Chapter 1
Midnight Battles

"Mamo-chan, do you really love me?"
"Hai, of course I do. Always and forever, Usa-ko."
"How much?"
"Hmm?"
"How much do you love me? Tell me, Mamo-chan."
"I love you more than... four senshi in a battle on the roof of the Crown arcade."
"Huh? Mamo-chan, what are you-"
"USAGI! Didn't you hear me? Wake up!" Luna shrieked, bringing a sudden end to Usagi's dream.
"Waaah!" She screamed, falling onto the carpeted floor, a small squishy something barely breaking her fall.
"Luna? Where are you?" Usagi asked, peering around the dark room. A muffled shout came from below her, and she jumped up, staring worriedly at the black feline on the floor.
"Luna! Gomenasai, did I hurt you?" The small cat coughed, shaking her head.
"No, but you need to get to the arcade. The other senshi need your help. Now transform!"
"Right. Moon Crystal Power Make-Up!" In a flash of brilliant pink, Usagi transformed into Sailor Moon. Her white pajamas with pink bunnies were replaced by a white fuku and blue pleated mini skirt. White gloves adorned her arms, as did knee-high red boots. Two red jewels were placed in her odangoes.
"I'll be back, Luna," she shouted over her shoulder, jumping out the window. Usagi looked up at the black starry sky, seeing strange bolts of black lightning explode over the treetops. They seemed to be right above the game center, just as Luna had indicated. Usagi ran faster, arriving there in three minutes flat. Climbing up the side ladder, she saw the other senshi in battle stances.
"Shabon Spray!"
"Fire Soul!"
Sailor Mars and Mercury attacked in unison, a mixture of searing flames and icy bubbles flying through the air. High above them, someone laughed at them, an earsplitting cackle that made Usagi want to grab the nearest object and bang her head against it.
"Missed me, Sailor brats!" she shouted gleefully. Hovering above them was a woman wearing a short black dress and lime green hair. Usagi ran between her and the senshi, standing in her famous pose.
"Stop right there! Who do you think you are?" she shouted at the levitating woman.
"I am Esmeraude, Prince Demando's most loyal subject. And I want that Silver Crystal!" With that, she formed a concentrated sphere of dark energy and hurled it straight at Usagi. She dodged it easily, leaping out of the way. Esmeraude growled (.;) and created another energy ball. She threw it at Usagi's feet, blowing an immense crater in the roof. Usagi was thrown to the ground.
"Sailor Moon!" the senshi cried, rushing to her side. Jupiter glowered at Esmeraude with pure hatred.
"How dare you attack her! I'll show you our true power!" Suddenly, thick bolts of jagged electricity crackled in her hands, lighting up the remains of the roof in an eerie green glow.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter heaved the ball of electricity with surprising speed, hitting Esmeraude in the stomach. She shrieked and fell, hitting the hard concrete.
"I'll get you! Someday, I'll get you!" she seethed as the senshi closed in on her.
"No! We're gonna finish you now!" Venus shouted. Each of the senshi lined up in front of her, Usagi in the lead.
"Shine Aqua..."
"Mars Fire..."
"Sparkling Wide..."
"Love Chain..." Esmeraude watched in horror as they gathered their powers, prepared to attack. Usagi gripped her scepter.
"Moon Scepter..." She lowered her head and closed her eyes, silently accepting her defeat.
"Forgive me. I have failed you, my love. Demando!"
"Illusion!"
"Ignite!"
"Pressure!"
"Encircle!"
"Elimination!" A brilliant array of rainbow lights flew straight at Esmeraude, her body completely encased in the explosions. She was finally defeated. Usagi sighed, dropping to her knees. She was completely exhausted after fighting enemies. However, something was not right. It was too quiet. She froze, listening carefully.
"Sailor Moon, what is it?" asked Mars.
"Shh! Listen." They held their breaths, waiting for something to happen.
"I don't hear anything," whispered Venus.
"Exactly. She didn't scream or cry out. Nothing."
"You think she's faking it?" Jupiter pondered.
"I don't know, but I say we check it out." The senshi walked to the clearing smoke where they had launched their attacks. The smoke dissolved and they gasped in shock.
Crouched on the ground, hands covering her green hair, was Esmeraude. Not a single scratch could be seen on her.
"No way! We got her. She should've been blown to bits," shouted Venus. Mercury took out her mini computer and scanned the area. A high pitched beeping emitted from it, becoming faster by the second.
"Dark energy is rising at an alarming rate," Mercury said quickly. Looking closer, they saw a faint black dome protecting her, though she did not seem to notice it. In fact, she thought that she was dead.
"I thought she was drained of her energy," said Usagi.
"She was. This is coming from somewhere else, much stronger and more powerful than hers." Mercury studied the tiny screen, then looked straight up at the dark sky.
"There!" She pointed up to a white silhouette floating against the stormy clouds. The senshi held their breaths as the figure hovered over Esmeraude's curled up body.
"What do you think you are doing, Esmeraude?" the white figure said. She jerked her head up at the sound of his voice and paled.
"Y-Your highness?" she stammered, "What are you doing here?"
"No. The question is what are you doing, besides making a fool out of yourself. I sent you here to get the Silver Crystal, not to waste time trying to kill these pathetic girls."
"I-I was, but they had caught me off guard. Just give me another chance, my prince," she pleaded. The White Prince's face darkened and he looked at her with disgust.
"No. You have failed me for the last time. Sayonara, Esmeraude." He blasted her with a beam of violet energy, killing her in front of the senshi's eyes. Esmeraude shrieked in agony and dissapated. Usagi gasped, her blue eyes wide. She had never seen someone be so cruel and merciless. This new enemy was not someone to upset. Nevertheless, she had to take him down.
"Pathetic? Who do you think you are, calling us pathetic? Hey, I'm talking to you!" Usagi yelled. The strange man whirled around and faced her. She took a sharp intake of breath as two violet eyes pierced through her gaze. For a split-second, she felt drawn to his eyes, making her knees weak.
"I? I am the leader of the Black Moon, Prince Demando." Speaking to this insolent girl was a waste of his time. Why should he care if she had the Crystal? He only wanted to be with his angel of light and purity, Neo-Queen Serenity. Once she was his, only then would he be truly happy. However, she could only be acquired by having the legendary Ginzuishou, of which was owned by Sailor Moon. He had to get it from her. It should not be too difficult.
"Well, your highness, it looks like you sent your lackeys down here for nothing, because you'll never have the Crystal!" Usagi yelled. She clutched her brooch and tightly and glared at him.
Demando blinked, amazed at what he was hearing. An angelic voice echoed in his mind, overlapping Sailor Moon's words.
"You will never have this Crystal, Demando!" Suddenly an image of the angel known as Serenity formed in his mind's eye, merging with the girl standing below him. She was the same! The hairstyle, the stance...
"Those eyes. It is her. My Serenity," he whispered to himself. Usagi shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze of this new enemy. What was he thinking? She half-wished for him to say something or even attack her. But he did not move; only stared at her quietly.
"I will have you, Serenity," he breathed.
Suddenly, a beam of purple light flashed from his eyes, blinding Usagi. She stepped back, blinking her eyes furiously.
"We shall meet again," he declared loudly, disappearing into the clouds.
"Come back here, you coward!" shouted Mars. Usagi jumped, forgetting that the senshi were still behind her. They dashed up to her, confused looks on their faces.
"What just happened?" Usagi asked weakly, wiping her eyes.
"I don't know. Daijoubu? "
"Hai, I'm all right."
"Good. I say we go get some rest, incase he attacks again," suggested Venus. They all nodded and detransformed, heading to their homes. Except for Ami.
"Ami, what's wrong?" asked Makoto. She did not reply, but typed rapidly on her mini-computer. Her head snapped up at her friends' acknowledgment.
"What? Oh, I'm just doing one last scan of the area," she answered.
"Okay. But go home soon, all right?" Minako said. Ami nodded. As the others loft, Ami directed her scanner at Usagi. On the screen was a small outline of her body. She studied it more thoroughly, and gasped. All throughout her body were small traces of dark energy, spreading like wildfire through her system.
"Usagi! Wait!" But she was already gone.