Since the episode titles I've given each chapter are longer than can fit in the fanfic chapter titles, I'm gonna try and give each chapter two different titles. A long episode title, the kind you'd find in a typical Japanese Anime, and a shorter one, more like the dubbed version of Sailor Moon titles. So don't be too confued with the chapter titles. Anyway speaking of chapters, here's the next one...enjoy!
~In this world, there exists two types of souls: those that are sustained through a pure heart and able to guide themselves to through the outerworld. We can equate these souls to the majestic shooting stars of our cosmos.
However there are also those whose souls are deprived of a heart, unable to sustain themselves without feasting upon others – forever hungering the satisfaction of a heart – but never able to fill the dark void which tears through their chest each and every waking moment. They are the black holes of our galaxy, consuming the stars and all in its path.
...But some posses a hunger far greater than a mere human could withstand...It is this immense yearning for fulfilment which drives some of the darkest forces to plague their misery on earth...It is these forces which the Sailor Senshi must thwart in order to save those of pure heart...and to save the very earth itself from becoming a Hollow's Domain...~
Sailor Moon B
Episode 1: Siege on Usagi's House!? The Hollow Threat Appears!
~/~/~
Amongst the cold moonlit streets, a fresh breeze suddenly cast over, throwing and carrying papers and leaves in the air. The breeze grew more fiercer and more concentrated as though a tiny tornado or whirlwind was developing, if anyone with keen observation was watching this strange weather phenomena, they'd almost think they were watching the space within the whirlpool distort and twist in illogical ways.
They would think they were hallucinating, or going insane as they watched the space literally tear apart before them. But they would in fact be very sane, for that was exactly what was happening as a small black space expanded – or rather – unzipped in the quiet Tokyo neighbourhood.
A black boot stepped outside of the dimensional void, tapping down on the asphalt. Her other foot followed, wearing black boots which rose up to her thighs. The remainder of her attire, what little of it there was anyway, was completely white with a hint of black outlining her tunic. She looked just like any ordinary schoolgirl with black pigtails not near as long as Usagi's. However unlike most ordinary schoolgirls, or humans for that matter, she had what looked like a disfigurement or bone-like growth around her left eye and climbing up her forehead – where her left eye would otherwise reside was a black empty space as dark as the zip-like tear she had stepped out of.
With a fanged grin, she held her hands to her hips as she observed the small, clustered blocks of dwellings which she had arrived to from whichever universe she may have come all this way for.
"Wow...So this is what the World of the Living looks like? Well at least I got to see this crummy place for myself eh?" She twirled her head back towards the void to seek agreement with whoever else might have emerged from that dark tear in space. "Eh? Hey!? Where the hell are ya?"
"Coming Master..." A deep, raspy voice responded. The next figure's shadow took up the entire void, with long spiny arms and legs, much more inhuman in form than his smaller counterpart.
"Honestly, a pet rat would be more obedient and intelligent than you."
"Sorry Master." It rasped again. "Shall I get to eat something tonight? I'm so hungry..."
"Soon enough boy." She rolled her eyes back to it before she focused her glance on one particular house which sparked her curiosity. "I'll fetch ya a soul for dinner soon enough, hehe..."
~/~/~
Ikuko Tsukino left another tray of dinner at her daughter's door. After setting the tray down, she tapped on her daughter's door lightly,breathing against it as she spoke. "Usagi, will you please eat something tonight? I understand how you're feeling right now but you haven't eaten anything for a week now."
Ikuko tugged her apron as she choked back tears for her daughter. "Please open that door and talk to your mother sweetheart. I can't bear to let you suffer alone like this anymore."
"Mum." But a young boy's hand reached for her mother, shaking his head.
"Shingo..." In the end, the mother consoled with her son, wrapping her arms around the boy as the poor bunny rabbit Usagi wept alone in her room.
~/~/~
"Yep. This looks like a perfect place for a Great Soul to hide," Loly stabbed a finger towards the otherwise unsuspecting and ordinary house. "Go get 'em Fishbone D!"
"Yes Master I'll enjoy every drop of human soul mwehehe!"
~/~/~
It was impossible to tell whether this room was the room of a happy, innocent, ordinary girl. It was so dark and cold, it appeared more like a dungeon than any place hospitable for comfortable human habitation. But on that tear-soaked bed, wearing her sailor school uniform on top of ruffled sheets; clutching a framed picture of herself with her late boyfriend and future daughter Chibiusa, was Usagi, the former guardian of lover and justice.
"Mamo-cha-a-n..." she dragged out her lover's nickname as more of her tears splashed across the picture frame, soaking Mamoru's face and sliding down towards a future daughter that would no longer be born. "Mamo-chan..." She sobbed out his name again as if trying to reach that man in the picture. "I miss you so much Mamo-chan...Why did you have to leave me again?"
Usagi had barely made it through Mamoru's previous long absence. He had promised to contact her when he was overseas but was never able to. He managed to return in her arms on that occasion. Usagi just couldn't wait that long for her Mamo-chan to return from this other long trip. Unlike, his last trip, this one only came with a one-way-ticket. Usagi was too mature to believe such naive fairy tales anymore.
Mamo-chan was gone. And he was never coming back.
Usagi didn't want to fight for, let alone live, in a world without him. All she had left of his memory was this picture. She just wanted to hold onto that lasting memory before she too would eventually join him. Locked in her room as if cast away from the everyday world, without food, she would eventually wither away into a ribbon and be carried away by the wind to the heavens where Mamoru was waiting for her with his signature red rose.
Perhaps this was fortunate then that someone wanted to guide her there sooner than expected.
The smashing of her window brought Usagi to her feet. With a gasp, she looked past the curtains and discovered something not quite human or animal clutching someone in its enlarged hands. Someone with blue hair and wearing an apron, just liker her-
"Mama!" Usagi cried out to her Mum as she struggled in the mysterious monster's grip.
"Usagi! Run away! Don't let it get you next!" She braced her hands against the monster's fingers, trying desperately to escape. But it was utterly hopeless against a hand the size of her torso and she fainted from both shock and exhaustion.
"MUM!" A frightened young boy went outside only to serve as the monster's next victim.
"Shingo!" Usagi cried out er little brother's name as he too was caught in the monster's devilish grasp.
"Hehehe I can't wait any longer!" The monster drooled with a mouth wide enough to almost divide his white capped head in two. "Itadaki-"
"Wait just one minute you impatient pig!" A girl in a white tunic walked over towards the monster, pulling down a pair of black gloves on each hand. "I've gotta check their souls first."
Usagi was horrified to see a young girl walking right up to the monster. "Don't go there! He'll eat you!"
Drawn to the high pitched squeals of Usagi, Loly looked up at her window with a wicked grimace. Licking her tongue she hissed, "Little miss Princess, stuck in her tower. You remind me of the type of girl I hate so damn much!"
"Wait!"
But before she could listen to Usagi's pleas any further, the black pigtailed girl rammed both her hands inside of Ikuko's chest; water like ripples formed where the hands drove through her unconscious body as she pulled something out of Ikuko's chest.
It was none other than another Ikuko, connected by a long steel chain to the original.
Usagi held her mouth in shock whilst Loly inspected and studied the other Ikuko, checking even underneath her shirt for anything. With a grumble of indifference she tossed Ikuko away, letting her bounce on the ground as her chain draped over her body. "Lemme see the boy now."
She performed the same strange method, plucking out Shingo from – er, Shingo, before inspecting the body and discarding it within a matter of seconds. "Bzzzt, looks like we had a hit-and-miss on our first night."
With the monster almost roasting in his own saliva, Loly petted its nose before she drew a long sigh. "Alright boy you can eat 'em now."
As if telling a child they could dunk their head in the cotton candy machine, the hideous monster smiled blissfully as he produced a grossly large tongue, licking his lips (or the monster equivalent) in delight. "Hehehe, thank you Master Loly, I'll think of you while enjoying my meal."
"Eww, don't say things like that, you disgusting freak!" She turned away, luckily dodging a huge ball of saliva as the monster let his jaw drop and make room for the two course meal: 'human with a garnish of chains'.
"Itadaki-
"MARS...FLAME SNIPER!"
The monster's mealtime was rudely interrupted by a sudden fireball to the chest. Still gripping the pair of twin bodies, he sniffed around for the source of that attack.
"JUPITER...OAK EVOLUTION!"
"GAGH! Who's poking me with their Kido?"
"You filthy monster, unhand those two now!" With their shadows stretched across the street battlefield, four dazzling female warriors stood before the moon's grace, facing their enemy. "In the name of the Moon, we shall punish you!"
"Uwehehe, they look kinda delicious too." The monster salivated.
"Grr. How can these girls even see us? We should be invisible to all humans." Loly cursed as the four sailor fuku clad warriors of the Solar System made their debut.
"Sailor Mars!"
"Sailor Jupiter!"
"Sailor Venus!"
"And Sailor Mercury!"
"-Shall all stop you!"
"Cheh. What preppy little upstarts these girls are," Loly disregarded them. "Hurry up and take care of them for me Fishbone D."
"Mwehehe...Sure thing Master Loly."
"Why do you think that thing calls her master?" Sailor Venus pondered for a moment before narrowly evading a monster sized fist as it smashed through the road.
"That brat over there must control the monster." Sailor Mars tried to answer Venus' question as she strafed away from another swinging fist and prepared another Flame Sniper attack.
The flame arrow barely scorched the beast as it ricocheted off its shoulder. "No! It didn't wo-ARGH!" Sailor Mars cried in pain as she was swatted by the beast's other hand, flying across the street until she impacted a brick wall.
"Sailor Mars!" Sailor Jupiter bunched her fists as she swore to avenge her injured comrade. "JUPITER...OAK EVOLUTION"
"Bwehehe! That little attack again eh?" Fishbone D taunted the muscle of the Sailor Senshi.
"Crap! Not even my Oak Evolution can damage him." Jupiter cursed as she rolled away from another rogue fist.
"Lemme try." Sailor Venus blew the monster a kiss as she went for her attack. "VENUS...LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"
The chain of love hearts however did little to sway the monster as he continued his advance. "Anymore little party tricks you tasty girls wanna show me?"
"I have to try..." The coolheaded Sailor Mercury was the last one up to the task of taking on the monster as she flayed out a hand, gathering streams of water. "MERCURY...AQUA RHAPSODY!"
"BWAHAHA! Thanks, miss, I needed a shower before Dinnertime!" Mercury, as with the other sailor Senshi, was quite devastated to find her attack had little to no effect either.
Stunned by their ineffective attack, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury were mere bowling pins for Fishbone D as he knocked them down one-by-one.
"AGH!"
"UNGH!"
"OW!"
"Alright, stop playing with your food and finish 'em off!" Loly gestured as though looking at a watch. "I hate walking around in this filthy World of the Living!"
"Sure thing Master"
"STOP!" Usagi burst out of her front door and tackled her pigtailed rival to the ground. "LEAVE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALONE!"
Looking into the blonde crybaby's eyes made Loly smile tormentingly at first, but then a flash of memory sparked her reaction to change into something far more violent as she slapped the poor bunny girl Usagi in the face.
"DAMN I HATE YOU CRYBABY PRINCESS TYPES SO MUCH!" with her face twisted into something close to a monster herself, she dusted herself off and commanded her pet monster. "FISHBONE D! EAT THIS GIRL RIGHT NOW! SCREW FINDING THE GREAT SOUL, JUST RIP THAT STUPID FACE FROM HER BODY ALREADY!"
"Gehe...I've sure been spoilt tonight." Strolling over, he reached out with a careful hand, not wanting to accidentally kill his prey before he could gobble her up.
"USAGI!" Sailor Mars' called out, too injured to save her friend.
"NO!" Sailor Mercury, cried out as the monster lifted Usagi by the back of her uniform.
"Dammit, if only I could-" Jupiter cursed her weakness as she could only watch the horrid scene carry out.
"Usagi! You've gotta do it! It's the only chance we have to stop him!" Venus called out in a last ditch attempt to save her friend becoming monster chow. "Hurry up and transform!"
"I-I" But Usagi's hesitation only drew her closer to the monster's mouth and her coffin. She could feel his warm pungent breath coming from his mouth and could hear the squishiness of his saliva forming and trailing down his teeth like stalagmites. The other Sailor Senshi couldn't understand why she was hesitating to transform. Why wasn't she transforming into Sailor Moon?
"I-I'It's alright..."
The four Sailor Senshi all gasped as a weak smile grew on Usagi's lips. "What do you mean it's alright?" Mars cried. "You're gonna die if you don't-"
"It's alright. I'll get to see Mamo-chan again soon."
"USAGI NO!"
The only thing that may have saved the Usagi who had lost all hope, was a voice from atop a powerline. "So they managed to bring you back from the smouldering ashes Fishbone D?"
"HAGH!" The Monster looked up from his meal rather annoyed
"What!?" The four Senshi looked up as well and found another small raven-haired girl, only this one seemed draped in darkness, much the opposite of Loly's attire.
"Ooh! I thought we had wiped all you guys out too!" Fishbone laughed oafishly as he returned to his raw bunny treat. "Anyway I'm so hungry so lemme just-"
"GETSUGA...TENSHOU!"
Everyone apart from the girl on the powerline was shocked when a blue crescent shaped wave of energy tore its way along the road and sliced off the monster's arm, leaving Usagi in a freefall. But just before she could hit the hard earth a dark blur appeared and caught her in his arm.
"Wha-What's going on!?" Flustered by the sudden cushioned landing, she looked up and blushed as she stared directly into a fiery orange haired boy's eyes. They were narrow and cold on the surface, but he owned a gentle smile.
"Hope you're okay, we'll take care of that Hollow."
"Who are you?"
Letting her down on her feet, the orange haired boy smiled and pionted a thumb at his chest. "I'm just a regular substitute Shinigami that's all."
"Enough chit-chat, my tastebuds are driving me crazy!" The so-called 'Hollow' raised his other arm ready to strike again.
"This kinda feels like deja vu." The orange haired kid mentioned as something long and shimmering came into view. Usagi now realised the reason he caught her with one arm was because of what he was holding – or rather wielding – in his other hand; a giant sword, possibly as large as herself. Thick at the base, it narrowed into a slender and sharp tip at the end. "But no time for sentimentals."
"Watch out!" Usagi cried out as the monster swiped at the boy's legs, but he had already leapt in the air, clearing the entire hand as it swept through dust and air.
Whilst in the air, he raised his sword and with a heavy growl slashed down , leaving a blue trail of light from the head to the groin of the beast.
It didn't even look as though he cut deep, yet a clear black vertical line was emerging from the monster's body as he screamed and divided in two. Just before the two halves could hit the ground his entire body decayed into black dust.
The defeated Loly cursed as she made her way back inside the inter-dimensional void. "I'll have to report this to 'him' now. Great..." her curses trailed off further as the dark void was finally sealed up again and almost everything had returned to normal.
Stressing the 'almost' part.
"How did you manage to stop that...thing all on your own?" Sailor Mars limped over with the others, all surprised at the boy – who looked to be about their age - and impressed with his ability. "You could really help us fight whoever or whatever that thing was."
"You girls seem to be way out of your league here." The black-cloaked girl swooped down next to the boy; she also looked to be around their age. "That thing was a Hollow, and ordinary humans can't see it, let alone fight it."
"But we're no ordinary humans either." Sailor Jupiter stepped forward in defence of the others. "We're the Sailor Senshi!"
"Sailor 'what' now?" The boy raised an eyebrow.
"Don't worry about it." But the girl grabbed his shoulder (it was quite a reach for her!) and took him away. "Just don't bother getting involved with this sort of thing again, or we might not be able to stop your souls getting eaten."
"Whadd'ya say short-stuff!" Sailor Jupter had to be held back by the others as she threw a fist in the air ready to pound that raven-haired girl like dough.
"Only Shinigami like us can take on a Hollow, that's all you need to know." And with that the mysterious pair vanished melted into the darkness of night.
Meanwhile, Usagi just sat on the ground, mesmerised and confused at her rescuers. A Substitute Shinigami...?
~/~/~
As the Shinigami duo hopped along the rooftops and telegraph poles of Juuban, the orange haired boy turned to his accomplice. "Oi Rukia, Don't you think you should have used that memory wiper on the Dumpling head girl?"
The raven-haired Rukia pondered her error. "I should have, but I still sensed some reiatsu from those other four girls. I don't think they would have let me perform a memory erase so easily."
"She probably won't bother us again anyway." The boy surmised as they continued dashing across the rooftops.
"Those four girls could make our Hollow hunts difficult though, Kurosaki Ichigo."
Minako: Wait, we've got a boy AND girl tranferring in our class!?
Usagi: Wow that boy has orange hair!
Minako: Don't you see how scandalous this is though?
Usagi: What?
Minako: *Sigh* I guess you're still too immature to understand, Usagi.
Usagi: Hey! I might be a crybaby but I'm not a complete airhead!
Minako: Yeah-yeah.
Next time on Sailor Moon B: "Transfer Couple! Usagi's New Interest!?"
~The Moonlight carries the message of love~