"And this is Katsura-chan!"
"Oh, kawaii!!" Usagi gushes as she takes the cherubic baby from Nokoko's arms, reaching up to tickle the Terran-Oni hybrid around her horns, causing Katsura Moroboshi to chortle as she tries to chase the finger away. "She's so beautiful!"
"And a handful already!" Mal smiles as she hands her life-mate a cup of tea. "I've never seen a hungrier child in all my life!"
"I'll bet she is!" Usagi beams, exchanging smiles with Mamoru as they continue to play with their new goddaughter.
Around them, the Sailor Senshi and the Twins pair up with the members of Nokoko's school, chatting excitedly as they share in the delight of new life. Each couple in Nokoko's school chose another couple in their sister school to be the immediate godparents to their daughters, then also selected whatever Sailor Senshi best fitted their needs and personal tastes. Since Osooko, Asuka, Clarisse and Pamanba would have to wait for a bit for their daughters' birth, Yuki, Sakebu, Tsuyako and Nareta would have to wait for their turn to be godparents. They passed their time playing with Nicole's and Mujanba's twins Crystal and Shounba.
Nearby, Michiru sadly gazes at the little girls who brought such joy to their new friends. It was times like this that she missed caring for Hotaru, who had finally grown back to her pre-Saturn physical age shortly after the battle with Galaxia. In the violinist's eyes, the Nendo-kata were so lucky to have their particular reproductive abilities. If she and Haruka had that, their lives would be so much better.
"You alright?"
Michiru gazes at Nokoko, who relaxes beside her. "I'm fine," the former nods reluctantly, her facial features belying her words.
"Translation: you feel miserable because you don't have a child to worry about, can't conceive a baby with the woman you love outside a laboratory, but you don't want to talk about it to a near-stranger," Nokoko grins. "It's okay, Michiru. I know what you're going through right now. Do you think I wanted Mal-chan to do all that work alone?"
"Eh?!" Michiru blinks, then remembers that while the other couples in Oshika had two daughters, Nokoko and Mal had just one. "What happened, Nokoko?"
"Since I Crossed Over when I was so young, my reproductive system wasn't developed, thus the matriarch didn't have a proper template to build on when my new body was constructed," Nokoko supplies. "Like everyone else here, I can only have children with other girls, but the special telekinetic skills needed to do a proper conception couldn't be mastered by someone who was only six at the time. Believe me, I tried when Mal-chan and I came together to conceive Katsura-chan, but it was no dice."
"I'm so sorry," Michiru gently squeezes Nokoko's hand. "Will you try again sometime soon?"
"Yeah, when we don't have to worry too much about caring for Katsura-chan," Nokoko smiles. "Like you, we have long lifespans ahead of us. But I do want to feel a child growing inside me just as badly as you and Haruka do, Michiru."
"Haruka's never expressed that," Michiru muses.
"Don't be too sure about that," Nokoko warns. "Yeah, she acts like a tomboy now, but she knows deep in her heart what makes a woman different from a man. She'll get the urge sooner or later. I guarantee it!" she winks.
"I'll have to talk to her about it, then," Michiru smiles.
A cough stops their dialogue. "Can I have your attention, please?" Usagi taps her tea cup with a spoon.
Everyone quiets down,and faces the Senshi leader. "Just before we came up here to join our friends, Midori-san informed me that the reason Kughra brought back Rubius and the others was to test us, see us in combat to gauge our strengths and weaknesses, then plot a course of action when all our abilities are known," Usagi sighs. "I don't want that to happen. She wants the Imperium Silver Crystal and she's willing to wait as long as it would take to get it without cost to herself. We can't wait anymore. We have to attack and get rid of her now."
Everyone exchanges looks, then Nona rises. "Time for a hunt!" the moon huntress grins savagely. "Let's party!!"
"Thanks, sis," Usagi smiles, then looks to the other Senshi and Mamoru. "If any of you want to wait further, say it now. We can wait...but I want us all to go together."
"Where our Princess goes, we go!" Makoto vows.
"Where our matriarch confronts disUnity, we fight with her!" Junko echoes from across the way.
"And where our sisters fight, we fight, too!!" Tatsuko adds.
Nokoko's schoolmates tense, many looking at the bundles of joy now in their arms. Yes, they had an unending responsibility to the Unity, but they were all mothers, or would be as in the cases of Osooko and Clarisse. Did it have to be now? How long would the battle take? Would they all survive it? Yes, their children would be safe within the crystal palace, but did they have the right to leave their children, even for just a bit?
Others pick up their wariness. "Tatsuko-san, wait!" Usagi pales. "All of you just gave birth except for Osooko-san and Clarisse-san, who're still pregnant! You can't go into battle right now!! What about your babies?!"
"Usagi, love, there's no place safer in this universe from the likes of Kughra than here!" Nicole smiles. "You could launch an attack from here and be totally protected! The kids can stay here; no power that witch has can breech this place. You might say this place was purpose-built to deal with the likes of her!"
Usagi blinks confusedly. "What...?"
"It's a very long story," Nicole smiles. "Let's turn in and rest up tonight, then tomorrow, we make Kughra face HER Culloden!!"
Agreeing shouts echo from the others. Seeing what was now ready to help her, Usagi stares at Mamoru. "Mamo-chan...?"
"'Once more unto the breech, dear friends,'" he smiles.
"Alright!!" Usagi nods. "Let's breech!!!"
* * *
"Sailor Twins"
a tale of the Sailor Senshi
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir
kush1@iaw.on.ca
**** **** ****
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi
**** **** ****
PART FIVE - BATTLE FOR THE CRYSTAL OF ETERNITY
Oshika. Late at night.
Usagi sighs contentedly as she stands on one of the ramparts of the crystal palace, allowing her body and spirit to feel the nearly immortal life-force that powers Nicole's home. This had been the first time any of the Senshi had ever been inside the crystal palace. During their first visit, they had spent all their time at Ataru Moroboshi's beach home nearby. It felt strange, yet so wondrously familiar, to the Senshi leader...as if she had returned to Crystal Tokyo in the thirtieth century. But why...?
"Couldn't sleep?"
Nona approaches, a light smile on her sister's face. "Not really," she gazes once more at the pale orb in the sky which had been home to her previous self, then looks back at her. "You change your hair?"
Nona nods, feeling the loose ponytail. "Yeah, it became quite a pain braiding my hair when I Crossed Over; didn't bother me so much before. Besides, braided hair was a style Dad liked."
Usagi nods. "It looks better on you."
"Thanks," Nona blushes, then stares at her. "Nervous?"
"A bit," Usagi admits. "And...confused."
"Ah!" Nona nods. "Yes, I sense the bond of Unity between you, the other Senshi and this living palace. Even Setsuna feels it and she possesses far more knowledge than even Luna and Artemis."
"Yeah, but how's that possible?" Usagi muses.
"Perhaps I can explain it, love."
The lunar twins turn to see Nicole standing there...
* * *
"Are there any signs of them?!!"
"None, Mistress!" the daemon shakes his head. "It is as if they have disappeared from the face of the planet!!"
Kughra tenses, then leans back on her throne. "Where could they have gone? The Nendo-kata homeworld...?"
"We didn't sense any movement via teleportation or time-travel, Mistress," the daemon reports.
The dark princess steeples her fingers under her chin, her eyes narrow. Where were they...?
* * *
"THREE BILLION YEARS OLD?!?!?!"
Usagi and Nona gape in disbelief at Nicole, the three now standing in the palace's control centre. "Aye," the Scotswoman smiles. "It took me by surprise when she told me."
"'She?'" Nona blinks, then nods. "Oh, the palace!"
"It's alive?!" Usagi gasps.
"Aye, lass," Nicole nods. "You see, back then, there were these two races of immortal beings who'd been born shortly after the Big Bang. One race called themselves Praetorians, the others called themselves the Seekers. Well, both races knew right away about the power that created and sustains this universe. The Divinity, Cosmic Chain of Life, Eternity, Heaven. Personally, I think the Sagussans have the best name. *Te'a.* 'That Which Is Above mortal understanding.' That's the Power from which you lassies draw your abilities through the crystal you now have, Usagi...or in all the Twins' case, through the *haijo-ju* fragments Kughra obtained over the years she had wandered across Sagussa that now form the power cells in their henshin sticks."
"Then if you knew about this, why didn't you stop Kughra before this began?!" Nona demands.
"Because I am restricted by the programming the Seekers gave this place," Nicole stares at her. "I'm bound to this palace as completely as Setsuna is bound to the laws of Time or Yuki is bound to the laws of the *te'a.* You see, the Seekers knew that gifted individuals would come to understand what the *te'a* is like, try to master It and use It for their own purposes. To ensure that things didn't get totally out of control, they offered the future races of the galaxy two solutions. One, they scattered tiny jewels that could tap into the *te'a* across the galaxy. When worthy people found these Power Jewels, they would then become special warriors to defend their planets, especially against those who could manipulate the *te'a* for their own purposes. The second solution is what you're standing on now."
"The palace?" Usagi nods.
"Aye, lass. When she was created, she was designed to be an independent monitor station that would watch how the races of this universe dealt with the *te'a.* Her role...my role...is passive. We would be activated only when or active if a problem arose and there was no Power Jewel welder in the area to intervene directly."
"The last Power Jewel welder lived on this world forty years ago, disappearing at the end of World War Two," Nona muses.
"That's right, Nona. BUT there is now on Earth a weapon that is tied into the *te'a* itself: the Imperium Silver Crystal."
Usagi blinks, then makes the Crystal appear in her hand. The jewel burns bright as it sends tendrils of energy to touch the crystal surrounding them. "The Crystal was made here," her eyes widen in realization. "Nicole, did Queen Serenity visit here once during the Silver Millennium?"
I did.
Everyone jolts as a ghostly hologram appears before Usagi. "Queen Serenity..." she gasps.
You do not call me 'Mother,' Serenity muses.
"You were Princess Serenity's mother, not mine," Usagi sighs, hoping to assuage any hurt feelings.
Serenity smiles contently. That is good, she nods. I knew when I cast the spirits of my daughter and the Sailor Senshi from the Silver Millennium, they would be reborn as different people, separated from each other until Fate drew you together to defeat Beryl. That is what I wanted.
"Thank you," Usagi smiles, then holds up the Crystal. "Why did you create this?"
The last queen of the Silver Millennium sighs. I was born, like Yuki Tetsujo a century and more ago, with the power to tap into the *te'a,* feel Its power, even use It for my own purposes. It frightened me. Even one with good intentions could overstep her bounds when dealing with this level of power, Usagi-chan. So, after finding notes about the Sagussan *haijo-ju* projects buried on Neptune, I cast my mind out to locate someone, anyone, to help me with this power, teach me how to control it. And with that, I found this palace.
"And it taught her how to focus her power into a transmitter that would allow her to keep control over herself," Nicole cuts in, nodding at the staff in Usagi's hand. "That."
Usagi gazes at the Imperium Silver Crystal, then at her previous self's mother. "You did everyone on Earth a great favour," she smiles, returning the Crystal to its hyperspace pocket. "Without this, we would've been destroyed many times over by all the monsters that came through here over the last while."
I'm pleased to have been able to help, Serenity smiles, then gazes at Nona. And I am more than pleased that your noble race has come to join us in this fight.
"Wherever disUnity moves to engulf innocents, we come to restore Unity," Nona smiles. "Besides, my human father is part author of this current state of affairs. Before I cast my past in the depths of the Black Ocean, I must help Usagi-chan and the others deal with him and the one who now seeks the Senshi's power."
The Sailor Senshi could never have asked for more powerful allies, Serenity smiles, then fades, hand raised. Farewell, my once-daughter. May your destiny be kind.
"Good-bye, once-mother," Usagi is surprised at the tears that suddenly spring forward. "Perhaps one day, we'll meet again."
Silence falls for a moment, then Nona gazes at Usagi. "We best get some rest," she sighs.
"Yeah. Good night, Nicole."
"'Night, loves," Nicole smiles as they head to their guest bedrooms, then relaxes, gazing at the crystal surrounding her. "I was right," she sighs contently. "She'd be perfect to take care of you if the time ever comes..."
* * *
"Everyone up?!!"
As the sun creeps over the skies above Oshika, the twenty Sailor Senshi, Mamoru, Kyooko, Midori, Nokoko's school and the four inhabitants of the crystal palace meet in the control room. "We're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Usagi-chan!!" Makoto grins as she stretches herself. "What's the plan?!"
"It's simple," Usagi smiles. "Against this foe, we can't let up for a second. Kughra wants control of a power that threatens all of Existence. We're not just fighting for Earth anymore. We're fighting for the whole Universe and all who live in it. If anyone is the least bit squeamish about killing people, say it now, because this day, we can't afford to compromise."
The original nine Senshi exchange looks. Ever since the last battle with the Dark Kingdom, all of them, even Setsuna, had felt a growing sense of hesitation towards their traditional approach to fighting monsters. It hadn't affected them much this time, but who knew when it could become a liability. "We know the stakes are way too high this time, Odango," Haruka sighs. "We're ready."
Usagi nods. "We'll be in four teams," Nona sighs. "One team will be with Usagi to deal with Kughra. I'll deal with Father. One team with handle any of Kughra's soldiers. A fourth team will stay with Hotaru-chan."
"Me?! Why me?!" Hotaru registers surprise.
"Because this day, we WILL need the Death Reborn Revolution," Usagi gazes at her. "If all goes well and we eliminate Kughra, we'll need you to destroy the planetoid. Midori states that it'll most likely fall apart when Kughra dies, which means loads of asteroid fragments. And we all know what happened to the dinosaurs when the last big one hit Earth at the end of the Mesozoic Era. This will make that episode look tame." She then takes a deep breath, knowing how much bringing THIS up would upset Hotaru. "And should I fall, if Kughra somehow manages to get control of me or the Crystal...you do what you have to do."
Hotaru looks off in the distance for a moment, then grimly nods. "I understand."
The teams are then chosen. With that, Nicole commands the palace to rise from its small basin and soar into the heavens...
* * *
"Mistress!!!"
"What is it?!" Kughra sighs.
"A vessel has risen from northern Japan heading this way!!"
The dark princess commands her scrying glass to project an image of Nicole's palace soaring towards them. "What is this?!!" she barks. "What is that thing?!"
"We don't know, Mistress!!!" the daemon cowers. "Our scans cannot penetrate past the outer walls of this craft!!"
"WHAT?!?!?! That's impossible!!!" Kughra barks.
"Perhaps you may..." the daemon hesitates.
"I understand," Kughra raises a hand in acknowledgement, then relaxes on her throne, stretching her mind out to punch through the crystal walls and probe inside...and jolts as her mind slams into psychic walls that would not yield! "No!! Impossible...!!!"
"What is wrong, Mistress?!" the daemon frets.
"I...I can't sense inside that thing...!!" Kughra stammers...
* * *
"Alright, let's drop that bugger's cloak!!" Nicole snarls.
"Right!!" Mujanba presses a control...
* * *
A beautiful mid-morning in Juuban. At Hikawa Jinja, Matsuri's mother sweeps the steps. She then blinks as a darkness suddenly falls over all of Tokyo. "An eclipse...?" she looks up.
Gasps echo throughout the city as a dark sphere hundreds of times greater in size than the full moon appears, looming between the planet and the sun, its shadow cutting out a lot of the morning light. From a small point of light, a blaze of energy probes into the giant mass, tearing away its cloak of invisibility. "Gods!!" Mrs. Dokai gapes, then looks down to see several people approach, her inner senses sounding an alarm. "Who are you people?" she blinks.
"Please don't be scared, ma'am," Saphil smiles. "We...were once former foes of the Sailor Senshi; I suppose now, you could consider us refugees from the horror which created that!" he notions up towards Kughra's planetoid.
"Well, I'll be!" a voice calls out from next to Matsuri's mother. "Aren't you supposed to be dead, young man?"
The Black Moon clansmen look at Rei's grandfather. "Oh, Ojii-chan, we're sorry!" Pattsu apologizes. "We should've told you..."
"You know Rei's secret, don't you?!" Kooan blinks.
The elder priest laughs. "Young lady, I may be getting on in years, but I couldn't ignore that!" he winks at her, then stares up. "Rei's up there, isn't she?"
"And Matsuri-chan and the others," Mrs. Dokai sighs. "We should look at the sacred flame to see if they'll succeed."
"If you want, I could create a scrying glass so we could watch the battle as if we were there," Esmerald smiles. "I still have some powers left from my time with the Black Moon."
"Not a bad idea!" Rei's grandfather smiles, then looks at the shrine. "Yuuichirou-kun! Get some tea and snacks ready!! We'll have some guests joining us shortly if I'm not mistaken!"
"Okay!!" the former singer calls from the kitchen.
As people stream inside, Rei's grandfather looks back at the dark planetoid. "Come home safe, Rei..." he prays.
* * *
"Mistress, the cloak is down!!! We can be seen from Earth!!"
"How is that possible?!!" Kughra roars...
...then one wall of the palace collapses as it is ripped open by an invisible hand, exposing the room to the thin air surrounding the planetoid!! The dark princess ducks, then glares at the palace, now floating several dozen metres away. Her eyes narrow on seeing twenty figures in sailor fuku, one caped man and ten women in normal civilians standing on a veranda glaring at them.
"***KUGHRA!!!!!!***"
Kughra blinks as her eyes lock on the woman in the middle, glaring contemptuously at her. "Well, well!!" the dark princess relaxes on the throne, a thin smile cutting across her face. "Welcome back to what's left of the Dark Kingdom, Sailor Moon! How nice of you and your friends to visit...though I do wonder if anyone ever taught a clumsy girl like you how to knock!!"
Moon remains strangely passive, her long pigtails fluttering in the light breeze flowing around the asteroid. The silence seems deafening as the two stare at each other. Kughra feels a hiss deep in her throat, her attempts at probing this whelp's mind repulsed by the crystal palace she now stands on. A reluctant touch of admiration flashes in the dark princess' eyes. The Sailor Senshi were smart to have attacked now while she still was in the dark over many of the Twins' abilities. Time to put this back under her control. "So where's the speech?" she muses.
"What speech?!" Moon remains still.
"Oh, come now!" Kughra laughs. "I've been watching you for some time, Sailor Moon. You and your little friends always ramble on before attacking whatever foe you face, vowing that in the name of whatever planet you symbolize that you would crush that foe!"
"Oh, that!" Moon smiles, a smile that doesn't make Kughra feel any easier. "No thanks. I only have one thing to say to a little, decrepid old sleezeball like you."
Kughra blinks as the Senshi's leader draws the Imperium Silver Crystal, holding it clearly in view. "You want this?" Moon's smile turns feral. "Come and get it," she places it on the flat pedestal before her, then points out with both hands. "Go!!"
The other Senshi and their allies leap off the veranda to plunge into different parts of Kughra's palace. As shouts of alarm echo from around her, the dark princess watches Sailor Moon walk around the pedestal, then sit cross-legged before it, gazing at Kughra. "Nice day, isn't it?" the Senshi leader smiles...
* * *
"Kill them!!!" a daemon snarls.
Sailor Poseidon twirls her weapon, the Ice Star Trident, as the air around her chills. "***ICE STORM PASSION!!!!!!***" she fires a hail of ice daggers at the oncoming daemons.
As they try to evade, Sailor Sunaru smiles. "***WINDSTORM PASSION!!!!!!***" she creates a funnel of condensed air to hammer the daemons into Poseidon's kill-zone.
The creatures shriek as many are shredded by the bolts of frozen water. "Not bad!!!" Uranus smirks as she winds up. "Time to clean out the trash!!! ***WORLD SHAKING!!!!!!***"
The remaining daemons are bowled over by the bolt of energy tearing up the ground beneath them...into a pile in front of Sailor Chronos. "Time to pay the piper!!" she twirls her Time Reaper. "***TIME SUSPENSION!!!!!!***" she traps them inside a bubble, then twists her staff. "***TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
The daemons are instantly aged to dust! "This is too easy!!" Uranus smirks, flashing a thumbs-up at her sister.
Suddenly, a glow surrounds the daemons' remains. The Senshi gasp as columns of dust rise up, moulding into the creatures they had just "destroyed!" "Nice try!!!" one cackles.
"Oh, shit!!" Uranus backs off.
"Allow me!!!" a voice calls. "***ETERNITY ENVELOP!!!!!!***"
A blast of *te'a* energy warps around the daemons, trapping them inside a force-bubble infinitely stronger than Chronos' null-time bubble. Sailor Hades then emerges from shadow, the ruby on the Styx Staff glowing. "Yuki-chan, what made them resist my power?!!" Chronos demands.
"On Earth, that would've worked, but here, their existence is supported by Kughra's power and will," Hades reports. "As long as they believe she stands with them, they can't die!"
"Well, this could become a waste of time...wait!" Poseidon blinks, then smiles at Hades. "Yuki-chan, what if they were distracted...say by being exposed to ALL of Creation at once?!"
"My thoughts exactly, Nareta-chan!" Hades smiles as the Styx Staff flares again. "***ETERNITY MADNESS!!!!!!***"
A bolt slams into the force-bubble, enveloping the daemons within by a frightening storm of images and sensations bombarding all their senses at once! They scream out as the input overload shuts their minds down, causing the links they had with the dark princess to be cut and their pseudo-lives to end. With that, they revert to what Chronos left them. "Now STAY dead!!!" the time reaper barks at the pile of ashes at their feet.
"Let's go clean out some more!!" Uranus sighs.
They race off...
* * *
Kughra feels a growl in her throat as she continues to stare at Sailor Moon's strangely passive face. Try as she might, she couldn't probe the mind of the Senshi leader, much less any of the others now running ripshod through her remaining forces. She was also able to tell that the civilians who came with the Senshi were Nendo-kata of another school, their powerful minds shredding the psychic links keeping her daemons alive. It didn't matter now that her goal was so tantalizingly close.
"Well, do something!" Moon yawns.
Outraged at this whelp's flippancy, Kughra screams as she leaps up to land on the crystal palace's prow three metres from the Senshi leader and four from her ultimate target. With that, Moon gets up, stifling another yawn as she remains in place, visibly unperturbed by Kughra's presence. Her temper flaring, the dark princess screams as she lunges at Moon.
"***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***"
A black energy heart slams into Kughra, sending her crashing into the deck a metre away from Moon!! The Senshi leader looks up to see Sailor Aphrodite standing on another outcropping of crystal nearby, nodding. She then walks over and with a kick, sends the dazed Kughra tumbling off the palace to crash on unforgiving ground several dozen metres below. "Try that again!!" Moon taunts.
Howling, Kughra somersaults to her feet, then fires a blast of energy at the Senshi leader. "DIE!!!!!!"
Moon ducks back as the blast rams into an invisible shield around the palace, careening into the vacuum around them! "Nyaa!!" Moon red-eyes the dark princess. "Missed me!!!"
Roaring, Kughra physically tackles Moon. The Senshi leader remains in place until the dark princess is almost atop her, then dances out of the way at the last second. Kughra cries out as the planetoid's gravity grabs her again, sending her to an embarrassing four-point landing!! "Missed me again!!!" Moon taunts. "Gee, for a barbarian warrior princess, you're not as good as you think you are, Kughra!!"
"The operative word being 'barbarian!!'" Aphrodite adds.
Kughra screams as she spins back to her feet. With another nimble leap, she lands again on the prow, then fires a blast toward the passion mistress. Aphrodite ducks behind a crystal outcropping as the bolt is deflected out into empty space again! She then emerges, a storm of hearts racing at the dark princess. "***MIXED PASSION ATTACK!!!!!!***" she screams.
Kughra's pained shriek fills the air as her very soul is thrust onto an emotional roller-coaster that shatters all her bonds with her remaining daemons!! "The links're broken!!!" Aphrodite laughs, then screams out, "TAKE THEM ALL DOWN, EVERYONE!!!!!!"
The dark princess staggers as her ears pick up the victory shouts from over a dozen throats...
Mercury. "***AQUA ILLUSION!!!!!!***"
Venus. "***LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!!!!!***"
Jupiter. "***SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!!!!!!***"
Mars. "***BURNING MATILDA!!!!!!***"
Uranus. "***WORLD SHAKING!!!!!!***"
Neptune. "***DEEP SUBMERGE!!!!!!***"
Pluto. "***DEAD SCREAM!!!!!!***"
Sunaru. "***WINDSTORM PASSION!!!!!!***"
Hermes. "***HYPERSPEED ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
Chronos. "***TIME SUSPENSION...TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
Gaia. "***LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION!!!!!!***"
Ares. "***FIRE PHOENIX!!!!!!***"
Poseidon. "***ICE STORM PASSION!!!!!!***"
Hades. "***ETERNITY MADNESS!!!!!!***"
Shaking her head clear, Kughra quickly realizes four of the Senshi weren't involved in fighting her daemons. Diana was no doubt looking for her father to settle scores...but where were Terra, Saturn and Zeus?!
* * *
"Close, Usagi-chan!!" Terra bites her lips, her hands feeling the cold ground some distance away from the main battle. "We almost got it!!! Keep her busy!!"
"Why don't I do it now and get it over with?!" Saturn wonders.
"What's to stop her from rebuilding this planetoid even if you destroy it?!" Tuxedo Kamen stares at her. "Wait until Nicole says it's alright, then do it!"
Saturn nods. "Should be close now," Kyooko concentrates, her mind keeping track of the duel between Kughra and Sailor Moon.
Midori and Zeus, sent with Kyooko to protect Saturn, nod...
* * *
"Get up!"
Kughra hisses as she rises, glaring at Moon. "I must admit, I didn't expect this from the likes of you!" she icily smiles. "Not a bad plan, Sailor Moon...but not good enough!!"
She turns, sending a blast of energy away from the crystal palace towards the arc of Earth lying not two thousand kilometres away!! "No!!!" Moon cries out as she watches the bolt home in on Tokyo like a guided missile, then leaps back to grab the Crystal and aims on target. "***MOON HEALING...!!!!!!***"
Kughra tackles her, sending the two women tumbling head over heels onto the veranda. Seeing this, Aphrodite gasps as she winds up with a big black heart. "***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***"
The bolt blazes down...and slams into Sailor Moon!! "Oh, shit!!!" Aphrodite yelps as the Senshi leader collapses like so much dead weight, letting go of the Crystal...
* * *
"Destroy that!!" Nicole barks.
"Got it!" Mujanba taps a control.
* * *
The crystal palace glows for a moment, then a bolt of energy lashes out to pulverize the blast Kughra fired on Tokyo. The dark princess seems not to care as she reaches down, picking up the Imperium Silver Crystal, then smiles as Sailor Moon staggers back to her feet, her mind reeling from Aphrodite's attack. "Nice try!" the dark princess grins, patting the Crystal in the palm of her hand. "Your compassion will always be your weakness, Sailor Moon!"
Suddenly, Moon's eyes darken as a twisted grin cuts across her face. "Who says anything about MY compassion, you lousy bitch?!" she hisses, then before the surprised Kughra could react, leaps over to tackle the dark princess by the neck, sending both of them tumbling off the crystal palace!!
"Maybe that's not so bad after all!" Aphrodite embarrassingly chuckles, rubbing the back of her head...
* * *
Deep within the devastated palace, Daisuke Tsuruga pulls himself out from under some wreckage, gasping as he grips a badly mangled leg, a shard of wood having pried his calf open. "This is certainly not one of my better days!" he grunts.
"Professor Tsuruga!" a voice beckons.
He turns to see Sailor Gaia emerge from shadow. "Sakebu!!" he reaches down to draw the splint from his leg. "Here, give me a hand with this damn thing!" he grunts, then cries out as he draws the shard of wood from his leg.
Seeing the severity of his wounds, the Senshi healer kneels beside him, her hands over his legs. "LIFE ENERGY RESTORE!!!!!!" she calls out as a wave of healing energy pours down.
Tsuruga pants as the shredded muscles and blood vessels heal, sealing up and restoring his leg to normal. "Oh, thank you..." he gasps in relief, then icily smiles, "...you idiot!!"
Gaia screams as he lunges at her with the broken shard...
"***ENERGY MOON DARTS!!!!!!***"
Tsuruga screams as a storm of bolts lance through his arms, legs and abdomen, slamming him against a wall! From out of the shadows, Sailor Diana appears, a vengeful smile twisting her lips. "Nice try, Father!" the moon huntress braces herself.
Painfully roaring, the professor lunges over to grab Gaia by the throat, pointing the sharp end of the shard at her jugular. "You stay right there, you delinquent child!!" he snarls, spitting up blood. "You even try anything, Sakebu gets a new mouth!!!"
"Wanna bet?!" Gaia's eyes glow as a blaze of energy forms around her. "***LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION!!!!!!***"
A mini-Akira wave bursts from the Senshi healer as Diana drops to the floor, warping into Tsuruga as he is put through something quite similar to Aphrodite's Heart Mirror Shock! His scream is strangled off as he staggers away from Gaia just as his daughter leaps back to his feet, javelin in hand. "No...!!"
"This is for all of us!!!" Diana flings the weapon.
The bolt slams through the professor's throat, nearly ripping his head off as he is impaled against a wall!! Diana then walks forward, her hand snaring the shard her father had tried to use on Gaia from his shaking hand, then with brutal speed, yanks out her javelin from his throat and replaces it with the shard! "There, you'll keep!!" Diana smiles as she draws back from her father. "Stick around, Father! You'll get to see why Sailor Saturn's called 'the Senshi of Death and Destruction' first-hand!!"
A weak rasp escapes from the professor's lips as Diana and Gaia race off to join the others...
* * *
Kughra's breath explodes as Moon's fist smashes into her jaw, sending her tumbling back to the ground. Her sailor fuku torn, her gloves shredded and nasty cuts all over her, the Senshi leader leans down to draw the dazed dark princess to her feet. Still, the dark fire burns deep in Sailor Moon's eyes as all her anger, her rage from four years of nearly constant fighting swells forth. "You think you are so worthy of the *te'a's* power?!" Moon hisses, then cocks her fist. "You'll NEVER have it!!!"
Another blow sends the Nyoogranj'sha princess flying against a large rock! The target of Kughra's long hunt lies nearby, having been knocked out of her hands when she and Moon fell from the crystal palace. As Kughra, dazed and confused from a combination of Aphrodite's empathic attacks and Moon's fists, tries to get her bearings back, the Senshi leader turns, hand outstretched. The Crystal glows as it flies into her palm, then she turns back on Kughra. "You want to be one with the *te'a,* Kughra?!" she raises the staff, her emotions causing the Crystal to brightly glow. "There's only ONE way for you to do that!!!" she aims on target, then shouts, "***MOON COSMIC HEALING ACTIVATION!!!!!!***"
The bolt slams into Kughra, shredding her body as the rock behind her disintegrates, the bolt flying on to pulverize what was left of the dark princess' palace!!! An inhuman shriek fills the air as Kughra's energy, accumulated over sixty millennia, explodes in a geyser of flame that shoots into space to dissipate, once more returning to That Power from which it came.
Moon cries out as her own pain overwhelms her, collapsing into Aphrodite's arms. "Whoa, tiger, down!!" the passion mistress laughs as she produces another black heart. "Nice work!!"
Moon jolts as the empathic bolt restores her mind to normal, then she shakes her head. "Wha...what happened...?!"
"You beat her down, then moon-dusted her!" Aphrodite helps her back up. "Sorry that I missed with that one Mirror Shock bolt, but by the looks of it, you had to lose it to beat that creep!!"
"S'okay!" Moon pants as she catches her breath, then looks around. "Wait a second!! How come the place isn't flying apart?!"
"Eh...?!" Aphrodite blinks, then jolts as the ground begins to ominously quake. "Oh, shit...!!!"
"***FOOL!!!!!!***" Kughra's booming voice echoes from all around them. "***DID YOU THINK THAT THE DESTRUCTION OF MY BODY WOULD RID YOU OF ME THAT EASILY, SAILOR MOON?!?!?! EVEN WITH MY WARRIORS SLAIN, THERE IS STILL ONE MORE MORTAL VESSEL I COULD STILL USE TO DISPOSE OF YOU ALL!!!!!!***"
Moon blinks, then stares wide-eyed at Aphrodite. "She must mean Nona-chan's dad!!!" the former gapes, then looks up. "Nicole, get everyone but Saturn and Chronos back aboard, quick!!! Bring Saturn and Chronos here!!!"
"Aye, lass!!" Nicole's voice echoes down.
Transporter beams send everyone to the veranda as Saturn and Chronos appear beside Moon. "What is it?!" the former asks.
"Get ready!!!" Moon barks, then turns to see something float up from the smoking pit of Kughra's palace. "Oh, no!!!"
"I can't destroy that thing myself!!" Chronos warns.
Everyone else watches as energy flows from nowhere into the shattered body of Daisuke Tsuruga, his eyes glowing. "***WHAT WILL YOU DO TO STOP ME NOW, SAILOR MOON?!?!?!***" Kughra's mocking voice howls from the professor's shattered throat.
"Nicole-chan!!!" Nokoko looks aft. "Beam that thing here!!"
"Right, love!" Nicole keys a control.
A transporter beam seizes Tsuruga's body and materializes it on the prow of the crystal palace...and out of Kughra's reach! "***NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!***" the dark princess screams as she feels her psychic grip on Tsuruga cut off.
"Hey, Chooko, get that garbage off my palace!!!" Nicole snaps.
"Right!!" Chronos leaps up to the prow, then twirls her Time Reaper. "***TIME SUSPENSION...TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
Tsuruga's body vanishes in a puff of dust and smoke! Moon then turns to Saturn. "Now!!!"
As Moon leaps to the palace, Saturn raises the Silence Glaive.
"***DEATH...REBORN...REVOLUTION!!!!!!***"
* * *
"Gods!!!" Rei's grandfather gapes.
The crowd at Hikawa Jinja watch as a burst of light flashes on the surface of the dark planetoid! A scythe of energy cleaves the sphere in half as an Akira wave rips the crust from Ground Zero, shredding it!! As a beacon of light flees the planetoid, the doomsday power of Sailor Saturn pulverizes Kughra's base, the last vestige of the Dark Kingdom, into ashes, showering space around Earth with sparkles of light as a beautiful day returns to Tokyo.
"Alright!!!" Yuuichirou whoops from nearby. "They did it!!!"
Passers-by blink confusedly as a celebration breaks out at the shrine, everyone laughing and crying as they embrace each other...
* * *
"You okay, Hotaru-chan?!" Moon gasps.
Saturn pants as she feels her strength return, then using the Silence Glaive as a crutch, gets back up. "I hate using that power..." she gasps, then takes a recuperative breath of fresh air. "Yes, I'm fine. Did we get her?!"
"Nicole?!" Nokoko looks at her friend.
Nicole concentrates as she focuses the palace's hypersensitive sensors on the site of Kughra's planetoid. "We got her!" she grins. "Without any physical form to call on, she couldn't keep her own soul in this realm. The *te'a* took care of the rest."
With that, the Senshi whoop as they embrace each other in victory. "That was so easy!!" Sunaru embraces her adopted sister. "Geez, is this sort of work always this good?!"
"With all of you now fighting with us?!" Jupiter grins, kissing Sunaru on the cheek. "You bet!"
"Don't be too overconfident," Pluto warns.
The time guardian's warning is ineffective in sobering the others from their elation. She and Hades exchange knowing smiles, realizing that when they calmed down, the Senshi would understand that they were very lucky this time. Pluto's eyes then fall on Sailor Moon, now gazing out a portal as the crystal palace begins to descend on Oshika. Walking over, she places a hand on her leader's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Sore," Moon stares at her bruised hands. "And scared."
"What do you mean?"
"When Ayako hit me with her Mirror Shock, all my rage, all the anger and frustration I've felt over the last few years just surged forth. I couldn't control it," Moon shudders. "And there was a part of me that didn't want to control it. Why?"
"All of us have that dark side to our nature, Usagi," Pluto smiles. "Even Yuki and I aren't invulnerable to the wanderings of our own dreams and nightmares. The universe is a great balancing act most of all. Creation occurs here, Entropy there. In our own souls, it's the same thing. Sooner or later, the frustration that built up from the disruption in your life being Sailor Moon heaped on you had to come out. And it was a good thing it came out now."
"Why, Setsuna?"
"Because Kughra was the type of foe that totally depended on her powers," Pluto smiles. "She was like you in more ways than you would care to believe, Usagi. She never once conceived of you going hand-to-hand; before this, you always waited until someone else took the monster down before using the Crystal on it."
"You're saying that I don't support the team enough."
"In certain circumstances, people would conclude that," Pluto nods. "We don't mind it since, despite what you said before Naru became a part of us, you're still the Princess we swore our loyalty to back in the Silver Millennium. And because of that, we, even Rei, are loath to admit that at times, you can be more of a liability to the Senshi than an asset."
Moon blinks, biting her lips, then gazes at her. "Is that the reason you didn't like the idea of Naru-chan joining us?"
Pluto blinks, then looks away. "Partially," she admits, part of her suddenly finding the pattern on the floor quite interesting. "When Naru became Sailor Terra, certain future probabilities came into being, those sorts of probabilities that became more likely now that the Twins are involved. None of them are loyal to you like we are, Usagi. Naru became Sailor Terra because she is your best friend from this life. Her first tie is to Earth, being Earth's first acolyte and defender. The Twins are bound to each other because of their links as Nendo-kata; they aid us but are not a part of us. That could lead to problems in the future."
"Also, you're worried about what Naru-chan and the Twins could make me do," Moon muses.
"Yes," Pluto stares at her. "We care for you a lot, Usagi. I feel it now and the others might feel it sometime in the future. Naru and the Twins could make you do things that would take us by surprise, make us feel unsure about you. You were lucky today; it was just Ayako with you and deep down, she applauded you when you rearranged Kughra's face."
"Ayako never struck me as the type," Moon hums.
"You don't know Ayako's past too much," Pluto warns. "But what happens when you're fighting with us and you cut loose then? I don't know how the others'll take it."
"They'll just have to get used to it, I guess," Moon sighs, smiling at her. "There are times, Setsuna, I feel I'm so unworthy of all of you. I don't want to feel that anymore. I don't want me to be JUST the Princess and you my servants. I want us to be a real team, working as equals. With Naru-chan and the Twins here, I can have that chance. It feels nice."
Pluto sighs, a smile twitching her lips. "Well, if you made that choice, I can't interfere anymore." At Moon's surprised stare, she adds, "The curse of being a time guardian."
Moon grins. "There's hope for you yet, Setsuna."
Pluto jolts, then looks away with a humph. "I don't have to stand here and be insulted, you know."
"Will you stop?!" Moon snickers. "You're still a human being under it all, Setsuna! Believe me, I was happy for you when you and Gurio got together! I just want to know how!!"
"Usagi, even I'm entitled to my secrets," Pluto lightly smiles as she walks away.
Moon watches her, smiling...
* * *
"Mom, we're home!!!"
"Well, it's about time!" Mrs. Tsukino beams as a small troop of Senshi step into the house. "We saw what happened!"
"As did nearly everyone in Tokyo!" Rei muses as everyone relaxes in the living room. "I can't believe that Grandpa and Yuuichirou-kun know I'm Sailor Mars!! Weird!"
"I couldn't believe it when Mom told me she knew I was Sailor Terra," Naru relaxes beside Usagi. "We gotta get better costumes!"
"Never mind, Naru-chan," Usagi's mother serves tea and snacks, then looks around. "Where is everyone?"
"Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan are doing their own thing with Hotaru-chan, Makoto-chan's with Katsura-chan and her family, the other Twins are visiting their families, Yuki-chan's who knows where and Setsuna-chan's gone on a date with Gurio-kun," Junko supplies, wrapping an arm around Minako.
"That's the scariest part of all!" Ami shudders, relaxing beside Nona and Chooko. "Setsuna DATING someone!!"
"What's the matter with that, Ami-chan?!" Usagi's mother blinks confusedly. "A healthy young girl like Setsuna deserves the chance to be with someone, especially if it's Gurio."
"A healthy young girl who's a thousand years old?" Usagi hums.
Her mother jolts, staring at her. "That's a joke, I take it." Heads shake negatively. "Usagi-chan, what sort of people are you hanging around with?!" she slaps her forehead, then jerks on seeing the bandages around Usagi's hand. "Usagi, what happened?!!"
"Oh, this?!" Usagi holds up a fist, a sly smile crossing her face. "Relax, Mom! I got this from giving some sweet chin music to Kughra while we were fighting!!"
The other Senshi jolt, gaping in shock at their leader. "It went that bad?" Usagi's mother sighs, then throws up her arms. "I don't want to know about it! I do NOT want to know about it!!"
She heads into the kitchen...just as a thermometer is slipped into Usagi's mouth by Minako as Ami checks her pulse. "Hey, what is this?!" the Senshi leader snaps.
"We're checking to make sure you aren't sick!" Minako frets.
Sighing, Usagi grabs their heads and rams them together, allowing Minako and Ami to drop dazedly to the floor. "Geez, I'm alright, already!!" she spits out the thermometer before heading to her bedroom. "What's with you guys?!"
Baffled silence follows. "What's with *her?!*" Rei wonders.
The three Senshi twins shrug...
*** The Beginning ***
PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON - THE SAILOR SENSHI TWINS
WRITER'S NOTES
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
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Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi
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INTRODUCTION
This small file is written for those who would like to use the variation of the Sailor Senshi Twins as introduced in the fanfic story "Sailor Twins" and its sequels. Under no circumstances does this reflect on the Dark Sailor Senshi from the fanfic story "Senshi Kurai" and its sequels as created by Jackie Chiang or any other variation of twin sisters for the Sailor Senshi.
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GENERAL RULES ON THE NENDO-KATA
The Nendo-kata first appeared in the eleventh story of my fanfic series "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year," "Together The Outland." With this note, I give permission to all fanfic writers who wish to use the Nendo-kata that they may do so as long as they give credit where it's due and follow the basic guidelines as outlined below. For further character references or to get the feel of this race, please read any UY-TSY story after "TTO," my Ranma 1/2 fanfic "Three Sisters," my UY-TSY/SM crossover "Lonely They Who Guard...", and my Sailor Moon fanfics "Sailor Twins," "College Life: When Sisters Come Calling" or "Faith No More."
The Nendo-kata are, in their natural state, a race of mollusks similar to giant squid in size and looks. The average size of a healthy adult is the same as a small truck. Nendo-kata are water-breathers who can live in a salt water environment from the surface to a depth of three kilometres on an Earth-sized planet. The average lifespan of a Nendo-kata is 2000 years.
Nendo-kata are allasomorphs who can use their transformation power only once in their life. This process is called the Crossing Over (always capitalized). When a Nendo-kata desires to Cross Over, she will take a blood sample of a person which serves as her template, then rapidly create a new body for her soul. Once the new body is created, the Nendo-kata switches her soul to the new body and it is then severed from the old body. The old body disintegrates. Once the Crossing Over is done, the Nendo-kata is then bound by all environmental laws the template follows (i.e. breathing air instead of water). A Nendo-kata's lifespan doesn't change when she Crosses Over. The physical process of the Crossing Over takes an average of twenty-four hours. The only restriction in this is that the template must be a carbon-based form of life; Nendo-kata cannot replicate themselves from a Horta, for example.
If the template is dying for whatever reason (as witness the case of Nokoko Moroboshi, Clarisse Ike and the Senshi Twins), the soul of the template is temporarily drawn into the Nendo-kata's mind while the new body is produced. Once the new body is ready, the two separate souls merge together in Psi-Unity, then enter the new body when the Crossing Over is complete. As the two souls merge together (it usually takes 1-3 days after the Crossing Over), there will be a sense of disorientation felt by the Nendo-kata as she strives to forge a new sense of self. There are no rules to this end concerning Psi-Unity, but in the most cases, the Nendo-kata will adhere to her bounds to her own personal school, whatever friendships her non-Nendo-kata self had, and the laws of Unity.
The Nendo-kata are an ALL FEMALE race, which reproduce by a natural form of parthenogenesis. What happens is that one's egg is telekinetically transferred into the mate's womb and vice-versa, then allowed to mate with the host's egg. This process remains the same even after the Crossing Over. Because of that, Nendo-kata cannot mate with a male. Nendo-kata have mated with non-Nendo-kata females (Asuka Mizunokoji and Pamanba Ike for example). In this case, the non-Nendo-kata can only contribute her egg to this process UNLESS the Nendo-kata mate draws two eggs into herself, has them come together, then implants one in her mate's womb. NOTE: all children born of Nendo-kata who have Crossed Over (which are always female [two double Xs do not make an XY]) can reproduce as per the normal reproduction rules of their host societies.
If a male of another species merges with a Nendo-kata during the Crossing Over, the resultant being will always be female.
The other natural powers a Nendo-kata have include telepathy, empathy and telekinesis. These powers remain with her when she has Crossed Over and can be passed on to offspring.
Nendo-kata society is very old and has seldom changed over the centuries. The length of time that modern Nendo-kata society has existed is usually quoted at 100,000 years. This is since the time of the Great Crossing Over, when male Nendo-kata remoulded themselves into females to take joy in the bearing of children. During this time, the Nendo-kata also evolved their strong beliefs in Unity, dedicating themselves as a race to seek out and destroy disUnity wherever it may be found. Using their powers and special space-warp points located all over their homeworld, they have reached out from their planet across dozens of galaxies to insert themselves in other societies. It is unknown whether or not the Nendo-kata can reach Earth from their homeworld (the Outland school came via another dimension while the Cold Flat Mound school came with the help of Sailor Hades), but it should be possible.
When dealing with the Nendo-kata, these concepts should always be kept in mind:
Unity...The positive forces of Creation. Nendo-kata believe all races are bound together in a vast Universal School. To dedicate oneself to the service of Unity is the highest call a Nendo-kata can take. Nendo-kata sometimes address themselves and like-minded sentients (like the Sailor Senshi) as "Agents of Unity."
disUnity...The opposite of Unity. It is always spelt as if there was a dash between the prefix and the noun (dis-Unity). Natural disUnity cannot be fought under any circumstances. What they do fight is what we would call "evil," stamping it out wherever it is found in whatever form it is encountered. Those who perpetrate disUnity are called "Purveyors of disUnity" or "sub-creatures" if they are really evil (Beryl would fit the second classification).
Cosmic Chain of Life...The sum total of Existence. The saying "return to the Cosmic Chain of Life" is a very respectful way to speak of one's death.
Mother Ocean...The Nendo-kata deity, a mother goddess figure. Also, this term identifies the Nendo-kata homeworld. It could also be used to identify another sentient's homeworld. For instance, Usagi Tsukino's Mother Ocean is none other than Earth.
Black Ocean...Death, the afterlife. "Cast to the depths" is another way of indicating that one has died.
Devil sharks...The Nendo-kata's version of demons or onis. To be seen as a devil shark is one step lower than being a sub-creature.
Trickster sharks...One step up from a devil shark. Someone who is very annoying for whatever reason. In my Ranma 1/2 fanfic "Three Sisters," Ranko Saotome refers to Nabiki Tendou as a trickster shark.
Great School...One's race/species.
School...One's immediate family/clan/village. For a Nendo-kata, one's school is identified by environment (i.e. the Outland school, the Cold Flat Mound school). Nendo-kata schools are always even-numbered to ensure no one is without a mate.
Schoolmates...A term to identify the members of one's school.
Air breathers...Self-explanatory. This would also apply to those races who derive sustenance from types of gasses other than oxygen (i.e. methane).
Sister...This has three meanings among the Nendo-kata. The first is meant to represent a female template, which whom a Nendo-kata will automatically adopt as a sibling. Katsura Utai considers Haruka Ten'ou her sister. If the template should happen to be male, "brother" is substituted. The second is a catch-all term Nendo-kata use to address each other. The third is of course all female siblings of one's template, which are also included as family. Katsura, atop thinking that Haruka is her sister, also acknowledges Teruko Utai as her sister and Makoto Kino as her adopted sister.
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THE NENDO-KATA SCHOOL
An individual Nendo-kata school ranges from 8-20 sentients. Whenever the school is seen as being too large, the school then divides into separate schools. If there are just not enough to form a proper school, several older schools will come together to allow offspring to forge bonds, then go off. Regardless of the size, there are five "positions" that exist in each school:
Matriarch...The school leader. While the Nendo-kata do practice a form of communism/socialism in which all are seen as equal, there is one set leader and her decisions will always matter at the end.
Sage...The school teacher/priest. She is the one who instructs her schoolmates and offspring about Unity's ways.
Defender...The school warrior. The one who takes charge of defending one's nest against intruders.
Bard...The school messenger/scout. This is one who travels from school to school to pass on news and information, plus locate a new place to move the nest when it comes time to migrate.
Gatherer...The others in a school. These maintain the nest, gather food and care for the young.
The two schools introduced in fanfiction so far divide the above tasks as follows:
OUTLAND SCHOOL
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Matriarch...Nokoko Moroboshi
Sage...Tatsuko Fujinami
Defender...Saiten Shigaten
Bard...Kaikeko "Clarisse" Ike
Gatherers...Mal Redet, Osooko, Hei Aruka, Ookako Sakurambou, Donna de Rosenbach, Nintaiko Miyaki, Asuka Mizunokoji (A), Pamanba (A)
COLD FLAT MOUND SCHOOL
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Matriarch...Nona Tsuruga
Sage...Matsuri Dokai
Defender...Katsura Utai
Bard...Tsuyako Yuuri
Gatherers...Yuki Tetsujo, Sakebu Kanna, Ayako Maida, Junko Satoda, Nareta Osoi, Chooko Nori, Kyooko Tsuruga, Midori Ryokuchuuseki
Asuka and Pamanba are adopted members of the Outland school, but would be considered gatherers in this case.
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WANDERERS
When a whole school is cast into the Black Ocean, the only survivor usually is the school bard. They are, prior to parting from their schoolmates for the final time, impregnated with the memories of their schoolmates, then tasked to go out and find other schools so that the tales of the deceased school can be passed on. These orphaned Nendo-kata are called Wanderers.
Whenever they have traditionally been encountered by other schools, they are welcomed in and made part of that school. Such is the case of three Wanderers who united with the souls of four of Sailor Galaxia's Anima Mates, who, thanks to the soulless succubi known as the Fushin, became the protectors of what little remained of their people.
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THE SAILOR SENSHI TWINS
The Sailor Senshi Twins were a secret project initiated by the cybernetics scientist Daisuke Tsuruga at the instigation of the long-lived Sagussan barbarian princess Kughra to create a force powerful enough to defeat and destroy the Sailor Senshi, thus allowing Kughra to seize the Imperium Silver Crystal and tap into the power of the *te'a.* Originally cyborgs, their spirits were later merged with a school of Nendo-kata, distant relatives of the Outland school based now in Oshika, then became a second team of Sailor Senshi. The Senshi Twins, save for the leader, took the Greek versions of the names of their templates as their nom de guerre. In the leader's case, since Sailor Moon was known to have two feline advisors named Luna and Artemis (both Greek names of the moon goddess), the Roman name "Diana" was substituted.
The Senshi Twins possess henshin sticks that are, like Sailor Terra's, not linked to the Imperium Silver Crystal though they also draw on the *te'a's* power. These were once special power cells for their android bodies, but were modified when they Crossed Over.
A note on the Twins' transformation phrases: while they were cyborgs, the Twins used "Eclipse." When they Crossed Over and became Nendo-kata, the word "Cosmic" was substituted.
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SAILOR DIANA
Nona Tsuruga
"I am Sailor Diana, Huntress of the Moon, and you won't get away with it!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Moon Huntress, Huntress of the Moon
Transformation...Diana Lunar Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Moon's without the wings over her posterior and a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden star.
Symbol...A crescent moon, points up, with a crossbow and arrow cast over it.
Hair & Eyes...Red hair styled in a long ponytail (as a cyborg, was in a French braid), green eyes.
Relatives...Daisuke (father, deceased), Kyooko (mother), Chooko Nori (life-mate/spouse), Usagi Tsukino (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Kyoto
Present Home...The Tsukino home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attack:
ENERGY MOON DARTS...Tiny projectiles of energy which burn on contact. Similar to shuriken in effect.
Defense:
ECLIPSE VEIL...Creates a field of darkness around Sailor Diana and those she wishes to protect.
Weapon:
MOON JAVELIN...A naginata-type bo Diana's height with a sharp spear. Can be used to transmit high-intensity energy attacks similar to the Moon Darts. Diana can use it as a baton or quarterstaff if needed.
HISTORY
Nona was your average third year high school student, a manga and anime lover when she discovered that her father was going to attempt to create something akin to one of her favourite sci-fi stories, "Ghost In The Shell." Imagine her shock when she learned that the nine cyborg prototypes were going to be used in an attempt to destroy the Sailor Senshi. Before she could get a warning out, her father transformed HER into a cyborg, modelling her after Sailor Moon. However, since the Twins were on Earth and away from Kughra's influence at the time of their re-birth, they escaped Tsuruga's control and fled to Tokyo to warn the Senshi. During the battle with Kughra, Nona got her revenge by killing her father. Accepted by Usagi and her family, she and Chooko now live with the Tsukinos as guests as Nona prepares for university.
PERSONALITY
Nona was very much like Usagi once: carefree, always willing to shirk responsibility to have fun, a glutton, klutz, etcetera. But losing her very humanity, watching nine innocent women taken advantage of, then being forced to kill someone as a slave soldier, destroyed a lot of the old Nona. What was born was a woman who seems on first meeting perpetually angry, willing to fight at the drop of a hat. Becoming the "moon huntress" suits Nona, especially since she is absorbing a lot of Nendo-kata morality. Put simply, any daemon or monster that crosses her path is doomed!
When not in the middle of Senshi business, Nona does lighten up somewhat, mostly when she is with Usagi, her mother or Chooko. She is into classical and new age music, preferring (like many of her school) anything that has the sound of water in it. She is a good cook though she has lost a lot of her appetite (Kyooko once told Usagi's mother that Nona could eat enough food for an infantry company and still ask for seconds!). Nona is becoming very close to Usagi, helping her template/sister deal with her own painful maturity in the wake of the battle with Galaxia and the final confrontation with the Dark Kingdom, not to mention helping her become a more effective fighter.
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SAILOR SUNARU
Katsura Utai
"Prepare to bid farewell to earth, for the Mistress of Wind, Sailor Sunaru, will show you the stairway to Heaven!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Mistress of Wind and Weather
Transformation...Sunaru Heavenly Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Uranus' save for the base colour being sky blue, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a stylized hurricane symbol.
Symbol...A hurricane symbol over crossed arrows.
Hair & Eyes...Black hair styled as Haruka's, brown eyes.
Relatives...Susumu (father), Tadako (mother), Teruko (younger sister), Haruka Ten'ou (template/adopted sister), Makoto Kino (adopted sister)
Home Town...Atami
Present Home...The Kino-Utai residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attack:
WINDSTORM PASSION...Similar to Sailor Terra's Air-Whirlpool Heat-Fire Strike without heat. Can be used to create a funnel of air to entrap people.
Distraction:
WEATHER KISS...Using water from Sailor Mercury or Sailor Neptune, creates pockets of precipitation.
Defense:
WINDSTORM FORTRESS...Creates an impenetrable wall of air around her.
HISTORY
According to a Buddhist monk, Katsura was born under a very lucky star and she lived it throughout the first years of her life. No accidents, no sicknesses, nothing. Over time, she used her luck to, like her parents, engage in gambling. Katsura made a killing on horse and auto racing, especially when her personal hero Haruka Ten'ou hit the Formula One circuit. With that luck, the Utais amassed a considerable fortune. But that luck couldn't save Katsura when she contracted hepatitis-C, then she fell under the interest of Daisuke Tsuruga. But luck soon shone its grace back on Katsura when she was templated off her favourite race car hero, then she regained her humanity. During that time, she discovered another love: Makoto. Arranging to have her family adopt the orphaned young woman, Katsura elected to move in with her teammate and take her time before launching something more intimate. With her luck, Katsura might just succeed.
PERSONALITY
Katsura was born with an eye for personal advancement and she pursues it with a Nabiki Tendou-like ruthlessness at times. These days, she wouldn't do anything that could psychologically harm someone else; her Nendo-kata morals would block her or force her to share her wealth with those who helped her get it. But when it comes to money, Katsura has always been lucky. Because of that, Katsura has had few real friends, all of whom drifted away when it was assumed that she would die from hepatitis. Katsura no longer cares; her primary concerns socially are her family and Makoto.
Katsura unfortunately was templated off someone who didn't like the idea of having her personal space so invaded. There was a slight friction between Katsura and Haruka, though it didn't show up in the middle of a battle. Despite all of Michiru's prodding, Haruka couldn't bring herself to apply the term "sister" to Katsura. It hurt Katsura to an extent, but since she already had quite a solid family behind her, she was really in no hurry to force herself all over Haruka. They eventually reconciled when Katsura visited Haruka at the latter's college.
As the school defender, Katsura is emotionally primed for combat and engages it with a relish that at times rivals Nona's. However, she isn't as tomboyish as Haruka; she wouldn't go so far as to disguise herself as a boy. Katsura wants most of all to discover ways to connect with people emotionally; she couldn't have picked anyone better to emote to than Makoto.
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SAILOR ZEUS
Junko Satoda
"You need not waste your time; no one passes Sailor Zeus, Mistress of the Aegis!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Mistress of the Aegis
Transformation...Zeus Lightning Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Jupiter's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden heart.
Symbol...A heart over crossed arrows and a lightning bolt.
Hair & Eyes...Same as Makoto's
Relatives...Tasuku (father), Yoshiko (mother), Makoto Kino (template/adopted sister), Minako Aino (girlfriend)
Home Town...Tokyo
Present Home...The Satoda residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
LIGHTNING FLASH...A blinding blast of light.
Entrapment:
AEGIS ENTRAPMENT...Using the Aegis' power to restrain a target.
Defense:
AEGIS PROTECTION...Using the power of the Aegis to forge shield around her and those she wishes to protect.
HISTORY
The only Juuban native of the Sailor Twins, Junko was a big fan of Sailor V before it was revealed that she was Sailor Venus. While having not been in Usagi's class in Juuban Junior High School or later Juuban High School, Junko had been on occasion caught by the "monster du jour" whenever innocent bystanders were employed as slave soldiers. Her admiration of Sailor Venus soon turned into something deeper as she began to discover herself. That discovery soon proved tragic when after a heated liaison with a foreign exchange student, Junko contracted HIV. She was more than happy to volunteer herself to become a Senshi Twin (not knowing Tsuruga's real plans), electing to be Sailor Zeus since she always sensed a special closeness between Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. It soon worked out; with several empathic "prods" by Ayako, Junko and Minako began to date. Junko's parents have completely accepted it (especially when they found out who Minako was!).
PERSONALITY
Junko tends to fit the defender role much better than Katsura. A motherly figure the equal of Makoto, Junko relishes her role as Sailor Zeus. Junko emotionally isn't primed to be a fighter even now that she's a Nendo-kata. She sees her task as protecting the bystanders who somehow get dragged into fights between the Senshi and the monster du jour, filling a role no one played whenever she was caught up in the craziness that hounded her former schoolmates.
Of all the Twins, Junko is as close to being a social double of Makoto as she is now a physical double. She is an outstanding cook, a diligent home-maker, a kind woman who would make a perfect mate for anyone looking for one (better snap her up quick, Minako-chan! ^_^). The only difference between the Jovian twins is their approach to violence. Junko always had a home and a supportive household, something Makoto lost before junior high school. And before she became a Senshi Twin, Junko was your average sized girl, not a fast grower like Makoto. Also, Junko has one overwhelming passion: Minako. Only now is the Senshi of Love learning how deeply the Mistress of the Aegis has desired her.
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SAILOR HERMES
Tsuyako Yuuri
"Escape is illogical; no one outruns the Herald of Justice, Sailor Hermes!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Senshi Herald; Herald of Justice
Transformation...Hermes Herald Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Mercury's save for the base colour being an electric blue, wrap-around shooter's goggles around her eyes, blue winged running boots similar to the Flash's, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden heart.
Symbol...A caduceus with a heart fixed at its apex.
Hair & Eyes...Blonde hair styled like Ami's, blue eyes. Always wears glasses or goggles.
Relatives...Izou (father), Atsuko (mother), Nareta Osoi (life-mate/spouse), Ami Mizuno (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Naha, Okinawa
Present Home...The Yuuri/Osoi residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
HYPERSPEED ACCELERATION...Accelerates molecular speed on touch.
STORM OF A THOUSAND KNIVES...Uses the Herald Sentinel to lance a target at hypersonic speeds.
Movement:
Sailor Hermes can move at hypersonic speeds for up to two hours at any one time carrying two people. Her body produces a shield to protect herself and her passengers from atmospheric friction.
Weapon:
HERALD SENTINEL...A caduceus with points that glows in the dark.
HISTORY
As much a child genius as Ami, Tsuyako was born with a very high IQ, quickly becoming a bookworm as she advanced through the local school system. Mastering a half-dozen languages, she seemed destined to take her place as one of Japan's greatest scientists (she was pursuing a possible career in chemistry). However, a bad case of pneumonia nearly ended that and saw Tsuyako in the hands of Daisuke Tsuruga. Before learning the black truth of the Senshi Twins, Tsuyako asked for her eyes to be made defective, a humbling touch that was replicated when she became a Nendo-kata. After her escape, she went out to locate Sailor Mercury, knowing from news reports that of all the Senshi, her template was perhaps the best equipped to help the Twins overcome their power problems. Such soon no longer became necessary when the Nendo-kata came, thus allowing Tsuyako to pursue her dream...and Nareta.
PERSONALITY
Outside her vast intelligence, Tsuyako is perhaps the most ordinary of the Senshi Twins. Having lived on Okinawa, she was exposed at close quarters to American culture, so when she was given a choice of hair styles and looks, she elected to remake herself into a reflection of the popular blonde haired, blue eyed icon popular in the West. When things went crazy, she was able to overcome her inhibitions and start a relationship with Nareta, something that became permanent when they became Nendo-kata.
In part because of that, Tsuyako and Nareta were able to forge a close bond with Haruka and Michiru. Of course, Tsuyako also strives to keep a close bond with her template/sister. With Ami's help, Tsuyako was able to get into university to pursue her dreams, attending the same university Ami goes to. While accepted with some reservations by her parents (like many caught in this situation, they find it hard to accept Tsuyako's desire to be with another woman), Tsuyako has won Ami's mother over.
As the Senshi herald/school bard, Tsuyako's task in the team is a combination of fast reconnaissance and information gathering so the others could prepare for an attack. She is a good fighter, especially with the Herald Sentinel in hand; to the unlucky monster facing her, Tsuyako's Strike of a Thousand Knives is as deadly as Nona's Energy Moon Darts or Nareta's Ice Storm Passion.
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SAILOR APHRODITE
Ayako Maida
"Get ready for the ultimate heartbreak; Sailor Aphrodite's gonna show you why she's the Mistress of Passion!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Passion Mistress; Mistress of Passion; The Senshi
Heartbreaker; The Senshi Matchmaker
Transformation...Aphrodite Passion Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Venus' save for the base colour being electric pink, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and a heart on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.
Symbol...A heart with an arrow piercing it.
Hair & Eyes...Raven haired styled as Minako's, blue eyes.
Relatives...Minako Aino (template/adopted sister), Matsuri Dokai (life-mate/spouse)
Home Town...Roppongi-chi, Tokyo
Present Home...The Maida/Dokai home (the Twins' apartment complex), Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
HEART MIRROR SHOCK...Sends an energy heart to transform a victim's emotions to the exact opposite of what they were experiencing before impact.
Encouragement:
HEART COURAGE KISS...Sends an energy heart to boost the most prominent emotion in the victim's mind.
Conversion:
MIXED PASSION ATTACK...A mix of the Mirror Shock and the Courage Kiss in a storm of energy hearts.
HEART PASSION NOVA...Used in conjunction with the Imperium Silver Crystal to cleanse all around her of evil; also very effective at making monsters human.
Interrogation:
TRUTH ENCIRCLE...Uses the Truth Chain to force someone to speak the truth.
Weapon:
TRUTH CHAIN...A chain of hearts strapped around the waist.
HISTORY
Of the Twins, Ayako is the most tragic. Born of a street hooker and a bad job gone very wrong, Ayako suffered from a mix of fetal alcohol syndrome, addiction to drugs and brain damage thanks to her mother suffering from a bad case of syphilis. Atop that, you add pushy pimps, the near-total absence of a stable home life, a mother dying when she was still too young, and you get one very messed up kid who would have been dead before twenty. Tsuruga and Kughra were just spice on the cake...or so they thought. Once given the power to manipulate hearts and emotions, a whole new facet of Ayako's personality burst forth...which signed Kughra's death warrant since it was Sailor Aphrodite who helped Sailor Moon defeat the dark princess. Now tack that atop very powerful Nendo-kata abilities and Ayako is a lust-driven monster ready to unleash a new Summer of Love on Tokyo...whether Tokyo wants it or not!!
PERSONALITY
Ayako is in essence a shit-disturber; she shakes things up just for the hell of it. NO ONE is safe; thanks to her power, which targets one's very soul, Sailor Aphrodite is by far the deadliest of all the Sailor Senshi, originals AND Twins! Calling herself a "confessed aphrodisiholic" (she gets drunk on passion), Ayako would use her Heart Courage Kiss to drive someone's desire for someone else into overdrive for the desire to soak up some love. Her favourite targets are (but not exclusive to): Setsuna and Gurio (to make her more human), Haruka and Michiru (to get them to be more public about their relationship), Junko and Minako (hey, have to help her sister get in the grove somehow), Usagi and Mamoru (If it's their destiny, then live it!)...atop EVERYONE ELSE!!!!
Outside her desire to see people express love, Ayako is a real go-getter; her exuberance in battle, her confidence in dealing with the monster du jour, her never-say-die attitude, is positively breathtaking. She doesn't allow anything to get her down when mixing it up; once she utters Bugs Bunny's famous byline "Of course you know, this means war," it's party time!
Under all that bluster, however, is a fragile woman who's afraid that she'll loose the few bonds of love she has left: to Matsuri and to a lesser extent, the other Senshi. Having never really had a family, Ayako isn't sure how she should try to forge a relationship with her life-mate. Fortunately, the school sage understands what Ayako is enduring, thus is patient when dealing with her. To better help Ayako, Matsuri arranged to have Ayako help eight ex-Black Moon Clan monsters adjust to being human.
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SAILOR CHRONOS
Chooko Nori
"I'm Sailor Chronos, Reaper of Time...and your time's run out!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Time Reaper; Reaper of Time
Transformation...Chronos Time Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Saturn's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an hourglass on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.
Symbol...A "C" with an hourglass suspended between the branches, pierced with an arrow.
Hair & Eyes...Same as Hotaru's.
Relatives...Kameo (father), Akiko (mother), Nona Tsuruga (life mate/spouse), Hotaru Tomoe (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Hiroshima
Present Home...The Tsukino home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
TIME ACCELERATION...Uses the Time Reaper to accelerate time in a bubble to 2,000,000,000 times outside space.
TIME SUSPENSION...Uses the Time Reaper to suspend time in a bubble.
Distraction:
TIME HYPNOSIS...Uses the Time Reaper to permit a target to experience any point in their lives. Perfect for making targets relive bad memories.
Restoration:
TIME RESTORE...Uses the Time Reaper to physically restore a specific location to the way it was at a previous point in time.
Weapon:
TIME REAPER...A staff the size of the Silence Glaive with a large sickle at one end.
HISTORY
Chooko and Nona were friends long before their involvement in the Senshi Twins project. Having first met each other as pen-pals in public school, they kept communicating over the years as letters changed to phone calls and eventually e-mail. Chooko's involvement in the Twins project was Nona's fault in part; before she was rebuilt as Sailor Diana, Nona told Chooko about her father's work and Tsuruga, to keep matters secret, had Chooko kidnapped and transformed her into Sailor Chronos. The close quarters of their personal experience soon transformed a friendship into a supportive relationship, one later solidified when both became Nendo-kata.
PERSONALITY
Chooko in no way blames Nona for her present situation. Like Hotaru, Chooko is a sort of wide-eyed kid when she plays Sailor Chronos. She loves the adventure, loves being a hero to innocent people, loves the new friends and companions she now has and loves Nona most of all. Theirs is a very long relationship, something that, with help from the Nendo-kata, was destined to succeed. Chooko sees her role now as supporting Nona as the latter resolves her guilt over the Twins' creation. With that, she has nearly cut off all contact with her birth family in Hiroshima, though they are aware that Chooko is still alive.
Chooko has also started to devote herself in helping her sister deal with her potentially tragic abilities. Being the Senshi of Death and Destruction is, in Chooko's eyes, something a nice girl like Hotaru wasn't meant for. Chooko herself proposed a nickname change for her sister: "the Senshi of Entropy and Creation," implying that once past things are gone, new things can be created in their place. Chooko also volunteers to keep Hotaru company when business takes Haruka and Michiru away, filling a big sister role for the orphaned girl.
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SAILOR GAIA
Sakebu Kanna
"Try as you might, you cannot harm anyone; Sailor Gaia will always restore them."
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Senshi Healer
Transformation...Gaia Life Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Terra's save for the base colour being a dark red, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops containing a red heart.
Symbol...The heart of Earth over a caduceus.
Hair & Eyes...Same as Naru's; hair is worn in a bun.
Relatives...Shinjirou (father), Toriko (mother), Yuki Tetsujo (life-mate/spouse), Naru Osaka (templated/adopted sister)
Home Town...Nagano
Present Home...The Tetsujo-Kanna home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
LIFE PASSION SUPPRESSION...Drains a target of all aggressive energy for a short period of time.
Healing:
LIFE ENERGY RESTORE...Restores lost energy to a victim; accelerates healing. Can counter attacks like the Time Acceleration or the Hyperspeed Acceleration, but only does so temporarily.
Defense:
LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION...Permanently drains a target of all aggressive energy. If aggression is all a target lives for, this is fatal.
HISTORY
Sakebu has always been a serious student of history...and she couldn't get a much better chance to learn it than the day she met Yuki Tetsujo when the latter came to Nagano one day as a substitute teacher while Sakebu was in the first grade of high school. To pardon the cliche, Sakebu got a crush on the older woman...and soon learned how old Yuki exactly was when the guardian of Eternity revealed her true age and powers. When the time came that Yuki elected to become a Senshi Twin, she persuaded Sakebu to follow her as Sailor Gaia, then deliberately infected her with a plague virus to bring Tsuruga running. It was Sakebu and Yuki who helped free the other Twins, then guided them to a safe house in Juuban Yuki had secretly prepared with Setsuna's help earlier, pending the Twins' meeting the Senshi.
PERSONALITY
Sakebu can be your atypical Jewish mother at times; she nags people left, right and centre for the most minuscule of reasons. While having not shown it during the battle with Kughra, right after, she started riding everyone, Senshi and Twins. Not even Ayako wants to deal with Sakebu when the latter's on a tear; she says using the Heart Mirror Shock would only make Sakebu worse. Only Yuki has the patience to deal with her life-mate; the others, even Setsuna, admire the guardian of Eternity for having such a thick skin. Then again, it is only with Yuki that Sakebu feels comfortable enough to allow her hair to fall down.
As Sailor Gaia, her mission is as defensive as Sailor Zeus'; while everyone else is busy bashing monsters, she's helping the wounded get clear of the battle zone and healing them enough for them to be evacuated while things are getting destroyed. In this mode, she is feral; any daemon dumb enough to attack Gaia's patient is quickly eliminated by either the Life Passion Elimination or a good telekinetic fist crushing them into a pulp.
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SAILOR ARES
Matsuri Dokai
"You want to play with fire?! I'm the Fire Sentinel, Sailor Ares, and you will get burned!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Fire Sentinel
Transformation...Ares Fire Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Mars' save for the base colour being a mix of gold and red, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops containing a stylized flame.
Symbol...A heart over a crossbow and arrow.
Hair & Eyes...Red hair styled like Rei's, green eyes.
Relatives...Torao (father), Kaname (mother), Ayako Maida (life-mate/spouse), Rei Hino (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Tokushima, Shikoku
Present Home...The Maida/Dokai home (the Twins' apartment complex), Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
FIRE PHOENIX...A wave of fire shaped like a bird capable of engulfing a large or massed target.
FIRE NOVA...A disintegrating blast of energy lashing out in all directions.
Defense:
FIRE PHALANX...Projects small bolts of fire to intercept incoming attacks.
HISTORY
Matsuri was a priestess in training in Shikoku, the daughter of the senior Shinto cleric of the island and his wife. Hers was a pretty normal life, somewhat secluded from the normal things girls her age do, until the day she met a WHO doctor who had contracted Ebola while working in Africa. Falling very sick and forced into isolation, Matsuri was resolved to her fate until Tsuruga offered her a second chance. Matsuri knew that the doctor was up to something, but accepted since she, like many priests facing a potentially life-threatening situation, choose their duty over their life. Matsuri's private prayers for salvation soon came when she bonded with the sage of the Cold Flat Mound School, thus giving her a chance to better serve those around her. Of course, she has other things to worry about, Ayako Maida being one.
PERSONALITY
In many ways, Matsuri can be as fiery as Rei. She can be very quick to anger given the right circumstances, is self-confident in her role as priestess and Sailor Senshi, and is content with the way her life has evolved. Her Nendo-kata half has just augmented those points which give Matsuri her strength.
Matsuri is also very overprotective of Ayako, almost to the point of an obsession. Being ill-experienced in the ways of the heart when she first became a Senshi Twin, Matsuri was quick to fall in love with Ayako, staring a very heated relationship. Her possessiveness towards Ayako can lead to pretty nasty spats whenever Matsuri sees her lover play with other people's emotions. Insults like calling Ayako a "shameless flirt" are common. But it is all a verbal game to relieve tension; Matsuri knows deep down how fragile Ayako's psyche is even now and does her best to give her lover the chance to explore over types of love, especially the one thing Ayako never had: family.
As Sailor Ares, Matsuri possesses a lot of tactical knowledge when it comes to deal with daemons; in essence, she can fit the role of the Senshi's master battle planner. She keeps track of the number of daemons involved in any fight, watches out for the strengths and weaknesses of the mid-level avatars, then goes for the kill when opportunity presents itself. Her powers also work in more a defensive mode than Sailor Mars'; the Fire Phoenix can be quite draining on Sailor Ares even now as a Nendo-kata.
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SAILOR POSEIDON
Nareta Osoi
"Am I cold? I'm the Guardian of Ice, Sailor Poseidon, and be assured, I can be much colder than this!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Senshi of Ice; The Ice Senshi
Transformation...Poseidon Ice Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Neptune's save for the base colour being ice blue, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and a snowflake on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.
Symbol...A snowflake over a heart.
Hair & Eyes...Silver hair styled like Michiru's, grey eyes.
Relatives...Motomu (father), Atsumi (mother), Tsuyako Yuuri (life-mate/spouse), Michiru Kaiou (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Kitakyushu
Present Home...The Yuuri/Osoi residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
ICE STORM PASSION...A storm of ice daggers.
ICE ETERNITY...Sailor Poseidon uses this to freeze everything around her.
Defense:
ICE FORTRESS...Using fields of cold and ice to prevent attacks from reaching her. Works better in duo with Sailor Sunaru's Windstorm Fortress.
Weapon:
ICE STAR TRIDENT...A crystal trident the size of the Silence Glaive.
HISTORY
Nareta is your typical rich girl, the only daughter of a prominent trading family from Kyushu. With that, she was socially isolated in much the same way that Matsuri's parents isolated her. Sent to the best schools, she was moulded to become one of the new aristocracy ruling Japan. That didn't save her when she contracted the same type of plague virus Sakebu used to follow Yuki into being a Sailor Twin. Torn from her family and friends, Nareta withdrew into herself...only to be slowly brought out by Tsuyako before and after the Twins freed themselves. Now that she has become a Nendo-kata, Nareta has achieved a level of contentment she never had as the spoiled rich girl she was before.
PERSONALITY
Nareta is somewhat reserved on first meeting. Years of etiquette classes, piano lessons and other strict methods to make her a proper lady have had their effect, only now being worn away with her being a Nendo-kata and her relationship with Tsuyako. Even when she has made herself comfortable with other people, Nareta retains a remarkable sense of decorum, something that could still rub certain people the wrong way.
Because of the changes that have happened, Nareta's relations with her parents shattered. They refuse to accept how much their daughter has changed and will not speak to her unless she renounces her relationship with Tsuyako and is "cured" of her lesbianism. With that, Nareta has drawn close ties to both Tsuyako and her family, Ami and her mother...and most of all to Michiru. Outside Usagi and Nona, Michiru and Nareta possess the closest emotional bond between Senshi and Twin. This has helped much in fostering a close friendship between the Yuuris (Nareta will adopt Tsuyako's family name when they handfast) and the Ten'ous.
Sailor Poseidon is very offensive in her approach to battle, forming a "sabre" wing of the Twins with Diana, Chronos, Hermes, Ares, Sunaru and Hades. She channels a lot of her childhood resentment at being manipulated by her parents into her fighting, which can mean a very rough time for any unlucky daemon who gets in her way. In battle, since her life-mate is busy scouting out the opposition, Poseidon often partners up with Sunaru, combining their powers to unleash widespread devastation on the opposition.
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SAILOR HADES
Yuki Tetsujo
"I am Sailor Hades, Guardian of Eternity...and Infinity is far closer than you think!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Guardian of Eternity
Transformation...Hades Eternity Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Pluto's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing an infinity symbol.
Symbol...The infinity symbol pierced by an arrow.
Hair & Eyes...Black hair styled like Setsuna's, black eyes.
Relatives...Parents (deceased), Sakebu Kinna (life-mate/spouse), Setsuna Meiou (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Iwaki
Present Home...The Tetsujo-Kanna home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
ETERNITY MADNESS...Exposes a target to the power of the *te'a*; such is guaranteed to drive the target insane.
Entrapment:
ETERNITY ENVELOP...Uses the *te'a* to trap someone.
Defense:
ETERNITY HYPNOSIS...Exposes a target to any aspect of Creation.
Weapon:
THE STYX STAFF...A simple staff with a red ruby at one end.
HISTORY
Once in a while, someone somewhere in the universe is born with the power to manipulate the very essence of Existence...the *te'a.* The last being born with this ability who lived in Earth's solar system was Queen Serenity herself, who channelled her ability to create the Imperium Silver Crystal and thus allow the Sailor Senshi to come into being. The most recent person native to this sector to be given this remarkable gift was Yuki Tetsujo, born in 1853 when the "black ships" from America came to Edo.
Yuki was an Immortal, one of a select group with the gift of eternal life...and cursed to be drawn into the Gathering, the time when all Immortals fight for the Prize (the combined power of all the Immortals who ever lived). Yuki was found by Duncan MacLeod of Scotland and trained to fight, but shortly after, another Immortal challenged her and took her head. Only then was the TRUE nature of Yuki's gift known. The *te'a* destroyed Yuki's killer and restored her life. Now out of the Game (though to this day, she is still good friends with MacLeod and his clansman Connor), Yuki could then focus her abilities into finding her true purpose in existence.
Training with the souls and immortal spirits of those who have also welded Existence's ultimate power, Yuki fashioned for herself the Styx Staff, her personal *haijo-ju.* During this time, she came into contact with Setsuna and was told of the Sailor Senshi. Wishing that she herself could become a Senshi, Yuki waited until she stumbled onto Kughra and discovered what Daisuke Tsuruga was up to. Seeing her chance, knowing what could be done to help her, Yuki made herself and Sakebu ill, making prior preparations to ensure that when the Twins freed themselves, they would have a place to stay until they became human again. Once that was done, Yuki dedicated herself to forging a family, both with Sakebu as her life-mate...and Setsuna as her adopted sister.
PERSONALITY
When she isn't in her role as Guardian of Eternity, Yuki could strike people as a Setsuna on happy drugs. She can be a prankster, an Ayako without a fixation on making people express love. She is warm, fuzzy, tender, always supportive and, once you've earned her trust, the best friend anyone could ever ask for...and certainly one who tolerates Sakebu's incessant nagging. In fact, it is that tenderness which makes Yuki's and Sakebu's relationship work so well, much to everyone else's surprise.
However, Yuki knows when to separate pleasure from business. Whenever something happens that demands her personal attention as Sailor Hades, she can be as cold and menacing as her twin. She is by far THE most powerful Senshi of all since her ability can, if she lets herself go, warp all of reality to her pleasure. When she uses that power, Yuki keeps herself under the tightest of emotional control; she knows what damage she can do. Yuki also understands that there come times when she CANNOT interfere. Of all the Twins, she is the least influenced by her Nendo-kata self, which finds not doing anything whenever disUnity is unleashed repulsive. However, because Yuki accepts her humanity, she does often admit to being tempted, especially when something happens to those she cares for.
Which leads to the final point about Yuki; her relationship with Setsuna. Yuki has privately dedicated herself to making her sister lighten up a bit, better accept that while she is Guardian of Time, she is also human and is allowed the chance to kick back and relax whenever something isn't happening. It was Yuki who got Setsuna to explore a relationship with Naru's ex-boyfriend Gurio Umino...and it is Yuki, with the help of the ancient time portal of Gateway, the Guardian of Forever, who plans to give Setsuna a great surprise come her next birthday (but you'll have to read "Faith No More" to see what I mean ^_-).
**** **** ****
"Oh, kawaii!!" Usagi gushes as she takes the cherubic baby from Nokoko's arms, reaching up to tickle the Terran-Oni hybrid around her horns, causing Katsura Moroboshi to chortle as she tries to chase the finger away. "She's so beautiful!"
"And a handful already!" Mal smiles as she hands her life-mate a cup of tea. "I've never seen a hungrier child in all my life!"
"I'll bet she is!" Usagi beams, exchanging smiles with Mamoru as they continue to play with their new goddaughter.
Around them, the Sailor Senshi and the Twins pair up with the members of Nokoko's school, chatting excitedly as they share in the delight of new life. Each couple in Nokoko's school chose another couple in their sister school to be the immediate godparents to their daughters, then also selected whatever Sailor Senshi best fitted their needs and personal tastes. Since Osooko, Asuka, Clarisse and Pamanba would have to wait for a bit for their daughters' birth, Yuki, Sakebu, Tsuyako and Nareta would have to wait for their turn to be godparents. They passed their time playing with Nicole's and Mujanba's twins Crystal and Shounba.
Nearby, Michiru sadly gazes at the little girls who brought such joy to their new friends. It was times like this that she missed caring for Hotaru, who had finally grown back to her pre-Saturn physical age shortly after the battle with Galaxia. In the violinist's eyes, the Nendo-kata were so lucky to have their particular reproductive abilities. If she and Haruka had that, their lives would be so much better.
"You alright?"
Michiru gazes at Nokoko, who relaxes beside her. "I'm fine," the former nods reluctantly, her facial features belying her words.
"Translation: you feel miserable because you don't have a child to worry about, can't conceive a baby with the woman you love outside a laboratory, but you don't want to talk about it to a near-stranger," Nokoko grins. "It's okay, Michiru. I know what you're going through right now. Do you think I wanted Mal-chan to do all that work alone?"
"Eh?!" Michiru blinks, then remembers that while the other couples in Oshika had two daughters, Nokoko and Mal had just one. "What happened, Nokoko?"
"Since I Crossed Over when I was so young, my reproductive system wasn't developed, thus the matriarch didn't have a proper template to build on when my new body was constructed," Nokoko supplies. "Like everyone else here, I can only have children with other girls, but the special telekinetic skills needed to do a proper conception couldn't be mastered by someone who was only six at the time. Believe me, I tried when Mal-chan and I came together to conceive Katsura-chan, but it was no dice."
"I'm so sorry," Michiru gently squeezes Nokoko's hand. "Will you try again sometime soon?"
"Yeah, when we don't have to worry too much about caring for Katsura-chan," Nokoko smiles. "Like you, we have long lifespans ahead of us. But I do want to feel a child growing inside me just as badly as you and Haruka do, Michiru."
"Haruka's never expressed that," Michiru muses.
"Don't be too sure about that," Nokoko warns. "Yeah, she acts like a tomboy now, but she knows deep in her heart what makes a woman different from a man. She'll get the urge sooner or later. I guarantee it!" she winks.
"I'll have to talk to her about it, then," Michiru smiles.
A cough stops their dialogue. "Can I have your attention, please?" Usagi taps her tea cup with a spoon.
Everyone quiets down,and faces the Senshi leader. "Just before we came up here to join our friends, Midori-san informed me that the reason Kughra brought back Rubius and the others was to test us, see us in combat to gauge our strengths and weaknesses, then plot a course of action when all our abilities are known," Usagi sighs. "I don't want that to happen. She wants the Imperium Silver Crystal and she's willing to wait as long as it would take to get it without cost to herself. We can't wait anymore. We have to attack and get rid of her now."
Everyone exchanges looks, then Nona rises. "Time for a hunt!" the moon huntress grins savagely. "Let's party!!"
"Thanks, sis," Usagi smiles, then looks to the other Senshi and Mamoru. "If any of you want to wait further, say it now. We can wait...but I want us all to go together."
"Where our Princess goes, we go!" Makoto vows.
"Where our matriarch confronts disUnity, we fight with her!" Junko echoes from across the way.
"And where our sisters fight, we fight, too!!" Tatsuko adds.
Nokoko's schoolmates tense, many looking at the bundles of joy now in their arms. Yes, they had an unending responsibility to the Unity, but they were all mothers, or would be as in the cases of Osooko and Clarisse. Did it have to be now? How long would the battle take? Would they all survive it? Yes, their children would be safe within the crystal palace, but did they have the right to leave their children, even for just a bit?
Others pick up their wariness. "Tatsuko-san, wait!" Usagi pales. "All of you just gave birth except for Osooko-san and Clarisse-san, who're still pregnant! You can't go into battle right now!! What about your babies?!"
"Usagi, love, there's no place safer in this universe from the likes of Kughra than here!" Nicole smiles. "You could launch an attack from here and be totally protected! The kids can stay here; no power that witch has can breech this place. You might say this place was purpose-built to deal with the likes of her!"
Usagi blinks confusedly. "What...?"
"It's a very long story," Nicole smiles. "Let's turn in and rest up tonight, then tomorrow, we make Kughra face HER Culloden!!"
Agreeing shouts echo from the others. Seeing what was now ready to help her, Usagi stares at Mamoru. "Mamo-chan...?"
"'Once more unto the breech, dear friends,'" he smiles.
"Alright!!" Usagi nods. "Let's breech!!!"
* * *
"Sailor Twins"
a tale of the Sailor Senshi
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir
kush1@iaw.on.ca
**** **** ****
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi
**** **** ****
PART FIVE - BATTLE FOR THE CRYSTAL OF ETERNITY
Oshika. Late at night.
Usagi sighs contentedly as she stands on one of the ramparts of the crystal palace, allowing her body and spirit to feel the nearly immortal life-force that powers Nicole's home. This had been the first time any of the Senshi had ever been inside the crystal palace. During their first visit, they had spent all their time at Ataru Moroboshi's beach home nearby. It felt strange, yet so wondrously familiar, to the Senshi leader...as if she had returned to Crystal Tokyo in the thirtieth century. But why...?
"Couldn't sleep?"
Nona approaches, a light smile on her sister's face. "Not really," she gazes once more at the pale orb in the sky which had been home to her previous self, then looks back at her. "You change your hair?"
Nona nods, feeling the loose ponytail. "Yeah, it became quite a pain braiding my hair when I Crossed Over; didn't bother me so much before. Besides, braided hair was a style Dad liked."
Usagi nods. "It looks better on you."
"Thanks," Nona blushes, then stares at her. "Nervous?"
"A bit," Usagi admits. "And...confused."
"Ah!" Nona nods. "Yes, I sense the bond of Unity between you, the other Senshi and this living palace. Even Setsuna feels it and she possesses far more knowledge than even Luna and Artemis."
"Yeah, but how's that possible?" Usagi muses.
"Perhaps I can explain it, love."
The lunar twins turn to see Nicole standing there...
* * *
"Are there any signs of them?!!"
"None, Mistress!" the daemon shakes his head. "It is as if they have disappeared from the face of the planet!!"
Kughra tenses, then leans back on her throne. "Where could they have gone? The Nendo-kata homeworld...?"
"We didn't sense any movement via teleportation or time-travel, Mistress," the daemon reports.
The dark princess steeples her fingers under her chin, her eyes narrow. Where were they...?
* * *
"THREE BILLION YEARS OLD?!?!?!"
Usagi and Nona gape in disbelief at Nicole, the three now standing in the palace's control centre. "Aye," the Scotswoman smiles. "It took me by surprise when she told me."
"'She?'" Nona blinks, then nods. "Oh, the palace!"
"It's alive?!" Usagi gasps.
"Aye, lass," Nicole nods. "You see, back then, there were these two races of immortal beings who'd been born shortly after the Big Bang. One race called themselves Praetorians, the others called themselves the Seekers. Well, both races knew right away about the power that created and sustains this universe. The Divinity, Cosmic Chain of Life, Eternity, Heaven. Personally, I think the Sagussans have the best name. *Te'a.* 'That Which Is Above mortal understanding.' That's the Power from which you lassies draw your abilities through the crystal you now have, Usagi...or in all the Twins' case, through the *haijo-ju* fragments Kughra obtained over the years she had wandered across Sagussa that now form the power cells in their henshin sticks."
"Then if you knew about this, why didn't you stop Kughra before this began?!" Nona demands.
"Because I am restricted by the programming the Seekers gave this place," Nicole stares at her. "I'm bound to this palace as completely as Setsuna is bound to the laws of Time or Yuki is bound to the laws of the *te'a.* You see, the Seekers knew that gifted individuals would come to understand what the *te'a* is like, try to master It and use It for their own purposes. To ensure that things didn't get totally out of control, they offered the future races of the galaxy two solutions. One, they scattered tiny jewels that could tap into the *te'a* across the galaxy. When worthy people found these Power Jewels, they would then become special warriors to defend their planets, especially against those who could manipulate the *te'a* for their own purposes. The second solution is what you're standing on now."
"The palace?" Usagi nods.
"Aye, lass. When she was created, she was designed to be an independent monitor station that would watch how the races of this universe dealt with the *te'a.* Her role...my role...is passive. We would be activated only when or active if a problem arose and there was no Power Jewel welder in the area to intervene directly."
"The last Power Jewel welder lived on this world forty years ago, disappearing at the end of World War Two," Nona muses.
"That's right, Nona. BUT there is now on Earth a weapon that is tied into the *te'a* itself: the Imperium Silver Crystal."
Usagi blinks, then makes the Crystal appear in her hand. The jewel burns bright as it sends tendrils of energy to touch the crystal surrounding them. "The Crystal was made here," her eyes widen in realization. "Nicole, did Queen Serenity visit here once during the Silver Millennium?"
I did.
Everyone jolts as a ghostly hologram appears before Usagi. "Queen Serenity..." she gasps.
You do not call me 'Mother,' Serenity muses.
"You were Princess Serenity's mother, not mine," Usagi sighs, hoping to assuage any hurt feelings.
Serenity smiles contently. That is good, she nods. I knew when I cast the spirits of my daughter and the Sailor Senshi from the Silver Millennium, they would be reborn as different people, separated from each other until Fate drew you together to defeat Beryl. That is what I wanted.
"Thank you," Usagi smiles, then holds up the Crystal. "Why did you create this?"
The last queen of the Silver Millennium sighs. I was born, like Yuki Tetsujo a century and more ago, with the power to tap into the *te'a,* feel Its power, even use It for my own purposes. It frightened me. Even one with good intentions could overstep her bounds when dealing with this level of power, Usagi-chan. So, after finding notes about the Sagussan *haijo-ju* projects buried on Neptune, I cast my mind out to locate someone, anyone, to help me with this power, teach me how to control it. And with that, I found this palace.
"And it taught her how to focus her power into a transmitter that would allow her to keep control over herself," Nicole cuts in, nodding at the staff in Usagi's hand. "That."
Usagi gazes at the Imperium Silver Crystal, then at her previous self's mother. "You did everyone on Earth a great favour," she smiles, returning the Crystal to its hyperspace pocket. "Without this, we would've been destroyed many times over by all the monsters that came through here over the last while."
I'm pleased to have been able to help, Serenity smiles, then gazes at Nona. And I am more than pleased that your noble race has come to join us in this fight.
"Wherever disUnity moves to engulf innocents, we come to restore Unity," Nona smiles. "Besides, my human father is part author of this current state of affairs. Before I cast my past in the depths of the Black Ocean, I must help Usagi-chan and the others deal with him and the one who now seeks the Senshi's power."
The Sailor Senshi could never have asked for more powerful allies, Serenity smiles, then fades, hand raised. Farewell, my once-daughter. May your destiny be kind.
"Good-bye, once-mother," Usagi is surprised at the tears that suddenly spring forward. "Perhaps one day, we'll meet again."
Silence falls for a moment, then Nona gazes at Usagi. "We best get some rest," she sighs.
"Yeah. Good night, Nicole."
"'Night, loves," Nicole smiles as they head to their guest bedrooms, then relaxes, gazing at the crystal surrounding her. "I was right," she sighs contently. "She'd be perfect to take care of you if the time ever comes..."
* * *
"Everyone up?!!"
As the sun creeps over the skies above Oshika, the twenty Sailor Senshi, Mamoru, Kyooko, Midori, Nokoko's school and the four inhabitants of the crystal palace meet in the control room. "We're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Usagi-chan!!" Makoto grins as she stretches herself. "What's the plan?!"
"It's simple," Usagi smiles. "Against this foe, we can't let up for a second. Kughra wants control of a power that threatens all of Existence. We're not just fighting for Earth anymore. We're fighting for the whole Universe and all who live in it. If anyone is the least bit squeamish about killing people, say it now, because this day, we can't afford to compromise."
The original nine Senshi exchange looks. Ever since the last battle with the Dark Kingdom, all of them, even Setsuna, had felt a growing sense of hesitation towards their traditional approach to fighting monsters. It hadn't affected them much this time, but who knew when it could become a liability. "We know the stakes are way too high this time, Odango," Haruka sighs. "We're ready."
Usagi nods. "We'll be in four teams," Nona sighs. "One team will be with Usagi to deal with Kughra. I'll deal with Father. One team with handle any of Kughra's soldiers. A fourth team will stay with Hotaru-chan."
"Me?! Why me?!" Hotaru registers surprise.
"Because this day, we WILL need the Death Reborn Revolution," Usagi gazes at her. "If all goes well and we eliminate Kughra, we'll need you to destroy the planetoid. Midori states that it'll most likely fall apart when Kughra dies, which means loads of asteroid fragments. And we all know what happened to the dinosaurs when the last big one hit Earth at the end of the Mesozoic Era. This will make that episode look tame." She then takes a deep breath, knowing how much bringing THIS up would upset Hotaru. "And should I fall, if Kughra somehow manages to get control of me or the Crystal...you do what you have to do."
Hotaru looks off in the distance for a moment, then grimly nods. "I understand."
The teams are then chosen. With that, Nicole commands the palace to rise from its small basin and soar into the heavens...
* * *
"Mistress!!!"
"What is it?!" Kughra sighs.
"A vessel has risen from northern Japan heading this way!!"
The dark princess commands her scrying glass to project an image of Nicole's palace soaring towards them. "What is this?!!" she barks. "What is that thing?!"
"We don't know, Mistress!!!" the daemon cowers. "Our scans cannot penetrate past the outer walls of this craft!!"
"WHAT?!?!?! That's impossible!!!" Kughra barks.
"Perhaps you may..." the daemon hesitates.
"I understand," Kughra raises a hand in acknowledgement, then relaxes on her throne, stretching her mind out to punch through the crystal walls and probe inside...and jolts as her mind slams into psychic walls that would not yield! "No!! Impossible...!!!"
"What is wrong, Mistress?!" the daemon frets.
"I...I can't sense inside that thing...!!" Kughra stammers...
* * *
"Alright, let's drop that bugger's cloak!!" Nicole snarls.
"Right!!" Mujanba presses a control...
* * *
A beautiful mid-morning in Juuban. At Hikawa Jinja, Matsuri's mother sweeps the steps. She then blinks as a darkness suddenly falls over all of Tokyo. "An eclipse...?" she looks up.
Gasps echo throughout the city as a dark sphere hundreds of times greater in size than the full moon appears, looming between the planet and the sun, its shadow cutting out a lot of the morning light. From a small point of light, a blaze of energy probes into the giant mass, tearing away its cloak of invisibility. "Gods!!" Mrs. Dokai gapes, then looks down to see several people approach, her inner senses sounding an alarm. "Who are you people?" she blinks.
"Please don't be scared, ma'am," Saphil smiles. "We...were once former foes of the Sailor Senshi; I suppose now, you could consider us refugees from the horror which created that!" he notions up towards Kughra's planetoid.
"Well, I'll be!" a voice calls out from next to Matsuri's mother. "Aren't you supposed to be dead, young man?"
The Black Moon clansmen look at Rei's grandfather. "Oh, Ojii-chan, we're sorry!" Pattsu apologizes. "We should've told you..."
"You know Rei's secret, don't you?!" Kooan blinks.
The elder priest laughs. "Young lady, I may be getting on in years, but I couldn't ignore that!" he winks at her, then stares up. "Rei's up there, isn't she?"
"And Matsuri-chan and the others," Mrs. Dokai sighs. "We should look at the sacred flame to see if they'll succeed."
"If you want, I could create a scrying glass so we could watch the battle as if we were there," Esmerald smiles. "I still have some powers left from my time with the Black Moon."
"Not a bad idea!" Rei's grandfather smiles, then looks at the shrine. "Yuuichirou-kun! Get some tea and snacks ready!! We'll have some guests joining us shortly if I'm not mistaken!"
"Okay!!" the former singer calls from the kitchen.
As people stream inside, Rei's grandfather looks back at the dark planetoid. "Come home safe, Rei..." he prays.
* * *
"Mistress, the cloak is down!!! We can be seen from Earth!!"
"How is that possible?!!" Kughra roars...
...then one wall of the palace collapses as it is ripped open by an invisible hand, exposing the room to the thin air surrounding the planetoid!! The dark princess ducks, then glares at the palace, now floating several dozen metres away. Her eyes narrow on seeing twenty figures in sailor fuku, one caped man and ten women in normal civilians standing on a veranda glaring at them.
"***KUGHRA!!!!!!***"
Kughra blinks as her eyes lock on the woman in the middle, glaring contemptuously at her. "Well, well!!" the dark princess relaxes on the throne, a thin smile cutting across her face. "Welcome back to what's left of the Dark Kingdom, Sailor Moon! How nice of you and your friends to visit...though I do wonder if anyone ever taught a clumsy girl like you how to knock!!"
Moon remains strangely passive, her long pigtails fluttering in the light breeze flowing around the asteroid. The silence seems deafening as the two stare at each other. Kughra feels a hiss deep in her throat, her attempts at probing this whelp's mind repulsed by the crystal palace she now stands on. A reluctant touch of admiration flashes in the dark princess' eyes. The Sailor Senshi were smart to have attacked now while she still was in the dark over many of the Twins' abilities. Time to put this back under her control. "So where's the speech?" she muses.
"What speech?!" Moon remains still.
"Oh, come now!" Kughra laughs. "I've been watching you for some time, Sailor Moon. You and your little friends always ramble on before attacking whatever foe you face, vowing that in the name of whatever planet you symbolize that you would crush that foe!"
"Oh, that!" Moon smiles, a smile that doesn't make Kughra feel any easier. "No thanks. I only have one thing to say to a little, decrepid old sleezeball like you."
Kughra blinks as the Senshi's leader draws the Imperium Silver Crystal, holding it clearly in view. "You want this?" Moon's smile turns feral. "Come and get it," she places it on the flat pedestal before her, then points out with both hands. "Go!!"
The other Senshi and their allies leap off the veranda to plunge into different parts of Kughra's palace. As shouts of alarm echo from around her, the dark princess watches Sailor Moon walk around the pedestal, then sit cross-legged before it, gazing at Kughra. "Nice day, isn't it?" the Senshi leader smiles...
* * *
"Kill them!!!" a daemon snarls.
Sailor Poseidon twirls her weapon, the Ice Star Trident, as the air around her chills. "***ICE STORM PASSION!!!!!!***" she fires a hail of ice daggers at the oncoming daemons.
As they try to evade, Sailor Sunaru smiles. "***WINDSTORM PASSION!!!!!!***" she creates a funnel of condensed air to hammer the daemons into Poseidon's kill-zone.
The creatures shriek as many are shredded by the bolts of frozen water. "Not bad!!!" Uranus smirks as she winds up. "Time to clean out the trash!!! ***WORLD SHAKING!!!!!!***"
The remaining daemons are bowled over by the bolt of energy tearing up the ground beneath them...into a pile in front of Sailor Chronos. "Time to pay the piper!!" she twirls her Time Reaper. "***TIME SUSPENSION!!!!!!***" she traps them inside a bubble, then twists her staff. "***TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
The daemons are instantly aged to dust! "This is too easy!!" Uranus smirks, flashing a thumbs-up at her sister.
Suddenly, a glow surrounds the daemons' remains. The Senshi gasp as columns of dust rise up, moulding into the creatures they had just "destroyed!" "Nice try!!!" one cackles.
"Oh, shit!!" Uranus backs off.
"Allow me!!!" a voice calls. "***ETERNITY ENVELOP!!!!!!***"
A blast of *te'a* energy warps around the daemons, trapping them inside a force-bubble infinitely stronger than Chronos' null-time bubble. Sailor Hades then emerges from shadow, the ruby on the Styx Staff glowing. "Yuki-chan, what made them resist my power?!!" Chronos demands.
"On Earth, that would've worked, but here, their existence is supported by Kughra's power and will," Hades reports. "As long as they believe she stands with them, they can't die!"
"Well, this could become a waste of time...wait!" Poseidon blinks, then smiles at Hades. "Yuki-chan, what if they were distracted...say by being exposed to ALL of Creation at once?!"
"My thoughts exactly, Nareta-chan!" Hades smiles as the Styx Staff flares again. "***ETERNITY MADNESS!!!!!!***"
A bolt slams into the force-bubble, enveloping the daemons within by a frightening storm of images and sensations bombarding all their senses at once! They scream out as the input overload shuts their minds down, causing the links they had with the dark princess to be cut and their pseudo-lives to end. With that, they revert to what Chronos left them. "Now STAY dead!!!" the time reaper barks at the pile of ashes at their feet.
"Let's go clean out some more!!" Uranus sighs.
They race off...
* * *
Kughra feels a growl in her throat as she continues to stare at Sailor Moon's strangely passive face. Try as she might, she couldn't probe the mind of the Senshi leader, much less any of the others now running ripshod through her remaining forces. She was also able to tell that the civilians who came with the Senshi were Nendo-kata of another school, their powerful minds shredding the psychic links keeping her daemons alive. It didn't matter now that her goal was so tantalizingly close.
"Well, do something!" Moon yawns.
Outraged at this whelp's flippancy, Kughra screams as she leaps up to land on the crystal palace's prow three metres from the Senshi leader and four from her ultimate target. With that, Moon gets up, stifling another yawn as she remains in place, visibly unperturbed by Kughra's presence. Her temper flaring, the dark princess screams as she lunges at Moon.
"***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***"
A black energy heart slams into Kughra, sending her crashing into the deck a metre away from Moon!! The Senshi leader looks up to see Sailor Aphrodite standing on another outcropping of crystal nearby, nodding. She then walks over and with a kick, sends the dazed Kughra tumbling off the palace to crash on unforgiving ground several dozen metres below. "Try that again!!" Moon taunts.
Howling, Kughra somersaults to her feet, then fires a blast of energy at the Senshi leader. "DIE!!!!!!"
Moon ducks back as the blast rams into an invisible shield around the palace, careening into the vacuum around them! "Nyaa!!" Moon red-eyes the dark princess. "Missed me!!!"
Roaring, Kughra physically tackles Moon. The Senshi leader remains in place until the dark princess is almost atop her, then dances out of the way at the last second. Kughra cries out as the planetoid's gravity grabs her again, sending her to an embarrassing four-point landing!! "Missed me again!!!" Moon taunts. "Gee, for a barbarian warrior princess, you're not as good as you think you are, Kughra!!"
"The operative word being 'barbarian!!'" Aphrodite adds.
Kughra screams as she spins back to her feet. With another nimble leap, she lands again on the prow, then fires a blast toward the passion mistress. Aphrodite ducks behind a crystal outcropping as the bolt is deflected out into empty space again! She then emerges, a storm of hearts racing at the dark princess. "***MIXED PASSION ATTACK!!!!!!***" she screams.
Kughra's pained shriek fills the air as her very soul is thrust onto an emotional roller-coaster that shatters all her bonds with her remaining daemons!! "The links're broken!!!" Aphrodite laughs, then screams out, "TAKE THEM ALL DOWN, EVERYONE!!!!!!"
The dark princess staggers as her ears pick up the victory shouts from over a dozen throats...
Mercury. "***AQUA ILLUSION!!!!!!***"
Venus. "***LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!!!!!***"
Jupiter. "***SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!!!!!!***"
Mars. "***BURNING MATILDA!!!!!!***"
Uranus. "***WORLD SHAKING!!!!!!***"
Neptune. "***DEEP SUBMERGE!!!!!!***"
Pluto. "***DEAD SCREAM!!!!!!***"
Sunaru. "***WINDSTORM PASSION!!!!!!***"
Hermes. "***HYPERSPEED ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
Chronos. "***TIME SUSPENSION...TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
Gaia. "***LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION!!!!!!***"
Ares. "***FIRE PHOENIX!!!!!!***"
Poseidon. "***ICE STORM PASSION!!!!!!***"
Hades. "***ETERNITY MADNESS!!!!!!***"
Shaking her head clear, Kughra quickly realizes four of the Senshi weren't involved in fighting her daemons. Diana was no doubt looking for her father to settle scores...but where were Terra, Saturn and Zeus?!
* * *
"Close, Usagi-chan!!" Terra bites her lips, her hands feeling the cold ground some distance away from the main battle. "We almost got it!!! Keep her busy!!"
"Why don't I do it now and get it over with?!" Saturn wonders.
"What's to stop her from rebuilding this planetoid even if you destroy it?!" Tuxedo Kamen stares at her. "Wait until Nicole says it's alright, then do it!"
Saturn nods. "Should be close now," Kyooko concentrates, her mind keeping track of the duel between Kughra and Sailor Moon.
Midori and Zeus, sent with Kyooko to protect Saturn, nod...
* * *
"Get up!"
Kughra hisses as she rises, glaring at Moon. "I must admit, I didn't expect this from the likes of you!" she icily smiles. "Not a bad plan, Sailor Moon...but not good enough!!"
She turns, sending a blast of energy away from the crystal palace towards the arc of Earth lying not two thousand kilometres away!! "No!!!" Moon cries out as she watches the bolt home in on Tokyo like a guided missile, then leaps back to grab the Crystal and aims on target. "***MOON HEALING...!!!!!!***"
Kughra tackles her, sending the two women tumbling head over heels onto the veranda. Seeing this, Aphrodite gasps as she winds up with a big black heart. "***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***"
The bolt blazes down...and slams into Sailor Moon!! "Oh, shit!!!" Aphrodite yelps as the Senshi leader collapses like so much dead weight, letting go of the Crystal...
* * *
"Destroy that!!" Nicole barks.
"Got it!" Mujanba taps a control.
* * *
The crystal palace glows for a moment, then a bolt of energy lashes out to pulverize the blast Kughra fired on Tokyo. The dark princess seems not to care as she reaches down, picking up the Imperium Silver Crystal, then smiles as Sailor Moon staggers back to her feet, her mind reeling from Aphrodite's attack. "Nice try!" the dark princess grins, patting the Crystal in the palm of her hand. "Your compassion will always be your weakness, Sailor Moon!"
Suddenly, Moon's eyes darken as a twisted grin cuts across her face. "Who says anything about MY compassion, you lousy bitch?!" she hisses, then before the surprised Kughra could react, leaps over to tackle the dark princess by the neck, sending both of them tumbling off the crystal palace!!
"Maybe that's not so bad after all!" Aphrodite embarrassingly chuckles, rubbing the back of her head...
* * *
Deep within the devastated palace, Daisuke Tsuruga pulls himself out from under some wreckage, gasping as he grips a badly mangled leg, a shard of wood having pried his calf open. "This is certainly not one of my better days!" he grunts.
"Professor Tsuruga!" a voice beckons.
He turns to see Sailor Gaia emerge from shadow. "Sakebu!!" he reaches down to draw the splint from his leg. "Here, give me a hand with this damn thing!" he grunts, then cries out as he draws the shard of wood from his leg.
Seeing the severity of his wounds, the Senshi healer kneels beside him, her hands over his legs. "LIFE ENERGY RESTORE!!!!!!" she calls out as a wave of healing energy pours down.
Tsuruga pants as the shredded muscles and blood vessels heal, sealing up and restoring his leg to normal. "Oh, thank you..." he gasps in relief, then icily smiles, "...you idiot!!"
Gaia screams as he lunges at her with the broken shard...
"***ENERGY MOON DARTS!!!!!!***"
Tsuruga screams as a storm of bolts lance through his arms, legs and abdomen, slamming him against a wall! From out of the shadows, Sailor Diana appears, a vengeful smile twisting her lips. "Nice try, Father!" the moon huntress braces herself.
Painfully roaring, the professor lunges over to grab Gaia by the throat, pointing the sharp end of the shard at her jugular. "You stay right there, you delinquent child!!" he snarls, spitting up blood. "You even try anything, Sakebu gets a new mouth!!!"
"Wanna bet?!" Gaia's eyes glow as a blaze of energy forms around her. "***LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION!!!!!!***"
A mini-Akira wave bursts from the Senshi healer as Diana drops to the floor, warping into Tsuruga as he is put through something quite similar to Aphrodite's Heart Mirror Shock! His scream is strangled off as he staggers away from Gaia just as his daughter leaps back to his feet, javelin in hand. "No...!!"
"This is for all of us!!!" Diana flings the weapon.
The bolt slams through the professor's throat, nearly ripping his head off as he is impaled against a wall!! Diana then walks forward, her hand snaring the shard her father had tried to use on Gaia from his shaking hand, then with brutal speed, yanks out her javelin from his throat and replaces it with the shard! "There, you'll keep!!" Diana smiles as she draws back from her father. "Stick around, Father! You'll get to see why Sailor Saturn's called 'the Senshi of Death and Destruction' first-hand!!"
A weak rasp escapes from the professor's lips as Diana and Gaia race off to join the others...
* * *
Kughra's breath explodes as Moon's fist smashes into her jaw, sending her tumbling back to the ground. Her sailor fuku torn, her gloves shredded and nasty cuts all over her, the Senshi leader leans down to draw the dazed dark princess to her feet. Still, the dark fire burns deep in Sailor Moon's eyes as all her anger, her rage from four years of nearly constant fighting swells forth. "You think you are so worthy of the *te'a's* power?!" Moon hisses, then cocks her fist. "You'll NEVER have it!!!"
Another blow sends the Nyoogranj'sha princess flying against a large rock! The target of Kughra's long hunt lies nearby, having been knocked out of her hands when she and Moon fell from the crystal palace. As Kughra, dazed and confused from a combination of Aphrodite's empathic attacks and Moon's fists, tries to get her bearings back, the Senshi leader turns, hand outstretched. The Crystal glows as it flies into her palm, then she turns back on Kughra. "You want to be one with the *te'a,* Kughra?!" she raises the staff, her emotions causing the Crystal to brightly glow. "There's only ONE way for you to do that!!!" she aims on target, then shouts, "***MOON COSMIC HEALING ACTIVATION!!!!!!***"
The bolt slams into Kughra, shredding her body as the rock behind her disintegrates, the bolt flying on to pulverize what was left of the dark princess' palace!!! An inhuman shriek fills the air as Kughra's energy, accumulated over sixty millennia, explodes in a geyser of flame that shoots into space to dissipate, once more returning to That Power from which it came.
Moon cries out as her own pain overwhelms her, collapsing into Aphrodite's arms. "Whoa, tiger, down!!" the passion mistress laughs as she produces another black heart. "Nice work!!"
Moon jolts as the empathic bolt restores her mind to normal, then she shakes her head. "Wha...what happened...?!"
"You beat her down, then moon-dusted her!" Aphrodite helps her back up. "Sorry that I missed with that one Mirror Shock bolt, but by the looks of it, you had to lose it to beat that creep!!"
"S'okay!" Moon pants as she catches her breath, then looks around. "Wait a second!! How come the place isn't flying apart?!"
"Eh...?!" Aphrodite blinks, then jolts as the ground begins to ominously quake. "Oh, shit...!!!"
"***FOOL!!!!!!***" Kughra's booming voice echoes from all around them. "***DID YOU THINK THAT THE DESTRUCTION OF MY BODY WOULD RID YOU OF ME THAT EASILY, SAILOR MOON?!?!?! EVEN WITH MY WARRIORS SLAIN, THERE IS STILL ONE MORE MORTAL VESSEL I COULD STILL USE TO DISPOSE OF YOU ALL!!!!!!***"
Moon blinks, then stares wide-eyed at Aphrodite. "She must mean Nona-chan's dad!!!" the former gapes, then looks up. "Nicole, get everyone but Saturn and Chronos back aboard, quick!!! Bring Saturn and Chronos here!!!"
"Aye, lass!!" Nicole's voice echoes down.
Transporter beams send everyone to the veranda as Saturn and Chronos appear beside Moon. "What is it?!" the former asks.
"Get ready!!!" Moon barks, then turns to see something float up from the smoking pit of Kughra's palace. "Oh, no!!!"
"I can't destroy that thing myself!!" Chronos warns.
Everyone else watches as energy flows from nowhere into the shattered body of Daisuke Tsuruga, his eyes glowing. "***WHAT WILL YOU DO TO STOP ME NOW, SAILOR MOON?!?!?!***" Kughra's mocking voice howls from the professor's shattered throat.
"Nicole-chan!!!" Nokoko looks aft. "Beam that thing here!!"
"Right, love!" Nicole keys a control.
A transporter beam seizes Tsuruga's body and materializes it on the prow of the crystal palace...and out of Kughra's reach! "***NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!***" the dark princess screams as she feels her psychic grip on Tsuruga cut off.
"Hey, Chooko, get that garbage off my palace!!!" Nicole snaps.
"Right!!" Chronos leaps up to the prow, then twirls her Time Reaper. "***TIME SUSPENSION...TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"
Tsuruga's body vanishes in a puff of dust and smoke! Moon then turns to Saturn. "Now!!!"
As Moon leaps to the palace, Saturn raises the Silence Glaive.
"***DEATH...REBORN...REVOLUTION!!!!!!***"
* * *
"Gods!!!" Rei's grandfather gapes.
The crowd at Hikawa Jinja watch as a burst of light flashes on the surface of the dark planetoid! A scythe of energy cleaves the sphere in half as an Akira wave rips the crust from Ground Zero, shredding it!! As a beacon of light flees the planetoid, the doomsday power of Sailor Saturn pulverizes Kughra's base, the last vestige of the Dark Kingdom, into ashes, showering space around Earth with sparkles of light as a beautiful day returns to Tokyo.
"Alright!!!" Yuuichirou whoops from nearby. "They did it!!!"
Passers-by blink confusedly as a celebration breaks out at the shrine, everyone laughing and crying as they embrace each other...
* * *
"You okay, Hotaru-chan?!" Moon gasps.
Saturn pants as she feels her strength return, then using the Silence Glaive as a crutch, gets back up. "I hate using that power..." she gasps, then takes a recuperative breath of fresh air. "Yes, I'm fine. Did we get her?!"
"Nicole?!" Nokoko looks at her friend.
Nicole concentrates as she focuses the palace's hypersensitive sensors on the site of Kughra's planetoid. "We got her!" she grins. "Without any physical form to call on, she couldn't keep her own soul in this realm. The *te'a* took care of the rest."
With that, the Senshi whoop as they embrace each other in victory. "That was so easy!!" Sunaru embraces her adopted sister. "Geez, is this sort of work always this good?!"
"With all of you now fighting with us?!" Jupiter grins, kissing Sunaru on the cheek. "You bet!"
"Don't be too overconfident," Pluto warns.
The time guardian's warning is ineffective in sobering the others from their elation. She and Hades exchange knowing smiles, realizing that when they calmed down, the Senshi would understand that they were very lucky this time. Pluto's eyes then fall on Sailor Moon, now gazing out a portal as the crystal palace begins to descend on Oshika. Walking over, she places a hand on her leader's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Sore," Moon stares at her bruised hands. "And scared."
"What do you mean?"
"When Ayako hit me with her Mirror Shock, all my rage, all the anger and frustration I've felt over the last few years just surged forth. I couldn't control it," Moon shudders. "And there was a part of me that didn't want to control it. Why?"
"All of us have that dark side to our nature, Usagi," Pluto smiles. "Even Yuki and I aren't invulnerable to the wanderings of our own dreams and nightmares. The universe is a great balancing act most of all. Creation occurs here, Entropy there. In our own souls, it's the same thing. Sooner or later, the frustration that built up from the disruption in your life being Sailor Moon heaped on you had to come out. And it was a good thing it came out now."
"Why, Setsuna?"
"Because Kughra was the type of foe that totally depended on her powers," Pluto smiles. "She was like you in more ways than you would care to believe, Usagi. She never once conceived of you going hand-to-hand; before this, you always waited until someone else took the monster down before using the Crystal on it."
"You're saying that I don't support the team enough."
"In certain circumstances, people would conclude that," Pluto nods. "We don't mind it since, despite what you said before Naru became a part of us, you're still the Princess we swore our loyalty to back in the Silver Millennium. And because of that, we, even Rei, are loath to admit that at times, you can be more of a liability to the Senshi than an asset."
Moon blinks, biting her lips, then gazes at her. "Is that the reason you didn't like the idea of Naru-chan joining us?"
Pluto blinks, then looks away. "Partially," she admits, part of her suddenly finding the pattern on the floor quite interesting. "When Naru became Sailor Terra, certain future probabilities came into being, those sorts of probabilities that became more likely now that the Twins are involved. None of them are loyal to you like we are, Usagi. Naru became Sailor Terra because she is your best friend from this life. Her first tie is to Earth, being Earth's first acolyte and defender. The Twins are bound to each other because of their links as Nendo-kata; they aid us but are not a part of us. That could lead to problems in the future."
"Also, you're worried about what Naru-chan and the Twins could make me do," Moon muses.
"Yes," Pluto stares at her. "We care for you a lot, Usagi. I feel it now and the others might feel it sometime in the future. Naru and the Twins could make you do things that would take us by surprise, make us feel unsure about you. You were lucky today; it was just Ayako with you and deep down, she applauded you when you rearranged Kughra's face."
"Ayako never struck me as the type," Moon hums.
"You don't know Ayako's past too much," Pluto warns. "But what happens when you're fighting with us and you cut loose then? I don't know how the others'll take it."
"They'll just have to get used to it, I guess," Moon sighs, smiling at her. "There are times, Setsuna, I feel I'm so unworthy of all of you. I don't want to feel that anymore. I don't want me to be JUST the Princess and you my servants. I want us to be a real team, working as equals. With Naru-chan and the Twins here, I can have that chance. It feels nice."
Pluto sighs, a smile twitching her lips. "Well, if you made that choice, I can't interfere anymore." At Moon's surprised stare, she adds, "The curse of being a time guardian."
Moon grins. "There's hope for you yet, Setsuna."
Pluto jolts, then looks away with a humph. "I don't have to stand here and be insulted, you know."
"Will you stop?!" Moon snickers. "You're still a human being under it all, Setsuna! Believe me, I was happy for you when you and Gurio got together! I just want to know how!!"
"Usagi, even I'm entitled to my secrets," Pluto lightly smiles as she walks away.
Moon watches her, smiling...
* * *
"Mom, we're home!!!"
"Well, it's about time!" Mrs. Tsukino beams as a small troop of Senshi step into the house. "We saw what happened!"
"As did nearly everyone in Tokyo!" Rei muses as everyone relaxes in the living room. "I can't believe that Grandpa and Yuuichirou-kun know I'm Sailor Mars!! Weird!"
"I couldn't believe it when Mom told me she knew I was Sailor Terra," Naru relaxes beside Usagi. "We gotta get better costumes!"
"Never mind, Naru-chan," Usagi's mother serves tea and snacks, then looks around. "Where is everyone?"
"Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan are doing their own thing with Hotaru-chan, Makoto-chan's with Katsura-chan and her family, the other Twins are visiting their families, Yuki-chan's who knows where and Setsuna-chan's gone on a date with Gurio-kun," Junko supplies, wrapping an arm around Minako.
"That's the scariest part of all!" Ami shudders, relaxing beside Nona and Chooko. "Setsuna DATING someone!!"
"What's the matter with that, Ami-chan?!" Usagi's mother blinks confusedly. "A healthy young girl like Setsuna deserves the chance to be with someone, especially if it's Gurio."
"A healthy young girl who's a thousand years old?" Usagi hums.
Her mother jolts, staring at her. "That's a joke, I take it." Heads shake negatively. "Usagi-chan, what sort of people are you hanging around with?!" she slaps her forehead, then jerks on seeing the bandages around Usagi's hand. "Usagi, what happened?!!"
"Oh, this?!" Usagi holds up a fist, a sly smile crossing her face. "Relax, Mom! I got this from giving some sweet chin music to Kughra while we were fighting!!"
The other Senshi jolt, gaping in shock at their leader. "It went that bad?" Usagi's mother sighs, then throws up her arms. "I don't want to know about it! I do NOT want to know about it!!"
She heads into the kitchen...just as a thermometer is slipped into Usagi's mouth by Minako as Ami checks her pulse. "Hey, what is this?!" the Senshi leader snaps.
"We're checking to make sure you aren't sick!" Minako frets.
Sighing, Usagi grabs their heads and rams them together, allowing Minako and Ami to drop dazedly to the floor. "Geez, I'm alright, already!!" she spits out the thermometer before heading to her bedroom. "What's with you guys?!"
Baffled silence follows. "What's with *her?!*" Rei wonders.
The three Senshi twins shrug...
*** The Beginning ***
PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON - THE SAILOR SENSHI TWINS
WRITER'S NOTES
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
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Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi
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INTRODUCTION
This small file is written for those who would like to use the variation of the Sailor Senshi Twins as introduced in the fanfic story "Sailor Twins" and its sequels. Under no circumstances does this reflect on the Dark Sailor Senshi from the fanfic story "Senshi Kurai" and its sequels as created by Jackie Chiang or any other variation of twin sisters for the Sailor Senshi.
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GENERAL RULES ON THE NENDO-KATA
The Nendo-kata first appeared in the eleventh story of my fanfic series "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year," "Together The Outland." With this note, I give permission to all fanfic writers who wish to use the Nendo-kata that they may do so as long as they give credit where it's due and follow the basic guidelines as outlined below. For further character references or to get the feel of this race, please read any UY-TSY story after "TTO," my Ranma 1/2 fanfic "Three Sisters," my UY-TSY/SM crossover "Lonely They Who Guard...", and my Sailor Moon fanfics "Sailor Twins," "College Life: When Sisters Come Calling" or "Faith No More."
The Nendo-kata are, in their natural state, a race of mollusks similar to giant squid in size and looks. The average size of a healthy adult is the same as a small truck. Nendo-kata are water-breathers who can live in a salt water environment from the surface to a depth of three kilometres on an Earth-sized planet. The average lifespan of a Nendo-kata is 2000 years.
Nendo-kata are allasomorphs who can use their transformation power only once in their life. This process is called the Crossing Over (always capitalized). When a Nendo-kata desires to Cross Over, she will take a blood sample of a person which serves as her template, then rapidly create a new body for her soul. Once the new body is created, the Nendo-kata switches her soul to the new body and it is then severed from the old body. The old body disintegrates. Once the Crossing Over is done, the Nendo-kata is then bound by all environmental laws the template follows (i.e. breathing air instead of water). A Nendo-kata's lifespan doesn't change when she Crosses Over. The physical process of the Crossing Over takes an average of twenty-four hours. The only restriction in this is that the template must be a carbon-based form of life; Nendo-kata cannot replicate themselves from a Horta, for example.
If the template is dying for whatever reason (as witness the case of Nokoko Moroboshi, Clarisse Ike and the Senshi Twins), the soul of the template is temporarily drawn into the Nendo-kata's mind while the new body is produced. Once the new body is ready, the two separate souls merge together in Psi-Unity, then enter the new body when the Crossing Over is complete. As the two souls merge together (it usually takes 1-3 days after the Crossing Over), there will be a sense of disorientation felt by the Nendo-kata as she strives to forge a new sense of self. There are no rules to this end concerning Psi-Unity, but in the most cases, the Nendo-kata will adhere to her bounds to her own personal school, whatever friendships her non-Nendo-kata self had, and the laws of Unity.
The Nendo-kata are an ALL FEMALE race, which reproduce by a natural form of parthenogenesis. What happens is that one's egg is telekinetically transferred into the mate's womb and vice-versa, then allowed to mate with the host's egg. This process remains the same even after the Crossing Over. Because of that, Nendo-kata cannot mate with a male. Nendo-kata have mated with non-Nendo-kata females (Asuka Mizunokoji and Pamanba Ike for example). In this case, the non-Nendo-kata can only contribute her egg to this process UNLESS the Nendo-kata mate draws two eggs into herself, has them come together, then implants one in her mate's womb. NOTE: all children born of Nendo-kata who have Crossed Over (which are always female [two double Xs do not make an XY]) can reproduce as per the normal reproduction rules of their host societies.
If a male of another species merges with a Nendo-kata during the Crossing Over, the resultant being will always be female.
The other natural powers a Nendo-kata have include telepathy, empathy and telekinesis. These powers remain with her when she has Crossed Over and can be passed on to offspring.
Nendo-kata society is very old and has seldom changed over the centuries. The length of time that modern Nendo-kata society has existed is usually quoted at 100,000 years. This is since the time of the Great Crossing Over, when male Nendo-kata remoulded themselves into females to take joy in the bearing of children. During this time, the Nendo-kata also evolved their strong beliefs in Unity, dedicating themselves as a race to seek out and destroy disUnity wherever it may be found. Using their powers and special space-warp points located all over their homeworld, they have reached out from their planet across dozens of galaxies to insert themselves in other societies. It is unknown whether or not the Nendo-kata can reach Earth from their homeworld (the Outland school came via another dimension while the Cold Flat Mound school came with the help of Sailor Hades), but it should be possible.
When dealing with the Nendo-kata, these concepts should always be kept in mind:
Unity...The positive forces of Creation. Nendo-kata believe all races are bound together in a vast Universal School. To dedicate oneself to the service of Unity is the highest call a Nendo-kata can take. Nendo-kata sometimes address themselves and like-minded sentients (like the Sailor Senshi) as "Agents of Unity."
disUnity...The opposite of Unity. It is always spelt as if there was a dash between the prefix and the noun (dis-Unity). Natural disUnity cannot be fought under any circumstances. What they do fight is what we would call "evil," stamping it out wherever it is found in whatever form it is encountered. Those who perpetrate disUnity are called "Purveyors of disUnity" or "sub-creatures" if they are really evil (Beryl would fit the second classification).
Cosmic Chain of Life...The sum total of Existence. The saying "return to the Cosmic Chain of Life" is a very respectful way to speak of one's death.
Mother Ocean...The Nendo-kata deity, a mother goddess figure. Also, this term identifies the Nendo-kata homeworld. It could also be used to identify another sentient's homeworld. For instance, Usagi Tsukino's Mother Ocean is none other than Earth.
Black Ocean...Death, the afterlife. "Cast to the depths" is another way of indicating that one has died.
Devil sharks...The Nendo-kata's version of demons or onis. To be seen as a devil shark is one step lower than being a sub-creature.
Trickster sharks...One step up from a devil shark. Someone who is very annoying for whatever reason. In my Ranma 1/2 fanfic "Three Sisters," Ranko Saotome refers to Nabiki Tendou as a trickster shark.
Great School...One's race/species.
School...One's immediate family/clan/village. For a Nendo-kata, one's school is identified by environment (i.e. the Outland school, the Cold Flat Mound school). Nendo-kata schools are always even-numbered to ensure no one is without a mate.
Schoolmates...A term to identify the members of one's school.
Air breathers...Self-explanatory. This would also apply to those races who derive sustenance from types of gasses other than oxygen (i.e. methane).
Sister...This has three meanings among the Nendo-kata. The first is meant to represent a female template, which whom a Nendo-kata will automatically adopt as a sibling. Katsura Utai considers Haruka Ten'ou her sister. If the template should happen to be male, "brother" is substituted. The second is a catch-all term Nendo-kata use to address each other. The third is of course all female siblings of one's template, which are also included as family. Katsura, atop thinking that Haruka is her sister, also acknowledges Teruko Utai as her sister and Makoto Kino as her adopted sister.
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THE NENDO-KATA SCHOOL
An individual Nendo-kata school ranges from 8-20 sentients. Whenever the school is seen as being too large, the school then divides into separate schools. If there are just not enough to form a proper school, several older schools will come together to allow offspring to forge bonds, then go off. Regardless of the size, there are five "positions" that exist in each school:
Matriarch...The school leader. While the Nendo-kata do practice a form of communism/socialism in which all are seen as equal, there is one set leader and her decisions will always matter at the end.
Sage...The school teacher/priest. She is the one who instructs her schoolmates and offspring about Unity's ways.
Defender...The school warrior. The one who takes charge of defending one's nest against intruders.
Bard...The school messenger/scout. This is one who travels from school to school to pass on news and information, plus locate a new place to move the nest when it comes time to migrate.
Gatherer...The others in a school. These maintain the nest, gather food and care for the young.
The two schools introduced in fanfiction so far divide the above tasks as follows:
OUTLAND SCHOOL
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Matriarch...Nokoko Moroboshi
Sage...Tatsuko Fujinami
Defender...Saiten Shigaten
Bard...Kaikeko "Clarisse" Ike
Gatherers...Mal Redet, Osooko, Hei Aruka, Ookako Sakurambou, Donna de Rosenbach, Nintaiko Miyaki, Asuka Mizunokoji (A), Pamanba (A)
COLD FLAT MOUND SCHOOL
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Matriarch...Nona Tsuruga
Sage...Matsuri Dokai
Defender...Katsura Utai
Bard...Tsuyako Yuuri
Gatherers...Yuki Tetsujo, Sakebu Kanna, Ayako Maida, Junko Satoda, Nareta Osoi, Chooko Nori, Kyooko Tsuruga, Midori Ryokuchuuseki
Asuka and Pamanba are adopted members of the Outland school, but would be considered gatherers in this case.
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WANDERERS
When a whole school is cast into the Black Ocean, the only survivor usually is the school bard. They are, prior to parting from their schoolmates for the final time, impregnated with the memories of their schoolmates, then tasked to go out and find other schools so that the tales of the deceased school can be passed on. These orphaned Nendo-kata are called Wanderers.
Whenever they have traditionally been encountered by other schools, they are welcomed in and made part of that school. Such is the case of three Wanderers who united with the souls of four of Sailor Galaxia's Anima Mates, who, thanks to the soulless succubi known as the Fushin, became the protectors of what little remained of their people.
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THE SAILOR SENSHI TWINS
The Sailor Senshi Twins were a secret project initiated by the cybernetics scientist Daisuke Tsuruga at the instigation of the long-lived Sagussan barbarian princess Kughra to create a force powerful enough to defeat and destroy the Sailor Senshi, thus allowing Kughra to seize the Imperium Silver Crystal and tap into the power of the *te'a.* Originally cyborgs, their spirits were later merged with a school of Nendo-kata, distant relatives of the Outland school based now in Oshika, then became a second team of Sailor Senshi. The Senshi Twins, save for the leader, took the Greek versions of the names of their templates as their nom de guerre. In the leader's case, since Sailor Moon was known to have two feline advisors named Luna and Artemis (both Greek names of the moon goddess), the Roman name "Diana" was substituted.
The Senshi Twins possess henshin sticks that are, like Sailor Terra's, not linked to the Imperium Silver Crystal though they also draw on the *te'a's* power. These were once special power cells for their android bodies, but were modified when they Crossed Over.
A note on the Twins' transformation phrases: while they were cyborgs, the Twins used "Eclipse." When they Crossed Over and became Nendo-kata, the word "Cosmic" was substituted.
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SAILOR DIANA
Nona Tsuruga
"I am Sailor Diana, Huntress of the Moon, and you won't get away with it!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Moon Huntress, Huntress of the Moon
Transformation...Diana Lunar Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Moon's without the wings over her posterior and a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden star.
Symbol...A crescent moon, points up, with a crossbow and arrow cast over it.
Hair & Eyes...Red hair styled in a long ponytail (as a cyborg, was in a French braid), green eyes.
Relatives...Daisuke (father, deceased), Kyooko (mother), Chooko Nori (life-mate/spouse), Usagi Tsukino (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Kyoto
Present Home...The Tsukino home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attack:
ENERGY MOON DARTS...Tiny projectiles of energy which burn on contact. Similar to shuriken in effect.
Defense:
ECLIPSE VEIL...Creates a field of darkness around Sailor Diana and those she wishes to protect.
Weapon:
MOON JAVELIN...A naginata-type bo Diana's height with a sharp spear. Can be used to transmit high-intensity energy attacks similar to the Moon Darts. Diana can use it as a baton or quarterstaff if needed.
HISTORY
Nona was your average third year high school student, a manga and anime lover when she discovered that her father was going to attempt to create something akin to one of her favourite sci-fi stories, "Ghost In The Shell." Imagine her shock when she learned that the nine cyborg prototypes were going to be used in an attempt to destroy the Sailor Senshi. Before she could get a warning out, her father transformed HER into a cyborg, modelling her after Sailor Moon. However, since the Twins were on Earth and away from Kughra's influence at the time of their re-birth, they escaped Tsuruga's control and fled to Tokyo to warn the Senshi. During the battle with Kughra, Nona got her revenge by killing her father. Accepted by Usagi and her family, she and Chooko now live with the Tsukinos as guests as Nona prepares for university.
PERSONALITY
Nona was very much like Usagi once: carefree, always willing to shirk responsibility to have fun, a glutton, klutz, etcetera. But losing her very humanity, watching nine innocent women taken advantage of, then being forced to kill someone as a slave soldier, destroyed a lot of the old Nona. What was born was a woman who seems on first meeting perpetually angry, willing to fight at the drop of a hat. Becoming the "moon huntress" suits Nona, especially since she is absorbing a lot of Nendo-kata morality. Put simply, any daemon or monster that crosses her path is doomed!
When not in the middle of Senshi business, Nona does lighten up somewhat, mostly when she is with Usagi, her mother or Chooko. She is into classical and new age music, preferring (like many of her school) anything that has the sound of water in it. She is a good cook though she has lost a lot of her appetite (Kyooko once told Usagi's mother that Nona could eat enough food for an infantry company and still ask for seconds!). Nona is becoming very close to Usagi, helping her template/sister deal with her own painful maturity in the wake of the battle with Galaxia and the final confrontation with the Dark Kingdom, not to mention helping her become a more effective fighter.
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SAILOR SUNARU
Katsura Utai
"Prepare to bid farewell to earth, for the Mistress of Wind, Sailor Sunaru, will show you the stairway to Heaven!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Mistress of Wind and Weather
Transformation...Sunaru Heavenly Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Uranus' save for the base colour being sky blue, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a stylized hurricane symbol.
Symbol...A hurricane symbol over crossed arrows.
Hair & Eyes...Black hair styled as Haruka's, brown eyes.
Relatives...Susumu (father), Tadako (mother), Teruko (younger sister), Haruka Ten'ou (template/adopted sister), Makoto Kino (adopted sister)
Home Town...Atami
Present Home...The Kino-Utai residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attack:
WINDSTORM PASSION...Similar to Sailor Terra's Air-Whirlpool Heat-Fire Strike without heat. Can be used to create a funnel of air to entrap people.
Distraction:
WEATHER KISS...Using water from Sailor Mercury or Sailor Neptune, creates pockets of precipitation.
Defense:
WINDSTORM FORTRESS...Creates an impenetrable wall of air around her.
HISTORY
According to a Buddhist monk, Katsura was born under a very lucky star and she lived it throughout the first years of her life. No accidents, no sicknesses, nothing. Over time, she used her luck to, like her parents, engage in gambling. Katsura made a killing on horse and auto racing, especially when her personal hero Haruka Ten'ou hit the Formula One circuit. With that luck, the Utais amassed a considerable fortune. But that luck couldn't save Katsura when she contracted hepatitis-C, then she fell under the interest of Daisuke Tsuruga. But luck soon shone its grace back on Katsura when she was templated off her favourite race car hero, then she regained her humanity. During that time, she discovered another love: Makoto. Arranging to have her family adopt the orphaned young woman, Katsura elected to move in with her teammate and take her time before launching something more intimate. With her luck, Katsura might just succeed.
PERSONALITY
Katsura was born with an eye for personal advancement and she pursues it with a Nabiki Tendou-like ruthlessness at times. These days, she wouldn't do anything that could psychologically harm someone else; her Nendo-kata morals would block her or force her to share her wealth with those who helped her get it. But when it comes to money, Katsura has always been lucky. Because of that, Katsura has had few real friends, all of whom drifted away when it was assumed that she would die from hepatitis. Katsura no longer cares; her primary concerns socially are her family and Makoto.
Katsura unfortunately was templated off someone who didn't like the idea of having her personal space so invaded. There was a slight friction between Katsura and Haruka, though it didn't show up in the middle of a battle. Despite all of Michiru's prodding, Haruka couldn't bring herself to apply the term "sister" to Katsura. It hurt Katsura to an extent, but since she already had quite a solid family behind her, she was really in no hurry to force herself all over Haruka. They eventually reconciled when Katsura visited Haruka at the latter's college.
As the school defender, Katsura is emotionally primed for combat and engages it with a relish that at times rivals Nona's. However, she isn't as tomboyish as Haruka; she wouldn't go so far as to disguise herself as a boy. Katsura wants most of all to discover ways to connect with people emotionally; she couldn't have picked anyone better to emote to than Makoto.
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SAILOR ZEUS
Junko Satoda
"You need not waste your time; no one passes Sailor Zeus, Mistress of the Aegis!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Mistress of the Aegis
Transformation...Zeus Lightning Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Jupiter's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden heart.
Symbol...A heart over crossed arrows and a lightning bolt.
Hair & Eyes...Same as Makoto's
Relatives...Tasuku (father), Yoshiko (mother), Makoto Kino (template/adopted sister), Minako Aino (girlfriend)
Home Town...Tokyo
Present Home...The Satoda residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
LIGHTNING FLASH...A blinding blast of light.
Entrapment:
AEGIS ENTRAPMENT...Using the Aegis' power to restrain a target.
Defense:
AEGIS PROTECTION...Using the power of the Aegis to forge shield around her and those she wishes to protect.
HISTORY
The only Juuban native of the Sailor Twins, Junko was a big fan of Sailor V before it was revealed that she was Sailor Venus. While having not been in Usagi's class in Juuban Junior High School or later Juuban High School, Junko had been on occasion caught by the "monster du jour" whenever innocent bystanders were employed as slave soldiers. Her admiration of Sailor Venus soon turned into something deeper as she began to discover herself. That discovery soon proved tragic when after a heated liaison with a foreign exchange student, Junko contracted HIV. She was more than happy to volunteer herself to become a Senshi Twin (not knowing Tsuruga's real plans), electing to be Sailor Zeus since she always sensed a special closeness between Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. It soon worked out; with several empathic "prods" by Ayako, Junko and Minako began to date. Junko's parents have completely accepted it (especially when they found out who Minako was!).
PERSONALITY
Junko tends to fit the defender role much better than Katsura. A motherly figure the equal of Makoto, Junko relishes her role as Sailor Zeus. Junko emotionally isn't primed to be a fighter even now that she's a Nendo-kata. She sees her task as protecting the bystanders who somehow get dragged into fights between the Senshi and the monster du jour, filling a role no one played whenever she was caught up in the craziness that hounded her former schoolmates.
Of all the Twins, Junko is as close to being a social double of Makoto as she is now a physical double. She is an outstanding cook, a diligent home-maker, a kind woman who would make a perfect mate for anyone looking for one (better snap her up quick, Minako-chan! ^_^). The only difference between the Jovian twins is their approach to violence. Junko always had a home and a supportive household, something Makoto lost before junior high school. And before she became a Senshi Twin, Junko was your average sized girl, not a fast grower like Makoto. Also, Junko has one overwhelming passion: Minako. Only now is the Senshi of Love learning how deeply the Mistress of the Aegis has desired her.
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SAILOR HERMES
Tsuyako Yuuri
"Escape is illogical; no one outruns the Herald of Justice, Sailor Hermes!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Senshi Herald; Herald of Justice
Transformation...Hermes Herald Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Mercury's save for the base colour being an electric blue, wrap-around shooter's goggles around her eyes, blue winged running boots similar to the Flash's, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden heart.
Symbol...A caduceus with a heart fixed at its apex.
Hair & Eyes...Blonde hair styled like Ami's, blue eyes. Always wears glasses or goggles.
Relatives...Izou (father), Atsuko (mother), Nareta Osoi (life-mate/spouse), Ami Mizuno (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Naha, Okinawa
Present Home...The Yuuri/Osoi residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
HYPERSPEED ACCELERATION...Accelerates molecular speed on touch.
STORM OF A THOUSAND KNIVES...Uses the Herald Sentinel to lance a target at hypersonic speeds.
Movement:
Sailor Hermes can move at hypersonic speeds for up to two hours at any one time carrying two people. Her body produces a shield to protect herself and her passengers from atmospheric friction.
Weapon:
HERALD SENTINEL...A caduceus with points that glows in the dark.
HISTORY
As much a child genius as Ami, Tsuyako was born with a very high IQ, quickly becoming a bookworm as she advanced through the local school system. Mastering a half-dozen languages, she seemed destined to take her place as one of Japan's greatest scientists (she was pursuing a possible career in chemistry). However, a bad case of pneumonia nearly ended that and saw Tsuyako in the hands of Daisuke Tsuruga. Before learning the black truth of the Senshi Twins, Tsuyako asked for her eyes to be made defective, a humbling touch that was replicated when she became a Nendo-kata. After her escape, she went out to locate Sailor Mercury, knowing from news reports that of all the Senshi, her template was perhaps the best equipped to help the Twins overcome their power problems. Such soon no longer became necessary when the Nendo-kata came, thus allowing Tsuyako to pursue her dream...and Nareta.
PERSONALITY
Outside her vast intelligence, Tsuyako is perhaps the most ordinary of the Senshi Twins. Having lived on Okinawa, she was exposed at close quarters to American culture, so when she was given a choice of hair styles and looks, she elected to remake herself into a reflection of the popular blonde haired, blue eyed icon popular in the West. When things went crazy, she was able to overcome her inhibitions and start a relationship with Nareta, something that became permanent when they became Nendo-kata.
In part because of that, Tsuyako and Nareta were able to forge a close bond with Haruka and Michiru. Of course, Tsuyako also strives to keep a close bond with her template/sister. With Ami's help, Tsuyako was able to get into university to pursue her dreams, attending the same university Ami goes to. While accepted with some reservations by her parents (like many caught in this situation, they find it hard to accept Tsuyako's desire to be with another woman), Tsuyako has won Ami's mother over.
As the Senshi herald/school bard, Tsuyako's task in the team is a combination of fast reconnaissance and information gathering so the others could prepare for an attack. She is a good fighter, especially with the Herald Sentinel in hand; to the unlucky monster facing her, Tsuyako's Strike of a Thousand Knives is as deadly as Nona's Energy Moon Darts or Nareta's Ice Storm Passion.
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SAILOR APHRODITE
Ayako Maida
"Get ready for the ultimate heartbreak; Sailor Aphrodite's gonna show you why she's the Mistress of Passion!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Passion Mistress; Mistress of Passion; The Senshi
Heartbreaker; The Senshi Matchmaker
Transformation...Aphrodite Passion Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Venus' save for the base colour being electric pink, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and a heart on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.
Symbol...A heart with an arrow piercing it.
Hair & Eyes...Raven haired styled as Minako's, blue eyes.
Relatives...Minako Aino (template/adopted sister), Matsuri Dokai (life-mate/spouse)
Home Town...Roppongi-chi, Tokyo
Present Home...The Maida/Dokai home (the Twins' apartment complex), Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
HEART MIRROR SHOCK...Sends an energy heart to transform a victim's emotions to the exact opposite of what they were experiencing before impact.
Encouragement:
HEART COURAGE KISS...Sends an energy heart to boost the most prominent emotion in the victim's mind.
Conversion:
MIXED PASSION ATTACK...A mix of the Mirror Shock and the Courage Kiss in a storm of energy hearts.
HEART PASSION NOVA...Used in conjunction with the Imperium Silver Crystal to cleanse all around her of evil; also very effective at making monsters human.
Interrogation:
TRUTH ENCIRCLE...Uses the Truth Chain to force someone to speak the truth.
Weapon:
TRUTH CHAIN...A chain of hearts strapped around the waist.
HISTORY
Of the Twins, Ayako is the most tragic. Born of a street hooker and a bad job gone very wrong, Ayako suffered from a mix of fetal alcohol syndrome, addiction to drugs and brain damage thanks to her mother suffering from a bad case of syphilis. Atop that, you add pushy pimps, the near-total absence of a stable home life, a mother dying when she was still too young, and you get one very messed up kid who would have been dead before twenty. Tsuruga and Kughra were just spice on the cake...or so they thought. Once given the power to manipulate hearts and emotions, a whole new facet of Ayako's personality burst forth...which signed Kughra's death warrant since it was Sailor Aphrodite who helped Sailor Moon defeat the dark princess. Now tack that atop very powerful Nendo-kata abilities and Ayako is a lust-driven monster ready to unleash a new Summer of Love on Tokyo...whether Tokyo wants it or not!!
PERSONALITY
Ayako is in essence a shit-disturber; she shakes things up just for the hell of it. NO ONE is safe; thanks to her power, which targets one's very soul, Sailor Aphrodite is by far the deadliest of all the Sailor Senshi, originals AND Twins! Calling herself a "confessed aphrodisiholic" (she gets drunk on passion), Ayako would use her Heart Courage Kiss to drive someone's desire for someone else into overdrive for the desire to soak up some love. Her favourite targets are (but not exclusive to): Setsuna and Gurio (to make her more human), Haruka and Michiru (to get them to be more public about their relationship), Junko and Minako (hey, have to help her sister get in the grove somehow), Usagi and Mamoru (If it's their destiny, then live it!)...atop EVERYONE ELSE!!!!
Outside her desire to see people express love, Ayako is a real go-getter; her exuberance in battle, her confidence in dealing with the monster du jour, her never-say-die attitude, is positively breathtaking. She doesn't allow anything to get her down when mixing it up; once she utters Bugs Bunny's famous byline "Of course you know, this means war," it's party time!
Under all that bluster, however, is a fragile woman who's afraid that she'll loose the few bonds of love she has left: to Matsuri and to a lesser extent, the other Senshi. Having never really had a family, Ayako isn't sure how she should try to forge a relationship with her life-mate. Fortunately, the school sage understands what Ayako is enduring, thus is patient when dealing with her. To better help Ayako, Matsuri arranged to have Ayako help eight ex-Black Moon Clan monsters adjust to being human.
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SAILOR CHRONOS
Chooko Nori
"I'm Sailor Chronos, Reaper of Time...and your time's run out!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...Time Reaper; Reaper of Time
Transformation...Chronos Time Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Saturn's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an hourglass on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.
Symbol...A "C" with an hourglass suspended between the branches, pierced with an arrow.
Hair & Eyes...Same as Hotaru's.
Relatives...Kameo (father), Akiko (mother), Nona Tsuruga (life mate/spouse), Hotaru Tomoe (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Hiroshima
Present Home...The Tsukino home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
TIME ACCELERATION...Uses the Time Reaper to accelerate time in a bubble to 2,000,000,000 times outside space.
TIME SUSPENSION...Uses the Time Reaper to suspend time in a bubble.
Distraction:
TIME HYPNOSIS...Uses the Time Reaper to permit a target to experience any point in their lives. Perfect for making targets relive bad memories.
Restoration:
TIME RESTORE...Uses the Time Reaper to physically restore a specific location to the way it was at a previous point in time.
Weapon:
TIME REAPER...A staff the size of the Silence Glaive with a large sickle at one end.
HISTORY
Chooko and Nona were friends long before their involvement in the Senshi Twins project. Having first met each other as pen-pals in public school, they kept communicating over the years as letters changed to phone calls and eventually e-mail. Chooko's involvement in the Twins project was Nona's fault in part; before she was rebuilt as Sailor Diana, Nona told Chooko about her father's work and Tsuruga, to keep matters secret, had Chooko kidnapped and transformed her into Sailor Chronos. The close quarters of their personal experience soon transformed a friendship into a supportive relationship, one later solidified when both became Nendo-kata.
PERSONALITY
Chooko in no way blames Nona for her present situation. Like Hotaru, Chooko is a sort of wide-eyed kid when she plays Sailor Chronos. She loves the adventure, loves being a hero to innocent people, loves the new friends and companions she now has and loves Nona most of all. Theirs is a very long relationship, something that, with help from the Nendo-kata, was destined to succeed. Chooko sees her role now as supporting Nona as the latter resolves her guilt over the Twins' creation. With that, she has nearly cut off all contact with her birth family in Hiroshima, though they are aware that Chooko is still alive.
Chooko has also started to devote herself in helping her sister deal with her potentially tragic abilities. Being the Senshi of Death and Destruction is, in Chooko's eyes, something a nice girl like Hotaru wasn't meant for. Chooko herself proposed a nickname change for her sister: "the Senshi of Entropy and Creation," implying that once past things are gone, new things can be created in their place. Chooko also volunteers to keep Hotaru company when business takes Haruka and Michiru away, filling a big sister role for the orphaned girl.
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SAILOR GAIA
Sakebu Kanna
"Try as you might, you cannot harm anyone; Sailor Gaia will always restore them."
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Senshi Healer
Transformation...Gaia Life Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Terra's save for the base colour being a dark red, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops containing a red heart.
Symbol...The heart of Earth over a caduceus.
Hair & Eyes...Same as Naru's; hair is worn in a bun.
Relatives...Shinjirou (father), Toriko (mother), Yuki Tetsujo (life-mate/spouse), Naru Osaka (templated/adopted sister)
Home Town...Nagano
Present Home...The Tetsujo-Kanna home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
LIFE PASSION SUPPRESSION...Drains a target of all aggressive energy for a short period of time.
Healing:
LIFE ENERGY RESTORE...Restores lost energy to a victim; accelerates healing. Can counter attacks like the Time Acceleration or the Hyperspeed Acceleration, but only does so temporarily.
Defense:
LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION...Permanently drains a target of all aggressive energy. If aggression is all a target lives for, this is fatal.
HISTORY
Sakebu has always been a serious student of history...and she couldn't get a much better chance to learn it than the day she met Yuki Tetsujo when the latter came to Nagano one day as a substitute teacher while Sakebu was in the first grade of high school. To pardon the cliche, Sakebu got a crush on the older woman...and soon learned how old Yuki exactly was when the guardian of Eternity revealed her true age and powers. When the time came that Yuki elected to become a Senshi Twin, she persuaded Sakebu to follow her as Sailor Gaia, then deliberately infected her with a plague virus to bring Tsuruga running. It was Sakebu and Yuki who helped free the other Twins, then guided them to a safe house in Juuban Yuki had secretly prepared with Setsuna's help earlier, pending the Twins' meeting the Senshi.
PERSONALITY
Sakebu can be your atypical Jewish mother at times; she nags people left, right and centre for the most minuscule of reasons. While having not shown it during the battle with Kughra, right after, she started riding everyone, Senshi and Twins. Not even Ayako wants to deal with Sakebu when the latter's on a tear; she says using the Heart Mirror Shock would only make Sakebu worse. Only Yuki has the patience to deal with her life-mate; the others, even Setsuna, admire the guardian of Eternity for having such a thick skin. Then again, it is only with Yuki that Sakebu feels comfortable enough to allow her hair to fall down.
As Sailor Gaia, her mission is as defensive as Sailor Zeus'; while everyone else is busy bashing monsters, she's helping the wounded get clear of the battle zone and healing them enough for them to be evacuated while things are getting destroyed. In this mode, she is feral; any daemon dumb enough to attack Gaia's patient is quickly eliminated by either the Life Passion Elimination or a good telekinetic fist crushing them into a pulp.
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SAILOR ARES
Matsuri Dokai
"You want to play with fire?! I'm the Fire Sentinel, Sailor Ares, and you will get burned!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Fire Sentinel
Transformation...Ares Fire Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Mars' save for the base colour being a mix of gold and red, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops containing a stylized flame.
Symbol...A heart over a crossbow and arrow.
Hair & Eyes...Red hair styled like Rei's, green eyes.
Relatives...Torao (father), Kaname (mother), Ayako Maida (life-mate/spouse), Rei Hino (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Tokushima, Shikoku
Present Home...The Maida/Dokai home (the Twins' apartment complex), Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
FIRE PHOENIX...A wave of fire shaped like a bird capable of engulfing a large or massed target.
FIRE NOVA...A disintegrating blast of energy lashing out in all directions.
Defense:
FIRE PHALANX...Projects small bolts of fire to intercept incoming attacks.
HISTORY
Matsuri was a priestess in training in Shikoku, the daughter of the senior Shinto cleric of the island and his wife. Hers was a pretty normal life, somewhat secluded from the normal things girls her age do, until the day she met a WHO doctor who had contracted Ebola while working in Africa. Falling very sick and forced into isolation, Matsuri was resolved to her fate until Tsuruga offered her a second chance. Matsuri knew that the doctor was up to something, but accepted since she, like many priests facing a potentially life-threatening situation, choose their duty over their life. Matsuri's private prayers for salvation soon came when she bonded with the sage of the Cold Flat Mound School, thus giving her a chance to better serve those around her. Of course, she has other things to worry about, Ayako Maida being one.
PERSONALITY
In many ways, Matsuri can be as fiery as Rei. She can be very quick to anger given the right circumstances, is self-confident in her role as priestess and Sailor Senshi, and is content with the way her life has evolved. Her Nendo-kata half has just augmented those points which give Matsuri her strength.
Matsuri is also very overprotective of Ayako, almost to the point of an obsession. Being ill-experienced in the ways of the heart when she first became a Senshi Twin, Matsuri was quick to fall in love with Ayako, staring a very heated relationship. Her possessiveness towards Ayako can lead to pretty nasty spats whenever Matsuri sees her lover play with other people's emotions. Insults like calling Ayako a "shameless flirt" are common. But it is all a verbal game to relieve tension; Matsuri knows deep down how fragile Ayako's psyche is even now and does her best to give her lover the chance to explore over types of love, especially the one thing Ayako never had: family.
As Sailor Ares, Matsuri possesses a lot of tactical knowledge when it comes to deal with daemons; in essence, she can fit the role of the Senshi's master battle planner. She keeps track of the number of daemons involved in any fight, watches out for the strengths and weaknesses of the mid-level avatars, then goes for the kill when opportunity presents itself. Her powers also work in more a defensive mode than Sailor Mars'; the Fire Phoenix can be quite draining on Sailor Ares even now as a Nendo-kata.
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SAILOR POSEIDON
Nareta Osoi
"Am I cold? I'm the Guardian of Ice, Sailor Poseidon, and be assured, I can be much colder than this!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Senshi of Ice; The Ice Senshi
Transformation...Poseidon Ice Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Neptune's save for the base colour being ice blue, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and a snowflake on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.
Symbol...A snowflake over a heart.
Hair & Eyes...Silver hair styled like Michiru's, grey eyes.
Relatives...Motomu (father), Atsumi (mother), Tsuyako Yuuri (life-mate/spouse), Michiru Kaiou (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Kitakyushu
Present Home...The Yuuri/Osoi residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
ICE STORM PASSION...A storm of ice daggers.
ICE ETERNITY...Sailor Poseidon uses this to freeze everything around her.
Defense:
ICE FORTRESS...Using fields of cold and ice to prevent attacks from reaching her. Works better in duo with Sailor Sunaru's Windstorm Fortress.
Weapon:
ICE STAR TRIDENT...A crystal trident the size of the Silence Glaive.
HISTORY
Nareta is your typical rich girl, the only daughter of a prominent trading family from Kyushu. With that, she was socially isolated in much the same way that Matsuri's parents isolated her. Sent to the best schools, she was moulded to become one of the new aristocracy ruling Japan. That didn't save her when she contracted the same type of plague virus Sakebu used to follow Yuki into being a Sailor Twin. Torn from her family and friends, Nareta withdrew into herself...only to be slowly brought out by Tsuyako before and after the Twins freed themselves. Now that she has become a Nendo-kata, Nareta has achieved a level of contentment she never had as the spoiled rich girl she was before.
PERSONALITY
Nareta is somewhat reserved on first meeting. Years of etiquette classes, piano lessons and other strict methods to make her a proper lady have had their effect, only now being worn away with her being a Nendo-kata and her relationship with Tsuyako. Even when she has made herself comfortable with other people, Nareta retains a remarkable sense of decorum, something that could still rub certain people the wrong way.
Because of the changes that have happened, Nareta's relations with her parents shattered. They refuse to accept how much their daughter has changed and will not speak to her unless she renounces her relationship with Tsuyako and is "cured" of her lesbianism. With that, Nareta has drawn close ties to both Tsuyako and her family, Ami and her mother...and most of all to Michiru. Outside Usagi and Nona, Michiru and Nareta possess the closest emotional bond between Senshi and Twin. This has helped much in fostering a close friendship between the Yuuris (Nareta will adopt Tsuyako's family name when they handfast) and the Ten'ous.
Sailor Poseidon is very offensive in her approach to battle, forming a "sabre" wing of the Twins with Diana, Chronos, Hermes, Ares, Sunaru and Hades. She channels a lot of her childhood resentment at being manipulated by her parents into her fighting, which can mean a very rough time for any unlucky daemon who gets in her way. In battle, since her life-mate is busy scouting out the opposition, Poseidon often partners up with Sunaru, combining their powers to unleash widespread devastation on the opposition.
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SAILOR HADES
Yuki Tetsujo
"I am Sailor Hades, Guardian of Eternity...and Infinity is far closer than you think!"
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname...The Guardian of Eternity
Transformation...Hades Eternity Cosmic Power, Make Up!
Uniform...Same as Sailor Pluto's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing an infinity symbol.
Symbol...The infinity symbol pierced by an arrow.
Hair & Eyes...Black hair styled like Setsuna's, black eyes.
Relatives...Parents (deceased), Sakebu Kinna (life-mate/spouse), Setsuna Meiou (template/adopted sister)
Home Town...Iwaki
Present Home...The Tetsujo-Kanna home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo
POWERS
Attacks:
ETERNITY MADNESS...Exposes a target to the power of the *te'a*; such is guaranteed to drive the target insane.
Entrapment:
ETERNITY ENVELOP...Uses the *te'a* to trap someone.
Defense:
ETERNITY HYPNOSIS...Exposes a target to any aspect of Creation.
Weapon:
THE STYX STAFF...A simple staff with a red ruby at one end.
HISTORY
Once in a while, someone somewhere in the universe is born with the power to manipulate the very essence of Existence...the *te'a.* The last being born with this ability who lived in Earth's solar system was Queen Serenity herself, who channelled her ability to create the Imperium Silver Crystal and thus allow the Sailor Senshi to come into being. The most recent person native to this sector to be given this remarkable gift was Yuki Tetsujo, born in 1853 when the "black ships" from America came to Edo.
Yuki was an Immortal, one of a select group with the gift of eternal life...and cursed to be drawn into the Gathering, the time when all Immortals fight for the Prize (the combined power of all the Immortals who ever lived). Yuki was found by Duncan MacLeod of Scotland and trained to fight, but shortly after, another Immortal challenged her and took her head. Only then was the TRUE nature of Yuki's gift known. The *te'a* destroyed Yuki's killer and restored her life. Now out of the Game (though to this day, she is still good friends with MacLeod and his clansman Connor), Yuki could then focus her abilities into finding her true purpose in existence.
Training with the souls and immortal spirits of those who have also welded Existence's ultimate power, Yuki fashioned for herself the Styx Staff, her personal *haijo-ju.* During this time, she came into contact with Setsuna and was told of the Sailor Senshi. Wishing that she herself could become a Senshi, Yuki waited until she stumbled onto Kughra and discovered what Daisuke Tsuruga was up to. Seeing her chance, knowing what could be done to help her, Yuki made herself and Sakebu ill, making prior preparations to ensure that when the Twins freed themselves, they would have a place to stay until they became human again. Once that was done, Yuki dedicated herself to forging a family, both with Sakebu as her life-mate...and Setsuna as her adopted sister.
PERSONALITY
When she isn't in her role as Guardian of Eternity, Yuki could strike people as a Setsuna on happy drugs. She can be a prankster, an Ayako without a fixation on making people express love. She is warm, fuzzy, tender, always supportive and, once you've earned her trust, the best friend anyone could ever ask for...and certainly one who tolerates Sakebu's incessant nagging. In fact, it is that tenderness which makes Yuki's and Sakebu's relationship work so well, much to everyone else's surprise.
However, Yuki knows when to separate pleasure from business. Whenever something happens that demands her personal attention as Sailor Hades, she can be as cold and menacing as her twin. She is by far THE most powerful Senshi of all since her ability can, if she lets herself go, warp all of reality to her pleasure. When she uses that power, Yuki keeps herself under the tightest of emotional control; she knows what damage she can do. Yuki also understands that there come times when she CANNOT interfere. Of all the Twins, she is the least influenced by her Nendo-kata self, which finds not doing anything whenever disUnity is unleashed repulsive. However, because Yuki accepts her humanity, she does often admit to being tempted, especially when something happens to those she cares for.
Which leads to the final point about Yuki; her relationship with Setsuna. Yuki has privately dedicated herself to making her sister lighten up a bit, better accept that while she is Guardian of Time, she is also human and is allowed the chance to kick back and relax whenever something isn't happening. It was Yuki who got Setsuna to explore a relationship with Naru's ex-boyfriend Gurio Umino...and it is Yuki, with the help of the ancient time portal of Gateway, the Guardian of Forever, who plans to give Setsuna a great surprise come her next birthday (but you'll have to read "Faith No More" to see what I mean ^_-).
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