Author's Notes: I have to admit, this very chapter was what inspired me to write the beginning of the first story the way I did. It is that very horror that enables Usagi to survive so many others. It was fully formed in my mind before the first word of the story was ever written.
Reader's Notes: Even though this chapter has a slight trigger warning it is very readable and incredibly important.
Musical Selections:
Christina Aguilera - The Voice Within
Sara Bareilles - King of Anything; Brave
Carrie Underwood - The Champion
Andra Day - Rise Up
Unsecret - Heroes Never Die
The Legacy of Dark Endymion
Part Two: Black Moon Enemies
M Rated Version
Chapter Nine
The Strength Within
January 16
***Usagi***
Date and Time Unknown
Many hours had passed, and Usagi, sitting in the chair, staring at the hologram of her future-self, was not gaining any strength. She had tried, several times, to shout the words and transform, but they never worked, and eventually she took the crystal from the brooch and slid it, not into her subspace pocket, but into her chest. She had brought it forth from there, and it was there it would be safest, and it would protect her heart, her soul, and hopefully, her children.
She huddled in the chair for long hours, worrying about what was going to happen. Pressing a hand over her belly, she whispered. "No matter what, I won't let him hurt you." She rocked slightly forward and back, as though she were already cuddling her infants in her arms. She would survive this, no matter what. She would make sure her babies survived. She listened to the echoing silence and wondered what the next day would bring.
Usagi remembered everything that she had been through. All that had led her here to this dark chamber, staring at the hologram of a woman who would be her in only a few years. How could it be that she would become the beauty she saw before her? And why had this prince fixated on her? Who was he, and where had he come from? Why did he feel familiar to her?
It was obvious to Usagi that these were the people her future children had run from. They had done something, and her twins had come back in time for help. But what could they have done? And if the man she'd seen was so obsessed with her future self, why wasn't he going after her in his own time instead of hers?
She wished she knew a way out. She shook out her clothing, scraping away at it, hoping to get the dark crystals away from her, but it was no use. She imagined they were probably all around this chamber, hidden. She thought of searching them out, but something told her it would be a bad idea.
Finally, still curled in the chair, she slept.
***Prince Dimande***
Date and Time Unknown
The Prince of the Black Moon Clan was not a patient or forgiving man. He was easily swayed by Wiseman into ever more increasing acts of violence and selfishness. He knew nothing of the suffering of others, and held tightly to his dogmatic belief system. He had no real memory of his life before Wiseman, but he had been given many gifts by the strange man, who was the first face he ever remembered seeing.
In the 30th century, he had worked as part of a rebellion against Neo Queen Serenity and Neo King Endymion. Their rule of peace had of course brought prosperity to the Earth, but it had also brought unnaturally long life. That was not something that should be allowed. People had to die. It wasn't right any other way.
And their rule of peace made everyone weak. What if they were attacked from beyond the stars again? Most had argued that of course the queen would protect them. But what about the military and advancements? No, he wanted a world where all the people were strong, and if conflict were ended, no one would learn through adversity.
He strode down the long hallways from his throne room to his chambers. There, he would finally have the woman, at least the younger version of her, that had so enthralled him with her eyes on the day they had launched the dark crystals into Crystal Tokyo. She had run out of the palace only seconds later, which meant she must have known they were coming somehow. And he had laughed to see the destruction, the utter devastation caused by the crash of the dark crystal. She had looked up at him with a mixture of anger, sadness, and pity. He couldn't forget that look.
He had to have her.
He paced the hall outside his bedchambers. He wanted to make a strong impression on the girl, but she'd made a fool of him. He knew when he entered that room he had to immediately cow her so that she would fall under his control. He knew he would have to bring the full force of his Eye on her almost the moment he closed the door. He sighed, wondering what she would feel like underneath him.
Prince Dimande opened the door to the room where she was being kept and stepped inside. Usagi leaped up from the chair and backed into the furthest corner. "Get on the bed," he demanded. Tonight he was going to make her his.
***Mamoru***
Mamoru sat bolt upright in bed. "NOOOO!" he screamed.
The generals came running from the living room, looking for whatever was threatening him. He couldn't speak it. He couldn't tell them it was not himself he feared for. He needed to save his Usako.
He was panting now, her terror filling him, and the vile things that had happened to them before replayed in his head. He stood, scrambled to the bathroom, and was violently ill. The apartment began to fill with people, but he didn't see them, his head hung over the toilet. He didn't hear their voices, or see the children open their door to come and find out what was the matter.
He only knew his wife feared she was about to be assaulted again.
***Usagi***
Date and Time Unknown
Trigger Warning for suggestions of SA; non-explicit
Dimande closed the door behind him and stepped closer to her. She had woken instantly at the sound of the door and scrambled out of the chair and into the furthest corner of the room, as far from him as she could get, but he took another step. She backed into the wall hard, the rough stone digging into her shoulders through her wrinkled school uniform.
His only words had been, "Get on the bed," and she knew why he wanted her to go there.
Desperate fear and near blind panic ran through her and she cried out for help mentally, but there was no one to help her. She shook her head no, and wrapped her arms protectively around her belly. She wouldn't let him near herself, or her babies. No one would be turning them evil. Not in this or any other damned timeline!
And there was no way was she would be getting on the bed. She'd been raped before and she wasn't going to let it happen again. She couldn't go through that. Not now. Not when she was finally so happy again. She'd endured too much. She'd fought too hard to come back from that well of despair.
"I said get on the bed!"
She felt heat radiate from her stomach and looked down to see it glow for just an instant. Her fear level dropped, just a fraction, as she remembered her force field, and all the times her babies had seemed to protect her. She would protect them too. She lifted her head and looked the prince in the eye, shaking her head no. He didn't appear to have noticed the glow in her belly. His eyes were locked onto her own as he pushed his will at her mentally.
"Get on the bed. Now." The marking on his forehead disappeared and a strange, sideways eye replaced it. His voice changed. "You will obey me."
She shook her head again. "No!" The word was almost a scream. Intense fear shot through her, like fire in her veins.
Images flashed through her mind for a brief second and then disappeared not only from sight but from memory. Usagi couldn't remember what had happened to her with Dark Endymion. Couldn't remember being hypnotized because a part of her had instinctively trusted the face, not realizing the depths of the evil inside him under Metallia's influence. She didn't know that even then she had held back, protecting the ones she loved from harm.
A brief thought flashed, a memory. It wasn't Mamo. It wasn't Mamo. It wasn't Mamo. And it was gone, without a trace of having been there. It was the Silver Crystal, not Usagi, who remembered it all. The pain, the fear, the heartache. The near loss of her and Mamoru both to despair. It couldn't let that happen again. It cleared away the memory before she could be affected by it.
If she had remembered, she would have known already that she was no longer susceptible to such persuasion. In saving her and Mamoru, the Crystals both had worked to make sure neither of them would be open to such evil persuasion again. Usagi merely knew that she didn't want to do what he said, so she didn't do it. It was as simple as that. The Maboroshi no Ginzuisho was fully aware however, though it had no consciousness as humans understood.
The memory that had floated through Usagi's mind in that fleeting instant had not been her own, but that of the Silver Crystal. That artifact had a memory and knew what had befallen it's protector. Usagi didn't know what had really happened anymore, but the ginzuisho did, and it put up a block in her mind, protecting her from the influence of the pale man. It would not let her be destroyed. It sent out strength to the two lives growing inside it's protector, sent out strength to the pink and purple Crystals only now being formed. The Gold and the Silver Crystal's progeny rested in the chests of the children created by Usagi and Mamoru. It would protect all of them. A surge of power was released into the two babies and their own powers were strengthened.
Usagi and the prince were unaware of all that was transpiring within the girl. The prince was only aware that she did not obey.
"What?" Prince Dimande looked confused. He knew she should have obeyed. No one disobeyed him! He focused all his will on her, pushing his desires at her as strongly as he dared. "You will obey. Get. On. The. BED!" His voice was strained with the intensity if his mental demands.
Usagi shook her head again. "I said NO! I won't just walk over there and do what you want. I won't let you hurt me or my babies!"
"If you don't do as I wish I will simply destroy you," he said, his tone arrogant.
"You won't!" Usagi said. "I won't do what you want!"
"Then I will cut those babies out of you!" A bright light flared, her stomach shining in a brief flash.
"You'll never be able to harm them. If you try, you'll suffer." It was a promise. "If you try to harm so much as one hair on my babies heads you wont find any place in this galaxy or any other you can hide!" Her arms tightened around her belly. She wanted to be home with Mamoru and the twins. She wanted her babies safe. She called out mentally again, and still Mamoru did not reply, though she felt his anguish and his fear for her.
"You belong to me!" His voice almost sounded pleading. Then he growled. "Fine, I'll just have to force you. And I'll rip those brats out of you!"
Usagi laughed then, a harsh, mocking sound. "They'll destroy you first!" she promised. "And then I will come after you. And I wont ever stop." Her voice was hard, a rumble of thunder, the crashing of waves on rocky shore, the tumble and roar of an avalanche. It was a pronouncement of judgement. "Harm my children and you won't find safety anywhere." Her spirit rang with inner strength. She felt warmth radiating through her chest and into her belly.
***Mamoru***
Mamoru's head came up as he finished emptying his stomach. He stumbled to the sink and cleaned out his mouth. Firm hands held his arm and led him to the living room. He could feel Usagi in his mind. Her fear was unbearable and he shuddered. Whoever had her wanted to rape her. She was not going to go easily. He knew those feelings so well. He'd felt them from her every time their memories overwhelmed them. The horror and fear and shame and deep need to run... He could remember so clearly.
Now harsh anger was swirling though, and something else. Something elusive, a whisper of immeasurable strength as her will firmed. She was a mother now, and he knew those feelings. Someone had threatened the children. She would never let that happen, and neither would he.
He looked up. Without his noticing the apartment had filled again. Everyone was there, from Chibi-Mamo and Chibi-Usa to the Inner and Outer Senshi and the Shitennou and to Haruki, who stood just beside him, his face a white mask of fear. Everyone in this room loved Usagi. And many others who were not in the room. He prayed their combined love had the power to give her strength.
He looked down at the children, who were sitting on the floor near his feet, clinging to one another. Setsuna had told him they said they would protect her. He imagined they must have meant the unborn versions of themselves. Usagi's will hardened, and he could feel her inner strength burning. He sat up straight. She was going to get out of this. He knew she was.
He sent a fervent prayer out into the night for her safety.
***Usagi***
Date and Time Unknown
"Do you really think you, a pitiful, weak, shivering teenaged girl, can possibly stop me?" Dimande laughed. "Do you think you can match me? I can reach out and crush you. Now do as I say and get on the bed."
"NO!" She hissed the word. "I won't" She snarled. "I won't let you touch me or my babies."
Prince Dimande stalked towards her, his hand outstretched, and despite herself Usagi quaked in fear. Her stomach glowed again, and she calmed. And she remembered the force field that had stopped everyone but Mamoru from getting close to her. The force field which had physical shape and would not let him near.
"Stay BACK!" she screamed, now warning him for his own sake as much as hers. "I don't know what they'll do to you!"
He stopped for a moment, and cocked his head to the side in confusion. "They?" he asked. "Do to me?" His eyes seemed to glow for a moment, as though again he were pushing his will at her.
"The babies. Please. Just stay back." She pleaded with him. "They won't let anyone near me, and they wont stop until I'm safe." She sighed. "Can't you just go back to your own time and try to fix whatever went wrong? Try to make peace?"
Dimande laughed bitterly. "Peace is the PROBLEM!" His voice was harsh. "You and your peace!" He took a step closer. "I've fought against you for nearly ten years. You just want everyone to be peaceful. It makes them WEAK!" Spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke, and Usagi shuddered in revulsion. "You pathetic fools and your Crystal Tokyo, and your long lives that mean nothing because there is no fear of death."
Usagi shook her head, not understanding. "What are you talking about?"
Dimande swept his arm towards the hologram. "You! You become Neo Queen Serenity. You save the planet. Again and again, you and your King Endymion fight all the battles and leave us living in peace," he spat the word as though it was a curse.
"What's wrong with peace? Don't people want safety? Security? Hope?" She was very confused now. She was no queen, and she didn't know what battles he was talking about. "Why are you here now instead of talking to the future me?"
"Because you are currently trapped inside the Maboroshi no Ginzuisho so that you are protected. I can't reach you. So I came here, hoping I could change the future. You banished the Black Moon Clan, and I found Wiseman. And now we have our allies in the Dead Moon Circus, and they will be taking all the dreams, while I get you."
None of this made any sense to Usagi. She was a smart girl in spite of her poor grades, but he was talking to her in riddles. She knew what the Maboroshi no Ginzuisho was of course, as she had hidden it inside her own chest. She didn't understand how she could be trapped inside something so small, but if it was protecting her, then she knew there was a reason. She couldn't imagine someone hating her because she had brought peace. It made no sense.
"Who is Wiseman? What does he want? And what is the Dead Moon Circus?"
"None of that matters!" He hissed. "What matters is that you are mine now. You will do as I say." He moved towards her again.
She held out one arm to ward him off. "Don't, I can't make them stop once they start," she warned.
He ignored her, taking another step, his arm lifting as though he might strike her. And then it happened. Her belly glowed, and in an instant her personal shield went up, stronger and bigger than she'd ever seen it.
Her mind swirled with disbelief. If she was weakened, shouldn't the babies be as vulnerable and tired as she? Unless her own body was protecting them from the dark crystal shards she'd been covered with. Maybe pressing the Maboroshi no Ginzuisho inside her chest to protect it had added to their strength. The shield looked thicker too, almost like it had a hazy silver skin over it.
She stared at Prince Dimande, hoping he would take the hint and leave her be. "Don't move!" she begged. "I can't stop them if they attack." She was worried now, about him. What he said made no sense. Her mind flittered over Kunzite and the others, reminding her that people could be turned evil against their will. "I can save you," she whispered.
Prince Dimande was not listening. He didn't understand that she was trying to save him. He lost all control. He pounded his fists against the outer edge of the force field, and then removed a large dark crystal shard from his ear. He stepped closer, holding the crystal and lifting the point, pressing it toward the shield as if to penetrate it.
Her belly glowed brighter and he was pushed violently backward as the shield expanded further and further in a rush, filling the room, destroying the black columns, ending the projection of the future Usagi, breaking the large black bed and the chair into splinters. Feathers and torn cloth fluttered and then were crushed to the floor and walls. The shield expanded until it filled every inch of the room, thrusting the remains of the furniture, and the columns, and Prince Dimande's body, against the wall as it pressed out further. The remains of everything were squeezed into a fine powder, and Dimande, now in the corner opposite hers was being pressed against the walls as the shield squeezed him until he broke.
Light filled the bubble inside the shield as it left the broken body of the prince and shrunk back toward Usagi. The light was a mix of gold and silver, with swirls of pink and purple. Music filled the air, and a warm wind floated over her skin. It felt so familiar... and she realized that it was the sound and sight and feel of her Soul-Bond with little strains of harmony added in. And as the shield closed into a small bubble around her, the world faded into black, but the light inside the shield brightened more and more until she couldn't see the devastation outside.
***Prince Dimande***
Date and Time Unknown
Dimande felt more pain than he ever could have imagined as the bright silvery light slammed him into the wall, crushing him harder and harder against the stone surface. There was a sudden vacuum as the shield, and the girl inside, vanished from the space. The room seemed to shake for a moment as the air rushed in to fill the space. With the columns broken and shattered into dust there was no support for the ceiling.
Lying against the wall of the chamber, Prince Dimande stared at the empty room, wondering how they had managed to steal her away. As the light faded, he felt a flicker in his chest. Something was happening to him. He felt as though he was being sucked away, out of his body. His brother's face appeared in his vision, sad, panicked, worried. He wanted to reach out and touch him, tell him everything would be alright.
As Dimande spoke his last words, Wiseman and the dark Crystal released him. The Diamond Crystal hidden in his heart began to flicker back to life and he realized for the first time who Sailor Moon truly was, and why he had been so drawn to her. The perversion of his heart, his mind, and his life, had been done to him. He remembered the truth now. He remembered being stolen from his happy existence and turned into something evil.
A single tear fell down his cheek and he prayed to his Diamond Crystal for one last chance to get it right. Somewhere, out beyond Nemesis, in the city of Crystal Tokyo, the Silver Crystal flickered in response, and a Queen stirred in her enchanted slumber.
***Saphir***
Date and Time Unknown
The floors and walls shook around Saphir and he began to run. He'd been in the chamber where he created the droids. Rubeus met him in the hallway, and they tore through the long corridor, racing for their Prince. The door was closed when they reached it, and something was pressed against it. They pushed several times, sweeping away a thick coating of powder and debris.
His eyes scanned the room for Prince Dimande. Finally Saphir found him. He fell to his knees beside his brother and heard the whispered words.
"They... took... her... away... from..." The sentence was left unfinished and Saphir heard a rattling and wheezing, his brother's crushed lungs giving out under the strain. He bowed his head and pulled the lifeless man into his arms, cradling his head gently. His enraged howl tore through the chamber and echoed through the long stone hallways. He would get his revenge.
***Mamoru***
Mamoru sat up in a move so sudden everyone in the room gasped. "She's not afraid anymore." He said in wonder. "She's safe now!" He smiled. "And I think she's on her way home." The mood in the room brightened and he smiled down at the two children clinging to his legs. They had protected her. He reached out for them and pulled both his children into his lap. "She's coming home." he whispered again, and hugged them tight.
He could feel her shock and sadness, but it wasn't for herself. He reached out mentally, willing his link to strengthen. She was coming home!
***Usagi***
Date and Time Unknown
The light was blinding. She closed her eyes against it, still horrified at watching Dimande get crushed against the wall. When she opened her eyes again she was floating in space. All around her was inky blackness, broken by the light of beautiful distant stars. She felt safe and warm inside her bubble, even as it entered what seemed to be a mist or fog. An invisible force seemed to propel her forward, as though she was being pushed, or perhaps drawn to something. She trusted her force field, trusted her babies and the Crystal to see her safely wherever it was she was headed.
The mist grew thicker and thicker. Outside her shield a storm swirled, but she was untouched. Light began to appear through the fog and as it grew closer and closer she could see a familiar silhouette. A woman stood, dark green hair flaring behind her and down to her waist, a staff held upright in her hands. As she neared she could see the chain of keys stung on her belt. Her dark eyes were welcoming and kind and she smiled.
Usagi landed gently in front of her, and the shield withdrew, with one more shimmering glow from her belly before it faded completely. She swiped at the tears that had covered her cheeks, and stared. She was safe!
"I've been waiting for you," said Setsuna.
"Sailor Pluto. Setsuna!" Usagi rushed forward and was folded in the arms of her friend.
"I've waited such a long time," the other woman said, and when Usagi lifted her head to look, there were tears on Setsuna's cheeks. "I've missed you." She hugged her harder. "I have something for you. Come and sit."
Usagi was led to the edge of a small pool. Setsuna pushed her down with a soft touch. She pulled something from her subspace pocket, and Usagi grinned at the sight of the milkshake, still ice cold. "I went and got this for you from the Crown Game Center the day I sent the little ones back to you. I thought it might be a comfort."
She shook her head at Usagi's questioning look. "I can't tell you everything, but I can tell you that you will be coming back, soon," she added.
"Where am I? Or should I ask when?"
"Dimande brought you to the 30th century, to his time. It made it impossible for Mamoru and the others to reach you. I was so frustrated, watching him break down, and then the children came and told me they would protect you. My past self, I mean." She sighed. "I didn't understand it all of course and grew rather frustrated." She smiled. "I had to block the abilities of my past-self to protect the time line. Certain things must happen as they were meant to. I am sorry you suffered so much fear." She hugged the younger version of her friend.
"What happens now?" She told Setsuna everything she had learned. "I don't know who this Wiseman is, but I bet he wont be happy we destroyed his prince. And I have no clue about the Dead Moon Circus. What should I do?"
"You will be going home of course, and I will send you instructions through my younger self." Setsuna smiled. "As for what you should know... There are only two things of importance. One is that you need to stay clear of the fighting on the day the Grim Man appears. You must be with the children on that day. The other is that when you return to the future, and you will be back, you must not let Chibi-Usa or Chibi-Mamo near Wiseman. He will try to turn them evil." She hugged Usagi again, to lessen the fear her words were causing.
"You are pregnant with them now, and even as we speak the Pink Moon Crystal and the Purple Earth Crystal are forming. You can use the Silver and Gold crystals to link them to you, and all the others. I know you will do this as soon as you return, and they won't leave you and Mamoru. I've seen the possible futures when you fail to do this, and it is not good."
Usagi nodded. As soon as she was done hugging and kissing her family and friends it would be the very next thing she and Mamoru did. She vowed it in her heart. She would not let harm come to her children or rest while they were in danger.
Setsuna stood, and helped Usagi up. "You're always so beautiful pregnant," she whispered, then laughed. "Not me, I felt like a whale next to you! By the time the twins are born I'm already big enough to rest both of them on top of my belly!" She smiled. "Don't tell me this, but I actually got pregnant this night, while you were missing." Usagi gasped.
"Haruki and I needed each other, and I finally gave in to the Soul-Bonding. It was beautiful..." she trailed off with a happy sigh as she remembered. "Just don't tell me. I like the way I found out." She pulled a key off the chain on her belt. "You will need this for a time, but on the day my daughter is born, please give this to her as her birthright."
"Congratulations." Usagi whispered, happy for her friend. She was glad to know she wasn't so lonely and sad as she'd been when they first met.
"Henshin, and repeat after me. Guardian of time! Tear apart the sky and open the Door of Space-time to me! I call your true name, the almighty god of time, the guardian of time's father, Chronos! Guidance to me! Protection to me! The path of light to me!"
Usagi did as she was told, and felt herself enveloped in a bright, chaotic light. A moment later Sailor Moon found herself standing in the park. The night air smelled wonderful. Remnants of a furious storm could be smelled and seen.
::MAMORU? Can you hear me?:: She knew her mental voice was loud, but she was excited, and nervous, and she had missed him terribly.
::USAKO! We're coming!:: It was almost a scream in her head, and less than a minute later everyone was surrounding her. She was caught up into Tuxedo Kamen's arms, with the children clinging to her legs. Her friends were laughing or crying, smiling and talking over each other.
Everyone asked how she'd escaped, but all she would say was, "the babies protected me, and when I thought all hope was lost they transported me out of there."
::There's more to it isn't there?:: Mamoru asked through their link.
::Yes, but now is not the time.:: She didn't want the twins to hear exactly what had happened.
"We need to go back to the apartment, and I need all of you with us a little longer." Sailor Moon's voice was firm as she remembered what Future Pluto had said.
She looked over at her friend, assessing her. Flushed cheeks, mussed hair. Yup, a tiny little bun was being created in that oven right now. She laughed at her secret and received a strange look in return. "By the way, Setsuna, Haruki, congratulations on your Soul-Bonding." She laughed delightedly when their mouths dropped open to stare at her. Some of the others joined in as they pulled into their circle.
They joined hands and the cry of, "Sailor Teleport," rang through the night. A moment later they were back in the apartment. Releasing her henshin, Usagi lifted one hand to her chest and willed the Silver Crystal to come out. She opened her locket and snugged it back inside.
Everyone was hugging each other, and her. She hadn't realized how much she'd needed their contact. Rei broke down and cried all over her, and Jadeite had to lead her away to a chair and comfort her. Looking around at everyone, she realized that they were her family, as much as the one she had been born into. These friends had been holding her husband together while she was gone. She'd had flashes of his anguish and fear, but had been so focused on survival she'd had to put it aside.
Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Mamo brought her the phone, and even though it was nearing four in the morning, insisted she call Grandma-Ikuko. The phone rang only once. "Moshi moshi."
"Mama." said Usagi, and listened as her mother broke down in relief. It took a long time to calm her, but eventually her mother was able to promise she would finally go to bed.
When she hung up the phone, a large stack of pancakes was sitting on the table. Her mouth watered. Mamoru picked her up and kissed her, then put her in the chair, sliding the plate closer to her. The butter had already been added, and now she slathered the stack with syrup. And as she ate, she explained almost everything that had happened, ending with what future Setsuna had told her.
"I need a little bit of advice before I start this. Since it was Future Pluto who told me," she looked at Setsuna, "I'm hoping you might have some knowledge."
She put a hand on each child's head. "We are going to have to go to the future at some point very soon, from what I understand. When I was taken, it was to the 30th century. All of us will have to go there at some point soon." She paused for several bites trying to get her thoughts in order.
"The two who will be most vulnerable are Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Mamo. According to the future Setsuna, there are possible futures where Wiseman attempts to turn them evil. That was part of the reason I was taken, though no one could have touched them, even if they didn't know that." Another pause. More than half the stack was gone now. It really had been a very long time since she'd eaten, and a shake only went so far after all.
"Their Crystals are apparently being formed in their hearts right now as they are growing inside my belly. From what future Setsuna said, I can link their current Crystals to their pre-birth ones with a mixture of the energy from the Silver and Golden crystals." She smiled and took another bite. "What do you think?"
Setsuna looked thoughtful as she struggled with the concept. "I would hazard a guess that it could be done in a way that is similar to the Soul-Bond, without the ceremony. Linking their souls together. But I would go a step further. I would link their pre-birth crystals with both of yours. This would mean that the four of you together would be invulnerable to influence unless all four of you were turned in exactly the same moment."
Usagi nodded and stood, turning to Mamoru. He stooped and kissed her again, and then the two of them moved so that the children were between them, with their hands holding the crystals to either side. Usagi linked hands with her Bond-Mate. They combined the energies of the two Crystals, but Mamoru wanted Usagi to lead because she had a more delicate touch.
She wove the magic of the Crystals together into a delicate lace and touched first Mamoru's Goruden no Ginzuisho and then her Maboroshi no Ginzuisho before she lightly moved the energy inward, deep into her belly and the delicate little hearts that fluttered there. She touched first the pink, and then the purple crystals with the lace of power and bonded their souls to each other and their parents, with a slightly different touch than the Soul-Bond.
Carefully she pulled the lace outward, spreading the magic into the future selves of the children, and then back again towards her and Mamoru. She made several layers of the delicate magic, linking them closely before she let the intermingled silver and gold strands of light sink into them and let the power go. There was a gentle warmth as it sunk inside, and she felt even closer to her family than before. It was beautiful.
::We need to do this for the others,:: Usagi told Mamoru. ::We need to make sure none of them are ever forced into evil against their will. I think it would kill the men if they were forced to harm the women again,:: she added, catching sight of Kunzite's face as he stared at Minako.
::Then we will,:: Mamoru agreed. ::But not tonight. Tonight, you need your rest. We can do that tomorrow.::
::Hai,:: Usagi nodded and leaned heavily against him, her exhaustion overwhelming her.
Legacy of Dark Endymion Character Guide
(More characters will be added as they appear in the story)
Main Characters:
Tsukino Usagi (Sailor Moon) & Chiba Mamoru (Tuxedo Kamen)
Mizuno Ami (Sailor Mercury) & Sasake Zoicite (South Knight)
Hino Rei (Sailor Mars) & Sasake Jadeite (West Knight)
Kino Makoto (Sailor Jupiter) & Yoshida Nephrite (East Knight)
Aino Minako (Sailor Venus) & Ine Kunzite (North Knight)
Kaiou Michiru (Sailor Neptune) & Ten'ou Haruka (Sailor Uranus)
Meiou Setsuna (Sailor Pluto) & Kazuo Haruki (Sun Knight)
Tomae Hotaru (Sailor Saturn) & Tsukino Shingo (Blue Moon Knight)
Current Enemies:
Wiseman
Prince Dimande
Saphir
Esmeraude
Rubeus
Petz
Calaveras
Koan
Berthier
Supporting Characters: (* means created character)
Furuhata Motoki & Nishimura Reika (altered)
Osaka Naru & Umino Guiro (altered)
Tsukino Ikuko & Tsukino Kenji - Usagi's parents
Grandfather Hino - Runs Hikawah Shrine, Rei's Grandfather
Mizuno Saeko - Ami's Mother, doctor
Osaka Nozomi - Naru's mother
*Osaka Mayumi - Mamoru's Favorite Teacher
Haruna Sakurada - Usagi's favorite teacher
*Officer Takahashi - Male cop; promises to keep secret
*Officer Sato - Female cop; promises to keep secret
*Aoto - Sailor Senshi Hour Host
*Yuna - Sailor Senshi Hour Host
*Miyu - Sailor Senshi Hour Host
*Yodu - Punk kid who feels entitled… rich
Animal Guardians/Guides: (* means created character)
Luna - Usagi's Guardian/Guide - Cat from Mau
Artemis - Minako's Guardian/Guide - Cat from Mau
Trapped In Crystal:
Beryl
Enemies who Cannot be Saved:
Metalia