Hi, it's me again, Cosmos. This is my second fanfic and to those who
read my first one, Serenity's Legend, this one is totally different!
This story does not fit into any episodes of the Anime series or any parts
in the Manga, unlike my first one. This one is a story in itself.
The first chapter may seem confusing because I switch from one place to
another. As you will find out, the first chapter takes place in two
different worlds. But that is only in the first chapter. I also
focus on one character at one time and switch to another character at
another time, but I hope you won't be confused by this. This story will only
have six parts, or petals as I call them here. I have also created
a few new characters here. Again, Uranus and Neptune are only friends,
not gay. It just makes my writing easier. And I use the Manga
characteristic of Zoisite, not the Anime, so he is not gay, either.
Sorry for such a long author's note, but this is the first chapter so there
are a lot of things I wanted to clear up so that no one will be confused
later on.
This story is rated PG for language and stuff (Nothing serious, so don't
worry. The worse thing possible would be the word "damn" (^_^))
Oh yeah, PLEASE email me and tell me what you think of my story.
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.
Just FEED MY EMAIL INBOX! I think it will die of starvation soon!
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made
possible by DiC.
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com
= thoughts
[ ] = author's note
Well, enough of my babbling! I hope you'll like this fanfic! Enjoy!
=======================================
Bloom of the Crystal Rose by Cosmos
The First Petal: Realm of the Soldiers
Soft white flakes of snow dance with the wind around a tall gray
brick building. The air was crisp and cold, nipping at the tender
noses of young children who were laughing and playing in a large field
close to the structure. A large ominous forest of mainly pine surrounds
the entire area giving it a look of seclusion and desolation. The
building was like that of a broken down old warehouse, aged by the
relentless assaults of Mother Nature. Here and there, pieces of bricks
were broken off from either the wind or rain or snow. The building has
small windows that were never opened regardless of the season. It was a
dreary place, where doors creaked and wooden floorboards groaned
relentlessly like a wailing ghost in the night. A weathered and almost
decayed piece of wood hangs above the entryway, flapping flimsily in the
wind. Small worn out block letters painted in white was barely visible
on the decaying piece of wood. It was a sign and the sign read:
Celestial Orphanage.
About two stories up, a small shadow was seen moving behind the frosted
glass of one of the windows. Alone, in a small dirty room, a girl of
about 17 years sat in solitude with only the silence as her companion.
She has long golden hair tied up in a unique hairstyle consisting of two
round buns on either sides of her head with two long ponytails trailing
from the buns down her back in magnificent waves of gold. She has on
but a simple outfit consisting of a worn out pair of dull brown pants and
a small gray tee shirt that seems to barely fit her. On her feet were two
pairs of worn out pink slippers where one of the straps was broken and tied
on with a string she had found somewhere in the field.
Her face was extremely beautiful with pale skin and rosy cheeks, and soft
pink lips that never knew how to smile. Her gemlike azure eyes dart from
place to place as she quietly watched the delicate snowflakes dance down
from the sky like fairies in a story. She gave a sad sigh that caused the
window to be further frosted. Taking a small delicate hand, she rubbed the
glass with her palm, wiping away the ice to reveal a world clothed in pure
white laid out before her soft gaze.
Below, she saw young children, much younger than she was, play innocently
in the snow. Some were lying in the soft flakes, flapping their thin arms
up and down while their eyes shone brilliantly with joy. One of these
children stood up and looked down at her magnificent work of art. She gave
a light laughter and ran off toward another group of young children busily
building a fortress of snow and ice. She looked down from her window and
a slight smile danced in her eyes, though not on her lips. She saw that
the young girl had created an angel from the snow covered ground. She
continued to look at it as her eyes slowly became a lighter clear blue.
Once again her mind drifted away from reality as she lost herself in her
dreams. She imagined herself dressed in a beautiful white silk gown with
light gold trimmings around her neck. Her hair, though still in the same
style, was clean and shiny down her back with small ringlets of pearl
adorned around her buns of hair. She was graceful; she was beautiful.
She continued to imagine herself walking down a magnificent set of bluish
marble staircase toward a large room where she heard laughter and tinkles
of wineglasses as people were enjoying a celebration. She imagined this
room to be large with tawny marble floor and large windows facing a gorgeous
garden. The windows were draped with soft navy blue silk curtains
flowing like small waterfalls down onto the marble floor. She has now
reached the last few steps down the flight of stairs when she felt a
hand grasped gently onto hers. She turned her surprise blue gaze at a
young man standing slightly below her on the other side of the railing.
He was dressed in the old fashioned way as knights used to. But he was
not covered entirely in armor, instead only his lower leg and abdominal
area was protected with black plates of steel. Two pieces of the same
material also covered his shoulders from where a large flowing black
velvet cape was attached. The rest of the outfit consisted of a dark
blue material of some sort of smooth thick fabric. She strained her
eyes to see his face but it was hidden in shadows despite the light from
brilliant glass chandeliers hanging eloquently from the tall ceiling.
She took a step closer to him, but as the shadow slowly recedes to reveal
his face, she was suddenly awakened from her dream by a hand laid coldly on
her shoulders.
"What are you doing here?" a voice barked at her. "Why aren't you outside
like the other good little kids?"
Instinctively, she looked up to see an ugly worn out face of a woman in
her late forties glaring down at her with beady dull brown eyes.
"W-well it is a bit cold out there, Ma'am," she stammered. "I-I don't have
any winter boots."
The woman huffed, "So what? Those are just minor details.
Listen here, Missy, not everyone can afford those extra accessories
you know. Those little luxuries are for Princesses of which you are
certainly not. So quit complaining. Just be glad you at least have your
sandals to drudge around in. Now, off with ya', the Head Mistress wants
all you brats out in the field for some exercise. She says that if we let
you all be pampered too much then we will soon be ending up rearing lazy
pigs and not obedient children. Now get out of here before I report ya'"
"Y-yes Ma'am." She quickly stood up and rushed out the doorway, grabbing
her thin worn out pink jacket on the way.
The instant she stepped outside, the cold attacked her. She shivered
mercilessly in the only coat she has, her thin summer jacket. Her teeth
began to clatter and her lips lost its lush pink color to be replaced by a
pale blue. Looking around she saw the young children running about
laughing. I wonder how they can stand to play in such cold weather, she
thought. They are not wearing anything better than I am. Then it dawned
on her why they were running. The extra exercise was the only way they
can keep themselves warm, by running their hearts out. Shrugging her cold
shoulders she began to do a slow jog. After about an hour of running, her
body began to feel slightly warmer. Oh, how long are we supposed to
stay out here? She wondered. Unintentionally, her gaze looked toward
the woods quite a distance away. Are my eyes playing tricks on me or
did I see something glimmering behind those trees? Suddenly, a small
flash of pure white light appeared again. She instantly stopped jogging.
There it is again! Looking around and seeing that she was left
unattended, she quickly decided to sneak off and investigate.
She turned on her heels and ran toward the area where she had last seen
the light.
======================================================
"Prince Endymion! Prince Endymion come quickly!" cried a young woman with
reddish brown hair tied in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her long
flowing reddish-orange dress clung to her legs as she ran quickly toward a
man now stepping out from behind an ivory colored door.
"What is Rita?" A handsome young man with ebony colored hair and startling
deep blue eyes appear from behind a door. He was dressed in a beautiful
outfit of shiny black armor with navy blue pants and shirt. The armor
only covered the lower part of his chest and abdominal area, along with
the lower part of his legs and shoulders. By his side, hanging from his
hip was a sheath for his sword with intricate designs curved on its surface
in black and gold alloy. At the top of the sheath the handle of an
enchanting golden sword was seen protruding from the scabbard that was
covering it. The young man of 20 years knit his brow in frustration at
the woman running toward him, calling his name hysterically.
"Slow down, Rita. Take a deep breath. Now tell me what is wrong?"
Taking his advice, Rita tried to calm down and explained,
"The…crystal…from…the moon."
His eyes widen in surprise. "What about the crystal? Has it been
stolen, damaged? What happen? Tell me!" Then from behind her he saw a
young man with blond hair like the early rays of dawn walking quickly
toward them. "Andrew," he called to the young man, "what has happened
to the Silver Crystal?" He looked at his closest friend with fear
reflecting in his ocean blue eyes.
Upon reaching them Andrew placed a comforting shoulder on his love trying
to calm her down while speaking to Endymion at the same time.
"Nothing bad happened to the Crystal, Darien," Andrew assured him using
the nickname that all his friends used, "but somehow it has awakened."
"What? You mean after all these years, the crystal has been activated?"
"Yeah."
"By who?"
"We don't know. Luna said that no one besides the royal family can activate
the crystal, but since they are all imprisoned in limbo in the
quartz…I guess…it just simply activated itself."
"Is everyone there? All the Sailor Soldiers and my Generals?"
Andrew nodded in reply. "Good, come on you two we better get there fast.
We'll take the shortcut to Elysion."
Walking at breakneck speed, the three quickly left the marble hallway and
began to pass through a magnificent garden of white roses. They all
suddenly stopped in front of an old brick wall where vines of various plants
clung to the weathered structure. Placing his hand on the side of the wall,
he closed his eyes and concentrated his power as he whispered, "Kingdom of
Elysion, protector of Earth. I am Endymion, its guardian. Open your gates
and let me pass." Immediately, his hand began to glow in a strange gold
light and a gold door with roses curved on it appeared before them through
the wall. The door opened to reveal another magnificent garden on the
other side. But unlike the one they are in now, this garden has the most
perfect roses with all sorts of colors from pink to purple to blue,
colors never before seen in roses. Each petal of the multitudes of roses
was kissed by dew, glittering like precious gems. Endymion quickly
stepped through the portal followed by his two friends. A young man in a
white outfit with shoulder length silver hair and a small gold horn on
top of his forehead stood waiting for them behind the portal. Endymion
looked at him and gave a nod, "Nice to see you again Elios. Please lead
the way." The young man bowed and spread his hand indicating the direction
they were to take. Oblivious to the incredible beauty of the garden, these
four people headed determinedly toward an archway from where a bright
silver light was shining through.
As they stepped through, they all took in a sharp breath of surprise.
Floating before them all is a magnificent silver crystal unlike any he
has ever seen before. The intense hot light illuminating the marble walls
of the room came from this single small crystal. Standing in silent
amazement around this powerful object were the eight soldiers of the Moon
Kingdom and their two royal advisors. This small group of ten was the
only beings that have managed to escape the curse that was placed on their
beloved kingdom. Everyone else, as he had heard from these soldiers,
were all imprisoned in thick quartz. They believed that even their
Princess had felled to escape and was now a prisoner in the kingdom like
the rest of the royal family. For unknown reasons they were forced to
escape by a command from their Queen just moments before the curse was laid.
As a result they survived. And now they were seeking refuge in his
kingdom until the time when they can return and free their world.
Only moments after the Moon Kingdom was defeated, the Moon's ultimate
source of power, the Silver Crystal, appeared inside the Court of Prayers
in Elysion to the surprise of all. And so there it remained under the
protection of the powers of Elysion for seven years, floating in a dormant
state…until now. Something must have brought the crystal back to life,
but what? Endymion shakes his head in wonder.
He looked at each of the Guardians of the Moon carefully. His gaze
softens to that of understanding and sympathy. Being a soldier himself,
he understood fully what it was like to watch your kingdom fall and
being helpless to stop the destruction. These eight young girls have
gone through a lot. They all watch the moon each night in hopes that
something would happen so that they could return to fight and free their
homeland. The royal families of the Moon and that of Earth were very
close friends, so when news of its defeat finally reached his parents,
King Altair and Queen Terra immediately sent for the ten surviving members
of the Moon Kingdom to be sheltered and protected on Earth.
Endymion also noticed that his eight generals were standing close behind
the Sailor Soldiers looking in bewilderment and awe at the incredible power
that was being released from this precious gem. A slight smile danced on
his lips as he recalled these sixteen people meeting each other for the
first time. Some of them clicked together almost instantly and some took a
bit longer to realize that they have fallen madly in love with each other.
"So what's the status?" He finally asked. Mercury and Venus jumped in
surprise having been so entranced by the power of the crystal that none of
them knew of his arrival.
"The crystal had suddenly awakened only fifteen minutes earlier, Darien,"
Pluto responded.
"Do you have any clue as to what is happening?"
"I'm afraid we are all as confused and in the dark as you are, Prince,"
Luna spoke.
Darien looked down at the black cat with a pale crescent moon sigil on
its forehead and asked, "Nothing at all?" The cat shook its head.
Then Mars spoke up, "I think the crystal is trying to help us."
Everyone instantly looked at her.
"What do you mean, Mars," Neptune asked.
"The dark force attacking us has slowly increased in strength over the
past seven years. We all know that we cannot hold out for much longer.
Perhaps the crystal sensed this and is now bringing us something or
someone from another world to help us."
"That *is* a possibility," Artemis nodded in agreement.
"Great! After seven years of sleep and finally this *thing* wakes up
and no one has any definite answers as to the whys, hows, and whats?"
Darien rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Perhaps we will know the answer soon…look!" Saturn pointed a small finger
at the crystal that was now glowing with increase power. A small point of
light appeared on the floor below the base of the marble column where the
crystal was resting on. Slowly this light began to increase in strength
and a form gradually appeared through the light. Then this form began to
solidify into a figure of a young girl with long gold silk hair lying with
her eyes closed on the cold marble floor beneath the marble column.
"What? A girl?"
=============================
She could feel her feet beginning to grow numb as she quickly ran toward
the light that was now sparkling brilliantly before her, luring her toward
it. She stopped just several feet from the small point of light.
W-where is this light coming from? She wondered. I can't see anything
behind it. It just seems to float in midair.
She looked at it in awe and bewilderment. So beautiful, she thought.
Unknowingly, she reached a cold hand out toward the light. When her
fingers touched the light, a strange warm energy flowed into her body.
For that one moment, she actually felt warm and…and happy.
Suddenly, the small point of light flashed intensely and a large portal of
blinding light opens before her. In surprise and fear, she pulled her hand
back quickly. She tried to step away from the portal and run back to the
orphanage but her body just couldn't move. Then a soft warm wind slowly
flowed around her from the bright opening, enveloping her cold body in
warmth. W-what is happening? Her mind screamed in fear.
I-I can't move! I can't free myself! The wind slowly pulled her toward
the opening until she stood just inches in front of it. Her mind screamed
in fear but nothing came out of her mouth. With another burst of bright
energy, she was pulled into the portal, which then instantly disappeared
leaving nothing behind to indicate that it had been there.
She could feel a strange warm energy surround her body protectively,
pushing away the cold that had numbed her arms and legs.
So warm, she thought. Where am I? Through her eyelids, she could
see a strange silver glow all around her. She unknowingly snuggled deeper
into the warmth of this strange light. And surprisingly a small smile
teased her lips and she slowly let her tired body slip into a deep and
wonderfully warm sleep, allowing the light to take her wherever it wanted.
=========================================
"What? A girl?" Jadeite cried in surprise. "Hey, Mars I thought you said
that the crystal is bringing something or *someone* to help us fight the
Dark Empress, but this…this girl?"
"So what is wrong with this…this girl?" Mars' eyes flashed dangerously at
him.
He gave her a quirky grin and his body tensed to make a dash for his
life as he replied, "You know Mars, girls are weak!" He noticed with
satisfaction the bonfire of hatred suddenly burst into life in those
beautiful fiery purple eyes of hers, eyes that has captured his heart.
"Weak?" She shrieked. "I'll show you who's weak! You are definitely going
to die, Buster!" She yelled as she chased him around the room, her clenched
fist waving threateningly in the air. Laughing hysterically, he tried to
keep his distance from her because he knew that if she caught him, he was a
dead man. God, how I love it when she gets mad, he thought.
Though sometimes I wonder why I take all these risks? He looks back
at her, smiling wildly as he saw her waving her fists at him and yelling
death threats at him at the top of her lungs. But her flushed face
and sparkling fiery purple eyes caught most of his attention.
That is why I take these risks, he sighed.
Everyone else groaned in irritation. I wonder how in the world these
two could have fallen in love with each other, Darien thought. Seeing
them now one would think that they are fierce enemies. Then again…
Darien looks at his General's face with his ridiculous grin and her fiery
eyes which reflect a spark of love and passion as she chased him, he shakes
his head. Then again, I'd probably think that they are simply insane.
Driven over the edge by love.
"Enough you two," Darien spoke in a stern commanding voice. Mars stopped
in the midst of frying Jadeite into a crisp and he stopped in the midst
of his attempt to reach a water fountain nearby. They both looked at him.
"We have more important things at hand?" He said, his open palm indicating
the young girl still lying unconscious on the cold marble floor.
"Right, who is she?" Venus asked, "Is she the one whom the crystal has
chosen to help us?"
"I don't really know," Mars said hesitantly, "I just made a simple guess
about the reasons as to what the Silver Crystal was doing, but it was
only a guess. I have no clue if I am right or not."
"So what should we do with her?" Malachite asked, standing with his arm
around Venus' waist. Darien looked at the young girl for a moment unsure
of what they should do. Should we just send her back to wherever she
came from, he questioned, or should we let things take its course and see
what the crystal had in mind by bringing us this girl? His deep blue
eyes observed her carefully taking in her long golden hair tied up in a
style he had never before seen. He noticed that she had the most beautiful
face with long soft eyelashes that brushed her soft skin gently, and lush
pink lips. She's so beautiful, he thought. Even her worn clothing could
not hide her beauty. Then suddenly catching himself, his mind cried,
Whoa, Darien. You don't even know who she is. So, another voice argued
back, that doesn't mean that I can't think she is beautiful, gorgeous in
fact. "What the world am I doing arguing with myself," Darien whispered
to himself. Shaking his head in confusion, he suddenly looked up to the
others and said, "First things first, we should get her off this cold floor
and into a warm bed. If you all haven't noticed, she is still unconscious.
We must help her recover from her journey and decide what to do from that
point on."
The others nodded in agreement; besides there was nothing else they can do
now.
"Once the girl wakes up then we'll have to talk to her. Ask her for her
name and why she is here, maybe she might know." Pluto said.
"Then it is settle," Darien confirmed. He stepped forward and gathered the
young girl into his arms. She is so light, he mused, and so soft.
He looked tenderly down at her and asked in a low whisper inaudible to the
rest, "Who are you?"
===============================
[Next chapter coming soon!]
read my first one, Serenity's Legend, this one is totally different!
This story does not fit into any episodes of the Anime series or any parts
in the Manga, unlike my first one. This one is a story in itself.
The first chapter may seem confusing because I switch from one place to
another. As you will find out, the first chapter takes place in two
different worlds. But that is only in the first chapter. I also
focus on one character at one time and switch to another character at
another time, but I hope you won't be confused by this. This story will only
have six parts, or petals as I call them here. I have also created
a few new characters here. Again, Uranus and Neptune are only friends,
not gay. It just makes my writing easier. And I use the Manga
characteristic of Zoisite, not the Anime, so he is not gay, either.
Sorry for such a long author's note, but this is the first chapter so there
are a lot of things I wanted to clear up so that no one will be confused
later on.
This story is rated PG for language and stuff (Nothing serious, so don't
worry. The worse thing possible would be the word "damn" (^_^))
Oh yeah, PLEASE email me and tell me what you think of my story.
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.
Just FEED MY EMAIL INBOX! I think it will die of starvation soon!
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made
possible by DiC.
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com
= thoughts
[ ] = author's note
Well, enough of my babbling! I hope you'll like this fanfic! Enjoy!
=======================================
Bloom of the Crystal Rose by Cosmos
The First Petal: Realm of the Soldiers
Soft white flakes of snow dance with the wind around a tall gray
brick building. The air was crisp and cold, nipping at the tender
noses of young children who were laughing and playing in a large field
close to the structure. A large ominous forest of mainly pine surrounds
the entire area giving it a look of seclusion and desolation. The
building was like that of a broken down old warehouse, aged by the
relentless assaults of Mother Nature. Here and there, pieces of bricks
were broken off from either the wind or rain or snow. The building has
small windows that were never opened regardless of the season. It was a
dreary place, where doors creaked and wooden floorboards groaned
relentlessly like a wailing ghost in the night. A weathered and almost
decayed piece of wood hangs above the entryway, flapping flimsily in the
wind. Small worn out block letters painted in white was barely visible
on the decaying piece of wood. It was a sign and the sign read:
Celestial Orphanage.
About two stories up, a small shadow was seen moving behind the frosted
glass of one of the windows. Alone, in a small dirty room, a girl of
about 17 years sat in solitude with only the silence as her companion.
She has long golden hair tied up in a unique hairstyle consisting of two
round buns on either sides of her head with two long ponytails trailing
from the buns down her back in magnificent waves of gold. She has on
but a simple outfit consisting of a worn out pair of dull brown pants and
a small gray tee shirt that seems to barely fit her. On her feet were two
pairs of worn out pink slippers where one of the straps was broken and tied
on with a string she had found somewhere in the field.
Her face was extremely beautiful with pale skin and rosy cheeks, and soft
pink lips that never knew how to smile. Her gemlike azure eyes dart from
place to place as she quietly watched the delicate snowflakes dance down
from the sky like fairies in a story. She gave a sad sigh that caused the
window to be further frosted. Taking a small delicate hand, she rubbed the
glass with her palm, wiping away the ice to reveal a world clothed in pure
white laid out before her soft gaze.
Below, she saw young children, much younger than she was, play innocently
in the snow. Some were lying in the soft flakes, flapping their thin arms
up and down while their eyes shone brilliantly with joy. One of these
children stood up and looked down at her magnificent work of art. She gave
a light laughter and ran off toward another group of young children busily
building a fortress of snow and ice. She looked down from her window and
a slight smile danced in her eyes, though not on her lips. She saw that
the young girl had created an angel from the snow covered ground. She
continued to look at it as her eyes slowly became a lighter clear blue.
Once again her mind drifted away from reality as she lost herself in her
dreams. She imagined herself dressed in a beautiful white silk gown with
light gold trimmings around her neck. Her hair, though still in the same
style, was clean and shiny down her back with small ringlets of pearl
adorned around her buns of hair. She was graceful; she was beautiful.
She continued to imagine herself walking down a magnificent set of bluish
marble staircase toward a large room where she heard laughter and tinkles
of wineglasses as people were enjoying a celebration. She imagined this
room to be large with tawny marble floor and large windows facing a gorgeous
garden. The windows were draped with soft navy blue silk curtains
flowing like small waterfalls down onto the marble floor. She has now
reached the last few steps down the flight of stairs when she felt a
hand grasped gently onto hers. She turned her surprise blue gaze at a
young man standing slightly below her on the other side of the railing.
He was dressed in the old fashioned way as knights used to. But he was
not covered entirely in armor, instead only his lower leg and abdominal
area was protected with black plates of steel. Two pieces of the same
material also covered his shoulders from where a large flowing black
velvet cape was attached. The rest of the outfit consisted of a dark
blue material of some sort of smooth thick fabric. She strained her
eyes to see his face but it was hidden in shadows despite the light from
brilliant glass chandeliers hanging eloquently from the tall ceiling.
She took a step closer to him, but as the shadow slowly recedes to reveal
his face, she was suddenly awakened from her dream by a hand laid coldly on
her shoulders.
"What are you doing here?" a voice barked at her. "Why aren't you outside
like the other good little kids?"
Instinctively, she looked up to see an ugly worn out face of a woman in
her late forties glaring down at her with beady dull brown eyes.
"W-well it is a bit cold out there, Ma'am," she stammered. "I-I don't have
any winter boots."
The woman huffed, "So what? Those are just minor details.
Listen here, Missy, not everyone can afford those extra accessories
you know. Those little luxuries are for Princesses of which you are
certainly not. So quit complaining. Just be glad you at least have your
sandals to drudge around in. Now, off with ya', the Head Mistress wants
all you brats out in the field for some exercise. She says that if we let
you all be pampered too much then we will soon be ending up rearing lazy
pigs and not obedient children. Now get out of here before I report ya'"
"Y-yes Ma'am." She quickly stood up and rushed out the doorway, grabbing
her thin worn out pink jacket on the way.
The instant she stepped outside, the cold attacked her. She shivered
mercilessly in the only coat she has, her thin summer jacket. Her teeth
began to clatter and her lips lost its lush pink color to be replaced by a
pale blue. Looking around she saw the young children running about
laughing. I wonder how they can stand to play in such cold weather, she
thought. They are not wearing anything better than I am. Then it dawned
on her why they were running. The extra exercise was the only way they
can keep themselves warm, by running their hearts out. Shrugging her cold
shoulders she began to do a slow jog. After about an hour of running, her
body began to feel slightly warmer. Oh, how long are we supposed to
stay out here? She wondered. Unintentionally, her gaze looked toward
the woods quite a distance away. Are my eyes playing tricks on me or
did I see something glimmering behind those trees? Suddenly, a small
flash of pure white light appeared again. She instantly stopped jogging.
There it is again! Looking around and seeing that she was left
unattended, she quickly decided to sneak off and investigate.
She turned on her heels and ran toward the area where she had last seen
the light.
======================================================
"Prince Endymion! Prince Endymion come quickly!" cried a young woman with
reddish brown hair tied in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her long
flowing reddish-orange dress clung to her legs as she ran quickly toward a
man now stepping out from behind an ivory colored door.
"What is Rita?" A handsome young man with ebony colored hair and startling
deep blue eyes appear from behind a door. He was dressed in a beautiful
outfit of shiny black armor with navy blue pants and shirt. The armor
only covered the lower part of his chest and abdominal area, along with
the lower part of his legs and shoulders. By his side, hanging from his
hip was a sheath for his sword with intricate designs curved on its surface
in black and gold alloy. At the top of the sheath the handle of an
enchanting golden sword was seen protruding from the scabbard that was
covering it. The young man of 20 years knit his brow in frustration at
the woman running toward him, calling his name hysterically.
"Slow down, Rita. Take a deep breath. Now tell me what is wrong?"
Taking his advice, Rita tried to calm down and explained,
"The…crystal…from…the moon."
His eyes widen in surprise. "What about the crystal? Has it been
stolen, damaged? What happen? Tell me!" Then from behind her he saw a
young man with blond hair like the early rays of dawn walking quickly
toward them. "Andrew," he called to the young man, "what has happened
to the Silver Crystal?" He looked at his closest friend with fear
reflecting in his ocean blue eyes.
Upon reaching them Andrew placed a comforting shoulder on his love trying
to calm her down while speaking to Endymion at the same time.
"Nothing bad happened to the Crystal, Darien," Andrew assured him using
the nickname that all his friends used, "but somehow it has awakened."
"What? You mean after all these years, the crystal has been activated?"
"Yeah."
"By who?"
"We don't know. Luna said that no one besides the royal family can activate
the crystal, but since they are all imprisoned in limbo in the
quartz…I guess…it just simply activated itself."
"Is everyone there? All the Sailor Soldiers and my Generals?"
Andrew nodded in reply. "Good, come on you two we better get there fast.
We'll take the shortcut to Elysion."
Walking at breakneck speed, the three quickly left the marble hallway and
began to pass through a magnificent garden of white roses. They all
suddenly stopped in front of an old brick wall where vines of various plants
clung to the weathered structure. Placing his hand on the side of the wall,
he closed his eyes and concentrated his power as he whispered, "Kingdom of
Elysion, protector of Earth. I am Endymion, its guardian. Open your gates
and let me pass." Immediately, his hand began to glow in a strange gold
light and a gold door with roses curved on it appeared before them through
the wall. The door opened to reveal another magnificent garden on the
other side. But unlike the one they are in now, this garden has the most
perfect roses with all sorts of colors from pink to purple to blue,
colors never before seen in roses. Each petal of the multitudes of roses
was kissed by dew, glittering like precious gems. Endymion quickly
stepped through the portal followed by his two friends. A young man in a
white outfit with shoulder length silver hair and a small gold horn on
top of his forehead stood waiting for them behind the portal. Endymion
looked at him and gave a nod, "Nice to see you again Elios. Please lead
the way." The young man bowed and spread his hand indicating the direction
they were to take. Oblivious to the incredible beauty of the garden, these
four people headed determinedly toward an archway from where a bright
silver light was shining through.
As they stepped through, they all took in a sharp breath of surprise.
Floating before them all is a magnificent silver crystal unlike any he
has ever seen before. The intense hot light illuminating the marble walls
of the room came from this single small crystal. Standing in silent
amazement around this powerful object were the eight soldiers of the Moon
Kingdom and their two royal advisors. This small group of ten was the
only beings that have managed to escape the curse that was placed on their
beloved kingdom. Everyone else, as he had heard from these soldiers,
were all imprisoned in thick quartz. They believed that even their
Princess had felled to escape and was now a prisoner in the kingdom like
the rest of the royal family. For unknown reasons they were forced to
escape by a command from their Queen just moments before the curse was laid.
As a result they survived. And now they were seeking refuge in his
kingdom until the time when they can return and free their world.
Only moments after the Moon Kingdom was defeated, the Moon's ultimate
source of power, the Silver Crystal, appeared inside the Court of Prayers
in Elysion to the surprise of all. And so there it remained under the
protection of the powers of Elysion for seven years, floating in a dormant
state…until now. Something must have brought the crystal back to life,
but what? Endymion shakes his head in wonder.
He looked at each of the Guardians of the Moon carefully. His gaze
softens to that of understanding and sympathy. Being a soldier himself,
he understood fully what it was like to watch your kingdom fall and
being helpless to stop the destruction. These eight young girls have
gone through a lot. They all watch the moon each night in hopes that
something would happen so that they could return to fight and free their
homeland. The royal families of the Moon and that of Earth were very
close friends, so when news of its defeat finally reached his parents,
King Altair and Queen Terra immediately sent for the ten surviving members
of the Moon Kingdom to be sheltered and protected on Earth.
Endymion also noticed that his eight generals were standing close behind
the Sailor Soldiers looking in bewilderment and awe at the incredible power
that was being released from this precious gem. A slight smile danced on
his lips as he recalled these sixteen people meeting each other for the
first time. Some of them clicked together almost instantly and some took a
bit longer to realize that they have fallen madly in love with each other.
"So what's the status?" He finally asked. Mercury and Venus jumped in
surprise having been so entranced by the power of the crystal that none of
them knew of his arrival.
"The crystal had suddenly awakened only fifteen minutes earlier, Darien,"
Pluto responded.
"Do you have any clue as to what is happening?"
"I'm afraid we are all as confused and in the dark as you are, Prince,"
Luna spoke.
Darien looked down at the black cat with a pale crescent moon sigil on
its forehead and asked, "Nothing at all?" The cat shook its head.
Then Mars spoke up, "I think the crystal is trying to help us."
Everyone instantly looked at her.
"What do you mean, Mars," Neptune asked.
"The dark force attacking us has slowly increased in strength over the
past seven years. We all know that we cannot hold out for much longer.
Perhaps the crystal sensed this and is now bringing us something or
someone from another world to help us."
"That *is* a possibility," Artemis nodded in agreement.
"Great! After seven years of sleep and finally this *thing* wakes up
and no one has any definite answers as to the whys, hows, and whats?"
Darien rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Perhaps we will know the answer soon…look!" Saturn pointed a small finger
at the crystal that was now glowing with increase power. A small point of
light appeared on the floor below the base of the marble column where the
crystal was resting on. Slowly this light began to increase in strength
and a form gradually appeared through the light. Then this form began to
solidify into a figure of a young girl with long gold silk hair lying with
her eyes closed on the cold marble floor beneath the marble column.
"What? A girl?"
=============================
She could feel her feet beginning to grow numb as she quickly ran toward
the light that was now sparkling brilliantly before her, luring her toward
it. She stopped just several feet from the small point of light.
W-where is this light coming from? She wondered. I can't see anything
behind it. It just seems to float in midair.
She looked at it in awe and bewilderment. So beautiful, she thought.
Unknowingly, she reached a cold hand out toward the light. When her
fingers touched the light, a strange warm energy flowed into her body.
For that one moment, she actually felt warm and…and happy.
Suddenly, the small point of light flashed intensely and a large portal of
blinding light opens before her. In surprise and fear, she pulled her hand
back quickly. She tried to step away from the portal and run back to the
orphanage but her body just couldn't move. Then a soft warm wind slowly
flowed around her from the bright opening, enveloping her cold body in
warmth. W-what is happening? Her mind screamed in fear.
I-I can't move! I can't free myself! The wind slowly pulled her toward
the opening until she stood just inches in front of it. Her mind screamed
in fear but nothing came out of her mouth. With another burst of bright
energy, she was pulled into the portal, which then instantly disappeared
leaving nothing behind to indicate that it had been there.
She could feel a strange warm energy surround her body protectively,
pushing away the cold that had numbed her arms and legs.
So warm, she thought. Where am I? Through her eyelids, she could
see a strange silver glow all around her. She unknowingly snuggled deeper
into the warmth of this strange light. And surprisingly a small smile
teased her lips and she slowly let her tired body slip into a deep and
wonderfully warm sleep, allowing the light to take her wherever it wanted.
=========================================
"What? A girl?" Jadeite cried in surprise. "Hey, Mars I thought you said
that the crystal is bringing something or *someone* to help us fight the
Dark Empress, but this…this girl?"
"So what is wrong with this…this girl?" Mars' eyes flashed dangerously at
him.
He gave her a quirky grin and his body tensed to make a dash for his
life as he replied, "You know Mars, girls are weak!" He noticed with
satisfaction the bonfire of hatred suddenly burst into life in those
beautiful fiery purple eyes of hers, eyes that has captured his heart.
"Weak?" She shrieked. "I'll show you who's weak! You are definitely going
to die, Buster!" She yelled as she chased him around the room, her clenched
fist waving threateningly in the air. Laughing hysterically, he tried to
keep his distance from her because he knew that if she caught him, he was a
dead man. God, how I love it when she gets mad, he thought.
Though sometimes I wonder why I take all these risks? He looks back
at her, smiling wildly as he saw her waving her fists at him and yelling
death threats at him at the top of her lungs. But her flushed face
and sparkling fiery purple eyes caught most of his attention.
That is why I take these risks, he sighed.
Everyone else groaned in irritation. I wonder how in the world these
two could have fallen in love with each other, Darien thought. Seeing
them now one would think that they are fierce enemies. Then again…
Darien looks at his General's face with his ridiculous grin and her fiery
eyes which reflect a spark of love and passion as she chased him, he shakes
his head. Then again, I'd probably think that they are simply insane.
Driven over the edge by love.
"Enough you two," Darien spoke in a stern commanding voice. Mars stopped
in the midst of frying Jadeite into a crisp and he stopped in the midst
of his attempt to reach a water fountain nearby. They both looked at him.
"We have more important things at hand?" He said, his open palm indicating
the young girl still lying unconscious on the cold marble floor.
"Right, who is she?" Venus asked, "Is she the one whom the crystal has
chosen to help us?"
"I don't really know," Mars said hesitantly, "I just made a simple guess
about the reasons as to what the Silver Crystal was doing, but it was
only a guess. I have no clue if I am right or not."
"So what should we do with her?" Malachite asked, standing with his arm
around Venus' waist. Darien looked at the young girl for a moment unsure
of what they should do. Should we just send her back to wherever she
came from, he questioned, or should we let things take its course and see
what the crystal had in mind by bringing us this girl? His deep blue
eyes observed her carefully taking in her long golden hair tied up in a
style he had never before seen. He noticed that she had the most beautiful
face with long soft eyelashes that brushed her soft skin gently, and lush
pink lips. She's so beautiful, he thought. Even her worn clothing could
not hide her beauty. Then suddenly catching himself, his mind cried,
Whoa, Darien. You don't even know who she is. So, another voice argued
back, that doesn't mean that I can't think she is beautiful, gorgeous in
fact. "What the world am I doing arguing with myself," Darien whispered
to himself. Shaking his head in confusion, he suddenly looked up to the
others and said, "First things first, we should get her off this cold floor
and into a warm bed. If you all haven't noticed, she is still unconscious.
We must help her recover from her journey and decide what to do from that
point on."
The others nodded in agreement; besides there was nothing else they can do
now.
"Once the girl wakes up then we'll have to talk to her. Ask her for her
name and why she is here, maybe she might know." Pluto said.
"Then it is settle," Darien confirmed. He stepped forward and gathered the
young girl into his arms. She is so light, he mused, and so soft.
He looked tenderly down at her and asked in a low whisper inaudible to the
rest, "Who are you?"
===============================
[Next chapter coming soon!]