"Do you, Sir Eàryon Slenth, take Minako Aino to be your—"
The great doors to the chapel slammed. Startled, the kindly old priest stopped the ceremony. Queen Serenity leant forward in surprise as a messenger staggered into the chapel. Blood ran from him freely, and his face was grey with exhaustion.
"Si-Sir Eàryon!" he gasped, obviously with his last breaths. "The Dark kingdom… attacking… Queen Beryl…"
He collapsed between the pews as Sailor Saturn rose and moved swiftly to his side. After a moment she straightened. "Dead," she said crisply.
Whispers filled the chapel. Tears filled Minako's eyes as she gazed at her lover, dripping onto the white grown that was a gift from Princess Darkness. Eàryon didn't speak, but she could see from his expression that he would have the wedding in his heart.
Minako managed a shaky smile for him, but lost it as she thought of all the plans she had made for the day.
And the night. Gods, the night…
Queen Serenity stood up, cloaked in stern majesty. "Stop this rudeness!" she ordered in a ringing voice. "Sir Eàryon and his bride are noble champions who deserve our respect. We will discuss this news on the morrow. For now, put it out of your minds and celebrate this joyous union." She nodded to the elderly priest and sat back down.
Minako's smile was like the sun coming up.
Princess Darkness sighed deeply as the ceremony resumed, and allowed her thoughts to wander. It had been three years since the catastrophe which had resulted in the loss of the Sailor Knights, and in that time the Sailor Senshi had moved to fill the gap left by their absence. Led by Sailor Mars, they defended the Silver Millennium from the attacks which were becoming ever more frequent.
The relationship between Eàryon and Minako had blossomed into true love, and if she was honest with herself, Darkness wished them well. Once she had thought that she might stand at the altar with Eàryon, but it was not to be. She felt a twinge of sadness, but pushed it aside. Tonight was a big event for both Eàryon and herself—Queen Serenity had decreed that Darkness would be her successor as the older sister, and this would be publicly announced at the wedding party.
A muffled sob by her elbow caught they Princess' attention. Wordlessly, she held a lacy handkerchief out to Princess Serenity. Around the radiant Minako, the Senshi making up the bridal party were also in tears.
Princess Darkness sighed. She couldn't wait for the night.
Eàryon paused thoughtfully in the eastern courtyard. Following ancient Silver Millennium tradition, the Sailor Senshi had whisked his new bride away, not allowed to see him until the evening. It was a pity—he hadn't intended to spend his wedding day alone.
But it was a beautiful day. The cherry trees and forget-me-nots that were planted here were in full flower, blossoms floating around the statue that had been erected in memory of Tobias Lawlos, Eàryon's second-in-command and closest friend. Eàryon smiled at the statue, worked with incredible skill into an almost perfect image of the fallen Knight.
"Well, it happened, Tobias," he said conversationally. "I wish I could have had you with me up there, to talk some sense into me when I started trembling." He sighed. "I never thought I'd see this day, especially not so soon. I thought I would have died in battle long before I fell in love. Do you know the one thing that would have made it even more perfect?" he asked whimsically. "A double ceremony; you and Rei as well as me and Minako." He sighed again. "Of course, the invasion of the Dark Kingdom could have had the decency to wait a few days as well. But there's nothing we can do about that now. I know I've got your blessing."
On an impulse, he drew his starlit blade. The wedding, being a formal occasion, had required him to wear full armour. Minako's objections, however, had been powerful, and they had compromised on his shining cuirass and wristguards. No objection, however, would persuade Eàryon to leave his sword behind, and after consulting with Queen Serenity his vow of allegiance and protection to the royal family had been extended to include his new bride.
His sword danced now, flickering in the pale light. Blossom after blossom continued its smooth downward drift in two neat halves. He whirled and slashed, feinting against an invisible foe, moving faster and faster as his sword dance went on. He worked the blade like lightning, spinning full circles, even turning a couple of easy somersaults. Finally, perspiration gleaming on his arms, he stopped in front of Tobias's memorial and knelt before it, bringing up his sword and kissing the naked blade. "For the Silver Millennium, for Queen Serenity, for Princess Darkness, for Aino Minako. I am the last Sailor Knight, and I pledge my blade and life now."
"Very impressive," a voice said unexpectedly. Eàryon whirled, shaken, and sheathed his sword when he recognised the beautiful Queen Serenity. "I notice my youngest daughter was not included in your vow, however." Silver eyes pierced him.
"Ah—of course!" Eàryon said quickly. "I thought, since the Sailor Senshi were pledged to her—"
"The Sailor Senshi protect all of us, now," Queen Serenity said, pointedly reminding Eàryon that his Knights had failed that duty. Eàryon stiffened. "But under your guard, of course, we have little to fear," she reassured her prime bodyguard, and sighed heavily. "Little, but even you are not infallible, my champion." She sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. "I am old, Sir Eàryon," the silver-haired monarch told him. "I have led the Silver Millennium for more than a thousand years."
"There isn't a line on your face to bear witness, my Queen," Eàryon told her gently, while inwardly marvelling. A thousand years! Rarely did residents of the Moon Kingdom live past their eight hundredth years.
"That's very kind of you, Eàryon. But yet… I fear this may be my last war."
"Your Majesty—"
She stopped him with a raised hand. "Please, just Serenity. Formality means nothing anymore."
"With the elimination of the Tremor sect, and the Skrala, there are no more major threats to the Silver Millennium. This may be your last battle, Serenity, but the kingdom will pass to Princess Darkness under a blanket of peace."
The Queen blinked. "That is true—"
"It is. Once we have repelled the Dark Kingdom, our future is assured. Princess Darkness will be a capable ruler, and the Silver Millennium will have nothing to fear."
Queen Serenity was surprised at his confidence in his words. "Don't they?" she murmured, half to herself. "Don't they, yet?"
The ball was spectacular. Dignitaries from any one of a hundred worlds whirled around the floor. The buildings themselves provided light, every house and wall glowing with unearthly radiance.
A trumpet fanfare announce the entry of the royal party. Queen Serenity swept gracefully down the stairs, followed by Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. That caused a stir; while the Queen had given her public blessing to the pair, other political considerations indicated that they would be wiser to remain apart. Princess Darkness followed her sister into the room unescorted, followed by the clustered Sailor Senshi. Lastly came Minako and Eàryon, elevated to royal status for the evening at Queen Serenity's insistence.
Immediately upon descending the stairs, Eàryon mounted the dais near the head table. "Ladies and gentlemen, nobles all," he said the astonished crowd, who hadn't expected speeches this early in the evening. "Thank you for coming here, it means the world to me,' the Knight continued simply. "For reasons it is not my place to decide, my beloved and I have decided to breach both custom and courtesy, and leave you to enjoy this fine meal." He bowed deeply and, taking Minako's hand led her from the room. The crowd was silent with shock for a moment, until the well-prepared Sailor Senshi began to applaud. The room soon filled with cheers, and from the corner of his eye Eàryon spotted Princess Serenity leading Endymion out onto the balcony.
Queen Serenity stepped up to the dais, looking half-amused and half-infuriated. "Dear friends," she began, looking out into the crowd, then smiled wryly. "I'm afraid our noble champion has left me at a bit of a loss." The guests laughed, and over the next few minutes, listened attentively as Queen Serenity explained the fast-approaching war with the Dark Kingdom which would soon call the newlyweds away from the palace, and although Eàryon would likely see Minako again, it would be in the front line as comrades-in-arms. And a battlefield was hardly the place for intimacy.
"And so, I ask you to join me in blessing their union with all your hearts. May their marriage last as long as the Silver Millennium shines."
At that precise moment, the first of the fireballs tore open the ceiling.
Beryl's army had arrived.
Eàryon held Minako close, she in her wedding gown, he in his tabard and cape. Murmuring wordless endearments to each other, their lips met over and over again.
"We should have done this years ago," the Knight told her.
"But I'm still glad we waited," she responded shyly. They kissed again—and the room shook.
Eàryon broke away, grabbing for the sword that was no longer there. Out of his sight, Minako sighed in resignation.
"It looks like our wedding night will have to wait, sweet," Eàryon told her, not a hint of his emotions showing. The bride did not have his inhuman self-discipline, however, and two tears made their way down her cheeks.
Three minutes later, Eàryon burst into the ballroom fully armed. The carnage was terrible; courtiers and nobles had been slaughtered by the score, and small fires smouldered all around the room. The Senshi were nowhere to be seen.
In the middle of the room, Princess Darkness lay in state, a shard from a shattered table driven right through her chest.
"Darkness!" Eàryon roared, dashing to her side. She smiled drowsily at him.
"Eàryon… so you do know my name."
"Princess?" he asked in confusion.
"Never mind." She paused, as if gathering her thoughts. "You can't help me as I am. I am dying." A strange expression came over her face. "My chambers, Eàryon! In my bedroom, beneath my pillow! Go quickly, I won't last!"
The Sailor Knight streaked away, venting his frustration by kicking the massive doors off their hinges on the way past. Desperate to be in time, his form blurred into the triple shadow of displacement.
On reaching her door, he simply dipped his shoulder and didn't check his speed. It was locked, but doors seldom stay locked when they are torn from their frames. He quickly found what he was looking for, and held it up to his eye.
He shook his head and ran back towards the ballroom. If Princess Darkness was dying anyway, then he supposed it could do little harm.
The pain was writ large on her face as he reached her. "Did you… get it?" she gasped.
"Yes, Princess Darkness," he said heavily, and handed her the Silver Crystal. As the symbol of the heir to the Silver Millennium, the crystal's political significance was second only to its formidable magical power. That power came at a terrible cost—the strain of channelling so much raw energy through a physical body left it a dry, empty husk, essentially killing them. Queen Serenity's own not-inconsiderable power had set a ward on the crystal for anyone not of royal blood.
Princess Darkness took it now. "Help me up," she commanded Eàryon. He gently raised her shoulders until she was in a sitting position as threads of silver light began to wash over the walls.
Queen Serenity looked at the devastation around her, and her eyes hardened. The Sailor Senshi stood in a tight group guarding the Queen, but the four of them were being hard-pressed by the combination of Jaedite and Nephrite. Even as she watched, the shittenou brushed aside the Senshi's attacks and struck back at them with a choking purple mist that sent them all reeling. The shittenou pressed their advantage, spearing the Senshi with bolt after bolt of terrible energy. Queen Serenity's aura began to blaze as she readied herself for the battle she hadn't expected to fight so soon.
Suddenly, for no reason she could see, the shittenou hesitated. Glancing around, Queen Serenity saw that the sky was full of glittering white threads of power, drifting slowly downwards like strands of a falling spider's web.
No, not white threads, the Queen saw. Not white, but silver. The Silver Crystal had lent its power to the Silver Millennium yet again in its hour of need.
The two shittenou gave ground, shrieking where the silver threads touched them. Smoke rose—it was burning them like acid! The uncertainty on their faces intensified, and their attacks faltered. Acting quickly, Sailor Mars raised her hands.
"Burning Mandala!"
The shittenou had had enough. They turned and fled, retreating towards the vast presence that was Beryl. Their youma minions were not so lucky, dissolving where they stood. The Dark Kingdom had lost thousands of mindless soldiers in the space of a few minutes. The threads from the Silver Crystal fell towards the dark Queen, but Queen Serenity's attention was taken up by something else.
High above the battlefield, there was a new light. A sketch almost, of a massively imposing doorway. She allowed herself a tight smile, as four figures materialised and ripped into the fray, driving directly towards Beryl.
The Outer Senshi had joined the battle, led by Sailor Pluto. Queen Serenity allowed herself a grim smile. The battle for the Silver Millennium was not over yet.
Beryl's mind was clouded by an incredible pain. These… ants, these insignificant little girls had scattered her vanguard and struck at Beryl herself! And worse, they had driven her back and left her in this battered, bleeding state. Her shittenou had abandoned her, even the fiercely loyal Kunzite. Damn these Moon people!
Suddenly Beryl felt a new power. Her limbs surged with energy—her body was moving again!
She smiled. Queen Metallia, the Great Ruler of the Dark Kingdom, was with her and in her. She turned murderously towards the knot of Sailor Senshi protecting the silver-haired Queen of the Moon.
Strike!
Queen Serenity turned in time to see Sailor Venus fall.
Eàryon stalked the torn corridors of the Moon Palace, his starlit blade held low. Kunzite, he knew, would be doing the same—the Knight had lured the shittenou here with the promise of the Silver Crystal for victory.
A footstep rung behind him. He whirled and lunged in one motion, before he realised the noise had been by a crystal slipper.
"Sere—Princess?"
A lock of golden hair drifted to the rainbow tiles. The Moon Princess barely had time to gasp before Eàryon caught his own wrist, arresting the slap across her face.
"Don't ever do that again," he gritted through clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry, Sir Eàryon," Princess Serenity said, taken aback. "I came from the balcony. My sister—"
"—is dead," Eàryon told her flatly. "So are a lot of other good people, and so are we if Kunzite comes across us talking like this."
"I don't care!" Princess Serenity snapped with uncharacteristic heat. "Endymion is fallen! And Minako! My life means nothing without him! You're the General, tell me how I can hurt the Dark Kingdom!"
Eàryon stared dumbly, as she knew he would. "What?" he managed blankly.
"Minako! Sailor Venus, she's dead! Now tell me how I can hurt them!"
A lifetime of training came to Eàryon's aid at that moment, as he whirled to meet blades with the shittenou Kunzite. The familiar clash and spark of blades meeting edge-to-edge jolted him back into sensibility. "Princess!" he barked, working his sword one-handed as he dug in a pocket with the other. "Take the Silver Crystal to Her Majesty. No!" he roared, as the Princess began to raise the jewel with a look of determination on her face, grabbing her wrist with his free hand. "Only Queen Serenity has the power to send them away. You will be Queen of the Silver Millennium now, so run!"
Kunzite snarled at seeing such a treasure so tantalisingly close, and tried to advance to claim it, but Eàryon was a magnificent swordsman and allowed no quarter. With a worried glance behind her, the Princess ran.
"Going somewhere?" the fourth shittenou asked casually, stepping into her path. Eàryon groaned as Kunzite laughed triumphantly.
"Zoisite! With perfect timing! She has the Silver Crystal!"
The blonde, startlingly beautiful man reached for the Princess with an evil smile. Without backing down a step, she set her jaw and reached for the curious crescent moon ornament set into her hair…
"The Moon Stick!" Eàryon breathed, appalled that she had used such an object as a hair-ornament. Princess Serenity lashed out, and Zoisite fled in fear.
"Zoisite!" Kunzite roared, his plans falling apart as he watched. The Princess took to her slippered heels, and Eàryon closed in to give the shittenou his full attention.
Queen Serenity stood alone, the Sailor Senshi lying dead or dying around her. Above, Beryl continued her rampage with her augmented powers. Taking a deep breath, the Queen prepared herself for the attack which she knew would prove futile.
Then her daughter was at her side, pressing something into her hands—the Moon Stick! And the Silver Crystal!
"How—"
"Princess Darkness is dead," the Princess said bluntly, and it seemed to her that Queen Serenity looked a little older, her shoulders a little more slumped, in that moment. Then she shook it off and stood straight and tall, beautiful and terrible.
"You must trust me now, my daughter," the Queen said gently. "I will reunite you with your love, but it will take a thousand years. I will sent you to Earth, as a normal child until the time comes that you are needed."
"Endymion is—"
"I know," came the crisp reply. "He took the bolt intended for my heart. Death is but a sleep, and every courtier, Sailor Senshi, and Sailor Knight slain this evening will be reborn with you."
"Darkness?" Princess Serenity asked, in a kind of desperate wonder.
"No. No magic could bring her back. The Silver Crystal's price will be paid, no matter what it costs us personally. You will have to let her go." She paused. As will I. "Kiss me now, my daughter, for we may never meet again. You will be needed in the future, and you must not fail, for you are, or will be, the Queen of the Silver Millennium."
Beryl reared above the destroyed Moon Palace like an angry goddess. She saw the figures there, the old Queen and her rival for Endymion's love. Which to slay first? she mused, as Princess Serenity embraced her mother and ran towards the ruins. A swift bolt brought her down, and triumphantly, Beryl turned her attention to the old one.
Something was wrong. She didn't run, or even flinch as Beryl bore down on her. Instead, she raised her hands—a wand, and something glinted…
Beryl stared, and tried to halt her attack. "Silver Crystal?"
"Moon Healing… ESCALATION!"
In the ruins of the Silver Millennium, Eàryon saw the light of the Silver Crystal. Below him, Kunzite snarled as the Knight drove home the blade, ignoring the shard of ice digging through his chest. They lay dying together as Eàryon felt the Queen's magic take hold, and the shittenou's face blurred into that of Aino Minako, Sailor Venus.
Not such a bad sight to carry into the darkness.