Shadow Moon

Dragon Lady

Ch.1 Figure in Shadows

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Sailor Moon, I just like to screw around with their lives. The only characters I own are those that I made up. Got it? Good.

"I don't understand!" Serena cries, staring at the groups of meaningless numbers on her paper.

"It's really quite simple Serena," Ami replies, attempting to explain.

Mina looks up from her own work and sighs. "Don't even bother Ami, Algebra is way out of Serena's league and she just isn't willing to put in enough effort."

"Who says?"

"I hate to agree with them Serena, but you really don't," Lita says from her spot in the corner. "If you would just try harder, you would find that it isn't as hard as you think it is."

"I am trying!" Serena cries, frustrated.

As the fight continues, Rei pauses in her sweeping. Although she has been sweeping the floor for the past half-hour, she seems to have no intention of stopping. The sweeping motions made her more comfortable and helped to calm her. Normally, she would have joined the fight, teasing Serena mercilessly, but her heart just wasn't in it today.

"What's wrong Rei? You look troubled," Luna says, cleaning her velvet black fur.

"Yeah Rei, you've seemed distracted lately," Mina says, turning from the fray. "You've barely said a word all day. Are you sick?"

Rei shrugs. "No, I've just got this weird feeling that something is wrong."

"Have you had any visions lately," Luna asks. The fight has quieted now and all the attention in the room is focused on Rei.

"No, no visions." She pauses, thinking. "But that's the problem. Usually when I have a bad feeling about something, I do have several visions, but lately, I have noticed nothing. It's like a change in the wind without the storm."

Lita turns toward Luna. "Could it be the negaverse again?"

"It can't be," Serena says, annoyed. "The Dark Circus is gone, the dream world is safe, what else can there possibly be. WE JUST GOT DONE FIGHTING! It can't be time for more now, we need a break."

Luna laughs. "Oh Serena, what will we do with you? You should know by now that the negavers doesn't do what we want it to. Still, I hope you are right Serena, I really do. This doesn't look very good."

A young woman with fiery red hair and eyes is sitting by a stone pool, fingering the sharp edge of a long sword. The rest of the area around her is dark and foreboding.

Suddenly, a voice booms, filling up the area. "Pyra!"

"Master," the woman answers with reverence.

"You are needed."

"I see," she replies, urging his to continue.

"It is time to raise the Demon King. You know what I want."

"Of course master." The woman sheaths her sword and steps up to the pool. I hate water, she thinks and with one last deep breath, plunges in.

Rei's eyes snap open, awakening to a strange feeling. Quietly, she tiptoes out of her room and into the yard. The temple lies quiet before her, not even the crickets daring to break the silence.

Closing her eyes, Rei concentrates, trying to pin point where the negative energy is coming from.

Finally, she makes it to the temple steps and gasps; her mind not prepared for the scene before her.

The body of a small girl lies on the steps, her blood surrounding her. Her face, once like that of an angel, is now twisted and unrecognizable.

Swallowing her fear, Rei kneels down beside the body, cover her mouth with her hand. What could have done this to a child? She examines the body more closely. How did she die? I see no knife wounds or bullet holes, nor any bruises on her, so where did all the blood come from? Then it hit her. She realized why the body seemed so strange. No life energy. Whatever did this to her sucked her dry.

"Mom, I'm home!" Serena calls as she steps into the house.

"Good afternoon dear," her mother replies, walking out of the kitchen, a bowl and spatula in her hands. "Would you like something to eat?"

"No thanks, I'm going to Rei's to study in a few minutes. I'll eat there."

"Okay dear, whatever you say."

Serena starts to walk up the stairs when she is stopped by a call from the living room. Sighing, she backtracks and comes to the living room door.

"Serena, I think you should see this," Reni says from the couch.

Luna, who is sitting in front of the TV only stares at the screen.

Serena shrugs and sits down beside Reni, listening to the newscaster on the television.

"A body was found on the steps of the Cherry Hill Temple late last night. A young girl has met her death by unknown means. A name has yet to be released, but we will keep you updated as information comes in."

Luna stands up and after turning off the TV, makes her way toward the door.

"Where are we going Luna?" Reni asks.

"Rei's, where else?"

"I knew those bad feelings of Rei's were bad news," Mina exclaims.

"Obviously, but the important question is, was it the negaverse that to her?" Lita asks.

Ami looks up from her computer, which she has been fiddling with for the past few minutes. "I hate to say this guys, but it's highly probable. The only thing I can think of that would take life energy is the negaverse. Nothing else would have the means."

"But if it's the negaverse, then why wasn't I warned?" Rei says, her voice rising in anger.

"Relax Rei, it's very possible that they blocked you're visions," Ami replies. "We aren't always going to get an early warning and besides, no one's perfect."

"Look who's talking," Serena mumbles and Ami pretends that she didn't hear her.

"Okay, so we've determined that it's the negaverse," Mina says. "The only question now is, what do we do about it? You guys, this is the first time anyone has gotten killed. Whoever it is means serious business."

"Yeah, and we have no idea no how to find them before they strike and we can't just go on alert every time Rei has a bad feeling." Lita shifts uneasily. "I don't like this at all."

"We never really found them before, they've always found us," Ami chimes in, her eyes glued to her computer, "but I noticed that whatever it is, it leaves a very strange energy signature. If whatever it is appears again, I may be able to track it and give us an early warning."

"Yes, but until then, we let someone else die," Serena says, her voice wavering.

Ami just sighs, leaning her head on her hand. "Well, I'm open to suggestions."

The streets of Tokyo are dark as Serena, Reni, and Ami walk home from Rei's. The meeting had lasted much longer than any of them had predicted and for all their effort; they had come up with nothing.

"Don't worry," Reni says, being her usual cheerful self, her pink pigtails flopping up and down as she walks. "You'll think of something."

"Thanks Reni, that confident outlook really helps," Ami says, smiling, "although it does unnerve me that I can't seem to think of anything at all."

"You'll think of something," Serena mumbles, her mouth full of doughnut, which she had gotten at Rei's.

"I hope so, but I…" A loud crash comes from a nearby alley. "Did you two hear that?"

Serena and Reni nod and the three of them run in the direction of the sound.

Once the girls reach the entrance to the alley, they see a spider-like creature with the body of a spider and the head and torso of a woman. Clawed hands grip the throat of a young man, draining his lifer energy. As his life energy leaves him, his body begins to split and cave in, covering him in blood.

"Oh that is so gross, I despise spiders," Serena says. "Ladies…"

"Moon Crystal Power!"

"Moon Prism Power!"

"Mercury Crystal Power!"

The monster drops her prey and turns to her unexpected guests. "And just who are you supposed to be?"

"We are the sailor scouts, defenders of love and justice and you're toast."

"I see. I'm not amused. Why don't you children go on home? I'm nearly finished here and I don't want to have to hurt you."

Mercury moves in front of her. "I won't let you take anyone else you monster! Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury unleashes her attack, but the monster only winces.

"Not bad for a brat, but you really must try harder."

"What the…"

The monster raises a hand and shoots webbing out at Sailor Mercury. Mercury, surprised, is caught and stuck to a wall.

"Sailor Moon, be careful, she's very strong, I can't get out!"

"Let me try! Moon Heart Ace!"

The monster waves off the attack. "A bee sting. Oh well, so long my dear." The monster raiser her hand again, but this time, flames shoot out.

Sailor Moon dodges the attack, more by accident than anything else. "Our attacks, they're not working!"

"That's right dear, you can't dodge for long. Goodbye now." Once again, the monster raises a hand.

"Dark Sword Nega Burst!" A ball of dark light flies toward the monster, hitting her in the back and driving her to the ground.

A winged figure has entered the battlefield, cloaked in shadow. Sailor Moon squints, struggling to see her savior.

The figure nods once and then glances at Sailor Moon's scepter.

"Right," Sailor Moon mutters. "One more time!"

"Moon Heart Ace!" The monster is hit hard and lets out a terrified, heart-wrenching scream, before her body turns to dust.

The bonds holding Sailor Mercury melt away. Exhausted, Mercury sinks to the floor.

"Are you okay Mercury?" Sailor Moon asks.

Mercury nods, but doesn't say anything. She only stares at the place where their shadowy savior disappeared.

After a moment, she stands and looks at the worried faces of her friends. "I think that once again, our enemies have found us."