Sailor Moon Aeons.
Book 2: Rebirth.
Act 8: Hunting Season.
Episode 122: Wind and Water.

By Razor Knight
Last update: October 7, 2016
Last edited: June 15, 2017

ChibiUsa had just finished explaining Boa and Lynx's abilities to some of her friends, and they were quite surprised by what those two could do.

"Damn, so that's why I couldn't beat them on my own."

ChibiUsa nodded at Naru. "Those two are dangerous by themselves, but if they teamed up with other hunters..."

Minako sighed. "Jaguar is already quite fast. If his speed gets buffed I won't be able to keep up."

"I'll just have to buff your speed a lot more than usual," Brad said.

"Can you do that?"

Brad shrugged. "I could help you be several times faster than you are, but the stronger the buff, the more energy I would need to keep it up."

"In short, I can't fool around since I would have a shorter time limit."

"That sums it up, yeah."

ChibiUsa smiled. "Buff spells can be quite useful, yeah. Hermes' Speed."

Minako saw ChibiUsa moving to the other side of the room, but was quite sure she was the only one who had seen her clearly. "Whoa."

"It's not that strange," Mako said, "if she's trained a lot, she most likely had some training from Demon Hunters too."

"From the three most long-living Primes." ChibiUsa said. "I know they're already quite strong in this era, but in the future, they were... I don't think any non-Senshi Demon Hunter could compare to them in power and mana reserves."

"Speaking of the Primes, Usagi was going to go talk to Aries today," Brad commented, "I think it's the first time in too many centuries to count that a Prime Hunter - not counting our three friends - meets a Serenity."

Usagi was quite shocked by what had happened in the last few minutes. When Emi and the others had told her that most Demon Hunters would be kneeling before her, she had thought it was just a figure of speech. However, a few of the Hunters she had met inside the Hiyama mansion had knelt or bowed when she walked past them.

"Welcome, Sailor Moon."

She looked at the woman waiting for her inside the large dining room. "Uh, hello. You must be Prime Huntress Aries."

Junko chuckled, then noticed the way Usagi was looking at her. "Sorry, it's just that... To us, you're a living legend, Sailor Moon. You don't need to be so polite around me. Call me Junko."

"Please, call me Usagi, then."

"As you wish, Usagi," Junko said. "Emi was right, you look different to what one would expect from the legends."

"If what I heard from Ami was true, I'm much younger than the Serenities of those legends were when their legends were written."

"Ami?"

"That would be Sailor Mercury," Usagi explained.

"Oh, the Librarian." Junko noticed Usagi's confusion and smiled. "That's the title researchers from Mercury used during Silver Millennium times."

Usagi sighed. "I must look ignorant, not knowing that kind of things about my own group..."

"Not at all. It's to be expected of someone so young. From what I heard, even Mercury herself knows relatively little about the past."

"I guess that's true. By the way, uh..."

"Don't be afraid to ask, I'll answer if I can."

"Okay. To be honest, you don't look that much older than me."

"I'm in my sixth decade of life right now, Usagi. I know you heard about mages' longevity."

"Yes. I've seen myself living longer than I ever thought possible."

"That must have been amazing."

"It all went quite fast back then, finding out about the future, about my daughter. But when I sat down and thought about it, it really hit me. I had seen my future self. It makes it hard to be skeptical about anything anymore."

"Is the other part true? Emi told me your daughter was back, and that she brought some dire news from the future."

"Yes, she's back, and she's staying here, or rather, 'she's staying now.'"

Junko smiled for a brief moment at Usagi's attempt to find a way to describe her daughter's situation. "Knowing the day you'll die is... I don't know how I would react to that."

"I never believed in destiny, in 'fate' as something that's set in stone. I still don't. We'll find a way to change it."

"If it's a Serenity saying that, then it's hard not to believe it. Anyhow, I heard you wanted to know more about my group."

"Yeah. I only know what Emi and her friends tell me, but I would like to know more. How the Demon Hunters were born, why is it many of you don't seem to like us..."

"Those two things are related. The first Demon Hunters were people who didn't want to accept the Senshi as the rulers, the protectors. But instead of waging war, they decided to learn about magic, to become as powerful as the Senshi. To be able to rule themselves and protect themselves."

"Doesn't sound like a bad goal to have," Usagi admitted.

"Problem was, the first Demon Hunters soon learnt that Senshi were a goal beyond their reach. Raw magic power, physical strength, mana gathering speed and limits... They were all higher than any human could dream of. Specially Serenity. But even then, they didn't want to be a part of the Silver Millennium. They ended up waging the war they had sought to avoid."

"And they lost."

Junko nodded slowly at that. "That would depend on your definition of losing. If our legends are true, and I have little doubt they are, the 'war' lasted only one day. The Senshi, as a group, didn't fight - it was the First Serenity of Silver Millennium, alone, who defeated all of the original Demon Hunters."

"She was that strong?"

"By the time this happened, that Serenity was, if legends can be trusted, an Aeon Senshi. I'm sure you can understand how powerful that would be, since you've had a power quite close to that already, if only for a short while. Anyhow, it was a shock to the Hunters, and they expected to be punished for their foolishness. However, she decided to forgive them, since they had proven to her they were strong enough to defend themselves, and brave enough to face an enemy they had little chance to defeat. She allowed them to use the powers they had to protect those who were unable to, and even granted them permission to teach magic to others."

"And you've always been around, even after Queen Serenity... Well, whatever it is she did to stop mana from flowing in the other worlds."

Junko smiled. "Legends describe it as 'capping the mana wells' but nobody in my group really knows how that could be even possible to achieve. And seeing how the one person who could explain it was Serenity herself, then it will remain a mystery to us. As for my group, according to the legends, only a group of less than twenty Demon Hunters survived the war against the Queendom of Arcadia. But Youma depended on mana more than humans did, and were mostly exterminated once mana became hard to gather. The Demon Hunters decided to rebuild their group from the ground up, seeking other magically talented humans around the world, and teaching them the ways of their clan. We weren't always respected or praised. At times, mankind let fear win over reason, and many Demon Hunters were hunted as witches, demons, or whichever name either angry mobs or religions chose to give us at the time."

"From what I heard from my friends, some were also treated as gods, either during their lives or after they were gone."

"That's true. Odin, his sons Thor and Loki, the sage Merlin, Kali, Quetzal, Pele... They were the strongest Demon Hunters we know about. But they all had some help from a certain lady in green, and were granted access to artifacts and skills others could only read about in legends. Sailor Pluto was the only reminder my group had about you, about those who were always one step ahead of us. Some of us, even today, resent that."

Usagi smiled. "Maybe one day I'll find a way to change that resentment. I don't want anyone hating me or my friends without getting to know us, even if the target of their hatred is our titles."

"Maybe you will be able to do it, but I doubt it will be in my lifetime. Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Just like you answered my questions, I'll do what I can, even if I'm technically not a Senshi right now."

"But your powers will return, so I know you'll be able to do as I ask. I'll live for a long time, but I'm aware I am not immortal. Please, take care of Emi for me, when the time comes."

"Emi is my friend, as are Maria and Aki. You don't even have to ask, Junko."

"Good. There was another thing, one that some of my Hunters have asked, and which I promised I would find out about. I know they did help as well as they could during the battle against Galaxia, but... Are you sure the youma can be trusted?"

Usagi's face, for the first time in the whole meeting, turned grim. "I hope you're not going to tell me that I should kill-"

"That wasn't my intention, no. But I guess your reaction tells me all I need to know."

"Their past leaders were too focused on a war they couldn't win. They ruled through fear, not respect. Cuprite and Pyrite - I saw no evil intent in them. They did not believe the lies Beryl told them. And even though it's fear that keeps some of the youma from attacking humans, I'm hoping that future generations of youma will realize there's no reason to hate us, to fear us. Maybe one day, youma won't need to disguise themselves anymore."

"I see. I suppose I'll tell my Hunters that."

"But what if a Hunter found a youma, and decided to attack them?"

"Then he or she would be disobeying a direct order from a Prime, and there would be dire consequences to that. Even worse, they would be disrespecting a Serenity. I'm sure you may have noticed, Usagi, but respect is a much more powerful source of obedience than fear could ever hope to be. Hunters may sometimes do a lot of foot dragging and complaining, but they will do as we ask. And since youma are also, in a way, protected by the Senshi, then I'm sure no Hunter would be foolish enough to even try that."

Usagi smiled at that. "I'll trust your judgement, Junko. Anyhow, I think I've taken enough of your time, and I can't think of anything else I wanted to know. I'll come back to visit one of these days, and hopefully there will be a lot less-"

Junko noticed Usagi trying to find the right word, or at least a polite one. "Groveling? I doubt that will stop happening, at least outside the battlefield. You are, after all, the first live Serenity in thousands of years."

"I will be a Serenity, when my powers come back."

Junko shook her head. "Sorry, but you're wrong. It's not your powers that make you a Serenity. A Sailor Moon. Emi told me about it before, but I know it's true after meeting you. You're special, Usagi. You may, one day, become the strongest Serenity ever. Even stronger than Galaxia or other legendary Senshi. I hope I live enough to see it."

Usagi smiled again. "That's quite a goal to reach for me, considering a few years ago I was just a lazy girl, and completely clueless about combat."

"Something on your mind?"

Lion nodded at Hyena. "I've been thinking about what that girl said, about us becoming the monsters we want to eliminate."

Hyena grimaced. "To be honest, I also thought about it. The more I think about some of the Senshi we fought and killed, the more I think she may be right. Some of those Senshi didn't seem to be bloodthirsty, or even enjoy fighting. What if we've doomed whole worlds to a fate like that of our world?"

"It's not too late to change."

Hyena nodded slowly at that. "Rex will not agree."

"Then screw him," Lion said. "I've made up my mind, Hyena. I won't kill Senshi. Not like this. Not Senshi who have yet not done anything to be branded as 'evil' by us." He saw Hyena was lost in thought, and smiled. "I'm not forcing you to follow me."

"And yet, I will. Not because we promised we'd be together to the end, but because I agree with you. I want nothing to do with Rex anymore, he's as blind to what he's become as that kid- As that Senshi says."

"So, I suppose we need to abandon this ship, for the time being."

"For the time being?"

"If Rex keeps doing what he's doing, I can guess what's going to happen. The Sailor Moon from the future, that 'Serenity' we fought, weakened us in ways that make Lynx's skill look like a newbie's cheap trick. And if Saturn's upgrade was not an isolated case, then things could get really rotten, really fast. If all the Senshi of this planet start upgrading to Guardian, then the Senshi Hunters are doomed. And if this era's Sailor Moon herself is half as strong as what my research tells me, then we're lucky she was unable to use her powers. If she were to regain them, then that would settle this war for good."

"So what do we do, hide until Rex and the others die?"

"I'm still not sure about what to do from now on," Lion admitted. "But we may have to face our former allies in battle."

Hyena smirked at that. "It would not be the first time we have to fight people we once called friends. A long time ago, I swore I would help the man I love fight against evil. If our allies have become evil, then I'll keep my word and help you fight them."

"I'm not sure the Senshi will forgive us for the part we played in the events of that day," Lion said, "but maybe if we help them, they'll see we're trying to atone for that, and many deaths before those. Maybe..."

"Maybe they're what we thought our Senshi were, back when we started helping them in their war against evil."

"I suppose we'll find out sooner or later."

"Guess Hotaru is still one step ahead."

Michiru looked at Haruka and smirked. "You know we can blame nobody but us for that. We've became..."

"Lazy," Haruka said, completing her friend's line of thought. "Gotta admit that my first impressions on the other Senshi were quite wrong. They've been training a lot, and they've found out skills we didn't even know we could have."

"Perhaps we need to go to the base more often, then," Michiru noted.

"Still, these 'Senshi Hunters' haven't targeted us yet," Haruka said, "maybe they'll focus on the others and let us catch up."

"Don't say that kind of things."

"I didn't think you'd be the superstitious kind."

Michiru nodded. "But it's not really a 'superstition' if it's been proven right several times before."

Haruka saw a small object fly by, barely missing their heads, and turned to the side. "Okay, I can see what you mean."

Michiru looked at the two Hunters walking to them. "Hey, that could have hit us. What about your rules?"

Vulture smirked. "If I had meant for that feather dart to hit, it would have hit."

Haruka frowned. "You're quite sure of your skills, Kiwi."

"It's Vulture!" Vulture snapped.

Jaguar yawned and then smiled. "Transform already, slowpokes."

"Uranus Cosmic Power!"

"Neptune Cosmic Power!"

"Good," Jaguar said, then 'vanished.'

Uranus fell on her knees and grimaced. She had felt each and every hit, but it was hard for her mind to accept someone could move that fast. "Damn it, he's a tough kitty."

Neptune smiled at the pun, despite the pain. "But nobody is invincible."

"It's too bad, kid, that the two who have beaten me before aren't around," Jaguar said without stopping his sprint.

Vulture frowned. "Let's just kill these before the other Senshi arrive. They seem to be able to detect us, somehow."

Uranus saw Vulture float up, and open his wings. "Damn it, I don't need the others to beat these losers."

Neptune noticed her friend's body was shining, and nodded. "It's good we have friends who can help us, but we've been letting them do the fighting for too long. We won't lose."

Jaguar frowned. "Damn it, not these too!"

"Uranus Guardian Power!"

"Neptune Guardian Power!"

The transformation was quick, and just like with ChibiMoon and Saturn, it was hard to tell anything had changed. The only thing different in their suits was the wavy pattern running up their gloves, matching their usual colors. Vulture, however, wasn't impressed. "I'm not going to give up, either."

Uranus looked at the incoming barrage of metal feathers and smiled. "Thanks, those will help." She rose her arms, and a gust of wind shot up from the ground, catching all the feathers, which started circling around Uranus. Jaguar had been about to attack her, but couldn't stop in time and got a few cuts before he leapt away. "Bad kitty, play dead."

Jaguar shrugged. "I'll just kill your girlfriend instead."

Neptune saw Jaguar 'vanish' and chuckled. "Idiot." A huge 'bubble' of water appeared around her, and Jaguar 'appeared' inside it, staring in shock at her. He then noticed two things. One, he couldn't move, or breathe. And two, Neptune didn't seem to notice the water. "Oh, don't give me that look, cat boy," she said, "water is my element. I control it, and which each new upgrade, that control gets better. I may not be able to alter its temperature like Mercury, but I can do things she can't with it, like forcing it to become gel-like and stop anyone inside it from moving."

Uranus saw Vulture dive to Neptune, and glared at him. "Nice try."

Vulture suddenly found himself floating up, and the air around him slowly started speeding up, turning into a miniature tornado. It wasn't just holding him in place, but it also made it almost impossible to breathe. "Damn... You..."

"Well, guess they have those losers under control."

Jaguar and Vulture both noticed several other Senshi had just arrived, and both thought the same. They both chose to retreat and hunt another day.

Neptune noticed something. "Why that form?"

ChibiMoon smiled. She was using her Earth powers, alone, and knew these two - like most of the group - didn't know about that yet. "It's something I discovered while training in the future. Dual Senshi can use their powers individually, no need to stack them up. We're not as strong as we would if we used them together, but it will not drain our mana, or put our lives at risk."

"But isn't your Moon side-"

"Stronger? Yeah. I just like to switch around to keep my enemies guessing."

"She's quite a show-off," Saturn said.

Uranus sighed. "We were lucky to power up this time, but we've been slacking off."

"I'm sure Terry could help you training," ChibiMoon said, "or, heck, I could also help, since I'm one of the few other Guardian Senshi around and I've been one for longer than any of you."

Neptune smiled. "That would be great, Prin- Uh, sorry."

"Mom's right, you two are still quite stiff around the others."

Uranus blinked at that. "Usagi said that?"

"Can't say that's wrong," Neptune admitted. "But tell me, in the future, were we also..."

"You were rarely in the city," ChibiMoon admitted, "but that's because you were as bored of the peace in Crystal Tokyo as I was. To say it bluntly, I guess at some point in time, you decided to stop being 'outsiders.'"

"Maybe this is that point in time," Neptune said.

"If so, it took you a lot longer to become human than I took," Saturn joked.

"Good one," Uranus muttered.

A/N: I never told the story of the Demon Hunters' origin back in the first book of Aeons. "Oops." Still, it was a nice excuse to have Usagi meet one of the leaders of that group.

Chapters will be up as slowly as usual - Between games and work, I tend to not have a lot of time left for writing nowadays.