The chains bind my world,
The rose cast upon the pyre,
Darkness claims the land of my birth as it does the lives of those I love,
My rage explodes within, the underworld opens up, and the power of the Kinzuishou seeks to answer my cries for vengeance,
Helios, strike them down with the blade of Sule, with the power of your magic,
I fall into lamentation as it seems the fates have something else in mind, they wont' stop this,
They have abandoned this planet, my precious kingdom,
It was mine before my time because of what evil has done this day,
My world, my beautiful Mayer, Gaea, Kore, Persephone; she also weeps for my people,
I shall move my hands across the lands, oceans and skies of the sphere of my heart, Terra,
I shall call upon Demeter's fire, bring forth the fury of the Terran hearth and cleanse Metalia's evil from this realm, this I shall do!
Endymion
Journey of the King
The last thing he saw was the tearstained face of his one true eternal love. Serenity, swept away from him by death's cruel handmaiden, Beryl.
Then the images faded. He couldn't remember her any more, it was there one moment, then gone the next, the pain and the voices, the screams, the burning and the blood. Oh yes, there was indeed so much blood running over the steps and smeared upon the stone edifice of the Moon Palace, women, children, soldiers surrendering to the final moments of their noble lives. The cracks in the vast dome overhead and the swirling face in that cloud, Metalia. He hated her. But even all this began to elude him.
He opened his eyes. The image of a restorative broth, a warm and inviting fireplace, and a woman with a garnet rod, much like Setsuna's, perhaps an older sibling caught his attention.
‘Who was Setsuna again?' she is pretty, I wish I could reach out and touch that face, her soft hair, ‘But why has she the time staff?'
The woman, a Senshi no doubt, sat scowling into the fire.
"Serenity sent you here, the Ginzuishou refused you. Your Kinzuishou is all that has come between oblivion and your second chance. But, as you can see my… my prince, in order to send you to the future I had to reverse your Star Seed's resonate frequency, and this is why you've assumed the form of a child."
"A child?" he squeaked, gripping his throat with small hands and gasped, hardly able to compose himself, tears surging forth. "But what of Serenity, of the Moon Kingdom?" He remembered enough of these things to hold on for dear life to the past that was melting away with every passing moment.
"Gone, the Moon Kingdom, all gone. My apologies, my prince. You'll soon have forgotten much of this because of the Kinzuishou's power. It wants you to forget and the temporal wave had triggered this reaction. I am sorry. Don't you remember us?"
"No, what do you mean, we were friends, related?"
"No, nothing important," she sighed, half looking sad, and yet, relieved. "Perhaps it is well you don't remember." She said nothing more of it and raised the Garnet Rod once again and Neptune and Uranus appeared and held two time keys, and produced a third.
"My prince," Uranus said, crouching before the trembling boy. "I am sorry. We couldn't save them. Metalia-"
"Has murdered them, I know. I saw it through the portal. I am beginning to forget things, but I cannot forget that. Please. Where are we going?" Endymion sobbed, taking the proffered hand of Neptune and threw himself into her arms and continued to weep uncontrollably.
"Pluto?" she looked up with imploring eyes.
"It is all right. He won't remember. Endy is forgetting everything even as we speak. You can tell him," Pluto said, turning away, trying not to cry.
"Endy. You will forget all of this, but it is a city in Terra's future; known as Tokyo," Neptune told him, wiping away his tears and hugging him, ruffling Endymion's hair. She was, they all were, grateful he had forgotten how Serenity had died. If not for the power of the Kinzuishou, he would have perished. Of course, the prince would have been reborn, but they would have had one hell of a time trying to locate his Star Seed.
Terran capital
Silver Millennium
There wasn't a sound at all in the courtyard below. The shouting of men, the cries of women in the pavilion, nothing but the peaceful sounds of the birds and splashing refrain of the fountains met her ears. The Terrans must have pushed back Metalia's armies. She didn't care. Beryl called for the servants to provide a scented bath.
Visions assailed Beryl in that moment, these were memories of a younger girl brought up in a small estate adjacent to the palace of the southern tip of the continent of Myola. She was fetching water and had been carrying the bucket when she heard the cries and flapping wings of ravens overhead, these birds far larger than usual, hundreds of them, swirling around her. Then, she saw them in her mind's eye. She panicked, screamed and grew faint. In abject terror, she dropped the bucket and ran back to the palace at breakneck speed, daring not to look behind her as the sounds faded on the warm spring breeze.
Ortt Cloud boundary
Naru felt herself sinking into a velvet void. A series of images rushed through her mind unbidden. She saw her mother, Dianara. She was looking through her eyes, not her own. Naru continued to look on as her mother screamed at the youma that had taken the child from its crib. Princess Dianara had become Sailor epsilon and saved the infant; placing the little girl back in her crib. Then a strange creature appeared. Naru was terrified, frozen as if to a web. This was a memory, a fragment of the past. Seated atop a crystalline disk that hovered before her, the grotesque emissary of darkness regarded her with bone-chilling curiosity. Its hooded countenance and metallic crab-like claws, eerie mismatched gemstone eyes so large they were like saucers, glared back at her.
Some of these images she observed from a bird's eye point of view. The figure calling itself, Zero, then transformed her mother into a baby girl.
The shock rippled through Naru like a bolt of lightning as the painful realization struck home. She, the wailing child, looked up into the eyes of Akashi, the nanny she had known most of her life and understood it all in an instant. Naru, was her mother, the princess Dianara.
She was dying. She blinked, and took another deep breath and looked on hopelessly into the unforgiving void. Then she saw it, the glider floating at an odd angle in the distance, a pinpoint of bright blue against the black canvas of deep space.
"U-Umino…," she croaked, hoping he was conscious, but there was nothing. "Umino, talk to me, you can't be dead!"
"Naru; I'm all right. We're drifting away, but I have an idea. Hold on, I just got to, yes!"
A burst of oxygen from his suit's life support unit pushed him towards Naru. He gripped her gloved hand.
"Umino?"`
"Naru?"
"If we don't get out of this, I want you to know, I love you…" Naru said, her voice breaking.
"I love you, too Naru, but don't give up yet. I have another idea."
He hit a combination of switches on his life support console. A steady burst of gas issued forth from their oxygen tanks, then a shot of stored CO2 adding to the thrust already generated, propelled them toward the glider at speed.
~*~
Bunny spun around and realized after calling out at the top of her lungs that she was alone on the glider. Then she heard it, the sound of air leaking out of the hull of the ship. The damage caused by the explosion outside had placed her in jeopardy. She gasped as she struggled to the console. Bunny placed her palms facedown on the crystal panel and felt her baby kick.
"Darling one, it will be all right, I am not going to let anything happen to you!" she said, determination flowing through her as she steadied herself. Closing her eyes, she called upon the power of the Ginzuishou to come to their aid, "Ginzuishou. Please, help me. Mother, help me. Somebody, please help us. We need you!" she felt her rounded belly, its warmth through her palms, and a stream of tears began to trickle down her cheeks as the hissing got louder.
"I'm all alone and afraid," Bunny whimpered.
---
A brilliant burst of light enveloped the glider. Umino and Naru, were getting closer to the vessel when they suddenly found themselves within an ovoid of transparent silvery-blue crystal. At the center of the chamber floated the most beautiful naked girl either of them had ever seen. She too was composed of crystal, a living gemstone. Her anatomical beauty was pure perfection. Atop her brow a golden star blazed, her eyes sapphire blue and her hands and heart center burned with a silvery-gold fire. She smiled at the two astonished young warriors.
"Hello?" Umino managed.
"Hello Umino… and Naru, or should I address you as Dianara?"
"Huh? But how do you-" Naru gasped.
"Know? I am the Oberisku no Shoujo. I am all time, all love, knowledge, and your celestial mother. I am existence unfettered and my emanations are boundless. I bear countless names, and dwell in innumerable universes. But I am here for a simpler task my children."
"And that is?" Naru all but whispered, such was her awe and fear of the Shining One; for that was surely what this crystal girl was, a megami tenshyo.
"To rescue you all, and get you to Daphne, of course, now…"
Naru giggled at the hairstyle of the crystal girl, recognizing it immediately as identical to the odango Bunny and her mother wore. The girl beamed and nodded, "Yes, we are related. Let us reunite you with your friend."
The shimmering glider whirred to life as the crystal girl appeared in a silvery-blue flash within the cabin holding hands with Naru and Umino.
"Naru… Umino, you're all right, and thank you, er," she gasped. Bunny just stared.
"Bunny, formerly Princess Serenity. I am the Oberisku no Shoujo. I shall see you all safely to the Temple of Chronos. Now, please complete your journey. All is in hand. Just allow the Kamis to guide you. I will see you again, little one. And Umino, Naru… be happy!"
"Thank you, and you are beautiful," Naru, gushed.
Terran Capital
Beryl walked briskly down the corridor, and found her way into the throne room. It was empty. She was now in the employ of the palace supervisors, a servant girl, and well placed within the court of Arjirea and Solaris. She sat upon the throne of the queen. A great fatigue suddenly overtaking her. Was she exhausted after her shame of the night before, or was she under some sort of spell. She didn't know. But the temptation to surrender to the delicious allure of sleep was much too great to resist. She sighed, pondering all that had happened that had brought her to this point in her young life and smiled at the sensation of the cool crystal armrests beneath her palms. Beryl sat back and drew her knees to her chest, not caring or even considering the consequences of discovery. She, a mere servant girl. The redhead felt so tired. She didn't notice the ginger Mauan kitten trotting into the throne room that stopped to regard the stranger whom had usurped the throne if only for a brief period.
Leoma tilted her head, regarded the young woman, and felt a sense of familiarity with her.
‘Could this be she? The missing, presumed dead Sailor Terra?'
~*~
Arjirea just stared, tears in her eyes. This was the lost princess all right. Terra lived. But how? She recalled the day the orphaned child was placed in her care. Arjirea had raised the girl as her own daughter. Beryl was a free spirited child. Beautiful by nature and deed, she had been the hope for them all. Her brother, Endymion was Arjirea's blood son, but Beryl would rule, as she was the first in line to the Terran throne despite being Dianara's child and her father a Terran royal; her destiny set in stone. But then she vanished while in the Northern Kingdom.
Arjirea moved up the steps and could hear the sleeping girl's steady breathing. Touching her cheek, she felt joy, sadness, anger and relief flooding her. So many conflicting emotions. Which should she pay homage; it was she. Beryl was alive.
Pluto
Temple of Chronos
"Welcome Serenity, there is somebody just dying to meet you."
"Oh Lady Daphne! He is here?" Bunny said, the excitement obvious to all as smiles lit the faces of those around her. Diamond stood on the threshold beaming, and opened his arms to his Serenity.
"It has been too long, my love. My, you're almost to term."
"Yes, and my friends are coming with us. But you look tired. I know that feeling."
"Please, come to my quarters everyone, I have arranged for a meal in your honor," Daphne said, and the happy couple nodded their assent.
Terra
Myola City
Endymion was shuffling along the corridor. So tired. He had no idea where he was. He saw a man clad in a strange white coat, a headband of some kind around his head. He held an unusual object and was busy scribbling something on a strange flat plate with the use of an odd-looking writing instrument.
"My parents, the youma, did you see the Senshi Guardians? Where are they?" Endymion's voice didn't sound familiar. He was having that strange dream again. He was a child. But that made little sense.
‘But did dreams ever make any sense?'
He woke in fright, his body bathed in not only sweat, but also the light of the Kinzuishou. He slowed his breathing and climbed out of bed. Making his way onto the balcony, he wondered why a sense of dread was descending upon him. It began the day before. The moon was hanging in the night sky like a jewel about to make its descent. For some reason it held his attention. He chuckled at the thought of the girl he was betrothed to, a silly naïve child. Then thoughts of Setsuna's naked form moving beneath him, her sighs and groans, her legs clamped around his hips as her long slender fingers moved over his body had him smiling at the memory. But he was also sad at her mysterious departure, no explanations. No apology; she had gone to serve the temple of Chronos on Pluto and had left him behind. He sighed and leaned forward on his elbows.
"What does it all mean?"
Atlantari
"Beryl! I am your mother, not your birth mother, but I took care of you after Lady Dianara had disappeared," Arjirea said, taking the hands of the younger woman who was crying.
"Mother!" Beryl just stared at the woman who had seemed so familiar, and now she knew why. Beryl had no desire to cause her any harm, nor bring harm to her father. She couldn't care less about taking control of the Terran world if it meant hurting Arjirea and Solaris.
"I don't know what to say, and as for how I found my way to you; I can't really explain it right now. I only know I am grateful for finding you all again." Beryl said, hugging the older woman.
Solaris had been sensing a shadow over the girl, knowing the depressing shroud of darkness was in retreat. But he felt the light was still strong in her. He knew Arjirea sensed it, too. But for the moment, it seemed to be at bay.
The Shitennou had returned to Terra a week later. The four kings strode confidently into the throne room. The pink, white and black marble interior meeting their eyes, a nice familiar sight to be sure. Tables and chairs from the royal dining hall were arranged around the dais and the king and queen were seated with the redheaded Beryl in their midst.
It hadn't occurred to the monarchs that this girl was that same dark one Artemis had encountered, and truth be known, Arjirea, likely would have called her guard to keep an eye on Beryl and still make overtures to the adolescent to cleanse the darkness from her heart. As it was, she summoned the power of the Kinzuishou to bathe the palace in golden light. During this time, Metalia's influence over the princess waned.
The symbol of Terra had re-appeared upon her brow. As Sailor Terra, Beryl worked hard in the pavilion enduring countless drills and soon mastered her impressive arsenal of devastating attacks. She was ready.
Endymion hadn't known of this, as he had been en route to Mars to meet with the brother of princess Rei, Ares. However, Arjirea wanted to surprise her son upon his return.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance princess, "Kunzite bowed, kissing the back of Beryl's hand. She blushed, smiled and nodded and he stepped back. "My queen, your daughter is most charming. I look forward to dining with you all this evening with my fellow Shitennou."
"I look forward to it Lord Kunzite," Beryl said, unable to stop herself smiling at the handsome warrior.
As the days passed, Beryl was besieged with visitors. The nightmares faded. Things seemed to be improving, and her own personality was re-asserting itself. But then it happened, a youma incursion on palace grounds.
Beryl was beside herself, wringing her hands. "No, you're not going to harm them!" she hissed, and transformed into Sailor Terra. Summoning her roses and hurling these at the rock-like youma as it stomped towards her parents and their guard, it faltered.
The creature was wounded and the rock was cracking. The beast looked like a humanoid dinosaur. Its stony hands reached for her mother. Beryl lunged at the creature with a rose light and blasted the youma to dust. She then produced a beautiful ruby scepter and held it aloft.
"Careful Terra!" Arjirea cried, summoning her own scepter as her husband launched golden roses at the oncoming youma hordes, destroying these.
"I won't let them ruin everything I have, we have fought to reclaim. Shitennou, now!" Terra cried and the Terran kings summoned the power of the planet's elements to aid them in the battle.
Terra watched the swirling vortex of dark energy move towards her. "Terran Rose Thorn-Repel!"
Beryl dispersed the tornado and stood resplendent in her rose-colored fuku with its golden piping running over the bodice, her golden knee-high boots, short skirt and ruby tiara ablaze with rose-gold light.
"Beryl, I am sorry to break up the party, but it is time to teach you that nobody defies me. I turn my back and you go and reclaim your mantle. Shame on you."
"By the Kamis, you'll pay dearly if you harm my family!" she shouted.
But Metalia launched a blast of dark energy that weakened Sailor Terra, and as the Shitennou fired their attacks, Metalia was roused to new heights of anger and sent streams of dark plasma their way, knocking the four kings off their feet and weakening them.
"No! Stop this, Metalia, this is insanity!" Terra shouted. "Planet Pole shift magic shockwave!"
Metalia screamed. Her body was covered in steel thorns driven forth by a wave of golden light sent by Sailor Terra. Blood was pooling at her feet. She was losing energy. Metalia concentrated as her wounds healed, but the effort had weakened her considerably. But then she thrust her obsidian staff into the ground and the rocky surface of the courtyard buckled and cracked as a group of crab-like youma, small but deadly, began to punch their way through the granite flagstone and emerged before rounding on the Senshi, Shitennou along with the King and Queen.
Arjirea and Solaris had destroyed most of the crustacean youma. Their long, serrated red pincers flailed as they turned to dust. But then Metalia delivered the fatal blow and sent a cloud of dark matter towards the monarchs of Terra.
"No! Be careful my lord and lady!" Nephrite shouted. His shadow tried in vein to cut the deadly mist off, but without much success. As the cloud engulfed her parents, they screamed in pain. Two starbursts of golden light were the last Beryl would ever see of them again.
"No, mother, father… no!" She launched a volley of roses at Metalia, but the Dark Kingdom bitch had vanished. The wind howling around her and her rage so great, Terra had caused the ground to shake and masonry to fall all around them. The Shitennou rushed to her aid, but it was too late. The youma had all been recalled by their mistress and as the Terran guard finally arrived on the scene, the news got worse. That was, if it could get any worse for Beryl.
She collapsed into the arms of Jadeite, sobbing into the warrior's uniform as he tried to offer words of comfort to the Terran Senshi. The others joined him with palace staff as they escorted the distraught princess to her chambers.
Beryl had detransformed, and wiped the tears from her face, receiving hugs from the Shitennou and her new friends within the Terran court.
"Endymion must be told. Please, recall him," she whispered to a servant girl as she sat on the bed as the Shitennou offered what comfort they could.
"Yes, my lady."
Beryl was furious with herself, believing that Metalia would actually be stupid enough to leave her to rule and play along with the wishes of the Dark Kingdom until Beryl could raise an army to challenge and destroy her. She was a fool. But that wasn't going to happen, not now, if ever.
Beryl's despair and thirst for revenge soon allowed Metalia to regain control of her agent in the Terran capital. The Shitennou were now fighting to clear Atlantari of all insurgency, but Metalia bided her time and set her new plans in motion.
Just when it seemed the danger was over and the people could mourn the loss of their rulers, the repercussions of the death of Solaris and Arjirea were about to be felt planet wide. The surface of Terra was rocked by a succession of violent tectonic quakes, this followed by unprecedented volcanic activity that tore huge gashes in the planet's crust, causing the poles to flip. Tsunamis of magma decimated the lands of Atlantari and Myola, sending these under the sea.
Desperate evacuation protocols were put in place. Many fleeing in Terran warships and an array of star bound vessels; others chose to take their chances by sea or terrestrial airships. The weather was extreme, and difficult to negotiate for refugees leaving the beleaguered supercontinents. Violent storms were raging for months at a time. The death and devastation extended to the four corners of the blue world.
Soon, a new headquarters and palace compound had been established in the eastern lands that would one day come to be known as Japan.
Sailor Terra, or princess Beryl had disappeared without a trace. Seeking revenge on Metalia, had only made her more susceptible to the power of her archenemy.
