Chapter One

The Turning of a Page, A New Chapter Begins

"Let me see..."

Aino Nakomi, daughter of the senshi of love, Aino Minako, stared at the magazine laying in front of her with bright blue eyes quickly scanning the lines of text. Barano Moriko, daughter of the late senshi of wood, Barano (Kino) Makoto, rolled her green eyes and sighed melodramatically, saying, "By the time you find it to read, the prediction won't even apply anymore!"

Nakomi ignored the brunette and trailed her finger along the page, murmuring, "Gemini, Gemini, where is it? Where is i-Oh! Found it!" She flashed a brilliant smile in Moriko's direction and carefully read, "Gemini, now is your time to search for a new love. Break off your old romances and search for someone new." She quirked one eyebrow, threw her arms up to the ceiling, and sighed loudly.

"How can I search for someone new if I don't have someone old to dump first?"

Moriko giggled and replied, "If I were you, I'd be more worried about being dumped than actually doing the dumping."

Nakomi's head whipped in the direction of her friend, sitting opposite of her, and exclaimed with mock indignation, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?!"

Moriko flashed her a horrible face, and Nakomi smirked and added, "It's no wonder you don't have a boyfriend! With a face like that, you're lucky your own sister will come near you!" The brunette heaved a pillow at her, and Nakomi tumbled backwards, shrieking with laughter.

"Keep it down up there!" Aino Aikin, the elder of the two, and only son of Aino Minako, rolled his eyes with mock-exasperation and shrugged at his mother.

"I tried." He said mournfully, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"I guess that's all I can ask for." Minako laughed lightly. Even after living for several hundred years, she looked fantastic, her age only making her look mature, rather than old. With the eternal body of someone in her late twenties and hundreds of years of experience behind her, Minako was far more formidable than she looked. Aikin snatched a cookie off of the plate she was carrying and peered at it suspiciously.

"Did you make these?" His mother had the decency to look offended even as she said, "Of course not! I don't want to poison Moriko-chan!"

The tall blond rolled his eyes in his mother's general direction and wryly answered, "But it's okay to poison your own children?"

Minako shrugged and replied, "Of course! I can always make more."

Aikin popped the cookie into his mouth, brushed a few stray strands of golden hair from his eyes and said, "I've gotta go. Umina's waiting for me. I don't like to give Tensei too much free time to rip me up. I prefer to hear his complaining in person."

Minako motioned that she wanted a kiss from her departing son, and when he supplied her with a quick peck on the cheek she said, "Try not to fight with him. I know it can be difficult, but Tensei's under a lot of pressure. Haruka-san expects so much from him..."

Aikin rolled his eyes and answered, "Yeah, and the rest of us take life as a stroll through the park. I have to go. Later!"

"Bye," She murmured softly. She stared pensively at the floor for a few moments, shrugged her shoulders, and bit into one of the cookies. There was another crash from upstairs, and Minako bustled up the stairs, food in hand, hoping that her daughter's room had at least remained intact this time around.

0

"Why are you looking so anxious?" Kaiou-Tenou Tensei, son of Kaiou Michiru and Tenou Haruka, peered at his twin sister, Umina, with suspicion from his position on the floor. A large book lay open but forgotten in front of him, and his sister stammered, "No reason. I'm just standing here, that's all." Tensei nodded his head sagely, his dark green hair catching the light slightly and gleaming.

"I see," He replied softly, "You always hover around in the hallway, and in seventeen years of living with you, I just never noticed this particular habit."

Umina smirked at him and turned her nose up slightly. "Of course that's it." She added offhandedly, "I've always said you weren't very observant."

He growled at her playfully and turned his attention back to the thick textbook he was reading. Inwardly, Umina sighed with relief. She hated fighting with her brother. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror opposite the bedroom.

I don't look half bad, she thought with satisfaction.

With a toned body, sleek arms and legs, and beautiful aqua hair the same color as her mother's, Umina knew that she was an eyeful. She turned slightly, admiring the way the short, yellow skirt emphasized her legs without making them seem over-muscular, and Tensei, without looking up from his book, rolled his eyes and said, "If you're going to do that, don't stand in the doorway of my bedroom. You have your own room for that sort of thing." She made a face at him, but moved away.

Maybe if I wait near the entryway, I can run out the door before he hears the bell...

As if fate was plotting against her, the doorbell chimed overhead. Tensei immediately appeared at his door and glowered at her with a black look.

"You were waiting for that stupid, Aino, weren't you?"

Umina shrugged noncommittally, and Tensei, still scowling at her, snapped, "If you're going to go out with him, don't lie to me about it. He's bad enough without making you a liar."

Before she could respond, he whirled around and slammed the door in her face. Umina sighed heavily and went to answer the door.

0

"That's right, come here. I won't hurt you." Nichino Kazaki, daughter of Nichino (Hino) Rei, held her breath and extended her hand forward another inch. The tiny bird cocked its head at her curiously and the girl laughed softly.

"Come on," She said softly, "I know we can be friends." She ignored the strand of short, raven-black hair that fell forward into her violet eyes, and concentrated all her energy on the curious, but timid little bird.

"Don't be afraid. I-" The roar of a motorcycle suddenly tore through the air like a gunshot, and spooked, the bird took to the air in a flurry of feathers. Kazaki's head shot up, a look of pure annoyance written plainly on her face.

"What the heck?" She scowled as the rider gunned the engine, and managed to catch a glimpse of the offending bike as it shot by.

"Aikin and Umina! I should have known..."

She sighed, her anger quickly fading, and murmured, "I guess that's what I get for trying this in a public park. Maybe next time I'll go over to the shrine." She got slowly, but gracefully to her feet, brushed the grass off the back of her pants and walked away, passing by a small pond as she did so.

Ameno Mizumi, dressed in a light blue dress, daughter of Ameno (Mizuno) Ami, sighed with contentment as she leaned against the trunk of the tree. Every now and then a ripple in the pond would appear, throwing rings of water lapping against the shore. She closed her blue eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the sound of the water. The noise of the motorcycle had already faded into the distance, and Mizumi resubmerged herself in the book in her lap. Her dark blue hair was held back with a light blue, velvet ribbon, keeping it efficiently out of her eyes.

"Princess Serenity-sama was alone at this point," Mizumi read quietly, "the Inner Senshi, her guardians, had fallen, one-by-one, to the minions of Metallia..." She trailed off and stared up at the blue sky, murmuring, "I wonder what it would be like to be a senshi. Could I allow myself to die to save another?"

A falcon flew low overhead, and the sunlight reflected off of silver feathers. Mizumi noted the odd color only absently; everyone knew that the unique silver bird belonged to the princess.

0

Tsukino Usa-chan, Neo-Princess Serenity, second heir for the throne of Crystal Tokyo, shielded her eyes from the sun and waited for the return of her falcon, Eclipse.

Some of them are at the park, the silver bird projected directly into her mind. I just saw Aikin, Umina, Kazaki, and Mizumi. I don't know where the others are.

Usa considered it for a moment, absentmindedly biting at her lip as she did so, and finally said aloud to herself, "Nakomi-chan and Moriko-chan are probably shopping together somewhere. Tensei could be anywhere. He's very unpredictable."

"What's that, dear?" Her mother, Neo-Princess Selenity, called out to the balcony from inside the palace. She stuck her head out for a moment, her pink, pointed odango-styled hair appearing seconds ahead of her.

"Did you say something?"

Usa shook her head, her own dark hair in a similar, but more complex style of double odango, and smiled, saying, "Nope. Just thinking out loud."

Selenity nodded and ducked back inside.

Usa sighed lightly. Ever since she had returned from the past a year ago, things had been different.

Maybe I'm just expecting too much. Things were boring for years before the Labyrinth went berserk. I could be stuck in monotony for hundreds of years before something exciting happens again.

Of course, the fact that she found herself yearning for excitement again should have been a testament to just how much she had changed after last year. Usa-chan, second in line for the throne held by an immortal, had grown up quiet and withdraw, convinced that nothing she did could possibly make a difference in the world around her. Things had only gotten worse as she'd grown older and isolated the few tentative relationships she'd managed to form.

All that had changed when Sailorpluto had called on her to travel back in time in an attempt to save Crystal Tokyo. Usa-chan had found herself surrounded by more people than she knew what to do with, each of them reaching out to her. Even the children of the senshi had warmed to her, and she missed the bound that they had formed during that brief time.

Not that she wanted everything to go back to the way it had been during her brief leadership of the senshi of Crystal Tokyo. The friendship had been nice, but the constant fear of death and the actual leadership parts had been less than fun.

Being the leader is something I can do without. Still...to be Sailormoon again...it might almost be worth it...

She shuddered and shook her head, muttering, "Nah. Probably not. Being the boss is way too much responsibility for me!"

I am returning.

Usa automatically lifted her forearm to the sky, and moments later, Eclipse's heavy body settled on her. He carefully walked up her heavily gloved arm to rest on a leather pad covering her shoulder.

From inside, her mother called, "Usa-chan? How about this one? You never wore it because Ami-chan fell sick the day of the party, and it was a gift..."

Usa froze, and felt her blood run cold. Dreading the answer, she replied, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing right now? I feel fine, and I have no intention of going anywhere the rest of the day." Something slammed inside, and Selenity slid out onto the balcony.

"You forgot." She said flatly, staring at her daughter with a mixture of amazement and resignation.

Usa sighed heavily and responded, "Whose party is it now? Maybe another annoying man has come to seek my hand in marriage? Grandmother is dealing with yet another man who thinks he can oust King Endymion? We have another day to celebrate how wonderful the senshi are?" At this last remark, Selenity interrupted.

"That's uncalled for. We owe them a lot. They deserve to have a day of recognition."

Usa shook her head and replied, "They have several. They don't want recognition, Mother. You know all they want is to be left alone by the general public. They hate it when they have to stand up in front of everyone like some kind of freak show, and I personally can't say that I blame them. I can't stand it when I have to do it as the princess..."

Neo-Princess Selenity shook her head briskly and said, "That's beside the point. This party is to celebrate new trade routes opening up."

Usa looked at her mother incredulously and said, "You want me to get dressed up in an ugly, uncomfortable dress for hours to celebrate trade routes?! Are you out of your mind?! Why would anyone want to come to something like that?"

Selenity sighed and answered, "We're expected to make a public appearance as heirs to the throne. Under the table, this is mostly just an excuse for all of us former senshi to get together and talk about old times without the pressures of duty weighing on us."

The young girl made a face and sourly said, "I'm not a former senshi, remember?"

Silently she added, Because, if you did remember, you'd realize that I am a former senshi.

Continuing out loud she finished, "That brooch you and grandmother gave me for my last birthday is very pretty, but let's face it-"

It's far less powerful than the one I used to have.

"This is Crystal Tokyo. Nothing bad ever happens here. I'm never going to need to transform into Sailormoon." Truthfully, Usa didn't know why she was being so stubborn about going to the party. It was a minor thing, and it was quite possible she'd be able to slip out after an hour or so had passed.

You are afraid it will hurt too much.

What? Usa glanced at the falcon sitting calmly on her shoulder.

You are afraid that seeing the senshi talking about all of their experiences will make you think about your own senshi even more. You miss their companionship, and you are afraid seeing other senshi will make your own loneliness even worse.

Usa sighed with resignation and said, "Which dress did you have in mind?"

After all, making Mother miserable won't help me any. Besides, she added to Eclipse, what do you know anyway? Who said anything about being lonely?

0

This is terrible. Why did I ever agree to come here?

Usa-chan sighed heavily and picked at the gaudy flowers adorning her dress. She shifted uncomfortably and played with a strand of long, black hair that had fallen over her shoulder and into her lap.

Sneak out after an hour or so. Yeah. Right.

She sighed unhappily and looked out over the dance floor. Couples in multicolored outfits whirled around like they had wings, and Usa could do nothing but envy them. Inheriting the clumsiness from her mother's side of the family, the princess was lucky to walk in heavy gowns without tripping. Dancing, in any form, was out of the question. As if to mock her clumsy feet, Aikin and Umina floated by on the dance floor. She was in a beautiful aqua dress that matched her eyes and hair perfectly, he looked handsome in a black tuxedo. Usa stifled a laugh as she saw Nakomi and Moriko creeping alongside the dance floor, trying to keep pace with Aikin and his partner without looking like they were trailing him. Nakomi's face held a look of intense jealousy, and she had Moriko's arm clenched in a stranglehold.

In a year, none of them has changed at all.

Usa scanned the floor for other long missed, but cherished, faces. Mizumi, as usual, was trailing alongside her mother and father, nodded her head politely every time they stopped to talk to someone. She looked fantastic in a fitted, light blue silk dress that fell to the floor but had a slit up the side, revealing a shapely leg. Kazaki, looking uncomfortable in her ballooned skirt and massive red dress, trailed after her mother as best she could, getting lost in the crowd every few minutes. Usa-chan cringed and wondered who had picked out the other girl's outfit.

As if you could talk. Look at yourself for a minute or two.

Her mouth twisted in distaste and she shut her eyes tightly. Maybe if I don't look at it, it will get better.

She risked a peek and gave up. Nothing was going to fix the monstrosity that she'd been forced in to.

With huge, blue, gaudy, silk, flowers stitched on it at random intervals, the dress was only made worse but the strange color fading at equally random intervals. Although it was primarily dark blue, there were patches of lighter blue, and occasionally even white.

She rolled her eyes, smiled wryly at no one, and scanned the crowd for the last of "her" group. Tensei had found himself a deserted corner, no small feat in a heavily crowded ballroom, and seemed to be staring at the ceiling. Usa clutched at her dress.

Maybe you should ask him to dance. It couldn't hurt. He was your friend as a senshi...sort of. Maybe he'd be your friend as the princess if you'd just talk to him.

Truthfully, although she doubted he would be openly rude, Usa knew all she was likely to get from Tensei was a cool politeness; even his sister would have been hard-pressed to get him to dance, and Usa knew she stood well below Umina in Tensei's mind. However, even as she tried to reassure herself that his imagined rejection was nothing personal, she still felt her eyes burn slightly. She told herself again that she wasn't lonely and twisted the strand of hair more tightly around her fingers.

Outside, in the dimly lit rose garden, no one saw the momentary ripple of the very fabric of reality itself. One of the palace dogs yawned widely, stretched, turned in circle and flopped back down. Moments later, a gleaming silver falcon soared overhead. Its sharp eyes scanned the area, apparently seeing perfectly by the light of the full moon, and obviously spotting nothing out of the ordinary, it moved on.

Usa covered a yawn with one hand and rubbed her eye sleepily. Her grandmother and grandfather seemed to be having a fantastic time. When they weren't talking animatedly with the numerous guests, they were socializing with the senshi or dancing on the floor. She sighed softly and wondered for the millionth time when people were going to start leaving.

"Hey, Koneko-chan. Not having a good time?"

Usa jumped as a hand clasped her shoulder, but relaxed immediately when she recognized the voice. She gratefully turned towards the speaker, noticing the fashionable tuxedo as she did so. Tenou Haruka, "father" to both Umina and Tensei, was probably Usa's favorite of her grandmother's senshi. The masculine woman always seemed to know just what to say, and in times of difficulty, she and Michiru had often been the ones to guide the young princess, rather than her own already emotionally frazzled mother.

"Onee-chan!" Usa smiled but shook her head ruefully. "Well... I don't think I'm cut out for this ballroom party thing. I'm not very good at dancing, and I don't really know very many people here."

Haruka chuckled and said, "Michiru suggested I come over and see if you wanted some company. She, as usual, has her hands full with the men of the gala." She shook her head with mock dismay and said, "She told me she has her eye on several potential winners this time."

Usa rolled her eyes and laughed lightly. She rose to her feet, careful not to trip on her hideous dress, and tipped her head slightly to better see the older woman's face. Usa wasn't short, but Haruka was still several inches taller than her.

"As if Michiru-onee-chan would ever-" She stopped abruptly as the palace shuddered almost imperceptibly. She frowned and quietly said, "Did you just feel that?"

Her playful expression gone, Haruka nodded sharply and said, "Yes, and I don't like the way the energy suddenly feels in here."

She squeezed Usa's shoulder and added, "Koneko-chan, I'm going to go and talk with your mother, the senshi, and your grandparents. At the first sign of trouble, I want you out of here and going to somewhere safe."

Usa started to protest, but Haruka cut her off and firmly said, "Promise me you'll leave the ballroom if things start to go wrong."

The princess bit her lip and murmured, "I want to help."

"The best way you can help is by not getting in the way. Let us senshi do our job, okay?" Haruka's words drove a knife deep into Usa's heart, despite the fact that she knew the woman hadn't meant them in a cruel way.

She thinks all I'll do is get in the way...Maybe that used to be true, but I was Sailormoon! I'll show all of them! I can help. She nodded her head dutifully and said, "If there's a sign of trouble I'll leave the ballroom."

Silently, she added, I won't stay out of the ballroom, but I'll leave it long enough to get my henshin brooch. Haruka nodded and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Sorry, Onee-chan. I don't want to lie to you, but you'd never believe me if I told you I've been Sailormoon before. Besides...it wasn't an actual lie...more of a half-truth. She still felt guilty, but eased herself by adding, Once they see you can be Sailormoon, they won't think of you as a burden, and Onee-chan will see that she was wrong.

She sat calmly on the throne, quietly surveying the guests and wondered what was going to happen next.

The stars in the black velvet sky distorted slightly as the space around them twisted and shivered.

Usa frowned as another tremor shook through her bones. On the floor, Kazaki had stopped struggling to keep up with her mother, and was instead standing completely still, a confused look on her face. The senshi, Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and Neo-Princess Selenity had all shuffled off the floor, and were talking in a huddling group to one side. Haruka was talking animatedly with her hands, and Michiru was holding the Deep Aqua Mirror, her talisman, in her hands. Ami had a small blue computer in one hand, and was rapidly punching keys with the other.

Kazaki tipped her head to one side, and moments later Usa felt another twitch from the palace. Usa watched Rei's daughter carefully, and slowly turned to look at each of the people who had made up her team of senshi. Sure enough, moments before the next tremor, each of the children of the senshi would pause and cock their heads as if listening to something no one else could hear.

What are they sensing? I have to look within myself for guidance...

Usa closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves and the frantic thoughts racing around inside her mind.

There.

Moments later, another tiny vibration stole through her.

It almost sounded like a person...

A quick glance around the room told Usa that most of the guests were blissfully unaware if the strange vibrations happening directly under their feet. Usa closed her eyes and started concentrating again, only to be nearly defended when a female voice inside her mind screamed, "HELP ME!"

She clapped her hands over her ears, and each of the children of the senshi did the same. There was the sound of a huge explosion directly outside, and a massive shock wave threw everyone to the ground.

USA-CHAN! Eclipse screamed telepathically, Something is wrong! The energy levels for this reality are going out of control! Come outside! QUICKLY!

Usa leapt to her feet, only to be thrown back onto the throne as a girl wearing a sailorfuku appeared out of thin air and landed on top of her.

"Please," She whispered weakly, "you've got to help me. They're...they're...it's"

She trailed off, and her indigo eyes rolled back into her head. Usa felt the girl's body go completely limp, and the princess whispered, "A sailor...senshi?"

She cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled, "Somebody help me! Help me!"