Sailor Moon: Dark Stars
Chapter 12
Tanya looked at King Meerages in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "Queen Serenity banished you to the farthest reaches of the galaxy because of your crimes with the Dark Kingdom! She had no choice."
"Hmph! The only crime was that I didn't destroy her and her kingdom first!" King Meerages retorted, forgetting the Sirius Emerald Star Stone for the moment. "Because of Queen Serenity, I spent over a thousand years in solitude, grieving over everything that I've lost, pitying myself and all those who followed me." The evil king's eyes clouded over at the memory of the fateful night, shivering. "Then, an opportunity revealed itself when I finally learned to use the Black Star Crystal I stole. With it, I can finish what I started a long time ago and, no one will interfere!"
With a flick of his wrist, King Meerages and Tanya were surrounded in a red light and disappeared from the King's chambers. A moment later, the light flashed again, and when Tanya looked around, they were standing in a very large room with many small portholes along the gray metal walls. At the end of the hall, there was a large black and silver throne with small steps leading up to it. Besides the throne, there was a small table, and sitting on it was a semi-large glass casing. Inside of it, there was a small black crystal. The coloring was dull, and it floated unsupported inside.
"There, the source of all my power, and the key to getting my revenge; the Black Star Crystal!" gloated King Meerages, his white hair blowing in an unfelt wind. Tanya looked at the crystal in amazement, fear, and other feelings indescribable to her. Shaking her head a moment later to clear it, she backed away.
"But you deserved it," said Tanya, turning to King Meerages sadly. "You let your greed and your corrupted heart control you, and you destroyed millions of lives. What else was Queen Serenity supposed to do?" Tanya looked at the tall man, tears pooling in her large eyes once again. "Think back, and remember all the she had to give up, just to stop you, Queen Beryl and Queen Metallia from doing any more damage. Can't you feel the pain, the suffering that everyone felt at their deaths?" she pleaded with desperation. "Can't you imagine the beautiful worlds you destroyed, the peaceful way of life now gone forever?
King Meerages was quiet for moment, and in an instant, the night the Silver Millennium ended flashed in his mind:
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Silver Millennium
August 3, 997 A.D.
Remains of the Moon Palace:
The Moon, once the center point of one of the greatest civilizations ever, now spun nearly devoid of all life on its axis as the Dark Kingdom, led by the madwoman Queen Beryl, continued its attack. The beautiful green garden that Princess Serenity loved to spend her time in was now destroyed, craters and rocks lying where there was once flowers and trees. Buildings, once grand and standing proud, were now reduced to rubble. Bodies were littered everywhere, and blood stained the palace walls and the now white and barren ground.
Queen Serenity, once the greatest Queen to rule the entire former splendor, lay beaten and bruised on one of the fallen pillars of her palace, and listened helplessly with a sad heart as explosions and screams still filled the night air. The ground shook, and the Queen watched in horror as another building fell. A tear fell down her pale cheek. It's gone, she thought hopelessly, It's all gone. My beautiful home..
Suddenly, there was a flash of trailing light above and it traveled down from the black starry sky to land in front of the ruined palace not too far away from the Queen. It grew dull, then materialized into a tall figure. King Meerages, handsome in his full attire, looked around at the damage he helped cause and laughed softly.
"Who are you?" asked the Queen of the Moon weakly. She tried to sit up, but instead began to cough up blood. She blinked her eyes, and she gasped with recognition. "Meerages?" she rasped out in surprise. "You were behind this? How..how could this be? You...were one of our most respected dignitaries! This..can't be!"
"I'm afraid it is, Serenity," said King Meerages, a small amount of respect still in his voice at her bravery. "All of this could have been avoided, if you only would have just accepted the power of the Dark Kingdom as I and my followers have," he continued, looking back into the Queen's eyes in mocked pity. "Face it, Queen Serenity. The Dark Kingdom was too strong, and you lost."
"It's impossible!" said Queen Serenity in disbelief. She weakly grasped the Crystal Wand tighter in her hand and stood up slowly to face him. "It doesn't matter now. You will not be forgiven for this! Even if it means my own death, I will...banish you...forever, for the devastation you caused!" yelled out the Queen in pain. More explosions rocked the night air and she nearly fell.
"The Ginzuishou!" King Meerages said, his eyes widening. "Hand it over!"
"NOO!" screamed the Queen. Straightening up to her full height, she raised the Crystal Wand in her hands and pointed it at Meerages, the Ginzuishou glowing brightly at the tip. "Why would you bring about so much death and destruction? This..this was supposed to be your home too." Tears pooled in her dull, dying eyes.
"Fool! Didn't you understand the power and fame the Dark Kingdom promised?" asked King Meerages, a note disbelief in his voice. "When they came to me, they promised me EVERYTHING! The Earth, the Moon Kingdom, and the whole Universe!" With those words, the tall, pale skinned king threw his hands up in the air and laughed, electricity crackling in his hands. He looked down and gave the Queen a scornful glance. "Who in their right minds would give up a chance like that? You did, and now you are the one who's dying!" King Meerages chuckled mockingly again.
"NO! This ends here, now! No more deaths, no more destruction!" Serenity yelled painfully. With an angry roar, King Meerages shot forth a bolt of dark lightning, trying to destroy the wand before she can use it, but it was too late.
The Queen quickly raised her hand again, and with a bright flash, the power of the Ginzuishou deflected the powerful blast. Then Queen Serenity pointed the wand at Meerages. "With some of the last of all my strength, I banish you all to a place where you will never again cause pain and sorrow! COSMIC..MOON...POWER!
A powerful pink light grew out of the large silver crystal, and in a flash, it turned into a ball. Quickly it headed straight for King Meerages, and as he screamed in frustration, it entrapped him inside. Slowly it raised up to the endless black sky with him inside it, and with a bright flash, it ripped into the black sky above. It hovered for a few moments, and with another flash, it turned into a colorful bubble and gently ascended into space. A rip between dimensions suddenly opened not long after and the bubble containing King Meerage floated in.
The crystal flashed once again, and after a moment, many little bubbles followed, containing King Meerages's followers and warriors.
They too entered the rip in space. The rip closed moments later, disposing half of the Dark Kingdom's forces for now. Queen Serenity breathed a sigh of relief after a moment, then slowly fell to her knees in exhaustion. Suddenly, Marco, Dief, Luna and Artermis ran up, tears flowing down their faces. "Queen Serenity! Hurry! It's the Princess!" cried Luna.
"It was Queen Beryl! She..she.." Unable to speak anymore, Marco hung his head and whined sorrowfully.
No! My precious daughter! The Queen of the Moon thought desperately. Grasping for breath, she got up shakily on her feet and hurried after the talking cats and dogs to do anything she could to save her only child.
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Back in the present, King Meerages shook his head, ending the images before they could continue and blinking his ice blue eyes as he recalled the true memory of what happened. "I..didn't know..." he said softly. Could he have been wrong? Did he allow himself to be tricked and helped bring such death and destruction? But as quickly as the doubt entered his mind, he shook his head to clear it.
His eyes suddenly narrowed, and he pushed back the guilty thoughts. The King looked scornfully at Tanya standing before him. "No! They were all fools for refusing the power of the Dark Kingdom, including your precious Knightstar family! If they would have accepted, they wouldn't have died so painfully." the King commented mockingly.
Tanya's eyes widened and she stood shocked for a moment as she recognized the family name. She backed away slowly, her hands at the side of her face as she shook her head in disbelief. "It...it can't be!" she whispered to herself. At the evil smile the King threw at her, Tanya's heart sank. It wasn't a taunt...it was true. Her family had died while she was on the Moon Kingdom. She was playing around in a party as her family...her whole planet...died a horrifying death at the hands of this sadistic man. At that second, her heart felt like it just broke into a million pieces. "It's..true. You murdered my family back then. You...killed everyone I loved!" Tears once again fell down her cheeks, the realization of the horrible fate of all she held dear sinking in. With a mournful sob, Tanya fell to her hands and knees on the cold, hard ground and cried sorrowfully. Her wonderful parents, King Marcopius, and her beautiful mother Queen Felicity, her uncle Honorius, her Aunt Mercya...dead for so long, and she didn't even know how until now.
King Meerages laughed dryly and looked at Tanya with cold eyes. "Tell me, little princess. How did it feel to see everything fall dead around you, hmmm? To feel such loneliness when your family wasn't there to protect you? Or does it hurt more that you weren't there to protect them?" King Meerages sneered.
At the King's slow approach towards her and the taunting words, Tanya's already fragile mind snapped, and she screamed out a loud painful cry, tears streaming down her face. Dead! They were all dead! Her family she cherished and loved during the Silver Millenium were dead, and she wasn't there to help them, to protect them! On her forehead, the sign of Sirius glowed white and strong, sending forth a pure white light. The Sirius Emerald Star Stone on her necklace glowed a powerful blue light. It surrounded Tanya's body, and suddenly, the Star Stone gave off a blue massive beam, reacting to the pain and sorrow that took over the young girl's heart. The power, strengthen by her anger, hate, and the unbearable sadness, struck the King right in the middle of his chest and knocked him all the way across the room, slamming him hard on the metal wall.
King Meerages slowly slid down to the floor, blood leaking out his mouth. He got up on his feet a moment later and wiped off the small trickle of blood from his mouth. "You WILL pay for that!" he said menacingly. His eyes glowed dark red and a dark purple flash of lightening crackled in his hands. Tanya continued to cry out, the blue light waving around her body. Then long moments later, out of breath, she collapsed on her hands and knees on the cold black floor, and the dark blue light slowly disappated.
For a moment, there was just silence as Tanya breathed heavily, sweat forming on her dark forehead. Painfully, she lifted up her head and looked at King Meerages with determination set in her eyes. "No matter what happens to me, " she whispered, narrowing her eyes. "I will NOT let you take over this Earth, even if it means my death! This, I swear on the souls of my lost family!" Tanya got up, wincing in pain, and passing her hand over her necklace and the jewel, threw her right arm in the air. "SIRIUS EMERALD STAR POWER! MAKE UP!"
As before, the violet and white light surrounded the dark-skinned senshi's body, wrapping her in the fuku that filled her blood and soul with power. The Star Stone morphed and changed into the large black opal. When the transformation was done, Super Sailor Sirius stood before King Meerages in a fierce fighting stance, ready for revenge.
"Oh really?" asked King Meerages, standing up straight. He held his arms out in front of him, his palms facing each other. Energy and power crackled in between his hands and fingers, glowing a dark purple color. The King snapped his head up, and with glowing red eyes, gave Sailor Sirius an evil smirk. "We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" he chuckled.
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To be continued.
