Azula was very focused on the base's screen in front of her. She was busy constructing a digital timeline that would allow the team to place the important courses of events that were taking place in their city and in the future.

"This is really good, Azula," Luna praised the girl's work with honesty. Azula was always very meticulous about her work and she seemed to excel when it came to the science part of their missions, such as this one.

"Thanks Luna," Azula paused to smile at the cat. "I felt like we needed to see things on the big screen. Timelines are not a joke. We need to follow the right steps if we want things to turn out how they're meant to."

"Unfortunately the Black Moon Clan doesn't share the same views," Luna sighed and rested her head over her paws.

"No, they don't. But right now, they're not the problem." Azula cleared her throat just as the rest of the girls walked into the base. Azula turned on her stool and greeted them with a big smile. "Hey guys. Great job taking down Senka's minion!"

"That thing was creepy," Usagi shivered. "It really makes me scared of my own shadow." Azula playfully rolled her eyes. "Because she is one!"

"Yeah, and she hasn't forgotten about you," Rei said, grim about it. "She really wants to find you and see if you hold the Shadow Crystal."

"And I already said I was down to let her," Azula reminded them all.

"And we said no," Minako flatly said.

"Well anyways, I was busy working on ways to stop Senka," Azula leaned back on her chair. "Koan gave me the idea after talking about the Malefic Crystal."

"Malefic what now?" Makoto scratched her head.

"The Malefic Crystal is what the Black Moon Clan is using as their power source. According to Koan, it's what first attacked Crystal Tokyo before Reign put up the barrier. It's these things," Azula turned her chair back to the computer to bring up an old picture of Koan. She zoomed in on the purple dangling earrings Koan wore in the shape of crystals. "After listening to Koan, I think we could use the Malefic Crystal to bring Senka down."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Rei narrowed her eyes for any dangerous ideas Azula was about to spit out. "We don't even have one of them."

"Yeah, Usagi purified it all out from Koan," Makoto nudged Usagi who groaned at the reminder.

"Well I didn't know!"

"The Malefic Crystal could very well be the Silver Crystal's opposite," Azula explained, "Therefore, if we use it on Senka, we could theoretically cancel out Usagi's shadow in her."

"Oh sure, kill me off first!" the blonde cried.

"I'm sorry, if you have a better idea I'm all for it!"

"I think it could work," Ami spoke up after considering the idea. "We could redirect the energy the Malefic Crystal has and use it to expel one of the Shadows in Senka."

"Yeah, it sounds good but we don't actually have any of the Malefic Crystal," Minako reminded them again.

"Well, Koan did say her sisters would no doubt be coming after us," Azula gazed up at the screen now showing public streets. "We'll just have to wait until they do and then make our move."

"In the meantime…" Makoto had noticed the digital timeline sitting on the screen and became curious of its function, "...you want to tell us what is that?"

Azula beamed at her creation. "This is really cool. Well, at least I think it is!" She put away all unnecessary tabs to give the digital timeline the main focus. "The timeline I set up has all the points that we know must happen in order for the future of Crystal Tokyo to stay the same."

"Why not let some things change?" Usagi wondered. "Maybe by changing something we could fix the future."

"Yeah, or by changing something we could very well be creating what we want to destroy," Azula countered with. "Timelines are a very tricky thing. I say the best thing we could do is just find Reign" — Azula's eyes gazed over the dot that blinked in and out with 'Crystal Tokyo' labeling it on top — "and let her do whatever she needs to. I mean, she founded Crystal Tokyo, right?"

"That's our guess, but even that isn't sure," Minako crossed her arms and sighed. "And it's not like we can ask Chibiusa about it. She's already terrified enough as it is."

"Okay, well, the important thing about this timeline is that it will map out things that we've done, things that we need to do, and the ending."

"That's a lot of things to do," Usagi gazed at the screen with a weary face. They had to find Reign, find Sailor Circe, stop Senka, stop the Black Moon Clan and ensure the Shadow Crystal stayed hidden.

"Yeah…" Azula agreed, though it didn't scare her off. She was up for the challenge and she was sure her friends were too.

~0~

"It's a milkshake," Meroko laughed at Koan who was staring at the pink liquid in front of her with bewilderment. "It's actually not bad, alright?"

Koan took a sip from her milkshake with the funniest face possible. The moment she swallowed - which had been done in a very fearful manner - she hummed with delight.

"See?" Meroko laughed when Koan took more sips. "Asteria had the same reaction!"

Koan saw how the laughter subsided from Meroko's face after mentioning her sister. "Are they still not talking to you?"

Meroko shook her head. "I tend to avoid home now except for sleeping."

Koan understood the feeling. Her sisters had yet to make an appearance after turning human, but Koan was sure they had already seen her and were most likely disappointed in her, if not despising her for it. "I think you have a better chance of making up with your sisters than I do."

Meroko smiled lightly. "I guess we're two peas in a pod when it comes to family problems, huh?"

Koan could only blink at the comparison. "Peas in what?"

Meroko chuckled. "I'll explain later. We should just finish so we can make it to Ami's chess game!"

Koan nodded. She was so relieved that she had found such kind girls who were already treating her like they'd known each other for years. Already Ami had invited her to her chess game — whatever that was — and she was so excited to show some support.

~ 0 ~

If there was something Mamoru hadn't been expecting it was to find Asteria on the other side of his door. The platinum blonde had appeared unexpectedly and was asking for him to return her sister's hair brush. Of all the things to come and ask for...

Mamoru nonetheless allowed the girl in. "You realize I've been using that to get new images of Reign, right?" He checked to see if Emica was around but there was no one else in the hallway.

"Yes, but, Emica believes it's unnecessary to bring you in on Shadow business."

"Hm, and you agree?"

Asteria faced him, showing no emotions whatsoever. "It doesn't matter what I think."

"You haven't talked to Meroko in how many days? And you two live together, share the same room, actually—"

"Can I please just get the brush?" Asteria crossed her arms and motioned him to get going.

Mamoru gave her a disapproving look but went to find the brush. "You know, Meroko was a bit difficult in the beginning too. She kidnapped Azula and forced me to remember everything about my past." He opened up a drawer from the television furniture piece. "She had it all wrong too. She wanted to work alone but she ultimately saw that there are some things that can't be done alone." He turned around and held out Meroko's hairbrush. "Emica is wrong if she thinks otherwise. And I know you think so too."

Asteria snatched the hairbrush from his hand. "It doesn't matter what I think," she snapped. "Sailor Circe isn't around so that leaves Emica in charge of our team."

"And that makes her automatically right?"

Asteria didn't like her customs being challenged, especially when she had so little to fight back with. "I'm not in charge. I know my place and I wish Meroko would remember too."

"Change isn't a bad thing, you know. Meroko learned from Usagi and the others that being a Sailor Guardian didn't mean being the boss and following orders."

"It's our customs. I'm no one to change them."

And yet Mamoru could see Asteria was desperate to. "I know Reign would want them to. She would never be okay with two sisters - three sisters - to be so divided when they're meant to be on the same team."

"Well, Princess Reign isn't here to say it," Asteria said quietly and thanked him for the hairbrush before leaving.

~0~

At the local chess game - which provided the best way to open the brand new Chess Tower for the city - the girls gathered for Ami's game. Since there were no more seats, they lingered by the entrance upstairs but they still had a perfect view of the screens showing the chess players.

"It looks like Ami is a shoe in for the final round," Azula remarked first after watching the scoreboard notify of Ami's latest win. She was moving up, up, and fast too.

"GO AMI! GO AMI!" Usagi sprang with a set of chants for their friend, gaining in the process some odd looks of the quiet crowd.

"Usagi!" Rei hissed at the girl. "You need to be quiet! It's a chess game, not a football game!" Usagi sheepishly quiet down but still mumbled some chants for Ami.

"Excuse me?" an elderly man from a row below looked up at them. "Do you know Mizuno Ami?"

"Yes, we're her friends!" Usagi cheerfully answered him.

"And we're so sorry about her," Rei motioned to Usagi who glared in return.

"I'm a friend of her grandfather," the elder man explained over Ami. "She talked a lot about you during our last chess game."

"Do you think she has the ability to win?" Minako wondered as she once again gazed at the screen depicting Amy with her current opponent.

"She's more than capable of it but there is another strong rival on the same page as she is," the elder man made them see a different girl - a platinum blonde in a red and black plaid dress - making her way through opponents like a child's game.

No one saw Koan's eyes widened, and much less heard her faint gasp. Her next older sister, Berthier, was finally back...and up to the old Black Moon Clan tricks by the looks of it.

Ami and Berthier in disguise did end up meeting each other for the final round of the chess tournament. Ami was happy to meet the opponent, going for a fun game. However, Berthier introduced new Chess pawns decorated in black and blue gems.

"They're so pretty," Ami complimented them and set them on the board. "Let's play a fun game of chess!" she extended her hand over the table to shake hands with Berthier.

The blonde smiled rather smugly and shook hands. Ami noticed the unusual coldness in Berthier's hand, kind of...frosty. The temperature reminded her of an opponent Amy had battled with earlier, only it couldn't be the same person...

The game unfolded and while for a moment it appeared Berthier would win, Ami snuck in and got a check. Betheir's lips curled angrily, but she kept herself cool, because the game was not over. She still had the biggest card on her side.

"The real battle begins now, Sailor Mercury," she stood up from her chair and aimed a hand at the cameras watching them. One blast of ice crumbled them all to pieces.

Ami immediately got up, and since there was no point in hiding her identity, she transformed.

~0~

"That's not part of the game," Azula glanced at her friends. "You should check it out…"

The girls didn't waste a second thinking about it. They ran out of the crowd leaving just Azula and Koan. Azula took care of the crowd's questions by saying her friends were investigating it, and because the elder man turned out to be the owner of the Chess Tower it was a sealed excuse.

"What's the matter, Koan?" Azula noticed the overly worried look on Koan's face.

"It's... it's Berthier. That girl was my sister!"

Azula should have figured Berthier would come back to finish her fight against Sailor Mercury. "It's round 2 then…"

"She's still being manipulated by Rubeus," Koan sniffled. "We have to help her."

Azula recognized the look on Koan's face as the same one she often used to get into the battles. "You're going to run in there, aren't you?" Koan did not lie and so she nodded her head. Azula sighed and turned for the doorway. "And I guess I'll come with."

Koan smiled a little through tears and the two rushed out.

~0~

Berthier had trapped all the Sailor Scouts', except for Mercury, in a dark bubble of energy. She was forcing Mercury to play a final round of chess with a wicked spin. Sailor Mercury hissed when the terrible ice spread around her legs, locking them and her on her seat. She sent a glare at Berthier who simply laughed at her pawns' work.

"You wouldn't be in this mess if you would just stop trying to save them," Berthier nodded to the captive Scouts. "My pawns will encase your entire body in ice each time you lose. They will not stop unless you forfeit."

Sailor Mercury struggled to move her pawn. "I will never give up. They would do the same for me."

Berthier rolled her eyes, deeming Mercury's swords as rubbish. She easily knocked away another piece from Mercury's and took pleasure in it as more ice spread up to Mercury's thighs.

"Mercury!" Sailor Moon pounded on wall of their prison. "Don't continue! Just save yourself!"

Mercury shook her head with more determination. Her eyes examined the chessboard with the intention of taking a piece from Berthier this time.

Berthier laughed again and glanced at the Scouts. "She's going to die. And for you. How pathetic."

"It's not pathetic," Sailor Mercury snapped. Her teeth chartered from the ice encapsulating her body. "They're important to me! I will protect them no matter what."

Berthier raised an eyebrow, somewhat impressed by the words but nonetheless thinking it foolish. There was a puff of pink smoke behind her and suddenly her two older sisters, Petz and Calaberas, were standing behind her.

"Well done, Berthier!" Calaberas praised. "We've come to help you finish them off. That way Master Rubeus will congratulate us all and hopefully forgive us for what that traitor of Koan did."

"Finish the game already," Petz, too, was eager for the finale.

Berthier smirked with her sisters' support. She reached to take another pawn of Mercury's when a stark, red rose plundered into the board, breaking it in two. "No!" Berthier cried as her pawns fell to the floor.

Mercury was released from the icicle entrapment thanks to Tuxedo Mask. At the same time, the dark energy keeping the Sailor Moon and the other Senshi disappeared.

"Hm, well, that lasted shortly," Petz remarked at the sudden unfolding.

Calaveras laughed. "You really are useless just like Koan, Berthier! You couldn't even finish the game? Pathetic, really."

"Don't bother coming home if you can't clean this mess up," Petz warned before disappearing with Calaveras.

The rest of the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask shared similar faces of disapproval for the sisters. How quickly they had rescinded their "sisterly support". Berthier struggled to keep a straight face after her sisters' harsh words.

"You see that?" she addressed Sailor Mercury. "Even sisters don't fight for each other. It's how...it's how it should be." Her fight to smile failed but it didn't mean she was going to show emotions. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded through gritted teeth.

Everyone suddenly had her in the gaze of a poor, helpless girl. She was anything but that. She was powerful. She could take them all down if she wanted to. And she wanted to. She couldn't return home after being mocked so coldly by her own family - what would the rest of the Black Moon Clan say to her afterwards?

"You're all going to die with me!" she decided and unleashed her strongest power. Ice re-encapsuled the room, covering every last bit with frost. A harsh, violent snowstorm started from her own body and out.

"You don't have to do this, Berthier!" Sailor Mercury struggled to stay on her feet, and since she was the closest to Berthier she felt the job to bring the sister to the light was hers. "Your sisters—"

"Don't talk about them!" Berthier shouted and released a new burst of power. Mercury and the others were pushed further back. "There is no such thing as love! People are born alone and they die alone!"

"NO!" Koan burst into the room with Azula. The moment they touched the icy ground they slipped and fell forwards.

"What are you doing here!?" Sailor Moon screeched at Azula.

The red-haired raised her head and pushed her hair out of her face. "I couldn't stop her!" she nodded to Koan who was getting back up.

"Koan, you traitor!" Berthier put her hands together to get an attack ready for Koan, but that didn't stop the youngest sister from going to her.

"You just have to listen, Berthier! Like I did! Please!"

Berthier roared with anger and fired frosty icicles at Koan. The latter fell back with the chunks of icicles all over her body. Azula was the first to be able to reach Koan, followed by Sailor Moon.

Koan wasn't as hurt and so with the help of her friends she was able to get back on her feet. "Berthier, the reason you're sad - you're feeling like this - is because you need love. You want it. And that's okay. It's what we've been deprived of since we could remember." Berthier's eyes shined with the honest truth in Koan's words. "Don't let yourself fall because you deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy."

Berthier lowered her arms and slowly her frosty powers died down. She lowered herself to the ground, on her knees. "You...you want that for me? You actually want that for me?" There had never been any verbal hints of emotion between her and her sisters, not that she could remember. It was always about who had more powers and how to get more. Who could take down more people? Competition. It was always a competition.

Koan smiled. "Of course I do. Being human has allowed me to think beyond all the darkness instilled in us."

"Could I...could I ever do the same?" Berthier dared to wonder what it would be like to feel...human. There were always stories about being human and what weaknesses it entailed, but there was never actually any talks about what was supposedly so good about it.

"You can be," Sailor Moon spoke this time, causing some hesitation in Berthier.

Berthier nodded her head then. "Then...could I become human too?"

Sailor Moon chuckled. "I think so."

"Actually…" Azula suddenly spoke with a finger in the air, "...do you think we could hold off on the whole becoming-pure-thing just for a couple of hours?" She sheepishly smiled at all the confused stares she got afterwards.

~ 0 ~

"Oh, look at me, so helpless and...possibly holding the Shadow Crystal…" Azula wistfully walked around the park later that night. Because there was no one else around as she spoke as loud as needed to be. "Oh, poor, defenseless, human me…"

"You are really milking it," she heard Artemis on the comm. piece in her ear.

"That's the point, my dear, kitty-cat. I've got to sell myself," Azula tried to hide her moving lips. She wasn't supposed to be talking to anyone else after all. She started all over again and this time made a show of herself by jumping on the familiar wooden bench then running up to the fountain and going around it.

When she heard the familiar clap of thunder, she smiled.

"You really are pathetically stupid," Senka's condescending voice remarked from behind.

Azula carefully turned on the fountain's ledge and lowered her arms to her sides. "It's been so long. I see you've got your figure now."

She eyed Senka's clear body and hated to admit they'd been pretty slow at stopping the Shadow woman. After sucking off energy from dozens of poor humans (who'd been rescued by the Sailor Scouts thankfully), Senka was a full on creature of two legs. Her long, black hair billowed in the air, falling over her black dress, yet it was in a familiar-like style. She seemed to have cuffs on her wrists but they were pitch black with no identifying features on it. The ghost of an odango hairstyle echoed over her head. Her skin was like a porcelain's doll but her eyes were an unusual shade of red-brown. The staff she wielded was a silver one with embedded purple.

"And soon I will be able to wield as much power as I want," Senka gave a mirthful laugh and pointed the tip of her staff at Azula. "After you give me the Shadow Crystal, Reign."

Azula's lips stretched into a big smile as she held up her arms again. "It's all yours."

"So easy this time?"

"Let's just say I don't want my friends caught up in this," Azula motioned her hands to get it over with.

"How heroic, and pathetic," Senka fired her dark, shadow energy from her staff. It captured Azula without trouble and electrocuted her with it. Azula screamed as she felt the familiar energy rupture inside her.

"Is everyone in position?" Luna's voice asked the others through the comm. system.

"So ready," Sailor Moon assured and hurried out of the bushes she and the others were hiding behind of.

"Shine aqua illusion!" Sailor Mercury began the string of attacks first. Frost grabbed Senka's staff and froze it, but unlike the others villains Mercury faced, it did not shatter into pieces. The staff merely broke off the icicle bits and continued to torture Azula. Senka laughed again and turned around to face the Scouts, leaving the staff to do the work.

"You cannot freeze a shadow you idiots," Senka spat and placed her hands on her hips. "Don't you get it? I am neither alive nor dead. I am the perfect cross between your world and the Shadow Dominion, and when I get my hands on the Shadow Crystal I will merge both worlds and become its Queen."

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Sailor Mars prepared her own attack. "Burning Mandala!"

Senka disappeared just before the fire rings crossed the air. She re-appeared behind Sailor Mars and retaliated. "Mysterious Masked Kiss!" ringlets of black energy threw Sailor Mars across the park.

"Sailor Mars!" her friends cried after her.

"Sailor Moon, you have to hurry," Tuxedo Mask had gotten to Azula's location. The girl was twisting and writhing under Senka's power but there was a shining light starting over her chest.

"No," Sailor Hemera stepped up beside him with an unusual determination. "We have to let the crystal - if it's in there - come out."

"Are you insane!?" Tuxedo Mask turned on her, ready to argue it out and go even further if he needed to.

No one was exactly on board with Azula using herself as live bait, but since it was the only option they had to draw out Senka they went with it. However, Senka wasn't supposed to actually get whatever lied within the girl.

"She asked me to make sure it happened," Sailor Hemera whipped out her sword and threatenginlgy pointed at Tuxedo Mask. "And I think it's the right thing to do."

"You betrayed us!"

"No! I'm doing what my friend asked!"

"Well, we're not on board!" Sailor Jupiter charged towards Senka with electricity hanging at her hands. "Sparkling wide pressure!"

Senka took some of the thunder's blow but it ultimately got absorbed within her. Sailor Jupiter gasped and wasn't prepared for the blow her way.

"Dark ripples!" Senka fired shots of black bits that encircled Sailor Jupiter.

"What the - AAAAH!" Sailor Jupiter became trapped in a similar field of energy as Azula. She screamed and fell to her knees.

"We need to stop this!" Sailor Venus raised her hand to command her love-me chain but it was promptly smacked by Sailor Hemera's boomerang. "HEMERA!"

"It's almost done!" Sailor Hemera stared urgently at Azula in the air.

The red-haired girl's body was arched upwards and the light from her chest was beginning to glow outside as it crossed her skin.

"Sailor Moon! Do it now!" Tuxedo Mask frantically ordered her.

Sailor Moon nodded firmly and called out her moon rod.

"It's out!" Sailor Hemera laughed when Azula's body had finally expunged the crystal embedded in her chest.

Senka was too, anxous, for her much awaited crystal...but when the light blinding them died down…

Azula's crystal had turned white with gold freckles...just like the rest of the victims before her. She didn't have the Shadow Crystal.

"NO!" Senka shouted with newfound rage for her loss of time. She commanded her staff and zapped the energy back from it.

Azula's crystal was sucked back into her body and without the energy holding her she dropped down to where Tuxedo Mask was able to catch her.

"I did my job," Sailor Hemera reiterated and threw her sword directly at Senka.

The shadow-woman laughed and easily knocked it to the side with her staff. "Did you really think that would be enough?"

"No," the brunette Scout put her hands on her hips, "but it was enough for a distraction."

"What!?"

"Moon Princess Halation!" Sailor Moon had summoned up her deadly attack and easily caught Senka in a web of the crystal's power.

"You cannot destroy me!" Senka repeatedly shouted at them but Sailor Moon kept going.

"Not alone I can't!" the blonde agreed. "Now Berthier!"

"What!?" Senka's darkened red-brown eyes widened when the platinum blonde jumped in.

The black, upside-down, crescent moon on her forehead brimmed with energy. "Dark power!"

Her malefic black crystal swirled around Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal's power and joined forces. Senka knew what was coming and could only scream in agony as the two crystals' powers crashed upon her.

"NO! NO! NOOO!"

Everyone watched as the purply-black energy around Senka began to wasp away like it was simple air. Her odango-like hairstyle let go so that it was only loose hair now.

"It's working!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed happily. "Keep going you two!"

Sailor Moon and Berthier focused as much as possible and gave it their all to eliminate the anti-Sailor Moon shadow living in Senka. A shadowy figure was pushed out of Senka and Sailor Moon shivered at the familiar figure she knew was hers. But the shadow figure disappeared with a screech and Senka was left with only two more Shadows.

"Damn...you…" Senka weakly reached for her staff and made herself disappear.

Sailor Moon and Berthier slumped forwards, both left weak by the burst of energy.

"You two did it!" Koan came out of the hiding spot she'd been vowed to stay in. She threw her arms around her sister. "I'm so proud of you, Berthier!"

"I didn't...know I could do that…" Berthier smiled with her sister. "It felt...it felt good."

"I'll heal you when I've got some more energy, I promise," Sailor Moon reached to take Berthier's hand, both happy with their victory.

Sailor Hemera didn't exactly share the same feeling of triumph. She stared down at Azula, who remained unconscious and with Tuxedo Mask.

"You could have killed her," he said, his words laced with bubbling anger.

"I just wanted to find Reign."

"This wasn't the plan," Sailor Mars walked over to the two and checked up on Azula.

"She asked, she begged me, alright?" Sailor Hemera knew she was under scrutinizing looks from the entire group. "None of you would listen to her! And now guess what? Senka won't be after anymore because she's not Reign. Happy win for everyone," she bitterly smiled and ran out of the scene.

"Hemera!" Sailor Moon tried to run after her but she was just too weak at the moment.

The air of bittersweetness couldn't help but affect everyone.

Author's Note:

I don't know why but I was stuck with a monumental urge to write for this story so I went with it. I'm terrible at keeping up but I really do love this story and I promise to get back into it! It's terrible that I want to reach season 5 because plaaaans :)

P.S I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "noble-crescent" and the tag I created for any posts having to do with my work is # noblecrescentedit.