A New Hope
Chapter one: Minako/Manoko
Manoko Aiedo wiped the sweat of her brow and leaned against a tree. Her orange jumpsuit was soaked with sweat.
"Life was so much simpler when I was Venus" She muttered, trying to breath slowly. A small gray cat mewed softly against her legs. Manoko smiled and leaned down to pick up the cat. "Hey Diana" Diana purred happily, but said nothing. Manoko knew it was because they were out in the open. She brushed her black hair out of her face. She hated having black hair, but she couldn't risk being caught by Diamond's guards. He had been looking for her for 400 years, causing her to always be on the run with different disguises.
"Hey Mano-chan" Manoko swung her head around to see Hina jogging towards her. She waved as Hina skidded to a stop. "Finished with your run?" She asked.
"Yeah" Manoko said softly. "I'm going to go home and shower" Hina nodded and Minako jogged away, still holding Diana.
Once she was showered, Minako sat on her couch and Diana sat on her lap.
"How are things going?" She asked the grey cat.
"Well, It gets kind of lonely, being the only talking cat" Diana sighed. "I wish my parents were here" Manoko smiled.
"I know. Sometimes I wish I had died 400 years ago. It gets too painful to keep living" She said sadly.
"How did you survive?" Diana asked. "You never told me" Manako sighed.
"It's painful to talk about" She said. "But I'll tell you. You deserve to know"
Flashback
Minako groggily opened her eyes, pain flaring in her chest. A young girl with auburn hair was smiling at her.
"Grandma, she's awake!" The girl shouted. A woman entered the room and smiled at her. The woman looked too young to be a grandmother to the ten year old.
"Naru-chan?" Minako questioned softly. She recognized the woman as Usagi's best friend before Crystal Tokyo was created. "How?"
"When I married Nephrite, I gained the life that you guys have" Naru explained. "I don't want Diamond to find out. He might decide to eliminate me as well"
"Where is Nephrite?" Minako asked. "How did you find me?"
"Nephrite is dead" Naru whispered. "The war is over. Diamond has taken the throne and destroyed what was left of the royal family. You were bleeding pretty badly, and I knew that any of Diamond's followers could find you at any moment so I brought you home" Tears filled Minako's eyes.
"I'm the only soldier alive, aren't I?" She asked. Naru sighed.
"It's hard to tell" She said softly. "I think so, but perhaps some of the others made it" Just then the door burst open and Emerald stood in the doorway with three guards.
"Naru Osako, you are under arrest for treason" She said darkly. Naru gasped. Minako sat up, ignoring the pain in her chest.
"For what crime?" She asked bitterly.
"For aiding a criminal" Emerald snapped. "Diamond has been looking for you Venus" Minako's eyes flashed.
"Go to hell" She spat. "Venus power, make-up" She turned into Sailor Venus. Emerald sneered at her, but Naru lunged at Emerald and grabbed the green haired woman by the throat.
"Run Minako! Run!" She cried. Emerald's guards pierced Naru through the heart. Horrified Venus grabbed Naru's granddaughter and tried to run, but the ten year old wriggled out of her grasp and ran straight toward the enemy.
"No!" Venus shouted as the girl was also murdered. Venus clutched her henshin wand tightly and closed her eyes, transporting herself far away from the Osako house hold.
"I've been on the run ever since" Manoko explained. Diana smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry" She said. "You went through so much for the royal family"
"I'd do it again in a heart beat" Manoko said. "I'll always miss Chibi-Usa running around the palace, or her own children crawling up my legs" She sighed.
"What did you do with your henshin wand?" Diana asked.
"I put it away for safe-keeping" Manoko replied. "Just incase I need it again" She laughed bitterly. "I doubt it though" She glanced at the clock.
"I have to go to the grocery store, before they close" She said. Manoko stood up and went to get her card. When she got it out of the wallet, she frowned, wishing she didn't have to use it, However all inhabitants of Crystal Tokyo were required have one. The card was silver with a black moon on it. If a citizen didn't have one, they couldn't purchase food, or neccesary items. Every job put money onto the card. If you refused a card, you couldn't even work. Manoko shook her head sadly, and took her car keys off the hook.
"I'll see you when I get back" she said softly. Diana gave a little nod and Minako went out to start up her car. As she headed to the store, she wondered what had become of her life.