******************************************************* **A Soul Reclaimed** By Brickgirl Lady_Brick@yahoo.com http://www.mindeclipse.com Rated: PG Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and friends do not belong to me. Adonis, Thalia, and this story do. **Part 5: Our Fears Do Make Us Traitors** ******************************************************* Princess Serenity sat in her room in the Imperial Palace of the Silver Moon. In her hand lay a perfect red rose, the same rose that Prince Endymion had mystically produced for her several weeks ago, two days before she, her mother, and the remaining Senshi were forced off of the planet. By all accounts, the rose should have wilted long ago, but still it bloomed, as if frozen in the moment of its perfection. The Princess had been hesitant to leave Earth. If by chance Thalia had managed to survive, though highly unlikely, they would be abandoning her to certain death if she were to be discovered by anyone loyal to the Terren Counsel, those who had decreed death to any offworlders. Queen Serenity had been quick to calm her fears, assuring her that though Thalia had been raised on the Moon, she was a native of Earth, and beyond that, its Senshi. No one of Earth would dare to kill her, the Queen had said, then looking properly ashamed when her daughter had reminded her that it *had* been Terrens who had killed her. Either way, Prince Endymion had assured the worried Princess of Thalia's safety, if, by some miracle, she was found. Prince Endymion. Serenity's other reason for wanting to stay. She had only known him, *really* known him for a few days. And yet, she was convinced that this was the man that her heart would always belong to. The fact that he was a Prince of Earth, soon to be acting as King because of his father's withdrawal at the death of the Queen, didn't help matters in the least. She was forbidden on the planet, and he could not desert his people. To make matters worse, her Senshi had paired off with his Generals, creating not one, but five heartbroken couples. Serenity sighed, spinning the rose in her fingers. It seemed that nothing had gone right for the past few weeks. A knock came at her door. Luna, in human form, entered the room. "Your mother, the Queen, wishes to see you in the throne room at once." Still lost in thought, the Princess followed the advisor through the halls. She wondered when she would see Endymion again, *if* she would see him again. The way things looked, the latter seemed to the more likely possibility. If she had been paying attention, Princess Serenity would not have been caught so off guard. As it was, the deep, familiar voice that greeted her nearly made her heart stop. "Hello Princess." Serenity looked up into the deep blue eyes of Prince Endymion. She went to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. Swallowing, she managed a weak "What are you doing here?" "My Father has returned to the throne. He has seemingly recovered from his depression, and is willing to sit as king again. He allowed me to come visit you for a few weeks, after hearing me talk endlessly about you ever since you left." Endymion smiled, and Serenity felt herself blush. "My Generals have come too, to visit your Senshi. Your mother has allowed us to stay in the palace, that is, if you will have us." The crushing hug she gave him was answer enough. __________ A week passed. Balls were held in honor of the guests. Picnics, walks, and joint training sessions flew by in a joyful blur. A soft blanket of peace seemed to envelop the court. Queen Serenity enjoyed the happiness of her daughter and her friends, as did Luna and Artimis. Only Adonis seemed wary of the guests, but his respect of the Queen's decision of hospitality kept him from vocalizing his opinions. The Princess and Prince had eyes only for each other. For a time, the deaths, the sufferings, the sorrows were all forgotten. If only the joy could have lasted a little while longer. __________ Beryl watched yet another image of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion enjoying each other's company. With a scream of rage, she flung a slew of black crystals across the cave. They passed harmlessly through the image and impaled themselves in the opposite stone wall. Only then did Metallia allow the image to fade. "When?" hissed Beryl, trembling in unrequited fury. "When will I be able to crush that sniveling brat and take what belongs to me?" "PAITENSSSE," Metallia soothed. "THINK HOW MUCH MORE FUN IT WOULD BE TO MAKE THEM SSSUFFER." Beryl smiled dreamily. The effect was quite grotesque. "Suffer..." she murmured absently, twirling a lock of hair around one of her claws. With a sudden violent gesture, she ripped the hair from her head. A thin trail of dark blood ran down her face, over her lips. She hungrily ran her tongue over them. "I'll take that which is most precious away from them. Watch all they hold dear fall into corruption and darkness." She began to laugh. "AND JUSSST WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO?" Beryl turned to the demon, a feral gleam in her eyes. "I will turn her precious senshi over to our side. Let them destroy her kingdom while I destroy her." "THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, IF WE HAD THE POWER. THE SSSENSHI WERE BORN TO PROTECT THE PRINCESSSS. TO TURN THEM ON HER ISSS BEYOND EVEN MY POWER." Beryl was annoyed. "Well, do you have a better idea?" A dark laugh scraped the air of the cave. "ASSS A MATTER OF FACT, I DO." __________ Prince Endymion furrowed his brow in frustration and disbelief. "Are you sure that they plan to attack our kingdom next?" Kunzite nodded grimly. Ever few days, he had teleported to Earth to make sure that things were working well, that their presence was not needed. Things had been fine. Until now. "This so called 'Dark Kingdom' has been wreaking havoc through countless kingdoms. It is rumored that their leader, Queen Beryl, is not human, a demon of some sort. It is known for a fact that she can twist the minds of others. Her army consists of those who once fought against her." Kunzite swallowed. To see this normally cool, calm, and utterly unflappable warrior so shaken chilled Endymion to the core. "It is said that they are no longer human as well." Endymion shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Have the Terren Council made any move against her?" "They were the first to fall. At this rate, Queen Beryl will conquer the entire Earth in less then a month." "A *month*?!!!!" Endymion gaped at the General. "That's impossible!! She can't move an army fast enough to travel everywhere that is needed, let alone fight!" "She possesses great power, my Prince. Enough to teleport her entire army anywhere on the planet. And no kingdom has been able to withstand her might for more then a few hours." A note of quiet desperation seemed to whisper in the back of his voice. Endymion paced. "We must return to Earth at once. Try to stop Beryl, if we can. If she can conquer Earth this quickly, she must have plans for the rest of the planets in the system, including the Moon." "Yes. I will get Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite, and the four of us will return to your kingdom and begin assembling your forces." "Yes that will be..." Something struck Endymion. "The *four* of us?" "Endymion, in the coming battle, we will have our hands full fighting the enemy. We will not be able to protect you. You must stay here on the moon, for your own safety." The Prince's face hardened. "My safety is not the concern here! I have a duty to my people. I can't stay here and hide like some... some pampered coward. I will fight beside you to protect my people." Kunzite smiled sadly. "Your bravery is admirable, but your safety *is* important. My first and foremost duty is to protect you. I'm sorry it had to come to this." Before Endymion could object, Kunzite waved his hand and uttered a phrase. There was a flash of light, and Endymion slumped towards the ground, unconscious. Kunzite caught him and carried him down the hall to a nearby guest chamber where the Princess Serenity sat waiting. "Will he be all right?" she asked, watching her love's still face as he was laid gently on the bed. "He will sleep for a day. By the time he awakens, we will be long gone." Kunzite turned to leave. The Princess caught his eye. "Please be careful." Her voice was soft, calm, but a hint of worry lay beneath. "Both for your Prince and the Senshi." Kunzite smiled at the Princess and kissed her hand. "We will do our best, your Majesty," he said gravely. "No one can ask for more," Serenity answered as the General left the room. __________ It was with much sorrow that the four Generals left the Moon. The Senshi begged to fight along side them, but the Generals refused, saying that they must protect the Princess if Beryl could not be stopped on Earth, and that the Senshi were forbidden on Earth anyway as offworlders. The Senshi reluctantly relented, and set themselves to wait for the return of their loves. They would wait for a long time. __________ Kunzite saw Jadeite disappear inside of a crowd of demonic soldiers and cursed, narrowly avoiding a sword thrust. The battle had gone on for less then a day, and already most of their defenses had been demolished. The other three Generals had fallen, and only he, their leader, remained. Through the fighting masses, Kunzite glimpsed a flash of red hair. "Beryl," he spat, killing three demons with a blast of energy. If he could kill her, her army would fall to pieces. Gathering the last of the power within him, Kunzite teleported behind Beryl. She stood on a boulder, watching the battle that lay before her. She threw back her head, laughing at the slaughter. The sound shot through Kunzite like a bolt of ice, nearly forcing him back a step. "Die, witch!" he shouted, thrusting his bloodstained sword towards her. Moving in a blur, she whirled around, catching the blade of his sword in her hand, inched from her chest. Her smile was that of pure evil. "Why General Kunzite, so glad you could join me!" she purred. With a twist of her wrist, she snapped the blade of his sword as if it was no more then a twig. He lashed out desperately with his left fist, but she caught his arm, breaking that as well with just as much ease. Her other hand wrapped around his throat, claws digging deep into shi skin, lifting him off the ground. Kunzite stared at her with hate-filled eyes. "Go ahead and kill me," he choked out. "Someone else will rise to crush you into the dirt where you belong." Beryl laughed her bone-chilling laugh. "Why General, so quick to accept death? There are... other possibilities for a man of your abilities." "Go to Hell," he hissed. He tried to summon a blast of energy with his good arm, but his power was completely drained. "Your three friends also refused my offer. I have a feeling that you all will soon be... more receptive." She tightened her grip. Kunzite thrashed weakly, but knew it was a losing battle. His last thought as the darkness overtook him was that of Minako, Senshi of Venus, and how he wished he could have seen her one last time. Then, there was nothing. __________ "I don't like this," Rei said nervously, twisting a lock of black hair around her fingers. "It's been over a week. We should have heard from them by now." The other Senshi nodded quietly. They had gathered in the Great Hall to meet with the Queen to discuss possible preparations for war. Princess Serenity sat with Prince Endymion to the right of the throne. At first, Endymion had been furious at what Kunzite had done, but his anger had gradually been replaced with concern, and now fear for his friends. The Queen entered the hall a few minutes later, flanked by Luna, Artimis, and Adonis. The cats had been spending more and more time in their human form with the threat of war, much to their discomfort. The three surrounded the throne as the Queen sat. "I have gathered you here today to informally discuss preparations for the possible coming war," she said steadily. "Our army has began the necessary military preparations, but with an enemy that has proven itself skilled in the magical foray, the Senshi may be the deciding factor in the coming battle." "Your Majesty," said Endymion, startling everyone, including himself, "I ask your permission to join with your forces to help defend the Moon Kingdom. I have had some training in magical combat, and will help to defend the Princess in the event that the Senshi must focus their attention elsewhere." "Our forces are quite sufficient without the aid of some Earth-" Adonis began, but was cut off by a glance from Queen Serenity. "Your offer is most kind and is gratefully accepted," the Queen replied. Adonis muttered something under his breath, but the Queen chose to ignore him. "We have not heard any word from Earth in ten days," she continued. "I fear that we must assume the worst, that Earth has fallen before the Dark Kingdom. We must also assume that Beryl will not stop there. My two Heads of State, Luna and Artimis, will prepare delegations to the Inner Planets to warn them of the imminent danger. If we can assemble a unified front against the Dark Kingdom, then perhaps..." "...you will still all die!" broke in a rasping voice. A red light exploded in the center of the room, throwing those standing to the floor. As the light faded, a monster stepped into view. Over seven feet tall, it was covered with brown sinews and bony protrusions. Sharp claws curled from its hands, and dripping teeth jutted from a hideously grinning snout. Its red eyes glittered with demonic mirth. The thing laughed, pointing to the Queen. "Beryl sent me to inform you that your plans are useless. Earth has already fallen, and your friends lost. You will be crushed by the power of Beryl and Metallia." Queen Serenity clenched the arms of her throne, shock evident on her face. "Metallia? But... that's impossible!" "Nothing is impossible where the Dark Kingdom is concerned," the thing cackled. "The Moon will soon be destroyed, and you shall be the first!" With a scream, it leapt for the Queen, claws extended. Four henshin wands appeared simultaneously, but Adonis was faster. Pushing the Queen out of the way, he drew and thrust his sword in one movement. The creature impaled itself on his blade. The creature staggered back, dropping to its knees. "Good work, Human," it coughed. "But don't worry. All of you will soon join me." It fell on all fours, its image flickering and fading, replaced by that of a little girl dressed in peasant clothes. Adonis gasped in horror. The child looked up into the shocked faces before her. "They killed... my mommy," she gasped. Looking down, she saw the sword sticking through her chest. Her eyes goggled and she looked back at Adonis. "Did... you do... this?" She fell forward onto the floor, her ragged breathing jerking painfully to a halt. No one spoke for a moment, too horrified at the sight before them. "It is true," Makoto breathed. "The creatures in Beryl's army were human once." She clenched a fist, but said no more. Serenity stepped down form her throne, to the child's body. She gently removed the sword, and handed it back to the dazed Adonis. She then picked up the little girl, cradling her in her arms. "First," she said, her voice deathly calm, "We will give this child a decent burial. Then, Luna and Artimis will depart *immediately* to the Inner Planets. You must warn them that Metallia is free." She drew a breath. "There is someone I must talk to alone." __________ "You took your time in coming here," Queen Serenity said to Setsuna the next day, after the Guardian had appeared. "Metallia is free somehow. She has already conquered Earth." "I did not realize things were moving so fast," Setsuna apologized. "From the Gate, my sense of actual time is somewhat distorted." "This is completely unexpected," Serenity said, "Although it explains where this Beryl gained so much power." "Beryl is a pawn of Metallia. She holds no real power, except that which was allotted to her by Metallia. She is no better then those demons in her army." "Yet she must have had great power to begin with, to prompt Metallia to..." Serenity trailed off, as a sudden thought struck her. Her eyes widened in horror. "The prophesy," she whispered. She turned to Setsuna. "Show me what Beryl looks like." Setsuna closed her maroon eyes, her face slightly strained. "Serenity, please don't do this to yourself. It's not your fault." "Setsuna, I must know." With a sigh, Setsuna raised her staff. An image appeared, that of a demon with red hair, cutting down a group of helpless villagers with a blast of black crystals. Serenity winced at the mad rage in the woman's eyes, yet reached towards her, as if to stroke her cheek. "Oh Thalia," she whispered, "What have I done?" A tear ran down her cheek. A sudden pain shot through Serenity. She gasped, stumbling. Setsuna caught her before she could fall. "What is it my Queen?" she asked. "I feel a pull from the time stream, but I can't quite..." A portal suddenly opened in the middle of the room and a white blur shot through. Setsuna raised her staff, but it was only Artimis. The small cat collapsed at Serenity's feet, shaking violently. Serenity, now recovered, scooped him up, petting him with a trembling hand. "What is it Artimis?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Mars," the cat murmured, "Attacked by Dark Kingdom... environmental spells shattered..." Serenity gasped. Without the delicate spells maintained by the cerulean crystal core of the planet, making it habitable, all of the residents of the planet would be dead in seconds. "All gone..." the cat coughed. "Attack led by... General Jadeite." The cat fainted. __________ Queen Serenity sat alone in her private chamber. Luna had arrived in much the same state as Artimis. Venus, she said, had been attacked, the environmental spells broken, the entire population destroyed. General Kunzite was behind the attack. Serenity had used the Ginzuishou to view Mercury and Jupiter. Both planets were also dead, the signs of civilization already vanishing. She had little doubt of who was behind the attacks. Serenity had had Luna and Artimis break the news to the Senshi. Soon, she would check to see how they were doing, but first, she had some serious thinking to do. The Council of Planets was dead. The Queens had died with their respective planets, and the Queens of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, their civilizations long gone, had resided on Jupiter. Setsuna was still alive, of course, but her knowledge of the timeline had long since kept her from acting in the Council in any official capacity. The Moon would be the deciding battle. At first, she had been confident that the mysterious Dark Kingdom would not stand a chance against the combined powers of the Senshi, and if necessary, the Ginzuishou. That was before she knew that Metallia was involved. Then, there was also the fact that in retrieving Andora's Prophesy from the hidden storeroom deep inside the palace, she had discovered that the passage she had wished to study gone, only a few scraps of ragged parchment left behind. That meant that there was an enemy within the palace, probably this so-called Cult of Apollo. This in itself was not serious, unless they knew that Beryl was Thalia, information she had decided to keep to herself for the time being. If this knowledge happened to reach the Senshi, she knew that their loyalties would be strained in the coming battle, something she was determined to keep from happening. That meant finding the traitors among her ranks, and fast. The Darkness was approaching. She only hoped that the Light was strong enough. __________ Setsuna walked among the ruins of Pluto. It had been a long time since she had set foot on her home planet. The memories of its destruction were still vivid, even after five centuries. She had sworn to protect the Queen in the coming battle. It was all she could do, perhaps even too much, but she had assured herself that her actions would not disrupt the timeline, that they would in fact help preserve it. She had seen too many endings in her long life, and knew that she would soon see another. At least this one would not be her fault. She had done everything within her power to prevent a complete tragedy. Love would not die. That she could promise. ******************************************************* *******************************************************