DISCLAIMERS:
All canon characters are (C) 1992 - whatever year it is Naoko Takeuchi and all other related parties. The Shadow senshi are (C) Wild Nature 2006 - 2007. This is a fanfic based upon the anime version and all written work that this consists of is (C) 2006 - 2007 Wild Nature.

Chapter Six: Trial of Light and Dark

Eizou struggled to stand up, finding herself in an unnatural blackness. She shifted, her hands feeling around but coming up with nothing. “Hello?”

“Eizou?” Sailor Moon asked from a close-by region but still not defined by noise only. “Where are you?”

“It’s so dark..” Eizou sat back down with a low sigh. “What are we supposed to do?”

There was a click and a light brewed from Sailor Moon’s brooch.

“Wow... what is that?” Eizou asked.

“It’s the Silver Crystal.”

“Uh huh.. what’s it for?”

“It’s what gives me my powers and strengthens me,” Sailor Moon moved up, spotting Eizou. She smiled as she sat across her. “It’s also who I am.”

“How does a crystal define you?”

“It’s my star seed, my entire being. Without it, I can’t exist.”

“Do I have one?”

“Yes, you do.”

“Huh...” Eizou looked around her and turned to move closer to Sailor Moon only to feel her head hit a blank area. “Ow!”

“What the...” She reached out and watched her hands flatten on a unseen wall. “It’s transparent?”

Sailor Moon quietly reached out to place her hands parallel to where Eizou had placed hers. “That’s so strange..”

Eizou blinked. “It’s like looking into a mirror but we’re not the same.”

“What are we?”

“Opposites,” Eizou’s fingers tightened. “You’re light, I’m darkness. You’re hope, I’m... I don’t know what I am. I mean, I’m a senshi but for what purpose?”

“You want to save your people, don’t you?”

“I thought you were going to?” Eizou asked dryly.

“Not alone. We need to work together.”

“That’s not so easy. I mean, how can I be of any help if my crystal went kaput on me?”

“What if you lost your hope?” Sailor Moon asked quietly. “You lost someone you cared about, had to do it with your own hands.”

Eizou watched Sailor Moon. “Why is it that you shine?” She was studying the other intently for sure enough, she had a pearly white aura around her while there was nothing around her. “I can’t see myself.”

“I can.”

Eizou looked up at her. “What do you see?”

“You’re warm, soothing. You shine too, Eizou. We all do but sometimes we can’t see it, not on ourselves because we’re too blind. If you look through other people’s eyes..”

Sailor Moon transformed into Princess Serenity so rapidly, it took a moment for it to register with Eizou. “What’s it like, being three people in one?”

“Three identities doesn’t make me three people. I’m always the same,” Princess Serenity told her quietly. She lifted her hands slowly to press against the invisible wall. “Let me see your hands.”

Eizou slowly lifted her hands before letting them fall back into her palms. “I can’t. I give up.”

“Eizou!”

“Why bother? You’re the ones that play the heroines! You’re the more powerful. What can I do? I don’t even know if I want to fight, let alone live!”

“You can’t keep blaming yourself. You gave him his wish!”

“I killed him. It was my fault. I let the others suffer, I let my people down. I can’t henshin, I can’t fight, I can’t protect. Who am I protecting? What reason do I have to keep going?”

The light surrounding Princess Serenity hadn’t faded but Eizou was being swallowed in darkness.

“Eizou! Please, stop thinking so negatively! There is good to think about! You found a sister, a place to protect!”

“I’ll just fail them.. Just like I failed Void. We were supposed to help him, let him exist peacefully. But no, we had to destroy him or let the world be destroyed. It’s nice.. that you have the power to save everyone but we have kill for it.”

“No, Eizou. You know you saved him!”

“I couldn’t... I watched him turn to dust...”

“EIZOU!”

Eizou was gone in the darkness, staring down blindly. She felt suffocated, cold, and incredibly lonely. “Why did I want to do this?” She questioned herself, her mind slowly slipping. She had forgotten what she was doing, why she was doing it.

‘She blessed the White Moon Heir..’ A voice, not unlike her own echoed. ‘Oh great daughter of the Silver Millennium. But did she ask you to help?’

‘Of course not! She doesn’t want your help. You’re just Pillars, those who exist to keep things in check. No reason to get more blood on your hands.’ The voice snickered loudly.

‘What are you? What lonely, empty shell do you contain?’ The voice was changing, the energy hot and painful. ‘You pitiful little mortal. You don’t know anything, do you? About the Heir of the Dead Moon Realm? About the Triad Moon Piece? Just a foolish, stupid, little girl.’

“Who are you?”

‘Who am I? Who are you? You’re in the way and I’m sorry to say, it’s time for bye bye.’

The shock of energy, hot, fiery redness shooting into Eizou filled her as she screamed in agony. It intensified.

‘Give it to me!’ The female screamed, the voice echoing painfully in her head. Eizou shook her head, trying to get the pain away but more energy pooled in.

“STOP IT!”

‘Not until you’ve burnt to a crisp!’ The female howled. ‘Give me what I want, NOW!’

Eizou grasped her head, screaming still. ‘I can’t fight her off.. how can I?’

She felt another stab and her hands grasped her chest. ‘The Triad Moon Piece..’ She thought dizzily.

‘Give it to me...give it to me... give it to me..’ the woman was panting.

‘She’s tired.. why?’ Eizou had fallen on her side, her energy gone. In the blackness, she couldn’t focus on anything, seeing spots of light, hues of violet and gold alternating as she breathed heavily.

“Eizou! Eizou!” A familiar voice was breaking through her fog. “Oh thank god, you’re all right!”

She opened her eyes to see Henshou looking down at her, his smile huge. “Hey.”

“Henshou?” She felt so tired.

“I’m missed you...” He helped her up. “Where were you?”

“Henshou.. where are we?” She asked thickly.

“Does it matter? We found each other..”

“But you died..” Eizou was feeling confused, her mind spinning, trying to grasp that meaning.

“I never died.. I live in you, remember?” He was too close, she felt fear as she jerked away. “What?”

“You’re not Henshou. You don’t have his eyes.”

“That’s silly...”

“Sigel..” Henshou’s smile faded.

“I could’ve given you your last minutes in happiness but sadly, it doesn’t seem like you’re interested. Of course, you don’t care about anything else anymore, do you? That’s why you can’t transform, why you’re cold all the time. You want to die.”

“Don’t worry,” Henshou raised his hand, though the voice was female now. “It won’t hurt for long.”

“NO!” The blast struck out as Eizou screamed, her arms covering her in a vain attempt to shield. The light was blinding but it wasn’t the light of the attack, it was from something forming in front of her.

The Moon Triad Piece had reacted on its own, filling the darkness with light, shining brilliantly.

Instantly, the false Henshou changed into a woman, with short brunette hair but two front strands colored yellow. Violet eyes glared out as she soundlessly screamed before being consumed by the light emitted from the Triad Moon Piece.

Eizou touched the hovering piece, feeling the light drain into her, warming her. It was feeling a phantom delving into her, emitting love, hope, and a gentleness that soothed her, filled her wholely.

“What am I supposed to do?” She asked it, holding it closer. “I can’t do anything anymore.. I’ll just fail, like I did last time.”

It seemed to react to her words as she watched it show her. Henshou was first in its memory, watching him turn and give a brilliant smile before being reverted to Jaro. They had something in common, that same smile.

“It’s not.. possible is it, that they’re the same?”

It shone brilliantly, showing her in a extended pose, energy radiating from her and into her, a warmth that signified love.

“They both love me..” Eizou closed her eyes tightly. “Wonderful, I was in a triangle without knowing. I can’t do this, I can’t even henshin! Why?”

And once more, it responded, this time showing her standing in a star-filled cliff, pillars jutting out high and brimming in different colors. She knew the others were behind her, as she looked forward and saw the moonlight casting upon a town. It turned into sunlight, people were cheering as she seemed to have changed. She lifted her hands slowly, her nails painted, the dress extravegent.

“A future... this is me in the future?” She looked down and saw familiar faces. Njord with Pomona who smiled and waved. The other shadows, dotted across the large group, waving, giving high fives, or just smiling happily. There was Duchess Nerthus, looking very much pregnant and happy next to a stranger whom she assumed to be her future husband.

She sought out two last faces, finding them and another third one in the middle. Jaro and Apple stood side to side but in between.. In between..

It was a miniature version of herself, only with gold eyes and long, thick black hair fallen down. She wore a suit of a Shadow, her eyes staring forward with the same familiar gaze that Jaro had, wise and knowing.

“She’s my...”

Abruptly, the vision was wiped clean and she blinked, stunned to be in the black. “My future.. I am someone that important?”

“Who am I?” She asked it, watching it float above her as she looked at it pleadingly. “I’m not just a Shadow, am I?”

It enveloped her in light as she hissed and another light was created from her gem. It became hot and power blazed out, filling Eizou.

“I won’t run anymore,” She whispered. “I know I’m going to be doing something I never expected to, that maybe I might fail but I just can’t, I just can’t let my people die..”

It was the first time she referred to the Dead Moon Realm as her people. Not like this, not so completely. It didn’t matter about reincarnation, she wouldn’t give up like this. She hadn’t wanted to lose Henshou but he was gone but the others still were there.

“For what it’s worth, Henshou, I will love you till eternity but I can’t wait around anymore.”

She stood up and looked around her, the darkness flying away. “Sigel..” She gritted her teeth. “Hope you’re ready to have fun because here come the Shadows!”

And suddenly, Sailor Moon was in front of her. “I finally found you! I don’t know how I was traveling but my god, going in and out of places is.. well, dizzy.”

She studied Eizou. “Are you all right?”

“Sigel tried to kill me..” Eizou began.

“Oh wow.. are you all right?”

“I’m standing here, aren’t I?”

Sailor Moon tilted her head slowly. “You’re different. What happened?”

“I decided to give living another chance. I saw things.. and there was just something I can’t give up.”

“What’s that?”

“My true self. I am not just a Shadow nor am I Eizou. I’m someone else but I can’t know who I am yet, I’m not ready. Until then, I’m going to stand by my Shadows, I’ll fight to protect Earth and will not let the Dead Moon Realm lose their own hope.”

Sailor Moon offered her a hand. “Together, we can do wonders.”

They shook hands and it was like transferring light between them. Both of them transformed.

Eizou’s fuku formed, distinctly different. Her tiara, and shoes were the same but her choker was double black threads, a round violet orb in its center, a white crescent moon facing north east attached at the bottom. Her collar was violet outlined in yellow on its back edge. Her bodice was the same but her brooch was a round violet orb, a set of four arrow pointed crystals on each side, a set of four small points jutting out from in between each larger point. The top edge of the bodice was lined in a yellow metal bar that curled in at the meeting between the point of where the black piece would tie together.

She had a thin yellow metal band wrapped around the tops of her gloves, much like an outlined armband. Her gloves were orchid mesh fabric, a violet orb still on the backs of her hands. Her shirt was double layered, the top being violet and the bottom transparent orchid mesh. Her waistband was the same save that the yellow strap was metal and the midsection connected with four looped beads. The slender tails trailed down to the backs of her knees.

Sailor Moon was engulfed in the element light. Her buns became adorned in red crescent moons, her crescent moon becoming the center of white bead strand wrapped around her head. Her earrings were yellow dangling crescent moons, her choker red with a yellow crescent moon with protruding white wings. Her collar was completely blue but the edges were ruffled. The brooch was a red crescent shaped outlined in yellow, having white wings protruding out and yellow tail wrapping around her sides to the back. The bodice was cut across the breasts, dipping in between and edged in red ruffled band, the rest going to her hips to end in a yellow ruffled edge.

Her arms were covered partially in blue fabric, a bit like a cape beginning at the forearms by falling down from a yellow bead strand around her arm. The blue fabric began in the front inside of her arms to wrap around her back to the other side. She also wore red wrist gloves, the edges yellow and ruffled. She had three layers of skirts, all ruffled. Top was blue, then red, then yellow. Her boots went halfway to her knee, the bottom half was red and the top edge was ruffled. Additional yellow boot was jutted out to reach halfway to her knee and was also ruffled. Around her ankles were yellow bead strands.

“You know, Eizou..” Sailor Moon said slowly. “You and I aren’t that different. Together, we’re the same, don’t you think?”

Shadow Moon smiled widely. “I have to say, it does seem that way, huh?”

And the scene reverted back to the pedestal room, the others watching them. “What?” Eizou asked finally.