Sculpture Garden
A short story written after the premiere of "Sailor Moon Crystal"
Jadeite was looking at a white, stone lump standing by the hedge separating the garden from the rest of palace buildings. A new form turned up in his thoughts, a form which was supposed to emerge from the rock thanks to the imagination of the man and abilities of his sleight hands very shortly. The blonde man turned and looked around. A green garden full of winding lanes, decoratively trimmed trees and different sculptures surrounded him. A lot works of art standing there were created by him or his friends sharing his passion of recreating matter. Jadeite smiled looking at sky full of milk-white clouds. After a moment, he noticed that a prince had Endymion approached from the direction of the entry to the palace. The black-haired man came up to the stone.
"I hope that I'm not disturbing you, Jadeite." He said.
"No, Endymion. I haven't started the work yet, I'm standing still and searching for an inspiration. It's likely that I'll be standing here to the evening and I'll create nothing."
"Perhaps I'll be able to help you find your inspiration."
"Yes, Endymion? What do you mean?"
"I brought a guest today. Somebody who certainly will appreciate the beauty of our garden and your talent."
"Really? I can see that you want to jest, Endymion. I can see nobody here apart from you and me. Unless you mean birds making noise in the hedge."
"No, Jadeite. I wanted to make sure that you aren't absorbed too much today. Right away, I'll bring the guest." Endymion answered gladly and headed towards the exit from the garden. Jadeite sat down on the wooden bench.
"I wonder what he meant."
Endymion came as fast as possible. Jadeite rose from the bench seeing that the prince led the girl with blonde hair, dressed in a white dress. Serenity smiled to Jadeite.
"Serenity, Jadeite who is my defender and friend." Endymion turned to the princess.
"Jadeite, Serenity princess, heir to the throne of the Silver Millennium Kingdom, person very important for me and for our state."
Jadeite bowed to Serenity. He looked at Endymion. His eyesight betrayed that the visit was unexpected to him and didn't really like it.
"Endymion said that here are sculptures equally beautiful to the ones decorating Lunar Gardens and flowers and trees imported from distant parts of the Earth. Can I see them?" Serenity asked.
"Of course princess, you can stay in my garden as long as you like." The Girl smiled and ran in the direction of the square with sculptures. She stopped by the statue of the white horse with wings and the horn made of real gold.
"Beautiful. "She whispered looking at stone eyes of the animal. Jadeite waited, until Serenity walked away farther and turned to Endymion.
"Was it sensible to bring her here? Her people hate us and regard us as thieves who wait to steal their longevity and technology."
"She isn't like others. She has an open heart and wants to learn more about us. Could you see glitter in her eyes, when she saw this place for the first time? She's a chance for our two races to overcome mutual dislikes and start to cooperate closely with each other. She is our way to the new, bright future."
"Are you sure that you mean the future of our state? I could see how you two looked at each other. It's about something more, right?" Jadeite looked at the friend angrily.
"Even if that's true then what? Our feelings is our private matter."
"Aren't you afraid of fulfilling the prophecy? Aren't you afraid that your closeness to her will bring the Dark Ages on us?"
"Jadeite! I thought that you were my friend! Do you want to threaten me with old superstitions? I thought that they had disappeared along with driving the last sorcerer out, but I was probably wrong."
"You will do as you want, and I don't have a way to oppose to you. But don't let this romance destroy you and our entire Kingdom."
"It's enough Jadeite. Serenity is calling us." Endymion said pointing at the blonde.
"Show her our garden and remember not to say anything to hurt her."
Jadeite finished working on his newest sculpture. He was sitting in a dark room lighted by few torches burning with a green, magic flame. This tim he wasn't working with the stone as usual, but with new medium, in a clay. His work portrayed a woman with slim body, dressed in an uniform. The man shaped her face sticking the last elements in the form of pointed ears and a shape symbolizing hair on the head. When he finished, he moved away by a few steps.
"Perfect." He thought, wiping sweat off the forehead.
"She will be satisfied." He added and headed towards the exit. He went along winding, stone stairs to the surface, because his new studio was located in basements. Outside, the sky was clouded, and an unpleasant, cold wind was blowing in surroundings. Jadeite saw the woman holding a stick with a black ball, standing near the exit from the garden. He bowed to her.
"My Queen, your army of demons is ready." He said not looking at Beryl.
"Excellent, Jadeite. You will be rewarded for your dedication for our queen."
"How will the army of clay mannequins help us with the victory?" The blonde man asked.
"You will see, Jadeite." The woman answered smiling.
"Come with me." She added and moved in the direction of the entry to basements. After a short walk downstairs, Beryl and Jadeite came inside an underground studio of the general. As it turned out, the entire room was filled by upright statues of women. There was a lot of them, they all formed a real clay army. Beryl was glad.
"Excellent." She said.
"Now our Queen will give them the gift of life, the real life." The woman raised the sceptre with black ball overhead. Metalia's smile appeared inside a globe, and Beryl's body radiated with ominous glitter. Jadeite watched the black magic effects avidly. The black glow touched all sculptures, filling them with the breath for the Queen of Darkness. Statues smiled, showing faces similar to the one which was seen inside Beryl's sceptre a moment ago.
"Your new army will assist our armies". The woman said, simultaneously noticing a statue standing in a corner, dissimilar to other clay creatures.
"What's that?" She asked.
"Queen, it's the sculpture, which I made for Prince Endymion, before our Queen... arrived to the Earth and gave us all the power. Now when I see how powerful Metalia is, I have a certain idea. Perhaps the Queen will breathe new life into the statue of Endymion. Thanks to that something will join our forces... somebody who will fill the gap left after the traitor." Jadeite suggested. The face of Bery became cloudy. She pointed the sceptre at the statue of Endymion and fired energy bullet at it. The sculpture was broken into small pieces. The queen turned to the general.
"There is only one Endymion, Jadeite. Remember it forever." She said angrily, walking in the direction of stairs leading to the surface.