“The more important question is, ‘Where is Eriko?’” Kat corrected. She laid her hands flat on the dining table. “If she’s in as bad shape as both you and Dawn described, then she might be in some serious trouble,” she said with a frown.
“If we ever find Eriko, I might kill her!” Dawn exclaimed from the kitchen.
Kat laughed. “Well, if you don’t, I think Quinn might.”
Lily looked up in surprise. “You’re going to tell Quinn?!”
“Of course, silly,” Kat chided softly. She motioned for Lily to sit next to her at the table. Without thinking, Lily obeyed. “The four of us have been through all sorts of stuff together. The Negaverse? Blah -”
“Halb,” Dawn interjected.
“That’s nothing,” Kat concluded.
“Well, it isn’t exactly the Negaverse,” Lily began slowly, already feeling silly for talking about this. “Eriko mentioned Metallia -”
“Ooh!” Kat’s eyes lit up. “It’s the manga version? Even better!”
“So you see,” Dawn jumped in, emerging from the kitchen with two big mugs of chai, “how could we not tell Quinn?” She laid the mugs down in front of the girls and walked back into the kitchen.
Lily sighed uneasily. “So when’s Quinn coming over anyway?”
“Quinn should be here soon,” Dawn called from the kitchen. She returned one more with her own mug of steaming chai and sat across from Kat and Lily. Then she corrected herself, “Actually, knowing Quinn, we’ll be lucky if she shows up before midnight.”
“Ain’t that the truth!” Lily allowed herself the luxury of chuckling softly.
“How come Eriko didn’t come to Quinn sooner about all of this?” Dawn asked. “She knows that Quinn would have helped however she could…”
Lily shook her head. “Eriko didn’t really want to let too many peop- ”
“Figures,” Kat interrupted and then sighed deeply. “Silly girl. When’s she finally going to relax and let someone else help her…?”
* * *
Eriko woke up with a feeling of dread. She vaguely remembered dark dreams, but couldn’t recall any details. She finally opened her eyes.
She didn’t know where she was. In the darkened room, she could vaguely see a doorway that seemed miles away. Did I collapse? she wondered, but then realized that she lying on something rather soft. Looking around herself, she discovered that she was lying on a futon. As she pushed the covers off of her, she saw that her shirt had been torn. Suddenly she remembered everything.
* * *
Boris sensed when she woke up long before he heard the rustling movements in the other room. As he prepared tea, he heard Usako - no, Eriko - battling her way out of the covers and struggle across the room, often stumbling as she tried to find her footing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her shadow hover above the doorway. He poured the boiling water over the tea bags.
“Sugar?”
“What?” Eriko sounded even more confused than usual in this tired state.
“Do you want sugar in your tea?”
“Um, yes. Please. Two teaspoons of sugar and milk, if you have any.”
“Okay. Sit down.” He gestured nonchalantly towards the living room.
Eriko made her way to the battered, slightly worn couch in the living room. It and the coffee table were the only bits of furniture in this part of the sparsely furnished apartment. Eriko had noticed nothing besides the futon in the bedroom. As she fell deeply into the overly plush couch, she realized that the boy in the kitchen was the same black-haired boy she’d only caught passing glimpses of in the sushi shop.
“Here.” A mug of tea was thrust in Eriko’s face. After a moment of surprise, her hands slowly welcomed the warm drink. Boris leaned against the back of the couch, allowing Eriko only a sideways glance at him whenever she turned her head. The two drank in silence.
Eriko rested the half full mug in her lap. She played her fingers against the white clay.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Eriko turned sharply to look at the boy. He was drinking deeply from his own mug. Although his eyes were almost completely closed, she saw the light from the kitchen reflect bright blue in his eyes.
“You…”
“Yes,” he said softly, still refusing to look at her directly. “You must be Eriko.”
“Yes… how did you…?”
“One of your friends. You really need to be more careful with whom you trust with your secrets.”
Eriko’s look of disbelief quickly changed to a glare. “I was careful. Lily is the only one that knows, and I didn’t even tell her that -”
“Then you really need to be more careful. If she found out without you telling her, then you’ve got to stop being so careless.”
Eriko put her mug down on the table. She stood quickly and turned to face his back. “Thank you for your hospitality. I’d hate to seem ungrateful by starting yet another fight with you, so it’s best that I leave now.” She started to walk towards the door.
“Stop,” he commanded. Eriko took another step forward. “Don’t you even want to know why I bothered to bring you back here?” She paused at the front door, her hand resting on the handle.
“I’m listening,” she replied gruffly.
“Your communicator went off after you passed out.” Eriko’s hand immediately went to her pocket, but she was surprised to see it was empty. “I have instructions to keep you safe until you have enough strength to transform again.”
“And what makes you think I’ll do that?”
“Then we’ll return to the Moon for an audience with Her Majesty.”
Eriko turned to face the boy. He was no longer holding his mug. Instead he was lightly tossing her communicator in the air and catching it again. In his left hand, which she noticed for the first time was bandaged, he held her compact.
“I don’t feel like it,” she simply replied.
“What?” he asked incredulously. He caught the communicator and turned to face her for the first time.
Eriko felt her resolve melting slightly, but continued, “I’m tired of jumping through these hoops. The only reason why I agreed to be Sailor Moon in the first place was to help people. And now this so-called princess of a long-dead kingdom commands that I go to her? I don’t think so. I’m tired. I’ve lost almost all my energy thanks to this thankless job. I’ve been forced to withdraw from school. And now I’ve killed someone. I killed him. I’m still not even sure how that happened. All I know is that I’m tired. Of everything. I need a break.”
Eriko looked down at her feet. Her entire body seemed to weigh so much more than her lithe 90 pounds. She could feel his eyes burning on her. She tried to take a step; forward or backwards, she could no longer remember. All her movement rewarded her with was a quick descent to the ground. Before she completely fell, she felt him catch her. She tried to push herself away, to at least lift her head off of his chest, but he held her more tightly. “Shh,” he whispered. “Just relax for now.” Too weary to fight back, she rested in his arms.
* * *
“What about her father?” Quinn asked. Her head was still spinning from everything the other three had told her. She had suspected something was going on with Eriko, but the severity of the situation was still a shock to her.
“He’s in the hospital,” Dawn replied. “He suffered a slight concussion from the attack, and the doctor’s want to keep him overnight for observation.”
“He should be fine, though,” Lily continued. “Eriko was able to heal everyone before she disappeared.”
“How do you know for certain?”
“Well,” Kat volunteered, “the rest of us woke up just fine after the attack.”
“Hmm… Are you sure that you have no idea where she might’ve run off to?”
Lily got a funny look on her face. “She could be with him.”
“Him?”
“Tuxedo Mask.”
Quinn laughed. “Well, then everything’s okay, right?”
“Hardly,” Lily replied with a sigh. “The guy’s a jerk. I’ve had ice be warmer than him.”
“I can understand why Eriko can’t stand him,” Kat commented with a grin.
Quinn waved her hand. “Nah, those two will get together eventually. Eriko will warm him up in no time.”
“Either that or she’ll end up killing him for wasting her time and being dumb in general,” Dawn offered. The girls all smiled at their friend’s normally short temper.
Still, Quinn felt uneasy about the situation. “What if she doesn’t come back before her dad returns home?”
“I already left a message at the hospital for her father. She’s ‘spending the night at my house’ until he returns,” Dawn replied. “Hopefully she’ll return before too long.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
Everyone looked down at her drink, unable to meet Quinn’s gaze. Quinn sighed heavily. She hoped that wherever her friend was that she was safe.
* * *
For the second time, Eriko woke up in his futon. Only this time, she wasn’t alone.
She looked down at his bandaged arm, which was still draped over her, holding her tightly. She felt his other arm behind her, enclosing her in his embrace. He had fallen asleep beside her.
Turning to face him, she was surprised to see him without his shirt. Panicking for a moment as to what might have happened while she was unconscious, her worries were immediately alleviated when she realized that she was now wearing his shirt over her torn one.
She gazed at his gentle face. It amazed her that this calm figure was the same person whom she’d faced in battle so many times. Without thinking, she leaned forward to his ear. She whispered a final “Thank you” and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. As she pulled his arms off of her and sat up, he stirred beside her. She turned to look at him as he woke up.
He yawned widely, and Eriko had to repress the urge to giggle at the sight. As his eyes slowly opened, he spoke. “Feeling better?”
She nodded.
“Good.” He propped himself up on his elbow. “You fell asleep in my arms. After I put you back in bed, you started to shiver rather badly. You had me worried for a minute.”
She smiled weakly. “I had you worried? That doesn’t seem right…” She trailed off as she saw the look in his eyes.
“You’re going to need some help. You can’t continue like this.”
Eriko sighed deeply. He was right. “I suppose you’re going to tell me that I should go to the Moon to get that help.”
“No,” he replied softly. “I won’t pressure you into doing something that you don’t want to.”
“Even if it goes against your princess’s wishes?”
“Even that.”
Eriko looked down at her hands and thought. After a few moments, she said, “I’m going to need my compact and communicator.”
“What for?” he asked in surprise.
She turned and smiled brightly at him. “I can’t let you go off to the Moon and have all the fun, now can I?”
* * *
Luna rubbed her head against Artemis’s shoulder with affection. The white cat smiled. “It’s good to see you too, Luna, but we’ll have to wait ‘til later to catch up.”
The black cat meowed. “I know. It’s good to be back, though.”
“Oh, those earthlings treat you rough?” A smile played on the male cat’s lips.
Luna laughed. “No.” She grew quiet. In a subdued voice, she continued, “Actually, I think we might’ve been wrong about them?”
“Oh?”
Luna nodded. She’d only been on Earth for a month and a half, but in that time she realized that humans weren’t as brainless and cruel as she had been led to believe. The cat was confused. Ever since she had been reawakened, she’d been filled with a contempt for humanity, but living with Eriko was starting to make her reconsider things.
“What is it, Luna?”
“Artemis…” Luna began slowly, “do you remember what it was like the last time?”
“Oh yeah,” the cat began, a far away look in his eyes. “That was a fun night…”
Luna laughed and swatted him. “No, you naughty cat. I mean… Do you remember what we were like when we… before Metallia invaded?”
The white cat frowned. “Not really. I mean, I remember us living for and serving our Queen. And the Princess. She was always so cheerful and happy.”
“But what were we like?”
“Do you mean were we still together back then? Um, sure. I still remember that vaguely…” A slight blush passed over the white cat’s fur.
“Yes, but... What were we like? What were our dreams? What were our wants? How did we used to feel?”
“About?”
“About everything. About living for our Queen.”
“We adored her. We would have done anything for her and her kingdom without any fear or regret.”
“About the Princess?”
“Light and beauty. She had all the potential to become as wonderful as our Queen and much more.”
“About the Senshi?”
Artemis frowned. “I don’t really remember them all that well. Only I remembered that they failed when we needed them most…”
“What about the Earth?”
Artemis remained silent. He slowly began, “They have always been protected by the Moon. Both from outside forces and from within. I’m amazed that they haven’t destroyed themselves in the last millennium without the Moon to guide them. They’re such a savage race…”
“And yet they’ve survived, and even more so, are thriving.” A man in grey robes entered the room.
“Ah! Masato! Glad you could join us. Masato this is Luna. Luna, Masato just arrived…” Artemis trailed off as he saw Luna bristle, her fur on end as she stood about to spring at the newcomer.
“You!” Luna hissed.
“Hello, Luna,” Masato said calmly. “You look well.”
“So do you, considering,” Luna growled.
“Um, am I missing something?” Artemis asked with a confused expression on his face.
“Oh yes. My message.” Masato turned to the white cat. “Her Majesty informs me that you’ll soon be receiving the Prince and the Tsuki no Senshi via the teleporter. She instructs you to send them to her as quickly as possible.”
“Send them? Her Majesty isn’t sending an escort?”
“Those are her instructions.” Masato bowed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”
Before Luna could get in another biting comment, the robed man left the room.
“Mind telling me what’s going on?” Artemis inquired.
Luna relaxed slightly. “He just looks like that man that Eriko mentioned…” Luna shook her head violently. “It’s nothing. So who is he? I don’t remember him from before I left.”
“Masato showed himself a few hours ago. It’s quite a mystery, actually. He didn’t arrive by the teleporter, so I guess he must’ve been hiding out around here for a while.”
“He seems to be awfully close to Her Majesty if he’s already running her errands.”
“Well, he seems -”
At that moment they were interrupted as the transporter in front of them hummed to life. Seconds later, the two cats beheld a handsome man dressed in full armor embracing a beautiful blonde girl. As the glimmer around them faded as all their molecules fell into place, Artemis immediately bristled at seeing the seemingly intimate couple.
“Welcome, Prince Endymion. I’m sure Her Majesty will be happy to see you like this with tra -”
Luna cut Artemis off with a swift swat to the head. “Hush, Artemis.” Luna ran to the foot of the teleporter and looked up at the good-looking couple. “How is she?”
Endymion grunted as he shifted the Senshi in his arms. “She’s still rather weak.”
Sailor Moon moaned, stirring slightly. Slowly she lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked up at his face. “Are we here already?”
“Yes. You passed out just before the transport. I had to catch you before you fell.”
“Well, that would explain why I’m still in your arms,” she laughed. The Prince blushed slightly, and resisted the urge to push her away from him. Sailor Moon, however, slowly found strength in her own legs and stood next to him.
Artemis was confused. Who was this girl who could make the strongest of all warriors, both physically and mentally, blush with just a passing comment? His confusion grew as Luna cried a greeting to the Senshi, and the girl in turn dropped to her knees to scoop the black cat off the ground in a warm embrace. Artemis couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Luna let anyone besides him touch her, including the reborn Princess.
“Luna! How did you get here?” Sailor Moon inquired.
As the black cat explained that she had contacted the Moon after Eriko’s disappearance and decided to return to the Moon despite a lack of instructions to do so, Endymion turned to the white cat.
“This is Sailor Moon,” Endymion explained in a hushed voice. “She is the champion of both the Moon and the Earth. And she needs our help. We must see Her Majesty as quickly as possible about helping us- er I mean, the Senshi.”
Artemis raised a brow, but thinking better of it, he only said, “Her Majesty has requested an audience with you. You are to proceed to her chambers as soon as possible.”
“Excellent.” In the short while that they had been on the Moon, Eriko was already starting to look better. Once again, Endymion was impressed by the resilience of this warrior. “But first I have one small detour to make…” the Prince said mysteriously.
* * *
Endymion watched her run ahead of him. Her laughter sang out in the gardens. He followed her music down the paths of Serenity’s rose garden. When he finally caught up with her, his cry of surprised strangled in his throat.
Sailor Moon was sitting on the ground at the edge of the path in front of a small white rosebush. All the bushes surrounding it towered over this tiny shrub. She looked at the struggling plant sadly. “You poor thing,” she murmured so softly that Endymion had to strain his ears to hear her. “You’ve been badly neglected.” She raised a gloved hand to gently caress the lone white bloom on the plant. The petals seemed to stretch themselves, wanting to meet her touch.
Endymion stared at the Senshi, once again overwhelmed with the sense of déjà vu. He vaguely remembered another figure sitting in her place. The memory was old, but he could still remember the young princess of old when he had first met her. She had been sitting as Sailor Moon was now, fretting over the welfare of a tiny plant. Those had been good times, when the world was so at peace that the well-being of a rose could be the greatest concern of a powerful monarch-to-be.
“Could you get me some water?” Endymion stirred out of his memories with a start. His eyes once again saw the present and the bright blue eyes of the warrior looking up at him. Another wave of familiarity swept over him. She smiled at him and repeated her request, a hand suggesting that he retrieve the plant’s drink from a nearby fountain. Unable to speak, Endymion simply nodded and did her bidding.
When he returned with pail of water, she had already removed her gloves. After she fed the plant, she softly patted the moist ground. Endymion didn’t know if he imagined it, but it seemed as if the plant was looking better already.
“How marvelous it would be to have grown up here,” she commented with a sigh. “How long have you lived here?”
“Most of my life,” he replied as he squatted next to her. “I was brought here shortly after my parents died.”
“Oh,” she said softly, not certain as to how to respond to the death of his parents.
“The Moon Princess summoned me. She took care of me, and I grew here under her care.”
“So she was like your mother?” Sailor Moon asked with a confused expression on her face. “I thought the two of you were…”
Endymion laughed. “Well, yes. That too. But not until the last couple of years.”
“Oh.” She didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in her voice. He looked at her in surprise, but she had already returned her attention to the rose. Her fingers gently caressed its vibrant green leaves.
“You’re wondering why it’s smaller than all the other plants,” he stated. She nodded slightly, still not turning to look at him. “It’s because it’s younger than the rest of the plants here. The other roses have been here for centuries. This one was planted upon my arrival in the kingdom.”
“Really?” she asked in interest. “Was it to celebrate your return? A sort of memorial token?”
He laughed. “Something like that, I think.”
“You think?”
“I honestly don’t remember why the Princess planted it. It happened when I was only 4.”
She looked at him again, her eyes wide with sadness. He turned his eyes away from hers; he didn’t want to see the pity in her eyes, the pity that he knew she was feeling for him. Sailor Moon wanted desperately to hug him or to kiss his cheek or to even his squeeze his hand. She notice how stiff he had become, however, and refrained from making the movement. Instead, she turned back to the rose and gently brushed her lips over its fragrant petals.
“I don’t think her Majesty would approve if she were to see you kissing her favorite plant,” a voice called out from a little further down the path. The two warriors look up in unison at the owner of the voice. A man in grey robes stood maybe 10 yards away from them. Neither Senshi nor Prince had heard the stranger arrive. His face was hidden from their view by a great hood drawn low.
“Tell her majesty that she needs to take better care of her plants then,” Sailor Moon said calmly. “If this is her favorite plant, then I fear for the state of the rest of the garden.”
The robed man silently moved over to the couple. “Mistress, the Princess requests an audience with you.”
Sailor Moon sighed deeply before she reached for her gloves and covered her hands once more. Endymion stood now and extended a hand to the Senshi, which she gratefully took. As she stood, she leaned against him as blackness tried to overtake her vision with a head-rush.
“Thank you,” the warrior responded to the robed man when her vision finally returned. She stood upright on her own two feet.
“Shall we go?” the Prince asked.
“My lord,” the robed figure interrupted, “the Princess has only requested Tsuki no Senshi’s presence.”
“Well, the warrior is weak from battles and from our journey here. She will need assistance in going to meet the Princess. I will be aiding her.”
Without any further objection the three crossed through the gardens. As they approached the steps leading to palace entrance, Sailor Moon felt a sudden wave of something hit her with such a force that she immediately keeled over and dropped to the ground. Endymion tried to catch her, but ended up being able to only break her fall as they both fell to the dirt path.
“Are you okay?” he asked gruffly, trying to catch back some of the breath that Sailor Moon had knocked out of him as she fell. She nodded faintly. “Can you stand?” She shook her head. “Here,” he murmured as he lifted her in his arms once more. He carried her all the way to the door leading to the throne room.
* * *
Eriko tried to regain her bearings. The man in the grey robes had excused himself minutes before, entering a small side door set a little further apart from the main entrance to the throne room. She was now standing beside Endymion. He offered his arm for her to grab as her body figured out which way was up.
“So how much longer do you think they’ll make us wait?” Sailor Moon asked with a smile.
She couldn’t be certain, but she thought she heard a soft laugh pass Endymion’s lips. “Well, our entrance is probably being announced, and the court has to have their little objections - ”
“Because I’m an Earthling, right?” Sailor Moon sighed.
Endymion turned to face her fully. He placed both hands on her shoulders. “Listen. No matter what anyone in there might say, you’ve more than proven yourself as this kingdom’s champion. Nothing can change that fact.”
Sailor Moon looked up at him. His calm blue eyes were full of the reassurance to accompany his words. She finally thought of the words to respond to him, when the door slowly creaked open.
At first Sailor Moon was blinded by the light pouring out of the room. By the time her eyes adjusted, she realized that Endymion’s arms were no longer supporting her. Instead he was facing the chambers and slowly walking into the room. She looked after him for a second before she too followed.
* * *
“Welcome, Prince Endymion, Tsuki no Senshi,” a soft, high-pitched voice greeted.
Sailor Moon looked up to see a beautiful young woman with long flowing strawberry blonde hair sitting on high throne. Dozens of members of her court stood along the path from the door to the throne, but Sailor Moon paid them no heed. Above their head a grand crystal chandelier hung. The light streaming into the room through the windows was intensified and reflected among the thousands of crystals and prisms, filling the room light of every color.
As she followed Endymion, her eyes were fixed on the Princess sitting on the throne. She stopped a few steps behind the Prince of the Earth as he genuflected in front of the Princess.
“Your Majesty,” Endymion said in a low voice. “I present to you the warrior of your kingdom.”
Sailor Moon stood and continued to stare. As she failed to follow Endymion’s example in bowing or offering homage to the princess, the court began to grow angry at this act of insubordination, grumbling among themselves.
Finally, Sailor Moon found her voice. “Your highness,” she murmured, nodding her head slightly. “You summoned me?”
The princess ground her teeth at this lack of subservience from the Senshi, but she continued to smile. “Yes, Tsuki no Senshi. I, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, have been forced to summon you in our time of need. I was reluctant to awaken my old servant, but your services have been needed in order to thwart Metallia’s attempts to seize my kingdom. You have acted bravely and effectively. I would like to convey my thanks.”
Sailor Moon nodded. “You’re welcome, princess. But I am forced to wonder why you have summoned me here since Metallia’s minions have only attacked the Earth thus far. Or have they already attempted to breech the Moon’s defenses?”
“No, thankfully. Although, if they were to try they’d find the Moon heavily guarded.” The princess extended a hand to Endymion, who immediately rose and strode to the princess’s side on her throne. The princess let Endymion hold her hand as she turned back to Sailor Moon. “My warriors are by far stronger than any minions of the Dark Queen. And now that Endymion has returned to me, we are almost unbeatable.”
Sailor Moon did her best to hide the scowl that threatened to reveal itself. She forced her voice to relax before it revealed how unhappy she was to see Endymion throwing himself at this overly conceited royalty. After a few more moments of watching the two of them on the high stage, Sailor Moon cleared her throat. “Then I take it that my services are no longer required.”
“You have done a good job, Tsuki no Senshi. I wish to reward you.” The princess pulled her hand out of Endymion’s and motioned for a nearby servant to step forward. In the servant’s hands was a dark brown wooden box. The princess opened the box and removed something from it. “Step forward, Soldier of the Moon.”
Sailor Moon hesitated for a second, but feeling the court’s stares, she felt her legs drag her forward to the throne.
“Tsuki no Senshi, in compensation for the hardships that you have suffered due to duties in battle, I present you with this star pendant. Perhaps its magic will help restore some of that which you have lost.”
The pendant was on a long, dull silver chain. It was obvious by looking at the necklace that it was quite old. The pendant itself was a dark, almost black crystal with many points coming out of its center. As Sailor Moon looked at it, she felt a cold sweat cover her body. The princess tried to place the necklace over her head, but Sailor Moon raised her hands, grabbing the chain out of the princess’s grasp. “Thank you, your highness,” Sailor Moon said curtly as she gathered the chains and locket in her hand. “I appreciate your gift.”
A look of annoyance passed over the princess’s face, and it was echoed in the rumblings of the court. After a moment, the smile returned to the princess’s lovely face. “Allow me to let the guards escort you to your chambers for the night, Tsuki no Senshi. It is late back on Earth, and you must still be quite tired from your battles. Masato!” The man in grey robes reappeared from seemingly out of nowhere at Sailor Moon’s side. “Please escort the Moon’s greatest servant to her room. Thank you, Tsuki no Senshi. You are free to go. Once you return to Earth, you are relieved of all your duties as a warrior.”
Sailor Moon nodded briefly, trying hard not to let her anger surface. She quickly turned her back on the princess, and followed Masato out of the glistening room, where the light bounced about in all the different colors of the spectrum.
* * *
Luna was waiting for them in Sailor Moon’s chambers. “That was awfully fast,” the cat commented.
“Yeah, well, we didn’t really have a lot to say to each other,” Eriko grumbled. She threw the pendant on her bed in disgust.
Masato walked around the room to check that all was in order. “The bath has been drawn for you. If you require any other garb, you will find them here.” He opened a wardrobe sitting against a wall. It was full of colorful garments. “A servant will be in shortly with dinner. If you require anything else, you may ask the guards stationed outside of your door for their assistance.”
“Guards?” Luna asked in surprise.
“Yes. There will be here to ensure the Senshi’s well-being.”
“You mean that they’ll be posted to ensure that I don’t leave my prison,” Sailor Moon corrected.
Luna looked at Sailor Moon strangely. “What exactly did you say to the Princess?”
Sailor Moon sighed deeply. The cloaked man started to walk towards the door. “If you don’t require anything further, Sailor Moon, then I will have to ask your pardon.”
Eriko sighed again and nodded softly. “Thank you, Masato. I will be fine.”
After the man left, Luna immediately turned on Sailor Moon and once again asked what had happened. Sailor Moon gave the cat a full account of her audience with the princess.
“Well that doesn’t bode well,” the cat commented.
“No, it doesn’t,” Eriko agreed. She sighed for a third time. “I just want to wash off and relax for now, though. We can go over this again later, Luna. We need to figure out how the princess’s decision will affect the people of Earth.”
“Alright,” the cat agreed. “But I don’t think you should transform back.”
“Agreed. I don’t know if I’ll be strong enough to turn back into Sailor Moon before I go home.”
“Well, you could use the Princess’s gift. It might heal you,” the cat commented as she gently prodded the necklace with a foot.
“That’s okay,” Eriko said hastily, causing Luna to raise an eyebrow suspiciously. “That thing gives me the creeps. It reminds me too much of Nephlite’s crystal.”
The cat didn’t comment. In the meanwhile, Sailor Moon changed out of her fuku into a white satin nightgown. She flopped down on the bed next to Luna, causing the cat to jump off in surprise. “I’m just so tired, Luna,” Eriko murmured.
“Well, of course. You’ve had all your energy drained and - ”
“That isn’t what I mean, Luna. I’m just… today was just much harder than I thought it would be.”
“Well, what were you expecting?”
Eriko propped her head up to look down at the cat standing on the floor. “I don’t know. I mean, the kingdom is just as beautiful as I imagined it would be. But there’s something here… I wanted to see all of the palace before I left, but now that probably isn’t possible. Not with those goons standing outside.”
“Well, take a bath first, relax, and then we’ll see what we can figure out tonight.” Luna commented as she walked towards to bathroom to check on the bathwater once more.
Eriko sighed before she pulled herself up from the bed. She went to the wardrobe and pulled out a heavy robe. She also grabbed a brush from the dresser. She was about to follow Luna into the bath when her eye caught sight of the necklace once more. Instead, she walked to the bed and pulled the gift up by its chain. “What is it about this thing,” she murmured. “Maybe it could help, but…” She held the pendant in her hand and immediately froze.
* * *
Luna had just determined that the water was the right temperature when she heard a dull thud in the adjoining bedroom. “Eriko?” she called out. When she heard no reply, the cat immediately darted into the other room.
On the floor a white robe was sprawled. It rested lightly over the feet of an immobilized Senshi. The young woman’s face was twisted in pain, but besides a few twitches, Sailor Moon couldn’t move. “Eriko!” Luna cried out again!
Eriko couldn’t hear Luna. In her mind, she heard all sorts of screams and voices calling to her. She immediately recognized the same darkness that had hit her on the fringe of the rose garden. This time, however, the evil was pure, invading her body, trying to take control. Eriko was struggling against the possession of the necklace, but she could feel her will slowly sliding.
A second later, Eriko felt a sharp pain and then collapsed to the floor. The Senshi began breathing deeply, as if she had been suffocating.
Luna’s claws were still drawn, some of Eriko’s blood on them. The necklace had been knocked out of her hand and now rested several feet away.
“Are you alright?” Luna asked, worried.
Eriko nodded weakly. She was still trembling over the attack. After a few minutes, she found her voice. “Luna,” she said huskily, “the necklace…”
“I know. I was afraid I’d lost you.”
Eriko shook her head vehemently. “Thank you, Luna.” The two sat together as Sailor Moon recovered, neither one daring to look back at the evil necklace. After Eriko had finally regained control over herself, she stood, carrying Luna in her arms. She walked to the bed, and placed the cat on the bed before she returned to the wardrobe.
“What are you going to do?” Luna asked in a panic.
“I need to find answers,” Sailor Moon called from behind the opened door. “That attack was deliberate. The princess planned it, and I need to know why.” She emerged from behind the door, once again dressed in fuku.
“Eriko…” Luna pleaded softly.
“You can follow me if you’d like, Luna. But it’d prob be best if you stayed here. I don’t want to get you into trouble as well.” With that, Sailor Moon walked to the door and slowly opened it. Meeting no resistance, she quickly slipped out of its opening. Luna was right behind her.
Sailor Moon looked around the hall, but saw no one. As she turned to close the door quietly, she heard a deep voice inquire, “Out of a midnight stroll?”
* * *
Sailor Moon turned to face the armored man. “Endymion,” she whispered hoarsely.
He walked to her and placed a concerned arm on her shoulder. “You look pale, Usako. It would be best if you went back to bed and rested. The guards will be back any second.”
Eriko felt tears fill her eyes as she looked up at his face. A sob choked her voice, but she knew what she had to do. Before he could suspect, she pushed away with all her strength. Endymion went flying back, his head smashing into the table sitting against the opposite wall. There was a crash as the vase that had been sitting on the table hit the ground. Brushing away her tears, she quickly went to him and checked for a pulse.
Luna watched the entire episode with a look of horror on her face. Then she saw Eriko pull out her wand and murmur a quick healing on the fallen prince.
“I’m sorry,” Sailor Moon whispered. “But I have to do this.” She hesitated for a second and then kissed his lips softly. Luna saw a look of surprise register on the Senshi’s face as she pulled away.
Eriko quickly put away her wand and produced her mask. Slipping it on her face, she turned to the cat and rose. “Hurry. The guards will be here any moment.”
After the two had dashed down the hallway out of sight, Endymion picked himself off the floor. A few seconds later, the guards arrived.
“What’s going on!” the commander demanded to know.
Endymion did his best to look sheepish. “Heh, sorry. I must have slipped. Everything is all right. Although I think we’ll be needing a new vase.” Endymion began to walk away, leaving the mess for the guards.
“What about the prisoner?”
Not even bothering to turn around, Endymion flatly stated, “She’s probably sleeping by now. I wouldn’t recommend disturbing her. I’ll be returning to my chambers. If you see the Princess, tell her that I will be wishing an audience with her later.”
* * *
Sailor Moon raced down the halls, peering into rooms and around corners with her mask. Luna followed close behind.
“What are we looking for?” Luna asked breathlessly in a stage whisper as they ran.
“I don’t know,” Eriko admitted. “But when I find it…”
Eriko stopped dead in her tracks. Luna looked up and saw her staring at a pair of innately carved doors. The carvings showed an elaborate illustration of their solar system. She saw Eriko slowly walk towards the door. Quickly, Luna jumped between the door and the Senshi.
“No!” the black cat commanded. “That room is forbidden for all to enter save the Moon Princess.”
“Forbidden?” Eriko repeated dumbly. That would explain why she couldn’t see into the room with her mask. Still, Eriko felt herself being drawn towards to the hidden chamber. Not even thinking, she walked around the cat and rested her hand on the doors’ engraved crystal handles. Sailor Moon felt the energy from the room tingle in her hands as she touched just its entrance.
“Eriko…” Luna warned but with the realization that there was little that she could do.
Sailor Moon gently pulled the doors open and was immediately engulfed in a pure white light.
* * *
Five great crystals sat in the center of the room. It physically wasn’t as big as Eriko had imagined, but somehow there seemed to be infinite space in the chamber. Four of the crystals stood tall, tinted in shades of blue, red, green, and orange. Each stood taller than Sailor Moon herself. The fifth crystal, which remained a pure white, had been shattered. As Sailor Moon entered the chamber, with a cautious Luna slowly following at her heels, she began to imagine seeing shadowy ghosts of women entrapped in the four larger crystals.
“The Senshi!” Luna exclaimed in surprise.
“Shhh…” Eriko cautioned, bringing a gloved finger to her lips.
Responding to Eriko’s voice, the four crystals began to glow brighter. In a flash, light erupted from all four and focused on the broken crystal.
The apparition of a woman began to form over the broken crystal. She was tall and beautiful. Her silver hair, despite being pulled up into odango, fell over the hem of her long white gown. She looked at the two with a pair of soft purple eyes. Just above her brow was a silver crescent moon.
Sailor Moon immediately fell to her knees in deep genuflection. Luna soon followed suit, lowering her front legs. “Queen Serenity,” the cat murmured.
“Luna,” a clear, musical voice greeted. “It is good to see you again, but I must ask that you leave. I wish to speak to Sailor Moon alone.”
Luna looked up in surprise, but dared not disobey her Queen’s order. Bowing once more in homage, Luna slowly backed out of the room. After she passed the threshold, the doors quietly shut themselves.
“Sailor Moon,” the Queen greeted, her form taking a more solid shape. “Or should I say Eriko?”
In a heartbeat, Eriko jumped to her feet and ran to Queen Serenity. Throwing her arms around the apparition in a warm embrace, Eriko sobbed. “Mom!”