The air was chilled and the sun nowhere in sight -- a perfect day for revenge.

Or at least it would have been had Helios not refused her the Golden Crystal for a second time. Nehelenia clenched her fists at her side and glared at the unconscious boy suspended inside the cage, cursing his insubordination.

It was his fault -- his, and those of the White Moon -- that she had spent countless years imprisoned inside the mirror. With the Golden Crystal in her possession, she would have easily conquered Silver Millennium. Though she had offered to make Helios her king, he and the crystal had rejected her, leaving her at the mercy of Queen Serenity, who had sealed Nehelenia away within the darkness of the new moon.

As centuries passed, Nehelenia had dreamed of someday breaking free of her prison and taking revenge on all those who had denied her happiness. The day of the solar eclipse, when the barrier protecting Elysion was at its weakest, was to be the date of her triumphant return, but even though she had managed to capture the priest, his soul had somehow escaped to someone’s beautiful dream, taking the Golden Crystal with him.

The body in her possession was nothing more than a husk, completely useless to her.

“Where are you, Helios?” Nehelenia demanded, shaking the cage. Her entire body vibrated with anger. “Tell me! In whose dream have you taken refuge?”

Of course, he didn’t respond. Nehelenia, enraged, prepared an attack to kill him, but stopped herself just in time. If the body died, she had no idea what would happen to Helios’ soul. It was best to keep him alive…for now.

But once she found the Golden Crystal, he would pay for rejecting her.

Yes, Helios would pay dearly.

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at ElysionDream@aol.com. Written for the “Opening Sentence” challenge at the “sailormoonland” community at Livejournal.