(no subject)
Let's start at the very be-ginning... A very good place to start... *ends singing with a grin*
Okay, as I mentioned in a comment to Ree, I didn't get very far on this, but this is actually a good spot to put it so I can work on it at work, so... Don't kill me yet. But do feel free to massage and beta as I go along. ^-^
Time Frame: Pre-Crystal Tokyo, KnS 'verse. After "Dreams of Ancient Days" , "Another Ending Begins", "Alarum", "Conception", and "Purified"
“Don't do it, Usagi-san.” Makoto stared at her best friend sternly. “It's a trap. It has to be.” Around her, Ami, Rei, and Minako nodded their agreement and support.
The Queen of Tokyo, too, dipped her pale head slowly. “I know, Mako-chan,” she said softly as she gathered her long dress and rose carefully from her chair. Ami and Minako moved quickly to support the frail woman. “But, if there is to be a chance at peace... If there is even a small chance that they are truly willing to negotiate...”
“Naive,” Minako muttered as she gave her friend an exasperated yet loving look. Usagi merely smiled back at her.
“We are going with you then,” Makoto said as she clenched her fists. She knew that she would never convince her stubborn friend to change her mind. The war had gone on for too long now, and Usagi was desperate to stop the pain, hunger, and loss not to mention the destructive pollution of her husband's star.
“He said...”
“We're going with you,” Rei said firmly, cutting off Usagi's protest. “If they don't expect that, they're bigger fools than I thought.” Usagi looked ready to object once more, but another voice interrupted them.
“I am going, too.” ChibiUsa stiffened when the older women turned to look at her in surprise. “Mother may need me,” the sixteen year old said defensively from the doorway. “If I am there, you can concentrate on protecting her while I help her.”
“No,” Usagi replied implacably.
“Yes,” ChibiUsa answered back in the same tone. “I am a senshi, too.” She looked at her mother earnestly. “I won't fight unless I have to. I know the others are more powerful and experienced. But they can't concentrate on fighting if they are having to shield you or feed you energy.”
“Usagi-chan is right,” the king said from the hallway as he put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. The teenager jumped and jerked her head around to look at him in surprise. “But she will not be going. I will.” ChibiUsa's face darkened as she clenched her hands.
“You will both come,” Minako replied, cutting the teenager off before she could yell at her father. “You will give Usagi-san the strength that she needs to get through this, and we will stop any attacks they may make.” Her blue gaze bored into Mamoru's. “And when they do attack, you will get them to safety.” The king nodded in reply as the two Usagis swallowed their protests.
“The entire royal family will be there then,” Ami pointed out calmly. “That would be a temptation too great for the NEOs to resist.”
Minako glanced at her, and then shook her head. “No, the Princess will be left in protective custody in the heart of Tokyo.”
“But you just said...!” ChibiUsa protested angrily as everyone else gave Minako a puzzled look.
“I said that the King and Sailor Moon would come with us. Princess Usagi, however, will remain behind,” Minako replied with a slight smile. The adults suddenly smiled and nodded while ChibiUsa still looked angry and uncertain.
“They'll never question the King's presence,” Ami agreed, “not once they see the Queen. And they know very little about the senshi. It would seem reasonable to them that we are recruiting replacements and that we would bring one along to act as a servant.”
“I'm not a servant,” the princess protested as she looked from Ami to Minako and back. “And I'm not staying here.”
“No, you're a fully fledged senshi,” Minako said calmly. “But they don't know that.” ChibiUsa's face suddenly brightened when she finally figured out what they had been trying to say. Minako's smile grew wider as her blue eyes twinkled. “Your Highness, may I request that you return to your rooms and send Sailor Moon to meet us at the front door?”
ChibiUsa smiled back. “I still feel that I should be there, Sailor Venus, but if my parents insist then I must comply.” She nodded her head politely. “If you all will excuse me.” She calmly walked around her father and out into the hallway.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The New Earth Order had chosen Yamashita Park as the location for the diplomatic summit. As the motorcade drove through the remains of Yokohama, Sailor Moon stared out the window sadly at the broken buildings and gutted cars that lined the street. “At least we were able to spare them the radiation,” her mother said softly. The pink haired senshi nodded silently without turning around.
“It is not your fault, Usagi-san,” Super Sailor Jupiter said quietly from her position beside Usagi. “You did the best you could. Look at how much of Tokyo you've protected! And like you said, at least you were able to eliminate the radiation in the areas that you could not protect.” She pulled her gaze from the destruction outside her window and looked at her friend with awed, respectful eyes. “And you're not even Neo-Queen Serenity yet.”
The queen gave her a sad smile in return, and then turned her gaze back to the demolished city. 'When?' she thought morosely. 'When will I have the power that my future self wielded?'
“Neo-Queen Serenity?” Sailor Moon asked curiously as she turned to look at the older senshi across from her. Super Sailor Jupiter grimaced guiltily as Super Sailor Mars kicked her in the foot with the toe of a red high heel. “Who is that?” The young senshi barely kept the distaste out of her tone as she asked the question. “I didn't think the NEOs had queens.”
“Ummm...” Super Sailor Jupiter hummed, floundering for a reply.
“They do not,” Super Sailor Mercury said smoothly as she studied the rooftops around them through her window on the other side of the car. “Neo, in this case, is Greek for 'new' not the acronym for 'Near Earth Object' or 'New Earth Order'. Neo-Queen Serenity was a very powerful woman that we met many years ago,” she continued as her fellow senshi sent her hidden, grateful looks. “Your mother admired her, and has aspired to be like her ever since.”
“Oh,” Sailor Moon replied looking more interested. “I don't remember anyone mentioning her before,” she said as she turned to Super Sailor Mars who was sitting beside her.
The dark haired senshi lifted one shoulder carelessly as she kept her gaze fixed on the buildings behind the car. “It was a long time ago,” she said in reply to the question in the younger senshi's voice. “Before you were born.”
Hmmm... I might add some motorcycle outriders to that second part and make it a Motorcycle story. Or not. It doesn't really want to fit themes too well after all, but that's what Optionals are for, ne? *laugh*
Okay, I think I'm for bed. Hai, I know it's early, but I am flirting with the idea of biking to work tomorrow which will mean getting up an hour earlier than usual. I promise that I have read every story posted here so far (including Senium's three), and that I shall work my wondrous editing magic tomorrow before I pack for my trip. And if that doesn't work, I shall do so by Wednesday depending on hotel internet connections. And if that still doesn't work... I'll get it in! ^-^ For now, g'night all!
Okay, as I mentioned in a comment to Ree, I didn't get very far on this, but this is actually a good spot to put it so I can work on it at work, so... Don't kill me yet. But do feel free to massage and beta as I go along. ^-^
Time Frame: Pre-Crystal Tokyo, KnS 'verse. After "Dreams of Ancient Days" , "Another Ending Begins", "Alarum", "Conception", and "Purified"
“Don't do it, Usagi-san.” Makoto stared at her best friend sternly. “It's a trap. It has to be.” Around her, Ami, Rei, and Minako nodded their agreement and support.
The Queen of Tokyo, too, dipped her pale head slowly. “I know, Mako-chan,” she said softly as she gathered her long dress and rose carefully from her chair. Ami and Minako moved quickly to support the frail woman. “But, if there is to be a chance at peace... If there is even a small chance that they are truly willing to negotiate...”
“Naive,” Minako muttered as she gave her friend an exasperated yet loving look. Usagi merely smiled back at her.
“We are going with you then,” Makoto said as she clenched her fists. She knew that she would never convince her stubborn friend to change her mind. The war had gone on for too long now, and Usagi was desperate to stop the pain, hunger, and loss not to mention the destructive pollution of her husband's star.
“He said...”
“We're going with you,” Rei said firmly, cutting off Usagi's protest. “If they don't expect that, they're bigger fools than I thought.” Usagi looked ready to object once more, but another voice interrupted them.
“I am going, too.” ChibiUsa stiffened when the older women turned to look at her in surprise. “Mother may need me,” the sixteen year old said defensively from the doorway. “If I am there, you can concentrate on protecting her while I help her.”
“No,” Usagi replied implacably.
“Yes,” ChibiUsa answered back in the same tone. “I am a senshi, too.” She looked at her mother earnestly. “I won't fight unless I have to. I know the others are more powerful and experienced. But they can't concentrate on fighting if they are having to shield you or feed you energy.”
“Usagi-chan is right,” the king said from the hallway as he put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. The teenager jumped and jerked her head around to look at him in surprise. “But she will not be going. I will.” ChibiUsa's face darkened as she clenched her hands.
“You will both come,” Minako replied, cutting the teenager off before she could yell at her father. “You will give Usagi-san the strength that she needs to get through this, and we will stop any attacks they may make.” Her blue gaze bored into Mamoru's. “And when they do attack, you will get them to safety.” The king nodded in reply as the two Usagis swallowed their protests.
“The entire royal family will be there then,” Ami pointed out calmly. “That would be a temptation too great for the NEOs to resist.”
Minako glanced at her, and then shook her head. “No, the Princess will be left in protective custody in the heart of Tokyo.”
“But you just said...!” ChibiUsa protested angrily as everyone else gave Minako a puzzled look.
“I said that the King and Sailor Moon would come with us. Princess Usagi, however, will remain behind,” Minako replied with a slight smile. The adults suddenly smiled and nodded while ChibiUsa still looked angry and uncertain.
“They'll never question the King's presence,” Ami agreed, “not once they see the Queen. And they know very little about the senshi. It would seem reasonable to them that we are recruiting replacements and that we would bring one along to act as a servant.”
“I'm not a servant,” the princess protested as she looked from Ami to Minako and back. “And I'm not staying here.”
“No, you're a fully fledged senshi,” Minako said calmly. “But they don't know that.” ChibiUsa's face suddenly brightened when she finally figured out what they had been trying to say. Minako's smile grew wider as her blue eyes twinkled. “Your Highness, may I request that you return to your rooms and send Sailor Moon to meet us at the front door?”
ChibiUsa smiled back. “I still feel that I should be there, Sailor Venus, but if my parents insist then I must comply.” She nodded her head politely. “If you all will excuse me.” She calmly walked around her father and out into the hallway.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The New Earth Order had chosen Yamashita Park as the location for the diplomatic summit. As the motorcade drove through the remains of Yokohama, Sailor Moon stared out the window sadly at the broken buildings and gutted cars that lined the street. “At least we were able to spare them the radiation,” her mother said softly. The pink haired senshi nodded silently without turning around.
“It is not your fault, Usagi-san,” Super Sailor Jupiter said quietly from her position beside Usagi. “You did the best you could. Look at how much of Tokyo you've protected! And like you said, at least you were able to eliminate the radiation in the areas that you could not protect.” She pulled her gaze from the destruction outside her window and looked at her friend with awed, respectful eyes. “And you're not even Neo-Queen Serenity yet.”
The queen gave her a sad smile in return, and then turned her gaze back to the demolished city. 'When?' she thought morosely. 'When will I have the power that my future self wielded?'
“Neo-Queen Serenity?” Sailor Moon asked curiously as she turned to look at the older senshi across from her. Super Sailor Jupiter grimaced guiltily as Super Sailor Mars kicked her in the foot with the toe of a red high heel. “Who is that?” The young senshi barely kept the distaste out of her tone as she asked the question. “I didn't think the NEOs had queens.”
“Ummm...” Super Sailor Jupiter hummed, floundering for a reply.
“They do not,” Super Sailor Mercury said smoothly as she studied the rooftops around them through her window on the other side of the car. “Neo, in this case, is Greek for 'new' not the acronym for 'Near Earth Object' or 'New Earth Order'. Neo-Queen Serenity was a very powerful woman that we met many years ago,” she continued as her fellow senshi sent her hidden, grateful looks. “Your mother admired her, and has aspired to be like her ever since.”
“Oh,” Sailor Moon replied looking more interested. “I don't remember anyone mentioning her before,” she said as she turned to Super Sailor Mars who was sitting beside her.
The dark haired senshi lifted one shoulder carelessly as she kept her gaze fixed on the buildings behind the car. “It was a long time ago,” she said in reply to the question in the younger senshi's voice. “Before you were born.”
Hmmm... I might add some motorcycle outriders to that second part and make it a Motorcycle story. Or not. It doesn't really want to fit themes too well after all, but that's what Optionals are for, ne? *laugh*
Okay, I think I'm for bed. Hai, I know it's early, but I am flirting with the idea of biking to work tomorrow which will mean getting up an hour earlier than usual. I promise that I have read every story posted here so far (including Senium's three), and that I shall work my wondrous editing magic tomorrow before I pack for my trip. And if that doesn't work, I shall do so by Wednesday depending on hotel internet connections. And if that still doesn't work... I'll get it in! ^-^ For now, g'night all!