Sailor Moon - Generation Gap Side Story 6: History Lessons [Author's Note: Strong language warning] The last bell of the day rang at Juuban High School. Students filed out of class to head home, to part-time jobs, to clubs, or to just hang around with friends. Seishin'no Hikaru was an exception of sorts. She dashed through the halls to get back to her homeroom, long blonde ponytails flying behind her. Many of the students she passed assumed she had yet another detention. That assumption was far from the truth, though. Hikaru burst into the room, panting slightly. Her teacher, Meiou Setsuna, briefly looked up at her, then returned to marking essays. One of the two girls in the room walked over to Hikaru. "I think this is the earliest you've been late, Hikaru-chan," Ginny Fuoca teased. Any student looking into the classroom would assume that Ginny, a tall redheaded exchange student from New York, needed help with her history homework. True, Ginny did struggle in history, but she was in the classroom for a different reason. Good naturedly, Hikaru stuck her tongue out at Ginny. She then walked over to the desk where the other girl sat reading. "Not going to say 'Hello', Arimi-chan?" Hikaru asked. Gin'no Arimi looked up from her book. "Oh, hello, Hikaru-chan. when did you get here?" she said. If her classmates saw her in the room, they would wonder why the silver haired girl was in there. Arimi was one of the smartest students in her grade, having only one equal to her in marks. Hikaru sighed. She peeked at the book Arimi was reading. "Arimi-chan, how can you get so absorbed in a text book? Especially math?" Arimi shrugged. Hikaru continued, "You should at least try reading something different. I must have a romance manga in here somewhere." She rooted through her book bag. "I've read one before," Arimi said. "I didn't care for it. Not much happened." "I wouldn't mind reading it, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said. "I still haven't gotten any of my romance novels from home yet." "S-sensei?" Arimi started. "Shouldn't we be going soon? Emiko-chan will be outside soon." Setsuna looked up again from her marking and glanced outside. "You're right, Arimi-chan. Let's go, girls." The group trooped outside and off the school's grounds. They met the last member of their group at the main gates. Koorino Emiko was the latest to join. If they knew, Hikaru's, Ginny's, and Arimi's classmates would be beside themselves. Emiko was one of the hottest idol singers, more so now after her last concert despite an attack by . Today, she was wearing plain clothing and a pair of sunglasses to avoid being recognized, and had a black ribbon in her light blue hair. "Hi, Emiko-chan!" Hikaru greeted. "Hello," Emiko returned. "What timing. I just got here." Emiko quickly fell int the group, and they walked several blocks without speaking. "Sensei?" Hikaru asked finally. "Where are we going?" "My apartment," Setsuna answered. "We're training inside today?" Setsuna sighed. "No, Hikaru-chan. It's time that I told you why we're doing all this training, and it's you four and not anyone else." "I thought we were chosen to find the Princess." "But why us? Right, Meiou-sensei?" Emiko clarified. "And why not, say, Mizuno-chan?" Arimi added. "Exactly," Setsuna said. "Muerte was never a patient person. She is soon going to attack in force. You should know why you're fighting her." The group entered the subway system. Setsuna lived several stops away. The four girls held their questions, waiting for their teacher to tell them anything more. Their wait continued into Setsuna's small apartment. Setsuna stepped into her bedroom, leaving her proteges to look around the small living room. Arimi sat down in the corner of Setsuna's couch while her friends looked at the items Setsuna collected. The collection filled all the available space on shelves and end tables, and were kept tidy. "Where do you think she got all this stuff?" Hikaru asked. "She is a history teacher," Ginny answered. "Maybe she likes having a link to the past." "A lot of this looks like art work, sculptures and such," Emiko remarked. She pointed at a crystal statue of a girl in a flowing dress. "This one is very beautiful. I wouldn't have thought that crystal could survive this long." "It can if it's looked after properly." The girls turned to see Meiou-sensei standing at the bedroom doorway, hold Pluto's Time Key. "It's a bit older than you realize. It's one of a handful of artifacts from Crystal Tokyo." Hikaru looked closely at the statue. "She's beautiful, Sensei. Who is she?" "That is the Crystal Princess's mother when she was your age. I'll explain more. Please, have a seat." Emiko, Ginny, and Hikaru joined Arimi on the couch. Setsuna sat in the room's only other seat, an overstuffed chair. She held her staff out in front of her, balancing it on end. She spun it on its end, then let go. The staff continued spinning. The orb glowed with a soft light that coalesced into a cityscape. The buildings gleamed like crystal as an unseen sun shone upon them. One building dominated the scene, a tall and majestic palace. "This is Crystal Tokyo, before it was invaded by Muerte," Setsuna explained. "It looks so peaceful," Emiko whispered. "It was," Setsuna said wistfully. -**- Over the centuries since the Dark Moon attacked, Crystal Tokyo was rebuilt and expanded. The city flowered around the Crystal Palace, home of Queen Serenity and King Endymion and their protectors, the Sailor Senshi. After centuries of service, the Senshi were ready to train replacements and retire from their duties to live normal lives. Queen Serenity's personal guard and closest friends comprised the Inner Senshi, who were waiting in the courtyard for their trainees to arrive. "They're late again," Sailor Mars said. "They've been late every day this week." "You can't blame them for being late yesterday," Sailor Mercury said. "It's not their fault Queen Serenity had us move the practise. We forgot to let them know." "Jupiter," Sailor Venus said, "want to bet that it's your protege that held them back today?" "No contest, Venus," Sailor Jupiter answered. "You've already won enough baking from me this week to keep me busy this weekend." "I don't know how you put up with her," Mars said. "Venus? She's easy to get along wi-" Mars interrupted Jupiter. "I meant your student. How did she become a Sailor Senshi in the first place?" "Same way your student was," Venus answered. "Same way we were." "If we kick out my student for being late, you know who else we would have had to kick out as a Senshi, too," Jupiter said. "Queen Serenity," Mars admitted. "Exactly. That's why I'm being so patient with her. She reminds me of Serenity when she was Sailor Moon, when we first met her." "I'll lay off her, Jupiter. Please help her be on time." "I won't have to, Mars," Jupiter said brightly. "Her friends are doing that themselves. They've really pulled together." ~~~~ In another part of the palace, four teen-aged girls ran through the hallway. The tallest, a red-haired girl towering over everyone, lead the way, barrelling past everyone in the way. She was followed closely by the next tallest of the group, a girl with short blue hair, who apologized to everyone the red-haired girl bumped. Behind her was a tiny girl with silver hair who slipped between people as she tried to keep up with her companions. The fourth girl, a blonde with long pig-tails, slipped on the polished floor of the hall and grabbed on to anything she could to keep her balance. "Corona, we've been late every day this week, thanks to you," the tallest girl said. "You can't blame me for yesterday, Aquila," Corona, the pig-tailed girl, puffed. "They didn't tell us we had to practise outside." "We still would have been late, even if we went to the right place first." "You know why we had to move outside the walls. There were complaints about the smoke caused by all those fires you started." The second tallest of the group put herself between Aquila and Corona. "Enough, you two," she admonished. "We're still going to get it from Sailor Mars as it is." Aquila and Corona glared at each other a few more moments. Corona broke off first. "Sorry, Cygnus," Corona said. Aquila and Corona glared at each other for a few more minutes. Corona broke off first. "Sorry, Cygnus. I do try to be on time, honest." "We know you try, Corona. It's just that Mars is too hard on Draco as a result." "That's okay, Cygnus," the silver haired girl, Draco, said softly. "No it isn't. It's not fair that Mars rides on you like that. You have enough problems with your own teacher as it is." "I'm not having problems with her," Draco protested. "She's a good teacher, really." "I'm sure she is, Draco, but I've seen you in practise. I've seen how you try to avoid being noticed by her and Mars. If you want, I could talk to her for you." "Please, don't. She's just . . . enthusiastic," Draco pleaded. "Draco, if Venus was anymore enthusiastic, you'd be trying to crawl underground to hide from her," Corona said. "It's that noticeable?" Draco asked. Her friends nodded. "I-I'll talk to her then. She should hear it from me." "Can we get going?" Aquila said. "Sailor Mars is impatient enough." "Right." Corona ran down the hall. "Corona!" Aquila called. "This way!" ~~~~ The four Senshi-in-training arrived in the courtyard. The Inner Senshi stood waiting in the centre of the yard. The students ran over to their teachers. "You're late. Again," Sailor Mars said before any of the girls could say a word. "Sorry - " Corona started. "Try not to let it happen again." Mars stepped back a pace and continued, "Sailor Venus, what's scheduled for today?" The four girls exchanged puzzled glances. "What's wrong with her?" Corona whispered. "Is she sick?" "Hush, Corona," Cygnus whispered back. "Well?" Mars said. "What are you waiting for? Let's get going." -**- "Those girls, they were us, weren't they?" Hikaru asked. "Yes," Setsuna answered. "And those women . . . ?" Emiko added. "The original Sailor Senshi. They were Queen Serenity's closest, dearest friends. Her Majesty was very close to Sailor Mars, though there were times they didn't act it." "Kinda like my sisters and me?" Ginny asked. "People who didn't know better always thought Serenity and Mars were sisters," Setsuna agreed. -**- "That's it, Corona, concentrate," Jupiter encouraged. "Don't force it, let it happen naturally." Corona closed her eyes and held her hands in front of her. She felt a tingling in her fingertips. Unable to help herself, Corona giggled. The tingling faded away. "Corona, you almost had it," Jupiter said. "What happened?" "Sorry, Jupiter-sensei," Corona apologized. "It tickled." "That's okay. You'll get used to it. Want to know why your fingers tickled?" "Why?" "You had a ball of energy forming in your hands." "Really?" Jupiter nodded. "Yep. Don't try to hard, just let everything flow. Call out the attack to focus yourself on just that." "Firewing . . . Buffet!" Aquila roared in another part of the courtyard. Jupiter ducked, pulling Corona roughly down with her. Jupiter covered Corona's body with her own as a barrage of flame shot above them. When the blaze ended, Jupiter checked herself and Corona for lingering flames, then stood up. "Sorry," Aquila called to Jupiter and Corona as she ran to them. "Are you two okay?" "I'm fine," Jupiter answered. "Corona?" Corona stood up, brushing dirt off her legs and skirt. "I think so," she said. "Aquila, if you felt that way about me being late, why didn't you say so?" "I didn't do it on purpose," Aquila said. "The flames got away from me." "And I just happened to be in the way," Corona retorted. "Enough, you two," Jupiter said, stepping between the two students. "Corona, Aquila didn't aim at you. We were on the edge of the attack. Same with Mercury and Cygnus." Jupiter pointed across the courtyard where Mercury and Cygnus were helping each other off the ground. Turning to Aquila, Jupiter continued, "The next thing you and Mars should work on is control." Sailor Mars joined Jupiter, Corona, and Aquila. "We are, Jupiter," Mars said. "Neither of us expected Aquila's power to be that strong." "Don't worry about it too much, Aquila," Venus said as she and Draco joined the growing group. "Remember back when we were fighting Queen Beryl? The time when we pretended to break up?" "That was when Sailor Mars melted all of our boots trying to make it look good for Beryl's spy," Jupiter answered. "And don't forget about the time Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury got trapped in that ball and Mars decided to help them out." "Good thing hey were in the water fountain." "Are you two finished laughing at me?" Mars asked. "We're just trying to show that everyone can have problems, especially when starting out," Venus said. "Artemis must have lots to tell about me." "Excuse me?" Heads turned to see the Queen's daughter, Lady Serenity, her pink hair blowing in the breeze. "Shouldn't someone put out the fire?" she asked. "I'll get it, Lady Serenity", Aquila said. "I'll help you," Corona added. Aquila and Corona raced over to the fire and started kicking dirt on it. They kept the fire from spreading, but couldn't cover enough of it to put it out. "Aquila, Corona, stand back," Cygnus said. "I'll get it for you. Graceful Tidal Wave!" A wall of water rushed at the fire, and at Corona and Aquila. The tow girls tried to dive out of the way, but were too late. The wave rolled over Corona and Aquila and extinguished the fire. Uniforms soaked, Aquila and Corona stood up. Water and mud dripped off their uniforms, and their boots squished as they walked over to Cygnus. "Thanks so much for the warning, Cygnus," Aquila said as she wrung out her skirt. Corona smiled apologetically. "Sorry, guys." "I suppose something like that was coming to me." The other Senshi and students ran over, joined by Lady Serenity. "Are you two okay?" Venus asked Corona and Aquila. "I think so," Corona answered. "We're just soaked." "My pride got bruised, that's all," Aquila said. "Good. That's it for the lessons for this morning," Venus said. "Corona, Aquila, go clean up." "Good luck this evening," Lady Serenity said. She re-entered the Crystal Palace. "'Good luck?' 'Good luck' for what?" Jupiter wondered aloud. "Venus-sensei, what did Lady Serenity mean?" Corona asked. "I was saving it for a surprise," Venus answered. "We've been invited to show what you've learned what you've learned to Serenity and Endymion." Heads turned to stare at Sailor Venus in disbelief. "Surprise," she finished meekly. ~~~~ "I-I can't do it," Draco said. The four girls had changed and cleaned up after the morning work out. They met for lunch at a cafe in Crystal Tokyo away from the palace. "Sure you can, Draco," Corona encouraged. "Look how often we've made that move in practise." "This isn't going to be a practise. We're going to be in front of Queen Serenity and King Endymion. I can't do it. I'm going to freeze up completely." "Don't worry about it, Draco. Look at me. I'm still trying to get my power to work, and I'm not worried about tonight." "Corona, you're not the best example for Draco," Aquila said. "I wouldn't have said it that way," Cygnus said, "but Aquila's right. Corona, you're very open with people. Draco isn't. Look how long it took her to open up around us." Draco nodded in agreement. "Queen Serenity and King Endymion are going to be there. I've never been able to do anything when they're around. And then there's Sailor Venus." "Haven't you talked to her yet?" "I tried. I just couldn't say anything. I didn't want to hurt her feelings." "I could talk to her at our tutorial this afternoon," Corona offered. "No, Corona, she should hear it from me." Draco sighed. "I'll tell her after the demonstration tonight." ~~~~ Back at the Crystal Palace, the Inner Senshi sat around a table in their private lounge. Sailor Jupiter emerged from the kitchen balancing two trays. Sailor Mercury took one from her and helped her serve lunch. "I can't believe you sprung that on us," Mars said. "The students are nowhere near ready for anything like this. They're still trying to control their powers." "Queen Serenity asked about their progress this morning. While we were talking, I thought it would be easier to show her how far our students have progressed." Jupiter sat down. "That's going to be a quick demo. Corona is still trying to use her power. After Aquila sets the palace on fire, Cygnus can put it out and flood everyone in the palace out. Then there's Draco." "What about Draco? She's a good student." "I'm sure she is, Venus, but that's not the problem." "Haven't you noticed how shy she is?" Mars asked. "She can barely speak to us. Draco is very tentative when all of us are watching her. She's not going to do well with Serenity and Endymion watching." "I knew Draco was shy, but I didn't think her shyness was that bad. I've been trying to encourage her." "I've seen Draco go further into her shell when you've done that," Jupiter remarked. "Maybe I should talk to her this afternoon," Venus said, "I'll talk to her," Mercury said. "Draco and I have a tutorial this afternoon. We're far enough ahead that we can take the afternoon off. She's more open with me than she is with any of you." "I'd like to work with Corona a bit more this afternoon, if that's alright with you, Venus," Jupiter said. "Wait," Mars interjected. "Aren't you spending time with Aquila this afternoon?" "Yes, and you have Cygnus. I just want to help Corona with her powers for tonight. She almost had them this morning. Venus? Can you help me out?" "You want me around to referee Corona and Aquila?" Venus asked. "They fight almost as much as Mars and Serenity did at their age." "Please?" ~~~~ "Relax, Cygnus. Take deep, even breaths." Sailor Mars and Sailor Cygnus sat in the lotus position in the middle of Mars's room. Cygnus had her eyes closed as she followed Mars's instructions. "Clear your mind," Mars continued. "I think I see something," Cygnus said. "Don't rush it. What do you see?" "I see a woman. She's green or wearing green; I can't tell. She's facing a large crystal." "Do you recognize her?" "I've never seen her before. She has a scar on one cheek. It looks like she's trying to break the crystal. Six pieces have broken off the crystal. It looks like they're trying to get between the woman and the crystal. The shards can't stop her. She's crushed two of the shards and brushed aside the others. The crystal is going to be destroyed - wait. There's a glow inside the crystal. It's growing . . . It's - " Cygnus opened her eyes, tears welling in them. "Cygnus, what's wrong? What happened?" Mars asked. "The crystal. It's gone." "Gone? How?" "The glow got too bright, I couldn't see," Cygnus said, blinking back tears. "When I could see again, everything and everyone was gone. Mars-san, I think - I think I saw the end of Crystal Tokyo." Mars moved over to comfort Cygnus. Letting Cygnus cry on her shoulder, Mars asked, "Are you sure?" Unable to speak, Cygnus nodded. "It'll be okay, Cygnus. Now we know it's coming. I'll talk to Queen Serenity and the other Senshi." Cygnus snuffled. "Can you really protect Crystal Tokyo's end?" Mars smiled at her student. "The Sailor Senshi have changed the future before. Nothing is set in stone, Cygnus." ~~~~ "That's enough studying for now, Draco." Draco looked up from her book and blinked. Those words were the last she ever expected to hear from Sailor Mercury. "Is there a problem, Mercury-sensei?" Draco asked quietly. "That's what I wanted to ask you," Mercury said. Draco squirmed in her chair. "M-me?" "You're a very bright girl, Draco. You remind me of how I was like when at your age." "Th-thank you." Draco blushed a deep red. "You seem to have problems in practise, though," Mercury continued. "Are you having any problems?" "N-no, Mercury-sensei. No problems." "Are you sure? Not even with Sailor Venus?" "Wh-why would you s-say th-that? D-did s-someone t-t-talk to you about it?" Draco asked defensively. "No-one did, Draco. I've seen you at practise, and I've seen you when you thought you were alone." "Y-you've s-seen m-me . . . ?" "You're not the only one who likes to spend time by herself." Mercury smiled gently. "That clearing is a favourite of mine, too, when I want to be by myself. I didn't want to intrude on you whenever I saw you. You know what you're doing. Why can't you do the same at full practise?" Draco shrugged. "I g-guess it's b-because everyone is watching. I'm afraid I might make a mistake in front of everyone, especially Sailor Venus-sensei." "Everyone makes mistakes at first, Draco. You are your friends are just starting; you're bound to make one. Look at Aquilan and Cygnus today." "I know, but . . . " "But what?" "I don't want to disappoint Venus-sensei. She's put a lot of faith in me and I'm afraid to do something that'll break that faith." "I understand," Mercury said. "Don't worry about letting Venus down. She's only trying to encourage you. She doesn't know what it's like to be shy like us. I'll ask her to tone down her encouragement to something you can handle." "I should tell her, Mercury-sensei." "I know you mean well, Draco, but she'll understand if I talk to her for you. She won't be upset with you." A wave of relief washed over Draco. "Thank you, Mercury-sensei." "You're welcome. Are you going to be okay this evening when you meet Serenity and Endymion?" "I-I don't know. I r-really d-don't want to m-make a m-mistake in f-front of th-them." "I'll let you in on a secret," Mercury said. "You've read how how Queen Serenity was Sailor Moon in her youth?" "Yes," Draco nodded. "And you read how she defeated people like Empress Metallia and Black Moon Clan?" Draco nodded again. "What isn't in the history books is that Queen Serenity was very accident-prone at your age. She often tripped while running for school, and could never land gracefully. Queen Serenity knows what it is like to make mistakes. She can tell when someone's trying her best." "What about King Endymion?" "He knew Queen Serenity when she was less than graceful. He knows that you and your friends are still learning. Just do your best and that's all that matters." "I'll try, Mercury-sensei." "I know you'll do well. All you need to do is to get your mind on something else. Let me treat you to some tea?" "Thank you, Mercury-sensei." ~~~~ "Relax," Jupiter said. "Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Not you, Corona. Just concentrate on that feeling you had in your hands this morning. Keep practising the breathing technique, Aquila. It helped me at your age. Corona, you can take a breath now and then. Venus, you can stop laughing and start helping any time you want." "Sorry, Jupiter," Venus laughed. "You really have your hands full." "I know. Are you going to help?" "'Too many cooks boil the soup.'" "That's 'Too many cooks spoil the broth,'" Artemis corrected. "That too," Venus admitted. "Sensei?" Corona called. "I didn't realize that working with both Corona and Aquila would be this busy," Jupiter said. "Sensei?" Corona repeated. "You were doing fine, Jupiter," Venus said. "Sensei?" "What is it, Corona?" Jupiter turned to face her student. Corona held a large, blue-white ball of energy in her hands. "That's great, Corona," Jupiter praised. "But what do I do now?" "Do now? You have to get rid of it." "How?" "Throw it. Push it away. Anything, just get rid of it." "Where?" Jupiter looked around. She pointed at a wall. "There. That wall should handle it." "Should?" Venus said. "That's my room on the other side." "Good. That means there's no-one in it now." "Hey!" "Majestic . . . " Corona began, the ball of energy crackling in her hands. "Everyone down!" Jupiter yelled. "Vitality!" Corona finished. She pushed the ball of energy away from her. The ball impacted against the wall. A blinding light filled the courtyard briefly. Corona blinked her eyes, trying to clear the spots. "I did it!" she cried. "Jupiter-san! I did it!" Jupiter picked herself off the floor. "You did it, Corona." Venus looked at the blackened crystal wall and winced. "I'm going to check on my room to see if it's still there." She stood up. "I'll see you tonight. Good work, Corona." Venus left, Artemis following her. Aquila remained face down on the floor. Jupiter knelt beside her, concerned. "Aquila, are you alright?" she asked. ". . . forty-one, forty-two, forty-three . . . " Corona knelt down with Jupiter. "Aquila, what are you counting?" "Jupiter suggested that whenever I get upset, I should count to ten." "But you reached forty-six." "I know." Aquila sat up. "You're not proud of me?" Aquila sighed. "I am, Corona. That was very impressive. It was just . . . unexpected." Corona hugged Aquila tightly. "Thank you, Aquila! It means a lot to me that you care." "Ack! Corona . . . " "I want to tell the others!" "Can you wait until we're done here for the day?" Jupiter asked. Corona let go of Aquila, dropping the taller girl to the floor. "Sorry, Sensei. I got excited." "One, two, three . . . " ~~~~ The demonstration before Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and their family was a complete disaster. Neither Sailor Corona nor Sailor Aquila had any control, and started fires in the rafters. Fortunately, Sailor Mercury was able to put the blazes out before any serious damage occurred. Corona and Sailor Cygnus confused their signals and wound up aiming at the same target, cancelling Cygnus's attack. Sailor Draco, already unnerved by being in front of such an important audience, lost her concentration after her teammate's errors. As a result, Draco misjudged her location and facing, and fired a blast at the Royal Family. Fortunately, no-one was hurt, but Queen Serenity wisely ended the demonstration. She also called her Royal Guard together and left the Senshi in training waiting. "We blew it," Corona said glumly. "You think?" Aquila added sarcastically. "I'm going to start packing." "Packing, Corona?" Cygnus added. "Look at the mess we made tonight, Cygnus. Do you really think that Queen Serenity wants us to guard her after tonight?" Draco choked back a sob. "I - I almost k-killed her." "Draco . . . " Cygnus started. "I-I sh-should j-j-just g-go b-back home. E-everyone would be s-safer." "So your aim was off," a new voice said, approaching the trainees from behind. "That's no reason to go home." The trainees whirled around. "Princess!" Corona exclaimed, as she and her friends bowed to the girl. "Please get up," the young princess said. "I'm not here as Queen Serenity's granddaughter. I just want to talk. You guys put on a great show tonight." "Your Majesty, with all respect, were you really watching?" Aquila asked. "I did. You weren't that bad. I'm looking forward to training beside you." "Training . . . beside us?" Corona repeated. "I thought we were going to be working with your mother, not you," Cygnus said. "So did I, but Mama wants to spend more time with Papa and me, so she's been training me." "I-I'm r-returning h-home," Draco said. "F-for g-good." "You're a Sailor Senshi, Sailor Draco," the Princess said. "You can't quit like that." "I-I a-alm-most k-k-killed you and y-your f-f-f-amily t-tonight, P-Pr-Princess. I c-c-can't r-r-isk y-your l-l-life ag-gain." "I never had a better time than tonight, seeing Mama, Papa, and my grandparents dive like that. I was a bit upset at first, but Mama explained why it happened. I'm not angry with you. I did the same thing yesterday working with Mama. Please stay." "Y-you w-w-want m-me to st-stay? E-even a-after t-t-tonight?" "I'm not going to force you to stay, but I don't want you to leave, either." "Please stay, Draco," Corona pleaded. "I'll miss you a lot." "I-I'll st-stay." -**- "Excuse me, Meiou-san?" Emiko started. "The girl that was speaking, is she the Crystal Princess?" "She is," Setsuna affirmed. "But we couldn't see her," Hikaru said. "She was hidden in shadows." "I know, Hikaru-chan. I've tried to find her using this method, but the Crystal Princess always appeared like that, in the dark." "Why would that happen," Arimi asked. "I vaguely remember telling the Silver Crystal to keep the Crystal Princess safe. What better way to keep her safe from Muerte than to hide her identity, even from us?" "How old were we, er, them, um, the trainees in that scene we saw?" Ginny asked. "You would have been fourteen or so, as was the Little Princess." "I don't get it," Hikaru said. "Everything looked perfect. What happened? Why did the Princess train?" "It was a trend Queen Serenity started with herself," Setsuna answered. "Every daughter in line for the throne had to spend time as Sailor Moon. Queen Serenity herself was the first Sailor Moon, and trained her own daughter. Small Lady was trying to train the Little Princess." "Small Lady?" Hikaru interrupted. "That's what I called her she was much younger. You have seen her already; she was the woman with the pink hair, the Little Princess's mother." "Lady Serenity?" Ginny asked. "But what happened?" Hikaru persisted. "What happened to Crystal Tokyo? Why are we here and not there?" "Patience, Hikaru-chan," Setsuna said. "It began two years later. All of you were still in training." -**- The lounge rocked violently, throwing Sailor Corona off her chair and forcing her friends to to hold tightly to theirs to avoid the same fate. Another shock shook the room, dropping pictures to the floor. "What the hell?" Sailor Aquila exclaimed. The others still seated, Sailor Draco, Sailor Cygnus, and Sailor Moon, exchanged shrugs. Corona picked herself up off the floor. The door opened, and a messenger ran in. Bowing to Moon, he said, "Princess, your mother wants you in the throne room. "What's going on?" Moon asked. "What's happening?" "I don't know, Your Majesty. Your mother can answer your questions." "Thank you, you may leave," Moon dismissed the messenger. After he left, Moon continued, "I'll find out what's going on. I don't like this." "Neither do I," Corona agreed. Sailor Moon left, leaving the Stellar Senshi, as the trainees were called, behind. Cygnus paled suddenly. "What's wrong, Cygnus?" Draco said, concerned. "We - we have to get moving," Cygnus explained. "What is it?" Corona asked. "Another of your visions?" Cygnus nodded. "We have to hurry. Crystal Tokyo is under attack." "Under attack? By who?" Aquila demanded. "I don't know, but if we don't hurry, Crystal Tokyo will be lost." Aquila stood up and ran to the door. Corona stopped her, calling, "Wait!" "You heard Cygnus. Why are we stopping?" "We can't rush in without knowing what's going on," Corona said. "We can't wait either. You heard Cygnus." "I heard her, yes, and I know her visions are accurate. We're not going out there to fight someone or something we don't have any knowledge about." "Aquila, Corona's right," Cygnus said. "I don't know who is attacking. It could be one person, or a dozen, or an entire army." "So what do we do? Wait for the end of the world right here?" Aquila asked. "No," Corona answered. "We go out and find out what's happening. Then we decide what to do. We're not the only Sailor Senshi, though." "True, but we may be the closest right now," Draco said. The four Sailor Senshi ran out on to the Palace's walls. Looking over the city, they saw a crowd of panicked people running away from the city's north outer wall towards the Palace. At the wall itself, a plume of white smoke drifted into the air. Corona pulled aside a number of the palace guard. "Get some men out there to help those people in," she ordered. "What about the walls?" the guard asked. "We'll take care of it. Just get those people inside safe." After the guard and his comrades-in-arms left as ordered, Draco turned to Corona and said, "We're not fully trained, Corona. We won't be able to stop an army." "We don't have to, Draco," Corona answered. "We're just going to make sure that the people are safe. All we need to do is delay whoever is attacking just long enough for the other Senshi to arrive." "Do you think we can do that?" "We have to, whether we can or can't." "Of course we can," Aquila said. "This is what we've been training for the past two years." "We still don't know what we're up against, though. Cygnus, can you - " "I've looked, Corona," Cygnus said. "Crystal Tokyo is being invaded by a large army. I couldn't get a count, though. The army is made of shadow. They're twisting too much for me to get a good number." "That's okay, Cygnus." "The army is taking it's time, though. It looks like they're waiting for something." "Probably waiting for everyone in Crystal Tokyo to notice them," Aquila suggested. "We should help those people," Cygnus said. "We are," Corona said. "We can protect them better from up here than down with them." "There's a woman joining the army, guys," Aquila announced. "They were waiting for her, the army's moving again." "How close are they to our people?" Corona moved to look for herself. "They're about halfway between the outer wall and the palace gates," Draco reported. "The faster elements of the army can catch up to them right now. The people will be safe as long as they can get to about four hundred metres of the gates; even the fastest of the invaders wouldn't be able to reach them in time." "Are you sure?" Cygnus asked. "Without running simulations, as sure as I can be. And I'm assuming that the army doesn't start moving in the next five minutes. If it does, we'll have to hold them off until everyone is about one hundred and fifty to two hundred metres away, if not closer." "I hope you have a plan for that, Draco," Aquila said, "because that army's moving." "I've got one, Aquila," Corona said. "The faster ones, they're flying. Draco and I can start picking them off from here. Aquila, Cygnus, you two go down and help the stragglers. That way, when the bulk of the army reaches you, you'll be in position. We'll then move down to help you at ground level." "How will you know when we've engaged the army?" Cygnus asked. "Aquila's flames are easy to see at a distance, let alone this close. Now go." "Take care," Draco said as Cygnus and Aquila left. -**- "Corona came up with a plan?" Ginny asked increduously. "I can come up with ideas," Hikaru retorted. "Girls, enough," Setsuna warned. "Yes, Ginny-chan, Corona came up with a plan. She became the leader of the trainees. Not all of her plans worked, but she never stopped trying." -**- "Talon . . . Strike!" Five silver rays lanced from Draco's outstretched staff, impaling a flying shadow. Like dark snowflakes, the remains of the shadow drifted down on the streets of Crystal Tokyo. "That was too close," Draco remarked. "They're faster than I expected." "There's another!" Sailor Corona exclaimed, pointing at a shadow making an attack run. "Majestic . . . Vitality!" Corona launched a blue-white ball at the shadow. Just before the energy ball hit the shadow, it dove. The energy ball missed and hit the side of a building. "They're not allowed to dodge," Corona complained. "It's too low," Draco said. "I can't risk attacking it. If I miss, I'll hit someone on the ground." The two Sailor Senshi watched helplessly as the shadow quickly approached the mob of people trying to get to safety. The shadow spied a young boy, barely of school age, and aimed at him. Just before the creature grabbed the boy, a burst of flame engulfed the shadow, incinerating it. Corona cheered. "That's the signal!" Corona exclaimed. "Let's go!" ~~~~ Aquila brushed the ashes of the destroyed shadow off her uniform. She looked at the little boy, who stared back with wide eyes. Aquila knelt, and asked, "Are you okay?" "Uh-huh," the boy answered, nodding. "But my sister's still at home." "Can you tell me where you live?" The boy recited an address for Aquila. "Are you going to get my sister?" Aquila smiled reassuringly. "I am. You go ahead to the Palace. If you see any more Sailor Senshi like me, tell them about your sister and tell them that Sailor Aquila has gone to get her. Okay?" "Okay." The kid dashed off towards the Crystal Palace. Cygnus walked over to beside Aquila. "You're not seriously going, are you?" Cygnus asked. "I'm not leaving anyone out here," Aquila answered. "Serenity will have to close the gates, and anyone left out here will be on their own. That kid's sister won't survive long on her own." "Is there any way of changing your mind?" "None." "I didn't think so, I'll open a path for you. Where's the boy's home?" Aquila pointed at the thickest part of the shadow army. "You had to know this wasn't going to be easy, right?" "No-one said being a Sailor Senshi was going to be easy," Cygnus agreed. "Whenever your ready, Aquila." "Now." "Graceful Tidal Wave!" Cygnus yelled. A large wave of water formed in front of Cygnus and rushed at the shadow army. The front rank of the army scurried to get out of the wave's path. The exposed second line of the army took the full force of the wave. Sailor Aquila ran in behind the wave, dodging the surprised shadows. ~~~~ "Please, you have to help me find my children." Sailor Corona tried to comfort the tearful woman who accosted her. "I'm sure they're safe, but you can't go out there. It's too dangerous." "But my children - " "I'll get one of the palace guard to look for them here." "You don't understand," the woman argued. "We live right where that army's coming through." Corona stopped, the pit of her stomach dropping. "I'm so sorry. I'm sure they got out in time. There's two more Sailor Senshi out there, helping everyone get in. They'll see your children and get them in safe, if they're out there." ~~~~ Sailor Draco waited outside the gates, helping people though the gates. She had lost sight of Aquila's and was beginning to worry. Each flame seemed to be getting further away from the Palace. Draco felt a tug at her skirt. She looked down to see a young boy, his cheeks tear-stained. "Senshi-sama?" the boy started. Draco knelt down. "Wh-what's wrong?" she asked softly. "My sister's still out there," he answered. "Another Senshi-sama wanted me to tell you something." "C-can you r-remember wh-what sh-she s-said?" Draco prompted. The boy nodded. "Sailor Akeela went to get my sister." "L-lets g-get you ins-side," Draco said, taking the boy's hand. She guided him through the crowds to get inside the Palace. After a quick look, Draco found Corona with a worried woman. "Mama!" the boy cried. "Taro!" The woman picked up the boy. "Oh, Taro, I was so worried. Are you alright? Where's your sister?" "E-excuse m-me?" Draco interrupted. "Thank you so much for finding Taro. Have you seen his sister?" "Sh-sh-she's - " "She's still at home, Mama," Taro said. "She's waiting for you." "You have to get her. Please," Taro's mother pleaded. "We'll get her here safe," Corona reassured. "S-S-Sailor A-Aquila h-h-has g-gone f-f-for h-her," Draco stammered. "Sailor Aquila?" the woman repeated. "Isn't she . . . aren't you two . . . you're the new Senshi aren't you? The normal ones aren't around?" "Everything is okay," Corona reassured. "Sailor Aquila is very capable. She is the closest to get your daughter. The other Senshi are busy and wouldn't be able to get to her in time. Sailor Aquila will get your daughter safely to you." "Are you sure?" "I trust Aquila completely." ~~~~ "Firewing . . . Buffet! Aquila destroyed two shadows trying to block her way. The shadows weren't expecting anyone to try to get through their lines. Aquila had burst through, following Cygnus's wave, with little resistance. It was the shadow army's stragglers that were causing problems for Aquila. With every attack, her flames acted like a beacon, drawing more shadows to her. Aquila ducked into a doorway to catch her breath. She had to figure out a way to keep the shadows away from her long enough to find the kid's sister. Aquila looked at the door she was leaning on. She was at a store of some kind. Stepping away from the door, she reared back, ready to kick the door in, then stopped. Remembering what Sailor Jupiter taught her, she tried the door handle first. The door opened easily, letting Aquila walk in. She looked around. It was someone's dry goods store, with pots and pans hanging from the ceiling, and shelves of cooking utensils, linens, dishes, and such along the walls and aisles. Getting an idea, Aquila grabbed a large pot and a tablecloth. At the counter, Aquila found some matches and a pad of paper. Aquila quickly left a list of what she took, hoping that the owner of the store would be able to return. Aquila snuck out the back, avoiding any shadows she saw. She found what she wanted, a lonely, blind alley. Placing the tablecloth in the pot, she tried to light it on fire. After several tries, she was successful at starting a small flame. She watched it grow, then left back towards where the boy's sister should be. She easily reached the apartment building without meeting anymore shadows. Aquila tried the door and found it locked. Smiling, she spun around and kicked the glass door. The glass shattered, allowing Aquila to open the door from inside. Aquila ran up several flights of stairs to the boy's apartment. She knocked on the door, and called "Hello?" "Who's there" a girl's voice answered. "Sailor Aquila, one of the Sailor Senshi. Your brother sent me to get you. May I come in?" Aquila heard footsteps on the other side of the door. There was a pause, then locks clicked open. The door swung open to reveal a girl about twelve or thirteen years old with long, straight black hair. "Thank you," Aquila said. "We have to leave." "I can't. I have to wait for Mama," the girl said. "Look . . . whatever your name is . . . " "Kuri." "Right, Kuri-chan. Look, Kuri-chan, you can't stay here. Your mama's probably at the Crystal Palace, all worried about you. Your brother is worried about you." "Mama said not to go out without telling here where I am." "I'm sure she didn't mean for you to stay around when there's an invasion force in your backyard." "We don't have a backyard." Aquila slowly counted to ten. "It's a figure of speech. Have you looked outside? You're surrounded by the shadow army. Your mother won't be able to get here. You have a choice: you can walk on your own; I can carry you; or you can stay here and deal with the shadows yourself. And the shadows won't be as friendly as I am. What is it going to be?" ~~~~ Sailor Cygnus tried to catch her breath. With Aquila gone, she was left alone to protect everyone trying to get inside the Crystal Palace. The shadows were beginning to learn, and spread apart so that Cygnus couldn't destroy more than half a dozen at a time with her attack. Cygnus had top retreat with the tail end of the refugees. A trio of shadows broke from their ranks, charging at Cygnus from three different directions. Knowing that she only had time to attack just one of the shadows, she focussed on the middle one. "Graceful Tidal Wave!" "Majestic . . . Vitality!" "Talon . . . Strike!" The three shadows turned to dark dust falling to the road. Cygnus turned around to see Corona and Draco run up to her. "I am glad to see you two," Cygnus said. "Same here," Corona answered. "Where's Aquila?" "She hasn't returned yet." "No sign at all from her?" "She has to return soon," Draco said. "Queen Serenity wants to close the gates when everyone is inside. We don't have much time ourselves." "We can't leave Aquila out here," Cygnus protested. "Neither do I," Corona agreed, "but we don't have a say." A plume of flame grabbed the trio's attention. The fire came from behind the shadow army. The three girls exchanged looks. "It's Aquila!" Corona exclaimed. "We have to clear a path for her," Cygnus stated. "Graceful Tidal Wave!" A giant wave crushed several shadows. A burst of flame erupted through the gap created. Sailor Aquila ran through the hole in the army's ranks, dragging a girl by her arm. "Miss me?" Aquila puffed. "I found her, the kid's sister Kuri." She indicated the girl panting for breath. "Let's get her inside," Corona said. "Her mother is worried about her." "I've got some bad news," Aquila started, still trying to catch her breath. "I saw the shadow's leader. She's on her way." "Everyone's almost in, Aquila," Draco said. "We have to get in soon, too." "Queen Serenity is closing the gates," Corona explained. The four Sailor Senshi ushered Kuri inside. The girl's mother tearfully gathered her up and took her deeper into the palace. The Senshi stayed near the main gates, waiting for them to close. The shadow army, sensing that their prey was about to be safe behind the closing gates, charged. The Senshi bravely fought back, trying to stall the shadow horse. Several of the shadows broke through, despite the Stellars' best efforts. Draco and Cygnus tried to deal with the shadows inside the palace, leaving Aquila and Corona to deal with the main attack. Cygnus suddenly dropped to one knee, exhausted. Corona ran to her side, trying to help Cygnus back to her feet. "I - I can't keep this up," Cygnus panted. "There's too many." "Not much longer, Cygnus," Corona said. "The gates will be shut soon." Cygnus patted Corona's hand. "I'll try. For you, Corona." "Isn't that touching." Making her way to the front of the shadows was a woman with long blond hair and a scar on her cheek. -**- "Sensei, is that Muerte?" Hikaru asked. "It is," Setsuna answered. "Why did she cause this destruction?" Cygnus asked. "I don't know. I wish I did. She never told Queen Serenity her reasons. Tell me, girls, does she look familiar to you?" The four girls looked closely at Muerte, trying to place her. All four shook their heads. -**- Muerte strode towards the closing gates. "Pitiful," she sneered. "Sending girls, mere babes, out while hiding safely deep in the palace. Or so your Queen Serenity thinks." The gates closed on Muerte's laughter. The Stellars had the palace guard usher the refugees further in. The Senshi remained at the gates, worried but ready for a further attack. Loud, regular bangs shook the gates. "Damn it!" Aquila cursed. "Where the hell are the others?" "I'm sure they're coming." "They better get here soon. That bitch is determined to get in." A loud crack punctuated Aquila's remark. The Senshi looked at the gates. Light shone through a large crack in the crystal gates. Dread filled the four girls. "That's not good," Corona stated flatly. "Shit!" Aquila growled. More cracks formed in the gates. Pieces of crystal fell to the ground, raising fine dust. Slowly but surely, the gates crumbled to rumble. The Senshi fell back, coughing from the dust thrown into the air. Muerte surveyed the wreckage. Her army of shadow was behind her, awaiting her orders. Muerte picked her way over the remains of the gates. "Mere walls can't keep me out," she said. "You won't get by us!" Aquila countered, raising her arms. "Firewing . . . Buffet!" Muerte disappeared before the flames could engulf her. Aquila stared slack-jawed at Muerte, who just flashed a smile. "You'll have to do better than that, dear," Muerte said. She cut the air with her arm. Energy knives flew through the air, slashing the Senshi. Sailor Cygnus and Sailor Draco fell in the onslaught. "You bitch," Aquila spat as she clutched her wounded right arm. "Language, child, language. Didn't your teachers ever tell you to be polite?" Muerte tsked. "Had enough?" Draco stood back up, leaning heavily on her staff. "We'll never give up," she said softly. Muerte faced Draco. "Foolish girl. You would have lived longer had you just run away or given up. Not much longer, mind." She pointed at Draco. "Die." Draco tried to raise her staff to defend herself. Her eyes opened wide as she tried to find a way to avoid Muerte. Her friends watched helplessly, afraid to move. Muerte smiled coldly. "World . . . Shaking!" Muerte spun around, then disappeared as a golden ball of energy passed through the space she had just occupied. She reappeared a few metres away, closer to her army. "Sailor Uranus!" Corona exclaimed. "Get inside! Now!" Uranus ordered. "Get them," Muerte told her shadows. "Deep . . . Submerge!" The front rank of shadows was destroyed by a blue ball of energy. "Let's go, girls," Sailor Neptune said. "That won't hold the army back for long." -**- "Meiou-sensei, who were those women?" Ginny asked. "Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune," Setsuna answered. "They, too, were Guardians of the Crystal Millenium. They were my friends." "Were they teachers, too?" Hikaru asked. "They had their own mission," Setsuna answered. "Sensei," Arimi asked quietly, "where were the others?" "They were also busy defending the Palace and the people of Crystal Tokyo, in their own way." -**- The six Senshi ran deeper into the Crystal Palace, closing gate after door after gate. Muerte's shadows were slowed by the obstacle, but not stopped. Finally Uranus and Neptune stopped. The younger Senshi continued further before realizing the Outers were no longer following. Corona stopped and turned around. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Keep going," Uranus ordered. Corona's friends stopped to see what happened. Corona walked back towards Uranus. "We can't let you stay behind. There's too many of them." "You've done your part already," Uranus explained. "We're more experienced with this type of threat." "Don't treat us like little children," Aquila said brusquely. "We're Sailor Senshi. We've trained hard to defend Crystal Tokyo." Draco laid her hand lightly on Aquila's arm, trying to restrain her. "Aquila," she said softly. Ignoring Draco, Aquila continued, "You saw how Muerte broke through the gates and how she avoided your attacks. Do you still want to treat us liked damned children?" "She reminds me of you at that age," Neptune remarked to Uranus. Uranus smiled crookedly. "I was that brash?" she asked. "I found it cute." Aquila's cheeks flushed red. "We're still here, damnit!" she yelled. "We know that," Neptune said gently. Aquila stepped menacingly towards the Outer Senshi, only to be held back by Corona and Cygnus. "Aquila, don't," Corona pleaded. "I'm tired of being looked down on," Aquila snarled. "We've met the enemy already. They haven't. They have no right - " "We have every right," Uranus interrupted. "We've seen more enemies than you'll ever imagine. Neptune and I have experience with this type of attack. You don't, despite your luck." "What the hell do you mean, 'luck'?" "Aquila, please," Cygnus said, trying to calm her teammate. "You got lucky," Uranus snapped. "Look at all of you, bloodied already. You only had to face the first wave, their weakest element. All they had to do was wear you down for the second wave." "Second wave?" Corona repeated. "What do you think broke through the main gates? The cannon fodder you slowed down couldn't have done that." "You four did a good job getting people inside, away from the army," Neptune said. "Their leader is beyond your capabilities." "And you think you can do it all by yourselves?" Aquila refused to be placated. "Better than you can," Uranus said. "As Sailor Neptune said, you did well getting everyone in safe, better than you should have done." "That's why you need us here," Corona said. "You say that you can deal with their leader, but who is going to keep her army of your backs?" "She has us there," Neptune smiled. "I don't like it," Uranus said. "You don't have to," Aquila answered. "Just stay out of the way, and keep that army busy." "Why would I need them to take care of you?" The invader's leader stepped out from the shadows. "Shit!" Aquila cursed. "Now, what have I said about swearing? Proper Sailor Senshi don't swear." "Who are you?" Uranus demanded. "Your beloved Queen Serenity has never bragged about what she did to me? She knew me by another name, but you may call me Lady Muerte." Sailor Uranus produced her talisman and pointed it at Muerte. "Space Sword Blaster!" she called. Muerte vanished before Uranus's blast reached her. She reappeared beside the Sailor Senshi, and grabbed her sword arm. Uranus struggled, trying in vain to free herself from Muerte's iron grip. Slowly, Muerte twisted Uranus's wrist, forcing the Senshi to turn her sword at herself. With a burst of strength, Muerte forced Uranus to run herself through. Muerte pulled the sword out of Uranus, letting the Senshi slide to the floor. She absently wiped Uranus's blood off the sword, then held it up for inspection. Neptune slid Uranus away from Muerte while the young Stellar Senshi fell into a defensive pose. "Die!" Aquila yelled. She raised her arms, flames trailing. "Firewing . . . " Muerte acted before Aquila could finish. Without looking away from the sword, Muerte pointed at Aquila, firing energy bolts. The bolts unerringly hit the Senshi. Aquila heard a crack, then felt sharp spikes of pain shoot up her arm. In shock, she looked at the arm, and saw it hang looselessly, with an unnatural bend in it. "Aquila!" Corona shouted. "We have to leave! Now!" Numbly, Aquila follower her fellow Senshi, leaving Muerte behind to admire the sword. Neptune and Cygnus helped Uranus limp away. Corona fell back to help Aquila while Draco guarded the rear. They found an alcove where Neptune and Cygnus could carefully set Uranus down. Cygnus knelt down beside Uranus and inspected the wound. "How bad is it?" Neptune asked. "Bad," Cygnus said, paling a bit. "I've never tried to heal anything anything this severe." She laid her hands on the wound. Uranus groaned with pain. Cygnus shut her eyes in concentration, her hands glowing softly. Neptune knelt down and help Uranus's hand. "You'll be okay," she reassured. "Cygnus is doing everything she can." "No," Uranus said horsely. "Get away." "I'm not leaving you." "I'm not important. The Queen, she has to know." Uranus coughed up some blood. "Cygnus, you can't save me. You'll only die with me." "But - " Cygnus started. "Protect the Crystal Princess, Cygnus. That is your mission." "Haruka," Neptune began, tears welling in her eyes. "I - " "I know. Help me sit up." Neptune and Cygnus slid Uranus to the wall, then helped her sit. Cygnus looked again at Uranus's wound. "Don't bother," Uranus told Cygnus. "Go protect the Princess." Reluctantly, Cygnus backed away to join her friends. Neptune stayed, leaning closer to Uranus. "Haruka . . . " "Michiru, forgive me for leaving you. You know I wouldn't do this if I had a choice." "I know, Haruka. I'll always love you." Neptune kissed Uranus softly on the lips. "I love you, too. Take care of Queen Serenity." Reluctantly, Neptune stepped away. She gave Uranus one last look, then joined the younger Senshi. All five ran deeper into the palace as Uranus watched. The wounded Senshi tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but gave up when the pain from her wound became too much for her. After countless agonizing minutes, Muerte rounded the corner. "Still alive?" the villain asked. "I'll have to change that." Uranus smiled ferally as she raised her hand. "World . . . Shaking!" As Uranus threw her golden ball of energy to the floor, Muerte disappeared. She reappeared, sword drawn, beside Uranus. Before Muerte could say or do anything, the ball of energy erupted at Uranus's feet, throwing both Uranus and Muerte against the walls. ~~~~ Corona stopped running. She felt the rumbling from Uranus's final attack under her feet. Neptune stopped beside her. "Sailor Corona, keep going," Neptune ordered. "But - " "No, Corona. We're not going back. Our duty is to protect the Royal Family. It's what Uranus wanted. Keep going." Corona started running again, catching up with with Draco, Aquila, and Cygnus. Neptune watched her charges. She let one teardrop run down her cheek. "Goodbye, Haruka," she whispered softly. Neptune then rejoined the younger Senshi. Neptune quickly took stock of the Senshi's situation. Sailor Aquila's arm was definitely broken. Sailor Cygnus was falling into shock after her failed attempt to heal Uranus. Neptune had to admit to herself that she was also in shock, but from her lover's death. That left Sailor Corona and Sailor Draco as fully functional, and Neptune wasn't sure if either could stand up to Muerte. The Senshi wound their way through the Palace, making their way closer and closer to the throne room. Laughter echoed through the halls, freezing the Senshi in their tracks. Draco stood near Cygnus, protectively; Corona did the same with Aquila. Neptune slowly turned around, trying to find the source of the laughter. Muerte stepped out of a black hole. "Pitiful," she sneered. "You can't stop me. Surrender your Talisman now." Neptune slowly backed away from Muerte. "Do exactly as I say," she whispered to the Stellars. "As soon as I attack, run. No arguments." Raising her voice again, she called, "I'm sworn to protect Crystal Tokyo from the likes of you." "Is that your final answer?" Neptune raised her hands in the air. "Deep . . . " The Stellars tensed, Draco taking Cygnus's hand. "Submerge!" Neptune hurled her sea green ball of energy at Muerte. As expected, Muerte disappeared. Neptune heard the four young Senshi run away. They finally listened to her without arguing. The ball of energy slammed into a wall, breaking through it. Muerte reappeared beside Neptune, but the Senshi was ready. Neptune swept the legs out from under Muerte, then gracefully leapt away. Fuming, Muerte stood back up. Neptune only watched, her face expressionless. "You know you will lose," Muerte glowered. "I killed your friend easily. I'll do the same to anyone in my way." "I have something you want," Neptune said, producing her Mirror. "I'm not going to just give this to you. If you want it, you'll have to take it." "Gladly." Muerte disappeared again. Neptune looked into her Mirror, trying to scry where the villain would reappear. Seeing in the Mirror a location three metres behind her, Neptune dove to her right. A spread of energy darts passed through where she left. Muerte disappeared again; and again, Neptune scried for her location, and again dodged Muerte's attack. The cat-and-mouse game continued for several minutes. "Enough!" Muerte roared. "Tired of playing?" Neptune teased. "You're only delaying the inevitable, Senshi." "Then I've succeeded, Muerte. You've wasted too much time with me. Queen Serenity will be prepared for you." "Irrelevant. You Queen will fall as easily as your pathetic friend. You should have heard her beg for mercy." Neptune stiffened, but let the comment slide. Instead, she smiled. "You can believe what you want. I believe in Queen Serenity." Muerte disappeared again. Again, Neptune scried in her Mirror. When Muerte reappeared, she again attacked Neptune with her energy knives, but disappeared immediately after. Trapped in mid-dive, Neptune had no time to search for Muerte's new location. Reappearing, Muerte launched more energy knives. Neptune, still recovering from her dive, was hit solidly by the knives. The Senshi flew backwards, losing her grip on her Mirror. Neptune landed heavily, clutching her shoulder. A pool of blood formed under her. Calmly, Muerte picked up the Mirror, then stood over Neptune. She held up the Mirror for Neptune to see. "It was inevitable, Senshi. I will succeed." Muerte walked away, leaving Neptune to gasp her last breaths. ~~~~ "Which way?" Corona puffed. "Your left," Aquila called. "Your other left!" "Sorry." "Keep running." "Do you think Neptune . . . ?" "Don't, Corona." "But - " "I'm sure she can handle herself," Draco said. "We have to keep going." "You are very optimistic," Muerte said, appearing in front of the Senshi. The girls stopped dead, forming a protective ring around Cygnus. "She had her fun, but I got what I want." Muerte showed the Mirror to the Senshi. "You bitch!" Aquila growled. Corona placed her hand on Aquila's good arm, restraining her. "I don't want to fight children. Let me pass." Corona stepped forward. "Our duty is to protect the citizens of Crystal Tokyo. We will do what we can to stop you. Majestic . . . " Draco raised her staff. "Talon . . . " "Vitality!" Corona pushed her crackling ball of energy at Muerte. Muerte disappeared, reappearing behind the Senshi. She unleashed her energy knives. Draco reacted quickly. "Strike!" Five silver rays lashed out from Draco's staff, disrupting Muerte's knives. "Corona, go!" Draco called. "Get to the Queen. Tell her about the Talismans." "What about you?" Corona asked. "I can't just leave you." "We'll do what we can." "Just go," Aquila added. Corona slowly backed away. Aquila and Draco stood between their friend and Muerte. "Draco, you go, too," Aquila said. "You should, Aquila. You're injured." "Just my arm." "It'll take more than you two to stop me," Muerte stated. "Looks like the decision has been made for us, Draco. We both stay." "Right. We can't use our powers against her, though." Draco took a quick look at Cygnus. Cygnus has slid down the wall to sit in a ball on the floor. ~~~~ Sailor Corona ran through the Palace corridors. She hated leaving her friends, but Draco was right as usual. Queen Serenity, the Royal Guard, they had to be told about Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, about the Talismans. Muerte couldn't be stopped, not by Corona and her friends alone. Corona found herself at a junction of halls. 'Which way?' she asked herself. 'Draco, you should have gone instead. I don't know where to go. What would Draco say? What would Aquila say?' Corona chuckled. 'She'd say, "Your other left!"' Hoping that she chose correctly, Corona turned left. ~~~~ Without warning, Aquila charged Muerte, leading with her good shoulder. Muerte dodged the attack, but felt Draco's staff slam against the back of her legs before she could recover. Muerte fell. She got to her knees, then had to fall back down as Aquila tried to kick her in the head. Muerte rolled away from her assailants. "How dare you strike me?" Muerte snarled. "Doesn't it just piss you off?" Aquila said. Muerte threw her energy knives at Aquila. The Senshi easily sidestepped the attack, then charged her opponent. Muerte was ready and chopped down hard on Aquila's broken arm. Aquila screamed in pain. Draco watched as Aquila dropped to her knees. Aquila clutched her broken arm. Muerte easily pushed the injured over with her foot. Draco gripped her staff tightly. "It's just you now," Muerte said. "Let me pass." "No." Muerte ran at Draco. The Senshi tensed, and swung her staff defensively. Muerte altered her course towards her real target, Sailor Cygnus. She picked Cygnus up by the scruff of her neck. "Does your friend's life mean anything to you?" "Cygnus . . . " "Let me pass, and I'll spare her life." "Leave her alone," Draco whispered. "What was that?" "Leave her alone!" Draco roared. Using her staff, Draco vaulted at Muerte. She hit Muerte's shoulder solidly, forcing Muerte to drop Cygnus. Cygnus never moved, never said a word, only fell in a heap. Muerte stood up and smiled ferally. She made a move towards Cygnus. Draco again vaulted with her staff. Muerte was prepared; she caught Draco's leg in midair. With a twist, Muerte snapped Draco's leg. Hot tears stung Draco's eyes. Muerte dropped Draco unceremoniously, stepping over her. Still holding her staff, Draco feebly lashed out at Muerte. Muerte kicked the staff out of Draco's hand, then walked away. ~~~~ Corona ran. She made only one wrong turn, and corrected herself quickly. The throne room wasn't far away. Corona had to get to Queen Serenity. Her teammates, her friends stayed behind to give her the time to get to the Queen; she couldn't let their sacrifice be for nothing. Up another set of stairs Corona ran. A large crystal door stood at the top. Corona breathed a sigh of relief; the throne room was behind that door. Laughter pealed around Corona. The Senshi tried to ignore it, tried to keep going. "You failed little soldier," Muerte taunted. "Your friends couldn't stop me." 'Ignore her,' Corona told herself. 'You're too close to give up.' "You'll be happy to know your friends aren't dead, little soldier. They'll be around to witness the destruction of Crystal Tokyo." Step by step, Corona neared the door. If Muerte told the truth, Sailor Mercury could help the others, once Muerte was dealt with. "You're too late, little soldier. Your precious Queen can't stop me." "I'll make it," Corona said. "I'm too close to fail." Reaching the top of the stairs, Corona opened the crystal doors. Queen Serenity was surrounded by her Royal Guard when Corona entered. The Crystal Princess was standing beside Sailor Pluto; they were the only two in the room not near the Queen. Corona started to speak, to tell everyone in the room about Muerte, but she stopped short. A bright glowing light caught her attention. The glow came from Queen Serenity's crystal. Corona could hear the Queens daughter saying something. " . . . and keep my daughter safe," Lady Serenity said. "Mama! Mama! Don't leave me!" the Crystal Princess cried. "Mama!" The light engulfed the Queen, her husband, her daughter, and her friends. Pluto took hold of the Crystal Princess's shoulder. The glow kept growing. Muerte pushed by Corona. "You can't cheat me like this," Muerte yelled. "You can't!" She blasted her energy knives at the Crystal Princess. "No!" Corona cried. The blast was intercepted by the soft white glow. The blast missed the Crystal Princess, but the girl was torn from Sailor Pluto's grasp. -**- The glow filled the room, then disappeared. Setsuna took her Time Staff and laid it on the floor. She looked around the room at her students. Hikaru cried; Emiko tried to soothe her. Ginny stared in shock at the where the staff had been spinning. Arimi sat quietly, her eyes turned down. "Hikaru-chan, please stop crying," Setsuna asked softly. "I'm sorry, Sensei," Hikaru sniffled. "I couldn't get to the Queen in time." "Queen Serenity's mind was made up long before Corona started running to the throne room. There was nothing she could have done to get there any faster." "Really?" "Yes, Hikaru-chan. They all did well, especially for their first real battle." "Sensei?" Ginny asked. "Was that really us? I mean, if Crystal Tokyo was destroyed . . . " "It wasn't destroyed, Ginny-chan." "But we just saw - you just showed us - " "Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to save everyone. She sacrificed herself and Crystal Tokyo to save the world." "Then that was us?" "That was you, but not as you are now. You all have had different experiences since then, growing up as you have." "What are the T-Talismans?" Arimi asked meekly. "They are three ancient artifacts that are needed to find the Holy Grail," Setsuna explained. "But Muerte only has two of them," Emiko said. "Where is the third?" "You've already seen it." Setsuna picked up her staff. "The Garnet Orb." "Sensei, doesn't that mean that Muerte is trying to find you?" Hikaru asked. "You shouldn't risk her finding you." "I have to find the Crystal Princess. It was my duty to protect her, but I lost her." "You couldn't help that, Sensei," Ginny said. "She was pulled away from you. You can't blame yourself." "I failed in my duty, Ginny-chan. I can't rest until I find her." "We'll help you, Sensei," Hikaru said. "We'll find the Princess." To Be Continued... Coming soon: "Arimi-chan's so lucky! A cute guy from one of her classes has asked her out. I'm so envious of her." "Hikaru-chan! How could you? How could you do that to me? You know I can't speak around others." "I thought you wanted to go out with him, Arimi-chan. Next, in Sailor Moon: Generation Gap Side Story 7 - Arimi-chan's First Date. Arimi-chan, please don't be upset." Also: In the next chapter of Sailor Moon: Generation Gap, is gone, but he left one last trap for the Sailor Senshi. Can Sailor Moon protect herself from it? Next, in Sailor Moon: Generation Gap Chapter 7 - 's Legacy.