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**A Soul Reclaimed**
By Brickgirl
Brickgirl@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/palace/7112
Rated: PG
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and friends do not belong to me.
Adonis, Thalia, and this story do.
**Part 2: But A Shadow**
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The Imperial Forest
The Silver Millennium
Thalia wove silently among the silver trees, eyes flickering
between the shadows, listening for the tiniest sign of movement.
Brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead, she smiled
grimly, knowing that by the time she heard noise, it would most
likely be too late.
At fourteen, Thalia had grown to become a beautiful young
woman. Her slender figure, laughing brown eyes, and curly reddish
hair made her center of attention at the frequent balls and
celebrations held at the Moon Palace, second to only Princess
Serenity herself.
However, now her hair was tied back in a leather thong, her
eyes were pinched with concentration, and her form was encased in
a most unfeminine pair of breeches, boots, and a worn shirt. Now
was not the time for flirtations and flippery. Now, the Senshi
were training. The Senshi were divided into two teams for a
simple game of ‘Capture the Flag’. She and Makoto were defending
the flag, actually a handkerchief borrowed from Princess Serenity.
Ami, Rei, and Minako were supposed to take the flag away from
them.
Actually, Thalia would have preferred to face the other four
Senshi alone. But Luna had insisted, saying that though Thalia
may be the most powerful of the five, that power alone would not
always defeat evil, that teamwork was also essential.
So lost in thought was Thalia that she almost didn’t hear
the sound of leaves rustling above her head. She instinctively
dove out of the way, rolling to her feet. Rei landed in the exact
spot where she had been. Thalia resisted the urge to put out her
henshin stick and transform. Luna and Artimis had taught them to
use the least amount of power necessary to take down an opponent.
That meant remaining in civilian form until one of the other
Senshi showed up, or Rei herself transformed.
Rei threw a kick at her head, Thalia pivoted out of the way,
using her momentum to sweep Rei’s feet from under her. Caught off
balance, Rei fell, but quickly rolled to her feet. The two girls
looked at one another.
“Ready to give up yet?” asked Rei, slightly out of breath.
Thalia smiled. “Not on your life.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Thalia frowned. That wasn’t Rei’s voice . . .
“VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!!!!”
The chain wrapped around Thalia’s waist and arm. yanking her
into the air. Struggling, she looked up to see Minako transformed
standing on a tree branch, grinning.
“Gotcha!” she smirked. “NO one messes with the V!”
“Not quite,” stated Thalia.
Venus frowned. “What?”
Thalia smiled and waved her right hand. “I’ve still got one
arm free.”
Venus blanched.
“Earth Planet Power Make-Up!” Thalia yelled, her henshin
stick appearing in her hand. A cloud of blue-green energy swirled
around her form, dissolving Venus’s chain so suddenly that she
fell off the branch. The energy cloud imploded with a sudden
flash, then faded away, leaving Sailor Earth standing smugly under
the tree. She wore a teal fuku and thigh-high laced boots. Her
fuku was trimmed in pale blue. In the center of the bow on her
chest was a round, pale blue crystal.
Thalia looked up just in time to see Rei complete her
transformation. She allowed herself a small smile. THIS would be
fun.
“CRESCENT BEAM!!! Venus was apparently attempting to remain
on the offensive. Thalia simply leapt out of the way, easily
avoiding the beam. While in mid-air, she clasped a hand to her
chest. There was a flash of light, and the crystal on her bow
reappeared in her hand.
“Crystal Transform!” Thalia whispered. The crystal glowed,
morphing into a long staff in the blink of an eye. She hit the
ground and with a step, used the staff to propel herself back into
the air, landing a devastating kick to Venus’s chest. The blond
girl sailed briefly through the air, only to connect with a tree.
She slumped to the ground, but Thalia knew she would be fine in a
moment.
“FIRE SOUL!!” Thalia mentally swore at herself for
forgetting about Mars. She whispered again, her staff
transforming instantly into a shield just in time to block the
worst of the blast. Slightly singed, and now angry, more at
herself then Rei, she stood, returning her crystal to her bow.
“NOW your going down,” Thalia stated, allowing a cockeyed
grin to mask her features. Raising her arms, she yelled
“CRYSTALLINE ENERGY FURY!!!!” A blast of pale blue energy laced
with crystal shards, flew towards where Mars had been a moment
ago. She landed, crying out “BURNING MANDALA!!”, hoping to nail
Thalia before she got the chance to recover from her failed
attack. But Thalia was no longer there. Mars looked around in
confusion . . .
‘THUD!’ A crystal staff came down hard on Mars’ head. She
collapsed, leaving a triumphant Thalia standing over her.
A whistle came from the right. Thalia tensed, but relaxed
when she saw it was simply Jupiter. The tall girl carried a
dazed-looking Mercury in her arms, who was dumped unceremoniously
next to Mars. “Looks like we win, partner!” she said, grinning.
“Not quite,” stated a female voice from behind them.
The two girls whirled around. Luna stood there in human
form, her yellow jumpsuit gleaming in the shadows as she waved the
handkerchief they were supposed to be guarding. “Missing
something ladies.”
Thalia and Mako looked at each other and sighed. And they
had thought that they would get out of practice early just this
once . . .
__________
“I tell you, your Majesty that girl is unstable!!”
Adonis paced the floor in front of the throne. Queen
Serenity sighed, momentarily resting her head in her palm. She
was weary of hearing this practiced speech. Over the years,
Adonis’s view of her foster-daughter had been . . . less then
positive.
“Thalia is careless and arrogant in terms of both her
studies and her fighting technique. She refuses to work properly
with Luna and Artimis in terms of her training, she is not working
as part of a team with the other girls, and from what I hear, she
nearly killed Princesses Rei and Minako in practice today!”
Adonis stopped pacing and looked beseechingly at the Queen. “I
recommend that a close eye be kept on her, and her movements be
kept within the Palace.”
“I will not imprison my adopted daughter, Adonis,” Serenity
began, her gentle voice containing the slightest bit of ice.
“Princess Rei and Princess Minako are perfectly fine, and just
because Thalia is a bit more . . . headstrong then the other girls
does not mean that she is a danger to anyone.”
“I . . I didn’t say that your Majesty.”
Serenity’s voice was gentle. “But you implied it.”
Adonis bowed. “Please forgive me, my Queen. I had only the
thought of protecting you and the Princess, as is my duty.”
Serenity smiled. “I know.”
“If your Majesty will excuse me, I must attend to the
earlier . . . mishap in the gardens.”
Serenity hid a smile behind her hand. During training
earlier, Princess Makoto as Sailor Jupiter had accidentally
leveled half of the finest rosebushes in the Palace Gardens.
“You’re excused.” Adonis bowed and left, leaving Serenity with
her own fears about her foster daughter.
“Adonis does have a point, Queen Serenity.”
The Queen jumped, startled from her thoughts. “Setsuna?”
A portion of the shadows to her left shifted, revealing the
Guardian of Time. “Perhaps it would be wise to . . . have an eye
kept on your foster daughter, in case the situation should . . .
change.”
Serenity slammed her fist on the arm of her throne, her
beautiful face showing the first signs of anger. “The girl has
done nothing wrong. I cannot condone such actions on a simple
possibility. Unless something happens to make her a foreseeable
threat, such steps are not justifiable.”
Setsuna’s voice was as soft as the breeze that rustled her
hair. “Such evil will often go unnoticed until it is at your
backdoor. There is one possible way of shifting the balance, one
we have discussed before. . .”
“That is not an option,” Serenity stated firmly, her eyes
suddenly cold.
“Your daughter possesses the power within her to . . .”
“I know this already. I will not have my daughter subjected
to such dangers. It is not her place.”
“So you would let her perish instead, if the other senshi
were not strong enough?”
“Are you saying that this will happen?”
Setsuna smiled bitterly. “You know me better then that, my
Queen.”
“At the present moment, I will do nothing but wait. If this
is a mistake, then I will bear the blame later.”
Setsuna’s figure began to fade from the room. “As you wish,
my friend. Perhaps your actions foolish, perhaps not. After all,
the future will come, no matter what we do.
__________
“Makaoto, you must be more careful! There is a reason we
have these training exercises in the woods! The Queen will be
furious about those roses!”
Actually, Luna was lying. Queen Serenity was rarely furious
over anything, and especially not something so petty.
“I already said I was sorry, and I’d help replant them.”
Mako shifted uneasily.
“It’s not the work that is the problem. Continuously having
to replant adds a strain on the spells that allow the life to
exist on the Moon itself.” Luna glared at the girl until she
shriveled slightly. Ami, feeling partly responsible for the
accident earlier, jumped in to rescue her friend.
“Luna, how exactly have the spells that sustain the Lunar
environment lasted for so long? From what you told us about most
magic, they should have burned out centuries ago.”
Luna turned her attention to the other girl, and Makoto let
out a silent sigh of relief.
“It has to do with the core of ceruleacite at the center of
the moon.”
“Ceruleacite . . . isn’t that what my crystal is?” asked
Thalia, suddenly interested.
“Why yes. As you girls know, Earth is the only planet in
this system that naturally supports life. However each of the
other planets has a ceruleacite, or cerulean crystal core.
“Is that a naturally occurring phenomenon?” Ami interjected.
Luna smiled at the inquisitive girl before continuing.
“Actually, we don’t know. Legend has it that these crystal
cores were created thousands of years ago by some being of
incredible power, but we don’t know for sure.”
“But how does the ceruleacite aid in the preservation of the
environmental spells?” asked Ami. The other girls groaned.
“Hush,” Luna told them. “Actually, ceruleacite is quite an
interesting substance in terms of magic. It’s natural property is
to absorb magic, but with the proper spells and wards, it can
anchor, or even amplify magic.”
“Like my crystal does with my powers?” Thalia asked.
“Exactly, although your crystal has been altered by the
Ginzuishou, so it’s nature is not exactly the same.”
Thalia’s eyes widened. “My crystal has the ability to drain
away all of my power?”
Luna laughed. “Not YOUR power, although it will absorb the
power of others, as is did this morning with Lady Rei’s attack.”
Thalia blinked. She hadn’t even realized that that had happened.
“However, normal ceruleacite is a dangerous to work with. If a
spell is rushed, or the wards are not set carefully, it can not
only absorb the magic passing through it, it can kill the
spellcaster.” The girls listened, fascinated.
“But what about those environmental spells?” asked Minako.
“The crystal cores at the center of the planets and the Moon
preserve and fix the spells that allow life to exist, keeping them
from burning out. The spells are incredibly delicate and precise,
to maintain a perfect balance between the spell and it’s crystal
foundation. That is why it is not wise to put a strain on them
Makoto, since the . . . Makoto?” Luna looked around for the girl,
who was conspicuously missing.
“Oh she left about five minutes ago,” Rei stated, the
corners of her mouth twitching.
“When I find that girl . . .” Luna left her actions up to
the imagination as she shifted to cat form and ran off, muttering
furiously.
The other girls looked at each other, and burst out
laughing.
__________
The meeting place was dark, as was the intent of those
gathered there. They wore hooded pale gray cloaks, to preserve
their anonymity, fastened with a golden moon clasp to express
their devotion to their cause. And a sacred cause it was.
To see the moon rule supreme over the ashes of those who
would see it dragged down.
The Cult of Apollo stood in unison as their leader entered,
his black cloak flowing behind him. None knew his true identity,
or even his reason for taking control of what was originally a
small group of radicals. But under his guidance, their numbers
had grown, and their operations had become both more discreet and
more effective. It was with respect and reverence that they
called him master.
“My friends,” the figure began, his voice hinting at a
smile, “We shall soon put in motion a plan to rid the Moon Kingdom
of certain . . . eminent threats.” The crowd murmured, realizing
the deeper meaning of his words.
“But do you think that is wise?” questioned a hesitant voice
from the back. “If the Queen or her advisors were to discover
that . . .”
The Master turned abruptly, cutting off the speaker’s voice.
“Do you dare question ME?” There was no response.
“I alone both know and have the capability of doing what
must be done to preserve the glory of our Kingdom!” the leader
spat. “Serenity and her advisors understand the danger that they
have let waltz in the front door, but lack the courage or will for
the necessary action! If they choose to ignore their duty, then
we must do it for them!”
The group murmured, one member leading them until they
reached a chanting frenzy. The cloaked figure at the front of the
room stood silent, watching his followers. Under his hood, he
smiled.
__________
Deep within the earth, an ancient presence stirred. A being
of pure darkness, lacking both the form and near limitless power
she had once possessed, she had lay dormant underground, waiting
for the time when the balance would shift in her favor, waiting
for . . .
A vessel, another weak willed being to carry out her wishes,
spread her influence, return her to her former glory.
So that once again, Darkness would reign.
The being felt a shift occur in the distance, the threads of
light slowly coming undone . . . no, just unraveling a bit at the
edges.
But it would be enough.
Soon, the time would come, and though those who had
entrapped her were long dead, she would seek her revenge on those
who stood in their place.
Son she would rise again to power. She need only be
patient. She had waited for half a century, she could wait just a
little longer . . .
Soon . . .
Red eyes flashed in the darkness. The demon began to laugh.
And the Earth trembled ever so slightly.
___________
Queen Serenity’s face was grave, mulling over what Artimis
had just told her. “The situation has gotten that serious?” she
asked finally.
“I’m afraid so, your majesty,” Artemis replied. He stood
near the throne in human form, his while uniform blending in with
the shining marble. “The factions attempting to gain control of
Earth’s seat in the Council have actually made an attempt on Queen
Calandria’s life. Though, of course, they claim to have no know
knowledge of the attack.”
“Of course,” Serenity murmured, her eyes distant. Since the
death of Queen Thetis nine years earlier, Earth’s seat in the
Council of Planets had remained vacant. The closest female
relative of Thetis’ that held a throne was Calandria, wife of one
of Thetis’ distant cousins. She should have gained the seat years
ago, but various political groups had managed to stall her rise to
power. Calandria was a friend of Serenity’s, and many important
people of Earth, still bearing a grudge against the death of one
of their most beloved queens, wished a council member who would
use their leverage against the Moon Kingdom for the crime, instead
of one who would try to put the whole incident in the past.
“If only there was a way to strengthen Calandria’s claim to
the seat,” Serenity sighed. “Her relationship to Thetis is so
tenuous.”
Artemis cleared his throat, as though uneasy to express his
thoughts. “Actually, my Queen, I did have an idea as to a
possible solution for that problem . . .”
__________
“. . . and then Luna realized that she had left! You should
have seen the look on her face!” Thalia burst out laughing,
joined by the Princess Serenity. The two sat in the princess’s
room. They looked as though they were from two different worlds,
the princess with her gossamer white gown and ethereal beauty, and
Thalia, still in her training uniform, now stained with dirt and
sweat, looking anything but ethereal. Yet even a blind person
could have seen how close the two girls were.
“It sounds as if you have so much fun, training,” Princess
Serenity said wistfully. “All I do is learn to be a lady so I can
make a good wife, and how to deal with political matters so I can
be a good queen.” She sighed. “It’s not as though I don’t want
to be either, it’s just sometimes . . . I feel as if there is so
much more I could do. You can’t imagine how boring it is to sit
around while you girls tun around and have fun.”
“You call running around in the woods trying to kill each
other fun?”
“Yes.”
Thalia paused. “Well, I guess it is invigorating to beat
the tar out of your best friends,” Serenity chuckled. “But it’s
not as if we just do it for fun. The day may come when your life
is in danger, and you will be glad we worked our butts off when it
comes down to your life.”
“And may that day never come!” joked the Princess.
Thalia’s face was serious, even pained. “You never know
what will happen in life. One day everything is fine, and the
next, the only person who loves you is ripped away . . .” Thalia
swallowed heavily, lost in the memory of a flying arrow and the
puddle of blood that surrounded a delicate figure on the floor.
A hand on her shoulder brought her back into reality. She
looked up into a pair of worried blue eyes. Thalia forced a smile
for the benefit of her friend.
“I’m okay. Really. Thank you.”
Serenity was confused. “For what?”
“Being my friend. Being my sister.”
“Thank you for promising to protect me.”
Thalia smiled, this time less forced. Her eyes were still
serious, though. “My Princess,” she said solemnly, “should the
need ever arise, I will lay down my life for yours.”
The two girls looked at each other, perhaps recalling a long
past day where similar promises had been made.
The moment was interrupted by a somewhat nervous-looking
white cat pushing open the door.
“Um, Lady Thalia?” Artimis said hesitantly. “If you have a
moment, Queen Serenity would like to speak to you.”
__________
“I’m not sure how much of the current political atmosphere
on Earth you are aware of,” Queen Serenity began when the two were
seated alone in one of the smaller rooms of the palace. Serenity
hesitated bringing the girl into the situation, especially knowing
how sensitive Thalia was to her roots. However, being the leader
of the planetary system, she sometimes had to keep the bigger
picture in mind.
Luckily, Thalia didn’t seem at all upset by the mention of
her homeworld. “I know there was some sort of argument over who
was to take my mo-” she paused “. . . Earth’s seat in the Council
of Planets.”
Serenity flinched inwardly, both at the understatement of
the girl’s words and her obvious discomfort at the mention of her
mother. “Yes, there have been several factions moving against
Queen Calandria, the rightful heir to the Council seat.”
“Why?” Thalia asked. Serenity swallowed, trying to skate
around the subject.
“They seem to think that she is too . . . weak-willed to
represent the needs of Earth. Because of the distance of her
relationship to . . .” Serenity hesitated, “your mother, as they
are not blood relatives, these factions have prevented her from
claiming the seat.”
“How does this involve me?” asked Thalia quietly.
“The only way for Calandria to be able to claim the throne
unequivocally is if you were to marry her son.”
Thalia was thunderstruck. She looked at the Queen, unsure
of what to say.
“If a direct link could be established between Calandria and
your mother, there would be no dispute for her right to the
council seat. Not to mention that you are the Senshi of Earth,
even though you have been raised here on the Moon as my foster
daughter.”
Thalia managed to get her voice working again. “Marry?” she
squeaked.
Serenity had to smile at the girl’s reaction. “It isn’t
such a bad thing, my dear. It happens to the best of us.”
“But I’ve never even met him!”
“You aren’t being forced into anything,” Serenity assured
the girl, who was beginning to look slightly green. “If you wish,
you can meet him before you decide. From what I hear, he is a
wonderful young man, and very handsome too.” She winked at
Thalia.
“What is his name?”
“Prince Endymion.”
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So, did that last one throw you for a loop? If not, I guess I’ll
just give up on the story right now! :-) If you think that that
was shocking, you ‘aint seen nothing yet!
Thanks to everyone who wrote me. There weren’t a whole lot of
you, but it made me feel that working my butt off to get this
story done was worth it. Don’t hesitate to e-mail me and tell me
what you think! (Brickgirl@hotmail.com) Remember, the more mail
I get, the more motivated I will be to get installments of the
story out faster ;-p And come visit my webpage too! The address
is at the top of the story.
If you want to read a really good fanfic (besides mine!) I HIGHLY
recommend “Sailor Moon 4200” by Allen Gainsford, which can be
found at “A Sailor Moon Romance.” I can honestly say that it is
the most original and probably my favorite Sailor Moon fanfic.
“Part 3: Something Wicked This Way Comes” should be out in 2-3
weeks. Until then!
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