(A/N) I'm back with another part of my post-Stars trilogy. It's not essential to read My Secret Muse or A New Awakening before this, but there are some references to those stories. So if you want to hop over to those, this story will be waiting when you return. This story mainly follows the same primary ones as before (Mamoru, Usagi, Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, Makoto, and Seiya), with everyone else mixed in.
As this builds on the events post Stars Arc, it does have darker tones than the previous stories. If you're a Mamoru lover, this may not be the story for you.
(A/N) I do not own Sailor Moon.
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The Senshi paused as they arrived on the scene, looking at the dark figures as they clambered over each other. A dark collection of them was in the distance, with a growing number seemingly retreating from something. Venus squinted as she searched for what was worth pushing each other down to escape, trying to assess the danger before any of the Senshi proceeded further. They were alerted that a rather large collection of insurgents gathered at Tokoyo Tower, and experience drove them to respond quickly.
The insurgents were simple people in their garb, consisting a sticky, oily substance that coated them. Mere humanoid figures dipped in oil. They had periodically changed since Endymion attempted to purify the world with the golden crystal, the essence mutating them even further the more they resisted the control of the Golden Crystal.
It was difficult to tell when any of the rebels would attack. Some even appeared human before suddenly rejecting the Golden Crystal, lashing out violently. Those were the lucky ones in which Sailor Moon could heal one at a time.
No one was clear when everything had changed. The Earth Prince and the Moon Princess had started as allies, but now a blurred line could join them on the same side. They had very different opinions on what to do with the rebels. Sailor Moon had attempted a large-scale purification of an entire rebel army when they first exposed their size, leaving the Silver Crystal drained of power. It had never been used with such force, and now it was exhausted.
"I've never seen so many," Jupiter mouthed as they looked down on the collective army of insurgents moving away from the proclaimed stronghold of the Golden Kingdom.
"There!" Venus called as she spotted what the rebels were avoiding. Standing on the lowest platform of the tower, the light-colored suit and unmistakable lavender cape floated in the breeze as explosion after explosion was launched toward the fleeing beings.
"Should we defend the tower?" Jupiter shrugged as the rebels snarled at the figure watching over the mob.
The thought was interrupted as Endymion raised his fist, and a shower of what Jupiter would call super-sized La Smoking Bomber attacks rained down as the crowd retreated. Her stance changed as the mob headed in their direction.
The Senshi held their positions, careful not to add to the chaos the mixture of people as they fled the attacks. The rebels were against the rule of the Golden Cystal, but they had made it clear they didn't plan on answer to the silver Cystal either. It was like the Black Moon Clan all over again, but this time without a planet Nemisis to exile them.
One approached too close for Uranus' liking, the wind warrior jumped from his path before giving a quick chase she caught up to him. The blonde greeted him with a kick to the abdominal area. They had no discernible ears or nose, but they did have eyes of varying colors and a grotesque parody of a mouth. They were intelligent and could communicate, as this enemy demonstrated as it caught Uranus' fist in one of its grotesque hands.
"Poor little solider," the rebel taunted. "So far from the hive. Tell me, where is your queen now?" Uranus released a growl, a fury of kicks landing on the rebel in an attempt to free her hand. "You have such a hot temper. Uncontrolled body, all to protect your queen. You're not fighting. You're feeling."
A sudden flash of teal swiped her vision, a hard kick landing on the monster's side, freeing her hand. "I hope you felt that," Neptune scowled.
The being groaned in pain, but with envious agility, he swept his legs, robbing Neptune of her stability. Uranus lept at the opportunity, landing on the monster as she pinned it to the ground.
"Why do you choose to become this pathetic form?" Uranus grunted, the question not wholly formed in her mind before it escaped her lips. The rebel blinked its scarlet colored eyes, seemingly to approve of her curiosity.
"We are not slaves," he answered with the angry hiss of a cat. "There was nothing wrong with us. Why try to fix us?"
Uranus blinked as she considered the answer, giving the enemy a chance to throw her from her guard. He squared with her, their fist raised to chest height.
"The King's glow is so frigid." He added as he swung at the blonde senshi. "We just want to feel warm again."
Interesting.
"You can be warm if you accept Sailor Moon's power," Uranus frowned. "Why are you fighting her besides the power of the Gold Crystal?"
"Sailor Moon is weak."
Uranus frowned, and her strength quickly returned. She stepped back, her hand raised as if she was going to power up for an attack. He promptly fell for it, lunging at the warrior, who was ready delivering kick and a quick punch with precision. As he leaned forward in pain, she gave a sharp hit with her elbow at the back of his neck, the rebel falling to the ground.
"Sailor Moon is not weak," she hissed before quickly moving to where Neptune was raising to her feet, helping her partner to steady herself.
She had thought Sailor Moon to be weak once before, but after seeing the sacrifices she made to protect this planet, her opinion irrevocably changed.
"We need to report back to headquarters," Venus called as she watched the last rebels carried off into the darkness. "They are becoming more bold. It may be necessary to enter into talks with King Endymion once more."