Empire of the Dark Ami

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who's offered opinions on this story so far; it's always nice to know what people like or don't like. In response to a specific question from Kaiya, Usagi and Ami have already encountered Mistress Nine in their own world; so it probably won't be a complete shock to them when they run into that side of Hotaru again in Kuroiami's world.)

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CHAPTER EIGHT

For General Zoisite, the order to evacuate the Earth was both jarring and unexpected. The general had been asleep in his penthouse apartment in Singapore when a magical image of Kuroiami suddenly appeared before him, and summoned him to join her on the Moon.

"But why?" Zoisite asked. "What has happened?"

"Yours is not to question," Kuroiami replied. "Yours is to obey."

"Yes, my queen."

Dressing quickly--in his general's uniform instead of his customary business suit--Zoisite wondered what could possibly have happened. Zoisite's Southeast Asian Economic Zone had been leading the world in economic productivity (outpacing Kunzite's Euroasian Zone, Nephrite's American Zone, and Jadeite's African Zone), and Kuroiami had intimated that she would marry Zoisite just as soon as she eliminated the last of the Sailor Senshi and consolidated control over Japan.

But a disaster in Japan was clear enough to see when Zoisite turned on the TV news. There he heard that Kuroiami's Mugen Palace in Tokyo had just been flattened by a 'mysterious explosion'. Clearly, the Outer Senshi were not quite as impotent as Kuroiami had boasted they were.

Naturally, Zoisite's first impulse was to strike back at the Senshi; for even after years as a global administrator, Zoisite hadn't forgotten how to fight. But Kuroiami was infinitely cunning, and Zoisite realized he would only invite her wrath if he deviated from her wishes. Thus, summoning his own ancient magic, Zoisite first hid his apartment with a cloaking spell so no ordinary mortal could find it, then teleported himself to the ancient palace of Queen Serenity on the Moon--Kuroiami's new capital.

5 years earlier, Kuroiami and her generals had briefly used the Lunar Palace in the Sea of Serenity as their base before consolidating control of the Earth, and therefore Zoisite wasn't surprised to find the palace in good repair, illuminated with magical light and sustaining a breathable atmosphere. But he was surprised to find Kunzite, Nephrite and Jadeite already there ahead of him, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for Kuroiami in the palace throne room.

"Ah Zoisite," Jadeite said; "late as usual."

"I came as soon as I was summoned," Zoisite replied.

"Then you must have been summoned last," Nephrite rejoined. "Clearly, you are losing favor with Her Majesty."

"I'll have you know that Kuroiami has promised her hand in marriage!" Zoisite said angrily. "And unlike you, I haven't failed to meet her economic production targets!"

To Zoisite's surprise, though, all three of his fellow generals chuckled at him--even Kunzite.

"Oh, Zoisite," Kunzite said good-naturedly, patting his friend on the back, "Kuroiami-sama has promised to marry all of us, at one time or another."

Zoisite looked at Kunzite incredulously.

"But...Kuroiami and I were intimate!"

Again the other generals exchanged knowing looks.

"Oh well," Kunzite said, "you always were the naive one. Perhaps that's why she favored you as much as she did. But you weren't her *only* favorite."

Zoisite slumped visibly--simultaneously embarrassed and crestfallen. Since Zoisite had been carrying on an affair of his own with Kunzite for years, he was hardly one to be shocked at Kuroiami's infidelity. But he had been looking forward to being King of the Earth--if only because of the pleasure he would derive from tormenting Jadeite and Nephrite.

But then a familiar voice shook Zoisite from his reverie.

"Poor Zoisite," Kuroiami said, "don't be sad. There's plenty of me to go around."

Startled, Zoisite turned toward Kuroiami's voice--and was startled again when he saw how she looked.

In a word, she looked sexy.

The other generals saw it too, and were no less stunned than Zoisite. Flanked by a pair of female youma servants in flowing red gowns, Kuroiami was wearing a long black strapless gown that was all the more dramatic for its contrast with her pale white shoulders and her surprisingly plump and pale bosom. Then too, Zoisite couldn't help but notice a slit that ran up the left side of the gown all the way to her waist, exposing an equally pale leg and high-heeled black sandals that made Kuroiami (who was only 155 centimeters tall) look a good 15 centimeters taller.

Indeed, Kuroiami's tiara was the only part of her traditional costume she was still wearing--though none of the generals actually noticed that at the moment. At the moment, it was all the generals could manage just to stop their gawking and attempt to show proper deference to their ruler.

"Kuroiami-sama," the generals said, dropping to one knee before her.

"Rise, my friends," Kuroiami said, click-clacking across the marble floor and into their midst. "I have a special project for you."

"I volunteer," Zoisite said.

Kuroiami chuckled.

"General Zoisite, I haven't even told you what the project is."

"But you said yourself that my East Asian Zone was the most productive area on Earth; therefore, I feel it's fitting that I should be chosen for any special project."

"Zoisite," Jadeite said, "you're an idiot. What if she wants you to clean the toilets, or lick the dirt off the floors?"

"Oh, don't be silly, Jadeite," Kuroiami said. "There's no filth in the Lunar Palace. This is a place full of love, purity and peace."

Kunzite looked at Kuroiami suspiciously.

"Your Highness," Kunzite said, "you don't seem quite yourself somehow..."

Then it came to Kunzite what was odd about Kuroiami--Hoshi was missing. Ordinarily, he was never very far from his mother.

"Is Hoshi all right?" Kunzite asked.

"No," Kuroiami said, lowering her eyes to the floor. "He was killed, when Mugen Palace was destroyed."

"Oh no!" Zoisite said, echoing the dismay of the other generals.

"I'm sorry," Kunzite said.

"It was those Sailor Senshi who did it!" Zoisite stormed. "I just know it! We must exact vengeance!"

But Kuroiami's reaction was surprising; placing a hand alongside Zoisite's chin, she smiled at him teasingly.

"And this ardor wouldn't be because you believed he was your son," Kuroiami said, "would it?"

"But...wasn't he...?"

Kuroiami laughed.

"Sadly, no."

"So he was mine, then," Kunzite surmised.

"No, Kunzite," Kuroiami said, "he wasn't yours either. None of you fathered him--at least as far as I know. If you did, then you didn't do it with me, because Hoshi was not my son."

"What do you mean?" Nephrite asked.

"Hoshi was the son of my nemesis--the Mizuno Ami who came to visit me in Tokyo just a few days ago. Although she didn't know me before she came to this world, I knew her very well indeed. And I came to loathe that sanctimonious bitch with every fiber of my being--always so kind, so always so thoughtful, always so goddamn humble...

"I wanted to make her suffer, and Hoshi was the perfect medium to let me accomplish that suffering. Killing Ami would have been ridiculously simple, but that wasn't enough for me; I wanted to make her suffer, as only a mother can suffer when she loses her child."

"Wait a moment," Kunzite said; "am I to understand that Hoshi's entire existence served no other purpose except as a vehicle for vengeance?"

"Not quite. It is true that Hoshi's physical form is dead, but it's also true that I did want a child of my own, to carry on my legacy and rule the galaxy in my place after my time here is done. That's why I raised Ami's baby from an infant as my own son, and why I preserved the essence of what he is...here."

Kuroiami pointed to the blue Mercury crystal in her Sailor tiara.

"He's in that crystal?" Zoisite asked.

"The *essence* of what he was is in this crystal," Kuroiami replied, "but not the actual person. That's where you gentleman come in; I need your assistance to help me bring Hoshi back to life."

Kuroiami then removed the Mercury crystal from her tiara, held the crystal in front of her belly, closed her eyes and concentrated. For a moment, Kuroiami glowed with a brilliant blue aura, then the crystal floated from her hands and entered into her abdomen. Kuroiami's eyes then shot open with surprise--briefly shattering her veneer of total control; but then a look of utter satisfaction settled upon her features, and she lifted her eyes to look once more at her generals.

"The seed is planted in the garden," Kuroiami said. "Now it but needs to be watered, to grow."

Zoisite--like Kunzite and Nephrite--was too stunned to reply.

"And who would be gardener lucky enough to water this garden?" Jadeite asked.

Kuroiami simply smiled, giving the generals a coy look.

"I will need all of you," she said, "to water this garden."

"All of us?" Nephrite asked.

"All of you," Kuroiami repeated, taking a step toward the queen's bedchamber, then glancing over her shoulder and beckoning the generals to follow her.

* * * * *

"King to Bishop 2."

"Bishop to Rook 5. Check."

Princess Kakyuu laughed and sighed, tipping over her white king.

"I think you're still too much for me, Galaxia-sama."

"Oh, you're too modest," Queen Galaxia said. "You played well, and gave me a scare there in the mid-game."

"I should have developed my bishop sooner," Kakyuu admitted, studying her pieces. "You're always telling me I should focus more on developing all my pieces."

"Perhaps. But I have been playing chess for more than 10,000 years; I may have a slight advantage in that respect."

Again, Kakyuu laughed, amazed by Galaxia's modesty. The ruler of the Confraternity of Worlds--and effectively the Queen of the Galaxy--Galaxia was as beautiful as she was wise and powerful, a vision no less stunning than the fields of flowers outside Kakyuu's palace with her long red and golden hair, and her perfect face and figure. And yet she was always quite humble, with an air about her of infinite patience...and perhaps just a little sadness.

"But perhaps you would like to play another game," Galaxia said. "I have so few opportunities to see you in person, I feel I should savor this opportunity."

"Well..." Kakyuu said, turning the chessboard around on its turntable, "Kinmoku is a beautiful planet. Perhaps you should consider making this your home after you retire from ruling the galaxy."

Galaxia smiled slightly, setting up her row of white pawns.

"And perhaps you should consider my offer to come to the Sagittarius Castle, and be my prime minister," Galaxia replied.

"Oh, you know I'm not qualified for a position like that. And besides, I could never leave Kinmoku."

"How sad. Then it would seem that we'll have to continue our games via tachyon beam instead."

"Unless you retire," Kakyuu said.

"Or unless you come to Sagittarius," Galaxia replied.

Both women laughed, and Galaxia moved her king pawn to start the next game. But before Kakyuu could respond with her own move, her most senior guardian suddenly entered the room with an urgent message for Galaxia.

"Forgive me, Kakyuu-hime," Kou Seiya said, "but a priority message has just arrived for Galaxia-sama from the Solar System."

"For me, you say?" Galaxia asked. "What did the message say?"

"Queen Kuroiami of the Solar System is requesting your assistance in the matter of a local disturbance. She claims that insurgents have taken control of the planet Earth and driven her court to the planet's barren and lifeless moon."

"That sounds very serious," Galaxia said, turning to Kakyuu. "But I don't recognize the name 'Kuroiami'. Is that name familiar to you?"

"No," Kakyuu admitted. "If I recall, the Solar System was once the home of the fabled Moon Kingdom of Queen Serenity, but that was more than a thousand years ago."

"Indeed," Galaxia said, turning back to Seiya. "If I may ask, do you know why the signal was sent here instead of directly to Sagittarius?"

"Presumably, the transmitter lacked the power for a direct transmission," Seiya replied. "It is a remote system, and may be very primitive."

Galaxia nodded her head thoughtfully.

"Kakyuu-hime, under the circumstances, perhaps we should postpone our game until later."

"Certainly, Your Majesty."

"Kou-san, please send word to Queen Kuroiami that I will consider her request, and--if my schedule permits--I will visit her as soon as possible."

Seiya nodded, and left to forward Galaxia's message.

Galaxia, meanwhile, ventured to another part of Kakyuu's palace, where she found her senior advisors SailorChi and SailorPhi. These two ancient Senshi were, of course, famous throughout the galaxy for their fighting prowess, but Galaxia also depended upon them to keep her on schedule during her travels, since both had encyclopedic memories for the minutiae related to Galaxia's duties.

"There should be time to permit a brief visit to the Solar System..." SailorChi said.

"...before you carry on with your tour of the Perseus Arm..." SailorPhi added.

"But we are concerned by the past history of this 'Solar System'..." SailorChi said.

"...it is a history of chaos," SailorPhi added, "ever since the fall of Queen Serenity."

"Well," Galaxia said, "where better to make ourselves useful, then? Aren't you always telling me you wish you had more adventure in your lives?"

"Yes..." SailorChi answered.

"...but we were being facetious," SailorPhi added.

Galaxia chuckled slightly, turning her thoughts to the preparations she should make for a trip to Queen Kuroiami's court. But even as she was doing so, Seiya returned with another message.

"Galaxia-sama," Seiya said, "you may wish to delay your trip to the Solar System, at least for a few days. Queen Kuroiami reports that she may be indisposed in the immediate future."

"Indisposed?" Galaxia asked. "How so?"

"Well, actually," Seiya said, "what she said is that she's going to be having a baby."

* * * * *

"Kuroiami-sama," said the youma, "you should rest. A woman in your condition should probably be in bed."

Dressed now in a black maternity dress (and sensible shoes), Kuroiami shook her head, dismissing the youma's concern. It was true she was now as big as a whale, with her fetus already nearly fully-grown inside her, but this was nothing she had not already anticipated. Just as she had planned Hoshi's death, she had planned to bring him back to life inside her womb--using magic to accelerate the otherwise tedious process of gestation. What Ami had lost, Kuroiami would claim as her own.

"I assure you that I'm fine," Kuroiami said, standing before the tachyon transmitter controls of the Lunar Palace. "According to my calculations, the child won't be ready to emerge until..."

But Kuroiami never finished that sentence; instead, she grunted with pain as her womb was struck by sudden and unexpectedly strong contractions.

"Kuroiami-sami?" the youma asked. "Are you all right?"

"Get...help...!" was all Kuroiami managed to gasp, before she staggered to her knees.

The youma rushed to comply, but Kuroiami remembered very little of what happened immediately after that. There was pain--of an order and magnitude beyond anything she had ever experienced before--then a strange delirium as first her water broke, then an impossibly large baby emerged from inside her body.

Later, she would remember the medical youma rushing into the transmission room to help her, and the four generals hurrying into the room as well--their faces registering an awestruck combination of disbelief and fear (the latter provoked by a stream of curses Kuroiami aimed in their direction, for getting her into this condition in the first place). Even as the child was born, though, a small portion of Kuroiami's mind remained lucid enough to heap scorn upon herself for her recent errors in judgment.

How fitting, this child should be the death of me! I underestimated Sailorsaturn's power earlier, and now I underestimated how much this baby would grow after I cast a growth spell upon it...

Kuso! I feel as if I'm being torn apart...!

Then at last she passed out, convinced that the gaping mouth of Hell would soon be opening to take her in. But Kuroiami wouldn't die just yet. Some time later, she awoke in her own bed, attended by all four generals, her medical youma, and a teenage boy whom she did not recognize at first; but then she saw his blue hair, and her heart skipped a beat in disbelief.

"Hoshi...?" Kuroiami gasped, lifting a hand toward the handsome young man, "is that you...?"

The blue-haired boy nodded, and hurried to take Kuroiami's hand.

"It is I, Mother."

"But, how is this possible...?"

Hoshi smiled, and spoke with a voice that staggered Kuroiami. She had guessed that her growth spell might cause Hoshi to return to her as a small boy, similar to his previous mortal form; but this Hoshi was clearly more than just a child.

"I should think you used a little too much magic," Hoshi offered. "But if you rest now, the doctors assure us you should be up and around in a few days."

"Hoshi," Kuroiami said, "do you hate me...for what I did to you?"

"Hate you? Why would I hate you? You have given me life."

"Arigatou," Kuroiami said, letting go of Hoshi's hand, then falling back to sleep.

The four generals were still quite awake, though, and none of them were quite sure what to make of Hoshi (or 'Shin-Hoshi', as Zoisite had taken to calling him privately). After the events of the previous day, the generals had assumed that the fruit of Kuroiami's garden would take many months to grow inside her womb, just like any other child; and yet here he stood, very nearly a man despite the fact that he was less than a day old.

For his own part, Zoisite appreciated the fact that Kuroiami was less fickle than Queen Beryl--their former master--but there were times when her behavior was downright strange. Just now, for example, why had she wanted Hoshi back so badly? After working so hard to raise him, then letting him die, was she seeking to punish herself somehow with the ordeal she'd just been through? Or did she simply want Shin-Hoshi to be entirely her own child in every sense, to complete the annihilation of his identity as Ami's child? Or was she up to something else entirely?

*"Well, I don't know about you,"* Zoisite whispered to Kunzite, *"but I sure don't think he looks like any of us..."*