That Special Magic
-by: the Yarnspinner-
the_yarnspinner@yahoo.com
http://strands-of-moonlight.my3gb.com
-or- http://strands-of-moonlight.6te.net
A Sekkushiaru Roman
featuring characters from the anime "Sailor Moon"> Chapter 51 - Dark Kingdom <
Endymion landed hard, but immediately drew his sword. His surrounding were shrouded in shadows. As he moved cautiously forward, he reached out with his mind, searching for his beloved Serenity. There was considerable interference, but nevertheless, he could sense her presence.
'Are you alright, my princess?' he asked through their link.
'Yes, Mamo-chan,' she replied. 'How about you? You sound so far away.'
'There's quite a bit of interference,' he said. 'Do you have any idea where you are? I'm having difficulty determining your direction.'
'No. It's very dark here. I can hardly see at all,' she said. 'Ouch!!'
'Usako! Are you alright?'
'Yes,' she muttered, their link letting him sense that she was more annoyed than in pain. 'I just tripped over something... There seems to be some sort of very low shelf along the wall here.'
Endymion cleared his mind, letting their link drift deeper in the hope that they would have better luck locating each other.
Just then, a loud roar came from behind him. Endymion turned, his sword at the ready.
'Mamo-chan!' Serenity called. She gasped, now able to see what he was seeing. 'Another shadow demon!'
Endymion nodded as the enormous figure, a dark mass against the shadowy surroundings with two large fiery red eyes, moved forward. Memories of the past swelled within him, showing him that two of these demons had slaughtered the Sailor Senshi. His jaw set as he then recalled that his past self had managed to kill both of them in his final defense of the Queen and the Princess of the Moon.
The demon growled, lurching forward again. Still holding his sword firmly, Endymion drew back. The demon grinned triumphantly, laughing, then shot forward like a snake. Endymion was already moving, jumping up over the huge demon. His sword flashed, striking the demon's 'head'. The demon screamed, thrashing out blindly. Endymion rolled away. As he regained his feet, he formed three roses in his free hand and hurled them at the demon. It screamed again in obvious pain. Endymion leapt toward it, ready to strike. The demon flailed, catching him hard with its arm and sending him crashing painfully into a wall.
'Mamo-chan!' Serenity cried, feeling his pain through their link.
Endymion struggled to his feet. Before he could react, the demon struck again. He lost his grip on his sword as his every nerve seemed to scream in pain. The dark mass loomed still closer. Endymion struggled to move, his eyes spotting his sword, over a meter away. His arms and legs felt incredibly heavy, and every movement brought protests from his aching muscles. Suddenly, he seemed to feel a renewed energy flowing through him. In an instant, he jumped away, narrowly missing another blow from the demon. Rolling, he grasped his sword, feeling still more energy pouring into him. Now realizing it was Serenity sending her power through their link, he rolled to his feet, his sword at the ready.
The demon sprang forward, but was met by a brilliantly glowing rose that plunged into one of its eyes. As the demon screamed, Endymion vaulted forward, plunging his sword deep into the demon's heavy, dark mass. Waves of dark energy surged out, burning at him, but he continued to plunge the sword deeper. The demon's scream turned into a choked cry, and then it collapsed into dust.
Endymion sheathed his sword and took a breath, now feeling the surge of adrenaline and the boost from Serenity's power beginning to fade.
'Are you OK?' Serenity asked, her thoughts and emotions full of concern.
'I think so,' Endymion said. 'Thanks for the assist. I couldn't have done it without you.'
'I couldn't live without you, my prince,' she said softly.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sailor Jupiter had found herself at the bottom of a broad pit, in pitch darkness. She had immediately tried her communicator, but got no response. With a carefully controlled series of lightning pulses, she had found a narrow tunnel, and now followed it out of the pit.
A light glowed ahead. She pressed herself against the wall of the narrow passage and edged forward cautiously. Reaching the opening, she saw a small fire burning at the center of a large cavern with several figures sitting around it.
Jupiter leaned forward a little more, and gasped in shock at the sight. The figures around the fire were unquestionably Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Venus. Their uniforms were badly torn, while all three were seriously bruised and bloodied. One of Venus' arms hung uselessly at her side, while Mercury wore an improvised patch over one eye and one side of her body was badly burned. A hideous gash glared angrily on Mars' leg, and her breathing was clearly labored. All three of them sat there with vacant expressions on their faces, showing no sign of the life, vitality, and determination she was used to seeing, and all looked aged far beyond their years.
She stepped back as the full impact of the sight struck her, her mind crying out in disbelief. Suddenly, the ground disappeared from under her feet, and with a cry she tumbled away.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Geoff made his way forward. A large block wall loomed in front of him, sealing off his route. He reached out to touch the wall, intending to test how solid it was, when it suddenly vanished. He raised an eyebrow.
"Now that's interesting," he said to himself.
The shadows around him began to move, gradually taking on more substance as they closed in. He let his ability spread out. As he expected, the shadows immediately fell back.
Looking around, he noticed a particularly dark portion of the chamber. On a hunch, he moved toward it. Shadowy forms flashed toward him, clearly trying to force him away. The first one flew straight into Geoff's field, immediately disintegrating.
Two more shadowy forms raced around him. Seeing that they weren't going to risk his field, he continued toward the darkest part of the chamber. As the darkness faded, the two shadows rushed him once more. He extended his field still more, catching them by surprise. One shadow flew straight into the field, vanishing instantly like the first. The remaining shadow glanced off of it, but screamed as much of its magic was disrupted. Geoff took another step forward, and the darkness covering this part of the chamber lifted completely, allowing him to see a broad passage leading straight ahead. He glanced back to find the remaining shadowy youma had disappeared as well. With a sigh, he walked along the passage, still anxious to find the young woman he loved.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Heavy mists swirled around Atana. He could sense the powerful magic at work around him, testing it cautiously. From the moment he had been released from the globe that carried him away, he had tried to locate Rei, but to no avail. The interference surrounding him was simply too strong.
As he stood there, he now sensed another magic source, coming from outside the dimension of the Dark Kingdom. Quickly, he realized it was the energy of the sphere he had left Kara to maintain. He reached out with his power, working to draw the sphere's energy beacon to him.
Just then, he turned. The mists drew away partially, and he found himself looking through a thin misty film at a spacious sitting room. He gasped as memories flooded over him and he realized what he was seeing.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"It's Daddy!" Kara cried, as an image again formed in the sphere.
"See. I told you he was OK," Shinozaki said.
"Why is the image so fuzzy?" Artemis asked Luna softly.
"I'm not sure," Luna whispered in reply. "Oh, gods! That's the Moon Palace... and that bassinet he's sitting next to..."
Just then, the image in the sphere showed a door bursting open, and Rei rushed in, attired in her uniform as Sailor Mars, looking clearly distressed.
"Mommy!" Kara cried happily.
Artemis jumped up next to Shinozaki. "This is the past," the white cat whispered. "See the bassinet?"
Shinozaki's eyes widened, and he tilted his head toward Kara, a questioning expression on his face. Artemis nodded. Shinozaki pursed his lips and exhaled. "There's no way we can stop this," he said softly. "Atana did say she had to keep the sphere going, and he wasn't just trying to keep her occupied."
Artemis nodded in agreement.
In the sphere, Rei threw her arms around Atana and hugged him. "It's definite," she said. "Prince Endymion's last scout made it back... just barely. Earth is completely in the Dark Kingdom's hands, and Endymion's parents are dead."
Atana nodded. "I can feel it. The magic fields that sustain life on the other planets are fast unraveling."
"I know," she said, her expression growing grimmer. "A report came in from Mars. It was badly garbled, but things are already getting bad there. And communication has been lost completely with Pluto and Neptune."
"Earth is the only planet that will still be able to sustain life once the magic harmony is destroyed," Atana said matter-of-factly.
"We're on alert to expect Beryl's final attack at any moment," Rei said. She kissed Atana, then walked with him to the bassinet. Together, they looked down at the little girl. Rei wiped a tear from her eye. "By the gods, she is so beautiful," she sighed.
Atana nodded. "Just like her mother," he said, kissing Rei's cheek.
"It's not fair," Rei whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "It's just not fair."
"No. It's not," he agreed.
"We have to do it now," Rei said, now crying openly. "We have to."
He nodded again. "I still hate the idea of leaving you, darling."
"I know... but we don't have any choice," she said. "I have to stay and fight... but we have to take care of our daughter." She reached down and picked up the little girl, who reached up with a tiny hand for Rei's face. "I love you, Kara," she whispered.
Watching the scene in spellbound silence, Kara stared into the sphere. "Mommy," she gasped.
In the sphere, Atana leaned closer and kissed the girl's cheek. "Life won't be complete without both of you," he said.
Rei nodded. "We might pull off a miracle yet," she said. "Princess Serenity has indicated she thinks the queen has some sort of last resort plan to throw them back." Her eyes betrayed the fact that she didn't fully believe it.
Atana smiled faintly. "I hope you're right." He kissed her again, struggling with his own emotions. "When you beat them, come to Earth. Not even the Moon will last very long.... especially if the queen has to use that much power to throw the Dark Kingdom back where they came from. Kara and I will be waiting for you... and then, you and I are finally going to get married."
More tears flowed from Rei's eyes as she looked up at him. "I'll hold you to that, you wonderful man... I don't know just how, but I will find my way back to you." Just then, a horn sounded.
"Is that the alarm?" Atana asked.
"No. We're just being summoned to the command center," Rei said. "You have to go now. If you wait much longer, you might not be able to slip back to Earth."
He nodded, taking Kara from her and wrapping the infant in her blanket. "I'll make it. I've been keeping an eye on a particularly strong point of Earth magic," he said. "It's out of the way, and there is still no trace of Dark Kingdom activity around it."
She kissed him, then kissed the infant Kara. "Be good, my little girl," Rei whispered. "Be good for Daddy."
Just then, the image in the sphere dissolved in clouds of mist.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Kara cried, tears flowing freely down her small face.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Atana found tears stinging his eyes as the mists finally closed off this vision of the past. Even though he had found her again, he couldn't believe how much it still hurt to remember that scene. He had left for Earth only moments after that, and would not see Rei again for nearly four years by his reckoning, and a lifetime for her.
As he wiped his eyes, he tuned his senses to the magic around him, desperate to turn his thoughts away from memories of the past. He could now see the mists were thick with magic. The mists swirled slowly, and he soon began to see a pattern in them. Stepping forward, he moved toward the spot where the magic seemed to be emanating from.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Mommy!" Kara continued to cry, struggling as Shinozaki worked to hold her in her seat. "Where were they going? What's happening?"
"Kara, hold still," Shinozaki said. "That wasn't really happening... It was like... a movie."
The little girl turned, her eyes red with tears. "Movie?" she asked, her lips trembling.
"Yes," Shinozaki said. "What you saw happened a very long time ago."
Kara looked up at him, confused.
"That's right," Artemis said, jumping up next to her. "What we saw was from when the Dark Kingdom attacked before."
Shinozaki took a breath, struggling for an explanation. "Uhm... Your daddy told you about the demons attacking the Moon a long time ago, right?"
She nodded. "Uh-hunh... He said the good queen locked them away, but then they escaped."
"OK," he said, glancing down at Artemis. "And... ah... you remember that ani, uhm, cartoon you watched.... about the cat who died then came back in a new life?"
Kara nodded again, looking more confused.
"Well... Usagi and the other Sailors all lived back then. And when... the good queen locked away the demons, she sent all her people to live new lives."
Kara's eyes widened. "Daddy lived back then too?"
Shinozaki nodded. "So did you."
"We all did," Artemis added.
"And we were both sent to new lives?"
"No," Shinozaki said. "Your daddy decided to find a safe place for you... He used his magic to travel through time. He didn't know the good queen would have done almost the same thing."
More tears swelled in her eyes. "He was so sad thinking of my mommy," Kara said softly.
Shinozaki nodded, more than slightly amazed at the awareness of so young a girl.
Kara took a breath and wiped her eyes, then looked back up at Shinozaki. "But what we saw... She's my real mommy too?"
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "That's right," he said.
Her eyes brightened and a smile spread across her face. "I have my real mommy back... but now..."
"They'll both be back," Shinozaki said. "They love you now just as much as they did then."
"But... why didn't they tell me?" she asked.
"Rei didn't know it at first. She didn't remember her past life. That's how it is when you begin a new life," Artemis explained.
"He's right," Luna said. "Artemis and I both have only part of our memories from that time."
"I lived back then too, but I had no idea until Makoto told me... and even now, I can only remember bits and pieces of it," Shinozaki added.
"I don't remember anything," Kara said sadly.
"Well, you were very little... just a baby," Artemis said.
"But my Mommy and Daddy will come back to me?" Kara asked, her eyes pleading for reassurance.
Shinozaki nodded, silently praying that they all would come back safely as he saw Makoto's face in his mind's eye. "Of course they will."
A faint smile began to return to her face. "Good," she said softly. "And then Mommy will stay with us forever... Daddy promised that they would get married when they beat the demons... We saw it."
Shinozaki glanced down at the girl, hoping that Kara wasn't getting her hopes up too high.
"Uhm... That will be for them to decide... Once they get back," Artemis said.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sailor Mercury turned a corner and gasped, feeling icy fingers closing around her heart, as she found herself looking at a badly beaten Ryo chained to the wall. Emotion urged her to rush to him, but with a considerable effort, she held herself back. Remembering the Dark Kingdom's past deceptions, she began running an intensive series of scans.
A grim smile formed as her scanner confirmed her suspicion that the image in front of her was merely an illusion. She shook her head and continued walking, finding her way into another passage.
Her scanner showed a powerful energy source some distance ahead of her, and she was steadily making her way toward it.
"Ami! Look out!" Ryo's voice cried.
Her scanner showed a sudden energy surge very close to her. She immediately dropped to the floor, rolling away from the youma that had suddenly appeared out of the shadows. As she regained her feet, she saw Ryo pressing himself back against a wall.
"Shabon... spray!" she cried, filling the chamber with an icy fog which seemed much more intense than usual.
Turning, she quickly reactivated her scanner, finding that it really was Ryo. She rushed to him and they embraced.
"Oh gods, Ryo. I'm so glad to see you," she exclaimed.
"So am I," he whispered. "But we need to get out of here, darling."
She nodded, leading him down a side passage. "What happened to you?"
"I was dropped into a dark room," he said. "And since then I've been using my psychic sight to find my way toward you."
"I've found a considerable power source ahead of us," she said, gesturing.
He nodded. "Yes. I've spotted it too. I'm pretty sure that's where you need to go."
She look back behind them, seeing that they were not being pursued. "I love you so much," she sighed, pulling him into her arms and kissing him.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sailor Venus found herself entering a large chamber. At once, energy swirled around her and she was swept off her feet, being propelled into the room. The chamber was transformed into a huge, palatial banquet hall. As she twisted helplessly in midair, her Sailor fuku suddenly was torn away. Before she could react, ribbons of energy swirled around her, covering her with a thin, filmy top across her breasts and two filmy strips of material hanging from the front and back of a narrow belt at her waist. As she crashed down on a table top, she felt a new collar at her neck, realizing she was now dressed as a slave-girl.
Two dark figures moved toward her.
"Ah! This must be the... entertainment!" one said with an evil leer.
"Yes! The master's tastes are definitely improving!" the second agreed, reaching for the bottom portion of Venus' outfit.
Venus immediately rolled away, having sensed that the magic field no longer held her. "I'm not the entertainment!"
"This one has spunk! Even better!" the first figure said, lurching forward. "We'll get some real fun out of her."
Venus dropped into a crouch and extended her hand. "Crescent... beam!" Her energy beam struck the first figure hard, sending it crashing back into one of the tables.
"You'll pay for that, you little bitch!" the second figure roared, suddenly producing a huge whip. "And you're going to learn some manners!"
She dove aside as the whip lashed out at her with a deafening crack. As she moved, more torches burst alight, showing several dozen of the dark youma in the room. A chill ran through her as she calculated the odds, and realized she had been thrown to the troops like a spoil of war.
The whip cracked again, only just missing her. Being barefoot limited her ability to fight, and the youma were clearly too strong for her to engage hand-to-hand. Leaping deftly onto a table, she spun and fired again, striking the youma with the whip. "At least they have glass jaws," she said to herself as the youma collapsed, unmoving.
There was no chance to relax, as three more youma moved toward her. One of these produced a whip of its own, while another held a sword. She jumped off the table, hearing the crack of the whip behind her. Still another youma jumped at her. She grabbed a heavy chair, finding her own strength had increased, and swung it hard at the youma. The heavy wood splintered under the force of the impact, and the youma dropped limply to the floor, its head bent back at a sick angle, its neck obviously broken.
Cries of outrage and anger began to fill the room as more youma pressed forward.
"No!" a commanding voice yelled loudly. "I want her alive! Our disobedient little slave will pay for her misconduct, but she will serve us all with her body!"
"Don't bet on it!" Venus cried defiantly.
Grabbing a spear that was leaning against the wall, she hurled it at the commander, striking the youma through the chest. As their leader collapsed into dust, the screams of the others grew louder and they surged forward. Venus jumped away, grabbing a huge tapestry of Queen Beryl with a strange dark form behind her, and began to climb. A youma jumped after her, grabbing one of the strips hanging from her belt. The fabric, surprisingly, did not break, but with a slight motion, she felt the belt give way, sending the youma crashing to the floor. Having no time to worry about her present state of undress, she hurriedly pulled herself up the tapestry and swung herself on to an upper balcony overlooking the room. A single youma was standing there, apparently as a guard. Venus raised her hand and fired, sending the youma tumbling over the side. She then grabbed a torch and set the tapestry alight, forcing two pursuing youma to drop back to the floor.
She spotted a door, and rushed toward it. It moved only with great reluctance, and she could hear more youma racing up the stairs. With the door opened, she found several large casks. Gambling that Dark Kingdom alcohol was just as flammable as its Earth counterpart, she punched a hole in each cask with a spike that was hanging on the wall, then rolled the casks toward the approaching youma. She fired once more, splitting open one of the casks, then hurled several torches after them. At once, the foul smelling liquid burst into sheets of hot green flame. Though the color was strange and the odor disgusting, it seemed to hold back the horde of youma. With a grim smile, she pulled the door closed behind her and bolted it.
Inside, Venus found another door leading out the far side of what was apparently a store room. On the floor was a rug. Finding this out of place, she pulled it back, revealing a trap door in the floor. Already hearing noises outside the door, she tossed the rug aside and pulled the trap door up, letting it fall back plainly ajar. She then carefully opened the far door, then closed and bolted it behind her. In just moments, she could hear the other door being broken down, and the youma clearly discovering the opened trap door.
She hurried away down a hall. In just moments, her surroundings shifted and she was again in a narrow passage that seemed to have been cut out of rock. Reaching a shadowy chamber, she suddenly heard a low growl. She dove away, narrowly missing the sweeping blow of an enormous clawed hand. Rolling to her feet, she raised her hand and fired once more, already knowing that fatigue was beginning to take hold. The energy beam struck the youma, but only staggered it. Before it could move, she caught site of movement behind the youma. The youma suddenly staggered back and screamed in pain. It fell to the floor, waves of energy sweeping over it, before it collapsed to dust.
"Geoff!" she cried, seeing him standing there alongside the remains of the youma. She rushed forward and threw her arms around him. "You can't imagine how happy I am to see you!"
"I think I can," he said softly, taking the moment to enjoy the feel of his nearly naked young girlfriend in his arms. "Because I'm really happy to have found you... But what happened? Where's your uniform?"
She sighed, then suddenly remembered and reached up, tearing off her slave collar and hurling it away. "I stumbled into a trap," she muttered. "I was supposed to be a slave-girl, thrown to the legions as a reward."
His eyebrows went up. "Are you alright? I mean..."
"I fine," she said. "None of them actually laid a hand on me. And most that tried didn't live long enough to regret it."
"Well, I am glad to hear that," he said, still holding her. "Because I want this beautiful package all to myself, my lovely Venus." He slid his hands up across her back, and unfastened her top.
"Geoff," she sighed. "This definitely is not a good time for that."
He nodded, tossing the top away. "I know that, honey." He kissed her once more, then stepped back and began unbuttoning his shirt. "But until you can regenerate your uniform, I thought you might prefer this." He slipped his shirt off and handed it to her.
"Thank you, you wonderful man," she said happily, putting the shirt on and buttoning it up. "So, just how did you find me?"
"It was just good luck... or maybe destiny determined not to let us be apart," he said. "I've been wandering through these passages, searching for any of our friends, and you in particular... I stumbled upon that youma, but before I could do anything, it suddenly turned the other way. That was when you showed up."
She smiled. "I'm so glad you were here, because I don't think I could have beaten that thing alone... Not after the fight I'd just been through."
"I'm glad I was here, too," he said, taking her back in his arms. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."
She nodded and kissed him.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sailor Mars could feel powerful energy coming from just ahead of her, where a bright, flickering light was casting its glow down the passage. Moving closer, she found a large, high chamber with a huge fire blazing in a low pit at the center. Overhead, a narrow vent shaft opened in the roof to allow the smoke to escape. She looked at the fire, sensing the power emanating from it, and feeling it beckoning to her.
A wave of suspicion swelled within her, and she kept her distance. She worked very carefully to open her senses enough to study the fire's true nature, without letting herself be drawn in by its power. It took a considerable amount of self-control.
Soon, she found what she suspected. The fire was radiating thinly disguised dark energy, and was meant as a trap for her. Pressing herself back against the wall, she probed further, searching for the central concentration of energy that would be Beryl and Metallia.
Suddenly, she sensed a surge of energy. Acting on instinct, she dove away, narrowly missing a blast of flame that surged out of the fire. As she rolled to her feet, a youma of pure flame emerged from the fire and stalked toward her. She slowly stepped back, knowing her power would be useless against this youma.
The youma began to laugh, continuing to move forward. She carefully gauged the distance, then moved with practiced speed, producing an anti-evil charm in her hand and racing through the ritual invocation. In only a moment, she hurled the charm at the youma, which stopped in its tracks. Its flames licked at the edges of the charm, fighting the powerful magic she had charged it with. The youma suddenly screamed, and its flames faded away, leaving only the charm scroll, slightly singed around the edges.
The fire swelled still larger and hotter. Mars sprang into motion, racing toward the nearest exit. Sensing the energy around her, she flung out a handful of anti-evil charms, deflecting bursts of flame erupting out of the fire. She raced through the door, hurriedly diving around a corner just as another blast of flame poured out after her. The flame blast continued for over a minute. When it finally died away, she edged out from her concealment, then made her way along the hall.
Reaching an intersection, she heard the sound of battle coming from off to the right. She turned that way, hoping she had finally found one of her friends.
In just moments, she saw a large red youma, at least three meters tall, lunging down the hall at something. The youma's growl echoed loudly in the confined space, and its sheer size made it difficult for it to move. There was a crash as the youma struck the wall.
Mars heard the sound of an energy blast, and immediately recognized it as magic. She rushed forward, seeing Atana falling back as the youma angrily moved toward him. Her heart swelled with love and concern for him. Quickly, she raised her arms. "Fire... soul!" Energy swelled within her, stronger than she could ever recall it having been before, sending an intense blast of fire surging at the youma. It screamed in pain as the fire tore through it. Atana fired a powerful blast at the youma's head. It immediately fell back, being consumed by Mars' fire, and collapsing into a smoldering pile of dust.
"Rei! Darling!" Atana called, rushing to her.
She sighed happily as he pulled her tightly into his arms and pressed his lips to hers.
"I love you so much," she whispered, when their lips finally separated. "And I'm so glad to have you back, my love."
He nodded and kissed her again. "I love you. I never want to be without you again."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sailor Jupiter had dropped into a small cell, with barely enough room for her to sit down. It had proven a relatively simple matter to blast through the door, but she now wandered a hall of mirrors. The maze-like layout made it virtually impossible to keep her bearings.
She stopped and closed her eyes, opening her senses to the flow of energy around her. Though not as sensitive as Mars or Atana, she was still fairly adept at sensing energy patterns. The flow of energy had begun to shift, now flowing back toward a powerful concentration which she assumed to be the center of the Dark Kingdom.
She focused herself and slowly brought her hands together, beginning to tap into the energy around her. Her own power rose within her, surging more powerfully than she had known before. Energy crackled around her, then burst out in a powerful arc of lightning. The flash was blinding, but she could sense the mirrored walls shattering around her. When she opened her eyes again, she now found herself in a broad, open cavern, with a wide doorway at the far end, leading in the same direction as the energy was flowing.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Serenity stood still, the ginzuishou pulsating softly as it floated just above her chest. She too could sense the change in the flow of energy around her, and was working to guide the Senshi back toward her.
Just then, she located her beloved Endymion. The crystal flared, and he suddenly appeared next to her.
"Usako," he whispered, stepping closer.
"Mamo-chan," she sighed.
Their lips came together for a deep passionate kiss.
"I love you so much, my prince," she said, looking up into his blue-gray eyes, sparkling with love for her.
"I love you more than anything," he said. "How are the others?"
She sighed. "They're making their way toward us, but they've all been through some rough fights of their own. They're all pretty well tired out."
He nodded. "Doubtless, that was Beryl's intent."
"There must be something we can do about that," she said, shaking her head.
He kissed her again. "Remember, you're the only one who can defeat Beryl and Metallia. The rest of us may be able to assist, but the real effort is up to you."
"I know," Serenity sighed, leaning her head against his chest, and enjoying the feel of his strong arms enfolding her. "But they're my friends... I still want them to be safe."
Just then, a small silver glow appeared next to them, assuming the form of Queen Serenity. Her form flickered slightly, as it was clearly difficult for her to appear this deep in her old adversary's stronghold. "There may be something you can do, my daughter."
"Mother!" Serenity exclaimed, turning to face her, but keeping one arm firmly around Endymion. "What do you mean?"
The queen's image flickered again, and she drifted closer to them. "Each of the Sailor Soldiers will come to develop increased powers, as they gain more experience," she said. "That has been the case with each generation of Sailor Soldiers. You, my daughter, are already far beyond where I was at your age, and your Sailor Soldiers are beginning to develop into the next level of their powers."
"But they're still very tired," Serenity pointed out.
Queen Serenity nodded in understanding. "But there is something else... Each of them, in theory, has a potential above and beyond their abilities as Sailor Soldiers."
"I... I don't understand," Serenity said, glancing over at Endymion.
"When it became my time to assume the throne of the Moon, I evolved beyond the form of Sailor Moon," Queen Serenity explained. "I came into the full power that has always belonged to the queen of the Moon... Through the ages, it had always been suggested that the other Sailor Soldiers should be able to achieve the same... 'royal' potential... But none of them ever did." The queen's small form flickered once again. "Your Sailor Soldiers, however, are much closer to that than any of their predecessors... perhaps because they are actually in their second incarnations, something no previous generation had ever experienced."
"But what does this mean, mother?" Serenity asked. "That they can achieve a form similar to my princess form?"
"Essentially, yes," the queen answered. "You now have the potential to do something which I could not. With the ginzuishou, you may be able to give them the boost that will finally enable them to realize that potential."
"Then we could all fight Beryl together?" Serenity asked.
"The principle burden of that must still be on you, my daughter," Queen Serenity answered. "But if you successfully bring them to this elevated level, they will be far more formidable, and should easily outmatch any of Beryl's youma." The crescent moon on the queen's forehead glowed brightly. "There are also ways to combine the powers of the Sailor Soldiers in a joint attack."
Princess Serenity nodded as her crescent moon glowed in response, and images began to form in her mind. "Yes... I see..."
"Wouldn't a combined attack be more effective?" Endymion asked.
"Possibly," Queen Serenity said. "But to defeat Beryl and Metallia, my daughter's power must form the heart of the attack." Her image flickered again, this time taking longer reform. "I must go now... Good luck, my daughter... I am very proud of you..." Her flickering image faded away completely.
"Mother," Serenity called. She sighed, then embraced Endymion again. "I love you, my prince," she whispered.
"I love you," he said softly, gently stroking her back.
She pressed herself against him, hearing the beating of his heart through his breastplate. Finally, she sighed, and looked up at him. "I have to bring the others together... and try what mother suggested."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded. "I have to do everything possible to help all of us get through this safely."
He nodded in understanding, then kissed her again. "You are just the most amazing woman, my beautiful princess."< To be continued >
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NOTE: More to come.Hopeless Romantic and I now have a message group to notify our readers when we post new stories/chapters. Those who are interested can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strands_of_moonlight/ .
Always remember, good gentles, that a yarnspinner works from and within existing legends and stories. The characters of "Sailor Moon" belong to others. In spinning my yarns, I do not seek to infringe on their rights of ownership, but merely to join with other fans to spread the legend still further. "The moonlight carries a message of love." Enjoy.
-12.07.2002