Shaded Truths: Only you would think Kingdom Hearts. The third season is about the pure heart crystals, thus this will focus on the finding of the heart crystals and the three talismans to create the holy grail.
LoveInTheBattleField
and damonnika2009: I am not yet entirely certain on how close this will be to the actual sailor moon arc. When I started writing Change I did not expect many reviews, and figured I would only write two stories and be done with it, thus I wouldn't have to worry. However, I have come up with a couple plans, so I will see where I end up. Whether or not Hotaru will switch sides is a question that will be answered in coming chapters (actually it's addressed in this chapter but not answered). Obviously this is a story arc that I will have to do some major tweaking in order for my storyline to fit.
Also, I do know that all of the various monsters have their own names, most of them anyway. I just feel that it's pointless to name something defeated within a single episode, so that's why I ignore the names if anyone was wondering. I also probably won't describe them too much either, since well they only last like one or two chapters...
Oh, and I don't own anything.
Raye suddenly screamed out as a pain ripped through her chest. A black beam connected her to the monster as it searched for her heart crystal. She struggled against the hands holding her in place, trying to break the connection in hopes that would end the searing pain.
Somebody help me…
"Stop right there!"
Raye almost sighed in relief at the sound of her inevitable salvation, however with the piercing pain even so much as breathing was torture. The beam stopped and Raye slumped forward.
"How dare you try to harm one of my friends! I am the champion of justice known as Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Sailor Moon shouted.
The daimon turned its attention from its victim to the new arrival. Sailor Moon held out her hand and the moon scepter instantly appeared.
"Moon scepter elimination!" Sailor Moon cried out.
The pink moonbeam shot out on a path straight for the enemy. At the same time, the daimon prepared it's own attack and the dark beam met halfway. In a quick flash the two attacks destroyed each other.
From where she watched, Luna gasped. "This creature is much stronger than what we've faced before."
The daimon dove forward knocking the scepter from Sailor Moon's hands. Sailor Moon was suddenly pinned to a tree by the creature.
"Sailor Moon!" the inner scouts replied, arriving on the scene after being called by Luna.
As the three reached for their transformation wands, the daimon threw cords in their direction that trapped each girl, wrapping both around their bodies and the trees they were thrown against. Sailor Moon struggled to break away from the daimon, worried the girls had been hurt.
"Oh no!" Luna exclaimed as Artemis came to her side.
"They've been captured!" he stated in worry.
With the other girls trapped and no other distractions, the daimon leaned forward and bit down on the broach holding the silver crystal. Sailor Moon increased her struggles as her transformation slipped, enveloping her in pink ribbons before she was returned to her civilian form. The daimon pulled back and the broach fell to the ground as the crystal shattered. Serena stared at it, her mind suddenly going blank as she realized with the crystal destroyed she was nothing more than an object to be protected in battle. Without the crystal she couldn't fight, and she wouldn't be able to protect earth.
Meanwhile, the daimon was preparing to end her. Before it could take its chance on the weakened girl, a red rose stabbed its shoulder. The daimon shrieked in pain as it pulled out the rose and turned to where it had come from. In the branches of a tall tree, a figure stood in a black tuxedo and long black and red cape. Beside him three more shadows revealed themselves to be the remaining three earth generals. Kunzite nodded and the four split off in separate directions to surround the daimon. All at once the four moved as one to attack, and were picked off one at a time by their enemy. Tuxedo Mask was the last to be thrown away, slamming into a tree. He slipped to the ground and groaned in pain.
"Tuxedo Mask!" Serena cried out, pulling at her restraints.
He stood only to fall down again as the daimon returned to its original mission. The black beam stretched out to Raye again, and her screams pierced the air. The girls fought to come to her aid, hating the fact that they could do nothing but watch as their friend's heart crystal was stolen right before their eyes. The daimon's concentration was broken only for a second when in a last ditch effort to protect one of their own, the cats attacked. They were brushed off like pieces of dust and landed at Serena's feet.
"No! Luna! Artemis!"
Is this how everything will end for us? Serena wondered. After all we've been through, will we all die this way? Will the Outers be able to handle things on their own? What about Endy and Terra? And Rini?
Raye finally fell unconscious, welcoming the final blackness, as her heart crystal was revealed. Before the daimon could grab it, a bright orb of yellow and blue effectively destroyed it. The remains of the creature disintegrated, freeing everyone who was trapped. Raye's limp form fell to the ground, the crystal still floating over her chest. The Outer scouts were the first to reach her.
Sailor Uranus knelt down, taking the crystal to examine it more closely.
"Raye!" Serena cried out, pulling the comatose priestess into her arms. "Wake up! Please wake up!"
"Is that one of them?" Neptune asked.
Serena looked up, seeing the red crystal in her cousin's hand. "Give it back!"
"It's a pure heart," Uranus replied. "But not what we're looking for."
Sailor Uranus tossed the crystal back toward Raye, where it gently floated back into her body. Raye slowly opened her eyes. Serena cried out in happiness, embracing Raye before she had a chance to regain sense of her surroundings.
"What do you mean it wasn't what you're looking for?" Lita demanded. "What do you know that we don't?"
"We have a new enemy," Sailor Saturn answered. "As you know, this one is much more powerful than the last."
"It would be best to leave things to us," Sailor Uranus added. "We're stronger, and we know more about what is going on."
"So explain," Mina commanded in her leader voice.
"Just stay out of our way."
"If I didn't know better I'd say you had something to do with this."
"You must trust us," Sailor Saturn said. "Princess, are you alright?"
Serena looked up with tears in her eyes. "What was that? What is this enemy after?"
Sailor Saturn turned away, and the other two remained silent.
"You should check on them," Sailor Uranus said, nodding to the generals and cats. "See you later."
The three took their leave before any of the others could stop them.
"I don't like this," Mina said.
"Is it possible Sailor Pluto informed them of something?" Amy asked.
"Chad!" Raye suddenly remembered, tearing herself away from the others to run over to where Jadeite had been thrown. At the same time he was starting to come to, slowly sitting up. "You idiot! What were you thinking?"
Jadeite winced and lost his transformation as Raye smacked him.
"You're supposed to be doing chores right now!" Raye shouted, hitting his chest repeatedly. "You should have at least waited for the others!"
Chad caught both her hands in one of his, and reached forward to brush hair from her face. "Are you alright, Raye?"
Raye leaned back on her heels, with a slight nod.
"I'm glad."
"This enemy," Kunzite began. "We'll need to train more, become stronger."
"What about Sailor Moon?" Mina asked.
The group turned to Serena, who had returned to pick up the broken broach. Tuxedo Mask was the first to approach her, returning to his civilian form. The other generals were quick to follow their prince's de-transformation.
"Serena?"
She held the object close to her chest, turning to face them. A moment later her eyes became distant and she collapsed. Darien was quick to catch her, lifting her up to cradle the lithe form against his chest.
"Get her home," Andrew said. "She needs rest and time to heal."
Darien nodded. "Everyone should go home and rest. Tomorrow we can meet to discuss this new enemy.
His answer was variously determined nods. Luna jumped up onto his shoulder, looking at the princess in worry.
"We should get her home. Be on your guard Sailor Scouts, Generals," she said.
"Luna, we should look into this," Artemis replied.
"Yes. But the well-being of the princess comes first. I'll come find you the moment Serena is back to Darien's safely."
"Luna, the silver crystal," Mina began. "Does this mean…Serena will no longer mean Sailor Moon?"
"I don't know. This isn't the first time it's been broken."
"Yeah, but it's not shining anymore," Lita pointed out.
"Everything will be fine," Luna reassured them, not even sounding certain of the fact herself.
Kaorinite stopped in the doorway of the dark lab room.
"The target was wrong," she reported. "The daimon was defeated by a group we've identified as the Sailor Scouts. Most of them are weak, but some were stronger. There seems to be a bit of a rift between them. It will be easy to eliminate them. We've already defeated the little girl who seems to be their leader."
Professor Tomoe smiled. He mixed another vial into the beaker, revealing another solution of the dark pink. Glass shattered and another of the white daimon eggs appeared.
"They will be gone in the next battle," Professor Tomoe declared. "And we will finally have the holy grail."
He let out a menacing laugh that echoed through the lab.
"I feel bad deceiving them," Hotaru said, watching the sailor scouts go their opposite ways.
"It has to be done," Michelle replied. "This is for the best. The Inner Scouts were the princess' guards, but I don't believe this attack is directly on Serena."
"It's not," Amara told them. "But that daimon still wanted her out of the way. We still need the silver crystal if things go wrong."
"Is the end near?" Hotaru asked.
"You're the scout of death and rebirth," Michelle said. "You tell us."
Hotaru stared off into the distance. A moment later she turned back to her companions but offered no response.
"You should get home before Darien really worries," Michelle told her, breaking the silence.
Hotaru nodded.
"Come on, we'll drop you off," Amara offered.
"No," Hotaru protested. "I'll catch up to Darien and go home with him."
"He's not to know anything," Amara stressed.
Hotaru nodded in understanding before running off.
"Think she'll say anything?" Amara wondered.
"Of course not," Michelle said. "Duty is everything to Sailor Saturn. Hotaru is no different. She may be young, but that doesn't mean she's ignorant."
"But still. If the enemy discovers her power…we had more than a few close calls in the past. Would it be better to keep Hotaru out of this?"
"Hotaru's power is no different than the destruction that can come from the silver crystal," Michelle pointed out.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
Michelle gave a soft smile and grabbed Amara's hand. "All we can do is fight. We will protect the princess and the planet. We'll find the talismans. We'll stop this enemy from destroying the world, just how Sailor Pluto instructed us."
"Add that to preventing the destruction of the universe and murdering the earth prince and you have everything."
"Oh, what did Darien do? You're really too harsh on him."
Amara turned away stubbornly.
"Serena really seems to love him. I never really knew Serenity enough, but I know she also loved Endymion very much."
"Serena's too young."
"Serenity was about the same age when she and Endymion-"
"Don't finish that sentence."
Michelle hid an amused smirk. "Shall we go home? Darien and Hotaru will take care of Serena. You can check on them tomorrow."
Serena awoke with a start, after starring at the ceiling for a moment she rolled over. She reached over to feel the cool sheets and realized she had likely been alone for quite some time. The semi-darkness told her it was shortly after sunset. All at once the memories flooded back, the new daimons, the loss of her powers, the outer scouts almost letting Raye die…
Serena sat up against the headboard and hugged her knees to her chest. On the nightstand on her side of the bed sat the broach, still cracked after the fight. She reached over to carefully open it, frowning at the dim crystal inside.
"Moon crystal power!" she shouted.
The crystal gave a dim flash but faded once more.
Tears sprang in her eyes. Having heard her transformation call, Darien opened the door. He walked in and set on the edge of the bed. A moment later he pulled her into his lap.
"Serena, what's wrong?" he asked softly.
"I'll never be Sailor Moon again," Serena whispered. "And the crystal…nothing can break the crystal. It's supposed to be strong, a reflection of my own power and strength. How am I anything without the crystal?"
"You're everything, Serena. Crystal or not you're still the princess. Nothing is going to change."
"I can't transform. What am I supposed to do now?"
"You'll be Princess Serenity," Darien soothed. "You'll let us protect you as it's supposed to be."
"Darien, you of all people know I can't do that!" Serena shouted. "I'll figure something out but I'm not letting you guys fight alone!"
"If you fight without the crystal protecting you, you'll be in danger," Darien argued. "And trying to protect you will put the scouts in danger."
"What's going to happen to me if I can't fight anymore?"
"Serena, please just rest. Take a break from all of this for a while."
"But Darien-"
He pulled her toward him, silencing her with a light kiss.
"I'm useless now," she said so softly she didn't even think he'd heard it.
Darien frowned. "You're not. Come on, you should eat something."
"Is Hotaru back?"
Darien nodded. "But I wouldn't ask her anything. I don't think I've ever heard Hotaru sound so furious with me as when I tried to make her tell me."
"Because you all but ordered me to," Hotaru said, standing in the doorway. "How are you feeling, Serena?"
"I'm alright."
"Good. We can't have the moon princess being injured, especially considering how close you are to becoming my sister in this life."
Serena turned to Darien with an accusing glare. He gaped at Hotaru.
"How did you-?"
"Find out? You do know we still have contact with Sailor Pluto, keeper of the Time Gate? She knows everything."
"Sailor Pluto told you three about this new enemy, didn't she?"
Hotaru hesitated.
Serena looked to Darien. "Maybe it's time we paid your cousin a visit."