*******************************************************
**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 5: Our Fears Do Make Us Traitors**
*******************************************************
Princess Serenity sat in her room in the Imperial Palace of the
Silver
Moon. In her hand, she held a perfect red rose, the same rose that
Prince
Endymion had mystically produced for her several weeks ago, two days
before
she, her mother, and the remaining Senshi were forced off the planet.
By all
accounts, the rose should have wilted long ago, but still it bloomed, as
if
trapped in the moment of it's perfection.
The Princess had been hesitant to leave Earth, for two reasons.
First
was Thalia. If by chance she had managed to survive, though highly
unlikely,
they would be abandoning her to certain death if found by anyone loyal
to the
Terren Counsel, those who had decreed death to any offworlders. Queen
Serenity had been quick to calm her fears, assuring her that though
Thalia had
been raised on the Moon, she was a native of Earth, and beyond that, its
Senshi. No one of Earth would dare to kill her, the Queen had said,
then
looking properly ashamed when her daughter had reminded her that it
*had* been
Terrens who had killed her. Either way, Prince Endymion had assured the
worried Princess of Thalia's safety, if, by some miracle, she had
survived.
Prince Endymion. Serenity's other reason for wanting to stay. She
had
only known him, REALLY known him for two days, and yet, was convinced
that
this was the man that her heart would always belong to. The fact that
he was
a Prince of Earth, soon to be acting as King because of his father's
severe
depression after the death of his wife, didn't help matters in the
least. She
was forbidden on the planet, and he could not just up and leave,
deserting his
people. To make matters worse, her Senshi had paired off with his
Generals,
creating not one, but five heartbroken couples. Serenity sighed,
spinning the
rose in her fingers. It seemed that nothing had gone right for the past
few
weeks.
A knock came at her door. Luna, in human form, entered the room.
"Your
mother, the Queen, wishes to see you in the throne room at once."
Still lost in thought, the Princess followed the advisor through the
halls. She wondered when she would see Endymion again, *if* she would
see him
again. The way things looked, the latter seemed to be a distinct
possibility.
If she had been paying attention, Princess Serenity would not likely
to
have been caught so off guard. As it was, the deep, familiar voice that
greeted her nearly made her heart stop.
"Hello Princess." Serenity looked up into the deep blue eyes of
Prince
Endymion. She went to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.
Swallowing,
she managed a weak "What are you doing here?"
"My Father has returned to the throne. He has seemingly recovered
from
his depression, and is willing to sit as king again. He allowed me to
come
visit you for a few weeks, after hearing me talk endlessly about you
ever
since you left." Endymion smiled, and Serenity felt herself blush. "My
Generals have come too, to visit your Senshi. Your mother has allowed
us to
stay in the palace, that is, if you will have us."
The crushing hug she gave him was answer enough.
__________
A week passed. Balls were held in honor of the guests. Picnic,
walks,
and joint training sessions occurred. Everything was peaceful. Queen
Serenity enjoyed the happiness of her daughter and her friends, as did
Luna
and Artimis. Only Adonis seemed wary of the guests, but his respect of
the
Queen's decision of hospitality kept him from vocalizing his opinions.
The
Princess and Prince had eyes only for each other. For a time, the
deaths, the
sufferings, the sorrows were all forgotten.
If only the joy could have lasted a little while longer.
__________
Beryl watched yet another image of Princess Serenity and Prince
Endymion
enjoying each other's company. With a scream of rage, she sent a slew
of
black crystals across the cave. They passed harmlessly through the
image and
impaled themselves on the opposite stone wall. Only then did Metallia
allow
the image to fade.
"When?" hissed Beryl, trembling in unrequited fury. "When will I be
able to crush that sniveling brat and take what belongs to me?"
"PAITENCCCE," Metallia soothed. "THINK HOW MUCH MORE FUN IT WOULD
BE
TO
MAKE THEM SSSUFFER."
Beryl smiled dreamily. The effect was quite grotesque. "Suffer . .
."
she murmured absently, twirling a lock of hair around one of her claws.
With
a sudden violent gesture, she ripped the hair from her head. A thin
trail of
dark blood ran down her face, over her lips. She hungrily licked it up.
"I'll take that which is most precious away from them. Watch all they
hold
dear fall into corruption and darkness." She began to laugh.
"AND JUSSST WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO?"
Beryl turned to the demon, a feral gleam in her eyes. "I will turn
her
precious senshi over to our side. Let them destroy her kingdom while I
destroy her."
"THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, IF WE HAD THE POWER. THE SSSENSHI WERE
BORN
TO PROTECT THE PRINCESSSS. TO TURN THEM ON HER ISSS BEYOND EVEN MY
POWER."
Beryl was annoyed. "What, do you have a better idea?"
"ASSS A MATTER OF FACT, I DO."
__________
Prince Endymion furrowed his brow in frustration and disbelief.
"Are
you sure that they plan to attack our kingdom next?"
Kunzite nodded grimly. Ever few days, he had teleported to Earth to
make sure that things were working well, that their presence was not
needed.
Things had been fine.
Until now.
"This so called 'Dark Kingdom' has been wreaking havoc through
countless
kingdoms. It is rumored that their leader, Queen Beryl, is not human, a
demon
of some sort. It is known for a fact that she can twist the minds of
others.
Her army consists of those who once fought against her." Kunzite
swallowed.
To see this normally cool, calm, and utterly unflappable warrior this
shaken
chilled Endymion to the core. "It is said that they are no longer human
as
well."
Endymion shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Have the Terren
Council made any move against her?"
"They were the first to fall. At this rate, Queen Beryl will
conquer
the entire Earth in less then a month."
"A MONTH?!!!! That's impossible!! She can't move an army fast
enough
to travel everywhere that is needed, let alone fight!"
"She possesses great power, my Prince. Enough to teleport her
entire
army anywhere on the planet. And no kingdom has been able to withstand
her
might for more then a few hours."
Endymion paced. "We must return to Earth at once. Try to stop
Beryl,
if we can. If she can conquer Earth this quickly, she must have plans
for the
rest of the planets in the system, including the Moon."
"Yes. I will get Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite, and the four of us
will return to your kingdom and begin assembling your forces."
"Yes that will be . . ." Suddenly, something struck Endymion. "The
*four* of us?"
"Endymion, in the coming battle, we will have our hands full
fighting
the enemy. We will not be able to protect you. You must stay here on
the
moon, for your own safety."
"My safety is not the concern here! I have a duty to my people! I
can't stay here and hide like some pampered coward! I will fight beside
you
to protect my people."
Kunzite smiled sadly. "Your bravery is admirable, but your safety
*is*
important. My first and foremost duty is to protect you. I'm sorry it
had to
come to this." Before Endymion could object, Kunzite waved his hand and
uttered a phrase. There was a flash of light, and Endymion slumped
towards
the ground, unconscious. Kunzite caught him and carried him to a small
bedroom where the Princess Serenity sat waiting.
"Will he be all right?" she asked, her eyes on her love.
"He will sleep for a day. By the time he awakens, we will be long
gone." Kunzite turned to leave. The Princess caught his eye.
"Please be careful. Both for your Prince and the Senshi."
Kunzite smiled at the Princess and kissed her hand. "We will do our
best, your Majesty," he said gravely.
"No one can ask for more," Serenity answered as the General left the
room.
__________
It was with much sorrow that the four Generals left the Moon. The
Senshi begged to fight along side them, but the Generals refused, saying
that
they must protect the Princess if Beryl could not be stopped on Earth,
and
that the Senshi were forbidden on Earth anyway as offworlders. The
Senshi
reluctantly relented, and set themselves to wait for the return of their
loves.
They would wait for a long time.
__________
Kunzite saw Jadeite fall and cursed, narrowly avoiding a sword
thrust.
The battle had gone on for less then a day, and already most of their
defenses
were gone. The other three Generals had been defeated, and only he,
their
leader, remained.
Through the fighting, Kunzite glimpsed a flash of red hair.
"Beryl,"
he
spat, killing three demons with a blast of energy. If he could kill
her, her
army would fall to pieces.
Gathering the last of the power within him, Kunzite teleported
behind
Beryl. She stood on a boulder, watching the battle that lay before her.
She
threw back her head, laughing at the slaughter. The sound shot through
Kunzite, nearly forcing him back a step.
"Die, witch!" he shouted, thrusting his bloodstained sword towards
her.
Moving faster then he could, she whirled around, catching the blade of
his
sword in her hand, inched from her chest. Her smile was that of pure
evil.
"Why General Kunzite, so glad you could join me!" With a twist of
her
wrist, she snapped the blade of his sword as if it was no more then a
twig.
He lashed out with his left fist, but she caught his arm, breaking that
as
well. With her other hand, she grabbed him by the throat, lifting him
off the
ground. Kunzite stared at her with hate-filled eyes.
"Go ahead and kill me," he choked out. "Someone else will rise to
crush
you into the ground where you belong."
Beryl laughed her bone-chilling laugh. "Why General, so quick to
accept
death? There are . . . other possibilities for a man of your . . .
abilities."
"Go to Hell," he hissed. He tried to summon a blast of energy, but
his
power was completely drained.
"Your three friends also refused my offer. I have a feeling that
you
all will soon be . . . more receptive." She tightened her grip.
Kunzite thrashed weakly, but knew it was a losing battle. His last
thought as the darkness overtook him was that of Minako, Sailor Venus,
and how
he wished he could have seen her one last time. Then there was nothing.
__________
"I don't like this," Rei said nervously, twisting her black hair
around
her fingers. "It's been over a week. We should have heard from them by
now."
The other Senshi nodded. They had gathered in the Grand Hall to
meet
with the Queen to discuss possible preparations for war. Princess
Serenity
sat with Prince Endymion to the right of the throne. At first, Endymion
had
been furious at what Kunzite had done, but his anger had gradually been
replaced with concern, and now fear for his friends.
The Queen entered the hall a few minutes later, flanked by Luna,
Artimis, and Adonis. The cats had been spending more and more time in
their
human form with the threat of war, much to their discomfort. The three
surrounded the throne as the Queen sat.
"I have gathered you here today to informally discuss preparations
for
the possible coming war," she said steadily. "Our army has began the
necessary military preparations, but with an enemy that has proven
itself
skilled in the magical foray, the Senshi may be the deciding factor in
the
coming battle."
"Your Majesty," said Endymion, startling everyone, including
himself,
"I
ask your permission to join with your forces to help defend the Moon
Kingdom.
I have had some training in magical combat, and will help to defend the
Princess in the event that the Senshi must focus their attention
elsewhere."
"Our forces are quite sufficient without the aid of some Earth . .
."
Adonis began, but was cut off by a glance from Queen Serenity.
"Your offer is most kind and is gratefully accepted," the Queen
replied.
Adonis muttered something under his breath, but the Queen chose to
ignore him.
"We have not heard any word from Earth in ten days," she continued.
"I
fear that we must assume the worst, that Earth has fallen before the
Dark
Kingdom. We must also assume that Beryl will not stop with just Earth.
My
two Heads of State, Luna and Artimis, will prepare delegations to the
Inner
Planets to warn them of the imminent danger. If we can assemble a
unified
front against the Dark Kingdom, the perhaps . . ."
" . . . you will still all die!" broke in a rasping voice. A red
light
explode in the center of the room, throwing those standing to the floor.
As
the light faded, a monster stepped into view. Over seven feet tall, it
was
covered with brown sinews and bony protrusions. Sharp claws curled
from its
hands, and dripping teeth jutted from a hideously grinning snout. Its
red
eyes glittered with demonic mirth.
The thing laughed, pointing to the Queen. "Beryl sent me to inform
you
that your plans are useless. Earth has already fallen, and your friends
lost.
You will be crushed by the power of Beryl and Metallia."
Queen Serenity took a step back, shock evident on her face.
"Metallia?
But . . . that's impossible!"
"But true!" the thing cackled. "Isn't it funny how things work
out?"
With a scream, it leapt for the Queen, claws extended.
Four henshin wands appeared simultaneously, but Adonis was faster.
Pushing the Queen out of the way, he drew and thrust his sword in one
movement. The creature impaled itself on his blade.
The creature staggered back, falling to its knees. "Good work,
Human,"
it coughed. "But don't worry. All of you will soon join me." It fell
on all
fours, its image flickering and fading, replaced by that of a little
girl
dressed in peasant clothes. Adonis gasped in horror. The little girl
looked
up into the shocked faces before her.
"They killed . . . my mommy," she gasped. Looking down, she saw the
sword sticking through her chest. Her eyes goggled and she looked back
at
Adonis. "Did . . . you do . . . this?" She fell forward onto the
floor, her
ragged breathing stopping a few moments later.
No one spoke for a moment, too horrified at the sight before them.
"It
is true," Makoto breathed. "The creatures in Beryl's army were human
once."
She clenched a fist, but said no more.
Serenity stepped down form her throne, to the child's body. She
gently
removed the sword, and handed it back to the dazed Adonis. She then
picked up
the little girl, cradling her in her arms.
"First," she said, her voice deathly calm, "We will give this child
a
decent burial. Then, Luna and Artimis will depart *immediately* to the
Inner
Planets. You must warn them that Metallia is free." She drew a breath.
"There is someone I must talk to alone."
__________
"You took your time in coming here," Queen Serenity said to Setsuna
the
next day. "Metallia is free somehow. She has already conquered Earth."
"I did not realize things were moving so fast," Setsuna apologized.
"From the Gate, my sense of actual time is somewhat distorted."
"This is completely unexpected," Serenity said, "Although it
explains
where this Beryl gained so much power."
"Beryl is a pawn of Metallia. She hold no real power, except that
which
was allotted to her by Metallia. She is no better then those demons in
her
army."
"Yet she must have had great power to begin with, to prompt Metallia
to
. . ." Serenity trailed off, as a sudden thought struck her. Her eyes
widened in horror. "The prophesy," she whispered. She turned to
Setsuna.
"Show me what Beryl looks like."
"Serenity, don't do this to yourself. It's not your fault."
"Please Setsuna, I must know."
With a sigh, Setsuna raised her staff. An image appeared, that of a
demon with red hair, cutting down a group of helpless villagers with a
blast
of black crystals. Serenity winced at the mad rage in the woman's eyes,
yet
reached towards her, as if to stroke her cheek.
"Oh Thalia," she whispered, "What have I done?" A tear ran down her
cheek.
A sudden pain shot through Serenity. She gasped, stumbling.
Setsuna
caught her before she could fall. "What is it my Queen?" she asked. "I
feel
a pull from the time stream, but I can't quite . . ."
A portal suddenly opened in the middle of the room and a white blur
shot
through. Setsuna raised her staff, but it was only Artimis. The small
cat
collapsed at Serenity's feet, shaking violently. Serenity, now
recovered,
scooped him up, petting hi with a trembling hand. "What is it Artimis?"
she
asked, her voice trembling.
"Mars," the cat murmured, "Attacked by Dark Kingdom . . .
environmental
spells shattered . . ."
Serenity gasped. Without the delicate spells maintained by the
cerulean
crystal core of the planet, making it habitable, all of the residents of
the
planet would be dead in seconds.
"All dead . . ." the cat coughed. "Attack led by . . . General
Jadeite." The cat fainted.
__________
Queen Serenity sat alone in her private chamber. Luna had arrived
in
much the same state as Artimis. Venus, she said, had been attacked, the
environmental spells destroyed, the entire population destroyed.
General Kunzite was behind the attack.
Serenity had used the Silver Crystal to view Mercury and Jupiter.
Both
planets were also dead, the signs of civilization already vanishing.
She had
little doubt who was behind the attacks.
Serenity had had Luna and Artimis break the news to the Senshi.
Soon,
she would check to see how they were doing, but first, she had some
serious
thinking to do.
The Council of Planets was dead. The Queens had died with their
respective planets, and the Queens of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, their
civilizations long dead, had resided on Jupiter. Setsuna was still
alive, of
course, but her knowledge of the timeline had long since kept her from
acting
in the Council in any official capacity.
The Moon would be the deciding battle. At first, she had been
confident
that the mysterious Dark Kingdom would not stand a chance against the
combined
powers of the Senshi, and if necessary, the Silver Crystal.
That was before she knew that Metallia was involved.
Then, their was also the fact that in retrieving Andora's Prophesy
from
the hidden storeroom deep inside the palace, she had discovered that the
passage she had wished to study had been ripped out. That meant that
there
was an enemy within the palace, probably this so-called Cult of Apollo.
This
in itself was not serious, unless they knew that Beryl was Thalia,
information
she had decided to keep to herself. If this knowledge happened to reach
the
Senshi, she knew that their loyalties would be strained in the coming
battle,
something she was determined to keep from happening. That meant finding
the
traitors among her ranks, and fast.
The Darkness was approaching.
She only hoped that the Light was strong enough.
__________
Setsuna walked among the ruins of Pluto. It had been a long time
since
she had set foot on her home planet. The memories of it's destruction
were
still vivid, even after five centuries.
She had sworn to protect the Queen in the coming battle. It was all
she
could do, and may even be too much, but she had assured herself that her
actions would not disrupt the timeline, that they would in fact help
preserve
it.
She had seen too many endings in her long life, and knew that she
would
soon see another.
At least this one would not be her fault. She had done everything
within her power to prevent a complete tragedy.
Love would not die.
That she could promise.
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Once again, I must apologize for the delay in finishing this part.
Going out
of town for the holidays, as the lack of access to my own computer until
I
return to school has restricted my working time. I hope to get the rest
of
the parts of the story out weekly, with two weeks as the absolute most
time
between parts.
I must thank those who have sent me e-mail. It has all been very
encouraging.
Please send me more!!! I hope this part lived up to your expectations!
I hope everyone had a Happy Holidays and got lots of great presents. :-)
Next time: an familiar battle with some surprising twists. See you in a
week!!
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