QUEEN SERENITY... a lesson in history
Usagi got into a groove on the old Kohno and
played some non-schoolwork stuff for a while,
before she put everything away.
She faced the fire and enjoyed its warmth and
smell. Then she closed her eyes and rested her
painful head on her drawn up knees. She had
woken up with the headache, and couldn't seem to
get rid of it. Her heavy heart didn't help
matters.
She concentrated on her mother and felt the
ginsuishou warm on her breast and grow brighter.
"Oh, Mother, I need you. I'm so confused about
how I feel about Rei, and Mamoru. I wish you
could help me!"
The fire grew bright and the air shimmered
between it and Usagi. She shielded her eyes
until the shimmer stopped. When she looked up,
the spirit of Queen Serenity stood before her.
Usagi's eyes moistened as she beheld the vision
of her mother.
"You came!" she said incredulously.
"Yes darling, you have reached a major
crossroad in your life. I expected your plea
for help."
Queen Serenity's fingers touched Usagi's pale
hair, as the fire's colors of light flickered
and reflected in the waves of platinum blond.
My daughter looks so run down... so disturbed.
"Oh, mother, the bond between Mamoru and I,
has changed somehow. I can still feel when he
is in trouble, but I can't feel his emotions,
his heart, or his thoughts.
Ever since Celeste transferred her power to
him, it's as if he's a different person... a
different soul. He has become so self absorbed,
and there doesn't seem to be room for me any
more, though, he says it's only temporary.
He says he still loves me, but when he wants
to, um, sleep with me, it's more like 'have sex'
instead of 'make love', and he... hurts me. I
still find him attractive, but the appeal to
stay with him forever, has waned."
Usagi began to cry.
"I feel so selfish and guilty, and I just
don't know what to do." she sniffled a little,
"and then there's Rei."
Usagi wiped her eyes.
"I have always had deep emotions for her I
could never understand. She affects me like no
one else. It's seems as though her soul and
Mamoru's soul are almost identical.
I have always been attracted to, and drawn to
both, until now. When I hold Rei, I feel such
incredible warmth and tenderness. It feels so
good, so right, familiar somehow... like an old
friend that's come back. I want to love and
protect her with all that is me. But I don't
think she feels the same way at all... she
always pushes me away."
Usagi choked back another sob.
Serenity smiled warmly at her confused
daughter.
"Perhaps I can help a little if I explain
what happened to Mamoru." She began.
"But first, I'd like for you to have
something I found in the ruins on the moon
where your bedroom was."
Queen Serenity handed Usagi an ornate metal
box a tad bigger than a large boot box.
Usagi turned it around, and searched for a
way to open it.
Her mother watched in amusement.
"It's voice activated by a password given by
you."
Usagi's face made an 'oh' expression.
"I guess I'll try to figure it out later."
She said with a sigh, and put it into her
subspace pocket.
"I would rather hear your explanations now,
anyway."
Queen Serenity nodded, then began her tale.
* * *
"Many millennia ago, the Goddess Selene,
daughter of Titans Theia and Hyperion, fell
deeply in love with a mortal shepherd, named
Endymion. Selene desired for him to have
immortality, so she asked Gaea to help her.
Gaea looked upon Endymion, and found favor with
his comeliness. She agreed to help Selene.
Gaea spoke to Zeus who granted him one wish.
He chose eternal youth, and Gaea blessed
Endymion with a spirit of eternal youth. In my
behalf, she went on to deem by oath, that the
Earth and the Moon would forever be linked
together by destiny.
Endymion was still mortal, though, and had no
way to protect his youth. So Gaea granted
Endymion access to the powers of her Earth. The
kinsuishou (golden crystal) was created by Gaea
as a means to control Earth's powers, and was
given to him. She went on to name him as her
avatar for Earth. Access to Earth's powers were
to be naturally transferred to his first born."
Serenity looked away from Usagi and into the
fire.
"The shepherd Endymion was like a god in a
mundane land where magic was all but forgotten.
He became King, elected and ordained by the
people of Elis. The Earth Kingdom was born, and
he ruled with power and fairness.
Because of my love for a mortal, Gaea chose
me to be the god's liaison between them and
mankind. She renamed me 'Queen Serenity' to
appease magic-leery humans, and the Moon Kingdom
was born. Gaea ordered me to create the Silver
Millennium to unite the planets and govern over
them.
All the planets in our solar system have
innate powers from a god or goddess, and each
of the gods or goddesses have chosen for
themselves a goddess as their planet's
avatar and gave them star seeds so they could be
reborn... the senshi. To protect and insure
peace, the ginsuishou was created to control the
powers from all the planets except Earth. It was
given to me in addition to my Goddess powers.
After the birth of the Silver Millennium was
realized, King Endymion asked for my hand in
marriage and we were betrothed. We agreed to
rule together as Gaea had destined. Together,
with our two crystals, we were to be a united,
formidable team. Earth would be, once again, a
place where god and man could commune together.
One day, however, as King Endymion passed
through a small shepherd village, he espied a
young maiden and fell deeply in love with her.
She was the beautiful, enigmatic, Setsuna...
daughter of Chronos and Titanide Themis, and
avatar to Pluto.
Pluto had been sent there to investigate a
disturbance in time. In truth, the fates had
meddled in our affairs again, and had engineered
their encounter. It was they who had soul mated
the two together.
After Endymion learned from villagers where
her abode was, he disguised himself as a local
shepherd, and made haste to woo Pluto. Neither
of them ever told the other what their true
identities were. She, of course, fell in love
with him and they lay with each other.
Pluto soon discovered the deceitfulness of
Endymion, and his infidelity to me. Pluto, who
had already allied with me, was heartsick and
angry. Endymion had given Pluto the kinsuishou
as a token of his love to appease her when he
found she had become impregnated. She was to
give it to her son.
Because King Endymion mysteriously lost his
ability to control Earths powers, Metallia was
able to penetrate our defenses and infect Beryl
which led to the eventual demise of the Silver
Millennium.
Pluto eventually gave birth to Sensei Celeste.
Earth's powers were naturally transferred to
Celeste... and she had the means to control
Earth's powers. As it turns out, it was Endymion
and Pluto's little tryst that had caused the
time distortion!
Pluto feared she would have to destroy Celeste
to maintain the original timeline. But she
couldn't, she truly loved both Endymion, and
Celeste. So she took herself, Celeste and the
kinsuishou out of the timeline and began to
train her new daughter for duties as Pluto's
avatar and gatekeeper.
Pluto's heart was broken, her soul in agony
for her Endymion, but she had hoped King
Endymion would forget about her and fulfill his
destiny and find happiness with me."
Serenity cleared her throat, and let the irony
sink in.
"It was not to be, however. Pluto didn't
realize the damage for me had already been done,
for I had witnessed the union. Even in disguise,
I recognized King Endymion... the disguise was
not very original!
I had followed him to his destination
covertly. I hid in the shadows under Hecate's
waning moon, and by the faint moonlight, I
watched as my betrothed took another. In their
moment of ecstasy, I heard her cry out, and I
knew who she was. I cursed in the name of
Hecate... and fled to the Moon Kingdom.
As the magic of my sister, Eos, manifested
and faded the reins were handed to my brother,
Helios, and the sun rose.
Endymion sent the huntress Artemis to find me
when I did not meet with him. She found me, but
could not comfort me, for that is not her
greatest asset. She sent her twin brother, the
fair Apollo, to heal my wounded soul.
I looked upon him, and immediately fell in
love with him, and he with me... as the fates
would have it. We enjoyed each other for many
years."
Queen Serenity turned to face Usagi. She
smiled tenderly at her, and brushed a stray
bang out of her eye.
"You are the result of our union, my beloved
princess. I think you are blessed with his
finest qualities. Your giftedness for music and
your ability to heal souls are from him."
As she returned her gaze sadly to the fire,
her voice became embittered.
"Our relationship was not to last, however.
Zeus terminated it while you were still a baby.
He had fallen in love with me, and had become
jealous of my relationship with Apollo. Zeus
forbade us to be together.
I was devastated, but Apollo who had many
lovers, had already moved on. I, like Pluto
before me, was heartbroken and plunged myself
into my duties to rule the Moon Kingdom and
over-see the Silver Millennium while King
Endymion ruled the Earth Kingdom.
Meanwhile, King Endymion married the Lady
Bridget who bore him three sons and a daughter.
They named their firstborn Paeon, but he was
known as... Endymion the younger, the powerless
heir to the Earth Kingdom.
The Earth kingdom joined the Moon Kingdom's
Silver Millennium and would go on to rule
peacefully as separate, but united, Kingdoms
joined by destiny as ordained by Gaea's original
oath.
We never slept together."
She paused briefly.
"You were born about three years after Paeon.
I was overjoyed and loved you more than life
itself. I knew you were special from the very
start.
While Zeus didn't dislike you, he didn't
exactly love you either. So I bore him his own
children. You have two younger half-sisters
through Zeus whose names are Pandia and Ersa.
Zeus seemed satisfied with me and asked no more
of me."
Serenity went on, the bitterness gone from her
voice.
"With my own broken heart, I took you and went
to the time portal and sought Pluto. I wanted to
let her know she had never been blamed for
anything, and to beg her to rejoin the timeline.
By then, Celeste had grown to become a
beautiful young woman. As our souls touched,
hers was like that of my beloved Apollo's. I
loved her, and she loved me. We joined by blood
oath, which my 'moon sister' your aunt Artemis,
presided over. If Zeus knows of the
relationship, he has never stepped in to stop
it. Pluto has, in deference to me, left us
alone.
Celeste confided to me what King Endymion
and Pluto had agreed on had she been 'Prince
Endymion'." Queen Serenity smirked.
"When Paeon was around four, Celeste and I
magically hid the kinsuishou inside the boy."
Usagi listened to her mother, spellbound.
"Why did Celeste feel compelled to give
Gaea's power to Mamoru if they were rightfully
hers? I didn't think Celeste even had powers.
When she was our Sensei, she couldn't use
magic... she was a great martial arts type
fighter and tactician."
Serenity sighed and had a pained look on her
face.
"Pluto forbade Celeste to use the phenomenal
powers of Earth when she was your Sensei. I
think Pluto knew something and tried to protect
her.
I awakened Celeste's powers when Beryl
attacked the Earth, but it was too little too
late... and she didn't have the kinsuishou. We
both died that day." Queen serenity swallowed
painfully.
"Our souls found each other because our beings
are eternally bound." She wipe her tears and
smiled.
"Celeste had truly felt remorse over her half
brother, Paeon, and the abuse he took from his
father. Though Paeon and his siblings received
Gaea's gift of eternal youth through their
father, because of her, 'Endymion the Younger'
was denied access to Earth's powers and Gaea's
kinsuishou erroneously. Celeste wanted to
restore the original balance of the time line,
and give the son of King Endymion his rightful
heritage. She had no desire to rule herself.
She has sacrificed everything to come during
this time, but did it because of her love for
her half brother... now Mamoru, his intended
and my daughter... you, and I... her lover. She
thought it would also make her mother, Pluto,
happy."
Serenity glanced at Usagi apologetically
before she continued.
"Celeste thought that only the powers of
earth would transfer. She didn't realize that
both powers, those of Earth, and also those of
Pluto had fused together to become, in essence,
her.
Mamoru, being only at best a demi-god because
his mother was mortal, and his father's powers
were given unnaturally by Gaea, he received
powers he couldn't handle. His soul... had to
change in order to accommodate the powers of
Pluto, or die.
Neither he nor his powers are evil, do not
worry. But his soul will never again be mated
to yours. He will instead be mated to Pluto's
soul, as the fates had ordained originally in
the past.
He will have considerably more power now,
still a fraction of your own, yet not unlike
your own. I personally feel Celeste, being half
goddess, could have wielded and controlled the
kinsuishou's power more effectively... but I'm
rather partial to her." Serenity winked at her
daughter.
Usagi was not amused... her stomach felt
sick, and her heart was heavy.
"Chibi Usa... those garnet eyes..." she began
in a whisper.
"She is Pluto's second daughter by Endymion
the younger. Small Lady will be raised by
Endymion, and will become Earth's first senshi
and have the unique abilities of time travel,
since Celeste had been groomed to become Pluto's
replacement." Serenity turned away.
"I don't know what will become of my beloved
now. I assume Aradia has her by now." She
straightened and lifted her chin regally, and
resumed.
"The Earth's power, and the kinsuishou, were
designed by Gaea to complement my powers and
the ginsuishou's. That is why Chibi Usa can
transform the way she does with you, and Mamoru
into Tuxedo Kamen."
Queen Serenity smiled at her.
"In the event that you should choose to rule
with Mamoru, you shall raise Small Lady
together. You will be as her mother because
Pluto has other duties, and can not always be
there for her."
Usagi felt as though her whole world had
crashed and tumbled around her. She felt dizzy,
and her headache made her nauseous.
Serenity's finger brushed a tear from Usagi's
pale cheek, before she continued.
"Setsuna-chan was afraid Mamoru's connection
to you could be damaged and wanted to prevent
the power transfer from Celeste, even if it
meant her own daughter's death. Apparently,
Pluto arrived too late to prevent the transfer.
I don't know why Pluto wanted to kill Celeste
after the transfer. It could be she was ordered
to, or, Celeste committed some forbidden
Plutonian taboo. She is one of the original
Titans, and even I don't understand all of her
machinations.
I do know Pluto has sworn fealty to you, and
loves you, my angel, never doubt that. Yours and
Endymion's happiness, Crystal Tokyo's existence,
and the birth of a new Moon Princess, means more
to her than her own happiness. Even if it means
a life without Celeste, whom she also loves as
the only flesh and blood from her only true
love... but, she is also a constant reminder of
the tryst that caused a major timeline
distortion and shouldn't have happened. She
feels responsible for... everything."
Usagi wept silently. Setsuna-sama...
"Mother, what am I to do? It all seems so out
of control. Has the ginsuishou's connection been
severed from the kinsuishou, too?"
Serenity spoke gently.
"Princess, the fates are the ones who
determine which souls are compatible for a bond.
They are meddlesome and capricious, not even
Gaea, Hera, Zeus or... Pluto can control them.
Fate is out of your control."
Queen Serenity gazed into those deep sapphire
eyes so like those of Apollo's, then touched the
hair so like her own.
"As you know, destiny bonds also exist. It is
that bond you still have with Mamoru. Destiny
bonds are oaths, or vows, granted to you by a
god, or goddess, most notably by Gaea and
Artemis.
They are forever sacred. To break such an
oath, you may incur the wrath of the gods,
which means you risk a curse or certain death.
In your case, you are bound by destiny to rule
with Endymion by Gaea's original oath to me.
You will always be connected to him in this way,
and no, the two crystals and powers will always
complement or augment each other."
Usagi's tears fell harder.
"So I am destined to marry and rule forever
with someone whose soul belongs to another? He
can't truly love me anymore, and I'm afraid...
he will always hurt me."
Queen Serenity looked miserable.
"Yes, darling, that is your duty, the only
option for Crystal Tokyo here on Earth, and as
far as I know, for the continuity of the
Serenities."
Usagi stifled her anguish with a hard swallow.
Queen Serenity watched her only daughter by
her beloved Apollo in silence, and considered
the alternative before speaking again softly.
"There is one other option, precious, but the
journey will be just as hard. You can take my
place, and rule alone. You could restore the
Moon Kingdom and her planetary constituents,
with the help of your senshi, and resume the
Silver Millennium. You will fulfill destiny and
rule in harmony with Endymion's Earth."
Usagi's lips trembled, "Rule alone?"
"Yes, but by doing so, you may also be joined
together with your beloved... your other soul
mate, by blood oath. However, you and she will
only be truly free if both of your male
counterparts agree, or they have been taken
from you both."
Usagi visibly sagged.
"If it is Rei, she will never agree. She is so
principled, and steeped in tradition. She would
never allow herself love me."
Serenity gently put a finger under her
daughter's chin and lifted it so they could see
eye to eye.
"Usagi, don't be so sure of her convictions
without first finding out the truth."
She smiled.
"Your heart does not betray you... Rei is your
soul mate. She is very much like her mother, and
once she learns to trust you, she will be loyal
without fault, and be a fierce protector. She
will make for you a most passionate, yet gentle
lover. Your love and patience will be well
rewarded.
You would be the last Serenity to rule,
however, barring some quirk of the fates, of
course.
I will be happy to preside over either the
marriage vow to Endymion, or the blood bond oath
to your soul sister and mate. Destiny will be
fulfilled in either case. You must decide the
manner in which it takes place. My energy
weakens, love, I must go now, my princess.
Choose well."
"Wait please, Mother, who are Rei's parents?"
Usagi entreated hurriedly.
"Artemis, Goddess of the hunt and chastity,
and Hephaestus, God of forge and fire.
Ares tricked his brother and put Artemis to
sleep then disguised her with blond hair. He
smuggled her into Hephestus's bed, so he could
consort with Aphrodite, Hephaestus's wife.
When Artemis found herself with child
mysteriously, she confronted Ares, suspicious
of his well-known trysts with Aphrodite. He
confirmed his trickery proudly, and when
Artemis would have killed the fetus, Arch Mage
Hecate of the new moon, intervened and begged
Artemis to let her carry the baby to term and
raise the child as her own. Apollo was summoned
as a physician to transplant the child into
Hecate."
Queen Serenity's eyes were alit with mischief
as she looked upon her fair daughter.
"Apollo and I conceived you a few days later,
as fate would have it.
When the beautiful baby girl was born, Ares,
who fancied her as his greatest achievement,
named her Diana. It was a sort of an 'in your
face' act towards the virgin Artemis.
Diana possessed the beauty, and temperament
of her mother, and a heart as kind as her
father. She showed great skill with weaponry
and control over fire like Hephaestus, and she
became a fierce warrior and hunter like Artemis.
When Arch Mage Hecate carried Diana in her
womb, her blood and magic nurtured her until
her birth. Diana was inundated with her magic.
So Arch Magi Hecate taught Diana how to control
her passions, her magic and sorcery, and how to
use it with goodwill.
Ares adored the formidable Diana, and later
named her his avatar to Mars."
Queen Serenity's benevolent image faded from
Usagi's view.
"Beware of the wrath of Artemis."
Usagi's throat was so tight, she could
scarcely breathe. Her mind reeled as her
memories flooded back to her from a long past
forgotten era. She passed out.
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