The Other Moon Princess
by Lady Dawson
Chapter Nine: Danger at Mugan
Anna sighed as she stared out of the palace into the beautiful kingdom that she had lived her entire life. But now she was looking at it from an entirely different point of view and she didn't like it one bit.
It would've been different if she had chosen to come here, but she hadn't. She'd been forced to leave and been forced to come back. Neither time had been of her own choosing. And especially at this time in her life, when things were so complicated . . .
She bit her lip, thinking about Chris. Missing him like she'd been since she'd come here. Serena understood, at least, because she loved her fiancé, Darien, a prince from Earth. Anna had only met him once, but he seemed like a decent enough man. She wished that the queen could understand why Anna was so miserable here. Her heart belonged somewhere else, to someone. She had given it to him willingly and it was with Chris where she belonged.
Walking away from the window, she sat down on the bed, placing her head into her hands, feeling trapped. This place had been so . . . frustrating since the moment that she had arrived here. Always having to follow a certain protocol and etiquette, rules that had to be abided by. She wished that she could leave, but there was nowhere she could get out without being seen.
Standing up, Anna walked past the painting of her family that had been placed in her chambers—against her will, of course—and for the first time, wondered why the curtains fell behind the painting. She walked back and studied the drapery carefully, curiosity overcoming her. Her sky-blue eyes narrowed slightly as she pulled back the draperies and the painting swung open, revealing a hidden corridor inside of it.
"A secret passageway?" Anna whispered as she stepped into the corridor. "Wonder where it leads." She walked down the path, not caring that the hallway was filthy and muddy and the servants would have a field day when they saw the state of her gown. Sometimes, servants got into noble affairs more than nobles did, she decided as she continued to travel down.
After awhile, she wished that she had a candle or at least a light, because the lower she got, the darker it became. Just as she was about to give up and go back, she saw the light that came from ahead.
Anna hurried forward, pushing open the secret door that led outside, beyond the castle walls. As she stepped out, she looked around at the palace, where the fireworks had started to explode for the evening's festivities. Well, too bad, she wasn't too keen on going back. Her mother would just have to deal with it; she was sick of being a princess.
She looked towards the place where she had grown up, where she had lived, and where her true love was waiting for her. "Oh, Chris, I miss you so much," she whispered, hugging herself tightly and trying to hold back a sob.
Although she had been speaking from her heart and hoped that he would hear her call, Anna had never expected an answer.
"Well, that's good, because I've missed you, too." Anna whirled around to see Chris standing behind her with his usual, cocky smile. "So much, in fact, that I had to come and see you."
"Chris!" Anna raced towards him and threw her arms around her love. He laughed and swung her around before setting her onto the ground again. The lovers kissed tenderly and Anna hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go. Until that moment, she hadn't realised just how much he had meant to her. In seeing him again, she felt that two pieces had become whole. Her heart and his beat as one and she felt more complete than she'd felt in awhile. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you, too," he said softly, stroking her hair. His lips were resting on her forehead. "Anna . . ."
She laid her head onto his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her and she breathed in deeply, savouring the moment. "I'm so glad that you came."
"Actually, I've been here for a few days, but the guards wouldn't let me through," Chris admitted. "Commoners aren't allowed inside the palace gates. But I could still see you from your bedroom. Every night sitting next to the window and staring out of the palace like a bird that wanted to fly away . . ." He smiled as she looked up at him.
"Have you come to kidnap me?" she asked playfully. "Because you have my permission if you have."
"If only I could," he laughed. "But then, you have no idea how to get around that stupid Moon Kingdom law—which is beyond outdated, by the way?"
"No," Anna sighed. "Even Serena doesn't think that there's a way. She doesn't know everything," she added to his look. "But I had to ask her if there was a way around it. She would know better than anyone."
"I suppose then it's hopeless," Chris sighed. "We have to give each other up before we've barely had each other."
"No." Anna shook her head. "I'm not going to do that, Chris. No matter what happens, I will never give up on us. Which is why I've come up with a way to ensure that we can be together, no matter what the queen and the council say." She looked at him straight in the eye. "If we get married without their knowing, then it will be a holy union, something that I don't think they can break apart. The only way that I think they can stop us is if they find out beforehand."
Chris's grip tightened on her hands. "You want to run away together?" he asked incredulously. "Defy Queen Serenity and the entire Council?"
"The heart does things for love that reason and logic cannot understand," Anna responded. "Tristan taught me that."
A reckless smile spread across his face and he shook his head. "I'm either out of mind or in love," he commented. "When should we do it?"
"No time like the present," Anna said, laughing. "Chris, we've been in love with each other for our entire lives, we've both had our chances to be with other people. We're ready."
Anna opened her eyes, blinking up at the ceiling as she was brought from the dreamworld abruptly. "Oh, man," she muttered, turning on her side. What had caused her abrupt awakening? She was certain that the dream hadn't been over when she'd woken up and the only times that she'd been interrupted by one of her dreams was when someone or something had woken her up.
With a small sigh, Anna sat up and blinked in the darkness. Glancing at the clock, she groaned slightly when she saw that it was only midnight. She couldn't have been asleep for very long. Silently cursing whatever had woken her, she rolled over to go back to sleep.
"Princess Annalise . . ." a mythical voice whispered. Anna froze and jerked up, staring wildly around her, her eyes landing on the woman that stood in front of her, sky-blue eyes upon the girl who was sitting in the bed, eyes filled with wonder and shock, hardly comprehending what was happening. This just wasn't possible, she thought as she stared at the figure near the foot of her bed, looking like a ghost, but at the same time, more real than any ghost.
"Queen Serenity," she whispered, unable to believe her eyes, but at the same time, she knew it was true.
"You must go to Mugan School, my daughter," she said as though she hadn't heard Anna. "Go now, before the people of Earth suffer as the Moon Kingdom suffered. Your sister needs your help, now more than ever. The students at Mugan have begun to head there, under the wicked witch's spell. Hurry, now." And then she was gone.
Anna swallowed and in two seconds, climbed out of bed, dressing quickly before she headed downstairs, not caring if anybody heard her leaving. Her mother and Will would probably care less anyway, but she'd have a time explaining this to Ben.
Oh, well. He'd probably let her off the hook, considering the little incident with Will a couple of weeks ago. And if he didn't, she really didn't care. That wasn't important now. What was important was getting to Mugan School and saving the students that—
Suddenly, reason caught up with her senses and Anna froze on the spot, horror rising through her. "Mugan School?" she whispered, terrified. "But Chris goes there!"
She took off running, faster than she'd ever run before in her entire life, and racing down the streets, ignoring the cars that honked at her in annoyance. She only had one thought on her mind and that was getting to Mugan School to save Chris and the students. He has to be all right, she thought, afraid. I won't lose him. I can't.
It didn't take her very long to track down Mugan School. She knew exactly where it was, from Chris pointing it out downtown once. What surprised Anna was to find Serena racing down the street, sprinting towards the school.
"Serena!" she called, stopping the blonde girl in her tracks. She slowed to a stop, trying to catch her breath. "What . . . are you . . . doing here?" she gasped, looking up at the blonde.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Serena demanded, looking positively alarmed at seeing her there. "You shouldn't be here, Anna, this is really dangerous stuff."
"Oh, but no danger for you?" Anna retorted, getting her voice back and glaring at Serena. "Look, it may have escaped your notice, but I am just as capable of handling these kinds of situations, Serena. Or should I say, Sailor Moon?" she added crossly. Serena's eyes widened in surprise. "Yeah, I know about that. I also know that your friends are the other Sailor Scouts. I didn't fail to notice that you disappeared that day that the monster attacked and they showed up and then you just happened to know so much about the Sailor Scouts and the Moon Kingdom? And besides, my dreams? I've seen you in them, or at least your other self, sister." She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm coming with you."
"Anna, you're not a Sailor Scout," Serena protested weakly. She seemed to have overcome her shock.
"Sailor Scout or not, I am coming with you," Anna said, the look in her eyes telling Serena that it was pointless to argue. "Besides, let me ask you something: would you leave Darien or any of your friends in there if you knew that they were in there?" She raised her eyebrows inquiringly.
"Of course not!" Serena protested.
"Well, there's someone that I care about that goes to that school and could be under the spell," Anna said, placing her hands on her hips. "Someone that I really care about and maybe even love." She stopped when she said that, not realising until that moment that she did love Chris. Despite that what happened between them was a thousand years ago, she still loved him, here and now, in the present.
Serena sighed, looking down at the cats that Anna hadn't noticed were with her. "I don't know about this," she grumbled.
"It's different when friends are involved," a voice said and Anna jumped, looking down at the black cat. "Princess Annalise, you are welcome to join us." Luna smiled at the incredulous girl.
"You can talk?" Anna demanded. "How did you . . ." She shook her head. "You know, on second thought, never mind. Come on, let's go." Grabbing Serena's hand, she raced down the path, dragging her sister with her as they ran towards the school, where countless students were now heading straight into danger.
Chris, wherever you are, just please hang on, Anna thought, praying he could hear her. Their hearts were one a thousand years ago and hers still belonged to him here. Please, hold on for me. I'm coming, Chris.
