Act Four - Birth of the Sailor Neo-Soldiers

Chibi-Usa was the first person to wake up about an hour later. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the sleeping guests. What happened here? she asked herself, feeling a little dizzy. Was she still at the ball?

Instinctively, she looked up at the pedestal. The Silver Crystal was gone. Chibi-Usa ran over to her parents and began shaking her mother violently.

"Mother, wake up!" she pleaded as Luna walked up behind her. "The crystal's missing! Mother, you have to wake up! Open your eyes, please!"

"Small Lady, what happened?" the queen asked, finally waking up. She looked confused and bewildered. "I was talking to your father, then I must have blacked out or something…"

"I'm not really sure," she admitted. "The last thing I remembered is dancing with Damian. I just woke up a few minutes ago and discovered the crystal is missing."

"The Silver Crystal is gone?" she whispered, letting it all sink in. "That's impossible. The soldiers…"

Neo-Queen Serenity carefully stood up and walked over to the pedestal, stepping over one of the sleeping guards. The pillow had been knocked off, but there was no sign of the crystal anywhere. Chibi-Usa was right. The crystal had been stolen.

"What did you say the name of your dance partner was?" Luna asked Chibi-Usa, who was now trying to wake her father.

"His name was Damian," she answered. "Do you know him, Luna? I've never seen him before."

"I'm afraid I do," Luna replied, finally remembered why the man seemed so familiar. "Did he tell you anything about himself, like where he was from, why he was here?"

"No."

The king opened his eyes and gave Chibi-Usa and Luna a quizzical stare. Chibi-Usa helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water as Luna filled him in on the news.

"Queen Jade," he whispered. "She's the one behind this, Small Lady. She outsmarted us again with her magic."

"You're tired, Father," Chibi-Usa replied. "You're not thinking straight. Queen Jade is in prison in Andromeda. She couldn't have stolen the crystal. It's impossible.

"No, she escaped three days ago. I thought we had everything under control, but she somehow… This is all my fault. I should have told your mother, and we could have canceled the ball, protected the crystal…"

Chibi-Usa gave her father a small hug. "It's not your fault, Father."

"Sweetheart, will you wake up the other guardians?" the queen instructed her, walking over to her husband and daughter. "Tell them to meet us in the conference room."

Her parents exchanged a few words, and then left the ballroom. Chibi-Usa went over to her Aunt Hotaru and began waking everybody up.

"Luna, give me a hand, will you?"

"Look at it, my son," Queen Jade said, holding the shining crystal in her hand. "Such beauty, and it is finally ours. The Silver Crystal and Neo-Queen Serenity's kingdom belong to the Dark Kingdom. You have done well."

"Those idiots at the Crystal Palace were easy to fool," Damian bragged. "I'm almost disappointed that I didn't have the chance to battle with the legendary champion of justice, Sailor Moon."

Queen Jade laughed at her son's arrogance. He would soon be granted his wish. No doubt Sailor Moon and her pesky little sidekicks would attempt to recapture the crystal, but this time she would be ready for them.

Sweet revenge. Neo-Queen Serenity would pay for putting her in that horrid place for all those years. She was going to pay dearly. Nobody messed with Queen Jade and got away with it.

"Gather the troops," she ordered. "Every precaution must be taken. This time I will not fail."

Neo-Queen Serenity took a seat at the end of the long table, looking around at the other Sailor Soldier's face. They were obviously in shock, especially Rei, who kept apologizing profusely for letting the crystal fall into the wrong hands.

"I want to know why no one bothered to tell me that Queen Jade had escaped," she demanded, trying to hold back her anger. "As queen of Silver Millennium, it's my duty and responsibility to know about any possible threats to the security of the kingdom."

"We honestly thought that we had everything under control," Rei replied. "The king felt it would be best that you didn't hear the news unless it was absolutely necessary. You're been under so much stress lately…"

"I don't want to hear it, Rei." The queen stood up again and began pacing the room. "How much do we know for sure about the heist? Did somebody happen to see anyone at the ball acting suspicious?"

"Damian was at the ball," Luna revealed. "Small Lady danced with him. I knew I had seen him before, but I couldn't remember where until she told me his name. He's all grown up, but still the same boy."

"Are you positive, Luna? He must have been the one who stole the crystal!" Makoto said.

Ami was busy typing on her laptop computer. After entering some information, she looked up at the queen. "Your Majesty, I've been analyzing some air particles from the ballroom. It seems that some sort of sleeping potion or gas was behind this. Damian must have released it through one of the air ducts."

"I say we go to Andromeda and destroy that bitch, like we should have done the last time," Haruka said, banging her fist on the table. The shock waves caused Michiru's glass to fall over, spilling champagne on her lap.

"Honey, you have got to remain calm." Michiru began wiping up the mess. "You know we couldn't kill Jade. Her son was only eight years old at the time and needed his mother."

"Well, he isn't a child anymore."

What are we going to do? Serenity asked herself, biting her bottom lip. If the crystal weren't recovered soon, Crystal Tokyo would be destroyed.

"Queen, we await your orders," Minako said. "The others and I are prepared to fight."

King Endymion had been quiet throughout the meeting, deep in thought, but now stood up and cleared his throats. The Sailor Soldiers looked up at their king as he began to speak.

"I'm afraid that would be impossible, Minako-chan. We need you all here to rule over your planets. Even a short absence from your post could spark a rebellion, and that is the last thing we need at a time like this. We have enough problems just keeping the Plutonians in line until Masago can take the crown."

"But what other option do we have?" Makoto asked. "Without the crystal, it doesn't really matter what happens within the kingdom. Either way, the kingdom is doomed."

"We could awaken the children," he suggested quietly.

There was a loud silence in the room. Nobody wanted to send the children into battle, especially against Queen Jade, but there seemed to be no other choice.

"No, Mamo-chan," the queen whispered, walking over to her husband. "Small Lady doesn't have enough experience yet and the others have just begun training. We would be sending them into a death trap. It's just too dangerous, and I won't allow it."

"I wish we didn't have to, Usako. Really I do, but we don't have a choice. Without the Silver Crystal, the kingdom will cease to exist. Awakening the children is the only way to restore peace. They are our only hope."

Meanwhile, back in the ballroom, Chibi-Usa and her friends were hanging out on one of the balconies. The other guests had already left. It was definitely a night no one would soon forget.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Nagisa exclaimed. "What's going to happen to us, Chibi-Usa-chan?"

"I don't know, Nagisa-chan, I just don't know."

"This is torture," Goku complained. "I can't just stand around and do nothing while the fate of the kingdom hangs on a very thread. I wish there was something we could do. If I ever lay my eyes on the person who did this… He's dead."

"Goku, please don't talk that way," Anzura pleaded. "Why must you always have such violent thoughts?"

Just then, Artemis appeared, startling them. "The queen requests your presence in the conference room," he announced.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Chibi-Usa asked the queen as she took a seat beside her father. It appeared her mother had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Are you okay?"

Okay?! Serenity thought. She was sending her only daughter into battle against a powerful enemy. Of course she wasn't okay. After much deliberation, she and the others had finally agreed to awaken their children. It was a difficult decision, but they truly were the only hope for the kingdom.

After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Neo-Queen Serenity walked over to the bookcase and pulled out a mint condition copy of the first Sailor V comic book. To their amazement, the bookcase swung opened like a door to reveal a large safe. She entered the combination and pulled out a box.

"I suppose you are all wondering why I called you here," the queen said, trying to keep her composure. "As you know, the crystal has been stolen. We have all agreed that it would be unwise for the other queens and I to leave the kingdom to reclaim the crystal. We are needed here to keep the peace between the planets."

Chibi-Usa couldn't believe her ears. She didn't just hear her mother give up. That wasn't like her at all. "So that's it? You're going to let Queen Jade take control of the kingdom without even a fight?"

"No."

The queen pulled out a key and unlocked the box. "In this box rests your transformation pens. I was hoping to give these to you after you completed your training, but I'm giving them to you now. I know you've just begun your instruction, but I have faith in you all."

"You're awakening us?" Chibi-Usa gasped. Her dream of becoming a proud Sailor Soldier was finally coming true. This was unbelievable!

"Yes, my precious daughter." The queen reached into the box and pulled out a heart-shaped brooch and a wand. "Small Lady, this is your transformation brooch and Rose Petal Scepter. As the new Sailor Moon, we are counting on you to guide a new generation of Sailor Soldiers and bring the Silver Crystal back to Crystal Tokyo. Do you accept your new position as the leader of the Sailor Neo-Soldiers?"

"I accept my duty as Sailor Moon with a pure heart and a strong spirit," Chibi-Usa said solemnly, although inside she couldn't help but jump for joy.

The queen handed her daughter the brooch and wand as the sign to the moon appeared on Chibi-Usa's forehead. She was finally a full-fledged Sailor Soldier.

The ceremony continued with each new Sailor Soldier receiving his or her transformation device and the blessings of their planets. It may have come sooner than expected, but their parents' hearts were filled with pride as they looked on. Then the Neo-Soldiers transformed for the first time.

Moon Prism Power!
Mercury Power!
Venus Power!
Mars Power!
Jupiter Power!
Saturn Power!
Uranus Power!
Neptune Power!
Pluto Power!

"I hereby name you the Sailor Neo-Soldiers, protectors of Crystal Tokyo and guardians of the solar planets."

The king and queen both agreed that it was too late to go after Queen Jade that night, so everybody went to their rooms and tried to go to sleep. They would be leaving for Andromeda early the next morning.

"Small Lady, you have got to get some sleep," Diana urged. "Nobody ever saved the world snoozing and snoring through a battle."

"I can't, Diana," Chibi-Usa said, clutching her brooch under her pillow. "I'm too excited too sleep."

She jumped out of bed and looked out the window at the tranquil sky. Chibi-Usa wondered what would happen tomorrow. For the first time since her awakening, she began to doubt her abilities. What were her parents thinking? She wasn't ready to become Sailor Moon.

"I don't think I can do this. Are we really ready to go up against Queen Jade?" she asked, unaware she had spoken aloud.

Diana jumped up on the windowsill and stared straight into Chibi-Usa's eyes. "This is not the time for self-doubt. The queen would not have awakened you if she didn't think you and the others could handle it. All you have to do is believe in yourself and everything will turn out just fine."

"I wish I could believe that, Diana. If only it were that simple, but we have to face the facts. Queen Jade has the most powerful weapon in the world on her side, the Silver Crystal. And what do I have? Just my Pink Moon Crystal, which hasn't yet reached its maximum power. The odds of us defeating her are like a billion to one."

Chibi-Usa opened the brooch and lightly touched the pale pink crystal inside, feeling its power. The stone sparkled in the moonlight. If only I had more power, she thought, closing the compact.

"Small Lady, the Silver Crystal is not invincible," Diana revealed.

"What are you talking about, Diana? Have you been sniffing too much catnip?"

Diana jumped off the windowsill and walked over to Chibi-Usa's book bag, which she had carelessly thrown on the floor. "If you had paid attention during your study of ancient civilizations, you would know that there is one crystal that contains even more power than the Silver Crystal. It was called the Rainbow Friendship Crystal."

The gray kitten dug through the bag and pulled out Chibi-Usa's history textbook. "Turn to page 132 and read the paragraph at the bottom of the page."

Chibi-Usa opened the book and began reading the article aloud:

During the reign of Queen Iris three thousand years ago, the Dark Kingdom, led by the evil Queen Jewel, attacked Silver Millennium. During the battle, the enemy stole Iris' Silver Crystal. As a final attempt to regain her kingdom, the queen summoned the power of the planets in the form of nine colorful crystals. When the crystals combined, they formed the Rainbow Friendship Crystal, a single stone containing the sum of the kingdom's power. Using that power, Iris was able to defeat Jewel's forces and recover the Silver Crystal. Unfortunately, the great amount of energy needed to use the crystal depleted the queen's strength, and she died shortly after. The whereabouts of the Rainbow Friendship Crystal have remained a mystery, but most experts believe the crystal was destroyed. The queen's 16 year-old daughter Serenity was then crowned queen of Silver Millennium. You will study more about Queen Serenity's reign in the next chapter.

Chibi-Usa closed the book and got back into bed. Suddenly she was very sleepy. Studying usually had that effect on her. If only the Rainbow Friendship Crystal still existed…

"Goodnight, Diana."

"Goodnight, Small Lady."