Star Squad

Mari sat down in her usual spot and waited for class to start. She drummed her fingers on her desk and casually looked around; trying to sort through what Hoshi had explained the day before. Apparently he’s their helper and the reincarnation of some Nebula Prince. It’s his job to protect them and other things of that nature.

Suddenly a girl with her long brown hair pulled up into a bun sat down next to Mari. A big, goofy grin was on her face.

“Hiya! I’m Aorino Momoko, what’s your name?”

“I’m, uh, Ho-hoshino Mari. It’s nice to meet you Aorino-san.” She smiled nervously.

“I’m new.”

“I guessed that.”

“Can I sit with you at lunch?”

“Uhm…” She looked away quickly. “Sure, I guess.”

“Okay, cool!”

***

“Hey, Mari-san-oh! Hi…” Yuki looked at Momoko, a bit taken aback to see someone else with her.

“Uh, this is Aorino Momoko-san.”

“Hi!” Momoko waved excitedly.

“Aorino-san, this is Hyousetsuno Yuki-chan.”

“Nice to meetcha Momoko-san.” Yuki sat down next to Mari and pulled out her bento. “So you in Mari-san’s class?”

She nodded vigorously and started chowing down on her lunch.

She laughed a little. “Good to know! I don’t wanna leave Mari-san alone when I graduate in a couple years.”

“Yeah, it is nice.” Mari smiled a bit.

Yuki pulled her phone out, dialed Sora’s number, and put it on speaker. “Hi Sora-san.”

“Hi Kasaino-chan.”

“Hi person I don’t know!”

“Hi guys! Wait, who doesn’t know me? Did you guys make a new friend without telling me?!”

“Uh, kinda. I only just met her today though.”

“I’m Aorino Momoko!”

“Well I wanna meet this new girl today!”

“Okay, we’ll meet up in the park and introduce you.”

***

Momoko walked with the other girls to the park, the whole time she was holding Mari’s dog. Apparently it followed her to school every morning. Either way, he had taken a liking to her.

“What’s his name again?”

“Hoshi.”

She started to giggle uncontrollably. “Because of the thingy on his head. Oh my gosh that’s so cute!”

Yuki rolled her eyes a bit. This girl was a bit more random than she cared for at the moment.

“Hi Kasaino-chan!” Mari waved at the pink haired girl sitting on the swings.

“Hi guys!” She jumped off her swing and ran over to the other girls. “HOSHI!” She started scratching the dog’s head, completely ignoring Momoko.

“Uh…hi?”

“Oh! Almost forgot, you the new girl?”

Momoko nodded. “I’m Aorino Momoko!”

“Nice to meetcha. Oh, Mari-chan, just thought I’d let you know that Hikaru-kun goes to the school across the street from mine.” She grinned and winked at Mari.

“I-I don’t know wh-why that’s so important.” She blushed and looked away.

“Because you liiiiiike him.”

“Aw! Mari-chan has a crush!”

“Guys!”

“Aw, you’re blushing.” Yuki poked Mari’s cheek.

“Will you guys st-”

Momoko screamed and nearly dropped Hoshi. He laid his ears back and began growling in the direction that she was looking.

Everyone turned to look and see what was wrong: Mercutio and one of his monsters had just appeared.

***

Mari stared in disbelief at the monster. It looked exactly like the one from yesterday, it even had a missing arm from where Hikaru had cut the other’s off. This was the same monster.

Hoshi wriggled free from Momoko’s arms and landed on his feet. “Girls, it looks like the puddles from the first successful attack on Mercutio’s monsters are still part of his monster. Looks like we have to destroy those to fully kill his monsters.”

“What?! Your dog can talk?!”

Hoshi shifted into his human form and pressed an orange transformation pen into her hand. “I’ll explain everything later.”

Momoko stared at them, wide-eyed and with her mouth open. She watched as the girls transformed into the magical girls she had seen on the news with her parents.

“Close your mouth, do you want your face to freeze that way? Now, just say ‘Sky Power Make-up’ and go help them.” He pointed to the other girls. The rest of the Star Squad looked at Momoko expectantly.

“C’mon Momoko-san! It’s actually not that bad when you get used to it.”

“Yeah, we could really use the help.” Sora made a pleading face at the new sailor soldier.

“Please?”

***

“Mercutio!” Mari stood there with her arms crossed, the other three members of the Star Squad standing behind her. Sora whimpered a bit, she was still scared from the last fight with him.

“Oh, so you’re back! Nice to know I’m so popular.”

“SHUT IT!” Yuki pointed at him.

“I find your feistiness oddly unattractive.”

“Like I even care!”

He yawned. “Yagi, finish them off, then take the energy of the humans. Until next time ladies.” He disappeared, leaving the girls alone with his monster.

‘Yagi’ chuckled and lunged at the girls. They all dodged, even if just barely.

“Sky, your attack is ‘Wind Blast’!” Hoshi cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled this at Momoko.

“Okay! Wind Blast!” She attacked the monster, reducing it to the familiar puddle.

“Okay…so…now what? Do we just, attack the puddle?” Sora looked at Yuki quizzically.

“Don’t look at me! I’m scared that if I attack it it’ll reanimate or something.”

“I can only presume that you attack the puddle. It’s the only thing I can think of that would make sense.” Hoshi walked over and stood next to them. He looked down at the puddle.

“Shooting Star Barrage!” Mari attacked the puddle and it disappeared, finally they had discovered the secret to defeating Mercutio’s monsters. The only thing they had to do now was figure out how to defeat him.