The Asteroid Senshi
These sailors may look familiar...hmmm Amazoness Quartet, prehaps? Before Neherenia used her powers to awaken and change them, these four were slumbering in their asteriods, waiting for the time when they would be the guardians of Chibi Usa, the next Queen of Crystal Tokyo. Neherina woke them up prematurely and turned them into the Amazoness Quartet. Later, when it seemed they were regaining their memories, Zirconia trapped them in balls. After Neherina and Zirconia were defeated, Sailor Saturn asked Neo Queen Serenity to free the Quartet, and they then appeared as their true selves, the Asteriod Senshi, aka Sailor Quartet: Sailor Juno(JunJun, in green), Sailor Vesta(VesVes, in red), Sailor Pallas(PallaPalla, in blue), and Sailor Ceres(CereCere,in pink). Explaining who they were, they left back to their asteriods, to sleep till the future.
Whats with the names? They are named after Godesses in Roman Mythology. Juno is the Queen of the Gods, known in Greece as Hera. Despite this authorative title, Sailor Ceres seems to lead the Sailor Quartet more than Sailor Juno. Pallas is short for the name Pallas Athena, goddess of Wisdom, same to Rome and Greece. Vesta is the Goddess of the Hearth Fire, also in charge if the Vestal Virgins in a sacred temple in Rome. She is called Hestia in Greek. Ceres is the Godess of grain and growing things, also in charge of the seasons. In greek, she's known as Demeter.
On a astronamy note, there was once a time when the asteroids Juno, Vesta, Ceres, and Pallas where considered planets. This was because, with the technology of the time, they appeared to be planetarty bodies in space. Later, when planets Neptune, Pluto, and the asteroid belt of our solar system were discovered, these four "planets" where demoted to asteroids. Of the four, Asteroid Ceres is the largest- almost as large as Charon, a Plutonian moon! This maybe another reason why Sailor Ceres leads the Asteroid Senshi, in addition her pink hair, which in the realm of Moonieness seems to dictate authority^^. [Thanks for the planetary facts, Setsuna!]
In the Manga, The Asteriod Senshi did not just appear after they were freed from the balls. The also appeared the the Bishojuo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars series, because Eternal Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon were losing protection as the Shadow Galactica destroyed the Inner and Outer Senshi, one by one. Chibi Moon kept flickering in and out, because Mamoru was gone; he had been the first one Galaxia killed. The Asteriod Senshi arrived at about the time Eternal Sailor Moon, Sailor Kakyuu,Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor ChibiChibi Moon reached Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon, and they killed Papilon off. They were also their when they met the Star Seed Gardeners, Sailor Chi and Phi.
Sailor Kakyuu helped kill Sailor Phi, but Sailor Chi killed Kakyuu afterwards. It was the Asteriod senshi, with their combo attack, the Amazon Jungle Arrow, who attacked Sailor Chi, helped Eternal Sailor Moon kill Chi and defeat the Evil Senshi( Sailor Mars, Pluto, Mercury, etc: they all had been changed evil by Galaxia's bracelets.) The Asteriod Senshi tried to destroy the Evil Senshi with their Amazon Jungle Arrow, but they were too strong and the attacked didn't work. Evil Sailor Mars and Evil Sailor Mercury knocked out the Asteriod senshi with their Galactica Flame Sniper! and Galactica Aqua Rhapsody!, rendering the Asteroid senshi unconcious for a while, so Eternal Sailor Moon had to defeat the Evil Senshi by herself.
The Asteroid Senshi later awoke when Sailor Moon summoned their power to the Galaxy Cauldron. They made it to the Cauldron just in time to see Eternal Sailor Moon fade away in a glittery cloud of feathers and thought they had failed to protect their Queen and princess.
Then Sailor Cosmos appeared, reassured them of the survival of all the Sailor Senshi that were absorbed into the cauldron, explaining to them the power and bravery of Sailor Moon sacraficing herself to the cauldron. Through her sacrafice, all would be reborn, and all the senshi and planets restored to their rightful galaxies. With that, Cosmos sent the Asteroid senshi back to the future.
© 1997 Sailor Lethe