Before we get started, here a quick rundown of what you need to know.
The Moon Kingdom: At its peak thousands of years ago, in an age called the Silver Millennium, the Moon Kingdom encompassed our solar system from Mercury to Pluto. A near utopian society, the Moon Kingdom is the closest thing humanity knows to a true Golden Age.
Queen Serenity: Queen Serenity is the ruler of the Moon Kingdom and lives on Earth's moon. She controls a powerful jewel called that Silver Imperium Crystal which is a source of staggering power. She is also the mother of Princesses Serenity.
Princess Serenity: She is Princess of the Moon and destined successor to Queen Serenity. The princesses of the other planets are members of Princess Serenity's court and her closest friends. The princess is deeply in love with Prince Darien of Earth.
Prince Darien: Prince of a mysterious kingdom on Earth, Darien is in love with Princess Serenity and has vowed to protect her and the Moon Kingdom with his life.
Queen Beryl: Beryl is the absolute ruler of a dark universe just outside our own called the Negaverse. Cold, cruel, and evil, Beryl dreams only of conquest.
Zoisite: Perhaps Queen Beryl's most ruthless General, Zoisite helps lead the army of the Negaverse. She can project blasts of force just by waving her hand, control fire and ice, and teleport.
Silver Twilight
In a far away time and place, Earth's greatest adventure is about to begin…
There are fireworks and parties every night. In some other time, in some other place, that might be considered frivolous. But not here. Here in the Moon Kingdom it's just a way of expressing the joy we have from living in such a perfect world.
The universe is at peace and the planets of our solar system are in harmony. Art and poetry abound, children smile, and lovers steal kisses under the starlight. And lucky me, I'm in the center of in it all here in the Royal Palace of the Moon.
My name is Sir Robert of Phobos, but everyone calls me Bobby. I'm one of the Royal Guardsmen of Princess Mars. I admit, this isn't exactly the life I saw for myself. I wanted to be a musician. But my father, Lord Lynch of Phobos, pushed me into this. Dad spent several years as a Guardsman and wanted me to follow in his footsteps. He gave me this big speech about how I had to do my duty to my princess and the rest of the Moon Kingdom.
I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of being a Guardsman, but at the time I was willing to jump at anything that would get me out of dad's castle back on Phobos. You know how it can be with parents. Besides, I could practice my music in my off hours.
After I completed my Guardsman training, I was assigned to Princess Mars's Honor Guard. I'm pretty sure my dad pulled some strings to land me such a high-profile assignment. I wasn't really sure what Princess Mars would be like. I'd only met her briefly at a few royal functions. She seemed nice enough then but I'd heard she was privately a bit, well, bossy.
When I entered the princess's service I expected to be treated like a servant, since that's what I and the rest of the Guardsmen were. But Princess Mars never made us feel that way. She treated us as equals and it took me a while to figure out why.
I was a member of Princess Mars's court, and therefore, bound to serve her. But Princess Mars was a member of the court of Princess Serenity of the Moon. She, Princess Jupiter, Princess Venus, Princess Uranus, and princesses of all the other planets also served Princess Serenity.
For some reason the other Guardsmen were never very comfortable with the kindness Princess Mars showed us. We'd been trained to be servants and they couldn't seem to get past that. But as the weeks passed, I came to call Princess Mars a friend. Sometimes we would stand on the balcony of her castle, gazing out at the great canals that crossed the surface of our world, and we'd just talk. Not as a princess to her servant, but simply as one person to another.
I told her of my dream of being a musician, and how I missed all the hours I used to spend practicing. One day, out of the blue, she asked my to play for her. I was reluctant, but she was my princess and I was honor bound to obey her.
I got my guitar, sent a prayer to whatever gods might be listening, and then began to play. Thinking back on it, I can't even remember what the song was. Something about "winning love by daylight" is all I can recall. In fact, I'm rather glad I don't remember more. I have the feeling it wasn't one of my more inspired works.
I remember how much I was sweating as the last chord faded. Had I just made a fool of myself in front of my princess? When Princess Mars burst into applause you could have knocked me over with a feather. I think she was just being kind. As it turned out, I was due for another surprise.
It was then that Princess Mars told me of her dream to be a singer and songwriter. Eventually, I was able to prod her into letting me hear her sing. I'm not kidding when I say she has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard.
Not long after that we began to write songs together. It wasn't easy for either of us, but Princess Mars seemed to have a real knack for it. I recall those late nights in the palace music room, going over chords, trying out riffs, coming up with lyrics, then tossing the whole mess out and starting over again. Those were some of the best days of my life.
Then the message came. Princess Mars and her court had been called to the Moon. Looking back, I was angry and a little afraid. I was happy on Mars. I'd come to call Princess Mars one of my closet friends, and I feared that the duties she would take upon her official induction as a member of Princess Serenity's court might bring an end to that.
But that was months ago, and my fears haven't come to fruition. True, Princess Mars and I don't spend as much time together as we used to, but she's never stopped treating me as a friend. Besides, I've made some new friends here at the Royal Palace.
"Bobby! Hey, Bobby!"
I turn to see my friend Eddie running up to me. Eddie is Princess Serenity's royal page. But the title court jester would be more appropriate. He's always trying to come up with some new way to make the princess laugh. He actually succeeds most of the time. Some of the stuffier members of the Palace staff really hate Eddie's antics, but he makes Princess Serenity happy so they don't say anything.
"Hey, Eddie. Where's the fire?"
"The fire is that you're late," my friend responds. "Now come on. If we don't hurry the girls will polish off dinner before we get any."
"I've seen the way Roxy can pack away that pie," I chuckle. "Come on, if we hustle maybe we can con the girls into giving us some table scraps." With that, we head for one of the palace's many courtyards.
The courtyard, normally wide open, is currently filled with hundreds of tables. Everywhere people are laughing, talking, eating, and generally having a good time.
"It sure is crowded," Eddie remarks as we enter.
"What did you expect? Tonight is the night of the big eclipse. People have come from all over the system to see it."
"Hey, there are the girls. Looks like they saved us some food after all," says Eddie.
As we head over to the girls' table, I think about the friendship the five of us have forged in the past few months. I still find it funny how five people, each from a different world, each so different in personality, could be drawn together so closely.
Caitlin is the tallest of our little group. She serves as the royal tutor to Princess Mercury. Not that the princess needs a tutor. The truth is, there's been quite of few debates in the halls of palaces of Mercury as to which of them is smarter.
Frankly, I think Caitlin was given her job so Princess Mercury could have someone close to her own level to talk to. The princess and her tutor are closer to each other than Princess Mars and I are. Caitlin once told me that Princess Mercury had called her the big sister she never had.
Next is Roxanne, or Roxy as she prefers, royal seamstress to Princess Venus. It's due in no small part to Roxy's efforts that Princess Venus is often called one of the most beautifully dressed people in the entire Moon Kingdom. I admit, I don't know a lot about fashion, but some of the gowns I'm seen Princess Venus wear are truly stunning.
Roxy's face always lights up when she starts talking about those clothes. She loves to talk about how she and Princess Venus design and make them together. For some reason I always smile when I think of the two of them together, smiling, gossiping, and laughing as they work on the next gown. One of the royal princesses using a common needle and thread to make her own clothes, can you imagine that?
Lastly there's Sarah, royal soothsayer to Princess Jupiter. Princess Jupiter's fondness for charms, palm readings, and other such things is known across the Moon Kingdom. It's no wonder that Sarah, the latest in a long line of mystics, ended up being inducted into the Royal Court of Jupiter, her homeworld.
Sarah is the one Princess Jupiter tells all her secrets to. Not that I know any of those secrets. Sarah would never betray her princess like that. Although, she did once let it slip that Princess Jupiter enjoys cooking.
The irony of our friendship isn't lost on me. We all count our princesses among our closest friends. Now that our princesses have joined the court of Princess Serenity, we can't be as close to them as we once were. But the Princesses and Princess Serenity have become friends in the last few months, and in turn, so have we. It's only appropriate that if the princess are friends, that their servants should be as well.
"Hey, guys, about time you got here," chides Roxy as we sit down. "You almost missed the big show."
"Sorry, but it took me forever to find Bobby," apologizes Eddie as he bites into an apple.
"Oh, that's right. You had to be at the Royal Ball with Princess Mars. What are you doing here?" asks Sarah.
"One of the other guys owed me a favor, so I had him take over the rest of my shift," I say. "Speaking of the ball, Caitlin, I saw your dad, Sir Alex, there."
"What was he up to?" Cat inquires.
"Belive it or not, talking with my dad. Those two really seemed to be hitting it off."
"Did you get the chance to talk to your dad?" quizzes Sarah.
"Just for a second," I reply. "He told me that he was really proud of how I was handling my duties as a Guardsman."
"Heads up, people. The show is starting," interrupts Eddie.
It begins slowly. The shadow of the Moon starts to creep over the blue and green jewel that is the planet Earth. In turn, a shadow begins to fall over the Moon. Then, in an instant, our world is dark.
The crowd roars, lovers kiss and fireworks blaze.
"I think the eclipse is almost over," informs Caitlin after several seconds. "We should be able to see the Earth again soon."
But the several moments Caitlin promised come and go, and the sky remains black. "What's going on?" asks Eddie. All around us I can hear people asking the same thing.
That's when Roxy screams. "Oh my god! Look at the sky!"
I look and what I see horrifies me. An evil, inhuman face is beginning to form. The face is huge, miles across, and its eyes and mouth are blood red. But worst of all, the face is grinning at us.
Then the ground begins to shake. I hear people screaming, running and crying. I whirl around in time to see a wall collapse on some fleeing party guests.
"Eddie, get the girls to some place safe!" I order. "I'm going to try and find out what's going on."
The ground continues to rumble as I dash across the courtyard to the main palace. Suddenly a wave of explosions fills the air. I dive under a table as the deafening sound overwhelms my ears.
After what seems like an eternity, the explosions end. I crawl from under the table in time to almost have my head taken off by some falling debris. I look and what I see is terrible. There is smoke and flames everywhere, towers that had stood strong and proud for centuries have collapsed, and everywhere people are screaming. "I have to find the princess," I say to myself as I resume my dash towards the palace.
Things are a bit calmer inside. Guardsmen from all over the Moon Kingdom are there, evacuating the ball's guests and palace staff to safety. If there is such a thing as safety in this nightmare.
"What's going on?" I call to a Guardsman who wears the seal of the Kingdom of Saturn.
"It's the Negaverse!" he shouts. "The Negaverse is invading the whole system! We've already suffered heavy loses!"
The Negaverse, I should have known. For months there have been rumors that beings from another dimension called the Negaverse have been trying to enter our universe. From what I've heard, the Negaverse is ruled by a woman called Queen Beryl and her four Generals, Jedite, Nephlite, Zoisite, and Malachite.
Apparently, Queen Serenity has been trying to negotiate some form of peace treaty with Queen Beryl who, according to the stories, seems quite hostile. Just our luck that the stories would have to be true.
"What can I do to help?" I ask.
"Prince Darien of Earth is leading a counterattack near the west wing of the place," replies the man from Saturn. "He needs all the help he can get."
I give my fellow Guardsman a quick nod of thanks as I rush to the battlefront. The west end of the palace is a long way from here, but I know a shortcut.
As I rocket down the side passage, my mind again turns to Princess Mars. As much as I want to look for her, I must rally to the defense of the Moon first. I'll just have to pray that the other Guardsmen have gotten her to safety. If not, she has potent magical powers just like the other princesses. Those should keep her safe. I hope.
I exit a corridor, entering what was a small plaza -- now a scene a scene of horror. Two dozen Guardsmen, most wearing the seal of Neptune, lay slaughtered on the ground. Nine, what I can only call monsters, stand amidst the carnage covered in blood. At the center of this massacre is a woman in a gray uniform, holding a sword and a golden shield. I recognize her from the descriptions I've heard. She must be Zoisite, one of Queen Beryl's Generals.
The vast majority of the people of the Moon Kingdom knew nothing or little of the threat the Negaverse posed. But my closeness to Princess Mars allowed me to learn a great many things the common man is unaware of. Queen Serenity didn't want to worry them while she still thought there was a chance for peace. It looks as if the entire system is going to pay the price for her mistakes.
I'm yanked from my thoughts as one of the monsters spots me and gives out an ear-splitting shriek.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" coos Zoisite as she sees me. "Another lamb for the slaughter? Tell me your name, little lamb."
I'm terrified, but I can't give into the fear. I swore an oath to protect my princess and the Moon Kingdom. For them I must be brave. I may die, but I'm going to take as many of these bastards as I can down with me.
"I am Sir Robert of Phobos and Guardsman to her highness Princess Mars!" I shout as I draw my sword from its scabbard. "In the name of Mars, I shall punish you for your evil!"
Did I really just say that?! Some of Eddie's dumb sense of humor must be rubbing off on me.
"That has got to be the silliest speech I've ever heard," mocks Zoisite as she gives off a hideous laugh. Then the monsters begin to move in on me.
"No!" snaps the General. "This one is mine." She pitches aside the shield and marches toward me with a confident smirk on her face. "All right, little lamb, let's see what you're made of."
Zoisite gives her sword a playful twirl as she moves into a fighter's stance. From the grace of her movements, I can tell that she knows the art of the duel well. But my father began teaching me the way of the blade as soon as I could walk. I hope I learned enough to survive this.
Zoisite opens with a lunge which I parry, spinning to the left as I do so. She twists around and our swords clash.
"Well, little lamb, it looks like you might have some teeth after all," she sneers. "This could be fun."
I respond with a slash, she with a parry. So it goes. Lunge, parry, slice, cut, high, low, entries found, entries blocked, the sound of air being sliced, metal clashing, grunts of exertion and pain.
Suddenly, Zoisite leaps into the air, does a backflip, and comes to a landing several feet away. "Very good, little lamb. I'd love to stay and finish this delightful duel to the death, your death, but I have a kingdom to help conquer. Zoi!"
As she shouts, she thrusts her arm in my direction and I feel a massive wave of force collide with my body. I find myself hurtling back, impacting on a wall and crashing to the ground.
The pain is awful, burning through my consciousness like one of Princess Mars' fire arrows. It's getting dark, I realize dimly. Gotta…fight it. I…can't bla…blackout now.
White-hot pain sears my abdomen! It feels like my insides are on fire!
I managed to open my eyes in time to see Zoisite finish pulling her sword out of my body. She's smiling. Blood. Blood on the sword. My blood? It's red like Princess Mars's favorite dress. Sure is a lot of it…
"I almost pity you, little lamb," says Zoisite. "You'll not live to see the glorious dark kingdom the Negaverse shall build upon the ruins of Queen Serenity's realm. But, as the saying goes, life's a bitch and so am I!"
My sight is gone again but I feel the impact of her boot on the side of my head. My head explodes again and I crumple to the ground.
"Like the saying? I came up with it myself," gloats the General. Though my ears are still ringing, I can hear Zoisite give off a final laugh as she and her monsters depart.
So this is it. This is my death. Not quite what I had hoped for. My friends, the princesses, they need me. I can't die now. I try to move but nothing happens. I start to feel a cold blackness creeping in.
They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes. If what I'm feeling now is anything to go by, it's not true. All I see is black. But I hear music. A song Princess Mars and I wrote together. It was one of her favorites. If I strain I can just hear the words…
"Call my name and I'll be there
There's nothing like the laughter that we share
Whenever you need someone
Or a shoulder to lean on
Call my name and I'll be there"
I'm sorry, princess, Eddie, Sarah, all of you. I don't think I'm going to be there for you anymore…
"Bobby! Wake up, Bobby! Come on, wake up!"
What? I feel pain burning in my stomach. I manage to open my eyes but it's all blurry. After a moment, my eyes focus and I see someone looking down at me.
"Sarah?"
"Oh, Bobby, I thought we'd lost you," she says, tears streaming down her face.
"You're not…the only one," I rasp. I glance past Sarah and see the others standing a few feet away, looking battered and bruised. Eddie has his left arm in an improvised sling, Roxy is sporting a nasty gash across her forehead and Caitlin has a severe-looking cut on her right leg.
"What happened?" I ask.
"It's the Negaverse!" shouts Roxy, her eyes filled with tears and hate. "Queen Beryl has won! The whole Moon Kingdom has been destroyed!"
No! It can't be. It just can't be. "The princesses. I…must find the..Princess Mars," I murmur. I struggle to get up but the pain jolts me like a lighting bolt. Only Sarah's quick reflexes save me from falling.
"I don't know how to say this, Bobby," begins Caitlin, her voice strangely hollow, "but the princesses are dead. All of them."
"No!" I protest. I failed! I can't have failed!
"It's true," proclaims Caitlin as her eyes to begin to water. "A group of Beryl's monsters called the Seven Shadows killed them. Princess Serenity and Prince Darien are dead too."
"I think we're some of the last people still alive on the Moon," says Eddie. "We have to get you out of here. Once we're someplace safe, we can figure out how to avenge the princesses and everyone else the Negaverse has killed."
I start to reply but my body is rocked by another spasm of pain. My eyes are starting to lose focus and I can feel the blackness creeping upon me again.
"Guys, you…have to leave me," insist. "I'm… don…done for. Save yourselves. Ju…Just promise me you won't let the Negaverse win without a fight."
"Save the self-sacrificing speeches for later," snorts Roxy. "We're not leaving you behind."
"It's the five of us together, no matter what," says Caitlin.
"Right on!" agrees Eddie.
I'm about to reply when it happens. A blinding white light appears on the horizon and begins to blaze a trail our way.
"What the hell is that?!" shrieks Sarah.
"It's the Negaverse! They're destroying the whole Moon!" hollers Eddie.
In the last few seconds before the light reaches us, I see Caitlin hurl herself in front of us in a futile gesture of protection, Roxy and Eddie grab each other in a panicky embrace and Sarah gives my hand a hard squeeze. Looks like it's really over this time and I failed to protect the people I care about.
Then the light takes us.
Consciousness returns to me. I'm still alive? This is becoming a habit. I open my eyes to a world of pink. Everywhere pink light shines brightly. What's going on? Where are my friends?
"You mustn't fight this, Bobby," says someone.
"Who's there?!" I call. There's flash of white light, and suddenly a tall woman with light pink hair is standing before me. I know her instantly.
"Queen Serenity?!!" I gasp.
"Please, Bobby, don't fight this," says the Queen. "It's the only way."
"Don't fight what? Please, my queen, tell me what's happening. What happened
to my friends?"
Silently Queen Serenity places her hands over my eyes. When she removes them the overwhelming pink light is gone. "You can see now, Bobby. Behold the last moments of the Silver Millennium."
The first thing I notice is that the Queen and I are floating. Bubbles every color of the rainbow are floating all around us. Inside are people, faces I recognize. Princess Mars, Sarah, Prince Darien, Eddie, Sir Alex, Princess Saturn, some of my fellow Guardsmen and even my father.
"My Queen, what's going on?" I ask.
"This is the end of our world, Bobby," she replies. "I have used the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to banish Queen Beryl and her forces back to the Negaverse and seal them there. Hopefully forever."
"But the crystal is powered by your own life-force, my Queen," I say. "To do such a thing--"
"It had to be done," interrupts Serenity. "It was my mistakes that allowed Beryl to destroy the Moon Kingdom. It is only fitting that I give my life as restitution.
"Look around you, Bobby. I have gathered you, your friends, the Princesses, as many of the children of the moon as I can, so that something of our civilization will endure. You shall all be sent to the future, to be reborn on Earth, to lives of peace free of the evil of the Negaverse. I hope."
"But what if the Negaverse does return?" I ask.
"Don't fear, champions will arise to battle Queen Beryl and her forces should they ever escape the Negaverse," assures Serenity. "Now that you know your friends are safe, you must stop fighting this."
"Fighting what?"
"Turn around," orders the Queen.
I do so only to be filled with shock. Inside a yellow bubble I see myself, lying still and unmoving. "Moons of Mars!" I gasp.
"That's your mortal shell," explains Serenity. "That is what is anchoring you to this plane. You must stop fighting, Bobby. You must let go."
I turn to the Queen for guidance. "I don't understand."
"What were you thinking about just before the light took you?"
"My friends and the princesses," I reply. "I was thinking about how I let them down."
"Exactly," says Serenity. "The power of the crystal separated your spirit from your body so that it could be sent to the future. But part of you felt that you had let down the ones you loved. So your spirit clings to your flesh and blood body. You must stop fighting, Bobby. Let the power of the crystal do its work. If you continue to cling to this plane you will truly and forever die."
"But I let Princess Mars and the other Princesses die! I let my friends get hurt! I wasn't able to defeat Zoisite! I failed in my duty as a Guardsman! Maybe I des--"
"No!" snaps the Queen. "Bobby, you fought as bravely and as hard anyone. While you lay dying, your thoughts were not of pity for yourself, but of concern for your friends. There is no finer example anyone, Guardsmen, Princess, commoner or Queen could set.
"You have done your duty with honor and distinction, Sir Robert of Phobos. Now your duty is over. Now you must leave this life behind. Simply touch the bubble and your spirit will be on its way to a new existence."
I step toward to yellow bubble and reach out for it. Then I hesitate. "But what of my friends and the princesses? Will I ever see them again?"
"Love, friendship and loyalty are powerful forces that can bind souls together. Even across lifetimes," smiles Serenity. "If your love for the princesses and your friends is as strong as I believe it is, destiny will draw you together again."
Those words are good enough for me. I touch the bubble and the world turns pink again. I feel myself getting tired. I begin to let go…
From somewhere far away I hear Queen Serenity whisper to me, "Goodbye, Bobby. Never forget the power of friendship."
I won't, my Queen. Eddie, Caitlin, Roxy, Sarah, princesses, I won't forget you. Somehow, in this new life, I'll find you. We'll all be together again. I promise…
The End