As before, this is the rewrite version, with additional minor revisions to
catch little mistakes I somehow missed in the rewrite. I'll post the
remainder of book one over the next few days, then begin posting chapters of
book two at a slightly slower pace.

Author's notes are attached to the prologue.


                <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
                 PART ONE: Mysterious Crystal Palace
                <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>



                 Chapter Four


"Okay, so let me get this straight," Shingo said. "My sister's not only
Sailor Moon, she's also the reincarnation of a princess who lived on the
moon thousands of years ago."

Saturn nodded. "That's right."

"And some evil army went up to the moon and killed everyone, and her mother
killed herself to send the princess and the Sailor Senshi into the future?"

"Basically."

"Well, that makes about as much sense as anything else," Shingo sighed. He
rubbed his forehead. "I'm getting a headache from all this."

Saturn giggled. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it," She banished the
Glaive and sat down beside Shingo, who blinked.

"Hotaru-chan?"

"Hai?"

"Where the hell does that thing *go* anyway?"

Saturn blinked. "The Silence Glaive? I'm not really sure. I just summon it
when I need it and send it away when I don't."

"It goes into a subspacial pocket," a new voice intruded. The teens looked
up to see Sailor Mercury walking towards them, lights flashing inside her
visor as she furiously punched away on her computer, scanning the walls of
the palace.

Shingo blinked. "Ami-san? Is that you?"

Mercury glanced at him and smiled. "Hai, Shingo-kun. I believe you know all
of the Senshi, except the other Outers..." she gestured at Neptune, Uranus,
and Pluto, who were gathered around a pair of thrones which had appeared in
the center of the room. Seated upon the thrones were a dazed-looking
Serenity and a calm but wary Endymion. Pluto was telling him something.

Shingo looked around the room. Sailor Mars...Rei?...was talking to the elder
Hino, and trying to wake up Yuuichirou, who was still out of it.
Venus...Minako, he realized...was helping Naru and Umino to revive the elder
Tsukinos. He felt guilty that he wasn't over there with them, but he decided
there was no help for it. Motoki and the white-haired man who had been
standing with Pluto were seeing to the other guests who hadn't fled the
temple when the transformation began. He couldn't get a clear look at them,
but one of the women seemed familiar. Finally, he watched as
Jupiter...Makoto, it had to be Makoto...tapped the walls of the sealed
chamber. As she did so, a crevice suddenly appeared in the smooth surface.
The crevice widened, letting light shine through. Shingo realized this must
be a doorway.

The multiple surprises of the past weeks had left Shingo feeling as though
he could probably handle just about anything, especially after what happened
during the wedding. Therefore, he shouldn't have even blinked at what
happened next.

Which is why it was extremely funny to Saturn when he completely freaked
out.


       *****


One irate black cat and one apprehensive white cat stalked through the
newly-opened doorway. "Alright, what's going on up here?" Luna growled.

"LUNA TALKS!?" Shingo shouted from where he and Saturn were sitting. The
other Senshi blinked at him, and Saturn collapsed in a fit of giggles.

Luna glanced over at Shingo, who was pale with horror, and realized that the
room was full of civilians, and a few of them were awake. She smacked
herself with a paw. "Would someone mind explaining this?" she said, deciding
that trying to cover for her slip would be pointless. Her patience was
wearing thin as it was.

"Calm down, Luna," Artemis said. Luna swiped at him with her claws, and he
ducked.

Shingo started shaking badly, his eyes wider than dinner plates, all the
blood drained from his face. "Oh hell, two talking cats...I can't deal with
this," he said. Saturn put a reassuring arm around him.

"There, there...it's alright, Shingo-kun...they're very friendly, they won't
hurt you..." Saturn whispered into his ear.

"So much for the decorum of the throne room," Uranus quipped aside to
Neptune, who snickered.

Luna stalked right up to the thrones, and her eyes widened as it finally
registered who was sitting there. "S-serenity," she gasped. "Endymion..."

Artemis seated himself near where Pluto stood. "I can't wait to hear this,"
he mused.

Serenity had been silent ever since her parents fainted. Her eyes had glazed
over somewhat after that, and she had remained that way ever since. Now, she
seemed lucid again, if somewhat in shock. She looked around, then down at
herself, and gasped. "I'm...I'm really...Serenity..."

Endymion took her hand, and smiled at her. "Yes, you are, my love."

She stared at him. "Ma...mamo-chan..."

He shook his head. "Endymion," he corrected her. "Chiba Mamoru and Tsukino
Usagi are gone now."

"But...no! That's not...I mean, I know who I am...I'm still...oh, I'm so
confused..." Serenity seemed on the verge of tears.

Pluto stepped forward, and bowed. "Your Majesty, I believe I can explain,"
she said.

Serenity looked up. "Pluto? What's going on here?"

"There was a propechy in the Silver Millenium," Pluto began. "when the Crown
Princess is wed on her eighteenth birthday, she ascends the throne, becoming
Queen, and gaining full control over the power of the Ginzuishou." She
paused, letting that sink in, then continued, "You have wed on your
eighteenth birthday, and therefore have now ascended the throne."

Serenity blinked. "But...the Silver Millenium ended thousands of years ago!"
she protested.

Pluto shook her head. "It doesn't matter. The daughter of the last reigning
Queen has fulfilled the prophecy, and holds the crystal. I know it's hard
for you to understand, but your reign has begun...Neo-Queen Serenity."

"But, but...I don't even feel like Serenity! I still feel like, well, like
me!" the confused young ruler declared. "I mean, there's something
different, I can feel that, like when I became Sailor Moon for the first
time, but..." She clutched her head. "This is all so weird...!"

Endymion embraced her. "Serenity," he said softly. "You remember the times
you turned into your past self, right?" She nodded. "It felt like you were
experiencing things through someone else's soul, didn't it?"

"I...I suppose that's a way of putting it," Serenity said.

"But it doesn't feel that way now, does it?"

She shook her head. "No...I mean, it just feels like I know new stuff I
didn't know before. But I'm still me, I mean, I'm still Usagi..."

Endymion smiled. "And I'm still Mamoru, yet we aren't the same people now."
He paused. "You feel the soul of your past life, don't you?"

The confused young queen nodded. "Yes..." Her brow furrowed. "It's
like...it's like the times I turned into Serenity, but I'm still me and not
her..." Her eyes widened. "Wait...you mean I'm both, right now? At the same
time?"

Endymion nodded, grinning. "You understand now. The soul of Princess
Serenity has merged completely with your own soul...as has mine with
Endymion. We're them now, and they're us."

"Oh...I see," Serenity said, nodding thoughtfully. She then looked around
the room, noticing that many of those present were gathered in small knots,
either reviving the people who had fainted, or talking quietly, or examining
the building. "This is..."

"The Crystal Palace," Pluto said. "Your palace, Serenity-sama."

Serenity looked around slowly, wonderously. "It's so beautiful...how big is
it?" she wondered.

Pluto shrugged. "We don't know," she admitted. "Nobody's gone outside the
throne room yet."

"But there's a lot of people *outside* who'd like to get *in*," Artemis
said. "You should see the crowd on the street..."

Serenity's eyes widened. "Oh, kami-sama! The temple! Poor Rei-chan, poor
ojiisan..."

"It's quite alright, Your Majesty," a gentle voice said from behind her.
Serenity turned to see Sailor Mars smiling at her, with her grandfather
standing beside her. "We're both honored to have this beautiful palace on
our temple grounds."

"Besides," Hino-san said, "the old place needed fixing up anyway." He
winked. Mars and Serenity giggled.

"But...I don't understand why this happened," Serenity said.

"I explained the prophecy--" Pluto began, but Serenity cut her off.

"Not that, I get that now. I mean this. The palace. Why here, why now? I
thought this wasn't supposed to happen for almost a thousand years..."

Pluto shrugged. "To be honest, Your Majesty, I don't understand either," she
said. "Unless the tale our future selves told about the world falling into a
cold sleep and how Crystal Tokyo came to be was a fabrication..." She
frowned thoughtfully. "Come to think of it...the future version of myself
might have told you that tale so that you wouldn't know this was going to
happen," she mused.

"Is it something you'd do?" Uranus asked. Neptune elbowed her in the ribs.

"Yes, it is," Pluto said with a wry smile. "And it's something I probably
*will* do a thousand years from now."

"In any case," Luna interrupted, "the fact remains that the palace
exists...but I expected it to be a lot bigger," she added.

"It probably will be, someday," Pluto said. "Even Rome wasn't built in a
day. I should know, I was there."

Neptune groaned. "Pluto, no offense, but your sense of humor is beginning to
get on my nerves." The others snickered.

Saturn walked over to the throne, with Shingo. Both bowed. Serenity
grimaced. "Don't *do* that," she said. "Shingo-kun, are you alright?"

Shingo nodded. "Yeah...I'm fine. Just a little startled." He glanced
nervously at Luna, who did her best to look like an innocent kitten.

"You looked pretty petrified there for a minute," Uranus said.

"Uranus, please don't tease him about it," Serenity said. "Shingo-kun...has
Saturn filled you in on things?"

"Hai, Your Majesty," Shingo grinned. Serenity glared at him, and he broke
into a fit of laughter. The young queen put her hand to her forehead. "I
thought people were supposed to *respect* their queen," she moaned, causing
everyone in earshot to collapse in hysterical laughter. After a moment, she
joined in as well.


       *****


Three more police vehicles arrived on the scene as the Tokyo police officers
already there worked hard to push back the swarms of people who had flocked
to get a closer look at the enormous crystal tower jutting from the former
location of Hikawa Shrine. "Please stand at the requested distance away from
the object," a lieutenant shouted through a megaphone. "There may be unknown
danger present. It is unsafe for the civilian populace to approach the
object."

"Lieutenant," a young officer said, approaching him. "We've finished
examining the object."

The lieutenant nodded. "What did you find?"

"Not much," the officer said, shrugging. "The temple that was there before
has been completely transformed. A lot of the structure of the temple itself
is still visible." He pointed to the tall crystalline arch which stood over
the steps. "See what I mean? Wherever this came from, it...absorbed, I
guess, the temple."

"Hmm...yes, I see," the older officer nodded thoughtfully. "Anything else?"

"There's no sign of the ground being damaged around the object," the officer
commented. "We already knew it didn't come from...up there," he mused,
earning a sharp look from the lieutenant. "Now we know it didn't come up out
of the ground either."

"Odd. Where could it have come from? Something that big just doesn't appear
out of nowhere."

"We went over it thoroughly," the officer added. "There is no doorway or
opening of any sort."

"There must be one," the lieutenant said. "How could our witnesses have
gotten out otherwise?"

"We don't know," the officer said. "Although Officer Kawamura claims to have
seen two cats disappear into the structure..."

"Two what!?" the lieutant exclaimed.

"Cats. One black, one white, both with crescent moon bald patches on their
foreheads," the officer repeated. "According to Kawamura, they walked up to
the front of the structure, there was a bright light, and they walked right
through it."

"That's odd," the older policeman commented. "Alright, I want you and the
others to keep probing that thing, looking for a way in." He paused. "Was
there anything up there that appeared to pose a threat?"

The cop shook his head. "No, nothing. Actually, the whole thing is really
beautiful...peaceful as well."

The lieutenant raised an eyebrow. "Peaceful?"

"It's like...you know the sense of peace you get when you visit a shrine? It
feels like that up there, only concentrated."

The lieutant rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know," he said slowly, "the
calmest witness we had was a priest who came from inside there. A Catholic
priest," he added. "It's funny, he seemed ashamed of himself for getting out
of there." He chuckled.

"Really? What did he see?" the younger officer asked.

"Claims to have seen an angel. A real, honest-to-God angel."

"Strange. I wonder what a Catholic priest was doing in a Shinto temple?"

"Oh, he and the old priest who runs...ran Hikawa Shrine were performing a
wedding ceremony," the lieutenant said. "Said something about a mixed Shinto
and Western wedding." He frowned. "Funny thing...nobody's seen a bride or a
groom around here, or the old priest...the guy says the bridesmaids and the
bride's family are all missing too."

"Maybe they're still in there," the younger cop supplied helpfully.

"Possible." A pause. "Let's just hope they're alright up there, if they
are..."


       *****


An hour later, everyone had been awakened, and filled in on what was going
on. To say it shocked them would be an understatement, especially when they
were told the part about Neo-Queen Serenity. Except, that is, for four of
the guests who hadn't batted an eye...in fact, Shingo began to suspect there
was something strange about these women, but he couldn't figure out what.
Even the white-haired man, whose name he still didn't know, thought there
was something odd about them, and in fact thought they had never actually
been unconscious.

Once everyone had been filled in, Pluto wrangled the Senshi all into a more
or less formal arrangement in the room, and grouped all the civilians,
including Serenity's family, together in two rows of seven at a respectful
distance from the thrones, upon which sat Serenity and Endymion. Luna and
Artemis sat beside Serenity and Endymion, respectively.

"I know there's supposed to be some kind of formality in here," Serenity
began, "but right now I'd be too uncomfortable with it, so we're not going
to stand on ceremony." She paused, thinking about what to say next. "To be
honest, I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do now." She blushed
lightly. "Gomen...this is still very new to me."

"Your Majesty," Mercury said, "I have some data on the palace which my
computer has just finished analyzing."

Serenity nodded. "Let's hear it."

"It seems that the Ginzuishou did not actually create the Palace. It simply
summoned it."

"Summoned it?" Endymion asked.

"According to my data," Mercury elaborated, "during the...ascension, there
was a great deal of spatial and subspatial fluctuation." At the blank stares
she received, she simplified, "The palace itself was already constructed,
but pieces of it were hidden somewhere on Earth, as well as deep within the
moon, and some parts were even hidden in a pocket dimension." She continued
to manipulate her computer. "The temple was transformed by the palace, not
by the Ginzuishou."

"By the palace?" Mars asked.

"Hai. The palace itself is generating power readings which are off the
scale. It's as though the entire palace is a magical power plant." She was
silent for a moment longer. "The power of the palace is on a different
wavelength than that of the Ginzuishou, and probably not as great, because I
can't even get a reading on the crystal," she continued, "but this palace is
easily generating enough energy to power itself and any defenses it might
have."

"So what you're saying," said the man Shingo didn't recognize, "is that the
Crystal Palace is completely self-sufficient?"

Mercury nodded. "Right. As far as I can tell, it's even creating its own
air. This palace could support itself and anyone inside it even in space."

"Then that's one less thing we have to worry about," Endymion concluded.

Luna cleared her throat softly. "The next order of business should be a
decision about who's going to stay here and who's going to leave," she said.

Serenity nodded. "Right." She looked out over the small group of people
before her. "I'm not going to impose anything on any of you," she said. "I
know this is as unusual to you as it is to me." She paused. "Does everyone
understand the situation right now?"

The group murmured softly for a moment, and finally Umino spoke up. "You're
the queen of this palace, and right now that's the only thing in your
domain." He paused. "But if what I've been told is true," he continued, "you
eventually intend to extend your reign over at least Japan, probably
further."

Pluto nodded from where she stood. "An excellent summary," she commented.

"Right," Serenity agreed. "If anybody is uncomfortable with that, feel free
to leave at any time. All I ask is that you not reveal anything you've seen
or heard in here to the people outside."

"Keep in mind," Pluto added, "that if you choose to remain within the
Palace, you must swear your absolute loyalty to Serenity-sama."

"I tell you what," Serenity said, smiling gently. "I'll give you all some
time to talk it over. This is an important choice you have to make, I don't
expect you to make it suddenly." She glanced around. "Pluto..."

"Hai, Serenity-sama?" the eldest Senshi replied, bowing in acknowledgement.

"I think it'd probably be a good idea if we took a look around the palace,"
the young queen said. "We don't even know how many rooms there are, or what
kind of rooms, or anything except that it's got a lot of power."

Pluto nodded. "An excellent idea, Your Majesty," she agreed.

Serenity smiled. "Alright...minna, please remain in the throne room and
consider your decision while my Senshi explore the Palace."

Pluto turned to address the other Sailor Senshi. "Go in pairs. Report back
here when you're finished," she instructed.

The Senshi all bowed to Their Majesties, and paired off, headed for numerous
hidden exits Mercury had located earlier.

"What about you, Usa...I mean, Serenity-sama?" Shingo asked.

"The Queen must remain in the throne room for now," Luna said before
Serenity could reply. "It's for her own safety."

Endymion nodded. "After all, we don't know the layout of the palace, and
there are a lot of panicked people loitering on the street," he agreed. "If
Serenity wandered outside by accident and were to be mobbed..."

"Which reminds me," Artemis said, "we're going to need to establish a palace
guard besides the Sailor Senshi, in case any rubberneckers manage to get in
by accident. It's not likely to happen, but you never know..."

Luna looked over the fourteen potential subjects of the Crystal Millenium.
"Hmmm..."


       *****


The dark entity was frustrated beyond words.

An incredible source of power had just appeared near the center of the city.
So much raw, pure, beautiful energy...

But as soon as it got within a half kilometer of the power, the entity felt
the wispy threads holding its consciousness together weakening. It had to
pull away quickly, lest it be destroyed.

Whatever that source of power was, it was extremely well-guarded. To be able
to defend against an intangible shade...whoever had constructed the power
source was a force to be reckoned with.

The entity would need more energy. A lot more energy. Possibly more than it
could find. It reasoned that it would also probably need to obtain a
corporeal form.

The shade drifted away from the incredible power, seeking more life
energy...and a body.


       *****


Mars and Saturn emerged from their chosen doorway into a hallway with two
doors, and a circular platform at one end with a railing. One of the doors
was yellow-tinted, and had the sigil of Uranus painted on it. The second
door was aqua, and labeled with the Neptune sigil. Mars approached the
Uranus door, and placed her hand against it. Nothing happened. She frowned.
"It won't open."

"Maybe only Sailor Uranus can open it," Saturn offered.

"Hmmm...probably." Just to be sure, she checked the Neptune door also. It
didn't respond to her touch either.

Saturn walked to the platform at the end of the hall, and examined the
railing. "Sailor Mars...come see this," she said.

Mars walked over. "Find something?" she asked, looking at the railing. The
top surface was flat, and had a series of colored lights glowing beneath its
surface. At the far left of the railing, a crescent moon glowed. To the
right of that, a pair of sigils appeared together: Venus and Pluto. Beside
those glowed the sigils of Saturn and Mars. The next two sigils were Mercury
and Jupiter, followed by the sigils of Uranus and Neptune, which were
dimmed. After the sigils were a series of Kanji labels: 'Sub-level 1'
through 'Sub-level 3'. "This must be a lift," Mars decided.

"Well if it is, then we both seem to be going to the same floor," Saturn
commented.

Mars nodded. "So it would seem," she agreed, touching their paired signs.
The sigils began blinking, and the platform lit up. The word "Ready" glowed
on the railing.

The two Senshi glanced at each other, shrugged, and stepped onto the
platform.

The next thing either of them knew, they were in a different hallway, and
the sigils Mars had touched were dimmed out. The previously dim Uranus and
Neptune sigils were now glowing steadily. Saturn stepped off the platform,
and looked around. This hallway also held two doors; a red one with the sign
of Mars, and a violet one with her own symbol. She walked over to that door,
and touched it. "Welcome home, Sailor Saturn," a soft, melodic voice spoke
out of seemingly thin air. "Your assistant module is not configured. Please
configure your assistant module."

Saturn blinked, and glanced over at Mars. Mars shrugged. "Sounds like a
computer," she commented.

"You've been watching too much Star Trek," Saturn said, giggling. Mars
flushed. "Well, here goes nothing," Saturn said, stepping through the door.
It closed behind her.

"Hey, wait up!" Mars said, approaching the door. It refused to open at her
touch, but she heard a muffled voice from inside. The door opened, and she
walked in. "We shouldn't split up, Saturn," she said.

The younger Senshi blushed. "Gomen, I wasn't expecting it to close like
that," she said. The two Senshi looked around. "Wow...this is nice," Saturn
observed.

The room they had entered appeared to be a small sitting room, with a
comfortable-looking sofa and two matching chairs, a round crystal table, and
various shelves and assorted other furniture fixtures emerging from the
walls. A bar-style counter sectioned off a part of the room, which was
occupied by a sink, cupboards, a countertop, and spaces which seemed meant
for small appliances. Said appliances were, however, absent. The opposite
end of the room had two doors. Saturn walked over to one, and opened it.
"Found the toilet," she remarked, stepping inside. "And a small furo..."

Mars walked over to the other door, half-expecting it not to open. However,
it did, and she walked in. "This one's the bedroom," she said as Saturn
walked over. The room contained a queen-sized bed, a desk and chair, and two
more doors, one of which they discovered was another entrance to the
bathroom. The other was a medium-sized closet. Aside from the furnishings,
the suite was rather spartan.

As they walked back out into the main room, Mars commented, "I certainly
wasn't expecting to find anything like this in the Palace."

Saturn nodded. "I'm surprised as well. Whoever built this place did a pretty
thorough job."

"Except for appliances," Mars remarked as she looked at the kitchenette.
"Why the hell are there places for appliances anyway? Or a bathroom for that
matter? I mean, we couldn't possibly use normal appliances or city water
here, could we?"

"Palace utilities are currently available at maximum efficiency," a
mysterious voice interjected. "Energy conversion systems are configured to
produce alternating current electricty."

The two Senshi looked around. "What *is* that?" Mars wondered.

Suddenly, a portion of the ceiling glowed a soft orchid tone, and an object
floated down into the center of the room. It appeared to be a crystalline
representation of Saturn's sigil, with violet rings of light orbiting it.
"Greetings," it said, in the voice they'd heard earlier. "I am the
designated personal assistant module for the Senshi of Saturn."

Saturn's eyes widened. "My assistant?"

"That is correct," the assistant intoned.

"What are you called?" she asked.

"I have not been assigned a name or personality designation at present," the
object said. "All of my configuration options are blank until you set them
to your preferences."

"What does that mean?" Saturn asked.

"I think it means you get to name it," Mars said.

"Correct, Sailor Mars," the unit affirmed.

"Okay...what were you saying earlier about utilities?"

"The palace provides all neccessary functions for life support," the
assistant replied. "These functions include synthesis of air and water,
purification of synthesized air and water, convertible energy generation,
and synthesis of non-organic simple materiel."

Saturn walked over to the sink, and turned the blue knob labeled "cold". A
stream of clear, cool water poured from the faucet. "There's definitely
running water," she said. Cupping her hands under the faucet, she took a
drink of it. "It's a lot cleaner than Tokyo water, too," she added in a
surprised tone.

"Well, that answers one question. Still, what about the electricity?"

"Please specify desired location, type, and voltage of outlet," the
assistant supplied helpfully. The two Senshi blinked. Mars mouthed, 'Is that
thing for real?'

"Ummm," Saturn said, walking over to the wall of the small kitchen. "Right
here," she said, tapping a spot above the counter. "The normal kind for
Tokyo, I guess," she added.

"Compliance." The assistant floated over to where Saturn stood, and
projected a thin beam against the spot she had indicated. The wall glowed
brightly for a moment, and a dual AC outlet formed in the crystal surface.
She blinked, and looked over at Mars, who was gaping. "Well, I think we have
power," she said.

"Still no appliances though," Mars said after she recovered. "Ummm, can you
make a refrigerator or something?" she asked the floating crystal.

"I'm sorry," the assistant module replied. "I can only create simple
non-organic materials, furniture and utility outlets. Complex devices are
not within my capabilities."

Saturn shrugged. "Looks like we'll have to get that kind of stuff
ourselves," she said.

Mars sighed. "This is too weird. Ah well, we might as well check out my
room," she decided.

As the two Senshi left, the assistant reminded them, "Sailor Saturn, you
have not configured your assistant module. Do you wish to do so before you
leave?"

"Ummm...can I do it later?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll do it the next time I come up," she said as she walked out the
door.


       *****


The crowd gathered outside the crystal structure began to panic slightly as
a convoy of JSDF transports and two tanks rumbled down the street. When the
convoy came to a stop, the police lieutant stalked over to the jeep in the
lead. "What are you doing here?" he asked the uniformed driver.

"Major Takada, Defense Force," the uniform said by way of introduction. "The
civil police force is excused from investigation of the situation," he
continued. "You've been routed to crowd control."

The lieutenant spluttered. "You can't be serious!"

"I have orders from the Prime Minister's office," the major said, producing
a document.

"So something you don't understand pops up in the middle of town and you
just come in and start trying to blow it up without asking any questions?"

The major scowled. "Lieutenant, we haven't opened fire on it yet, and we're
not going to unless it gives us cause. The government simply wants to
exercise caution." He leaned closer, and spoke in a softer tone, "Hell, for
all we know, this thing's friendly, or it might just be a freak
occurrence...nobody knows. That's why we're here. We're going to wait until
that thing does something. If it does something benevolent, we'll put down
our guns and have a party. If it does something hostile, we'll blow the shit
out of it."

"And what if it doesn't do anything at all?" the lieutenant asked.

"Then neither do we," the major grinned.


       *****


Shingo was talking with his parents, when the white-haired man walked over
to them and sat down. "Hope I'm not intruding," he said.

"Not at all," Ikuko said. She paused. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been
introduced..."

"Tomoe Souichi." The scientist bowed.

Shingo's eyes widened. "Tomoe? Then you're--?"

Tomoe-sensei nodded. "Hai. I'm Sailor Saturn's father." He smiled at Shingo.
"I've noticed that you spend a lot of time hanging around her."

Shingo blushed. "We've, uh, been dating," he said.

Tomoe nodded. "Well, I can't think of anyone better for Hotaru to be
involved with than our queen's brother." He winked.

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "You say that so easily...I take it you've already
made up your mind to stay here then?"

"My mind's been made up ever since Serenity's ascension," he said. "I...owe
it to Her Majesty." He shifted slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" Ikuko asked.

"It's a long story," he replied. "I'll tell you sometime...that is, if you
decide to stay."

"Well I'm staying," Shingo said. The adults looked at him in surprise.

"You realize what you're saying, don't you?" Kenji said. "Life in this
palace isn't going to be easy once the rest of the world finds out what's
going on. And you'll have to swear allegiance to your older sister and do
whatever she tells you to. Besides, we're still your parents...we do have
the final say in the matter."

Shingo nodded. "I understand all that," he said. "I also understand some
other things."

"Which are?" Ikuko asked.

Shingo looked in the direction of the door Saturn had gone through earlier.
"I love Hotaru," he said softly. "There's no way I'm going to leave her." He
paused. "She's been real depressed about that war going on. It's been
bothering her for weeks."

"Nobody likes to think about it," Kenji said. "But--"

"She has more reason to worry than anyone else," Tomoe cut in. "If you
understood what it means for her to be what she is..."

"She has an extra responsibility, a destiny that the other Senshi don't
share in," Shingo said. "It's a terrible destiny."

"Then you know," the scientist realized. "She's told you..."

Shingo nodded. "About the power of Saturn. I worry about her...I care about
her too much to let her face that destiny alone."

Tomoe clapped a hand on Shingo's shoulder. The boy looked up, and noticed a
single tear streaking down the man's right cheek. "You're a wonderful young
man, Shingo," he said. "You've done more for her than I've been able to."

Ikuko and Kenji were visibly impressed. The solemn moment didn't last long,
however, as Serenity approached their small group. "Am I interrupting
something?" she asked softly.

"No, Your Majesty," Shingo said, inclining his head respectfully.

Serenity blinked. "Am I imagining things, or are you being sincere when you
call me that?"

Shingo looked up, straight into his sister's eyes. "Ask me again when the
Senshi return, Serenity-sama," he said, smiling.

Serenity smiled also, and knelt down to hug her little brother. She then
looked at her parents. "Mother, Father...I have something important to tell
you."

"What is it, Usa...Serenity?" Ikuko asked.

Serenity blushed slightly. "I was going to wait to tell you, but then all
this happened and changed my mind." She paused. "I'm going to have a baby."

The three members of her family gasped. "A baby?" Kenji said.

Serenity nodded. "Hai. My first heir is already on the way." She smiled.

Ikuko leaned forward. "How long--?"

"According to Mercury, I'm due between mid-January and mid-February."

"I...I'm going to be a grandmother," Ikuko said.

"Well, that settles that," Kenji said. "It wouldn't do for us not to be
around when our first grandchild is born." He grinned.

Ikuko smiled, eyes brimming with tears. "Of course not," she said. "Someone
has to teach Serenity how to be a good mother, after all..."

"I couldn't think of anyone better to do that," Serenity said softly, her
eyes as watery as her mother's.

Tomoe watched wistfully as the family shared a lengthy hugging session.


                  Chapter Five


"Would you look at the size of this place?" Jupiter said in awe. "It's
huge!"

Mercury scanned the walls of the enormous room, readouts flashing across her
visor. "We're underground," she commented absently.

"What? You sure about that?" Jupiter asked.

Mercury nodded. Her computer beeped insistently, and she frowned. "That's
odd," she mused. "It's asking if I want to initiate a download..."

"A download? From where?" Jupiter wondered. She didn't know much about
computers, but she was pretty sure it took two of them to download things.

"That's what's strange. It seems to want to download something from the
Palace."

"What!?" Jupiter exclaimed. She leaned over the shorter Senshi's shoulder,
trying to get a better look. "Should you do it?"

Mercury shrugged. "I don't think there's any harm." She tapped a few
buttons, and the screen of her computer flashed brilliantly. After a moment,
she made a noise of pleasant surprise. "It's a map of the palace," she said.

"Really?" Jupiter asked. "That's great! We could definitely use that." She
paused. "So, umm, where are we now?"

Mercury examined the map in her visor. "Sub-level one...class three training
facility," she finished, brow furrowing.

"Class three? What's that mean?"

"Hang on, I'll ask the palace," Mercury said, working at her computer again.
Another series of flashes and beeps, and she nodded absently in
understanding. "There are three large underground training facilities in the
Palace," she told Jupiter. "All placed one level below each other, in
ascending class order."

"And what are the class orders?" Jupiter wondered.

"Class three is apparently meant for basic to advanced martial arts
training," Mercury said. "In other words, it's a dojo. It appears to be for
training bodyguards...or perhaps the palace guards," she added.

"Palace guards? What palace guards?"

Mercury favored Jupiter with the look of a teacher about to give a lecture.
"Any palace is going to have a troop of guards trained to protect the
nobility living or visiting within its walls," she said.

"But...we don't have anybody except Their Majesties, us Senshi, the--" she
paused. Mercury smiled. "Ohhh," Jupiter said at length.

"Right," Mercury said. "There are at least four people out there suitable to
become palace guards if they decide to stay."

"Okay, I get it. So what's class two?"

"Class two is for high-level soldiers with special abilities. A sort of
elite force."

"That's us, right?"

"No," Mercury said. "We're class one." She smiled. "That's why our training
room is at the bottom...we're likely to do the most damage."

Jupiter grinned. "Why don't we poke around these training rooms a bit?" she
suggested.

"Good idea. I doubt I can find out everything just by asking the Palace,"
Mercury agreed. "Then we can go look at your favorite part of the palace."

Jupiter raised an eyebrow. "I have one?" she asked.

"The kitchens," Mercury said, winking. Jupiter grinned.


       *****


A fourteen-year-old girl was lost in her thoughts as she walked down a quiet
street in Juuban. *I haven't seen him for...how long?* she wondered. *I
wonder if he still remembers me...or if he has a girlfriend...what if he
does have one...? I...* She blinked as she realized she'd just walked past
the house she was headed for. Cursing under her breath, she backed up and
headed up the walk, ringing the doorbell of the Tsukino residence. She
waited a few minutes, then rang it again.

"That's strange," she muttered five minutes later. "Nobody's home." She then
glanced off towards the center of town, where the enormous crystal spire
which had appeared a few hours ago stood. "Of course, they're probably down
there in that big crowd, looking at the crystal..." She giggled. "Yeah,
that's exactly where Shingo would be."

Kayama Mika turned around...and screamed as a small cloud of shadowy fog
rose up from the sidewalk and engulfed her.


       *****


Venus and Pluto had emerged from the throne room into a section of the vast,
beautiful courtyard surrounding the rear half of the palace. A
three-meter-high wall surrounded the courtyard on all sides, but both Senshi
knew that the locals would try to get over that wall if they could. Still,
nobody had come over yet, so they walked about leisurely.

"Reminds me of the temple gardens," Venus said. As she spoke, a sound from
above startled her. She looked up, into the branches of a beautiful tree
that seemed to have absorbed some of the Palace's power into itself, as its
bark had turned a soft silver color and its leaves were rich and vibrant.
Something rustled amid the leaves, and a single crow hopped down from its
perch, peering curiously at them.

"That's because it *is*," Pluto said. "See? That's one of Rei's crows."

Venus blinked. "So the gardens stayed intact?"

"All of the temple stayed intact," Pluto said. "It's just that the Palace
transformed it into crystal and grew around it."

"Oh, I see." She looked towards the rear of the garden, and noticed a
beautiful building, which despite having turned to crystal, was still built
in the traditional style. "Hey...isn't that...?"

Pluto nodded. "The Hino dwelling. It seems the palace decided it would look
better over there than in its original position," she quipped. Venus
giggled.

The two Senshi walked over, and slid open the door. "Well, we don't have to
wonder what happened to any of the furniture or stuff from Rei's place
anymore," Venus smirked. The interior of the building had been
'redecorated'...or, to be more precise, all the interior walls had been
removed, save for two walls in the back corner, enclosing a small space. The
remaining large room was piled with the furniture, appliances, clothing, and
personal effects Rei, her grandfather, and Yuuichirou had at the shrine. "I
wonder what's back there?" Venus mused, stepping over to the enclosure.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by a roaring fire in a shallow
pit. She blinked. Pluto walked up behind her, and chuckled. "Mars will be
pleased to learn that her sacred fire is still burning."


       *****


Endymion had taken a cue from Serenity and had begun mingling with the
civilians. Currently he was talking to Yuuichirou and a grinning Motoki.

"So...King Endymion," Motoki said, chuckling. "I always knew you would be
good for something someday. I sure wasn't expecting it to be this,
though..."

Endymion laughed. "I've learned to expect the unexpected. When you wake up
one day and suddenly realize you're Tuxedo Kamen, reality sort of takes on
an entirely different meaning for you."

Motoki smirked. "It must have been a lot of fun when you found out who
Sailor Moon was..."

Endymion chuckled. "That, my friend, is a story for another time." He
frowned. "You're not planning to stay here, are you? I mean, you've got
family, and Reika..."

Motoki shrugged. "Honestly? I want to stay. I feel like this is the
beginning of something truly wonderful. But I do need to contact them before
I make any permanent decisions." He was silent for a moment.

"You're worried about what Reika will think," Endymion said.

Motoki shook his head. "I think I can probably convince her to come here
too. I mean, something like this would be an archaeologist's dream come
true, right?" He sighed. "But if she doesn't like the idea of living in the
Crystal Palace, then I'll have to leave."

"So you really don't know what to do yet," Endymion concluded.

Motoki sighed. "I don't suppose there's any way a citizen of the Crystal
Millenium can walk among the citizens of Tokyo normally?"

Endymion shrugged. "We won't really know that until somebody goes outside
the palace," he said.

Motoki nodded thoughtfully. "Of course, the real question is: how to get out
of here without getting mobbed...?"

"I'm sure we can think of something," Yuuichirou put in. "Maybe the Senshi
will find some kind of teleport?"

Endymion shrugged. "It's possible. What about you, Yuuichirou?"

"You have to ask? I'm staying," the acolyte said. "I've been with
Hino-jiisan and Rei-san for so long, I don't think I could be happy being
someplace without them." He paused. "I don't know what it is I could *do*
here, but I'll just have to roll with the punches."


       *****


"It's beautiful," Neptune commented as she and Uranus strolled through the
gardens. They had emerged into the side of the courtyard opposite Pluto and
Venus.

"Hai, it is," Uranus agreed. "Hmmm...what's that over there?" she asked,
pointing to a structure half-hidden behind the central tower of the palace.

"Let's find out," Neptune said, picking up the pace. In a few seconds, the
two Outer Senshi had rounded the bend...and gasped. "Incredible..."

"Sure looks familiar, doesn't it?" Uranus commented. Before them stood a
small replica of the royal palace of the Moon Kingdom, from the Silver
Millenium. The domed ceiling and columns, though crystalline instead of
marble, and only about half again the size of a tool shed, were
unmistakable. A soft glow illuminated the main entrance.

"Wonder what's in there?" Neptune asked.

"Only one way to find out," Uranus said, jogging down the walkway into the
domed building.

When Neptune arrived at the doorway, she found Uranus standing there gaping.
She took a look around, and her eyes widened in wonder.

The replica of the Moon Palace held a single room with a round floor. The
glow they had noticed was radiating from a circle of slowly pulsing, colored
lights in the floor around the edge of the room. In the center of the room
stood a crystal sculpture of a crescent moon.

Neptune took a closer look at the lighted floor, and realized what she was
seeing. Just beneath the surface of the floor, the sigil of each Sailor
Senshi glowed softly, surrounding the moon sculpture. "Is this some kind of
shrine?" Neptune wondered.

"I think so," Uranus said, walking around the edge of the floor until she
came to her sigil. Curiously, she knelt down and touched it.

"Uranus! Be careful..." Neptune warned.

The sigil flared brightly, causing Uranus to step back warily.

There was a soft, barely noticable grinding sound, and a low pedestal rose
out of the floor where the sigil had been. The sigil glowed brightly now,
lighting up the entire pedestal from within. "What the--?" Uranus wondered.

Neptune walked over to her sigil, and repeated the process, getting the same
result. She glanced over at Uranus, raising an eyebrow. The other Senshi
raised one foot, preparing to step onto the pedestal.

"Uranus! Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, what if that's some kind
of teleport? What if you end up floating around a dead planet?"

Uranus frowned. "If these are teleports, then..." She stepped over to the
next sigil over, Pluto's sigil, and touched it. Nothing happened, and Uranus
smirked. "Still think they're teleports?"

"I'm not sure they aren't," Neptune said, frowning.

"Ah well," Uranus said, "might as well find out for certain..." And with
that, she stepped onto her pedestal.

The crescent moon sculpture began to glow, and a column of silver light rose
around Uranus, disappearing into the ceiling. Neptune gasped, moving to
interfere...inadvertently stepping onto the pedestal that, she thought
wryly, literally had her name on it. A similar column of light engulfed
her...


       *****


Serenity approached Naru and Umino. "Naru-chan," she said softly.

Naru bowed. "Your Majesty," she said somewhat stiffly, causing Serenity to
wince. "Gomen," she added in a softer tone of voice. "It's just...you told
me everything else, why not this too?"

Serenity sighed. "This was something I couldn't tell you. Enough people were
bound to find out who the Senshi were sooner or later, but we didn't need
for anyone to know about Serenity until..."

"Until it would be too late to do anything about it?" Naru said bluntly.

Serenity grimaced. "Yes, that's about right." She paused. "Are you still
angry with me, Naru-chan?"

Naru sighed. "I'm just hurt that you've been keeping all these secrets from
me."

"Are you...are you against me?" Serenity asked softly.

Naru shook her head. "No...never, Serenity," she said. "I'm sure the entire
world will adore you," she added in a somewhat detached tone.

Serenity smiled. "I wish I was as sure as you are," she said. "To be honest,
I'm scared. If the rest of the world thinks someone's trying to take total
control..." she let the sentence hang ominously.

Naru shrugged. "I don't think you need to worry," she said. "After all,
you've got this palace, you've got the Senshi..."

"And I've got good friends like you," Serenity added, hugging Naru.

"Yeah...I guess," Naru said.

"Naru-chan..." Serenity said, holding the other girl's hands. "I...I have a
favor to ask."

"A favor?" Naru repeated.

"Hai...I was wondering...if you would be my first-born's godmother."

Naru was shocked speechless. "First-born..."

"Are you pregnant, Serenity-sama?" Umino piped in. Serenity nodded.

"Let me think about it," Naru said. "I...I'll give you my answer later. I
haven't...I haven't even decided whether or not to stay yet."

Serenity nodded, and swept away from the couple.


"Naru-chan...you've got to let it go," Umino said.

Naru rounded on him. "How can you forgive her so easily for all the years
she ignored us? All this stuff she was hiding?"

Umino sighed. "I'm not happy about it, but I understand." He looked up. "She
only did what she had to do. Do you think it's been easy for her, living
with all those secrets? I know I couldn't handle it..."

Naru blinked. "I hadn't thought about that..."

During the silence, the one woman who had remained most detached and aloof
from everyone else walked over to the young couple. "Imagine," she said.
"All those years we thought she was just a lazy, useless crybaby who'd never
amount to anything..."

Naru smiled and laughed softly. "Yes, Haruna-sensei...there's certainly more
to our old odango-atama than any of us ever knew."

"So," Umino said, "what about you, Haruna-san? Are you planning to stay or
leave?"

Haruna smirked. "What possible use could a teacher be in here?"


       *****


The girl's mind had been simple enough to destroy, her soul easy enough to
blacken and take into itself.

The entity, that which had searched for energy, an identity, and a purpose
across untold kilometers of land and a frigid ocean, now at last had
something it desparately needed.

It had a body. A young, strong, human body, which accepted its energy
eagerly, yearned to use it.

The shade was reborn into willing, succulent human flesh, and felt more
alive and more powerful than ever.

Her senses had heightened considerably, she discovered. The auras of the
things and people around her were visible if she concentrated.

She expanded her senses, and felt a pull, an attraction to something about
half a kilometer away. It was of modest but noteworthy power, and felt as
dark, as evil as her own essence.

This, she decided, was worth investigating.


       *****


Shingo had left his parents when they started going on about being too young
to be grandparents. He was happy, and looking forward to being an uncle, but
he didn't see any reason to go so nuts about it this soon.

He had briefly talked to his teacher, Haruna-sensei, who seemed a bit bitter
about the "little baka that used to sleep in my class" turning out to be a
powerful queen. He, unlike his sister, was one of Haruna's favorite
students, and she seemed to take it under serious consideration when he
asked her to stay at the palace. "After all, normal school is pretty much
out of the question now," he had reasoned.

"And you *want* to keep going to school?" Haruna had asked him.

"Hey, it's still important," Shingo had replied. "Besides, there's things
we're all going to need to learn about this place, about the past...this
place has to have some kind of library."

Haruna had considered that, and appeared genuinely enthused with the
possibility of learning about an ancient civilization that, up until now,
she'd never known had existed. "Still though...Usagi in charge? I don't
know..."

Shingo had chuckled. "I know. Then again, she *was* Sailor Moon. Just think
about how many times she's saved people's lives..." He had then left Haruna
to mull that over.

Now, Shingo looked around the room, and realized that he more or less knew
everyone...except the four women sitting off to one corner. From what he
could tell, nobody really knew what to make of them outside of the Senshi
and his sister and brother-in-law. Deciding to find out about them, he
walked over. "Hi," he said, bowing politely.

One of the women, rather young-looking with sky blue hair, smiled at him.
"Hello," she said. "You're the queen's brother, right?"

He nodded. "Hai. Tsukino Shingo."

"We're the Ayakashi Sisters," she said. "My name is Beruche."

The one with the unusual hairstyle...it reminded him of the spore, he
realized...smiled. "Cooan."

The third of the sisters to introduce herself had dark auburn hair which was
pulled back tightly. "I'm Karaberas," she said.

"And I'm Petz, the oldest," the sister with the greenish-brown hair said.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Shingo said. "Can I ask something?"

Karaberas smiled. "You want to know how we know your sister, the Queen," she
said.

Shingo nodded. "Hai."

"It's a long story," Cooan said. "Better sit down." As Shingo did so, Cooan
continued, "We're not from around here, originally."

"Where are you from?"

"From the future, actually," Beruche said.

Shingo's eyes widened. "You're joking, right?"

Petz shook her head. "No, we're from about a thousand years in the future."

"So what are you doing here?" Shingo asked.

"Should we be telling him this?" Karaberas interrupted.

Cooan shrugged. "He's bound to hear about it sooner or later..."

"Go ahead, I can take it," Shingo said.

"Okay," Petz said. "You see, we...well, we were seduced into the service of
a group of outcasts known as the Black Moon Family."

"They opposed Neo-Queen Serenity, Crystal Tokyo, and everything it stands
for," Beruche added. "There was a war, and during the war, the Ginzuishou
was lost, the Queen was sealed away in crystal, and Small Lady was sent back
in time to retrieve the Ginzuishou of this era."

"Small Lady?" Shingo asked.

"The Crown Princess of Crystal Tokyo," Cooan explained. "I think everyone
called her Chibi-Usa here."

Shingo's eyes widened. "Chibi-Usa!? The little spore!? She's..."

"She's from the same time we're from, and she's the heir to the throne,"
Karaberas said.

Shingo gaped. "So...that pest is Usa...Serenity's daughter?"

"That's right."

"Wow...that explains a lot. So what happened?"

"We were sent back here, under the command of this bastard Rubius," Cooan
said. "We were supposed to kill Small Lady and find the Ginzuishou and take
it back to the future with us. But the Sailor Senshi interfered."

"And we've been grateful to them ever since," Petz said. "Sailor Moon healed
us of the Black Moon influence, made us normal again."

"That's why we were invited to the wedding," Karaberas said, "and that's why
we're going to stay here in the palace and serve Serenity-sama."

"I see," Shingo said. "Well, I'll say one thing...she definitely doesn't
have any boring friends!" The Ayakashi Sisters giggled at that.


       *****


The Sailor Senshi began returning to the throne room, and the fourteen
civilians gathered in the formation Pluto had put them in earlier.

"Where are Uranus and Neptune?" Mars wondered, as the two Outers were the
only ones who hadn't returned.

"Right here, Mars," said Uranus from the door to the courtyard. Everyone
looked over in their direction, and blinked.

"What happened to you guys?" Jupiter wondered.

Neptune and Uranus sported dramatically altered sailor fuku. The bodysuit
and gloves had changed from white to shimmering silver. Their skirts,
collars, and bows were the same colors as before, but the fabric was now
shiny and metallic. Their tiaras had become silver, and the stars on their
chokers were replaced by their respective sigils, cast in silver.

"You won't believe what we found out back," Uranus said, grinning.

"There's an unusual shrine behind the palace," Neptune said. "When we were
investigating it, this happened...I'm guessing this is the final increase in
our Senshi powers, at least for a while."

"So *that's* what that is!" Mercury exclaimed. "I wonder why this map didn't
tell me about that..."

"Anou...what map?" Venus asked.

"The palace uploaded a map into my computer while we were exploring,"
Mercury said.

"The palace did, you say?" Luna asked.

"That makes sense...it might explain what we ran into upstairs," Mars said,
briefly describing their discoveries. Each team in turn briefed the others
on what they'd found.

Finally, Serenity said, "Alright...now we know what's here, and what kind of
things we'll be needing." She frowned. "Getting those things,
though...that's going to be difficult."

"Not neccessarily," Pluto said. "Unfortunately, the outside world will find
out this palace is occupied, but that can't be helped. We can only hope that
they don't probe around too much."

"It's for the best that the rest of the world at least knows what we are, if
not what our agenda is," Endymion said. "After all, some of us have family
on the outside they need to contact." He glanced at Motoki briefly.

Serenity nodded. "That's true. And we don't have an agenda yet," she added,
scowling slightly at her husband. "Speaking of which..." she said, switching
tracks, "there's the matter of who wishes to stay and who wishes to leave.
Have you all decided?" The group nodded in unison. "Alright...how should we
do this..."

"Please separate into whatever groups you feel are appropriate," Pluto
stepped in smoothly. "When Her Majesty acknowledges you, step forward and
state whether you wish to remain. If you are remaining, you must kneel
before Her Majesty and swear your loyalty to her." She paused. "Do not take
such a promise lightly," she admonished. "Just because we haven't
established treason laws yet doesn't mean we don't intend to." There was a
distinctively unsettled murmuring at that proclamation.

"Pluto!" Serenity snapped. "Don't scare them so."

The group milled about for a moment. When everyone seemed to be where they
belonged, Serenity gestured first at Shingo. Shingo stepped forward, and
knelt before the throne, bowing his head. "I pledge my loyalty to Her
Majesty, Neo-Queen Serenity," he said. Off to the side, Saturn felt her
heart skip a beat. *Shingo-kun...I'm glad...*

Usagi's parents, then Naru and Umino, the Ayakashi sisters, Tomoe-sensei,
Hino-san and Yuuichirou,  and finally Haruna-sensei all stepped forward and
pledged their loyalty to Serenity.

Motoki approached the throne last. "Your Majesties," he said. "I'm going to
need more time to decide. I have...obligations out there," he said.

Serenity smiled. "I understand. You may have all the time you need, to talk
to your family and to Reika."

Everyone seemed more relaxed now. Serenity stretched. "I'm so tired," she
commented. Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. "Mercury, could
you please show these good people where they can sleep?" Standing, she
reached down and took Endymion's hand. "Everyone is dismissed," she said.
"If anyone needs anything or has questions, please take it up with one of
the Senshi or one of the cats. I don't wish to be disturbed unless it's
important," she added. "Endymion and I are retiring to our suite for a brief
honeymoon." She winked at everyone before half-dragging her husband to the
doorway leading to the tower.


       *****


Shingo stood in the west gardens of the palace courtyard, watching the
red-orange sun dip into the horizon, already mostly hidden by the outer
wall. The fading sunlight colored the crystal barrier a warm orange, fronted
by a soft silver wash from the temple behind him. The Sailor Senshi had all
gone into the building minutes earlier, and it soon began emitting a steady
silver glow from the entrance.

The lights from the temple began to fade, but Shingo didn't notice, as the
trees in the courtyard were still reflecting the silver glow. He continued
watching the setting sun.

He started slightly when a pair of arms slipped around him, and two
silver-gloved hands wrapped themselves around his own. "It's beautiful,
isn't it?" Saturn's voice whispered in his ear.

"Hai," Shingo said softly. He broke Saturn's hold slightly and turned around
to face her. "But not as beautiful as you."

Saturn blushed. Recovering, she gestured at herself. "How do you like it?"

Shingo looked Saturn up and down, taking in the shimmering silver of her
fuku, the glittering purple skirt and sailor collar. "Kawaii," he said.

Saturn smiled at him. "I...I'm glad you're staying here," she said.

Shingo took her by the shoulders and drew her close. "You didn't think I'd
leave and risk never seeing you again?" he asked. "I'm not about to let go
of a good thing."

Saturn giggled happily, and leaned into him, hugging him fiercely. He
returned the hug just as tightly.

Just as they were about to kiss, a voice interrupted them. "Shingo-kun,"
Mercury's voice said, "I'm leading everyone to the palace staff quarters
now." Realizing what she interrupted, she eeped. "Gomen nasai," she
squeaked, flushing.

Saturn blushed, and Shingo groaned. "Alright, I'm coming..."

"No you're not," Saturn said. She gave him a strange smile. "Not tonight.
I'm not letting you go right now."

Shingo blushed. "Hotaru-chan?"

Mercury also blushed. "Saturn! You're not planning to..."

Saturn giggled. "I'm not ready for *that* yet," she said, reddening
slightly. "I just don't feel like being alone tonight with all the
excitement."

"Okay, if you're sure..." Mercury said.

Not replying, Saturn dragged Shingo off towards the palace, giggling.

Luna walked up to Mercury. "They're not going to..."

Mercury shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, I hope they get some sleep tonight," Luna said. "We've got a busy day
tomorrow, and..." she paused slightly, grinning, "Shingo and some of the
others might not be too pleased with me."

Mercury looked askance at the black cat. "Luna...what are you up to?"

"My official duty," Luna said simply, looking about as innocent as a kid
with her hand in the cookie jar. "As court advisor, it's my job to suggest
candidates for the royal guard to Her Majesty..."

Mercury blinked, then giggled as realization struck.


                               Interlude


           TOKYO, JAPAN (AP) - As the sun rises over the Far
           East this morning, Japan and the rest of the world
           continue to wonder at the mystery of yesterday's
           unexplainable phenomenon.
           Yesterday, shortly after noon local time, a tower
           that appears to be made of pure crystal appeared on
           the grounds of a Shinto temple in the center of the
           Minato ward of Tokyo. The crystal tower, which the
           Japanese government has officially named 'Fushigi
           no Suishou' (Mysterious Crystal), stands silent
           watch over the city as morning begins in Tokyo. So
           far, there has been no activity from the structure
           aside from "an unusual light" originating from the
           rear of the structure at sunset yesterday. All
           attempts by Tokyo police and the JSDF to gain
           entrance to the structure have met with failure.
           Today, the world waits anxiously for some sign
           from the wonderous crystal structure, some clue as
           to what it is, where it came from, and most of all,
           whether or not it's friendly.
                              --Associated Press, 1 July 2001


                   Chapter Six


Shingo awoke unceremoniously to an intense tickling which caused him to roll
off the bed and crash into the floor. "Iteeeee...."

A soft giggle drifted down from above. "Good morning, Shingo-kun."

Shingo looked up to see a cute face peering at him over the edge of the bed,
framed by mussed dark hair. Shoulders clothed in the sleeves of a silken
nightgown accompanied the face, as well as some rather spectacular cleavage.
He blushed. "Ohayou, Hotaru-chan," he said, sitting up.

"Sleep well?" Hotaru asked, still giggling.

"Yeah," he said. He picked at his undershirt and boxers, blushing slightly.
"Ummm...?"

"You were pretty tired," Hotaru said. "You passed out on the couch...I
brought you in here and, um," she blushed, "got that tux off of you."

Shingo turned bright red. "I see," he said.

"Don't worry, I didn't do anything ecchi," Saturn said, winking. "Turn
around," she instructed. Shingo blinked sleepily, frowning, but did so. As
soon as his back was turned, he heard from behind him, "Saturn Silver Power,
Make-Up!" After several seconds, she said, "Okay, you can look now."

Shingo turned to see Sailor Saturn, in her new silver fuku, standing at the
foot of the bed. "Gotta get an early start," she said. "There's going to be
a lot to do today."

Shingo stood, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. "Ugh...hungry," he
muttered.

"They found all the stuff from the temple outside," Saturn said. "We'll
probably have breakfast once everyone is awake." She walked out into the
main room, and Shingo followed her.

Looking around, Shingo realized something, and groaned. "Great," he said, "I
just realized the only thing I have to wear is that blasted tux."

Saturn smiled. "That's easily fixed," she said. Looking up at the ceiling,
she called out, "Mimas!"

Shingo blinked as a floating, glowing purple crystal dropped out of the
ceiling. "Good morning, Lady Saturn," it said. It whirled for a moment, then
added, "I'm sorry, I don't recognize your guest."

"This is Tsukino Shingo," Saturn said. "He's the queen's brother."

Mimas whirled again, then dipped in the air. "Good morning, Lord Shingo," it
said.

"Uhhh, good morning," Shingo said.

"Mimas, Shingo-kun needs something to wear today," Saturn said.

"Please tell me what you wish to wear," Mimas said.

"Umm..." Shingo paused uncertainly.

"Whatever's suitable for palace," Saturn interjected.

There was a pause. "Lord Shingo is a member of the royal family. Standards
dictate he should wear the uniform of nobility."

Shingo blinked, as did Saturn. "Umm...okay then, that'll do."

"Compliance," Mimas said. It began hovering around Shingo, examining him
from multiple directions. Just as Shingo was beginning to get annoyed, it
returned to the center of the room, and glowed more brightly. A pile of
clothing dropped at Shingo's feet.

"Go ahead and change in the bedroom," Saturn said, smiling. Shingo nodded,
picking up the bundle, and walked out.

"Should Lord Shingo be listed as a suite occupant?" Mimas asked.

"Hmm? Oh...no, not yet," Saturn said.

"Should Lord Shingo be listed as a visitor with unrestricted access to the
suite?"

Saturn thought about that for a minute. "Yes," she decided.

"Compliance."

After a moment, the bedroom door slid open. "Well, this is better than the
tux," Shingo said. He now wore crisply pressed white uniform trousers,
highly polished white boots, and a high-collared white jacket. The uniform
was trimmed with silver piping, and silver buttons ran down the center. A
crystalline insignia was attached to the jacket at the left breast; it
resembled the spire of the palace, backed by a silver moon. The stiff collar
was fastened with a crescent moon clasp; framing it were broad silver
shoulderguards, glittering with metallic thread.  White dress gloves encased
his hands. A folded garment was draped over his arm, and he was eyeing it
uncomfortably.

Saturn gave a whistle. "Looks good," she commented.

Shingo blushed. "Thanks," he said. He held up the extra accessory, unfurling
it. "I'm *so* not comfortable with this thing, though."

Saturn giggled. "Yeah, a cape just isn't your style." As Shingo carefully
refolded the embellished garment, Saturn glanced toward the door. "Well, I
guess we should see if anybody else is awake."

Mimas began whirling more rapidly, then said, "The assistant network reports
that three other Sailor Senshi are awake and have left their suites," it
said.

"Thank you, Mimas," Saturn said. "Come on, Shingo-kun, let's go."

"Hai," Shingo said, following the youngest Senshi out of the suite.


       *****


Serenity yawned as she walked around the spacious living room of the royal
suite. There were three sofas in the room as well as a regal-looking love
seat, sort of an informal throne for two, tucked cozily away in the corner.

Silently giving thanks to Mercury for finding out how things worked here,
Serenity touched a wall of the room. It glowed briefly, and became
transparent, letting the early morning sunshine into the room.

She glanced at the strange sculpture that had been placed against the
interior wall of the suite. They had puzzled over the statue when they first
came up; it was a crystalline replica of Sailor Moon in her original form,
from back in the days when she was fighting the Dark Kingdom. Although the
statue was colorless and lacked some of the finer details, it was otherwise
a remarkable likeness.

Endymion muttered a greeting as he emerged from the bedroom, apparently less
than half-awake. Serenity stepped over to him and kissed him. "Good morning,
husband," she said.

"Mmm...I could get used to that kind of greeting," Endymion said. Serenity
giggled.

"You know, I wonder...the others mentioned something about some kind of
assistant thingy..."

The royal couple both started as the statue of Sailor Moon jerked to life,
and stepped off her pedestal, genuflecting before them. "Your Majesties,"
she said in a synthesized, crystalline version of Serenity's own voice.

"Wha--what--what are you?" Serenity asked.

"I am your personal assistant module and guardian golem," the statue said.
"Please forgive me for startling you."

Serenity blinked, recovering. "It's okay...you're...?"

"Your Majesties, I was instructed to display a message for you upon my
activation," the statue said.

"Uhhh...okay," Serenity said.

The air between them shimmered, and a ghostly image of the old Queen
Serenity floated in midair. "Mother..." Neo-Queen Serenity said softly.

The old queen smiled radiantly. "My daughter," she began. "the fact that you
are seeing this means you have taken a husband, and have brought the Crystal
Palace out of dormancy. For this, I am proud of you. You have truly become
the heir to my throne.

"I suspect that by now, your memories are complete enough that you are aware
that, in my time, there was no such Sailor Senshi as Sailor Moon. This is
what I would speak to you about."

The Queen paused. "For as long as the Moon Kingdom reigned, the daughters of
the line of Serenity commanded great power, but alas, we were never
well-trained in its use. With the Ginzuishou, and the inherent power of the
blood of Serenity, we were able to bring the solar system together into one
great, beautiful union, and maintained that union throughout the Silver
Millenium.

"With the Sailor Senshi to protect us from any potential threats, there
never seemed to be a reason for the royal bloodline to be trained strictly
in our powers. All we needed to know was how to call upon the power of the
Ginzuishou, and how to be good rulers.

"When the Dark Kingdom invaded, I began to question this policy." The Queen
looked down, her expression sorrowful. "As those dear to me, those who
looked up to me as their Queen and as their friend, began to fall, I began
to second-guess my own power. I began to believe that, if I had been more
properly trained, had spent time in my youth as a warrior for peace, it
might have helped turn the tide against the Dark Kingdom.

"Shortly before the end, when I realized what must come to pass, I created
the powers of a Sailor Senshi who would not appear until long after the
collapse of the Silver Millenium...Sailor Moon." She paused. "I gave the
transformation artifact for this warrior to Luna, and instructed her to give
it to you, my daughter, when next she saw you. It was my hope that, should
the Dark Kingdom ever return, the experience you would gain as a Sailor
Senshi would enable you to do what I could not; to destroy them for all
time, and live through the final battle." She smiled again. "The very fact
that you are hearing this message means that this has come to pass, and that
my final act as Queen was not in vain.

"Serenity, my daughter, please remember what I have said. A queen must know
more than protocol and policies, must be able to do more than hold court and
command her warriors. A queen must know how to fight to protect her kingdom
and her subjects during a time of crisis. Do not lose sight of your
training, and when your children are old enough, you must see to their
training as well.

"I must bid you farewell now, my beloved daughter. Please remember these, my
final words. The light of the moon is the message of love, and will always
guide you. May you rule always in peace and happiness, and may the line of
Serenity shine brightly for all time." The image faded slowly away.

Neo-Queen Serenity stood gazing at the empty space, tears in her eyes. She
was smiling. "Goodbye, Mother," she said softly. "I'll make you proud." She
turned to Endymion. "Come, husband," she said, "we have much to attend to
this day."

Endymion followed his wife out of the royal suite, marveling at the newfound
confidence she displayed.


In the circular hallway surrounding the throne room, the queen and king
encountered Saturn and Shingo. The two teens bowed. "Good morning, Your
Majesties," they said.

Serenity smiled. "Good morning Saturn, Shingo-kun. How was your first night
in the palace?"

"Just fine, Serenity-sama," Saturn said. Shingo nodded agreement.

"That's a nice uniform, Shingo-kun," Serenity said.

Shingo shrugged. "It's more comfortable than the tux, at any rate," he said,
smiling. He glanced at the king. "How do you stand to wear a cape all the
time?" He motioned to the garment draped over his arm. "I don't even know
why that assistant thing *gave* me this."

Endymion chuckled. "It's not so bad once you get used to it." He winked.
"It's especially nice for dramatic entrances." Bemusedly, he plucked the
accessory from Shingo's arm, unfurling it with a snap and a flourish. In one
smooth motion, he draped it across the young teen's shoulders, fastening the
braided cord and attaching the gleaming silver epaulets to the
shoulderguards of his uniform with practiced ease. He stood back, rubbing
his chin thoughtfully. "Quite dignified," he commented.

Serenity and Saturn giggled. "It does suit you," the queen smiled.

Shingo groaned. "And I thought the tux was bad." The others laughed, and he
cracked a smile after a moment of good-natured grumbling.

Four stomachs growled in perfect harmony, causing their owners to blush. "I
think Jupiter mentioned something about breakfast in the old shrine,"
Serenity said. "We should probably head out there."

"Sounds good to me," Endymion said. They made their way through the door to
the east courtyard.


       *****


Breakfast had been remarkable...Jupiter and Ikuko had managed to take a
week's worth of food for three people and turn it into a veritable banquet
for twenty-four. The portions hadn't been generous, but they were at least
filling, and hunger sated, the group returned to the throne room. Most of
the palace 'staff' wore uniforms similar to Shingo's, lacking only the
shoulderguards, ornamental insignia, and--much to Shingo's chagrin--capes.
The exceptions were the Ayakashi Sisters, who wore vastly different,
somewhat bizarre outfits, Hino-san, still clad in Shinto robes, and
Tomoe-sensei, whose uniform sported violet trim and a small amethyst crest
bearing the sign of Saturn. A lab coat completed the ensemble. Shingo
noticed that his mother and father had the same insignia on their uniforms
as he wore. Pluto instructed everyone to kneel as the royal couple made
their way to their thrones.

"You may rise," Serenity said as she and Endymion sat down.

"If I may, Your Majesty," Luna said from her place at the Queen's side, "I
believe it would be an appropriate time for a crash course in court
etiquette."

Serenity groaned. "Oh, Luna..."

Luna cleared her throat. "For *them*, Your Majesty."

"Oh. Um...okay, if you think," Serenity said, blushing. There was a muted
round of snickering, and Mars smacked herself on the forehead when she
thought nobody was looking.

Luna stepped forward to address the assemblage. "Before we make our presence
known to the outside world, we must know how to conduct ourselves both in
this room and in public.

"The royal court and any public encounters on the palace grounds are
considered times to observe official protocol. Official protocol dictates
that when approaching, or approached by, the Queen or King, you must kneel.
If you encounter a Sailor Senshi or one of the other nobles, you must bow.

"In an informal protocol situation, which means anywhere within the Palace
aside from the throne room, you must bow to the Queen and King, and
acknowledge Senshi and nobles by the appropriate title."

"What are the appropriate titles?" Umino asked. "And who are the nobles you
keep referring to?"

"The nobles," Luna said, "are the direct relatives of Their Majesties and
the Sailor Senshi. In other words," she clarified, "the Tsukino family are
the higher-ranking nobility, while any family member of a Senshi is a noble
of lesser rank. This includes those not currently within the palace," Luna
added, "although they have no official status at this time.

"The Queen and King are exempt from using the appropriate titles if they
choose not to. The Sailor Senshi are only required to address the higher
nobility by appropriate title. Everyone else must observe the protocol of
titles at all times."

"Luna," Serenity admonished gently, "you're losing them. Please get to the
point."

Luna sighed. "You already know the appropriate titles by which to address
the King and Queen," she said. "The Sailor Senshi are addressed with the
title of 'Lady', followed by the appropriate name. If they are in Senshi
form, you must address them as such. Otherwise, address them by their
personal name. Regardless of rank, all other nobles are addressed as either
'Lord' or 'Lady'."

"Why didn't she just say so in the first place?" Yuuichirou muttered aside
to Motoki.

Motoki shrugged. "I guess she thinks it's her duty to make long-winded
lectures."

Luna scowled. "Perhaps you'd like to listen to a long-winded lecture on the
precision hearing of cats? Or on traditional methods of attitude
adjustment?" she snapped, baring her sharpened claws.

"No, sensei," Motoki and Yuuichirou both droned. Luna sighed, and everyone
else snickered.

"There will be more protocols to discuss once everything is running smoothly
around here," Luna said. "For now, that's all you need to remember."

"Thank you Luna," Serenity said. There was a pause, and the queen looked at
the Ayakashi Sisters. "I assume you haven't regained the powers you lost
when the Black Moon Family influence was removed," she said.

Petz shook her head. "No, Your Majesty, we have not."

Serenity nodded. "Very well. Approach the throne, please."

The sisters did so, and Serenity placed her hands upon the Ginzuishou,
closing her eyes. It began to glow brightly, and a soft wind stirred around
the four women. After a moment, the Queen opened her eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Petz said. "We will serve you well." The Ayakashi
Sisters walked back to where they had been standing, and the other courtiers
noticed that the quartet now bore silver crescent marks upon their
foreheads.

Pluto spoke up. "Your Majesty, we must now discuss our strategy for
revealing ourselves to the outsiders."

Serenity's brow furrowed. "Yes. After all, we need to be able to make
contact with family and friends out there, and to buy supplies in Tokyo."
She frowned. "What will we do for money?"

"That is already taken care of," Pluto said. "I took the liberty of
appointing myself the royal treasurer, and spent most of the night setting
up accounts with the palace treasury."

"The Palace has a treasury?" Serenity asked. "Wow, they were really thorough
when they hid this place."

Pluto nodded. "A modest fortune in Silver Millenium gold pieces, polished
gems, silver and platinum bars..." the others whistled.

"Enough money to fund a fledgling kingdom," Endymion mused.

"Exactly," Pluto said.

"How did you manage to set up accounts with stuff like that overnight?"
Shingo wondered.

Pluto smiled enigmatically. "All I needed was a little time," she said.
Serenity giggled, while Endymion, the other Senshi, and the two cats
groaned.

"I liked her better when she was cold all the time," Venus remarked to
Jupiter.

"That takes care of one problem," Tomoe said. "The next question is...how
will people out there react when we go outside?"

There was silence for a moment. "I believe it would be a mistake to simply
announce who we are to the world and hope they take it well," Serenity said.

Pluto nodded. "I agree, Your Majesty. Right now, the governments of the
world are all nervous about the potential of a global war. A self-proclaimed
sovereign nation appearing in the middle of Japan overnight would not likely
be well received."

"Right...if we reveal ourselves now, people might panic...we can't let that
happen," Saturn spoke up. There was an undercurrent of sadness in her voice.

"But can we just sit in here and keep the world guessing?" Endymion
wondered.

"Endymion-sama," Pluto said, "Nobody knows where the Great Sphinx came from.
Does the world see it as a threat?"

Everyone blinked.

"Okay, but what about food, appliances, basic neccessities of life?"
Serenity asked. "We know the palace gives us clothing, energy, and water,
but it can't give us food, or refrigerators, ovens...televisions..."

"Face it," Shingo spoke up, "somebody's gonna have to go outside sooner or
later, and there's that whole mob scene going on..."

"Getting large items into the palace without being noticed will be virtually
impossible," Pluto said.

"Hmmm...you know," Jupiter said, "people in Tokyo know about the Sailor
Senshi...if we're seen out there, getting stuff and bringing it in here,
maybe people will just assume we've got a new home base and we're moving in.
It wouldn't be far from the truth," she said.

"She's got a point," Uranus said. "People have seen stranger things than
this around here."

"Okay, but what about the rest of us?" Motoki asked. "What about when we're
seen coming and going?"

There was silence. "It's too bad we don't know how Beryl's generals
teleported around so easily," Serenity commented.

"Hmm..." Mercury said. Everyone turned their attention to her, but she was
ignoring them. She sat down on the floor, pulling out her computer and
visor. Beeps, flashes, and occasional curses emitted from her location, and
finally she gave a cheer of victory. "Got it!" With a few more keystrokes, a
section of the wall in front of her flashed, and spat forth a small pile of
eight-sided crystals. She picked one up, examining it. Everyone blinked as
she suddenly disappeared.

"What the--?"

A few seconds later, Mercury walked in through one of the entrances to the
throne room, grinning. "Teleportation crystals," she enthused.

"Say what?" Jupiter asked.

Mercury scooped up the pile of crystals, and walked around the room,
distributing one to each of the Senshi except Pluto, and one to each of the
palace staff. "Their Majesties won't need these," she commented, "because
Serenity-sama can use the Ginzuishou to teleport, and Endymion-sama can use
the power of the Earth."

"They have no reason to leave the palace at this time in any case," Pluto
advised. "They are far safer in here."

"So, what do we do with these?" Shingo asked.

"For now, put them in your clothes," Mercury said. "Later, everyone can find
their own means for wearing them...necklaces, rings, earring, choker,
whatever." She tucked her own crystal into the trim of her glove. "To use
it, simply concentrate on a destination, and hold it for a few seconds. The
crystal will send you wherever you want to go." She paused. "I advise you
not to teleport anywhere too close to the palace. These crystals can send
you anywhere in Tokyo. Beyond the edges of Tokyo, you'll need to take
conventional transportation."

"Also," Pluto added, "don't teleport directly into the throne room unless
there's an emergency. Teleport into the entry hallway." She pointed to the
wall facing the thrones. "Or into the Round Hall." She gestured around her.

"How much can we haul around this way?" Jupiter asked.

"You can teleport a maximum of two people beside yourself," Mercury said,
"but it limits the range. You'd need to get within two kilometers of the
palace to return. The more you're carrying, the more of a drain it puts on
the crystal."

"So...how are we going to get appliances in here?" Ikuko asked.

"Have them delivered to the street address of Hikawa Shrine," Pluto said.

"Are you crazy!?" Mars shouted. "What happens when delivery trucks start
coming to the palace?"

"The Senshi bring in the deliveries," Pluto said. "As Jupiter said earlier,
we should give the impression that this is the home base of the Sailor
Senshi. It will compromise the identity of Sailor Mars, but that's a moot
point. Sooner or later, when nothing happens besides a lot of normal
household equipment being delivered, and the occasional sighting of a Sailor
Senshi buying groceries, the public will lose interest. We'll have to deal
with the Palace becoming a tourist attraction, and probably constant
external surveillance by the Japanese government, but that's nothing we need
to concern ourselves with."

"Can't argue with logic like that," Jupiter said.

Serenity nodded. "Alright then. I assume, Pluto, that you've got money or
credit cards for everyone?"

Pluto produced a briefcase from her subspace pocket. Inside were several
thick stacks of yen notes, as well as a small pile of plastic cards. "It
took some doing to coerce my banking associates into approving these cards,"
she said, "but they're legal." She began handing them to the Sailor Senshi.

"Now why wouldn't they--oh," Venus said, as she was handed a credit card
issued to 'Sailor Venus'. "I see."

"Why don't we just go out there in our regular forms?" Mars wondered.

"Because we might still need the advantage of having a disguise to fall back
on," Pluto said. "Plus, remember, we're making it look like the Sailor
Senshi are setting up shop here."

"Right, I forgot," Mars mumbled as Pluto handed her a card.

"I'll handle ordering the appliances for the palace kitchens," Pluto said,
transforming out of Senshi form. "I have contacts who can supply
industrial-grade kitchenwares that won't ask questions."

"We won't need to worry about laundry," Mercury commented from where she was
still hooked into the palace with her computer. "The palace itself can take
care of dirty clothes."

Pluto divided a stack of yen notes among the Senshi. "Use these for
groceries, toiletries, and such," she said, "as well as for public
transportation if neccessary, and anything else you might need." She smiled.
"Don't worry about expenses, we're not going broke anytime soon." She
retrieved two more stacks from the briefcase, and divided the yen up amongst
the others. "Lady Ikuko," she said, "you should go with Sailor Jupiter to
order groceries to stock the kitchens. The rest of you," she said, "take
care of getting in touch with anyone you need to talk to, and buy whatever
personal effects you need." She paused. "Don't mention the palace or
anything you've seen here to anyone that doesn't need to know."

Serenity smiled. "Well, everyone who's leaving may leave at their
convenience. Good luck, and be careful out there."


       *****


/...more news on this recent situation as it develops. And now, on a
different note...the Senshi are among us! Various reports, some rumor and
hearsay, some official eyewitness accounts, report that Tokyo's
long-standing urban legends, the Sailor Senshi, have been spotted in various
locations in Tokyo. Already, these Senshi have been seen in grocery stores,
appliance stores, and numerous other places of business. Field reporter
Yamazaki Meiko interviewed Mafuni Yoshiro of Kichi Appliance Emporium:

"She was right there in front of me! The blonde one, you know, the one that
wears orange? She paid by credit card, and get this, the card said 'Sailor
Venus' on it, and it was valid!"

Could this sudden surge of Senshi sightings be related to the Fushigi no
Suishou? Stay tuned to this station for exclusive reports as our street beat
roams Minato-ku, In Search of Sailor Senshi. Now, back to.../


"Man, what a bunch of shit!" said the young man watching the newscast on a
store television.

"Pretty ridiculous," added the girl who had walked up beside him, giggling.

"That's so stupid, you know? Sailor Senshi, walking around like regular
people...with credit cards, yet! Get real." He turned to the woman next to
him. "Don't you...agree..."

"Oh, definitely," Sailor Saturn agreed, nodding.

The man panicked. "Oh hell...a Sai...a Sailor..."

Saturn smiled sweetly. "You'll have to excuse me," she said, "I'm going
inside now to buy one of those nice digital satellite systems." She produced
a purple plastic card from someplace, and held it up. "Don't leave home
without it," she remarked, winking. Fighting to keep from laughing out loud
at the boy's expression, Saturn walked into the electronics store.


       *****


Mika walked around, trying to get a fix on the reading she'd taken
yesterday.

When the entity had absorbed Mika's soul, shattered her mind, it had not
expected to merge so completely with the young girl. Yet, Mika's thoughts,
everything the girl knew, did, and was, all had become part of the entity's
dark consciousness. It now considered itself to be Mika, only completely
evil. A sort of...Dark Mika, she giggled to herself. As such, she'd been
able to 'become' Mika, adopt her mannerisms and personality, enough to
completely fool the girl's family. Her body had needed rest after the strain
and trauma of merging with the powerful evil. Refreshed and recharged, Dark
Mika now roamed the shopping district, trying to track down what she'd felt
the day before.

Still, the energy field that giant crystal was throwing over Tokyo was
interfering with her senses, keeping her from getting a clear lock on the
speck of evil she had detected earlier.

As she walked, trying to pinpoint the energy, she noticed something very
powerful coming down the sidewalk across the street. She looked over, and
saw a Sailor Senshi go into a store.

She scowled as a memory welled up from somewhere within. Destruction at the
hands of the Senshi. The threat they pose. Constant, total failure and
humiliation at their hands. She clenched a fist.

Yes, the Sailor Senshi would be a definite problem. Especially since she had
no army to command...army to command? Where had that thought come from?

And yet, she seemed to remember, on the edge of her consciousness,
commanding armies of powerful demons at one time. She tried to remember
more, about how to summon her servants. It was no use...the knowledge was
lost to her.

*Very well...I'll just have to build a new army,* she mused. But how...? She
certainly didn't have the power yet to create a full-fledged evil servant.

Another memory welled up, from the part of her that was Mika. A powerful
creature the girl had once seen in an American film. Mika remembered
something she'd learned about that film: the producers had actually built
the creature, instead of using computers to put it into the movie, as was
the standard procedure these days. A full animatron, requiring a sizeable
puppeteering staff to operate. It now sat in a warehouse somewhere,
gathering dust.

She smiled. Yes, that would do quite nicely. Ducking into an alleyway, she
concentrated, focusing the power she'd accumulated. Within a few minutes,
she held in her hands a glowing black spark, an evil soul like hers, only
less powerful, less complete. One that would exist only to serve her.

"Go forth, my little friend," she told it. "Seek out the lifeless husk whose
image I have burned into your essence. Once you find it, you will be
complete. Obtain energy from the humans there to make yourself strong, then
return to me...my beautiful new youma."

The youma soul rose from her hands, and shot over the rooftops, headed
across the Pacific Ocean.


       *****


Shingo paced the east courtyard of the palace, trying to decide what he
wanted to do. Earlier, when Saturn had left, he'd helped Hino-san and
Yuuichirou move most of the appliances from the old temple building to Mars'
room, barely managing to convince the assistant module, Asuka, to go along
with Mars' orders and let them in. Shingo hoped he didn't have to visit Mars
very often; Asuka was nasty and rude. *Why the hell did she have to program
that thing to be such a bitch?* he wondered.

Hotaru had forbidden him to go shopping with her, saying she was going to
surprise him with a few things. He didn't really have anyone to visit
outside, and couldn't think of anything he really needed right now, except
maybe some manga and schoolbooks from his house. He wasn't in any particular
hurry to get them, but it would be something to do at least.

Just as he was about to try teleporting, Luna approached him. "Lord Shingo,"
she called out, practicing what she had been preaching earlier.

Shingo paled. He still hadn't gotten used to the idea of talking cats.
"Uh...hai?"

Luna looked down. "Gomen...I'd forgotten about your feelings toward cats..."
she turned to walk away.

Not heartless by any stretch of the imagination, Shingo picked up on Luna's
hurt tone, and his discomfort over the black cat began to erode. After all,
he reasoned, Luna's not going to hurt me. I know that. Right. "Hey...Luna,
wait..." he said. Luna turned around. "Umm...look, I know we didn't get off
to a good start, but...I mean, if I'm gonna be living in the palace, I guess
I can get over it." He smiled.

Luna returned the smile, and padded back over to him. "That's a very noble
attitude. I see I've made the right choice."

"Choice?" Shingo blinked. "For what?"

"As Her Majesty's advisor, I also have the task of selecting candidates for
the palace guard. It is a position of great honor, and great
responsibility," Luna said, "as the palace guards are charged with the duty
of defending the palace from both the curious as well as the hostile."
Looking up intently, she said, "I've decided to nominate you as one of the
palace guards."

Shingo gaped. "Me? But...but I don't even know how to fight!" he protested.
"The day I found out Hotaru is Saturn, some punk creamed me with one punch!"

"That's because you've never been properly trained," Luna said. "A problem
easily remedied. Mars, Venus, Jupiter, the Outer Senshi, Hino-san,
Yuuichirou, even King Endymion...there are no shortage of experienced
fighters within the Palace to learn from." She paused. "When your sister
became Sailor Moon, she learned to fight fairly quickly, even if she had
problems at first." Another pause, and Luna gave Shingo a sly grin, as
though she were about to say something naughty. "If that klutzy odango-atama
could do it, you should have no problems."

Shingo blinked repeatedly, then began laughing. Luna giggled as well. When
they calmed down, Shingo said, "But why do we even need a palace guard, with
the Senshi around?"

Luna sighed. "Evil is never fully extinguished, merely hindered. There may
be times when the Senshi have to leave the Crystal Palace to do battle."

"Leaving the palace unguarded...I understand now," Shingo said.

"Also, the Senshi need bodyguards," Luna added. "They can't very well use
their powers against normal humans who are simply too curious for their own
good."

Shingo bowed his head. "Yeah, that's for sure. Especially not Saturn."

Luna looked up, concerned. "You're upset because your girlfriend's powers
are designed purely to destroy."

"I'm concerned because I know what effect it's having on her to cope with
those powers," Shingo said. "Have you heard the story of how I found out
about Sailor Saturn?"

Luna nodded. "Vaguely. I know the two of you were attacked by a street gang,
and Hotaru had to transform to drive them off."

"But the leader wouldn't leave, so she killed him," Shingo said. "I know
it's been haunting her ever since."

Luna sighed. "This is exactly why you should agree to become a palace
guard," she said. "So that kind of thing doesn't happen."

Shingo nodded. "Alright...I accept, on the condition that you make me
Hotaru's personal bodyguard."

"Of course," Luna said, smiling. "Excuse me, I need to round up the other
guard candidates. Report to the class three training facility in half an
hour." As she headed off towards the old shrine building, Shingo blinked.

"Hey, where's that at?" he wondered.


       *****


"Hey! Hey you, stop that vehicle!" Major Takada shouted at the delivery van
which had pulled into the middle of the crowd.

The driver and his partner jumped out, and scratched their heads as they
puzzled over a piece of paper. "This can't be the right address," the driver
said.

"That's what was in the computer," his partner replied.

"Hold it, what's this?" the major asked as he approached them. "What are you
doing here?"

"Not sure," the driver said. "We're just doing our job...the delivery order
has this address, see?" he held it out for the major to inspect.

"Well...it's probably a mistake," Takada said. "This area's under JSDF
surveillance right now." He pointed at the towering spire of crystal. "I
don't think anybody in there could have bought appliances."

"You sure?" the driver's buddy said. "I mean, you've heard about all the
Senshi sightings in town, right?"

"Senshi sightings?" Takada echoed.

"Yeah, they've been seen all over town, buying all kinds of things."

Behind them, in the street, a few more delivery vans pulled up, their
drivers staring up at the spire and wondering if they were in the right
place.

"Still though..." the major began, but was interrupted by a loud murmuring
from the crowd, and a tap on the shoulder from behind.

"Excuse me," a polite female voice said. "If you boys are finished talking,
we'd like to get our new refrigerator and range inside."

The deliverymen looked up, and gaped. Major Takada slowly turned around, to
see a beautiful aqua-haired woman and a tall, short-haired blonde woman,
both wearing shimmering sailor fuku, standing behind him. The aqua-haired
Senshi smiled politely, while her friend smirked, arms crossed.

Major Takada suddenly felt numb. "Uhhh...yes ma'am," he said. "Sorry for
the...delay...carry on, gentlemen," he added, never taking his eyes off the
two Senshi even as he walked back over to his jeep.

"Um, where, um..." the driver began.

The two Senshi walked over to the van, and came out carrying a refrigerator
a minute later. "You two get the range and follow us," the tall one said.
"We'll wait for you up there."

Numbly, the deliverymen did as they were told, while the crowd murmured in
awe.


       *****


Two security guards strolled leisurely through a warehouse, checking to make
sure everything was where it belonged.

"You know," one of them commented as they walked past a tall wooden crate,
"I'm glad they finally put that thing in a box. I get the creeps every time
I walk past it."

"Like it's gonna come alive and beat the living shit out of you?" his
partner asked, snorting. "Get real. That thing hasn't been 'alive' for over
five years, and even then it took a whole damn crew of people to run it."

"I *know*," the first guard said. "It's just...I dunno. Just being stupid, I
guess."

"Damn right you're being stupid, Wedge."

As they walked away, a black spark descended from the skylight and passed
through the crate...


       *****


A sudden flash of awareness permeated its being, searing pain roaring
through its body as wires, circuits, metal framework, PVC, and myriad other
components became as flesh; still machine, and yet so much more. Electric
muscles which barely worked at one time now would work smoothly, flawlessly,
continously, without the support of technicians. The control circuits the
puppeteers created shattered, absorbed into its brains and body, knitting
together into a new matrix. The pain subsided, and a surge of power...dark
power...coursed through its miraculously refitted torso.

What its essence lacked had now been found, and what the body lacked, it now
possessed.

And for the first time in years, and the first time ever with a voice truly
its own, the creature raised its arms to the sky, and roared...


       *****


"The HELL was that!?"

The two guards drew their weapons, looking around warily for the source of
the terrible sound.

"Okay, that was too weird." Wedge's gun trembled slightly in his grasp.

"Shit, are you crazy? It's probably some practical joker out for a good
time. Alright you," the second guard shouted. "Fun's over, come out now."

"You want me...to come out?" a deep voice boomed, echoing across the high
rafters of the warehouse.

"You heard me, wiseguy. Enough is enough. Show yourself."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Wedge said.

"As...you...WISH!" the voice roared. The three-meter tall crate standing
against the wall of the warehouse shuddered violently before exploding,
spraying splinters in all directions.

"Oh SHIT. Oh shit, oh shit, oh motherfucking shit..." Wedge stammered,
taking several steps back.

"How the hell...? Who's controlling it?" his partner wondered.

"Nobody controls me," the creature boomed, stalking towards them. The
building shook with each step it took.

"You...you stay back..." the rent-a-cop said. "Alright...whoever's
controlling this thing, you've made your point already! Shut it down!"

"I SAID..." the creature bellowed. It stood directly in front of them now.
"NOBODY..." as the guards raised their guns to fire, its lower arms seized
their hands, knocking the weapons to the floor and causing them to cry out
in pain. "CONTROLS..." It grabbed each of them by the throat using its upper
arms, raising them up to its eye level. "PRINCE..." The guards screamed as
the creature's eyes began to glow, and they felt their lifeforce being
ripped from their bodies. "GORO!"

Goro unceremoniously tossed the dead guards across the warehouse. He flexed
his three-fingered hands, examining them curiously. "At last...at long last,
I am free...free to do what I was born to do..."

*Goro,* a voice rang in his mind. *Gather energy from the humans around you.
Use the energy to bring yourself to the islands of Japan, and find me. I
have great need of your services.*

"I hear and obey, my savior," Goro rumbled. He located the pathetically
undersized exit, and stalked out of the warehouse.



-------------------------------------------

Studio ELL: Back in Crack!
http://www.lurkerdrome.com
The Eternal Lost Lurker
lurker@lurkerdrome.com
http://www.livejournal.com/users/lurkerdrome



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