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Eternity, by Kristii

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I always wondered what happens to the Senshi when they retire

from service: who takes their place when they resign from duty--or

can they even relinquish their roles at all?

This is my own answer to that question...

A note: CT is a time thing, like AD or BC; 1 CT marks the year of

Crystal Tokyo's founding.

Comments -- aznvballgurl@yahoo.com

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                Today is December 31, 999 CT.

                Tomorrow, the world will change.

                On the first day of the new millennium, Neo-Queen Serenity

will relinquish her throne to her daughter; the First Royal Court will

disband, after one thousand years of service. Tomorrow, in less than

twelve hours, all power will shift to the hands of Serenity III; a

new set of Guardians will replace those who have served since the

beginning, and the former Guards will finally be allowed to live in

peace...

                So says, at least, the Neo-Queen Serenity...

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                "Mars!"

                The Lady Mars leapt up at the voice behind her, startled.

"What the--" Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in her visitor;

at that moment, she was the last person Mars had expected to find in

her quarters. "Pluto? What are you doing here?"

                "There's been a problem." Pluto's eyes were unreadable as she

spoke, betraying no emotion whatsoever. "The Queen requests your

presence in the War Room immediately; the others are already waiting."

                "What happened?"

                "You'll see when you get there." And Pluto swept out of the

room, staff in hand; Mars hurried to catch up with her, knowing better

than to ask any more questions...

                The Royal Court was already gathered in the War Room by the

time Mars and Pluto arrived; the Neo-Queen Serenity was seated above

her Guardians, a worried look in her eyes. King Endymion and Serenity

III, Mars noticed, were nowhere to be seen.

                "Mars is here, Your Majesty." Pluto nodded toward the Queen,

moving to her side and bending down to whisper in her ear.

                Mars took her seat by Venus as the two conferred, shooting an

inquiring glance at her commander. "What's going on?" She asked

softly, keeping her voice low.

                "I don't know," Venus whispered back, her eyes on Serenity.

"No one's been told anything, but something big must be up-I've never

seen Serenity this worried..."

                "I--"

                Serenity spoke then, and Mars hurriedly turned toward her, her

conversation with Venus forgotten. "Senshi," the Queen said softly,

her voice loaded with strain. "I don't know how to tell you this,

but..."

                She broke off, unable to continue, as seven pairs of eyes

looked curiously at her own. "Pluto--"

                The Lady Pluto took over smoothly, gently squeezing the

Queen's hand as she faltered. "You're all slated for retirement

tomorrow," she said evenly, her voice devoid of all emotion. "The

Queen has promised you that you could live eternity out in peace, free

to pursue whatever interests you please, never again owing your lives

to the Palace or to duty."

                "Yes," Venus said softly. "Why?"

                "I--" The Queen spoke again, lowering her eyes from the

Senshi's inquiring gazes. "I--I lied. I'm sorry..."

                There was a moment of incredulous silence; Mars was the first

to speak, her eyes filled with confusion. "What?!"

                "I--" The Queen was on the verge of tears; the Senshi had not

seen her like this since the days before Crystal Tokyo. "Rei," she

said softly, and Mars was surprised by her words. Rei? How long has

it been since anyone has called me Rei? "Rei, Mako, Ami, Mina;

Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru... I'm sorry... I know I promised you that you

could retire tomorrow, but I can't--I can't--I didn't know--"

                "We've had a few surprises," Pluto cut in dryly. "Your

daughters, it seems, have shown signs of aging."

                "WHAT?!"

                "It seems we neglected to consider one thing when we decided

on your retirement, Senshi," Pluto said quietly. "We drew from the

Changing of the Guard rituals of the Silver Millennium, but we forgot

one important factor:

                "Only the children of two immortals will live forever."

                "Oh my God..." Mercury blanched suddenly, the first to realize

the meaning of Pluto's words. "Pluto--oh, my God, you don't mean--"

                "Yes." Pluto's eyes were dark, unreadable. "In those times,

Senshi were retired after one thousand years of service; their

daughters, sired of royal, immortal fathers, would then take their

places. We did not realize this, but... there are no immortal men left

now, save the King. Your daughters may live longer than the average

mortal, but they will die just as surely as their human fathers before

them..."

                "Oh, no..." Mars' face drained of color, as did Venus' beside

her. "So you're saying..."

                "The Royal Court of Serenity III, if instated as planned, will

not serve her past 1250 CT."

                The room fell absolutely silent; Jupiter stood up very slowly,

her face white with fury. "What's your point, Pluto?" She asked, her

voice laced with rage. "Once this day is over, I am never putting on

this fuku again. We had an agreement here--I've done my thousand years

of duty; I'm not staying til the end of eternity!"

                "Mako-" the Queen began, but Pluto cut her off brusquely:

                "That choice is not yours to make, Jupiter." Pluto's eyes

still betrayed no emotion, and she levelly met the other girl's

furious gaze. "Sit down. Now." Something in her voice, however, was

more potent than rage; Jupiter shot her a look of death, but took her

seat, seething. "I'm sorry, Senshi, but the House of Serenity requires

your service. You will be expected to report to duty tomorrow as

usual, your loyalty transferred to Serenity III. Is that understood?"

                For a long, long moment, there was no answer. Then, the Lady

Venus finally found her voice: "Lady Aino Minako," she said softly,

her voice barely audible, "regrets that her daughter cannot fulfill

her duties to the House of Serenity." She looked down at the table;

Mars saw a tear slide down her face, drop down to the smooth mahogany.

"If it so pleases Her Majesty the Neo-Queen Serenity, the Lady will

answer for her daughter's shortcomings, and fill her spot in the Court

of Her Majesty Serenity III...."

                She could not continue any longer; pushing back her chair

abruptly, the Lady Venus fled the room, her face buried in her hands.

For a moment, all sat frozen; then, the Lady Mars spoke quietly: "Hino

Rei will serve," she whispered, "in her daughter's place, all the

roles and functions required of her by Her Majesty Serenity III."

                And then she too stood, nodded toward the Queen, and left the

room quickly. The Lady Neptune's voice followed her out the door,

pledging resignedly to serve in place of her daughter...

 ----------

                It was night now; the annual New Year's ball had begun

downstairs. Mars could hear the music floating up to her room as she

sat in the darkness, removed from the revelry. She had not moved since

she returned to her room from that afternoon's meeting; now, the music

finally stirred her to life again, and she stood slowly...

                A small jeweled dagger lay on her desk; with one swift

movement, Mars seized it. She slid the blade from the hilt, watching

it glint in the moonlight. For a few seconds, she stood frozen,

watching the light dance over the jeweled metal; then, abruptly, she

snatched her passport off her desk and plunged the blade through the

white plastic cover...

                This is the passport Mercury made for me yesterday, she

thought darkly, slashing the blade through the passport. We were so

happy then, preparing for our new lives; we thought we were finally

free of our oaths, finally free to live happy, finally free to think

for ourselves and not for Serenity...

                The plastic shards fluttered to the ground, Hino Rei's first

photograph in over a millennium fluttering down with them. The Lady

Mars stared at the pieces for a long moment, then dropped to her

knees, sobbing:

                Never again, she thought dimly, never again. Never again

will Hino Rei walk the streets of Tokyo... As long as Mars lives, Rei

Hino must die; and Mars can never resign now...

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