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 - None
---- 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.
Kodomono fought back tears as Pegasus flew. It had finally sunk into her the full scale of the loss of Earth. Everyone that she had known, had cared for, was gone, save Pegasus. Her mind kept winding around that thought. She felt wetness trickle down her cheek and brushed it away angrily. She hadn't been strong enough to save them. If she had been stronger, had more control over her powers, she could have helped. Somehow.
--------
Queen Serenity was drained, physically and mentally. Guardian Spectrus had to support her as she walked down the hall, seeking rest. The queen had to sit as they entered her living chambers, deep inside the Moon Palace. She distantly watched her daughter, who had wept herself dry of tears, curled up in a chair. Princess Venus crouched before her, crooning soothing noises and trying to get to princess to fall asleep. The Moon Princess showed no sign of hearing her, staring listlessly at the wall. Serenity understood how her daughter felt, having lost her own love at a young age as well.
The door opened, admitting a young messenger. "Yes?" The queen asked, too tired to stand on ceremony.
"Your Majesty, a girl from Earth has come to the palace, with a winged horse. She seeks an audience with you, Majesty." Queen Serenity frowned. An Earth girl? Here? "Should I send her away, Your Majesty?"
"No. I will see her." The messenger nodded and left.
"Who from Earth would come here? She's not from the diplomatic envoy - they haven't arrived yet." Guardian Spectrus said.
"I doubt the envoy will arrive at all." Queen Serenity replied. A great attack had been mounted on the Moon Kingdom soon after the discovery of Prince Endymon's death. Serenity had been hard pressed to defend the kingdom on short notice. The attackers had broken off for the moment and Serenity intended to rest while she could. The attack had been so great, she doubted anyone could have made it through enemy lines. But how did this girl get through?
The door opened again, this time showing the messenger and a young girl followed by a horse. The messenger was a little flushed. "I'm sorry, you majesty, but the horse just wouldn't stay behind." He explained nervously.
Serenity nodded, studying the girl. She had brown hair that fell midway down her back and green eyes. Her clothing was simple and grey, the make and stitching better than most commoners wore but not up to a noble's standards. Her face was tight and anxious, perhaps from being where no Earthling was technically allowed. Guardian Spectrus stiffened at the site of the girl. Serenity glanced at her guard.
The messenger backed out of the room, closing the door behind the girl and her horse. The horse was completely white, its wings folded neatly against its back. "What did you want to see me about?" Serenity inquired.
The girl glanced at the horse, as if drawing strength from its presence. "Your Majesty, I... I'm not sure how to say this." She looked at the two princesses. "It is hard news."
"Then say it. Do not hide news in trying to gentle it for their ears." Guardian Spectrus commanded. Spectrus had never really liked Earth, even before the kingdom had fallen out of grace with the Moon Kingdom.
"I... Your Majesty, the Earth Kingdom... it is gone."
Serenity stared at her. "Gone?" The girl nodded. The Moon Queen had a sudden wish that she had sent her daughter out of the room. "What is your name?"
"My name is Kodomono Yoryoku, Your Majesty. And this is Pegasus, from Elysion."
"Well then, Kodomono, explain to me exactly how the Earth Kingdom is simply... gone."
Kodomono didn't seem fazed by the order. Not that she would, if the Kingdom is gone. The shock alone would make a person immune to emotion for a while, Serenity thought to herself, listening to the girl's words.
"Priest Helios of Elysion had come back from an audience with the King of Earth. Soon after, Lady Beryl of Earth's noble court appeared at the sanctuary. I was sent to find Helios.
"When he came, Beryl had encased the two priestesses who lived there in ice. Lady Beryl attacked Helios. Helios used a purification spell on her..." She trailed off, not sure how to explain.
"And then?" Spectrus prompted.
"Beryl turned into some sort of dark, shapeless creature thing."
"A creature thing?" Spectrus asked derisively.
Kodomono glared at Spectrus. "Yes. A creature thing. I don't know what else to call it."
"That's fine. Please continue." Serenity cut in, puzzled by Spectrus' attitude. The guardian was usually overly polite when talking to someone she had a dislike for, not rude.
"The creature attacked Helios. He ordered me and Pegasus to leave."
"So you left."
"Yes. Pegasus took me to the Earth Palace. There had been some sort of earthquake there and they were recovering from it when Pegasus and I arrived. I told the King what had happened in Elysion. The King, he gathered what he could of the army, and began to march to Elysion." She decided not to explain about the Elysion Gates. That just seemed like too much trouble to her. "But before they got there, the creature came and attacked the army."
"And then what happened?" Serenity asked, though she had a feeling that she already knew.
"The army was destroyed. It... the creature, it absorbs whatever it touches. It absorbed the plants, trees, the army... and the King." Serenity closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer for the Earth King's soul.
"I... I was still riding Pegasus, and he flew away. I don't blame him. We watched from the sky what the creature did after that. It... the creature just kept going. Nothing stopped it - not magic, not swords, not water... It's covered the entire Earth in darkness." Kodomono whispered the last sentence, still in disbelief of what it implied. "I... the only thing I could think to do was to come here and let you know. I thought you would want to know, even if you hate us," Kodomono said, eyes on the Moon Queen.
Serenity opened her mouth to reply, but Spectrus beat her to it. "So Beryl turned into a creature that has absorbed the entire Earth? Serenity, that is preposterous. The girl is lying in some sort of fashion, if not outright. A single person with that much energy? Absurd!"
"Beryl was here." Everyone turned to look at Princess Serenity. She had been listening to them talk. "Beryl was here - she killed Endymon. How could she destroy the Earth Kingdom at the same time?"
Kodomono stiffened. "Prince Endymon?"
Queen Serenity raised her hand. "From what I understand, Beryl was trying to kill Princess Serenity, but Endymon, trying to protect my daughter, stepped in front of her while drawing his own blade. Beryl was quicker - probably from whatever anger was fueling her desire to kill the Princess - and ran him through."
"Oh, gods." Kodomono whispered.
"Endymon's guards - Kunzite, Zoicite, Nephlite, and Jadeite - are still here, if you should wish to talk to them later."
"I... yes, later. Not today. I just... If the Prince is dead..." Kodomono's skin was dead white. She stepped back and leaned against her winged horse for support.
Queen Serenity frowned and picked up a small bell and rang it. A maid appeared at the door. "Please prepare rooms for Miss Kodomono Yoryoku and Pegasus." The maid nodded and left.
Kodomono looked up at her. "I'm sorry to have sprung that loss upon you so suddenly, so soon after the loss of your home and planet. If you would, I'll hear the rest of your story, after you've had a chance to rest." And grieve, Serenity thought, but did not add.
Kodomono nodded. "Would you like to sit?" Serenity asked, noting how faint the girl seemed.
"No... I'm afraid if I do, I won't be able to stand again." She made an effort to smile, but it looked grisly on her saddened face.
The room was silent after that. Princess Serenity stared at Kodomono, while Princess Venus watched the Moon Princess. Guardian Spectrus looked disgruntled, but made no sound until the maid reappeared.
"Your Majesty, Miss Yoryoku's room is ready. Pegasus's will take a little longer, if you please." The maid curtsied.
"Thank you." Queen Serenity nodded at Kodomono. The girl stared at her, then nodded and left, grasping the door frame as she turned to follow the maid. The horse turned its head a little to watch her go.
"Hmph. She lacks manners." Spectrus sniffed.
"That is the least of our worries, Spectrus. What about her made you look as if you had had sour grapes?"
The horse stirred. Spectrus glanced at it in obvious dislike. "Your Majesty, that girl was once a candidate for becoming a Guardian Senshi trainee. Her powers, however, are almost completely out of her control, which was why she was sent to Elysion. The priest there could contain the damage of her powers when they became unmanageable.
"Also, she has a rather unrestrained spirit. She has had a history of getting into fights, no matter the status of the other person, over the most trivial things. Prince Endymon once received a black eye from her because of a disagreement over what kind of horse is generally the quickest.
"Given her powers and history, I'd say she became enraged and damaged the palace, which killed the Earth King. None of this nonsense about a 'shapeless creature thing' that could absorb an entire world."
The horse shook its head as if denying Spectrus' words and knelt on the ground. There was a flash of light - not blinding, but bright enough - and a young man had appeared where the horse had been. "What..." Spectrus began.
"That's right. She said you were from Elysion, the land of dreams, am I right?" Queen Serenity interrupted her guard.
Pegasus inclined his head. "That is correct, Queen Serenity. If you please, I have something to add." Serenity nodded.
"The creature that Kodomono spoke of - I believe, and the King believed, that it had merely borrowed the semblance of Lady Beryl in order to infiltrate Elysion. For a noble to visit Elysion, that would not be uncommon - many of them pray for guidance at the shrine there.
"Also, Kodomono was incorrect in part of her telling - the creature did not so much absorb everything it touched as it took the energy out of whatever it came in contact with, leaving only dust in its path."
Queen Serenity nodded. "A creature that absorbs energy from what it touches could easily be seen as a creature that absorbs all it touches."
"Queen Serenity, I thank you for your time. Kodomono... she is opinionated and young, and still has a habit of believing rumors. Please try to forgive her accusation."
"Accusation?" Queen Serenity asked. "Oh! That the Moon hates all creatures of Earth, that one?"
The horse turned human smiled wryly. "Yes. I apologize for her saying that."
The Queen shook her head. "Pegasus, such an accusation is only half true here. Much of the population truly does believe that Earth was turning to the enemy's side and subsequently hate everything that comes from Earth. On the other hand, some of us, including myself, understand that things on Earth were not exactly as seen from here. I do forgive her, though I do not forgive those who have filled their hearts with hate without leaving room for changing that hate." Pegasus nodded and turned as the door opened again.
"Your Majesty, Pegas - oh, where did the horse go?"
Pegasus smiled and closed his eyes, summoning back his true form. The maid's eyes widened as the young man changed into a horse. "Ah..."
"Thank you, Vidie." Queen Serenity hid a smile.
----
Jiriki lay inside the moon princess's chambers, waiting for Princess Venus to finish moving in with Princess Serenity. Jiriki and Venus had both decided that it would be good for her to be with Serenity for the time being. The Moon Princess had not taken Endymon's death well - not that anyone would be expected to, Jiriki told herself. But it had hit the princess extremely hard; Venus was concerned with Serenity's appetite while Jiriki was more afraid of her suiciding. Which was why Jiriki would be standing guard all night.
She tried to make herself rest some more before she had to get up. She had worked it out with Guardian Spectrus that Princess Venus, as one of Serenity's regular guardians, could take Jiriki's place during the day. Funny. Used to be that I could hardly stay awake in the daytime; now I can't get to sleep.
She turned over, trying to get more comfortable. Princess Serenity had come out of her shock a little bit when the Earth girl had shown up. The mention of the name Beryl had seemed to do it. Jiriki didn't really know anything about her other than that Beryl had murdered Prince Endymon, though Queen Serenity knew something. Jiriki would have to ask the queen about that. A guardian needed to know about all the threats to her charge's life, major or minimal.
The Earth girl - Kodomono, Jiriki corrected herself - apparently had had major news, otherwise she would have been imprisoned for trespassing on lunar ground. Not only that, the girl had managed to get an audience with Queen Serenity at almost a moments notice, even with the attack on the Moon Kingdom.
Jiriki shuddered, remembering how sudden and violent the first wave of the attack had been. A death toll of almost a thousand Silver Moon civilians, the razing of fields with enough food to feed two thousand, the army's number of dead almost a full third of the actively serving members... Queen Serenity had countered the attack with the power of the Ginzuishou, managing to keep the enemy back long enough to get most of the civilians within the inner walls of the Kingdom.
She wondered how her own people had fared, or if they had been attacked at all. Many people these days had nearly forgotten that there was a Shadow Moon at all, barring Jiriki's existence. If her people had been hurt, no one knew because there had been no reports of Shadow Moon dead. Not that the army cared - to them, if they weren't in the army or the enemy, they were civilians and lumped together in one large number.
Jiriki turned over again, trying to force all thoughts besides those of rest out of her head. I need to sleep now. Sleeping later will not do me any good.
----
Princess Serenity wandered down the halls, Princess Jupiter an ever present ghost a few feet behind her. She knew that her friends were worried about her and were taking turns guarding her. She knew she ought to care about them and their need for rest, but she didn't. She felt completely empty inside. Just empty. Not that she didn't feel anything; she did, but it was so very distant. Everything was distant and nothing filled the empty spot inside. That spot had been so very full when Endymon was alive. Endymon...
They had already prepared his body for burial. A cleaned mortal stomach wound, fresh princely clothing, and herbs to keep the body from rotting was all that was needed until Earth could be contacted for the burial ceremonies. Not that there is an Earth, anymore. It is gone now; covered in darkness from within. All of the beautiful places on Earth where they had met were gone, turned to ash and dust. We all turn into ash and dust in the end anyway. Why should it matter? But it did, in some way that didn't make sense to her anymore. It seemed that what was left of her heart was inside out and upside down. Nothing really made sense or really mattered to her anymore. If only I could be with you, Endymon. That was all I ever wanted. To be with you for every moment Time gave us. And your moments were cut short. Why couldn't mine have been as well?
END Part Four