Well here we go again. I know where this is going, I think, and I know we are not quite there. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
~Ravyn~
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Minako felt her eyes widen in surprise. " Oh so you do know what it is!" Her face bloomed into a large grin.
Nate looked at her face and snorted. " Nope. I just saw you running around with a large bandana attached to your forehead, screaming about the injustices of unrequited love. And to be honest, it rather scared me."
Mild laughter broke out into the room.
Minako grumbled under her breath and looked around the room. " So nobody has a single clue as to what this is?" Her expression seemed rather put off.
"Minako, how did you come to posses it?" Usagi questioned.
" Big word, Ondago Atama." Rei teased.
Usagi stuck her tongue out and looked back to Minako who was watching with a slightly amused expression. Usagi pouted.
After a quick relaying of the story there was absolute silence. Everyone was starring at the sword like it was a snake.
"Perhaps I can provide a explanation." Came a smooth cultivated voice.
They all spun around. " PLUTO!"
Setsuna smiled at the Inner Senshi and nodded to the Generals. It had appeared they had found there way here just fine. She stifled a laugh at the look the Zach was giving her.
"That sword, Minako is a very powerful artifact." Pluto told her. Minako raised on very blond eyebrow with the expression 'I knew that,' tattooed across her face.
"It is really not even from this timeline. But it a way it is." That caused confused chatter. Minako rolled her eyes.
" Thanks that answered my questioned. And confused the HELL OUT ME!"
" Have you ever wondered how the silver crystal came to be?" She questioned the ten people in front of her. Ami nodded her head, but she was the only one.
" A long time ago the planets and the kingdoms where covered in darkness. The Negaverse was just a figment of imagination. What this was, it was much worse. It dominated the planets in a series of greed and hate. Magic and darkness ran hand in hand. There where very few good people and those that held power where corrupted before their tenth birthday. The dark's hold was supreme."
Usagi leaned closer to Mamoru's warmth.
" But like always, the darker the darkness, the stronger the light becomes. Two children where born. One Elf and one Fairy, it was a time when mystical creatures reign was supreme."
"By the time they where eight, they had mastered all that they could. The time for the darkness came close, and they petitioned the gods for aid. They wanted to the darkness to stop."
" Goddess of the Moon gave her blessing to the young fairy, and in return she took on the name of Selene, and the earth blessed the Elf. He became Endymion. Although the darkness tried, it could not touch these. There coverings where to great."
"They forged alliances, and gave the goddess touch to eight others. One form from each race of people that lived on the planet. Planet by planet they fought to destroy the darkness. As each planet was freed from the dark touch, the planet gave their blessings to the eight who fought by Selene and Endymion's side's."
Rei leaned forward on one hand. Her dark eyes glowed.
" But the darkness held onto the moon in a dark grip. They had many battles, and in the process, the eight fell in love. Endymion and Selene swore their love to each other that they would eventually be together. " Pluto shifted her form slightly. Her eyes scanned the room.
" But it was not to be. The dark one struck out against them, and in order to save her love, Selene took the blow. On her last breath, a single tear trailed down her cheek. It grew into immense size. The elven who had been blessed by Venus seized it and hurled it into the dark lord's heart. She followed it closely with her sword; the darkness surrounded her and the lord. And a single beam of silver light ignited the night sky. A beam of golden sunlight mixed in with it."
Ami's fingers where rapidly typing the story onto her computer.
" Seeing what must be done, the others women gave their power as well. Endymion dropped to his knees and slammed his fist into the dark soil of the moon. The men placed their hands on his back, and a strong golden light appeared in the closed fist. Raising it with a dark cry he joined the Venesian warrior in the heart of the battle. They where able to close the evil off, under the place the tower of the moon had once been in."
" Endymion and Venus stumbled out of the ruble, and they joined the others at Selene's side. Venus layed her battered sword, and the crystal next to the dead girl. They began to glow and the crystal shattered. The sword melted into itself, for it had the dark one's blood stains."
" The crystal's shattered pieces fell onto the woman child, and then she became more than mortal. The moon had given more than its blessing; it had given its blood, and as the single drops of the melted sword collected on the men and woman, they also became more than mortal, there duty to guard there chosen. But the sword reformed itself and fell into the hands of the Venesian warrior who had risked her soul."
" They swore themselves to Selene and Endymion, but the dark one still echoed. He swore that when the planets and the earth aligned then darkness would destroy all. Broken hearted they vowed to love each other in past, present, and future. They would find each other in death, and perhaps, one day in life.
" Endymion took his Generals to earth, where the most damage had occurred, and they tamed the wilds. Each girl, named Senshi by Selene, broke the earth of their planets to their will. They became one with them. They returned only when needed, and to swear there children, girls, to the new born princess. Each princess had the birthmark of a teardrop, in the place that the sword and dripped on there mothers. And the cycle of the Senshi began."
" When the first Venus warrior died, she hid her great sword, the sword that had been formed by the love of her princess, and said only herself could wield the weapon. And only with love could she become
what she and her Senshi once were."
There was complete silence in the room. " Are you saying WE are the reborn first Senshi?" Rei finally questioned. Her tone was strained.
Pluto reached over to Makoto and pulled the sleeve of her outfit up. A perfect teardrop, colored a dark green, rested there. A hushed silence echoed in the room.
Pluto looked at them apologetically. " You where not supposed to find out until Crystal Tokyo. But something has gone wrong and it has not arrived yet."
Ami's eyebrow flew upwards. " You mean you don't know what triggers the formation of it?" her tone was incredulous.
" I am afraid not. Even now, I feel nothing. Something is holding it back. I don't know if it a malicious force, or is it is linked to the crystal."
Minako's mind had been going on over load since she had told the story. But a single part of it had stood out in her mind. " Are you saying that we swore ourselves to them?" She managed to stutter out, shoving a rude finger to Keaton.
Pluto just looked at her, not giving a nay or yay. But it was enough.
Rei slammed her head into her hands a groaned. Ami furiously typed into her computer, her eyes wide. Minako and Makoto looked at each other, they where not quite as adverse to the idea.
" So where do we go from here?" Usagi asked, turning. But Pluto was gone, leaving the aftermath, much as she had always done.
Rei was starring Jason down like she wished she could turn him into a sishkabob. Jason, in his normal attitude, found the whole thing amusing.
Minako had locked eyes with Keaton, like she wanted to see into his soul. But his face was impassive, as if daring her to break down his shields.
Ami was as red an apple, and then some. Zach found the whole thing highly amusing.
Makoto simply handed Nate another piece of cake and then finished her own. Things like this where simply not worth the pain.
" I think it is time we gave you back your memories." Luna said finally.
Heads jerked her way. " You can do that?" Usagi said, her tone suspicious.
" Yes. Unfortunately there will be a price to it." Luna said finally.
" Which is why we never offered before."
" What type of price?" Minako questioned.
" Some of your memories are not pretty Minako. You fought in three major wars. The aftershocks could be rather startling." Artemis told her. " You four where normally on the front lines."
Rei's eyes narrowed. " Are you sure you have not been trying to give them to us already."
Luna looked at her steadily. " We have been trying to break down the walls that hold them, but Selene did a find job of keeping them up."
" Then how do you think you can break them now?" Minako questioned her voice flat.
" The silver crystal. Usagi has the abilities to break down the walls, the question is do you want them?"
" What would this mean?" Makoto asked. Her hand somehow found its way into Nate's larger one.
" You would remember everything about the Silver Millenium. You would know exactly how you lived, and how you died. If you loved anyone, you would know them to." Luna said softly.
Rei closed her eyes, a picture of the blond man in her dreams. If he was really Jason could she give him a chance?
Minako looked at her Senshi, who looked back. There was a certain amount of fear, but a certain amount of firmness as well. This was something they had to do.
" Were in." Minako said firmly.
Luna turned back to Usagi who looked firm. " So how do I do this?" The crystal was in her hand, but before Luna could answer, it began to throb in her fingertips.
Looking down Usagi almost dropped it when it spoke to her.
What do you seek?
Usagi concentrated on it, remember doing something similar as Neo-Serenity, and gave it her wish.
Rei felt like the damn on her emotions had been overrun. A series of pictures, emotions, and feelings over ran her normally well organized mind.
Minako saw everything through a cloud. It was as if someone else was in charge, but then it became so personal. Her eyes shown as she looked at Keaton. She knew this man, completely wholly.
Ami found figures, numbers, a life studying books and a culture she had never before imagined lived. A single man breaking down her defenses, and then later using that defense to kill her. Forgiveness.
Makoto had images of cooking, laughing and chasing. Of killing, blood on her hands, a since of dread. Comfort in a pair of arms that, in this lifetime, where familiar.
Usagi looked at Mamoru and they smiled. Until the Senshi dropped like a bag of potatoes, and the Generals moved with rapid reflex's to catch them.
Usagi leaned against Mamoru and sighed.
They all sat down and waited for them to wake up.
~*~
Hotaru looked out the window and felt the power that was coming from the crystal. She knew it had something to do with Pluto, and she felt slightly bitter from it.
She hated the fact that she was always in the dark when it came to the Senshi. She was always the last resort. No matter what and it hurt her in ways she would never have thought.
She had told Pluto that once, and she had smiled and something mysterious as normal.
"The past is just a distant echo of your future self. Only you can listen to those echoes, and change what you hear." Of course it had left her clueless. But that was always the downside of advice from her.
She wanted to help. And yet they denied her the right. Looking at the sleeping women she sighed. Heading up the stairs she slipped her favorite clothing into a backpack.
Switching to her Saturn form Hotaru slipped out the window. They may not want to help, but she would be damned if something happen to Usagi without her being there. Even it if was just from the shadows. She owed Chiba-Usa that much.
Saturn moved in and out of the shadows like the shadow she herself was. It was easy to do, being small and dark. The night seemed to welcome her, like a friendly embrace.
Moving along she found the place she was looking for. It may have seemed like only a mutual agreement, one set up to adjust to both women funds, but Saturn saw it as something else.
When Usagi had moved in with Minako, it had taken a weight off her shoulders. The princess was in constant guard from her Senshi leader.
Climbing up the tree she looked in and was surprised at what she saw. This she had not been expecting.
~*~
Ian looked at his brothers and hissed in vexation. Dake was more interested in looking at himself, a dopey expression on his face, and he knew he was thinking about that woman again.
Those women had to be enchanted. They had all caught the attention of one of them. Even he had found himself desiring one of the confounded. With her thick mane of hair, and gorgeous eyes, she was perfection.
And yet they resisted, and to their surprise held them at bay. They had power backing them. And there where some type of men. Men in clothes that where ancient in style and he could not quite place his finger on it.
But he had yet to be defeated, he and his brothers were invincible. They had never lost and they always got what they wanted. And he wanted this universe. He would have the blonde woman, the one they called Venus, and she would rule at his side as a supreme ruler.
But first he must think. His brothers would not want their chosen prize hurt, and he could move around that, but first he must find a way to capture her, and lure her into his affection.
Grinning Ian moved towards his brothers. Together they would find the women they wanted, and together, they would dominate the galaxy.
~*~
Jason watched Rei sleep and he felt a mired of emotions. Her face was relaxed, and she for the first time that he could remember, was not fighting him when he held her. He had hated to put her down.
Looking at the others expressions he knew they where thinking the same thing he was, and they where worried.
What were the Senshi's reactions going to be once they woke up?
Again a shout out to all those who review. One of these days I am going to get off my lazy butt and say these properly. Maybe. But the normal command from command central: REVIEW, REVIEW, and REIVIEW