Shadow of the Absent Moon Extras!!!
The Origin
Guardian and I first came up with the idea for "Shadow" while watching the second season of MKR. We wondered, "What would happen if Usagi got dumped into Cephiro when there was no Pillar? Would her heart be strong enough to snag Emeraude's coronet? If it did, that could only be a bad thing because of her love for Mamoru. What would happen!?!" That's pretty much where it came about.
Time Line
|Sailor Moon|
The story picks up inbetween the R and S seasons. For you dubbies out there (of whom I am one), that means it picks up after the Nega-Moon Family and Wiseman are defeated, after Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo, but before Professor Tomoe, Kaolinite and the Witches 5 are active. This is only important for realizing Usagi and Mamoru's mental states as the story leaves Tokyo in the first few paragraphs.
|Magic Knight Rayearth|
This one's easy. The story starts with Level 21 (or the first episode of season 2). It takes place all through the second season and ends where season 2 ends. We're following Usagi and Mamoru through the story, so there isn't much repeat of the actual show. What does repeat, we tried to keep as intact as possible, just to have a nearly seamless story. Much dialogue that was shown in MKR is word for word, with only Usagi or Mamoru messing up the flow.
Changes to the Plotline
Like I said earlier, we tried to change the plotline as little as possible, but there are a few changes.
Change #1: When Lantis is first seen, he is bringing in a girl he's rescued and brought to the castle. In the story, it is Usagi that he rescues and brings back to the castle so that scene will play word for word until Usagi messes up the flow of the scene by speaking.
Change #2: The Magic Knights know that Ferio still has the Magic orbs and he gives one to Fuu before the Magic Knights leave the castle, instead of later that night.
Change #3: This one isn't a plotline change but it's a change none the less. Usagi has a bit of an attitude on her in this. It's not that we are trying to change the klutzoid crybaby's character. We've just noticed that when REAL danger ensues, or when Mamoru is in trouble, Usagi pulls through with this incredible hard-ass attitude that always gets her through the situation. No questions asked. Then she is free to be her shallow, hungry, trip-over-the-floor self again. We honestly feel that this is exactly how she'd react. No disrespect to Odango Atama. Besides, she's in Cephiro. She can gain determination just by wanting it enough.
Change #4: Another character change, sort of. Nova is very intriguing to me. I always thought she should have a blood fetish and she tends to be much more um... well spoken, I guess. She can spout poetry while slicing a throat. Much of this comes from her blood fetish. It just feels right for the character.