Prologue
Thousands of years ago, our moon was home to two great civilizations. The first was the kingdom of the silver millennium or simply, the moon kingdom. The second was the kingdom of the sapphire millennium or the kingdom of the blue moon. These two great civilizations flourished side by side as allies. It also helped that Queen Serenity of the moon kingdom was close friends with Queen Aniu of the blue moon kingdom. Their daughters, princesses Serena and Nora, were also fast friends despite Nora being 10 years older than Serena.
The palaces stood side by side in the center of the kingdoms each a beautiful and splendid work of art with ornate columns, polished, crystal stone floors, and gorgeous, manicured grounds and gardens. There were extravagant parties with dancing and fireworks and, all the citizens felt safe and happy watched over and protected by the sailor scouts, elite warriors each entrusted with the power and care of a different planet.
Princess Serena was even in love with none other than prince Darien of the Earth. Under the queen's watchful eye, their romance was blossoming fast and, it was expected that he would soon propose and the two would eventually wed.
Princess Nora took pride in her royal lineage and trained hard as a scout. She knew that she would be in charge of protecting and leading the blue moon some day. She was not only princess but chief general in charge of the blue moon's armed forces. Queen Aniu trained Nora despite warnings not to by the outer scouts.
"Queen Aniu, if she inherits the infinity sapphire from you, you know what she will become. She's already the only scout with a poisonous bite. " Uranus said with consternation.
"She does not know that she is one of the two dark scouts. It is a tremendous burden and, there is no telling how she might handle it, if she were fully awakened." Neptune said mournfully.
"As you know, I am the other dark scout. If it were to ever become necessary, I could destroy an entire planet. She could destroy the entire universe. My powers should not exist, but they do. I am an emergency fail-safe in the event an enemy is too powerful to be defeated. This fact haunts me every day. How do you think she will feel if she finds out she's an emergency fail-safe in case evil took too great a stronghold in the universe?" said Saturn ruefully.
"I appreciate your concern but, if and when Nora inherits the infinity sapphire is my decision. That being said, rest assured, I will not turn it over to her without being absolutely certain that she is completely ready and that she understands fully the ramifications." Queen Aniu spoke firmly but kindly and nodded.
The outer scouts bowed and returned to their posts understanding their queen had heard them out and would wait and see for now.
Unbeknownst to them and the rest of the silver and sapphire millenniums, the real trouble was yet to come. It would arrive on Earth first, slowly corrupting and turning its people against prince Darien. Even his four closest friends would be lost forever to its power. It was known as the negaforce and its servants were led by the sadistic queen Beryl. When there was nothing more he could do on Earth, prince Darien fled to the moon to warn queen Serenity and queen Aniu of the impending danger and offer his help in fending her off.
"Mother, please, let me use the infinity sapphire. I can handle the strain because I'm younger. If you use its power, you will exhaust yourself to death. I'm already in command of our forces so it's not like I won't be fighting anyway. Please, mother, get to safety and let me handle this." Nora argued.
"No." said the queen her blue eyes looking sternly into Nora's equally blue ones. "You may have the endurance but, you haven't the experience and time is up for teaching you. Go take a battalion to the east gate and prepare to back up queen Serenity's forces in the court yard between our palaces quickly!" queen Aniu spoke rapidly as they raced up the stairs to the balcony of a turret her wavy, waist length, blue hair and ornate blue and white dress swishing and billowing around her.
"Yes. mam!" Nora said with a salute dropping the argument and turning to head down stairs to the stockade where the troops would be preparing for battle.
Queen Aniu stepped out onto the balcony.
"My queen, they're here! Sound the alarm! We are under Attack!" a grey wolf with an upturned, blue crescent moon on its forehead that matched that of the royal family of the blue moon yelled in a female voice looking up from the courtyard below as she ran for cover as a blast shook the castle.
Queen Aniu steadied herself and pulled a lever that started the palace's air raid sirens.
"Attention, every one, all forces to battle stations. This is not a drill!" the queen said urgently into the palace's intercom.
"Battalion 7 you're with me. We're going to the central courtyard and we're going to help our friends in silver. I will lead the charge and I will not leave any of you behind no matter what. Have your shields ready and don't let the enemy through!" Nora commanded as she led a battalion into the palace grounds.
"Yes, mam!" they replied as they readied themselves.
A nearby blast shook the ground. Several of the men readjusted their helmets. Nora stood ready in her scout uniform of a blue top, white skirt, ornate, blue, almost combat style boots, and white, wrist length gloves her ankle length, extremely strait, platinum white hair showing the two blue stripes that came with her scout transformation. A white bow with a blue button in the center decorated her chest and a white choker with an upturned, blue crescent moon adorned her neck. Another white bow was tied at the small of her back. Her uniform also included a white collar. Crescent moon earrings and a silver tiara with an upturned, blue crescent moon in the center completed the ensemble.
"Here they come!" she said in a determined tone as a number of queen Beryl's force came into view.
"So, you think you can stop us?" said the leader.
He was a tall man with long, white, strait hair. He held a large broadsword in one hand and a shield in the other and wore a dull grey, long sleeved uniform with a white cape. Nora glared defiantly and opened her mouth in an audible, menacing hiss showing the twin two inch long fangs that also came with her scout transformation.
"Don't let that one bite you. If she does, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. She's venomous." he cautioned his troops.
"So, my reputation precedes me." Nora said slyly.
"Your reputation does not matter." the enemy general said darkly. "Destroy them all!" he called to his forces raising his sword and motioning them forward.
"Hold the line! Defend the palaces!" Nora yelled as she sent an energy blast at the leader.
He deflected it with his sword and rushed her. The two sides clashed all around them swords clanking against shields and armor. Battle cries and yells of pain filled the air. Nora blocked his charge with a nearby shield and countered with the sword of a fallen soldier. The two clashed over and over. Smoke billowed from distant, damaged buildings. Civilians screamed in panic and ran everywhere for cover.
"They've broken through the first line!" the distant yell of a soldier echoed.
The wind picked up as a massive pitch black cloud swirled closer destroying everything in its path. Nora traded blows with the enemy general several more times before a huge blast ripped apart the palaces throwing both of them a decent distance. As she was getting back to her feet, Nora saw the enemy general bow with his fist across his chest as a stern faced woman with long, wavy, dark, red, almost brown hair approached in a dark, purple dress.
"My queen, I was just dispatching the last of the moon's forces." He said arrogantly.
"Excellent, Malachite, now, finish it." she gestured toward Nora.
"Of course, my queen." he replied still bowing
At that moment, Darien and Serena came running across the courtyard having escaped a collapsing part of the Silver Palace. Darien pulled Serena by the hand obviously trying to get her to safety. They stopped realizing their mistake. An evil smile stole across Malachite's face.
In an instant of horrible realization Nora turned to Darien and Serena and yelled "Run!"
Malachite made his move in the blink of an eye. Nora threw herself in the way of his sword just in time to protect her friends as Serena let out a terrified scream. "NORA! NO!"
Nora winced as Malachite drew back with a grin.
"Get out of here you two." she said in a pained voice dropping to her knee and clutching her side as blood stained her uniform where Malachite had run her through.
"We can't leave her!"Serena sobbed as she resisted Darien's pull on her arm.
"I told your mother I would protect you. We have to go." he pulled harder finally getting her to follow.
They fled from view with Serena looking back over her shoulder at her injured friend as she ran.
Malachite advanced menacingly on Nora ready to strike the final blow.
"Enough with her, she's finished." Queen Beryl scoffed.
Malachite turned to face his queen a question on his face but thought better of it and bowed before moving to follow her.
Nora managed a pained grin as she looked up. "You don't know me very well do you?" Nora said almost smugly. "I'll make you sorry, Beryl. That's a promise." She gave a weak laugh.
Distracted by his queen's order, Malachite looked up just in time to see Nora transform into a large, white wolf the mark of the blue moon prominent on her forehead. She sprang forward knocking Malachite to the ground and silencing him with a bite to the neck.
"You're next, Beryl." she growled.
"I don't think so." the evil queen replied sure of herself.
With a powerful blast from the negaforce, queen Beryl laid waste to the entire kingdom of the moon. Nora was thrown a great distance. Her wolf form broken, she got to her feet shakily. The once beautiful palaces lay in ruin all around her and, her scout uniform was scuffed, tattered, and torn. Sailor Saturn emerged from a pile of rubble nearby, her uniform a wreck and tears streaming down her face.
"This is bad. We can't stop her." the dark scout said sorrowfully.
Nora noticed her mother and queen Serenity holding up the silver imperial crystal and the infinity sapphire in a clear preparation for the last option.
Nora turned to Saturn and winced "Do it. We're done for anyway." she said as she staggered and fell to one knee.
Saturn brought down her silence glaive as the people of the moon kingdoms were sent into the distant future on Earth.