Part One - Mirror Image
"...And as you may see through the graphics on your right, mutation and DNA anomalies occur mainly during the process of meiosis, in which the cell sometimes divides the number of chromosomes into two groups that do not contain the same number of chromosomes or that contain an abnormal chromosome whose structure was altered by excessive radiation or a number of other factors. That is all for today's class. Tests to evaluate your assessing progress will be held next Sunday and all students should sign up before Friday. We hope to see each and everyone of you going to the best universities, so work hard and don't forget about the special lecture with Professor Kyoumu on modern genetic engineering this Saturday. Dismissed."
As Ms.Satsuki voiced these last few syllables, a tide of weary brains silently made its way to the computer lab, where they would go on practicing and reading thought their notes until late evening commanded them to sleep. The sterile walls of those corridors fulfilled their role to perfection: a warning to all who ventured into the world of fierce competition that was believed to determine whether one would be successful or not in adult life. Juken was its name. The perilous gatekeeper that did not forgive weariness nor exhaustion. A vestige of the Old Days; of a country that was once called Japan. A test that appraised the knowledge of an entire life time; of an entire school life. And thus, the cause of much grief among those whose energy was being voluntarily drained by hours of restless study and nights haunted by lack of sleep...
"Usagi-chan, Usagi-chan..." called a young lady.
"Hotaru-chan..." mumbled the other, looking up to her friend from the depths of a troubled sleep. As she suddenly realized where she was, the girl straightened herself up trying to wash the visible fatigue off her face. "I slept again, didn't I? The first week of our Summer cram school and I'm already sleeping during class..."
Removing her glasses, Hotaru looked at her friend with a slight bit of concern. "That's because you haven't been sleeping enough lately. I know Diana has told you this already - sometimes is good to be bubbly like you used to be when we first met."
"I know it, but..."
"...but you want to attend the best universities like the King did. Certainly that's not the main reason for it. You met the Queen when she was young, and alas, wisdom and happiness are not entirely determined by how exhausted you become in order to get into university. I'm aiming for the best medical school, just like Mizuno-sama, and she has told me, just as she has told you, that there is no need to sacrifice yourself this much. Even the King, as serious as he might be, has told you not to work so hard."
The pink-haired girl remained silent.
"Usagi-chan, you know I don't like meddling in other people's lives, but you're my best friend. We have know each other for so long... I sense that you don't want to talk about the real why of you suddenly changing and deciding to study even more than Mizuno-sama or any of them. But promise you'll talk about if you need to?"
"I...I promise."
Hotaru stood up and got a hold on the pile of books resting by her desk, working her way towards the exit. "Bye, Usagi-chan. I need to go home today, so I can't walk with you to the palace. It's quite strange, you see... lately, I'm the one's who's been talking unusually much, and you're the one who's been unusually quiet..."
"Thanks, Hotaru-chan."
"Eh? Thanks?"
"You're the only one who doesn't call me either Princess, Small or Chibi..."
And each strode off into the city; school time was over. Albeit it would start again the next morning...
"Ceres, you do make the best tea in the Galaxy. Kino-sama sure is a good sensei." said Sailor Pallas, helping herself to another cup.
The warm breeze of an early Summer afternoon whistled a gentle melody while hustling through the blooming moon roses of the innumerable gardens the palace sheltered. If not for an occasional servant passing by, one could not guess the preparations for the great celebration of a triple birthday were still going on. Not a single trace of the previous days' chaos in sight. And if not for their fuku, one could not guess that group of merry guardians was in charge of Crystal Tokyo's security force...
"Ceres, Pallas! We're on duty here! This ain't supposed to be an afternoon tea party! Don't you agree, Vesta?" as she glared at her fellow senshi, she was shocked (and almost fell off her seat) to find Sailor Vesta sipping tea, carefree as any of the others.
"What?" asked Vesta, searching the gazebo for any odd creature creeping up behind her.
"Never mind..."
And they looked at Juno's frowned face; only to burst out laughing a second later.
"Oh, come on, don't take it so serious... It's like being on permanent vacation! All we do is help Kousagi and the kids train a little and help find missing people once in a while. Ah, It's the best job in the world." smiled Sailor Pallas.
"That's right. There's no need to worry this much, we haven't had a real fight since..."
They fell deadly silent. Memories of past sins hovering over their heads. Attempting to bring back the joy of moments before, Ceres said-
"Would anybody like some more tea?"
The chatting started again, although not as merry as it had the first time. Soon enough, they would be laughing carelessly, but not without a shadow stinging in the back of their minds... and alas, in the fashion of materialized myth, the shadow gained shape, sneaking through the pathways of the garden gale. Sailor Juno, getting a glimpse of this, did not hesitate -
"Stop it right there!" And as the figure took no notice of her talking, she stood up once more, "Amazon Hurling Spears!"
Furiously the beam of spears shot a hole through the trespasser's body. Coming into the sunlight, the stranger showed his face. The royal tailor, no less.
"Oh my! Juno, you just shot the King's new tuxedo!" exclaimed Sailor Ceres.
"The one he were to wear for the masquerade!" added Sailor Pallas.
A creaking sound warned them just in time to move, as the gazebo they had been in collapsed.
"In for killing tuxedos and gazebos today, ain't we?" giggled Vesta, with a half-hidden smile on her lips.
A desperate tailor on one side, a desperate senshi on the other. Not such a peaceful day after all.
"That's funny..." pondered Ceres, "I'm sure we should be somewhere else...And I'm sure it had something to do with the masquerade..."
"Where are they? Where-are-they?" yelled Hino, upset by somebody's delay.
Hikawa Jinja was quite welcoming that afternoon. The trees, the grass... everything seemed to be just in the right place. The temple itself had stopped in time. A refuge for those who still appreciated simple gifts from Mother Nature. Hino, for instance, had been in charge of her family's shrine for what would have been called "generations"; though such a term held very little meaning for the ones born under the protection of the new realm of light. For ages those four had not gathered around a table, such as did this day. And experience exposed a theory long forgotten- time does not change one's essence entirely...
"I can't believe this! They were supposed to meet us here hours ago! We'll never get this done!"
"Hino-chan, they are probably busy taking care of the palace..." said Mizuno, not truly believing her own words.
"Or maybe they decided they are not going to attend the masquerade or something." suggested Kino, not believing her own words either.
Hino, ever more angrier, couldn't think of a reason for their absence besides... "Irresponsible brats, that's what they are! Oh, it took me an entire week to get the royal tailor to come here so that we could try on our dresses for the ceremony, and what do you know - they simply forget about it!"
"Hino-chan... you know Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno didn't do it on purpose." declared Mizuno, trying to keep things under control.
Hino, calming down a bit, sighed, "I know, but this way, we'll never get the dresses ready in time. There's a lot of adjusting to do, and we're the guests of honor. We can't attend wearing our sailor fuku or ordinary everyday clothes. People would surely figure out who we are. Being close to Neo Queen Serenity and all."
"Well," replied Kino, "I can adjust the dresses for them, if we can't get the royal tailor to do it before the ball."
They remained quiet for a while, pondering whether they should be angry, furious or just forget about it. And the thought of the little princesses not being able to hide their identity like they were did not come to their conscious minds. Nor did the thought of their own daughters not caring about identities...
"I'm sure we'll manage to get the dresses ready in time." mourned Mizuno.
"I still think they are just too irresponsible! It takes time to adjust this kind of dress."
"Gee..." said Aino from a corner, "I guess this ain't a good time to say I wanted another dress instead of this one..."
The other three stared at her sharply, especially Hino, who was already over her head with that conversation...
Silence. Much in the fashion of the old tales from the Days when death and war forced humanity to embrace a desolating lack of whispers, laughs and music. But that was not the way life worked in this sacred fortress. The Crystal palace, overlooking the city, overlooking the world, would not let out a sigh for the past tragedies. Its inhabitants rather welcomed the silence, for that was the way of peace. No need for rebellions, no need for struggles, no poverty and nothing the earthlings would have to worry about for many a decade. The pure joy of exploring the full potential of one's existence... No need for gloominess most of all...
Wandering without a clear destination through the hallways of her so-called home, a lady passed by the gardens, striding off to the upper decks of the terrace. Was it possible that a mere sunset would rip it off her mind? Not the strength of ten mighty priests would wash him off her mind... Stomping onto a few servants on her way up; they who always apologized so promptly for her lack of attention...they who always readily bowed in respect for their princess; they who never complained if she left her books lying around. No need for gloominess most of all...
"Small Lady, dear, I've been looking for you."
She bowed slightly in respect, "I'm sorry, mother, did I forget to do anything this evening? I can't remember..."
Not Small anymore...not much of a lady for sure...and still, they insisted on calling her Small Lady.
Neo Queen Serenity glared at her daughter with some concern. Blending herself with the shadows... not a good way of maturing indeed. "Darling, I've received a holo-cube from princess Kakyuu in response for the invitation we placed. Would you like to come down to the office and see it?"
Not much of a question. Rather than that, an excuse for having a rough and private talk. She knew her mother well; kind as she might be, serious talks were a trace of the past Usagi time did not bother to erase; the inability to handle things straight to the point. Nevertheless, the young princess caught her cue and followed her mother till they reached a sealed door and stepped inside.
The Queen sat down near a crystal shiny desk, reaching into one of the drawers for the holo-cube. The young lady followed her example, and sat down next to her. In a few seconds, a perfect hologram of Princess Kakyuu was formed and it addressed them formally, "Neo Queen Serenity, King Endymion and all members of Earth's royal family, it is with great pleasure that I accept your invitation for the masquerade and coronation ceremony of Princess Small Lady Serenity. It is my wish to congratulate her for accepting such a responsibility. May the prosperity of your kingdom ensure that the universe remain peaceful for all eternity. My ship's arrival will be scheduled directly with the spaceport officers. My three faithful guardians will see to it and they are honored for being invited as well."
The hologram bowed and dimmed to nothingness. A polite response, but not altogether new for Queen nor the Princess sitting beside her. That was not the true purpose of being there.
After a pause, the Queen began to talk, "Small Lady, I am aware that we have not asked you anything before determining that this year's birthday celebration would also be your coronation ceremony, and I see now that it does not please y..."
"No, mother! I will go through all that is..."
"...needed like an obedient daughter. That matches your thoughts more accurately than anything you might have said. I know you don't like the idea of replacing me, and frankly I don't understand why. But your father and I are aging quickly. It does not look so because our appearances don't ever change, but we are. It is time that you learn how to take care of this planet by yourself. You will not be left alone; we're not dying just yet. But you need to take over while we are still here to help you... and help the one you chose to be King."
The princess' cheeks did not flush red as they would have a few hundred years back. Rather, they went pale at the thought of everlasting loneliness; for the one she once held dear, never again showed himself for his maiden...
"Mother, I don't complain about any of it, but what about the people? You know what they think of me..."
"They'll learn to respect and love you. That's all there is to it."
"Wouldn't Kousagi be a better Queen when she grows up?"
"Her mission in this world is different." Neo Queen Serenity remained quiet and stared out the window. "You grew up to resemble your father so much...", she smiled, "serious, studying so hard. But those dark circles framing your eyes tell me you haven't been listening to your father nor Diana. Save some energy for the masquerade."
The princess noticed the change in subjects, but said naught of it. No need for gloominess most of all... "I will".
"Trouble with the kids again, eh?" giggled Haruka, trying not to laugh out loud at the comic scenery.
A house standing alone in the evening, not far away from the crowded Crystal Tokyo. The one that had highlighted their new lives as a family after the great war. The one in which they raised baby Hotaru together and the one they still held as a special place for sharing thoughts and merry memories. The starry sky assured, by all means, that the situation was undoubtedly out of control. In charge of violin lessons for the youngsters, Michiru failed to keep little Kousagi awake and yelling did mot prevent Makoto, Minako and Rei from dozing off at times. Though Ami paid close attention to her sensei, she was an exception; a genetic trace, perhaps...
"Hey kids," shouted Haruka, "Why don't you go on to the kitchen and make supper before it's time to go home?"
An immediate change could be detected among the children, as if exposed to some obscure magic phrase.
"Can we make supper by ourselves?" exclaimed Makoto, "Mother never lets me mess around her kitchen at home."
"Food? Where? Where?", mumbled Kousagi, following the others into the kitchen.
"Oh, good time analyze some new recipes I read about." said Ami, a near mad scientist look upon her young face. Minako and Rei didn't seem too excited about it, though.
Not very long after they went into the kitchen, Michiru, still astonished by the sudden change, collapsed on the living room couch, next to Haruka, who caressed her face softly, but didn't manage to get the weariness off Michiru's shoulders.
Not so pleased with the thought five wild beasts alone with the task of preparing supper, Michiru exclaimed, "Ruka, you're cleaning their mess! I appreciate you getting them to actually do something, but cooking supper? By themselves? What were you thinking?"
"Who says I was thinking?"
They both smiled. If not for the doorbell, they would have remained in their little daydream till the house went on fire, or till the children openly started to cry for ruining their meal.
"I'll take it." stated Michiru, standing up and sliding the door open. "Hotaru-chan? Why ringing the doorbell? It's your home, so..." Michiru stopped, taking notice of the pile of books the girl was carrying. Of course there was not a possibility of Hotaru ever reaching the doorknob without dropping them. Elementary, she thought, much too obvious. "I was worried, you said you would be coming home right after class, and it's already evening."
"I..." Hotaru hesitated, blushing a little, uncomfortable with the situation, "I ran into a teacher on my way out, and we spent some time discussing which universities I should apply for..."
"Way to go Hotaru! Growing up, ain't ya?" provoked Haruka, coming up behind them.
Hotaru, cheeks flushing red, could not have felt more out of place. She was not used to this, and searched her memory, struggling to come across the proper words for a reply, though she voiced none.
"Ruka!", scorned Michiru, tossing a pillow on the other's head, "Don't embarrass her! Hotaru-chan, come, I'll help you carry your books to the study. And then we'll see that the housed doesn't burn down because of those five in the kitchen." She aimed an icy cold look towards Haruka, who just shrugged and laughed a little.
"What five?" asked Hotaru.
"Oh, Haruka just told Kousagi and her friends to cook supper... They were not very interested in their violin lessons. I'm glad they come here just twice each week. I would go insane otherwise. Especially Kousagi...I wander if it the ordinary maturing time among the Tsukino girls always revolve around a thousand years..."
The emptiness that's left…. Till love and fame to nothing do sink. No matter how many times one had been to this timeless void, they would never grow immune to feeling small and unimportant in face of the wide variety of worlds and dimensions that could be accessed from there. Where dusk and dawn lost all previous meaning and the gate that served as a reference for wanderers was the one light of hope assuring that life progressed, unaware of the passing of any being.
As a council, it seemed, a few of those beings gathered now in the nothingness of the time stream, and the echoes of their voices could be heard from miles afar, though distance was one of the many concepts that made no sense on this side of reality. They examined a dark spot under which the flow of eras was hurt and almost mourned. Four cats and two humans. Peculiar, one would say, most peculiar indeed...
"I understand this dimension has been gravely hurt, Sailor Pluto. Is it so?"
"Yes, King Endymion. A cross dimensional bridge was formed recently, and I detected a few minor abnormalities in the flow."
"That's strange..." remarked a black cat, walking up to them, "This has not happened once since our level of reality was wiped clean by the destruction of Chaos and the near ruin of the Galaxy Cauldron. Could it be the black Moon fellows rising again? Perhaps history repeating itself?"
"I don't think it so, Luna." , declared Artemis, sitting by her side, "If somebody had transcended ages then we would have a simple time bridge, not a cross-dimensional one. This is a first."
Luna, not knowing what to think, kept examining the dark spot among the mists. Next to their mother, Diana and her kitty sister Aurora. While Diana organized her thoughts about the current turn of events, her sister did not show visible signs of interest. She had not experienced the past as Diana had. In fact, although concerned that this might affect her maiden Kousagi somehow, Aurora was not preoccupied at the thought of danger approaching. She was eager to leave that boring council and meet the next generation of senshi for a pajama party of maybe just laughing until midnight. She could not have been more unlike her parents; her bright pink fur glowing in the void.
"Artemis' right, Luna." confirmed Sailor Pluto, "And what worries me is that I haven't been to track this bridge as to which dimension it was generated from. There is no foretelling who or what went or came through it."
"So this means we should call upon all the senshi and let them decide what to do?" asked Artemis.
"Not yet." replied King Endymion, "Let us not ruin the upcoming festivities while we are not sure whether to worry or not. We need to do further research of this matter before declaring an emergency. The world is not ready for a war after all these years of peace. It would not be wise to cause a massive panic among the people."
"But it wouldn't be wise to be caught by surprise either." stated Luna, coming out of her wondering, "With all the respect, King Endymion, surprise is what caused the Black Moon tragedies. Let us tell the queen about this, at least."
"Yes, I shall let her know of it." said the King, "Pluto, can you try and locate the source of this bridge again? I don't like it that we are blind against this... power, may it be friend or foe."
"I cannot." assured Pluto, "The equilibrium here is still very weak. Whoever created this passage knew that it would take me a lot of energy to detect its source. And such energy would be more than the time stream could handle. Thus, if I use the energy needed to locate the trespasser, reality itself may crumble. But this I know for certain: the one who came through that opening holds a good amount of power within its grasp. Cross-dimensional bridges are not easy to accomplish at all."
"Can't we eliminate a few possibilities?" interrupted Artemis, "Some dimensions are in friendly terms with us, and so they wouldn't create bridges without a warning."
"In this case, I'm afraid it won't be of much help." declared Pluto, "There are hundreds of parallel dimensions coexisting with our own."
"Could this be related to the strange events taking place lately?" asked Luna, "Minor ones such as some animals with an odd behavior and the increased tension among the people?"
Not giving room for the others to reply, Diana jumped out of her daydreaming and asked, with eyes that did not hide her worries and pleas, "Could this have something to do with Small Lady's strange behavior?"
They did not say a word, aware of the strong connection between the cat and her maiden. It was the King who first voiced their thoughts, "Perhaps, Diana, Perhaps."
And Aurora, Kousagi's guardian , while dozing off, did not catch much of anything the assembly had talked about. Except that maybe, just maybe, that meant Kousagi and her friends might have to fight soon... Could they truly succeed at a real war?
The princess' chambers glowed smoothly, bathed by the moonlight coming in through the high windows. The dim light covered the pale walls with dancing silhouettes, making electricity not needed, if not unwanted. The delicate bed, with its sheets flying rhythmically with the nightly wind, the skillfully carved dressing table... each object in that room seemed to have been made specially for its owner, and for her alone. Even that curious trinket that used to be the princess' favorite toy; the Luna-P ball, now stored away in some not often used closet. Fireflies rivaling the twinkling stars...
A faint warm steam covering the entire room in its mist. Along with it, the princess emerged from her private bathroom, not bothering to wrap herself in towels or robes... She swiftly walked to the great mirror hanging from a door, still refusing to welcome any light but that of the moon; having only her long hair for a cover. She stared blankly at her blurred reflection, and then, reaching out, cleared the surface of that looking glass. Slowly, though with cold scientific precision, she analyzed her body. A full-grown woman...And a gorgeous one according to humanity's standards. Tender skin, long slender legs... round breasts and a marvelous soft hair that ever so gently touched the floor when hanging loose as it was now... She stared at herself for many an hour, but she did not see herself in that reflection. Wasn't that what she had once dreamed of? Being an elegant Lady like her mother? Just like her mother...
"No.", she whispered, "This has to be a nightmare..."
"A nightmare?" spoke back the reflection, "Darling, reality is much worse than nightmares. After all, self pitying dreamers are not wanted in this world. And selfish filthy brats such as yourself are not wanted either. Oh, but you know that already, don't you?"
"I'm not selfish!" protested the princess, her eyes crimson red and filled with tears.
"You know you are. Everybody knows you are. You once almost got your own mother killed and for what? Because you were busy in dreamland playing with the queen's precious crystal. Shame on you."
"Stop it! Stop it!"
"You're not gonna cry, are you? Boo-hoo. You know what they say: once a screw up, always a screw up. And that fits you so well. You never cared about anything besides yourself! You tried to steal your own father from your past mother! You're just a shadow. You're nothing but a puppet! You know you'll never be half as good a queen as Neo Queen Serenity! Everybody knows it! They even thought you were adopted before that crescent on you forehead became permanent! You're not worth the floor you're stepping on!"
"That's not true!" the princess yelled, tears running loose, "I've changed! I've been working hard be as good a queen as there has ever been! Liar! LIAR!"
"Me? A liar? I can't lie, silly, because I am you. Don't shout so much or they might lock you up in an asylum. Oh, wouldn't that solve everything? Rooting in a dark abyss, running from it all. But you won't be that lucky. You deserve to pay for all the mess you ever caused. Studying twenty hours a day? Getting into university? You dare call that change? Ha! Spare me!"
"Stop it, please stop this." whispered the princess bending down to her knees.
"I can't, stupid. Because I don't exit. You're talking to yourself, remember? Going insane, shall I say? Yes, cry your soul out, why don't ya? Wouldn't that make it all easier?. Maybe if you died the people would respect you. But you're not doing it, are you? Such a coward... How can anybody respect a future queen that can't even recognize what a failure she is! Studying, getting book-smart! What a change! Ha ha ha! I must say, I admire that girl, Hotaru. How can she stand a creature like yourself? Want a change? A black mask would suit you better! Oh, but you have worn that already, haven't you? Black Lady. Yes, Chaos didn't erase time memories as she should have. Isn't that convenient, Black Lady?"
"NOOOOOOOO!" a stinging pain blurring the princess' vision.
"Now, about that prince charming of yours... no wonder not even a priest like him could stand you. Not even him! Ha ha ha!"
"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" screamed the princess, grabbing the first thing she laid her hands upon and throwing it at her enemy with all her strength. A bell. A bell and it rang.
It wasn't enough to break the mirror into pieces; though quite enough to break her clouded mind. A single crack deforming her image from top to bottom. Reaching out she ran her fingertips through it, a few drips of blood sliding to the carpet.
In a second explosion of rage, she got a hold on a pair of scissors lying by her cabinet and began chopping off great lumps of her own pink hair; till in the end, it resembled Hotaru's in length. She didn't care. Sneaking into her old jeans, she climbed down through the porch and ran into the night. Must never stop running, till death or else cut her out.
Little did she know of that bell being heard. But from the depths of those dungeons, there would be no answering her pleas. Nobody ever escaped dimensional dungeons. And the lush green fields of Elysion would soon turn black and if not aided, they would die...
Destiny; no longer a certainty. Lightning calling for a storm before the night's end. Before the end...
Continues on Part Two - Vale of Tears...