So Hard to Find by Sereko

This one's a bit lighter than my fanfic 'Affair' and it takes place in present time. It's an alternate reality, first season fic. But it does have the senshi and Queen Beryl. You'll be able to figure it out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. I merely use Naoko Takeuchi's genius as a starting point for my own storytelling.

Prologue

She had heard the rumors, seen the news reports and felt the tremors of the Earth. They were here. All of them were here.

She had finally found them.

The cool moonlight shown down upon her as she walked along the sidewalk. The golden highlights in her silvery hair were brought forth by its rays. A sweet breeze tousled the long, straight strands that hung freely down her back. She smiled despite herself and a warm sparkle was brought to her eyes. "Finally," she sighed.

Suddenly, a scream erupted from a block away. The blonde spun to it in excitement just as she saw people running away from it in terror. Now was her chance. They would be there to answer that scream. And she would be there to meet them.

"Mercury! I need that status report!" Sailor Moon shouted as she jumped to the side of an energy blast. The senshi were facing something that called itself Batok. It was about eight feet tall with metallic green body armor covering its entire length. Piercing yellow eyes were set in an engorged, horned head. It had two weapons. The first, which it had demonstrated to the senshi when they first arrived, was a set of spears that ejected from its wrists. They regenerated themselves, too, so that Batok had an endless supply to hurl at his foes. The second, which it seemed more accurate in using, was a streaming energy that it shot from its hands.

The shorthaired senshi that had been called upon ducked behind a tree to type commands on her handheld computer. "All of our energies seem equally affective against him, but none of them hurt him very much. I'll try to find a finite weakness."

"Please do!" shouted Jupiter. She sidestepped around Mars to lunge at Batok's back. With all the fury she had in her, she swiped its legs out from under it and sent a nice, hard punch right into his vulnerable stomach. "Ow!" So much for vulnerable. Her hand throbbed as she pulled away. Batok jumped up quickly, perfectly unaffected by the assault.

"Pathetic!" it screamed with a snarl. "Now be a nice group of weaklings and hand over the crystal!"

"That's what I hate. Why did they have to send one that can actually speak in intelligent sentences?" Venus groaned while sending a crescent beam into the youma's face. "That outta shut you up!"

Moon spun to avoid another spear and threw a pleading look to Tuxedo Kamen who fought a few feet away. "Would you please hit this jerk for me?" She batted her eyes sarcastically. "I would just love to hear him howl at the sting of one of your roses." Moon winked at him before turning back around to face her foe.

"I've never been one to disappoint a lady," the caped man said smoothly. With that, he hurled two roses at the beast. One stuck in its forearm and the other managed to pierce its eye.

There was a loud, very girlish sounding squeal. "Grr! Who dared to do that?!" the thundering voice didn't quite have the same affect after its weak yelp.

"I believe that was me. Would you like another dose?" Kamen smiled slyly. Oh, it was always so much fun to toy with the hopeless ones. He turned to his girls. Yes, he smiled slyly again, he did consider them his girls. He felt like a man with a harem. And in just the same way, they were the ones that held the power and the ones that did all the work. He was merely lucky enough to have a few supernatural tricks of his own; otherwise he would be standing on the sidelines like every other male in the world.

He was glad he could help, even in his small way. The senshi gave him a purpose. When he awoke in the morning, he wasn't just another boring college student. He was a hero. Well, a sidekick. But he had the chance to fight with heroines and make a positive change in the world. His eyes affectionately roamed over the five girls. Each one was so unique, so special. He hoped they knew that.

No matter what quests they were on – to find a princess, to find a crystal – they were the ones that did all the dirty work. They were the ones that had to wake up in the early hours of the morning or skip out on dinner at least three times a week.

The crystal was special. The princess was special. Of anyone, he knew that the best. But he sincerely hoped that they didn't think either of those things was more important than themselves. They were just as priceless as their goals.

"What do you think, girls? Has he been a good boy? Does he deserve another round?" He saw Mars smile brightly.

"Oh, yes. I daresay he's been too good of a boy. I think he should get some fire with his flowers." Sarcasm was way too much fun sometimes. "After you, mon ami." She swept her arms out to give him the right-of-way. Without anymore preamble, Kamen twirled his fingers to generate four new roses that rested between his fingers. He threw them with deadly accuracy as Mars' fire chased after them.

Though pain was inflicted, the youma still did not turn to ashes. Mercury furiously typed in a few more codes. Her computer beeped eagerly. "Yes! I've got it guys!" She came out from around the tree to engage in battle once more. "Its lower back doesn't have as thick a body armor as the rest of his body. Hit him there!"

A few minutes later, the six of them were standing in a circle around a pile of dust. "Well, that was fun. I think we should do this again sometime, ladies." Kamen tipped his hat and turned to leave. He was stopped by the sight of something altogether ethereal. There, in front of him, stood a young woman who looked very familiar. He couldn't place where he'd seen her, but he knew he had.

"Please," she implored. "Please, do not leave just yet."

He paused out of curiosity.

Behind him, the senshi were wrapping up their report to Luna and Artemis. The two felines had bounded out from behind the bushes when the fight ended. None of them noticed the new visitor walk up. "All right," Luna concluded, "sounds like a job well done. You girls are increasing in talent every time you fight."

Jupiter scoffed, "Did I just hear a compliment come out of Luna's mouth?" The other senshi giggled.

"All right, all right. Enough. It's time to go home and get to dinner before your parents begin to worry." She rubbed Moon's leg as she passed her on their way home.

"Luna?! Luna! Is that really you?"

The black cat whirled around. For the first time she noticed the slim figure standing with Tuxedo Kamen. She pranced forward. Jumping up on Kamen's shoulder, she nuzzled her head against his neck and mewed. She would pretend that she was an ordinary cat until she was sure this girl could be trusted. Kamen scratched her chin and she didn't have to pretend to purr at the affection.

The silver-haired one looked at her in amazement. Her light grey-blue eyes were as wide as saucers. "Oh," she crooned. "I knew I would find the senshi, but I didn't know that I would also find you!" She reached out with her arms and petted the spot between the cat's ears.

Luna had stiffened at the mention of the senshi, but she began to relax under the girl's familiar touch. However, when two hands came under her belly and tried to pick her up, she wasn't nearly as relaxed. A violent hiss escaped her mouth. She dug her claws into Kamen's lapels in order to stay firmly planted on his shoulders.

"Luna? What is wrong?" She tried to reach out again and was met with another hiss. "Do you not remember me? If you did, you'd know that I would never hurt you," her tone was soft and confused. Luna didn't respond to her questions. "You can trust me," she said earnestly. "Why won't you speak to me?"

The cat stared searchingly at the figure before her. It was a well-known fact that Luna rarely trusted anyone that she didn't know very, very well. It had taken her six months to trust Tuxedo Kamen. The fact that the girl knew of the senshi and that she could speak was a little more than unsettling. On the other hand, there was a nagging feeling in the back of Luna's mind that told her she knew the girl. She opened her mouth to say something when she heard Sailor Moon softly call her name. Turning her head, she noted that the senshi were all standing right behind Tuxedo Kamen.

"It seems that this girl knows us. But I have no recollection of her myself."

"So you do not remember me, then." The stranger soundly positively defeated. "You were my mother's advisor along with Artemis," she glanced down at the white cat, "for twenty years and you do not remember me."

It took a few moments for the information to process, and then connections began to be made. The familiar feeling they were all being affected by had been faint because she was from their past lives. But it was still familiar because they had known her closely once.

She was their princess.

All of their eyes suddenly jumped out of their sockets. They had spent nearly a year fighting to find her and instead she had found them.

Sailor Moon had lightly rested her hand on Kamen's shoulder when she called Luna's name, but now it fell like a rock to her side. His princess. Their princess. "It…It's you!" Moon stepped forward and brushed her hand across the girl's forehead. The movement shoved aside bangs to reveal a crescent moon mark that had just flared at the declaration. "Our princess! It's really you!" In normal, enthusiastic Usagi-fashion, Moon jumped forward and embraced the princess in a tight hug. "Oh! We have been looking everywhere for you!"

She was politely pushed away. "I am sorry to say that I do not remember a senshi of the Moon. I do, however, remember all of you!" She turned in excitement to be eagerly greeted by the rest of the senshi, the cats and Tuxedo Kamen. Moon was easily forgotten. She took a step back as everyone formed a circle around the newcomer.

So this was how it was going to be.

She sighed.