Author Notes: Whew…after the emotional wreckage that was the aftermath of The Past returns – that's the previous story that Angelic Moonlight and I co-write by the by – I thought that I'd try something a little different. So here we have the revelation of Sailor Universe's past, the tale of the series of events that drove her to become what she became...enjoy!!
Disclaimer: Okay best to get all of the obligatory stuff outta the way first so let me just tell ya'll that I do NOT own Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. Okay now that we've established that let me proudly say that I DO own Sailor Universe/Merula as well as Fargo who lends his name though not his presence to this story as well as a few other new characters who appear here. Sailor Charon/Alexia, her guardian cat Estrella, the Royal Charonian family as well as the Lyanore all belong to Angelic Moonlight who gave me the thumbs-up on using them here…
Not a Tame Princess
Prologue – Someone else's memories…
The late December night was cold and was made even more so by the thick snow flowing all around.
The only source of light came from the street lamps that twinkled a little way off in the distance inside the city. Apart from those the darkness of midnight was almost impenetrable and the cold was bitter as the snow came down like thousands of tiny knives of ice slicing into the skin of any who may have been out that night.
For hours the only sound for miles around outside Tokyo was the howl of the wind that had the snow dancing in its powerful thrall but now the haunting quiet was shattered.
In the distance a low steady rumbling approached the road side growing louder and deeper as it got nearer...it was the sound of an engine.
The darkness of snowbound night was disrupted by a fierce light as a motorcycle swerved around a bend in the deserted road. A dark red Harley Davison roared up and swerved to a halt at the side of the road which overlooked the city in the near distance.
The rider dismounted the machine and killed the lights. The figure that had just come to a stop in the middle of this deserted road was not remarkably tall but lithe and swayed its hips gracefully as it walked to the edge of the road.
It wore a black crash helmet with a dark visor and now reached up and pulled it from its head. The face of a girl in her teens was revealed as she held the helmet in her gloved hands, her dark electric purple hair tumbling down around her waist now that it was free once more from its confinement. Her eyes shone a curious dark brown as they reflected the sparkling frost on the metal of the railings beside the road.
The girl who had arrived on the motorcycle wore black leather and even though it was snowing she did not seem to realise how freezing the air all around her was. As she stared across the distance at the city she had come from there was an odd look in her eyes. As she gazed at the many dots of light all clustered together in the city there were no words to describe how Merula AKA Sailor Universe, rogue and outsider of both the inner and outer Sailor Scouts felt as she gazed once more upon the city that had become her home here on Earth.
Actually she hardly knew for sure herself what she felt. Months ago Merula had left the city after she had helped the Sailor Scouts in their efforts to vanquish the all-powerful Entity. Her own life had been at risk and so she had been compelled to work with those who despised her in order to survive.
Or did they despise her?
Merula hardly knew anymore…she had once believed that she'd understood everything that was going on in her life but now...
That had been a few months ago and Merula had not seen any of the Scouts since her fight with Sailor Charon at the bell tower and the final struggle with the Entity which had been hard-won. Now as she stood alone in the night regardless of the cold and the snow resting in her hair Merula stared hard at the distant city, her thoughts elsewhere.
Part of her wanted to howl to the skies "I'm back! I'm here forever and nothing is ever going to take me away again!"
Instead she simply shook her head in disgust…she had no life here. All that she now lived for was to fight her fellow Scouts until the day when either she proved herself superior to them or they finally defeated her…and then what would she do after that was done?
In her deep contemplation Merula began to think about her life in its every moment right up to this very
minute. She had had many names in her life but none of them had truly been hers...in that way she was like Fargo.
Merula had never been given a true name.
It all seemed like it had happened a few days ago and yet she knew that she had been born into this world countless centuries ago - planets had been born and eventually died between the day of her birth and this very moment.
It was all so clear to her and yet the memories of those lost years seemed so alien to her.
Serena…
The passing thought of the blonde-haired goofball leader of the Sailor Scouts brought a bemused and ironic grin to her face – Merula knew that even though their hearts and spirits had stayed as they'd always been all of the girls had gone through various changes since their 'rebirth' but it was Serena who made her reel. She just couldn't believe that the Moon Princess, the graceful and charming daughter of the Queen of the Moon Kingdom had become such an air-headed ditz but she knew well that even though she seemed incredibly different these days she was the incredibly passionate and pure-hearted girl that she'd known back in those far-off days…she was the love that bound her friends together as an eternally unbreakable group.
Serena was a true Princess.
Rei…
Merula's smile became less amused and more thoughtful as she considered the raven-haired psychic – she'd never really been close to Mars but she knew simply by looking at her face whenever she was among her friends that now Rei was much more human and more radiant than when she was alone. With them she could be herself not the local 'weirdo' psychic…apart from being a super-heroine that was.
Rei was the spirit of her friends…not an island alone unto herself.
LITA…
Merula was only vaguely surprised when she realized that unlike her expectations the thought of the hot-headed and headstrong girl she'd once known didn't have the effect of getting her blood boiling…because she knew that Lita had changed since those days and now instead of reckless bravado she had found honour and dignity – the girl who had used her strength against those who didn't understand and thought she was a nasty piece of work now used that strength to protect innocent people and her friends whenever danger threatened them.
Lita gave her friends the strength whenever they thought that they could not carry on…
Mina…
Now that girl had changed a heck of a lot but at heart she'd stayed the same – just as she'd always been she was pure loyalty to her friends and the gushing, overly enthusiastic girl Merula remembered was now a warrior with a spirit as pure as snow…even though she was still the most talkative and boy-crazy member of the group.
Mina was the essence of courage and her presence kept the spirits of her friends from fading even when things were bad…
Alexia…
Merula's eyes were distant as she thought of her – out of all the girls it was she who kept the purple-haired girls mind at its most thoughtful. It was Alexia who seemed to have changed the least of all and that made Merula worry about her…the bravery, determination and love for her friends hadn't faded during the time she'd spent living a new life that didn't include the others and when she'd become Sailor Charon her eyes had become radiant with all of these virtues.
That was what troubled Merula whenever she thought about her...Alexia was always there for each of her friends whenever they needed her…she was the compassion of the group. She was pure…and Merula was afraid that she was too pure for this world. If she'd ever doubted that then she thought of the fact that Alexia had even found it in herself to forgive her for the terrible betrayal that she'd committed against the Sailor Scouts – Alexia's compassion had given her the strength to understand that she hadn't been entirely at fault but Merula felt that she just didn't deserve the forgiveness that the green-haired girl had given her so freely.
Still, it was a precious gift and she'd always hold it as dear as Alexia's friendship which had survived the trials that both of them had been through ever since they'd met again in this life...after all it wouldn't have done to have ever admitted to the Charonian how much she actually envied her for her strength.
An affectionate smile had found its way to Merula's whitened face but as her mind wandered it inevitably found its way to the memory of the girl whose voice haunted her every dream. The smile froze on her lips – just the thought of this girl always killed any joy that she'd ever managed to find on Earth. But now that she'd started to think of her and remember what she'd once shared with her she couldn't stop thinking about…Amy.
A solitary tear trickled down Merula's cheek as she remembered the girl with sapphire blue eyes and deep sea blue hair whose face beamed with innocence and kindness. This was one of Merula's days in which she felt traces of the love this girl had left inside her lonely heart.
"Mercury!!!!" she screamed her voice contorted with the anguish she felt and loss as the memories of the life that was no longer her own tormented her. "I love you!!!!"
Tears streaked down her face unchecked and she fell to her knees her body shaking violently as she sobbed uncontrollably...but the only reply in answer to her unbearable heartache was the wind which howled emptily all around her.
Disclaimer: Okay best to get all of the obligatory stuff outta the way first so let me just tell ya'll that I do NOT own Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. Okay now that we've established that let me proudly say that I DO own Sailor Universe/Merula as well as Fargo who lends his name though not his presence to this story as well as a few other new characters who appear here. Sailor Charon/Alexia, her guardian cat Estrella, the Royal Charonian family as well as the Lyanore all belong to Angelic Moonlight who gave me the thumbs-up on using them here…
Not a Tame Princess
Prologue – Someone else's memories…
The late December night was cold and was made even more so by the thick snow flowing all around.
The only source of light came from the street lamps that twinkled a little way off in the distance inside the city. Apart from those the darkness of midnight was almost impenetrable and the cold was bitter as the snow came down like thousands of tiny knives of ice slicing into the skin of any who may have been out that night.
For hours the only sound for miles around outside Tokyo was the howl of the wind that had the snow dancing in its powerful thrall but now the haunting quiet was shattered.
In the distance a low steady rumbling approached the road side growing louder and deeper as it got nearer...it was the sound of an engine.
The darkness of snowbound night was disrupted by a fierce light as a motorcycle swerved around a bend in the deserted road. A dark red Harley Davison roared up and swerved to a halt at the side of the road which overlooked the city in the near distance.
The rider dismounted the machine and killed the lights. The figure that had just come to a stop in the middle of this deserted road was not remarkably tall but lithe and swayed its hips gracefully as it walked to the edge of the road.
It wore a black crash helmet with a dark visor and now reached up and pulled it from its head. The face of a girl in her teens was revealed as she held the helmet in her gloved hands, her dark electric purple hair tumbling down around her waist now that it was free once more from its confinement. Her eyes shone a curious dark brown as they reflected the sparkling frost on the metal of the railings beside the road.
The girl who had arrived on the motorcycle wore black leather and even though it was snowing she did not seem to realise how freezing the air all around her was. As she stared across the distance at the city she had come from there was an odd look in her eyes. As she gazed at the many dots of light all clustered together in the city there were no words to describe how Merula AKA Sailor Universe, rogue and outsider of both the inner and outer Sailor Scouts felt as she gazed once more upon the city that had become her home here on Earth.
Actually she hardly knew for sure herself what she felt. Months ago Merula had left the city after she had helped the Sailor Scouts in their efforts to vanquish the all-powerful Entity. Her own life had been at risk and so she had been compelled to work with those who despised her in order to survive.
Or did they despise her?
Merula hardly knew anymore…she had once believed that she'd understood everything that was going on in her life but now...
That had been a few months ago and Merula had not seen any of the Scouts since her fight with Sailor Charon at the bell tower and the final struggle with the Entity which had been hard-won. Now as she stood alone in the night regardless of the cold and the snow resting in her hair Merula stared hard at the distant city, her thoughts elsewhere.
Part of her wanted to howl to the skies "I'm back! I'm here forever and nothing is ever going to take me away again!"
Instead she simply shook her head in disgust…she had no life here. All that she now lived for was to fight her fellow Scouts until the day when either she proved herself superior to them or they finally defeated her…and then what would she do after that was done?
In her deep contemplation Merula began to think about her life in its every moment right up to this very
minute. She had had many names in her life but none of them had truly been hers...in that way she was like Fargo.
Merula had never been given a true name.
It all seemed like it had happened a few days ago and yet she knew that she had been born into this world countless centuries ago - planets had been born and eventually died between the day of her birth and this very moment.
It was all so clear to her and yet the memories of those lost years seemed so alien to her.
Serena…
The passing thought of the blonde-haired goofball leader of the Sailor Scouts brought a bemused and ironic grin to her face – Merula knew that even though their hearts and spirits had stayed as they'd always been all of the girls had gone through various changes since their 'rebirth' but it was Serena who made her reel. She just couldn't believe that the Moon Princess, the graceful and charming daughter of the Queen of the Moon Kingdom had become such an air-headed ditz but she knew well that even though she seemed incredibly different these days she was the incredibly passionate and pure-hearted girl that she'd known back in those far-off days…she was the love that bound her friends together as an eternally unbreakable group.
Serena was a true Princess.
Rei…
Merula's smile became less amused and more thoughtful as she considered the raven-haired psychic – she'd never really been close to Mars but she knew simply by looking at her face whenever she was among her friends that now Rei was much more human and more radiant than when she was alone. With them she could be herself not the local 'weirdo' psychic…apart from being a super-heroine that was.
Rei was the spirit of her friends…not an island alone unto herself.
LITA…
Merula was only vaguely surprised when she realized that unlike her expectations the thought of the hot-headed and headstrong girl she'd once known didn't have the effect of getting her blood boiling…because she knew that Lita had changed since those days and now instead of reckless bravado she had found honour and dignity – the girl who had used her strength against those who didn't understand and thought she was a nasty piece of work now used that strength to protect innocent people and her friends whenever danger threatened them.
Lita gave her friends the strength whenever they thought that they could not carry on…
Mina…
Now that girl had changed a heck of a lot but at heart she'd stayed the same – just as she'd always been she was pure loyalty to her friends and the gushing, overly enthusiastic girl Merula remembered was now a warrior with a spirit as pure as snow…even though she was still the most talkative and boy-crazy member of the group.
Mina was the essence of courage and her presence kept the spirits of her friends from fading even when things were bad…
Alexia…
Merula's eyes were distant as she thought of her – out of all the girls it was she who kept the purple-haired girls mind at its most thoughtful. It was Alexia who seemed to have changed the least of all and that made Merula worry about her…the bravery, determination and love for her friends hadn't faded during the time she'd spent living a new life that didn't include the others and when she'd become Sailor Charon her eyes had become radiant with all of these virtues.
That was what troubled Merula whenever she thought about her...Alexia was always there for each of her friends whenever they needed her…she was the compassion of the group. She was pure…and Merula was afraid that she was too pure for this world. If she'd ever doubted that then she thought of the fact that Alexia had even found it in herself to forgive her for the terrible betrayal that she'd committed against the Sailor Scouts – Alexia's compassion had given her the strength to understand that she hadn't been entirely at fault but Merula felt that she just didn't deserve the forgiveness that the green-haired girl had given her so freely.
Still, it was a precious gift and she'd always hold it as dear as Alexia's friendship which had survived the trials that both of them had been through ever since they'd met again in this life...after all it wouldn't have done to have ever admitted to the Charonian how much she actually envied her for her strength.
An affectionate smile had found its way to Merula's whitened face but as her mind wandered it inevitably found its way to the memory of the girl whose voice haunted her every dream. The smile froze on her lips – just the thought of this girl always killed any joy that she'd ever managed to find on Earth. But now that she'd started to think of her and remember what she'd once shared with her she couldn't stop thinking about…Amy.
A solitary tear trickled down Merula's cheek as she remembered the girl with sapphire blue eyes and deep sea blue hair whose face beamed with innocence and kindness. This was one of Merula's days in which she felt traces of the love this girl had left inside her lonely heart.
"Mercury!!!!" she screamed her voice contorted with the anguish she felt and loss as the memories of the life that was no longer her own tormented her. "I love you!!!!"
Tears streaked down her face unchecked and she fell to her knees her body shaking violently as she sobbed uncontrollably...but the only reply in answer to her unbearable heartache was the wind which howled emptily all around her.