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The long-awaited (and long-time-finishing) prologue of EPE is here at last!! Good thing that's over, ne? But it certainly sets the stage, dontcha think? I hope you like it! Ganbatte!
Eternal Peace Epic: A Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Fanfiction
by Star-chan
Prologue: Premonitions
It was afternoon rush hour. Route 1, taking people to and from the Tokyo International Airport, was bustling with cars, and the sidewalk was congested with people; all of whom were grumpy, thanks to the heat of the summer's afternoon sun. Two schoolgirls walked together; laughing, joking, and gossiping. They walked past a certain figure...
A girl was panting; struggling with the two suitcases, two traveling bags, and the coat slung over her arm that she toted from the airport, apparently alone. She stopped next to a little shop, and put everything down for a break, panting hard.
"So difficult," she breathed. "I don't know if I wanna do this alluvasudden." She paused, watching cars and people pass her by. They seemed so normal in Tokyo, but she knew she would stick out like a sore thumb.
Suddenly, it seemed as if only she could see it, a different light came from the sun. Warm, and comforting, almost telling her to keep going; it would support her. She looked up at it, not closing or shielding her eyes. She smiled a small smile, and noticed the sliver of the moon in the darkening sky far to the right; she looked ahead of her, and saw a man reading a newspaper with an interesting headline, and grinned. And then she was awed as she saw Tokyo stretch out before her, glowing and glittering the in sunlight. She smiled broader.
"It's been a while," she murmured.
****************
Rei was frowning slightly as she concentrated. The fire added to the already sweltering summer heat, and she didn't see any reason to divine fire anymore. However, she ignored the unpleasant thoughts and feelings and continued.
It had been a year since the Starlights left and Galaxia had been defeated. Exactly one year today. That may be the only reason Rei was divining fire, or it may be that she was just bored. Either way, she didn't know or really think about it. Or care.
Everything was normal. No pink-haired girls were predicted to be falling on her parents' past selves, no white-haired women were said to be posing as a magenta-haired little girl with an umbrella and playing as her past incarnate's little sister.* There were no enemies or duties as Senshi. Just a normal life.
Several different colored lights were dancing in the flames. Rei knew she was seeing them in her mind; they weren't really there and no one else could see them, and she recognized them at once. The were lights that represented the glow of all the Senshi's Sailor Crystals.
Rei saw two lights, one gold and one silver, frolicking very closely together. She knew these as Usagi's and Mamoru's Sailor Crystals; and she saw her own, a burning red one, which blended almost perfectly with the flames. A pink light, shining brightly, shone further from the group, representing Chibiusa in her own time.
Rei suddenly noticed a new light and frowned, a little concerned. A bright, golden amber light had suddenly appeared and seemed to be dancing in the flames. It was warm and comforting, and much power seemed to be held within it. "Like--yet so unlike--the Ginzuishou... Definitely not as powerful, though..." Rei thought.
Small, insignificant black hazes appeared among the flames. All of the Senshi's starlights went and fought them, shining more brightly and stinging Rei's eyes slightly. She was surprised to see that Chibiusa's seed joined the others, and all their power did very little. Soon, they were surrounded by black hazes; no way out. The amber light danced in front of the others and shone so bright that Rei had to squint.
The light had disappeared. The hazes were fading, but were not gone. The recognizable Sailor Crystals shone once again, stronger than before, and the hazes disappeared. Looking closely, Rei noticed that all the Crystals looked far stronger. She only had a second to look before--
A huge puff of a poisonous-looking green smoke, resembling the mushroom-shaped explosion from an atom bomb, erupted from the center of the fire, engulfing the Crystals. Rei gave a stifled scream and fell backwards from her meditation position. The mini-explosion disappeared as wisps of smoke.
Rei sat in the position she fell, clutching her heart and panting from fright. "Wh-what was all that?!" Rei whispered frantically. She swallowed and got up. "I don't know what THAT was..." she murmured, and sat back down in front of the fire. Now she knew what she was trying to look for. "Show me the meaning of my vision," she prayed to the fire. Nothing, for a moment. She waited.
The fire stuttered. All the Sailor Crystals reappeared, including the amber one. "There's no definitive image in the fire that might really help me..." Rei thought, concentrating harder. "I think it's just a continuation..." However, the fire flickered again, and the lights disappeared. Rei stared at the fire for a second and sighed. "Maybe later," she thought wearily.
Rei was deep in thought as she got up and walked outside. "I don't know what that other stuff was, but I know that puff of smoke represented..." Phobos and Deimos were hovering high in the air, and upon seeing Rei fluttered down. "...an explosion of evil power, from somewhere far away, whether in time or place, or both..." she thought, looking at her crows come down to her. She smiled and held out her left hand.
"Well guys..." she said to Phobos and Deimos, smiling slightly, as Phobos landed on her right shoulder and Deimos on her outstretched hand, "...I guess peace will never last, huh?"
***************
The Sailor V game at Crown Game Center was beeping and booping its way through the vast levels thanks to Usagi. Sticking out her tongue in concentration, she was trying to zap a particularly difficult boss monster. She twiddled Mamoru's engagement ring on her left ring finger with her thumb absentmindedly, and cried "Gotcha!!" excitedly as the boss finally fell. "I've gotten so good! I haven't died once yet," she said, smirking, satisfied with herself.
Usagi looked around for a second, assuring herself she had a few screens before the next level opened up, and wondered if she should go bother Mamoru, and grinned. They game beeped sharply. Usagi turned to look.
"Ahh!! What the hell?!? Ohh... I died..." A new level had opened up and a new enemy had killed the tiny Sailor V. As the game blinked, asking, "Continue?" and counting down, Usagi reached into her Minato-ku High uniform pocket. "No more change..." she said gloomily. "Oh well..." Leaning her face on her hand, her elbow leaning on the gameboard, she stared in a bored way at the high score screen. She was second place, behind--well whaddya know--it said "Mizuno Ami."
Usagi smiled a small, lopsided grin. "Ami got that all the way back then..." This was perhaps one of the reasons Usagi came here after school today. She was surprised at herself for remembering the anniversary of Galaxia's defeat without anyone reminding her. So, she decided to visit Memory Lane.
After all, she befriended Ami, Makoto, Minako, Haruka, Motoki, met Luna again... The list kept going and going. She liked it though. Crown was the closest thing to a personal souvenir of those times, long gone by. Usagi paused.
"Speaking of Motoki, where is he today?" she thought, swiveling around on the stool.
"Hey, Usagi! Konnichiwa!" Motoki Furuhata poked his head through the door, holding the days newspaper with the sign "Employees Only," right on cue.
"Konnichiwa, Motoki! How are you?" Usagi said, returning Motoki's bright greeting with a cheery smile.
"I'm alright," he replied, then sat down on the stool next to her. He glanced at the screen. "Wow... Nice score!!" he said admiringly, staring at the screen.
"You think? Arigatou," she said, once again smirking in a satisfied way to herself.
"That reminds me..." Motoki said thoughtfully, glancing at his newspaper. He paused, leaving Usagi curious. "First Sailor V, then Sailor Moon..." He gazed at it for a second, scanning the page the newspaper was opened to. He then handed it to Usagi. "Have you heard about this?" Interested, Usagi took the paper and read:
"AMERICAN SAILOR V DISAPPEARS IN ACTION!
America, particularly in the area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has reverted to the normal activities it hasn't had for five years. For three months, the American Sailor V--self-proclaimed "Sunmaiden" and righter of wrongs--has disappeared for three months. There has been no sign of her nor the "enemies" she was said to have been pursuing.
The mysterious thing about this girl, the American version of our own two "Champions of Justice," Sailor V and Sailor Moon, is only known to police. 'Targets of the alleged "enemies" were always intelligent, bright and particularly popular girls,' says one Philadelphia police force official.
According to witnesses, civilians and police alike, the Sunmaiden would protect and save the targets and dispose of the assailant. These assailants were usually 'black hazes in the shape of a human, but you could only see the glowing eyes,' says one witness. Afterwards, the Sunmaiden would kidnap the victims herself, and steal them away to a deserted alleyway.
Only one police witnessed what happened. 'I'm a lot faster than my superior officers, so I was able to follow her more easier," says Thomas Brown, a young rookie cop in the 7th precinct. "It was kinda surprising 'coz she can leap really far and high. I personally think she isn't human.
'But there she was in the alleyway, bending over the victim, and there was some bright light she was holding up. I couldn't see too well, so I got closer. There was something she was holding, that was giving off this bright light, and she was holding it close to the victim's face. The girl was looking for something, but didn't find it. She gave up. I got closer, and she saw me. I told her to freeze, and that she was under arrest for kidnapping. She smiled at me, which really creeped me out, and she started walking toward me, holding the victim, real slow and calm. I was shaking, but I took out my gun and pointed it at her and told her to freeze again. She just kinda shook her head, and handed the victim to me. Then she said, "Take care of her," and leapt away.'
While these events are as confusing as they are remarkable, the Sunmaiden is, nonetheless, charged for 12 counts of kidnap, even if the victims were always returned, unharmed, afterwards. The victims, surprisingly, remember nothing of any part of the incidents. Police and fans are befuddled as to why her activities ceased, and are looking forward to her return, for different reasons."
Usagi then noticed a picture to the left of the article, with the caption underneath, "Picture according to witness reports." In bigger print underneath that, it had the caption "Have you seen me?" as a kind of joke. It was a colored picture of a girl of about nineteen or twenty, with long hair that went to the small of her back. From the way the artist tried to make the hair shine and tried to get the perfect color, Usagi took the hint that her hair must look like pure spun gold. She wore what looked like monk's robes, except the robes ended just above her knees, and the color was also a golden color. Around her waist she had a bronze utility belt, with a few Chinese stars that were in a kind of sun shape. She held a white staff in her hands, about three-fourths as tall as she was. Her bangs hung low over her eyes, which could barely be seen by a mask she wore. It was white, with white "wings" on the side holding it on her ears. She also had a golden tiara of sorts. It was different from the Senshi's, Usagi noted, in that it went straight across the forehead and wrapping around her whole head, instead of curving down to a point. There was no jewel or decoration of any sort, either.
Usagi stared at the picture. "Whoa..." she said finally.
"I know," Motoki chuckled, "I said the same thing." Usagi jumped. She had completely forgotten he was there.
Usagi slowly walked home. She had said goodbye to Motoki after talking for a while. He also gave her a free round on the Sailor V game. As she passed Tokyo Tower, she sighed and leaned against the wall. It entered into a dark alleyway, and Usagi was careful not to go too far in, just in case. She gazed at Tokyo's horizon, where the sun was setting, glowing red.
"The Sunmaiden..." she murmured, frowning slightly. "I guess there are Senshi all over the world," she thought. "I mean, Minako was Sailor V in England before she came back here." She looked skywards, which was blending pale blue, purple and black on her left and the blue, orange and red on her right. "But why are we more important?"
"Because we're different."
Usagi had to cover her hand with her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. She hadn't noticed somebody had been next to her the whole time.
"Wh-who are you?!" she demanded the darkness of the alleyway, still jumpy from the shock.
"You will learn in time." The voice was a slightly deep and mature woman's voice. Usagi watched as the figure came out of the shadows. She was shocked by what she saw.
The figure had a woman's shape, and "she" was solid, but there were no features whatsoever. Just darkness; just a silhouette. It was as if the alleyway's shadow had clung to her. What was also strange was that she flickered. One moment, she had the shape of a teenager, with long flowing hair that trailed the ground on top of the billowing gown she wore. Next, she was slightly taller, and her hair was shorter, though still waving softly as if caught in a breeze. She had a short dress, and short high heels. Then, she was the same height, her hair was the same length, but she appeared to be wearing an elaborate sailor fuku. Lastly, she wasn't there at all.
"I have come to warn you," she said simply after Usagi had stared at her "flickering" shapes for a while.
"Oh? What?" Usagi said slowly. She was unsure about trusting this silhouette of a person, if she even existed at all.
"Things will be different this time around," she said. "You and the other Senshi must become stronger in every aspect. Strengthen the Ginzuishou, Eternal Sailor Moon." Usagi gasped slightly, and she was surprised to hear the figure giggle in her teenage form.
"You must remember that not everyone is your friend, and you can't fight alone. You are not exactly picky about who you trust, but you must become so. If anyone tries to help you, don't get in their way. You have been known to do so." The figure had become stern again in her fuku ("Senshi?" Usagi wondered) form.
"Remember things about your past that you have not before. It will help you." The figure flickered into her invisible state and Usagi thought she distinctly heard a tiny bell. The figure had disappeared and didn't return.
***************
"Yo, wassup, Usagi??" Minako cried energetically as she, Ami and Makoto followed Usagi into Crown, almost dragging the other two as she bounced, as they had all looped arms. Usagi turned and gave her a mockingly stern look, as if to say, "Cut it out, you know we have to wait for the others." Minako let go of Ami and Makoto, and settled down into a booth away from other customers.
"What are you so happy about, anyway, Minako?" Usagi asked the blonde-haired girl. She had added a special something to her usual red bow in her hair: a tiny, white silk rose; she was also humming an upbeat song and bouncing in her seat. "That rose is cute, by the way."
"WELL," she said, full of drama, clapping her hands and leaning forward towards Usagi with her bright, excited blue eyes, "have you heard of Taiyoku Kinno??"
"We have." Haruka and Michiru had just entered Crown, wearing snazzy outfits of velvet; Michiru in a pale, pinkish-purple sleeveless one-piece dress that changed colors in the light, and Haruka in yellowish-orange, like a sunset, which also changed colors. The two outfits complimented one another perfectly.
"What about her?" Haruka asked.
"WELL," Minako said again in the same, breathless voice, "my mom got me some tickets as a really early birthday present for Taiyoku's first concert back in Japan!! And guess WHERE they are??" She waited, obviously wanting everyone all to say "where." They all just blinked at her expectantly. A little upset at this, Minako regained composure and burst, "THE FRONT ROW!!!!!" She then immediately leapt out of her seat and began jumping, dancing and singing all at once all around the game center.
"Ever the groupie..." everyone said in unison, slightly embarrassed, as Minako began swinging her hips a little more energetically than should be appropriate, while humming the same upbeat song out of tune.
Setsuna came in, holding Hotaru's hand, and Minako, still very hyper and excited, greeted them... almost violently. She shook both their hands so hard and vigorously that their whole bodies were shaking.
A hand on Minako's shoulder made her stop. It was Rei, with a very serious and an I'm-too-impatient-for-your-hijinks-today look. Though the two were very good friends, Minako was a little afraid of Rei. She immediately fell silent and sat down again, embarrassed.
Everyone seemed to notice the grave tone in the way Rei said, "Konnichiwa" as she sat down.
"What's wrong, Rei?" Ami asked. Rei looked around at everyone and said, very softly, "I got a very bad reading in the fire yesterday morning." Everyone was silent as she explained the fire divination. A heavy silence lay upon them all, weighing down the hearts that had been so carefree of such things for a whole year. A whole year had passed so quickly...
Usagi looked a little sad, but completely resolute. "We'll have to face whatever's thrown at us," she said firmly. Everyone looked at her, admiringly, yet still a little crestfallen. Even as they sat there, they could feel Usagi's determination and power growing stronger. They knew she would never give up. Ever. And that is why they loved the Princess whose side they would never leave. Ever.
"Oh!" Usagi said suddenly, making everyone jump a little. "Those black hazes in the fire reminds me! The reason I called you here is because I saw something really WEIRD the other day! It was very frightening... But it was giving me some kind of a warning... And then the newspaper article..." she said, brow furrowed. Usagi continued to explain how Motoki had given her the paper to read, with the Sunmaiden and the victims, and how when she was walking home she encountered the silhouette.
"And what was really weird was that she...flickered, I guess you would call it."
"'Flickered??'" everyone else said in unison, staring at Usagi incredulously.
"Usagi...." Rei said coolly, "...you wouldn't happen to have had a triple-decker sundae here at the Cafe earlier, would you?"
"No...." Usagi said, blinking in a bemused way at Rei, and suddenly catching on. "You don't believe me, do you?" she half yelled indignantly at Rei.
"Well, forgive me for being rude or blind, but I find it highly unlikely that anything that wants to shake hands in friendship really would be robed in shadow," Rei muttered.
"REI!" Usagi slammed her hands on the table and stood up gracefully and quickly. She looked into Rei's eyes with a menacing stare. "I think you know well enough that my hunches about people have been right more often than not. You would do well to remember it."
Usagi had spoken in such a commanding yet eloquent tone that everyone knew that this was the side of her that would become Queen; a part of her they saw more and more each day. Rei knew it too; but returned Usagi's harsh words with sad eyes that said she wanted more than anything to believe her Princess.
But after what she had seen in the fire, she thought, how could she?
*******************
Meanwhile, the girl named Taiyoku Kinno was still struggling with her luggage. Holding a crumpled piece of paper with an address on it, she went from door to door in a well-lit and hotel-like hallway in the apartment complex in Azabu prefecture: her new home. "27...25...23...," she muttered to herself. "Ah! 21!!" she cried triumphantly, then started fumbling for her keys.
It was a small apartment, but comfortable. Dropping her bags and cursing the fact that her furniture wouldn't be here for another couple of weeks, she explored. The door she had come through opened onto what she planned to be the dining room/living room, with the TV and a little area with couches facing it, and more towards the entrance would be her long, polished oak table, always set with her good china in case of unexpected company. In the room to the right was the kitchenette, already furnished with a new refrigerator. Too bad it smelled horribly. Next to the kitchen was what could be either an office or spare bedroom, or a place to dump stuff that doesn't have a place, Taiyoku decided.
To the left of the living room/dining room was the master bedroom and bathroom, with stand-in shower. The bedroom had a very nice view of the Bay, and Taiyoku thought she could see the Rainbow Bridge from here.
Suddenly Taiyoku heard the door to the apartment open, and the padding of tiny feet. Unsurprised, she said, "And where have you been?"
***********
"Michiru?"
It was late. "Setsuna-mama" was tucking Hotaru into bed. Haruka found Michiru standing on the balcony of the great house the four of them shared. She was gazing at her mirror, back to Haruka. But Haruka didn't have to see her partner's face to know what she was feeling.
"What's troubling you?" Haruka said simply, concerned. Michiru, graceful, elegant in every way usually was very cool in many situations. It was now one of those rare times when she oozed emotions through her very being into the air; it was almost tangible.
"It's coming."
Confused and worrying more by the minute, Haruka walked up next to the teal-haired woman and looked over her shoulder. The mirror shone softly silver in the moonlight, innocently reflecting the couple's faces. Michiru tilted it slightly, and a change came over her talisman. Objects flickered past; images swirling madly within the world of the small mirror. The mirror suddenly stopped on an image of orange, yellow, and red; Haruka got the impression of fire and white-hot heat.
"The sun?" she thought aloud. Michiru merely nodded. It seemed they were going deep inside the sun, to its core; and there was something inside. Buried in its core, emanating dark, cursed energy, was--
"It's a young girl. Trapped." Michiru said, confirming her lover's shocked thoughts and confusion. "Keep watching." The mirror moved on. This time, they were looking into space, and they could see the Galaxy Cauldron and its protector, Guardian Cosmos, standing before it in Zero Sagittarius Star. It brought back bad memories for the both of them, but they kept looking. Deep inside, near the entrance to the Cauldron, was a dungeon-like room they had never noticed before, despite the time they were there. It seemed there was a smaller cauldron in here, but different; shining brighter than the original. A different woman stood there, keeping vigil. She, too, gave off the kind of tell-tale energy of a curse.
"Surely that isn't the Cosmos Guardian...?" Haruka asked Michiru, knowing she probably didn't know.
"No, we just passed her. I don't know who it is. I don't know who any of them are," Michiru said, frowning harder. Haruka sighed, knowing the "I don't know who any of them are" meant that there was more.
A new picture appeared on the surface. This time, they were going through Pluto's Time Gate, into unknown territory. An woman stood in a secret room, laughing insanely at her prize; another woman with a curse, trapped inside some sort of bubble, floated limply and gave off no desire to live anymore.
The laughing woman suddenly turned and "saw" them. Grinning, she grew in size and strength, and lurched at them. Haruka nearly tripped backwards as she saw the thing's horrible face. Michiru merely bowed her head sadly.
"It's coming."
****************
NOTES:
*- I bet you're very confused ^^;; Hitsuji of *Grep Sailor Moon reviewed this fic, and told me what was wrong with this bit. She's a BSSM expert, and I'll have her theory about Sailor Cosmos' true identity up soon (with all due credit to Hitsuji-sama ^^)
Konnichiwa: hello or good afternoon, used from 10 a.m. to about 5 p.m.
Ginzuishou: Japanese name for the Silver Imperium Crystal, along with "Maboroshi no Ginzuishou"
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