this, but the history is over, so it is all good. The rest will be fun and easy for me to write. Please, let me know what you think,
and if anything is confusing, like me know, and I'll try my best to explain it. Hope you enjoy this, and thanks to all those who
reviewed!***
PS: Slight changes may be made to this as I asked someone to edit it
for me, but I'll post the revised copy right away, once I
get it back. Thanks everyone!
Evening Star
For Love of the Past
Chapter 20
When the Light faded, Star, Pluto, and Kiaya stood in the top most tower of the Sun Palace – resting place of the Sun Stone. Only the Sun Queen could wield the powers of the Sun Mark, and teleport herself, and any others she deemed worthy, to the Sun Stone. Another identical Sun Mark had been placed upon the floor in the top most tower, in order to complete the teleport, and it was from this mark now that Kiaya stepped. Making her way to the Sun Stone, shimmering as it was in its alter, Sailor Star felt anxiety's cruel grip take hold of her as she realized with sudden wariness, that the worst news was still yet to come. "My Queen," Star inquired, "What more news do you have for me?" Kiaya turned eyes ladened with grief towards her, as Sailor Star felt the tension in Warrior Pluto augment. "The Sun Stone's powers have given out, Aurora," Kiaya spoke, her voice soft from the pain, "It has reverted to its normal output of energy; the enemy has penetrated our defenses...their invasion of our city is imminent."
Sailor Star looked sharply to her Queen, her features set in determination. "No. There must be something that can be done, Kiaya," she beseeched. She walked over to stand beside the Sun Stone, her hand resting softly upon the rim of the alter. "Here, in our possession is the most powerful weapon the side of goodness has to stand in its defense. You," Star looked to Kiaya, "you have the ability to control it, to call upon its power. Don't stand before me now, after all this, and tell me there is nothing more that can be done!" Kiaya looked with grief and understanding to her niece, who knew not that she was such, and found herself wishing her sister could be here to see how her daughter had grown. She was everything Angeline had been, and more. Strong, confident, independent. But…
"Aurora," Kiaya stepped towards her, her voice and eyes soft, "There is no more power left to fight them. If I draw on the powers of the Sun Stone any more than what I have, it will end either my life, or that of the Sun Stone's. If I knew my death would be the only price paid, I would gladly lay down my life for those of my people, but I can't be sure. If I fight these enemies, it may be the Sun Stone we lose, and then, where would this Universe be? The Sorceress exists still, and if the Sun Stone were to be lost, then so would be this Universe. She escaped her confines once before, she can do so again. And if she does succeed in freeing herself, the Sun Stone must exist to stand against her."
The light of understanding shone in Aurora's eyes as Kiaya spoke. These truths she knew well, but still, there were other truths her Queen was denying. "But you forget Kiaya, what is to happen if these enemies win? If we do not fight, if they succeed in conquering the City, they will surely try to take hold of the Sun Stone. None who are evil may touch it, for if they do, the Sun Stone will self-destruct…destroying this Galaxy along with it!" Aurora's eyes burned with the passion of refusing to surrender as she fought against the beliefs of her Queen. "There is always another way, Kiaya! All we have to do is find it!"
"There is another way, Star," Warrior Pluto spoke for the first time since their arrival in the tower. He'd watched silently at Aurora and Kiaya's confrontation, choosing now as the best time to intervene. Aurora looked to him sharply, her eyes flashing, warning him to choose his words wisely. "The enemy's army has begun the invasion of the Sun City, and yet, they are not men. There are a few humans heading the front, but the vast majority of their army is nothing more than monstrosities." He walked over to one of the archway windows that encircled the chamber, and pointed in the direction of the mountains. "They have begun penetration at the site of the Border Mountains. They are making their way here, to the Palace, but prove to be little threat now, as all that remains of the City lies with these Palace walls. This fact they must not be aware of, as they seem to be attempting to make a sweep of the City, in search of whatever they may find – which will be nothing." Aurora's eyes never left his as he spoke, their Queen, momentarily forgotten. With her eyes, she dared him to make his point clear. "I suggest I lead my men out of the City, and meet them half way. My men are well trained, and in these past months, have gained experience that makes them invaluable on the battlefield. Without doubt, one of my men is worth five of theirs. My men and I may be able to defeat the enemy's army, and consequently weaken their defenses. This may push them into making a rash decision, which will lead only to their undoing." Looking to Aurora, and his Queen, Malachite finished, his voice deep and serious, his eyes sharp, and stance strong. "It may be the only way."
With a curt nod, Aurora accepted his proposal, "I agree. I will accompany
you and your men. I will fight with you." "No," Malachite countered, "You
are needed here, to protect the Queen." "Her Majesty is more powerful than
I, Warrior Pluto; she is more than capable of protecting herself. She did
so for all the years I was not a part of her life, and can continue to
do so now!" Aurora stood defiantly, her eyes a blaze with her anger and
stubbornness – this battle she would win! Or so she thought, until
a hand came to rest gently upon her shoulder, instantly quelling the anger
that raged inside of her, and stopping Malachite's retaliation, which was
just about to come forth. "I need you here, Aurora," Kiaya nearly whispered.
Aurora's eyes showed her Queen, plainly, the battle that was being raged
inside of the young Guardian. But her sense of duty prevailed, and with
one nod, Aurora accepted her Queen's decision to have her stay. With that
matter settled, Kiaya looked to Pluto; "I accept your proposal Malachite.
Two days hence, you may ride out with your men to face these, our enemies."
* * *
Sailor Star, battle worn, and wary, walked down the Palace Halls alone. How eerie the silence felt to her, as she continued her trek, with not one sound around her, save for the clicking of her heels against the golden marble floor. She passed a window, and stopped. Sometime ago, the sight that greeted her may have caused her pain, brought upon tears, but she had nothing left inside of her to feel such grief, and surveyed the vast wasteland before her with a sense of apathy and detachment. She felt too tired and beaten to care any more. But in the depths of her heart, a part of her was reminded of one whom would have suffered greatly to see the Sun City decay as it was. Her lips curled into a ghost of a smile, a display of human emotion that now seemed almost foreign to the Guardian.
He had been so proud to be Guardian of the City, and to see it now would have broke him inside. Her eyes moved over the land, her numb mind taking notice of the destruction: the grounds scorched from the heat of fires and enemy attacks - the buildings nothing more than rubble. No trees lived, no grass grew – the roses in the Gardens didn't bloom anymore. They couldn't, the rose bushes had been burned to the ground. The sun no longer rose in the sky at day, and the moon and stars no longer shone in the heavens at night; the city had fallen into perpetual grayness and darkness. The air held the scent of death: burnt flesh, rotting bodies; smoke from the burning lands. The wind carried the mournful sounds of a City dying; it seemed to cry as it flowed softly around her.
Oh yes, she knew, it would have killed him to see their City this way; it would have, if their enemy hadn't killed him first.
Sailor Star continued to make her rounds, checking the walls of the force field as she came across them, making sure there were no weaknesses, no way for the damned enemy to make its way further into the Palace. As she walked, she marveled at the sense of deadness inside of her. She truly felt nothing anymore, save for a hatred and loathing for her enemies that ran straight into the depths of her soul; that, and her sense of duty to protect the only other living being on the Sun: her Queen.
Ah, yes, her Queen. Kiaya had not faired this war well. She had sunk
into a deep depression at the lost of her City – and of him. The
two of them fought everyday to live to see the coming of the next day's
dawn, but recently, the will to keep up that battle had begun to wan within
the two of them. What was there that was left to live for? Nothing,
Aurora thought bitterly. She came to the end of the force field in the
Eastern Wing, and saw several of the enemy's monstrosities attempting to
break through the shield. Her eyes flared at sighting them, and with a
grace that seemed to her, surreal, she made her way up to force field's
end, looking to the enemy's 'pets' trying to claw their way through. They
stopped to look at her, and then, seemingly smirking, they flew at the
shield for all they were worth. Sailor Star only smiled maliciously at
them. Then suddenly her face went blank, as the presence of one of the
monsters in particular, brought back memories of a day she'd sooner forget.
She remembered; she'd seen that creature there when she'd flown on Firewalker
to try and save him. The sudden bitterness and self loathing she'd felt
then at her failure all came rushing back to her, and bent on vengeance,
Sailor Star put her hand up to the force field. Using the power of the
shield to augment her own, she call out, "Sun Beam BURN!!!!" The
entire opposite side of the corridor, outside of the protective reach of
the shield, was engulfed by the searing powers of Sailor Star's attack.
She felt some perverse sense of joy upon hearing the creatures screaming
in pain. Seeing them destroyed, she turned her back and walked away, ignoring
the sense of nausea and feeling of dizziness, which threatened to take
her down into darkness. Ignore it as she may, however, the truth remained
- her powers were failing. It would only be a matter of time.
Deciding to return to her Queen, Aurora could no longer stop from thinking
back, and remembering that day. How long has it been?
She asked herself. Thinking back, she realized. Nearly six months…
by the Gods… She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again
quickly as another blast of negative energy from beyond the Palace walls
shook the City. When the quaking subsided, she resumed her careful walking.
She remembered it all so well.
* * *
Warrior Pluto, in the lead of 500 men, marched out to meet the enemy's
army head on. For days they fought, sustaining few causalities. But with
each passing day, the Sun's Army was pushed further back, towards the Palace,
as the enemy's army continued to advance. Malachite's men were competent
warriors, Aurora knew, but nothing could prepare them for this enemy. They
didn't fight men; they fought creatures - monsters, and abominations.
Had all of Malachite's men had his skill, the battle would have surely
been won – but they had not.
By the third day, the battles were fought on the 'newly cleared' plains in front of the Palace. The clashing of swords and calls of dying men and monsters drew Aurora's attention to the windows of the Palace's Top Most Tower. Moments before, she had stood with Kiaya, each on either side of the Stone's altar, standing in the center of the chamber. Hands clasped, they had been concentrating on casting their powers into the Sun Stone, giving strength to it and the force field it up held. With the coming of the sounds of war, Aurora left her post to look out over the battle, her eyes searching desperately to find any sigh of Warrior Pluto, to assure herself that he was okay. Her eyes roamed over the scene of the battle below her, taking in the gruesome sight of men dying, and creatures of evil being torn apart by Pluto's men; not that she felt sympathy for the creature's plight.
Her whole body yearned to be down there on the battlefield with him, to fight at his side. Her soul ache just knowing where she was, so far away from it all, was where she was going to have to stay. It was then that she saw him. First, it was no more than a flash of white, but then she heard him bellow "Pluto Hail Storm!" and the sound of his voice lead her searching eyes to fall upon him. And her heartbeat quickened. She saw that he was up against three of the enemy's warriors; three humans. Dread filled her as she looked on, realizing that Malachite was injured, and that his strength for battle was faltering. They'd stood laughing at him, these three. They'd fought together; one would distract him, while the other two attack him. Aurora could see Malachite had caught on to their tactics easily, and fought well against them. But these humans were not normal. They fought with a power Aurora had never known of, and they attacked him to the full extent of that power. Watching in horror as he fought, she couldn't possibly tell for how long they had been fighting. The truth: hours. Malachite was a True Warrior of Pluto. He was not one to be so easily defeated. But something was wrong, she noticed. He did not fight to the full extent of his capabilities - something was holding him back.
She watched as he struck out at them, maiming one of the men he fought against, his sword coming quick to cut deep lacerations all over his body. This man, Aurora took notice, was tall. Quite possibly as tall as Malachite himself, who stood 6'4". His hair was strange to Aurora, the color was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It was a deep chestnut brown, long, and very wavy. There was a woman, whose hair was rather wavy as well, done up into a ponytail. She laughed at the first man as he cried out in pain, mocking his incapacity. And as far away she was, Aurora could not help but cringe at the awfulness of the wicked woman's laugh: it went right through her. She attacked Malachite with what seemed to be rose petals, a pale pink in color, and as Malachite leapt out of the way, the first man threw a blast of energy towards him, harming Malachite further. But his wounds did not stop him from coming down hard on the women, from above, driving his sword into her shoulder. She screamed, and Malachite came to rest upon the ground behind her, sword in hand. These were not the first wounds he had inflicted, Aurora was sure, but with the passing of time, she notice they could regenerate themselves, and were doing so at a fast rate as they fought against him.
There was one other though; one Malachite would not fight against at
all. This man had been slight in build, with hair of a pale blond, and
rather short. He would lash out at Malachite, wounding him, goading him
on, but Malachite never took the bait to fight him.
That, in the end, would prove his undoing.
* * *
She was near the Tower's entrance now. She paused for a moment longer
to peer out over the City once more from the arching window, one of many
placed along the winding staircase. Why hadn't you just fought against
him Malachite?! Aurora demanded, as she had countless times before.
As always, she received no answer. For whatever reason, Malachite had not
fought this slip of a man, and when he'd allowed his attention to be diverted
for even a moment, upon hearing a cry from one of his men close by, the
blond man attacked for the final time. . . . .
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" Aurora screamed "FIREWALKER TO ME!" her voice rung out. With in seconds, Firewalker was at the Tower's window. "Aurora, no!" Kiaya called after her, running to the window from which Aurora had jumped, landing upon Firewalker's back. Aurora paid her Queen no heed.
The blast of negative energy had engulfed Malachite, knocking him unconscious immediately. The three minions of the enemy stood around him, raising him up from the ground with their powers. Before them, a portal leading into darkness opened. Faster, Firewalker, we must stop them! Aurora frantically shouted into her Guardian's mind. She felt Firewalker lung forward, his speed increasing with each passing moment. From her place upon Firewalker, Sailor Star watched in horror as each of Malachite's attacker's stepped into the portal, disappearing. Then Malachite's unconscious body began to follow.
Hold on, Malachite…we're almost there! The portal swallowed
his body fast. "Malachite!" Aurora screamed, her voice choked with tears
and pure, white-hot terror. I'm losing him! . . . .
. . . .I'm losing him! Aurora's voice floated back to her, as she leaned her back up against the crystalline walls of the Palace. She was nearly to the Tower now, nearly to her Queen, but she knew until she lived through these memories yet again, she could not continue her ascent to the Sun Stone's chambers. Head in her hand, Aurora spoke softly to herself. "I reached you, only in time to lose you." The images flashing before the closed lids of her eyes were all too real, and all too much for the Guardian to bare. As fast as Firewalker had flown that day, it had not been fast enough. She couldn't reach him in time to stop them from taking him through that damned portal. She had gotten to the portal's site, arm out stretched to grab on to the one hand the portal had yet to devour. But, it hadn't been enough. She hadn't been fast enough, quick enough, smart enough to stop them from taking him. Her failure had cost him everything - and her as well.
The all too foreign sensation of tears touched Aurora's cheek as she remembered the feel of Malachite's fingers as they'd slipped through her own. The portal had closed immediately upon his entry – she couldn't even follow him through, to fight for his freedom. Having watched him disappear into that darkness, not knowing if he would live to see the next day's dawn, had been her undoing. She had cried no tears, had killed no man out of rage; she'd just stood there, leaning against Firewalker for support, and felt her soul shatter, her heart break, and all that made her human, die. She felt the hollowness, numbness, and emptiness even now, so many months afterward, standing as she was in the stair well leading to the Top Most Tower of the Sun Palace.
And her Majesty. Kiaya had been devastated. Fall to her knees, body racked with sobs, will to survive broken, devastated. She'd fallen into herself afterwards, and become quiet, and constantly somber. Losing Malachite had been the ruination of them both. Aurora's bitter laugh echoed throughout the crystal stair well. And look at us now, she thought. We have access to only a third of the Palace. The rest has been taken over. We are all that remain…
In the months following Malachite's capture, the army fell, and slowly, but surely, the enemy's forces began to invade the Palace. At first, Kiaya and Aurora had constructed a second force field around the Palace itself, a field upheld by Kiaya and Aurora's own, natural powers. But the enemy's constant hammering, and attacking of the shield, broke through their defenses. Sailor Star, then, had fought relentlessly to protect the populace, but her efforts had been in vain. As the weeks passed, the evil of the enemy began to pollute the people, turning them into monstrosities; turning them against their Queen. There were no warriors left to fight, outside of Aurora; those of the army who hadn't been killed, and been turned against everything they had stood to protect, by the enemy. As Sailor Star, Aurora had been forced to fight against, and kill, men, women, and children that had been transformed into creatures of evil. Men, women, and children she had known. Now, all that remained of the people of the Sun were monsters. She and Kiaya were the only two remaining humans.
When all of the people had been lost, Kiaya had summoned what little power she had left to construct yet another force field, one much smaller, closing off and protecting only a third of the Palace, in efforts to keep the enemy at bay. Everyday, Sailor Star went to the extremities of this shield to assure its integrity held up. So far, it had; but both her and Kiaya had precious little energy left to cast into the Sun Stone, to up hold any amount of protection.
Aurora decided to continue her journey up to see her Queen. She'd composed herself well enough, she thought, had killed off what little emotion may have revived itself during her reminiscing - enough so that she may face her Queen. Aurora looked down at herself as she climbed the steps. She was a mess. Her fuku was tattered and torn, the ribbons and bows of her uniform shredded, her hair falling free from their usual confines of a bun/ponytail. But what does it matter?, she thought apathetically.
In a matter of moments, she stood in the Tower's chambers. Kiaya was sitting in a golden gilded chair, staring blankly out the window. Aurora had slowly watch her Queen die, as the Sun City fell. Her naturally pale skin was even more so now from lack of food, and lack of sleep. Her lips, which had always been so naturally full of vibrant color, a deep ruby red, were now pale and dull. Her hair no longer held its sheen; but it was in her eyes that her death could be seen. Kiaya had had the most alive pair of sea blue eyes that Aurora had ever known. Eyes that had shone with such endless love for all those around. Eyes that had been alight with happiness all of the time. Now, they were lifeless, and so dull, nearly seemed gray. No joy shone from in their depths, no light danced within them; they were cold, and dark, and empty. It torn at Aurora to see her Queen's spirit so utterly broken, but she still couldn't help not wanting to look into Kiaya's eyes. Their lifelessness chilled her right down to what little was left of her soul.
Aurora was about to speak, to give her Queen greetings, and share the news that the shield was holding up well for another day, when the Palace shook from its very foundations, up. The enemy had obviously had enough with letting them live; it seemed prepared to destroy the Palace – to level it completely. Kiaya stood up immediately from her chair, turning her head sharply to look at Sailor Star, the last warrior of the Sun, and her Guardian. A determination was born inside Kiaya, unlike anything Aurora had seen for quite some time. Somehow, they both knew – this battle would be the last. Neither had to speak, they knew what they had to do. Kiaya, standing in the direction of the east, Sailor Star, in the direction of the west, took their positions opposite one another around the Sun Stone's altar. Kiaya closed her eyes, looking inside of herself, and finding the bond she shared with the powers of the Sun Stone, called out to them, asking them to grant her their strength just one more time. Aurora did the same, calling out to the powers of the Stars. Both women began to glow, Aurora a deep ruby red, Kiaya a shimmering gold.
The force of their combined powers burst outwards, in all directions, illuminating the entire Palace with a blinding, golden light; the purity of their powers incinerating minions of the enemy in infinite numbers. Concentrate as they may have on up keeping this massif output of energy, the screams of rage, fury, and pain from their enemies did not escape the attentions of Kiaya and Aurora – but Aurora knew, she could not keep this up for much longer. Already, after merely moments, the very floor beneath her had begun to sway; her head began to swim. She had to physically and mentally fight to keep the darkness, which threatened to consume her, at bay.
Almost seeming to sense Aurora's distress, Kiaya tightened her grip on Aurora's hands, willing her to keep fighting. Aurora called forth even more power from her already highly taxed reserves of strength, and felt it flow through her, and out into the Sun City. She could feel the enemies her powers destroyed, and willed even more forward, and out into the City. But, the sheer force was too much. "Aaargghh…" Aurora moaned deeply; she fought to keep herself from being torn apart by her powers, and to keep her knees from falling out from underneath her. Her ears began to ring, and the pressure in her head began to reach the critical point. Her tiara shattered, leaving Aurora's Star Mark to glow brightly upon her forehead. Yet still she fought, holding on to Kiaya's hands as if they alone could save her. She willed even more power into her command, sending it coursing through the Sun Stone and out into the City as their enemies were met with another magnificent blast. But…it was too much. Aurora felt herself giving way. Kiaya opened her eyes suddenly as she felt Aurora squeeze her hand in such a way that seemed…different from what she had been. I'm sorry Kiaya… were Aurora's last thoughts as the darkness she'd fought so long, descended down upon her.
"Aurora," Kiaya whispered weakly, hopelessly. She watched Aurora's Sailor Uniform fade away as she collapsed onto the floor. The powers of her beautiful Warrior of the Stars had finally given out. After months of incessant fighting, after such constant use, Sailor Star's powers had finally failed. Now, it was over.
The link they had formed was broken, and Kiaya could feel the enemy moving in; the force field was weakening - that too Kiaya could sense. And for but a moment, only a brief moment, extreme terror and panic gripped the Sun Queen. She realized she was now all that remained of the once strong and beautiful, City of the Sun.
She was completely, and utterly, alone.
The sudden silence that surrounded her seemed to take on an essence of its own. It was thick, and weighed heavy in the air. Kiaya's heart raced, and tears flowed freely down her pale cheeks. She bowed her head, her long, golden locks hiding her tears - but from whom? Such desperate panic ran cold through her blood; she wanted only to fall to her knees and cry. To hide away, to weep for all of her loss, for all of the blood that had been shed and the lives that had been ended so violently. She wanted someone to hold her, to make everything right again. She wanted once, for someone to be strong for her, but there was no one – only her. And then, that moment of weakness past.
Kiaya looked to Aurora, saw the faint rise and fall of her chest, and knew that her Guardian lived. Remembering her promise to her beloved sister so long ago, Kiaya called upon the powers of the Sun Stone one last time. Aurora would live – even if she would not. She first summoned Firewalker forth. Her powers brought him up from the Wings of the Palace, as he had taken on the duty of constantly surveying the force field's perimeter. The rationale behind his actions had been that, if he'd seen any break in their defenses, by way of his telepathic link with Sailor Star, he would be able to alert her to the danger. But now, such precautions were no longer necessary. What was necessary was for Kiaya to get both Aurora and her Guardian off of the Sun City.
With a brilliant flash of gold, Firewalker, held in suspended animation within a protective, translucent golden sphere, (of a size much smaller than normal) appeared before her. Then she summoned forth the Sun Stone from its cradle within the altar, holding it suspended in the air, seemingly cupped between her two hands. And she walked over to Aurora, and extreme sense of calm washing over her. Holding the Sun Stone out, Kiaya summoned up its powers, reaching out with them to Aurora. Slowly, a faint golden glow surrounded the unconscious Guardian; a faint glow which grew stronger. The aura of energy which had taken place around Aurora, slowly began to makes it ways back to the Sun Stone, carefully leaving the young body it had surrounded. For this aura of energy carried back with it a precious cargo - the memories of nearly 17 years of life.
Kiaya commanded the Sun Stone to guard Aurora's memories well – if she were ever to have a life beyond the Sun City, to live it well, she could not bare the memories of all that she had lost. The same type of protective sphere as Firewalker then surrounded Aurora, and the two were held suspended in the air next to one another. Kiaya then turned to the Sun Stone to cast her final spells.
Praying she was not all ready too late, Kiaya cast her first spell – a spell of protection over Malachite. That should he die while fighting for the forces of evil, his soul would be saved, and would be held, protected, until the day that his life could be restored.
And then for her final spell.
She commanded the Sun Stone to divide itself into the original 10 ruby crystals of its creation. Within each, she spread throughout them Aurora's memories, and sanctified the ninth ruby crystal with the spell of protection cast for the sake of Malachite's survival. And then she spoke, to the very Sun Stone itself.
"I give to you all I hold dear in this world; guard them well Sun Stone. I have failed you, this I know, but you must survive, as must Aurora. The Sorceress may one day break free, and you must exist to stop her. Go now; protect my children. Go to the Moon Kingdom, whisper to Serenity as she sleeps of what as happened here. Ask her, to keep my niece with her, to love her as if she were her own. And speak to her; tell her Aurora must never remember her past here. Tell her; let her live a life in peace, and guard you, these ruby crystals, well."
Such a sense of calmness spread warmth throughout Kiaya as she spoke, a calmness and warmth reflected in the commanding softness of her voice.
"May Serenity awaken the memories I have sealed within you only if the Sorceress finds her freedom, and the Sun Stone is needed once more, to fight. Then Sailor Star may rise again, to seek out a new Sun Queen, and stand as her Guardian as she has stood as mine. And then, at the hand of my successor, the Sorceress may finally be destroyed." The softness in her voice became such that she was nearly whispering now. "Go now," Kiaya spoke to the 10 ruby crystals she held suspended in the air in front of her, her hands lighting cupping them, "And may Aurora and Malachite live knowing how much it is that I love them."
A faint smile graced her pale red lips, and a single tear traced a path down her cheek as Kiaya gathered up the golden spheres enclosing Aurora and Firewalker in their protective warmth. She concealed them, along with the Ruby Crystals, in a shimmering sphere of silvery light - a light reminiscent of that of the stars shinning in the heavens. And pressing her lips softly into the glow of light from the sphere, as a manner of kissing Aurora goodbye, she magically cast them into the vast abyss of space, knowing she could not go with them; she had not the strength, nor the will, to survive. As those mythical sea captains of Earth would go down with their vessels doomed to rest forever at the bottom of the sea, Kiaya too, could not leave her City to die alone. And before Kiaya could take her next breath, the force field the Sun Stone's power had upheld for millennia to protect the Sun City from the massively searing heat of the Sun, collapsed, and the City was consumed by flames. With the passing of the next second, the Sun City was no more.
* * *
As it were, Aurora never reached the Moon Kingdom. Kiaya had hoped, that with the destruction of the Sun City, would come the end of these, her enemies. But Beryl, and her master, Metallia had survived the destruction, though the vast majority of their army did not, as neither had been upon the Sun City at the time of its death. They had lived on, still powerful, and with the Sun City no longer a threat, moved in to attack and destroy the Moon Kingdom.
Beryl's victory upon the Moon had been bittersweet, however. The Moon Kingdom had been destroyed; the Princess and her Prince had been killed, along with her court of Sailor Scouts. But Serenity would not let it end that way, and using her powers, captured Beryl, and all of the NegaVerse inside the Silver Crystal. With Beryl, within the Crystal, was held Princess Serenity, and all of the people of the Moon. Wanting her daughter to live and be happy, Serenity, at the cost of her own life, cast out what little powers she had left to send her beloved daughter, and her people, into the future. With them, Serenity sent her most trusted advisors: a cat of bluish purple, Luna, and a cat of white, Artemis, both bearing the symbol of the Moon, in order to protect and guide the Sailor Scouts should Beryl ever break free.
Serenity's life faded as she watched the beautiful golden stream of her powers flow to Earth, carrying her daughter Serenity into the future. The current of this magical stream was strong - strong enough to draw in and carry with it a silvery sphere of light that had been traveling towards the Moon. As the Moon no longer existed, the protective sphere was swept up into the current of Serenity's powers, taking it into the future…
…Along with its precious cargo…
… To a new life on 20th Century Earth.