I do not own Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon is copyright © 1992 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation. All references and poetry that I did not create belong to their respective owners. All original characters and poetry/song lyrics that belong to me should not be used without my expression permission and notification. Thank You.
Author Note: This was originally an old story I wrote from my wee little middle school days. It sucked. It was corny. And I hated it entirely. But the characters and story in my brain kept bothering me...wouldn't stop tumbling about in my skull. (Plus it surprisingly had a slight tie-in to my other recently completed story No Rock to Cling to.) I couldn't resist...I had to try again. So I opened up the hood, pulled out a bunch of nameless wires, and beat it with a wrench. Let's hope the engine gets me through a few more miles.
Ah, dream too bright to last!
Ah, starry Hope! That didst arise
But to be overcast!
A voice from out of the Future cries,
"On! On!"- but o'er the Past
(Dim gulf!) my spirit hovering lies
Mute, motionless, aghast!
Edgar Allen Poe, "To One in Paradise"
Shattered Crystal – Future Lost
The bitter scent of burning wood and blood wafted through the smoke-filled air. It hovered over the broken city like a dense fog. Unnaturally still bodies, charred rubble, and melted glass filled the streets of what was once Crystal Tokyo. The buildings that before shone with an ethereal light, now rose like broken teeth. Gaping and screaming against a spark-lit sky. On the ground underneath a column lies a little girl with a dead bird in her hand. Her blond hair whips about in the wind, her face half-concealed. The jaw is slack and her eyes are clouded. From the unnatural wound on her back to the almost absent sprawl of her small form...she never saw her killer coming. A mercy perhaps. The running refugees don't even stop to glance any more.
The Royal 1st Battalion, the senshi army that defended Earth and her neighbors, was locked in a desperate struggle. Its enemy, the nightmarish army of the Great Leader, had pushed them back to the breaking point. Both physically and mentally. Faced with twisted mutations of lion-like beasts with batwings, green and blue skinned mages, wispy wraiths that seemed to float on black fog, and rotting corpses that seemed to be the servants of Death himself...who could face such things and remain unmoved?
Certainly not the international alliance of Earth's human ground, air, and naval forces. Tanks and turrets unloaded on monstrous dog-like creatures. Jets screamed through the skies; shooting missiles by the thousands at the furiously fighting daemon spirits towering below them. With hands like tectonic plates, the roaring elementals swatted them down like flies. Colossal serpentine monsters reared their head from the seas, devouring the ships that had been attempting to dock. Troops and weaponry were swept out into the turbulent abyss with yells of panic. All fought with a maniac and craze against the humans and their otherworldly protectors.
The senshi, numbering in the hundreds, leaped and ran with firm intent. Fueled by an all-consuming need to protect what was left of their homeland and Queendom. Lightning arced from outstretched hands, swords swung, staffs waved, a cacophony of voices called upon powerful spells and incantations. Praying it would be enough to save at least one squad of military men. They ran before the machines guns that attempted to cover them, right into the din of chaos.
They were losing. They were dying.
Thousands upon thousands of snarling gnashing teeth and claws waved like wheat in a wind-blown field. It stretched as far as the eye could see. Veteran soldiers watched with wide eyes the bizarre mural being painted before them. It was enough to make even the most hardcore merc among them balk, as if they were still newbies. Still green. Why was this happening? This was supposed to be an era of peace... When had it all gone so wrong?
The rat-tat-tat-tat of guns never ceased, but only due to the rigid control of superiors screaming to hold the line. Hold back the threat. Buy time. Craters, formed from exploding shells and energy attacks, made the body-choked wasteland seem like a series of ugly wounds. A man screamed as he was gutted by a massive claw and then yanked from his seat on a gun mount. A host of tiny chittering rat monsters swarmed over the top of a crude fortification. But a blast of flame sent them flying back in squeals of rage and pain. A torn and bleeding woman with a blazing whip in hand dragged herself up the cement wall. And took her place with finality. Keep fighting. Don't stop.
Slowly, painstakingly, agonizingly, inevitably the enemy gained ground. And their fervor seemed to heighten as they did so. A grim man in a uniform with five stars on his lapel stood. He was handed a radio by a man missing an arm. He listened, hand clamped over his free ear as he ducked into his tent. Then he swore violently. Their Majesties, the beloved rulers of Crystal Tokyo, were now trapped inside of the castle with what remained of the royal court. During the initial attack, panic had set in, and men had left their post. Gates had fallen, and the main walls had been breeched nearly two hours ago.
Word quickly spread, and the loss of moral was visible. The defenders realized they were out of time. Even now the Queen and King might be dead. And their precious treasure lost to the evil that had invaded from the stars. It could all be for nothing...
Men fought on, but their heads drooped. Shoulders sagged. And the armies started dying quicker.
It was then that one Indian woman, known to her brothers and sisters as Sailor Indra, looked upward. Face a mask of concentration, she suddenly jerked upward in surprise as she witnessed twelve beams of light touch down smack dab in the middle of the sea of fighting. She shouted, gathering attention around her as she pointed. Tears of relief began falling down her face. There was nothing at first. Then, a massive wave of roars and howls rose from the thickest knot of fighting. An explosion of light, bright as a super nova, rocked the ground and caused people to stumble. Deformed bodies flew away, raining back down onto their own side like building blocks scattered by a child. All attention shifted to the open space in the press of bodies. In it stood twelve humanoid shapes, calm and undisturbed. They were all of various sizes and builds, all wearing black cloaks emblazoned with a silver moon.
"Thank god! Where the hell have they been?" The general demanded, red faced and shaking in anxiety. He mopped the nervous sweat from his brow as he turned to the baffled men beside him. "Well don't just stand there, ladies. Get your asses to those radios and tell the brass the calvary is here!"
One figure, walking forward, raised a hand. The monsters that surrounded them seemed unsure at first, but quickly rushed. As the gap around them sucked in, it waved the hand downward. Another bright blast of white burning light erupted, and the humans covered their eyes. Monsters were again sent flying in all directions. Those closest to the blast were disintegrated instantly.
"Initiate immediate counter-measures. Lambda-Zeta-Delta formations. Recovery of the palace is top priority. All targets to be eliminated." Came a stern voice, unheard by anyone except the hooded unit that waited patiently behind her.
"Yes ma'am." Was the unanimous reply from eleven other hoods. They sprang apart, falling into sets of twos and threes. Twelve flapping cloaks blurred when, with incredible speed that was almost impossible to follow, they drew weapons and attacked.
Shadows pulled from the ground and dragged flailing daemons into their abyss. Fireworks of energy and heat exploded from every direction. The earth cracked open and bodies tumbled in as it closed on them again, a sickening rumble covering the crackle of bones. Spears, sai, scythes, staves, and swords made short work of limbs and torsos in an ever widening circle. The monster army that had stretch leagues like an endless carpet of death, now found itself turning inward. Trying to halt the destruction that struck it from within. In a turning of the tide, the enemy was now being thrown into confusion as its ranks were dissolved and scattered in record time.
Encouraged by the blood-soaked rescue, the senshi and human armies pressed forward with renewed hope. They had a chance. They could still win this!
The sky was alight with energy spells. Gunfire launched from both sides. Seven fighters from the mysterious squad of senshi who had just arrived, rejoined each other and moved into a complex formation as they fought alongside one another. A whirling of blades and beams of gold and red. Forming a wedge, they ran down an imaginary bee-line straight for the distant palace, knocking monsters and enemy humanoids out of the way. A couple of the seven felt the need to launch a not-so-friendly blast at surprised faces from mere inches away. They hacked straight through a yelling group of dark mages in a stony resolve to move forward. To not be halted. Across the field of battle, the twelve newcomers seemed as though they were unstoppable. Never seeming to tire or slow. They brought courage to the allies behind them, who pushed themselves to attempt the same.
Finally, the seven fore-runners broke through the mass of bodies and reached the tall city walls. Running up them without pausing, they hopped over the top and landed on the ground on the other side. Soft thumps marking their fall. Inside, the fighting was still on-going. Invaders battling with the people of Crystal Tokyo from since the initial breech. The seven didn't pause but continued to rush past their fighting comrades and fleeing citizens. They continued towards the palace. Their ultimate goal and mission.
Outside, the fighting raged on hotly. The military and Royal 1st Battalion senshi using their newly made opening to pour into the enemy's ranks as well. The Great Leader's forces were now cleaved in two, and sections were splintering off into smaller cells of fighting.
Some of the beasts, fearful of an eminent defeat, broke away from their places and began to flee. They were pursued by cheering men and women, who gunned them down unceremoniously. More of the nightmarish army fell, and as the defenders grew bolder and more determined it became a full route. The war was far from over, but as soldiers charged over their own walls and gave chase, it felt as though an end was on the horizon.
Meanwhile the seven senshi who had departed from the battle continued down onto a ghostly silent street, located in the heart of their fallen city. They slowed, guard rising. Going from the roaring crash of noise to sudden near-silence...it was eerie. And didn't bode well. They turned a corner and made their way over top of a building that had fallen. And paused. Charred ragged bodies lay strewn about like the abandoned dolls of a spoiled child. One of the cloaked figures gave a shiver.
"This is...harder somehow." Came a soft voice. The others turned to her but said nothing. Agreeing in silence. They continued on, picking up the pace as the palace rose before them. The wind continued to lament as their boots kicked up puffs of gray dust. Overhead, black clouds continued to move across the burning sky. Night was falling. Soon it would grow even darker.
They ran down sidewalks, past stores and shops whose smashed in windows had been unbroken but days before. The seven weaved in and out of the falling beams and debris that still gave smoldering hisses. Hot from fires not yet cooled. Minutes later found them before the ornate palace gates where they stopped. Listening... The gates had been rammed in, and now hung poorly on their hinges. There was a a slight scrape of something moving closer, and they turned. A moment passed. Then two large turtle-like creatures came into view. Between them they dragged a screaming woman who had tried to hide under a parked car. They jabbered noisily to each other, noticing their new potential meals a tad late.
The cloaked senshi glanced at one another deliberating silently. They should move on. This was not their fight. But the biggest one stepped back and gave a shrug. "Sorry. I'll take care of this. You go on ahead and I'll be there shortly." Came a masculine sigh.
A smaller hood gave a slight shake, and a woman's voice sneered. "Always a bleeding heart, Oberon. Fine." The six darted onwards without a second glance, and the remaining man pushed back his hood. With a twist of his wrists he freed his sai from their sheaths on his hip. The man was black skinned and well into adulthood from first glance. With the cloak pushed back from one shoulder,the sweep of sculpted muscles could be seen defining his chest and forearms. "That's a pretty lady you've got there. Don't suppose you could just let her go and head back where you came from?" The sai spun in his hands like quicksilver, sparking with small electrical flashes.
After waiting a second or two Oberon cocked his head. A broad smile stretched on his face as his silver braids swayed. The beads clinked softly. "No? Well that's not good. Guess I'll have to try a different sort of diplomacy!" The woman paused in her wailing, looking between him and her captors as he stood confidently. Wasn't he a...?
She blinked and suddenly the black man wasn't there. She looked around wildly and felt the big armored body to her right jerk. It staggered and she felt her arm nearly yanked from its socket as the turtle crashed to its knees. Its roar reverberated along the pavement, sending a long cracking line through the street. The captive woman gave a shriek and looked up to see Oberon balancing on the spikes of its neck armor. His sai plunged into its eyes.
"I don't like to see a pretty lady get manhandled. Mind unhanding her?" He pointed a gloved pair of fingers to the sky. A bolt of lightning crackled down from the dark clouds like a lance, racing down his arm and through the metal sai. The turtle howled in agony as it jerked and twitched, electrocuting on the spit. Its three clawed hand opened and the woman scooted away to the side as it fell over in a prone vibrating heap. She looked back up again fearfully. Oberon was gone again. She glanced around and saw he was now back before her and the final turtle. Standing as if he had never moved.
"Hmm! Now, what did I just say about manhandling?" The second turtle croaked and looked down at its own hand. It was still holding the woman's tightly. Oberon's ebony face never stopped smiling, but he began walking forward. The monster backed up in a very human step of fear...
...Meanwhile...
The six moved through the courtyard and under the smoking towers of the once grand castle. A slight figure lifted its head and revealed pale blue eyes and an angular face. He splayed his fingers as he walked, the shadows of the towers and archways wavered and twisted as he passed. Shadow, a quiet and serene individual who was almost never seen without his hood up, listened to invisible voices. Then he turned to look at the female keeping pace with him. "Commander Dimensia, based on the lack of bodies from our side lying on the ground and the evident signs of a struggle, the first wave seems to have had been only able to make it as far as the gate of the castle. It was turned away. The shades confirm this. Due to absolute lack of enemy bodies here at this point, I would gather that they retrieved their fallen and retreated to a nearby location. It would be safe to determine that they had some sort of base or rally point where they took the dead and injured."
His voice was like a cool silk rubbing along the ears of his listeners: quiet but sure. "However...I do not sense the darkness of their steps outside of these walls. They retreated at first...but then amounted a second attack and obviously broke through. The fighting continues still, but it is small...too small for what once passed this doorway." He ran fingertips along the frame of the open castle doors. Splinters from something big and sharp had bit into the stonework. As if a giant had shouldered its way bodily through. There were clumps of fur and and spatters of old blood caught in the frame.
The commander wore a grim tight expression at the news. Sighing she brushed a stray lock of brown hair from her eyes. "Then let's investigate the situation at ground zero. Target priorities have not changed. If the...the King and Queen are lost, then their bodies must be recovered. Stay tight and keep alert." There was only a slight tremor in that controlled tone of hers. But the nods of her subordinates were all she needed. Dimensia strode forward and led the way. Her sword out and ready. Mental calculations ran in a frenzied buzz in her mind as she prepared for the worst. It was likely to be a mess.
As they jogged across the expansive walkway and lawn, up marble steps that seemed to last forever, and into the reception hall, the quiet void that had surrounded them now imploded. Their world seemed to burst into life with the sharp reports of machine guns, battle cries, daemon growls, and cries of triumph. There were only 20 guards left standing in the room, and no court in sight.
Dimensia made a quick decision. Rather than charge on and leave these men to their fate, her squad would get rid of the threat and bring them on with her as added backup. In preparation for whatever lay beyond. But there was little time. With a sharp cry that grabbed everyone's attention, she brandished her sword in the air. She felt rather than saw her squad take up stances in a line behind her. The runes that covered her long sword blazed orange, and raising a fist in the air in signal she leaped into the fray. The other cloaked senshi followed suit a pace behind. A skirmish erupted but the battle was over before it had even begun. The monsters and humanoids soon lay in heaps across the mosaic floor.
Wiping her sword quickly on a dog man's back, Commander Dimensia looked around with purpose. "Who's in charge here?" She called, grabbing the celebrating soldier's focus as her team moved back into a defensive position behind her. "Does anyone here know where the royal court are? Where is her Majesty?"
An older man with an white scar across his eye stepped forward and answered. "The 16th contingent evacuated them to the throne room in order to better defend them. There was a lot of ruckus back there, but we've been pinned down here unable to assist." He turned his head and spat in frustration, his automatic slung on his shoulder and a halberd now in his hands.
Dimensia swore quietly and then gestured with a hand as she ordered, "The walls are clear now and the rest of the Knights are on their way. They're cleaning up the war outside. Those of you able to still fight and move will now come with us to help secure their Majesties." After his salute Dimensia was racing down the hall again, taking a corridor and moving in the direction of the throne room. As the six Knights passed by scattered enemy soldiers lurking in the hall, they quickly disposed of them with sure blows and small energy blasts. Behind them, breathing heavily but still doggedly trying to keep up, their newly acquired guardsmen followed. Running full tilt down the twisting hallways, Dimensia narrowly avoided whacking her shoulder guard off as she skidded to a halt. She paused, then took a side door. The main doors would no doubt be blocked or watched by the enemy.
Darting faster, adrenaline running like a blaze through them all, they hurried across an ornate seating room. One of the other Knights moved up to kick open a secret panel hidden in the wall. That Knight quickly went into a forward roll and swept into the throne room. Taking point.
They were here at last. And a violent melee was before them.
A dwindling ring of soldiers and guards were trying to hold off what looked like a sea of snapping jaws, slashing claws, and contorting bodies. Inside the ring of men, the royal court was hunkered down inside of a shrinking shield of energy that Lady Pluto and Lady Saturn had erected. There were two forms lying still on the floor, and three more nearly collapsed on the stairs from the terrible wounds they bore. The Queen and her King were standing back to back, with their daughter in-between them. Acting as a last line of protection for their child. Queen Serenity and King Endymion were clasping hands and appeared to be sharing an energy between them. This energy was being concentrated through her shining crystal staff. Bolts of pure white light, like an incredible holy laser, sliced and pierced the chests of the monsters that drew too close to their small group. Yet it did little good, for as one dropped another readily took its place. Mindless in their goal.
This rapid observation was made by Dimensia as she stood in the doorway above her crouched Knight. She snarled in anger. Giving the signal, her team of rescuers moved as one to engage. Leaping high into the air over top them all, Shadow performed a midair back flip that placed him directly within a knot of monsters. He seemed to dive into and through the floor. Sinking into the moving shadow of one of the bigger monsters and disappearing completely. Lacking much of the grace of Shadow, Dimensia simply charged away and began hacking through bodies. To her surprise her communicator went off, startling her and almost causing her to miss a block with her sword. Yet she remained business-like as she answered into the headset that now discreetly rested in her ear.
"Report."
The voice of Triton came in clearly over the headset, "We have destroyed the enemies in sectors 2, 4, 5,and 9. We are now heading to your location. What are your orders, Commander?" Dimensia lunged in for a swipe at a blue-skinned head.
"Move faster."
"Understood." And with that, the line went silent and the headset folded into itself, disappearing.
It felt like an eternity, with Dimensia and the others unable to close the distance between themselves and their rulers. These daemons were giving a more difficult fight than the shock troops they'd been fighting before. Better trained and more powerful in many respects. No doubt the reason the court has been having a time of it, the Commander reasoned. Though she had to lift an eyebrow at how many dead and injured daemons clogged up the floor space. It was worth a whistle or two. For 'nobles' they hadn't forgotten their roots apparently.
At last there was a breakthrough in the fighting, and the creatures broke to flee. Only to be trapped as a large group of senshi and soldiers advanced, led by the missing six Knights. They were disposed of, and with a sigh of relief, Lady Pluto released her hold on the shield that covered her friends. Young Lady Saturn slumped over immediately in exhaustion. Soon, all was quiet except for the groans and cries from the injured, and men talking in low urgent tones as they began securing the room and treating what they could. Shadow rose up from his huddled position, using tentacles of shadow to squeeze the necks of those fallen daemons not yet dead. His face ever serene.
Dimensia took a deep breath, head lifted to the ceiling for a moment as she let her sword tip droop to the ground. It was over. They were safe. They had not failed. She ran a hand through her long brown ponytail, smoothing it back into her hood. Medics rushed into the room hunting for wounds to bandaged and broken bones to set. The Queen and her King sported numerous cuts and gashes which Lady Mercury, head of the Science and Technology department, deigned to treat herself. Taking up a medic's bag from his hands, she shooed him away with a frown. The lady's only injury appeared to be a darkening ankle she wasn't putting weight on. Dimensia and her Knights moved in and kneeled before the court in greeting, heads bowed in respect. Then they rose and moved off to take up firm guard positions close at hand. Everyone was feeling a little paranoid.
Dimensia moved through the gathering mob in the Throne Room, helping direct the work flow and keep the bodies moving. Clear out the dead, move the injured, secure their Majesties and their court, and keep down the number of people entering the room itself. They were still very vulnerable. An assassin might still emerge or some hidden trap might still spring. Their Majesties were in no condition to fight off another wave. And the knowledge of how close it had been had the Commander grinding her teeth.
Dimensia paced, hand on her hilt, as her eyes continuously flicked about the controlled chaos to take personal inventory. Lady Mars (in charge of Defense and Military) had a broken arm and gash over her eye. Ladies Uranus and Neptune were each being treated for extreme trauma and blood loss, after being gutted by a set of claws the size of a garbage cans. Ladies Pluto and Saturn were virtually unharmed except for scrapes, bruises and cuts. But Dimensia recognized the signs of extreme energy loss, which would cause a host of other problems. Who knew how long they had maintained that protective barrier? The younger girl looked dehydrated for sure. Lady Venus was unconscious from a chunk of pillar that had crashed into her head during an earlier explosion, Dimensia was told by her medic. But she would be fine, and showed no signs of internal bleeding. And finally, Lady Jupiter was having a broken collar bone set and complaining about it mightily. Her arm already in a sling.
It amazed Dimensia privately that, despite their injuries and tattered persons, the court and their Majesties all seemed to somehow retain a sense of grace and royalty about them. As if even though their garments and dresses were ripped, soiled, and drenched with blood and thicker things...nothing could diminish the strength that radiated from each of them. It made a throat-tightening emotion sweep through her. The Dimensia resolved not to show it. She held a great deal of respect for each of them. Their quiet refusal to give into the despair, fatigue, and pain willingly. It wasn't just a noble's spirit. It was a warrior's spirit as well. She was proud to serve these people. And felt guilt well up in her heart with that thought. Dimensia had let them down. She hadn't been here, and they'd nearly lost their lives. Her mistake. Her failure. She was a Knight who had not served her rulers. She passed a hand over her faces, massaging her tired eyes.
Triton, Shadow, and Draco were speaking quietly to one another. Dimensia noticed their expressions were grave. The crystalline trident that Triton always wielded was hovering by itself behind her. Her telekinesis sparing her hands as she gestured while she spoke. She glanced at Dimensia however and gave a small nod. Falling silent. The room was nearly cleared, and the royal court as a whole had been ushered out of the room to defensible apartments for better treatment and healing. As the men with the stretchers passed in a solemn line, Dimensia fell in behind them. Making minute hand gestures over her shoulder to her Knights. Their heads rose and they split up. Departed like wisps of air. Some moving ahead, others falling behind, and still others disappearing from sight entirely.
The Commander looked over and saw Neptune and Uranus laid out weakly on stretchers side by side, their hands clasped tightly. A man was trying to speak urgently to them but Uranus gave him an ugly scowl. He fell silent. A small team of white dressed senshi hustled up beside them, faces still covered in soot and blood. They began casting healing spells on all that they could touch. Dimensia herself felt the edge of something warm and light wash over her. Feeling slightly more refreshed and the aches in her shoulder ease. For the first time since she first received the reports of the war starting, her adrenaline high was seeping away to leave a sense of what this day had cost them.
Too much. Far too much. There would be a great deal to discuss as soon as the hive of activity quieted.
It was days later. Most of the remains of the enemy had been disposed of outside the castle walls. The city was being swept by squads of armed men, and a temporary hospital had been erected outside of the castle to treat the injured as they came in. Many of the actual hospitals had been destroyed or were overflowing with patients. Several clusters of tents and shanties had been erected by those who had lost their homes. It was still madness outside, and aide was being delivered by various international governments as quickly as possible. But the death toll had been...staggering.
The Queen was currently reading a damage report. Her face pale from strain. Her husband sat in stony silence, hand upon her back in comfort. When she looked up, her eyes were hard with worry and anxiety. Yet when she spoke, her voice was still calm and regal. "Their main target was the Time Gate, and it appears they managed to access it."
There was a collective intake of breath, and the counselors and generals began murmuring amongst themselves. A dark mood settling on them all. Sitting beside the Queen's right hand was Lady Mars. Looking the very image of naked unresolved fury. She kept her words in check however, though her fist clenched tight over the report sheets. A hologram was lit in the center of the semi-circle table. Showing a transparent three dimensional relief of Crystal Tokyo and the lands outside of it. Red glowing areas showed damage, as smaller flashing dots showed the current movements of the remaining daemon army and their own troops. Enlarging and seeming to zoom into the castle areas in a transparent bird's-eye view, a room located deep within the inner palace lit up in blinking red. A strange set of doors within glowed in white wire-frame.
Dimensia was attentive along with her fellow Knights. The twelve of them ringed the War Council chamber's walls. Silent and waiting. For the most part they were ignored as their leaders discussed business, free to simply be statuesque cloaks. "The number of enemy soldiers that passed through still remains unclear. Lady Pluto is working with Lady Mercury to determine the extent of the invasion through her domain. But one thing does appear clear: The amount of dark energy that passed through that interwoven framework has twisted and wrenched its threads of power. Ruined that which had held it stable. Now it remains a shattered archway with currents of folded space seeping around it."
Dimensia's eyes narrowed to slits. This was bad. Very bad. Such an immensely powerful relic, corrupted in such a fashion, spelled danger not only to their reality and dimension...but to the countless others as well. She would know. Such knowledge fell partially under her own purview. And she had spoke with Lady Pluto at great lengths in the past. Dimension's head bowed as her sight fell to the floor. Mind frantically trying to calculate what the two Ladies would be needing done and how she would be able to assist.
"Our direct trail after our adversaries has been destroyed. Through their own efforts no doubt, and with the fall of the gate. It would appear that the war on our doorsteps was but a cleverly planned means to distract our gaze. They took what they truly came for." She paused as she let this sink in. "They have traversed the pathways of Lady Pluto's Time Gate, heading toward their destination and goal. A time and place where our current defenses do not exist. Where we are weaker in many respects. This council knows the 'what'. But what must be discussed is how they managed this and what must be done to stop them." There were nods around the table. Then the Queen's stare suddenly pinned Dimensia to the wall. She went rigid.
"Sailor Dimensia, step forward."
She did so, bowing respectfully. Knowing it was time to face the consequences of her previous failures. The cloaked guardian did not have long to wait.
"We have read your written report and statement regarding your whereabouts and the whereabouts of your Knights. However we'd-"
"We'd like you to explain how it is you were all missing from your posts!" Lady Mars cut in, voice a growl of anger. "Explain how it so conveniently happened that not one or two but all twelve of you were engaged and away from the palace. When an intergalactic war had broken loose on our doorsteps! The amount of enemy ships and space stations clogging our atmosphere alone could have acted like a beacon from any part of our star system. Where were you!" She was on her feet with the last, flinging the papers in her hand down in outrage. They sprawled across the table's surface, making the hologram flicker. Dimensia's head bowed in shame.
"My most sincere apologies, Lady Mars. Our failure is unforgivable. As I explained in my report-" The woman strode around the table, jabbing the finger of her good hand at the Knight.
"I don't give a damn about your report! Explain to me, in your own words, how this could have been allowed to happen. You were trusted." A ripple of unease went through the cloaked figures, who all worked not to look at one another. Dimensia's face heated in abject humiliation as the sting of her words hit her to the core. But she was a soldier. And she would not fall apart in front of her men. The council room was stonily silent as the leaders all quietly waited to hear what she would say. The Queen herself wore a frown of disapproval at Mars' public interrogation. But did not correct her. This was her territory. The Knights fell under her personal supervision and leadership. Seconded by Lady Uranus.
Dimensia licked her dry lips before speaking. "We...I had been led away by reports of suspicious activity near the outer rings of Saturn. One of our stations there had lost transmission. I was ambushed and detained."
Mars' voice lost its volume. But it became cool as her eyes narrowed. "And what of Draco and his brother Cygnus?"
Dimensia bowed her head further. "The twin Knights were escorting a transport ship holding a group of ambassadors. The ship was attacked in subspace."
"Is that so. And the others? Please...regale us with your team's doings during this crisis." The sarcasm dripped from her voice. And there was a sharp edge of warning to it as well. Gritting her teeth, Dimensia closed her eyes and continued with the verbal report.
"Shadow, Oberon, and Kan-Aj were in the midst of scouting a newly discovered sector after receiving a distress call. Dione was called away for a medical conference with a group of Mercurian specialists. Leda, Triton, Genbu, and Vulcan received a false message seemingly from me, telling them to investigate a distant planet in the outer systems and were ambushed there. An kidnapping attempt was made on Amunet when she signed off duty. She was sent there via a note addressed from my second, Genbu."
The Knights around the room bristled, not pleased that their leader was being grilled for what each felt was their own failure. But Mars did not relent. She instead attempted to fold her arms, but due to her injury settled for placing a hand on her hip. The edges of her gown whispered across the marble floor.
"So. What you mean to say, is that you were all purposefully distracted in preparation for this attack. And false information was in play."
"Yes my Lady."
"Then it is as we feared. Your majesty, we have a mole. A traitor amongst us. Perhaps even several." She turned to the queen as a deathly stillness took them all. Then the council broke out into angry low muttering. Men and women turning in their chairs as hands gestured. The Queen and King said nothing. Remaining silent. This had serious implications, but with the evidence at hand...Dimensia could not deny it. Someone falsified documents, and had flawlessly worked their way through the command lines of the royal staff. The only question was...how wide spread and how deep did the infection go? What if assassins sat amongst them even now...? Mars turned on her heel and took her seat once more. Locking eyes with her commander from across the table. Dimensia raised her head determinedly before falling onto a knee. The rest around the room did the same, heads bowed in shame.
"The Knights are disgraced in your eyes. Their failure is mine, and such a failure is unforgivable. The royal court's lives were nearly lost, and our people have experienced heavy loss." She looked to the Queen, her normally grim and stoic face transforming into utter sorrow. She squeezed her eyes shut again, unable to bear looking at the golden woman. Throat tight and sorrow threatening to swallow her whole. How could this have happened? How could Dimensia let it happen? This was all her fault.. "Our lives are forfeit. We await your verdict on our guilt...and are prepared for the consequences." Imprisonment was likely. Execution perhaps as well, if the traitors were found amongst the Knights themselves. The people were angry and frightened. Their crystalline world shattered, their safety in tattered ruins. No home...no loved ones...just the wreakage left behind by the war that took them all by surprise. One that still wasn't over...just one that had temporarily receded. Dimensia felt completely humiliated.
Uranus cleared her throat, taking the attention of the room as she spoke. Her tone low and lazy, but one that held a contained intensity.
"Sailor Dimensia. You and the other Knights no doubt realize the gravity of the situation. This matter of an active spy and mole is beyond a mere threat. It works to undue all we have formed with our lines of communication and deployment. An internal investigation is pending, and security methods will need to be altered and strengthened. And of course...is the matter of what to do about our enemy's escape." She trailed off, looking thoughtful and calm. As if she were merely speaking of the weather or perhaps those racing shows she was fond of.
The bandages on Uranus' torso were thick, and her skin pale with what had to be a taxing ache. The squeeze one her chest made her voice more breathy than usual. But she had insisted on being present, and hell itself could not have stopped her. "We cannot allow them to just...head into the past and wreak havoc. Or assassinate this court and kingdom in its early youth. Pluto is currently working with Mercury but...perhaps you have a chance to ease your dishonor while we examine the reason for your guilt." The words were said lightly. Which made them all the worse. Dimensia's face flushed, but she didn't speak. "Your Majesty...?" Uranus turned to her Queen. Handing over the reins.
The Queen rose, and all eyes turned to her. She looked incredibly tired then, her shoulders seemingly weighed down by what she had suspected all along. But as Serenity straightened, her iron seemed to return to her. And she inclined her head gently towards Dimensia. "Despite what has occurred, there is still hope, Dimensia. Let us not forget who our true enemies are...for it was they that has brought this catastrophe upon us. Not our friends. We will determine what truly has occurred here in due time. But for now our focus has to be on what can due to protect our people. Our home." Her words were even and gentle. A soothing balm against the burning tension in the room. Uniformed shoulders visibly relaxed. And some one the military men scowled but eased.
"What would you have of me, my Queen. We are at your disposal. We would do anything to right this wrong. To avenge our people." Dimensia was ready to hunt out the culprits. Make them pay for such a disgrace. No, a betrayal. But the Queen merely shook her head, long shining hair moving with the motion.
"It will not be simple. Rise and follow me." She inclined her head to the council who all rose and bowed as one to her. Taking the dismissal for what it was. They shuffled papers and began heading for the doorway, planning to reconvene elsewhere with Uranus and Mars leading the way.
She moved then, turning and motioning. Toward the back of the room was a door way that opened for her as she approached. She stepped into a low-lit hallway, her humbled guardsmen falling into steps in two lines behind her. They descended deeper into the palace, entering another portal and stepping foot into the heart of the Science department. Or the Research and Development team as they preferred. Here vast machines powered the castle's technological defenses while men and women in lab coats and special eye-wear hurried to and fro as they checked equipment and monitors. Smaller areas within the vast chamber were relegated to certain areas of study, and as they walked, sparks glowed from past bent forms as they worked on complex devices and strange equipment. The Queen and her Knights calmly walked through an Herbology department, where lush plants and flora grew in carefully controlled white boxes. A woman bent down to retrieve a sample, scraping at the soft leaves of one towering specimen.
They came at last, amongst the beeps and whirls and clicking, to a larger bay. Where a staff of scientists and their assistants appeared to have been waiting for them. Pluto and Mercury, both carrying clipboards of notes, looked up from their lab monitors and gave a nod of welcome.
"You're just in time your Majesty. We think we've managed to stabilize the crystal with the gate keys. The energy fluctuation is still all over the place, but we should manage to be snag enough temporary control in order to send a small team." Pluto said, quietly. The Queen nodded and smiled. And Dimensia felt her head lift a bit at that. Obviously the nobles had some plan, some counter-measure that they had informed no one about. This must surely involve the Time Gate...they had to go after their enemies. But...there was no gate here.
"What is our...?"
"Allow me to explain." Serenity broke in, lifting a hand. "Pluto and I have long since discussed the possibilities of the Time Gate's damage or destruction, and have devised a set of solutions should it fail for whatever reason. This was one of the methods." But what was the method? What were those large cylindrical tubes in the back for? They were large enough for a human body...and Dimensia had the feeling there was a good reason for that. Laboratories made her shift uneasily. Bringing up unbidden memories...
Mercury stepped forward, after giving a set of crisp verbal instructions to her teams. She looked breathless and flustered, tucking a few fly-away strands of blue hair behind her ear as she muttered. Her lab coat was wrinkled as if she'd been sleeping in it for days.
"Your Majesty? We need to hurry. The power has been switched over to the stasis units, but we'll only have enough for one short burst for now. If we delay any further-"
"Yes, yes. Forgive me. Everyone? As you all know the Time Gate has been severely damaged by a large contingent of our enemies. Possibly by the Great Leader himself. As such, passing through it to chase after them remains impossible. And Pluto has confirmed that their target destination was a time and place of many years ago. Back before Crystal Tokyo's birth. This can only be an assassination attempt. Should they be successful, then all of this...will have never been. A paradox in time will occur, and the very fabric of our reality will bend under the strain. This cannot be allowed at any cost. The threat must be eliminated. And carefully."
She gestured to the tubes along the back wall, which numbered far smaller than twelve. The crystalline glowing Time Gate keys, for surely they could be nothing else, had been inserted into a pair of slots beneath a targeting monitor. Showing an image of a city she had never seen before. The keys merely waited to be turned. Dimensia was already jumping ahead in logic, and found she didn't like it.
"Your mission is to go into the past after them and wipe them out before they can cause any damage to the time stream. Or our past selves. Their very presence is altering history. This cannot, for obvious reasons, be allowed."
"There exact entry point into the Time Stream is information we were able to pull out of the debris of the Gate's memory banks. But because of the fluctuations your own entry point will have to be some time after that. Using the ripples they have caused as a beacon. An alternate route, as it were, is to use part of the gate's foundation in conjunction with its keys. Mercury has constructed a system to allow a rigid framework...Pluto has overseen the transportation spell...and I have lent it power." She gestured with her scepter, before lowering it and carefully removing the Imperium Silver Crystal, a national treasure, from the end. Many of the scientists eyed it warily.
"The Gate itself cannot be fixed, at least not for a few months. The damage is too extensive. However, some of it is salvageable. The downside is, the nature of the spell limits the number of people that can be sent, and it limits what can be sent. The spell does not have the power to send your bodies and souls through the pathways of time. So the choice was made to instead send the one." Seeing the carefully neutral expressions, hiding immense alarm on the cloaked guards faces, she hastened to finish, "Your bodies will be carefully preserved and monitored here. Your spirits alone will be sent through, and will unconsciously seek out a host body that fits as a proper temporary container. Once you have find suitable host bodies within the target area and have synced with them, your abilities to transform and perform should manifest. It is something that is tied into your very core. And hopefully your new bodies will be able to transform into your likenesses. But this is all experimental. Never before has such an undertaking been attempted, but desperate times call for such measures."
Dimensia blinked as she worked to take it all in. Theoretically it seemed sound. Though there were holes in the plan. It all appeared quite risky. "And how are we to return, your Majesty? If we are meant to do so." She asked the question, wondering if this was to be a suicide run. She had no qualms about throwing her life away for her cause. But it sounded as though she were to be some...some psychic parasite. And that didn't sit well with her. Still if this was the price to be paid for her lapse in duty, she was prepared to take any course of action.
Seeing Dimensia square her shoulders, Serenity shook her head in negative. "I realize that this plan is not desirable, but we are out of options. Your mission is to take out their leader and annihilate the enemy…once that mission is complete, you, Commander Dimensia, will activate a special beacon that is tied to the spell, and which will bring your souls back safely to your bodies here in this time. Should you fall, the link severed, the spell threads should still do much the same. You will awake here in your own bodies. This is not to be a one-way trip and we intend for your return but...please understand this has never been ventured before. The actual retrieval is as experimental as sending you there." Again, that tiredness crept into her voice. And suddenly she appeared to age before their eyes, old memories ghosting across her face. "I would recommend caution in the preservation of your lives there. If only for the sake of your unwitting host. Any questions?"
For a long time, her Knights were too stunned and somewhat hesitant to question their ruler. But finally, Dimensia raised her hand in salute and the rest did the same. They had their mission. They would avenge their people and themselves, regardless of the inherent danger. Decision firmly made, her other feelings were quashed. "How many of us may go?"
The reply came, and it felt as if a heavy stone were dropped, "Five." It was said with finality.
"My Lady, with all due respect, that seems….a small number to carry out the job…" Leda's small childish voice broke through unbidden and Dimensia turned to her with a scowl. But it softened. The child seemed shaken. With a gloved hand, Dimensia ruffled her hooded head fondly, to ease her.
"It is number enough. Our enemies stand no chance. And besides, you will not be going." She turned and her group formed a semi-circle as she addressed them. "I already have a team in mind.
"Excellent! I have faith that you will succeed. Take your best men, and be certain to be wary of upsetting the balance of time anymore than it already has been. Your duty is to protect your court in that era, which may complicate matters I should warn. We were young and…still fighting in those days. I advise a little patience." She seemed to smile fondly at another memory that must have rose. But she shook her head to clear it, and stepped aside as Mercury bustled by. Muttering to herself as she thumped about on her cast. People hustled about, finalizing the preparations.
Dimensia turned to her group, sensing time was running out. It was time to verbalize her decision. "Listen up. The team is as follows: Myself, Shadow, Dione, Triton and Cygnus."
Draco stepped forward to argue, "B-But Commander! Let me go too! I'll be an asset, my brother and I work as a team!"
Dimensia shook her head, frowning. "No. The battle here isn't over. And I need reliable individuals to keep an eye on things and help serve the war-effort. You and your brother are both powerful enough on your own...so I need one of you here. Kan-Aj, Vulcan, and Amunet will split duties with you as well. I will be going on this mission myself. So while I am away, Genbu will act in my stead as my second-in-command." Genbu stepped forward, the large man looking to argue, but Dimensia silenced him with a gesture.
"No arguments. This is my decision. Our force is to be halved by order of the most efficiency possible. Hopefully our mission will be taken care of, and we shall return promptly into this time. Inter-dimensional travel is tricky...and the time path is even more twisted than usual. But if things stabilize in the past, perhaps Pluto herself can aide us. There is of course the matter of our...leak." Her eyes hardened in quiet anger. "I will need trusted eyes here to find them and bring them to justice. Such betrayal will be punished.
Amunet inclined her head in acceptance, though she still seemed worried. "We understand of course Commander. We will not fail you here, and will await your return."
"We'll have no problems destroying these fools. And guarding the royals' past forms in secret should prove easy. There shall be no detection of our presence." Triton spoke in utter confidence. Disdain in her voice. She crossed her arms around her trident, looking ready to be done with things already.
"Do not get cocky. We must not underestimate our enemy. They've already proven wily in their machinations." Dimensia reminded.
"Hmph. I'm not concerned."
Mercury called for them with a shout and they all straightened. Giving a salute to her men and women, they returned it solemnly. Then stepped back a bit out of the way as five of their number walked over towards the tubes.
With her team assembled, Dimensia led the way to where the scientists were quickly plugging in information onto their computer systems as assistants rush to remove their uniform cloaks. Shadow declined. Dimensia looked over her shoulder as a man checked her vitals and begun adhering various small clear sensors over her heart and temples. She witnessed Triton and Draco share a long lingering look as Triton was ushered in a separate direction. She stepped up onto a platform, the glass panel in front of her swinging open on invisible hinges as she was carefully led inside. Once she had turned around, the man closed the glass door, checked that it was secure, and then hopped back down to ground level. The sensors placed along her body itched, the adhesive burning slightly. Within moments, her warriors were placed inside the glass structures, armor, weapons, and shields still kept on their persons surprisingly. With a loud hum, the machines kicked into life, lights flashing, and a blue-tinted gel began seeping up through the small grate at her feet.
She had to fight the hard instinct to pound at her glass walls and free herself, feeling an uncommon panic rise in her. The liquid gel was gradually taking the place of her oxygen supply, and it took every ounce of her control to keep from visibly flinching at the touch. The stuff seeped up over and into her boots, cold and slimy. Dimensia looked to either side of her and saw the same in the tubes next to her. From overhead, a thin snake-like tube spewed forth a gas that made her muscles relax by themselves. Her vision swam, and her breath fogged the glass in front of her as she leaned forward. Drooping. As her vision darkened, she distantly felt the thick gel rise to her hips, keeping her in place standing. In no time, Sailor Dimensia, like her other four comrades, was passed out in dreamless oblivion. The gel rose over five different sets of closed eyes.
Once the procedure was complete, the gel hardened until it began to form what appeared to be a solid translucent blue shell around their forms. Monitors beeped as they kept track of their vital signatures. Mercury and Pluto were standing at their places at the main power core, each with a hand on a key. "Your Majesty? Power-on in 10 seconds." Serenity made her way to the core, were a round depression awaited her crystal. She placed it within, and waited as a computerized voice spoke aloud the count-down. As the counter hit zero, Pluto and and Mercury each turned their key and a the machine errupted into life. With a loud roar and a crackle of electricity, energy surged through the tubes, and was channeled through the Queen's crystal. Pluto concentrated on a chunk of the gate and metal she touched as she held onto the machine, sending her will through the blend of science and mysticism.
Several crackling ropes of power twisted themselves from her hands to tightly wind about the glowing figure of Queen Serenity as she held onto the Imperium Silver Crystal for dear life. The light grew brighter and brighter, civilians covering their faces as the machine rumbled louder and the floor trembled. A final bright flash of light pulsed the room, lighting up every crevice and every corner. And then with the woosh of a vaccuum it was gone. The lights shut off. After a couple of uneasy seconds in the darkness, emergency power was restored and utility lights began clicking on one by one. Serenity looked to find her Knights assisting she and her two court Ladies down to sit on the ground. Not realizing she had nearly fallen with the sudden drain on her power. The five glowing tubes washed those nearby in blue light. The main monitor displaying statistics had a small green circle ringing it now. They had been successful.
A queer sort of silence had descended, as all took in their accomplishment. One which was pierced only by the beeping of monitors that displayed life support status of every glass chamber occupant. But no one, despite the quiet, could hear the murmurings of a worried queen, " It has begun…For good or ill."
And meanwhile, flying at speeds unimaginable through the prismatic burning currents of the time stream, five souls screamed in agony as they hurtled toward their destination. Plummeting to an earth strange and unfamiliar...
To Be Continued