Sailor Moon

Ghosts of the past

A fanfiction by Jonathan Schmidt

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon so don't sue me. There I said it J

This series is based almost entirely on the dub which, despite its shortcomings, I prefer to the original. Judge the story by how well made you think it is not by whether I include those questionable aspects of the original. Try to regard it as a different reality and dimension. It takes place a few months after the end of the Stars season. Any question/comments? Email me at ashmidt@flash.net enjoy.

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Episode fifteen: The Revelation of the Cauldron! A Sailor's Place in the Universe.

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*Episode begins with scenes switching to each of the sailors peacefully sleeping during a moonlit night*

Pluto was far from asleep. In her spacious room in the Tomoe home she knelt before The Garnet Rod and concentrated her energy, closing her eyes. Starlight filled the room and the orb atop the rod began to glow. The time has come for a new revelation sailors. I pray you are ready for it.

Serena opened her eyes to find herself floating in the vastness of space, stars as far as she could see in every direction.

Is this a dream?…

She twirled about as she floated.

No… this, this is too real to be just a dream…

A voice echoed across space. "The time has come for you to learn the truth of what you are as sailors. Of what we all are and where we come from."

Serena felt herself pulled forward at great speed, increasing till the stars seemed to shoot past her as faint lines of light. It seemed to go on forever but at last she arrived. She looked at herself; she had somehow transformed on her journey.

"Where am I?…" she asked, her voice echoing.

A vast constellation of stars stretched before her. The stars seemed to form into a great swirling mass in the center; it was a truly beautiful sight.

She looked about. "Everyone?"

Indeed every sailor was there floating near her as well as Tuxedo Mask, Greg, Chad, Jamie, Ken, the cats and Doctor Tomoe.

"This is so strange, what are we all doing here?" Mercury wondered.

"That was Pluto's voice I'm sure of it," Mars said.

Luna was next to speak up. "What did she mean by 'the truth about what you are as sailors?'"

Pluto appeared before them. "Luna there are many things about sailors even you don't know. The time has come to reveal them to you." She looked to Doctor Tomoe. "You are here because it is important for you to understand your daughter's place in the grand scheme now that you know her true identity." She then addressed the cats. "As their guardians you deserve to know." Chad, Greg, Jamie and Ken were last. "You are here because you are now a vital part of this grand scheme. You will gain a new understanding of those you love."

"A new understanding?" Greg repeated.

"Listen well," Pluto said. "What I have to tell you is a great secret to most life in the cosmos, sailors are among the few to possess it. This was told me by Queen Serenity long ago when I was young. She told me to tell the other sailors when I thought you had matured enough to know. I believe that time is now. This will change the way you view yourselves and those around you." She looked at the cats. "Some of this you no doubt already know but I assure you much will be new."

"I don't understand," Venus said. "Did you do this in the other timeline? You know the one where we didn't know about you till Crystal Tokyo? If not wouldn't you be changing things?"

"I did this same thing in the original timeline you just didn't know it was me," Pluto explained. "This revelation will help you when it comes time to live your lives in Crystal Tokyo. Now I ask you to hear what I have to say. The images you will see are only memories transmitted from my mind to yours but they are of very real places. Let me start with the beginning of everything." She held out her hand, a Star Seed appearing in it. "All stars grow from a Star Seed. But it is not only stars, everything with life grows from a Star Seed."

The sailors listened intently. They already knew much about Star Seeds from the battles with Galaxia but also knew Pluto was leading up to something much more.

"However your Star Seeds are more then just that. They are Sailor Crystals."

This was new and Moon couldn't help but voice her question. "Sailor Crystal? What are Sailor Crystals?"

"Think of it as another term for our special Star Seeds," Pluto said. "It is something only sailors possess and it is what allows us to be reborn. Our bodies are thus unimportant in a sense, it is the Sailor Crystal in each of us that is our true selves and they are eternal always reborn. They are the source of all sailor powers.

"Eternal…" Moon whispered. Galaxia had once said that Sailor Star Seeds glitter forever. Was this what she meant?

"Special Star Seeds become Sailor Crystals and get transported to selected planets. They grow with the planet and become guardians to protect the planet. Every planet in this solar system is protected by a sailor and the Earth is protected by Endymion and you Sailor Moon."

Uranus put her hand to her chin in thought. "I always knew we were reborn from the days of The Silver Millennium but I never thought-"

"That our spirits are eternally reborn," Neptune finished. "It makes sense if you think about it. Evil will always exists and thus the Sailor Soldiers must always exist to fight it."

Pluto nodded. "Yes, it is our immortal place in the universe. When most beings die their Star Seeds go on to the afterlife but a sailor's seed is simply placed in a new body or their original body regenerates as happened to us when our Star Seeds were taken. As for you," she said looking to the four young men as they stood at complete attention. "You have bonded with your respective sailor's Star Seeds just as Endymion and Serenity bonded in their past life. You are now in a sense their male counterparts and will be reborn with them for the rest of eternity. The full effects of the bond and who you are for you to discover, I cannot interfere."

Chad put a hand to his head, "this is heavy."

Pluto now turned to the cats. "Luna, Artemis, you were chosen members of your race pledged to guide the sailors of this galaxy. As such your Star Seeds have similar powers to Sailor Crystals and you too will be reborn for eternity so you may continue to guide them."

Moon looked at the cats in confusion. "You mean there is a planet full of talking cats?"

Luna winked at her. "Of course, where did you think we came from?"

"It's a planet called Mau," Artemis said. "Queen Serenity came there long ago and chose us to become your guardians."

"How come you never told me this?" Venus asked slightly offended.

Artemis smirked, "you never asked. Besides our lives there ended ages ago, it's not our home anymore."

Tomoe hadn't been this excited since his early years as a teacher. "Fascinating."

"There is more I must show you." She indicated with her rod to the constellation before them. "That area where all the stars are gathered is the center of the universe… Sagittarius Alpha Star. And in the middle of Sagittarius Alpha Star is Sagittarius Zero Star."

"And Sagittarius Zero Star is…" Tuxedo began.

"A place where stars are born. Everything in the universe, in all universes, is born from Sagittarius Zero Star."

Moon stared at the constellation. A place where Star Seeds are born… everything in the universe, even the Earth and everybody else was born from there?

If only my colleagues back in the university could see this… Tomoe thought to himself. He smiled; they would probably not believe it even then.

The group felt themselves move forward again. As they approached the mass of stars the light grew brighter and brighter till it blinded them. When it cleared they found themselves floating before a huge light studded gate.

"This is The Gate to Zero Star," Pluto told them as it opened and they moved inside. The area was transformed into a huge desert and then a river that stretched for some distance. "And these, are The Waters of the Lost Memories. No one is known to have drunk this water and remained knowing who they were or why they were there."

They moved ever forward, over what Pluto described as a "Star Garden" till finally they reached the end.

Moon was awed, unable to speak. A vast empty plane stretched before her and in its center was a huge white void, the center of which seemed to cave in and fall down forever. Bright lights rose from the dark chasm. The energy swirled about within it, as though stirred in a giant cauldron. Finally she found her voice. "This place…"

"The most sacred place in existence… The Galaxy Cauldron…" Pluto's voice echoed.

"Never in my life did I imagine… such a place…" Artemis said stunned.

"Wow…" was all either Chad, Jamie, Ken or Greg could get out.

"The Galaxy… Cauldron" Jupiter whispered.

"It's so beautiful," Moon said taking Tuxedo Mask's hand.

Pluto continued, she had never appeared so ancient and wise. "Everything in existence is born here. It is the birthplace of all in every dimension. This is also where we, sailors, are reborn before returning to our worlds."

"Pluto have you been to this place?" Venus asked, not moving her eyes from the incredible sight.

Pluto shook her head. "No, I have only seen it from The Time Gates. Few have ever been here for it is well protected from outside invasion. The Gate to Zero Star, The Waters of the Lost Memories, all serve to keep at bay any force that would try to control or corrupt The Cauldron."

"Is that possible?" Mercury asked.

"As far as is known it is not possible to fully control The Cauldron but much damage could be done by one trying. If someone could gain control though they would hold the fate of all things in existence in their hands. The power controlling The Cauldron would bring is unimaginable. Those who find out about it are often tempted by that power thus the reason for its secrecy. Sailors are among the few who can be trusted with the knowledge of The Cauldron, for though a sailor's body can be used for evil no sailor is truly evil. This was a lesson I had to learn in our dealings with Saturn and then Galaxia. Had I known as I do now that all sailors can be trusted I would have acted very differently during those days."

"You weren't the only one who once believed that we could only trust our own," Uranus said looking to Neptune.

Neptune nodded. "We have all had incorrect views in the past about what being a sailor means."

Chad was taking it all in stride. "Awesome! I'm going to live forever with Raye!"

Saturn looked at her father in concern. "Daddy… are you okay?" She took his hands, her eyes tearing. "I'm so sorry I can't be just a regular daughter."

Tomoe gently dried her eyes. "I accepted some time ago that you were something greater then I would ever fully understand. But that doesn't change the fact that I love you and everything you are." He lifted her chin to look him in the eye. "I am honored now more then ever to be your father. Even one lifetime of knowing you is the greatest gift I could ever receive."

Saturn hugged him tightly. "No matter how many fathers I have… I'll never forget you."

"Its comforting to know that we'll always be together," Jupiter said with a smile as she took Ken's hand.

Venus looked to her love, "well Jamie still think you want a relationship with me?"

Jamie laughed, "more then ever."

"Even with my powers I could never have predicted something like this," Greg said as he held Mercury's hand.

Moon looked lovingly at Tuxedo. "I guess our vows will have to be 'as long as you both shall live and beyond.'" She turned to Pluto, never before had it been so clear to her the amount of knowledge the ancient scout possessed. "Thank you for trusting us with this."

Pluto nodded and smiled slightly. She raised the Garnet Rod and it began to glow. "Now, return to your rests. Sleep well." She disappeared and each being drifted back into their dreams.

"Serena wake up!" Luna yelled to the drooling girl.

"Darien?…" she rolled over and giggled in her sleep.

Luna bared her claws. "You'll thank me for this later…"

The Tsukino family turned their heads at the sound of a loud wail of pain coming from Serena's room.

Sammy raised an eyebrow. "Wonder what that's about…"

"What was that for?!" Serena yelled as she rubbed her cut face.

"It's all over the news! Jedite's sent a whole army of those mud creatures to steal energy we have to clear them out."

Serena grew serious and grabbed her broach; the experiences of the previous night giving what she was about to do all the more reason and purpose. "Right!"

As she ran down the street Serena went to her communicator knowing the others would be in contact. "Ready guys?"

*Multiple split screen of everyone's faces* "Ready!"

"Moon Eternal Power!"

"Mercury Crystal Power"

"Mars Crystal Power!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"

"Venus Crystal Power!"

"Pluto Crystal Power!"

"Neptune Crystal Power!"

"Uranus Crystal Power!"

"Saturn Crystal Power!"

In the blink of an eye Darien became Tuxedo Mask.

Some distance away a several Mud Men slowly advanced on two young girls heading for school. Suddenly a voice called out "hold it!"

Moon stood on the roof of a nearby building. "Disturbing innocent children on their way to school will not go unpunished." The school kids scurried off to a safe vantagepoint as the hideous creatures were distracted by the winged warrior.

Tuxedo's rose struck the ground in front of the Youma. "This planet should not suffer such dark hearted creatures. I am Tuxedo Mask and I will rid it of you."

Mercury stood atop a school bus facing other Mud Men. "I will not tolerate anyone interfering in these children's education!"

Mars stood before another group of Youma. "You have no idea what force you're dealing with."

Jupiter crossed her arms. "Jedite's living in a dream world if he thinks he'll ever rule this planet."

Venus faced down still more Youma. "Your little party's over boys."

Pluto and Saturn stood together. "To fight for our friends and loved ones, to protect the world we share, that is our purpose as sailors."

Saturn's eyes narrowed. "Your minuscule power doesn't warrant the slightest challenge but to keep the peace I will gladly fight you."

"We are who we are and proud of it," Uranus said standing back to back with Neptune.

"Though separate we are as one," Neptune said.

"I am Sailor Moon!"

"Mercury!"

"Mars!"

"Jupiter!"

"Venus!"

"Pluto!"

"Neptune!"

"Uranus!"

"Saturn!"

*Return to Moon* "And in the name of the Moon I will punish you!"

All across the city the Mud Men let out terrible howls and raced at the sailors as they prepared their attacks.

Moon's wings folded back and glowed. "Angel Wing!"

Tuxedo raised his right arm and fired. "Earthly Orb!"

Mercury released the icy liquid energy, "Shine Aqua Illusion!"

Fire rings shot from Mars. "Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"

Jupiter released a mass of lightning bolts. "Supreme Thunder Crash!"

"Golden Revolution!" Venus's body turned to energy and she spun about quickly, collecting the Mud Men around her and destroying them in one large bright blast leaving her kneeling unharmed.

Pluto threw the attack from her staff, "Deadly Scream!"

"Silence Scythe Surprise!" The orb exploded from beneath them, taking the Youma out with one blow.

Neptune played her instrument of destruction. "Submarine Violin Tide!"

Uranus threw her hands forward the wind energy ripping through their ranks. "Space Turbulence!"

With every demon destroyed Moon stood triumphant and waved to the kids. She gasped as she suddenly remembered, "oh no I have to get to school!"

*Serena narrates as she runs to school* I'm glad I understand more about who I am now. But for now I'm happy being an ordinary girl whenever I can.

*Scene fades out on a flower with a pretty little butterfly on it. It flies off*

Notes:

This episode has a very different format and length compared to the others because it's main purpose was to have the sailors learn about who they are. I made extensive use of the Sailor Moon manga for this episode as it often goes into far more detail on certain aspects of the sailors then the anime does.