Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination.
Chapter Eleven: Revelations and Contemplations
"Auntie Azurite, what are you doing here?" Sailor Sardonyx demanded.
The woman who'd called out stopped short at Sardonyx's question. Dark blue hair, darker than Amy's, fell to her chin, flaring out, slightly. Bright blue eyes focused on the white-haired scout, as though she might suddenly vanish. She wore an outfit similar to the one Petz had taken to wearing, though she seemed to prefer dark blue to dark green. A small black pendant rested between her collarbones, a seal etched into it, though from where they stood, none of the group could quite make out what it was.
At her cry, however, the other three had shot to their feet. Two were men, which hadn't immediately been obvious from their previous position. All three of them had long hair, certainly longer than Kunzite's. The first man strode forward, in a military-like suit of what looked like aquamarine. His hair was a darker shade of the same color. The other man was dressed more casually, in a white shirt, dark grey jeans, and a long, silver vest that fell to his knees. The second woman clung to his arm, in a gown that seemed to shift from green to magenta, depending on how the light hit it. Black hair rippled around her, with streaks of both colors trailing through it.
"Mama! Papa!" Koan squealed, running forward, still in her dance leotard and tap shoes.
Berthier and Cal trailed right behind her, running straight for the pair. In a flash of magenta and green, all three girls were pulled into a tight hug. The man held out a hand towards Petz. She seemed to need no further urging to run forward and throw her arms around him.
"The one in silver is Sylvanite Ayakashi, and his wife is Alexandrite. As you might have guessed, they are the parents of Petz, Cal, Berthier, and Koan," explained Addy, leaning over. "Tyrolite is the one standing behind Azurite. They're the ones who raised Chalcey. Sorry, you know her better as Sarah." She straightened. "Good day, milords, my ladies."
"Addy, thank you for looking after Chalcey," exclaimed Azurite, reaching over to hug the other girl. "I'm sure she wouldn't be here, if not for you."
"It is my duty as her Senshi Guardian," remarked Addy, shrugging out of the hug.
Despite being a projection, King Endymion walked over and sat in the battered chair. Aki hurried over to sit by his feet, with Rini close behind.
"Oh, no you two don't. Come along." Phantasm padded into the room. "You as well, Takara. This will not be a conversation the three of you need to hear. Besides, there is someone waiting to see you."
The black wolf had streaks of grey running through his fur and a strange scar running from his right eye up to his ear. What had happened to him?
"Where is Rosebud? And the Elemental Warriors of the future?" Sailor Element demanded.
King Endymion waved Phantasm out the door. "Rosebud and the majority of the Elemental Warriors are safeguarding the Garden. Anyone who could was evacuated there, after the Black Moon attacked. Only those who could still fight remained in Crystal Tokyo or were taken before they could depart."
"The Shitennou? My Senshi?" Sailor Serene Star asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answers.
"The Inners are working to protect the Crystal Palace. The Outers and the Shitennou search the city for survivors, evacuating them and keeping the droids away from us." The king explained. "But they can only do so much. I'm not sure how much longer their power will hold out. None of us have the strength to storm the fortress of the Black Moon. And, without the power of the Silver Crystal…" He trailed off.
"There's no Silver Crystal without Serenity," realized Moonlight Knight, turning to look back down the hall. "What happened to both of them?"
"When the Black Moon attacked, Serenity ran out to protect Minoru. Tranquility followed her. The crystals were the only things that protected them from being destroyed."
"Who is Minoru?"
"Rini, Minoru, and Aki are triplets, the children of myself and Serenity." There was a glimmer of a tear in the corner of the king's eye.
"Triplets?" Serene Star looked a little faint, and Moonlight Knight was paler than his uniform. They exchanged a panicked glance, before turning back to the future king.
"They still have Rubeus, Emerald, Sapphire, and Diamond," added Petz, sadly. "They are stronger than any other on Nemesis."
"We'll do whatever we can to help." Sailor Element crossed her arms, stepping forward. "Our time depends on it, too."
"What can you tell us about this Wiseman?" Serene Star asked, allowing Moonlight Knight to guide her over to one of the sofas. She pushed away the idea of triplets, for now. They had to focus on the coming battle. "Sardonyx mentioned that he has something called the Black Crystal, and that he's taken it from its rightful owner."
"I'm surprised she mentioned that." Tyrolite glanced towards the white-haired scout.
Azurite nodded. "As am I. Discussing the Black Crystal, it isn't something she often does."
"Look, just help us defeat Wiseman. The Crystal isn't the important thing. They just need to know he has it and he can use its power. That's all." Sardonyx snapped out, before walking away from the group.
When Addy moved to follow her, she was stopped by Petz, who merely shook her head. Reluctantly, the raven-haired guardian sank down in a seat beside Azurite. The rest of the group slowly took seats, as well.
Sarah dropped her henshin as she walked away from the group. She didn't care where she was going. She didn't belong here, she didn't belong with them. It was never supposed to have been her, never. But the one who should have been here was gone. She had been for a long time.
The crystal halls twisted and turned on her. Left, right, up, down, she just continued to move forward. At last, she ran into a dead end, the hallway stopped by a balcony that offered a perfect view of Nemesis, pulled from its true orbit by the power of the Black Crystal.
She shook herself. Of all the places her feet could have led her, they led her here, the one place she could see her home, from the one place that had tried to save it. She had often heard a great deal about the rulers of Terra, how they were a shining example of true rulers, of rightful sovereigns, the kind of people who had once ruled Nemesis. Like Obsidian and Opal, the last rightful king and queen of Nemesis. Like she would have been. Everyone knew she would have been a brilliant queen. How many times had people said that? How many times had people wished for the rightful heir to return to the throne? To depose Iolite, and when he had passed, Diamond.
Diamond. What had become of the friend she had once known? They had all been friends, once. School had been an escape for them all, the one place where they were themselves, where there were no ghosts looming over them, no expectations to be someone else, to be what they weren't. Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Petz, Rubeus, Cal. She had laughed as Sapphire struggled to confess to Petz, cheered when he'd finally asked her out for that first date. Emerald and Diamond had kept it quiet, but she'd still known. There'd been that look in Emerald's eyes, a look that said she'd spent time with Diamond. He'd always been a little lighter after they'd snuck away for a while. He'd never wanted the crown. In fact, she remembered him confiding to their group that he secretly hoped for the return of Nemesis's true ruler. It wasn't something he'd repeated, fearful his father would discover his traitorous wish.
Why had things changed? Why couldn't things have stayed the same? She gladly would have remained a high school freshman forever, as long as things had stayed as they were. Just seven kids, trying to live a normal life when they were anything but.
Turning, she found a small mirror on the wall. Slowly, she pushed back the bangs that covered the side of her face. One finger came up to trace the thin scar, down from her forehead, skipping her closed eyelid, and trailing down her cheek. The one thing that could prove… No, she wasn't going there. She was Chalcey, niece to Azurite and Tyrolite, cousin to Addy, and that was all that mattered. Letting her bangs fall back in place, she walked away from the royal quarters, letting her feet carry her where they willed.
Despite wanting to discuss Wiseman and how to defeat him, the late hour caught up with all of them. King Endymion had shown them all to guest quarters within the Crystal Palace, though there still had been no sign of Takara, Rini, or Aki since Phantasm had escorted them away. But, despite being tired, Miyako couldn't fall asleep. The bed was more comfortable than any she'd known, well, except for her bed in the tower in the Garden, or perhaps the bed she barely remembered in the Golden Palace of Elysian. In fact, she was almost certain this castle had been built with that long ago kingdom in mind, a kingdom which now lived only in memories and dreams. Clothes had even been provided, courtesy of their future selves wardrobes. She had to admit, the short, violet nightgown was quite pretty, and the robe she'd been given, the black silk that trailed to her feet, embroidered with violet roses, was warmer than it looked. Certainly the style she'd prefer, if she could afford it.
She was sure Takara was alright. But, after spending so long with her either in her room or right down the hall, it was strange not to be able to check on her. She'd gotten into the habit when she couldn't sleep, or after they'd gotten back from a battle. So, she found herself wandering back to the hall with the two crystal 'coffins'. She wasn't the only one, though. A man stood near the first crystal, one hand pressed against the milky surface. Tawny hair covered the tops of his ears. Clad in black jeans and a black, collared shirt, he made a striking figure in the primarily white room. Unlike King Endymion, however, this man wasn't transparent. He was as solid as any of them.
Like the king, however, there was something very familiar about him. It was almost there, right on the tip of her tongue. She was on the verge of stepping into the room, of confronting him, when the sound of approaching footsteps stopped her. She drew back, hiding just out of sight behind the door. And then Phantasm walked into the room, stopping at the man's side.
"It does you no good to stand here, every night." Phantasm spoke, a hint of exhaustion she'd never heard in his voice before. In fact, the light-hearted wolf was hardly visible at all in his future self. That troubled her more than the scars and the silver in his fur. "Nor will it do her any good. You know that."
"Whether it does me good or not, I can't stay away, Phantasm. You know that." The voice was slightly deeper, and just as tired.
The wolf sighed. "At least promise me you will try to sleep tonight. She would be most upset when she awakens if you have become ill. Besides, you still have Takara to worry about. She needs you, Motoki. Now, more than ever."
"Keep an eye on her for me, for now. I'll be up, soon. I promise." Motoki stated. After Phantasm's footsteps faded away, he called out. "I know you're there. You are quite welcome to come out, Miyako."
She stepped out, wrapping the robe more tightly around herself. "I didn't want to intrude."
"No, of course you wouldn't." Motoki didn't take his gaze away from the woman trapped in the crystal. "That never changes. Not even after all these years."
"How did we let this happen?" Miyako demanded, slowly walking over to stand beside him.
He tilted his head, slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Surely Neo-Queen Serenity and I had the power to stop the Dark Moon, to defeat Wiseman, if we have the power right now. So, why didn't we do something, sooner? Why did we let it come to this point?"
Motoki sighed. "Perhaps it's one of those things that has to happen. If you don't defeat Wiseman as you are, maybe Crystal Tokyo can't exist."
She turned this over a few times in her mind. "That actually makes sense. I don't suppose you can tell me if Lia ever straightens up?"
"Unfortunately not." He gave a chuckle. "Though I knew you'd ask. Knowing too much of the future is a dangerous thing. It's not worth the risk, much as you might wish it."
"Of course it isn't." Miyako laughed, herself.
"But, I suppose, you can tell us about those dreams I was having, a few months ago." Andrew stepped out to join them, still in jeans and a collared shirt of his own.
For several moments Miyako looked back and forth between the two of them. There were very few differences between the two, aside from the color of their clothes and the slight difference in hair color. There wasn't even a difference in height. Which made it all the more obvious who he really was.
"I'm afraid I can't explain about those. It isn't time, yet." Motoki sighed, hands sliding into the front pockets of his jeans. "All I will tell you is that they weren't coming from Wiseman or his followers."
"Another enemy?" Miyako felt Andrew's hand slide into hers. "Already?"
"Daddy?" Takara called out. She padded into the room, her same stuffed dog in her arms.
Motoki immediately turned, dropping to one knee. Without hesitation, Takara ran forward and threw her arms around his neck. He rose, his own arms cradling her against him.
"I had another bad dream," she confided. "You fell asleep and you didn't wake up. Just like Mommy."
"It's alright, sweetheart. It was just a dream." He assured her.
Phantasm came running in, only seconds later, a panicked look in his eyes. It disappeared as he saw Takara in Motoki's arms.
"Why don't you let Phantasm take you back upstairs, alright? Daddy will be up in a little bit to tuck you back in." He asked her.
She sniffled and nodded. "Will you tell me a story?"
"Absolutely."
She let him place her back on the floor, next to the black wolf. With one hand clutching part of Phantasm's fur, she left the room and the two shocked people from the past.
"Takara is…"
"Your future daughter, the same as Aki, Rini, and Minoru are Serena's and Darien's." Motoki gave them a slight grin. "She's the most precious thing in our world."
"I can believe it," breathed Andrew.
There'd always been a connection to Takara. And she'd taken to Andrew so well. And Aki and Rini being revealed to be her nieces, when Takara was their cousin. Okay. Admittedly she'd been a little struck by the idea of her brother and Usagi having triplets that she hadn't factored in what that meant about Takara. Usagi had a brother, didn't she? Takara could as easily have been his kid as hers. Which, she suddenly realized, was probably why she hadn't thought about it. Unconsciously, she'd been afraid that Takara wasn't going to be her future daughter.
"I really should be getting back upstairs to her," explained Motoki.
"Of course," murmured Andrew, his mind still processing everything as he ushered the silent Miyako out of the room.
Motoki smiled up at the woman trapped in the milky crystal. "I'll see you again, soon. I promise, my love."
Kissing the tips of his fingers, he then placed them on the crystal, as close to her mouth as he could reach, before leaving the room, himself. The shivers which had started shortly after Andrew had entered the room were slowly passing. He was going to have to be more careful until they left. Being too close to his past self was far too risky. Miyako and Usagi would be safe. The crystals around their future selves helped protect them. And Darien's future self was carefully hidden away, communicating only by spectral hologram. But, there was a reason why he had to remain physically here. Someone had to be with the girls, had to help keep them safe. All three of them.
I figured this was as good a place as any to end the chapter. What's going to happen next is longer than what I want to add here. Besides, I'm still working on it. I know how I want this arc to end. It's just a matter of what's happening between here and the final battle. I'm figuring, at most, four more chapters, maybe only three, depending on how it all ends up playing out for the next one. That includes an epilogue leading into the next arc of the story, which will be the Heartsnatchers arc and bring in the Outers. But, you'll just have to wait to see how that one goes!
However, I am slightly disappointed. Chapter 10 was the second chapter in this story that didn't get ANY reviews, and I'm not double posting, this time. Part of the reason it took so long for me to finish this is I was waiting to get at least one review for Chapter 10. Guess not. I'm really hoping you'll make it up to me, this time. I'm not going to ask for a minimum of reviews, but I'm hoping I get a few. Please? Right now, I'd even take a review just telling me to keep going! If anyone wants to go back and post a review for Chapter 10, I'll take that, too.
Hoping to see you soon!
Bookworm0913