A Child of Darkness and Light
Title: A Child of Darkness and Light
Author: kazeko
Show: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Rating: PG13
Multipart: yes
Series: only as part of my timeline
Chapters: 2
Couples: Setsuna/Various, Setsuna/Queen Serenity, Various gods
Time: About 10,000 years before the Silver Millennium until Crystal Tokyo
Timeline: "A Child of Darkness and Light", "The Last Sacrifice: The End of the Silver Millennium", "CAS 1: The Trouble with Love is the Lovers", "CAS 2: To Defy Destiny", "Every Cloud", "Crystal Shards", "CAS 3: Unwilling Accomplice", "Our Past 1: The Reason We Fight", "CAS 4: Princess of Light", "Our Past 2: The Reason We Still Fight", "Our Past 3: The Reason We Fought", "CAS 5: One Last Shining Star", "In the Darkest Forest", "Destiny or Duty", "Desperately Searching", "Kazeko", "Chronicles of the Star Senshi 1: The Gathering", "Chronicles of the Star Senshi 2: Castle in the Sky", "Chronicles of the Star Senshi 3: Queen of the Moon", "Chronicles of the Star Senshi 4: Separation Anxiety", "Crystals of Love: Betrayal", "Crystals of Love: Forsaken", "Chronicles of the Star Senshi 5: Black Moon Family", "Crystals of Love: Destined Couple", "Horoscope"
Summary: Setsuna's life from birth until CSS
Discalimer: I don't own the Greek Gods or any characters from Sailor Moon. I do own all of the Cupids and the twins as well as all members of the Silver Millennium NOT from the show, including the Senshi's parents. Enjoy.
Chapter 2: Perfect Balance
Persephone sat in the middle of the flowered field, watching as the three tiny godlings rolled around in the grass, baby Se grabbing for flowers while Tranquility tried to push her over and Serenity poked at the dirt. The trio was the perfect combination of darkness and light, a strange balance for a trio of strange children. Most gods grew to adult size in a matter of hours or days, the demi-gods often taking the years of a mortal's lifespan, but the babies were over a hundred and had aged barely a day in that time. It was very strange, indeed, but Persephone enjoyed being a mother, so she smiled at the babies and watched them play.
She sat up, alarmed, as Serenity began to glow silvery white, a golden aura surrounding her brother. Her shock summoned the twins' parents, and Eros nodded sagely. "They've done that before, Seph. There's nothing to worry about."
Psyche touched her husband's arm, wings slightly opened. "Look at Se, though."
Se was watching the twins with wide red eyes, smiling in her baby way, the slightest dark red aura beginning to envelop her. God power. She reached for her friends, giggling as Serenity took one of her hands and Tranquility took the other. The glow around each child brightened, excited, preparing for something, and Serenity took Tranquility's hand before the adults could move.
A huge explosion of gold/silver/burgundy light filled the flowery field, temporarily blinding the three adults. Hades appeared in a flash of black light, automatically throwing a dome of power to contain the light. Persephone grabbed his arm as the light faded and the dome vanished, revealing three godlings, years older than their previous forms. Se, who looked to be the mortal age of seven, looked up at her parents and grinned. "I knew that would work."
"Se?"
"Yes Mother? What do you think?"
"Why did it take so long for you to grow up?"
"You wouldn't let us before," Tranquility huffed, glancing at his clothes. They had grown with him, as they always did with gods, and they were no longer dirty. "Can we eat now? I'm hungry."
Persephone laughed as the two goddesses gathered their children. "Of course."
The trio grew quickly from then on, spending every waking moment together. Gold, silver, and burgundy streaks decorated Olympus as the children found all sorts of trouble to get into. The other Gods took to hiding in their palaces during the nicest part of the day, knowing that Tranquility would find something for the three to get into. As they grew, their pranks grew from echoing Hermes's childhood to copying Dionysus's adolescent games. They traveled to the mortal planets and played games with mortals' hearts, throwing lavish parties and building quite a following. People on all nine planets began to worship the Playful Trio, praying to them for true friendship and brotherly love.
Se appeared on the barren surface of the silvery moon, staring around at the unblemished landscape. Opening her hand, she created a small asteroid, throwing it into the air and watching as it came crashing down, digging a huge, fractured crater in the ground. She smiled as she repeated the process, glowing with burgundy light.
"Whatcha doin?"
"Playing," Se grinned, glancing at the twins as they appeared beside her. "Making craters. This place is dull. I don't know why Artemis and Eurynome like it so much."
"The silver sand is pretty."
"They made that, Ren. I don't think much of it. Too light and airy."
The trio, in appearance about seventeen though they had been alive for almost three centuries, spent a few hours decorating the surface of Earth's Moon. They chose not to age as fast as their parents would hope they might, deciding to stand out among the divine community. When the inseparable trio tired of their game, they sat down on the edge of one of the craters facing the earth, watching the green and blue planet spin beneath them.
"These people are so primitive, Tran."
"Yeah, Se, so? They worship us, give us offerings, and do as we say. Who cares how they live and die?"
"I do, Tranquility! Why can't we use our powers to make their lives better?"
The golden boy rolled his eyes, Serenity reaching out to rest a hand on her friend's arm. "How can we do that, Se?"
"Well, they already answer to tribal heads throughout the planets, living only to worship the gods. They need true rulers, with leadership passed down from mother to child, and a hierarchy of power on all of the planets. Then we can set up some magical routes for them to travel from planet to planet, establishing a sort of Solar System wide government. We can pick a worthy woman and name her the ruler of this whole place, installing her kingdom here, on the Moon."
"It sounds like a lot of work," the boy complained. "Do we have to?"
"Do you want to be remembered for doing something great or merely as the son of the Archer of Love? Come on, Tran! We need to do something to establish ourselves as gods and not merely godlings."
"I think we can do it," Serenity whispered. "But we'll have to build the palaces and give the rulers of each planet some of our power."
"You mean we'll have to have children." Tranquility rolled his eyes. "Fine, but I don't particularly want to sleep with one of those dirty humans."
Tranquility had never thought much of the primitives that worshipped him and his family. Serenity growled at her brother, "fine. You do one and Se and I will split up the others. Pick your planet, Tran."
"Earth. Which ones will you do?"
"I'll take the Inner Four Planets besides Earth," Serenity decided. "Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter."
"Alright. Then I'll take Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and, of course, Pluto. I think there's a way we can change our appearance and make those traits pass down preferentially in all of our descendants. I'm sure Zeus will know."
"Possibly. Let's go ask him. Come on, Tran."
Sariko was performing her usual duties, gathering fruits from her father's orchards and bushes, thinking about the ceremony in a few days. It was the annual Celebration of the Trio when the people of Earth's tribes made great offerings to Serenity, Tranquility, and Se. Sariko had always been fascinated by the stories of the three godlings' exploits, deciding to devote herself to them as a priestess when her father let her marry.
A whisper spread through the gathered maidens as the sun began to set. A tall man with long black hair and stormy blue eyes entered the field of grapes, his clothing rich with gems and gold. His eyes searched the women, lighting on Sariko, and he smiled. She blushed, sensing that he was more than human, knowing that her father would never argue with a demi-god or god, whichever he happened to be. The Gods were well-known to manifest themselves on Earth once in a while to make sure that their subjects were showing them the proper respect, and he had to be one of them.
Sariko stood, holding her basket to her chest, ashamed of her tattered brown dress and dirty feet. Her black hair was snarled and dull, her pale green eyes pathetically boring. She hung her head as he came closer, her stomach tying itself in knots.
"What is your name, child?"
"S-Sariko, my lord. Have I done something wrong?"
"No. You have been chosen by the gods to do them a great service."
Sariko looked up sharply, in her shock staring straight into his stormy eyes. "Me? But I am a common peasant's daughter, a milkmaid, a farmer, worthless for anything but bearing children."
"And that is what we seek you for. Come with me, Sariko, and I will explain everything. Oh, bring your fruits—I am a little hungry."
"Y-yes my lord."
She followed him to the great temple at the edge of the forest, a place that all of the tribes had access to. The discovery of the gods had begun to end their nomadic ways as they settled down and began to build temples, growing crops as the great Goddess Demeter taught them. Fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, flowers, and incense—a new product and very popular—were proper offerings in the temple, later distributed to the people as blessed by the gods. The man entered the stone hall as if he owned it, glancing at the stained glass windows, gold-and-silver altars, and gemmed statues in approval. A tall woman dressed in silver, gold, and burgundy approached the pair as if to shoo the ragged farm girl away, freezing as the man turned glowing gold eyes on her. She stuttered her apologies as she backed away, recognizing her god.
Tranquility nodded and led Sariko into his huge room, nodded at the golden furnishings, smiling at the incense burning from golden altars making the room smell like sweet flowers. He gestured for Sariko to wash the fruit in the golden fountain in the corner, reclining on the bed as he waited for her to finish. She knelt beside the bed, holding the fruits out for him. "They aren't much, My Lord," she whispered, head bowed, "but they are the best from my father's lands."
"They are fine, Sariko. Come, join me for a meal." Tranquility smiled as he pulled the woman onto the bed with him, taking one of the apples from the tray and handing it to her. They ate in silence, the woman apprehensive. When they were finished, Tranquility removed the plate and smiled, taking Sariko's hand. "I'm sure you're wondering why I chose you."
"Yes, my Lord, I am."
"I can see that you are devoted to the Trio."
"Yes, my Lord Tranquility."
The godling looked up sharply, shock in his stormy eyes. "You know who I am. I am surprised. Sariko, I see that I picked you well. Tonight you will help me create a child strong enough to rule this world and tomorrow I will name you the High Priestess of the new Earth Kingdom."
"Me?" Sariko looked up, frightened, eyes locked with the god's. "You want me to birth the ruler of this planet?"
"We gods have decided that the planets need to be united and for that they need royal bloodlines passed down from the gods. You and your child will be the first and my sister and Se will create the royal lines on the other planets. After your child is born, you are free to choose an appropriate mate to help rear the future ruler of this planet, as long as he is devoted to the Trio as you are and will not hamper my plans for your child. Are you ready, Sariko?"
The Chronicles of Earth began with the sunrise the next morning. As light spread across the morning grass, the Great God Tranquility made his presence known to the rabble of Earth, presenting them with a young woman, his black-haired, blue-eyes High Priestess, and announced that she was carrying his child, the future Ruler of Earth. Sariko became recorded as Sariko, Mother of King Endymion the first, son of Tranquility, and eternally under the protection of the Trio. When the child was born, he had black hair and stormy blue eyes, a trait that would be forever passed down the Endymion Line. Farmers, artisans, merchants, and priests gathered at the shrine on the day after Endymion's birth, clamoring to see the king given to them by the Gods. That night, Tranquility visited his son, an event witnessed only by the scribe who created the Chronicles.
To be continued . . . thanks to the readers who waited patiently for me to rekindle the urge to write again. It's been a very long summer, but I'm happy to be back. I beleive I have requests for "Wind Runner and the Dragon Senshi" as well as "Desperately Searching" to be fulfilled. If anyone has any requests, make them known and I will work on those fics as a priority.
--kazeko
