A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I didn't create Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi did. I just created this particular version of the characters. I don't own anything except for original characters, and my storyline.

CHAPTER 1: A BLACK CAT, A BROOCH, AND USAGI

MAY 16, 1986

FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, NEAR THE BORDER WITH PLACENTIA

(SOMEWHERE BETWEEN CRAIG REGIONAL PARK AND TRI CITY PARK)

6:00 AM

Usagi Tsukino was familiar with the dream she was having. A beautiful princess in a white strapless gown, dancing with her prince. Usagi could never see the faces of the prince or princess, but knew that the princess was her. She also knew that the prince and princess were very much in love. However, in this particular dream, the prince began singing "In Between Days". That was unusual in itself, but the real unusual part was the fact he was singing in Robert Smith's took Usagi a few seconds to realize that having someone in her dream singing a Cure song meant her alarm was going off, and it was time to wake up. "Why does 6:00 have to be so damn early in the morning?" Usagi asked herself. "If it were up to me, I'd pass a law moving 6:00 in the morning to noon."

Usagi then went to the linen closet and grabbed a towel and washcloth. She then went in the bathroom, and turned the water on in the shower. As the water heated up, she got undressed, and when it was the right temperature, she got in. The feeling of hot water hitting her bare skin had the desired effect of fully waking her up. After washing and rinsing her body and hair, she turned the water off, grabbed her towel, and dried off. She then wrapped the towel around her body, and went back to her room to get dressed. Once she got to her room, she got dressed, wearing a pink T-shirt(which matched the nail polish on her fingernails), slim fitting stonewashed blue jeans tucked into white slouch socks, a wide tan leather belt worn over the sweater, and white leather high top Reebok sneakers with 2 Velcro straps around each ankle. After she got dressed, she did her hair in her usual hairstyle, 2 small round buns on top of her head, with long ponytails hanging down, a style she referred to as "spaghetti and meatballs".

Once she was dressed, she went downstairs to the kitchen, where Ikuko, her adoptive mother, was making herself a cup of coffee. "Morning, mom," Usagi said, as she grabbed a coffee cup from the cupboard, one emblazoned with "Eat Your Heart Out, Donna Reed" on it. She put 3 spoons of sugar in the cup, and filled it with coffee. She then stirred her coffee, and took a sip.

"Good morning, Usagi," Ikuko said, as Usagi grabbed a couple Eggo waffles from the freezer and toasted them in the toaster. Once they were done, she put them on a plate, spread some creamy peanut butter on them, and topped them with chocolate chips and blueberry syrup.

After Usagi finished her breakfast, she went back upstairs, brushed her teeth, put on a denim jacket, and grabbed her backpack. She left the house through the garage, where she got her bike, a 5 speed Schwinn Beach Cruiser, and rode to school. When she was riding through Tuffree Park, she saw some young boys, which she pegged to be students from Tuffree Junior High, which was right next to the park. As she got close to the boys, she saw that they were mistreating a black cat. "Hey you little twerps, leave that cat alone!" Usagi yelled, as she approached the boys. "Shouldn't you be in school anyways?"

"Up yours, meatball head!" one of the boys said, as he ran towards Tuffree Junior High.

As the boys dispersed, Usagi approached the cat and picked it up. "Those little hoodlums didn't hurt you, did they, kitty?" she asked, as if the cat could answer her.

"Meow," the cat said, as it pawed at a bandage on its forehead.

"Let me get that for you," Usagi said, removing the bandage, exposing a gold crescent moon on the cat's forehead.

"Meow," the cat said, as it jumped out of Usagi's arms and ran up a nearby tree.

Usagi didn't think anything of it after she got back on her bike and rode to school. El Dorado High School, to be precise. When she got to school, she parked her bike in the bike cage(a fenced in area right next to the parking lot with bike racks), chaining it by the frame to one of the bike racks. As she left the bike cage, she saw her friend Jerry Logue, who had come from the parking lot where he had parked his 1975 Harley-Davidson SS250 (a motorcycle he affectionately referred to as "pasta burner", due to the fact it was manufactured for Harley-Davidson by an Italian company called Aermacci) in the motorcycle parking area. "Hey Jerry," Usagi said. "Got any plans this weekend?"

"They're having the Special Olympics at La Habra High tomorrow," Jerry said. "The bank my mom works at is one of the sponsors, and I'll be volunteering."

"They need any more help?" Usagi asked.

"You volunteering?" Jerry asked.

"If you want me to," Usagi said.

"I'll talk to my mom, ad get back to you tonight," Jerry said, as he and Usagi walked onto the campus. "You think Sammy might want to volunteer, as well?"

"He can't," Usagi said. "His fraternity left this morning, they're going to Tijuana for the weekend, they're going to distribute clothes and shoes they collected."

"Too bad," Jerry said. "I know they'll be willing to do it. Now that I think about it, I thought fraternities were all about partying, drinking beer, and getting laid. I mean, I'd heard of nerd fraternities, like Lambda Lambda Lambda in Revenge of the Nerds, but even they had the occasional party. I never even knew there were Born-Again Christian fraternities."

"Neither did Sammy," Usagi said. "But I'm glad he found one. To be honest, he was afraid of joining one, mainly because of the image of partying, getting wasted, and non-stop he became a Christian a couple years ago, we thought the extent of his Christianity would be going to church on Sunday and occasionally reading a couple Bible verses. But since he became a Christian, he not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. He volunteers at St. Olaf's Dining Hall on weekends, collects clothes and shoes for the poor in Tijuana, and he definitely would volunteer with the Special Olympics. Anyways, go ahead and give your mom my number, in case she needs to ask me anything."

As Jerry went to his locker, Usagi met up with her friend Molly Baker. "Frozen yogurt after school?" Molly asked.

"It's Friday," Usagi said. "Don't we always get frozen yogurt on Friday after school?"

"Point taken," Molly said, as they went to their lockers.

Once school got out, Usagi and Molly met up at Paradise Frozen Yogurt, which was located in the Pantry shopping center. They had gone there every Friday after school since it had opened the previous August. The girls got their usual orders, Usagi got a medium strawberry yogurt with crumbled brownies, while Molly got a medium chocolate yogurt with Fruity Pebbles. "Got any plans this weekend?" Usagi asked.

"Going to watch the Special Olympics at La Habra High," Molly said. "My cousin Brett has Down syndrome, he's competing in a couple events. You have any plans?"

"Probably volunteering there," Usagi said. "Jerry asked me this morning, the bank where his mom works is a sponsor."

"That's cool," Molly said.

After they finished their yogurt, Usagi rode home, parked her bike, and came in the house through the garage. "I'm home," Usagi said.

"How was school?" Ikuko asked.

"Not too bad," Usagi said. "The usual for a Friday. Test in algebra, spelling test in English. Played volleyball in PE, covered motorcycle safety in driver's ed, watched a video on twins in biology, and in French, we watched The 400 Blows."

"Four Hundred Blows doesn't sound very French to me," Ikuko said.

"That's the English translation of the title," Usagi said. "The original title is Le Quatre Cent Coups, which translates into the four hundred blows. However, the phrase actually means to raise hell, but according to Mademoiselle Vornicel, when it was released in the United States, the distributor wasn't aware of that, so they used a literal translation of the original French title."

"Makes sense to me," Ikuko said. "But what do I know, I'm Japanese. Anyways, I got a phone call a few minutes before you got home, from Sharon Husted."

"Who's she?" Usagi asked.

"Jerry's mom," Ikuko said. "She went back to her maiden name after she divorced his dad. Anyways, she said that Jerry told her you were asking about volunteering with the Special Olympics tomorrow."

"I was about to ask you about that," Usagi said. "You don't have a problem with me volunteering, do you?"

"Not at all," Ikuko said. "Sharon's going to call after she gets home from work, she's going to give you details you need."

"I'll be up in my room until dinner," Usagi said, as she went up to her bedroom. Once she got there, she noticed something was off. She realized her bedroom window was open, even though Usagi hadn't opened it, and none of her family had been in her room. Her older brother was in Tijuana, distributing clothes and shoes with his fraternity, her father was away fulfilling his National Guard obligations, and her mother almost never went into her room when she wasn't home, except to drop off Usagi's laundry, which she hadn't that day. "Now who could have opened the window?" Usagi asked, as she closed it.

"I did," said a voice in the room.

"Who said that?" Usagi asked, as she made her way to her closet, and grabbed her Louisville Slugger. "Whoever it is, I find it only fair to warn you that I have a baseball bat and PMS, and I'm pretty much scared shitless right other words, you try anything, I'm going to turn your fucking head into strawberry jam."

"I said it," said the same voice.

"You better show yourself," Usagi said.

"I'm on the bed," the voice said.

Usagi looked at her bed, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing, however, with the exception of a black cat. "I thought you said you were on the bed," Usagi said. "All I see is a black cat."

"Usagi Naoko Tsukino, did it ever occur to you that I was a cat?" the cat said.

"How's that?" the cat asked.

"You obviously know my name,"Usagi said. "I mean, you even know my middle name. But I don't know yours."

"How rude of me," the cat said. "My name is Luna."

"You mean, like the moon?" Usagi asked. "I couldn't help but notice the crescent moon shaped bald spot on your forehead when I removed that bandage."

"Yes," Luna said. "And I can assume by looking around that your thing with rabbits has something to do with the fact your name is the Japanese word for rabbit."

"Pretty much," Usagi said.

"You don't look Japanese," Luna said. "I mean, you don't see too many Asians in general with blonde hair and blue eyes, and when you do, there's usually a bottle of peroxide and a set of colored contact lenses involved."

"That's because I'm not Japanese," Usagi said. "I was born to the 19 year old widow of a soldier who was killed in Vietnam, she died giving birth to me. When I was only a few months old, I was adopted by Kenji and Ikuko Tsukino. But I have a feeling you aren't here to talk about that."

"I'm here to talk about your destiny," Luna said. "And to give you something."

"What about my destiny?" Usagi asked.

Luna leapt off the bed, doing a backflip. When she did, a gold brooch with a red gem in the center materialized in midair, and landed on Usagi's bed. "Take this," Luna said.

"Ooh, pretty," Usagi said, putting the brooch on. "What does this have to do with my destiny?"

"Repeat after me," Luna said. "Pretty Soldier of the Moon, Make-Up!"

"Might as well do what the nice pussycat says," Usagi said. "Pretty Soldier of the Moon, Make-Up!" When she said that, Usagi went through a transformation. The pink T-shirt, jeans, socks, and sneakers she was wearing transformed into a tight fitting long sleeved white shirt with blue sailor collar, white fingerless gloves, blue tights tucked into knee high red boots, gold wristbands, blue choker, and red neckerchief with the brooch used as a clasp. She was also wearing a gold tiara with a silver crescent moon on it, and small gold hoop earrings, and her fingernails were now painted red. "I look like something out of a comic book," Usagi said.

"Of course you do," Luna said. "Seeing that your destiny is to be a superhero."

"A superhero?" Usagi asked. "Me?"

"Yes," Luna said.

"Are you sure?" Usagi asked. "Are you sure you don't have me mistaken for someone else?"

"I might have been until this morning," Luna said. "When you saved me from those little hoodlums, I knew you were the right person to take on the mantle of Sailor Suited Super Soldier Princess of the Moon. Especially after you removed that bandage from my forehead. With it on, I was unable to speak, or use any of my other powers."

"That name is a real mouthful," Usagi said.

"You think you can come up with something better?" Luna asked.

"I already have," Usagi said.

"What name did you come up with?" Luna asked.

"Sailor Moon," Usagi said. "According to my friend Jerry, it fits the 3 main criteria for the perfect superhero name. It's short, memorable, and fits neatly on a headline."

"I like it," Luna said. "Okay, it's official, from now on, you're Sailor Moon."

"And is there a reason you chose me?" Sailor Moon asked. "And why now?"

"To battle the forces of evil," Luna said. "Speaking of which, I sense something's amiss here in Placentia."

"Don't ask me how," Sailor Moon said, "but I sense it too. And I know where it is, as well. It's over by Cavern Records."

"If I knew where that is," Luna said.

"It's a couple doors down from Paradise Frozen Yogurt," Sailor Moon said.

"That doesn't help me much," Luna said.

"Pantry shopping center," Usagi said. "On the corner of Placentia and Bastanchury, across the street from /Sierra Vista Elementary."

"Okay, that does help somewhat," Luna said.

"So how do we get there?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Just think about it, and teleport there," Luna said.

"How come I have a feeling that's going to be the only easy thing about being a superhero?"Sailor Moon asked, as she teleported her and Luna to the location where they sensed something amiss.

When Sailor Moon arrived, she saw a demonic looking being, which stood about 7' tall, and appeared to be female. The being was holding a woman in her early 30s by the throat. "Give your energy so that my queen can take over this pathetic planet," the demon said.

"Not on my watch!" Sailor Moon said. "Earth may not be perfect, but it's my home, and I'll be damned if I let this Queen Beryl take it over."

"And who might you be?" the demon asked.

"I'm the Pretty Sailor Suited Soldier of Love and Justice," Sailor Moon said. "I am Sailor Moon, and in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

"Sailor Moon," the demon said. "Never heard of you. But at least now I have a name to carve on your tombstone."

"Only one of us whose name's going on a tombstone is yours," Sailor Moon said. "That is, if you have a name."

"I am Demonia," the demon said. "I live to serve my queen, Queen Beryl."

Sailor Moon took a running start, and launched a flying kick at Demonia. "Sailor Moon Kick!" she said.

The kick grazed Demonia's cheek. She rubbed her cheek, and saw a purple liquid on her hand. "You drew first blood," Demonia said. "For that, you will pay dearly."

"And how will I do that?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Like this," Demonia said, and created multiple duplicates of herself, which rushed Sailor Moon, as if to overwhelm her with sheer force of numbers.

"I think I may have bit off a little more than I can chew," Sailor Moon said, as she began fighting the duplicates of Demonia.

"Is this a private dance, or may I cut in?" a voice asked, as a male figure, a few inches taller than Sailor Moon, and wearing a yellow sleeveless kekogi over a 3/4 length sleeved black hooded T-shirt, black ninja trousers tucked into yellow jika-tabi boots, yellow wristbands, black gloves, black web belt with several pouches, and a black mask that covered his whole head, almost like the type of mask worn by some professional wrestlers.

"Feel free to cut in," Sailor Moon said. "By the looks of things, I'll need all the help I can get."

The male figure had a foot long black stick strapped to his right leg. He removed it from his leg, and twirled it around once. It transformed into something with a flat disc on one end, and a studded ball on the other as a pommel. He pressed a button halfway from one end to the other, and a 75 centimeter long blade of blue light was emitted from the end with the disc. He used the laser sword to cut the duplicates down to size. As he did, Sailor Moon began fighting the duplicates as well. They found that for every duplicate they destroyed, two more took its place. "Looks like we're getting nowhere," the figure said.

"Sailor Moon," Luna said, "say "Moon Tiara Boomerang!" and throw your tiara at the main demon."

"It's worth a try," Sailor Moon said, removing her tiara. "Moon Tiara, Boomerang!" she threw her tiara at the demon, destroying it. Once she did, it was easy pickings for the male figure to destroy the remaining duplicate demons.

"That seems to be an effective attack," the male figure said.

"Seems like it," Sailor Moon said. "By the way, I'm Sailor Moon. And you are...?"

"You can call me Golden Hawk," the figure said, grabbing a couple smoke pellets from one of the pouches on his belt. He tossed them to the ground at his feet, and was surrounded by a plume of gold smoke, which covered his exit.

A few minutes later, Sailor Moon had returned home, and transformed back to Usagi Tsukino. "You did pretty good for your first time," Luna said.

"What are you talking about?" Usagi asked. "If Golden Hawk hadn't shown up when he did, those demons would have eaten me alive. Well, I might have taken some of them with me, but I definitely wouldn't have come out if it as well as I did without him."

"His presence was fortuitous for you, I'll admit," Luna said.

"Tell me about it," Usagi said. "I have a feeling that whoever he is underneath that mask, he's going to make a valuable ally."

"You will have allies," Luna said. "But Golden Hawk isn't one of them."

"What do you mean?" Usagi said. "I'd be 100 pounds of demon chow if it wasn't for him."

"Yes, I admit he may become a valuable ally," Luna said, "but he's not one of the ones I'm looking for. He just happened to show up at the right time."

"My gut's telling me that when the final battle against Queen Beryl happens," Usagi said, "Golden Hawk will be the key to victory."

"He very well might be," Luna said. "I doubt he shares your mission, though, he just showed up just when you needed an ally. And I do share your feeling that his involvement may as well turn the tide of battle in your favor."

"If I only knew who he is under that mask," Usagi said. "But I have a feeling that's a story for another day."

À SUIVRE..