Trista lowered herself into the chair in front of her daughter. The girl was seventeen with hair just like her mother's only styled just in a bun. Two long strand-like things hung in front of her face and her really dark red eyes looked somehow bored all the time. "Erin, I know you don't want to switch schools, but it's for the best. CTU is for the elite teens of Crystal Tokyo and you are most definitely one of the elite." Erin crossed her arms huffily and glared at her mother. "What if I don't want to be one of the elite?" Trista sighed, already exasperated. "Don't do this, Erin. My life just took a nose dive into the core of the Earth and I need some time to think." Erin stood up, an outraged look on her face. "So this is all about you, then? Send me, your only child, away to some stupid university so you can think? Fine! I'll go! But don't ever expect to talk to me again!" She stomped out of the room and a door slammed somewhere down the hall. Trista buried her face in her hands. "Why is she so complicated?"
Damien stared at the viewing orb in which the scene in which the Neo-Team defeated Aria and rid her of evil. He had played it over and over again for hours with the Black Scouts looking on. They were worried he had lost it completely until he spoke in a quiet voice. "Ladies, I must inform you that your leader's choice to leave does not give you any special power over me. I am and always was the leader of you four and you will continue to be my slaves." They all bowed and nodded. His thin lips twisted themselves into a very ugly smile. "I wish that the four of you would go to the Gates of Time to visit an old friend of mine. She has something we'll need." Again, the four bowing 'slaves' nodded and disappeared in flickers of light. Damien returned his gaze to the viewing orb, which now held an image of Sailor Pluto glumly guarding the Time Gates. "You're days of guarding those miserable gates will soon be over, Daughter of Chronos." He snickered and then full out laughed, the echoes chasing the shadows into the corners of the dimension.
Erin tossed her bag next to her newly claimed bed. A quick glance around the room roved her fears. These girls had had two and a half months to adjust to CTU life and they probably wouldn't take too kindly to a newcomer. A picture to her left caught her scrutinizing eye. It was of a young, aqua haired girl sitting between a bleach blond boy and an emerald haired little girl. Erin smiled. The little green haired girl was her. "At least I'll have one automatic friend here." Her eyes gained a far away glaze as she remembered all the fun times she had had with those two. A bell rang from somewhere in the school and the sound of many feet roared through the open door. Erin jumped and prepared to meet the girls that also lived in this dorm. "No way! Rini, he's totally the hottest guy in school! Why'd you say no?" An almost outraged, perky voice cried from somewhere down the hall. Judging from the echoey nature, she was still some distance away. "Shhhh! Lea! Geez, you're loud!" This voice was male and equally loud. This was followed by a screech and the sound of running. A guy with black hair that was spiked up with red tips and deep violet eyes slid into the room. Erin stayed silent as he dove under her bed. The perky sounding blond ran through the doorway next, her blond hair pulled into a half ponytail with an orange bow. Her blue-gray eyes full of fury. "Zach! I know you're in here! Come out before I take steps." Erin choked back her laughter as a pink haired girl with an oddly familiar hairstyle, a tall blond guy, a girl with pale blue hair, and another girl with brown hair all rushed into the room, getting slightly stuck in the door. The blond girl spun on her heels and glared. "Help me find him! Ooohhh! He is SO gonna pay!" The pink haired girl managed to squeeze out of the doorframe. She sighed and patted the blond on the back. "Lea, don't be so hard on the guy. He's like his mother, always nit picking and starting fights." A muffled reply was shot back by the guy under Erin's bed. "She did not! It was all that stupid meatball headed blonde's fault!" He crawled back out from under the bed, wiping imaginary dust from his red jacket. Now the pink haired girl joined in Lea's rampage. They shouted in unison, "Are you mocking blondes?" "Are you saying my mom was stupid?"
After Lea and the one with pink hair got their share of smacks in on Zach, the two guys waved and left for their dorm. Lea and the pinked haired one were still fuming and ranted for a long time. Eventually, everything calmed down enough for the girl with pale blue hair to notice Erin, who was watching all from a corner she had found in all the confusion. "Oh! Forgive us! I am Marina Mizuno, pleased to meet you." The geeky looking girl bowed formally to Erin, who nodded and flashed a 'V For Victory!' sign at her. "Sup? I'm Erin Meioh! How's it hangin'?" Erin silently praised herself for learning the common street slang from some of the guys at her old school. Ruffling the well-groomed hair of these preps would be easy with the slang she'd learned. Marina blinked, fazed. The brunette that had casually sat back during the fighting, stood and meandered over. "I'm Kylie, the top fighter here at CTU." She grinned proudly. Erin just nodded again, taking everything into account. She would worm her way into these girls' hearts and minds until she had enough to blackmail them and, hopefully, get her kicked out. Lea and the pink haired girl hurried over, too. Lea squealed. "YAY! A new girl! I've gotten soooooo bored with these old faces everyday for the past two months." The pink haired girl gave the blonde a sharp elbow to the side. "That's nice! Hi, I'm Rini. We've met though, I think." Erin looked into Rini's eyes and recognized that garnet red glow. 'Makes sense she'd be here, of all the stupid schools in Tokyo.' She smiled slightly. "Yes, our mothers are close, I believe. I know why we've never really gotten to talk though." Rini blinked, it was her turn to be fazed. Erin decided to leave it at that and waved to the group of girls. "See ya later, girlies!" She swung her bag onto her shoulder and waltzed out the door, leaving her new roommates staring blankly after her.
Erin snickered as she walked down the hall. Her schedule said this was her free time so she was going to scope the school. Massive as it was, the place was simple to figure out. Being an oblong almost oval shape, all the corridors looped back to the main hallway that ran straight through the whole thing. It would've been confusing for anyone but Erin. She was good at figuring out puzzles and stuff like that. Her mom claimed it ran in the family, but she had a hard time believing that, seeing as her mother was a fashion designer. Erin readjusted her bag from one shoulder to the other and she studied the intricate workings that were in scripted in the walls. They were in some ancient language that she couldn't understand, but she felt like she should. Stopping by an alcove that overlooked the outdoor pool, Erin leaned close to the wall so she could try to read some of the writing. She traced one of the more intricate symbols and heard a faint whispering sound around her. She whirled around to see another door behind. "That wasn't there before." Erin uttered as she checked both ways down the hall, making sure no one was watching. She cleared her throat and opened the door slowly. She gasped at what she saw. The room was full of black crystal structures protruding from every surface except one. A dark wooden desk with a computer and other office supplies sat at the very center of the room. "Yes, of course brother!" A voice echoed from somewhere deep in the shadows. Erin jumped, recognizing the voice to belong to Ms. Hawkins. "I am fully aware that they are all students here, brother, but it will look very strange if they all disappear at once." The teacher's voice hissed again followed by a short pause and the sound of breaking glass, or maybe crystal? Erin swallowed her fear because the tickling thought that something wasn't right here nagged at her mind. She stared into the shadows from which the talking had come from, hoping to see something there. Suddenly Ms. Hawkins came storming towards her, an angry beyond compare look on her face. She was dressed in a sailor suit but where there would normally be white there was black. The bows were deep, dark blue and the skirt and collar were deep purple. Her boots reached up to her thighs and were shiny black. The brooch was the symbol of Darkstar (a black circle with dark blue and purple flames sticking out of it). A silver tiara with the same symbol adorned her forehead. She froze when she saw Erin, shock and disbelief etched across her face. " How did you get in here?" She asked the frozen in place teen. Erin shook her head. "I touched the wall and this door appeared and I went in thinking it was my next class and…." Ms. Hawkins held up a hand to shut her up. "I see. Well, I'll just have to keep you here until I figure out what to do about this." She flicked her hand at Erin and a black crystal cage formed around her. "There! That should do! Ta ta!" The sailor suit shimmered to be replaced by her usual teacher clothes. Erin gripped the black crystal bars. "Wait!" She cried just as the woman walked through the door. Slumping against the bars, Erin groaned. "Curiosity killed the cat…." Her voice echoed out into the darkness.
Erin had long since given up her ceaseless pounding on the bars of the cage. That had earned her deep cuts and tons of bruises on her hands. She glanced at her watch and groaned. She was late to her class. Its not that she wanted to make a good impression or anything, she just didn't want to have to deal with getting in trouble right then and there. The room was growing darker and colder as time wore on and she shivered in the not-so-warm CTU uniform. Glancing out of the bars in what she thought was the direction of the door, Erin mumbled, "Great first day. I'm eternally happy that my loving mother sent me here." She slumped down again and curled her body into a ball. Closing her eyes, she silently wished she was back in her room at home. "It is a shame to see such beauty locked up like this." Erin jumped and sat up at the sound of the decisively male voice. A figure in a white tuxedo, mask, and top hat stepped into the her line of vision. He held a gold sword in one hand and the other hand was holding a white rose. The rose disappeared in a shimmer of gold energy. "Who are you?" Asked Erin as she stood. The man merely smiled. "I am an angel sent by the Golden Princess to save those in need." She blinked, his explanation only further confusing her. He held his empty hand up to his forehead and a diamond shaped golden symbol flared into life. The sword glowed in response. The man then used the glowing sword to slice through the bars with relative ease. Erin shielded her head from the black crystal shards that were flying everywhere. The man apologized. "I am truly sorry for the mess. I must go now." He did a backflip and in a swirl of white feathers was gone. Erin silenced the million questions on her mind. "Thanks, I guess." She whispered moodily. Picking up her forgotten bag, she headed quickly for the door, hoping to make it to her next class unnoticed by Ms. Hawkins or worse.
Erin sighed as the last class of the day was let out. She lazily made her way back to the dormroom, ignoring the stare she got from Ms. Hawkins. Erin was about to enter her room when she heard semi-familiar voices behind her. A girl and a guy were talking about street fighting about three feet behind her. Erin turned and smiled. They were the two other children in the picture she had seen earlier. The aqua haired girl seemed to see and recognize her too. She squinted in the twilight of the hall. "Erin? Erin, is that you?" The guy, CJ, turned and stared. Erin's smile grew wider and she hurried over to them. "Nikki! CJ! Its been so long!" She cried, giving Nikki a hug. Nikki nodded. "Yeah! Way too long!" CJ smiled slightly. "Yo, Erin! How's it rollin' with you?" Erin grinned. "I'm pretty good." The other two teens locked eyes and smiled. "I've got a great idea." Nikki said, rubbing her hands together. CJ laughed evilly. "Yeah! I'll go grab Z and we'll meet you guys back by your room." He jogged down the hall. Nikki watched him for a moment, a bemused expression on her face. Erin was momentarily confused by CJ and Nikki's silent agreement. She then caught a whiff of romance and giggled. "You two an item?" She asked, poking her childhood friend in the ribs. Nikki blushed crimson. "Uh, um, yeah. You can say that." She played with a strand of her hair. "Yeah, we're an item." Erin smirked. And walked passed her, into the room. The other girls were already there. Nikki hurried in and fell into step with Erin. Rini, Lea, Marina, and Kylie all sat in a semi-circle near Rini's bed. They looked up but said nothing as the two girls passed. Nikki rolled her eyes at them and Erin did the same. They laughed at each other's identical responses. Erin tossed her bag on her bed and un-tucked her blouse. Nikki's blouse was already un-tucked ( to the displeasure of the teachers) so she just sat on the edge of Erin's bed. Her friend followed suit. "So, how've ya been since, well, you know." Nikki asked timidly. Erin sighed and pushed one of her bang-strands behind her ear. "I've been alright. Pretty lonely, though, without the rest of my gang." Nikki smiled. "Yeah, me and CJ really missed you. Well, CJ never said anything, but I knew it. We hooked up about a year after you left." Erin nodded slowly. "That's cool."
A moment of uncomfortable silence followed in which the other girls all left except for Tara who was reading at the computer desk. "What's up with those guys?" Erin asked in a tone of contempt. Nikki shook her head in disgust. "They're MAJOR preps so don't bother. They'll only piss you off, if you stayed the same as back then." Her voice held a note of hopeful ness. The emerald haired girl grinned. "Of course I'm the same! Why would I change?" Nikki smiled, relieved. "Yo! Ladies! Lets roll!" CJ stood in the door with Zach, the guy that Lea and Rini had chased into the dormroom earlier. Nikki grabbed Erin's arm excitedly and half-ran to the door. As they walked down the hall, Nikki introduced Erin to Zach. "Oh yeah! Erin, this is Zach, CJ's best friend. Z, this is Erin Tenoh, my best friend." The spiky headed teen grinned his lop sided grin. "So you're the infamous Erin. I've heard way too much about you from Nikki." That received a smack from Nikki, a chuckle from CJ, and a warm smile from Erin. "Nice to know I wasn't forgotten." They all nodded and continued walking. "So where are we going?" Erin asked quietly when they neared the main doors. CJ responded gruffly. "One of my fights. I've got a title to defend and just cuz I'm in this school I have to sneak around." He jammed his hands into his pockets. "I hate sneaks." Zach started explaining street fights to Erin as they left, got in CJ's racing style hover car, and zoomed off to the street match.
Sailor Pluto stared out into the nothing-ness that was the realm that she had to guard. The silence soothed her nerves and her ruffled emotions. Her confrontation with Erin stood clearly in her mind. The anger on Erin's face and her words still stung, bringing a wave of tears to the usually emotionless soldier. Pluto shook her head and pushed the tears away. 'I must be strong.' She thought, hitting the Time Staff to the ground to drown out the sound of her slight whimper. A shimmer of light and a familiar tingling sensation in her head alerted her to the presence of someone else. Four familiar warriors stood before her, all wearing matching angry looks. Sailor Pluto sent an arm of probing energy at them and nodded. They were the Black Scouts, the ones who stole all the other Sailor Soldiers' Crystal Orbs. Pluto had been fortunate enough that she was here and not there when they had attacked. But she had watched the whole thing and then their attacks on the other Neo-Team members. She was quite aware of their powers and knew she couldn't defeat them on her own. Black Venus stepped towards her, a hungry grin on her lips. "So, Sailor Pluto, the Immortal Guardian of Time. You have something Lord Damien wants." Black Mars chimed in. "Yes, a very powerful source of energy, if what we know is true." Black Mercury also threw in her comments. "How very unfortunate for you that this time we followed you here instead of just settling with those other Crystal Orbs." Black Jupiter, crossed her arms. "You're going to resent becoming Sailor Pluto here in a few minutes." The Warrior of Time simply closed her eyes. "If that's your introduction speech, I highly recommend you take some lessons from Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask." The Black Scouts simultaneously glared at her. Pluto didn't wait for them to say anything; she just got into a defensive stance near the Time Gates. Black Venus scoffed at her. "You think that can help you? That silly staff of yours?"
Black Venus Love Chain WHIP!
She unleashed the black chain of hearts and whipped the Time Staff away from Pluto, who gasped. The others took this opportunity to further weaken her.
Black Jupiter Oak Evolution!
Black Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!
Black Mars Flame Sniper!
The most powerful attacks of the Black Scouts ripped towards Pluto at an immeasurable speed. She silently bade farewell to the world she had defended for far too long. Just seconds before the attacks hit her, time froze. Pluto, who was waiting for them to hit, opened her eyes and gasped. Her gasp echoed eerily. "Daughter of Chronos, God of Time, your time to die is not now." A figure wreathed in a urethral purple light stepped towards her. The figure was wearing a flowy lavender garment and her hair was equally flowing and lavender. Her eyes were hidden in the shadow of her hair, or just hidden in shadow. A pair of huge white angel wings grew from her back. Pluto recognized this woman immediately and relaxed. "Angel of Destiny, why do you grace me with your presence now?" The Angel of Destiny held out her hand and the Time Staff flew to her. She handed the staff back to Pluto silently. "Your daughter needs the power of Pluto, Warrior of Time. She will need it to vanquish an enemy that threatens all Life." Pluto gripped the staff and let her tears fall silently. "I cannot curse Erin with this burden! I want her to live normally!" She cried at the angel. "By giving her life you cursed her. By being who and what you are you curse all that come after you in the line of Meioh." The emerald haired warrior shook her head furiously. "No! That's not true! I can stay Sailor Pluto forever!" The silence of the angel's reply held all the answers for her. She couldn't stay Sailor Pluto as long as Erin lived. The power had to be passed on; it was destiny. "You know what you must do," The angel whispered. Pluto nodded firmly and braced herself. The Angel of Destiny produced an orb of lavender energy and she threw it at Pluto's chest. A silent cry of pain etched on her face, Trista Meioh fell to the ground, drained but not dead. The Crystal Orb of Pluto hovered where she once stood. The angel reached for it and disappeared in a shimmer of lavender energy. Trista stood slowly, painfully and watched in horror as time started up again and the attacks hit her full on.
Erin and Nikki slid into their dormroom at somewhere around midnight. All the other girls were already sleeping so they silently changed into their pajamas and got into bed. Erin, for one, was totally exhausted. The fights had been fun to watch and CJ had won all of them. Smiling in her sleep, Erin dreamed of the goofy guy with spiky hair that had made her laugh all night. She dreamed of the sounds of screaming and running. She was running through some dense fog that clung to her oddly. A figure wreathed in lavender light appeared suddenly and held a black orb with an odd maroon symbol at its center out to her. It shot itself into her chest and………BEEP BEEP BEEP-SMACK! Erin hit the alarm clock almost gratefully. That dream was way too wacky for her.
Erin yawned loudly making all the people in her class stare at her. She shrugged at them as Ms. Hawkins droned on about how Tokyo became Crystal Tokyo. Erin knew the story and didn't need to take notes; her mom told her it just about every day of her childhood. Zach, who sat next to her, was leaning back in his chair and dozing. Suddenly, the balance he had maintained disappeared and the chair fell. He woke with a yelp to the amusement of the class. Erin giggled at his dazed look. Ms. Hawkins cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention. When everyone was looking at her, she smiled coldly. "Now everyone, I'm sure my lecture has tired you out, so sleep now." She brought her hand down slowly and all the heads in the classroom bowed slowly, gentle snores emitting from each student. The only two left awake were Erin and Zach. Zach, who was still on the ground rolled away and called the others on his communicator. Something was definitely up. Erin on the other hand, jumped up. "Ms. Hawkins! You're seriously warped, you know?" Her voice shook as the teacher's suit shimmered and became her sailor suit. The woman known as Ms. Hawkins laughed quietly. "Really now, Miss Meioh, don't you think I know that? My brother assigned me to this school to watch some students. They have become quite the threat to his plans." Zach put two and two together and figured that her brother was Darkstar. He jumped up and pointed at the woman. "You! Your evil ways will come to an end! Darkstar's plan has been stopped before by the Neo-Team, defenders of truth and justice!" She scoffed at him, holding out her hand and whipping it upwards. Zach's body flew into the air and dropped suddenly. Erin ran over to see if he was all right, but Ms. Hawkins held her hand out again, stopping Erin's body. "W-what is going on? Who-what are you?" Erin screamed, struggling against the invisible hold on her body. "If you must know I am Sailor Darkstar also known as Lady Tiliana, sister of Lord Damien of Darkstar. I do his bidding and he gives me power. See?" She made her hand into a fist making Erin cry out in pain. It felt like Sailor Darkstar was squeezing her. Zach felt an angry lump rise to his throat. 'I have to transform! But then Erin would know who I am…' He thought, punching the floor out of frustration. He caught sight of his communicator and immediately pressed the one moon shaped button. "Guys! Get over to the Japanese History room! Ms. Hawkins is workin' for Darkstar and she's got Erin! HURRY!" He snapped it shut and jumped up. "You're gonna pay, Sailor Darkstar!"
Mars Crystal Orb POWER!
Erin opened her eyes when she felt a wave of heat. Flames surrounded Zach and then he was wearing a strange suit and wielding two blades. Tiliana growled and threw Erin's helpless body into the wall. "Bring it on, boy!" The evil "teacher" called. The Knight of Mars grinned and rushed at her, daggers glowing red. Erin struggled up to her knees, gasping from the pain. That woman had squeezed her hard! She watched Zach fight the evil minion with surprising vigor. Erin cried out as he was flung against the wall near her. "Zach!" She crawled over to him. "Zach, please! Don't die!" He raised his head long enough to flash her his goofy, lopsided grin. "I won't, k?" Then he passed out. Erin clamped her tear filled eyes shut and stood up slowly, turning towards her foe. The Sailor Solider of Darkstar was standing with her arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently. "Oh please! Don't tell me you liked that goof ball!" Erin's eyes flew open and narrowed angrily. "He was my friend, skank! No one hurts my friends! RAHHHH!" She ran forward, praying silently that her minimal amount of physical training would be enough. Sailor Darkstar easily stopped her rush and grabbed her by the throat. "Tsk, tsk! I'll have to punish you for attempting to hurt a teacher!" She squeezed hard, forcing a pained gasp out of Erin. A silver sword and a gold arrow flew into the scene; hitting Darkstar's hand and making her drop Erin. "Hold it! How many Sailor Scout wannabes are we going to fight?" Sailor Neo-Moon and the other Neo-Scouts stood in the doorway. "We can't tolerate you hurting our team member or an innocent! Prepare to face the wrath of-" Neo-Moon paused and the Neo-Team chimed in, one by one. "Mercury!" "Jupiter!" "Venus!" "And the Moon! We're the Neo-Team!" They all struck their poses. Darkstar merely wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Pu-lease! How corny can you get! Ah well. Take this!" She summoned a blast of crackling dark blue and purple energy, flinging at them. They all dodged and launched a counter attack.
Mercury Bubbles Blast!
A cold, dense fog filled the classroom, severely limiting visibility. Darkstar stood still and tried to sense Neo-Moon's power signature. She figured she could take out the leader and the rest would be easy money. Erin, in the mean time, was shivering near Zach's still body. Suddenly, Neo-Venus and Neo-Mercury were there. Neo-Mercury checked his vital signs and Neo-Venus gripped his hand. "Is he gonna be okay, Neo-Mercury?" The blond asked, her voice frantic. The blue haired soldier nodded. "Yes, his wounds are minor and will heal quickly." A smirk came onto the pale warrior's face. "Since when were you so worried about his well-being?" Neo-Venus blushed and dropped Mars' hand. "Since never!"
Erin watched this with a sinking feeling. Neo-Venus, whoever she really was, liked Zach. She couldn't compete with that kind of beauty. Neo-Mercury turned to her, smirk gone. "Are you alright, Erin? Any serious injuries?" Erin shook her head, ignoring the burning feeling in her throat. "Guys! Help me-AHHH!!!" Neo-Moon's panicked voice forced the soldiers to the thinning patch of fog where Sailor Darkstar was. She had Neo-Moon floating near the ceiling and was slowly squeezing her hands open and closed, eliciting cries from the pink haired girl. "Neo-Moon!" The Knight of the Moon cried.
Silver Saber STRIKE!
The blond man ran towards her, releasing the wave of silver energy from his blade at the last second. The flash seemed to blind Darkstar. "Wha-" She cried as Neo-Jupiter jumped towards her, calling,
Jupiter Thunder STORM!
Lightning rained all around Darkstar, making her drop Neo-Moon who was caught by the Knight of the Moon. Neo-Mercury nodded slowly, calculating what to do next. Too late! Darkstar stood up from where she had fallen during the thunderstorm. "Fools! Have you no idea who you are dealing with?"
Darkstar Crystal Knife!
Oddly enough, no black aura or red eyes preceded this one. Just black knives of energy racing towards the Neo-Team. "Shield!" Cried Neo-Moon as she ran to shield Mars' helpless form. All the beams aimed at the Neo-Team dissipated in their shield, but the only unnoticed one was the one heading for Erin. She saw it and merely stood there. 'So, this is how I go, huh? I always wondered…' Her thoughts melted into a senseless agony as the knife hit her. Her scream came out as almost a laugh. The pain was so releasing, she felt free in the darkness it left in her mind. 'Free…' Her thoughts faded away into the darkness of her mind.
Neo-Moon cringed at Erin's scream. "No way! Erin has a Crystal Orb? What about Trista? I thought she was the eternal Guardian of Time!" The Knight of Venus was clearly confused by this. Neo-Mercury scanned Erin's already paling body. "Strange. No Crystal Orb has formed above her yet." Neo-Venus pointed out. And so it was. There was no Crystal Orb above Erin; just a shimmer of shifting lavender light.
Erin saw the shimmer of the lavender light like a beacon at sea. It formed itself into the figure from her dream. Again, it held out that weird orb, silently. Above her physical body, the Crystal Orb of Pluto formed slowly as she reached for it in her mind. It was black with a maroon symbol of Pluto in it. The wings were black and lined with dark maroon. The shining figure seemed to nod and disappeared quickly. Erin smiled wryly. 'Destiny is a fickle mistress….' Just as her head made contact with the Orb, a maroon transformation stick appeared. Seeing it as she opened her eyes, Erin nodded, grabbing it.
Pluto Crystal Orb Power!
Maroon ribbons that glowed eerily shot out of the orb and surrounded her. They formed her body suit, black bows (long in back), maroon skirt and collar (two black stripes), knee high maroon boots with black tops, black choker with maroon symbol of Pluto, the Crystal Orb became the brooch, and a silver tiara with a maroon symbol of Pluto shimmered into existence. A shimmer of maroon light signified the appearance of the Time Staff (Key, Garnet Rod, whatever!). She grabbed the staff and posed like her mom had.
The Neo-Team looked on in awe at all this. The Knight of the Moon seemed to slightly relax after seeing her transformation. Something Art (NOTE: Art is Rylie's guardian cat now) had told him about the division of the Silver Crystal involved his leading the Outers. Pluto was the first of the Outer planets to appear in the first generation and therefore Rylie now had his own team to lead. Neo-Moon felt a hand on her shoulder when she made as if to run to the new warrior's side. Her brother smiled calmly at her and jogged over to the Pluto warrior.
She was glaring at the female Darkstar coldly, just her like mom would've. "Guardian of Pluto, do you follow the gold or silver moon?" She turned to the handsome warrior of the Moon. Noting the silver medallion he held and seeing the gold one Neo-Moon had produced, she blinked. Her mother's words from a long time ago echoed like drifting smoke through her mind. "-and when the time comes, the Guardian of Time will go to the Silver Light and fight for its cause." Sailor Neo-Pluto nodded curtly. "I follow the Silver Moonlight, pledging to fight for its cause eternally." She kneeled to her new leader. Then she jumped up and whirled on a stunned Darkstar. "You know what? Its people like you who make me angry. Overbearing control freaks with way too much power." Neo-Pluto said this in a quiet, toneless voice. The Knight of the Moon nodded and fixed Sailor Darkstar with a cold glare. "Lady Tiliana, you still can right your wrongs and allow us to heal you." This seemed to clear Darkstar's head and she laughed (more like cackled) loudly. "And betray my own brother? Fat chance, cape boy! Taste Darkstar POWER!" She threw a volley of black energy balls at the two newest warriors. Neo-Pluto spun her staff and the balls disappeared. The Knight of the Moon threw his now glowing sword at the female warrior, pinning her shoulder to the wall. "Now, Neo-Pluto!" He cried back at her. Nodding, Sailor Neo-Pluto focused. The she glared at Darkstar, words forming in her head.
Pluto Chrono Disruption!
A quiet attack phrase and a loud, obviously strong, whirling vortex of space-time continuum. It swirled around her staff until she leveled the staff and sent whirling into Sailor Darkstar's helpless form. Her screams mingled with the whir of the vortex as she was de-aged (so to speak) until she was no more. Neo-Moon and the Inners watched in horror at this ruthless approach. They would've at least let her live and maybe give her a chance to repent. But this was way beyond cruel and was border line evil. The Knight of the Moon flashed an approving smile at his newfound partner. She was a strong warrior and ruthless when dealing with evildoers, like him. The two turned to the gaping Inners and stared back. Neo-Moon called out, "Rylie! Was killing her really necessary? Couldn't we have let her live and give her a second chance?" The knight shook his head. "Sister, you can't give beings of pure evil second chances." Neo-Pluto gripped her staff tightly. "Yes. All evil must be banished to the far reaches of the universe." Neo-Jupiter growled through clenched teeth, "Aria was given a second chance and she was once evil." Rylie glared at the younger warrior. "Aria is not pure evil and she never was!"
Mars had woken up and sensed the crackling tension in the air. He stumbled towards his comrades shakily. "What happened?" Neo-Pluto looked at him longingly and then looked away. "A battle, Mars. A division of forces and a new warrior." The Knight of Venus stated plainly. Mars nodded slowly, seeming not to comprehend. The Moon Knight looked out the window at the sunset. "I have to leave you now. Goodbye, Neo-Pluto! Stay in touch!" He rushed for the nearby window, shattering it and disappearing into the gathering dusk. The Inners detransformed and watched as Neo-Pluto did the same. Erin watched the other students in the room wake up and run out of the room confusedly as the bell rang. She went to gather her books, but was stopped by the group of teens who were the Inner Neo-Team. "Erin! Will you really fight like that again?" Marina asked, a tone of curiosity underlying her panic. Erin closed her eyes with a slight, cold smile. "Yes. I fight to defeat the evils that threaten this world." Lee chimed in. "Even if it means killing?" A nod from the emerald haired girl drew gasps of slight shock from the others. Lea's eyes were teary again. "But Erin! Killing is soooo NOT cool!" Erin's dark red eyes snapped open and glared at the blond. "My style of fighting is none of your concern! I answer only to Prince Rylie, Knight of the Moon!" She grabbed her books and rushed out of the room, past the gaping group. That night was a new moon, a patch of darkness where there would've been the moon. But a lonely looking star glimmered far away from the other moon-stars. It winked down on CTU, who was short a teacher and now housed one more Neo-Team member.
