Well, I finally did it. I blew all the dust off this Prologue of my revised
work, "Within the Depths of the Soul" (Is that a mouthful, or what?) To be
truthful, I'm not sure when the first episode will come; I've lost a lot of
interest in SM after all this time. If there were still new episodes coming
out, I probably would still obsess, but nowadays, my feelings are more like a
fondness for the series...nothing more.
But if I get a lot of feedback from people to continue, then I'll try my best
to finish this series and the *entire* two-part Crystal Mirrors series. I
don't want to be writing something no one reads when I could be, say, sleeping
instead. ^^;;
Anyway, here's the standard spam:
Sailormoon and all subsequent characters, as well as the epic of BSSM, are
properity of Takeuchi Naoko, and I do not, in anyway, claim them as my own.
My own characters, and this rather twisted plotline, however, are mine, and
I'm going to assume everyone will have the decency not to mess with them.
This story is what I would call a split story; half of it is based in the time
of Silver Millennium, while the other half is based in the time of present-day
Tokyo. The two times and occurances relate to each other...hopefully they
will continue to do so in any future episodes. All of my stories from the
past few years are based on the Japanese version of the show. If anyone has
any questions or comments, please mail me at odango@usa.net. Thank you.
And now, on with the show.
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Within the Depths of the Soul, Prologue
by odango (odango@usa.net)
Queen Serenity stood on the balcony of her bed chambers, ignoring
the chilly breeze that was blowing over her exposed skin. In the soft glow
emitted by the kingdom's incandescent spheres, she gazed out over the softly
rippling waters of the Sea of Serenity. The sea had been named after the
first of the Serenities- the first of the great immortal Queens of the
kingdom Silver Millennium. This was a rare moment of peace and quiet for
her; the last half year had kept her thoroughly busy and thoroughly
exhausted.
The air behind her grew very still, despite the nighttime breeze. "What
is it?" she asked, her voice a calm, cool whisper. "Is there trouble?"
She could see the shadowy outline his form made just out of the corner of
her eye. "No," he replied in the soft whisper she'd grown accustomed to. "I'm
here to check on you."
Queen Serenity shut her eyes briefly. "I'm fine," she told him. "You
worry too much." Though her voice was dry and defensive, she allowed a touch
of appreciation tinge her words.
"You're with child," he objected, his voice still a bare whisper. "I
can't help but to worry."
"Does it matter that I'm with child?" she retorted, never turning to face
him. Her eyes flickered back and forth over the lapping waves of the Sea. If
she could only go to the shoreline, could only wade into the deliciously cool
waters of the sea. Queen Serenity sighed heavily. She couldn't, not anymore.
She was now the Queen of Silver Millennium, the eight hundredth Serenity in a
long line of Serenitys who had ruled Silver Millennium. The eight hundredth
Serenity to serve as ruler of the kingdom founded to guard the blue marbled
planet just a short distance away. Earth.
Queen Serenity rested her gaze upon Earth, and felt her heart ache. Her
love was there, buried somewhere among the green trees and wild flowers that
he had loved so dearly. She felt a sob rise to her throat as she thought of
Ceto, her consort and the father of the baby growing inside of her.
"It does no good to cry, my queen," the shadowy figure said quietly.
Queen Serenity started; she had forgotten that he was there. He was too good
at being quiet and still.
"It makes me feel better," she snapped.
"I don't see how it can," he replied in his infernally calm whisper.
"Your husband, my queen, has been dead for almost six months. It is time to
move on."
Queen Serenity whirled abruptly, her gray-blue eyes blazing with
sudden anger. "Six months!" she cried. "Do you know how little time that is?
I've been so busy with affairs of state and running the Star Alliance that
I've had no time, absolutely NO time to mourn for him!" She burst into a
fresh bout of tears.
His normally hard gray eyes softened. "I'm sorry, my queen," he
murmured. "I've seen too much death these past few years; I'm immune to its
normal effects these days. But you remember how I mourned for my wife when
she died. I understand what you're going through."
"Yes," Queen Serenity agreed, turning away from his piercing gaze. His
gaze had always made her uncomfortable, even when they had been children
chasing each other through the palace gardens. "I remember well."
"Go to bed, my queen," he urged. "If not for your sake, for the child's.
It needs a well rested mother."
Queen Serenity kept her eyes upon the Sea as she nodded wearily. "I
will, Drach. I will. Go back home, or to your patrols. I'm fine."
Drach moved slightly, catching her attention. "Yes?" she asked. "What
is it?"
With an unusual hint of feeling in his tone, he murmured, "Take care of
yourself, my queen." The air stilled again, for the briefest of moments, then
the breeze brushed against her skin once more.
Queen Serenity looked once more at the Earth, then looked down at her
swelling belly. "I plan to, Drach," she said softly. "I plan to."
* * *
"MAKO-CHAN!!" The howl echoed through the icy plains of the North Pole.
"NO!!! DON'T DIE!!!!"
The wind whistled hollowly through the blustery snow bluffs of D-point,
impassive to the pain of the cry.
For several long seconds, the powerful gust of air continued its
whistling journey, filling the sudden, empty stillness.
Sailormoon's heart-wrenching sobs first broke its eerie hold on D-point.
As she cried, the three remaining royal guardians stirred, their attention
moved from Jupiter's limp body to their princess. Most of them shut their
eyes briefly before turning to the Princess; seeing Jupiter partially trapped
in crystalline spikes had numbed them beyond their control.
But it was too late to do anything now. Even though Sailormoon's
screams had been shrill enough to wake the dead, the crystalline tomb--one
that Sailorjupiter's own lightning had formed--didn't yield Jupiter to the
senshi. Not in the slightest.
Taking a deep breath, Sailorvenus spoke first. Her voice was gentle
as she coaxed her princess to get moving. "We have to go now."
Sailormoon's reply was short. "No."
"Sailormoon!" Venus objected, slightly shocked. Jupiter's intention
had been to die for the cause; they couldn't let it go to waste.
"I think it'd be better to just give them the ginzuishou," Sailormoon
said, ignoring the disbelief in Venus's tone.
Mars, who had been conferring with Mercury in the background, turned.
"What did you just say?!" The disbelief in her voice was evident as well.
Sailormoon stood, anger written all over her face as she turned to
them. The light in her eyes blazed as she met their shocked gazes. "Yes!
That's right! I should have given them the ginzuishou in the first place!"
Before Venus could fully react, Sailormoon was already streaking past
her, screaming, "Queen Beryl!" Sailormercury and Sailormars just barely
caught her in time, attempting to grab their Princess's attention long enough
so they could calm her.
Mercury was pleading as she caught Sailormoon's arm. "Wait! Sailormoon!"
Mars grabbed ahold of Sailormoon's shoulder and tried to shock Sailormoon
into being sensible. "Stupid--!"
Sailormoon ignored them both, her eyes fastened upon the smoking portal
that lay less than a mile away. The portal that led into the Dark Kingdom--
Beryl's realm. "I'll give you the ginzuishou!" she continued to scream,
struggling against Mars and Mercury's tightening grips.
"Let me go!" she said, turning her frustration upon Mercury. A hurt
look that entered Mercury's eyes, but Sailormoon's grief had a hold on all
of her senses. Mako-chan was dead. She couldn't be brought back. And it
was all because she, Princess Serenity, had valued some--some--some stupid
*gem* over the life of her *friend*.
She said so. "It's because of this that Mako-chan is gone! Let me *end*
this so we can go hom--"
Sailormoon didn't feel Sailormercury tense, or notice how Mercury had
removed one of her restraining hands. She didn't see the look of calculating
determination enter Mercury's eyes, or feel the tightening of Mercury's
other hand upon her arm.
What Sailormoon did feel, however, was the sharp sting of Mercury's slap.
"I'm sorry!" Sailormercury immediately cried, and her eyes clouded with
saddness. "But try to understand. We mustn't let Mako-chan's death be in
vain."
Sailormoon kept her head down, a hand holding her stinging cheek. Her
face, normally cheerful or innocent, was set in an expression of bitterness
and resentment; the resentment cut Mercury to the core. She had cared about
Jupiter, too...but they had to keep on moving.
Mercury's computer chirped demandingly. "They're coming," Mercury said,
tearing her attention from her angry princess and checking the computer's
visual output. Pausing briefly, Mercury took a last look at Usagi-chan's
angry face and came to a decision at the same time Mars and Venus prepared
themselves for battle.
"Let's go!" Mars bit out, expression hardening.
Mercury quickly stopped them. "You three go on ahead up the hill. I'll
stay here."
"But--" Mars protested, her voice low. All of them knew that if Mercury
stayed behind, she would die.
A look of distachment surfaced on Sailormercury's face. She spoke
briefly and logically. "From here, you'll need offensive powers," she said
succinctly. "I'm of no use to you. Save your strength. Go!"
"Ami-chan, you're not..." Sailormoon had lost her look of anger.
Instead, she now was looking at Mercury with concern.
"I'll be all right," Mercury said, her own expression softening. "I
won't die."
"You promise?" Sailormoon asked, looking strangely determined.
"I promise," Sailormercury affirmed before turning her head so she
wouldn't have to watch Sailorvenus and Sailormars drag a reluctant Sailormoon
away.
Moments later, Sailormoon whirled in time to discover that that
Mercury had lied. Against a shell of crystallized ice, limp and lifeless,
lay Mercury, her body battered and burned.
"Ami-chan!" Sailormoon cried out, collapsing to the floor. Sailormars
and Sailorvenus stood behind her, watching impassively. Sailormoon cried out
again. "Ami-chan is... Ami-chan is..." She pounded in the ice in frustration
and fury, and directed her next comment at the two calm girls behind her.
"Ami-chan is DEAD!"
Mars' lips tightened. "You can't cry everytime," she told Sailormoon,
ignoring the icy look she received in reply. "It gets worse from here on."
"But...but..."
Sailorvenus listened from the side, her senses alert but not focused on
any particular thing. Even before she realized she was doing, she was
reacting to the patch of red growing underneath Sailormoon.
"Watch out!" The words left Sailorvenus in a shout as she dove to push
Sailormoon out of harm's way. Sailormoon watched, horrified, as a mass of
green vines exploded from the ground to trap Venus in their grip.
"Minako-chan...." Sailormoon cried out as the vines shot upward even
farther, ignoring Venus's yelling and struggling, as if she were no more than
a mere fly caught in a trap.
For a long moment, the vines stopped their movement, holding Venus at a
height impossible to reach. "Stop it!" Sailormoon screamed. "I'll give you
the ginzuishou! Just let her go!"
"If you do that, I'll never forgive you!" Sailorvenus shouted back as
the vines suddenly retracted and she was pulled screaming into the depths of
newly formed chasm.
Stunned, the remaining two senshi could only listen the mocking words of
the three remaining DD-girls. "Stupid! It doesn't matter! We'll kill you
all, then we'll take the ginzuishou!"
The floor began to crumble under their feet as more screams and energy
blasts rumbled below; Mars had to throw herself at Sailormoon to push her out
of the way.
The chasm suddenly exploded, one last scream from Sailorvenus echoing
through the thundering snow pounding upwards. The snow crystallized
instantly; at the top, still bound in green vines, lay a limp Sailorvenus,
dead.
"Minako-chan...!" Sailormoon called out as she was dragged toward the
smoking vent. Brokenly, she sobbed; Sailormars' response was to tighten her
already firm grasp on Sailormoon's arm and to continue to half stumble, half
run through the snowy drifts.
The pair suddenly stopped. "Sailormoon," Sailormars said distantly,
looking at a point in the far distance.
"What?" Sailormoon asked, sounding afraid to hear the answer.
Sailormars kept her voice soft. "Even though we fought, it's been fun."
"What are you saying?!" Sailormars involuntarily smiled at the panic in
Sailormoon's tone.
She kept her reply simple. "I'm just telling you in case I die." Mars
moved forward, ready to meet whatever destiny lay before her. She wasn't
afraid. If death was what it took, so be it.
A pair of gloved hands grabbed her shoulders. "Don't say that! I'll
handle it from here! I'll get the remaining DD-girls, and Queen Beryl, too!
Just go home, and wait for me there--" The arms gripping Mars' shoulders
went slack as Sailormoon began to cry again.
Sympathy surged through Sailormars. The poor girl hadn't ever seen death
before, had she? But she had to understand. This was all for the completion
of the mission. This was to make the world safe. "I can't," Mars replied,
gently placing her hands on Sailormoon's. "You have to save all of your
strength for the last great battle against Metallia."
Mars removed Sailormoon's hands, and broke into a grin to reassure her
fragile looking princess. "Besides, we don't KNOW I'm going to die," she
laughed, holding her fingers up in a "V" similar to Sailorvenus's trademark.
"Well, wish me luck! I'm off to defeat them!" She ran off, not taking a
second look back.
Defeating the remaining two youma was up to her now. They flew straight
at her, as if they wanted to play ae warped version of Chicken. Mars smiled
grimly. She could play any game as well as they could.
A sparkle of triumph flashed in her eyes. No. She could play this game
*better* than any youma could.
"FIRE..." Mars held her hands out in front of her, ready to unleash her
power at a moment's notice.
The two DD-girls dove straight into the ground.
What the...? "Too fast!" Mars gasped, her hands breaking apart. Then
the tremor came, giving Rei only a second's notice before the floor exploded
underneath her; Rei was plunged into chaos, with rocks opening beneath her
feet, being swallowed by the newly formed mountain, and tumbling for a long
way, only to land flat on her back, surrounded by darkness.
There were two youma at first, but with a few swift kicks, Mars kept them
away from her. Then the unthinkable happened. One dove past her, into the
ground, away from her...toward Sailormoon. Mars could feel it.
One thought crystalized in Mars' mind: the youma was going after Usagi.
That ugly DD-girl was going after *her* princess. The only soul in
the entire universe able to use the maboroshi no ginzuishou. The illusionary
silver crystal, the gem that had the power to restore life to an entire world.
Mars reacted instinctively. She used the power she'd received by being a
Shinto priestess, and located the other youma.
Then she did something she never would have done under normal
circumstances.
She turned her back on the youma still inside the mountain with her.
Mars knew it would spell out her death, but she had to deal with the
threat to her princess. That was all that mattered.
Her fury at the youma and at Beryl for starting this whole mess burst
from her in a bone-chilling scream. "FIRE...SOUL!"
The fireball burst from Mars, tearing a hole in the side of the ice
mountain. The fire incinerated the youma without fanfare; Mars killed the
DD-girl without feeling anything but cold logic. The youma had tried to hurt
*her* princess. It was as simple as that.
Less than a second later, Mars felt every nerve in her body shorting
with pain. She let out a scream of agony. "DAMN YOU!" the youma kept
screaming. "DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU!!" Mars could only scream in response, the
yell a mix of fury and pain. It went on like that for impossibly long
seconds, the pain only strengthening Mars' determination to see the battle
through.
The senshi of fire's screamed out one last yell of pain and fury, and the
mountain exploded around her as the youma tried to suck in all of her fire
energy in one final burst.
Sailormoon started forward, the expression on her face hopeful. She
jerked back in shock when the remaining DD-girl floated upward from the ruins.
Sailormoon's eyes followed her vine-limbs in debelief, a shrill scream of
grief clawing its way up her throat. No. NO!
At the end of the vines, a limp and battered Sailormars hung, lifeless.
"Prepare yourself, Princess," the youma said, smiling smugly. She
loosened her grip on Sailormars, preparing to leave the body on the remains
of the ice mountain.
A white gloved hand shot up, clamping onto one of the vines with an
inhuman strength. The youma jerked to a stop, disbelief spreading over her
face. Only now was she realizing that the senshi she had wasn't quite
dead yet.
Too late.
A tight smile spread over Mars' features. "It's...not over yet," she
hissed, her voice weak but her determination strong. The DD-girl, reading the
look on Sailormars' face, began to scream, but not before Sailormoon had heard
Sailormars.
"Fire...." There was a flash of Rei-chan's old orneriness in the
familiar purple-brown eyes; it was clear to everyone, and it struck fear in
the DD-girl's heart while putting hope in Sailormoon's.
"SOUL!" The fire erupted from the hand clinging to the DD-girl, and it
exploded upwards, incinerating everything in its path as it raced forward
hungrily.
The youma exploded, one last shrill cry echoing behind. Snow and ice
rocks were thrown about madly, but Mars was too exhausted to care by this
point. Even when everything settled down, and she was resting in between
crystalline spikes, about to die, Mars was ready to smile. She'd done it.
She had achieved her goal.
Usagi-chan was safe. She could die in peace.
There was just one last thing she had to tell Sailormoon. Just one last
thing.
"Usagi..." Mars' voice came out weak, but Sailormoon kept hoping. Rei-
chan was strong. She could survive. This was REI-CHAN. She *couldn't* die.
"You were right...it would have been nice to kiss Yuuichiro goodbye
before I died..." Sailormars' eyes slid shut as she whispered the last word,
and the entire snowy landscape suddenly swarmed before Sailormoon's eyes. She
collapsed to her knees, her eyes fixed in horror on the limp body of her
closest friend.
* * *
"It's a girl, your majesty!" Elder Sailormercury cried out over the
baby's cries, tears of joy and relief running down her face. "It's a girl!"
Queen Serenity slumped against her pillows, ghastly pale. Dark marks
under her eyes glared at all those that looked at her, and her normally
youthful expression was drawn and haggard. Her body was drenched with sweat
from long hours of effort. "What does she look like?" she asked, her voice
barely audible. "I want to see my baby."
Elder Sailorvenus tried to hide her worried expression with a radiant
smile. Originally, it had been just Aquine tending to Serenity, but after
forty hours of agony for Serenity and still no sign of the baby, the rest of
the senshi had been summoned to the queen's side. Elder Mercury, who had
been gently cleaning the baby, now handed the newborn princess to Venus so
Venus could hand the child to Serenity.
"She's beautiful, Serenity," Elder Sailorvenus breathed, staring down at
the silvery-haired child. The baby princess was the spitting image of her
mother. "She looks just like you." Elder Venus gently placed the bundle in
Queen Serenity's trembling arms. As the baby was transfered from woman to the
other, Venus snuck a quick look at Serenity. The elder senshi of light and
metal was worried, and for good reason: the queen looked ready to faint.
Princess Serenity the eight hundred and first was absolutely perfect, her
mother's awed expression said. The tiny princess's fuzzy gaze didn't follow
the large, silvery-haired woman that was holding her, nor did she respond to
the cries about her brilliant blue eyes. She kept her fists curled and tucked
against her tiny chest, and yawned.
"She's got Ceto's eyes," Queen Serenity whispered. Gently, she nuzzled
her baby's downy head. "She'll be Perle-Serenity."
Elder Sailorvenus grinned. "I'd have chosen Ilse-Serenity the Second.
We can start a new legacy: the Ilse-Serenitys..." Elder Sailormercury didn't
quite snort in reponse, but it was close.
Elder Sailormars tapped a critical finger on the silvery-white hair of
the child. "Her hair's already long, for a newborn," she remarked. "You
could do it in that odango style for her already, Serenity."
Queen Serenity could only muster a smile. "You always call my buns that,
Ryna. Haven't you tired of using that reference yet?"
A ghost of a smile appeared on the usually solemn senshi of fire's face.
"Not quite yet."
"Ma-ma?" A chubby toddler appeared at the doorway of the healing room.
Wide, sky-blue eyes dominated her small face, and her short blonde hair, paler
than her mother's, was tied back from her face with a big red bow. "I come
in." She wore a golden frock, which showed signs of heavy playing in the
dirt, and a large smile on her face. She had only learned how to talk in the
past month, but she had learned quickly.
Elder Sailorvenus quickly swept up her child into her arms. "Minako-
chan," she said softly, "not quite now, okay, sweetie? Queen Serenity's very
tired. She needs quiet."
"It's okay, Aphrodite," Serenity whispered from her bed. "Let her stay."
There was a brief silence, and the big eyes of Princess Venus blinked.
"Want to see Pri-Prin--Princess." Minako frowned. "No see."
"Did you mean Princess Serenity?" Queen Serenity prompted as Elder Venus
turned, and Serenity held the bundle out a little.
"Cuuute," the younger Sailorvenus called from her mother's arms, one of
her thumbs in her mouth. The five women chuckled, puzzling the young girl.
"Okay, sweetie, it's time to go," Elder Sailorvenus said, heading for the
doorway, but the younger Venus shook her head.
"Ami, Rei, Makot-Makot-Mako here too," she announced proudly after a few
stumbles on Princess Jupiter's name; as if cued, three heads peeked in the
doorway. "They scared," Princess Venus added, a bit challengingly.
"Am not," Princess Mars retorted, bravely marching into the room.
Princess Jupiter followed a few minutes later, an equally bold look on her
face; Princess Mercury, the shyest of the four girls, still hung back, only
peeping into the room for a few minutes before ducking her head back into
the hallway. Chuckling softly, her mother went into the hall to collect her.
"See the Princess," Princess Venus demanded. "She's small."
Three pairs of fascinated eyes peered down into the depths of the bundle
as the three girls clung to their mothers. Princess Mars kept her gaze on the
small bundle the longest, her wide purplish eyes even wider with fascination.
"This is Serenity," Queen Serenity said in the faintest of whispers.
"You Serenity too," accused Princess Venus, taking her thumb out of her
mouth.
Queen Serenity smiled patiently despite her exhaustion. "Yes, I am.
But I'm Ilse-Serenity," she told the young girl. "This is Perle-Serenity."
"I understand," said Princess Mercury clearly, startling all the adults
in the room, save Sailormercury. The Elder Sailormercury looked rather
pleased with her daughter's first words, and Queen Serenity yawned as she
allowed herself a faint smile.
Queen Serenity sank deeper into her pillows, feeling her eyes droop.
"Come on, let's go," Elder Sailormercury directed around the small girl
wrapped around her neck. "The Queen needs her rest."
Elder Sailormercury directed her next remark in Queen Serenity's
direction. "I'll be back in just a moment, your majesty."
Queen Serenity nodded, already drifting off to sleep, and she smiled as
she held her baby closer to her heart.
* * *
"I'll never forgive you for this, Princess," Queen Beryl gasped,
realizing that Metallia's influence had been purged from Endymion. *Her*
Endymion. The Endymion she'd tried to get for over a thousand years, the
Endymion she had always wanted at her side. He was so handsome, so
powerful, so desirable. Princess Serenity, like the little girl she was,
didn't even *appreciate* Endymion for all of his abilities.
But it was always Princess Serenity that won Endymion.
A huge black crystal, the physical form of her millennia-old hate for
the Princess of the Moon, formed in her hands. Beryl lifted the crystal
above her head, her anger crackling in her eyes as she flung it at the child
she had hated for so long. "DIE!!"
Endymion, sensing the danger, hurled a red rose toward the crystal. The
rose flew unerringly, shattering the crystal upon contact, and continued to
hurl toward Queen Beryl, the razor-sharp tip of the rose's stem tearing
through the air to get to the Dark Kingdom queen.
The rose only crashed to a halt after the stem plunged itself rosebud-
deep in Beryl's busom. Beryl fell to her knees, one hand cupping the rose
as she gasped for air.
At the exact same moment, three crystal fragments slammed into Endymion's
back.
Sailormoon sensed it as soon as it happened. "Mamoru-san?!" she cried
out, her hands reaching up for him. No! her mind screamed as Endymion
grimaced and gave a muffle groan. No, no, not just after she'd gotten him
back! She'd survived through torture at his hands, she'd lost everything else
she had. Ignoring the dying Beryl's escape, Sailormoon cradled Endymion in
her lap, tears already welling up in her eyes.
This just couldn't be... "Mamoru-san," she begged. "Talk to me."
"Leave here," he whispered, struggling against the pain. There was so
much love in his eyes, it nearly tore her heart in two. "And... find
yourself...a wonderful boyfriend."
The tears threatened to spill over. "Mamoru-san," she said, struggling
not to cry, "you're number one. You're the best."
If he heard her, she would never know. As soon as the words had fallen
from her lips, Endymion gave one last sigh, and died in her arms.
"Mamo--" she asked, unbelievingly. In midword, the truth hit her. "NO!
MAMORU-SAN!!" Sailormoon's screaming sobs filled the empty cavern. In
desperation, she hugged Endymion's now-limp body close, as if she believed
she could keep some remaining shred of life inside him. Long moments passed
as she cried loudly, weeping not just for Endymion, whom she had loved so much
despite everything, but for her friends as well. Mako-chan... Ami-chan...
Minako-chan...Rei-chan...they were all gone. Just like Mamoru-san.
Stopping her tears took a tremendous effort, but Sailormoon managed it.
This was no time to cry. She had to fight--and defeat--Metallia, no matter
how much she was suffering inside.
No longer crying or sniffling, but smiling sadly as she gently laid her
love out on the floor, Sailormoon lowered her head to give him one last kiss.
She stopped just an inch from his lips, and took a better look at the
peaceful look on Endymion's face. "Forgive me," she apologized. "I can't
kiss you. Rei-chan, Ami-chan, Mako-chan, Minako-chan... They all died
without kissing the boys they loved." Sailormoon straightened up, still
studying the face that she loved so much. "So I cannot allow myself that joy.
And I'm sorry, Mamoru-san, but I can't run away yet. Everyone's tried so hard
for me, now it's my turn to try for them."
She smiled lightly. "Just watch me! I'm going to do it!" And,
summoning all of her willpower, Sailormoon stood and left the cavern. It
held nothing for her now.
* * *
Queen Serenity lounged on her bed, her eyes fastened on the small child
next to her. Princess Serenity, now almost a year old, sat on the quilted
coverlet, fascinated by the brightly painted toys laid out before her. Her
tiny hands explored all the sides and shapes of the various toys; the look of
complete absorption on her infant face made Queen Serenity smile, and even
banished some of the dull ache the queen still felt from the loss of her
husband. There was such an aura of calm and absolute majesty surrounding her
baby, it made Queen Serenity wonder.
Intuition, more than an actual feeling, alerted Queen Serenity to another
person's presence in the room. "Speak," she commanded, but her voice was
gentle for Serenity-chan's sake.
It was Drach. "She's a beautiful babe, Serenity," he complimented.
"Though I always suspected any child of yours would be so."
"Is that a compliment, Drach?" Queen Serenity asked, her tone wry. "I
don't believe you've ever given me a compliment before."
Even without seeing him, she knew his mouth was twitching underneath the
cloth that kept the bottom half of his face covered. Drach always did have
trouble keeping a passive face whenever she teased him. "Ilse, I have urgent
news for you," he said, his tone grim. Queen Serenity tore her gaze away from
her baby to direct her focus upon Drach's dark-swathed figure. Her body
tensed. He never used Ilse, not since they had been children. Using her true
name meant bad news, as it had when Drach had told her about Ceto's death.
"What is it?" she asked, her tone rough. "If it's urgent, tell me
quickly!"
Drach slowly blinked once before beginning his tale; it was his way of
taking a deep breath. "It's Earth," he said succinctly. "There is a evil
force on there."
"There's always been evil lurking on Earth," Queen Serenity replied,
feeling some of her tension drain from her.
"No." Drach's tone caused her to be immediately tense again. "This time
is different."
"How so?" Serenity whispered, her attention solely on the Sillin
commander.
He never wavered, even though she could tell he was shaken. "It has a
name this time, my queen."
"What is it?" she asked faintly, her voice extremely soft. In the
background, Perle gurgled happily as she banged one of her toys against a
pillow.
"Metallia," Drach replied.
* * *
"Die, Sailormoon," Queen Metallia said, speaking through Queen Beryl's
enlarged body. Sailormoon regarded the figure with disgust, but kept walking
forward. She had promised Mamoru-san he'd have something to watch, and she
would never break a promise to him.
The dark power of Queen Metallia had given Beryl the power to grow into a
grotesque, grossly enlarged replica of herself. A replica filled with unheard
amounts of concentrated dark energy. It was this energy that Beryl hurled at
the small girl nearing her as she screamed "DIE!"
"Metallia...." Sailormoon thought dimly as the blast of snow mixed with
dark energy slammed into her. She was thrown to the top of the crystallizing
snow, and her already sore body screamed with protest. Sailormoon's resolved
solidified, and her mind began to ignore the numbing cold that burned her raw
skin. "Metallia... I won't allow you to do this."
A single thought summoned enough power to crack open the top of the
crystal spire. Instinctively, she reverted to her first form, her original
form: Princess Serenity. The war against Metallia and Beryl had begun when
she'd been the Princess of Silver Millennium, and she would end things the way
they had started.
Princess Serenity stood there for a long moment, the Moon Stick already
in her hands as she thought. Everything she knew about the ginzuishou and the
limits of her power coursed through her flow of thoughts. Maboroshi no
ginzuishou. The illusionary silver crystal was powerful, and, if used for the
side of Good, it could easily defeat Evil and Darkness.
But if she used the ginzuishou, it would ask her for everything. Her
energy, her dreams, her hopes, her life. She'd have to give up everything to
defeat Metallia. The ginzuishou would break, and she would die.
In the background, Beryl-Metallia waited, hung back from attacking,
waiting to see if the Princess would surrender or attack.
Princess Serenity's eyes opened after a long moment. "I'll do it," she
thought. "For my mother from long ago, and for my friends. And for this
world here, this beautiful Earth."
Her eyes focused upward, upon the giant representing opposition and
death, and glared at Beryl-Metallia with defiance and strength. "MOON
HEALING--"
Beryl-Metallia snarled and hurled her dark energy at the miniscule
Princess.
"--ESCALATION!!!"
* * *
"What should we do, my queen?" Drach's voice was soft. "Metallia's power
grows stronger."
"I can't step in, not yet," Queen Serenity said desperately, staring at
her reflection in her mirror. She could see the worry in Drach's eyes. The
feeling inside of her mirrored Drach's expression.
"Why not? I know you can't use the ginzuishou yet--it would kill you--
but what about the fact that Ceto's family can use the ki--"
"Hush!" Queen Serenity snapped. "I can use it, yes, but it's only a
courtesy the thing gives me because I was married to him. I wouldn't be able
to wield it the way young Serenity would. And please, don't mention it. You
don't know who could be spying on us. I don't want anyone else besides
myself, the senshi, and you to know about its existence."
There was a long pause. "Serenity--" Drach said heavily. "I'm just
worried about you and young Serenity. If I had more time, I'd--"
"Don't say it," Queen Serenity interrupted. "I know what you're going to
say, Drach, and I don't want to hear it. Not now. If you had wanted to say
this, you should have mentioned it before I met Ceto, before I had little
Serenity, before Metallia entered our lives. It's too late, now."
Drach responded by doing something Queen Serenity never expected. He
pulled off his mask, revealing his entire face to her; Queen Serenity hadn't
seen his entire face since they had been fifteen. She had always thought it
was forbidden for him to unmask himself in the presence of the Silver
Millennium royalty. She knew that it was part of the Sillin vow to remain
masked in front of the Queens of Silver Millennium, as a sign of eternal
loyalty and respect.
"Hear me out," he said steadily. "I never got to say this to you, Ilse,
and we both know that now that Ceto's family heirloom has been brought up,
I'll have to go away to protect it, and I won't be returning until Metallia
is gone."
"Put your mask back on," Queen Serenity said, a little too sharply. A
flush had spread over her cheeks, and she felt her hands trembling. "I won't
let you break the vow you promised to always uphold."
Drach did so, but Queen Serenity thought she could detect a little
sadness. Looking away, she murmured, "Drach, I'm sorry--"
"Don't be, your Majesty," Drach said brusquely, interrupting her.
"You're right. I was about to break my vow, and I thank you for reminding
me of my place."
Was that sarcasm? Anger? She wanted to say she was sorry, truly sorry,
but found that she couldn't get the words out. Instead, she rose from her
chair, and moved away from the vanity to face Drach.
"Shall I leave now, my queen?" he asked, his voice in its usual muted
tones. "I must see to the training of my son."
Queen Serenity nodded. "That's right, I'd forgotten about young
Kendrei," she murmured. "How old is he? Eight?"
Drach gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. "Three years older
than the Princess," he confirmed. "He's old enough to learn the ways of
Sillin." He looked as if he wanted to add something to that but thought
better of it, and he shut his mouth.
Queen Serenity sighed. "You know where the thing from Ceto's family is,
right?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Then others may as well," she said, raising a hand to open the secret
panel in her wall. The small panel swung open smoothly, revealing a cushioned
space containing several personal items. Drach remained quiet as she removed
a small, blue velvet box from the space and used her magic to shut the panel,
which melted into the wall as if the wall had always been whole.
"Take it," Queen Serenity said, handing the box to Drach. "I trust you
and your son to protect it and tell little Serenity-chan about it only if she
has to know."
Drach took the box, bowed deeply, and vanished without a word. Feeling
suddenly drained, Queen Serenity went to lie down. They'd been aware of the
growing might of the evil named Metallia for close to five years, ever since
Drach had reported to her. The Elder Senshi had expressed their concern about
it, but they still hadn't come up with a feasible plan to handle the
situation. Metallia was not a danger unless she found an avatar; Queen
Serenity prayed hard for that to never happen. So far, nothing had happened--
yet. The Senshi were keeping an eye on Metallia, making sure she wasn't
creating any havoc yet, but they were also occupied with the training of their
daughters. Queen Serenity smiled. Princess Serenity was also starting to
learn how to use her powers, and it was absolutely priceless to watch the
expressions on Perle's face as she learned.
"Mama?"
Queen Serenity sat up, suddenly noticing Princess Serenity. "What is it,
sweetheart?"
The tiny Princess, her ankle-length hair fluttering behind her as she
ran, threw herself into Queen Serenity's arms. Tears stained her face, and
she looked extremely agitated. "Everyone made fun of me. They called me
a baby because I got scared when they told a scary story." She began to cry
again. "I want to be brave, like them, but I don't know how."
Queen Serenity soothed her. "Bravery comes from confronting your fears,"
she consoled. "It means being strong when you want to be weak, because you
want to return the love that people gave to you. By being brave, you use the
love others gave you, so it doesn't go to waste." Queen Serenity hugged her
daughter, who was still crying.
"Oh, now," Queen Serenity soothed, holding her daughter's face in her
hands. "Don't you worry, my little sweetheart. You'll be all that, and more,
my little Perle. Our next Serenity. You'll do just fine. The other girls
are just teasing you because they love you and want you to be brave and try
your hardest. You can do that, can't you?"
Princess Serenity snuggled against her mother. "I love *you*, Mama.
Does that make you brave?"
Queen Serenity laughed lightly. "Yes," she said, planting a kiss on the
small forehead, "you're absolutely right. With your love, I can do anything."
Princess Serenity's smile was only outshone by the sudden glow of
light shining from the crescent symbol on her forehead. "Thank you, Mama!"
she cried, giving her mother one last hug before running out of the room, her
light skirts flying everywhere and mingling with the fluttering of her
silvery-white hair.
"Such a happy child," Queen Serenity observed. "I hope, no matter what
she does, she'll always be happy."
* * *
No.
No! She was almost out of strength, and Beryl-Metallia had grown even
stronger in her attack. Princess Serenity's eyes opened wide, and they
dripped tears onto the icy dais underneath her feet. "Everyone--" Images of
Ami-chan, Rei-chan, Mako-chan, Minako-chan flashed before her eyes. They'd
come to her once before, just after they had all died, but would they come
again?
"--please, lend me your strength!"
For a long moment, nothing happened, but Princess Serenity didn't give up
hope. Please, please, she prayed silently as her protective bubble shrank
further. Please, everyone. Come.
A gentle hand lightly rested against the Moon Stick. Then another. And
another. And finally, another. Princess Serenity hunched her shoulders and
pushed more of her energy into ginzuishou as she smiled fiercely. They had
come. They were here now, the five senshi together, just as they should
always be.
"MERCURY POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
As they cried out, joy surged in Princess Serenity's heart. Her friends
were here with her. She could die happy. There was no longer a need to cling
to her life to honor their memories; if she wanted to honor them now, she
would have to give up everything: her dreams, her hopes, her wishes.
And now that they were here with her, Princess Serenity was more than
willing.
She, too, lifted her voice to mingle with theirs; one last shout of
defiance and triumph to mock Beryl-Metallia with. "MOON PRISM POWER!"
The power tore from her, almost ripped her away from her body, but
Princess Serenity only felt peace. With her last ounce of strength, Princess
Serenity watched a globe of energy the color of a rosy dawn shoot forward,
ballooning as it swallowed Beryl-Metallia's energy first, then Beryl-Metallia
herself. Even Beryl-Metallia's last shriek of fury couldn't disturb the calm
that had washed over the last of the Silver Millennium royalty. It was
appropriate, Princess Serenity thought faintly as her vision filled with the
rosy light. A new dawn to greet the world, as it always should be. No more
Beryl or Metallia to interfere with that.
Princess Serenity faded to Sailormoon as she collapsed onto the cold,
unforgiving ice of the dais. She smiled lightly, but her whole heart was
placed into it. "Everyone...thank... you...."
Then Sailormoon gave one last sigh and let go of her life.
But in the last second before she died, in the last second before
Sailormoon died, the ginzuishou came back to life. It heard her secret wish
that the young princess had kept from everyone, even herself. Had even kept
from the ginzuishou, her main link to the past and the spirit of her mother,
Queen Serenity, the last ruling Serenity.
The wish she had kept hidden was one Usagi had always known would be
impossible to have. It had been something she'd always hoped for, and it had
been something she'd always put aside for the good of Tokyo and the rest of
the world.
With her dead, the wish would be gone. Lost. Never achieved, never
reached.
And the ginzuishou, which had not shattered because of the strength of
the lingering wish, knew it.
So the ginzuishou listened.
_"I wake up in the morning. The white lace curtains sway in the breeze.
My clock chirps 7am-- 'If you sleep any longer, you'll be late!' Mama cries
out._
_"I nod off thinking, 'Just let me sleep three more minutes.' I'm late,
just like everyday. Teacher makes me stand out in the hall. I fail another
test._
_"On the way home from school, I eat crepes with my friends. A party
dress decorating a show window catches my eye. Even the little things make me
happy._
_"It's that...that ordinary life I want back...I want back."_
* * *
A dark swathed figure, standing among the ruins of Silver Millennium,
turned in time to see an enormous pink sphere of blinding energy suddenly
exploding into being; by shielding his eyes, he could just barely make out the
origin of the light. The North Pole.
He gasped. That's where SHE was. "Could it be?" he asked himself,
hardly believing his eyes. The dust of the moon rose as he took two steps
forward. "Could she have finally gathered enough strength to beat Metallia
and survive?"
A sharp pain lanced through his chest, and the man stumbled and fell to
his knees. "No," he whispered hoarsely, a sudden spurt of blood trickling
from the corner of his mouth. "No... Perle."
The pink sphere of energy continued to grow as the man clutched at his
chest, gasping for air. "I should have known," he thought to himself as the
pain began to wear down at his resistance. "I should have known she would
have sacrificed herself for this."
The pain hovered above him, ready to feast on him, when it suddenly fled.
He gave a startled gasp. "Could it be?" he asked himself once more, hoping.
Unsteadily, he rose to his feet, watching the pink energy ball grow even
larger and larger--even eclipsing his view of the sun. "Did the ginzuishou--
were you strong enough, love? Did you make it?"
"Kendrei." The man whirled, startled and still clutching at his chest.
A small floating figure, glowing and smiling, bore an exact resemblance to the
queen his father had loved so dearly.
"Kendrei." A miniature Queen Serenity repeated in musical tones,
floating at eye level.
"Q-queen?" The young Sillin commander asked in disbelief.
She smiled. "Yes, in a way. I am the spirit of the Queen of Silver
Millennium, of Queen Serenity. I am glad to see you have survived, Kendrei."
Grief clouded the young man's cool green eyes. "I don't matter, your
Majesty. What has happened to my Perle?"
"She's not dead, Kendrei," the musical voice said. "The ginzuishou is
not without its own heart."
The young man rubbed a hand against the swatch of dark fabric hiding his
nose and mouth. "Heart, Queen?"
"Perle is alive. So are the others. You must be their guardian, you
must keep your eye upon them. When the time is right, you must reveal the
other half of Perle's inheritance to her: we both know that the ginzuishou is
not the only thing that is hers to have." The tiny version of Silver
Millennium's last queen began to dim and fade. "Remember, Kendrei: being
brave is not always dramatic. It's not sacrificing yourself to save someone
you love. Bravery is also about returning the love someone has given you--
even if it causes you pain."
Kendrei gazed at the last wisps of pink light fading from the North Pole.
"I won't fail you this time, Perle," he said, his hand tightening around a
silvery pouch attached to his belt. "Not this time."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
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