Prologue: Meteor Shower

Agora mesmo queria ver-te Estar contigo sob a luz da lua

    Serenity stood on the terrace outside her room and looked up at the sky, smiling. Things were so wonderful now, and she knew that they would stay that way for at least the next century. It had been foretold, after all, that there would be a century of peace after the Queen's reign before the Black Moon would come back.

    A moment of darkness crossed the Queen's face, clouding her eyes and her smile. Thoughts of the Black Moon often worried her, though she knew she could do nothing, even if she wanted. She had to let things take their course, or risk disrupting time. Pluto had warned her that if she should prevent things form happening as they should, that space and time could fall apart because of too many loops.

    Serenity shook her head, and the darkness passed. For now, she would just enjoy life and her reign over this beautiful planet. She knew what would come, but she also knew that worrying would only make things worse. In the meantime, she had other matters to occupy her mind.

    From behind her came a gurgling noise, and the beginnings of a muted wail. She turned and walked back inside her room, past her silky white drapings. She hurried past her bed and closet to a small bassinet in the corner. Reaching in, she lifted an infant out, pulling her close and speaking soft nonsense words, cooing to the sniffling child.

    The baby stared at her mother with wide eyes, her pink hair already becoming long and luxurious. She grasped a lock of Serenity's golden hair, giving it a gentle pull. Serenity smiled, and the baby smiled back. She walked over to the terrace with her, humming an old lullaby.

    "See little princess, how beautiful the stars are?" She asked. "One day, my Usagi, you will know those worlds as I do. You will come to love them and everyone you rule, just as I do." The baby gurgled in agreement. She tried to raise a hand toward the stars, but couldn't quite manage it yet.

    Serenity smiled warmly, and when she looked to where the baby was pointing, her eyes grew wide. Out of nowhere, shooting stars were flying through the atmosphere. She hadn't known that there would be a meteor shower. Still, she smiled at her baby and pointed out toward them for her.

    "It's a meteor shower, Usagi! See all the stars falling? Aren't they pretty?" Usagi cooed her agreement, and her mother walked back inside with her, setting her back in her bassinet and rocking her gently back to sleep.

    Four soldiers gathered in one of the expansive gardens in the palace. They had all agreed to meet here, silently confirming each other's thoughts. They looked to the sky, where meteors had rained down a few hours past.

    Mercury reached inside a bag she was carrying, and pulled out a mysterious object. It seemed to be some sort of rubbery material.

    "I found it in the gardens a short while ago. I cannot identify it yet. It is an unknown substance to our world." Mercury passed the object around the circle. Mars spoke up next.

    "I don't know what it is, and I really don't care. I have a really bad feeling about all of this, and this just makes it worse."

    "There wasn't supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, or tomorrow night, or for weeks," Jupiter said, her brow wrinkling as she touched the little blob and passed it on to Venus.

    "Whatever it is," Venus chimed, "we have to inform the Queen. If there is something wrong, she has to know, and we have to protect her."

    "Not just yet." Mercury turned to them, taking on the role of leadership for once. "I think we have to identify this before we inform Queen Serenity. I don't think it would be wise to scare her, not so soon after having the baby. Her emotions are extremely sensitive right now."

    "Yeah, probably for the next few years." Mars laughed. She had a long history with the Queen, back in the old days. She still cared a lot for her, and even managed to pick on her a little. Not many people could say they teased a Queen.

    "This is serious, Mars," Jupiter said, giving Mars a stern look. She wasn't usually one for silly antics, especially at a time like this. Jupiter sighed. "Look girls, we have to do something. We can't just stand around when there might be something out there." Venus nodded in agreement. Mercury held up her hand.

    "We will definitely have to keep and eye on the Queen and the Princess, while we also must watch out for anything new and unusual. However, I still think it is best not to inform her of this until I am able to analyze it."

    Eventually, they all nodded agreement, and they slipped back into the darkness.

    High above, in a separate world, two women and a young girl stood together in front of a large door, dressed in the uniforms of guardians. They looked up from the conversation of the senshi below, and all looked at each other. The young girl, holding a large staff that looked very similar to a key, was the only one to speak.

    "We have a very big problem."