Title: Nothing is lost, but something is broken
Author: Ree
Theme: Makoto- Lost
Genre: General/Drama
Version: Anime/Manga silver millennium (Fates/Tainted Gifts storyline)
Rating: G

Makoto and her friends don't belong to me, but I'm sure you all know that. Holds up the dolls and the paper dolls But these... these belong to my daughter, so I can use them.

Nothing is lost, but something is broken

AN: Silver Millennium names: Venus - Harmonia, Mars - Aneris, Mercury - Tyche, Jupiter - Ersa
The Milesians were the mortals that defeated the Sidhe and pushed them underground.

The rumors and stories spread like wildfire. "The prince has been bespelled by the Sidhe Queen." "The Sidhe are trying to conquer the Milesians." The people of Earth rose up to fight the Sidhe.

They flocked to the woman that promised to rescue their prince from the horrible binding spells. Eventually, they named her their queen, Queen Beryl. The new Queen's power increased as her minions attacked the existing royal family's stronghold. War soon raged across the entire planet.

The Princess of Mercury,Tyche, flipped through the data pouring in from the different sensors set up to watch over the Earth. 'Serenity! If she had just stayed home. If she had left that prince alone. Then it wouldn't have come to this.'

Ersa and Aneris walked into the surveillance room. "What is the status? Does it look like the fighting is going to escape the surface?"

The princess of Mercury let her shoulders droop. "I expect it to, but only once that seal is broken. I think whatever it is guarding is in league with Queen Beryl."

"How much time do you estimate?" Aneris ran her hand through her dark hair.

Tyche looked at the Martian princess. "You might be able to tell that better than I." Aneris just raised her eyebrow, so Tyche continued. "My estimation, if everything stays the same, three to four months."

Aneris frowned slightly, and then looked over at Ersa. "Then, let's go see if anything has changed."

Beryl held the four stones close as she slid them into a bag. With Queen Metallia's help, she had put a binding spell on them as well as a compulsion spell. All that was left to do was to place them into their boxes and have the four lords open them. 'And then they'll be mine. Soon... soon I'll be ready to enter the Sidhe's hill.'

She wrapped the bag's ties around her wrist so it would not fall, nor let the stones slip out, and become lost amongst the others scattered around. 'Even if they did fall... I think I could spot these four. They are different than the others around here.' Holding the bag as close as she had the stones, she avoided the grove and headed to the capital.

Ersa watched the red haired girl walking across the plateau. 'I'm sure it is the same girl as last time. What is she doing out there? Did she lose something?' When the earthling had finally left the barren area, she looked at Aneris. "Ready?"

Aneris held up her henshin stick as an answer. "Mars Power! Make Up!"

Ersa called out softly, as well. "Jupiter Power! Make Up!"

Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter headed out into the barren wasteland. Mars paused briefly before directing Jupiter towards a small cave close by. The sparse plant cover became non-existent the closer they came to the cave. About ten feet away from what appeared to be an altar, the temperature dropped and a hoarfrost coated the stones. Once they reached the cave and blood covered altar, the temperature was blistering hot and the smell of death and decay was heavy in their nostrils.

Refusing to give into her heaving stomach, Jupiter examined the altar stone for clues or at least information to give to Tyche. On the surface, under the blood stains, were three overlapping circles. In the outer edges of the three, the parts that were separate from the others, were the remains of gutted small animals,and the burnt remains of plants. The center, where the three circles overlapped, was mysteriously empty, but that was the spot that Jupiter had the most difficulty looking at. 'All this negative energy is makes my stomach queasy.'

Mars gave the altar a cursory glance. 'Jupiter is studying it, and I don't think that is an issue anymore.' She turned her attention to the cave, and repressed a shudder.'This on the other hand...' "Whatever, whoever, was bound here is gone. The seals are completely destroyed." She gestured to the broken fragments of rocks that had small carved lines still evident on them.

'It's broken already... We didn't wait that long, and Tyche checked the power surges from the area, and said that it could last another three or four months...' Jupiter looked at the altar once more, wondering if that was the cause of the broken seal.

Mars broke the silence. "I have a bad feeling about this. We need to warn the others."

The two senshi looked at each other with trepidation. "Let's head home." Jupiter began to summon the moonpath, but the area's dark feeling stopped her.

The walk across the plateau reminded her of the girl from earlier. 'I doubt she lost anything, but I bet she found something, and freed it. Is she Queen Beryl?' Jupiter remembered the pure hatred the girl had shown her before, and thought it was likely. Jupiter noticed that "Queen Beryl" had avoided the shorter path through the scared grove today. So, she waited until they were in there before calling the moonpath.

Ersa and Aneris reported their findings to Tyche and Harmonia. Tyche looked shocked, but Harmonia just sighed.

Ersa let her eyes close for a moment. "Does Queen Selenity know that Prince Endymion has been here?"

Harmonia pushed her hair over her shoulder. "Yes, she does, but the rest of the court doesn't know."

Four pairs of eyes meet briefly. They knew it was time to tell the Queen their findings, but they also agreed they were going to make sure Serenity knew as well.

AN: If you wish to know what Beryl did with the stones, read my "Tainted Gifts" story.