Solar Knights - Night's Dark Shadow
A fanfic of Sailor Moon By StarKnight
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**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, all associated characters and situations created by
  Naoko Takeuchi, used here without permission. All other characters are mine.

        Writing notes:
        ^...^ indicates thoughts
        *...* indicates telepathic messages
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Episode 1 "Resurrection Blues"

        A strange energy field is floating between the planets.  Strange in
that it was once a human, possessed of a great anger and greed for power,
this human was shown that there were finer things in life, due to the love of
a young girl. Unfortunately, other evil men hated him for it, and destroyed
him. Now, as his last life energy ebbs away, he thinks back.
        ^Naru. Oh, Naru, if only we had more time together, then maybe I
could have made up for the terrible things that I have done. Perhaps some day,
we will meet again. Goodbye, Naru.^
	Suddenly, the thoughts of the energy field are interrupted by a strong 
force. *Nephlite! Come! You are needed again. Live again and serve the 
Negaforce!*
	Screaming, Nephlite felt his energy being pulled across space to the 
palace of the Dark Kingdom, in the polar icecap of the Earth. Pulled down and 
reformed into his old body, to live again. As he lay panting on the ground,
he 
became aware of his surroundings and the company he was in, and felt his
blood 
grow cold.
	"I tell you, Nephlite was a traitor once, and will betray us again!" 
Shouted a high voice. You could almost think it a woman's voice, but Nephlite 
knew it belonged to Zoicite, the man who had him killed before.
	"Nephlite was a trusted general long before you, Zoicite, and I/we 
believe that he can be trusted again." At the odd reverberation in the voice, 
Nephlite looked up and stared at Jadeite, standing on the dais in front of 
Queen Beryl's throne and holding a strange wand with a crescent moon on top.
As he watched, the wand crumbled into dust and blew away. Jadeite looked down
to his empty hand and said "Well, it seems that I/we have exhausted the power
of this little trinket I/we found. Rise, Nephlite, and take your place with
my/our generals."
	Nephlite rose from where he lay but made no move to join the others. 
Instead he looked around him at the throne room, noting Zoicite and Kunzite 
standing together with the legions of the Dark Kingdom behind them. Finally,
he turned back to Jadeite, now sitting on the throne. 
	"What's going on here, Jadeite? Where's Queen Beryl?"
	Jadeite merely chuckled at first and again Nephlite noticed the odd 
echo to his voice. "Many things have changed since your death. Queen Beryl
has 
been destroyed by Princess Serenity with the Silver Moon Crystal. I/we barely 
escaped my/our self and took possession of the sleeping form of Jadeite. Then 
I/we used the remaining power of Sailor Moon's Crescent Moon Wand to
resurrect 
you three to serve me/us again."
        Nephlite's eyes narrowed with realization. ^This is not really
Jadeite, 
the Negaforce is just using him as a body to possess.^
	"But if the Sailor Senshi defeated you once, won't they do so again?" 
Nephlite asked.
	"They have destroyed themselves in the process." Jadeite laughed "The 
Silver Moon Crystal has been drained and the Senshi themselves don't remember 
anything of their past. They were the only things standing in our way and the 
have conveniently removed themselves. Without them, we shall rule the WORLD!" 
        Jadeite thrust his hands into the air as the assembled legions started
to shout and cheer.
	Nephlite looked about him filled with dread. Without the Sailor Senshi 
who could stop the forces of the Dark Kingdom? Who indeed. With that thought, 
Nephlite knew what his destiny was. 
        "NO!" he shouted. "I will not allow this to happen. The people of the
Earth are good. They have love and happiness. The Earth Realm does not
deserve to be turned into another Dark Kingdom. We can change, and learn to
be like them."
        Even as he spoke, Nephlite realized that his pleas were falling on
deaf ears. Being evil and cruel was inborn in the people of the Dark Kingdom,
ever since the Negaforce arrived.
        "Good? Love and happiness?" Jadeite sneered. "Such things have no
place here, or anywhere! You have been corrupted by these values. If you
choose to stand against us, you will be destroyed." He motioned to his guards
as he sat down.
        Nephlite sighed. He was still incredibly weak and could never hope to
win this fight. "So be it then. Those that I have fought beside for evil, I
now will fight against. Much better that I would die than to serve evil again.
But, I will fight you on my own terms." With that, he faded from view.
	"You see! I told you he couldn't be trusted!" Shouted Zoicite "Please 
let me go after him. I destroyed him once, and I shall do so again!"
        Jadeite sat back in his throne and looked thoughtful for a moment.
"No, 
you are still to weak to fight Nephlite. I cannot risk your loss as well.
Youma Vlad, come forth!"
	A dark mist appeared in the middle of the throne room and condensed 
into a tall, pale man with red eyes and dark clothes. "Yes, my lord?"
	"Go and destroy Nephlite, Vlad, drain all his energy and you shall
have his place as a general of the Dark Kingdom." Jadeite said.
	"As you wish, my lord." And Vlad dissolved into mist again and 
disappeared.

				*       *       *

	On the planet Earth, in the country of Japan, in the city of Tokyo, in 
the district of Juban, in a small park at night, a couple walks.
        "Naaaruuu" wined Umino "Wait up!"
	"No way, Umino. If I get home late my mom will kill me." The cinnamon 
haired girl walked along briskly through the autumn night. "You're the one
who 
made me so late stopping at that star show."
	"Just wait one minute, while I catch my breath." As he collapsed on a 
park bench.
	"Oh, all right. But just for a minute." Naru sat down next to the 
wheezing boy and smiled at him. "I did have a fun evening tonight, Umino. I
almost wish it didn't have to end." She said leaning close to him.
	^Oh, my God.^ thought Umino, as sweat began to break out on his face 
^I-is she going to k-kiss me!? What'll I do!?!^
	Naru leaned in closer, lips parting slightly just as a body burst 
through the trees behind them and slammed Umino to the ground. 
	Naru leaped to here feet and shouted "What? What's happening he..." 
She stopped in shock, realizing she knew the person laying on top of her 
stunned boyfriend "N-Nephlite? How can you be here?" Memories rushed back 
into Naru's mind. She remembered everything she had forgotten about the past 
year. The almost constant attacks by monsters, Sailor Moon rescuing her all
the time and falling in love with Maxfield Stanton. The shock of finding out
that he was actually an evil person bent on ruling the world, but that he
loved her also. And then to have him die in her arms for turning his back on
the Dark Kingdom to save her. And now he was back, alive again? But maybe not
for long by the looks of him. Then she heard a noise behind her and turned to
look into the glowing red eyes of yet another monster.
        "Mmmm, fresh energy." Purred Vlad, reaching a glowing hand out for 
Naru's neck.
        "Naru??! NO!" shouted Nephlite "Leave her alone!" Ignoring the pain in
his battered body he launched himself forward into the youma.
	"Ha Ha Ha. You grow weak, traitor." Vlad was not even moved at
all. He backhanded Nephlite and sent him spinning to the ground again. "If you
are so eager to die, I will be happy to oblige you. Your life and rank are
mine." He reached down towards Nephlite.
	"Don't you DARE touch him!" Even Naru was shocked at her bravery as 
she stepped in between Vlad and Nephlite, golden energy leaking from her body.
        "Naru..." Nephlite looked up thinking ^Just like when she protected
me from Sailor Moon.^ Then he noticed the glowing symbol of Venus in Naru's
right hand. ^I can't beat him by myself, but maybe I can get some help.^
	"The stars know everything..." Nephlite felt the touch of his familiar 
star-based magic pouring into him.
	Just then Umino was waking up and looking around and saw Nephlite and 
Vlad both reaching for Naru. He leaped for her just as Nephlite touched her 
hand.
	"By the power of the stars, may your hidden strengths awaken!"
	There was a blinding flash of golden light and Vlad was thrown back 
away from the trio. Naru stood there, shocked, wearing gleaming golden armor 
with the symbol of Venus on her breast. Umino knelt by her side wearing brown 
armor with the symbol of the Earth on the chest plate. Memories came back to 
them all. Memories from  thousands years ago, of the time of the Moon
Kingdom. 
Even Nephlite sat back stunned. He had no idea that these two were also from 
the Silver Millennium.
	Vlad however was not stunned, he was furious. With a snarl, he leaped 
for the other three. Naru noticed him and held out her arms instinctively.
        "VENUS SHIELD!" she shouted and a dome of golden light sprang up, 
cutting Vlad off from his prey. 
        Umino stood up and glared at the monster clawing at the energy
shield. With a voice much deeper than his normal one, he said: "Get away from
us, you freak! EARTH WAVE!" he slapped his hand on the ground and a shockwave
ripped up the earth in front of Vlad, sending him flying back away from the
energy dome.
        The Youma lay on the ground, panting and stunned by this sudden
change of situation. No one had expected the Solar Knights to be here, and
Nephlite should have been to weak do put up much of a fight. Vlad began to
have second thoughts about this mission.
        Nephlite stood and said: "Send this message back to your master. I
will defend the Earth from all who would attack it. The Dark Kingdom has no
place on this planet anymore." He held up his hand and a fiery starbolt shot
out, turning the youma into a charred husk, which blew away into dust on the
wind. Then he looked at the two armored figures before him and collapsed into 
unconsciousness.
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Stay tuned for Episode Two "She's My Girl" 


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