She was like an angel of darkness. No light could touch her. Her “Sailor” fuku was almost an oxymoron with the darkness that surrounded her. Her hair was long and completely black. Her eyes seemed to have no color to them at all -- just black. Or at least a very dark grey. Her eyes flashed. It seemed for an instant that they changed to a dark green, but no one could really tell. It seemed as though she was in the shadows, though the day was bright and cheery. All of the parts to her fuku that would normally be colored were black, and she wore boots similar to Sailor Jupiter’s, only black with dark grey lacing. On her bow was a grey brooch with a black star on it.

     In a voice as cold and sharp as ice, she spoke to the five Sailor Soldiers. “I am Sailor Nemesis.” It made the five Soldiers shudder.

     Sailor Mercury was the first to regain her senses from the initial shock of this...girl showing up out of nowhere after their battle with a “heart snatcher”. “Where do you come from?” Mercury asked. “Are you an enemy or an ally?”

     “I originally came from the planet Nemesis. And I am neither friend nor foe to you.”
“N- N- Nemesis? The rumored tenth planet in our solar system?” asked Sailor Moon.
“Not rumored,” replied the girl. “Real.”

     “Nemesis...” mused Mercury. “The planet with a random orbit. Scientists could never be sure if it existed or not because of its constantly changing orbit.”
“You don’t need to see something to know its there,” stated the girl.
“Nemesis- I remember! That dark and evil planet! During the Silver Millennium it was forbidden to go there!“ said Sailor Moon. “If you come from that planet, you must be evil!”

     Nemesis glared at Sailor Moon. “Our, or rather, my, planet is not evil. It was forbidden to go to because Queen Serenity was afraid of us. Nemesis was dark. The Moon was light. So we were feared and shunned by all, because we were different. But during the Silver Millennium our planet ran out of resources. We came to the Moon for help. Even though Serenity disliked us, she could not refuse our plea. She let us live among you, in disguise. We were reborn with the rest of the people in your kingdom when the Moon was destroyed.”

     “Were you the princess of Nemesis or something?” asked Venus.
“Yes.”

     “You’re lying! You must be lying! My mother was afraid of no one! It isn’t true, you’re a liar!” cried Sailor Moon. Nemesis gave Sailor Moon a look that said I don’t really care what you think.“I didn’t say you had to believe me.” Intense silence followed.

     “We sent...er...send...er...oh, I don’t know how to put this... in the future, we Serenity sends the evil villain ‘Wiseman’ to Nemesis...” Sailor Mars said.
Nemesis nodded. “No one’s lived there since the Silver Millennium, until Wiseman took it over. It was easy, the planet was weak.”

     “I have a question,” said Mercury. “Why just now did you come to us?”
“I didn’t receive my memories as fast as you five did. Now I have fully awakened,” replied Nemesis. “And now it is my duty to awaken you.”
“Huh? Awaken...us?” wondered Jupiter.
“But- I thought we had already awakened- -” said Mars unsurely.
“You thought wrong,” snapped Sailor Nemesis.

     “Well, then, awaken us. Tell us everything,” said Venus cheerfully. Nemesis didn’t respond. “Yeah, tell us, then you can leave and we can live out our lives in peace!” said an angered Sailor Moon. This met with no response. “Um, aren’t you going to awaken us? It is your duty, isn’t it?” said Mars.
“That is not the way it shall be done.” Nemesis stated.
“Well, then how?” asked Jupiter.
“You will not learn today,” said the girl, after a pause. Then she turned around and started to leave.
“Wait!” called Mercury. “Please- don’t leave...”
But Nemesis didn’t seem to hear her, and she vanished. “Huh? Where’d she go?” wondered Venus.
“We’d better tell Luna and Artemis,” said Mercury. “They’ll want to know about this.”

     Meanwhile, Amara and Michelle were having chocolate shakes in a small cafe nearby; they left when they found out that the heart was not a talisman. “It wasn’t a talisman,” said Amara glumly, sipping her shake. “No, it wasn’t,” replied Michelle. “I really thought that rabbi’s daughter would be one, but she wasn’t. Maybe the next one will be a talisman.” Michelle sighed, and sipped her shake slowly.

     “They knew they had to sacrifice someone. They didn’t know it would have to be themselves,” said a voice.

     Amara and Michelle turned to face the person who had spoken. It was the same girl. She wasn’t in a Sailor fuku, though, she was in a sleeveless black dress, and her hair was pulled up in a bun. “What?” asked Amara and Michelle.

     “Haruka. Michiru. We meet again,” said the girl.
“Those names...” thought Amara. “They sound like something I know. Something from a long time ago...”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Michelle told the stranger.

     “Michelle!” Amara whispered. “Could she be...the one?” “I don’t know, Amara,” Michelle whispered back.

     “No, I am not the Messiah you seek,” said the girl quietly. Amara and Michelle were shocked. “You may think yourselves superiors, Amara, Michelle- as you are now called. But in some ways you are less awakened. Neptune, Uranus: Think back to the Silver Millennium, to the day when it was destroyed.”

     [ Flashback ]

     “Tressa!” called out Haruka, in her blue princess dress. Tressa, in a similar black one, turned around to face Haruka, failing to notice a falling pillar. Haruka shoved Tressa out of the way just in time. “Haruka, my friend, thank you.”
“No time. The kingdom is under attack.”
“Under attack? I thought as much...”
“We must protect Princess Serenity, the heir. She is vital. If she dies, it’s all over.” Just then, Michiru came running over. “Haruka! We must transform.”
“Wait!” called Tressa. “I wish to help save the kingdom.”

     Michiru smiled. She made a fist. She opened it to reveal a small ball of energy. Tressa, surprised, took it. As soon as it entered her hands, it changed into a grey brooch with a black star on it. “Hold it in the air, my friend, and call out the name of your great home planet, Nemesis. Then say, ‘Power, Make-up!’ Your planet shall lend you its strength,” said Michiru.

     Tressa nodded. “Nemesis Power, Make-Up!”

     [End of Flashback]

     “Tressa...” said Amara. The girl smiled. “So, you remember.” Amara didn’t reply, she just stared at Michelle. Michelle stared back. “Michiru?” said Amara just at Michelle said, “Haruka?”
“We weren’t... cousins,” said Amara, uneasy. “No,” said Michelle. “We were lovers.”

     There was an uneasy pause. “You are confused,” Tressa stated. They nodded. “The Powers That Be chose to make you cousins when you were reborn. The Powers That Be are cruel creatures that torment our lives. But, there is nothing anyone can do to stop them.”
Michelle stared at Amara. Amara stared at Michelle. Both of them stared at the girl.
“So it is true,” said Amara. “I am Haruka, and you are Michiru. And we are....” She couldn’t finish.
“Don’t think about it that way,” said the girl. “It’ll only torment you. Think of it as the past, which it is. Now you are no longer lovers, you are cousins. Now that you know the past, you must never forget it, yet do not waste your life thinking about it an neglect the present-time.”
Amara and Michelle nodded. “Now,” said the girl. “Go on about your lives. It is not my duty to tell you anything more.”
“We understand,” said Michelle.
“During the time I am here you may ask me anything. You may not always get an answer, but you are always free to ask.”
Amara laughed.
“Now I must be going,” said the girl. “Farewell, for now, my friends.”
“Farewell....” replied Michelle and Amara. The girl disappeared out the door.

     Meanwhile, at Serena’s house...
“WHAT?!” exclaimed Luna and Artemis.
“We met a girl today, she’s a Sailor Scout like us,” repeated Amy. “She’s not a bit like us, Amy!” exclaimed Serena. “She’s an enemy, I know it! Maybe she works for the heart snatchers!”
“It’s a possibility,” said Amy. “But, Serena, we must not eliminate all the other possibilities.”
“She can’t be our ally,” Serena stated.
“We can’t be sure of that,” Raye argued.
“Yeah! Because, ‘you shouldn’t close a window unless you’re opening a door first.’ ” Said Mina.

     The girls sweatdropped.

     “Mina, remind me to get you a little book of quotes,” said Lita.
“That’s off- subject!” said Luna loudly. “What did this girl call herself?”
“Nemesis,” said Amy. “Sailor Nemesis.”
Luna gasped. “No! Nemesis? The Forbidden Planet during the Silver Millennium?”
“Yes, the very same,” said Serena. “It’s an evil planet, she’s our enemy, and I know it!”
“Serena,” said Amy with a warning tone. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“I don’t care,” said Serena. “I just don’t care!!” she began to wail. “Nobody believes me! Everyone thinks I’m a fat, ugly loser!!”
“Serena, we never said that,” said Lita. “We were just saying that you shouldn’t just assume something because it looks that way.”
“Yeah, like that saying, ‘you can’t read a book without its cover.’ ” Stated Mina.

     What followed Mina’s mangled quote was a bunch of blank looks and sweatdrops. Serena slipped out of the house. “Nobody understands me,” she said, sniffing slightly. “I need to see Darien. He’s such a hunk, he’ll know what to do!”
“Serena!” called Rini. “Serena, you big dolt, where are you going?”
“Oh, shoot,” thought Serena. “That brat Rini. I know! I’ll try and lose her.” Serena ran as fast as her legs could carry her to Darien’s apartment building. She was breathing hard by the time she reached his apartment. “I know now, I should never join track,” she thought. She knocked on Darien’s door, but he wasn’t home. Serena sighed, and let herself in. “He won’t mind,” she thought. “I’ll just wait here until he gets home.”

     Little did she know that Darien was in a street nearby, and little did he know, that he was about to have a strange encounter with the girl.

     “Mamoru....” said a voice.
“Huh?” wondered Darien. “Who’s there?”
“Prince Endymion, it is I.”
“Who?”

     The girl walked into the light. She wore the same black dress; only her hair was in a bouncy ponytail, with long tendrils framing her face. She wore a small silver chain around her neck, attached to it was a small silver amulet.

     “Tressa....” he said immediately. She was shocked for a second. “Your highness, I did not think you would remember me,” she said. She immediately got down on one knee and bowed her head as a sign of respect.

     “Tressa, how could I forget you?” he asked, lifting her face. “Don’t kneel, you’ll ruin your dress.” The girl’s eyes were brimming with tears. “Endymion...” she said, and pressed her head against his chest, and cried.

     Meanwhile...

     “What’s taking Darien so long to get home?” Serena wondered. “What could he be doing?” She decided to look out of the window to see if she could see his car coming in the distance. What she saw instead shocked her. “What? What is Darien doing with that girl?!” she shrieked, and began to sob.

     Meanwhile...

     “Now where did Serena go? She’s such a blockhead,” said Rini, searching for Serena. “Rini!” A voice exclaimed, and Rini heard footsteps running towards her. “Raye?” wondered Rini aloud. Sure enough, Raye, Amy, Lita, Mina, Luna, and Artemis, were there. “Rini!” they cried. “Are you alright?”
“Sure,” she said. “I’m looking for Serena. You shouldn’t worry about me, I’m more grown up than she is.” The girls laughed. “Have you found her?” asked Amy.
“No,” said Rini. “But I bet I know where she is!”
“Where?!” everyone asked. “Darien’s house,” she said, matter-of-factly. “She’s trying to steal him away from me!” The girls and the cats face-vaulted. “What?” wondered Rini. “Was it something I said??”

     “Mamoru, if you do remember, why do you act like you do?” Tressa asked Darien. They were sitting on a curb near the street. “Because of the Powers That Be. And this is how Serena- Usagi- wishes to see me. The Powers That Be made her stupid. She would not be able to comprehend my true form,” he replied.

     “Prince Endymion-”
“Just Mamoru, please,” he said, smiling.
She smiled. “Mamoru. I never expected you to remember me...”
“No matter what happens, I will always remember you,” he said. “Always.” They smiled, and hugged each other close.

     The girls reached Darien’s house to find Serena lying on the floor. “SERENA!!” the cried, and ran for her unconscious body. “Rini,” said Amy. “Quickly, get some water.” Rini came back with a glass of water, with which Amy revived Serena. The girls breathed a sigh of relief as Serena slowly blinked her eyes open “Where’s Darien?” were the first words out of her mouth. The girls face-vaulted for the second time that night. “Where’s Darien?” repeated Raye. “Where’s Darien?? We work so hard searching for you, then find you unconscious on the floor, revive you, and what’s the thanks we get? ‘Where’s Darien?’ ?!”
“Well, where is he?” Serena asked. The girls sighed. “We don’t know, Serena,” said Mina. “We haven’t seen him.”
“So... so it wasn’t a dream.” Serena’s voice was cracking. “What wasn’t a dream?” Lita asked.
“Darien........” Serena whispered, and lay back down. In a flash, she was up again and at the window. She saw the girl and Darien sitting on the curb, with her head on his chest, and they were hugging. Serena promptly fainted again. “What’s with her?” they wondered.

     “Come on, Tressa,” said Mamoru. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” They rose, and walked away. The four girls and Rini saw them out of Darien’s bedroom window. “OH MY GOD!” they shrieked. “What is Darien doing with some other girl?”
Lita glanced at Serena. “I guess that explains the fainting. Poor thing.”

     In Serena’s dream...

     “Huh? Where am I?” Serena wondered, as she floated through nothingness. “What’s going on?” She saw Darien floating towards her. “Darien!” she cried, trying to float towards him. But the more she tried, the farther away from him she got. “Darien!” she called. “Help me!” Darien’s eyes looked away. Serena saw another figure standing next to him. She tried to see who it was. Slowly, the figure became clear to her. It was that girl! Serena screamed, but no one could here her. “DARIEN!” she shrieked. “Darien, come back to me! DARIEN!!” “Darien… Darien, don’t leave me… please… Darien…” Serena muttered as her eyes slowly fluttered open.“Good, you’re awake,” Lita said, smiling. “We were so-” She was cut off, because all at once their transformation pens, which were lying on the floor, began flashing and beeping loudly. “Huh?” Mina wondered aloud. “It’s an enemy!” Raye yelled over the noise. “They must be close by!” “Let’s go!” Amy said, and the girls rushed out the door.

     As soon as they ran out of the door, they were met by Eudial. “And where are you going?” she asked, with an evil smile on her face. “Eudial!” they exclaimed. “None other! I sense that you have pure hearts! Let’s find out, shall we?” Eudial laughed. “FIRE BUSTER!!” Fire blasted out of her cannon, forming a ring around the girls. She pulled out of nowhere another gun. She shot each of the girls in the heart. Out of their backs sprung sparkling crystals. The girls screamed, and fell unconscious to the ground. Eudial laughed cruelly. She stepped into the fiery ring, and examined the crystals. “They’re not talismans! How can this be? They’re so bright!” She took a step back, confused. Her eyes flashed red, filled with anger. “Well, then I’ll just destroy them!” She positioned her Fire Buster, and aimed it at the crystals.

     “NO!” cried a voice, and the Fire Buster was knocked out of Eudial’s hands by a kick from an unknown person. “HUH? Who’s there?” she exclaimed.

     A single ray of light fell upon Sailor Nemesis and Tuxedo Mask. “I won’t allow you to harm them! Their hearts are pure, unlike mine! As Nemesis, god of Righteous Anger, I shall punish you!”

     “How dare you! FIRE BUSTER!!!” Tuxedo Mask grabbed Sailor Nemesis and pulled her out of the way just in time. “Tuxedo Mask!” Nemesis said, “stall for time. I’m going to use my ultimate attack.”

     “But Nemesis..... it may take up all of your power......” Her dark eyes stared into his. “I won’t let her harm those girls. I know now that they are our future. Hurry up now, I need to power up.” He stared into her eyes for a moment, then nodded. “All right,” he said. Pulling out his cane, he challenged Eudial to a duel. You could see the fire brimming in her eyes. “NEVER!” she yelled, pushing him to the ground. She aimed her Fire Buster at his head. Nemesis gasped. “NO!” she screamed, and ran at Eudial. She pushed her over just as Eudial hit the trigger.

     Stumbling to get up, Nemesis searched frantically for Tuxedo Mask, but he was nowhere to be found. She was surprised and upset for a moment. Then, her eyes gleamed with delight. “I call upon the god of Righteous Anger, Nemesis! LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!”

     Somehow, the crystals had returned to the girls’ bodies. They slowly opened their eyes, to see the back of Sailor Nemesis. She was protecting them. “I will not let you kill them,” she stated plainly to Eudial. Eudial stared at her, shocked. “YOU WILL BE DESTROYED BY YOUR OWN EVIL!” Holding her arms out in front of her, she formed a small, black ball of energy. It suddenly transformed into a shadowy, black bow and arrow. She took them, and set the arrow. Eudial suddenly realized what was happening. “NO!” she screamed. “I will not let myself be destroyed by you! FIRE BUSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!” screamed a voice. A white ball of energy shot out from nearby, hitting the fire before it could touch Nemesis. Suddenly, beside Nemesis stood the one and only Sailor Moon.“Nemesis,” she said quietly. “You protected me. Now I have returned the favor. Now, I won’t let you destroy yourself again for my sake. Together we shall win this time.” Nemesis gasped. She knew! Nemesis’s eyes flashed a calm sea blue, then back to their original black. “Of course....... Princess Serenity.” Sailor Moon nodded. She put her arms out and a white ball of energy formed there. It turned into a white bow and arrow. Together, they set their arrows.

     “Wait,” said a voice. Nemesis and Serenity turned around to see who has spoken. It was Sailor Mercury. The four girls were transformed, and had their bows ready to fire. Mercury’s was an aqua blue, Mars’s was a fiery red, Jupiter’s was a forest green, and Venus’s was sunshine yellow.

     Sailor Nemesis and Sailor Moon smiled. They drew the strings.... and fired. Eudial’s final scream echoed through the alleyways. Tuxedo Mask jumped down from the roof. “I hope,” he said. “You didn’t worry too much about me.”

     “Not at all,” said Nemesis. “I remembered that trick from when we were young, during the Silver Millenium. You’d always disappear, and I’d worry about you, and then it would turn out that you were there all along, always near me.” Tuxedo Mask smiled. “I’m surprised you remember. Serena- this is Tressa.” Sailor Moon smiled. “Mamo-chan, the name is Usagi.”
“So, you have awakened!” Nemesis exclaimed happily. Sailor Moon smiled. “Of course. Seeing you fighting to protect us caused me to remember. I’m sure the same is true for Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako.” The girls nodded.

     “Usagi, do you remember Tressa? On Earth, during the Silver Millennium, she was my very close friend. My only friend, in fact,” said Tuxedo Mask. “Ahh, so you’re not lovers?” questioned Sailor Venus. “Of course not,” said Nemesis. “We were too close to be in love. Plus, he had eyes only for his Serenity.”

     “Tuxedo Mask, or rather, Tuxedo Kamen, there is something about Sailor Nemesis that even you do not know. It is a secret that has been kept by me and Tressa for a very long time,” said Sailormoon. “On the Moon Kingdom, while it was being destroyed, Nemesis saved me.”
“What?!” the four girls and Tuxedo Kamen exclaimed. Nemesis nodded slowly. “Tuxedo Kamen... I shall now tell you our secret. Here....” She took off her brooch, and set it carefully on the palm of her hand. Sailormercury, Sailormars, Sailorjupiter, Sailorvenus, and Tuxedo Kamen, touch the star on this brooch.”

     They gathered around slowly and did so. Instantly, images flashed into their minds.

     [Flashback- Setting: The Silver Millenium, being destroyed]

     Serenity raced about, trying to find her beloved Prince Endymion as the great palace crumbled around her. “Endymion!” she cried. “Endymion!!” Almost too late, she realized that a pillar was about to crash onto her frail young body. She tried to escape, but it landed on her leg, trapping her. Pain filled her body, and she grimaced, trying to free herself. A dark shadow descended upon her. “What...?” she wondered. Then she realized. “The enemy!” she cried.

     The evil queen laughed. “As soon as I kill the heir, the Kingdom shall be mine!”

     “STOP!” cried a voice. Standing in front of Princess Serenity was none other than Sailor Nemesis.
“Who- Who are you?” Serenity asked.
“That is not important. I am not important. But you........you are the future,” said the girl, without turning around. Her skirt fluttered in the wind. “If you want to kill her, you’ll have to go through me first!”
“That can be arranged!” Queen Beryl laughed. “DIE!” She sent a huge energy blast at Sailor Nemesis. Just in time, Nemesis formed a small force field around herself and the princess. The force field deflected the beam and shot it back at Queen Beryl. Taking the force of the blow, she was sent flying backwards, and she raced off to find someone else to torture. “You’ll pay! I’ll make sure of it!” she called over her shoulder as she left. Nemesis stood there for a second, then slumped the the ground, dead. Serenity stared at her. This girl she didn’t even know had used up all of her energy to save her! A single tear rolled down her cheek. A loud rumble sounded throughout the halls.

     “Serenity!” cried a voice. It was Endymion. “Serenity get out of here, now! Serenity nodded, and ran out of the halls. Endymion followed her, not even seeing his fallen friend, Tressa.

     [End Flashback]

     The girls’ and Tuxedo Kamen’s eyes fluttered open. They removed their hands from the star. Nemesis placed it back on her bow. “So, now you know,” she said. “Tressa.... I never knew....” Tuxedo Kamen stuttered. “And I’m glad you didn’t,” she cut in. “You would have tried to stop me from doing what I knew was right. Remember- no matter what you say or do, I things my way. Forever.” She turned around to face the darkness of the night. “Perhaps we’ll meet again,” she said as she walked away. Only the sound of her boots on the sidewalk remained as she faded away into the darkness.

     Author’s Note

     I wrote this fic for reasons unknown even to me. I was reading my Sailormoon manga, and it mentioned a made up “tenth planet” in the solar system, Nemesis. I thought, “hey, if there are Sailor Soldiers from all the other planets, why not Nemesis?” So, I started writing. This story has gone through a lot of plot changes. My original plan was to make Nemesis totally random. Every time you see her, she’s acting different. Mainly because of the fact that Nemesis is so random. That idea was basically dropped, mainly because it was rather stupid. Another dropped idea was to show the characters as 2-d, but then when Nemesis came along, you'd figure out that there's more to them that what you first think. That idea was also dropped because of the stupidity of it. As for the whole Japanese name stuff, well, that just came to me as I was working on the Amara/Michelle scene. Don’t ask how it happened, ’cause I really don’t know.... In case you didn’t understand any of it, how I made it is that everyone was just like their orginal Japanese character during the Silver Millenium, but when they got reborn, the “Powers that Be”, namely CWI and DiC, made them all different. Actually, the name “Tressa” was originally “Edia”, ya know, from FF8? But, I changed it to Tressa, which is my alterego. Tressa sounds eviller anyway. Ah, well, that’s enough of my ramblings. I hope you enjoyed the fic! Please send all comments to ami_aquamirage@yahoo.com . Peace out!