Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Shadows Truth

DISCLAIMERS:

All canon characters are (C) 1992 - whatever year it is Naoko Takeuchi and all other related parties. The Shadow senshi are (C) Wild Nature 2006 - 2008. This is a fanfic based upon the anime version and all written work that this consists of is (C) 2006 - 2008 Wild Nature.

Chapter One: Gathering of Forces; Suspicion is in the Air

The wind picked up over the hill, sending the fallen, decayed bits of leaves to dance aimlessly in the air to land at the feet of the young girl. Eyes cast upward toward the darkening skies as a storm slowly crept, the full moon drifted in and out of visible sight.

The pale red hair fluttered in tendrils of waves. Tied up in two oval odango, the tails ended unevenly to just above her buttocks as the wind died out. The rain came as if commanded, starting softly before hardening to crash around her. The moon obscured from her pale blue eyes, she continued nonetheless to watch fruitlessly.

Elsewhere, in an familiar scenario, Eizou was arguing with Kakushi. "I am not setting you up!"

Kakushi wrung his hands in front of her, in a pleading position with big, puppy eyes. "Please? I won't ever ask for anything again!"

"NO!" Eizou crossed her arms. "Besides, I don't even know if Sora would like you."

"You could ask," he offered.

She grabbed a bed pillow and began to beat him out of her bedroom. "No, no, no! Put me on the spot like that! That's not fair!"

"Children!" Hanshou moved in between her oldest children. "What is the meaning of this?"

"He's too chicken to ask one of my friends out, which by the way, I so am not going for, and he wants me to ask them for him!"

"Kakushi, you're a bit old for them," Hanshou began.

Kakushi glared at Eizou. "Big mouth."

"Hey, not my fault you go for little girls."

"You little!" He lunged as she screamed and dodged. "Get back here!"

"Stop it!" Hanshou's shout went worthlessly over the two's heads. She rubbed her head tiredly "I can't wait for the rain to stop."

The sun returned a few days later and by that time, tension between Kakushi and Eizou had escalated. Eizou stomped around the park with Jaro, who tried very hard to not laugh at the angry squinting on her face.

Apple, on the other hand, didn't much care. He was faster than Eizou. "You look like you're concentrating very hard. Constipated much?"

The insult went over her head as she wasn't even paying attention.

"Some date that you have to bring a dog escort."

Still nothing.

"I can't believe how mad she is. What was she arguing about again?"

"My stupid brother, that's what!"

"Oh yes, he's far too old to date your friends," Jaro pointed out lightly. Eizou frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked suspiciously. Something in the affliction of that line said he had an underlining meaning.

"Nothing," he said innocently.

Eizou directed her glare fully on Jaro. He stared back, unperturbed. "Well?"

"How old am I?" He asked.

She opened her mouth and then shut it. "How old are you again?"

Apple howled with laughter. "You've been going out for a while and you don't know that?"

"I'm nearly twenty three, physically I mean."

She blinked. "That's right, you've been around so that means you..." She then resumed her glare. "But you're different! Kakushi is a pig!"

"He's an adult fit to make his own decisions. Try to see this problem through his eyes."

"How? We're both physically different and I can't see through a guy's eyes."

Apple snickered.

"Shut up."

They walked in silence. "So.. how's that new place for you?" Eizou asked casually.

"It's great. I just got in some new furniture that I need to arrange. Want to help me out with that?"

"I don't think Daddy would approve," Apple spoke up before Eizou could answer.

"Why not?" Eizou demanded.

"Why else would he invite you in?" Apple asked innocently.

"I don't get it," She turned her gaze up toward Jaro to see a look of directed anger at Apple wipe from his face. "What?"

"He's insinuating things," Jaro looked away, flushing.

"Like what?"

Apple snickered again.

--

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Haimutsu told Toki. The bleach blonde, spiked hair girl stood. She had tanned even more over the summer with her baseball team. She tossed a ball up in the air to catch it, watching Toki. The light brown, curly haired girl fluffed her hair at the end of her chin before winking at the darker skinned girl. "Come on, I need help here."

"But Sora may not like this."

"I've seen it and it's a great idea. It's obvious to me she likes him."

Haimutsu rolled her eyes. "Aye but shouldn't we talk to Eizou first?"

"I don't know. I think the quickest way is the less painful way."

The two stopped talking as Sora approached. The pale blond girl wore her hair still in long pigtails.

"Sora, we need to give you a different hair style," Haimutsu mused. "Or least to get you to wear it down."

Sora blinked. "But I like my hair like this."

"Yea, but it screams five year old."

Sora frowned. "I LIKE my hair like this."

Toki grinned. "You've gotten on her bad side," she poked at Haimutsu. "But you know, you'd look super pretty with your hair down."

Sora crossed her arms. "For what?"

Haimutsu roped an arm loosely over the smaller girl's shoulder. "We're seventeen now and it's time we start thinking about boyfriends. I mean, I've been thinking about it since I was thirteen but that's just me."

"I'm not looking for a boyfriend," but the blush said otherwise.

"I hear Kakushi likes you. I mean -like- like you," Toki pointed out.

"Really?" Sora did a poor job of hiding her excitement.

"Yep!" Haimutsu beamed.

"Can you ask him or Eizou if that's true for me?" Sora asked hopefully.

"Seize the day!" Haimutsu whapped Sora's shoulder. "Go ask him!"

Sora turned pale at that idea. "Or we can ask Eizou for us," Toki offered hurriedly.

"Oh come on, he won't bite! You see how eager he is in front of girls!" But Haimutsu's protest went on deaf ears.

--

"How could you say such things?" Eizou was arguing with Apple angrily. Jaro had long since plugged his ears with his fingers.

"And I can't believe it took you that long to figure it out," Apple's tail wagged. "So young."

"Stop that! I know things!"

"Sure, explain it to me then."

"That's it. I'm not being nice anymore!" Eizou lunged to only feel Jaro wrap an arm around her waist to pull her to his other side, away from Apple. "HEY!"

"Calm down. Attacking a dog puts you in a bad light," Jaro pointed out.

Eizou crossed her arms and put her nose toward the upper side. Apple rolled his eyes.

The three were jolted when a scream came from deeper in the park. "Great, what's happening?"

"Maybe transforming would be a good idea?" Apple suggested.

"For the love of God, stop.."

Eizou," Jaro interrupted. "Transform please."

Grumbling, she reached toward her throat, pulling the diamond free from the clothing restraint.

"Nepheline Holy Light, Make Up!" The sun beamed down, hitting the crystal to send out a spiral of light that transformed Eizou into Shadow Moon. Jaro moved in step as Apple attained his human form.

The creature was made of stone, of melded building blocks that crumbled bit by bit with each movement. It had no face save a rounded edge boulder for a head. It's bulky mass knocked down trees, seemingly searching for something. Several people were either running or had fallen from the youma.

"Hey! On this finally sunny day, you come in and ruin it! I am Shadow Moon and am sorely pissed about this!"

"And about how much of a bastard Apple is," she added as an afterthought.

"Oh yes, she holds no grudges," Apple quipped. Eizou stomped his foot as he doubled over.

"Moonlight Boomerang Ricochet!" The gems blazed to form light based boomerangs as she flung them. They bounced harmlessly off the youma. "Oh wonderful, nothing happened."

"Magma Firepot!" Kaki, as Shadow Mars, appeared. Weaving a pot of molten fire, it blended into the creature, causing the stone to deteriorate.

"We need more! Do that again!" Shadow Moon called out.

"Magma.." The earth shook as pillars of stone jutted out around Shadow Mars. She dodged in time to avoid being crushed. "I think it's aware of me!" She called out weakly.

"Vine Earthquake!" Shadow Jupiter arrived behind Shadow Mars. The vines struck out from the ground and trees, wrapping around the youma as they glowed.

"Kakure, you came in time!" Shadow Moon turned and called out. "Haloed Moonlight Radiance!"

"Magma Firepot!" The combined light added strength to the fire as it turned the youma to a black mass of ruined soil.

"What the hell was that?" Shadow Jupiter asked finally. "A loose youma?"

"I would think so, if it's possible," Shadow Mars scratched her nose. "What do you think Jaro?"

"I have the feeling we're being watched," He stated evenly, his eyes forward.

The three girls' heads whipped around but none of them caught sight of anyone suspiciously.

"Who?"

--

The pale red haired girl had seen the strange girls fighting the even more stranger youma. She had been distracted by something that she couldn't figure out until she finally noticed the pale skinned man with long white hair. Something about his black eyes seemed so familiar.

She could feel her heart beating like a fast drum, unable to slow it down. Excitement, delight, and a hopeful look, had she found what she was looking for after all?

She moved away, her hand grasping her necklace, unaware of even more eyes who watched the trio of girls and men from a more farther distance.

The pale skinned, thin woman stood upon a tree limb up high. Her dirty blond hair was piled high in a messy bun, the tail fluttering in the wind. Next to her was a lanky man, his mahogany hair tied back in a braid that nearly reached his ankles. With his harvest gold eyes glittering, the bronze oval gem placed in the center of his forehead shining as his eyes drifted toward the smallest body.

A little girl with curly turquoise hair stood stockstill. Her hair was partially pulled up to the side by a glittering blue orb, with two sticks holding it in her partial tail. The rest fell down around her chin, bringing out the light blue of her eyes. Being stark naked certainly would've bothered others but the man's eyes drifted over toward the woman.

"Kanzeon?" Even his voice was musical, soft on the ears.

"My fault.." Her voice fell to the winds, dull. "I had thought we escaped but he's coming..."

She raised her arms and they melted away like unraveling bandages. "I'm so tired of this. I cannot fight."

"We must if we want to protect this race," the little girl spoke firmly. "We will join with those who are like you. Don't worry so, little sister."

"I believe in this place, she is your older sister."

"I stand by what I said."

"And if we want our cover blown, you're the perfect one to blame," he stated evenly.

"I am not! Kanzeon!"

She rubbed her face.

"When you'd bring your hands back?"

"Why couldn't you have become a fish?"

"Shut up, Shan Tsai!"

"Ah, ah, ah, it's Shiryoku."

"I don't care!"

"Lung Nu, you must meld into society. It will be our greatest strength," Kanzeon said gently.

"And you're Ryuuko, all right?"

"But I'm still older!"

"You have the body of a ten year old!"

"KANZEON!"

"I think I will go walk now."

"And you need clothes too."

"Shut UP, Shan Tsai!"