A/N: *Sighs* Yes, I deleted "True Heart of the Earth" and have uploaded a newer version of it. I just wasn't satisfied with it. But I have planned things out better this time. Third time's a charm! ^^;
Also, I'll be taking certain elements from the manga:
*The Golden Crystal is the Earth's equivalent to the Silver Crystal and is Mamoru's crystal: I'm not really a Mamoru fan, but I do think it was unfair how little he was developed in the anime, especially in terms of powers.
*The Senshi's past in the Silver Millennium is taken from the manga, including their relationships with the Shitennou: This is because we've seen more of their previous lives in the manga, including their roles as the Solar System Sailor Princesses. Also, Crystal (which follows the manga closely) confirmed what Naoko Takeuchi had implied about the Inner Senshi/Shitennou pairing.
*I'll be including attacks that were only used in the manga/Crystal: Like my issue with Mamoru, I hated how the Inner Senshi didn't level up as much as Sailor Moon in terms of attacks. Hate on the manga/Crystal as much as you like, but at least the Inners had their own cool attacks.
*The details of Neo-Queen Serenity's ascension to the throne and the formation of Crystal Tokyo will be taken from the manga: The whole "Earth being plagued by a second ice age and Serenity waking up in the 30th century to save the planet" deal never made sense to me. And since I'm following the manga canon of Crystal Tokyo, the Silver Crystal Chibiusa uses is one she generated herself, rather than the one the queen passed down to her.
*The movies are not canon in this story: They do not exist to me.
Also, this story takes place in the 21st Century like Crystal *covers ears to block out the groaning of the Crystal haters* so expect to see some smartphones, tablets, and some references to real-life modern day occurrences.
Remember, you have to build up to the rise before you get to the great fall.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.
The moonlight carried the message of love.
The Earth was the land of hope.
Her existence, connected to the shining white pearl that graced the night sky, was incredibly lonely, comforted only by the serene sea she frequented. Though her role in life was undeniably more important than most others', she detested it at times. She was only to guide and watch over them from afar— never to interfere with them directly. So from her post, she watched over them all, observing the simple happenings of their everyday lives; she watched them grow and experience happiness, sadness, and suffer through madness and horror. She watched people find true love with the ones they cherished, and watched others go through heartbreak. She watched families come together and watched others be torn apart. While such affairs were considered trivial to the rest of her kind, her heart went out to all those souls as she did her best to guide them. Even though she was obliged to support them, she loved them as if they were her own people.
And then she saw him.
A compassionate visage that soothed the hearts of anyone who gazed upon it, dark locks of luscious hair that often fell into beautiful ocean blue eyes that would put the seas of Neptune to shame, a tall, powerful figure that contrasted with his gentle nature, and a noble heart that could stir envy within the soldiers of Jupiter.
Transfixed by his beauty and pure heart, she began to watch him intently, secretly hoping no one of Venus would snatch him up. For days, she would gaze at him with hungry eyes akin to those of a starved lioness desperately wishing to ravish a delectable looking gazelle. Her obsession was distracting her from her duty, but she didn't care. She wished to marvel at her handsome specimen for as long as she wanted. But she soon grew tired of merely watching. Though it was taboo, she left the comfort of her Moon and ventured to the blue and green jewel of the Solar System.
Her kind was known to the people of this rural planet and she could easily be recognized by her porcelain complexion, moonlight colored hair, and the golden crescent symbol on her brow that marked which domain was under her rule. But she was going to be careful today; for her escapade, she donned the appearance of a Terran in order to fit in.
As she journeyed through a lush grassy plain of the Golden Kingdom, a small smile graced her ethereal features. The Moon had no vegetation to speak of. It was barren and lifeless—a desolate pearl that was only around to look pretty. She paused to enjoy the feeling of the warm breeze that was tickling her skin and causing her hair to flutter. The Moon didn't have a natural climate, so she didn't get to experience phenomena like wind. She watched as a light gale caused the shamrock green blades of grass and the nearby trees to sway rhythmically. It was as if the area was a choreographed welcome meant to give her a warm reception.
She must have known I was coming.
Her breath caught in her throat. There he was. Kneeling on the ground and tending to some wilting flowers, was her favorite obsession. Oh, he was beautiful, a perfect embodiment of the Earth: grounded, mystical, and strong. When he looked up and met her eyes, a chill went up her spine.
At that moment, the clouds in the night sky parted and a shaft of moonlight rained down on her, highlighting her unearthly allure. Her eyes locked with his, and she could see it swimming in those pristine, ocean blue eyes—the desire to receive the message of love from the Moon.
On that rainy night, the harsh thrashing of raindrops against her side of her house didn't rouse her from her slumber, but soothed her, allowing her to sleep soundly.
As the sweet lull of dreams persuaded her to stay in the land of sleep, a white light filled the room, the rays of which caused her to toss and turn in her sleep. The light soon condensed into a humanoid figure. Observing her with gloomy eyes, they hesitantly walked over to her and caressed her cheek while fighting against the tears that were threatening to spill out. Despite it all, she's still the same. Lower, their hand drifted, down to the mound that was made visible by her tank top. They rested their hand on her cleavage, with their fingers brushing against her smooth breasts. As a bit of red filled their cheeks, they jerked their head away painfully, filled with guilt for what they were about to do to her. "I'm sorry," they choked out. "This is for the best."
Sounds of pain followed soon after, but they were immediately muffled. It was unclear how long the ordeal lasted, but throughout it all, she never woke up. She screamed as much as she was able—until her voice grew hoarse—but the mercy of consciousness never came to her. Once the job was done and the whimpering had subsided, they trudged away from her bedside. Their body, racked with shame, trembled violently as they hugged themselves in an attempt to shake away the remorse. They had done what was necessary and what they had just planted in her would soon take root.
When they left, she finally awoke, drenched with sweat. As her eyes adjusted to the dark room, her chest heaved with every deep breath she took. My heart pounds. She placed a clammy hand over her chest to calm her nerves. Once her vision solidified, she scanned her bedroom— a small space illuminated only by the moonlight streaming through the open window. She searched for anything that didn't belong, and sure enough, she'd found something. Trailing from the edge of the bed and leading to the window, were red petals. Roses? It may have been due to the sparse amount of light in the room, but for a moment—just a moment—those petals looked like pools of blood.
But that wasn't what had her on edge.
At the end of the trail of petals, was a white butterfly with its delicate wings were torn and thrashed.
They had gathered in their usual meeting spot—Rei's room at the shrine—however, it wasn't just the five of them talking, studying, and eating snacks that day. In a rare occasion, the girls were joined by Mamoru, Luna and Artemis, and even the four soldiers of the Outer Solar System.
Mamoru stood off to the side, standing by the overturned table and the shattered China teapot, unfazed by the puddle of spilled orange jasmine tea he was stepping in as he directed his azure gaze to the two girls standing by Rei, his eyes full of disdain.
The Outer couple were by the open sliding door, looking down on the group in their usual manner as the afternoon August sunlight shone over them. Michiru was currently supporting Haruka by the arm, while the sandy blonde put a hand to the corner of her swollen, bleeding lip. The vexed Soldier of Uranus, however, was unperturbed by the blood dripping onto her fingers.
Setsuna stayed in the corner, nervously weaving and unweaving her hands. She averted her eyes from the scene, unwilling to look at the mess she had helped to create. She could feel her fellow guardians' burning stares on her, imploring her to speak against the Moon Princess, but she stayed silent.
Luna was curled up in the opposite side of the room to the Soldier of Pluto, her blue eyes nervously darting between the feuding groups as she wondered whose side she should take. Her feline eyes eventually found Artemis, narrowing in irritation at her future husband for deciding too quickly.
Rei was by her princess' side, angrily staring down the people who were supposed to be her friends and comrades. Her violet eyes drifted to the maroon bow-wearing girl who was being held back by the blonde heroine, keeping an eye on her just in the case her bloodied hand flew to the brooch that was resting on the bow of her school uniform.
In the center of the room, Hotaru stood between the fractured group, holding out her arms to keep both sides at bay. Her lips and fingers twitched as if she were planning to call upon the Planet of Ruin to aid her in defusing the argument.
To her right, Ami and Makoto rallied behind Minako; the red bow-wearing blonde sported a bruised and bloody nose, yet she treated her sore wrist with more care even as blood dripped onto her lips, all while her baby blue eyes, dark with contempt, glowered at the other bow-wearing girl who had given her the injuries in the first place.
To her left, the priestess-in-training of Hikawa Shrine stationed herself by the blonde messiah, her hand slipping into the skirt pocket of her uniform where a bit of white was visible. Most likely an ofuda to immobilize the others, she assumed.
The princess had her arms wrapped around the newcomer's shoulders—a sign of affection and restraint.
The newcomer stood protectively before the princess, her hands tightening in fists, ready to strike again should the other "guardians" make another move. She glared back at the Soldier of Love with scorn and mockery in her lazuli eyes, yet her expression was as hard as stone.
While everyone was either glaring at her or at each other, Usagi shut her eyes. She replayed everything that had led to this—from the most minor decisions to the major choices that led to this impromptu meeting—and she didn't regret a thing, even though they earned her a slap from the Venusian Senshi. She brought a hand to her stinging cheek and opened her eyes. When she did, Minako's scornful glare bore into her.
Minako straightened up, shrugging off Ami and Makoto's helpful hands. She wiped away the blood from her nose with a haphazard swipe of her hand, paying no mind to the crimson that stained the sleeve of her blouse. Looking her foolish "princess" dead in the eye, she spat out, "I regret protecting you."
Four months ago, those words would have shattered Usagi. She would have been reduced to a sobbing mess and gotten on her hands and knees, begging one of her dearest friends to forgive her. She would have done anything to keep them by her side, promising to shape up and be a better person, casting aside her "silly" behavior and conform to whatever they wanted. But now, Usagi gave the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love and Beauty a look of shame and pity, her next words conveying just how little she cared for the bow-wearing blonde and the others at that moment.
"I regret wasting my time on you slaves."
A/N: Please review!