Song Of Hope: Thanks so much for your favorites and follows! I'd love to hear some feedback on the story! R&R
Sailor Moon, Sailor Uranus, and Sailor Neptune were staring at the other girls in shock.
"Sailor Leo," said Sailor Moon, "a different kind of Sailor Guardian?"
"We're here to help you Sailor Moon," said Sailor Leo with a smile. "We're actually here to meet you. We wanted to introduce ourselves in a much better way, but looks like our proper introductions will have to be done later." She started to spin her wand, closing her eyes as it gathered light. "Oh shining stars in the night sky, I beg you to answer my call! Bring forth the fire and guidance of your everlasting light, so that I may exterminate the evil that stands in front of me!" She stopped her spinning, pointing the wand at the creature. "Leo Burning Star Eruption!" An explosion of fire and stars came from the wand, turning into a twisting stream hurtling at the creature.
"It's cute that you think that this can hurt me Love Dove," laughed the creature, getting hit full force with stars and fire, yet not budging.
"No way," said Sailor Taurus. "No one's ever been hit by Sailor Leo's attack and not been affected!"
"If she can't do it then what chance to we have of stopping her," said Sailor Cancer.
"We can still do it," said Sailor Leo, continuing to blast her. "Everyone, lend me your strength! Maybe a combined attack will do something!"
Alright," said Sailor Libra, closing her eyes and holding out her hands. "Balancing Gale!"
"We're with you!" Sailor Virgo held up her hand before punching it down to the ground, causing it to crack and glow with a yellow light. "Shattered Earth!" Massive chunks of Earth shot up from the ground, hurtling towards the creature.
"Crashing Wave!" Sailor Pisces held both of her hands out, spinning several times as she lifted her hands up before throwing them down, sending a wave of water at the enemy.
"Flame Stampede!" Sailor Aries held up one hand, moving it back and forth as she sent multiple balls of fire at the opponent.
"Silver Tornado!" Sailor Castor held out one hand, wind swirling in it.
"Golden Twister!" Sailor Pollux held out the opposite hand, using her free hand to grab her sister's hand.
"Dual Cyclone!" The winds in their hands combined into a drill shaped gold and silver cyclone that went rushing towards the opponent.
"Cancer Pincher Grasp!" Sailor Cancer sent out a phantom claw, her arms mimicking pinching movements like a crab's claw.
"Raging Stones!" Several large stones formed around Sailor Taurus that she started punching towards the enemy. All the attacks combined with Sailor Leo's attack, the elements mixing together. Their power managed to push the enemy back, causing some pain, but not seriously hurting the creature. If anything, she looked angry.
"I'll get rid of you annoying pests," she hissed out.
"Oh no," said Artemis, eyes wide.
"What is it," asked Luna, looking at the screen.
"A new outlet is doing live coverage of the newest attack," he said, showing her a streaming video, "and the newest victim is Umino. Isn't that one of Usagi's friends?"
"She said she was going to be hanging out with Naru and Umino today," Luna realized, her pupils growing small in fear. "Usagi's in trouble!" She jumped off the computer desk, running out of the room. "We have to help her!" The two cats ran out of the house, Luna's mind running a million miles a second.
"You little girls are pests," hissed out the creature.
"Who are you," Sailor Neptune demanded to know from the new Sailor Guardians. "What is your purpose here?"
"This isn't really the time for it," said Aries, glaring at Neptune. "We're in the middle of a battle right now. We don't have time to be arguing on who we are or why we're here."
"If you must know we're here for training," said Sailor Castor with a smirk, crossing her arms and turning to the side a bit.
"Training for what though, that's none of your business," added Sailor Pollux, her back to her twin's.
"Guys," said Sailor Leo, stepping in between them with a sweat drop on her forehead, "we really shouldn't be fighting right now. We have a bigger problem."
"You're just as big of a problem as the monster," shot Sailor Uranus.
"I'm not a monster," growled out the creature, kissing her hand and then holding it out towards Sailor Moon, Uranus, and Neptune. "I'll get rid of you pests! None of your passion is worth this headache Love Dove!" Her hand started glowing brightly, getting ready to fire as she blew on it.
"Venus Love Me Chain!" A chain wrapped around the creature, yanking her hand down so that the blast just hit the ground.
"How dare you try and attack innocent people," asked Sailor Venus, holding her chain. "We, the Sailor Team, won't stand for it."
"We are the Guardians of Earth who fight for love and Justice," said Sailor Mars.
"We won't stand for you hurting people we care about," said Sailor Jupiter, arms crossed over her chest.
"We are the Guardians who fight for Love and Justice," said Sailor Mercury, frowning at the new enemy. "I am Sailor Mercury, Guardian of Water and Wisdom! Douse yourself with water, and repent!"
"I am Sailor Mars, the Guardian of Fire and War," she said, pointing at the enemy. "In the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!"
"The Guardian of Lightning and Courage, I am Sailor Jupiter," she said, lightning crackling around her. "I'll fill you with so much regret, it'll leave you numb."
"I am the Guardian of Love and Beauty, Sailor Venus," she said, trying to pull the creature closer to her. "In the name of Venus, I'll punish you with the power of love!"
"We've, we've already done all that," said Sailor Moon with an exasperated smile.
"It's the Sailor Guardians," squealed Sailor Leo, clasping her hands together as her eyes filled with stars. "They're so incredibly cool!"
"You do remember you're a Sailor Guardian too, right Leo," asked an exasperated Sailor Libra.
"Not in the same way they are though," Sailor Leo said. "They've done so many amazing things!"
"Well thank you," said Sailor Mercury with a small blush, getting her computer out, "but really, we're just doing our jobs."
"Who are these girls," asked Sailor Mars, stepping back with a creeped out look on her face. "Why are you guys dressed up like us?" She looked towards Sailor Leo, looking her in the eyes with a glare. "What's with this energy I feel from her? I feel it from the other girls, but her energy, it feels incredibly ancient, and yet not at the same time. I don't understand it at all."
"We're not dressed like you," said Taurus defensively. "We're Sailor Guardians, and not the same kind as you!"
"From where," asked Jupiter. "And why would you be here on Earth? We already know all the Guardians from this Solar System."
"That's none of your business," said Sailor Virgo.
"Don't be hostile Virgo," said Leo. "We're here to train and become stronger Sailor Guardians. I'm sorry, but that's all we can tell you."
"I'm not gonna be able to contain her much longer guys," said Sailor Venus, holding her chain as tight as she could. "We need to figure out how to defeat her, whatever she is!"
"Our attacks didn't work," said Sailor Uranus. "I don't know if we can beat her right now."
"What if we all combine our strength," asked Mars. "I'm sure if we all attack together-"
"Won't work," said Sailor Cancer, crossing her arms over her chest. "We've already tried it. It didn't work. There's nine of us here, so if it didn't work for us it probably won't work for you. The worst we managed to do was hurt her a little and annoy her. Maybe if we kept up the attacks for hours we'd eventually get rid of her, but that isn't practical."
"We can go in teams," said Sailor Pisces. "One group attacks and then the next, giving time for the previous group to recover before switching in."
"That's too much work," complained Pollux. "It would still take too long. It's not a smart move here."
"We don't need your opinions," said Sailor Uranus. "You shouldn't even be here! Training or not, you can't intrude on someone else's solar system!"
"We really don't want to fight you," said Sailor Libra. "We're just here for training, that's it. We didn't expect anyone else to show up here but us."
"This isn't… the time," struggled out Sailor Venus, who was trying to keep the angry creature at bay. "We need to come up with a plan. I can't hold her back for much longer!"
"By my analysis we don't have the sufficient power to take her down," said Sailor Mercury. "We'd need Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn but I don't know where they are. With Sailor Saturn we would definitely have the power we needed, but we don't know where she is right now."
"What if we all combined our powers," suggested Sailor Cancer. "Maybe if we all attack together we can-"
"ENOUGH!" The monster threw her arms out, shattering the chains around her. The breaking chains made Sailor Venus crash backwards hard, hitting the ground with a loud thud.
"Sailor Venus," called out Sailor Moon and Sailor Leo. Sailor Moon started running towards her, getting down on the ground to try and help her up.
"Are you alright Venus," asked Sailor Moon.
"I'm fine," she said with a smile, sitting up. "It was just the sudden lack of force, that's all."
"You won't be fine for long," hissed the creature, kissing her hand. "I'm going to get rid of all of you," she turned to the Zodiac Sailors, "starting with you!" She blew on her hand, sending electrified hearts at the other girls.
"Sailor Leo look out," yelled Sailor Taurus, jumping up to push the girl out of the way. The attack then hit all of the other Zodiac Sailors, causing them to scream in pain.
"Everyone," called out Sailor Leo, trying to stand up to help them as she held out her wand. "Leo Burning-"
"Don't," struggled out Sailor Virgo. "G-Get out of here Sailor Leo."
"Run," struggled out Sailor Taurus. "Get away."
"I'm not leaving you," she yelled. "I'm going to save you!"
"Run away Sailor Leo," said Sailor Aries before she passed out. The other Sailor Guardians followed suit, all falling to the ground.
"No, ARIES," screamed out Sailor Leo, starting to tear up.
"No way," said Sailor Jupiter. "She took out eight Sailor Guardians all in one blow."
"We need to retreat," said Sailor Uranus, "and come up with a plan! She's too powerful!" The creature started laughing, kissing her hand again.
"One little pest managed to escape my attack," she said as she aimed her hand at Sailor Leo. "Time to get you too."
"Get out of the way," yelled Sailor Moon, running over to Sailor Leo and pulling her away from her collapsed friends.
"I have to save my friends," she yelled, trying to pull away from Sailor Moon's grip.
"Your friends wanted you to be okay," said Sailor Moon, running with her. "Don't let their sacrifice be in vain! They wanted to protect you!"
"But that creature, she might kill them," Sailor Leo sobbed.
"We won't let that happen," said Sailor Moon, turning towards her with a confident smile. The smile on her face surprised Leo. "We'll definitely save your friends!"
"Sailor Moon," she said tearfully. She sniffled, wiping her eyes and nodding. "Alright."
"We should go to the shrine," said Sailor Mars, turning to talk to the other girls. "I need to consult with the divine fire there. It should be empty. Grandpa closed it for business today because he claimed he got a date, so we should have the privacy we need."
"We can't bring Sailor Leo there," said Uranus. "It's not a good idea to show her where we-"
"She doesn't know that," said Sailor Neptune, hand on Uranus's shoulder as they all ran. "Besides, there might be more privacy there and we can ask her more questions."
Sailor Mars sat in front of the sacred fire, praying to it.
"Rin Pyou Tou Sha Kai Chin Retsu Zai Zen." She opened her eyes, watched the flames dance. Slowly, she saw a vision of the moon. "The moon?" Cracks started forming on the surface of it. Mars gasped in shock before the moon shattered completely, turning into smoke and ash. "What?! Something wants to actually physically destroy the moon?!" The fire showed Sailor Leo, fighting an invisible person. "She's fighting? Then does that make her our enemy? Is she going to destroy the moon?!"
"Are you alright," asked Sailor Mercury, bringing Sailor Leo a cup of tea with a smile. "You haven't said much of anything since we left."
"Thank you," said Sailor Leo, giving Mercury a smile. "I'm worried about my friends, but, I think I'll be alright. After all, I believe in you, and Sailor Moon."
"Why do you believe in us so much," asked Sailor Mercury.
"I've heard," Sailor Leo blushed and looked down into her cup of tea. "I've heard so much about you Sailor Guardians for so long, about how courageous and strong you were, how you've always managed to defeat any enemy that comes your way. You fought Queen Metallia, Queen Nehelania, the Black Moon Clan, even the most powerful Sailor Guardian in the universe. You're all so strong and capable and courageous. We may not be able to beat this monster, but if anyone can it's you guys."
"Who told you all that about us," asked Sailor Mercury. "Most people don't know about any of that."
"It's a secret," she said with a smile, looking up at Mercury. "I wish I could say more, but I really can't. I'm not allowed to."
"Who said you couldn't tell us," she asked, sitting down next to Sailor Leo. "I promise, I won't say a word to anyone else."
"Well," she looked away for a moment before looking back at Mercury, "I know that if it's anything big you'll still tell everyone else, but I think there's something I can still say. I can tell you just a little more but I can't give you details. Our queen asked us to do some training, here in Tokyo with you guys. That's all I can say."
"Your queen," Mercury repeated.
"I think we should keep our distance from her," said Sailor Uranus, looking at Mercury and Leo talking. "It's not safe to talk to someone from outside our own Solar System, especially not with other Sailor Guardians."
"My mirror isn't giving me a read on anything," said Sailor Neptune, looking at the black surface. "Every time I try and divine something about her or her fellow Sailor Guardians, all I see is black."
"You said they stole Umino's passion, right," asked Sailor Venus. "I wonder, is that related to all the people who have been collapsing?"
"We think so," said Artemis, walking up to them with Luna.
"Luna, Artemis," said Sailor Moon, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"We've been researching the people who were collapsing," said Luna. "We were hoping it was nothing, but then we found out Umino collapsed too due to a live stream of the event. We were afraid that Usagi would be in trouble."
"Who's that," asked Artemis, looking at Sailor Mercury and Leo, who were talking and seeming to get along.
"Sailor Leo," said Sailor Uranus, frowning and crossing her arms over her chest. "She had eight other girls with her, but they were all captured. They claim they're the Sailor Guardians of the stars from the Zodiac Constellations."
"Stars don't have Sailor Guardians," said Artemis, looking towards the Sailor Guardian in question. "They're uninhabitable. They're too hot for any sort of life forms to form. They'd burn up before they could ever truly live. There's got to be something else here. Maybe they're codenames and their guardian names aren't actually after the celestial zodiac?"
"She could be an enemy," said Luna, looking with Artemis. "We should be careful around her."
"There's no way," said Sailor Moon with certainty. "Those were real tears that she cried! She had real, genuine sadness for the hurt her friends were going through!"
"That could just mean we have two different enemies," said Artemis. "It hasn't happened before, but it's still possible."
"I refuse to believe that she's our enemy," Sailor Moon reaffirmed. "She said she was her ally and she seems so kind."
"I agree with Sailor Moon," said Sailor Mercury, walking over to her. "I'll admit, she knows too much, more than anyone should, but at the same time she seemed like she wanted to tell us more but she can't. All she said was that her queen told her to train here. I think that that's true, and she's not lying to us at all. In fact I don't think she's said anything that's a lie."
"Away from their princess," asked Neptune. "That seems counter intuitive." She looked towards the girl, who was sipping on her tea.
"That makes absolutely no sense," said Sailor Venus. "Judging by her look and that weapon of hers, she's got to be the leader. At the very least she should be back home to protect their princess. She's leaving her in danger just by being here."
"That's true," said Sailor Jupiter. "I'm inclined to go with Venus Uranus and Neptune. We can't trust her, not yet."
"We have all the information we're going to get right now," said Sailor Mercury. "Right now, we should focus on the actual enemy, the one we know is a threat."
"That's true," said Venus. "What do they want? What are they going to do with all that passion they've stolen?"
"We don't know yet," said Luna, "but we're-"
"What's your goal," yelled Sailor Mars, who was now standing in front of Sailor Leo, glaring at her. "Those visions I saw, when I asked the fire about you, just, what do you want with us?!"
"I-I just wanted to train," said Sailor Leo, backing up a bit. "I didn't know there'd be someone else here!"
"Mars," said Sailor Moon, trying to step forward and get past her other guardians, "you shouldn't be so angry towards her. Her friends have been captured. She's going through enough right now."
"I still think Mars is right," said Sailor Neptune, walking forward. "We have to figure out what her real goals are. It can't possibly be just training."
"Tell us who you are," said Sailor Uranus, stepping in front of Sailor Moon. "Answer us now!"
"I can't tell you that," said Sailor Leo nervously, looking down as she wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry."
"You expect us to welcome your help when you won't even tell us who you are," said Sailor Neptune in disbelief. "You expect us to let you near our fellow Sailor Guardians? What about your princess? Shouldn't you be worried about protecting her like you're supposed to instead of training on another planet in another solar system? That's what a Sailor Guardian is born for, to protect their princess! Where's your princess?!"
"I can't answer that," said Sailor Leo, starting to get angry. "I can't answer any of these questions but I'm not a threat, I promise you! None of my Guardians are!" That seemed to have caught Neptune's attention, but Jupiter crossed her arms over her chest.
"I have to agree with Sailor Neptune and Uranus," said Sailor Jupiter. "We can't trust you."
"It's alright," said Sailor Moon, trying to step around her other Guardians. "I trust Sailor Leo! I don't think she's here to hurt us."
"You trust everyone," said Sailor Jupiter. "We can't take that chance. You're too important to us Sailor Moon."
"I'm not en enemy," Sailor Leo swore. "We're allies, I promise, and you guys are all my heroes! I'm just," she looked down, arms tucked into her chest, "I just wish I could be honest with you about why I'm here. All I can tell you is that I was sent here to train. I can't answer anything more. I'm sorry. I really can't tell you anything more."
"Um," said Sailor Mercury, "this is definitely a conversation we all need to have, but we can't just stand here arguing. There's a monster on the loose and we need to figure out how to fight it."
"She's right," said Sailor Mars. "None of our attacks work, not even our strongest ones." She looked back at Sailor Leo. "I'm going to table my concern for Sailor Moon and the actual moon for now, but I've never had a vision like that before. What would happen to Usagi if the moon was destroyed?"
"They steal the passion that resides within people," said Sailor Venus, her face full of worry, her hand closed close to her chest. "It worries me. What does the enemy need that for?"
"And the enemy has all my friends," said Sailor Leo, tears in her eyes. "Even if you don't trust me, please, help me save them!"
"We don't even know how to fight this enemy," said Luna, "and truth be told Sailor Leo, I don't trust you either. You just came out of the blue with eight other girls that I haven't even had a chance to meet yet, claiming to be our allies when you're not even from our solar system?"
"I didn't even know that the stars had Sailor Guardians," said Artemis. "This is really the first I'm hearing of it. I always thought Sailor Guardians were tied to planets, usually guarding their princess."
"T-That's a really long story that we don't have time for," said Sailor Leo tearfully, scratching the side of her head with her index finger. "I really want to help you understand but I honestly don't know how to explain everything."
"It's alright," said Sailor Moon with a smile, getting Sailor Leo's attention. "I know you all want to doubt her, but I think we should trust her." She walked towards Sailor Leo, getting out from behind her Guardians and holding out her hand to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry, we'll save them. I know just how you feel right now." She turned, glaring at her Guardians. "Everyone, I'm ashamed of you! Her friends are in danger! We need to help her, not worry about whether or not we can trust her! Her precious friends that she loves dearly are in trouble!" The other guardians looked down. "Be kind to people in need, don't yell at them when they're already upset over loosing their friends!"
"Sailor Moon," whimpered Sailor Leo, trying not to sob, "you're so amazing." She sniffled for a little bit and then started sobbing full force.
"Don't cry," chuckled Sailor Moon who then sniffled just a little bit, "or else you might make me cry!"
"She reminds me a little too much of Usagi," Venus whispered to Mercury, who nodded.
"They're incredibly emotional," agreed Sailor Mercury. "I wish Tuxedo Mask were here. He'd be able to calm her down."
"Too bad he won't be back for a while," said Sailor Venus.
"Everyone, we need to save the other Sailor Guardians," said Sailor Moon, "and save Umino's passion!"
"We'll ally ourselves with you for right now," said Sailor Uranus as she folded her arms across her chest, "but I still don't trust you or your fellow Guardians."
"Then don't," said Sailor Leo, "help me save them! They shouldn't suffer because we distrust each other!" She looked towards where they had come from. "Let's go back and save them!"
"We'll save them all for sure," Sailor Moon promised. "Let's go! If we attack together we might just win!" She started to run off, Sailor Leo following behind.
"Idiot," yelled sailor Mars, glaring at the two running off. "We still don't have any sort of a plan!"
"We still need to follow them before Sailor Moon gets herself killed," shouted Sailor Jupiter as the rest of the Inner Guardians ran after her.
"Let's go Neptune," said Sailor Uranus, starting to go before Neptune gently grabbed her hand.
"Just a moment," she said with a smile. "Don't you want to hear what I've come to understand from Sailor Leo?"
"She didn't tell us anything," said Uranus, blinking. "Did the sea say anything to you?"
"This is good old deduction Uranus," said Neptune with a gentle smile. "I think we might just be able to trust her, but I'm still wary of her."
"What did you learn?"
"Love Dove," chuckled the creature, looking at the eight girls she had tied up and unconscious in the woods. "Perhaps I should extract their passions too. Ah, but who knows Love Dove? Oh, but it seems none of them have that kind of passion that I can take." She seemed to notice something in Sailor Cancer and smiled. "Oh? It seems I spoke too soon. At least one of them has the power I need." She started reaching towards sailor Cancer with an evil smile on her face. "Yes, I shall take your flame, and make it serve the Eternal Entropy!"
"Hold it right there!"
"Love Dove?" She looked up, turning towards Sailor Moon and Leo, who were both glaring at her.
"Let go of my friends," shouted Sailor Leo, glaring at the creature. "I don't care what you are, but I won't let you keep my friends hostage!"
"I'm a proud Xulus," said the Xulus with a bow. "Love Dove at your service!"
"Xulus," repeated Sailor Mars, her face full of worry. "Is that what that burning rose in my dream turned into?"
"We don't care what you are," yelled Sailor Moon, holding out the Eternal Tiare while Sailor Leo held up her Starlight Pride Rod. "We're going to stop you no matter what!"
"Try Love Dove," chuckled the Xulus. "You won't succeed!"
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss," yelled Sailor Moon.
"Leo Burning Star Eruption," yelled Sailor Leo, their attacks combining together.
"Nothing's happening," said Sailor Moon in dismay. "This is my strongest attack!"
"Mars Flame Sniper," yelled Sailor Mars, joining in her attack.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"World Shaking!"
"Deep Submerge!" All of the attacks combined together, with all of the Sailor Guardians focusing hard on trying to hurt the Xulus.
"You all came to help," noticed Sailor Leo, looking at everyone with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you're actually here trying to help me!"
"Whether or not we trust you, you still need help," said Sailor Jupiter, giving her a smile. "We're here to help you save your friends!"
"And we'll give you all the strength we can," said Sailor Mercury.
"Don't get the wrong idea though," said Sailor Mars. "We still don't trust you, but your friends shouldn't suffer because of us not trusting you."
"You're all weak Love Dove," laughed the Xulus, kissing her hand. Sailor Leo immediately had a sense that something bad was going to happen as the Xulus blew on her hand.
"Look out," shouted Sailor Leo, dropping her wand, pushing Sailor Moon several feet backwards and out of the way of the incoming attack. Sailor Moon's Eternal Tiare clattered to the ground next to Leo's wand, far away from the both of them. From the Xulus's hand came hundreds of pink and red hearts that rushed towards everyone, making them all scream in pain from the attack as energy crackled around each of them.
"Everyone," shouted Sailor Moon in horror as she sat up, covering her mouth as she watched them. "They're being hit by the same attack that got your friends!"
"The new enemy is too strong," said Luna, "and we're short Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto!"
"There's no way we can defeat them," said Artemis. "Is there a transformation higher than Sailor Moon's Eternal Sailor form?!"
"I don't know," replied Luna, shaking her head, "but if they can't stop the Xulus our friends might die!"
"Oh no," said Sailor Leo, covering her own mouth as well as she teared up. "I should've tried to help more people than just Sailor Moon! This is, it's just, it's all my fault!"
"Love Dove!" The Xulus clapped her hands, the energy dissipating as everyone fell to the ground. She then stepped forward, picking up the Eternal Tiare and the Starlight Pride Wand. "Aren't these cute trinkets?" She held them together, then snapped them both in half. "And now they're gone Love Dove!"
"The Eternal Tiare," yelled Sailor Moon, her face full of worry for her friends and her own safety. "How are we supposed to fight them now?! They broke my weapon, and I don't know if I can fix it a second time!"
"This is all my fault," Sailor Leo uttered, starting to tear up and catching Sailor Moon's attention. Sailor Leo was looking at the ground, gripping her head tightly as she shook it back and forth. "They were all right, they shouldn't have trusted me! I got my idols hurt badly. I'm not fit to be a Sailor Guardian, or even-"
"Don't say that," said Sailor Moon, standing up and holding her hand out to Sailor Leo. "You may not realize it yet, but you're going to be a great Sailor Guardian!"
"But I'm the reason that all your friends are hurt," Sailor Leo sniffled. "The Heaven's Star Wand, the Eternal Tiare, I got them broken. I got my friends hurt," She looked down and away from Sailor Moon. "I don't deserve to be here. I should just go home."
"You deserve to be here," said Sailor Moon fervently, holding her hand out more urgently. "I want you to be here with me and be my friend and fight with me! We're both Sailor Guardians! You asked me to put my trust in you, well here it is! Please," she urged, taking another step towards her, "take my hand!"
"Sailor Moon," Sailor Leo said, practically whispering as she looked back and forth from Sailor Moon's hand to her face before taking it. Sailor Moon smiled and helped her up.
"Let's be good friends," said Sailor Moon.
"The best," sniffled out Sailor Leo with a smile, wiping her eyes before also taking Sailor Moon's other hand.
"How adorable," said the Xulus, chuckling as she kissed her hand, blowing on it. "Not for long!" The hearts went rushing at the two, but a shining light shielded them to the attack, much to the shock of Love Dove. "What?! Impossible!"
"I feel like I knew you in a past life," said Sailor Moon with a smile as the two started to float in the air. "Do you think we were friends then?"
"The best," Sailor Leo laughed out, both of their sailor suits melting away. Sailor Leo's bow disappeared, her hair falling down to a little past her calves. She wore a golden tiara that went under her bangs, with a downward pointing intricate golden wire pattern that had a star shaped emerald at the very tip. Instead of a sailor suit, she wore a long, flowing green dress with a yellow ribbon on the neckline and two rows of yellow pearls underneath, and a darker green bow in the back of the dress. Her sleeves were three tiered and flowing, ending at about mid bicep length. Her gloves were similar to the ones she wore as a Sailor Guardian, but she had golden cuffs at the wrists, and the palms were completely open. Sailor Moon turned into Princess Serenity, her crescent moon shining brightly on her forehead. They both felt something in their hands, so they pulled them apart to see that they both held two items, both of them holding scepters a foot and a half tall, with moons and stars inside of a heart the top and a small heart with a jewel inside on the bottom. Princess Serenity was holding one decorated with red jewels, with a pink handle, rubies, and silver details, and Sailor Leo was holding one with a green handle, shining jewels of all different colors, and gold details.
"It's the Crescent Starlight Wands," said Luna in shock as she looked at them. "They were given to the Moon Kingdom, but by who? I can't remember."
"I don't remember," said Artemis, "but I remember them being incredibly powerful. Just who is Sailor Leo?" The two gently landed on the ground, Sailor Moon's broach glowing while Sailor Leo's pendant shone brightly. The light disappeared, showing their transformation items had both changed. Sailor Moon, instead of having a broach, now had a pendant with a silver star with a red jewel in the middle, hanging on a silver chain. Sailor Leo had a golden star pendant with a green jewel, hanging on a golden chain. They both looked down at their own wands and transformation items in surprise.
"This is-"
"Our now power," finished Sailor Moon, smiling. "We'll be able to defeat the enemy now!" Sailor Leo looked up at her and nodded, smiling.
"Yes!" They both held their scepters in the air, their transformation items opening up to show two different crystal. One was Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal, shaped like a flower, and the other was a shimmering star shaped crystal full of all kinds of colors that lit up brightly, light circling inside the crystals. Wings with crescent moons attaching them to the broach/pendant popped out, like their items were getting ready to fly off.
"Moon Universal Power, Make-Up!"
"Leo Universal Power, Make-Up!"
The two transformed again, into an even higher transformation. Sailor Moon's chain turned into a black choker, with her pendant attached to it. On her buns she had a red ribbon, with a silver moon charm in the center. Her skirt became longer and silver, with a blue layer underneath and a golden layer underneath that. Her collar turned silver with three golden stripes, with a flowing red bow in the front that was much longer than any of her previous bows, and a flowing bow on the back of her skirt as well. The biggest change was how Sailor Moon's hair was now dragging on the floor, with silver tips that shimmered like moonlight. Sailor Leo's choker pendant turned from the silver circle with the symbol of Leo inside to a golden heart with a star charm hanging from it. Her hair went back up into a ponytail, with a blue bow that had a golden star charm in the center. Her plain green studs grew into a pair of golden stars, with a crescent moon hanging from the two bottom points of the star. Her sleeves became long and three tiered, and her gloves grew longer, going just under her sleeves. Her skirt grew longer, turning golden and gaining a blue and a silver underskirt. Both the bow underneath her collar and on the back of her skirt became much longer, flowing out. But, the biggest change was Sailor Leo's lion tail, which she hadn't had before, as well as her hair reaching the ground with shining golden tips like starlight. Once their transformations were done, their pendants stuck on their ribbons, turning into broaches as their chains disappeared.
"Could it be, an even higher transformation than the Eternal Moon," asked Luna in disbelief as she stared at the two. "But Eternal Sailor Moon was created by unlocking Sailor Moon's full potential? How could she possibly have more power than that?"
"I don't know," said Artemis, "but now I'm worried. Can Sailor Moon even handle this kind of power?"
"How did you get those Love Dove," asked the Xulus, now starting to back away. "You're more powerful than before!"
"That's what happens when you believe in yourself and your new friends," said Sailor Moon, holding up her scepter. "Are you ready, Sailor Leo?"
"Of course Sailor Moon," said Sailor Leo confidently, holding out her own.
"Moonlight-"
"Starlight-"
"United Cosmic Heart Storm!" The two scepters started pouring out a mix of golden and silver crescent moons, stars, and hearts.
"How could I have failed Love Dove," screamed Love Dove as the attacks hit her. "Glorious!" The Xulus turned into smoke, drifting away in the wind. Several small, bright flames fell to the ground, burning with different voices whispering from them.
"They did it," said Luna in shock, watching as the ropes that had tied up the Zodiac Sailors disappeared. "How is that possible? How is there a stronger transformation than the Eternal Moon? That was Sailor Moon's truest form."
"I don't know," said Artemis with a smile, "but I'm liking this new power of theirs!"
"Sailor Aries," said Sailor Leo with worry, running up to the girls and trying to check on them individually, "are you alright? Libra? Virgo? Taurus? Pisces? Castor? Pollux? Cancer? Anyone? Are any of you alright?"
"Sailor Mercury," said Sailor Moon with worry as she started checking on her own friends, "Mars, Venus, Jupiter! Are you alright? Come on Uranus, Neptune, you both have to be fine!"
"Can someone please be quiet," groaned out Sailor Aries. She slowly opened her eyes, holding her head. "This worried shouting is giving me a headache and everything else already hurts. I'd like my mind to be fine thank you."
"Aries," said Sailor Leo happily, going over and hugging her tightly, "is everything alright? Are you hurt?"
"Shut up," she chastised as she pulled out of the hug, "I'm just fine." She stood up to her full height, glaring at Sailor Leo. "You know me, I'm tough as nails. Wait," she looked behind Sailor Leo, in shock at her new tail, "did you grow a tail?!"
"Sailor Mars," said Sailor Moon, trying to help her friend stand up, "are you alright?"
"I'm fine Sailor Moon," Mars managed to get out, looking at her. "Did you get a new transformation?"
"I did," she said with a nod and a smile, looking over at Sailor Leo as she helped her friends stand up. "Sailor Leo and I, we managed to defeat the Xulus."
"The Xulus," repeated Sailor Mars, a look crossing her face, a mix of anger and worry. "That thing, it turned into smoke and ash, just like what it was made from in my dream. What does it want from Earth?" She looked over at Sailor Leo, who was trying to help Sailor Pisces off the ground. "Is she the shooting star from my dream? And what was the light she created? Was it saving the Earth, or destroying it? She seems to kind, I don't think that she's going to try and destroy the Earth."
"I've never seen someone get a new transformation that looks so different from the original before," said Sailor Virgo wistfully. "I wish I had been awake to see you Sailor Leo!"
"It's all thanks to Sailor Moon," said Sailor Leo. "She believed in me, just like you guys do, and together we defeated the enemy! Of course, they'll probably come back later, which just means we have to get better!"
"I still don't trust her," said Sailor Jupiter, crossing her arms over her chest. "The same time we get a new enemy, we also get new Sailor Guardians?"
"The Sailor Starlights were our friends," Sailor Mercury reminded her. "They may not have started out that way but we became allies. This time they're saving Sailor Moon the trouble of trying to convince them to work with us. They're already willing to."
"That's suspicious in itself," said Sailor Venus. "They came here with specific goals in mind, even Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune didn't get along with us and we all have the same goal of protecting Usagi." She turned to the two of them. "Do you think we should trust them yet?"
"I think we should wait and see before we make any real decisions," said Sailor Neptune with a close-eyed smile, her arms crossed over her chest. "I think that this Zodiac Sailor Team, as they've dubbed themselves, may surprise us yet. I didn't trust them before, but I'm less suspicious now. Seeing her save us, and seeing her heart resonate so much with Sailor Moon's to produce those wands has lead me to believe that at the very least, Sailor Leo isn't evil. I have no opinion yet on her team though."
"I trust Sailor Neptune's intuition on her," said Sailor Uranus. "She's usually right on the nose. I still don't trust them, but in this case I'm deferring to Sailor Neptune's opinion."
"Is this really the smart thing to do," asked Sailor Jupiter.
"She did save our lives," said Sailor Mars, which gained her looks of surprise from Jupiter and Venus. "I think we should give her a chance."
"That's surprising from you," said Sailor Venus. "You trust people the least out of all of us."
"What's the supposed to mean," asked Sailor Mars angrily. "You make it sound like I'm aggressive or something!"
"That's exactly what you are," Venus replied, Jupiter just nodding with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I'll show you aggressive," she yelled out, starting to chase Sailor Venus and Jupiter, who were just laughing.
"So this is the fire of passion," asked Sailor Libra, leaning over the pile of ash that the flames were sitting on top of. She held it up, looking at it carefully. "We saw the boy who got his flame stolen. He's going to need it, him and all the others."
"Let me," said Sailor Aries, taking the flame gently from Sailor Libra. She lifted the flame up into the sky, watching as it flew away with a smile. "As the Guardian of Fire and Victory, I think I should be the one to handle these fires." She held her hands out, gently cupping as many flames as she could before sending them off until they were all gone. She smiled, watching the last few flames fly into the sky. "There, now they'll be fine. They look so beautiful."
"Now, we need to talk," said Sailor Jupiter, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your queen sent you here to train, but why? What's your real goal?"
"You told her about the queen," chastised Taurus, glaring at the embarrassed Sailor Leo.
"I didn't think that info would be too bad to share," she defended.
"Well they already knew we had a princess," said Sailor Libra, "so having a queen is only logical. It's not like they wouldn't figure that out."
"You didn't tell them where we were from did you," asked Virgo, crossing her arms over her chest.
"No," Sailor Leo swore, "I promise!"
"We need to get going," said Sailor Castor.
"Let's have stewed leeks when we get home," suggested Pollux. "And have some mochi for desert."
"That sounds great," said Castor with a smile. "I'll make the mochi myself!"
"Hold on," said Sailor Jupiter, "We still need to talk to all of you guys."
"We have lives outside of this," said Sailor Cancer. "I'm sure you all do as well. It's getting late, we need to eat, work, the same things you do."
"We'll see you guys again," said Sailor Leo with a smile, waving at them. "We promise, we're here to help!"
"Hold on," said Sailor Venus, "stay! We have more to discuss!" With a jump, they were all out of sight. Venus sighed, hand on her temple. "I have a feeling this is gonna be the first of many headaches."
"Those Zodiac Sailor Guardians," said Sailor Jupiter, "I still don't trust them."
"That girl, Sailor Leo," said Mars, "there's something about her. She has an aura that feels ancient, and yet not at the same time."
"New Sailor Guardians?" Usagi was on the phone with Mamoru, who was incredibly worried as he shuffled some paperwork.
"It's really weird," said Usagi, a finger messing with her new transformation pendant that at the moment was just a large silver and ruby star pendant that hung on a silver chain, "but I don't think they mean any harm. When we fought together, I got a new transformation with Moon Universe Power!"
"That all sounds really dangerous," said Mamoru, starting to pack. "I'm coming back. I can cut my research early. Besides, they can carry on without me. I'm not exactly an expert in this field anyway, the paper I wrote was just insightful and they did research before I got here anyway. I was going to tell you I would be coming back early but I'll leave now."
"You don't have to cut your trip short," Usagi insisted. "Please, we've got it handled. You don't have to come back early!"
"I'm coming back early anyway," he said. "The research will be done in three weeks, maybe sooner. What's the difference if I come a little early? I can just change my flight, it's really easy."
"I won't allow it," she said fiercely. "You should stay until the end!"
"I can't if you're in danger Usako," he said, throwing some things in a suitcase. "I won't leave you alone in another crisis again. I don't want to watch you suffer."
"I won't," she promised. "Like I said, I think that the Zodiac Sailor Guardians are our friends. I trust them, even if me and Ami-chan are the only ones who do."
"Ami trusts them," Mamoru asked, a little surprised.
"Well, more like she thinks they came with good intentions like I do," Usagi said thoughtfully. She held up the pendant that now held her Silver Crystal. "When we combined our powers, I got an entirely new transformation item, but it's not a broach. It's a new pendant."
"A pendant," repeated Mamoru. "That's new."
"It is," she admitted, "but it's really pretty, and it looks a little different than it normal does when I transform." She smiled brightly. "Plus it's silver and red, so it goes with almost all of my outfits!"
"Well I'm glad that you seem happy," said Mamoru with a smile. "I think that if you trust them then you should, but also be wary. I don't want you to get hurt because you're so kind. At the same time, you should trust your heart. Your heart is always true."
"You're so sweet Mamo-chan," she said with hearts in her eyes. "I love you so much!" She yelled, seeing the clock on her dresser. "Wah! It's so late! I've got school in the morning!"
"Go to sleep Usako," she said with a chuckle. "I'll be back in three weeks then, so stay safe until then."
"I promise I will," she said cheerfully. "I should get some sleep. We've got a lot to do tomorrow now! Good night Mamo-chan!"
"Sleep tight Usako," he said back with a smile, "and have good dreams." She heard the dial tone and walked out of the room, humming happily as she put the phone back on the receiver.
"Mamo-chan, my Mamo-chan," she said happily, "I'm gonna see you soon!"
"Usagi-chan," said Luna, looking up at the girl as she started going back to her room, "did you tell Mamoru what happened?"
"Of course," she said with a pout. "He has to know! He's my future king, so he's gotta know what's going on."
"And what did he say," Luna asked.
"He said he trusts what I think about Sailor Leo," said Usagi with a smile. "I bet he'll get along with her when he gets back."
"If she's still here," Luna reminded. "From what I saw they didn't even mean to get involved with that fight."
"I think they'll be around for a while," said Usagi confidently. "I think that they want to help us! Believe in Sailor Leo, okay Luna?"
"I'm not going to trust them just yet," said Luna as they reached Usagi's room. "You're free to do it but only you and Ami-chan trust them. Be prepared for the resistance of the other Guardians."
"I know," said Usagi, sighing as she sat down on her bed, staring up at the moon. "They don't trust the Zodiac Sailor Guardians, but I do."
"Oh Usagi-chan," sighed Luna, "you still have so much to learn."
"Riku-chan," cheered Mesujishi, running up to her friend at the gates of the school with Kyofu and Asha behind her, "I didn't know you left for school early today?" She looked side to side, her shining star shaped pendant with a green jewel swinging back and forth. "Where's Gin-chan and Kin-chan?"
"They're in the tech club room working on another project," said Riku with a small smile. "You sure are running late though." She looked past Mesujishi, towards Kyofu and Asha. "You guys didn't get her up?"
"We tried," said Asha with a sigh, "but she just wouldn't get up no matter what we did."
"Just like always," sighed out Kyofu. "We even dumped water on her and she didn't get up until right before we had to leave."
"Come on," whined Mesujishi, tearing up, "why do you guys always gotta make fun of me? You know it's hard for me to sleep at night!"
"It's hard for us too," teased Riku, "and yet we manage to wake up."
"You're so mean Riku-chan," whimpered Mesujishi.
"One of these days you'll get your emotions under control," said Asha with a teasing smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head, "but clearly that day is not today."
"I can't help being emotional," said Mesujishi. "I have a lot of feelings!"
"We know," chuckled Kyofu, "and it's one of the reasons that we love you so much Mesu-chan!"
"So they do already know each other," noted Makoto, watching them from a distance. "Maybe they have to do with the Xulus."
"It's possible," said Minako, standing next to her as they watched with Ami. Her eyes focused on Mesujishi's pendant. "Did she have that before? I have a feeling about that pendant but I'm not sure what I should be feeling."
"We should be careful, just in case," said Ami, typing in her computer. "We need to gather all the information on these girls that we can."
"Everyone," said Usagi cheerfully, her pendant hanging out for all to see, "Good morning!" The three girls smile when they saw her happily running up.
"She's always so bright," said Makoto. "We have to protect her."
"Even from herself," agreed Minako.
Song Of Hope: Whoo! That fight scene is out of the way, and I'm glad that it's done with! I meant to have this all as one chapter but unfortunately it got too long. I promise I'll have it be much shorter in the next chapter!
