The Greatest Dream of All
by Fiona Lim
flim@hotmail.com

Chapter Seven - Sailor Earth

	They were all together - perhaps for the first time in several 
years - both the Inner Court of the Queen and Princess of the Moon 
Kingdom.  The seven Sensei Scouts of Queen Serenity, looking solemn in 
their formal Court Uniforms - and the seven Sailor Scout Guardians of 
Princess Serenity - plus the newest member, the first Sailor Earth in 
two generations.
   "Are you sure that this is Sailor Earth?"  Serenity asked, looking 
down at the sleeping girl, "This isn't the uniform that Sailor Earth of 
OUR day wore."  She added, then frowned, "GODDESS, that sounded old."  
She said with a slight, tight smile.
Mercury nodded, "Very sure, Sere.  You must remember that uniforms 
change over the centuries.  What we wear now might never be worn again."  
she gestured down to the more formal uniform the Sensei tended to wear 
when at Court: the color of their separate Planets and a pristine white, 
the hems edged with gold as well as long trailing sleeves that tucked in 
at her wrists and soft, long boots that had been slited from the thigh 
up and folded over.
  "Also, this is a pretty good sign that she IS Sailor Earth."  Uranus 
pointed out, gesturing to where the girl's hand was clasped tightly 
around the Earth Stone.
   "But how sure ARE we that THAT is the Earth Stone?"  Serenity said, 
"We have a girl dressed in a uniform that doesn't resemble the brown and 
blue of OUR generation's Sailor Earth.  She has an Earth Stone - true - 
but how sure ARE we that it isn't a fake? There ARE ways to store energy 
in stones, and from a distance, it's easy to mistake them as power 
stones."  She said.
   "Well, for one thing, Darian was mumbling about her - or at least 
'somebody special' just before he collapsed and the girl appeared."  
Jupiter said, "And for another, Mercury is right, Sere.  Uniforms have 
been known to chance through out the centuries."
   "Also, when she arrived, the energy *erupting* off her gave every 
Sensative on the Moon and the Space Station as well as some on planet 
Earth splitting headaches."  Neptune added dryly.
   "Even so - the difference between Sailor Earth of OUR day and the 
Sailor Earth of now shouldn't be THAT much."  Serenity pushed stubornly.
Mars was frowning, "Why are you so against the idea that this is Sailor 
Earth, Sere?"  she asked softly.
Serenity shook her head, "It isn't that I'm against -"
   "You are."  Mars said firmly, "Because this is our last hope, isn't 
it, Sere?"  she went on, "If this girl isn't Sailor Earth, then our last 
hope is also gone."
Serenity opened her mouth as if to protest, then sighed, looking to the 
ground in defeat, "She's our last hope - everytime I think of that, 
reasons pop into my head of why she COULDN'T be Sailor Earth."  She 
hugged herself as if she was cold, "What if she isn't, my Sensei?"  she 
asked softly, "What if she is our last hope, and this fails?"  
   "We have to keep fate, Sere."  Venus said firmly, "She IS Sailor 
Earth, maybe not of OUR time, nor of Princess Serena's, but she IS 
Sailor Earth.  The Sailor Earth of the far future or the far past if 
needs be, brought here to save us all."
   "I wish I had a tenth of your faith in fate, Venus."  Saturn said, 
"I've been having the same fears Sere has been."  She turned to stare at 
the still figure of Sailor Earth, "When is she going to wake up, 
Mercury?"
  "Soon.  Her energy is slowly revitalizing."  Mercury reported.
   "What do you think she's like?"  Neptune asked curiously, "She looks 
serious to me, look there's some white hair among the black - a sign of 
worrying, so she must also be compassionate to worry enough at so young 
an age."
Jupiter shook her head, "See those muscles? She's a fighter - those 
muscles come from wielding weapons in practise."  She said firmly.
   "She's a writer."  Mercury said just as firmly, "See? Her fingers 
have callusces."
   "That COULD have come from shooting arrows."  Venus said, "But I 
think she's romantic."  They all turned to her.
   "Exactly HOW did you figure that out?"  Saturn asked curiously.
Venus looked emberrased, "I just think she's a romantic."  She said, 
blushing.
Neptune was looking closely at the links of the chain around her waist, 
"Did you guys know that this ISN'T rusted metal or copper?"  she said 
finally.
They all turned to stare at Neptune, "I didn't even know that it WAS 
metal."  Uranus said with a grin, "What is it then, Neptune, if it isn't 
metal or copper?"
  "Opal."  Neptune said slowly, "It's been carved and formed out of opal 
- brown opal with streaks of blue in it.  If you look closely, the 
medallion is to."  She said, pointing at the round medallion hanging at 
the center of Sailor Earth's waist.
   "Funny about that medallion."  Mars mussed, "Earth's symbol isn't a 
unicorn - the Sailor Earth we knew never had a medallion or a chain like 
this one does."  She said thoughtfully, "That she IS Sailor Earth I 
don't doubt, but - "  she trailed off pensively, "There are many things 
that don't add up here."  she said finally.
  "What is the symbol of Earth anyway?"  Jupiter asked curiously.
  "Sailor Earth has always been known as the Spirit of Life."  Serenity 
piped up, "Solar is the mind, Mars is the Spirit of the Soul, Mercury 
the Healer, Venus the Heart, Jupiter the Warrior, Saturn is the Sailor 
of Death, Uranus is the Sensei of Nature, Neptune the Sensei of Water 
and Pluto of Time."  She rattled of.
   "Yeah, we all know the titles, Sere.  But what is Earth's SYMBOL?"  
Jupiter pressed.
   "I don't know.  .  .  There wasn't ever any need for *our* Sailor 
Earth to transform in front of me - the few times I saw her."  Serenity 

said, "I only know *your* symbols because you told me.  The symbol is in
the archives somewhere, but the brown and blue uniform always stood for 
the Scout of Earth."  Serenity admitted, "I'd guess from the symbol you 
said flickered on Darian's forehead before he collapsed, it should be a 
miniature Earth."  she said finally.
   "But a *unicorn*."  Mars said, frowning, "I wonder what it stands 
for."
   "Well, you'll be able to ask her."  Mercury said, looking up from the 
girl's side with a smile, "She's waking up."

	There was strange voices around her, and the air smelled strange.  
That was a weird thing to notice - I mean, how different could AIR 
smell, other than maybe the scents ON the breeze.  But the AIR did smell 
different.  Lighter - if you could call it that - and there was strange 
smell as well, like roses, only light and.  .  .
*Sunny.  It smells SUNNY.*  Alanda realized in surprise as she opened 
her eyes.
Eight faces stared down at her.  
Alanda closed her eyes, *Okay, I fell asleep at the computer terminal, 
and I DIDN'T see eight people.  One of which has white-blonde hair in 
two balls on her HEAD, and seven others which are wearing some sort of 
weird sailor uniform.*  she told herself firmly.  *When I open my eyes, 
I'll see the computer screen and Edward telling me it's dinner time.  
And I'm going to remind myself NOT to eat an hour before I go to sleep.*  
she told herself as she slowly opened her eyes again.
Eight eyes were stil staring down at her.
*Okay, maybe I'm STILL dreaming.*  Alanda thought as she slowly sat up.
   "Can you hear us?"  one - she had long, bluish hair and greyish eyes 
- asked.
Alanda nodded numbly, looking around the room she was in.  She was lying 
on a bed in a large room.  There were eight other beds stretching out on 
either side of her, each one with another girl lying in them.  Seven of 
the other girls were wearing the strange sailor uniforms.  The girl in 
the bed right next to her had blonde hair and looked like the daughter 
of the woman with the white-blonde hair trailing from balls on her head.
*Man, they must've be teased at school.*  Alanda thought vaguely, as she 
turned her head slightly to stare out the window.  She froze.  *Okay.  .  
.  Okay.  .  .  I DID NOT see a HUGE FLOATING EARTH hanging outside the 
window.  I DID NOT SEE EARTH in the SKY outside.*  she paused, *And I 
DIDN'T see a big sun flaring with lots of stars and what looks like a 
space station with space-ships going into hyperspace.  .  .*  Alanda 
sighed, *Okay, too detailed to be a dream methinks.  Therefor this is 
real life.*  she stared around her, *Or the greatest, most life like 
dream I've ever had.*  she added.
    "Where am I?"  Alanda asked, shifting slightly; something clinked 
and she stared down.  
*This is getting wierder and wierder by the second.*  she remarked to 
herself, *I'm wearing something that looks A LOT like a sailor outfit - 
god hope that nobody else sees me wearing it.*  she added, *Imagine how 
much mileage in teasing Ryan will get from this.*  she thought, *ME in a 
short skirt and figure hugging outfit.*  He'd have a field day.
   "You're in the Princess's Suite, the Moon Palace, on the Moon."  The 
woman with the blonde white hair answered, "I am Queen Serenity, and 
these are my Sensei-Guardians, the Inner Court."
The woman with the grey eyes and long blue hair bowed slightly, "Sensei 
Mercury."  She offered, "Also known as the Healer Guardian and Protector 
of Mercury."
A tall woman with blonde hair and green eyes came forward, she was 
dressed in a green uniform that matched precisely the shade of her eyes, 
*Wonder whether she dressed in that color because it matched her eyes?*  
Alanda wondered idylly, "Sensei Jupiter, Warrior of the Warriors and 
Protector of Jupiter."  The green eyed woman said with a smile.
   "Sensei Mars, Healer of the Spirit, the Sensei Guardian of Mars."  
The woman with a serene, calm look and feel around her spoke up.
Alanda stared at her - she had the feeling of a priest or minister 
around her.
   "Sensei Neptune."  This from a woman with hair tinged green - *Dyed 
or is this normal for them?*  somehow she thought it was normal, she 
couldn't see ANY of these women dyeing their hair for the sake of 
fashion, "Sensei of Water and Guardian Warrior of Planet Neptune."
*So they're the Warriors or Guardians of a planet in the solar system.  
Which still leaves Venus, Earth, Saturn and Pluto.*  Alanda frowned 
inwardly, *No - I forgot that planet with the funny name - the one I 
always forget.*
   "Sensei Uranus, Scout of Nature and Guardian of Planet Uranus."  A 
tall, blonde female with blue eyes introduced herself.
*That's it - Uranus.*
   "Sensei Saturn, Sensei of Death and Guardian of Planet Saturn."
*What a title to have. Teacher of Death.*  Alanda thought wide eyed, 
*And she looks like the least strongest of them all.*
   "Sailor Venus, Sensei of Love, Guardian of Planet Venus."  A short - 
at least shorter by the standards of the rest of the Sensei - woman 
said, she had dark black hair falling back to the ground in a wave.  She 
was probably the most stunning among them - though all of them would 
have turned heads in a crowded rooms.  They were that sort of people 
with that sort of personalities - *Not to mention bodies.  If the guys 
in my class were here, you wouldn't be able to move without stepping on 
their tongues.*  Alanda thought dryly.
   "And you are Sailor Earth."  Queen Serenity said as a sort of finish 
to the introductions.
Alanda blinked.  "What?"
They all stared at her.
   "Then you AREN'T Sailor Earth?"  Sailor Saturn asked in dismay, "You 
aren't the Scout of Life, the Guardian of Earth?"
*Oh oh.*  
   "Not as far as *I* know."  Alanda replied.
   "But the uniform - the Earth Stone."  Queen Serenity whispered, her 
face going pale.  Two of the Sailor Sensei jumped next to her, 
supporting her as she looked faint.  "I'm fine, please, leave me alone."  
The Queen said softly, waving them away, "Who are you then?"  she asked.
   "Alanda Tan, from Australia."  Alanda said, then tagged on: "Earth."  
Just in case they didn't understand.
Queen Serenity shook her head, "You can't be just an ordinary girl, 
Alanda.  Your arrival here used up power an ordinary person doesn't 
have.  You hold a stone a lot like the Earth Stone - from the Future of 
the Past.  And your uniform looks similiar to that of a Sailor Scout."  
She said, almost protesting.
Alanda sighed, "I'm sorry.  I'm just an ordinary person."  She said 
finally.  *THERE! I've finally admitted it.*  she thought grimly, *I'm 
just an ordinary person with ordinary talents and an ordinary IQ.*
   "Then our last hope is gone."  Queen Serenity whispered, seating down 
in a chair by the wall abruptely.
Sailor Venus shook her head, "Mercury - what would happen if the 
prospective Earth Sensei was transported here when Darian made his 
request?"  she said finally.
Sailor Mercury frowned, "Depends what you mean by 'prospective'."  She 
said, "Prospective as in - she didn't know before hand?"  Sailor Venus 
nodded, "Then the transportation here transformed her which means that 
chances are she wouldn't know who she really was."  Mercury said, "But 
that's just a hypothesis."  She added.
   "Alanda has all the qualities of a Sailor Earth."  Venus pointed out, 
"If the hypothesis is true, than the last hope ISN'T truly lost."
   "What is this last hope you guys are talking about?"  Alanda asked, 
slightly sick of being talked of as if she wasn't there - *And don't 
think I don't understand big words because I do.  This is the biggest 
square at Evertone High speaking - I mean thinking.*  "Maybe I can 
help."  *This had better BE a dream, or I'll be disappointing 
everybody.*  Alanda thought grimly, she'd heard that you could control 
dreams sometimes, and right now she REALLY REALLY wanted to be able to 
help.
   "If you're who we think you are, then you CAN help."  Venus said, 
"The stone hanging from around your neck.  Do you know what it is?"
Alanda stared down.  The stone was the biggest, most beautiful opal 
she'd EVER seen.  She took it into her hands - was it her imagination of 
did something tingle when she touched it? - and shook her head, "It's 
beautiful, but I've never seen it before."  she admitted.
   "That is why we think you are Sailor Earth - the Sensei of Life.  The 
stone you have closely resembles - or IS - the Earth Stone - the symbol 
of power for Sailor Earth.  It resembles it in every form, physically 
and energily."
*What the hell is 'energily'?*  Alanda thought, frowning inwardly.
   "If you are Sailor Earth, you are the only person in all of the Moon 
Kingdom who can save Princess Serena and the Sailor Scouts - of whom you 
will be one if you ARE Sailor Earth."  Sensei Saturn explained, 
gesturing to the still figures in the other bed, "These are the heirs to 
the Moon Kingdom.  The Princess Serenity, and her Inner Court, the 
Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune."
   "What's wrong with them? And how can *I* help?"  Alanda asked, 
pushing herself out of the bed slowly.
They didn't stop her as she gingerly stepped onto the floor - in the 
back of her mind, she realized she was wearing boots - and walked over 
to the bed with the blonde girl with the long hair that looked like the 
Queen.
   "There are three Power Stones in the entire Kingdom."  Serenity spoke 
this time as she moved till she was standing next to Alanda, "I hold 
one, the most powerful in the entire kingdom - the Silver Imperial 
Crystal - it belongs to us, the Children of the Moon.  The Sun-Dancers 
of Planet Solar created the second Power Stone -"
   "Hold on - planet SOLAR?"  Alanda blurted out in surprise, "My 
astronomy mightn't be very good, but there's only nine planets in the 
solar system.  Mercury to Pluto - no Solar."
Serenity nodded sadly, "You're right unfortunately.  Solar was the 
closest to the Sun, and it's path around the sun was destroyed by 
something - we don't know what.  Its orbit was damaged enough that it 
has now been pulled too close to the sun for beings to exist on it.  
Solar no longer exists as a planet - it was always a small planet, now 
it resembles a burning comet in a semi-permanent orbit around the sun 
for the next thousand years before it impacts against the surface of our 
sun.
    "But Solar and her people's legacy remains behind.  The Sun-Dancers 
created the Moon Sapphire which the Solar Scout guards and carries.  The 
Moon Sapphire is in the care of my daughter - nobody else but her or I 
can use it.  It is one of the few things that is sustaining her and the 
Sailor Scouts."  Serenity clenched her jaw as she brushed her hand 
against the Princess's pale cheek, "For the past generation, the last 
Sensei Earth and Sensei Solar have been dead, and the representatives of 
Earth and Solar in my daughter's Inner Court haven't been found.  So 
many died in the Amazon Queen wars and the evacuation of Solar that it 
wasn't even known whether or not the last Sailor Scouts still lived."  
She turned to Alanda, "There is a third Power Stone - the one which the 
Royal Family of Earth - the Endymions - have care of.  The Earth Stone.  
The True Guardian of the Earth Stone is the Earth Sensei.  YOU hold the 
Earth Stone, YOU wear the uniform of a Sailor Scout, and YOUR coming was 
fortold by the Prince of Earth before he collapsed."  Serenity's eyes 
took on a haunted look, "At this stage in time, there is no other Power 
Stone which can give Serena and her Inner Court enough energy to awake 
from the comas which they're in."  she spread her arms wide to encompass 
the eight figures, "They are the future of my Kingdom, and if they die, 
so does the hope of ALL the people.  Only YOU can save them."
*Oh god.*  Alanda thought, *They're all counting on me!*  she shook 
herself mentally, *No, they're counting on this - Sailor Earth.  Oh 
God!*  how many people did a Kingdom have anyway? Nine planets? Earth 
had over a million billion people living on it - how many did every 
other planet have? And that didn't even include the plants and animals! 
*I can't even force myself to loose WEIGHT! I can't even draw a straight 
line! How am I suppose to give - ENERGY to eight people? I'm not even 
this Sailor Earth.  I don't know how I got this outfit on, or this stone 
- but there's got to be a mistake! I'm not special enough to be somebody 
like the 'represantative of Earth'.*  She opened her mouth to tell them.
But out popped the optimisn that always caught her, the maybes that had 
filled her life since she could remember.  *Or AM I?*
*It can't hurt to try.  Maybe I am.  Maybe I'm Sailor Earth.  Maybe I'm 
more special than everybody thought.*  
     "I don't know how to do it - I mean, I don't know how to give them 
energy."  Alanda said, holding onto the stone everybody called the Earth 
Stone.
The Sailor Sensei and Queen Serenity shared a worried look. 
   "Giving energy to another is a very private thing."  Sensei Mercury 
said slowly, "It's different for every person."  
   "We can't help you - YOU have to WANT to give the energy.  Freely, 
without any pressure or persuasion from the outside.  You must want it 
with your mind, your heart and your soul."  Venus explained.
*Great, have I EVER wanted anything with my mind, my heart and my soul 
before?*  Alanda wondered, *I wanted to loose weight, but only with my 
mind, my soul was never into it I'm sure.  I wanted to win a scolarship 
to another school, but that was mind again.  I wanted Jarred to fall in 
love with me, but that was just my heart.*  when she looked at it this 
way, she'd never really WANTED anything with all herself.  *When you 
look at it, I've never really felt any really strong emotions.*  Alanda 
realized.  Puppy love - crushes which she'd tried to avoid because they 
hurt so much - sadness and discomfort, emberrasement, hope, failure, 
despair over getting a low mark.  Nothing that changed lives.
   "You have to channel all that - *need* - out, into the person you 
want to help."  Jupiter said, "You have to WANT that person to live, to 
take in the energy, to accept it so they have more strenght."
   "You have to want it."  Neptune said softly, "It's what it all falls 
to, want.  If you want ANYTHING enough, it'll come true."
Serenity stepped forward, "It's up to you, Sensei Earth.  Channel what 
you want and feel through the Earth Stone, ask it to do what YOU want.  And it will."
Alanda swallowed those words, and blanched, *If these Power Stones are 
as powerful as I think they are - then I can ask for ANYTHING.  To be 
ruler of the world, be rich, be famous - be THIN, be POPULAR.*  she 
realized, feeling light headed for several seconds at all the 
possibilities.  *I could be everything I've always wanted to be.  I 
could be Someone Special.*
*But with all the power, come responsibilities.*  it was a quote from an 
author she'd read once.
*How many millions of people will suffer if I ask for everything I want? 
I mean, god - this stone must have more power than an atomic bomb!*  she 
lifted the stone, holding it up before her eyes.  The blue and white 
seemed to swirl like a picture of Earth taken from Space.  *It doesn't 
look big enough to hold that much power.*  she thought wonderingly, 
*Just a pretty stone.*  Another thought struck her, *Maybe it sucks the 
power from Earth!*  she felt her insides churn as she thought of the 
geological problems Earth faced if it's core suddenly went hard and 
cold.  
*With power comes responsibilities.  I can't have everything I want.*  
Alanda pushed the ideas of popularity, being thin and everything else 
away, *Forget that.  This dream isn't going to last forever, I might as 
well do something good while I have it.*  
Then, when she woke up, she would write it all down and try to analyze 
why her subconcious mind had created it.  *They say dreams all mean 
something.  I wonder what MY mind is trying to tell me.*
    It was silent as Alanda slowly stared down at the Princess - Serena 
wasn't it? She lifted the Earth Stone - or whatever it was - again.  
Staring into it.  In her imagination, she could see all the way through 
the white clouds, and down, till she saw the Earth.  She could see 
cities and people.  Only it wasn't cities SHE knew.  
High, crystal like towers stretching upwards.  Stone castles.  Beautiful 
buildings that reminded her of the ones from the Renaissance.  Pyramids.  
Laughing, talking people.
*It's beautiful.*  
She turned to the princess and her scouts.
*I have to give them energy to live.*  Alanda thought.  In her mind, she 
imagined the Earth as a living entity.  She imagined herself talking to 
her.  *I need to save them.  And to save them, I need to give them 
energy.*
  did she imagine the voice or was it 
her own imagination again?
She closed her eyes, and there, behind her eyelids, she saw everything 
drawn in lines of energy and power.  She turned towards the window, and 
saw the Earth glowing with green, brown and blue energy.  Enough to save 
a hundred lives.  And some - not all - was open for her use.  But even 
with the energy open to her, she could feel the power thrumming, 
reaching for her.
*I need to give them enough energy to LIVE.*
  the voice sounded slightly put off now, 

Alanda stopped herself from laughing.  The voice sounded a lot like her 
mother.  
*Can you help me.  I don't know how to do this precisely.*  she asked.
  the voice 
said,   the voice promised.
   "Earth Energy give me the Power I need to save the lives of the 
Princess and the Inner Court."  Alanda murmered, feeling slightly 
stupid. 
  The voice applauded 
her,   the voice faded slightly and it added 
softly, 

BACK or to chap. 8