Author's Note
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is a copyright of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei, Kodansha and probably other people and companies bigger and more important than me.
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Labyrinth, both the concept and any original characters belong to me, so please don't take them without asking.
When I first started writing this, I had seen only the R and S movies in Japanese. Although I had a fairly good idea of what was changed from the original to the DiC version, I wasn't really that familar with the little individual personality changes all of the senshi went through. As the fic progressed, I saw more of Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and this reflected in my writing.
Since there is no distinction between l and r in Japanese, in order to simplify all of the "Serenities" I've used:
Neo-Queen Serenity = formerly Tsukino Usagi and Sailormoon
Neo-Princess Selenity = formerly Tsukino Chibiusa and Sailorchibimoon
Neo-Princess Serenity = called Usa-chan. The daughter of Neo-Princess Selenity.
(Selenity and Serenity are still pronounced the same way.)
Since at least one person has reviewed since I started updating again, I'll post a note here to clarify something. This fic was originally written in 1999. I was moving files onto my new computer when I ran across this and decided to finish reposting it now (2007). Therefore, as much as I love hearing from people who enjoy what they're reading, the story's pretty much going to stay as it is. Naturally any feedback about my style in general and things that might still apply to my current writing are always appreciated, and if something specific is confusing you as you read you're welcome to drop me a line.
Prologue
Smoke rose lazily from a few toppled buildings, and a hot wind fanned several fires burning out of control. The remains of an obviously once beautiful crystalline palace burned the brightest, as though the hungry flames knew what a precious thing they fed on.
"How could I do this?" On one side, long black hair hung in the face of a sixteen year old girl. She absentmindedly brushed at her hair, and wondered how it had come loose. The hair on the right side of her head was still held in a now slightly messy combination of a round and pointed bun. A double odango, her mother had always fondly called it. And true enough, for the girl's hair style was a combination of the way her grandmother, Neo-Queen Serenity, and her mother, Neo-Princess Selenity wore their hair. The rounder odango sat in the front, and the pointed sat half on top of the round and half behind them.
Why am I thinking about my hair?
A single tear slipped down her already dirty and tear streaked face.
Is it because I can't accept the fact that my entire family and all of our closest friends are dead?
The girl shuddered uncontrollably and doubled over with grief. She huddled that way for several long moments, and then suddenly clawed at the golden crescent moon on the middle of her forehead, tears pouring from her eyes.
"What good is the line of Serenity if it couldn't stop this from happening? Does the bloodline even matter if all it causes is grief?"
Blood flowed beneath her fingertips as she savagely tore at her forehead.
"Why couldn't you save them? Why didn't you save them?"
She cried to an unknown source, to ancestors long since gone and forgotten, to anyone who could still hear her. "What good is the blood..." She trailed off into unintelligible sobbing and stopped slashing herself. There was a sudden scream in the distance which was caught up abruptly. The girl's head shot up and she looked in the direction of the scream.
"They're still here," she whispered softly to herself, "I thought they had all gone back into the Labyrinth." Looking around fearfully, she gathered the remains of her torn silver and white dress around her and scurried to a small overhanging ledge, all that remained of a once beautiful bridge.
I don't want any of those flying ones to see me... I have to help that girl though...if she's still alive. It's my duty as the Princess...as the only surviving member of my family. Serenity, princess of Crystal Tokyo, and the remaining survivor of the Silver Millennium.
She felt better for reminding herself of who she was, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind whispered, But you were never there at the Silver Millennium. Everything you hail from lies at your feet in ruins.
Her face crumpled slightly, and she whispered, "So what? My grandmother was from the Silver Millennium, and if the Silver Millennium existed in this time, I would be from there as well."
The Silver Millennium lies in ruins as well. You are the princess of ruins. You are the princess of nothing. You are the princess of-
"Stop it! I can fix this! I can...can...I can..." She started crying again, and bit her lip until it bled.
Steady Serenity, you can handle this. Steady Usa-chan. You can fix this. You can make it right...
After all, that annoying doubt in her head whispered, You're the one who did this in the first place.
"I...I did." The admission hurt her worse than any barb about not being a princess, and she screamed, "Pluto! Why did you let me do this? Sailorpluto!"
Chapter One: Dreaming, Hino Rei's Confusing Visions
A girl with lovely, raven-black hair tossed restlessly in her sleep, her face twisted as if she were in pain.
"No," she whispered softly. "No!"
She was in darkness, and a flash of pink caught her eye.
Horribly familiar and yet somehow frighteningly, foreignly different laughter echoed all around her.
A green dress, beautiful, but torn and stained appeared and then immediately vanished.
A girl that looked like...Usagi?...looked over her shoulder at the dreamer and then dissolved into flickering sparks.
A rose dripped blood, caught fire, and melted beyond recognition.
Red eyes were hunting her, a dark energy reached out...
A red crystal with the symbol of Mars hovered just out of reach and was pulled away from her, hurled away into a dark and twisting doorway that looked ready to collapse.
The ginzuishou appeared before her, pushing back the darkness, offering comfort, but as she watched it turned black and finally shattered in glittering pieces which impaled a row of fuku-clad senshi.
A flight of stairs appeared at the dreamer's feet, and as she watched, the toy known as Luna-P rolled slowly down them. It passed the dreamer, and she turned to find Chibiusa standing next to her. The ball bumped the child's feet, and she looked down at it sadly and whispered, "It's broken." A tear rolled down her cheek, fell through the air, and became a crystal. It drifted to the dreamer's hand, but when it landed she ignored it.
Chibiusa whispered something to Usagi, who became Neo-Queen Serenity, and they both turned their backs to her.
The crystal fell from her hand and burst into flames.
"NO!"
The dreamer screamed and sat straight up. Her hair was tangled around her from tossing and turning, and her body was covered with a thin sheen of sweat. She panted heavily, and her violet eyes darted around the confines of the darkened room. Crickets chirped quietly outside, and a soft breeze was rustling the leaves of the trees directly outside the temple. She put a shaking hand to her face and wiped at eyes suddenly filled with tears. Taking deep breathes, Hino Rei finally managed to calm down enough to stop shaking.
"I've got to tell the others. This is too important to wait until morning." She grabbed her wrist communicator and called the other senshi.
Mizuno Ami, who was Sailormercury, was the first to respond to the call. She sounded wide awake, and her voice was filled with nothing but concern.
"Rei-chan? What's wrong? Why are you calling so late at night?"
"Ami-chan," she answered shakily, "I need you to come over to the temple right now. I've had a dream."
"I see." Ami's voice held only a calm acceptance, and she neither pressed Rei for further details nor demanded some proof that this particular dream was more significant than any other. Just as Rei trusted Ami with the technological side of things, Ami had complete faith in Rei's spiritual abilities. "I'll be right there."
Kino Makoto, called Mako-chan, and Sailorjupiter, was the next to pick up. Her voice sounded sleepy, but also concerned.
"Hello?"
"Mako-chan? It's Rei. I need you to come to temple right away."
"Why? It's the middle of the night and I have a test in math tomorrow!"
"I know it's late. I'm sorry. I-" Rei's voice caught in her throat for a moment, and she cleared it before continuing. "I had a dream."
Mako's voice was suddenly filled with worry, and the last traces of sleep disappeared from her reply. "It has you that shaken up? Don't worry, Rei-chan. I'm on my way."
It was almost a full minute before either of the other two girls who made up the sailor senshi picked up. Finally, after she had nearly given up, a sleepy voice Rei was fairly sure was Aino Minako, Sailorvenus, yawned into the communicator before mumbling, "Did this thing go off? Artemis. Wake up. Did this go off? Hello?"
"Minako-chan?"
"Yes." There was another large yawn followed by an indignant yell Rei recognized as Artemis, Minako's talking cat.
"I need you to come to temple. It's important. I've had a dream."
"What? A dream?" A long yawn. "Hold on Rei-chan." Another yawn. "I just need to...wake Artemis up. We'll-" Yawn. "be there in a little while." Rei doubted that the two would arrive "in a little while," but the sound of Minako's sleep-filled voice made Rei smile.
Moments after Minako's voice faded from the room, the last members of the sailor team responded.
"Rei? This is Luna. Is everything okay?"
"Luna! Let me guess, Usagi couldn't be bothered to get up and answer the communicator herself." Luna, Sailormoon/Tsukino Usagi's guardian, was a talking black cat similar to Artemis. She sighed, and responded, "I'm sorry Rei, but you know how she is. Is this urgent business for the senshi? If not, I'd rather not have to try and wake her up. She can be violent when she feels that her rest is being threatened, and I'm none too nimble this late at night."
"Luna...I've had a dream."
"Oh." The cat sighed again. "Don't worry Rei. I'll get Usagi there if I have to drag her by her hair."
"Thank you, Luna." Normally the thought of Usagi being dragged around in the middle of the night by her hair would have made Rei laugh, but the horrible dream hung over her head like a storm cloud, putting a damper on everything.
"And then the crystal fell out of my hand and burst into flames." Rei started shaking again, and Ami put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Do you know what the dream could mean, Rei-chan?" Makoto asked from her sitting position on the temple steps. The dark-haired girl shook her head mutely.
"Don't worry," Ami said comfortingly, "We'll figure it out."
Before she could say anything else, Usagi's loud snoring cut through their quiet conversation. Rei frowned and nudged the sleeping blond with one foot. Usagi rolled down a step and landed on her face.
"Ow! I'm awake! I was listening!" She proclaimed loudly. Makoto pounced on her from above and covered her mouth, whispering, "Be quiet, Usagi-chan! Do you want to wake everybody up?"
Usagi mumbled, "Sorry," around Makoto's muffling hand. After the bigger girl had released her, Usagi muttered, "I noticed that no one bothered to wake up Minako-chan up. Am I the only one not allowed to sleep?" Her tone began to sound whiny and Rei's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You're the leader, Usagi. We shouldn't have to keep you awake. You should already be paying attention!"
Usagi began to bawl, but Luna snapped, "Be quiet! We don't have time for this. We have to figure out what that dream meant. The fact that Chibiusa was in it could bode poorly for the future."
Usagi's waterworks immediately shut off, and looking confused she asked, "What does Chibiusa-chan have to do with a silly old dream?" Everyone stared at her with exasperation, except for Minako, who was snoring softly.
"Idiot! Don't you listen to anything?" Rei glared at her. Usagi started bawling again and Makoto tackled her and pressed a hand over her mouth.
"Sorry, Usagi-chan, but you're going to get us in trouble."
When Usagi finally managed to wiggle free of Makoto's crushing restraint she crept over to where Minako lay peacefully sleeping. With an evil look, she lifted one foot to kick the sleeping girl down the stairs. As her foot moved forward, it caught on a loose spot on the ground and she lost her balance. With a shriek she fell on top of Minako and Artemis, who had been batting at Minako's face. Minako awoke with a scream and joined Usagi in an earsplitting duet.
Moments later, a light went on within the temple. Rei's eyes widened with alarm and she said, "You have to go. If Grandfather catches me out here in the middle of the night I'll be doing all of the chores around the temple for the rest of my life! Meet me here tomorrow after school. I'm going to try a fire reading."
Everyone but the two struggling blonds and the smashed Artemis nodded their agreement.
"Tomorrow then." Makoto and Ami took off into the darkness silently, followed a short time later by a limping Usagi, Minako – who was rubbing her head with one hand and sleepy blue eyes with the other – and two cats, one looking decidedly flatter than the other.
Rei smiled slightly as she watched her friends make their way away from the temple. However, when she was alone in her room, the feeling of dread returned, and she spent a sleepless night worrying about what the future held.
0
The next day was difficult for all of the senshi, and each spent an anxious day worrying that another battle awaited them in the near future. An exhausted Rei was surprised and frustrated to find that she was near tears on several occasions, and Minako couldn't keep her attention on anything for more than a few minutes. At lunch, Mako-chan could only stare at her beautifully prepared bento before pushing it to one side. The normally calm Ami went through pencil after pencil during an exam that afternoon after she pressed too hard and snapped the tips. And Usagi, normally cheerful and without a care in the world, might have seemed normal to a stranger, but those who knew her could tell that she had something weighing heavily on her mind. It was almost a relief when they could all leave school and head to the temple; even if a new enemy had arrived, anything would be better than not knowing what was to come.
0
"Tell me what I need to know about this new dream. Please!" Rei's voice had a slight edge of desperation behind it, but the fire stayed level and revealed nothing to her. She chanted softly again for a minute before saying, "Please great fire, enlighten us as to what we must do!" The fire still revealed nothing, and Rei was forced to admit defeat, saying, "I'm not getting anything at all. No feelings, no images, nothing. I don't understand. With a dream that vivid, I should have no trouble seeing something in the fire. The threat seemed powerful."
"Maybe you did it wrong, Rei-chan." Usagi slid up next to her and peered into the fire. "Maybe you asked it wrong or something."
Rei's face turned red, but all she said was, "Maybe you should move away before your hair accidentally catches on fire."
With a squawk, Usagi scooted backwards away from the blaze.
"I wonder if we could figure out what the dream meant if we try and figure it out one image at a time." Makoto said thoughtfully.
"Mako-chan is right," Ami spoke up, "It may indeed be possible for us to understand the dream more fully if we try to analyze it a fraction at a time."
"Well," Rei said, "The first part of the dream was a short glimpse of pink, followed by laughter. I don't know how to describe the laugh. It sounded like something I've heard before, which might mean that the rest of you have heard it before too. It was like...I don't know. Like...I can't explain it!" Rei bit her lip with frustration.
"That's okay," Ami said soothingly, "We'll skip that part. The next part was about a ripped dress, right?"
"That's right. A ripped, sickly, greenish-black colored dress. Then, there was an instant when a girl that looked like odango-atama seemed like she was looking at me. She had the same blue eyes, but she had black hair, and there was something strange about her hair style. The odango were wrong somehow..." Her brow creased as she struggled to remember.
"Don't call me odango atama, Rei-chan!"
"Be quiet! I'm trying to think!"
Usagi looked as though she was about to start whining again, but a look from Luna kept her quiet.
"That's it!" Rei's face lit up with excitement. "The odango on the girl's head. She had the round ones like Usagi wears, but she also had the pointy ones like Chibiusa-chan."
"Huh?" Minako looked at her with confusion and asked, "How did she do that?"
"The round odango were in front, and the pointy ones were sort of sitting partially behind them and partially on top of them. I told you, it looked like a combination between Usagi and Chibiusa-chan's hair."
"Her hair really isn't the issue here." Ami waited until they were paying attention again before continuing. "The important thing is that she looked like Usagi-chan and had a similar hairstyle. That would suggest another relative, yes?"
"Yes," Rei agreed quietly. "Probably another one from the future, since I've never had a vision of something that has already passed."
"Okay," Makoto said, "The next part of the dream was about a rose, right? It caught on fire after dripping blood, and eventually melted."
Usagi was obviously only listening to parts of the conversation, but she immediately piped up with, "Mamo-chan is probably the rose. After all, he uses roses constantly."
Ami blinked thoughtfully and replied, "You're probably right. The rose is the logical choice to represent Mamoru-san."
"That blood part doesn't look promising for him though," Luna chimed in.
Artemis, not to be left behind, added, "and the bursting into flames part probably isn't good either."
Usagi, suddenly serious, said, "You don't think Mamo-chan is in danger do you?"
"Well," Minako said thoughtfully, "I don't see how a bleeding rose could be something good..."
Usagi's eyes filled with fear and she said, "We have to warn him! I don't want anything to hurt him. Maybe the senshi could protect him. You know, follow him around during the day or something."
Rei rolled her eyes and replied, "And which one of us should skip school to trail behind him?"
Usagi's bottom lip began to tremble, and Rei immediately abandoned her sarcasm to put a comforting hand on Usagi's shoulder, whispering, "Don't worry. We'll protect him somehow."
"Thank you, Rei-chan." She said softly.
Makoto had moved on to the next part of the dream. "The next part was about red eyes."
"Chibiusa has red eyes." Usagi said immediately. After the possibility of her Mamo-chan being in danger, she had taken a focused interest in the conversation.
"Maybe something happened to her in the future?" Artemis suggested.
Rei said, "The next part had to do with a red globe that had the sign of Mars on it flying away from me and disappearing."
"That probably symbolizes the loss of your powers, or losing control of them," Luna said. "The fact that it flew through a collapsing doorway would show that it was taken to a place where you couldn't go, or couldn't get control of."
Ami asked with surprise, "Can the senshi lose control of their powers?"
Luna and Artemis both shrugged, and Artemis said, "I can't remember it ever happening, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible. You girls have done things that I never thought possible."
"It's good to know you have faith in us," Rei said dryly, and Mako snorted with laughter.
Artemis blushed and responded, "You know that isn't what I meant."
"Okay, the next part was about the ginzuishou. It was protecting us,"
"Of course it was," Usagi put in smugly. Rei glared at her sideways and Usagi blushed and fell silent.
"But it turned black, and then-"
"There's a flaw in the ginzuishou."
All heads turned in the direction of the new voice.
A girl that looked surprisingly like Usagi stepped from the shadows and into full sunlight. She matched Rei's description perfectly, right down to the double odango. She wore a simple blue dress that hugged the waist but flared at the knees.
"I had to come back and tell you. Crystal Tokyo is going to fall."