The Tale of Sailor Earth
By Alyna Joy Couture,
a.k.a.: Queen_of_Nemisol
Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Usagi-chan-tacchi. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi-san. I merely seek to express my thoughts and appreciation of her work.
P.S. I am also broke, so it will do you no good to sue me. That said, let's get to the story.
: shows the personal thoughts of a character
* *: shows mindspeech between characters
italicized words are to be stressed/emphasized
Hmmm. I have time for a walk in the park before work. Sheez, she thought, looking at her watch, and then some. The young woman was tall, 5'8"—5'10"; with blacker-than-the-deepest-night hair; and eyes like molten silver. She had just moved there from her native Ireland, and now she lived in Tokyo, Japan; Azabu district. She worked in the club in the same time span that The Three Lights had once had. Same club even.
She came to a glade, there in the park, after some time of walking. Thinking I'll take a break here. she started to look for a place to sit, when she heard a sound behind her. She whirled around to find herself face-to-face with One of the Sidhe! But it can't be! The skin is to dark, but the ears!
"Who the hell are you? WHAT the hell are you, for that matter?"
"I am Soron of the Kashalkanite Elves. And you mortal, shall be my first victim in this universe."
"I don't know what else you are, but, you are definitely a thing of the Unseleighe manner. And you will not find me an easy victim." With that she began to dodge his blows, both physical and magical alike, until she stumbled on a tuft of grass. Unable to dodge the power strike, she was flung backward, screaming with both mind and voice *"HELP!!!!!!"* The last thing she saw, before she blacked out, was the appearance of the Senshi, and their Kin Bonded Dragonkin members of the kin guard.
When she woke up, it was with a whole new set of memories running through her head of a life that was 1,000yrs old; and to the Senshi about to be creamed. NO! NOT ENDYMION, LILLIANATH, SERENITY! I won't let that thing kill them. I CAN'T! She thought.
Then as the words came to her, "EARTH GEMSTONE TRANSFORM!!!" When the lights faded away, there stood a young woman dressed in an uniform like that which most male gymnasts wore; dark green pants, black sleeves, white shirt, blue-and-red collar and shoes.
She wore a tiara with a stone in it, identical to the ones in her sword and ring. To the left and right of the stone was a tiny sideways figure eight; the symbol for infinity, and sometimes also used as the sigil for Earth. Looking up, she saw 22 pairs of eyes staring at her in shock.
"Soron, step away from them right now," she said in a deadly sort of tone, "or do you want to die right now? And, while I am speaking, allow me to introduce myself. I am Her Royal Highness the High Princess of Aryana Kyoto Kethryveris Amaranth Donovan; a.k.a. Her Royal Majesty, Queen Aryana Kyoto Kethryveris Amaranth of Atlantis, sworn protector of the Ruling family of Earth, and all that they hold dear. I am also the bearer and wielder of the Protector's Staff."
Soron, deciding that she was more of a threat than the defenseless Senshi and Kin; turned to face her. "I thought you were dead, that or at least out cold! Well, no matter. I can remedy that now." He flung a blast of black energy at her, only to have her cry out "TORNADO SHIELD" and have a tornado spring up around her and absorb the blast.
"My turn now. VOLCANO ERUPTION!" she cried, at the same time making a throwing motion towards his feet. After a second, there was a roar, and then he was engulfed by a veritable fountain of lava.
When it disappeared, there was nothing left of him. Turning, she rushed to the side of one particular fallen Kin. "Lily? Are you all right? Please don't be dead. Oh, Goddess, please don't be dead!" She sobbed as she clung to her old friend.
"AKKA?" she heard an incredulous voice ask, "Is that really you? After so long?"
"Oh, Lily! You're alive! Thanks be to the Goddess! Yes, it's me. That rather forceful meeting with the tree restored my memories of that time in their entirety."
"Rather remarkable, I didn't know it could be done that way," came a curious voice from behind them, "but be that as it may be, we need to get away from here before the police arrive." AKKA looked up to see who had spoken. "Mercury, you're right. Where do you want to go?"
"You know that Hikawa Jinja on Sendai Hill?"
"Yeah."
"There."
Then, before anyone could blink, they were in the fire room of the Jinja.
"What the…? How did…? Wait a minute here!" several voices asked at once.
"I took us Underhill and back out. I would not have done so, except, of course, the police were closer than you thought, Mercury. You see, I am half Sidhe, half-human. At least in this life. As to my memories, I wouldn't recommend that particular method of restoration. Now, since you know who I am, will you tell me who you all are? Prince Endymion and Lily, I know. The one with the blonde Odangos, I assume, is Princess Serenity of the Moon."
"How do you know Prince Endymion? And Lily? Yes, yes, you said you were the protector of him and his family and all they hold dear. But, that does not say how you know Lily." Mercury said to her.
"Oh, Lily came to my coronation as Queen of Atlantis. Even if I was assassinated just three days later at it fall."
Mercury replied, "Oh, and you were right, she is Serenity, a.k.a. Sailor Moon, a.k.a. Tsukino Usagi. Sailor Mars is Princess Mars, a.k.a. Hino Rei. Sailor Jupiter is Princess Jupiter, a.k.a. Kino Makoto. Sailor Venus is Princess Venus, a.k.a. Aino Minako; and the white cat on her shoulder is her guardian Artemis. The gentleman by her side is the General Jeadite.
"Sailor Mini-Moon is Neo-Princess Serenity of the Moon, the Earth, and Crystal Tokyo of the future, a.k.a. Chibi-Usa. The cat between her cones is her guardian Diana. The young woman beside her is her Kin-Sister Noirith.
"The young woman and young man beside Usagi are her Kin-Sister, the Soul Healer Heath and her Lifemate Galen. The cat on Usagi's shoulder is her guardian, Luna.
"Sailor Uranus is Princess Uranus, a.k.a. Ten'oh Haruka. Sailor Neptune is Princess Neptune, a.k.a. Kaioh Michiru. Sailor Pluto is Princess Pluto, a.k.a. The Guardian of Time, a.k.a. Meioh Setsuna. Together those three bear and wield the Three Talismans known as The Space Sword, the Deep Aqua Mirror, and The Garnet Orb. Sailor Saturn is Princess Saturn, a.k.a. Tomoe Hotaru. Also, she bears and wields The Silence Glaive. The young woman next to her is her Kin-Sister Arilith. I am Sailor Mercury, Princess Mercury, a.k.a. Mizuno Ami. The young man next to me is Arilon, my Kin-Brother. Also, Prince Endymion is Tuxedo Kamen, a.k.a. Chiba Mamoru.
"I can see why, though, that you would not recommend being flung against a tree to restore memories. It could have the opposite effect, and cause amnesia."
"No duh! My ma's a healer, so I know all about that possibility. O' course, that's also how I know what had restored them in the first place. You know, I've been here in Tokyo 3mths, and this is the first time I have been attacked by anyone.
"Let alone, a Kashalkanite Elf. Shimatta! Look, you guys, I have got to leave for work. I'll call the Jinja later, say tomorrow to set a time up to talk, ok?" With that, AKKA left the group hopped the bus, and still made it to work on time.
At work:
"Hey AKKA, you look kinda harried. What's the matter, didn't you catch the right bus of something?"
"Or something. I went for a walk in the park with plenty of time before work when I was attacked by a pointy-eared freakazoid and had my ketzu rescued by the Senshi."
"If you had plenty of time, why the harried look?"
"I just got out of hospital."
"What?"
"That thing flung me against a tree. I was out cold for several minutes, coming to only to see a new Senshi, Sailor Earth, rescue them. Thing is, her outfit wasn't a fuku. It looked like what a male gymnast wears. That and she wore a sword."
"Oh, yeah? Sailor Earth?"
"Yeah. At least, that's what she called herself. Well, talk to you later, I need to get ready for work."
"See ya."
With that, she went into her dressing room. There, she put on one of her High Court Gowns, got her lap-harp, and went backstage to wait for her turn and to listen to the group (three long-haired guys) that was performing right then. {Announcer) "Well, there you have it, a special performance by our former special attraction: The Three Lights! And now," as they left the stage and the stage lights went off, the curtain closed, giving her time to get set up; then as the curtain opened and the stage lights came back on, to reveal her, as she sat there, "we give you our current special attraction, 'Divided Legacy'!" as she started to play her lap-harp, she looked up and saw the Senshi and Kin there watching and listening.
"Greetings everyone. Today I have something new to perform for you. Songs that I have not played in a long time; songs that I have not remembered until today. Also, I will be playing some all original songs, songs that I have just recently written." With that, she began to sing.
And, true to her word, she did indeed sing songs that had not been played, let along sung, since the Silver Millennium. Setsuna started as she heard the first song, and thought That must be AKKA! It can't be anyone else, not and be able to sing those songs!
Michiru: As a musician, she is quite excellent. I must find out who she is. I'd like to see if some of those could be transposed to violin.
Haruka: She's as good and Michiru and the Lights.
The Lights, simultaneously together: I'd like to know some of those songs. Bet they would go over real well back home.
Divided Legacy: Bet I shocked Setsuna, and surprised everyone else.
Lily: She sure surprised them. For that matter, me too!
"And now, for my last song of the day. This is a song that I wrote in remembrance of my twin brother, of his death and my recovery, thereafter."
As she began to sing, "Once not so long ago," everyone in the room stilled. When she reached the end, "That by hurting myself, I'm hurting you/Something I had sworn never to do/You're dead/But now I know I can go on."
After she had finished, after her voice had died away, and the sound of her harp as well, the audience just sat there silent, before they began to applaud. Whoa, she thought, the moment of silence before the applause. That's the highest accolade a performer, a musician, can receive. Then the stage lights went off and the curtain closed. As she was about to enter her dressing room, she heard someone call out, "Excuse us, but would you wait just a moment?"
Turning around, she saw hurrying towards her, down the hall, The Three Lights. Seiya, acting as spokesman, asked her, "Is it all right if we speak with you for a moment?"
"Sure," she replied, "though, instead of doing so in the hall, why don't we go into my dressing room?"
"Just where did you come across some of those songs? And, if at all possible, we would like copies of them, to take with us, when we return home."
"No problem, at least about the copy part. I'm not sure, though, that you would believe me, if I were to tell you the whole truth about their origins."
"Great. You might try us. We've seen some things that would make you think you were going crazy."
"Oh, yeah? Very well, how's this? Those songs, the ones that you want, anyhow, are a 1,000yrs old. And as to that last comment, after today, I really don't think so!"
"1,000yrs old? You don't mean from the Silver Millennium, do you? What do you mean, 'after today'?"
"Yes, I do. As to that, I was attacked by a Kashalkanite Elf, I assume you know what those are?, was rescued by the Senshi, then I rescued them. How do you know about the Silver Millennium?"
"We know the Senshi. What do you mean, rescue them? They said a 'Sailor Earth' rescued them."
"I am Sailor Earth. That's how. By the way, if you had shaken my hand, you would have known that. Well," and here she paused long enough to put copies of the songs that they wanted, and that she had been putting together while they were talking, into a folder, "here you go. It's the music you requested. Now it you don't mind, I would like to be able to change into my street clothes, or did you think these," gesturing to her dress and accessories, "were my street clothes?"
"We get your point. Thank you for the music, by-the-way."
She had just finished changing, when there was a knock on her dressing room door. Opening it she found Michiru on the other side (with Haruka), and when they saw who stood there, "You!"
"Me. Come in, won't you? I take it, since you didn't know who 'Legacy' was, you came, a) to see about the music, and b) to try and figure out who she was?" she asked them all this as they came in and sat down at her request.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, we did," Michiru replied, "and I, at least, to find out if they could be transposed to violin."
"Well, some of them can be, others though, I would not recommend doing so, as they would not," here she paused, trying to figure out the right word, "they would lose some of their integrity, were they to be transposed. Those that can be, I would be happy to do so for you."
"Now?"
"No, over the next couple of days. I can get them to you in say, 5dys, if that will be all right with you?"
"That will be fine. Shall we come back here to get them?"
"No, I can drop them off at your place. After all, I am just next door to you."
"How did you know that?"
"You are the Ten'oh Haruka, Meioh Michiru, Tomoe Hotaru and Arilith that live in apt. # such-and-such, right?"
"Yeah. Which one do you live in? Never mind, there's only one it can be, the one to the left of us, with the balcony, right?"
"Yeah. The corner one. So, will it be all right if I drop them off at your place? Oh, and if you would, could you see if 4:30 at Ms. Hino's jinja is O.K.?"
"So you can do that explaining that you said you would do?"
"Yeah."
Michiru then pressed the 'All-Call' button on her communicator, "Minna, is 4:30 at Rei's jinja fine for a meeting tomorrow? AKKA asked me, well actually Haruka and me, to ask you. On, and if it is the Kin need to be there as well."
Ami: "That's fine with me. Arilon too."
Rei: "Same here."
Minako: "Jeadite, Artemis, and I can be there."
Setsuna: "Be there."
Hotaru: "Arilith and I can make it. We'll be there."
Mamoru: Lily says to tell you 'See you there,' quote/unquote. This is also a case of 'Me too.'"
Usagi: "I can get there, Luna'll come with me, Rini and Diana too. Heath says that she can get Galen there. On, and Noirith too."
Makoto: "Count me in. I want to know what all those cryptic remarks that she made earlier were about."
Everyone: "Got that right!"
Michiru then signed off. Then turning back to AKKA, "Well, there you go, all set up."
Then exchanging a glance with Haruka, "and yeah, dropping them off is fine."
"O.K. and thanx for setting the meeting up."
"No problem."
Exchanging another glance with Haruka, "How are you getting home?"
"Driving."
"What kind of car?" This, of course, came from Haruka.
"A fully restored, mint-condition 1960 Chevrolet Corvair. Oh, and I also ride a 1973 Harly Davidson, custom fitted," looking Haruka (who was drooling), then at Michiru, "Is something wrong with her?"
She meant Haruka. "No. Haruka just gets like this when she hears about classics like those."
"Oh."
"Well, we'll see you at the meeting tomorrow then."
"See ya."
Leaving the dressing room area, the three exited the club, parting ways at the parking lot, they to their car, and she to hers.
*Wonder how'll they take all that I have to tell them.* She thought as she drove toward her apt. building. *They will certainly have a lot to assimilate. That's for sure. Hope they can believe me without the dropping of my glamour. I could definitely do without a lot of freaking out.* She, by this time, had arrived at her building, and her apt., letting herself in, still thinking, *Now, do I just tell them everything, or just parts? Do I be totally honest, or what? WHAT THE HELL?* This last as she felt someone open a portal into her living room, right behind her. She whirled around to see Sailor Pluto there.
"What are doing here, in my apt., Pluto?"
"We need to talk."
"I don't think so. Not before time. I know the restraints of telling the future as well as you do, Time's Guardian. I was after all trained by Uncle Chronos himself, regarding my foresight. So, unless I get a vision while I'm talking to them and you, my lips are sealed about the future. The past, though, is another matter."
"I see," she replied, "as I also see that you are well grounded in that area."
"Indeed I am. I will also need your cooperation tomorrow."
"How so?"
"As a matter of fact, I will need yours and the other Outers as well. You see, I will need you to use your talisman, and they theirs. The Princess and the Neo-Princess will also need to use their Crystals. In a manner of speaking."
"I can only think of one thing that would need all that power. The Restoration."
"Indeed. Will you assist me? And speak to the others for me on this matter?"
"I shall."
"My thanks. Until tomorrow then."
With that, Pluto opened a portal back to the Time Gate, and left. *Jeez, I do not know what she was thinking, trying to get me to tell her what I was going to tell them tomorrow,* sighing, *oh well.*
Meanwhile at the Time Gate: Pluto was thinking: *How to approach them? Might as well be cryptic and make the request at the same time.* With that decided, she got out her communicator and pressed the buttons for Michiru, Haruka, Hotaru, Usagi, and Chibi-usa.
Michiru: "Here."
Haruka: "Ditto."
Hotaru: "Same here."
Usagi: "Yeah."
Chibi-usa: "What?"
Pluto: "Pluto here. I need the five of you to have your items at the meeting."
Everyone: "Why1?!"
Pluto: "Two things. One: AKKA asked me. And two: It is necessary, if you want the future to be as you know. That's why. I'm afraid I cannot say anything more."
Everyone: "Oooookay. We'll have them. Over and out."
*There you go AKKA. They'll be there. The rest is up to you.*
The next day at Hikawa Jinja at 4:25-
A '60 Corvair pulled up to the jinja parking lot, found a spot and took it. Its occupant sat there for a moment lost in thought, *Here goes nothing.* Then she got out, and headed toward the jinja's torii. There, she then went to the jinja doors and on into the fire-room where she found the Senshi, Kin, and Mamoru. When she entered the room, all eyes turned to her.
"Hello, minna. I know I called all of you here for some explaining. To start with, allow me to introduce myself. In this life I am known as The High Princess Aryana Kyoto Kethryveris Amaranth Donovan of Underhill; daughter of Her Royal Highness, the High Princess Ariana and her Lord Consort Adrian Donovan of Underhill; granddaughter of Their Royal Majesties High King Oberon and High Queen Kethryveris; a Knight of the High Court of Underhill, and a Danaan-Named Mage-Adept.
"I am also known as 'Divided Legacy', and also the Three-time International Fencing Champion, A.D. In my past life though, I was known as: Aryana Kyoto Kethryveris Amaranth, Queen of Atlantis; sworn protector of the ruling family of Earth and all that they hold dear. As far as I am concerned, the Oath still holds. I ask you now: What think you? Does it, in your eyes, still hold, still bind?"
They all looked at each other, then, as one, turned to look at Mamoru. He looked at me, then spoke, "Before I answer, I have some things to ask you. First: When will you fight? Second: How will you know when you are needed? Third: How do we know you are who you say you are?"
She looked at him, a certain sadness in her eyes as she did so. "I can understand why you asked me that last one. You always did wonder how I could, at a mere 13, protect you. That is, until the first time I saved your ketzu from a band of demons; of course, they had been looking for me in the first place. First: Only after everyone can no longer fight, you, kin, and Outers included. Second: The same way I did back then. Third: If you will bear with me, you will see."
"What do you mean, 'you will see'?" he asked.
Instead of answering him directly, she turned and began to give orders. "Pluto, I need you to take south; Uranus SE; Neptune E; Saturn SW; Moon W; Mini-moon NE; I will take N." Such was the authority with which she had spoken, that all had done as she said. Then Haruka noticed something, "Who takes NW?"
"He will be here any moment. As a matter of fact, here he comes."
Then as the figure of a young man materialized, "Elios!," cried Chibi-Usa.
"It's been a while, Chibi-Usa. Shall we, your Majesty?"
"Indeed, we shall," then, "Bright mother of the gods!", this as the stone in her ring, and the one on the pommel of her sword, turned to clouds of light; which then floated around in front of her; where they then joined, becoming one cloud; then one stone. In that stone were two sigils: one a sideways figure eight, the sigil for infinity, and sometimes also used as the sigil for Earth; the other, the sigil for Destiny.
"Pluto," she asked, "What the hell is this thing?"
"It," she responded, with awe, and a slight fear as well, "is the Destiny Stone for Earth. That is has appeared now can mean only that a menace, like none the Earth has ever seen, approaches. You must touch it with the middle finger of your heart-hand, your left hand."
"I see. I had guessed what it was, from my reading, but was not sure." With that she reached out toward it as she had been bade to do. When she did, it suddenly pulsed brightly, and when the light faded away, there around her neck was a choker with (in a metal backing) the D. Stone in the middle of her throat.
"I had known something," here she paused, trying to find the right word, finally settling on the first her mind came to, "_strange_ would happen, tonight, before the Restoration. But, this, I aver, I had no ideal about."
"Restoration?"
"Yes. I cannot say aught else, though," now, all business, "Elios, I need you to take out your Golden Crystal; Princess your Crystal; Saturn your Glaive; Pluto you staff with its Orb; Uranus your Sword, Neptune you Mirror; Neo-Princess your Crystal."
"What about you?" Saturn asked.
"Mine is already exposed," she replied.
"Oh."
"Minna, IMAYO!" At that, everyone either withdrew or exposed the requested items. When all were in the light of the fire in the room, there shot from them beams of light, that in the center of the room joined together, and formed a ball of light, from which shot out beams which met the sigils on the foreheads of everyone in that room. Everyone's eyes widened with the shock as they realized that the images running through their minds, were in fact, AKKA's memories. They saw, as though through her eyes: 1) how on her 8th B-day, she went to the Queen of Pluto to get training in her foresight, saw as the Queen gave her a key and sent her to Chronos to be trained, as she, due to the girls strength could not train her. 2) saw, how, when she was 12, returned to Pluto, then to Atlantis. 3) saw, how on her 13th B-day she took oath as Protector. 4) saw, how, just 3dys later, her twin died in her arms. 5) saw, how, for the 6yrs, 2mths, and 18dys, she must be constantly on her guard against the demons that sought her out everyday. 6) saw her crowned, and become known as the '3dys Queen'. 7) saw, her life, both in and out of the High Court. They watched through each others eyes, as their memories flashed through their minds. They knew, from the looks that passed over her face, that she, too, had relived her old life, and now relived theirs with them.
Then, as they watched, the beams (both from their foreheads, and the magic items) disappeared. When they were completely gone, they, as one, turned to look at AKKA, just in time to see her collapse to the floor, clad in a gown that they recognized as her coronation gown. They rushed over to her, asking, "What's wrong?"
The answer, however, did not come from her, but from Elios. "It is merely exhaustion. She was, after all, providing 60% of the energy to this working." he told them.
"What do you mean, '60% of the energy?"
"Just what he said," came a voice full of exhaustion, "I was, indeed, providing 60% of the energy. And, before you ask, I didn't tell you, because I knew that you would not believe me, were I to tell you." She looked down in time to see her dress morph. Now, from the waist up, it looked like one of her High Court gowns; from the waist down, it was still the gown in which she had been crowned. "Bright Danaan," she exclaimed, "what in the name of Earth does this mean? Pluto, can you tell me?"
"I'm not sure," Pluto/Setsuna replied. Then, as they watched, AKKA's body went all stiff, her face blank, and her eyes vacant. Then she, just as suddenly, went all limp and boneless, then she shook, her head, looked around, and asked, "It happened again, didn't it? I went all blank-faced, stiff-bodied, and vacant-eyed? Then all limp?"
"Yeah. How did you know what happened?" That just now was from Minako. Then from Rei, "What did it mean?"
AKKA told them, "Well, as to #1: It's happened before. As to #2: It means that I just saw the future, and NO I will not tell you what I saw! I just hope it never comes to pass, for if it does…"
"If it does?"
"You don't want to know. Belieeeve me! You do not want to know!"
"That bad?"
"Yeeeah."
AKKA looked at her dress again, and detransformed back into her street clothes. She then looked at the way Elios and Chibi-Usa were looking at each other and suggested that Chibi-Usa take Elios on a tour of the jinja grounds.
Chibi-Usa readily agreed. "Come on, Elios!"
