"Hezaa, your help is greatly appreciated,"said one of the attendants at the animal shelter park.16 year-old Hanagoorino Hezaa smiled sweetly as she continued to brush the fur of a tan rabbit that had recently arrived at the shelter. The attendant smiled and walked away to tend to a mother cat and her kittens.
Hezaa brushed a bit of her shoulder-length sand hair from her eyes and lifted the bunny to her face. "Sweet bunny" she said softly. "You and I are alike. We're both in a strange, new place, aren't we?" Hezaa put the bunny back on the table and started to untangle the long fur on its back. "You are in a new place, full of strange and new things. So am I. I use to live in Kyoto until a few weeks ago, you know. I've come up here to live with my grandparents. My mother and sisters are still in Kyoto. I wonder where you are from. I wonder where your family is." Hezaa looked around. Seeing the coast was clear, she placed a finger on the bunny's forehead. "I hope you don't mind, but I hope I can find your home for you." Hezaa closed her eyes and opened up her telepathic ability to the rabbit. She smiled, closing it back up and picking up the bunny gently. "Your home was the wild," Hezaa pronounced. "You've strayed too far from home and now you've ended up in the big city." Hezaa smiled and put the bunny in her cage. "Maybe I can return you when you aren't sick anymore."
Hezaa turned and began putting the grooming materials away. Suddenly, she gasped, dropping the brush. She felt it, a sudden terror. Then, there was nothing but the screeching of frightened animals. She dashed out of the room and into the next room over. Two attendants were unconscious on the ground. Hezaa leapt over the unconscious bodies and into the next room in search of the disturbance she had felt. She found it in all its dark glory.
It appeared to be human, covered completely in something sleek, black, and shiny. It turned to Hezaa and she gasped. It didn't have any recognizable face! She backed against the wall and held her head as her telepathic and empathic abilities opened against her will. Her head was filled with dark, hate-filled thoughts that pounded at her every moment the monster approached her. She ran blindly, crashing into tables and carts until she hit a wall. She ran along the wall until a heavy hand grabbed her shoulder and threw her into another wall. Hezaa fell hard. She tried to get up, but she found it to be impossible. Her head was pounding too much.
"Finish the job," said a female voice. "There is no keeper here."
Hezaa opened her eyes to see the black creature looming over her. Then, it was hit with a bright beam, causing the monster to explode. Immediately, the pounding stopped and Hezaa's abilities closed. Now able to see clearly, she surveyed the room. She gasped as she saw two sailor senshi standing opposite an orange-haired woman in a grey outfit with orange trim. "Rotten sailor senshi," the woman growled.
"Rotten is what you are," said the blue soldier. "We protect innocents against those who's rotten minds disrupt everyday life. In the name of Mercury–"
"–And in the name of Venus!" continued the orange soldier.
"We'll punish you!" they finished together.
The grey woman chuckled. "Do you think you skirt-clad sailor senshi can defeat a general of the Black Sun Dynasty such as myself?"
"We have no idea what the Black Sun Dynasty is," Sailor Mercury said.
"Nonetheless, we're taking you down!" Sailor Venus yelled. "Venus Crescent Beam!" Venus pointed her index finger at the general as a golden beam shot forth from it. The general deflected it at Hezaa, who rolled away in time.
"Nice trick," the general said. "But you are no match for I am Ahurodite, the head of the Black Sun Dynasty Generals!" Ahurodite extended her arm at Venus and Mercury, palm facing them. Hezaa looked on in shock as she read Ahurodite's mind, seeing what she was going to do.
"No!" Hezaa screamed as she charged into Ahurodite, but it was too late. Ahurodite had done it. Sailor Mercury's intelligent mind was switched with a calico cat that was in her cage, and Venus' mind was switched with a parakeet that was also locked in her cage. That being the case, Sailor Venus' body was flapping its arms, trying to fly while Sailor Mercury's body was trying to hide behind an overturned cart.
Ahurodite shoved Hezaa away, looking rather cross. "How about you become that poodle over there?" Ahurodite shouted as raised her palm to Hezaa. Hezaa felt like, once again, her head was trying to be split open. Then all at once, the room became unbearably cold. Ahurodite shrieked, pulling her hand away as Hezaa's forehead began to glow with the sign of Mercury. Her top earring in her left ear also began to glow. Ice began to grow over Hezaa's entire body, encasing her from toe to head. Then it exploded. She was no longer wearing her blue jumper and red apron. Now, she was wearing a white body suit like that of the sailor senshi. She had a blue skirt and was wearing blue high heels. She had white gloves that went a bit past her elbows and ended with three blue bands. On her front was a pale yellow bow with a round blue brooch at the center that connected to a blue collar with three white stripes. She turned her upper body to see a pale yellow bow with long thin ribbons behind her. "A keeper!" screeched Ahurodite.
"What?" Hezaa said, turning back to Ahurodite in time to have a beam of light driven into her. She was thrown across the room and crashed into a cart full of water bottles. They fell onto the floor, shattering and spilling water all around Hezaa. She placed a hand into a puddle as she tried to get up.
As Ahurodite prepared to send another attack, Hezaa felt something solid forming in her wet hand. She looked to find a glistening dagger forming out of the water of the puddle. Hezaa looked up to see another attack heading her way. She held up the dagger; it took the blunt of the attack. It shattered, but by then something told Hezaa what to do. She stood on shaky legs at the chunks of ice hit the floor and melted instantly.
Raising her hands, she shouted, "Mercury Snow and Ice!" A blizzard of ice and snow manifested itself in the room. Ahurodite shouted something inaudible as she disappeared. The blizzard subsided and Hezaa looked on. Sailor Venus' body stopped flapping its arms and it smiled.
"I'm back in my own body!" Venus said, jumping up and down joyfully. Sailor Mercury emerged from her hiding place, but she wasn't Sailor Mercury anymore. She was dressed in a high school uniform. "Ami? Are you okay?" Venus asked, going to her friend.
"I'm fine," Ami said. She looked at Hezaa somberly. "It seems like the keeper of Mercury has awoken." Venus looked, too. Hezaa looked back. She had never felt more confused in her life.
Two weeks had passed since the keeper of Mercury had awakened, and Mars and Jupiter didn't know anything about her. Poor Hezaa was afraid to join forces with the others. Instead, she acted as if nothing had happened. Of course, the original senshi knew of her existence, but only them. Luna and Artemis didn't know, and neither did Morii or the other guardian, Jakku.
Poor Mars and Jupiter could have used Mercury's help, too. Mars and Jupiter were strong, but Sukotto's refusal to tell Arissa that he was a sailor senshi made things difficult, especially when responding to attacks by Zeusu, Ahurodite, and the new General, Ha-desu, who developed a grudge against Mars after he about busted Ha-desu's eardrums with the new attack, Mars Flaming Euphony.
With or without a new keeper to aid them, Mars and Jupiter still had Venus. Minako became a very good friend to Arissa after revealing herself to be Sailor Venus, though not a keeper. While the attacks came steadily, Sukotto and Arissa managed semi-normal lives. Then, it happened.
Sukotto and Arissa were with the Jazz club, playing in the park one sunny day. Minako went to listen. After the performance, the three hung out at the park. "You two were great with your solos," Minako complemented. Sukotto blushed and Arissa smiled widely.
"Yes we were," Arissa said. "Suko-chan especially. He worked so hard on his solo."
Sukotto blushed at the nickname. He knew that she probably picked it up from Morii at one point or another. "Suko-chan?" Minako said, glancing at Arissa. "Where did this nickname come from?"
"Well," Arissa said, "Himotono-san is really long to say, and the two of us have become really good friends. After all, I'm calling you Mina-chan." Minako giggled. Obviously, she liked it. Their happiness was short-lived as screams erupted from a nearby group of children. "Trouble!" Arissa shouted.
"Suko-chan, go get help!" Minako shouted, winking at Sukotto. Sukotto nodded and ran back down the path they had just come down. Minako and Arissa looked around. Seeing the coast was clear, the two got to transforming. "Venus Star Power!" Minako cried.
"Jupiter Keeper Power!" Arissa cried.
"Make-Up!" the two screamed together.
Sukotto found an empty spot in some woods and stopped running. "All right," he said. "Mars Knight Transform!"
"Not a single one," Ahurodite sighed. "It seems there isn't a keeper here."
"Not looking too hard, are you?" said a voice.
"No!" Ahurodite screeched, turned 180 to look behind her. Standing there were Sailors Venus and Keeper Jupiter. "No, no, no!" Ahurodite screeched, sending a wide beam of light at the two sailors. They jumped in opposite directions, missing the beam and landing gracefully.
"Mars Flaming Euphony!"
"No!" Ahurodite screeched as a flame arose in front of her. The flame began emitting a screech that, in Ahurodite's ears, was ear-burning. To all those who were good of heart, the flame emitting a pleasant sound.
"Great timing, Mars!" Jupiter said, giving Mars the thumbs up. Mars blushed, but Jupiter didn't see. Instead, she was drawing electrical energy from the surrounding air in preparation for her newest attack. As the potpourri bulb that was nestled in the scythe of her staff began to glow, Jupiter shouted, "Jupiter Lightning Foliage!" A fury of flower petals that sparked lightning were sent flying at Ahurodite. The petals all originated from the bulb and struck Ahurodite dead-on. She tried to avoid the rest, and succeeded. With one hand covering an ear, she used her other hand to send many beams at Jupiter. She blocked with her staff, then the fire mysteriously went out. The screech stopped, and Ahurodite sent a glittering beam of light at her true target.
The attack was so fast that Venus didn't have a chance to react. It hit her in the center of her chest and out of her back came a bright ball of light. Ahurodite leapt into the air and landed behind Venus, absorbing the glow that appeared.
"Ha! You sailor senshi will never win! Now that I have Sailor Venus' soul, the keeper shall never awaken and it will be only a matter of time before the rest of you lose your souls as well!" Then, Ahurodite disappeared.
"Minako!" screamed Jupiter. She ran to Venus' side as she returned to being Minako. Mars ran to her side as well. Her body was warm and breathing, and yet there was no life in her eyes. "Oh my God, Minako!" She looked up at Mars and said, "I'll get Minako to the others. Please, I have a friend who went for help. Please find him and somehow, I don't know how, but please give him some excuse in our names."
Mars nodded. "Are you sure you'll manage?" Jupiter nodded, and Mars left.
Elsewhere, a track meet was in progress. As Venus lost her soul, a runner lost her race. She collapsed as Venus did, and panic spread. Though the connection could not be made at the time, a connection there was. As both girls fell, the sign of Venus appeared on the runner. Powers left Venus, and guess where they went; they went with the unconscious female runner to the hospital.