Chronicles of the Star Senshi 1: The Gathering

Title: Chronicles of the Star Senshi: The Gathering
Author: kazeko
Show: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Rating: PG13
Chapters: ?
Series: Chronicles of the Star Senshi
Multipart: yes
Couples: Usagi/Mamoru, Haruka/Michiru, Minako/Rei, Makoto/Ami, Setsuna/Ailan
Timeline: "A Child of Darkness and Light", "The Last Sacrifice: The End of the Silver Millennium", "CAS 1: The Trouble with Love", "CAS 2: To Defy Destiny", "Every Cloud", "Crystal Shards", "CAS 3: Unwilling Accomplice", "Our Past 1: The Reason We Fight", "CAS 4: Princess of Light", "Our Past 2: The Reason We Still Fight", "Our Past 3: The Reason We Fought", "CAS 5: One Last Shining Star", "In the Darkest Forest", "Destiny or Duty", "Desperately Searching", "Kazeko", "Chronicles of the Star Senshi", "Horoscope"
Time: Immediately after "Kazeko", seven years after the end of Stars
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Sailor Moon; Takeuchi Naoko does
Disclaimer 2: I own every Star Senshi except Ailan and all of the Cupids.

Author's Note: Be warned that my Japanese Religions class has inundated me with Buddhism so my fics are being influenced by Buddhism. This one focuses on souls, rebirth, and more mujoukan. Enjoy, please review.

Oh, and if you don't know about the song "See Me; Boku-tachi no Jidai", I encourage you to go to www (dot) destinedcouple (dot) com (slash) harshdomain , click on "Multimedia" then "Clips" and go down to "Haruka's Special" and watch the "See Me" clip. The song was sung by the Starlights in the First Stage of the Musicals and Takagi Nao did her version (so fabulous!) in the fankan after her last show (so sad...). Anyway, the song is perfect for her and Michiru, which is the point of it being included.

Chapter 4: Old Family
Usagi was examining the drawings the seven girls had made for her on the colored paper Mamoru kept in his apartment, the pictures far more advanced than a normal seven-year-old could manage. Aiko had used the red markers Usagi found in Mamoru's desk to draw a tiny model of her solar system, while the other six had drawn animals and plants from their home. The girls were all sleeping, curled up in the bed in the guest room Mamoru had furnished for Usagi. Seiya smiled at the pictures.

"They can sing, too."

The little blonde princess smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything else from your daughters, Seiya. Mother says that there's a great evil coming, something we can't see yet, and that the Gathering is to call together Star Senshi who can fight this evil. I can't tell you what having your daughters here will do for our cause, though they won't be old enough to fight for a while."

"If I remember what your friends told me, you were only fifteen when you first became Sailor Moon, and you never had a break."

"Haruka-san and Michiru-san were even younger," Usagi whispered. "But no one should have to fight so young. I'll protect them as long as possible."

Seiya rested a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "I know you will. Thank you. That reminds me—I have a present for you, Usagi." Seiya reached into her jacket and pulled out a small silver box, the silvery symbol of the moon on top. It was locked, and Usagi could sense that the lock was not merely physical.

"What is that? It's very old, Seiya . . . the ginzuishou is singing."

The call of the crystal roused the slumbering senshi. Ami, deep in conversation with Taiki, glanced up as her lover stirred, the brunette using Ami's lap as a pillow. Minako, sleeping soundly in Rei's strong arms as the miko and Yaten argued over some minor musical point, opened her blue eyes at the sound from the crystal, moving closer. Mamoru jerked himself awake, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes as he tried to focus on the beautiful sound. He had been leaning against the couch, and he turned to face Usagi. Haruka, who had taken her sleeping wife and daughters into Mamoru's other guest bedroom, glanced into the main room, unruly hair even worse than ever. Michiru followed her out, unable to sleep through the crystal's call, baby in her arms, sleepy Hotaru by her side. Setsuna, brewing some tea in the kitchen, glanced into the main room as Ailan slowly awoke, curled up in a chair in the corner.

The sound of a crash filled the apartment, and all eyes turned to Setsuna as the Senshi of Time approached the tiny box, ignoring the shattered teacup. Her wife stepped forward, purple eyes worried, as Setsuna touched the box. "The necklace," Setsuna whispered, red eyes glowing as her casual suit changed to an elegant black dress sparkling with gems in every color imaginable, Staff in hand, hair pulled back into an elaborate bun by jeweled silver chains, a crown on her head filled with black opals and garnets. The Senshi all stood, transforming instantly, as Hades's daughter stopped, staring at the box her daughter held. Usagi, having resisted the transformation, let herself change into Eternal Sailor Moon as Sailor StarFighter handed her the box and stepped away. Sailor Moonlight reached for Setsuna, hand mere inches from her wife, as Setsuna reached for the box.

"Wait," Moonlight whispered, her crystal covering her in a soft silvery glow. Sailor Moon stepped back, frightened, as Setsuna turned. "Setsuna . . . Se, tell me. What's in the box?"

"It's her necklace, Ailan. I thought I lost it long ago. Tranquility would never forgive me. I promised her to keep it forever."

"Her necklace? Whose necklace, Se? One of your friends?"

"She was more than that," Se whispered, unable to look away from the box. "The day I was born, Psyche gave birth to twins, Serenity and Tranquility, and the three of us were raised together. We were inseparable, until the day Ren told me that she had to set her spirit free to protect a future even I could not see. I . . . I didn't want her to go. She created the Holy Grail to call her spirit forth when her chosen vessel had been reborn, and the three of us hid it away, forging the three Talismans to keep it sealed away. In time, I gave the other two Talismans to my chil—to the princesses of Neptune and Uranus. As she died, she placed a seed of her soul into a necklace and told me that it would call her forth when she was needed, in conjunction with my soulmate, the Talismans, the Planet Crystals, the Grail, and the First Crystal. Every time the Silver Moonlight Crystal came forth, I looked for her, but Serenity has never returned. Sometime since the Silver Millennium, I lost her necklace, and I thought I had lost her forever."

Ailan detransformed and swallowed, her fear evident in her eyes. "You . . . you loved her, didn't you?" Se turned, garnet eyes wide, as Ailan wiped a tear off her cheek. "She must have been the goddess Serenity my line was named for. If she had never left, you would have married her, loved her, and never had to come looking for a replacement."

Se shook her head, the necklace forgotten as she stepped forward and embraced her wife. "No, Ailan, it's not like that. Yes, I loved her. I also loved Tranquility, First of the Cupids. We were closer than Usagi, Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako became over the years. We shared everything, children of the gods, and we knew that we were special. Different. Doomed to live alone. Tranquility could never find a partner among the gods because we were too involved with humans, too mortal, and none of our family could understand us. He married a mortal woman, taking her to the Cupid Alliance when she died. I waited for Serenity, prayed for her, wept for her, but I looked for my soulmate among those doomed to die. I knew, all along, that she and I were never meant to be as long as we were pure gods, but it took me thousands of years to realize it. I am not, any longer, thanks in part to the Pluto Powers, and at one time I wanted for her to be reborn as a mortal, a woman I could love."

"And now?"

"I lost her necklace, Ailan, when I lost you. I let it go. When you died, when I watched everything I had built and fought for and defended for so long crumble around me, I knew that I never wanted to rejoin the gods. I wanted to fix it, wait for the princesses of the Silver Millennium to be reborn and grow and love again. And somewhere, deep down, I said goodbye to Serenity because I realized that I only wanted you. She was just a dream, a sister from another life, a lover from the realm of the gods. You were my soulmate, and you still are. Yes, I love her, and if she had been reborn instead of you, I probably would be on Olympus with her now. But I could never be as happy as I am in your arms. You complete me, Ailan, in a way that she never could. I love you in ways that I never loved her."

Ailan stifled a sob as the other senshi wiped tears away, moved by Se's heart moving admission of love. The goddess kissed her wife, cradling her gently as if she might break. Pulling away, Ailan smiled. "That was beautiful. I was so afraid that you might leave me one day to return to the gods."

"I won't go back without you," Se whispered.

"What about the necklace, Mother?"

Se glanced at Usagi and turned back to her wife, smiling. "Do you want it, Ailan?"

"Her necklace?"

"It's very beautiful. I wore it for thousands of years. She was the mother of your line and you are, technically, her namesake. I think it would be appropriate. Come see it."

Usagi, smiling kindly, handed Se the tiny box, glancing around at her Senshi, the trio from Kinmokusei, and Tuxedo Kamen. Se tightened her fingers around her staff and watched as it shrunk, quickly reaching the size of a normal key. "The Staff . . ."

"Yes, Rei-san. The Garnet Orb is one of the Talismans, but the staff was the key to the box Serenity gave me to keep her necklace. I use it to battle because it is strong and old, powered by our love and friendship, the three of us, inseparable." She slipped the key into the lock and turned it, opening the pearlescent box. Inside was a delicate silver chain holding a beautiful silvery white opal, its flecks sparkling in every color of the rainbow. Se carefully lifted it, placing the box down as her staff grew to normal proportions, and held the necklace up for all of the senshi to see. Neptune sighed at its magnificence, and Uranus wrapped an arm around her wife and Saturn as they watched. Se held the necklace out to Ailan, who smiled as she pulled her hair up. Reaching forward, Setsuna clasped the silver chain.

Silver light exploded from the gem, an unearthly song filling the room as the ginzuishou began to glow, each of the Planet Crystals following its lead. The three Talismans flew into a triangle around Sailor Moon, their power flying forth as it had that day so long ago in the Marine Cathedral, the Holy Grail once again appearing above the princess's head. She had not used it in so long that it had grown dormant, bonding with her Star Seed and lending her its power only when she was in the most need and could not fight on her own, but now it shone free, its glow lighting the room. The Grail directed its power at Ailan, a single white beam penetrating the silver glow around her, and all sound ceased, the Grail vanishing once more, the Talismans returning to their owners, the Planet Crystals and ginzuishou silent. The silver glow around Ailan faded.

She was dressed in silver, flowing silk pooling around her feet, her long silver hair freed from its braid and trapped by a web of gem-encrusted silver chains, flowing in a waterfall of loose curls down her back. And she had wings. That was the first thing her daughter noticed. Ailan had a pair of silver-tinted white wings folded neatly along her spine, as if they had always been there. She looked up slowly, grace and elegance marking every motion, raising each hand to her face, amazement in her purple-silver eyes. She touched the smooth stone of her necklace, glancing up at Se. "I . . . what happened? Se, I don't feel very good."

"Serenity?"

"Of course. What's wrong with you, Se?"

Se stepped forward, unable to believe her eyes. Usagi touched Setsuna's arm and pulled her mother back. "Is she . . . Setsuna-san . . ."

"Serenity, you died. How did you . . ."

"Se? I remember . . . I remember splitting my soul. The Grail, the Talismans, and the necklace. It could only be activated by the wielder of the Moonlight Crystal. I can . . . I can hear . . . there's someone here, a part of me."

"Your descendant, former Queen of the Moon Serenity. My soulmate and wife, Ailan."

"Mother of your children," Serenity whispered, one hand on her belly. "Why am I here? I must have a purpose in this body." She closed her eyes, the silver glow around her increasing as the Silver Moonlight Crystal emerged from its locket and flickered in a worried pattern. Serenity nodded and opened her wings, her silver power dispersing. A soft humming song filled the air as the Senshi moved closer to Setsuna and Serenity, absorbing the power vibe the goddesses gave off in exchange for protection from whatever was making that song. A beautiful smile lit Serenity's face as the song reached its crescendo.

A brilliant light filled the large apartment, fading to reveal a beautiful flower-filled field, gentle breeze caressing the Senshi who were no longer sure what was going on, and a group of strangers standing not far away. They recognized Hades, the black robes he wore to impress humans gone, replaced by rusty red and festive gold, his wife wearing scarlet covered in golden chains of sparkling jewels. The rest of the gods were similarly attired, silk and gems adding to the elegance of the natural world, and Se fit in perfectly. She stepped forward, smiling, as her parents approached the group.

"Se? Why are you here? And why did you bring the senshi?"

"I didn't, Father. Somebody else did. Have you seen Tranquility lately?"

"Not in the last few millennia. He vanished when the Silver Millennium fell, you know. Psyche, Eros? Do you know where your son is?"

The winged gods stepped forward, Psyche in blues and lavenders, Eros in his favorite gold and white, quiver and bow on his back as always. "We don't know where our son is, Hades," Psyche admitted. "He hasn't spoken to us since the Silver Millennium. He said he might return if Serenity ever turns up. Se, I would think that he would contact you first, if anybody. You three were the closest of friends."

"Mother?"

The Senshi stepped back at the voice, revealing Serenity/Ailan to the gods. Psyche stifled a sob as her only daughter jumped into her arms, wings curled open, tears on both women's cheeks. Eros embraced the pair as Hades stared at his daughter, amazement in his red eyes. "Se? You knew? This is . . . this is Ailan, carrier of the Silver Moonlight Crystal. She must have been chosen because of Serenity's soul bound to hers."

"The Royal Line had become too weak," Se whispered, watching the family reunion as the other Gods moved forward to welcome their lost daughter back. "Just like long ago, when the Crystals killed their carriers, before we infused the god blood in the Lines, there was no longer enough power in the sole Moon daughter, Usagi Serenity, to wield the crystal. Serenity told me that she would wait for such a day to return to the world, though I didn't remember until recently. It was her soul that Eurynome called, and the Crystal bound to Ailan's purity and innocence, letting Serenity control the power. Neither of them could truly be Sailor Moonlight, but together they are and always can be."

"They're bonded? Se, no god has ever bonded with a mortal."

"Ailan's not mortal, Father. Besides, now I have my best friend and my soulmate in the same body. I couldn't be happier."

Persephone nodded, kissing her daughter's forehead, watching as Hades's mark glowed garnet on the senshi's smooth skin. "I can see that. If only Tranquility would return. We can call the Cupids, though, to meet their princess. They have waited for her birth as long as you."

Se nodded and raised her hand, sending a Summons that no Lesser God could resist. Dozens of red-gold clad godling Cupids appeared, followed by more of their rank and literally hundreds of white-clad Cupids, the sashes on their shoulders distinguishing them from one another. Urakaze, Leader of the Greater Cupid Council, glanced at Aphrodite, then Se, eyes widening. The daughter of Hades had not been seen on Olympus in a very long time. Then he spotted the silver-winged woman standing with Psyche, and he hit one knee, tears in his eyes. "Princess," he whispered, his awed voice silencing the gods. The Senshi stared on, unable to form a coherent thought as they waited for the next move. "You have returned to us."

"Cupids," Serenity whispered, the silver in her eyes vanishing beneath the purple as her soul created a balance with Ailan's. "I remember you from the Silver Millennium. The Flightless Cupids and the Cult of the Broken Wing. You're too young to have been a member of that group, though. Certainly the Cult died when the Silver Millennium fell."

"It did. Cupids were later chosen by unconscious merit, not by worshipping the Princess to Come and following the Winged Prince Cupid number 1 Alpha. I was born to be a Cupid, though the others were mostly simple humans. There are no Cupids left from the Silver Millennium, and most of the godlings have vanished, not seen on any plane since the Great Tragedy. Many of them went mad, as we expect the Winged Prince did. There is one left, my father, who is a descendant of the Winged Prince. Cupid number 79 Alpha can speak to you, Princess Serenity, if you wish."

"I do. Call him."

Urakaze closed his eyes, Asakaze and Rikuriko echoing his actions as the three Godlings called the oldest serving Cupid, Cupid #79 Alpha, known to his wife and son as Kiyoshi.

Serenity looked up as the gray-haired, ragged-winged Cupid appeared, his blue eyes as sharp and young as always. "Yes, Urakaze-kun?"

The Cupid stood and glanced at Serenity, a joy in his soft blue eyes that rarely shone through his calm exterior. "Father, there's someone here who wants to speak to you." He pointed, and Kiyoshi turned around.

The old Cupid fell to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks as he reached out and touched Serenity/Ailan's skirt. "Serenity," he whispered, his body shimmering as his wings straightened and the feathers smoothed out, returning to their younger shape, a gold tint to his silky appendages. His grey hair curled and lengthened, changing to pure gold as it fell in a waterfall down his back, his blue eyes changing to gold. A gasp of purest shock filled the god crowd, the Senshi exchanging confused glances as Se also stepped forward. Serenity smiled as the man pulled her into his arms, tears on both cheeks. "I missed you, sister."

"Tranquility," Urakaze whispered. "Cupid #1 Alpha, the Winged Prince. Father?"

"I changed my name after the Silver Millennium fell," Tranquility whispered, pulling away from his sister. "I had to. And I changed my appearance, as well." He turned back to the silver woman, smiling. "And now you are back, dear sister. You, Se, and I will be the closest of friends, living here on Olympus as we were meant to when we were born so long ago. Everything will be as it was back then."

Usagi, finally able to grasp the situation, stepped forward, tears in her blue eyes. "Se? Mother? Are you really going?"

Ailan/Serenity and Setsuna/Se looked at their daughter, the only bond they truly shared, and Ailan placed a hand on her belly. "Tranquility, I can never return. We can never return."

"Ren? Se? You can't be serious!"

"We are, Tran," Se whispered, letting her dress change into her Sailor fuku. "I'm Sailor Pluto, Meiou Setsuna, wife of Hikarino Ailan, mother of Tsukino Usagi and soon two more beautiful daughters. I was born a god, but I choose to live a mortal. I love Earth and the people of it and I choose to return to them, to my daughter, to my life, and to who I am." She turned to Sailor Moon and smiled, embracing her daughter. "I'll visit again when my daughter becomes queen."

Serenity took her brother's hands in hers, smiling sadly. "Tran, I love you so much, but I am not your sister anymore. Well, I'm not just your sister. I'm Ailan now. She and I are one, and she loves her daughter and Setsuna very much. I love Se, and she's a very different person now than when I died. Serenity, your Serenity, the one you loved, the one you worshiped for so long, the one you created a cult to call back to life, no longer exists. I am not her, she cannot ever return."

Tranquility shook his head, gold-tinged wings flaring. "Serenity! That can't be true! After all I did, all I sacrificed . . . the Silver Millennium . . . you can't leave now! I only just found you!"

"I have to go, Tran. I love Setsuna, and she lives on Earth. I'm going back. That doesn't mean that you can never visit or that I won't come here once in a while, but Earth is my home, little brother. And it always will be." She reached out and took Pluto's hand, smiling at the other woman as Serenity let her wings fade, eyes returning to their former purple shade, dress changing back into her Sailor fuku, silver hair losing the gems and regaining the intricate braids. Ailan smiled at her wife as they rejoined the senshi, bowing to the gods. "Forgive us for disturbing your lives. Tranquility, I love you, but I love Setsuna, too, and I want to be with her. You feel the same way about Yuriko, I know you do. Please live a happy life and I will see you again as soon as possible." The thirteen women and Tuxedo Kamen faded, and Tranquility turned to his parents.

"Why can't she stay?"

"She has another life now," Psyche whispered. "I'm happy for her."

"We have presents for the rest of you, too," Seiya announced, grinning at Ailan. "We were getting ready to hand them out before our little trip to Olympus. I had no idea that necklace had such power; I suppose that when it was let loose in the time stream it landed on Kinmokusei in the distant past and became sort of an heirloom for the queens. I have no idea how she knew . . . but that is behind us. The necklace is with its true owner now, and we are glad to have helped our friends. When the Star Senshi are called, Princess, do not forget your allies on Kinmokusei. This time, we will answer the same call and fight with you against the same enemy."

"Thank you," Usagi whispered. "Your help is always appreciated."

"Seiya! Give them the papers already!" Yaten rolled her eyes and glared at her black-haired sister as Taiki laughed.

Seiya pulled out a folder of papers and smiled as she bowed and handed it to Usagi. "It's the only present we ever really had to give, Princess. We wrote a lot of sings when we were here seven years ago, though we only sang a few. Some of them are just music with half-formed lyrics and some are just lyrics, ideas, without any music. A lot of them are finished, and I thought that the bunch of you would get more enjoyment out of them than we do. I know you can all sing beautifully, and some of the finished songs were written specifically for one or two of you. We also have one . . ." Seiya reached out and turned to the back of the notebook ". . . that we heard Haruka-san playing on her piano one day. I wrote it down, but I have no ideas what the words are."

"Let me see," Michiru murmured, carefully handing her sleeping daughter to her wife. Haruka grumbled as she held Kazeko, slyly smiling at the baby as Michiru showed her the sheet music. "I think . . . let me think about this, Ruka. It looks like that song you played for me so long ago. What was it called?"

"Kaze ni Naritai," Haruka whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "That was the last song we played together before the Silver Millennium fell. I was trying to write a second verse when you three were here last. I never wrote any music for it . . ."

"There's another song, Haruka-san; one we wrote with you and Michiru-san in mind."

Haruka snorted at Seiya's words. "One you wrote," she chuckled. "Show me."

Michiru took Kazeko as Haruka took the paper, watching as her wife's emerald eyes widened. "Do you like it?"

"It's perfect," she whispered, glancing at the title. "See Me, Boku-tachi no Jidai." She folded the paper and slipped in her pocket. "I've gotta take a look at this."

Seiya smiled. "I'm glad you like that one, Haruka-san. However, Princess Kakyuu is expecting us soon, so we need to leave. This visit has been wonderful and very odd, to say the least. Princess, Senshi of this system, Prince, we must be on our way."

Usagi placed the folder down and stepped forward, embracing each of the three women in turn. "I would tell you to go say goodnight to your daughters, but they're asleep already and I wouldn't want to wake them. We will take good care of them."

"I know."

Mamoru reached out and shook each of the women's hands, smiling. He hadn't really known them as men, so he had no trouble adjusting to them as women. "I'm glad you came back for a visit. After we build Crystal Tokyo, all of you are invited to our wedding. I hope you will all come."

"Of course we will. I can't wait for Odango to get married." Usagi ignored Seiya's last comment.

Ami reached out and took Taiki's hand, shyly embracing the taller woman. "I do miss having you to argue with, Taiki-san. Feel free to visit whenever, and please feel free to bring any information from your homeworld." She touched the tiny chip in her pocket that Taiki had altered to interface with the Mercury computer, knowing that it contained star charts and information on planets that would take her months or years to fully decipher. She couldn't wait.

Makoto, not in a particularly feminine mood, reached out and patted Taiki on the back, following with Yaten and Seiya. "You three might have been a pain in our collective Senshi asses when you were last here, but now that you come as friends, I'm glad to have you."

"The same goes for me," Rei added, stepped forward. "And I never got a chance to thank you for sticking by our princess in the end so long ago. I was afraid that I would never have the chance and now I'm glad that I do."

"You're welcome," Seiya whispered.

Minako, no longer the squealing youth of old, smiled as Yaten hugged her, kissing her forehead. "You've done well for yourself, Minako-san. I think you're happier now than you ever could have been as a simple idol. If you ever give a concert, though, try not to forget me. You have more talent than I do, Goddess of Love."

Minako blushed. "Thank you, Yaten-kun."

Hotaru was already asleep, exhausted from the late evening and the trip to Olympus. Setsuna has taken the youngest senshi to the bed Michiru and Kazeko had been using earlier. The daughter of Hades herself and her wife were in the kitchen, talking and baking something for the children to eat as snacks. They had already wished the three sisters good luck. Michiru was next, smiling at Seiya as she bowed slightly. "You three were always perfect gentlemen to me, except when you were Senshi. Even then, you were loyal and true, protecting Usagi-chan when even we could not. And for that I thank you. And for the music, as well. They ought to be fun to play."

Haruka was last, reached out and shaking Seiya's hand. "You three were great friends during that short period of time when we weren't fighting. I am grateful to you for what you all did for our princess, and I would be glad to see you at her wedding in the future. Just one thing, though."

"What's that, Haruka-san?"

"Keep your hands off my wife." There was a tense moment as the two senshi stared at each other, then Haruka's glare melted into a smile and Seiya laughed.

"I'll remember that, Haruka-san. Promise. I hope you'll help raise our daughters. They need a role model like you."

Haruka grinned and bowed. "Don't be strangers."

"Never." Seiya led her sisters to the balcony and all turned to bow.

"Thank you for having us," they called, fading into three streaks of colored lights heading back to Kinmokusei. Usagi smiled and glanced at her senshi.

"You might as well stay here tonight. Let me go get the extra futons. Mamo-chan, you and I will sleep with the girls, Setsuna-san and Ailan can sleep in the room with Haruka-tachi, and the rest of you can sleep two on the couch and two on a futon. Let's go to bed and worry about all of this in the morning."

TBC