Hi! Thanks to everyone who is reading this. I am sorry this took a while but the computer crashed and took everything with it. There is some violence in this chapter, I'm really sorry if you don't like it, but with this story I'd never be able to tell it properly if I didn't have the occasional explosive confrontation resulting in someone's death.
One of the things I always look for when I am reading a story is all the little plot twists and connections between characters. I like it when there is much larger scheme going on than meets the eye. If you are reading this, I hope your getting just as much pleasure out of reading this as I did writing it. I love hearing from people so it never hurts to see a review or two.
Most of the Characters in this story belong to the wonderful Naoko Takeuchi.
By Your Side
Chapter 2, Ashes and Petals
By: EmeraldSong
Silver moonlight and crimson danced across everything. Emotions sickened and died. Molten Gold tangled with blighted silver for control, as the world rocked on its foundations.
"Why?" A single question wormed its way out of her throat. Unspoken words tried to find their way out, but failing miserably. Hands swathed in darkness reached towards her, chasing out everything rational leaving only a shattered husk of terror and rage.
'Always remember that even in this barren hell, life, hope and freedom can still thrive and grow.' A lie. Everything was a lie. How had she missed it before? Her whole life had been a lie. Her whole life Usagi had shielded herself from the filth that was life on earth.
"No" a whimper of denial formed on her lips as she backed away from her assailants. Moaning she fell down to the ground, as Shin's killer advanced on her. 'If I die tonight, I'll die free.'
It was a lie! Shin had been anything but free! Rage replaced terror, as hate filled up and suffused her entire body. Fire raced through her blood, and boiled over as a hand gripped her arm.
"Well, what have we here?" Usagi recoiled as the evil emanating off him washed over onto her. "Pretty little girl come to watch the heretic burn?" he laughed, as Usagi tried to jerk out of his grasp, struggling futilely against his greater bulk.
Laughing even harder, he dragged her forcefully out of the shadows where she had been hiding only a few moments before. Tears of anger flowed from her eyes as she entered the silvery moonlight. Hate radiated off her when she landed only inches from Shin's corpse.
"You came a little late." Shin's executioner sneered "The king has ordered us to string him up on the city walls, but I'm sure he won't mind too much of you take a piece first."
"Damn you." Usagi whispered in a voice barely audible. Shaking she stood up, reaching to grab the crystal fragment as she did so. Clutching it so tightly in her fist blood welled up and dripped from her palm, as she did do she began to speak. Softly at first but gaining volume as she went on.
"You dare to mock her?" she began in a voice that was not her own, regal and almost dangerous. "For years she deluded herself, the people who were dragged off and killed were dangerous criminals, not her neighbors and friends. Ignorance was bliss." She took a step forward, and moonlight kissed her hair as golden strands turned silver. The woman who stood before Endymion's butchers was no longer Tsukino Usagi.
"Is this what my sacrifice has wrought?" she asked her voice filled with sorrow "Is this all that the scions of earth have amounted to?" Silver eyes blazed, and the golden moon that appeared on her forehead seemed to be reminiscent of a demon's grin.
Unconsciously, the men in the black cloaks backed away.
She raised the bloody fist containing the crystal fragment up to the air as if offering to the moon. "This but a small piece of the whole, but it is more than enough to take care of carrion eaters such as you." Silver and red light poured from the crystal as the regal woman whispered softly
"Crimson moon revenge."
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Revenge.
Usagi moaned, and held her blankets tighter against her body. Every single night, she relived that awful night. It had been over a year now, and the dreams kept all the emotions she had felt fresh as if they had happened yesterday. She remembered it all in vivid detail, being dragged out into the moonlight and being possessed by a feeling of ancient sorrow, hate and pain.
Sorrow, hate and pain that still lived within her. Ripping away all the illusions Usagi had kept even after Shin's death.
The rose petal that Shin had given her for her birthday last year, lay crinkled and dried on the shining piece of paper it had came wrapped in.
The physical changes that had came because of that night, were just as drastic as the emotional scars. Her once golden hair had paled to an almost icy blonde. Her deep blue eyes were paler as well, and showed less expression. In addition, a white crescent scar on her forehead was identical to the scar on her hand where the crystal fragment had cut her palm.
A year and a half, of haunting dreams and barely eating had her slimmed down into a willowy young woman, who now matched the rest of the earth's decimated populace. She was still beautiful, but in a haunting way, quite unlike the curious lively aura that had surrounded her before.
Still clutching the blanket to her breast, she stood up and walked over to the closet, bringing out the dull gray outfit, which had to be worn at her working facility. She slipped it on quickly, did up her canvas shoes and slipped out of her room into the kitchen to join her family.
Ikuko glanced up worriedly as her daughter sat down at the table. The peace and happiness that the Tsukino family had once shared was gone. Shattered that night along with Usagi's innocence.
Kenji Tsukino did not look up, he was oblivious to almost everything around him and gray streaks now littered his once black hair.
As Shingo watched his once vivacious sister pick at her food, anger filled him. He despised Endymion! Before Shingo had gone along with the rest of the world, he had watched as friends were dragged away to die doing nothing for the sake of his family. The Damn Mad Prince and his flunkies had gone too far when they had unknowingly destroyed Shingo's sister and with her the peace and security of his family.
That night Usagi returned hours after she had set out. They had asked no questions and she had given no answers. Silent and shaking she had crept to her room and did not emerge until days later. Occasionally she would laugh and smile, but those moments were rare, and often unseen.
Shingo looked down at his arm and cracked a rare smile at the tattoo in the nook of his elbow. The small black rose, about the size the tip of his pinky was there unadorned and had been since a month ago when he had joined the rebel sect Black Rose.
Tonight Endymion would pay with his life for the pain and suffering he had inflicted. Shingo looked at his broken little sister.
"Oh yes." Shingo muttered under his breath "That bastard is going to pay."
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After the fall of the Silver Millennium and the Princess Serenity's death, earth had changed for the worse. A city mightier and more terrible than all before it rose from the ground created completely of twisted black crystal. The Fortress Shiranai stood at the center of all.
Spirals and towers of Black Crystal came from every direction and Climbing Black roses with thorns steeped in venom encircled the walls. The lower levels of Shiranai bustled with activity as men and monsters alike went through their daily routines. Located underground, were barracks and training grounds for the Royal Guards.
In the centre of the Fortress, the tallest tower of all reached from the ground upwards thousands of feet towards the moon. Only one man went there and he was a man as twisted and black as the tower he resided in.
Towering over six feet tall, he was master of Shiranai and the world. His ageless and forever youthful face was emotionless. Cold blue eyes filled with despair, cruelty and self-hate could easily pierce through hardened criminals. Ebony black hair curled almost gently around his beautiful facade.
Endymion the Black King, the Mad Prince had ruled Earth for over a thousand years. Changed for the worse by Serlenity's death; he had not aged a day since. Frozen in time he grew angry and sorrowful. King Destrion, Endymion's father had long ago given up trying to comfort his son. Soon it became obvious that Endymion was going insane and would not be fit to sit on the throne.
A brief smile flashed over Endymion's face as he remembered the day he had taken the throne. Still weak and broken after Serenity's death his father had sent the guards to kill him. Angered and pushed over the edge by Destrion's betrayal, he had slain all who came before him and then went to his father to return the favor and seize the golden crystal.
Serenity had left him weak, but the golden crystal had once again made him strong. How sweet his revenge had been.
"Endymion…" Destrion coughed up blood on his silk robe. The once proud man, who had ruled the world for so many years looked old and haggard; changed almost as much as his son had in the ten years since the moon princess's death.
"Still alive then father?" his words were laced with disgust. Destrion's blood covered him as well and matted his fine black hair. "I had hoped to finish this quickly. Give me the Golden crystal and I will give you a quick and clean death."
"You are mad!" Destrion cried in rage and sorrow. "Damn that moon witch! Had she never showed her miserable face around here I would still have my beloved son and not the devil that stands in his place!" he spat on the ground.
"Are you done yet, you senile old fool?" Endymion moved like a demon, whipping out his sword meeting that of Destrion's.
"I will never be done!" Destrion yelled putting all his remaining strength into another attack.
"So be it!" Endymion answered; jumping out of the way, he pulled out a thin dagger and threw it at his father.
"Damn!" The old man cursed as it scored on his arm, leaving a thin trail of blood.
"You're finished father!" Endymion threw back his head and laughed! "That dagger was dipped in Raffielle poison. You will be dead in less than three minutes and I will not have to soil my own hands!"
"I have no choice." Destrion bowed his head in sorrow, and called up the latent energy that lay inside all of the Kings of Earth. "I call on my forefather's! I ask their blessings!" Energy purest of gold pored from his body, bathing the King in light and slowing the effects of the poison. "Give me the strength to fight one last time!"
Endymion smiled "Whatever strength you gain will not be enough!" with that, he charged bringing his sword to the King's middle and preparing to cleave him in half.
"Forgive me Esmeralda!" The King yelled to his Queen, dead years ago as Golden light pored from his hands to devour their only son.
Endymion screamed as light convulsed around him. Destrion muttered a quick prayer for both of their souls then swung down his sword hard and fast plunging it straight into Endymion's heart.
Endymion's screams abruptly stopped. A single tear dropped from Destrion's eye before he succumbed to the Raffielle and fell to the floor.
For a full moment they just lay there, father and son united finally in death. But Destrion had failed in his ambition for Endymion still breathed.
"Foolish choice Father" Endymion whispered in the dead King's ear, "I have no heart."
Laughing he pulled the sword out of his chest, still shining without a trace of blood. With a small cruel smile on his face he pried open the dead man's fingers and took the Crystal that lay there, leaving a single black rose, the first of its kind in its place.
Endymion smiled. Truly, revenge on his father had been sweet. Calling up some reserve energy, he summoned the Golden Crystal. Truly, revenge had been sweet. He summoned more energy and brought out the chip of Serenity's silver crystal. It was only a small fragment of the whole, but it was just as beautiful as she had been.
Rainbows danced across its surface in response to his inquisitive touch. Serenity had taken his heart with her when she died, but he still had something that had belonged to her.
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"Shingo Tsukino! Don't be late tonight!" Ikuko called "They've been tightening the curfew patrols lately."
"Don't worry, I'll see you later!" he yelled back then ran off, not daring to turn around one last time. The lie he had told burned bitterly in the back of his throat. Because no matter what happened tonight, he would never see her smiling face again.
As he got further away from the house, he slowed down to a walk. If anyone saw him running, someone might get suspicious and that was the last thing he wanted. As usual, the streets were gray and empty. Few people dared to venture out at this time of night.
After about twenty minutes of walking, he had finally reached headquarters. The rebel base was an ordinary enough building, about two stories high it looked like a normal civilian residence. Inside it was much like his own home, the pretty girl who sat on the bland gray couch gave him a smile. She was dressed in white jumper, and her long blonde hair was swept behind her head with an illegal red ribbon. Bright blue eyes that he found reminiscent of Usagi's gave off a cheerful aura.
"They've been expecting you." She said simply, producing a blindfold from one of the baggy pockets on her jumper. Looking closely at her arms Shingo realized that unlike him, she did not have a Black rose tattoo. More than likely, she was just a secretary or something and had no idea what was really being planned.
After he had, the blindfold tied securely over his eyes he could hear her shuffling around the room most likely looking for the secret door. Finally, after maybe three minutes he heard a sliding noise, and then felt a hand place itself on his arm to guide him.
Few people knew but underneath the city of Tokyo, there existed a huge network of sewers and tunnels man and magic made. It was here where that resistance resided, in different sects and groups all prepared to give up everything to destroy Endymion for the last time. This suited Shingo just fine.
It seemed as if he had been walking forever, going deeper underground, until they stopped and the hand removed itself from his arm.
"You can remove the blindfold now." A crisp voice that definitely did not belong to the girl addressed him.
Shingo obeyed and took off the blindfold, when he could see a short man dressed completely in black sat facing him. There was no sign of the girl. Without any more words he handed Shingo a small device with a button it.
Shingo nodded, he had trained in this. Encased within this small device was enough explosive powder to obliterate anything within a ten-meter radius of it. The purpose of it was to make a direct statement on fortress Shiranai.
In exactly two hours he and a group of twenty-nine others would strike. Soon the only thing that would be left of Endymion and his cursed fortress would be ashes and a few black petals.
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Please Review!!! I'm not really sure if people are enjoying this fic!