:: Sailor Moon Neo :: part 1

by J. Anne of Trista's Timely Tales

Summary: Rini inherited the mantle of Sailor Moon from her mom, Serena, but now she and Hotaru are the last ones left and they have to use the time key to escape back into the past and find help. They land on Jupiter in the ancient past and meet the Sailor Scouts from when Serena's mom, Queen Serenity, was the very first Sailor Moon.

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The story starts off in the far off future when Serena's daughter, Rini, is Neo Sailor Moon.

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They were two alone, and their enemies were many. The surface of the moon was alight with fires from recent battles. The palace was in ruins, Luna City was no longer a place of piece and love, and, except for the creaking of buildings and the howl of the lunar winds, all around was silence. It was hard to believe it, but just a year ago there was a festival on the very ground they now stood. Now all that was left were shadows and echoes of days gone by, and them. But, as long as they were here, there was still hope.

"Rini, we've got to keep moving! She'll find us any moment if we stay here much longer," Hotaru hurried her friend in a hushed voice.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Sailor Moon replied, taking a last look around the city square before she headed off into the shadows again with her last remaining friend. "It's just, mom and dad were alive then. Now… do you think they all made it out, Taru? We can't be the last ones…"

"Oh, but you are the last," a cruel and dark voice said as a woman emerged from the shadows in front of them. "All of them are dead, left you all alone… except for me, I'll never leave you alone Sailor Moon, I'll always be here. I'm your only real friend, don't you know that by now?"

"Aren't you forgetting about me?" Hotaru says in a cold determined voice as she steps in front of Rini to protect her. The latest incarnation of Sailor Chaos looks down at Sailor Moon's last protector, a small smirk showing on her face.

"Do you think you can stop me?" she asks in amusement.

"Yes, I do." Sailor Saturn raises her Silence Glaive and speaks -- "Death Reborn Revolution" --

The glaive's energy issues forth and swallows up their adversary in its silent undeniable force. The world around them begins to shake and crumble and come apart as the moon itself began to die.

"We have to go back. Please, take me with you?" Hotaru says as she tries to protect them both from her final attack, knowing she will not be able to for long. Rini nods in agreement and takes out the Space-Time Key that she has on a necklace she kept hidden under her uniform.

"Take my hand." She offers her hand to Hotaru as she begins to activate the key to take them back in time to a world she remembers well. A time when her mother was still the first Sailor Moon…

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:: Sailor Moon Neo :: part 2

by Shelley Dream of Trista's Timely Tales

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In the blink of an eye the sky was clean and clear. With the soft air blowing across Rini's face. Her hand still extended out and Hotaru was still holding tightly.

Hotaru lifted up her head and looked around. "You did it. We are safe. Now, where have you taken us?"

Rini looked around. "Back to when I was a little. Back when everyone was still alive. At least that's what I think." She blinked a few times letting go of Hotaru's hand.

"Well, if this is suppose to be Tokyo back then. I don't recognize it." Hotaru said holding her weapon on the ground.

"I have to agree." Rini said with her long pink pigtails flowing down her back. "This isn't Tokyo. I think we've gone some place, else."

Hotaru rolled her eyes at her and smirked. "That is quite obvious."

They looked out into the distance on the green hillside. Seeing a highway in the distance and a small town down below. It didn't seem very big. Much smaller then Tokyo.

Then Rini nodded. "I see what happened. We were sent to get different help."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if we took the Sailor Soldiers from that time period, no one would be there in that time to defeat evil. It would be defenseless. Here in this place, there must be someone who can help us... I wish I could see everyone again, but if this is how I can save them. Then so be it." Rini said with a stiff upper lip and an aching heart.

Hotaru put her hand on Rini's shoulder. "Don't worry. Maybe, we'll be able to go and see them before we have to go back."

"Yeah, just as long as I don't see myself. That would cause a lot of time problems. So, this is best."

Hotaru nodded looking at the small town in the distance. "Well, shall we?"

Rini nodded. "Yes, we shall. We have no other choice."

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:: Sailor Moon Neo :: part 3

by J. Anne of Trista's Timely Tales

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As they made their way down to the path before them, headed to the town below, the sounds of thunder and lighting began to be heard carried on the winds.

Rini looked off in the distance and could see sparks and bright flashes in the rocky hills off to their side. "Taru, do you see that? What do you think it is?" she asked her friend.

Hotaru looked where Rini was pointing and studied the sight for a moment. "I'm not sure," she said. "But whatever it is, I think it's heading our way."

And as if Saturn's words were portent, a lighting strike shot out from the ridge near them and a giant thunder beast that looked like a wolf or dog came bounding down right in their path. It growled like the crashing heavens above towards the ridge from where it had come, not noticing Rini or Hotaru who quickly got out of it's way.

They looked up and could still hear the sounds of thunder and the disturbance of the stones and rocks in the hills. -- "Jupiter Thunder Dragon, Strike!" -- they heard called out from above them as the form of a great dragon of lightening attacked another thunder beast and caused it to fall from the cliff several yards away from Rini and Hotaru. -- "Jupiter Lightening Chain, Bind!" -- they heard as the Beast near them moved to jump back to face it's adversary again. A chain of lightening trapped the beast and a sailor soldier about their age jumped down from the cliff to land close to them.

"You! You're senshi, like me! " she exclaimed happily. "You heard me! Oh thank you, thank you for coming to help me! My brother, he's–" but as she was talking, the chained thunder beast broke free and moved to attack them again.

Sailor Moon stepped up in between the beast and the others. -- "Moon, Tiara, Magic!" -- she threw her tiara at the beast and knocked it away from them so that it tumbled in the dirt until it got up and decided better of continuing it's attack, getting to it's feet and galloping in the other direction.

"Wow! That was amazing!" this unfamiliar Sailor Jupiter exclaimed. "So, you're all the way from the Moon Kingdom? Toro won't stand a chance now!" she gushed.

"Who's Toro?" Hotaru asked.

"Oh! Right, where are my manners? I'm Sesja Windrush, princess of Jupiter. Toro is my twin brother. Or at least he was, I'm not so sure anymore," her face darkened. "Since last year he's been different. And now he's declared himself king of the planet and done something to our parents - it's like they just disappeared one day! I've been desperate for help, I kept calling, but no one's answered 'til now!" she smiled brightly, very happy not to be alone anymore.

"So, we're on Jupiter then?" Rini asked, trying to wrap her mind around all this.

"Um, well yeah. What? You didn't know?" Sesja asked, clearly perplexed by the question. How could they not know what planet they were on?

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:: Sailor Moon Neo :: part 4

by Shelley Dream of Trista's Timely Tales

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Sesja looked at the two senshi with a curiously. "You are from the Moon Kingdom. Right? You are senshi. Right?"

Hotaru and Rini looked at each other bewildered by the new information. Hotaru answered back. "Yes, we are. I'm the senshi of Saturn and this is the senshi and princess of the Moon Kingdom."

Sesja smiled with delight. "Oh, that is great to hear! You had me worried there for a moment."

Hotaru and Rini just smiled back.

"So, shall we go?" Sesja asked pivoting on her heal.

Rini nodded. "Yes but where are we going?"

Sesja smiled in a funny way. "Well, back to my home. Well, not my home. Home because my brother has taken over the castle. So, I escaped one night and found refugee in this nearby kingdom of Morcraft. They have housed me well. In return that I fight for them against my brother's attacks." She looked away.

Rini and Hotaru looked at each other with sympathy.

Sesja turned to them and smiled. "Well, enough of that. Lets get you two back to my home and we can talk more there."

So, the three walked down the grass and rocky hillside. Down to the small town below. They walked by the villagers and everyone was smiling at the sight of Sesja. They walked down bricked streets and saw tall houses with many modern things. Glass windows and shingled roofs. Everything seemed just the same as on Earth but the way they dressed. The women wore dresses to the length of there knees, while men wore pants up to the same height. Everyone had sandals instead of shoes, and many wore hats with large brims. Everything seemed normal enough though. Then they turned the corner and saw in the distance a large, glowing, palace.

Hotaru and Rini's mouth both fell open in awe.

Sesja looked behind at them and smiled. "This is one of Jupiter's many palaces, Castle Morcraft. We built one in about every major city, because in every city we had guardians. But now..." She shook her head. "Now, my brother has taken most of them. It was easier to fight his attacks when they were around, but now that I have you two. I know things will be alright." She nodded. "Yes, now, lets get you up to the castle and get you something to eat."

Rini smiled from ear to ear. Practically salivating.

Sesja smiled at Rini with such delight. "Oh, yes. Most definitely you are from the Moon Kingdom." She giggled and lead the way.

It didn't take long before they were climbing the large steps to the glowing castle door.

Sesja put her hand out to the side. "Wait, here. I wouldn't wont to lose my recently arrived help, just because of a door." She smirked behind her. Then walked forward and put her hand out. Instantly, this huge mass of electricity surged throughout the huge metal door. Then the serge drew into her hand and the door creaked open. "There." She said looking at her fellow senshi. "Now, we can continue." She ushered them inside. Rini went in first and felt the coolness of the darkness. "Wow, this is beautiful." Sesja closed the door and lifted up her hand. "Thank you, but its better with light." She said as the room was illuminated.

Hotaru stood back looking at the massive room before her. "This is just as I remembered it."

Sesja nodded. "Good, so you have been here before. That's great." She walked in ahead. "Please, have a seat."

Hotaru and Rini nodded as they heard a knock on the metal door.

"Bong… Bong… Bong…"

Sesja looked at the door in alarm. "Who could that be." She paused. "You wait here. I'll see who it is. Probably, just a villager. More then likely its Jama." She walked to the door. "Who is it?"

No one replied.

Sesja stopped at the door. "Who is it?"

"Sesja, its me." A woman's voice answered.

Sesja blinked. Perplexed by the voice.

"Alright, I'm sorry it took me so long. Its not easy to get here from Earth. Now, let me in." The woman pleaded.

Sesja smiled and opened the door. "Took you long enough. Even the Moon Kingdom and Saturn royalty got here before you."

The woman smirked back at her with her long strawberry blond hair. "Well, I'm glad someone could make it. It took me so long because I was trying to get others to go with me, but alas they had to stay behind." She looked sadly to the side in her odd senshi uniform. The body and shirt was pure white. While underneath it was sapphire blue all the way down to her knuckles and down her feet and covered by her white boots. The sapphire blue covering even ran up to her neck. She was no normal senshi.

Sesja put her hand on her shoulder. "Oh, he stayed behind?"

The woman nodded sadly. "Yeah, but he didn't want too. Just, one of us had to stay behind."

Sesja nodded sympathetically walking the woman inside and shutting the door behind them. She looked at Hotaru and Rini still standing and smiled at them. "This is my friend, and a princess of the western Earth; Sapphire."

Sapphire blushed. "I am also senshi. Which is more of the reason why I came." She looked at Rini with her gentle, elusive, green eyes. "So, you must be the one from the Moon Kingdom. Am I right? Serenity?"

Rini nodded. "Yes, I am." Which was technically the truth, her proper name was Serenity.

Sapphire nodded and reached her hand out. "Well, its nice to meet you. I'm Sapphire, and you are?"

Rini blushed. "You can call me Rini, of the Moon Kingdom and this is Taru... I mean Hotaru, of the Saturn royalty. A guardian, and a good friend of mine."

Sapphire nodded to Hotaru. "Well, I'm glad to meet you too. Hotaru."

Sesja nodded. "Well, since that's all over. Lets sit down and I'll get you all something to eat and drink and we can talk further."

Everyone nodded and sat down while Sesja went off on her errand.

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:: Sailor Moon Neo :: part 5

by J. Anne of Trista's Timely Tales

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She was just coming back from the stream with her brothers. She was responsible for them, most days. Her mom worked at the region's governing stronghold as the castle's head coordinator, responsible for pretty much all that went on there, less the military aspects. Her father was a soldier who'd been called away years before, they'd yet to receive word of him and she knew that that fact weighed on her family greatly at times. Still, she was happy to take up the slack as far as her brothers were concerned. Hora and Ren were great company, both very easy going and kind. Hora had a great sense of humor and Ren, while not very talkative, was thoughtful and full of life. They both had a bit of the daredevil in them of course, but that only made life that much more interesting when they were around. She always had marveled about how two of her friends, Chara and Suine, would complain constantly about their own younger siblings. Chara had a younger brother and sister, Suine had three younger brothers and an older sister – she only ever had a kind word to say about her big sister. Whatever the reason though, she was happy she'd gotten lucky and been spared the wrath of Suine's three little brats, that was for sure. She'd met them many times, and she had to admit, she didn't have any more kind words to convey about them than did their sister.

She was musing about all this and a few other matters that darted through her head as she came to the castle's gates and saw a man standing there, uncomfortably looking around as though he were afraid someone might be watching him. "Sir? Do you need some help with something?" she asked.

The man turned to look at her, really noticing her for the first time. But as she got a good look at his face for the first time, her mouth hung open a little in wonder as she dropped down to her knees and bowed before him. "Your majesty," she said reverently.

"No, no! Don't bow to me. Get up girl, get up. No one must know who I am," he admonished her, quickly helping her to her feet.

"Yes, of course. I understand," she said. "But you must be here to see your daughter, mustn't you?" she inquired politely.

"So she is here then?" the king smiled. "I thought as much by the lightening barrier. I can always recognize her signature," he said proudly. "No one else I know makes lightening look so artful. Are you a resident here?"

"Yes. My mother is the master of the house as a matter of fact. May I show you in sire?" she asked.

"Yes, I would like that. I have much to tell that I can only say to my daughter. Please, lead the way," he motioned with a hand to the gates.

"Of course, if you'll follow me?" she went to open the gates. "Hora? Ren? Will you two run ahead and tell Sesja about our new arrival please?"

"Sure thing, Jama. You can count on us," Hora smiled in assurance as he and his brother took off down the halls on their quest.

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Later on, after a pleasant introduction was made and Rini, Hotaru, and Sapphire got to meet Sesja's father, the father and daughter could be found walking the paths in the castle's gardens as the sun began to set for the long Jovian nighttime ahead of them (which, like the days there, would last much longer than the nighttimes of Earth).

They had talked at length about Sesja's activates and the effects her brother's reign had had on the lands of the kingdom, but finally, the topic turned to the reason for the king's presence here this day.

"So, father, what was it you wanted to tell me that is for only myself to hear?" Sesja asked him.

"Oh, yes that… It's a message from your brother actually," the king said in conversational tones.

"My brother? You have a message from Toro?" she questioned, backing away from her father a bit in disbelief.

"Yes," the king turned to his daughter, a twisted evil smile coming to his once handsome face. "He says that he's grown tired of being burdened with a disappointment of a sister like you, and that he'd very much like to try being an only child from how on." His countenance grew darker and he drew his sword and fiercely attacked his daughter with it.

The strike would have been a lethal one, had Sesja not managed to side step it in time. "Father! What has happened to you?!" she asked in shock as she continued to back away.

"Why, whatever do you mean daughter dear?" the king asked, once again striking at her with his sword.

"That is NOT your father, Sesja!" they both heard a familiar voice cry. As they turned to see who it was, an Arabian style sword was plunged through the heart of the king.

"Sapphire?" Sesja questioned in dismay.

Rini and Hotaru stood beside the guardian from Earth, all three senshi tensed for battle. "Fear not. My brother's moonlight sword will reveal the truth of this creature," Sapphire assured her new friend.

And, sure enough, the king's form darkened still more into blackest shadow until it finally slit down the center and became unto two separate beings. One a woman, one a man. Both dressed in armor dark as onyx, both with long flowing raven hair to match.

"Who are you?!" Sesja demanded of them darkly, lightning sparking around her as her temper began to flare in force at having been tricked in such a way, especially because they had used her father's likeness and manner to do so.

"We are the twin ravens, Doom and Dusk. Sent here by your brother with a message: Your death is at hand!" Doom drew his sword fashioned of onyx, Dusk readied her chained mace, and the two fearsome knights cried out their chorus of battle as ravens would, moving to attack the four senshi arrayed against them.

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To be continued...