Dancing in the Pale Moonlight
By: PhoenixJustice
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is property of Naoko Takeuchi. Certain things mentioned from Sailor Moon Universal A & B belong to Jendra. I only own this story and make no profit from this.
Warning: Rated M for language, future sexual content, language, mentions of yuri and yaoi, original characters, etc.
Pairings: (eventual) Seiya/Usagi, Mamoru/Usagi, Haruka/Michiru, etc.
Setting: post-Sailor StarS anime. Spoilers for the anime as well as the manga, spoilers for Universal A & B as well.
Summary: She could only hope that this piece of peace would last much longer than the last had.
A/N: The chapter names, if it isn't apparent, are based off the kinda format that the episodes of Sailor Moon: Sailor StarS was written in. xD
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Chapter Two - In the darkness! A New Senshi Appears on the scene!
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The new girl, Anna, takes in everything with a curiosity and pleasant look, which surprises him. Not that people foreign to Japan didn't, or couldn't, truly appreciate the place the first time around (he remembered all too clearly his own experience when he first arrived in the country, under Uncle Jake's care, and how a odango haired blonde girl had completely changed his world-for the better. His sister was like his other half. Which he supposed made sense since they were twins. Were twins in this life like they had been in the last.)
She also listens attentively to everything he says. Once or twice their eyes catch, or nearly catch, causing him to become a bit flustered and look away. This fluttering feeling in his chest was something new to him. Not that Travis hadn't liked anyone before or not been attracted to anyone before, because he had (Crystal, for one, had been someone like that. Though it hadn't worked out for them. They had quickly found out that they worked better as friends. And she was a dear one to him) but this one felt a bit...more, somehow?
"And this is the Fruits Parlor Crown-it's apart of the Crown game center-where a lot of us spend our time, when we're not at the arcade." He says, pointing up at it, from where it was situated higher up from them. "They've got a lot of good food here; my sister showed this place to me not too long after I arrived in Japan."
Part of that hadn't been under the best circumstances at the time, however, due to the Senshi's pushing away from Usagi then, because of Wiseman's machinations. Thankfully they had managed to deal with Wiseman's illusions and falsehoods and take care of him.
"You talk about your sister a lot." Anna remarks a moment later.
He pauses, turning back to look at her. Her face didn't look in any way out of the way, neither was her voice. Some people had rolled their eyes or even become dismissive of him when he talked about Usagi (even though they knew his situation of being an only child until coming to Japan, when he learned of her existence) but Anna didn't seem that way at all.
If anything, she had a smile on her face. It really brought out her face, opened her up and made her seem much more approachable. She was pretty.
He fights back a blush, instead doing his best to focus on her words instead.
"She's the best-except when she tries to steal my lunch because she forgot hers." He says wryly.
She laughs.
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New things, however interesting at first, tend to lose their luster after while. And though she still gets a bit of notice, after a few days the new transfer student starts to becomes less of the center attention than she had when she first arrived. Instead, there was a new murmur around school from students about a concert.
"All this excitement...I don't get it. It's so secret."
"That's why! Because it's so secret! They wouldn't go through all this trouble for just anyone! Especially at the Tokyo Dome!"
"I wonder who it is." another voice chimes in.
"Maybe a new idol group? Ooh! Just imagine!"
"Or maybe the reformation of another musical act? Or a duo? Just imagine Gackt and Hyde!"
"Or-"
"Or-"
And that is the general train of thought and speech from students. It didn't take long for the huge enthusiasm of the other classes to soon invade Usagi and the others' classroom. In breaks (and sometimes with students whispering to each other during class, to Miss Nerada's obvious irritation), students were talking to each other about it.
Minako, with her finger on the pulse of all things pop culture related things as obvious as ever (her dream was to be a well known Idol, after all), quickly sweeps up the rest of their group in the fervor over the mystery concert. Which is how they find themselves at lunch discussing the matter.
"Tickets aren't even on sale yet, but some people are already getting in ticket lines for it!" Minako says, her eyes shining. Things like this were right up her alley and she was obviously very much enjoying herself over it. "And nothing, nothing, has been released about it!"
"They're very brave to try and put on something this big without any information about it." is Ami's comment about the situation. She is mostly absorbed in her book she had brought with her (and although she had enjoyed concerts and the like with them in the past, it wasn't as important to her as it was to the others.)
"It has to be someone big!" Makoto exclaims, a dainty sandwich (no doubt having been made by her, as good as her cooking skills were) clutched, forgotten, in her hand. "They'd never take the risk of something this big with someone new."
"You think?" Usagi muses, mouth pouting in thought. "But it'd be a good way to get people's eyes on them, wouldn't it? More potential sales?"
They all stop and stare at her.
"You don't have to look so surprised!" She huffs.
They laugh.
The discussion gets talked about again and Usagi finds herself drawn into her own thoughts while the others argue about who it could be.
'Search for your love-'
She flinches against the sudden thought. She hadn't been to a concert since then, since the last time the Three Lights had played. Her heart clenches in her chest and she closes her eyes. If only they...but no. They had left Earth. For reasons she could completely understand, of course, but that still didn't mean she didn't feel sad about it. They had all become very dear to her.
'Odango!'
'I told you I would protect you if something happened.'
'Am I not good enough?'
She jerks out of it, emotion catching her throat. There it was again, that tide of confusion.
Seiya...
"-I really don't think it's them. What do you think, Usagi? Usagi?" Her brother prods her, making her jump a bit.
"Oh! Uh," Everyone's eyes are on her now. "Um. Sorry, lost in thought. What were we talking about again?"
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Usagi's bemused by Minako, looking at her as she's geared up for what looks like everything she could possibly need.
"What's this?" She asks her.
"What do you think? I think those people waiting have the right idea! As it is, the lines are so big plus any possible ticket sales they might do online...who knows if we'll be able to get any tickets! They're going on sale soon! And who wants to miss the concert of the century? I mean look, even Travis is here!"
Travis puts up his hands. "I'm just heading my way to see Motoki. He asked me to try out some new recipes."
"Why don't I get to try new recipes?" Usagi whines.
"Because while we both have bottomless stomachs, I still know when to stop." Travis says wryly.
She swats at her brother who dances away, grinning. With a wave to the two girls, he's off. She turns back to Minako.
"So? Coming with?"
"I would." Usagi says. "But there's no way mom would let me stay in line that long."
"Ah, too bad. Well I'll try and get tickets for everyone-but no promises! I'll be lucky to get a ticket for myself at this rate!" Minako exclaims.
Usagi smiles. "I got it. See you, Mina-chan!"
"See you, Usagi-chan!"
She walks a bit, making her way across the small street to look at the Dome. She was really curious, but-
"It's interesting to see how many different kinds of people are turning out for this."
She turns to see the new transfer student, Anna, near her, her blue eyes looking down the long, long, line of people.
"It is, um S-St. Clair-san." She says, stumbling over the words a bit.
Anna turns to her and smiles. Although Anna looked like someone, from the looks of her clothing, as someone who came from wealth, she, like Travis, didn't act like it. She could have had a haughty look on her face, but her face is much softer and open instead.
"Just call me Anna." The other girl says, a bit of mischief in her tone. "I'm sure it's easier to say, after all!"
Usagi lets out a laugh at that.
"Then you must call me, Usagi, Anna-chan!" She says, extending her hand.
Anna starts to extend her hand, but stops, turning to look back over at where the long line of people waiting to get their tickets at the Dome stood.
"A car is pulling up." Anna says, sounding puzzled. "I wonder who it is?"
Usagi turns to look back over there as well. It was a black sleek looking car, looking fairly new (and fairly expensive at that.) But she wasn't able to make out anything as the windows were all tinted, leaving someone on the outside unable to see who was inside of it (but leaving the person or persons inside able to see outside just fine.)
"I don't know." She says, also puzzled. "Maybe someone is dropping off someone to get in line? Or they're getting in line?"
They both watch for a few moments but no one steps out of the vehicle (and no one tries to get in the vehicle as well.) After a couple of minutes the car drives off, leaving them both even more confused.
"What was that all about?" Usagi wonders aloud.
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She starts to make her way back home, taking her usual route through the local park, when she notices someone else she knows immediately.
"Mamo-cha-" She stops, watching him for a moment.
He looked pensive, focusing intently on the book he held in his hand. It looked like a schoolbook.
After the incident with Galaxia, he had been much more quiet than usual, more introverted. She had done what she could to liven up his spirits, but it had been feeling increasingly harder to reach him. Well! She just had to try harder, she supposed...
"Penny for your thoughts, Mamo-chan?" She asks, as she approaches.
He looks up at her from beneath his spectacles, looking surprised.
"Usako, I didn't hear you. Sorry."
She shakes her head. "Mm, it's okay. You looked busy. More schoolwork?"
He's quiet for a moment, looking down at the book again. She worries her hands behind her back where he doesn't see them. It was times like these she felt him pulling away from her again. Something had happened. She might act childish sometimes, or naive in others, but she wasn't stupid. Even she could tell when something was this wrong in front of her eyes.
Something had happened. Not just that he had been attacked by Galaxia or that she and the other Senshi had dealt with Chaos again, had dealt with a Chaos 'infected' Galaxia or the many other things, but something else. There was this disconnect now that she hadn't expected. It had thrown her for a loop when she first realized it.
After a ordeal like Galaxia, Chaos, the Sailor Animamates and all that entailed, it should have been the opportunity to bring them even closer together. But it hadn't. Instead she felt increasingly like an outsider looking in, when it came to Mamoru.
Not that he was mean or cruel. Or that he was even particularly cold, but there was this disconnect there now. It felt like a black hole that kept getting bigger and bigger, but instead of getting sucked in past the Event Horizon, she was getting pushed farther and farther away from it.
"Yes." He finally says, closing the book. "But it can wait if you want to-"
"Nn." She shakes her head, smiling (smiling helped keep other emotions at bay.) "It looks very important! And I promised mom I would get some things done at the house anyway."
"Ah."
It's quiet for a moment and she worries her hands some more.
"I'll see you later, Mamo-chan!" She says brightly and starts to continue her way home.
"Wait, Usako!"
She turns back. He looks at her for a long moment as if he wants to say something, but he shakes his head, giving her a faint smile.
"Nevermind, it's nothing. It can wait. Goodnight, Usako."
"Goodnight, Mamo-chan."
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She opens her eyes, gasping and quickly getting up. She looks around. The street was dark and empty. It was one she was familiar with, a few streets away from her own house. It was quiet, eerily so. But more than that...what had just happened? She had said a goodbye to Mamoru and had been making her way home. It hadn't even been dark yet. So why...
"Ah, you're a special one, aren't ya? No one else has been able to slip out of my Sleep Grasp." A voice whispers behind her.
She jumps away from the sound, immediately clutching her brooch. A man stood there. He was of an average height, maybe slightly taller, with bright red hair and light purple eyes, with a couple of earrings on the sides of each ear. He wore a black and white striped vest with no shirt, red gloves, and black pants with tan colored shoes.
He smiles at her and it immediately sends a chill down her spine. He looked ordinary, but her senses were screaming at her of Demon!
"I-" Before she can utter a single other thing, she jumps aside, barely, as something flushes past her, nearly hitting her, hitting the brick of a house near her and her eyes widen when she sees the areas hit evaporated in an instant. She looks back at the man, her heart in her throat.
He frowns, raising one of his hands slowly.
"Just stay still, won't you? I promise it won't hurt-" He licks his hand and she realizes then that he wasn't wearing gloves; his hands were completely covered in blood.
She recoils, gathering herself. She musn't let someone like this get to anyone else. Who knows what else he had done to others while she had been down.
"Moon Et-"
But she cannot finish the phrase to transform as he lets out a blast with his other hand, continuing to idly, almost boredly, lick his hand.
"Come now, come now. I could make it quick for you." He says, licking his lips of the blood that had gotten there. "But-"
He disappears.
"Moon Eternal-"
"That would take away my fun." He says, appearing next to her. She barely manages to dodge a blast at point blank range, ducking and hurrying to move away from him. "And the last thing I will ever do is to be bored. But look! Maybe this chase is what I needed. You're giving me more than the last brats in my way did."
He cackles, his purple eyes glowing menacingly. He felt far above most anything she had faced and she finds her hand trembling as it clutches her brooch.
"Moon Eternal!" She exclaims. "Make up!"
He tilts his head as he looks at her. "Is that some new catchphrase I don't know about?"
She looks at him, then down, in horror. Her brooch was as inert as it had been before she finished the phrase. She tries again.
"Moon Eternal! Make up!"
Again, nothing. Nothing. How could this be- The man lets out a breath, looking a bit miffed now.
"Okay, that was funny the first time but now you're boring me."
Her whole body trembles as the expression in his face changes. His eyes become full of a menace and evil that her body cannot stand. He flings his, now half bloodied, hand forward, letting loose a long grey-white blast her way three times as quick as the last one.
She had no time to get away. She wrenches her eyes closed-
'Odango-' 'Odango-'
-and opens them again. In front of her stood a girl in a sailor fuku that was primarily red, but the bows on her front and back are orange. Her hair is also a shade of orange, and quite long, trailing far down the girl's back.
"Stay back." The girl whispers.
"But-"
She gets pushed back by the girl and the girl leaps forward towards the man. The look in his eyes change.
"Little lamb ready for her slaughter, is she?" The man snarls.
"You're not as slick as you think you are." The girl hisses.
She extends her hands forward.
"Aries-"
A large star appears under the feet of the man.
"You think a pretty light show will stop me?" He growls.
He too leaps forward, sending blasts out with both of his hands this time.
"-Firestar Inferno!"
The star explodes into light and flames, with hundreds of small fire stars erupting from it, encircling his body in a rush of heat and fire, encircling his blast, turning it into mere smoke. He screams out as the fire scorches him.
"Next time I'll strangle you where you stand." The man hisses, even as he starts to turn into ashes. "And I'll bathe in your blood."
A moment later his ashes scatter and fly away.
Usagi stands there stunned and horrified, until the girl turns to her, placing her gloved hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" The girl asks.
"I-yes, but...what was that?" Usagi asks, bewildered. And why couldn't she transform? "And who are you?"
"That was one of the Goyosei. Something like that..." The girl, looks away, looking frustrated. "That will hold him back for a time, but it won't have killed him. As for me..."
She looks back at Usagi and Usagi looks into the girl's garnet colored eyes.
"I'm Sailor Aries."
The girl moves her hand and starts to move away.
"Wait! You have to know more-"
She closes her eyes against a sudden upwind, blowing in her face. The next moment she opens her eyes and sees the girl, the Senshi?, gone.
She stands there, limbs still trembling, and after a deep breath, grasps her brooch once more.
"Moon Eternal! Make up!"
Moments later, in a bloom of the usual light, she stands there in the form of Eternal Sailor Moon. She shakes her head, confused, looking down at her gloved hands before powering down.
Why had she been unable to transform until now?
What had just happened?
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A/N: Goyosei means Five Shining Stars. Sailor Fuku means Sailor outfit.)
I hope you enjoyed this!
Let me know what you thought!
-PhoenixJustice