Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Drake, Derek, Sasha, J. J., and the others are merely figments that have escaped from my imagination.
Author's Note: Okay, I have to dedicate this chapter to amaramichelle, for giving me my last seven reviews, and being the first to review Chapter One of Warriors of the Stars. Thank you! Alright, on with the story!
Chapter Two: Troubles
"So, this is everything?" Zack looked up from the screen of a brown laptop.
Sara nodded. "Everything Salem, Sola, Apollo and I could find out about it. I know it isn't much, but it has to be better than nothing."
He grunted, returning his attention to the data.
"What's going on?" Amara strode into the room, Michelle on her heels. "You all look so serious."
From his seat on the couch, Salem turned to look at the two new arrivals. "This may want to wait until everyone's here."
"Not another enemy," stated Michelle, shocked.
Salem shrugged. "We don't know yet. I just figure everyone should get told at once."
No sooner had he spoken than Mal, Nate, and Drake entered the room.
"Thanks, guys. Some of the assignments for my photography class can be a little weird." Mal slid his camera back into the orange bag he used to carry all his photography equipment in. "Hopefully those will meet criteria."
Drake lifted one shoulder, before dropping down into his favorite black armchair. "So, didn't get a chance to say welcome to Tokyo the other day."
Sola and Apollo both leapt up from their positions on the floor, running towards Mal. The white-haired man dropped to one knee and ruffled the fur on both of their heads.
"Missed you guys. How's Le Lune?"
Apollo tilted his golden head. "Peaceful, now that the Heartsnatchers are gone."
The sound of footsteps came from down the hall, as Trista swept in from the front door. Jason and Hotaru emerged from the hall, looking back over their shoulders.
"You'll have to ask him, Sere. I don't think he'll mind," stated Jason.
The moon princess glided into the room behind him, a pair of white ice-skates in her hand.
"Hey, Zack. I have a favor to ask," she began, pausing at the look on his face. "Alright, what Nega-creep has crawled up this time?"
"We don't know. All we have is a massing of Negaenergy here in Tokyo. We can't even get a read on where," explained Sara, pushing several strands of red-brown hair behind her ears. "Along with some other strange readings we couldn't understand. Zack's analyzing them now."
"Considering the data was coming in in Ancient Terran, it's not surprising," muttered the green-eyed blonde. He stretched out and grabbed a blue case from his book bag, pulling out a thin-rimmed pair of glasses.
Mal frowned. "I thought you weren't having trouble anymore?"
"For short term periods, I don't have to wear them. This could take hours to sort through. If I'm going to be staring at the screen for that long, it's a good idea for me to put them on. Amy has the same situation. We can see fine without them, but long periods staring at computer screens and small print mean we pull them out. Keeps us from having trouble later," he explained, distractedly.
His brother nodded, satisfied. Turning, he looked at the other members of their group.
"Anyone notice anything strange, recently, besides the new students? I mean, we haven't had any monsters attack recently," he stated.
Serena nodded. "And that worries me. If there is someone plotting something, why aren't they coming after us? The longer they stay in hiding, the more worried I'll get."
"We'll handle things, Sere," stated Nate, placing a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing we can't handle. Absolutely nothing."
"Pride goes before the fall, Nate," commented Amara, sending him a disapproving look.
Jason frowned. "I haven't said anything, but I've been having a bit of difficulty seeing into the Fire, recently. The visions are very chaotic, random, disorganized. I really don't know how to explain it. I guess it's like getting a whole series of signals at once. I was having trouble sorting them out, so I went to talk to Raye. We could always see things more clearly together during the Silver Millennium, so I figured we'd try again."
"And, did you see anything?" Michelle asked.
"Yeah, we did." His face darkened.
Amara quirked up one eyebrow. "Well?"
"The city was in ruins, and we were all running to face the enemy, all the Inner Scouts, the Outer Scouts, all of the Knights, including Aaron, and Serena and Darien were there, too. There were five of them, dressed in long hooded cloaks. We couldn't make anything out, except the cloaks. And there was a sixth figure, hovering behind them. She was silhouetted against flames, rising from the ruins of the city, so we couldn't tell much about her, either. But, we couldn't touch any of them. They dodged everything we threw at them, and we all fell to their attacks." He stared at the floor, unable to meet their gazes. "And, when we were all defeated, the woman in the back let out this shiver-inducing cackle. I've never heard anything like it, and I never want to hear that sound again."
Serena frowned. "But we're warned, now. We'll be more prepared, won't we?"
"I don't know, Sere. I really don't know."
"Well, I guess it's pointless for you to ask now, Serena," commented Hotaru. "I was looking forward to you teaching me."
Zack glanced up from the screen. "Ask what?"
"I was going to ask if you could turn the basement floor to ice. I was going to teach Hotaru how to ice skate. We could head down to the rink in town, instead, though."
"It's time to test our powers against those pesky Scouts and Knights," declared the shadowed woman, sitting on her hardened ooze throne. "I don't want the five of you to engage them in battle just yet. Nor do I want you to use my Savage Shades. Send some of those left-over youma we found from Beryl's hideout. The ones we amplified the power on. I want to know everything about these so-called warriors. Every single last weakness we can exploit. I've almost located the first Key Point of Crystal Tokyo. When I have, be ready to destroy it."
The five cloaked figures bowed, disappearing back into the gloom.
"Darien, we've got a monster in the park." Amy's voice came over the cell phone he held in his hand. "Mars, Jupiter, Venus and I are already on our way."
Darien nodded. "Wyvern and I will meet you there."
He turned, looking at the young teenager standing next to him. "Are you ready, Aaron?"
In answer, Aaron pulled an obsidian dagger from his sub-space pocket and grinned.
"Terran Wyvern of Obsidian!"
A smile crossed Darien's face as he pulled out his transformation rose. Moments later, Tuxedo Mask and Tuxedo Wyvern were running across the rooftops of Tokyo, heading for the park.
"The energy readings are similar to the youma Beryl sent after us," muttered Mercury, staring through her visor. "But its as if someone altered them to make them stronger."
"Great," groaned Jupiter, pushing herself up off the ground. "Those things are going to be a real pain, aren't they?"
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"
A youma flew away from Venus, tumbling to the ground and rolling to a stop at the base of a tree. Slowly, it rose back to it's feet, shaking itself like a wet dog.
"Looks like a dog, and it acts like one, too," commented Venus, hurrying to stand beside her fellow scouts.
"Shadow Darkness Surround!"
The wolfish youma descending on Mars was blasted back by the attack from the short Tuxedo Wyvern. He landed between the scouts and the wolf youma, his obsidian dagger in his hands. With a flick of his wrist, the dagger shifted into a long staff.
"Beryl's youma made stronger?" Tuxedo Mask demanded, dropping down beside the scouts. "But I thought they were all gone."
Mars nodded. "So did we. And we can't even scratch these guys."
"Mind if we try?"
Sailor Uranus looked down at them from her perch on top of a light post. Only a few feet away, on another light post, stood Sailor Neptune. The two Outer Scouts nodded to each other.
"Uranus World Shaking!"
"Neptune Deep Submerge!"
The two youma dodged away from the attacks, leaping into the air to return the gesture.
"Crescent Tiara Crystal Magic!"
A golden discus came flying through the darkness, trapping the two youma in a golden ring, pinning them to each other.
"Now!" Crystal Crescent yelled, running into the park, her rose wand in her hand.
Uranus and Neptune nodded, their talismans dropping out of their sub-space pockets and into their hands. Voices rang out from the darkness, surrounding the youma.
"Dragon Earth Shatter!"
"Phoenix Dark Spirit Dispel!"
"Gryphon Star Whirlwind!"
"Sphinx Frozen River!"
"Netherworld Nightmare Strike!"
"Pluto Dead Scream!"
"Saturn Silent Glaive!"
"Space Sword Blaster!"
"Submarine Reflection!"
Crystal Crescent lifted her gold rose wand, delivering the final blow to the trapped youma. "Royal Crystal Moon Beams!"
The two youma shrieked as the ten attacks converged on them. When the light from the blast cleared, two piles of dust were lying in the middle of the park, and Crystal Crescent's tiara was rematerializing on her forehead.
"That was impressive," commented Tuxedo Mask, bowing slightly towards the gold and silver scout.
She didn't answer, turning her nose slightly into the air as she walked away from him. Uranus and Neptune landed beside her, following her away from the battlefield.
"That's a start, your highness," stated Tuxedo Cerberus, approaching them. "It may not seem like it right now, but you are getting closer to winning her back."
"But he's still got a long way to go," added Tuxedo Dragon, shaking his head.
"Mars, look," whispered Tuxedo Phoenix.
The red scout turned at his voice, noting the direction of his gaze. Five figures stood on the roof of a nearby building, watching them. Cloaks billowed around them in the night wind.
"It's them." Horror filled her voice. "It's the five of them from the vision."
He nodded, his eyes wide behind his mask. They watched, holding their breath, until the five of them disappeared into the darkness.
"Who are they?"
"Well, they did pretty good, tonight," observed Derek, looking down at J. J.
The two fourteen year old boys were perched in a tree, just out of view of the Scouts and the Knights. Carter, Hope, and Jenna had claimed another tree, while Sasha and Hayden had claimed their own.
"For altered leftovers, they were pretty pathetic," retorted Jenna. "They fell into Crystal Crescent's trap, easy-peasy."
Hayden nodded. "The real enemy will be much stronger. Destruction wasn't the aim tonight. They were gauging abilities."
"Still, they didn't need us," added J. J. "For now, at least."
The seven of them waited until the last of the scouts had left before emerging from their trees and heading back towards Hayden's apartment.
Not even the seven from the future noticed the two dark shapes watching from behind a tall, wide tree at the other end of the clearing in the park.
And here's chapter two! So, who is this new enemy? And who was watching from behind the tree? Stay tuned to find out! (Cue evil laugh) Now, I beg you! Review! Review! Review!