Lady of the Silver Moon Part III
Mirror Universe
Terra
Mount Chronos
Saturn and Serenity's ghostly silhouettes throbbed in and out of phase as the afternoon sunlight penetrated their etheric forms, the solar disk setting their auras ablaze as if a host of sparkling diamonds were exploding into microbursts of fiery gold. Serenity's incredibly long golden hair floated about her like a phoenix, not impeding her movements in the slightest, the Princess of the White Moon's glorious locks swirling about her body like a protective guardian.
Entering the chamber, finding the little Mauan Senshi peacefully sleeping, both women gave one another a warm smile. Serenity knelt beside the crystal case and kissed the smooth pink crystal on impulse.
"Be safe little flower. Help is on the way," she told the sleeping girl, Reika's eyes closed, her feline ears, and beautiful honey-like odangos making her smile. She then took in the little princess's small hands clutching the pink crystal scepter to her chest. Serenity got off her haunches and straightened as a tear trickled down her cheek.
"She is safe for now," Saturn said, "I don't feel Dark Serenity's presence, although I wouldn't be so sure she won't be here soon. But your mother -- at least your mirror mother -- is also on the mountain, thank the Kamis."
"Little, sweet Reika, the child I will never have," she sighed, a hint of sadness in her tone as she looked upon the vulnerable little girl she so longed to hold and love as her own, "She is a beautiful little girl. She has slept in this cocoon for eight years?" Serenity asked, still gazing lovingly upon the Mauan Senshi child.
"Yes, but while in Elysian, she was free to move about in her Affinity form, that was until Dark Serenity showed up and Reika's Star Seed brought the crystal cradle to Elysian and the rest you know." The two wispy beings left the dark chamber.
Saturn patted Serenity on the shoulder and left the troubled young woman to her private thoughts, and practiced her attacks as if dancing with an unseen enemy while Serenity stood on the edge of the windswept promenade, peering down at the sheer drop below. Despite the fact she wouldn't fall, she felt a twinge of dizziness and stepped back. Clouds obscured the view below. However, the stony spires rising up from the jagged shelves of rock stabbed the layers of circling clouds, these punctuated the obvious dangers for any would-be mountaineer who dared challenge the former home of the God of Time, Lord Chronos.
She sighed. Serenity pondered the force necessary to disintegrate the ten feet high solid granite fence that once enclosed the ancient courtyard. At one time, this place must have been beautiful. But it was far from a place of veneration and beauty now. Lonely and desolate, love did not dwell here save for the sleeping child in her casket of crystal. Serenity's thoughts turned back to the shell of a temple complex lying in ruin before her. She reasoned it must have been long ago when priestesses and mages spent time here, tending the shrine, the gardens, welcoming pilgrims and hosting important meetings.
Reika's sweet features came to mind again. (How sweet you are, dear child. I would love one such as you. I long to be wed and to start a family of my own – Oh Endy, I miss you,) and she began to cry.
Mountain Base Camp
She flew like a celestial bird, all Senshi and Shitennou looking up in awe at the winged goddess from their vantage point upon the mountainside. Serenity Moon descended like a sky Kami. She smiled at the Shitennou of Endymion and then her personal Senshi as she touched down, the beautiful warrior queen's wings folding behind her, the contrast of soft sky blue and gleaming gold giving way to her sculpted body and flawless complexion, a most impressive sight to be sure.
"Good evening my Lord Kunzite," she said, taking his hands and he beamed.
Kunzite, weakened by his exertions up the mountain, felt exhausted, but the noble Shitennou general had the presence of mind, and the incentive of a beautiful woman, to remember his manners. He offered a lopsided grin, "Greetings and salutations, Your Majesty. Please forgive my sorry state. It has been difficult, dear lady, but we cleaned up as much as we could. The magic was powerful and many of us are spent."
"Do not be upset at not being at your best, Kunzite," she smiled, surprising the mighty warrior by hugging him, "You are a little weary, you're entitled to rest and your current state only tells me you have given your all this day. Thank you for all your hard work. I feel it has made my task so much easier. I want you all to know I am truly grateful."
"Thank you, majesty," he said, bowing.
Serenity Moon smiled sympathetically and sat to a hot cup of Terran Tea provided by Princess Persephone, "It is how you like it, lady," she smiled. Then, the Senshi Sirens placed bowls of fresh fruit and other foods before her. Ashalia and Cherry Blossom flanking her as the women began to chat amiably over the evening meal.
Janus was right, Persephone thought, they'd all tried to neutralize the spells left by Dark Serenity and other dark mages before her, with limited success. Unfortunately, they'd been unable to reach the summit.
Kunzite's men and women had set up camp within an abandoned village at the foot of the mountain. The camp was comfortable and she looked forward to a good night's sleep. As the silver moon and stars looked down on them, they spent a peaceful night without incident.
~*~
The morning burst into bloom: the scent of flowers, the movements of animals, and the singing of birds in the nearby wood, Serenity Moon found truly enchanting. The cacophony of nature's ensemble competing with the sounds of men and women chatting as they went about their morning tasks, some were practicing their fighting skills and still others swimming in the nearby lake.
Serenity Moon had bathed alone at dawn. She loved the bracing water as it poured over her as she stood beneath a miniature waterfall that flowed over her lithe body. As she swam, her wings caught the light of the morning sun as it climbed over the slight rise kissing the moisten banks of the huge fresh water lake. She felt beautiful. Catching the statuesque reflection of her naked body, her shimmering golden hair about her calves and her water resistant sky-blue wings, she gasped in spite of herself. She looked like a Goddess and perhaps she was.
She had slipped on her fuku and finished her morning rituals before joining those huddled about the cooking fires, the aroma of breakfast faire inviting and motivating all.
~*~
"Good luck, Lady, I know Luteolous would like to wish you well. Be careful, and bring back our little princess and yourself, all right?" Lord Jadeite said, as Serenity Moon, having already breakfasted and returned from a walk smiled and patted his arm and said her farewells as all wished her well.
"Give her a hug for me and my girls," Persephone said, and the Senshi Sirens, her elite Senshi cadets, in their turn offered their salutations and wishes for success.
"Thank you, all of you. Don't worry, I won't come back without her," she said, and her golden odangos shone in the sunlight as she raised her arms and her silvery blue wings flared into a bright sapphire halo and she took flight.
Lord Kunzite looked up at the magnificent young woman and knew she would succeed.
(Only Serenity Moon can face her daughter and her minions this time. Only she can defeat them)
Nephrite stepped up beside Kunzite and turned his eyes skyward. He admired her wings and her silvery-blue fuku -- what little of it there was-- and smiled. She was both formidable and beautiful.
Summit of Mount Chronos
Serenity Moon swept in low upon the crows nest of the ancient fortress, the vampire youma were not in evidence. She heaved a sigh of relief as she hovered over the damaged turrets of the castle, its black granite façade ominous and lonely. She felt a chill moving through her as she glided toward the highest tower, touching down, her heels light, almost soundless.
She paused, and listened for any activity brought about by her dramatic arrival, the clicking of crystal heels, the movements of her wings reverberating off the masonry as she moved towards a gaping hole in the side of the east wing of the structure, her wings keeping her upright as the gale force winds attempted to push her off balance.
~*~
Within the empty tower, a sleeping child lay cradled within the warmth of her crystal cocoon. The little princess inside stirred a little as she slept, dreams flowing ceaselessly through the canyons of her soul. Beyond its warm secure confines, a new day was dawning.
The crystal shell hummed with a melodic chime before cracking open. Then a blaze of magenta light filled the chamber. Princess Reika sat up and took in her surroundings, stretched and yawned. She knew neither who had taken her, nor where she was, but she was alive and the horrible thing claiming to be her mother was nowhere in sight.
Gradually, her eyes adjusted to the light, the room empty but for an open rose gold birdcage where a little white mouse -- not a songbird -- sat on its hind legs nibbling the seed in a tray. She figured whoever had filled the tray would be back and her heart started pounding in her chest. Reika brushed the hair from her eyes, wincing as she took in the sight of the dead multicolored bird on the floor, its feathers covered in blood and ash, her tiny hands flying to her mouth in shock.
(Who would harm such a beautiful bird?)
The princess climbed unsteadily to her feet, checking her steps as she moved with caution about the chamber. The walls cut from black granite; she took in the wooden bench running the length of the room under the arched window. She hugged her little body for warmth as she looked down, noticing the icy slopes giving way to an impenetrable ring of black cloud below.
She had no idea how high she was, her feet running hot and cold with the sheer thought, the rising terror making her breathless. She felt as if she might start hyperventilating at any moment. She closed her eyes, gripping the sill for balance, turning away before she dared open her eyes again.
She crossed the floor to the other side of the room in a few easy strides, stepping over broken furniture and found a disused desk covered in dust. She drew her finger across its surface and found the dust was an inch deep, so the window she reckoned could not have been smashed all that long ago.
Then the oddest thing happened, the amethyst shards of her protective cradle burst into flames and a power staff formed from the fiery blaze of pink light and floated towards the young girl and absorbed her smaller wand, forming a glittering new one. She clasped it tight in her hands, it was warm to the touch and felt as if it had always been a part of her.
Reika was both entranced, staring at the glowing scepter in fear and wonder. "What is this place?" she asked the staff, not expecting an answer.
But strangely enough, it replied, "Oh, little Princess Reika, you are atop the mountain of Chronos, within the abandoned castle of Keshena," the female voice coming from the talisman said, sounding not much older than did its new mistress.
"Wow! You can talk!" she gushed, hugging the ornately carved rod to her chest and squealed in delight.
"Child, you are soon to be rescued. But be on your guard, the castle is not entirely without its dangers," the gemstone wand cautioned.
"Oh, but what of my sister, Gaea, is she all right?"
"She is presently with her friend, the daughter of the Terran King, known as Persephone. I am pleased to tell you that Gaea and her friend are on their way back to Atlantari with the Senshi Siren fighters, the orphans of Terra," the staff's smooth silken voice assured the wide-eyed princess.
Then Reika heard them, the clicking heels of a woman's footsteps fast approaching, "She is here, Serenity Moon, your grandmother. Now look bright and brush the dust off that fuku and put on a smile so she knows you're all right."
"Do you have a name, it feels weird if I just call you wand or staff or-"
"Bastet, I am the protector of all Mauans. That will suffice child."
"Thank you Bastet," she said, giggling as she ran towards the winged Senshi queen who squatted to take the little girl in her arms and lifted her off the floor.
"Oh child, come, let's get you out of this place," she cried, hugging the girl and rubbing her feline ears affectionately, making Reika giggle.
"Oh, I'm so happy to see you grandmother!"
"Me too, darling, now listen to me carefully, all right? We're going to be flying off the mountain, its going to be very blustery and cold, so be brave. Now climb onto my back and hold on tight, sweetheart."
"Oh wow! This is going to be so amazing!" she breathed, as Bastet vanished and assumed the form of a pendant suspended on a necklace of amethysts around Reika's neck.
The sun was pale white and swallowed up a large portion of the deep blue sky, the icy winds making the little princess's arms and legs go numb with the cold, her hair whipping her reddened cheeks as she felt the gentle movement of unfurling wings and they were away.
There was no other sensation quite like this. She had flown in Elysian, the realm of dreams and that was special. But here on Terra, where the elements were raw and powerful, this was breathtaking and very different but no less spectacular. She found it all so exhilarating. The morning sun burst forth like a silvery-white disk, swallowing the sky that seemed to go on forever.
"Oh grandmother, its so pretty!" she squealed, giggling as Serenity Moon too laughed at the joy pouring off the little girl clinging to her back, her little legs locked about her grandmother's waist, her hair streaming out behind her.
As they swept to a lower altitude, they penetrated the thick dark ring of cloud. The moisture clung to her skin like morning dew. She was relieved to see sky again as the wetness upon their bodies quickly evaporated as Serenity Moon soared high over the plateau before heading for the base camp on the lower slopes of Mount Chronos.
"I can see the camp from here, grandmother… this is so incredible!" she cried, hugging Serenity Moon once more, losing count of how many times she'd done that.
But as they began to sweep over the lakes and gentle hills on what Serenity Moon thought would be a nice treat for her little granddaughter, a cluster of dark shadows moved over the waters overhead.
The princess screamed,
"No! Grandmother, it's those awful monsters, the evil black Pegasus, but no, they're different… they're bigger and have long beaks, Oh what are those horrible things?"
"Hang on little one. We're getting you out of harm's way!" They swept back in a rush over a series of low treetops and as the loud, ‘snap' reverberated over Serenity Moon's head in a terrifying refrain as the dinosaurian jaws of the vampire youma closed above their heads, she knew they were in mortal peril. "Be brave my darling child, this is going to be rough!"
Serenity Moon shot vertically upward, her body spinning like a top, but gravity was suspended as the power of the Ginzuishou pulsed in the form of a golden-silvery light and she cried out, "Moon Crystal Spear Attack!"
A volley of sapphire spears pulsing with light flew out in all directions, striking a host of the winged vampire youma, who screeched and howled as the projectiles went ‘thump' repeatedly into the chests and heads of the monsters. These blood-drinking carnivores burst into flame and plunged far below, the princess crying with fright and awe as one sank into the lake and another smashed into a rocky pinnacle bursting into a plume of dark crimson, staining the northern face of the rocky outcrop. Serenity Moon, not wishing the child to look upon such carnage soared higher and launched a second wave of silvery-blue spears in all directions. Hundreds more of the youma were destroyed.
Then, from the surface, thousands of fire arrows from Mars' bow and her friend Persephone and the Senshi Sirens took out the youma reinforcements in short order.
Suddenly, the skies shook with a loud explosion and Dark Serenity, in all her ominous glory appeared. The malevolent queen's black leathery wings flapping like the sails of a tall ship, a red aura about her scantily clad form as she hovered in mid-air a short distance away. But as the javelin of onyx flew towards Serenity Moon's heart, the pendent around the feline princess's neck flashed and a ribbon of pink light struck the leading tip of the projectile, and it reversed course and headed back towards the Dark Queen. She bellowed as she fell to a lower altitude.
"Thank you for saving my life, little princess, now let's get you to Lord Kunzite and Persephone, I have a little unfinished business to attend to, grandchild."
So saying, she flew lower and handed the trembling yet excited little girl to the waiting arms of Sailor Persephone and shot skyward once again as Dark Serenity regrouped her weakened youma squadron and the battle continued.
"You may think you have won this day, mother… but the sun has only just risen. I swear, you will see the sunset on death's terms!" she screamed and as the youma were struck by the Senshi and the firepower of the Shitennou below, the injured creatures were seized upon by their fellows and they fought amongst themselves for the blood spoils. "No; fools, forget your bulging guts, I command you to come to my aid!"
But her orders were drowned out by the cries of her youma as they were either killed by Shitennou and Senshi firepower or feasted upon by their own kind as a fresh series of massive purple fireballs shot skyward from the combined attack of the Senshi Sirens, "Terran Cluster Fireball Attack!" they shouted in unison.
"My youma, no!" Dark Serenity screamed and with blazing hate filled eyes, she flew at Serenity Moon.
They dared not fire their arrows as any attempt to strike the Dark Queen down would result in injury or death to their much beloved Senshi Queen. They could only look on and hope the Kamis were with their sovereign this day.
(Thank the Kamis Luteolous is safe and on the moon and doesn’t have to see this) Jupiter thought, as she, Mars, Venus, Mercury and the outers with the Senshi Sirens joined with the Shitennou to take out the last of the vampire youma.
High above, attack after attack surged back and forth, the two powerful beings -- mother and daughter -- in a fight to the death. But as they came to physical blows, the two winged combatants fell to the swampy pools below. For a moment , both were thought drowned in the mud. But soon the mud-caked adversaries were wrestling one another in the black sticky bath: biting, clawing, and tearing at one another's hair, flesh and clothing, throwing each other over their shoulders, a cat's cradle of long legs and flailing arms. Both women launching a series of powerful kicks and slaps that passed for a display of Lunarian hand-to-hand combat.
"You crazy old whore! I told you to keep away from me, lest you die!"
"Daughter, I told you, I won't give up on you, no matter what you do or say to me. Don't you get it; I love you!"
"Well, I – hate – you!"
Again, the punches flew, and as Serenity Moon fell back, she found herself thrown off balance as her daughter grabbed her ankle and she fell on her face into the muddy water -- again.
Panting and screaming with rage, the dark clad figure filled with hatred and something else, something deep down threatening to burst through her dark shell that scared her half to death , faltered. Was this love trying to stop her from killing her mother? She straddled the other woman, their wings useless as the winged beauty lay on her belly, pushing herself up on her hands. The Dark Queen, pulling Serenity Moon by the hair, punched her in the back and she fell with a stifled cry into the muddy sludge. Gulping in the much-needed fresh air as her head was wrenched back. She screamed in pain. Tears, mud and blood on her face.
Dark Serenity, her fuku also half-torn away was also smothered in mud and blood, her face, shoulders and chest covered in long marks left by desperately clawing fingernails. Serenity Moon faired little better, but the Ginzuishou gave her a faster recuperative ability.
Suddenly, a lignite dagger appeared in the younger woman's hand. She tightened her thighs about the upper torso of her partially submerged mother and was about to slit her throat when a small silver arrow struck the palm of her hand and the knife fell harmlessly into the water. Persephone managed this using her telekinetic powers from a distance of several hundred meters.
Coughing and spluttering, Serenity Moon, suffered a torn hamstring and one damaged wing as she leant on her good knee and pushed herself upright. Bleeding and dragging said wing behind her, she took advantage of the narrow window of opportunity offered to her in that moment. For Dark Serenity was growling with relish as she sucked at the blood pouring from her wounded hand in a frenzy of trance-like thirst in absolute ecstasy, her eyes blazing red.
The White Monarch brought back her right arm and punched her daughter as hard as she could in the face. The impact so powerful, it knocked the younger woman off her feet and she flew back screaming with a huge splash.
Serenity Moon pounced and dragged her daughter out of the water. The dark queen lay face down on the silt-laden bank and rolled onto her side, barely able to move.
Summoning her scepter, the White Monarch cried out, "Cosmic Moon Healing Activation!"
"No!" Dark Serenity cried, as the black aura began to fade and a rose gold light took its place. But the darkness was still present, if only subdued. But the hideous reptilian features had gone. Dark Serenity was human again, on her pretty face, a series of bruises and swelling on her lips and jaw, the dark odangos sodden and in complete disarray, her fuku covered in mud, torn and bloody. The defeated young woman rolled onto her knees, pressing her hands against her thighs, coughing and gasping for air. She looked at her mother and croaked between deep breaths and silent tears, "Sorry… mother, but this is not over, and you're… going to have to kill me to… save me… I'm sorry, mother!" Then a flash of grayish-blue light swallowed the haggard figure of Dark Serenity and she was gone.
As Serenity Moon sank to her knees, she wept, for her fallen daughter and for herself, for all who suffered at the hands of Lord Chaos and his family of tormented spirits and vengeful youma. She was healed by the power of the Ginzuishou as she noticed the gossamer silhouette forming before her, it was her daughter as she should have been here in her own world. But she was happy to take her outstretched hand and rise to her feet. The legendary Senshi of Destruction, Saturn, holding her Silence Glaive smiled at the disheveled queen and as Persephone and the girls who served under her unit joined them, Persephone holding the little princess's hand; they then made their way back to camp where a hot scented bath, food, good wine and a warm bed awaited the warrior queen.
~*~
She slept soundly, dreams of dancing with her Luteolous in an enchanted garden delighted her weary spirit. But as she woke, she felt the weight of sadness descend upon her. The small village that once flourished here where they'd set up their makeshift base camp looked neglected and long abandoned, the bleak landscape seemed trapped in perpetual dusk, as had her estranged daughter. She vowed that would change.
