Chapter One

Darkness Overpowers Light! The Eternal Senshi Awakens.

Her eyes opened suddenly, and she inhaled her first breath in over two thousand years. The mists of the Void swirled around her, vague clouds of colour in an otherwise black emptiness. She moved her eyes from left to right without moving the rest of her body, slowly becoming aware of where she was. Spots of light, the only source of illumination in the darkness, twirled lazily by her face, gently skipping across her skin and making her smile. The brief tickling sensation of the light dusting her cheek made her realize she was awake and alive, but why?

She stretched out her body, aware for the first time that she had been in a fetal position, and glanced down at herself. Her long white hair pooled around her like water, the faint purple highlights glimmering as the light specks soared closer to explore. Her long legs extended beneath her and tall black books encased them. She wore a short yellow skirt and a leotard that exposed her midriff. A yellow sailors handkerchief was on her shoulders and long white gloves were on her arms, ending in green elbow pads. Finally, a black bow with a reddish centre was on her front and a reddish collar was around her neck.

She took in her appearance calmly, noting that little had changed in the time that she had been asleep. She knew exactly what had passed in the other worlds, having been fed the memories of every senshi in the galaxy. What she did not know, however, was why she had been awakened in the first place.

A light began to grow before her, stretching up and out until it was roughly in the shape of a doorway. She smiled, realizing at last who had called her and glad to see her old friend again. Stretching her body out so her head was facing the door and her feet trailed out behind her, Sailor Aion, the senshi of Eternity, propelled herself out of her timeless prison and into the light.

******

Michiru raised her head abruptly and gasped. Across the diner table, Haruka regarded her curiously as she sipped her coffee. The two senshi were sitting in their regular restaurant enjoying a late morning meal together. It had been a little over a year since their latest war had been won – the final battle against Chaos. So much had happened in that year, the year when the senshi had finally hoped their wars were over for good. The reappearance of Deruku Kami and the evil Queen Olivine, the brief revival of Sailor Sun and her death at Haruka’s hands. The emergence of Chaos in the form of the Dark Scout and its search for the Cosmic Child, which led to the reincarnation of Kami’s senshi-self as Sailor Mirage. Haruka shook her head as she thought back on their adventures. So much had happened….

“A new threat?” Haruka asked.

Michiru shook her head. “I’m not sure. I felt an awakening of some sort.”

“A good awakening?” Haruka pressed.

Michiru smiled slyly. “That’s the only kind you think of, isn’t is?”

Haruka blushed slightly at the comment, hiding her grin behind her coffee cup.

“It was an unusual awakening,” Michiru said. “Not evil, I don’t think.”

“I guess we’ll have to see,” Haruka sighed. “Looks like our vacation is over.”

******

The mists of time swirled around her ankles like the colours of her void. Sailor Aion stepped daintily, using her legs for the first time in over two thousand years. In front of her loomed the giant Gates of Time, home of her friend and parallel, Sailor Pluto. Aion smiled thinking about the last time she and her double had met during the Sailor Wars. It had been a long time since they had spoken and Aion wondered what crisis had arisen to make Pluto summon her.

As Aion walked carefully forward, she felt a cold chill run up and down her spine. An evil presence had been by this way recently. She could still feel it among the mist. Did something threaten the Gates, something so dangerous that Pluto felt it necessary to call her only ally? Since Pluto commanded the powers of Time to protect the Gates, the thought of such a massive threat seemed unlikely, so the question of why Aion was here remained.

As the Gates seemed to come closer, Aion was surprised to see them open and unguarded. She gasped, the sound of her voice echoing through the void, and she ran the last few paces to the door. The mists of time around the Gate were still disturbed, indicating the struggle had been recent, and scorch marks stained the Gate itself. Her double, however, was no where to be seen.

“Pluto!” Aion called, mildly surprised that her voice was strong after years of neglect.

Her only reply was her own echo. Aion stepped up to the Gates and nearly tripped over something that lay on the ground. Bending and fumbling though the thickening fog, Aion’s hand grasped something long and thin. She straightened and held the object in front of her.

It was the Garnet Orb Staff, Pluto’s sacred talisman.

Even more confused by the turn of events, Aion looked at the opened Gate. She knew it was her duty to protect the Gates should anything happen to Pluto, but the threat of her double vanishing without her talisman was too great. Holding the staff firmly in her hand, Aion stepped through the Gates of Time and into the unknown.

******

“Usagi!”

The blonde haired girl sat up, blinking sleepily. Fumbling blindly for her a pencil, Usagi tried to disguise the fact that she had dozed off again. She looked up at Rei’s angry face and smiled sheepishly.

“Sleep helps the mind digest what it just learned,” Usagi said. “Isn’t that right, Ami-chan?”

The blue haired girl looked up from her advanced math problem and frowned at her friend. “I don’t think that’s true, Usagi-chan.”

“You really should stay awake while we’re studying,” Makoto added. “The entrance exams are in less than two months.”

Usagi’s face crumpled and tears streamed down her cheeks. “You don’t think I can do it, do you?” she whined. “I’ve been studying as much as you have!”

Makoto held up her hands to try and calm her friend down. “Nothing like that Usagi-chan!” she stammered. “Just try to get more sleep at night so you can stay awake now.”

Usagi sniffled and flashed her friend a bright smile. “Okay! I won’t disappoint you, Mako-chan. We’ll all get into high school together! I know we will.”

Ami sighed. “As long as we study hard, Usagi.”

Usagi stuck out her tongue and picked up her English book. Another book slipped out from behind it and fell to the ground. Before Usagi had a chance to grab it, Rei snatched it up and read the cover.

“Manga?” Rei cried. “Really, Usagi, I thought you were going to be serious for a change.”

“I am serious!” Usagi yelled back. “You’re putting to much pressure on me!”

Ami, Makoto, and Minako all sighed as Rei and Usagi began one of their usual yelling matches. From where they slept on Rei’s bed, Luna suddenly raised her head.

“It can’t be,” she mumbled. “Were the legends true?”

******

The city lay in ruin. The sky, normally full of bright sunshine and light, lay dim and gray like a smothering blanket over the city. Terrified people huddled in the destroyed shells of their homes, weeping for their former freedom and praying that someone would end their suffering. Most wondered where the senshi had gone, why they had not protected the city from this sudden devastation. The people stared up at the Palace of the Immortal Senshi, wondering why their defenders had abandoned them in their time of need.

Aion walked through the chaos, one hand firmly gripping the Garnet Orb staff. She looked around her as she walked, taking in the damage of property and people. The oppressive feeling of hopelessness weighed heavily on her shoulders, even though she was an outsider in this strange world.

Aion knew exactly where she was, although it had been a long time since she had physically walked its streets. She was in Asgard, the double of Tokyo, in a dimension called Parallel Earth. In this place were the copies of everything from normal Earth, including the trees, citizens, and senshi. The senshi here, however, were all descendants of the gods of old who had fled Earth and come here once their followers had stopped worshipping them. To save their lives, they used their powers to create this ideal world for themselves, filled with people who resembled their old followers. Sailor Aion had personally overseen the duplication of Earth for Parallel Earth and her own double, Sailor Pluto, had linked them with the Rainbow Bridge so the two worlds would follow similar paths of destiny and never grow apart. Now the old gods lay dead, their powers transferred to their half mortal offspring, the senshi. All except the two most necessary gods – Baldur the Light and Hodur the Dark.

“Senshi!” someone snarled as they saw Aion walk past. “Now you decide to show up, when it’s too late?”

Aion turned and smiled gently at the man who spoke. His eyes grew wide as he realized who it was, and he fell to his knees.

“Forgive me,” the man stammered. “I – I didn’t know. I thought you – “

“Were a legend?” Aion finished for him. “I was, until now. Tell me, what happened here?”

“I don’t know for sure,” the man said, rising from his knees. “There was a commotion at the palace, and then the sky turned gray. Demon monsters leapt from the shadows and began to destroy Asgard and the people all fled in terror. No one has seen the senshi and the remaining people are wondering where they went, or what happened to them in the palace. I thought it was nothing they couldn’t handle, but if you’re here now, something must be wrong.”

“Yes,” Aion murmured, half listening to the end of the man’s story. The god Baldur would not allow his city to be turned dark. It appeared that there was more to her awakening than Pluto’s disappearance.

Aion continued walking, hoping to find a senshi soon. Unlike real Earth, the senshi of Parallel Earth were well known by everyone in Asgard and had no need of secret identities. They were always senshi, like the gods were always the gods, unless they were disgraced. Aion found herself walking the familiar route to the senshi palace and before she knew it, she was standing in front of the steps. The gray skies seemed to converge on the palace, making it appear darker than it should be. Tightening her grip on the staff, Aion headed up the stairs.

******

Hours before Aion awoke in her dark void, the city of Asgard was bustling with activity. The citizens went about their daily business, flooding the streets with happy merchants and even happier customers. The fishermen went out to sea to earn their wages in fish and seafood, and the children went to school. Housewives spread their washing in the sun to dry, and the temple bells rang out the hours in honour of the god of Light, Baldur.

In the palace of the Immortal Senshi, Baldur sat on his Golden Throne. The palace was more of a feasting hall than royal household, and consisted of a single large audience hall where the senshi normally convened. Leading off of the hall were the small sleeping chambers of the senshi, the rooms of the servants, and the enormous kitchen where the servants worked to keep the senshi well fed. At the head of this room, Baldur surveyed it all. He was one of the last old gods who had created Parallel Earth; along with his brother Hodur, the god of Darkness.

Beside Baldur stood the leader of the Immortal Senshi, Sailor Odin. She was a small girl with long blue hair that she wore in ball-like pigtails trailing down from the top of her head. She watched sternly as her senshi friends laughed and sang in the hall below her. All six were accounted for, except her closest friend and blood sister, Sailor Loki. The senshi of mischief, Loki was rarely around when Odin needed her, and often showed up at the worst times. She was, however, a loyal and true friend and the only one of the immortal senshi with the power to ward of Ragnarok with Odin.

“Join them,” Baldur leaned over and whispered to Sailor Odin.

Odin shook her head. “My duty is here, attending to you.”

Baldur laughed lightly. “How could anyone harm me while seven senshi stand between myself and the door? I am the Light of Asgard and Parallel Earth. No one would dare destroy that.”

“What about your brother?” Odin reminded him.

Baldur’s smile faded and his face grew dimmer. “Hodur knows my importance in the balance of life. He would not dare.”

“Wouldn’t I?”

The seven senshi raised their heads as one, gasping and staring in shock as the Dark god Hodur stood silhouetted in the doorway. Behind him stood three shadowed figures, and they seemed overly eager to leap into the palace and attack.

“Hodur,” Baldur said sternly, rising from his throne.

“Brother,” Hodur said with mock sincerity. “You never write. It’s been far too long.”

One of the figures behind him laughed and another elbowed the first to quiet him. Hodur’s eyes narrowed dangerously as the seven senshi stood and placed themselves between Hodur and Baldur.

“Begone,” Sailor Tyr, the senshi of war, snarled.

“You have no place in this hall,” Sailor Aegir, the senshi of the sea, added.

“I have every right to be in this hall,” Hodur disagreed. “Am I not, after all, a god? Does not every god have the right to rule Asgard and Parallel Earth?”

“Is that your plan?” Odin asked, holding her scepter at the ready as she stood directly in front of Baldur.

“My dear,” Hodur replied sweetly. “My plans are far more complex than an odango head like you could ever understand.”

“You’ll have to get past us first,” Sailor Idun, the young senshi of youth, threatened.

“I already have,” Hodur replied with a smile.

Sailor Odin gasped and turned to see a fourth shadowed figure appear from behind Baldur. As the figure stepped into the light, Odin’s eyes widened as she saw who it was.

“Loki!” Odin exclaimed. “What are you doing?”

“A new game,” Loki smiled.

Baldur smiled at the eighth immortal senshi. “Sailor Loki, you do not visit us nearly enough.”

Loki’s grin widened. “Master Baldur, I have a new trick to show you.”

From the door, Hodur smiled. Sailor Frigga, the senshi of foresight, whirled around with a shout on her lips, but was silenced as one of Hodur’s shadows leapt on her. Sailor Tyr and Sailor Thor, the thunder senshi, struggled to free their friend from her attacker.

“A new trick?” Baldur repeated. “I’d be delighted.”

“Master,” Odin warned.

“Don’t worry,” Baldur said with a wink. “As flighty as Loki may be, she would never harm me. After all, she is your sworn blood sister.”

Odin regarded Loki warily, knowing well how rash her friend could be. Loki held out her hand and Baldur reached for it. Loki’s smile grew broader as Baldur’s hand touched hers and she grabbed his wrist.

“Power Steal!” Loki cried.

Baldur cried out in pain as his godly powers were absorbed into Loki. The senshi of mischief laughed at the increase of power and Odin gasped in shock. In a split second, Hodur had plowed through the seven immortal senshi and was standing between Odin and Baldur. As the power transfer ended, Loki was thrown backwards by a sudden blast of energy and slammed into the wall.

“Baldur!” Odin gasped.

The two remaining shadows kept the leader of the immortal senshi at bay. Odin raised her scepter to defend her master, but it was knocked out of her hands.

“Odin Tiara Axe!” Odin cried, turning her tiara into a sharp axe-blade and hurtling it at her captors.

The axe-blade plowed through one of the shadows, but the other caught it in one hand and crushed it into dust.

“Well, brother,” Hodur was saying as he stood over the weakened Baldur. “Who has the power now?”

“Brother,” Baldur gasped. “Stop now. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Quite the opposite, actually,” Hodur replied, drawing out a black sword and holding it over Baldur, “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

As the sword came down onto Baldur’s unprotected neck, Odin thought she saw a woman dressed in a yellow gown standing beside her master. She almost cried out, begging the woman to help Baldur, when the sword cut through flesh and it was all over. Biting back her tears, Odin noticed the woman was gone.

Outside the palace, the sky over the city of Asgard grew dark and gray. Monsters normally kept at bay by the light, leapt from their shadowy prisons and began attacking the populace. The citizen ran in terror, wondering in desperation where their protectors were, while the dark army of Hodur ravaged their city.

From the corner, Sailor Loki moaned and opened her eyes. Her gloved hands glowed with Baldur’s stolen power and she sat up.

“That wasn’t fun,” she whined. “Hodur lied to me!”

“Loki!” Odin called.

Sailor Loki looked around in time to see the Dark God descending on her blood sister. Hodur murmured something under his breath and Odin began to disappear. She frantically looked to Loki for help, but there was nothing she could do.

“Odin!” Loki yelled.

As the leader of the immortal senshi vanished, and the three shadows along with it, Hodur turned back to the body of his vanquished enemy.

“Baldur,” he said. “You always were the weak one.”

“But now his powers are mine!” Loki exclaimed happily, leaping to her feet.

She pointed to Hodur with both her hands and thick beams of light exploded from within her. They struck the dark god and he flew backwards. Her powers gone, Loki sunk to her knees.

“The game is now over, Loki,” Hodur said. “You have lost.”

“You still have to deal with us!” Sailor Thor cried, rising to her feet. The rest of the senshi followed her lead until the whole team, except Loki and Odin, were facing the god defiantly.

Hodur glared at the assembled team, realizing the odds were not in his favour, and disappeared from the hall.

******

Sailor Aion stepped into the palace of the Immortal Senshi and looked around sadly. Without the life-giving presence of Baldur, the palace had degraded into near nothingness. The normally happy and delightful hall that she had remembered from her visit after the defeat of Chaos was gone and in its place was a shattered shell of its former glory.

Aion stepped carefully around the rotting beams and tables of the palace. She knew that the hall had not been unoccupied for very long, but without an old god on the Golden Throne, Parallel Earth could not hope to survive. Baldur was the last of the good gods and, as Aion raised her eyes and saw his dead body lying before his throne, she knew that the days of Parallel Earth were now numbered.

Aion knelt next to the body, noticing how the deathblow had been a sword stab to the neck. Such a blow was not normally fatal to a god unless the attacker had been divine as well. Aion suspected that had been the case, although how Hodur had gotten this close to Baldur without one of the senshi realizing it, was another mystery.

“Sailor Aion,” a gentle, musical voice said.

The white haired senshi of Eternity turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway of the hall. Aion sensed that this was no ordinary mortal, and as she walked closer, Aion saw her suspicions confirmed.

The woman before her wore a pale yellow dress and had a halo of golden light surrounding her brown hair. Her eyes were brown and kind, and two large angel wings sprouted from her back. Without knowing why, Aion bowed to her.

“I am Lucis,” the woman introduced herself. She looked sadly at the body on the ground. “Baldur was a disciple of mine.”

“A disciple?” Aion questioned. How could a god be a disciple?

Lucis laughed musically. “You are thinking ‘how could a god be a disciple?’ aren’t you? Don’t worry, I can’t read your mind. It just seemed like a logical question to ask.”

“Well?” Aion waited. “Forgive me if I’m being rude, but it’s hard to believe that a god of old Earth could have to learn from something.”

“He did,” Lucis said. “He, and the other gods and goddesses of Light, all learned from me.”

“Who are you?” Aion asked.

“Light,” Lucis replied.

She glided over to Baldur’s body and smiled down at him. “What a shame,” Lucis sighed. “He was one of my favourites.”

“What do you want with me?” Aion asked.

Lucis turned to face her, her large brown eyes almost amused. “You will see, Sailor Aion. Right now, someone is looking for you outside the palace. You better hurry. I will deal with Baldur, and we shall meet again.”

Aion nodded and hurried to the door, anxious to leave the dilapidated palace. At the doorway, she paused and looked back. It should have surprised her to see both Lucis and Baldur missing, but after all that had happened today, it didn’t. Aion simply shrugged and headed outside.

******

“Sailor Aion!”

The white haired senshi turned as another person called out her name. Aion found this mystery becoming more and more puzzling with each passing hour. First her awakening after thousands of years, then Pluto’s disappearance, then Baldur’s death, and now this. Holding Pluto’s staff to one side, Aion waited for the caller to catch up.

It was one of the immortal senshi, with short red hair and green eyes. Aion remembered her from her previous visit – Sailor Frigga, the senshi of Foresight. No doubt she had had one of her premonitions about the awakening of the senshi of Eternity.

“It is good to see you again, Frigga,” Aion said. “I wish the circumstances could have been more pleasant.”

Frigga smiled. “Me, too. We must hurry. Sailor Tyr and Sailor Thor are holding a trial against Loki. We must attend as a jury.”

“We?” Aion repeated, following the smaller senshi to the back of the palace. “I just arrived. Shouldn’t the other senshi be jurors? And what of Sailor Odin? Isn’t she the one who is usually the judge?”

“Odin is gone,” Frigga replied. “The other senshi as well. Tyr, Thor, Loki, and myself are all that remain.”

Disappearing senshi? Aion thought. Another puzzle piece that doesn’t fit.

“What did Loki do to have her fellow senshi turn against her?” Aion asked aloud.

“She conspired with Hodur against Baldur, causing his murder,” Frigga replied.

******

When Aion and Frigga arrived, Tyr and Thor had already commenced their trial against Loki. The trickster senshi was in chains in front of them, her head bowed. Aion thought she looked quite ragged and tired, and her face was streaked with tears.

“Sailor Loki, you have been charged with conspiracy against Baldur, and mischievous actions that resulted in his death,” Tyr intoned.

Loki hung her head lower, and Aion felt pity towards her.

“It was a game,” Loki said, “only a game. Hodur told me it would be fun, a great game to play.”

Aion frowned. Obviously this child-like soldier could not be held accounted for. If the god of darkness had decided to manipulate any of the senshi, they would be hard pressed to decline. Temptation, no matter how moral a person might be, is awfully hard to refuse.

“Game or not,” Thor continued, “our Master is dead because of you. Had you not taken his powers, he would have been able to defend himself against Hodur.”

“Baldur would still be sitting on the Golden Throne,” Tyr added, “and Odin would be here judging your treachery, not us.”

At the mention of Odin’s name, Loki began to cry openly. “It was a game! A game!” she sobbed. “I would never hurt Odin, never! We are blood sisters! It was just a game!”

Frigga frowned, her face echoing the same pity Aion felt. A senshi descended from a god without conscience is a hard person to try on moral charges.

“We have no choice but to strip you of your senshi rank and powers,” Tyr said. “Henceforth, Loki is no more and you will remain Tenson Inchiki for the rest of your mortal life.”

“No!” Loki cried, her eyes wide with fear.

Aion stepped forward, planting the butt of Pluto’s staff firmly on the ground. She raised her blue eyes to meet the gazes of Tyr and Thor.

“What right do the senshi of war and thunder have to dishonour Tenson Inchiki?” Aion demanded. “The power of Justice is for one person only – Sailor Odin.”

“Odin is no longer with us,” Tyr snapped irritably. “Who knows where she has gone.”

“Perhaps you should be looking for her,” Aion suggested, “instead of blaming your fellow senshi for your failures.”

Loki nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll find her! A new game for Loki!”

Tyr rolled her eyes and Thor sighed. “Fine. If you want to be responsible for Loki, you can take her and go find Odin. We have to stay here and restore the peace. If Hodur returns, we don’t want to be caught off guard again,” Thor said.

“I will take Loki into my custody,” Aion said seriously.

Tyr nodded. “I hope for all our sakes that your awakening was premature, Sailor Aion. When the senshi of Eternity emerges from the Void, the planets will be in their most dire circumstance.”

Aion nodded. “I hope so as well, Tyr. Come along, Loki.”

As Aion and Loki turned to leave, Frigga caught Aion by the arm and pulled her close to whisper into her ear.

“I have seen visions of the future,” Frigga told Aion. “Dark times are coming for all the senshi. Have you heard from any of them?”

Aion paused, thinking back to the last time she had received a senshi’s memories. It had been long ago, while she had been in the void. She shook her head and Frigga nodded.

“I thought so,” she said. “Please, be careful and gather many allies. Our need is great.”

The senshi of Foresight released Aion’s arm and bowed. Aion nodded and waved farewell to the immortal senshi of Parallel Earth.

With Loki dancing around her like an excited child, Aion led the way to the Rainbow Bridge and the entrance real Earth. If this mystery were to be solved, she would first have to find the one who had summoned her – Sailor Pluto.

******

Sailor Aion had never met Sailor Loki before this day, and she wondered how she could have missed such a character. The walk to the Rainbow Bridge from Asgard was long – several days at least – and during that time, Aion observed her new companion.

Loki walked ahead, her short blonde hair blowing in the slight breeze and her crystal blue eyes taking in everything around her. She wore a black senshi fuku that exposed her midriff, with a yellow bow on the front and a blue bow on the back. She walked as if she had never seen the outdoors before, often pausing to regard a flower or pester Aion with pointless questions about wildlife.

“What’s that?” Loki asked, her voice full of innocence.

“A bird,” Aion replied, squinting up into the sky.

“What’s it doing?” Loki pressed.

“Flying.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what birds do.”

“Why?”

“Because they have wings instead of arms.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s how the gods made them.”

“Why?”

Aion grew silent, gripping the staff and wishing for the strength not to strangle the irritating girl. A head of her, Loki paused and watched the white haired senshi pass her. Aion kept her eyes forward and purposefully ignored her companion until she heard laughter coming from behind her.

Aion spun around angrily. “What is wrong with you?”

Loki stopped laughing and feigned wide-eyed innocence. “Me? Nothing.”

“Is everything a game to you?” Aion demanded.

Loki pretended to consider the question. “Yes.”

Aion rolled her eyes. “A senshi’s duty is serious. You should have more respect for your fellows and for your mission.”

Loki mouthed along with Aion, her eyes skyward as if she had heard the lecture a thousand times before. Aion narrowed her eyes to glare at the girl.

“Remember this day well, Sailor Loki of Parallel Earth,” Aion intoned ominously. “The day the light disappeared forever from your world. The day you were disgraced in front of your peers. The day your blood sister was taken, and the day Ragnarok began.”

Loki had been dancing in small circles around Aion as she spoke, but she paused at the last threat. “Ragnarok?” Loki repeated.

Aion nodded. “You know who I am?”

Loki shook her head.

“I am Sailor Aion, the senshi of Eternity. I reside in a timeless void and I awaken only when the worlds are in the most dire need of assistance.”

Loki stared wide-eyed. Aion sighed, thinking it was just another of the girl’s games, and kept walking.

“You are truly Aion?” Loki said.

Aion turned and smiled. “I am.”

The senshi of mischief bit her lower lip and began to walk faster until she almost ran.

“Hurry,” Loki called over her shoulder. “We must find Odin before Ragnarok.”

Aion sighed and hurried after her companion.

******

Sailor Aion and Sailor Loki stepped off the Rainbow Bridge and onto Earth. Aion held the Garnet Orb staff at the ready as they materialized in the real world, but Loki skipped ahead as if they were on a morning walk.

“Careful,” Aion warned. “Hodur may already be here.”

“I’m not afraid of Hodur,” Loki scoffed.

Aion shrugged and move forward. The city they were in was like Asgard in the degree of its destruction. Shadowy creatures roamed the streets like caged animals, but no people were anywhere to be seen. The sky was a dark gray, like it had been on Parallel Earth. Looming up over the city was a giant palace made of crystal shards.

“Looks like Hodur was already here,” Loki remarked casually. “Do you think he killed the Light-god of this world?”

“I hope not,” Aion replied, “or else we’ve lost before we’ve even begun.”

Loki shrugged and skipped ahead. Aion followed as close behind as she could. She observed the damaged city like she had done to Asgard, her feet taking her where she needed to go. In no time, the two senshi stood outside the gates of the Crystal Palace, home of Queen Serenity and the planetary senshi.

“What are we looking for?” Loki asked. “Hodur?”

“No,” Aion replied softly. “We’re looking for the one person who can stop Ragnarok without Odin. Sailor Moon.”

Sailor Aion kept walking past her companion and into the deserted palace.

“Sailor Moon?” Loki repeated. “Never heard of her.”

A smiled played across Aion’s lips as Loki ran to catch up.

******

“Stop right there! I’m ready for you this time!”

Sailor Aion paused at the young sounding voice, but Loki dashed forward. They were deep in the Crystal Palace, in a room that might have been a throne room at one time. Now, the place lay destroyed. Crumbled pillars littered the floor along with shards of broken crystal. The walls were scorched and falling apart – sure signs of a recent battle.

As Loki passed, Aion held out a hand to stop her, but missed. A senshi dressed in a gray and blue fuku appeared out of the rubble. Her eyes were pure white as she stared at Loki and she floated a foot off the ground.

“Nightmare Revelation!” she called.

Aion held the staff at the ready as thousands of faceless white shadows materialized and began to drift toward Loki. The senshi turned her head, looking at the new threats with a frightened expression. As the figures crept closer, Aion could hear them whispering “Ragnarok” over and over again.

“No!” Loki gasped. “No! It wasn’t me!”

The gray senshi’s white eyes raised to meet Aion’s and her mouth opened slightly when she saw the Garnet Orb staff in Aion’s hands.

“Lady Pluto’s staff,” the senshi gasped. She looked closer at Aion. “Pluto?”

Aion shook her head. “We are friends, here to speak with Sailor Moon.”

Loki was frantically trying to wipe away the white shadows as they began to touch her skin. The frightened look had become sheer terror. The gray senshi made a sweeping motion with her hands and the shadows vanished. She then lowered to the ground and blinked her eyes. When she looked up again, they were brown.

“What the hell was that?” Loki managed to gasp in a shaky voice. “The voices in my head….”

“You have Sailor Pluto’s staff,” the senshi repeated, “and you look like her. Who are you?”

“Sailor Aion,” Aion replied. “I am Pluto’s double from a dimension called Parallel Earth. This is my companion, Sailor Loki.”

The gray senshi regarded the girl she had just attacked. “If I didn’t know better, I would swear she was Lady Uranus.”

Aion smiled. “Loki must be Uranus’ double then. Who are you?”

“Sailor Nyx,” the senshi replied. “What brings you to Crystal Tokyo?”

“We are searching for Sailor Moon,” Aion replied.

“You’re too late,” Nyx said. “She’s gone. I’m all that’s left.”

Aion sighed and lowered her staff. “Then all hope is gone. Without Sailor Moon and the power of the Silver Crystal, we don’t have a hope of stopping Hodur.”

“Hodur?” Nyx repeated. “Is that his name? He trapped Sailor Moon and the other senshi and they vanished.”

“Why didn’t he take you?” Loki asked. “Did you use your scary power to make him leave?”

Nyx shook her head. “He said I was a kindred spirit and let me go. I tried to stop him, but he had these… creatures with him. They were too powerful for me alone.”

The three senshi regarded each other in silence for a few minutes. Around them was the continuous reminder of Hodur’s devastation. Like Asgard, Crystal Tokyo was no more.

“There is another option,” a musical voice said.

The senshi turned quickly, each on their guard for further attacks. Aion relaxed and straightened while Nyx’s face broke out into a huge grin.

“Lucis,” Aion greeted the yellow-gowned woman.

“Sister,” Nyx said happily.

“Sister?” Loki repeated. “Lucis? What’s going on?”

The brown haired, yellow dressed woman walked forward, ignoring the rubble as if it were not there. She embraced her sister warmly and turned to the two senshi from Parallel Earth.

“I told you I would see you again,” Lucis said to Aion with a sly wink. “The Sailor Moon from the 30^th century may be missing, but she was a second generation Sailor Moon.”

Nyx nodded. “Chibiusa, Queen of Crystal Tokyo and Sailor Moon. Guardian of the Imperial Silver Crystal, and my dearest friend.”

“Second generation?” Loki repeated.

Aion nodded in understanding. “Now I remember. The child from the future who fought along side her future mother in the past.”

Loki turned to her companion. “How did you know that? You’ve been asleep for two thousand years.”

“The memories of all the senshi are sent to me while I slumber,” Aion replied. “How else would I be aware of the situation when I awoke?”

Loki stared at her wide-eyed in shock. “You know what I think?”

Aion laughed. “Don’t worry. Most of the memories are lost in the Void. Only the relevant memories are passed to me, such as Sailor Moon’s daughter.”

“I assumed you knew it was Chibiusa when you asked for Sailor Moon,” Nyx told them.

“We must travel to the past and visit Tsukino Usagi, the incarnation of the Silver Millennia Moon Princess,” Lucis said.

“We?” Nyx repeated.

Lucis’ smile broadened. “I will be joining you as Sailor NeoSun. My identity while we are on Earth will be Deruku Kami, as I had been years ago. Sailor Nyx will be Kuusou Akumu. We must be careful, however. The period of time I plan on taking us to is only a year after Deruku Kami was killed.”

“You were killed?” Loki sighed. “That’s a relief. I thought I was the first senshi to kill someone important.”

Lucis shook her head. “Not the first and certainly not the last. We must hurry. Undoubtedly Hodur is already on his way to the past to kidnap Usagi before we arrive.”

******

Usagi walked slowly down the street leading from Rei’s shrine to her house. She held her books to her chest, still upset over the recent study session. Ami had explained the math problem to her several times, but she still didn’t understand. How would she ever pass the entrance exams? Would she be the only one of her friends to not get into high school?

Usagi sighed and her head drooped lower. At her heels, Luna regarded her worriedly. Usagi had been putting a lot of effort into her studies and Luna was confident she would pass, even if Usagi weren’t. Still, she hated to see the usually bright girl down on herself.

“What’s wrong Usagi-chan?” Luna asked.

“Nothing,” Usagi replied, forcing a smile. “I just keep thinking that Kami-chan should be here studying with us.”

Luna sighed. The death of her friend Kami still weighed heavily on Usagi’s spirit. Even though they had witnessed her transformation into her true form, Usagi still thought of her death as an unnecessary sacrifice.

“Kami-chan is still alive, Usagi-chan,” Luna reminded her. “Just not in the same way. There is no need to be sad.”

Usagi sighed. “I know, Luna, but I miss her.”

“How touching.”

Usagi looked up and saw a man standing in front of her. The air around him seemed to darken and he smiled wickedly at her. Usagi felt a chill run up and down her spine.

“Who are you?” Usagi demanded. “What do you want?”

“Only you,” the man replied, “Sailor Moon.”

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