Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi does. yep.
Several mellenia ago, the universe was covered in darkness. A great and ancient evil reigned over all, making the living plains a living hell. None escaped its reach, though many tried. Every attempt to appose it met with swift and brutal retribution. It was so absolute and so powerful that people feared its name, which has now been lost to the ages.
If this story is beginning to sound a bit like a fairy tale, then you know what happens next. For every great evil, there is a great hero.
In this story, there was two. One was a soldier of great love and compassion. A soldier of light and justice. She held in her power a silver star, a symbol of her love for all things.
The other was a soldier of passion and courage. Where her companion was light, she was dark. Where the first was forgiving, she was unrelenting. She held in her power a golden star, a symbol of her tremendous inner strength.
They were the first. The Sailor Senshi. The first's name is lost to history, but the second we know as Sailor Phoenix. Together with her companion, she aided in the destruction of the great evil. It was a battle that shook the very universe itself, but when the dust cleared the evil had been vanquished... but not destroyed.
The universe could enjoy peace at last, but all things come at a price. The two soldiers laid down their lives, and each paid a unique price. The first died with the knowledge that herdecendent would never know true peace, that a new evil would always be waiting for her. She found comfort in the knowledge that her star would guide her solar system into a new era of peace that would last for one mellenia.
The second died knowing her power would vanish, never to be weilded by her decendents. Her system, too, would find peace but it would be a long, long time until Sailor Phoenix would return to protect its peace. She knew, as her breathing slowed, that Sailor Phoenix would never die. When the time came, a new soldier would rise.
The two soldiers died, side by side, far from their homes and their families.
The man took her hand and looked her in the eyes. "Come with me," he said, not unkindly. "I'll take you to my queen."
Sailor Phoenix forced down the strange feeling rising in her chest at the tenderness in his voice. Focus, she told herself.
The world was enveloped in bright blue light, forcing Phoenix to close her eyes. When she opened them again, her surroundings were very different. She gasped.
Set before her was a crystal palace, large and shining silver in the moonlight. It looked breath-taking in front of the blue-black night sky. Stars shone like jewels. The ground she stood on was white and featureless, making the whole world look silver in the light. She felt a little ashamed of her ash stained fuku, but supressed the feeling and set her features to appear blank.
"Lovely, isn't it?" the man asked. He was smiling fondly.
"What's your name?" She asked him suddenly.
He looked startled. "Aeneas St Van," he replied. "I'm sorry, didn't I tell you earlier?"
She gave him a look. "No, you didn't. Why else would I ask?"
He laughed and she didn't understand why.
"Did I say something funny?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.
"No, dear, no." He said. "Don't get offended, I wasn't laughing at you."
Somewhat mollified, she relax. "Oh."
"I understand," he said kindly. "It's been a while since you've interacted with anyone, hasn't it?"
She nodded. "I suppose so..." She said nothing else as he lead her into the grand sterling castle. She walked past the ornately decorated rooms and her memories stirred.
Several centuries later, Sailor Phoenix's little galaxy was thriving under a golden age, presided over by her decendent, Queen Amalthia the Kind. Although therehad not been a Sailor Phoenix in centuries, the crimson star - The Nova Crystal - remained in the golden palace, under strict guard.
The Nova Crystal was hotly saught after in the universe and many had tried to steal it, only to be thwarted by the Ye Senshi, a small but powerful group who jealously guarded the crystal, but none of them were capable of weilding it. Onlya Sailor Phoenix could unleash its true power. Until the day the Senshi of Eternity returned, the crystal remained silent, a symbol of a great power long gone.
Until one day it began to glow once more.
The Senshi and the royal family were summoned quickly. As they arrived the crystal's glow increased and expanded, filling the room withgolden light. They heard a voice, strong with the age of centuries. This is what it said.
Darkness draws close. The great Phoenix rises again.
The glowing faded but did not vanish. As the assembled group rose in a frenzie, the crystal hummed softly to itself.
Almost instantly a search went under way, looking for the next Sailor Phoenix.
Aeneas brought her to the largest room she had seen so far in this palace. It was more ornate and rich than all of the past rooms. In the center was a large golden throne, which made its occupant look small.As Sailor Phoenix approached she was startled to find that it was not that the throne was large, but that the one seated in it was small. A small, slim child sat with her legs folded neatled beneath her. She wore asimple dress of fine blacksilk, which contrasted her alabaster skin. She looked up as Phoenix and Aeneas approached, pushing her long obsidean hair from her face and her ruby red lips pulled into a smile of genuine pleasure.
"Neas!" She cried in delight, sliding gracefully from the throne and throwing herself into his arms. "I've missed you so!"
"Hello little miss," he greeted, smiling fondly.
Sailor Phoenix said nothing. She was still struck from the child's appearance. She couldn't have been very old, maybe eleven years. She was a frail looking thing, almost sickly looking. Her waist length hair and large crystal blue eyes gave her an appearance of a fine porceline doll.
She looked familiar...
Sailor Phoenix pushed those thoughts from her mind. The little girl was now staring up at her curiously.
"Who's she?" the little one asked. "She's so serious looking."Aeneas smiled andtook her by her slim hand and lead her towards Phoenix.
"Are you a soldier?" She asked. Sailor Phoenix stared into her eyes and felt something strange rise inside of her.
Something's not right here, she thought.
She knelt down and stared deep into the girl's true blue eyes and saw... innocense, idealization, courage, a great sadness and... something cold. Something that did not belong. It struck Phoenix so suddenly that she turned away, her breath caught in her throat.
"Yes," she answered at last. She got to her feet once more. "And who might you be?"
"This is Lady Nyx," Aeneas said. "Our leader."
Sailor Phoenix's usually calm and blank face showed surprise.
"Sailor Phoenix, I presume."
Phoenix whirled around to face the man who had just entered the room. He was tall and thin with long silver hair that reached past his knees and pale silver-blue eyes that contrasted sharply against hisbronzed skin. He was clothed in ivory robes, trimmed with gold that dragged on the floor behind him. He held in one hand a gnarledwooden staff that was taller than he was, with strange glowing runes along its base. Aeneas bowed.
"Calm yourself," he said. "I mean no harm. I am Tiamon, personal councillor to our Lady Nyx." He bowed swiftly. Sailor Phoenix inclined her head stiffly but did not bow. He smiledstrangely for some reason. "And now," he said, "I would like to take a look into your memories." Before she could react, he moved in a blur and was suddenly in front of her, clasping her pale chin in his long nailed hand. He looked deeply into her softblue-violet eyes and reality began to fade away...
Thats enough for now right? Right.
Next chapter: a look into Phoenix's past and then some other stuff.
Thanks to all my reviewers so far! Please follow their example and review!