The Crystal Senshi

Savagekitty

Dedicated to those who are true senshi of the heart and spirit.

Chapter Two

Memory Gate

Everyone was quite, not really sure what to say. Lauren, Bonnie, Caty, and Erin; out of fear that these people were crazy and they didn't know what the hell they had gotten themselves into. The others because they wanted to see how these new girls reacted to the news. Luna cleared her throat,

"Well, the girls had already been introduced when they brought Caty up, so why don't I introduce her?"

Usagi nodded and smiled at Caty as Luna stood behind her, motioning to each girl she named. Makoto, Minako, Rei, and Ami.

Rei yawned, as if bored, "But she already knew who we are, don't you? Or at least you think you do." She seemed a little put out. Ami blushed at her friends tone, apologizing to Caty, "Rei-chan is a little… gruff sometimes. Please do not let it determine who she really is by her few first words to you."

"Ami-chan, I do not need you to apologize to me. Artemis told us about her. She read all the manga. She saw the ridiculous cartoon. And if I see one more doll…" She seemed to growl. Makoto sat up a little straighter, "I happen to like the dolls."

Bonnie wasn't sure what was going on, and she said so, "We were introduced, yes. But…"

Caty cut her off, her voice a little wheezy, "They are the Sailor Scouts."

"We actually prefer the term Sailor Senshi, thank you." Rei growled. That earned her a light smack on the arm from Minako, "Be nice."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, "That retarded cartoon you were obsessed with in middle school? God damn, Caty, you must have been hit harder then we thought on the highway."

Caty looked at Bonnie, "Highway?"

Luna bit her lip, "I think we are going out of order here." She sighed, thinking of where to start then nodded, " We will start with the past, I think. Knowing your past will help you understand your present and possibly your future." She fished out of her pockets, four necklaces. On them hung a pendant in the shape of a small star made of brightly colored crystal. She passed them out to each girl. Bonnie received the blue star, Lauren the red, Caty the green, and Erin the purplish one. Erin looked at it and smiled, "Amethyst… this is my birthstone."

"They are all our birthstones…" Lauren said, admiring the red of the ruby star, "These must have cost a fortune!"

"Actually, they were entrusted to us to be used by the Senshi Guard. The Crystal Senshi, as they were also known in the Moon Kingdom," Artemis said.

Caty looked up from the small star that was about the size of her thumb nail, "It's real?"

Luna smiled softly, "Let us tell the story. Then you will know…"

"Luna, I think it will be better if they see it…" Artemis said. Caty noticed the air in the room was thick, almost hard to breath. She looked at the man with the white hair and she feel power flowing off him as he closed his eyes. The air suddenly crackled with electricity and she saw him open his eyes just before the air exploded into bright light.

The four girls stood in a white mist. They were no longer in the apartment. How did they get here? Caty tried to speak, but she couldn't. She looked over at her friends, they too were puzzled and looking around. The area was endless, the horizon white with mist. Artemis walked from the mist, dressed in white. He seemed to have a silver breast plate on over a soft white jacket. The breast plate wasn't solid, but curved and curled over the jacket and in some places, glittered with what Caty swore was diamonds. His hair was tied back, allowing his handsome not so Japanese face stand by itself.

"Welcome to the Memory Gate. I am the keeper of this gate. I deem it necessary for you to remember your past lives, for the sake of the survival of this time and this space." A long staff of silver appeared in his hands. The top swirled into a tight circle, with a diamond in the center, the other end of the staff had teeth, like a key. He held it in one hand, setting the butt of it on the invisible ground. A gateway appeared behind him, as spirally as his breast plate. He waved towards it, and the gates opened slowly. Caty looked back at her friends then to the gate. She was curious. If this really was a dream, she might as well go along with it. But if it was a dream, why did she hurt like someone beat the hell out of her?

She started to walk towards the gate. She didn't look back, but she felt Erin and Bonnie follow. Lauren was last, and ran to catch up. She stopped at the gate, her toes at the very edge. She looked back at Artemis, nodded, then stepped through the gate.

"She's gone again, and her personal guards aren't due here for another three hours. I don't understand why they had to go home for holiday all at the same time." Amethyst stood with her hands on her hips, looking at her commander. The two women stood in a small room, two of the walls were giant windows overlooking the Moon Palace gardens. One wall was colored in mirrors that were actually magic. They would show the viewer anywhere in the palace that had been deemed viewable, and the last wall held the door to enter the door. In the middle was a simple dark oak desk that was currently covered in paperwork, maps, and a lamp. The commander, a woman who was not even 25, had fought in more battles then she cared to remember. Her name was Emerald, but she was known as Sailor Emerald. She had been born on Earth and then taken to the Senshi training planet at the age of three after she had been tested for the abilities the Senshi looked for. She knew little about her birth family, but as far as she was concerned, the Senshi was her real family.

She had not been able to attain the highest honor of senshi, planetary senshi, the guardians of their home planets, were the most powerful woman in the universe. Then came the star senshi, asteroid senshi, and then, her rank, the guardian senshi. She didn't mind. She worked hard for her position and she used it to make a difference. She had been called upon to command the guardian senshi of the Moon. She commanded 300 of the universes leading guardian senshi on the moon. Her four generals, Amethyst, Ruby, Sapphire, and Beryl, commanded 75 senshi each.

Why did so many senshi for this one solar system? Because of the Queen. The Queen of the Moon that orbited Earth. She and her family's line, had united this solar system to be the most peaceful and united planets in the universe. A feet no one could accomplish. It had started with Queen Serenity the Mighty. She had become queen only at the age of 16 and cut a bloody path through Jupiter and Mars, to bring them into her fold. She had been the first Senshi to ever rule a moon. Her daughter, Queen Serenity the Golden hearted didn't agree to her mother's bloody fist to unite planets, and using her diplomatic skills, brought Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto into the warm arms of the Moon Kingdom. The next Queen Serenity, like her mother, was not a Senshi. But she used the senshi she did have from Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune to bring Mercury and Venus. The next Serenity was Senshi, and she used her powers to bring in the dark planet of Saturn to the fold. Her daughter, the current Queen Serenity, known to her people as the Silver Flower, was currently working with Earth, to bring it to her united planets. And with Earth being admitted, she could usher in the Golden Millennium. She had only 20 years to do it before the next millennium started, and it was harder work then her senshi mother had, but she was born to hard work. Her daughter, the Princess Serenity, would wed the Earth prince. The other planets thought this union moot, for who would want the barbaric and undeveloped Earth in their ranks? But Serenity had plans. She wanted her Solar System to be peaceful, a model to the rest of the universe.

Emerald looked up at Amethyst, who wore the typical guardian senshi uniform, soft boots to her knees, a short skirt for movement, a black unitard like cover over her upper body, a sailor collar the cut down to a bow over her breasts with a gold pendant in the middle that held the star of her namesake. Her gloves came to her elbows with a slight trim at the top. Her once auburn hair was streaked with different hues of purple and red. It was held back by a headband, allowing it to flow down her back. Her skirt, bow, boots, and headband were a light shade of violet. Emerald's uniform looked the same, though hers was in a dark shade of green, so dark, it looked almost black. Ruby and Sapphire came in. Their uniforms matched their name sake's color. The guardian senshis uniforms were black, yes, because they were deemed low, the workers of the senshi order. The senshi these women commanded wore all black, no color to their uniform, save for three color bands on the bottom of their skirts, the tops of their boots, and the tops of their gloves, the bottom ring was green, marking their commander as Sailor Emerald, the middle ring the color of their general, be it red, purple, blue, or yellow for Beryl. And the last ring was silver, marking the guardian to the house of the Moon.

Emerald sighed as three of her four generals stood before her. Sapphire was about Emerald's height, just under 6 feet tall. Her dark brown hair was cut to her shoulders, but usually tied back at the base of her neck. Ruby was the shortest of them all at 5'2". Her blonde hair was cut into a stylish pixy cut and made to stand in spikes with red tips. Emerald looked at the watch she wore around her neck on a long chain, a present from a 'friend' of hers, "Ok, she probably snuck off to see Endymion. Ruby, have a couple of your squads search her usual hiding places. I will need to explain to her, AGAIN, that we are not her babysitters and address the Queen that the Princess's own guards should be on the Moon at all times. At least one anyway." She pushed away from the desk and stood her full height, which was very intimidating. She was pretty, but not a beauty. Her eyes, though, were. They were the brightest green anyone could be born with naturally. Almost to the point of lime green, but slightly darker. Her hair was long, past her bottom, and bright crimson red.

She walked past her generals and out into the hallway, all their boots making no sound on the hard marble floors, "Has anyone heard from Beryl yet?"

"No," Sapphire said as she read through a file she had taken from Emerald's desk, "We have people looking on Earth where she was suppose to be on vacation, but nothing's turned up."

Emerald chewed the inside of her mouth in frustration. Short one general when the Moon was about to be the center of the solar system. Well, it usually was the center of the attention of the solar system, but now they were being scrutinized because of the masked ball the night before Princess Serenity's wedding to the Earth prince. Beryl was a little hard to get along with, but she followed orders very well and did her job. Emerald's other generals were her best friends but Beryl… Beryl didn't want to be friends. She had went on a holiday, and had not come back yet. It had been almost two months, and if Emerald wasn't so busy putting together the last of her security and making sure the Kingdom was safe for the visiting dignitaries, she would had gone to look for her general herself. But she couldn't so here she was, one general short. She was going to fry Beryl's ass when she got in.

The small group headed for the throne room, Emerald would go in alone, after issuing orders to her remaining generals. They would reshuffle Beryl's troops to even out the other general's groups. Ruby's group would look for the missing Princess, which wasn't a hard job, she disappeared all the time, usually to sneak down to Earth to visit her love, Prince Endymion. Sapphire would go over the extra security precautions with her group, Amethyst would take hers and run the usual laps around the castle, the guard shift. Emerald saw her girls leave and then turned, entering the throne room, where the Queen talked quietly with her advisers, the handsome Artemis, who at one time vied for Emerald's affections before Luna, the small and fragile purplish black-haired woman to his right, had come to the moon. Emerald bowed to her Queen when she came upon the group, reporting to the Queen, and giving her an update to the day's happenings. The Queen listened quietly and waited until Emerald was finished, "Very good, I am always glad you took command, Emerald. You do such fine work." Emerald wanted to beam at the praise, but only bowed to the Queen, keeping her face blank, "Thank you, Highness."

"I know my daughter is not on the Earth, though," the Queen went on, "The Prince is arriving today with his guard. He should be arriving in another hour."

Emerald bowed, "Yes, Highness, I am aware of the prince's arrival, but I had failed to see a connection. Thank you for noticing. I will meet his royal prince and escort them, myself, to their rooms." Emerald turned to leave, "Emerald?"

The Queen called the young woman back and talked quietly, "Please, I would like a guard on their rooms while they are staying here. I have just received reports that the Darkness that had gripped the Earth has spread and many cities have fallen. This disturbs me that this happens so close to my daughters wedding to the Earth prince. If any incident happens while they are here, I will be forced to send them back."

Emerald nodded, knowing the trouble brewing on Earth. She kept up with all news, making her generals aware also, so they could keep their ears open. It was troubling, this Darkness that appeared out of no where, and gripping the hearts of Man. She hoped that it would not spread past Earth.

An hour later saw her waiting by the large rooms called Transit. These rooms were specially built for people to travel between planets. The Prince of Earth stepped out of such a room, followed by his four guards. They too, were named for minerals, as was the trend from their generation. Kunzite, the leader of the prince's guards, greeted Emerald as the Princess Serenity squealed and ran down the hall, launching herself on the prince. He caught her, laughing. Ruby followed, panting as she stopped by Emerald, "Found…her…" Emerald closed her eyes shaking her head as Kunzite chuckled, "She's a handful." The other guards, Jadeite, Zoicite, and Nephrite, stood behind the prince, on guard. Though, Emerald noticed, Zoicite looking at her and Kunzite a bit more often then need be. Each guard wore soft boots to their ankles, breeches in varying shades, loose coats that was covered by their amour. They each wore a cape, as was the fashion for military. Their hair ranged from man to man, Jadeite wore his short, wavy and bright blonde, almost white. Nephrite prided his long locks, wavy auburn to the middle of his back. Zoicite was blonde, but darker then Jadeite's, pulled back from his face in a low ponytail. Kunzite's silver hair flowed straight down his back. It was actual shimmering silver, Emerald unsure if it had ever been any other color. The prince was dressed almost the same way, though his amour a bit for harsh with black and gold, a black cape with red underside hanging over his left shoulder. He was young, only 19 compared to his 26 year old guards. He was handsome, devastatingly. His eyes crystal blue and his hair blacker then coal, worn short.

They walked as a group through the gardens, a large part of the palace that the last queen had commissioned. Every plant that could grow on the moon, did, those from every planet and some from other worlds not of this solar system. They walked through the Earth Rose Garden, the prince and princess walking ahead of them so the small group couldn't overhear what they spoke of. Emerald and Kunzite walked a little ahead of the others, talking of Earth, the security for the ball and the wedding, and other such related topics. They matched each other in stance, hands behind their backs, slowly walking in a half leisurely march. Finally, Kunzite turned to the others,

"I feel that Emerald's efforts have allowed this place to be safe enough for me to go with her to look at maps of the palace. You go ahead and escort the prince to his rooms, I'll be in the cafeteria in about two hours."

He and Emerald took a different path that headed towards her office and a different part of the palace. They walked further into the trees. Kunzite looked back after they walked for about ten minutes and then stepped off the path, pulling Emerald into a shady spot where they wouldn't be seen. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her like he drank from her. She half fell into his arms, her face flaming red as heat rushed into her upper body. She pulled away from him, giggling as if drunk, "Missed me?"

He chuckled and buried his face into her hair, taking a deep breath, taking the smell of vanilla and rosewater, "Like I would miss my sword arm." She rested her head to his chest, he stood over her at about 6'6", so it was easy for her to feel small in his arms, which she loved. They finally parted and stepped back onto the path, risking a tender hand holding as they walked slowly down the shadowy path. As a senshi guard, she was not allowed to have any relationships with outsiders. Kunzite was forbidden to. They could not have helped feeling something for each other, since Kunzite started coming to the Moon with his master. He had met her while she briefed him and his small guard on the way the Moon security worked. It pained her to spend so much time away from him, since her main job was not to protect the princess alone, but the whole Moon. Usually, she was traveling, checking on the outposts, seeing her troops and generals. They were usually far flung over the Moon, but now with the ball and the wedding, she had 90 of her guard concentrated to the palace. They had a quite affair that was almost two years old, and when the wedding of the Moon and Earth was over, Emerald would retire to Earth and be with Kunzite for the rest of her days. Or so that was the plan.

They talked quietly, of Emerald's worries over the security and about the news from Earth. Kunzite gave his worries also, but assured her the Darkness was being fought back and would probably not last much longer. Before they left the shadow of the trees, he gave her one last fleeting kiss. Walking into the light, they were the Commander and the Prince's Guard again as they walked towards her office.

Day bled to night quickly and the day of the ball arrived. Emerald was up early, making sure everything was as it was suppose to be. She sat in her office with a mug of coffee watching the mirrors when Artemis and Luna entered. They were followed the Queen. Emerald stood up so fast, she sloshed hot coffee down the front of her uniform. She cussed then blushed, "Highness, please excuse me." The Queen nodded, her usually smiling self gone now. She turned towards the mirrors, looking at them. She watched, her back to the others, as the palace awoke and readied for the ball that night. The mirrors wiped themselves, returning to their reflective surfaces as Serenity bowed her head, "All Earth citizens are to return immediately."

Emerald stood still, cooling coffee dripping from her skirt, "I'm sorry, Highness?"

Artemis removed a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her, "We intercepted this last night."

Emerald read it slowly, her face paling, "The Darkness took over the Earth? How?" She whispered. Luna looked ill, "It was led by a queen. Or at least that is what she calls herself. She has been corrupted by the Darkness and had the knowledge to unite the people that had been corrupted and lead them." Emerald looked at Luna, "Who?"

The Queen turned, her eyes angry, "Beryl."

Emerald's eye widened and she had to sit down, her face pasty, her eyes flaming against the whiteness, "No… no this can not be…"

"It is and it has!" The Queen said, angrily, "She betrayed the name of Senshi! Seduced by Darkness!" Emerald closed her eyes, the mug she had held long forgotten, fell to the floor, shattering.

"I will deport all Earth citizens immediately, Highness. But…" She looked up at the Queen, "The prince?"

She looked grim, her beauty twisting into something that scared Emerald, "He will be taken back. I would honestly keep him on the Moon, but the Darkness seems to corrupt the Earthlings so quickly and not appear for days. We do not know if he is… one of them."

Emerald nodded, understanding, "I will lock down the palace, until all Earthlings have been deported."

The Queen nodded and turned to leave, Luna and Artemis following. Emerald stood, "Highness?" The Queen turned, she had known what Emerald would say, "She is to be locked in her room. She can not be told, fore if she is…" The Queen sighed and closed her eyes. "My daughter is very much in love with the Prince, and this…this will break her heart…"

Emerald almost could have cried, but she kept her face blank.

The deportation did not go well. Somehow the princess had found out and had to be sedated. Ruby stood by her side with a squad of ten senshi outside the princess's bedroom door. Emerald saw to the deportation herself and as night fell, the only ones left was the prince and his guardians. Endymoin was not happy to leave. He wanted to know why he had to leave. Emerald explain the best she could. The prince just wasn't happy . Kunzite laid a hand to his shoulder, calming him, and talking quietly as they entered the chamber to leave. Emerald heard the familiar buzz of departure and closed her eyes. She let a tear fall down her cheek before opening her eyes. A tall woman with long reddish auburn hair that foamed around her shoulders and down her back stood before Emerald. She wore a tight dark dress and a crown of black crystal. Emerald gasped, calling upon her weapon, the Crystal Sword. The long, almost black sword formed in her hands, deadly as the wielder that held it.

"Beryl!"

The other woman laughed, long and hard, drawing the hair up on the back of Emerald's neck. The palace shook as the new queen walked slowly towards Emerald, "You're too late."

Emerald gritted her teeth and advanced upon her former general. Beryl smiled smugly and raised a hand. Pressure clenched Emerald's chest and pushed her back into a wall, knocking her wind out from her body. She rolled in and out of conciseness as Beryl cackled. Sliding down the wall, Beryl walked into her limited field of vision, "Emerald, you have been a pain in my ass for too long. Now I am the commander, and I will have this moon and the planets and you can not stop me."

Emerald slipped into the darkness, her sword falling to her side. She wanted to argue, run her sword through Beryl's smug face, but the cold darkness pressed around her.

When she awoke, it was dark. Not the darkness of night, but darkness that wrapped itself around the sky and made it hard to see. Her head made her stomach real with nausea. She fought not to throw up. She knew at least two of her ribs were cracked as she stood, gripping her sword. Adrenalin cleared her head and she no longer felt the stabbing pains of cracked ribs and probably a concussion. She walked down the hall stealthily, coming to a side door that lead into the gardens. All around her, she heard the clash of swords. She tried to hale her generals on the communicator that sat in the middle of their bows on their chests, but all she got was a loud whining noise. She passed through the trees where she and Kunzite had kissed just the day before, passing dead bodies. They seemed apart of the garden, in the darkness. She rounded the grounds, coming to the steps that led to the front of the palace. The fountains, usually so beautiful in daylight, were red with blood. It was sickening, as the water shot high into the air. Bodies lay in piles on the ground. She heard the sound of arguing near the top of the steps. She saw Beryl, from her cover near the trees, at the top of the steps, talking to Endymion, who stood in front of Serenity. How did he get back here? Around them, lay four bodies. She had to squint to see the Sailor Senshi. The Guardians of the Princess, princesses in their own rights, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter were all dead. Behind Beryl stood Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite. Through her grief over her fallen comrades, she felt relief that Kunzite was not among them. Among the bodies, she could see the guardian senshi in their black uniforms. In the sky, the darkened sky, where usually the stars twinkled brightly and clearly at night, the Earth had risen, large and glittering blue. The Earth was not suppose to rise on this side of the Moon. That disturbed Emerald as she saw the dark band of light that circled the Earth and like a spill of black ink through clear water, the band moved to the Moon. Endymion was yelling something at the cackling Beyrl. She couldn't tell what it was. She strained to hear as a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned in a swift movement, drawing blood from Kunzite, cutting his left sleeve open above the shoulder. He looked at her grimly as the cut on his arm slowly sealed itself. She gasped, moving back into the trees, "Kunzite!" He moved towards her, his sword had yet to be raised, "It's over, Emerald. Join us." He held a hand out to her, the arm she had cut. She looked at him, her face hardening, "You betrayed your prince! Your world!" She grit her teeth, advancing on him. Crystal met steel as he blocked her from stabbing him with his sword, "Don't do this, Emerald! Join us! We can be together forever!"

"At what price! They are dead, Kunzite! Would you kill your prince too?"

"He is not my prince any longer. I serve a new master."

She moved in a Butterfly Arch with her sword, but he blocked her, "Hours of practicing together, Emerald, you could never defeat me."

She grit her teeth harder, "This is the real thing, Kunzite, not just some practice game."

She was quick, he saw, she had held back with him, as she moved in, both hands clutched to her sword's hilt. She drew a line of blood across his cheek before he realized she had held back. Crystal and steel drew sparks as he tried to reason with him. Join the Dark Kingdom and rule beside him.

"You are weak, Kunzite. Betraying your Kingdom for power! Did she promise sex to you, Kunzite?"

She forced him backward with several almost desperate hacking movements. He stumbled and dropped his sword, falling over a stone bench onto the gravel walkway. She was over the bench in a fluid jump, setting the tip of her sword to his throat, "Traitor. You will join the rest of them in Hell. The Moon Kingdom will never fa-" She stopped, jerking forward slightly, her eyes wide in surprised shock. Kunzite flinched as her sword bit into his neck, drawing a thin line of blood. Her sword fell from her hand, clattering on the gravel.

Her face grew pale, her eyes filled with pain. If her fuku had been white, a small red spot could have been seen growing from just below her breasts. In any case, the material of her black fuku tented in that area slightly. She opened her lips, her teeth gritted in pain. Zoicite stepped away from her, Kunzite looking in horror at his comrade. The crystal shard, buried deep in Emerald back, dripped blood on the ground behind her as she fell to her knees in the gravel. Zoicite stood defensively, looking at her with fierce hatred in his eyes. Kunzite wrapped his arms around her, on his knees, his hands finding the shard and pulled it out. She screamed, blood dripping from the side of her mouth. The bloody shard was tossed aside as he lay her to the ground. She stared up at him, shaking slightly, her eyes growing dark. Her chest jerked, she coughed wetly, more blood bubbling from her mouth. Emerald's eyes darted around as Kunzite put an ear to her lips, "I'm…afraid…"

And she was gone.

The Moon Kingdom did not fall as Emerald was trying to say. The Queen, seeing Endymion take a killing blow for her daughter and then her daughter throwing herself to Endymion's sword, she couldn't stand it. She ran into the Prayer Room of the palace, the only room that only the Queen herself could enter. A large stone pilled stood in the center, and in front of it, another, shorter pillar with a glass case, held the Silver Moon Crystal. Luna and Artemis were sealed away, to one day find those who could defeat the evil Dark Kingdom, as the Queen used the powers of the Silver Crystal and her life force, to lock the Darkness away and send her child and those of the Kingdom, to Earth, to live. The United Planets crumbled, becoming dead and as a thousand years passed on Earth, the fact of the Moon Kingdom was turned to legend, then fiction, then forgotten…

Caty opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She looked to her friends, who sat in their same seat, each one crying. Bonnie looked angry, Lauren was close to hysterics, and Erin covered her face. She wasn't sure if they had seen what she had, they probably saw their own past experiences. She looked at the five girls and Mamoru. Luna stood behind Artemis, a sad look filling her eyes. Usagi. Yes. Caty knew that name now. She remembered Usagi, as if she had always known her. Artemis had taken the liberty to give each Caty, Lauren, Bonnie, and Erin knowledge of their new friends, their past horrors and battles with the Dark Kingdom.

Caty opened her mouth, finding her mouth dry. It took her a moment to speak, "Why."

Luna looked to Usagi and Mamoru. Mamoru gripped Usagi's hand in his, "The Dark Kingdom has grown too strong. We did not wish to awaken you but…"

"We needed help." Rei said quietly.

End Chapter Two

Memory Gate