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.
--
The light of hope...
But what nurtures that light? Do we need a darkness of despair to treasure that light of hope so?
I hope not. On this, I have gambled my entire existence. As a Sailor Soldier. As a human being. As a soul. I want to live in a world without evil. So why have I surrendered to Chaos?
As Metalia said, chaos is vital to the future, and I am slowly starting to understand why. As the pressure takes its toll on my body, I feel alive, even as I die. In this battle with no visible light that I am locked in, I feel my will moving with my own force.
Is it beautiful? No. But I'm trying as hard as I can to avoid bloodshed. My opponent, however, actively seeks to fight in populated areas, in order to restrain my attacks. Soon, my anger will grow out of control, and I will stop at nothing to erase him.
Come quickly, Sailor Moon. This planet is far too small to be the final battle arena. You must become far stronger than you are now.
Come quickly, Sailor Moon. You must feel the pain that I did and overcome it in your own way. Then, together, we can find the planet most suited for us. You, the Light of Hope, and I, the human that surrendered it, so that Chaos can never harm this planet again.
Come quickly, Sailor Moon. If we cannot do it together, I would rather die in this place. Please understand... Sailor Moon...
--
SAILOR MOON: CHAOS THEORY
STRING 09 – The Darkness that Hides the Light.
--
A bright light materialized out of Nehellenia's bosom and floated into the Void. It became a crystal; a dark shining crystal.
"What is this?" the Princess said, walking towards it.
"That is the Black Onyx Crystal," Nehellenia replied. "It is a magical charm born from the heart that created the Illusionary Silver Crystal, that Queen Serenity holds. With it, Princess Serenity, you can make your dreams come true. You can become Sailor Moon, and protect this world that you love. However, there will be a price."
"A price?" the Princess said, as her hands trembled at the prospect of taking hold of it.
"Your friends will become your enemies," Nehellenia sighed. "This is the nature of the Nightmare. Because all beings with life will love you, you will have no one to forgive, and so your friends must become your enemies."
"I don't understand," the Princess admitted, her hands clenching.
"Perhaps you will understand this, then," Nehellenia went on. "The same light of hope that rebuilds our future, will destroy our past."
The Princess gasped. "Galaxia said that!"
All the Sailor Soldiers nodded. "That is the legend of the Sailor Wars," Saturn said. "The words left to us by the Legendary Sailor Soldier, to guide our path. Along with that, she also left us this."
"When darkness comes to make all into one, she will appear, born of love for all, shining the light that we must follow," Pluto finished Saturn's thought. "Princess Serenity, without a doubt, you are the one this legend spoke of."
"Why do my friends have to become my enemies?" Princess Serenity said. "Won't it hurt each of us to fight?"
"They will forget about your friendship, and come for the Silver Crystal that you will hold," Nehellenia explained.
"I hold? But my mother holds it."
Nehellenia smiled sadly and looked to the Queen, who finally understood. She stood up, and caressed the moon-shaped tie on the ribbon on her bust.
"Daughter," she whispered. "The time has come. I'm not afraid anymore."
A bright light started to shine out of that tie.
"Mother, no!" the Princess shouted. "You... you'll die!"
"No, I won't," the Queen replied. "Not while I'm here in the Void. Here, I can protect you for always, as has been my wish. That's the wish I made on the Silver Crystal, the day I was born. To have a daughter who would help my people, and to be able to protect her, no matter what."
"That's impossible!" Mars shouted. "You are the Queen! If Princess Serenity becomes Sailor Moon, then who will rule the Kingdom of Serenity?"
"Nobody," Nehellenia said in a soft voice. "The Kingdom of Serenity will be no more."
"No more?" Venus asked. "What do you mean?"
"The time is not right for you to understand," Nehellenia said simply.
The brilliance of the Illusionary Silver Crystal now shone brightly. It was drawn towards the Black Onyx Crystal, but there seemed to be a force keeping them apart.
"What's this?" Jadeite noted. "They seem to want to be together."
"Once the two Crystals come together, they will become the true Silver Crystal, the Mystical Silver Crystal," Nehellenia explained. "When that happens, I will disappear until the next new moon, and you will see the horrible truth of the new nightmare that you will have to face."
"The new nightmare?" Princess Serenity said.
Nehellenia nodded, with eyes downcast. "It is the will of Queen Serenity and myself that is keeping them apart. My mind is glad for this, as it would mean the destruction of the people with whom I bore a grudge against. But my heart is sad."
"Are you our enemy after all?" Prince Endymion said.
"There will be death and destruction in your future," Nehellenia said. "Or should I say, the illusion of death and destruction. It will be the love of Sailor Moon that saves you, and you will know this. It will be this feeling of love in your heart that gives you the power to suffer and die on the battlefield, to prove to the world that Sailor Moon's power is the strongest."
"But that's not what I want!" Princess Serenity protested. "That's not what I want at all!"
"We know," Nehellenia said. "This is the will of Chaos... that enemy that you feared all these millennia, in the cycles of death and rebirth that the Sailor Soldiers have taken upon themselves. But now you will see that she is your true ally. Because the current enemy, the new nightmare, cares nothing of the battle between light and darkness. He merely wants to be the most powerful."
Pluto and Saturn looked at each other. Their severe expressions said more than words.
Queen Serenity's knees started to knock, and with the force of her own will, she ceased their trembling. She was in such a state of fear, one she hadn't known since she was a child. Now, those fears that she thought she had surpassed were back.
"Chaos is our ally? But that's impossible," Mars said.
Mercury agreed. "It is the power of light that builds and creates stars, planets and worlds. Darkness..."
She then stopped in her tracks.
"That's right," Nehellenia said. "Darkness, chaos, in and of itself, has no power. It can only conceal. You have been mistaken about the nature of light, though. Light can take two forms: radiance, and fire. Fire is the light that destroys, and radiance is the light that builds. Chaos has had to borrow from the power of fire, and has concealed that all this time. But when these two crystals come together, you will see the fire for yourselves."
"'Fire'..." Venus gasped. "Are we in hell?"
"Hell?" Jupiter asked Venus.
"The Earthlings that believe in God, believe that when they die, they are sent to a place where they are judged," Venus explained. "Those who do good become one with the light in a place they call 'heaven', but the evil ones are sent to the fire. That, they call 'hell'."
"When the crystals unite, yes, this Void will become what the humans describe as hell," Nehellenia said. "But it is not a place of suffering. Once Princess Serenity decides to become Sailor Moon, that is when the true fight will begin, against her allies. But Princess, your enemies will also be your friends, and they will remind you of this."
Jupiter glanced at Nephrite. Nehellenia noticed this. "Yes, your thinking is correct," she told them. "It will be training. You, the Sailor Soldiers, will understand this, but Princess Serenity will not. Support her, give her emotional strength, and remember — none of this is real."
Prince Endymion blinked, confused by this information. "We're... dreaming?"
"That is up to the Queen," Nehellenia said. "With her will, she will decide this. If she withdraws the Illusionary Silver Crystal back into her locket, you will all wake up in Elysion and proceed with your quest to make Princess Serenity into Sailor Moon without success, and the fight will be in Galaxia's hands. You will remember none of this."
Princess Serenity frowned.
Nehellenia glanced at the Princess. "However, if you decide to move forward, then the Princess will become Sailor Moon for sure, and her training will begin in this place. Once her training is complete, you will be returned to Earth, at the same time when you released the seal, but you will remember everything. Then, your tasks will be clear."
"What will happen to my mother?" the Princess asked.
"I'll stay here," the Queen said. "And I'll also be here." She touched her own heart.
"What do you mean?" The Princess was confused. Something inside was nervous, but something still deeper was excited at the possibility. She knew both she and her mother wanted this, whatever it meant.
"Princess, when I am not with you, have you ever heard my voice guiding you?" Queen Serenity asked her.
The Princess gasped and looked down. "I... I don't know," she admitted. "I remember once I thought I heard your voice, but then I asked you about it and you said you didn't remember... so I thought it was just my imagination."
"Do you remember what else I said then?" the Queen said. The Sailor Soldiers and the Generals noticed, as they spoke, that the Crystals were drawing closer and closer together.
"That you were proud of me... but I didn't understand," the Princess replied. "I thought you were just humoring me."
The Queen smiled and walked towards her daughter. She put her hands on her shoulders, then just gave in to her impulse and hugged her. "You've kept much from me, too," she whispered. "You've felt unworthy, haven't you? Not as graceful as your mother, not as brave as the Sailor Soldiers that protected you, not as smart as Luna who guided you? Why didn't you tell me any of these things?"
"Mother," the Princess said, and then gently pushed her away. She then took her mother's hands. Both their faces were overflowing with tears.
"I'm not a little girl anymore," the Princess went on. "I know you're scared for me, but I have to do this. Even if I'm not graceful, brave or smart. Or even if I'm a crybaby..."
"Princess, you don't have to do this," Venus said, walking towards them, but Pluto and Saturn crossed their weapons, holding them back.
"This moment is between them," Saturn declared.
"Please honor their final time together," Pluto added.
"You witnessed the enemy, and you stood your ground," the Queen said. "You didn't run away. He had no reason not to kill you. Princess... if what Nehellenia says is true... if you are a gift sent to me from God..."
"Mother!" the Princess cried. "You don't believe in that, remember?"
"I've prayed that you could bring peace between our people and the people of Earth," the Queen said as her image started to shine and sparkle. "I started wondering who I was praying to..."
"The crystals have touched!" Zoisite shouted.
"Mother... don't go yet, please," the Princess was sobbing now. Trying to stay brave by holding her hands, she just wanted to hug her. Sensing time was running out, she gave in to her urge and tried to let go of the Queen's hands, but the Queen held hers tighter.
"Don't," the Queen said with a smile. "I know you want to, but don't. Princess... look at me."
Their eyes met.
"We'll meet again," the Queen said with self-assurance. "This isn't goodbye. You silly little dumpling, you should have told me your doubts. Queen Serenity is in your heart. Just because I don't remember, doesn't mean I'm not there. Now, I must address my subjects."
"Yes, Mother," the Princess said, and wiped her nose. She was overwhelmed by emotion now.
The Queen, whose figure was rapidly fading away, turned to the Sailor Soldiers and the Generals. "Come whatever may, I have total faith that you all will protect my daughter, whether she is Princess Serenity or Sailor Moon, with your lives. Please remember this, though... I love all of you for serving my daughter, and we will meet again."
Her eyes then fell onto Prince Endymion, who blushed visibly. "Prince Endymion, surely you will..."
Then the Void was filled with light, and both Queen Serenity, in her light, and Nehellenia, in her darkness, shimmered away into one, and flooded the chamber with a warm brilliance — the combination of fire and light.
--
Prometheus pounded the ground beneath him, causing a massive wave of dirt to move towards Galaxia. She smirked and merely leaped over it, then before it could completely pass, kicked the wave with her foot, dispersing it.
"You were trying to destroy Sidon with that wave, weren't you?" Galaxia said knowingly. "Are you really trying to turn Earth into your playroom of destruction?"
"You keep interfering with me, and that will be the final result!" Prometheus bellowed.
Galaxia frowned. What's this feeling I have that something's going on? And all the while, Prometheus' power is building. Soon, he will surpass humanity, and without a doubt, I know that his hatred will drive him to the Kingdom of Serenity. I have to prevent that all costs!
Even if I...
"I notice you've been moving in a certain direction," Prometheus said with a wry smirk. "And that you haven't brought your Sword of Sealing. Perhaps you are trying to draw me to Raulus?"
Galaxia bit her lip.
"Perhaps you left the Sword there to guard the place where you buried that pitiful person?" Prometheus continued. "How sentimental. I thought you were made of stronger stuff than that."
"I admit I made a mistake," Galaxia spat as her eyes narrowed. "But this battle will be the ultimate test of my skill. Will I be powerful enough to get you to Raulus and seal you away before my life expires? It will be interesting to see the result."
"So you accuse me of wanting to make this planet my playroom, but you're having fun yourself?" Prometheus scoffed. "This will be quite interesting indeed."
If only that fool Metalia weren't interfering with my teleportation, I could end this now, Galaxia thought to herself as she dodged and blocked blows from her opponent. But surely in her foolishness lies some hidden wisdom. I'll discover that for myself in this fight. In the meantime, my goal is clear. While I could destroy Prometheus now... I must instead guide our fight towards Raulus!
That is the only goal of this fight. This is how I will honor your sacrifice... Kaorinite... Phaon!
--
When the light finally began to fade, Princess Serenity found herself alone in a location that resembled what we would now know as a Greek pantheon, with crumbled towers and crabgrass growing over unused spaces.
It took quite some time for her to adjust to her surroundings and to the fact that she was alone. There was a deep silence that she couldn't comprehend. Finally, she asked aloud, "What is this place?"
She didn't expect a reply, but got one. "This is the world of the new moon, the nightmare."
And the clacking of shoes walking upon stone was heard, which Princess Serenity anticipated with dread in her gut, as Beryl appeared before her. She now looked much paler than she did before, holding her fortune telling globe on a staff.
"You're a friend of my mother's," the Princess said.
"Yes, I am," Beryl responded. "In this place, my name is Queen Beryl."
"Nice to meet you," the Princess replied.
Beryl sighed, though. "I had hoped you would have transformed into Sailor Moon at this point," she said. "That would make my task less difficult."
"'Task'?" the Princess asked, and then remembered herself. "Where is everyone?"
"The Sailor Soldiers of the Inner Planets are battling the Generals of Earth," Beryl said. "That is what they would spend their free time doing... training against threats to the peace of the galaxy. But now their battle is real. They will be fighting for their lives."
"Is this what Nehellenia was talking about?" the Princess asked.
"'Nehellenia'?" Beryl asked with genuine confusion as she set her staff down. "Who is that?"
"You... you don't know?" The Princess was becoming more and more nervous with her situation.
Beryl smiled a sad little smile. "You are in love with a man," she observed. "As fate would have it, we love the same man."
"Prince Endymion?" the Princess asked, and then once again remembered that he was gone. "Where is he?"
"When you defeat me, you will find him," Beryl said, and green energy began to form in her hands.
"Defeat... you?"
"Tell me, Princess Serenity... would you give your life to protect the man that you love?"
"Of course!" the Princess shouted, growing more frustrated. "Just tell me where he is!"
"I was afraid of that," Beryl said, placing her hands together. "I would do the same. Metalia tells me that if I kill you, I may be with the Prince. I know that's not true. I know that the blood on my hands would mean I could not in good conscience be with the Prince. I know she knows that. She knows I could never kill you. But, if I don't try..."
The green blast in her hands shot at Princess Serenity, who screamed and barely avoided it.
"If I don't try to kill you, Princess Serenity, nothing can happen!" Beryl cried, and another blast shot at the Princess. This one hit. A strange light flooded the Princess' eyes as pain gripped her entire body. Her heart began to beat faster, and her gut knotted. Her legs gave out, and she screamed in pain.
"Why are you doing this?" the Princess demanded after she recovered. "You're friends with my mother, aren't you? I...!"
I'm with you, my daughter, a voice in her head echoed. That's not Beryl. When Chaos tried to invade the earth, Beryl sacrificed her life so that her powers couldn't be used for its purposes. The person you face is a mere shell, but she's limited by her soul. Speak to her! You can do this.
The Princess evaded another green energy blast. "Beryl," she said. "You don't have to kill me to be with Prince Endymion."
"But you love him," Beryl said, her hands glowing again. "One man, one woman. That's the law."
"I'll give him up for the peace of the earth, if that's what it takes," the Princess replied.
"How weak your love is!" Beryl screamed in anger. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a witch! I know that you and Endymion are fated to be together! Even if you say that, it can't change destiny!"
"Beryl, we don't have to fight," the Princess said, moving unsteadily as she was still in pain. "It's true... I love Prince Endymion. But if that will be the cause of a fight... then I'll change my own destiny. You're not my opponent, Beryl..."
Beryl clenched her fists, and tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Something's fighting inside you, isn't it, Beryl?" the Princess said, suddenly understanding what Beryl was going through. It was the same as Galaxia back then. If she could just touch her...
But Beryl shrunk away as the Princess approached. "Stay away!" she said. "If Chaos gets its hands on you, then everything will be over!" She fired another blast at the Princess. This one hit her dead on, but it didn't hurt her, and she seemed to absorb the force.
I know that hurt, but I didn't feel it... instead, my body took the brunt of it. I feel it inside... the strength to fight for what I believe in. Yes... I know Beryl is in pain! I can help her! The true fight will be inside my own heart!
"Queen Beryl... it's all right," Princess Serenity said, and clasped Beryl's hand.
Suddenly a memory blasted loud in Princess Serenity's mind like a trumpet...
--
"To use lightning against me... how insulting!" Sailor Jupiter grinned, then shouted with all her strength. "Supreme Thunder!"
"I'm not done yet!" a battered Sailor Mars whispered. "Fire... Soul!"
The spectral images of Princess Serenity's friends, the four Sailor Soldiers of the Inner Planets, encouraging her to go on, even after they'd given up their earthly lives.
"We'll always be together!" Mars promised.
And then Princess Serenity was wielding the Mystical Silver Crystal against a giant Queen Beryl. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she shouted, the power of her friends guiding her as a giant light swallowed Beryl whole.
Then the Princess saw her own body, now dead at the top of the world, whisper her final wish in her mind...
"I want to go back..."
--
Beryl was weeping fully now.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't want to go against the Kingdom of Serenity... but I saw the vision in my crystal ball. I knew it would happen... but I tried to keep it from happening by going to the Kingdom of Serenity myself with no power."
"And you died," the Princess said.
"I was hoping you would be Sailor Moon by now," Beryl admitted. "If you had been, then you'd remember. You'd remember the things I had done to you, and you'd finally end my life here."
"But you didn't do them."
"Yet. I will, in the future. That much is certain. That can't be changed."
"I don't believe that," the Princess said. "The future is never set in stone. No matter what, we can always fight the bitter destinies we see. That is what you did, when you came to the Kingdom and died, wasn't it... my friend?"
Beryl gasped in shock. "Queen Serenity?"
The Princess smiled and nodded, letting the voice in her heart guide her.
But Beryl just continued to look depressed. "It still won't be enough," she said. "Metalia has shown me the threat of Prometheus. You wield a great power of forgiveness, but that will not help you defeat this enemy. You need to have power, Princess... but that power may corrupt you."
"I know," the Princess said. "The true battle is in our hearts. As long as we fight that battle inside, we won't have to fight each other."
"Princess, you have to understand the Sailor Soldiers and the Generals, though. Even though their lives are on the line, they're happy right now. They're gaining strength to fight for your sake. You need to have that kind of attitude, if you are to persevere through this nightmare!"
"Beryl, this isn't my nightmare," the Princess said. "It's yours, isn't it? You're in love with a man that you believe you can never have... and you fear what you would do, who you would betray, to get that love for yourself. I understand my role much better now."
Beryl's complexion started to regain its color as her free hand clasped that of the Princess. "I'm supposed to be wise, but in my heart I am such a petty little girl. What can I do?"
"Let's end the fighting," the Princess said. "When I am strong enough to be Sailor Moon, then we can all fight together. But right now, there's no reason to gain strength. I believe that everyone is strong enough as they are, right now. You believe that too, don't you?"
"I'm afraid, Princess."
"Of Prometheus?"
Beryl nodded.
"We won't leave this place until we believe we are strong enough to fight him, I'm sure," the Princess said. "But we won't gain anything from just fighting each other. All of us, together, can find the way... the way where no one has to be sacrificed. Can you believe in me, Queen Beryl?"
"I'm not the Queen," Beryl said. "The true Queen is Metalia, that everlasting spirit of fire."
"Metalia?" the Princess said.
"That's right, Sailor Moon," a voice said from behind the Princess, as the pantheon background faded away. They were back in the Void... but it was only the Princess and Beryl, and the figure who spoke to the Princess... a red-headed woman in a black catsuit with a ruby bustiere.
"You're Metalia?" the Princess said, turning towards the new figure.
"My name is Kaorinite, and I'm Metalia's current vessel," the woman said. "In the future, Beryl will become Metalia's vessel, but then you will destroy her. I cannot live in this world, Sailor Moon. It is not one that supports my dream."
"Your dream?" the Princess said.
"I had a dream once," Metalia said, closing her eyes. "A dream that humans and Lunarians, and creatures from all over the galaxy, could live on Earth. That is why I became the sun."
"But I cannot destroy the sun!" the Princess said. "Without it, the world would be in darkness forever!"
Metalia frowned and turned away. "With that kind of attitude, you could never be a Sailor Soldier," she said. "You need to understand... evil has to perish!"
"How could anyone with a dream like that be evil?" the Princess shot back. "We can still achieve that dream... I'm sure of it!"
"Really?" Metalia said. "For generations, Earthlings have been warring against each other. If they could, they'd destroy the Kingdom of Serenity, for the sake of sheer hatred alone. Even now, they wreck their own planet in the name of gaining more and more land! Land, Princess! This is not what humans were created for."
"I know that the people of Earth felt jealous of our long lifespans," the Princess said, thoughtfully. "But we were jealous too! We would never know what it was like to die, or to work hard for something. The immortality and enjoyable lives we had were lived on their backs and their hard work, and we knew it... we were trying to achieve peace..."
"As was I, as Kaorinite," Metalia said. "And even as Metalia, I still struggled to keep the world safe. For such a long time, I thought the threat was Chaos. And so Galaxia and I worked together to find a warrior that could succeed Galaxia in case she ever succumbed to what she sealed within herself. But the threat was never Chaos; it was humans all along, and it has culminated in that warrior named Prometheus. He's killing the only good hearted humans left as we speak. He has to be stopped no matter what the cost."
"Prometheus..." the Princess felt a deep sadness in her heart when she spoke the name.
"We know that he killed Sailors Uranus and Neptune," Beryl said. "He has that kind of power, that kind of tenacity. He has to be met with an equal power, or you will be annihilated if you show yourself as a soldier."
"But he didn't kill me," the Princess said. "He said I wasn't a warrior. Do I even need to become a Sailor Soldier? Perhaps if I showed up as myself, he'd listen to me."
Two new voices entered the Void, these familiar to the Princess: Sailors Pluto and Saturn.
"Prometheus is afflicted with the disease of 'soul necrosis'," Saturn explained. "And it is progressing rapidly. Very soon, he will not be able to distinguish friend from foe."
"At this rate, no matter what form you would show yourself in, you would be destroyed," Pluto added. "Only Galaxia can match him right now."
Metalia sighed. "If only Galaxia hadn't sealed Chaos within herself..." she lamented.
The Princess dropped to her knees, overwhelmed. "There has to be a way of solving this without killing anybody," she sighed sadly.
"There is," Saturn said. "I can use my power."
"I said without killing anybody!" Princess Serenity snapped. "If you use that power, you'll die!"
"Besides, there would be no point," Beryl said. "The planet is already in ruins. By using your power, Sailor Saturn, you would get rid of whatever life is left. There's no other way." She then turned to Princess Serenity. "You must use the power of Galaxia's Star Seed, and become Sailor Moon."
"How?" Princess Serenity cried. "I don't know what that means."
To this, Pluto walked up to the Princess and gave her something resembling a compact. "Luna told me to give this to you when you were ready," she said.
"You saw Luna?" the Princess said.
Pluto and Saturn pointed their weapons at an area in the Void and fired, and created a door. "Through this door is your fate, Princess Serenity," Saturn said. "Keep that compact with you. When it's time, you'll know what to do."
The Princess nodded and then turned to Metalia and Beryl. "Even though this is a dream, I know we will meet again," she said. "So don't be sad."
"Hurry forward, Sailor Moon," Metalia replied. "And don't look back."
Once again, the Princess nodded and, gripping the compact tight, ran to the door, which opened as she approached. A light emanated from the door which seemed to swallow her as she ran through it.
When the light faded, she saw a strange figure. He was wearing a black dress suit similar to the ones that Earthlings wore for royal events, along with a top hat, a flowing cape and a mask. He wielded a staff as well.
He leapt down from the wall he was standing on and faced Princess Serenity.
"Who are you?" the Princess asked.
The masked figure raised his staff. "My name is Tuxedo Mask and I'm an emissary of darkness," he said. "To take the name of Sailor Moon, you must defeat me in battle now, Princess Serenity!"
--
END OF STRING 09
--
Princess Serenity has not transformed into Sailor Moon yet, and now she's confronted with a masked figure. Is this the trial that she must see through? And what of Galaxia and Prometheus? The answers lie beyond the realm of human reason. Next time: String 10 — Moon Prism Power! The Birth of a New Legend.
