SMSTSS 7: Tales of the Lady-in-White! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story (limited series).
Part 1: "Prehistory"
Dr. P. Tempo, a member and head composer of "Orchestra", an anti-Heartless/anti-Organization XIII group, was going over the records of the Moon Princess.
"Interesting," Tempo said, as he looked one particular file. Access to the electronic data was blocked, as symbolized by the logo of the Technocratic Union (or "Technocracy"). The symbol was a ribbon that wraps around to form a triangle, with the hermetic symbol for inspiration in the center.
"What is?" Usagi Tsukino said, as she looked up from her work. She was in the middle of doing her taxes…in every country in the world where she and Ranma had residences in, which is why she had books, PADDs and financial records on her heavy, oak desk. She preferred to do her paper work at the Rantsu Foundation Building in the heart of Downtown Tokyo.
"I can't get into your journal."
"Oh, okay," Usagi said, as she takes off her glasses, before getting up. She had allowed Tempo to look at her personal files, so that he could write a biography about her considerable life. One of the things Tempo was fascinated about the Moon Princess was the decision to create the clandestine organization known as "The Technocratic Union" (or simply, "The Technocracy"). The Technocracy was originally conceived as a bulwark that would protect humanity from "dragons", whether they were mad geniuses, insane wizards, monsters, demons or worse. Unfortunately, over time, the very organization designed to protect humanity would go on to protect humanity by control humanity. Thankfully, Usagi took back control of her organization, and instituted the reforms that would bring the organization back in line…
"What's up?" Usagi said.
"I get into this data cabinet," Tempo said, as Usagi took a look at the PADD. "Ah."
"'Ah', what?"
"This is an immersion record," Usagi said. "Instead of reading a document, you experience the document."
"That's odd."
"Not really. Hyper-science is about maximizing efficiency when processing and utilizing data, regardless of the discipline or subject. This immersion record is an example of that."
"So, will the reader BE the subject or witness the subject's actions?"
"The later, but you will be in the heart of the action."
"Can events be changed?"
"Nope. You will literally be a character that the immersion process will make, but you will also not remember your own personal background."
"You…you're talking about the manipulation of the memories of the reader."
"Yes, and that is why you have to have strong will and a disciplined mind in order to experience my life story."
"I'm surprised that you have a disciplined mind, considering your fetish for childish things…like your 'Hello Kitty' collection, for instance."
"Hey, I'm just young at heart," Usagi said, as she feigned indignation. "Look, I can play 'Princess Bride' because I CAN. You look at other Princesses, and what? 'Oh, I'm SO sad because I'm duty bound by my station in life'. Please. They, unlike moi, don't know how to compartmentalize their lives. I have ruled nations and empires in my lifetime, doctor, and ruled them well. Being 'silly' is my release from all that responsibility, because I don't have to worry about being responsible for life-and-death decisions. Do you remember that Requiem clown that we fought last year? Had he gotten to know me, instead of assuming that I was some 'witch' that needed to be destroyed, he would have known that I was done advocating the control of the destinies of humanity. But no, he had to step up to me, cause all manner of havoc, and was slapped down for it."
"Yeah, it seemed easy for you to beat him," Tempo said.
"No, it wasn't. I was better prepared to deal with him, that's all. Had he went after me from the get-go, he could have defeated me. The problem for him was that I've been fighting constantly for the past few years, with every super-villain going after me, on top of Ranma enhancing my training skills."
Pause.
"And that is why I created the Technocratic Union back in the 1300s, although I have been around long before then."
"Huh," Tempo mused. "Well, can I at least observe what happened? I want to observe these events objectively."
"Huh, okay…let's go to the holodeck room then. Follow me…"
And, with that, Usagi walks up to the bust of Mozart Amadeus on a nearby shelf, lifts the head to expose a button underneath, and presses the button."
CHUNK!
WOOOOOMMMMMM…
The book shelf slides apart to reveal the holodeck archway.
"God, how I love tesseracts," Usagi said.
"Impressive," Tempo said. "I wouldn't think you would be able to install such a system without notice."
"Very carefully, my friend. I definitely don't want to risk violating building codes…"
Usagi then walks up to the arch, and inserts the PADD into a slot.
CHIRP-TING!
"Computer, utilize record for playback," Usagi said.
CH-CHIRP!
"Okay, then. Open doors."
FWOOOMMMMM…
Usagi turns back towards Tempo.
"Come, and watch your step…"
Tempo mulls over Usagi's words, as he enters the holodeck.
"Why is it so dark in here?" Tempo said.
"Because we are at the beginning of Time, right before the Big Bang," Usagi said.
"What?" Tempo exclaimed. "You are…old?"
"Don't be silly, doctor. Ranma, I, an Earth woman named Hoshi Sato and an alien woman named T'Pol were zig-zagging all over the place, trying to return home. Along the way, we ended up here. Watch…"
In the middle of a darkened Universe, there was a lone craft. However, it was occupied by four people…
"Thanks a lot, Ranma," Hoshi complained, as she leans back in her seat. "Now, we're stuck here in the middle of nowhere."
"Was it necessary to jettison the anti-matter containment while we were in the middle of the timeline?" said T'Pol, as she raised an eyebrow disapprovingly.
"Look, those 'Reapers' were on our tails," Ranma said, as he looks up from repairing the instrument panel, which was still fried. "If we didn't do anything, we would be dead."
"Reapers" are multi-limbed, flying creatures similar to pterosaurs, with a large wingspan, sharp teeth both in the form of a beak and a secondary mouth in their torsos, coupled with a rapacious attitude. The Reapers are apparently extra-dimensional, materializing and dematerializing out of the space-time vortex. They are attracted to temporal paradoxes and anything else that might damage time, like bacteria swarming around a wound. They then proceed to "sterilize" the wound by consuming everyone in sight. Unfortunately, time travel tends to attract such creatures, like white blood cells to a virus that is in the blood stream. Thankfully, the Reapers were destroyed by way of anti-matter containment.
Unfortunately, it also meant that they were suck…at the beginning of time…
"Ranma, no one is blaming you, per se," Usagi said, as she looks up from her monitoring duties. "But we are stuck here in this era," Hoshi said. "And look at that…"
Hoshi focuses the shuttle's monitors onto a silver egg. It appeared to be pulsating with power…
"That thing looks like it'll explode any moment now."
"Ranma, what are we going to do?" Usagi said frantically. "I don't want to die!"
"Calm down, Usagi," T'Pol said. "No one is going to die."
"We just need to figure out of this situation," Ranma said. "I'm sure of it."
"Hmmm," Usagi thought for a moment. "There may be a way to remedy this."
Usagi stood up. She then looks around towards her friends…
"If…what I am about to do fails, then it has been nice knowing you."
"Usagi…?" Hoshi began to say. The part of her that was Prince Endymion felt alarmed.
"What are you-?" Ranma said, as he got up from his seat.
"What I can do is something that is within my power, I hope," Usagi said, as she shifts into Moon Princess Mode. "Wish me luck…"
FLASH!
And the Moon Princess is gone.
"Usagi, wait-!"
"Amazing," T'Pol said, as she went to her sensor reader, and examined what was going on outside the shuttle. "The amount of power that she is building up from within is incalculable."
"Who cares?" Ranma said angrily. "We don't know what's going to happen to her-!"
FLASH!
Everyone inside the shuttle was now frozen in Time, which was being used as a form of stasis.
"It is…done," the Moon Princess said with sadly. "I…hope that I will still be around to see them again…"
With that, the Moon Princess went into a deep meditative sleep, just as a new Universe was born.
Let there be LIGHT…
BOOM!
A white light emerges, sending the shuttle containing the Moon Princess' companions hurtling through deep space. Wings emerge from the Moon Princess' back, which were used to shield her from the effects of a new Universe being born. Eventually, the Moon Princess was surrounded by debris, which coalesced around her. However, she wasn't the only thing that was contained by the material that was spewed by the Light. The Presence, some would say "The Trespasser", according to those who existed before this big bang, was also contained. However, it sensed a kinship with the Moon Princess, so it extended its wing around the girl.
"Ahhhhh," the Moon Princess said, as she cuddled with the entity, as she continued to sleep…
Billion of years later…
Throughout her sleep, the Moon Princess sees what the Presence sees, as life and consciousness came to the Universe, and even before, since time had no meaning just yet. During this time, all eleven dimensions were one, which is why the shamans of the "Dreamspeakers" saw no difference between that which was immaterial and that was material. Regardless, before the Universe was born, there was Khaos, Nekros and Cithulu. Upon the arrival of the Trespasser, also known as the Presence (or "The One"), the Universe was born. With this interaction, comes the Triat to being order and consciousness to this Universe: the Wyld, the Weaver, and the Wyrm. From them comes the First Ones, also known as the Protogenoi: Lorien the First, The Endless, the Watchers, Galactus, Celestials, the Chosun, Gaia (the Mother) and Yahweh (the Father) and many others. They would go by many names, but their purpose was to sow the seeds for new life, both sentient and otherwise. But their role in the development of the Universe was not the only miracle that would come about, as the Moon Princess continues to dream…
"I watch the first sentient creature in the Universe to ever will itself to move…do just that," the Moon Princess dreamed. "And it is the origin of willpower—the Green—itself. Thousands of years fly before my eyes as creatures escape Earth's oceans and crawl to land. Some take to the air. Some flee for survival, and a fear is experienced for the first time, and thus the Yellow was born…"
The Moon Princess extends her senses, and sees the first act of Love—the Violet—and of jealousy.
And of Rage—the Red—when the act of jealousy turns to murder.
But from Hope—the Blue—comes from the Moon Princess' prayer for her friends' safety, and from Compassion—the Indigo—comes the realization that she may one day see them again…
The last thing the Moon Princess sees is blue men from the stars, men who saw themselves as "guardians", commune with the avatars of this…emotional spectrum. However, only one aspect of the emotional spectrum, the Green, would be used to create a corps consisting of lesser species that would use their will to affect order in the Universe…for the greater good.
However, the Presence was not pleased, since order, without free will, is tyranny in the making. So, he turns towards the once and future Moon Princess.
"We must make sure that the scales are balanced, so that the Universe continues to be dynamic, and therefore grow, or the Darkness will return," the Presence said. "Will you undertake this mission?"
"I will," the Moon Princess said. "But what about you?"
"I will sleep until it is time to leave this Cosmos, when all of life has run its course," the Presence said. With that, the Presence imbued her with its essence.
FLASH!
"Oh!" the Moon Princess said in surprise. It felt practically…orgasmic.
"One day, the What-Came-Before will attempt to destroy me," said the Presence, who was pleased by his final act. "It will be up to you to save the Universe…"
And with that, the Presence disappears from the Moon Princess' senses.
Emerging from the bowels of the Earth, the Moon Princess walked the Earth, until she sees Hyperion, son of Ouranos and Gaia fishing for food. Back then, the fish were as big as whales.
"First catch of the day!" Hyperion said pleasingly. "My brothers and sisters will be pleased…"
"May I partake that feast of yours, sir?" the Moon Princess asked. "It's been a while since I last ate."
Hyperion turns to see one of the most beautiful creatures in all of creation, and was speechless.
"…"
"Well?"
"What is your name, kind lady?" Hyperion asked.
"I...I am simply the avatar of the Presence, sir," the Moon Princess said. "I'm everywhere, like the wind."
"Then I shall call you…'Ether', for you are like the skies around us, and your eyes are just as blue."
The Moon Princess giggled.
"Then Ether, I shall be…"
Ether (or, as the lore would tell it, "Theia") would stay for a year with Hyperion, and give birth to three children: Eos (dawn), Helios (day) and Selene (night) over the course of thirteen months. However, it was Selene that would hold Theia's attention.
"My baby girl," Theia said, as she nursed Selene. "I imbue you my legacy, and of love and a sense of justice, so that, through you, the White light of the Presence will flow through you, and, through you, my House shall be born."
It did feel strange that Theia would end up becoming her own ancestress, though…
Nevertheless, Theia fashions a crystal with the power of the White light to give to Selene as a symbol of her legacy. That crystal will one day be called the Silver Jewel, otherwise known as the Silver Millennium Crystal. And it will be through Selene that one named Sailor Moon will be born...
At the end of the thirteenth month, which would later be used to justify the Lunar Calendar, Theia left her new family, and disappeared back into the bowels of the Earth. Perhaps, she'll sleep her way back to the 21st century, so that she would not inadvertently create some sort of temporal paradox…
WRUNCH!
"I got you," Ranma said, as he pulls the Moon Princess from the ground.
Theia looks at Ranma. Her vision was blurred, while she could barely speak.
"…"
"Ranma, we need to get her back to the ship," Hoshi said, as she helped Ranma escort the Moon Princess to their shuttle. "We have to leave before our past selves arrive."
Theia reached in her distant memory. Yes, she remembered that at this time, circa 10,000 BCE, another Usagi, Ranma, Hoshi and T'Pol, along with Makato Kino, would be arriving soon, in order to become the gods of this world…
"Usagi, how are you?" Ranma asked.
"…"
"What was that?" Ranma said, as he leans in closer.
"What…took…you…so…long?" Usagi said with a half smile.
"…"
Tbc.
Next Time: "To 5000 BCE"