Author's Note:
Welcome to my first Sailor Moon fanfic! This story will cover the season 2 Black Moon Clan arc with additional plots of my own creation. This story will introduce one main OC along with several other secondary OCs.
A fair warning: I will deviate from some arcs, skip episodes, and change dialogue to make this story. It can't really be fanfic if I just basically rewrite season 2.
Hope you all enjoy it!
"Watch where you're going!" A seemingly enraged girl called after a boy who had bumped into her because he'd been too engulfed in a gray book. "Not even an answer!" the girl scowled but sighed after a moment.
There was a light pitter-patter beside her and when the girl looked down she found a purple cat beside her. The stark golden crescent moon on the cat contrasted with her dark fur.
"Luna, remind me again why I'm the only one who got to remember Sailor Moon, the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask existed?" the girl asked, huffing as if she were still angry about it. Now, it became more of a mystery.
"Because you, Azula, are exceptionally different," Luna articulated with refined elegance.
The girl, Azula, shot the cat a look. "You're sticking to that because you still haven't figured it out, either, huh?"
"Eh," Luna gave a tilt of her head.
Azula shook her head and watched after her friend, or rather ex-friend, Mamoru, who never even noticed her. A month ago Sailor Moon, or Usagi, had made everyone forget that the Sailor Scouts had existed. No one remembered any attacks from the Dark Kingdom. The scouts themselves didn't remember they were Sailor Scouts reincarnated. Usagi Tsukino didn't remember she had been a princess in her previous life. No one remembered anything...except for Azula Keena.
Azula had been a close friend of the scouts because she had managed to find out their identities. She proved herself useful with her tech abilities and quickly became a strong asset for them despite not having powers like them. One year older than them had her situated in the same school as Mamoru Chiba, although she was a year younger than him. They were friends, had been, but now he didn't remember her. In fact, he didn't remember anyone, not even Usagi who had been his grand love from a previous life.
But despite everyone losing their memories, Luna, Artemis, and Azula remembered everything. The memory wipe was not efficient with Luna and Artemis but neither had an explanation as to why Azula remembered as well. Fact was she shouldn't have. It was impossible. Yet here they were. Since then, Azula tasked herself with making sure there were no more enemies to deal with since Sailor Moon and the Scouts were out of commission. But she also tasked herself to simply look after everyone even if they didn't notice it.
"I may not be one of their scouts but I think I'm a guardian," Azula said confidently as she and Luna walked down a street after school. "A silent guardian."
"Job's taken, I'm afraid," Luna said quietly but Azula still heard and gave the cat a curious look.
"Luna, exactly how many scouts are there? Usagi made it look like it was only her, Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako. But I've always been curious if there were more."
"That information is not necessary right now," Luna replied calmly. "So there is no need to even talk about it."
"Hm," Azula smiled to herself and continued walking.
They came across the local arcade of the district and walked in. The teenage boy behind the counter gave her a wave. Motoki was always the type to greet you with a big, wide smile. "Azula, your father said he would be taking a business trip tonight so it's going to be just you and Keiko tonight."
Azula gave a small nod. "Thanks, I'm sure Keiko's gonna love the fact she gets to babysit her dear old step-sister tonight."
He laughed. "Keiko doesn't treat you bad."
"No, she doesn't, I just like teasing her." Azula turned her back and leaned against the counter.
Her father actually owned the arcade - which made it easier to sneak into and use the underneath grounds for their secret Moon base - and he was usually in and out of the house attending to it. Azula's parents had been divorced since she could remember and she had lived with her American mother in America until her passing. At seven years, Azula had been taken in by her father in Japan and was introduced to her step-sister, Keiko Keena. Keiko wasn't actually related to Azula but they didn't care. Both girls had been an only child within their original families and wanted to experience having sisters. And after Keiko's own mother had passed away, Azula's father grew to see Keiko as his own. The were a small, complex family but nonetheless a family.
"Not again!" a girl cried in despair when she lost at the Sailor V game. She dropped her head over the controls, her long blonde hair falling down.
Azula motioned Motoki to watch her school bag for a minute while she went to the crying girl. "Usagi? Let me guess, the computer won? Again?" She laughed.
Usagi Tsukino was no stranger to losing to automated computers. She raised her head for a minute and gave a nod. "It keeps beating me."
"You might wanna try 'beginner'," Azula teased, prompting Usagi to drop her head on the controls again.
"You should be nice to your best customer!" she heard Usagi's muffled voice a second later. Azula looked down at Luna, both amusingly shaking their heads at Usagi.
"C'mon, Usagi, don't you have homework you're going to forget about or something?"
Usagi jumped from her chair like a bed spring. "I HAVE MATH TO DO!"
"There it is," Azula's voice was barely heard beside Usagi's loud shout. The blonde girl scrambled a quick goodbye, not even noticing her own cat, and ran out." Hard to believe she was actually a refined, Moon princess in another life," Azula remarked afterwards. Luna groaned beside her.
After a couple of minutes Azula and Luna left the arcade and were subjected to a sudden heat in the air that hadn't been there earlier. Though it was strange, as it really wasn't time for heat anymore, neither made a comment about it. Instead, Azula opted for a lunch on her own. Luna wasn't surprised by it though since nearly every day, at the exact hour, Minako Aino, Makoto Kino and Mamoru Chiba all ate their lunches, separately, but there. Azula just liked watching them all, even if it was from afar. Fruits Parlor Crown was a nostalgic place.
"There is no rule that you cannot speak to any of them," Luna would say just before Azula walked into the restaurant.
"Usagi wanted to be normal and I'm trying to respect that. Everyone wanted to be normal. The only reason I talk to her is because you're with me and, well, kinda awkward," Azula sucked in a breath and greeted Motoki's younger sister, Unazuki, the waitress before finding an empty table.
Just like each day she would come in, Azula pretended to do her homework while she ate. This was the only times where she could more or less learn what went on with her friends without actually talking to them. She knew it was probably strange but she really didn't want to compromise their memories. She already carried the burden of remembering everything that happened and, while Luna and Artemis did keep up at the base, she felt like it was her responsibility to be on the look out for anything potentially dangerous. She was the person, after all, that remembered everything - that had to count for something right? She wasn't just like any ordinary person.
"What's...that…?" Unazuki's voice pulled Azula from her mathematics book. The young girl was pointing at the glass window where they all saw a black cloud literally floating.
Azula's eyes widened in alarm, and frankly fear. She got up from her chair and stared in bewilderment as the cloud floated past the cafe in broad daylight. Everyone else in the cafe were doing the same thing.
Luna rushed out the door without even warning Azula.
"Luna!" cried Azula before running out herself. Her red, flaming hair bopped as she hurried down the stairs to get to the street.
There was a loud scream down the street and it was of course due to the black puff of cloud. It had captured someone, apparently, and had everyone else around running away from it. Azula skidded to a halt and gasped at the sight. The black cloud, which now began to look more like a shadow, had entangled a young woman with black thunder that kept the woman still, but in pain.
"I need the Shadow Crystal!" the purple-black cloud demanded.
"It talks?" Azula was frazzled but Luna skipped that part and went on to the concern stage.
"Somebody's got to help her!"
Azula turned sideways to find Makoto a couple inches behind her. From further behind Azula spotted Minako and Mamoru apart from each other. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"
"We're going to have to call Usagi!" Luna warned Azula, but both knew that even if they did do that Usagi would not get there in time to save the poor woman.
The victim screamed as something was pulled right from her chest: a shining white crystal with freckles of gold.
"A white crystal!?" went the black shadow, obviously angry at the results. "You have wasted Senka's time, puny human!" the black thunder around the woman vanished and the woman dropped to the ground. The white crystal slowly lowered until it returned to the woman's body. "I shall try another one!" and the cloud suddenly moved in the direction of Azula.
"Luna I don't suppose you could grant me temporary powers…?" Azula took a step back.
"I'm afraid not…" and Luna truly lamented it. She was sure Azula would have made a fine Sailor Scout.
"Yeah…" Azula gulped.
"Halt!" went a new, feminine voice that froze the cloud for a moment. "You shall not go any further!"
Azula, and the others, followed the voice up to the top of a parked truck across the street. There stood a woman with long, straight brown hair and stark, golden eyes. She was dressed in a long-sleeved body suit tucked underneath a pleated, light brown skirt with golden hemlines and matching short, golden boots with light, brown laces. The top part of the body suit exposed her middle with light, brown thick strings running across. There was a golden jewel piece going around her forehead, reminding Azula of the tiaras the Sailor Scouts wore, only this one had a golden sphere at the center. It matched the golden sphere necklace around her neck.
While everyone stared in awe, Mamoru felt a sharp jab at the side of his head.
Young Prince Endymion had wandered from the castle and came across a lonely field of almost dry grass. It was strange because as far as he knew everything on Earth was full of life and cared for. Something was wrong.
He stepped over the long weeds and keenly looked around for anything more suspicious. Suddenly, he crashed into a wall - an invisible wall. He had to shake his head just to see if it had been his own illusion. He reached out and came across a wall, indeed, that rippled upon his touch.
"Halt," a female voice commanded.
Endymion turned to find a woman, similar in age to him at least by appearance. Long, straight, brown hair billowed in the wind that wasn't there a minute ago. Dressed in shades of gold and light brown, she held out a golden sword towards him.
"You must not pass," she warned. Endymion looked around just to make sure the woman was talking to him and not someone who perhaps followed him. His generals were no stranger to doing that. "Yes, prince, I am speaking to you," the woman read his thoughts and gave a small smile. "I know who you are, and I know you must be very confused but I cannot allow you to get any further."
"Who are you?" Endymion finally found his voice and began to demand. He knew every possible fighter in the Kingdom and he had never seen the woman before.
The woman lowered her weapon and got down on one knee. "I am Sailor Hemera, an honorary Shadow scout of light and day, protector of the barrier between the Earth Kingdom and the Shadow kingdom."
"The...Shadow kingdom…?"
Sailor Hemera's golden eyes raised up to the Prince. "The Shadow Kingdom led by Queen Nyx and her daughter, Princess Reign."
Could that be the same woman he just saw? And if so, why had he seen that vision all of a sudden? Mamoru wasn't sure, but he definitely wasn't leaving now.
"Step away from the nice girl or suffer the consequences," the mysterious woman ordered calmly of the shadow.
The shadow cackled. Apparently, the woman had been funny. "And just who do you think you are little girl?"
The woman, who seemed young in appearance, regarded the shadow with pure disdain. She somersaulted off the truck and landed gracefully on her feet. "An honorary Guardian of Shadow, I am the Sailor Scout of Day and Light! I am...Sailor Hemera!"
"A Sailor Scout!?" Azula nearly fell backwards. Luna too was gaping.
"You are from Shadow?" the cloud, Senka, suddenly grew interested.
"And you are from the Shadow Dominion, are you not?" Sailor Hemera raised her head. "I knew there was a reason why I was awakened. You want the Shadow Crystal, don't you?"
"I am Senka, created by the Trinity Guardians. I am the Queen of the Shadow Dominion and I will find my Shadow Crystal!"
"The Shadow Crystal was never yours!" Sailor Hemera reached to her forehead where the golden circle suddenly sprouted headband fabric, forming a clean, clear headband altogether around her head. "Glimmering boomerang attack!" she flung the tiara towards Senka.
"Watch out!" Makoto had yanked Azula backwards as the boomerang whipped in the area. Azula nearly fell back if Minako hadn't rushed up to help keep her steady.
The boomerang went right through Senka but she groaned like it had actually hurt her. Gold power swirled within her shadow form for a couple of seconds. "I am not strong yet!" Senka cried and vanished into thin air.
Sailor Hemera caught her golden boomerang and easily placed it back on her forehead.
"I-is she gone?" Azula asked just as Sailor Hemera turned to leave.
"Yes, but she wasn't defeated. Senka will return and look for the Shadow Crystal again."
"What is that? A-and who are you?"
"Sailor Hemera," Mamoru spoke before the woman could. Everyone turned to look at him but he was busy staring at Sailor Hemera herself. She seemed startled by his determination that it was her. No human should have that much recognition of her and yet here was this one…
"You should all be careful," Sailor Hemera warned deeply and made her getaway.
Makoto and Minako went to see how the victim was doing but Azula remained in her spot unable to do anything. She looked down at Luna who was just as concerned as she was, then they both glanced at Mamoru. He had remembered? No...that couldn't be it. But then why was he staring at the Sailor Scout the way he was?