed "The Introspective Series," which started with "First Times" and "The Mask." However, for whatever reason, I just can’t seem to write an intro fic about Makoto that I’m satisfied with.

So, determined to get one right, I wrote "Ice Queen."

Ice Queen

A Sailor Moon fanfic

by Kristin Renee Taylor

I was flying.

Hair blowing behind me. Feel the passage of the wind as I soar up, up, up! Spinning once, twice, three times! And then down, touching the ice with one foot, maintaining my balance so easily as I flowed backwards. In my mind, crowds cheered, applauded as, with barely a pause, I launched myself up again, pulling off only a double before gravity re-exerted itself and I landed, breathing heavily but smiling to myself as I slowed to a stop.

Clapping. I turned and Usagi grinned at me. "I wish I could skate like you can, Mako-chan."

I shrugged. "It's easy, Usagi-chan. You just have to trust yourself."

"That's easy for to you say," Usagi said. Carefully, she slid over to me, and even then she nearly fell. She smiled wryly, "You've got an entire lifetime of past memories to drawn on."

I took her arm before she did fall, and I guided her to the railing. She took hold of it gratefully. I said, "I don't have as many memories as you think. And, really, I don't have any memories related to ice-skating."

Usagi blinked. "Then... how can you... Mako-chan?"

I laughed at the expression on her face. "I guess my body just remembers how to do it." I took her hands and begin to skate backwards, pulling her with me. "Now, then, I believe we were in the middle of your skating lesson."

Usagi's progress was slow and complicated by the fact that she kept trying to use the wrong muscles. "Usagi-chan," I said when we were halfway around the rink, "You don't have to stay so tensed up. Just relax and let me pull you."

"Why can't I skate? I was able to do this when I was Sailor Moon!"

I looked around hastily, but, fortunately, nobody was close enough to hear Usagi's voice. Still, I lowered my voice. "Usagi-chan, we're able to do a lot of things as Senshi that we can't do normally. And there are a lot of things that we can do normally that we do better as Soldiers. I guess you were able to ice skate since being Sailor Moon brought your memories closer to the surface."

Usagi was silent, digesting this. Then she looked up at, smiling mischievously. "Does this mean you can cook better when you're Jupiter?"

I rolled my eyes and let go. Usagi squawked indignantly, and then, arms flailing wildly, she crashed to the ice. I grinned down at her. "Something wrong with my cooking?"

"You did that on purpose," Usagi muttered. She climbed up the railing and stood there, knees wobbling.

Arms folded behind my back, I drifted past her. "Maybe I did. What'cha gonna do about it?"

"Ooo... Just you wait until we get off this ice, Kino Makoto!"

Laughing, I held my hands out to her. "You've gotta get off the ice first. C'mon, Princess."

Usagi latched onto my hands, and, once again, we made our slow way across the ice. "So," she said casually, "just how much of the Silver Millenium do you remember?"

I looked at her warily. "Why do you wanna know?"

She shrugged, and almost made us both fall. After we regained our balance she said, "No real reason. I'm just curious."

"Yeah. Right. Well, if you must know, I remember the first time I met you."

"And?"

I stared at her for a long moment. Finally, I said, "The first time I ever saw you... The first time I ever saw you, I knew immediately that I'd do anything for you."

"Really..." Her eyes glinted. What was going through her head? "Do you feel the same way, now?"

"I'd give my life for you," I said immediately.

"Honestly?"

"It's the only way I know how to be."

Her eyes misted up. "Oh, Mako-chan!" And she threw her arms around me. Unfortunately, she also threw me off balance and we crashed to the ice, with me landing painfully on my back. "I'm glad you're happy," I groaned.

"Ice Queen" was, in my opinion, one of the only times I ever managed to characterize Makoto properly. And I still don’t like it. Oh well.

Enough Mako-chan. Let’s see some Minako!

Ah... winter. It's one of the seasons I love the most, because there's so much stuff about it to love. Like the crisp cold air that tastes so clean. The warm nights snuggled up with my favorite blanket. The beautiful Christmas decorations that people set up.

"Mina?"

Celebrating mine and Lita's birthdays...

"Mina?!"

The incredible clarity of the stars at night...

"MINA!"

I pulled myself out of my musings and glared at Ami. "What?"

Ami pulled her coat tighter. "Everything's set up, so can we go back inside now?"

I laughed. "Back inside? Why on earth would you want to go back inside? It's *beautiful* out here!"

"It's *freezing,*" my blue-haired companion retorted, hugging herself for extra emphasis.

"Hm..." I exhaled loudly through my nose, watching as my breath clouded and wafted upwards. "It might be just a bit cold out here."

"It's well below freezing, Mina," Ami said. She looked around the rooftop. "Are you *sure* they'll come out here?"

"Sure as rain," I said cheerfully. I clapped her own the shoulder. "C'mon, we've gotta hide."

"It's 'right as rain,'" Ami muttered. Tugging on her gloves, she trailed after me as we crossed the rooftop to the place where our stuff was stashed. "And I still don't see why both of us have to do this..."

I never said it was long. :) I wrote this one around Christmas time last year, but, as you see, I never finished it.

Now, here comes the Dark Phase again…

07-20-00

Mirror Image

A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor

There are a lot of things that can be said about the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl that is looking at me, especially if

one chooses their words based solely on her outward appearance. I've often heard the words "snob" and "conceited" and even the occasional "airheaded ditz." However, I knew that girl first hand and, although she was many things, I had never considered her to be any of the words that I had previously mentioned.

I turned slightly and the image in the mirror mimicked my movements exactly. Studying myself, I sighed quietly and muttered, "Life sucks."

I leaned forward, so close to the silvered glass that my breath misted it slightly, partially obscuring my twin's mouth and nose. Pale blue eyes locked with their mirrored equivalent, I said to my other half "A thousand years from now you're going to be alive, and you still won't get a man. It's a good thing you're used to being alone, isn't it?"

Gazing into the depths of those strange eyes, I found the presence trapped within to be highly disconcerting, especially since I could see the depressed loneliness there so easily. I wondered, briefly, why nobody else ever saw it, then shoved that thought aside. I knew the answer, even if I hated it.

I straightened with another sigh and watched as the proof of my existence evaporated like so much sun-touched fog. To my room in general I stated my current motto, "Life sucks and Mina Aino can't get a man. So what else is new?"

Shaking my head, I contemplated my reflection, searching for whatever fault that made it impossible for any sort of lasting relationship to occur. As I did so, I abruptly became aware that I was no longer alone. A glance in the mirror showed her standing in the doorway behind me, silently watching me as I watched myself.

I wasn't entirely sure how to react to her and that made no sense. I always knew how to act. I was a great actress. Just ask anybody if they ever knew how I really felt and I'm pretty sure they could tell you about any of the numerous roles I've had to play. After all, the Avatar of Love and Beauty should never let anyone know that she's really depressed. Self-image and all that crap.

And besides, as the true leader of the Sailor Scouts, showing my inner weakness would be... inappropriate. I save that sort of stuff for when I was alone. Which, until some time ago, I had been. I turned to look at her, stricken by our more than passing resemblance to each other. Long blonde hair, clear blue eyes, an incredible figure, and the somewhat glorious title that came with being a Sailor Scout. We could've been more than related, we could've been twin sisters, and I've occasionally wondered if our resemblance was the result of our genetics now...or of the long-dead parents that neither of us never knew.

It could have happened. We really could be sisters, I mused as she and I regarded one another in perfect silence.

"I didn't hear you come in, Serena," I said, breaking the aforementioned silence first, striving to make my voice its usual, sing-song, happily musical lilt. The effort failed, and the result was that I sounded wearily tired, which probably wasn't too far from the truth. I was tired.

Her reply was simply, "I'm sorry, Mina. I didn't know till now."

Whatever I had been about to say froze as my stunned mind came to two swift conclusions: Serena had managed to see through my disguise, and I desperately needed someone.

I wasn't aware of her ever moving, but I suddenly found myself in her tight embrace. Her voice was thick with emotion and I felt her tears as they begin to soak into the fabric of my shirt. She said fiercely, "You're not alone, Mina. And you never will be again."

The compassion behind those two simple sentences rendered me speechless. My chest tightened almost painfully as a swirling miasma of emotions tore through me, all of them so thoroughly entangled that identifying a single one was beyond my momentarily shattered reasoning. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes and I hugged her fiercely as I begin to sob.

She held me tightly while I cried, never saying a word, and the sheer strength of her love was almost tangible. It sank into me, healing a part of my soul that I had long since given up as unredeemable.

After an eternity my shaking lessened. I pulled away from her, scrubbing at my hot cheeks with the back of one hand. She gently grasped my shoulders and studied my face intently, "Better now?"

I nodded, speech was beyond me, and smiled at her, marveling at the ease with which I was able to do so. Her answering smile made me wish I was wearing sunglasses, it was so bright. "Good," she said, "because now we're going to be late for the study session. And that means Rei's gonna kill us."

"Let her yell," I responded, my voice only slightly hoarse, "I'm in too good of a mood to let her spoil it. In fact, why don't we grab some ice cream on the way over. My treat."

"Wow, you are feeling better," Serena commented and some of the lingering concern in her deep blue eyes faded somewhat. She released my shoulders and curiously studied the duo in the mirror behind me. "Y'know what, Mina? People must think we're twins or something."

I laughed, pleased with the sound and happy that, for once, it wasn't forced, "I can't see why, Serena. We're nothing alike."

I actually posted "Mirror Image" on the Fanfiction Mailing List. Can’t quite remember the circumstances when I wrote it, but for some reason I really didn’t like this one.

Hm… One more…

"The Legend?"

"No."

"The Legend Two?"

"No."

"The Legend of 1900?"

"No... although that was a good movie."

"Gr... The Legend of Zelda?"

"Which one? Oh, it doesn't matter anyway. They'd all be wrong. I think they're all inappropriately named, too. Wouldn't 'The Legend of Link' be a better title for a series about Link?"

"It's not about Link."

"Certainly seems that way too me. But, continue."

What does this have to do with Sailor Moon? Well, it’s Minako and Ami having a conversation. What about, I have no idea. It just popped into my head one day. Probably had too much candy.

And, that wraps up this session. Next session: some stuff from the Life’s Lessons alt-universe. Coming soon to a Trashcan near you!

K-chan and Animals of Evil. Down, Bunki!