A/N: Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone! We have a long weekend, and this story has one more chapter after this one, so I may take some of my down time to get this story finished. For now, here is the climax chapter, and stay tuned to see if I can take my feelings of ambition and turn them into reality. I wont be eating the turkey so I shouldn't get too tried!
Chapter 14: Elysian Is Lost
"Exile?" Serena asked, her voice wavering. "What do you mean by exile?"
"You dare address me, where are the planetary rulers? I demand my promised audience," Raelle spoke in a way that made both Serena and Darien nervous. Hesitantly they stepped back at the sound of her anger, as a buzzing noise arose from the whole. The remaining sailor soldiers rushed to be with them as the ground rumbled un their feet. "I have returned to my rightful place and I will take it from the vermin who are destroying it. I will not be ignored any longer. I will have my audience with the royals of this place and I will get what I have been promised," She vowed.
"We are the Sailor Soldiers of this solar system, sworn to protect this planet," Rei said seeing Serena's hesitation. "We will not let you destroy it, or take it away from the people of earth."
"I know who you are," Raelle said with a dismissive wave. "You are no match for my army. You don't belong here."
"You will not destroy this planet," Hotaru said as she too stepped forward. The Silence Glaive appeared like a star before her out reached hands. "I am Saturn, the sovereign of silence, the harbinger of destruction. You know who I am and what I will do to stop you. You are no match for me."
"You will not need to bring down your silence on this place, this planet is already doomed to destruction," Raelle cackled. "Where are the royals I seek. It is time for them to face me and feel my wrath."
"I am Endymion, crown prince of Elysian, what do you want, creature?" Darien asked finally as he stepped closer. As he moved his costume changed and he appeared in the armour of his royal heritage.
"Ha, little prince, where is your army? Where is that great hoard that fought my swarms long ago and pushed us from this planet, where are they now? Gone, destroy, you look now to these girls of the solar system to fight for you?" Raelle asked, her tone full of threats. "My battle is with Elysian. Go back to your planets, all of you little sailor girls, and leave this traitor and vermin to me," she demanded. "He will answer for the sins of his parents."
"What are you talking about?" Sailor Star Fighter asked and moved to stand with the prince.
"Alien, you dare address me?" Raelle cried and sent a shock wave of energy at the Stars who had gathered. "This is not your world. Begone! I command you, flee or I will destroy you. You do not belong here."
"Stop!" Serena cried and her own energy fought back the blast. "It is not yours either."
"That power, who are you?" Raelle huffed as she tried to recover from the blast from the moon princess. She choked and sputtered after the powerful blast, but regained footing and stood taller. "I commands you, speak."
"I am Sailor Moon, and I am sworn to protect this planet. You are not welcome here, nor is your invasion," Serena said but her speech lacked conviction. "This planet is inhabited by millions, you have no right to take it."
"Invasion, now you know nothing, do you, moon child? This planet is mine, I am of this world," Raelle countered. "My people belong here just as much as the people of Elysian and we lived together in peace until dark forces corrupted the family of Elysian."
"What is she talking about Endymion?" Serena asked and spun on him now.
"I do not recall any battles with your kind," Darien answered and threatened all in one breath.
"You were but a babe at your mother's breast when the darkness arrived on this planet and it seeped into everything. Before that you would have taken one of my children to be your bride, for we were the rulers of this land, above and below, unified. We lived in peace. You were born for only that purpose, but the darkness came upon this land, looking for the great powers of this solar system and beyond this galaxy. No greater power exists in all the universe, but it was not here on this planet, and the planet was taken from within," Raelle explained and her speech made Serena's heart sink.
"The humming, it's the song of Elysian," Serena gasped.
"Why should you know it, moon brat? The connections of the planets to this one was strictly forbidden in my time," Raelle accused.
"That is why we didn't see you coming, your true home is here," Ami gasped as the other sailors had joined their royals and listened to the revelations.
"Yes, I have returned after many millennia of exile to present my daughters to Endymion and to resurrect Elysian to it's former glory," Raelle said and with a grand motion of her arms glowing bods, transparent and revealing the figures of her kin, rose from the hole. "Chose, Endymion, it is by our laws that you must chose, and we will rule once more."
"Elysian is lost, my family is gone and has been for many millions of years. The darkness destroyed what was left of that life and by the grace of the moon I was spared. The traditions of Elysian do not govern my life. I will not chose," Darien vowed.
"Lost, how?" Raelle questioned.
"The dark forces of the Negaverse came to invade the moon kingdom in search of the great power. We stood and fought with them but the moon kingdom was destroyed and traitors among us led to our downfall as well. Queen Serenity of the moon was able to save this planet and our souls to protect the future of earth," Darien explained. "We were all reborn here, and life has not been the same, but we are sworn to protect this planet."
"Then I am the rightful ruler of this land!" Raelle exclaimed gleefully. "Without the Elysian army and the breaking of our laws toward the other planets, it is my claim and mine to build. You may chose a bride and remain on this earth but the rest of you must go!" She ordered.
"No, this is our home," Kakyuu protested. "Endymion has welcomed us as refugees. We will stay."
"Endymion, I command you, send them away!" Raelle screamed. "I am your queen now."
"I will not," Darien vowed defiantly.
"Then you will all die!" Raelle threatened and the ground began to rumble again, more violently then before.
Out from the hole rose an army, large and small, bugs and soldiers. All creatures to outnumber the sailor soldiers. The pods that encapsulated the queens daughters burst and figures of warrior women were birthed from them.
"This planet will be Elysian once more," Raelle vowed.
"We defeated the dark kingdom, we will defeat you," Sailor Venus stated and was joined by a chorus of her fellow soldiers.
"Surrender now," Rei cried to the sky as she readied herself for the attack.
"We will not let you destroy this beautiful life," Ami added.
"Or our adoptive home," Seiya continued.
"And upon my word, the silence will descend should you not surrender," Saturn vowed.
"Chose your side, Endymion," Raelle demanded. "This is your final chance. Chose wisely or I will exterminate the lot of you."
"Serena," Darien's voice was almost in full panic.
"We will protect this planet," Serena vowed.
"I will stand my ground," Darien yelled, drew his sword defiantly and faced Raelle. "For this planet and it's souls!" He cried his battle cry.
"Then perish!" Raelle screamed and released the full extent of her power.
The Sailor Soldiers where thrown backward but the attack but scrambled to their feet. Buildings crumbled as bugs burst forth from the ground and attacked. Swords and energies clashed and clanged, and screams filled the air. Dust rose, acid flew from the bugs and laid waste to the city around them.
Thrown into battle unlike any she'd experience before, Serena fought at Darien's side. Her attacks were strong, well placed and Raelle became angry as her hoard began to fall to the Sailor Soldiers and the last Prince of Elysian.
"You'll never win!" Raelle shouted as she released another attack. This time spraying a toxic ooze down upon everything. She laughed menacingly as the soldiers screamed and the corrosive powers of the toxic slime seemed to melt the skin right off their bones.
"Moon, Healing, Activation!" Serena cried as her moon wand appeared and cured her soldiers but the army fell to ruinous waste around them.
"That's not possible," Raelle gasped in shock.
"You are no match for the powers of our princess!" Sailor Mars announced.
"Princess?" Raelle asked as she backed away.
Hesitantly, and with a great sigh, Serena stepped forward. Holding her hands to the sky, the clouds of the storm parted, the moon appeared in the heavens and cast great light upon the world. The bugs, many of them, cried and retreated but Raelle and her subjects in humanoid forms remained unaffected by the moon's rays.
"How is this possible?" Raelle gasped as her masses dwindled. "Attack them you fools!" She screamed and threw another attack directly at Serena.
The battle continued at Raelle's command, as combat between the sailors and her army recommended, but Serena was protected. The light surrounded her and repelled Raelle's attack, and mad the angry queen furious.
"Why do you protect this planet when our interaction were forbidden?" Raelle cried angrily when the attack failed against Sailor Moon.
"Because Elysian called to me long ago, the song of this planet was awakened in me. The purity of it's soul, and a love I'd never known on the moon. Together we fought to save my planet but we failed and together with my powers I will fight to save this one," Serena answered as the Legendary Silver Crystal appeared in her hands and the costume of Sailor Moon disappeared to reveal the princess of the moon kingdom.
Raelle cried out in pain as the power of the crystal swept over everything. She fell from her place in the sky to the earth and Serena stepped toward her.
"I am Princess Serenity of the Moon and it has been my purpose for millions of years to protect the last of my kingdom here on earth. My mother sacrificed herself so that we would have a chance to live and love, but also so that we could be gracious to others in need. I am the keeper of the Legendary Silver Crystal, and by its powers you have been defeated," Serena explained.
"This is impossible," Raelle gasped at Serena's feet. "The great power has been here all along."
"Yes," Serena said.
"Forgive me, Regent, I did not know," Raelle grovelled.
Tears filled Serena's eyes at the address. Her heart broke to be regarded in such a way, and yet she knew that she had saved the planet once again.
"I want you to live, Queen Raelle, but I am fearful of what you may do to this planet," Serena said calmly as she tried to compose herself internally.
"This planet is already in very great distress," Raelle said as she knelt before Serena.
"I know, but it is up to the people, the souls of this planet, to save it. Not you, or I, or our ideas of what a purge might be," Serena continued in her benevolent way.
"And if they can't and manage to destroy it anyway?" Raelle asked.
"The mistress of silence walks among us and the crystals powers are poised for that end, but I do not wish to see it occur," Serena answered.
"What of Elysian?" She asked sadly.
"Endymion carries the burden of his people and one day he will be king of this place once more, but not now," Serena explained. "His destiny will be to rebuild and renew the earth when the time comes, but he was also reborn on this planet, and in this time, and by the crystal. So he has a right, as well as the lot of us, to live a life by our own means and to make our own choices. I believe in him and I know he will make things right, for his own good."
"The rules of engagement were broken for you, he is the love that brought you to earth in the first place," She gasped.
"Indeed, he was. I'm sorry for your people and for the exile that you faced because of the dark forces, but the rules of this planet, as they once were, cannot exist as they did," Serena said as Darien finally joined her and stood at her right.
"I will take my people and go," Raelle said as Serena reached to take her hand and help her up.
"I cannot let you go if you plan to conquer and rule in a malevolent way," Serena said sadly. "You cannot just take from other souls in the universe. It is not right."
"I won't, I swear to you Good Regent. We will find a planet uninhabited and we will be peaceful and we will protect this galaxy in your name. In the name of love," Raelle vowed and leaned in to kiss Serena's hand.
"Then I release you, go," Serena said and bowed. "And be happy."