Summery: Serena is back and the scouts are braced for god knows what. They broke oaths and they have to pay the consequences. Hopefully they won't be as bad as they think. Sequel to New Era.
Neo-Queen Serenity stood on her balcony overlooking the Crystal City of the Moon. It had taken ten long years but the Moon was rebuilt. The palace had been completed four years ago and that was when they had started talking with select world leaders and make allies.
Today, when the sun rose, the world would learn of the Moon Kingdom. Tomorrow, she and her brothers would go to Earth and sign the peace treaties. She closed her eyes on the beautiful scene and remembered that day ten years ago, when she had sat in Tokyo Park as her world lay in pieces around her.
Tomorrow, she would finish what had started when the scouts had kicked her out. The gods wanted their due and it was long past time to give it to them. She would, but it wouldn't be what they expected. It wouldn't be what anyone expected. She was a ruler now.
A queen. She would do things her way. The day she bowed under anyone else was long gone. Those who had wronged her would feel her wrath. Beneath the balcony, in the City, she felt the presence of her brothers, the Sailor Knights Lunar and Solar, identical twins in everything but their hair and power.
Lucien had dark hair and control over dark light while Senya had blond hair and had control over daylight. She loved nobody more than those two. The outer scouts, Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto and too helped rebuild the Moon, they too were dear to her heart.
Helios, priest of Elysion, had given her suggestions and a comfortable shoulder to lean on when she didn't want to worry her brothers. All had helped her rebuild the moon. She picked up her Crystal Staff, which had been leaning against the railing, and stood straighter.
She had things to do before their descent to Earth the following day. It was time to begin the reign of Neo-Queen Serenity. The Crystal Millennium.
"It seems for the last four years, our government leaders from all over the world have been conversing peace talks with a new nation. To our complete surprise this new nation is in a very remote location. As in not on this planet.
Yes, folks, this nation is not on Earth but on the Moon. Named the Kingdom of the Moon, this nation is compromised of descendents of people who once lived on the moon. They are ruled, though, by the last of a royal bloodline.
Neo-Queen Serenity was formally of Earth but ten years ago relocated to the moon and with a mysterious gem she calls the Imperium Silver Crystal has established civilization on the moon. She will be coming to Earth tomorrow to finish signing peace treaties and to greet the civilians of Earth while…"
In the Crown Arcade, seven pairs of eyes stared in shock at the TV screen as it showed images of the Moon Kingdom. At last a dark haired girl named Raye, also known as Sailor Mars, turned to a black cat that sat in the windowsill, watching the TV, "What the hell is going on Luna?
We have been searching for the Moon Princess for twelve years and all this time she had been on the fucking Moon?" The black cat named Luna shook her head in dumb shock. I don't know what the hell is going on. My contacts have said that the princess was on Earth, not the Moon. Let alone rebuilding the Silver City and Moon Palace…"
She trailed off with shaking her head in bewilderment. Beside her, a white cat named Artemis voiced his thoughts, "its possible the princess had her full memories where we did not. But why she wouldn't come to us… Darien, what do you think?"
Artemis turned his blue gaze onto a dark haired man who sat nearby. He too was watching the news broadcast. A few years ago he had revealed he was the mysterious Tuxedo Mask and since then had worked with the scouts and advisers. Shaking his head he shrugged, " I have no clue. Ten years ago my dreams stopped.
I have no clue what happened but I think we will have some more answers if we go to the press conference tomorrow when the Queen will be there. Mina, you can get us in right?"
A blond to Raye's right nodded, "yea. My editor has a major crush on you Darien so it should be easy to get the rest of you into the conference as long as we don't cause trouble." Mina was a reporter and had connections in high places. Raye nodded, "then its decided.
We meet here tomorrow at two so we can get to the press conference well before three. Amy, Lita? You guys cool?" A blue haired and sable haired girl nodded their agreement. They didn't see the blond haired bartender narrow his eyes slightly as he listened to their conversation.
It was the next day and Neo-Queen Serenity walked serenely to the podium of microphones. She was…stunning was an understatement. Beautiful, breathtaking, whatever but she made you stop what you were doing and stare in pure appreciation.
She wore a long strapless white dress with white butterfly wings in the back, decorated with gold circles at the chest line. Her long hair was a silvery blond that was held up in two balls on top of her head and almost dragged on the floor. She wore a ruby-hearted tiara they later found was a heart moon tiara, and carried heart and wing shaped staff with a beautiful crystal flower in the middle of it.
On her forehead, marking her as descendent of the Royal Lunarians was a gold crescent moon. Her skin was pale, but her sky blue eyes held wisdom and intelligence. Facing the crowd, the scouts and Darien had to stop themselves from gasping.
It was Serena! Holy frickin' cow, it was Serena Tsukino, the Sailor Scout of the Moon they had kicked out many years ago. They watched dumbly as she smiled to the group and all the males fumbled their microphones or camera's.
Then they started asking questions. She picked and choose which she wanted to answer. Did you have help creating the moon kingdom? Who were the Sailor Knights? What was the Imperium Silver Crystal and what could it do?
To the last one she asked for silence then answered, "The Silver Crystal is a entity of its own. It chooses to serve the Royal Line, not the other way around. It can do many things as I have shown you on the moon. It has recreated the atmosphere the moon once had, it has kept the moon civilization secret from the Earth, and it has revived the memories of the many Lunarian descendents on the moon.
It can do much more and has but because I lived on earth for sixteen years and have come to love it and its inhabitants I do not want trouble with the Earth. I cannot use the Crystal for anymore than for defending what is mine and what I rule. I assure you that I do not wish to take over Earth with the Crystal or any of that. I merely want to live in peace with it."
Many more questions raced forward but Mina decided to voice hers and raised her voice, "what of the Sailor Scouts?" People went quiet at this question and the Queen looked to Mina.
Mina found herself looking into familiar yet strange blue eyes that seemed to search her soul, "The Sailor Scouts have done their job as well as could be done without their full memories. That is all I will say for the time being. Now I must leave. I will take my Lunar Spy with me."
She had declared earlier that she had a spy on each continent in case one tried to attack the moon. She would take each one with her as she visited the nations. Right now she raised her voice slightly, "I introduce my leading spy and my highest ranking commander, Commander Andres of Pluto, Commander of the Imperial Army of the Moon."
Everyone watched as a man dressed in jeans and a Tee stepped forward and knelt at Neo-Queen Serenity's feet. That man was Andrew Kobayashi. After that pleasant little shock the Queen left but the scouts and Darien knew they would see her again. In person.
The following week everyone was at Crown Arcade. There was a new bartender, since Andrew had gone with Serena. All the scouts and such were on edge, waiting for Serena. It was inevitable that they would meet again and everyone was waiting, wondering what she would do.
So it was around three and everyone was still at Crown Arcade doing the usual. A new boy had replaced Andrew so there weren't many questions but even if there were, no one would say anything. The doors opened, a normal thing for this time of day, but it was the voice that had them looking up, "well, if it was anymore depressing in here it would be raining."
Serena walked in, looking nothing like the silk clad goddess of last week. She wore only a pair of black cargo pants and a tight green tee. Her hair was curled into a messy bun so no one would notice its length and she walked in a pair of black and green Converses.
The only way to tell she might be the mysterious Queen of the Moon was her eyes. They were still the same sky blue, filled with intelligence and wisdom. Behind her were two figures. Both were the same height, same features, hell they could have been mirror images except for ones hair was black while the others was blond.
They stepped in and the door slammed behind them. Both scout, Darien, and cats were staring at them as Serena made her way to the middle bar stood and sat down, making herself at home. It was then that everyone noticed how quiet the arcade was. No one was there where minutes before it had been bustling with noise.
Not even the green bartender was there. It was only the scouts, Darien, the cats, Serena, and her two friends. Still friendly Serena gestured to the two males flanking her, "these are my brothers, Lucien and Senya Moon, the Sailor Knights Lunar and Solar. Introductions aside I'm pretty sure you all know why I'm here."
Silent nods went up. Every one understood their terrible mistake by kicking Serena out. She sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were the Queen's eyes, not fun loving Serena's, "I've taken time to think on your punishments and negotiate them with the gods.
Before you ask I mean the Olympian gods of old. They still exist and control our world. You all made an oath on the moon to protect the Royal Line and you failed. But I was able to talk to the gods and lesson your punishments because you didn't have your memories. My question is, will you accept them?"
Scout looked to scout, Luna to Artemis. Darien knew that this wasn't his time, whatever it was. Then Raye turned to Serena, who regarded them with emotionless eyes, "we have made the mistake against our better instincts, we accept the punishment."
Serena nodded and motioned to the dark haired brother they assumed was Lucien. Lucien took a dark sword from its invisible sheath and cut through the air with it. A picture shimmered to life. It showed a scantly clad woman with a bird on her shoulder. Long, lush blond locks hung to her waist. She looked at Serena and nodded.
Serena looked to Amy, "your punishment, Mercury, will be ten years servitude to the goddess Aphrodite of Love. There you will hopefully learn the beauty in all things and not just in numbers. Oh, one more thing. In the ten years you each will serve, you will not be able to access your powers nor contact any of the other scouts. You will be bound to the god or goddess who controls you."
Mercury gulped and stepped forward into the picture. A flash and Mercury and Aphrodite were gone. Lucien cut his blade again and another picture shimmered, this time of a man clad only in a pair of black swim trunks with a long black beard and a three-pronged trident in his hand.
He too nodded to Serena and she turned to Raye, "your punishment, Mars, will be ten years of servitude to the god Poseidon of the Sea. There you will hopefully learn to respect other elements and talents, weaker or stronger than your own." Ash gray Raye stepped forward and went through the picture. In a flash they were gone.
The ritual again and a tall, darkly handsome man stood there. He wore long blue-black robes with a head full of black hair. His face and exposed arms were dead pale and black eyes watched them coldly. Under his arm was an old time helmet of black iron. He nodded to Serena.
"Your punishment, Venus," she said looking at Mina, "is ten years servitude to Hades and his wife Persephone, God and goddess of the Underworld. There you will hopefully learn that dark is not always evil and life is not always peaches and cream."
A tear streak on her face, Mina stepped forward and into the picture. A second later, her and Hades disappeared. A picture was made again and this time a young boy stood there. He wore only a white sash and skirt belted at the waist with gold rope. Winged shoes clad his feet and a wreath of holly was on his head.
He nodded to Serena, "Your punishment, Jupiter, is ten years servitude to Hermes, the messenger god. Here you will hopefully learn about true survival and the darkness that can take over a soul.
Also you will hopefully learn that sometimes its better to do something that is demanded than to rebel and obey." Shaking, Lita stepped up and into the picture. A flash and Hermes and Jupiter were gone.
Sighing, Serena turned and saw Darien. An eyebrow lifted. "Still here? You do know that I cannot punish you, even if I wished? You are the Prince of the Earth and I hold no superiority over you." Darien looked at her and slowly shook his head. Serena sighed again, "you did nothing wrong anyways. Men have always been dense but I will ask Malachite to come here later and reawaken your memories. For now there is one last piece of business." She turned to Luna and Artemis.
"You both had partial memories and your sentence will not be as forgiving as the scouts'. The gods that you will serve under for ten years are not able to come to this time plane so Lucien and Senya are taking you.
Luna, your punishment will be ten years servitude to Hera, goddess of marriage. Artemis, your punishment will be ten years servitude to Zeus, Lord of the Olympians. Here you two will learn the strength of will, and see if yours can stand up to being pitted against each other in Zeus and Hera's endless battle for domination."
The two men came forward and in a second, both cats and men were gone. Serena sighed and returned the arcade to its normal time space continuum. She didn't stop to look at Darien but just walked out the door to the sunlight.
She hated punishments, even if the old resentment was there. The gods would be good to them, in their own way. It had been the concession to breaking the oaths. In ten years they could stay were they were on that planet, return to there own, or return to earth.
Whether she would trust them again as protectors of the Royal Line she didn't know. And Darien… that too would wait. She needed to find her feelings, figure out what they were and what to do with them.
An arm came around her shoulder and she looked up into chocolate brown eyes. She smiled and leaned against Helios' arm. "Thanks." She felt him smile, "I know you hate doing that so I thought I would take you for ice cream."
Serena grinned again at her surrogate brother. "You're the best Helios." The punishments were handed out and Darien would regain his memory soon. After that, who knows?
The EndReview
Chrys