Look!  We're faster now!  Enjoy.

=====
-Tannim Murphy
(No, not THE Tannim, the OTHER Tannim)

"Writers who take more time trying to spell than write are editors."  -Unknown

My Fics: http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=126066

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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: SI5.txt
-- Desc: SI5.txt

Selves Inserted


Brought to you by Truly Krappy (T/K) Productions

"Truly Krappy, never half-assed."


Disclaimer:  The rights to Sailor Moon, Trigun, and Slayers belong to
people other than ourselves.  We are not making money off of these
characters.  Please do not sue us.

---

Chapter Five

---

Tannim looked around the classroom he and Kagato had come to know as
their workplace.  Kagato had one eye cracked open to read the book
before him, and was apparently studying it intently.  The teacher, at
the moment, was trying to explain how verbs were conjugated, and the
students were busy taking notes.  At least, most of them were.

Taking a rubber band out of his pocket, Tannim quickly and quietly
tore and folded a makeshift missile from his notebook and launched the
small piece of paper at the snoozing Usagi.  His aim dead-on, the
arrow struck her on the nose, and she jerked awake... and backward
onto the floor.

"[Balancing trouble, Miss Tsukino?]" the teacher asked, not bothering
to turn around.  He'd taught this class long enough to recognize the
sounds Usagi often made.  She wasn't a bad student, but she needed to
study more and sleep less. Thinking a quick thanks to whatever woke
her this time around, he continued his lesson.

Kagato, watching all this with little interest, tried hard to grasp
the intricacies of Japanese.  Smiling softly to himself as Usagi hit
the floor, he turned the page, before sighing and looking at the
assembled mass of students.  Spotting Ami Mizuno studiously writing
everything the teacher said or wrote, he wondered if she had her
computer on her.

Pulling himself inward on the astral plane, he solidified his energy
slowly, a small orb of dark energy appearing between him and the book.
A few moments later, an almost inaudible beep came from somewhere near
her.  Dispelling the sphere quickly, Kagato turned his attention back
to his book, his curiosity sated.

After the class was dismissed, the two tutors made their way to their
desks, the lunch period in full swing outside.  Tannim idly tossed
around a wad of paper as he began to speak to Kagato.

"So, Kag, I noticed you eying Ami.  Thinking of fulfilling a fan boy
fantasy?"

"Honestly, She's not really my type.  I wanted to see if she had her
computer on her... you know...?"

Another wad of paper joined the first as Tannim continued the
conversation.  "Yeah, I do.  But why would you need to know she had
her computer?  What good could that information have done you?"

Shrugging noncommittally, Kagato grinned.  "Afraid I'm encroaching
upon your territory there, lover boy?"

A third wad of paper joined the two, and Tannim begins to juggle the
improvised balls effortlessly.  "Nah.  Just wondering about stuff.  I
like to know what people are thinking, natural habit, a good one, to
get into when your type of people are around."

Kagato nodded, still grinning.  "Yep. All those Mazoku back home, you
never can be too careful."

Tannim gave a start, and the wads of paper scattered as they fell to
the floor.  He dropped his head, sighing.  "Sorry about that.  I'm
still adjusting."  Then he turned to Kagato.  "I just have this nasty
feeling at the pit of my stomach that something very, very bad is
going to happen.  Worse than getting hit by a truck.  And it's making
me nervous."

Grinning wider, Kagato turned to open an eye and look at Tannim, "I
know."  Leaning back in the surprisingly comfortable chair, he
stretched, and then continued.  "There is something weird in the air
though.  I can't tell what it is, yet, but..." he shrugged.

Setsuna, as if by magic, suddenly appeared next to the two boys.
"Tannim.  In my office.  Now."  She then exited just as quickly as she
had appeared.

"Heh," Kagato said, watching the two depart.  Turning to the other
door, he awaited the entrance of the student standing outside talking
up her confidence.  A moment later, a knock, more forceful than the
student would normally use, echoed throughout the office.

"Entr,e." Kagato called out in French. The confusion that emanated
through the door made Kagato's grin widen. Then he frowned as he
realized he had no clue how to say "enter" in Japanese.

"...hai?" he called out, before teleporting over to the door and
opening it.

"Ara... Kagato-sensei?"

"Ami... uhh... Mizuno... umm..." Kagato wondered how to address her,
finally shrugging.  "Can I help you?" he asked in English, speaking a
little slower than normal.

"Hai.  I....  Do you know... are you..." she trailed off, and I
quirked a brow as her confidence began to melt.  Finally, she spoke.

"Do know anything... bad, in area?"  She asked, haltingly.  Kagato
blinked, and then shrugged mentally. Why not?

"Like the anomaly that set off the Mercury Computer?" Kagato asked.

Ami frowned at this, piecing together the sentence, before staring at
him wide eyed.  She regained her composure rapidly, but from the
astral plane, Kagato could see her confusion, worry, and fear climb
steadily.

Kagato sighed, sitting down in a chair.  He wondered briefly how to
handle this, now that the cat was out of the bag. Being his usual self
would probably result in the reception of a Mercury Aqua Rhapsody,
something he'd like to avoid, Mazoku or not.

"Can you show me the computer for a moment?" he asked.  Ami frowned,
and Kagato, sensing her distrust, pointed at her, with a pen he'd
picked up off the desk.

"Sailor Mercury.  Mizuno Ami."  Standing up, he held the pen up, and
said "Mercury Planet Power, Make up."  Then he turned in a circle,
before stopping in a rather poor imitation of Sailor Mercury's post-
transformation pose.

Ami, during this, stared, the color draining from her face.  Kagato
then proceeded to list the attacks he knew of hers, before naming the
other Senshi, by both their civilian names, and Senshi names.
Finally, he looked at her, and grinned.

"How..." she asked, quietly.  Kagato pointed to the desk, "Mercury
Computer."  Mercury reached into a pocket and pulled the small device
out, opening it and setting it down.  Staring at the hiragana
onscreen, he sighed.  Pointing to her, then himself, then the
computer, he asked a one-word question, "Translate?"

Ami looked confused, then, as the word registered, she nodded once,
before typing something.  Frowning at the computer, she pressed a
quick button, and then looked at Kagato expectantly.

"Umm... is it ready?" he asked.  The computer responded by repeating
what Kagato had said in (what he hoped was) Japanese.  Ami spoke
rapidly, and after she stopped, the computer began speaking in
English.

"Yes.  Though, I'm quite annoyed that until now the only way I've had
to interact with it is through its tiny keyboard."

Kagato chuckled, and then held out his hand, quickly manifesting his
energy into a visible ball of blackness.  As expected, the computer
beeped.  However, it also began speaking in both English and Japanese,
though how it did that neither knew.

"WARNING, ANOMOLOUS MAGICAL ENERGY PATTERNS DETECTED.  RECORDS
INDICIATE HIGH PROBABILITY OF NEGATIVE ENERGY MANIFESTATION, IE:
MAZOKU WITHIN VICINITY.  STRENGTH: UNKNOWN.  INTENTIONS: UNKNOWN.
RECOMMEND APPROACH WITH EXTREME CAUTION AND BACKUP."

Kagato blinked at that.  "My intentions are honorable! And how the
heck did that stupid think know what I am, anyway?  There are no
Mazoku in this universe!"

"What are Mazoku?" Ami asked.

"I am a Mazoku... at least, since I arrived on this world.  Before, I
was human, just like you... well... minus your Senshi-ness."

"That doesn't answer my question," Ami said, frowning slightly.

Kagato grinned at her, and then continued, deciding to let most of the
truth out.  "I... hmm... I just am.  I feed on the negative emotions
that everyone gives off, and I am the source of power for all spells
using black magic.  Mazoku aren't native to this universe, however, so
I doubt there's any black magic spells... Could you ask that thing how
it knows what Mazoku are?"

Ami stared at Kagato, and then asked the computer, slowly.  The
computer whirred for a moment, before responding, its answer shocking
Ami and Kagato to the core.

---

Setsuna pointed toward the cot as Tannim entered.  The young man took
it as a sign to sit down, so he did.

"All right, off with your coat and shirt."

Tannim blushed as he twirled his fingers around.  "Aw, Setsuna-sama,
we hardly know each other...."

The green-haired woman huffed.  "I merely want to examine you."

As the young man began to disrobe, taking care to keep his revolver
hidden, he said, "If that's the way you want to play, I can be a poor,
innocent student."  His eyes sparkled as he clasped his hands in front
of him.  "Oh, sensei!  I never knew it could BE like this!"

Setsuna rolled her eyes while still managing to look calm and
collected.  "Stop your foolishness."

It was Tannim's turn to huff.  "Fine.  Don't let me have any fun," he
grumbled as he quickly and efficiently disrobed.  Tannim looked up and
the next thing he knew Setsuna was there, poking and prodding him with
various instruments.  The woman nodded in satisfaction as she poked
the scab covering the wound on the left side of his body.

"Ouch!  That hurts, you know," complained Tannim as he fought to keep
his hands from scratching at the wound.

"Where did you get this?"

"Um... I tripped on some stairs?"

"Last I knew, stairs didn't cause puncture wounds."

"They were very mean stairs," lied Tannim as he studiously inspected
the ceiling.  "They beat me up and stole my lunch money."

Setsuna shook her head.  "You should have at least bandaged it up."

Tannim continued his study of ceiling tiles.

The green-haired woman pulled out a roll of bandages and quickly began
wrapping them around the young man's body.  "If you are not in top
physical condition, you will not be able to carry out your duties."

"Oh?  And what duties would those be?  Protecting the Moon Princess?"
Tannim asked with careful calculation.

Setsuna froze.  Her eyes swiveled and pierced Tannim with a look of
extreme suspicion.  The young man returned the gaze with a look of his
own, calm and serious.

"We know."

"How?"

"That's not important right now.  What's important is that you know we
know, and that we're not trying to harm you or the rest of your
friends in any way."  Tannim sighed.  "The information would have come
out sooner or later, by some action or misplaced word.  I'd rather
choose the time and place.  This is it."  He grumbled under his
breath, "and hopefully missing out on the required battle heroes have
when meeting each other for the first time."  In a louder voice, he
continued:  "Kagato and I know all about the Sailor Senshi, and the
Moon Kingdom.  Please, let's go get Kagato so we can talk this over,
okay?"

With a subtle nod, and a rather unfriendly frown, Setsuna finished
bandaging up the young man before she walked out the door, Tannim
right behind her.

---

Chapter Five End

---

Author Notes:

Tannim:  Just me this time, I'm afraid.  Surprisingly enough, there
wasn't a single shred of e-mail concerning chapter four.  If you read
this series, and take a liking to it, please don't hesitate to send us
e-mail, even if it's little bits saying 'this is cool!' or 'stop
writing, you guys suck!'.

Experimenting with brackets for Japanese language parts, since the
normal >'s tend to be interpreted as HTML on FF.net.  If you feel like
it, C&C would be helpful.  And any e-mail would help us along to
continue writing.



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