No real author's notes this time . . . Just a really long, complicated "readme" file. And no, I don't own the Sailor Starlights or Princess Kakyuu or the Kinmoku Kingdom. They are all concepts originally created and copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi. But any other characters that appear in this story are my intellectual property . . . except for their names, which are more likely than not a sly nod toward some other animated series. *indicates emphasis* ____________________________________________________________________ STARLIT LEGENDS - THE FALL OF THE KINMOKU KINGDOM PART TWO: CRYSTAL By Kotetsu _____________________________________________________________________ TWO YEARS LATER **THWACK** Kuno's staff flew out of his hands and slid across the slick grass of the garden. In the next instant, his opponent had brought the tip of her own staff to his throat, and had assumed the victory stance. "You're getting better," he grunted with approval. Kou Seiya dropped her own staff to the ground and wiped her brow. "You let me win," she pouted resentfully. "Granted. But I didn't go all that easy on you, y'know." "Why thank you," Seiya smirked. "And just *when* am I going to get that real match that you promised me?" "You're far too eager for a real fight," Kuno reprimanded the girl. "A true warrior must avoid combat whenever possible." "What kind of moronic advice is--" "You should listen to Captain Kuno," Anya commanded firmly. She had been watching the match from the shade of a nearby ginyu tree. Yaten sat next to her, quietly sketching the match as it progressed. Taiki was perched on the lowest branch of the tree, oblivious to her surroundings, absorbed in a thick volume of classical poetry. Kuno noticed that once again the three girls were wearing their long hair in identical ponytails, tied at the napes of their necks. If he remembered correctly, it was Yaten who had coerced the other two into adopting the traditional hairstyle of her Colony. "We have to look coordinated," she had explained prissily to Kuno when he had inquired about their new look. Seiya raised an eyebrow at Anya's words, then shrugged, seeming to accept them. "Whatever you say, Lady Anya." Then she turned back to Kuno. "Shall we go at it again?" she asked, picking up her staff. Kuno glanced over at Anya, waiting for her approval. He took a brief moment to appraise her with his weary eyes, taking in her slender build, neatly braided auburn hair, steely gray eyes, and pursed lips. As usual, she was dressed in her most casual outfit - leather boots, split skirts, low-cut bodice. Ready for hand-to-hand combat, or lemonade with the Queen Mother on her private veranda . . . whichever situation arose first. Kuno thought sourly. Anya thought for a moment, then shook her head. Kuno got the message. "That's enough training for today," he told Seiya. "I'm sure that you want time to wash up before dinner. I know that I do," he grumbled as he turned away and strode across the garden. Crossing the palace grounds, swinging his staff back and forth as he walked, Kuno absent-mindedly contemplated the events of the past two years. First, there had been his promotion to Captain of the Guards. That had been an unexpected surprise, even though he knew that the Queen favored him over some of the other guards. Then there had been the arrival of those three insufferable children. As if his new job hadn't been stressful enough already, Queen Maresuu had ordered him to oversee the training and tutoring of the three future guardians. To top it all off, he was to be partnered with Lady Anya, who among the Queen's Knights was probably the one who hated him the most . . . Taking his orders with a grain of salt (as he was used to doing,) Kuno had set to work attempting to discipline the children. It didn't help matters that Princess Kakyuu had fallen into their ranks and was a willing accomplice to most of their mischief. And Anya was no help either - in fact, she seemed to *approve* of their insubordinate behavior. "They're just kids. Let them have fun while they still can. And it's good for Kakyuu to be having fun with some real friends," she had told him. Easy for her to say. They never short-sheeted Lady Anya's bed . . . Kuno was a man who valued order and discipline. Under his leadership, the Queen's royal guards had become the most efficient, well-ordered protectors in the history of the Royal House of Kinmoku. He viewed it as his duty to make sure that the three children would become fitting guardians for the Princess - well-mannered, respectful, obedient, and willing to serve. As it turned out, Kuno had his work cut out for him. The dark-haired girl, Seiya, was among the worst students that Kuno had ever had the misfortune to encounter. Although she appeared clever enough, she never really applied herself to her studies. She was a good enough student during combat training; but was ill-mannered, obnoxious, loud-mouthed, and far too much of a prankster during all other times that she was with Kuno. If the girl had only put half as much effort into her training as she did into goofing off and having fun . . . She would have easily been Kuno's favorite student. By far the worst was Yaten. She always had a scathing insult for Kuno on the tip of her tongue, and was always finding a way to weasel out of combat training. "I REFUSE to sweat like a great hairy bull, like YOU," she had snarled at Kuno once. Taiki was by far the best behaved, and had impeccable manners. But she didn't seem to mind tagging along during Seiya's and Yaten's forays into trouble. And she had made it very clear to Kuno that she would rather be doing something "worthwhile," like studying or reading poetry, than engaging in combat training. Even Princess Kakyuu had adopted some of the disrespectful mannerisms of the foreign children . . . but then again, Kakyuu had a sharp tongue and a temperamental nature to begin with. Lady Anya just made the situation worse. She had a reputation for breaking the rules, and for disobeying orders when she felt like it. Ruled by her impulses, Anya showed unwavering loyalty only to Queen Maresuu. She was beautiful, dangerous, and more of a distraction for Kuno than an aid . . . Such a distraction . . . Two years had gone by quickly, and Kuno had managed to make some progress with the children. They had almost completed their academic studies, and were beginning to fit in a little better with palace life. Most of the Knights, guards, and servants in the palace still disdained the Kous. And Kuno didn't blame any of them - far too many palace personnel had been on the receiving end of one of the children's infamous practical jokes. However, Kuno soon recognized that there *was* hope for the children. Like Lady Anya, he had observed the growing friendship among the three and Princess Kakyuu. The four of them were extraordinarily close, especially since they had only known each other for two years. They whispered secrets into each other's ears, studied together, trained together, and were rarely seen apart. Kuno had noticed (much to his wry amusement) that Seiya was the only person who could ruthlessly tease Princess Kakyuu without inflaming her temper. And as Kuno knew well, the single most important factor in a guardian's relationship to his or her sovereign was the loyalty, love, trust, and friendship between the two. "They will make excellent guardians," Kuno had grudgingly admitted to Anya. "They could use some approval from you every now and then," Anya had chided him. "They need some encouragement." "They don't need encouragement. They already think that they know everything," Kuno had muttered sourly. And that was the end of that conversation. Kuno had used to quarrel with Anya quite frequently. But after he realized that Kakyuu and the other children enjoyed watching his verbal sparring with Anya, he had rid himself of that particular habit. Although the two of them still had their arguments in private, in public they were very careful not to make spectacles of themselves. Kuno shook his head sharply, bringing himself back to the present. He had crossed the palace grounds and was now heading up the staircase to his own private chambers. Tapping his staff against the railing as he climbed the stairs, Kuno was just about to return to being absorbed in his thoughts when the screaming began. In an instant, Kuno had shouldered his staff and whirled around, every nerve on edge, every sense focused on the shrill screams echoing down the staircase. It was coming from . . . the Conference Hall? At the top of the stairs? Without giving his bath or dinner a second thought, Kuno lowered his staff and charged up the stairs. * * * * * * FIVE MINUTES EARLIER Kakyuu hovered behind her mother, watching quietly as Maresuu arranged the flowers along the length of the conference table. It would have been far easier for Maresuu to summon one of her servants to complete the task for her; but Kakyuu knew that her mother had always been fond of flowers, and the simple ritual of arranging them seemed to calm her, to soothe her nerves. Outwardly, Kakyuu's mother was always calm and regal; inwardly, however, Kakyuu knew that she worried day and night about her kingdom. "Kakyuu-chan, you're extraordinarily quiet today," Maresuu commented. Kakyuu cocked her head. "Are you going to call the Knights together?" "Yes." "Why?" "You know why." "Because of Mau, right?" "Yes. It's good for you to be aware of these things, my Kakyuu- chan. You will be the Queen of this kingdom someday. You should know how to react in a crisis situation." A crisis. That was a bit of an understatement. The nearest solar system to Kinmoku contained the planet Mau, which was home to a sentient race of feline-like demi-humans. The government of Mau had always been a steadfast ally to the Kinmoku kingdom, and Kakyuu was under the impression that Queen Maresuu had been good friends with Mau's regent. But only a fortnight ago, tragedy had struck. The Queen of Mau had been murdered in her throne room, her Star Seed ripped out of her chest by one of Galaxia's Sailor Animates. Her aids had looked on helplessly as their Queen faded away. Within moments, Galaxia herself had descended to the surface of the planet. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, the ground was split and rendered, and the oceans boiled. The Star Seeds of the people of Mau were taken en masse; within hours, the planet was a lifeless rock floating in space. There were no survivors. "If Mau has fallen to Galaxia, then . . . Kinmoku is next, right?" Kakyuu asked her mother, although she already knew the answer. "Yes," her mother sighed. The pain and weariness she heard in the Queen's voice alarmed Kakyuu. "I had hoped that we would have more time to prepare . . . But I suppose that it was foolish of me, to think that Galaxia would wait until I was prepared to fight against her . . ." Kakyuu lowered her head, staring at her feet. "I'm sorry," she mumbled apologetically. "I'm sorry that I'm not a Sailor Senshi yet." There was a moment of uncomfortable quiet. Then, Kakyuu heard the rustling of the Queen's gown, and suddenly Maresuu's soft hand was resting on her shoulder. With her other arm, the Queen pulled Kakyuu into her warm embrace. "Don't be sorry. Don't worry about that, my Kakyuu-chan. You will make a wonderful Queen someday. And that's all that matters. That's all that I ever hope for." Kakyuu squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed into her mother's arms, struggling to hold back tears. She knew what the palace personnel said about her. She knew what some of the Knights thought of her, how some of the Guards thought of her. She knew that she was loud-mouthed, rude, disrespectful, unruly, and temperamental. And she was horribly aware of the whisperings that echoed throughout the palace halls. That Kakyuu, she hasn't calmed down at all as she's aged. She doesn't know how to behave like a proper Princess. She's spending too much time running around with those foreign brats. She's too irresponsible to become a Sailor Senshi, and we'll all be left defenseless when Galaxia attacks. She has such a short temper, she doesn't know how to be diplomatic about anything. What kind of daughter is the Queen raising?! "I love you, mommy," Kakyuu whispered softly. She knew that she was far too old to be using such a childish address for her mother . . . but she didn't care. "I love you too," she Queen said as she pulled away from Kakyuu's embrace. "But I really must prepare this room for the conference. Would you like to help?" "I don't know anything about flowers. Except how to pick them." The Queen laughed softly. "Yes, Anya had told me as much. Well then, isn't it about time that you learned? Flower arrangement is one of the finer arts that even royalty can indulge in, every once in a while." Maresuu glided softly over to one of the vases, and began fiddling with the stems in the flower bouquet. "The important thing is to maintain a sense of balance. Colors and shapes should all compliment one another, and never detract from each other." Gingerly, Kakyuu approached another vase and began re-arranging the lilies in it. "Like this?" she asked her mother for approval. "Kind of . . . Keep trying, you'll get the hang of it eventually." Pursing her lips with concentration, Kakyuu continued to struggle with her flowers. After a few moments the entire ordeal became insufferably boring. Kakyuu had a sudden yearning to be running around barefoot in the gardens with Seiya and the other girls, laughing and playing whatever game they thought of first. Tag sounded like fun. Then Kakyuu shook her head, viciously suppressing her urges. It was time to focus on the task at hand. She had to learn to be responsible, she had to learn to be patient. she resolved as she squared her jaw with determination and continued to fidget with the bouquet in front of her. "Hello? Excuse me?" Simultaneously, both mother and daughter whirled to face the owner of the surprising new voice. While they had been working with the flowers, another woman had entered the Conference Hall. Kakyuu recognized her outfit as that of a messenger from one of Kinmoku's semi-independent city-states. Her silvery-gray hair was collected in a bun at the nape of her neck, and her messenger's robes flowed exquisitely around the curves of her lithe body. Cold azure eyes blinked at Kakyuu, and the blushing princess quickly tore her eyes away from the woman and stared intently at her hands. She was still young, but she knew a looker when she saw one. It was no surprise that the woman had gotten past the guards outside the hall. The woman strode forward confidently and stopped in front of Queen Maresuu, bowing deeply. "My Queen Mother, I come from his honorable Governor Yosho with an urgent message." "You may rise," the Queen said, and the messenger quickly rose out of her bow. The messenger hesitated for a moment, darting her eyes at Kakyuu, who was standing quietly nearby. "Is this your daughter, the lovely Princess Kakyuu?" the messenger asked. "Yes, this is the Princess. Do not worry. Whatever you must say to me can be said in front of her." The messenger smiled. It wasn't a pretty smile, not at all. Seiya watched Yaten and Taiki also struggling against their captors, resulting in a lack of success similar to hers. Yaten muttered something incoherent underneath the guard's muffling hand; in response, the guard tightened his grip on her face and hissed, "We are not traitors. We do this on the authority of Queen Maresuu and Lady Anya." Seiya's mind receded further into a state of numb shock. "Good job, you three. Hold them still, and for the love of Kami- sama keep them from screaming." At the sound of Anya's voice, six heads simultaneously snapped around and stared down the length of the garden path. Lady Anya strode resolutely toward them, clutching an elaborately carved wooden box in her hands. There was an unreadable expression on her face, but an unmistakable coldness in her eyes. Anya halted herself in front of the three guards, knelt down, place the box in front of her, opened the box, and pulled out its contents. The three young girls watched, eyes widening with horror, as Anya pulled two bejeweled silver bracelets and held them gingerly in her hands. Leaving the box at her feet, Anya straightened to a standing position. "I will count to three," she intoned emotionlessly at the guards. With a snap, she fixed the first bracelet around her wrist. "On the count of three, I need you to push those girls toward me and then *get out of the way*. I cannot be responsible for what happens if you aren't quick enough to dodge this." The second bracelet snapped around her other wrist. Still managing to keep her face an unreadable mask, Anya raised her arms in front of her, the bracelets on her wrists facing outward. "Are you all ready?" "Yes, my Lady," one of the guards answered. Taiki tried to yell something at Anya, but the guard's hand over her mouth effectively muffled her protest. Ignoring her, Anya began counting. "One." Seiya felt a tear slide down her cheek, unbidden. It couldn't be true. Anya hadn't betrayed her. It couldn't be true. Her mind screamed at her to keep struggling against her captor, to escape before it was too late. But her body, strangely numb and weary, refused to move. "Two." Somewhere in Seiya's brain, an epiphany suddenly occurred. < . . . how pretty . . . > At that moment, Seiya felt herself . . . detach. She watched with mild interest as the flower's petals spread apart, revealing a dazzling golden crystal. Twinkling in the silvery light, the crystal slowly rose from the flower's center and began floating away from Seiya. thought Seiya as she watched her small body crumple lifelessly. The light began to fade. Her body began to fade. The world melted. Everything dissolved into darkness. And Kou Seiya's thoughts were abruptly terminated. * * * * * * Trying to control the shaking of her body, Anya cupped her hands around the three Star Seeds. Perfectly normal Star Seeds, from what she understood, except . . . these three were continuing to shine, even after their owners had become merely three lifeless corpses at Anya's feet. END PART TWO