Sailor Moon Aeons.
Book 2: Rebirth.
Act 8: Hunting Season.
Episode 117: Evil rabbit, good rabbit.

By Razor Knight
Last update: July 15, 2016
Last edited: June 14, 2017

"I'm a bit surprised, you've almost mastered Hakko's crazy skills in four days."

Usagi looked at Terry. "I don't think I did. I've only been returning shots from someone who doesn't move to dodge, and the same could be said about the Alphard move... I haven't even really understood anything above the two-headed version."

"And from a strategical point of view, they're not perfect skills even when mastered," Ami added.

"Huh, how do you know that?" Rei said, surprised.

"I've been watching the recordings - Aiko records our training automatically. Anyhow, Hecate's Touch would be useless against any technique that comes from several sides, or non-magical attacks, and the Alphard needs you to be ready to use it and carefully aim, can be dodged easily, and some of the alien enemies we fight may not even be affected by it."

"That's my girlfriend," Terry mused.

Usagi chuckled. "Okay, I'll go home for a while, you guys don't prepare any surprise party for me while I'm gone."

"It's technically impossible to prepare a surprise party for someone who knows you're preparing it," Aiko said, appearing near them.

"Uh, I guess you're right," Usagi said as she walked into the elevator. "Anyhow, I'll be back in a few hours."

"She really is in a better mood now," Rei noted after the elevator's doors closed.

"Well, she was upset about not being able to help us, and those moves she's been learning could let her do just that."

"True. Anyhow, where is everyone? We can't 'not prepare' a party for Usagi-" Aiko started, then saw most of their friends teleporting in. "-Should have seen that coming."

"You're really going to do it, huh?"

Black Lady turned to Aurite with a smirk. "She's got no magic and all her friends will be elsewhere. It's the perfect chance to strike."

"I know. That's why I asked Onara to prepare a little something for you."

The pink-haired woman took the small, disc-shaped device and examined it. "I would say thanks if I knew what it was."

"He's been working on a way to let us go to Tokyo without being found out. This device should, in theory, stop their 'computer girl' and other mana-users from sensing you, and it will also block psichic detection. It would probably be useless against Moon's skill, but we don't have to worry about that right now. It will also interfere with that communicator Senshi use to call for help. In theory."

"Well then, thanks, 'in theory,'" Black Lady said with a smile. "I was going for a 'run in, shoot, run out' strategy, but with this I may be able to stay for a while. Just in case Usagi's ever-present luck strikes again and she somehow manages to not die in one shot."

"Good luck out there, and try not to die."

"Yeah, dying isn't in my to-do list for this century."

Pluto saw someone walk out of the Time Gates and gasped. It was strange for two reasons. One, because the doors hadn't opened - which meant travel from the future to this era was still possible, and two, because of who the two figures were. She had sensed them, but it was still strange to see them again. "Why are you here?"

"There's no time to explain," the taller of the two figures said, "or rather, I would prefer to explain it only once."

From the girl's body language, Pluto could tell something bad had happened. She suddenly flinched, however. "Two highly unlikely events in one day. Usagi is being attacked."

"Is it the Senshi Hunters?" the second figure asked.

Pluto realized asking them how they knew would be pointless right now. "No, it's someone else, someone I've been aware of but who was not to reveal herself for a long time."

"Could you drop the riddles?" The first figure said. "Sorry, I-"

"I can tell you're in one of the worst moods I've ever seen you in, so I'll grant that request. It's Black Lady."

"But how can she-"

"Onara."

"So, it's a clone?"

"It's as hard to explain as, if I'm guessing right, what you will explain to everyone later on should be," Pluto said, "this is quite annoying, however. The timelines are shifting, and until the ripples are gone, I won't be able to 'see' what's going to happen in this era."

"Wow, so those assholes broke time. That makes me want to kill them even more."

"I see you've become a polite young lady since the last time we met."

"You said it yourself, I'm not really in my best mood. Now if you excuse me, I'll go kick that bitch hard enough to send her back to whichever test tube she leapt out from."

"Overconfidence isn't-" Pluto started, but then the girl let her full power out. "Oh, I see. She won't be expecting you, and she won't be expecting you to be that strong. I guess Usagi's luck hasn't changed."

The girl smiled at that. "I know. Now let me go save my mom and then you can listen to what happened back home."

"Good luck, Princess," Pluto said as the two figures vanished.

"Rex, I'm not sure hunting today is a good idea."

"But she'll be alone, so-"

"She's not alone," Vulture said as the large monitor embedded into one of the walls lit up. "And I bet you can see who she's fighting against."

"But that's... She looks different. Older."

"More powerful, too," Vulture said, then gasped as someone else appeared in the scene they were observing. "What the- Two of them?"

"No, that one is the one we- Oh this is just great."

Jaguar walked in right then, and heard Rex's laughter. "What's so funny?"

"I'm not amused, just shocked," Rex said with a sigh. "Look at the screen."

Jaguar noticed two things almost immediately. One, that there were two different versions of the one person they were hoping not to see again for a while. And two, that the one that looked younger was much more powerful than last time they had seen her. "How in hell-"

"No idea," Vulture said, "it's the first time I hear of a Senshi powering up outside of battle."

"I think I'll delay my next hunt," Rex said, "not in the mood for fighting two Senshi at that level."

Usagi had been walking back home when she saw her. Calmly walking towards her, and smiling evily. But that couldn't be, she had defeated her, how the hell... Still, since she wasn't attacking yet, perhaps she could just ask her about it. "ChibiUsa?"

Black Lady chuckled. "Not quite, Senshi Queen. See, you thought you had destroyed me, but there's someone with the means and the technology to not just find traces of 'me' in that kid's DNA, but to also isolate them before cloning them. In short, I was once a part of your dear ChibiUsa, but I no longer have such handicap."

"... Onara."

"I knew you were smart enough to figure it out. And I'm guessing you're wondering why your communicator isn't working. You think I would come here to try and attack you if I hadn't prepared? You're alone, Usagi. Alone and powerless. By the time your friends figure it out, you'll be dead."

Usagi glared at her foe. "I'm not going to let you kill me that easily."

Black Lady laughed at that. "What can you do, ex-Senshi, bleed to death on me?" She shot an energy blast at Usagi, and she knew it was powerful enough to kill her, she was not taking any chances.

Usagi was trying to not show it, but she was worried. This wasn't like training, she could not miss this or- No, she wasn't going to give up before trying. "Hecate's Touch."

Black Lady saw her own attack coming her way, and was barely able to put up a shield to block it. "How the darkness-"

"Assuming we have no way of fighting back is what killed one too many of our foes before, Black Lady," Usagi said. "Don't bother using magic, I can return anything you throw at me." This wasn't true, of course, but Usagi was hoping Black Lady would buy her bluff.

And so she did. "Damn it, I'll just rip your heart out of your chest, then!"

Usagi saw Black Lady rushing at her, and was quite surprised. She could tell what her foe was going to do each time she tried to hit her, she could easily block or dodge all the punches and kicks. It was like fighting ChibiUsa, really. "Give up, I'm not going to let you kill me."

"Hah! I just need to tire you down, I can use mana to keep me going."

"You know, you may have my DNA, my voice and my hairdo, but you're still just a brat who can't fight."

Both Black Lady and Usagi gasped at that voice. "What the-"

A wide pink energy beam hit Black Lady, knocking her into a building. Usagi looked at the two figures walking to her, and was quite shocked. "ChibiUsa? Is that really you?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you why I'm back later, but right now, I'll deal with that roach."

The villain walked to them, glaring at her 'other self.' Girl, what's with that suit?"

"Oh, you noticed?" ChibiMoon said. "This is a Guardian Senshi suit."

"Hmph, a little upgrade and you feel like you're invincible? I'm strong enough to take on Cosmic Senshi, fool!"

"You should do some research on us. A Guardian Senshi is a hundred times stronger than a Cosmic Senshi. And in case you are too dumb to remember, there's another thing that makes me too tough for you."

"Oh for darkness' sake, you-"

"Earth Guardian Power! Lunar Golem's Fist!"

Usagi cringed as a huge, rocky fist fell from the sky and right at Black Lady. The villain still got up after that, but it was clear her daughter was at a whole different level now. "Amazing."

The evil woman run to ChibiMoon, her fists charged with mana. "Damn it, of all the stupid times you had to choose to come back to fool around in this era, it was today?"

ChibiMoon let Black Lady's punches connect and then stared at her dismissively. "First off, you should know coincidences happen around us a lot, don't blame me for not being ready. And second off," she said as a large, pink energy beam shot from the side, causing the villain to go flying, crashing into an empty warehouse, which collapsed on top of her, "I'm not here to fool around, bitch."

Usagi looked at the warehouse. "Is she dead?"

ChibiMoon phased to the collapsed building, and closed her eyes for a few seconds before nodding. "I didn't sense her teleporting away, and I can't sense her energy anymore. I guess that's one less issue to-" She powered down right then, and fell to her knees as her Senshi suit vanished, leaving her in a pink skirt and blouse. "Damn it, I still can't hold that form for too long."

Diana walked to them. "You could have beat her without your Earth powers."

"I like to show off," ChibiUsa said, then looked at Usagi. "Mom..."

"Wait, why are you both here?"

ChibiUsa stood up and hugged Usagi. "I thought I would be too late, I thought I was going to lose you again. I-"

Diana sighed as ChibiUsa started crying on Usagi's shoulder. "She's been holding that back for a while."

"What happened?" Usagi asked, letting her worry show.

"Well, we-"

ChibiUsa turned to Diana, who fell silent, then looked at Usagi. "Can you get everyone together fast?"

"They should all be at the base, getting ready for the party..."

"Party?" ChibiUsa flinched. "Wait, what day is-"

"It's my birthday."

"That's a weird coincidence," Diana noted.

"Damn, I don't want to ruin your party, but-"

Usagi sighed. "First Black Lady attacks me, and then you show up. Right now, I'm not in the mood for parties."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Usagi noted. "Let's go to the base. I know of one person who will be very glad to see you again."

"So, how is she looking?"

Onara shrugged. "The technical term for her current condition would be FUBAR."

"I guessed that would be the answer the moment I saw the readings on that kid. How can she-"

"Maybe she's been training for a long time, or maybe something happened that caused her to upgrade. In any case, her return will complicate things, and we're lucky the device I made also blocks most means of detecting us phasing Lady back to the base."

"We'll need to keep growing stronger," Aurite said, then looked at the scientist. "Not that such a thing is possible for you."

"There are ways for me to join the battle, should the need arise. But for the time being, we'll have to lay low and wait."

Aiko was surprised to see Pluto appear inside the base. Pluto, not Setsuna, which meant she wasn't here for the social event. "Oh dear. What will you give us first, the bad news or the worse news?"

"You make it sound like I'm a harbringer of doom," Pluto said calmly, "which may or may not be true this time around. An enemy not even I was expecting to show up yet decided to attack Usagi today."

Terry noticed the 'yet' but decided not to comment on it. "So, did you save her? Where is she?"

"No, someone that shouldn't be in this era helped her."

"Someone who shouldn't..." Hotaru looked at Pluto. "No way."

Right then, the elevator's doors opened, and most of the people in the room gasped as they saw the two persons coming out of it along with Usagi. "Uh, hi?" ChibiUsa said.

Hotaru could tell the girl was not in a great mood, but still walked to her and gave her a hug. "I've missed you. And you look older than last time I saw you."

"I didn't plan to come back," ChibiUsa said, "but something happened which forced me to come. Something related to the group you're fighting."

"What the... Are those Senshi Hunters from the future?"

"Yes."

"Wait, did something happen to us?" Usagi asked, finally realizing how it all could connect.

"A lot happened, in a very short time. Me and Diana are the last Earth Senshi alive in our era... Well, or we would be if we hadn't been 'helped' by our Pluto."

"What do you mean you're the last ones?"

"What the hell do you think I mean, Minako?" ChibiUsa snapped, then her eyes widened and she looked down at her own feet. "Uh, sorry, it's just... Listen, I can't sugar-coat this, you're all going to die in a thousand years, give or take a decade."

Silence took over the room as everyone tried to process what those words meant to them. Usagi was the first one to find her voice, and she didn't sound quite thrilled about the news. "How could they defeat our future selves? We should be much stronger than them."

"I... Don't know," ChibiUsa said. "I'll tell you what I know, then we can all think of a way to beat them."

A/N: I'm half hoping the title wasn't too much of a giveaway, and half hoping it was more than enough to guess what was going to happen.

And yes, I've twisted my old plot twist near its breaking point this time around - those who read Cyber Moon will know what I mean.