Episode One:Strange Occurances in the Night

Author's Notes: This is it!!! The premiere episode of Sailormoon Renaissance! Are you guys as excited as me? Probably not...This ep. is an intro to the new baddies and their scheme. Fans of the outers will be thrilled because they are here in the flesh! The inner senshi (except Usagi) can be seen in the next episode. Hitsuji helped me out tons with this one, giving me technique pointers, I basically wrote the darn thing over a million times, but this is as good as it gets folks! Chibideme also gave me a few add ons to make it juicier. And of course, I have to thank Meg, my cousin the most, because she's been there with me from day one!!! This one's for you, Meg!! Thanks, minna!! Enjoy! ^_^

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Heavy sheets of rain pelted down on the house. This was the house where Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna had raised Hotaru as a child. The storm outside furiously shook the house with cracks of thunder. Bursts of lightning streaked down from the sky above. The electric light caught the storm in action, then quickly faded into blackness. Outside, the wind screamed like millions of voices.

Michiru tossed in bed, unable to fall asleep. She muttered something softly under her breath as she covered her head with a pillow. "The sea is churning..."

"Go to sleep Michiru," Haruka said in a groggy voice from the other side of the bed. Michiru's shifting about had woken her up. That and the thunder. She hadn't heard Michiru's words. 'The winds are blowing strongly tonight,' Haruka thought, somewhat perturbed.

"I can't, it's too loud," Michiru replied. Haruka rolled her eyes in the dark, and turned back to her side of the bed. Michiru made another attempt at slumber, but then changed her mind and sat up.

"What are you doing?" Haruka groaned.

"Just going to make a snack, maybe it'll help."

"Yeah, if you're munching on sleeping pills."

Michiru pulled her robe on, and stepped into her slippers. "Coming?"

"I guess, I'm already awake anyway," Haruka yawned.

The two quietly tip toed past Hotaru's room. Michiru poked her head in and saw a sleeping teenage girl tucked in her bed. Hotaru was now roughly the same age as the inner senshi, no longer a little girl.

"Shh...don't wake her up," the green haired beauty whispered as she shut the door and continued on her way. Setsuna sat, reading a magazine by candlelight in the kitchen. Her hand lodged in a tub of ice cream. Haruka and Michiru were slightly surprised to see her awake at this time of night.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Michiru whispered.

"No."

"I could have," Haruka broke in with a half grin, elbowing Michiru. "But someone woke me up." Michiru cracked a smile and went to plug in a kettle for tea. Setsuna stopped her and informed her that the power had gone out. Perfect. Instead she grabbed two spoons and handed one to Haruka.

"Oh well, chocolate's my favourite." she said as she plopped her spoon into the tub of ice cream.

"I'm surprised Hotaru's sleeping through this," Setsuna said through a mouthful of ice cream.

"I was afraid that the storm would scare her," Michiru agreed.

"Nah, she's a big kid now, all grown up. She doesn't need to run crying to us in the middle of the night anymore." Haruka said.

"I know...." Michiru sighed, "She grew up too fast. I miss it, having to mother her all the time." There was a hint of sadness in her voice, a sort of longing that would never be satisfied.

There was an awkward pause of silence. Each one of them turned their thoughts to times past, when Hotaru had been a young child. Setsuna's smile grew into something solemn. She looked at each of them slowly, intentionally.

"You both feel it, don't you?" she asked calmly.

Before she had the chance to explain herself, a yellow light flickered from around the corner. The three girls looked at it quizically as it approached the kitchen. Then, a figure appeared in the doorway, holding a candle in her hand.

"Hotaru....?" Michiru asked in a confused voice. She could tell that something was amiss in her daughter. She didn't seem aware of her surroundings, or the fact that she was standing in front of her parents. It seemed as if she didn't have any sense of consciousness at all. She stared straight ahead with a vacant look in her purple eyes. Her expression was not the sweetest, her mouth was drawn into a tight frown, the shadows of the candle created dark cirles under eyes and cheek bones, making her pale face look almost skeletal.

"Hotaru? Did the storm wake you?" Setsuna asked.

She spoke in an icy tone. The raspy words flowed out of her mouth. Her lips barely seemed to move, creating a haunting look about her. "Balance has been disrupted. The dead are calling out to me, crying for help. I must go to them...."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Usagi found herself in a dark misty place. She shivered from the cold, and tried to distinguish anything from the fog around her.

"Hello?" She called out. "Anybody here?" She held her hand to her forehead and turned this way and that, looking around in a typical Usagi fashion. "Anyone???" Her voice echoed, and she concluded that this must be a big place. There didn't seem to be any walls or boundaries. Her instincts told her that she was indoors, despite the fog that might tell her otherwise. Usagi was a little scared and started to back up, uncertain of what to do. "Oh..where am I...?" she kind of whimpered. Suddenly, someone called her.

"Serenity-sama..." It echoed and faded, soft and feminine. The voice sounded sad and mournful.

Usagi gasped and looked around bewildered. "Who's there!?"

"Princess....please....." The voice sounded again, closer this time. Then without warning, a bright white light blinded Usagi. A light breeze washed over her. It felt cool and refreshing. Usagi looked down at herself to see that she was no longer dressed in her pajamas, but decorated as Princess Serenity. Usagi gasped again. What was going on here?

A silhouette of a female figure emerged from the light, but it was too bright to see any details.

"Serenity-sama.....Please....Help me!"

Usagi woke up with a startled cry, accidently kicking Luna off the bed. The cat, upon being mushed into the ground, made an unhealthy gurlging noise. Usagi tried to make sense of her dream, and sat upright in bed before glancing at her clock. It was 12:37 pm.

"AAAAGH!!" Usagi quickly forgot about her dream as she remembered that she had to meet Mamoru for lunch at one. Usagi scrambled out of bed and squashed Luna as she ran into the bathroom.

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The dimly lit throne room of the Palace echoed with low murmurs and whispers. Once in a while, the odd sigh or sob was heard. Almost nothing else, certainly nothing pleasant. Happiness had left this kingdom a long time ago, if it had ever been there to begin with.

There was a deep moan of despair, followed by weeping. Although the mood was melancoly, it was more excited than usual. Jorryn supposed that everyone was wondering why they had been called here. They were all hungry to know what kind of announcement would need an assembly like this. He could not remember the whole kingdom being in one room for over a hundred years. It seemed longer though. Time passed very slowly here, in the Kingdom of Lost Souls. 'It must be something big.' he thought. 'There are thousands of us.'

Jorryn looked around the assembly. Men, women, and children of all ages, from different times and cultures surrounded him. He knew by looking at them that they each held empitness in their hearts. Jorryn glanced at the man next to him. He looked pale and sick, as if he had been locked in a cellar for years, not one ray of sunshine reaching his black eyes. Jorryn realized that they must all look so sickly, and it saddened him.

The thrown room was crowded. Just being in it depressed Jorryn. Everything in sight was dark and dreary. 'There's no colour anywhere.' It was constructed out of black marble. Tall pillars were lined at the sides of the room with torches burning on the walls in between them. The torches burned with a black flame. 'Even the fire is black!' All decorative ornaments such as paintings and tapestries were dominantly dark with navies, greys and other cool colours. Jorryn had to admit there was one bright object in the room. At the front, dead center was a platform three steps high. Atop it was the Empress' golden throne adorned with black and navy jewels, and cushions for her comfort. Tall candle holders were erected at each side of the throne, casting an eerie black light on the it, for the candles were lit with the same black flame as the torches.

Jorryn heard the crowd hush as a tall red haired woman emerged from an unseen door behind the throne. Her wavy hair was whispy and untamed. It hung loosely past her shoulders. Her eyes were a fiery red but despite their warm hue, they gave off an icy stare. She would have been quite beautiful if not for the sour expression on her face. Jorryn had to chukcle. The whole kingdom knew her as Hoshiko, one of the top ranking generals in the kingdom. Jorryn knew her as his girlfriend's boss. He had little respect for her. Hoshiko was ruthless. She would do anything to impress her highness. Even though this girl seemed so hate-filled, Joprryn felt a magnetic charm about her. She was dressed in a red sleeveless turtleneck, a black cape hanging down to her ankles. A black leather belt held up tight black leather pants, and on her feet she wore brown leather boots that laced up at the knee.

"All hail, her majesty, Empress Karayan!!" Hoshiko boomed, her voice was commanding, but not harsh.

"ALL HAIL!!" Jorryn said in unison with the crowd. They all spoke without emothion and bowed to the floor as the Empress known as 'Karayan' made her entrance. She seemed to glide towards her throne with an unnatural grace.

Her eyes were gold in color, lips painted black. She stood with a blank expression on her face. Karayan was clad in her favourite colour, black. Her long dress had a slit up the right leg to the hip, which revealed a long pale leg. The straps of her dress radiated from the golden choker around her neck. Her gold anklet was engraved and bejeweled with intricate designs. She wore sandals of a matching pattern. She had many bracelets and armlets as well. Her pale face was framed with a tiara, and long dark hair that hung to her ankles. She held up a staff with a black jewel on top. It started to glow and pulse. Jorryn stared at her, a small frown forming on his lips. A chill ran down his spine as he gazed at the staff.

After the Empress took a seat on her throne, three more women came out onto the platform. The first one was dressed exactly like the red head but had a blue uniform rather than red. Her boots were a teal colour. She had blue hair to match her eyes. It hung straight to her shoulders. Jorryn recognized her as Plaxy. She was the highest ranking general in the whole kingdom, even higher than Hoshiko. Plaxy's face was frozen in an angry scowl. He didn't like her either. She stood beside the red head and the two exchanged dirty looks. Jorryn laughed silently at that. From what his girlfreind had told him, the two didn't get along very well. They were both competing for the same position.

Next came Kalle, a green haired woman with a green uniform. She was taller by the other girls by a head. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Jorryn had fond memories of Kalle. They used to be friends, but then Kalle changed. She became distant, to what she was today. She had a cold smile on her green lips and a sparkle in her eyes. She was followed by a blonde woman who was dressed in yellow. Her eyes were a dazzling marigold. Upon seeing her, Jorryn cheered up somewhat. Corazon was his girlfriend. She was the fourth highest ranking general in the kingdom. It was a pretty impressive position. Jorryn often thought that Corazon didn't belong in this place. She could be so naive. He worried that the Empress would turn Corazon into what Kalle had become, and then he would lose her. The red and blue girls stood on one side of the throne, and the green and yellow one stood on the opposite side. Once the small procession had ceased, the Empress rose and spoke.

"I suppose you are wondering why you've been called here." It was so quiet in the room. Even with thousands of people, Jorryn was certain that you could hear a pin drop. The silence was unsettling. "I have an important announcement to make!" Her voice held amusement, but her face was cold. The red head standing beside her smirked and looked admiringly at her Lady. "My dear, loyal subjects," she made a dramatic pause, "Soon, we will no longer have to exist in a bleak alternate dimension! No longer will we have to endure the torture that is our everyday 'life'! We will have what is ours, finally, after thousands of years!! We'll be able to walk outdoors, breathe fresh air and restart our miserable lives! I promise you these things and so much more! For the time has come for us to take our rightful place, to take over the planet Earth!!!!"

A tremor went through the crowd. Everyone whispered excitedly as hope slowly returned to their hearts. A cruel smile crept onto Karayan's face. She leaned, chin in hand to her side and thought about her glorious plans to conquer Earth.

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Usagi poked her head into the restaurant. She snuck into the place, keeping an eye out for Mamoru. She hoped he wouldn't be mad. The blonde caught sight of him sipping coffee and talking with someone, but at this distance Usagi couldn't see who. She snuck even closer, peeking around the corner. She was pleasantly surprised to find Mamoru sitting with the Outer Senshi.

Michiru smiled at Usagi, Haruka gave a cool wave. Mamoru and Setsuna turned around in their chairs.

"Usako," Mamoru smiled warmly.

"Mamo-chan! Sorry I'm late..." Usagi apologized. She took a seat accross from Hotaru beside Mamoru.

"It's ok, I'm used to it by now," he half joked.

"Did you already eat something?" Usagi asked. Her stomach was growling! She had skipped breakfast, being in such a hurry to get there.

"No, just some coffee. What do you want?" he asked.

"Maybe some ice cream..." she said with a devilish grin on her face.

"For lunch?"

"Heh..heh..."

"Haruka-papa? Can I get some too?" Hotaru smiled sweetly.

"I guess..." Haruka reached for her wallet.

"You spoil her," Michiru whispered just loud enough for Haruka to hear, a knowing smile on her face.

"No, Haruka-san, it's my treat," Mamoru offered. Usagi led him by the arm to get ice cream, with Hotaru nipping at their heels.

"Should we say anything about it?" Haruka asked her two remaining companions. Michiru looked down at her tea, remembering the events of the previous night.

"We don't know if it's anything yet. She could have just been sleepwalking." Michiru said softly, as if in denial.

"It's true that she doesn't remember a thing. In the morning, she didn't even know that there had been a storm," Setsuna pointed out.

"I don't know," Haruka said pensively. "Hotaru doesn't just sleepwalk. She doesn't just dream."

"She looked so cold..." Michiru shuddered.

"What if it is something more?" Setsuna thought out loud. "She is the Senshi of Death. She said that the dead were calling out to her. Perhaps she's linked to them in some way."

"We should just wait, and see if this was just a one time thing. We can't jump to conclusions. There's no use making ripples in the pond." Haruka concluded sagely. The three of them looked over to their cheery daughter, who only ten hours before had been in a rather strange condition.

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"Good night, Luna!!" Usagi patted Luna's head as she climbed into bed.

"Try not to launch me off the bed in the morning, Usagi," she sighed as she curled up at the foot of the bed. Usagi, switching off her lamp, pulled the covers close to her chin.

It was black and cold and foggy. Usagi shivered and looked around. She couldn't help but feel that she had been here before. A feeling of dejavu washed over her.

"Serenity-sama..." A haunting, yet lovely voice called out to her. There was a light. It flashed, and Usagi was instantly transformed into Princess Serenity. A figure appeared from the light. "Help me, please, Princess," she called.

"Who are you? I don't understand, what do you want me to do?" Usagi cried. This girl's voice was filled with such raw emotion. The sound of it made Usagi want to cry. Usagi was able to see the figure for a second, but not clearly. She could see that the girl was fairly slender and curvacious. It looked like she was wearing a skirt, but Usagi couldn't be sure. This sillouette was all she could make out.

"Serenity-sama....please. I need your help..." the girl cried out, as if in pain. Usagi could see the girl's long arm reach out towards her. Usagi felt compelled to reach out and grab hold of it.

"Who are you???" Usagi asked again, desperate for an answer. She had to shield her eyes from the light, it was becoming painful to look into it. Usagi felt her fingers meet the girl's. Then, as if the light weren't bright enough, it intensified and all Usagi could see was white, even with her eyes clenched shut. She could feel herself slipping out of the dream. "Tell me who you are!!" Usagi cried. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to know who this girl was.

The reply was faded and far away, as Usagi awoke."I am a voice from your past...."

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Karayan was going to have to think this through wisely. She couldn't let the same thing happen again. The Empress tapped her long black fingernails on the arm of her chair. She'd been waiting a thousand years for this. Just one tiny mistake could foil the whole plan. She decided to share selected details of her plan with only her top four officers. Kalle, Plaxy, Hoshiko, and Corazon. These women, dressed green, blue, red, yellow were her top four soldiers in the kingdom.

Karayan thought it would be best if at the moment, the four went to Earth to scout things out. They had gathered in the Empress' private study. They all knew why they'd been called here. They were to be given a briefing on what the Empress wanted accomplished for the Earth mission. Karayan was going to be putting one of them in charge. But when push came to shove, there was really only two contestants. Plaxy and Hoshiko. The two eyed each other with contempt. Plaxy resented Hoshiko because she had trained her, taught her everything she knew, and now Hoshiko was overpowering her, taking over her job. Becoming stronger and stronger every day.

"Hoshiko," Karayan called out in a commanding tone.

"Yes, your Majesty?" Hoshiko bowed quickly upon being summoned. And that was it. In less than a second, the competition had ended. Hoshiko had won. Karayan looked the girl in red up and down, sizing her up. The other three top rankers stood beside Hoshiko all eyeing the situation. Plaxy was seething inside, she knew now who would be proclaimed leader, and it wasn't her.

"I've decided," Karayan started, glancing at each of the other girls as if to confirm her decision. "To put you in charge of the Earth mission for now. You've worked hard, and now I feel you've earned your chance."

"Karayan-sama, I won't let you down!! You won't be sorry about this." Hoshiko said in a determined yet grateful voice.

"You'd better not! I've put too much time and effort in building you into the warrior you've become. It would be a pity to fail now," She trailed off, her voice cooled with her last words. She clenched her golden staff and the black jewel on the top glowed. Bright hazes swirled within, fading a reappearing.

"Yes, a pity.." Hoshiko murmured, while starring at the gem. She shuddered as she thought of all those who had been sucked into the jewel. If Karayan wished, she could inprison any of her subjects in the gem. Forever.

Plaxy tried to hide the scowl on her face. She was still numb from 'the decision'. She felt betrayed and used. Plaxy had been in the kingdom for as long as her memory served her. She was one of the first to be there. Hoshiko had only been part of the kingdom a mere thousand years and already she outranked Plaxy. At first, when Hoshiko joined their army, she was a pathetic excuse for a soldier. She was so weak and full of emotions. She was very young, too young to be taken by Karayan, or so Plaxy thought. However, the past thousand years had changed the red haired girl. Hoshiko had been molded into the ideal soldier. She was so powerful so young. The combination scared Plaxy.

"I want you to go to Earth together and try to find out how easy this will be. Find their weaknesses and their strengths," Karayan barked, then dismissed them. One by one, they shuffled out of the room. Karayan sat alone, looking out her window. Her expressionless gaze was fixated on the brihgt orb known as Earth.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"This is what I've decided," Hoshiko said sternly, like a parent setting out rules for a child. "We'll be visiting a large city on Earth called Tokyo. We've been assigned to do our research there. We'll split up, and spend the day amung the humans." Hoshiko spat the last word, emphasizing her hatred for them. "Remember to keep a low profile, we don't want our cover blown, this is too important." She eyed each of them to make sure it stuck.

"We're not babies, Hoshiko! We realize the importance of this mission. Don't talk to us like we're common soldiers," Plaxy hissed. She could feel her anger rising. How could Hoshiko be in charge instead of her? This girl was still a child!! It took all her willpower to keep from lashing out at Hoshiko. Plaxy wondered if Hoshiko could overpower herself. Was her own pupil really able to strike her down? Plaxy narrowed her blue eyes as her thoughts swirled around in her head.

Hoshiko glared at Plaxy. "Are we ready to go?" her red eyes were burning.

"Yes!" The three other girls said in unison. There was a flash of light, and the four were teleported to the unsuspecting planet of Earth.....

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What's going to happen next!!?? I'm on the edge of my seat!! Who are these new villains, and what exactly is their plan? What's going on with Hotaru's sleepwalking, and Usagi's dreams? All will be revealed...in time. Episode Two is on the way, don't you worry!!

Just so you know, 'Karayan' means 'dark' or 'the dark one'. 'Kalle' means 'strong'. 'Corazon' means 'heart'. 'Plaxy'...I have no clue what it means, just thought it sounded cool!!! and 'Hoshiko' means star. So that's where i got the names from!!!

*Disclaimer* (Even though there is one on my main page) I didn't create Sailor Moon, or the Sailor Senshi, I am using the characters without the permission of Naoko Takeuchi and all the big companies with rights and association to Sailor Moon. (forgive me!!!)

I did however, come up with the idea for Sailormoon Renaissance, and all the new characters introduced in the series. Eg. Karayan, Plaxy, Hoshiko, Kalle, Corazon, Jorryn. So BACK OFF!! They're mine! ^_^

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