No one could wait until six o'clock. The urgent call from Haruka had startled the Inners out of their turbulent dreams, forcing them to push their singular problems out of the way as a new problem emerged. It wasn’t long before they met at the Outer’s apartment and together, sat in stunned silence before the glare of the television set.
"To recap what has happened for those just tuning in; at 9:30 Tokyo time last night, something similar to shooting stars was reported descending from the moon. Scientists remain uncertain as to the precise origin of this phenomenon, but this is the best guess we have now. These beams of light seem to have traveled down to Earth and…," the newscaster paused to shake his head,
"Entered people. We have many eyewitness accounts all over the globe reporting this strange occurrence. They say the victims immediately began to display crescent moons on their foreheads, and in some cases, different markings we are unable to identify at this stage. In fact, one Tokyo citizen remarked on how similar the crescents looked compared to that of Sailor Moon’s, who had gone M.I.A. in the past few years, a long with her team, until recently. There is no evidence yet to suggest these new people are linked with the Sailor Senshi.”
“Those afflicted then began talking about a 'Silver Millennium' or a 'Queen Serenity.' Immediate action has been taken to round up these presumed 'aliens' for fear of the panic and possible danger they might represent. Authorities are unsure if this incident is related to the recent attack of the 'Death Phantom' here in Tokyo, or something completely different. As we know, the Death Phantom was defeated by the Sailor Senshi earlier this week and apparently was sent to Nemesis, the aptly named, and recently discovered, tenth planet. No one seems to have any conclusive information about all this. But please, stay calm. None of these beings have tried to hurt anyone in anyway as yet; they seem just as scared and confused as the rest of us."
"What the hell is going on?" Haruka exclaimed.
"People with crescent moons on their foreheads…? Luna, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure, Makoto," Luna answered the brunette.
"Where's Usagi-san and Mamoru-san?" Michiru questioned.
"I called them; they should be on their way. They sounded distracted," Ami, answered.
"Distracted huh?" Michiru giggled, causing the blue-haired Senshi to blush.
"Not like that! Something seemed wrong, I hope everything is okay."
"I don't think anything is okay," Artemis muttered. "Tell me more about what happened on the moon, every detail you can think of."
The door pushed open then, ushering in Usagi and Mamoru as Minako was about to speak. "Where have you been? We have a serious problem," Makoto said impatiently.
"A problem...? Another one...?"
"What do you mean, Usagi-san?" Ami said.
"Usagi-san…? Since when have you called me that?" Usagi blinked in surprise.
Ami shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems appropriate right now."
"Well, stop it. What's going on?" their leader asked.
"Watch...." The group fell silent once more as the newscaster repeated his report, this time adding images and video of these so-called 'strange aliens' as they were led into police vans. Already people were crowding the streets, some shouting taunts and angry words, whilst rallies supporting their new extraterrestrial friends appeared everywhere. Mamoru and Usagi looked at one another.
"My wish..." Usagi said softly.
"What about it?" Minako questioned.
"I wished for the past to be re-awoken within us, in all of us. The Silver Crystal must've taken ‘all of us’ literally. My mother not only saved my court and I, she saved us all, every person on the moon that day. The past wasn't brought back for us alone, but for everyone reborn here on Earth."
"It does make sense," Luna said thoughtfully.
"We'll have to talk to one of these people first to make sure," Ami added in an analytical tone.
"I think we can speed up the search," Mamoru muttered.
"What do you mean Mamoru-san?" the blue haired genius asked.
"That can wait until later; we have bigger things to worry about," Usagi interrupted. "We need to do something about the others. They don't deserve to be treated like criminals."
"What should we do?" Hotaru asked.
"Perhaps," Mamoru broke the silence. "It is time the Sailor Senshi were no longer so behind the scenes."
+++
Umino had received the call in the middle of the night, his co-worker practically yelling about some strange lights falling from the sky and disappearing into people. His immediate, clear thought was another strange mystical attack from another life force bent on defeating the Sailor Senshi and taking over the universe, and begrudgingly he climbed out of bed.
He found, much to his surprise, the streets crammed with people even this late in the night, chaos running rampant all over the city. Some stores, magically fixed by Sailor Moon's power, were once again in disarray, vandalized and looted before his eyes. Crowds gathered waving placards with pictures of aliens with slashes through them, while others preached about the end of the world. He had never seen so many police.
When he finally made it to work, he was bombarded by loud voices and ringing telephones as he entered the studio. The place was in total disarray. People ran around, waving their hands with papers and loud directions. It was never quiet in here, but this was more than a buzz, it was a tornado of activity and a sense of being overwhelmed.
He spent the next four hours rummaging through old files, giving orders and passing on information on as quickly as possible to others. There were files and files on the Sailor Senshi and what they knew about their battles, but he could find no clues. He was beginning to think this might be something else entirely, perhaps an alien invasion. He almost rolled his eyes at the thought of little green men, but how could he say that was implausible with everything else this city had seen?
"Hey, Umino-chan...!" He turned to find his co-worker, Keitaro, with a camera in hand. "Kenji-san wants us to go to the square; something is happening."
Umino sighed, grateful for the assignment and a chance for more information, and quickly grabbed his things. "Let's go."
He could see the flashing lights long before they reached the square. Police cars and barricades barred their way, preventing them getting any closer, but the scene couldn’t be blocked off completely. Umino watched as the police fought to keep the growing crowd away from those being loaded into unmarked vans. They looked no different from anyone else in the growing light of morning, except for the strange marks on their foreheads.
"What do you think is going on? Another evil invasion for the Sailor Senshi to handle...?" Keitaro said behind the camera's lens.
"I don't know, Keitaro-chan. They're just people."
"If it was something serious like that you would think the Sailor Senshi would already be here, right?"
"Well I-" It was at that exact moment that Umino spotted a familiar face in the crowd. "Naru-chan…!"
Her big eyes quickly found his, and even from this far away he could see the fear in them. He watched as she wrenched herself free from the line of the persecuted and raced in his direction. He met her at the police barricades, the group of police behind her lighting her red hair with their angry flashlights.
"Umino-chan...!" She gripped his shirt tightly, her eyes frantic. He could not take his gaze off the mark on her forehead, its shining form astounding him. The crescent moon shone in the early light of day.
"Naru-chan...You’re one of them…?"
"Umino-chan, you have to help me! I'm not a threat. You've known me forever! But there's something else-No!" By that time, the group of shouting police had reached them, and he felt her grip no more as they wretched her off him. They were pulling her back towards the line, while more of them tugged at his shirt from behind as well. "Umino-chan!"
With a strength he didn't know the young woman had, she pulled herself free from her captors and raced toward him again, this time getting close enough to whisper in his ear. He felt her quickened breath on his skin for only a moment before she was taken away more forcibly this time. He watched as she was bundled into the van with the others, its heavy doors shutting on her frightened eyes. She had left him with only more questions and a troubled mind -- and a name.
"Usagi...."
+++
He and Keitaro had returned to the office with their clip ready to be broadcast on the morning news. He made sure Naru wasn’t in the footage, and for a long time he sat in his quiet office, head pressed firmly between his hands. The vision of Naru, his bubbly and innocent friend being rounded up like a criminal, continued to plague his thoughts. More importantly, though, was whom she had spoken of -- Usagi.
Umino couldn't remember the last time he had seen the lively blonde. They had parted ways after high school. He had last seen her at her wedding and a few times around the office visiting her--Umino dropped his hands to his desk, and looked to his closed office door with a strange expression.
He didn't have to knock on the other man’s door; it was thrown wide open with people coming in and out as if it was a major freeway. Quietly, he merged into its traffic and soon came face to face with the man in charge of the Tokyo news Channel 6. "Kenji-san, I need to speak with you."
Usagi's father had an almost irremovable frown upon his brow since the previous night, continuously pushing his glasses into place angrily. Umino had been afraid of him every time the young teenager had ventured to Usagi's house, and found a completely new reason to be afraid of him when Kenji had become his boss.
"I'm a little busy, if you hadn’t noticed!" Kenji snapped.
"I know, but," Umino moved closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's about Usagi-chan."
Umino watched as all movement in the room stopped for Kenji -- his bright eyes gazing at Umino’s alone for a moment, before he cleared his throat loud enough for the whole office to hear.
"All right everybody, out!" It took only a few moments before Kenji slammed the door behind them. "Now, what is it?"
"I was about to start filming when I saw Naru there behind the barricade."
"Naru...?" Kenji repeated as he sat down. "She is one of Usagi's friends, right?"
Umino nodded. "She -- she was rounded up with the others. She had one of those marks upon her forehead."
"Oh, I see," Kenji nodded. "Well I’m sorry for her…things are going to be awful for those people, I feel it. But what has that to do with Usagi?"
"I don't know, but all Naru said was she wasn't a threat, and then she mentioned Usagi's name. She seemed really desperate about it."
Kenji sat silent for a moment, his mouth hidden behind his hand. Umino recognized this as a nervous gesture, and the older man's stalling did nothing to calm his nerves. He seemed to be fighting with something. "Umino-" The phone interrupted Kenji, and with a sigh, he picked it up. He listened attentively to the call, and at one point shot his eyes to Umino's face in surprise.
"What's going on?" Umino asked once the call was over.
"It's the Sailor Senshi."
+++
Umino fought his way through the crowds as if his life depended on it. He could see the blonde only a short distance away, but his mind wouldn't be satisfied until he could see her up close. He hadn't slept for hours now, but he couldn't rest until Naru's haunting face was pushed from his mind. In this girl standing before them now, he knew he would find some of the answers he was looking for.
Eternal Sailor Venus' hands twitched behind her back. She eyed the growing throng nervously as she stood on the steps above them. The late morning light streamed over the city before her and she took a long deep breath. Familiar eyes watched her from the crowd, and she cast a fleeting smile in their direction. The remaining Sailor Senshi, Usagi and Mamoru, had melted into the crowd in civilian clothes a short distance away. They thought it best that only one of them address the crowds, especially the one soldier whom the people knew best. When the crowded streets reached their peak, Mamoru nodded to the solitary senshi.
"Ladies and gentlemen...!" Venus yelled loudly over the multitudes and immediately they stilled. "I am Sailor Venus, otherwise known as Sailor V, to many of you. I am part of the Sailor Senshi, defenders of this planet from the evils that would try to harm it. Recently, we defeated and banished an entity known as the Death Phantom. I am here to tell you that what is happening now has nothing to do with him. These people pose no danger to any of us. They are still your friends, your family, your loved ones. Both myself, and the other Sailor Senshi wish them to be released to us, for we are the only ones who can help them."
"Sailor Venus, where did these people come from?"
"Are you really aliens?"
"Tell us who you really are!"
"You've been in the shadows for so long, why come out now?"
"Please!" Venus shouted, her cool demeanor slowly fading before the restless crowd. After a few moments, the hurried questions stopped and it was silent once more. "Things have changed recently, and things are going to continue to change. I know what happens when change moves too quickly. We become afraid, angry, hostile towards our brothers and sisters. But we can't let that happen now. If we can't work together then we might lose sight of our humanity. Please, release our friends and we can find the answers together. If your answer is yes, then send up a red flair over the palace and we will come. Thank you."
Umino watched as Sailor Venus jumped to the roof of the nearby building and quickly vanished from sight. Shouts and yells immediately followed her as the crowd erupted in confusion. Amongst it all, Umino looked with wide-eyes at a group near the front. He could spot those Odangos from anywhere, and against the tide, Umino made his way towards Usagi. He noticed a few others with her that he also recognized, especially the tall Mamoru clutching his wife's hand. Just as Umino found himself within yelling distance, he watched as they disappeared in the same direction Sailor Venus had gone.
What was Usagi doing following Sailor Venus, he wondered? Naru's eyes burned into his mind once again, Usagi's name echoing as her words flowed from her lips. Umino fought his way through the crowd with his camera in hand, following carefully on their heels. He needed answers.
+++
"So, do you think they'll listen?"
The shrine had become their official headquarters again, after a few peaceful years of it just being the place to hang out. But they could not think about the meaning of that now. They gathered after the speech, nervously biting their lips, or banging their knees together while their mind raced with possibilities.
"I don't know," Haruka shrugged. "Where did Mamoru-san and Odango go?"
"They said they had something else important to show us, and would be back soon," Rei informed them. "Minako is taking her time to make sure no one is following."
"I don't know if this was wise. We've never done anything like this before," Makoto said uncertainly.
"What choice did we have? You see how everyone is growing restless. We had to do something. Besides, we're going to be in the lime light a whole lot more soon enough, right?" Hotaru offered.
"Something just seems all wrong," Ami put in, furrowing her brow. "Everything is happening so quickly and right out in the open. And we're not fighting any enemy this time. This is diplomacy -- are we ready to fight a battle in that court?"
"We have to be. It's our destiny," Rei said.
"Is it? Ami is right. Something is wrong." They followed Haruka's gaze, and Setsuna sighed. "Setsuna, what's going on? Is this what happened in the future?"
Setsuna was saved from their questions as Usagi and Mamoru finally arrived, their eyes sweeping the room nervously, their steps hesitant. Mamoru glanced outside behind him as he shut the door, seeming to motion to someone beyond.
"Remember what Mamo-chan said; about not having to wait long to talk to one of those people? Well, guys," she looked to the Inners. "Try not to freak out too much, okay?"
"What are you talking-?"
With one fluid motion, Mamoru pushed the door to its limits, revealing what, or whom, stood just behind its facade. Four men stood in the light of day, four men that the Senshi could never forget, but had pushed in the back of their minds, hoping to never see again. Images of days passed -- both ancient and recent -- flashed through the Senshi’s minds at seeing the familiar group of soldiers before them once more. Even if now those Mamoru’s guardians wore modern clothes, their identities could not be masked. Upon their bodies, the Senshi envisioned the clean pressed uniforms and the long flowing capes of former enemies and lost friends, and of a time that changed their lives forever--A time that began their battles.
Unheeding Usagi's words the Senshi instantly were on edge, especially the Inners. After the shock had passed, they rose to their feet to face the first of their enemies in this life, their henshin pens gripped tightly. The Outers looked to their comrades in confusion, but slowly rose also. Setsuna was the only one to remain seated, her eyes peering at the two legendary groups of the moon and Earth with a muted interest.
"This is impossible," Ami muttered.
"I recognize them from somewhere, but I can't place it just yet," Michiru stated."
“What are they doing here, Mamoru-san? How are they here?" Makoto demanded.
"Please everyone, sit down. I can explain," Mamoru raised his hand. After a few tense moments, the Senshi finally agreed. Mamoru turned quickly, ushering the group of trespassers into the once cozy room, and closed the door behind them. The four sturdy men seemed to falter underneath the scrutiny of the Senshi, but nonetheless followed the order of their prince.
"Who are they?" Haruka asked.
"The Shitennou," Rei glared.
The once proud warriors gazed at the floor at the intensity in her eyes. They had not changed since their last encounter. Their features and stances, if not subdued by the weight of guilt, were otherwise the same. Zoisite stood a little behind Nephrite, his quick eyes darting over those in the room nervously. Nephrite kept his attention on the shaking Senshi brunette, while Jadeite, the first to plague their lives here, had the audacity to smirk at them. Kunzite remained stoic as ever in stature, his eyes and stance revealing nothing of his discomfort. All seemed to fettle in their foreign attire, hands tugging and grasping at sleeves and jeans.
"You will remember them soon," Mamoru said to the Outers. "We might not have remembered them yet if-if we hadn't already faced them in this life. We fought them long before we met you. They served under Queen Beryl and Metallia."
"Against our wills...."
"Silence Jadeite," the white-haired Shitennou ordered quietly.
"During the Silver Millennium they were my generals, my guardians," Mamoru continued. "They were fooled by Beryl, and turned against us. In this life, the same thing happened. But once we defeated Metallia, I was given a box with four stones inside, the essences of my four generals. I've kept these all this time. When I woke up this morning, I found them, alive and in the flesh."
"This must have to do with the lights from the moon, and Usagi-san's wish," Artemis suggested. "What do you remember?"
"We remember everything," the tallest amongst them answered. Kunzite's eyes turned to the Inner Senshi then, searching their faces. "From the past and from what we did here."
"And do you think we can actually trust them this time around?" Makoto glared as she put her question.
"We've all betrayed one another, if I remember correctly. None of us can speak of it," Setsuna spoke up. "Except for Usagi-san…."
They fell silent after her words, but Makoto continued to glare at the chestnut-haired general.
"Hey, if the Shitennou were revived, do you think it's possible that-" Ami's question was interrupted as the door was thrown open once more, and the last of their party finally surfaced.
"I think I managed to lose anyone on my tail. Do you guys-" Minako’s canter into the room was immediately halted as her eyes scanned the new arrivals. Confusion turned to shock, shock turned quickly to fear, and fear burst into anger. Her fists shook at her sides as she gazed at the tallest of them all. Everyone watched as Kunzite's eyes turned towards her, an almost saddened look within their blue depths.
"How-What's going on?" Minako stuttered.
A simple name escaped his lips. "Loni...."
Minako gasped, memories and conversations long since passed rushing through her mind with that simple utterance. Her eyes -- if possible -- became more enraged than before, tears starting to fill their rims.
"That's not my name anymore!" she yelled, and rushed back out into the day.
"Minako wait!" Usagi went flying after her.
Usagi had a hard time keeping up with her friend and found herself cursing the four donuts she ate that morning. The runaway Senshi finally collapsed a short distance away from the shrine, her chest heaving and her hair coming undone. Usagi approached slowly, unsure as to the state of mind of her beloved friend.
"What are they doing here?" Minako asked quietly.
"They're here as the result of my wish. Everyone on the moon that fateful day has been revived."
"Do they remember?"
"They remember everything. Back at our apartment, they had begged Mamo-chan for forgiveness a hundred times over and Kunzite-"
"Don't, please, I-I can't think!" Usagi fell to her knees and tightly wrapped her arms around Minako. She accepted the embrace with a deep-seated cry, and Usagi held her friend close. After a few painful moments, Minako found her voice again. “I didn’t remember…back then…when we were fighting them here I didn’t know. I must have made myself push every thing I ever felt for him so far away, because I never even recognized his face. But now…I…I don’t know what I’m going to do. This can’t be happening…”
"It’ll be okay Minako…it’ll be okay. We’ll think of something, I promise. You’re not alone.”
Little did Usagi know how true her words were as they sat, exposed in the bright sunlight-- a modern dressed woman holding a troubled Sailor Senshi. In the bushes close by, someone was watching-- someone who was just as surprised to find someone they once knew where they really shouldn’t be. The reporter’s glasses caught the reflection of the sun as he watched a moment not meant for an outsider’s eyes, but a moment that would change everyone’s lives forever.
“Usagi…”
+++
Author’s Notes:
I realized the last two chapters might feel rushed to some, but please know that was what I was going for. The Senshi have been caught in a turbulent storm and the mood is chaotic, and things are only going to get worse.
I also liked the idea of trying to get another point of view besides that of the Senshi. I remember I read somewhere that Usagi's father worked for a magazine/paper, and we all know how Umino loved to know everything, so it seemed to fit to place them both working for a news studio. I wanted the old characters of Sailor Moon to be somehow a part of the last few moments in this old world, as well.
Can the senshi fight this battle in the midst of all this confusion, and the confusion within their own minds, or will all this prove to be too much for our beloved senshi? And what of this new discovery of the Shitennou, what does this really mean for them all?
History often repeats itself.
