Act Eight: Selene, Queen of the Moon

It was strange how much could truly happen in a single day, and yet it had. Aino Minako, the mysterious Sailor V, who had protected me by acting as the princess of the moon. And now she had taken a place among us as the true leader of the senshi, as in the past I had never been one. Rei-chan was her second, Mako-chan we learned was in the past my personal guard, to protect me should something happen to the other three, Ami-chan, well it was no surprise to me or the others that now as in then that she was the team strategist and tactician. Haruka-san and Michiru-san watched over the moon kingdom by being the guardians of the Outer Sol System, and Sets-chan who had told us all of this, before out journey to the ruins of the Moon Kingdom that as Sailor Pluto then and now she was the guardian of the gates of time. "It was my choice to awaken you two during this time so that the tragedy that occurred then, does not repeat itself now," she had told Haruka-san and Michiru-san who only nodded saying that they had understood.

"And what of us Setsuna," Mamo-chan who had come to our meeting said as I stood by his side his hand so warm holding my own. "What do you remember from what happened last night," Sets-chan had asked us. "We….we were engaged to be married, our union was to bring peace between the Earth and Moon uniting the entire Sol System, but beyond that I don't know," I whispered as Mamo-chan nodded his head in agreement. "We were both unhappy about an arranged marriage, until we met, but that is all I can truly add," Mamo-chan said looking down at me causing my cheeks to flame a healthy shade of red. "The memories will come, Selene will explain things better than even I could. We will meet tonight in Juban Nature Park, a full moon, it will be the best time for our journey," Sets-chan had said and we all agreed.

"See you tonight hime," Haruka-san said. "Haruka," Michiru said rolling her eyes and sighing as she took Haruka by the arm and the two walked off. "Some things never change, see you tonight Usagi-chan," Sets-chan said with a nod of her head following after. "Minako," Rei-chan said in a questioning manor. "I would like to talk with you privately if I could, and I could show you the shrine where we have most of our meetings," the miko added her cheeks tinted with a hint of pink that caused me to look between the two with a raised eyebrow because Minako's cheeks were shaded pink as well. "I would like that," Minako-chan said after a moment of silence as the two side by side walked towards the Hikawa Jinja. "Want to go get something to eat Ami," Mako-chan said looking at me with a look that caused me to smile, as I knew what she was trying to do.

"Hai," Ami-chan replied softly looking between me and Mamo-chan and mouthing "good luck," making sure that only I saw her do so before she and Mako-chan left me and Mamoru to ourselves. "I think that your senshi did that on purpose, my princess," Mamo-chan said in a way that let me know that he was only teasing but I couldn't help but giggle anyway. "If that is true, my prince, then remind me to thank them later tonight," I said just as teasingly placing my arm through his linking us together. "I will remember to do so Usa," he said with a chuckle. "Oh I found this yesterday Mamo-chan, it is yours ne," I said showing him the antique pocket watch that he had accidentally dropped yesterday evening. "Keep it, consider it a gift," he said closing my fingers around the watch. "Hai, but….here," I said reaching into my pocket and handing him a pink handkerchief with a small white rabbit in the lower left corner.

"I made it myself, when Sets-chan taught me how to sew," I said my cheeks now very red as I found a sudden interest in the ground. "It is wonderful Usa, I'll treasure it always," he said placing it in his pocket as he drew me near lowering his head as I tipped myself up on my toes until our lips met in a soft kiss. "Aishiteru Usa," Mamoru said as we drew apart," "Aishiteru Mamo-chan," I said just as softly, and with as much emotion as he had as the two of us spent the rest of the day together, from best friend to someone I could see myself spending the rest of my life with, it was amazing, and I wondered for a moment if the red string of fate had always bound us as so, when I was Serenity, and he Endymion were the two of us friends before we became….something more. "Do you want to talk, about Zoicite," I asked Mamo-chan as sadly he like the other Shitennou we had faced except for Kunzite was now dead, his stone also made of zoicite kept with Ami-chan, who was sorting through her memories of the past with Mako-chan, and I wondered, would the same kind of bond be formed between Rei and Minako-chan; it was something to ponder at least.

~ Origins ~

Later, that evening with a full moon bathing Tokyo in its soft silver light, I walked side by side with Mamo-chan into the center of Juban Natural Park. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a couple appearing, that caused both myself and Mamoru to tense for just a moment before breathing a sigh of relief when we noticed it was only Haruka-san and Michiru-san. "Hime," "Usagi-sama," the two greeted as one as I smiled and nodded, the new nickname and honorific causing my cheeks to turn a soft rose petal pink. "Ah, and here I thought we would be the first to arrive ne, Reiko," Minako's voice said as the miko priestess beside her chuckled at the joke. "It would seem others were more eager than ourselves Mina-chan," Rei-chan replied and I noticed that Minako-chan had her arm draped over Rei's shoulder; leaning on the slightly taller blond beside her. "I am happy for you both," I said to the two surprising them, and it was someone else's turn to blush, though the two didn't separate from each other.

"Arigato Usagi," Rei-chan mouthed for the two of them and I simply nodded my head a warm smile playing across my lips. "Sorry for being late," I heard Ami-chan say as she and Mako-chan crested over a nearby hilltop. "We saw them on the way here, and spoke with them, losing track of time," Artemis who was with Luna at his side said the two in their humanoid forms. "Time, strange how it even slips from myself at times," Sets-chan said startling all of us as she stepped out of the shadows of the nearby trees. "Gomen," she said seeing how tense we all were. "I did not mean to frighten you," she said coming to mine and Mamoru's side. "Tonight, with this full moon, we will be able to teleport ourselves to the ruins of the Moon Kingdom, there the spirit of our late queen Selene shall tell us all, of the time known as the Silver Millennium. Are you ready," Sets-chan asked of us all though it was myself and Mamo-chan that she was looking to.

"We are," Mamo-chan answered for all of us. "Minako, as leader of the Royal Guard the honor is yours," Sets-chan said as Minako-chan stepped forward. "Minna henshin yo," she yelled out. "Mercury Power," "Mars Power," "Jupiter Power," "Venus Power," "Neptune Planet Power," "Pluto Planet Power," "Uranus Planet Power," "Make-up," all of the senshi yelled out as one taking on their guardian forms. "Ready Usa," Mamoru asked me pulling out a single red rose. "Always Mamo-chan," I replied pulling out my necklace that no longer held my henshin broach, as it had been replaced by the Ginzuishou. The soft golden light surrounded Mamo-chan as the petals of the rose in his hand floated around him before drifting softly to the ground as a soft silver light enveloped me, and when they faded Mamo-chan was Tuxedo Kamen, while I was Princess Serenity once again, my hair still golden, but falling even in its twin pig-tails to my ankles almost kissing the ground, were my bare feet enjoyed the coolness of the grass.

"Form a circle and join hands," Sets-chan instructed as Mamo-chan took my right hand while Minako-chan took my left, Rei at her side, Mako-chan at hers, then Ami, followed by Haruka, Michiru, Sets-chan and finally Luna and Artemis. "Now as one, we must focus our power and say the words Sailor Teleport," Sets-chan told us. So each of us closed our eyes and gathered our energy, before opening our eyes each of us glowing with energy, Mamo-chan's gold, my own silver, each of the girls the primary color of their fuku. "Sailor Teleport," we all chanted as one as the lights of our energy filled the sky in a perfect circle of rainbow light before we vanished from were we had been standing, the people of Tokyo who had seen it thinking it nothing more than a trick of the lights of the city along with the light of the full moon acting on the senses.

When we could see again I could not help but gasp as instead of the moon hanging in the sky it was the Earth floating in the deep void of space full of so many stars, and our own sun that we all were looking out upon. "Beautiful," I whispered. "Hai, it is," Mamo-chan said but when I looked up at him I blushed seeing he wasn't looking at the view but myself when he spoke. "We are in the Sea of Serenity, it is how your mother Selene came by the title when she became queen of the Moon Kingdom," Sets-chan said speaking up. "We will want to go….there," she said looking around for a moment before pointing her staff ahead of us, where we all could just make out the outline of something in the distance. The ruins as we approached them, reminded me of ancient Greek architecture with stone columns and broken domes, though I admit the domes where more ancient Roman in architecture than Greek.

We stopped when we reached a raised stone dais, round in shape, and though cracked it was still whole. "Usagi, step forward; it will react to the Illusion Silver Crystal being in this place once again," Sets-chan instructed and with a nod and a gentle squeeze of the hand in support from Mamo-chan I did as asked. As I moved forward the Ginzuishou began to glow with a soft, warm, and gentle silver light until as a ghostly figure dressed in a gown much like my own appeared. Her hair was styled in the same way and fell to the ground like fine threads of silver, not an imperfection to be found. Her eyes reminded me of molten silver, ever shifting and moving. "My beautiful daughter, how good it does me to see you alive and well again," she said her voice melodic, and as gentle as a summer evening breeze. "Hippolyta, Alexa, Horea, Panacea, let me take this chance to thank each of you for protecting my little girl," the queen said as my senshi bowed.

"It was our honor your majesty," Venus said causing the queen to giggle. "Always so formal, even when I told you their was no need," she said. "Hemera, Thalassa, so you awakened them as well Persephone," my ancient mother added looking first to Haruka, then Michiru and finally Sets-chan who bowed her head in apology. "Forgive me, I would have never been able to forgive myself if the sins of the past were allowed to repeat themselves in this time," she said. "Onegai, there is no need for that I understand, all to well," she said the voice drifting off towards the end, allowing only myself to hear her; the comment peaking my interest, though for the moment I remained silent. "Endymion, that is you is it not," the queen asked as Mamo-chan replied, "it is, your majesty," he said with a bow. "Always such the flatterer; it does my heart good to see you two together once again," she added looking between Mamo-chan and myself with a knowing look that had my cheeks flaming a bright shade of pink.

"The story I tell you now, is a long one. So if you kindly would please," she said with a wave of her hand causing stone seats to rise from the barren ground before us. We all took a seat on a chair, that in whole where arranged in a semicircle doing as the queen asked as she began to tell us of the full history of a life we had all lived very long ago . . . .

* Long ago, their was a state of nothingness, a great darkness known only as Chaos, but where there is darkness, their must eventually be light. The light born of Chaos where the elders or Titans as you would know them. They formed the planets and heavens of the universe, and eventually gave birth to those considered by the ancient Greeks to be gods, including myself, for I am indeed the Selene of Greek mythos, goddess of the moon, and the forger of the Illusion Silver Crystal. In all honesty I never had a desire to be married, but I had always wanted a child, and so during the first years of the Moon Kingdom just after the formation of the great alliance with all the planets of the Sol System with the exception of Earth, I made a wish upon the Ginzuishou, and from the crystal my daughter, Serenity you were born.

The Illusion Silver Crystal became your star seed, our as you would know it soul becoming one with you. Hermes, Ares, Zeus, and Aphrodite dear friends each offered their only daughters to be your Royal Guard, and so you Hippolyta, Alexa, Horea and Panacea grew up with my daughter, here on the moon, friends, confidants, guardians you became all of these things and more to my precious Serenity throughout the years. It was Poseidon and Uranus who offered to protect the Outer Sol System training you Hemera and you Thalassa to take their places when you came of age, you loved my little Serenity as well, though you three did not see each other often, Serenity could never sleep on a night before you two were scheduled to visit. It was Hades who was tasked with making sure no one interfered with the gates of time created by our father….Cronus, may his spirit rest in peace.

Though the task would fall to you Persephone when you came of age, it was a lonely and solitary task, and though you may not remember my little one, their was many a time that my daughter would visit you, the only company allowed to you in an otherwise droll existence. Years would pass, my reign now referred to as the Silver Millennium, a great time of peace, that would be broken by the jealousy of a young sorceress, who had fallen in love with the Prince of the Earth, when his heart already belonged to another. You my daughter, Serenity during the final year of my life when the two of you were still in courtship. But when the prince came to his visits to our kingdom, or you my daughter to his, neither of you were alone. And so it was that the Royal Guard of you my daughter Serenity met the Shitennou sworn to protect you Endymion. [This caused us all except for Minako-chan, and Haruka-tachi {Japanese honorific used for a group of people that in this case refers to Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna} something I would have to ask the four about at a later date.]

"Hippolyta and Kunzite, leaders both. You could speak to each other of burdens that those you considered sister, or in Kunzite's case brother could never truly understand. From that understanding the buds of something….more were formed. Alexa and Jadeite, both so similar in temperament and loyalty, it drew you both to one another; allowed you to….truly know one another. Horea and Nephrite. He was impressed by your strength and independence, you were drawn to his humbleness the fact that even when he won, it never went to his head. Panacea, you and Zoicite were unique, knowledge, tactics, strategies, you two would have epic debates on almost any subject one could dream of, it led to, love yes I think that is the word that works best, for all of you. And out at the edges of our Sol System, two souls like stars being crossed found each other still, did they not Hemera and Thalassa. [And I smiled to see both Haruka and Michiru blush, so perhaps I wouldn't be as hard on them and Minako-chan as I had originally planed for hiding things from us.]

The rumors of strange things happening on Earth kept all of my subject weary, but I trusted you Prince Endymion, I could see that you truly loved my daughter and that she loved you. So Endymion came to the moon for your engagement party, it may have very well kept Beryl from ensnaring you as she did the Shitennou, and countless numbers of the Earths people. I do not know what happed, or how Beryl over through your mother of the time, Terra in case you are curious young prince was her name. She attacked with a force that she called the Dark Kingdom, the Shitennou in the lead. It was you my dear Hippolyta who in the end made the decision. You trusted Endymion with my daughters life and told the two to flee to within the castle, yourself and the other girls, had to face the men that you had fallen so deeply for, knowing that they were not who they had once been.

The battle was something that none of you truly had the heart to fight, the Shitennou, they were overwhelming you, until….Hippolyta who had been knocked to the ground looked around her Panacea, Alexa, Horea, they had all fallen, your grief called the Sacred Blade of Light to Hippolyta's side; Zoicite took the blow without struggle, Jadeite and Nephrite they could not stand against your righteous fury, even though they tried to defend themselves, your battle with Kunzite, resulted in a fatal wound for both of you, Kunzite who could still move went after his former prince and my daughter, you followed as quickly as you could dragging the Blade of Light behind you with only a single arm, the other one broken. It was Beryl who found us, she had trapped in in a dark dome of energy, as she tried to seduce the prince to leave my daughter.

You would not leave Serenity's side, Beryl attacked, Endymion….took the blow. I had never seen the Illusion Silver Crystal glow with such a light as it did, the purity of it alone reducing the sorceress to dust, though it was not her we had to worry about as a great darkness, Metalia descended upon the kingdom, it is hard to describe Metalia, she was like living shadow, a great darkness or simply a void that destroyed everything it touched, though a large pair of blood red eyes were ever present within the void. Kunzite tried to kill me, but Hippolyta stopped him, you ran each other through falling never to rise again. The kingdom was in ruin, all of you gone, the silver crystal slowly starting to fade. It was you Luna and Artemis who helped me make my way to the Ginzuishou which pulsed with a warm glow when I held it within my hands. I whispered your name my daughter as I made a single wish upon the crystal.

Hemera and Thalassa were their, having just arrived to see the Moon Kingdom being devastated, though I do not think you remember what happened next. For their to be a new beginning, first their had to be an end….And so she was awakened. Guardian of the Silence glaive, the princess who must forever sleep, Niobe….["Sailor Saturn," Haruka-san whispered as Michiru-san who was at her side gasped whispering, "I, I remember."] "I do now my duty. The pretty sailor senshi, in a sailor fuku! Guardian of the Silent Glaive, soldier of death and rebirth! I am Sailor Saturn." Those where her words as Hemera and Thalassa threw themselves in front of a dark stream of energy meant for Niobe from Metalia, you both fell. "Are you sure my queen, if I do this, you shall die with me, they have already passed, therefore they shall be reborn by the light of your wish," she asked me this and I told her that it was ok.

So with a nod, she looked at me one last time with those onyx like eyes that she possessed and turned away from me causing her black hair that perfectly framed her face falling just to her shoulders to sway with the wind as she raised the Silent Glaive into the air. Death Reborn Revolution she softly whispered as the glaive struck the ground and I remembered no more.*

"It was my hope for all of you to live your new life normally, never even having to know of the cross that all those who are senshi bare. Yet be it fate, or destiny Metalia was reborn, and with her Beryl and her dark kingdom, but at least now you know the truth," my ancient Lunerian mother said falling silent. "This is so much to take in," Ami-chan said as Mako-chan placed a comforting arm around her shoulder drawing her close. "Mina-chan," Rei-chan asked of the former kagemusha. "I knew, most of it, that Usagi-chan was our princess, my role in protecting her, but I….I didn't know of the Shitennou, or what happened between us," she said and looking deeply into her eyes Rei-chan slowly nodded her head. "What of us your majesty, you never mentioned," Luna and Artemis asked. "I placed you both in suspended animation when the attack just began, it was an insurance policy, should the senshi ever be needed again," the queen replied. "I wish I could have been able to help, to leave the gates of time," Sets-chan whispered. "Oh, Sets-chan," I said going over to her and hugging her softly smiling when after a few moments her arms wrapped around me as well.

"We must stop her," Mamo-chan said coming to our side. "Hai, she must never be allowed to do to the Earth now what she did then," Haruka-san said as Michiru-san added, "and pay for her actions here us well," as we all nodded. "Then your path is set," Selene said as we all turned our attention back towards her. "I can feel a great darkness emanating from the Arctic Circle; Point Zero to be exact, though you would know it as…." "The North Pole," Ami-chan said gasping when she realized she had interrupted the moons former queen, though Selene only giggled. "Correct as always Panacea, iie Ami," she said with a soft smile. "All I ask of you, is that you do not rush into this battle, allow yourselves time to reflect upon all you have learned here this day, and make sure you have a plan. It will soon be dawn in Tokyo and you must return before the first rays of sunlight break the horizon. Sayonara."

"Goodbye….mother," I said causing the queen to softly smile at me. "Take care of one another," she said as we all formed a circle once again. "We will," we all said at the same time making us and the queen laugh. "Minna," Minako-chan said softly and we all nodded as we closed our eyes and with a deep breath focused our power before softly whispering, "Sailor Teleport," vanishing from the ruins of the Moon Kingdom. ["Parcae {The Three Fates in Latin} here me. Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos, may what you have weaved for my daughter, her love, and her senshi upon the distaff be kind," Selene said looking to the stars above and around her as her figure slowly vanished from the dais, a single tear falling from her eye as her spirit went to rest once again.] As we landed back in Juban Natural Park, a plan was made, we would take a week to rest, and process all we had learned. Then we would meet at the Hikawa Shrine, their we would discuss….what we all knew somehow would be the end of our battles with the Beryl and Metalia, one way or another.

Authors Note

And so ends Act 8 of my story. I hope you enjoy it; I truly always thought that all of the girls deserved to know the entire truth of what happened on the Moon Kingdom when the Silver Millennium came to an end; and from that wish came this Act.

So until next we meet,

I humbly remain a . . . .

KuRSeofTime