Sailor Moon Aeons.
Book 2: Rebirth.
Act 6: Queen of Darkness.
Episode 91: Under new management.

By Razor Knight
Last update: April 29, 2015
Last edited: June 11, 2017

ChibiUsa looked at the large crystal building, the Crystal Palace. She was back, though a part of her still wished she could go back to the past.

"Welcome back, Princess."

ChibiUsa turned around as she recognized that voice. "Hotaru!" She run to her and hugged her, giving her a deep kiss.

Hotaru smiled at her. "You act like you haven't seen me in centuries."

"I just wanted to make sure I kept that promise."

The pale girl giggled. "I remember that. That promise made the wait easier for me."

"So, did anything break while I was away?"

"No. Still, let's go to the palace, the Queen will be glad to see you."

Diana smiled. "It's good to be back home."

"Home," ChibiUsa repeated. For some reason... While she had been born here, she felt more at home in the past. Still, she knew it was unlikely that she would go back. She looked at Hotaru for a few seconds, then her smile returned. She could get used to staying in this era.

"Hey sis, you okay?"

Usagi smiled at Shingo. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Must be tough on you, huh?"

"You have no idea," Usagi said. Fortunately, evil had apparently taken a month off. It had been almost one month since last time she saw ChibiUsa, so that meant her powers would be back soon. "But at least I know I'll be back to normal."

"If you can call your 'job' normal," Shingo muttered.

Usagi chuckled at that. "Speaking of weird, I've heard some rumors - they say Nova's been seen talking with a boy your age, several times"

"Ugh, I knew you would figure it out. But who the heck saw us, we made sure we weren't seen in public..."

Usagi chuckled again. "Actually, Hana told me. She didn't want me to find out through other means."

"Oh. You're okay with that?"

"I guess falling in love with someone older runs in the family," Usagi said with a smile. "Just don't do anything dumb, okay?"

"I fell in love with a superheroine. It's too late to tell me not to do anything dumb," Shingo said, causing Usagi to chuckle yet again.

"Our plan is working perfectly, brother."

The man looked at the screen, noticing the numbers being displayed were higher than he expected. "It's amusing to think that mother would still be alive if she had been subtle, and not impatient."

"We will avenge her, brother."

"I know. But let's not lose our cool. We've been hiding in plain view for a while now, and it's working. Soon, Goshenite, the Earth will be ours."

Goshenite smiled at her brother, Morganite. "An Earth ruled by youma, as it was always meant to be."

Hana was the only one who had seen action in the month since the 'Gale' attacked. While evil alien groups took a while to show up after the last one was defeated, human criminals were a lot more persistent. Still, it was good that there were days like these, where nothing happened. Well, not exactly 'nothing' but she had yet to find out if what she had sensed was true, so in the meantime she was enjoying her walk through the commercial district.

"Hana?"

She looked back and saw Ami walking to her. "Hi, Ami."

Ami smiled at her. "Great minds think alike, huh?"

"I'm just doing some window shopping."

"Same here," Ami said.

"I would have never thought you-"

"Years ago I wouldn't have cared about my clothes, but... I like giving him something to stare at."

Hana laughed at that. "I know the feeling." Sure, a few years ago she wouldn't have felt comfortable talking about Terry with Ami, but she had moved on. Still, Terry was her closest friend, and Ami had become a very good friend too, surprisingly. "Let's just say I have someone I want to look cute for."

"So Aiko guessed it right, you and Shingo-"

"I've only told Usagi and Mamoru about it," Hana said, "not sure why, though, it's not like the others will find it weird."

Ami looked at Hana for a second before sighing. "There's something I wanted to ask about."

"I'm all ears."

"It's about a thing you said a while back, about how you and Terry had..."

Hana frowned at that. "When did I say- Oh, you mean when Usagi's daughter and Hotaru kissed. You thought I meant Terry and I had already done... 'That.'"

"That's not what you meant?"

"No, I mean we kissed back when we were ten, that's why I didn't find it weird for ChibiUsa and Hotaru to kiss."

"Oh," Ami said, turning an interesting shade of red. "I assumed you meant 'that.' Sorry."

"No harm done," Hana said, then looked to the side and scowled. "Guess I was right."

Ami saw Hana staring at a shop, but it was a computer shop. "What's wrong?"

"I sensed something strange in this area when I first got here, but couldn't sense exactly where it was. I hoped that getting close to it would let me see it. Good thing that guess was right."

Ami looked at the store. It seemed new, and there were three women inside, waiting for customers. This looked way too familiar for her. She summoned her visor and her glove, looking around to make sure nobody saw her before typing a few commands. "That's strange. Those three women are cloaking their energy, but it's there, faint enough to make it hard to see. And my readings tell me they're youma."

"Youma?" Hana frowned at that. "How is that possible? Didn't you destroy their world?"

"We thought we did, but what we did know, was that the link between both dimensions had been severed. Perhaps the survivors found a way to-" Ami sighed as more data appeared in her visor. "Damn it, I hate not seeing the whole picture."

"What's wrong?"

"This store isn't new, I remember some classmates talking about it. It's been around for months."

Hana knew what that could mean. "So, they may have been gathering energy for months?"

"Yes, and the energy they seem to be gathering, it shouldn't be enough for the victims to notice."

"So instead of doing it like a vampire, they're doing it like a mosquito."

"Credit where credit's due, they seem smarter than the old Dark Kingdom."

"Want to call for reinforcements?"

Ami was already calling someone with her comm. "Aiko, I need you to scan the store I'm close to."

"On it," Aiko said, then a few seconds later, she said, "there seems to be some youma in there. Their power is as low as the youma in my records."

"Thanks, we'll take care of this soon."

"Want me to call the others?"

Ami thought about it for a few seconds, and nodded - experience had taught her to never underestimate any enemies. "We'll wait for a few minutes, tell the others to hurry up."

"No need to wait."

Hana saw Usagi walking to them. "Hi, what are you up to?"

"My senses warned me about this place," Usagi said. "It was the closest one, at least."

"The closest?" Ami asked.

"I can sense a dozen of places like this one," the blonde said. They saw a man walk out of the store, and Usagi looked at him. "We should find out what these youma want."

"It's obvious what they want, isn't it?" Hana noted.

"... Perhaps you're right," Ami said, looking at Usagi, "their old leaders are dead and their goddess is gone for good. They may not have a way to take over this world, even if they gather a lot of energy. Perhaps-"

"They may be trying to survive," Usagi said.

Ami sighed. "Let's just transform and-" she looked at Usagi. "Uh, sorry."

Usagi closed her eyes for a few seconds, then shrugged. "Nope, still can't transform. I'll have to play 'innocent bystander' again."

"Perhaps you won't have to," Ami said. "I'll go first, then you can have some fun if you want."

Usagi smiled, she knew what Ami was planning. "Thanks."

The three women inside the shop were in a good mood - the more customers they got, the more energy they could transfer to their leaders. With some luck, customers would keep on coming for a long time. "I think it's time to close the store and go home."

"You should close this store, permanently," a voice said, then the area around them was filled with a cold, thick fog.

"What is going on?" One of the women asked, looking around in confusion.

"Senshi! Let's get out of-"

The other two women heard a grunt, then nothing. "Damn it, you cowards, show yourselves!"

"A youma asking someone to fight fair. That's a new one."

The second youma had been about to teleport out of the place, when she felt something punch through her chest. As she sensed her two allies were gone, the third youma was too scared to even move. Her leaders had told them the Senshi would never detect them, so how- She could see a figure walking to her, in the fog, but she couldn't see who it was. "I don't want to die, not like this, not without having a fighting chance."

"Tell me what your plans are, and I may let you live."

"Plans? Our leaders want to take over this world. That's all there is to know for you."

"Who are your leaders?" the figure said, walking closer to the woman.

The youma gathered the last of her courage and ran straight at the figure, her form shifting into that of a plant-like humanoid monster. "Die, stupid human!"

"Flare."

The youma looked down and realized a good portion of her torso had been blasted away. "Ugh... You cowards..."

Usagi finally walked close enough for the youma to see her. "You know, I was going to let you live, but perhaps there's no hope for your race after all."

"You were... Why?"

Usagi looked at the creature. "I'm not sure what your leaders told you, but we're no murderers. We're just defending our world."

The creature saw the way Usagi was looking at her and snarled weakly. "Don't give me that look. I won't... Take pity from a... Human..."

Usagi sighed as the youma's body vanished. "Damn it..."

Nova walked to her. "Are you okay?"

Usagi looked at the spot where the youma had been. "You may be right, they may all be evil after all."

Mercury was checking the store with her visor. "Usagi, I'm not so sure about that. After all, Nephrite wasn't evil, just following orders."

"These youma were weak," Usagi noted, "it almost makes me feel bad about killing them."

"You said there were dozens of places like this. Can you show me where they are?"

"No, I just see areas where magic is slightly higher than normal. I need to be close to the building they're in to be able to pinpoint them."

"Perhaps Aiko will have more luck there, then," Mercury said. She noticed people gathering around them. "Anyhow, time to leave the area before someone draws the 'wrong' conclussions."

Usagi nodded. "I'll go on ahead."

The base was mostly empty, except for Hotaru and Terry, who were currently training with practice weapons. Usagi saw Hotaru was being rather aggressive, and could guess what was going on. "I see you're having fun."

Hotaru leapt away from Terry and tossed her wooden staff to the side. "It was his idea."

Terry walked to them and smiled. "She was obviously upset, and I knew why. Sometimes fighting is the best way of venting your anger."

Hotaru nodded. "And I never knew just how fast you can be when you stop holding back - at least never saw it myself."

Usagi smiled. "I know it's not the same way you do, but I also miss her."

Hotaru sighed. "I'm pathetic, I told her I wouldn't have a problem waiting, but it's only been one month and-"

"I kind of envy you," Usagi said. "I wouldn't stand being away from Mamoru for one week."

"Perhaps you won't have to wait that long," Terry said.

Hotaru looked at him. "What can I do, sneak into the time tunnel and go visit her?"

"I don't think that's even possible, but no. Remember first time she left? We thought we wouldn't see her again in this era. But then she came back, both to train and because... Well, things happened that were supposed to happen, or so Pluto says."

"You're saying there's a chance she'll come back for training again?" Hotaru said. "Sounds impossible."

"Haven't you heard, nothing is impossible for us," Terry noted, smiling.

Just then, Ami walked in, and looked at the console. "Aiko?"

Aiko appeared next to her. "I'm here."

"I want you to run a scan of the city. Locate any magical signature, no matter how small. If what Usagi sensed was right-"

"It is," Usagi said.

"-then we should get all their draining points before they gather enough energy for their plans."

Aiko nodded. "I'll get to it - though I'm not sure I can detect them if their energy is as low as it was on that shop."

"Give it your best shot, then," Ami said.

Usagi suddenly smiled. "I think I'll help you."

"I know you will, just don't let them see-"

"Moon Cosmic Power!"

Ami sighed. "Oh."

"I thought it would need some life or dead thing for me to get my powers back," Moon explained, "but it was rather anti-climactic, one second I can't use them, the next I feel something in my mind, like some sort of seal broke."

"Well, that's good," Hotaru said, "we may need Sailor Moon around to fight whoever is sending those youma here."

"Perhaps you don't need me to win this one, but better safe than sorry," Moon admitted.

"Scans complete," Aiko said. "I have bad news, and worse news," she added as the map of the city lit up with red dots.

"Well, there goes the weekend," Hotaru muttered.

"It's Monday," Ami noted.

"Yeah. That's my point."

A/N: Those who read Cyber Moon may be confused, but this is what happens when I do a rewrite - not even plot arcs order may stay the same.