~~A/N: Well, here we go! My first Sailor Moon fic! I hope no-one's OOC, but in Australia we only get the stupid dub version. But I am using their proper names! Go me! Anyway… please read and review. If I've majorly stuffed anything up, please let me know!
Disclaimer Stuff: I own nothing, except Gaia. And the plot.
Thankyou and please read!~~
"I'm bored," sighed the elegant, midnight-haired young man as he threw himself onto the couch.
"You're always bored, Mamoru," Kunzite admonished from across the room, grinning. Mamoru laughed and hurled a cushion at him. It went sailing over the other man's silver head and hit the brunette behind him.
"Mou! I'll get you for that!" Nephrite cried, seizing the pillow and hurling it back. The room's other two occupants, Jadeite and Zoisite, burst out laughing at the sight of the usually dignified men throwing cushions at each other like children. Suddenly Mamoru, aiming a cushion at Kunzite, paused, turned, and hit Jadeite with it instead. The blonde quickly grabbed the offending pillow and, after whacking Zoisite with it, flung it back at Mamoru. Zoisite snatched a pillow of his own and joined the fray. The thump and thwack of the poor abused cushions only ceased as a loud bell rang. Kunzite looked up, and in a flash was the elegant, well-mannered young man that had been before the skirmish had begun. He finished adjusting his collar and mock-glared down at the pile of men.
"Hurry up you lot, or we'll be late for dinner." Nephrite moved first, deftly extricating himself from the heap, and neatening his clothes. Mamoru moved next, then Zoisite. Jadeite, however, remained sprawled on the floor, gazing up at his friends with an apathetic sigh.
"Do I have to move?" he asked plaintively.
"No, unless you want to miss the fabulous roast chicken I can smell." Zoisite smirked as Jadeite was up like a shot and at the door.
"Come on then! Let's go!" They made their way downstairs in companionable silence. Mamoru was the eldest of the five, being 21 years old. Kunzite, also 21, was two months younger. Nephrite was 20, as was Zoisite, while Jadeite was 19. Despite the one-year age gap, Zoisite would insist on calling Jadeite the "baby" of the group. This would frequently result in mock-fights between the pair, but the five men couldn't have been closer had they been born brothers. Friends since childhood, they had each lost their fathers when the transport they had been on was attacked and destroyed.
The quintet sauntered into the grand dining room, still laughing at another verbal sparring match between the two youngest. Jadeite wore a slightly sulky expression, but got his own back when Zoisite stumbled on the rug. Seated at the head of the table, Mamoru's mother Gaia, smiled at the boys as they took their seats. She treated them all as her own sons, as their own mothers did for hers. The dinner was consumed in remarkably short order, the men being rather hungry after their fight upstairs. Dessert was brought out as Gaia brought up the subject of the rumpus she had heard. Her son grinned broadly as he recounted the fun.
"You remind me so much of your father," she said softly. The smile vanished from Mamoru's face as his mood turned serious. His four friends took this as a cue, and, after exchanging swift glances, silently slipped away.
"Mamoru, are you ever going to decide what you want to do with your life?" his mother asked him. He stood up and paced over to the window, hands clasped behind his back.
"I don't know mother," he said.
"Mamoru, you are twenty-one now. You need to find something."
"I know," he sighed. "You want me to go into the army like father, but I will not fight for the Dark Kingdom." Gaia closed her eyes briefly.
"My son, there is no one else who can rule the Silver Millennium."
"The Black Millennium you mean," Mamoru said, stalking back from the window to his seat. "Mother, they oppress the people of every planet, they have raised taxes to an abominable level, they start wars with the slightest provocation…" He broke off, breathing heavily. "If Father hadn't been in their army…" He sighed. "I will never willingly serve them." Gaia bowed her head.
"I understand your thoughts my son," she murmured. "We will talk again later." She rose and left the room. Mamoru wandered back upstairs, running a hand through his hair.
Wandering into the library, he saw his four friends either reading or browsing the shelves. One look at his face told them not to comment. Instead, Nephrite pulled out an astronomy book and settled himself by the fire. Calling Mamoru over, the two were soon in a deep discussion about the effect the Moon was going to have coming into Leo. Jadeite laughed as he found the novel he had been looking for and flopped down on the rug beside the couch. Zoisite sat beside Jadeite with a science book, while Kunzite read a philosophy book. For a few minutes they sat peacefully. Suddenly Mamoru frowned and looked up. "Can anyone else hear that?" The others also looked up, listening intently.
"Yes… I can hear… something… what, I don't know," Kunzite said, eyes closed. Nephrite nodded.
"Something… has woken," he murmured.
"It's in here somewhere…" Zoisite whispered.
"Whatever it is, it's calling… and it's getting louder," Jadeite said softly.
Mamoru rose and closed his eyes. As if in a trance, the other men rose and followed him as he felt his way along the shelves. They walked deeper and deeper into the library, into a place they seldom saw. As he reached the end of the last shelf, Mamoru paused. Kneeling beside the last book on the bottom shelf, he pulled it out and felt along the space it had left. With a soft snikt! a panel on the wall slid aside revealing a dark passage. As Mamoru stepped into it, still holding the book, torches along the wall burst into flame. Following, the five walked in silence following the descending passage until the corridor ended at a beautiful, ornately decorated room. As they entered, their trances were broken, and they looked around in wonder.
"What is this place?" Jadeite asked.
"I've never heard of it before," Mamoru said softly. "Yet… I feel like I've been here before."
"You're not the only one." Mamoru turned to look at Kunzite, who was staring around with an air of confused remembrance.
"I know what you mean," Nephrite closed his eyes briefly as Zoisite and Jadeite nodded. Opening his eyes again, he looked not at Mamoru, but the book he was holding. "Mamoru… that book… what is it?"
Mamoru looked at the book. "I've never seen it before… and I've read nearly every book in this library." He looked at the cover. In elegant silver writing, the title read, "The Fall of the Silver Millennium." "The Fall of the Silver Millennium?"
"What? Is that the title?" Zoisite asked. Mamoru opened it and flipped through the pages.
"There's nothing in it! The pages are all blank!" he exclaimed.
"Wait… no they're not." Kunzite said, taking the book. "The first page… but it's only two lines."
"What do they say?" Nephrite asked.
"Unto the elements were they sent… the ones they themselves commanded," Kunzite read. As he finished, Nephrite gave a startled cry and took the book.
"Kunzite! There is more… wait! It is different from what you just read… I cannot read what you did."
"Well, what does it say?" Zoisite demanded.
"But now the time has come… the time of the awakening." Peering over his shoulder, Zoisite's eyes widened.
"Nephrite! While you were reading, more writing appeared!"
"Well, read it then!" Nephrite said, thrusting the book at the other man.
"Descendants of the shittenou and the son of the King, now go." Jadeite took the book. "More?" Zoisite asked. Jadeite nodded.
"Awaken the Senshi and reclaim your destinies," he intoned. Knowing what was to come, he passed the book to Mamoru.
"Sii' i'coiasira ten'cuiva." A whirring sound filled the air as nine panels on the walls flipped to reveal nine pictures. In the very middle of the room, a pedestal rose, bearing nine caskets. The five men turned in a slow circle to survey the paintings. As Mamoru completed his circle, he noticed the other four had stopped, and each approached one painting in particular. He shook his head slightly and approached Zoisite.
He was staring at the painting of a blue-haired girl. She was sitting in a simple wooden chair holding a blue book. Three ornate wands rested on the small table beside her, and a blue lyre beside those. Behind her, beautiful ice sculptures glittered. On the floor next to her was a pile of books that reached her knees. She was dressed in a sailor fuku, with a blue collar, a blue skirt, and a sapphire in each ear, as well as the middle of her tiara. Her blue boots reached almost to her knees, with a small heel. White gloves graced her arms, reaching just past her elbows with three blue bands around the end of each. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled sweetly at the viewer. Mamoru could see the intelligence behind those blue orbs. On a gold bar on the bottom frame was inscribed "Sailor Mercury." "I feel like I've seen her before…" Zoisite murmured. Mamoru shook his head briefly and turned to Jadeite.
The other blonde was gazing at the girl with long black hair, with hints of deep purple. She was kneeling in front of a small fire, hands held in a meditative position. Beside her lay three decorated wands, like in the first painting, except these were red, as was her uniform. Red high heels could just be seen behind her. A crimson arrow floated just above the flames. Her violet eyes looked seriously at the watcher, as if analysing them. She was as beautiful as the previous girl, but, unlike Sailor Mercury, what showed most in her eyes was spirit. You could tell this girl was not someone to mess with. Jadeite seemed completely captivated by this girl as he reached out and ran a hand over the engraved gold bar, reading: "Sailor Mars." "She's… beautiful," he whispered softly as Mamoru turned to Nephrite.
This time the girl wore green. Her wavy brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, with a few wisps trailing down beside her ears. A rose stud decorated each ear, glinting softly. She stood in an attack pose, hands prepared to launch a blow, feet poised for perfect balance. Her lace-up green boots reached just past her ankles. Her three wands lay in a triangle next to her, while a green wreath hovered above her head. Her emerald eyes sparkled, and in the background a hint of lightening crackled through the air. Mamoru could easily see the power in the girl; in the way she held herself, and the way she stared almost challengingly at the viewer. "Sailor Jupiter" was inscribed on the bottom of the frame. "Jupiter… why do I think I know you?" Nephrite murmured. Mamoru bit his bottom lip slightly, turning to Kunzite.
"Sailor Venus" was the object of Kunzite's attention. Her fuku was a vibrant orange, and her golden hair sparkled in the sunlight. Her sweet blue eyes glittered as she smiled happily. Seated in a meadow of flowers, she held a heart-shaped wreath in her right hand while her yellow wands lay by her feet. Two birds sat on her left side. *Lovebirds,* Mamoru thought, though how he knew that he wasn't quite sure. A topaz glinted in her tiara and on each ear. A small gold flower was tucked into the ankle strap of her pretty little shoes. Her left hand rested next to the hilt of a sword, it's blade winking in the sunlight. Laying on her other side, a white cat stretched, the gold crescent moon on it's forehead glinting. "Sailor Venus… who are you?" Kunzite asked softly.
Mamoru turned again… and stopped dead. On the wall opposite him was a painting of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Clad in a pure white dress with slightly puffed shoulders; her long blonde hair done in the strangest style: two odango-like buns on either side of her head, with pigtails flowing down from them. Her crystal blue eyes held him enthralled as her sweet rosebud lips curved in a sad smile. Above them, a gold crescent moon glittered. Beside her sat a small black cat, with a crescent moon on its forehead like the one with Sailor Venus. A full moon floated over her head, glowing silver. Hovering a little way above her cupped hands was a silver crystal. It seemed to pulse gently in the light. Beside her, on a wooden table, rested a wand with a gold crescent moon on it. "Who are you… and why do I feel like I know you?" he whispered.
"The Princess Serenity," Kunzite intoned softly, coming up behind him with the other three. Mamoru half turned questioningly, and Kunzite pointed out the engraved gold bar along the bottom frame.
"Who are the other four?" Mamoru asked, turning to the paintings on the opposite wall. The first was of a young girl, no more than 13. Her fuku was purple, with a deep maroon bow on her chest. An opaque white stone decorated the middle of her tiara, glinting softly in the light, as did the sharp metal blade on top of a long pole she held: a glaive. Her purple boots reached her knees, like Mercury's. Her shoulder-length black hair framed her face perfectly, her amethyst eyes looking seriously out at them. The darkness behind her glinted with tiny stars. Despite the fact she was so young, the artist had captured in the girl a sense of real power. "Sailor Saturn" was the name of this girl.
The next painting held a tomboyish girl, with short blonde hair. Her fuku was deep blue, almost black with a yellow bow. She stared down challengingly out at the men, her head lifted high. Behind her, a mountain was in the process of shattering. Held in her right hand was a slightly curved sword, with an ornate gold hilt, and three jewels embedded in the blade. Her dark boots laced up to the ankle. At a single glance you could tell this girl was not one you wanted to mess with. As with Jupiter, an aura of power surrounded her. The gold bar on the bottom frame read "Sailor Uranus."
Following Uranus's painting was "Sailor Neptune", an aqua-haired beauty. She sat on a rock in the sea, the waves lapping gently at the base. Her fuku was a very deep blue-green, with the laces of her boots snaking up her ankles. She smiled softly at the viewer, her deep sea-coloured eyes looking slightly sad. A violin rested in her lap, and in her right hand she held an aqua mirror. Her white gloves reached a little way past her wrists, with bands round the ends the same colour as her fuku. A tragic beauty she looked, yet… like the others before her, an aura of indescribable power was with her.
The final painting was "Sailor Pluto". The woman was beautiful, old… yet at the same time, ageless. Her long black-green hair reached her knees, falling past her skirt: black this time. Her light maroon eyes stared out with an authoritive air as her red, shield-shaped earrings glittered. In her left hand, she held what looked like a massive key. On top of the key was a red orb, glinting softly. She was standing in front of an ornately decorated door, with a light green path leading to it. Behind the door, colours mixed and swirled around each other in a maelstrom of mystery. She stood impressively tall, the slight heel on her knee-length black boots aiding it only slightly. "Who are these girls?" Mamoru asked. "And… why do I feel like I know them all? Especially," he turned to face Serenity again, "Her."
"We all want to know the answer to that one, Mamoru," Kunzite said. "The one called Sailor Venus… when I look at her picture… I get the strangest sense of déja-vu."
"Like me with Jupiter, Jadeite with Mars, and Zoisite with Mercury," Nephrite nodded.
"This is too weird," Jadeite murmured.
"Maybe these chests can tell us something," Zoisite, ever the brains of the outfit, headed over to the nine caskets and scanned them briefly. Mamoru bit his lip slightly and turned to the book he still held. He flipped it open and glanced at the now-full pages. Jadeite walked over to Zoisite, still examining the caskets. Each one had a stone in the lid corresponding to the jewel the girls had in their tiaras, but the last one had a crescent moon inset into it. Zoisite picked up the first one, with the sapphire, and opened it gingerly.
Inside was a sapphire crystal, slightly larger than the palm of his hand. He ran his hand over it lightly, and felt a shiver of power go up his arm. "Zoi? What is it? What's in there?" Jadeite asked. Zoisite turned the casket so he could see. "Pretty. What it is? Just a crystal?"
A sharp intake of breath from Mamoru made them all turn to him, Zoisite first carefully setting the casket back in its place. "What is it, Mamoru?" Kunzite asked. Mamoru looked up at them all, his face sombre.
"The reason the Dark Kingdom rules today." Zoisite and Jadeite both gave short exclamations of surprise at this, Nephrite narrowed his eyes and Kunzite looked troubled.
"What do you mean?" Nephrite asked.
"In the days of the Old Silver Millennium, the Moon Kingdom was ruled by Queen Serenity. It was a time of peace, and wonder… until the Dark Kingdom attacked. They laid siege to the Moon Castle and killed the Queen, taking from her the Imperium Silver Crystal… the Ginzuishou."
"The Ginzuishou?" Jadeite asked, wide-eyed. Mamoru nodded.
"Yes. As I said, the Queen was defeated, but no-one knows what happened to her daughter: Princess Serenity." As one, they turned to stare at the portrait of Serenity on the far wall. "The Princess and her guardians, the Sailor Senshi, all vanished after the battle. The Dark Kingdom said they were killed… but no-one really knows."
"Whoever painted these obviously knew them," Kunzite commented, "And loved them."
"According to this, the Senshi and the princess were… consigned to their elements." Mamoru looked up.
"Unto the elements were they sent… the ones they themselves commanded," Kunzite murmured. Mamoru nodded again.
"In those caskets are the crystals they took from the Senshi. Also there should be maps… that show where they are." The men all looked around, at the paintings then each other.
"Do you realise what this means?" Zoisite asked, in a whisper. "We have the means to find and free the Senshi! Mamoru," he said, turning to the man, "Weren't you saying this evening you were bored?"
"Surely you don't mean… we go and find them?" Jadeite said, amazed.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Slow down, everyone," Kunzite, the voice of reason, spoke up. "How can we be sure this is even real?"
"How can it not be?" Nephrite asked. "The way we found it… the familiarity of this…"
"The feeling I got when I touched the sapphire crystal…" Zoisite added. Kunzite bowed his head briefly.
Zoisite went back to the pedestal and picked up the casket he had been examining before. Opening it again, he felt around the inside of the lid. Finally locating a hidden pouch inside, he slowly pulled out a tattered piece of parchment. "Here. Take a look at this," he said, spreading it out. On one side was the planet Mercury, with a certain area in the very North Pole highlighted. On the other side was the highlighted area in much more detail. "It's a perfect map. There," he pointed out the spot, "That's where she is. That's where Sailor Mercury is."
"According to this, she is encased in a pillar of ice in the middle of the Mercurian North Pole," Nephrite said, taking the book from Mamoru.
"Mars is in an ever-burning fire on her planet," Jadeite spoke up, examining the map from Mars' casket. Kunzite picked up Venus's.
"Venus is in a temple in the middle of a desert on Venus."
"Where's Jupiter?" Mamoru asked. Nephrite took up the casket and examined the map.
"In the middle of a forest on a mountain in a thunderstorm."
"What about the others?" Mamoru asked. The four friends each took up a new casket.
"Saturn is in a silent wasteland."
"Uranus is buried in a cave network."
"Neptune is in a cave in the ocean."
"Pluto's in a time warp area."
"All on their respective planets."
"What about the Princess?" Mamoru opened the casket. It was empty. "Where's the crystal?!"
"Maybe we need to wake the other Senshi first?" Zoisite wondered, coming up beside him.
"Possibly," Kunzite said thoughtfully.
"One way to find out," Jadeite grinned.
"Right." Mamoru went into planning mode. "First. We need to find out all we can about the Senshi..."
("Which, judging by this, will be sweet f*** all," Jadeite murmured.
"Jadeite!" Nephrite said disapprovingly.
"What?" Jadeite said cheekily.
"Language!" Nephrite retorted. Jadeite stuck his tongue out at him.)
"Next, we need to find some way to explain this to our mothers," Mamoru continued.
"That part's easy," Zoisite spoke up. "We just tell them we're going on a journey of self-discovery, finding out what we want to do with our lives." Mamoru nodded.
"Finally, we need equipment. Exactly what we're going to need to find and release each Senshi."
"OK." Zoisite took over. "Jadeite and I will look for information about the Senshi. Mamoru, you, Kunzite and Nephrite will gather as much information as you can about the areas where the Senshi are imprisoned, three each. You three will also be in charge of getting the equipment we need. And above all: we cannot mention this to anyone. Not a soul." Everyone nodded. "Let's get to it."
~~A/N: You made it to the end of Chapter One! Congrats! Now, please review I beg of you! Excuse bad rhyming!~~