Chapter 3: The Fall of the Silver Millennium
Being one to never miss a masquerade ball, Jacey put on her new dress and snuck out of her room. She checked to make sure Apollo and Athena were sleeping and then found an old mask from the late princess of Lithena’s closet. Jacey mad her way to the ballroom and turned the corner. There she saw everyone in their best of best gowns. She looked forlornly down at her own dress and realized she could never pull the charade off.
Fighting back tears, she took off back to her little corridor. She gazed down the dark hall of lifeless menacing doors and shuddered. “Why did Serena and I ever want to come down here?” she whispered hugging her arms.
***
Eight year old Serena and Jacey suspiciously snuck around the Moon Kingdom Palace, holding their shoes in their hands, so as not to make any noise. Jacey stepped on a squeaky spot on the hardwood floor and Serena whipped around, smacking Jacey in the face with her long blond pigtails. “Shhhhh! Do you want to get caught?”
“Ouch! That hurt!” Jacey squealed softly. “I did not mean to step on it. I did not know it was there. Besides, we always get caught anyway!” Jacey wiped her tearing eyes and pushed Serena forward. “Let us go!”
They continued silently through the main parts of the palace, staying close to the walls until they got to the Planetary Circle. The Planetary Circle was a large circle in the center of the palace that had 11 hallways leading out of it. One was the access to the rest of the palace, and the others each had the name of a planet written in that planet’s color above the hall. One hallway was boarded up with the maroon word “Lithena” written above it. Jacey and Serena were the only ones who could fit in the gaps between the boards, but the wing was forbidden.
“This is it,” Serena said as they approached the center of the ornate circle. “We have to be super quiet now!”
The small and frightened Jacey shook with fear. They had never gotten even this far before. “I changed my mind! Its creepy down there,” she said as she followed Serena up to the boards.
Serena looked inside. “Whoah! You have to see this!”
Jacey peered in. “Eeep!” she squeaked as she was lifted up by her mother.
“Jacey! How could you deliberately disobey me and Queen Serenity?” Queen Jennifer reprimanded. “And you too, Serena. Your mother will not be pleased.”
“No, no! Please Queen Jennifer! Do not tell my mother. She will get mad at me!” the young Serena babbled, trying not to cry.
“Both of you, go to Jacey’s room. I will deal with you later.”
***
“Mommy,” she whispered, tears running from her eyes. “I cannot do this anymore! I want to go home!” she threw the mask down the hall and turned to face the Earth wing in the Planetary Circle.
Then she saw it. Her parents and brother were being boarded up into the wing. “Why does that man not see them?!” she panicked.
“Jacey, help us!” her mother called out.
“Stop! Stop!” Jacey screamed at the man, and she began running to her mother’s arms. Her fingers touched Queen Jennifer’s and the apparition disappeared. Frantic and shaking, Jacey began to pull at loose strands of her hair.
At the end of the hallway, she saw the mutilated bodies of her parents. “How could you abandon your people? Abandon us?” her mother said with a sad and cryptic look on her face.
“NOOOOOOO!!!!” Jacey screamed at the top of her lungs. She grabbed the sides of her head and began to shake violently, her eyes pouring out tears at an alarming rate. “You are not real! Leave me ALONE!!!!” she continued screaming. Unable to control her body anymore, she ran from the room, away from the awful sight, and into the gardens.
“I need Darien,” she silently sobbed. Just then a dark figure passed overhead. “The Negaverse!” she wanted to scream. But no words came out. Then she noticed something gleaming on the figure. “Darien’s sword!” she cried to herself. “He’s alive!”
Although everything inside her told her to stay where she was, Jacey leaped up and followed Darien’s figure to the palace. She wandered the halls looking for him when she heard voices from the balcony. She hid in the curtains when she realized it was Darien and Serena.
“Oh Darien! You are alive, I am so happy!” Serena wept hugging him.
“Yes,” he answered sullenly. “But it is no matter, Jacey and my parents have died.” Jacey wanted to catapult from her hiding place and scream up to the heavens that she was alive, but her brain wouldn’t let her move a muscle.
“Jacey?” Serena choked. Darien nodded his head.
“Trampled to death in a crowd. But Beryl wants you and the Scouts, she is attacking the Moon next!” Darien shook Serena hard. “She wants me to rule beside her. Serena, if she turns me, I want you to know that my heart will always belong to you.”
Serena removed her Star Locket from around her neck and held it out to Darien. “Take this, so you will always remember me. It will save you from being changed by Beryl’s cruel heart.” Darien took the locket and opened it. It played a beautiful melody. Darien swooped Serena up in his cape and pulled her in for a long kiss.
Seeing everything from her hiding place, Jacey began to cry tears of sorrow and joy. Then she saw it. “LOOK OUT!!!!!” she shrieked as Beryl attacked Darien and Serena.
Nearby in the ballroom, Jacey heard Luna and Artemis. “Everyone to arms! We’re under attack! Call out the Scouts!”
Once the panic ensued, Jacey found herself invisible in the crowd. “Oh no!” she thought. “Griff!” Jacey ran faster than she had ever run in her life. She ran though the palace and out to the stables. “My love! My love!” she called searching all over for the boy. “Where are you Griffin?" Jacey saw Griffin’s sandy blond hair outside the door and she ran to him. “Grif. . .” she choked out before she saw Jedite blast Griffin into the side of the stable. She knew right away that he was dead.
“Insolent boy! You can never defeat the Negaverse!” Jedite cackled.
She ran before he could see her. Jacey took off like a bolt of lightning, shooting around and even under people to get back to her hiding place. “Darien!” she heard Serena scream.
“Serena!” Darien called back to her. Jacey peered out a nearby window just in time to see Serena leap into the air reaching for Darien’s hand. Beryl hit them both with a powerful blast of energy.
“Serena!” Queen Serenity called out. “My darling, Serena.”
“They are both gone,” Jacey thought in horror as she watched the sight unfold. “She will not get away with this.” Jacey began to run again, this time, to the Scouts’ training base.
“Jupiter Thunder. . . Crash!” Sailor Jupiter screamed out, hitting the Great Shadow with a blast of lightning.
“Scouts!” Jacey cried out. She ducked and hid, cheering them on from her safe hiding place.
“Mars Celestial Fire. . . Surround!” Sailor Mars cried. It still did nothing to the looming monster. The Great Shadow laughed and sent a great ball of fire and electricity back at all eight Scouts.
All of them were blown to their doom, save two, Sailor Venus and Sailor Uranus. “Everybody!” Venus cried out, tears of loss and sorrow streaming down her cheeks. “That is it, Negatrash, Venus Love and Beauty. . . Shock!” The hit didn’t faze the monster. It turned the attack against her and she was propelled into the fountain to drown.
Horrified, Jacey closed her eyes and cried.
“Venus!” Sailor Uranus gasped sadly watching her friend die. A yellow aura began to surround her body, “ In the name of Uranus, this is the end of you!” She held up her Space Sword Talisman, “World Shaking!” A large glowing yellow ball went from the sword screeching to the monster.
“Go get it, Uranus!” Jacey sobbed wiping the tears from her eyes. She began to concentrate, trying to lend her power to the attack against the evil monster.
It still was no use. With a great gust of wind from the monster’s mouth, Uranus was blown into a wall. From the place where she lay, bleeding, she could see Jacey. “J. . .” she whispered. “Its all up to you now. Everyone’s counting on you.” She closed her eyes, them destined to never open again.
With the hardly audible words of encouragement from her friend, Jacey stood up and began to walk back to her little hallway with her head held high in memory of her brave friends. She sat down on her bed and Athena and Apollo jumped on her. “Where have you been?” Athena screeched. “You were not supposed to leave the room!”
“I know,” she said in a firm and commanding voice. “I wanted to leave, but then the siege began. I got caught up, and I watched while everything fell apart.”
Apollo growled at her. “Why did you not help? You could have saved everyone!”
“No, I could not have. I would have distracted the Scouts and Darien. Besides, Serenity will need me now, and if I had gone and run off, she would not be able to find me,” she calmly stated as if she knew what the future held.
Then, like Jacey predicted, Queen Serenity came in through the doors. “Jacey, I need you,” she said in tears. “Serena and Darien have both been taken by Beryl, and the Scouts. . .” she broke down.
Jacey got up and walked over to her second mother. “I know the ceremonies were just a big thing for show. And I know you can give me the power to become a Scout right now. Please, Serenity, I may be the last chance you have.” Jacey hugged Serenity and then stood to face her.
Queen Serenity placed her hands to Jacey’s. “Are you ready?” she asked. Jacey nodded and closed her eyes. A great Aquamarine aura surrounded her and Serenity shouted, “Cosmic Moon Power! Give life to a new Scout!” With that, a glowing key disappeared into Jacey’s body. “With this key, you have power almost five times greater than any of the other Scouts did. Just hold up your hand and say Earth Scout Power.” Serenity, overcome with emotion and weakness, turned and walked out the door.
“Do not worry, mothers,” Jacey thought to herself. “I will make you both proud.” She turned to Apollo and Athena, “Well, guys, take care in case I do not come back. Stay here with Luna and Artemis while I am gone, alright?” With tears in their eyes, they nodded and left the room as well. Then Jacey thrust her hand in the air and shouted “Earth Scout Power!”
The key inside of her body began to glow and a blue and green ball of ribbons came from the key into Jacey’s waiting hand. She spun around slowly, then threw the ball up in the air, and let it follow her hand around from her feet to her head. Jacey opened her eyes and the ball disappeared, turning the ribbons that encased her body into her Sailor uniform. She landed with her feet apart and her hands clasped down at her right hip.
Jacey looked at her uniform. It had a brown skirt and collar on a white body suit with transparent cap sleeves, with a green bow in front and a blue button in the center. On the back of her skirt there was a blue bow with long flowing ribbons. Her shoes were flat brown sandals. Around her neck, she wore a green choker with a blue circle and a green cross through the circle on it, the emblem of the Earth. The jewel on her gold tiara was green and she wore her gold hoop earrings with tiny gold balls attached at the bottom. Her red hair remained in its traditional French braid.
“Wow!” she thought out loud. “Do I really look this good?” Then she heard a loud crash and a woman scream. “No time to ponder now!” she said and then she dashed off to save the Moon.
In her new transformed state, she was more aware of what was going on and could sense the evils and danger from far away. As she was running towards the main chamber of the palace, she felt a cold shiver go down her spine that stopped her in her tracks. Sailor Earth closed her eyes and breathed in deep. “Zoicite,” she said. “You will not create the same fate for me as you did for my parents.”
“And your brother,” Zoicite laughed from behind her. “Don’t forget the dashing and heroic Prince Darien.” Zoicite laid a hand on Sailor Earth’s shoulder and her eyes popped open.
“How did you know who I am?” Jacey demanded.
“You’re the only princess left, who else could it be, Jacey!” Zoicite lashed her sword out at Sailor Earth’s arm and caused a cut in it.
“Cheap shot, Zoicite,” she glared. “They were all just cheap shots!” She whipped around and gave Zoicite a swift kick in the jaw. With Zoicite down, Sailor Earth saw her chance to retaliate with a crushing blow. “Molten Lava. . . Flow!” she yelled, holding her hands out. The key inside her began to glow again and a large ball of red-hot lava went through her hands and gushing at Zoicite.
Zoicite jumped away, but not without injury. The lava badly scalded her foot. “You miserable little weasel child!” she yelled coming at Jacey with her sword. She sliced at Jacey, but narrowly missed.
Rolling across the ground to dodge her attacks, Sailor Earth landed on one knee. “How bitter can you be? You got my family, what do you want me for?” Zoicite cackled and came at her again. This time Sailor Earth was ready. “Earth Quake. . . Shake!” The key began to glow again, but this time Sailor Earth put her hands to the floor and sent an invisible blast of energy into the ground.
“Ha!” Zoicite laughed. “That did nothing!” Just then the ground began to shake and the ground opened up under Zoicite and swallowed her, creating a giant mountain-like structure in the center of the room.
“Ha to you!” Sailor Earth sneered at the mound staring down at her. She began to walk out of the room to help Queen Serenity when she heard the sound of rocks rolling on the ground. She slowly turned her head to see what happened when she was struck down by a forceful blast of light. “Ahhh!” she screamed as she was propelled across the room into a wall. “That hurt you piece of trash”
“Who are you calling trash, Simpy Scout?” a familiar voice said in a menacing tone. “How dare you bury the woman I love?”
“How dare you kill my family Malachite!” Sailor Earth responded. “Mountain Avalanche. . . Cover!” she shouted. Her key began to glow and a ball of white came through her hands and was blasted at Malachite. But the blast didn’t even hit him, he absorbed it.
“Your stupid snow cannot hurt the Negaforce!” he laughed and charged her with his sword.
Sailor Earth dodged and kneed him in the stomach. But as she jumped to safety, she felt something cold and metal go into her back. She squeaked and landed on the floor with a thud, Zoicite’s sword in her back.
“So much for your powers you maggot!” she laughed as she joined Malachite’s side.
Sailor Earth looked to the side, Zoicite burrowed a hole up through the ground and had stabbed her. “I may not be able to fight anymore,” Sailor Earth gasped for air. “But you will be haunted by what you have done to me and my family. I curse you, and I swear I will be back to vanquish you both. ALL OF YOU!!” she shouted. She laid her head down on the cool marble floor and watched the two evil generals walk victorious. “Mother,” she whispered. “I am coming home to you now.”
Serenity came rushing in, and saw Jacey as her eyes closed. “No. My sweet darling,” she knelt down next to Jacey’s limp, lifeless body. “I will make everything right again, I promise.” She picked up Jacey’s hand and rubbed it against her own tear-streaked face.
“Serenity!” Athena shouted running to the Queen’s side followed closely by Luna, Apollo, and Artemis. “No,” she choked, seeing her best friend lying there on the floor. “Queen Serenity. . .”
Queen Serenity stood up and tried to regain her composure. She walked out into the gardens where the ground was littered with the bodies of Scouts and civilians alike. “I am sorry I could not protect you now, but you will have a safe future,” She took out her Crescent Moon Wand and placed the Imperium Silver Crystal in it. Then she raised the wand above her head. “Cosmic Moon Power!” she shouted. Then all of the evil forces began to disintegrate.
“What is this?” Beryl shouted as she began to melt away. “No! Queen Serenity, you will never defeat me!” All of the soldiers and Beryl herself disappeared, gone forever.
“You did it my Queen,” Luna said with tears in her eyes. Queen Serenity, totally drained of most of her energy, collapsed onto a broken pillar lying on the ground.
“Serenity!” Athena shouted as all four guardian cats jumped up beside her.
“Do not worry about me, my friends,” she whispered softly to them.
“But you finally defeated Beryl!” Artemis said.
“Not defeated,” she said. “Only trapped. I could not destroy them because it would also destroy my Serena and our people. Now, I must send them to a place where they can live in peace again.”
“But you have no energy left. If you send them away, you will die!” Luna cried.
Serenity sighed. “Better me than my people.” She turned to the cats. “I am sending them to the future, on Earth. One thousand years from now. And I am sending you four with them. If Beryl escapes again, you will find the Scouts and train them to defeat her once and for all.” Serenity raised her hand that contained the Silver Crystal. “Good bye, my daughter.”
The Crystal began to glow and little bubbles surrounded the people of the Moon. Then the Crystal rose up to the sky, thousands of people following. Luna, Artemis, Athena, Apollo, and Serenity looked on as their whole lives vanished into the atmosphere.
“Serenity,” Athena started. But she received no answer. The Crescent Moon Wand that Serenity clutched tightly to her chest fell from her limp hand. The cats were instantly contained in special capsules, and floated off to join the rest of the fallen Moon Kingdom.
The voice of Serenity was then audible to them once again in their little capsules. “Take care of them, my friends. I know you will make me proud.”