For lack of a name, I forced myself into this fanfic (eek!).  It suppose
I would end up doing so sooner or later.  Anyways, I don't actually work
for the Toronto Star, but I will if they pay me BIG BUCKS! ^_-

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                         Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
                                "Interviews"

        by: Andre Garde (aj113@torfree.net/cs973334@ariel.cs.yorku.ca)

                           Subject: Tsukino Usagi


     I don't know who or what persuaded me to take this job, but I ended
up taking it anyway.  My name is Andre Garde, and I'm a junior reporter
for the Toronto Star, a Canadian newspaper.  I'm not in my hometown right
now, though.  No, I'm in Tokyo.  Japan, to be exact.  And why am I here?
Simple.  I'm here to interview one Miss Tsukino Usagi, or "Usako" as her
significant other affectionately calls her.  Oh, I suppose I should note
that she is also Sailor Moon, for those who didn't know already.

     When the world first found out, it was as if the world had turned
upside down.  People were in disbelief about the true identity of Sailor
Moon, myself included.  Was that why I felt ackward right now?  It's not
every day you get to meet a heroine such as Sailor Moon.  It's also
unusual, to note that though she may have saved the world many times,
she may also be being incapable of walking five meters without tripping
over herself.

     I walked down the busy streets of daytime Tokyo.  It was fall, and
the cold wind nipped at your nose and exposed hands.  It wasn't too cold
for my sweatshirt and windbreaker, however, adorned with my favourite
superdeformed Sailor Moon pin.

     Hey, if it keeps youma at bay, I'll wear it.

     I reached the appointed place of our meeting:  Da Bronx, a hip,
popular club in town.  A peaceful, serene, restaurant by day, and a
"groovy" danceclub by neon-lit night.  Supposedly, it was really hard to
get access to it, since you needed a VIP pass to get in, but Miss Tsukino
assured me that everything had been taken care of.  When Miss Tsukino
phoned me at my hotel in Tokyo to set up the meeting, she mentioned it was
all thanks to someone named Eric.  No, wait a minute, I think it was...
Erica?

     I smacked myself on the forehead.  No, she said Haruka, not Erica.
Sometimes, my North American mind makes up names that don't even exist.

     I got to the front doors of Da Bronx.  *Really nice* setup.  I was
greeted by a heavy-set bouncer, standing in front of the gold-plated
double-doors leading into the club.  I flashed him the VIP card Miss
Tsukino had given to me via courier, and with a warm but throaty
"Irasshai..." I ventured into Da Bronx.

     It was still day, so the dark setting of a danceclub was nowhere to
be seen.  But that wouldn't have mattered.  Standing in the front foyer,
not a soul on Earth would have missed her.  Twin, golden, odango shone in
the bright light of the club.  Two lengths of blond hair fell downward
from the odango, nearly to the floor.  I should also note for this inter-
view that she was standing.

     "Hmm," I thought.  "That's quite a lot of hair."

     Her smile was a bright as the midday sun.  She was wearing her
school uniform, the one from Juuban High.  A darker shade of blue from
what I could tell from her old pictures in her Juuban Junior High uniform.
But even her darker clothing could not hide the light emanating from her.
It was as if the light radiated from within.  Whatever the case, I
couldn't explain it.  It was, it was...

     Magical.

     I think my mouth hung open for quite awhile, since I saw her wave to
me, and her face suddenly looked troubled.  I regained my composure,
coughing in my hand to get rid of the nervousness, and strolled over to
where she was standing.  A table had been reserved for us away from the
other patrons in Da Bronx.  It was one which was located in a relatively
quiet place, away from the cash registers, waiters, and other people in
general.  I reached for the tape recorder in one pocket of my windbreaker,
and reached for a blank tape in another.  She spoke Japanese, I spoke
plain old English.  While I knew that whom I was to interview knew basic
English, I needed to record the conversations so I didn't miss anything.
While I fiddled with the tape, I suddenly realized that Miss Tsukino was
staring me right in the eye, smile fixed in place.  Damn, I'd forgotten to
greet her!  Knowing how polite I had to be, since I was only a junior
reporter, I took action immediately.  Mustering up whatever pathetic bit
of Nihongo I learned on the plane ride over the Pacific, I did my best not
to make a total ass of myself.

     "Uh, watashi wa Andre Garde, iie!  Watashi wa Garde Andre, ne?
Er, ah, douzo, yoroshiku...?"  I laughed nervously.  I had read something
about the Japanese reversing the family names and given names of people.
I had no clue if it applied to Westerners.

     Tsukino Usagi laughed a memorable laugh.  I joined with her and
smiled sheepishly.  "Don't worry," she said.  "I perfect speak English!"
She V-ed her fingers and grinned.

     YES!  At least neither of us can speak each other's language very
well.  My superiors back home in Toronto would tell me that this would be
an interviewing disaster, and that I should pack up and go home or get a
translator if this happened.  But somehow, I knew deep within my heart
that things were proceeding along the right track.  Was it because of the
company I was keeping?  Maybe I'll find out later.

     We sat down at the table that had be reserved for us.  We engaged in
some small talk, getting to know the basics about each other.  I was
asked about my background, what life was like in Canada... wait, was she
doing the interview or was I?

     I moved back on track by producing the tape recorder I had loaded
previously.  From then on, we settled right down to business.  With her
go-ahead signal, I fired off my questions.

     "So, you've been acknowledged as a hero and a saviour of the galaxy.
Could you tell me about some of the things you've done to achieve this
status."

     She sat back for a long time and thought hard.  Finally, she spoke:

     "Dunno.  Does saving the world five times in a row count?"

     It took a couple of seconds to regain my composure.  "Er, let's move
on, Ms. Tsukino."  I paused to wipe the sweatdrop from my forehead with a
handkerchief.  There was no way you could tell by her outward appearance,
but even after reading about her exploits, you would always end up
forgetting exactly whom you were dealing with.

     I asked her about the origins of Sailor Moon, the Silver Millenium,
the Dark Kingdom; I wanted to know it all.  I asked her how she defeated
Queen Beryl in her first major battle, but she seemed reluctant to even
talk about it.  I decided not to press the matter, and asked her how she
met the other Senshi instead.

     It was as if her mind made a 90 degree turn.  Her expression changed
from darkness to light, as she recalled for me how she met up with Mizuno
Ami, Hino Rei, Kino Makoto, and Aino Minako.

     For Mizuno Ami, Ms. Tsukino explained how smart she was, and how
great it was to have a braniac as one of the Sailor Senshi, and especially
as her friend.  I grinned at the "braniac" part, but kept it hidden since
I wanted to hear more.

     "Ami-chan's real smart.  Some people like her for just her brain,
but you have to be an idiot if you can't see past that."

     "Oh really?" I thought to myself.  I'd looked at a printout of her
Junior High School grades (with her permission, of course), her high
school entrance exam grades, and some of her Juuban High tests themselves.
Those were some very impressive marks.  I decided to ask Ms. Tsukino
about it.

     "Ms. Mizuno has the top grades in every subject.  Don't the numbers
speak for themselves?"

     "Well," she began.  She let out a sigh, but answered after a moment.
"It's true that she gets those grades constantly, but she *works* for it.
And it's not just her grades that makes her character.  It's not just her
brilliant, equation-filled mind, either.  Ami-chan always stood up for me
in the past, when I was fighting with Rei-chan, or whatever.  Even though
she may seem passive, she's got a lioness' heart, and she can do anything
that she sets her mind to."  She laughed.  "In the past, I envied her, but
she's my friend.  No, she's more.  Much more.  She was the first of the
Sailor Senshi I'd ever met since our... rebirth.  She's *my* inspiration
that I can do anything if I've got the drive for it."

     I paused to reflect on this.  Though Sailor Mercury was arguably the
weakest of all the Senshi, she had survived tough battles -- and even
worse -- and still managed to come out victorious.  Deceptively gentle,
there was more hidden beneath the short, blue-black, hair of Mizuno Ami.
Some day, I'd resolve to find out just what is was, but I had an interview
to conduct.  I moved on to the next subject.

     For Kino Makoto, Ms. Tsukino marvelled at her cooking prowess.  Not
only that, but Ms. Kino was a growing amazon!  I asked Ms. Tsukino what
she thought about the strength of Sailor Jupiter and Kino Makoto in
general.

     "It's great to have such a physically tough Senshi on the Sailor
Team, isn't it?"

     She turned her head from side to side, an indication that I had made
an incorrect assumption.  She raised her arm and pointed to her slim
bicep.  "Mako-chan's not just strong here," she began.  Then, she brought
up both her hands and placed them over where her heart was.  "She's strong
*here*.  If you want to know, that's what I like about her.  She doesn't
have to fight all the time with her fists.  She may think with them, some-
times," she paused, but continued on.  "...but it's her heart that guides
her.  No one could have a better friend, who's trusting, caring, and who
can cook up a storm!"  She grinned.  "But it's her love for others that
counts, and that makes her strong.  We, the girls and I, love her for
that."

     "So, there's strength in love?"

     "Without our love, we can't go on.  With all our love, we have the
strength to carry on."

     I was about to say something, when I bit my tongue.  Here was a girl
(a magical girl at that) who drew the sum of her power from love itself.
It's funny, to think of how Ms. Tsukino's assessment of people can all be
summed up in a single four-letter word.

     The tape ran out at that point, so I stopped to pop in a new one.
Ms. Tsukino ordered cream sodas for the both of us.  We sipped our drinks
in silence though our straws, neither one of us making a sound.  After we
had finished, I looked at her and she nodded.  I resumed recording.

     "So, tell me about Ms. Aino Minako, also known as Sailor Venus.  Can
you shed some light on her?  I mean, of the Inner Senshi, she seems to be
the most elusive, and, uh, seems to be just like you -- almost."

     Ms. Tsukino laughed at that.  "Yeah, I'll admit that she's flaky.
But if she is, then so am I."

     "Can you recall an experience that demonstrated this kind of, uh,
flakiness?"

     She told me about the time when all of the Inner Senshi except for
Venus had become ill due to a Dark Moon virus by Esmeraude.  I cringed
when she recounted the "accidents" that Aino Minako had inadvertently
caused when she tried to care for the girls.  Ms. Tsukino had a look in
her eye, that told me that if she had to go through the experience again,
she would.  I had to find out why.

     "Minako-chan may be a flake, but she's a well-meaning one.  She cared
for us because we were sick, and she only wanted to see us get better."
Ms. Tsukino's face took on a sad look for a mere fraction of a second.  So
fast, that I later questioned whether I had actually seen it.  But she
continued, recalling for me what Ms. Aino had said to her by her bedside.

     "She didn't take care of me because I was the Princess, or because I
was Sailor Moon, who needed to be healthy to take care of the world.  She
took it upon herself to see that I got better, because she wanted *me* to
be healthy.  She said she felt peaceful when she was with me, and, and..."

     I saw the first instance of a tear form in the corner of one of Ms.
Tsukino's eyes.  For some reason, it glowed with an inner light.

     "I love her.  We love her.  Without Minako-chan, the Sailor Senshi do
not exist.  Wihtout such a caring, thoughful, individual, there wouldn't
be a Sailor Team.  And she loves us all too, you know?  We stick together,
throughout it all, and when life seems like it's going to push you under,
she is always there to bring you back up.  Like the time when..."

     ...when Chiba Mamoru had been kidnapped by the Dark Kingdom.  Ms.
Aino was the first one to come to Ms. Tsukino's aid.  She explained how
Minako-chan was there for her when she needed her, and she was thankful
for such a friend.  I handed her my handkerchief, only to realize that I
needed it myself.

     Later on after the interview concluded, I made a note on the tape
back at my hotel.  It was amazing to see how Ms. Tsukino brought these
girls together to form a team that could work in unison; as one.  Simply
amazing.

     After the tears had settled, I had one more question to ask about
Aino Minako, Sailor Venus.

     "So what happened after Ms. Aino took care of you?"

     "We defeated the droid that was causing the sickness, thanks to her.
Everyone in the city, including us, became healthy once again."

     "And after that?"

     "Minako-chan got sick."

     We shared a laugh.  I noted that no matter how sad Tsukino Usagi can
be at times, she finds a way back to happiness.  Some way, somehow...

     "One more person to ask about, Ms. Tsukino.  What can you tell people
in Canada about your relationship with Ms. Hino Rei?"

     Her look became distant, for a mere fraction of a second, but a smile
took its place instead.  I paused to get a good look at her reaction, but
she spoke up not a moment later.

     "Rei-chan, huh?  Rei-chan... where do I begin?" she said.  "On the
outside, she may not seem to care much about anyone.  On the inside, she
cares very much about the people she loves.  Deeply."

     From the way she talked, I could sense that there was something more
between Tsukino Usagi and Hino Rei than just being comrades in arms.

     No, not *that* way, you ecchi people.

     She then said something that struck a powerful chord in my being.

     "If I ever had a sister... I would want it to be her."

     It stirred my emotions and intrigued me so, I had to ask her about
what she had said.

     "We, Rei and I, care for each other.  A lot.  Sometimes, more than we
know.  I don't know how to explain it, but we feel -- or at least *I*
feel, that we can't coexist without each other.  Much like how it is with
Mamo-chan, yet different.  I couldn't bear to live a life without her, nor
any of my friends, since that would leave me with an empty feeling.  I'd
be missing something in my life that I hold dear to me, something I would
never want to let go of, something that may mean more than life itself."

     She paused, as if gathering her courage for what she was about to
say.  "Back when we fought Queen Beryl, and we were the only two Senshi
left, she..."  Her words hung in the air as her voice faltered slightly.
"She died.  For me, as had the rest of the Senshi, so that I would be
safe from whatever stood between Queen Beryl and I."  Tears began to
start welling in her eyes.  "She died for me," she struggled.  "They
died for me.  I was alone, but in the final battle, she came back to
me.  They came back to me.  She gave me hope, and so did the others.  I
found the strength within myself to defeat Beryl and the Dark Kingdom
that day.  Without Rei-chan, and without my friends, I would have
never had the power to win..."

     She smiled again.  "Rei-chan is always there for me, as I would
always be there for her when she needed me.  If she were to pass away,
I would offer my life in exchange so that she could live.  That is how
deep the bond is between us.  I love her, Mamo-chan, Chibiusa, all of
my friends, family... she is one of the reasons that I believe in
myself, and why I'm able to face the darkness whenever it arises."

     I was moved.  Clearly, the relationship between Tsukino Usagi and
Hino Rei meant a lot more than people realized.  Here was a girl who would
give up life so that her friend -- sister -- could live, rather than live
a life without her.  The emptiness of such a loss would be too much pain
for her to bear.  I imagine that it would be the same with another of the
other Sailor Soldiers.  Living a life without their leader, their friend,
their Usagi?  It would be torture.  They had sacrificed themselves once
before for her.

     I am sure that if need be, they would do it again.

     It was then that I realized that Tsukino Usagi was a truly remarkable
being, and I'm glad that she is the one who watches and protects us all
from the darkness of evil.  The amount of courage, strength, and deter-
mination she has surpasses above all else.  Is it any wonder why she is
the fighter for love and justice, Sailor Moon?

     I stopped the tape, and thanked her for the interview.  We chatted
some more, smalltalk really, before I told her I had to go back to my
hotel.  I did need time to pack for the return flight, but she asked me if
she could quickly record one small thing on the tape.  I wasn't about to
refuse, so I started up the tape once more...

     ...and heard, perhaps, what would be one of the most famous lines in
history.  Depending on when your hear it, it will either bring a grin to
your face, or a tear of joy to your eye.  Either way, you can't help but
picture two golden odango, and the brightest smile you've ever seen.

     "Hi, I'm Tsukino Usagi, 16 years old, in the first year of high
school.  I'm a little clumsy, and a little bit of a cry baby.  But
actually, I'm the fighter for love and justice, Sailor Moon."

--
The End

Andre Garde (a.k.a. Veritech) | Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Team HQ!
   cs973334@ariel.cs.yorku.ca | http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/5991

     "Sailor Moon" character names et. al. are Copyright (C) Naoko Takeuchi,
Toei Animation, and Kodansha.  In other words, companies with big wallets and
a collection of high-priced lawyers who aren't to be trifled with.  The story
is MINE, Copyright (C) 1998 ME, but everything else (the characters, the
names) is theirs, theirs, theirs.  Please don't sue me.