Hello all! In case you haven't heard (and you probably have) Sailor Moon: Crystal comes out June 5th! Equally exciting, Classic Sailor Moon is being put up on Hulu and Viz purchased the rights. Later this year, they'll be putting up a complete re-dub of the Classic Sailor Moon AND DVDs of all 5 seasons and 3 movies will be available sometime after (about a year to a year and a half), so we'll be getting a double dose AND we'll finally have a chance to get ahold of the classic Sailor Moon Anime! Whoo!

Fruit Parlor Crown

A week after the Ice Warriors' arrival, The scouts, with Charlotte and Darien, sat at their usual table in the corner.

"We have to make a decision," Ami said quietly.

Mina shifted in her seat. "Yeah. Feeding them every night is expensive."

Serena sighed unhappily. "I've spent my entire allowance on food for them."

"You could get a job," Rei suggested.

"When? Between school and saving the world every other night, I don't really have time."

Rei inclined her head towards Darien. "Why don't you ask your boyfriend? He's in college, has two jobs and manages to bail you out every time you need him."

Serena opened her mouth to reply, but Lita interrupted. "Let's focus on making a decision."

"I like having them around," Darien said before sipping his tea. "They're interesting and they clean my apartment and dishes, but Lita is right. We need to make a decision. The longer they're around, the more likely it is they'll be discovered. We should go."

Charlotte shrugged. "I'll go with the rest of you. I'm along for the ride, as you say."

"I think we should go," Ami said.

Serena tapped the fingers of her right hand on the table. "I'm with Ami. If they're telling the truth and we really can revive the planet, isn't that worth going for?"

Rei glanced out the window. "If they're my people, even if there are only a handful left, I want to do what I can to help them. If going to Mars is the way to do that, I'll go."

Mina nodded. "If they need our help, it's our duty to do what we can. Plus it might be fun to see another planet."

Lita glanced to each of the others. "I'm wary of them, but you're right. If they were part of the Moon Kingdom and they need us, it's our duty to help. And I suppose if they really like cooking, they can't be that bad."

"We should have Ta'Xaddir meet us at the shrine tonight," Ami announced. "In the meantime," Ami pulled several books from her bag and set them on the table. "We need to study. We only have two years left of high school and we need to do well if we want to get into college."

"She's right," Darien added, looking between Mina and Serena. "You should all study."

Serena and Mina both groaned.

Hikawa Shrine

As the last of the sunlight faded to be replaced by the blazing lights of the city, the Ice Warriors and Scouts returned to the shrine.

Ta'Xaddir looked down at Rei. "We are pleased you chose to return home. When you are prepared, we will be waiting for you aboard our ship. It should take no more than twenty of your minutes to arrive."

He politely slammed his right fist into his left shoulder and then, followed by the other Ice Warriors, boarded the ship.

Rei's mild trepidation showed and Serena put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just a little nervous. You're the only one who's been to your home planet. And what if they want me to stay?"

Serena smiled slightly. "If they do, you'll make a great Queen."

"Thanks." Rei glanced to each of the others before nodding. "Let's transform."

There was a cacophony of clashing lights and roaring sounds as the Scouts and Darien transformed. Once finished they, along with Charlotte, Luna and Artemis, boarded the ship.

The first things Mars noticed were the walls, ceiling and floor. From the outside they had been silver, but the inside was transparent, like a one-way window. She could see the entire shrine from inside the ship.

With the Ice Warriors taking up most of the room, it was also cramped. Rei scowled as she shoved Sailor Moon's wings out of her way. "What's the point of these?" she grumbled. "You can't even fly with them."

"I like the wings, thank you very much."

Lita crammed herself against the wall. "Maybe you should de-transform. It's a bit crowded in here without your giant wings taking up half the ship."

"Mercury, that's my foot!" Venus wailed as Mercury stomped on her foot.

"Sorry!"

The Scouts kept squeezing, maneuvering and shouting at each other until they were in the seats around the edges. They were large enough that two of them fit, with moderate comfort, in each seat. Mars shared a seat with Venus while Mercury and Jupiter sat across from them. Sailor Moon cozied up with Tuxedo Mask while Charlotte, Luna and Artemis took the last seat.

"If you are prepared, we shall return to Mars," Ta'Xaddir said.

Mars pressed her back against the seat. "We're ready." I hope.

The ship vibrated as the ramp folded up, sealing the entrance. Mars could hear the Ice Warriors speaking, but couldn't make anything out over the throb of the engines.

The ship leapt up and Mars could feel the g-forces holding her down as the ship rose faster and faster. Her and Venus' heads cracked into each other as the ship jolted violently.

Mars growled and rubbed her head. "Your skull is almost as thick as Serena's."

Sailor Moon scowled at her. "I heard that."

Mercury's and Jupiter's attention was fixated on the floor. "Look," Mercury said.

The others looked down, through the clear floor, as the ground seemed to fall away.

Within seconds Mars could see all the lights of Tokyo below them, glittering and shining like small gems. A few minutes later, she could see the lights that outlined most of Japan and the west coast of Asia. Far to the East she could see the cluster of lights that almost outlined all of India and beyond that she could see the line splitting day and night.

The ship tilted so Earth was behind them instead of below and Mars lost view of it unless she turned in her seat. She craned her neck for a moment before turning forward to look at the moon.

The ship was going so fast, the moon was nothing but a silvery-white streak of light. Mars saw a glint of gold from the Moon Castle's dome. The ship was past the moon and into the darkness of space before she could look closer.

Far away was a glint of red, like a ruby on a pure black canvas. They rode in silence as the speck loomed larger.

As Ta'Xaddir estimated, it took a little over twenty minutes before they were passing between Phobos and Deimos.

The ship trembled violently as it brushed the upper atmosphere of Mars. The bottom began to glow white and the interior began to heat up, and Mars had the unsettling sensation of falling.

A loud 'boom' echoed outside the ship and the glow faded along with the shaking. The flight smoothed as they soared over a seemingly endless red plain of dust and rocks. In the distance, Mars could see a system of massive chasms that extended beyond her line of sight.

"It's Valles Marineris," Mercury said in awe. "It's one of the biggest canyon systems in the Solar System."

The ship followed the canyon system to its end. Beyond it were several mountains and, in the distance, Mars could barely make out a mountain so vast and so large its top was lost with the planet's curve.

Ta'Xaddir pointed. "That is our destination. When your line ruled, the Queen's Mountain, I believe hoo-mans name it Olympus Mons, was the capitol. Since the second fall, it has been mostly abandoned. My clan is the only one that remains."

"How do you survive up there?" Mercury asked. "The air is so thin and if the atmosphere is already compromised, wouldn't it be safer to move elsewhere?"

"The peak of the Queen's Mountain is contained within an air dome, exactly as the one that protected the Moon Castle. We are unsure how, but both air domes continue to work. So long as we remain within it and the mountain, we are safe from the Red Dawn. However, growing crops is almost impossible here and so many of my kin have moved elsewhere."

Ta'Xaddir's attention turned back to piloting the ship as they approached the mountainside. A large, rectangular portion of the mountainside slid sideways, creating an opening large enough for six of the ships to fly through side by side.

Ta'Xaddir piloted the ship into the opening and landed at the end of four other ships, all of them easily three or four times larger than the one they were in.

The ship's entrance folded down into a ramp and the engines went silent as the Ice Warriors stood. "Welcome to Mars," Ta'Xaddir rumbled. "Come, we shall take you to our leader." Ta'Xaddir, followed by the others, disembarked while the scouts unbuckled their seat belts.

Sailor Moon stood and went soaring into the ceiling. She bounced off and hit the floor. Dazed, she sat up slowly. "What happened?"

Charlotte frowned slightly. "Sorry. I should have reminded you the gravity here is a third of what it is on Earth. With your abilities to jump higher and move faster than average humans, walking is going to be a challenge. Each step will throw you much further than you expect."

"Serena is doomed," Jupiter sighed.

Sailor Moon scowled. "I'll be fine." She stepped towards the door and soared into the frame, face-first. Mars stifled a laugh.

Luna sighed. "Typical. You never listen when someone tells you something important."

"We didn't have this problem on the moon," Sailor Moon grumbled, rubbing her face. "Why isn't it the same here?"

"It was the Ginzuishou," Luna answered. "In the Moon Kingdom it was responsible for sustaining life and creating an area of Earth-like gravity. If you focus, you should be able to increase the pull of gravity on all of us."

Sailor Moon held her hand over the Ginzuishou for a moment and her expression became peaceful. The Ginzuishou glowed and Mars felt like something was pulling her down.

The sensation passed as the Ginzuishou stopped glowing. Sailor Moon took a cautious step and remained firmly on the ground. She seemed surprised. "It worked!"

The gravity problem solved, the scouts disembarked. Outside the ship, were Ta'Xaddir and his Ice Warriors. "This way," he rumbled. "Marshal Aarsasho is eager to meet you."

"Who's Marshal Aarsasho?' Luna asked.

"She is the leader of our clan and granted me the honor of bringing our princess home. Come."

The Ice Warriors formed in two ranks of three, each one on either side of the scouts. Ta'Xaddir took the lead, taking them out of the hangar and into a city carved out of the mountain's interior.

It easily rivaled the size of Tokyo, but was seemingly empty. The only sounds were the moan of wind blowing through the dark, empty buildings and the footsteps of the group as they walked through the city.

"It was said at it's height, this nest was home to almost a billion of our kind. It was filled with some of the greatest artists and scientists in the system," Ta'Xaddir spoke softly. "But it was all long before I was hatched."

"It's sad," Mina said. "This whole city and nobody in it."

"There are a hundred or so of my kin in this nest and perhaps a thousand more scattered across the rest of the planet."

"That's all that's left?" Mars asked.

"On this planet, yes. The majority of my kin thrive on New Mars. Last I had heard, there were over six billion there."

Venus crossed her arms. "If they're on New Mars and it's so hard to live here, why don't you join them?"

"This is our home. We cannot abandon it so easily. We are as much a part of this world as each of you are part of yours."

They fell silent as they continued to follow Ta'Xaddir through the city to a massive building at the center. Unlike most others, it extended all the way to the ceiling. Ta'Xaddir lead them to an elevator.

Venus looked unhappy. "Aren't there stairs? Everytime we try using an elevator, something horrible happens."

"There are, if you are inclined to climb four thousand of them." Ta'Xaddir pointed to a staircase on the center column that spiraled up to the ceiling. "Do not fall. There are no railings and I would be unhappy if you were to fall and be hurt."

Venus looked at the stairs, before silently stepping into the elevator.

Once they were all inside, the doors slid shut and Mars could feel the elevator rising. Ta'Xaddir cleared his throat, sounding like a growling bear. "Marshal Aarsasho is the leader of my clan and is responsible for returning you home. She will ask for nothing, but please remember her when you are returned to the throne."

The doors opened before Mars answered. She followed Ta'Xaddir off the elevator and into a massive room that looked very similar in design to the Moon Castle, but smaller and made out of red and orange stone, rather than white.

At the far end was a dias, on top of which was a golden throne. In it, lounged an Ice Warrior larger than Ta'Xaddir. Around it were other Ice Warriors but, unlike Ta'Xaddir and his Ice Warriors, they were heavily armed and had much bulkier armor.

Ta'Xaddir bowed his head as he slammed his right fist into his left shoulder. "Marshal Aarsasho, by the Two Moons, I honor thee. I bring tidings in our darkest hour; I have found the princess and future queen. She has returned to Mars in my company."

Aarsasho stood, her expression impossible to read behind her visored helmet. Slowly, she approached Sailor Mars. "So, you are the heir to the throne? You are much smaller than I expected." Something about her tone was cold, mocking and challenging. "And I see you have brought the other princesses. Fascinating. I had always thought they were just stories. Yet, here they are. And who are these two?" She looked down at Tuxedo Mask and Charlotte.

"Dairy-man and their droid assistant, Shsurr." Ta'Xaddier replied.

Charlotte scowled. "I'm not an assistant. I'm a valued member of their team."

Aarsasho ignored her and turned to Mars. "Now you are here, it is time to return the Castle to the surface. Only then can Mars be restored. Come, your highness."

Mars scowled. "You don't need to be so rude."

Aarsasho's reply sounded like a large cat purring. "I mean not to be rude, your highness. If my bearing and speech seem rude, remember that we grew up struggling to survive and have not mastered the niceties and complexities of conversation. We are warriors and set value in deeds, not words."

Mars didn't like Aarsasho. Where Ta'Xaddir was earnest, honest and open, she sensed malevolence coming from Aarsasho, despite her words.

I'm a threat, Mars realized. If I take the throne, she might lose her position. She considered telling Aarsasho she didn't want the throne, but discarded the idea. Aarsasho wouldn't believe her and might do something drastic.

Mars chose to keep her mouth shut as they followed Aarsasho to the summit. It was barren except a small pillar that was waist-high on Mars.

Aarsasho gestured to it. "Place your hand upon it."

Sailor Mars hesitated before taking off her right glove and placing her hand on the top of the pedestal. It glowed green for a few seconds, then sank into the ground.

The top of the mountain shook violently as four massive pillars, carved into the likeness of kneeling Ice Warriors, were pushed out of the ground. The pillars formed a square with the statues all facing out and away from each other.

The mountain continued to shake as the pillars rose. Everyone managed to stay on their feet, except Sailor Moon who fell, landing on her back.

The shaking stopped as the pillars locked into place. Groaning, Sailor Moon stood, trying to brush the rust stains off her fuku's wings and her gloves. The more she tried, the worse she made it. She finally accepted defeat when both wings and gloves were stained with streaks of rust.

"I hate this planet," she grumbled.

A thundering 'boom' caused everyone to look at the sky. Above them appeared a blazing star that slowly began to descend. When it was level with them, it stopped dropping and began to approach. The details were lost in the glare of the reflected sunlight and both scouts and Ice Warriors covered their eyes.

When it got close enough that the glare was less focused on them, Mars lowered her arm and looked.

It was a castle, with a surface of burnished copper that had been worked into water-like ripples. Silver inlays around the base reflected the red surface and, with the rippled surface reflecting sunlight, the castle looked like a giant flickering flame as it soared over the seemingly endless plains of dust and rock.

The Phobos Deimos Castle soared over their heads before it slowly settled onto the pillars. The pillars, in turn, sank into the ground until the castle gently touched the ground with a booming 'thud'. A door opened between the pillars of the verandah, though the interior was too dark to see any details.

Aarsasho regarded the castle before turning to Sailor Mars. "It may only be entered by you and the others. Once inside, you must find and revive one of my . . ." Aarsasho spat the word out as if it pained her. "kin. He will know how to use the castle and its connection with the planet to restore our world. Or at least understand the connection and will help us find a way to heal our world. We shall await your return here."

Mars nodded and approached the entrance, the others not far behind. She stepped inside and a light, without an obvious source, illuminated the entryway. It was a circle with ten red-marble pillars ringing the edges. The ceiling was split into ten sections with a large circle at the middle. Each of the sections was a portrait of one of the princesses and at the center was Queen Serenity.

Ten chambers, each with an Ice Warrior inside, ascended from beneath the floor. The pillars filled with a blue, cloudy gas which drifted out as nine of the pillars opened. The Ice Warriors, wearing red armor the same shade as Mars' fuku, stepped out and surrounded the scouts. From within the last chamber, still filled with mist, one of them roared out a challenge.

"Who dare intrude upon the castle of the Queen?" The final Ice Warrior stepped from the mist, looming over the scouts.

Mars slowly stepped forward. Without knowing why, she knew the Ice Warrior wouldn't harm her. It stared at her as the gas cleared. "Impossible," its voice was barely a hiss. "This is a trick."

As it slowly approached her, Mars' mind flooded with memories of her past life. She looked up at the Ice Warrior, who still seemed dumbfounded. She smiled.

"Hello, Bre'zen. Miss me?"