This story is but one part of many. In this story you may find clues and hints that will connect it and make it part of a whole. The whole is a creation of many authors known as the Circles of Time. A series of stories that will span many lifetimes, many people. This one takes place relatively early in the course of the events that Circles of Time encompasses. A story about birth and death, beginnings and endings. The shape of things to come. Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi are from the mind of Naoko Takeuchi and as such are hers. You will encounter many other characters who are from the imagination of the authors taking part in the series as time progresses and the creation known as Circles of Time unfolds. They tell of the events that shape the world and its people. It is through the eyes of the characters and ultimately the authors that you will see the world we have all helped make. And without the inspiration of Naoko Takeuchi and the universe she created none of this would have been possible. You can find the stories that make up the Circles of Time series here; http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9897/ct.htm At this place will you find the universe that the authors have created. Sailor Moon Circles of Time The Coming Darkness By Todd Foster PROLOGUE The fog swirled around Magellan as he stood in the middle of the huge room. He moved his hand through the air and watched as the fog flowed around it. Looking down at himself he saw that he was dressed in a highly stylized black armour with gold and silver trim. At his side hung a large double-edged sword that was made of a highly polished metal. Then he noticed the black cloak around his shoulders. Where am I, he thought. He looked around the room and could just make out the walls which seemed to be made out of some sort of crystal. He followed the walls up to the ceiling but they were so high that they were lost in the fog. "What is this place?" he asked aloud. He looked around the room again hoping to see something, anything that might give him some idea of where he was. "You must find the Messiah," a voice said from the fog. "Who's there!" Magellan called out as he drew the sword at his side. It's polished surface glinted in the soft light that filled the room. He spun around hoping to see who had spoken and took comfort in the weight of the sword in his hands. The sword felt alien and familiar at the same time. Some how he knew that it had always been his, yet he had never seen it before in his life. "Come out and show yourself!" he called out to the fog again. "If you do not find the Messiah, your world will be destroyed and ours will never be," the voice said. "Show your face!" Magellan once again called out. As he watched two forms began to take shape in the fog. Neither one came far enough forward for Magellan to see them clearly. The taller was almost definitely a man as his hair seemed to be cut short and he was dressed in some sort of armour. The other was a women dressed in a flowing gown that he could just make out. Her hair was made into two pony-tails that went down to her calves with a ball of hair on top of each. "Find the Messiah," they told him. "What do you mean?" Magellan asked, "Who is the Messiah?" "Find the Messiah," they said again as they disappeared back into the fog. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" he yelled. "Find the Messiah," their voices seeming to come from everywhere at once. "WHO ARE YOU?!" * * * Magellan sat up in bed with a start. It's that dream again, he thought. He spent several minutes sitting there in his bed before he decided to get up and look out his window. Throwing back the covers he climbed out and winced as his bare feet landed on the cold stone of Vlatmere Castle. The castle had been in the family for many generations and he had never known what it was like to live outside its walls. He looked out over the land that his father, Lord Endymion, presided over for their King. He then looked up at the moon that shown brightly in the night sky. Some how he felt that he was connected to it, as though it was a part of his being. There was a gentile knock on his door before it opened. Magellan turned to see his mother standing in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face. "Magellan, are you alright?" she asked him, "I thought I heard you call out." "I'm alright, Mother," the ten-year-old boy assured her, "I just had a bad dream, that's all." "Are you sure you're alright?" "Yes, Mother, I'm fine. Why don't you go back to bed," he assured her. She looked at him for a moment and realized that she was no longer seeing the carefree ten-year-old son that she had known. He had matured much in the last few months and she was now seeing a young man who was destined for greatness. She felt both joy and sorrow at the same time. Joy that he was turning into the man that his father had always hoped he would, and sorrow because he was no longer the innocent boy that she had raised. Yes, he was destined for greatness. Perhaps more than any Endymion who had come before. Even more than their ancestors who had made this castle and helped create the Golden Empire. "Very well. Try to get some sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow," she said. "I will, Mother," he replied, "Goodnight." "Goodnight, my child," his mother said as she closed the door. Magellan turned back to the window and looked up at the stars. The dream coming back to him in full. It had been the same dream that he had been having for as long as he could remember. It had started with just their voices, and over the years it had become somewhat clearer. He could at least see their outline now. But, what does it mean? he wondered. He could only guess at the dream's meaning. CHAPTER 1 A NEW LORD Magellan brought his arm down hard toward his opponent, the polished sword arching through the air. His opponent moved gracefully out of the way as the sword whistled through the space he had just vacated. "You're going to have to do better than that if you plan on bringing me down, my friend," Magellan's opponent said as he moved into position for a strike of his own. "Frederic, that was just to get you to move toward that bucket at your feet," Magellan said to his friend since birth. Frederic glanced down and didn't see anything at his feet. That's when he realized he had made a mistake. Quickly reversing the grip on his own sword he brought it up in an attempt at a weak block. Magellan's blade struck his own and then glanced off the armour on his forearm. It missed hitting his unprotected head by a scant few inches. "Easy there!" Frederic called out, "I would like to keep my head if that's alright with you. I've grown rather attached to it." "I don't know why," Magellan laughed as he deflected Frederic's counter strike, "There's nothing in there that would be of any use to you." "Too bad your own head is so thick your brain is only half the size it should be!" Frederic remarked as he made a slash at Magellan's legs. His blade struck the armour protecting Magellan's legs and knocked them out from under him. Magellan cried out as he went crashing to the ground, his arms failing about. He inadvertently let go of his sword and it went sailing in a wide arch through the air. It landed next to a young woman who was drawing some water from the well. The point pierced her skirt and drove itself into the ground at her feet. Her high pitched scream got the attention of several onlookers who were watching Magellan and Frederic practice. "Oh, Christ," Frederic remarked as he turned to help the distressed girl, "Now look what you've done." "What I've done?!" Magellan called out as he struggled to his feet, it wasn't easy in full armour, "You're the one who knocked my legs out from under me!" Frederic ignored him as he came up next to the girl and pulled the sword from next to her feet. "Sorry about that," he apologized to her, "My friend can't seem to hold on to anything of his." "I-Its okay," the girl responded, still shaken from nearly being skewered, "I was just startled is all." "Sorry about that," Magellan said to the girl as he came up next to the two. "There is nothing to apologize for, My Lord," she replied shyly. She was not used to being addressed to by royalty. "It didn't do any harm." Although Magellan was now twenty-one he still was uncomfortable with every one referring to him as Lord. After all, his father was still alive even though he spent his days in bed due to a sickness that the Healers couldn't cure. He wasn't the Lord of King Arthur's eastern provinces, yet. "Are you sure you're alright?" Magellan asked. "Yes, thank you, My Lord," the girl replied, her eyes downcast. "Here, let me fill this for you since I was the reason you dropped it in the first place," Magellan said as he reached down and picked up the pale she had dropped. He put it on the hook and let it down into the well. When it was full he hoisted it back up and handed it to the girl. "Thank you, My Lord," she said again as she took the pale of water. "It's the least I could do after startling you like that," Magellan said to her. She nodded her thanks and scurried off into the village. He watched the girl run off and then turned to face his friend. "You really have a way with women, making them run off like that," Frederic said to him with a smile. "And this coming from someone who has probably bedded every woman in the province that didn't out right slap him," Magellan commented. "Is it my fault that women flock from miles around to my bedside?" Frederic asked in mock indignation. Magellan gave him a sideways glance and looked him up and down. Frederic's shock of red hair came down to the point that it nearly hid his dark eyes although at the moment it was plastered to his head from their practicing. He was a little taller than Magellan himself, but was some what thinner. It was a wonder he was as thin as he was considering how much drink he put down. He had a reputation throughout the province as being able to drink anyone under the table, and still bed a women afterwards. He was also known as one of the best archers in the army by his men as well as one of the more outspoken commanders. Even with his at times immature behavior, he was considered one of the best soldiers to have ever lived. His own swordsmanship was second to only Magellan himself, and he lead a team of archers who had no equal in the whole Empire. Sword fighting wasn't even his main skill! Magellan on the other hand had been groomed to be the best swordsman the Empire had ever seen as well as the best military mind to ever lead men into battle. He had been trained by the greatest minds in the military and was well versed in the art of war. It was said that never had there been a leader as proficient in the ways of war as he. In the few battles he had partaken in he had lead his men to a swift and one sided victory in every instance. He was already a legend among the royalty and peasants of the province. His name had even been spoken among the halls of Camelot on more than one occasion. He was expected to become a great warrior and leader when he took command of King Arthur's Eastern Armies. While he waited for Magellan to make a response, Frederic took a moment to look over the mighty warrior and friend. Almost six feet in height with a lean muscular frame, dark hair, and blue eyes, Magellan was considered to be one of handsomest men in all the province. He would have had women coming from all over to see him if it weren't for the fact that he was royalty, and therefore off limits. His armour was polished to the point that it glistened in even the weakest of light. Frederic had to admit that his friend was by far greater than he himself was. Pure in heart and mind Frederic found himself often looking up to him. Both men were brought out of their reveries by one of Magellan's father's servants running up to them. "My Lord," the servant said as he bowed to Magellan, "I bring word from Lord Endymion. Your father wishes you to see him in his quarters at once." "Thank you," Magellan replied, "I'll be there as soon as I get out of this armour." "As you wish," the servant replied before turning and heading back to the castle. "Well," Frederic sighed, "I guess that means the end of today's practice." "If you're that depressed about it why don't you go sharpen your archery skills?" Magellan suggested, "Or get an early start in the tavern? We can't have the women deprived of your presence now can we?" "True," Frederic replied somewhat arrogantly, "Anyway, you had better not keep your father waiting. I'll see you over at the tavern when you're done." "Very well, I'll see you then," Magellan said and headed off to the castle. * * * Magellan took a deep breath before knocking on the door to his father's chambers. His father had been very ill for some months now and the Healers did not expect him to make it another month. The disease that was ravaging his body completely baffled the Healers and they had no idea what it was or how to treat it. Some had even come to conclude that it was witchcraft or sorcery. And Magellan had to believe that they might be right. There had been a growing faction of people who didn't follow his father's ideals. Although they had never done anything to call attention to themselves before, they might have slipped a poison into Lord Endymion's drink or they might have a witch or sorcerer among them. If they did, then their potential threat increased greatly. Fore if they were going to strike at the Royal House than this would be the time to do it. Magellan heard a faint order for him to enter and he opened the door. He saw his father laying on his great bed under the covers. The drapes had been pulled and the only light in the room was coming from the fire and some candles placed about the room. He finally moved forward and looked his father in the face. Magellan's father looked like he was on the edge of the abyss and Magellan suddenly felt as though he was about to see his father move on. His face was withered and pale from the disease. His eyes came to rest on Magellan as he came closer but they didn't seem to focus on anything. Magellan came up next to his father and knelt at his bedside, taking his father's frail hand in his own. "You sent for me, Father?" Magellan asked politely. He was very proud of his father, even when he was confined to his bed with this disease. There was a determination about the man that inspired Magellan to no end. He only wished that he would look upon his own death with such strength and courage. "I am glad you came, fore I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you," Lord Endymion said in a rasping voice. "Father, you are much too weak to talk. You shouldn't be exerting yourself like this. You need your strength to fight this disease that plagues your body," Magellan cautioned his father. He still had hope that his father would pull through. "You and I both know that I can't fight this vile disease," his father replied, "It was born of the blackest magic and I do not posses the power needed to defeat it. My time here is short and there are things you need to know before I go." "Father, don't say such things. You can defeat this disease. You know it as well as I do," Magellan pleaded. "That is completely false. I have known for some time that this was how it would end, just as I have known that the destiny pressed upon you will lead you into great darkness. But if you prevail you will become one of the greatest leaders to lead men to battle, possibly greater than King Arthur himself." "Father! How dare you speak against our King in such a way! I can only hope to be half the man King Arthur is," Magellan scolded him. "King Arthur's empire was doomed from the beginning. I know since I helped him build it. Evil was laid into the very foundation of his empire because some would not want him to be the man he is. His empire will fall, and that day is fast approaching. You must prepare yourself to lead men into the coming darkness in the hopes that you will be victorious. Fore if you are not, this entire planet will be consumed. But the Evil will not stop there. It will spread to the other planets of our solar system, and from there spread across the galaxy. If it is not stopped here, there will be no hope of ever stopping it until it has consumed all life." "Father, you are delirious. You're speaking of myths and legends. There is no life other than that which is here. And the Golden Empire will stand for thousands of generations. There has never been an empire that has ever united people the way the Golden Empire has. It will still stand long after my descendants are gone." "You are wrong. The evil that has undermined the Golden Empire grows stronger with each passing day. You have been given the strength needed to defeat it, but you can't do it alone. You must find allies that will aid you. Only when you find them will you be able to defeat the darkness that will destroy our world and the worlds of countless others. You must rise up to the challenge and excel. I have long known what your destiny has set for you. I wish that I had been the one chosen to carry such a burden, but it was intended for a far greater man than I. And that man is you , Magellan. You must harness the power that you have been blessed with and use it to destroy those who would destroy worlds." "Please, Father, you are exerting yourself more than you should. You need to rest." "There is no time for me to rest! My time here has almost expired, and I must impress upon you that which you will need to know to face the challenges set before you before I go. You must understand your importance to the survival of all living things. You must not let this evil succeed! You must crush it before it can rise to its fullest power. All our survival depends on it!" "Please, Father, don't do this," Magellan was close to tears, "You must preserve what little strength you have." Magellan watched as his father relaxed back into the bed. This time when he spoke it was no louder than a whisper and Magellan had to lean closer to hear his words. "I can only pray that you will understand what it is you must do. It is time for me to go. I now pass on command of Arthur's Eastern Armies on to you. Remember what you must do. Goodbye, my son," and with a last breath he closed his eyes and let himself go. Magellan just stared at his dead father for several moments, not believing that he was truly gone. He looked over to the night stand next to his father's bed and saw a single red rose in a vase. He watched as it slowly turned black and wilted before his eyes. It was with this last dying rose that he realized his father was truly dead. The title of Lord Endymion now lay upon his own head. CHAPTER 2 THE SENSHI OF VENUS AWAKES "Myung! It's time to go to the banquet!" Myung let out a sigh when she heard her big sister, Jeseme, call out from down the hall of the palace. She despised these social functions that she was forced to attend. It was nothing more than a bunch of people full of their own importance. Most of them did practically nothing and were complete fools as far as she was concerned. She wished she had been born into some other family instead of being born into the Royal Family of Venus. She let out another sigh before getting up off her bed. "I'll be down in a second, Onee-san!" Myung called down. Myung looked up to her sister and loved her dearly. She just couldn't figure out what it was her onee-san saw in these stupid parties. She did admire her inner strength and stamina though. She was glad her sister wasn't like the rest of those idiots who attended the parties. Maybe she liked the attention she received. Myung just didn't know. As hard as she tried to be like her sister she just couldn't do it. Where her sister gladly went to all the social functions and enjoyed them, Myung would rather be someplace else. Myung took one last look in the mirror to make sure nothing was so far out of place that it would cause her mother to have conniptions. Her long blond hair was tied back with a yellow ribbon that matched her full length gown perfectly. She would have preferred something more comfortable but her mother would have none of it. Myung was royalty and expected to dress and act the part. At times Myung felt her mother was keeping her under lock and key. Satisfied with her appearance, Myung went out of her room and headed down to the end of the hall where her sister was waiting. She looked at her sister and marveled at how beautiful she was. Others often made the comment that the two of them would have looked like twins if not for the fact that Jeseme was three years older. Since Jeseme was now nineteen she would soon be looking to take a husband. Jeseme was dressed in a beautiful white gown that flowed around her and made her look like she was a princess out of a fairy tale. Her blue eyes sparkled with a smile that radiated strait from her heart and it never failed to lighten up a room, no matter the mood. She was loved by all who knew her and was often the center of attention wherever she went. "What do you think?" Myung asked as she did a slow turn for her sister. "Not bad. Come here a second," Jeseme said and adjusted the straps on Myung's gown. She took a step back and nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect. You should have no shortage of men asking you to dance tonight." Myung blushed a bit at Jeseme's comment. "Thank you," she replied. "You're welcome," Jeseme said. Myung noticed a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Shall we go and be the envy of every girl at the party?" "Sure," Myung smiled and walked with her sister over to the West Wing Ball Room which was where the "social function" was being held. She didn't know how but her sister had once again managed to raise her spirits out of the gloom that they had been in. They both stopped and waited just out of view of the stairs that lead down into the ball room with their parents. All there was to do now was wait to be announced. Their mother heard them come up and turned to them, looking them over. "Are you two ready?" she asked. "Yes," the two young women answered. "Good," their mother stated, "It is about time to join the ball." When her mother turned back around Myung stuck her tongue out at her back. She felt Jeseme hit her arm and she spun her head around to look at her sister. Instead she noticed her father looking at her with a small smile on his face. Myung blushed in embarrassment and looked down at her feet. Just then she heard the herald call out from the bottom of the stairs. "Their royal majesties, the King and Queen of Venus!" With that Myung's parents headed down the stairs carrying the air of authority and dignity that being the King and Queen entailed. Myung couldn't see them descend the stairs and stood there waiting for herself to be announced. The next one to be announced was Jeseme. Just before heading down the stairs she turned and gave Myung a wink. Then she heard her name introduced. "Her royal highness, Princess Myung!" With that Myung straitened her back and moved down the stairs as regally as she could. She took a look around the room as she glided down to see who she recognized and who she didn't. She totally ignored the room as she had seen it so many times with it's finely crafted decorations and ornaments. Even the carpeting was plush and looked to be new, bearing false witness to the fact that it was as old as the palace itself. She recognized about half of the two hundred in attendance. She noticed several who were from the upper echelons of Venus society as well as several foreign dignities. She loathed almost all of them with the exception of a few who she deemed to be better than the rest of the socialites. Surprisingly both of the people she actually looked up too were high ranking military officials. They were Admiral Simon Donovan of the Jupiter Military Wing and General Ryo Acruz of the Venus Military Reserve. Both men were well into their fifties and carried an air of authority that was justly deserved. They had risen to their positions on shear character and power of will rather than inheriting their power like so many others. And the part Myung liked best about the two was the fact that they treated her as though she was a close friend, not the daughter of royalty, and they detested most of the people in the room even more than Myung herself did. She saw the two of them over in a corner talking to each other and only acknowledging anyone else if they were spoken to directly. She slowly made her way over to them, stopping to exchange pleasantries with a few of the guests. She may have despised them but she still needed to say "good evening" to them if she liked it or not. She hated rude people and made sure she was never so to others. When Myung came up to the two men they stopped their conversation and greeted her, each bowing and giving her hand a kiss as the gentlemen that they were. "Good evening, Princess," Admiral Donovan's deep voice said pleasantly. He was in full dress uniform and had what little of his gray hair was left tucked neatly under a red beret that seemed to be a key identifier of Jupiter Military personnel. Some even suspected they slept with their berets on. General Acruz on the other hand was in far better physical shape than his counter part and had managed to maintain his full head of dark brown hair. His greeting was no less courteous but done with just a bit more style. It was common knowledge that the two of them frequently behaved as though they were in a personal contest to see who was better. "And what thrilling discussion did I interrupt this evening?" Myung asked with a mischievous smile. "We were just debating the accuracy of the latest intel on Baron Minstrovich," Donovan said, "Word from the grape vine is that he has recently come into a acquisition of some rather incriminating material on one Carlos Domingo of the Montel Cartel." "Hardly a credible source," Acruz exasperated as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Too bad I get more reliable information from them than I do from Central Intelligence," Donovan stated. "That," Acruz remarked, "I find hard to believe." "Do you know what I heard?" Myung asked the two. "What's that?" Donovan asked in genuine curiosity. "My people say that Domingo has been pushing more than just illicit material," Myung stated, "It appears that he has been dipping into the slave trade as well." "What?!" both men exclaimed. Slave trading was an offense punishable by death on every planet in the system. Not to mention that the information that Myung just stated was known to both but was of the highest security clearance. "Where did you hear that?!" Acruz wanted to know, fearing a major security leak. "Oh," Myung said with a mischievous grin, "I have my sources." "And might I ask if you could get me in touch with your sources?" Donovan asked, being a bit more subtle. "Sorry, gentlemen. But you know I can't divulge that kind of information," Myung said, "I wouldn't have anything to hold over you guys if I did. And just to assure you two that you don't have a leak in your security, it did not come from any one with connections to your offices." Both men let out a sigh. She had done it again. Myung had just proven that she was far more crafty than the two of them gave her credit for. She had known just what they were worried about. Not to mention that her own sources often proved to be more reliable than the official info coming from Central Intel. "I keep on telling your father that you should put your talents to use in the intel community . . ." Donovan trailed off. "But Mother would have none of it," Myung finished for him. Donovan looked like he was going to add something but shut his mouth while a grin broke out on Acruz's face. "I thought for sure you would speak your mind, Donovan," Acruz jibed. "Stuff it, Acruz," Donovan shot back. "Look," Myung broke in, "I know you both detest my mother as much as I do so just speak your minds. I don't offend easily." "That'll be the day I die," Acruz commented. He received a slap on his arm for that one and it was Donovan's turn to smile. "As much as I would like to while away the evening in your company, gentlemen, I have other duties that I must attend to." Myung stated formally, as though she had rehearsed the line many times over, "Have a good evening." "Very well," Donovan said as he bent down and kissed her hand, "Goodbye, my Princess." "Goodbye, as well, Princess," Acruz said as he too took her hand and kissed it. Myung was perplexed by their behavior but took it in stride. "Goodbye," she replied simply and turned away. Her mind filled with warnings as to their odd behavior. Could they possibly know what I'm going to do? she wondered. For the last several weeks she had become restless with her life in the palace. She often found herself looking up at the stars at night, especially the point of blue light that was Earth. Somehow she was drawn to it and she knew she had to go there. For what reason, she did not know. All she knew was that the answers lie there. She knew that her mother would never let her leave and had made arrangements to sneak out of the palace and jump onto a transport heading for Earth using a set of false ID's that she had obtained. She moved quickly through the crowd of people in the Ball Room without seeming to be in any kind of hurry. She pushed the nagging thoughts about Acruz and Donovan to the back burner and concentrated on her plan of attack on slipping past the guards unnoticed. She didn't look back. "Do you think His Highness is correct in that she may be the one?" Donovan asked his friend as he watched Myung walk off. "I don't know," Acruz replied honestly, "You know I don't put much stock in those old legends. But in light of these shadows closing in on us from all sides, I don't think I have a choice. Everything we try fails. If the legends are not true than I don't know if we have any hope of surviving." The two friends were talking of an old legend, possible as old as time itself, about a Queen who would come and deliver everyone from a darkness that would sweep the land. And by her side would be a group of female warriors who possessed unheard of powers. They were known as the Sailor Senshi and would act as the guardians of peace for all eternity. For the first time in his life Acruz found himself praying that the legend of the Sailor Senshi was more than just a child's bedtime story. * * * Myung moved through the people before ducking down one of the side corridors that led to the bathrooms. She was confident that no one had really noticed her as she passed the bathrooms and headed toward a service entrance further down the hall. She stepped through the door and headed over to the closet that was in the corner. Going into the closet she closed the door behind her and turned on the overhead light. She pulled out some nondescript clothes that she had hidden back among the tablecloths as well as a backpack with some other items. She quickly changed and made sure no one was outside the door before opening it and continuing down the hall. She ducked into another hallway that led out to the gardens and servant's quarters when she found someone blocking her way. For her credit she did not let the fear show on her face. "Walk with me, Myung," her father said calmly. He led them out into the garden as Myung meekly followed by his side. Thoughts of what punishment she was going to get for trying to run away filled her every thought. She realized her father was addressing her with a start. "I have known for quite some time that this day would come," he said softly. There was no anger in his voice. Only a touch of sadness that Myung almost missed. "Your destiny does not lay here in the palace. I think you are destined for something greater, and if I'm right you will save not only Venus but all of us in this little solar system we call home. You know the legend of the Sailor Senshi, right?" "Of course," Myung stammered as she slowly began to realize that her father was not going to punish her, "Mother used to tell it to Jeseme and I when we were little children." "Yes," her father said with a smile, "Yes she did. It was your favorite story too." "What does the legend have to do with me?" Myung asked. "There is a great deal more to the legend than has been told as a bedtime story for little children. You see, over a thousand years ago an ancient manuscript was found along with a small artifact. On the manuscript was writing from a long dead civilization that was believed to have come from another part of our galaxy. No one was able to read it except for an old magi who was able to translate it. The manuscript had been created by the use of magic as well as the artifact found with it. After the magi translated it he came before the royal house and read it to them. It was a detailed prophecy telling of the Sailor Senshi. It told of a powerful and devastating war that occurred long ago when the Sailor Senshi were numerous and spread among the stars. It ended with the evil being sealed away at the expense of all the Senshi being destroyed. But it also said that the Senshi would rise again to take their place as guardians of the galaxy. "It went on to tell of a darkness that would consume everything in it's path. And to defeat it nine Sailor Senshi would rise from the ashes of their past to combat the darkness. Those Senshi would come from this solar system and become the defenders of a great Empire that would last for an eternity. From each planet someone would be picked to become those Senshi and fulfill their destinies as the guardians of peace. When that person was found there would be a sign that they were to become the Sailor Senshi once prophesied." "But what sign would there be to let that person know who they were to become?" Myung asked. "That is where the artifact comes in," and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a short stick. It was gold in color with the mark of Venus inside an oval on the top. "This is the artifact found with the manuscript. There is supposed to be one for each planet, but as far as I know this is the only one that has been found." "Then do you know who the Sailor Senshi whom that belongs to is?" Myung asked. "Yes, I do," her father stated, "That person is you, Myung." Myung stopped walking and looked at her father in shock. She didn't notice her bag fall off her shoulders and hit the ground. "How do you know that?" she asked, not believing him. "The night after you were born while your mother rested I sat beside your crib and watched you. This artifact had long been locked away in a vault that had not been opened in hundreds of years. As I sat there next to your crib a strange light filled the room. When it faded somewhat this was hovering over your sleeping body and glowing brightly. When I looked down at you the mark of Venus was also glowing brightly on your forehead. It was at that moment that I realized the prophecy was true and that you were to be one of the Sailor Senshi. This now belongs to you," he said as he handed her the artifact. Once Myung had it fully in her grasp it began to glow and soon enveloped her in light. When it vanished she stood there as she felt raw power surge through her body. When she opened her eyes she looked down and saw herself dressed in a fuku with an orange skirt and trim. She also wore a pair of white gloves with orange trim that came up to her elbows. She looked up to see her father staring at her in shock. "You really are the Senshi of Venus," he breathed. "Yes," Myung, now Sailor Venus, said. Her destiny and what she must do were suddenly clear to her. "I am Sailor Venus." She looked her father in the eye before continuing. "I appreciate everything you have done for me, but now I must go. I must find the other eight and put a stop to the coming darkness. Fore if I don't, everything will be wiped away like so much sand. Goodbye, my father." "Yes, I know," he replied, "Acruz and Donovan have prepared a special transport for you to take to Earth. And may the Goddess watch over you on your journey." "Thank you," Sailor Venus said and turned to find Acruz and Donovan standing near the end of the garden waiting to escort her to her transport. She was half way to them when her father called out to her. "I will always love you, Myung," he called out to her. Sailor Venus turned to see her father watching her with great sadness. She even noticed a tear running down his cheek. "As I you," she replied and then turned to follow her destiny. CHAPTER 3 GHOSTS IN THE SHADOWS When Frederic walked into the tavern he knew just where he would find Magellan. Over in a corner with a mug of ale in his hands, with four empty ones next to his arm. Frederic moved through the milling people and sat down across from his friend who looked like he was passed out on the table even though he wasn't. "Get your head up out of your dinner, Magellan," Frederic said after looking at Magellan for a moment, "You're a disgrace to your title looking like that you know." Magellan lifted his head, clearly well on his way to getting plastered. "And who asked you?" Magellan demanded. "If you must know, it was the barkeep," Frederic informed him. "He can mind his own business," Magellan growled. Frederic leaned across the table and looked Magellan in the eyes. "Look, your father has been dead for three months and you're still dragging yourself through the mud on this. You have got to pull yourself together." "This has nothing to do with my father," Magellan scowled in defense. "If it doesn't, then what the hell is going on with you?" Frederic demanded. Magellan looked down into his mug before looking back at Frederic. "Do you really want to know?" he asked. "Of course I do," Frederic replied, "How else am I going to help you if I don't know what's wrong?" "Very well," Magellan breathed before starting, "I'm not ready Frederic. I'm not ready to be the commander of the Eastern Armies. I can't do it." "Is that it!" Frederic let out a laugh, "Oh, man, I thought it was something really serious." "I'm glad you find all of this funny," Magellan grumbled. "Look, Magellan," Frederic said seriously, "You have effectively been commanding the Eastern Armies for over a year now. The only thing that has changed since your father died is that the responsibilities for your actions now weigh fully on your head. Other than that there has been no change. Everyone respects and admires you. Heck, some even say you are possibly the best commander to ever lead the Eastern Armies. No one has any doubt in you capabilities so I don't see why you should either. You have always made sound judgement calls in the past and I have no doubt you will continue to do so in the future." Magellan looked down into his drink again before looking up with a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. This whole mess is pretty stupid. You want anything to drink?" "I'll pass," Frederic said, "In fact, I think you're done as well. I need you sober for what I came in here to find you for." "And what might that be?" Magellan asked. "Another transport was shot down. It crashed just West of us," Frederic told him, "That makes the fourth one this month. The recovery team will be leaving in an hour to find it." When Magellan heard Frederic mention the downed transport his head jerked up, all evidence of his drinking gone. "Get me out there," Magellan said in a commanding tone. Frederic gave Magellan a blank look. "Why? You don't need to go out there. And besides, they need you more here to oversee things." Magellan stood up and glared at Frederic. "I don't care what you think," Magellan scowled, "I have to get out there and you're going to do it." "What," Frederic said completely puzzled, "All there's going to be is bunch of wreckage. Survivors are highly unlikely. So why are you in such a hurry to get out there?" "Just do it Frederic," Magellan commanded. Frederic stood up and gave his friend a salute. "Yes, sir," he snapped and turned for the door, confusion running rampant in his mind. Magellan watched his friend leave and understood his confusion. The truth was he didn't know why he had to get out there either. All he knew was that something was out there and he had to find it. * * * The wreckage from the transport was relatively easy to find since it was scattered over a wide area. The first evidence that they had found it was when they saw the smoke rising from several isolated fires. And when everyone had seen what was left of the transport they were certain that there couldn't be any survivors. The largest piece of wreckage found was only four feet square. "How the hell could this thing have been destroyed so completely?" Magellan wondered allowed. "Easy," one of the recovery team members replied from next to him, "The power core exploded." "What!" Frederic cried out while Magellan stared at the man in shock, "That's impossible! That core was powered and protected by magic. We don't have anything powerful enough to get through. And this sure as hell was not an accident!" Several of the pieces recovered had scorch marks on them from some sort of weapon or energy blast. "I know it sounds impossible," the man replied, "That's why we called in a mage to inspect what's left of the core to determine what was used to take this thing down. We don't know of any non-magic weapon that could destabilize the field surrounding the core." "When does the mage get here?" Magellan asked. "He should be here in . . ." the man started to say before spotting someone moving through the wreckage, "There he is now." The Mage noticed the group and headed over to them to introduce himself. "Good day, Lord Endymion," the Mage said in greeting. He noticed that Magellan flinched at the use of his title. "Good day to you as well, Mage," Magellan replied as he looked the Mage over. Fairly tall and dressed in a robe that hid his slight frame, the Mage appeared to be in his fifties judging by the weathering of his face. His robe was unadorned and he wore no jewelry that would give anyone any indication as to who he was. With the hood pulled over his head he would have been impossible to pick out of a crowd in a market. "Just out a curiosity, what rank are you?" Magellan asked. "I am a third level magician," the Mage responded as though it was nothing of great importance. "What?!" the man from the recovery team exclaimed, "I didn't think we sought the services of magi with your level of mastery!" Magi fell into one of three levels, or ranks. The first one being the least powerful of the magi, one who need the use of spoken words and artifacts to practice their craft. The second level contained those who had mastered the use of magic to the point that they only had to use their hands to cast spells. The most powerful of the magi were in the third rank. They cast their spells be mere thought alone. There were only a few known magicians of this level of mastery in the whole of the Golden Empire. "We are honored to be in the presence of someone of such great stature," Magellan said as he bowed his head in respect. "No," the mage replied, "It is I who am honored to be in your presence, Lord Endymion. In fact it was your presence that drew me here in the first place. I sensed the crash of this transport as I have others. But when I felt you come to this site I knew that something was here that was of great importance. When I got to the site I immediately knew why you had been drawn here." Magellan listened with interest to what the old Mage had to say. It was entirely possible that what the Mage was about to tell him was true and he still didn't know what had drawn him here. "And what might that be?" Magellan asked honestly. "You sensed that this attack was different from the others. You have known that many of the others had been taken down by the use of black magic and you have yet to determine who is responsible," the mage said, "This one was different in that someone of considerable power brought this one down. So powerful in fact, that the power core and its shield were destabilized leading to an explosion." "That all seems reasonable," Magellan replied, "But I have no idea if what you are saying is the truth. I will only know if it is when I learn the reason I had to come here." "You are most right, Lord Endymion," the mage confirmed, "Only when you come to learn the reason will you be able to make any sense of the meaning." "Don't you guys think we should look around the wreckage to see what we can find?" Frederic asked. He still opposed the fact that Magellan was here in the first place. With all the attacks that had occurred in this area of late, there was no real way to guarantee his safety. "Yes," the mage replied, "The power core is over here, or what's left of it at any rate." As the group headed over to where the wreckage from the power core, Magellan sensed something and came to a stop. He stood still and turned in slow circles to try to figure out what it was that he was sensing. It wasn't danger, of that he was certain. But it still held a sense of urgency. He continued to circle as Frederic came up next to him. "You circling for a reason?" he asked his friend. "Quiet," Magellan waved at him, "There's something out here. I'm just not sure what, or where." Frederic looked around him. "I see wreckage, trashed trees, people searching for God knows what. Nothing that would catch your attention at any rate," he said as Magellan continued to turn in circles. Suddenly Magellan stopped dead in his tracks facing a trashed piece of hull plating that had felled a tree. "What is it?" Frederic asked at seeing him stop dead. "I don't know," Magellan replied as he made his way over to the fallen tree with Frederic on his heals. He began to move around the tree looking for anything that would grab his attention. "Find anything?" Frederic asked. That was when Magellan saw it. Just peaking out from under the fallen tree and the plate of metal was a hand. He dropped to his knees and pushed away some of the branches to get a better look at who was under there. All he was able to see was the arm up to the elbow before it vanished under the rest of the tree. "Give me a hand here!" Magellan called out as he reached down to get a handle on the tree so that he could move it. His muscles tightened as he strained to lift the heavy tree. Frederic saw what he was doing and dived in to help while calling out for several others to help. Soon there were nearly twenty men working to move the tree off of the person underneath it. It took nearly ten minutes for them to move the tree enough to pull the person from under it and out of the way. Once they had the person clear there was a great sigh from the twenty men as they let the tree fall back to the ground. Without even pausing to get his breath back Magellan moved over to small group of people standing over the form they had pulled out. Magellan pushed all of them back and then leaned over the prone girl on the ground. She looked to be about sixteen and wore a simple robe that was torn in several places from the crash. Magellan wondered if she was on the transport when it crashed or just happened to be unlucky enough to have been standing here when it did. He looked her over to get an idea of how badly she was hurt. She seemed to be breathing and aside from a few cuts and scrapes he couldn't find anything else seriously wrong with her. "Will someone get a Healer over here?" Magellan called out. "No need," came the reply from next to him and he looked over to see the mage. Magellan watched as he reached over and placed an aged hand on the girls forehead for what seemed an eternity but was in reality only a few seconds. "She will be fine," the mage said as he pulled his hand away, "You will need to let her rest for several days until she regains enough strength to move again." The mage stood up and waived a pair of men carrying a stretcher on through the growing crowd of recovery people. "I believe you have found what it is that brought you here," the mage said to Magellan before turning to leave. Magellan watched the mage leave before turning to the girl as they headed back toward a shuttle that would take them back to Vlatmere Castle. * * * Flames, smoke, and noise assaulted Myung's senses as she sat in her seat in terror. Spinning, falling out of control. And there was nothing she could do. Suddenly she sat upright in her bed, sweat poring from her as the last images of the nightmare fled to be replaced by confusion. Then her head exploded in pain and she brought her hands to her head. "It's all right," a soothing voice was saying to her, "It's all right. It was only a dream." The voice continued on until the pain in her head subsided and she was able to look around her. She didn't recognize anything in the room. She was sitting on a large bed in the middle of a lavishly decorated bedroom. "Where am I?" Myung asked out loud. "You're at Vlatmere Castle," the soothing voice said. Myung looked in the direction of the voice and noticed the woman leaning over the side of the bed for the first time. "Who are you?" she asked the woman. "My name's Katherine Endymion," she replied with a warm smile. Myung looked around some more before she spoke again. "How did I get here?" "You were in an accident," the woman said as she placed a hand on Myung's shoulder and gently pushed her back so that she was laying down again, "You should get some rest, child. You have gone through a lot and need to rest so that you can regain your strength." Myung looked at the woman and took a moment to look her over. She appeared to be in her early-forties with just a hint of lines beginning to form around her eyes. She was still very beautiful and wore a white gown that said she was someone of great importance. Then Myung notice her dark loving eyes and dark brown hair that was braided into a long pony tail that hung over her shoulder. Myung let out a sigh and relaxed back into the bed. Her body was sore in several spots and her joints ached. "Would you like something to eat?" Katherine asked her. "Yes," Myung replied realizing just how hungry she was, "That would be nice." "Very well," Katherine said as she stood up, "Just relax and someone will bring you some food shortly." Katherine quietly closed the door leaving Myung to her thoughts. "How is she doing, Mother?" Magellan asked Katherine in the hall outside Myung's room. "She woke up from a nightmare," she replied to her son, "But other than moving too quickly when she woke up she seems to be holding up fine. Do you know who she is yet?" Magellan shook his head. "We just found the data recorder an hour ago and it hasn't arrived here yet. We don't even know if she was on the transport or happened to be near it when it crashed. I doubt we will find out either way until we get a chance to ask her. We are hoping the recorder can at least tell us something about the attack made on it. We already ran a check in the system to see if we could find out where the transport was coming from and where it was going but came up with nothing." "Have you found either of the pilots?" "Yes. Or at least what was left of them. We didn't find enough to make a physical identification so we are going to run a DNA screen on what we did find. They're not sure if they will be able to make an ID that way unless the pilots were hospitalized in the past or part of the military at one time. They are pretty sure it wasn't military because if it was there would have been a flight plan for it in the system somewhere." "Very strange. Any leads on who's responsible?" "Again, no. All we even know is from what the mage told us. It was done by someone who was extremely powerful in the black magics. Possibly a third level mage." "You do realize what this could mean." "Yes, the Shadows are far more powerful than we ever thought possible. And with Merlin missing it makes them all the more dangerous." Katherine stopped just before entering the kitchen and turned to Magellan. "Prepare yourself, Magellan. What lays ahead will be the most trying period of you life. I just pray that you will be able to stop the Shadows before everything falls apart." Magellan just stared at her back as she went into the kitchen and ordered the cooks to make something for their guest. On her way out she asked Magellan if he wouldn't mind taking it to their guest when it was prepared. Magellan just nodded in reply, his mind still going over what she had said. As he waited for the cooks the weight of his position began to bear on his shoulders again and he found himself thinking he wasn't up to the task. I can't do this, he thought, I'm not ready. A few minutes later the cook telling him that the food was ready pulled him out of his depressing thoughts. At least for awhile. Taking the food he made his way through the castle until he was at the door to the girl's room. He knocked and heard a voice say he could come in. Taking a breath to steady himself he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Myung was standing beside the window looking out over the castle. Magellan found himself taking a moment to look her over since he hadn't seen her since they pulled her out from under the tree the day before. She was dressed in a simple white gown that one of the Lady's court had found in her closet. She had a yellow ribbon in her long hair that pulled it back from her shoulders. He couldn't see much else since she was facing away from him. "I brought you some food," Magellan said quietly. "Thank you," she replied when she turned to face him. They stood there for a moment looking each other over. Magellan saw that her blue eyes seemed to give the impression that she was far older that her body said she was. She only looked to be sixteen or so but the eyes said she was more like someone in their forties and had seen more sorrow than they should have. Magellan was sure that his own eyes looked the same, with his father's death and the stress of his position bearing on him like they were. After a few more moments she started to come over to where Magellan had placed the food he had brought on a small table in the room. She moved with a grace that was absolutely stunning and Magellan found himself wondering if she was perhaps royalty or from some other powerful family. He pulled out the chair and offered the seat before he himself sat down in the chair on the opposite side. He just sat and watched her eat for several minutes. He found himself studying the lines of her face, the way her hands moved, how she held herself in her chair. Even the way she ate her food. Everything she did was refined, elegant. Magellan found himself getting lost in her beauty. "What's your name?" he asked after the two had sat in silence for several minutes. "Myung," she replied simply, her voice sounding like crystal chimes. "My name's Magellan Endymion," he said with a smile, "Nice to make your acquaintance." "Are you the Lord of the manor?" Myung asked him. She noticed that he flinched when she said that. "Yes," he replied solemnly, "I preside over this castle and the surrounding province." Myung looked down at her plate unsure of what to say next. If he found out that she was the princess of Venus then it was more than likely that he would tell someone and her mother would find out where she had gone. Her mother would then send someone out to get her and she would not be able to do what it was she had to do, whatever that was. She still did not know whom she was looking for. "What is it like here?" she asked, deciding that she would try to steer the conversation away from herself as much as possible. Magellan caught the question and confirmed that she was not from around here, possibly not from Earth itself. She was definitely on the shuttle when it went down. Filing the thought away he began to tell her about Vlatmere Province with its sights and people. The two began to talk and before they knew it more than two hours had passed. They had spent the time mainly talking about Magellan and the province but Magellan had found out some things about Myung along the way. Mostly what type of person she was. He still had no idea where she came from, although he knew that she wasn't from Earth by some of the questions she asked. They were interrupted by the comlink sounding on Magellan's belt. "Sorry," Magellan apologized as he pulled it from his belt. "Magellan here," he said. "It's Frederic," a voice replied, "Could you come down to Diagnostics? We have something here you will want to see." Magellan looked over at the clock on the wall and realized how late it was. "Can it wait till morning?" he asked. "It can, but I think you are really going to want to see this." "Alright," Magellan sighed, "I'll be there in about ten minutes." Magellan replaced the comlink and stood up. "Sorry about having to take off, but it is late and you should rest. If you're up to it I can give you a tour of the castle tomorrow if you would like." "I would like that very much," Myung said with smile as she too stood up. "Great, I'll come by at about ten or so," Magellan responded with a smile of his own. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then made his way out the door. Myung just stood there and watched him go as her face flushed from the brief contact. * * * "What do you have that couldn't wait till morning?" Magellan asked as he walked into Diagnostics. "It could have waited," Frederic replied, "But when you see what we have you would have hung me for not bringing it up to you now." "This had better be good is all I have to say," Magellan said as he crashed into one of the empty technician's seats, "I really want to get to bed." Diagnostics was a large room in the basement of Vlatmere Castle that was used to keep watch over all of the systems in use by the castle and surrounding defense systems. The front of the room was dominated by a huge display that was used to keep watch over the various systems. It could be divided if needed. Diagnostics was also used to analyze all things electronic. This included flight data recorders. One of the three night technicians had the data recorder from the crashed transport sitting on the bench next to him with multiple leads and wires hooked up to it. "You get her name yet?" Frederic asked. "All she gave me was 'Myung'," Magellan replied tiredly, "No idea if that's her real name or not." Suddenly he sat upright and glared at Frederic. "How the hell did you know I was with her?" Magellan demanded. Frederic turned away with a sly grin on his face. "Lucky guess," he replied, "How far did you get?" "None of your damned business!" Magellan shot back, "Now what did you call me down here for anyway?" "We just finished decoding the data recorder," Frederic said, all business now, "We are starting an analysis of the readings it took before the crash. What we did find interesting was the flight plan. It had a departure location but no destination." "What was the departure point?" "Haifeng Spaceport, Venus." "Haifeng?!" Magellan said in shock, "That's the military spaceport out of the capital!" "That's the one," Frederic confirmed, "Give you one guess on who our guest is." "Oh, Christ," Magellan groaned. This had just gotten a lot more complicated than he had hoped it would. "You think we should notify someone?" Frederic asked. Magellan sat back for a second to think. He remembered his conversation with Myung and how vague she had been about where she came from and who she was. "Hold off on that until I say so," Magellan said, "I want to know what she's doing here first. This whole thing sits wrong in my stomach. There's something we're missing here and I want to know what it is before I do anything." "You sure on that?" Frederic asked. He didn't think sitting on this was that hot an idea. Magellan stood to leave. "I want to know immediately if an alert about a missing transport gets put out on the wire. And not one of you is talk about this to anyone. Got it?" "Yes, sir!" came four responses.