She could feel the laughter bubbling up within her as she sat on the pristine throne. *By the Gods, I am enjoying myself! I haven’t felt this alive for quite some time. It is almost as exhilarating as defeating the armies of that empire - how long ago has it been now? I was but a child then - by the Gods! It must have been at least four or five centuries ago - this time, I shall know how to prolong the enjoyment.* She passed a bemused glance at the cowering fools gathered on the marble floor of the hall. They had tried to kill her - kill *her* - with their weapons. *To think - they actually thought all they had to do was take the Triod and I would be defeated!* Perhaps, if the fools who had begun their rebellion had thought to *use* the Triod instead of destroying it, they might have succeeded. *Might have. . .*
She laughed out loud, and watched in pleasure as they shrank and winced as the sound echoed throughout the large hall. *They are frightened of me - ONE person alone holds them in thrall.* It would never cease to amuse her. *They thought I did not know of their spies and their traitors within my palace They thought I was foolish for not fostering loyalty in the people around me.* She laughed again, enjoying the sound as much as the fear it created, *What do *I* need of loyalty? I can destroy all of them - with or WITHOUT the Triod, a pity that they did not realise that. I have not met enemies such as this Rebellion in quite some time. No others have been this - entertaining. Certainly no others have had the audacity to seek and achieve the theft of my Triod.* a brief burst of anger disrupted her humour, *When I have finished destroying their bodies, I shall find the pieces, and rebuilt the Triod seconds before they die.* she smiled in pleasure, *Yes, before they die. Perhaps I shall even allow them the faintest hope that they might still destroy it before their death -* her smile grew broader, and once more laughter echoed through the silence
of the hall, broken only by the whimpers of the broken bodies on the marble floor, * Such a waste that I have to kill them - they are SO entertaining. Much better than the jesters.*
Time passed, as it always will, and there came to be a golden era for a tiny kingdom in the far corner of the galaxy. A long line of Queens, whom were always known as Serenity, ruled the kingdom. But this tiny kingdom was special, for it held within
it, the three shards that made up the broken Triod. Though their true, unified form, was unknown, their power *was*, and they were known as Planet Stones, and their Guardians were the Protectors of the planets who had shared their energies to purge
the darkness from the Triod.
Metallica, returned, and was once more defeated - this time by the last daughter of Crestmoon, the family who had born the duty of the first shard. And perhaps, that might have been the end of it. For the secret of the escon Triod should have been
lost when the Queen of All breathed her last.
“Laugh while you can, witch, you won’t find much humour in your future.”
She looked up, her smile broadening, “Finally, I had thought you had become lost - the palace IS rather extensive.” She said as she glanced down from the dais her throne was on, “Come now, show yourselves!” she clapped her hands in restrained gaiety as she looked around eagerly, “I do hope you do better than your fellow conspirators -” She nodded towards the bodies that were scattered throughout the large hall, the only common thread throughout being that they were all still alive, “As you can see, they were not particularly entertaining. The longest they managed to keep me occupied was half a candle mark.”
She leaned back in her throne and watched as they walked down the length of the red carpet, marvelling at their stupidity. *If it had been me, I would have already set at least eight archers to keep me occupied while I appeared. Don’t they realise that I can attack now while they walk?* she sighed inwardly, *They do NOT make rebels like they use to.*
“Let us see,” she smiled broadly, “Three only? What, no squadrons? In my great-great-grandfather’s day, they brought out an entire army to crush him. They failed of course.” She sighed, “I must say, you disappoint me - only *three* fighters to defeat your Queen. I would have thought my reign of terror would have taught you more than that.”
Perhaps this fight would not be as entertaining as she had thought. The three stood there, not even dressed in the drab uniform the rebellion had adopted to attack the Palace. She shook her head sadly at the lack of standards. As it were, they did not even have the knowledge to stand in a uniform way. In fact, they did not even bear weapons greater than an old fashion sword between the three, one that had no technology greater than its sharp edge.
“We do not need any more, Empress.” The first girl said - she was a slender creation with hair so pale it was almost white and eyes that were a startling blue, “Make no mistake, you WILL die.”
“Very well then, if you would be so good as to introduce yourselves?” she asked impatiently, *Truly, no standards at all. I am SEVERELY disappointed, by this stage they should already have been posing and giving their names and titles.*
“Maruel of Arem.” The sole male - the only one wearing a sword - said, his voice a low growl that belied his youthful appearance.
“Ah, I do believe I remember you. A gladiator - I vaguely remember you fought in one of my pits.” She smiled again, enjoying the look of fear that entered his eyes briefly, “If I had known you were so handsome, I would have brought you to the palace as a personal slave.”
“I would sooner DIE.” Maruel snapped as he reached for his sword only to be stopped by the girl who had spoken.
“Not yet, Maruel. We will follow the conventions- for now.” The girl said softly.
She smiled broadly, “Ah, a traditionalist! Someone after my own heart. And who might you be?”
“If my heart was like yours, cursed one, I would cut it out myself.” The girl replied, “I am Serenity Crestmoon.”
“Ah, Serenity - the leader of the Rebellion? I *am* honoured. You come from Planet 301a correct? Such a disobedient planet that one. I had to destroy it to prove a point.”
She enjoyed the look of distaste and anger that she saw in the calm waters that were Serenity’s eyes. She understood those emotions.
“You *are* evil.” The second girl said, “I am Karla. You don’t know what planet I come from - in fact, you don’t know anything about me unlike the other two.” Karla said before she could speak - she frowned at that, rudeness should never be excused - “Maruel, Serenity - let’s get this over with. It’s time.” Karla said firmly. The other two nodded even as she began to laugh.
“And what shall you attack me with, children? Your hands? That amusingly primitive weapon you have, Maruel?” They glared at her in the amusing manner in which children often used and she smiled in eagerness. And then - they began to glow - and for the first time, the humour fled from her.. A quick glance below the physical world revealed what they had done.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO *MY* TRIOD?!” she roared as she stood up in anger, “You actually - “ she swallowed disgust, “You actually placed MY PRECIOUS JEWELS inside your COMMON BLOOD?!”
“You were too sure of yourself, Empress Metallica.” Serenity said softly, “Your family has ruled for countless eons - and truth has seen you defeat many rebellions. But you never thought that people would -“
“Could learn!” Karla broke in as she grabbed Serenity’s hand, her eyes sparking with dangerously unsaid emotions.
“We know the Triod cannot be destroyed. Nothing of power can ever be totally vanquished - they can only be watched and guarded.” Serenity finished quietly.
“What did you do to it?!” she roared bringing her powers to fore as - for the first time in centuries - true fear shivered down her spine.
“We were the sacrifices.” Maruel said, as the steady red glow surrounding him began to intensify.
“The guardians.” Serenity murmured as she took his hand, and joined the red with a sheer white.
“Your destroyers.” Karla said defiantly as she took Serenity’s hand and added a brilliant blue to the red and white auras. She felt the fear rise even as she stared at them, and she knew that she had lost - this battle, and even the war.
“You don’t have the STRENGHT to do it!” she shouted, “The Triod feeds on the emotions - and you do not have what it needs.” But she knew that it was only time - their auras already told all she needed to know.
“We do not need the Triod, Empress Metallica.” Serenity said softly, “Only the stones - that was YOUR mistake. You thought that the stones by themselves were nothing - but you were wrong.”
She brought all her powers together, knowing even as she did so that it would not be enough - but she also knew that they had not broken the true secret of the Triod. And deep within what was left of her soul, she laughed, because they would not have
the heart to truly destroy her - and she WOULD return. . .
*The Triod will be mine again.*
In a forgotten time, it had been created. It was unknown precisely why such power had been forced into mundane objects, nor how. And many - yea, even the darkest - have thought it better that the art of such creation be forever lost. It mattered not how, nor why it had been created. Merely that it was, and that it had fallen into the hands of evil.
No precious jewels were ever guarded so covetously, nor was any mere piece of land fought over as greatly. Blood was spilled - enough to cover endless tracts of empty, dark space - and lives were lost forever in search of it, and later, to keep
it. It was named Triod, for it used as its power, three points ‘fire, ‘water’ and ‘earth’. But the name hid a far more sinister purpose. In an ancient tongue, of a civilisation who had been utterly destroyed by its powers, it was babtised ‘escon
Triod’, ‘evil power by evil emotion’.
The Triod should never have been created, for it was the anthesis of life. For whatever it was firstly meant for, its purpose became to destroy, and no darker creation ever existed. For millennia, it held civilisations in thrall of its power, and stained all within its presence in darkness. And in time, the escon Triod entered the possession of a family who was as evil as it was dark.
It is known that the more a being looks towards the light, the darker its shadow will become, but what is lesser known is that the longer one turns towards the darkness, the brighter the light shall be. Many rebellions and revolutions were raised against the family, and each time, the Triod brought them down.
In the first year, the rebellion became in the dark mines of 301a - a desolate planet made habitable only by the order of the Empress of All, Metallica Ne Savers. Thousands of lives ended in the battle to gain the Triod, and despite the Empress’s amusement, the Triod was stolen from her vaults and entered the hands of the rebellion.
No thing of true power can ever be totally destroyed, it can only be watched and guarded. So it was with the Triod. Steeped in eons of evil, it took the lives of three beings and the willingly volunteered energies of three planets to break the
Triod. The shards were given to the three beings, entered into their very bodies, to forever guard by them, and their descendants.
Empress Metallica was defeated by the power of the shards and the three beings. And time passed. The three Guardians separated, and the legend of the escon Triod dwindled and died, till only few realised the power that was once held. But the
secret was never totally lost from memory, though the Guardians themselves forgot and never discovered the true power they held within their lineage.
The Kingdom prospered, and many centuries passed before disaster appeared in the form of Metallica, now Queen of a dark empire known as the Negaverse. In a desperate battle, the Queen Serenity used the knowledge of her shard and the power that could
be gained - for a price - and using her death, captured the Negaverse. With the last of her powers, she sent her people forward into the future. But the battle that raged, had found many losses, and of a kingdom that had spanned seven planets, now
remained only one capable of containing life. And its inhabitants as Earth knew this planet.
But a time has arrived and a circle has been formed. In our age, the three shards have once more arrived in one place, at one time. And though their Guardians do not understand the power they hold, one other has. A descendant from the Negaverse, and a traitor, she seeks to rejoin the Triod and rule, firstly the last part of the Kingdom built by the first Queen Serenity, and then later, the entire empire that was once held by the Empress of All. . .
And so our story begins. . .
Foolishpleasur's Archives is proud to present
Sailor Moon S(tone)
by Fiona Lim
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Copyright 1994-1998, 1999 Fiona Lim and all other names she may use.
Author does not claim creation of Sailor Moon or any other registered and published anime
characters within stories. She does claim depiction of characters, plotline and storyline.
Author does not claim creation of songs listed within stories - all songs taken from rightful
creators are listed as such. All other songs - unless otherwise stated - belong to author.