Chapter 1: Toil n'Trouble

"So what do we do now Luna?"

"Finish up with your education. You girls have one more year of high school." Artemis bumped in.

"Some of you also have promising futures. We'll let the course run itself, when the time comes, and I'm certain we'll know when the new Millennium will arise and Serena and Darien-" Luna lectured.

Serena's eyes gleamed. "We'll get married!"

"Apparently she missed the fact that only some of us have academically promising futures." Rei remarked to Ami who knew already she had a good chance of becoming a doctor.

"REI!" Serena growled.

"Now, now Serena, just because you might not be the smartest, or most athletic, or most talented…or –" The scouts waited for Luna to finish, although they'd been already redeemed within their own niche. "-you will have to run an empire in the future as you've seen."

"You scouts must remember, there are many people out there that will be tempted by dark forces. We can't ever be truly sure that the universe is always safe." Artemis reminded.

"So our jobs as scouts will always stand." Lita leaned back.

"I don't know if I mind. It'd be weird if we weren't." Mina shrugged.

"I just hope it doesn't get in the way of us having our own lives…at least a bit." Raye thought out loud.

"I agree. I hope we can find a good balance." Amy nodded.

"For your girls sake, I hope you guys get a break. Balance it out a bit." Artemis spoke words they all thought.

They nodded together in agreement.

Sedna walked along the streets of Tokyo. Her short pale blue curly hair flounced around her like a classical movie star's bob, in a black dress and a pale blue fur shall that wrapped around her. Her eyes looked from beneath a dark pair of sunglasses.

"These humans really do take the word hard work to a new level, it should be hard to find someone to plant this Seed. Queen Darling of Discord was right, Earth humans are full of chaos and strife." She looked at her reflection in a shop window. "As a woman I do feel a bit of a rival towards her, but … she really does have the cake when it comes to the most power." She fixed her lipstick before turning the corner, as she heard an argument between a road worker and another who seemed to be his boss.

"But Sir, I've worked far past the hours I'm supposed to. My shift should have ended-"

"Well Dai-my goodman, I'm sure you have but the roads don't fix themselves. And neither do the bricks stack."

She looked. "Dai" was a large man, far larger than his boss, but it didn't' seem to matter.

"I have a family. Can't I at least get a pay for-"

"Think of it more as a community service."

"But they need me at home and I haven't had a decent pay in a while...I still don't have my last ch-"

"You got a job Daichi, be happy I don't fire you." His boss patted him on the back and whipped the sweat off his hand on his handkerchief before walking away.

"Dammit." Daichi kicked the nearby wall with force nearly knocking a brick loose. "Damn overworked all the time."

Sedna smiled. He was hostile. He was overworked. This was an easy find. Now…how should she go about this?

She walked over to the large and slightly sluggish man.

"Need a job hun?" Her high pitch voice rang into the air.

"Can't you see I –" He started. "Why?" His eyes slanted at this in curiousity.

"I gotta good boss. Better than that smuck. Follow me darlin' I'll find you something better. You over worked thing, it must be hot and bothered. I'd be downright angry if I was worked to the bone like that? All that toil…"

"Mam, uh…well you have it pretty right…so, I guess It can't hurt. What's the job?"

"That's the spirit, now follow me." Sedna turned the corner and let him follow her down the block to where she'd seen the perfect spot.

"What's your name?" Daichi's large build made him an awkward man to discretely move around.

"…Mareen. Mareen Sedna, doll. But that don't matter." She turned down an empty dark ally way.

"What are we doing here?" He asked. "This ain't no work-building?"

"Ah, you caught on." She tore off her shall and in one quick movement, "Mareen" didn't look so innocent. Her bodysuit was a deep blue, with a folded material that held her breasts like a bra in a dull periwinkle blue fanning out, reminiscent of shells, and a skirt kind of like the scouts but with the same rounded folds as her "bra" that dipped low in the back, to reveal its blackish color on the inside. She had a choker and her black boots had fish-nets beneath them. A symbol glowed on her forehead for a minute before disappearing into a faint outline.

"Who-Who are you?"

"Sedna. Rejected and Powerful Planetary goddess of the Deepest and Darkest pits of the Ocean, and you my dear-" Suddenly black water tentacles took his arms and legs and confined him at the flick of her hand.

"Wha-?!"

"I love that trick don't you? I don't even need to call that one out anymore- you'd be surprised how far a bit of dark energy goes. Too many years of practice but now its coming to good use" Sedna smiled deviously almost squealing. "Now, remember all that anguish about your hard work and no play? Good." She pulled out a glowing black seed, small, but largely noticeable enough to see a purple marking on it like a ghostly face. It floated in the palm of her hand.

"Seed of Toil, awaken within this man and sprout in the qualms of his strain and spread this anguish into the world." She pushed it into his chest suddenly. She simply watched as he screamed in terror and pain.

Suddenly the black glow in his chest sprouted black vines that covered his body twisting until what came out didn't look human anymore.

"PonoPono will spread the Toil. Pono-Pono doesn't like to be overworked."

"Good boy." She tapped the creature's large muscles. His red skin and high, standing straight up black hair, in a workers vest. Kind of a hulk-ish look she thought. "Now, lets see what kind of toil we can spread to these humans. In the words of our darling leader, "What is life without a little discord" ?"

"You know, I like the spare time... but what do we do now? I mean now that we don't have school, or a reason to cook a huge lunch...or an enemy, what do we do with all this spare time?" Lita leaned back.

"Uhm we look for a nice hunk of boyfriend that's what." Mina smiled.

"That's right, Serena shouldn't be the only one around here with boyfriend." Rei mentioned.

"I never said I had to be. I can't help it." Serena made a face to Rei. "Do you think it's weird that Michelle doesn't have a boyfriend? She's so pretty."

"I think that they're too focused on their work as scouts. Plus she seems happy with Amara. They seem close, even as cousins." Ami reasoned.

"But you know, I feel bad for Trista. We haven't seen much of her since Rini returned to the future. That's got to be lonely." Rei mentioned. She remembered when she had been lonely in her own psychic ways.

Lita put her hands behind her head. "Yea I know what you mean. But maybe it's their nature. I mean Michelle and Amara do their own thing most of the time. Maybe that's just the way they are."

"Hey, guys have you noticed- uhm the icecream shop is closed." Ami pointed at the door.

"What?"

They looked at the door. Mina peered in. She knocked. "Hello? Hello?"

"Hey isn't that Lizzie?" Rei said pointing at a seat by the widow. They knocked and Lizzie opened the door.

"Hey guys."

"What's going on? Why is it closed?" Serena asked. She felt her stomach growl.

"I'm not sure. I came in for an afternoon shift today. I listened to the message machine and everyone called in saying they were sick of being overworked."

"Overworked?" Ami asked.

"We've been short shifts ever since summer started. People go on vacations. I don't mind the work, but by the time I got here it was closed. I wanted to open but I can't by myself. I've never seen all of our employees not come on the same day before..." Lizzie sighed.

"Speaking of… did you guys actually look down the street?" Lita poked her head out of the window.

"What? Why?" Rei asked.

"It's a ghost town guys. Nobody seems like they're working."

"Either we have a serious disease of Lazy-Serena-Flu, or-"

"Hey that's mean!" Serena looked cross.

"Okay, well we'll go try some other places. Don't over-work yourself either Lizzie!" Mina nodded and they left.

"That's just weird." Lita said.

"Do you think somethings up?" Rei said.

"I hope not we just started the summer, I wanted to go window shopping." Serena complained.

"I wanted to go boy window shopping." Mina sighed.

"I hate to say it guys but it really seems like the towns declining." Artemis chimed in.

"Artemis?" Mina turned.

Luna and Artemis where behind them.

"We were just going for a stroll and noticed the same thing. Something's strange is going on." Luna said.

"AHHHH!"

"What was that!?" Mina asked.

Luna, who had been standing next to them, suddenly pounced onto a nearby bench. "I'll go check it out girls, but get ready to transform. I feel a dark energy near by."

"So much for no enemies to fight this summer…lets go guys." Lita started, leading them off to the scream.

"Pono, I want you to spread the seeds to everyone you see." Sedna floated above as PonoPono with a familiar ghostly face on his chest, released more dark seeds out at the group of people.

"Hey, you!" Lita proclaimed boldly. "Stop hurting those people!"

"Hah, you think he's hurting people? He's just awakening their inner discord their inner toils - funny how most people prefer to sit around and do nothing? All demons of aggrivation and sloth in these humans!" She giggled, as the people who'd been effected eyes glowed red. Suddenly they were in a crowd of disgruntled people, who happened to be quite happy leaving their task at hand. "Show these petty bold humans what it means to be overworked."

"They look like overworked zombies." Rei backed up. "Do you think that's where everyone went?"

"We should have transformed first." Lita said.

"You think? What'd you yell out like that for?" Mina complained.

Lita shrugged. "Instinct?"

"I haven't heard this much complaining since –" Serena plugged her ears, as the people left their jobs, mad and complaining, red eyed.

"Since you failed your last final?" Rei dug.

"Oh stop. Come on guys we have to find a way out of here." Ami sighed.

"Over here. I see a break in the crowd." Mina said. The group of them ran towards the street's corner building and hid behind it.

"At least they're a little slow...must be tired from all that...ahem working..." Rei said. "You have any idea what this is Luna?"

"Not yet. But Artemis and I will stay close. I'd change now."

"Right."

**Scout Crystal Makeup***

"Good PonoPono. Most of the downtown is already seeded." Sedna smiled at the chaos. People were really over worked here. Desperate for their own freedom into sloth and laziness. It was a corrupt world beneath all of the glamor wasn't it?

"PonoPono does a good job."

"Yes. Soon PonoPono can rest." Sedna smiled down her arms crossed, watching everything happily. The man was all just meat - even as a kaikodemon he was all brawn little brain.

"You can't rest just yet!"

"Who's that?!" Sedna looked around.

"It's us the Sailor Scouts, Protectors of the Earth." Mars yelled out.

"That's right. It's not fair to take over the city, people work hard for good money." Jupiter proclaimed.

"And people appreciate the hard work. Customers and Workers alike." Venus agreed.

"Just because someone works a lot doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It can help you grow and become stronger and smarter." Mercury nodded.

"And we won't let people like you continue to tare our society apart. In the name of the Moon, We will punish you!" Sailor Moon proclaimed.

"Ah, so the Guardian Sailor Scouts have arrived. I new this moment would come sooner or later. I'm so happy to finally meet you again, like this. After all this time." Sedna smiled.

"Who are you? And why are you doing this?" Venus asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. But all your talk about hard work, lets see if you scouts aren't a little over-worked yourself." Senda smiled. "Pono, make them work a little."

"Brick-Layer-Smash!"

The scouts parted in different directions as a huge black brick nearly dropped onto them.

"Guess he doesn't just release those seeds from his chest." Jupiter looked at the hulk-like creature.

"But he's definitely not a monster. There is some kind of dark energy spreading inside of him." Mercury scanned Pono.

"Then Serena, you better heal it. Quick." Mars looked to Sailor Moon.

"I can try, but will it even work? I mean look at that thing." Sailor Moon swallowed.

"Oh Serena, you've saved the world a few times now, you can handle a monster." Luna piped in.

"Why not spread the love Pono, I'm sure these scouts must be a little tired of dodging Bricks."

Pono puffed out his chest and the jagged eyes and mouth of the ghost like-face of purple on his chest released more seeds.

"Don't let them get near you guys." Mercury called out.

"AGGGH!"

Sailor Moon opened her eyes to see Mars, Jupiter and Venus on the ground.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." Mercury said. "I think they were-"

"I don't want to scout right now. I'm always at the temple, there's no time for me…"

"Why do we always have to do this? We never have time to find boyfriends…"

"I never have time anymore…I missed out on the volleyball league this year too and-"

"Ahahaha, not as well rounded as you thought!" Sedna giggled, her red lips in a sly smile and her eyes darting to the two scouts left. The others found themselves in a trance, no more dangerous than a sleeping baby. "Mercury, I'm glad it wasn't you. It's nice to meet a fellow planetary guardian of water face to face."

"Fellow? You're no Sailor Scout."

"On the contrary, I control the elemental domain of water as well and honestly, there isn't, and never was room for the two of us it seems. It's too bad the other one of you wasn't here, I could finish you guys off myself."

"The other one?" Sailor Moon swallowed. She whispered, "Do you think she knows about Sailor Neptune?"

"Ahaha, you pathetic fools have no clue what's coming. Pono, fix them up good!"

"Let's get rumbling!" His hand suddenly turned into a street drill and he split a large crack in the pavement separating the two scouts, something like an earth quake.

"I don't like this." Sailor Moon complained.

"Actually, It's too bad you two didn't succumb. It could have been easier for all of us." Sedna shrugged casually, as she patted her wavy pale icy blue bob.

"I think hard work develops good work ethic and character. I don't mind working harder, even if you don't get recognition it will come to help in the end." Mercury smiled.

"Honestly, I don't really feel to pressured…" Sailor Moon looked up innocently.

"Oh be serious Serena, you never overwork yourself." Luna rolled her eyes.

"BRICK-LAYER-SMASH!"

"Watch out Sailor Moon!" Mercury called out as a large brick formed overtop of her.

"AHH!" Sailor Moon called out.

**WHOOSH**

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon smiled. "Man, I missed that."

"Didn't know you guys would get in this much trouble going for icecream." He said setting her down next to Mercury.

"I hope you don't feel overworked Tuxedo Mask." Mercury warned.

"Not at all. I'm nearly caught up on my books. It's been a while... I don't mind this stuff either."

"How can we get him to stop dropping bricks?" Sailor Moon asked nervously, feeling a bit off put by her less than academic nature suddenly.

"I think if we can get her away from …the monster, we might be able to confuse him and get her at the same time. I have an idea. Just be ready Sailor Moon." Mercury looked to her.

She nodded. "Sounds good."

"Ah so we've upped the odds, this should be fun." Sedna's eyes caught them in an iron stare.

"Don't underestimate us! Mercury Bubble Blast!"

"Ah!" Sedna called out when suddenly they were surrounded by fog. "What the – measely bubbles? They took bubbles over my dark depths of power ? Where are you Pono-"

"Pono-Pono, hates fog!" Pono yelled out trapped in the fog on his own, flapping his arms trying to cause it too receded.

"Over here!" Mercury called out landing close to Sedna, causing Pono to bring his attention to that spot.

"BRICK-LAYER-'

"No! Pono don't!" Senda called out at the last minute, as she noticed the brick forming above her.

Mercury pounced away at the last minute.

"AH!"

"SEDNA!"A new voice called out.

"Now Sailor Moon!" Mercury landed beside her as Pono got even more confused.

"Mhm." Sailor Moont took out her Eternal Tiare."Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

"AGHHH!"

Daichi returned to normal and the fog lifted as the seed left his body. But it darted away instead of disappearing, over near the top of a building.

"Where did it go?" Mercury asked.

"What's going on?" Jupiter asked as they too recovered now that the originating seed had been "de-seeded".

"Oh you guys were just a little overworked…" Sailor Moon smiled cheesily.

"Where did that evil woman go?" Venus asked.

"She didn't get hit by that brick …" Mercury noticed the dent in the pavement.

"Over here you petty fools." A bitter voice said.

They looked up. The pale blue haired woman was beside a slightly taller man, with black long hair with pale blue tips somewhat reminiscent of Malachite's, looking condescendingly down at them with his deep aqua-pale eyes. He had what looked like the skulls of a strange sea-creature on his shoulders as protection, wearing a dull blue-green open vest and black slouch pants and sandals. His staff had a full skull on the end of it with horns which in between an orb of blue rested.

"Who are you guys?" Mars asked.

"Apparently Sailor Moon's not the only one whose got someone to come to her rescue." Venus teased.

"Should we tell them?" Varune looked to Sedna.

"They probably don't even know. Lets give them a little introduction for the pure fun of it." Sedna looked narrowly at them. "My name is Sedna of the Oceans Deep. This is Varune, holding power over the Creatures of the Celestial Ocean. Our goal is nothing less than to come here to create a little conflict and disharmony in your little world."

"How come the Seed-thing, didn't get destroyed?" Sailor Moon asked, questioning her own powers.

"The Discord Seed of Toil isn't that easy to get rid of. In sloth or in exhaustion there are always people who suffer in the sins of this world. Discord is natural. Darkness is just as present in the world as Light. You'll find that everything you worked for, all this peace it can't exist on it's own. Chaos comes naturally." Varune said in a cool deep voice.

"You may not know what is going on, but I'm sure that kind of negligence comes natural to your type. The reason these seeds were born were from the recklessness of a long past war you set in motion, so good luck now." Sedna said with a smirk.

"Our type?Who are you two to talk! You guys nearly turned everyone into over-worked zombies!" Jupiter threatened.

"Don't speak so soon. You don't have such a clean slate yourself. See you next time. Don't expect it to go this smooth either." Varune warned before the two disappeared.

"What's going on guys? Who are they…" Mina said as they left.

"Scouts." Artemis said.

Tuxedo Mask and the Scouts looked back towards Artemis and Luna.

"I'm afraid we need to have a scout meeting, stat."