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                     PROTECTOR OF LIGHT                          




>>>>>>Introduction<<<<<<


Copyrights: "Sailor Moon" is copyrighted by Takeuchi Naoko, 
Kodansha, Bandai, Toei, and many others. I do not own "Sailor 
Moon," and this is merely a fan fiction written by an obsessed 
moonie fanatic. Don't sue me, please, powerful people. I'm not
rich like you, I'm poor! _Please_ don't steal this fan fiction, 
because the story is mine even if all the characters aren't, 
and I don't want to deal with some moronic idiots who don't 
have enough intelligence or imagination to write their own 
stupid fan fictions. I will find out your address and tell the
senshi (who, I know, are not real, but that's beside the point)
and I won't guarantee your personal security for the few 
minutes the senshi can leave their little "Sailormoon world"
and join our world. Bwahahaha...just don't steal it, OKAY???
(It is funny to think that anyone would want to plagiarize 
my pathetic writing <deflates own ego>...but, hey, anything
can happen!)

Before going into my (almost) overly long introduction, I will
thank a few people. Well, first and foremost, Jesus Christ my
Lord and Savior...but I won't go into that because I'm not
trying to convert people here, I'm just trying to write a
fairly good <gets hopeful look on face> fan fiction. My friends, 
especially Chiasa and Sierra, I am indebted to you. You've 
always been there with me in my crazy life and you taught me 
about anime and what it means to be very ecchi! ;) All right, 
I will thank my family also, because, even though you get 
tired of Sailormoon and anime in general, heck, you're my 
family. (And Emerald, my sweet innocent little sister, _you_ 
put up with all my rants, and that is something amazing! ^_^) 
Now, perhaps most importantly, my first editor, Mad Cat, I must
thank you. You encouraged and supported me, and, most of all,
gave me helpful C&C's for my story. I don't know if you 
realize how <searches dictionary for word meaning "extremely
helpful"> invaluable you were for someone who had never
written a fan fiction before and was terrified that she
would be up to ears in flames because she broke some little
unwritten (or written) rule. And chat is great! ;) GO DOQ AND
GOQ! (Don't ask, and believe me, you really don't want to know
<laughs insanely> Goq and Doq are very, uh, interesting...) Also, 
thanks to my prereader, Sachi. You also gave me a few tips and 
some good ideas. Thanks to everyone on the board and in chat, too.
You are all so nice (though a few are a little insane). Last but 
definitely not least, thanks goes to Andrea for posting this on her
wonderful site and for keeping up ASMR so that fan fiction will 
always be there. <sniffles> (;_;) Merci beaucoup! Muchos gracias! 
Der danke!

And thank you for reading this introduction. I just noticed
it's getting longer than the prologue itself. Uh-oh. Don't
put this down before you even start reading from boredom.
I'll stop soon, I promise!

In this fan fiction, there are occasional "author's notes." 
These can be identified by three ===equal signs=== around them. 
A sentence enclosed in *stars* is a person's thoughts. Words 
with _underscores_ are italicized. Things in [brackets] such as 
[Sweat drop] are things you would see if this were animated. 
Scene changes are shown by ++addition signs++ around the 
description of the new scene. For North American fans who are 
new to Sailormoon, Japanese names/words from Sailormoon are
followed by the English translation in (parentheses). This 
story focuses on two people, so the chapters alternate between 
the two characters. You'll see what I mean after reading a little.

The senshi have grown up quite a bit in this fan fiction, as
you will see. They are all somewhere in their mid-twenties to
late-twenties. They still have to fight all the evil in the
world, and the Outers have gone to the United States to stop 
an incredible force of evil there. The Inners are still in
Juuban Tokyo, and the "inevitable" has happened, for the most
part. This all doesn't really come together until Chapter 2,
because you only see the senshi after they have transformed
in Chapter 1.

Just to let you know before you send me flames, I love all of 
the senshi. (Yes, every one, although I hate to admit it.) I 
just tend to make jokes at their expense, and that is fine with 
them, I'm sure, because they are fictional characters. And why 
wouldn't they want you to have a good laugh every so often?

I think I am going to have to rate this PG-13, for violence,
language, and (maybe) a few adult situations and (maybe) a 
little adult humor. It won't quite be the level of hentai,
though, not by a long shot, and I will specify before each 
chapter if there is anything questionable.

This is my first fan fiction, peeps! I'm rather new at this,
and I _need_ feedback, positive or negative. So, if you like 
this fan fiction, hate this fan fiction, or have comments and 
suggestions, you can drop me an e-mail me at: 
sailorminerva@yahoo.com 

Before you start to write me an e-mail telling me I'm psycho, 
remember this is a fan _fiction_. Also be aware that I used to 
only write fantasy/sci-fi poetry/stories, so I can make weird 
things happen sometimes. Don't tell me that if something 
travels the speed of light, it will develop infinite mass, 
according to Einstein's theory.  Don't tell me that a black 
hole would destroy what it sucks in. This is _my_ story, and I 
break rules when I feel like it. I'd rather you not nit pick 
my story for little unrealistic bits of information, which 
it's littered with, so get over it.

Athena is the goddess of civilized life, agriculture, and 
handicrafts. She tamed horses by inventing the harness, for 
which I am grateful. She is well known for being a battle-prone 
goddess, but she is actually a defender against enemies 
attacking the home (most of the time). I could go on and on for
hours about the goddess I was "named after" during the "Silver 
Millennium," but I doubt you would continue reading this if I 
did. ^_^ Naturally, my senshi is named after the goddess I 
admire most. (Minerva is the Roman name for Athena, and since 
planets are named after _Roman_ gods and goddesses...you should 
get my reasoning.) 

Lastly, I do not expect this story to be taken seriously, so 
don't assume you can banish your "evil" teacher or boss to 
another "dimension" by holding up a gray stone and wishing for
their disappearance. Reality can be quite a shock sometimes, 
but I'm sure you'll get over it someday. <clears throat> Ah, 
yes, where were we...

:::This prologue would be rated G, I think:::

>>>>>>Prologue<<<<<<
    )))Athena(((

===From my "past life" during the Silver Millennium, as far 
as I can tell. I have had many dreams about this. (Peeps,
'member, this is FICTION! :)===

I was an onlooker, not a senshi. My name was Athena. My sister 
was Cynthia. I always knew there was something special about 
Cynthia from a young age. She was different from me in ways I 
couldn't understand. That, however, did not detract from our
fondness for each other.

We lived on the happy planet of Minerva. My mother was Queen
Selenity's (Serenity's) sister, Eileithyia, so the Moon Kingdom
and Minerva were closely linked to each other. The royal
marriage between Eileithyia and my father, King of Minerva, was
a joyful one. Selenity occasionally visited us when I was a 
young child, because the bond between two sisters at that 
time was considered as close as the bond of mother and 
daughter, and psychic communication was not always sufficient.

In fact, my mother named her firstborn, Cynthia, in honor of
the Moon Kingdom. Cynthia was a feminine variation of the word
"moon" in the Ancient Language. In addition, it was related to
her birthplace, Mount Cynthus. The "honeymoon palace" was on
Mount Cynthus. (A traditional custom of the royal family of
Minerva was for newly weds to spend two years in the honeymoon
palace.) Mount Cynthus, in the Ancient Language, meant
"mountain of the moon."

I was named for our planet, because Athena is another word for
Minerva. In the Ancient Language, Athena, translated literally,
meant "wise pureness," and Minerva meant "wise purity."

One day, the forces of evil attacked the Moon Kingdom. My life 
was shattered as my mother took the Dominion Orb, a powerful 
wedding gift from her older sister, and infused Cynthia with 
the power of Minerva. My father tried to sustain my mother 
during this very arduous procedure, but it was to no avail. 
Eileithyia, the quiet beauty from the Moon Kingdom, died. My 
father and I grieved deeply and wept uncontrollably. I was 
certainly my father's daughter. 

Cynthia, however, stood tall and strong. She felt the same as 
I did inside, but she did what my mother would have done. She 
took the power of the gray Dominion Orb and let it transform 
her into a princess of great beauty in heels and fuku (a sailor 
suit). Sailor Minerva was born, and the Dominion Orb had no more 
reason to exist. Therefore, it disappeared. The grayness of her 
fuku expressed her sadness, although no tears were shed from her 
eyes. This made me sob even more violently. She reached down to 
me like an angel and I saw a glowing light around her. "Sister," 
she said, "thee must abide here and replace me as Princess of 
Minerva temporarily whilst I vanquish the monsters of that accurs褠
Dark Kingdom (Negaverse) whose presence in our glorious realm 
doth cause me grief. Protect dear Father with thy life if needs 
be but follow me not for thou wouldst surely perish. Wilt thou 
please remain in this safe refuge for a time?" 

"Sailor Minerva," I cried out, "thee canst not leave me alone, 
for should the monsters attack, the people of this most 
peaceful of planets shall wither and die. Surely thou hast no 
desire for such a fate!"
 
"Nay, but I must protect Queen Selenity (Serenity), in memory 
of precious Eileithyia, for this evil canst not be countered 
without proper force, and if it doth come to pass that dear 
Princess Selena's (Serena's) protectors are annhilated, she 
shall be prey to the dark soldiers. Methinks in this case I 
should protect her from mortal harm. Prithee, pursue me not, 
for thou art incapable of fighting as I must." 

Defiantly I sniffed, "Thine arguments hinder me not."

Suddenly my father regained his composure. "She must go," he
chanted, as if in a trance. "The hope of the Universe hast 
always been laid upon the ginzuishou (Imperium Silver Crystal), 
but in the absence of the Orb of Dominion, Sailor Minerva, the 
ginzuishou (Imperium) wouldst crumble into dust. Therefore, 
Sailor Minerva must always fight for the Aurora and the Light, 
which shall emerge lacking evil but containing purity when the 
One of Colors doth appear. From the last wish of Minerva the 
Aurora shall live on, and this planet cannot sustain the 
ginzuishou (Imperium) to ensure this glad day shall come. The 
youngest Princess of Purity and Love must not venture near the 
battlefield, as her sons three shall create the Triangle to 
protect the ginzuishou's Aurora. Sailor Minerva doth fight for 
the Light and Love, and somehow she should destroy this great 
evil crashing upon the world--for Eileithyia." Exhausted after 
his speech, my father collapsed. 

"What is thy meaning?" I exclaimed. "Father!"
 
"Eileithyia...for Eileithyia..." 

"Thee must attempt to make thy words comprehensible, Father." 
Sailor Minerva tried to calm him. 

"Eileithyia...I...thank thee..." At this my father halted his 
unsteady breathing. 

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" I wailed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" 

Sailor Minerva, once again, did not grieve openly. "He hath 
saith that thee should remain on Minerva, and that I should 
defeat the demons. Goodbye, my dear sister."
 
"Don't leave me," I screeched, but realized that we must do as 
my deceased father directed. More calmly, I stated, "Thee is 
correct in thy reasoning. Thou hast my eternal gratitude, 
sister of mine. I love thee, Cynthia. Goodbye...forever." 

"Fare thee well," she whispered as she stepped into the 
teleporter to the Moon Kingdom's palace. "I love you."

Somehow I knew I would never see her again. Her face as she 
turned around to wave one last time was imprinted in my memory 
forever. It had tears on it. She, too, knew her fate. 

That day, she helped defeat those monsters by sacrificing her 
life. However, the Dominion Orb, as an offspring of the 
ginzuishou, also granted one last wish to its user. She filled 
her aura with the Orb of Dominion, but no one remembered her 
presence, not even Queen Selenity. Sailor Minerva had to remain 
a secret, so she subtly scattered and crushed the Seven 
Shadows, giving them to Queen Selenity, who imprisoned them 
eternally. She wished that only her body, Cynthia's body, would 
die, and that Sailor Minerva would live on. She cast away all 
cares for herself, because she could have wished the opposite. 
Sailor Minerva returned to me as the Dominion Orb, and I knew 
it would have to be used again someday. 

Before I could use it, the forces of Earth and the Dark Kingdom 
attacked. They hated the Moon Kingdom's almost-immortality, but 
they hated Minervans even more. Why, I still don't know. As a 
little detour, they stopped in and tried to destroy the planet 
to "warm up." But my three sons, as predicted, were the 
Protectors of the Aurora. We knew "it," whatever the Aurora 
was, was on our planet, and that it must not be destroyed. I 
held up the Orb of Dominion and asked that I might die, so that 
my planet would be sucked into a black hole and carried to the 
far side of the universe. My wish was granted, and I was 
utterly destroyed. But even then, the Orb had a sense of humor, 
for I was transported to a different dimension, to a new life. 

===That's why I'm writing this now! *Read the introduction 
if you are about to suggest Charter. I'm only a little zany! 
^_^ By the way, does Charter even exist anymore?I haven't 
seen those commercials in a long time...Uh, oh. That's not good.
I could need that someday! *giggle* I think I drank a little too
much caffeine tonight. ^_^===