I know that I'm supposed to be working on some of my other stories, but I wanted to revise and repost this one. I still like this one the best. I hope this can be a sort of apology for not working on Bedtime Stories II.
Title: New Friends, Old Enemies
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, the Scouts, or any other recognizable characters. I have no official permission to use them, but I am making $0.00 for this story, so please don't sue me. The character, Jennifer DeVir/Sailor Midnight is my creation. If anyone wants to use her in a story (yeah, right) please ask me first. Thanks!
Feedback is welcome at: jennybeth@cox.net
Note: I use the English names of the Scouts and their enemies. DIC might not do a great job at dubbing Sailor Moon, but since I don't speak Japanese, the only Sailor Moon episodes I've seen are the ones on Cartoon Network.
Note 2: This takes place shortly after Sailor Moon R and before Sailor Moon S. Rini is in the future and Darien and Serena are a couple. I'm extremely confused about the ages of the Scouts. In this story, they are going to be about 15 and in the ninth grade. Jennifer DeVir is 17 and in the eleventh grade. I'm not sure if these are the right ages, but it's my fic and I can have them any age I want.
"Hello, and welcome to Tokyo!"
All around the Tokyo International Airport, exclamations of welcome could be heard in both English and Japanese. Among the tourists and locals, one girl wandered aimlessly around the main lobby. The petite, red-haired teenager was burdened with two suitcases and a backpack; she looked like she brought her entire wardrobe. She also appeared to be totally lost.
I'm never going to find my way out of here – thought the young girl. Not only was she lost, but she also understood very little Japanese. After consulting her Japanese-English dictionary many times and annoying many of the airport personnel, she made it out of the airport and into a cab. After a fifteen-minute ride, the cab stopped in front of a large apartment complex. After paying the cabby, the girl walked up to the front desk.
"Hello. How can I help you?" inquired the receptionist, in Japanese.
"Please tell me you can speak English," replied the girl.
Switching to English the receptionist said, "Of course. How may I help you?"
"I'm an exchange student from the United States, and I'm supposed to have a reservation for an room here." As the girl said this, she pulled out some papers out of her book bag and handed them to the lady.
Looking over the papers she said, "Yes, of course. Your room is on the forth floor, room 435. Here is your key. If you have any problems, just call down here and we'll fix them as soon as possible. Have a nice night!"
"Thank you. You too." With that, the girl shouldered her luggage and headed for the stairs. She found the room with no problems and, after dragging all her bags in, collapsed on the couch. She sat there for a few moments, trying to regain some of her energy. The long flight, not to mention jet lag, had drained her. A couple minutes later, the girl drifted to sleep with one thought in her head: How am I going to get through tomorrow without being able to speak Japanese?
Meanwhile, in a dark, forgotten cave on the lunar side of the moon, everything was quiet and still. A lone figure encased in a shell of never melting ice laid in the center of the subterranean cavern. Suddenly, a miniscule crack formed in the casing, and then another, and another. The figure started to glow eerily as the cracks multiplied and grew in size. With an explosion of thunder and lightning, the entire ice shell collapsed around the figure. For a few moments, all was quiet again. Then, with a pain-filled groan, the figure slowly rose. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs from his mind. A flood of memories rushed into his empty head and he remembered his final moments of consciousness. He recalled his last fight with the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, his last confrontation with Queen Beryl and the consequences of her wrath. He was finally free from his endless tomb! The man stood slowly and with an evil glint in his eye, vanished, leaving his prison at last.
Finally, those Sailor Scouts will pay for what they did to me, Queen Beryl's greatest general, Jedite.
Luna laid at the end of her owner's bed, watching the alarm clock on the dresser.
"Three…Two…One…"
"AAAAAHHHHH!!! WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY WAKE ME UP! I'M GOING TO BE LATE!!"
Luna continued to watch quietly as Serena Tsukino rushed around her room trying to get ready for school. The pig-tailed teen was just about to leave the room when Luna called to her.
"Serena, wait a moment."
Serena, knowing that if she arrived to school late one more time, her teacher would call her parents, stopped just long enough to say "SorrylunaI'mlateIgottogettoschoolorI'mdead"
"But Serena, today's Saturday."
Serena disappeared through the door just as Luna said this. Two seconds later, she stuck her head back into the room and looked at Luna.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me, Serena. Today's Saturday and there is no school. You could have slept in."
Serena, finally realizing that Luna was right, stepped into the room and flopped back onto the bed. Why is it that when I want to wake up early, I sleep in, and when I can sleep in, I get up early?
"…over at Raye's…were you listening to me?"
"Sorry Luna, I must have spaced out."
"Well what I was saying was that Artimis and I scheduled a scout meeting today over at Raye's temple. Since you're already up, we should get going."
With that, Serena and Luna walked out the door and headed towards the temple. Halfway there, Luna suddenly stopped mid-stride. Serena looked back.
"What's the matter, Luna?"
"I don't know. I just had the weirdest feeling."
Looking around, the only thing she could see was people going about their daily business: Commuters driving through traffic, people buying groceries, tourists snapping pictures, a youma destroying buildings and draining people's life forces….
Ducking into a deserted alley, the teen and the feline watched as the monster grabbed yet another person and start to drain her energy. The creature was at least seven feet tall and looked vaguely like a rose bush. Its head was surrounded in a mane of red petals and its "arms" were made of thorny vines. In a matter of seconds, the nasty weed had scared off half the people who had been on the road. The other half lay sprawled all over the street drained of their life energy.
"Serena, transform! And call the other Scouts!"
"Right, Luna! MOON COSMIC POWER!"
With the usually array of lights and motions, Serena Tsukino changed into the sailor-suited defender of justice, Sailor Moon. She pulled out her communicator and called her fellow scouts.
"Amy. Lita. Raye. Mina. A youma is attacking people on the road in front of Raye's temple. I could use some help here."
With four affirmative answers, the blond super heroine put away her communicator and stepped out into the middle of the street.
"I don't know who you are or who sent you, but it's wrong for you to interrupt people's lives and drain their energy. You taint the beauty and purity of the flower you represent, you thorny fiend. Those are crimes that I can't forgive. In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"
The youma dropped the young girl it was holding and turned to face Sailor Moon. With a powerful yell, the creature charged toward the teen. Sailor Moon easily dodged and took up her fighting stance again.
"Sailor Moon! Watch Out!" cried her black feline companion.
The youma suddenly shot two vines out of its midsection. The vines twisted around Sailor Moon with lightning speed and forced her to the ground with a thud. The pesky plant laughed evilly, while it slowly, and painfuly, drained Sailor Moon's life energy. Sailor Moon began to feel very weak and her vision started to blacken.
~ Whoosh ~
The youma screamed as a single rose tore through its outstretched vines. A voice from a nearby tree caught everyone's attention.
"You, vile villain, have no right to people's lives. You use your beauty for evil, but with Sailor Moon and the Scouts, you will be vanquished."
"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon cried weakly.
"Don't forget about us!"
To the left of the tree where Tuxedo Mask was perched, stood four-uniformed sailor Senshi. Faced with the unexpected opposition, the rose-monster paused. Big mistake.
"JUPITER…THUNDERCLAP…ZAP!!!"
"MARS…FIRE…IGNITE!!!"
The two attacks hit the youma square in the chest. The creature cried out in pain as it was thrown into a nearby light pole. While the scouts continued to weaken the monster, Tuxedo Mask rushed to his beloved's side.
"Sailor Moon, can you use your wand."
"I think so." With these words, the defender of love and justice slowly got to her feet. With a great amount of effort, the pretty-suited girl charged and leveled her scepter at the youma.
"MOON…SCEPTER…ELIMINATION!!!"
With a bright flash of white light and a blood-curdling scream, the rose bush youma was blasted into moondust. Not two moments after the creature was destroyed, Sailor Moon fell to her knees.
"SAILOR MOON!" cried the Scouts.
"I'm alright, guys. Just a little drained is all." Sailor Moon winced slightly as the group of five crowded around her multiplied into ten. "I just need a rest."
"Hey, is she going to be alright?"
All eyes turned toward the newcomer. It was the girl they had rescued minutes before. Her fiery red hair was pulled into a high ponytail and concern radiated from her bright blue eyes. All the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask noticed that her Japanese was forced, but understandable. Luna, who was standing beside Sailor Moon, said nothing, but stared intently at the girl.
"She'll be alright. Who are you?" inquired Tuxedo Mask.
"Oh. Nobody important. I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. Do things like that always happen around here? I'm new and I hope that I don't have to deal with those things every time I go outside."
"Well, they are common, but as long as we're here, you got nothing to worry about." Venus winked as she said this.
"Okay. Thanks again. Goodbye!!" With smile and a quick wave, the petite teenager ran off. Tuxedo Mask carried Sailor Moon to Raye's temple while the Scouts followed. Unknown to all of them, Jedite watched them disappear. So, Sailor Moon found some more friends. And Tuxedo Mask is still there. This should make it interesting. But the outcome will be the same and I will be the victor. I will have my revenge. With an evil laugh, the general disappeared into a flash of light.
At Raye's temple, the superheroes undid their transformations and reverted back to their normal selves. Darien laid Serena down on a pallet in Raye's room so she could get some rest and re-energize herself. When he walked back to the common room, he found that the girls deep in discussion.
"What was that thing? I thought we were finally rid of youmas when Rubius and Prince Diamond were destroyed." While she said this, Mina was nursing a nasty bruise on her arm that made her wince when she put medical cream on it.
"I'm more concerned with who sent it. Whoever it was, he or she seems to be trying to collect a lot of energy very quickly. This person must have something big planned. And I have a feeling it won't be good." Amy, the practical genius, always got to the root of every problem. All the Scouts had ideas of who this new enemy could be.
"I bet you it's somebody from another planet, like Alen and Anne."
"No, it's got to be someone from the future trying to change the past again."
"Un-Uh. No way. It's probably someone new."
While the girls argued, Darien listened quietly and thought about all the possibilities. It suddenly hit him. "I think it's someone we've fought before."
The whole group became silent with this. Could it really be true? One of their old enemies came back and now was stronger than before. It was definitely something to think about.
"Hey Luna, what do you think?" Said Artemis. He had been pacing around the room, trying to think of answers like the rest of them.
The question startled Luna out of her reverie, "Hmmm…Oh…Sorry. I was just thinking."
"Hey Luna, you're getting to be too much like Serena, spacing out for no reason like that."
"I was thinking. You know that girl we saved, the red-head."
"Yeah, she must be from another country or something; her Japanese was awful." The others laughed; they had to agree with Raye's comment.
"Well, I got the strangest vibes from her. I think that she was giving me the weird feeling this morning, not the youma." Luna was convinced on this.
"A weird feeling? From that girl? What do you think it means, Luna?" inquired Lita.
"I don't know. But I think you girls should watch out for her and find out."
Everyone agreed on this. Serena woke up a few moments later and all the young adults and felines decided that they had worked enough for one day. The conversation drifted from one topic to another and they group of friends spent the rest of the day together. They didn't give their new enemy or the strange girl a second thought for the remainder of the weekend.
Monday morning came and put an end to another weekend. Students trudged back to school, complaining about unfinished homework and projects. Serena slowly made her way up the stairs in front of Crossroads Junior High. She was on time for once, but she hadn't finished half of her homework and she was puzzled about that girl. That didn't last long. As soon as she entered her homeroom, she spied her best friend, Molly, across the room. She and a couple other girls were gossiping and Serena quickly joined them.
"Did you hear about the youma that attacked this weekend?"
"Yeah. I heard it was huge. But the Sailor Scouts took care of it."
"Hey guys. What's up?" Serena was impatient to hear what was going on.
"Oh. Hey Serena. We were just talking about the youma that the Scouts defeated this weekend." Molly informed her. "Did you see it?"
"No way. And I'm glad I didn't. I don't know what I would have done if I'd been there." Serena was used to telling white lies like this to hide her secret identity. Moments later, another came and joined the small group. She started talking very fast and seemed to very excited bout something.
"Did you hear? The high school was involved in an exchange program with the United States. About a dozen students from America arrived over the weekend. My brother met a couple of them and said they were really nice but couldn't speak much Japanese. He said that they are looking for volunteers to show them around and maybe teach them some Japanese. I might be one of them. Isn't that cool."
The whole group agreed that would be fun. Serena became lost in thought. That girl must have been one of the exchange students. Maybe I could get paired up with her. Then I could keep tabs on her easily.
~ Ring ~ ~ Ring ~
"Okay everyone. Take you seats." Miss Haruna entered the classroom as the bell rang and stood by her desk. "If you haven't heard. A group of exchange students came from America and the high school needs volunteers to show them around the city. Any volunteers?" The only hand that was raised was Serena's. The teacher looked shocked. "Really, Miss Tsukino? Okay. Stay after school and I'll assign you to someone. Now class, take out you homework in History. It was chapters eight through ten, questions and summaries at the end of each chapter."
A collective groan came from all the students. This was going to be a long day.
Meanwhile, at Crossroads High School, the exchange students were stumbling through their first day of school in Japan. One girl in particular was having a very difficult time.
"Would you please introduce yourself to the class and tell us a little about yourself." The teacher looked expectantly at the shy teenager. The girl had a blush upon her cheeks and twirled her crimson hair nervously. She looked at the sea of faces and became increasing apprehensive. She smoothed out the skirt of her new uniform before she began to talk. Her voice had a slight waver in it as she spoke.
"Well. My name is Jennifer DeVir and I'm from Virginia Beach, a city on the East Coast. I like computers, math and science and I like anything involving those subjects. Back home, I would hang out at the beach and the Mall. Um… I'm very glad to be in the exchange program and I hope I get a hang of things pretty soon. I guess that's it." The girl glanced at the teacher and he nodded to her.
"Nice to meet you, Miss DeVir. Please take you seat behind Mr. Ching. Class, our lessons might be a little slow at first because Jennifer has informed me that she understands very little Japanese. I may have to translate some things for her. Now, open your books to page 132…."
The teacher started to lecture about ancient Japanese history. True to his word, he would occasionally stop and ask Jennifer if she understood what was being said. Surprisingly, she understood more than she thought she would, and things looked a little brighter for the teen.
"I'm surprised you volunteered for this, Serena. This doesn't seem like your kind of thing." Serena's teacher was talking to her after class. She had paired Serena up with the shyest girl in the exchange program because she felt their personalities might balance out; Serena might become less outspoken while the American might gain more confidence.
They both turned as they notice the girl approach. Her red hair was down and blew slightly in the wind. She was dressed in a typical high school uniform: a navy blue pleated skirt with a sailor-style long-sleeved shirt. She wore ankle length socks and black Mary Jane's. Serena waved and shouted "Hello" as the girl walked toward them.
"Hello. My name is Miss Haruna. I'm a teacher at this middle school. This is Serena Tsukino. She will be showing you around Tokyo and answering any questions you have." Miss Haruna smiled warmly at the girl. Turning to Serena, she stated, "And Serena, this is Jennifer DeVir."
"Thank you, Miss Haruna. I really appreciate it." The girl said while she smiled shyly at the two.
"Well. I have work to do. Have Fun!" With that, Haruna left the two teens alone. Almost immediately, Serena began talking a-mile-a-minute.
"Wait a moment. Please. Talk slower please. I'm not fluent in Japanese like you are."
Serena did slow down, but she still asked a million questions. Jennifer answered them as best she could. The two girls walked all over the city and Serena pointed out important (and some not so important) places in the city. Jennifer listened politely and asked Serena some questions of her own. She asked mostly about the sailor-suited superheroes she saw over the weekend.
"Do they always come when a youma appears?" asked Jennifer.
"Yep. And they always win too." was Serena's answer.
"Where do they come from and who are they? Do they fight just for fun or what? And why do youmas appear in this city and not in others?"
Serena answered all her questions as best as she could without revealing her secret. She finally brought Jennifer to Raye's temple to introduce her to her other friends.
"Jennifer, this is Raye, Lita, Amy, and Mina."
"Nice to meet you all." Jennifer smiled and shook each of their hands.
"And this is Mina's cat, Artimis, and my cat, Luna."
Jennifer gave each of the felines and hello pet and both felines purred at her touch.
"They must like you," giggled Mina.
Jennifer, although still struggling with her Japanese, was able to converse with the girls normally. They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting about nothing and everything at once. Jennifer made five (seven if you count the cats) good friends that day and hated to leave. Lita, who lived close to the place Jennifer was staying, walked her home. Jennifer entered her apartment and sank onto the couch. I think I'm going to like it here.
A few weeks went by with not much happening. The Sailor Scouts fought many youmas, but were able to defeat each one in the end. Jennifer and her new friends became closer each day and Jennifer seemed to fit into her new life. She made high marks in all of her classes and made many friends also.
"AAAAARRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!"
~ CRASH ~
Jedite screamed as he threw the rock across the cave. Although the rock shattered into a million pieces, Jedite's frustration didn't go away.
"I can't believe this. Any youma I put up against the Sailor Brats they defeat. If this keeps up, I will never get my revenge."
Jedite paced around the cave angrily. A youma appeared in front of him only to be pushed out of the way by the outraged general.
"General, I may have a way to defeat the Sailor Senshi," said the youma hesitantly.
"How? None of my other plans have worked and none of the plans that you pea-brained idiots come up with work, so why will this one?" Jedite continued to pace.
"Was scavenging the ruins of the late Queen's lair and I have found this." The creature held out a small gem, about the size of an orange. It was attached to a long gold chain and was solid black. The stone emitted a soft glow, but seemed to absorb any other light.
"It's a dark crystal, sire," began the youma, "The crystal is made of pure evil energy and will double, no, triple the power of the owner."
Jedite picked up the crystal. He could feel the evil power emanating off of it. The legend of the dark crystal was well known in the Dark Kingdom. These crystals had been formed in caves where evil and darkness dwelled. These crystals took millions of years to form and were very valuable to people in the Negaverse. Just one crystal multiplied a person's magical and physical power. A wicked smile bloomed on Jedite's features.
"Go, then, and use the crystal. You have found it and I give you the honor of destroying the Scouts." With a small bow, the youma disappeared.
"Perfect. I think I shall watch and enjoy the destruction of the Sailor Scouts." His insane laughter echoed about the cave as he transport down to Earth.
"What do you think about my new earrings? Aren't they the cutest?" Serena, Jennifer, and the other girls had gone shopping and were showing their purchases to Darien. Jennifer was trying on a surf-shop, spaghetti-strapped tank top that she had bought. Lita and Mina were listening to a new C.D. that Lita had gotten and Mina was dying to borrow. Raye was tying the laces on her new shoes and Amy, of course, was studying from a book she purchased. Serena had gotten new jewelry and had to show all of it to Darien.
"And my bracelet. Aren't the bunny charms adorable?"
"Yes, Serena, they are very cute." Darien had to smile at her eagerness. Although she could be a ditz at times, he loved her all the same. "Let's all go to the park. There is a free concert that's going to be held and you all can show off your new clothes," suggested Darien.
With six excited nods, the girls rushed to get ready and put on their new clothes. They were ready in 10 minutes (a record for females everywhere) and the group left Raye's temple. The two cats followed close on their heels.
When they arrived at the park, they were greeted with terrified screams and people running for their lives. A youma that resembled a large lizard towered above its victims. Around the green demon's neck was a black gem attached to a gold chain. The Scouts exchanged a look while Jennifer gaped at it.
"Jennifer, call the police and we'll go for help," Darien said. He needed her to leave so they could transform. With a nod, the redhead rushed to the nearest phone.
Luna shouted to the remaining teens, "Transform!"
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
"VENUS STAR POWER!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
Within a few moments, the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask stood in the place of the group. The youma noticed them and let out a terrifying roar. Sailor Moon went through her regular motions and speech.
"Hey, lizard-breath! You are ruining these people's concert and preventing me from showing off my new clothes. In the name of the Moon, we will punish you."
"I don't think so, Moon-brat. Not when I have this." As it said this, the youma launch the dark crystal in the direction of the Scouts. The crystal let out a powerful burst of energy and knocked all the Scouts off their feet. As they tried to pick themselves off the ground, the youma let out another blast. The second blast was more powerful than the first and the Scouts were thrown even further. They didn't have the energy to get back up.
"Heh. Heh. This was too easy. I can't believe that's all it took for them to be defeated." Jedite transported down beside the youma. "Good work, my minion."
"NOOOOOOOO!"
Jennifer, who had seen the Scouts a few times since she arrived in Tokyo, couldn't believe the Scouts were defeated. She rushed over to Sailor Moon's side and tried to rouse her. The youma, thoroughly annoyed by this pathetic human, stalked toward her.
"Jennifer, Look behind you!"
Jennifer had no time to be surprised by a talking cat because at that instant, the lizard-monster grabbed her by the throat and started to strangle the life out of her. Suddenly, a black mark appeared on Jennifer's face. A four-pointed star glowed in the middle of her forehead. Luna and Artemis gasped.
"She's a Sailor Scout!" exclaimed Luna.
Both cats went into action. Artemis jumped onto the lizard's face and scratched at it eyes while Luna climbed to it's arm and bite down hard. The youma screamed in pain and dropped an oxygen-deprived Jennifer onto the ground. Luna quickly jumped and produced and black and silver transformation wand. It fell into her hand and she looked at it curiously. Luna quickly explained, "Jennifer, you need to raise that wand above your head and yell 'Midnight Star Power'. This wand will transforms you into a Sailor Scout, but you need to hurry!"
Jennifer looked up and saw the youma trying to get Artemis off of his face. He finally grabbed the feline and through him out of the way. The monster once again started to move towards her. Well this day can't get much stranger, and if it means I can fight ugly over there, I guess this whole thing is worth a shot.
Here goes nothing: "MIDNIGHT STAR POWER!!"
A series of lights and magic surround a shocked Jennifer. Two rings formed around her that ascended her body from her feet to the top of her head. The two rings solidified and she was left holding two sharp chakrams. She glanced down and was surprised to find herself in a sailor fuku much like the other Scouts. The suit was white while the skirt and collar was black. The bows that decorated her outfit were silver and the whole outfit was completed with a pair of black pumps.
The lizard monster didn't seem too impressed and headed toward the girl again. This time Jennifer was ready for him. She threw both of her chakrams at the creature with pinpoint accuracy. The chakrams were extremely sharp and cut through the chain of the dark crystal like it was nothing. The dark crystal fell to the ground and shattered on impact. The monster screamed in pain and disbelief. He was so close. Jennifer caught the chakrams and attached them to her fuku. She then began an attack to finish the monster off.
"MIDNIGHT FALLING STAR CRASH!!"
A silver star formed above the monster's head. It then started to descend at a rapid rate, aimed directly at the creature. The attack struck the youma head on and the creature was instantly turned to moondust. Jedite was stunned. He was defeated. Things were going so well. But what made it even more unbearable was the fact that SHE beat him. He recognized the girl as soon as she transformed. He had hoped to never she her again. With a disgusted sound, the evil general disappeared in a flash of light.
"Good job, Sailor Midnight."
"Yeah, you really show him who's the boss." Both cats were congratulating Jennifer at the same time. Everything happened so fast that it made her head spin. She then remembered that the other Scouts were down. She quickly made her way toward the girls. To her relief, the girls seemed to be fine, just a little shaky. Sailor Jupiter was slowly getting up and helping Sailor Venus to do the same. Sailor Mercury was scanning the surroundings for any more uglies and Sailor Mars was nursing a sprained ankle. Darien had made his way over to Sailor Moon and they were making sure the other was alright.
"Hey, are you guys alright? That looked like a pretty nasty blast." Jennifer was unsure of how to act towards the Scouts. She was one of them, but she knew nothing about them.
"Yeah. It takes more than a little blast like that to take us out," piped Sailor Moon. Sailor Mars, biting back a snide reply, asked Jennifer, "Are you a new Scout?"
Jennifer was about to answer when the sound of sirens filled the air. Luna gave them all a look and they nodded back. All of them knew that they couldn't let the authorities see them. Sailor Midnight and Sailor Jupiter helped Sailor Mars to her feet and they all melted into an alley.
They all made their way to Raye's temple. Jennifer still couldn't believe that all this was happening to her. The superheroes reversed their transformations and went in to the temple to discuss the latest fight. Helping Raye into a chair, the other girls and Darien gathered around the table were Luna and Artemis sat. Amy was examining Raye's ankle and fixing it up the best she could. The others looked at the two felines for answers. Jennifer was especially confused.
"What's going on here. How can I be a Sailor Scout? I'm not even from Japan." Although she found it puzzling, Jennifer was excited. She was a superhero!
"Well, just because you're from the States doesn't mean you can't be a Scout. When Queen Serenity sent you to Earth, she wasn't picky about where she sent you," started Luna.
"But I thought you guys said that we were the only Scouts. Not that I'm ungrateful for the help, I'm just wondering about where she came from." Lita looked at the two felines for an answer.
This time Artemis spoke up, "There were dozens of Scouts in the Moon Kingdom. Luna and I were not sure who was reborn and who wasn't. You five," indicating the original Scouts, "are part of the Inner Senshi. You were the Scouts nearest the Queen and the Princess. Sailor Midnight," Artemis now looked over at Jennifer, "was more of a loner. She hung out with Sailor Pluto a lot and had to guard space all over the galaxy! She was far too busy to stay on the Moon for long periods of time, but she was there occasionally. She was also there at the last battle and died along with the Inner Scouts."
"But why can't I remember any of this? You'd think I remember something like dying and guarding the galaxy." Jennifer's head was hurting from all the information being thrown at her.
"You will recall everything in time. But right now we need to focus on something more important. Jedite was the one behind of this," stated Luna.
Mina looked thoughtfully at the cats, "But how did he escape? I thought he had been destroyed by Queen Beryl."
"Obviously he wasn't. And he seems to be more powerful than before," observed Amy.
"But we still can beat him, no problem. We have another Scout now and can wipe him out easily," exclaimed Serena.
"With the appearance of Sailor Midnight, things may have become more complicated, not easier, Serena," replied Luna.
"Why is that?" Lita was confused. Didn't one more Scout put the odds in their favor?
Artemis sighed and started to explain, "Jedite and the other generals were not always evil. Beryl just brainwashed them into working for her, kinda like what she did to Darien. Before that though, Princess Midnight and Jedite were quite the couple. At one point they were even betrothed."
All the girl's mouths dropped open with this. Jennifer was the most surprised. I was a princess and I was engaged!! This is just too much. Darien just smiled softly. "I remember that. The generals were all really close to me before they were influenced by Beryl. I think I even gave the two love birds my blessing to get married as soon as possible."
"Do you think he still has feelings for Sailor Midnight?" question Mina.
"I don't know. It's hard to say. But the other problem is that he knows Sailor Moon's, Sailor Mercury's, and Sailor Mars' identities. That's how he's been surprising us with his youmas." Luna was very concerned for the girls' safety.
The discussion lasted well into the night. They all agreed that they should stay in pairs and to keep their communicators close, just in case. Jennifer and Lita walked home together that night. When Jennifer finally laid down upon her bed, she found that she was exhausted. Fighting evil must be more tiring than I thought. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind filled with long forgotten memories from her past.
Jennifer was in the middle of a grand ballroom. Everything around her sparkled and the entire place looked like a castle from a fairy tale. Out the large windows, Jennifer could see lovely gardens and beyond that see saw the Earth orbiting in the sky. I must be on the moon. But even this didn't seem strange to Jennifer. Nor the fact that see was dressed in a long, black ball gown surprise her. The gown flowed around her and she was adorned with silver jewelry and crowned with a silver tiara.
People were dancing and conversing all around her. She spied her friends in the crowd dressed just as formal as she was. She saw Lita and Mina dressed in dark green and orange, respectfully, talking to a group of very handsome men who all seemed to very interested in them. Raye, clothed in a sexy red dress, was dancing with a charming prince. Amy, in blue, was chatting with who Jennifer assumed was Queen Serenity herself. Then she saw Serena and Darien. Serena was in a long, white gown, and Darien was in a black tuxedo and they both seemed to be off in their own little world. She thought it was so adorable; they were definitely made for each other.
"My lady."
Jennifer turned to see a young man standing in front of her. He had blond hair and mesmerizing blue eyes and was dressed in an ornate military uniform. She immediately realized that it was Jedite, but made no move to fight him. She instead curtsied low and gave him a dazzling smile.
"General Jedite. It's nice to see you again. I have missed you."
Jedite took her hand and lead her to the dance floor. Music that Jennifer didn't notice before surrounded the young couple as they began to dance. Jennifer was having so much fun just dancing with him, that she was surprised when he said an hour had gone by and asked if she would like a drink. Jennifer accepted and they wandered around the ballroom and found a couple of seats. The young couple talked and laughed for what seemed like hours.
At the end of the night, Jedite walked Jennifer to her room.
"Goodnight, my angel." Angel had become his nickname for Princess Midnight. He said she was too beautiful and kind to be from anywhere but heaven. Jennifer blushed and smiled at his sweet words. He leaned over and kissed her softly and Jennifer inwardly sighed. Everything is perfect.
The atmosphere around Jennifer became blurry and when it cleared, she realized that a few weeks had gone by. The castle, instead of being a peaceful wonderland, was a destroyed wasteland. Jennifer was no longer in her lovely ball gown, but in her Sailor fuku. She saw the other scouts, sans Sailor Moon, and ran to catch up with them. When they reached the front gates, they gasped at what they saw. There was destruction and devastation everywhere. Her attention was drawn to five figures that were in charge of the enemy army (for now she realized that they fighting in a war). Her heart shattered when she recognized the identity of one of the head generals. It was her beloved Jedite. Her mind vaguely remembered that he had been brainwashed by Beryl and the Negaverse and was lost to her forever.
"We have to do something!" exclaimed Sailor Mars.
"I agree. We have to protect the Queen and the Princess," replied Sailor Mercury.
With that, the five girls rushed onto the battlefield. Jennifer and the others were shouting their attacks and destroying many of the enemies' forces, but it didn't seem to be enough. One by one, each of the girls were overwhelmed and killed by youmas from the Dark Kingdom.
But Sailor Midnight kept fighting. She had defeated the monsters in her area and found she had a clear path to Jedite. She drew her chakrams and sprinted toward him. He turned to face her and held up his hand. A ball of dark energy formed in his outstretched hand, which he threw in her direction. Jennifer easily dodged it and continued to advance on him. He drew his sword and smiled wickedly. He lunged at her, but Jennifer deflected his sword. She looked into his eyes and saw no recognition in them, just hate. That small distraction proved to be the end of her. Jedite plunged his sword in the middle of her abdomen. Jennifer stepped back in shock and had a betrayed look upon her face. As her vision started to go black, the last thing she saw was her ex-lover looking coldly down at her. She succumbed to the pain and everything went black.
Jennifer woke up in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. It took her a few moments to realize that she was back in her bed in her apartment. The memories that filled her mind were just too painful and she began to cry. Bitter tears fell from her eyes and onto her pillow as she grieved for the perfect life she was forced out of. She finally cried herself into a troubled sleep.
Jedite was also having a bad night. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his mind off that girl. Off of Sailor Midnight.
Jedite remembered the last time he had seen her. It was the day of the last battle for the Moon Kingdom. He had been fighting and killing many of the Queen's guards until Sailor Midnight confronted him. Although he could not remember ever seeing her before, something about her seemed familiar. He had killed her quickly, but the image that stayed in his mind was her eyes. Her bright blue eyes were filled with pain, and betrayal? Those eyes had haunted him every moment in his damn eternal sleep. Even now, he could see her eyes, boring through him, seeing into his soul.
His face screwed into a scowl of rage. How dare she torment him so! He didn't owe her anything. He found himself punching the wall of the cave in rage. When he stopped, his knuckles were bloody, but she was still there, staring back at him with those eyes.
That's it! He thought, I'm not going to stand for this anymore. She and those blasted Scouts were going to be destroyed even if it killed him.
With a crooked smile, an idea formed in his mind. Sailor Scouts, you will be out of my hair once and for all.
The next morning was a Sunday, so the girls decided to meet at Raye's temple again to discuss Jedite. Amy, Lita, and Mina arrived on time with Serena only being a few minutes late. Jennifer showed up a while later. She didn't look good; she looked tired and had dark circles under her eyes. The girls were worried about her, but Jennifer just waved them away, claiming that she just had a bad night.
"What are we going to do about Jedite?" queried Mina.
"We need to conquer him once and for all." All the girls were surprised by Jennifer's answer. They thought she might be reluctant to fight him. Lita asked her why she wanted him to defeat him so bad.
"I realized last night that I'm still in love with Jedite, but he was lost to me a long time ago. I just want him to find peace."
The girls decided that the best thing would be to give a frontal assault. They assumed that Jedite was in Queen Beryl's old lair. They also concluded that night would be the best time to attack, so they would train until then.
As the girls walked outside to begin, Mina took Jennifer off to the side. Being the Sailor Scout of Love, Mina hated to see her friend so broken-hearted.
"Jennifer, are you sure you're up to this?" Mina's eyes were filled with concern and worry for her friend.
Jennifer was quiet for a few moments before she answered her, "Yeah, Mina. I'm ready. I just wish everything could be perfect again, like back on the Moon."
Mina agreed with her and gave her a supportive smile. Jennifer gave her a small smile back and the two friends went to join the others.
Just before nightfall, the Scouts were as ready as they'd ever be. Their feline mentors had a few more words of wisdom to bestow upon them before they left.
"Remember girls, you can do anything as long as you stay together," said Luna. Although she didn't show it, she was extremely worried for the girls.
"And you girls need to believe in yourselves. You can do this," said Artemis, who always had to put in his two cents.
"Hey! Wait a second!"
All the girls looked at the door to see Darien there, out of breath from running.
"Darien!" Serena ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"You weren't going to leave without me, were you?" Darien smiled at the group.
The girls shouted words of excitement as Darien and Serena came and stood beside them. With six loud yells, the girls and Darien transformed into the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask.
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
"VENUS STAR POWER!"
"MIDNIGHT STAR POWER!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
The girls then formed a circle with Darien standing on the inside.
"Good luck, Sailors!" yelled the felines as the Scouts started to teleport. With a bright flash of light, the superheroes were gone. Luna and Artemis laid down upon the steps of the temple, waiting for the girls and Darien's return.
On the lunar side of the Moon, a flash of light illuminated a small crater for an instant. In its place were seven teenage superheroes. Amy immediately took out her computer and deployed her visor. She was looking for traces of Jedite's whereabouts. The rest of the group stayed close and looked for any signs of danger. Sailor Midnight was especially nervous. What would his reaction be when he saw her again?
"I found something, about 100 meters south of us. It's a large cave and I'm getting strong Negaforce readings from it." Mercury was typing furiously on her computer while she said this.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Mars was impatient to get this mission underway.
The seven teens walked toward the now visible cave. Each was both anxious and nervous about the upcoming confrontation. The air seemed to get colder with every step they took. The cave itself emitted a strong evil aurora that penetrated the surrounding area.
When they finally reached the mouth of the cave, they stopped to prepare themselves. The Scouts exchanged a nervous look, while Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask held each other close. Sailor Midnight just stared into the dark cave.
They walked through the cavern slowly. The entire place was covered with stalactites and stalagmites. The walls and floors were covered with a sheet of ice and interior of the cave was extremely cold, way below freezing. Nevertheless, the Scouts forged ahead.
They entered a chamber with high ceilings and that was even colder that the rest of the cave. In the center of the room, stood Jedite. He was looking down, but he seemed different, more evil. He was wearing his traditional blue trousers and tunic, but around his neck was a dark crystal. The Scouts were shocked. Where had he found another dark crystal?
His head slowly rose and he gazed upon the Scouts. His normal blue eyes had been changed to solid black, giving him an eerie look.
"Welcome Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask. You have ruined my plans for the last time. Prepare to meet your doom!"
With this, he fired a large ball of dark energy toward the group. They all dodged it, but the impact of it upon the cavern's wall caused the entire structure to shake and they had a difficult time keeping their balance.
"VENUS…LOVE…CHAIN…ENCIRCLE!!"
The beam of hearts flew toward Jedite with lightning speed. They hit him straight on, but they had no effect. He didn't even register the hit.
"Pathetic." Jedite launched another energy blast toward Sailor Venus, who although moved out of the way, was hit in the side. The force of the blast sent her sprawling on the cavern floor. Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter looked at each other and agreed silently. It was time for a double team.
"JUPITER…THUNDERCLAP…"
"MARS…CELESTIAL…FIRE…"
"ZAP!!!"
"SURROUND!!!"
The attacks surrounded Jedite with raging fire and dancing lightning. When the attacks cleared, he still stood, totally unscathed. Sailor Moon decided to try her own attack.
"MOON…SCEPTER…ELIMINATION!!!"
Her attack, like all the others just bounced off of Jedite and only succeeded in enraging Jedite more. Sailor Mercury knew that the girls needed to regroup so she decided to launch an attack of her own.
"MERCURY…BUBBLES…BLAST!!!"
The entire cave was filled with a blue foggy mist. The Scouts found each other and whispered quietly while Jedite screamed in rage.
"What can we do now?" asked Sailor Venus. She was holding her side but otherwise seemed fine.
"We need to get that crystal from around his neck before we do anything else. Everything we throw at him is just absorbed by that crystal," stated Amy. "We then can combine our strength to destroy him."
"I can get the crystal off," Sailor Midnight said determinedly. While she said this, she removed her chakrams from her fuku. "Just distract him for two seconds and I'll get it off." The look in her eyes told the other Scouts that she would not fail.
"I can provide the distraction while you," Tuxedo Mask started, pointing to the five Inner Scouts, "get ready to blast him." Everyone agreed and split up. The fog was now lessening and Jedite found that the Scouts had disappeared.
"Come out and fight me, Sailor brats!"
"I'll fight you, Jedite." With this, Tuxedo Mask leaped out from behind a rock formation. He drew his cane and lunged toward Jedite. Jedite blocked him and attacked him. While the two were fighting, Sailor Midnight stepped out from her hiding place. She took aim and threw both of her chakrams. They flew toward the walls of the cave, bounced off, and headed straight toward Jedite. They hit the dark crystal's chain just as Jedite turned and hurled a ball of energy in her direction. Then, everything seemed to be in slow motion. The chain on the crystal broke and the gem fell and shattered into a million pieces. Moments later, the energy blast connected with Sailor Midnight's body and sent her crashing into a nearby rock formation. Pain exploded throughout her entire body.
Jennifer could hear the Scouts shout her name in concern, but they seemed to be very far away. She knew she had to help her friends, but she couldn't get her body to respond. Tuxedo Mask knelt down beside her and tried to get her to stand up but she was just too tired and in too much pain….
Meanwhile the other Scouts had started their attack on Jedite.
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
"VENUS STAR POWER!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
Five beams of energy combined and headed toward Jedite. The pure energy struck him and he grunted in pain. His seemed to weaken, but it wasn't going to be enough. The Scouts knew that they couldn't keep this up much longer and Jedite was bound to try something soon. They needed help!
Sailor Midnight distantly heard Tuxedo Mask say something to her. It took a lot of energy to focus on what he was saying, but she was able to make it out.
"They need you. You can't give up. Come on, Sailor Midnight." Tuxedo Mask was practically begging her at this point.
Sailor Midnight closed her eyes for a moment, and when she reopened them, they were clearer and stronger. With Tuxedo Mask's help, she stood and added her power to the other Scouts.
"MIDNIGHT STAR POWER!!"
The sixth beam of energy intertwined with the others and strengthened the pure, white energy that was being forced upon Jedite. He screamed in pain as it overtook and overwhelmed him. The Sailor Scouts stopped their attack and Jedite collapsed to the ground. It was all over! Jedite had been destroyed!
The Scouts gave each other high fives and Tuxedo Mask made his way over to Sailor Moon. They embraced each other and refused to let go. Sailor Midnight, although very weak, was regaining strength rapidly and could not take her eyes off of Jedite's body.
"Hey Sailor Midnight ready to go?" Sailor Mars called over to her. She glanced over and saw that the others were ready to leave this awful place.
"Give me one moment, okay? I'll be right there." The other Scouts were about to protest, but Sailor Venus shushed them with a wave of her hand and gave Sailor Midnight a knowing smile.
Sailor Midnight knelt down beside the body of her beloved. Although she knew she should be happy that he was at peace and would never be evil again, she couldn't help but cry. At least when he was alive there was hope. She didn't know how long she just sat there, grieving, but she knew she had to move on. She leaned over a tenderly kissed him for the last time, her tears finally drying. She moved to get up, but a motion out of the corner of her eye froze her in her tracks. Did he just twitch? There it was again.
The other Sailors noticed and tensed up, ready for another fight. Sailor Midnight just sat there, waiting. Then Jedite opened his eyes. They were brilliantly blue, but very confused. He looked around as if seeing everything for the first time. Then he focused on Sailor Midnight.
"Angel?"
With that one word, Sailor Midnight knew that her beloved was back. She was overcome with emotion and started crying again. The other Scouts made sounds of disbelief behind her, but she wasn't listening. Jedite noticed Sailor Midnight's tears and reached a hand up and brushed them off.
"Don't cry, Princess. Angels shouldn't cry."
This only made her cry more and when she helped him sit up, she embraced him and buried her face in his tunic. He just stroked her hair and murmured confronting words to her. His eyes caught Tuxedo Mask's gaze and asked, "What's going on? How did I get here?"
The Scouts exchanged a look. They all began to talk at once. "Let's get back home, and we'll explain everything," interrupted Sailor Mercury, quieting the other Scouts. Tuxedo Mask helped Jedite to his feet and the Sailor Senshi once again formed a ring and prepared to leave. They teleported with a loud cry, never to see that cursed cave again.
The Scout's and their two companions found themselves back at Raye's temple. Luna and Artemis sprang up when they saw Jedite but with a look from Sailor Moon, didn't ask any questions or attack. Tuxedo Mask helped Jedite to a small room in the back of the temple and the superheroes reverted back to their normal clothes. Jennifer went straight to Jedite's side and started to fuse over some of his wounds. Once she was finished, Jedite repeated his question:
"What's going on here?"
"We were wondering the same thing," said Luna, both her and Artemis glaring at the Scouts, waiting for an answer.
Amy retold the last confrontation with Jedite and his miraculous change to the felines, while the others told Jedite what Beryl had done to him. When both stories were done, Jedite became very quite. He was in shock. How could I do that to my Angel and the other Scouts?
"Jedite, don't worry about it. We know that it wasn't your fault," stated Amy.
"Yeah, that nasty old Queen even had me for a little while, these girls took me back anyway," Darien smiled at him understandingly. All the girls nodded in agreement.
"But what am I going to do? I'm not even from this planet." Jedite was concerned about his future.
"Jedite," he looked down at Jennifer, "the Scouts have already helped other reformed aliens settle in to life in Tokyo, and they weren't from this planet. And you have to remember, I'll always be there to help you." He smiled at her and gave her a gentle squeeze. The group started to talk about other things and plan Jedite's future. Jennifer nestled next to Jedite and couldn't help thinking about how her life had changed. She used to be a nobody from the United States with nothing important in her life. Now, she lived in one of the busiest, most exciting cities in Japan, she was a superhero, and she had found her true love. Now, everything is perfect.