The Moon Kingdom, Mythic Era
Sixteen years since the awakening of Sailor Saturn
Earthlight, luminous blue and green, shone down on the white
marble halls of the palace of Selene, ruler of the moon. The
sky high above was a deep velvet black, and the stars in the
sky blazed like a thousand thousand burning diamonds.
Unfiltered by a complete atmosphere, the light of the sun
shone down somewhat ruddily, casting a multicolored, double
shadow of Xena as she walked down the main arcade toward the
palace. She stopped in the middle of the arcade and strode
forward to look off the side, toward the full Earth before
her, leaning one hand on the stone pillar. Faint sounds of
inhabitation reached her ears; the survivors of the Amazon
village that Dahok had destroyed when they'd fought him two
years ago. Ephiny and her centaur son were there now. Xena
smiled. Her own son, Solan, at long last reunited with her.
He had grown into a fine young man. He'd almost died at the
hands of Dahok's daughter, Phobia, but he'd been saved by --
"Sailor Mars," she said aloud. A moment passed. Callista
emerged from behind a pillar eight positions back from where
Xena stood. The sixteen year-old sulked.
"Darnit Xena, how could you have heard me? I was SOO QUIET!"
she wailed. Xena smiled wickedly as she turned to address
her protege.
"Practice," she said sternly. "And complete blind luck at
speaking out loud," she thought to herself and grinned more.
Callista's curly blond locks bounced as she scrunched up her
face in disgust and stomped past Xena toward the palace. She
still had more than a touch of baby fat to her face and
didn't really bear too much resemblance to the icy, raven-
like beauty she had once been before Xena had returned her
to infancy.
Xena smiled indulgently as the girl stalked toward the moon
palace. High above her, violet streamers of energy formed
out of the ether. She blinked and began to look around as
she immediately sensed the disturbance. Except . . . it
wasn't the start of a disturbance, but the conclusion; not
something being displaced, but being restored.
A ribbon of the power of Silence snaked down out of the sky
and suddenly wrapped around Xena. She went breathless at the
sudden influx of power and then gasped for air a moment
later after the swell of power had subsided. Then she
quietly crumpled to the ground.
Callista turned around just in time to see the latter . . .
to see the woman who'd raised her as a mother fall to the
ground. "XENA!!" she screamed and ran towards her.
[Roll Credits: "You're Still the One," Lucy Lawless version]
[Night falls and the image of the city of Crystal Tokyo
begin to dim ... Xena (Lucy Lawless) begins to sing; the
Mythic Senshi are the backing vocalists]
(humming in tune to the opening of the song...)
Looks like we made it
[Crystal Tokyo lights up! A glittering fairyland!] (The
images fade softly, each into the next fairly quickly)
Look how far we've come my baby
[Neo-Queen Serenity places her hand into King
Endymion's grasp]
We mighta took the long way
[Image pans by, of Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako on the
day they graduated from High School]
We knew we'd get there someday
[In turn, the adult Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and
Venus turn around and smile to the camera; Venus also
flashes a V-sign and winks.]
They said, "I bet, they'll never make it..."
[Image of Haruna-sensei holding her head and shaking it
while tutoring Usagi very late after school.]
But just look at us holding on
[Image of Osaka Naru and Umino Gurio on their
Western-style wedding day, Usagi and Yamagi as
bridesmaids; the inner senshi are sitting far back and
gushing.]
We're still together still going strong
[Scene of Tsukino Kenji and Tsukino Ikukko smiling and
hugging outside a church; they are also wearing formal
clothes and the girls are wearing familiar bridesmaid
dresses and look a few years older.]
(You're still the one)
[Superimposed against the backdrop of Crystal Tokyo a
handsome, sandy-haired young man in a guard's formal
uniform looks up and smiles]
You're still the one I run to
[Chibi-usa runs toward her parents the King and Queen]
The one that I belong to
[Artemis and Luna snuggle, with their kitten Diana]
You're the one I want for life
[Makoto in street clothes getting hearts in her eyes
after some cute guy; Rei and Minako look on, Rei
sweatdropping, Minako encouraging. Amy walks up and
shows her diamond engagement ring, practically shoves
it in their faces, causing severe facefaults]
(You're still the one)
[In front of the Fountain of Trevi in Rome, Michiru
throws a coin in and Haruka embraces her from behind,
both of them smiling]
You're still the one that I love
[Happy people are walking around downtown Crystal
Tokyo. Rei bumps into very well-groomed Yuuichriu in a
snappy suit, and frowns. He opens his mouth as he is
about to say something, a horde of screaming teenage
girls run up and drag him off. Rei looks relieved.]
The only one I dream of
[Someone jostles Makoto as she leaves the store and she
drops some groceries - a handsome blond guy stops to
help her pick them up and there's something about the
way they look at each other...]
You're still the one I kiss good night
[An adult Usagi and Mamoru having dinner with her
parents]
Ain't nothin' better
We beat the odds together
[Flashback to all the senshi reassembling after the
defeat of Galaxia]
I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missin'
[Setsuna is standing at a podium in a college gown. Her
tassels mark her as valedictorian of the graduating
class, and all the senshi, still wearing High School
outfits, are sitting in the audience applauding along
with the rest of the audience at her speech]
They said, "I bet, they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
[Professor Tomoe and a stunning, adult Hotaru waving
goodbye as their cruise ship departs Tokyo Harbor]
We're still together still going strong
[Images of the adult senshi helping people out of
underground shelters. Around them, Crystal Tokyo looks
a bit battered but not too bad.]
(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're the one I want for life
[In Paris, with the Eifel tower visible not too far
away, a door on a balcony opens. A striking girl with
long greenish-blond hair walks out proudly. A guy with
a resemblance to Rubious, except with hot paink hair
follows after her; then twins with red and brown hair.
They smile evilly and the sign of the Dark Moon
appears on all their foreheads.]
(You're still the one)
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night
[An image of Planet Nemesis; in the royal hallway a
handsome blond man man wearing an ornate military
uniform receives a shocking message. He turns and
dashes away.]
I'm so glad we made it
[In the shadows of ancient greek ruins, two red eyes
gleam ferally from the shadows and darkness grows]
Look how far we've come my baby
[Wistfully smiling, Minako looks out off a balcony and
thinks of her absent friend Xena; the final image has
her face appearing next to Minako's.]
[You're Still the One, written by Shania Twain &
Jeff "Mutt" Lange, originally recorded by Shania Twain.]
Episode Two
The Seal is Broken! Revival of Evil at the End of Time
Xena stood before the throne of the Titan Selene. Callista
stood just behind her on the right; her son Solan, a tall,
slender youth with long sunny blond hair, just behind her on
the left. Sailors Mercury and Jupiter were standing on the
left side of the room, just in front of the throne; Sailors
Venus and Pluto were standing on the right, facing them.
Princess Serenity stood on the throne's dias, at her
mother's right hand. "I have bad news, Queen Selene," Xena
said without preamble. "The power I used to Seal Ares has
returned to me."
Selene's eyebrows raised. "So, the treacherous war-god is
free once more? I did not feel him slip the bonds we placed
on him Xena."
Xena shook her head. "He hasn't. Not yet. He will though."
Pluto fixed her with a level gaze. "Your power returned to
you through Time," she commented. Xena nodded.
"I got brief glimpses, images, carried to me. Apparently,
there is no Sailor Saturn in the time Ares is freed in. I
think that some descendant of mine might have released him.
Someone who has some potential along the lines of my power,
but who isn't a senshi. I can't think of any other way the
seal could be broken," she continued. "I just got a brief
flash of a pale-skinned girl with violet eyes, and hair
similar to mine."
"Hmm," mused Solan. "My descendant you think Mother?" His
eyes flickered towad Callista. Xena frowned. "It's not good
to speculate. It might have been one of your uncle's
descendants as well," she said.
He seemed *slightly* crestfallen, and merely shrugged. She
smiled wryly and returned her attention to the queen.
"Regardless of the cause, the effect remains: Ares is free
and there is no Saturn to oppose him."
"You think this is our responsibility to deal with?" asked
Selene. "Another time, when assuredly there are other Sailor
Senshi, perhaps a descendant of Ours upon the throne?" she
said, her eyes drifting over her own daughter as she said
it.
"I think . . . that I wouldn't leave dealing with Ares to
just anyone," said Xena, as she looked pointedly at Sailor
Pluto.
Serenity nodded in acknowledgement. "Pluto, your
assessment?"
"I would like to go to Olympus and use the power of the
Great Portal to sound the point in time from whence the
Saturn Power returned. I have an intuition that there is
something gravely amiss, but I do not know what it could be.
I'm afraid . . . that Ares might have broken free during the
Dark Age we know will eventually descend upon the Earth and
that there might NOT be senshi to oppose him."
The others, save Selene and Xena, gasped. Selene fixed the
time guardian with her piercing gaze and nodded. Pluto
raised her staff and her magenta aura formed about her. A
moment later, she vanished with a radiant pulse of light.
"Handy trick, that," Sailor Venus commented.
"We should practice our Sailor Teleport more," replied
Sailor Jupiter.
"She may be able to teleport by herself because she's the
daughter of a God, but I think we could all learn to do it,"
said Sailor Mercury.
"Sometimes, I almost feel like I can," Sailor Mars said
wistfully. The Inner Senshi exchanged a look between
themselves and then glanced at Callista. Xena put a hand on
her adopted daughter's shoulder and smiled encouragingly.
"Hey, wait," said Sailor Venus. "The time after the Dark
Age. . ."
"What?" inquired Sailor Mercury.
"Isn't that when Minako was from?"
Xena blanched and turned to Eriæ, her eyes wide with
concern. "Was it??"
"Who's Minako?" asked Solan and Callista in unison.
Planet Nemesis, Crystal Era
Inside the Royal Citadel
Sailor Mercury was flattened to an ornate carving, her
shoulders squeezed tightly together in the hopes of blocking
any onlooker in the gallery far below from seeing so much as
an inch of her, as she manipulated her palmtop computer.
There was definitely something going on here among the
"defeated" people of Planet Nemesis. Topaz' abrupt departure
with Rei was very suspicious behavior, in her considered
opinion, and she was certain that there was a lot going on
that the Nemesite hadn't said.
Mercury had a list of questions a mile long. Some of the
highlights included: How could a dead world like Nemesis
support a fairly large human population? How could it even
have a breathable earth-like atmosphere? How had Nemesian
technology have progressed so rapidly from the point of a
primitive warp drive to the titanic crystal ships that had
besiged Earth? How many more of them had developed powers?
That last question was VERY disturbing. Suddenly it sounded
like most of their noble families had a few members with
paranormal abilities. She frowned at the mere thought even
as the display on her palmtop flashed once to indicate it
had completed scanning the area.
There was an energy source somewhere below the royal palace.
And it wasn't "dark power" or anything magical, either. No,
looking at these readings Mercury figured she was picking up
a controlled quantum singularity. Like a matter/anti-matter
reactor. A big one.
She turned her head slightly and looked over her left
shoulder. Her visor was set to a low level of light
amplification. At least three long flat cargo platforms had
glide into the tunnel doorway in the base of the citadel's
foundation wall. A final group of six citadel guards fell in
behind it in formation. Once they were out of sight, two
guards took hold of each door and swung the panels while
another eight stood at attention.
It appeared that the doors would lock like vault doors if
they were allowed to close. With the quickest flick of her
right thumb, a life signs scan was run and came up with only
the dozen below. She peeled away from the carved column and
tucked away her palmtop as she leapt over the balcony. Power
flowed through her as she crossed her arms and spread them
wide.
"Super Shabon Spray -- FREEZING!" she hissed as she flew
through the air. The guards didn't have a chance to make a
sound before they were encased in hardened snow and ice.
The doors remained a scant eighteen inches wide. Ami smiled
to herself as she hopped over the frozen guards and slid
into the darkened passage beyond. She may not have been Naru
Gurio but she did all right at this sort of thing now too.
The Free City of Paris, Crystal Era
Club After Dark
The music was grinding like a steel beast gnashing its teeth
together. As usual. Peri tossed her hair as she sipped the
glass of wine at hand. The whole place was barbarously
organic, but she had to admit the wine and food were
excellent. Far more palatable than the various food-types
that made up the staples of Nemesian diet.
She sensed someone behind her, saw a pale hint of reflection
in the darkened window which she faced. A voice asked, in
near-perfect French accent, "Miss, would you care to walk
along the bank of the Seine with me? Perhaps go somewhere
dark and . . . intimate?" She pushed her lips into an eager
smile and had to exert some will to keep the sneer from her
eyes, replacing the look with one of wide-eyed innocence
before she turned to the speaker.
"Oui, m--CITRINE!" she spluttered as she recognized her
compatriot. "What have you done to your hair?" she demanded.
Citrine's normal hair color was a brilliant pink that had
him the laughingstock (but only behind his back) of most of
the royal court. Except that he'd now dyed it black and was
sporting a pair of stylish narrow black sunglasses. It
changed his look totally, improving it measurably. Her gaze
swept down. A well-cut black casual suit hugged his slender
form; the fabric had a hint of a metallic sheen to it. Under
it he wore a black dress shirt with the oversized collar
wings that were the new height of male sartorial splendour.
A deep green tie, again, semi-metallic and a black onyx tie-
tack -- with the black moon of Nemesis on it no less! --
completed the look. He stood there smirking. He looked good
and he knew it. But then again, he was something of an
empath and he was probably quite literally getting a thrill
out of this.
Peri scowled. "Is that some kind of a disguise?" Citrine
nodded, grinning. The man was going to be insufferable about
the response she had to him. Next he'd be growing a pencil-
thin moustache like some of the Frenchmen. She sighed. It
was a shame the low quality of help she had to work with,
really. The Ayakashi sisters would have been better.
No, check that. Not them. Too much prissy backstabbing. At
least she and Citrine both had taste. The man was just
insufferable, that was all. And the worst part was that he .
. . ! It was SO unfair! She broke off the train of though
as his grin widened even further. He was worse than a mind-
reader and she'd sworn not to let her thoughts wander so
unguarded again! That was what made Citrine such a deadly
player at court rivalries. He lulled you into loosening up
and that was all he needed. He'd done it to her before and
plucked her biggest secret from her. Thank the Forerunners
he'd chosen to throw his lot in with her than with her
sister Esmerodo!
She sighed deeply, forcing the thoughts and the feelings to
all drain away from her. "You're very handsome tonight,
*Tristan*," she said with emphasis on his cover name. "I bet
Jase and Cynthia would be impressed," she added, using
Jacinth and Hyacinth's cover names as well. He smiled and
shrugged.
Far across the room, Umino Naru (nee Osaka) sat at the bar
sipping white wine. Maturity had turned a freckle-faced
young girl into a smouldering, bronzed sun goddess with eyes
like the deepest blue of the heaven above. Flaming hair held
back with one glittering sapphire-studded hairclip cascaded
down over her left shoulder and onto an off-the-shoulder
dress in a deep blue silk that also matched her eyes.
Naru Umino. Top operative of the Crystal Tokyo External
Security Force. On the hunt after Dark Moon conspirators in
war-torn Europe.
She didn't have a clue what she was about to go up against.
Neither did they.
She got up, holding her wineglass languidly, and made for
the dance floor through a circuitous route that let her
check out most of the room. Her dress was more formal than
most people's clothing here, and she reeked of money; but
then, that was her disguise. A rich woman of society
"slumming" at a club that straddled the borderline of trendy
and sleazy. As she walked past the table where the green-
haired woman she was observing sat, the dark-haired man who
was seated with her turned and looked at her and met her
gaze for just a second. She felt a pang of sympathy. Would
he be the next man to "disappear" in the clutches of this
mysterious seductress? Her eyes caught on his tie tack.
Probably not.
The man's grin broadened, warmed even. She brought a coy
smile to her lips, not quite an invitation, not a refusal. A
strong 'maybe.' As she turned her head away and tossed her
hair with her left hand, she made for the dance floor.
Peri gaped at Tristan as the stunning redhead glided toward
the dance floor. "When did YOU start liking WOMEN??" she
demanded. He chuckled and turned to her with a broad grin
on his face.
"She was ravishing, wasn't she?" he said, baiting his
partner, who, he had to admit, was just as good-looking, if
something of a water/fire contrast to her. "And oddly
enough, she was paying a LOT of attention to us. She had
definitely formed feelings of concern for me."
Peri stared. "She's one of them?" He shrugged. She cursed
quietly. He frowned, slightly mockingly.
"I think I would have felt it if she had any real power; but
she might be on to you."
"Then," said Peri winsomely. "Let's put on a show and see
who turns up in the audience." Tristan nodded.
Naru danced by herself on the crowded floor. She rebuffed
three men, a woman, and a couple, who wanted to dance with
her. Two women who she didn't feel any sexual overtones
from ended up dancing near her; one slender, with
immaculately coiffed black hair in a short feathered style,
wearing a nice peach blouse and black slacks; the other a
bit shorter with an athletic build and wavy brown hair,
wearing a fringed brown leather jacket, jeans, and lace-up
boots. The three of them made for good casual dance
partners, a study in contrasts. Naru had set her wine aside
and picked up the hem of her skirt to dance. However, her
awareness never left Peri's booth for more than a few
seconds.
After a little bit, Tristan got up and went into the back
hallway, towards the restrooms. He made a call using a
calling card and seemed to yell into the phone a lot. When
he hung up, he seemed disturbed and returned to Peri's
table. She seemed upset and he immediately tried to leave.
She tried to follow him, seemed to be trying to drag him out
the back door but he peeled her off him and elbowed his way
to the front door. Peri scowled and headed off toward the
bar.
"I don't think you've got a shot, honey," the darker-haired
girl dancing near her said.
"You think?" she laughed in reply.
"Sure, they've been really tight since day one in here
together," she replied. "Considering he's usually scoping
out guys. She must not have liked his new look or something
cuz that didn't look like a very friendly parting to me."
"What? Guys? New look?" Naru whirled around, her attention
fully on the girl, who nodded.
"Right. Every other time loverboy came in here with her his
hair was pink and they scoped out guys together, who she
usually picked up."
"Are you SURE it's him?"
"Sure I'm sure, I thought he was cute and hit on him myself
once. Since then I've noticed him in here about one time to
ever four of hers. I have to admit it, I still liked the
scenery. Besides, that was a really wild shade of pink he
had. Sort of like the inside of a grapefruit."
Naru cursed under her breath. The Nemesites had caught onto
her--so much for THOSE plans . . . "Thanks! You really
saved me some time. I'm Naru."
The woman smiled. "No problem. I'm Alexandra, this is
Rhonda. We're happy to help."
Naru nodded her head and thanked them again before
departing. Rhonda and Alexandra watched her depart, then
turned and left through the back exit, their mission
accomplished.
The Moon Kingdom, Mythic Era
Inside the throne room of Queen Selene
Xena stood before the throne of the Titan Selene. Solan
stood to the Queen's left hand side and Ephiny on her right.
Behind Xena were all of the other Sailor God-warriors, or
senshi: lovely Eriæ, Sailor Venus; proud and warlike
Melissa, Sailor Jupiter; cool Amica, Sailor Mercury;
Callista, Sailor Mars; and Moment, Sailor Pluto. Moment
cooly met her gaze and winked briefly. She was older than
the other girls and she and Xena had become close friends.
"I want to go with you mother!" protested Solan. Xena met
his gaze levelly. "Solan, that's just not a good idea. "
"Everyone else is!" he protested. Xena smiled. Young men;
you had to love 'em.
"That's exactly why you have to stay here,"she replied. "You
will need to protect the Queen if anything should go amiss.
The powers given to you by the Golden Crystal of Illusia are
perhaps the strongest next to the Queen's own; I know we can
trust you to do this."
"I'm going too," announced Princess Serenity. Xena whirled
in surprise.
"Absolutely not! It's out of the question! You are the heir
and your place is here by your mother's side!"
Xena and Serenity turned towards the queen as one. From her
position on the right, as Lady of the City and Advisor to
the Queen, the amazon Ephiny pursed her lips to avoid
smirking; not a good sign, thought Xena.
"Serenity, my daughter," began the Titan of the Moon,
"Actually, you *are* going."
"Mother, I . . . I AM going?" Serenity said, non-plussed.
Selene nodded. "Since Hera has managed to get the majority
of the Gods to agree with her, the Great Portal is not
available for our use at this time."
Pluto frowned in deep consternation. She felt . . .
possessive about the portal. The Gods had eased their
limitations on the Moon Kingdom since they had defeated
Dahok the Destroyer and saved Earth but they could still be
so ungrateful! Clearly as Hades' daughter she was entitled
to *some* consideration. . . !
She snapped her attention back; Xena had just asked
something. "Pluto's powers will be joined to Sailor Moon's;
I will give you a way to light your path through the
corridors of time, through the near-infinite futures. But
you will all have to aid my daughter," Selene inclined her
head at the Inner Senshi, "and Xena, you will have to create
a protective barrier to shield all of you from the damages
of the time winds." She sighed. "I wish there were some
other way, but Our divinations, as well as those of Sailor
Pluto, confirm that the Earth is poised on the brink of
destruction in the future. A Final Darkness which will never
be cast off if evil triumphs. And so, I am sending you to
the end of time to fight Ares and whatever evil he has
conjured up in the millenia since his imprisonment." Queen
Selene looked deadly serious as she stood up from her throne
and clapped her hands together twice.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then there was a ringing in
the air and a brilliant flash of light and a tall, sealed
vessel appeared, floating in the air in front of the
princess. Serenity's eyes widened like saucers. "The Sacred
Chalice!" she gasped.
Xena blinked in surprise. The Sacred Chalice of the Moon was
a really ugly pink trophy cup? Oh well, whatever. It sealed
in a reserve of cosmic light; for all she knew, maybe it
*needed* to look like that.
"But Mother," protested the princess, "the power within the
Chalice would destroy anyone who tried to tap it. Only the
Chosen One, destined to some day wield that power, can
safely use it."
"True, but with the Silver Crystal I can *key* you to the
Chalice, which will allow you to crack it open just a bit
and allow some of the primal light within to spill out.
Light to illuminate the corridors of time, and guide your
party through myriad probabilities to the one future which
we seek to aid."
"Xena, Princess Serenity, it's time to transform!" announced
Ephiny. The two women nodded and raised their arms,
simultaneously embracing the power of the Moon and Saturn.
Back to back, ribbons of pink & white, ribbons of violet and
black, the sound and the silence, the light and the darkness
swirled around them, and then Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn
stood there.
The group shifted positions, Saturn was foremost, kneeling
on one knee with the Silence Glaive laid across it sideways.
Pluto stood next, her own Time Key Staff perfectly upright
against the floor. The Inner senshi formed an arc behind
them, and Sailor Moon was in the center. Xena winked at her
son, and he blushed. The message was clear: she could have
come over there and embarassed him by kissing him goodbye
but she didn't. He waved.
"Daughter, I am giving the Sacred Chalice into your keeping
for more reason than the energy necessary to travel in time.
If the situation should be as grim as the omens say, you may
need to release its power indiscriminately." Serenity gasped
at the implications. Her mother nodded levelly, once. Queen
Selene held out her hands and a silver star of light
appeared between them: the Silver Crystal. Its radiance was
echoed in the enchanted prism within Sailor Moon's brooch
and a soft silver-pink aura formed around the Princess.
Sailor Moon reached out and touched the Chalice. She gasped
as the touch of its power stung her, and the top of the lid
cracked open the merest bit. Brilliant radiance poured out
and surrounded her and tried to burn through her protective
aura. "NOW!" she gasped and Pluto spun her staff and Saturn
began to generate a protective bubble even as Sailor Moon
began to link all the senshi through her. Pluto's portal
into the timestream stretched wide and the winds began to
pull their bubble into it. Light blazed forth from Sailor
Moon and the Chalice once again as the Sailor Senshi passed
into the timestream. The light stretched forward like an
arrow and the bubble of Silence followed after it like a
piece of flotsam caught in the wake of a passing ship.
Earth, Crystal Era
The Island of Sanctos, off the coast of Greece
Ares surveyed his handiwork. He had raised this structure
out of pure power and it was the image of the Halls of War
that he had once presided over in the ancient times. Around
the world he could feel with his mind the glowing white
power of Crystal Tokyo. He scowled. It was a bump, a
carbuncle. He would excise it from the Earth and then . . .
He turned and seemed to listen. He felt rather than heard
something. If his awareness had not been expanded at that
moment . . . but no matter, it had been. He felt her coming.
Felt *them* coming.
"Xena," he snarled. A firm grip on the sword at his belt,
he raised his other hand. Red lightning crackled around him,
thunder shook the Halls, and he hurled a baleful thunderbolt
up INTO the heavens through an opening in the roof. Like a
crimson comet rising from the Earth it rose and vanished.
In the timestream, the bubble of Silence flew after the ray
of light Sailor Moon had released from the Sacred Chalice of
the Moon. Around them the timewinds howeled but Xena, with a
serene expression on her face, held the shield. One hand
grasped the haft of the Silence Glaive, the other half-
raised in a gesture akin to the martial arts but actually
learned from Lao Ma, the wise sage who had discovered a
philosphy she called The Way of Life.
Ares' attack came at them out of nowhere and struck Xena's
shield, shattering it like cheap pottery. There was no time
to scream; the timestream ripped them apart before they
could reach for each other. Power flared around Pluto as she
tried to hold the group together with her own abilities, but
the shrieking winds of time pulled them inexorably apart. As
each was drawn apart, she faded into the eddies of time.
Fighting to retain her staff, Pluto was the last to vanish
out of the timestream.
End of Episode Two
[No Ending Credits]
Next time, on Mythic Sailor Moon:
Mission of Mercy! The Return of Haruka and Michiru
Image: A gleeful Haruka at the wheel of a jeep that's banging through nearly impossible terrain,
Michiru smiling at her indulgently. And holding on tight.
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