Title: Storming Overcast
By: Magic713
Rated: PG-13 at worse
Fandom: Sailor Moon
Notes: A multichapter fan fiction I had in mind, starring our gals and introducing something new.
Story Summary: After some time, Sailor Moon once again has to face a new threat, but after so much loss will she have the will to fight on?
Comments allowed: Yes, please.

---

Chapter 1: Brewing

She was there again. Standing at the airport. Mamoru had just given her that precious ring, now rested on her finger. He told her he loved her and they shared a deep kiss. But not a second later, she watched helplessly as he began to dissolve into dust. "Mamo-chan" she screamed, trying to reach for him, only for him to begin floating away, still melting. "Usako," he said softly. "No," she whimpered. "Usagi," she saw her friends behind Mamoru, running to her. A flash of light and they too began to dissolve as well. "No...stop!" Usagi screamed. She tried reaching them, but she could not get any further. She reached for her crystal, to transform, only to find it failed to work. "That thing couldn't help you stop me from killing them," Usagi saw the evil senshi, Sailor Galaxia float above them, smiling maliciously as she used a blast to finish killing her friends. "You can save them from death, but you could never protect them." Usagi fell to her knees as nothing but dust glittered in the air. She fell to the ground as she cried until she felt someone push her.


“Usagi,” a light voice whispered to her, waking the 16-year old teenager from her dream.  She looked around and saw students looking at the board while the teacher explained the lesson. She then looked to her right and saw the source of her relief. Naru looked at Usagi with great concern. Usagi picked her head up and began wiping away the tears flowing down her cheek.

---

“I can’t believe I fell asleep again,” Usagi was saying to her friend and school genius, Ami, “I swear, I got my full eight hours of sleep.” Ami was partly listening to her friend as she was reading her book on the way to the arcade. Truthfully, Usagi might have had eight hours of sleep, but not all at once. Ever since the battle with Chaos, she had been having frequent nightmares of the events since she returned. At first, she was concerned something might have been wrong with her. Some lingering effect left behind by Chaos. For the most part, she didn't tell Mamoru or any of her fellow Senshi. Only Rei knew of her frequent dreams, because after a week of bad dreams, Usagi went to Rei to see if there was something unnatural behind them. Sadly, Rei could not find anything supernatural to link to her dreams. Rei suggested that perhaps Usagi might have been suffering something more psychological than magical, which was worst for her. Magical, she could fight, by how could she overcome her own mind? Rei assured her that if she ever needed to talk, she would listen, no matter what.


As Usagi and Ami enter the arcade, they were greeted by their friend, Motoki. They took their seats and waited for their friends to arrive. As they discussed their plans later, the television broadcaster announced a special bulletin.


“According to our sources, the asteroid will be skimming the Earth’s atmosphere, before continuing towards its destination. Citizens, tonight we will be witnessing the event of the largest asteroid to pass through our atmosphere with a radius slightly smaller than that of our moon. Be sure to check out this spectacular event, because we might not be see one again in our life time. And now onto…”.


Usagi started feeling very unsettled as she watched the report. She did not know why, but the asteroid gave her chills. Perhaps it was the recent battle that made her feel on edge. It had been three months since Galaxia and Chaos had taken everyone away from her and she was still on edge with her ongoing nightmares. She could not believe how quickly she came to losing herself and just give up. And now everyone was trying to move on with their lives.


Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru were taking a family vacation to tour Europe. Rei had begun to work twice as long, preparing to be a priestess for her shrine. Makoto was already looking through college brochures for the best culinary schools, hoping to become a chef. Minako was asked to do a movie as Sailor V, which she accepted, seeing as filming started on summer break. Ami was applying to one of the best colleges in Japan in hopes to become a doctor like her mother. As for Mamoru, he had put his education plans on hold, since he missed the semester in America, thanks to Galaxia. But he did not let it bring him down. He worked part time at the arcade, and he admitted that he enjoyed having some more time to spend with Usagi.


Usagi thought of how all her friends seemed to know where they would go in life, while she was struggling just to keep an average GPA in high school. While she knew someday she would become Neo Queen Serenity, she also knew she could not simply slack off, waiting for her destiny to happen. It could be years until she can assume the throne. Until then, she needed to go to college and start making a living. The problem is, she had no idea what she wanted to do.


She snapped out of her thoughts when Minako arrived. “Hey guys,” she said cheerfully, “How have you been?”


“We’re doing well,” Ami said setting down her book. “So, how are the auditions going?”


Minako gave an exhausted exhale saying, “They are so tiring.”


Usagi laughed, saying, “Well, you insisted on knowing who you were going to work with.”


“I know, it’s just that some of the actors are so arrogant. I don’t know where this production team is getting these jerks. Makes me want to use my Love-Me chain and-”


“Here’s your shakes,” Motoki said, handing Usagi, Ami, and Minako their shakes which they order every day.


“Thanks,” they said in unison.


Makoto and Rei had arrived shortly after and they five girls started talking about their day and what they were planning. “Say, are you guys going to see the asteroid tonight,” Makoto asked, “I heard it will be beautiful to see skimming across the sky.”


Ami said, “I can’t. I have to study for my exam tomorrow.”


“And I am just exhausted, I don’t think I’ll stay up long enough to see it,” Minako said.


“Mamoru made plans for our date tonight. I can’t miss that,” Usagi answered, yet she looked a little anxious.


“And I just have no interest in seeing a shooting star,” Rei responded.


After another hour or so, they decided to go back home. “Um, Rei, I need to talk to you about something,” Usagi said after the rest of the girls left.


“What is it,” Rei said in concern. She saw worry on her friend’s face.


“Rei, I have a very bad feeling about the asteroid”.


“Usagi, you can't get so paranoid. I know it's been a rough few weeks, but you can't let these dreams get the better of you," Rei said, "It's just a big rock that will soon fly by our planet and we will never see it again.”


“We thought the solar eclipse was just an ordinary eclipse and the meteor shower a few months ago was just that.”


“Look, Usagi,” Rei said, placing a gentle hand on her friend’s shoulders, “I'm really worried. Ever since the last battle, you act like monsters are going to pop out of every corner.”


“Why is it you complain that I don’t take our enemies seriously and now that I am, you are berating me for it.”


“I’m saying this as a friend. It's good to be cautious, but you can't let the idea of any threat run your life. Chaos, is gone for now. You said it yourself that it was the greatest threat to our Galaxy. You can relax, you've earned it.”


“Rei,” Usagi said, almost in tears, but keeping a strong stance, “I have a very bad feeling and I do not want to be caught off guard like we were before. I know in my heart that we must be ready. The last battle...it was hard, and painful, and you were gone and I was alone and-”


“OK, calm down. If it will make you feel better, I’ll read the fire tonight and see if there are any omens of danger,” Rei interrupted. She had never seen her friend so distraught before. But not entirely difficulty to understand.


Usagi looked like she was about to tear up but put on her happy smile, hugging Rei saying, “Thanks Rei, you’re the best.”


“Alright already, just get off me,” Rei said annoyed. Usagi let go quickly and said her goodbyes to Rei.


Usagi was walking home when she ran into her lifetime friend, Naru. “Hey Usagi. I was just going to my mom’s store to check out her new jewelry. Wanna come along and try out a few of them before they are put on shelves?” Usagi gave her embarrassing smile, saying, “Sorry Naru, I have to get home and get ready for my date. How about we hang out tomorrow.”


“Sure that would be fun,” Naru said, a little disappointed. Usagi ran home without really seeing the lonely look on her friend’s face. It has been months, if not a year, since they actually hung out together. Now most days she hangs out with Ami and the others. Naru never understood why she could not join in on their group. And when Usagi wasn’t hanging out with them, she would hang out with the man who use to taunt her every day, which she now calls her boyfriend. Naru didn’t even know how they jumped from enemies to couple in such a short period of time. Naru knew Usagi since they were in first year elementary and now, they were lucky to see each other outside of school in a week. She did not hate Usagi’s friends, but she just missed her best friend. She sighed as she continued home.

---

Rei sat by the fire, and started chanting to the spirits to send her signs of dangers that might be approaching. She focused with the asteroid pictured in her mind, as it was floating by above her and the rest of the planet. She continued concentrating when she saw shades appearing within the flames. She started hearing their voices speaking through. Three figures stood clearly together talking. Her powers have advanced much, now that she can divine a full vision of her target.


“Are you sure this backwater planet is really all that important,” the first being said, “It doesn’t look like they have the power to protect themselves, let alone a galaxy”.


“And their technology does not even come close most other advanced societies that we have seen in the universe,” the second being said.


“I can assure you this planet is necessary for our success which is why we have to act cautiously,” the third being answered, “We can’t just go and attack it full force until we know what we are dealing with. We can’t risk the entire army getting vaporized before-”


“Silence,” a fourth voice spoke. The three beings looked at a figure who towered before them and they keeled to it. A being, hidden in shadow, but clearly human looking appeared. “Someone is listening.” While the creature or being was still in shadow, Rei could see it looking straight at her.


Rei had a look of panic and tried to break the connection, but she was held in state. The first being said, “So, little flame reader, you want to know us. Let me show you.” It said something in an unknown language, and suddenly Rei was hit with hundreds of visions, all of which were of death and destruction caused by this being. She tried to block it out, but no matter what she tried the visions kept coming. She held her head in pain, screaming as she collapsed on the floor.


"Stop it!!!," she cried out.


Rei saw the fourth being, their leader, lift up its hand, palm facing towards her, and a sudden blast of wind flew from the flames, causing the fire to blaze out of control, burning the walls and room. The beings vanished from the fire, but Rei couldn't stop the images appearing in her mind. These sights were far more painful than the flames touching her skin.

---

Meanwhile, in space, the asteroid was blazing close to Earth. It heated up, skimming the atmosphere, starting to slow from the friction. A pitch black dark aura formed around the rock and it slowed until it finally stopped, in rotation of the planet, overlooking Japan.

Chapter 2

First Strike

Usagi sat in her usual booth, not caring that she is missing school. She still had an abundant amount of unshed tears from last night and this morning, and they were not going away anytime soon.

Usagi was sitting in the hospital waiting room, leaning on Mamoru while he wrapped his arm around her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She wore a modest pink dress, while Mamoru wore a casual suit and tie from their date earlier. They were having a wonderful dinner at a nice restaurant when she got the call from Rei’s grandpa that Rei was in the hospital. Before she could hear the rest of the message, Usagi dropped the phone and grabbed Mamoru as she ran out of the restaurant, with Mamoru following behind, remembering to pay and probably leaving a generous tip. They drove quickly to the hospital where they were told by the nurse to wait with Minako, Makoto, and Ami, who arrived earlier.

After waiting a few hours Yuuichirou arrived with Grandpa after talking to the doctor. Yuuichirou told Rei’s friends that he was awakened by Rei’s screams that night and he found Rei screaming in a panic as the shrine started burning around her. He told them he pulled her out of the shrine but she struggled, flailing in a psychotic state. He called the hospital and the ambulance picked them up.

Grandpa told Usagi and her friends that her burns were treated, but she has been admitted to the hospital’s psychiatric ward. Usagi was stunned by the news.

When Usagi was finally able to see Rei, she saw her friend was awake in a tranquil state, thanks to the drugs, staring blankly at the ceiling. While she looked calm Usagi could see in her eyes that Rei was still being tormented, tears streaming out.

Usagi approached the bed, placing a hand on one of Rei’s restrained hands. Rei took no notice, continuing to look up at the ceiling.

“Rei?” Usagi asked, not getting a response, “This is my fault. I should’ve been there. Rei, I promise you, I’ll find a way to help you. Just hold on.”

Rei suddenly grabbed Usagi’s hand, turning to look at her. “Usagi, you were right. You have to stop them. We can’t let them have Earth”.

Rei’s grip tightened, and her heart rate increased. Nurses rushed in and pried Rei hand off Usagi’s arm. Usagi was still stunned as she was forced out of the room, while the staff took care of Rei. Without saying a word to her friends, she ran out of the hospital.

‘It’s my fault,’ Usagi kept thinking. She knew that it had to be because she asked Rei to read the fire for a possible threat. Usagi put her head down on the table, hoping Motoki would think she was just sleeping, and not see her crying. And she was certainly glad Mamoru wasn’t there. She had concealed her connection with him, not wanting him to find her and be bothered with her emotions. She just wanted some solitude, and Motoki was always nice enough to give her space when she needed it.

---

A woman walked past the arcade, going unnoticed by Usagi. She had red hair that ran down inches past her shoulders. She wore a long white trench jacket and a white fedora with a black feather pinned to the side of it. She also wore a blue mask covering her eyes and light blue high-heels. She reached the corner of a crowded intersection and looked around. Despite her bizarre outfit, no one in the crowd seemed to take notice of her presence. She smiled mischievously.

“Hm, this should be a good spot,” she said to herself. With a flick of her wrist, a sheet of paper with some strange writing on it appeared instantly in her hand. She brought the paper close to her face.

“Rampage, my faithful yokai,” she whispered before speaking some words in an unknown dialect, and threw the paper into the air. The paper swayed around in the air as a symbol glowed. Suddenly the paper changed shape and turned into a hideous large snake-like creature with clawed hands. The monster caught the crowd’s attention, as it charged at a pedestrian. With its hands, it grabbed the man and threw him across the street, into a food stand. It hit a few more civilians behind it with its tail, causing everyone to run in every direction, trying to escape the chaos. The woman in white stood back against the wall, calmly. She pulled out a black pendant from under her coat. Dark energy poured out of the panicking people and began to be absorbed into the pendant. The people took no notice of the lost dark substance taken from them as they continued to flee.

---

Usagi lifted her head up and saw a large group of people running down the street, screaming. She got up and went to the direction where people were running away from. She saw the creature attacking and hissing loudly, as it cornered more civilians. Usagi got out her communicator, about to call her friends. But she remembered her friend in the hospital and recalled seeing her friends disintegrate in front of her. She closed her communicator and pulled out her broach. Seeing the coast clear, she transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon.

“Leave them alone,” Sailor Moon shouted, catching the creature’s attention. The civilians used this distraction to escape the yokai’s rage. It hissed and began to approach Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon pulls out the Eternal Tiare, pointing it at the monster.

“Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!!!”

The attack went straight at the monster. It screamed in pain, as Sailor Moon poured more energy into the attack. She knew that if the creature was human it would heal, and if not then it would perish.

The monster turned its head at Sailor Moon and with a swipe of its arm, the attack broke, leaving the creature unharmed. Sailor Moon collapsed on the ground, exhausted from the attack. “Why,” she whispered, “why can’t I protect them”.

The creature charged at her, and Sailor Moon prepared for the attack. However, the mysterious summoner whispered a phrase, causing fish hook line to be released from her fingertips and latch on to Eternal Sailor Moon’s wings. With a strong pull, it threw the Senshi off balance and Sailor Moon was swiped by the monster’s tail, throwing her against the wall as the hooks vanished. She struggled to get up, but the creature attacked again, slashing her back with its claws. It grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall, and raised its other arm to swipe at her again. She closed her eyes, preparing for the pain. After a few seconds, she felt nothing and looked at the monster to see its free arm restrained by a glowing chain.

The creature turned to see Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus, who was holding the chain. The yokai struggled to try and break the chain, but Sailor Venus wouldn’t allow it. With a pull, she yanked the creature off Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Mask arrived and picked Sailor Moon up, carrying her away from the monster. She saw her friends had arrived to fight, already in their Sailor forms. The creature charged at its captor.

“Mercury Aqua Rhapsody”

Sailor Merury’s attack froze the yokai where it stood. Sailor Jupiter prepared herself.

“Jupiter Oak Evolution”

Jupiter’s attack hit the frozen creature, causing it to shatter into many pieces, before the pieces dissolved into the air and vanished. The Senshi sighed in relief.

“Sailor Moon, are you OK,” Tuxedo Mask asked. She did not look at him, ashamed of her weakness. He gently leaned her forward, looking at her back. He saw her back bleeding from three ugly scratch marks. He put his hand over her back and began healing her injury.

“Sailor Moon,” said Sailor Mercury, kneeling down to see to her other injuries, “Why didn’t you call us sooner?”.

“Hm,” the mysterious woman said under her breath, watching around the corner. As the Senshi began to help Sailor Moon up, the woman vanished in thin white smoke just before any of them looked in her direction.

Sailor Moon struggled to get up, so Tuxedo Mask gently grabbed her arm, helping her up.

“We need to get off the streets,” he said to the Senshi, “I’ll heal her at my place”.

“Guys, I’m fine,” Sailor Moon said weakly. She tried to let go of him, but the pain from the battle kept her clinging to him. Getting a better look at her injuries, he picked her up, and jumped up to the buildings, heading to the direction of his apartment.

Once they reached his apartment, Tuxedo Mask changed back into Mamoru. Usagi’s transformation broke on the way over to the apartment, when she lost consciousness. Mamoru carefully placed his girlfriend on his bed and he began using his energy from his Golden Crystal to restore her, healing her most serious injuries. She was still asleep when he decided to call Ami to tell Usagi’s parents that she is sleeping over at her apartment. Ami agreed, knowing Usagi would still need time to recover. After hanging up, Mamoru entered his bedroom, seeing his love still asleep. He got into bed, and pulled her close to him. He felt guilty allowing harm to come to his princess. He still needed to talk to her, but for now, he was just content knowing his love was safe in his arms as he dozed off.

---

The woman appeared in a darken room. The room had a cauldron filled with a thick black boiling liquid. The area also held shelves of vials with strange substances and books with writing unknown to the galaxy. The room was at the bottom of a spiral staircase which led to the next floor of the fortress. She walked over to the cauldron and took out her pendent. The black energy poured out of the pendant, dropping into the cauldron. A line of dark smoke left the cauldron, heading up through the ceiling.

“I see your mission was a success, Cirrus” a figure in a long grey scientist lab coat said, walking down the steps. He had goggles strapped on his eyes, and wore black gloves and black shoes. As he was walking down, he was looking at a thin, metallic, cylinder-shaped device. He used an electrical device, resembling a tiny blow torch to set adjustments, and cylinder-device sparked, causing him to flinch away from it. He set his device and tool down gently on a table, and lifted his goggles up to his forehead as he approached Cirrus.

“Stratus, good to see you. Yes, a complete success. I even got the pleasure to see the ‘Legendary’ Sailor Senshi,” she said with confidence.

“You know our job will be harder now,” he said, “We had the element of surprise today. It won’t happen again so easily”.

“It doesn’t matter. They know nothing of us, and if your assumption is correct, they’re one Senshi short. My spell has gotten one fire reader who should be a Sailor Senshi. So without her seer powers, her companions are cut off from discovering our true purpose. And let’s not forget, she could be nothing but ashes by now. How fitting would that be?”

“Still, we can’t be careless. The Senshi have defeated beings that could have put our Empire in jeopardy if left to their own devices.”

“I know that,” Cirrus said, angrily annoyed, “And I’m not careless. Everything I do is for the Empire and our great Emperor.”

“Then let’s hope our next mission is just as successful.”

“Our next mission?”

“Yep, I’m not staying up here while you unleash your creatures to collect. I’m a scientist, I need to be in the field to study my subjects”.

“And would about our other friendly cohort? When will he be joining us?”

“Who knows,” Stratus said in a bitter manner, “He says he has a mission of his own. Says it’s of the upmost importance”.

“Shame, oh well,” Cirrus said, snapping her fingers as a large viewing window appeared in the room, looking at Earth, “Look how small and vulnerable this world is. Billions of people and a few unique girls are its only protection”.

“Its fate is sealed. It will either become dust, or it will submit and become a vassal of the Void Empire.”

“And it will be an interesting campaign,” Cirrus said, smirking with Stratus as they enjoyed the sight of Earth from the Asteroid.

Ooh, this seems interesting! I can't wait to see where this story goes!