Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Excidium Argenti ❯ Excidium Argenti ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or the characters of that series. A few of my other characters may be loosely based on characters from other series or movies. Any resemblance to real events, places, or people is either purely coincidental or purposely libelous.

Be warned that there is a fair amount of bloodshed in this fic. It records a moderately apocalyptic battle, after all. One or two cusswords are in there as well, but nothing one cannot hear in any school hallway. I should also warn you that the language is probably rather different from most Sailor Moon fics you've read. Do not let that stop you from getting to the end.

The numbers in the text correspond to the numbered notes at the bottom. I've tried to keep the notes as brief as possible; if you want longer explanations, say, of name origins, feel free to email me at reapermech@hotmail.com. Most of the names should be self-explanatory to those familiar with the old legends of Europe. A few also come from John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Excidium Argenti

Two lovers sat beneath the moon, gazing up at the silver disk. Willows danced to cicada song borne on the breeze. Shining silver hair framed youthful faces. The man wore a curiously ridged black jacket and matching pants; his mate was clad in pale sky blue. As the stars circled slowly above, the two traced fanciful shapes in the heavens.

A thick, chill mist flowed around them, muffling the cicadas and blotting out the moon. The man leapt to his feet and swore, 'What the hell? This fog makes old London look like the bloody Alps!' His accent would not have been out of place in that distant city.

His wife laid one hand on his arm. 'This fog doesn't feel natural. There's something out there...something dark.'

The man sniffed at the fog and nodded grimly. He raised one hand and the mists parted for a few feet around them. A long spear appeared in his hand. Blue flames danced along its edge.

'Ahhhhhhh, fresh prey! How careless of those fools to leave innocents like you out here with me.' A woman with chitinous green skin stepped into the bubble. Her arms ended in curved blades that folded against wicked spines. They snapped open and the creature leapt at the man in black. She landed on empty grass and found the man standing behind his wife, two feet from where he'd been an instant before. Pulsing globes of violet light shot from the woman's hands; a soundless explosion flung green flesh across the small patch of visible grass.

'This creature seems familiar. I feel we've fought something similar before.' The man knelt beside the largest remaining piece-a smooth segmented leg-and examined it closely. He almost didn't notice the shaft of fire tearing through the fog behind him.

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'Mercury, where is it? This fog is perfect for letting that youma escape!' The raven-haired girl shouted. A knot of young women stood together in the fog, clad in tiaras, short-sleeved shirts, kerchiefs, and short skirts.

Blue-haired Mercury tapped at the small computer she held in one hand. 'It's stopped now...there.' She pointed. 'Wait. Something else is moving out there. It's disrupting the fog near the youma. I'm picking up a surge of energy-I've never seen anything like it!' Several graphs on the screen jumped wildly and the red dot on the map disappeared. 'The youma's gone! But the disruption is still there, about ten yards away. Mars, can you sense anything?'

The black-haired girl shook her head. 'If it's powerful enough to interfere with our magic, it may be a threat.' She fell into her attack stance and a stream of fire burst from her hands. A moment later, it returned, scattering the five girls.

'Mercury! Cancel the fog! We can't fight what we can't see,' called a green-skirted brunette. She wore practical flats instead of her companions' heels. The fog dispersed at Mercury's command and two silver-haired humans-beings that looked human, at any rate-stood before them. One leveled a spear at the girls while the other raised her hand in cabalistic gesture.

'Di-did you kill that thing?' a blonde asked timidly. Her hair fell in two long pigtails from red orbs on her head.

'No. She did.' The black-clad spearman nodded to his companion, a woman in a pale blue suit.

A small black cat burst from under a bush. A crescent moon shone on its forehead. 'Lo-lord Scorpio! Lady Aries! What are you doing here?'

The man looked silently at the cat. He murmured, 'So, something of the Kingdom survived. Then what we did was not for naught.' Then, more loudly, 'Yes...I was called that once, a long time ago.' He scanned the girls standing around him. 'I knew you all once, though in other guise and no doubt under other names.'

'Luna, who is he?' The pigtailed blonde asked.

The cat answered its owner, 'He was-is-a traveler who visited the Moon Kingdom at the close of the Silver Millennium. He must have been caught up in Queen Serenity's spell that sent her subjects forward for reincarnation.'

The woman Luna had named Aries spoke in a deep voice used to command. 'No, we merely decided that it was time to continue our journey. The Kingdom was doomed, but I see now that our efforts-and yours-kept it from perishing utterly and made it a hollow victory at best for our foes.'

A white cat, also bearing a crescent moon, emerged from another bush. 'Lord Scorpio, will you tell us what happened when the Kingdom fell? None of us remember much of that time.'

The old man hesitated a moment. 'I...I will. It is not a long tale, and you have a right to know it, Ladies Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter; and you as well, Princess.' He nodded to each in turn. 'It is a tale of loss and woe, and much of it is dark even to me, who lived a part of it. I know little of the founding of the Kingdom or what came before, but what I know, I will tell. It would be best to say now that Scorpio and Aries are not our true names, but titles we adopted almost in jest upon our arrival in the Moon Kingdom. Perhaps you of this age can divine their origin [1].'

'So what are your real names? And where are you from?' asked Mercury.

'That is a tale for another night. My husband speaks now of the fall of the Moon Kingdom.'

The silver-haired man motioned for his audience to sit; they formed a loose circle around him on the grass. He waved his hand and a dark orb rose from the ground. The solar system spun within: shining gems marked the planets in their orbits and the sun blazed at the center. When Scorpio began his tale, he spoke in a different voice, distant and resonant.

'Uncounted years ago, Man was confined to the solitary planet, Earth.' The familiar blue-and-white orb replaced the spinning planets. 'In time, magic or science enabled him to leave this verdant cradle and walk on other worlds. With the forces at his command, he reshaped the worlds of this star: the acid clouds of Venus were dispersed; the cold, thin air of Mars was warmed and made richer; the tumults of volcanic Io were calmed; and the frozen seas of Europa were thawed. Even to distant Pluto, men journeyed and learned there arts which the warm worlds never shared.' The vision changed as he told his tale, showing all he spoke of.

'And kingdoms were founded on each world and wars fought until one House reigned supreme on each. Then began the Wars of Unification when terrible magics shattered cities and laid waste whole continents. Mars and Jupiter, the most warlike of the Houses, stood in the forefront of great alliances. Their battles shattered the world that once circled between them [2]. In time, the peaceful people of Earth's Moon ended the Wars and joined the Nine Planets into a single realm.

'Then began what was named the Silver Millennium, though it lasted far longer than a thousand years by the reckoning of Earth. Even the rulers of Pluto, who had held themselves aloof from the wars, came to the first Queen and swore fealty. New cities were raised, with towers loftier than those that had fallen and gardens more beautiful than those of any other age.

'The great mines of Mercury were delved deep into the planet's heart and the fields of Earth gave forth rich fruit. The tumults of the worlds were calmed with magic, and the ways of war were lost to men; only among the great Houses were the magics of destruction preserved. Ships with sails of starlight plied the dark seas between worlds laden with spices, silks, gems, and wanderers.

'For there were many sights to behold in the Nine Worlds, though few mortal eyes have beheld Pluto that were not born there: the lakes of Venus, the canyons of Mars, the seas of Europa, and more, so many that none could see them all in one lifetime, briefly as men live now. But in that time, magic lengthened the span of man's years and a hardy few made the trek.

'The great cities of the Moon had survived the Wars untouched and their names ring through all the tales of later ages: floating Atlantis in the northern seas that lie now dark and dry; high-walled Ilium of the smiths; Avalon, city of healers; Tirion on high Túna, city of bells and home of bards; and the Capital, nameless city of Queens. Of these, Atlantis and the Capital faced the Earth and the others gazed upon the innumerable stars.

'On the Naming Day of the last Princess of Mars, a strange ship arrived at the docks of Atlantis in the Sea of Serenity [3]. Its masters, a man and a woman, claimed to be travelers from beyond the most distant stars. Three days later, the ship entered the Capital by the gates of the Grand Canal.'

The vision now displayed a shining city of crystal and marble. Jade towers overlooked gem-paved streets, all encircled by walls of alabaster. At the center, a Palace rose under a crystal dome that caught the sun's light and shone like a star. All of pale crystal were its towers, inlaid with a thousand gems. Balconies hung seemingly in midair over wondrous gardens and no shadow touched its walls.

A flourish of Scorpio's hand produced a flask of some dark liquid; Aries continued the tale while he drank. 'Look well upon this city, Capital of Serenity's realm. Where once it stood, all is now waste: white as old bone are the once-green lawns; fallen to dust the proud walls; and the Palace merely a memory of ghosts.' The city disappeared, replaced by a high-rimmed crater beneath silent stars. A wave of the storyteller's hand and the couple appeared kneeling before a crowned woman who bore a strong resemblance to Sailor Moon.

'The two presented themselves to the Queen as Lord Scorpio and Lady Aries and begged leave of her to abide in her Kingdom for a time. And the Queen replied thus: "Be welcome, travelers. I see that you have come far through many perils. Rest here and be glad."

'For nigh on twenty years, Scorpio and Aries dwelt in the realm and traveled the worlds. The sweet meads of Venus; the lamp-lit mines of Mercury; the Rings of Saturn; and even the dark, silent court of Pluto felt the tread of their feet. For men came now and again to that cold world as to an oracle, but only rarely were they answered. The Lady Pluto looked upon them and asked, "You who have tread darkness and fire, will you stand again between the shadow and the light?" The travelers were troubled in their hearts and answered not.

'In the tenth year of their stay, the acid clouds returned to Venus which had not been seen for many lives of men. The winters of Mars grew colder and longer than had been their wont, and the volcanoes of Io grew fitful in their rest. For a time, magic calmed the worlds, but always the disquiet returned. The outer worlds, which had ever been but sparsely settled, were slowly abandoned to the creeping cold; all save Pluto, where great power dwelt. The people resettled on the Earth, the ancient cradle of the race. In time, the people of Mars and Venus joined them, for no spell served to clear the skies or hold back the cold.

'The seasons turned and the nineteenth year dawned after the coming of Scorpio and Aries. They were well loved by all, for they were soft-spoken and kind. But the Princes and Ladies of the court loved them most for the tales they told of distant lands and valiant deeds. Their hearts were after those of the age long past, and the travelers' tales awakened in them a desire to sail beyond the Kingdom and tread the paths of other stars. And so the two were summoned to observe the auguries for the new year.' Aries took the flask from her husband and he took up the tale.

'The beginning of a new year was a time of high festival in the realm, even as it is in this age. All the city thronged the Palace grounds for feasting and games, and great lamps lit the night in the new-wrought cities of Earth. The nobles awaited the auguries in the throne room, all the rulers of the Nine Worlds save Lady Pluto to whom the years mean but little. By ancient tradition, the men were armed, ready to pledge their lives to the Kingdom's defence if an enemy appeared in the Fire. Scorpio wore a curious suit of black plate with a long crystal sword in a green scabbard at his back. Men of the Royal Guard lined the chamber in shining silver plate.

'As the hour drew near, a brazier was set before the throne and Queen Serenity entered with her daughter and the seven Princesses. She set her great scepter before the brazier and gazed through the Silver Crystal. The fire flared and died at the clock's chime and a messenger burst through the door. "Majesty!" he cried, "The city of Avalon is no more! A great stone from the heavens has crushed its gleaming towers."

'Ere the tumult died, a second runner entered. "The high walls of Ilium have been ground to dust, with all its people."

'And a third followed at his heels: "Tirion has fallen. No more will the bells sound on high Túna, and the bards' songs are forever silenced."

'The final messenger bore a tight-wrapped scroll. "Atlantis has sunk in the Ocean of Storms. This was given me at the Palace gate."

'The Queen took the scroll and read it quickly, whereupon she declared, "Much is now clear to me. One power alone could have undone my magic and veiled these attacks from my eyes: the Dark Crystal, twin to my own stone. The two were once one, but the original split long ages before the Unification. The Dark Crystal vanished shortly after the exile of my sister, Beryl, who sought to usurp the throne upon our mother's death [4].

'"And now she has returned to claim the crown by force of arms. For this new treason, she and all her followers shall be banished into the uttermost darkness. Come, daughter. Your aid will be required."

'A Guardsman stumbled in, his armour torn and bloodied, ere the Queen and Princess had left the dais. Leaning on his spear, he cried out, "A woman styling herself Queen Beryl has arrived at the city gates demanding admittance. A dark host of daemons and fell beasts stand at the gates. We cannot hold." So saying, he breathed his last.

'Thereupon the Queen grew pale, for the spell of banishment was complex and required much time to cast. The walls of the Palace were wrought to withstand any assault, it was true, but no walls can stand without men to defend it. And none in her Court remembered the ways of war.

'Straightway, Scorpio unsheathed his great crystal sword and, laying it across his palms, knelt before the Queen. "Majesty, this is but poor payment for your hospitality, but it is all I can give, and the more valuable for the time of its giving. Your people are gathered within the Palace walls, beneath an adamantine roof; a few could hold the gates long enough for you to cast the spell."

'With him knelt the Princes of the realm, scions of the ruling House of each world: Perseus and Percival, the Mercurian twins; Venusian Anchises, the eldest of his generation; Endymion of Earth, betrothed of Serenity's daughter; Romulus of Mars who bore his House's spear of Olympian ash; Phoebus of Jupiter, Leto's son, the matchless archer; Hyperion of Saturn, dour but valiant; Briareus of Uranus, strongest of men; and Neptunian Círdan, sailor without peer [5]. Anchises spoke for them, as befit his age: "A long age has passed since our Houses have been called upon to fulfill our oaths to defend this Kingdom, but we are ready. We have trained since birth in the ways of the sword for a day such as this."

'And their sisters too stood forward, saying, "From mother to daughter for years uncounted, our Houses have passed down the magics of war. We too shall stand against the darkness."

'The Queen took up Scorpio's sword and raised it high. Though she was clad in silk and silver, she seemed one of the warrior Queens of old come again. "My doom it may be to see the end of the Age of Silver, but the foe shall pay dearly for all they have destroyed." The Queen bade her vassals rise and restored the sword to its owner. "Further, it is my will that Lord Scorpio shall have the command, for he alone among you has known battle."

'The hoary traveler bowed and sheathed his sword, but did not accept command, for he was but a simple solder. His wife was the better tactician and leader, he said, and better suited to lead. Serenity assented and gave Aries the command; Aries ordered those present to arm themselves and assemble at the Palace gates. Taking the Princesses aside, she asked them what magics they knew. They answered, "Mercury controls water and ice, Mars tamed fire long ages ago, Jupiter commands lightning, and each of us likewise commands an element."

'"Dress yourselves for battle and meet me at the gate. Yours shall be the first blow struck against the foe, to drive them back from the gate. And one of you shall bear our banner." Mercury stepped forward, for hers was a house of gentle scholars, though fierce fighters at need. The Princesses departed and arrayed themselves in supple leather and stout steel, the battle dress of their ancestors.' The vision conjured by Scorpio now displayed the five girls of his audience clad in flexible armour, wielding gem-topped scepters and long daggers. With them stood three others they did not know, but assumed to be the Princesses of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

'The princes awaited them at the gate with a score of the Royal Guard armed with long spears, stout-hearted and true though untested in battle. Each Prince bore cuirass and helm, sword and shield; all save Uranian Briareus and Martian Romulus. Briareus wielded a sword fully as tall as its owner, who stood head and shoulders above his peers. Most man could scarce lift that baleful brand, but he held it in one hand as others would foil or epee. Romulus of Mars bore a broad-headed spear, an heirloom of his house, wrought of ash cut on lofty Olympus and scribed with many runes [6], and a short sword hung at his side. Scorpio leaned on a tall staff swathed in black cloth and a grim look sat on his brow. A golden bow and rattling quiver hung at Phoebus' back, but he too carried a sword.

'The women arrived to the drum of spell and hammer against the ironwood gate. At a silent signal from Aries, Scorpio presented the staff to Mercury, who took it without comment. Aries swiftly deployed her meager force and ordered the gatekeepers to stand ready. In the center stood the seven Princes and old Lord Scorpio; the Guardsmen held the wings and the Princesses stood behind them.

'At a nod from Aries, the gates were raised and the dark host surged forward. Fire, lightning, and ice threw them back and the Moon's defenders charged. They halted beyond the gate and formed a wall of flesh and steel about the portal. A sudden wind from within snapped open the banner in Mercury's hand: deepest black it was, dark as the void between the stars; a silver crescent stood for the Moon, and nine gems flamed around it-ivory, diamond, sapphire, ruby, tiger's-eye, alabaster, jade, lapis, and black obsidian, though no subject of Pluto stood beneath that standard. The Earth rose behind the Palace, casting its pale light on the small band, fair and desperate, who stood against the daemon host.

'The enemy milled in confusion at the sudden counterattack, for there had been none to oppose them in the city. First among them to recover were small fanged brutes little more than beasts. A dark tide of twisted bodies surged at the gate, tearing at shield and armour. Sword and spear cut them down and a wall of carrion rose at the defenders' feet, but that merely gave the beasts higher ground from which to strike. Hyperion of Saturn stood in the center and impaled many on his slim blade, spilling their black blood on the cobblestones. At last, however, one avoided the thrust and sank its fangs into his knee. Hyperion cried out and red blood poured from the wound. Long fangs tore his sister's throat as she tried to pull him back. Derin and Aegus of the Guards perished when long claws slid below their armour. At last, Ladies Mars and Jupiter broke the attack with fire and thunder and the beasts fled their fury. Glad were the defenders to see the foe flee, and would fain give chase, but Aries held them back: "Stand your ground! If we move from the wall, we will be encircled and the gate taken."

'To this no reply was made, for a second assault crashed upon their heads even as the last of the fanged beasts fell: loathsome reptilian mockeries of human shape; some scaled and cold, others chill and slimy. The largest of these, wielding a wicked saber, leapt upon Prince Endymion and bore him to the ground. But the great sword of Briareus shattered the blade even as it was raised for the fatal blow and clove its owner from crown to crotch. The twins Percival and Perseus stood over Endymion as he rose and they slew many in his defence.

'Seeing their leader fall doubled the foe's fury and their battlecry was terrible to hear. At the center they drove, where Endymion stood with the other Princes. The black-haired Prince had regained his feet and awaited the clash with shield held high. Alien axes dented the stout metal, but Endymion's slim sword darted between bony scales and shed their lifeblood on the dark stones. Romulus' rune-scribed spear drank deep of alien blood, and even the Mecurian twins had their share of death. Phoebus' bow sang and his arrows laid low many who would've slain his comrades.

'But death took from the defenders as well: Balan and Balin, two brothers, Guardsmen of Avalon, were slain by a single foe with claws of diamond; Phoebus' arrow pierced his eye shortly after. Anchises of Venus fell with his helm cloven defending his sister who was assailed by two scaled brutes. In her wrath, she unleashed a spell that had not been cast in living memory. Chains of light lashed out from the ground, impaling the reptilian horrors and pinning them to earth. The effort burst her heart and tears of blood flowed from her eyes as she collapsed atop her brother's corpse.

'Behind the fallen came a line of pale armoured men gathered from the exiles of years past. Grimly they marched over the corpse-strewn field, maces drumming on tall shields. In silence they met the defenders and pushed them back by weight of numbers. The crystal blade of Scorpio and Briareus' great sword clove flesh and plate as a host carves meat for his guests, but the Princes' slim swords were of no avail against their armoured foes. Black maces beat against their shields and the center fell back.

'Seeing this, Scorpio leapt into the enemy ranks, landing beside their standard-azure serpent on verdant ground. One stroke hewed both banner and bannerman. Mace and shield, mail and bone, naught withstood his shining blade and men fell back before his face. That sword had been wrought in the youth of his world, he once said, long ages past. A single crystal it was, of palest red, that had never known a whetstone's touch. Its hilt was wrought in the form of a gold and red phoenix in flight, wings spread wide and tail clutching a curious stone. This stone was equal parts gold and silver, but the boundary between the two was ever in flux. With the point planted in the earth, that stone would've stood at Scorpio's breast. His scabbard was wrought of some green metal in the form of twining thorny vines accented with red roses. None save Scorpio or Aries could draw that blade, lest the phoenix's talons savage their hand and the thorns rend their garb.

'Scorpio stood alone amidst the enemy horde beside their fallen banner. Fire and lightning burst about him as Aries lent him aid. Perseus and Percival led a rescue, followed by Neptunian Círdan and Romulus of Mars. Even as they cut through to the old soldier's side, a hammer crushed the helm of Perseus and his brains spattered upon his brother's face. Círdan sought to avenge the Prince of Mercury, but the foe stove in his breastplate and blood spurted from the burst seams of his cuirass.

'The warrior who laid low the Neptunian voyager stood well nigh as tall as Briareus, though not so broad in the chest. He wore neither armour nor helm, and his weapon was a spiked hammer whose head was as large as a man's chest. The brute vaunted as he raised that dreadful maul to smite blue-haired Percival, but the nimble Prince leapt aside and buried his sword in the giant's chest. The blade broke as he fell and the Prince was left weaponless.

'Two foes assailed Martian Romulus. Scorpio fell upon one and his crystal blade clove the man from crown to breast. Romulus thrust his spear into the other's throat; the point emerged below his skull and the man died biting cold steel.

'Noble Percival took up a fallen mace, a terrible spiked ball of steel on a stout oak haft. Its weight soon wearied him as he beat on helm and shield. At last, the three cut free of the enemy ranks and rejoined their comrades. All the defenders' swords were notched, and their shields were cloven or pierced through. Phoebus had spent his last arrow, and a chance dart had laid low Lady Neptune, Círdan's sister. Of the score of spear-wielding Guardsmen, less than a dozen still stood: Ban and Bors of Avalon; Atreides and Tydides of Ilium; Drake, the sailing companion of Círdan; and Sorel, who had fenced with Endymion, now numbered among the fallen.

'Upon seeing only one of her brothers return from their sally, Lady Mercury cried out in wrath and grief. She lifted the banner high and shouted terrible words of magic. Daggers of ice fell from the sky and no armour was proof against the onslaught. When the storm passed, naught living stood upon the field save the defenders of the gate. Mercury dropped senseless to the ground, her skin as cold as the storm she had summoned. Percival fell with her from a wound in his back that none had seen.

'As if in reply to Mercury's ice, a rain of fire fell-fierce smouldering globes that burned through steel and stone. The remnant of the guard fell before the deadly rain, but the nobles' plates had been forged long ages ago to turn both blade and spell and they were spared; all save Phoebus of Jupiter, whose long golden hair caught flame. The fire spread to the garments he wore beneath his armour, and Phoebus died a piteous death. Good men were they who fell below the walls of Serenity's palace, joyous companions in peace and stout comrades during their brief time under arms: pious Gareth; loyal Harker; Tamino, luckless in love; Gurney the singer and Idaho the dancer, brothers born on the dunes of Mars; stout-hearted Jason, the Mariner of Atlantis; courageous Robin of Avalon; gentle Dior of Tirion; Iulus, the butcher's son of Ilium; and Sigurd the brave of cold Europa [7].

'Now only eight stood between Beryl's army and the Palace gate: four men and four women. From behind the rain of fire strode six men clad in grey. They wore no armour, but bore sword and shield. The defenders awaited them wearily.

'A slight, blonde man opposed Romulus of Mars. The Prince's armour turned the first thrust and he stabbed at the man with his spear. The man darted like a serpent under the Olympian ash and ran the Prince through. His life's blood ran out on the darkened gems of the street. Mars unleashed her fire seeking vengeance, but the man's shield would not burn.

'Endymion faced a slim black-haired man whose face was deeply lined. He bore no shield, but needed none for his skill was the equal of the Prince's. Words cannot do justice to their duel.' Scorpio took a long draft of his flask and the seven watched as two men danced in the dark globe. Swords flickered in defense and attack and neither could gain any advantage over the other. At last, the older man grew frustrated and lunged at Endymion with all his strength. The Prince spun aside and thrust his sword into his opponent's chest. He himself fell a moment later, for the foe had drawn a dagger with his other hand and plunged it into the Prince's chest. Their blood mingled on stones already slick with death. The vision passed to another contest and Scorpio took up the tale again.

'A giant stood forward to duel Uranian Briareus, naming himself Gyges the Undefeated. His sword was not so long as the Prince's brand, but heavier and broader in the blade. Gyges stood perhaps a little shorter than Briareus, but he was larger in the chest and arms. Terrible was their clash, and the din of their swords rang throughout the city. Gyges' sword chipped and notched, but the sword of Uranus remained whole and sharp. At last, the giant's sword broke and Briareus struck him a mighty blow that clove him from shoulder to hip.

'The sword of Scorpio's foe shattered against his crystal blade and the man fled. Crimson-plumed soldiers trotted up behind the three remaining swordsmen and arrayed themselves to charge the defenders. Lady Aries raised her hands in silent command and a wall of black fire burst from the ground even as the legion charged. All who touched that wall were consumed and burnt to ash.

'The enemy retreated and the defenders were left in command of the field for a time. Blood, red, green, and black, flowed over the gem-paved square and gathered in the gutters. The bodies of the slain were piled to the eaves of the nearest buildings-or would have been if the fires had not consumed them. The wondrous houses of the city were all afire from the enemies' torches or the defenders' spells. A red light played across the gate and pale Earth looked down on the carnage.

'Of a sudden, the light dimmed and a great Shadow rose from the rear of the enemy ranks. The lines parted and glowing crimson eyes approached the gate. Bull-necked Briareus advanced to meet it, sword held high, but Aries called him back, saying, "Swords will not avail against this foe."

'Briareus nodded in bitter assent and retreated to the gate behind Scorpio, Aries, and the Princesses. They cried out words of power and hurled a volley of spells at the Shadow, but it felt none of them. It stretched out dark claws that cut armour and flesh alike. Scorpio and Aries leapt back and were unhurt, but Jupiter and Uranus died screaming as cold talons tore out their hearts. Nimble Mars sprang aside as well, but one claw caught her at the waist and her entrails slid into the light.

'Screaming his defiance, Briareus raised his sword and leapt into the heart of the Shadow, but he came never out. The Shadow advanced on the gate. Scorpio raised his sword, pommel up, and cried out in an ancient tongue whose first word was yet to be spoken: "Fiat Lux!"

'The stone burst to life, pouring forth a radiance that was equal parts fiery gold and chill silver. No Shadow could walk in that purest of light and it retreated from the gate. Mars with her dying sight gazed on that light and had a vision of two Trees standing on a high hill. The one bore leaves of green with silver dew falling beneath them; the other bore golden flowers that poured forth a shining rain. With the vision came a sense of peace and the perfume of boundless gardens where beasts walked and flowers bloomed more beautiful than any the Earth had seen [8]. Then the light faded from her eyes forever.

'The foe gathered themselves for a final charge to overwhelm the defenders and take the gate. Wings of black fire unfolded at Scorpio's back and he rose into the air, followed by his wife. Great power slept beneath the city, for weapons and spells of the Wars of Unification were locked in deep vaults under stone. Aries spoke a single word and a flaming lance flew from her hand and shattered the gem-paved streets. Down it bore into vaults unopened since the Kingdom's founding. Fire blossomed in the deeps and rent all the earth above it. Even as the destruction reached the surface, Scorpio and Aries departed the field by arts known only to them. The mark of that blast can still be seen by the far-sighted on a clear night when the moon is high.' The old storyteller bowed his head to signal the end of his tale and drank once more from his flask.

'That's the end? But what happened next? Did Queen Serenity finish her spell?' The pigtailed blonde asked.

Aries answered, 'We do not know directly, for we did not stay after my spell shattered the city. But I would guess that she did, for you are here now. She told me after you'd left to arm yourselves that she would cast a second spell, one that would gather her subjects' souls and send them into new lives.'

'Wait, how did you know what I saw as I died last time?' Raven-haired Mars demanded.

Scorpio pulled at his nose and seemed to blush somewhat. 'That was...artistic license on my part. You had shown a certain affinity for what men now call divination, so I thought you may well have had a glimpse of the stone's nature.'

'There's something I don't understand. You said we had brothers who stood beside us during that battle. Where are they now?' The question came from Jupiter, who had no siblings.

'This has not been the only age in need of heroes,' Aries replied. 'My guess is that they were scattered through the ages between now and the Silver Millennium, for many deeds of the old heroes sound like their doing. Likewise, those rare artistic or wise souls who have sprung up from time to time may have had their birth in Serenity's spell.' A distant clock struck midnight as the older woman finished.

'Ohmigod! My parents are gonna kill me!' Sailor Moon squealed and dashed off, followed by her cat Luna. The other Senshi rose, as well, and made their excuses.

After the last girl had left, a hooded figure emerged from behind a tree and applauded quietly. 'Well told, "Lord Scorpio, Lady Aries,"' she said in a low, rich voice that was not unfamiliar to them.

The couple bowed deeply to the speaker. Aries greeted her, 'Well met, Lady Pluto. It has been a long time since we last met.'

The other woman doffed her hood to reveal green hair framing a youthful face with ancient eyes. 'I have been watching these girls since their birth. Theirs is a great destiny, but they will need guidance on the long road. They have only the barest fraction of the power they once wielded and none of the wisdom. I am bound by laws older than even you can imagine and I cannot yet aid them openly. Will you teach them what they need?'

Scorpio shook his head and all his seeming youth dropped from him in that gesture though his face remained unlined. 'Our magic is utterly alien to theirs; there is nothing we can teach them. Battle is for the young, milady, and I no longer seek it. If even a tithe of the old rumours are true, you know our names and the full count of our years. All the ages between the fall of Serenity and today are but a part of my wanderings. I seek only a place where I can rest from my long labours.'

'Their destiny, if they live to achieve it, is to build a Kingdom that will eclipse even the realm of Serenity. Its founding is but a few years off if it happens at all.'

'I am curious, though, as to the fate of the other three-Ladies Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Were they born in some other age, perhaps?' asked Aries.

'They live now, though their paths will not cross the others' for some time.'

'I see. I will remain here for a time, at least. This city reminds me of the home of my youth. It would not be a bad place to raise a family,' Aries declared. Her husband nodded slowly in reluctant agreement.

'I will teach those girls what I can, if they would learn. I will not fight their battles for them, however: those who meddle with matters of destiny and fate rarely achieve the ends they aim for.'

'I can ask no more. Thank you; we will meet again.' So saying, Pluto walked off into the night.

Notes:

1) It should be pretty obvious that the two named themselves for their astrological signs. During the Silver Millennium, the constellations would've been vastly different...at least, they would have if the Millennium was as long ago as I think it was. Scorpio is a sign of secrets and mysticism; Aries is a sign of leadership and initiative.

2) This is not a particularly rare conception in science fiction. The 'Proteus' series by some author whose name I've forgotten speaks of an extremely intelligent race that dwelt on a shattered planet that is now the Asteroid Belt.

3) The Five Seas of the northern hemisphere of the Near Side of the Moon are the Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains), the Mare Frigoris (Cold Sea), the Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity), the mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility, where the Eagle landed), and the Oceanus Procelllarum (Ocean of Storms). There are a few others, but these are the largest, where my Atlantis floats. Its final location is marked now by the Copernicus Crater. The Capital was on the site of Clavius; the cities of the Far Side similarly correspond to major craters.

By a curious coincidence, if one pronounces 'Tirion' in Asian fashion, it comes out resembling 'Tilion,' the name of the Maia who guides the Moon of Middle Earth. Tirion on the high hill of Túna was the great Elven city of Valinor.

4) I have been told that Beryl had other motives in the manga for attacking the Moon Kingdom, but the one I've given her disturbs me less. Suffice it to say that Prince Endymion of Earth was deeply involved in the original. The kinship between Beryl and Serenity is my own addition to the tale, as are the Princes of the various planets and the kinship between the two Crystals.

5) Each of these names, except for Endymion (a canon character, and I'm not changing his name), has some connexion to that of their native planet or city. Regrettably, I do not have space to explain them all in full. However, I can say that in Greek mythology, Endymion was the lover of Selene, the goddess of the Moon. She had him placed in an eternal sleep to keep him young forever.

6) The wood came from Olympus Mons on Mars, of course, not Mt. Olympus in Terran Greece.

7) A dozen cookies to anyone who knows where all of my cannon fodder names come from (except the one or two I've made up myself). If you're wondering why I've bothered to name them all, let's just say that knowing the names of everyone who died was a big part of the tradition I've tried (poorly) to follow.

8) Tolkien fans may recognize this image. It is a very famous scene and plays a great part in the tales of the Elder Days.

General

The title should be the Latin for 'Destruction of Silver' or 'Silver's Ruin.' If anyone reading this actually knows the language, alternate renderings of the same concept would be deeply appreciated.

I hope the senshi don't seem too out of character. It has been a very long time since I watched an episode of Sailor Moon, dubbed or otherwise. If they seem out of character, especially in terms of their speech, during Scorpio's tale, that is an artifact of the style I've chosen for this story. I've tried to present it in a slightly archaic style, based on that of Tolkien's 'Silmarillion.' I don't think I carried it off too well. It is not easy to imitate a style, especially when it requires a completely different mode of thought and phrasing.

Any resemblance between Lord Scorpio and Lady Aries and the central characters in any of my other fics is purely coincidental. The silver hair, that sword, Scorpio's taste in clothing, none of that means anything at all.

Also, don't try to puzzle out when this is set in the official storyline. All that you need to know is that all the Inner Senshi have been gathered and that Beryl has not yet been defeated.

Before you ask, I do not intend to write a sequel to this story. If I did, it'd probably be a Crystal Tokyo piece. Perhaps 'The Annals of Crystal Tokyo' or something along those lines, casting Scorpio as the Court chronicler.

My sincerest thanks go out to one known to me only as Razor Knight for lending me what knowledge he has of the Silver Millennium era.