Chapter IV

A Knight Arises In The Mist Of Battle

"You called for me." The cloaked man spoke in his raspy voice to the middle aged man who he called his master.

"You failed to retrieve any of the soul stones." The man answered, anger appearing in his deep voice.

"The soldiers have gained a new power, they took me by surprise. It will not happen again." It had been the first time this assassin has ever failed.

"I warned you those soldiers would interfere, they are the only reason that the others of the past could not do what I am trying to do. If you would stop failing!" he raised his voice to the assassin.

The assassin backed down a little before, "I offer you no excuse, this time I will get what I am after."

"I've chosen your next target…" the man pulled out a photo of a young girl. "Do not fail me assassin."

The assassin bowed and watched in silence as his master left in the cover of the trees. The moon still rising high into the clear night sky. Barely a cloud to cover the stars. "I'll shall find the five soul stones master."

Kiaoh and Tenoh manor

Taiyou stepped out of the shower, the funeral was today. She didn't want to go but knew she had too, "Haruka won't be able to come." She said aloud more to no one. She pulled on a black button up shirt and some black suit pants she borrowed from Haruka. Brushing her hair back and tying off her pony tail she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was looking paler then normal but then again she was attending a funeral. Glancing down at the heir loom her mother gave her, it was the only thing she had left. She picked up the chain and put it on around her neck, tucking it in under her shirt. She would wear it always like she promised. Taking one last glance at herself she turned leaving the steamy bathroom behind. She descended the stairs as young Hotaru came running around the corner then disappearing in the next room. Taiyou smiled it was still good to see innocents when she knew what darkness laid just outside in the world. She bent down picking up her dress shoes she also had to borrow from Haruka, and put them on. The funeral was to start in a hour, she didn't want to stay longer then she had too. Haruka came around the corner seeing her sitting on the stairs, "I'll be here when you get back."

Taiyou looked up at her older sister, "Wish you could be there, but then again…." She trailed off. Haruka sat down beside her, "She forgives you little wolf."

Taiyou smiled, "You hadn't called me that since….well since father…." She didn't want to say it.

"Since father disowned me?" more statement then question.

"He asked me to join him, when you were in the room with mom. He asked me to come back and take my place as head of the Tenoh line."

'I hope you told him no."

"Of course I told him no." she gave Haruka a disbelieving look, like how could you think I would say yes. Taiyou stood up as Haruka's gaze followed her, "Just go say your good byes and come back here." Haruka told her.

Taiyou eyes started watering, "I know you feel the same thing, the same sadness for losing mom."

Haruka stood up, placing both hands gently on each of Taiyou's arms, "I do, but you were closer to her then I was. I learned to shut them all out, but you hung on to mom."

She wiped her eyes, "I promised I wasn't going to cry, I was going to stay strong. Show no weakness."

"You can't stay strong forever, that's something Michiru taught me."

"I gotta go. I'll be back later, promise." Taiyou told her older sister, before grabbing her black blazer and heading out. "Hey take the viper." Haruka said after her throwing her the keys.

"Thanks."

She got into the yellow viper, as it roared to life she felt the life of the car. She missed the speed, it had been years since she drove this fast, even chasing those bad guys down the streets of New York you couldn't exceed fifty without almost running into another vehicle. How she missed it, she laughed to herself as she opened her up she watched the meter, 60, 70, 90, 100, she loved it. The thrill of the speed, she slowed down as she pulled up to the cemetery. Pulling in beside several BMWs, she got out putting the key's into her pocket. "Well the family is here, great." She said to herself.

"The carpet muncher didn't come with you?" Hiroko came walking up, she was in a strapless black dress, that hugged her body. She pulled up on the dress, as she walked up.

"Don't start with me Hiroko. You know damn well Kiyoshi wouldn't let her come."

"I don't blame him, her kind are a….." in a flash of motion she had Hiroko pushed up against the viper, she had her fore arm pushed across her upper chest.

"You better think twice before finishing that sentence." Taiyou warned her. She came here to honor her mother for both her and Haruka and she be damn if someone is going to say other wise.

"Let her go Taiyou. This isn't how a Tenoh acts in the presence of the dead." A voice she knew all to well told her. She released Hiroko from her grip, turning around she faced her father.

"She needs to keep her mouth shut."

"And as you are the eldest child, she will obey." He sent a warning glance to his fourth eldest child. She bowed down and walked away.

Kiyoshi walked up to Taiyou, straightening her blazer, "Come my daughter lets honor your mother."

That Evening

She sat in sand and watched as the sun slowly made its way to the horizon. Her blazer laid in the white sand next to her, the car parked up on the road behind her. Tears streaming down her face, as the salty air blew softly on her. She just wanted the whole world to disappear, she wanted to go back and tell her mother she was sorry. Sorry that she turned her back on her, sorry that didn't call or even write a letter. But deep inside she knew that wasn't the reason she sat here on the beach nearly a mile from her sister's manor. The funeral went well after her scuffle with Hiroko, but even then she could feel the eyes of her family on her. Her father staying right next to her as if she accepted his offer to rejoin the House of Tenoh of Japan. The priest said the sermon, said the prayers, joined the ritual, and has she watched her father paint her mother's name's on the crypts obelisk. He painted her first name with the black paint, he stepped back as being the eldest and as far as the Tenoh family was concerned she was the only child left, she painted her mother's last name. As she finished she said a little prayer to her mother before moving back to stand by her father. As the priest finished up the sermon she noticed a cloaked man standing about ten yards away from the ceremony. She thought it odd, but didn't think anything more of it considering she was here burying her mother.

After the ceremony was finished everyone left the obelisk and returned to their car. The only one left was the five Tenoh children and their father.

"Hiroko, Zinan, Taro, please leave us." Kiyoshi stated to his children. Taiyou stood there with every bit of dignity she had left, her brother Jiro the eldest of the boys and the son born after she was stood next to her. They were almost dressed just the same but for his tie around his neck and he had a white vest on over his black shirt.

"I want you back, Taiyou. The two of you are next to lead the House, as the eldest daughter and as the eldest son."

"I already told you Kiyoshi, I'm not rejoining the house. I've made my decision." Taiyou told him.

"Hear me out, Taiyou. I'm am willing to forgive these past fifteen years for your betrayal to the house. You will step up as the Matriarch of the Japan House, as your brother will step up as the Patriarch of the Japan House."

She looked at Jiro who remain silent during this exchange. He held his head high showing his pride in accepting this position. She returned her sight to Kiyoshi, "I already told you no. That is my final answer." She told him, as she walked past him.

"You will not survive this war if you walk away from this." He told her. She didn't stop walking.

The whole way back she couldn't help but think of what he meant when he told she wouldn't survive this war. She didn't know what to think or how to even respond. "Hell I just lost my mother. Now all this, the man in the cloak, and now my own father is threatening to kill me." She said aloud, laughing at it all. How in the hell did she get into shit like this. "I need a fucking vacation." She sighed, continuing to watch the sun set. She pulled out her necklace and took it off. She held it up to the light of the sun watching the wind blow it into turning on the chain. It was a pretty crescent moon, she wondered why her mother would tell Haruka it would be hers only to give it to her in the end. She wished her mother was still here to answer those questions.

She lowered her hand as she saw a figure in the corner of her eyes. It was the cloaked man from the ceremony. He was standing there, he face covered by the hood of the cloak. "I have to find the soul stone." His voice raspy as he spoke to the girl. She stood up, fear creeping into her. She didn't understand why, she was a cop for the love of all is holy. He creped up leaving no foot prints in the sand as he proceeded to the girl.

"You have a soul stone." He told her.

She backed up having trouble with the sand beneath her feet, in a flash of movement he was face to face with her. She fell backwards in the sand, she knew a smile crossed his face, to see his prey so helpless.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She managed to say.

"You wouldn't know if you had it, its called a soul stone for a reason." He told her as he bent down to pick her up.

The Kiaoh and Tenoh manor

"Where in the hell is she, she should've been back by now." Haruka spoke out loud as she paced the floor. "I should've gone with her."

"She needed some time to herself, I'm sure she's safe." Michiru replied, watching her love pace the room. Hotaru was sitting beside her, she never seen her father this nervous about anything.

"I knew she should not have gone by herself. Kiyoshi is a very powerful man, he'll do anything to get her back."

"Haruka, I'm sure she's just fine. Relax my love." Michiru spoke calmly as she came to stand in front of her. "Why don't you go out for a run and try to relax."

She watched her love's eyes for a few more seconds before agreeing to it. A few minutes later she was running along the beach highway, when she saw her yellow viper. She stopped by the vehicle and looked down at the beach, she saw the cloaked man holding Taiyou by her throat, she was kicking and punching the best she could but nothing was helping. Haruka pulled out her communicator and alerted Michiru and Hotaru to what was happening. She transformed.

"Let me go, I don't have what you want!" she struggled to say being held by her throat by this man. He didn't respond only lifted his free gloved hand to her throat, she felt something being drawn out of her. Like her energy was being trained, she felt weak and shorten breath. At least till a orange shaped energy blast hit him in the back. He dropped his prey, she coughed trying to catch her breath. She tried to stand to run, but pain shot threw her side as she fell back onto the white sand. The cloaked man turned around making sure his prey wouldn't move to far to fast, he sent a lighting bolt of energy to the soldier.

"Now you will be the first I'll kill." He eyes lit up under the cloak, glowing a orange red color. He looked by at his prey, she was crawling away, but wasn't going anywhere fast. Then in another flash of motion he was right there with Uranus, he had her by the throat, "You will be the first." He told her, as he put his free hand to her stomach and sent the pulse of lightning into her. She screamed in pain as the shock passed threw her. Her transformation began to fade, Taiyou watched as the soldier was helpless against the assassin. When she saw it was Haruka underneath the soldier, she felt anger she hadn't felt since she was eight and had to defend her sister against their family.

"Neptune Tidal Wave Submerge!" a voice yelled as a huge tidal wave appeared like a wall of water smashing into both Haruka and the assassin. Taiyou looked up at where the attack came from, she saw two more of who she didn't know. A aquanette woman in a glowing turquoise costume and another in glowing purple costume. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, holding a hand to her side. Then in a flash of motion the assassin was standing in front of her. "Now you wish to play as well?"

Taiyou looked up where her sister was just attacked, she couldn't see her. "Haruka." She thought, turning her attention back to the cloaked man. He was in front of her facing the other two soldiers. He sent a lighting shot towards them as he moved in a blur of motion, knocking Saturn several yards away, he held on to Neptune.

"No, leave them alone. Haruka, I can't lose you." She told herself, hating that she was so weak against him. The anger growing, knowing he killed her sister.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" she yelled still in the sand. He dropped Neptune, turning back towards her.

"You are no threat to me." He said. He strolled up to her, she crawled on the ground trying to get away.

"You killed her!" she yelled at him.

He bent down to take her again, "No, no, no." she said, still trying to get away. She repeated no, as he reached down to take her throat a light flashed in front of her. It form the shape of a sword, the blade glowed a lunar blue with the end of the handle forming a full moon. The assassin watched the sword, "No, you can't be him, it was suppose to be a male to take the sword!" he yelled.

Not wanting to die like this she reach up and grabbed the hilt of the sword. Bright light formed engulfing Taiyou, the light vanished standing in front of him was the Moonlight Knight. Her hair grew to her knees, glowed a silver white in moon's light. Her eyes midnight blue, the symbol of the moon engraved on the pale white armor. The Lunar sword hung on her back the sheath hidden beneath the pale white cape that now blew side ways in the light breeze. Midnight blue fabric hugged her skin on her arms and legs, stopped only by the pale white gloves and boots that glowed in the moon's light. The cloaked man took a step back, "A male was to take the sword, how?" he was surprised.

"You have killed many innocent people, you will pay for what you've done." She told him, in a flash of movement he went for her. She moved with grace and balance as she moved around him grabbing his cloak and pulling it off of him. He turned around, black tribal marking coving his face, he wore black clothes that resembled the ninja uniform. He made for her again and once more she moved out of his way, grabbing his throat this time around holding him up as he had once held her.

"Why are you after the Soul Stones?"

He didn't say a word, "Then I shall find out myself." She added, in his silence. But as she was bout to finish him off, her hair shorten turning black as coal, her armor turning black with the moon's symbol a blood red. The blue fabric turn blood red as her cape joined the coal color her eyes had turned. She dropped him, "You serve a new master now." She told the groveling assassin. He couldn't believe such power, he would serve this new power.

She bent down in front of him, "Who did you serve before me?"

"I never knew his name or seen his face, my lord."

"Why is he after the soul stones?"

"To awaken the dragon of souls."

She stood up, the assassin still bowed before her. She held her hand out in front of her palm open to the assassin. "I no long need you." With that black transparent wave hit the assassin. He screamed out in pain as he toppled over his dark eyes open to the world.

"You will be stopped!" a young voice told the Moonlight Knight.

She turned around, seeing Saturn's bloody and bruised standing with her silent glaive pointing at her. A smile rose on the Knight's face, "Even in the prime of the Moon Kingdom, you were not even a match for me, Saturn. Now that your in a child's body, you will never be more then a play toy to me." She walked up to the young girl, "You won't betray our queen again."

"Your queen is a joke." She told the young woman.

"Saturn Silence!" Saturn yelled, as a purple planet formed on the end of her silent glaive, she lowered it sending the energy towards the knight. A purple shield form over her immobilizing her, for mere seconds as Saturn tried to see to Neptune who laid unconscious. Saturn looking back up just in time to see the knight break free of the shield, "You will pay for that." The knight calmly told Saturn. She heard moaning from below, Neptune was waking up. Saturn stood back up, protecting the Soldier she call mom for so long. She wasn't afraid to die, she held her silent glaive towards the knight. "Before you kill me, I want to know why you betrayed the Moon Kingdom."

"Queen Beryl's offer was better then what your weak Serenity offered. Once I'm done with you, they will be next." The knight answered, as she held up her hand. The black transparent energy she used on the assassin built on her hand forming a ball of energy. "Say goodbye for the final time." Just as the knight sent the energy towards Saturn a blur of movement someone had grabbed the young soldier and moved her out of the way. The knight looked to where the blur and stopped, standing in front of the Saturn was Uranus. Breathing heavy, she try to stand as though she wasn't injured.

"Taiyou stop this!" she yelled.

The knight laughed, "Taiyou is dead, she died when my power was awakened."

Uranus charged the knight, as fast as the wind took her she appeared in front of the knight. Fist balled and attempt to punch, knight caught her fist in her hand, smiling. "Your just as weak as Saturn." With her left hand caught Uranus by the throat.

"Taiyou don't do this." Uranus struggled to say, "this isn't you."

"Taiyou isn't here anymore." The knight told her.

"You may have betrayed our queen but in the end, you protected her from Beryl's men……." She struggled to breathe. "you protected her so she could use the silver crystal."

The knight didn't say anything, Uranus' transformation faded. The sight of seeing Haruka before her, brought back the life of Taiyou. The knight dropped Haruka, she fell to the ground barely conscious. "This isn't you, your not a murderer." The knight stood watching Haruka. Taiyou grabbed her head, bending over falling to her knees. Haruka placed a hand on her shoulder, "Fight this Taiyou, Mom knew one of us would be a soldier. The other a knight, she told me the day we went to see her."

"I betrayed her like I betrayed our queen. I killed the five Soul chosen."

"You protected her so we could be reborn. Like mom, she forgave you, her daughter Sailor Moon will forgive you."

The darkness the showed on the knight began to fade, "I will make amends." Taiyou spoke up after a few moments, her transformation faded away. She looked up at Haruka, "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't you. Mom said the moonlight knight would awaken, they would awaken evil. It was my duty to make the knight realize they aren't evil."

"Lets get home, I need to call Ami so she can look over Michiru."

Taiyou nodded in agreement.