Authors Note

First of all, Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Shards is the direct sequel to Sailormoon Labyrinth, also posted here. Since there are direct references to the characters and events of this story, I highly suggest you start there.

Secondly, this story takes place entirely in the future (Crystal Tokyo era) and primarily involves characters of my own creation. The royal family and the original senshi make "guest" appearances, but they are not the main characters. Chibiusa (mostly because I intensely disliked her when writing this) is also not a main character.

Finally, thank you so much to those of you who took the time to comment and review Labyrinth and those of you who sent me private messages telling me that you enjoyed it. I appreciate all your kind words and encouragement.

Everything beyond this is unnecessary to the story itself, so feel free to scroll past the next bit and get right to the story if you're so inclined!

Shards was originally written in the fall of 1999, which was my junior year in high school. Anime was very much not mainstream yet, and the handful of shows I'd seen were VHS tapes of fansubs. My Sailormoon knowledge was largely cobbled together from the dub version, other people's fanfiction, and image galleries that would post hundreds of pictures of each episode. It would literally take me hours to get through a few episodes with my dial-up AOL connection!

In 2009, as a pet project (and because it was Shards 10th anniversary) I went completely back over it and cleaned it up a little bit. The story and the characters are the same, but I've added a few scenes for the sake of clarity and adjusted a few others that didn't make as much sense as I thought they did all those years ago.

If you enjoy, have questions, comments, etc, feel free to review or send me a message. I do have a job and a life now, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. (And while I appreciate enthusiasm about my work, unless more than a week has passed since an update, please don't ask when the next chapter will be out. This is a completed work, true, but it still takes me some time to get things posted. I will try to have everything up before the end of May, probably much sooner, but please be patient!)

Constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not.

Prologue

In the Beginning, there was Nothing.

Darkness. Silence. Emptiness.

However, after countless years, a beam of light cut through the eternal blackness, and gave life to the universe.

The Silver Millennium.

Ruled by Queen Serenity, this was a time of happiness and prosperity. Learning and culture were predominant, and there was peace.

Nothing lasts forever, and a perfect world is often too easily shattered.

The Silver Millennium, located on the moon, was invaded by the planet it circled: Earth. Lead by Queen Beryl and Queen Metallia, the forces of Earth were successful in defeating the peaceful citizens of the kingdom on the moon. During the struggle, both Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium and Prince Endymion of Earth were killed. The court of the princess, the senshi of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus also fell at the hands of the attackers. Devastated by the loss of her daughter, Queen Serenity invoked an ancient power, channeled by a crystal called the ginzuishou. Using the last of her strength, and unlocking the true power of the crystal, Queen Serenity traded her life for those who had already perished. The inhabitants of the Silver Millennium were sent to Earth, the gift of a second chance given to them.

A New Beginning.

Princess Serenity revived as a girl named Tsukino Usagi, a normal girl at first glance, albeit a bit clumsy and somewhat of a crybaby. She held an amazing secret locked away in the farthest recesses of her mind: she was Sailormoon, a defender of justice. Protected by a mysterious man known as Tuxedo Kamen, one by one she awakened the other senshi.

Mizuno Ami, Sailormercury.

Hino Rei, Sailormars.

Kino Makoto, Sailorjupiter.

Aino Minako, Sailorvenus.

A newly awakened enemy known as the Dark Kingdom challenged them. Its leader: Queen Metallia.

In a desperate race to recover the ginzuishou, which had been lost through the endless currents of time, Usagi-chan discovered another startling secret about herself. She was Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium. Tuxedo Kamen, although nearly killed in the process, was revealed to be the long lost Prince Endymion. From a single tear, released from the eye of a lost princess, the ginzuishou was able to reform. In the hands of its rightful owner, the ginzuishou allowed Princess Serenity, with the help of her senshi, to purify Queen Metallia, destroying her. For their princess, the senshi died a second time. By releasing the power of the ginzuishou, Princess Serenity chose to follow the same path her mother had once taken. Spiraling into death, Tsukino Usagi made a final wish: "Please. Return my life to me."

The Birth of Crystal Tokyo.

When the world laid cold and dormant, a familiar light once again warmed its lifeless surface. Tsukino Usagi, now a full grown woman, unlocked the power of the ginzuishou and restored life, remaking the world. Her new kingdom was called Crystal Tokyo, and she was heralded as Neo-Queen Serenity. Her husband, King Endymion, ruled at her side, and together they produced a daughter, called Small Lady. Times once again returned to peace.

The Attack of the Dark Moon, Nemesis.

Again, time halts for no one, and change is inevitable. The peace of Crystal Tokyo was shattered by a brutal attack out of nowhere from the jealous people from the dark moon, Nemesis. The ginzuishou vanished, and Neo-Queen Serenity was placed inside a crystal casket for protection. The senshi rallied and created a barrier preventing Nemesis from any further attacks. Small Lady, with the help of the mysterious senshi of time, Sailorpluto, traveled back to the past to recover the ginzuishou there. Pursued from the future by the forces of Nemesis, Small Lady was finally captured and transformed into her dark self, Black Lady. Nearly killing both Serenity and Endymion, Black Lady was healed by the power of love her mother and father felt for her. Serenity took the form of Neo-Queen Serenity, her future self, and with the help of Small Lady banished Nemesis with the combined power of two ginzuishou.

The Fall of Crystal Tokyo.

Sensing that peace could not prevail forever, Neo-Queen Serenity, with all of her senshi, utilized the power of the ginzuishou to create a structure called the Labyrinth. A sprawling maze in Crystal Tokyo, the strongest or most aggressive of the citizens used the Labyrinth to vent their combative urges. The more aggressive of the senshi used the Labyrinth as a training ground, and the elite that made up the Royal Guard were obligated to traverse the Labyrinth as a final test. Little did anyone know, save possibly a young princess generally called Usa-chan, that evil was lurking within the depths of the maze.

In an unexpected strike, the demons and creatures inhabiting the Labyrinth broke loose of their confines and ravaged the city. Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and all of the senshi were killed defending Crystal Tokyo. Usa-chan, surviving by a freak accident, discovered that Sailorpluto, at the Gate of Time, had also come through the attack alive. At the command of the senshi of time, Usa-chan traveled to the past in hopes to avert the tragedy awaiting the future.

Discovering that they faced not one enemy, but two, the senshi were finally forced to admit they couldn't prevent the events of the future from occurring. Sailorpluto, with the help of the mysterious senshi of dreams and reality, offered to take the powers of the senshi to their future children, who had been saved by the nameless guardian senshi. The powers passed to the next generation, and with the help of Princess Serenity, Usa-chan destroyed the newest enemy using the power of two combined ginzuishou.

Returning to their respective times, the senshi and their children had their memories erased by Sailorpluto. The guardian senshi caused the Labyrinth to disappear into a space between realities, therefore avoiding the destruction of Crystal Tokyo. Usa-chan alone carried the story of what had happened to Crystal Tokyo, and within her, she carried a secret she didn't dare reveal to anyone...

Thus, A New Story Begins.