The Memory Keeper

A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to the first part of The Memory Keeper. Know that this is all AU and the characters mostly belong to me and Sanyo. The original characters that were created by Naoko Takuchi belong to her, obviously. I hope you enjoy this first part and continue to stick around when I get other chapters up and running!

-Nim

Prologue

It was a beautiful day outside, the sun rising over the peaks of the mountains before the rays of sunlight streaked across the city below it. The people of Dionysus were slowly wakening to a world much as they had known for years since they had been under their current Queen. Life was simple for them and the peace much deserved after the bloodshed that had once wiped this planet completely clean. Yet, looking into textbooks or speaking to the people, one would find that none of this information seems to mean anything to them. They'd stumble and stutter, trying to make sense of the babble that was coming from the mouth, wondering what strange tale they were telling.

Yet there was one person who knew the truth, one who held the secrets and memories locked away inside her heart. Standing in the window within her parlor, Queen Kari stood, gazing down at the city below. She could not stand for long though, her knees feeling weak as she slowly gave into impulse to settle herself into the chair she'd settled so neatly in the sunlight. She liked to feel the warmth on her wrinkled face for as long as she could stand it, enjoying the spring weather that had finally come after a long winter in the city's capitol.

Long ago, Kari had been a beauty, one who was strong, ferocious, and a symbol of the power that she held. She had once been a warrior, a Senshi of their planet, sworn by oath to protect it from any evils that should befall it. Yet those days had come to an end as old age crept upon her, forever poking its head into her life and telling her every morning when she looked in the mirror that those days were dead and gone. Her hair had turned a silver coloring, her dark eyes to a dull slate, and her body too old to enjoy going among the gardens anymore without needed to stop and rest every other moment. It was tiresome, being old, she had mused on more than one occasion. Yet it was the steady passing of time that made her feel renewed, knowing she had lived long enough to see old age, something she had never thought would be possible.

The knock on the door brought the Queen from her reverie and she glanced up, calling out in a low, steady voice, "Come in." She smoothed out any wrinkles left in her skirts, sitting up as well as she could as she knew who was coming today. Two heads poked inside and, seeing the smile on the Queen's lips, proceeded. A man and woman went to the Queen's side, bending to press their lips to her cheek, each muttering, "Hello, Aunt Kari." Before taking their seats before her in the chairs she had asked to be set there beforehand.

"Shinju, Isamu, I'm glad you both could make it today." Kari folded her hands upon her lap as she looked over her niece and nephew, both sitting proud and grown-up before her. It seemed only yesterday that they had been mere children, running around, wanting nothing more than to hear the old stories from before. Kari had declined until now to tell them. There was little time left, she could feel it, and someone needed to know her story. She did not want to die with such a secret upon her heart. "I hope I find you both well?"

Isamu was the first to answer, "Yes Aunt. I've been training some of the new recruits for the Imperial Guard." He laughed, a smug expression on his face making him look more and more like his father. "Aiko sends her regards, as well," He added, a smile brought to his lips. Aiko had always been kind and thoughtful, knowing the right words and how to convey herself. It had always surprised Kari that Isamu should choose one as his wife as Aiko. Yet she wasn't to fault him, for she was a nice girl and Kari had no complaints.

Kari found her gaze turning then to her niece, who sat quietly in her chair. "And Shinju?" She implored, tilting her head slightly at the other woman. "Is there anything new and exciting in your life?"

The woman pondered, running her fingers through her short white hair. "I've been spending most of my time with Mother," She replied quietly. "She hasn't been the same since Papa died last year. I don't think she has much longer left…" She trailed off and the silence between all of them was felt. They all knew Star was dying and, like her husband, would soon pass onwards from this world, regenerated in the Galaxy Cauldron once more to live again on this world or another.

"Perhaps I shall see about going to the cottage before the week is up," Kari said softly. She never liked the idea of her sister- her twin- dying. It was how life went and, while there had been years she killed regardless of who anyone was or what they stood for, killing had never seemed right in her eyes, nor would it ever be so for her.

"If I may be blunt, why did you ask to meet with both of us?" Shinju continued, sitting up straighter, prim and proper in decorum as she folded her hands upon her lap. "You said it was a matter f grave importance." Both Isamu and Shinju watched their aunt carefully with eyes filled with curiosity and wonder at what was so important that a formal meeting should be called when before she generally came over herself to see her niece and nephew.

It took a long moment before the Queen could find her voice, speaking slowly. "I too am dying. It is only the natural next step in life," She lifted her gaze to the two, a sad smile touching her features. "Yet I still have a story to tell, one that I do not wish to die with me. I wished to speak with both of you to hear me out, to know the truth, for I have been the memory keeper for too long. This cannot die with me."

"What story, aunt?" Isamu questioned, sitting up a little straighter like his sister, frowning at the Queen. "What do you mean by this?"

Kari chuckled. "It's a story that begins long ago, one that stretches across time and space. It's in both of you that this story needs to live, for you have lived your lives in this story as well, unknowingly, thanks to your mother's oblivion to it all for so long." She closed her eyes and sighed before opening them again. "Shinju, dear, fetch a recording device from my desk drawer." Shinju did as she was told, rising, her slender body moving to the desk, opening the middle drawer and removing a small, circular disc from it before going back to her seat. "Now, press record and set it down upon the table."

The device clicked and whirred to life as record was pushed and, watching it set down upon the table in front of them, Kai cleared her throat. "Now, to begin, we must start from the beginning, of course. Back when I was simply Princess Kari of Dionysus, the industrial and technological capitol of our universe. Back when I was a young woman of twenty-three and a Senshi of Opale and Dionysus. Back when I was Sailor Dark Sun, when your mother was Sailor Dark Star, and before everything fell apart…"