The non-original characters in this fanfiction are copyrighted to Naoko Takeuchi and Toei where applicable. Any original characters are considered the intellectual property of Danny Lilithborne and may NOT be used without permission.
You may want to read "The Golden Queen of Shadow Galactica" as it is something of a prelude to this fiction.
--
"Thou shalt not kill" is an absolute law of God that cannot be violated.
However, God Himself had to violate that law when man rose up against woman. The beauty and serenity of women compared to the volatile power of man gave the latter something to be envious of, and jealousy was born. It was this that caused a man to rise up against his own brother and murder him in cold blood.
If you believe that to be true, then I suppose you could consider me his brother's keeper.
I am Sailor Galaxia, the avenger of the innocent. Because of that grudge, I was born, the Sailor Soldier who destroyed galaxies and created justice. With my own hands, I created a future that was free from the bloodthirsty impulses that gave rise to the Mark of Cain.
However, with a world free from the need for law, man soon became sinful again, and this time he dragged woman down with him. So I once again took up arms and struck down humanity with the Sword of Sealing. But in doing so, I allowed the evil I sealed within me to devour my body.
My soul shall live on. Under no circumstances will I allow Chaos to overtake my free will.
Unless...
--
SAILOR MOON: CHAOS THEORY
STRING 07 – Soul Necrosis! Metalia's True Face.
--
As King Phaon completed his day's work, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said, and was greeted by Prometheus. However, something was off about Prometheus' appearance.
"I'm about to go," Prometheus said, sounding out of breath. "But before I go, there's been something on my mind. Something I wanted to ask you."
"Prometheus, is something wrong?" Phaon pressed.
"Your wife," Prometheus said in a slight voice, advancing on the king. "Why haven't you tried to find her?"
Phaon felt a sense of dread overwhelm him as he looked into Prometheus' eyes. He suddenly felt as if the true answer wouldn't satisfy him.
"Metalia..." Prometheus went on. "Where is she?"
His tone was full of mirth as he continued to force Phaon into a corner.
"Hold it right there!" a voice called from behind the two men.
Prometheus turned, startled by the powerful voice.
"Prince Endymion!" King Phaon shouted.
"There is no need to explain," Endymion said, placing his hands on the hilt of his sword. "It is very clear what is happening here."
He then turned to Prometheus. "You! Identify yourself."
"I am under no obligation to do that," Prometheus replied flatly, revealing something he had been holding in a space unseen — a sword. "Instead, I'll just show you this. It should tell you all you need to know." The golden hilted sword with its short blade gave off a bright glow. Jewels sparkled upon its shimmering surface, tainted by a hint of blood.
Endymion gasped in shock. "You have the Space Sword?" he asked.
"Oh, is that what this is called?" Prometheus said, looking at it in a bemused fashion. "To me, this is just a prize I got for killing Sailor Uranus."
"You... no! That's impossible!" Endymion's hands were now gripping the hilt of his own sword much tighter.
This mere boy claims to have killed one of the most powerful Sailor Soldiers of the Solar System, he thought to himself. I want to believe he's bluffing, but there's simply no way Uranus would let go of that Holy Talisman. Still, that is a claim that I should not just take at face value.
"Do you want to be my next victim, Prince Endymion?" Prometheus said in a coy tone, approaching the Prince in a deliberate manner.
"You won't touch the Prince of the Golden Kingdom!" Phaon shouted, and rushed Prometheus in blind desperation. His loyalty to the prince as a fellow royal was demonstrated.
But Endymion knew better. "King Phaon! Don't do it!" he shouted, but it was too late.
Prometheus grabbed Phaon by the cuff of his shirt and his anger rose. "Don't you dare ever do that again!" he shouted, and threw his former master against the wall. "I am more powerful than you! I don't have to obey your orders or be your 'Vicegerent' anymore!"
But Phaon didn't seem too injured. He rose off the floor, body shaking but steady. "In that case, since you're just a civilian, I... I don't have to tell you where Queen Metalia is..."
"Metalia?" Prince Endymion gasped. "Do you know something about what happened to her, Phaon?"
"I cannot talk about this now... Prince Endymion," Phaon said. "I... I have to protect..."
"Enough of this nonsense!" Prometheus bellowed. He opened his palm, and power gathered into it. Endymion and Phaon both caught their breaths and stared in shock. Humans weren't supposed to be able to summon force energy with just their strength of will.
Before they could make a move to stop him, Prometheus released the blast and it threw Phaon hard against the wall. Hitting his head, he slumped to the floor, unconscious.
"Now that annoying pest won't disrupt our fight," Prometheus said, turning to Endymion.
"What is your purpose?" Endymion challenged him, slowly drawing out his sword. "And how have you obtained this incredible power?"
"That is none of your concern," Prometheus chuckled. "Warriors shouldn't ask questions of their opponents. They should just fight... or they'll be killed!" He then yelled as he ran forward to slash Endymion with the Space Sword.
There was no time for further discussion. Endymion finally drew his weapon and blocked the deadly Space Sword. Prometheus put a lot of force into his attack, and the pressure was palpable as Endymion was pushed back slightly from the blow.
"Impossible!" Prometheus shouted. "How can your sword stand up to a Holy Talisman?"
"That item does not belong to you!" Endymion replied, and then cried out as he threw all his strength into pushing the blade of the Space Sword back. He knew Prometheus would try to strike again, and indeed, Prometheus wasted no time in rushing Endymion in what he saw as a vulnerable moment.
Endymion dodged the blow, and Prometheus almost fell. He steadied himself with his outstretched hand and executed a complicated spin-kick maneuver, which Endymion dodged too. Endymion then struck him with the hilt of his sword, which knocked Prometheus to the ground.
This is bad, Endymion thought. My opponent... his energy reserves seem to be limitless. It's taking all my strength to gauge and avoid his movements. I need to end this quickly.
As Prometheus got up, Endymion gathered energy into his own palms. I need to limit the power of his attack. I don't want to kill him.
Prometheus gripped the Space Sword and tried to get his senses about him. But when he did, it was too late to avoid Endymion's next move.
"Smoking Bomber!" Endymion shouted, and discharged the built-up energy, striking Prometheus' body full on. He dropped Uranus' sword and toppled to the ground. His body was smoking, but Endymion could see the slight heave in his chest — he was alive. Endymion sheathed his sword and picked up the Space Sword so he could return it to wherever it was meant to go.
He heard a hard cough.
"King Phaon!" Endymion ran to help the king as he regained his wits. "Who is this boy?"
Phaon looked up at Endymion and offered a wry smile. "You're okay... good," he whispered. "That boy is named Prometheus. My wife worked for an agency which... foresaw the return of Chaos. They were looking for someone to in..." He coughed. "Inherit Sailor Galaxia's power, in case Chaos consumed her. That boy was the prime candidate."
"Him?" Endymion's eyes widened in surprise. "He doesn't seem very skilled in the fighting arts, to be honest." He helped Phaon up.
"But he has the Space Sword, doesn't he? That item is not something one can simply take. I think... Prince, look out!"
Prince Endymion felt a huge burst of energy from behind him. "What?" he said, but before he could turn, Phaon pushed him out of the way. Prometheus had awakened, delivered a massive punch to the ground where Endymion was standing, shattering the stone floor. He glared at Phaon and Endymion. Both men could see that Prometheus' eyes were blank. His anger was in complete control.
Prometheus wasted no time with his followup attack. He jumped forward, launching into a punch.
Endymion was ready to defend Phaon, but Phaon pushed Endymion out of the way, and caught Prometheus' clenched fist. His hand sustained the blow, blood spurting out of the opened wound, some dripping off of his wrist though mostly sliding down his forearm.
"King Phaon!" Endymion protested.
"Get out of here!" Phaon shouted. "If you fight this man, you'll be risking your life. You love someone, don't you?"
The Prince gasped as the image of Princess Serenity suddenly entered his mind.
"What would she think if you died here?!" Phaon shouted. "Go! I'll hold him off!"
Prince Endymion paused for a moment, then nodded. "I'll leave it to you, King Phaon," he said as he started to run off. "Please... don't lose against him!"
"Don't worry," Phaon said Endymion beat a hasty retreat. "I never give up... and I certainly would not lose to someone like this."
"You let him go!" Prometheus shouted. "You... you... don't you know it's people like him who kill people like me?!"
"You're not thinking straight," Phaon said, and flung Prometheus' arm away. The trauma Phaon had sustained to his hand had traveled down his forearm, battering the tissue. He wouldn't be able to use that arm the way he wanted. "You came to ask about my wife, and why I'm not looking for her."
Prometheus' power started to wane as his anger stilled. "That's right... Metalia. Where... where is she? Where's Metalia?"
"Well, you're not going to get an answer from me," Phaon said, and his posture became more determined. "My wife sacrificed her life for the planet, for her dream that all beings could come here and live in peace. She didn't give up her life so that you could pretend to be some kind of hero, while killing those that defend that peace! Do you realize what you've done?"
"Of course I do," Prometheus said with a frown. "I killed Sailors Uranus and Neptune, as I plan to kill all those who fight. Of course it's wrong to kill. Once I've completed my task, I'll take my own life. Don't you see that a world with people prepared to fight will only invite the people who would fight against it? What other purpose in life would these soldiers have?"
"You lived a peaceful life too once, Prometheus!" Phaon countered. "Has Death Phantom manipulated you after all?"
"No... that coward has nothing to do with my power," Prometheus said with a sneer. "I trained to be strong, to honor the memories of my parents, but then that Sailor Galaxia came along. She showed me that no matter how hard I train, there will be people who are granted power stronger than I could ever hope to possess, from birth! Power I could never match! And I'll never be able to be loyal to my parents that way! If I don't do this, more innocent people will get caught in the crossfires of this never ending war!"
"I see... there is no talking to you, then," Phaon said. "In that case... like my wife, I will burn out my life for that dream. You will have to fight me, Prometheus! I will not let you succeed in your twisted ambitions."
Prometheus chuckled. "Interesting," he scoffed. "I suppose you must be strong since you are the King. Defeating you could raise my abilities considerably. But if you lose, then I'll kill you as well. Can the Earth survive without a King?"
Phaon raised his fists. "Whatever happens," he said. "It's your choice."
Prometheus' power increased once more as he rushed to attack, and Phaon prepared to use his good arm to defend.
--
On the Earth's Moon, Queen Serenity was discussing the current crisis with a guest and trusted adviser — Luna from the Planet Mau, a planet outside the Solar System. While she was apparently young in age, she had deep wisdom. Her concern about the situation was obvious, as she was wringing her hands together.
"With Chaos loose, there is no telling what could happen," Luna said. "Are the Sailor Wars going to begin again?"
"Chaos will be hard pressed to find allies because of the action Galaxia took 30 years ago," Queen Serenity said with a deep sadness in her voice. "I did not wish it to be so, but it seems there was wisdom in her action after all."
"Don't say things like that!" Luna chided. "A Sailor Soldier killing innocent people is..."
They were interrupted by the buzz of energy that could only be a Sailor Soldier using their powers. A rumble preceded the appearance of a golden sphere of light, and then immediately dissipated.
Sailor Galaxia was standing before them, cradling Princess Serenity's limp body in her arms.
"NO! My daughter!" Queen Serenity's eyes filled with tears, not believing the sight before her.
Luna was on her guard, but noticed the Queen's reaction. "My Queen! Don't forget that's not Galaxia! It's Cha..."
"No, I am Sailor Galaxia," the figure replied. "The Princess is fine. I had to put her to sleep."
"Why should we believe you?" Luna interjected.
"You don't have to believe me," Galaxia said, and gently laid the Princess down. "Just believe your own eyes."
Princess Serenity had sustained no injuries, and she was obviously breathing.
"Ga... Galaxia?" the Queen gasped. "You defeated Chaos? But..."
"No, I didn't defeat Chaos," Galaxia sighed. "In fact, it won't be long before it takes over me again. Listen! You have a bigger threat than Chaos on your hands right now."
"A bigger threat..." Queen Serenity started.
"Than Chaos?" Luna finished her thought. "But... isn't Chaos the source of all evil?"
"This is not an evil force," Galaxia said, and then clamped her hands over her own head. "I— I need to leave soon. But I'll tell you what I can. Metalia and I were... trying to find a warrior who could... combat me." She shook her head as if suffering from a tremendous headache. "But something in his soul, now... it's decaying; no... that's not the right word."
"Galaxia, hurry up and just tell us!" Luna said, concerned for the safety of the Queen and her daughter.
"Think of the soul as an independent being, separate to that of your physical body," Galaxia said, the words coming steadily as her mind conveyed the principle. "The body is made up of life forms that work together and reproduce. As new ones are created, the old fade away, disperse, and the life force within them feeds the new. But something different has happened with this boy's soul."
Galaxia then knelt on the floor and winced. Chaos was fighting hard for control.
"Can you tell us anything more, Galaxia?" Queen Serenity said.
"He... killed... Uranus and Neptune..." Galaxia managed to get out. Tears started to stream from down her cheeks. Queen Serenity gasped as tears began to fall from her own eyes.
Galaxia grit her teeth, then continued. "He's drawing his power from anger. He will only get... stronger... I have to use the full power of Chaos when I leave here, and destroy him. Then all of you have to come... come together and defeat me. Remember, it won't be Sailor Galaxia... it will be Chaos... no matter what I say, don't believe me..."
"Galaxia..." Queen Serenity started to protest, but then realized Galaxia was right. If Chaos had been controlling her before, she wouldn't have said these things.
"Sailor Teleport!" Galaxia shouted, and disappeared, leaving the Queen, the Princess and Luna behind.
"Luna... please help my daughter," the Queen said. "With Uranus and Neptune..." She then faltered, unable to continue.
"Leave it to me," Luna said, and helped the Princess, who was slowly regaining consciousness, to her feet. Did the Princess witness Uranus' and Neptune's deaths? Luna thought to herself. I sincerely hope not...
--
"I have to get to Earth... to defeat Prometheus..."
"Galaxia..."
The figure of Metalia appeared to Galaxia once again, surrounded by white light.
"Are you going to delay my teleport again, Queen Metalia?" Galaxia demanded.
"I am afraid so, my friend," Metalia replied, a sad look on her face. "But first, I need to explain to you the truth."
"The... truth?"
Metalia caressed the gem adorning her bust before continuing.
"My real name is Kaorinite."
"What?"
Metalia, or Kaorinite, nodded. "Metalia is the name of a spirit of the sun, a goddess of darkness and a servant of Chaos. When I fell in love with King Phaon, Metalia appeared to me in a dream and told me of the coming threat."
"Threat? But Chaos is the threat."
"No, Galaxia. Prometheus was the threat all along. I didn't see it before, but I do now."
"Then why are you stopping me from saving others from him?" Tears filled Galaxia's eyes in what was apparently the dream space. "Could it be that this is Chaos' goal?"
"Chaos is not evil, star child, but those who are good could never understand that. Chaos is destruction, that much is true. But sometimes destruction is necessary. You said so yourself, just a moment ago."
"I said bodies are made up of life forms that work together. The old supports the new by giving up their lives... but that's not the same thing."
"It is the same thing. Think of life, with all its beauty and possibilities. Why would anyone give that up willingly?" The figure calling herself Kaorinite undid a tie on her head, letting her red hair fall around her.
"I... I don't know..."
"Love, Galaxia."
"Love?"
"Awaken now."
--
When Galaxia came to, she was facing the ruins of the castle in Raulus, which could only mean one thing.
That Prometheus... he's destroyed this castle.
"Phaon! King Phaon!" Galaxia shouted, running through the ruins. She kept calling his name for what seemed like an eternity before she heard him call back.
"G...Galaxia..."
Phaon's battered body lay on the ground. She could see bruises wherever skin was exposed; his armor ruined, clothing in tatters. Judging from his wounds, he must have been enduring incredible pain after the battle was over, Galaxia noted with a shiver. He should be dead... could it be he was waiting for me to come?
"Phaon... Prometheus did this to you, didn't he?"
"I... chose to face him... to give the Prince time to escape..."
"The Prince. Prince Endymion?! He came down here? Prometheus will go after him next!"
"It's all right... the Prince returned..." Phaon wheezed as the agony caused by his injuries continued to interfere with his breathing. "The Prince returned to the Kingdom of Serenity. Prometheus can't... follow him there. Not yet..."
Galaxia pounded the floor in impotent rage. "That Prometheus... I'll never forgive him for this... Never!"
"You saw her... didn't you?"
Galaxia blinked as she was brought out of her anger by Phaon's weak voice. "Her?"
"Kaorinite..."
Galaxia gasped. So that wasn't just a vision... Metalia was telling the truth about who she was!
"We... we brought Prometheus into this world... his parents may have... given birth to him, but... we made him what he is now, so... perhaps we deserve... what happened to us..."
"Don't say that!" Galaxia shouted. "I'm the one who should shoulder all the blame. I made a rash decision and battled Prometheus, and awoke that power within his desperate, rotting soul. It's my fault!"
"But you weren't in control... were you?" Phaon said, and forced a smile.
"...what?"
"Chaos... it controls every living thing in this world," Phaon explained, and then laughed despite his tremendous pain. "Even the creatures of light... only exist through... our sacrifice. And they know it. Queen Serenity was... ready to give up everything..."
"Queen Serenity? What about Queen Serenity?" Galaxia wanted to shake Phaon, but she knew that would be heartless. "Why are you saying these things?"
Phaon's movements became sluggish; it was evident he did not have much energy left. "Since Queen Serenity came into being, she knew... from the beginning... her happy life, could only exist if other people were sad. The evil in this world... the humans never did surrender to the darkness. It was..."
"No!" Galaxia shouted. "That's impossible!"
Phaon gave a sad smile as he saw the glint of recognition in Galaxia's eyes. "The woman you saw in your dreams... her name is Nehellenia. She is... the true soul... of Queen Sere..."
And then Phaon's body finally gave out and he breathed his last.
Galaxia's frown deepened as she looked upon the once proud King of the Outer Realm, Phaon. A body that had once possessed all the beauty that a human man could ever wish for, now, all at once, destroyed by the ravages of battle. Again. Soon, Earthlings would forget his face. In time, Galaxia knew, even she might forget it.
But his memory...
"Galactica Super String!" Galaxia shouted, her hand pointing at the ground. She created a hole that would serve as Phaon's grave.
I will not surrender to Chaos, Galaxia thought to herself as she carefully placed Phaon's corpse there. And I will not let Phaon's body rot in the open air. If Chaos intends to interfere with my teleportation, then I'll have to find Prometheus with the use of my own physical powers. Watch me... Phaon... Kaorinite... I'm going to avenge you and stop this ruin that I started.
She piled loose earth over Phaon's body and then thrust her Sword of Sealing in it to mark the gravesite.
This I vow on my name, Sailor Galaxia.
Galaxia then moved forward with the speed of lightning in search of her prey.
--
Queen Serenity walked into the inner hallways of the Serenity Castle once again, where an emergency meeting of the Sailor Team had once again been called; this time confirming her suspicion that the greater threat was, in fact, this boy that Galaxia spoke of. As she opened the door, she saw not only the Team gathered with Prince Endymion and the Generals of the Golden Kingdom, but the remaining Sailor Soldiers of the Solar System; Sailors Pluto and Saturn.
They were in the midst of discussion when they were silenced by the Queen's arrival.
"What are you two doing here?" Queen Serenity inquired, her voice somewhere between shocked and angry. "Don't you have duties to attend to?"
"Do you think we wouldn't know when the light of a star died out?" Saturn added. "This is a crisis indeed, to have to summon all the Sailor Soldiers of the Solar System."
"All the ones that are left, anyway," Mars grumbled. "That Prometheus... what are we going to do without our two strongest soldiers?"
"Prometheus?" Queen Serenity asked. "Is that his name?"
"I confronted him before coming here," Prince Endymion said, and held up the Space Sword he had retrieved from him. "He had this, Uranus' Holy Talisman, and his power is tremendous. King Phaon bought me time so I could come here."
"There's another crisis that you should be aware of," Pluto added. "The reason why I'm able to appear here."
Queen Serenity gasped. Of course...
"The Door of Space-Time has vanished," Pluto said. "I don't know what it means. But without anything to guard, I can lend you my power in this time of crisis."
"It may reappear in your absence," Mercury reminded her. "We don't know what the enemy is planning. Perhaps this was the opportunity they were waiting for."
"Sailor Mercury, this is no time for planning," Venus said sternly. "Our enemy is clear. Prometheus. We have to worry about him right now."
Mercury sighed and wrung her hands. "Right... I'm sorry."
"Galaxia brought me the Princess," the Queen said.
Everyone was stunned into silence.
"Galaxia?" Kunzite was the first General to speak up since the Queen's entry.
"Her body is a vessel of chaos, but her soul seems to be struggling for control," the Queen said. "The Princess is alive and unharmed. Luna of Mau is watching over her. But... Galaxia said some things that I hope can help."
"You don't have to tell us," Saturn said. "We know."
Queen Serenity's eyes widened briefly.
"'Soul necrosis'..." Pluto said simply.
"We've seen it one time in our lifetimes before, after the end of the First Sailor Wars," Saturn explained. "Of course, not in these bodies, but our memories are still strong."
"People of the Kingdom of Serenity believe themselves to be immortal," Pluto said. "But there's a hidden suffering within that immortality, and they secretly long to have what the Earth people have — a reason to live. You, too, should understand that... better than any of us, I believe."
Queen Serenity touched her lip with her finger, and her eyes shimmered. "When I gave birth to the Princess, I hoped to give her that... I hoped that perhaps she would calm the despair of the people of my Kingdom, and the rage of the people of Earth..."
"In ancient times, when the Sailor Soldiers of love and justice fought, the pawns of Chaos would suffer from a disease that we called 'soul necrosis'," Saturn said. "Their spiritual power would multiply with unstoppable speed, and our only recourse was to annihilate them with my own power, the power of death."
"Fortunately, because Chaos was without a body of its own, we were able to prevent it from realizing the potential that taking such a body for itself would present it with," Pluto added. "Not to mention, the humans that it infected with this disease were often weak, and merely roadblocks to prevent us from finding the real enemy."
"I don't remember any of this," Jupiter admitted.
"You all made the decision to seal these memories when you were reincarnated," Saturn explained. "Even now, you will not remember. Only when the end of this existence is upon us, will they come to you, quicker than a flash."
Another dead silence.
"End of..." Zoisite murmured.
"...This existence?" Mercury finished.
"We did not expect Galaxia to take the actions she had taken," Pluto sighed. "Admittedly, we were not counting on her surviving the First Sailor Wars. Even 30 years ago, the physical form that you saw, that looked radiant with youthful beauty, was deep down inside a desperate old crone wishing to have her past returned to her."
"The memory of her treasured, irreplacable comrades falling one by one," Saturn said in a flat monotone. "The mistakes that the Original Sailor Soldier made that caused them to die, their Sailor Crystals wiped out so that they could never return. That nameless guardian, Galaxia... she's wiped them from the tablet of her heart, too, over and over, but that heart continues to beat, regardless of her will... or ours."
"Isn't that a little heartless?!" Mars snapped.
"Indeed!" Jadeite added. "To have someone live on in that way... it's just too terrible!"
"If it were not for our duty, I would have killed her myself," Saturn said. "But Sailor Soldiers are not to kill each other under any circumstance. Galaxia understands this better than anyone. Much of the code we live by, she has written herself, even if she no longer remembers."
Pluto nodded. "But now, there is this boy, Prometheus. Chaos tricked Galaxia into awakening his hatred, and now his soul is decaying, awakening within it infinite power. Soon there will be nothing that is not within his power to do."
"Are you telling me that Prometheus' power will soon equal Galaxia's?" Kunzite asked.
"No... it will exceed hers," Venus said, her tone suddenly so dark and serious in stark contrast to the usual whimsical one others knew so well.
"That's right," Saturn said. "Galaxia may be a pawn of Chaos now, but she still possesses the body of a Sailor Soldier and the mind of that heroine who saved the galaxy... no, this existence. Her belief in the code has become instinct. Chaos can take no action right now that Galaxia does not permit. Prometheus, on the other hand, is another matter."
"For him to kill Uranus and Neptune so easily," Pluto whispered. "Their wills were as strong as Galaxia's, bound to their duties. But Prometheus defeated them with the power of the human spirit combined with hatred and 'soul necrosis'... that disease that creates a fear of all existence."
"But that means he won't stop until there's nothing left!" Nephrite said.
"No!" Jupiter shouted, pounding her fist on the table. "If that's the case, then forget plans! Let's just get out there and stop him!"
"Are you a fool, Sailor Jupiter?" Prince Endymion said with anger in his voice. "If we rush in without a plan, all we will accomplish is getting ourselves killed! Who will stop Prometheus then?"
"I will."
A female voice at the door caused everyone to turn to see Princess Serenity standing there, with Luna next to her, appearing to be out of breath. "Sorry, my Queen," Luna gasped. "I tried to stop her, but..."
"Daughter, what is the meaning of this?" Queen Serenity asked, but then noticed something different in her face. Prince Endymion, the love of her life, is sitting right here, but she doesn't even seem to notice him. Her face... such determination.
She gasped in horror as the realization struck her like a slap in the face. She saw Uranus and Neptune die. No, more than that... the power of Selene within her is starting to awaken.
"Princess Serenity, this is a closed meeting," Prince Endymion said. "I'm sorry, but these are not children's matters."
"I am fourteen years old, the same age as the others," Princess Serenity reminded him coolly.
"Others?" Prince Endymion asked, confused, then gasped in shock as well. She means the other Sailor Soldiers. But then, could it be...
Princess Serenity's next words were proof to all witnesses that she was no longer a child, as she spoke them free of sadness and sorrow, but with strength and determination.
"I saw Prometheus kill Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. I couldn't do anything to stop him, or save them from suffering. I understand that a Sailor Soldier has to be ready to die, but I can't abide being a ruler without the strength to protect anyone, especially those people who want to protect her in kind. So, I've made my decision."
She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, then exhaled.
Daughter... Queen Serenity. You've exceeded my powers now. I...
"I, the heir to the Moon Kingdom, Princess Serenity, wish to become a Sailor Soldier."
--
END OF STRING 07
--
Princess Serenity wants to... become a Sailor Soldier? Is this even possible? Will her mother permit this? And what of the lurking threat of Chaos? All these questions and more will be answered in the next chapter, so be sure not to miss it! Next time: String 08 — Hidden Dreams Revealed, Journey into Elysion.
