Fade To Black
A Sailor Moon Fanfiction
By Jewel
(Special thanks to my beta reader Syrinx!)
Chapter Two:
First Impressions
Queen Serenity paced her chambers, blotting tears away with a tissue Serenity had handed her. Serenity sat in a hard chair opposite her mother's large wooden desk. Stopping her pacing, the Queen sank into the seat behind the desk, and ran a hand through her disheveled hair.
The door opened and the Queen stood. Cassandra and Sara entered, both looking rumpled and tear-stained.
"Did she kill any more of my guards?" the Queen asked.
Cassandra sat in the chair next to Serenity while Sara closed the heavy, oak doors and leaned against them. "Eleven guards took the bitch to the dungeons," Sara replied. "She'll be there until you're ready to pass judgment."
The Queen laughed hollowly, "I have already thought of a thousand different tortures to put her through. But I'll settle for a simple execution."
Cassandra passed both hands through her long blonde hair. "She says her name is Beryl, and that she works for the Dark Kingdom."
"The Dark Kingdom?" Princess Serenity asked curiously. "I've never heard of it."
"They're a small collection of planets, exiled people and convicts. They exist in a nearby solar system," Cassandra answered. "We wouldn't know much about them if they weren't making constant ploys to grab Earth."
The Queen looked surprised. "They're the dark power that's been trying to sway the Earth monarchy against the Silver Alliance?"
Sara nodded. "Yes."
A short silence ensued, leaving each woman in her own thoughts.
Cassandra broke the silence. "We should make arrangements for Sky and Adrian's bodies to be returned to their planets. Or should we give them the final rites here?"
"Here," Queen Serenity said, choking back a sob. "I still can't believe they're dead. . . I've known both of them all my life."
Blinking back tears, Sara moved from against the door to sit in a comfortable looking couch that stood against the wall opposite the bank of windows. "This Dark Kingdom has to be dealt with. Not only were they able to get past our guards, but their assassin murdered two of our Senshi. Lucky thing it wasn't as bad as it could have been-"
"They've done worse than you think," Serenity interrupted. "They've put us in the perfect position for an attack. Think about it, we're two Senshi short of full protection against a magical attack. Who knows how long it could take us to find the new Sailor Mercury and Venus?"
Cassandra nodded. "It could take a long while before we have full defense. We'll have to start searching for Mercury and Venus immediately. This would be the ideal time for my visions to come through."
"Don't worry, Cassie," Sara said soothingly. "We'll find them soon-"
"Even so, who's to say the new Senshi will be ready to fight?" Serenity asked, interrupting a second time. "For all we know the new Senshi could lack training-"
"Or even be babes. You're right again, child," Sara admitted, looking none too happy about it. "If the new Senshi are children, how could we function? There are the Outer Senshi, but . . ."
Queen Serenity sighed. "But if we were to bring any of the Outer Senshi to Court, then the outer planets would be even more vulnerable to an attack from the Dark Kingdom or another enemy."
"Even if we were to fill the positions with an Outer Senshi, who would we use?" Cassandra asked. "Pluto can't be pulled away from the Gates of Time. And I shudder to think of Saturn . . . If we were to use Neptune or Uranus, the outer planets would be completely without guardians. Pluto couldn't protect them and Saturn could only be called for one reason."
The Queen looked tired and as if she'd aged a century in the past hour. "Sara, I need you to send envoys to Mercury and Venus. Tell the monarchs what have happened. Give them our deepest condolences and invite them for the funeral rites and execution. Ask them, in the name of the Alliance, not the Moon, to search and send to us the new Senshi."
"Yes, Majesty." Sara bowed and exited the room.
Cassandra stood, looking as old as the Queen, even though she was years younger. "What would you have me do, Queen?"
"Talk to the woman, find out everything she knows. Use whatever means necessary. I'll prepare to address the kingdom and the would-be enemies of our Alliance."
When Cassandra had left to carry out her orders, Serenity stood and walked to the large windows. Outside was lighter than it had been before . . . Morning was coming. Guards were moving about the gardens, looking for potential dangers. Turning back to face her mother, Serenity said, "Whether it is of consequence or not, the envoys from Earth will arrive in a few hours."
The Queen smiled. "I had forgotten, but now things fall into place."
Serenity frowned. "The Earth? Surely not . . . they want an alliance with us."
"The Dark Kingdom has been making constant advances on Earth, trying to gain influence on its rulers. That they would want an alliance with us now, after centuries of estrangement; that they would arrive after the night of an assassination . . ." The Queen didn't finish her sentence, leaving Serenity to draw her own conclusions.
"You will meet with them . . .?" Serenity made a question of it, though she already knew how her mother would answer.
"No, not today. Maybe tomorrow... or the day after that."
Serenity nodded her head in understanding. "I see. But if I may make a suggestion?"
"You may."
"Take the day to mourn your lost friends, and allow me to meet with the envoys."
Queen Serenity was silent for a minute, thinking over what Serenity had said. After a while she said, "Very well then. When they arrive, you will greet them. They will attend the execution and they will hear what I have to say when I make my public address. When you see fit, call the first meeting. However, take Sara everywhere with you. Not only for your protection, but because they might not respect your authority enough."
"Mother," Serenity said, dropping all formalities. "They might be given more reason not to respect my authority with a nursemaid following me."
"I know you've never liked Sailor Jupiter, but it is an order not open to discussion, Heir," Queen Serenity said sharply.
"If this is all, then . . . "
"You may leave."
Serenity stalked angrily to the doors, trying to keep her anger from showing blatantly in her expression, but failing to keep it from her steps. As she closed the doors behind her and turned down the hallway, several guards fell into step behind her.
-
Endymion, Crown Prince of Earth, sat comfortably at a long table in a large room. With huge, polished and carved doors at one end leading into a vast hallway, and large, glass doors at the other end exiting into a small, enclosed garden, the room was very comfortable indeed. Endymion sat in a high, wingbacked, leather chair at the middle of one side of the table. His fingers drummed lightly against the gleaming table as he stared out into the gardens, captivated by some of the strange plants.
The other person in the room, however, did not share Endymion's sense of ease. The Earth's ambassador to the Lunar Kingdom, Basil, paced back and forth at the other side of the table. With his hands clasped behind his back, and a frown puckering his brow, he looked deep in thought. Coming to a halt, Basil stood behind the chair opposite Endymion, his hands gripping the back tightly. "How can you sit there so calmly?"
Endymion shrugged, quite happy that Basil had desisted his pacing. "Is there a particular reason I should be high-strung?"
Basil sputtered a little. "We - We've been waiting for hours now! It's as though they have no consideration for us and the value of our time."
"Tell me, Basil, is there somewhere you need to be?" Endymion asked coldly. "Or would prefer to be? I can easily arrange to have another man be sent here if your time is too valuable."
"No, no, not at all, your Highness," Basil said weakly, taken aback by his Prince's tone.
"Then sit down, shut up, and wait. As I understand it, yesterday there was an assassination attempt on the Royals and two of their Senshi were murdered."
Sitting in the chair he'd previously been ready to strangle, Basil snorted. "A guard was killed as well, but no one seems too concerned with that-"
"A mere guard is nowhere near as important as a Senshi. Neither is a mere envoy," proclaimed a harsh, icy voice from the doorway
Standing to face the wooden doors, Endymion saw a woman of medium height and slight build looking at Basil. The woman's brown eyes looked as cold as her voice. The woman could not be the Queen, the Queen had blonde hair, not graying black. And the outfit the woman wore was a dress of green cloth with multiple split skirts and a tight bodice that allowed for flexibility while revealing nothing. A slim sword boasting a hilt decorated with emeralds hung from her waist. :She must be a Senshi: Endymion thought.
As Basil was about to respond, another cool voice, but softer and younger sounded from behind the Senshi. "You forget yourself as well, Sailor Jupiter."
A younger, slighter woman swept past the Senshi, followed by ten guards. Endymion was distracted for a moment as five of the guards walked past him out to the gardens, where they stood, backs facing the glass doors. Three guards remained outside the carved doors, closing the doors once they'd surveyed the room. The remaining two guards took up post on either side of the first wall.
Turning his attention back to the second woman, Endymion was surprised to find that she was more of a girl than a woman, and certainly not the Queen - though she did bear a startling resemblance to her. Long, ash-blonde hair was styled in the strange fashion of two balls of hair, with long streams of open hair trailing down. Robin-blue eyes that looked cold at the moment also reflected a hint of innocence, and something else that Endymion couldn't place.
Endymion had thought she might be another Senshi, but she wasn't dressed like Sailor Jupiter. Instead she wore a dress of pure white silk. Strapless, the dress clung to her modest chest and fell from below her breasts to her feet in a skirt wide enough to allow her to run, or for it to flare when she danced.
Sailor Jupiter quietly seethed at the rebuke, but bowed at the Princess anyway. "Forgive me, Princess."
Endymion's eyes widened in surprise. This was the Heir to the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Alliance? As he thought about it, Endymion realized that she did look like a princess. But more along the lines of a 'damsel-in-distress' than the heir to the most powerful alliance in history.
Ignoring Sara, Serenity sat down in the chair at the head of the table. "Please, sit," she said, motioning to indicate the chairs. She smiled up at Endymion. "We wouldn't want to put you through any discomfort."
Giving the slightest snort, Basil also gave a low bow, "Any discomfort we might have been put through, or may have to suffer would be worth it, your Highness." Serenity arched a brow, amusement expressed clearly on her face. Trying not to laugh himself, Endymion also gave a bow. Basil moved on to introductions, "My beautiful Princess Serenity, Heir to the Lunar throne and the Silver Alliance, and Lady Sara, Senshi of the Planet Jupiter, I present you with Crown Prince Endymion of Earth."
Serenity and Sara both inclined their heads in acknowledgement. Endymion and Basil sat in the chairs they'd previously occupied and both smiled at Serenity. "I trust you've found your stay in our Palace comfortable thus far, Prince Endymion?" Serenity asked, starting with pleasantries.
"I've only been here for a few hours, your Highness, I have yet to familiar myself with your undoubtedly lovely kingdom."
Serenity sighed, "I'm afraid your first sight won't be a pleasant one either. As you may have heard, last night there was an attempted assassination," Serenity paused for a moment and looked at the two men. Endymion's expression hadn't changed. His smile was gone, but otherwise he looked indifferent. However, Basil looked tense and nervous. "Two of our Senshi were murdered, while protecting our High Queen, the Queen Serenity."
Frowning, Endymion offered his condolences. "How tragic! Am I right in assuming you have the murderer?"
Serenity nodded. "She is in our custody. In a few hours from now her sentence will be carried out. You're presence at the execution would please the Queen very much, if you've nothing else to do."
Endymion suppressed a sneer. She wasn't giving them permission to attend, she was commanding them to appear. "It would be no problem at all. We are in support of the Moon and its Silver Alliance."
"That is wonderful to hear. We can begin this meeting discussing your position concerning the Silver Alliance . . ."
-
Sailor Jupiter looked on quietly as the meeting proceeded. Neither she nor Basil spoke as the two Royals discussed the Silver Alliance and the terms of the Earth's membership, should it choose to join.
Several times now Sara had had to bite her tongue to keep from voicing her opinions and objections. Yes, Serenity was the Heir, and she had been granted the power to control the meeting, but she wasn't ready for this kind of thing! And what the Hell was the Earth doing sending a child of their own to negotiate? Sara resisted laughing . . . Imagine, children making decisions that could result in war!
-
"Well, this concludes our conference, I believe," Serenity said with a smile, very happy with how things had went. Maybe Earth wasn't so bad, if you could judge by their Prince.
Endymion smiled as well. "You do understand there will need to be final approval from the King and Queen of Earth, but I can't think of any objections they might have."
"Yes, I will also need the stamp of approval from the High Queen," Serenity winked. "However, it shouldn't be too grueling to get, I happen to know her."
Laughing, Endymion stood and offered his arm. "Would you care to escort me to the execution? I fear I don't know my way around your palace."
Serenity stood, a genuine smile on her face. "I would be delighted-"
However, Serenity was interrupted as Sara stood and said, "Princess, I am to escort you to the Queen before the trial."
Struggling to keep the anger off her features, Serenity looked at Endymion. "She's right, I need to see my mother. It shouldn't take too long . . . Basil can take you to the throne room, and I will meet you there shortly."
Catching her hand, Endymion bowed and placed a kiss on it. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Princess."
"And you, Prince Endymion."
Basil and Endymion had departed from the room before Serenity spun to face Sara, her anger obvious. "I thank you, Sara, for kindly keeping your thoughts to yourself during the meeting. I know it must've pained you to keep silent."
Stunned, Sara stared speechlessly at the younger girl. Finally she said, "Not at al, Princess. Undoubtedly your mother will have the same opinions to voice when she reviews the minutes."
Serenity snorted, "You mean when you report back to her and twist the tale with your bias. Oh, I know you think I'm too young, Sara, but while you may underestimate my experience, don't ever undervalue my intelligence."
"I report to my Queen honestly and openly. And only to my Queen do I report." Sara turned on her heel and walked away from Serenity, towards the doors.
"I wonder, Sailor Jupiter," Serenity called from behind her. "I wonder what you will do when you find that I am the Queen and you must report to me. Will you choke on your outrage and do my bidding, or will you refuse to follow the orders of your Queen?"
Sara stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder. "Let us hope, for both our sakes, that I am dead by the time you take the throne. For I would not want to see my kingdom fall to ruins."
Sara exited the room, Leaving Serenity alone in the room with the two guards. After taking several deep breaths to calm herself, Serenity snapped at the guards, "Come along, I'm going to the throne room."
End of Chapter Two