Little Lost Rabbit
By Ikuko
Chapter 7. Safety protocol for the Apocalypse.
Rated PG. No nudity, violence or foul language. Sorry. Some mature topics, but not much.
Disclaimer: insert your favorite disclaimer here. No use suing me, I ain't have no money.
Apology to the readers. Sorry it took me so long. But now, after many years in the coma, this story came back to life. My consciousness and persistent readers kept nagging, and lo and behold, the next chapter. I solemnly swear to post the last one soon, not the next week, but may be the one after that.
As long as I am at this, I would like to issue a plea - a desperate plea - to anyone who is comfortable enough with English language and generous enough to be my beta-reader. I need your help very much! As it is, the story was NOT subjected to the numerous benefits of the beta-reading. Read on your own risk.
Ikuko
And the wrath descended on
the face of the earth
Hotaru's narrative.
I woke that day with sore limbs, crick in my neck and sense of complete unreality. The morning was frosty outside and chilly and dump inside, and the slightest noises of the waking city seemed unnecessary loud and intruding. But the coolness was no different from any other chill of an early winter morning and nothing indicated that the last dregs of warmth were dissipating in the entire universe, and no more will be coming with the rise of the quickly deteriorating Sun.
The mood in the temple was low and uneasy. Usagi - no, the princess - was supposed to arrive any time now. The last two days not one of us cared to remember. After the tournament and terrifying energy drain that was required to return Usagi to Serenity's body we felt barely able to move.
We needed much more than one day rest that we had before the next ordeal we
were facing. But yesterday was all we could afford for regaining our strength. We spent most of the day in two groups, Outers with the Prince, Inners with the princess, making sure that they will not come close to each
other before the time.
The Time! We spent every waking moment preparing, but avoided mentioning it. Perhaps it was the end of everything we knew. But maybe, just maybe, if we will give it our best and Serenity would pull another miracle we will be able to save some shreds of this world.
Yesterday we got together at Tsukino's place for the dinner, possibly our last one. The "Get together" did not include me at first, girls charged me to distract Shingo as long as it will take to Papa Tsukino to come to terms with the news. We had to tell him all the truth, and he had the right to know. But he did not have to deal with ecstatic boy at the same time.
I was glad for the assignment. As kind and accepting Usagi's parents have been, I never felt very comfortable around them and always used any excuse to fade away. Would not you after you tried to kill their only daughter? Well,
yes, I was not quite myself then. But it did not stop Usagi from laying her
life down to save mine.
So I lead Shingo away, and kept him as long as I could. In fact, it was easier than I expected. There was a street basketball game going on despite
of the snowfall, and Shingo was obviously eager to join in. All I had to do
is too "aah" and "ooh" about how much I admired the game and the guys who play it, and he was shooting hoops with his friends. In five minutes he forgot that I even was there on the first place, so it was perfectly safe to return and join other senshi at the family party. Good thing too, it was freezing cold and getting worse by an hour. Who knew when there would be another chance for kids to play outside?
I arrived to Tsukino's home in time to witness Papa-Tsukino half shocked and half too awed by "celebrities" in his house. But he took it reasonably well, I think, and eventually even did his best to comfort all who needed it so badly.
Prince kept as far from Usagi as he could, and suffered it stoically. Usagi
was not yet adjusted to the complexity of her new memories, and her questionable position in her own family. But she put up her best face, and on the whole we got through the evening well enough, with only a little awkwardness now and then. We all so desperate to keep the appearance of normality, an illusion that the world was what it should have been. We pretended that the unseasonable cold and heavy snowdrifts fast growing on the streets were just a cold spell and not the end of the world - literally.
Snow was so bad that we had to teleport to the Temple for our last night in
the world as we know it. The Princess stayed with her Earth family, but the
rest of us gathered together in front of the sacred fire. Were we afraid? May be. Certainly we did not know what to expect. At least I was with those closest to me. My Mama and Papa were right here, tired and pale but as strong and supportive as ever. Inners, on the other hand... At one point Ami glanced at the phone and then exchanged a long look with Mina, but neither made a move toward it. I guess they never had time to tell the truth to their families, and now it was not the right moment. Let the parents sleep this last night peacefully. What comes tomorrow will come anyway, and no amount of heartbreak would make it any better.
I am not sure if any one of us have really slept. I was drifting off looking at the flames, and flames were filling my dreams, but were they real or not, I could never tell. The streets we cleared during the night and when the bleak and gray dawn came the first cars started to pull out to the Temple. People were pressing closer to the temporary structures, tired faces filled
with apprehension. What could we tell them? There were no promises to make,
no help to offer. Sure, we will do everything we can to keep them safe, but
there was no telling if it would be enough. If anything could be enough.
For now we could only wait.
Mars's communicator beeped briefly and we jerked toward it. It must be her.
Indeed, Luna's voice reported the arrival of the Tsukino's vehicle to the temple's vicinity. They had difficulties getting closer to the buildings because of the reporters that gathered around. They begun to come early in the morning, to catch a glimpse of multitudes of avatars gathered in and around hastily put-together temporary temple buildings.
First avatars began to arrive soon after humans. They did not bother coming through the gates, and simply popped up inside the main building, crowding it up so much that we had to ask them to move out or new arrivals would drop on top of those already inside. These guys were more annoying that all the paparazzi we encountered before put together.
After yesterday they had no problem finding our headquarters on the Earth. The light show we put up two days ago was visible from the other side of the Galaxy. It did not matter any more if everyone knew our location.
Most of them rushed directly here, competing for the turn to lick Prince's boots. He did scare hell out of them. The power display that he caused kept
spreading through the space in mighty shockwaves at the speed of light. They jarred the planets of the Solar System on its wake, and caused terrifying solar storms on the Sun.
But it was all nothing compare with the effect it had on the snooty Council. They made a complete about-face as soon as first force-readings - or rather
reports that all equipment was off the scale - arrived from the tournament.
All the idle talk about traditions and honor was forgotten. Without even trying, Endymyon had shown the heaviest fists, and therefore he was the boss in their books. It was painful to watch them grovel even for us, the ever- despised avatars of dead planets, presumably freeloading on the Earth.
And now they we blocking the path of the Princess without even knowing it.
All these little annoyances gave as some occupation, distracting from heavy
apprehension and gloom that settled among us overnight. Jupiter part coaxed
part bullied the human crowd into some semblance of order, and Uranus managed to do the same for Avatars.
Still, there was a problem of getting Usagi through the crowd. With everyone trying to push as close as possible to the temple grounds, Tsukino's family
vehicle was hopelessly stuck in the streets. Between Jupiter and the city police most of the mob was kept in the safe distance from the main temple building, but the inner-most circle consistent from most prominent reporters and politicians. A modest car had no chance of getting anywhere close to us.
Mina approached the problem by the most direct means. She went into the battle mode and issued two long "Love me Chains" from her wand. For a second I was afraid that she was going to actually attack the civilians. But the chains snaked through the crowd without harming anyone and pushed people aside just enough to form a passage for a car. It actually looked quite nice: a runway trimmed with shining gold chains, like a parade or something... Except that there was no glittering Rolls-Roys or kingly carriage moving between them, but a shabby Toyota with some years behind the belt and a lost hubcap, and packed with a very ordinary looking family with two kids. People followed it with some surprise, and more than one microphone was shoved into the face of harassed Mr. Tsukino when they finally approached the Temple.
No one paid much attention to the children that climbed out of the vehicle until some woman pointed at the two golden pigtails streaming from under Usagi's wool hat. Crowd became agitated. Senshi surrounded the Princess and
escorted her inside.
Her family, left on the steps of the temple, appeared lost among avatars. It seemed so wrong to me that I took it on myself to invite them in the small teahouse in the garden. Dear sweet Mrs. Tsukino was all gratitude toward the former unsuccessful murderer of her daughter (A.K.A. me) for this little bit of civility. Lord, have mercy on me, I will never be able to look her in the eye. I jumped on the first chance to escape I found. They did not question my flimsy excuse of "being needed elsewhere", bless their souls.
As it happened, I was needed - kind of. I did not expect the royal couple to depart for a few hours yet, but I did not count on the ceremonial part that, apparently, was to take place before
that. The first person I saw was Seiya, eyes wild and hair ruffled, who yelled at me that I was supposed to be at the main building, and that "everybody was waiting for me". That was not quite true. When I finally made my way through the crowd of every avatar in the Galaxy to the stairs of the
temple, girls seemed to forget all about my existence. They were trying very hard to form a respectable retinue for the Prince and Princess in the face of a formidable Speakers of Council. It did not work very well. Venus appeared
giggly, Mars surly, and Mercury about to faint from shyness. The to main figures, Usagi and Mamoru, looked OK though. The Prince was wearing his best dignified poker face, and Usagi... I've never seen anyone lovelier. She shed her bulky a-size-too-large plaid coat in favor of her white gown, and stood
there, unprotected against bitter wind, unwavering, eyes too wide to believe. She was pale but serene, and was listening to the Ambassadors with forced composure.
It took me a while to figure what was going on. Apparently, the council decided to mend its ways and apologize to the Prince and Princess, and while at it, to swear eternal allegiance to the Royal Couple. I will never understand the Galactic Law, but as far as I understood, since the Prince proved his innate power there was no objections whatsoever against his so- called moral shortcomings. Either that or they were scared mad from the news of the global energy collapse that Galaxia brought yesterday, and flocked like sheep to anyone who appeared to know what they are doing. In any case,
the avatars were horribly proper and polite, the speeches were long and flowery, and we had to listen to them with formal expressions on our faces to no end.
Mina nudged me in the ribs: "It's so frustrating that we have almost no memories of the Silver Millenium" she whispered anxiously. Now, I never expected this from Mina. I mean, do not take me wrong, but she is so scatterbrained, she has no memories of previous hour, and attention span of a three years old. "Why?" was all I could ask.
"I wish I remembered how in the world I could stand all this ceremony back then" she said without a trace of a smile. You oughtta love Mina.
Prince and princess were very magnanimous and forgiving, of course. Endymion dispensed a curt nod, Serenity smiled and curtsied, and assured everybody that the half a year of bullying and harassment was just a trifle misunderstanding and that she is glad that it is all over. No need to fuss about it. At this point Prince's polite smile became positively malicious, and Usagi swallowed the rest of the niceties. Endymion then added a few words that balanced diplomatically between acceptance and threat for the future.
The whole thing looked silly to me. The greater was my surprise when at the
end of the speeches and formal departure of relieved and forgiven avatars Pluto ushered us inside. She was grave and solemn, and all senshi, Inners and Outers, came grimly and silently to her side.
"Your Majesties" she began, "It is our turn now"
Endymion's face was impenetrable, and Serenity looked embarrassed.
"You have graciously forgiven trespasses and accepted the services of the Galactic Council. But there are guiltier ones to beg your forgiveness and to ask even greater favor. Before you leave us, we plea the mercy undeserved. Forgive thous who sworn to obey and protect, and fail you!"
Mars was the first to kneel in front of Serenity
"Mercy, Princess! I beg to be restored as your subject, and bear the justice of the Silver Millenium for my crimes, for I do not care for life if I can not be your senshi..."
I am not all clear on that story. I was to young at that time and had no idea that I will become a senshi at some point. In fact, I would never have believed it if told, so sickly and week I was at that time. But as Mamma and Papa had told me, though they did not witness it themselves, but gathered the information second-hand, this is how it goes. When the Princess first came to her inheritance, the inner senshi were not prepared to accept her as unchallenged leader and questioned her authority. I can easily believe that. They still do at every chance they get.
But the bottom line was that according to the Moon Kingdom Law, any disrespect from a subject to the Royal House is punishable by death. In the
absence of the Queen the Silver Crystal protected the dignity of the Princess. So when Rei, being Rei, slapped Usagi, or took away her sweets, or blown her a razzberry, or did something in that effect as she always does, the Crystal all geared up to execute an exemplary punishment.
Then Usagi, being Usagi, chose the stupidest possible, though noble, way to
save her best friend. She expulsed Rei from the ranks of her subjects, thus
effectively protecting her from the wrath of the law. Moreover, the silly girl had shown an unusual insight in the future trespassings of her friends
and included ALL senshi expulsion.
I guess the poor dear did not have much faith in her ability to inspire respect in her friends and defenders. Not that we deserved any better. I mean, even though I was not present at the time, what did I do first thing after I met Usagi? Betrayed and tried to kill her. Do not start that I was possessed at that time. I had enough time when I had full control over myself and could warn her. Did I do it? No sir. But her will and kindness still protected us, no matter how much we hurt her. So we ended up very proud, very powerful and completely useless, defenders of the princess without any right to call ourselves her subjects. I was not going to deceive myself on that matter any more.
I kneeled right aside of Mars.
"Mercy, Princess..." I had no time to continue.
"Mercy..." came from my right, then left, then right behind. Every one of us was kneeling in front of now frantic Usagi.
"Please, don't... Of cource I..." she began, but was stopped short when Mamoru put hid hand about her
"Dearest, this is not a diplomatic show we just put for the avatars. I hope
you know what you are doing" he whispered to her.
"Yes, my love. But I will not leave them behind. I need them more then ever; the Earth needs them. It was childish of me to disown my senshi, but we have all grown since." She smiled at us sunnily.
"Thank you. I accept your service." The Crystal was out, pulsing with power
"Rise, my senshi!"
I did not remember rising. I was floating in the light of power, reveling in the glorious feeling of belonging, of completeness, of being returned to something I desperately needed and was utterly divorced from. I was a senshi of the Moon Kingdom again!
The light died out, but the inner joy remained inside me. I was no longer afraid of the coming doom, I was facing it like a soldier should. My princess needed me and I will do my duty. She was actually smiling.
"Um, just in case..." she smirked mischievously. Mamoru gave her a suspicious glance, but she ignored him.
"I do not want you to act all stiff around me, and I have no intention of losing Mars because of her temper. Therefore, by the special order of the Moon Princess, Hino Rei, Mizuno Ami, Kino Makoto, Aino Minako
Meiou Setsuna, Ten'ou Haruka, Kaiou Michiru,and Tomoe Hotaru are granted a special status of Friends of the Crown and excluded from the compulsory ceremonial." She was a bit out of breath from the long speech.
"And, effective immediately, you are not to be executed on the spot for sticking your tong at me"
The Prince was not hundred percent happy with it, and added hastily:
"Instead, in the case of the gross public trespassing against the dignity of the Crown, you can be subjected to the Court Martial."
"Mamo-chan!" came an indignant squeal from Her Highness, but the rest of us
cheered happily.
"Dearest, you are the kindness incarnate, but I will not have any disrespect at the Court. The Laws are there for a reason."
"But they are my friends!"
"We are your subjects, and we are proud of it, your Highness. We will always be your friends, but we owe you respect you deserve... especially in public. It will not do to call Your Highness a "meatball head""
" But you will still do it in privet?"
"You can count on it, Your Highness" grinned Mars. She was happy and content now, that she had her princess back. "Let's not argue, we have a graver matters to attend to"
"Graver maters?" questioned Serenity. Only at that point I noticed how changed Serenity was. She did not look older, and was as playful as ever, but there was an aura of thousand years of wisdom behind her childish features.
Serenity had finally come into her inheritance. In the span of one night she accepted and mastered control over the full capacity of her combined mind.
"Much graver" frowned Galaxia. "This is the morn of your union. You know the dangers of that. The awesome power both of you command has the potential to
save or destroy the world. This danger should not be taken lightly. So far we managed to keep the two of you apart, but sooner or later this demon will be out of the bottle"
"Demon, you call it?" smiled Serenity. "Do not fear so. We will not let anything happen to the ones we love"
"You do not understand the power in you, Your Highness. When there is so mush, you have no control over it, and it will reign supreme, acting on its
own will. No matter how good your intentions are, every step you take will only cause death and destruction. Believe me! I know from my own experience. I tried to contain Chaos for the better of the world, and look what devastation I unleashed on it! The power corrupts, and the more power you have, the more corrupted you will be"
Endymion looked anxiously at his intended
"May be they are right. May be we do need to take precautions. This power inside me... It scares me sometimes"
"Oh, my love. After so many centuries, can you not just accept it? It is not the evil force of Chaos that you feel, and not the will of Metallia that commands your soul. It is you, trust yourself, and everything will be fine"
"But the concern for the world was the reason we separated on the first place, all this time ago"
"But that was when we were but children. Many things changed. For instance,
we became wiser. We grew since, and so did the world. We learned to love more than ourselves, and love each other more than ever"
"But Your Highness, how can this be" asked Mercury not taking her eyes from
the screen of her computer. "The reading show that the amount of energy that will be released will be as great as all the energy in the rest of the universe. If all if it will be released it in one point in space, all near- by galaxies will be consumed in explosion."
"Do you want us to go away?" asked Serenity laughingly, but Galaxia seemed to take the question seriously.
"No, you can not teleport with such energy." She said "Massive instantaneous energy transport will distort the fabric of the universe."
"Do not worry, Galaxia. Everything will be fine"
"Your Highness, it would be irresponsible to take such things lightly. Can you guarantee that everyone will survive?"
"No" admitted Princess with a painful expression on her face. "The changes will happen, and they will be great. I will not be able to look after every
being. The pure power of light will destroy all evil that it will touch. There are too many misguided ones, they will not understand. To gain protection, all must accept the light, and hold on the goodness of their hearts."
"Than we have our work cut for us. We must protect the Earth. At least we will try to save all living beings we can"
"All right" serenity smiled indulgently. "I do not see how much you can do,
but I will help you anyway. What do you want us to do first?"
Pluto stepped forward:
"My princess. I was waiting for this moment with great apprehension. We came to the time when the destiny of the world is decided. All that you saw or knew about the Future Kingdom is but a possibility, and a small one at that. The world might end within days from now. The powers beyond reckoning have come into play. You are at the full strength now. So is the Prince. Your union will bring about the collision of the forces that are more powerful than all the supernovas put together. It has the power to destroy the world"
Usagi nodded wearily.
"Yes, I remember this since..." she did not want to mention her traumatic re- union with her other self. "But what does Galaxia expect us to do?"
Galaxia came to stand by the side of Pluto
"Your Highness, I meant that the released power might be enough to re- kindle the dying Universe, and revive the freezing worlds. The two strongest of us
must contain and direct the power, while the rest will protect the people on the planets."
"The strongest?" asked Mars hotly, but Pluto motioned her to be silent.
"The chosen" she said. "we have to let the legacy of the Moon Kingdom decide. Prince, Princess, the choice is in your hands."
"All right, if you wish"
Usagi's smiled sadly when she called on her Crystal forward yet again. Mamoru had the sharp pyramid of the Golden Crystal already in his hands. The mixed
golden and pearly light surrounded both crystals for a moment, and than splintered in stubbing rays of yellow and white. The yellow one circled the
room once and rested on the magnificent figure of Galaxia, giving her red- and-gold coloring even greater radiance. No wonder! She was indeed the most
powerful being in the Universe after the Royal Couple. I looked at her in awe, squinting against the blinding white light from the Silver Crystal that was hitting me right in the eye. Only then I noticed that she, and many bothers, looked at me with the same weird expression. Lord! The white light
was so blinding because it zoomed on me! I was the second one chosen!
Now, there is a popular misunderstanding about me. It's a running joke between girls to call me the strongest senshi in the world. That's nonsense, of course. I am a senshi of death and destruction, and my power is so terrible that I hate it more than anything in the world. Yes, I may be able
to destroy even Serenity and Endymion, if it would come to a direct confrontation. It does not mean that I am the strongest. A deadly bacterium
may have a power to destroy a human being, it does not mean that it is stronger than a human is. A destroyer is not equal to a creator. I have always loved that tale about the princess that was to marry a man who would
perform the most amazing feat. In that tale artists and inventors competed until one masterpiece was admitted superior to all. Than some crude animal destroyed it and claimed to do the most amazing thing. You get my drift? The fame of Herostratus does not inspire me. He burnt the Temple of Artemis to immortalize his name above one of the temple builder. He got his wish, but he is still nothing compared to the genius architect of forgotten name. I do not want to be like him! There must be some mistake. I can not be the one chosen.
But the choice was not mine. For whatever reasons the Silver Crystal picked
me, the decision was not open for discussion. Pluto declared that the "Royal Maids of Honor" were selected to accompany the Prince and Princess, and there was no use complaining. However, the interesting question was where exactly
we were supposed to accompany the Royal Couple? Surely not to some pseudo- exotic honeymoon retreat? And how were we to protect then world? There was nothing about this in our basic senshi training.
"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" grumbled Galaxia. We smirked at each other, and I felt a bit better.
"Do you know what is expected from us?" I asked her in whisper.
"We escort the Princess and Prince to the Moon Moon Palace is the ancestral
seat of the Queen, and guard them."
"That's all? Do we need to hold the candle, too?"
She did not seem to take in the joke.
"Do not worry, there will be more than enough light. Pray we will be able to contain it. The palace is a sacred place of power, we have a chance there"
"Do we teleport to the Moon?"
"We can not. Not with them in the full power. It will short before we can do anything about it."
"Then how are we going to get there?"
"I can help you" came a new voice. Helios was standing there, and he was not alone. A tall red-headed fellow was towering over him, and a shy blond girl, not older then I, was standing by his side. All three had a strange sharp growth on the foreheads, similar to the golden horn that Helios used to sport before he returned the golden Crystal to Mamoru. Now his horn was shining white, just as the girl's, but the tall man's glowed with a dark blood red,
blending with the flaming color of his hair.
"Helios! You came!" cried the Prince.
"I promised you, my prince. I knew that Ladies would need a mode of transportation, so I invited my apprentices and friends to join me. Meet Nes, the giver of the prophetic dreams. And Leta, the guardian of the last sleep"
"How are they going to help us?" asked Galaxia.
"The prince does not need my help. But I already had the honor of carrying the Princess once, and I would be glad to do it again"
He tossed his head back, and in the spot he was standing a second ago there was a magnificent white unicorn. He was flanked from both sides by a giant
red and a slim silver unicorn. I did not even see them transform.
"What about the Prince?" asked Galaxia, caressing the golden mane of the red unicorn.
"The prince has his own ride" answered Helios. Indeed, as Endymion lifted his hand, there was a huge black stallion, like a lump of darkness, by his side.
We were all set to go. I could not take my eyes from the lilac-silvery colt, almost a foal, shy and graceful like a young deer. I've never seen anything
as lovely in my life. She looked way too young to be ridden. A weight of a doll will break her back.
"Its all right" said Helios, as if he had read my mind. "Leta is stronger than she looks. She volunteered to carry you, sensing an affinity of your forces.
I have never ridden a horse before, much less a winged unicorn. But I find it easier than I expected. Leta's small size was a blessing for me, short as I
am, and she was standing very still as I mounted.
From her back, I gave the last look to my friends, wondering if I will ever
see them again. They were saying good-byes to the Prince and Princess. In their full eternal senshi form they presented an impressive look, with white wings unfurled, and senshi wands out, planetary symbols lowing on the seals.
"My senshi" Serenity began in an steady voice. "as you wish, I charge you with the protection of everything and everyone we love on this planet. You will have the means to do so"
She held the chalice above the Silver Crystal, and the light bounced and broke in the facets of the stone of power, sending reflections of the sacred cup everywhere. And suddenly there was not one, but many cups. Seven smaller and simpler chalices floated around the Crystal, and into the hands of seven waiting senshi.
Another flash of light erupted in the hands of the Prince. He held his horn-
shaped Golden Crystal up, and it too splintered. Seven golden curved horns
zoomed to the senshi, who now had their hands quite full with magical artefacts, barely balancing the horns, the cups and the wands with glowing planetary seals.
"There is a chance that that what is coming will endanger lives on the Earth. But you must find everyone you can. Call of the trumpets will find the answer in all pure hearts. Do not let the harm to come to the earth or the sea or the trees until you sealed the pure ones upon their foreheads" There was an
answering flash of the planetary symbols. "and bring the cup of the cleansing and salvation to everyone who will accept it"
There was no more farewells, the Prince and Princess mounted silently and with one parting glance turned to move away. Galaxia heeled her unicorn, forcing it between Helios and Prince's steed, and I was the forth rider, bringing the back.
Forth rider! Something jagged my memory, something familiar and terrible. I
looked at the Princess in her white gown and diadem in the front of the little procession, and the words came to me:
'And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and the crown was given to the one who had conquered much and would conquer more.' And she was there, undefeatable in her courage and her love.
'And out came the other horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and that rider was given a great sword.' A grim-faced Galaxia, worn from the war she unleashed
on the Universe, and determined to make amends for the hurt and injustice she caused
'And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and the rider had a balance in his hand.' There was no balance to see, but my Prince was the corner stone and the only justice that still existed.
'And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider name was death, and hides follow her.' I do not see any hides, but the name is true, for both me and Leta... we can bring nothing but death and destruction, and lord knows how we will be able to put this miserable gift to use for our friends...
The distance between Moon and Earth is nothing when teleporting. This was my first time to travel there by crude physical means. The last wisps of the atmosphere left behind, unicorns stilled now useless wings and flew forward
with set unreality of a dream. The bloated Earth hung behind us in the blue
swirls of the cold vapor. I saw the sun catching the white wing - my friends, senshi were taking their places of the defenders, stretching the web of magic over the freezing planet. Seven small figures with huge white wings, racing
against the time to the points of power. The inner senshi took over the four corners of the Earth, protecting all life. Mercury, on the North, invoked her most potent power, the cool force of mind, to seek and protect all that could think. Mars conjured the fiery power of spirit from the south. Venus, from the East, summoned the power of the heart and spread the golden threads of love all over the Earth. On the West, mighty Jupiter called up the power of
the will to fight off the despair and weakness.
Inner senshi strained their joint power, to protect all the life. But the outer senshi had the task yet more difficult. To contain the power of the prince, the fabric of the Universe itself had to be protected. Pluto took her post at the gates of Time, to preserve the very flow of the existence. The stuff of Uranus was planted firmly in the earth, to hold together the matter of the universe. And Neptune was trembling in harmony with the song of the energy of the world, and her violin was commanding the dance of the stars.
They all were needed, they knew what they were to do. And yet I, so-called chosen one, was quivering with shame of a useless impostor. I hated being there. I understood that the choice was logical. We were supposed to be the
strongest senshi. And we were supposed to be the only ones who can directly
contain the field. We were to serve the Princess. And at the same time we -
all three of us, including the prince - were the three most dangerous enemies she ever had to fight. The knowledge that we were possessed by evil being at a time did not make much difference. If anything, it made it worse. Because
Usagi will never fight the ones she loves. She stood, vulnerable, not attempting to protect herself against Mistress nine. She gave me the holy Chalice willingly, she looked in my evil eyes, pleading, crying. And I nearly killed her.
She stood the same way against Galaxia, whose mind was in power of Chaos. I
saw her, a small naked child terrified in the face of death, but refusing to rise the sword in her own defense. She redeemed us all, and Galaxia too.
She killed herself again, rather than to fight her love who betrayed her. My loyalty is to the prince, always. But when I heard Luna's tale of the last battle with Metallia, my heart was torn in two. I love her, my sister, my queen. You redeemed us all, and have forgiven all who wronged you. Lord, give us strength to forgive ourselves.
The giant silvery ball of the Moon was hanging close. The black stallion and unicorns slowed their spectral flight and spiraled to descend on the roofs of the Moon Palace. They shivered impatiently until we dismounted, and then simply melted into the blackness of the sky. I did not even say good-bye to
my beautiful silvery unicorn... But then, I might see her again very shortly.
I do not know what I expected to happen there, but definitely not what I saw. We just stood on the roof, under the pale blue light of the Earth, when the
Prince moved toward the Princess. At the warning sign of Galaxia I took my position opposite to her, wand out, and summoned my power just in case.
How was this to be feared? I watched in wonder as two lovers gazed at each other with such longing and acceptance, parted for so long, and finally united, two beautiful beings and the love they shared.
Endymion reached the outstretched hand of Serenity with his own, and a blinding point of light erupted on the contact. It grew, drowning two conjoined figures in brilliance, enveloping them and finally there was only a pulsing sphere of light, growing, emitting a fearsome power. I heard Galaxia calling her power and throwing it against the expanding glowing orb, and sent my own to join in. The swelling slowed down a bit, but still went on and on. The outside of it smocked with glittering fog that whirled closer and closer. And the shining, seemingly solid core was expanding despite the frantic efforts Galaxia and I were throwing at it.
I was almost surrounded by the shimmering fog, and the lustrous tendrils were whispering to my soul, laughing, tantalizing, seducing to surrender. There was no resistance to my power, and the luminous haze expanded faster and faster, until it seemed to enfold the Moon and stretch toward the Earth. It was a strange feeling, being engulfed in all this shimmer. I heard voices, or were they thoughts? There was Galaxia, fighting furiously to contain the ever-growing shining sphere. There was the Moon itself, trembling in apprehension. And soon, as the fog reached the Earth, an indistinct murmur of thousands, then billions of voices joined in.
I felt fear, denial, regret in that hum. The ice was coming. Only the desperate efforts of senshi stood between the life and destruction. There was a sense of loss, and a sense of gain, because in these last moment people found loved ones much closer to them than ever before. It was so beautiful!
The glittering haze penetrated everywhere, saturating minds and uniting them in the ultimate chorus. There was no more secrets, and as much knowledge as
one's mind could embrace. Any question asked is answered within the shared consciousness. But the hum of the fog carried too much to distinguish every
thought, only the general mood can be caught by the human mind.
Was that moment of spiritual unity the last thing we have ever experienced?
For the terrible power of the yet-growing solid sphere we were trying to contain was throwing off everything we used against it. I could not let this beautiful music of united minds to extinguish forever, I had to do something. In desperation, I used my most powerful, forbidden attack, intending rather
to destroy entire world of the Moon with ourselves rather than let the harmony of minds and hears to die out. The push of the sphere stilled for a
moment, and I braced myself against coming death, mourning for my princess,
her love and youth... but nothing happened. The glowing ball shuddered, and
expanded again, faster then ever. The solid wall of light hit me square in the face, and pushed. I dug my heels in the ground, but my puny weight was nothing against it. I was torn off the roof, and carried on the surface of the sphere like a fly on a windshield of the car.
We have lost. The explosion consumes the world, swallowing all in merciless
flame. Fire hit the ice, the scream tearing through the shared mind. I felt it reach the very gates of time, and sweep Pluto off her post. The very time swirled and collapsed in itself. Galaxia was right after all. The world ended. How naïve we were! How silly it was to think that our combined strength would overpower the simple passion that the two shared! They were before us, they will be after. We all are just a pebble on their road, and accident of the creation. From now on they will take care that the creation
will go the right way, without accidents... We are done for...
And in the emptiness of none-existence, I heard the happy, content voice of
the Princess, singing a simple lullaby.
By Ikuko
Chapter 7. Safety protocol for the Apocalypse.
Rated PG. No nudity, violence or foul language. Sorry. Some mature topics, but not much.
Disclaimer: insert your favorite disclaimer here. No use suing me, I ain't have no money.
Apology to the readers. Sorry it took me so long. But now, after many years in the coma, this story came back to life. My consciousness and persistent readers kept nagging, and lo and behold, the next chapter. I solemnly swear to post the last one soon, not the next week, but may be the one after that.
As long as I am at this, I would like to issue a plea - a desperate plea - to anyone who is comfortable enough with English language and generous enough to be my beta-reader. I need your help very much! As it is, the story was NOT subjected to the numerous benefits of the beta-reading. Read on your own risk.
Ikuko
And the wrath descended on
the face of the earth
Hotaru's narrative.
I woke that day with sore limbs, crick in my neck and sense of complete unreality. The morning was frosty outside and chilly and dump inside, and the slightest noises of the waking city seemed unnecessary loud and intruding. But the coolness was no different from any other chill of an early winter morning and nothing indicated that the last dregs of warmth were dissipating in the entire universe, and no more will be coming with the rise of the quickly deteriorating Sun.
The mood in the temple was low and uneasy. Usagi - no, the princess - was supposed to arrive any time now. The last two days not one of us cared to remember. After the tournament and terrifying energy drain that was required to return Usagi to Serenity's body we felt barely able to move.
We needed much more than one day rest that we had before the next ordeal we
were facing. But yesterday was all we could afford for regaining our strength. We spent most of the day in two groups, Outers with the Prince, Inners with the princess, making sure that they will not come close to each
other before the time.
The Time! We spent every waking moment preparing, but avoided mentioning it. Perhaps it was the end of everything we knew. But maybe, just maybe, if we will give it our best and Serenity would pull another miracle we will be able to save some shreds of this world.
Yesterday we got together at Tsukino's place for the dinner, possibly our last one. The "Get together" did not include me at first, girls charged me to distract Shingo as long as it will take to Papa Tsukino to come to terms with the news. We had to tell him all the truth, and he had the right to know. But he did not have to deal with ecstatic boy at the same time.
I was glad for the assignment. As kind and accepting Usagi's parents have been, I never felt very comfortable around them and always used any excuse to fade away. Would not you after you tried to kill their only daughter? Well,
yes, I was not quite myself then. But it did not stop Usagi from laying her
life down to save mine.
So I lead Shingo away, and kept him as long as I could. In fact, it was easier than I expected. There was a street basketball game going on despite
of the snowfall, and Shingo was obviously eager to join in. All I had to do
is too "aah" and "ooh" about how much I admired the game and the guys who play it, and he was shooting hoops with his friends. In five minutes he forgot that I even was there on the first place, so it was perfectly safe to return and join other senshi at the family party. Good thing too, it was freezing cold and getting worse by an hour. Who knew when there would be another chance for kids to play outside?
I arrived to Tsukino's home in time to witness Papa-Tsukino half shocked and half too awed by "celebrities" in his house. But he took it reasonably well, I think, and eventually even did his best to comfort all who needed it so badly.
Prince kept as far from Usagi as he could, and suffered it stoically. Usagi
was not yet adjusted to the complexity of her new memories, and her questionable position in her own family. But she put up her best face, and on the whole we got through the evening well enough, with only a little awkwardness now and then. We all so desperate to keep the appearance of normality, an illusion that the world was what it should have been. We pretended that the unseasonable cold and heavy snowdrifts fast growing on the streets were just a cold spell and not the end of the world - literally.
Snow was so bad that we had to teleport to the Temple for our last night in
the world as we know it. The Princess stayed with her Earth family, but the
rest of us gathered together in front of the sacred fire. Were we afraid? May be. Certainly we did not know what to expect. At least I was with those closest to me. My Mama and Papa were right here, tired and pale but as strong and supportive as ever. Inners, on the other hand... At one point Ami glanced at the phone and then exchanged a long look with Mina, but neither made a move toward it. I guess they never had time to tell the truth to their families, and now it was not the right moment. Let the parents sleep this last night peacefully. What comes tomorrow will come anyway, and no amount of heartbreak would make it any better.
I am not sure if any one of us have really slept. I was drifting off looking at the flames, and flames were filling my dreams, but were they real or not, I could never tell. The streets we cleared during the night and when the bleak and gray dawn came the first cars started to pull out to the Temple. People were pressing closer to the temporary structures, tired faces filled
with apprehension. What could we tell them? There were no promises to make,
no help to offer. Sure, we will do everything we can to keep them safe, but
there was no telling if it would be enough. If anything could be enough.
For now we could only wait.
Mars's communicator beeped briefly and we jerked toward it. It must be her.
Indeed, Luna's voice reported the arrival of the Tsukino's vehicle to the temple's vicinity. They had difficulties getting closer to the buildings because of the reporters that gathered around. They begun to come early in the morning, to catch a glimpse of multitudes of avatars gathered in and around hastily put-together temporary temple buildings.
First avatars began to arrive soon after humans. They did not bother coming through the gates, and simply popped up inside the main building, crowding it up so much that we had to ask them to move out or new arrivals would drop on top of those already inside. These guys were more annoying that all the paparazzi we encountered before put together.
After yesterday they had no problem finding our headquarters on the Earth. The light show we put up two days ago was visible from the other side of the Galaxy. It did not matter any more if everyone knew our location.
Most of them rushed directly here, competing for the turn to lick Prince's boots. He did scare hell out of them. The power display that he caused kept
spreading through the space in mighty shockwaves at the speed of light. They jarred the planets of the Solar System on its wake, and caused terrifying solar storms on the Sun.
But it was all nothing compare with the effect it had on the snooty Council. They made a complete about-face as soon as first force-readings - or rather
reports that all equipment was off the scale - arrived from the tournament.
All the idle talk about traditions and honor was forgotten. Without even trying, Endymyon had shown the heaviest fists, and therefore he was the boss in their books. It was painful to watch them grovel even for us, the ever- despised avatars of dead planets, presumably freeloading on the Earth.
And now they we blocking the path of the Princess without even knowing it.
All these little annoyances gave as some occupation, distracting from heavy
apprehension and gloom that settled among us overnight. Jupiter part coaxed
part bullied the human crowd into some semblance of order, and Uranus managed to do the same for Avatars.
Still, there was a problem of getting Usagi through the crowd. With everyone trying to push as close as possible to the temple grounds, Tsukino's family
vehicle was hopelessly stuck in the streets. Between Jupiter and the city police most of the mob was kept in the safe distance from the main temple building, but the inner-most circle consistent from most prominent reporters and politicians. A modest car had no chance of getting anywhere close to us.
Mina approached the problem by the most direct means. She went into the battle mode and issued two long "Love me Chains" from her wand. For a second I was afraid that she was going to actually attack the civilians. But the chains snaked through the crowd without harming anyone and pushed people aside just enough to form a passage for a car. It actually looked quite nice: a runway trimmed with shining gold chains, like a parade or something... Except that there was no glittering Rolls-Roys or kingly carriage moving between them, but a shabby Toyota with some years behind the belt and a lost hubcap, and packed with a very ordinary looking family with two kids. People followed it with some surprise, and more than one microphone was shoved into the face of harassed Mr. Tsukino when they finally approached the Temple.
No one paid much attention to the children that climbed out of the vehicle until some woman pointed at the two golden pigtails streaming from under Usagi's wool hat. Crowd became agitated. Senshi surrounded the Princess and
escorted her inside.
Her family, left on the steps of the temple, appeared lost among avatars. It seemed so wrong to me that I took it on myself to invite them in the small teahouse in the garden. Dear sweet Mrs. Tsukino was all gratitude toward the former unsuccessful murderer of her daughter (A.K.A. me) for this little bit of civility. Lord, have mercy on me, I will never be able to look her in the eye. I jumped on the first chance to escape I found. They did not question my flimsy excuse of "being needed elsewhere", bless their souls.
As it happened, I was needed - kind of. I did not expect the royal couple to depart for a few hours yet, but I did not count on the ceremonial part that, apparently, was to take place before
that. The first person I saw was Seiya, eyes wild and hair ruffled, who yelled at me that I was supposed to be at the main building, and that "everybody was waiting for me". That was not quite true. When I finally made my way through the crowd of every avatar in the Galaxy to the stairs of the
temple, girls seemed to forget all about my existence. They were trying very hard to form a respectable retinue for the Prince and Princess in the face of a formidable Speakers of Council. It did not work very well. Venus appeared
giggly, Mars surly, and Mercury about to faint from shyness. The to main figures, Usagi and Mamoru, looked OK though. The Prince was wearing his best dignified poker face, and Usagi... I've never seen anyone lovelier. She shed her bulky a-size-too-large plaid coat in favor of her white gown, and stood
there, unprotected against bitter wind, unwavering, eyes too wide to believe. She was pale but serene, and was listening to the Ambassadors with forced composure.
It took me a while to figure what was going on. Apparently, the council decided to mend its ways and apologize to the Prince and Princess, and while at it, to swear eternal allegiance to the Royal Couple. I will never understand the Galactic Law, but as far as I understood, since the Prince proved his innate power there was no objections whatsoever against his so- called moral shortcomings. Either that or they were scared mad from the news of the global energy collapse that Galaxia brought yesterday, and flocked like sheep to anyone who appeared to know what they are doing. In any case,
the avatars were horribly proper and polite, the speeches were long and flowery, and we had to listen to them with formal expressions on our faces to no end.
Mina nudged me in the ribs: "It's so frustrating that we have almost no memories of the Silver Millenium" she whispered anxiously. Now, I never expected this from Mina. I mean, do not take me wrong, but she is so scatterbrained, she has no memories of previous hour, and attention span of a three years old. "Why?" was all I could ask.
"I wish I remembered how in the world I could stand all this ceremony back then" she said without a trace of a smile. You oughtta love Mina.
Prince and princess were very magnanimous and forgiving, of course. Endymion dispensed a curt nod, Serenity smiled and curtsied, and assured everybody that the half a year of bullying and harassment was just a trifle misunderstanding and that she is glad that it is all over. No need to fuss about it. At this point Prince's polite smile became positively malicious, and Usagi swallowed the rest of the niceties. Endymion then added a few words that balanced diplomatically between acceptance and threat for the future.
The whole thing looked silly to me. The greater was my surprise when at the
end of the speeches and formal departure of relieved and forgiven avatars Pluto ushered us inside. She was grave and solemn, and all senshi, Inners and Outers, came grimly and silently to her side.
"Your Majesties" she began, "It is our turn now"
Endymion's face was impenetrable, and Serenity looked embarrassed.
"You have graciously forgiven trespasses and accepted the services of the Galactic Council. But there are guiltier ones to beg your forgiveness and to ask even greater favor. Before you leave us, we plea the mercy undeserved. Forgive thous who sworn to obey and protect, and fail you!"
Mars was the first to kneel in front of Serenity
"Mercy, Princess! I beg to be restored as your subject, and bear the justice of the Silver Millenium for my crimes, for I do not care for life if I can not be your senshi..."
I am not all clear on that story. I was to young at that time and had no idea that I will become a senshi at some point. In fact, I would never have believed it if told, so sickly and week I was at that time. But as Mamma and Papa had told me, though they did not witness it themselves, but gathered the information second-hand, this is how it goes. When the Princess first came to her inheritance, the inner senshi were not prepared to accept her as unchallenged leader and questioned her authority. I can easily believe that. They still do at every chance they get.
But the bottom line was that according to the Moon Kingdom Law, any disrespect from a subject to the Royal House is punishable by death. In the
absence of the Queen the Silver Crystal protected the dignity of the Princess. So when Rei, being Rei, slapped Usagi, or took away her sweets, or blown her a razzberry, or did something in that effect as she always does, the Crystal all geared up to execute an exemplary punishment.
Then Usagi, being Usagi, chose the stupidest possible, though noble, way to
save her best friend. She expulsed Rei from the ranks of her subjects, thus
effectively protecting her from the wrath of the law. Moreover, the silly girl had shown an unusual insight in the future trespassings of her friends
and included ALL senshi expulsion.
I guess the poor dear did not have much faith in her ability to inspire respect in her friends and defenders. Not that we deserved any better. I mean, even though I was not present at the time, what did I do first thing after I met Usagi? Betrayed and tried to kill her. Do not start that I was possessed at that time. I had enough time when I had full control over myself and could warn her. Did I do it? No sir. But her will and kindness still protected us, no matter how much we hurt her. So we ended up very proud, very powerful and completely useless, defenders of the princess without any right to call ourselves her subjects. I was not going to deceive myself on that matter any more.
I kneeled right aside of Mars.
"Mercy, Princess..." I had no time to continue.
"Mercy..." came from my right, then left, then right behind. Every one of us was kneeling in front of now frantic Usagi.
"Please, don't... Of cource I..." she began, but was stopped short when Mamoru put hid hand about her
"Dearest, this is not a diplomatic show we just put for the avatars. I hope
you know what you are doing" he whispered to her.
"Yes, my love. But I will not leave them behind. I need them more then ever; the Earth needs them. It was childish of me to disown my senshi, but we have all grown since." She smiled at us sunnily.
"Thank you. I accept your service." The Crystal was out, pulsing with power
"Rise, my senshi!"
I did not remember rising. I was floating in the light of power, reveling in the glorious feeling of belonging, of completeness, of being returned to something I desperately needed and was utterly divorced from. I was a senshi of the Moon Kingdom again!
The light died out, but the inner joy remained inside me. I was no longer afraid of the coming doom, I was facing it like a soldier should. My princess needed me and I will do my duty. She was actually smiling.
"Um, just in case..." she smirked mischievously. Mamoru gave her a suspicious glance, but she ignored him.
"I do not want you to act all stiff around me, and I have no intention of losing Mars because of her temper. Therefore, by the special order of the Moon Princess, Hino Rei, Mizuno Ami, Kino Makoto, Aino Minako
Meiou Setsuna, Ten'ou Haruka, Kaiou Michiru,and Tomoe Hotaru are granted a special status of Friends of the Crown and excluded from the compulsory ceremonial." She was a bit out of breath from the long speech.
"And, effective immediately, you are not to be executed on the spot for sticking your tong at me"
The Prince was not hundred percent happy with it, and added hastily:
"Instead, in the case of the gross public trespassing against the dignity of the Crown, you can be subjected to the Court Martial."
"Mamo-chan!" came an indignant squeal from Her Highness, but the rest of us
cheered happily.
"Dearest, you are the kindness incarnate, but I will not have any disrespect at the Court. The Laws are there for a reason."
"But they are my friends!"
"We are your subjects, and we are proud of it, your Highness. We will always be your friends, but we owe you respect you deserve... especially in public. It will not do to call Your Highness a "meatball head""
" But you will still do it in privet?"
"You can count on it, Your Highness" grinned Mars. She was happy and content now, that she had her princess back. "Let's not argue, we have a graver matters to attend to"
"Graver maters?" questioned Serenity. Only at that point I noticed how changed Serenity was. She did not look older, and was as playful as ever, but there was an aura of thousand years of wisdom behind her childish features.
Serenity had finally come into her inheritance. In the span of one night she accepted and mastered control over the full capacity of her combined mind.
"Much graver" frowned Galaxia. "This is the morn of your union. You know the dangers of that. The awesome power both of you command has the potential to
save or destroy the world. This danger should not be taken lightly. So far we managed to keep the two of you apart, but sooner or later this demon will be out of the bottle"
"Demon, you call it?" smiled Serenity. "Do not fear so. We will not let anything happen to the ones we love"
"You do not understand the power in you, Your Highness. When there is so mush, you have no control over it, and it will reign supreme, acting on its
own will. No matter how good your intentions are, every step you take will only cause death and destruction. Believe me! I know from my own experience. I tried to contain Chaos for the better of the world, and look what devastation I unleashed on it! The power corrupts, and the more power you have, the more corrupted you will be"
Endymion looked anxiously at his intended
"May be they are right. May be we do need to take precautions. This power inside me... It scares me sometimes"
"Oh, my love. After so many centuries, can you not just accept it? It is not the evil force of Chaos that you feel, and not the will of Metallia that commands your soul. It is you, trust yourself, and everything will be fine"
"But the concern for the world was the reason we separated on the first place, all this time ago"
"But that was when we were but children. Many things changed. For instance,
we became wiser. We grew since, and so did the world. We learned to love more than ourselves, and love each other more than ever"
"But Your Highness, how can this be" asked Mercury not taking her eyes from
the screen of her computer. "The reading show that the amount of energy that will be released will be as great as all the energy in the rest of the universe. If all if it will be released it in one point in space, all near- by galaxies will be consumed in explosion."
"Do you want us to go away?" asked Serenity laughingly, but Galaxia seemed to take the question seriously.
"No, you can not teleport with such energy." She said "Massive instantaneous energy transport will distort the fabric of the universe."
"Do not worry, Galaxia. Everything will be fine"
"Your Highness, it would be irresponsible to take such things lightly. Can you guarantee that everyone will survive?"
"No" admitted Princess with a painful expression on her face. "The changes will happen, and they will be great. I will not be able to look after every
being. The pure power of light will destroy all evil that it will touch. There are too many misguided ones, they will not understand. To gain protection, all must accept the light, and hold on the goodness of their hearts."
"Than we have our work cut for us. We must protect the Earth. At least we will try to save all living beings we can"
"All right" serenity smiled indulgently. "I do not see how much you can do,
but I will help you anyway. What do you want us to do first?"
Pluto stepped forward:
"My princess. I was waiting for this moment with great apprehension. We came to the time when the destiny of the world is decided. All that you saw or knew about the Future Kingdom is but a possibility, and a small one at that. The world might end within days from now. The powers beyond reckoning have come into play. You are at the full strength now. So is the Prince. Your union will bring about the collision of the forces that are more powerful than all the supernovas put together. It has the power to destroy the world"
Usagi nodded wearily.
"Yes, I remember this since..." she did not want to mention her traumatic re- union with her other self. "But what does Galaxia expect us to do?"
Galaxia came to stand by the side of Pluto
"Your Highness, I meant that the released power might be enough to re- kindle the dying Universe, and revive the freezing worlds. The two strongest of us
must contain and direct the power, while the rest will protect the people on the planets."
"The strongest?" asked Mars hotly, but Pluto motioned her to be silent.
"The chosen" she said. "we have to let the legacy of the Moon Kingdom decide. Prince, Princess, the choice is in your hands."
"All right, if you wish"
Usagi's smiled sadly when she called on her Crystal forward yet again. Mamoru had the sharp pyramid of the Golden Crystal already in his hands. The mixed
golden and pearly light surrounded both crystals for a moment, and than splintered in stubbing rays of yellow and white. The yellow one circled the
room once and rested on the magnificent figure of Galaxia, giving her red- and-gold coloring even greater radiance. No wonder! She was indeed the most
powerful being in the Universe after the Royal Couple. I looked at her in awe, squinting against the blinding white light from the Silver Crystal that was hitting me right in the eye. Only then I noticed that she, and many bothers, looked at me with the same weird expression. Lord! The white light
was so blinding because it zoomed on me! I was the second one chosen!
Now, there is a popular misunderstanding about me. It's a running joke between girls to call me the strongest senshi in the world. That's nonsense, of course. I am a senshi of death and destruction, and my power is so terrible that I hate it more than anything in the world. Yes, I may be able
to destroy even Serenity and Endymion, if it would come to a direct confrontation. It does not mean that I am the strongest. A deadly bacterium
may have a power to destroy a human being, it does not mean that it is stronger than a human is. A destroyer is not equal to a creator. I have always loved that tale about the princess that was to marry a man who would
perform the most amazing feat. In that tale artists and inventors competed until one masterpiece was admitted superior to all. Than some crude animal destroyed it and claimed to do the most amazing thing. You get my drift? The fame of Herostratus does not inspire me. He burnt the Temple of Artemis to immortalize his name above one of the temple builder. He got his wish, but he is still nothing compared to the genius architect of forgotten name. I do not want to be like him! There must be some mistake. I can not be the one chosen.
But the choice was not mine. For whatever reasons the Silver Crystal picked
me, the decision was not open for discussion. Pluto declared that the "Royal Maids of Honor" were selected to accompany the Prince and Princess, and there was no use complaining. However, the interesting question was where exactly
we were supposed to accompany the Royal Couple? Surely not to some pseudo- exotic honeymoon retreat? And how were we to protect then world? There was nothing about this in our basic senshi training.
"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" grumbled Galaxia. We smirked at each other, and I felt a bit better.
"Do you know what is expected from us?" I asked her in whisper.
"We escort the Princess and Prince to the Moon Moon Palace is the ancestral
seat of the Queen, and guard them."
"That's all? Do we need to hold the candle, too?"
She did not seem to take in the joke.
"Do not worry, there will be more than enough light. Pray we will be able to contain it. The palace is a sacred place of power, we have a chance there"
"Do we teleport to the Moon?"
"We can not. Not with them in the full power. It will short before we can do anything about it."
"Then how are we going to get there?"
"I can help you" came a new voice. Helios was standing there, and he was not alone. A tall red-headed fellow was towering over him, and a shy blond girl, not older then I, was standing by his side. All three had a strange sharp growth on the foreheads, similar to the golden horn that Helios used to sport before he returned the golden Crystal to Mamoru. Now his horn was shining white, just as the girl's, but the tall man's glowed with a dark blood red,
blending with the flaming color of his hair.
"Helios! You came!" cried the Prince.
"I promised you, my prince. I knew that Ladies would need a mode of transportation, so I invited my apprentices and friends to join me. Meet Nes, the giver of the prophetic dreams. And Leta, the guardian of the last sleep"
"How are they going to help us?" asked Galaxia.
"The prince does not need my help. But I already had the honor of carrying the Princess once, and I would be glad to do it again"
He tossed his head back, and in the spot he was standing a second ago there was a magnificent white unicorn. He was flanked from both sides by a giant
red and a slim silver unicorn. I did not even see them transform.
"What about the Prince?" asked Galaxia, caressing the golden mane of the red unicorn.
"The prince has his own ride" answered Helios. Indeed, as Endymion lifted his hand, there was a huge black stallion, like a lump of darkness, by his side.
We were all set to go. I could not take my eyes from the lilac-silvery colt, almost a foal, shy and graceful like a young deer. I've never seen anything
as lovely in my life. She looked way too young to be ridden. A weight of a doll will break her back.
"Its all right" said Helios, as if he had read my mind. "Leta is stronger than she looks. She volunteered to carry you, sensing an affinity of your forces.
I have never ridden a horse before, much less a winged unicorn. But I find it easier than I expected. Leta's small size was a blessing for me, short as I
am, and she was standing very still as I mounted.
From her back, I gave the last look to my friends, wondering if I will ever
see them again. They were saying good-byes to the Prince and Princess. In their full eternal senshi form they presented an impressive look, with white wings unfurled, and senshi wands out, planetary symbols lowing on the seals.
"My senshi" Serenity began in an steady voice. "as you wish, I charge you with the protection of everything and everyone we love on this planet. You will have the means to do so"
She held the chalice above the Silver Crystal, and the light bounced and broke in the facets of the stone of power, sending reflections of the sacred cup everywhere. And suddenly there was not one, but many cups. Seven smaller and simpler chalices floated around the Crystal, and into the hands of seven waiting senshi.
Another flash of light erupted in the hands of the Prince. He held his horn-
shaped Golden Crystal up, and it too splintered. Seven golden curved horns
zoomed to the senshi, who now had their hands quite full with magical artefacts, barely balancing the horns, the cups and the wands with glowing planetary seals.
"There is a chance that that what is coming will endanger lives on the Earth. But you must find everyone you can. Call of the trumpets will find the answer in all pure hearts. Do not let the harm to come to the earth or the sea or the trees until you sealed the pure ones upon their foreheads" There was an
answering flash of the planetary symbols. "and bring the cup of the cleansing and salvation to everyone who will accept it"
There was no more farewells, the Prince and Princess mounted silently and with one parting glance turned to move away. Galaxia heeled her unicorn, forcing it between Helios and Prince's steed, and I was the forth rider, bringing the back.
Forth rider! Something jagged my memory, something familiar and terrible. I
looked at the Princess in her white gown and diadem in the front of the little procession, and the words came to me:
'And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and the crown was given to the one who had conquered much and would conquer more.' And she was there, undefeatable in her courage and her love.
'And out came the other horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and that rider was given a great sword.' A grim-faced Galaxia, worn from the war she unleashed
on the Universe, and determined to make amends for the hurt and injustice she caused
'And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and the rider had a balance in his hand.' There was no balance to see, but my Prince was the corner stone and the only justice that still existed.
'And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider name was death, and hides follow her.' I do not see any hides, but the name is true, for both me and Leta... we can bring nothing but death and destruction, and lord knows how we will be able to put this miserable gift to use for our friends...
The distance between Moon and Earth is nothing when teleporting. This was my first time to travel there by crude physical means. The last wisps of the atmosphere left behind, unicorns stilled now useless wings and flew forward
with set unreality of a dream. The bloated Earth hung behind us in the blue
swirls of the cold vapor. I saw the sun catching the white wing - my friends, senshi were taking their places of the defenders, stretching the web of magic over the freezing planet. Seven small figures with huge white wings, racing
against the time to the points of power. The inner senshi took over the four corners of the Earth, protecting all life. Mercury, on the North, invoked her most potent power, the cool force of mind, to seek and protect all that could think. Mars conjured the fiery power of spirit from the south. Venus, from the East, summoned the power of the heart and spread the golden threads of love all over the Earth. On the West, mighty Jupiter called up the power of
the will to fight off the despair and weakness.
Inner senshi strained their joint power, to protect all the life. But the outer senshi had the task yet more difficult. To contain the power of the prince, the fabric of the Universe itself had to be protected. Pluto took her post at the gates of Time, to preserve the very flow of the existence. The stuff of Uranus was planted firmly in the earth, to hold together the matter of the universe. And Neptune was trembling in harmony with the song of the energy of the world, and her violin was commanding the dance of the stars.
They all were needed, they knew what they were to do. And yet I, so-called chosen one, was quivering with shame of a useless impostor. I hated being there. I understood that the choice was logical. We were supposed to be the
strongest senshi. And we were supposed to be the only ones who can directly
contain the field. We were to serve the Princess. And at the same time we -
all three of us, including the prince - were the three most dangerous enemies she ever had to fight. The knowledge that we were possessed by evil being at a time did not make much difference. If anything, it made it worse. Because
Usagi will never fight the ones she loves. She stood, vulnerable, not attempting to protect herself against Mistress nine. She gave me the holy Chalice willingly, she looked in my evil eyes, pleading, crying. And I nearly killed her.
She stood the same way against Galaxia, whose mind was in power of Chaos. I
saw her, a small naked child terrified in the face of death, but refusing to rise the sword in her own defense. She redeemed us all, and Galaxia too.
She killed herself again, rather than to fight her love who betrayed her. My loyalty is to the prince, always. But when I heard Luna's tale of the last battle with Metallia, my heart was torn in two. I love her, my sister, my queen. You redeemed us all, and have forgiven all who wronged you. Lord, give us strength to forgive ourselves.
The giant silvery ball of the Moon was hanging close. The black stallion and unicorns slowed their spectral flight and spiraled to descend on the roofs of the Moon Palace. They shivered impatiently until we dismounted, and then simply melted into the blackness of the sky. I did not even say good-bye to
my beautiful silvery unicorn... But then, I might see her again very shortly.
I do not know what I expected to happen there, but definitely not what I saw. We just stood on the roof, under the pale blue light of the Earth, when the
Prince moved toward the Princess. At the warning sign of Galaxia I took my position opposite to her, wand out, and summoned my power just in case.
How was this to be feared? I watched in wonder as two lovers gazed at each other with such longing and acceptance, parted for so long, and finally united, two beautiful beings and the love they shared.
Endymion reached the outstretched hand of Serenity with his own, and a blinding point of light erupted on the contact. It grew, drowning two conjoined figures in brilliance, enveloping them and finally there was only a pulsing sphere of light, growing, emitting a fearsome power. I heard Galaxia calling her power and throwing it against the expanding glowing orb, and sent my own to join in. The swelling slowed down a bit, but still went on and on. The outside of it smocked with glittering fog that whirled closer and closer. And the shining, seemingly solid core was expanding despite the frantic efforts Galaxia and I were throwing at it.
I was almost surrounded by the shimmering fog, and the lustrous tendrils were whispering to my soul, laughing, tantalizing, seducing to surrender. There was no resistance to my power, and the luminous haze expanded faster and faster, until it seemed to enfold the Moon and stretch toward the Earth. It was a strange feeling, being engulfed in all this shimmer. I heard voices, or were they thoughts? There was Galaxia, fighting furiously to contain the ever-growing shining sphere. There was the Moon itself, trembling in apprehension. And soon, as the fog reached the Earth, an indistinct murmur of thousands, then billions of voices joined in.
I felt fear, denial, regret in that hum. The ice was coming. Only the desperate efforts of senshi stood between the life and destruction. There was a sense of loss, and a sense of gain, because in these last moment people found loved ones much closer to them than ever before. It was so beautiful!
The glittering haze penetrated everywhere, saturating minds and uniting them in the ultimate chorus. There was no more secrets, and as much knowledge as
one's mind could embrace. Any question asked is answered within the shared consciousness. But the hum of the fog carried too much to distinguish every
thought, only the general mood can be caught by the human mind.
Was that moment of spiritual unity the last thing we have ever experienced?
For the terrible power of the yet-growing solid sphere we were trying to contain was throwing off everything we used against it. I could not let this beautiful music of united minds to extinguish forever, I had to do something. In desperation, I used my most powerful, forbidden attack, intending rather
to destroy entire world of the Moon with ourselves rather than let the harmony of minds and hears to die out. The push of the sphere stilled for a
moment, and I braced myself against coming death, mourning for my princess,
her love and youth... but nothing happened. The glowing ball shuddered, and
expanded again, faster then ever. The solid wall of light hit me square in the face, and pushed. I dug my heels in the ground, but my puny weight was nothing against it. I was torn off the roof, and carried on the surface of the sphere like a fly on a windshield of the car.
We have lost. The explosion consumes the world, swallowing all in merciless
flame. Fire hit the ice, the scream tearing through the shared mind. I felt it reach the very gates of time, and sweep Pluto off her post. The very time swirled and collapsed in itself. Galaxia was right after all. The world ended. How naïve we were! How silly it was to think that our combined strength would overpower the simple passion that the two shared! They were before us, they will be after. We all are just a pebble on their road, and accident of the creation. From now on they will take care that the creation
will go the right way, without accidents... We are done for...
And in the emptiness of none-existence, I heard the happy, content voice of
the Princess, singing a simple lullaby.