No one understood how it could have happened.
It wasn’t believed that such a defeat would have been possible, not with two of Endymion’s Shitennou leading such a powerful army.
Word had come back that after three days of fighting, the war turned quickly from Earth’s favor to that of the dark army that had been amassed.
They said that no one survived.
Endymion locked himself in his Elysian palace and was not seen by anyone. Rumors circulated, some filled with concern for their distraught leader, others whispering that he had in fact fled to the moon and had abandoned all of them. If his Shitennou could not stop this invading force than what hope did any of them have?
The moon reacted to this news swiftly, further enforcing the ban that allowed communications between them and the blue planet. This evil could not be allowed to spread – they could not allow it to infect those of the silver millennium. The Princess tried vainly to escape the confines of the moon despite the orders that her mother had put in place to prevent her from doing so. She pleaded with her senshi for help – the earth needed them, they couldn’t stand by and let them be destroyed by something they had no control over. Most of all she appealed to Venus who had military ties to the planet.
“Please, Venus,” Serenity cried.
“No, Princess,” she said firmly, her eyes vacant as if all the happiness had been drained from her.
“You don’t understand!”
“I do understand. The blue planet must fight this on its own. You must forget about Endymion.”
The words stung.
“You don’t understand,” she repeated, her voice hardening. “You’ve never been in love before.”
Those words stung worse.
Venus joined with the Moon, stating they had already given up too much in this battle of futility. The loss of their army had been hard enough, but to know that they had lost their beloved son to a fight they had been drawn into was sacrifice enough. They would do no more.
A few more days passed and more rumors began to circulate.
There was a woman declaring herself to be the new Queen of Earth. Endymion still had not emerged from his palace. The people began to war amongst themselves. Those that were loyal to their monarchy fought against those that wore the beryl stone amulets claiming allegiance to another – one whose name brought despair to those unfortunate enough to hear it whispered in their presence.
They say that two survivors had been found. The first man no one knew the name of. His golden hair shined otherworldly and he had a shredded red sash tied around his waist. The other man was Zoicite.
Word travelled that even a third man had been found, but no one knew for sure.
A week later another rumor had been born.
This one more terrifying than anyone could have imagined.
Saturn had been awakened.
