Note: This occurs shortly before the jewelry store scene in the first episode, assuming everything else beforehand is the same
The streets of Tokyo were, on most nights, live and bustling with energy. But on this particular street, nothing stirred as a cloaked figure made his way in the dark, relying on the bright moonlight shining down. Tuxedo Mask, or Mamoru Chiba, quickly made his way to the popular jewelry shop, jumping across the gaps in the jumbled rooftops. He remembered his earlier scouting of the area, and the brief flash of excitement he felt when he realized that what he sought might be hidden somewhere in that shop. The store had been having a major sale, so it was impossible for Mamoru to investigate further as himself. But as Tuxedo Mask, under the cover of night, he felt like he could accomplish anything.
As he crouched on the roof and surveyed the quiet surroundings, he suddenly remembered that girl he had bumped into near that very spot. She had acted like she had never seen him before, but he had definitely seen her around their school… was she that unaware of him? He snorted. That bunhead was a litterbug, that was for sure. But now, he had to focus on the mission.
Mamoru lowered himself down unto a window ledge and set to work picking the locks on the closed window. Meanwhile, far below, a blond figure was racing toward the front entrance.
Usagi Tsukino ran as fast as her new red boots allowed, her heart racing in her chest. Her day had been a mess. First, a talking cat and then a transformation into a magical guardian(Not to mention a failing grade in science)? Now her best friend was in danger? What else could happen?
"Usagi! Wait!" a yowl came from behind the girl. She glanced back to see the talking cat she had met earlier that day, a black feline with wide red eyes and a yellow crescent on her forehead, streaking close behind her. Luna was the one who had given Usagi the pendant that allowed her to "transform" in the first place, calling the girl a guardian. However, Usagi only ignored the cat as the jewelry shop came into view, and she put on a last burst of speed before reaching the glass doors.
Her resolve suddenly left her as she pushed through the strangely open front doors. However, the scene before her was even stranger. Usagi's friend, Naru, was crouching in a dark corner of the shop, cowering from...her own mother? No, that couldn't be right. The woman did indeed resemble Mrs. Osaka, but on closer inspection the jewelry shop owner's skin was of a sickly shade and her brown hair looked as if it had been brushed with a bushel of thorns. As Usagi stared, confused, in the doorway, both women looked at her. Naru with frail hope, and the other with malice. Usagi locked eyes with the older woman nervously, and saw that those eyes glowed a dark red.
A familiar meow could be heard as Luna jumped up onto a nearby display case, her dark tail lashing behind her.
"Usagi! That thing isn't human! It's a monster!"
"A- a monster?" Usagi squeaked with alarm. Regarding this "woman"'s description,it wasn't so hard to believe, but she couldn't shake the tingle of fear that ran across her spine.
The monster laughed hoarsely as it turned toward them, Naru now forgotten. Glaring with red eyes, it shouted, "I don't know who the heck you are, but once I'm finished with you, I have some business to attend to with this human!" It brandished sharp red nails as it talked and licked its cracked lips.
The threat to Naru brought Usagi out of her stupor. "You leave her alone!" she yelled, her gloved hands balling into fists.
Luna turned to her. "This is it, Usagi! Announce yourself as a guardian!"
As if on cue, a shaft of moonlight shone through the glass windows of the abandoned store. Looking up at the crescent moon, Usagi felt words bubble up that had never been used before, but were as familiar as her own voice.
"I am the guardian who fights for love and justice!
I am... Sailor Moon!"
The words filled her with courage, and she could feel Luna and Naru's hopeful gazes on her.
"In the name of the moon, you will be punished!"
Sailor Moon pointed at the hag, her declaration hanging in the air.
The monster only chuckled darkly. "Very well then, 'Sailor Moon'."It made an amused face when it said the name. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"
The hag pulled out what looked to be a metallic orb, pulsing with a bright red energy that sent a shiver of unease through Usagi. Luna growled next to her. "That's a container for harvesting human energy! But how did it collect so much?"
Usagi remembered how packed the store had been earlier that day with a gasp."The sale! Could the monster have taken energy from all those shoppers?"
Luna didn't answer as the monster raised the orb high and shouted, "Arise, my minions! All those who have given energy to our Great Queen, awaken and serve her!"
After a moment of confused silence, Usagi and Luna turned to see a crowd of women slowly blocking the entrance. Usagi stepped back as she searched their vacant expressions. Many were dressed in evening wear, but some looked as if they had just been summoned out of bed. What they all had in common was their jewelry. A necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings that glowed from a blood red stone. At least now we know how the monster was collecting energy, Usagi thought anxiously as she continued backing up from the advancing group.
"Get her!" the hag screamed.
Sailor Moon barely had time to duck out of the way as the first woman lunged at her. Another soon followed, and then Usagi was fleeing from an entire mob of expressionless women. Dodging swinging purses and slipping through display cases, Usagi tried to think of something, anything she could use against her assailants. She looked around for Luna, but the cat was of no help at the moment, as she too was evading the brainwashed females.
Suddenly a younger woman charged at Usagi from the front. Usagi was able to dodge, and she crashed into a standing mannequin nearby. Running out of options, she quickly took hold of the lightweight model and threw it as hard as she could at the mob. A few women were briefly stunned by the decoy, but more took their place as they recovered. As she backed up further, Usagi realized she had been cornered against a wall, a semi-circle of women cutting off any escape.
Somewhere beyond the barrier, she heard the hag give a maniacal laugh before saying, "Oh, how I'll enjoy devouring your soul, young heroine."
The brainwashed women stepped closer, hands reaching for Usagi. The girl was almost hugging the wall and her breath caught in her throat. Cold fear ran throughout her body, freezing her to the spot. She didn't want to die! Not like this! Usagi squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for those horrid hands to seize her when she heard a yowl of alarm from across the room. Luna!
Although she couldn't see the cat who had helped her get this far, she knew in that instant that both Luna and Naru were counting on her to save them. Giving up wouldn't rescue them. Raw courage welled inside her to bursting, and her fear was pushed to the side. A glow rapidly grew brighter from her mystical pendant and the ornaments in her hair as she clenched her hands into fists at her side.
Tuxedo Mask crouched on the balcony above the ground floor of the jewelry shop, watching the scene anxiously. He had watched that "Sailor Moon" girl make her entrance and had hoped he wouldn't have to get involved. However, he had lost sight of her and the situation grew dire. His hand tightened on the rapier at his waist as one of the seemingly brainwashed women violently grabbed hold of the black cat that had been running around.
"Come on, Sailor Moon…" he muttered to himself.
The cat let out a pained yowl and Mamoru readied himself to spring into action.
"NO!"
The defiant shout rang out through the building mere seconds before a golden wave of energy burst out, bathing everything in a warm glow. Mamoru tensed as the force hit him, but noticed it didn't affect him as much as the enemies below. All of them except the hag had been blown backwards and even then, the hag had skidded several feet. What could've caused so much power? He thought in awe.
Mamoru couldn't help but smile as the girl from before stepped forward. Her hands shook a little, but her shoulders were set as she gazed at the villain before her. Her long odango pigtails streamed behind her, like two golden costume he had first thought ridiculous seemed to shimmer in the light and the hair ornaments were pulsing, as if they had amplified her cry.
Mamoru suddenly got the feeling that Tokyo had just gained a superhero.
Sailor Moon stepped toward the monster, who was trying to shield its face with its arms. She had no clue of what she just did, but she knew that this was her only chance to stop the hag. But how? She looked around, feeling the clock ticking before the monster recovered. Her eyes caught on Luna, who was struggling to her paws on the other side of the room.
Luna glanced at her and shouted, "Use your tiara to destroy it, Sailor Moon!"
Usagi quickly removed the jeweled tiara, although she wasn't sure what to do with it. However, as soon as it left her forehead, the diadem grew in size and morphed into a flat circle, sharpened at the edges. The thing glowed slightly and hummed with energy, floating a little above Usagi's palm. 'Kind of like a frisbee…' She thought before thinking of a way to use the disc. Grasping the disc like blade, she drew it back, thought a frantic 'I hope this works!', and hurled the tiara at the dazed monster as if she were throwing a very dangerous frisbee.
The monster's eyes widened as it realized what was about to happen. A thin line appeared on the monster's torso where the blade hit and a horrid inhuman scream tore through the air. Usagi cringed at the sound, but gasped as the monster began to crumble into dark ash. Soon it was a pile of dust on the floor, leaving Usagi, Luna, and the now unconscious women.
Usagi just stared at the pile, blinking before whispering, "I did it... I really did it!" She repeated for more force. She squealed with excitement, scooping up Luna and dancing in a small circle. Luna gave a yowl of annoyance, "Watch it!"
Usagi placed the annoyed cat down on a display case, but she could tell that even Luna was purring with elation when she said, "That was a good fight you put up, Usagi! I'm so proud of you!"
Usagi beamed, her feelings a mixture of pride and triumph. Her first victory as a guardian was in the books!
Tuxedo Mask watched Sailor Moon celebrate her win as the cat chimed in with heartfelt meows. He smiled at her good cheer, even though she had just faced a rather distressing experience head on. That did raise a few questions he couldn't answer yet, he realized. Like what was that monstrous hag? Why was it attacking now? Who is Sailor Moon and what is the extent of her power?
For now, he would have to settle with the fact that she had just saved the lives of many people, but he did make a consideration to seek some answers. Who knows, maybe doing so will lead him to legendary crystal he sought. Mamoru observed Sailor Moon check on the stirring women and realized there was something familiar about the heroine, but he couldn't quite place it.
Remembering the reason he was there in the first place, Mamoru sighed when the women below began to wake up. He had come in the night to avoid being seen, but the cops were probably going to get here soon. 'Oh well' he thought,'At least I got to witness something far more interesting than snooping around a closed store.'
Resolving that his business was done, Mamoru made his way back to the unlocked window, pausing to glance back at Sailor Moon.
I look forward to meeting you again, Sailor Moon.
He smiled and leapt away into the night.
"Well, the cops have been called to take those ladies home and we found Naru's mom in the basement" Usagi paused to stretch her arms as she and Luna walked out of the jewelry store."I say that I've earned a good night's rest!"
Luna nodded silently in agreement, although she seemed a little troubled by something. Usagi was tempted to ask about it when she suddenly noticed a shadow in the corner of her eye. When she looked up, she saw a dark figure darting along the nearby rooftops, cloak spilling out behind them. Usagi squinted her eyes suspiciously, wondering what they could be up to. Wait, she thought anxiously, Had they been watching me?!
Whatever they had been doing, they apparently had no intention to stick around, as she lost sight of them moments after first spotting them. Usagi wondered, as she turned to follow Luna home, if she would see them again.
Luna glanced back at her, concern dotting her feline features. "Everything okay back there?"
"Yep!" Usagi walked faster to catch up. If Luna didn't notice the shadow, then Usagi probably shouldn't worry about it. For now, she just had to focus on being the best Sailor Moon she could be!