| Usagi: Sailor Neomoon Writer's Note: The Sailormoon universe belongs to and is copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and all the different distributors with rights. Sailor Neomoon and the NeoSenshi belong to me. If you want to use them in another fic, you may ONLY if you have permission from me first. That's not so hard to deal with, is it? Some days I didn't think I would make it to 10, but I sure did!
 by Eternal SailorSaturn
Having had enough, Sailor Neojupiter got in Neosaturn’s face. "Do you have any idea what you have done?" she demanded. "Kurai was not our enemy, and you just killed him!"
"He was an outsider to this planet. He was our enemy," Sailor Neosaturn replied in a cold whisper.
"Do you not feel any remorse?" Sailor Neovenus exasperatedly asked. She also was crying from the sad scene that played out in front of her blue eyes.
"No. I do not suggest attempting to stop my mission, or you too will be my enemy." Neosaturn’s unfeeling gaze swept the other NeoSenshi before she stepped around the taller Sailor Neojupiter. She moved into the doors and out of sight. Feeling rather helpless, the other NeoSenshi could only watch the more powerful girl walk away.
"Usagi?" Sailor Neomars murmured.
"Go with her," Sailor Neomoon said between sniffles. "Make sure she does not kill any more innocents. I will catch up with you in a moment. I just... want to say goodbye." She almost choked on the final word but pulled from her inner strength and kept her composure.
The NeoSenshi looked unhappy, but they did not have a lot of choices in the matter. Sailor Neovenus nodded, and they moved inside swiftly in pursuit of Sailor Neosaturn. Sailor Neomercury lingered in the doorway for a moment, a look of remorse on her face, then followed.
"Kurai, it did not have to be this way," Sailor Neomoon whispered. "There can be peace between us, and I will make sure it happens. Watch me; I will do it." She paused, feeling the body in her arms stir. To her shock, she saw Kurai’s eyes open, only they were glowing red instead of their usual piercing blue. I have seen these eyes before, she thought as a memory came springing into her mind. Long ago... they were Ririka’s eyes...
The movement was so swift that she almost was not aware that it happened. Kurai lurched, piercing Sailor Neomoon’s throat between her collar and choker with his fangs. She let out a shocked gasp and gripped him tighter than before as he began pulling blood from her. She was not even given time to comprehend what was happening to her; it actually, once the initial pain subsided, felt rather pleasurable. He only drank of her long enough to close the wounds inflicted on him by Sailor Neosaturn then released her with a look of shame on his face.
"Ku-Kurai," Sailor Neomoon murmured. "What... What was that?"
"I am so sorry," he whispered back as his eyes returned to normal. "My mother was a vampyre and that same blood flows through me."
Her fingertips searched her neck for the puncture wounds, but she could not find a trace of any. "You are not human?" she asked.
His head shook. "Half. I can walk in the daylight, and I do not suffer from the normal weaknesses a vampyre has. I have some of her powers, but when I am wounded, I must drink blood to heal myself. There is no other way."
Just to have him alive to some degree made her happy enough. She hugged him close and let out a sigh of relief. Half human was better than not being human at all, in her mind. "I must apologize for Sailor Neosaturn. I had no idea she would attack you! She is out of control."
He pulled back and looked into her eyes. He believed her and brushed her lips with his to show it. Standing, he offered her a hand and helped her to her feet, but then they both nearly toppled over as the ground began to move.
"What is happening?" Sailor Neomoon questioned in surprise.
"The citadel is moving," Kurai answered, grim. "That can mean only one thing. We are returning to my home, Eternal Night."
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Elsewhere inside the citadel...
The NeoSenshi caught up to Sailor Neosaturn just as she reached another set of massive double doors. They were made of oak with carvings of demonic creatures adorning their fronts. Their tails turned into the door handles, making a very disturbing visage to behold.
"What a creepy door," Sailor Neomars observed with a grimace. For good measure she put to use a prayer her mother taught her. "Akuryo taisan!" She stuck an ofuda scroll on each door, worrying that the creatures carved there would come alive and attack.
Sailor Neosaturn reached out to open the doors, but the powerful Sailor Neojupiter put foot in the way to keep them from opening. "We need to make sure you have one thing straight. You cannot keep killing innocent people. We are not going to allow it!"
Sailor Neosaturn’s whisper replied, "He was not innocent. No one from this planet external to our solar system is innocent. They are here to destroy us and it is our mission, as NeoSenshi, to stop them." She paused briefly then continued. "If, however, you would like to go back to being normal and give up your powers, I will gladly inform our princess that you have turned your back not only on her, but on Crystal Tokyo as well."
That one hit home with the NeoSenshi. They would not allow themselves to fail Usagi nor their home. Although they did not agree with Neosaturn’s tactics, they were not going to back down. It was just how Sailor Neosaturn wanted it. They let their egos blind themselves to the fact that she had just played them as pawns merely so they would stop interfering in her mission. Neojupiter moved aside to let the doors open, and they quickly moved into the gigantic room beyond.
The room was grand and altogether creepy. A long, thick crimson carpet became their path between rows of pillars carved into the shapes of even more foul demons than the ones on the doors. Candelabras with black candles burned at the end of every other row, and chandeliers hung overhead much the same. About halfway through the room, all except for Neosaturn found it very hard to continue walking after seeing where the carpet lead them to. A massive throne built of bones set atop a dais and waiting for them was the king of the flying citadel.
Sailor Neomars felt her skin crawling even though she was still several yards away from the... well, monster. She could not think of a better word to describe what she was seeing. What little training she had as a Shinto priestess was not going to be a match against this thing, she knew.
The creature in question had hollow black eyes with tiny red pupils. Its skin was a deep crimson that was nearly black. Horns protruded from its head and razor sharp claws balanced on the arms of the throne. It had muscles that would make Adonis quiver in fear, and it looked like it had wings as well that were folded behind its back. It wore no clothing, but it didn’t appear to have anything that needed to be covered up. And then it spoke with a voice that rumbled deep in its throat. "NeoSenshi, you have made it this far." It looked at them, assessing them with its glance. "You have a little more talent than I expected." Then it rose and lifted a finger, pointing at them accusingly. "But it ends here! You are going to suffer for your crimes!" Just then, the whole place lurched.
"Wait just a minute! You invade our planet, we defend ourselves, and you say we have committed a crime?" Sailor Neovenus exclaimed as she readjusted her stance to keep her footing.
"Hundreds of years ago, you Senshi committed the worst crime imaginable. You killed a wife and mother!" It roared, making several of the NeoSenshi flinch.
Stepping forward, Sailor Neosaturn cut the air with her hand. With a look of disgust on her face, she replied, "There is no time to talk. There is only a time for action! REAPER TIDINGS!!" It looked like the bats were rushing towards the creature then they turned sharply and moved into the shadows of the corner of the room. The scythe came down on a figure there before the grim reaper disappeared.
"My...king..." Nikushimi gasped as he stumbled out of the corner. He collapsed to his knees then pitched forward on his face, lifeless. This only infuriated the creature more and made the other NeoSenshi even more horrified by Sailor Neosaturn’s actions.
"Is this how you killed her too? Ruthless and in cold blood?!" King Akuma demanded.
"I do not know what it is you speak of, but you are committing a crime of your own by sending others to attack Crystal Tokyo," answered the cool Sailor Neosaturn. Her teeth gnashed as she held her hands out, and within moments a large weapon appeared in her grasp. She ran her gloved hands over the dark metal shaft in an almost loving manner before her emotionless eyes focused on King Akuma. "This glaive shall be your undoing. Your actions cannot be forgiven." She twirled the glaive around herself with ease, and even Sailor Neojupiter did not dare get closer to her.
"You do not scare me." King Akuma sneered at the NeoSenshi. His arms swiped the air in front of him and sent two black beams of energy towards the NeoSenshi.
"DESTRUCTION BARRIER!!" Sailor Neosaturn’s glaive whipped out in front of her, and a crackling, dark shield manifested in front of her. The black beams struck the shield and absorbed into it before instantaneously sucking back into the glaive. A very small laugh escaped her. "The more you attack, the more my barrier will absorb which makes the power I possess stronger. So, please, continue to attack us and fuel my power."
The snide expression on the king’s face disappeared only to be replaced by a scowl. "I am the king. I do not have time to entertain you little girls, but I will give you one little tidbit of information. You are only a few minutes from being on my home, Eternal Night. And I think you will find things far more different than you were used to on Earth." With that, he curled his wings around himself and disappeared.
"Eternal Night?" Sailor Neomercury frowned. "I have heard my father mention the planet in a distant galaxy. They had always refused a visit from emissaries, which was discouraging. I have a bad feeling about this."
Sailor Neosaturn turned and a slight frown appeared on her lips. "You managed to survive the attack," she observed as Sailor Neomoon and Kurai entered the throne room. "I will spare you for now since Sailor Neomoon is so attached to you, but do not get in my way."
The prince’s eyes flashed angrily. "You hurt her more than me," he said, putting a protective arm around Sailor Neomoon’s waist. "I never had any intentions of stopping you from doing anything. However, I would like to see things resolved peacefully."
"Since it seems like we are stuck going to your planet, Kurai, how about you explain what you know to us?" Sailor Neojupiter suggested. "That... demon from before said we committed some crime, but we do not know what he was talking about!"
Kurai nodded and looked at the NeoSenshi. "Come with me to my chamber." He turned and escorted Sailor Neomoon out, followed closely by the NeoSenshi. Even Sailor Neosaturn followed as much as she did not like it. They walked down a long hall past several doors before Kurai stopped in front of a set.
The doors were unlike any other in the citadel. They were stark white with gold handles and kick plates. Elaborate carvings adorned the corners of each door, resembling delicate spider webs. Kurai fished a gold key from his pocket and unlocked the right door. He opened both and stepped aside to allow the girls to move in before him.
Inside, the room was just as out of place as the doors outside. The size was rather immense for just a bedroom, easily the size of a small apartment. The floor was made of pristine white marble, and the walls similarly were white. A king-sized, four-poster bed was pushed against the far wall, draped in translucent white curtains tied to the posts with thin gold ropes. White satin sheets and large pillows of gold made up the rest of the bed, giving it a very cozy and elegant visage. To the right of the door was a chaise with plush, white velvet fabric. Even the ceiling overhead sparkled like the interior of a geode.
Sailor Neomoon’s eyes widened. "Kurai, it is so beautiful," she whispered, spinning around to take in the whole room.
"I love the gold touches!" Sailor Neovenus chimed in cheerfully.
"It is so... white," Sailor Neomercury observed.
Sailor Neovenus’ elbow caught Sailor Neomercury in the ribs. "You should not say it like it is a bad thing," she scolded.
"That is the last thing I was doing," Neomercury replied, looking cross as she rubbed her ribs. "I am just worried that I will get the floor dirty."
Kurai laughed quietly and moved to a door in the western wall. He removed his bloody shirt, revealing his pale, streamlined body beneath. "Never fear about that. Please, have a seat." He pulled a black, silken shirt from the closet and slipped it around his torso before moving back towards the NeoSenshi. He looked over them with a solemn expression before beginning his story. "My mother was a vampyre. As I explained to Sailor Neomoon, I have some of that blood in myself, which is how I healed after Sailor Neosaturn’s attack." He shot her a glance as he buttoned his shirt. "A long, long time ago when I was very young, she met up with a young fledging queen of darkness. Her name was Nehelenia."
Nehelenia! Sailor Neomoon sat up straighter on the chaise. Sailor Neomercury and Neomars glanced at her then looked back at Kurai.
"My father, back then, was just a human. He didn’t have the political power that my mother did. She was the queen of our planet! She knew that Eternal Night would grow stronger with the backing of the Dead Moon. After hearing Nehelenia’s tale of the White Moon family that had banished her, my mother decided to travel to Earth to investigate the White Moon family. She inhabited the body of a young girl, hoping to get closer to them. We did not hear from her after that and it was not for many, many years that we got the full story." Kurai began pacing. His expression saddened as he continued. "Mother possessed a girl named Ririka and was close to launching an attack on the White Moon family, but Sailormoon and the Senshi killed her. This sent my father over the edge. He began studying strange magic so he could drain the power from demons, but he didn’t know how to harness it. It consumed him and he became a demon. He was the creature you encountered in the throne room."
"Kurai," Sailor Neomoon said abruptly, standing up. "I need to tell you the truth. Now that I have heard what has happened, I cannot keep this a secret from you."
"What is it?" he inquired as his pacing ceased.
"I... Sailormoon and I were the ones who killed your mother," she answered quietly, unable to look him in the eye.
He blanched and looked towards the floor. "I see. I do not hold it against you. Mother’s powers were not at full strength because of the prolonged time she spent away from Eternal Night. I have let go of the pain already long ago, but my father, he never has." He outstretched a hand to his love.
Her hand met Kurai’s and she was pulled close to his chest. Tears spilled out of her eyes. "Being a Senshi is not always as easy as it seems. Sometimes we hurt others without knowing it in our blind pursuit for justice. I will do everything in my power to repair the pain in your father’s heart, Kurai. I promise you that!" The other NeoSenshi looked at her with admiration, and even Sailor Neosaturn seemed vaguely moved by the scene.
The prince’s eyes closed briefly. "Thank you," he murmured. He leaned down and kissed her forehead above her tiara then straightened. His head turned sharply and stayed looking away from the NeoSenshi for a moment. "We have made it to my planet. My father’s power will grow steadily the longer he is here so be careful."
Sailor Neomoon turned and looked at the NeoSenshi. They all nodded, knowing what it was they needed to do... especially Sailor Neosaturn.
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