RIME OF THE ANCIENT MERCURIAN
The Fall of MercuryPrincess Ami was walking through the water gardens of her home. In a month she would go to the Moon permanently. She had been going back and forth between the Moon and Mercury since she was five. For thirteen years Ami trained to protect the Moon Princess as Sailor Mercury. In those years she also became friends with the Lunarian Heir.
Princess Ami had short blue hair, common among the Mercurians. She had pale skin. She wore a simple blue dress with silver beading around the waist. It had thick straps with a gauzy lighter blue fabric hung from them. The fabric was clasped together with sapphires, giving the appearance of long flowing sleeves. A delicate necklace was worn around her neck. It had a blue ice crystal set in a silver heart. It was a gift from Serenity, the Moon Princess, for her sixteenth birthday.
Now eighteen, Ami had to leave her home to fulfill her destiny. She had to leave all that she loved. Her father Hermes would send her off tomorrow night. There would be a feast in her honor. It would be the last time she would be among her own people.
It was a custom that the most powerful daughter of the planet becomes the legendary Senshi. It so happened that the first-born and heir to the throne was the one. King Hermes and Queen Athene were heart broken. Her younger brother, Nereus, had mixed feelings about her leaving. He loved his sister dearly but with her gone he would become king and finally be able to put his ideas into practice.
Ami walked through the gardens thinking of her family. She listened to the music of the lyre. It was the music of her people. When she was little, her mother used to tell her stories of how her great-great-grandfather invented the lyre as a wedding present to his bride. She stood thinking of her family's lineage. Her great-grandfather, on their father's side, married a princess of Mars, thus connecting the two planets. Nereus got his gift of prophecy from his Martian relatives.
Someone came up behind Ami covering her eyes with their hands, "Guess who."
"Oh Nereus stop that. We are much too old for these games," Ami said.
"Maybe. But we'll never be too old for this!"
Nereus wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up into the air. He took a few steps to his right and threw her into a pool filled with ice roses. It was a rose that only bloomed on Mercury, as well as the Mercurian Garden on the Moon. It had ice blue petals laced with frost. This was Ami's favorite pool in her home. Each rose looked different, like snowflakes.
Ami broke the surface of the pool and splashed some water at her brother. Her brother just laughed and jumped in. After that they had an all out water fight. It was a tie as always. They collapsed on the walkway after they climbed out.
"I will miss this," Ami sighed.
"Do you realize that we've had a water fight every week since I was two?" Nereus asked.
"I don't want to go away. What if I fail the princess? I can't fight. We are a peaceful people."
"So are the Lunarians. You'll do fine. It's not that hard."
"Of course for you it isn't. You proudly display our Martian blood, as little as it may be."
"Oh Ami, I'll teach you."
"Really?"
"I'll teach how to use a bow and arrow. But it will be tomorrow since it's time for dinner."
"But tomorrow's the feast!"
"I know. It won't take long to teach you. You're a fast learner. Let's meet here tomorrow at five."
"In the morning?"
"Of course. Now let's get dried off and go to dinner."
"Mother and Father would have a heart attack if she saw us like this," Ami laughed.
"The Legendary Senshi of Mercury and the next King of our planet looking like drowned rats," Nereus joined his sister laughing.
They raced back to the palace to change and go to dinner. It was times like this when Ami would wish that she could give up her powers just to stay with her family.
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The next morning Ami walked to the water gardens in her training outfit. She wore simple blue pants and navy blue boots over them. She wore a pale blue tunic top. Her hair was pulled back with a white headband. Her brother was standing by a fountain of a lyre. He was dressed similar to Ami, except he wore pale blue pants and a navy shirt. His blue-black hair fell slightly into his eyes. By his side were a bow and a bundle of arrows.
'He'll make a fine king,' Ami thought.
"Good morning sister!"
"Good morning brother!"
"Are you ready?"
"I guess."
"Good. See that target on that tree? Watch what I do."
He picked up the bow and an arrow. He strung the arrow on the bow. Pulled back the string. He took careful aim and let the arrow fly. It whizzed through the air and hit the center of the mark. Ami watched carefully.
"Now you try," Nereus handed the bow and an arrow to her.
She uneasily reached for them.
"They don't bite," he said.
She took them from him and carefully repeated his actions. When it came time to release the arrow her hands slipped and the arrow flew into a nearby bush.
"Try again."
She picked up another arrow from the bundle. This time Nereus helped her aim. Nereus let go so she could fire it herself. At the last moment Ami closed her eyes. The arrow strayed off its mark as she let go. There was a painful cry and Ami's eyes shot open.
"Oh no! I've hit someone!" she screamed tears forming in her eyes.
"Stay here I'll go check it out," Nereus told her as he ran towards the direction of the cry.
Unwilling to listen to her brother she ran after him. She, after all, had some healing powers. She could at least relieve some of the pain until whoever it was she shot could be taken to a healer. She was almost there when her brother seemingly popped up out of nowhere in front of her.
"Are they alright? Should I go fetch a healer? Are they mad?" Ami bombarded him with questions.
Nereus had a grim expression on his face, "It's not good."
"Oh no! What did I do?" Ami began to cry.
His hands were behind his back, "You've killed . . ."
"I killed what? Spit it out!" she screamed at him.
"An Albatross!" He held his hands out in front of him.
Ami shrieked. "GET THAT AWFUL THING AWAY FROM ME!"
Her tears dried up when Nereus held out the bird with an arrow through his heart.
"What's the matter? It's your first kill. You should display it proudly," he said as he draped the bird around her shoulders.
"TAKE IT OFF OF ME!!" Ami screamed at him.
He just ran off towards the palace. Ami ran after him. The albatross was trailing behind her. What a sight they made to all those who were about their morning chores, the prince and princess racing through the gardens, the princess with a dead bird around her neck.
They reached the palace when, "NEREUS AQUARIUS PERCIVAL HERMES EVANS! AMELIA WREN QUICKENING ATHENA EVANS!!"
Their mother was really mad. She was even using their full names. She was wearing a strapless royal blue dress with sapphire beading around the top and under chest. She also wore a silver crown that bore the symbol of Mercury in the center. She had shoulder length pale blue hair. Their father stood next to her. He wore a dark blue suit. An ice blue cape hung from his shoulders, held in place by two sapphires set in silver. His blue-black hair fell into his eyes. Nereus looked just like their father.
"Explain yourselves," King Hermes said.
"Well see I was just . . ." Nereus began.
"Just teaching me . . ." Ami continued.
"How to shoot . . ."
"A bow and arrow . . ."
"One at a time please," Queen Athene ordered.
"Nereus just wanted to teach me how to use a bow and arrow so I could have some defensive skills when I leave. I'm so sorry mother, father."
"It's alright Ami. We're not mad. You two have to get ready for the ball. And get that disgusting bird off of you. It's not proper for a princess to look that way," Hermes told his children.
Nereus undid the albatross and hung inside the palace. They then went inside to prepare for the ball. They did not know that someone else was also preparing something for the ball that night.
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In a small village on the outskirts of the kingdom, darkness was beginning to spread. Everyone and everything that fell under the darkness was destroyed. People fell sick and died in the streets. Animals died in their stables. Houses crumbled and trees fell where they stood. The darkness lingered after it finished the town, then it spread to the next.
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The ball was beautiful. The ballroom was covered in every shade of blue imaginable; the people were even dressed to match. The women were all dressed in fancy gowns. The men all wore tuxedos. It all complemented the theme their princess had chosen. It was an icy wonderland. All of the nobles came to send off their princess.
The music stopped as the four royals entered. King Hermes and Queen Athene entered on each other's arms. Queen Athene wore a pale blue, off the shoulder ball gown. In the center of her chest she wore a sapphire locket with the symbol of Mercury set in silver. Her crown sat gracefully upon her head. King Hermes was dressed similarly. He had a pale blue tuxedo on with a blue-white cape. Tiny silver lyres held on the cape. His crown matched his wife's and in his free hand he held a staff. The staff was white with pale blue etchings on it. The etchings on the staff told of the lineage of the rulers of Mercury. There was also a pale red mark on it showing the family's ties to Mars.
Prince Nereus and Princess Ami followed their parents. Nereus wore a dark blue tuxedo. A small silver crown adorned his head. In one arm he carried a small lyre, with the other he escorted his sister. Ami wore a longer version of her sailor fuku. She had a blue ball gown skirt. The white body suit hugged her every curve. She had a pale blue bow on her back that touched the floor and another bow on her chest. The front bow held a sapphire locket. She also wore a blue cape that was held in place by the bow on her chest. The cape had two pale blue lines running along the edge. She wore gloves that ended at her elbows with strips of blue fabric around the top. On her neck was a blue choker. A tiara graced her head with a sapphire in the middle.
Ami and Nereus stood off to the side as they watched their parents open the ball with a dance, as was the custom. The king and queen began a slow waltz. Ami glanced out the window. She noticed it was darker than it should have been at this hour. She nudged her brother to get his attention.
"What?" he whispered.
"Look outside."
"It's really dark. So?"
"I have a bad feeling about this. We should check it out."
"We can't leave yet. Let's wait until everyone else is dancing, then we won't be missed."
"Very well," Ami's uneasiness began to grow as it darkened outside.
Soon screams could be heard from the streets. Palace guards rushed to see what the commotion was all about. When the guards failed to return fear crept into the king and queen's eyes. The guests began to panic as the darkness crept into the palace. The walls began to shake and crumble. At that moment chaos broke loose. People were running everywhere tripping over those that had already fallen to the darkness. Ami was separated from her brother.
Ami did not know what she should do so she ran. Screams were all she heard behind her. Tears stung her eyes. Her kingdom was falling and she was running away. How could she ever be a protector, a Senshi? She was coward. She stopped running to find herself in the room where Nereus had hung the albatross.
"I will not run away from fear! I shall face it!" Ami pulled out her henshin stick, another present from Serenity.
She held it up to the skies, "MERCURY ICE CRYSTAL POWER!!"
Ami transformed into the legendary Sailor Mercury. She began to race back to the ballroom. When she got there she was shocked. Nothing was left standing. People were all over the floor dead. They were covered by the destruction of her home. She walked a few steps to find her brothers crown lying on the floor. A few feet in front of her lay her brother's body. The lyre he carried was smashed nest to him. She cried and cried. She should not have run away. She looked for her parents and found them on the stairs. Their bodies were holding each other. The staff her father carried lay next to him still in one piece. Ami bent over to pick it up. The etchings were all faded but one still shone bright. It was her symbol. She felt the power of her ancestors flow through her. The tears stopped falling. She stood up and left her family's grave. She walked through the palace not noticing where she was going.
She ended up back in the room with the albatross. So much death had happened today and it all started with her. She killed first. She killed the albatross. Memories of that morning filled her mind. Then out of nowhere a silver butterfly flew through the room and landed on the staff.
"Oh bless you," Ami cried. "May the Heavens bless you. You who are so beautiful to have survived the death of my kingdom. Bless you."
Ami blessed the butterfly. It was life and beauty in a place of death, destruction, and darkness. The albatross then fell to the ground at her feet. The albatross had fallen, as had her heart. She looked up to see to figures approach her.
"Princess Ami, Sailor Mercury," one spoke. "We have come to give you a choice. You have a lot of power in you. So you may chose me, Death, or my sister, Life-in-Death. Choose carefully."
Ami studied the two women, as she noticed they were. Death as she called herself was dressed all in black. Her flesh was decaying and only hung on by threads. She held a staff made out of bones. Life-in-Death looked like a zombie. She too was decayed, but of the mind not the flesh.
"Who are you?" Ami asked.
"We are servants of the Lady Beryl," Life-in-Death spoke. "To choose me is to serve her forever. You would pledge your undying allegiance to her. To choose Death is just that, to die."
This made up her mind. She would not spend her life in service to someone who had killed her people and family.
"I would rather die than serve her."
"Very well," Death began. "Take my hand and welcome the darkness."
Ami reached out and took her hand. Darkness encased her body and mind. She felt as if she was floating. She was free. She would see her family again. She had no worries or cares. She saw a silver light in the distance and felt drawn to it.
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As Ami reached for Death, the silver butterfly began to faintly glow. It changed shape and a beautiful woman with lilac hair stood in front of Death, who was now holding Ami's body.
"Let go of her!" The woman commanded. "You will not have her."
"And who are you?" Life-in-Death spoke.
"I am Queen Serenity and she is under my care now." Queen Serenity let loose a silver light that encased the Senshi of Mercury. Her body lifted into the air and disappeared. "This is not over Beryl, you will pay!" Serenity disappeared in the same silver light.
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Ami awoke in a comfy bed, "I guess it was a dream."
She looked around herself to notice everything seemed to have a silver glow. She was no longer on Mercury.
"Am I dead?" she asked.
"No," a blond girl with pigtails replied.
"Princess Serenity? How'd I get here? Am I on the Moon?"
"Ami, how many times have I told you to just call me Serenity or even Serena or Usagi, as Momma calls me sometimes? Momma brought you here. There was a battle on Mercury. You're the only survivor. I'm so sorry."
"Oh," Ami began to cry onto Serenity's shoulders.
They stayed like that for a while. Ami cried for her mother, her father, her people, her planet, but most of all for Nereus. She would never forget him and would make Beryl pay for what she did.
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AN: Well what do you think? This fic is co-written by Dream Sovereign and myself. We don't own Sailor Moon of course. Although I wish we did cuz it would make life so much simpler. Anyway what do you think of our story? Review and tell us. This is the first part in the story of the fall of the planets to Beryl. Originally posted under the name Daughters of Destiny. If you would like to email us you can at
This story was based on a story we read in English class 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
"'God save thee,
ancient Mariner!
From the fiends, that plague thee thus!--
Why
look'st thou so?'—'With my cross-bow
I shot the Albatross.'"
"Are
those her ribs through which the Sun
Did peer, as through a
grate?
And is that Woman all her crew?
Is that a DEATH? and are
there two?
Is DEATH that woman's mate?
Her
lips were red, her looks were free,
Her locks were yellow as
gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
The Night-mare
Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold."
"O
happy living things! no tongue
Their beauty might declare:
A
spring of love gushed from my heart,
And I blessed them
unaware:
Sure my kind saint took pity on me,
And I blessed them unaware.
The
self-same moment I could pray;
And from my neck so free
The
Albatross fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea."
"He
went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn:
A
sadder and a wiser man,
He rose the morrow morn."
That was just parts of it that inspired the story. Also here is some other information you might light to know.
King Hermes – Hermes is the Greek god of commerce, wrestling, and other gymnastic exercises and also over anything that required skill and dexterity. He was the messenger god. He also invented the lyre.
Queen Athene – Athene, or Athena, is the goddess of wisdom.
Prince Nereus – Nereus is distinguished for his knowledge and love of truth, justice. He was assigned the gift of prophecy.
Sapphires represent clear thinking.
There you go please review and tell us what you think.
Love ya all,
KoKo Belle and Dream Sovereign