Chapter 4: Aino Sisters

A long-dead planet called Kinmoku. It was the birthplace of the three Sailor Starlights, the place where they were raised and grew up to be Sailor Senshi. It was the place they hoped and wished to see again during their stay on Earth, singing and searching for Princess Kakyuu. And they did not return. This was no fault of theirs, no lack of loyalty to their planet, but who could return to a place that was a broken-up asteroid belt of a planet? That was the sad news that the Sailor Starlights learned when they tried to return so long ago, after Galaxia had been defeated by Sailor Moon's pure love for life. The Sailor Starlights did not know who did such a terrible deed, but it was done. Someone had literally blown their planet to pieces while they were gone. In penace for having failed at protecting their planet, not to mention their princess, who was killed during the attacks of the Black Moon, the Sailor Starlights never gave up their powers like the other Sailors. However, they did make their own good lives in Crystal Tokyo and they had their own children through artificial insemination, Taiki and Yaten giving birth to daughters and Seiya having a son. They also went on to have their own separate careers; Taiki became an astronomer and Yaten was a beautician. Only Seiya stayed on the path they had followed as teenagers, and she was part of a singing duo that consisted of herself and Minako Aino.

"Mom, it's so exciting! I love it when you have concerts! And I like your friend Seiya too, she's fun," giggled Banana Aino, Minako's 20-year old daughter. Banana resembled her mother fairly well, she had long blond hair that she wore in a braid and aqua-colored eyes. Minako's younger daughter Granola did not look like her at all, however. Granola had odd-looking hair; one side naturally was orange while the other was blue, and unlike her friendly mother and sister, her golden eyes held a cold intellect. The three of them, Minako and her two daughters, were behind the stage, preparing for Minako and Seiya to go on and do their concert soon. Their band was called "Love and Stars," and they were known for singing songs about magical superheroes. This topic, of course, came from their own well-known past as Sailor Senshi.

"I like it when I have concerts too," smiled Minako, "I always wanted to do this kind of thing since I was a little girl."

"You sound like you're a little kid, Banana," Granola observed, staring at her older sister coolly.

"That's because I'm so excited! It's not just the concert, that happens a lot and it's always fun but this time Mom asked me to do the introduction!" Banana cheered. Granola rolled her eyes and gave a look to Taiki and Yaten, who were also backstage. They were there to see Seiya's concert, as they still greatly enjoyed music although they were glad to not have all the squealing fangirls any more. Granola found Seiya to be rather annoying sometimes and she liked it when the other two were around because they were more like her, she thought.

"Before the concert starts, I have special presents to give to both of you. As you know, Rei, Makoto, and Ami's children all became Sailor Senshi, and you two certainly aren't going to be left out," Minako said as she pulled two wands out of a bag. They both matched the others, with those multi-faceted crystals on top. She turned first to Banana, handing her a silver one. Banana shrieked in fear when she saw the symbols on it.

"That's...that's the Black Moon symbol! I don't wanna be evil!" she whined.

"No, you're not evil. At least I don't think you are. This is just the one that appeared when you were born. I think you're Sailor Nemesis. Um, think of it as that you're a nemesis for the bad guys?" Minako suggested playfully. Granola gazed at them with a blank look in her eyes.

"Is that other one for me?" she asked.

"Yes. I think you're...well, I don't know which Senshi you are, actually, but we'll find out when you transform," Minako said, handing her younger daughter a purple wand. The symbol for this new Senshi was a circle with one-half of it shaded, like a growing eclipse.

"Guys, it's time to start soon. Banana, you should go out there and do your introduction," Seiya announced, looking at her watch.

"All right!" she cheered, and then she ran on stage.

"Presenting 'Love and the Stars!' Minako Aino and Kou Seiya are here and coming on really soon, so don't get TOO impatient! First off, I'm going to sing a beginning song! It's all about love!" Banana announced, and then she began to sing in a loud, off-key voice, "I want a lot of dreams, I want a lot of frills, oh please, oh wedding dress! Will I find a pure love just like...HEY!" she shouted as her song was interrupted rudely by Taiki and Yaten yanking her backstage as Minako and Seiya entered from the other side.

"It's not your turn yet. Someday you'll get up on that stage with your mother, but you weren't supposed to do that now," Yaten hissed.

"Aww, I thought I'd give everyone a surprise treat," Banana pouted.

"Possibly you'd have to work on your singing first," Granola suggested calmly, "Neither of us have our mother's vocal talents." Back on stage, Minako and Seiya went out, only to find a girl with fluffy red hair holding the microphone. The girl was dressed in a silver Senshi outfit with orange bows, and she stared out to the audience blankly, then smiled.

"Good. They have arrived. Now I must warn all of you what you are in for. That girl you have just seen, while her personality thankfully takes after her mother's, we must all make sure her Sailor powers do. Otherwise, it will be to bring ruin to Crystal Tokyo. Now, if we could have that girl on stage, her beautiful mother could give her the Venus powers and then the danger could be averted," she announced. Needless to say, Minako was not necessarily going to comply.

"What! That's crazy! What gives you the right to tell me who to pick as my successor? Who are you, anyway?" she demanded.

"Oh? I am Jennifer, and I am only here to help your wonderful daughter. She will be cursed if she does not receive the power of Venus," the girl said innocently. Banana rushed on stage, frightened, with Granola following her quietly.

"Mom! Is it really true! I don't feel like I should be Venus, but if I'm supposed to be, then I don't want to be cursed!" she sobbed. However, as Banana cried, an upside-down black crescent moon appeared on her forehead--the symbol of Nemesis.

"Probably not, since I already gave you the Sailor Nemesis wand," Minako sighed, and then she turned to Jennifer, who was giving her an especially evil smirk. "This is really suspicious. I know it seems weird for my daughter to be the heir to the dark tenth planet, but the symbol on her head and the fact that the wand appeared at her birth proves it."

"Well, it DOES make sense, given that you are quite evil yourself. Two-timing, pretending to take on the form of your friend Sailor Moon, you are such a worthless ditz," Jennifer cooed. The crowd began to rise up in protest of their beloved idol, Minako Aino, but Jennifer turned around and fired several energy beams into the crowd, frightening most of them either out of the auditorium or else knocking them to the floor.

"You two should transform. Taiki, Yaten, and I will help you if you need it, Seiya hissed to the two girls before she went backstage again. Granola and Banana both knew what they should do.

"Nemesis Planet Power, Make Up!"

"Eclipse Planet Power, Make Up!" The two girls transformed, Sailor Nemesis wearing a silver outfit that was similar to Jennifer's except it had dark green bows. Sailor Eclipse also had green bows, only hers were lighter and her main color was purple. Jennifer looked at them pityingly.

"Sad to say that both of you will have to be eliminated. Everyone knows that eclipses are a sign of evil, and that the soldier of Nemesis would be too," she sighed before shooting her energy beams at the two girls. Both of them were unprepared and crashed to the floor of the stage.

"WAAAH! Come help us, Starlights! I'm scared of battling!" Sailor Nemesis wailed, sounding very much like the young Usagi Tsukino had when she had her first fight as a Senshi. Sailor Eclipse looked at her innocently, yet also a bit coldly.

"I thought you said you wanted to be on stage like the actresses in the Sailor Moon musicals. And it's not like you to leave those people in the audience hurt," she said. Sailor Nemesis stood up then, recharged.

"That's a good idea! I'll be like the Senshi! Nemesis Nightmare Illusions!" she called, sending a cloud of silvery dust at Jennifer, who breathed it in. Jennifer then started screaming.

"Get away from me! I hate you! I HATE YOU SAILOR VENUS AND SAILOR MOON!" she panicked. Sailor Nemesis was shocked by this, and backed away, and her sister stepped up.

"Eclipse Swirling Exhaustion!" With this call, energy began to spiral out of Jennifer and enter Sailor Eclipse's waiting body. Jennifer was quickly drained and she disappeared, leaving her weak cries behind on the air. Sailor Eclipse fell on the floor, startled by the feeling of so much energy inside of her.

"This is very strange. I...feel like I could stay awake for days," she commented in awe.

"Great! We can have a slumber party tonight with the Starlights after the REAL concert show!" Banana giggled, back to her regular form.