Second Chances
By Fiona Lim
Flim@hotmail.com
Well, this is the second time around for this story. For
all of you who read this once before - thank you for staying
with me the first time round, and continuing to read what I
wrote. Also, please reread Second Chances, a lot has been
changed, and Second Chances is now the third section of a
series of stories (yep, that's right! Now there's a sequel
to the story for all of you who have been asking about it!).
I've used the names from the English dubbed version of
Sailor Moon and used the few Japanese version names I
know from reading fanfic off the 'net. I've never seen the
Japanese original versions of the show, so forgive any
spelling mistakes (etc). Unfortunately - for me, and other
Sailor Moon fans who enjoy purity in their stories - I
didn't watch Sailor Moon from the very first episode, and I
don't think I'll ever get the chance to see it as it's been
cut. Please forgive anything that's not exactly like it's
supposed to be (for example in my story, Prince Endymion's
name in the Moon Kingdom is Prince Darien Endymion, and he
has an older brother called Prince Caraein). This story has
been split into three parts:
First Part
Prologue:
Chapter One: Changes
Chapter Two
Chapter Three: Memories
Prologue - Present (1995)
Asteroid Field between Mars and Jupiter
A computer flickered on in the darkness of the ship. Slowly, the
long darkened corridors of the ship brightened as ancient commands were rerouted through the low-tech wiring received the command to turn on once more.
In the center of the ship, two tubes reflected the lights to reveal their
contents. One held a sleeping girl - barely 13 or 14 years of age.
The other held a woman of undetermined age. Her hair was black - though
streaks of gray and white now ran through what had once been midnight
darkness. Silently, commands were sent to those two tubes, and just as
silently, long unmaintained machinery slid smoothly to those commands. A
hissing noise filled the room as the covers of both tubes slipped open.
The woman woke first, her dark eyes opening slowly.
Dark eyes stared out at the world as she lay there, then a dry
smile touched her thin lips. "The time has finally come." She
whispered, the first words to be heard on the ship in over a millennia,
"The stars have aligned in my favor."
The girl woke far more slower than the woman, first one blue eye
opening, then the other. She yawned and stretched, smiling. In that
smile, her face became beautiful and showed just how young she was.
She stepped daintily onto the gray carpeted floor, the long, twin
blonde tails her hair hung in falling almost to the ground.
"What has happened, Mistress?" the girl asked, "Why are we awake?"
Mistress - as the girl knew the woman as - stepped out of the tube,
shaking back her long hair, "The stars are right Verena. The time is
ripe for your revenge on your twin sister." She said, smiling evilly,
"Princess Serena shall die and you shall become Queen of the World."
"With you by my side." Verena said happily, "So you can finally be
rewarded for your loyal service to me."
Verena's tone was innocent, as if she had no idea what she meant when
she said the words. Mistress hid the look of contempt she felt as she
stared at the young girl she'd kidnapped so long ago. *A total
innocent. But she is my trump card, and I cannot loose her, no matter
how irritating she is.* she thought, "Come Verena. The time for the
Plan has come, and it is time to activate my memories."
She smiled smugly as she thought of 'her memories'. They were not
literally *her's* of course, but they were perfect. True masterpieces
and a work of art each of them. It was too bad that she could not
truly show them off, but of course, if she did, then those fools whom
she had PLANTED them in, would know that they were false, which would
make creating them in the FIRST place, totally frivolous.
*Ah Serenity, Queen Beryl and the Negaforce might have failed. But I
shan't.* she thought, smiling as she stalked down the corridor
towards the helm of the ship, knowing Verena would follow after her.
*You had SUCH hopes for your 'children of the Moon Kingdom', sending
them for their 'new future of peace'.* she swallowed the laughter
bubbling in her, *You were as ignorant as Beryl and her vaunted
Negaforce were.* her lips twisted into a sneer, *When *I* rule the
world, I shall not make the same mistakes!*
Mistress sat down at the head, her fingers brushing against the
keys on the chair's arm. A screen appeared before her, figures
running through them.
"What are you doing, Mistress?" Verena asked softly.
"Activating the first memory." Mistress said, smiling, "Fool that
your Mother was, she chose not to allow them to remember the past in
case they MIGHT have a future as 'normal' people." this time, she DID
laugh, "As if ANY of them could ever be NORMAL." She said, Verena
laughed as she did, though less surely, "What Serenity has made
mistakes in, *I* shall use though." she said, pleased, "What they
can't remember, I can replace." She said with an ugly smile, "And
then, my dear Verena - our fun and your revenge can truly begin."
The Moon Kingdom - Past
Queen Serenity's Palace
The Crescent Ball
The Moon was not the center of the solar system, and
certainly it was not the largest planet - in physical
as well as scientific terms - in actual terms, it was not
even counted as a planet. But, also, certainly, it was the
center politically, culturally and - magically, or to be
more correct in terminology, 'energically'. Queen Serenity
leaned slightly against the crystal back of the Throne,
wincing as the smoothly carved creations some sadistic
artist had carved into the back, bit into *her* back. *Huh!
Bas-relief my FOOT! * Serenity thought as she shifted
uncomfortably, trying to get the least molecule of comfort
that the chair could - *At the moment, that 'that' is a huge
MIGHT. * - give.
Below her, the First, Second and Third Courts danced,
dressed in their finest clothing, most laden down with
enough jewels to feed a peasant family for several eons.
The Courts of the Moon Kingdom were gathered together,
enjoying the celebration that only a long reign of peacetime
could bring. While other rulers might complain of the
endless wrangling and arguing that filled most Courts of as
long standing as the Moon Court. And many people remarked
on the amount of politicians and court intrigues, Serenity
welcomed them for it was the surest sign that her Kingdom
was at peace and prosperous if they could afford to breed
children who grew up arguing over little things such as
priority shipping among luxury vessels. *Better they argue
over little things such as rank, then - say - food for the
hungry versus food for the starving. * Serenity thought.
Still, her kingdom was by no means, a 'golden reign' as some
of her more ardent admirers were wont to claim. Queen
Serenity smiled - perhaps it was a virtue of living for
centuries instead of years (the longevity was a curse or
blessing from being the Guardian of two powerful Planet-
Stones), but such small things like politics and intrigues,
grew into small nothings when compared to the overall
picture. *My people are happy, and that is all that
matters. * Serenity thought. She could not claim her reign
was a 'golden age' - not what with the Negaverse Army still
on the fringes of the Moon Kingdom - but at times like this,
when everybody seemed to be happy, she let herself believe -
if only slightly.
The musicians took up an old air, and the Queen smiled
to herself as she listened. The song had been out of the
common repertoire till some status seeking musician had
found out that not only was it a favorite of both the heir-
apparent to the Crystal Throne - Serena, the Princess
Serenity - but that the Queen herself enjoyed listening to
it. *Sometimes, being the top rat in the pack has its
privileges. * Serenity thought wryly as she enjoyed the
melodramatic strains of the ancient instruments - for once
not music created from the mind and played through mind-
crystals.
A voice rose above the small chatter that surrounded the
ballroom, and gradually silence fell among both the dancing
couples and the small groups standing together talking, till
the only sound that could be heard was the high, clear
voice. . .
A time for love,
This place of ours,
A dreaming place,
Let no hurtful memories into our world.
Serenity let her gaze wander - as if by chance - till it
landed on where a young man stood in the center of a
gathering of several lords and ladies. The younger prince
from Earth - Prince Darien Endymion - looked up as he heard
the words and turned to find the singer: Princess Serena.
He looked at her, her large blue eyes faraway as she sang
words to a song long forgotten until that night. Then he
too rose his voice, and took up a second verse -
This love of ours,
Will last through time,
No matter how far,
No matter how wide,
We will be together,
Through eternity.
A time for love,
For you and me,
Eternally
This place and time will last forever more
They sung the last verse together, their voices blending
with the instrumental, then faded away with the last strung
notes. Prince Darien hurried over to where Princess Serena
stood, only to be beaten to the prey - so to speak - by his
older brother, the heir of Earth-Throne: Prince Caraein.
Queen Serenity watched as the younger Prince walked
silently out of the hall, ignoring the blatant flirtatious
attempts by the ladies surrounding him. She heard a sigh,
and realized that she hadn't been the only one to notice the
scene that had just occurred. Seated by her feet were two
of her most trusted advisors, and one of the few Advisors
who were also part of her First and Inner Court. Guardian
Artemis sat on one side, his white fur almost blending with
the color of her gown, while on the other side, Guardian
Luna made an equal contrast with her black fur.
"Are the stories true, Luna. Is Serena in love with one
of the princes of Earth?" Serenity asked softly, watching
as Serena and Prince Caraein walked out into the garden.
It was Artemis replied instead of Luna - he knew more of the
gossip that surrounded court than his more serious and
dignified companion - "From what she's told her Court,
Serenity, she is very much in love." He said solemnly,
"Though for her sake, I hope it is Prince Darien. Prince
Caraein is more interested in the connections he will
receive from marriage - or even a liaison - with our
Princess than in love, and I truly think that Prince Darien
is in love with her Highness."
Luna nodded in agreement, "Prince Darien would make a good
Royal Consort for our Princess when she ascends the throne,
I doubt that Prince Caraein would be able to forgo all ties
with his planet and the throne, as the Royal Consort must at
times." Luna added.
Queen Serenity nodded thoughtfully. Many of the Serenitys
that had sat upon the Crystal Throne and guarded the Silver
Imperial Crystal had found life-mates beyond Pluto's orbit,
in the starry galaxies beyond the outer sphere of the Moon
Kingdom. But also, many of her ancestors had also found
life-mates among their own people, but as there were rules
for speaking and acting to a person at Court, there were
rules for a Royal Consort who was also a Prince of a Planet.
There would come a time when a Royal Consort-Prince would
find his favors sought from both his own people and those
beyond, and many a time would come in his long reign, when
his planet was not always the one whom he should favor.
Prince Caraein was loyal to his planet and to HIS people,
but beyond Earth's orbit, he saw no need to aide any other,
a fault which had already made his brother the Guardian of
the Earth-Stone till the lost Earth-Sensei could be found.
At the thought of the third and last Planet Stone of the
Moon Kingdom, Serenity fingered the two stones hanging from
the full moon pendant on her necklace. Both the Silver
Imperium Crystal and the Moon Sapphire had been in the care
of the Crestmoons - the Royal Moon Family - for centuries.
It had been a long time since the Moon Sapphire had last
been set in a prince consort's crown - the last time being
King Marael, her husband of long ago. Serenity felt the
familiar pang of loss as the memories of Marael returned.
It'd been a marriage of convenience at the start, and she
hadn't thought love was part of the arrangement, but when he
died -
When he died - *I thought I would die if it hadn't been for
my babies. * Serenity thought. The Court had pressed her
to marry again, and she'd accepted the Negaverse heir:
Prince Akal's proposal - this was long before anybody had
known about the evil force that ruled the Negaverse's
Reigning Family. Prince Akal had seemed truly to love her,
but on the day before the wedding, she'd caught him trying
on the coronet of prince consort, and the Moon Sapphire
hadn't glown like it had when Marael had put it on.
For as long as the Crestmoon family had held the
Sapphire, each child had learnt the legend of the Moon
Sapphire - a legend she hadn't believed till then: that only
true love to the fiancée would make the Moon Sapphire glow.
Serenity sighed inwardly. Akal was long in the past -
she'd refused him, and ruled alone, despite the protests
from her Court and Council. The future was all that
mattered, most importantly, the future of her people - the
people of the Moon Kingdom: Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury,
Jupiter, and the outer planets of Neptune, Pluto and Uranus.
She glanced down at the two jewels, set in the royal symbol
of a crescent moon: the Silver Crystal at one point, and the
Moon Sapphire at the other point. One day, Queen Verena of
the Moon Kingdom would wear the Silver Crystal for the good
of her people, that was a known fact. But the Moon Sapphire
was placed in the crown of any prince who married a Moon
Princess, to prove his love. Serenity hoped that one day,
the Moon Sapphire in the coronet of the princess's consort,
the Sapphire would flare in answer of true love. But that
day was a long time away. Neither Verena or Serena knew
about the Moon Sapphire's true meaning yet.
***
The Moon - Present
A man appeared amid the last ruins of the Moon Palace.
He stared at the tall, slender columns for several seconds
then closed his eyes and concentrated fiercely. Black lines
of energy shot out from his outstretched fingertips, and the
last ruins crumpled underneath the onslaught.
"Did you have to do that, Agein?" A beautiful woman
appeared next to him, her long, dark black hair floating
slightly around her like an aura.
"Getting nostalgic, Arein?" Agein asked.
"This was a beautiful place before - " She trailed off
softly, numbly, remembering the last time she'd been here -
the last time she'd seen Caraein.
Agein turned, his eyes watching her as she looked up at the
huge Earth. *She is so beautiful.* He thought, *So
perfect.* he reached out towards her, *Tell her - * a
voice prompted in him, Tell her at least how you feel, GIVE
her the choice - let her choose - *
The sun was rising from over the horizon of the Earth, and
the slight light caught the symbol on her forehead, a circle
made of three parts: a yellow crescent moon, that was
overlapped by a black crescent moon. In the small circle
that was left from the two crescent moons was a star, the
white edges of the star going over the yellow and black
moons.
*Fool - if you tell her, and release her, she'll leave you -
and then you'll be alone - FOREVER.* a harsh voice reminded
him as he let his hand drop to his side. If having her by
force was all he could have, then he would rather have it
than loose her forever. *But aren't you loosing her
already? By forcing her to stay with you?* the slender
thought asked, Agein shook his head and reached out again to
grab her shoulder.
"Like I promised, my dear - Earth." He leered and Arein
shuddered.
"Must we defile it, Agein?" she pleaded, "Prince Caraein
lived there once." The words slipped out before she could
stop herself, she looked down at her booted feet, stirring
up clouds in the gray dirt.
"Forget your prince, Arein. He is long dead." Agein
shouted angrily, "I have loved you for millennia. I have
showed you the universe and beyond." His voice grew soft as
he turned away, "Your love belongs to me."
"How can ANYBODY love someone who chains the person they
believe they love? How can you expect me to love you when
you control my every move?" Arein asked, her voice barely a
whisper.
Agein growled and stalked off. For a second, Arein tried to
refuse to move a bright light flashed, and the thin line of
power that surrounded her neck flashed painfully.
Repressed, Arein slumped, and followed after Agein, tears
falling unheard from her eyes.
Agein stared up at the Earth, rotating so slowly around
the golden sun. So much of his life was caught up in that
planet. He remembered, back in the vast reaches of memory,
when he had first seen that planet. When he and his ship had
entered a system barely marked on the star charts, and he
had settled into orbit around a station that no longer
existed. *How could I have known where this would all lead
me? * He wondered, and as always, the question arose, on
whether - if he had known what would happen, if he would
have stayed, if he would have continued the way history had.
And as always, the answer returned, that ANYTHING was worth
being around Arein.
*Fool me for thinking so. * Agein thought bitterly. *She
clings to her memories of the past, and what I did then. I
cannot apologize for what I did nothing I do can ever
forgive me for what I took from her - the chance to die for
her people. * He sighed, turning to look where Arein was
lying, curled up on the ground, her hair and arms the only
pillow she would use, her clothes the only blanket.
*I could conjure up a palace for her if she looked at me a
certain way. I would give her gowns that Queens would envy
if she asked it of me. * Agein thought sadly, *But she
won't ask, because she doesn't care for anything like that.
* Which, ironically enough, was WHY he'd fallen in love
with her in the first place. Because she hadn't cared that
he was a powerful Mage-Adept and the heir apparent of a
galactic kingdom. *Perhaps I should have realized that when
she became a friend to me, that it would never become
anything more. * Agein thought grimly, then sighed, knowing
that promises and lost hopes in the middle of the night
would never become truth when Arein awoke. *Even if she
doesn't love me, how can I let her go? How can I let the
only person I'll ever love go? *
If only she could forget the past, and give 'them' a chance.
*But if 'if only's were fishes, than all of space would be
filled with them. And how surprise so many cultures will be
when they finally manage to enter space, and find the
amphibians floating around. * Agein thought, *I can never
make her forget the past - *
And then a thought occurred, one that made the hairs on the
back of his neck rise.
*But you CAN destroy the past completely. * The voice
whispered. *Destroy all signs of the Moon Kingdom. Queen
Serenity tried to send the souls forward into the present
before she died. If she succeeded, then there are still
souls remaining to remind Arein of her past. Destroy them,
and she'll have no one but YOU. *
Agein froze at the utter BRILIANCE of what the voice was
whispering, and an evil glint arose in his eyes, a desperate
glint - for if this did not work, then he would loose Arein
forever.
Far away, a silver spaceship orbited around the larger
remains of what had once been a planet. A woman sat,
laughing as she watched Agein through the hundred screens
flickering on her console.
And Agein went to sleep, even as the white star on his
forehead bled red. And never once, did he remember, that,
as a child, he had been taught that he would always know
when somebody was casting a spell on him, by the rising of
the hairs on the back of his neck.
The woman walked through the gray corridors of the ship,
her insane laughter echoing in the silence till she stopped
before a bulge in the wall that was - unlike the rest of the
uniformly colored ship - a dirty white. With one hand, she
traced a path through the whiteness, watching as it melted
under the relative warmth of her fingers. Beneath the
frost, the face of a young girl was revealed, her golden
hair the only clothing she had on as she floated in the
liquid beneath the glass.
*Soon, VERY soon, I shall be Queen, as the stars predicted!
* The woman crowed, a wide smile spreading over her face as
she touched several buttons on the pad next to the frozen
tube, *And NOTHING will stop my ascension to the throne of
this Kingdom - NOTHING! *
Agein surrounded them with his power and they floated
off the surface of the moon, orbiting Earth silently,
both caught up in memories of the only remnant of what had
once been a beautiful kingdom, now long gone. Suddenly both
of them froze; Arein gasped as she felt the familiar life
force - something she hadn't thought she'd feel again -
"Darien." She whispered.
Agein nodded, "So, Queen Serenity succeeded in sending the
spirits to Earth. Prince Endymion and the Princess Serenity
have been reborn." He paused and smiled, "As has the four
inner Planet Guardians - what were they called? The Sailor
Scouts." He nodded, "They shall die." He said, "Then the
last chain that holds you to Caraein shall be gone."
Arein stared at him for several seconds, barely believing
what her ears claimed she heard. Then the dream she had
dreamt that very Earth-descent returned to her. The
nightmare where Agein killed and destroyed everything that
remained of the planet she'd claimed once as home, and the
scream burst from her throat, "No! Please no, Agein!" She
begged, the line of power between them flaring as she fought
his hold on her, "They're innocent. . ." she started
sobbing as the collar sparked to life, controlling her, made
her fall to her knees, "Oh please, Agein. They never harmed
you. They were so much in love." She felt a hand touch her
cheek.
"You cry because I would destroy people who you barely
met." Agein murmured, "You loved your prince, and you cried
when he left you. I saved you from death, and showed you
all that you would ever want. And yet - " he sounded so
defeated that Arein glanced up in surprise, "You hate me,
your savior." He clenched his fist, "Once this last link of
your prince is gone, then perhaps your love will be mine."
Arein sank down, feeling hopelessness in every part of her
body. She closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep, at
least there, the harsh truth of her reality would go away
for a while - there, at least, she wouldn't have to face the
imminent destruction of innocent lives.
Agein looked at the woman he'd loved and wanted since
he'd first seen her dancing in the court of the Moon
Queen. And felt a pang of hopelessness. *How can I ever
have her love? She's spurned me over and over and over again
since I saved her.* He knew that holding her captive
against her will would only make her hate him more, but it
seemed the only way to keep her to him, *And if that is all
I can have, her company, then I will do all that's in my
power to have her here.* He glanced from her to the growing
Earth outside the globe of power he'd created to bring them
safely to Earth, *Prince Caraein, you don't know how lucky
you were in your brief life.* Which only made what he knew
so much more mocking.
*Why don't you tell her, Agein?* He asked himself as he
created a soft blanket and commanded it to wrap itself
around the sleeping Arein, *That her precious Prince
Caraein never wanted her love. That he was going to be
married to another simpering woman before they were both
destroyed by Queen Beryl?* He knew the answer by heart now,
Because she would be hurt, devastated by the news. The one
thing that has kept her happy through all this years, happy
like he could never keep her, had been the truth - as she
saw it - that Caraein loved her as much as she loved him,
and as much as Agein wanted to break all the ties that held
Arein to the past, he could not bring himself to destroy her
innocence.
***
In the nothingness of the place, she knew something was
wrong. A sense that woke her from the sleep which had
surrounded her for so long. In that place, she knew that
the final battle would come soon, and that the most
dangerous enemy - an enemy not concerned with might, but
armed with the strength of long-planning - had finally
arrived, as she had feared.
She reached for the golden power which had always come
so easily, but she could not reach it! The long sleep had
occupied her mind but it had sapped her strength, not
rejuvenated her.
*This cannot be! I am needed!* she thought urgently
reaching once more.
Time - stretched - leaving her exhausted as she stopped.
She could not reach towards the other side this time. She
could not act where the laws that guided all would not let
her. *So be it, but I will not leave my children
unguarded.* she knew what the enemy would do, but she also
knew more than the enemy did - she had been there after all,
had she not.
It was easier to touch the souls. Hovering between the
*there* and the *here*, neither dead nor alive.
***
Queen Beryl had frozen him in the crystal. Sent him to
the nothingness of the million dimensions beyond. She had
taken his life, his destiny, his planning - and when she had
taken all she could, she had taken the last thing that he
had that had been of any worth to himself. She had taken
who and what he was, and given - something else - in its
place. And after he had served her, after he had obeyed and
worshipped and been everything that she wanted, she had
taken THAT as well, leaving him with nothing. AS nothing.
She had frozen his body, stopped him from moving or
acting, but she had not stopped his mind from thinking. It
would have been better if she had killed him. But then,
Queen Beryl had never seen much use in wasting the effort by
giving the peace of death to those she wanted to torture.
He didn't know how long he'd been here - wherever here was.
He did not know anything, anymore. Perhaps the only thing
he was certain of anymore, was that he had once held a name;
many names, of which some he had been proud of, and others
he had merely - held.
He had been someone - but to remember led to madness.
So he floated there, trapped between sanity and the insaness
that lay beyond. He did not know how much time passed,
whether it be centuries or merely seconds. All that he knew
was that he would be here for all eternity - however long
that would be. And through out all that time, he would be
alone. Dreadfully, unfalteringly alone, with no respite.
And it was that fact that brought him closer than anything
else to the relief he knew insanity would bring. He
remembered - or perhaps he did not - once when a teacher
(perhaps, how could he be sure who had told him once? Only
that SOMEONE had said it once to him) - that for so long as
there was HOPE within the soul, there would be a second
chance. That NOTHING was ever set in stone, not even
history. But he had lost his hope, for he was trapped here
- eternity could already have passed, could it not? Leaving
him here still, to exist BEYOND eternity, alone and trapped
like this! Insanity gibbered on the edge of his mind, but
something held him back when he would have given up hope in
the silent ice he was trapped in. A brush of fresh air
where no air blew, a touch where he could not feel. And a
thought -
*You are not alone. And have never been. When you need me,
I shall be there, when you fear, I shall protect you, when
you hurt, I will heal, when you fight, I stand by your side,
and when you are alone, I shall be there.*
Through out that time, he clung to that thought - not
knowing whether he was insane for imagining that he had
heard that thought - that the thought had not originated
from HIM but from someone else. But he clung to those
words, knowing, somehow, that he was not alone - that the
words were true. And time - passed. Or perhaps it did not.
HE could not tell, in the stasis, nothing was certain, and
he waited.
Then - light. Light so bright that he would have closed
his eyes - could he have moved. IF he had eyes.
He found that he could move. He turned and saw three people
standing there, dressed in black armor, waiting - as if for
him.
He felt a wind blow around him, felt the clothes he had
known he was wearing, vanish, and be replaced by the
strangely familiar form of metal armor.
"These are ALL your second chances. Be what you were
wont to be, see what you were wont to see!"
"See what you were wont to see - be what you were meant
to be - go where destiny intended you to go - "
And he opened his eyes for the first time in a long
time, and remembered who he was.
