zhuge@best.com (Yang Wenli)

    This fanfic is my first attempt.  I have sort of expanded on the
story I posted two weeks ago.  If the thing seems a little rambling,
please bear with me.  I never wrote any fiction before and I pretty
much put down anything that comes to mind.  I am having fun though.
:-)
  This fanfic is an exploration of one of the possible futures of the
Sailor Moon universe.  So far, all the titanic battles fought by the
Sailor Senshi had left the world more or less unchanged.  However, we
know that change is coming, enormous changes which will change Usagi's
world beyond recognition.  The world couldn't ignore the existence of
the Sailors for much longer.  I used continuities from both the manga
and the TV series and sort of blend them together. Charcters are drawn
from all the Sailor Moon stories told so far. However, I haven't read
all the mangas nor have I seen all the TV episodes.  Since the Sailor
Stars series is still in its early stage and we haven't gotten any
major revelations so far, I am ignoring its existence except for
Sailor Moon's new transformation.  The historical stuff you can find
in the library.  Don't take my stuff seriously, please. ;-) All the
names will be in the Japanese format.  For those who only saw the
American version.  Here's a quick conversion table:
    Serena = Usagi Tsukino
    Amy = Ami Mizuno
    Raye = Rei Hino
    Lita = Makoto Kino
    Mina = Minako Aino
    Darien Tuxedo Mask = Mamoru Chiba, Tuxedo Kamen

  Characters who haven't appeared in the North American versions are:

    Sailor Saturn  Hotaru Tomoe
    Sailor Uranus  Haruka Tenou
    Sailor Neptune  Michiru Kaiou
    and last but very far from least
    Sailor Pluto    Setsuna Meiou

    Kakeru and Himeko are characters from the Sailor Moon S movie.

  Besides these characters, I have added a few of my own, just to
maintain the pretense that I actually created something here. :-)
  The playground, of course, is created by Naoko Takeuchi, and the
numerous men and women who labored to bring us so much joy and
laughter.

Renaissance
Prologue

Crete 17th century B.C.
    Sailor Pluto walked in darkness.  It was high noon, yet no
sunlight could penetrate the thick dust cloud which covered the sky.
For thousands of miles, from land to sea, there was no light anywhere
except for the light of the Garnet Orb.
    She walked in the ruins of a destroyed city.  Merely days ago,
Knossos was the capital of the greatest civilization of the world.
There were people dancing in the street and brave athletes daring the
horns of the sacred bulls. Here, there was reason in a world of
superstitions.  Here,there was equality in world of slavery and sexual
discrimination.  All of it were dead, smothered by the fire and smoke
from the hell mountain called Thera.
    She stopped in front of a collapsed column.  A man lied under the
column.  He had been there for days.  She knelt and gently lifted the
man's head.
    "Have you come to take me to Hades, lovely spirit?" the man's
voice came in a low, raspy whisper.
    "No, I fear you must make that journey alone, priest."
    "I tried, you know.  I tried to stop the mountain from engulfing
all in its fury.  I couldn't.  It was too powerful for me. And now
Minos is dead.  Those who fled will carry our dreams, but Minos is
dead." He wept, but no tear came.
    "You could have fled with them." said Sailor Pluto.
    "Yes, but this place was home." He peered at her closely and said
"I have seen you before, in different garbs.  You were in the crowds,
one crowd or another.  Are you a goddess?"
    "No, remember, remember yourself.  You used your powers, how can
you not remember?"
    The man's eyes brightened and life came back to his voice.
    "How can I not remember?  We held each other's souls.  I'll always
remember you." He looked inward "It's been many, many lives, hasn't
it?  Why did you not find me earlier?"
    "I can't.  You are invisible in the time stream.  Until you make a
difference in history, I can't see you from the Gate of Time.  This
time, you almost did it.  You almost turned the tide of time.  That's
how I found you."
    "Why didn't you try to save this place with me?"
    "I can't.  You know I can't commmit myself in the time stream yet.
The Princess is not here."
    "How many lives?  How many more lives must I live before she
comes?"
    "I don't know." Sailor Pluto could feel the shield of her calmness
cracking, but she held it in control.  The road ahead was too long to
yield to grief now.
    "Well, no matter.  I'll live on.  Don't forget me."  he looked
around one more time "And so paradise falls yet again." He closed his
eyes and died.
    "I won't, Charon." wept Sailor Pluto.

Jerusalem  12th century A.D.

    The knight put down his stylus and stretched.  He had been doing
this all day.  Translating classical texts was not easy and the
flickering candle made his eyes water.  Yet, he must finish this
section of translation.  Tomorrow, he would ride out to battle with
his brethrens, the Knights Templar.
    "Sir Hugh?" a mellow voice came from the darkness.
    "Please come into the light so I may behold you."
    A tall figure stepped into the light.  Her long flowing hair alone
marked her as nobility, though her garbs seemed strange.  He stared
when he saw that her legs were exposed.  Despite his vow of chastity,
Sir Hugh found himself plagued by odd feelings.
    "Who might you be? Are you maiden or harlot?  I have more urgent
tasks to do than frolicking."
    "What is it you're doing, sir knight?"
    "Nothing that concerns you, woman.  Merely translating some texts
from ancient times.  Thses heathens preserve the heritage of the True
Faith far better than the Church, I am afraid."
    "Are these by any chance Greek and Roman books?"
    "Yes." He considered her carefully "Here's a treatise by
Democritius who proposes that all matter are made from small particles
he calls atoms and he provided the reasoning behind it.  Here's a
treatise by Polybius whose military theories could certainly be
applied to my brethrens."  He hoped to drive her away by talking
obtuse philosophy, he failed.
    "Why are you devoting yourself to such labors?"
    "What does it matter?"  then it suddenly dawned on him "You speak
Provencal?  The tongue of my homeland?"
    "And other tongues as well. As I was saying, why this labor?"
    "Very well.  I know this.  The Christendom was great when Rome
stood, but through our sins we were tossed into darkness and barbarism
by the wrath of God.  Now that we have won, through the power of our
faith, the Holy Land, it's only right that we regain the heritage that
we once possessed.  These books, once I send them home, shall be read
by learned men through Europe.  They will begin to think and they will
again walk on the road back to greatness." He stopped and said "Yes, a
renaissance will come."
    "Lofty dreams for a Knight Templar."
    "Ha, you think I'm a blood spiller like those who broke their oath
and attacked Moslem caravans?  No wonder Saladin was wroth with us.  I
am no friends to those oath-breakers.  Yet, I must defend the Faith
even if it means fighting beside cheaters and murderers."  Then his
eyes narrowed.  The woman's hair, where it reflected the candle light,
was green!
    "Who are you? Are you some pagan spirit coming to tempt me?"
    "No, I ask you not to ride tomorrow.  That way, at least we'll
have a little time together."
    "You are mad, wench." He turned his back on her.
    "You will die at the Horn of Hattin, Charon. I don't know how long
it will be before I find you again."
    "What?" said Sir Hugh as he turned, but the woman was gone.

2001 A.D. Sea of Serenity on the Moon

    "Watch it!" Himeko Nayotake cried out while pivoting to avoid a
space-suited figure leaping toward her.
    "Gomen!" said Commander Edward Blaine "I got carried away by the
low-G here."
    "Well, just be careful.  Remember the artifacts in your bag.  It
would be a shame to smash any of them."
    "Don't worry.  I don't think I can smash any of them even if I
tried."
    The two were silent for a moment as they again scanned the scene
around them in awe.  They were standing in the middle of the Sea of
Serenity on the Moon.  The international return-to-the-moon project
had succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of its PR department.  Two
days ago, the new sensors had discovered this ruin from orbit.  The
governments couldn't have covered this up even if they tried ,because
the mission was broadcasted live to the world.  Besides, no government
conspirators could have recognized the technical readings for what
they were until it was too late to censor anything.  A team of four
astronauts were quickly put together along with improvised
archaeological equipments.  They were busy ever since.
    Tall marble-white columns rose above the bleak lunar horizon. They
reflected light in a strangely soft manner which mellowed the
razor-sharp edges of the lunar landscape.  To their right, another duo
of astronauts were working on what's left of an enormous chamber which
must have had a vaulted ceiling when it was intact.  The place was an
a strange juxtaposition of classical and gothic architecture.  The
ground was littered with the shattered remains of the palace which
once stood here.  Perfunctory digs under the lunar regolith, the layer
of shatter rock which covered the moon, had uncovered artifacts, both
broken and intact.  A more recent dig had uncovered a corpse, vacuum
dessicated, but obviously human.  Moreover, both the marble columns
and the artifacts resisted the best drills they brought.  A few
technicians back in Houston joked that they could clear all the debris
by nuking the whole site without any fear of damaging anything.  Of
course, that also meant that everyone was too scared to imagine the
sort of forces which could have destroyed the place.
    Himeko pulled out a small wand from the bag.  It was made from
some jewel-like  material with a strange symbol on its top.
    "I wonder what that's for." said Blaine "Maybe this is where fairy
godmothers come from."
    "No, I think this belonged to Princess Kaguya." said Himeko.
    Blaine smiled.  While they were in training, virtually the entire
astronauts corp and their families had to put up with the fairy tales
of Dr. Kakeru Oozora, Himeko's husband and the designer of the
terahertz imaging system which discovered this site.  They had all
accepted the tales as the imaginations of a very imaginative and
talented man, but now they all wondered if Kakeru wasn't somehow
clairvoyant.
    "This is going to change everything, you know." he said for the
hundredth time. "Let's hope that we'll get a chance to come back.  So
many people up there would love to shut down this project and keep the
human race cooped up." he made a pointing motion toward the Earth in
the sky.
    "Don't be so gloomy now, commander.  We'll be back on the air in
another twenty minutes.  Do try to be cheerful for our supporters."
    She glanced at the other two astronauts and saw that one of them
was walking beyond the designated digging area.  She quickly set her
transceiver ad called  "Jean-Pierre, wher are you going?"
    The French astronauts's voice was dreamy "She's so beautiful.  I
am sure I can find her here."
    "Are you feeling all right? " Blaine was at his side after several
leaps.
    Jean-Pierre de Rayneval knelt down and began to dig with his
fingers.  Blaine tried to pull him away, but he caught the glint of
light reflecting off something just under the surface.  He pushed
Jean-Pierre away and said "Don't do this with your hands."
    The two work together and brushed away the thick covering layer of
dust.  It was a large rectangular marble box. The cover was full of
undecipherable runes.  Jean-Pierre reached down to open the cover.
Blaine tried to stop him again. "Hey, what's gotten into you anyway.
This box could be sealed and you might..."
    The cover flipped open as though it had no weight at all.
Blaine's breath caught.  Inside the box was the well-preserved of a
beautiful young woman.  Jean-Pierre's eyes widened and he said "What
am I doing?  I just....Oh, she' a beauty, isn't she?"
     "Oh, she is." agreed Blaine "By the way, you hang around Kakeru a
lot, don't you.  Are you sure whatever he had isn't contagious?"
     Then he added "I am so tired."

    Sailor Pluto sensed something new stirring in the ocean of time.
She looked at the Gate of Time.  It seemed unchanged.  She turned to
look  at the chaotic jumble of spacetime beyond the Gate.  Her
time-sense told her that again she was needed outside.  She sighed.
She didn't want to involve herself in the flow of time.  Each time she
did, a little more time was lost to her. Perhaps, there's a easier way
to do her job, but her understanding of this enigmatic place was so
limited.  Her father, Chronos, understood even less and he was the one
who discovered this place.  When she accepted her duty and her curse,
she had hoped ......... She had been alone for so long.
    She lifted her key and tapped on the Gate gently.  The Gate opened
and she stepped through.

Chapter 1  Old Friendships, Old Secrets

    She laid still in the darkness, weeping for a paradise lost.  This
new world she found herself in was foul beyond imagining.  Magic was
gone, so was honor.  The subhumans had taken over and they had abused
their legacy most grievously.  The spawns of their rancid matings
filled the world and they fought over resources which would have been
considered as garbage in her world.  Their buildings were like
lifeless tombstones.  Even the air they breathed was foul.
    Serenity, she thought with love and hatred mingled, your weakness
had sowed such disaster.  Your sacrifices had meant nothing.  If you
had only listened to my counsel, the Moon Kingdom could have been
strong and we would never have feared such a small threat as the Dark
Kingdom.
    Quietly she tested her strength.  Her jailers had provided the
bare necessary energies to recharge some of her powers.  Serenity
would not have approved the methods she used, but one must adapt, even
if it meant using the techniques of one's enemies.  As soon as she
absorbed enough life energy, she would begin. The Silver Millenium
would live again!

    Usagi sat down on her seat.  College was great!  Now, all she had
to do was to pick night classes and she didn't have to worry about
oversleeping anymore.  The tough part was passing the college entrance
exam.  Contrary to what her friends said, she didn't use her powers to
cheat.  Well, she did use the Silver Crystal to enhance her memory
just a little bit, but that didn't really count.  She forgot about
most of the stuff she memorized already.
    She looked around.  Ami was reading a thick folder.  She graduated
out of reading textbooks a while ago.  Now, she could design her own
experiments.  For some reason, Ami's counselor seemed to think that a
premed education was superfluous for her.  Usagi heard something about
Ami's idea for a possible cure for multiple scelerosis.  The details
were just to complicated for her.  However, she did find out one
thing.  Ami was doing the experiment with Ryo Urawa who, for some
strange reason, wanted to be called Greg.  So much for Ami never
cheating.  How could she avoid cheating when Greg's clairvoyant powers
could spot all the experiments that wouldn't work?
    Usagi turned to her left and found Makoto grinning at her.  She
grinned back, but Makoto's grin stayed the same.  She frowned, and
moved her palms in front of Makoto's eyes. Makoto's grin collapsed and
she said " What do you want, Usagi?"  On a hunch, Usaig turned to her
right side and saw a handsome man with long dark hair and broad
shoulders.  She turned back to Makoto with a crooked, knowing grin.
Makoto turned around and pretended to ignore her.
    She looked out of the classroom.  They were going to meet with
Minako and Rei after this class.  Rei wasn't really a night person.
She always got up so early in the morning. She would probably doze off
right in the middle of their little get-together. Minako seemed
serious about her idol singer/modeling career.  Already, she was
attracting attentions from major agencies.  If she couldn't resist the
temptation of glamour, she might not be able to finish college.
    The door opened and a foreigner walked into the classroom.  He was
tall and thin, almost stick-like.  His hair was pale blonde, but his
eyes were dark, a strange combination.  He looked at the class and
smiled awkwardly.
    "Good evening, class.  I am Professor Ron Ferryman."  He wrote
down K. Ronald Ferryman on the blackboard  "I will teach you
elementary physics.  Now, don't scream yet.  You may be forced to take
this class for credit, but I will try to make the learning experience
as interesting as possible.  And..."  Just then his eyes swept toward
Usagi.  His eyes widened slightly and glazed.
    A few seconds of deathly silence in the classroom seemed an
eternity.
   "Uh, Well, I think that's all for now." Ron Ferryman seemed to
recover " I hope you can stand my Japanese.  Anyway, here's your
co-professor of the course, she'll be taking care of your lab works.
Dr. Meiou?"
    Usagi's eyes opened as she recognized the tall, graceful figure
who glided into the classroom.
    "Setsuna-san!"
    Setsuna smiled slightly and nodded.
    "So some of you know her, good.  Now, before we start, I would
like to know what you think about the new discoveries being made on
the Moon..."

    Later, in Hikawa Shrine, the Sailor senshis enjoyed their
get-together.
    "I don't get it." said Minako as she stroked Artemis "Whenever
Setsuna shows up, she usually brings news of something awful coming
down the road, but this time, she just gives us that mysterious smile
of hers and acts as though she barely knows us."
    "She does have a class to teach, you know." said Ami "She can't
very well chat with us just like that."
    "I agree with Minako" said Luna "It's not like her to drop into
the time stream with no reason.  She must have been in the time flow
for quite a few years to get the credential for such a job.  I wonder
what she's up to."
    Usagi said "Uh, Rei, do you have any more food?"
    Rei's drooping eyelids flew open and she said "Well, I don't have
time to cook all day to satisfy your appetite you know.  If you don't
bring enough food here, then fat chance you'll get enough from me!"
    "Why you..." They two took their argument to the background.
    "Hmm, I see that college hasn't matured those a bit." said Artemis
with a shake in his head.
    "Look at who's talking." said Minako "What were you doing when I
was in that recording studio tonight?  I couldn't find you anywhere.
Kasumi couldn't find her white Persian either."
    "Uh, that's ... Can we get to the agenda tonight?  What are we
going to do about those astronauts digging around the Moon Kingdom?"
    Luna looked at Artemis suspiciously.
    "Umm, why can't we just use Sailor Teleport to go to the Moon and
stop them?" said Makoto, who was already looking through Rei's
refrigerator for something to cook.
    "It might work.  Except that will bring the entire world's
attention on the Sailor Senshi.  Are you guys sure that you want to do
that?  Sooner or later they find out who you are and your ordinary
lives will come to an end." said Artemis
    "Who is that woman they uncovered?" asked Ami.
    "Princess Hectate." said Luna "Sister of Queen Serenity. She led
the Royal Guard.  I can't remember more than that."
    "Is she dead?  I mean, the body looked so life-like."
    "I am sure she is." said Luna "It's been thousands of years after
all.  Even a hibernation spell couldn't last that long.  I guess she's
just well-preserved in that coffin."
    "You mean she died before the end of the Moon Kingdom?"
    Luna frowned "No, I think she's still alive during the attack of
the Dark Kingdom."
    "Then, who put her into a coffin?" said Ami.
    Luna sat up with a start "Good question.  I don't know.  I guess
someone must have put her there when she fell in battle.
Unless....No, I don't think so.  Nobody from the Moon Kingdom would
stoop so low, even to stay alive..." She looked troubled.
    Artemis said "Well, isn't Mamoru taking graduate courses in
Stanford right now?  Maybe he can get us into Ames Research Center
where the body is kept."
    Makoto moaned "Rei, don't you have anything here besides boxed
food?"
    "No!" Rei extricated her long hair from Serena and said "I only
get food I can cook."
    "Yeah right, food in a box.  Well, I move that next time we meet
in my house.  At least I have some food that's not dehydrated and dead
for years."
    "Yeah!" Everyone, including Usaig agreed heartily.
    Artemis sighed "Well, they are maturing.  They actually decided on
something in a meeting."

    Despite its proximity to the boisterous night life of Tokyo, the
campus of Infinity U was surprisingly quiet at night.  Ferryman walked
the dark corridor of the Science Building alone.  He liked to work in
the quiet darkness of night.  Besides, it's best that he kept his
research secret until he had concrete evidence.  He took a sabbatical
from Princeton just to follow an obscure journal article by an obscure
Japanese scientist.  If the lead turned out to be nothing, fine.  The
time he spent here would still give him a passable command of Japanese
as well as making friends with many Japanese scientists. If not, he
might be onto the greatest discovery of all time.
    Three years ago, he ran into a grad student who used to work under
a Japanese scientist by the name of Souichi Tomoe.  The name was
unknown to him, but the student pointed out a few papers written by
his former Ph.D. advisor before Professor Tomoe's unfortunate slide
into who-knows-what.  All the world knew about Tomoe was that he
caused two strange lab accidents.  One was big enough to level
Inifinity Academy which was located upon the same ground as Infinity
University.  After that, he disappeared from academia.  Ferryman
tracked him down in some small town high school.  However, the former
professor refused to answer any of his questions.  Other than that,
Tomoe seemed like a genuinely nice guy.  At least, his students all
thought so.
     Ferryman had only two papers published by Professor Tomoe.  The
two papers which were ignored by the physics community because it was
written in Japanese.  Even if they could understand the language, the
mathematics was stranger than anything the physics community had seen.
It was like Newton publishing a book on the orbits of the planets
without explaining his three laws of motion.  No wonder it was
published by such an obscure journal, none of the reviewers could
comment on it.
    However, the math was hauntingly familiar to Ferryman.  He
couldn't remember where he had seen them before, but each equation
shouted its meaning at him. He abandoned his specialty field of
superstring theory and began to fill in the blanks of Tomoe's theory.
He realized that if Tomoe followed his own math.  He wasn't likely to
accomplish anything without an almost infinite source of energy.  What
he couldn't understand was how the disaster could occur in the first
place and how the disaster was contained once it happened.
    He carefully adjusted the modified gravimeter he held at his hand.
He was at the third floor of the Physics Building.  He carefully noted
the reading.  The trend seemed obvious.  There was a spatial anomaly
here.  However, the focus of the anomaly was a few floors higher.
    Twentieth floor, finally the gravimeter was reading something more
dramatic.  The gravitational gradient seemed to oscillate regularly.
There was definitely a weakness in the fabric of space here.  He
looked around, the space around him seemed perfectly normal.  Of
course, the distortions were just too small to be perceived by normal
human senses, but still, he imagined he could sense it, like a small
dimple in the fabric in space.
    The lightest whisper of a footstep alerted him.  He turned around.
The shadow's waist-long hair and slender figure made its identity
quite obvious.
    "Dr. Meiou! Don't sneak up on me like this!"
    "It appears that it would be impossible for me to do so.  You are
quite good in the darkness." Her voice was as calm as ever.
    "What are you doing here anyway?  Even the janitors left an hour
ago."
    "Going to the roof to look at the stars.  One of my favorite past
times."
    "Uh, but this is in the middle of one of the largest cities in the
world!  The light pollution would drown out everything."
    "Not true, you'll be surprised at how many stars you'll see.  If
you only look up."
    She fell silent.  Ferryman could feel her closeness in the
darkness.  He tried to focus on the glowing panel of the gravimeter,
and failed.  He never felt any attraction to any woman.  He always
thought that he was too cereberal for such emotions, but that seemed
to change here, now.  Perhaps he shouldn't let this chance slip away?
    "Well, let me pack up my equipment here.  I'll join you on the
roof."
    She nodded slightly and turned away.
    Later, on the roof of the Science Building.  Ferryman found out
that although the light pollution of the city was indeed quite bad
around the horizon.  The sky was dark enough directly overhead to show
many stars.
Actually, the "light pollution" was quite spectacular as well. Some of
the brighter stars even vied with the neon lights by shining just
above the skyline.
    Because he was trained as a physicist, he hardly ever looked up at
the night sky.  Many of the constellations were strange to him.  He
asked Setsuna Meiou their names. She told them a few Japanese names,
but he recognized none of them, so she told him the English names.
    "Oh, of course." he said "Your English is quite good.  No accent
at all."
    "I got my degree in the U.S." she said "I know you Americans pride
yourselves in being informal, you can may me Setsuna."
    "So, how many can languages you speak....Setsuna?"
    "Quite a few."
    "Such as?  French?  Chinese?"
    "Minoan is one of them."
    "Oh, you mean classical Greek."
    "No, I mean Minoan as in ancient Crete."
    "Umm, you're joking right?  Nobody ever deciphered the Linear A
tablets, let alone finding out what language it was.  Oh, I get it.
The Epimenide Paradox.  All Cretans are liars, I am a Cretan.  Haha,
that's pretty funny."
    Setsuna didn't answer, but she studied him with those eternally
calm eyes of hers.
    "What were you doing back there?" she finally said.
    "Nothing important really.  Just a pet experiment of mine."
    "A gravimeter?  Tell me, did you find anything?"
    For a few seconds Ferryman considered.  then he said "Yes, there's
something, actually."
    Setsuna looked at the cityscape and sighed "I hoped it was gone,
but I had no way of checking it.  My talent lie, elsewhere.  A
gravimeter, how simple."
    "What?"
    "Nothing.  Just realizing that I still have a lot to learn."

TO BE CONTINUED



  Here's chapter two of Renaissance.  In honor of NASA's (possible)
discovery of life on Mars, I decided to have some of the story in Ames
Research Center.  Also, I live in the Bayarea, and I drive past the
place everyday, so I am sort of familiar with it.
  The date for the Silver Millenium is purely arbitrary.  I have to
put the time far back in history because a habitable moon in the sky
would be pretty hard to miss.
  Anyway, enjoy.

Renaissance

Chapter 2    Love and Loyalty

Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California
    Hectate awoke from her rest again.  The closeness of a living
being recharged her with life energy.  Carefully keeping her eyes
closed, she mentally scanned the room for any other witnesses.  After
satisfying herself that the technician was alone, she opened her eyes.
    She was inside a small enclosed room with no view of the outside.
One side of the room was a glass window on which a pair of gloves were
attached.  A woman were in the process of putting her hands into the
gloves.
    The technician's eyes opened wide in shock when she saw Hectate
awakening.  Hectate smiled.  The brooch in front of her chest opened,
revealing a black crystal.  The crystall began to glow. The technician
tried to scream, but no sound came from her mouth.
    "Be quiet, my servant." said Hectate "I don't want your death,
merely your obedience and of course, you soul bubble."
    A point of light flew out of the technician's body.  The light was
a small, glowing bubble with the technician's image curled up inside
like a fetus.  The light was drawn into the crystal.  Hectate closed
her eyes and tried to digest what the technician knew about this
world.  She didn't like what she's doing, but she's alone in a hostile
world, she must build a power base as soon as possible.  Perhaps
later, she could afford to be more moral.
    She then gave instructions to the technician.  The technician
turned, her face was without expression.

    "Cheryl? Uh Cheryl?" said Kakeru as the technician walked past
him.
    "Don't bother her." said Himeko "She's probably just tired.  A lot
of the people working here are pushed hard."
    In a way it's true.  Since the trip back from the Moon, the press
had been covering the new discoveries on the Moon almost incessantly.
The world was being turned upside down.  Old theories were being
thrown out, sometimes along with old theorists.  For every
well-reported story, one hundred stories were unfounded.  The entire
staff of NASA and ESA wouldn't be enough to refute all the rumours.
For the scientists, it was a time full of excitement and terror.
Excitement because new things were being discovered.  Terror because
of the uncertainty that they might have gotten everything wrong.
However....
    "Funny.  She just came back from a vacation.  Everybody who ever
worked on the Moon Princess seemed a little out of sorts.  It's only
been a week."
    "You mean you never felt tired after I came back?" said Himeko
with a mischievous smile.
    Kakeru laughed and squeezed her hand.
    "When are you going back to the Moon?"
    "Not any time soon.  This is not a Japanese only venture you know.
They are letting the Russians and American running the moon base now.
After their shift is over, then it would be the European's turn.
Japan's turn won't come for at least another two years, and there are
other Japanese astronauts in training now."
    "None of them are as beautiful as you."
    "Flatter. Hmm, look, isn't that Mamoru Chiba?"
    Mamoru was wearing his usual dark blue suit with a press badge
prominently displayed on the chest.  He'd known him for a few weeks
now.  He was a graduate journalism student from Stanford.  Right now
he was doing an internship for a local TV station.  He heard that
Mamoru would have a job in the news department in TV Asahi when he
returned to Japan.  With his good looks, he might end up as the
anchorman someday.
    "Dr. Oozora.  Dr. Nayotake." Mamoru bowed "Any new development
today?"
    "No, not really.  There does seem to be a lot of tired people
around.  You press people are relentless." said Kakeru with a grin.
    "When can the public view the Moon Princess?"
    "Don't you press people have enough pictures already?  It's not
like she'll pose for you if you go in."
    "Well, can I see her?  I mean, can I see her in her room?"
    Himeko's eyes narrowed.  Mamoru was like Kakeru in a lot of ways.
One of the similarities was that neither them seemed to have a firm
grasp of reality.  But perhaps she could do this favor for him.  It's
nice to have friends in the press and if her feelings were anything to
go by, Mamoru Chiba would go far in any profession he chose.
    "Sure," she cut off Kakeru "As soon as I get permission from Dr.
Callahan.  Even if he doesn't approve, well, it's not like the Moon
Princess was guarded like a nuclear missile."  She wondered how many
other scientists were breaking the rules like this.
    "One condition though.  You don't publish anything about anything
you might learn without my approval, clear?"
    Mamoru nodded "Of course, I'm not really looking for a scoop on
this one, really."
    Himeko said "Good.  When do you want to visit her?"
    Mamoru looked slightly embarassed.  He even colored a little "Uh,
that is.  Well, not so soon.  I have a friend who wants to see her
too."
    "I see. Is she blonde or redhead?" said Kakeru with a grin.
    "Uh, she's Japanese.  I think she'll be flying over in a few
days."
    "Just to check on you, eh?"
    Mamoru blushed.
    "Please, Kakeru, don't embarass the man.  Remember how you used to
take me to watch the moon and tell me stories about Moon Princess
Kaguya.  Well, Mamoru here can actually show Kaguya to his
girlfriend!"

    Mamoru went back to his car.  Now he could give Usagi a call and
give the gang the all clear.  He wondered if they could smuggle Luna
or Artemis into the lab.  They definitely could identify some of the
artifacts that were shipped back from the Moon Kingdom.  Of course,
there's also the problem that they might have to perform last rite for
Hectate, just for the sake of decency.
    He noticed that an expensive-looking sport car was parked right
next to his car.  In fact, it squeezed so close that he couldn't open
his own car's door without scratching its fine paint.  Irritated, he
looked around to see if the owner was in sight.  Then he caught sight
of two familiar figures entering the side door of the Space Science
Building.
The guard posted there checked their badges and let them in.
    "Haruka?  Michiru?"  Of course, both of them were from rich and
powerful families.  They would have the money and connection to
acquire the transportation as well as the clearance to see Hectate.
He toyed with the idea of joining them but decided against it.  The
outer senshi were always so standoffish.  He felt a little irritated
that he had to go around asking favors from people he didn't know all
that well while those two just waltzed in like they owned the place.
Oh well, if they found anything, hopefully they wouldn't keep it from
the rest of the Sailor Senshi.  Anyway, he hoped they would restrain
from overly public demonstration of their affections for each other.
Americans were slightly...different when it came to things like that.

Tokyo

    "Hi, odango atama."
    "Mamo-chan!  I love to hear your voice." said Usagi.
    "I knew you would be at Makoto's place." Mamoru's voice sounded
slightly amused "How's her cooking today?"
    "Fine, fine.  Let's talk about you."
    After the Galaxia incident, Usagi felt slightly insecure everytime
Mamoru left the country.  She just had to call everyday so she could
hear his voice.  Of course, if he called first, it would be much
easier on her fianances.
    "Look, I talked with Dr. Nayotake, you remember her, don't you?
She agreed to let me and you to take a looke at Princess Hectate.  If
Luna could hitch a ride with you, she could take a look at her as
well."
    "We'll all come." said Rei.  Only then did Usagi realize that Rei
had switched on the speaker phone so everyone in the room could hear
her conversation.
    "REI!  I told you never to do that again!"
    "Well, I never said I'll never to this again."
    "Stop this now." said Luna "This is important." She padded to the
phone.  It's been many years since she last saw Kakeru.  She once felt
something special for Kakeru, but it was such a long time ago.
    Stop this line of thought right now.  She told herself.
    "O.K. It would probably be best if you all come.  After all
Hectate was a princess and she deserved last rite with all the Sailor
Senchi present."
    "Yeah, but where are we going going to get money for the plane
tickets?" said Usagi "I can barely afford my own."  Not to mention
that her family might object.  Her father had grudgingly accepted
Mamoru as a possible future son-in-law, but an impromptu trip out of
the country might be a little much for his sense of propriety.
    "No problem." said Rei "I can get Chad to pay."
    "Chad? Who's Chad?" asked Ami innocently.
    "Oh, haven't you heard?" said Makoto from the kitchen  "Yuichiro
decided that Chad will be his English when he goes to America on a
concert tour."
    "But Chad is a wimpy English name." said Minako "Can't you get him
to change it?  How about something macho, like Derek Wildstar?"
    "What do I care what he calls himself?" said Rei defensively.
    Usagi sensed an opening.  Time to get revenge for Rei's disruption
of her romantic moment with  Mamo-chan.  She leaned close to Rei and
whispered conspiratorially "And how much more money he's going to pay
before you marry him?"
    Rei's return outburst was quite satisfying though somewhat painful
for her.
    Mamoru smiled as the sound of commotion traveled across half a
world.  He couldn't feel any irritation.  Compared to the people he
had to deal with daily, Usako and her friends were a breath of fresh
air.  He missed them already.

Silver Millenium 15,000 B.C.
    "The Moon, where is it?" asked Sailor Pluto.
    "There, it's not bright though." said Lord Charon "You have been
away, haven't you.  How many years have you spent in the inner
system?"
    "Ever since I was ten."  She went into the inner system to be
educated in the Moon Kingdom.  In order to be a Sailor Senshi, she
must understand the inner system.
    "I remember, yes. You were young and cute then."  And she's
breath-takingly beautiful now. They played together when they were
kids until that day when she had to go into the inner system.  Ever
since she came back a month ago, he had tried to be alone with her. He
was quite astounded when she agreed to this date.
    "Are you saying I'm old and ugly now?"
    "Of course not!" said Lord Charon as he put his arm around her.
She didn't pull away.
    Above and below the two of them, the twin worlds of Pluto and
Charon continued their eternal dance.  They were sitting on an
enormous tree which connected the two worlds.  Green foliage extended
up and down the trunk in either direction.  The stars shone all around
them.
    "I am so used to the inner system that I am not used to the
eternal night here." said Pluto pensively.
    "Oh, you will come around.  You belong to the outer system.  The
night is in your blood." smiled Lord Charon "Here, the Great Trees
provides us with light, warmth and food while we provide them with
life.  Can you not feel the worldsong?  Yggdrasil is glad to have you
back."
    Pluto closed her eyes and listened to the light whispers in the
back of her mind.  Here in the outer system, life was not as abundant
as the inner system.  To banish the loneliness, the Great Trees sang
to each other across the gulf between them.  When humans left the
light of the inner system behind and came to live here, they were
gladly accepted.  To think that the people of the inner system once
feared the Great Trees in the cometary halo.
    "There are so few people here."
    "That's true." said Charon.  He seemed fascinated with her eyes
"But we're individualists out here.  None of us like city life that
much."
    "The sky here is pretty boring though."
    "No, it's not. There are subtle beauties in the darkness.  Look."
Lord Charon cast a small perception enhancement spell.
    Sailor Pluto gasped.  The dark sky had changed.  She was
surrounded by a vast universe full of colors.  Delicate filigrees
curled into intricate patterns filled the sky.  Swirls of color
blending into clouds of yet other undescribable colors.
    "What is it?"
    "The birth of the universe." said Lord Charon "You're looking at a
portion of the electromagnetic and eldritch energy spectrum which
shows the remnant radiations emitted at the beginning of time.  You
know, Nephrite was right about stars control everything.  He just
didn't realize how fundamental the effects are."
    "For a outer system stiff, you're full of words. Lord Charon."
    Lord Charon shut up and the two of them watched the sky for a long
time.

Tokyo


    Ferryman awoke.  The dream was already fading.  He only remembered
a sense of joy and tremendous loss.  Then, he remembered someone,
someone with long, green hair.
    "Strange." He wondered.  Was he falling in love at last?  However,
he didn't wonder long.  There were a lot of work to be done.
    After another night of classes, he had forgotten about the dreams
entirely. Setsuna Meiou was as elusive as ever,so he decided to go
back to his experiments.  He went to the place where he detected the
spatial anomaly. Then he set up the equipments he designed. The last
few days had been frustrating.  He had failed to dilate the spatial
anomaly with the equipments he had at hand.  Perhaps it wasn't a
wormhole like he surmised.  Perhaps Tomoe's theory was wrong.  Still,
the anomaly *was" here and he *had* failed to do anything to it.
Perhaps it's time to wrap up and publish what he had and hope that the
rest of the academic world could come up with something.
    "Interesting equipment." said a voice behind him.  The voice was
in English.
    He turned around and saw a woman of medium-height and sandy brown
hair. She was obviously non-Japanese.  However, something about her
was very unsettling.  Perhaps it was because of the flickering light
in the hallway?
    "May I help you?" he said carefully.
    "I am merely looking for Dr. Meiou."
    "Oh, her office is a few floors down.  Let me give you the
direction." He looked at her face closely.  Of course!  That's what
wrong with the woman.  She didn't blink at all!
    He didn't feel the blow at all until he saw the floor coming up
toward his face.  Then he felt the pain at his stomach and realized
that he had doubled over.
    He stumbled sideways and tried to keep his eyes on his attacker.
The woman's shape seemed to flow like water.  She became something
roughly humanoid but with simian features, except she's also equipped
with spines and claws.  The shape was impossible.  He saw it, but his
brain simply wasn't registering it.
    "Dead Scream." The whisper was clear and familiar.  The walls was
suddenly bathed in purplish light and he felt a blast of wind upon his
back.  He tried to turn and look, but he fell down instead.
    He heard the thing scream something unintelligible and silence
returned.
    He rolled over and saw Setsuna standing just behind him.  She was
dressed in something that looked like a high school girl's uniform,
but with a lot of other embellishments.  In her hand she held a long
staff, topped with a purple-colored orb.
    "All right.  I can faint now." He thought to himself.
    Then the wall next to Setsuna broke open and something came
through it.  It was another one of those impossible things with claws,
and fur and spines.  Its talon grabbed Setsuna's staff and yanked.
Setsuna held on.  She was stronger than she looked, but the wall on
her other side broke open as well and she was now fighting two of
those horrors.
    This was impossible.  He told himself.  There were urban legends
in Tokyo about demons and so-called Sailor Senshi, but he believed
none of it.  This was real.  Objective reality shouldn't be denied.
However, if this was a dream, shouldn't he have some control over it?
Shouldn't he get some super power of his own as well?
    He focused and tried to do as he often do in a nightmare, gain the
power of flight, or shooting rays from his hands or something.
Nothing.
Reality seemed unrelenting.
    One of the horrors finally succeeded in getting the staff away
from Setsuna.  It howled in triumph while the other lifted its claw
for a swipe.
   "No!" he shouted and he felt a chasm in his soul yawning open.
   Memories!  So much memories, a hundred, a thousand lifetimes worth
of memories flooded his mind.  He screamed and tried to find an
anchor.  Suddenly something new appeared on the other side of this
ocean of memories and he grabbed it.
    From down the hallway, there came the sound of giant wings
beating.
    He ignored it and reached inside.  He must protect Setsuna.
    Power came rushing into him.  He didnt' know how to control it.
He didn't even recognize the sensations.  He felt his body changins,
but he couldn't control it.  He passed out.

    When Usagi followed Setsuna up the stairs, she did with an impish
mischievousness.  She thought Setsuna's behavior was mysterious the
last few days, well, more mysterious than usual, anyway, and she
intended to find out why.
    Then she saw the strange creatures attacking Professor Ferryman
and Setsuna.  She was surprised but hardly taken off guard.  Years of
experience gave her the ability to stay calm in crisis.  The enemies
were present.  Therefore they should be dealt with.  She pulled out
her brooch.
    "Moon Eternal Make Up!"
    She was enveloped in light.  In the light, her wings flexed
themselves and feathers fitted themselves to her body to form her
suit.  Her hand grasped the moon sceptre firmly and she stepped into
the hallway.
    "College is hard enough without monsters trashing the campus.  In
the name of the Moon, I..."
    Professor Ferryman's body was enveloped in light!  The monsters
were startled by it as much as she was.  Setsuna took advantage of
their surprise and pulled her staff away from one of the monster.  She
leaped high and said "Chronal Typhoon!"
    The two monsters were struck by a gust of time wind.  They
screamed and joined their comrade already on the floor.
    "Now!  Sailor Moon!"
    "But Professor Ferryman..."
    "Do it now!"
    Usagi began to spin the Moon Sceptre and said "Starlight Honeymoon
Therapy Kiss!"
    Rays of light shot from the sceptre and struck each of the
monsters.  Their monstrous shape faded away.  One man and two women
appeared in their place.  They were all unconscious.
    Usagi turned toward Professor Ferryman and was surprised to find
that his usual clothes were gone.  He was now dressed in armor and a
black cloak.
    Before she could say another word.  Something appeared in mid-air
in the hallway.  It looked like a perfect-reflecting ball of glass
about three feet in diameter.  Except the image reflected on its
surface was not the hallway.  The image was the landscape of a place
with green grass and strangely-shaped trees.  Then as she looked, the
landscape changed into one of desolate desert.
    "What is happening?  Setsuna-san?  What happened to Professor
Ferryman and what is this thing?"
    "Don't you remember, Usagi?" said Setsuna.  The landscape in the
sphere changed again and again. "This is where you fought Pharoah 90.
This is the tear in space created by the Grail.  Now, it's a portal
into the Styx, the river that flows through all space.
     "He, the person you know as Professor Ferryman, is Lord Charon,
Guardian of Space.  And I am afraid he's in very bad shape.  You see,
he didn't reincarnate the way all of you Sailor Senshi did.  You
arrived at this age by the power of the Silver Crystal.  You
experienced only one life.  He arrived here the hard way.  The hardest
way of all."

    Again they walked past the guard, the technician in charge bowed
as they passed.
    "Are you sure about this?" asked Haruka.
    "I looked into the Aqua Mirror." said Michiru "I saw the Silver
Millenium restored."
    "Then, we must do this." said Haruka gravely.
    They entered the lab.  Hectate regarded them cooly from behind the
glass window.  They knelt down on one knee and bowed their heads.
    " Hail, Princess Hectate.  The Queen is dead.  Long live the
Queen!"
    Hectate smiled "Hail, Sailor Uranus.  Hail, Sailor Neptune.  It is
well that you answered my summon so promptly.  Rise.  You have
accepted the legitimacy of my claim to the throne?"
    "Yes," said Sailor Uranus "The Princess might have reached her
majority, but she's not of royal blood.  Neither could she remember
her heritage in full.  We also feel that she has not the strength to
be a ruler.  You have retained the full body and soul of a royalty of
the Moon Kingdome.  Therefore your claim is stronger than hers.  We
believe that she and the Inner Senshi should be informed of this as
soon as possible.  Meanwhile, we await your command, Your Majesty."
    Hectate smiled "Thank you. I summon you here so we may confront a
more urgent problem facing us.  Do you know where is Sailor Pluto?"
    "No, she walks alone, as always-until she's needed." said Haruka
    " I have ill tidings for you. Charon the Traitor has awakened."
    Despite herself, Haruka growled.  Michiru gently placed her hand
on Haruka's.
    "My..uh, agents have checked out what you told me about the Grail
in your last visit.  I have found out that Pluto is with him.  I am
afraid that she has once again fallen into the spell of the Dark
Lord."
    "What is your command?" asked Michiru.
    "Our goal is to resurrect the Moon Kingdom.  To do that.  I
require the Silver Crystal and the Holy Grail. I will convince
Princess Serenity to give her crystal to me.  Currently, Charon and
Pluto are at the location of the Grail.  You must retrieve the Grail
and destroy Charon, once and for all."
    "The Holy Grail?" said Michiru "I don't understand.  I thought it
was destroyed."
    "Only its physical shape is destroyed." said Hectate "Its power
remains and shines like a bright beacon to my senses.  You must gather
the three talisman at the location where its power resides and summon
it into being again."
    Haruka and Michiru bowed their heads and departed.

TO BE CONTINUED






zhuge@best.com (Yang Wenli)

   I have a feeling this series is spinning out of control.  Anyway,
this chapter is meant to answer a question.  How did Pluto get her
Garnet Orb?  Considering how the other talisman is retrieved in the
anime series, Pluto's talisman has got to be retrieved in a different
fashion.
    Anyway, e-mail any comments and constructive criticisms to me.
Enjoy.

Renaissance

Chapter 3  The River of Stars

    "Setsuna-san, can you tell me what's going on?" said Usagi.
    They were sitting in the waiting room of the emergency ward of the
university hospital.  Doctor Ferryman and the three strangers were all
in treatment.  Rei was dozing beside her.  Minako was reading some
fashion magazine.  Makoto was fidgeting in her chair.  The cats were
in their usual perches.
     From what she heard from the conversations around her,  science
and engineering professors and students were swarming over the
twentieth floor of the science building, trying to figure out the
strange sphere floating there.  This was almost two o'clock in the
morning, but nobody seemed to be interested in sleeping.
    Setsuna shook her head "I don't know as much as you think I do and
I don't think you'll like what I do kow."
    "You're always talking in riddles.  This is serious.  You're in
love with Professor Ferryman, aren't you."
    Just then Ami walked out of the emergency ward.  She was dressed
in the white smock of a medical personnel, but with only the badge of
a student.
    "Hi, gang.  Let's go talk in a more private place."
    Ami somehow found a key for a conference room.  They got in,
turned on the lights and locked the door.
    "O.K. first thing first.  Professor Ferryman seemed all right.
Whatever's wrong with him isn't quite organic.  The thing punched him
in the stomach, but not hard enough to do any permanent damage.  His
mind seeme to be in a kind of fugue state and he was mumbling in
several strange languages.  We are thinking about sedating him, but I
scanned him using my goggle and got the strangest energy reaings, so I
recommended against it."
    "NO!  Don't sedate him just yet." said Setsuna.
    "We won't." said Ami
    "Well, what's their condition?  Haven't they woken up yet?" asked
Makoto.
    "That's just it.  They are completely comatose.  Sailor Moon's
attack should restore them, but they aren't restored.  I used my
goggle to scan them, and I found residual energies that reminds me of
the Dark Kingdom!"
    Makoto frowned "So are they youma?"
    Ami shook her head "I don't know.  Maybe they are.  My theory is
that something, let's call it their soul, is sometimes taken away
before they are made into those things.  When we fought things like
them before, the soul, heart crystal, heart mirror, star seed or
whatever you call it, is always returned immediately.  In this case, I
gues whatever it was is still missing.  Until we find it, these three
are going to stay comatose."
    Luna poked out her head from Usagi's coat said "There is one more
thing to consider.  The enemy always sent in their cronies one at a
time before.  This time, not only do they attack as a group, but
according to Setsuna, they also use strategy and planning.  I don't
like that at all!"
    Usagi said "Setsuna-san?"
    Setsuna sighed "Let me see him first.  Then I'll talk.  It's a
very long story and even I don't know its entirety."

    The inside of the emergency was unexpectedly quiet.  Despite the
four new patients, there was really very little the doctors could do.
Nurses walked from bed to bed, checking the condition of each patient,
but there was really no change.
    Setsuna sat down beside Ferryman's bed and gently held his hand.
He was still wearing the strange dark armor which reminded Usagi of
Prince Endymion's.  This armor, however, was obsidian black and
decorated with shining points the shape of stars.  The whole effect
was like a piece of the starry sky was shaped into a molded body
armor.
    "Och, but yer a pretty lass. Nice calves." Ferryman leered and
reached a hand.  Setsuna slapped him.
    "We're not introduced." she said.
    Ferryman closed his eyes and appeared to fall asleep.
    "Can you tell us what's wrong with him?  We really need to plan a
treatment for him." said Ami.
    Setsuna said "There are too many lives and too many memories.  He
is lost among them.  I think his power has awakened and he's
subconsciously trying to manipulate the wormhole, but the skill and
experience is yet inaccessible to him.  That's why the wormhole keeps
shifting its terminus constantly."  she frowned "I don't know.  The
womrhole shouldn't even be stable right now.  Charon doesn't usual use
wormholes.  Unless..... Well, I am no expert when it comes to the
field of space."
    Ami frowned "You keep saying that.  Do you mean that he had
reincarnated again and again through the last, I don't know, how many
years?"
    "Yes, a cruel punishment for a crime he was not responsible for.
At least, he shouldn't bear the full weight of the blame."
   "Oh, I remember now." said Luna from inside Usagi's coat "There
were a lot of accusations and rumours flying toward the end.  They say
he betrayed the Moon Kingdom."
    "Then you also remember the circumstances."
    "Yes, he helped Prince Endymion ......, but there's something
more.  He opened the gate of the Moon Kingdom so ...."
    "That's enough." Setsuna stopped Luna "You must hear the whole
story.  The story started long before we're born.  You must understand
why the inner system and the outer system were divided."

The Silver Millenium and Before

    In those days, when humans first went into the cometary halo, the
Great Trees on their comets marched in their orbit, content to walk
between the light of the inner system and the empty abyss of
interstellar space.  Then Nemesis the Black Moon came among them.  Its
malignant worldsong whispered to them of fear and hatred.  The younger
Great Trees and their humans were bewitched and turned to the Creed of
the Death Phantom.  They would embark upon a great crusade against the
inner system in order to bring about a pure cosmos of without the
impurities of treacherous life.
    The older Great Trees remembered the days when Nemesis came among
them in ages past and bewitched their brethren to go upon suicidal
crusades against all life.  They counseled their younger siblings to
tune out the whispers of Nemesis, but not all were persuaded.  Soon,
the sky of the inner system were full of the terrible glory of comets,
intent on extinguishing the noise of life upon the inner worlds.
Their worldsongs poisoned the dreams of the inner system and their
bodies smashed against the inhabited worlds, bringing about great
cataclysms.  That was the beginning of the Comet Wars which lasted
many centuries.  Even today, humanity feared the sight of comets in
the sky.
    For centuries, the inner system became a military society centered
around the war against the comets.  The Cult of Light came into being.
They believed that victory over the outer darkness at any cost.  The
comets were portrayed as creatures of darkness came to destroy the
light.  The outer senshi, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were created
especially to destroy the comets as they fell inward.  Sailor Saturn
was trained as the doomsday weapon against Nemesis, if she could only
reach the evil Black Moon.
    Then Queen Diana walked out of the crater-pocked wilderness of the
Moon with the Silver Crystal.  Back then, she called it the Moonheart.
With it she communed with the worldminds of the suicidal comets.  The
young Trees and their humans were awakened from their fanatical trance
and realized what they had done.  Then Queen Diana used the last of
her strength to save the comets by teleporting them away from the
inner system.  Then she died.  Shaken by her sacrifice, the inner
system stopped the war and the Elder Great Trees, joined by their now
sober siblings, drove Nemesis back into interstellar space.
    After the war, the Great Trees moved two of the largest comets
closer to the sun.  They became Pluto and Charon.  Pluto swore
allegiance to the new Silver Millenium. For the first time, there was
harmony between light and darkness.  Each child born of the ruler of
Pluto would go into the inner system and become familiar with its
ways.  Charon proved more intractable.  While the lords of Charon had
never born arms against the inner system, they had not sworn
allegiance either.  They were more like the ambassadors between the
light of the inner system and the darkness of the outer abyss.  The
welfare of the Great Trees were their first priorities.  The Silver
Millenium dealt with the arrangement well.  The Charonians were always
masters of spatial science.  They discovered ways to store items in
subspace, then they discovered the Styx and opened up the universe.
    The Inner system, especially those who still followed the Cult of
Light felt that such power should not be held by a world owing no
allegiance to the Silver Millenium.  It didn't help that the
Charonians used 'dark' energies to access the Styx.  Tension began to
build again.  The militant faction felt that Charon should be induced
to submit to the Silver Millenium by any means necessary.

    "What is the Styx?  You keep mentioning that." said Ami.
    "It's the complement to the Gate of Time. I have a theory that
both the Gate and the Styx are built by some virtually omnipotent race
in the distant past.  We are allowed to use them only because we
aren't bothering their affairs too much.  The Styx is in the form of a
great river of stars.  Traveling down the river allows you to arrive
any point in space.  There are limits of course.  I only have access
to a few thousands years each way when I was at The Gate of Time.
That's a few thousands out of billions of years of the history of the
universe, or even the history of this planet.  The Gate of Time also
*drifts* in time, so as you move ahead in time, the Gate drifts with
it so more of the future is open to me while some of the past is
closed.  Time passes at the Gate, but about one thousand times slower
than the outside.
    "The Styx allows us virtually instaneous travel to any point
within ten thousand light years.  Beyond that point the energy
requirement is just not prcatical.  Traveling within the Solar System,
however, requires virtually no energy.  All that's needed is a unit
small enough to be fitted into a wand.  For thousands of years,it's
the preferred way of travel.  For thousands of years, the lords of
Charon guarded the Styx against invaders from outside just as we of
Pluto guarded the Gate of Time against hostile time travelers."
    "Can you clarify that?" asked Ami "We can't teleport at all, but
all of our enemies can."
    "No, travel by the Styx isn't teleportation." said Setsuna
"Teleportation has enormous energy requirements. You should know.
Sailor Teleport isn't exactly easy.  If you do it the youma way, there
are...rather high prices.  That's why only the youma do it routinely
and they can't even teleport beyond the planet they're on.  They have
do it because access to the Styx is denied them by Lord Charon.  The
Styx is also denied to us, after what happened at the end of the
Silver Millenium."
    Rei said "You'd better get to the real story, Setsuna.  Usagi is
getting a little glassy-eyed.  I don't think she understands any of
this."
    "That's not true!" Usagi screeched "I was listening.  Stop
treating me like an idiot!"
    "Hmm, yes, but it's a little personal." said Setsuna.
    "You might as well tell the story, Usagi has no respect for
personal privacy.  I should know.  She will get it out of you sooner
or later."
    Setsuna laughed.  Her mood lightened a little.  Then she noticed a
doctor moving toward the bed.  She nodded toward Ami.
    Amis said "Dr. Shinohara.  There's no change in the patient.  He
seemed to have fallen asleep though."
    Dr Shinohara was a middle-aged, short and wiry man.  He glanced at
the crowd of girls around Ferryman and rolled his eyes.
    "Oh well, there's nothing physically wrong him.  And I see he'll
receive the best of psychological treatment.  All the same, I think he
should see a psychiatrist as soon as possible.  Meanwhile, there's no
reason why he can't get up and go home right now. As soon as he's
awake of course.  Miss Mizuno, you can do the paperwork for discharge.
I recommend an appointment with Dr. Takeda tomorrow.  I'll let him
decide if Professor Ferryman needs a padded room."  He shook his head
and left.
    Ferryman opened his eyes and looked at Setsuna.
    "'Tis the strange wench again. What are you doing here?  I thought
the day is lost and Saladin has finally won.  The dervishes..." he
seemed to be trying to think "What is this strange tongue I am
speaking?"
    "It's called English, Sir Hugh." said Setsuna in Japanese "His
personalities must be starting to integrate.  We must take him back to
the wormhole.  Perhaps it will help him remember."

    The twentieth floor of the building was crowded.  Setsuna saw a
cable disappearing into the wormhole.  Since this was the science
building, she knew what was going on.  She groaned.
    The cable was connected to a computer sitting on a cart next to
the wormhole.  A young man wearing strange spectacles was operating
the computer.
    "Umino!" said Usagi "What are you doing here?  You aren't even a
student here. I thought you're in Tokyo U."
    "Oh, hi,Usagi."  He peered at the new crowd "Hey, the whole gang
is here.  I am just helping a few friends out.  Toshio here called me
in the middle of the night and asked for some of the miniature robotic
vehicles I was building.  I just brought them over and we attached
some cameras and sensors to them.  Now we're sending them through."
    "Don't you think you should, uh,notify the authorities first?"
asked Ami.
    "Hey, we're the authority." Umino really gained a lot of
self-confidence in the last few years. "Besides, I doubt the
government could do any more than what we're doing now.  Imagine, a
whole new world is at the other side of this.  We still don't
know...."
    The lines went limp.  The computer screen in front of Umino turned
blank.  The landscape reflected in the wormhole changed to a place of
rollig hills.
    "This is the third time it's happened." he looked slightly
irritated "We're lucky the robots are cheap."
    "Professor Ferryman?" said a man in the crowd, Professor Okita of
the engineering department "Hey, that's the guy who opened up this
wormhole.  Maybe he knows what's going on."
    "Professor Ferryman.  Is it true that government agents tried to
stop your experiment?" asked a student.  Probably a journalism major,
thought Setsuna.
    Ferryman merely looked at the wormhole.  The landscapes seemed to
trigger something inside him.
    "I remember." he said "Those hills, are so familiar.  You were
there too, aren't you?"
    Setsuna said gently "Yes, I was." She turned to the crowd and said
"Please clear this place for a while.  We need some time here."
    Professor Okita said "We're just starting." He looked at Setsuna's
determined face and said "Then again, Professor Ferryman did make the
discovery.  I guess he gets precendence.  Uh, do you need any more
equipment brought here?"
    "No, not just yet." said Setsuna "Leave us alone for a while."
    Professor hushed the students away.  Everyone stole backward
glances as they left.
    "Well, I don't think they'll stay away for long." said Ami "This
whole thing is spinning out of control quickly.  First the discoveries
on the Moon, then this.  If this wormhole doesn't close soon,
everything will come out.  It's probably too late to keep things under
wraps already.  The cops may be only interested in keeping things they
can't explain under wraps, but we're dealing with people who are our
friends and acquaintances here. I know Umino.  He may be dense, but he
isn't stupid.  All these years, he probaly has suspicions about our
secrets.  That's if Naru hasn't told him already."
    Usagi nodded "I know.  Naru-chan knew who I was ever since the
battle with Wiseman."
    "We have walked on the road of no return." said Setsuna "Have you
ever doubted that?  Ever since the first day when you took upon the
role of the Sailor Senshi, you know that things will never be the
same. Not for yourselves, not for the world."
    Ferryman stared at wormhole.  The scene was a place of green,
rolling hills.  Far away, there was a tall mountain without its top.
It looked like a volcano.
    Lucidity returned to Ferryman's eyes "Yes, I was there.  Except it
wasn't green then.  It was dark, the land was dark."
    Setsuna said "Yes, I will tell you how it was."

Silver Millenium 15,000 B.C.

    "I won't be the Guardian of Time!  I won't." cried Princess Pluto.
    "This isn't open to discussion.  Sooner or later, you will have to
take up the duty." said her father Chronos.  He was an old man of
imposing height and sharp, angular features.  His face was a masculine
and aged version of the princess's.  He wore a long, white robe and
carried the Key of Time.
    "But the job is not fit for human beings.  I will be all alone!  I
will be alone for centuries."
    "Are you a girl or a woman?  I thought you've grown up!
Loneliness is part of the job.  Without distractions from the outside
world, you can contemplate the tangle of worldlines in the ocean of
time.  Perhaps you can attain higher understanding than I could.  I
know you have the talent.  Apply them!"
    "I will not be a prisoner of the Gate of Time!" cried Princess
Pluto with a toss of her long hair.  She turned away from her father
and ran.
    "Don't you turn away from me, young lady!" Her father cried "We're
not finished yet."
    She ran down the great hall way, past several rooms and into the
court yard.  The crystal dome over the Moon Palace was closed,
blocking out the harsh sunlight of the long lunar day.  She looked at
the fountain but her mind was still arguing with her father.
    "Well, hello there." A familiar voice said from her back.
    She turned.  "Lord Charon!  What are you doing here?"
    Lord Charon was wearing full ceremonial armor.  In his hand he
held the instrument of his office, the Oar of Styx, the compliment to
the Key of Time.
    "Just yet another meeting with the military council.  They have
placed the Earth under Interdict and asked me to seal off all Earth
access into the Styx.  They don't want anyone getting off the planet."
    "But there are still millions of innocents people there!  How will
the refuges escape if the war with Beryl was lost?"
    "Yes, but Princess Hectate seem to think that the war is already
lost." said Charon ruefully "Who's in charge around here anyway?
Queen Serenity or her?  Not even the queen ever use that tone of voice
to a Lord of Charon."  He imitated a caricature of Hectate's righteous
voice "And the spawns of Darkness shall be sealed from the Light."
    He made the sound of "spawn" sounds like "sperm".  Princess Pluto
laughed.
    Lord Charon looked at her closely and said "Fighting with your
father again?  I can hear him fuming even from here."
    She nodded.
    "Want to go out on a spin?  Just to work this out of our system?"
    She shrugged.
    Lord Charon smiled and lifted up the Oar.
    "Charon, Styx Gate Open!"
    A portal of pure darkness opened in fron them.  The two stepped
into the Styx.
    They were standing in a different place. Above them, there was
nothing except darkness. Under them, there flowed a river.  The river
water seemed to be made from billions of luminescent particles that
jostled and whorled around each other.  In certain places, the whorls
formed vortices.  The vortices were in turn contained inside even
larger whirlpools.  A marker buoy floated above the vortex under them.
Other marker buoys floated around other, nearby vortices.
    "What are you doing?" asked Princess Pluto "You have taken us all
the way into the Styx.  Are you planning what I think you're
planning?"
    "Yes." smiled Charon "We'll go discover a new world.  I shall
place the new world as the crown jewel upon your tiara."
    Pluto smiled back.
    They flew over the luminescent river like two swallows.
Occasionally they dipped their hands and feet into the river, causing
beautiful ripples.  The "water" felt cool to the touch.  Pluto could
recognized markers for each of the planets.  Then they flew out of the
great whirlpool which was the solar system.
    In the Styx, the stars were closer together than real space.
Soon, they flew over several star systems.  Some of them were visited
before.  Some were allies of the Silver Millenium.  Charon looked at
the readings of his Oar and decided that he really didn't have enough
energy to go really far away.
    "I think we'll try that one." he pointed at a rather large
whirlpool
"What do you think?"
    "I don't kow.  All the whirlpools look the same to me."
    "Well, this one looks like a very hospitable star.  There should
be habitable worlds.  Let's see.  Yes, let's try the fourth planet."
    They descended into the vortex.  Charon's oar glowed and they were
in real space again.
    They stood upon a flat plain.  It was day, but dark clouds covered
the sky.  Pluto looked around.  The landscape was desolate.  Only
sparse patches of grass grew here and there.
    "This is a sorry looking world.  I think we should find another."
she said.
    "No, not yet.  Planets are big places.  Maybe we just landed on a
place with bad weather.  I am sure there are places where the sun
shines and the earth is green." said Lord Charon.
    The Oar glowed.  Shift.  The two found themselves at another
place.  This place was the seashore of an unknown ocean.  The same
dark clouds covered the sky and same weeds covered the land.  The
ocean looked gloomy and angry.
    Shift.  They stood upon a hilly area.  Again, the same look.
    "I think this is enough." mumbled Charon, a little disappointed
"There's definitely something unnatural here. Why should the same
black clouds be everywhere?  Let's find another planet."
    A sound came from behind them.  They turned to look.  A young
red-haired girl stood there.
    "Who are you?" she said "Where did you come from?"
    Charon realized that she was using a translation spell.  That was
advanced thaumaturgy because the spell was so complicated.  This world
wasn't as backward as he thought.  Still, why the bleak landscape?
    "We are travelers from another world passing through." he said.
No need to talk down to someone who obviously wasn't primitive.
    "Then where is your ship?  Our civilization did try to build
starships, but we have detected no vessels entering our system.
Teleportation?"
    Charon shook his head "No, even draining a whole world of life
energy would not be enough to transport us here.  We came by some
other way."
    "Interesting. A wormhole? But it will take almost infinite energy
to hold a wormhole open.  Unless..."  The girl's eyes narrowed.  A
strange expression flashed across her youthful face.  Charon suddenly
realized that the girlish look might be a sham meant to put them at
ease. "Our world is named Tau. I am a priestess of our great lord,
Pharoah 90.  Welcome, travelers.  We are a peaceful people.
Considering the means of your arrival, we are sure that there's much
we can teach each other."
    "What happened to your world?" asked Princes Pluto "Why is it so
dark?"  Priestess? She thought.  Since when did a lord need a
priestess?  Perhaps there was something wrong with the translation
spell and she really meant retainer.
    "Years ago, our world was full of conflicting nations that strived
against each other for supremacy.  Then my lord Pharoah came and
preached the Way of Silence.  The people abandoned the noise of
conflict and submitted to Him.  Now, this is a Silent world.  We are
..rebuilding and seek to spread our philosophy to other worlds which
might need it."  The capital letters stood out in her speech.
    She bowed "Will you follow me to my lord's palace?"
    "Is it far?" asked Charon and Pluto together.
    "No, it's just over that mountain there." she pointed to the west.
There, at a distance, stood a great mountain of perfect conical shape
and shrouded in dark clouds.
    Neither of them liked the look of the place.  The creepy messenger
wasn't helping the matter any.
    "Uh, I think we'll come back later, with a proper diplomatic
delegation." said Charon.  "Yeah right, the only way I'm coming back
here would be with a full brigade of warrior magi linked in offensive
metaconcert, ready to blast anything that makes a hostile move." he
thought.
    He held out the Oar and said "Charon...."
    Something like a black shadow rose out of the ground just under
his feet.  It felt solid as rock.  He tripped on it and fell.
    He cried out in surprise, but he held onto the Oar "Styx..."
    The girl pulled down the front of her dress.  A black star was
etched into the center of her bosom.  From the black star came a blast
of eldritch energy.  Princess Pluto screamed.
    Charon looked in shock and surprise.  As the eldritch energy beam
went through Pluto's body, it carried with it....something.  He had a
brief impression of a glittering, cross-shaped crystal.  Black shadows
detached itself from the ground and rose to receive it.
    Pluto was collapsing in slow-motion.  Charon leaped to catch her.
He thought fast.  Whatever it was the girl took out of Pluto was
probably something important.  He had to get it back, but first he had
to....
    The second blast of eldritch energy came.  He barely ducked it in
time, but he had to drop Pluto.  He immediately retaliated.
    "Charon, Sword of Erebus!" The black sword of his father
materialized in his hand.  The sword blade wasn't made of matter or
energy.  It was a magically warped spatial discontinuity with the
shape of a sword.  As such, it was subject to his spatial manipulation
abilities.
    The girl looked like she was about to try for another blast.  He
concentrated.  The sword's length ...erupted.  The girl looked down in
shock.  The point of the sword went through her black star and out of
her back.
    Surprisingly, she laughed "You can't win.  My lord and god,
Pharoah 90, cannot be defeated.  For He is this world entire! He will
not be denied!"  Charon's wrist flicked and her body flew apart in a
burst of bloody mist.
    Charon went to Pluto and checked her.  She was unconscious.  He
looked at the black shadow which snatched the crystal.  It was slowly
sinking into the ground.
    Then the shadow was pierced by light!  The black shadows became
fainter and disappeared.  Revealing.....
    A cross-shaped crystal and a giant garnet jewel the size of a
child's head.
    Gently he took the crystal and the jewel.  The crystal was shining
brightly.  As he touched it, he felt the "essence" of Pluto in his
mind.  The purity of her heart touched his mind like a gentle caress.
    He put both objects upon Princess Pluto's bosom.  The crystal sank
in quickly and disappeared, but the jewel remained.
    Pluto opened her eyes. "What?  This is..."
    "Let's get out of here." said Charon.  He lifted the Oar again and
said "Charon Styx Open."
    As the dark portal opened. He felt a sharp pain on his back. He
saw a giant, black, clawed hand coming out of his chest, holding yet
another of those cross-shaped crystals.  Slowly he fell into
unconsciousness.
    Princess Pluto screamed.  The shadow that took her heart crystal
was back.  In horror she saw the giant hand emerging from the ground
and slowly lifted Charon into the air, clutchng his heart crystal in
its palm.  She suddenly realized that the mountain at the horizon had
two eyes!
    A great voice spoke in her mind. "So, a portal.  That is how your
race travel.  It is too bad that I could not deceive you into taking
me to your planet voluntarily, but I lack...experience in dealing with
other sentient life.  Now, at last the universe is mine.  Bow down
before me, wench.  I shall make you a witch.  You shall travel through
the cosmos with me, feasting upon billions of hearts and bringing the
blessing of Silence."
    "Put him down." said Princess Pluto in a low voice.
    "What?  You are not so foolish as to try to fight me.  I have
scanned both of you.  The man is a sorcerer of some sort, but I
detected no energy from you.  Neither are you armed."  The voice was
so vast that it threatened to burst her skull, but she didn't care. A
piece of instinctive knowledge came into her mind.  Her hands cupped
around the Garnet Orb.
    The vast eyes on the mountain narrowed.
    "DEAD SCREAM!!" The great shout came from the depth of her soul.
The power came from deep inside her heart.  Clouds swirled around her
and a great wind gathered around the vast purple energy sphere in
front her.  Then she hurled it.
    The energy sphere dug a deep trench as it raced toward the
mountain.  Dust flew up and was blown away by the gale force wind that
followed.  Then the energy sphere hit the mountain.
    The top of the mountain disintegrated.  The vast eyes closed in
pain.  Then the explosion blotted them away.  The shadow hand that
held Charon disappeared.  Pluto caught him as he fell.  Gently she
held his heart crystal and put it back into him.  As she touched, she
too felt his essence and his being.
    Charon opened his eyes.  He looked into her eyes.  For long
moments they looked at each other with words.  Then the ground quaked
as the shockwave of the explosion arrived.
    "Come on, we have to run!" Charon pulled Pluto with him into the
portal.
    Once again they floated above the Styx.  Just as they were
breathing a sigh of relief.  Two vast hands reached out and stopped
the portal from closing.  They looked in horror as the impossible
power of Pharoah 90 actually widening the size of the portal.
    Charon smiled grimly "You are in my world now, evil creature."
    Quickly he lifted up the Oar again.
    "Charon, Supreme Styx Blockade."
    Lines of force as dark as the shadow hands weaved themselves
across the portal, drawing it close like immense purse strings.  The
hands had to withdraw or be amputated.
    "Damn you, travelers.  I place my curse upon you.  Never again
will you be together, not in ten thousand years!  I will come to your
world and raze it clean.  I swear it!"
    Then the portal was sealed closed.
    "Well," Charon sighed "That was intense."
    "Yes." said Pluto, then she pulled him closed and kissed him.  It
lasted for a long time.
    "Sorry I don't have a planet for your tiara." said Charon, after
they separated.
    "That's perfectly all right.  I have the largest garnet in
existence." she smiled.
    "Oh, one more thing."
    "What?"
    "The next time you try that attack, try to whisper it.  That way,
maybe you won't blow up a mountain."
    "I'll keep it in mind."

TO BE CONTINUED



zhuge@best.com (Yang Wenli)

  After two weeks of delay, here it is.  I didn't have time to check
it all so please forgive any stupid spelling and grammatical mistakes.
I will correct is after the story is finished.  Send constructive
criticisms to me.

Renaissance

Chapter 4  A Kingdom Divided

    Ferryman's eyes cleared.  He looked around like a man trying to
get his bearing. Then, a glowing sphere appeared in the air beside
him.  A long oar-shaped object floated inside it.  It was roughly the
same length as the Key to Time, but it was made of some dark,
basaltic-looking material.  Ferryman reached forward his hand with a
puzzled frowned and grasped it.
    "Are you Lord Charon?" asked Setsuna.
    "I am not sure." said Ferryman "I'm still Kelvin Ronald Ferryman.
I think.  The memory of this life is sharp and clear, but as I
remember back the memories grow dimmer and dimmer with some areas of
clarity, but one thing I remember.  The feeling of your soul between
my hands.  In all of my countless lives on Earth, I always dreamed of
you, my lady."
    He knelt before Setsuna and gently kissed the hand of Setsuna
Meiou. There was tear in Setsuna's eyes.
    "I'd hoped you can remember more, but I must take what I can
have." said Setsuna "We can start over again.  After all those years,
perhaps I can at last enter the time stream."
    "Waaa..."
    "Quiet down, Usagi." said Rei "It's time for us to leave."
    "But it's so romantic." said Usagi with a sniffle.
    "Here's a tissue." said Mina.  Her eyes were wet too.
    "Let's go!" said Rei as she tried to drag her friends away.
    "Wait." said Luna "Shouldn't you shut down the wormhole? With all
the people around..."
    "I didn't create the wormhole." said Ferryman "I am merely
manipulating it unconsciously.  The power that held this open must be
revoked before the wormhole will close."
    "Power?" asked Ami.
    Setsuna closed her eyes, trying to control her emotions.  There's
still work to be done.  When she opened her eyes again, they bore her
old expression.
    "You did it again, didn't you?"
    "Did what?" asked Usagi.
    "You turned your back on your destiny."
    "I didn't.  I accept that I am a Sailor Senshi and I will always
protect this world."
    "No, I mean your role as the messiah and the guardian of the
Grail."
    Usagi became defensive "The Grail was destroyed."
    "The Grail was only a physical shape, a interface between the user
and the power.  When you tried to save Hotaru, you managed to reach
inside yourself and control the virtually infinite power of the Grail
without that interface.  Then you became afraid of that power.  You
erased your own memory and abandon that power.  You sealed it away
without and within, so your life could be normal again.  Look, Usagi,
this wormhole was created by Mistress 9.  The world beyond this
wormhole was a dead world inhabited by a single evil being. Now, by
your power and the power of the Grail, it's green and full of life.
Can you not see that the universe needs you?
    "Listen, I was at the Gate of Time when your battle with Pharaoh
90 happened.  Hundreds and hundreds of worlds which would have been
destroyed by Pharaoh 90 came alive.  Their worldlines, which would
otherwise be terminated, continued into the infinite future.  Their
worldsongs filled and changed the universe.  It was glorious.  Sailor
Moon, Princess, future queen, the universe needs you.  Never turn your
back upon the universe.  Don't be afraid.  All of us are here for
you."
Setsuna Meiou was enveloped in light as she transformed into Sailor
Pluto, then she knelt before Usagi.
    "So, this is the little princess Serenity." said Ferryman "My
people never swore allegiance to the Moon, but nothing is forever."
An ironic smile "It's better to swear allegiance to a dopey student
than to a insufferable universtiy president, eh?'  He knelt before
Usaig as well.
    The four girls looked other and each of them cried their
transformation phrase and changed into their Sailor form, then they
too knelt before Usagi.
    "Stop it! Stop it!" Usagi cried out "Why do you have to do this?
Why is this happening to me?  I am not a leader.  I am not a ruler.  I
don't know anything.  How can I be queen, much less this Messiah?"
    "You're the scion of the Moon Kingdom.  You carry our dreams and
our hopes." said Setsuna ceremoniously "As the old oath said 'All
shall protect the one and the one shall in turn protect the all'"
    Usagi buried her face in her hands "No! I will not give order to
anyone.  I will not demand that anyone serve me.  I want to be free.
I want you to be free."  She looked at Makoto and Mina "You shouldn't
have scared me."
   "Huh?" They looked puzzled.
   "When Sailor Galaxia attacked, you said that because you can devote
your lives to me, you aren't interested in boys anymore.  Since then,
I asked myself this question.  Am I such a monster that I will demand
people giving up everything that gives their lives happiness so they
can serve me?"
    "But...We wish to protect you." said all the Sailors.
    "Yes, and I want you all to have good lives.  I don't want the
world reolving around me!"
    "That," said Lord Charon "is why I swore allegiance to you."



    Haruka looked from the window of her father's company jet.  The
sight of Tokyo from the sky was still awesome. The hypersonic jet's
interior was surprisingly quiet.  She needed the quiet in order to
prepare for the coming battle.  She was at peace except for one thing.
    She looked at Michiru and saw the same thoughts on her face.
Hotaru was seventeen now.  This time, she grew up into a
normal,healthy teenage girl.  Unfortunately, it also meant she was
going through the normal, healthy rebellious phase.  Moreover, it
meant she was rebelling against her and Michiru.  Tempers had flared
far too frequently when they were together.  Part of it was Hotaru's
real father's fault.  Perhaps it was out of a feeling guilt, but
Souichi Tomoe was spoiling her so much that she and Michiru had to
play the authority figures.  As a result, Hotaru's teenage temper
targeted them instead.
    Perhaps they should spend sometime apart.  This mission was not
Sailor Saturn's fight.  She didn't know the whole story behind the
fall of the Moon Kingdom.  Neither did she had the motivation to go
after Lord Charon.  The Moon Kingdom was not destroyed in fair battle.
The Moon Kingdom was betrayed.  The loss of paradise cried out for
vengeance.  The Outer Senshi must do what is necessary to get the job
done, no matter what the cost.
    Still, this mission was different.  The last time, they didn't
have a specific target.  This time, they had.  Her contacts had
provided her with the complete dossier on Professor K. Ronald
Ferryman.  Her lips twisted in an ironic smile.  What did all of them
got such descriptive names in this life?  She now knew where he lived,
where he worked, his medical condition, his credit ratings, his
purchases for the last year, useless informations for the coming
battle.
    Where would Setsuna Meiou stand?  In the Moon Kingdom, those two
were always close.  Pluto had spent all those years in the Gate of
Time.  Surely she had gained enough wisdom to grow beyond youthful
infatuations.  Unless Lord Charon had bewitched her again.
    "Michiru." she said quietly.
    "Yes?"
    "We might have to fight Setsuna."
    "I hope not.  Despite our differences, we have always worked
together."
    "You heard what Princess, Queen Hectate said."
    "Yes. There's something about this business that bothers me."
    "Michiru, please.  We must concentrate on our job now.  Doubts are
for later, when the battle is over."
    "Of course, you realize that we have to deal with the Inner Senshi
again."
    "As long as they don't interfere, everything will be just fine.
They will only slow us down, worse, they will try to stop us because
of some misguided sense of morality."
    "If you remembered, they were right the last time."
    "That doesn't make them right this time.  If they try to stop us,
we'll have to do something about it. Michiru, are you having second
thought?"
    Michiru held up the Aqua Mirror and peered into its depth.  The
silver city floated in its depth, serene in its crystalline
perfection.  She sighed  "No, the mirror keeps telling me the same
thing, but I am troubled.  This is the first time the mirror ever
showed me a good future, and I am terribly troubled."
    The two remained silent for a while.  They could feel the plane
going through landing maneuvers.
    "Haruka?"
    "Yes?"
    "What made Charon into a traitor?"
    "I don't kow.  Maybe it's the Souleater."

Silver Millenium  15,000 B.C.

    Flicker.  Lord Charon appeared into a vast cavern.  He looked
around carefully.  The darkness of the room wasn't hard to penetrate
with his outer system eyes.  His mystical senses told him that this
chamber was devoid of any magical traps.  Of course, Queen Beryl
wouldn't have put any traps in her own throne room.  She was just
stupid enough to forget where they were placed.
    He walked around the cavern in a quick survey.  The room was
decorated with the typical bad taste of the Dark Kingdom.  The wall
was corrugated like the inside of some beast.  A large dark orb was
placed before Beryl's throne.  A series of rectangular coffins were
placed in front of the throne.  He wanted to look inside the coffins,
but he had another job to do.
    The surface of the black orb was smooth and hard to the touch.  He
spoke the mantra and felt his hands sinking inside.  It was as cold
inside as the arctic ice outside the citadel.
    "Beryl, is that you?"  the voice was sepuchral and completely
inhuman.  Charon cursed.  He thought Metallia had followed Beryl into
battle against the Golden Kingdom.
    "Yes, it's me." he said quickly and reached deeper.
    "Are you trying to activate the Souleater?  It's too early."
    Boy, is Metallia stupid. He thought, but then, virtually
omnipotent beings could afford to be, he couldn't.  There!  His hand
touched something.  His palm closed and felt it pulsing like a heart.
Quickly he pulled it out.  It was a small black crystal.  As soon as
it left its container, it stopped pulsing.
    "Who are you?" Metallia was catching on quick.  Better beat a fast
retreat.
    "Just someone who don't like your way of life."  He opened up a
portal and quickly left.
    Queen Beryl appeared in the middle of the throne room and looked
around.
    "Queen Metallia.  I came as soon as you called."
    "Beryl, the Souleater is gone."
    Beryl looked shocked for a moment, but regained her composure.
    "Of course, Lord Charon, he used the Styx.  If we can't block him,
how can we conquer anything?" she muttered "Now I'll have to feed you
energy manually."
    "That's true." Metallia's voice was impassive.
    "I'll look very silly if I keep moving my hands around the black
crystal constantly."
    "I need energy."
    That's the end of the argument.  Then Queen Beryl remembered
something important.
    "Did he look into the coffins?"
    "No."
    "Is the procedure complete?"
    "Yes."
    "Good.  Then we still have hope."  Beryl walked to the coffins and
opened them with a gesture.  "Are you ready?" she said.
    Four figures rose from the coffins.
    "We are ready." said Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Kunzite, the
four Generals of the Golden Kingdom.

    Charon walked out of the portal and into the royal palace of the
Golden Kingdom.  The captain of the guard waved him inside without a
word.  The atmosphere inside the palace was grim.  Everywhere he could
see grim-faced soldiers expecting to fight and die for their king.
    King Cronus greeted him when he entered the audience chamber.
    "Hail, Lord Charon. How goes it?"
    "I did what Hectate asked me to, Your Majesty.  Metallia didn't
force the portal as I left.  That's encouraging.  Perhaps she couldn't
really force a portal the way Pharaoh 90 could."
    King Cronus' face relaxed "Then, perhaps Hectate will let my
people escape?"
    "Perhaps.  The deal is clear.  I do a job for her.  She will do a
job for me."
    Cronus looked at the door and said "Ah, Endymion.  Here you are."
    Prince Endymion walked into the door.  There was blood on his
armor.  He knelt before his father.
    "How goes the front?"
    "Very bad.  Metallia's power was still blocking the way to
Illusion, so we can't expect any help from Helios and the Golden
Crystal. I managed to turn the attack on Cimmeria, but only by losing
thirty percent of my men.  We can't take casualty like that.  Beryl is
taking all the prisoners and converting them into youma.  How can my
man fight their former comrades?"
    "How are the Generals doing?"
    "They haven't reported for three days now.  I think they're
holding.  Otherwise the enemy would have been at our gates now."
Endymion turned to Lord Charon "When is Queen Serenity going to send
reinforcement?"
    Charon shook his head "I don't know.  Princess Hectate is using
this crisis to seize more power for herself.  She's in total control
of the military now.  Her first priority is to protect the Moon
Kingdom.  I fear that she never liked Earth much."
    King Cronus sighed "Queen Serenity is always a good ally and a
good friend.  I refuse to believe that she'll let her sister stand by
and watch my kingdom go down in flames."
    "Your Majesty." said Lord Charon solemnly "Let me assure you that
I will do everything I can to help.  Even if it means overriding
Hectate's authority."
    Cronus nodded.  He looked old and tired.
    Endymion said "Excuse me, father.  I must talk to Lord Charon
alone."
    Once they were outside, Endymion said "I want you to take me back
to the Moon."
    Lord Charon's eyes widened slightly.  Prince Endymion would never
run away from his duty.  He would never seek safety in the Moon
Kingdom as long as his people were in a war.  What's the reason....?
Of course.
    "I want to see Princess Serenity once more." said Prince Endymion
"I want to see her again before I die."
    "Your death is by no means a certainty." said Charon.
    Endymion smiled wearily "Perhaps you're right.  Just grant this
unreasonable whim from a friend?"
    Charon nodded wordlessly.

    The Moon Kingdom had changed.  Lord Charon thought as he strode
through the marble corridor of the palace.  Even though the gentle,
festive atmosphere was still in the air, there were changes.  Perhaps
it was unusually numerous armed guards.  Perhaps it was the low
murmurs of the term "Earthy" with tones of fear and even bigotry.  The
Moon Kingdom had not yet been invaded and already its spirit was under
siege.
    Hectate looked eager when Charon walked into her room with the
Souleater.
    "Well, do you have it?" she said with a glance out of the window.
    "Yes, what is it anyway?" He carefully handed the crystal over.
    "It's Beryl's attempt to match the Silver Crystal's power.  It's
also her doomsday weapon in case she loses the war.  This crystal
could absorb all the souls on a planet and convert their life force
into necromantic energy which can then be channeled.  She intends to
use all the life on Earth to assault the Moon Kingdom.  She can also
use the entire population of Earth as hostage.  Knowing how
soft-hearted Queen Serenity is, she'll probably yield to Beryl's
demands.  Fortunately, Beryl won't have this anymore."
    "All right, I've done you a favor.  Now, you listen to me."
    "I am willing to listen."
    "The interdiction on Earth.  I want you to lift it.  There are
civilians who could be saved if we only let them evacuate here."
    Hectate looked at him steadily, then she shook her head "I can't.
Lord Charon, you know how difficult the war is going.  I don't think
we can handle so many refugees.  Lives of the Moon Kingdom are my
first priority."
    "Listen to me, Hectate." he was slightly angry now.  The Princess
was going back on her word! "
    A cry of alarm sounded from outside.  Hectate rushed to the
window.  A few guards were running around with their weapons drawn.
    "What is it?" she shouted.
    "An Earthy has been spotted around Princess Serenity's quarters,
Your Highness.  We're going to chase him down."
    Hectate whipped around and glared at Charon "This is your doing!
You brought someone here.  Are you trying to betray us?"
    Charon sneered "You're the one who betrayed our trust, Hectate."
    Hectate looked like she would shoot fire from her eyes "Who is
it?"
    "Prince Endymion.  And before you start thinking about getting rid
of him quietly, I suggest that we both talk to the Queen."

Tokyo, 2001 A.D.

    "I can't." said Usagi "I don't remember how to use the Grail
anymore." She close to tears.
    Setsuna put a hand on her shoulder consolingly "Don't worry.
Perhaps you're not ready yet."
    A low gasp came from the stairs.  Makoto moved like lightning
toward the noise.  She carried a startled Umino back with one arm.
    "Hi, guys." said Umino.
    "You saw everything?" said Ami.
    Umino nodded "The transformation, the talking cats.
Except....Usagi, you're Sailor Moon, aren't you?"
    Usagi nodded wordlessly.  The old secrets were being washed away
like a sand castle before the rising tide.
    Umino slapped his hands together "I knew it.  Don't worry.  I
won't give your secrets away."  Everyone doubted the statement very
much.
    "Anyway" Umino continued "I am sent up here to pass a message
along.  It seems that the police had found out who the two weird
characters who attacked the profeesor are.  They are both Americans.
Seems that they both work for NASA.  Their visas are invalid and they
are to be deported as soon as they wake up."
    A strange foreboding gripped Usagi's heart. "NASA?" she asked
urgently "Which part of America did they come from?"
    "I am not sure.  Some city in California."
    "Mamo-chan! We have to warn him!"
    Footsteps came down the corridor.  Usagi strained to look.  Two
tall figures walked toward them.
    "Haruka-san!  Michiru-san!" Usagi cried out gladly.  She ran
toward them and stopped halfway.  The two Outer Senshi were in their
Sailor suits and both were grim-faced.
    "We didn't expect you here." said Haruka.
    "Please stand aside.  And don't interfere.  You'll only get in the
way.  We'll explain later." said Michiru "Let's handle this."
    Usagi stood to one side of the corridor and said "I don't
understand.  What's going on?"
    Haruka and Michiru didn't answer her.  They walked through the
Inner Senshi and faced Setsuna and Ferryman.  Setsuna saw their faces
and tightened her grip on her staff.
    Michiru moved.  Quickly she kicked toward Setsuna.  Setsuna leaped
aside instinctively, but her veteran mind immediately figured out what
they were dong.
    "Defend yourself, Charon,now!"
    Ferryman looked at the Oar he was holding and then looked at
Haruka.  There's something he should remember about the Outer
Senshi.....
    "World Shaking!" Haruka's arm came down and an energy globe raced
forward at virtually point-blank range.
    Everyone in the room cried out in shock.  The energy globe plowed
through the floor and hit Ferryman at the chest.
    Ferryman didn't even scream.  He just crumbled.  Setsuna struck
with her staff and forced Michiru back.  Then she rushed to Ferryman.
    Usagi rushed before Haruka "What are you doing!  Stop this at..."
    Haruka's arm was a blur. She grabbed Usagi's transformation brooch
and ripped it away from her.
    "Listen to Michiru.  Don't interfere!  We'll take care of the
traitor."
    The Inner Senshi leaped and formed a circle around Usagi and
Haruka.
    "I don't know what's going on here." said Makoto "But you
shouldn't have done that.  Give the brooch back!"
    The air in front of Haruka began to glow and a jeweled scimitar
materialized.  She reached forward and grasped it.
    "I said," Haruka's voice was ice "Don't interefere. Space Sword
Blast!"
    A circle of energy expanded from the sword and the Inner Senshi
were hurled aside like straw before the wind.  Umino ran into one of
the classrooms for cover.
    Setsuna held up Ferryman.  He gasped in short bursts.  His eyes
sought hers.
    "NO!  Not again, I won't let this happen again." said Setsuna as
she turned toward Haruka and Michiru.  Rage fueled her energy for the
attack she never used in full strength before, except once. "DEAD.."
    "Stop." whispered Ferryman "Don't.  There are innocent lives
here." He gasped and struggled to speak again "I love you."
    Setsuna cried as she held his body tightly.  She could feel his
life ebbing away.
    Usagi's eyes were open wide in shock.  Her friends were fighting,
no, killing each other.  How could this happen?  How?  She must stop
this, stop this any way she could.
    The wormhole suddenly contracted.  A light of many colors poured
from it.  Inside the light there came....butterflies.  Thousands of
luminiscent butterflies of undescribable colors flew out of the the
wormhole and encircled Setsuna and Ferryman.  More and more poured out
of the wormhole until the two were in the center of a swarm of
butterflies.
    Haruka and Michiru looked on in wonder.  The butterflies they saw
before.  Whenever Usagi opened up the Holy Grail for a Crisis Make up,
they appeared.  They didn't what they signify.  However....
    "The butterflies.." said Haruka "They are healing Charon."
    "How?  Usagi wasn't even in Sailor Moon form, how could she..."
said Michiru.
    They didn't have time to wonder long.  The four Inner Senshi were
up again.
    "I don't know what you two think you're doing." said Rei.
    "But I am sure you are mistaken and misled" said Ami.
    "If you make one more move..." said Minako.
    "I am going to kick your butt!" finished Makoto.
    "Stop!" cried Usagi "Don't hit each other anymore!  We're friends.
We are the Sailor Senshi.  We must stand together always.  Why are we
fighting each other?"
    "Charon must die." said Haruka "The Moon Kingdom must be avenged."
    "He swore allegiance to me." said Usagi "From the little that I
remember, that means he's under my protection."
    "His word means nothing." spat Haruka "He's a traitor who
destroyed the Moon Kingdom. We shouldn't be talking to you.  You'll
only slow us down!"  she began to walk toward Setsuna and Ferryman
again.  The two were now invisible among the butterflies.
    Usagi grabbed Haruka's shoulder.  Michiru's palm struck the side
of Usagi's neck.  Usagi crumpled.
    The four Inner Senshi attacked.




Mountain View, California

    Kakeru was feeling uneasy.  He was staying at the apartment he and
Himeko shared during their stay in the U.S.  He was getting a day off
, but he couldn't relax.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but he
knew something was very wrong.  The tired technicians were the least
of it.  He also noticed that a lot of unauthorized people were going
into the room where the Moon Princess was kept.  The original schedule
was being changed again and again without warning.  He and Himeko's
chance to examine the Moon Princess were being pushed back for the
third time today.  Moreover, he also noticed a lot people were walking
around with blank expressions.  Other people might have dismissed the
impressions.  But after his encounter with the Ice Queen a few years
ago, he knew that some things required fantastic explanations.
    Working hypothesis:  The lunar expedition had brought back
something unfriendly.  Possibly the Moon Princess herself.
    Of course, he couldn't prove anything.  How could he prove it when
everyone who came into contact with the Moon Princess seemed to turn
into zombies?
    Alert the press?  Only the tabloid press would take a story like
this.
    Maybe he didn't have to go that far.  All he needed was
information and a way to spread it.  He picked up the phone and paged
Mamoru Chiba.
    After a few minutes, he called back.
    "Hello, Dr. Oozora.  What can I do for you?"
    "Mr. Chiba, how do you like to have a scoop?  Don't hang up the
phone on me.  I think you know me well enough to hear me through."
    After he's finished, there was a long silence from the other end
of the line.
    "I think I noticed the same thing, but I never thought much of it.
Listen, Dr. Oozora, don't do anything hasty.  I am going to get some
people who can find out more about this."
    "Some people?  Who are you talking about?"
    "Trust me on this.  Just don't do anything hasty and stay away
from Ames for now."
    He put down the phone.  A few minutes later, it rang.
    "Hello, Kakeru?  I am going to be late tonight.  I just got word I
will get to examine the Moon Princess myself.  Finally I will get to
nail down the date of the Moon civilization.  Don't wait for me for
dinner.  Just save some for me.  I might be hungry when I get back."
    "Wait." he said frantically "Don't go.  Something strange is going
on."
    "Of course something strange is going on.  There were people
living on the moon!  Hmm, what' wrong, Kakeru?"
    "Just don't go anywhere close to the Moon Princess."
    "Is this another one of your visions?  Look, I waited for this
chance for  quite a while and I can't let my team down now.  You will
feel the same way when your team's turn come up. Bye."
    Kakeru cursed. Women!  Why did they have to think for themselves?
Sometimes he didn't know why he got married.  He grabbed some clothes
and went out of the door.

TO BE CONTINUED

  Hmm, my earlier post didn't seem to appear, so here's another try.
  Anyway, I hoped to have this ready by Sailor Moon Day, but I missed
the self-imposed deadline.  Oh well, better late than never.  Enjoy
and tell me what you think.

Renaissance

Chapter 5  Paradise Burning

    "Mars!" Flame whirled in Rei's open palm "Flame Sniper!" Bow and
arrow of fire appeared in her hand and she aimed at Michiru.  As she
prepared to let loose the arrow she remembered how they fought side by
side against Nephrenia.  She hesitated.  Michiru didn't.
    "Deep Submerge!" cried Michiru.  The aquamarine energy sphere sped
toward Sailor Mars.  Rei let loose her fire arrow.  It struck the
energy sphere and dissipated away.  The force of the attack flung Rei
back against the wall.  The wall broke away and Rei laid still.
    "Venus!" Golden sparks sprang from Minako's hand "Love Beauty
Shock!"
    "Mercury!" A vortex of water formed in Ami's hand "Aqua Rhapsody!"
    The golden spray of hearts and the blue fountains of water merged.
The resulting golden fountain sped toward both Haruka and Michiru.
    Michiru pulled out the Deep Aqua Mirror and held it in front of
her.
    "Submarine Reflection!"
    The attack struck the mirror.  Michiru was forced back a step, but
the mirror held.  Then the energy was reflected back. Minako and Ammi
cried out as they were struck by their own attack.  They fell down and
passed into unconsciousness.
    Makoto stood alone. "How could I win this?" she thought "The Outer
Senshi were always older and stronger."
    Haruka said "Don't do anything foolish, Mako-chan  You don't have
a chance, girl.  Just let us do our job.  Everything will be
explained."
    Michiru folded her hands with the Aqua Mirror under one of her
arm. "Mako-chan.  We have no wish to fight you."
    Makoto said quietly "You can't kill someone who cannot even
remember his past.  You can't push old friends around without an
explanation. I only know that Setsuna loves him.  I also know that you
two were always proved wrong when you tried to take people's lives."
she paused "I also think that you never should have struck Usagi!"
    "Jupiter!" Green lightning erupted from her open palm "Oak
Evolution!"
    She spun.  As she spun there came emerald beams of light like
sunlight filtering through a green forest canopy.  Riding upon those
beams of light came a storm of oak leaves.
    Michiru held up the Aqua Mirror.  The storm of leaves turned into
nothing.  Haruka's sword swung in a wide circle and the oak leaves
were dispersed like green specks of light.
    "You aren't putting your full will behind the attack!" cried
Haruka as she leaped and struck at Makoto with a hand chop.
    Makoto was good at hand-to-hand combat, but once before she fought
Haruka in anger and she lost.  The memory of that failure was stil
strong, she immediately went on the defensive.  Haruka easily went
past her defense.  A quick kick landed on Makoto's stomach and she
collapsed.    "That's it for the Inner Senshi." said Haruka.
    Haruka looked around.  Usagi was still unconscious.  Luna and
Artemis were covering her body with theirs.  They both glared at her.
    "Don't make a move" she said "It'll be over soon."
    Michiru looked at the swarm of butterflies around Setsuna and
Ferryman.  She frowned "Let's try our attacks first."
    "Earth Shaking!"
    "Deep Submerge!"
    The twin attacks struck the swarm, but they were absorbed.  The
butterflies continued their flight as though nothing more than a
breeze had passed by.
    "We can't do it this way." said Michiru "Let me think."
    "Perhaps we should use the talimans again?" suggested Haruka.
    "Of course." said Michiru "We should use our talismans, but not to
attack.  The butterflies are the manifestation of the Grail's power.
If we summon the Grail into existence again, that power will be
contained."
    "How about the Garnet Orb?  We need the Garnet Orb."
    "We have it." Michiru pointed ahead "Inside that swarm.  All we
need is the presence of all three talisman.  That doesn't mean Setsuna
had to cooperate consciously.  Remember when the Grail was first
summoned?  We were virtually dead and Setsuna summoned the Grail
alone."
    Haruka and Michiru stood slight apart and held their talismans in
front of them.  A beam of light connected the sword and the mirror,
then the two talismans emitted a second beam which reached into the
swarm of butterflies.
    "No!" Setsuna's voice came "Don't do this."
    "We must." said Haruka "It's the order of Queen Hectate."
    "So..." Setsuna's voice was full of emotion.  Her eternal calmness
was no more  "You don't know, or rather you don't believe what I told
you.  Listen, how do you think Hectate survived all these millenia?
You are serving the wrong mistress."

    While they were arguing, Makoto struggled to reach Usagi.  Luna
turned toward her and said "Sailor Jupiter, it's up to you now."
    "How? They are too strong.  Haruka and Michiru can always find the
strength to do their job.  The Outer Senshi are always stronger than
us."
    "You're wrong!" said Artemis "Think.  Do you really the last line
of defense of the Moon Kingdom is really weaker than the outer
defense?  It's always the elite who are in the inner circle while the
grunts are on the outer perimeter.  That's who Uranus and Neptune are.
They are soldiers.  They are tougher, more ruthless, and not required
to think about their actions.  You Inner Senshi are the ones who are
provided with the best trainings and equipments.  You also had more
moral responsibilities.  You were the heroes of the Moon Kingdom."
    "I don't have the training and I don't have any equipment." said
Makoto "How..."
    "Stop whining!" said Luna "You're starting to sound like Usagi.
You're a woman now!  Remember!"
    Makoto had experiences with power ups before.  Always she reached
inside her and found a part of her whose existence she didn't know
about.  Three years had passed since she had to fight.  Three years in
which she didn't look inside.  She did so now.
    She floated in darkness.  Her thoughts swirled around her.  Then a
flash.  An enormous mandala floated before.  She gasped.  The mandala
was in the shape of an enormous oak tree.  The root of the tree
reached deep under the earth.  Its branches reached into the sky.  Its
green crown was swathed in blue lightning which reached into the
clouds.  Around the mandala there were a series of mystical diagrams.
As her mind touched each one, a new skill sprang into her mind.
    Of course, this was a memory mandala used to store enormous amount
of knowledge inside a Sailor Senshi's mind.  All these years, she
never realized it was here.  She gasped slightly as she touched one
diagram.  Could this attack really crack open a planet?  Nah, it
needed a humongous external power source as well as a support staff.
Quickly she touched other diagrams.  There!
    Shakily she stood up.  "Legs don't fail me now." she thought.
    Uranus and Neptune turned around in surprise.
    "Don't treat us like girls anymore!" she said.
    "But you're younger than we are, less experienced." said Haruka
"We know more than you.  Trust us to do the right thing."
    "Oh?" said Makoto "As I understand it.  You bowed your knees to
Usagi after the daimon incident.  You're her vassal.  Before she
release you, your lives are hers.  How can you choose a new master
before telling her?  Is that right?  And if I remember correctly, even
in the Moon Kingdom, there's such a thing as trials and due process.
Even this Charon fellow is as evil as you say, he is entitled to a
trial."  When she saw that the two weren't listen she said "Hell with
it.  Jupiter, Storm Oak!"
    There came the sound of a great wind gong through a dense a
forest.  Even the sound of jostling leaves and branches was there.
Then the wind came and riding on the wind came thousands of green
leaves.  Michiru snatched the Aqua Mirror, breaking the triangles of
talismans  and pointed it at the storm of leaves.  The leaves
disappeared.
    But the ground quaked.  There came the sound of fallling trees.
Emerald energy ran through the floor, ripping through concrete and
steel like the roots of great oaks.  Haruka and Michiru lost their
footing and fell.
    Makoto blurred as she moved.  Haruka and Michiru tried to roll
away, but she kicked at Haruka first at the stomach.  Haruka doubled
over.  Then Michiru was on her feet and rushed toward Makoto's back.
    She ran into a swarm of butterflies.  The sphere had expanded
while they were distracted.  Now, all were within the swarm.
    "Now." came Setsuna's voice "You'll see the past and understand."


Silver Millenium .....

    Chronos stood beside the Gate of Time.  He was the first to see
it.  The shock of realization wasn't as great as he thought.  He had
witnessed the same thing happening on too many timelines and too many
worlds.  Fate was a powerful force.  Even the power to travel in time
could not easily oppose it.  Control of time?  What a joke! He could
understand his daughter's reluctance to assume the job.  Still, he had
a duty to perform.  Moreover, his daughter would need him soon.  He
opened the Gate and stepped through.

    "This is quite enough." said Queen Serenity sternly.
    She looked around the audience hall.  Prince Endymion knelt before
her with his head bowed.  One one side of him stood Lord Charon of the
Outer Reaches.  On the other side stood Princess Hectate, Lady Marshal
of the the Moon Kingdom.  The Inner and Outer Senshi stood on each of
her side.  A squad of Moonlight Knights stood on both sides of the
great hall.
    "I don't really care about the situation of our defensive
positions.  I know that's it's wrong to turn on our ally, especially
Prince Endymion."
    "But we know that Queen Beryl is brainwashing her prisoners en
mass, we can't trust anyone from Earth!  Earth humans are always
inferior to the people of the Moon." said Hectate "Moreover, Prince
Endymion has come here without authorization with intent to soil the
honor of Princess Serenity...."
    Queen Serenity smiled tightly "I know about the war situation on
Earth and my daughter's honor is my concern, thank you.  Hectate, I
hated to give the populace the impression of conflict withing the
royal family.  I also hated to hurt your pride, but my fears have
forced me into making bad choices.  In the last few months, I have
seen fear, paranoia and bigotry spreading through my kingdom.  We
survive, yes, but our honor, our hopes and dreams for a better
universe have not."
    "This is Our decree" said Queen Serenity. She looked majestic,
every inch a queen "Earth shall be taken off interdiction
conditionally.  Refugees shall be transported to the Moon Kingdom so
they may be cared for.  I will accept King Cronus' word of honor that
the refugees are untainted by the Dark Kingdom."
     "The people won't accept it!" said Hectate "They know that their
welfare cannot be served by trusting people from Earth!"
     "That's true." said Queen Serenity "Hectate, you have been
feeding them fear long enough.  It's time to give them some hope.  I
will declare a masquerade ball as soon as the first batch of refugees
come through.  The refugees will be free to join the masquerade.
Prince Endymion, you're welcom to join as well.  After the ball, I
shall reveal their identity.  Let my people know that the people of
Earth is no different from them."
    She nodded toward her Senshi and knights "Go, and make the Moon
Kingdom a place worth defending again."

    The Senshi and the Knights dispersed.  Charon walked through the
crowds and nodded greetings to those he recognized.  Sailor Jupiter
looked as tough as ever.  Sailor Venus looked abstracted.  Perhaps
she's thinking about her new boyfriend.  Charon doubted this new Lord
Vulcan guy could last longer than the rest of her suitors.  Sailor
Uranus and Neptune were holding hands and whispering to each other's
ears.  Ah...
    "Hello, I see you're a senshi now." Charon smiled as he eyed her
new costume.  The sailor costume was a bit more revealing than her old
gown and he liked it.
    Sailor Pluto didn't return the smile.  "I am troubled, Charon."
    Charon looked at her closely.  She was calm and yet somehow, sad?
    "Is your time perception powers awakening?" he asked.
    "I think so.  I keep getting those flashes of different futures.
Charon, the ocean that lies beyond the Gate of Time calls me.  I am
afraid that soon I'll have to answer its call."
    Charon reached forward and squeeze her hand.  "If you take up the
job of guardian from your father, I'll respect your choice."
    Pluto wrenched her hand away "That's not what you should say."
She looked around.  The atmosphere seemed lighter, somehow.  The
Senshi and knights joked and chatted.  The siege mentality that
hovered over the Moon Kingdom seemed to have dissipated, but she felt
nonoe of it.  She didn't know what she's feeling.  Perhaps she should
have listened to her father and studied time more.  Then perhaps she
could know what was coming.
    She suddenly threw her arms around Charon and whispered fiercely
in his ear "Come back for the masquerade ball.  We will have a dance
together.  Then we'll face what's coming together."
    Charon hugged her back. "I will." he promised.

    Endymion and Charon stepped through the portal.  They were in a
courtyard of the royal castle.  The courtyard was full of refugees.
Some were wounded soldiers.  Many were women and children.  Charon was
shocked to find many of the women and children were members of the
noble families.  The war must have gotten so desperate that the nobles
didn't expect this last redoubt to hold.
    A noble dressed in armor walked up to him.  A full quiver of
arrows and a bow was slung across his back.
    "Prince, it's good to see you back."
    "Kunzite, you are all right!" Endymion rushed forward to give his
friend a slap on the shoulder "How's the border holding?"
    "The border grows closer, I'm afraid." sighed Kunzite.  His deep
voice was full of regret "We are all in desperate need of help.  Will
the Queen of the Moon Kingdom send help?"
    "Not yet." said Endymion "But Queen Serenity is willing to take
our refugees.  She might agree to reinforcements later."
    "Oh?"  Kunzite's tone was neutral, but Endymion detected an
undercurrent he couldn't identify.  He dismissed the puzzle quickly.
There were too many things to do.
    "We can move the refugees now." he said "I must return to the Moon
Kingdom one more time...."
    Princess Serenity's face floated in the Endymion's mind.  He must
go back to her and tell her that everything would be all right.
    Kunzite bowed ran away to announce the news.
    Lord Charon said "So, Endymion, you can go.  I will handle it from
here on."
    Endymion sighed "I feel guilty leaving my people.  They must feel
that their prince is deserting them."
    "Don't feel that you're deserting them." said Charon with a wink
"Feel rather that you're helping them through diplomatic channels."
    "Charon, you're a horrible person."
    Charon guarded the portal as the refugees flooded through.  Many
were shedding grateful tears as they stepped through.  A few thanked
him and some even wanted to pay him for the passage.  He didn't accept
any money at first, money was a foreign concept that only existed on
EArth,  but at their insistance he accepted one small coin from each
who passed through the portal.  Still, having so many grateful people
did pump up his ego.  The prospect of dancing with Pluto also made him
feeling like walking on clouds.  Perhaps that's why he didn't notice a
few suspicious things.  Some of the people who walked through seemed
just a little too blank-faced even for refugees.

    Endymion and Serenity waltzed.  All the eyes of the room were on
the two.  The beautiful was given form by their graceful movements
around each other.  No one knew who Endymion was right now.  They were
going to be surprised when the time came for the unmasking.
    Pluto looked at the two longingly.  Charon still had not returned.
She knew that the refugees were still flooding and Charon needed to
guard the portal, but her feeling about the future was not improving.
She kept seeing several futures, or at least the feeling of several
futures.  None of the futures felt good.
    "It's hard I know." the voice came from behind.  Pluto jumped.
    "Father!" she cried.
    Lord Chronos looked even older than before.  Even though time
passed slower in the Gate of Time, he looked older.
    "My daughter.  There are times when you know exactly what the
possible futres are and you hate all of them, yet you must choose
because you're the only one who has the eyes to see."
    "Father, what do you mean?"
    Chronos took one of Pluto's hands and put it upong the Key to
Time.
    Flash!  Pluto saw.  The futures spread like a never-ending
kaleidoscope patterns before her.  The amount of information was too
great for her small brain to assimilate.  Yet she saw enough.  In one
future, the Moon Kingdom was destroyed and so were all the worlds.
Metallia and Beryl came raging out of the Solar System and into the
Galaxy.  In another future, the Moon Kingdom was destroyed and so were
Metallia and Beryl.  Yet the spirit of Moon Kingdom lived on, millenia
after millenia.  In yet a third future, the Moon Kingdom destroyed
Metallia utterly.  Then the Moon Kingdom swept into the galaxy in a
wave of conquest, pacifying all the worlds it encountered.  The spirit
of the Moon Kingdom, the spirit of love and caring, was dead long
before the galaxy was conquerred.
    She tried to scream, but she had no voice.  She tried to weep, but
she had no tears.  The horror and the grief was too great for
exprssion.  Then it was over.
    "Father?"
    "If you go and stop the refugees from coming through, the Moon
Kingdom will be saved." said Chronos gravely "But Hectate's brand of
thought wil take hold again.  The people will believe that they can
trust no one and no kind act will go unpunished.  They will have all
the caring and love purged from them.
    "If you stay and let history takes its course, then the Moon
Kingdom will die, but it will die with the people of the Earth and the
Moon fighting side by side, with love and caring for each other.
Death, however, will not be the end.  As we live again and again
through the ages, that lesson will be remembered, and occasionally a
great teacher will come and preach that lesson.  Someday, the Moon
Kingdom will live again, if only in spirit."
    "Why?  Why do you want me to make the choice?" cried Pluto.
    "Because it's your time.  The future you will choose is yours, not
mine.  It's time for me to stop telling you what to do." Chronos
sighed "I'm just a weak old man."
    Pluto sank to her knees.  No one noticed her behavior in the great
dance hall.  All were transfixed by Prince Endymion and Princess
Serenity.
    "Charon, he's still on the other side." she said "I have to warn
him, but..." If she warns him, then the consequences......
    "I am sorry." she whispered "I am sorry."
    She chose.
    And the universe exploded in darkness.

    Lord Charon felt something was wrong on the other side of the
portal.  He turned to look. A sharp pain stabbed into his back.  He
turned.  Kunzite was behind with his bow drawn and another arrow
nocked.
Beside him stood Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoisite.
    "You...." he said "What are you..."
    "They have joined the winning side." The voice was musical, if
your taste of music ran to the macabre "I suggest you do the same
thing."
    "Beryl!" said Charon. He lifted his Oar.
    "Stop him! He'll close the portal!" cried Beryl.
    Four more arrows slammed into his torso.  His grip relaxed and the
Oar fell from his hand.  Zoisite leaped and kicked the Oar away.  Then
he kicked again until it was all the way acroos from the courtyard.
    "Only you can use the Oar" said Zoisite "But you can never reach
it now."
    "I can still..." Charon concentrated.  The portal began to shrink.
The Generals cried and four swords went into Charon's body.  Charon
finally screamed as they pulled the swords out.
    "Quick, Metallia." said Beryl "Widen the portal!"
    Metallia's vast presence filled the castle.  Charon could vaguely
hear people screaming in horror for miles around.  Dark tendrils
reached the portal and slowly forced it open despite Charon's efforts.
Then the four Generals, Beryl and finally the vast bulk of Metallia
went through.
    Charon remembered what Pluto said earlier.  Did she know this was
coming?  If she did, she must have faced a very hard choice, a far
harder choice than she deserved.  Looking at it that way, the reason
she made the choice was irrelevant.
    He whispered "There's nothing to forgive, my love."

    "Charon has betrayed us!" cried Hectate as she drew her sword.
    Below, pandemonium reigned.  Some of the refugees had transformed
into youmas.  They were now slashing their way through the refugees
and trying to reach the palace.
    Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune leaped to her side.
    "What happened?"
    "The refugees, they're all youma!" said Hectate "Charon let them
through.  He has betrayed us!"
    Uranus and Neptune looked at each other.  They were doubtful.
    "Think!" said Hectate "If the refugees were youma, then the royal
castle on earth must have been taken over.  Why didn't he immediately
come back and report?  Either he's been struck down or he's thrown his
lot with them.  Can you imagine Charon being struck down so fast that
he couldn't close the portal?"
    Uranus and Neptune considered, but there wasn't time to think.
They were soldiers.  They had to fight now.  Thoughts and analysis
were for later.
    "World Shaking!"
    "Deep Submerge!"
    The attack cut great swathes through the youma swarm.  Uranus and
Neptune rushed to the portal.  They had to keep more youmas from
coming through.  Already they could hear more Sailors and knights
arriving.  They powered up their attacks.
    Vast black claws came through the portal.  Uranus didn't even had
time to scream before she was impaled.  Neptune tried backing, but a
vast dark foot came through the portal and stomped on her.
    Neither of them lived long enough to see Queen Beryl and the four
Generals stepping throughthe portal.

    Charon crawled.  His body left a trail of blood across the
courtyard.  He couldn't feel his feet at all, but his hands still had
strength in them.  Perhaps the Generals still retained a silver of
their old selves.  None of their arrows and swords pierced any vitals.
Still, he was still bleeding to death, but before he died, he had to
reach the Oar and shut down all access into the Styx.  By now, Beryl's
creatures were probably all over the Solar System and methodically
destroying every planet.  Still, he had to stop this plague from
spreading to other stars.
    After an eternity he reached it.  He quickly keyed in the command
to shut down and watched the dark portal collapse into nothingness.
Now, no one could go into the Styx again. Then he reached his hand out
to the full moon.
    That was the last thing he did in this life.

    The vast shadow walked across the moon.  Each time its feet came
down the ground quaked with the force of nuclear blasts.  Each blast
of energy blew away huge chunks of the atmosphere around the Moon.
Youmas swarmed around it like small flies.  Queen Beryl and her
generals floated before it like unholy priests.  Already the Moon was
despoiled by its presence.  Even if the Moon Kingdom survived, it
would become a wasteland incapable of supporting life.
    "Destroy it!" said Hectate "Do it now!"
    Queen Serenity said "I... There are humans souls in that shadow!
Seven human minds.  They are screaming!  I can't kill them like this."
    Hectate waved at Serenity almost contemptuously and ran off,
trying to rally the surviving Moonlight Knights.
    Below in the palace, the masks had came off.  The nobles of Earth
had donned their armors and fought side by side with the nobles of the
Moon Kingdom.  Sir Tristan of Earth and Lady Isolde of the Moon.  Sir
Rogero of the Moon and Lady Bradamante of the Earth.  They fought in
pairs with the love they found in that one dance.
    The Inner Senshi rallied and blasted the shadow, which was a
fusion of Metallia and seven of the most powerful human psychics
twisted into youma form.  The Sailor Planet Attack was absorbed
without a trace.  They were capable of greater attacks, but they
didn't have time to get the proper weapons and support staff for this
battle.
    "No!" screamed Queen Serenity as she saw Prince Endymion leaping
recklessly into battle and Princess Serenity following him without
question.  She readied her Crescent Moon Wand.  It's too late.
Without Uranus and Neptune, there weren't enough Senshi around to save
her from the effect of the Silver Crystal, but she had no choice.
    Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity died.  Death claimed lovers.
Death claimed bigots. There was no more to lose.  Armageddon had come.
    "Moon Cosmic Power!"

    The shadow shattered.  Queen Beryl screamed as she realized what
Queen Serenity was doing despite the price.  It was too late for her.
She shouldn't have slain Princess Serenity so soon.  She should have
used the little princess as a hostage!  Like seeds before a storm she
and Metallia and her minions were blown back to Earth upon the crest
of metaphysical forces and sealed up.
   But Queen Serenity wasn't finished.  The sphere of Silver Crystal's
power continued to grow, taking the living and dead.
    Hectate realized what Queen Serenity was doing and ran.  She would
not be taken!  She refused to be reborn on Earth and became one of the
Earthy she despised.  She would not!  Anything was preferable to that!
Quickly she reached her room and pulled the Souleater from her drawer.
She looked at a group of Moonlight Knights who awaited their
reincarnation.  She focused into the Souleater.  What she found was a
gaping, infinitely hungry chasm in its heart.  Carefully she worked
the necessary spell.  The Moonlight Knights screamed as their souls
were ripped away from them.  Filled with their stolen life energies,
Hectate worked the hibernation spell.

    Pluto looked at the expanding sphere of rebirth with almost
complete apathy.  Chronos was killed by a stray youma.  Despite the
enormous destructive power of her Dead Scream, she couldn't save him.
Then she remembered.  She must assume her guardianship.  As a
guardian, thousands of years could pass for her one.  She would have
the memory of the Moon Kingdom so she could pass them on when it's
time.  She would not lose the memory of her love through rebirth.
Moreover, somewhere in the vastness of time, she would find Charon
again.
    Reluctanly Pluto reached out her hand and took the Key to Time
from her father's hand.  Then as the white light of Silver Crystal
came toward her, she stepped sideways.... into the other side of the
Gate of Time.
    Miles above the Moon, Sailor Saturn had arrived too late.  She
wept the tears of loss.  Slowly she lifted the Silence Glaive up and
slowly she brought it down.
    So passed the Silver Millenium.

TO BE CONTINUED











   A brief note.  Talking weapons are not uncommon in the Sailor Moon
manga.  Sailor Mercury's water harp, Sailor Mars' fire bow and Sailor
Moon's kaleidoscope rod, could all talk when they were first
activated.

Renaissance

Chapter 6  Moonlight Knight Returns

   On the wings of butterflies came sorrow, sorrows of lost loves and
lost paradises, of wrongs that could never be redressed and evils that
could never be undone.  The whispers of beating wings also spoke of
hopes and dreams, hopes for a better tomorrow, dreams for an universe
so different that the old evils would dwindle into insignificance
compared with the new wonders to come.
   Makoto gasped, so did Haruka and Michiru.  In the swarm of
luminiscent butterflies, there stood a luminous figure of vast white
wings.  The hands of this vision reached forward.  The butterflies
flew into those outstretched palms and disappeared.  The wormhole
which had floated in the corridor disappeared too.
   Then their vision cleared and saw that only Usagi stood there.  In
her hand she held the Holy Grail.  Her face was ...undescribeable.  It
was like the day when she banished the darkness of Pharaoh 90 and
walked out of the destroyed building with baby Hotaru.
    Setsuna's arms were still around Ferryman as she looked at hime
closely.  The wound on his chest had disappeared entirely.  Slowly he
opened his eyes.
    "Will you ever forgive me for not showing up at the ball?" said
Ferryman.
    Setsuna's arms tightened "Of course, if you'll forgive me for my
choice."
    There was no more to be said.

Mountain View, California

    Hectate looked at the new team of scientists.  She considered her
options.  She couldn't keep stealing souls without someone noticing.
Already she knew that some were suspicious.  Only their narrow view of
the world kept her from discovered.  She also had to deal with
Princess Serenity when she arrived.  It was possible that Uranus and
Neptune would achieve their mission without mishap.  In which case she
would have the Grail to provide the necessary power for what she had
in mind.
    On the other hand, if the two Outer Senshi failed in their
mission.  Princess Serenity would arrive, along with the Inner Senshi,
the Outer Senshi and Lord Charon.  It would be best to be prepared.
    She sat up from her bed and smiled at the startled scientists.
    "Take me to your leader."

    Mamoru put down the phone.  Strange, none of the Sailor Senshi was
home.  Usako's father was a little irritated about the midnight call.
Kenji Tsukino said something about Usako visiting her professor in the
hospital and that she's very late for bed.  Mamoru felt worried, but
he had another job to do.  Without Artemis' long range scanner, he had
to do some scouting himself.  He turned his options in his mind.
Should he transformed into Tuxedo Kamen and scout Ames that way?  No,
that wouldn't be necessary, yet.  He could just drive down there and
try walking around with his eyes open, really open.
    He walked into the parking lot of his apartment.  As he reached
his car, he felt somebody tugging on his cloth.  He turned around and
saw a little girl.
    The little girl was about five or six years old.  She had hair so
blond that it was almost silver.  Her eyes were a deep saphire blue.
She looked at him unblinkingly.  Strangely, Mamoru found something
hauntingly familiar about her.
    "Hi." said the little girl
    "Oh, hi." Mamoru stared.  Something about her..."Uh. What's your
name?"
    "Chia." she smiled "My mom calls me Chia.  Do I know you?"
    "No, I don't think so." said Mamoru.
    A woman's high voice came. "Malachia Mary Kunz, what do you think
you're doing?  I told you not to talk to strange man."
    "But mom, this is a nice man."
    The woman who came out of another car was a tall blond wearing a
business suit.  She obviously wasn't in the mood to argue with her
daughter.  She glared at Mamoru as she grabbed little Chia by the
hand.
    "Come along now." she took Chia away.  Chia turned her head and
kept looking at Mamoru as she was led away.
    "Kunzite?" Mamoru said in wonder.

    "I am sorry, but your press pass is no longer valid." said the
receptionist at the check-in building.
    Mamoru said "What's going on, Eileen? I can always go through
before.  Is there some changes I don't know about?"
    Eileen shrugged "I don't really know.  It's just what the computer
told me.  I guess they want to keep something secret."
    "Oh well, thank you." He left the building and looked north.  From
here, he could make it into the research center on foot with no
problem.  Of course, he had to evade security.  However, as Tuxedo
Kamen, he could move with extreme speed and stealth. Tall buildings
with security systems rarely stopped him.  That's how he always got to
Sailor Moon on time.  Sometimes he wondered if he couldn't make a very
good thief.  Well, maybe when he's destitue and still had to support a
family.
    He walked into a clump of hedge and came out as Tuxedo Kamen.
Like a streak of black lightning he was off.
    At the fence a security guard seemed to notice hime.  He, no, she
swung a gun toward his direction as she shouted a challenge.  With a
flick of his wrist he sent a rose into the gun's barrel and ran off in
another direction.  The guard looked at the rose with a stunned
expression.  Slowly she pulled the rose out and sniffed it
experimentally.  She's surprised to discover that it's a real rose.
Then she blushed.
    Once inside the research center, Mamoru headed for the biomedical
building.  Using the backstairs, he went to the basement where the
artifacts from the Moon Kingdom as well as the body of Hectate were
stored.
    His memory of Hectate wasn't clear, but he did remember that she
wasn't exactly a lover of Earth.  If she awoke on the world she so
despised, it might explain some of the things that were happening.
Mamoru also had his own suspicion about how Hectate could have
survived so many millenia on the Moon.  This might be a very nasty
business.
    He walked down a flight of stairs before he realized how quiet the
whole building was.  Usually there were always people walking around.
People would chatter in their offices.  Equipments would hum in
various labs, but now there was only silence.
    The door opened easily.  He went in and found nobody.  The Moon
Kingdom artifacts were arranged meticulously on a table.  This was the
first time he saw them so close up.  He recognized some of the
artifacts and their uses.
    He decided to be a little more cautious.  Instead of checking on
Hectate directly, he would look around and see just why everything's
so quiet.  He reversed his steps and went upstairs instead.
    The first room he checked was empty.  A chemical reference book
laid open on the desk.  The centrifuge was still spinning, but there's
no one around.
    The next room was more or less the same.  He noted that a couple
of experiments were still running, just like the last room.  However,
a notebook left at the lab counter was open.  He read it.
    "The radiation counter kept giving weird readings.  Had to find
out source of interference." and "I saw the shadow of something,
monstrous, stalking in the building.  Am I hallucinating?"
    After a little looking Mamoru found a little piece of note posted
on the wall.  It reads "Jerry:  If I'm not in the lab, go to the
airfield.  An important announcement will be made.  The rumor is that
the Moon Princess is actually alive!"
    Mamoru pulled at his cloak and headed out of the building at a
full run.  On the way down, he almost ran into another person running
into the building.
    "Who the hell are you?" said a very surprised Kakeru "And why are
you dressed in that?"
     Mamoru was actually tongue-tied for a few seconds.  "Darn it!" he
thought "I should have known better than to trust Kakeru keeping away
when his wife might be in danger."  Should he revealed his identity?
Kakeru wasn't that close a friend.  However, he did have some
peripheral experience with the kind of things Sailors deal with.
     There was no time to make up lies and Mamoru had always been a
honest person.
     "Dr. Oozora, if you want to see Himeko, go to the air field,
now!"
     Kakeru's eyes narrowed "O.K. Are you supposed to be the Phantom
of the Opera?  No, wrong mask, you look Asian, Tuxedo Kamen, right?"
    Mamoru pulled off his mask and said "You called me earlier,
remember?  I found out that everybody in this building, possibly the
whole research center went to the air field a while ago."
    Kakeru frowned "The basement?"
    "Probably empty by now." said Mamoru.
    "Exactly what kind of business is this?" Kakeru had a million
questions "Can you handle it?"
    "I am afraid I don't know yet, but this might be dangerous.  I
really suggest that you let me handle it."
    "I should have gone to that gun store on Castro Street and pick up
some firepower." said Kakeru "But then again, I wouldn't know how to
shoot a gun."  he gave himself a shake "If you think I would stay out,
forget it.  I can take care of my own wife, young man.  I've seen
things that will literally freeze your blood.  Don't think I can't
handle myself."
    "I doubt it." thought Mamoru.  Loudly he said "I doubt the guns
will be of any use.  However, if you really want to help.  Let's grab
something from the basement, just in case."
   They went back to the room where the Moon Kingdom artifacts were
kept.  Mamoru picked up a small sceptre and handed it to Kakeru.
    "Dr. Oozora, hold on  to this.  I don't really have the proper
authority to give you this, but I may be your king someday, so I gues
I do have the right to knight you."
    Kakeru looked at him closely "You're the real Tuxedo Kamen, aren't
you?"
    Mamoru nodded.  He was lucky that Kakeru Oozora was a dreamer and
not a scientist with a very narrow view of reality.  Otherwise, they
could be arguing until hell froze over.
    He said "Yes, there's a princess on the Moon, but that body your
wife brought back wasn't the genuine article.  She's probably evil, so
we should prepare ourselves.  This sceptre was the badge of office for
a Moonlight Knight."  Once a part of him became one.  In his desire to
protect Usagi, he had unconsciously chosen the form of one whose
official duty was to protect the princess of the Moon Kingdom.
    "A Moonlight Knight has certain powers and obligations.  You must
devote your life to the protection of the Queen and the royal family.'
    Kakeru looked impatient "My wife may be jealous when she hear
about that.  Can we hurry this up?  We may be late already."
    "You must offer help to all who need it.  You must act with honor
and courage. Hmm, I guess any decent human being can be a Moonlight
Knight."  said Mamoru "All right. let's skip the pomp and cermony and
oaths.  Just hold the sceptre up and say Moonlight Power, then look
inside yourself for a part of you that wasn't there before."
    Kakeru looked at the sceptre dubiously.  Then he held it up and
shouted "Moonlight Power!"
    Silver light bathed his body.  The light was like winter
moonlight, bright and pure and cool.  He felt his body being purified
of all of his physical weaknesses.  When the light faded, he stood
there wearing a white robe, like the kind worn by Arabs.
    Without time to wonder, he closed his eyes.  He stood in a dark
place.  A scimitar with ivory white hilt hanged in the darkness.  He
reached his hand forward and touched it.
    "Are you a Moonlight Knight?" the voice spoke in his mind.
    "What?  Who are you?" he was startled.
    "I am the resident A.I. for guiding newly inducted knights.  I see
you don't have any of the preparatory training.  I also see that
there's no other Moonlight Knight extant.  Therefore, I must accept
you.  Welcome, Kakeru Oozora, to the brethren.  You're now a Knight of
the Order of Selene.  In the absence of knights with greater
seniority, you now hold the office of Grand Master."
    "How, how do I use my power to protect the one I love?"
    "Years of training are needed to reach your potential.  You have
no training.  All you can do is to hold me, I'll guide you.  However,
remember this, I merely provide the skill and the force.  You must
provide the will."
    Kakeru Oozora woke up from the reverie and found the scimitar in
his hand.
    Mamoru was looking at him closely.  The crescent moon on Oozora's
robe was adorned with rose bushes.
    "Ah, the Order of Selene, an august order. Let's go, Sir Kakeru."

    The arifield was full of people.  Of course, the research center
doesn't hold enough staff to fill the airfield.  They were crowded
into a corner of the airfield where a platform was set up.  A long
table was set up next to the platform.  Mamoru stared.  The first
person sitting next to the table was Hectate.  She was wearing the
same gown she wore on the Moon. Dr. Callahan, the chief scientist of
the Moon Princess project, was speaking, but of course, nobody was
looking at him.
    ".....change everything.  The new sciences will expand our
horizons beyond...." said Callahan.
    "How like a politician." thought Kakeru "He had to grab any glory
possible."
    Mamoru briefly wondered why would the announcement be made without
any press people around.  He turned to Kakeru and said "I think it
would best if we wear something more ordinary."
    Mamoru and Kakeru transformed back into their civilian garbs and
mingled in the crowd.  The atmosphere was electric, filled with
reserved skepticism, excitement and sheer incredulity.  Despite
Mamoru's advice, Kakeru ran through the crowd, looking for his wife.
He spotted her next to the platform and rushed to her.
    "Hime! Are you all right?"
    "What do you mean?" Himeko looked at him "Sorry I didn't call you
about this, but there isn't time."
    "We have to get out of here, now!" said Kakeru urgently as he
stole a glance at the platform.
    Himeko peered at her husband.  They were married for four years
now.  She could sense that something was scaring him, a lot.  One
thing about having a soul mate was that you don't have to explain
everything all the time.
    "Should we warn the others?" she said with a glance around.  The
people around them were transfixed by the sight of Hectate.
    "They wouldn't believe me." said Kakeru as he pulled at Himeko's
hand.
    Unobstrusively they worked their way through the crowd.  Kakeru
prayed with all his might that Hectate wouldn't notice them.
    "And now, let me introduce you to Princess Hectate of the Moon
Kingdom!" said Callahan with a bow.
    Hectate walked up to the platform. She looked at the crowd of
people who had eyes for nothing except her.
    "Thank you, Dr. Callahan. Is everytone here?"
    "Yes, uh, Your Highness."
    "Good."  Hectate fingered her brooch.  The cover popped opent to
reveal the Souleater "Thank you for contributing your life energy to
the resurrection of the Moon Kingdom."
    The Souleater glowed.  The crowd screamed like a single animals as
their soul bubbles were ripped from their bodies.  The bubbles floated
to the platform and were absorbed into the Souleater. The Souleater
pulsed like a black heart as each soul entered it.
    Of all who were present upon that field, only one were still
standing.
    Hectate smiled "Hail, Prince Endymion."

Tokyo

    The Sailor Senshi stood in the wrecked corridor, trying to figure
what to do next.  The Grail had disappeared into thin air as soon as
all the butterflies were collected inside.
   Setsuna and Ferryman stood facing each other.  Ferryman felt
"whole".  His memories of his lives were no more elusive ghosts which
threatened to drive him insane.  His current life and his life as Lord
Charon were the most vivid, but other memories were there as well.
   "There are more to come." said Setsuna regretfully "The storm will
soon break."
   Ferryman nodded.  He couldn't spend time with Setsun, yet.
   Of course, nobody noticed Umino, or the fact that the battle had
attracted quite a few surreptious spectators.
   "How can I be so wrong?" wondered Michiru aloud.  She looked at
Haruka.  Sailor Uranus looked wretched.  Both of them knew that they
had made a terrible mistake, but they didn't know how they had made
it.
    "Your ability to tell the future is dependent on the Aqua Mirror.
That means it is very linear and mostly visual." said Pluto "Now, look
into the mirror again.  This time, don't concentrate on the reborn
Moon Kingdom.  Concentrate on the people who lived in it."
    Michiru followed her direction and looked.  The city was as
beautiful as ever.  She concentrated on the people who walked on the
street.
    She screamed.
    Vaguely she felt Haruka's comforting arm around her.  She forced
herself to stop.
    "There's no human being at all." she said shakingly "No human
being walks in that perfect city.  I feel emptiness and despair and
rage.  How?  How can this happen?"
    "It's the Souleater." said Pluto "Hectate must be trying to revive
the Moon Kingdom with the Souleater."
    "But why?" asked Michiru "She said she would use the Silver
Crystaland the Holy Grail."
    "That might have been her plan." said Pluto "But we would not give
her those thing now.  What you see is the consequence of that."
    Shakenly Michiru went before Usaig and fell to her knees.  Haruka
followed.  Usagi quickly held their elbows and tried to pull them up.
    "Don't. You don't have to feel sorry." said Usagi.
    "We are foresworn." said Haruka "If you no longer trust us, we
will understand.  We will serve you even if you refuse to hold our
oath."
    Usagi fell to her knees when she discovered that she couldn't pull
them up.
    "Stop this. Do I have to go through this with all of my friends?"
Usagi's eyes still had that haunted look "I have seen too much, felt
too much.  I need all of you to support me.  Don't lift me up to a
pedestal and leave me alone there!"
    "Are you all right, Usagi?" asked Rei.
    Usagi looked at the Inner Senshi's concerned faces.  She nodded "I
am all right.  It's just a vision, a feeling.  It's hard to describe."
Her eyes widened "Mamo-chan.  We have to go help him.  Those youma
things were from America! We have to buy plane tickets now."
    "There is no need." said Ferryman "Now that I am whole again. I
can open a portal back to the U.S. with no trouble."
    His hand moved over the Oar quickly as lights flashed in its
obsidian depth.
   "Oh, yes, now all of you Sailors once again have access to the
Styx.  You can use your transformation pens to create portals as well,
but you need extensive training before...."
   A portal opened just under ceiling and a torrent of water flooded
through.  Ferryman quickly closed down the portal.
   "That's what I mean.  Somebody opened up a portal into an ocean
somewhere."
    Minako smiled sheepishly as she put her pen away.
    "Where is Hectate?" asked Ferryman.
    "Ames Research Center, Mountain View,California." said Haruka
without hesitation.
    Ferryman ran the coordinate through his head.  Then he gave the
command to the Oar.
    A portal opened in fron of them.
    "Stay behind." said Usagi to Luna and Artemis.
    "No, we will come." said Luna "You're not going to leave us here
for the police, the press and who knows what else."
    They stepped through the portal.

Mountain View, California

    Kakeru and Himeko were driving out of the research center when
they heard the collective scream of all those who stayed behind.
Himeko went pale.
    "What the hell is going on back there?"
    "Just drive!" cried Kakeru.
    Himeko floored the accelerator.  The car sped down the road until
it came to the gate.
    The guard was arguing with another guard.  Kakeru raised his
eyebrow as he saw the other guard holding up a red rose.
    "Uh, can we pass?" asked Himeko.
    The guard turned around and did a quick salute.  Himeko smiled
back and was ready to move the car agin.
    PAIN!  The pain was familiar to Kakeru.  He felt it when he
encountered Snow Princess Kaguya the year before he married Himeko.
It was the pain of his life essence being drawn out.  He saw Himeko
gasping for breath.  Unlike her, his experience allowed him to deal
with the pain.
   He pulled out the knight sceptre.
   "Moonlight Power!"
   Silver white light seemed to wash away the pain.  He stood up as
the Moonlight Knight.
   Quickly he looked around.  The two guards had fell, so had Himeko.
A small bubble rose from Himeko's body.  It was like a small soap
bubble.  When he looked closer, he was astounded to find Himeko's form
curled up like a fetus inside.
   He grabbed the bubble before it could float away.  Then he felt the
pain again.  Apparently his new form wasn't immune, just more
resistant.
Quickly he pushed the bubble back into Himeko.  Then he carried her
and leaped.
    His new strength and agility carried them both thirty feet at one
leap.  After a few leaps, he felt the pain disappearing.  The effect
was apparently confined inside the perimeter of the Ames Research
Center.  It would probably die away when all the souls inside the
perimeter were drawn out.
    He put down Himeko on a grass lawn and looked at her anxiously.
    Himeko's eyes opened and saw him.  His face was partially
concealed, but his eyes were the most familiar thing to her.
    "Kakeru?  What...?"
    Kakeru looked back into the base.
    Help all those who are needy.  Act with honor and courage. Bakana!
    "I must go back!" said Kakeru "You must go for help."
    Himeko looked him "What is going on?"
    "The Moon Princess is evil.  I am afraid only I and Mamoru Chiba
can stop her.  I have to try.  Go get some help, Himeko.  The cops,
the National Guard, the Army, anybody."
   "Be careful, Kakeru" said Himeko "Don't die.  Please don't die."
   Kakeru hugged her, hard.  Then he disappeared back into the base.

TO BE CONTINUED












zhuge@best.com (Yang Wenli)

  Hi, sorry for the long hiatus.  I have quite a few delays and
personal problems to sort through.  Unfortunately, I will not have
access to this account for the next few months, so please do not
e-mail me. I have to go back to Taiwan for family sickness.  I want to
finish this story before I go, so the ending may be a bit hurried.
However, I plan on writing a sequel, so stay tuned.  Previous parts of
this story
are available in the Artemis and Luna site as well as the T Kamen site
at
http://www.dragonfire.net/~T_Kamen

Renaissance

Chapter 7 Rage of Angels



    Tuxedo Kamen stood alone.  Around him, unconscious bodies laid
where they fell.  Just like a battleground, he thought, except there's
no blood, yet.
    Princess Hectate stood before him.  A dark crystal was growing out
of the broach in front of her chest.  It glowed with the stolen life
energies of all the people inside its sphere of influence.
     "Well, I see that the years had not changed you, Prince Endymion,
or should I call you King Endymion now?  You have come into your
majority, yet you have not claimed your proper place on this chaotic
world?"
    Mamoru felt the power of the crystal tugging in his mind.  The
sensation was quite familiar to him.  In the past, each adversary had
sought to possess his soul Each time he had managed to free his soul,
with the help of his true love.  Each experience had made his mind
stronger.
    "This is another age, another time, Hectate.  Your time is past,
let it go."
    Hectate snarled "What do you barbarians know about my time?  How
can you even imagine what I have lost?  There are twenty thousands
words describing the shades of moonlight and moonshadow.  Does your
age still remember them?  Does your age still have true poetry
describing the infinitude of emotions felt by the soul?  Do you still
remember how to dance?  Or do you waddle like the rest of the
so-called dancers of this age?  I say if this age is so coarse and
unfeeling, then let it end in fire so my world can rise from its
ashes!"
    Mamoru could see the madness in her eyes.  Despite her professed
desire to bring back a lost paradise, her actions would only bring
about the exact opposite.  He materialized a doze roses in the hands
behind his back.  He must contain her with a circle of roses first,
then....
    Something grabbed his ankle and he fell.  He saw that the fallen
people had risen to their feet.  One of the scientists was grabbing
his ankle.  Mamoru kicked, but the grip was impossibly strong.
    "You see my army." said Hectate "They, as normal humans, know
nothing about the things they can do with their life force.  So, in
return for their 'lending' me their power, I return a bit of it to
them so they can use it so much more efficiently than before."
    "You hypocrite!" cried out Mamoru as he threw the roses.  The
roses fanned out and landed around Hectate's feet in a perfect circle.
Light flashed upward from each of the roses, forming pillars which
trapped Hectate.
    Hectate's face twisted in shock, but only briefly.  She frowned in
concentration.  Gradually, the pillars of light bent outward.  Mamoru
couldn't reinforce the barrier.  More scientists around him were
reacing toward him.  They also began to metamorphose into demonic
shapes before his eyes.
    Hectate laughed in trumph as the circles of roses burst outward in
a rain of red petals.  Her laughter was cut short when she heard a
swishing sound behind her.  Thinking that Tuxedo Kamen was throwing
another rose at her, she turned and caught the projectile.
    It was a white rose.
    She stared at it in shock.  That's why she didn't react when a
second projectile buried itself into her heart.  She looked down and
saw the jeweled handle of a scimitar.
    The hands around Mamoru slackened their hold as their mistress
hang between life and death.
    Mamoru looked around and saw Kakeru gasping with the effort of his
attack.  He smiled gratefully.  Kakeru smiled back.  The two turned
back toward Hectate.
    Hectate was still looking at her mortal wound unbelievingly.  Then
the Souleater began to pulsate.  With each pulsation it grew
larger,gradually it covered Hectate's front chest like a crystalline
armor.  The handle of Kakeru's sword fell off.  The blade had
disappeared into the black depth of that crystalline armor.
   Around Mamoru and Kakeru, the demon horde was stirring again.

White House

    The President of the United States was looking at the display at
the Crisis Op Center.  He was already briefed by his staff, still he
couldn't believe the decision he was about to make.
    "Convince me again, Bill."
    Bill Finley of the NSA said "There's very little we know for sure.
Our surveillance equipments are returning data we couldn't even begin
to analyze.  However, we do know that if we don't act, this is going
to spread.
    "You remember that we recommended strongly that we should put the
Moon Princess in our facility where we have much better security
measures than Ames.  You overrode us because of public relation
reasons."
    The President frowned.  Oops, Bill Finley reminded himself that it
wasn't wise to blame the boss for the fiasco, any fiasco, even if it
was the boss' fault.
    "Anyway, " he continued "Three hours ago we lost all communication
with Ames.  We also received reports of police action around the
perimeter of Ames.  We have received no human contact from inside the
base since then.  The police communications were frantic, seems like
they lost quite a few people they sent in.  Our agents on the spot had
stopped communicating as well.  Then, one hour ago, this zone of
silence started growing.  It has eaten into the city of Mountain View,
Palo Alto and Los Altos.  The only source of information we have are
from satellites.  The information is very confusing, but we do know
that the Moon Princess is at the center of this zone of silence."
  Finley pointed at the picture on the table.  Satellite pictures
these days were clear enough to identify people's faces.  The picture
on the table clearly showed the Moon Princess as the only one standing
in a field of bodies.
  The President looked at the display.  The black area seemed to
increase in size again.
    "Is this real time or just extrapolation?"
    "A little of both I am afraid.  Whatever is causing this zone
isn't detectable by our instruments.  We can only guess its extent by
monitoring police reports and silenced radio transmitters."
    "Is it the recommendation of the NSA that we nuke the bayarea
immediately?"
    "Yes."
    "You know I can't do that with so little information.  If this had
turned out to be something totally innocuous...."
    "Look at how fast the zone is growing, Mr. President.  We don't
have the time.  In a few hours, we'd have no Silicon Valley.  Another
few hours,  Sacramento will be gone.  We'd prefer not to wait that
long, sir."
    "Can't we send in special operation first?"
    "There is no time, sir. We have gone over this before. It takes
hours to mobilize  special operation teams.  Moreover, how are we
going to brief them?"
   The President of the United States sighed.  He was not a very
scrupulous man, but he hated to be the first President who ordered the
death of millions of American citizens.  If only he had more
information, he might be able to make a good decision.  However, a
decision is called for, good or bad.
    He looked at the silent man beside him, the silent man who always
carried a brief case chained to his wrist.
    "Open it." said the President, his voice was the voice of a dead
man.
    The silent man's hand moved.  He stopped when he saw a small
figure entering the room.
    "How did she get in here?"  Bill Finley was outraged.  He knew
that it was a big mistake to put the Op Center in the White House.  No
telling when the First Daughter was going to wander in and saw some
sensitive information she wasn't supposed.
   The First daughter looked at the tactical display and looked at the
grim face of her father.  Then she smiled "Don't worry, father.
That's not really the Moon Princess.  Sailor Moon is the real Moon
Princess.  Sailor Moon will save us."
    The President stared hard at his daughter.  He sighed.
    "If we must destroy our country, then at least wait until some
portion of our country is actually destroyed.  We should wait."
    "But..." said Finley "We should act decisively now!"
    "Yes, send in the best team you have first.  Also, try a high
altitude flyby.  Why haven't I thought of that before?  Do it, now!"

Mountain View

    The portal opened.  Sailor Moon and her friends stepped through.
She stared in shock.  The ground was covered with still bodies.  Then
as they  watched.  The bodies began to stir.  Some grew scales, other
grew wings, none looked even remotely human.
    "Where are we?" she asked.
    Ferryman looked around him. " I haven't been to this part of the
country before.  Let's see. We should be about a couple miles from
Ames Research Center.  If I know which direction it lies...."
    Ami cried out in shock.  She was wearing her omni-scanner goggle
and she was looking intently to the north.
    "The center of the disturbance is over there.  I supposed that's
where we should go.  I am picking up an enormous surge of dark energy.
The life force of all these people were flowing like a thousand rivers
toward that place.  The scale of this is enormous."
    Ferryman nodded "Hectate started using the Souleater.  Or maybe
the Souleater started using her. I have the bearing now.  Let's go."

Ames Research Center

   Mamoru cried out when he saw the portal.  His memory of Charon was
almost buried beyond recall, but the sight of the shimmering doorway
was enough.  He remembered.
   "Charon!"  He also remembered how Charon brought him and Princess
Serenity together in their last days, sacrificing his own chance to be
with Pluto.  Then his awareness was jerked back to the present again.
    Hectate was changed.  The dark crystal was now covering her entire
torso.  Her eyes were closed and with each breath she took the dark
crystal pulsated.  Her hair floated around like a nest of serpents.
And the color of her hari seemed to be changing.  Did it acquire a
bluish purple hue?
    "I am here, Aunt Hectate." said Sailor Moon "Stop this right now."
    Hectate opened her eyes.
    "Little Princess Serenity.  You're just like I remembered you."
she smiled.  The smile was ghastly.  Sailor Moon remembered the smile
on the face of so many of her enemies.
    Hectate pointed toward Mamoru and Kakeru.  For a moment Sailor
Moon had double vision as she saw Tuxedo Kamen and the Moonlight
Knight in the swarm of youmas.  Then she recognized Mamoru.
    "Are you all right, Mamo-chan?" she said quickly.
    Luna was looking at the Moonlight Knight in shock.  She
immediately recognized Kakeru, her old flame.
    Mamoru nodded grimly "Do what you must, Sailor Moon."
    "How sweet.  How many times have I seen you like this?  It always
makes me sick?"
    "What do you mean?" Sailor Moon looked at Hectate, startled " You
have never seen us like this."
    Hectate stared, then shook herself " You will now turn over the
Grail and the Silver Crystal to me."
    Sailor Moon held forward the Grail and said "I can't give you the
Silver Crystal.  It has to be yours or it's not yours.  It cannot be
given away.  I can give you the Grail, but can you bear the burden?
To invoke its full power, you must bear its burden.  Do you want to
pay the price?"
    Hectate snorted "Serenity had always said the same things to me.
If it's power, it can be used and manipulated. Only people who are too
innocent to be worthy of power talk about 'price'."
    "No!" cried Sailor Uranus as she whipped out her space sword "You
won't..."
    Sailor Moon put a hand on Sailor Uranus and said "It's all right."
    Hectate took the Grail and with a flick of her wrist opened it.
Light flowed from inside it, riding on the light came luminiscent
butterflies.  She looked into its infinite depth tried to grasp its
power.
    She screamed.  Pain flowed through.  Not physical pain, but
spiritual and emotional pain.  She walked in a million lives and
suffered in a million ways.  She saw loves wrongly destroyed, dreams
crushed without reason and hopes dashed even as it was about to be
fulfilled.  The pain bypassed her crust of ruthlessness and rushed
into the center of her soul.
     Sailor Pluto nodded "The Grail is power, but it also contains the
pain of the world.  The butterflies are the incarnations of the souls
of dead lovers who would give their power to make the universe a
better place so they can reincarnate into a better world.  Only one
who is innocent, only one who is responsible for none of the pain of
the world can hold the Grail without going mad.  Now is your chance,
Sailor Moon."
    Sailor Moon shook her head "Setsuna, I will try to save her."
    She walked toward Hectate, as she walked, white wings unfurled
from her back. She put her arms around the Grail and gently closed it.
    Hectate looked up in bewilderment "Serenity? Is it really you?"
    Sailor Moon shook her head "My mother passed away long ago.  She
sacrificed everything so I will be safe in this age of the world.
Aunt Hectate, I have seen the future.  The Moon Kingdom will be
rebult.  All that is lost will be regained, and more.  Please, let it
go.  The old Moon Kingdom is dead, don't let its memory be sullied by
the last remnant of the Dark Kingdom, let the Souleater go, let the
old Moon Kingdom be buried in hallowed ground."
    Slowly, tears formed in Hectate's eyes. "I love the Moon Kingdom
so much, so much."  Her body gradually began to relax.
    Then, suddenly, a voice from deep inside Hectate cried out "NO!  I
WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS.  I MUST HAVE MY VENGEANCE!"
    Sailor Moon stiffened.  She recognized the voice, so did everyone
else around.
    Mamoru screamed "NO!"  He tried to struggle from the grasp of the
youma around him, but they held him firm.
    "Mars Flame Sniper!"
    "Venus Love Me Chain!"
    The twin precision attacks streamed toward Hectate, but they
stopped inches from her.  Meanwhile, her grip tightened around Sailor
Moon, slowly crushing her.
    Sailor Moon lifted up her face and looked at her attacker.
    "Queen Metallia! How?"
    "When you erased the Dark Kingdom from existence, only one piece
of me survived.  The only piece that was not on Earth.  The piece of
me I used to create the Souleater!" Hectate's feature changed and she
became more and more familiar.
    "Hectate was so foolish to think that she had gained a weapon.
You can't use a weapon when it can think for itself."
    Sailor Moon reached toward the Grail, but the now fully formed
Queen Metallia was too strong.  Her air was cut off and she passed
away.
    "Charon, Sword of Erebus!"
    "Space Sword Blaster!"
    The twin attacks severed Metallia's arms and Sailor Moon fell.
Sailor Mars caught her and leaped back.
    Metallia merely laughed "Those aren't my arms anyway." The dark
crystal armor grew outward and soon she had two crystalline arms.
    She looked around "Ah, Earth is just as rich in life energy as
ever.  I shall enjoy feasting upon it." A dark vortex began to form
around her.  It slowly expanded from her body.
    Lord Charon's Oar glowed.  A large portal opened above Metallia
and gradually moved down, but it stopped short of swallowing Metallia.
    Lord Charon cursed "She is as strong as Pharoah 90 now. We must
retreat for now."
    His Oar glowed again. Another portal swallowed all the Sailors,
the cats, Mamoru, Kakeru and the youmas who were holding them.


    Miles away, the portal opened upon a hillside and dumped everyone
out.  The Sailors quickly stunned the youmas.  They were careful not
to kill them because they were transformed human beings.
    "There is only one option." said Sailor Pluto "I will use Black
Dome Close to stop time.  Then you can open a portal and throw
Metallia into the sun."
    "No!" Charon said immediately, his calm broken "You will either be
sent back to the Gate of Time, or dead.  I will not lose you, not
after all these millenia."
     Pluto pointed at the dark vortex, which had already expanded to
cover the entire valley below them. "Look at that, the hunger of the
Souleater is infinite.  It will not stop until this planet is devoid
of life, then it will use the life energy it absorbed to teleport to
another world, starting the cycle again.  There's no choice.  There's
never been any choice.  Charon, I will use my power now.  Whether you
choose to play out your part is your affair, but don't let me die in
vain!"
    Pluto lifted her key slowly.  Charon jumped, trying to stop her,
but he's too late.
    "Black Dome Close!"
    Stillness.  Everywhere around them there's no movement.  The grass
blades around them stopped waving in the wind.  Tiny flies stoppe in
their flight like black defect on the film which was the world.
    "Go!" said Pluto with a sad smile "I'll find you again.  I
promise."
    "NO!"
    Everyone jumped with a start.  Sailor Moon had risen from the
ground.  Her eyes were determined.  Her hands cupped the Silver
Crystal which glowed like the full moon.
    "I am not going to let you make the sacrifice for me.  Your Garnet
Orb supply the power to the time staff, now, my Silver Crystal does."
    "You can't, if you use your own life to stop time.  You will be
the one who dies!" cried out Pluto desperately "You are our hope, you
can't risk yourself like this."
    "I am your hope, so how can I be your doom?" said Sailor Moon with
a smile "I'll be all right.  Go Charon!"
    Charon opened a portal and disappeared.
    Mamoru went to Sailor Moon and put his arms around her. He could
feel her becoming weaker as she poured her life into the task of
stopping time.
    "If only I can die in your place, I will." he whispered.
    "There's no need of that." the voice came from above them.  Mamoru
looked up and saw the ghost image of a small girl with silver blond
hair.
   "Who?  Chia?  Kunzite?" he said.
   "Gentle Endymion, King of Earth." said the girl "We, your generals
have new lives now.  Yet, we are still bound to you.  In this state
timelessness, we remembered our former lives.  We must atone for our
betrayal by saving the life of your beloved. We must have our
vengeance against Metallia who once and again raped our souls."
   Slowly she descended and put her arms on Sailor Moon's Silver
Crystal.
    "How?"
    "Watch." The little girl smiled.

    Charon faced Metallia.  She was now nearly as tall as when she
faced Sailor Moon years ago.  She was frozen like a fly in amber.
Charon quickly formed a portal.  Then unexpectedly, Metallia moved.
Her huge hand swatted Charon aside.
    "Do you think you're the only ones with power over space and
time?" laughed Metallia "I was born in the center of the sun where
space and time were both warped beyond anything seen in these frigid
realms.  I hated the light there and come here.  Your lover had made
the sacrifice in vain, in vain, in vain." She repeated the phrase a
few more times as though she had lost the train of thought, then she
screamed.
   Her huge body was breaking open and lights were escaping from it.
Some lights went into the bodies lying on the ground, other continuing
flying away toward their proper bodies.
   "How?  How?"  Metallia was incoherent as she lost her bulk.
   Three lights floated around her.  Three children stood in the
middle of the lights.
    "Metallia.  You have twisted our souls twice against our liege
lord." said a dusty hair child.
    "You have made the mistake of swallowing our souls who were twice
your victims." said a child with red hair.
    "We are victims no more." said a child with blond hair.
    As Metallia shrank, she lost the power to overcome the timestop.
In the stillness, her body divided into the body of Hectate and the
dark Souleater crystal.
    Charon opened a small portal into the Sun, then he dropped the
Souleater crystal through it.
    "Enjoy the light, Metallia." he said quietly.
    Then he noticed the bodies around him were stirring.  Time had
resumed again.
    Back on the hill, Sailor Moon looked at the small girl child and
marveled.  "Kunzite?  Is it really your?  I thought it should be
Zoisite who would be reincarnated as a girl."
    Kunzite smiled sweetly "Fate moves at its own pace.  Perhaps this
is punishment for my transgressions, or perhaps a reward, who can
say?" she smiled " I will forget about this when I join my body again,
but I will find you again, my liege, Gentle Endymion.  We will serve
you in this new age that has dawned."  Slowly she faded away.
    Mamoru's arm tightened around Sailor Moon.  They watched as the
city under the hill slowly came back to life.  They watched as Charon
returned and left with Pluto.  Life had returned to normal, yet never
the same.

White House

    "I believe the crisis is over." declarled the President of the
United States.
    " I told you Sailor Moon would save us." said the First Daughter.
    " I will never forget that."
    The flyby photos had been hard to believe.  If they were true,
then magic existed once again in the world.  The chaotic world of
politics was likely to become more chaotic still.
    "Mr. President" said Finley "I have several leads about the
identity of this so-called Sailor Moon.  I believe more funding should
be allocated for the purpose to identifying and eventually controlling
these Sailor Scouts."
   "Bill, " said the President "Do you truly think that beings who
could do what we just witnessed could be controlled by such as we?"
   "They must have families, and friends and..."
   "Bill, I will pretend that I never heard that.  How is my daughter
going to talk to me if her father is mean to Sailor Moon?'
    Bill Finley gnashed his teeth silently


Epilogue
   The conference hall was crowded.  The physicists gathered there had
all read the papers, most of them couldn't believe it at first, but
repeated experimentations had proved the papers irrefutable.
   "The stars are ours." said Ferryman "These equations proved that
there's a meta-science beyond what we know as the physical world.  You
can call it magic if you will.  The shape of this science is still
ill-defined, perhaps it will always be ill-defined.  We can explore it
for a million years and never reach the end of it.  Meanwhile, we have
a new worlds to explore.  Perhaps we should plan for it."
   After the meeting, Ferryman and Setsuna walked away from the crowd.
Through a portal they walked upon the bleak landscape of Pluto with
Charon orbiting overhead.
   "There will be trees here again." said Charon "The Great Trees must
still be in the Cometary Halo.  We will go there and find a seedling
to plant here, connecting our two worlds together again."
    Pluto said " I must still guard the Gate of Time."
    "But you never need to do it alone."

   Usagi walked home again and breathed a sigh of relief when no
dreaded reporter showed up.  So far, her friends had been able to keep
the secret, well most of them.  Once a while she found a tabloid
reporter trailing her.  Luckily with the Styx open to her, she could
escape such small nuisances.  She could even visit Mamo-chan without
walking out of the door.
    Of course, her parents were starting to suspect after the third
reporter.  They weren't that dense.  She would have to face them very
soon now.
   "Hey, Usagi." said Shingo as she walked in. Her little brother
sounded suspiciously cheerful so she looked at him closely.
   "What?"
   "You know that famous concert violinist Michiru Kaioh, right?"
   "Yeah?"
   "Well, hmm, I just met this girl who call her Michiru-mama, do you
know if they're uh, related?"
    Usagi frowned "Of course not, why do you ask?"
    "Well," Shingo blushed "It's just she has the pretties violet eyes
I have ever seen."
    "Hotaru-chan?  Don't tell me you have a crush on Hotaru-chan!"
    Shingo growled "Want to make something of it?"
    Usagi laughed and walked to her room, humming a tune.
    Born on the same earth, it's a miracle romance.

End of Sailor Moon Renaissance