The characters here are trademarks of their respective owners. I am not expecting any money from any story I write, and therefore am not taking any money away from the copyright holders. This is similar to my "Forever And A Day" in that it tells a stand- alone story while also containing info like a readme. (see the endnotes) This is set in the Silver Millennium, and instead of assigning names to the cast I will simply use their titles instead. Therefore it's not Mizuno Ami or Amy Anderson, but Princess Mercury. It may end up as my version of the Silver Millennium that is referred to in future stories, but right now it's too early to tell. As always, thanks to Lady Jupiter (LadyJupiter@SailorJupiter.com) as her works inspired me to write fanfiction in the first place, and also to Lord Chaos (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com) who may be directly responsible for warping my brain after I read his Fanboys! series, even though it was legally my own fault according to his disclaimers. I'm a huge Jupiter fan. Most of my previous works will prove that. This story however is not a Jupiter story at heart, even though it may seem like it at times. This is appropriate for all ages, though the younger you are the least likely you are to understand it. This started out just because the abbreviation came into my head one day and I figured it'd be a good title. When I began plotting this out, I didn't really think I'd end up writing what I have ended up with. Regardless of that, I'm happy with it, and I hope everyone else is as well. It almost reads like a history text in some cases, but there is a narrative as well. My other/future fanfics can be found at my "Writing" page at http://www.muskoka.com/~summertn/writing.html and probably anywhere else you got this fic from. Y1K by Scott "Cyclops" Summerton Last Revised Thursday December 16th, 1999 --------------- Year 957: fourty-three years until 1000... Efforts to eliminate any potential technological problems brought about by the turn of the year 999 to 1000 had just begun, naturally falling to the care of the Mercutian scientists. Many believed it to be their simplest task yet, while those assigned to the project knew it could be their greatest achievement. Little doubt existed from anyone that they would fail. Year 959: fourty-one years until 1000... A final solution has been reached by the Mercutians, a full thirteen years ahead of the fifteen year due date first issued. The solution seems valid, allowing for the addition of a fourth digit to alleviate the potential crash the '1' of '1000' could bring about. Mass testing begins almost instantaneously once Queen Serenity approves their efforts. Year 988: twelve years until 1000... Exhaustive testing has been finalized and proven acceptable. Priorities are determined and tasks assigned. The floating Jovian colonies are of prime importance due to their technological nature and immense number, as are its military and harvesting facilities. The Venusian commerce system also demands much attention as it is the very lifeblood of the golden planet. Most of Mars and its military fleet require little attention due to the in-house nature of the war machines, yet teams are assigned to check their compatibility regardless. The newly contacted Atlantean Kingdom of Earth, having only recently acquired technology somewhat equivalent to that of the Moon Kingdom, has alledgedly already accounted for what they dub 'Y1K.' Though they require no assistance from the Moon Kingdom in the matter, they are thankful for the Lunars' concern. Alliance talks between the two kingdoms begin shortly thereafter thanks to this gesture, with the rumour of a possible union by the marriage of Prince to Princess quickly surfacing. Upgrades to the Moon Palace will be performed by Queen Mercury herself. Year 996: four years until 1000... The annual progress report was due from Queen Mercury, but this year many more had gathered to witness her address the Court as it was rumoured that the Mercutians were, as usual, ahead of schedule, and that the progress report would instead be a final report. Each delegation was occupied by both King and Queen in their respective thrones, as well as the Princesses in their's save Jupiter. The Jovian Princess had recently been elevated to sitting in her mother's "big chair" as her fellow Inner Sailors called it, yet would keep the title of Princess until age 18 where she would be promoted by Queen Serenity. Mere days ago a tragedy claimed the lives of both her parents along with a large research team after a volcanic accident on the Jovian moon of Io during a survey expedition. The fact that the seemingly innocent and lonely looking 12 year old child had seen more battle than most of the Moon Palace's elite security force was not lost on anyone, yet her determined poise and drive to succeed still managed to inspire awe in many. "Queen Mercury, you may begin." "Thank you your majesty. I am happy to report that the Venusian commerce system has been completed, though we will be keeping a close eye on it for obvious reasons. The Jovian military has also been completed, but our testing of its colonies and harvesters will continue for some time. I have completed the private chambers and security systems of your majesty's Palace, yet work remains to be completed on a select few secondary systems." The blue haired Queen turns to the Martian delegation. "I trust your fleet has met expectations?" King Mars simply nodded his approval of the long completed upgrades. The Mercutian nodded back and turned to Queen Serenity. "The final Palace upgrades should be in place within the year." Queen Serenity smiled. "Two years ahead of schedule?" Queen Mercury smiled as well. "Yes your majesty." "Very well, thank you Mercury." The blue haired Queen returned to her husband and daughter at their thrones. "Before we continue, are there any concerns regarding this topic?" Princess Jupiter, still somewhat unsure of the proper protocol, tentatively raised her hand. The Lunar Queen's face softened. "Princess Jupiter?" The brown haired girl stood, her height defying her youth. "Y-Yes, I have a question for the Queen Mercury. When will my home's colonies be finished? Our..." she paused a moment, forgetting once more that she alone rules the gas giant. "I mean... my people are curious and..." she began to sniffle and trailed off. After a nod from Serenity, Queen Mercury spoke. "Jupiter?" The young girl raised her head and saw one of her friends' mothers giving her a reassuring smile. "We expect everything to be completed for your planet by the second quarter of 999, I will inform them of this at once." Princess Jupiter sniffled once more, yet smiled back with determiniation clearly evident in her eyes as she sat again. "Thank you, your highness." Queen Serenity smiled as well. "Now then, as expected the Princesses have begun to show the powers of their birthright. Traditionally the duty of their training fell to Queen Jupiter, but in this instance that cannot happen. Therefore Queens Venus and Mars will begin their training, with Venus handling the teamwork aspect to ensure her daughter follows suit as captain of my daughter's guard, while Mars will work with them on their powers. If there are no futher matters to discuss then this meeting is adjourned..." 998: two years until 1000... Thanks to her exceptional reign and unequalled determination, it is unanimously decided that Princess Jupiter will be crowned Queen at age 16 when midnight strikes between 999 and 1000, making her the youngest Queen in the Silver Millennium's lengthy history. The official coronation will take place at the Moon Palace shortly thereafter on New Year's Day with the Jovian homecoming a few days later. The Atlantean Kingdom of Earth regretfully declines to attend the celebratory festivities but will send its Prince, to whom Princess Serenity is happily betrothed too, as ambassador. 999: thirty-six days until 1000... At the approval of the Mercutians, all the computers are links and synchronized according to the newly developed Martian Military Time. The Mercutians are especially pleased for it allows for immediate updates to the entire Moon Kingdom with the use of only one terminal. For security reasons, the Moon Palace remains free of the network. 999: ten minutes until 1000... The massive outdoor ball which was the Year 1000 celebration was well underway, as was that of the Jovian coronation with the timely arrival of the young Princess. "Jupiter! It's about time you got here! We want to be with you when you become Queen tonight!" She smiled at the blonde Princess. "Thank you Venus. Knowing you you'll be fashionably late for your coronation, unlike Mercury who will end up being the first one there for hers!" "What's wrong with being early?" asked the blue haired Mercutian as she smoothed down her matching gown. "Nothing, of course." relpied the Martian Princess as she joined the group, handing Jupiter a glass of punch native to the red planet. "Provided that it's only by a matter of minutes and not hours like you're accustomed too." "I can't help that I strive to be punctual, it's part of my nature! When have you known anyone from my planet to be late?" Silence overcame the group as they pondered the question. Mercury simply giggled as her point was proven. "Where's the guest of honour?" asked the soon-to-be Queen as she sipped her drink. Venus blinked as she stopped adjusting her long royal orange gloves and pointed at her friend's feet. "You're standing right there." "No, the other guest of honour, Princess Serenity. This IS the Moon Kingdom's big celebration remember, and her first New Year's as a 16 year old." Mars finished her glass and glanced over her shoulder. "She's with the Terran ambassador." A sly smile turned her lips as she brushed her purply-black hair from her face. "Coincidentally enough, her future husband." The young couple in question noticed the stares of the Inner Guard and began to make their way towards them. The Terran Prince bowed deeply and kissed Jupiter's hand. "Congradulations on your achievement your highness. I am sure you will make a wonderful ruler." She blushed, as all the Princesses commonly did when in the company of the Terran Prince. "Thank you. I hope our kingdoms will experience a long and fruitful union." He released her hand. "I look forward to witnessing your coronation as well someday." "You'd better be!" piped up Princess Serenity. "He'll be my husband by then and so I'll be the Queen of Earth and the Moon, you can't miss that!" Jupiter brushed aside the diplomatic dignity and laughed out loud. "Well, since I'm being ordered to do so, I suppose I will definitely be there!" He smiled broadly. "I'm sure you will. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe your friends have a surprise for you. Until your coronation." With that he proceeded towards Queen Serenity herself. Princess Jupiter was surprised by the declaration alone. "A surprise? For me? What did you guys do?" Princess Serenity was eager to answer her. "All we get to do with this is deliver the message. It's the people that prepared the surprise. Ten seconds after the New Year rings in there will be a huge fireworks display launched from Jupiter so that we all can see it. Naturally you'll get the best view since you can see Jupiter during day or night, but they've assured us that it will be visible to everyone here." By this time all the girls were practically beaming with happiness at their friend's achievement, as well as the bright smile that overcame her face. "Really!" she exclaimed looking homeward. "I can't wait to see it! How much longer do we have to wait?" Princess Mercury quickly glanced at the Palace timepieces and promptly replied. "One minute and eleven seconds left until the New Year, a minute nineteen now until your fireworks." The five Princesses made their way to the centre of the ball where they were met by their respective elders as they too waited for the inevitable countdown. 10... Quick preliminary congradulations are given to Princess Jupiter by her soon-to-be peers... 9... The entire ball ceases and begins to adjourn to confortable positions... 8... The Terran Prince and his guards all look Earthward as their home nearly fills half the horizon... 7... Princess Jupiter tears her gaze from her home planet and steals a glance at the podium prepared for her coronation, the golden crown glistening in the starlight... 6... Amidst the festivities, the Martian military stands ready should any disturbances occur, yet their presence alone practically deters any wrongdoers... 5... The lights are dimmed to enhance the forthcoming Jovian spectacle... 4... Glasses of the finest Venusian champagne are served to the guests to toast in the new year... 3... The Kings and Queens embrace their daughters, with Queen Serenity including Princess Jupiter alongside her own child... 2... Smiles are shared by all... 1... Everyone gets a massive intake of breath... 1000 "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" The true nature of what had just occured went unnoticed by all, save one as a glass shattered to the ground... "NOOOO!!! OH GOD NO!!!" As the Jovian eagerly gazed homeward with her enhanced vision expecting a delightful sight, her eyes instead met with pure horror. The celebratory fireworks did not come. Instead she witnessed the suddenly failing Jovian colonies collapse and ignite within the gas giant. This caused the entire planet's upper hydrogen atmosphere to be set ablaze in a chain reaction so devastating that its mere five second duration would haunt her closed eyes for all eternity. Her screams were quickly joined by those of her friends and peers. Mercury's glorious planet-covering cities went dark within a solitary heartbeat. Darkness blotched the Venusian sky as its storied market - and massive financial buildings - crumbled. The proud Martian Fleet failed momentarily before the age-old back-up systems were enabled, yet the disturbance had rendered the vehicles into useless husks incapable of little other than simple movement. Even the Terran homeworld of Earth was not safe as a mysterious cloud began to overtake the planet, casting it into a dark unsightly shadow. Only the Moon Palace was spared as it seemingly defied logic by remaining perfectly operational. The majority of the attendees of the Palace festivities were Lunars, so the sudden outburst from the interplanetary guests shocked them greatly. Queen Serenity, as assured and reassured as she had been that nothing could have gone wrong, had thankfully prepared regardless. Hugging the hysterical Jovian to her, she spoke so all could hear her calm voice. "Everyone please remain calm. There seems to be a series of disturbances on our allied planets." The entire crowd began to murmur as Earth grew even darker with the shadow claimed more and more of the blue planet. A Lunar guard approached the Queen. Bowing, he began to speak. "Your majesty, computers throughout the system are failing. All the planets and moons, including ours, have been affected. Everything save the Palace has suffered from the attack." "Attack?" The guard nodded. "Aye, m'liege. The computers are responding as if they were infected with a virus." She didn't miss a beat. "Prepare the ballroom for accomodations for all our guests this evening. I want no one to leave the Palace until I fully understand what has happened. Also, determine the status of our allied planets." With a nod the guard went on his way. Queen Serenity grimaced. It was a sight very unbecoming and even more a rarity. "Everyone please remain within the Palace until we can assess the situation properly. The ballroom will be ready to accomodate you shortly where you can wait until we've determined a way to contact your families. Again, I implore you, do not leave the Pal--" "We failed." Queen Serenity started at the soft interruption from Queen Mercury. She could not remember the woman ever having done that before. "Mercury?" The blue haired woman was crestfallen. "We... we failed you your majesty..." Queen Serenity leaned towards her so they alone could hear the words. "The Palace is intact, so something else must have happened. Don't fret yet my friend." She then motioned to the platform where Jupiter's coronation was set to take place and began towards it. "Let us adjourn to a more formal location so that we may sit..." She stroked both her daughter's hair and that of Jupiter's. "Some of us need to get off our feet." As they did, another of the Terran Prince's guards entered into the courtyard with a distraught look on his face. After his attempt at formalities was waved of by the Prince, he spoke, almost looking ill. "My liege, your highnesses, I've reports that anarchy has overtaken the Earth and that Atlantis has fallen." The Terran Prince nearly balked at the impossibility. "Atlantis has been captured?" "No my liege..." continued the exasperated guard. "It has fallen beneath the sea itself." The Terran guards had to catch their Prince as his knees buckled beneath him, though they too were visibly shaken. The group staggered to the coronation podium before nearly collasping in the seats themselves. If one listened closely they could hear the Prince whispering "Gone... the entire civilization swept beneath the sea..." Queen Mercury had already withdrawn her heralded pocket computer, and was pleasantly surprised to see it fully functional. However, her attempts to access the linked network failed as the entire network, save the Palace, was offline. Despite her distraught exterior, the legendary Mercutian intellect within was already considering the possibilities. Within seconds she was checking the her daughter's computer which she had just received as Sailor Mercury, and had determined the cause of the disturbance. After taking a deep breath and clearing her throat, she moved towards the podium to better address the Court. "I believe I have discovered the error. During the testing period the true importance of the extra digit within the computers was lost to all but myself. The extra digit was implemented into all of the systems, except a placeholder value was not inserted. When the computers attempted to change the year from 999 to 1000, the '1' of 1000 had no place to go. With my computer and apparantly those of the Palace, a placeholder was added so that the year read 0999, allowing for a natural changeover from 0 to 1." At this point The Terran Prince had somehow reclaimed his courage and stood by his own accord. "That does not explain what has happened to Atlantis!" He turned to his guards. "I must return at once to assess the Kingdom!" The Prince's foremost bodyguard quickly stood in his path. "My liege, if the reports are true then you must remain here for your safety. The fact that you may now be our King only amplifies this." The Prince summarily collapsed into another chair upon realizing this. "Father... mother..." A Lunar page entered to address the Court. "Your majesties and highnesses, I bring grave news from our probes throughout the solar system." Queen Serenity mentally braced herself. "Your findings?" "The Mercutian cities have indeed gone dark, but calm has prevailed as the Great Libraries within its Palace have remained unaffected. They are researching their books and recording all the data they can. Venus has suffered a similar fate, though total chaos has overtaken the cities with the crash of its commerce. Mars remains relatively unscathed, though is as defenseless as the others. Jupiter..." The page found it hard to continue as his gaze met the brown haired girl's. "All of the Jovian colonies have collapsed within the planet's atmosphere." He bowed to the yound Princess. "Survival was impossible your highness. I am very sorry." For a moment it appeared as if she was going to hyperventilate, but she still managed to voice "I'm the only one left." "Of course you aren't my dear." reassured Queen Serenity as she embraced the girl once more. "What of the pioneers on the twelve moons? Or those who are in attendance here tonight?" She shook her head. "No, they were all planetside, all of them, so they could witness my homecoming in two days. Now I'm alone, completely alone..." Suddenly King Mars stood. Always brash, he kept true to form while addressing Queen Mercury. "If the the Mercutians had done their job properly this chaos would not have happened!" He pointed towards the visible Martian battle fleet. "Look at our defenses now! Utterly useless!" King Mercury lept to his wife's defense. "If your Martian Military Time hadn't been implemented we would have discovered the errors after the fall of a simple marketplace! That alone would have allowed us to make the necessary modifications to the remainder of the systems before anything truly cataclysmic such as the loss of 48 billion Jovians could have occured!" Queen Venus was not to be outdone. "I don't care who's fault it is! All I know is that the lifeblood of our planet has just ceased flowing and there is absolutely nothing my husband nor I can do about it!" "STOP IT!" Princes Jupiter's voice was cracking. "Please... just stop..." Suddenly commerce and military became insignificant compared to what was effectively an accidental planetary genocide. She no longer fought to hide behind the rough exterior most saw. A side only her fellow Princesses knew was now visible to all. "I am the last of my entire planet, yet I blame no one for the accident." She raised her tear-stained face to the argumentative parties. "Can you not do the same?" After curt nods and apologies, Queen Serenity walked to the case containing the golden crown forged for specifically for this day. She carefully removed the case and lifted the crown from its resting place, then turned to the grieving Princess. "Spoken like a true Queen. Though the circumstances are grave, you rightfully deserve this Jupiter. Please step forward." She did as commanded, boldly trembling if such a thing were possible. She closed her eyes and bowed her head before Queen Serenity. "On this day, the first of the year 1000, I, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, proclaim this girl, the rightful heir to the throne of Jupiter, as its Queen. May her reign be long and proud." The golden singlet, which was etched with the Jovian 4 in its forepiece and lightning bolts mingling with lengthy vines around its body, was placed amidst the brown curls and ponytail of the young Queen. As she did this, Queen Serenity could not help herself as she shed a tear for the girl with only a dead planet to rule, and for the billions that awaited this day with baited breath who would never see it come to pass. Queen Jupiter raised her head and opened her eyes. Her voice wavered only slightly. "I will make my people proud, your majesty." Queen Serenity put a hand on her shoulder. "I have full faith that you will young one." They were met with sympathetic smiles as they returned to their seats, as well as a Lunar guard entering the courtyard. It was he who first imformed the Queen of the computer failures. He bowed as he address the group. "Your majesties and highensses, the guests have been settled in the ballroom as you asked, but as of yet we have not been able to determine any method of contacting the other planets outside of travelling there in spacecraft." "Then do so. Five man crews consisting of three guards, a researcher and a skilled pilot. Have the researchers speak with Queen Mercury so she can brief them on the problem and possible solutions before they depart." He bowed once more and wordlessly went on his way, and after she hugged her husband and daughter, Queen Mercury was not far behind him. One of the Terran guards started and pointed Earthward. "What in Gaia is that?" The planetwide shadow had moved. The Terran Prince, now presumably its King, stood as he observed the unnatural phenomenon. Suddenly he gasped sharply. It was not due to the shadow's slow steady movement towards the Moon. It was due to what he saw riding it. Troops. Hundreds upon thousands of troops from his Atlantean homeland. As they marched wildly they were waving the banners of an enemy to both he and the Moon. Beryl. He turned to Queen Serenity. "Your highness, do you see what I see?" "I do. Those are your troops under her command are they not?" "They were." was his only answer as he drew his sword and awaited the enemy. His guards followed suit. King Mars approached Queen Serenity. "My fleet can do nothing except bar their passage for a few moments time." "A few moments is more than enough. Do what you can and gather the ground troops. We will remain here as long as we can." "Aye majesty." He began to depart quickly, but was stopped by Princess Mercury. She held her Mercury Computer towards him. "My mother recalibrated my computer before she left. You can gather the troops with it from here, as it would be best if we remained together during this." "You are correct young one, but perhaps you should operate the device. I never have been able to understand the advanced Mercutian technology as aptly as I'd like." She smiled shyly, thankful for the lack of the Martian's often intimidating presence. "Of course." Thankfully little time was needed to issue the orders, as the shadow bridge from Earth was about to connect with the Moon within the next ten minutes. It took five for the Lunar guards to arrive. The battle formations were quickly assigned. The Lunar guards would take the brunt of the assault, with the interplanetary Kings acting as an inner layer of defense. Should that be broken the enemy would then have to content with the Terran Prince and his guards before encountering the Queens and Princesses themselves. Both Queen and Princess Serenity were sheltered by the Palace's courtyard entryway. As all the pieces fell into place, the Atlanteans touched down on Lunar soil. The battle had begun. It was immediately obvious that the Lunars were outmatched. Their opponents had functioning energy weapons and shielding that they themselves lacked. Armed soley with swords and shields from Martian forgeries, their swift defeat was not without valiancy. To call it a slaughter would have been merciful. The battle was already over, all that remained was the razing of the Palace and its occupants. Loud explosions from within the Palace were heard by the interplanetary contingent. The sudden shiver experienced by both Mercutian King and Princess signified the loss of Queen Mercury as the hangar bay in which she was undoubtedly located had been targeted for destruction. Escape was now impossible. Confronted by the advancing horde, the five Kings marched forth, fully aware that they would never be seen again by their families. Such is the price of royalty. The Terrans' locations had been lost during the melee, their fates uncertain. Queen Serenity spoke to her Court, their daughters, and what little remained of her Palace guard. "No Terrans are to be trusted from this point forth. The Atlanteans have already been corrupted so the Prince and his guard may be as well." Naturally Princess Serenity protested. "But mother--!" "I don't like it either but it is all I can do short of a declaration of war." She sighed regretfully. "I understand." Queen Venus hestitated. Though acting as a leader came naturally to her, actual participation within mass battles such as this was effectively out of her league. To Queen Jupiter however, it was as if she had suddenly been thown back into her element. Realizing that she is dedicated to protect both the Princess and now the Queen as her mother before her, she began to move everyone inside the Palace. "We are better off within the Palace halls where it is more confined, that way their superior numbers aren't as much of an obstacle." It was obvious to all who knew her that she desired to fight the battle on her own terms. Though the Jovian desire to live was unparalleled, to die within a mass conflict contained little honour whereas falling with your enemies in even combat was something all Jovians desired as their fate. 48 billion had just failed to achieve that. Queen Jupiter desired vengeance for every single one of them. Quickly they moved within the crumbling Palace towards the Queen's personal safehaven located within her quarters on the nearby east wing. After a brief scuffle with some wayward Lunars who had escaped the bombings, the hallway containing the Queen's quarters was within sight. Princess Serenity was not. Queen Serenity's heart lept into her throat. "Serenity?! SERENITY!!" "She must have been entangled with the Lunars we just encountered." Though determination shone brightly in her eyes, Queen Jupiter's body was racked with fear. "Queen Venus, you and Queen Mars ensure that Queen Serenity gets to safety. The Princesses will locate Princess Serenity and take her there as soon as possible." Though Princess Mercury already knew the answer, she forced herself to ask the question. "What about you?" A haunted look flashed across her eyes as she responded. "I will buy you time to locate the Princess." Nothing more needed to be spoken. The Princesses quickly dashed to where they last saw the ragged Lunars while the Queens began to usher Serenity towards her quarters. Queen Jupiter held back in the main hall. Soon a straggling band of Lunar guards began backing into the room, with the the corrupted Atlanteans in pursuit. As if surveying the battlefield, she stood her ground while lightning began to crackle around her tense body. Screaming bloody murder, she suddenly lept forth into the fray, hurling thunder and lightning at the enemy in a spectacular display. Upon seeing the girl almost effortlessly bore into the thick of the opposition, the Lunar troops were imbued with renewed determination. They rallied behind Jupiter allowing her every opportunity they could provide in hopes that she could turn the tide, striving to make the invasion into a two-sided battle. The cost of success was great. Queen Serenity's last sight of the girl was as she was overwhelmed by a veritible legion of troops. As her end came, she refused to let the enemy have the satisfaction of hearing her scream. The proud Jovian race was no more. "So much like her mother..." Though saddened by the loss, Queen Serenity shed few tears. Instead she merely spoke to Queens Venus and Mars as they struggled to open the massive doors to the Queen's chambers. "Her people would be proud. Let it not be in vain." Once the doors were opened just enough for her to squeeze though, the invaders stormed the hallway. Queen Mars held fast as she slay numerous attackers before falling herself from the lucky thrust of an Atlantean blade. Queen Venus literally threw Serenity through the doorway and shut it behind her, much to the protesting cries of her Queen. Venus ensured that none would breach the doors by sealing it with a crescent beam, but in doing so she sealed her own fate as well. Instead of proceeding to her impenetrable bunker, Queen Serenity instead gazed at the gaping hole in the wall. Apparantly her quarters had been targeted during the initial bombardment, yet most of the room was relatively intact. Believing in the wartime addage that the safest place was where a mortar had already struck, she peered through the damage at the courtyard below. As shocking as the carnage which had been wrought was, it could not compare to the scene playing itself out against a nearby wall. Princess Serenity's Inner Guard had donned their battle gear and were struggling to make their way to the Princess, who was located on a balcony near them. However, as they neared her a second wave of enemies landed on the moon and swarmed towards them. Before they were utterly slaughtered they managed to fire final desperate blasts at the evil visage of Beryl, who was gloating over her victories over what remained of the planets Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. The effect was negligent at best. As the Atlanteans moved towards the Princess' balcony, Serenity saw a glimmer of hope. The Terran Prince, being chased by a handful of Lunar guardsmen, rushed into view and quickly made his way to her. As both Atlantean and Lunar turned to him, Queen Beryl cast her hand. The vicious blast struck the ground, sending all but the Prince scattering about the courtyard. As the Terran Prince was being levitated towards the evil Queen, Princess Serenity screamed his name and leapt from the balcony, arm extended. As their hands met, both were hit by another blast from Beryl. Queen Serenity knew the blow was fatal. The soft cries from behind her matched her own. Turning, Queen Serenity was greeted by the feline advisors Luna and Artemis. Taking them in her arms, Serenity proceeded through the gap in the wall and walked to the middle of the ruins which were once the Palace's prized fountain. Queen Serenity turned to the cats and told them of her plan. Amidst the cackling of the dark Queen, Serenity prepared to give her daughter and her guard a second chance on the Earth of the future. The power of the Silver Crystal was released... END --------------- A computer error brought about the end of a civilization when the date on the computers went from a 999 to a 1000? Gee, where have I heard of that paranoia before... :) Some scenes of this needed history text style description while others demanded normal dialogue, so if you are somewhat confused when reading it, just read through it a second time and it should clear up nicely. Obviously this takes place during the flashback preceeding the girls' travelling to the North Pole to battle Beryl, and even though there may be some discrepancies between the episodes in question and this story (such as Jupiter not included in the final blast against Beryl) I'd say it works out in the end. As for the end, everyone should know what happens when Serenity releases the power of the Crystal, so that is why I spared the details regarding it. The ability of each Sailor to see their planet with the naked eye when other's would need a telescope was lifted from "Sailor Moon 4200" written by an under the pen-name Angus MacSpon. Highly recommended. As for my other stories? Shattered Rainbow - Part Zero released, remainder in progress Divide By Zero - rough draft complete Edge Of Heaven - rough draft in progress, finalizing overall plot 2 other tentative story ideas being mulled over as well To contact me, here's all the info you'll need: Scott "Cyclops" Summerton http://www.muskoka.com/~summertn thrawn27@hotmail.com, sjs3@hotmail.com and summertn@muskoka.com ICQ - 7383852, AOL IM - DarkCanuck Please also visit: A Sailor Moon Romance (moonromance.simplenet.com) Lady Jupiter's Dream House (www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/9286/) SailorJupiter.com (www.sailorjupiter.com) Lord Carnage's Page with Curse Of The Fanboys! (carnage.fanfic.org) Began Friday December 10th, 1999. Completed Thursday December 16th, 1999.