It had been almost fifteen hundred years after the battle at Sagittarius Zero star when Sailor Mercury died.
The immortals who resided in the crystal palace lived so long that they didn't really count time in days or weeks but rather in ages. An age of peace came after Galaxia and Chaos fell. In the time that followed, pieces of the future began falling into place. Eternal Sailor Moon reined as Queen Serenity and Small Lady returned from the past for the third time, this time as the new Sailor Moon with a full-fledged team: the Asteroid Senshi. There would always be a Sailor Moon by right of the blood of the moon kingdom in their veins, guarding the Earth. Small Lady grew to be an excellent protector with her faithful Quartette (plus sailor Saturn) under the tutelage of the original Sailor Senshi.
As more and more time went by none of the senshi bodies aged beyond 21. Battles were fought and won and many civilians believed that their protectors would never die of old age. If any of them ever did, they all assumed Pluto would be first- she was, after all, incredibly old- some say older than time itself. But that was the trick, would she really die or just be placed back at the gates of time to watch as life continued? Half of the questions were answered the night Sailor Mercury passed away.
It seemed like a normal enough evening. The Inner senshi gathered around in the cozy red parlor to listen to her read to them. Neo Queen Serenity's head lay on Mars's lap (she was stroking her long white locks passively), Jupiter was needle pointing nearest the fireplace and Venus and Saturn sat near the back quietly putting a puzzle together as Mercury's voice echoed the words from one of their favorite love stories.
"'Her face light up like a light when she saw him. He smiled too. The End.' Hm. You know, I wonder if men think of women as being full of light when their happy because they fill with power. Love does resonate physically."
The queen giggled playfully. "That's just like you. I wish I had your brain." She fingered the crown in her lap unconsciously. Mercury waved her off.
"Oh, I have nothing left to teach you Serenity."
"Oh, perhaps not. I could read every book and know every lesson but I still would never be able to understand as well or as thoroughly as you do. I could never make those kinds of connections on my own- unless I had your brain." She grinned up at her.
Mercury didn't say anything for a while rocking her chair back and forth deep in thought.
"That's true." She finally said. Rising from her chair, she took the book and then laid it on the floor. "I'm going to sleep now. But I want you to know that we'll see each other again. I won't ever really leave you."
The words weren't strange but it was the manner in which she said it that made them all look up.
Queen Serenity who was used to being a little confused simply smiled and said, "I know that! Mah-kiu-ri." She pronounced it with her heavy Japanese accent- her native language.
Mercury placed her hands on either side of Serenity's Face. She gently kissed each cheek. "Goodnight Usagi-chan." She picked up her book again.
That moniker was so old by now it hardly seemed real. They had been 'Venus' and 'Serenity' for so long that to use that term was more like an echo from another life. Had they really ever been anything other than senshi?
She took Mars by one of her willowy hands and squeezed it.
She patted Venus and Saturn on the head as she passed. Then she leaned over, her two slender arms crossed over the fairytale book in front of her to kiss Jupiter directly in the middle of her forehead.
"Goodnight, Ami-chan."
They found her in bed the next morning when she did not come directly to breakfast. She wasn't cold or particularly clammy. For the most part she looked simply as though she had not yet woken up except her eyes were permanently locked in the state of peace that only death can bring. Also, her hair was as white as snow. Laid against the downy pillows, she almost seemed to disappear. Many people after seeing her there believed they knew what a true angel looked like. They buried her body in a coffin of ice in the deep south of the planet. All who could hear or see by radio, television, or any other means of communication, wept as the eulogy was given by Uranus. Jupiter cried too much to do it herself..
No one knew if the body would ever decay but it didn't seem right to try to wait and find out. Neo Queen Serenity ordered it to be placed in the ground to let it become part of the Earth no matter what.
It was after the funeral that Serenity revealed that Mercury's power had been transferred to herself. Both the gift of wisdom and her powers over ice had come to her in the night. At first, the Queen mourned deeply. She wouldn't leave her room for days and then after she would not leave her husbands side, holding to his arm as he comforted her. Even after most of the shock had worn off, her despair and the attempt to be strong lingered in her face and her way of speaking. Although that also could have been because the knowledge she gained from the transfer changed the vocabulary she used and the manner in which she would express her ideas. Another sign that Mercury had passed on her powers was that like Mercury, the Queen would often slip into deep thought. Sometimes afterward she would weep in remembrance for her friend. In general, however, she never lost her abilty to rule. She was still The Great Queen in a thriving time.
This event, however, began the age in which the new senshi would truly take over. Small Lady was becoming more and more skillful and preparing to take over the role as Queen with her King Helios by her side.
They waited for the next to die.