"Shadows are more than just shadows. There's an entire world of them," Princess Reign had her hands over her heart. "Shadows of ours, of the lost, of the dead, they're all sealed away in another world and to get to that world...you literally have to go through me."
"The Shadow Crystal is embedded in your heart. Doesn't that pose a threat to you?" Endymion inquired, looking very concerned.
"The Crystal doesn't hurt anyone. All it does is hide, and in return it gives you small gifts," Reign smiled.
"But it's not what made you a…?"
"Sailor Scout? No," Reign laughed. "The Crystal was a responsibility bestowed to me by the Gods. Being a Sailor Scout was my birthright."
"And yet you don't…"
"Practice? No. My mother went allow it."
"There's a lot of things your mother doesn't allow," Endymion noted.
"Yeah. Even though I'm sure she doesn't follow her own rules either."
"How so?"
Reign looked around before speaking again. "I'm pretty sure she's found our sister civilization and has contact with them."
"You mean Obscurus?"
"Yeah, them. They're supposed to be like a civilization close to our abilities and yet we are not allowed to speak with them," Reign leaned against a stone pillar. Her eyes drifted once more to the sky above. "When I am Queen, I'm going to take down all those rules and I am going to welcome anyone who wishes to live in peace. I will not rule like my mother who is governed by paranoia. My Kingdom will be all of people, Shadows...humans…" she smiled purposely at Endymion, "...anyone so long as they want peace."
A tall, blonde haired girl trudged behind Meroko and Asteria into the cafe shop where the rest of the girls were waiting. After getting settled (and ordering), they began to discuss business.
"She's going to enroll in school as our cousin, under the name Emica Pala," Asteria informed the others cooly.
"I don't see why I have to give myself a ridiculous human name," huffed Emica herself. Her dark blue eyes flickered side to side, giving the impression she was not yet convinced of the new world.
"Because we can't just call you Siren," Minako said, earning a hard glare in return. "It would give up your identity," Minako added what she thought would finish convincing Emica it was better.
"Sure," Emica rolled her eyes. Unazuki turned on the blender from the counter and made Emica nearly spring onto her feet.
"Easy there, Black Canary, it's just a blender," Azula motioned Emica to sit back down. The blonde gave a questionable stare in response. "It's a comic? She has the ability to scream as deadly as you?" but once again Emica looked further confused, prompting Azula to shake her head. "Never mind."
"These humans…" Emica looked around the room again, "... they're very advanced now, aren't they?"
"In comparison to the last time you saw them? I'm sure we are," Azula smiled.
"Emica never saw the humans in our past lives," Meroko explained. "Except for the time Princess Reign stepped out from the Shadow Barrier."
"So what did you do all day?" Usagi wondered.
Emica sighed. She'd been warned by her comrades that she would be subjected to various questions. "I made sure the palace was protected. Given my abilities, I was named head militarist of Shadow. It was my task to make sure no foreign threat invaded the palace and the kingdom."
"If you could hypnotize people the way you did two days ago then that palace must have been safe all the time," Makoto meant that as nothing but a compliment.
Emica rested a cheek on her hand and produced a fine smirk. "My songs are the best in all the universe. However-" her smirk faded, "-it wasn't enough to stop whatever the hell killed the humans back then."
"It was the Moon Kingdom's fault," Asteria was kind enough to tell her, instigating the offended 'hey's!'
"It really wasn't," Rei snapped. "Nobody is at fault for Queen Metaria's attacks."
"Okay let's get back to business please," Azula lightly clapped her hands before the two girls got into another argument. "Emica, we're having trouble finding Princess Reign and stopping Senka altogether…"
Emica snorted lightly. "I imagine you would be. Senka is no ordinary enemy."
"You know something we don't?" Ami inquired curiously, ready to listen for anything new that could help them stop Senka.
Emica gave a light shrug of her shoulders. She lowered her hands to her lap and sighed. "Senka was a dark legend that Queen Nyx once told me about. She told me about our dark enemies so that if I once had the unfortunate luck to meet one of them, I would be prepared."
"What did she say about Senka?" Minako asked.
"Senka is a creature that's made up of three different beings," Emica motioned with her hands in the air. "Queen Nyx said that these three beings were the Shadow Dominion-counterparts of actual, living people. Warriors."
"Do you know who those warriors were?" Makoto asked.
Emica nodded. "They were Sailor Scouts' shadows. One was unknown, but Queen Nyx assured me that this shadow was the counterpart of a powerful Sailor Scout. As for the other two Scouts…" Emica gave a tilt of her head, "I'm sure you know."
"We really doubt that," Rei said flatly.
"Sailor Reign and Sailor Moon."
Usagi squeaked in her chair. Her eyes widened and she pointed at herself to make sure Emica had just said her name.
Emica nodded her head again. "Sailor Moon was always a Scout to come therefore her shadow always existed in the Shadow Dominion."
"But I'm not…" Usagi didn't want the others to think she was being modest or anything because she really didn't consider herself all that of a warrior.
Emica playfully rolled her eyes. "You possess the power of life and healing. Sailor Reign controls Shadows, and the third scout possessed powers of destruction. You three together are…"
"Invincible," Meroko rubbed her face, feeling that pressure rise by about a thousand. "That's great. Really."
Usagi scratched the back of her head and sheepishly smiled. "Sorry?"
"Don't do that," Azula told her right away then looked to Emica. "How do we stop Senka?"
"Are you kidding?" Meroko said with a face that assumed Azula had lost it.
"Hey, no matter how powerful, Senka has to have a weakness. Everyone does," Azula assured. "It's human nature."
"Senka's not human!"
"The concept still applies because it's basic biology." Azula looked at the rest of her friends to see if the were on the same page. "No matter how powerful someone is, they always have at least one weakness. And even if it's small, it's a chance."
"She's right," Rei was the first to say. With determination, she directed her gaze to Emica. "So? What is it?"
Emica was troubled but she did have one idea that could prove to be useful. "Shadows from the Shadow Dominion can be destroyed if hit with a powerful attack. But, since Senka is made up of three shadows, you'd have to destroy each of those beings one by one."
"There you go," Azula proudly smiled.
"It's not easy!" Emica snapped.
"I never said it would be."
Emica rubbed her forehead. "You don't understand. This attack I'm talking about? It has to be phenomenally big."
"Well, there's plenty of Sailor Scouts' power we can combine," Ami thought of the idea rather fast. "We could combine our powers and let Sailor Moon direct the attack."
Usagi squeaked again but this time out of fear. "M-me!?"
Azula laughed and clapped a hand over her shoulder. "It's definitely fitting."
"Great," Usagi suddenly felt like the air in her had gone without her permission.
~0~
Meroko and Asteria had made sure that their shared apartment felt like a comfortable home for them. The same feeling could not be shared by Emica.
"And people just waste time watching this box?" Emica stared in disgust at the television in the living room.
"It's a big thing here," Meroko shrugged. "Don't worry, we don't use it much."
Emica turned around to her younger comrades. "Good. I should like to think that you haven't wasted time."
Asteria narrowed her eyes on the girl. "Of course we wouldn't. Finding Reign is our priority."
But something in Emica's face wasn't so convinced. "Really? So this Black Moon Clan I heard about earlier...you haven't helped with that?"
Meroko groaned. She forgot how difficult Emica was sometimes. Like Asteria, Emica prioritized her duties before anything. However, Emica spent more time ordering others than anything. It shaped her personality into an assertive girl. It was great for ordering...but it conflicted with her comrades at times.
"Well of course we have," Meroko huffed and ignored the disapproving look she was getting. "What were we supposed to do? Let that ridiculously-named club destroy us?"
Emica released a small, frustrated sigh. She pinched the bridge of her nose, further annoying Meroko. "Our top priority is to find the Princess. Even finding Circe comes second. This Black Moon Clan is not our problem. It's those Moon descendants' issue."
"Yeah, but they're on the same planet that Reign is on and if they hurt people one of them might end up being Reign, and then what?"
Emica considered the idea with some degree of thought. She shook her hands and turned away. "We should be focusing all our resources on finding Reign."
"Hm, we've been trying," Asteria huffed and moved closer to her. "You wouldn't happen to know what Reign did with the Shadow Crystal?"
Emica's head was quick to snap in Asteria's direction. "Of course not," she said within the second. "A Sailor Scout should never know that type of information. Not even Circe knew...and she knew everything. We wouldn't like to become the next Forbidden Soldier, would we?"
"Senka is searching for it. She terrorizes the humans on a daily basis for it but she hasn't found it...and neither have we."
"The most logical thing would be for the Crystal to be hidden inside the unawakened princess," Emica leaned on a hip as she thought some more. "Therefore, the most logical thing to do would be to let Senka search the humans."
Asteria smirked. "That's exactly what Azula thought up of."
"Azula?" Emica ransacked her mind for the identities of each of the girls she had met earlier. "Is it the little redhead?"
"Yup. She's my favorite human."
"But don't get your hopes up," Meroko cut in before Emica said anything. "The others didn't go for it."
"Well-" Emica clapped her hands together, "-since I am the second-in-command of the Shadow Scouts and therefore first at the moment, I am taking control of this mission."
"Emica-"
"We-" Emica purposely spoke louder, "-are Shadow Sailor Scouts and we do not answer to Silver Milleniums. They are the reason we're in this situation and the idea of them thinking they're in command is laughable. We no longer hold contact with them."
Thinking she made her point, Emica walked into the room Meroko and Asteria had given her the previous night.
~ 0 ~
"She's pretty but I can tell she's gonna be even more difficult than Asteria," Azula relayed what Emica was like to Mamoru as the two headed for Usagi's house.
"More?" Mamoru laughed shortly.
"You laugh now but you haven't met her. She has this...face...that screams 'bitch'."
"Okay, Azula, I think you're overrreacting-"
"Don't ever tell me I'm overeacting. Serious bad move," Azula shook her head.
The two barely turned the corner of Usagi's house when the blonde girl herself crashed into them.
"Usagi I do get tired of these welcomings," Azula sighed and fixed herself.
"I'm sorry but Chibiusa isn't home and my Mom literally yelled at me not to come home until she's back," Usagi said with nothing but irritation. "As if she didn't know Chibiusa's favorite sport was run and hide!"
"Usagi calm down, she's probably at the park," Mamoru offered with casualty.
"Yeah, we can go with you if you'd like," Azula smiled.
Usagi had no disagreements there. She happily took Mamoru's hand and walked for the park.
"What are you carrying an umbrella for?" she had spotted the red umbrella in Azula's hand.
"I thought it was going to rain," shrugged Azula.
"It matches your hair," Usagi giggled.
"Yeah let's not talk about my hair issues, alright?" Azula smirked to the side when Usagi gasped in offence.
It was then that Mamoru decided to walk between the two girls instead.
They made it to the park alive and sure enough spotted the pink-haired girl on the same bench they often did. As they neared, though, they noticed she was crying...and calling for her mother.
"Chibi-" Usagi barely got to call when Azula grabbed her arm to pull her back.
"What's that key she's holding?" the redhead pointed to the silver key in Chibiusa's hand.
"It looks...familiar," Mamoru remarked.
"Mother, father, I want to go home!" Chibiusa raised the key high in the air.
Azula's eyes widened and her hand yanked Usagi back and forth. "Oh my God! It's the same key Reyna and Sailor Circe used to get back home!"
"Meaning she's about to go back to wherever she's from!" Mamoru realized.
Something white flashed on Chibiusa's forehead that momentarily blinded the trio. It lasted for a very short minute - perhaps half a minute - before Chibiusa fell back on the ground.
"Oh, I knew this would happen soon!" a new female voice said high and mighty.
A tall, pale woman in a baby-blue leotard and matching, high-knee boots called for Chibiusa. The woman's white hair was put in a long braid that whipped as she laughed. There was a another braid going around her forehead, right over a black, inverted crescent moon on her skin. It was the same moon that Koan had too. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you gave your location up, rabbit!"
Chibiusa was terrified of the woman but could not move away.
"Guys...good time to transform…" Azula muttered to the two friends standing beside her. "Go! Now!"
"Berthier, you know that I found her first!" Koan appeared behind her younger sister. She pointed a gloved finger at Berthier. "Now you should leave."
"Hm," Berthier tossed her braid behind her shoulder. "Might I suggest a little competition? First one to kill the rabbit is the winner?"
Koan smirked. "I'm never one to back from a challenge. Very well."
But Koan took another step, she was whacked against the head with a red umbrella. Koan fell to the ground with a loud groan.
Azula stood behind with wide, blinking eyes and with her hands still clutching her umbrella in the air. She crossed gazes with Chibiusa on the ground and motioned with her head. "RUN!"
Chibiusa scrambled to get on her feet and ran in the same direction Azula had gone off in.
"Come back here!" Berthier shouted after them.
"Don't look back! Don't look back!" Azula warned Chibiusa when the two ran side-by-side. "Looking back makes you fall like in the movies!"
"Aha!" Chibiusa pushed herself so that she could run faster.
Berthier proved to be a quick runner as she glided through and up benches and chess tables. She started throwing lassos of water that snapped at each chance they got. Eventually, one of them tripped Chibiusa on her feet.
"Oh no you don't!" Azula skidded to a stop and turned right back around.
Berthier put her hands together and released a large, strang force of water. Chibiusa scrunched her eyes shut and waited for the blow but it never came. She cracked open one eye and saw that Azula had jumped in front and was using her umbrella (which was now open) to take the blow.
"I can't believe this is working!" Azula laughed to herself.
Chibiusa managed one small smile on the ground. Suddenly, Berthier screamed. Her attack was cut off by a sharpened rose cutting her arm.
"When will you people learn that attacking innocent people and children is plain wrong?" Sailor Moon shook her head with Tuxedo Mask beside her.
"When will you quit making weird intros and just go for it?" Azula lowered her umbrella and scowled.
"It's you," Berthier growled at the two. "My sister Koan told me all about you. You're nuisances."
"And you're pale like a witch," Azula blurted and quickly regretted it when she got unamused glares from the three. She snapped her umbrella close and smiled. "I'm gonna go now…" she reached for Chibiusa's hand and turned them away, only to come face to face with Koan.
"Berthier, I think we'll have to call it a draw," Koan's lips turned into a sinister smirk.
Berthier shared the same smirk. "And I have the perfect way to break it. First one to get those two-" she nodded to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, "-wins all."
"I didn't take you to be such a dealer," Koan gazed at the 'tie breakers' with mirth. "I accept the new terms."
"I think it's time to call in for some back up," Tuxedo Mask murmured to Sailor Moon.
The blonde quickly agreed. She then gave a significant look towards Azula.
"What are you doing?" Chibiusa questioned the moment Azula flipped open her wrist watch.
"Calling for some additional help! Now stay behind me."
"But she's Sailor Moon," Chibiusa poked her head from behind Azula's legs. The two sisters had lunged on Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.
"Yeah but there's nothing wrong in needing help from others," Azula shut her communicator after leaving the urgent message. "Now we should go." She took the girl's small hand and made a run for it.
Berthier caught the movement and fired an ice blast that converted itself into a fine ice wall preventing the girls from leaving. "And just so you don't get any ideas…" Berthier shot again and plastered Azula and Chibiusa against the ice wall, keeping them locked under ice covers.
"It's c-cold!" Chibiusa's teeth chartered to no end.
Berthier, pleased with her work, turned back to the ongoing fight.
~0~
"It was them," Meroko shut down her communicator and turned to Asteria. "The Black Moon Clan is at it again. We should-"
"-do nothing," Emica emerged from her bedroom. "It's not our problem." Her straight face indicated there was no point in arguing with her about it but that didn't stop Meroko from making her case.
"They are hurting our friends-"
"Friends?" Emica repeated, her eyebrows raising in confusion. "Are you forgetting that these 'friends' are the reason why we're in this situation in the first place?"
"Look, I get it, you're mad as hell. I was the same when I first realized who I was," Meroko tried to appeal to Emica's feelings. It was a horrible thing in the beginning when you remember your world was destroyed by third parties. "I nearly did the same thing you're trying to do right now. But separating myself from the other Scouts isn't gonna help anyone. We'll just speed up our Doomsday date."
"The Black Moon Clan is specifically after the Silver Millenniums, not us," Emica spoke purposely loud as of that would give her the authority. "Our mission is separate. We do not meddle." Meroko's eyebrows furrowed together. Seeing that made Emica walk up to Meroko, purposely towering over her. "Stand down."
Meroko glanced at Asteria to see where her sister stood. Unfortunately, for the first time Asteria was completely indecisive. Meroko groaned. "Unbelievable!" She spat and stormed to the bedroom, making sure to slam the door as loud as possible.
~0~
Berthier and Koan had left their wicked bet up to their droids. Why should they get all dirty when the work could be done for them and they would still get the joy of taking everything in the end. Battling two foes with contrasting powers was no easy work. Thankfully, the rest of the Scouts joined in and gathered the needed numbers to destroy the droids with Sailor Moon's special power. But when they thought victory was finally within reach, a crack of thunder in the sky made them all freeze...including Berthier and Koan.
Azula noticed Chibiusa's increasing fear like she knew what was coming. She followed the young girl's gaze to the sky and saw a man with wild red hair and the same inverted black crescent moon on his forehead as the other women.
"Let's stop the playground thing, shall we?" the man designated his gaze to Berthier and Koan.
"Who the hell is that?" Sailor Jupiter was the one to command.
"One of the Black Moon family, Rubeus," the man answered with pride.
"Why are you after that girl?" Sailor Moon pointed at the frightened Chibiusa.
"We have a duty to change the future of this city. For that we have to have this girl die."
"Haven't you heard that rewriting history is a dangerous thing?" Azula had to speak up. "You could essentially be writing yourself out of reality."
Rubeus paid no attention to her. All he saw was Chibiusa right beside her and acted. He brought up a fist that was soon engulfed with dark energy. He fired at Chibiusa but at the last moment Sailor Moon jumped in to block the attack with her own body.
"Sailor Moon!" Chibiusa cried out but the ice encanvasing her was far too strong to break out on her own.
Sailor Moon slowly picked herself up and faced Rubeus again. "She precocious, and likes to play pranks, and very despicable, but, but…"
"It's the end," Rubeus laughed maniacally and went to give a second,ore fatal, attack. But, just mere seconds before he could fulfill his duty, a golden, shimmering boomerang sprang forwards and successfully hit Rubeus' hand.
Sailor Hemera stood proud and tall across the group. "I think not! The Silver Millenniums are not alone. This Sailor Scout from Shadow will stand by their side and protect that child."
Rubeus and the two sisters gasped upon hearing the familiar names. Could it be the had not only found the ancestors of the Crystal Tokyo but also the Shadow race?
"Sailor Moon, do it now!" Sailor Hemera shouted at the blonde and hoped she wasn't too hurt to deliver one final attack.
Sailor Moon took out her Moon stick and used all her remaining energy to give a good blast of energy. "Moon princess halation!"
"Rubeus!" Koan shouted.
Rubeus had to hold himself up from the blast of stinging energy. "We have to retreat!" without a question, the two sisters disappeared with him.
The ice wall holding Azula and Chibiusa melted into water, leaving them soaking wet on the ground. The others rushed to go see if they were okay.
"We're sure to get colds after this," Azula shivered and got up with the help of Venus.
Sailor Moon helped Chibiusa sit upright. "Chibiusa, please tell us the truth. You came from the future, didn't you?"
The pink haired girl's lip quivered as the questions came flying at her again.
"What's the tenth planet?"
"What's the family of the dark moon?"
"Did they do something to your mother?"
Chibiusa burst into tears. She threw her arms around Sailor Moon and asked for help. " My mother! Please help my mother! Sailor Moon! Please save my mother from those bad ones! She said that Sailor Moon and Sailor Reign would help me out!"
Poor Sailor Moon had no clue what to do with the crying child, and it seemed like the sentiment was shared among the rest.
Author's Note:
We're finally starting to move onto the good parts of the story - the Black Moon Clan, the future, and even Senka's fights!
Thanks to the reviewer! I can't answer 'what happens' because of spoilers but I promise it's gonna be good!