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**A Soul Reclaimed**
By Lady Brick
Lady_Brick@yahoo.com
http://www.mindeclipse.com
Rated: PG
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and friends do not belong to me.
            Adonis, Thalia, and this story do.
**Part 6: To All Things An Ending**
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The soft music and flickering lights sought to ease the tension 
of those in the hall.  Silken gowns and capes swirled around the 
room.  From all outward appearances, this seemed to be a quite 
ordinary royal ball, like so many others that were often held in 
the palace on the moon.  Yet the usual tittering of conversation 
was absent, as were the occasional bursts of laughter.  Those in 
the room danced stiffly, lacking their usual carefree grace.  The 
expressions behind their masks varied from angry to stonefaced to 
despair.

Suddenly, the Princess Serenity swept into their midst like an 
angel in feathery white.  Her partner was tall and dark, his 
identity shielded by a gilded mask.  The few that knew of the 
Earth Prince's presence in the palace were not present at the 
ball.  The other dancers stopped to watch, wondering at the man's 
identity, and admiring the beauty and grace of the Princess.  The 
pair whispered back and forth, the love between the two obvious 
to even the most unobservant.  Their happiness eased the hearts 
of the people of the moon, and for a time, the impending battle 
was forgotten.

__________


"My Queen, our forces stand prepared, save those who attended the 
ball.  
Shall I retrieve them?"

"No Adonis.  I will sense Beryl's forces approaching with enough 
time to warn them.  Let them enjoy themselves for now.  Perhaps 
it will help them to remember what it is they are fighting to 
save."

"As you wish."

Queen Serenity, Adonis, and the cats Luna and Artimis sat in a 
small chamber that overlooked the hall and the festivities.  The 
Queen watched her daughter for a moment, then turned to Adonis.  
"She looks quite happy, doesn't she?"

"Yes, My Queen."

Serenity sighed.  "I'm glad she has one last chance to spend time 
with the prince before the upcoming battle.  Between the chaos 
caused by Beryl, and the death of Lady Thalia, things have been 
quite hard for her recently."

"Yes."  Adonis shifted his position, gazing down at the Princess 
below.  "She and the Lady Thalia were quite close."

"On another note, were you able to discover anything further 
about the Cult of Apollo."

"No, your Majesty.  Fortunately or unfortunately, they seem to 
have ceased activity.  Without any new information, I'm afraid I 
have no leads as to where to search."

"I have some information for you," the Queen said, still gazing 
at her daughter.  "They planned the attack that killed Lady 
Thalia."

Adonis started, looking at the Queen with shock.  "But... but the 
attack was against the Princess," he stammered.  "Lady Thalia was 
killed in an attempt to defend her."

"I think that is what we were meant to believe.  According to the 
Princess, the first attacker claimed he had come for her, but 
once the other attackers arrived, they concerned themselves only 
with Thalia.  With as many fighters as they had, they could have 
easy attacked both the Princess and Lady Thalia at the same time.  
But they didn't."

"But the shot that killed Thalia was aimed for..."

"The Princess, I know.  Whoever planned that knew that Thalia 
would react in time to save the Princess, probably by taking the 
arrow herself.  They must have known how sensitive she was to 
anything reminiscent of her mother's death."

Adonis nodded.  "That makes sense," he said absently, "But how 
does this indicate the Cult of Apollo?"

"No one of Earth would have dared to attack their own Senshi.  
Those Terrens involved in the attack must have been misled by the 
ones who orchestrated the attack in the first place."

"But what would the Cult gain from the death of the Senshi of 
Earth?"

Serenity sighed.  "I think you know Adonis."

"My Queen-"

"You made a mistake Adonis."  Serenity reached under her chair, 
pulling out a large, ancient book.  Adonis stiffened.  "There are 
only a few who know of the hidden rooms inside of the castle, 
where Andora's Prophesy was kept.  Myself.  Luna.  Artimis."  She 
looked at her advisor.  "And you."

Adonis straightened, looking at the Queen with almost pleading 
eyes.  "I did what needed to be done."

"By forming a group of traitors?  By feeding them knowledge they 
were not meant to know?"  Her voice rose.  "By killing my foster 
daughter?"

Adonis's voice hardened.  "After the death of Queen Thetis, you 
allowed a monster into the palace, while I took steps to protect 
your kingdom!  I found the people responsible for the attack, 
killed those who knew of it, and use the rest to form a group who 
were willing to save what they believed in!"

The Queen rose, looking her advisor in the eye.  "You killed an 
innocent girl because of a prophecy you didn't understand!  Do 
you have any idea of what your actions have done?"

"I saved us!"

"You condemned us to death!!!"

Adonis took a step back, his confidence shattered.  "What... what 
are you talking about?"

"Your attack failed.  Thalia survived.  Somehow, Metallia got a 
hold of her and twisted her into the monster that we now know as 
Beryl."  She looked at Adonis.  "You are the cause of all this.  
Your actions are what set the prophesy in motion.  Thalia was 
never the danger."  Her voice hardened.  "You were."

Adonis tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"Get out of my sight!" the Queen hissed, her beautiful face 
twisted in anger.  Adonis tried to protest.  With a flash, Luna 
and Artimis switched to human form and trained their weapons on 
him.  He stood frozen for a moment, then swiftly turned, his cape 
swirling behind him.  He paused at the doorway.

"You will regret this, my Queen," Adonis said, quite calmly.  "If 
not today, then someday in the future.  Your kingdom will fall 
thanks to your weakness."  Then he was gone.

Serenity stood for a moment, watching the empty doorway.  Then, 
she suddenly grew rigid, her hand clenching the top of her chair.  
The Ginzuishou appeared, flashing as it hovered in midair in 
front of the Queen.

"What is it, Queen Serenity?" Luna asked.

"Warn the others," Serenity said, her voice pained.  "Metallia is 
coming."

__________


The sky swiftly darkened over the palace, as if a black cloth had 
been thrown over the moon.  A portal opened up and the Dark 
Kingdom's army poured through, led by Endymion's four former 
generals.  The Moon Kingdom army was quick to engage them, but 
from the beginning it was a losing battle.  Metallia's forces 
greatly outnumbered Serenity's, and they were able to see and 
function much better in the surrounding darkness.

The Senshi met the Generals head on.  They held nothing back, 
knowing that the men they loved were beyond reach, and their duty 
now lay in protecting the Moon Kingdom.  The Generals were 
swiftly cut down, and the Senshi moved on to aid the rest of the 
army, leaving behind only a few tears as a result of their harsh 
decision.

Queen Serenity stood atop a tower of the palace, watching the 
battle below.  Luna and Artemis stood with her, ready to defend 
their Queen if necessary.  Pluto stood in the shadows nearby, 
generating a shield that protected the Queen and cats from any 
falling debris or overzealous attackers. 

She knew the Queen's moment would come soon.

__________


Princess Serenity huddled behind a fallen pillar, trying to hide 
herself from the demons that attacked her people all around her.  
She desperately wished that she knew anything about fighting to 
help her mother's army, or at least defend herself, but she 
didn't.  She and Prince Endymion had been separated when a 
section of the palace wall collapsed, and now she was alone and 
quite frightened.

"Now what do we have here?" a harsh voice rang out behind her.  
The Princess whirled and found herself face to face with Beryl.  
She gasped, tried to back up, but stumbled over her frothy dress, 
falling hard.

"Why, it's a pretty, pretty princess, all alone," Beryl cackled, 
leaning over the frightened girl.  Her eyes glinted red.  "A new 
toy to play with?"

"Leave me alone!" screamed the Princess.  A burst of energy shot 
from the crescent moon on her forehead, throwing the witch 
backwards.  Serenity struggled to her feet, glaring at Beryl as 
she shook her head dazedly.  "Get off of the Moon!  You can't 
have it!"

"Who's going to stop me?" Beryl snarled.  "You?"  With a scream, 
she leapt towards the Princess, her claws ready to tear the girl 
to pieces.

Something flew towards Beryl, impaling itself in her side.  She 
shrieked and crashed to the ground.  Serenity stared.

A perfect red rose quivered from Beryl's fallen body.

"No, I will," said Prince Endymion as her strode over to the 
Princess.  He gently helped her to her feet.

"And you said you only gave roses to the pretty ladies," the 
Princess murmured.  Endymion smiled.

 Beryl managed to stand, dark blood coursing down her side.  
"Endymion," she gasped, her voice full of pain, and an oddly 
desperate longing.  "Join me!  Rule by my side as king.  You will 
have more power then you ever dreamed!"

"You have nothing that could ever interest me, demon," spat 
Endymion.  He stepped in front of Serenity and drew his sword.  
Beryl's eyes narrowed.

"You will be mine.  One way or another."  A giant pillar of dark 
energy burst from the sky.  Endymion was sucked away from the 
Princess, up towards the black clouds in the sky.  Without a 
thought, Serenity dove in after him.

She couldn't see anything, but could hear Endymion's voice, 
pleading her to get away.  Ignoring him, and the incredible 
pressure that was crushing her, she strained for him.  She felt 
him grab her hand, and smiled, despite the immense pain.

Then a flash of dark fire consumed them both.

__________


"No!" shrieked Beryl, staring accusingly at the sky.  "You killed 
him!"

Two dark red eyes flared deep within the dark clouds.  The stone 
on Beryl's crown flashed.  She shook her head, as if to clear it.  
When she looked up, there was a feral gleam in her eyes.

"Kill them," she hissed, "Kill them all!"

__________


Serenity stared at the sky in horror, where her daughter and 
Prince Endymion had hung but a moment before.  She stared down at 
the battlefield, her fists clenched.  She saw the fallen bodies 
of the generals, and the Senshi grouped together.  There was a 
sudden flash of fire from the sky, and then they too were gone.  
She saw Beryl consumed with insane laughter at the sight 

"No, it wasn't supposed to be this way, for any of you," the 
Queen murmured, tears falling from her eyes.  With a flash, the 
Ginzuishou appeared before her.  She cupped it in her hands.

"What are you doing?" gasped Luna.  The cat took a step towards 
the queen, but was stopped by a gentle look.

"What I should have done from the beginning," Serenity said.  
"For all of them."  She raised her arms.

The world went white.

__________


Setsuna stood over the fallen Queen.  Serenity's breath was 
ragged, and the Senshi of Pluto knew she didn't have long.

"Will... they be all right?" the Queen gasped.  Setsuna smiled.

They will all reawaken in the future on Earth.  Your daughter 
will be a senshi, and rule in a time as glorious as the Silver 
Millennium.  You will see her again, someday."

Serenity struggled to reach for something at her side.  Setsuna 
picked it up for her.  It was an ancient book, miraculously 
untouched by the battle.

"Take it," Serenity wheezed.  She shuddered once, then was still.  
Setsuna bent over and kissed her friend on the forehead, then 
closed her eyes with gentle fingers.

Stepping away from the queen, Setsuna flipped through the 
familiar volume.  When she came to the torn page, she frowned.  
Calling up her staff, she held it over the book.  The missing 
piece reappeared as if it had never been touched.  Setsuna read, 
even though she knew the words by heart.

		The Light is reborn 
		Yet Darkness will follow
		An Earthen Angel will rise and fall
		Her power to Darkness
		And Darkness swallows all but Light
		Light entraps Darkness
		Light to Darkness, Darkness to Light
		The Light reborn from Darkness 
		An Angel's heart weeps
		And the Moon shines no more
		Save for a distant Light	

These were the words that Adonis had read, but he had failed to 
finish the passage.  Setsuna studied the words that the advisor 
had missed.

		The Light shines on
		Love shines on
		The Angel flies again

Something caught Setsuna's eye, half buried in the rubble.  
Closing the book, she walked over, sifting through the gravel.  
Picking up the object, she began to smile.

It was a perfect red rose.

Still smiling, Setsuna vanished.

__________


The woman awoke with a gasp.  Grasping a hand to her head, she 
tried to sort out the images she had seen.  Looking down at 
herself, she saw not the long purple gown that she had been 
wearing, but, rather, a dress of copper silk.  It took her a 
moment to recognize it.

It was what she had worn the day that she had nearly died, 
protecting Princess Serenity.

Struggling up, she climbed out of the stone bed and staggered 
over to a mirror that hung on the wall in a twisted black frame.  
She was no longer Beryl.  The woman in the mirror was not 
fourteen any longer, perhaps six or eight years older, but was 
unmistakably Thalia.

Thalia collapsed on the ground, weeping with relief and revulsion 
at who she had been, what she had done.  She huddled on the floor 
for a while, shuddering at the grotesque memories that were still 
fresh in her mind.

A cracking noise finally brought her out of her misery.  Looking 
up, she was startled to see the walls around her starting to 
crumble.  Over the time she had slept, the Dark Kingdom had 
slowly disintegrated, and now the last pieces were falling to 
dust.

"I've got to get out of here," Thalia muttered to herself.  
Looking to the right, she saw the portal Beryl's minions had used 
so many times to attack Earth.  It still glistened with magic.

Thalia walked over, but hesitated before stepping through.  How 
could she face Princess Serenity, now Sailor Moon, after all she 
had done to her?  How could she face Endymion, the other Senshi?

A large rock heading her way gave her no time for contemplating.  
She hurled herself into the portal, shouting, "Take me to the 
Princess Serenity!"

She only hoped that her friends would take *her* back.

__________


The walls of the room were wrought of the finest crystal.  They 
glittered and flashed in the sunlight.  It would have been enough 
to blind most people, but the occupants of the room were quite 
used to it.

"There were thirteen people injured this time," one said, pushing 
her long, dark hair back.  "We're lucky we got there in time.  
Another minute or two, and we would have had several deaths on 
our hands."

"We need to figure out where these creatures are coming from, and 
why they seem so insistant on destroying Crystal Tokyo," said 
another, tapping away on a small blue computer.

The woman at the head of the room stood.  Her golden hair, tied 
up in odango, flowed over her white gown.  "We have a 
responsibility to the people of this city, myself more then 
anyone.  By bringing about this new era of peace, I have also 
bound myself to the protection of those I now rule."  Neo Queen 
Serenity looked pointedly at her Senshi.  "Now, more then ever 
before, we *must* stand for justice.  We must protect the future.  
Both theirs..."  She clasped a hand to her slightly bulging 
abdomen, "... and ours." 

The Senshi were silent for a moment.  Makoto spoke first.  "The 
thing I don't understand," she said "is how these creatures even 
exist.  I mean, you purified the entire Earth with the 
Ginzuishou.  I thought that all evil was destroyed."

A small black shape uncurled.  "Even the power of the Ginzuishou 
could not eliminate all of the evil that existed on Earth," Luna 
said, falling into her old role as teacher.  "Evil is as much a 
part of nature as Good.  Though the Ginzuishou was able to 
eliminate many of the lesser evils of mankind, much of the petty 
greed and hate that for so long has plagued the human race, you 
could no more remove the evil from a person with them still 
remaining a person as you could remove the water from a stream 
and leave it a stream.  The problem is when the evil overwhelms 
the good in a person, leaving them less then human.  The 
Ginzuishou made the people of Earth better people, but not 
perfect."

"Rei, were you able to sense anything from the monsters that you 
fought off?" the Queen asked.  Rei shook her head.

"Their magic shields them too well.  I can't read anything from 
them at all.  And except when they attack, they don't register at 
all.  Which means that they shield themselves very well, or they 
are out of range."

"It would make sense that they are situated a good distance from 
our location," Ami stated, looking up from her computer.  "Each 
time they appear, they seem to use a very strong teleportation, 
indicating great distance."

Minako stood, taking charge of the Senshi.  "Next time they 
attack, Ami, try to get a readout of the portal on your computer.  
We may be able to track it back to the source, or at least, get 
some idea of the general direction that they are coming from."  
Ami nodded.  "The rest of us need to work on finding the weakness 
of these creatures.  Individually, our powers have no effect.  
We're luck that they seem to be more interested in causing damage 
then fighting us.  In the next battle, we must try combining our 
powers.  Hopefully, we will be more successful.  We want to be 
able to destroy these monsters if necessary, not just drive them 
off, as we have been doing."  The Senshi nodded.

Suddenly, without warning, the Ginzuishou appeared in front of 
the Queen, flashing urgently.  Serenity cupped her hands around 
the crystal and closed her eyes briefly, as if conversing with 
it.

"What is it, Usagi?" Minako asked, calling the Queen by her 
childhood name as, only the Senshi still did.  

"Something is coming," she replied.

A portal flared open on the ceiling, and a small figure hurled 
through it.  Four lights flashed as the Senshi transformed, but 
Neo Serenity waved them off.  She walked tentatively to the 
figure on the floor.  It was a young woman, dressed in a copper-
colored silk gown of ancient design.  Her reddish hair swirled 
around her still face and the floor.  Even sprawled in awkward 
unconsciousness, she was still graceful.

The young queen stared in shock at the girl.  Then, falling to 
her knees, she cradled the girl's head in her arms.  Unnoticed, 
tears ran down her face.

"Oh my god," Serenity whispered.  "Thalia?"


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It has been a while since I worked on the revision of this story, 
but I am happy to pick it back up, and hope to work at a much 
faster pace.  My life has been rather hectic lately, with 
graduation looming ahead and graduate school on the horizon, but 
this story continues to be popular, and a work that I am still 
fairly proud of, so I would like to see it in a final, edited, 
and somewhat improved form.  Stay tune for more updates ^_^