You found me. You must remember who you are and help us. Metallia has returned again, much stronger this time. I will help you remember. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, I was back in the Silver Millennium. The images appeared to be pieces of memories over the course of time.
"Please Endymion, don't leave me here!"
"It's the safest place for you right now. Queen Metallia is gaining power quickly. I don't know how often I'll be able to come though. The guards are being more cautious about letting outsiders in. I will come as often as possible." He leaned over and kissed the girl on the cheek. The two seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't see their faces well.
"But it will be so lonely here, I want to return with you," the girl pleaded through her tears. He gently swept her auburn hair from her face. "Nonsense. You will have Serenity to keep you company. And once peace is restored, you can return home." He looked around. "Queen Serenity agrees that this is the best thing. I don't want anything to happen to you. I must be going. I will return as soon as I can."
I blinked again, and when I opened my eyes, I was on the palace balcony. Again Endymion was there, but this time Princess Serenity was with him. "You're leaving?" she said, obviously upset. He nodded. "The Earth needs me. We're losing and Metallia is gaining power everyday. Please look after Keikoku." Serenity nodded, and Endymion left. A moment later, the auburn-haired girl entered. The Princess from my first dream… As she walked past me, I got that sense of familiarity again. That's me! I thought with a sudden realization. She came out and leaned over the balcony railing. "You'll be so busy here that you'll be home before you know it," Serenity promised.
"You forget, Serenity, that I…"
"Princess Keikoku?" A servant appeared and curtsied. Wow, was I really a princess? Keikoku nodded. "Hai?"
"Are you well settled in your room princess? Will you be needing anything?"
"Hai, and no, thank-you. I have some garments to unpack, but I can do that myself." The servant curtsied again. "Very well," she said and left. Keikoku returned to the railing. "He actually left, didn't he?"
Serenity nodded. "You know that he had to. He had no choice. Earth needs to be defended and Metallia needs to be held back and defeated. You know as well as I that if anyone is capable of accomplishing that, it's Endymion."
"But…aren't you worried at all?"
"Of course I'm worried, but I know that Endymion will be back. Besides, what other option do we have?"
Keikoku stared off into space. "Hai, I suppose that you are right. We have no other option but to fight. I just wish that there were some other way. I know that Endymion will be back, as he promised, but I am still very worried."
I blinked and when I opened my eyes this time, I was back in the park, looking at Usagi. The crescent moon on her forehead began to fade and then disappear.
"How did you know who I was?" Usagi asked, surprised. I shrugged. "I…I really don't know. Right now I'm not even sure of who I am." I sighed. Looking up, I saw the moon shining brightly. "I didn't even realize that it had gotten dark. You should probably be getting home. Your parents will probably worry." Usagi nodded and yawned. "Hai, I suppose that I should go. I am awfully tired." Usagi got up and began to walk away. She paused for a moment and turned around. "Your parents are probably going to worry too, maybe you should head home."
"No, they won't be worried, but I was planning on heading home anyway. Will you be going to the arcade again tomorrow? Maybe you can teach me how to race?" Usagi smiled. "It's not hard. Hai, we will probably be there again tomorrow." She turned to leave. "See you tomorrow Karei."
"Bye Usagi." I got up and headed towards home. Please help us. You must try to remember who you are. Restore our peace, a voice pleaded. "I'm trying, but it's so hard to remember." My voice was barely a whisper, covered by the sound of the windy night.
"Hey there!" I heard the voice behind me and turned. I saw a motorcycle and a rider on it. "What are you doing out and about in the dark all alone?" He reached up and removed his helmet. It was the dark haired guy that had been at my meet. I gasped, realizing that I recognized him from somewhere else as well. "Endymion…" He stared at me for a moment then shook his head. "Chiba Mamoru," he corrected.
"No! It was you, I'm positive!" I challenged. He looked around, as though he suspected that someone might overhear us. "Come with me and we can talk." He handed me a helmet and I climbed on. We rode in silence until we came to an apartment building. "Where are we?" I asked. "This is where I live." He led me inside and up to his apartment.
Would you like anything to drink or eat?" He asked as he took my coat. "Just some water please." He went into the kitchen. I looked around his living room. He had shelves full of books, all of them quite different from the others. He definitely has eclectic tastes. As I looked at the books I saw a picture of Usagi and him. I thought back to my memories of the Moon Kingdom. They must be a couple. That would explain why Mamoru knows who she is. So if she's the moon princess, he must be Endymion…they were certainly meant to be together. Mamoru came back in with some drinks and a few snacks. "Just in case you decide you're hungry," he said, smiling. He motioned for me to sit down. "Do you like books? I couldn't help but notice that that was the first thing that you were drawn to."
I turned red. "I…I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy. Hai, I do like books. You have a lot of different ones." He began to laugh. "It's okay, I don't mind you looking. I don't really have much of anything to hide." His expression turned serious. "But we didn't come here to talk about books…we came here to try to answer your questions." He paused and stood up. "Well, you are right…"
"About what?" I asked after a long pause. I was confused.
"I was Prince Endymion, just like you were Princess Keikoku. I know that you've remembered that much, at least, or you wouldn't be looking to me for answers. I don't know how much you have remembered, so I don't know how much to tell you. Remembering things too quickly could be dangerous."
"So then…" I paused. "You were my brother?"
"How much do you remember?" He suddenly asked.
I sighed. "Not much. I've been trying so hard. I remember pleading with you not to leave me in the Moon Kingdom, I remember a conversation I had with Serenity, and Serenity told me a little about the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. I don't remember the battle though. Was I there?"
He nodded. "The battle took place in the Moon Kingdom, and as you remember, I left you there under the protection of Queen Serenity. What else do you remember, Kiki? At any point in this life up until recently, have you had any recurring dreams, any visions that just didn't make sense that might help you remember now?"
"No, my visions have only been occurring recently, and mostly about the moon princess or Keikoku." I looked up at him. "She keeps appearing to me asking me to help…" He looked concerned. "Asking you to help do what?"
I looked down. "I…I'm not sure. All I know is that the first time she appeared to me, she said something about protecting fate and destiny, but I don't understand it." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "You are trying too hard to remember," he concluded. "Your attempts at forcing the memories out into the open are just accomplishing the opposite, forcing them deeper down. If you keep trying so hard, you will never remember all that you need to. Just let the memories come to you on their own."
I nodded. "I know I should do that, but I want to know now." My eyes met his. "How did you remember?" I reached for a cookie from the tray Mamoru had brought in when I had first arrived. "I mean, do you completely remember the past?"
"Well, I can't say for sure. More comes to me when the time comes for me to know it, but I believe that I remember most of the past. As to how I remembered…it took a long time." I sat back and rested my head on a pillow to listen to his story. "First, I began having dreams about the princess, asking me to find the rainbow crystals, so that I could find the Imperium Silver Crystal. Then, I began having blackouts." My eyes widened with fear. "Don't worry, just because I did, doesn't mean that you will. I still hadn't known who I was. You have been remembering much faster than I did. You have been gaining your memories back more like Usagi did…but that is another story all together. You wanted to know about me…" He laughed. "I don't usually ramble like this…"
"It's okay," I assured him. "I don't mind. I'm just really interested in finding out how you remembered, because I want to remember too." I sat back on the sofa.
He nodded. "Well…where was I? Okay…Eventually, I realized that during my blackouts, I had been going to help the princess…although I hadn't known that she was the princess at the time.
"During the battle over the rainbow crystals, Usagi and I discovered each other's identities. The memory of the final night of the Moon Kingdom came to us…" Slowly, his voice grew more and more distant and the whole world went black.
The next thing that I was even vaguely aware of was that I was being carried. I soon felt a nice, soft bed under me. I opened my eyes for a moment and saw Mamoru. I closed them again and spoke. "Mamoru…" I began in a quiet murmur. "…what was it like being brother and sister?"
"I wish I could describe the half of it." He replied, kissing my forehead. "Sweet dreams, Kiki." I protested, "But I'm not tired, I want to hear more about the Moon Kingdom and your memories…"
"Another time," he promised. Before I knew it, I was in a deep sleep. Again, I found myself in the Moon Kingdom. There were fireworks being set off in front of the palace. I wandered back up to the balcony. I found Serenity and Endymion there talking with one another.
"Don't leave yet, Endymion. Stay a little while longer. Keikoku and I have missed you. It's so difficult for you to visit these days, please stay for a bit longer. It will be such a long time before you will be able to come again."
"I wish that I could stay a while longer, my love. I hate having to leave you and Keikoku. I know that you are both safe here, but I still worry." Serenity reached around her neck and removed a chain with a star locket on it. "Take this and remember me always, I know that you must go, but I do wish with all my heart that you could stay." He opened the locket and a beautiful tune filled the air. "I will always remember you, and I will always protect you and Keikoku, no matter what."
Serenity nodded. "I know you will, and I understand that you have to leave to help defend the Earth and protect the Moon Kingdom from becoming Metallia's next target. Don't worry; Keikoku will be especially well protected here. My mother has put all of her guards up and on watch, and we're keeping all people from Earth out of the kingdom, as you probably noticed when you tried to sneak in." She sighed. "I hate it. In order to protect your sister, you yourself end up being shut out of the kingdom and must sneak in to see us."
"It's necessary though, if anything were to ever happen to me, and Earth lost the battle…"
"I know that it is necessary, but I still hate it. I wish that we could have the peace in our galaxy restored. But you are right. Above and beyond all, we must especially protect Keikoku. If anything should happen to her…" Her voice trailed off.
If anything should happen to me…what? I wondered. Why was it so especially important that I be protected? I thought that I was supposed to be the one to help the princess, not the other way around. I sighed, more confused than ever. I left the balcony, hoping to find Keikoku and the answers to my questions.