At last Chapter 4 is here! I'm so sorry for taking so long. I will say I had to go back to the anime to refresh my memory, but not my love for Rini and Helios. So what are you waiting for? Read away!
~Dreams under the Crescent Moon
Moonless
The red sprite sat in the lowest branches of the tree, gazing with a sneer at the Moonless night. He looked below him, at the medium sized mound of earth resting g just at the trunk of the tree. The mound rose and fell, as if it was breathing. Whenever it rose, the mount glowed a subtle orange. The Red Sprite looked down at the mound when it remained glowing.
"Yes my lady?"
To anyone walking by in moment would have only heard the Red Sprite speak, but in reality the mound responded in a telepathic voice only the Sprite could hear.
"I need energy..." the mound moaned.
"But my Lady, you thought it was too soon to begin tapping this land."
"If I do not feed I won't be able to claim my new body," the mound replied. "Send out your Sunleeches. Bring me enough energy to rise up to the surface and take this world."
"Yes my Lady." The Red Sprite leaped from his perch and landed on the soft ground beside the mound. The Mound stopped glowing as if it had fallen asleep.
The Red Sprite walked deep into the surrounding woods and reached a group of rotting trees at the center of a small clearing. He searched and found three deep green larval worms gnawing at the trunk of a tree. The Red Sprite took out a vial and poured a dark orange powder over the larva. The worm like creatures absorbed the powder ad dropped from the tree. The larval began to expand and grow. Their bodies melted and reshaped as they grew taller and taller. When their bodies harden and dried they had become unique green women.
"Drain this world of energy for our Queen." The Red Sprite told them. The three women giggled and began making their way into the woods. The Red Sprit watched until they went before returning to tree guarding the mound.
Rini awoke to an unexpected surprise. She had her first shower in a man-made waterfall in the second floor of the tree house. The waterfall was connected to a river that eventually lead to the lake. Helios explained to her later on that the water used went through a filtration system of clear coal, soil and straw.
After what was probably the most scrumptious breakfast of forest berries fruit salad in honey dew syrup, Helios took Rini to another part of forest. It was a patch of woods with incredible large trees. This time round, Diana joined them. She scurried up a tree and began to leap from branch to branch because she hated the feeling of the wet moss and earth on her paws.
"Wow!" Rini cried when she saw the first grand tree. The trunk was as thick as a small convertible and reached so high that when Rini looked up it disappeared in the blinding morning sunlight.
"It's huge! Like it came from somewhere else." She said, standing closer to look at the large scale like bark of the tree.
"It's similar to the Sequoia tree." Helios said. "This is the part of the forest where they thrived."
"It goes on for miles above!" Diana called from a stubby branch high on the tree.
"I'd fly you up there, so you can see it all." Helios said, taking Rini's hand. "But I have to wait until the sun sets a little."
"Or maybe we should have come here earlier?" Rini teased. Helios continued to smile as they walked.
"I keep thinking," Helios held Rini's hand tighter as she spoke. "About when or if I have to give you a tour of my home. I mean, I guess it's huge and beautiful in its own way, but different."
"I'd like to see it." Helios said. "I've only ever seen the inside of your bedroom."
"And Papa wouldn't be too happy if I carried the sceptre around." Rini laughed.
"Tell me about your home." Rini blinked as Helios let go of her and placed his hands over her eyes. "Close them." He whispered. Rini let her eye lids drop slowly. Standing close to him, she noticed he had a clean, forest scent, as if he had bathed in a crisp waterfall after it rained.
"Come on, tell me about your home." His voice whispered, his lips tickling her ear.
"You haven't seen the court yard." Rini started, flustered. "It's the first thing you see when you enter through the silver gates of Crystal Tokyo. She pictured in her mind the tall thin gates, sparkling white. Through them was wide yard of pale stone, with a touch of rose. Here and there were white crystal water fountains that in fact purified the waters used by the city and country. In honour of her mother and the scouts, there were five miniature gardens. They created a star in the centre of the courtyard.
Rini gasped as she looked down at her hand all of sudden. "Don't open your eyes." Helios' voice rang. She looked beside her and saw him standing there. "Your day dream will disappear."
"We're in a dream?" Rini asked.
"In a way. I can travel thorough the world of dreams and ride with whoever dreams." He took Rini's hand as they started to walk on the stone path that circled the gardens.
"Now you can show me your home." He smiled. Rini grinned back and looked straight ahead.
The first garden they reached was Mercury's. There was a coy pond in the middle with beautiful blue guppies. Growing were dark shrubs, blue aquatic plants that lined the pond and there was even a section that froze with little glittering icicles crowning the pond edge. In a blink of an eye they would disappear and slowly form again.
"See," Helios said as he caught a tiny Cyan butter fly. "You do have more beautiful beings here."
"Or as beautiful." Rini answered. "Just different."
Mars' garden was next. A humid climate lay over it but Rini couldn't describe the complex technology behind its maintenance. She assumed it might be similar to the Mercury garden, where the plants helped to create their own environment, rather than the other way around.
Mars garden was filled with bright amazon plants and bursting red, phallus flowers and leafy ones too. A small patch of red roses crowned the garden's edge as little red insects and lizards crawled over the warm rocks and logs that lay on the grassy ground.
"What does Princess Mars think of this garden?' Helios asked.
"She likes to come and meditate here. "Rini said.
"She adores it." Helios chuckled.
As they made their circle, they were also able to look at the pillars and long water fountains that crowned the count yard. Much of Crystal Tokyo contained replicas of the two distant kingdoms from long ago: the Moon kingdom and that of Earth.
"Do you know the story?" Rini asked.
"I know Earth's version."Helios replied. "Which may not be accurate. I know your mother and her court suffered greatly."
"But in the end, both kingdoms disappeared." Rini looked sadly at the monuments. "I don't think even this kingdom could ever make up for it."
"I suppose the point is not to recreate the past but build a brighter future." Helios squeezed Rini's hand and she cheered up. He was right. No point in dwelling.
"You need to see this garden, it's my favourite!" Rini squeezed Helios' hand and led him in mid jog to the centre of the huge star to a soft, white, almost pink hued garden.
Helios gasped, not out of breath but in awe at a literal glittering garden. There were plants and flowers both earth and terrestrial bound. The first flower he noticed was the skyrocket plant, which made him chuckle:
"How appropriate."
"So obviously this garden is dedicated to my mother." Rini smiled and held out her hand for the pale, silver butterfly to land. Many of them were surrounding the white and red rose bushes that crowned much of the upper garden. Daisies, peonies, and pink and ivory orchids were planted as well. The garden was filled with pale bushes where a family of white bunnies thrived. This made Helios laugh out, particularly when the bunnies jumped out when they noticed Rini and made her tripped as they leaped all over her. She sat on the ground giggling as she pet the hyper bunnies. Helios knelt to pet one as well. The smallest bunny turned and crawled into his arm, blushing.
"My favourite are these flowers." Rini nodded and Helios turned to see a section of flowers that were not of earth. Their stems were soft pink and they each had six petals of solid crystal.
"They're flowers?" Helios asked.
"They grow with soil and water, and sunlight." Rini answered. "Though the soil has to be a special type, Papa was able to get some from the Moon itself."
"Wow!" Helios sighed. "They're beautiful. I'm happy you have them here."
"I like coming here with Diana... I just realized she's not here."
"It's a little more difficult to share a dream with more than one person. I'll bring her next time if you like?"
"Well, I'm not saying I mind just bringing you. How did you know this is my favourite place in whole kingdom?"
"I didn't." Helios said, staring right at her. "You're heart led me here."
They sat there gazing at each other, and Helios slowly began to move closer to her. Rini began to close her eyes. She couldn't see but the bunnies in their arms were wagging their fluffy little tails with joy. She felt when Helios cupped her cheeks, his breath so close to her lips. A sudden rumble shook Rini eyes open and she saw the bunnies dart away into the bushes. The fountain and the ground began to tremble. Helios took Rini into his arms covering her head as pieces of stone broke and fell from the towers.
"What's going on?" Rini cried.
"It's something on the outside, in my world." Helios shouted over the rumbled. "We have to wake up. Close your eyes and listen to me."
Rini reluctantly shut her eyes, worried about the gardens and her parents.
"Remember, this was only a dream." She heard Helios say in her mind. "Everyone in Crystal Tokyo is safe. You are in the woods on Elysium with me. Remember?"
Rini gasped as she opened her eyes. Her vision was hazy at first. She started to whimper until she was pulled against Helios' chest. He held her tightly as she blinked and tried to look around her. The trees were shaking violently. After moving her head a few times, Rini saw Diana leap from a tree trunk and run towards her.
"Something's attacking the trees!" Diana shouted. "I saw some sort of ball of green light hit one."
"We have to do something!" Rini cried, standing up with Helios' help.
Before Rini could get a hold of her locket Helios grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. Two trees toppled where they were standing a few seconds later. Splintered wood, braches, and stray leaves landed all over Rini and Helios as they sat up. Their gazes reached three green floating women.
"Look at this girls," the tall thin one said. "A pair of humans in what's supposed to be a dying section of earth."
"Never thought we'd find them here." Agreed the shorter, chubbier woman of the three. "Oh wait, they're not human. I can feel their energy, it smells different."
"As if you can remember what human energy smells like." said the last of the women, she was curviest of the three.
"Who are you?" Helios said, standing and carefully lifting Rini up, keeping her behind him. "I know everyone who dwells in this land, you're trespassing."
"If thisss wasss your land maybe." The curvy woman hissed. "These foresstss will soon belong to usss."
"These lands belong to King Endymion and Neo Queen Serenity." Helios snapped back.
"Never heard of them." The cubby woman giggled ad snapped her fingers, making a swarm of green hornets appear and chase towards Rini and Helios.
"Crisis Moon Dream Action Make up!" Rini cried. The power of her locket repelled the hornets as Rini's body was wrapped in the magical ribbons, changing her into Sailor Chibi Moon. Behind her Helios had already transformed in Pegasus. He began his attack on the thin green woman, using the power of the golden crystal to blind and absorb her powers.
Sailor Chibi Moon took out her wand and faced the two other women.
"Let's try this again, shall we?" the chubby woman smirked. "Toxic hornet swarm!" Once more the hornets came at Sailor Chibi Moon. She bravely raised her wand in front of her and cried: "Pink sugar heart attack!"
Her attack wrapped itself around the hornets, suffocating them in its sweet light and power. She sent another blast at the curvy woman who easily dodged the attack.
"Nice try, I didn't realize pink butterflies could spit." She laughed.
"I can do a lot more." Sailor Chibi Moon replied. The woman snarled and sprang sharp claw from her finger tips. Sailor Chibi Moon stood ready when a loud crash was heard behind her. Sailor Chibi Moon turned just in time to see Pegasus fling the thin green woman into the thickest tree nearby.
"Sailor Chibi Moon!" Pegasus called. "Tap into my powers now!"
"Not yet!" Sailor Chibi Moon called back. She turned to the curvy green lady. "You don't belong here, destroying these beautiful trees. I'm giving you once chance to take your friends and get out."
"Sisters!" the woman corrected. "And you and you're boy toy are gonna pay for what you did to my big sister." Claws suddenly sprang out and wrapped themselves around Sailor Chibi Moon like they were elastic. They stung and burned where they touched bare skin. Sailor Chibi Moon bit back her cries but dropped her wand in the process. The chubby sister came from behind and pulled Sailor Chibi Moon back by the hair, revealing claws of her own.
"Shouldn't we suck her dry too, sister?" she asked.
"I think it's more convenient to just get rid of her." The curved sister said, licking her hideous green lips. Sailor Chibi Moon could swear a claw jabbed her throat when the curved woman was bulldozed by Pegasus. He then butted the chubby sister back and sliced the nails around Sailor Chibi Moon, making the curvy woman scream in agony.
Sailor Chibi Moon coughed and shivered, Pegasus stood right beside her, nuzzling her cheeks.
"Are you alright?" he asked, the voice in Sailor Chibi Moon's head full of concern and regret.
"I'm fine." Sailor Chibi Moon choked softly. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. Let's do it now, come on." She pulled herself up shaking with Pegasus' help, she then raise her hand and made her wand fly from the ground into it. By this time the sister Pegasus threw into the forest had recovered a little and was limping to join her sisters facing them. Sailor Chibi Moon wasn't going to give them any more chances. She placed a hand to her heart and then pointed to the sky. Above her appeared her Twinkle bell, a gift from Pegasus from years ago. She took it and rang it shouting:
"Crystal Twinkle bell!" This phrase unlocked Pegasus' power and allowed him to transfer it to Sailor Chibi Moon, adding to her own.
She then took her wand and pointed it at the three sisters, yelling: "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"
The light turned into a gigantic pink heart of power and slammed into all three of the sisters making them all fall to the ground. The heart however did not vanquish them or heal them. Sailor Chibi Moon however id not let it fazed her. Instead she walked up to them, with her wand pointed like a sword.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "Why have you come to Helios' forest?"
"It's our Queen's forest now." The curvy woman coughed. "She has sent us to harvest the energy for her revival."
"What Queen?' Sailor Chibi Moon asked. "Tell me now before I vanquish you for real."
"Perhaps another day, pinky winky." The thin sister said. The three suddenly grew green dragonfly wings and slowly rose to the sky.
"This is not over. You won this round but our Queen won't take no for an answer, especially for reclaiming what's rightfully hers. Remember us well Sailor Butterfly. I am Pinyang, the eldest of the deadly sisters."
"I am Belladonna, the middle sister." said the curved sister.
"And I am Hedera, the youngest." The chubby sister announced.
"Remember us well," Pinyang said to Sailor Chibi Moon. "Next time we'll finish you." Before Sailor Chibi Moon could stop them they quickly disappeared, rising above the trees.
Pegasus changed back into Helios as Sailor Chibi Moon's scout uniform melted away, leaving Rini back in regular self. Helios immediately took Rini into his arms, making sure she was alright.
"I just need some water. " Rini told him. "Do you think we can go back to your house?"
"Yes of course." Helios agreed. "Where's Diana?"
"Right here." The small cat said, emerging out of a small den where a family of ferrets live.
"Oh Diana! I'm so glad you're safe." Rini cried as Diana leaped into her hands.
"Helios, do you know those... Women?" She asked.
"Not at all. I don't know where they came from or why they're here." Helios asked.
"We need to talk to the King and Queen." Diana said. "This might be the danger Sailor Pluto predicted." Rini glanced at Helios, her expression tormented. He kissed her head before helping her up.
The three of them left the clearing, now littered with broken branches and dying foliage.
Done and done! Thank you so much for your patience. Blame midterms for my delay in getting this story underway. To my readers, seeing you subscribe has really encouraged me to keep this story going, so thank you so so much! See you in Chapter 5! 3
