Everything seemed surreal, dreamlike; if she touched her face, would her hand pass right through? She was afraid to find out.
Her arms ached as she lifted the sword, ignoring the darkening splatter of blood along the blade. She would have dropped it where she stood, except that she knew it was not only a weapon but a symbol; the leader of the sailor soldiers wielded it. To leave it behind in a puddle of blood, even if she wanted nothing more than to never see it again, would be unthinkable. So she stood, holding it in a white knuckled grip, as she turned. “Princess?”
“Venus! Oh, Venus!” A blur of white assaulted her eyes before she was almost thrown backwards by the desperate grip of Serenity, crying piteously. Behind her, Endymion stood proud and tall, his own sword still unsheathed and miraculously blood-free. He’d never had a chance to use it before the golden-haired soldier had come up behind the witch and done the deed for him.
The queen herself was sitting like a commoner on the edge of the steps, the moon stick dangling loosely in her hands between her knees. She looked exhausted, but happy and relieved. Banishing the strange power that had turned the people of Earth against them had been no easy feat. “Serenity, let Venus breathe,” she said at last, though her daughter seemed disinclined to acquiesce.
“Mother, I was so scared! That woman…thank the goddess Endymion and Venus were here!” With one last sniffle and squeeze, she let Venus go, not even noticing the blood now streaking her dress. She all but collapsed back into Endymion, who buried his face in her hair, holding her tight; then, he gently pushed her back to arms’ length.
The queen stood as he approached, stopping in front of her to fall onto his knees. Venus shifted to step forward as well, but the elder Serenity held up a hand to stop her. “Prince Endymion.”
“Queen Serenity the Fair, ruler of all beneath her wise hand. As Prince of Earth, I take responsibility for my people and my peoples’ unjustified hatred towards your kingdom.” His sword was lifted up in offering in both hands; it was only now that his calm façade seemed to be cracking as his arms trembled minutely. Venus felt no pity for him, though she had once regarded him as a harmless boy before. Perhaps that was all their folly; in so disregarding the people of Earth, they had been unprepared for such an assault.
Now he had good reason to fear; he was, in effect, offering Serenity whatever boon she wished to make things right. She could order Venus to kill him where he knelt. The power of the holy stone could be used to destroy the Earth. Considering how his army and people had so destroyed the Moon in their fury, the punishment could have very severe consequences indeed.
Behind her, she could hear the quick footfalls of her fellow soldiers, and she raised her hand without looking to stop them. One pair continued to step just past her, and she looked up to see the Crystal Guardian next to her, looking more exhausted than ever. Venus tried not to look at the blood that darkened the blade in her hand, closing her eyes at the sudden piercing pain in her head. Kunzite. She wanted to believe his soul was at peace; she knew he was dead.
They stood together, silently awaiting their queen’s verdict. Venus knew, despite the Guardian’s not-always-silent support of the Earth and their people that she would uphold whatever Serenity decided. She could see her fingers tighten around her blade handle, as she herself did the same, muscles tightening in anticipation. It would be tiresome to swing her sword, and she knew the Guardian felt the same; they had been fighting nonstop for hours. Both of them were bleeding, bruised, and sore.
Serenity cleared her throat, reaching out to rest her hand on the blade of Endymion’s sword. Her daughter was ghostly pale with fear, her hands wringing within the folds of her dress, but she said nothing in her prince’s defense. When her mother finally spoke, her voice was tired but strong. “Endymion. Your passion for your people does you credit. Despite your planet’s unfortunate circumstances, you would offer your life to make things right.
“However,” she said in a slightly sharper tone, “though you are prince, and heir to the throne, do you truly consider your life worthy enough to amend this tragedy? My kingdom has been assaulted; my only child nearly killed.” Her hand lifted to gesture towards Venus and the Crystal Guardian who stood ready nearby, faces set grimly. Endymion didn’t even turn to look; he seemed to possess a spine and genuine strength of character that Venus didn’t know he had in him.
Had anyone asked her a day ago, she would have described the crown prince of Earth as being a pretty boy, devoid of any real qualities. Oh, yes, he had been trained in swordplay, he could fight his generals with a reasonable amount of skill, and his diplomacy was excellent. But whatever the princess had seen in him, Venus could never say. In comparison to the royalty of the Silver Millennium, who were colourful and unique and, to her biased opinion, interesting, Endymion was little more than a fop.
Now, he was very soon to be a dead not-quite-fop.
Their queen then, surprisingly, smiled.
She tugged the prince onto his feet as her daughter all but squealed in joy and launched herself into his arms as Venus stared, stunned. Glancing at the Guardian, she saw only a pensive frown as she sheathed her sword. Venus wished she could do the same.
“Escort the prince to a secure room, my darling. Though my forgiveness is divine, I believe our people may feel otherwise. The Crystal Guardian’s room should suffice, I think?” She glanced at the redhead, who nodded curtly. “In the meantime, I shall prepare for audience; our kingdom needs to hear of our victory. All of you search the battlefield for any able bodied knights and soldiers still alive.”
After the three of them disappeared into the castle, Mars asked quietly, “Why did she let him live?”
Mercury sneered audibly, kicking a chunk of fallen brick out of the way as she began to head back down the stairs. “Isn’t it obvious? She’s finally found a prince our darling Serenity is willing to marry. Even if he is a dead-end Terran.”
“What Mercury is so gracelessly trying to say, is that it’s a political move. The princess finally gets married, peace will be negotiated, and Earth won’t be blasted into smithereens.” The Guardian pinched the bridge of her nose, smearing a trail of blood across her eyebrow. “And the king will have to go along with it, even though I’m pretty sure he had been maneuvering to marry the kid to some third cousin of his. Serenity gets a grandchild, Earth gets fucked. All’s well that ends well.”
Jupiter laughed hoarsely as she too began to descend the steps. “You really need to let go of Earth, Guardian-sama. Nothing ties you to that backwards planet anymore. And let’s be thankful for that!”
Venus heard her grunt quietly beside her as the three moved out of earshot. “Yeah. Nothing more than that which ties you to Jupiter, you little shit,” she muttered as the two of them stomped gracelessly down the steps and back into the land of the dead.
“Venus! Oh, Venus, darling!” A perfumed bosom nearly suffocated her before she could go on the defensive as her aunt dragged her into a hug. Her large, cheerful relative was one of the few who treated her as family instead of merely the soldier of Venus; her sister was another. So she endured a moment’s panic, gulping in air desperately once she was released and held at arm’s length. “How are you, my treasure?”
“Upright and mobile!” she chirped cheerfully, reaching out to snag a drink as a servant passed by. “And you, ixoli?”
“You’re always such a clown. Never change, my dear.”
They moved into the quieter alcove of the ballroom, away from the noise of the party, arm in arm. Venus was already thoroughly sick of these parties; this was the third one in two weeks, celebrating the prince and princess getting married in a month’s time. It was in actuality a way for the lunar people to let off steam after the attack, but their boisterous nature was becoming too much even for her. She knew they had been shocked and completely unprepared, but their relief was becoming excessively ridiculous.
On the bright side, she’d been bedded by every handsome man who crossed her path – some two at a time – and she had long worked off her aggression from the battle itself. Even Mercury, she heard, had been lured under the sheets. So it wasn’t truly a bad time, just tiring. Constant exuberance had its toll as well.
Her aunt sat on a discarded chair as Venus remained standing, sipping at her drink. She had seen her family at the last party, though her mother and father had, as usual, treated her like a weapon instead of their daughter. Her sister had smiled, disallowed from doing anything familiar in their presence, and inquired after her health. It had been depressing, though nothing new, and to see her aunt was always a joy. “I haven’t seen you at the other parties, ixoli,” she said after draining her glass. “Are you only here for tonight?”
“Ah, my dear, I only wish. Unfortunately, your loving mother and father have tasked me with representing the House of Aphrodite for the wedding, as they were so blessedly busy.” The sarcasm in her voice was clear, and Venus grimaced.
They both took a moment to swallow the remnants of their drinks, raising their hands simultaneously to summon another. The uniformed servant who brought them looked uncomfortable in the presence of a soldier; every time Venus caught his eye, he looked close to panicking. She knew some of the able-bodied Terran soldiers had been left behind to replace some of the dead, though they were all menial positions. Her aunt thankfully waved him away before he bolted and embarrassed himself.
Settling back, they watched the dancers as they twirled through the room, a distant sparkle of expensive gowns and glittering jewelry. Just about every kingdom had someone in attendance, which meant everyone was also trying to show off. Princess Serenity, in complete subversion, was dressed as simply as possible, in a silvery sheathe that flattered her body, a string of pearls, and glass heels. White and silver ribbons had been threaded through her ponytails. Endymion wore his black uniform, sans armor, and she stood out brilliantly against him.
Despite the nature of their upcoming nuptials, both did truly seem to be happy. Venus could not begrudge them, even if she thought Endymion had gotten off lighter than what was fair. Even his generals had been exonerated, though they carried scars: Jadeite was missing an ear and several fingers, Nephrite an arm, and Zoisite could no longer see. They were a silent shadow near their prince, a trio that had once been a quartet, and it was obvious to see that they missed their fourth. Nephrite in particular still had not uttered his name since they buried him, taking him back to Earth and his family.
“Hesperos, you seem upset. Is there something the matter? Was it the battle?” Her aunt’s hand on her arm was a shock, and Venus realized she’d been drifting, a bad habit to gain. She swirled the drink in her hand, staring at the bubbles.
“I don’t know. Ever since the battle, I’ve felt….unsure. I don’t understand why. Guardian-sama calls it “survivor’s guilt,” but it doesn’t make sense, we were defending our home from invasion! Why would I feel guilty for surviving?”
Sighing, her aunt set down her drink. “My dear, that doesn’t mean you can’t be sorrowful. You are a Venusian! You will always feel the sting of loss. War is not what our people are meant to know. Those men were husbands, brothers and sons. Someone loved them very much, and now, they’ve passed on to the next world.”
“I may be a Venusian, but I’ve trained all my life for this. I wasn’t raised to be a diplomat! I was raised to be a soldier!” Venus all but snapped, draining her drink. “Why equate me with the people who turned me away?”
“You were still born a Venusian, Hesperos! Even if you were taken from us.” Her aunt took her hand, squeezing it tightly. “You don’t know how hard I cried when I heard you had been chosen. Your parents had been so desperate for a child, and then, destiny took you away. I would have gone with you, had I been allowed. To be free of obligation, to be honored above all others…it is a prize, my darling.
“And yet it hurts to see people die, of course it does! You, the avatar of our kingdom, you would feel it so keenly. Venus is the planet of love and beauty. To see it destroyed….yes, any of us would cry.”
She would have responded, and likely in anger, had not someone else spoken up and said, “Lady Ishtar, what a surprise to see you again.”
“And you as well, Guardian-sama. Sailor Mercury I see you are well.”
Venus turned her head slightly to see Jupiter, standing behind and to the right of the Crystal Guardian, wearing her usual slight smile. The Guardian herself was in dress uniform, her hair braided back and threaded with blue ribbon. “Guardian-sama. Mercury,” she greeted them as well, a little sharper than she intended.
“Venus. Guardian-sama, I’m going to continue on,” Mercury said, bowing slightly before stepping back and into the ballroom proper. Ishtar frowned.
“What an unhappy girl as usual. Does she ever properly smile?”
Both Venus and the Guardian snorted out a laugh. “Only when it’s scientifically plausible for her to do so,” the Guardian said, tugging at the cuff of her right glove. Venus knew they annoyed her; she hated having her hands so thoroughly covered up. “Trying to bring Venus out of her funk, Ishtar-sama? I know I’ve had no luck.”
Ishtar smiled coyly, releasing her niece’s hand. “You know me so well, Guardian-sama.”
“I know the Venusians. You’d sweet-talk anyone to death.”
Venus glared at both of them, crossing her arms. “I’m standing right here! Don’t talk as if I’ve left!” She gestured at her commander with her glass, splattering a few remaining drops on her sleeve. “You act as if you have the answer to my problem, and yet won’t tell me. That makes me upset as well!”
The Guardian sighed, looking back into the ballroom. Serenity and Endymion passed by the doorway, lost in each other’s eyes as they swirled in tandem. The entire room could have been empty for all they cared of their surroundings. “They’re ridiculously, disgustingly happy, aren’t they?” she said mildly, turning back to the two Venusians. Venus smiled despite herself, knowing her aunt was doing the same.
“They light up the room with the force of their love,” Ishtar sighed, sounding wistful. “Their marriage truly will be a happy one, though the circumstance bringing them together was not.”
They continued to watch their future king and queen dance, content to stand in silence for a little while longer. Venus had to admit that they truly did belong together, though there was the smallest ache in her heart that she would never know that happiness.
During the final ceremony, there was the sharpest agony in her skull. It was such a sudden feeling of wrongness that she almost broke rank and swayed, fingers itching to grab at her head. However, she was too well trained to move; she stood rigid, flanking her prince and princess as they received their blessings from the high priestess.
Her eyes were the only parts of her to move, drifting restlessly through the throne room. She could see her aunt, sitting next to the prince of Alpha Centauri, and the queen of Mars. Jupiter’s brother was in the second row, next to Mercury’s two twin brothers. Everyone else was a sea of colour and faces.
On the dais, she stood next to Mercury; whilst on the other side of the couple stood Mars and Jupiter, all of them at parade rest. Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite stood behind the couple in an arrow formation, a position they had fought long and hard to be allowed. The Guardian had been formative in getting them what they wanted, pointing out that they were going to be the first to die if anything happened, giving the sailor soldiers time to defend the princess. Nephrite had actually laughed at her reasoning, the first time he had cracked anything resembling a smile since the battle.
Since the king was long dead, and Serenity had never taken another consort, she and the Guardian stood at the top of the dais, behind the priestess. They would be the last ones to bestow their blessing upon the couple before they would be presented to the kingdom. Serenity held the moon stick to her breast as they waited, the empty space in the crescent an obvious reminder of what was to come.
As the head priestess finished her blessing, the two parted, walking around the elderly woman to join behind her, standing close but not quite touching as they walked up the last two steps to stand in front of the queen and the Guardian.
Queen Serenity raised the moon stick high above her head, revealing it to the crowd. There was an audible noise as everyone saw the empty socket, as many of them (if not all of them) had not been alive to see the last ascension.
Venus had heard stories of the ascension, and though she assumed she would live to see it happen, she still felt discomforted. Her head was aching as if someone was drumming on it, and she could swear she could hear someone whispering a name in her ear. She let her eyes drift again to see if her fellow soldiers looked uneasy, but none of them were looking her way; they were rapt with attention watching their queen. Only Mercury had a small frown, but that was nothing unusual for her. Even the three generals were unalarmed.
She looked back up to see the queen hold the moon stick out to her daughter, relinquishing her hold as Serenity took it. No words passed between them, though Venus saw the glitter of tears in both their eyes. She herself knew what was coming; was that why she felt so upset?
The princess closed her eyes as she held the moon stick close to her breast and turned to face the room.
Everyone held their breath. Venus could literally feel the air thicken and pause.
A soft glow began to form, growing brighter as Serenity’s power finally came fully into its own, and the silver crystal took shape above the moon stick. It fit into the socket of the moon stick as it was meant to, and as it touched base, the power swept over her body.
Her golden blonde hair lightened to pure white. The white dress she had worn – a fluffy, gauzy affair – twisted around her body, becoming a silvery sheathe trimmed in gold, sleeveless like her mother’s, and trailing along the floor. Endymion seemed startled, though he had been briefed on the basics of what would happen. The rest of the room erupted into cries of joy and “Queen Serenity!” amidst clapping.
Behind her, the former queen underwent a change of her own as her hair dulled, turning a sad gray streaked with white. Her skin began to wrinkle slightly, aging her within minutes from a youthful woman of thirty to a matronly mother of perhaps sixty. The slim gown she had always worn in public loosened, growing sleeves to cover her arms and rising high to her chin. Venus could do nothing but blink at the startling transformation.
The Crystal Guardian carefully supported her during the change, taking her by the arm to slowly lead her down the steps and through the group, pausing to hand her off to Venus. The blonde soldier took her former queen’s hand gently, feeling as if she could break her; her bones had grown brittle underneath skin like parchment. It was disconcerting to realize this was the woman who had ruled the kingdom for all of Venus’ life with such vibrancy.
The Guardian had turned back to face the younger Serenity and Endymion, still flanked by his three loyal men; they evinced the slightest alarm when she withdrew her sword from what seemed to be nowhere, but Endymion lifted a hand to reassure them. She smirked slightly, and Venus could well guess what she was thinking: what could they do had she really tried to kill the prince? Kunzite had died at her hands, and he had been the most powerful out of the four of them. It was probably the only reason they had truly forgiven her, knowing, as they did, that in such a crazed state, nothing else could stop him. And she had tried to knock him out, Jadeite remembered as much; he had seen them across the battlefield, and had seen the unearthly glow of Metallia stand him upright again.
Venus felt the strangest lump in her throat as she thought of the man she had been at odds with for so long, denying her feelings so strongly… Her fingers tightened unconsciously on Serenity’s hand as she watched the Guardian lift her sword.
Both the younger Serenity and Endymion went to a knee as she set the blade across her hands, offering it to them. “I offer this blade in defense of you, Serenity, and you Endymion, and of your entire kingdom. It will taste blood upon your word; it will lay fallow as you wish it.”
They raised their hands, allowing her to set it carefully in their palms. Serenity, who had long known what to do, close her fingers over the sharpened edges, allowing her blood to stain the steel; Endymion, who had been coached, looked a little more hesitant before he gripped just a little too hard. Venus could imagine why: it was a strange magic, older than his kingdom. Her understanding of kingship on Earth was of the prince dressing in yards of dead animals, sitting on his ass, and receiving the crown. Anyone could do that. Not everyone, however, blessed the blade that would kill for them, ensuring the protective magic would recognize them as well as the wielder.
The blood disappeared into the sword. Everyone cheered and Endymion looked a bit relieved, though they didn’t hand it back yet. They simply opened their hands and let it rest again, careful now of the edges.
Up the steps came Artemis and Luna in their human bodies, each holding a coronation crown that sparkled from their recent cleaning. A delicate platinum tiara set with large diamond in the center, and stones representing each of the major planets, was in Luna’s hands. The other was a more solid silver band recently inlaid with a strip of gold, and a single pearl – found only on Earth – now set in the center. It had been another gesture to placate the kingdom, who, despite being the source of the attack, was still roiling with anger against the Moon.
The king had not even bothered to attend the ceremony, claiming to be too busy finding his new heir, and a wife for Endymion’s former fiancée. One of his cousins had come instead, dressed in too many clothes and looking like a sweaty pig in Venus’s estimation. He had been too busy trying to flirt with the woman next to him to even watch his former prince being crowned a king.
Stopping in front of the Guardian, the two Mau stepped around to either side of her, holding out the crowns. She chose silver first, carefully setting it on Endymion’s head, saying, “With this crown, you will be king; may your reign be long, and your power just.”
Taking the next crown, she set it atop Serenity’s head, saying, “With this crown, you will be queen; may your reign last a thousand years and never falter, and the Ginzuishou remain bright in your hands.”
She grasped the hilt of her sword, lifting it back from their hands, and the crowd seemed to literally freeze, holding their collective breath; it seemed slightly ridiculous, and Venus felt the older Serenity shiver with a swallowed laugh. The Guardian sheathed the blade, turning back to the crowd and holding up her hands. “I present to you, lords and ladies, King Endymion, and the brightest star, Queen Serenity.” Everyone leapt to their feet – even the swine cousin – and began to furiously clap, drowning out the sounds of the priestess and her acolytes singing.
Another ball, another drink in her hand.
Venus wanted to throw it at the wall.
The elder Serenity had lasted long enough to watch her daughter dance for the first time as queen, and then begged off to go sleep. No one argued with her, and it was heartbreaking to watch the Guardian escort her from the room, holding her like a breakable glass doll. Everyone knew she was not long to live after passing on the Ginzuishou; once the power left, there was nothing more. The holy stone was a miraculous weapon, but it was also a pervasive leech that existed mainly on the strength of the user.
No one was bothered by it, which bothered her in turn, and she couldn’t fathom why. Death was a matter of course for everyone, and though she had grown up with the woman always there, she had known since was old enough to talk what happened at a coronation. She supposed for the Guardian it was worse; unbelievably, no one had ever told her until two days beforehand. Even Serenity had kept quiet. Of course, the Guardian had acted admirably, showing no distress at all at the former queen’s condition, but it was poignantly obvious to the self-styled soldier of love.
But why was it so troublesome to her personally? Maybe it was the black-damned headache that wouldn’t go away; it was muddling her thoughts something fierce. She could barely concentrate on anything anymore.
She was sure she kept hearing voices –
“Sailor Venus. This was not what I was expecting.”
The quizzical voice at her elbow nearly had her spilling her drink on her shoes. She juggled the glass for a few seconds, and then plastered a smile on as she turned to see her new companion.
She didn’t recognize him, and she knew all of the lords, minor and otherwise, of the system; none of them had horns, and she couldn’t think of any particular fashion that called for one. He had a sweet, if a bit distant, smile; he was looking around curiously, as if he had never seen the secondary main ballroom before. “This is not exactly what I thought the Moon Castle would look like. The Golden Kingdom is not as shiny.”
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said, forcing the cheer into her voice as she held out her hand for the usual kiss. He eyed her fingers for a moment then seemed to remember his manners, kissing the back of her hand. “Are you with the Gliese Kingdom? As a newly recognized monarchy, I’ve not quite memorized all of you.”
“No, I’ve never heard of them,” he said mildly, cocking his head at her. “You’re lost in here. No wonder they can’t hear you.”
“What are you talking about?”
He gestured at the room around them, her eyes following his hand as it swept the air. “This never happened, Venus-sama. This is all a trap. You have to remember and wake yourself up.”
The glass felt like a weight in her hand as she stared at him. “You….you’re crazy,” she whispered, looking away to search for her fellow soldiers, her aunt, anyone… “Of course this is happening! Our princess has become queen, and I…”
She felt him touch her hand, gently taking the glass away from her and setting it on a nearby table. “Iie. None of this is real. Your beautiful dream is being corrupted by a slowly growing shadow, meant to entrap you forever. You have to fight, Venus-sama! No one can reach you in here; I could barely slip in to warn you.” He smiled slightly, a bitter twist of his lips that looked downright wrong on his face. “It is a clever trap indeed; your past lives are unknown to you all, I’ve discovered.”
Everything felt fuzzy and strange. She grimaced, staggering back to sit at a table, taking a giant gulp of air. “What is this….I don’t….I don’t….”
He disappeared as a voice all but shrieked “Sailor Venus-sama!” in her ear. Frayed nerves finally snapping, she swung around to tell off whatever rude idiot was bothering her, only to stop dead as she saw who it was.
“Sailor Ceres? You’ve woken up already?”
The younger girl at her side gaped at her, apparently thrown off by the comment. Her fingers picked at the side of her frothy yellow dress as she closed her mouth, struggling for composure.
Venus was more than a little puzzled, though perhaps it was only natural that the girl was surprised to be recognized so quickly. After all, she and the other three had been sleeping within the ruined planets for so long almost no one remembered them. But once the sailor soldiers had been awakened to protect Serenity and the kingdom, it triggered the cycle again, and they had long been told of those who would come after them to protect the new princess.
Being the leader, Venus had been briefed days ago on the awakening soldiers: Ceres, Juno, Vesta, and Pallas. The Guardian had remarked that they were goddess in some future mythology, but then again, she had said as much of almost everyone. After a while, everyone had decided she was joking.
Ceres finally frowned, looking a bit peeved as she stood straighter, almost haughty as she said, “Sailor Venus-sama, how…nice...to see you. Are you enjoying this?” Her voice was quieter than Venus expected, and she realized, somewhat embarrassed, that Ceres likely hadn’t shouted at all; her frazzled state had simply taken it to be louder.
“Gomen nasai, Ceres; I was a bit rude. Of course I’m enjoying the party! And you? Are you glad to finally be awake?” Being polite was not as difficult as she had expected now that she knew it was a fellow soldier.
Her compatriot seemed to be puzzled again by her comment, and she seemed to be searching for a response. Finally, she asked quietly, “What do you mean? That’s a suspicious comment for the one who shouldn’t be asking questions. Aren’t you happy here?”
“More strangeness,” Venus muttered, palming her forehead. “I’m as happy as I could be,” she said, a little louder, and perhaps a bit sharper than she intended. Oddly, that seemed to please Ceres, who said –
Minako-chan! Wake up, please!
– “Excellent! That’s all I wanted to hear. After all, if you’re happy, you’ll never want it to be otherwise, ne? This is a happier world for you.”
“Of course,” Venus said with more forced cheer, waving her hand in an overly enthusiastic manner for another drink. Ceres merely smiled wider, clapping her hands sharply together.
“Fantastic! Your strange comments will be forgotten in time. Soon, I'll forget you and your attitude. Sayonara, Venus-sama.”
Venus watched her go as the drink was placed in her hand, unsettled by the encounter. “What a strange girl,” she muttered, eyeing the flounces of her yellow dress. “And out of uniform...how rude that the new soldiers get to flaunt the rules, even during this dance.”
Even stranger was that she didn’t see the other three, only Ceres. She set her glass down irritably next to her first, unfinished drink, chipping the bottom edge just a little. “Everything has been so strange since we won that battle. I don’t feel well at all…”
“Me neither. Want to be miserable together?” Without another word, the Guardian slumped into a seat across from her, propping her chin in her hands. “I’m going home after this, you know.”
“What?” Venus finally sat up straight at that, gaping at her mentor. “What do you mean? This is your home! The Moon Kingdom—“
“—is no more my home than yours,” she riposted, picking up one of the discarded glass to toy with. “Not with the queen dead. I love Serenity like a daughter, but she’s not her mother; she can’t keep me here. And I’m tired of it all. Being a hero is a coat I keep having put on me that is just a little too large for my liking.”
The blonde soldier mulled over that one for a minute – the time-displaced Guardian had a strange way of speaking sometimes – then sighed, rubbing her head again. “You’re our friend and leader. You kept us alive.”
Snorting, the Guardian waved the glass at her in a pointed gesture. “I kept you, personally, alive. What else did I do that made a damn bit of difference? The army still died in droves. The knights barely kept themselves alive. The four of you were so tired by the end that had you not killed that gypsy bitch, you’d have followed the rest of the dead. Serenity never let me train any of you the way I thought you needed in case this sort of shit happened.” She didn’t seem to realize the glass was melting in her hand as she stared through Venus, obviously seeing something – or someone – else. “You all could have died.”
“But we didn’t, Guardian-sama. Even if you think you trained us badly, I say not. You taught us to fight in ways no one else knew. The knights as well. And the army…ano…” Venus paused, remembering a long-ago overheard argument between the queen and her chosen guardian, a slowly growing rise of voices that had gone back and forth over a need for serious defense. Despite the awakening of the sailor soldiers, Serenity had thought it a needless gesture to train the army in serious battle techniques, while the Guardian had pointed out that the girls only awoke in a time of serious despair, which obviously meant they needed a strong defense.
Serenity, obviously, had won that fight. If they had the sailor soldiers, they would be well-protected. And even then, the Guardian was disallowed from teaching them anything low class, which, as the Guardian had argued, meant she couldn’t teach them anything that could keep them alive. No enemy was going to be kind enough to follow the rules.
The strange babble in her head seemed to be growing louder; she was having trouble concentrating on the Guardian’s words as she said something else. She pressed her fingertips into her temples, grimacing. “I’m sorry, Guardian-sama, I have a horrible headache; what did you say?”
“I said to wake up already, Minako. You need to wake up.”
“What!?”
She snapped her head back up, staring; then, with a barely-caught shriek, she leapt back out of her chair.
There were two Guardians sitting across from her. One in her familiar uniform of blue, eyeing her as if she’d gone mad, and the other dressed in strange, casual clothes, staring at her intently. They overlapped, though it was obvious they were not aware of each other. “Minako!”
“Venus, what’s wrong?”
“Why are you back in the Silver Millennium? Minako, you have to realize this is a dream! Wake up, damn it!”
“You look worse than I feel. Do I need to carry you off to your bed next?”
“Stop it!” Venus screamed, covering her eyes. “Just stop it!”
Through her fingers she could see the two stand up, coming towards her with looks of concern; the ballroom noise was so loud and they so isolated, no one else seemed to have heard her. She staggered away from them both, stumbling around the table as they paused in tandem. “Venus, what the hell’s wrong with you?”
“Minako, stop acting like I’m a ghost; you know me. You have to listen to me.”
Her nerves broke, finally; she ran, unsure of what she was even running from. As she left, she could see Ceres and her strange, malicious smile following her out of the room. She knew she was being followed closely by both Guardians, and so she headed for the one place she knew the redhead didn’t know about: the alcove under the palace steps.
She didn’t pass a single guard along the way, which, any other day, would have troubled her; tonight, however, she was simply glad for the silence. Her high heels slid across the tiles as she sprinted out of the main doors, vaulting down the steps and around, searching for the small opening she and the others had used as children. It was still there, though a little harder to squeeze through now that she was years older; dirtier than she remembered too.
The thud of boots passed overhead, slowly fading as the Guardian went into the gardens. Venus breathed a sigh of relief, slumping back against the castle wall…only to nearly scream again as the strange apparition of the Guardian appeared in front of her, now distinctly fuzzy. “Damn it, Minako! Fight the dream, not me!”
“Why? What are you talking about! First that strange man, and then, Ceres, and now you…I’m going crazy, aren’t I? You’re right, I have survivor’s guilt, and now I’m going mad, I understand now…”
“Merde… Minako. Venus. What’s happening today?”
Venus gasped, trying to fight her growing panic. “It’s, ah…the celebration of the wedding. Serenity and Endymion have finally married. You know that!”
The Guardian was staring at her with a rather shocked look on her face, which was growing dimmer by the minute. “It’s what? That’s not possible. Venus, what happened when the Earth attacked?”
“We fought. You k-killed Kunzite. And I stabbed the witch Beryl, and everything was done. Why are you asking me questions you already know!”
Ghostly fingers reached out to brush her face, withdrawing as they faded away. Whatever she said was lost to the breeze; Venus shivered as the apparition disappeared in sync with the growing sound of footsteps.
The sense of depression was growing hotter in her breast, and she doubled over, falling onto the ground. Nothing made sense, but she shouldn’t have allowed these strange things to have bothered her; she was Sailor Venus, leader of the sailor soldiers! She dug her fingers into the dirt, trying to grab onto anything that made sense, and as she felt the solidity of the grit beneath her hands, she felt a bit calmer. Dirt was real; dirt made sense.
She heard the Guardian pass overhead again, and she relaxed minimally. Settling into the dirt, she considered everything that had happened that had been so strange: the young man with the horn, Ceres, the spectral Guardian. All three of them had said such odd things.
The young man had told her to wake up, acting as if he’d never been in the castle before. Ceres had simply acted strange, asking her if she were happy – as if it weren’t obvious that even if she weren’t, she couldn’t simply leave – and the strange ghostly double of the Guardian had also told her to wake up. And her strange reactions to the battle and the wedding…and to immediately know the old hiding place, even though Venus was double positive she had never found it…
A dream…
Distantly, she heard Artemis speaking; she had the faintest recollection of him standing on her bed – it looked nothing like her bed! – as he told her, "You carry the protection of the fiery planet. You were born to fight. You have a mission. Only you can do it. You have been chosen by fate, Minako."
“Of course I was chosen! But…Minako…?”
Artemis almost never spoke to her. In fact, she was pretty sure they had exchanged less than a full paragraph since she had been old enough to speak. The male Mau kept to himself and the royal family, since he was their advisor. So why did she have a memory of him on her bed in his cat form?
Ceres was laughing at her, still dancing in the ballroom.
She stood in a sailor fuku not quite the same as her normal one, a mask over her eyes as after she first transformed. "Code name: Sailor V! The soldier of justice, the sailor suited beautiful soldier. I am Sailor Venus!"
“Sailor…V…? What is that name to me?”
The pressure in her head was blinding as images began to unceasingly barrage her, visions of a world she didn’t understand, but that included the strangely dressed Guardian, and all of the other soldiers with different names.
And Artemis was her partner…
A movie set was crumbling around her, burning as it fell apart. She was desperate, running through the smoke, trying to find someone, and she remembered: "A crumbling palace set... I've seen this somewhere before... I've shouted that once before..."
“A crumbling palace…a fallen kingdom…”
Everything exploded into light.
Cere-Cere was not pleased as she watched her dreamscape disappear around them, pouting magnificently. “Ara, she managed to break it,” she sighed, flicking away her dress. “That’s no fun at all! I was enjoying my work. Even if that girl said some weird things to me. ‘Sailor Ceres,’ what stupidity.”
“I agree!”
Minako ripped away the last of the scenery, throwing it aside. She was dressed in the T-shirt and shorts she had worn that day to the parlor; the last thing she remembered was arriving at home and going to her room. “You!” she shouted, pointing at Cere-Cere. “You must be one of those Dead Moon Circus people, to have pulled such a stunt.”
“Of course I am, you silly girl. I am Cere-Cere, the flower magician. As the leader of the Amazones Quartetto, I chose you, the leader of those laughable girls, to be my project. Too bad you left that happy world.”
“Happy world? It was a fake world! I can’t live with that!”
Cere-Cere twisted her wrist, producing a small yellow ball. “You’re so picky. Isn’t everyone happy when they live in happy dreams? You’re just ungrateful.” She tossed her ball into the air, shouting, “Rose Ball!”
Thorny vines tipped with brilliant red and pink flowers shot out, wrapping around Minako’s limbs as she screamed. She struggled, trying to move her arms far enough to rip the vines off, but they simply tightened, cutting into her skin. “You can’t defeat me within my own dreams!” Minako shouted before crying again in pain. Cere-Cere only laughed, twisting her wrist again.
“Of course I can! Playing with a beautiful dream is my specialty; since you’re a sailor soldier, I’m making an especially terrible nightmare for you. As a reward for escaping my dream, now you’ll suffer even worse!”
Darkness descended, dropping Minako into a ruined lunar landscape. She bounced upon landing, raising a cloud of dust. It aggravated her cuts, making them burn and itch something horrible. “Not here again. The source of my original failure…”
She stared across the land, seeing the ruined bodies as they lay in bloody heaps. Across the courtyard, she could see the steps leading into the palace, and the dark shapes of bodies – her body, her former self, lay there. She didn’t want to see it.
“This is a terrible place to me now. And for CereCere to just dump me here…I can’t allow this at all!”
Clenching her hand, she raised it to a darkened sky and shouted “Venus Planet Power, Make Up!”
Nothing happened.
She looked around curiously.
“Hmmm. Odd. Let’s try it again: Venus Planet Power! Make! Up!”
Still nothing; a wind lightly teased the dust as she stood there feeling foolish.
“That’s pitiful, Venus! The leader of the sailor soldiers should not be so weak. You have to reach a higher level to defeat this one!”
“I’m hearing voices again…that’s a bad thing,” Minako grumbled, digging into her ear.
“You’re hearing my voice, you dummy! Look down!”
She looked down, eyebrows rising at the sight of a miniature Venus. Floating. That was probably the weirder thing for her; as far as she knew, she didn’t float. “Ano…Chibi-V, perhaps?”
The smaller Venus sighed, shaking her head. “Do you know why you’ve begun to curiously forget the past life? Because your life in the 20th century is more important. And so I exist, to contain those old memories. I’m the you of then.”
“You’re…the past me? Princess Venus?”
“Bingo! And you need to aspire to my level! You can’t defeat Ceres until you reach that goal of super power! This is your chance to succeed on your own entirely! Find that energy!”
Minako stared towards the ruined hulk of the castle, overcome with sorrow. The dream was beginning to fade, but still, it had been wonderful, even if for a little while. To see the beautiful kingdom again, and everyone alive in the past life…
“But I wouldn’t change it. The past is the past, and what can be done? I’d miss the 21st century, and instant ramen, and video games, and Mifune…that’s my life now! And this crazy girl won’t beat me!”
She stood up, clenching a fist. “Yes; I am Sailor Venus of the 21st century! Codename wa: Sailor V! And perhaps, the princess of Venus, but even a princess can fight as a soldier!” She felt the heat growing in her chest, and the world began to fade again, bodies disappearing into the darkness, until only one was left: the former Venus on the stairs.
Minako knelt down beside her, lightly touching her face. “I wish it could have been different, Venus-chan.” She lightly undid her hair ribbon, feeling the silkier texture, the slight differences that marked it from her own. Just as gently she draped it over Venus’s eyes and took her gloved hand, yelling towards the sky, “For both of us, I’ll do this!”
Power flowed between them; Venus disappeared, becoming golden light. Minako felt the heat explode in her chest, and she raised her hand.
“Venus Crystal Power! Make! UP!”
Chibi-Venus, smiled, giving her a thumbs up.
