Disclaimer - We all know that Sailor Moon and all related characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I claim none of them, but thank her for their use. All incidental characters are mine, but if you feel the desire to use them please feel free. I'll just disavow anything I don't like, hahaha… - Raya
Serenity's Light
Queen Serenity, the ruler of the system wide empire known as the Silver Millennium, stared at the holographic map in the center of the conference room table with a frown. She stood and leaned in for a closer look as she and her councilors listened as the Lord of Defense wrapped up his report on the activity of their unknown assailant.
"And that's it, Majesty," Lord Scylla of Mars said as he pressed a button in front of him. The map, which had been animated, froze. Within its sphere, Sol and the planets hung motionless. Several small red dots speckled the faces of the inner planets and a few of the larger asteroids.
"Let me get this straight, Scylla," Lady Mare of Neptune said with a frown as she leaned back in her chair. "This group has attacked at least three holy sites, several power generation facilities, a few mining fields, and the castle of Venus. And we still don't know who they are or what they want?" Her aqua eyes studied the Defense Minister's stoic face a moment. "I thought your men were better than that…" Lord Scylla's black eyes flashed and his face tightened, but he bit back any response that tried to creep out.
"This enemy…" Queen Serenity said softly, almost reflectively. "… is strong. And quick. But what would they want with such targets? The only two of any real strategic value are the Shrine of Ares on Mars and Magellan Castle of Venus. The rest are small, unimportant places. It's almost as if…"
"As if?" Lord Vulcan of Venus prompted softly as her voice trailed off.
"As if… They were looking for something," the queen said as she straightened up and raised her head to look around the table. Her silver eyes met each of her eight councilors, gauging their reaction. Lord Scylla and Lord Vulcan nodded as if the thought had already occurred to them. Lady Mare lifted a dark eyebrow, while Lord Thor of Jupiter, Lady Aries of Uranus, Lady Shin of Saturn, and Lady Nut of Pluto looked thoughtful. Lord Apollo of Mercury frowned as he typed an inquiry into the computer. "Something old…" she continued as she turned her eyes to look at her copper headed Lord of Information and Education.
"My thinking exactly, Majesty," Lord Apollo replied. Suddenly, a series of white lights appeared in the hologram. Each of the red dots lined up with or came very close to a white dot. Lord Apollo nodded sharply. "These are all locations of ancient battles, primarily from the Hsien War several millennia ago." The nine lords and ladies studied the dots thoughtfully. "I think…" Lord Apollo continued, and then paused as if considering his words carefully. "I think they are looking for a weapon."
"What weapon?" Lord Thor challenged. "Spit it out, Apollo. If you think you know what they're looking for, tell us. Don't hem and haw about it."
Lord Apollo grimaced, but before he could respond a distraught young man dressed in a military uniform entered the Council Room. "My Lady…" the young man said, his fair face alternately flushing and paling. "My Lady…"
"Captain Acern," Lord Scylla said bracingly as he felt his stomach clench. "Get a hold of yourself. Take a deep breath. Now another."
Gratefully, the young man turned to face his superior officer and focused on trying to breathe normally, not in the deep gulps he had been taking. His eyes kept sliding to the Queen and away again, and the Councilors noticed that he was trembling very badly. "Now," Lord Scylla said a few moments later as he seemed to regain a little of his composure. "What has you barging in on a Council Meeting unannounced?"
Captain Acern looked at his commander with haunted green eyes for a moment, then closed them, and took a very deep breath. Turning, he bowed to his Queen and began to speak rapidly. "My Lady, Prince Helios' shuttle has been attacked. All aboard are thought to be… to be…" He risked a look up at the Queen, and his voice faltered at her extremely pale complexion. Quickly, he looked back at the floor and blurted out the rest. "Life signs are faint and are failing fast. A rescue team has been dispatched. We should have more definite information in the next hour." Trembling, the young man bowed again, turned, and fled from the room.
"Serenity?" Lady Aries asked quietly. They watched as their Queen slowly sank back into her chair looking faint, sick, and disbelieving.
"Helios? But, he went to pick up Aurora and Little Serenity… We were going to have her Blessing next week, when Aurora might feel up to all of the standing required." She turned a lost, empty look towards Lady Aries as her blue haired friend walked slowly around the table to stand beside her. "It's only been a week since she gave birth, after all, but she insists that she'll be able to do it by that time. Helios was worried about her and their little girl traveling so soon, especially since that attack on Magellan Castle triggered her labor a little early, but you know how Aurora can be... And she insists that the ceremony be held on Moon, not on Venus. He went to pick them up…" Her voice faded. Gently, Lady Aries put a comforting hand on her shoulder as she began to shake her head slowly and to tremble. "The Blessing is next week…"
Lady Shin walked around the table and held a hand out to her Queen. "Come, Majesty," she said softly, but sternly. "Let's go to Central Command. They'll have the latest news there." She waited patiently as the Queen slowly processed the gentle order. All around her, the remaining Councilors rose automatically and waited in a state of shock. "Come," she commanded again. Finally, Queen Serenity lifted a shaky hand and placed it in Lady Shin's steady waiting one.
"Fah! What's that horrid stench?" a private complained as he picked his space-suited way through the gory shuttle. All around him, bits and pieces of flesh, pools of black and green sticky, unknown liquids, and dismembered bodies lay strewn on the roof, seats, and portholes of the shuttle.
"It's whatever that pink stuff is, I think," the sergeant replied in a taut voice that spoke of tight control. "Watch out! Don't step in something you don't recognize, you vacuumbrain!" he scolded another private. "Who knows what caused this carnage! You could be setting yourself up to be like them!"
The first private shuddered and swallowed hard as he passed the third row of seats. Quickly, he focused all of his attention on his scanner and began to play with its sensitivity. "I think… I think I found Princess Aurora," he said softly. "It… was… a woman in a dress decorated with sun crystals, at any rate."
A corporal looked curiously over the seat, and then spun around quickly. Her face was very green.
"Reiner, you loose it, you have to smell it all the way home," the sergeant warned as the corporal swallowed rapidly and squeezed her eyes shut. He tightened his jaw and ground his teeth together as he took a quick look. A quick look was all he ever wanted to see. He turned and made his way towards the cockpit.
"Yeah… That was probably her," he said slowly when he felt he could keep his stomach down.
"This was probably Prince Helios' secretary," another corporal said in a sick sounding voice from a few rows back. "And I think that might have been a nanny or a maid…"
"No sign of Prince Helios, though," the first private said, his eyes still fixed on his scanner.
"What of Princess Serenity?" the sergeant asked as he typed the password into the key pad. He frowned as it beeped at him and flashed a red negative sign.
"No signs yet," the private replied as the sergeant tried another code. The door beeped again, and the private carefully turned his attention towards it. "Here, Serge, let me." He made his way forward and began to type rapidly.
"Maybe… Surely she would… Be with her mother…" Corporal Reiner choked out, still looking very green. Everyone in the shuttle froze at that thought.
The sergeant looked around the shuttle, but his team found themselves suddenly very interested in the pools of liquid or bits of flesh. They looked anywhere and everywhere but at their leader and the third row of seats. He shuddered, then closed his eyes, and steeled himself. Just as he took a step towards the remains, the private by the door spoke up.
"If she is… She's dead. The only traces of life signs are coming from in here, and they are very faint."
The sergeant breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and turned to study the bulkhead as the private continued to try and reprogram the door. He frowned, and then called over his shoulder. "Corporal Zeit, did you get this?"
"Get what, Sergeant?" the corporal responded warily turning towards away from the remains of the secretary and towards the front of the shuttle. He frowned as he saw the markings the sergeant had noted. "Strange… Scoring, scorch marks, and… Are those holes, Sergeant?" Quickly, he raised the camera and began to record as the sergeant nodded. Corporal Zeit whistled in amazement. "I didn't think anything could mark a bulkhead like that! These guys were lucky whatever did that didn't get the sides or one of the portholes. The decompression might have done their work for them!"
"Got it!" the first private said as the door finally gave a higher sounding beep and began to slide open. He glared at it as it jammed after only opening a quarter of the way. Putting his scanner away, he turned and put his shoulder to it. "Stupid… Excuse… Of a… Chunk of… Metal!" he grunted as he wedged it open a little further. He paused and rubbed his shoulder after he got it half open, being very careful not to look into the room beyond.
The sergeant steeled himself and stepped forward to look over the private's shoulder. He stood and stared at the carnage inside the cockpit. An occasional electrical spark zapped and added a little additional light to the bloody scene.
"Sergeant?" Corporal Zeit called uncertainly when the soldier did not move for several long moments.
"It appears the Prince… Took his enemy with him," the sergeant said slowly as he looked at the burned, blood-splattered bodies of the golden haired prince and the strange, lizard-like adversary that he had apparently decapitated. "Zeit, get over here and record this," he ordered abruptly. "Don't miss a thing. The Queen will want to know… how well her beloved brother accounted for himself."
Gulping, Corporal Zeit nodded and made his way to the door. He gasped at the strange, bloody sight. He recorded what he could through the doorway, and then slowly made his way into the room. A few minutes later, he called out. "Hey, Sergeant? Something's strange here."
"This whole blo… blessed thing is strange," the sergeant grumbled, shying away from the more descriptive word. There was enough blood around without adding to it with language. "Now what?" He stepped cautiously into the cockpit.
"Look there," Corporal Zeit said as he pointed back towards the bulkhead. "Those score marks… They're a different size and shape than the claws on that creature the Prince took out."
"So?" the sergeant asked giving him a steady, patient look. "They were probably formed by magical blasts of some sort."
Corporal Zeit shook his head as he reached out to touch one. "No, look at the gouging. Magical blast would burn evenly. These have thicker ridges on the outer edges. More like something hot was used to cut them. And that spray pattern over there… Almost like something was blasted away from…" The corporal turned to look towards a small cubby hole on the outer wall of the ship originally designed to hold documents. His eyes widened when he saw a small sparkle and a bit of pink cloth. "There! Is that?..."
The sergeant spun to see what he was pointing to, and then quickly strode forward. His eyes widened, and he gasped in shock when he saw a tiny newborn tucked into the cubby hole. Wedged in her blankets, just barely visible, was a clear crystal of some sort. "Princess Serenity!" he whispered almost afraid to hope. "Princess…" he called a little louder. As he reached out, afraid to find that she, too, was dead, he saw her arm twitch, and then her fingers. "MEDIC!" he yelled as he snatched her up.
"The creature was some sort of magical construct," Lord Scylla said as he stood beside Queen Serenity in the infirmary. Their eyes were glued to the still little baby enclosed in a healing capsule. A breathing tube was taped to her face and a spray of medicine and nutrient fluid was directed over her entire body. "We are still analyzing the various non-human fluids and such found in the shuttle, but preliminary results indicate that they were held together by magic as well. Apollo is reviewing the tapes with the reconstruction team to see if he can come up with a timeline, but it appears that they were attacked about halfway back to the Moon. The creatures just appeared in the rear of the passenger compartment and began to make their way forward. Somehow, the Prince must have dashed into the cockpit with the little princess."
He waited patiently for the words to make their way through Queen Serenity's exhaustion, worry, and pain. "And… Aurora?" she finally asked quietly.
Lord Scylla shook his head. "We can't tell from the remaining recordings. But…" He paused a moment, uncertain if she was ready to hear the next statement. Finally, he went on. "It appears that she was the one most… violently attacked. Apollo thinks she may have been trying to act as a decoy."
"Decoy?" Queen Serenity asked, finally tearing her eyes away from her unmoving little niece. "Why decoy?"
Lord Scylla sighed. "The creatures were demanding that they turn over a crystal. Apparently, they thought that Princess Aurora was hiding it, and she was doing her best to make them believe that."
"Crystal?" she asked narrowing her eyes curiously. "What crystal? Why would they want a particular crystal?" As she watched Lord Scylla reach into a pocket, she continued, starting to think for the first time in about 24 hours. "Is it a power source for something? A key?"
"Apollo thinks it might be a weapon," he said softly as he pulled a sparkling crystal out of his pocket and held it out to her. Queen Serenity's eyes widened as she got a good look at it. "This was hiding in Princess Serenity's blankets. Sergeant Thule and Corporal Zeit believe that it somehow defeated one of the constructs and saved the Princess' life."
"That… That can't be…" she whispered as she reached out to take the crystal from him. As soon as she touched it, the stone began to glow brightly. A soft halo of prismatic rainbows surrounded it, and it began to sparkle even more.
Lord Scylla nodded wide-eyed as he watched the change in the stone. "Apollo thinks that it is the mythical Imperial Silver Crystal. And it looks like he might just be right…"
"But… How did little Serenity get it? Where did Helios or Aurora find it? It's been lost since the Hsien Wars!" Queen Serenity exclaimed softly as she looked up into her councilor's black eyes. He had no answer for her.
Suddenly, a loud tone came from the capsule. With a gasp, the two talkers turned quickly to look at the readouts. "No…." the queen choked as all life signs went to zero. "Serenity, don't! Don't die on me. Please!"
Gently, but bruskly, she was pushed into Lord Scylla who drew her out of the way. Several doctors and nurses surrounded the capsule and began to fight to revive the little girl.
A few minutes later, the lead doctor turned away from the capsule with a sigh and made her weary way over to her Queen. "We got her back," she reported. Her green head shook sympathetically as she saw the light of relief in the queen's silver eyes. "Majesty, we're trying our best, but… We might loose her. The Princess has been so drained of energy and nutrients that I'm surprised that she has lasted as long as she has. Her odds of survival are very small. Her chances of making it through this without serious damage are even less." She laid a comforting hand on the Queen's arm as the light in her eyes died down. Helplessly, unable to bear to look on her face, the doctor spoke again. "Don't give up hope! Just…"
After a moment of silence, the doctor sighed again and withdrew her hand. "I just want you to be prepared," she said softly as she finally turned away.
"Thank you, Doctor Athene," Queen Serenity said just as softly. "I know that you and your team are trying to make a miracle here."
The doctor nodded her head in acknowledgement, and quietly walked back to her office. Slowly, the specialized team of doctors and nurses returned to their other duties, leaving the queen and Lord Scylla alone with the baby once more.
"Majesty," Lord Scylla said looking concerned. "You need to eat and rest. Come, I'll walk you back to your chambers."
The queen shook her head, long twin fountains of white hair swaying with the movement. "Just a few more minutes, Scylla," she said softly as she laid a gentle hand on the cover of the capsule. "I just want to make sure she's all right." When he stood there several more moments silently reprimanding her, she turned and gave him a faint, tired smile. "I promise. I'll eat. I'll rest. But I have to be sure she's all right…"
Slowly, still not quite believing her, he nodded, then bowed and left the room. As the door closed, he heard his queen begin to sing a soft lullaby to her niece and heir.
"Here," Lady Aries said as she thrust a glass of glowing orange liquid at the queen. "Drink this." Her sky blue eyes scanned the readings on the healing capsule and noted that they seemed worse instead of better. "Serenity…" she said warningly when she realized that she had been ignored. "If you don't drink this, I'll find another way to get it into you, and you will probably not enjoy it…"
With an irritable sigh, her friend accepted the glass and began to sip its contents. "I hate kimman juice, you know that," she complained with an expression of distaste. She began to discretely set the glass aside, and then froze and reluctantly drew it back to her as she saw the expression in her friend's eyes.
"If you would eat properly or drink something besides weak tea and energy boosters, I would get you something else. But you need nutrients, and that is the best way to get them into you. Now drink!" Lady Aries commanded. Both women remained silent for the next few minutes, listening to the beeps of the monitors as the queen forced herself to drink the juice.
"I hear you are planning to officially adopt her," the blue haired representative of Uranus said abruptly and softly.
Queen Serenity nodded, and set her empty glass aside. "She is the only family I have left, and I don't want her to die alone. Not that she will die," she added hurriedly keeping her eyes stubbornly away from the readouts. "She's just in a coma. But, I don't want her to feel alone. And I don't want Princess Bonni to take her back to Venus. Serenity may be her granddaughter, but she's my heir!"
Lady Aries sighed softly, and then smiled slightly. "She's your niece, you mean. It's true that Princess Bonni still has little Princess Aphrodite, but I will be surprised if she doesn't fight you on this. Princess Aurora was always her favorite daughter. She won't let her newest granddaughter go that easily."
"Bonni can bring Aphrodite to Moon and live in the Palace if she wants to see Serenity every day. Serenity will not be returning to Venus," Queen Serenity said stubbornly.
Lady Aries chuckled and shook her head. "Promise me a ring side seat?" she asked as she drew a little stuffed rabbit out of her dress. As her friend snorted and looked on curiously, she set it on top of the capsule. "Here you are little Princess," she said softly. "Happy Blessing Day. When you have your ceremony, I'll get you something a bit more appropriate, but I thought you would like this for now."
Queen Serenity fought back tears at the gesture. "Thank you, Aries," she whispered. She blinked and swayed on her feet as the world began to go dark around her. Her friend turned and grasped her arm to help keep her upright, but the lack of surprise and worry on her face caught the queen's attention. "Why you little…"
"Somebody has to make you sleep," Lady Aries replied unrepentantly. "Don't worry," she said as the darkness began to overwhelm her friend. "It's reversible…"
"Hey, darling," Queen Serenity said softly to the sleeping baby. "Guess what? You're officially my daughter now." Gently, she caressed the top of the capsule that had been keeping her heir alive for almost a month. "Won't you wake up? Please?" Slowly, with tears streaming down her face, she collapsed beside the capsule. "Please wake up, Serenity," she begged as she began to sob.
Behind her, the door opened, and Princess Bonni swept into the room looking angry. Her golden, floor length hair fanned out around her tall form as she walked, and her china blue eyes flashed. Her orange dress swayed around her feet as she checked her stride. A look of alarm and fear crossed her face when she saw the queen crying.
Princess Aphrodite, a miniature copy of her grandmother except for her shorter hair, slowly followed in behind her. The little orphaned five year old's eyes widened in shock when she saw the queen on the floor crying. Her sad eyes filled up with tears as well.
"Majesty," Princess Bonni said fearfully. "Is she… She can't be!..." Quickly, the older woman ran across the room and looked at the readouts. She wilted in relief when she saw that they hadn't changed very much. "Don't scare me like that!" she scolded the younger woman. For just a moment, she looked sympathetic, but then she hardened her face again.
"You haven't won yet, Your Majesty," she said in a hard voice. At her feet, Queen Serenity struggled to regain control. "I'm going to appeal this decision. You are young enough to have your own children, but Aphrodite and Serenity are the only ones I will ever have left. They need each other, too. I won't let you separate them like this, even if they are cousins, not sisters."
"Serenity is my only living blood relative, Princess. I won't give her up," Queen Serenity said in a congested but determined voice as she forced herself to her feet. "You and Aphrodite may move here to Moon Castle, but Serenity is now my daughter and she will not be leaving."
"Move to the Moon Castle?" Princess Bonni exclaimed in disbelief. "And what of my responsibility to Venus? I can't just abandon my world, especially at a time like this! We've been attacked twice now! And this ridiculous fight of yours has drawn me here when I should be there!"
"We both should be working on defense plans," Queen Serenity agreed as she wiped the tears off of her face. "But this fight is important, too. I won't give up. I need her, my lady."
"And we do not?" the ruler of Venus exclaimed indignantly. "She is my…"
The remainder of her words was drowned out by a loud tone from the healing capsule. Both women paled and spun to look at it as Princess Aphrodite covered her ears and crouched against the wall crying and looking afraid. Dr. Athene and her team raced into the room and fought frantically to bring the baby back to life.
Slowly, the queen and Princess Bonni walked over to huddle beside Princess Aphrodite. Finally noticing her elder granddaughter's tears, Princess Bonnie knelt down and wrapped her arms around her comfortingly. She rocked her back and forth, humming softly while her eyes stayed glued on the doctors and nurses.
After half an hour, Dr. Athene called a halt. Slowly, a little fearfully, she turned and walked over to the little group of royalty. "I'm sorry," was all that she said. Silently, she led her team out of the room and closed the door.
"No…" Queen Serenity whispered. "No, she can't be…"
Princess Bonni turned her face into Princess Aphrodite's hair and began to weep, which made the little girl start to cry again. Unseen by them, Queen Serenity walked quietly over to her niece and picked her up. "There must be some way…" she said again sounding as if she were pleading for an answer. "Serenity!"
Princess Aphrodite gasped as she saw a white light envelope the queen. When Princess Bonni looked up to see what had distracted the girl, they both cried out and threw their arms up to protect their eyes from a sudden burst of light. When they could see again, the queen and the little princess had vanished.
Queen Serenity looked around numbly too exhausted to be surprised at her new surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked pulling her daughter's body closer to her chest.
"Welcome," a soft, chiming voice said. The queen turned her eyes away from the glowing, glittering pool of light in front of her, and focused on the strange small creature. It looked like a very young woman with long flowing hair. Her dress was like a ripe, upside down flower bud or a rose hip. A net of crystals covered the skirt, shining in the light of the glittering pool and her power.
"Where are we?" the queen asked again. "Who are you?"
"You are at the edge of the Cauldron of Stars where all stars and their guardians are born. And I am Guardian Cosmos. Why have you come here, Queen Serenity of the Solarian star named Moon?"
The queen blinked and absently caressed her daughter's cold body. "The Cauldron of Stars? That sounds vaguely familiar…"
Guardian Cosmos waited patiently with a sympathetic look on her face. The absence of life in the small shell that the queen held and the queen's slow reactions and lack of emotion made her suspect the reason for the visit. Finally, she spoke again. "Your daughter?"
Instinctively, the queen drew the baby closer to her chest once more. Then, her eyes suddenly widened. "Can you help her? Please? Is there some way to save her?"
Guardian Cosmos shifted uneasily. "I'm afraid the light has left that little shell. I do not know if it will wish to return," she said slowly. Her heart sank as the queen's eyes suddenly lit up with hope.
"But there is a way! I will do anything!" the white haired woman exclaimed recklessly. "Please, just save my little girl!"
"Anything?" Guardian Cosmos asked in a neutral voice. She noted the queen's sudden jerk and narrowed eyes with approval. "Anything at all?"
"No…" Queen Serenity said reluctantly as responsibility and caution began to temper her desire. "But if you name your price, I will see if I can meet it."
"An honest queen. A rare, but delightful find," the Guardian said with a small smile. The smile faded as her clear eyes met and held the queen's silver ones. "But this price will be very high indeed."
"Tell me," the queen requested again.
"It is this: I cannot guarantee that your niece's spirit will return." Guardian Cosmos hid a smile as the queen's eyes grew wider as she revealed her knowledge. "You will have to accept whatever star that I pick to return with you."
"It is true that she is my brother's child," Queen Serenity said steadily. "But, as of today, I have officially been granted her in adoption as my own." She paused, thinking through all of the ramifications of her payment. "I accept," she finally said.
"You are sure?" Guardian Cosmos asked with a quirked eyebrow. "You could end up with a mass murderer. Or a saint, which might be just as painful for you and your people."
"I could end up with just about anything," Queen Serenity agreed. "But… She's just a baby. Her whole future is in front of her. Who knows what she will grow up to be." She eyed the beautiful guardian once more. And… I sense that you are not of an evil or treacherous nature. I trust that you will pick the best star that you can find for her; either the one who is truly my niece or one who will be a good queen to follow me."
Guardian Cosmos smiled brightly. "Yes, I will try." With a nod, she faded away from the queen's sight and reappeared inside the Cauldron. Immediately, a tiny star seed caught her eye as it shifted a little to hide behind another. Her eyes widened as she realized which one it was.
'So, you have returned?' she asked it gently. It shifted further behind the deep amethyst star seed. 'It's all right, Little One,' she said as she gently reached in and drew it out. 'You do not have to go back if you do not wish to.' She frowned as she noted the thin grey streaks which marred its usual pure white light. Gently, she wiped them off as if she were wiping off dust. 'Such strong negative energy… No wonder you wished to return.' A puzzled look crossed her face. 'But, I do not sense such energy in the Queen. Nor even anyone who is close enough to influence her…'
The tiny star seed gave off a trembling little glow. 'Ah…. Attacked…' Guardian Cosmos said as she pulled it closer and cuddled it. 'And then when you were weak, you could not fight off the general negativity around you.'
She paused a moment, and then considered. 'She wishes to have you back…' The star seed dimmed a little, giving off a wistful, longing air. 'You liked her, then… Will you consider returning?' Immediately, it pulled out of her arms and flew back behind its amethyst friend.
Sighing, she let it be and looked around the cauldron. Unfortunately, she could not find anything that felt as if it would suit the little princess.
She returned to the tiny white star seed, and touched it gently. 'Are you sure you will not reconsider?' she asked. 'She truly wishes for you, and she is strong enough to protect you from whatever that attacker was.' It trembled, and then began to glow a little brighter. 'Yes, I think she can protect you, at least for now. She loves you, too.' Slowly, it settled into her hand.
The tiny star seed was shining softly as she reappeared with it in front of Queen Serenity. The queen's eyes widened in shock at its pure white color.
"Does this one meet your approval, young Queen?" Guardian Cosmos asked with a smile. Queen Serenity studied it a moment, and then nodded. "You must protect it very carefully," she warned. The queen looked at her uncertainly. "This Little One is very skittish. It will require lots of love and reassurance."
Queen Serenity nodded. "I can only promise to do my best, Little Soul," she said gently. "But I will love you, and I will protect you with all the power I can command."
Suddenly, the little star seed began to glow brightly. It spun in Guardian Cosmos' open hand, and gave off a soft hum. Guardian Cosmos smiled with relief as she sensed that it had been reassured enough and was ready and happy to go back. "Very well, off you go, Little One." She lifted her hand and let the star seed float free. Slowly, almost timidly, it approached the queen and her little princess. The closer it came, the dimmer its light became until it was as glowing softly once more.
Queen Serenity smiled at it, and reached up as if to cup it, although she did not actually touch it. "Welcome," she said softly. The star seed brightened again, and then settled into the body of the little princess. Immediately, the baby began to warm up.
"Thank you!" Queen Serenity called as the white light surrounded her again. "Thank you!"
"Thank you, Queen Serenity," Guardian Cosmos called. "Protect her well!" 'Fare thee well, little Cosmos,' she thought to the tiny star seed. 'Be happy in your new home.'
"Majesty?" Princess Bonni cried out in shock. "Where did you go? Serenity!" Quickly, she released her elder granddaughter and stood up. Just as she began to hurry to the center of the room, another flash of light blinded her.
When she could see again, she saw Queen Serenity standing where she had been before. Her face was bright with joy, and she held out a hand as if she were waving at someone. "Thank you," the queen called to someone unknown.
"Your Majesty, what happened?" Princess Bonni asked in a bewildered voice. Her eyes widened as she saw her younger granddaughter stir in the queen's arms. "Serenity?" Her voice filled with hope, and her eyes flew to meet the queen's shining silver ones. "Is she!..."
"Alive!" Queen Serenity exclaimed joyfully. She drew the little girl up to her face and nuzzled her face. "She's alive!"
Princess Bonni sped to her side and reached out to touch the baby. "She is! Aphrodite! Come see! She's alive!" The Princess of Venus turned to her elder granddaughter, and then gasped in shock. "Aphrodite?"
The younger princess of Venus looked down at herself with wide eyes. Slowly, a white gloved hand brushed against an orange skirt, and then rose to caress the indigo colored ribbon on her chest. The rapidly fading sign of Venus on her forehead was replaced by a tiara with a golden gemstone in its middle. "I… I am the Senshi of Beauty, Sailor Venus," the girl said looking at her grandmother and queen with blank blue eyes. Slowly, she walked forward and reached out a hand to touch Princess Serenity. "I will protect you," she vowed solemnly. The little princess cooed and burbled her pleasure.
Suddenly, Princess Bonni found herself holding the baby. She quickly tightened her hold on it, and looked down in shock at the crumpled form of the queen. "Majesty? Queen Serenity!"
Sailor Venus crouched down beside the unconscious woman and held a hand to her head for a moment. Then, she looked up to the ruler of Venus with a small, serious smile. "She is all right. She just fainted."
"You are sure?" Princess Bonni asked a little uncertainly. She shook her head briskly, trying to shake off the sense of awe she felt towards this strange girl who had replaced her heir. "I will go get Dr. Athene." Sailor Venus nodded solemnly as she turned away.
As the door closed behind her grandmother, Sailor Venus sighed and allowed her transformation to fall away. Blinking her eyes in confusion, Princess Aphrodite looked at her bare arm and orange dress. "What happened?" she asked faintly.
A few months later, blissfully unaware of the hidden, jealous entity that watched her from the shadows, the ruler of the moon entered her bedroom. "Serenity!" she called as she quickly crossed the room. "Serenity!" She leaned over and lifted her heir out of her cradle.
"Serenity… My precious daughter," Queen Serenity said as she happily nuzzled her smiling baby girl. Already, the princess' hair was long enough to be wrapped up into odangos on her head. "I'm so happy that your mine," she cooed as the little girl giggled and reached out to hug her mother back. "Let's invite everyone and celebrate…"
(A/N: The last paragraph above was taken directly from SailorMoon SuperS book 4 as written by Naoko Takeuchi and translated and released by Chix Comix. It is used without permission. For those unfamiliar with the scene, Nehrenia has trapped the senshi inside of her mirror, and is showing them a scene from the past when she met Queen Serenity and the Inner Senshi and was subsequently banished from the Silver Millennium.)