Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Beginnings ❯ Beginnings ( One-Shot )

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters in the show. They're copyrighted by a bunch of people who aren't me. Hopefully they all have better things to do than make my life miserable for writing this story.

There are some spoilers for the first two seasons in this story.

***

Beginnings

"Here's to a great three years!" Usagi's cheery tone rang throughout the room as she raised her glass to toast with her friends.

The Inner Senshi were gathered together on a spring day that was clear and unseasonably warm. The afternoon sun shone down on the Hikawa shrine, and chirping filled the air, the happy sound of birds finding their way home after being gone for the winter months. They were often interrupted by the sound of conversation and laughter coming from Rei's room.

Anyone glancing inside the room would have seen what seemed to be a group of ordinary teenaged girls gathered together for a party. But in reality, these were no ordinary girls, and they were celebrating something far more momentous than anyone else would have occasion to.

Taking a sip of her soda, Minako said, "It's hard to believe it's been three years since the formation of the Sailor Senshi."

"Re-formation," Rei corrected her. "This is the day we got our memories back after our reincarnation, not the day we first met."

"Well, we didn't all meet on the same day, so I thought celebrating today instead was a good idea," said Usagi, between mouthfuls of cake.

"I agree," said Ami, pushing her empty plate away from her. "The anniversary of the Sailor Senshi is worth celebrating, and today is as good a day as any."

Makoto nodded. "I like the idea. And it's good to get together for a reason besides studying or training. It's nice to have an excuse to relax for a few hours," she said, stretching her arms in front of her and pushing back from the table. She smiled. "And, it gives me an excuse to make cake."

"Which is delicious! Thank you, Mako-chan!" Usagi said. Everyone echoed the compliment, which Makoto accepted with grace.

Soon they had finished all of it, and after cleaning up their dishes, they decided it was too nice a day to stay indoors. They moved outside, sitting on the porch in front of Rei's room. They sat in silence, enjoying the warm sun and the fresh air.

After a few moments, Ami said, "So... Have any of you ever wondered why the Sailor Senshi were founded? I mean for the first time - back in the Silver Millennium."

Minako leaned back against the wall, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Isn't it obvious?" she said. "It was their purpose to protect the moon princess."

"But what if they were more than just a royal guard? From what we know, they were some of the greatest individuals of their era. I'm sure there could have been more reasons behind the foundation of their order than simply being bodyguards..."

***

The throne room was brightly lit, both by the row of chandeliers that ran the length of the room, and by soft silver-white light shining in through the windows from the lamps outside. Being the central room in the palace, it had the most elaborate decorations, featuring pieces from all over the solar system - portraits of everything from the lush jungles of Venus to the immense storms of Jupiter. A long, ornate rug ran the length of the room, leading up to the dais where the thrones were located.

Four young women stood just in front of the dais. All were clad in the royal livery of their home planets, and all the inner planets save Earth were represented. Though none of them gave any outward sign of it, all of them waited with an ambivalence that was one part nervousness and one part excitement. Even though they were all members of royal houses, a summons from the queen of the solar system was not an everyday occurrence. They all silently wondered for what purpose she had called them here.

They were not kept waiting long, and as the Queen entered the throne room they all knelt respectfully. She bade them rise, and then looked over each of them in turn. After a moment, she spoke.

"All of you must be wondering why you have been summoned. I shall not keep you in suspense any longer. I have summoned you here because I am creating a new Order in my realm, and I am offering you the chance to become its first members.

"This Order shall be known as the Sailor Senshi, and one of its purposes shall be to serve as guardians for my daughter, the princess of the Moon. If you decide to join, you shall be required to swear an oath to protect her at all costs." The Queen paused to allow them to consider her words.

After a moment, the Queen spoke again. "However, protecting my daughter is not the only purpose I have in mind for the Sailor Senshi.

"All of you are accustomed to using your powers to battle the forces of darkness. I would ask you to channel them in another direction. We have an opportunity to create something enduring - a civilization that shall last for centuries, and protect and nurture its citizens in a way never before seen.

"We have been battling evil for a long time now, and at last we are enjoying a time of peace. We can use this time to better the lives of the citizens of the solar system, and in so doing, stop the spread of evil before it starts. I know that you can be of great assistance in this task.

"It will be a formidable task. Using power to destroy is easy. Using it to create is much more difficult. However, all of you, in addition to having many talents of your own, are also persons of great influence on your home planets. You know what your home worlds need most, and I am certain you can fathom the best ways to provide what is needed."

The Queen paused again, looking down at them, meeting their eyes, trying to gauge their reaction. "So I ask you - will you help me in bettering the lives of not only the citizens of your home worlds, but everyone in the solar system?"

***

"You know Ami, you just may be right! I never really thought about it before," Usagi said as Ami finished speaking. "What do you think, everyone? Could she be right?"

Rei shook her head quickly. "No," she said. "I'm sorry, Ami. I bet the Sailor Senshi did have another purpose, but I think it was probably something else..."

***

After a moment, the Queen spoke again. "However, protecting my daughter is not the only purpose I have in mind for the Sailor Senshi.

"All of you are renowned as great warriors. You possess powers that have made you very formidable on the field of battle. But I am seeking a way to bring a lasting peace to our realm, and I believe that you can help me accomplish this.

"We know so very little about the worlds around us. We are, in large part, still ruled by ignorance and fear. And where there is fear, there is great potential for evil to be wrought. If we can gain a deeper understanding of the universe, I believe that it can help our people conquer their fear and bring the inhabitants of the solar system closer together.

"With your powers, you can help us achieve this. You are all very familiar with your respective elements, and I believe that gives you unique insight into our surroundings. You can teach our people, and as they gain understanding, it will help them make peace with the world and each other."

The Queen fell silent, looking at each of them briefly before addressing her next question to all of them. "So, what shall your answer be? Will you help me guide our people into a new age?"

***

"That's another interesting idea," Usagi said, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Of course it is, Usagi," Rei said, smirking at her. "It only makes sense, after all..."

She was interrupted by Makoto clearing her throat loudly. "No no no..." she said when they turned to face her. "The Sailor Senshi's purpose had to be something different..."

***

After a moment, the Queen spoke again. "However, protecting my daughter is not the only purpose I have in mind for the Sailor Senshi.

"You are the strongest warriors in the solar system. I am asking you to start down a new path - that of protectors and champions of the innocent.

"When innocent people are victimized, many of them grow bitter, or become consumed with hate. In their quest to avenge what was done to them and their loved ones, they may end up harming anyone who gets in their way, regardless of whether they may deserve it or not. In this way, evil begets more evil.

"By protecting those who cannot protect themselves, you will not only be destroying evil where you find it, but you will also be preventing it from spreading and taking root in ordinary people. I do not know how often you will be called upon to fight. But I believe that you can save many lives and become a true force for good in our realm."

The Queen slowly walked down the steps of the dais, stopping just in front of them. "What do you say?" she asked. "Will you join me in protecting those who cannot protect themselves?"

***

Usagi tapped her fingers on the porch, a faraway look in her eyes. Then she spoke. "Mako-chan, I like that idea too," she said, smiling.

She turned to Minako. "Minako, how about you? Do you have a theory about the purpose of the Sailor Senshi?"

Minako smiled slowly. "Well, since you asked..."

***

After a moment, the Queen spoke again. "However, protecting my daughter is not the only purpose I have in mind for the Sailor Senshi.

"Lately, I have noticed that short skirts seem to have fallen out of fashion in my realm. This simply will not do! I mean to start a trend to bring them back, and you're going to help me." She clapped her hands loudly, and called out, "Tailors! Get their sizes!"

***

"Minako!" Everyone shouted simultaneously. Usagi scowled at her, and she burst out laughing.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry," Minako said, still giggling. "But seriously, I do have an idea..."

***

After a moment, the Queen spoke again. "However, protecting my daughter is not the only purpose I have in mind for the Sailor Senshi.

"You have been battling evil for some time now. And you have all done an admirable job. But as I am sure you have all seen by now, no matter how many are defeated, there are always more people willing to do evil deeds. And the reason for this is simple - the message of evil is a powerful one.

"Evil speaks to people in many languages. Hatred, envy, greed, ambition - they all can convince people to do terrible things. If we wish to truly defeat evil, we must counter its message with one of our own. And that message is love.

"If you decide to join the Sailor Senshi, you must fight for justice, but you must also fight for love. By bringing the message of love to our people, you can save not only their lives, but their souls as well. Evil will still exist - but those who hear the message of love will be able to resist its call."

The Queen clasped her hands in front of her and allowed them a moment to think about what she had told them. Then she said, "So - will you help me to counter the message of evil with one of our own?"

***

"Much better, Minako," Usagi said. "Everyone, those are all good ideas. I wish I knew which one was right..."

Ami shrugged. "It's just speculation, Usagi. There's no way we can know for certain."

Their conversation moved on to other things, but Usagi remained preoccupied with thoughts of the mission of the original Sailor Senshi for the rest of the afternoon.

***

"Mama, I'm home!" Usagi said as she walked through the door and quickly removed her shoes. She had worked up an appetite on the walk back from the party, and she quickly ducked into the kitchen to investigate the aroma that originated there. She smiled when she saw her mother standing over the stove, stirring a pot of rice.

"What's for dinner?" she said, giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek and looking over her shoulder. "Ah, tempura shrimp!" she said happily when she saw the tray sitting next to the stove. She reached out to take one, but her mother lightly knocked her hand away.

"Be patient, Usagi! We're eating in just a few minutes anyway," she said. Usagi pouted, though it was just for show. "Okay. I'll go get changed," she said, hurrying out of the kitchen and up to her room. Luna, who had been sleeping on her bed, was awakened by her arrival, and stood up and stretched as Usagi opened her closet door.

"Welcome back, Usagi," she said. "How was the party?"

"It was fun, Luna," Usagi replied, rummaging around in the closet. "We had a very interesting talk about..." She trailed off suddenly.

Usagi turned around and faced Luna. "Say, Luna..." she began. "You were around during the Silver Millennium, right? Do you know the reason behind the founding of the Sailor Senshi? The very first ones?"

Luna stiffened. "I'm not *that* old, Usagi," she said, sounding somewhat annoyed.

Usagi quickly shook her head. "No, no, I just meant that maybe you would have heard about it, or read about it somewhere. We talked about this today, and everyone had good ideas about it." She quickly described her friends' theories to Luna (omitting Minako's joke), who sat back on the bed as she spoke, listening with rapt attention.

After Usagi had finished, Luna stared back at her, a curious look on her face. "And, which one do *you* think was the reason the Sailor Senshi were founded, Usagi?" she finally said.

Usagi thought about it for a moment, and then suddenly smiled. "All of them," she said. "All of them, and probably more besides."

Luna said nothing, but simply smiled back at her. She gave no confirmation that Usagi was right. None was needed.

At that moment, Usagi's mother called up to her to let her know dinner was ready. She shouted her acknowledgement, then turned back to her closet and picked out some clothes. Luna jumped up to the windowsill, but before she left, she turned back to Usagi and said, "Oh - I almost forgot."

"Happy anniversary."