I believe it was in, gosh, 2001 when I first approached Mr. Fiss with the idea of writing an Omoi fanfiction. I had noticed the focus was gradually moving away from the Japanese Senshi, and while I certainly don't object to this (Omoi has only been getting better), I did realize there was room for more activity on their part. In particular, my story was to take place parallel to Seven Knights, showing that the adventures for the old crowd didn't just pause when the Canadian Senshi were away. At the time, Fiss thought it was a good idea, though I suspect he was just humoring me.

I wrote intermittently over the next couple years, occasionally putting it on hold as other projects of mine took the forefront of my attention. The first draft even got so far as five chapters before the biggest "sabbatical" hit. Since then, I've been reading it, revising it, re-reading it, and ignoring it for months. I think I finally have a plan for a genuinely interesting story, but I haven't been in much of a mood for writing. As such, I'd like to post my progress here and see what my fellow Omoi fans think. Perhaps a little encouragement, or lack thereof, will finally convince me to finish the story for good or scrap it all together.

Without further ado, I present the beginning of the tentatively titled Sins, a Sailor Moon Omoi fanfiction by Son Goharotto.


~Prologue~

The Moon.

It's not just a moon. Not just a dull gray, lifeless planetoid that spins around Earth in the cold void of space. Not just a dusty chunk of stone pock-marked with craters.

It's THE Moon, a bright lamp of silver light in the night sky. Throughout the ages, mankind has looked to its gentle glow among the canvas of stars. It is an object of wonder, a source of mysticism, a symbol of romance. Some of the greatest minds in history have peered up at that enchanting satellite, longing to explore the world in the sky. Even after man walked on the Moon and discovered its mundane existence, it remained a potent image in world culture.

But if the REAL truth were revealed, what sort of impact would it have on society? What would change about mankind's instinctual fascination with the Moon if people learned of its Atlantean origins?

The Moon was once a lush world, every bit as lively and vibrant as the Earth itself. Indeed, the entire solar system was populated by a magical people, and the Moon was the hub of interplanetary human society. And at the height of its prosperity, in the time fondly referred to as the Silver Millennium, the kingdom of the Moon fell.

The only remains of that grand era are a few crumbling ruins in the colorless dust. They lie at the edge of the dark side of the Moon, somehow remaining undiscovered by a multitude of astronomers, astronauts, and Pink Floyd fans. The columns and arches that lay strewn about serve as a poignant reminder of a time long past. Even in a now-lifeless vacuum, there is still a magical air to this place, seen in the fading murals and worn reliefs.

But something more than memory lingers in this place. There is a flicker of movement and a whisper in the silence. When time is short and the need is great, Queen Serenity returns to govern her dead kingdom.

A ghost, her delicate footsteps leave no imprint in the gray dust; make no sound while crossing cracked and ancient tiles. A long gown of satin and lace trails behind her, the last dress she ever wore, as the revenant monarch toured the decrepit city. Serenity was not only the ruler of the Moon Kingdom, but also the governess of all the planets in the solar system. Perhaps her greatest title was as Sailor Moon, keeper of the Silver Crystal and leader of the original Senshi. Wisdom and compassion beyond her years made Serenity popular...and powerful.

Indeed, she loved her people so much that she willingly sacrificed herself to save them from a sudden attack by the Moon Kingdom's greatest enemy: the Negaverse. Knowing full well that her immortal spirit would forever be chained to this desolate planetoid as the price for such a powerful spell, Serenity flung the souls of her family, friends, and subjects into a--hopefully--peaceful future.

What dire mission could recall Queen Serenitiy this night, no living soul may know. A concerned frown mars her elegant features and her sapphire blue eyes, always filled with strength and nobility, are fixed on the puzzling monolith that towers before her. In a place forgotten even during the time of Serenity's life, there stands a mass of shimmering iridescent crystal. It is vaguely in the shape of a coffin, and accordingly, a lone figure can be seen contained in its center. With the sun glinting off the pristine material, it is too bright to make out any features, but the crystal's occupant is clearly human.

The ghost reached out to touch the crystalline tomb, caressing its smooth surface with immaterial fingers. Her lips, painted in a warm pink hue for a party that was rudely interrupted, form words that go unheard in the vacuum of space. She could sense that the magic was wearing thin. Perhaps it was the repeated use of the Silver Crystal, or perhaps it was something more sinister. Either way, the cracks had already started to appear. At first, they were too small for the naked eye. But as sure as the passing of time, small fissures slowly spread throughout the network of crystals. Before her now, the seal that was cast so long ago was breaking down.

Soundless in the void, the crystal prison shattered. Specks of glittering ice hovered in the vacuum, the Moon's gravity no longer sufficient to pull them down. Likewise, the figure that emerged hung in space. Arms slightly raised, eyes closed in peaceful slumber, he appears as if an angel.

Serenity suppressed a chuckle, knowing how this mysterious man would scoff at the comparison. She resisted the urge to push a strand of gray hair away from his face, knowing she could not perform even that simple act. Her eyes traced the bold lines of his features, remembering the moments when the corner of his mouth would turn up in a smirk, or when his brows would knit in concentration. He looked calm now. In life, he was anything but. This was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve and sometimes the depth of his emotion scared her. But Serenity could never ignore him, or forget him.

This was an important person, perhaps too important for words. The magic of this place could sustain him, as it had the second generation Sailor Senshi in the past, but not forever. The queen wished they didn't have to part in this way, but it was unavoidable.

Using what little power she still had left, Serenity cast a simple transportation spell. With a flash of light, no more than a mere sparkle compared to the sun in this place unprotected by atmosphere or ozone, the man disappeared. She turned to face the giant blue marble called Earth and felt a pang in her soul. Serenity only hoped this man could finally find peace in the future as her other loved ones have.

Man.. e-mail me what you got sofar. .it sounds really nice. Btw, good writing. .you pick up that from the Fiss?

This is really all I have so far, of this version anyway. I've been writing for a long time now and you can see some of my other stuff at my website if you want. But Fiss is definitely one of my biggest inspirations, stylistically.

Omoi has changed the way i have lived.. I actually started following the 7 damn virutes. Even donned on Wacky for the 8th.

I'll take a look at your stuff while i'm at work.

Well, get cracking, young wo/man! This is some good stuff here; you should keep it going!

Good stuff.. its as good as fissy's.

I am genuinely intrigued. Who is this mysterious person? From where does he come? Is he good or evil?

If those questions are rattling around my head, you've already done a good start. I'd love to see this finished.

Man, thank you.

Since you guys seem to be really interested, here's the next bit I have written:


~Chapter 1 - Scene 1~

William leaned back in his seat, an over-stuffed wing chair covered with burgundy-hued leather; one of his few vices. As the project leader involved in the recreation of the Point Calculator, his nearly every waking hour was occupied with a constant set of equations and logarithms, so it was nice to enjoy a good sit once in a while.

The image displayed on the paper-thin monitor before him was of Paolo de Matteis' The Annunciation. The screensaver on William's computer--a formality; such an application has since been made unnecessary by the level of Omega Web's technology--was a simple slideshow of works by the Great Masters. During one of his sitting breaks, he noticed a common equation formed in various painters' brush strokes and color choices. Mathematically minded as he was, William decided to study other such works in order to see if he really could calculate artistic talent. Most Omega Webbers had some kind of hobby and this wouldn't distract him from his crucial work on the new Calculator.

He had just about nailed it down when the voice of Sonia, one of the Web's senior technicians, drifted out of his PC's speakers.

"Sorry to bother you, Will. But since Dave pretty much left you in charge, I thought you might like to see this." A new window opened on Williams monitor that showed some fluctuating energy signatures in the upper atmosphere. "This just appeared a second ago. It started on the Moon and is rapidly approaching the planet surface."

"Thanks, I'll be down in a second," William responded.

Less than that passed in the time it took for the man to teleport from his room to the Omega Web's central command center. The transition from matter to energy and back again happened in the blink of an eye; considerably faster than the snail-paced transporters of Star Trek that inspired this particular bit of technology. It is only indicated by a shower of sparkling light; a constant bone of contention for some of the more macho-conscious Webbers. In that instant, William skipped through the various pocket dimensions that make up OW HQ and was now walking up to Sonia's station.

"It seems to be magical in origin," the woman began as William approached. "We've recorded similar transportation energies in the past." Sonia turned in her seat and shrugged at the young man. "But it's always been hard to determine the exact source and target."

"The Senshi know a way to teleport up to the Moon, don't they?" William wondered aloud.

"I don't think it's them this time," Sonia admitted. "We would have noticed anything going to the Moon, so this doesn't look like a return trip."

"Where's it headed?"

The woman's fingers flew over the touch-screen of her computer station. After a moment of calculating the trajectory--the bogey was now a mere thousand miles above the planet surface--Sonia shook her head and sighed. "Tokyo. That figures."

William rubbed his chin, scratching a couple days worth of stubble. "Do we have anyone in the field that can intercept?"

Another pause. "Afraid not. Should I send someone or will you check it out yourself?"

The young man didn't have time to answer as the energy signature suddenly disappeared, being replaced with a warning beep and red text that lamented: ?Signal Lost.' William suddenly felt very anxious. "Got anything at all?"

Sonia was already scanning the general area. "It was directly above Roppongi Hills when the signal disappeared. Jeez, our luck is getting better and better." William raised an eyebrow at her and the woman chuckled. "I guess you don't know much about Tokyo. Roppongi is basically one big sex shop. It also has the largest concentration of non-Japanese in the city. If our visitor looks remotely human, that's the best place for him to hide."

The man slapped himself in the face. "I really don't need this," he muttered into his palm. "Dave sure picked a great time to go take a little vacation."

Sonia laughed. "I don't know if he'd agree with you about that. But at least he trusts you."

"I certainly don't want to lose that trust, so I'll try my damnedest to keep things from falling apart while he's gone." William clapped his hands together, a determined expression set on his young face. "Let's get cracking."

This is some primo stuff, man. I agree with DarkNate; you should keep going with this. I'd be glad to beta.

I second on the beta read and other stuff.. very good stuff man.. keep it cranking.

I'll be the first to admit I'm a lousy critic: I like everything but my own work. But this is seriously interesting, and you should keep going with it. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we'll do our best to help.

It's really very good...I too, have often wondered what could have been going on back on earth during the time the others were in Eden. Please keep going! And I too, would be happy to beta if you need somebody. I'm very intrigued to know who this new man is...

I still like Eden.

I'v grown up with a christian background.. and he nailed *pun intented* the hammer on the head dead.

It would be intresting if fissy did a SK.6.7 .. like 6.7 for AR.. with whats going on back in Crystal Tokyo/Earth.

It would have to be done after missionaries tho.

I didn't mean to imply that I don't like Eden...I think it's fantastic, and that Fiss did a great job with it. A 6.7, or even a 3.14 would be great. But yeah, definitely after Missionaries, cause I can't wait for more of that! Especially with the strangely moody Miss Miharu coming up in the next section...

Ya.. everything in #1 was messed up.. the spike and the brat and the kid.. everyone is going wonkey.

and fiss.. letting go of his sword.. thats not right.

Muchly agreed Azrael...

This is awesome. I agree with everyone else: YOU NEED TO CONTINUE. I'll be glad to beta as well, and maybe fiss might put up a special section so you can write in sections like he does.

I agree with these guys! You should definitely keep going with this. I really like you're writing style as well. It flows nicely and is easy to stay with. God, I've slipped back into editor mode. Sorry... I've been reading/rejecting crappy prose for the Lit Mag for weeks. But this is a refreshing change. I'd be eager to read more.

Heh, that's fine. Truth be told, I'd rather get bad reviews that consicely explain what needs fixing than a lot of "you're teh man" and "a winner is j00!" So I REALLY appreciate it when someone can actually say WHY they like my writing.

Sorry I don't have another section right now. But now that I'm thinking about this story more, it's easier to plan the scenes in my head before I write them. I should have time to write something over the weekend.

Looking pretty good. Maybe Fiss can host a part on his site for fanfics based off of his fanfics. Your Omoi story, the Higher Learning spinoffs...

Could work..

But we need to finish off how the site works, the interface.. and some of the storage ways..

I've offered the use of my system for file storage and retreival, we'er still working on what to do for the avatarts and the graphics that we put.. to either host off of fissy's pc or what.


The fics.. tend to get large in size after a lot of writing.. look at AR and SK.. both together is 5mb worth of plain ascii txt


thats NUTS.

I suppose the ultimate, even if wholly subconscious, goal of any fanfiction is that someone will like your story enough to make it canon.
OBEY! OOOBBEEYY! Submit to my will or suffer the consequences! Mwah ha ha ha ha!! (This subliminal message is brought to you by Tasty Wheats: when you need to poop something fierce, grab a bowl of the cereal grain that makes baby Jesus cry!)
But realistically, I won't be holding my breath.


If that's the problem, this story probably won't be longer than one part of AR. I've already got one unfinished epic, no need to make it two.


~ Chapter 1 ~ Scene 2 ~

Usagi Chiba, formerly Tsukino, also known as Sailor Moon, leader of the Inner Senshi, and soon to be Neo Queen Serenity could not sleep.

She stepped onto the balcony and looked out over the gardens, breathing in the crisp night air. It was early Spring and a late snowfall still clung stubbornly to the trees and bushes. The young woman faced the mute vegetation with her most regal expression of benevolence and forced herself to smile. It faded quickly. She drew her favorite fluffy pink robe tighter around herself, more to ward off the melancholy than the chill.

Reality was just starting to set in and Usagi wasn't sure if she was completely ready for this whole "Queen of Japan" thing. Certainly, she knew what must be done, but sometimes the blond still found herself wishing for the days when the worst of her troubles were Negaverse monsters and being late for class. Now here she was, standing in the middle of the serene, almost archaic Imperial Palace, anxiously awaiting her audience with the Emperor himself.

"Nice night," said a gentle voice from behind her.

"Yeah," the blond replied simply.

Usagi leaned back, knowing her husband would be there to support her. Indeed, the strong arms of her husband Mamoru immediately encircled Usagi's slight frame, bringing a sense of warmth and security that made her worries melt away. This time, the smile was genuine.

"Nerves?"

"Yeah..."

Mamoru lowered his face to his wife's cornsilk hair, noticing the peach fragrance of her shampoo. "Me too. Even after everything we've been through, something like this still seems so...surreal."

"I mean, he's the Emperor! What am I supposed to say to him?" Usagi demanded of herself. "We all know he's only a figurehead. God, just saying it makes me feel bad! But when I take power, even that much will be stripped from him." Her worrying was cut off as Mamoru's fingers snuck into the collar of her robe to kneaded the tense muscles of her neck and shoulders.

"Just be yourself," the loving husband suggested.

Usagi sighed, reveling in the soothing touch of her husband's experienced hands. Those hands had done far more... intimate ...things in the past, but even a simple massage was enough to make the blond swoon. "That's what I'm afraid to do," she admitted, starting to feel more relaxed. "I'll just make a fool of myself."

"Give yourself a little more credit, meatball head. You managed to snag me, didn't you? Just dazzle the Emperor with your sparkling wit and charm. The innocent school girl routine is like Kryptonite to us Japanese men."

"Are you trying to be funny?" Usagi asked, arching one eyebrow. She shrugged off his hands and pulled the robe back up over her shoulders. His wife was getting very good at these little maneuverings, Mamoru noted. Usagi was maturing much faster than she realized.

"Not at all, my love. You can be very convincing when you turn on the power behind those baby blues," Mamoru answered. He snuck a peck at Usagi's cheek, causing her to giggle, her mask of disapproval sliding away. She turned around to hug him and laid her face against his chest.

"Seriously though, there are going to be a lot of people who won't trust us at first," continued Mamoru in a more solemn voice. "From a political standpoint, winning over the Emperor could go a long way towards securing the favor of the general public. We need to strike hard and fast in order to beat out our disparagers."

Usagi looked up into her husbands face, genuinely surprised by his tone. "Why, cupcake, you sound positively cold-blooded."

"I think some of my old life is starting to come back to me," replied her husband in a voice that hovered between ?reminiscent' and ?grave'. "Do you remember when I was courting you during the Silver Millennium? You were still subject to your mother, but my father was very old and ill, so I was already the de facto ruler of Earth. The political jungle is not a place for the soft-hearted."

They stayed silent for a while after that, simply enjoying each other's company. The Imperial Palace grounds were large enough that little of the city's normal soundtrack could disturb the calm atmosphere within these walls. There was a full moon out tonight, but even knowing the lunar kingdom's ultimately sorrowful end was not enough to spoil the romantic mood.

As Mamoru gazed up at the barren satellite, he noticed a streak of light headed towards the horizon. "Look there!" he whispered into Usagi's ear, pointing towards a shooting star as it rolled across the blanket of night. "You can wish for tomorrow's meeting to go off without a hitch," Mamoru joked.

Usagi glanced back, then did a double take. She stepped away from her husband to watch the celestial body's path more intently. It wasn't racing across the sky; it was falling to the Earth. "That's no comet," the young woman said, a strange sensation running through her spine. "It feels like magic..."

On the other side of Tokyo, another of the Senshi had her eyes to the sky.

Setsuna Meiou had known this was coming. As Sailor Pluto and keeper of the Time Key, she knew the exact day when the spell would end and He would awake. She had always consoled herself in the knowledge that Time was cyclic and history would repeat itself, so this moment would never happen. But now the cycle had been broken and what lay ahead was unknown, even to the Guardian of Time herself.

The woman took a sip of her tea, but its aromatic flavor did little to comfort the old feelings of anger and resentment that were bubbling up within her. Unprepared for the return of such old emotions, Setsuna couldn't stop her hands from shaking. She set down her cup to the light tinkling of agitated porcelain. The woman took a deep breath and centered herself, summoning the cool detachment that was so very necessary for her job. Sailor Pluto would need a will of steel for the task ahead.

You know SG, maybe you can make some use of the Outer Senshi since Fiss doesn't seem to focus on them much.

[coughs and points to the last two chapters of scene 2] Yeah, no kidding.

Anybody? Beuller?


~ Chapter 1 ~ Scene 3 ~

The Grand Hyatt Tokyo boasts itself as being more than a hotel; it's a landmark of ?relaxation lifestyle'. In a tenth floor restroom, Amano Hasegawa couldn't care less, because he was in the middle of a ?God damn bad day'.

The sour-faced man preened himself in the wall-length mirror while swearing up a storm. He raked a comb through his pompadour of slick black hair, trying to focus on anything but his latest dilemma. Oyabun was mad at him and one thing you should always avoid is getting the ?Father' of the Roppongi Yakuza mad at you.

Amano was an unremarkable man in his early 30s, but his careworn face and eternally bitter disposition made him seem much older. A low man on the totem pole, he ran a variety of small-time swindles and scams with no solid plan for improving his status, a realization that had come too late for Hasegawa. He'd gotten some inside info on an upcoming sporting event and was set to make a tidy little sum, but ended up interfering with a large-scale racketeering project under Nara the Snake.

Normally, Amano would be able to resolve the problem with a severed finger and some monetary reciprocation. But it just so happened that Nara was one of Oyabun's favorite ?sons', whereas Amano himself wasn't particularly respected in the clan. So it was that a very nervous yakuza's fate was sealed. Death would come soon, no matter how many guards he posted.

Slamming down his hand, the cheap plastic comb snapped in half. That one fucking strand wouldn't stay in place!! Amano wiped his face and tried to force himself to relax, to no avail. His face pale and drawn, the doomed gangster stared at his reflection, but even the bored-eyed man in the mirror showed no sympathy for Amano's plight.

A distant shimmering caught his attention and Amano stared at the streak of light that was being reflected from outside the window behind him. He didn't really comprehend what he was seeing at first, still lost in his own thoughts. After a while, he decided to make a wish. The Tanabata festival was still several months away, but in a situation like this, it couldn't hurt.

He was in the middle of praying to live through the night when something broke away from the falling star; a spot of shadow that was expelled from the light. It hovered in the air for a while, aimlessly floating here and there. Finally, it seemed to zero in on Amano and shot straight towards him. With his eyes closed, the grumpy yakuza didn't even see it coming. He didn't see it pass through the window like a ghost. And he sure didn't see as it collided into his back with a splash of inky blackness.

Shoved forward, Amano's head smashed into the mirror. The long bathroom fixture splintered into a web of cracks and sent a shower of glass to the floor with a sound like instrumental rain. Dazed, and now sporting a killer headache, Amano slumped across the black marble counter.

"Boss! You okay in there!? BOSS!" thundered a voice from outside the restroom.

Amano stirred as a pair of toughs burst in through the door. Gennai and Toyozo Mori were brothers under Hasegawa's command and they followed his orders without question. Neither could be accused of being too smart for their own good, which perhaps explained their current positions, but aside from their jobs as yakuza hitmen, the Mori brothers were generally decent guys. Spotting his fallen employer, Toyozo quickly drew his pistol and checked the stalls. Gennai worriedly shook his boss' shoulder until Amano shrugged him off.

"What are you idiots doing in here?" Amano growled. "I told you to wait outside."

"We thought somebody mighta got ya, boss," Gennai explained. Spotting a gash on his boss' forehead, the elder Mori brother gasped. "You're hurt, boss!"

"I said GET OUT!!"

Hasegawa planted his hand on Gennai's face and threw him away like a rag doll. Now, Gennai was a heavily muscled fellow under that tacky white tracksuit and Amano would best be categorized as a ?ninety-eight pound weakling', so doing such a thing would ordinarily be no easy task. But this sudden show of power--and backbone--made Amano suddenly seem very intimidating to the Moris, very likely a first in the agitated yakuza's career. Without another word, Toyozo dragged his brother off the tiled floor and out the door.

Amano turned back to the mirror, looking at his fractured reflection. He sensed a change in himself that he couldn't quite comprehend. His body felt cold and clammy, yet seemed to surge with some newfound strength of flesh and will. It was like all the anxiety and frustration Amano had been suffering lately had been channeled, purified, into an unwavering confidence. He felt distant, but refreshed.

He leaned towards one of the larger fragments of mirror and wiped away some blood from the cut on his forehead. As he watched, the injury closed and healed itself. Today had become a very good day.