DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.
What If?
Chapter 1: The Impetus
Clockwork's travels had brought him to the planet of Jurai. Capital of the Juraian Empire, one of the largest and most respected intergalactic forces among the cosmos...and it was in absolute ruins. The wreckages of multiple ships belonging to both them and the Galaxy Police scattered throughout. A sea of flames roared all across the landscape, further charring the corpses of many men, women, and even children. Such an event would normally be unheard of. Someone foolish enough to launch an all-out assault on the planet Jurai besting its forces? One would normally scoff at the mere mention and laugh it off as a sick joke.
However, Clockwork knew to always expect the unexpected when it came to branches in the timestream, especially ones as fast growing as the one he now observed.
Unseen from those who somehow survived this mysterious foe's blitzkrieg, the master of time continued to bear witness to the horrors before him, noticing someone crawling through the battlefield in a pool of her own blood. He then proceeded to descend towards her, noting her purple hair and royal garn. Clockwork knew then and there that this was, in fact, Ayeka. Crown Princess of Jurai. He observed the expression on her face, unseen by the Juraian princess, noting the look of fear and hopelessness in her eyes as she continued to crawl.
Then, the sounds of heels clacking caught the attention of both of them, Ayeka letting out a gasp of fright as she struggled to turn her head towards the source of the sound. Clockwork could see a figure slowly stride towards Ayeka from behind. This person, a young woman, wore armor that was most familiar looking. In the normal timeline, it was worn by one of the most feared galactic despots in the universe: Sailor Galaxia. However, here, it seemed to have been modified slightly. Namely in that, rather than being clad in gold, the armor had been recolored into a deep shade of violet, and this individual did not wear the helmet the Golden Destroyer would normally wear.
And that brought Clockwork to the face of this person and her true identity. The blue eyes and blonde hair worn in an odango told all. This wasn't Sailor Galaxia.
It was Sailor Moon.
And gone was any semblance of her kindness, her righteousness, or even her clumsiness. For they had been replaced with a cold, determined, downright evil look in her eyes. Eyes that looked right down at Ayeka, who could only look back at her as she continued to bleed out, silently begging for mercy.
Sadly, this sinister version of the Moon Princess had none to give.
A double-bladed staff in her hands, Sailor Moon rose her weapon up as she firmly planted a foot onto Ayeka's back, the Princess of Jurai struggling in vain to free herself from her captor.
"So falls the Empire of Jurai," Sailor Moon declared.
With that, she swung her blade down, instantly decapitating Ayeka and ending her suffering. No sooner had she done that did a shadow loom over the scene, prompting Sailor Moon to look upward. Intrigued by these events, Clockwork too looked to see what was befalling the planet now. What he saw, even for a master of time such as himself, was admittedly a tad surprising. It was a robotic planet with a mechanical ring that surrounded it, large patches of rust coating it alongside several holes across its surface.
Despite this planet's dilapidated nature, Clockwork knew what, or rather, who, this was. It was Unicron. Or rather, the soulless husk of Unicron, stuck permanently in his planet mode. Now things were starting to get interesting for the Master of Time. This mysterious force had not only managed to conquer Jurai and corrupt one of Earth's greatest champions, but they also had managed to slay the chaos bringer himself?
Wishing to find out the answers to the questions that now buzzed through his ethereal mind, Clockwork flew up to the shadow of Primus' corpse all the while Sailor Moon vanished from where she stood, likely teleporting herself towards the decaying metal planet. The instant Clockwork phased himself inside his eyes were greeted by the sight of someone who was very much dead in the normal timeline: Queen Beryl. The queen of the Dark Kingdom was currently seated on a throne of hers, which, in reality, was one of King Ghidorah's skulls, with the four Shitennou, Jadite, Kunzite, Zoisite, and Nephrite, positioned around her.
It was then that Clockwork noticed something above the evil queen. Trophies mounted on the wall behind her, likely of other cosmic despots who dared to oppose her. Clockwork could easily recognize them as Lord Dominator's power suit, Sailor Galaxia's helmet, the drained power staff of the leader of the Darkling Lords, Darkstorm, horns that no doubt belonged to several Triceratons, and even the head of Dark Specter. It was more than likely, also, that the Ghidorah skull that made up Beryl's throne was acquired by a similar means.
Clockwork couldn't help but also sense that something was off with Beryl, other than the fact that she had not been slain by the Sailor Senshi as she had been in the normal timeline. He sensed a great power within her. One that shrouded her black heart and soul in total darkness. It was comparable to that of Beryl's master, Queen Metalia...who seemed to be strangely nonexistent inside the reconfigured corpse of Unicron. Was she too a victim of Beryl's galactic conquest?
Then, almost out of nowhere, Sailor Moon appeared before Beryl and wasted no time kneeling before her.
"Serenity," Beryl greeted. "Have you completed the conquest?"
Serenity? As in Princess Serenity? That, Clockwork knew, was the name of Sailor Moon's past life as Princess of Silver Millennium. Had Usagi reverted back to her previous life's namesake?
Or perhaps was this the very same Princess Serenity from that time?
"Yes, your majesty," Serenity answered. "Jurai is no more. The royal family stood no chance against my might, all thanks to your teachings."
With a devious smirk on her face, the sinister Queen of the Dark Kingdom rose from her throne and began to approach her greatest servant, who continued to kneel before her master.
"You've made me very proud, my dear Serenity," she said. "Even the mightiest empires and strongest warlords could not hinder you. I was wise to take you in as my apprentice all those years ago."
Beryl then stopped when she was but a foot away from Serenity, who rose her head up to respond to the one who set her down this dark path.
"And not a day goes by when I am not grateful for that...mother."
Mother?
That one simple word was enough for Clockwork's interest to peak. How is it that Princess Serenity became the daughter of Queen Beryl instead of Queen Serenity? Was she under one of Beryl's spells? Was she deceived? Or was it something else? The ghost of time knew that he would not find these answers here.
Fortunately, he knew exactly where he could find not only them but perhaps also the event that caused this branch in the first place.
And so, Clockwork began to rewind time itself at a rapid pace, allowing thousands of years to reverse itself in the span of a couple of seconds. Once he determined when in this timeline to halt his actions, he grabbed his scythe and created a portal to bring him to...
Silver Millennium.
A radiant, beautiful city located on the surface of Earth's Moon. Ruled by their wise, powerful, and kind monarch, Queen Serenity. At this point in time, it should have been the peak of its reign, the queen having just given birth to her daughter. The one who would one day inherit the throne.
But a shining beacon was not what greeted Clockwork when he arrived. Instead, he witnessed the kingdom under siege by the forces of Earth, corrupted by Queen Metalia's dark magic. Leading the charge, surprisingly, was Beryl, despite her suppose to have been not much older than Serenity or her future lover, Prince Endymion. The pieces slowly began to form inside Clockwork's ethereal mind. Something happened further in the past that must have triggered a domino effect that caused Beryl to be born much earlier than she should have, and sensing the potential this sorceress had, Metalia must have gotten her in her thrall without her own love for Endymion being a factor.
Such an event, however, was not important enough to the master of time to travel further. What mattered now was trying to figure out how Princess Serenity factored into this. Because of this, he instead floated towards the Queen's castle, phasing through the walls until he reached a nursery of some kind. There, lying in a diamond-infused cradle, the infant Princess of Silver Millennium slept, somehow not disturbed by the chaos that was going on outside. Several tense seconds passed as Clockwork patiently observed the events transpiring, watching over the scene like a hawk.
Then, without warning, the door to the nursery opened, prompting the infant princess' eyes to slowly open. The door slowly revealed Beryl herself. The dead bodies of two guards were slumped to her left and right as the corrupted sorceress approached the cradle. Once she reached Serenity, the princess' head tilted slightly in a curious manner as a wicked smirk overtook Beryl's face. The intruder then reached into the cradle and picked the infant up before opening a portal back to Earth with her staff. The instant she and her prize stepped through the portal, it closed, silence overtaking the room.
It did not last, however, as the sounds of frantic footsteps echoed throughout before Queen Serenity dashed into her daughter's room. Her silver eyes immediately noticed the empty cradle, causing a horrified gasp to escape her. Her knees immediately felt weak, tears beginning to fall as she dropped. The ruler of Silver Millennium bent downward as she closed her eyes tightly before screaming out in pure, emotional agony, fearing that she may very well never see her daughter again.
With this new information, Clockwork proceeded to speed time along slightly, all the while flying out of the palace and towards the planet of which the kingdom orbited.
It didn't take long for Clockwork to arrive in the underground cavern that was the Dark Kingdom's base in the North Pole. There, he observed as Beryl approached a mass of violet energy, almost resembling a creature made entirely of shadows, with glowing green eyes, a red curve forming a mouth, and a purple diamond mounted atop what would be its forehead. The ghostly Master of Time knew instantly that this was Queen Metalia. Born from abnormal activity from Earth's Sun, she was the true ruler of the Dark Kingdom and mastermind behind the invasions that transpired in both this timeline and the normal one. It was her who pulled the strings of all her demonic powers corrupted in a quest to obtain the Legendary Silver Crystal and lay waste to the Moon Kingdom.
It seemed now that Clockwork was certain he'd obtain an answer to another question he had: What would happen to her that could cause her to virtually disappear in the future? Because of this, he placed a hand onto his chin as he watched Beryl approach her master.
"Beryl," Metalia said, her devious voice echoing throughout the caverns. "Was the invasion a success? Where is the Legendary Silver Crystal?"
"We were unable to obtain it, Queen Metalia," Beryl answered. "Serenity had already called upon its power as our forces drew near. But-"
Before she could speak another word, a violent burst of energy exploded from Metalia's form, pulverizing many stalactites that hanged from behind her servant.
"FOOL!" the ruler of the Dark Kingdom shouted. "Not only do you return to me empty-handed, the power we seek to rule this world still with that wretch who rules Silver Millennium, but you have the gall to waste my time prattling your failures to me as well?! Explain yourse-!"
Suddenly, a sound cut her off. The sound of an infant wailing in fright. Such an unexpected interruption prompted Metalia to cease the scolding of her subordinate before glaring down at her, only now noticing that she held something in her arms.
"But I did not return empty-handed, my queen," Beryl corrected.
She then knelt down before her master, holding the still crying Moon Princess for her to see before continuing.
"I give you, your grace, the Princess of the Moon. Amidst the chaos, I was able to snatch her from right under Queen Serenity's nose."
"I see..." Metalia responded. "But to what purpose does this serve me? How would capturing Serenity's daughter possibly get us any closer to obtaining the Silver Crystal?"
"I believe I know exactly how this could benefit us," Beryl answered. "I wish to raise her. Train her to become a sorceress like myself. That kind of power mixed with her royal bloodline and your wicked magic coursing through her might be able to rival that of Queen Serenity herself."
"And when she slays her own mother, the Silver Crystal will finally be ours for the taking," Metalia concluded. "Yessss...Very well then. I shall grant you the right to raise this girl as your own. But know this. Should this plan of yours fail, BOTH of you will pay the price."
"I understand, your grace," Beryl replied. "I will not fail you."
With that, the corrupted sorceress rose back to her feet with Princess Serenity still crying in her arms. As she turned to leave Metalia's throne room, she looked down at her now-adopted daughter, smirking as her plans began to fall in motion. Both the one she informed her master of...as well as one she kept a secret for the time being.
Feeling that he's seen enough, Clockwork, again, sped time along by several years, now finding himself in a makeshift arena of some kind. In the center of it was Princess Serenity, now appearing to be around fifteen years of age and holding the same bladed staff she had carried when he first saw her. Her wardrobe currently consisted of a sleeveless, purple suit of armor and a pair of heeled boots made of metal and clad in silver.
Surrounding her was the four Shitennou, having still betrayed the Golden Kingdom and its prince. The very same one that Serenity, in another timeline, would fall for. As for Beryl, she was seated on a throne made of stone, observing her from outside of the arena with her right hand grasping her staff firmly.
"Begin," she ordered.
That simple word was enough for the Shitennou to charge towards Serenity from all sides, prompting her to ready her staff for combat. Jadite was the first to reach her, swinging his sword at her neck, only for Serenity to block the attack with her staff before firing a magical blast from the palm of her free hand to send him flying backward. The former Princess then swung her staff back to deflect an offensive courtesy of Nephrite, who attempted to get the drop on her. With that attack now thwarted, Serenity jumped up and spun herself around to kick Nephrite across the face, nearly fracturing his skull in the process. The instant she landed, she wasted no time using her magic to telekinetically throw him towards Jadite as he attempted to get back on his feet, his fellow Shitennou's body knocking him down once more.
Serenity then turned her head to her right, seeing Kunzite charging towards her, before looking over to her left, spotting Zoisite doing the same. The sorceress' daughter acted quickly, conjuring a mystical shield on her left arm to block Zoisite's sword while using her staff to deflect Kunzite's. Zoisite retaliated by attempting to slash a weak spot in her arm, only for Serenity to move her arm out of its path before stomping on his foot. This, in turn, caused him to grunt in pain and break his concentration, allowing Serenity to bash the sword out of his hands with her shield, all while continuing to block Kunzite's sword with her own weapon one-handed.
Then, without warning, a barrier of dark magic surrounded her for a split second before she disappeared, catching the two former bodyguards off. Suddenly, she reappeared directly above Zoisite, flipping forward before slamming her heel atop his head, knocking him out cold. Now there was only Kunzite to worry about, prompting Serenity to separate her staff into two smaller staffs before delivering a flurry of swipes at the remaining Shitennou. Kunzite could barely keep up with Serenity's speed, just barely managing to stop her brutal offensive. Once she saw an opening, Serenity quickly elbowed Kunzite in the face, causing him to stumble backward whilst dropping his weapon. Serenity then dashed towards him, delivering a kick to his gut that completely knocked the air out of him before he fell flat on his back. With her opponent down, the dark apprentice of Beryl pointed one of her blades at Kunzite's neck, glaring down at him to silently assert her victory.
With a devious grin on her face, Beryl rose from her throne before levitating to her daughter, who dropped down to one knee once she noticed her approach.
"Your skills have certainly improved," the servant of Metalia commended.
"All thanks to having the perfect teacher, Mother," Serenity responded.
In the fifteen years that passed since capturing her, Beryl had taught Serenity her ways of utilizing magic through her relentless training methods. Ever since she was a child, Serenity had to endure her harsh teachings day after day to get to where she was now. It did cost her several bruises and broken bones, but eventually, she was able to endure the pain she had to get through, all with the intent of making her mother proud of her and using her skills to crush her enemies. Make them tremble at the mere mention of her name.
"Does this mean that I am finally ready?" she questioned. "Ready to join you in our conquest of the Moon Kingdom?"
"Indeed you are, Serenity," Beryl answered. "Soon, those arrogant, haughty fools who watch over us as though they were gods claiming their superiority of the human race will rue the day they dared underestimate us."
A smile slowly rose from Serenity's voice, knowing the day she longed for was upon her.
"Then when do we start?" she asked.
Hearing this question, Beryl's mouth curved into a sinister smirk before answering her adopted daughter.
"Now."
Chaos once more surrounded the once beautiful Silver Millennium across every acre it inhabited. The fires danced across its luscious gardens as the armies of man slaughtered those who rose to defend their kingdom. Leading these armies was the Shitennou, having in this timeline murdered Prince Endymion after Beryl had conquered Elysion and taken control of its armies thanks to her wicked spells. Amidst the devastation, Queen Serenity, with the power of the Silver Crystal on her side, commanded her own armies to ensure that their kingdom does not fall on this day.
"Hold your ground, my friends!" she shouted. "Beryl's forces failed to claim our home before, and she shall fail again!"
Suddenly, as if to challenge her claim, a portal opened in front of the Queen of Silver Millennium. Serenity readied her Moon Stick, expecting Beryl herself to step out to face her one-on-one. However, once the person responsible stepped out of the portal, her look of fierce determination faded to one of horror, her heart nearly stopping in shock. For standing in front of her was the last person she expected to see fighting for the forces of evil.
Her daughter.
"How I have long since waited for this day," Princess Serenity greeted, hatred for her birth mother filling her eyes. "The day of which I finally claim your head!"
She began her approach to the Queen of Silver Millennium, her target not daring to raise her weapon against her own daughter.
"What lies has Beryl filled your head with?" the queen asked. "Surely you must recognize your own mother!"
"Your mind games won't work on me, wretch," Princess Serenity sneered. "You will not sway me to turn against my real mother!"
"But she isn't your mother!" Queen Serenity pleaded. "She took you from me when you were just an infant! She is the one clouding your head with deception! Don't you see that?!"
"LIAR!" Princess Serenity shouted as she readied her staff. "Now raise your weapon and fight me, you coward!"
The corrupted princess then attempted to lunge her weapon towards Queen Serenity's heart. However, before the blade could make its mark, a golden chain wrapped itself around the handle before something pulled it back, sending it and Princess Serenity flying backward. The former Princess of the Moon Kingdom slid through the ground, coming to rest several yards away from her intended target.
"You may be our queen's daughter, but we won't allow you to lay a finger on her!" a determined voice declared.
Serenity looked up to see Sailor Venus glaring down at her, her Love-Me chain in her hands. The daughter of Beryl tried to retaliate against the Senshi, only for her to leap back to avoid her blade. Once she was back on her feet, Serenity observed her surroundings, noticing the other Inner Senshi encircled her with a similar look in their eyes.
"Your grace, please forgive us, but we must put a stop to your daughter if we are to win this battle," Sailor Mars stated as she turned to her queen.
Tears glistening in her eyes, Queen Serenity nodded once, forced to come to terms that her daughter, former heir to her kingdom, might be gone. And that what took her place was the monster that she saw before her.
"...Do what you must," she finally said.
With that simple command, Sailor Venus prepared her weapon once again while the energies of the others' guardian planets surrounded their palms.
"You can't win against us, Princess!" Sailor Jupiter said. "We have you outnumbered and surrounded!"
"You might think that gives you the advantage, Senshi, but you're gravely mistaken," Princess Serenity countered. "For all that surrounds me is the stench of fear..."
Before finishing her sentence, she detached her weapon from the middle to form her two smaller blades.
"...and dead fools."
Just like that, the battle was on, Serenity making the first move by lunging herself towards Sailor Venus. Not wanting to give the corrupted princess the chance to strike her down, Venus countered by swinging her chain outward, resulting in it slashing across Serenity's armor and sending her flying away from her intended target. Seeing that she was heading towards her, Sailor Jupiter's arms began to surge with electrical energy before she delivered a sucker punch to the back of Serenity's head, resulting in her falling face-first to the ground. Jupiter raised both of her fists upward, intent on slamming them against Serenity's back while she was down, only for the daughter of Beryl to roll away from her enemy just as her fists created a large crater on the ground.
Serenity then jumped back to her feet just as Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury charged towards her from opposite sides. Mars attempted to punch her across the face with the fires of her planet surrounding her fist, but Serenity easily blocked it with her left arm, her magic protecting her from the flames. Mercury tried to take advantage of her seemingly distracted state by swinging her right leg towards her, only for a blast of mystical energies from Serenity's blade to make short work of that and send her flying away. With Mercury out of the way, Serenity delivered a series of quick yet brutal slashes from her blades to Mars, forcing her to go on the defensive and dodge them, only for one to make its mark and slash her across the chest.
The Senshi of war cried out in pain as she fell to the ground, but before Serenity could finish her, Jupiter flew up to her and tackled her away from Mars whilst several thousand volts of electricity surged across both of their bodies. The Senshi of courage then tossed Serenity into the air, allowing Venus to wrap her chain around her enemy's waist before lifting her over her head and sending her plunging down to the ground. Before Serenity's body could even make its impact, Venus fired several of her Crescent Beams from her fingertip for good measure, resulting in a massive explosion that clouded the deranged princess from the Senshi's sight.
Venus descended to the ground, the other three Senshi joining up with her as they observed the dust cloud. Silence overtook the scene, leading the four of them to assume that they had managed to slay Serenity. Those hoped were quickly dashed the instant one of Serenity's blades shot out from the cloud, spinning rapidly as it did so while a mystical barrier controlled where it went. Shocked, the Senshi attempted to scatter out of its path, but Venus wasn't fast enough, resulting in both of her hands being sliced off. The guardian of beauty and love cried out in pain as she fell to her knees, all the while her friends looked on in horror.
The sounds of someone running were heard, and the remaining three Senshi turned to see Serenity charging towards them, practically roaring out in hatred before shoving Jupiter aside, her magics enhancing the attack which resulted in her being sent hurtling several yards away. Mercury quickly put up a protective barrier of aquatic energies to deflect Serenity's blades while Mars shot out a barrage of fireballs towards the corrupted princess. However, by simply extending her free hand outward, the fireballs bounced off of a mystical shield that surrounded Serenity, causing them to head back to the one who conjured them in the first place. Sailor Mars was immediately set ablaze the instant they made contact with her. She could only let out one bloodcurdling scream before her flesh was burnt to ash and her charred skeleton fell to the floor.
"NO!" Sailor Mercury cried out.
Unfortunately, her anguish resulted in her barrier weakening, allowing Serenity to slice her neck open with her weapon. A shocked Mercury attempted to stop the immense bleeding, but it was to no avail. After several seconds of her struggling to breathe, she collapsed onto the ground as the life faded from her eyes. Serenity couldn't savor her victories for long, thanks to an enraged Sailor Jupiter flying up to her and shoving her against the palace's walls. She seethed in rage as she punched the former daughter of her queen with all of her might, the cracks of thunder echoing with every blow. Serenity allowed her opponent this chance to slay her, carefully observing her for the instant she saw her opening. When she saw it, she backhanded Jupiter with such a force that it caused her head to twist itself completely backwards, breaking her neck in the process. Jupiter's corpse then fell to its knees before slumping over in a dead heap.
With three of the Senshi down, Serenity turned her attention to the last of them. Venus could only watch as the very one she would be sworn to protect in another timeline slaughtered her best friends in cold blood. Afterward, Serenity began to stride towards her, taking in the fear she could see in Venus' eyes, smirking deviously as she did so. She held no regret or remorse for the atrocities she has and will commit. Since she was but a toddler, Beryl had taught her that such feelings were for the weak and that she should not hesitate to slay her enemies before they could slay her. A deed that she was about to carry out once more. For once she reached the petrified Sailor Venus, she wasted no time swinging her blade at her neck, cutting her head off and allowing both the severed head and the headless corpse of her enemy to fall harshly onto the ground.
With her pawns disposed of, all that remained for Serenity was the queen. She wouldn't have to wait long to get her chance, for Queen Serenity suddenly flew towards her daughter and ascended upward before slamming her onto the roof of the ruined palace, her Moon Stick raised and ready for the kill. But Princess Serenity did not waver even slightly at the chance the queen might take her life on this day.
In fact, she simply continued to smirk sinisterly at her.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" she taunted. "I'm at your mercy...so do it."
Heaving with a mixture of anger and sorrow, Queen Serenity tightened her grip on her weapon and raised it higher, the energies of the Silver Crystal glowing brightly from its tip.
"Do it!" Princess Serenity taunted further. "DO IT!"
But alas, Queen Serenity could not bring herself to slay her own daughter. For despite looking into the eyes of a conqueror and a mass murderer, all she could see was the same daughter she knew for but a few months, cradling her in her arms and nurturing her as all good mothers would. Tears welled in the queen's eyes as her hand began to tremble, the energies of the Moon Stick fading.
Seeing this, the princess simply scoffed at her birth mother's hesitation...before seizing the opportunity by grabbing her blade and plunging it deep into the queen's heart. Queen Serenity's silver eyes widened in pain as she looked down to see her own daughter's weapon piercing her chest.
"Weak until the end, I see...How disappointing," Princess Serenity chastized. "Even your soldiers proved to be more of a challenge than you were."
Her breathing slowly becoming more labored as she lost more and more blood, Queen Serenity used what little strength she had left to place a hand onto her daughter's cheek.
"Don't...let her...win...my daughter..." she just barely managed to say.
An eyebrow raised at her choice of words, Princess Serenity responded by kicking the Queen of Silver Millennium off of her person, causing the blade to slide out of her heart before she fell harshly onto the ground. Seeing this, Luna and Artemis quickly dashed towards her as she laid in a pool of her blood.
"My queen!" Luna exclaimed.
Once both felines reached Serenity, she had begun to breathe more and more heavily by the second as she grew weaker and weaker.
"Silver Millennium...is lost," she stated, much to Luna and Artemis' shock.
"Please, don't say that!" Artemis pleaded. "Surely we can-"
"No...we cannot win...not so long as Beryl...has my daughter..." Serenity interrupted. "All I can do now...is ensure...Metalia does not...claim the Silver Crystal."
She then grabbed onto the Silver Crystal that was attached to the Moon Stick and allowed it to float into the air.
"I still believe...that my daughter...can be saved...which is why I entrust the Sailor Senshi...to free her from Beryl's grip...in their next lives."
A bright light overtook the skies as the Crystal's radiant energies reached the deceased Senshi, causing their bodies to fade away, all the while Luna and Artemis too faded out of existence, destined to be reborn in the future and guide the rebirthed Senshi just as they would in another timeline...but this time without their princess to lead them.
"But...if you are truly gone, Serenity...I cannot risk the Crystal...falling into the hands of evil...Nor can I allow Earth...to share the same fate as Silver Millennium."
No sooner had she said that did the Silver Crystal fire off a beam of light that engulfed the planet the Moon Kingdom orbited, all while Princess Serenity observed from atop the palace, perplexed as to what the queen had done. Then, much to her shock, the Crystal began to crack seemingly by its own will. It was then that the corrupted princess realized what the Queen of the Moon was doing.
She was going to destroy the Legendary Silver Crystal.
"NO!" she screamed before flying towards the Crystal at top speed.
But she was too late. Right before she could grab it, the Crystal detonated, causing Serenity to fly away thanks to the force of the explosion. When the bright light finally faded, dust was all that remained of the object she had gone to such lengths to obtain in the name of her mother. Her shock gave way to anger before she looked down at where Queen Serenity laid and bolted down to her, grasping her by her dress.
"What have you done?" she snarled. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Once again, Queen Serenity weakly placed a hand onto her daughter's cheek before uttering her final words.
"May the Sailor Senshi succeed...where I...have...failed."
And with that, the rule of Queen Serenity came to its heartbreaking end as her lifeless body slumped over. Enraged, Princess Serenity tossed the body of her mother aside before hearing the sound of someone bellowing in anger. She turned back to the emptied palace just in time to see a beam of dark energy explode out of its roof. She knew then and there that Queen Metalia knew of what had happened, and it went without saying that she was not pleased.
"IMBECILES!" Metalia scolded as Beryl, Serenity, and the Shitennou knelt before her inside what was once Queen Serenity's throne room. "Not only have you allowed the Silver Crystal to be destroyed, but you allowed that wretched queen to cast a mystic barrier around the Earth! How am I to claim it when we can't even set foot on it?!"
Beryl, whilst her head hanged low, sneered in contempt for her master's fit of rage before putting on a more neutral expression once her gaze reverted to Metalia.
"Perhaps this grants us a new opportunity, your grace," she suggested. "Perhaps now we look to the stars for our conquest."
"And how are we to do this without the Crystal?!" Metalia countered.
"Simple, my queen," Beryl answered as she rose back to her feet. "...We use something else."
Then, without warning, she lunged her staff towards Metalia, a beam of mystical energies shooting out and engulfing the Queen of the Dark Kingdom, much to the Shitennou's shock. In retaliation, Metalia fired a beam of her own energy towards Beryl, blasting her staff out of her hands before enveloping her former student in a violet mist that forced her against the back wall. Beryl grunted in pain as she glared at the one she had betrayed, who chuckled in amusement at her apprentice's audacity.
"Stupid little girl," Metalia growled. "Did you really think you could hold your own against me?"
"...Not...alone," Beryl responded.
It was only then that Metalia noticed something...Serenity was gone. Her eyes widening in shock, she attempted to locate Beryl's apprentice, only for her to appear almost out of nowhere from behind her. Serenity then flew up to the ruler of the Dark Kingdom and thrust her blade through the diamond on Metalia's forehead while her magic empowered her weapon. The instant it shattered, Metalia cried out in agony as dark magic practically sparked out of her body while releasing her grip on Beryl who wasted no time pointing her staff towards her former master. No sooner had she done that did Metalia's formless body explode, half of her energies being pulled into Beryl's staff while the other half engulfed Serenity, who basked her arms outward as Metalia's lifeforce was absorbed into her body.
Once the last of the former Queen of the Dark Kingdom's energies were absorbed, a deafening silence overtook the scene before Beryl approached her daughter, who bent down to one knee in response.
"It is finished, my daughter," she said. "Though we may have lost the Silver Crystal, no longer are we slaves to that wretch, Metalia. Now, her magic courses through the both of us, and together, we shall bring this entire universe to its knees."
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to serve you in this conquest, mother," Serenity replied.
"Then let us depart," Beryl responded with a wicked smirk. "Silver Millennium is finished. There is nothing more for us here."
Nodding once, Serenity rose back to her feet as Beryl turned towards the still kneeling Shitennou. As she did so, the corrupted princess looked out towards what was once the palace's courtyard, her eyes fixated on the body of her birth mother, thinking back to her efforts to turn her to the enemy's side. She couldn't help but think to herself: Why was she so fixated on having her betray her own mother?
And for that matter...why did she claim to be her true mother?
"Serenity," Beryl's voice echoed, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Is something troubling you?"
"...No, mother," Serenity answered. "It's nothing."
And with that, she turned away from Queen Serenity's body, striding towards who she continued to believe was her mother.
Everything clicked into place for Clockwork. Why Princess Serenity served Queen Beryl, why she believed her to be her mother, why Metalia was absent, he had obtained the answers he sought. So, with this new information in mind, the Master of Time traveled back to the moment where he first encountered this evil version of Serenity and allowed their conversation to continue.
"So, mother, what shall be the next world to fall under our heels?" Serenity asked.
In response, Beryl's mouth curved with devious glee as she turned to walk back to her throne.
"I believe a trip back to Earth is in order," she answered. "I sense much chaos and negative energies seeping from that planet. It may very well be enough to weaken the Moon Queen's barrier she crafted to keep us away. And because of that, the seeds have been planted for her final, greatest failure."
She seated herself onto her throne before continuing.
"Their technology is primitive, their people divided, their champions too busy fighting the prejudices the human race have towards them...It's practically inviting us to make our return."
Smirking to herself, Serenity lifted herself back up before responding to her mother.
"And it shall fall, just like all the others."
With their plan crafted, the new ruler of the Dark Kingdom turned to the Shitennou to give the order.
"Set course for Earth!"