This fanfiction takes place near the end of the Silver Millennium. It does its level best to remain true to the manga, though in some parts, it delves into an alternate universe and drifts from the actual facts. It is a tale of hope and despair, love and hurt, and the need to protect those very dear to you. For information on the otaku senshi appearing in this fanfiction, feel free to visit my website.
It is suggested that viewers be familiar with at least the first five books of the manga. This is roughly the equivalent of the first season of the anime. Familiarity with all seasons up to the fourth season (with the exception of Sailor Moon R) - or the equivalent mangas - would be better.
Phantom Crystal - A Legend of the Silver Millenium
Miscellaneous Warnings - Death
---- Indicates a point of view change, such as between Helios and the Maenads.
-------- Indicates a point of view and a place change, such as switching from someone on Venus to someone on the Earth.
Text Indicates mental (mind to mind) speech.
Beryl watched, outraged that her beloved prince would ever choose another woman, let alone the Moon Princess. And even worse than that was that he had the sheer audacity to tell that... that vixen that he loved her, and then kiss her! It was far too much to bear.
"How dare you!" She yelled, startling them. "How dare you steal him from me!"
The Princess stared at her, frowning slightly. The prince took a step forward, shielding the moon brat with his body. "Beryl, what is the meaning of this?" He asked, resting a hand on his sword at his waist.
Beryl chuckled nastily. "Don't you know, my beloved prince? She has brainwashed you." Her ugly grin deepened. The moon brat stared at her, mouth agape, as Beryl revealed what Princess Serenity truly planned for Beryl's prince. "She's deceived you, my prince. She plans to use your power, and when she's done playing with you, she'll throw you away like you were a lifeless rag doll!" Rage welled in Beryl's heart as the Moon Princess backed away from the hate in her voice, inadvertently leaving Endymon's protection. "And for that, girl, you must die!"
Beryl hefted her sword and ran towards the princess, prepared to cut her in two. Beryl savored the girl's scream as a dark stain spread across... black clothing? Her eyes widened as she realized who she had run through.
Helios gasped as he dodged yet another tentacle. The creature seemed tireless, throwing magic as well as itself towards him in an effort to devour him as it had almost everything else in Elysion. The only thing the creature could not stand to touch was the sanctuary itself... though that protection didn't extend to Helios as long as he was outside. It had taken up position in front of the sanctuary entrance, leaving little room for Helios to try and get to it. Any opening was a suicide proposition; the creature was simply too fast and Helios too tired.
The creature raised another tentacle, energy crackling at its end. Helios stumbled as he dodged the magic and the creature. He doubled over, suddenly out of breath, his stomach screaming with pain. He thought it was a torn muscle until he saw the blood sprouting from his middle. "Dear gods, what is this?"
He barely noticed the creature shifting as the pain and weakness made him fall to his knees. He coughed, spitting blood into his hands. Prince Endymon! Did this happen to him?
The creature hovered over the priest as he died slowly, waiting for enough of his magic to disappear before it ate him.
Serenity screamed as Endymon shoved her back, taking the fatal wound meant for her. "Endymon, no!" Tears streamed from her eyes; this could not be true, could not be happening. It just couldn't! Her Endymon could not be dead! "No! No no no no!"
But he lay there. Just... laid there and didn't move. He could not be dead! But she could see it in Beryl's eyes, in the blood spilled from Endymon's stomach, the blood seeping from his mouth. She fell to her knees, feeling lightheaded. "Get up! Get up, Endymon!" She grabbed him and shook him, barely noticing the blood that stained her dress and hands. She gagged, her stomach heaving as the smell of blood finally penetrated her numbed mind. Who knew people had so much blood in them? She thought giddily, trying to rise. Her body rebelled, however, and she fainted.
The King of Earth was tired of waiting for his troops to form up. "We'll go now. The rest can follow us." He announced. Tsuriai tried to protest.
"My lord, Priest Helios' instruction was to not go to his aid!"
The King ignored her. "Forward!"
The Earth Royal Army began to march towards the gates. Tsuriai watched, unable to do anything without harming the men more. "Take us away," she whispered to Pegasus. He obeyed, slowly flying in the opposite direction of the army.
Tsuriai wondered what she could do now. The population of Earth was much too spread out to warn every person of the danger. Besides, what could they do to defend themselves? Earth's best magicians were going with the King right now. There was no defense left for Earth, besides her dubious control over her powers.
Sudden, piercing screams made her look back. A dark thing was oozing through the Elysion Gates. It had formed tentacles that searched for a target. Some had hooked around fallen stones and had begun to pull the rest of itself through. Others had attacked the army.
The tentacles had encircled the first line of men, draining them of life. The most horrid screams came from them as their skin tightened and their muscles and bones withered, until they became dust. The other men had mostly run. Some stayed, hacking at the tentacles with swords, to no avail. A mage threw scarlet magic at the creature, which appeared to tickle it.
"Your Majesty!" She cried, seeing that he was yet untouched. She had to get him out of there! "Pegasus! Turn back!" The horse complied, picking up speed as it turned towards the king, sensing Tsuriai's intentions.
The creature threw tentacles at them, barely missing as Pegasus swerved and ducked. Tsuriai held on for dear life.
"Your Majesty!" She called again. They were almost there. The King stood motionless, still in shock from the creature's appearance. "King!" The creature had lifted itself, throwing itself around the King, barring Tsuriai and Pegasus from him. Pegasus halted as best he could, not wanting to come any closer to the creature. Tsuriai screamed in frustration, small fires forming around her. Pegasus snorted, dancing in the air, as the fires began to super-heat him. Tsuriai threw the fires out, spinning them with the air, creating a horizontal tornado of flame. It pierced through some of the creature's mass, spewing the dark matter out in chunks. Pegasus steered clear of the chunks, unhappy at Tsuriai keeping them this close to the creature. Tsuriai didn't pay attention to Pegasus, pouring more energy into the attack. She gasped as it blew a hole straight through the creature, inattention allowing the attack to fade. The creature closed up, trembling with rage as it prepared to absorb Tsuriai and Pegasus.
Pegasus snorted and tossed his head. He turned and flew them out of the palace and away from the creature. Tsuriai sat on him, stunned. The King had already been absorbed by the time she had blasted through it. Now what could she do? The King gone, Helios and Elysion destroyed, a creature that just seemed to grow and grow... what could she do?
Beryl stared at her prince's body. How could she have done such a thing? The Moon Princess was supposed to die, not Endymon!
You can still kill her. A slimy, cold voice whispered in her mind. She's blacked out - kill her now!
Beryl shook, still to much in shock to do much else. It had taken all her physical strength to lift that sword, and all her mental power to attempt to kill the royal brat. How could she lift that sword again, watery as her muscles were? She stared at the weapon, still buried in Endymon's body. She reached for it, but it was too far way. She didn't want to get up. How could she have killed him?
She couldn't do this. Not now. It would defile her love for Endymon. She could come back again and kill the girl after she had properly mourned her prince, after she had put aside her love. She exhaled shakily. Yes, that would do. She would kill the girl later. Kill her now! The cold slimy voice screamed in her head, pouring its will and power into her limp body. Beryl stood on shaky legs, grasping the balcony's handrail for support. NOW! She took a staggering step towards Endymon, then another.
No! Her own mind screamed back at the voice, releasing her body from its grip - for the moment. Beryl gathered the strength the voice had given her, knowing she had only this one chance to win herself free from the demon-voice. She tensed and leaped off the balcony, welcoming the ground rushing towards her. "Soon, my love, soon I'll be with you, my prince." She whispered to herself.
Jiriki frowned and scratched her ear. That had sounded like a scream. She told herself it was probably just children playing, but a nervous feeling wrapped itself around her heart, nonetheless.
She rose on impulse, excusing herself from Kunzite and Princess Venus' presence. She scanned the room for her charge, noting distantly how packed and stuffy the ballroom was. Her heart tightened as she realized that Princess Serenity was not in the ballroom. I heard a scream...
She refused to continue the thought and scanned the room again, stopping when she noted Kunzite's bone-white form. The Earth general stood abruptly, looking as if he had seen a ghost. Princess Venus stood as well, shooting a puzzled look at Kunzite's retreating back. Jiriki and Princess Venus exchanged glances and followed Kunzite out of the ballroom.
"My lord, what is going on?" Jiriki asked when she had caught up to Kunzite.
"I don't know." Kunzite said curtly.
Princess Venus came up to flank him on his left, opposite Jiriki. "You look as if you've seen a ghost. Is something wrong?"
Kunzite let loose a long breath. "I certainly hope not."
"So where are we going?" Jiriki asked.
"To find Prince Endymon." Kunzite quickened his pace, breaking into a run. Jiriki and Princess Venus panted as they tried to keep up.
"What... do you suppose... has gotten into him?" Venus gasped, perplexed at the general's odd behavior.
"I don't know. But I think that something may have happened to Prince Endymon of Earth."
Venus almost stumbled. "Princess Serenity! I saw her go off with Endymon earlier... and I didn't even think twice about it!"
Jiriki resisted the urge to curse. She should have remembered that Princess Serenity always had a tendency to sneak off with the Earth Prince at any chance she got.
Venus cried out as she slammed into Kunzite's back. Jiriki just barely stopped herself from slamming into the princess. Kunzite didn't budge, transfixed by what lay before he. A guttural moan rose from his throat. Jiriki and Princess Venus shivered; that sound wasn't human.
"Kunzite?" Venus asked, stepping around him to try to see his face. But she glimpsed what lay before him and gasped; she backed away from the site, hands clasped over her mouth. Jiriki looked back and forth between the two, wondering what had scared the Princess silly. Venus shook her head at Jiriki's questioning look, tears welling in her eyes. Jiriki frowned and edged past Kunzite for her own look. What she saw appalled her, though some tiny part of her mind was unimpressed.
The Moon Princess lay on the ground, her dress bloodied, beside Prince Endymon's still form. A sword protruded from Endymon's gut. She distantly noted that Princess Serenity still seemed to be breathing, belying the blood on her dress. The sword, her mind told her, was of Earthly make, and Prince Endymon's sword was still sheathed. She took a shaky breath, the cool, distant part of her taking control.
"Princess Venus." The strawberry blonde girl looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please alert Queen Serenity that her presence is demanded. I don't care how much Spectrus protests, but do not tell her or the Queen about it in detail until you are in semi-privacy. We don't need the entire court hearing and coming up here to gawk." Venus nodded and went to find the Moon Queen.
"Kunzite." The general gave no sign of hearing other than a flicker in his eyes. "I need you to round up all Earth personnel present on the Moon. Then get the other Earth generals and yourself back up here. Try to keep discussion of this at a minimum; you know how rumor flies." The general left, leaving Jiriki with a dead body and a possibly wounded princess.
She ordered herself to keep going and not freeze. There was still work to be done. She skirted Prince Endymon's body to kneel beside Serenity's. Jiriki rolled the girl onto her side and began to check her for wounds.
END Part Three