Sparrowflyaway: I am so glad my writer's block ended. I'm just itching to write the rest of the story! Here's chapter 11! I hope you like it! And sorry that it's taken such a long time!
Usagi: you bet it's taken a long time! I wanna know what happens next! I mean, Mel-chan and Sora-chan get beaten unconscious and dragged into this creepy cave, and then the rest of us get stuck in here too! And you've made me the Princess! What else is there that you can do to us?
Sparrowflyaway: A lot more than you realise, Usagi-chan. And furthermore, who said you could butt in?
Usagi: Me! I'm the Princess, remember? You made it that way!
Sparrowflyaway: I didn't make you the Princess, you were BORN the Princess. And besides, I would have thought you'd like being royalty.
Usagi: No, I just wanna be a normal teenager!
Sparrowflyaway: Nothing I can do about that, Odango Atama.
Usagi: Hey! Don't call me that!
Sparrowflyaway: Hehe, why not? Mamoru does, and you love him!
Usagi: I... I don't love him. He's a jerk and a baka and...
Sparrowflyaway: Anyway, I don't own Sailor Moon or her Imperium Silver Crystal. That'd be WAY too much responsibility for me.
Usagi: So you go and heap all of that responsibility onto me? Sheesh!
Sparrowflyaway: …Let's just get on with the chapter, shall we?
Last time:
"Mamoru, come back! Please..." Sailor Moon said, cradling Tuxedo Mask's body, her tears falling lightly onto Tuxedo Mask's face. One of her falling tears became suspended in midair and began to glow.
"What's going on?" Sora gasped. She felt something moving in her pockets, and looked down in time to see the Rainbow Crystals fly out of her pockets and over to Sailor Moon. Everyone watched as the seven Crystals merged with Sailor Moon's tear, forming the Imperium Silver Crystal. The crystal glowed, and Sailor Moon's Crescent Moon Wand appeared. The crystal floated over and joined onto the Wand, then began to glow with an intense white light. The light washed over Melina, rapidly changing her eyes from black to blue and her clothes to a long white, gold-flecked dress. The light also changed Sailor Moon's fuku into a long white princess dress, and destroyed the cage that Sora was trapped in.
"Princess Serenity! Princess Amaterasu! We've found them both!" Luna gasped.
"Yeah, and who'd have thought that Usagi would be the Moon Princess!" Mars said.
"I did," Amaterasu said, smiling. Serenity stood and took the Crescent Moon wand gently from the air.
"I'm... The Moon Princess?" Serenity asked, dazed.
"At last, we've found you, Princess Serenity," Luna said, smiling.
"I simply can't believe it. Princess... You were right in front of me the whole time, and I never realised," Luna murmured, watching as Serenity clutched the Crescent Moon Wand and knelt down beside Tuxedo Mask.
"Mamoru..." Serenity whispered, placing the Crescent Moon Wand beside her, tears filling her eyes.
"Enough of this pointless display of dramatics. Give me that Crystal!" Zoisite said, aiming a blast of dark energy at the Moon Princess. A split second later, the Crescent Moon Wand was back in Serenity's hand and she was using it to shield herself and Tuxedo Mask from the dark energy. As the wave of dark energy faded, Serenity held the Crescent Moon Wand high and opened her eyes to glare at Zoisite, hissing, "Cosmic Moon Power!" The Crystal glowed pink, and then Zoistite found herself flying backwards across the room. She hit a tall, mutated pillar and screamed in pain, then slumped to the floor, struggling to make her eyesight focus. Serenity clasped the Wand to her chest and resumed her absent stroking of Tuxedo Mask's hair.
"Mamoru, please wake up, I need you," Serenity whispered, holding the Crescent Moon Wand out over Tuxedo Mask's body. The Imperium Silver Crystal began to pulse with pink light, which washed over Tuxedo Mask. Serenity's tears splashed onto the Crystal, making it glow brighter and reviving Tuxedo Mask, who slowly opened his eyes. Princess Serenity gasped, then smiled with relief.
"Mamoru, you're alive! Thank goodness," Serenity breathed.
"Princess? Yes... I... I remember now. In the Silver Millennium... I was Prince Endymion," Mamoru whispered. Serenity nodded slowly as she too began to remember the Silver Millennium...
"Serenity, I love you. I love you more than anyone has ever loved anything before," Endymion whispered.
"I love you too, my Prince," Serenity smiled back.
"My love, I am afraid I must leave you for a time. There is trouble brewing on Earth, and as Prince, I must resolve it," Endymion said sadly, taking Serenity into his arms and holding her tightly.
"I understand, Endymion. Here, take this with you," Serenity said, pulling away and taking out a golden locket in the shape of a star: her Star Locket. She opened it and listened to the tune it tinkled for a moment, before placing it gently in Endymion's hand and smiling up at him. "So that you'll always remember me," she whispered.
"Oh, Serenity. I could never forget you," Endymion smiled. The two drew close once more and kissed.
Serenity sighed as she immersed herself in the happiness of her memories, completely oblivious to the Silver Crystal's reaction to her thoughts. It seemed to be sensing that she wanted Endymion to be well again, and was glowing brighter every second. The light washed over Amaterasu, causing her to grunt and step backwards as she felt her Heart Crystal twitch inside her. Amaterasu closed her eyes and clutched her chest, willing her Heart Crystal to be still as a second wave of pink light washed over her. A third wave quickly followed, forcing her to her knees, a soft scream leaving her lips. Amaterasu twitched as more waves of healing energy washed over her, then three things happened simultaneously: her brooch floated up from the front of her dress and began to glow, her Heart Crystal burst from her chest, and her eyes rolled upwards as she lost consciousness. Her brooch and her Heart Crystal hovered, side by side, in midair, one as bright as Amaterasu's home star, the other as black as the infinity that surrounded their Solar System. The healing light continued to wash over Amaterasu's brooch and Heart Crystal, and the simultaneous screams of Amaterasu and the evil spirit rent the air as thin streams of dark smoke shot out of the Heart Crystal and evaporated. Her brooch, on the other hand, glowed brightly as each wave of light washed over it. When the healing light finally stopped, the Brooch stopped glowing and clattered to the floor, the centre of Amaterasu's Heart Crystal was significantly brighter(but still not completely pure), and Amaterasu was twitching painfully, her breathing harsh and ragged.
"Even the Silver Crystal couldn't remove it..." Sunshine murmured, watching as the Heart Crystal drifted back into Amaterasu's chest. It seems as though more than one of the three Great Crystals will be needed to remove the spirit... Sunshine mused, before a horrid thought struck her, the thought that all three combined may not be powerful enough. Sunshine glanced at Serenity, who had set the Crescent Moon Wand down again and was stroking Tuxedo Mask's hair, hoping that the Crystal's power would work. As everyone watched, Serenity began to glow with a soft pink light. The light faded, and Serenity turned back into Sailor Moon, then fainted.
"Sailor Moon!" the scouts chorused, rushing to her side.
"Is she gonna be alright?" Jupiter asked.
"I think so. She just had a little fainting spell," Mercury replied.
"Very princess-like," Venus commented. Meanwhile, Sora and Sunshine were desperately trying to wake Amaterasu.
"Come on, Mel, wake up, you just gotta wake up!" Sora pleaded, shaking Amaterasu. Sunshine picked up Amaterasu's brooch and passed it to Sora, who pinned it back on the Sun Princess' dress. Amaterasu glowed with a gentle gold light, which changed her back into Melina. Sora gasped.
"I think she's going to be OK, Sora," Sunshine said.
"I wish we could say the same about Mamoru, but there's just no way of knowing how he'll do," Venus said, walking over to them. Sora and Sunshine looked over at the other group, where Mars was gently shaking Mamoru, attempting to wake him again.
"Come on, Mamoru, it's me, it's Rei, please wake up," Mars pleaded.
"We really need to get him to a doctor. He needs help, and fast!" Jupiter said.
"No-one is going anywhere," a small, weak voice hissed. The scouts looked over at Zoisite, who was struggling to her feet.
"I hope you enjoyed seeing your Princess again, because she... no, all of you... you're all history," Zoisite hissed weakly, fighting to stay on her feet. She stumbled, and fell into the arms of a just-appearing Kunzite.
"Zoisite, what's the matter? You're shaking!" Kunzite said.
"Kunzite, I need your help. I'm not strong enough to stop them. They'll get out, and they'll take the Silver Crystal too," Zoisite whispered.
"Don't worry, they won't be going anywhere. We'll get the Crystal back. But there's something else we need to get too," Kunzite said.
"If you want our Princess, you'll have to go through us first, pretty boy," Venus spat.
"Shut it, you bratty Senshi, I'm not interested in you or your precious Princess," Kunzite said, sending a wave of dark energy over the group. When it died down, the girls looked up and gasped as a black sphere of energy formed around Mamoru, then vanished, taking Mamoru with it. Kunzite glared at the Senshi, then he and Zoisite vanished.
"Mamoru! No! Oh, what are they going to do with him?" Mars asked.
"I'm not sure, but for now, we need to get out of here," Luna said.
"Yeah, I'm exhausted!" Venus said. Just then, they heard a groan, and turned to find Melina opening her eyes dazely.
"Are you alright, Melina?" Sunshine asked. Melina winced in pain as she sat up, but nodded.
"Come on, then. Let's get out of here," Mars said.
"How are we going to get out? This place is so confusing!" Venus complained.
"Same way we got in here," Mars said, before blasting a hole in the wall. Jupiter hauled Sailor Moon's unconscious form onto her back, then she and the rest of the Senshi leapt out of the hole and ran down the street. Melina stumbled and stopped running, panting heavily. She looked back at the Tower, feeling disoriented and very tired, and gasped as the ground beneath her feet began shaking. Seconds later, there was a bright flash, and the Star Light Tower exploded, knocking Melina off her feet. When the rumbling stopped, Melina clambered uncertainly to her feet and looked at the smoking ruins. Wow, that was close, she thought. But at least we got away...
"Oh, wonderful work, Kunzite! Not only do you lose your two captive Senshi and the five Rainbow Crystals that we had, but now the Moon Princess has the Imperium Silver Crystal! So what are you going to do about it?" Beryl hissed in anger.
"My Queen, only one of those girls was a Senshi-"
"Wrong, Zoisite. Both girls were Senshi. I would have thought that you would have gathered that from the fact that no ordinary Terran could have reflexes like she did, or be able to kick the bars off of one of our cages. Wake up, you useless girl!" Beryl snapped.
"Yes, My Queen."
"Now, Kunzite, I'm waiting for an answer."
"Oh, we'll get the Crystal back, My Queen, don't worry. There's no way a crybaby like Sailor Moon can pull off being the Moon Princess. She'll never be able to control the Crystal's power."
"Very well, I'll give you another chance. As for you, Zoisite, I should like an explanation of your actions towards Tuxedo Mask."
"Please, My Queen, it was an accident-"
"Do you think I'm an idiot, girl?!? Did you really think I wouldn't find out about your attempts on his life?"
"I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you, My Queen."
"It's far too late for apologies, Zoisite. You have disobeyed me for the last time," Beryl hissed, waving her hand over a black crystal ball beside her throne. The crystal ball glowed purple and shot a beam of negative energy at Zoisite, throwing her backwards out of the throne room. "Now that that little problem has been dealt with, I suggest you go and get that Crystal back, Kunzite, before the same thing happens to you."
"Yes, My Queen," Kunzite said, struggling to hide his horror.
"Are you alright, Usagi?" Luna asked, watching Usagi trudge upstairs to her bedroom. Usagi nodded, then tripped on the top step. Luna rushed upstairs to her side.
"Usagi!"
"I'm fine, Luna, I trip over all the time, remember?" Usagi said quietly.
"Come on, let's get you to bed." Usagi didn't protest, instead getting to her feet and walking the rest of the way into her bedroom. She picked up her pyjamas from the end of the bed and pulled them on, then gasped. There, on her pillow, was the Star Locket from her memories. She picked it up, amazed, and opened it to once more hear the tune. As the locket played, Usagi clasped it to her chest and began to cry.
"There you are, sweetie! I was beginning to worry," Mrs Pattini said, walking out of the kitchen when she heard the front door close. "Did you have fun at Minako's sleepover?"
"Huh? Oh! Oh, yeah, it was fun. She's really nice, and so are all of her friends," Melina smiled. "But now I'm a little tired from all of the games we played, so I'm gonna go to bed now. Night, Mum."
"Goodnight, sweetie. Sweet dreams," Mrs Pattini smiled, before walking back into the kitchen. Melina climbed the stairs wearily and walked into her bedroom, where she changed into her pyjamas. She turned towards the bed, then froze, noticing her flute lying on the bed exactly where she had left it.
"How'd this get here? I remember summoning it today and yesterday..."
"Maybe it's got powers like you do, Melina."
"I guess you're right. I mean, if it was just an ordinary flute, then I doubt I'd be using it to attack youma," Melina said, picking the flute up and placing it gently on her bedside table, before climbing into bed. Sunshine turned off Melina's light and jumped into her cat basket.
"Good night, Sunshine."
"Goodnight, Melina."
"Sunshine, do you think Usagi-chan is OK?" Melina asked after a while, staring at the ceiling of her dimly-lit bedroom. Sunshine opened her eyes blearily and looked across the room at Melina.
"I'm sure she's fine, Melina. She's probably asleep. Which you should try to do, too, considering you'll have school tomorrow," Sunshine said sleepily.
"OK. Goodnight, Sunshine," Melina sighed, rolling over onto her side. Sunshine watched Melina as she drifted off to sleep, then closed her eyes sleepily.
Sometime later, when the bedroom had gotten even darker, Sunshine awoke to find Melina sweating profusely and groaning. Looks like she's getting into that nightmare again, Sunshine thought.
***
"Hang in there, Melina, it's OK, just hang on!"
"Melina..."
"Come on Melina, hang in there..."
"Melina, come on, we need you!"
"Stay with us, Melina, you do matter, you're our friend!"
"Melina! Oh no!" Melina's dream began in the usual way, with the voices drifting through the mist. Then, suddenly, the mist swirled and vanished, leaving Melina with a clear view of the dream. She was lying on a rock with her six teary-eyed friends kneeling beside her, and two golden bubbles floating away in the background. The dream seemed to skip a beat, and then the six girls were curled up asleep, and Sunshine was seated beside her.
***
Sunshine watched, feeling a little alarmed and confused as Melina, instead of thrashing about, lay still and began breathing heavily.
***
Another skip caused Melina's dream to become rather hazy, her friends disappeared, and the tall ginger-haired woman was kneeling where Sunshine had been, the six golden bubbles floating away behind her. The woman seemed to be talking, but it was as though Melina's ears had suddenly stopped working, and so she couldn't hear any of the woman's words. Melina began to glow gold once again, and then she awoke.
***
Sunshine watched, curious, as Melina sighed, then sat up abruptly, all the fear of her dreams still present despite the difference in behaviour.
"Are you alright, Melina?" Sunshine asked.
"Y-yeah, I guess s-so. It's weird, but... the dream was different this time, and I don't know why," Melina replied.
"What was different?" Sunshine asked, jumping up onto the bed.
"Well, the black mist was only there for a moment this time, then it disappeared and I could see the entire dream," Melina said.
"Well, that's something. What was it like behind all that mist?" Sunshine asked.
"It was really bleak and white, so I think there was either ice or snow there. There was also a lot of dark rock, which was what I was lying on. And then you were there, and then there was this tall ginger-haired woman too, who I have no idea who she is," Melina said.
"Really? That's odd," Sunshine said thoughtfully.
"I'm still scared that I'm gonna die, Sunshine, but at least now I know that my friends are gonna be safe," Melina said quietly.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Those six bubbles that I saw before, I'm pretty sure that my friends are inside them, and they're heading back here. There were also another two bubbles that I've never seem before. I'm not sure who was in them, but they're probably important too," Melina said.
"OK. Well, I think you'd better get back to sleep, Melina."
"Yeah, you're probably right, Sunshine. Night."
"Goodnight." The two curled up in their respective beds and tried to get back to sleep, finding it impossible with the tumultuous thoughts in their heads. Melina saw me, Sunshine thought. She saw the real me: her mother, Queen Solaris. What'll I do? Should I tell her about what happened to me? Or should I leave it out? And what does that mean, her seeing the real me? Has she gotten her memories back? Or am I going to turn back into Solaris? On the other side of the room, Melina's thoughts were just as confused. Those dreams just get weirder and weirder, she thought. What happens to us? Who is that woman? Who's in those two bubbles that appear while my friends are still there? I wish I knew what these dreams mean. Is it something to do with my past life? Or is it to do with this one? Sunshine seems to know about my past life, maybe she knows which life its from.
"Sunshine?" Melina said timidly.
"Yes?"
"Would you tell me about the Silver Millennium, please?"
"If it'll help you get back to sleep, sure," Sunshine said, climbing out of her cat basket and jumping onto the bed. Melina curled up facing Sunshine, her eyes wide and expectant. "A long time ago, in the Silver Millennium, there was a beautiful Princess. Her name was Amaterasu," Sunshine began. Melina giggled.
"That's me, right?"
"Yes, that's you. You and I lived on the Sun, where it was always warm and bright and happy."
"How could we live on the Sun, Sunshine? It's kinda really hot there," Melina said.
"Simple: the structures that were built there were made to withstand and keep out the enormously high temperatures there."
"What was it like? The palace, I mean."
"The Sun Palace was beautiful. Everything was gold, white and bronze, and all the servants were very courteous of you and your Father, King Alexander."
"What about my mother?"
"Your mother, she... She died when you were very young."
"How did she die? And what was she like?"
"She was a very fair and gentle ruler, and she always tried to do what was best for the kingdom and the Royal Family. As for when she disappeared, well, that's rather a sad story in itself. See, there was a tradition on the Sun to bless the heir's Pure Heart Crystal with the Bronze Crystal, which was one of the most powerful Crystals in the universe, and was passed down through the Solarian Royal Family."
"Wow, that Bronze Crystal sure sounds cool. Do you think it came through to this Millenium like the Silver Crystal did?"
"I know it did, Melina."
"How do you know that?"
"You'll see once I've finished telling you this story."
"OK."
"When Queen Solaris was blessing your Pure Heart Crystal, an evil spirit attacked it."
"What's a Pure Heart Crystal?"
"Everyone has one, Melina, it's kind of like a part of your soul. It's the part of your soul that determines if you're a good person or a bad one. Anyway, as I was saying, your Pure Heart Crystal was attacked, which is a very bad thing. That spirit was particularly stubborn, and Queen Solaris had to use the full power of the Bronze Crystal."
"Was that a bad thing?"
"Yes and no. See, the current ruler of the Solarian throne is connected inescapably to the Bronze Crystal. It's the same case for the Silver Crystal and the ruler of the Moon, and the Gold Crystal and the ruler of Earth. So when Queen Solaris used the full power of the Bronze Crystal on that spirit, it allowed you to be able to fight the spirit, but it also cost Queen Solaris her life."
"Wow, that's so sad. But what happened to the Bronze Crystal? Where is it now?"
"That's the interesting part. When Queen Solaris used the Bronze Crystal's full power, it shattered and reformed into a white brooch with a gold sun on it."
"Wait a sec... so you're saying that my brooch, the one David gave me, is..."
"It's the Bronze Crystal, yes."
"Wow, that's really weird how things work out."
"Not really. The three Great Crystals – The Gold Earth Crystal, The Silver Moon Crystal and The Bronze Sun Crystal – are almost alive themselves, being always connected to their owners. Their powers are so similar in nature that they are connected to each other, as well. So the Bronze Crystal probably sensed that you were alive once again, and so it made certain things occur so that it would once again be in your hands."
"What about the Silver Alliance? Who else was a part of that?"
"Well, you were not the only Princess of the Silver Alliance, as you know. The main Princess was Princess Serenity, who was the Moon Princess and the heir to the throne of the Moon Kingdom, which was the head of the Silver Alliance."
"That's Usagi, right?"
"Yes."
"What about the other planets? Was there a Princess for all of them, too?"
"Most of them, yes. The Princess of Orion, Aurora, was also your cousin and your best friend."
"That's Sora, right?"
"Yes. The other Senshi were also Princesses. Ami was Princess Athena of Mercury, Rei was Princess Ares of Mars, Makoto was Princess Hera of Jupiter, and Minako was Princess Aphrodite of Venus."
"Wow, the Ancient Greeks must've known a bit about some of us, since a lot of those names are the same as some of their gods."
"Really? That's interesting."
"Please, go on, Sunshine. This is really interesting. What about Earth?"
"There was a Prince of Earth named Endymion."
"That's that guy called Mamoru."
"Yes, that's him. Princess Serenity was in love with Endymion, and although neither of their parents were altogether happy about the match, they seemed to accept that the two were madly in love."
"Why didn't they like those two falling in love?"
"Princess Serenity was the heir to the throne of the Silver Alliance, and the Earth wasn't a part of that Alliance. Most Terrans didn't really trust those in the Silver Alliance, although I never found out why."
"OK... what about the other planets?"
"The Outer Senshi? They were very rarely seen, so I'm not sure what their Princess names were. Sailor Saturn I never actually saw, since she would only awaken her powers on the Last Day and so end the Universe so that it could be reborn. That was her job: to put an end to the Universe and then give it its rebirth so that it could start again, free of evil."
"Wow, she'd probably have a hard time doing that. I mean, there's so much beauty in the Universe, it'd be really hard to end it all unless you were really devoted to your mission."
"I suppose you're right there, Melina, but it probably never entered her mind not to end it. Her one and only job was to finish all, and she was devoted to that."
"What about the others?"
"Sailor Uranus, Senshi of the Heavens, and Sailor Neptune, Senshi of the Ocean, were very good friends, but they mostly stayed in their palaces, watching and waiting for the day when they would be needed to awaken Saturn."
"They awaken Saturn? How?"
"Uranus had an item called the Space Sword, and Neptune had an item called the Deep Aqua Mirror. When those two items were near the Garnet Orb, then Saturn would awaken and end all."
"What's the Garnet Orb?"
"That's the item that Sailor Pluto had. Sailor Pluto was the Senshi of Time, and so she was very rarely seen unless it was absolutely necessary. She was able to see everything that would happen, and if she saw something that could endanger the Universe, then she would come and visit us to warn us about the approaching danger," Sunshine said.
"Wow, she sounds really important. Did you ever get to meet her, Sunshine?" Melina's question was greeted with silence, as Sunshine was busy watching yet another memory emerge...
"Wow, Sunshine, this party is so amazing!" 12-year-old Amaterasu said, looking around excitedly at all the beautiful people in the Lunarian ballroom.
"Mind you behave yourself, Princess. Try not to act silly like you did at your father's ball," Sunshine said. Amaterasu pouted.
"You're no fun, Sunshine," Amaterasu said, before running off through the crowd of talking people. Sunshine sighed and looked around for her friends, Luna and Artemis, but instead spotted someone who she had not seen since Amaterasu's birth: Sailor Pluto. I wonder what she meant when she said that Amaterasu would become the most powerful Senshi? Sunshine wondered. Right now, she doesn't seem like she'll become a Senshi at all, let alone the most powerful one. Making up her mind, Sunshine began weaving her way through the crowd to find Pluto. After much searching, she found herself on a balcony overlooking the ballroom. Looking down, Sunshine spotted Amaterasu sitting in a corner, hand in hand with a young blonde boy.
"Greetings, Solaris. I hope I find you well?" a voice said behind her. Sunshine turned to find Sailor Pluto smiling at her.
"Sailor Pluto! I'm well, thank you. And you?"
"Fine, thank you."
"Sailor Pluto, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Not at all."
"What did you mean when you said that Amaterasu would become the most powerful Senshi? I mean, it's not that I don't believe that she will become powerful eventually, but right now, it just seems so impossible that she'll be even a reasonably good Senshi."
"This has been troubling you for quite some time now, hasn't it," Pluto said, her smile fading.
"Yes, I'm afraid it has."
"Amaterasu needs to learn to control her Senshi powers as soon as she possibly can, for if she doesn't get control of them in time, then that spirit inside of her will get control of her. And if that spirit gets control, then it will amplify her powers a hundredfold and it would, eventually, destroy us all. That is the fate that awaits us if she cannot awaken," Pluto said gravely. Sunshine nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
"Good luck, Solaris. Now I think you'd better get down there and speak to her. She's been sitting with Prince Rasmus for quite some time now, and it looks to me like things are getting serious between them," Pluto said, looking over the balcony at the two children sitting in the corner.
"Thank you, Sailor Pluto."
"You're quite welcome, Solaris. Farewell." Sunshine bowed, then walked down to the ballroom, where Amaterasu spotted her and pouted.
"Is it time to go already, Sunshine?" she asked.
"Not yet, Princess. Who's your friend?"
"Oh! Sunshine, this is Prince Rasmus. He's 'Ra's cousin on the other side of her family. Rasmus, this is my Guardian, Sunshine."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sunshine," Rasmus said, his blue eyes twinkling.
"And you," Sunshine said, bowing. She jumped up onto Amaterasu's shoulder, whispered "Behave yourself," then jumped down again and left. She wandered around the castle and greeted many of the royal family, all the while thinking about what Pluto had said. "If that spirit gets control, then it will amplify her powers a hundredfold and it would, eventually, destroy us all." I won't let that happen, Sunshine vowed. I won't let that spirit take control of my baby girl. Whatever it takes, I will protect her. Sunshine suddenly noticed that it was time to go home, and so wandered back through the castle to the ballroom, where she found Amaterasu and Rasmus still sitting in the corner.
"Time to go home now, Princess," Sunshine said. Amaterasu pouted, but gave Rasmus a quick hug goodbye before following Sunshine to the waiting vehicle that would take them home. "Did you have fun today, Princess?"
"Oh, yes, Sunshine! I had a wonderful time. I think... I think I'm in love, Sunshine," Amaterasu said, staring out the window with a dreamy look on her face.
"With Rasmus?" Amaterasu nodded. "Well, we're going home to bed now, so you'll be able to have lots of lovely dreams about him," Sunshine said, watching her daughter lovingly.
"Sunshine? Are you OK?" Melina asked, poking her gently. Sunshine snapped back to reality, then looked up at Melina.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just got back another memory, that's all."
"Really? What about?"
"You, Sailor Pluto and Prince Rasmus."
"Who's Prince Rasmus?"
"Another of Aurora's cousins. It seemed like the two of you were pretty serious," Sunshine said.
"What, we were in love?"
"Yes, you were. I think I've seen him in this life too, but I'm not sure..." Sunshine's eyes widened as the truth hit her. "He's David," Sunshine said, shocked.
"What?!? David is Prince Rasmus?!?"
"Yes, he is. I thought he looked familiar when I first saw him."
"Wow, it's a really small world," Melina said, amazed.
"It certainly is, and it's getting smaller by the day," Sunshine mused. Just then, Melina gave huge yawn and her eyelids started to sink. "Looks like that's enough stories for now. Goodnight, Melina."
"Awww, OK. Night, Sunshine."