Oooo, it's been so long since I last updated.  Gomen!  College is getting really
busy now (but you don't really want to listen to me make a bunch of excuses now,
do you?  You can write and tell me what a baka I am...or you could just tell me
what you think of my series so far.  I promise to have more soon AND I will post
it within a reasonable amount of time...two weeks tops!  Oh, and I want to thank
all the kind people who take the time to write me.  Domo Arigatou!  Please read
note at the bottom of this episode about the postcard help.  Ja mate ne!



Read Previous Episodes for Standard Disclaimer:

If you want to put my fanfic on your site, please e-mail me asking for permission
first.
This story and all new characters (including attacks) are MINE (copyright 2000)!!

Author's Notes:
Rated PG-13 for mild language
My series begins where Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars ends
I use the Japanese names, last name first
Nagesya = Dark Empress = Empress
Bomani = warrior
akuryou = evil spirits
youma = monster


Senshi Avatars

Episode 13 - Stargazer
Written by Eridanus (Eridanus2000@go.com)

     "Please...you must help Sailor Altair before all is lost!" the girl cried.
     "Calm down," Sailor Eridanus urged.  "Now tell us what happened and who this
Sailor Altair is."
     "Sailor Altair is my sister; we are the Senshi of Aquila.  About a week ago
dark warriors attacked our nebula.  Sailor Altair and I protected the nebula as
best we could, but it was two against an entire army.  We were steadily being
forced back, losing more and more of the nebula to them.  We took our final stand
on Altair, and by that time each of us had sustained several wounds.  Because my
wounds were more severe, Sailor Altair sent me for help," Alshain explained, her
voice quivering.  "But I had grown so weak, that eventually I fell unconscious.
And I awoke to all of you standing over me," Alshain finished.
     "The dark warriors must be minions of the Dark Empress Nagesya," Sailor
Eridanus decided.  "If you can show us the way we can help you and your sister
defeat the dark warriors," Sailor Eridanus offered.  Sailor Alshain threw her arms
around Sailor Eridanus? neck and thanked her several times over.
     "With the four of you I know we can save my sister.  As it is, the Sacred Orb
is safe..." Sailor Alshain immediately stopped when she realized what she had just
said.
     "The Sacred Orb?" Alnilam asked and arched an eyebrow inquisitively.  Sailor
Alshain hung her head and sighed.
     "The Sacred Orb is the talisman that my sister and I have been charged with
guarding until the one who is worthy of the Orb comes to us and claims it," Sailor
Alshain explained quietly.  "As it is, we have been guarding the Orb for three
hundred years.  It is safe from the dark warriors because it requires both Sailor
Altair and I to activate the lock," Sailor Alshain finished and then turned away
from the quartet.  "The Sarced Orb is a secret talisman; no one is to know of its
existence.  And now I have broken the rules by telling you four," Sailor Alshain
groaned.  "I have failed as a Senshi and as a Guardian."
     "No, that is not true," Sailor Eridanus said emphatically.  "You are a strong
and brave Senshi, your willpower was so great that even while unconscious you were
continually in motion so as to hide from potential enemies.  I do not think that
even I could have traveled for so long and for so far as you did in your condition.
You must believe me when I say that you are a true Senshi!" Sailor Eridanus
exclaimed.  Sailor Alshain looked at Sailor Eridanus with gratitude shining in her
eyes.
     "Thank you for believing in me," Sailor Alshain whispered and then
straightened.  "All right, I can take you to the battle now if you?re ready."  Once
everyone had agreed, the five warriors joined hands.
     "I can open the portal, but you have to guide us to your nebula," Sailor
Eridanus instructed.
     "I understand," Sailor Alshain replied quietly and then closed her eyes.  She
retraced the path in her mind and the portal responded to her directions.  Within a
few seconds the portal tossed the group into the middle of a battlefield, and they
had to run for cover.
     "Did you have to direct the portal into the damn center of the battle?" Alnilam
hissed as he dodged another blast.
     "The dark warriors hadn?t captured this much territory before I left," Sailor
Alshain explained.  "This was the most sacred section of our nebula," she whispered
as tears threatened to fall.  "Now it just looks like any other battlefield."
     "I know this is hard for you, but we have to find your sister.  Do you have any
idea where she might be?" Sailor Eridanus asked gently.
     "The High Altar on Altair is the only place I can think of," Sailor Alshain
replied after a few minutes? thought.
     "Then what are we waiting for?" Mintaka asked.  "Let?s go!"
     "For once I agree with him," Sailor Eridanus smiled.  "The sooner we get to the
Altar, the sooner we can help your sister."  Sailor Alshain nodded and took the lead,
winding their way through enemy troops to finally reach the Altar.
     "That?s it," Sailor Alshain whispered when they reached an empty field.  In the
middle was a colossal pristine structure surrounded by a strange glow.  "She must be
channeling her powers through the Altar," Sailor Alshain whispered in awe.  As they
watched the glow began to rapidly expand, and a single beam of energy blasted the
enemy troops.
     "Whoa!  Did you see that?" Alnilam asked.  "What kind of an attack was that?"
Sailor Eridanus? eyes widened as she saw the level of destruction that one beam had
caused before replying.
     "The kind you make in a last ditch effort.  Come on, we have to get in there
fast before she does something we?re all going to regret," Sailor Eridanus yelled as
she took off towards the Aaltar.

     "Get me General Bomani.  Now!" Tyriah thundered.
     "Hai," the servant bowed and rushed out of the room, his legs trembling beneath
him.  He knew he had narrowly avoided death today since he had been the one to break
the news that Bomani had disobeyed her orders and that another akuryou had been
destroyed.  If looks could kill, he thought.  Within minutes he returned with Bomani
in tow, and brought the unwilling General before Tyriah.
     "Lady Tyriah," General Bomani began nervously.  "You wished to see me?"  Tyriah?s
eyes narrowed into slits as she stared him down.
     "Just what did you think you were doing when you disobeyed my orders?" Tyriah
hissed and Bomani shrank back.
     "Forgive me, my Lady, but the akuryou was only on Earth for surveillance and..."
Bomani was silenced by Tyriah's sharp glance.
     "I do not care to hear your reasons, General.  I gave you an order and I expected
it to be carried out," Tyriah spat.  Bomani shifted uncomfortablly under her intense
gaze, before his eyes lit up and he spoke up.
     "I believe I might have some news that would be of interest to you, my Lady,"
Bomani began, hoping to throw Tyriah off track.  Tyriah raised an eyebrow, her lips
set in a straight line.  "The two Sailor Senshi named Venus and Jupiter no longer pose
a threat to us."
     "And how is that?" Tyriah asked, her curiosity winning out over her anger.
     "The akuryou managed to analyze their attacks before being destroyed, and relayed
the information to our main computer.  They are completely useless against our forces
now."  A small smile spread across Tyriah?s face, replacing her earlier scowl.
     "You have done well Bomani, but do not forget that *I* am the one in charge,"
Tyriah said and dismissed him.
     "Of course, my Lady," Bomani said and bowed. He left her court and cursed under
his breath. I must set my plan into motion sooner than I thought, he silently mused. 
Tyriah is becoming to much of a threat, so I must make her fall out of the Empress'
favor. Bomani smiled evilly, and the passing youma shrank back from him. She'll regret
having crossed me, he swore. Just because she had Eban wrapped around her little finger
doesn't mean the rest of us are going to follow her blindly into battle. Perhaps she will
also become the victim of a terrible accident...


     "Mamoru!" Motoki exclaimed as he saw a familiar figure pass by the arcade.  He
rushed outside to try and catch his friend whom he hadn?t seen for quite some time,
but he was too late and Mamoru disappeared into the midst of the afternoon crowd.
Mamoru, he thought sadly.  He seems so lost without Usag-chan...
     Mamoru stuffed his hands further within his jacket pockets.  He had heard Motoki
call out to him, but had just kept on walking pretending that he hadn?t.  It was just
easier that way, then he wouldn?t have to see Motoki?s sympathetic gaze...He didn?t
want anyone?s sympathy.  Besides...no one other than the Senshi knew just what he had
lost.  To everyone else Usagi had just been an extremely sweet and energetic girl,
but to them she had been their princess, their reason for existing...He closed his
eyes against the ever-present pain that almost seemed normal now.  The familiar ache
of having lost everything, which he had experienced as a small child, had returned
and was taking up permanent residence.

     The five traveled the remaining distance cautiously, watching for dark warriors
and sneak attacks.  The altar was still glowing slightly, but when they came upon it,
they realized that they could walk through the energy field.
     "It only harms someone who wields dark energy," Sailor Alshain explained.  "We
had never actually tried to shield the altar before, so she must be getting desperate."
     "I only hope we can reach her before she self-destructs the planet," Sailor
Eridanus muttered under her breath.
     "This corridor will lead to the shrine," Sailor Alshain revealed.  "It?s the only
place within the altar that Sailor Altair could launch an attack from."
     "Then we?d better get moving so your sister knows that help has arrived," Mintaka
replied.  Sailor Alshain nodded in response and the five quietly made their way down
the corridor.
     "Watch it here," Sailor Alshain warned.  "We rigged the floor stones so that every
third stone would trigger an alarm and a boobytrap.  To avoid the traps, walk on either
stone to the left or right after every two steps."  Everyone was extremely careful
making their way through the patch of rigged steps, so much so that Alnilam started
giggling and received angry glares.
     "This is no time to start having fun," Sailor Eridanus scolded.  They continued on
until they approached the archway, and Alshain gasped.
     "Altair, STOP!" Sailor Alshain screeched as they entered the shrine.  The confused
Senshi within whirled around and automatically took up a defensive stance.
     "Alshain?" she whispered unbelievingly when she saw her sister?s bedraggled state.
"Is that really you?  What happened?" she cried.
     "I?m fine," Sailor Alshain replied hastily.  "Now power down this MINUTE!" she
ordered.  Altair quickly complied, lowering her power level to within the safe range.
     "Who are they?" Altair asked, nodding towards the warriors standing near the
archway.
     "These are my friends," Alshain replied with a smile.  "I can explain later, but
for now, they?re here to help."  Altair glanced at the four newcomers and nodded.
     "Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.  I was in over my head..."
Altair admitted.
     "So we noticed," Alnilam muttered quietly, and was promptly jabbed in the ribs.
     "The last attack was quite impressive," Sailor Eridanus said as she moved towards
the two siblings.  "Do you still have any power left?"  Altair sighed and hung her
head.
     "Little...that is, without drawing upon the Soul Staff.  But that?s not an option
any longer," Altair replied quickly.  Sailor Eridanus raised an eyebrow inquiringly,
and Alshain spoke up.
     "Altair and I are both owners of Sacred Staffs.  Mine was the Spirit Staff while
hers is the Soul Staff.  Before I left my staff was shattered, so Altair tied my life-
force to her staff.  It?s too risky to use the staff again."  Sailor Eridanus mulled
over this information for a moment, then staggered as the entire altar suffered a severe
blast.
     "So that option?s out then," Sailor Eridanus thought out loud.  "The only way I can
see to save your Altar is to take the battle outside.  I want the two of you to remain
here out of most of the danger."
     "But..." both Senshi began and were cut off.
     "No arguments.  You?ve both been fighting long enough, and neither one of you has
much remaining power,"  she reminded them.  The Senshi grudgingly agreed, but said
they?d join the quartet on the battlefield should they need help.  Sailor Eridanus made
the ?let?s move out? signal, and the Orion Warriors followed her lead.  They took up a
stand several hundred feet away from the Altar, a safe enough distance to keep it from
accidentally getting blasted.
     The enemy forces saw the quartet emerge from the Altar and thought they were
attempting to escape.  They closed in around the warriors, thinking they were the same
ones they had engaged earlier.  They were dead wrong.
     "Mintaka Fire Arrows!" Mintaka roared, incinerating several enemies.
     "Alnilam Light Arrows!" Alnilam cried, the blast blinding several warriors, and the
purity incinerating the first wave it hit.
     "Alnitak Ice Arrows!" Alnitak yelled, encasing six warriors within a huge block of
ice that shattered moments later.  The attacking warriors paused before pushing on past
their fallen comrades, toward the Orion Warriors.  Sailor Eridanus closed her eyes and
focused, reaching out with her mind to see if any of the Dark Warriors were innocents,
warriors trapped within Nagesya?s dark power.  Her eyes snapped open as soon as she
discovered they were all soulless beings, and raised her arms into the air.  While she
was concentrating, she did not notice the warriors closing in, nor did she notice the
warrior charging her on the left until it was too late.
     "Eridanus!" Mintaka yelled, and rushed in front of her.  The warrior blasted
Mintaka full in the chest, who then collapsed with a groan.  Her eyes snapped open as
she was faced with the warrior who raised his arms for another blast, her mouth forming
a surprised ?o?, before she was roughly pushed away.  This time it was Alnitak who saved
her, and even as he fell Alnilam blasted the warrior.  He was too slow though, for as
soon as that warrior fell, another was ready to take his place.  Tears welled up in her
eyes as she saw the last of her friends fall.
     Back in the Altar, the two Senshi watched the battle closely.  As the Orion Warriors
fell, they gasped, and Sailor Alshain turned to her sister.
     "We have to help them!" she pleaded.  Altair only shook her head, her sea green
hair flying.
     "We cannot.  You know that," Altair replied sadly.  "We can only watch and hope..."
     "No," Sailor Eridanus whispered.  "NO!" she cried, allowing her grief to fuel her
power.  Her eyes closed and her blue aura surrounded her.  "You soulless monsters have
caused me enough pain!  I will not let you hurt any more of the people I hold dear.
Raging Rapids Constrict!" she screamed.  Her aura grew so bright that the warriors were
forced to turn their faces away, and so did not see the torrent of aqua water headed
straight for them.  The blast was so forceful that not even one of the warriors was
capable of crying out, her power so strong that no one survived.  Her energy spent,
Sailor Eridanus crumpled to the ground unmoving.
     "Come on!" Sailor Alshain cried from within the Altar.  "The battle?s over; she
defeated them.  Now it?s our turn to help them."  Sailor Altair nodded, and the two
Senshi ran as quickly as they could to their fallen comrades? sides.

     "Is everyone here?" Rei asked, glancing around the room.
     "We?re all here," Hotaru replied.
     "Why are we holding this meeting anyway?" Haruka asked impatiently.  Michiru
glanced at Haruka warningly, and Haruka closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation.
She was doing that a lot lately.
     "We?re here because Mako-chan and I have important news," Minako began.
     "We were walking to school this morning when there was another attack," Makoto
explained when Minako paused.  They kept taking turns speaking when the other had to
take a break for breath.  It went on this way for some time, making for a humorous
storytelling indeed, when Rei broke in.
     "So what?s so different about *this* attack that we had to hold an emergency
meeting?" Rei grumbled, as this attack seemed quite normal to her.
     "Because," Makoto said with a sigh.  "This time it *was* different...the youma?s
goal wasn?t to collect energy, but to..."
     "Collect data," Minako jumped in.  "On what exactly we don?t know, but..."
     "But he did manage to analyze our attacks.  Before he died he said that our
attacks would be useless against their forces now," Makoto finished.  The group stared
at the two girls, their mouths agape.
     "Tell me you?re *not* serious!" Rei pleaded.
     "Gomen Rei-chan," Minako said with a shrug.  "This is as real as it gets."
     "So, let me get this straight.  We are up against an enemy force that we know
practically nothing about, fighting youma that seem to get stronger with every battle,
*and* now we have to worry about our powers failing us completely??" Rei screeched,
doing a remarkable Usagi imitation.
     "Yep," Makoto sighed.  "That?s just about it."
     "Okay," Rei said shakily.  "Just checking."  The room was dead quiet, and Ami was
the first to break the silence.
     "Wasn?t Mamoru-san supposed to be here?" Ami inquired.
     "Uh...well..." Rei stammered as everyone looked at her questioningly.  "You see...
uhm..."
     "Spit it out, Rei-chan," Minako urged and Rei sighed dejectedly.  They had to find
out sometime...
     "He kinda said that he...uhm...doesn?t-want-to-fight-anymore," Rei mumbled quickly.
     "What was that last part, Rei-chan?  I couldn?t quite understand you," Makoto said,
furrowing her brow.  Rei took a deep breath and began again.
     "He said he doesn?t want to fight anymore," Rei whispered.  There.  She had said it.
     "WHAT?!?!?!" everyone exclaimed at once, and Rei winced.
     "I thought he was coping rather well with Usagi leaving and all, but I guess I was
wrong.  It seems all he does anymore is eat, sleep, and go to school.  He?s driving
himself so hard academically to get his mind off of her, but it?s impossible.  It?s
destroying him," Rei whispered.
     "He has to snap out of it.  She?s going to come back."  Makoto turned to Michiru
inquiringly.  "Have you seen anything in your mirror?"  Michiru raised her hands and
the Aqua Mirror appeared.
     "See for yourself," Michiru said as she turned the mirror so the others could see
it.  "It?s been this way ever since she left..." Michiru trailed off and something
clicked in Rei?s mind.
     "Michiru-san...tell me something.  Did it start getting this way before or after
she left?"  Michiru?s eyes widened as she understood what Rei was asking.
     "Come to think of it, the mirror began to be get hazy around the edges almost a
month before she left...but I didn?t sense anything necessarily evil...it was more like
...like something was happening, changing..." Michiru trailed off.
     "Then...could that have caused her to leave?" Minako wondered aloud.
     "More importantly, *where* is she?" Ami asked the group, and then opened her mini-
computer.  "I?ve been analyzing all the data, er...everything she told us...I don?t
believe it was the truth."
     "She lied to us?" Minako asked with wide hurt eyes.
     "Minako-chan, it wouldn?t be the first time we?ve had to lie about things
concerning Senshi business," Ami began.
     "True, but we *are* the Sailor Senshi!  She?s not supposed to lie to *us* about
things like this!" Minako cried angrily.
     "She had to have a reason...but what?s even more interesting than these
speculations is the hard evidence of what?s happening on the moon," Ami revealed
mysteriously.
     "The moon?" Makoto asked.  "What?s so interesting about the moon besides the
usual?"
     "I?ve been trying to figure that out.  Here, look at this graph.  I had the
computer calculate the moon?s cosmic balance...what keeps the moon in tune with out
universe...starting from the year before Usagi-chan became Sailor Moon, all the way
up until now.  The balance has been maintained throughout this time span until about
a month after she left," Ami explained and pushed a button.  "Now look at this.  This
is the current balance."
     "That *can?t* be right, Ami-chan.  The balance has been thrown completely off!"
Rei exclaimed.
     "Oh it?s right, Rei-chan," Ami assured her.  "I personally checked the
calculations about a hundred times," Ami replied and punched in a few more buttons.
"And it doesn?t appear to only be happening to the moon...there are planets that lie
directly outside our solar system.  Several have been completely annihilated...I?m
only glad none of the computers on Earth are as powerful as mine.  I?ve managed to
keep the scientists from making the same discovery..." Ami trailed off as a blush
crept up her cheeks.
     "Ami-chan," Minako said in a sing-song voice.  "Just *how* were you able to do
that?" Minako asked with a sly smile and a raised eyebrow.
     "Well...uhm...I kind of...uhm...hacked into the national database, reconfigured
the satellites and directed all the information to have to go through me before being
relayed to NASA," Ami faltered.  Everyone stared in surprise and amusement at the blue-
haired genius.  "It was the only way I could think of at the time!" Ami protested.
     "Oh we?re all okay with it, Ami-chan," Makoto began with a smile.
     "Just a little amazed at the lengths you?d go to..." Haruka said, barely holding
in her laughter.  The group all looked at each other before simultaneously bursting out
laughing, save for Ami who just watched with a small smile playing at her lips.
     "If you?ve all had your fun..." Ami trailed off as the group slowly settled down.
"I also had my computer expand the range and magnification of the satellites," she said
as she punched yet another button, and an image of the universe appeared on her screen.
"This image was taken about a month ago," Ami explained before pushing the next button.
"And this was taken a few days ago," Ami said as the group gasped.  Where planets and
stars had once occupied space, now asteroids and other space debris floated feely.  Ami
tapped away at the keys for another minute before another image filled the screen.
     "Shimatta.  What is that?" Haruka asked as they stared at the screen.
     "This ship was part of a larger picture taken two weeks ago.  It was just entering
this section of space, and I used my computer to crop and enlarge the image.  I believe
this is how our enemies got here," Ami explained.
     "That?s one *big* ship," Minako observed.
     "If it?s that big it shouldn?t be that hard to spot," Makoto reasoned.
     "True, yet for some reason I can?t find their base.  I believe it is either on
Earth or very near it," Ami revealed and Rei inhaled sharply.
     "You don?t think Usagi has gone to fight them alone, do you?" Rei asked with wide
eyes and Ami shrugged.
     "I can only hope that she hasn?t run into the ship.  The youma are strong, sure,
but on that ship are creatures with power far exceeding the mere youma."
     "Oh," Makoto moaned.  "This is not good."


Note:

Minna, I need help! So far I have had Usagi 'write' 3 postcards to her family.
She has 'written' from Australia, Canada, and France. I need ideas for upcoming
postcards. If you would like to help, send me an e-mail with 'Postcard Help'
written in the subject line. I will need your name, your e-mail address, the
country where the postcard will be from, a description of what Usagi could've
'seen' and 'done' there to 'write' home about (language spoken in country would
be helpful too). Please: no countries that have already been used. Each postcard
is to come from a different country. What you will get: if your idea is used,
you will be given credit in that episode under the Special Thanks section at the
bottom. Domo arigato!


Special thanks:

To Naoko Takeuchi for creating this wonderful series.

To Sarah Anderson, editor and friend, who gave me great advice and helped me
through hard times.

To Sailor Pluto, who has given me great feedback on my series.  Hey Sailor P!  Keep up
the good work with your 'The Stars Know Everything.'  Can't wait to read the rest!  ;)

All the fanfic authors I have ever read: couldn't have done this without all of you!

Everyone who's kind enough to post this!