Silent Dawn: A New Take on Sailor Moon Classic

[Comartemis]

Though I'll note: M9 can't possess the Device, at least not in such a way.

In that case we need some other way for Nine to be separated from Hotaru.

Here's an idea; during a confrontation with one of the Witches, probably at the point where Hotaru's device is broken and she becomes Saturn, Nine's daimon egg is expelled from Hotaru's body and retrieved by the witch, who then takes it back to HQ. As the final battle looms ever closer, the DBs search frantically for a host with sufficient magical power for Nine to use, and by some twist of fate, they stumble upon Usagi. I imagine Serenity would have a few things to say about being posessed, but this might just turn into a mirror image of the S finale except Usagi - who would not have her experiences as Sailor Moon to draw strength from - lacks the strength of character needed to break Nine's hold on her, and I'm not fond - to say the least - of fanfics with dark endings and bittersweet victories.

Or the reverse of my 'possess the device' idea; Nine is expelled from Hotaru's body and finds a new host, but through a lingering connection to Hotaru, Nine is able to utilize some of Saturn's powers while crippling Hotaru's ability to fight in Senshi form.

[P.H. Wise]

You could always go with the tried and true method of expelling 9 from Hotaru's body: that is, having Hotaru's awakening as Sailor Saturn simply expel Mistress 9. It's got the advantage of being in line with canon, too.

[Comartemis]

You could always go with the tried and true method of expelling 9 from Hotaru's body: that is, having Hotaru's awakening as Sailor Saturn simply expel Mistress 9. It's got the advantage of being in line with canon, too.

That's an option too, but I'd like to be able to write the one true Sailor Moon grudge match that never took place; Saturn vs Nine, a one-on-one fight to the death, even if it's an internal battle, a metaphysical struggle for control turned into a literal battle for Hotaru's soul.

[Pale Wolf]

In that case we need some other way for Nine to be separated from Hotaru.

Bleh, what I meant by that wasn't that she couldn't possess it, but that the level of power M9 would have through the device would be Mistress 9's power, not Hotaru's much higher level.

While I don't believe Mistress 9 is in fact a daimon, if you do operate with her as such, you could have her literally animate the device - but combat-wise, she'd be relying on massive bursts from Hotaru's stock of cartridges (which, if she got to making her own, could be absolutely insane - Nanoha considered herself to be 'low on ammo' when she was down to three clips, eighteen bursts of power). Only way an M9-possessing-Device could be a direct threat.

As the final battle looms ever closer, the DBs search frantically for a host with sufficient magical power for Nine to use, and by some twist of fate, they stumble upon Usagi.

Oh... my.

I imagine Serenity would have a few things to say about being posessed, but this might just turn into a mirror image of the S finale except Usagi - who would not have her experiences as Sailor Moon to draw strength from - lacks the strength of character needed to break Nine's hold on her, and I'm not fond - to say the least - of fanfics with dark endings and bittersweet victories.

That mirror image idea really is interesting, though...

And you're right, Usagi probably wouldn't break free on her own. Even if you theorized she could, as a writer you'd be better off if she couldn't - because if she can, it really is a mirror image, and you're not going into any new and interesting territory.

But, don't let go of it just yet. (And wait, why the heck is Usagi dying a dark ending? She's not the main character, heck, as far as this story goes she's barely relevant) There ought to be a way to work up a solution.

Or the reverse of my 'possess the device' idea; Nine is expelled from Hotaru's body and finds a new host, but through a lingering connection to Hotaru, Nine is able to utilize some of Saturn's powers while crippling Hotaru's ability to fight in Senshi form.

Hm, could work. Though, why not say instead of 'lingering connection', part of her biomass was literally left in Hotaru's body, not properly removed. If M9 can connect to her separated chunk, then she can simultaneously face directly, and perform that kind of possession/hijack/disruption.

[Comartemis]

And wait, why the heck is Usagi dying a dark ending? She's not the main character, heck, as far as this story goes she's barely relevant

Someone's forgotten about the whole "we've got to find the Moon Princess!" shtick.

*EDIT*
Speaking of the Moon Princess, I've just had a really disturbing thought; suppose Nine is able to use Serenity's ability to summon the rainbow crystals, like she did when her memories of Endymion returned in the original series.

Serenity possessed by Mistress Nine wielding the so-called "Silver Plot Device"... *shiver*

Better yet, Nine could get it into her head that she doesn't need to follow orders anymore; as Ahye put it, "evil beings are known for their ambition and backstabbing". Armed with the Silver Crystal, Nine simply doesn't summon P90 and destroys Metallia on her own, leaving Mistress Serenity as Hotaru's Ultimate Foe.

If nothing else, Zwzn would get a kick out of watching "the whipping girl" kill "her tormentor".

[Staren]

You know what would be either a very sick or very funny addition to that storyline would be? Add in a Pluto that was actually expecting the original time line. Watch her slowly go insane as from her point of view everything just blew up in her face.

[P.H. Wise]

In the anime, the Ginzuishou is powerful, but it's not all-mighty. It's more than a match for Metallia, but using it at full power and backed by all her Senshi, Usagi is only maybe about on par with Death Phantom - it requires Chibi-Usa's ginzuishou from the future being added to the mix to tip the balance. Remember, when the Ginzuishou is actively used to power Usagi's transformation in Sailor Moon S, while she is powerful, she's not even in her super form yet.

Feats accomplished with the Ginzuishou in the anime:
- banishing Beryl and her army to the Dark Kingdom and sending the dead Senshi to be reborn in the future (this application of the Ginzuishou costs Queen Serenity her life)
- destroying Metallia, resurrecting the dead Senshi, and working some minor alterations to the memories of the residents of the Minato ward
- succesfully surviving reentry on an asteroid (this nearly kills Usagi)
- powering up Usagi to the level she's at during the first part of Sailor Moon S (pre-grail)
- winning the battle against Zoicite during the 'big reveal' moment in season 1 where the ginzuishou is actually formed from the rainbow crystals

Situations in which the Ginzuishou proved insufficient to attain victory:
- The battle against Death Phantom at the end of Sailor Moon R
- Any time after the end of Sailor Moon R.

Note that in Sailor Stars, the Ginzuishou has evolved into the Silver Moon Crystal, which is actually more powerful than the Ginzuishou, but is still insufficient for overcoming Galaxia on the level of raw destructive power (but does prove able to reawaken Galaxia's slumbering heart).

So it appears the Ginzuishou is not simply 'the finger of God,' but rather has a limited number of specific uses:
- Healing (physical and spiritual). When attatched to the crescent moon rod, this healing power appears to be much stronger than normal.
- Resurrection (this may simply be an extension of its healing power)
- Protection (for example, creation of a shield strong enough to allow a group of people standing on an asteroid to survive reentry (barely, and it nearly kills the user in the process)
- Magical power source (Again, sufficient to power Usagi up to early Sailor Moon S levels)
- Minor memory alterations on a city-scale level (briefly allows the Senshi to forget about their past and to live 'normal lives'). Note that the alteration, while on a large scale, is in fact a minor one. It does not change who the people in question are, nor does it make them do things that is against their nature. It simply makes them forget about the Sailor Senshi, and even then, it's an incomplete effect (it doesn't, for example, erase the popularity of Sailor V)
- Direct magical attacks (this may or may not be an extension of the healing ability, and it may or may not be effective against foes who are not corrupted by evil in some way. In this case, it would be a form of spiritual healing. I've heard an interpretation of the fight against Metallia that I liked: Usagi kept healing the kind of spiritual cancer within Metallia, more and more, but found that when that cancer was finally washed away, there was nothing left of Metallia. Metallia was dead).

Restoring the whole world after the Great Ice? That was the Silver Moon Crystal - the Ginzuishou's evolved, more powerful form.

[Comartemis]

Be that as it may, I still shudder at the thought of what Nine could do with the Crystal on top of Serenity's powers and her own. I've always held to the theory that the crystal is a lens for Moon's powers, which helps to explain why all the crystal's demonstrated abilities are healing/defense-oriented. Beryl and company were convinced that obtaining the crystal would allow them to take over the world, whether through awakening Metallia with it or just boosting Beryl's power into the stratosphere.

And I'm fairly convinced that the DBs were more powerful than the DK. Look at Kaolinite; it took a full-power Sailor Planet Attack just to drop her shield.

[P.H. Wise]

And I'm fairly convinced that the DBs were more powerful than the DK. Look at Kaolinite; it took a full-power Sailor Planet Attack just to drop her shield.

The Death Busters were head and shoulders more powerful than the Dark Kingdom. The Senshi in the anime had powered up TWICE since the Dark Kingdom battle, and were barely a match for the Death Busters.

[Alathon]

The Death Busters were head and shoulders more powerful than the Dark Kingdom. The Senshi in the anime had powered up TWICE since the Dark Kingdom battle, and were barely a match for the Death Busters.

That could make for an almost comedic situation, if the author wanted.. have the Senshi and the Death Busters duking it out, with the hapless Dark Kingdom and it's increasingly psychotic and spaztastic queen getting caught in the crossfire. Have some of the Dark Generals try to defect to one side or another just to avoid getting squished.

Logically.. this wouldn't make much sense, as the Senshi at that stage shouldn't be able to throw down with the Death Busters. Actually, I'd think it could lead to a grudging, below-the-table alliance between the Senshi and one or two Dark Kingdom generals against them. Though I think that's been done.. just can't remember where.

[Pale Wolf]

Someone's forgotten about the whole "we've got to find the Moon Princess!" shtick.

Not at all.

Just that, you saved the friggen world! How is it that much worse that the person you had to kill happens to have been the 'Moon Princess'? How is that so much worse than having had to kill any other person?

Speaking of the Moon Princess, I've just had a really disturbing thought; suppose Nine is able to use Serenity's ability to summon the rainbow crystals, like she did when her memories of Endymion returned in the original series.

Serenity possessed by Mistress Nine wielding the so-called "Silver Plot Device"... *shiver*

Better yet, Nine could get it into her head that she doesn't need to follow orders anymore; as Ahye put it, "evil beings are known for their ambition and backstabbing". Armed with the Silver Crystal, Nine simply doesn't summon P90 and destroys Metallia on her own, leaving Mistress Serenity as Hotaru's Ultimate Foe.

...

Ya know, suddenly, I see an opponent for whom Hotaru with the Cartridge System is not overpowered.

[Comartemis]

Just that, you saved the friggen world! How is it that much worse that the person you had to kill happens to have been the 'Moon Princess'? How is that so much worse than having had to kill any other person?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because the Inners swore to protect her and they failed miserably. Maybe it's because Tux no longer has much reason to live. Maybe it's because Usagi's death spells the end of the line of Serenity, so there's no hope for CT or reviving the Moon Kingdom. Maybe it's because Hotaru will be torn apart in ways that defy description knowing that she killed an innocent girl, or maybe it's because I see no hope for a happy ending without Usagi in the picture. Take your pick.

Mark my words. I'll find a way to save Usagi and make this plot work.

[Pale Wolf]

Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because the Inners swore to protect her and they failed miserably. Maybe it's because Tux no longer has much reason to live. Maybe it's because Usagi's death spells the end of the line of Serenity, so there's no hope for CT or reviving the Moon Kingdom. Maybe it's because Hotaru will be torn apart in ways that defy description knowing that she killed an innocent girl, or maybe it's because I see no hope for a happy ending without Usagi in the picture. Take your pick.

Well, on many levels, I disagree. The only ones I agree with are the 'failed duty' and 'killed innocent' (oh, okay, Tux too). Without Usagi, I do believe a happy ending is possible. And as far as I'm concerned, the world gets along fine without the line of Serenity or CT or the Moon Kingdom.

However, I don't want to turn this into a debate either, so I'll just state my opinion and move on.

And it's an academic question anyway. There will be a way to save Usagi, and I'll work on finding it.

[Comartemis]

Alright, it took me some doing but I figured out a few ways to save Usagi.

1) In the final battle, Hotaru's Senshi transformation is sealed off by Mistress Serenity, forcing her to resort to using the Tioron Crystal. After an intense match causing lots and lots of property damage, the battle ends with a classic beam-of-war, Serenity's power vs Hotaru's healing magic backed up by her entire stock of cartridges.

2) A defeated Serenity is approached and drained by Hotaru using the "Reverse Healing" idea that I mentioned several posts back, with Hotaru drawing Nine's lifeforce into her own body with the intention of committing suicide and destroying them both, leaving Serenity posessed by an empty daimon egg.

How plausable does this sound? Should I try to think of something else?

[claymade]

The Death Busters were head and shoulders more powerful than the Dark Kingdom. The Senshi in the anime had powered up TWICE since the Dark Kingdom battle, and were barely a match for the Death Busters.

I wouldn't say it's quite as open-and-shut as that, given that the Generals (except for Zoicite) were by and large astronomically more powerful than the first-season Senshi to begin with--making a graph against the Senshi's latter progress difficult to plot. We know that Kunzite alone easily blows away the combined power of the non-Moon inners without breaking a sweat, and was only taken down by Moon using the Ginzuishou on him--and with his own weapon, to boot. Jadeite and Nephrite never even really fight the Senshi directly--and that's probably a very lucky thing.

I think you could justifiably place Kunzite, Nephrite and probably Jadeite on rough par with at least an S Season Inner Senshi. Couple that with a more varied bag of tricks, more combat experience, and more just plain willingness to fight nasty than the Senshi, and I think they'd have a fighting chance against the Death Busters--though they would probably be the underdogs.