Fandom Crystal Tokyo

[Olissa]

Story

It is many years into the future, the 30th century. Crystal Tokyo flourished under the reign of Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion. Life was good, fun, and free of youma.
A true utopia.
Both inner and outer senshi took up their respective titles as Queens of their planets, while remaining in Crystal Tokyo as Neo Queen Serenity's advisors and guardians. Only Setsuna Meioh, Sailor Pluto, took up her station at the Door of Space-Time again and remained in solitude.
Over time children were born to the inner, and outer senshi, and were raised all alongside each other together with the second child to Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion.
All the while Small Lady Serenity, with her court Sailor Ceres, Sailor Vesta, Sailor Juno, and Sailor Pallas, were being groomed to soon take up their next title as they came of age.

These were the good years.

One day all the Heirs were called to the palace. Official royal business that they weren't able to get out of, so they were told. Upon entering the palace the Heirs had been brought to the Door of Space-Time and led inside. Queen Setsuna gave them a brief lesson about the place they were in, as a preparation for when they were to take their parents' mantles. Once the lesson and presentation were over they returned to the Crystal Palace.

This is where their memory ends.

The lesson behind the closed Door of Space-Time had merely been a ruse. A threat had been located, heading right for Crystal Tokyo. To keep the next generation safe they hid them inside where no force of evil could ever touch them. Time had flowed slower for the Heirs, so while for them barely half an hour had passed, days had passed outside.
The Queens and their consorts, together with Small Lady Serenity and her court had rushed out, intending to deal with it swiftly.

The threat that raged against the Earth and its beautiful capital city was too great for them to deal with.
They were not strong enough.
Sailors Juno, Ceres, Vesta, and Pallas were robbed of their Sailor Crystals before the Small Lady’s very eyes. As the darkness closed in on them, the remaining senshi all gave up their powers to prevent the darkness from taking those too. This sealed the palace, leaving the Heirs suspended in ageless slumber inside the Crystal Palace.

Fifty years have passed since that fateful day. The world has been taken over by a new imperium, and the people slowly forgot about their perfect world and beautiful ruler. The only reminder being the large crystal structure in the center of the city.
Inside the Heirs are about to be awoken. To save, protect, and bring peace once more. It will become their destiny to become the new Sailor Senshi, to regain control over the city, and avenge their parents.


The Blue Moon Cafe (OOC)
The Resistance Registry (Character sign ups)
The Great Mercury Library (Lore)

 

[Olissa]

Crystal Palace

In utmost silence a lone figure stood, gazing out into the vast emptiness. Nothing as far as the eye could see. It was as if death itself had come into the only place that could not be touched by time.
50 years.
That is the time that passed out there. In here it was the blink of an eye to those who could move through this place freely.

Was now the right time? A sad sigh was breathed. There would never be a truly right time, only a more or less convenient time. And it had been the most convenient time for over two years now. If it didn't happen now they would miss their only window.
The fabric of the skirt rustled softly as the figure turned around, the keys on her belt clinking softly against each other.
Heavy creaking and groaning broke the dead of silence as the giant door opened up for the first time in many years.

On the other side of the door was a hallway with many doors. It was one of many halls belonging to the Crystal Palace, the once beautiful home to the royal family.
Structure wise this building stood the test of time, its crystalline floors and shimmery walls still as gorgeous as the day they were created. But it was empty, hollow. Not a soul had walked these halls in decades. Now its beauty felt more like an eery ghost.
Sailor Pluto, the last Sailor Senshi alive stepped out through the Space-Time door into the hall, causing an echo with the heel of her boot. She walked slowly, thoughtful, as if not to wake the dead. Her destination was clear, up to the highest chamber of the palace.

The gorgeous green haired woman stepped into a large room. A sacred place known as Serenity's Palace. In the absolute center of the room stood a giant decorated stone block from which crystals protruded on the top. While beautiful in a way, it wasn't till you came closer that you could see the figure of a young man and a small curled up cat trapped inside those crystals, looking like a statue atop a sarcophagus.
Surrounding the stone in the center there was a circle of 7 upright crystals. The shimmering crystals were smaller than the one in the center, but still enough for a single person to be displayed. An eery collection of stone and crystal tombs.
But this was no graveyard. This is where the princes and princesses of old had been kept in suspended animation. In an ageless, dreamless slumber. The Royal Prince of this world, Prince Mamoru Young Lord Endymion, placed at the absolute center, the 7 heirs surrounding him, standing guard.

What she had to do was unfair to them, but the world wasn't fair. The world was in constant danger, and there was no time to waste anymore.
Sailor Pluto, who had been graced with the title of Queen Pluto, took the Garnet Orb off of her staff and held it in front of her. At first nothing seemed to be happening as the red stone in its center glowed.
Then, after a few moments had passed a crack was heard, and then another. Slowly each of the crystal statues started to break away and turn into little bits of light.
As more pieces broke the lights collected together to form an orb of light on the ground by each royal's feet.
The prince laying in the center was freed from his confinement as well, only the orb formed next to his hand.

The talisman of Queen Pluto stopped glowing, and so did the orbs of light.
By the feet of the seven standing in the circle a pen like shape appeared. Beside the boy in the center the light made way for a round brooch.

"Please wake young ones." The warm soothing voice of Pluto called out. "The world is in dire need."

A breath of life returned to the heirs. Beside the prince on the stone table another small figure started to wake. A young blue cat named Mani with a crescent symbol on his forehead. He was the advisor to the young Moon prince, just as his parents and sister Diana had been before him. Unaware of the urgency to awaken the feline stretched and curled up closer to his liege.

They are all standing in a circle around the Moon Prince. The order in which they stand goes clockwise: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn. The order in which they appeared in the anime/manga. Sailor Pluto stands between Mercury and Saturn.


Ryoko

There was a deep, serene silence that had surrounded the Princess of Mars. She couldn't quite tell for how long, as it felt like she had dozed off for just a second. The faint sound of cracking alerted her. It was distant at first till it drew closer and then stopped. As if finally given permission to breathe Ryoko gasped for air. It felt strange, cold, surreal.
For a second she felt like she was about to fall so she quickly stepped forward, kicking a small object that lay in front of her feet. Her eyes opened, trying to make sense of the world but her vision was blurry. A familiar voice called from somewhere before she saw clearly. A voice bidding her to wake up. It didn't fully register, her mind preoccupied by questions she could not answer. Where was she, How did she get here? What happened? Where was the Prince?

The thought of Prince Mamoru brought her fully to her senses. She looked up and around. Every one of the heirs was in the same state she was. Some more dazed than others. To her right was Akemi, the princess of Mercury, to her left Rakushin the prince of Jupiter. But where was the prince of the Moon? She didn't need to look far, as she spotted the familiar blonde in the middle of the circle on a stone table.

"Prince!" Ryoko called out and made haste to the heir. They might not be close as friends, but her duty was to him, so he was her first focus.

Pretzel Heart The Succubi Queen EndymionRose

 

[Pretzel Heart]

☾ Mamoru Tsukino ☾​

It was such a beautiful dream. Something familiar...nostalgic, even......and warm. He couldn't quite understand what he was seeing...it felt...almost empty. Like a field that went on and on to the end of time. Only distinguished by that nice, warm light. Pretty. A sense of silver. And yet...what fantasies the mind produces during body's rest are hardly important. It's the emotion that remains. And somehow, despite that quiet, comforting glow...he couldn't shake a swelling sense of grim unease--

On most days it could take a great deal of rattling, words, and false starts to fully rouse Prince Mamoru from his sleep. But the lingering sensation of that...uncanny dream, a feeling of hardness and cold when he tried to burry deeper into his sheets, and a familiar voice united to send him instantly upright.

"Setsuna!?"

He blinked, wide awake with the embarrassment that a woman had come into his room. And not just any woman... All the blood rushing to his face, he instinctively tried to cover himself. Oh God...hopefully he wasn't wearing anything too incriminating. No, it seemed he had fallen asleep dressed normally. Too normally. Had he forgotten to put on pajamas again? But more importantly, what about the Space-Time Door? That was Setsuna's place in the world; the prison she attached herself to- voluntarily, but all the same, one she never left. And yet... here she was. Far from it. Free.

Was this some kind of miracle? An early birthday present? He was thinking about all the places he wanted to show her when reality smacked him in the head.

"Prince!"

Wait. This wasn't his room.

"Ryoko...you don't have to--hav--to..achoo!" Now even more embarrassed, he sought about for the cause of his suddenly itchy nose. A small, pale blue cat was curled next to him, yawning loudly into what appeared to be a very satisfying stretch- in other words, what the prince's own reaction would be on any day the circumstances weren't so bizarre.

"Ȑ̵̢ŭ̴̡í̴̫n̸̖̙̏ ã̸͍̙̍ṅ̵̾ͅd̴͖̂ M̶̳̒̏ö̸̢͙͌ǒ̷͕̯͋ń̷̡͌s̸͍͛̒ḥ̸̛i̶̢͇̋n̵̢͎̉͆é̴̠̖̇!!̸̢̧͝...who dares to awake the F̴̡̗̒́e̵̩͇̕͝ḽ̶̂̈́l̵̡̫̾ K̴̰̾i̶̠̪͛̒n̷͉̔ǵ̷̨̋ from his slumber?"

Mani. Son of Luna and Artemis, the King and Queen's advisors, destined to be his own since the day he was born. And apparently mumbling some nonsense...maybe from still half in a dream. Though really he hardly knew the cat- they hadn't spoken since he was a child after his parents discovered the ill effect his milky fur had upon the boy. Luckily it wasn't anything too severe...no rashes, swelling, or hives. But still, oftentimes living in a palace surrounded by felines gave Mamoru the feeling of having a perpetual cold. Eventually they had to implement all kinds of precautions...as a kid he had just cried it away, but the more he became self-aware the guiltier he felt. Then again, it wasn't as if someone like himself really needed an advisor. He wasn't ever going to be important enough to have to make big decisions. He had always felt bad for Mani, though. Like he had inadvertently denied him his destiny. And thanks to his condition, the people of Mau had even been forced to avoid his room. But then, why now...?

And that was when he saw it.

The compact.

Just a simple, metallic circle laying peacefully on the...come to think of it, bizarre stone slab he had woken up on. And yet, it held his gaze as a magnet draws iron. His whole body sinking into the ground.

His last memory last memory--

"Setsuna. What's going on?" His voice came out like a hoarse whisper, his mouth suddenly dry. Funny...he could feel...no...hear his breaths growing shorter, louder. But no...he had to stay calm...calm... He closed his eyes to give them some relief from that ominous circlet, yanking away his gaze to the larger, and yet equally portentous ring of disoriented youths waking around him. All the heirs were there...even Prince Shizumu, and Mamoru couldn't even remember the last time he had seen him. Instinct drew him to locate Princess Hisako, young and frail as she was- thankfully she was standing right in front of him, seeming to still be under the effects of whatever it was they were recovering from but otherwise okay. In fact, other than Ryoko, Mamoru was apparently the only one fully awake.

It was all too much too quickly...and he, quite literally in the middle of it. Neither used to nor comfortable with being the center of attention, his eyes searched for any place he could run to, but the room was strange and barren, offering no safety or advice. Swallowing, he tried to refocus on the one person he could trust- the figure who, in his vapid, meandering life, had always represented the comforts of resolution and calm. Setsuna. But even the ataractic pleasure of her gentle face, as always softened by the aura of mystery, could do little to stop the frenetic beating of his heart.

 

[The Succubi Queen]

Akemi
Akemi had zoned out through many a royal proceeding before when her headphones were one, and today was no exception. When their parents had all run out frantically, she'd taken it as a signal to sit tight for a bit while they dealt with their "adult stuff." She hadn't even realized her attention had drifted until literally everything shattered around her.

Her awareness came back to her like a cold shower, sudden and shocking. Her headphones weren't even on her ears. They were slung around her neck, but she hadn't remembered taking them off. Something was wrong. They were... in a room she hadn't actually been in before, but it seemed enough like the rest of the palace? All vaunted and vaguely empty feelings- the warmth in the palace had always come from the people inside. The people... She looked around- just the other heirs, and that cat, was his name Mani? Ryoko was already at Mamoru's side, checking in on him. Just like a good princess. Akemi's attention drifted to her other side- Hisako stood there, her gaze just vaguely tuned out. She moved closer to the younger girl. "Hey, Hisako? You good?" She asked gently, her voice barely above a whisper. There was really only one heir Akemi knew how to be delicate with, and it was Hisako.

She took a deep breath. If they were all here, and their parents weren't.....

Well, with Queen Setsuna here, it would all come to light, sooner rather than later Akemi thought, with a sense of dread.

The Prince was already asking the forbidden question "What's going on?"- didn't he realize it on his own? Still, she wasn't going to point out the obvious. No, no, leave it to Queen Pluto to be the bearer of bad news. Though, Mamoru's hyperventilating wasn't too far from her own current internal mood. She had just done this fake princess stuff long enough to control her emotions a bit. She put a hand on Hisako's shoulder, as though she could guard her from the bad news that was about to come.

 

[EndymionRose]

Rakushun

Despite Shouke’s protest, their parents had insisted that Raku go for the lesson on the space-time door. That was the last thing Raku remembered before the sounds of cracking and shattering surrounded him. Like a thunderstorm that nourished the gardens. Breathe entered his lungs in what felt like the first in a long time. The sound of Sailor Pluto’s voice roused him and forced him to open his eyes. What he saw began to trigger his anxiety immediately. He was in a room with all of the other heirs, people he barely knew. He heard Ryoko exclaim for prince Mamoru and saw Akemi move to check on Hisako. He was torn on who to go and check on as both were the closest people he could consider friends. But, when he saw the look in Mamoru’s eyes when he saw Sailor Pluto he felt something odd. A heat rushed through him, and he could feel his cheeks begin to turn red for some reason. Embarrassed and confused he decided to go and see to Hisako. If something was wrong with her he figured only he and Shizumu could carry her to the hospital and since Shizumu avoided the royals more than he did he figured he should be the one to step forward and be ready. Rakushun was surprised at the softness in Akemi’s voice as she spoke to Hisako. He knew she wasn’t mean, at least she was never mean to him, but she just seemed to be loud. He walked up beside the girl but kept enough space between them so no one would feel crowded. “Are you okay Hisa?” He asked in his soft baritone voice eyes filled with concern.

[
Masami

Light swirled around her in both what seemed an eternity and a second. Then she heard the cracks and her eyes opened to the room as the others moved. She went to make a step forward and something clinked on the ground. HSe looked down and saw a golden pen with the symbol of Venus on it. She knew it instantly, her mother’s henshin rod. Seeing it there with her told her all she needed to know. Her mother never let that pen leave her side, and had told her that it was the symbol of her inheritance. Despite all her training and preparation, Masami fell to her knees, skirts billowing out around her legs. She reached out a shaking hand to grab the symbol of her mother’s death when one question broke into her world “What’s going on?” It was the prince asking Sailor Pluto. Grabbing the pen and clutching to her heart, Masami couldn’t bring herself to look up. Not yet, not until she learned when and how her mother had passed.

 

[Pretzel Heart]

♆ Shizumu Kaiou-Tenou ♆​

Whether his eyes were open or closed the blur of color remained the same. He lay there, blinking a few times to shake off the uncertainty, invaded by a collage of hues somehow both hazy and blaring at the same time. It seemed to increase the weight of his headache tenfold. And man, did he feel it.

"Christ. What the fuck...? Did I have too much wine again?" He muttered, running a hand through his hair as he lethargically propped himself up.

Shizumu liked to think of himself as a smart drinker. And, if anyone asked, he was. But the reality was that he sometimes let himself be more controlled by his emotions than he liked to admit. And those emotions too often found themselves enslaved to that warm, bubbly comfort drawn out by fermentation. Easy peasy. Liquid fun.

But for once it seemed alcohol had little to do with his current predicament. He was standing-- wait, what? Weird. He couldn't remember ever falling asleep on his feet before, but the feat impressed him. And, as he usually found when waking up, he was not alone. In fact he was completely surrounded by strangers. Holy fuck. Had he been kidnapped? Was this some kind of bizarre ritual? An obsessive fan? Shouke!?

Wait, no...those weren't strangers. Though he wished most of them were. He turned as he rubbed sleep from his eyes, facing the very short body of one of the people highest on the list of those he wouldn't want to wake up next to (and yes, such a list really did exist)- Masami, AKA the midget who hated him. Just great. Honestly, maybe it would have been better if he had been kidnapped. But it wasn't just Masami. All the little princes and princess were there. And in the middle of all of them...Sir Sleeps A Lot. Talk about being center of attention. Though with his shuddering body and scarlet face it looked like he might explode from the pressure.

Before he could smirk at the thought Shizumu noticed who was next to him. Ryoko.

"Ryoko? What the Hell's going on?"

He tried to take a step towards her but his head span in protest and he nearly tripped over some god damn rolly object someone had placed directly on the ground in front of him. But being off-balance wasn't his style, so he managed to save himself before looking too foolish, grinning devilishly as if to preemptively strike at anyone saying otherwise.

And that's when he finally noticed who had been chilling in his blind spot to his left. Good `ol Etsu.

Well, it made sense that she would be here with all the other heirs. No, the odd one out really was himself. And maybe Prince Moony, since he had always thought his elder sister was going to take the throne, but her annoyingly pink pigtails were nowhere to be seen.

"Etsu...you alright?" She didn't seem to have woken up yet. He waved his hand in front of her face a few times, hoping that would do the trick. What kind of God awful spell had put them all to sleep standing upright? And more importantly, why? Just what the hell was going on? The weirdest part was, he couldn't remember anything. Wait...that wasn't right.

The palace.

He could remember.

Riding down the slick, crystalline roads that juxtaposed estrangement with familiarity. Wind whipping through his hair. Caught off-guard by the buzz of paparazzi at the gates. And the thoughts in his mind...

That was when he saw what had nearly caused him to trip.

Eyebrow cocked, he picked up the larger of the objects. It was gold and delicate, with an ornate finish that sparkled as if it had just been crafted yesterday despite being many years old. His mother's mirror. There was another on the ground, the rolly one that was also familiar to him, but that one he just ignored. It's not like he'd be needing some useless stick anyways. Instead, looking every bit a fairytale princess needing to check the effects of her beauty-sleep, Shizumu gazed past his face into a surface of glass.

Wearing an uncharacteristic expression, he pocketed the mirror without comment. He had no idea what the fuck was going on, but he was beginning to have his suspicions.

The people waking up around him were all the royal planetary heirs. But their parents were nowhere to be seen. No one but a woman he barely recognized as the Babe of Pluto. Just the cold, crystal casing of the palace.

"Hey, Etsu. Hey. Wake up." He turned once again to face his still half-asleep sister, shaking her by the shoulder as a child bothering their parent might. What he saw at the ground by her feet only served to further his suspicions.

 

[The Succubi Queen]

Etsuko
Etsuko felt a familiar shake snapping her awake. How many mornings had she been woken up with a vicious hangover by that same hand, the connected body asking her to make breakfast, or if she wanted to get coffee to fight the stinging headaches they shared? Instinctively, she moved to smack the hand away. But as she opened her eyes, the familiarity ended as her proprioception kicked in and she realized she was, in fact, standing, and perhaps, had never actually been asleep at all. "Shizu?" She asked, incredulously. She hadn't seen him in weeks- what was he doing here? Or better, what was she doing here? Or even better yet, where was here? She couldn't remember what she'd been doing a few moments ago... but perhaps it had been more than a few minutes, considering their surroundings. "Are we.. in the Palace?" She focused on Shizu.

"Wait, what the heck are you doing at the Palace?" They asked incredulously. The one constant truth she could rely on with Shizu right now is that he wanted nothing to do with their mom's, and being right smack dab in the middle of the Magic Castle that was the seat of their legacy was the opposite of that. "What are we all doing in the Palace?" She followed her sibling's gaze for a moment. "Haru-Mom's sword... that means..." she placed her hand on Shizu's other shoulder, seeking out the comfort in his eyes that she already knew wasn't going to come "Are we.. are they?"

She shook her head. Of course they were. And of course they were. It wasn't a mantle she had ever actually planned to take on- a fantastic impossibility that they ought to be prepared for, like a house fire or a nuclear attack. It wasn't ever supposed to happen. But here there were, a sword on the ground before them, and that little pen (which she'd always said was too big to actually pass as a pen). She didn't move to pick them up. There would be plenty of time for that later. Right now, all she wanted was to know that at least Shizu was safe.

"Are you..." obviously not ok, he'd been magically transported to the palace against his will, only to be faced with their mothers deaths. "Are you... hurt?" Yes, that was the apt response. Is he in physical pain? Even in her state of shock, she internally cringed at how stupid that must sound.

 

[Olissa]

Hisako

Calm.
That is how she appeared.
Resting peacefully encased in crystals, suspended in animation was the heir of Saturn.
It was almost serene. As if she, the future guardian over death and rebirth, was displayed like a corpse, ready to be buried any moment if it weren't for her upright position and the staff in her hands. Only to soon be awoken, reborn. Like a true representation of what she was meant to be.

How tiny the frail little body appeared inside those crystals. Upon Queen Pluto’s command the crystal around her started to dissipate. Just then a tear rolled further down the side of Hisako’s face. As if it had been frozen in time mid drop. A familiar voice beckoned. A release of breath was its reply. The small teenager’s eyes opened, her hands gripping a metal rod in her hands. Her body felt cold, absent. It made sense, given her surroundings. Once Hisako got cold it usually meant a stiffness would enter her body, and only by careful, patient, calm movements would she be able to regain motion in her body. As she focussed on herself there was a bustle around her. People talking, walking. The only notable sound that pulled Hisako from her near mediative mode was the sound of someone talking to her.

Lost in her own thoughts the littlest one of the group swayed. Before she could move to steady herself Akemi had reached her. It was only a hand on the shoulder, but that was all she needed.
The gentle inquiry of her wellbeing now sunk in and she turned her face to meet that of her friend.
With a smile that didn't reach the depths of her eyes she nodded. All her time in the hospitals had taught her well how to put on a smile for those who needed it even if her mood didn't feel like it, except right now she didn't know how to fully reach for that knowledge.

By her other side Hisako heard footsteps of someone approaching. Her head turning, first spotting the familiar blonde on the stone in the center and the dark haired heiress of Mars who had walked towards him. That was not the source of the footsteps. The actual source was Rakushun, as he too came to her side.
His presence prompted Hisako to brush away the remainder of the tear.
"I’m alright Rakushun. I’m alright. Just a little cold" She replied, her voice still weak from having just woken up.

"Are you alright though?" She asked concerned. She reached out to let her hand rest on his shoulder. Although he was big, he was small too.

Sailor Pluto moved and Hisako looked up, meeting her eyes.
The Queen of the planet Pluto gave a soft nod to Hisako before walking to the Moon Prince at the center.
Saturn’s princess followed her with her eyes, and then turning back to both Rakushun and Akemi. "Perhaps we should follow.". She took a wobbly step, her legs not entirely warmed up yet. "On second thought, I'll hang back." She said almost lightheartedly before continuing. "Go, whatever she has to say, you have to hear it." Turning her attention specifically to the strong senshi she added. "I'll be fine."

 

[Olissa]

NPC Setsuna

The last remaining Queen had stood between the heirs of Mercury and Saturn. At the beginning and end of the circle. Just as time itself. Throughout the circle of disoriented heirs each of them were waking up in a manner distinct to them. No two awoke the same way.

Time had stood still for these young souls far longer than she thought would have been possible. Even Neo Queen Serenity hadn’t been sealed in crystal that long. Circumstances had been different then. Different now.

It was good to see them all.
Alive.
Well.
Innocent.
Even the least innocent of them all.
It was an innocence that she was going to rob from them despite how much she wished there was another way.

The Young Lord was the first to speak up and ask her what was going on. Good. He had to learn to take initiative, it would prove vital to his survival.

The distance between them felt too much to tell such sensitive news, so she began to walk forward. There was a lot to explain. More than they could possibly grasp. As she walked by Prince Rakushun, Princess Akemi, and Princess Hisako she gave them a soft nod, hoping they would follow.

Slowly more were gathering at the stone in the center. Although none could hide their worry, there were no additional questions asked to her.
Soon they would all know. They would be faced with the harshest reality of all.
They would all learn the true weight of those little pens in their hands.

Once most had gathered Setsuna spoke up.
“There is no easy way to say this.“ She began. Her eyes going by each of them, taking a moment to take them in, before they would learn everything. No doubt most had guessed it by now, but it had to be said.
“The world has been thrown into chaos.“ Ignoring the shift in tension in the room she continued. “While you had been with me inside my realm of Space-Time the Queens, their consorts, and Small Lady Serenity with her court left the palace to deal with a threat that had invaded the earth.“ Setsuna's eyes rested on the last heir to the Moon kingdom.

“They fought valiantly.“ With a lump forming in her throat she slowed down, pausing. The glistening of the high noon sun through the crystal building was a stark contrast to the dark words she spoke.

“They never stood a chance.“

The surge those words sent through the group was tangible.

“I’m sorry.” Sorry she couldn’t have done more, sorry she had to bring this news, sorry that she had to burden them with this.

“Since then you all have slept here for the past 50 years.“


Ryoko

The way that Mamoru woke up was in so many ways similar to how his mother supposedly woke in the past. Ryoko’s mother had not spared any details of the times the Queen over this planet had been nothing but a normal teenager that was a below average student. At least he seemed to be fine. Till he began to sneeze mid sentence. That only happened when the cats were around. Ryoko looked over the altar till her eyes spotted the silvery blue cat.
The poor cat. Though going to sleep right by the Prince's side, that was just asking for trouble.

Her eyes then spotted a little metallic round object. One of the compacts of the Queen.
Before she could say anything she heard an all too familiar voice. Shizumu. Quietly she shook her head at his question. "I don't know..." she replied at barely more than a whisper.
As serious as the moment was, Ryoko couldn't help but do her best to suppress a chuckle when Shizu just about tripped over what seemed to be nothing and then tried to look suave about it.

Behind her Ryoko could hear the rustling of fabric. Turning around she saw her dear friend slump down, her eyes fixated on a small pen on the ground. Leaving the Prince's side -she had deduced he'd be fine for now- Ryoko went to Masami's side and embraced her.

That's when Mamoru spoke up again. In silence Ryoko second the young man’s question. Something was most definitely wrong and Queen Pluto was the only one it seemed that could give them any answers. In her haste to reach the Prince Ryoko hadn't noticed the presence of Sailor Pluto. Now she saw her. She dreaded seeing her like this. They had been given a tour and a lesson behind the Space-Time Door just a little while ago, why was she here now?
Ryoko wasn't dumb, even she could deduce what was the most likely scenario, but that didn't mean she wanted to accept that. For now, it was much easier to focus her attention on her friend, on Masami.

Behind her she heard Queen Setsuna speak. Ryoko quietly listened to the words.
The sensation that welled up deep inside her at the closing words of Sailor Pluto's words felt almost primal. There was pain, disbelief, but the strongest of all, an extreme nearly overwhelming anger. If she hadn't been holding on to Masami at that very moment she wasn't sure what she would have done.
In her attempt to console her friend, her friend had been the one thing to anchor her from losing herself.

 

[EndymionRose]

Masami

The clinking of Shizumu tripping barely registered in Masami’s ears. It wasn’t until Ryoko embraced her that she snapped out of her silent spiral. The embrace was warm and familiar. She immediately returned the embrace, and when Sailor Pluto confirmed What she had already figured out, she held tighter to her friend, the woman she viewed as an older sister and confidant. She allowed herself one tear. She would mourn later but now was the time to step up as her mother did. She didn’t move, didn’t speak, but she just held Ryoko. OUt of all the times Ryoko had been her strength it was now time for her to be able to be a source of strength for Ryoko, and she would do that for as long as her friend needed.


Rakushun

Even though Hisako assured him that she would be fine, and encouraged him to move and join the group, Rakushun didn’t move. “If I need to hear than you need to hear.” He said as he gently lifted her into his arms. “Just until you get warm.” He said gently as he gave Akemi his best attempt at a gentle smile and then walked over to hear what was being said. When Queen Pluto said that his parents were dead, it was only the fact that he was holding his best friend that kept him standing. “Wha-what about my siblings?” He asked both hopeful and fearful of the answer. (Will edit if you want Olissa )

 

[Pretzel Heart]

☾ Mamoru Tsukino ☾​

While she did not immediately answer his question, Setsuna held Mamoru's gaze as she moved before him. He could almost feel his eyes digging into hers, practically pleading for any sense of assurance that this bizarre set of circumstances had any other explanation than the one most probable. But the queen just nodded at the other heirs around him. Setsuna was someone who, despite her composure, despite her talent and her strength, had always seemed so sad and alone......and Mamoru had spent enough time by her side, trying to ease that loneliness, that he could sense that, whatever she was about to say, it wasn't easy for her. And, as always, there was nothing he could do to alleviate her pain. No, his only choice was to listen. Wait. And be a part of the cause.

"There is no easy way to say this," the queen began, her steady voice doing nothing to parallel the squirm of emotions he felt already churning his stomach. She continued. "The world has been thrown into chaos. While you had been with me inside my realm of Space-Time the Queens, their consorts, and Small Lady Serenity with her court left the palace to deal with a threat that had invaded the earth." Her eyes came full circle to meet his again. He bit his lip, hoping that the medicine of her gaze would be enough to heal the wound she was about to deliver.

"They fought valiantly." They were the words of a history textbook. Already cataloguing and examining the past. The past--

"They never stood a chance." He could feel hands sliding over his face, as if the cool of dark could somehow calm the rapidly increasing vibrations of his heart. But instead all he could see was his father's gentle smile. Something he both resented and aspired towards. He remembered sneaking into his room with Usagi to try on their parents' clothes. The weight of that amethyst cape draped around his back. How he'd been caught staring at himself in the mirror, firm hands suddenly placed upon small shoulders. 'It suits you.'

Dad...

"I'm sorry." A pathetic, wimper-like choke escaped his lips, instantly swallowed less it escape into a full-on sob. He thought about the way his sister would randomly come into his room, falling face-forward on the sheets. 'Usagi...what's wrong?' 'Nothing.' She'd finally look up at him, wearing that peevish grin that meant a plan was forming in her head, 'Hey, wanna see something cool?' How she'd push him out of bed- quite literally, sometimes- leading him to the secret route she took to sneak out of the palace. 'I wasn't planning on showing anyone. Well, maybe Hotaru. But I felt like you needed to see it first.' Tumbling through the vast dandelion plains surrounding their home. The time she let Diana sleep in his favorite shirt...how she'd giggled at his sneezing fit, then got scolded and had to apologize. But she came back later. 'You know...I really am sorry.'

Usagi......

"Since then you all have slept here for the past 50 years." One of his earliest memories, getting his fingers caught in his mother's long, silvery hair. Thinking how soft and sparkly it was. Pulling on it and crying while his sister laughed in the background. Laughter... A giggle so light it had always reminded him of the way moonbeams wafted through his window, filtered by the faint chiffon surrounding his bed. And how she would sit there, leaning over him with a bright and girlish smile that spoke only of love. 'Remember how I always used to come in like this? You couldn't sleep without me.' 'And now...we don't get much time to talk, anymore.'

Mom--

Gone. Nothing but fleeting memories that rushed before him at such a rate he felt like he couldn't catch them, and they'd slip through his fingers like the goldfish at the matsuri they had all gone to years ago. Fifty years-- It was only last night that she was sitting there, shimmering in the moonlight. The pink bounce of his sister's hair as she had passed him in the hall. 'Just think of it as hanging out with Setsuna, right? I'll see you in a bit." But he would never see her again...

He could feel tears pooling at the corners of eyes already red from the decades slumbered in feline dandruff. His body felt light. Paper-thin. Like he wasn't even real. How ridiculous he must look...

With a deep breath he smoothed his hands the rest of the way over his face, as if that would be enough to wipe away the mounting despair. Using all his willpower not to cry.

The sound of a familiar voice was enough to snap him from the spiral, tears choked back as he remembered where he was, and the man he now had to be. He had been so focused on Setsuna that he hadn't even registered the other heirs gathering at the center of the circle around him. He could suddenly feel eight pairs of eyes leering at him; whether real or imaginary, they pinned him to the stone. In any other situation the pressure might cause him to break, but for some reason it gave him an odd sense of purpose. An excuse to focus on anything but the things he had lost.

The voice had come from Rakushun, who seemed a hundred times more composed than Mamoru felt. He always knew the young man carried within him great strength... not to mention he had even lifted little Hisako bridal style- and at that, despite the horror of their circumstances, Mamoru couldn't help but smile.

"Rakushun..."

Now that he looked closer, he could see the prickles of fear in the young prince's eyes, as if terrified of his query's response. That was normal, after all. Setsuna's words had stolen Mamoru's sister from him, but in Rakushun's case that pain would be multiplied eight fold. Even Princess Shouke, the most vocal of them all, was absent in the cold and quiet room, but maybe a part of him already expected that to be the case.

Mamoru had always tried to be a comfort to others, and usually just his presence, a smile soft and supportive, was enough. But this...this was something else entirely. What should he do? What should he say? He moved to the edge of his slab, swinging his legs over as if to stand, reaching out a hand as if to place it gently on Rakushun's shoulder- but he stopped, hovering awkwardly halfway. Someone like him...in a situation like this......there was really nothing he could do. He had never made the effort to reach out to the other heirs before, to only attempt so now would be more insult than comfort.

And yet--

Hand retreating to his lap, he looked at those around him. Even Ryoko, who Mamoru had always thought of as the strongest of them all, was now crumpled to the floor, gripping Princess Masami as if that was all that was keeping her together. But in such movements there was also hope. Like how Rakushun and Akemi had moved to Hisako's side, and the twins of Queen Haruka and Queen Michiru were in the midsts of comforting one another. Even with all they had lost, it wasn't as if they had nothing left. And wasn't that their greatest strength? Strength... a power he didn't have. One he would have to...have to force. Taking a deep breath, he sucked it in. The memories, the thoughts. There, in the center of all of them, he couldn't afford to break down. He had to remain calm, composed. Lock away all those feelings for another time, long, long from now. Or perhaps never. From now on he had to be their pillar. Supporting them just as, for hundreds of years, the Silver Crystal had supported its city. The Silver Crystal-- He grit his teeth, burying the last impulse of tears, pushing closed the floodgates of his memories with the remaining strength of his former self. He was a new man, now. He had to be. He may have wasted the past 18 years, but now there could be no more procrastinating. And no more running. All his life he had been fleeing from that dark cloud, and now it had come crashing down upon his head. If only he had been a better son...if only he had run faster, gone further, maybe none of this would have had to happen--

Mom.........

He would never even get the chance to tell her...

And he was back to panicking. Wasn't there anyone else? He couldn't do it! He was...he wasn't like the others. He didn't belong in that same light world that his parents had.

And yet... it was up to him. With only memories as his guides.

What would his mother do? His father? His sister? His brain wracked feverishly through memories of all the stories, all the legends, all the tales. He could feel the fingernails of his fist biting into his hand. What about Ryoko? She had always been so sure and mature, the perfect future Senshi...now fallen to the floor......

He had never felt so helpless. All the nights spent wide awake worrying. Hours pouring through tome after tome. And what had it all been for? He had always known peace couldn't last. But now that he was proven right...so what? It was an empty I told you so.

"I'm sure your siblings are okay. Right?" When his voice finally came out its steadiness surprised him. He looked to Setsuna hopefully, thinking about how Princess Shouke always seemed to spare him a kind word when they met. The others whose names he could never remember but sometimes ran into. He had kept putting off getting to know them...and now he may never have the chance...... Pushing such thoughts back to the bottom of his mind, he took a breath. While everyone went on their own journeys to sort out their feelings, he had to move on. That's right... he could think of it like...... like chess. Nobody cried when a pawn was lost or a rook fell. Instead one just had to focus on being three moves ahead of the opponent. Mamoru had always been naturally attuned to the big picture. Realizing that, for better (or, more likely, worse) he was now the sole heir to the Crystal Kingdom. In other words...the entire world. They had been awakened for a reason. And with circumstances being what they were, that reason could only be one. The pain of the moment that was dragging him to the present fell behind as he moved through the days, weeks, perhaps even years ahead. The world has been thrown into chaos. It was now their duty- no, his duty, to correct it. No more crying. No more panicking. It was time to start.

"Setsuna... I know this must be difficult for you. While we've slept, you've had to be--" but he was instantly overwhelmed by the image that flashed through his mind of a woman standing all alone in the crossroads of time, grieving for the loss of all she had once called friends, "Right now you're the only one who can help us. So, if you could, think back to that day fifty years ago. Did you see anything that could help us fight or identify who did this? Did they say where they are from or what their goal is? Wait...we don't even know who is responsible. Just who has been in control of the Kingdom all this time? Do they have influence over all Earth, or just Crystal Tokyo? And the people! Are they okay? For fifty years, while we've slept, they've had to live......

He finally stopped the snowball of questions that had all at once began to flood his head, paused around something dark and troubling edging on the words left unsaid. What was life like for the citizens of this chaotic new world? Naturally he didn't want to learn they had suffered, but then...if they were doing well, didn't that mean the new rulers were just as competent as his parents? It would be like justifying the collapse. But if he wanted to believe in his family's perfections, then didn't that doom their people under the new regime? Wait, why was he thinking about such such uncomfortable thoughts now, of all times?

"R̵͖̎͆̓ͅu̶͙͒ĭ̷̱̰̖̭̓n̷̥̼̅͌̆ à̸̤̝n̷̜̮̺͒̑͜d̴̢͆́ M̶͙̝͈͑o̵̯͋o̸̺̽̀̓̓n̸̬͈̈́͐s̷͉̆̔ḩ̵͖̀͊͘i̶̗̊͜n̷̠̅͂͛e̵̤͔̳̔, boy! At least breathe between sentences less you suffocate yourself and lady both."

In complete, perhaps even defiant, opposition to the tensity that had fogged over the room, Mani sat elegantly perched on the edge of the stone, calmly licking his paw to groom a milky-blue ear.

"Mani! You're a-a-achoo! Awake."

"Aye, unfortunately. Tis a sad thing, waking up from a beautiful rest to such doom and gloom. But worry not. The F̴̫̥̎̋e̸̮̲̎ll K̷̗͓̀í̸̝͙́n̸̛̲͜g̷̤͛́ has already lost everything once, and just as the M̶̻͒͆ͅo̸͈̦͑̅o̴͉̫͋͒n̸̯̽ shall always Rise in the M̴̧̓ì̶̤̠d̸͇͑n̵̻̈́̉ĩ̴̤̜g̶̢̊͋h̷̢̉t̶͓́̏͜Sk̴͕͌y̶̳͈̌̑, I, too, shall answer the D̴̡͚͑a̴̟̞͑͐r̶̨̦͆k̵̢̗̈̍ H̵͍͊ẽ̴̜͎͗ro's̵̠͒ call whenever it is sounded." As he spoke the little cat padded to the far corner of the slab from where Mamoru was sitting, perhaps in consideration for the prince's state. Or maybe it was just to add to the drama of his words.

"Uhm, Mani...are you okay?" Mamoru was slightly worried that the pressure of it all had caused the little cat to disassociate. Just what was he going on about? Did he know something they didn't?

"Of course, did you not just hear me!? I am Ripe and Ready! The F̸̩̈́̚o̷͕̠̊u̵̡̻̅l̸̤̓ Pê̸͎̏ř̵̼̕p̵͎͗ḙ̴̟̉ť̸̺̠r̴̨̦̉̃ȃ̵͙̌ţ̴̑͝ǫ̷̮̍̅r̶̰͍̿̓s̴͚͗̃, whoever they may be, shall be Eradicated! Obliviated! Ḛ̴̖̅̕x̵͍̓͜ẗ̵̯́͜ę̶̆͗r̸̮̺̓͑m̸̻̑̽i̷̫̓̊ņ̸͘a̴͕̹̾t̸͉̆e̸̞͑d̷̳͒!̵̰͉̉!̴̘̐!̵̫̳̔̿" Suddenly Mani was now bristling and looked to be positively rabid, springing at the edge of the slab as if anyone who dare come near him wouldn't leaving without a nasty scratch.

"Okay, Okay." Mamoru hushed, subconsciously putting a finger to his lips as if in a prayer to get the now ferocious feline to calm down. He looked about them sheepishly, worried that as everyone was processing some pretty hefty information, such an insensitive outburst would just make things worse. Had the cat always been so... energetic? He remembered that they used to play together when he was very young, but that was so long ago he had but fleeting memories of it.

In an attempt to recover any of the momentum he had by now lost, the prince finally stood. It was a movement that held weight yet when he was on his feet, facing those around him, he froze completely forgetting what, if anything, he had been about to say. All those people... somehow it reminded him of the dinner he had once run away from, tears shamefully streaming down his face, his dad excusing himself to follow. "It's your namesake. I want you to have the joy of protecting the things you love." His thoughts back then, how impossibly daunting that task seemed. To be able to protect them...? Or just.....not to be a burden. The things he loved...his people...his world......his family... This was the last effort he could make for them. For their legacy.

Mom......

How many times had he turned away or closed the door to his mother's voice? All that time he knew he would return to her one day, once he had found his place...once he could be her equal, facing her without doubt, hesitation, or shame....but he had waited too long.

This was the only thing he could do.

"Uhm..." he awkwardly began, not even positive whether or not he wanted the others' attention, "Just like Mani said- or, er, at least I think he said... things are going to be alright. They have to be." He hoped his words didn't sound empty or as if he was trying to convince himself, which to be honest, he was. Focusing on Setsuna, he continued, still unsure of what he was trying to say, "My father once told my mother that she was eternal...that no matter what futures came or who replaced her, her light would continue to shine forever..." his broken breaths failed to keep his voice from cracking as he spoke, though he did his best to hide it "...and he was right. Moth-- Neo-Queen Serenity may be dead, but her light shines on through us. Through...me......"

Though the thought had been fluttering on his mind ever since he had awoken and laid eyes on that cursed compact, now, saying it aloud, it felt more real and terrifying than ever. Like a spell he had just cast upon his own head.

"Whatever is before us won't be easy. But our parents-- it was their last wish to believe in us, so..."

He trailed off, giving an uncomfortable end to a questionable effort. It was obvious he wasn't used to giving speeches, and honestly he was a bit dumbstruck that he had even tried. But...he couldn't comfort them. The least he could do was make some attempt to show he understood the situation. That...while the last person who should be allowed to lead...he at least knew that it was his duty to try.

"I mean...isn't that right, Setsuna? Isn't that why you woke us?"

"I should fucking hope not."

♆ Shizumu Kaiou-Tenou ♆​

"Cold...dinky...crawling with royals. Yeah, I guess we're in the damn palace. Fuck!"

Shizumu felt Etsuko's hand on his shoulder and could feel their bright blue eyes on his face just as strongly, but he couldn't bring himself to meet whatever emotions were lurking there.

"Are we.. are they?"

Her voice, usually a sparky orange tinged with warmth, was now lighter, verging on yellow.

Shit.

The twins were not stupid. He knew. She knew. There was only one reason why any of this would be happening, why their mothers' treasures would be lying on the ground.

Shizumu brushed off his sibling's hand as gently as he could, but he didn't completely let it go, instead holding it by his side with a soft squeeze. Physical touch. It was the only kind of condolence he knew how to give.

There was no need for him to be the one to answer that question. And thankfully there was one to follow it.

"I'm fine. This is all par for the course, right?"

Still unable to look at his twin's face, he followed some of the heirs' movement towards the stone slab in the center of the room where Prince Mooney sat. Like members of a cult, following their sick rituals through to the last.

"The others...they might need it, though."

Even if he would never agree with the way his sister doted on the royals, at least he understood her enough to know it was an impulse she'd struggle to resist. Dropping their hand he wanted to say something more... something...... but surrounded by near-strangers in a cramped, dark room didn't seem like the time nor the place. Besides, the headache he had woken up with had done little to subside.

As Setsuna spoke Shizu wandered further away, walking with hands in his pockets back to the stupid thing he had nearly tripped over, leering down at it as if staring could make it go away.

"They never stood a chance."

He kicked the pen, sending it clinking against the wall. It was made of magic- it's not like it would break, or even chink at such light wear. Unfortunately.

Shizumu wasn't like the others. He didn't need time to mourn. In some ways, he had been in mourning long before they had ever been put to sleep.

"Damnit..." he muttered at the news, but said no more.

Even till the very end, they hadn't been able to let him go...

His eyes flicked off the cursed object at the sound of feet hitting the floor. Ryoko. He blinked, something moving in his heart. But as she was with her bestie Pretty Princess Masami, he decided to just push it down.

Ryoko had always been the mature one, right? She could handle herself.

Besides, against all odds, it sounded like Prince Wet Sponge in Human Form was going off on a tangent. Admittedly, Shizumu was surprised the little royal wasn't sobbing; he would have thought he'd be the first one to break. Instead here he was trying to give a pep talk to a bunch of toddlers. If it wasn't so pitiful, he might even find it cute.

"Right, Setsuna? Isn't that why you woke us?"

"I should fucking hope not," he snapped. But in the still silence of the room the curse came much louder than intended, bouncing off the crystalline walls for all to hear. But Shizumu didn't care if the whole world knew, it wouldn't change the fact of what he had said. This whole thing was just a pain...that's right, a pain in his ass. What he wanted was to slip away to the nearest bar and drown out all further thoughts into a Dark and Stormy. But his headache wasn't going to make that easy for him, was it? Damn thing still rattling around his brains. He put a hand to his forehead, guessing that being asleep for so long affected everyone a bit differently. And he was here, now. Here, against his will, emotions raging like waves tossed by tempest's storm.

Well, if his little expletive had gotten people's attention, who was he to disappoint them?

"Who cares who killed them or what they looked like? And the people?" He scoffed, "The people are fine, probably a lot better off than we are given she just said we've been asleep for F I F T Y Y E A R S. That's like ten times longer than half you guys have even been alive, and plenty of time for the world to get its shit together. Wars happened all the time before his perfect little mommy came along and put everyone under her spell. What difference does it make if it's someone else in control now? As far as I'm concerned it's all bullshit, and whatever happened to our parents is ancient history. Why go digging it up? Just because we're expected to? By who? Her?"

He hadn't expected to put on quite a show, but as soon as he began to voice himself he couldn't stop. As the words spilled out he finally left his spot near the back of the room, eventually feeling the swaying motion of brains floating on evening tide subside to the point where he could remove his hand from his forehead, shaking the last of the worst of the feeling off. His goal was currently standing before the Moon Prince, all prim and proper in her little black miniskirt. He walked directly up to her. While Shizumu wasn't much taller, it was still enough to loom with the shadow of a threat.

"You said everyone fought valiantly? Everyone gave their lives? So then what the fuck are you still doing here, huh, Babe? Call in sick that day? Or just too afraid to leave your little door?" He grinned, giving her an approving pat on the cheek. "Smart girl. Can't say I blame you. So no hard feelings if we do the same, right?"

"Th...That's enough."

With lifted brow Shizumu turned. It was the Moon Prince. Doing what, he guessed, was his best attempt at a defiant glare while his little cat slave hissed at his side, though to him it looked more like the boy was about to cry. Pathetic. Just like his whole family. The family that his parents had died for. His grin widened.

"Oh? What, give a little speech and suddenly you're ready to come out and play hero?"

His eyes dark, he turned to look around the room.

"What about the rest of you? Surely someone has more sense than that."

 

[The Succubi Queen]

AkemiAkemi rolled her eyes the minute Rakushun wasn't watching. What a knight in shining armor. Hisako didn't seem to mind though, Akemi couldn't help but notice. A small moment of mirth before the storm that was Setsuna's revelation.

She had mostly figured it out, of course. You don't just wake up in a magical chamber holding your Mom's magical item that she never let out of her sight for no reason. As the speech concluded, Akemi picked up the small pen. It was surprisingly light, despite all the power and burdens it carried. The small glasses, the supercomputer, were there too, looking as ever like a prop from a bad sci-fi movie. Guess it was her crappy prop now.

Of all the people in the room to be the first to really speak up, she hadn't expected Mamo to attempt to rally the forces. Of course, before he really got to the point of whatever his speech was, Shizu interrupted.

Akemi inhaled loudly, almost a scoff, but not quite. For real? He could drop the punky "I hate my Mom's" act now, especially considering they were dead. She spared a glance at Hisako, trying to gauge her reaction, before realizing she didn't care, taking off to put herself closer to the conversation.

"Hey, Shizu? If you get any more edgy you're gonna cut Mamo open, and then he'd probably cry and I'd rather not deal with that anymore than I have to." She did scoff this time. Even if it didn't stop his snapping, at least he'd know he wasn't going to go unchallenged. "In case you didn't notice, the majority of us are orphans now, so if anyone has an excuse to be complete edgelords, it's us, not you. Aren't you supposed older and more mature? Or did the booze rot the part of you brain that's past puberty? None of us want to be the Magic Rainbow Space Cadets of Hugs and Kisses, but here we are. Can we maybe get through the next 30 minutes before you go on a philosophical rant about how none of matter in the big picture or whatever?"

 

[Olissa]

(Etsuko's part written by The Succubi Queen .)

EtsukoThe pressure of this moment was the most overwhelming thing in the world to her at this moment, that sole moment of tension, but as Shizu gently took her hand and held it, with the slightest squeeze, she felt something in her break. Before then, it was a possibility, an anxiety she was having. Now, if they both felt the same way, it was a reality. She had never been one to cry, but she could feel the frustating pools forming in her lower eyelids, and quickly wiped them dry with the heel of her hand. They couldn't cry. Not in front of all the kids like this.

He walked away, perhaps to give her a moment, perhaps as a show of strength. He could be rather masculine that way, from time to time. She swept her eyes around the circle, looking for the children that mattered the most to her, but Akemi and Hisako were already touching, before Rakushun has swept Hisako up in his arms to bring her closer to the Mamoru, Masami and Ryoko already at his side like the pinnacles of Decorum they were. She had always known that being an "outer royal" meant she would never be quite as connected to the others, but in that moment, with even Shizu a mere foot away, she felt.. alone. It was a mere moment though, as Setsuna captured all of their attention with her words. Like a True Queen. The last queen.

The word hit them all different, but the disastrous nature of Setsuna's words was clear. They'd all been thinking it, but none of them could vocalize it, except her, breaking the news to them. Etsu hadn't even needed to hear the whole story before her resolve came into being. She'd beat down whoever had done this, with her own two fists. She was about to speak, what, she didn't quite know, but before she had even had time to open her mouth, Mamoru's soft voice rang through. In any other situation, she might now have heard him, but the silence in the room was palpable.

Moth-- Neo-Queen Serenity may be dead, but her light shines on through us. Through...me......" that was a heavy burden for anyone, let alone that little guy who struggled to smile most days. A Dynasty that had existed for Millenia, all his now.

And then Shizu spoke. She hadn't known what he was going to say, or do, but she should have figured it out when he so casually kicked Mother's pen across the floor. He wasn't happy, and that was going to turn into anger, at everyone else. Couldn't he see they were hurting too? All of them? She had known he was angry at something, all this time, but this.. this wasn't fair.
"What about the rest of you? Surely someone has more sense than that."

"Shizu, Stop." They said, placing themself in front of their sibling. "I know, it really fucking sucks, but being a bitch to Setsuna only makes you look like a jerk." Sure, that probably wasn't something he cared about, but it was something she cared about. "We're all we've got anymore." And if they all hated him, how long before he left them? She couldn't lose him too. Not now. "I know it's complete and utter bullshit and it's garbage and I hate it too but-" She didn't know what. She didn't know what to say to him, or what she wanted, she just wanted him to stop. Their parents were gone, and he- he was just turning his hurt outwards onto them.

"Princess Etsuko." Setsuna cut in before more could be said.


NPC Setsuna

After her words had been spoken she watched as each of the heirs reacted to it. Each of them were different. The tension, the pain, it was tangible.
Even after fifty years it felt like a wound was being reopened just to poke it with a knife once more. Her heart tightened as her eyes rested on the collapsed and distraught forms of some of the children.

But they weren't children anymore. While the eldest might be 20, and the youngest merely 14, they weren't little children. They would have to grow up really fast. In a matter of minutes if they were to save the world.
Rakusun was one of the first to speak up, or attempt to. He was breaking, the weight of it all too great for those strong shoulders. What about his siblings. A large group they had been. And now, she wasn't sure. She would have wished to give him a reply that could ease him, but she hadn't kept track of each of them. So her answer would be nothing but vague.

In a strange way she had been saved from having to answer it herself, as Mamoru attempted to give Rakushun some solace that his siblings likely were alright. She could only hope that his words were true.
As the last of the Moon Kingdom had spoken to Rakushun her eyes had been resting on the Prince of the Earth and Moon kingdom, but she glanced down, unable to answer him when he addressed her.

Forming a reply was not easy, and before she even could begin the attention shifted to Mani as he woke. If anything it gave the last queen some time to think.
As she glanced across the room she got an idea. She was about to go and execute that plan when Mamoru decided to make his first attempt to rally the team. A valiant effort. It needed some work, but it was a good start. A smile formed on her lips. Hotaru had been right, there was still hope.

The last queen of her time wanted to reply, to give Young Lord Endymion praise for his resolution. And she would have if Shizumu hadn't cut in.

Shizumu took his anger out on the prince first, before turning his attention to her. He was out of line, but she'd let him have his say. Perhaps if he did he'd be able to calm down enough to hear what she had to say on the matter.
It was true that it was all long ago, a not so pleasant surprise she had sprung on all of them. In a way they could have slept forever and none would be the wiser, but that wasn't the way things could go. She clenched her jaw as he berated her about not having fought. If only he knew. She turned her face away as he pat her cheek. How she'd love to retaliate. She realized that would only cause to push him farther away from the path he had to follow, so she held her tongue, and her temper.

It was Akemi that spoke up, giving him a piece of her mind. A sigh escaped her lips. While her words rung true, would it have the right effect? Would it not result in him being pushed farther away? A thought that was fueled even more when even his own dear sister stepped up against him.

Before things got too far out of hand Queen Setsuna spoke up.
"Princess Etsuko." her voice calm, assuring that she wasn't mad. She gently placed a hand on the new Sailor Uranus' shoulder.
"I'll take it from here."

She turned around and walked to a wide, slightly curved cristaline table that stood more towards the side of the room. "You're right. I was in here, while they were out there. I wished I could have stood beside my Queen but she told me to stay and watch over you.
With a touch on the surface the old console responded and buzzed back to life.
There was no fixed screen, instead it projected it's images above the control table. It showed multiple videos.
One of them was Setsuna, pleading with the Queen to let her come, but the Queen's firm decision that she had to keep the heirs out of harms way till the fighting was done. The video paused, and another picked up.
It was how all of them walked through the Door. And how the Queens and Lady Serenity with her court left the hall.
The video went on, it fast forwarded half an hour, then an hour, two hours, four. By that time that the princes and princesses would have exited the Door by then, but nothing happened.

"While you were with me on the other end of the Door time flowed differently for you. It was half an hour for you, and I was to release you once the Queen would come in." She lowered her head. "I felt Sailors Pallas, Vesta, Juno, and Ceres die."
A third video played where it showed a security feed of the city right when the four Asteroid Senshi were struck.
"Your parents came together as one group and gave up their powers." the video continued where it left off, with the original senshi holding hands and being surrounded by a colored light corresponding with them. The light shot upwards, the blast of energy knocking out the camera.

The second video returned to its normal speed.
"In her last moments Neo-Queen Serenity let it be known to me what the plan was. To let you into this world again. As she spoke the eight came into the hallway. Once all were out they all were hit by their corresponding light and frozen in the crystals.
Only the moon prince, being hit with two beams of light at once first fell down, Sailor Pluto barely catching him in time before the crystals surrounded him too.

The video paused and Setsuna remained quiet for a time. She didn't look behind her to the youngsters. She couldn't. But what she could do was answer one of Mamoru's questions.

"As for how the world fared under the rule of the Dark Empire." she moved her hands over the controls. The three videos were wiped away and new ones replaced them. Shots of various places throughout the city. Some were pretty heavily damaged, some just lived on, but mostly every place was affected in a negative way.
In a brief overview she showed how the city was doing throughout the years. How the rest of the world was filled with fog, where the Dark Crystal Palace stood. She explained that Ryuu, Mamoru's cousin, had formed a resistance, how it gained success, only to be nearly wiped out completely in the 31 years ago.
Images appeared of how the names of their mothers' buildings were defiled, changed, and everyone was denied access from the 5 Crystal Points.

"After that moment I thought the world was beyond saving. So I kept you here even longer, and it's good that I did." She skipped along mostly through the rest of the years, showing the growing extremes between rich and poor, favored by the Empire and mistreated by the Empire. Then she came to the images and videos two years ago, when the Resistance took back the Entertainment district. "The Resistance returned, freed one of the districts, but at a cost. Security in the other districts increased immensely and it will be impossible for the Resistance alone to free the entire city.

Now she turned to them. "This is why I woke you now."

 

[Olissa]

Ryoko

Who could have known that where Masami had sunk to her knees would have been the best spot for Ryoko to be in. The way the pair embraced each other allowed for Ryoko's face to be out of sight for all the others.

No one could see her face. And that probably for the best.
Her eyes shut, brows furrowed, jaw clenched. Her shoulders were tense, as was her entire posture. But whether or not that was from holding back tears is something that would be hard to notice from the back.
It weren't tears that Ryoko held back.

Anger, hatred, rage, despair. Small words describing a sliver of what was boiling deep within. An overwhelming sensation that the last heir of Mars had felt only once before. Not as intense, but undeniably familiar.
She had felt the change in Masami's embrace. Her friend trying to comfort her from the sadness that she didn't feel. Not that it mattered, it was still welcomed as it allowed her to forgo the world around her and drown in what welled up from inside.

All of the Moon Prince's questions and attempted speech passed her by, her own thoughts loudly overruling. Then a voice that snapped her out of it like a shock. Her eyes flicked open and Ryoko took a deep breath, apparently having held it while stuck in her own head.

Shizu

She had focussed so much on the prince, and then on Masami, that she hadn't spared a moment to check on him after that initial question he had asked her. Releasing her grip on Masami she turned to where she heard his voice.
At first she was lost. What was he going on about? But it didn't take long before she figured it out. He was rebelling against the very idea of being a sailor senshi and all the royal weight that came with it. Or so her conclusion was.

As much as she could understand his outburst, she couldn't condone how he spoke. To the prince, to the Queen of Pluto, about their mothers' task and in extension about her mother. He might be one of her two dearest friends, but no one, no one got to speak about her mother like that. Fueled by the thoughts that had held their grip on her just moments before she was just about ready to skin him.
While she grit her teeth and got to her feet Akemi and Etsuko both had stepped in, giving Shizumu a much milder version of what had been on her mind.

The momentum was gone, the energy had shifted, even in rage, logic still pulled the reigns on her actions. She was still going to speak her mind to him, but not now.
Heck even if she had wanted to, Queen Setsuna had cut in and began her history lesson.

The machine whirred and showed images of how they entered through the Time-Space Door. That she remembered. It felt surreal that that footage had to be 50 years old, yet to her, and no doubt the others, it felt like less than an hour ago.
Though perhaps the most surreal of it all was seeing her mother, so full of life after having heard she died, followed by the actual moment of death. As the camera got knocked out, Ryoko turned around, her hand in front of her mouth, barely containing the whimper from escaping her lips. It was one thing to hear it, it was something else entirely to watch it happen.

The rest of the presentation she merely listened, not wanting to watch the screen anymore. A resistance had been formed, was almost wiped out, and then came back to actually managed to free a part of the city. Now it was up to them to assist them.
There were a few questions that came up. How would they be able to find them, where would they stay, wouldn't the enemy just flat out aim for them the second they showed their faces?
She kept them to herself for now, not confident in how her voice was going to come out. Instead she walked a few steps away from the group, her back still to most of them. IF anything she wished she was sitting by her fires. But with her home closed off it was nothing more than a pipe dream.

 

[EndymionRose]

As Ryoko broke from Masami’s embrace she heard Shizumu’s rant about the Queens and how their deaths were pointless and demanded that the others turn away from their destinies, while simultaneously insulting both Sailor Pluto and Prince Mamoru. She stood, like Ryoko, ready to give him a piece of her mind but then things happened. Akemi and Etsuko stepped in and spoke to Shizumu before anyone harsher could speak up. Then Sailor Pluto gave her history lesson complete with video assistance. Watching her mother, strong, powerful, loving, give up her power to protect her and the other heirs and then to watch her final moments. It was all too much for her. She wanted to turn away, to ignore the facts about the last fifty years. But she couldn’t, her role forbade her. So she stood there and watched everything that transpired. She went up to stand behind her Prince and give support. “So where can we find the resistance now? And how can we keep the empire from learning of our return?” She was surprised at how steady her voice was when she finally spoke. It hid the storm that was raging inside her. The years of voice training helped her now in keeping her spine straight. She was doing everything she knew to be the pillar of strength.

 

[Olissa]

Hisako

It was against her wish, but what could she have expected from that sweet Rakushun. He meant well, even if it was a little awkward to be carried around.
Little Hisako held firmly on to her staff with one hand, her other arm over Raku's shoulder for stability.

As the news had been told of how their parents came to their demise Hisako simply looked to the ground. She could feel the shift in how Rakushun held her. It probably would have been better for him to be seated instead of standing, but that wasn't something she could change anymore. Quietly she gazed at the glaive in her hand. It was surprisingly light, especially considering the weight of the task that came with it. Perhaps its physical weight was a counter balance to it in some way.

Hisako heard the Prince's questions and rally. She smiled. He did well for a first time. She wondered if Neo-Queen Serenity would have been able to do that on her first moment as a senshi. She had heard bits and pieces of that time, more than a thousand years ago, but not enough to really know what everyone had been like from beginning to end. It wasn't something that had held her interest, but she couldn't help but think of it now that ChibiMamo, no wait, Mamoru was taking up the mantle.

The moment was brief, as the biggest troublemaker of the group wasn't too keen on participating in becoming a senshi.
Her heart ached. It was painful to hear him talk. Not just because the words hurt her, and everyone that heard them, but because she couldn't fathom what was going on in his head right now. Anger no doubt, but anger at who? Pain perhaps as well. She didn't know him well enough to really figure out what went on behind those sea green eyes, but she could guess based on the many people she had encountered in the hospital.

There never was a shortage of people who had received horrible news regarding their health or that of their loved one in a hospital. She'd seen just about every reaction out there. Some grew silent, some cried, some became flat out violent towards the doctors, or their loved ones, or even towards themselves. She'd even seen very peculiar cases where people responded in glee. It took her a while to understand that one, but for those who had searched for answers and finally got it, no matter how bad, it was finally an answer to what ailed them. Which brought them a twisted sense of euphoria.

Euphoria was far from anyone's mind here. She gently tugged on Rakushun's sleeve to let him know he could put her on the ground. Her legs weren't completely warmed up yet, but it was going to take a while before that would happen. No way was she going to let him hold him for that long. If she was going to do this, carry her weight, she had to show that she was equally ready.

The outbursts had come to an end, proceeded by Queen Setsuna giving a video overview of what had happened. She watched the screen, leaning on her glaive for stability. Her jaw was clenched. Even with all the death she had encountered at the hospital, it wasn't the same as watching people die that she'd known all her life. Especially her own mother.

Once the videos were done Hisako walked forward, carefully, and stopped next to the last of the Moon line. While she had plenty of practice, giving a hopeful word to people in the hospital, this situation was different, so it took her a moment to find the right words.
"You're right, our parents shine through us, the Queen's light shines through you. And yet we're not our parents, which perhaps is precisely the point why we are capable of doing this. We won't be able to find closure within these cold walls. We might never be able to let go of our mothers." She gripped the Silence Glaive firmly. "But you can be damned well sure we'll avenge them."

 

[The Succubi Queen]

AkemiAkemi never got a chance to hear Shizu's retort to her smart remarks, before Etsuko, and then Setsuna herself stepped in. She couldn't help but feel a little insulted. One of, what, 3 people Shizu talked to and she was already being brushed aside? She was used to being treated like a little kid, but not by Etsu. Like she hadn't even spoken at all. She shot a glance at Etsu's back, and then looked to Shizu. His eyes gave him away a lot. What was he feeling? At this moment.

As the room filled with light screens, displaying the circumstances that had led up to them being trapped in magic rocks, Akemi felt the blood in her veins grow hot, almost like it was boiling. A lump formed in her throat, the beginning of a sob that just wouldn't seem to escape. They'd been on some silly jaunt around space/time while their parents had died? They'd been tricked and sent to be babysat while their Moms all went off to face their death? Children. Sent off to the nursery while their parents fought a fucking war, but surprise, they weren't coming back. All dead. Leaving them all alone, and they hadn't even been told why until it was too late.

She was furious. If it hadn't been invincible space magic, she might have snapped the Mercury Pen in half, her fist was so clenched. If they had just taken them all seriously, for just a moment, just long enough for them to help....

Setsuna continued to speak, to try to explain herself, but Akemi's opinion was already formed. Oh, of course. Akemi thought sarcastically. They'd been kept on ice for 50 years until the Resistance was doing something useful. They couldn't have been doing something useful all these years? She couldn't have been? The more she heard, the more Akemi was starting to see the value in Shizu's argument. They'd been tricked by their own parents, and were now supposed to just carry on their legacy like the good little children they'd always been? And Masami and Hisako were just going to go alone with it? Well, Akemi hadn't even been a model child, and it didn't look like 50 years had made a big difference.

"Revenge, huh?" She muttered under her breath. That was what Hisako wanted? Akemi could agree to that. But she wanted a bit more than that right now. "First, we need out of here." she said, loud enough that she knew Setsuna would hear her. She couldn't be here much longer- it was a prison. Just like the the title of Princess had always been. It was just a literal prison now. Doomed to be Sailor Mercury and guard.. what, Love and Books? All because Mamo's mom had decided they should be babysat instead of helping.

 

[EndymionRose]

Rakushun.

When Hisako left his arms to stand on her own, Rakushun did his best to continue to stand strong. But, it was too much. Hearing that his parents were dead, Sailor Pluto refusing to answer about his siblings and now having to watch his mother’s final moments. He couldn’t bear it. All the strength left him and he fell to his knees and buried his face into his hands. This wasn’t suppose to be his world, his life. This is what Shouke had wanted so desperately. She was the princess the public wanted and adored. He was just the dumb brother that couldn’t do anything right. Wasn’t the fact that he was here proof of that? He had failed at everything he ever tried. This was all wrong, all wrong. It had to be a nightmare. His mind kept on this spiral as tears rolled down his cheeks. He stayed in his own world until he heard his friend begin speaking of revenge. Then Akemi spoke up about leaving.

“I don’ want this.” He said in a voice far weaker than he had before. “This was Shouke’s dream not mine. I don’t want this.” His body shook violently from his sobs. “I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.”


Masami

Revenge huh? So that’s what the young ones wanted? Masami could understand it, but at the same time knew she had to keep an eye out to make sure it didn’t consume them. Sympathy filled her eyes as she watch Akemi and Hisako begin to rally themselves for the fight ahead. She even saw Rakushun fall to the floor, seeming to take all of this news the hardest. She wanted to console him but she didn’t know him well enough to know what to say. She looked around to see if anyone else would go to his side before she would make her move. Instead, she racked her memory about the layout of the castle.

“Queen Pluto.” She said, forcing her voice to be steady and formal so she would break down as well, “Isn’t there an entrance to the catacombs under the palace? Couldn’t we leave the palace that way to escape detection?”

 

[Pretzel Heart]

☾ Mamoru Tsukino ☾​

While chaos unfolded around him, Mamoru just stood, biting his lip so hard he swore he could taste blood.

Prince Shizumu.

I really don't like him.

It felt like the most evil thought he had ever allowed to cross his mind, especially in the wake of trying to memorialize his mother's passing. The mother who accepted all, loved unconditionally. Mamoru had always thought that at least he could get that much right. Be kind and loving to everyone...how hard could it be? And the truth was, most people never left enough of an impression to effect him otherwise. He didn't allow them to.

But Prince Shizumu... had always been the exception.

From the minute they met Mamoru felt like he had it out for him...and that was back before he had left home and garnered a string of unpleasant rumors to follow in his wake. No matter how hard he tried to remain serene, it felt like Prince Shizumu always knew just how to get to him...unearthing feelings he didn't even realize were there. Every encounter leaving him feeling exhausted and full of self-hate.

But this was the first time he had ever seen him go after Setsuna.

All he could do was stare in shock, helpless as the prince dared to insult, to touch his queen. And to salt the injury he just had to throw in a comment about his 'perfect mommy' as well, causing Mamoru to wince. But still, he did nothing. Just a few moments before he thought he had never felt more powerless...but Neptune's heir had somehow managed to challenge even that. All he could do was stand, hands crinkled into fists so tight they were beginning to get white. Somehow the words "That's enough" managed to escape his lips, but it was a pathetic attempt at retaliation that cool green eyes could easily see through, flicking away with a crushing dismissal. Leaving Mamoru with nothing but a fury he simultaneously hated and desperately wanted to fuel. But now was not the time. Now, more than ever. So, as usual, he remained stuck. Unable to figure out where to go...

Thankfully Princess Akemi stepped in, though Mamoru wasn't sure if her harsh remarks would do more good than harm. But if there was anyone to put out the fire of Prince Shizumu's tirade, it was Princess Etsuko.
If he really cared so little for everyone else, couldn't he see the pain he was causing his own sister? Mamoru knew that if it was Usagi uttering those pleading, defeated words, he would have deflated in an instant. But Neptune's heir made no effort at apology.

At some point during the commotion Mamoru had fallen back down to his slab. For all his talk he had done nothing to diffuse the situation. Maybe he really was just playing at being a hero.

"Don't take it personally, boy. Just what is up with that one, anyway? Someone rub his fur the wrong way?"

Mani, seemingly calmed down from before, was once again grooming himself from a respective distance. Mamoru threw him a small and grateful smile. He hadn't really expected anyone to comfort him.

"Prince Shizumu has always been like that..."

He wistfully looked towards the man, now slouched again the wall.

"Impossible to read. Impossible to deal with."

"Ah, a true D̴̡͚͑a̴̟̞͑͐r̶̨̦͆k̵̢̗̈̍ H̵͍͊ẽ̴̜͎͗ro after my own Heart! But learning to deal with all types is key to being a Wise King. Lucky for you, you have the Ḡ̸̲r̸̈͜e̴̤͑å̶͚t̵͓̋ F̸̠̎a̴̡̒l̵̦͑l̷̠̕ë̶͚́n̵͎͗ Ơ̷͕n̴͖͘e̷͓̕ to show you how it's done!"

This statement was punctuated by a rather sinister laugh, at least until Mamoru interjected.

"Huh? But you didn't do anything, either."

Rather than defend himself (as such things were below him), Mani instead silently nudged something towards the prince's still-clenched hand.

At last releasing his fists, realizing for the first time the crescent-shaped impacts they had made on his skin, Mamoru found himself reaching for his mother's compact. The gold sparkled dangerously against crystal-reflected light, each gemstone winking back encouragingly. As his fingers met metal they leapt back, chased off by something like a static shock. It was only for a moment, but...upon touching the compact......he had felt something. Like a shot of serotonin that was completely foreign against the backdrop of his current anxious mood. A coating of something like optimism. Hope. Allowing himself the slightest anticipation, he reached for the compact again. But this time there was no mysterious sensation. No relief. Instead it just felt heavy, filling out the circle of his palm. He had never held it before. Never had the desire to. Looking at it, he again fought the urge to cry.

"I felt Sailors Pallas, Vesta, Juno, and Ceres die."

Instead Mamoru was jolted by the sound of Setsuna's voice. He had been sure that everyone else was preoccupied with one another, doing what they all seemed to excel at in forgetting him. But as he had been wrapped in conversation with Mani and his own thoughts, the last of the queens had gone over to some sort of console to pull up a video display. His confusion compounded when the first image he saw was of his sister's court, obliterated in a single strike.

"What!?" He couldn't prevent the surprised gasp from leaving his mouth. His sister's close friends, girls he had grown up with, torn apart before his very eyes. It took him only a few more seconds to gather what was going on, but the quickened pace of his heart continued to heavily beat on. Why did they have to see this? They already knew the truth that their parents were dead, so then why...

Watching himself among the heirs, emerging carelessly from the Space Time Door completely innocent of the tragedy raging on outside, Mamoru felt nothing but disappointment and shame. That only increased once, despite himself, he couldn't quiet the fluttering of his heart when he saw Setsuna rush to catch him. It made him recall, for the first time amidst the chaos of their rude awakening, the words he had spoken to her the day before-- no, the day fifty years before. He never thought or expected to have his feelings returned. Just to help her, that would be enough. Though he had often wondered if all the time they had spent together had left any sort of impact on her eternity of being alone...

But now was not the time to get lost in such childish thoughts. Instead Mamoru ran from the sadness of having to see the moment of his parents' deaths by focusing on gathering information instead. They were lucky to have this footage; they weren't able to be there during the traumatic events, but this was the next best thing. Ascertain the damage- what happened to the survivors, how the city had rebuilt itself over time. The presence of the strange mist did not escape him. Was that some kind of toxin? Natural pollutant? Concentrating on the wreckage, he tried to extrapolate the cause. Charred edges of buildings, black and melted remnants scattered amongst the debris, could it be signs of some kind of lazer or explosive? Curiously enough, there were also areas that seemed to be flooded. Perhaps the intruders brought with them a variety of extreme weather patterns. But beyond a hint and flash of color through the destruction and the fog, no claims as to their identity could be made.

The Dark Empire...

That name, casually uttered by the queen like any other word one has mulled over and over again in their mind, seemed to be the only definite piece to the puzzle.

At least there was hope. Even as the heirs had slept, as Prince Shizumu had said, the city had been rebuilt and its people had learned how to live in this uncertain world. And some, even, had begun to fight back.

Cousin Ryuu is still alive?

Mamoru was ashamed that, with everything else going on, he had forgotten clean about him. But at remembering his little cousin he couldn't help but smile. Last time they had seen each other the 11 year old had thrown a chess board in his face (even though Mamoru had been planning to let him win anyways). One of the black rooks was still chipped because of that incident. And now he was...what, a 61 year old man? With a son? That, more than anything, made him feel the years that had passed.

I wonder if he still remembers me.

After the video finished everyone had a lot to contemplate. Surprisingly, the smallest of all was the first to speak. Mamoru once again felt a surge of guilt at not having attended to her sooner; Hisako was only a 14 year old girl, after all, and had barely gotten to enjoy life outside of a hospital. But her voice was clear and strong, filling him with a growing sense of pride that curdled at her last words.

"You can be damned well sure we'll avenge them."

Nearby Princess Akemi seemed to spit out an agreement, followed by Mani's robust cry.

"Aye! Revenge on those who sully the name of D̸͚̆a̶̲̍r̵̥̍k̶̨̅n̸̖̈́é̷͓s̵̲̚s̶̙̈́!"

Vengeance...would mom...really want that?

He supposed it was natural to demand payback for the pain and suffering caused to who knew how many people. Some repentance for the countless lives lost, and those wasted away.

But was that really the answer? Inside himself, at least, he could find only sorrow. No anger. No desire.

Before he could explore the idea further, however, there came a cry from nearby.

Mamoru's heart stopped when he saw Rakushun fall to his knees. It was a delayed reaction, echoing that of Princess Masami and Ryoko earlier, but a powerful one that he could only emphasize with. After all, those were his own doubts coming from Rakushun's mouth, causing the moon prince to bite his lip once again. But seeing someone in need was a good distraction from himself. Rakushun was only a child, someone who shouldn't have to bear dark truths or destinies. But more importantly, he was one of the only heirs Mamoru felt it was okay to call a friend... or, at least, he didn't seem to mind the times they spent together. Because of that he couldn't stand to see him in such a way. Because of that... he wanted to protect him.

Protect...is this what dad meant that time?

Slipping his mother's compact into his pocket, Mamoru slid off the slab one last time to kneel before the prince. Once on the floor all he could do was watch him awkwardly for a moment, remembering the outstretched hand. What was he supposed to tell him? Objectively speaking their situation was dismal.

"There, there. It will be okay."

He tried to sound encouraging but he knew it was nowhere near enough. Was that really the best he could come up with? Mamoru was about to sigh, to turn to Hisako, to pray for her to comfort her friend- after all, given their feelings, wasn't she better equipped for such a thing? When an image of Usagi popped into his head. And suddenly he knew what to do.

He took a breath, preparing himself, and hugged the sobbing boy.

"Rakushun, you...you are strong enough. To do whatever it is you set your mind to. I...nobody wanted nor expected this. It's okay to be scared. But you're not alone, alright? Even if you need to take some time, the others...we'll be strong for you until you're ready to join us. So that's why you'll be okay."

Beyond maybe a comforting pat Mamoru wasn't really a touchy-feely type, so going out of his way to hug someone was a new experience for him (and more than a bit embarrassing). But he just wanted to help...to let him know how much he believed in him. In all of them.

Glancing over the shaking shoulders in his arms Mamoru flicked his gaze towards Setsuna, wondering why she had to show them something so bitter when they were still so young. Even though he trusted her enough to follow her blindly to the ends of space and time, knowing she always had her reasons, it was just...too cruel.

At Princess Masami's words Mamoru finally pulled back. "Yeah, we should leave." The once homey and familiar halls of the place he had spent the majority of the past 18 years had become unfamiliar and foreboding with the weight of all that had transpired during the decades they had slept. Now instead of warmth and comfort all he could feel was the loneliness of his family's absence. Being there was like walking through a ghost story, set long in the past. Turning back towards Rakushun he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help you find your siblings, I promise. If Cousin Ryuu is still around, I know he'd make sure they're safe. So let's go ask him together."

He finally stood, offering a hand to help Rakushun if he was ready. If not, that would be okay, too. For the younger ones, he wanted them to take all the time they needed. Hisako, Princess Masami, Princess Akemi...they had all put on such a brave face. But it was okay to be upset, to be angry, to roll on the floor and cry.

"Rakushun. Prince Shizumu, too. Of course you guys don't have to do anything you don't want to. But... we are going to have to learn to work together, okay? Something like... your strengths...and weaknesses...are something everyone can share."

Even if it means I'm the one, I'll shoulder it all if I have to. That's my duty now. As the last moon prince.

"Ah...Also, Setsuna. Is there any way you can get me a copy of that footage? I maybe want to...look it over more later."

Inwardly he shuddered at the thought of having to face those deaths again, though he was sure the image of his mother bursting into light would haunt him for many days and nights hence. But maybe there was something there, hidden in the frames of those videos, that could help them. He would scan them over and over for such a chance.

​

 

[Pretzel Heart]

♆ Shizumu Kaiou-Tenou ♆​

Ryoko was the first to grab Shizumu's attention, standing with an intensity about her that seemed to speak of words she didn't get the chance to say. Because, unsurprisingly, Akemi was the first to answer his demands. Surprising, though, was her response. He had been hoping that she, at least, would have enough sense to see things his way. Instead it sounded like someone wanted to talk their way out of the recording session they had planned for next week. Or...at least, had planned before they had been kidnapped and put to sleep for fifty years. But that's why he kept her around, right? She was such a cheeky kid. Really. Even if he caught her with that look, sometimes- that look, the one he used to live for, that all fans, whether they realize it or not, sometimes wear- she would always find a way to dance around it, surprising him just when he was thinking it might be time to cut whatever it was connecting them. So he didn't mind her challenging him now and again; it's not like anyone needed more than one Shouke in their life. As Akemi went on Shizu chose to tune her out, placing one hand on his hip while the other coyly toyed with the collar of his shirt as he wondered if her little studio would still even be active. Probably all her one-time high-tech gadgets were now completely obsolete. He knew it would drive her crazy, and the thought was almost revenge enough for her jabs.

Honestly, in any other circumstance her words probably would have made him laugh, ending in a playful shove accentuated by a 'fuck off.' But this was not most circumstances. This was being held prisoner for decades and told your parents were dead and now you have to take their place. Being told that your life doesn't matter and never did. Because your life is a symbol and you don't exist.

With an obvious pout Shizumu blew some loose strands of hair out of his face before snitting out a reply.

"At least I have a brain to rot. Maybe once you hit puberty you'll understand. If you don't get yourself killed playing knight to your pretty little princess first."

And then Etsu stepped in.

"Shizu, stop." Their voice was now full-on yellow. Meaning that even if Shizumu closed his eyes he could still see her pain, blurred like fireworks in the corners of the dark. If only he could make her understand the things he couldn't say. They were twins, right? What good was their otherworldly connection if it couldn't even do that? Even if no one else accepted him, even if the whole world turned their back on him, or he on the world, shouldn't she, at least, remain by his side? Be able to find the truth no matter how deep he buried it away? But Shizumu had long suspected that the only way for Etsuko to really understand would be to drag her down to his depths, and that was a sacrifice he was never going to make.

They had made it last a while, hadn't they? This game they played despite their differences. Despite the fact that one of them was speeding towards a future that the other would never reach.

Shizumu opened his eyes, looking his twin full in the face. He wanted to say something, anything, to prevent this moment from being what it truly was. The beginning of the end.

But Pluto cut in instead.

Denied a response, Shizu could only roll his eyes in frustration. He found the nearest wall and slumped against it, doing his best to drown out whatever the last of the queens was saying despite the tantalizing pomegranate pull of her rich, plum-colored voice. It reminded him vaguely of the amethyst he kept on his bedside table; what he wouldn't give to have it now. A circle of amethyst and lepidolite and a full carton of cigarettes. All the liquor off the top shelf in Atomic Rocks. All the liquor in the world. He sighed. Even if he had all that, he didn't think it would help. Maybe he should just go back to bed for another 50 years.

Eternity's Cheesecake continued to show some sort of video Shizu refused to watch. Instead it was more entertaining, and more of a successful distraction, to look at everyone else's reactions to whatever it was instead. Seeing their faces contort into pain, anger, and horror. Sea-colored eyes flicked towards the screen just in time to catch a pale turquoise light. He blinked and it was already over. Too quick for him to even see whatever expression had been on his mothers' faces.

Then a stifled whimper drew his gaze to... Ryoko.

He watched her figure against the backdrop of the video, uninterested in the history whirring pointlessly around her perfect silhouette. No matter how sturdy she held herself now, the way she had immediately crumpled to Masami's side seemed a much more honest reflection of her thoughts. Of course she had to be devastated. But now, more than ever, Shizumu could feel a chasm beginning to open up between them. After all, their relationship to the queens was entirely different. And the path that Ryoko was so acutely destined for...the one Pluto was asking them all to walk down......was simply not one he could follow.

Before the canyon between them was wide enough to swallow the last remains of their longtime tenuous relationship, he leapt across, following his one-time friend to the back of the room.

Yet for once he didn't have anything to say, not even sure if she noticed him standing there, as deeply submerged in thoughts as she seemed. It bothered him that, no matter how many girls he had met, chased, and conquered, not one of them had been able to show him the way to understand the one he should know best. And it felt like every day he was coming closer to losing the chance that he ever would. Day by day, year by year, fifty times over... like leaves scattered on a wave, swept out in countless directions on the sparkling tide. How many more moments would he get like this, with her? She was the only one who hadn't betrayed him earlier. But would that have been true if Akemi hadn't spoken first? If he had heard whatever words she had been planning to say?

That thought built up a wall between them, leaving Shizu silent as he stood by her side.

"This is all so fucked."

If she heard him, he bounced off the wall before she could make a reply.

Bright pink sobs were beginning to fill his eyes and ears, and as he rejoined the group he grimaced to find the two princes on the floor, hugging it out over some shit.

"Well, it was only a matter of time before someone started crying. Maybe you shouldn't have played such a scary movie, Chickadee. 50 years of babysitting really should have taught you to save the Rated X flicks till after bedtime." He sulked towards Pluto in cooish mockery for no other reason than to attempt to drown out the sounds with his own colorless voice, rubbing a hand over his ear as if that could stop the Barbie-colored barrage on his senses. If one of them had to start up couldn't it have been the little blonde chick? At least she was a soft, powdery blue that didn't make him want to throw up.

Acknowledging his presence, Mooney Tunes launched into another cutesy speech. Yada yada, lots of grey and the power of friendship. If Shizumu rolled his eyes back any further he'd begin to make out his brain.

"Don't try and comfort me," he retorted, using his finger to twirl a deep blue strand of hair, "it just makes you look more pathetic. It's already obvious you don't have a fucking clue."

Like a pufferfish the prince stupidly opened his mouth to respond, but instead of saying anything his eyes just dropped and looked away. Shizu crinkled at the pity he read there. He'd really like nothing more than to punch that sorry look off his stupid face. It was his damn mommy who had gotten them and all their parents into this mess, and now he was expecting the survivors to follow suit- fall right back into the line that gotten their families killed. It was brainwashing of the worst kind. How many people would die for him based on those half-assed, bullshit ideals? But enough Etsuko interventions had lead Shizumu to accept that he was a lot better at getting others to fight than fighting himself. Besides, even if he watched Moon beaten to a pulp it wouldn't change a single thing. Even if it might make him feel better.

I really need that smoke.

Talk of leaving- finally- had Shizu stick his hands in his pockets to look around the room. Come to think of it, there was no real point in staying. The palace was big and unfamiliar enough that he might get lost in it, but even wandering around trying to find the exit for the next few hours was a better alternative than sticking with the Kindergarten Crew to show him the way. Besides, they'd already kidnapped him and held him prisoner for the past fifty years, there was no reason for him to give them a second longer of his time.

If only he hadn't let Etsu convince him to go to the castle that day! He wouldn't have had to be dragged into this mess. He could have found some way to get Etsu out, maybe Akemi and Ryoko too. Maybe then he'd-- Maybe she would---

Fuck!

Slamming his fist against the slab Prince Mooney had woken up on, Shizu picked a direction and began to walk, leaving the rest of the group far behind. His mother's transformation pen still glittering dangerously from the floor.

 

[Olissa]

NPC Setsuna

Just like the first time she told them the fated ending of their parents, the effects of the videos they watched once again affected them.
It was cruel perhaps to show them all of this. It was cruel. No doubt about it.
She could have avoided it all, not show them any of this. It would have saved them from the haunting images. Yet... Somewhere she had a hope that those haunting images would prove useful for them.

Whether it was simply so they could learn more about the world they were about to step into, or to fully, deeply, understand that this wasn't a game. This wasn't something that could be ignored.
In a way she had also hoped that it would have assisted Neptune's heir to see the value in pursuing this path, but it only pushed him farther it seemed.

The first to speak up was the littlest one.
Setsuna knew she meant well, talking of how they are different from their parents and that this would be why they would be able to make a difference, but it was overshadowed by the dark tone of her last words. Avenging her mother, all their mothers.
Even if she were to advise against it, it did prove to rally Akemi a little.

Two came forth with questions. Masami's questions about where the resistance was, and about remaining a secret that they had returned followed by Akemi's request for them to leave. She had to applaud the blonde for her steady sounding voice so soon after having had that breakdown on the floor. Her training had done her well. To both of them she gave a nod that she had heard them.

Although he had been crying on the ground already, Akemi's mention of leaving this place unleashed a wave of doubting words from Rakushun. She felt for the boy. His siblings unaccounted for, his mother and father gone, and now he was to take the spotlight instead of his sister.
Despite having to deliberately ignore Shizumu's relentlessly sinister remarks a tiny corner of a smile played at the sight that Setsuna saw unfolding right after. Mamoru, one who had so little contact with the others and wasn't much attune to comforting and cheering others up had gone to console the boy.

This left her with a moment to answer the questions. The Resistance is underground, in the Catacombs of the city. You can access that via the Blue Moon Hotel which is located directly against the Neptune Concert Hall. Go there and ask for Ryuu, I'm sure he can help you from there on." She had tried to keep tabs on the world out there but it was hard to do that accurately from within this palace. This was as much as she could give them. As for your identities. The world thinks you're dead. You're not royalty anymore. Not in their eyes at least. So when you return you are just more faces in the crowd. Of course, should they find out you are the heirs that went missing in battle you will be hunted down and killed without mercy." Or at least she figured that would happen. It was better to err on the side of safety.

Venus' heir chimed in another question, about the entrance to the catacombs below the Palace. She was right, there was a door that lead to the catacombs. It would have been the safest way to get them out, and others in, if it hadn't been for one tiny detail.

She let Mamoru speak to the group, to Rakushun and Shizumu specifically, which only drove Shizumu farther away.
Physically further away. This wasn't good. He had left the room.
Great, just great.

Her eyes on where the young man had walked off to she nodded to Mamoru's request for the footage. "It's been uploaded to Ami-... Akemi's supercomputer." She tapped a button on the console and a little beep went off on the supercomputer.

Turning her attention to the group again she sighed. "Someone is going to have to try and get Prince Shizumu back, because there is only one way for you to leave this place. Yes, there is a door below the palace, but when your mothers gave up their powers it caused the palace to be sealed in its entirety. I have tried to get to the catacombs, to help in any way I could after the devastation, but even that door is sealed." She glanced at some of the faces. "You will need to Sailor Teleport out of here. Which means you will need to transform, stand in a circle holding hands, and call out Sailor Teleport" She looked back to where Shizumu had gone to. "You must all do this together. No one can be left behind..."

 

[The Succubi Queen]

• Uranus
• Mercury

• EtsukoWhy? Why did they have to watch this? Their eyes flicked from screen to screen, every moment growing in horror. Why had it happened this way? She thought their mothers saw them as equals- adults in their own right. Sure, not perfect royalty, but old enough to be trusted. Relied upon in times of need.
  
  But no, their mothers were dead, and they were here, alive, protected. Coddled. She hated to be coddled. She couldn't understand why they hadn't at least trusted her with the truth until this moment. And Shizu... the way he had looked at her, when she stood between him and Setsuna.
  
  They had just lost everyone that mattered to him, and she had confronted him in front of everyone. Perhaps, even beyond the heartbreak of knowing their mothers were gone, was the deep pit in knowing she might have just destroyed his trust in her. She spared a quick glance around the room. Hisako, ready for revenge, Akemi echoing her thoughts, though Etsu thought she recognized the hard edge in her voice. In these moments, something had changed in her. Rakushun, so heartbroken, shouldered with a fate he might have escaped. Ryoko and Masami, trying to be composed when their pain was so, so obvious. Mamo, trying to step into a skin he never thought he'd have to wear, as though he was already trying to fill the large shoes that had been left to him.
  
  She barely heard Mamo's words, too busy watching Shizu. Every word he said continued to hurt, not just Setsuna and Mamo, as he intended, but her too. She knew, she knew that he was just angry and hurt, but they were all stuck together now. They'd all hate him, and she'd never be able to stand for that. She would defend him, against anything, but she could barely stand to hear this spite coming from him.
  
  He turned and walked away, and Etsu felt like her heart was about to shatter. Before she had even registered what was going on, she picked up his pen, and her own, and took off after him. She couldn't lose him too. The others could take care of themselves but he needed her right now. Just like she needed him. No one else mattered, so long as he was ok. He very clearly wasn't right now, and she had been foolish to stand by him. What did her unconditional love matter when she couldn't side with him at times like these?
• AkemiShe'd been stupid to think a few harsh words would get to Shizu. When had her taunting ever really phased him? After all, he'd been right- she'd just been shouldered with a burden she'd been adamant she never wanted, and been lied to and locked away like a child. She felt like a character in some old timey manga, forced into an arranged marriage with some creepy old man. But there was no dreamy shoujo hero coming to save her. It was too late for that.
  
  She already had the stupid pen. She held back a short laugh as Setsuna spoke again. They weren't royalty anymore? "Wow, exactly what I always wanted. No more Princess Akemi." Nope, she was just stuck being Sailor Mercury. A fantastic trade-off.
  
  She wasn't involving herself in whatever Mamo and Shizu were on about. She watched as Mamo continued to talk, as though he could fix any of this with words. And Shizu just snapped back at everything, before storming off. He was right- Mamo didn't have a clue. None of them had a clue. They were all clueless and stuck together forever to face some evil force that was just going to kill them all, only 50 years after all the important people had died. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She almost turned to go after him, but Etsu was already taking off. She had a feeling Setsuna wouldn't let them all leave.
  
  Setsuna nodded when Mamo asked for the video footage, the footage Akemi had never wanted to see and never wanted to even think about again, but would haunt her forever. "It's been uploaded to Ami-... Akemi's supercomputer." A slip of the tongue, or more Freudian? Is that all she was? Her mother's replacement? A bad knock-off because the original Sailor Mercury had gotten herself killed? "My name isn't Ami." She corrected, the venom in her voice audible. She held the goggles in her hand, staring at them like she could break them with a glance. Now not only did she have the pen, she got to carry a constant reminder that her mother had locked her away and doomed her to the fate she had never wanted.
  
  She rolled her eyes when Setsuna said "No one left behind." Hadn't they been left behind? To pick up the pieces of the late parent's legacy? It was almost laughable that after not being trust to even be around for the real war, they were not expected to be a team and win against the same things that had killed the most powerful people the universe had ever known.
  
  Her free hand dug into a fist, her nails digging into her palm enough to leave bright red marks. She wouldn't say anything. It was useless too. She was alone and outnumbered, trapped by her birthright.

 

[EndymionRose]

Rakushun

Rakushun had been on the floor continuing to cry definitely not living up to the title of the Senshi of Strength and Courage. But, that was the farthest thing from his mind. His mind was spiraling through all the reasons he was unworthy. For not the first time a storm of doubt brewed inside him, raging and spinning like the great red hurricane of the planet his family used to rule. Then, out of no where, a hand touched his shoulder. A soft voice broke through his sobs. And finally, he felt an unexpected hug. Warm and comforting. Rakushun realized that it was Mamoru that was hugging him. His mind shut off for a second realizing that this was the first time the prince had actually touched him in a familiar way. He didn’t realize that the Prince’s simple hug was something that he wanted or even needed. He hugged the older royal back burying his face into the crook of his neck quieting his sobs to hear Mamoru’s words of encouragement.

When Mamoru broke the hug to stand and ask Sailor Pluto questions. Rakushun took a moment to wipe the tears from his cheeks. He was aware vaguely of Shizumu making fun of his crying, but he didn’t care. He knew Shizumu was cold, callous, and cruel. Those were the things his sister had loved the most about him, that he didn’t let soft emotions hold him back from what he wanted. Again his mind was derailed by Mamoru’s voice. The prince’s blue eyes pulled him in and his hand reached out to him. Rakushun could feel his cheeks turn red but even so he took that hand and stood.

“Thank you.” He whispered, cheeks blaring red and still sniffling. Not for the first time he felt embarrassed about being in front of all these other people and how he acted. However, for some reason there was a new storm within him. For the first time he was acutely aware of Mamoru’s hand still holding his and his cheeks grew even redder at the thought. Was he really the most fragile of the group? Was he going to need his hand held at every hardship? Awkwardly he let go of Mamoru’s hand and began to study his shoes.


Masami

Thankfully Mamoru went to console Rakushun so that Masami could continue to put on her act of strength. She watched as the younger boy clung to the older, only to blush later on. She did her best to pretend she didn’t notice. Again, thankfully, something happened to help distract her. Shizumu had one last outburst and then ran from the room. Soon he was followed by Etsuko. And, when Setsuna finally said that everyone was needed wether they liked it or not she saw that maybe now was the time to finally chat with the prince of Neptune instead of the quick flybys that they had in the past.

She gave Ryoko a quick glance to let her know what she was about to do and then she, as per her training, gracefully swept out of the room, skirts floating behind her. She followed the twins down the hall.

“Shizumu wait!” She called, her voice echoing and mixing with the clicks of her heels and the stomps of the two royals that she was chasing. It was a symphony of hollowness, one that felt odd and out of place in the palace where the sound of laughter was ever present. The same place where her voice echoed in songs of love, joy, and family. Shizumu was right about one thing. This place had turned into an isolated prison. A haunting relic of a golden past that the world had forgotten. They needed to escape and they needed him. She could only hope and pray that she could talk him down enough to help them leave.

 

[Olissa]

Ryoko

As if a wave crashed over her Ryoko was pulled from her mind prison once again by that one voice.

Shizumu.

What had he said? She turned to face him, but he had already left. Going over to Rakusun, Mamoru, and Queen Setsuna. Her heart ached. She kind of wished she could talk to him, or at least just be near him for more than two seconds.
There was a bunch of commotion. Mostly from his end. She sighed. She wasn't going to get involved, not with the headspace she was in now.

Ryoko almost flinched when the fist hit the stone. If she could she'd follow him, but was that a smart idea if his sister was already chasing his tail?
No, she'd wait. Etsuko was more adept at calming her brother down anyway.

From the back of the room where Ryoko stood she listened to the explanation of how they would have to get out of here. Transform... they'd have to go and transform to get out. Well great. Even though she could embrace the whole senshi thing, not all in this group could, or would.
She glanced towards the exit Shizumu and Etsuko had used. They hadn't heard that message yet. That there was no exit elsewhere.

At that moment Masami caught her attention, the younger giving her a glance that said more than enough.
Masami was always wonderful at being a princess, being dutiful to take up her role. And just like her mother would have done, Masami now went after the strays to reel them in.
Ryoko groaned. Despite Masami's best intentions, she knew Shizu. And Shizu would not tolerate any kind of heroic or patronizing speech. Especially not now.

"Masami, wait!" Ryoko called out and hurried after her. She exited the room and spotted the blonde making haste down the hall.
"Just let them be." she continued as she caught up with the younger girl. "He's not going to listen to you. Not right now. I know you mean well, and you want to do your job as leader, but he... his sister is probably the only one that can reach him right now. Plus, it's not like he can go anywhere?" She added at the end. After all, what would be the worst that could happen? They'd have to wait around till Shizu's mood calmed down and then leave? It's not like the world was at the brink of breaking, so they could wait, for now. While that all was true, maybe in a way Ryoko wanted to protect Masami from Shizumu's outburst if she didn't manage to reach him.

 

[Pretzel Heart]

☾ Mamoru Tsukino ☾​

At his attempt to reach out Prince Shizumu had coldly dismissed him and walked away. Rakushun had taken his hand but dropped it moments later, causing Mamoru to turn and see him staring at his feet. Maybe he should have let Hisako handle it after all, it seemed like rather than comfort the other prince he had just ended up embarrassing him. Mamoru did want to make sure the youngest of the Senshi were alright, but perhaps he should have had more foresight that they wouldn't appreciate being coddled. Unfortunately as he had been listening to Setsuna, he hadn't heard the prince's whispered words of gratitude. And then there was Akemi, now shooting daggers at Setsuna, thanks to his stupid question.

"I'm sorry..." he aimed her a bit helplessly; though the slip up wasn't even technically his fault, he felt stupid for even having brought it up. Though he did want to look at the videos, he was supposed to help the younger ones, not burden them further.

Mamoru sighed. Another day, another failure. He really had a long ways to go, didn't he? But it didn't matter how long it took, he didn't have the luxury of giving up...

So the Resistance...Cousin Ryuu...have been living underground this whole time?

It was a tactic that made sense. In a tiny conciliation, Mamoru had always been curious about the catacombs that ran under their city. Once he had even convinced Usagi and her court to take him down there to explore, but it had been dark and confusing and they ended up getting lost and scolded for quite a while once they had been returned home. He wondered if Ryuu would have discovered anything about them during his time living there. He wondered if his cousin would even still remember him. It would be so weird, to see him again. But as he was his last remaining family, Mamoru couldn't help but look forward to it. He could understand what Rakushun had felt, in a way. Even if decades separated them, those still alive were the last ties to what they had lost. The Moon Prince didn't have anyone to share his grief with. To the other heirs he had to be strong. His friends...well, they were not many in number. But perhaps if he was with someone who had overcome this struggle already, who could identify with his pain, perhaps then, he could afford to show a little weakness.

Weakness...

He shivered at the thought that, if anyone discovered him, he could immediately be killed. A panic which crescendoed when he realized that applied to any of them. Even though they had just been handed these heavy identities, at the same time they were stripped of them as well. No one could know the truth.

Just like mom, when she first started out.

It was a bitter comfort.

Mamoru wasn't the most fit of people. He had never been trained to fight, to run, to do much of any activity, really, other than on those days he dragged himself to the skating rink. But even skating, though it was his joy, wasn't something he had ever really excelled at. If someone wanted to kill him it wouldn't take much, and the moment the heirs made their intentions clear, they, as the new Senshi, would become the Dark Empire's number one target. Death was a very real possibility. Perhaps even far more possible than the smallest chance of success. And they were completely defenseless...

Well, not completely. Even from his pocket he could still feel the weight of his mother's compact. Something which he didn't really want to look at, let alone rely on. But if he thought of it in another way, wasn't that tiny golden circle his family's last protection? Like they were still watching over him, even from fifty years in the grave.

That's when Setsuna told them that if they wanted to leave they were going to have to transform.

"Eh!? So soon?" Now Mamoru was the one turning red and looking down at his feet. He had never seen his mother's transformation, though Usagi had done it in front of him, once, so he had a general idea of what it would look like. It wasn't something he really wanted to do in front of others, especially since he had never tried it before. What would he look like on the other side, anyway? He knew what his mother had once looked like, in the bright blue and red uniform that adorned so many artworks and photographs around the palace and city. Did...Did that mean by using her compact he'd end up wearing the same thing!? Come to think of it, he couldn't recall any records of male Senshi before the current generation. Including himself, there were now three princes. So what would happen once they used the pen?

"Fufufu, I know that look. You're thinking something Strange, aren't you?"

"W-What!? No! I'm not!"

He let out a nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "I-It's just, transforming so suddenly, after everything, is a bit..."

His immediate thought was one of panic, his brain coming to the rescue as it figured out a good way to stall. He just...needed a bit more time to prepare, he told himself. Before taking on that mantle.

"I mean, there's no rush, right? Actually, if we're going to meet up with the Resistance, we should think about other ways to help." With Masami and the three eldest heirs gone, now was the perfect time to show that he could also be of use. "No one's been in the palace for years, right? We can offer them supplies. Food is out of the question, perhaps medicine as well, but bedding, clothes, things that can be sold without being too suspicious. Is the currency the same? I know...I know dad used to keep money in his drawer for emergencies. Ah! I could bring some books! They probably don't have as much access to information on... on the kingdom. Maybe strategy books as well. We even have some really ancient ones if I recall---"

"Hey, what did I tell you about breathing between sentences!?" Mani bristled, causing the prince to realize that he had once again allowed himself to get caught in his own thoughts. Aloud. How embarrassing...

"Ah! Well...sorry...I just......"

"You're not just saying that to stall, are you? I've been waiting a long time to see Little Mamo's Transformation." The cat chuckled darkly to himself as he pulled his tail coyly up to his face.

"I-It's not stalling! I just meant that, while we wait for the others to go back, there's no reason for us not to make the most of our time." As if remembering for the first time that he wasn't alone, he made sure to address the others with a slightly pleading look on his face. "It's okay if I go alone but...if I had someone to help, we could...probably carry more, so......"

He trailed off and then stopped completely, his brain finally registering something important about the Last Queen's earlier words.

"No one can be left behind..."

"Wait. Setsuna...does that mean......you're coming with us?" He turned to her, expectant. Hopeful.