the end in the beginning

by max333

Its been a month since Galaxia left, Usagi, the girls, Mamoru and their friends are all in a new phase of their lives just as a new enemy emerges, bent on destroying them. Will the strength of the senshi together be enough? With old friends and new friends coming in to help everyone must fight to protect everything they hold dear.

25. princess vs princess

LoveInTheBattleField: thanks.

Vegasnickle: hey that's great, I so totally get it. Getting swamped with work can be hard. Thanks and I hope you enjoy what's to come to.

2 reviews, nice lets see how you all like this next chapter, let me know what you all think!

The end in the beginning ch. 25

Usagi POV

It had begun to rain today which thankfully drove away some of the reporters around the area, I never thought I'd be thankful for rain, but I was. It was actually starting to feel more normal now as even the upcoming thunder wasn't even getting to me like it usually did. A few strikes here and there and while I cringed at it out of force of habit, I didn't freak out and take off running for cover as I used to.

I had way more pressing things on my mind right now and they were taking up space in my head as I left school for home. Ami became busy working on why our resident bitch-leader as both Minako and Makoto had coined her, had a hard on hatred for me cause her excuses of why just didn't compute very well. Not to mention she truly did seem to come out of nowhere and fast and the timing was just to co-incidental.

Rei had to take her grandfather to the doctor, something routine so we told her to let us know how it went. Makoto was back to working in the kitchen for the restaurant again. Since she was so good at the baking and needed to let off some steam, they gave her a few orders to fill out for a catering party going on. It helped to calm her stress levels down as did her karate classes, so she was making herself busy.

Then there was Minako whose parents were home and trying to get her to sign on for additional work for the ad's. I felt for her going home to that obvious issue, but she seemed used to it, so I simply told her to call or text if she needed us. Hopefully she'd check in at some point during the evening. Before I even get home though my phone pings from Ami with a text saying 'might want to take a look at this'.

I open up the article and begin to read it and feel a bit attacked in it. This looks barely anything like what Mamoru, and I talked about with my dad. I have to find out what happened. I rush home the rest of the way and dart through the crowd of select few reporters out there now using some of my enhanced sped to get through the front door. I wasn't even thinking to use the trellis this time as I kicked off my shoes and left my briefcase by the stairs.

I went to dad's office and opened it up. I couldn't help but ask him before even issuing a 'hello' or 'hi', "What happened?" I show him the article on my phone as he sinks in his seat a bit and sighs, "My boss changed it up after I gave him what I wrote." He admits to me, making me deflate a bit knowing that we were hoping he'd be able to control the outcome of any article that was posted about us through his methods.

Its then that we hear increasing knocks at the front door as mom goes to see who it is. This interrupts our conversation as we both go to see what's going on. We leave his office as I make my way to the window. I peak through it and find its now doubled up with reporters all over the street. It dawns on me that after I got home just moments beforehand there were more reporters on their way over after having read the article themselves and wanting to know more about what was in it.

I can see our neighbors looked displeased by this and shunning our family even more so now, I can't help but feel bad for what this is causing them. "Looks like they got wind of the article to." My dad mutters annoyed as he peak's out through another window. It's when one of the reporters starts to pound hard enough to rattle the door that my dad gets agitated enough to go to it until my mother tries to stop him.

"Are you sure talking to them is wise right now? especially with how upsetting this has made you…both of you?" he puts a hand to her own on his arm. "Honey, these people won't stop now that the article is out. I was hoping for some peace, but it merely sparked the flame. That article was a mistake now." he looks away clearly upset that this blew up and if I'm not mistaken feeling partially responsible.

He's not but he was pressured into it. We went along with it because we thought it would help us out. Looks like we were all wrong. "I'll do what I can to put it out my way." I can tell she's still iffy on speaking up, but only because she wants to keep us out of the spotlight as much as we do. We watch as he opens it just a few inches, leaving the chain on to help in preventing them from pushing their way in through the door.

Not that I think they will as reporters do have professional boundaries they can't cross, legal professional boundaries, but that doesn't exclude some of them from trying to pull a stunt to make even more news. Some are legit good reporters, but I don't currently see any of them out there. So, when I see a microphone and a few other recording devices get shoved towards his face I can only hope for the best right now.

After all this is the first-time dads addressed them. He's been trying to stay out of the camera this whole time but now it seems he can't avoid it any longer. I know I should be the one to be in the camera to take my family away from this but one look at my father's gaze tells me that he needs to speak his mind, or he might implode. As it is, I know my father is more than just having a bout of daily frustration.

This article got bamboozled by his own boss and he obviously couldn't do anything about it. I can see it on his face as he decides to try and talk some sense into these people. I just hope that they don't say something ridiculous just to get a rise out of him. He's only just gotten completely over his own injuries and I don't want him to push things just yet. "Just a few words Mr. Tsukino, with you and your daughter Usagi."

The one who presumably pounded hard enough to agitate my father asked as I saw with a mix of fear and pride as he addressed him and the rest of the reporters, "Any questions that are being asked are going to come from me." This stuns them for a moment, "None of you will ever get near my family like this again and I'd appreciate it if you all got off my property and left us alone." It was the nicest 'get off my lawn!' he's ever given to anyone which surprises me cause when my dad is angry people usually run off.

Yet these are worse than your average hood who's trying to pull some stupid prank. These are blood thirsty reporters who won't stop before they have what they want and are able to make a name for themselves. So, when the reporters ignore his request to leave and just keep pressing for more answers showing a clear sign that his words meant nothing to them, he shuts the door in their faces and looks red in the face himself from aggravation.

I message Ami and the rest of the girls asking for advice on what to do since the article has come out. All of them say various forms of what Ami advises. Don't say anything. I agree it'd be a bad idea considering how the article was done. The reporters will obviously print what they feel like printing and will take things out of context and even make it worse for others. In this case their making it harder for us.

Even Minako says…as much as I'd love to speak up and give a gallant speech about who the real enemy is somehow it will definitely get twisted and turned into something else that's not true just to make a few more bucks. It's what they do. Sensationalism. It rules the media. I hated to say it, but she had a point and now I was left with one option I've been wanting to take for a while now. I wanted to talk with this evil princess.

One on one. No one else from her side nor from mine. If I could talk some sense into her maybe there was a way out of this. She is the cause of it after all. Maybe there was a way to use her to end it as she began it. Well maybe not use her for it but strike a bargain of sorts, or maybe appeal to her humanity. Even though Mamoru told me and was certain he saw her humanity die when he spoke with her, I know there has to be some part of her that gives a damn…there just has to be if I'm being completely honest.

Once my family settles down for the evening I head out, unable to sleep or think about anything else other than talking to this evil princess. I take off for the nearest park to home as its senseless at this point to try to go for one further away. She obviously knows where I live so why try to hide it. I transform and use my powers to try to locate her on my own. I can sense her evil power signatures, something that over a year ago I couldn't do.

I realized my own powers had been increasing as well. I felt this was a good sign as I could hone in on them and see what else I was capable of against our enemies. I call out to her, "I know you can sense me sensing you. We need to talk." It's not loud as I don't want to alert anyone to what's going on its mere talking to the night air as I keep on sensing her for her arrival. "I was wondering when you'd finally seek me out." She announces from behind me. Her demeanor is calm yet that alone makes me wonder what's up her sleeve.

I force myself to NOT become defensive as I don't want her to think she got under my skin. I instead force myself to remain calm in appearance to. Even if a great deal of me feels the need to fight her after everything that she's done to us. To others. Besides this is a neutral meeting and while she has appeared here in a nonchalant mode, I want to make mine appear the same way yet still keep an eye open for any surprises.

As it is her very presence here is making the winds pick up in protest at such evil in its presence, "Why do this? Why cause harm to the planet that we all call home?" I asked of her, "To the people that need our protecting from evil? Why expose us when all we have wanted to do is protect it? Protect the people. You do realize that that's all we want to do." I try to appeal to her logical side.

She however scoffs at my words as if I'm being stupid and ignorant. It's not the first time I've heard a scoff like that. "Protect the people. Protect the planet…you truly are naïve and gullible." She then rolls her eyes at me before she meets my own, "It's only a matter of time before a powerful enough enemy comes here and takes all of it away from you. It's inevitable. At least in my hands I can mold it for something beneficial." She tells me.

I can't hold my tongue any longer though, "You speak of narcissism. Of forcing the world to your ideals for your benefits. Personal gain." I tell her knowing that the crystal Tokyo future that we all saw may have been attacked but it stood up well and was rebuilt nicely according to Chibi Usa when she came back for her training. That beautiful earth is what is worth saving. This beautiful earth. The beautiful people here, who work every day to make the world better are worth saving.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" I feel a taken aback by her response as she looks to me knowingly. As if were no different from the other, "So do you. After all you do plan to ascend to the throne here at some point, what makes you any better than I?" I can't help but become defensive at this as we are nothing alike. "I plan to bring peace and unity to this planet." I tell her passionately, unable to stop the words as I step forward, not in a threatening manner but in a 'this is how it should be' manner.

"To give life to those who don't have it. To heal and help. You plan to rule as if the people are yours to with as you please. They're not. They're not your puppets or playthings. Their human beings with free will and deserve to live their lives as they see fit." As long as it doesn't harm another or themselves. She however laughs at my words as if it's merely a joke to her, "But of course that's what their there for…to be ruled over. To be directed and told what to do and how to do it…that's how the system works."

I can't help but twitch my face at how she feels regarding everyday people like my family and others. It's the majority of the planet she's talking about and it bothers me how she feels about them all. If they had an inkling of how she talked they'd mob her in a moment. Yet with her powers she'd have what she needs to rule over them in fear. I couldn't let that happen, not now, not ever.

"It's the peasant's simple way of living, they know no better. Its why you have governments and royalty in place. To show them what to do. What they're here to do. Work for us, live for us, be on their knees and serve us…die for us. The peasant population, or as it's called today, the poor and middle class…they want to believe in a grander plan for them…they just don't want to admit to wanting to being controlled."

Her smirk makes me want to bitch slap her back to where she came from. Yet I refrain, after all I am a lady myself and I will act as dignified as possible till she leaves me no choice. "They don't want to be controlled. They want their freedom, hell even back in the silver millennium era there was freedom." Things granted changed a LOT since then but still. Freedom has always been in play, "It was a fool's notion to grant that, in fact when I take power, I'll get rid of that pesky notion and bring about a new era."

I couldn't help but feel disappointed and still a little stunned that she would be like this. She was a princess on a power trip, and I stood in her way. "No…it was a wise decision made, one that should never be taken away. To stripe anyone of that is cruel…it speaks of a desperate need for control." She loses a bit of her smirk on that, "But then again it does speak well of you then doesn't it." I step forward.

"The princess so desperate to be in control she eradicates it. That's not the makings of a true princess…it's the making of a monster." I can see her beginning to snarl at me, her nose crinkling as she hates that I verbally have gotten the better of her. at least for now. "When I take over, I'm going to swallow you and your powers up. There will be no trace, no remanent that you EVER existed." She says.

I look at her right in the eyes, "Then you'll choke on me." She looks a taken aback for a moment, "Because I've been in the depths of hell with enemies before. Pharoah 90 tried to swallow me whole. Wiseman tried to overwhelm me…yet they didn't win, and neither will you." I could see for the first-time real wonderment if she was going to win or not. Like perhaps she was seeing a true contender in me for the first time.

"Cause not only do I have an army of senshi, but I have love, I have loyalty out of friendship and respect. You don't have any of that." She grits her teeth against this knowing the truth of it. "So go ahead try to swallow me…you'll choke. Just like the rest did." I tell her as I run with it. I decide to use my own skills to show her what the moon is about and what working with others and unity is all about.

"And what's so wrong with peace?" I demand of her, angered by her previous words. "Nations and even planets before us, before our own existences not just on this planet but before us in the old life, have tried to rule with dictatorship and the people are never truly happy. Not the majority of them." I assure her as I watch as she looks to be considering it for all of a few seconds of 'eh'.

That's when for those few seconds I wonder if peace can actually be achieved with her. I was hoping to reach out to her on a human level but perhaps that's not possible. Not after all. She reminds me a bit of the past enemies we've dealt with. I try to push that away, yet they push their way forward, as if to remind me of why they attacked, why they hated me, my friends, what we represent and the peace we wanted.

Almost like my memories were trying to give me an omen of warning through them. Wiseman for example hated the notion of peace so much and hated me for bringing it along with granting everyone eternal life so badly that he attacked people out of malicious spite and even killed people just to get back at my future self. So, when she sent him to Nemesis it was well deserved yet he still got into people's heads on that planet to attack the world.

At least some of them were saved, not all but some. Beryl for her part wanted to rule as this evil princess did. Her bit was all about power and having Mamoru. Ann and Ail weren't contenders like that. Mistress nine tried to bring pharaoh 90 into make earth his second home for Tau Nebula. The last two enemies we had wanted power and kingdoms to, yet their aim was in such destructive ways that we had to take them down.

I watch as she shakes her head, "Peace is a foolish notion to even be considered. I knew it, my father knew it, he tried to tell the King and Queen of earth this many, many moons ago, yet they were blinded by your mother's notions of a united solar system." I narrowed my eyes at her for not only hating the idea of peace but insulting my mother who was nothing more than a fair, kind and gentle ruler.

"Besides there will be peace with my rule..." her lips turned evilly, "Just not your brand of peace." I hated to think of what peace would come with her liege. Death and destruction came to mind and I feared that for the people of earth. I had to stop her if she didn't back down. I just hoped I could reach out to her. I couldn't reach Beryl nor Wiseman, but I had reached others before, I just hoped I could do it with her to.

"So, you instead fight?" I ask, "Against those who would show you kindness and offer you a home here instead? Where's the logic in that?" trying to get her to see my perspective in this endeavor. It was on those words though that she turned her face in a sneer right at me. Her whole expression turned into that of disgust towards me, "Kindness? I deserve far more than mere kindness...you simpering moon monkey." my blood begins to boil at her blatant disregard for what I'm trying to do.

Not to mention how she clearly feels about other people that she feels are beneath her. "You are nothing to me but a pesky pebble in my shoe." her words do hurt yet I have far greater will power and strength than she thinks I do. I'm not the same simpering young girl from back then or even in the past. I'm stronger than I look and more resilient than she thinks I am. I stand my ground against her.

"Yet that 'pebble' you speak of has the love, loyalty and trust of an amazing man and the absolute loyalty, faith, friendship, and sisterhood of the ever powerful defenders of this planet the sailor senshi, is the holder herself of the imperium silver crystal and has fought over and over again for this planet, and I will continue to do so until the evil of the worlds know that we will ALWAYS defend this planet and that that we come from." I tell her.

I see the bitterness settle in once I tell her this. The twitch in her face is enough to tell me that while she had intended to get under my skin, it is now I that has gotten under hers. The mere knowledge of knowing how right I am is enough to earn more hatred from her, but now I know that while she hates me. she isn't invulnerable. Plus, I need her off track and off balance. To make her make an error and do or say something she shouldn't. Something that's helpful in our fight against her.

"You speak of love and loyalty as if it were something to be proud of." she shakes her head, "Loyalty is highly overrated. Just look at how the media is coming after you all. Their so-called loyalty towards you is obvious rubbish. You've been doing you little gig for how long now and look at where it's gotten you." I resist the urge to twitch. Not wanting her to see that she has a small valid point right now.

"The world will see you for what you are, and I will rejoice when you take that final plunging fall. It's only a matter of time." as she smiles, she says, "And as for love...I've already, inadvertently caused both the earth kingdom and yours to fall once before...your friends died, your mother dead, never to be returned to you..." that was cold to say. I grit my teeth in anger at her for that.

"How long do you think before I make your kingdom mere dust in the wind? Or before I take what's mine? And you think you have the power to stop me?" she steps towards me as I feel a rustle in the wind. "The world will talk about my reign till the end of time...yours will never have happened." I watch as she steps forward once more, "And if I really wanted to fight you moon witch…" I could sense the change in her tone of voice. Feel her anger and hatred for me rising in it as if it previously wasn't as intense.

Then I see her eyes light up with her anger for me. Mind you her voice is still calm, but the tone indicates far more sinister things planned. It was how she says, "You'd tell by the being dead already." that tells me she's brewing up a storm of power around her. I can't help but gulp at the amount of it that I'm seeing. The winds kick up so much that my hair is being pulled forward towards her.

Being transformed or not you can feel this power all the way in your toes it's so strong. "A long time ago you took something from me...someone..." the power rose around her as her emotions were rising rapidly. I guess being around the one person that Mamoru choose over her wasn't too bright of a plan on my part, but it was a necessary evil to do this. "The only thing I ever truly wanted…desired..."

It was there in her eyes something that I was sure even Mamoru himself hadn't seen in her when she confronted him. Pain. Heart breaking pain. I recognized it as I had seen it twice before in previous enemies. Once when Beryl fled to Metallia as she refused to accept Endymion picking me once more over her and the power of my love reaching out to him and pulling him away from even Metallia's strongest spell of brainwashing.

When Prisma lost Sapphire. To this day I know she holds onto the jacket that he wore, unable to let it go as it's the only thing she has left of him. I see that same yet different heart break. Beryl may have initially loved Endymion, but she fell more in love with the power that he came from once Metallia got into her head. Then with Prisma, that became more about her being in a different station than he was.

I think while he did love her, his dedication to his brother would always supersede it. Not to mention from the few conversations I had with Prisma, he had started to care about Emerald to, but she was too high up on Diamond to really notice Sapphire, yet I knew I saw it on her face to. That pain. I honestly couldn't help but feel for her in that regard. I felt a shred of pity towards her, understanding in what she was feeling.

I knew the pain of heart break myself and had seen it in others. True love and love that was unrequited. I could see the tears begin to form in her eyes for a moment. Glossing over her irises as she looked at me hard. That one moment that showed she had some form of humanity left in her. That tiny shred of it that spoke of her morality rather than being an emotionless animal of pure destruction of chaos.

I could see her pain and let her see that I to did understand it. I understood it when Mamoru temporarily broke it off with me once upon a time. However, the tears never fell. She saw my expression of understanding and seemed to reject the notion that I could comprehend her in any form. I saw her anger return and the pain morph into nothing but a cool dead expression as she forced it down.

The emotion that was previously present was gone now as the deadness inside of her took over once more. Yet I couldn't forget what I saw. Couldn't forget that while she was truly an enemy to us and perhaps couldn't be reached after all I saw her humanity. I saw her emotions. I saw her pain in what happened in the past. Thinking on it her father groomed her to be what he felt she should be as a princess.

To essentially be power hungry like himself. To want and treasure a title more than love and respect and yet when who she was made into, was rejected by Endymion, she saw it as a failure on not only herself but her father to. While I don't know what the conversations that were had between the two, I can only imagine that his attitude and demeanor were nothing short of discouraging and only encouraging her to see herself as better than any other and to do what she had to do.

She sought to take what she wanted instead of accepting a graceful defeat. She took out her anger on us but mostly out on me for getting essentially what she wanted and felt she deserved even if I never truly got it as the war broke out and everyone died as Endymion and I were engaged. Yes, people were reborn, but it didn't matter to her. I was the one who was picked, and she took it personally to heart.

The pain she was in was transferred into anger, which was morphing slowly into fuel for her power. That's what she was doing. I noticed. Her powers came from her emotions to. Or at least some of them did. She was using her own emotions to fuel her powers. Clever if she knows how to control them and work them to her will. However, it was a big mistake if she couldn't truly do so in the end.

In the end her being here was taking from me what she wanted and making me know how she felt in the end. "Endymion was MINE!" the words are nearly screamed out in her anger as she throws a power bolt at me that I'm easily able to dodge. All the extra training has been paying off that's for certain as her aim was quite clear and precise. I can't help but shout back at her, "Endymion was NEVER YOURS!" as I dodge another one.

"Hell, I didn't even know who you were till you showed up recently. That's how far UNDER the radar you were to all of us. That's not a bad thing, granted not a good thing either but still." a power blast hit the tree I was hiding behind as I took off from behind it. "Your love for him is understood but - " I dodge again another strike aimed at me as she starts to throw them at me more uncontrolled.

Her anger getting the better of her as she laughs when I say 'love', "Don't get me wrong, Prince Endymion is incredibly easy on the eyes and yes I do hold strong feelings towards him…" she stops her attacks. Yet only long enough to scoff at the notion of being in love. I see what she means though now, I had been mistaken before but not completely. She and Beryl had more in common than I thought they did.

Beryl did love Endymion, but it was twisted by Metallia into wanting power that his being the future king would provide for her. For the princess before me while she held feelings for him and cared for him it was his power that she was in love with…it was his position and ranking that she truly loved and wanted for herself. The same thing that her father wanted for her so that he could gain that control himself to.

It wasn't completely Endymion. Not in the end. I was both relieved and slightly offended as on one hand I was glad that she didn't truly love him but on the other hand it spelled trouble as instead of dealing with heart break on a human level I was dealing with heart break on a conceited, narcissistic level of egocentric. "To think that I would choose love of a man over love of power is foolish and downright stupid." She smirks at me, "Don't get me wrong, I still want him." I tense at her words.

"After all, having such a pure alpha male as my king would benefit me greatly. Plus, once I get rid of you and rid him of your witchery in his mind, he'll be free to be what he was meant to be, the greatest king this world will have ever known." Great…I think to myself…she's really gone off the deep end. "Your so naïve to think this way. I mean yes one will need to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh and I plan to get that and more from him…and yes I do feel for him which is why I want him to myself…but at the end of the day…"

She walks up a bit closer towards me as she stops her attacks. I don't shout mine out as I want to see what kind of range she has, "What I truly desire in this world is what he has…I love what he represented and still represents and what he can give me. He was promised to me a long time ago and both he and the kingdom on earth so yes with everything I'm doing now I plan to use it all to collect on what was promised to me." I decide to try to reason with her still, probably a bad idea, but I've reached hard-headed people before.

It takes one to know one. "Even if that were the case that was so long ago now. The only thing that is still in effect is that fact that Endymion and I are still in love." I get mildly agitated when she rolls her eyes when I say love, but I don't say anything to it. It's clear how she feels on the matter. "Love, what a sickening notion." She then looks at me with curious eyes, as if I were a petulant child.

"You know what I see when I see you?" I don't respond I just look to her, "Yes you're a rival of mine but not in the sense of what you're thinking." She acts as if I don't get her which just ticks me off even more. "To me you're just another bug on the bottom of my shoe." She puts emphasis on 'bug' as she continues with, "You really don't get it do you, little princess Serenity, now the senshi of the Moon…" she walks closer towards me but isn't attacking now. It's clear that she was only trying to agitate me earlier.

Yet from her power strikes I've already learned more about her than previously, making me glad were having this one-on-one confrontation. "You may be something here to your little friends, the people here might think that you're the big mighty defender right now, but the reality is your so far down the food chain it's a joke." I purse my lips as she talks down to me, wanting to attack her but wanting to hear what she says to me.

There's already been vital information given to me, so I let her think she's pushing my buttons on the matter. Especially since I'm beginning to concede to the factor that Mamoru may have had a point when she talked with him. She gets a bit closer, yet I refused to yield or show any weakness. Thankfully she's still far enough away to be out of hitting range, not that I can't take her but still.

It's good to be on your guard around an enemy. "A bug like you should be on your knees worshipping me as your Queen. Just like they will one day." She remarks indicating the world around us, "And that will come soon enough, and when it does, I'll have a private army to protect me and ensure my place in power stays till the end of time…immortality at its finest." I briefly wondered if those monsters were to be her private guard.

"Is that what those things you had attack us are? Your private army?" I snap at her, "Oh those things no. they obey my every command yes but my private army you haven't seen them yet." Her smirk makes me a little worried. "Why afraid were going to decimate them as we have with previous enemies and your monsters?" I goad her as she snips back, "They will arrive when I come to full power." My eyes widen without even trying to.

FULL POWER?! I think to myself. "Oh, dear did you really think that this was all I was capable of? So naïve. No this is only until I merge with the golden crystal and get rid of the only competing crystal." She smiles again yet I can see that she's now refraining from saying too much to me. Yes, she's powerful BUT she needs something from me. I now have an idea of what power I have over her.

She's not at full enough power to truly attempt to kill me. As powerful as she is she can't…not yet and this infuriates her. once she has her army, she will be incredibly high up on that food chain of hers, but she won't be unstoppable. Every power in the universe has a weakness. There's nothing out there that's truly impenetrable. I do believe I was now one step closer to making sure she wouldn't win.

"In order for me to get that though I just need you and your meddling friends out of the picture." since were within range of each other when she goes to blast me again, I jump up and out of her way, landing behind her as I hit her from behind. Both of my fists clamped together as I strike her hard and fast. She falls a few feet forward not having expected that attack and then only tries to blast me again.

She continues to try to hit me with power attacks and rarely tries to actually physically hit me which I make a note of. She's not very combat proficient that's for sure especially if she's relying so heavily on her powers instead of trying to engage me in other forms of fighting. This is definitely useful information. I have to see about getting her off track, off balance in some form though, "You do realize that the earth kingdom was destroyed over a thousand years ago, right?" I ask her as she blasts at the tree I've jumped behind.

She hits it again as I jump out from behind it and throw my tiara at her to attempt to trap her again. She blasts it away before it can reach her though. Was kinda glad I didn't put a lot of power behind it. "Beryl destroyed it in her pursuit of becoming Queen herself." I tell her as I summon it back to me, retrieving it before I place it back on my forehead. Those words though made her smile.

Her smile had me curious on what she was thinking. "It won't be for very long." making me curious on what she meant by that. The earth palace had been destroyed so long ago there were no remanent, no remains left. There was no part of it that existed still...right? There could be no part of it left, not after all this time and were talking a millennium. We're not talking a few hundred years were talking easily a thousand.

There's been nothing by archeologists or explorers, or adventurers even. Fragments would have been found yet there was no evidence of its existence. The palace itself was obliterated into nothing over time. It's rough to think about but it's true. There's nothing left of the original earth palace. Just land so yeah, I was confused and curious. "The hell is that supposed to mean?" I demand of her as she merely smiles and shrugs.

"The time will come when the people of earth bow at my feet and you won't be a memory in their minds. What you've done here will become history that never happened, and I will be worshiped like a goddess...as I was meant to. Mamoru will reign by my side as my faithful companion and give me his golden crystal...once I am with his child of course." I snarl at the mere thought of what she'd do to get that as I know for a fact that Mamoru would rather eat dirt and chew sand than to bed her or anyone other than me.

"My father's legacy will live on and I will be eternal. Your end will be my beginning." with those words she vanishes on me. I wonder what she meant in her parting words till I realize that perhaps much like I resurrected the moon kingdom a while back, she intends to do the same to the earth palace for her own personal gain. After all the moon kingdom was wrecked yes but there was wreckage that could be magically restored.

There's nothing to restore here...right? I have to get the girls in on this, and Luna and Artemis, they could answer this new theory that I have. Plus, the rest I learned here today is definitely need to know for all involved. I quickly tapped my communicator and get ahold of everyone, "Meeting everyone! You know where to meet!" I ended the transmission before anyone could respond and took off.

I made sure take the long and complicated way to get there just to be safe. Once I arrive Venus is already there. She must have detected the urgency in my voice as did Tux showing up, then the rest of the girls. "What's wrong?" Mars asked as I looked at everyone, "Turns out calling a meeting with the evil princess of assery has it benefits…" I pulled a twig out of my hair, "And its disadvantages." Luna popped up now.

"You didn't?!" she nearly snapped, "That was very dangerous and without back up?!" she added on, "I had a feeling I was only going to get the results I needed if I were alone. Much like she gave Tux details without the rest of us present there." He nodded in acknowledgement as we went into the secret part of the arcade to finish the discussion. De-transforming Ami asked, "What did she tell you?"

I stayed standing up, to revved up from the confrontational fight to be seated. "Most of it was the same song just a different dance but then she made several things pretty clear and alluded to another part of her grand plan and it centers around Mamoru." I look to him as he sighs, "Now what?" he asked, clearly annoyed by this new enemy. "She's wants to have your 'progeny' so she can harness the power of the golden crystal." I tell him, them all.

"So, what we were getting at beforehand was correct. She wants Mamoru for that to." Rei confirms as I nod, "Not just that, I think she's planning to resurrect the earth kingdom." This gains everyone's shocked attention as I turn to our furry felines, "Is that even possible?" Luna looks off as if trying to figure out if it is, "I don't…know…I don't think so. The moon kingdom was only able to be resurrected because there were fragments left." She then turns to an equally puzzled and concerned Artemis.

"It's not as if the earth kingdom was obliterated into nothing. The great battle that took place decimated it yes but the last remains of the battle took place on the moon. I don't think anyone knows how much is left of the earth palace." He supplies as I ask, "How can that be though? Earth has had occupants on it for a millennium now. How has NO trace of it been found?" it's then that Ami supplies, "Actually its possible."

We all look to her as she shows us a three D image of the crystal palace and where the earth kingdom once stood. Throwing it up upwards towards the air so that we could all see it. The over lapping is shocking for us all there as its clear as day where the crystal Tokyo palace is in comparison to the former earth kingdom. One looked far older and more traditional, and one looks literally from the future.

Yet both are beautiful in their own rights. "All that time ago…I never knew…none of us knew." I mutter in equal amounts of shock and befuddlement. "We built the crystal palace over the kingdom my parents once ruled?" Mamoru asks out of part mystification, part relief and part something else as he walks to where Ami has the projection. I look up and see his conflicting emotions as he sorts through them.

"According to this its where there the most centered mystical energy for the golden crystal. A hot spot for it if you will." She explains as Rei adds on, "Its why he's the strongest in Japan, Tokyo really. This is the epicenter of where his kingdom once was." He looks to her as she tries to better explain, "I mean your powerful period don't get me wrong, all over but when your closest to here…" she begins.

She then reaches up and points to the kingdom which makes the three D imagery focus on where she touched, "Your nearly unstoppable." There's a tinge of both admiration and fear in her voice as she backs away from the three D image. "It makes sense now." I say gaining everyone's attention. "For her, cause it's also where she'd be the most powerful if she wins this war, she is putting in front of us." This causes everyone to realize what I mean.

"If she's able to channel that amount of power, with her own, and destroy yours then…" Makoto doesn't even finish the sentence, "She could have the power to do as she plans. Obliterate any forces that come to stop her." Rei adds as if seeing it now, "Mamoru would be brainwashed again…" Makoto adds before Mamoru bristles, "Not again…I've been through that song and dance enough, not a fan." He tries to sound light about it, but we all know he went through hell when he was brainwashed to.

"If she wins this war, this fight…" I turn to him as he takes a step towards me. I glance up so he can see how I'm not trying to down-play his own powers cause I'm not, he is nearly near equal to the power of the silver crystal, but she is a serious contender that we need to take as such or else it could shift the balance in this coming battle. "Even your power over what we've learned won't be enough…"

I look back at the three D imagery as I touch the earth's kingdom imagery beneath the crystal palace once. I marvel at it momentarily as I know what needs to happen going forward. Not just for us but for the earth and possibly the universe as well. "This is why I needed to see her alone." I say even as Luna bristles and rebuttals next to me, "It was still too risky. I don't like how she seems to be having the advantage in this." I hear her words, but I know that this is only the start of things if they keep going this way.

"Yes, it was risky and possibly dangerous, but it was necessary. Cause now we know this…" I indicate the image as it hovers and rotates around, "And we know better on what is going on and what she wants. Which is why we have not just fight her but win this war…or else this planet that we love and the people that we fight for are truly doomed." We all agree on this as we wonder what's to come next from her.