Helios waited beside the mirrored gate to Elysion, thinking to himself that any moment now Small Lady would be here. "Little Maiden…" He said, wondering what was taking her so long. The clear pool down the steps from the gate reflected the white marble columns where he would pray.
"What could be taking her?" He wandered down to the pool and kneeled before it, the perfect white sphere in the sky stared back at him. For an instant, a chill shot through him and the moon was gone. The light that had been cast around him was no longer from the moon, daring to look up, he watched the dark night sky, the only light coming from the stars hanging in the sky.
"Prince! Princess!" What was that? Small Lady!
-0-0-
Chibi-Usa stopped just outside of Mama and Papa Tsukino's house, looking over her shoulder in the night sky the full moon hung low in the sky. Mama, Papa, I'll come visit you soon. She thought, she knew it was late, almost eleven, but she had promised to meet Helios and didn't want to be any later.
Already in middle school now, Usagi and Mamo-chan had left the area, leaving behind Chibi-Usa. Though Mamo-chan and Usagi called often, it didn't help that they were so far away.
All I have is Helios, all the guardians have left. But I guess since it's been so quite lately it's alright. Still… I miss them all. Chibi-Usa rounded the corner and found herself near the Juban District, the park wasn't too far from there, which is where she would meet Helios.
Stopping beside the pool she poked the tip of her shoe towards the glimmering basin. Her pink hair tumbled down from her rabbit ear like buns on the sides of her hair, it had gotten so long since she'd left the moon.
Small Lady!
Reflected in the pool the full moon suddenly vanished before Chibi-Usa's eyes. Mama…Papa…!?
An icy fist seemed to sink into her chest, clutching at her heart, the broach that held the Imperium Crystal suddenly dropped it's gem and it landed onto the ground. A slight tink! Sound came from it's impact, and it rolled to the side for a moment and suddenly cracked.
Not so deep that it might become two, but large enough to be clearly visible from here, Chibi-Usa dropped to her knees, grasping it between her finger tips with such urgency so as to confirm her fears.
Bringing it close she studied the crack, all the while the icy grip making her breath shorten and tighten and seemed to be strangling her.
"Help…me…!" Someone! Mama! Papa! Usagi!
-0-0-
I hate being so small. Mama says I'll grow up soon enough, but it's been so long. I want to be a grown up! I want to be tall and beautiful like Mama! Like Sailor Moon!
Chibi-Usa lay in total darkness, clutching the crystal to her chest, the tight feeling in her chest was gone, but in it's place total coldness surrounded her. Opening her eyes it was dark everywhere and the only light came from the hollow glow of the crystal.
"Hello…?" Her voice echoed.
"Greetings, Small Lady." A voice, familiar and scary sent a chill down her back. "You don't know me, but I know you quite well. I've been trapped in here for so long." From the shadows someone appeared, the blackness around them dissipating to a gray mist, as someone as beautiful as Sailor Moon stood before Chibi-Usa.
Long pink hair tumbled down to her hips from rabbit like buns on her head, a sleek black dress covering her form, and on her brow, an upside down black crescent moon.
"W-who are you?"
"You know who I am."
"Someone of the moon kingdom," Chibi-Usa said.
"Something like that, of the Black Moon Clan if you would. Small Lady, you can do better than that. My name is Black Lady, I'm you." She said, an evil smile on her face, her dark eyes zeroed in on Chibi-Usa.
"I remember when I had this body," Black Lady said, extending her arms around to the space around them, "it was nice. When I had Mamoru on my arm and all the power lying deep inside of me at my fingertips. You remember that, don't you?" A sickly sweet antagonizing tone carried her words.
"How? How can you be me?!" Chibi-Usa said holding the crystal in her hand all the tighter.
"Listen to me," Dark Lady extended her hand down to Chibi-Usa, "take my hand and you'll remember everything. How good it felt to be strong and beautiful and able to do what you've always wanted. We can take Mamoru back from that twit Sailor Moon once and for all."
"No! Mamo-chan has nothing to do with this!" Climbing to her feet Chibi-Usa slapped Dark Lady's hand away and stopped. Her touch cold as Dark Lady grasped her hand around Chibi-Usa's wrist and gazed into her eyes.
Her mouth moved, but Chibi-Usa couldn't hear her as she extracted the crystal from Chibi-Usa's fist.
'I'll say hello to the world for you. And Helio's too.'
Before fading into Darkness, Chibi-Usa saw how the crack in the crystal dove deeper into the gem as if to break, but held itself together still.
Please, someone, help…!
-0-0-
Far from Tokyo, Usagi and Mamo-chan were in the kitchen of their apartment, smiling to each other, they put away the dishes from their supper.
A chill made them stop, and suddenly they dropped to the ground. "Mamo…ru…." Usagi mumbled her hand finding Mamo-chan's before their eyes closed. A moment later in darkness the Imperium Crystal, from where it lay in the bedroom, sprouted into a flower, and in waves branched out to encompass the room, down the hall, and to the kitchen, where it covered the two of them, protecting them.
In the sky above the moon was gone, black as night space concealing where it once was. Far, far into space, the remnants of Dark Moon neared their course, shortly they would crash into the White Moon Empire.
Without Wiseman, Dark Moon had crumbled, but Prince Diamond was not gone. His body merely resting, regenerating and healing itself for his next encounter with the White Moon Kingdom. Now, as he stood in the gateway of his own palace, he knew this time he wouldn't be defeated.
Since he couldn't have the White Moon's Queen, he would have his own.
"Dark Lady, this time we will rule this world!" He spoke to the air, as if she would hear, and in reply a breeze greeted him. "Soon." He said.