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A Celestial Tale
By RaistlinofMetallica
Death smiled lightly and looked to her fiery host, “Do not worry, old friend. My boy will bring us news of the one we seek.”
Her boy: an oddity among mortals, a child born from a mortal body that had served as her guise and who would forever be touched by a fragment of her nature. Though it had come as a shock for her to wake into her appointed day to experience living and discover that the mortal body the universe had arranged to accommodate her consciousness was heavily pregnant, she had taken it in stride. After all, it was a new experience and fascinating in its own right, so it was not so disagreeable. It was leaving at the end of the day that was difficult and painful, no matter how unavoidable, and so she endeavored over the years to keep an eye on the child that had begun its life just as she had left her borrowed one.
...Not that it was terribly difficult, Death mused, as the world the child grew up in was affected with plague, war and bitter terrorist conflict.
The firebird shifted its burning wings, attracting her attention, and then the disjointed psychic voice of the Phoenix reached her. Your boy will not fail in his task. That, I am certain of. My concern is for the girl.
“As well it should be,” Death said honestly and did not elaborate. But then, the fiery being did not expect her to.
Small motes of light appeared in the distance, drawing nearer as the slender form of a woman clothed in a simple dress began to take shape. This was the first of their mortal guests, the guardian of the Grail, Relena Yuy ne Dorlian. Her presence would be invaluable during this meeting, for their other guests did not much enjoy each other’s company and their bickering would come to blows without the calming aura of the former queen of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation to keep their tempers in check.
The guardian of the Grail bowed to them respectfully and spoke, “Greetings, most honored ones. I pray I am not late for this council.”
Fear not, young star, the giant phoenix responded telepathically. You have time yet. The other guests have not yet arrived.
“I must confess, I am curious as to the nature of this meeting,” Relena said, earnestly. Her hand moved to rest over her breastbone as if to touch the crystalline structure hidden there and, hesitantly, she added, “It... It is not often I am called upon to use my power like this.”
All shall be revealed in the course of time. The great firebird trilled and cocked its head, waves of flame spreading down its form as the burning feathers shifted.
Again, small motes of light began to gather in the distance and took on the form of a woman as they neared. Unlike Relena, this woman’s dress was an ornate empire waist gown of white, pearls and gold filigree lining the bodice. Her hair, gleaming white and opalescent, trailed down in long streamers from the buns on her head and a single, golden upturned crescent moon adorned her forehead. She was Usagi Tsukino, soon to be Neo Queen Serenity. For centuries, she and her court remained slumbering beneath Tokyo in a crystalline labyrinth, only to awaken when the presence of other stars brushed across the surface of their auras.
Death idly wondered if the future queen realized how much her hibernation was reminiscent of that of Cthulhu in his temple, but wisely decided that now was not the time to bring it up.
Usagi regarded the three figures in turn and pursed her lips, frowning slightly. “You have called for me and I have come. What is the problem?”
It is not a problem, per se, but a delicate matter nonetheless, the great Phoenix answered. The psychic voice paused and then added, A First Goddess has been reborn.
“A First Goddess?” echoed Relena, wide-eyed with confusion and dim recognition of the term. “You mean the head of a pantheon?”
Death nodded in confirmation.
“Forgive me, but I do not see how this involves us,” Usagi piped up, narrowing her eyes at the giant firebird.
How does it not? Your world is the ideal place to conceal such a being, the Phoenix answered. The light from so many guardian stars gathered together would conceal even the light of two First Gods. And thus, we have concealed this reborn First Goddess from all who would seek to harm her for eighteen of your years.
Usagi paled, physically taken aback. “You hid her on Earth? Oh, Lord Elder, you have damned us! The wars will start again!”
Death rolled her eyes.
I have done no such thing, the Phoenix telepathically chastised Usagi. You should be pleased, mortal star, for there are now guardians in abundance on your world, perhaps more than anywhere else save the Galaxy Cauldron. Indeed, even now the burgeoning light of stars swells in the hearts of the children of your court and will eventually blossom into true guardians.
“It is of no use, honored Phoenix,” a man’s clear voice cut through the plane. “Lunarians always think there’s an apocalypse brewing.”
Usagi silently fumed, while Relena put a hand over her mouth to conceal a giggle.
Dusky red motes of light gathered, taking on the form of a tall man in black, hooded robes. His face fell under the shadow of his cowl, but it did little to conceal his still-visible purple eyes and the tell-tale long braid of chestnut hair that trailed down, resting lightly against the fabric of his robes. Death smiled: this was her boy, her changeling Duo.
“Shinigami! I should have known,” Usagi spat, eyes blazing. “The stench of grave soil clings to you like rot and obviously clouds your judgment. We of the Moon are rarely wrong.”
The grown pilot snorted, rolling his eyes as he replied, “I didn’t come to squabble with you, oh high and mighty one. I came because I have information. I have met the reborn First Goddess.”
“So that was your mission, Duo,” Relena said, thoughtfully, inadvertently cutting off any retort from the lunar guardian. “I was wondering about why you’d taken the reassignment to New York.”
With an impish chuckle, the Shinigami also known as Duo grinned, “Didn’t have much of a choice, missy! You know how the boss lady gets!”
The guardian of the Grail smiled at that. “That I do, that I do...”
Enough talk of the one with the cinnamon bun hair. Tell us of the one we seek. Phoenix lowered its great burning head to bring its eyes level with them. Tell us of the reborn First Goddess, child of the Endless Death.
“Ha! Cinnamon bun hair! That’s a good one,” Duo said, the mental image of his boss, Lady Une, making him snicker. Then, he straightened up, cleared his throat and put his sense of humor off to the side for the moment. “I did indeed meet the girl in question. And, as I told missy’s husband, she’s a good student – plays basketball, has a few friends. She seems to know what I am on some level, though, which is unusual. I’ve never met a sleepwalker who could spot me – except for you, missy.”
Relena stuck out her tongue at him and winked. “It’s hard to fool me. I am, after all, the Maiden of the Grail.”
Usagi huffed, looking thoroughly put out. It was clear that she had never anticipated the involvement of the supernatural realms, nor that she would be woken from her slumber by strange, willful guardians that did not yield to her authority, in a vastly changed world from that which she’d known. But then, she had not quite realized what she’d done when she melted down the galaxy cauldron, releasing all the souls imprisoned within, and the centuries of slumber had only dulled her memories of her achievements and skills as a guardian into hazy recollections. She very much wanted to roll over, return to sleep, and let these young upstarts destroy themselves playing at guardians until it was time for her to accede the throne. Only decorum prevented her from doing so.
Duo chuckled, shaking his head at Relena, and then cleared his throat to continue. “Anyway, this is where it gets interesting: this kid shows up, plays like he’s got amnesia and all that, but something just isn’t kosher. I’ve got Wufei running a background check on him now, though I doubt we’ll get anything. Kid’s a dead ringer for trouble. He’s probably jumped worlds from somewhere.”
“And you haven’t eliminated him?” Usagi asked, raising an eyebrow. “Shinigami, you’re losing your touch.”
The former pilot growled, eyes blazing dangerously, and glared at her. “Not everyone who comes to this planet is an enemy. My assignment was to observe and only intervene if necessary. Surely, even your subordinates understand the need for restraint.”
Usagi growled, ready to retort. How dare that brat of a guardian lecture her on mercy? He, a guardian and harbinger of death, dared to insinuate that she lacked the capacity to understand the need for mercy? She wished to bring an age of peace, free of death and illness! Was that not merciful?
But the Phoenix moved then and the deep rumbling cadence of its telepathic voice washed over her psyche, dousing irritation in the wash of its message. There is no need to quarrel. This boy is most likely the heart of the issue at hand.
The firebird turned its head to regard Duo and continued: And it may well be that you will have to act in your capacity as a guardian to protect the First Goddess. A world jump occurred upon Krynn not too long ago and it is my belief that you may have uncovered our jumper.
“Krynn,” Usagi repeated, her attention drifting to fragmentary memories of her first life as princess in the Silver Millenium. “This name is familiar to me.”
Death, who had until now been silent, stepped forward. “It is a planet far from your empire, one that has eluded the need for guardians for a very long time. Protected and hidden as it is, life is born and ends there, so even now I am there. Their gods do not even notice my brothers or sisters anymore as they are so caught up in their scheming.”
Indeed, the great firebird agreed. For precisely this reason, the One Upon High saw it fit to place this First Goddess among the many stars on Earth. They must not discover her location, for grave danger lurks on the world of her former station.
Relena, her face one of deep concern, raised her eyes to the Phoenix and asked, “Forgive me, but what sort of danger would she face, should she have to return there?”
“She could be killed for her power,” Death answered, eyes unblinking and fathomless. “Though she is no longer a deity, the power she contains in her crystal would give the other deities of her former pantheon an edge over their competitors and opponents. It is also possible that they may torture and kill her for spite, as the actions that lead to her doom also made her many enemies.”
Usagi frowned, her lips drawing into a thin line. “And they have already sent someone to look for her. More will undoubtedly follow.”
Unlikely. The Phoenix adjusted its wings slightly and drew its head up. The world of Krynn may have master spellcasters, but spells that are capable of piercing their protections from within are costly and time-consuming. It may be months before they are capable of performing a similar spell again and it is doubtful they will have the power necessary to move more than one or two people at a time. No, they pose little, if any, threat to anyone other than their target.
“I still do not like this,” the lunar guardian said, firmly.
Relena lowered her eyes and then looked to the former pilot, shaking her head slightly.
Duo nodded, understanding the unspoken communication: the lunar guardian could only see that Earth was potentially threatened as long as the girl in question remained on Earth and they would find little help from Usagi. He frowned. It was like the old days, before they’d gone and meddled in something that should have been left well enough alone, and, once again, their backs were to the wall. The soldier in him relished it, even as the man he’d become searched for a way out. “Will we have any allies in this on their end?” he asked, finally.
The Phoenix regarded him. Perhaps. There are many variables in play.
Death nodded absently, tapping the toe of her boot against the air. She missed her fish and was looking forward to having a nice cup of tea when she got back to her personal realm. Hopefully, she would not have to involve herself in this business any further: her boy, her changeling Duo would undoubtedly be more than capable of managing this without her interference.
Usagi, seeing that there was to be no further information, let her hold on her form slip and disappeared from the plane, back to her crystalline slumber.
“Good luck, Duo,” Relena said, smiling sadly. “Please, be careful. Everyone would be sad if something were to happen to you.”
The former pilot nodded, a faint ghost of a smile on his lips. His eyes then flickered to the familiar form of the Endless Death, a figure which he had always known, even as a child. No words were spoken between them, but there did not need to be. He, too, now let his hold on his form slip away and vanished in a cascade of red motes of light. He would soon wake next to his wife, in his new home, and spend the rest of the early morning in thought.
Death considered something a moment and then approached the remaining guardian. “Relena, wait. Do not go yet.”
The Maiden of the Grail hesitated, her face suddenly pale.
“I did not just escort one First from that world,” Death stated simply.
Eyes widening in realization, the mortal mouthed a silent ‘oh.’ She then smiled in relief and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”
Death smiled, pleased with her.
As soon as Relena vanished, the great firebird let out a deep snort and shook its burning head. You just HAD to tell someone, didn’t you?
“Perhaps,” she replied, smirking mischievously. “There are many, many variables in play.”
Now for the actual story notes on the revised version, we’ll start with Death’s changeling child. Death takes mortal form once every century, as stated in Death: the Time of Your Life. The universe appears to generate a form for her consciousness to inhabit and it is hinted in the comic that this form has consciousness of its own prior to her inhabitation. In this fanfic, when her consciousness inhabits that body, a fragment of her nature touches the then unborn Duo and changes him. It is at some point during this day that Duo is born. He can see her when she is present at the birth or death of any individual.
Now, on to Relena Yuy ne Dorlian. Yes, she is a sailor senshi and, yes, she and Heero are married. Do not complain about pairings to me, I will ignore you, and I find it in extremely poor taste when reviewers say “this is not my favourite pairing, but” in their reviews. Guardian and senshi are used interchangeably in this case, in reflection of the change to Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. She is an unusual guardian however, being the guardian of the Grail. The Grail can be many things, including the Grail that represents the unity of the Solar senshi, the actual Holy Grail or the Grail of Arthur. I purposefully have not left that completely clear. She projects an aura of calm, as part of her powers. She is a pacifist, yes, but she is also a realist and genuinely cares for her friends.
Usagi, in this fanfic, has been asleep in crystal for at least 400 years. She has the worst case of bed-head in the world mentally and is naturally quite cranky at being yanked out of bed by some giant fricking bird to go to a meeting so soon after being woken up (as hinted twice in the story, first by Death and then by Duo) by the proximity of the imperiled Gundam Wing group – which will be explained more extensively in Future Imperfect and Wedding Bells, I assure you. Usagi seems to be suffering side effects of her extended slumber, including a growing blind spot in terms of protection of the earth: namely, inability to see the necessity of things such as death and illness and exclusive concern for the people of the earth over others. This is to bring her in line with the BSSM/PGSM manga canon Neo Queen Serenity. She has already lost the ability to transform into Sailor Moon, but not the Queen form. Additionally, she sees the Gundam group as children playing at senshi, very much inexperienced and unwilling to listen to the ‘adults.’ She does not like Duo, particularly for his connection to Death and his willingness to embrace death as a necessity.
The subject of discussion in this story (“The Girl in Question”) is Gabby Dei Draghi in my Strength of the Dragon fanfic and is where all the Dragonlance fun comes in to play. I recommend being caught up to at least Dragons of a Vanished Moon.
Thanks for reading and sorry for the incredibly long author’s note. I’m working as fast as possible on updates, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now! Reviews/emails welcome and appreciated greatly.
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