"If you're not going to go back, then I'll go myself."
"No, you're not." Diassa commanded, grabbing Lunako by the arm and pulling her impatiently to the side. "You are hardly ready to fight anyone, and if you stood up to Oniko she would kill you in an instant."
"If you want to leave them to their deaths than fine, but I will not allow it." Lunako retorted hotly. Off to the side Sailormoon and Tuxedo Mask stood watching the two sisters argue in silence. It had most certainly been an entertaining night to say the least, Diassa, the girl who had been raised as Prince Endymion's sister, but who was in actuality half-sister to Princess Serenity, had pretty much returned from the dead. Lunako, it was learned, was Diassa's sister, which also made her related to the Princess. And to top that all off, she had given Sailormoon a new power, Infinity Moon.
Mamoru de-transformed, as did Usagi. Diassa and Lunako finally stopped arguing to turn to them in an awkward silence, but even still, Lunako shot Diassa angry glares out of the corner of her eye. There was another moment of silence as they looked each other over before Diassa nudged Lunako in the ribs.
"Have you properly introduced yourself yet?"
"Introduced myself?!" Lunako squealed. "There are more important things on my mind than introductions. What about-"
Diassa turned to her sharply, cutting her off with an angry reply. "There are things being set in motion which you do not understand. There are plans being executed which you do not know of. Until you have learned of the consequences of our mission, I suggest you stop jumping to conclusions. The reason we are not running off to save Arashi, or to help Galen save her is because Arashi asked me not to lift a finger in their aid."
Lunako quieted for a moment before softly saying, "If you know so much about what's going on, maybe you'd like to explain it to the rest of us. You owe them so much and I bet you don't even know about it."
Diassa sighed and put her hand on Lunako's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you, but I'm at the end of my rope. And as for paying them back, yes I will reward Galen for helping you escape." She didn't bother to add if we ever see him again.
"I'm not talking about now." Lunako said quietly. "I'm talking about then, when the Earth and the Moon raged at war. Right before the Earth kingdom was divided by civil war. They died for you then. Both of you." she said, gesturing towards Mamoru.
Diassa blinked in suprise. "How do you know?" she whispered.
"I know, because Arashi showed me."
Hotaru tossed violently in her sleep, crying out now and then from the inescapable nightmare that plagued her sleep. Beside her Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna sat in silence. All efforts to wake her ended in vain, all they could do is wait. At last she slowly opened her eyes, turning her head slightly to smile weakly at them.
"Hotaru." Michiru whispered. "Are you all right?"
She nodded slightly. "I had a dream." she said, turning away from them towards the cieling. "A dream of death. And that little girl, Deidre. We have to find her, we have to destroy the evil that is growing, or none of us will survive. She is here to stop the Neo-Silver Millenium from existing. She is here to kill the Princess."
The others gasped at her last remark, after a few years of peace it seemed that there again would be war.
"Did you see anything else?" Haruka coaxed her. "Anything at all?"
"Yes." Hotaru said, her voice drifting in and out of sleep. "I saw a beautiful woman, and a sword. But they were one and the same-"
At last the light caught sight of it's destination. That beautiful blue pearl that hung in the inky eternal night. With an inaudible sigh it pressed forward, it would be there soon.
Oniko threw the crystal goblet at the door, just missing Youmako's head. The shards sprayed out like dangerous rain, cutting them both as Oniko slammed her sister against the wall.
"What do you mean she's dead?"
Youmako forced back the tears that threatened to overflow and nodded silently.
"Answer me!" Oniko screamed at her.
Youmako swallowed hard and managed to choke out, "I had followed her to Earth, she said she felt something was up, but wouldn't let me come with her. So I followed in secret. I arrived there just in time to see her body dissolve away, and then Galen and Lunako-"
Oniko tightened her grip around Youmako's throat, cutting of the rest of the story. Through clenched teeth she spit, "What do you mean Galen and Lunako?"
"He must have helped her escape." Youmako answered, but it came out rather choked as she was being suffocated.
"She's gone?" Oniko whispered, her voice dangerously low.
When Youmako gravely nodded Oniko pushed her aside and stormed from the room. Youmako rubbed her throat and sighed deeply as the air rushed back into her lungs. Then scrambling to her feet she ran after her.
"What are you going to do?" she shouted after her.
Oniko's figure quickly receeded down the hall, but before she vanished into the gloom she shouted back. "I'll wait no longer. Ryuko will be ours tonight. Damn the light and damn the mistress. I've got plans of my own."
Arashi looked up through the fog of her vision and barely discerned the figure that stood in the doorway. She blinked a few times and recognized Oniko. She had her hands spread so that she blocked the doorway, and she breathed heavily as if she had just run a long distance. A high pitch, giddy laugh filled the room as Oniko stepped into the darkness, shutting the door behind her.
Arashi lowered her head, knowing full well that she was about to die, but it would not be by Oniko's hands. Oniko cupped her hand underneath Arashi's chin and grinned.
"So it seems that once again you will die by my hand." she hissed. "And with you will die the truth about our mission, and about who I really am. And if you think for one second that I will show either of you any mercy you are dead, and I stress this, dead wrong."
Arashi looked up at Oniko through her bangs, barely lifting her head, and grinned broadly. Oniko pulled away slightly, fearful for the extent of madness that glimmered in her eyes.
"What about the other night at Crown?" Usagi leaned forward eagerly while the others looked on in silent respect. After Usagi had contacted them and made them aware of the situation, they had agreed to gather at Rei's. It hadn't taken long for everyone to arrive.
"Who you saw that night was myself and Galen, in human form. I was discussing maters of upmost importance with him." Diassa stopped there, obviously not wanting to discuss the matter further. Lunako though, would not let the matter drop.
"And........?"
Diassa coughed slightly and turned an annoyed eye on her sister. "Confidental matters. Speaking of which, you have yet to introduce yourself properly."
Lunako rolled her eyes, and then stood before them. She cleared her throat and then courtseying before them all lowered her eyes. In a highly monotone voice she recited, "Greetings to you all. I am Lunako Serenity, Neo-Queen Serenity and Prince Consort Salenmas' daughter. Princess of the Red Moon, I welcome you to our home."
Diassa rolled her eyes and started arguing with her that they weren't at their home. For everyone else it took a total of ten seconds for what she had just said to sink in. Usagi was on her feet first. Almost to the point of hysterics she cried,
"Daughter of Serenity and Salenmas?!"
Lunako turned to her blankly for a moment then nodded.
"Then that means...."Usagi started.
"....that your mother and father are still alive." Luna finished.
The meeting ended pretty soon after that, the realization of the current state of affairs had sent everyone reeling, but mostly Usagi. She allowed Mamoru to lead her out of the temple with Diassa and Lunako following quietly behind. When she was out in the court yard Usagi stopped and turned to Lunako.
"That means you and I are sisters." she said quietly.
Lunako nodded without saying anything. Diassa opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when someone rang the temple bell loudly, offering a prayer.
"I don't know what to do." the person quietly whispered. "To think that my daughter, my Usagi-chan could truly be-" the voice was stifled a moment as the person tried to regain her composure. Usagi's heart skipped a beat at the realization that it was her mother speaking. As she listened in silence she suddenly became aware of approaching footsteps. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lunako stiffen slightly, cocking her head as if listening to something distant. And then with a startled whisper she choked,"Mother."
Ikuko stared at the hankerchief that she was being offered, pure white silk, and then the hand that was offering it to her. It seemed to glow softly in the moonlight, giving off a sense of peace and tranquility. She took it slowly, and then turned to thank the woman who given it to her and gasped in silent shock.
Two people stood behind her, one, a man, strong and silent, yet she knew he was a charming one, even if he did not speak. She would have thought nothing too strange at first glance until she noticed the up and outswept ears. And then there was the woman, equally strong, if not more so, and exotically beautiful. Long silver hair that reached the ground, and pale bluish-grey eyes. A golden crescent moon glittered on her forehead. She smiled warmly and extended her hand.
"Good evening." Queen Serenity smiled. "I believe we have much to talk about."