Secrets of the Dark Universe

Well, we’re finally there... we’re ready to unveil the first bits of information about the Dark Universe to bring in this new year. This month is the sixth of SMyth’s existence -- we’re half a year old! -- but the reason for unveiling the Dark Universe is more because of the fact that we will soon have a Dark Universalis Senshi among our ranks.

To begin with, let’s find out what the DU stands for. In order to do this, we have to establish the main conflicting forces in the universe. They can be generally stated as good and evil, order and chaos, light and darkness. The Light Universe stands for good, chaos (and thus free will) and light. The DU represents evil, order, and darkness. Now, before you go off thinking “that’s simple,” consider this: neither force is good or bad, and none are black and white. What does this mean?

We’ll start with light and darkness. Neither light nor darkness are bad things. Light brings life to plants and thus to humans, light shows us how to navigate our messy rooms, light is... well, bright, and illuminates things. Darkness, on the other hand, provides cooling shade, rest, and hides things we may not wish to see. Personally, I find light really hurts my eyes. >_<;

Order and chaos are both important in the universe. Now, you’ll remember that in the original Sailor Moon, Chaos was the ultimate bad guy. Not so here. In SMyth, chaos is represented by the Light Universe. While chaos can be, well, chaotic, it represents an important concept: free will. Order, on the other hand, supports the repression of free will, obedience. Chaos is more individualistic, whereas order is more communal.

Here’s what many people thing is the biggie: good and evil. Good, however, represents charity and sacrifice. Evil represents pride and greed. And now we must discuss the shades of gray.

The LU, as previously stated, represents good, chaos, and light. The DU represents evil, order, and darkness. Neither the LU nor the DU represent totality in any of these concepts. They each are simply more affiliated with one side than the other. The LU wants free will, but not completely, since there is some loose order to be observed. The DU allows free will within strict order. The LU wants as much light as possible without blinding, the DU wants as little light as possible. And, finally, the LU supports good and charity and sacrifice, but not at the expense of free will (i.o.w. choose sacrifice because you want to, not just because it‘s for the greater good), whereas the DU can be said to lean heavily towards evil in this respect because nobody from the DU really believes in sacrificing themselves, greater good or no. Of course, this falls second to the idea of order in the DU; if you’re supposed to die, the others in the DU will earnestly try to kill you.

Next, let us examine why the DU wants to destroy this universe. They have a number of reason as both a political entity and on the personal level, but suffice to say they want to destroy this universe as both an instinct and as revenge for being defeated the first time. It is instinctual because of the fact that the DU and the LU are principally opposites and their hatred is natural.

The first time the DU and LU fought, it was simply something that started as personal hatreds and escalated. This was more from the DU’s side, since it was more orderly and the hatred of one person was as good as another. It was actually the chaotic, individual nature of the LU that led to its near-defeat, since anyone who didn’t see fighting the DU as their responsibility didn’t fight. (The DU fights a whole; the LU fights individually or in smaller groups.)

Seeing as how this topic is Secrets of the Dark Universe, now we shall reveal the people of the DU.

The DU is organized into easily definable groups led by the Dark Universalis Senshi. There are generals and captains, all named after minerals and gemstones. The DUS is actually not the true, original DUS (at least, not as I understand the ideas of the applicant as the moment) but acts as a conduit for the DUS much like Galaxia for Chaos. Back in the first war, the DUS was destroyed by Sailor Universe’s sacrifice, but took control of the current DUS. I’m not sure if the old DUS will ever truly come back, or if the old DUS will be destroyed when the new DUS is. It just depends on the story.

So how does the DU reach the LU? Well, there are a few key points of energy concentration on the planet Earth. The first group are in and around the Roanoke Valley and have been hinted at through the local legends (yes, this is an actual local legend) concerning the “Twelve Gates of Hell.” In essence, there are twelve portals in and around Roanoke through which the DU people may pass. Other portal locations include England, Italy, Japan, and Egypt.

These portals serve purposes besides just being convenient conduits for DU entrance. They are also the reason the senshi are being reawakened now. The portals are essentially large amounts of energy. The type of energy does vary from place to place, though. All portals with DU-type energy also contain Astronomia-type energy. All portals which support Graikos also support Romanus. In Roanoke, there exist portals for the Angelus, Graikos, Romanus, and Astronomia Senshi, and thusly, for the DU as well. The high concentration of portals in Roanoke and the high number of groups are probably the reason why the Universalis Senshi appears here.

In contrast, the portals in Italy support Graikos, Romanus, and Noord Senshi. There are no DU conduits here, though the DU may journey here after arriving on Earth. The portals in England support Celtic, Angelus, Astronomia, and the DU. The portals in Japan support the Nippon and Astronomia, as well as the DU. The portals in Egypt support the Egyptian, Graikos, and Romanus Senshi, as well as possibly another group. (There is also a portal in outer space, to be detailed later.)

Well, having revealed a lot more than just the DU in this essay, I leave you with a fond farewell and, as always, the open invitation to join us, regardless of who or what you are.