Dance, Dance Intrusion
It was only a few days after the near double homicide of the Morgans at the hands of the Succubus. They'd required massive blood transfusions after nearly losing a third of their own and were in critical condition in ICU of the best hospital after several hour long surgeries due to how savage the attempt on their lives had been.
Though if they ever came out of the coma if and that if they first survived their injuries of course they'd have to deal with other issues from some other people. Even though they'd been nearly murdered there was no getting around the fact they're still pretty much in their own way abusive to their child and that was something that had to be dealt with too.
So yeah they're still trying to deal with the impending attack of demons and yet social services still wanted to deal with a pair of parents who had abused their child because frankly Demi had been abused from what they'd dug up about her parents and also how they did their jobs were called into question also.
So they'd have to face some serious charges in legal actions if they even lived which was something very strange and odd given the current circumstances. Though it clearly wasn't the most important thing at the moment it was still however necessary all the same.
As for the Royal Family and the Senshi and their daughters? They're having their own rough times and issues to deal with all which weren't good and bring them a torrent of emotional turmoil.
One thing that that all the adults were sharing was a sense of melancholy along with grief. The irony of how only a few short months ago they're so full of pride and joy for their daughters to be following in their footsteps and becoming part of the tapestry that told the story of Soldiers of Love and Justice.
And now? Their little girls were having their very innocence and simple joys of childhood taken from them. What they'd been originally looking forward too may be forever lost to them. The joy of getting to be teenagers. Getting to just be young girls with normal every day cares and worries and them just being normal parents for every once and awhile.
Even if their daughters were 912 years old they shouldn't be forced to become adults like this. Not having to fight a war when they should still have a chance to have fun and just be kids. And yet now because of a long ago threat they thought dead their own children's happiness was being taken from them and so was their own.
How many times in their own long ago youth had they wished they'd been normal girls? Even though their duty was to protect the Earth and Silver Millennium from evil had they just wished for a normal life?
And how they'd hoped their own daughters could have a normal life even though it was inevitable one day they would've to take up the mantel as the next generation of Sailor Senshi?
Like there must always be a Queen with a pure heart use the Silver Crystal in the name of love and peace there must be Soldiers of Love and Justice to protect and serve her and the world too.
Same went for Oki and her people. Someone must always must make sure the people of the waters were safe and that the alliance between land and sea was strong and true and that the harmony and balance remained intact.
So in Crystal Hall the eight soldiers, two queens, one king with two talking cats all brood on all this and listened to Sailor Mars weep her broken heart how she just wanted her daughter safely return to her.
No-one was aware that Chibiusa had been listening at the door. She'd been unable to stand listening to her own friends brooding in their command center. They'd been going at it hard for the last two hours. It been too much for her.
They'd been arguing about how they'd failed in their training, how they're unworthy of being their mothers' daughters and how they still didn't know what to make of Christen. There had been a lot of other things they'd been bickering about and Chibiusa had been unable to take it and slipped out unseen.
She'd been hoping to her mother could tell her what to do. She couldn't recall anything from her time as Chibi Moon and was seeking her mother's guidance but now she found her mother had her own problem and felt even guiltier and like she was a failure.
So slowly shutting the door without being noticed she started to wander aimlessly around the palace not really looking where she was going or really thinking other than depressing thoughts.
She didn't even realize she was about to walk into someone till they both collided. "Oww!"
The two girls rubbed their foreheads and looked up and realized the Princess of the Silver Millennium and Princess of the Crystal Seas were looking at one another.
"Orca!"
"Chibiusa!"
"What are you doing here?!"
"I guess the same thing you're doing. I couldn't take hearing your friends auguring much longer either. So I left and went back to the Blue Room and used the special communication system your mother set up in there so we can send messages home."
"Judging by your face I'm guessing your own team gave you the same kind of headache/heartache is giving me?"
"You'd correct, Chibiusa. My friends are very much like your friends in many ways. It always seems there some kind of counterparts. I say the one who most like your missing Neo Mars is my Neo Atlantic.
But I guess we're both feeling kind of the same on the inside right now?"
"If you mean you and me both feel like we aren't doing anything right. That we are both failures as both princesses and leaders for the next generations of Senshi and that we won't be able to help protect the world's peace that has stood for a millennium?"
"Yeah I feel pretty disappointed in myself as well. Like I'm letting a lot of people down. Our friends, our family, the world. Ourselves but I think the person I feel like I'm shaming the most right now is my grandmother who I feel like I should be honoring the most, you know?"
"I know what you mean, Orca. My grandmother Queen Serenity was the first Queen of the Silver Millennium and she was beautiful, strong and wise and well virtually a goddess.
She was the one who gave my mother a second chance to live so this world could come to be. So I could come to be. And now? I feel like I'm failing to live up to the miracles that came from the sacrifices she made so long ago."
"I know I'm feeling the same way. My grandmother Queen Oceana is as much a legend and hero as your grandmother Queen Serenity was. Their friendship and unity is still talked about and how the secret alliance is what kept the merpeople save and able to be reincarnated as well after the death of the first Silver Millennium because of the Harmony between of Silver Crystal and Heart of the Sea."
"The friendship between the Moon and the Ocean and two pure hearts that lead to our mothers both being reincarnated that lead to the alliance being reestablished. It was fate they met and things happened the way they did." Chibiusa confirmed.
"I just wish right now we could talk to our grandmothers. They'd know what to do. I can tell looking at your face our mothers and the rest of our friends mothers are too depressed and lost in their own brooding to talk too."
"Me too. I'd like to talk to someone who could offer some guidance. But how?"
"We may have a solution Small Lady and Lady of the Sea?" came a small voice from their feet. The girls jumped and looked down and saw at their feet were the trio of kittens.
"Geez! Don't sneak up on us!" Chibiusa shrieked in fright.
"Yeah, that frighten anyone jumping out of nowhere! And I do like cats even if I am half fish! But geez whiz! Don't give us a heart attack!"
"We apologizes Small Lady and Lady of the Sea," the kittens said in a formal tone that was far too serious for them.
Chibiusa crouched down to her pets and stroked each of them and said in a more friendly tone, "Comet, Asteroid, Diana? Don't be so serious, alright? You're only 12 years old too. You don't have to be adults yet either."
"Yeah and its quite frankly not right and downright creepy when someone acts so serious and adult like when they are really just a kid. I've seen my own pets act like that.
My family as these sacred fish that are one of a kind unlike any fish you find in world. They bear the crest of our people too. If I had to describe what they look like? I guess they look a bit like large colorful angelfish crossbreed with not so attractive bottom dwellers moonfish. But the beauty and beast thing works for us in a weird way I guess."
"Well, it can't be any stranger for us having talking cats with crescent moons on their foreheads, Orca. I mean look what my kittens do in their free time. Comet excel in the arts! As she's a pianist and a painter, Asteroid and chess prodigy and computer genius and Diana? Well she's a normal little kitten but is eager to try everything out till she finds her talent!" Chibiusa remind her friend in a slight more upbeat tone which made the kittens flush with both pride and embarrassment.
"Well, I'm pretty good at piano I'll admit to that, but I'm not the next Beethoven!"
"And I can't beat Crystal's mother no matter how hard I try!" Asteroid sulked a bit.
"And I still haven't found that one thing I'm really good at yet and I've tried to pursue many different talents in the last 12 years." Diana said in slight disappointment.
"Well at least none of you have given up and it's nice to know you're always there for each other and support and love each other."
"Thank you Lady of the Sea!"
"It's just Orca, really just call me Orca. Now you were saying something before we got sidetracked?"
"Oh, that, you two were feeling so down in the dumps and wish to talk about your problems with someone, yes?" Comet recapped with them.
"Yes, that is true, but we cannot talk about them with anyone and truthfully we wish we could talk about it with our grandmothers but they've been gone for well far longer than forever," Chibiusa replied in a melancholy tone.
"It's not like you can talk to the dead and if your suggesting talking to dead through the means of a spirit board that deadly and dangerous because that would one make the demons stronger and only opens doors never meant to be open to begin with!" Orca stated passionately and seriously to which Chibiusa nodded in agreement.
Anyone with any common sense who knew at least the basic of spirits and demons knew you do not mess with a spirit board unless you wish to bring forth chaos in your own home. Because you're just inviting in things you cannot control or understand when you do open the door to the other side. It wasn't a joke or something that people made up in the 21st century for movies it was damn serious and never just made up bullshit. It was a serious fact and real as death was a fact of life! Therefore under no circumstances ever mess with trying to talk to the dead or worse witchcraft unless you wanted true evil in your home!
"We weren't suggesting talking through a spirit board that would be the stupid and dangerous way to communicate with the dead. There is a safe way that the Queen has used for as long as the Crystal Palace has stood and no evil has come for it." Asteroid informed them tentatively.
The two young princesses' eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and suspicions and looked down at the white and black cat before asking him for clarification to his statement. However it was the youngest kitten who told them a tale.
"You see there is a chamber in the heart of the Palace. The Chamber of Eras. It is a place that is like a crossroad where all of time meets. A nexus similar to where Sailor Pluto used to stand guard. But inside all eras of time crisscross and you can speak to any soul you wish from any era under the light of the moon" Diana explained.
"How do you know of this Chamber? I'm not aware of this chamber and this Palace is my home and I've lived here for 912 years!"
"You know of the Chamber but never knew what was beyond the golden doors or why your mother made her vigil every month at the full moon during the midnight hour to the chamber.
We only learned by accident because our mom was talking about with our dad one night when she thought us asleep." Comet explained with her cheeks flushing a rosy pink.
"That would explain why I thought my mother was sleepwalking once a month!" Chibiusa snapped her fingers as to why she always heard at the full moon almost silent footsteps and had seen her mother walking down the halls alone with a single candle.
She had followed once to the chamber with the golden doors and seen the full moon's light open them but they'd closed before she'd been able to get in. She'd hidden all night but fallen asleep and woken up back in her bed. She could only assume her mother had found her and put her back to bed and not wanted her to know what went on in the room.
Chibiusa hadn't given the mysterious room much thought since that one night so long ago. But now it was brought back to her full attention as she listened to what her pets had to say.
"The doors normally can only be open by the magic of the full moon. But we think we can trick it with the light from our own crescent moons. The three of us should be able to make a full moon if we can angle it just right," Asteroid was starting to say when Orca interrupted abruptly.
"I don't doubt your intelligence, my furry friend if you're able to match wits with the chess prodigy of Sailor Mercury or run the computers for the Neo Senshi. You are obviously very clever and intelligent. My question is why?"
"Excuse me? I don't understand."
"I'm asking why? Why would you obviously do something like help us break into a sacred off-limits chamber in such a manner? Why?"
Asteroid didn't exactly design the answer so his older sister gave them one instead. "We understand more than you think about how you're feeling because we're in the same boat ourselves. Trying to live up to the expectations of our parents and feeling like we are failures in our own duties."
"We may not have a grandmother in the afterlife as both of you, however we know of both the wisdom, love and grace both yours had and how they must make you feel and how they made our own parents feel. So we're hoping they can help us as they may help you as well.
So we want to help you and ourselves at this moment. So are you coming or not? We might never have a better chance of breaking into the Chamber of Eras other than now when everyone else is moping around!" Diana declared as she ran over to a nearby painting of the Moon Kingdom. She jumped up high and hit a secret button letting the wall slide away.
The girls nodded and followed the kittens towards the hidden chamber. It took them a very short time to get to the Chamber of Eras and it took only a few minutes of careful calculations and using both some mirrors and both Crystals to bounce light off the kittens' birthmarks to trick the doors into opening.
Then they hurried into the strange chamber that was unlike anything they'd experienced before. The whole room seemed to be made of crystals, stars and colorful clouds, but no solid ground or wall at all.
In the center of this strange and implausible room was something the girls didn't understand at all. It was a full moon made of some kind of strange glass. It was five feet in diameter floating in midair unsupported. The strange glass had been molded to look just like the real carters and mountains on the moon itself. The most startling thing about this strange moon object was the unearthly light it produced and the swirling strange mist within it. Clearly it had a great power and magic all its own and it demanded great respect.
Not knowing what else to do but approach the strange moon object the two girls each bowed in respect to the object and were startled when spun quickly and bathed them in its light and showed them an image of both them.
They at first didn't understand the image. It was them not quite little girls but not themselves as they were now either. But somewhere in between. But though their faces had glowing smiles their eyes were filled with tears.
The girls were still confused as were the kittens. The moon glowed again and spun around again and showed the girls another imagine and the looked shocked and bewildered again. For again the image was split in two. One half of them looked a beautiful strong delight young woman but the other half looked ugly, unhappy and unlikeable.
Finally the moon glowed one final time before it showed the final image and both girls gasped as they saw two beautiful women who looked like goddesses appear in the swirling mist before their startled eyes.
The one on the right had long flowing pink hair that glistened and she was just stunning. She was dressed in a frosty pink gown. Energy crackled from every pore as the young woman reached her arms out for someone. Best of all, her face radiated such happiness that no-one could feel any sorrow.
The one on the left had the same stunning effect as the young woman on the right only she was a mermaid dressed finer then even a queen ever could be. But she too had the same energy and stunning effect as the pink haired goddess and the same effect of happiness that there could be no sorrow.
The two young girls didn't understand what they just seen or what the three images meant and then they heard laughter as two voices spoke gentle to the young girls. Two voices they'd never heard before yet knew already as two people formed out of the mist.
The magical mist swirled around and when it finished swirling there stood within this strange glass moon was Queen Serenity and next her sitting in a throne of crystalized water was the most beautiful mermaid anyone had ever seen. She looked very much like a mermaid version of Queen Serenity down the same hair color though her hair style was the one of the Royal Family of Crystal Sea.
"Hello granddaughters. So lovely too see you. We knew one day we both see you here. That one day you have your turn with the magical Moon Mystifier and discover the delights, enchantments it brings." Queen Serenity spoke in her musical warm voice.
"The Moon Mystifier? Is that what this thing is?" Chibiusa asked in bewilderment as she pointed to what the spirit of her grandmother was speaking from who nodded and smiled sweetly at her grandchild.
"It's an ancient relic and treasure of our people. It's also an honor and privilege for our friends, my granddaughter when they get a turn to look into it and see the answer they seek in it.
This is the first time since the fall of the original Silver Millennium anyone had the privilege of having a viewing with the Mystifier. You should feel honored by it. You and Orca."
"I don't feel honored, my Queen, only confused by this strange device. We came seeking wisdom, comfort and advice. I don't understand how those strange images have any connection to that." Orca admitted and her own grandmother cocked her head and answered in her own magical voice.
"The Mystifier allows one to see themselves in three ways, my granddaughter. You first see the reflection of how you see yourself. Then you see how others see you. Then the final image shows what you have the power to become. So from those three images what did you see and what did you learn?"
The two girls thought hard about the first image and how they'd seen themselves and finally came to the same conclusion. "We've been children so long that we're having a hard time facing the future of growing up. That while we're excited to grow up we are scared of it and we fear it at the same time.
That a part of us wish we could remain forever children where things are easy and uncomplicated and we have no great responsibilities. And yet we still want to grow up and face it and become adults. Somehow we are stuck in the middle and not sure which way to go. We're happy, sad and scared all at the same time."
"Very good insight what's going on inside your own hearts and minds. Now can you figured out how others see you and what the split image means?" pressed Queen Serenity the two young princesses who again were deep in thought.
Chibiusa spoke first and she voiced her thoughts slowly and carefully. "I think one half means people are proud of us. That they love and only want what's best for us. That's the joyful and beautiful side of the image."
"So what do you think, Orca the ugly side represent then?" Queen Oceana questioned to the other girl who also voiced her thoughts slowly and carefully.
"I think that comes from some of our friends. I would say for Chibiusa its Christen and for me it's Atalanta. People we should've been more understanding too and that not everyone likes us.
So those who we don't understand us see us that way because we see them us ugly and we didn't take the time or use our hearts the way we should've to listen to them, therefore we were ugly when we shouldn't have been?" she guessed and again both queens nodded in approval of the granddaughters great insight and wisdom.
"Very good. Now do you understand the final images both were shown to you both?" their grandmothers asked together and both young girls shook their heads.
"What does the final images of two goddesses mean in relation to us?" the girls asked in small voices.
"They're not goddess nor are they visions, children," laughed Queen Oceana and Queen Serenity explained what the final image of the Moon Mystifier meant.
"The final image of the Moon Mystifier shows us what we have the power to become. Those two women are who you both have the power to become. You can become those two strong and beautiful women."
Now the girls looked totally confused and shocked. Neither believed they could become the fantasy that each of those two final images showed no matter whatever they were destined for.
While the girls were in the Chamber of Era with the Moon Mystifier and their grandmother Neo Queen Serenity had been having a long and a bit of an angry discussion with Chibiusa's school principal.
He wanted to throw a school dance for that weekend and the Queen was telling him it was too dangerous and he was too stubborn and wasn't listening he was putting his students in terrible danger.
Finally since he refused to listen to her she told him that the dance would be moved from the evening to the middle of the afternoon and that all the Senshi would be posted as guards if he was gonna be a fool she'd at least make sure to offer the young students some protection.
And that was the final word.
She'd just ended the call when Oki came into the room and alert Usagi that their daughters had been missing for several hours as had the kittens. Neo Queen Serenity eyebrows knitted in confusion and asked wasn't she and Orca with the other Neo Senshi in their command center?
Oki shook her head. She'd just came from there because the other Senshi had just gone there to pick up their daughters and their daughters weren't there and the Neo Senshi couldn't account for their whereabouts.
Also Luna and Artemis had combed the Palace had not seen hide nor hair of their little ones either. Feeling some dread the two queens nodded and summoned their Crystals and focused them and a shimmering light pulsed out and they followed their lights to find their daughters who were most likely together.
They're shocked to find them inside the Chamber of Era or the fact they'd been speaking with their grandmothers or to find out they'd been granted the honor of a Viewing with the Moon Mystifier.
Something that hadn't happened since Oki and Usagi had both used it when the Chamber had been created a 1000 years ago. There was some minor quarreling between mother and daughter but the former queens scolded their own daughters for not letting their daughters have a View sooner and said their time had come at last.
After all had a few moments with the royal females all together in love they quickly said their goodbyes and then the young girls received both a lecture about going into places without permission but also both asked if they did learn anything that would prove useful?
The girls said they'd learn much but if it would help them they didn't know. But hoped it would be helpful all the same and apologized for breaking into the Chamber but they're forgiven.
Three days later on Saturday at 1:00 the girls wearing the hottest and chicest dresses Holly could design for them were gathering for them at the school trying to take their mind off things and loose themselves in the music of the dance.
But that's kind of hard when your mothers are station all around the grounds and outside the gymnasium waiting for danger to show up. And you really don't feel like dancing much yourself.
Not the girls didn't try to just be normal. They danced with some boys, chitchat with some other girls and ate the buffet table but even Orca admitted she found this dance not as fun as she thought it be.
It was then when the clock struck four things went bad. The lights went out and the sky went black as night and everyone was screaming. Outside the girls could hear their mothers already putting up the fight of their lives dealing with who knows what hellish nightmare.
When their own nightmare came to life. The floor start to ooze a thick blackish red blood like substance and kids start to scream and run blindly in a panic only to have all exits cut off by purple flames.
The girls didn't even think they transformed and got ready to attack. But the flames started to crisscross and the blood substance started to bubble and forth and soon took the shape of at least 60 different demonic entities and then dropping in from the ceiling was the Succubus and she again looked different.
Her bloodstones had been restored and now her ears were pointy and she'd long horns and she was cackling. "Arise! Arise my brothers! There is your meat! Your prey! Smell the blood pumping from their frightened little hearts! The world is soon to be ours! Here!" she threw a large number of silvery objects that the demons caught.
"Let them run! Let them panic! Take them! Take them! They shall be ours! Don't fear the little girls! Take what is rightfully ours! Stake your claim here and now!" she laughed!
The gym erupted into utter chaos as mayhem broke out as the Neo Senshi were cut off from each other by the cursed flames and demons. They'd to fight the flames and demons while trying to protect the students and the Succubus was striking everyone from above.
At the same time outside their mothers were being viciously attacked as well and couldn't get inside to offer their daughters the help they so desperately needed. They're all clearly out numbed and outgunned.
No-one could make any sense of what was going on in this mess inside or outside or who was fighting what or who and what powers were being used. But it only ended when in a last ditched effort Chibiusa and Orca summoned the power of their Crystals and brought forth a wave light of harmony to banish the hoard for the moment.
But it still came too late. A third of the students had been taken and they'd seen what one of the demons had dropped in its haste to escape the cleansing light of harmony. A dagger!
They quickly realized the Succubus had taken the students to be used as host bodies for the demons! It was now or never! They had to stop them now! Or all that was good was gonna be destroyed forever by the beings from the bowels of hell!
Queen Oceana: Sara Paxton