Work Text:
The Sailor Wars were over.
The planet destroying, galaxy destroying Sailor Wars were over.
A thousand years of warfare. And no one could remember what started it.
Sailor against Sailor.
Alliances were made one minute and in the next, Sailors who had been sisters, friends and allies were killing each other.
When the war finally arrived at a part of the universe where there was a most unusual Sun and planets. Not only did the Sun and its planets have Sailor Senshi, but the moons of the planets had Sailor Senshi as well. One planet had 274 moons and ALL of them had a Sailor.
But even this immense multitude had no chance against the poison that had infected Sailor after Sailor.
After the death of the Senshi of the Sun, Sailor Earth and her lover, Sailor Moon, made one last desperate try in order to end the War.
No one ever knew what it was that they had done because they had sacrificed themselves to end the War. But whatever it was that they did, it changed their Galaxy forever.
The Sun would never again have a Sailor. And the only Earth’s Moon that would be able to produce a Sailor. And whatever else the lovers had done, the Earth had also changed but no one knew what the change meant or how it would affect the next Sailor Earth.
Earth’s Moon, a single white orb, because the focus of all of the power in the galaxy.
But the Moon’s Sailor was dead.
As was the Moon’s Royal Family. But the Moon needed a Ruler. It was almost demanding one.
Women who were the Second or even Third Daughters of Royal Families answered the Moon’s Call. As did women who had become powerful generals during the war made their way to the Moon. Even women of common backgrounds as only being a wife or a shopkeeper (even a pirate or two) answered the Moon’s Call.
The need to go to the Moon and to be the one to sit on the Moon Throne almost set off another War.
But that never happened.
And it was because of the woman named Nehelenia.
Her name meant “Shadow Moon” in the ancient language of her planet. And when she heard the Moon’s Call, she knew to the very depths of her soul that she was the one meant to rule the Moon and to mentor the next Sailor Moon when she came to be.
She was so sure of this fact that she was the reason why the others who had also heard the Moon’s Call never arrived.
She was ruthless to ensure her victory.
She destroyed starship after starship. Not only killing potential rivals but thousands of innocents as well.
When she wasn’t blowing up ships to stop competitors, she had them assassinated.
And several times she used her sword to personally kill her rivals.
But now, at long last, she was walking up the steps of the Moon Palace.
The doors to the throne room were closed but with a shove Nehelenia opened the immense doors and walked inside. The gathered nobles of the Moon turned to look at her with expressionless faces.
She confidently strode down the pearl-colored carpet that led to the Moon Throne then she froze in shock.
Because there was already someone sitting on the Moon Throne.
Nehelenia thought that she had gotten rid of all of her opponents.
But she had missed one.
And Nehelenia was related to the bitch.
Her name meant “ Bright Moon” in the ancient language of their home planet.
Helenia.
Her sister.
Her younger sister.
Her twin sister.
“Sister,” came the soft voice of the person who was usurping Nehelelia’s throne. “Welcome to the Moon.”
“You…you…” Nehelenia glared at her sister “You have betrayed me!” she growled.
Helenia raised an eyebrow then stood. In a clear voice that carried throughout the room, she said “I have much to talk about with my sister. Court shall resume in three hours.”
The Moon nobles bowed or curtsied and left the throne room talking in quiet voices.
“Walk with me, sister.” Came the soft but commanding voice.
Nehelenia found herself following. She lengthened her strides so that she was no longer trailing behind Helenia like some subordinate.
As they walked side by side through the palace without speaking, Nehelenia could hear her teeth grinding together and forced herself to stop.
She wanted to take her sword from its sheath and plunge it deeply into her traitorous sister’s back. But she could hear their mother’s voice telling her that she had to protect her sister.
“How did you get here before me?!” Nehelenia demanded.
Helenia smiled serenely as she held open the door to a small sitting room and gestured her elder sister inside.
It was a well-appointed room. But strangely it had a tall mirror on a stand in one corner. Something that was more suitable for a dressing room than a sitting room.
Helenia closed the door behind her and smiled at her older sister. “I got here before you because I didn’t stop and butcher my competition and innocent people along the way.”
Nehelenia felt herself lowering into an attacking crouch. She forced herself to stand upright. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She surreptitiously tried to loosen the sheathed dagger that was at her waist next to her sword.
“Liar.” Came the calm response.
Nehelenia’s eyes blazed and she lunged with clawed hands for her hated twin.
But Helenia was faster. She had some sort of wand with a crescent moon in her hand.
And it was glowing.
Nehelenia found that she was paralyzed where she stood.
Helenia looked at her calmly and with a smooth gesture turned the wand from pointing at Nehelenia to pointing at the mirror in the corner.
The mirror began to glow.
Helenia looked at her elder sister “If we were on our home world, you would have earned a Death Sentence for what you have done. But the Moon seeks to preserve Life. Not to take it.”
Nehelenia sneered. “Weakling!”
“But that doesn’t mean I still can’t punish you.” Helenia said ruthlessly. “I sentence you to the Mirror World.”
Nehelenia’s eyes widened in horror. Their mother had told them tales of the Mirror World. Stories about a terrifying circus of monsters that had frightened her for years. “NO!”
“You will live there forever.”
“NO!” Nehelenia felt her body move against her will, walking her towards the mirror which began to ripple like water as she drew closer. “No! There are monsters there.” She could hear the frightened child in her voice and despised herself for it.
“You will forget our home world and your past life. You will forget everything until you live a thousand lifetimes in the Mirror World.”
“I will escape and I will kill you, your descendants and anything and everything you and they love!” Nehelenia vowed.
“And they will be strong and defeat you.”
“NO! I will not go there. You can’t do this to me! We’re sisters! Nooo!”
Nehelenia screamed in horror as her body was pulled through to the other side of the mirror.
Helenia watched as her elder twin sister changed from an adult with a blood-stained soul to an infant. Before the mirror stopped showing the mirror world, Helenia saw hands reaching for the infant.
She fell to her knees and wept for what felt like hours in front of the mirror.
A knock on the door stopped her tears. She stood, wiping her face dry. Using a small bit of magic, she repaired the damage her tears caused, and she shook the wrinkles from her skirts.
“Come.”
Her advisor, Soleil, walked through the door. “Queen Serenity, is everything all right? I had heard screaming then it stopped.” The Mauian looked around the room. “Your sister…”
“My sister had a temper tantrum and left.” Said Queen Serenity with a rueful laugh and shook her head.
“Family can be difficult.”
“True, but I’m sure yours will be lovely.”
“While Luna is just a newborn kitten, she will grow and take my place one day.”
“Far into the future, I’m sure.” Queen Serenity checked her appearance in the mirror, then turned to her advisor. “Before I resume Court, have the Moon Priests determined when will be the best time for me to go to the Galaxy Cauldron for my daughter?”
“In fifty years, your Majesty.”
“Then it is good that we are a long-lived people.”
“Practically immortal.” Soleil agreed.
Queen Serenity took a deep breath and walked to the door. “Have someone put that mirror into storage, would you please.”
“Of course, your Majesty.”