Greetings All! Its Destiny Star* with chapter 23 of It Has Begun. Disclaimers: Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko and all rights go to her and others like her. I know I'm late! But I had no time to write. Spring break starts on the 15th so I?ll have lots of time to write then. I have good news! I just turned 17! ::does a little dance around the room:: Aren't you so happy? Well? Don't give me that look! Fine! Be that way! By the time you all get this chapter I will have gotten my drivers licence, a new car, and started my new job at a pet adoption/shelter. Cool! The story is below and we are still in Crystal Tokyo. Enjoy! Thanks Comments to Reona32@aol.com Destiny Star* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chapter 23 It Has Begun As We See Our shoes clicked on polished marble as King Endymion led all of us through the Crystal Palace. Around us was silence, a quite that seeped into your mind and I had to fight it away. Remember the times when this shining place also shone with happiness and joy of many. Everything was almost unbearably still, lifeless. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I remember how much noise and movement there once was within the palace when court was held or a ball was given. But that was before the darkness came, the Doom Phantom and the Black Moon Family. My face fell and I lowered my head to stare at the passing floor. A hand rested on my shoulder and gave a firm squeeze. I looked up to see Xzafer Knight smiling gentle at me. I returned the smile as best I could and placed my own hand over his. A collective gasp brought my head around. King Endymion stood in the middle of the Thrown Room. A massive room made of white marble. Across from us were golden chairs where the King and Queen would sit, they gleamed even now. On both sides of us the room reached out to form balconies on the sides. Curtains of all the colors of the rainbow fluttered about by a breeze that came through the open balconies. But that was not what we were looking at. My smile grew as everyone looked straight us to the ceiling, or were it should have been. In the place of what should have been a normal ceiling was a large dome that covered the whole circle shaped room. Pieces of stained glass fit together to form a picture of the solar system. The Sun, Planets, even the Moon, Star, and Light Kingdoms were shown high above us in this large dome. King Endymion began to speak, also looking up. "That is the reaction everyone gets when they come in the Thrown Room. At night the stars show through the glass to make the picture complete. This room is my favorite in all the palace." He sighed. "But now you can't see the stars clearly enough at night for it to happen because of the shield around the palace." Small Lady laid her head on his shoulder and stared up as well. Everyone spread out across the room looking at the dome. "Its beautiful." whispered Sailor Neptune. Wolf nodded from next to her. "Its like an image imprinted on the sky." "I wonder who thought of it?" asked Sailor Moon to no one. "You did." said King Endymion. "Or will." Sailor Moon looked at him. "Its one of the many things you will think of to make the Crystal Palace truly splendid." I said. Sailor Moon blushed and Tuxedo Mask hugged her from behind. "My little moon has an artist streak." he teased. Sailor Moon laughed and hit him on the shoulder. Across from them King Endymion closed his eyes and mouthed 'my little moon' before he laid his cheek on Small Lady hair. I looked at him sadly before I said. "We need to be going on." Everyone gathered around and King Endymion led us out of the Thrown Room and into the hall again. Several doors down King Endymion stopped again. He stood there for a second before lifting his hand to the door. His hand froze before the handle and stayed there, shacking, an inch from touching the door. For a minute we all stood there silently before I finally stepped around him and pushed open the door. With out a reason to stand in the hall anymore King Endymion slowly stepped into the room. I followed him in and motioned the others to come in also. The room was bare and white. On the left was a double glass door leading to a balcony. Across from us was a large alcove draped with shear curtains. On top of a marble pedestal sat a long crystal. We were all silent, all knowing what was in the crystal. Neo-Queen Serenity Small Lady slipped down to the ground and ran over to the crystal. Neo-Queen Serenity lay with in the clear crystal looking for all the world just asleep, like she could wake up any moment. But she wouldn't, not with out help. "Mommy?" asked Small Lady as she rested her hands on the crystal. "I brought help, Mommy." She glanced my way and I noticed that Sailor Moon and Sailor Light stood next to me. "I brought your younger self, Sailor Moon and she has her Moon Crystal. That's what you said you needed, the Moon Crystal. Its what Puu said to find. I did it, Mommy! Please open your eyes!" Small Lady began to cry as Neo-Queen Serenity made no move. "Please, Mommy!" she begged. Sailor Pluto stepped forward and picked the child up, hugging her. Small Lady sobbed into Sailor Pluto's shoulder. I lowered my head and once again looked at the floor, my hair shielding my face. I felt a hot tear run down my cheek and quickly whipped it away and looked up. "Can't we do anything?" asked Sailor Light. "Maybe we can combine your powers and that will break the crystal." said Luna. I looked solemnly down at the black cat. "I don't think anything but for this times Moon Crystal will free her." I said. "But we can at least try!" said Sailor Moon with heat. "With my power maybe I can reach my older self, break what ever hold this thing has over her." I sighed and looked at King Endymion. He was looking down at the floor and didn't look to be paying attention to anything else. Small Lady was looking at us with watery eyes from Puu's arms. "Alright." I gave in. "We'll try a Cosmic Crystal Attack." The three of us walked toward the crystal. Sailor Moon began to walk behind the pedestal but I touched her shoulder. "Lie, let me stand behind." I said. She looked at me oddly and stood in front of the pedestal with Sailor Light. I gazed at Neo-Queen Serenity for a long second before I reached up and slid the Star Crystal off its place. Passing my hand over it the lid disappeared and the crystal was reviled, my insignia began to glow as well as the Star Crystal. Sailor Moon and Sailor Light did the same and held their own crystals. Cupping our hands under the crystals we held them above the Queen then slowly spread our hands out and grabbed each others hands, the crystals stayed floating in the air glowing softly. We made an odd shaped triangle with our hands, the three crystals remained floating in the middle. The others in the room moved back as the glow became brighter. Sailor Pluto sat Small Lady on the floor. The child's eyes shone with tears and hope. Everyone watched in silence, each hoping we can do it. "Cosmic....'Star!'...'Moon!'...'Light!'..Crystal Power! Unit!" we yelled. The small room was filled with a blinding array of light as each of the crystals flared to life. The others looked away and put up arms to shield their faces. King Endymion refused to look away completely and kept one half shut eye on us even in the brightest light. I felt Sailor Moon's power flow into the crystal, going to Neo-Queen Serenity while Sailor Light and My power attacked the quartz crystal, seeing if we could some how weaken it. I thought it odd that we felt no resistance from the crystal, our power flowed right into it with out a problem. In a second I realized that the crystal didn't need a protection as I felt a rapid build in power from it. I was about to cry out when our own powers were thrown back at us. I gave a painful yell as I was thrown back and hit the wall behind us hard. Try as I may not to I cracked the back of my head against the wall. Lights exploded in my head and I slid to the ground with a groan. Sailor Moon and Sailor Light slid across the floor in the other direction, my real reason for not letting Sailor Moon stand behind the pedestal. They would have burn marks but nothing else. The Star, Moon, and Light Crystals fell from the air and landed on the quartz crystal with sharp pings. My whole body felt like it was burning. My head rang loudly and the noise that followed in the room was not helping any. Everyone surged around Sailor Moon and Sailor Light. I lay on my side faintly aware of someone pulling me into strong arms and several different voices repeating "Daijoubu?" to me. Somewhere in my haze I heard Small Lady give a sorrowful cry. "It will never work!" Through clouded eyes I saw her run toward the door and Sailor Pluto lunge for and miss her by inches. This brought me around. "Lie!" I cried hoarsely. I swung my hand up, barely missing hitting Xzafer Knight in the face. But it had the desired effect just the same. The doors to the white room closed before Small Lady could run out of them. "Lets not go there, shall we?" I mumbled. Small Lady slid to her knees in front of the door and wept. King Endymion lifted her up into his arms and hugged her to him. Tuxedo Mask and Star Knight help Sailor Moon and Sailor Light up, bruised but okay. "Oh, that was fun." groaned Sailor Moon as she rubbed her shoulder. Xzafer Knight lifted me up and stood with me in his arms. I laid my head against his shoulder and shut my eyes. "Tell the room to stop spinning." I moaned. "Is she going to be alright?" asked Sailor Mercury from across the room. I felt Xzafer Knight nod. "She'll be fine in a minute." he said. He rubbed my back with his gloved hand in a soothing motion. Sailor Moon and Sailor Light walked over to the pedestal and retrieved their crystals. Onyx gentle took the Star Crystal off and slipped it between her collar. Sailor Moon rested her hand on the quartz crystal and sighed as she looked at her older self. "Well, now what?" asked Sailor Jupiter, impatient. "We wait for the enemy to come to us, its the only thing we can do. For now we need to find out what happen to this times Moon Crystal, its the only thing that can get Neo-Queen Serenity out." said Onyx. Solemnly everyone nodded. "Lets move to a room with chairs to rest, shall we." The doors were opened and we all filed out. "I don't think I want to sit anywhere right now." complained Sailor Moon as she walked out of the door. The others laughed and Tuxedo Mask shook his head with a smile. Xzafer Knight went around the crystal and walked toward the door. As Onyx passed King Endymion she stopped and looked at him evenly. "Don't let Small Lady out of your sight." she said and walked out the door after the others. Xzafer Knight went out the door and King Endymion followed us with a quietly crying Small Lady in his arms. Outside Onyx rushed to the front and led everyone down several halls til she came to a room large enough to seat all of us. She pushed the door open fully so they could enter. Everyone took a place in the room, all by their loves. Some sat on the floor and leaned against each other. Sun Knight leaned against the couch Sailor Moon was sitting on and pulled her hair. "HEY!" Sun Knight danced away laughing before his sister could get a good hit. Jedeite walked behind him and flipped his cape over his head. "Thank You, Jedeite." said Sailor Moon with a smug look as her brother tried to untangle himself. King Endymion sat in a chair with Small Lady and she curled into a ball on his lap. Xzafer Knight gently put me on a chair and kept one hand on my shoulder to see if I was alright. I smiled at him and he sat next to me, satisfied I wasn't hurt. Onyx put her paw on my knee and titled up her head. I slipped the Star Crystal from her collar and replaced it on my sailor fuku. "Thanks, Onyx" I said as she settled at my feet. There was a moment of silence before an irritate Sailor Uranus spoke from her place next to Falcon. "I don't like this..this waiting. I feel like a sitting duck." Sailor Neptune leaned forward around Wolf to look at her. "And what do you suggest we do? Hmmm? We don't know where the Wise Man is in Crystal Tokyo, we can't find him. We'll have to wait for HIM to come to US." Sailor Uranus huffed and began to tap her foot on the marble floor. "Isn't there anything we can do, Sailor Star? Besides just waiting for him to come." asked Jedeite to me. I nodded. "We find the Moon Crystal." I didn't look at Small Lady and she remained silent. "How do we do that? Can Sailor Moon detected it?" asked Sailor Light. I was about to respond when Sailor Mars gave a frustrated cry and yelled at Sailor Uranus. "Will you stop that!!" Sailor Uranus froze and stopped tapping her foot. Behind her Falcon's shoulders shook as he tried not to laugh. However, everyone else was not having so much luck with remaining quite. Sailor Neptune had her head in her lap as she laughed. Next to her Sailor Saturn was laughing against Lynx's chest and he had his face in her hair snickering. "Har har har" deadpaned Sailor Uranus. At this point both Corran and Sailor Pluto gave in and began to laugh too. After several minutes Sailor Venus leaned her head back and gasped in a breath. "Oh, that was rich." she said. Even King Endymion was still trying desperately to keep a straight face. Sailor Moon lifted her head off of Tuxedo Mask's shoulder and sighed. "I needed that." she said. "Alright! I'm glad you all got a big laugh out of it! Can we go on now!" yelled Sailor Uranus. It took us a few more second after that to calm down enough to answer the last question. "Hai, I can tell where the Moon Crystal is. I guess it means ANY Moon Crystal but I'm not sure." said Sailor Moon. "Well, all right then." Sailor Jupiter said with a clap of her hands. "Lets get this party on the road and find that crystal." Next to her Nephrite shook his head. "It may not be that easy, love. The Moon Crystal could be anywhere in this time. It may not even be in this dimension any more." he said. "WONDERFUL" said Sailor Mars sarcastically. I dropped my head and stared at the floor. What if I didn't tell them? The Moon Crystal would come out of her at the right time anyway. I shifted my eyes to the little girl sitting on King Endymion's lap. Her eyes were glassy from crying and she stared into space like we weren't there at all. King Endymion looked at me and I meet his eyes. They were empty, leaving the choice up to me. Looking down I sought Onyx but as she looked at me her eyes gave no clue to what she was thinking. I hated this, having to make the finial choice. I looked at Small Lady again, sitting there, doing nothing. I think I preferred her with life. After a second more I looked at the others. "I know where the Moon Crystal is." I said. They all looked at me, Small Lady turned her head, and King Endymion and Onyx smiled. Xzafer Knight rested his hand on my shoulder and I felt his strength in me. "What?" asked Malecite. "I know where the Moon Crystal is." I repeated. "Where?" asked Wolf. I didn't give them the answer they were looking for. "Try and find it Sailor Moon. Its closer then you think." I said. With a nod Sailor Moon closed her eyes and sought the Moon Crystal. Her moon insignia began to glow softly. Her forehead creased and she bit her lip. "Think back Sailor Moon, were is the only place the Moon Crystal can go without setting off a million signals. Who can only touch it?" I whispered, knowing that only Sailor Moon knew what I was talking about. Her eyes snapped open with a gasp. "Only the Moon Family can take the Moon Crystal anywhere. Or even touch it for long." "Where is the Moon Crystal?" I repeated. Sailor Moon's eyes shone gold. "In Small Lady." she whispered. There were several gasps before Small Lady burst into fresh tears. "This is all my fault!" she yelled. She struggled in her Father's arms, trying to get away. Sailor Moon rushed to her and pulled the sobbing child into her arms. "Its my fault the Crystal is gone. My fault you get hurt. The Kingdom, all the People, the Guardians are...all my fault." she gasped out. "That is not true!" Sailor Moon said with force as she lifted Small Lady chin with her finger. "But its my fault the Moon Crystal..." Sailor Moon shook her head firmly, not letting Small Lady finish her conviction. "The Moon Crystal is not the source of my power. It is not because of the Moon Crystal disappearing that all this has happened." Small Lady continued to sob into her shoulder. "I think I understand what has happened now." Sailor Moon looked up to me. "The same thing that happened to me when I was young." she said. "Hold on a sec here!" yelled Sailor Jupiter. "Could you two possible tell all of US what you're talking about. Hummm?" Sailor Moon shifted her gaze to the people behind us. "When I was young, I thought the Moon Crystal would solve a problem of mine. So I went to it, even though I had be told a thousand times not to touch it. But I didn't listen, as most children don't. When I laid my hands on the Moon Crystal it began to glow and then it flashed and disappeared." Everyone's mouth was open when she finished. Gently Sailor Moon lifted Small Lady's chin again. "It wasn't until later that I learned the Moon Crystal had gone into me to protect me." She smiled at Small Lady's puzzled look. "I was much to young to be able to handle the Moon Crystal. It would have responded to me, oh hai. But there was no telling what damage I could have done to the area....or myself." she said. "Is the Crystal trapped in me forever?" Small Lady asked fearfully. "Lie, the Moon Crystal will come when it is needed. With need always comes the power." said Sailor Moon with a smile. The corner of Small Lady's mouth turned up. "You always say that." she whispered as she laid her head back on Sailor Moon's shoulder. "Small Lady, what happened when the Moon Crystal disappeared?" asked King Endymion. Tears slid down Small Lady's face... ****** The broken vase lay at her feet. "Gomen nasai! I didn't mean to hit it!" she apologized again to the women in front of her. "Small Lady! Why don't you be more like your Mother!" "We'll have to clean this up and replace the vase now!" complained a man. "Get out of here!" Small Lady ran down the hall away from the people. "I'll show them, show them all. I can be just like Mommy." Small Lady muttered as she rushed down the hall. She stopped in front of large marble doors. Pushing them open she went in and then carefully closed them behind her. "All I need is the help of Mommy's special Crystal." She went through sheer curtains to a stand. "Only need it a little. Then I'll put it right back, promise." she convinced herself. As she reach up the floating stone began to glow and she pulled back her hands with a gasp. The Crystal returned to normal. Again she reach for it but still pulled back, afraid. "Silly, Mommy isn't afraid of the Crystal. Why should you?" she said to no one. She reached for it and cupped her hands around it. "I wish to be graceful, like Mommy." she said. The Moon Crystal glowed, ready to do the wish when it some how realized who was before it and the glow changed. "Nani?" cried Small Lady as a light crawled up her arms. "LIE, PLEASE DON'T DISAPPEAR!!" she cried as there was a flash. When Small Lady looked the Moon Crystal was gone. She ran from the room crying. When Neo-Queen Serenity looked for Small Lady she was hit with a black beam and encased in quartz......... ******** Sailor Moon rocked gently as she held the crying Small Lady. "Gomen nasai. Its all my fault.....if only I hadn't...." babbled the young girl. Against her will a laugh escaped Sailor Moon's lips. Small Lady looked up, startled. "Gomen, Small Lady. Its just... Can you look at me now and say I'm graceful?" Sailor Moon asked. "Lie!" exclaimed Small Lady. Then she paused and a smile crept over her face. "The irony of it is just too much, isn't it?" asked Sailor Moon. Small Lady began to laugh. "Don't worry, love. If I grew out of it so will you." said Sailor Moon as she kissed her now laughing daughter. "Do you remember the time when you dropped your ice-cream on the side walk and then slipped on it! That was a laugh!" said Small Lady. "Don't push it, dear." Sailor Moon said in a polite voice. Small Lady shut her mouth with a click of teeth. It took about three seconds for the rest of us to burst out laughing. The look on Sailor Moon's face did NOT help........... I heard soft padded paws cross the stone balcony before I felt Onyx brush against my leg. There was a moment of silence before Onyx spoke. "Plain to stare at Crystal Tokyo all day or are you going to look at something else later?" she asked in a soft voice. I straighten from leaning on the rail and shifted my gaze from the sky line to the cat by my side. "What are the others doing?" I asked without answering Onyx's jib. "Exploring the palace." I looked at her sharply. "Don't worry." she said quickly. "Endymion assured me that anyplace they were not supposed to see would be locked or barred." I gave a curt nod and looked back out across the grounds of the palace to the ruined city beyond the colored shield. "Nervous?" asked Onyx after a minute. I sighed. "Can't you feel it?" I looked down at Onyx. "Its like the whole world is holding it breath for something. I don't like it. I hate waiting for things." I said. "You've spent most of your existence waiting, Reona." said Onyx, even thou I was still in my sailor fuku. "And I am sick of it!" I cried into the air. "I am as old as time! I probably have what every evil thing in this realm wants and I would gladly give it to them if I didn't know they could destroy this very realm with it also!" My head fell onto my arms with a sigh of frustration. Frustration at my duty, at Fate and Destiny, and mostly at being kept from the few friends I was able to make within my existence. I was slightly startled when two arms wrapped around my waist from behind, I had not been paying attention. I stood and pressed my cheek against cold metal. "Shhhhh." said Xzafer Knight soothingly. I gave a weak laugh. "Bet everyone in the palace heard that." I joked as I turned in his arms. "Nah, only the people on this side of the court room." he said with a grin. I pushed on his chest and gave him a dark look. "Har har har" I mocked. We both fell silent, standing on the balcony in each others arms. Onyx stretched out on the stone floor and closed her eyes, her tail continued to twitch at the end. Finally I let out a sigh and pulled from the arms around me. "What?s wrong, my love?" asked Xzafer Knight, resting a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head and sighed again. "As Onyx said, I have spent my existence waiting, watching, never showing myself unless I was needed." I said in a soft voice. I felt miserable, for I knew when this was all over I would have to leave, again. "You are this Universe last hope, Sailor Star. The most powerful of the guardians, you may be the one to choose the way this war goes. All you see and all you know sits with in your hands, and now you must fight for it. As we all do." said Onyx from the floor. "And is that all I am?" I said, staring at the city so hard the image swam before my eyes. "If so, why do I have emotions? I cry, I scream, I....bleed." I placed my hand on my side where I had been wounded earlier outside the shield. It burned like fire and would continue to do so until my Quickening at mid-night. My sailor fuku had already repaired itself long ago. "Why me?" I asked as I glanced at Onyx. I had been asked that question by the ones I trained more times then I can count. The answer is the same for me as it had been for them. "Because there is no one else." I whispered. Arms slid around me and I leaned back. I didn?t cry, I don?t believe I had anymore tears to cry now. No one talked, we just stood there, thinking of how free we were and yet how trapped we were at the same time. A gray shape appeared at the sky line. "Bird." I mumbled and looked away. Another one appeared where I was looking. "Two birds?" I wasn?t so sure anymore. More appeared and then the sound came. A sharp, high buzz the echoed in the air and in your head. They weren?t birds of feather but ships of steel. I straightened, it was clear what they were now. "Onyx, go find Endymion and tell him what?s going on." I ordered. The black cat ran off to find the King. We needed to get everyone together. The shield would keep anything that was not of our power out but it could be broken. Dots clouded the sky and figures filled the streets. A laugh rolled across the ground to our ears. The enemy was here. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Greetings to anyone who still cares about my story enough to read this long over due chapter. Gomen nasai! ::Bows:: I had forgotten about my story ?til some of the fans began to yell at me. Well, not yell, just remind me that they enjoy they story and want to see it finished. We are not finished yet, but this fight is the Finial Battle of Light and Dark before I end my story. Next time: We go up against evil himself! (No, not my real brother, Dan!) What will happen to us now? Will Crystal Tokyo?s Moon Crystal come through or will the Guardian Lights have to take it all on? Name:Destiny Star E-mail:Reona32@aol.com Chapter:As We See #:Chapter 23 Story Title:It Has Begun Words I use: Shimatta:Damn Kuso:Shit Daijoubu:Are you ok?-I am ok..etc. Baka:Idiot Ja ne:Bye Gomen nasai:I'm so sorry Hai:Yes Lie:No Arigatu:Thank You Nani?:What?