Author's Note:
This is set eight years after 'Crystal Hearts – When The War Ends' You really need to read the first one for this since there are a lot of references to it. Chibiusa is betrothed to Helios and has been for the past seven years.
My email address is Guardian4@atlantic.net. If you want to email me about my story, please put fanfiction in the subject line. Naoko Tacheuchi made sailor Moon, I don't own it.
Crystal Souls
Heartbeat Of The EarthChapter 3: Freezing Tears
It was pandemonium when Uranus and Neptune stalked purposefully and angrily into the Crystal Palace. They walked past everyone they met and toward the throne room, where guards were instructed to allow no one but a Senshi to pass.
They opened the door for the Soldiers without a word. The two paid him no attention. Inside the room, only one was waiting for them. Jupiter turned as they approached, feeling absolutely useless especially in front of the superior partners. Even their stride was in sync.
"How is the queen?" asked Neptune immediately.
It had taken the two Outers the longest to reach them. "When we called you five days ago," she began, "the queen was still in relatively good shape compared to now. She's fading faster and faster everyday. She can barely even move in bed now and barely awakes. She'll die within the next five days at this rate."
"Where are the other Senshi?" barked Uranus.
"Pluto arrived the same day we called them. Saturn arrived two days after her. You arrived three days after her. Right now, Pluto is in the library, going feverishly through all the books. She's already been all through the recorded documents on Mercury's computer, which is very extensive. Saturn is with the queen and Mercury. Endymion is contacting all the ambassadors coming to Earth that the meetings will be postponed and is not known when it can be arranged again. Venus is trying to get the Castle in some semblance of order since its been chaos here. Mars is in front of the fire in the Hikawa Shrine, thinking maybe her link with it in the past is stronger than with the new one in the palace. The Shitennou are scattered helter skelter around the palace, trying to help everyone. Often times, them and Endymion will be talking with Helios. Luna has hardly left the Queen's side, and Artemis and Diana are taking care of the regular duties of the palace, such as dealing with the everyday matters brought in by the subjects."
"And you?"
Jupiter hesitated. "I was supposed to be getting Chibiusa here five days ago, when Jadeite called the two of you in, but I haven't had the opportunity yet."
"And?" prompted Neptune gently when she faltered.
"I'm afraid if I go and that principal gives me any grief that I'll hit him with my Jupiter Lightning Tempest and be done with it. I don't want to be a murderer, but I think in my state and with what little temper I have especially with him, that I might go into temporary insanity and hurt him, possibly kill him," she confessed.
To her surprise, the two Senshi smiled. "Don't worry. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, we can go for you."
As they had thought, she immediately denied that they needed to go and that they would be much better help here.
"I'll just go out and grab a cruiser and get her."
Jupiter left the room and Pluto immediately grabbed her fellow Senshi to the library. "I don't understand," she said as they walked. "This can't possibly be happening. Nothing once indicated that this was going to be happening. It just can't be happening." She broke into a run and the blue and aquamarine Senshi hurried after her.
Jupiter piloted the ground cruiser over the ocean as fast as it could go, always talking to Zeus, who had appeared shortly after she left Tokyo.
"I don't understand what's happening, Father," she cried, frustrated. "And I can't do much help! I don't know any medical things like Mercury, no one follows my orders as well as Venus, I don't have any psychic link with anything like Mars, I'm not the time guardian like Pluto and can't tell the future, I don't have any healing ability like Saturn's, and I'm not as good at anything like Uranus and Neptune. What am I supposed to do? I feel so useless!"
"Calm down, daughter," said the white-haired man as he sat down in one of the pilot chairs, but touching no buttons. "You have strengths as well that are being put into use at this precise moment."
"Like what?" she asked bitterly.
"For example, you are very good at piloting this…thing," he said after searching for the word for the contraption and not coming up with it. "Two, even though you may not be as good at giving orders as well as Venus, you get things done quickly and expediently. That is why you are the best to get your princess."
Jupiter said nothing and in a few minutes, the small craft docked at one of the few ground ships around the world. They were still fairly new to the Earth so not many were in place yet. The door opened with a hiss of steam and she jogged out, calling a goodbye to her father. Zeus just shook his head.
Many people stared as she ran past, but Jupiter didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that her close friend was dying and that she needed her daughter to be with her. The doors were open to the school to let some air in since it was such a nice day out and she charged in, heading for the principal's office.
The secretary tried to dissuade her. "Please, you can't go in there without an appointment. Please."
Jupiter didn't care. Appointment or no, she was going in there. The door slammed open with a bang and the sound carried loudly down the silent corridor. The principal's head snapped up and his mouth fell open. Though he didn't know or didn't remember, it had been Jupiter that had saved him eight years ago from being eaten by an eight-legged monster twice his size. He owes us his existence yet he is the most resistant to us.
"I'm here for the princess," she said stiffly.
In her posture, it was obvious that she was in a hurry and a sadistic smile crept on his lips. "I'm afraid I cannot allow her to leave without proper permission and a note from her parents."
Her fist slammed down onto the desk, almost breaking the wood. "Her mother is DYING! I'm taking her to her and I don't care if you don't like it or not."
His smile never changed and Jupiter, always aware of how precious time was, ran from the room and down the hall. All the Senshi had made it necessary to memorize Chibiusa's schedule in case of emergencies. She only hoped it wasn't too late when she got the princess back.
Chibiusa stared out the window. History again. It had been two weeks since she had seen Pluto when she had snuck out. Two weeks of confusion. David was paying more and more attention to her and she didn't know how she felt about him. Every time she looked at him, she felt butterflies in her stomach, but it wasn't the same as with Helios.
She immediately recognized Jupiter's heavy footfalls running toward her classroom so she wasn't completely surprised at her entrance, bursting in through the door. Her eyes were wide and wild, her breathing heavy, dark circles under her eyes. She stared, shocked at the appearance, with the students.
The Soldier was looking straight at her and the others began to notice, but Chibiusa did not see their sudden attention on her.
"Your mother is…dying," Jupiter whispered.
Chibiusa paled to that of a corpse and she jumped up, yelling, "What!!!" It couldn't be! Not her mother!
Whispers began like a hissing fire when water droplets poured on it. She barely heard it, but she made a few sentences out.
"That's one of the Queen's Soldiers! If she came to tell Usagi that her mother is dying, then she must be…My God, she's the Crown Princess of Crystal Tokyo!"
Despite that it said in a whisper, everyone heard her. They stared at her, but Chibiusa had only eyes for Jupiter. Her hand slammed palm flat on her desk to keep herself on her feet. She felt her body sway alarmingly and her vision went fuzzy. Arms supported her and hugged her. Tears dropped onto her cheek, but it wasn't hers. She looked up. It was Jupiter's tears.
"I've come to take you home. Sere wants to see you," she whispered in her ear.
Though Chibiusa's legs felt like jelly, her and Jupiter ran from the room and down to the skimmer.
The entire trip to the palace and through the walls was a blur for Chibiusa. When the young girl looked back on the time, the clearest memory she had was of herself, dressed like a princess (she had changed in the skimmer for her mother), kneeling next to her mother's bed.
When she entered the room, she gasped in shock. Her mother's golden hair no longer shown, she was as skinny as a stick, and she was pale. Chibiusa dropped to her knees and grasped her mother's hand.
Neo Queen Serenity opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. Her gaze flickered to the dress and she smiled. "That was the dress I wore when I was a princess," she murmured.
"I know, momma," she whispered, tears coursing her cheeks.
"I just wanted to see you," Serenity continued, raising her hand and brushing Chibiusa's cheeks. "I love you."
"I love you too."
The Queen's eyes closed and her hand fell back to the bed. Chibiusa gasped. "Momma!"
A hand rested on her shoulder and a voice said, "She's not dead."
Chibiusa looked behind her and saw Mercury, who was pale. For the first time since she had met Jupiter, she looked at the other Soldiers. The Inners and her father looked as if they hadn't eaten in weeks and all were pale, showing signs of great strain. The Outers faired little better, for all the fact that Jupiter had said they had arrived only a few days ago.
Luna looked the worst. She wobbled as she stood up and her eyes held a lost look in them. As if she didn't know what was happening anymore. She was thin and her breathing rasped in her throat.
Chibiusa stood. "What are we going to do?"
"We're going to transport Serenity to the Moon," replied Mercury tiredly. "It won't stop her dying, but it will slow it down long enough to find a cure or something. Luna will be going with the Queen while we down here are going to search."
"Aren't you going, Dad?"
The King shook his head, but it was Mercury who answered. "That would not be wise. Serenity is from the Moon, but Endymion is not. It could have undesirable consequences if he went. Besides, we need him here because he is of Earth; he may be able to find something we don't see. Artemis must speak with you."
Chibiusa left the room reluctantly and followed the white-haired man down the hall and into the library. The room was dark and the only other occupant was Pluto. She rubbed her eyes and stood up as they entered.
"There is something that you can do to help," Artemis said without preamble. "You must become Sailor Moon."
"What?!" she exclaimed. "That's impossible! Ever since Crystal Tokyo was created, Sailor Moon hasn't existed. Sure I was Chibimoon, but that was when I went to the past."
"Here."
Artemis handed her a locket. "Do you recognize this?"
How could she not? It was Eternal Sailor Moon's locket. "Yes, what of it?"
"We are going to need Sailor Moon. Say Silver Power, Make Up!"
"Silver Power, Make UP!"
Instantly, Chibiusa felt the familiar power of a transformation. She had secretly missed being a Soldier. White and red ribbons burst from the locket and clothed her in the white body suit. From the tips of her toes, silver light flew up her body, forming white boots with a silver lining and a gold moon, a white, silver, and blue skirt, and silver bows. The back bow came down to her ankles and was full, like the Senshi's bows only longer. A choker with a silver heart and golden moon adorned her throat. In one ear, held up by pearls, a silver heart dangled. From the other ear, held up by pearls again, was a golden moon that dangled. White gloves flew up her arms and at her elbow were silver. A golden tiara edged in silver held a crescent moon in the center. The locket glowed white and changed from the one Eternal Sailor Moon used and was a large version of the pendant on the choker.
Chibiusa stared down at herself. She was not Eternal Sailor Moon. Some sensation happening in her body told her something that was unfamiliar, but she recognized what it was trying to say. The power was different, barely under her control. "She doesn't belong here," she murmured, unaware she had spoken.
Artemis nodded and said, "You're right. Sailor Moon wasn't ever supposed to exist, but since we needed her in the past the Moon allowed Usagi to use the Ginzuishou to transform into a Soldier. The warrior Sailor Moon was never supposed to exist; she was too powerful and Usagi barely controlled her."
"What do you mean, Usagi barely controlled her?! You mean that a Sailor controls the person who changed into it?"
Pluto shook her head. "No. Jupiter does not control Mako-chan or the other way around. Mako-chan simply is Jupiter. Sailor Moon is a different case. Do you remember all the risky things Usagi did as Sailor Moon? For example, jumping off the floating piece of Nehelenia's arc or using the power of Ginzuishou on the asteroid against Fiore. All those things were very drastic actions and safer ones could have been done with the same result, such as you and Fiore saved. But those drastic measures were when the warrior Sailor Moon took control over Usagi's actions. Why do you think she was often exhausted whenever she detransformed? She was so tired of trying to control Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon is a warrior and Usagi was not. They did not work well together until around when Usagi became Eternal Sailor Moon. By that time, Usagi understood how Sailor Moon worked and could control it better, not to mention she knew more about how to manipulate the Ginzuishou."
Chibiusa gave them both a startled look. "But this isn't Eternal Sailor Moon's fuku!" she protested.
"No. Eternal Sailor Moon was Usagi's final version of a Soldier. This is the Senshi Sailor Moon's, not Usagi's, final version, Silver Sailor Moon," answered Artemis.
"Pluto?" Chibiusa turned to the sad and tired Soldier. "How is possible? Is the Ginzuishou doing this?"
"No, not the actual Ginzuishou," she replied. "The locket still has some residual power from the stone so it is using that. Keep in mind, Chibiusa, that when the power thinks that Sailor Moon is no longer needed, you will no longer be Sailor Moon. You see, when Sailor Moon was created, it was created with these abilities of a warrior already inside of her because the Moon and Selene knew Usagi was not a fighter. They thought it would help if Sailor Moon knew these things and was this powerful because of her. Sailor Moon is a last resort, since she is the ultimate Soldier, even greater than Galaxia because it is Sailor Moon not Galaxia, even though she is the Soldier of the Universe, who is the most powerful. Take care when you are Sailor Moon, Chibiusa. This situation is bad enough to need Sailor Moon."
"Why didn't the War Against The World merit Sailor Moon?"
"One, because of the Shitennou. Two, Usagi was Neo Queen Serenity and couldn't become Sailor Moon. And three, you were too young to become Sailor Moon at the time," explained Artemis.
Chibiusa looked at herself reflected on the window, illuminated by the lightning. It had started to pour down rain while they had been in library, but they hadn't noticed. Either Jupiter was taking her feelings out on something, or it was a hell of a bad storm. For the first time, she realized how beautiful she was, not like her mother, but in a different way. She was finally a lady, but the circumstances did not belong with the discovery.
"You don't belong here," she told the reflection of Sailor Moon. No matter how long she looked at herself dressed like this, she couldn't help but see blonde hair instead rose pink; blue eyes, instead of rose red. "You don't belong here," she repeated. The form of Silver Sailor Moon seemed to agree with her.
End Chapter 3