Oceanus Procellarum: A Silver Millennium Adventure
By Lady Moon Goddess
Disclaimer: No… I don’t…
A/N:
~*~
Chapter Three: The Secret Wall
Selenity rose out of bed along with the sun. She walked over to the balcony that faced the sun and watched the waterfalls glisten from the bright sun that were spread throughout the garden. Then she walked across her bedroom, over to her other balcony. The stars had just begun to fade as she watched the millions of stars suddenly disappear. She slipped off her silver silk nightgown and put on her white flowing dress with frills found under her bust. Her hair had stayed perfectly in its Lunarian style and she stepped out of her room to find Luna waiting.
“My queen, Serene has become ill.”
Three days straight Selenity sat next to her shivering daughter, holding her trembling hand. Serene’s eyes had dark circles under her them, and whenever Serenity awoke from her sleep and opened her eyes, her blue orbs were surrounded by redness. Luna begged Selenity to get some sleep, but she refused. She dared not leave her daughter.
Selene tried one last time to use the Silver Crystal. It slowly lifted from its cradle and the crystal sparkled as its brightness echoed off the walls. Serenity’s skin turned a silvery white and then back to normal. Selene closed the locket once the crystal was back in its place and placed her hand on Serenity’s forehead. The fever did not dissipate as it should have and Serene showed no signs of improvement. The crystal should have made her better in that instant, but nothing happened.
Luna came into the room with Selenity’s robe and placed it around her queen’s shoulders. Selene nodded with gratitude and slowly stood up from the bedside chair. It was late night/early morning and Selenity had gone many nights without rest. Luna guided the tired Selene down the hall to her bed chamber and headed back to join the ill princess.
Days passed and Serenity continued to stay sick. Her porcelain face became a washed out pale and her golden hair became dull. Her immune system had been attacked and coughing was heard continuously from her room. Her pigment under her eyes became dark and her nose was now rosy from all the blowing.
It was the first day of the New Year, but there was no celebration the previous night because of Serenity. Queen Selenity walked into the room with a group of Serene’s friends close behind. They huddled around the bed and Venus climbed on her bed and sat by Serene’s feet. Kasei slid a chair next to the bed for Mars and sat on the very edge of the bed, almost falling off. Thor stood by Venus while Dorian stood behind Mars’ chair, his hands resting on it. Serenity struggled to sit up and everyone went to assist her, but she held out her hands. “I can do this on my own.” Everyone froze with a face of shock and backed away. It took Serene a few minutes, but she sat up and repositioned her own pillows. “Where are all the others?” She looked around the room, waiting for an answer.
Venus piped in, “All the girls are training with their mothers. A big gathering was held at Neptune today.” Before Serenity could waste more energy from asking; Venus answered. “Mars and I didn’t go because we did it yesterday so we could come today.”
Serenity nodded then looked at Thor. “Why isn’t…”
“The other guys aren’t here because they visited yesterday.” Serene’s head turned to the side with confusion. As if Thor was reading her mind; he answered her question. “Yesterday, you were asleep the entire day.” A frown overcame her face. Her illness had really taken a toll on her emotional state. She felt awful that her friends had to treat her with special care and take the time to visit her.
“Endymion hasn’t visited you yet.” Everyone’s mouths dropped and Mars hit his shoulder.
“I can’t believe you.” She crossed her arms in front of her then Kasei took hold of Serene’s hand.
Kasei looked into Serenity’s deep blue eyes. He noticed that her usual brightness had been lost and he offered her a big smile. Her lips turned upright then immediately went back to the mundane expression. “I’m sure he has a reason for not visiting you.” He smiled again and placed his other hand on hers.
The quiet was gone when Queen Selenity walked in. “I’m sorry, my dears, but Serenity needs to rest.” Everyone nodded their heads and said their goodbyes. Venus slid off the bed and flattened her yellow dress. She walked to Serene’s side and gently hugged her. Dorian rubbed Serene’s arm while Mars brushed the hair out of Serenity’s eyes. Thor kissed her forehead and left Kasei alone to wish her goodbye. “I hope you feel better soon, Sere.” He squeezed her hand then stood up to leave. Queen Serenity waited by the door and smile to herself, already foreseeing a relationship between the two. Kasei walked past her and she patted his back.
Before he left, a tiny voice called out. He rushed back to the bedside and waited for her to speak again. She was breathing hard from her friends visiting and she took a moment to collect herself. “Thanks for visiting.” She smiled before passing out. Kasei jerked from the surprise and checked for a heartbeat…just in case.
~*~
Kunzite stepped down from his gray and white horse. Zoicite smoothed down his uniform and walked up next to Kunzite. “Now what are we to do?” Nephrite stepped to his side and crossed his arms.
“The young princess is still sick. Queen Selenity will be exhausted from caring for her. This is the perfect time to strike.” Kunzite shook his head in disagreement then stepped forward.
“The princess is ill for a reason.” The others looked at him with confusion. “She knows.”
~*~
Luna sat next to Serenity’s bed, reading a book. She heard a knock at the door and turned the page. “Come in, Artemis.” The white-haired male walked in and smiled.
“How did you know it was me?” He walked towards Luna and pushed down the book. “You shouldn’t hide your pretty face behind a book.” He softly kissed her cheek then went to look at Serenity. “Is she doing any better?” He placed his hand on her forehead then gave it a kiss.
“She shows no signs of improvement.” Luna rose from her chair and stood next to Artemis. “I am really worried for the princess.” He wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head on his chest. “The Silver Crystal couldn’t even help her.” She shed a silent tear for her princess that she cared for like her own daughter.
“Luna, don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.” Nothing was heard other than Serenity’s raspy breathing. Then a boy walked into the room with a bouquet of white roses. The two separated and looked at the boy with puzzlement. Kasei had just visited…who else would bring her flowers? The boy moved the bouquet to the side to expose his face and Luna and Artemis reacted with their mouths wide open.
“Endymion,” Luna closed her mouth and recollected saliva in order to speak, “what a pleasure to see you here.” Luna took the flowers from him and went to go get a vase.
Artemis watched the young boy approach the bed slowly. He could tell that the prince was nervous and uncomfortable. “Would you like me to leave you two alone?” Endymion looked at him with uncertainty. Does he want to be with the girl that he makes fun of?
Before he could answer, Luna stuck her head in the room. “Artemis, Queen Selenity would like to see us.” Artemis bowed to the young prince and left with Luna.
Endymion walked closer and sat in the chair Luna had just been sitting in moments ago. He scooted it forward and his knees were now touching the bed sheets. He watched her chest rise and fall at a fast pace in unison with her sharp breaths. Even though she had been ill for many weeks, she still looked like a princess: hair brushed and in her normal hairstyle, her frilly dress exposed, and her crescent moon between her tousled bangs.
He softly touched the moon and outlined it with his still rather small fingers. He smiled but it was soon gone when a flash of light blinded him. He pushed away and fell backwards in his chair. He covered his eyes and peeked after a while to see if the light had vanished. He slowly opened them and the yellow light seeped into his eyes. He shielded them with his arm and cautiously moved closer. Once he was closer he observed the little Serenity. Her breathing quickened and she was grasping on the sheets with all her might. He quickly yelled for Luna and Artemis and they were there along with Queen Selenity in seconds.
“What happened?” Rushing to her daughter’s side, she stared at her with fear that this was the past repeating itself.
Luna and Artemis looked at each other then at Endymion. He turned his attention to the two guardians, worried that it was his fault that Serenity was acting this way. “I’m not sure. I was just sitting here then all of a sudden her crescent starting glowing. I didn’t do anything, I swear.” He held his hands up like he was innocent and Selenity pulled Artemis and Luna to the side.
“I fear that Beryl’s war will begin today.” Luna covered her mouth in shock while Artemis nodded in agreement. “She is going to attack shortly; we must protect the children since every planet’s sons and daughters are here.” Selenity clutched her Moon Crystal necklace and dismissed them.
Luna grabbed on to the frightened Endymion’s shoulders and bent down to his level. “Don’t worry, we know you didn’t do anything to harm Serene, but we have to leave right now and we’re taking Serenity with us.” She smiled and instantly Endymion knew something was wrong. He nodded his head anyways and went along with it.
Artemis walked over to Serene’s bed and slid his hands under her. He raised her into his arms and followed Luna and Endymion out the door, leaving Queen Selenity to her thoughts.
While they were walking down the hall, Luna watched three guards run past them. She turned her head back, but kept walking. “We must hurry.” Luna quickened her pace and started to run. Artemis kept up and was close behind her. They were soon at the library entrance and they rushed in and Luna once again lowered to Endymion eye level. “Endymion, I have one huge favor to ask of you.” He stared straight into Luna’s eyes with all seriousness and listened to her every word. “Artemis and I are going to collect the rest of your friends, so we are going to have to leave you and Serenity here by yourselves in order to get them in time.” She rubbed his shoulder gently and stood up.
“In time for what?” Luna had left already and Artemis set little Serene on the couch. As Artemis passed Endymion, he tapped Artemis. Endymion repeated his question and Artemis tried his best to answer properly.
“I can’t tell you exactly what is happening. All I can say is that you‘ll know when it happens.” He patted the prince’s shoulder then left in a rush.
Endymion sighed with confusion then walked over to the blazing fire. It was fall on the moon, but since the Lunarian trees never loose their leaves, visitors would never know. The only thing suggesting that it was fall was the colder temperatures. He sat before the fire with his legs Indian-style and twiddled his thumbs. Before long, a few others joined him in front of the fire.
Eris, Venus, Neptune, and Tierra sat on the floor by Serenity while Endymion, Kaiousei, and Thor talked by the fire. “Did Luna and Artemis tell you anything?” Thor asked as the fire crackled. Endymion shook his head and stuck the log poker in and moved a log.
“They brought me and Serenity in here and left to find the rest of your guys.” He kept poking at one log until it fell and millions of tiny flames escaped. They all backed away for a moment then went back for more heat.
Rhea, Saturn, Mercury, and Hermes walked through the door followed by Luna. She asked for their attention and the kids surrounded her. “Where is everyone else? Does somebody want to go with me and guide me to them?” Everyone looked around at each other, each one not wanting to leave the safety of the library. Luna sighed and left with urgency. They all stood there then went back to their spots.
In a matter of moments, Artemis walked in with the rest of the galaxy’s next royal generation. Luna entered the quiet room with a state of panic written on her face. She closed the doors behind her and rushed over to Artemis’s side. She whispered something into his ear and his eyes widened once she finished. He looked at each child, thinking something in his mind. Endymion stared at him and watched Artemis walk over to him and put his hands on his shoulders. “Endymion,” Artemis thought of a way to say it delicately, but it was no use, “the Dark Kingdom has attacked. They’ve declared war and because none of you are of age, we have to keep you all safe and hidden.” Kasei overheard them talking and continued to listen. “Protect Serenity, she is still very sick.” Kasei’s expression changed from worried to insulted. Artemis knew of his feelings for Serenity…why wouldn’t he entrust her safety with him?
As if on cue, Serenity stirred from upon the couch. Everyone’s attention was brought towards the couch and a huddle was formed around her. The same question echoed through the library and for the few moments that Serenity was coherent, she was overwhelmed and confused. She held up her hands as a gesture to stop talking and she slid her feet over the side of the couch. Luna ran to her side and embraced the tiny princess. “Serene, I am so happy to see you better.” Serenity held her head at the tension spot and looked around at everyone.
“What happened?” But before Luna or Artemis could answer a sudden knock at the library doors was heard. The guardians’ heads jerked towards the door and noticed Diana, Artemis’s sister. He ran towards the door and opened it for her. She was dressed in her armor with a bag of arrows on her back and a bow in her hand. “We must join our people in the battlefields. Selenity asked for my help along with all of Queen Venn’s soldiers. We are still outnumbered, but I know we have a chance. Please, brother, we must hurry. She looked down both ways of the hallway and ran for the front entrance. Artemis grabbed Luna’s hand and they ran to the exit, but Luna couldn’t leave without another hug from the princess.
~*~
Kunzite stared at the site before him. He watched as soldiers from the Moon Kingdom ran wild and disoriented. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as the surprise attack was going perfect. Nephrite stepped next to Kunzite, sword in hand with fresh blood dripping from the point. “Did Beryl inform you of when she was to arrive?”
“Nephrite!” An angry and familiar voice sounded from behind the two generals. Before they turned around they noticed men running past them with shields and swords that were marked with the Dark Kingdom emblem. “How dare you address me with such disrespect!” Queen Beryl walked forward with her staff in her right hand. Rocks beneath her crumbled as her black heels crushed into them. She stepped directly in front of her two best generals and smiled with triumphant. “I see that my plan is succeeding.” She overlooked the situation and then her eyes strayed to the Moon Palace. “Selenity hasn’t shown herself yet, has she?” She brought her attention back to Kunzite and Nephrite and waited for them to answer.
“No, my queen, I feel that she is waiting for your arrival and then she will have no choice but to come out with a counterattack.” Kunzite said as his head was bent low. Nephrite came up from the bow first and pointed to each of their bases.
“As you can see, your Excellency, our soldiers have overcome each of Selenity’s military forts stationed around the Palace. My latest report from my Captain is that we have made it to the doors and we’re working on entering.” A smirk etched over Beryl’s red lips and she bestowed a kiss on Nephrite’s cheek. Kunzite rolled his eyes and watched Nephrite look at him with an attitude of competition. Even if Kunzite wasn’t truly in a competition with Nephrite, he wouldn’t let Nephrite know. It was the only thing that made him do his job as a general well.
But before Beryl could remove her lips from Nephrite’s cheek, a sudden flash of white light exploded from the front doors of the Palace. Beryl watched her soldiers react as they all flooded from the steps and backed away to their forts. She immediately slapped Nephrite right where she had just kissed him. “You imbecile! My men are cowards!” He recollected himself and he straightened his spine. “I want you out there, in the front lines, since you have been so unorganized, you deserved to be punished!” Her arm snapped to the direction of the armies. Nephrite cursed under his breath then ran towards them.
Once Nephrite seemed to be only a foot tall, Beryl forced her staff into the ground then straightened her now ruffled and wrinkled purple dress. Zoicite joined them by walking next to Kunzite and bending low towards Beryl. “Your Majesty,” he straightened and looked just over her eyes, “it’s Queen Selenity; she has appeared in the open.” She nodded her head and motioned for him to leave.
Kunzite closed the gap between Beryl and himself and whispered in her ear, “What is the point of this attack? What do you want us to accomplish exactly?” Beryl grabbed her black staff from the ground and positioned it towards the front doors of the Moon Palace. Black energy surrounded the tip of the staff. Soon, sparks jumped from the tip and the ball of energy soared. Beryl watched the front pillars on the doorsteps collapse before her eyes and she heard millions of screams echo through her ears.
She smirked at the site before her and looked over to Kunzite who unsheathed his laser sword. “We need to act quickly. Serenity can become a serious threat. We need to attack and takeover the Moon Kingdom while Selenity is the only one with the power source.”
~*~
Books fell off the shelves, even bookshelves themselves fell over. Tiny screams resounded and panic was found on each child’s face. Venus held her sister close while Thor watched them carefully; making sure debris didn’t fall on Venus or Eris. Serenity plunged from the couch and hit her head on the coffee table. Kasei stood up and rushed to Serenity’s side. “We have to get out of here!” He screamed over the yelling and screaming coming from outside the library. He lifted Serenity and carried her to the door. Before leaving, he looked back at his friends who just sat there. “What are you waiting for? It isn’t safe here!” He kicked the door open and looked from side to side. He saw the front doors and noticed Luna and Artemis fighting side by side. He jerked his head, motioning for the other to follow him and he ran towards the throne room.
He ran straight inside the throne room and shut the door after everyone was there. Serenity’s headache starting to decrease and she could finally stand on her own. Endymion walked out onto the balcony and regretted stepping one foot out there once he saw what was going on. Smoke rose from every Lunarian battle fort, a chain of blazing fires was seen from the city, and soldiers’ bodies from both sides were lying everywhere. The smell of blood mixed with sulfur attacked his senses and he was overcome with dizziness. Dorian grabbed his wrist and forced him back inside where the only overwhelming smell was the white roses that surrounded Sirius’s throne. “No one should see that much death,” Flashbacks of corpses haunted Dorian’s mind and he quickly shut them out. Endymion nodded and the sick feeling soon went away.
Pounding on the door frightened everyone enough to get out a tiny scream from each. Thor rushed to the door and put all his weight on the door and soon Hermes joined his weight. Tears fell from young Eris’s eyes and Venus comforted her by hugging her dear sister. Serenity sat on the cold marble floor with her knees under her chin, rocking back and forth. Kasei made his way towards her, but he was beaten by Endymion. He stopped in his tracks and merged over to where Rhea, Saturn, and Pluto were huddled. He watched closely out of the corner of his eye, but unfortunately he was too far away to hear their whispers.
Endymion sat next to her and once again started twiddling his thumbs. Serenity’s face emerged from on her arms to expose her tear-stained face. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand while sniffing a few times so she could breathe through her nose again. “Mama is going to be fine right?” Endymion looked at her with a little shock written over his face. That is what she is crying about? He thought that it was her own safety she was concerned about. He looked forward again, twiddling his thumbs even faster.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” He heard her sniffle a few more times along with the short breaths caused from holding back her tears. He retuned his attention to her and patted her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort.
She quickly went into an embrace and the tears escaped one after another. His eyes widened at her action. He wasn’t sure what he should do with his arms, but he decided to softly place them on her back. “These are the same people that killed my father,” He could barely understand her from all the sporadic breathing and hiccupping. “I don’t want them to do the same to my mama.” She grabbed his shirt and took a few moments to recollect herself. She leaned back and wiped her tears once more. “You must think I’m a baby.”
Endymion stared at her and felt a tinge of respect for her. “No, your tears are understandable.”
~*~
Luna fell to the ground. A cut to her side brought her to her knees and she grabbed it in pain. Artemis immediately went after the man who gashed her and shoved his sword deep into his stomach, making the soldier’s navel hole bigger. The silver sword slid from his body and the lifeless body dropped to the join the other bodies before him. Artemis sheathed his sword and bent down to Luna. “Is it serious?”
Luna grabbed his shoulder and rose to her feet. “I’ll be fine…” She winced in pain, but continued to walk with Artemis. She couldn’t give up…Queen Selenity needed all the help she could get. The two lovers made their way to the next group of soldiers and they both unsheathed their swords.
~*~
The pounding continued and Dorian joined his weight with Thor and Hermes. Thor brought his ear to the door and listened for any voices that he could recognize, but they were all foreign to him. “We need to find some place else to hide.”
Pluto and Rhea looked around for any objects they could hide under or behind, but there was nothing. They both shrugged their shoulders and Eris’s fear of dying heightened. “We’re going to die!” Venus hugged her close and tried her best to calm her baby sister.
Kasei finally went to Serenity’s side and he grabbed the young princess’s hand. “You know this palace better than any of us… is there a trap door or a secret entrance to something?” Endymion nodded his head and repeated the question to her. She looked at her two friends and searched deep in her mind to remember anything.
“Yes,” She stood up quickly but her foot was caught on her dress so she headed back down, but Endymion grabbed her arm. She smiled at him then made her way to the far right of the room. “Mama told me about it while I was sick.” She pushed the white curtain aside and exposed the wall. She felt her hands over the wall in search for something. The others huddled around here while Thor, Hermes, and Dorian were still holding the door. She bent to her knees and felt the wall right by the floor and found the little bulge coming out from the wall. She pushed down and the wall “unlocked” and moved to the side, leaving a rather big doorway.
Kasei ran back over to Hermes, Thor, and Dorian and motioned for them to run over with the others. They all shook their heads, but he didn’t really pay attention for he was focusing his energy to his powers. His hands were at his side; tiny flames escaping from them; that’s when the boys stepped back from the door and ran to the others.
It was when only a few kids were left to get in when the door flew off its hinges and nearly hit Kasei. Five soldiers ran in behind their leader, Nephrite, and unshielded their steel swords. They stared at the little boy, who stood there alone. They paused for Nephrite’s commands and he just waited, wanting to know what the boy was going to do. Kasei closed his eyes and lifted his palms towards the men. A few of them took a step back, but once they noticed that nothing happened, they took a step forward. A few seconds passed and Nephrite became impatient and lifted his sword for a clean sweep when Kasei’s eyes shot open. Nephrite saw the boy’s eyes filled with fire and they caused him to take a moment to look at them. Kasei spoke in his native tongue, “Erif Luos!” Fire blazed from out of his hands, sending the soldiers out of the room.
Kasei bolted towards the new door where little Serenity was waiting for him. “Hurry! Get in!” She yelled at him and as soon as everyone was in, Serene locked the door by pushing the crescent moon that was facing up, identical to the one on her forehead. The children ran down the candle-lit hallway to a small room almost identical to the throne room-- crystal floors and ceiling with a colossal chandelier. Eris ran to the nearest corner and began sobbing. Venus quickly went after her and Thor followed. They both tried their best to calm her down and soon her crying dwindled. Eris was tired from the constant crying and she rested her head on her older sister’s shoulder.
Young Serenity chose a crystal square to sit on and raised her locket from around her neck and opened it slowly. A slow melody began to play and she watched the star rotate around the ruby. She listened as the song repeated many times before she closed it and hung it around her neck once again.
Neptune sat beside her and it wasn’t long until her twin brother, Kaiousei, sat on Serenity’s other side. “You worried about your mom?” Neptune pushed Serene’s bangs aside then tucked her own behind her ear.
“Very much. I’ve never been so scared in my whole life.” She hugged her knees close to her chest and set her forehead on her knees. Kaiousei gently placed his arm around her and rubbed her back. Neptune whispered in her ear that everything was going to fine and she left to sit by Uranus and Mercury.
Tierra joined Serene and Kaiousei and began fiddling with her fingers, which was a bad habit of hers. “I hope my brother hasn’t been mean to you since…you know…” Serenity lifted her head and gave her friend a soft smile.
“No, he’s been fine.” She set her head back down and Kaiousei removed his hand from her back and asked if she was any better. Serene nodded her head and Kaiousei joined his sister.
Tierra looked around the room and then down the hallway from which they came. “Are we safe here?” Serenity noticed a state of worry in Tierra’s voice and she once again nodded. “How do you know when it is safe to go out?”
Endymion overheard his sister and sat next to her. “Stop worrying, Ti. We’ll be fine. He wrapped an arm around her and she rested on his shoulder. After a few moments of silence between them, Endymion spoke up. “How are we going to know when it’s safe?”
Serenity wiped quiet tears away and looked at him. “Luna and Artemis know we’re here, I’m sure of it. They will come for us.” He responded with a smile and tried to start a conversation to get her thoughts of her mother.
“Who was that women with the white short hair with the bow and arrow?” Tierra was asleep and Endymion gently placed her head on his lap.
Serene held her locket and opened it again. “That was Diana, Artemis’s sister.” She touched the glistening moon and looked up at him. “Didn’t you hear her say brother to him?” She closed it and started braiding her hair.
“No,” He smoothed his sister’s hair and brushed it away from her eyes. “I didn’t hear her.” He smiled at the young princess and she smiled back.
~*~
Artemis and Luna finally met up with Selenity. She was holding her jewel-encrusted now bloodstained sword. Her gown was ripped and bloody and she was surrounded by corpses. She fell on her knees when she saw them coming. They rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. “Your highness, use the Silver Crystal; end this war.” Artemis took the necklace from around her neck and set it in her hands. She looked up at him and gave him a sweet smile.
Back up was her only command for her friends then the crystal rose out of the locket. Beryl sensed the Imperial Crystal and she vanished. She reappeared closer to Queen Selenity and she was able to see her and the crystal. She gripped her staff and waited for the opportune moment to strike.
“Moon Healing Escalation!” A bright shimmering light escaped from the crystal and spread across the battlefield. Beryl’s soldiers were captured in a white skin and then they fell to the ground. Beryl watched her men fail and became furious. She screamed at the top of her lungs and gathered energy and hurled the black lightning ball straight at the queen.
Luna stretched out her hand towards Selenity and yelled, “Watch out!” Artemis pulled her back and held Luna close.
Selenity let another boost of energy break out from the crystal and it defeated the lightning ball and even sent Beryl flying. Selenity focused her energy on the crystal and lifted it above her head. She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t be distracted and let the crystal shine and destroy all the evil in the Moon Kingdom. After a few moments, Selenity opened her eyes and looked around. Good did conquer over evil that day, but as she looked, all she saw was death.
The Crystal returned to the locket and she hung it around her neck. She turned to face Artemis and Luna, and all they saw was a frown. “This is why I dislike wars; so much death.” She stepped into the Moon Palace and headed for the throne room.
~*~
Beryl crawled up the hill to where her generals were and once they saw her they immediately assisted her. “Help me, fools.” Kunzite and Zoicite each grabbed an arm and lifted her to her feet. “Today was not a success.” She turned her head and looked at the destroyed Moon Palace. “But we will have victory. It will only come with time.” The two generals nodded and Jadeite followed them.
Before they took two more steps Queen Beryl asked where Nephrite was. “He went to go and try and find the princess.” Beryl squeezed her fists and gave a quiet growl.
“He better not come back if he does not succeed.” And with that they all vanished.
~*~
Hours and hours passed and it seemed like Luna and Artemis were never going to come for them. Serenity had fallen asleep on Tierra and Endymion lied on his back and fell asleep himself. Mars, Eris, Saturn, and Mercury were playing a quiet game of Tag. Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, Jupiter and Venus discussed their planets to each other since they’ve only been to one other place then their home planet which was the Moon. Thor and Venus talked about the war and what they think is happening. Kaiousei, Hermes, Dorian, and Kasei talked about their future lives as kings.
Tierra rustled and woke up. She noticed that Serenity and Endymion were sleeping and slowly slipped between them and got out from under Serene without waking either of them up. She left them to sleep and joined in the game of tag.
Another hour passed and Endymion began to wake up. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. He noticed someone was still sleeping. He looked at her and realized that this girl had blonde hair instead of brunette hair. It was Serenity! He shook her awake and she finally woke up. She yawned and lifted her small torso up and stretched her arms. “We’re still in here?” She rubbed her eyes and yawned again. Endymion nodded and helped Serenity to her feet.
Serene clasped her locket. She rubbed the edges of the star and took it from around her neck. Kasei walked up behind her and before he could say anything, Serenity fell backwards and thankfully he caught her. He laid her on the floor and glanced over her; nothing seemed to be wrong. A huddle formed around the young princess and people tried waking her up by tapping her hands or shaking her.
“What could be wrong?” Eris looked at her friend and held her hand, tapping it continuously.
“She must not be well enough yet.” Uranus suggested and hugged Neptune who was extremely worried about dear Serenity.
Mars sat next to Serene and hovered her hands of Serenity’s body. She closed her eyes and focused on Serene. Kasei motioned for everyone to move back and a bigger circle was made around Serenity and now Mars. Her hands hovered over her stomach and moved down her body then back up to her head. Mars’s hands stopped over her forehead and a red dragon escaped from her hands and revolved around the princess’s skull.
Seconds later Mars and Kasei jerked their heads towards the door and yelled in unison, “Lock the door!” Dorian ran towards the door and pushed it closed but before he could lock it someone fought against him. Dorian screamed for help and Hermes and Thor joined him. They pushed with all their strength and finally were able to shut the door and lock it.
Serenity shot up from the floor, making the red dragon vanish. Her breathing quickened and she looked around frantically, as if she was searching for something. Everyone turned their attention from the door back to Serenity. Kasei bent down on one knee and placed his hand on her back, giving her some support. Before he could ask what had happened, Serenity blurted out. “Is everyone okay?” It was a simple question and yet she screamed it as if her life depended on it. Kasei looked at his sister and she had puzzlement written all over her face.
“What makes you think everyone isn’t?” Serenity hugged her knees close and buried her face into her hands. She shook her head and hid her tears. Her friends couldn’t understand why she was crying. Endymion was getting quite tired of her tears and lost his sympathy for her.
“I just have this awful feeling…” She fiddled with her fingers and looked at Kasei straight in the eye. “I can’t explain it.” They all heard pounding on the door and threats from Beryl’s general, Nephrite.
Thor, Dorian, and Hermes stayed close to the door just in case. The girls in the room screamed every time a pound was heard. The boys gathered together and stood close to the door while the girls waited in the farthest corner. Kasei and Mars talked with each other, exchanging psychic energy. Their psychic abilities have worked in the past and they both have been perfecting it with their mother, Kasandra. They both stared at the door, trying to comprehend what was happening out there and what was going to happen.
Their thought process was interrupted when steel clashing against steel was heard. Thor moved closer to the door and pushed his ear against the door, trying to hear everything. Serenity ran over to Mars with a look of dread over her face. “Diana is out there!” Serenity then made her way to the door, moving Thor away from the door.
But before she could unlock the door, Thor picked the princess up and moved her away. “Are you crazy, Serene!” He gently set her down and she tried to make a run for the door again, but he stood in the way. “They will come in here and kill us all if you open that door!” He held her back and she attempted to get past it, but failed.
“Diana is out there by herself! We can’t leave her out there!” She stopped struggling and bowed her head. Mars and Kasei rushed over to Thor and Mars gave Serene a hug.
“She’s not lying.” Kasei placed a hand on Thor’s shoulder and then looked at his sister. “That’s right. We sense her presence.”
Thor sighed and put his hands on his hips. “There’s nothing we can do, though.” Thos moved his hands from his hips to across his chest.
Mars and Kasei nodded and they all looked at the door. “We are just going to have to wait a little longer.” Mars hugged her friend again and took her over to the group of girls.
~*~
Diana stepped over the body of the fallen soldier and moved over to her next victim. She jumped high and rammed the sword in the soldier’s chest. She quickly took it out and slashed the throat of the next closest soldier. She was getting closer and closer to Nephrite who continued to pound on the door, trying to cut his way through.
She finally gets to the last handful of soldiers and before she could strike, Nephrite jumps in. His laser sword pushed against her steel sword. The steel began to melt and soon it cut through the entire sword. The point of the sword fell to the ground and Diana was left with a stub and the handle. She threw it behind her and flipped backwards and kicked the laser out of his hand. She continued to flip backwards and successfully added a large amount of space between them. She reached for an arrow on her back and strung it on her bow. She aimed for Nephrite and shot it with all her might. At the last moment, Nephrite disappeared then reappeared.
Diana quickly went for another arrow, but Nephrite vanished and materialized two inches in front of her. He grabbed Diana’s neck and raised her high off the ground. She dropped her bow and arrow and struggled to breathe. She grabbed onto his hand and tried to pull it away. Her hands dropped to her sides and it wasn’t going to be long until her eyes would roll to the back of her head.
Only a few moments remained until her last breath left her lungs. He then pressed her against the wall and snatched an arrow from her and held it close to her face. Nephrite looked up and down her body, not only examining her figure, but also noticing any areas without armor. He jammed the arrow into her side where armor failed to protect. He twisted it and then pulled it out. Blood dripped from her side and she moaned in pain. Her feet banged against the wall, but there was nothing Diana could do to get out of his grasp.
Nephrite threw her body hard at the floor. Diana took a deep breath the way to the ground but it immediately left her body when her skull cracked against the stone floor. Nephrite stared at the woman before him. He watched as the blood formed a puddle around her head and her white hair soon became stained red. Nephrite gazed at the door that divided him and the Lunarian princess. He looked at his remaining men and motioned for them to follow him. Each man stepped over the fallen guardian of Queen Venn and most couldn’t even look at the horrific site.
Only moments after Nephrite had left, Luna and Artemis ran down the hallway and instantly stopped once they saw all the bodies. He walked over to her, trying his best to keep his composure. Luna put a hand to her mouth and bowed her head. She struggled to hold back her sadness, but failed. She sobbed in her hands while Artemis fell on his knees let his silent tears fall freely. Luna followed and bent on her knees, hugging Artemis from behind and setting her chin on his shoulder. No words were spoken, only tears.
~*~
