Sailor Moon: Shadow of Silver Millennium

Chapter 1: The Light of the Moon

I opened my eyes and found myself in a hotel room. I had fallen asleep on my couch: at least I could blame the Japanese cartoons I had been watching for my vivid dream. I tried to remember the throne room, the Queen, and the Princess, but the details had slipped away by the time I opened the curtain window. I saw the Tokyo skyscrapers in front of me, covering the setting sun. I'd never been to Japan before: it was such a beautiful sight. I still daydreamed of getting a job and visiting here once in a while, but I was just a visitor for the week. I hoped to find somewhere quiet to eat and enjoy the sights without the usual hustle and bustle. Unfortunately, the closest place that I could find in a Texas-Style Western BBQ...not exactly the sort of place I came a long way to visit...

"Howdy, partner! My name's Serena! Can I rustle ya sumthin' from the ole waterin' hole?" The waitress who greeted me was a perky blonde with buns, long hair and blue eyes. I guessed she was in her late teens or early twenties - definitely younger than I was, but at least she didn't call me 'sir'. Her 'southern' accent definitely needed some work.

"I'm, uh...having a bit of trouble reading the menu," I admitted awkwardly.

She gasped. "Are you American? I went to school in America - well, I didn't finish, who knew that the teachers there failed you for falling asleep in class? I didn't want to go home and make my parents cry and listen to my friend Raye be like 'I can't believe you failed school, meatball head!' So instead I got a job here, and the owner said I could sleep in the basement, and I have all the benefits of being in America without going to an American school! It's so great, right? Oh - please don't call me meatball head!"

I managed an awkward smile. I could already tell this girl was my polar opposite personality-wise. She was a bit...loopy, but I wasn't one to judge. I had my quirks too. Besides, it was a while since I had an actual conversation with anyone...I didn't come to Tokyo expecting to make any friends. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard something press against the window and meow.

"LUNA! Get off the window! I've cleaned it enough times today!" she yelled at the black cat; I noticed a strange moon-shaped crescent on her forehead..."I'm gonna have a talk with that cat! Not that she talks back to me, because that would be crazy! I'll be right back!"

Just as Serena rushed outside, I noticed a man hovering ominously over my table, wearing all black and tilting his head so that his hat covered his face. Things got weirder as the music came to a grinding halt and everyone else dropped face-first into the tables.

"Come with me. It's time for our first mission," said the sinister man. I realized that he was talking to me.

"You didn't spike the ol' waterin' hole now, did ya?" I asked sarcastically. I glanced out of the window hoping to see Serena, but she had already removed Luna from my window. I hoped that she had gone to get help and hadn't just run away.

"That wasn't a request," the man leaned in. I hid my nervousness and removed my glasses - in some movies I watched, removing glasses was a sign that the character meant business. I tried to show no fear when I looked the man square in the eye, but I saw something strange swirling around in there: like dark energy. I must be having another dream, I thought.

"I'd rather have dinner first," I told him. Serena rushed through the front door just as the man tried to grab me.

"Hey! Don't mess with Texas! And don't mess with my customers!" Serena screamed and pointed.

"Sailor Moon!" the man smirked. "It's been a while!"

"Moon...Prism...POWER!" she shouted. I just stood there wide-eyed as she...transformed in front of me. I was fixed on all the pretty colors as a tiara, white gloves, red boots, and a white uniform with blue laces and a red bowtie took form upon her. At least the scene proved I was dreaming - I should NOT have spent my first day watching TV.

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice!" she posed. "On behalf of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you! Not you, him!" she corrected herself when she realized she was pointing at me. "You seem really nice! Not that I'm trying to influence any tip you were thinking of giving me -"

Sailor Moon was interrupted by a blast of dark energy. She was thrown into the back of the restaurant. Not thinking, I tried to tackle my attacker, but he pushed me off and grabbed me by the shoulder. "Moon...Tiara...MAGIC!" Sailor Moon cried and threw what looked like frisbee of white light at him. He flinched as it hit him, but refused to let go. "Get your hand OFF OF HIM!" she screamed and charged into us...

The next thing I saw was a massive burst of energy that sent me flying out of the restaurant. I barely felt myself hit the floor before I blacked out. When I woke up, I noticed Sailor Moon lying unconscious nearby. I tried to stand up and wobbled over to her when I managed to catch something that flew towards my head. It was a rose: a figure wearing a white mask and black clothing leaped down off the restaurant roof. I presumed he was another "recruiter" for whoever was responsible for all this.

"Tell whoever you work for that I'm not interested," I snarled.

"I am Tuxedo Mask!" declared the figure. "I 'work' for the forces of truth and justice. I'm here to protect the lovely Sailor Moon from the likes of you!" Before I had the chance to explain anything, Tuxedo Mask threw a punch at me. I got out of the way and Tuxedo Mask charged for another strike, so I pushed his arm to the side and punched him square in the jaw as hard as I could.

"STOP!" a female voice screamed out. It had come in the direction of Luna, who was perched on the sidewalk near the restaurant, but I saw no one else in her direction. "He did not attack Sailor Moon! She was protecting him!"

Great, now animals are talking to me! So I'm the loopy one! I thought to myself as I threw my arms up in the air.

"My name is Luna. No, you are not hallucinating or dreaming, I really am a talking cat!" It was an awkward way of introducing herself, so I likely wasn't the first. "I sensed something the moment I met you, and what I saw confirms that we are on the same side.

"On the same side?" asked Tuxedo Mask. "Do you mean he's a..."

"No, not exactly," answered Luna. "I will explain but right now, we have to get Serena to safety."

"To her house?" asked Tuxedo Mask.

"No, whoever we're dealing with will look for her there. I know of another place we can go."

"Fine, help me carry her," ordered Tuxedo Mask. I still didn't trust him, so I stepped back.

"Look, I'm sorry I attacked you. I'm Tuxedo Mask - I'm her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" I muttered without really thinking.

"Yeah, it comes as a surprise to most people but yes - she has a boyfriend," he answered. Based on the look on his face, I could picture him asking himself: Is he just surprised that she has a boyfriend, or is he disappointed? I saw him rubbing the side of his face where I had hit him.

"Hurry, we have to get her to safety," urged Luna. We took Sailor Moon under the arms and ran after her...

Chapter 2: Queen Serenity's Shadow

Luna guided us to an old temple: it looked like it was closed for the night, except for one dilapidated room. Waiting for us was another white cat who possessed the same crescent moon on his forehead.

"Luna! What happened?" he asked.

"Artemis, you must awaken Raye and tell the other Sailor Scouts to come here as quickly as possible!"

"I'll move as fast as I can!" Artemis dashed out the door.

"I thought we could use this room as a secret base in the event the Sailor Scouts needed to be called again...even though it needs some fixing up," said Luna after we had set Serena down on a rickety bed in the 'Inner Senshi' room.

"She's breathing normally. She's just knocked out. Let her rest," Tuxedo Mask assured us.

"We're fortunate that Ami came to visit, she can take a look at her later." I could sense Luna watching me. "Something is troubling you," Luna finally spoke.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember the strange dream I had before. "I dreamed of a teenage girl dressed in white, with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes...most of the details are still fuzzy, but she looked just like her," I said as I looked down at Serena.

"That confirms my suspicions," said Luna. "We came from Silver Millennium, the Moon Kingdom that was destroyed over a thousand years ago. Our mission was to protect the Silver Crystal and help the people of Earth progress. Queen Serenity sacrificed her life so that her court could be reborn on Earth. Sailor Moon was her daughter and leader of the Sailor Scouts. Years ago, we secured the Silver Crystal and protected Earth from evil. But evil comes in many forms, as did the protectors of Queen Serenity."

I thought to sit in an old wooden chair, but I stood up as soon as I heard it creaking. We were lucky Serena's bed was in better shape. "My kind?" I asked.

"You were one of the Queen's Shadows, agents sent to monitor Earth's progress."

"He was a spy?" asked Tuxedo Mask. The term made Luna look visibly uncomfortable. I could tell she thought highly of her mission and her fallen kingdom.

"Not at first. Your task was to monitor and assist the development of Earth and its people. Later on, Queen Serenity learned that a dark influence was corrupting them and reassigned you to investigate. You learned how to wield their dark magic in order to disguise and protect yourselves if necessary. But I had previously believed that our enemies had discovered and destroyed all of you."

"The man in the restaurant...if he was a man...he wanted me to come with him. He said it was time for my first mission," he admitted to Luna. He could see Tuxedo Mask look towards him as well.

"He can sense the dark taint that resides within you, faint as it may be. No doubt he wants you to take part in his cause...which will pit you against the people of Earth and the Sailor Scouts," said Luna.

"Then maybe I could go back to him...I can find out what he's up to," I suggested.

"I did not think you would be so eager to help," Luna admitted after a moment of awkward silence. "Knowing more about our enemy would certainly help, but it would be dangerous. They will try to turn you over to their side. If that happens, the Sailor Scouts will not be able to save you."

"Maybe there's training or an artifact you can give him to help him resist their influence," suggested Tuxedo Mask.

Luna hung her head. "Unlike the rest of our group, you carry the taint of the dark magic you once wielded inside of you. It is not a matter of resisting our enemies' power...it is about learning how to control your own."

"I can use dark magic? What sort of powers did I have?" I asked. The thought made me nervous...what if I could not control it? I began wondering what I had gotten myself into.

"The dark magic users we have encountered could disappear from sight and strike without warning. They could drain energy from others and manipulate their minds." Invisibility might be cool, but the rest sounded much less benevolent, I thought. Luna must have noticed that I was having second thoughts and gave me a moment of pause. Using dark magic does not make you an evil person, but the temptation to use it for selfish and destructive purposes will be strong, even for you." "You have a choice. You can stay with us regardless of your decision. We can keep you safe until the Sailor Scouts have dealt with the threat."

I looked at Sailor Moon again, covered in sheets. She had risked her life protecting me. I have to do something, I told myself. I could not just sit by. It was as much a feeling as it was a thought, but I managed to put the words together: "Sailor Moon could not defeat him. We don't know what he's planning or if he's working with others. You need to know what we're up against, and this is our best chance. Who knows how much time we have?"

Luna nodded. "If only Serena had been as enthusiastic when I told her she was Sailor Moon. Very well, but first, we must be certain that you can handle dark magic." Luna leapt into the air and did a backflip. A black shard fell to the floor.

"We believe that this shard was cut from the Silver Crystal. Pick it up," ordered Luna. "And remember your heart." I was unsure what she meant, but with some hesitation, I knelt down and reached out for the shard.

The shard's edges that were sharp to the touch. Staring into it was like staring into a black hole. My hand burned while the rest of my body went cold. I saw darkness swirling around me. In an instant, I could see myself siphoning energy from my bullies and watching them collapse to the ground while others watched on in horror. I could see myself tearing buildings to their foundations and throwing cops aside like ragdolls. And then I saw myself finishing my fight with Tuxedo Mask: I ripped off his mask and choked him as Sailor Moon begged me to stop...

In horror, I threw the shard aside. I realized what a terrible mistake I would be making. Whatever threat we faced, I would become something much worse.

"Throw it away. It's too dangerous," I begged Luna. I backed up into a corner, put my hands on my knees and sat there looking at the floor. I was in a cold sweat.

"The stone shows you what you CAN do with your powers, not what you WILL do. The fact that it scares you proves that you have a good heart." Luna spoke in a gentle tone as she pushed a silver bracer in front of me. I noticed a slot for the shard, but I could not bring myself to hold it again. "This will help you focus and control your dark powers. I trust you to use your powers responsibly. Now, you have to trust yourself," Luna explained.

"I know you can - um, I didn't catch your name," asked Tuxedo Mask.

"Yes! You're going to need a new name!" realized Luna.

I picked the bracer up off the ground - it was surprisingly light to the touch, yet sturdy. It slipped onto my arm perfectly. "Like a callsign? What would you call me?" I asked.

"...Charon," Luna said after a moment of contemplation. "That will be your name."

"Well, you guys named me, so I guess I have to take this," I quipped. I reached for the dark shard and shoved it into the bracer as quickly as I could. Although the shard was jagged and uncut, it fit perfectly. My arm grew hot for a few seconds, but nothing near like it was before. I saw another brief 'vision'...this time I was wearing two silver bracers with a magical chain holding them together, like handcuffs...but the image quickly faded.

"What is your real name, anyway?" asked Tuxedo Mask.

I smirked. "I'm a spy, remember? I can't tell you until you earn my trust."

"Luna!" Artemis had returned. "Something's going on in the city, I was able to find - whoa." Artemis paused in the doorway and stared at me. I could hear others coming behind him...

Chapter 3: Colliding With the Inner Senshi

A young woman around Serena's age with long black hair and white robes with a long red skirt followed behind Artemis. She did not look very pleased to see us and I could see the lines in her face tighten when she saw me.

"Intruder!" I was startled when she screamed and pointed at me. "Get out of here before I-"

"Calm down, Raye! He was an agent of Queen Serenity! He's offered to help us figure out what's going on!" cried Luna.

I saw three other girls file in behind Raye. The first had short blue hair and glanced away from me as she walked by. The second had green eyes and hair tied into a ponytail, held by a hair tie with two green round jewels. The third looked startlingly like Serena, except that her long blonde hair was straight with a red hair ribbon. They were all plainly dressed in civilian clothes - they must have been hanging out when Artemis found them - but they were still pretty.

"Are you sure he's on our side? He's dressed like a bad guy," said the one with brown hair. I looked down and was surprised to find that I was now wearing a gray robe with black outlines on top of some kind of undersuit. Except for the silver bracer, there was no sign of the clothes I had been wearing before.

"Your bracer and the dark shard allows you to transform and activate your powers instantly, but watch your emotions carefully - you must have gotten nervous when Artemis and the others came," explained Luna.

"Luna - did you say dark shard?" asked Artemis.

"Yes, he's a Shadow. He was a member of a secret order that infiltrated the forces of evil on Earth," answered Luna.
"I thought there were none of them left. But things are a mess outside. It's a welcome change of pace, usually when someone new appears they're not on our side!" said Artemis. Maybe now the others would welcome me, I thought...

"Now hold on!" Raye interrupted again. "He's not a Sailor Scout, right? It's bad enough you didn't tell me about this base of yours, Luna, but bringing him here has put my grandpa and the rest of us in danger! How do we know he's not here to spy on us?"

"He's not a spy, Raye!" shouted Luna.

"Calm down, everyone!" yelled the blonde with the red hair ribbon. "Amy, maybe you should take a look at Serena?"

The blue-haired girl nodded and joined Tuxedo Mask by Serena's bed side. But it didn't take long for tempers to flare up again:

"Darien, what happened to your face?" Amy asked Tuxedo Mask.

"Look, Charon - the new guy and I - had a misunderstanding. I thought he attacked Serena, so I attacked him, and he defended himself - "

"See?! This proves he's dangerous!" yelled Raye. "I don't know why the rest of you are defending him! He won't even defend himself - he hasn't said a word since we got here!"

I'd had enough by that point. I turned to Luna and tried to pretend there was no one else there as I said, "I can meet the recruiter on my own, find out what I can and report back."

"I would not advise that you go alone. The Sailor Scouts should be nearby in case our ruse does not work or you run into any trouble. We have to know why they are interested in you and what they plan on using you for," warned Luna.

I turned to Raye and the other two Sailor Scouts behind her. "You're right, I'm not a Sailor Scout. I can't make you help me, but I don't need your permission either."

"Well, I'm their leader, and I'm coming with you." I heard Serena call out just as I was about to walk past the three Sailor Scouts. I saw Amy and Damien trying to push her back down, but she insisted on sitting up. "He's my friend, and I'm not leaving him out there without backup."

The others looked at me, then back at Serena. "I'm with you too, I think you're a good guy," said the other blonde.

I saw Amy nodding. The brown-haired girl turned to Sailor Mars. "He's got a plan, Raye. Let's help him with it."

Sailor Mars turned her head away...not just from me, but from everyone else...and closed her eyes in disappointment. "I should check on my grandpa. I hope this plan works."

"Come on, Raye!" the brown-haired girl called after her. "I'll be right back."

"Hey, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. My name's Mina," the other blonde smiled. "Any chance you've heard of Sailor V?"

I had the biggest crush on her EVER, I thought. But instead I said, "Yeah, I've heard of her."

"That was me!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, what have you done for the world lately, Venus?" mocked Serena.

"Hey!" Mina yelled back.

"So, Artemis, where's Rini?" Serena asked. Mina whispered to me that Rini was Serena's daughter from the future. Compared to everything else that was going out that day, that really didn't phase me.

"Rini couldn't come, she's grounded," Artemis admitted awkwardly. You saw Serena mutter ha ha.

"Any luck, Sailor Jupiter?" Amy asked the brown-haired girl upon her return. I saw no sign of Raye behind her.

"Looks like it'll be us for now. She'll come around...eventually," lamented Jupiter. "So what's the plan? Are you gonna ditch those robes and bracer?" she asked.

"I'll tell him the Sailor Scouts tried to recruit me to their cause, tried to get me to use the power of the Black Shard against their enemies, but I decided that being evil is way cooler and escaped," I answered.

"That's risky, but his superiors will definitely be more interested in you. Remember, if you think you're in danger of being discovered, you have the power to disappear," said Luna.

"Or just yell for us and we'll come running!" said Sailor Moon from her bed.

"But discover as much as you can about them - their numbers, their goals, their leaders and if they use the same dark energy. I don't know of any other source that would trigger a reaction like I saw when you two collided with Sailor Moon." Luna flipped into the air again and a wrist watch with a crystal star on the cover fell. I was a bit embarrassed to pick it up. "Use this so that we can listen in on your conversations and you can call us if you need help. I'm sorry I don't have anything more...appropriate for you."

"I'll keep an eye on Raye and her grandpa, make sure they're OK," said Artemis. "Don't worry, you'll be in good hands," he said to me...

Chapter 4: The Imposter Kingdom

I left on my own, but I heard chatter over the communicator indicating that the others were watching me from a distance. The police had set up a perimeter around the restaurant when I returned. I could see them carrying people out - some were badly hurt, but thankfully they were all walking. I figured out how to 'think' my robes off and was wearing regular clothes again; I did not want to attract any unwanted attention.

"Sir, there's been an explosion," the officer stated briskly.

"I'm looking for someone who was here. A man wearing all black, including a black hat," I asked. I saw the officer flip through a notepad.

"I may have seen him, can you give me more details?" he asked.

"I spoke to him earlier, he wanted to recruit me for something important," was what I said. The officer gave me an odd look, but said he would find out and walked towards the restaurant. Minutes later, everybody just collapsed on the floor. I felt a chill down my spine and the arm with the bracer grew hot again.

"I don't like the looks of this, we should grab him and question him ourselves," I heard Jupiter faintly mutter over the communicator.

"Stick to the plan, stay quiet," I heard Sailor Venus answer back. I could see the figure grinning as he came closer. I resisted the urge to step back as he stopped inches away from me. I noticed that his skin had a purple hue.

"You have returned, acolyte. For your own sake, I hope you were not foolish enough to lead Sailor Moon here," he sneered.
"She didn't. She tried to recruit me to her cause, but I escaped," I explained. I raised my arm and showed him the silver bracer. He reached out to touch it, but did not.

"Your powers are strong," he smiled, "and you are learning how to use them on your own. We studied the Scouts' previous missions and found the means to resist their powers, but we did not think they would try to turn you against us. But I have accounted for the other Shadows - tell me, what led you back to us?"

"Sailor Moon was really annoying, she seemed like a huge brat. And her friends were jerks," I answered back. I figured the best lies were close to the truth, but I knew Sailor Moon was going to make me pay for that later...

"I expected that reaction from them," he smiled. "Queen Serenity and her court were always arrogant. But a second Ice Age is coming to this planet and Silver Millennium shall be rebuilt upon its surface!"

"But I thought the Sailor Scouts were the enemy! They're the ones who want to restore Silver Millennium!" I asked. No doubt the others were also confused.

"That's what any tyrant would want you to believe: that they ARE the Kingdom, not merely its rulers! Their hubris did not only turn the people of Earth against them, acolyte! Our plan was set in motion long before the Moon Kingdom was destroyed! The only wrinkle left in our plan...is you!"

This time, I stepped back from him, trying not to let my 'cloak' magically activate itself. "Wait! I thought you were recruiting me! I can help you find Sailor Moon!" I 'pleaded'. Hopefully the others knew that I was trying to buy more time and coax more information out of him.

"Your powers are strong, acolyte, but they also make you a liability. By the time the Scouts find another way to stop us, it will be too late. I assure you: your sacrifice will guarantee the rebirth of our Kingdom and the end of the Sailor Scouts!" I flinched as he reached in my direction. When I opened my eyes, I realized that my cloak had activated. He reached in my direction and smirked; although he didn't know exactly where I was, he sensed I was still in the area.

"You can't hide, acolyte!" I tried to run when I saw him summon a ball of dark energy in his hand and throw it at the floor. He raised a fog of black smoke with energy particles surging through it. I felt as if I had been electrocuted and fell to the ground in agony.

"Mercury Bubbles...Blast!" The dark fog was blown away by a clear mist, giving me some time to get on my feet and run into the street.

"Back for your pawn, I see! Or was he yours all along?" I heard the recruiter scream behind me. He was still pursuing me.

"Venus...Crescent...Beam!" The recruiter dodged Sailor Venus' attack, but the distraction gave me a chance to run into the alley.

"Mars...Fire...Ignite!" I heard Raye's voice - she had come to help us! I saw a wall of fire behind me, blocking the recruiter from pursuing me any farther. I leaned up against the wall and sat on the ground.

"Charon, are you alright?" Tuxedo Mask ran up to me, followed by Luna.

"He said he could...resist their powers," I said, trying to stand back up.

"He might not expect YOU to attack him," suggested Tuxedo Mask.

"How?" I asked.

"Get close to him and use the same attack against him! Stay focused on him and remember: you're fighting to protect the Sailor Scouts! The rest will come!" said Luna.

I could see things were going badly for us when I approached the alley. Whenever the Sailor Scouts' attacked him, he would disappear like a ghost, only to reappear near them and deliver a close blast of dark energy. This was a trained Shadow in combat...what I could become if I could master my powers...

"Run," Sailor Mercury pleaded as she lay on the floor. Only Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon were left standing.

"Venus...Love Chain Encircle!" Sailor Venus launched her chain attack right at him, but he was dodged the initial strike, grabbed the chain and rode it back to her.

"Venus!" Sailor Moon shouted as he knocked her to the ground. The recruiter turned around and smirked when he saw me.

"Go! I can deal with this!" I shouted to Sailor Moon.

"But - " I nodded and Sailor Moon understood. She ran to Venus and Tuxedo Mask went to help the others.

"See how quickly your 'friends' desert you. You were foolish to betray us," taunted the recruiter.

"At least they didn't try to kill me when we first met," I retorted. I was focused on what Luna told me, trying to summon dark magic like the recruiter had earlier.

"I would have given you a quick death acolyte. Instead, I'll take my time..." He vanished from sight, surely to attack me up close, just as the ball of dark magic formed in my hand and I threw it to the floor. The cloud of smoke may not have been as dense as the one he had summoned before, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks. He reappeared, coughing and shaking helplessly.

"How? No...you're a..." he cried.

"He's vulnerable! Sailor Moon, finish him!" cried Luna. Sailor Moon raised a pink rod with a tiny gold crown, topped with a gold and red heart-shaped towards the Moon. I grew dizzy watching her spin the rod and herself around.

"Moon...Spiral...Heart...Attack!" she yelled. If the dizziness hadn't finished off the recruiter, then the enormous pink heart that smashed into him surely did. I made a note to myself to be careful about teasing Serena: I didn't want to get hit by one of those.
I could see that the people the recruiter had previously rendered unconscious were beginning to stir."Hey, Sailor Moon's back!" I heard a voice yell from down the street.

"It wasn't just us," smiled Sailor Moon as she flipped her hair. "We have our newest team member to thank - hey, where did he go?" she looked around frantically.

I had disappeared from sight and was watching the scene from a nearby rooftop. I heard Tuxedo Mask slip in behind me.

"Camera shy?" he asked. I nodded. "It's OK, they can handle the attention. We'll see them back at the Temple..."

Chapter 5: Trust Is Earned, But Not Always Given

Damien and I found an old TV in the Temple and managed to hook it up, so we could sit back as we waited for the others. Luna and Artemis joined us minutes later and told us the Sailor Scouts had returned. They were exhausted after their last fight and Luna decided everyone should get some rest. I hoped that wasn't a sign that Serena was mad at me for something. Damien flipped through three channels before settling on the Sailor V movie.

"I thought you two would want to watch something else. Didn't you have enough real fighting earlier?" chastised Luna.
"That cat looks nothing like me," lamented Artemis. Luna sighed.

"The dialogue is almost completely different from what I remember," I said to Damien. "They cut out a lot of scenes in the version I watched, like most of the romance parts and the grenade scene. She didn't really hit anybody either, it's like you would see her hand move and her target would just drop."

"Why would they do that? Sounds like they butchered it," replied Damien as Sailor V fought her way through a group of masked criminals.

"They made it more kid-friendly, but it still had its charms," I answered.

"So, how does the real Sailor V compare to the movie version?" asked Artemis.

I answered, "she looks better without the mask." I did not understand why none of them brought up what we had just experienced, so I changed the subject. "Were there any rebellions in Silver Millennium?" I asked Luna.

"Not that I remember," replied Luna. "I know that the recruiter said troublesome things about Silver Millennium, but you can't let him fill you with doubts. Queen Serenity was a kind and just ruler. She sacrificed herself to give us another chance at life. Try to put it out of your head for now - we will talk in the morning, after everyone else has rested."

"I'll look around for a while, and then get some rest. Good night," I left the room and took a walk through the Temple grounds. Before that night, I might have enjoyed the serenity of the trees and empty buildings. Instead, I repeatedly checked over my shoulder to make sure there were no other recruiters or rogue Shadows sneaking up behind me. When I slid the door open to the main shrine, I saw Raye praying to the fire in the robe and dress she wore when we met.

"Hey," she called just as I was about to slide the door shut and leave. Maybe she thought I was one of her friends.
"Sorry, I was just leaving. I'm glad everyone is alright," I muttered. I noticed two black crows sitting beside her as I slid the door closed. But she reopened the door and followed me.

"Even with the five of us, we still couldn't beat him. If you hadn't been there, we wouldn't have been able to stop that recruiter," she admitted.

I turned to her; I hadn't expected to see this side of her, but here she was: apologizing. "I wasn't sure you'd come back," I said to her.

"I came back to help the others, but later I realized that I was wrong about you. I hope you'll stay around?" she looked up and asked.

"He mentioned another Ice Age was coming. A lot of innocent people will die if that happens, so yeah - I'll stay. Maybe we can stop it, or at least buy some more time," I answered. She smiled, but I could see her eyes were still somber. "You all seem close. I wish I had a group of friends like yours," I added.

"You do," she answered. "We get on each other's nerves all the time - especially Serena - but we're all there for each other when it matters. I'll talk to you later, I need to make sure Grandpa's still in bed."

"Sure, let me know if you need help with him," I offered and started walking away.

"Hey! What's your name? Besides Charon?" she asked.

"Logan," I turned and answered. "You're the first person I've told."

She smiled again. "Good night, Logan." I returned to the personal quarters for bed when I saw Darien whispering into one of the rooms.

"We were watching the movie the entire time. He would have gotten suspicious if I insisted he stay there!"

"I don't like holding secret meetings about him behind his back, Darien." I could make out Serena's voice whispering back to him. Knowing that they were talking about me behind my back made my blood boil.

"You won't have to keep this secret for long," he assured you. Copying another of the Shadow recruiter's move, I disappeared and reappeared directly behind Damien.

"No, you won't," I made Damien jump and Serena gasp. "You can tell me right now."

"Luna wanted us to wait for the right time to talk to you..." began Serena. I could see her eyes starting to fill with tears.

"Serena, the others are sleeping! She cries easily." I could see her fuming as Damien continued. "That recruiter was a Shadow, and he said the others were 'accounted for'. There are sure to be more on his side! We can't just ignore that!"

"You can't ignore the fact that you need my help either," I answered. "And it's going to be hard to trust any of you knowing that you're talking about me behind my back."

Serena and Damien hung their heads. I started feeling bad: they were my closest friends here so far. But I knew that keeping secrets from me wasn't right.

"Nobody said anything bad about you at the meeting. Not even Raye, which is something," offered Serena.

"The others just don't know you yet. Maybe tomorrow, we can all try to get to know each other better - " suggested Damien.

"Ooohhh! SHOPPING! WE NEED FOOD AND VIDEOGAMES AND -" Serena yawned "and sleep. Lots of sleep."

"We'd better get some sleep while we have the chance," said Damien. "Tomorrow will be a better day, I promise." I decided to drop it for now.

"Oh, while you're here!" Serena called to us and went back into her room. She returned to her door with a stack of Sailor V manga. "A welcome gift. Mina thought you'd like them - although I'm not sure if she wanted you to know it was her idea, so forget I said that!"

"Uh...thanks," I answered back awkwardly as Serena slid her door closed.

"See? They're trying. I...uh, mentioned we were watching the movie. Damien mentioned awkwardly. "I think Mina has a crush."
"Was the part of the movie where she was in love and had to give him up true?" I asked.

After a moment of silence, Damien responded, "she's a romantic, but she doesn't have a lot of experience with relationships." We returned to our private quarters, although I wasn't expecting to get much sleep...

Chapter 6: The Shadow Plot

Damien and I waited outside the girls' quarters that morning. Mina was turning everyone's rooms upside down trying to find something. Eventually, the other Sailor Scouts got impatient and dragged her out of there.

"Just give me 10 more minutes to search! I remember putting them right here in the corner!" pleaded Mina.

"Oh - the Sailor V manga? I gave them to Charon last night. Oh - and I accidentally mentioned it was your idea," answered Serena.

"What?! I was just going to leave it on his table! Why did you tell him it was from me?!" Mina's face turned red when she saw us standing a few feet away from her. "Oh, hey guys! I didn't see you there! Serena can be a real ditz sometimes!"

"Takes one to know one," mumbled Serena. Mina crossed her arms and turned her back on Serena.

"Thanks for the manga?" I awkwardly smiled to try to defuse the tension, but it didn't work.

"Hey, since Charon's visiting, I thought we could split up and meet for breakfast later," Damien suggested.

"I call these two!" Serena grabbed me and Mina by the arms.

"I'm still not talking to you," muttered Mina. Serena sighed.

"Don't worry Serena, I'll take good care of your boyfriend for you," Raye teased and winked. Serena made an angry face. We walked down the Temple steps together and split up as we headed into the city...

"Don't tell me both of you are giving me the silent treatment!" complained Serena half an hour later. She had acted as the tour guide, introducing the sights, including their old high school. I was enjoying the scenery. Mina WAS still a bit mad...

The sight of the arcade across the street caught my eye. "I haven't seen one of those in a while," I commented. The other two stopped and looked.

"You mean you don't have arcades back home?" Serena asked.

"Well, they're for little kids. It's been a long time since I've been in one," I answered.

"That reminds me," Mina chimed in, "last night I saw that Amy had one of those square black things that people used to put in computer slots..."

"Floppy discs?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's what they were called!" answered Mina.

"Ah, the good old 90s," stated Serena.
...

Behind the three of us, two Shadows disguised in civilian clothing watched us ominously. They recognized Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus, though my identity as a Shadow was still unknown to them. They sensed something strange, but failed to connect the dots.

"I recognize those two from the news. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. I detect strange energy from the one standing next to them," said the male shadow.

"Our orders are to take one of them for interrogation," the female shadow remembered. "This could be our best chance; there's only two with that nobody."

"Why don't we try to drain their energy first? We could host some kind of videogame competition," the male shadow suggested.

"Videogame competition?" she asked.

"Yes, those arcade machines display the player score on the screen. We can offer the winner a prize and while they're trying so hard to win, we drain their energy! And then we take one for interrogation! We're completing two mission objectives at the same time!" the male Shadow explained excitedly.

The female Shadow shook her head. "All our training and dark magic abilities and you want to defeat our enemies by hosting a videogame competition? Seriously, that's the lamest plan I've ever heard!"

"Hey, Queen Beryl's commanders came up with schemes like that all the time, remember?" he complained.

"And look how well that turned out for them," she crossed her arms and shook her head. "We don't need a stupid scheme to collect energy OR capture one of the Sailor Scouts. Here...give me that leather flap human males carry around with them..."
He reached into his pocket. "My wallet? Seriously, you think this is a better plan?"

...

"HELP! MY WALLET!" A man screamed behind us. I charged after the woman who stole it. She was fast and moved through the crowds with remarkable precision. I nearly lost her several times during the chase, but I could sense her up ahead. I pursued her into an alley. Thankfully, it was a dead end, giving me a second to catch my breath.

A out-of-breath cop ran up behind me. "Ma'am...your...under...arrest!"

An even more out-of-breath Serena followed. "Charon...you alright?" she panted.

"Charon?" asked the cop. "What kind of name is...ugh..."

I felt a tingling sensation, but I wasn't feeling as tired as the cop and Serena suddenly looked. I saw that the mysterious woman was draining their energy...and she was trying to drain mine too...but the process was moving a lot more slowly...

"You ARE different!" she realized. "There's only one way you could resist my energy drain...you have dark magic! You're supposed to be one of us!"

"Sorry to disappoint you," I replied. She tried to disappear, but I beat her to it...I reappeared behind her, curb-stomped her right thigh, and punched her in the face. She fell to the ground in shock. I looked over to the cop and Serena and I realized that Mina wasn't behind her.

"Serena, where's Mina?" I asked.

"She stayed with that guy that she mugged," Serena answered. I realized that this was her plan all along.

"Was that guy with you?" I asked the downed Shadow. I grabbed her collar when she cracked a wide grin. "Was all this to capture our friend?"

She leaned up off the floor to answer. "Even if you destroy me, you won't be able to hide your presence from us for long..."

To Be Continued...