The Darkness
"Queen Beryl. A successful trip, I assume?"
The queen's lips quirked into a semblance of a smile. "It's all gone...we've destroyed everything. Now, nothing stands in our way!"
Her words were exuberant, but the expression on her face was insincere, inconsistent with her exclamation. Something was bothering the Queen of Erebus, but her right-hand guard was too intelligent to ask what it was.
"Our guard has matters to relate to you."
She waved him away. "Go to Endymion...he's at the head of all that now."
"Your majesty, I strenuously suggest that you should listen to this report yourself as well as King Endymion."
Queen Beryl rolled her green-gold eyes and turned to the guard. "What is it now?!" she yelled. "I've just come back from war—"
King Endymion stepped forward, silencing the feral queen with a hand on her shoulder. His eyes were a dark, cloudy shade of midnight blue, and he turned them on to the guard, who cocked his head oddly. "Go on."
"While you were on the Moon, four young women invaded the palace. One of them—" The guard cleared his throat, regarding King Endymion nervously. "One of the appeared to be the Moon Princess, Serenity."
Beryl's mouth formed a genuine smile, albeit small, when she felt Endymion's hand tighten angrily around her shoulder at the mention of Serenity's name. "Where are they? Were they captured?"
"No, your majesty," the guar said. "They...they had in their possession four brightly colored gemstones that glowed with power. Serenity blasted us with a yellow-colored stone, and they all left while we were dazed."
King Endymion shook his head, releasing the tightness from around Beryl's shoulder. "That wasn't Serenity," he said.
Beryl looked at him inquisitively. "How do you know?"
"I just do." He turned his hardened face down at her, and his expression softened. "I'll explain it to you later." He returned to the guard. "Anything else?"
"Yes, your majesty," the guard said. "We found these four aiding them at the scene."
He snapped his fingers, and four other guards walked purposefully into the rotunda, holding the four maidservants Ceres, Vesta, Juno, and Pallas. Their legs and arms were chained together. Their heads were bowed. Juno alone raised her head, and when she saw King Endymion, her eyes brightened.
"King Endymion!" she cried. "Don't let them—"
"Silence!" the king barked. Juno obeyed, more out of shock at the king's harsh tone than his order.
Endymion studied the girls coldly, then turned to Ceres and addressed her. "Were you actually helping these women?"
"Of course," Ceres said softly. "They were..." Her eyes shifted to Beryl. "They were friends of Serenity's."
Endymion cursed and turned away.
"Why is that a bad thing?" Pallas quipped desperately, twisting to try and catch the king's eye. "Don't you want us to help Serenity?"
Endymion turned and stared stonily at the youngest maidservant. "Help her?" His face took on a hardened expression once again. "That traitor, that worthless, ungrateful...bitch?"
The girls' eyes widened, and Pallas let out a squeak of protest.
"No, I don't want you to help her, and you shall be punished for it," Endymion said decidedly. "Take them into the lower reaches."
The guards nodded and hauled the girls out, them shrieking in protest.
Vesta looked, betrayed, at King Endymion, and a look of realization dawned upon her.
"Wait!" she shouted. "We have more information for you. We did not realize that Serenity had become our enemy...we can tell you where she and her group are going and what she plans on doing."
The other three girls turned to Vesta in betrayal. "Vesta!" Ceres shrieked disapprovingly.
Endymion eyed Vesta, then turned his sights on the other girls. "And?"
"If you don't take us down...we will tell you." Vesta stood straighter, and smiled. She turned to the other girls and nodded. "Right?"
The other three maids exchanged glances, and, still uncertain, nodded. "Ri...right," they agreed.
Endymion cocked his head in amusement, then regarded the girls. "So...?"
"Give us your word."
Endymion laughed, but his laugh was mirthless, more evil than happy. "Striking a deal, fair Vesta?" he said. "Fine. I give you my word. No harm will come to you."
"They are going to Erebus," Vesta says. "They believe if they tear down Beryl's base, they will have the upper hand against you...and Beryl." The other sisters relaxed as they heard Vesta's distaste for saying Beryl and Endymion's names together, but Endymion didn't catch it. "You can beat them to Erebus if you begin now."
King Endymion looked at the floor. "Erebus, huh?" He turned back to Vesta. "They told you all this?"
"They trusted us."
"So then, Pallas," he said, directing his eyes to the youngest maid, "why would they be going to Erebus?"
Pallas opened her mouth and shut it, and turned her eyes to her sisters for help, but they stared back at her blankly. Finally her eyes shifted to Vesta, who gave her an intense glare.
"They...they want...to...to defeat the darkness?" Pallas said, almost questioningly. Vesta gave her a slight nod, and she continued. "They...are...they...are trying to get back Golden Palace!" She nodded, and smiled. "Yes, now I remember. They know that Queen Beryl has taken control here, and they want to get the palace back..."
"And have Serenity...and...Helios installed here, as king and queen," Ceres added eagerly, catching on. "Weakening Beryl's power at Erebus will help them take over Golden Palace."
King Endymion's eyes flashed in anger at the last, the cold blue fires burning in his eyes. He tightened his fist in frustration.
Beryl turned to regard the king's red face. "We're going there," she decided, that quirky smile crossing her lips again. "We're going to defend Erebus, and get rid of that golden-haired skank and her little friends once and for all." She patted Endymion's arm. "What do you think?"
Endymion nodded.
"Okay, will anyone explain to me what in the hell just went on?" Juno said, crossing her arms. "Because to me, you all sounded like traitors ready to sell your souls to stay away from the lower reaches!"
"Juno, please," said Vesta, bringing her finger to her lips. "We are in the temple. Lower your voice and keep the profanity."
"Well, Vesta," said Ceres, turning from her prayerful stance in the temple, "what exactly was on your mind? We did give Serenity away..."
"Yeah," Pallas added. "Were you really just trying to stay out of the dungeons?"
Vesta made a face at her youngest sister, then shook her head at her sisters. "You guys are dense...how much did you get out of that, anyway?"
"Nothing," Juno said fiercely.
"I don't know why he asked me," Pallas said, "but I knew you were telling me to make something up fast, before I got us all in trouble!"
"You were trying to get Endymion to Erebus," Ceres said, "that much I got. But why?"
"That was clever, Ceres, telling him that they wanted to install Helios as king," said Vesta.
"Where is Helios?"
"He was trapped in the sanctuary, but I get the feeling he's not there anymore, and that it may have something to do with Endymion's suddenly sour feelings for Queen Serenity," Vesta said. "Didn't you guys get a good look at his eyes?"
The other three sisters exchanged glances, then shook their heads.
"They were so dark...and cloudy," Vesta said, and shivered. "Like some of the Erebese guards. Especially like...like the four men who were in the grey. Don't you recognize them too, just a little bit?"
Pallas and Ceres shook their heads, but Juno looked thoughtful.
"They do look...a little familiar..."
"Yes, but I can't put my finger on why," Vesta said. "But Beryl has them under her dark power, and Endymion's eyes are dark and cloudy like theirs. I think Beryl has Endymion under her control!"
The other three girls gasped. "Oh, no," Pallas said.
"That would explain why he was so ready to put us under," said Juno. "But...how? King Endymion's soul is too strong for Beryl to control."
"Yes...it was," Ceres said thoughtfully. "But he's been sick for a long while. That had to have weakened his spirit."
"And," said Vesta, "his loss of love for Queen Serenity."
The other three girls nodded.
"Why doesn't King Endymion love Queen Serenity anymore?" Pallas asked.
"I'm not sure, but I think Beryl tricked him," Vesta said. "So she could weaken his soul and control it. That's what the Erebese specialize in, black magic, death, and control. Energy draining and stuff. I've been studying it in here."
"So now what to do we do?" Ceres asked.
"Well, nothing. That's why we told Endymion where Serenity is going," Vesta answered. "Hopefully he'll get there before her. Serenity can get there, and her friends can use their power to get her through Beryl...somehow...and Serenity can convince him to fall back in love with her! Once he does, Beryl will not be strong enough to control his soul anymore. He'll break free, and hopefully defeat her..."
The six soldiers and Helios watched in awe as Serenity rose into the air, illuminated by a blindingly bright white light. The light exploded into something so bright and hot they had to turn away and step back...
Finally, it began to recede as Serenity descended...except, she wasn't exactly Serenity anymore. She was dressed in a suit much like the other Soldiers', except her skirt was white, stained with a rainbow at the end. Her collar was the same rainbow color, and the bow seated in her chest was red. At the back of her skirt was a long, ruffled bow in iridescent pastels, shifting colors as the light changed. She wore tall red boots, and her golden hair, still done in the golden comet-tail style, was adorned with feathers and jewels.
Her eyes were still closed, the Mystical Silver Crystal still hovering between her white-gloved hands. She brought it closer to herself. It emitted an elongated light, then solidified into the shape of a pink sceptre with a large heart curved on the top. The Crystal encrusted itself on the top.
Finally, Serenity opened her eyes.
"Sailor Moon," Sailor Uranus whispered.
Sailor Moon smiled and turned to the voice of her sister. "Is that what you'd call me?"
A collective sigh of relief went up from the group, who had been afraid their lovely Serenity would have turned into something different with her transformation.
"To the Dark Kingdom," she said brightly, pointing forward with her new sceptre. "Let's go!"
The palace at Erebus seemed more like a fortress of war than a home for a royal family. The black obsidian structure stretched up and up, gleaming in the cloudy midday light that the sun cared to cast upon Erebus. No matter what the sun promised, it was freezing cold, and the girls fairly shivered as the trekked closer to the palace. The teleportation they had done had been exhausting, but they were able to make it. Now they stood to try to recoup some power.
"How are we to get inside?" Sailor Mercury queried, turning an eye towards her fellow guardians. "It's like a walled fortress."
"Not to mention the sentries," Sailor Neptune said, and pointed back at the obsidian palace. The girls squinted and were able to make out horrific forms stalking before the palace. There were dozens of them.
"The power of Hades is here," Sailor Mars said, narrowing her eyes. "I can feel it..."
"Beryl has a contract with Hades," Sailor Venus said simply, her hands tightening around her love-me chain. "He gives her power...she gives her body."
The other soldiers shuddered.
"No reason to stand around here and chat," Sailor Uranus said. "Let's advance."
They all nodded, then began to move forward quickly, striving to remain undetected as long as possible.
The first sentry that heard the footsteps was a particularly ugly-looking one, like a giant insect bent over from a humped back. Its eyes widened and turned from its line, charging at the force of colorfully suited fighters.
Sailor Uranus pulled ahead of the girls and broke into a full-out sprint. She raised her hand into the air and slashed it down, pulling a golden lance of power out of the air. She leapt and struck at the fiend.
Her power lance made contact, but not before the sentry screeched a warning to its fellow sentries.
The entire foot patrol turned and let out a deafening screech in unison, causing the soldiers to clap their hands over their ears momentarily. They then charged at the seven soldiers, crying out.
Sailor Venus was the first to react, lashing out her love-me chain and charging it with a blast of golden power.
Then the other girls joined in the slaughter.
The demons were not difficult to defeat, as they were purely flesh with a bit of supercharged dark power fueling them, and so the team slashed through them easily. But the sheer number of sentries caused problems for the Sailor team. They were nearly overwhelming, blocking entrance to the palace.
"You all," Sailor Uranus shouted over the carnage, slashing a sentry through the head with her golden-charged power. "Neptune and I will lead you five to the gates of the palace! Once we cut through these demons, you run inside, quickly!"
"But—" Sailor Jupiter crossed her hands and gathered a lightning blast at her antenna, then shot the ki at a nearby troop of sentries, who fell back. "There are too many for just the two of you to fight!"
"Just do it!" Sailor Neptune screamed, sending a flow of water over a wave of sentries.
The five soldiers exchanged glances. They were uncertain, but Sailor Venus nodded and pointed the way through, forming a sketchy line behind Neptune and Uranus, whipping at the forces with her chain. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter stood almost side-side-by-side, using the double forces of their water and lightning to strike the demons, and Sailor Mars followed, fighting with her flaming arrows.
Sailor Moon was perhaps the most fearsome of the warriors, although she did not much fighting. The sentries were backing away from her, avoiding the blasts of her power. When a few did get bold, she struck out with surprising force – and a liberal use of all the soldiers' elements. A torrent of water charged with a crackle of lightning sent large waves of sentries to a painful death, while a charge of flame sent through an earthquake toppled yet more. Soon no sentries were challenging her path, and she simply stalked behind Sailor Mars unscathed.
After walk-fighting for nearly an hour, the women were finally near the doors of the darkly shining palace.
"Now!" Uranus yelled.
"But..." Sailor Mars looked at Uranus and Neptune, who were absorbed in their fighting. One of them was surely more powerful than one of the other five, save Sailor Moon, but still...
"We'll clear the way," said Sailor Neptune. She fought her way to press her back against Uranus, grabbing her sister's hands. They faced outwards, staring at the sentries who gathered around them.
Sailor Moon knew what they were going to do.
"Trivia, Diana, no!"
Sailor Neptune, who was facing Sailor Moon, smiled at her. "Don't worry, little sister," she said.
Sailor Uranus looked over her shoulder, regarding her sister. "This is what we were born to do..."
The two closed their eyes, and the area around them shook, a maelstrom of water careening around their feet. They built for a few moments, then released a powerful blast of power, wiping out the field of sentries around them – clearing the way to the door.
"Go!" they cried together, collapsing to the floor.
Sailor Moon was stunned for a few moments, and did not know which of the Senshi it was that grabbed her and dragged her into the dark palace. All she could do was stare helplessly at her sisters, who now lay weak and vulnerable as the dark army of poured over them, their screeches mingling with with the screams of the fallen warriors.