Hey, minna-chan! This is the first fanfic I've ever really posted, and, truthfully, I'm a little proud of it. The story is complicated, I'm warning you right now (did I scare my readers away? Damn...). But...I'm still psyched... I promise that, eventually, everything will make sense. As for my wonderful co-author, Eternal Angel, I have to thank her profusely for telling me this story isn't insane, for adding, cutting, and yelling, supporting me...and just generally being her wonderful self. Love ya lots Usa-P! And as for the others who helped me with this one...Korian, who came up with the attacks (and being her lovely self), since we were completely lost in that regard. You are VERY appreciated. And our incredible editor...Soulsearcher, you are a godsend! All right, I have to stop babbling. Hey, is this only four paragraphs? I'm doing well, considering my horrible tendency to babble...I'll turn this over to Usa-P now... Hiya minna-san! Just telling you, this is totally not the type of fics I usually write!! Also, it's all Ai-ko's idea!! Remember that!! Ai-ko is the best!! I mean, for once I have someone supporting me to be dark and evil... hehehehehe... anyways, slandered disclaimers, SM doesn't belong to us... Mamo-chan belongs to me... I mean, Naoko (sadly enough)... All of the extra characters that is usually not in the sm plotline belongs to US... so don't steal, thanks! Wanderers | Prologue by Ai and Eternal Angel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- email : tennyo@usa-ko.com http://www.geocities.com/hime05 Corruption. She shuddered and sighted to herself. ' That's what my planet is though,' she thought, her head banging mercilessly. Even looking outside gave her a headache. Duty, it was her duty to be bound upon this lifeless hunk of rock forever. She thought of her three attendants, the only ones on the dead planet to keep her company. The Erinyes, her allies, the keepers of her sanity, lest the mass output of negative energy her planet gave out should drive her to madness. Nemesis may be her eternal resting place, but there was nothing restful about it. It was where the damned came to serve their time...the darkness, the gloom...so how could she help but be disgusted with all that surrounded her? She clung to her beautiful memories as if she was a leech upon another's body...a long time ago, she was not chained to this worthless ball...there were other senshi like herself, senshi tired of being bound to their duty and ready to accept a higher mission - because they *wanted* to, not because they were born to it. Ones who found comfort in a greater cause, to see the glorious ray of light that was hidden amongst the dark shadows of life. The thought that they were privileged, iie, blessed to see the beauty within what the ignorant dismissed as evil was what made their lives worth living... But that was gone now. Everything had faded, existing only in their minds. Where was the gentle illumination she had once worshipped with the vehemence the other senshi gave to the Princess? Her beloved cause had shattered, and they had laughed, yet...she stared at the barren wasteland of her home, her mind replaying the events of last night was it time to avenge herself and her long lost loved ones? "Hime-sama?" A voice had spoken up and the woman turned around to see one of her attendants, Sailoralecto. "What are you thinking about?" "I hate this damn planet," Princess Tenshi snapped, her voice elevating, as rage grew more apparent within it. "There is only one place in the entire universe that is worse than this hellhole." Her eyes grew icy and cruel as the senshi watched, accustomed to this lovely lady's capricious nature. Tenshi walked over to the computer in the central hall, her long violet braids brushing lightly on the ground. She stared into a mirror and cursed what she saw. Despite her immortal body, as was promised to all those of the Silver Millennium, her dark golden eyes looked like they belonged to an old woman, one who had seen too much. The loss of the delights of the past had long since dulled the once vibrant color in them. "Activate holographic system," she told it. "Planet Earth, please." It never hurt to be polite. The computer whirled and clicked before a 3-D image of Earth appeared on a pillar in the room. Nemesis waved her arms about, indicating to the planet that was before them. "Please initiate negative energy output graph." Suddenly the blue planet was engulfed in a black cloud, which twisted and snarled its way around the globe in an almost sardonic fashion. "Look at that," she snarled, her voice snapping like a whip, "This planet - polluted with hateful energy, is coddled and protected by the Moon Princess and her damned senshi..." "Whom you are bound to as well," Alecto pointed out. Tenshi shook her head furiously. "I disintegrated my ties to the Silver Millennium long ago," she replied simply. "That is not the issue in hand though. This planet...look at it! The people give out more negative energy than that of my planet and Saturn combined...and that's the planet of Death...do you know what I see when I look outside? Sin. Nothing but sinners wallowing in their self-pity because they now have to pay for their crimes here in the land of Eternal Damnation. The cruel tyrants, the lustful whores, the...the ones exactly like the humans on Earth! Yet these godforsaken humans are allowed to live! I should have done something long ago to stop this evil, but no, I *listened* to Selenity-kiin. She begged me to spare it...I was a fool to listen to her. But no longer! Last night's incident was the final straw." "And what do you intend to do?" Alecto asked, anxiously gazing at the woman before her. Her leader was a great, yet highly volatile woman. When she was angry she definitely showed no mercy. Her ruthlessness could outshine even mythical beings of evil. But such was the nature of an audachi no megami. Alecto sighed. She herself had such tendencies, though not in the spades her lady possessed them in. Suddenly, Tenshi sneered, snapping Alecto back to attention. "I'm going to give them a fair trial." * * * * * * Queen Selenity stared, utterly entranced, into a magnificent blue blaze. This fire, she reflected, was a wondrous thing. Located deep within the heart of a secret temple upon the Moon, the Domnionem, this fire burned, offering its light and hope when there was nothing else. She looked around. It was a splendid hall, with its white marble floors lightly whirled with silver flecks, the walls made of stained glass and reflecting thousands of swirling, dizzying colors everywhere. Illuminated by the ancient fire, the already eclectic feel the room gave, became even more delightful. Despite its size, and the echo that bounced hollowly through the room, it was by no means imposing. It instead seemed friendly. The rest of the grounds were of a similar nature, from the beautiful gardens once kept by the ki no miko to the river that ran through it, to the lightly perfumed air that breezed through the sanctuary. The memory of her last visit still lingered in her mind. She recalled the destroyed castle and shattered pillar in the prayer room, the bodies of her daughter, her daughter's lover, and the four senshi who protected her laying nearby. This was where she came to collect her wits, and yet was unable to draw upon the full power of the fire when it came time to take the ginzuishou and send her daughter and court to the future so that they could find peace. The fire...the flames had burned since the dawn of time, easily the oldest thing in the entire galaxy. In some legends, it even preceded the Galaxy Cauldron. It burned with virtue and grace, rather than using wood as its fuel, but not love, never love, as its hi no miko had pounded into everyone's head. Memories flowed through her as she thought of the guardian of this magnificent inferno. She was long dead, which was among the Queen's many regrets, along with the death of three others who had guarded this sacred ground. She closed her eyes as she began to recall the woman, the legend etched within the deepest part of her mind. She was fierce, daunting like the fire, favored ugly truths over beautiful lies, and disregarded everything but who and what she believed in. The Queen smiled faintly, denying the tears that longed to slip down her cheeks. There was no time for regrets now, the Queen told herself sharply as she placed a hand upon her swollen abdomen. She felt a little guilty...she really shouldn't even be in the temple, much less desecrating the fire for her own purposes like this. "No," the Queen said sharply, speaking out against her inner monologue, "no, I have not desecrated the Empyreal Flame. The time has come. There will be no regrets." The fire grew a little brighter, as if to agree with her. * * * * * * "Phase I of Project Kisei is complete, my Lord," the shadowy demon told the man. "Your attendants have been rescued." "Excellent." He stood up as he ran his hand through his tousled blond hair. He was incredibly handsome, with sharp features and a tanned, well-built figure. If it had not been for the hollow black eyes devoid of emotion and impenetrable to light, he would have seemed to be a fairy-tale prince, one that was missing only his white steed and the damsel in distress. He turned away, engrossed in other matters. "There is other news." He turned back around, a little angry. "I'm very busy right now," he hissed at the apparition. We have so many preparations to make for Project Kisei." "You'll want to hear this, Hakujou-sama." From the tone in the creature's voice, he realized something big was up. "It seems there is a new energy resonating in the Juuban district of Tokyo. A very familiar one at that." "Do you mean...?" The creature nodded. A thin smile appeared on the man's lips. "Is it one of them?" "Our sources say the energy is resonating with that of the Moon Princess's, though we have been unable to determine why this is so." "The Moon Princess...why would...never mind that. Do you know which one it is?" "The one of the Western Star, I believe. The other three are experts at masking their identities, but it seems this one may be ignorant of her destiny. Perhaps she was lost in the process of reincarnation?" "After four thousand years..." his voice was a cross between anger and joy. "Can you imagine?" he asked, his voice getting higher as his excitement rose. "With them under my control, I could finally get my hands on a Universal Egg!" "So..." the creature continued. "Should we concentrate our efforts into the Juuban area?" Hakujou nodded. "Might as well kill two birds with one stone." "If you say so, then I will tell the leaders of Project Kisei to center their efforts in the Juuban area. It may be a little dangerous though...the district has a highly irregular energy output." "All the better," he shrugged unconcernedly. "In the meantime, I think will personally oversee the plan for the capture of the four girls. I really should have been more involved in that in the first place instead of fighting at Sirius...I think I've gotten all I can out of that. Besides, between the wars and the Restoration... should have watched the home front...It's time to move on. Project Kisei is waiting, right?" "Sisyphus," Hakujou said suddenly, summoning one of his vassals. A man with hunter-green hair, a cruel smile and eyes as black as his lord's stepped forward. He bowed humbly to the man who had just rescued him from Nemesis. "Find the girl and bring her to me at once..." "Yes, Hakujou-sama," and Sisyphus spirited himself away.