Author's Note: Ok guys! Here's the exciting part: a new chapter! And a longer one than last time! Sorry it took 3 weeks instead of one week...but I hope you'll agree that it was worth it.

As usual, thanks to those who were awesome enough to review: Valkarious, Samantha, YunaNeko, Sin of the Fallen, Sailor Peridot, Neko-Mitsuko, and Serendipity's tears. You are all fantastic and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Thank you to Jaimesesshy as well...I promise I'll answer you as soon as my eyes stop being strained (I have been writing the end of this chapter all day).

Anyway, thanks gain for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

Love,
Ladykikyo1792

Chapter 25: Long Live the King

"In light of what has happened so recently and so tragically in the Kingdom of Saturn, we have decided that it is time you all know the truth and the gravity of this situation," Queen Serenity explained, sitting atop her marble throne. The other planetary monarchs sat on ornamental chairs beside her. The remaining princes and princesses of the Federation, as well as Kagome, were gathered before them. The only ones absent were Michiru, who was still healing, Setsuna, who remained at the Gates of Time, Hotaru, who was currently secluded in chambers elsewhere in the Moon Palace as she grieved, and Sojan, who was dead.

Although Kagome, like everyone else, had heard of the devastation on Saturn, she found it hard to believe that Sojan was dead. He had been such a talented knight, fiercely loyal to his family (albeit far too prejudiced against demons for her liking, though she supposed he at least had a reason), and she still recalled him as the elegant fairy prince he had seemed all those months ago when they had met. It just didn't seem possible for him to be dead.

Nevertheless, the fact remained that Sojan was dead. Hotaru was the sole remaining heir to the Saturnian Royal House, and though she was technically slated to be queen, no one dared to mention when her coronation might be. This was partially because she was grieving, partially because she currently had no kingdom to rule, and partially because they thought she might be going mad in her grief. It would not do to have a mad queen, and as a result, there was much discussion among the Federation monarchs about what to do with her. Ostensibly, Hotaru was on equal ground with them now- Queen of Saturn in right, if not yet officially titled -but she seemed to have no desire to treat with them, and so they did not bother to seek her opinion on what should be done. As for the remaining members of her race- a mere fifty-four individuals who had been lucky enough to be off-world when the attack occurred -most had made arrangements to travel outside the Sol System. They could not bear to be so close to their desecrated home, and so they did not swear loyalty to their queen or plead her case before the Federation monarchs either.

The Federation monarchs, meanwhile, were still stunned by what had happened to the Kingdom of Saturn. Each of them wondered if it could happen to them. Each of them feared what the results would be. They recalled Sojan's words about how the strange peasant men were supernaturally strong- inhumanly so -and how many of his own soldiers they dispensed with easily. The ratios of soldiers versus strange men, according to Sojan, was not good. It meant they required more soldiers to defeat these men- far more than any of the kingdoms had. They needed to be assured of military help from other kingdoms.

The had come to only one solution for that, and it was also going to be discussed with the royal children today.

"The truth?" Ami asked, bringing Kagome's attention back to the matter at hand, "What do you mean?" For once, even she, the most intelligent of them all, looked perplexed.

Queen Serenity sighed, "Before he died, Prince- King -Sojan informed us that the beings who attacked Saturn- he said they looked like men, but could not be men -were incredibly strong. It took ten of his soldiers to kill one of them, and one of them could kill five of his soldiers. He added that when one of the beings died, it seemed as if fifteen took its place. You all know enough military tactics to deduce that such numbers are not good for any kingdom, even without the supernatural abilities of the strange men. Armies would be destroyed quickly. Worlds would fall fast, as happened on Saturn. The plain facts are that we need more soldiers to call on than ever before."

Minako looked troubled, "But you can't raise any more soldiers. Even if you were to draft the nobility who aren't actively fighting, it wouldn't be enough. And Your Majesty, I know you aren't suggesting we start training children to fight!" Her tone was incredulous, but her eyes were serious. She had no idea how else Queen Serenity could possibly expect to gain more soldiers quickly, and the concept disturbed her.

The Moon Queen's mouth dropped open at the horrendous thought, and she quickly asserted, "No, Minako. Of course not. What I am saying is that we need these soldiers, and as you stated we cannot get them from our own worlds- so we must get them from others. The fastest way to do this, and the most surefire way to do this, is through marriage." The other monarchs nodded their agreement.

All at once, the princes and princesses gasped. Now they understood the purpose of the meeting. Their parents wished to marry them off!

"I know this must be sudden and shocking, and I am sorry. I know I speak for all of your parents when I say we always wanted you to have time to get to know your betrotheds before you wed. Unfortunately, the situation does not allow for that, and quite frankly, it also limits your list of potential suitors, as we must select members of kingdoms with plenty of soldiers for themselves and even more to spare for us, should the need arise," Queen Serenity paused, then said, "I am sorry for this, but you must understand the terrible danger we are all in-"

"But what if we already have a betrothed?" Rei asked. She couldn't believe her luck. If her parents were ending her betrothal to Motoki, and were in need of more soldiers, she knew one man who had extensive military experience and a number of soldiers on his home planet who were still loyal to him, despite his supposed "betrayal" of his prince. As many of them were, in fact, so loyal, they were not exactly thrilled with the Earthan royal family at the moment. Perhaps they would prefer to serve their former commander on Mars.

Mars Ares, it's too perfect! Rei thought gleefully, I knew you would find a way for us to be together!

King and Queen Mars exchanged a glance, and at last, the Queen said:

"I had hoped to make this announcement in private first, but alas, my daughter has forced my hand," she offered a smile, but it was clearly strained, "Your betrothal with Motoki is dissolved, Rei."

"What!?" Queen Venus screeched, "How can you say such a thing, Ariesna? They have been betrothed since they were barely out of the cradle!" The Venusian monarch rose to her feet, nearly red with rage. Her husband rose beside her. Although he was equally angry, he laid a hand on her arm, trying to remind her to be diplomatic about the situation. Motoki, for his part, looked like a whipped puppy. Kagome thought he might start crying, and for a moment, she felt a little bad for him.

"I am sorry," King Mars answered for his wife, "but we must do what we have to to protect our kingdom. Judging by what happened to Saturn, we all need more soldiers than ever before. Having Motoki and Rei wed would require that each of our armies be halved to assist the other world. This gains nothing for either of us. It is really in both of our best interests that the betrothal be ended."

Minako asked hopefully, "So, does this mean my betrothal is dissolved too?" She did her best to keep her face perfectly angelic, but inside, she was praying with every fiber of her being that she wouldn't have to marry Prince Hephaestus.

Queen Venus huffed, "Absolutely not. Unlike certain people, we keep our agreements. You will wed Prince Hephaestus as planned."

Minako's heart sank. Oh well, she thought, At least Kunzite and I made our Vow in time. The other Inner Princesses gave her sympathetic looks.

King Mars tried again to placate the Venusian royals, "That is a good match, financially, politically, and militarily. It is a new kingdom, and they will have many armies from their various asteroids-"

Queen Venus snapped, "Don't insult me, Vulcan. You have already done enough of that for today."

"Enough, please," Queen Serenity tried to diffuse the tension, "The point we are making is that in order to fulfill your duty to your planets, all of you will be betrothed as soon as possible."

"Not me," Kagome couldn't help but add. Inwardly, she wondered why she had been called to his meeting at all if it was just about marriage negotiations. She knew her father wouldn't break her betrothal with Sesshomaru. Aside from the fact that marrying Sesshomaru ensured that they would have ties with a powerful galaxy (even if he didn't rule the galaxy itself), Savitr wouldn't take away Kagome's happiness after it had been so recently gained.

"No, not you," Queen Serenity acknowledged. She took a deep breath, then said:

"Kagome, I don't know how to tell you this, but as you are so close to us, we wanted you to personally and privately find out before our ambassador reports the news to your father. Our spies believe that someone is responsible for Queen Kedira's death-"

"What do you mean, 'responsible?' You think she was...murdered!?" Kagome gasped, swaying a bit on her feet. Although Amarion rushed over to steady her, and she knew Sesshomaru could mentall feel her distress, she couldn't focus enough to answer her fiancé's frantic telepathic request:

Kagome? Kagome? What's wrong? Kagome!

Instead, she could only think: Oh, my Mars...this can't be happening. This can't be true! Still, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Kedira was young; she wasn't sick or injured. There had no been no explanation for her death, except for Isuki telling her the queen had simply been found dead one day, as if someone had drained her life force. How could someone do that, though? Kedira had to have been killed some other way...

"How?" Kagome asked, voice ragged. Even though Kedira hadn't been her mother, she had been the closest thing to a mother she had. Kedira had always had a kind word for her. The thought of someone killing the selfless queen made her sick.

"Well," Queen Serenity said, "We don't know exactly. However, we think that based off the horrible deaths of King Cronus and Queen Demetria, as well as King Sojan, it seems likely that someone is targeting the monarchs of the Sol System." The other rulers nodded gravely.

"But the circumstances were so different!" Haruka protested, "With all due respect, the Saturnian king and queen were victims of a mass attack," she softened her tone, remembering Kagome was present, "Queen Kedira died in her sleep, alone. No one else was affected."

"Normally, we would agree with you," the Moon Queen admitted, "but these times are not normal.

"You all are aware that we Federation planets have various spy networks in place. Earlier this year, some of my spies picked up rumors of something called the Dark Kingdom plotting to overthrow us. They also heard tell of a new religion on Earth, an esoteric faith devoted to one deity whose name is unknown by outsiders. It was strange, as the main Earthan religion is open to all, with a welcoming and loving goddess known as Gaia.

"It was the suggestion of General- I mean, Acolyte Jedite, Protector of Princess Rei -that the Dark Kingdom and this religion are one and the same, a cult of loyal, zealous followers determined to do anything for their deity. We believe that this deity wishes to supersede all the others, and to do so, it must begin by overthrowing us. What better way to overthrow us than kill those who are most in charge of worshiping the gods: the reigning monarchs?" Queen Serenity asked.

No one in the room had an answer for her. The silence was terrible.

Finally, the Moon Queen concluded, "I am sorry, but we felt you needed to know what we did. Until we learn otherwise, the plan to betroth you all stands."

"So, you heard about what happened on Saturn," Mohaka said, sipping tea from her teacup. As had become their weekly ritual, she and Beryl were dining on the top of Earth's castle. Today they had small cookies along with their tea. Beryl claimed she could stomach nothing else with the revelation that Endymion loved Serenity.

"Yes. A terrible tragedy," Beryl replied absentmindedly. She tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and stared at her opal engagement ring. She willed it to mean something important, something special- to mean that Endymion really loved her.

Even if he didn't, Beryl wondered, could he grow to love her? It was by the will of Queen Equinity that they were being married at all. Surely he would realize that his mother's choice was a wise one, wouldn't he? Of course he would understand why an Earthan woman, who had been born to the same world as he, who understood all its struggles and needs, was better for him than a Lunarian girl who was so self-absorbed with pride in her and her mother that she insulted diplomats! Wouldn't he? He had to. He just had to.

"They say the entire planet has been destroyed, and nearly its entire population deceased. Only Princess Hotaru herself escaped; any other surviving Saturnians were off-world at the time," Mohaka paused, daintily placing the teacup back on its saucer, then said, "Many worlds- my own included -are terrified that whatever decimated that planet could attack us. With so many soldiers of the Federation worlds lost, we cannot help but wonder if we are next, and if our forces are adequate to fight them. Savitr has decided that they may not be, and we may require military assistance from other kingdoms, and so he is trying to create as many new alliances as he can."

"Oh, really? How is he doing that?" Beryl at least tried to feign interest in the conversation, though in reality, all she could do was think about how she had seen Endymion and Serenity embracing in the gardens of the Moon Kingdom. It was an image burned into her brain, and the words they had spoken to each other played incessantly in her mind. She could not go a single second without thinking of it, and while the knowledge that Endymion had sworn love to Serenity devastated her, she also comforted herself with the fact that no matter what, she was the one marrying Endymion. Serenity never could hope to tear apart our-

"Marriage," Mohaka answered, inadvertently finishing Beryl's thought, "He's marrying his children off left and right, determined to secure the friendship- and military aid -of as many kingdoms as possible. I've heard rumors that other kingdoms are planning on doing the same- though of course, they have so many less children that they will have less soldiers!" The Sun Queen laughed a bit at her own joke, but Beryl did not share her mirth, only offering her a faint smile. Mohaka sighed, picked up her tea again, and inquired:

"What is Earth planning to do?"

"I beg your pardon?" Beryl replied, surprised by the question. At the Sun Queen's curious gaze, Beryl snapped to attention. She flushed, realizing she had let her mind wander and completely ignored her illustrious guest for at least two minutes. Mohaka pursed her lips, and repeated:

"I was wondering if you knew what Earth was going to do to protect itself in the face of whatever destroyed Saturn, as unlike the other kingdoms, its prince is already betrothed. As his betrothed, they surely would have told you of their plans." She leaned forward and clasped her hands together, staring expectantly at Beryl. The Earthan looked away, and the Sun Queen said, sounding a bit disappointed:

"They haven't told you? Oh, well, then-" she turned away awkwardly, her golden silks rustling. She started to snap her fingers to call her two handmaidens to her, but Beryl cut her off:

"What?" she asked, instinctively knowing that whatever Mohaka was about to say could not be good. Her heart begun to thud in her chest in wary anticipation.

Mohaka gave her a sad, almost pitying look, "My dear, if you are Endymion's betrothed, then they would consider you part of the royal family. As such, they would tell you what they hope to do to protect their kingdom. If they have not told you, however, perhaps they are thinking of breaking the betrothal so that Endymion will be free to marry-"

"Why would they do that?" the Earthan asked, "I don't understand-" She was puzzled and panicked at the same time. Her heart had picked up its pace, and her hands started to sweat. She hurriedly wiped them on her gown, praying that the Sun Queen didn't notice.

Mohaka folded her own hands in her lap, "Beryl, recall what I just told you about Savitr. Marriage is the quickest way not only to form an alliance, but also to bind someone to that alliance- after all, if you are married to someone, you cannot hold back aid from the homeland of your spouse. The spouse will not allow it." She gazed at Beryl for a long moment, as though she was waiting for her to agree to her assertion. Her handmaidens, meanwhile, lurked in the background, curious why their mistress had begun to summon them and then suddenly stopped.

"Right," Beryl replied, still confused, and acutely aware of their stares. She shifted in her chair uncomfortably, trying very hard not to let on how nervous she was.

"I don't know how to put this delicately," the Sun Queen paused, then sighed, "Beryl, you were a commoner with no family. You don't have influential relatives, nor can you promise an army. That's what the Earthan royal family will be looking for now: a potential princess who has an equally powerful family at her side, with a strong army to protect her and Earth-"

I'm not a princess, it's true, but I'm a noble! A peasant, once, but not anymore! And you yourself said that we were similar! If that's true...

"But you were a commoner, and you married a king!" the Earthan blurted, unable to hold the thought back. She clapped her hands over her mouth, unable to believe she'd just insulted Mohaka like that. Her face rapidly turned a deep red, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw that both Solarian handmaidens were utterly appalled at her outburst.

Mohaka smiled sadly, "I was a commoner. However, my father happened to make a string of excellent business deals in the spice trade in the Sun Kingdom. Then, luckily for us- though unluckily for the man in question -his biggest rival died. We then had a monopoly on the trade, and grew wealthy very quickly. The king noticed my father's business savvy, and gave him a title. Around that time, Queen Kedira died, and when Savitr came to confer the title on my father, he was looking for a bride from Dhelara- and fell in love with me. It was a stroke of luck that paved my way, Beryl, but even I had something to offer as a commoner: wealth. Aside from that, none of the planets or stars were in such danger as they are now. I imagine I would not have married Savitr at all if they had been."

"So...you think they'll set me aside!?" Beryl asked, horrified. At last, she understood what Mohaka was trying to tell her: the Earthan royal family, who should have been treating her as family, were deliberately excluding her. They had no reason to do that, unless they weren't intending to have her join the family after all. Her heart sank.

"I'm sorry to say I think it's a very real possibility," Mohaka confirmed, "The truth is, my dear, on your own, you don't have much to offer them," she paused, took a sip of her tea, then said, "However, I have an idea. It's a bit outlandish, but if you're willing to consider it-"

"What?" Beryl demanded, "I'll do anything!" She resisted the urge to jump out of her chair and slam the table. Instead, she focused on channeling her anger into calm: Maybe there's a solution. Deep breaths. Mohaka says there could be one!

As if hearing her thoughts, Mohaka set her teacup down, and said:

"Perhaps we can find a family to adopt you on the Sun. The one I'm thinking of is very formidable, with strong connections- perhaps one of the most elite families there. Still, we'd have to introduce you, and see if they agree to take you in-"

"Let's go now," the Earthan said emphatically. This time she stood up and merely looked down at Mohaka, for once not giving her the deference owed to a queen.

The Sun Queen looked startled, "Now?"

"Yes, we need to go now," Beryl replied, "If what you say is true, then I have no time to waste."

"This isn't fair!" Serenity wailed, diving headfirst into her massive white blankets. The Inner Princesses, plus Kagome, had gone to her chambers after the horrible announcement in the throne room. They were trying to process the abrupt change in their fortunes. While they had always known they would have to marry royal princes, they had never thought it would be so sudden, or that they would have absolutely no choice in selecting their betrothed. As such, they were very upset, and Kagome, who was still in a state of shock from the news that Queen Kedira had probably been murdered, was trying to do her best to comfort them and distract herself.

Currently, Minako, Rei, Makoto, Kagome, and Ami were all lounging on chaises and chairs that were scattered throughout Serenity's room. Each princess, with the exception of Rei, was devastated.

"What are we going to do?" Makoto said miserably. Her green eyes were filled with sadness, and she rested her chin in her hands. Her brown ponytail was flat and lacked its normal luster.

"Well, I don't know about you all," Ami said matter-of-factly, "but I'm moving to Earth."

The other princesses' heads swiveled around in shock, except for Kagome, who couldn't help but smile faintly, even in her despairing state.

"What!?" they asked as one, their eyes practically bugging out of their heads.

"What do you mean, 'I'm moving to Earth?'" Minako demanded. She jumped off her own chair and sat next to Ami, surprising the Mercurian princess. Ami quickly recovered, shrugged, and replied:

"I've been thinking about it for a while now. Ryo is set to inherit, and he says he would at least like three children. Statistically one of them will be a girl, and she will take up the mantle of Sailor Mercury. I really am unnecessary to the line of succession, especially when you consider that he's apparently going to be married very quickly now. Since I don't have any place in the line of succession, I don't have any major duty to Mercury, and I refuse to be a sacrificial lamb for them," she folded her hands primly in her lap, "Instead, I will go to Earth, marry Zoisite, and live with him in his castle. Together we will replicate Federation medicines and discover new ones to help the Earthans where they need it most."

"Ami," Rei bit her lip, "Does Zoisite know about this? I mean, has he asked you to marry him, or are you just going to show up on Earth one day toting your bags?" She raised one eyebrow at her friend, and though the sentence sounded as if it was in jest, her gaze was serious.

Ami shrugged again, "No, he hasn't asked me, but I know we both want to be together. This is the only way that can happen. I'll speak to him about it beforehand, of course, but I see no reason why it should be a problem."

"Maybe because Mercury would declare war on Earth?" Minako pointed out. Ever the military strategist, she was thinking of what would happen in such a scenario: faced with Mercury's superior technology, Earth would undoubtedly lose. Ami would be dragged home in disgrace, and probably made to live as a recluse, locked up in one of the palace's towers for the rest of her life.

"They can't," the blue-haired princess explained, "I already checked. Only the heir's marriage must be by royal command- I'm not the heir. If I marry Zoisite before they betroth me to someone else, then they have no cause against Zoisite. If I did it after they entered me into a betrothal, they would have the right to bear arms against him- if he were a member of the Earthan royal family. However, he isn't a member; merely their loyal servant. The only person they can blame is me," Ami paused, then noted, "I fully expect they will strip me of my inheritance, but I plan on sneaking as many of my personal jewels out as I can. I don't need them- all I need is Zoisite -but it would be nice to have some tokens of my own world when I start life on a new one."

The other princesses stared at her, and at last, Serenity asked:

"You've been thinking about this for a long time, haven't you?" Her blue eyes were wide, and she had climbed across her bed, abandoning the pillows to be closer to her friends.

"Yes," Ami admitted, "my decision was all but certain until today, when it was made absolutely certain." She shared a glance with Kagome, who gave her another small smile.

"Well," Makoto said dourly, "I'm glad you have a plan, but what about the rest of us?" For some reason, she seemed the most upset of all the princesses.

"I told you Kunzite and I made our Vow," Minako tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, "and that was in place beforehand, so nothing's different for me now, really. Though it would be so romantic to run away to Earth!" she sighed, clearly daydreaming of idling her days away in Kunzite's castle: specifically, Kunzite's bedroom.

Rei rolled her eyes, "Yes, you did. About six times. Please don't go into it again. I'm a priestess; I really shouldn't be hearing about that kind of sacrilege-"

"Hey, she's not your goddess!" Minako sing-songed, and threw a pillow at Rei. The Martian caught it gamely, then hurled it back at Minako. The Venusian tumbled to the floor with a soft exclamation of shock, the orange layers of her gown billowing around her.

"No, she's not, but you should still show Venus Aphrodite some respect!" Rei admonished her, "Anyway, I think I'm going to bring it up to my parents that I should just marry Jedite anyway. He's already given up his homeworld for me- how could they find someone more loyal than that? On top of that, he told me that a lot of the soldiers who used to be under his command on Earth are very upset with the Earthan royal family's decision to execute him, or try to, anyway. I think it would be pretty easy to get them to come to Mars and follow him again. So there you go, extra soldiers, and handsome general, all in one!" She grinned, utterly pleased with herself.

"I don't think that's going to work, Rei," Kagome said doubtfully, knowing that King and Queen Mars were definitely looking for a royal, but quickly added, "but I hope it does," to placate her friend. Then, the Solarian princess turned her attention to the Jupterian, "Anyway, what about you, Makoto? You have a plan to run away with Nephrite?" She had to admit, she was curious to see if her suggestion to Ami had become popular with the other princesses.

"I can't," Makoto gritted her teeth, "Unfortunately, Nephrite has yet to be 'sacrificed' to Jupiter Zeus, so he has no reason to leave Earth for me, and no disgruntled soldiers to follow after him either."

"You could always make a Vow," Minako suggested helpfully.

"I don't think Jupiter Zeus would be as forgiving as Venus Aphrodite is of that," Makoto replied sarcastically, shooting Minako a dark look. Her patron god, who considered himself king of the gods and who tradition declared desired ostentatious ceremonies honoring him as such, would probably be offended by Makoto making a Vow as Minako had. Besides, Nephrite most likely would be too embarrassed to do such a thing in front of a god, even a statue of one.

"Don't worry, Makoto," Serenity dashed up from her bed, and ran over to squeeze the distraught Jupterian's hand, "I'm in the same situation with Endymion. But we'll figure something out. We have to."

"I hope you're right," Makoto said doubtfully, fighting back tears.

Mohaka ushered Beryl into a small dressing area at the rear of her bedchamber. Unlike the rest of her chambers, which were decorated in bright red and gold hangings, the dressing area was hidden behind bronze grilles. A few deep red curtains were hung from the ceiling. The ceiling itself was painted in an elaborate mosaic depicting a solar eclipse. The black gems twinkled in the candlelight, and Beryl couldn't help but stare at them.

"Leave us," Mohaka commanded with a flick of her hand, and the two handmaidens obeyed, bowing and backing away. Beryl forgot about the mosaic and watched them as they departed, confused as to why the Solarian queen and she had to be left alone to meet her potential family. It made no sense to her.

Wouldn't a noble family, especially one so elite as the one Mohaka said they were, want servants to be around to attend them? the Earthan thought, utterly confused for the second time that day, Unless maybe they are so elite they wish only to have their own servants, and even those of the royal family aren't good enough for them? If that's true, they must be truly something...

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mohaka, who fixed her black eyes on her and asked, quite seriously, "Beryl, you once told me you would do anything to marry Endymion. Is that still true?"

"Of course," Beryl replied, unsure why the Sun Queen was asking her again. If Mohaka didn't know by now how much she loved Endymion, perhaps she never would. Beryl looked around once more, still trying to figure out how, by Gaia, this was supposed to be an adequate place to meet a Solarian noble family. It wasn't that the dressing area wasn't beautiful- it was stunning. Nevertheless, it was a dressing chamber. Surely, they should at least be in a sitting room.

"Very well, then," Mohaka said, "Come with me." She closed the door to her dressing room, then locked it. Afterwards, she reached an elegant hand towards the Earthan, who took it hesitantly. Then, she stepped towards her mirror, and began to chant. The words were foreign and strange- it wasn't any language Beryl had ever heard: not Earthan, Solarian, or even Lactean. The syllables were harsh and sharp, yet somehow musical, all at once. She was too transfixed by the melody to notice, at first, that the glass in the mirror before them had disappeared. By the time she did, Mohaka had pulled her through the mirror, and the dressing room was gone.

Instead of the Solarian Royal Palace, they were in a seemingly endless cavern filled with gray smoke. Through small cracks in the rock, a dark purple sky was visible, though no stars could be seen. The cavern itself was equally dim, with only the faintest hint of light streaming in from the cracks in the ceiling. Whispers filled the place at her arrival, and though Beryl whipped around, she could find no source for them. Still, though, she knew that there had to be people watching her. The voices had sounded human- but were they? She shivered.

"Wh-where are we?" Beryl asked, struggling to keep down her fear. She shrieked as a bat flew down from the ceiling, lifting her arms to cover her head as it passed her. Soft laughter came from the shadows.

"This," Mohaka spread her arms grandly, gold silk shimmering, "is the Dark Kingdom. Here, Beryl, you can find your new family, amongst all of us who have been chosen by our Great Ruler." Turning to her right, the Sun Queen saw Beryl gaping at her, open-mouthed. She raised an elegant eyebrow, then forced herself to remember what it had been like for her when she had first come to the Dark Kingdom.She had been just as wide-eyed as Beryl, until someone finally explained it to her. Then she had felt she had come home.

Now, she had to do the same for Beryl.

"What do you know of the gods?" she asked.

The Earthan started to open her mouth to again ask where they were, but Mohaka put a finger to her lips and said:

"I promise, all will be revealed to you in time, but for now, you must answer my questions."

Beryl shifted uncomfortably, still uneasy about her surroundings, but obediently answered, "I don't know much about many gods. I worship Gaia-"

"And what has Gaia ever done for you?" Mohaka demanded. She crossed her arms, and cast a scornful look at Beryl. At Beryl's shocked silence, she continued:

"Left you an orphan? Made you an outcast? Scorned by your entire village? Let you fall in love with a man you could never hope to have?" The words were like daggers to Beryl's heart, undeniably painful, but also undeniably true.

Beryl had always wondered why nothing ever seemed to go her way. Despite her poverty, she had done her best in her worship of Gaia, giving her daily offerings of wildflowers. Whenever she could, she even spared a bit of food for the woodland animals around her home. Nonetheless, it often seemed as though her attempts fell on deaf ears. Her life had always been difficult- until she met Endymion. The Earthan had recently come to terms with this, thinking that perhaps she had had to endure such hardship in order to meet Endymion at all. Maybe Gaia had been watching over her the entire time- or at least, that's what she had told herself.

"I- I-" Beryl tried feebly, but the Sun Queen held up a hand to stop her:

"I can answer that question for you: nothing. Gaia has done nothing except torment you, and made your life difficult. Do you know why, Beryl? I can answer that question for you, too," Mohaka leaned forward, almost pushing the Earthan back, "Gaia was afraid of you." She paused to let that momentous, heretical pronouncement sink in. The whispers around the cavern had quieted now. Everything and everyone in the cavern was listening to Mohaka with rapt attention. Even the bats had stopped moving, remaining still on their perches.

At last, she continued, "You see, my dear, the gods do not want humans to be like them. They hate it. In fact, when any human could possibly become like them, they are so afraid, that they hurl every horrible thing they can at that human, to keep them from reaching their true potential. They are cowards, all of them!" At her declaration, the others in the cavern gave a great roar. Mohaka smiled with triumph at their approval, her earrings glinting in the light from the cracks in the ceiling. Beryl, meanwhile, still couldn't see anyone. She felt very small, and though she had recently enjoyed being the center of attention as Endymion's betrothed, she didn't like it one bit now.

"However, there was one goddess who was not afraid of these special humans. Rather, She aspired to help them achieve greatness!" The people in the shadows cheered. Mohaka stopped for a second, allowing their accolades to subside. This time, when she spoke again, her tone was dark and angry, "Although the goddess was generous, giving the select, special few Her blessing, and even some of Her power, the other gods were furious with Her. To punish Her for Her kindness to humans- for helping them to be great -they banded together and destroyed Her body, imprisoning Her immortal essence so that She could never again assist humans.

"Since then, She has been locked away here. Slowly, She has been able to regain some power, and has started to reach out once more to those She deems worthy. I am one of those people, Beryl, as are you, as is everyone standing in this cavern," Mohaka gestured around the room, "We have all been chosen for greatness. We have all been chosen by the goddess-"

"Who?" Beryl asked softly, unable to hold back her curiosity despite her fear, "Who is this goddess?"

Mohaka's black eyes whipped to hers, and she said reverently, "Metallia. Her name is Metallia. She has given me everything I ever wanted, Beryl, and She will do the same for you. All She asks is a small price in return," Mohaka grasped one of Beryl's hands in her own. She gazed at her fervently, as if hoping her Earthan protege would agree with her at just how little the price was.

"What is it?" Beryl asked warily. She was no longer afraid of the cavern, exactly (though she was not exactly fond of the bats), but she was deathly afraid of the promises that it seemed were made in it. Surreptitiously, she tried to glance over the Sun Queen's head to find a way out.

"Allow Her to enter your body when She desires. Allow Her to use your body as a vessel until She is regains her power to make a corporeal form-" the words came out of Mohaka in a breathless rush.

"You want me to let her possess me!?" Beryl blanched. She let go of the Sun Queen's hand and pushed her away, stumbling backwards. Rocks crunched under her feet, and a few bats screeched in displeasure at the noise.

Mohaka blinked and looked almost offended, "No. Possession occurs for an extended period. She only comes for short times. Besides, it won't be forever- just until she is strong enough on her own. In exchange, She will give you everything you desire- and even allow you to access her powers." The Sun Queen was dangling the possibility of magical abilities in front of Beryl like a carrot. However, the Earthan had been thought to have magical powers her entire life, and had been reviled- and very nearly killed -for it. She had absolutely zero desire to have them now.

"I'm sorry," Beryl said, "I just- I can't. Take me back, please." She stepped away from Mohaka and turned around, hoping to find her mirror again. Gulping, she ignored the murmurs from the crowd, fingering her dress in an effort to focus on anything but the scene behind her.

I can't. I can't give my soul away. What would Endymion think of me?

Alone with her thoughts, Beryl didn't notice Mohaka purse her lips. Nor did she hear the blond man next to her say:

"Perhaps you were wrong about her, Your Majesty."

"No," Mohaka shook her head fervently, "I'm never wrong. She just needs time- and to see that it was only by the grace of Metallia she was betrothed to Endymion at all."

"I am so sorry, Kagome," Sesshomaru murmured. They were in his chambers in the Moon Kingdom Palace, and she had only just left the Inner Princesses' sides. Most of them were calmer now- or at least more resigned -except for Makoto, who was truly depressed and had gone off to pen a missive alerting Nephrite to the horrible news. Kagome, meanwhile, was grateful to have the chance to go spend time with Sesshomaru and finally take care of her own emotions instead of worrying about her friends.

They were curled up together in Sesshomaru's bed, and Kagome was snuggled on his chest. He was stroking her hair, one claw running through the black silk strands. Normally, she loved this gesture, but right now, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it.

"I just don't understand it, Sesshomaru," Kagome said, "Why would a god want Queen Kedira murdered? And if the god is going after all the Sol System rulers, why didn't it kill my father too? He is the ruler of the Sun. Kedira was just his consort," she shook her head, "Something doesn't make sense. Something about this whole horrible mess doesn't make sense, or, if it does, then my father is in terrible danger." She closed her eyes, struggling not to cry. Still, her chest was tight with the effort, and she was taught with anxiety.

"I do not think your father is in danger," Sesshomaru replied, brushing a tear off her cheek. Kagome looked up at him, confused:

"How can that be? Queen Serenity said-"

"Kagome, think about what you just told me," the demon said simply, "If the god is going after Sol System rulers, it would have made sense to kill your father and Queen Kedira at once. It would have made sense to massacre the entire star at once, as happened on Saturn. Yet that did not occur on the Sun, which suggests that this entity does not want your father dead, if it is concerned with your father at all."

Just then, a knock came at the door. Sesshomaru rose to a seated position, gently nudging Kagome off him, and called:

"Enter."

A servant in Moon Kingdom livery came in, and awkwardly bowed:

"My lord," noting Kagome, he curtsied, "Your Serene Highness. I apologize for the interruption, but Queen Serenity is preparing an expedition to investigate what happened on the Kingdom of Saturn, and what remains there. She has notified surrounding galaxies, asking if they would like to send representatives or assistance. Empress Kikyuri sent word that she wished for my lord to be among the expedition members. She is...concerned about what happened, and believes you are the ideal candidate to go-"

Sesshomaru thought with morbid amusement, What she means is I'm the least likely person to get killed by whatever attacked them.

Kagome gave him a stern look, Well, I'd rather you don't get killed either-

I'm not going to get killed.

"Er," the servant said, "My lord? May I inform Their Majesties that you will go?" Kagome and Sesshomaru at last acknowledged the servant, realizing that he, of course, could not hear their thoughts and so believed they had merely been sitting in silence for several minutes without answering him.

"You may," Sesshomaru said.

As the servant bowed and began to exit, Kagome called out:

"You may also add that I will go with him-"

Kagome! Sesshomaru admonished, clearly displeased with the idea.

What? I'm your fiancée, remember? I have Andromedan ties too! Kagome was more aware of this than ever before, and she had decided that instead of letting it limit her as it had when Saturn was being attacked, now she was going to use it to her advantage.

Kikyuri did not command you to go, Sesshomaru said.

No, she didn't, but I'm not letting you go alone!

Sesshomaru sighed, utterly exasperated with her, but well-aware he was not going to win this argument.

If you must come, Kagome, at least try to be safe. He affectionately ran a claw through her hair, and she laid her head back down on his chest. Both had already forgotten the servant was there.

The servant, for his part, just cast strange glances at both of them, then shut the door.

My dearest Nephrite,

I have horrible news. I was just told by my parents and Queen Serenity that I am to be married off as soon as possible. I don't know to who. I don't even know when. They are saying that what happened on Saturn was so devastating that they afraid it could happen to us. I can't imagine anything wiping out Jupiter, but my parents are convinced something could, and the best way to avoid this is to find me a royal husband with an army.

I'm heartbroken, darling. I was supposed to marry my cousin Kairos- I told you all about the succession debacle -but I was hoping to abdicate and give him the throne. He has studied so much of statecraft that he would be an excellent king, anyway- just not my king. I want you, Nephrite.

I just don't know how I'm to have you. I could put aside Kairos easily- I know he would happily agree not to marry me to gain back his birthright. But a foreign royal...what can I offer them not to marry me? Nothing, or at least nothing that doesn't cause my people harm.

Oh, Nephrite, what am I going to do? Ami, Minako, and Rei are in the same situation, but they don't have the same problem. Rei has Jedite around her anyway. She's going to suggest to her parents they marry- since apparently he has soldiers left on Earth? I don't know. She thinks they'll defect to Mars, so she gets her love AND an army. Minako already made her Vow with Kunzite (I'm sure you heard), and Ami is planning to run away to Earth to be with Zoisite (which I hope you've heard, because if not, Zoisite probably knows nothing about this either and that will be an awkward reunion). The only one in my position is Serenity, and even she is hopeful now that she's seen Endymion that they can figure out some sort of solution.

I just don't know what's going to happen to us, my love. And I'm so scared to find out.

I love you.

Love,

Makoto

Nephrite crushed the letter to his chest, fighting back tears. He swallowed, trying to compose himself, but it was very difficult. He loved Makoto with every fiber of his being, and her sadness leapt off the page. The worst part was that he could do nothing about it. She was absolutely right: Jedite got to spend the rest of his life around Rei (if nothing else, she could probably easily sneak him into her bedroom when she was crowned queen), Kunzite and Minako had made a Vow sealing their relationship (as unconventional a Vow as it was), and Ami could leave her homeworld behind to be with Zoisite. Makoto couldn't just leave Jupiter- her parents would never let her voluntarily give up her claim to the throne, let alone to marry an Earthan, even a prestigious general like him. Similarly, he couldn't just leave Earth. He had sworn himself in service to Endymion and to the Earthan Royal Family. With Jedite gone, the royals could not afford to lose another of their most famous generals, and so Nephrite couldn't leave. He was bound to them forever.

And, considering he was bound to the Earthan Royal Family, he had to take this news to them.

Or, he thought uneasily, considering the way Her Majesty and Endymion have been acting lately, maybe I should talk to Kunzite and Zoisite first.

So it was that Nephrite had summoned the other generals a few hours later to a small room off the castle kitchens. They sat around a table in the dim light of torches, sipping mugs of ale. They had chosen this location because they thought that no one would suspect them of being there- and also because the servants' shouting in the kitchens would cover their own discussion.

"So the Federation monarchs have decided to marry off their young royals as fast as possible to gain allies and soldiers," Kunzite mused, "Clearly, they consider whatever attacked Saturn to be a very grave threat." He sipped from his mug, somehow making the gesture appear elegant.

"They are scared," Zoisite said bluntly, placing his own mug back on the table, "They are scared of this unknown force, and if they, with all their technology, are scared, shouldn't we be?"

The other two generals flicked their eyes to him, and emboldened, Zoisite continued:

"They have so many things that we do not. They have weapons and defenses we do not. Yet, if what Makoto is saying is correct, then entire platoons of soldiers were wiped out. What hope do our soldiers have?"

"None," Nephrite said softly. His heart sank with the truth of it.

"None," Zoisite agreed grimly, "No amount of training could prepare them to face this threat. We need help-"

"What are you suggesting, Zoisite?" Kunzite inquired, "Clearly, you have something in mind." He raised one eyebrow, and leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands.

The blond took a deep breath and said, "We need to do the exact same thing: Endymion must marry someone, and quickly. If possible, the queen should as well-"

"What!?" Nephrite blanched, rising to his feet, "Her Majesty vowed never to marry again after His Majesty's death!" the brunette general practically shouted, "She would never consider such a thing-" He was utterly horrified. They had each been fourteen years old- Endymion included -when the king had gone off to fight a horde of demons, never to return. A heartbroken Equinity had wept over the remnants of his corpse the demons had so courteously decided to return to them (by depositing them in pieces outside the castle walls), swearing she would never love another. The four young men- Jedite, Kunzite, Zoisite, and Nephrite -had watched the entire thing with a crying Endymion between them.

"Sit down, Nephrite!" Kunzite bellowed, "and lower your voice. This is the last thing we want overheard," he muttered to himself, then continued, "Even if Her Majesty does not wish to wed again, your theory has merit, Zoisite. Endymion must wed a foreign royal, and soon." His gray eyes were even stormier than usual.

Although he was now seated, Nephrite still could not believe the conversation going on around him. Looking back and forth between his two friends, he demanded:

"Are you out of your minds? What about Serenity!?"

"What about her?" Zoisite replied coldly, "He used to be in love with her, yes, but now half the time he forgets she exists. He went to the Moon Kingdom, sure, but before that he let himself be betrothed to Beryl, of all people. Notice he hasn't dissolved it yet."

"Well, we must dissolve it for him then, and soon," the white-haired general concluded, "I suggest we bring this matter to Her Majesty, with a list of potential candidates, now."

Zoisite and Kunzite stood to go to the queen's chambers. They looked expectantly at Nephrite, who stubbornly remained seated.

"Nephrite," Zoisite said tiredly, "You know we're right." He crossed his arms.

"I do," the brunette agreed sullenly, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it." His chair scraped the floor as he too stood up.

Meanwhile, the noise of the chairs covered the steps of a horrified Beryl, who had heard everything. Once she had teleported back to the Earth Kingdom from the Sun- and she and Mohaka had hardly spoken since their awkward return from the Dark Kingdom -she had determined that she was going to continue with her life as if nothing that happened. That involved planning her wedding, and specifically, checking on her gown. When she'd asked after the seamstresses, the guards had told her the women had gone downstairs to eat dinner in the kitchens with the other servants. Beryl, who knew the way well, made her way to the kitchens- only to see a flash of tell-tale white hair disappear around the corner. Confused and suspicious as to why the generals would be in the kitchens- they normally ate with Endymion in the Great Hall -she'd tiptoed after them, then pressed herself against the wall, hearing the entire conversation.

Mohaka was right! They are planning to get rid of me! Beryl hurriedly turned around a corner, peeking around to see the generals make their way up the stone staircase back to the main floor of the castle. Once they were gone, she began to take deep breaths, trying to make herself calm down.

It wasn't working. Instead, she just felt ill. She wrapped one hand around her stomach, then put the other over her mouth, choking back a sob as she sunk to the ground.

What will happen to me once they dissolve the betrothal? Beryl wondered, I was only Lady Baltica because I was Endymion's fiancée. Will I just go back to being the queen's dressmaker? Will I have to make the new princess' gowns? Will it be like nothing ever happened? She let out an unladylike hiccup, and despite herself, a moan of despair came from her lips. Then, just as suddenly, her resolve hardened:

No. I will not let this happen to me. They can't just raise me so high only to throw me down! I was chosen for greatness! Maybe now I just have to remind everyone it's mine.

At first, Kagome hadn't understood why the expedition was leaving from Jupiter. When she had asked, Sesshomaru explained that as far as anyone could tell, Saturn no longer had any active teleportation systems, and that as a result, anyone on the expedition would have to fly to the planet. The various planetary participants in the expedition wanted a single planetary base from which their starships would leave, and Jupiter, being the closest planet to Saturn, was chosen.

Kagome had been excited to see Jupiter at first- both because it was another Federation planet she had never visited and because she was trying not to focus on the manner of Queen Kedira's death. It would be a welcome diversion. Yet, before they even entered the Jupterian atmosphere, pilots from the planet had flown out on separate starships to tow the foreign starships in. It was then that she began to realize Jupiter was a bit unordinary, and the more they entered the atmosphere, the more shocked she was that people actually lived here. It was almost as inhospitable as Mercury, and Ami, currently dressed as Sailor Mercury, cited that it was the most inhospitable planet of the nine Federation worlds. Remembering her brief visit to Mercury, Kagome entirely disagreed with her, but she wasn't going to debate with a native Mercurian on that point.

They had just barely entered the first layer of clouds when lightning lit up the entirety of the ship's interior. Rain of all colors of the rainbow bombarded the windows, and it quickly became impossible to see anything outside. Even the very ships towing them were lost in the rain.

"Is this...normal?" Kagome said nervously. It only just barely rained on the Sun- if ever -and this type of torrential downpour disconcerted her. Rei, who wore the uniform of Sailor Mars and stood in between her and Jedite (who as Rei's bodyguard, now accompanied her everywhere), nodded:

"Yup. Jupiter almost always has massive storms going on. It makes flying in very difficult for foreigners, though it does make Jupterian pilots some of the best in the galaxy. They're towing us in because they're the only ones able to see through this mess." Sailor Mars' words made Kagome recall how Makoto herself had easily flown a Solarian starship during the Andromeda Crisis, and if she had grown up in this weather, it made much more sense. Clearly, the language on the controls hadn't mattered, since Makoto was used to flying only by instinct.

"If they're towing us in, who's going to fly us out?" Kagome inquired. It seemed rather odd to make Jupiter a base for their operations if the interplanetary forces couldn't get in and out on their own. Although the more she thought about it, she supposed it was the only choice considering Uranus was currently orbiting far from Saturn, whereas Jupiter's orbit was very near to it at this time of year.

"The Jupterians are loaning out some of their best fighter pilots for the expedition. One will be assigned to each starship and serve as the pilot, with the more senior foreign pilot serving as copilot," Minako, also present and dressed as Sailor Venus, said. She flipped a strand of blonde hair over her shoulder and added, "It will be pretty interesting to see how the interplanetary pilot team works out."

Kagome couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. Much to her relief, however, their starship descended slowly and gracefully to the planet's surface, despite the horrible weather. Their landing was impeccably smooth, and had she not been witness to the raging storm outside, she would have said they had been flying in perfectly clear skies.

Their ship continued to gently roll forward on the ground, then, oddly, downward, and was quickly engulfed in darkness. The rain abruptly stopped. Kagome looked at Sailor Mars, confused, and the black-haired senshi smiled:

"You didn't think anyone actually lived on the surface? All of the homes would be easily destroyed. The entire kingdom, except for a few military outposts, is underground."

Aha. Well, that explains a lot, Kagome thought to herself. On cue, lights flickered on, and their starship door opened to reveal a large hangar. There was a metal runway for the ships to land and be tied down to, along with some drains to catch the excess water dripping off of the starships, but other than that, the entire hangar was carved out of rock. The deep brown rock was roughly hewn, and it had clearly been done by hand. What looked like miner's lanterns made of gold were hung in various places on the walls, and if one looked closely, one could see glints of tiny gemstones that were naturally embedded in the rock. There was no elegant, marble smoothness as in the Moon Kingdom, but it somehow managed to seem regal and a bit magical anyway.

As the door to their starship opened and they disembarked, Kagome, Sesshomaru, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Mars were met by Makoto. She wore her gown of state, a stunning dress of forest green silk with a transparent layer of brighter silk underneath. It was layered in such a way as to show a bit of her lower legs, but nothing so daring as a Solarian summer ballgown. To complement the dress, she wore a silk green ribbon around her neck, along with rose earrings: the official flower of Jupiter. Strangely, though, she had foregone the emerald necklace they typically saw her in and sported a necklace made of a blue-green stone.

"Hi, guys," Makoto said, offering them a strained -smile, "Welcome to Jupiter, Kagome. Oh, and you, Lord Sesshomaru. I believe this is your first visit?" She curtsied slightly, and he gallantly bowed back. As he bowed, he couldn't help but think dryly:

Well, as a lord, I suppose it is. As a prince, I have been here many times. Though I doubt it's a good idea to tell her that.

Once he had raised himself up again, Kagome nudged him discreetly, Be nice. She's had a terrible few days and she's making an effort to be polite to you.

Accordingly, the demon lord said, "It is, Your Highness. Thank you for being so gracious as to greet our landing party in person." Not a hint of his acerbic amusement came through in his spoken words, which were, as always, dignified.

At this, Makoto said, "Of course. Now, if you'll come with me, I believe my father and some of the other expedition leaders would like to discuss how they want the landing formation and exploration to go." She pressed a small button hidden under a recess, then lead them through an opening that appeared in the rock.

Kagome struggled to keep her mouth closed. The sight around her was awe-inspiring. It seemed as though the Jupterians must have carved out their entire planet to make their kingdom. They exited onto a staircase made of the same carved rock as the hangar, with more tiny gemstones fixed into the ground. They glittered in the light of the lanterns, which were hung around the edges of the staircase. The staircase itself spiraled around and around in a gargantuan circle, and Kagome could not begin to count the number of steps that stretched ever downward. Each revolution of the circle lead to a different floor, which had a myriad of tunnels branching off it. Jupterians were everywhere, walking all over the staircase and in and out of the tunnels. Waving as they saw their princess, people chattered and laughed as they went about their day, and Kagome watched them disappear into doors that were sliced into the walls of the tunnels. If she had to guess, all of their personal dwellings must be behind those doors, identified only with a family's name and crest. There were no windows at all. As a result, the tunnels off of each level resembled what would be an ordinary hallway anywhere else, lined with doors. One would never suspect entire homes lay behind each nondescript door.

In fact, the only home that did not follow this layout was what served as the Jupterian palace, located in the center of the cavern. Although it too was carved out of stone, one could see the entire building. It vaguely resembled a castle, but instead of turrets, it was topped by both carved roses and the real things, which bloomed around the palace in a lovely, though haphazard pattern.

"It's beautiful, Makoto," Kagome breathed, "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Wait 'til you see her room," Sailor Mars said enviously, "It's gorgeous!" Sailors Mercury and Venus nodded their agreement.

Makoto replied regretfully, "Maybe another time. You need to get to that meeting, remember?"

The Martian groaned, and Jedite could not hide a soft laugh at the sound. At her angry glare, he protested:
"This is the world of soldiers and royals, Rei. You may have to get used to it."

"What if I don't want to get used to it?" Sailor Mars asked. Her tone was saucy, but her eyes were serious. She didn't like the changes that were happening in her life at all, or the danger that was now an inextricable part of it. Jedite, seeking to calm her, smiled:

"Ah, but then you wouldn't be the lovely warrior queen I know you will be one day, blessed and beloved by Mars Ares, the god of war himself." He kissed her hand lightly, and Sailor Mars' nerves dissipated instantly. She blushed daintily, and Kagome thought:

Beloved of Mars Ares? More like beloved of you, Jedite!

Shut up, Kagome, Sailor Mars retorted, still pleased at the general's words.

It's true! Kagome insisted.

Kagome, Sesshomaru interrupted their mental tiff, You should go with Princess Jupiter. There's no reason for you to be at themeeting; I am Andromeda's representative. Besides, she looks as though she could use the pleasure of your company, especially since Princesses Mercury, Venus, and Mars are representing their worlds and will be joining me.

Are you sure? Kagome asked doubtfully, I mean, I'm going to Saturn, too. She was a bit suspicious why he would keep her from the meeting, especially considering she knew he had absolutely zero desire for her to go to Saturn.

Yes, I know, and I know I cannot dissuade you of that. However, I expect this meeting will mostly be discussing flight maneuvers. I think you can miss it. I know I would like to.

You don't like flying? Kagome inquired, surprised.

Not in a chunk of metal, no, Sesshomaru answered, but before she had time to probe him further on the subject, a servant in Jupterian livery bowed and began to direct him and the other senshi down a nearby hallway. When Kagome did not follow them, Makoto glanced at her:

"You're not going to the meeting?"

Kagome thought quickly for a believable excuse, "I'm not married to Sesshomaru yet. I don't want to be inappropriate and misrepresent Andromeda when technically I don't yet." As much as she agreed with Sesshomaru that Makoto could use a distraction, she didn't think Makoto would appreciate being told that Kagome was staying behind to be that very distraction.

"Oh, well then, I suppose you can see my room!" the Jupterian princess brightened just a little, took Kagome's hand, and lead her down several flights of steps. Then, she whistled. A golden miner's cart, emblazoned with Jupiter's royal crest, appeared to hurtle out of nowhere to a sudden stop in front of them. At first, Kagome thought it had somehow flown through the air, but then she realized that just beyond the edge of the steps of the staircase, a metal train track was suspended through the cavern. Another servant in Jupterian livery bowed, jumped out of the miner's cart, and opened the door for them.

Kagome gazed at Makoto in shock, who couldn't help but giggle at her surprised expression:

"You didn't really think we walked down all those steps to get everywhere, did you?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, and ignored the jibe.

People have got to stop saying that to me today. She awkwardly sat down in the cart next to Makoto. The servant shut the door, then asked:

"Where to, Your Highness?"

"The palace, please," Makoto replied, and with that, they were off. The scenery blurred as their cart sped down the tracks, which mirrored the spiraling of the staircase. Kagome resisted the urge to scream, instead settling for hanging onto Makoto's hand for dear life. The Jupterians, meanwhile, upon spotting their princess zooming by, shouted greetings and approval in their native tongue. The words ran together, and the language itself seemed harsher, making the yelling almost frightening. Kagome thought:

Is this what those monsters sounded like on Saturn?

Her stomach clenched in discomfort at the idea.

Then, she really did let out a shriek as their cart abruptly stopped. The servant exited to help Makoto out, and Kagome decided she couldn't wait any longer to get out of the cart. She started to push herself out, and nearly toppled to the ground. Her legs felt like jelly. Just before she hit the rock floor, though, a hand caught hers:

"Are you all right, Princess?"

Startled, she looked up to see a young man of about twenty-five who looked almost exactly like Makoto. He shared her deep brown hair and green eyes, though he was taller and more muscular than her.

"I think so," Kagome said, "Thank you-" she paused, unsure of how to address him. He was obviously closely related to Makoto, so he had to be a high-ranking royal, or at least a noble of some sort.

Noticing her uncertainty, Makoto stepped in, "This is my cousin, Kairos, Prince of Jupiter." At the introduction, Kairos bowed slightly, and Kagome curtsied back, acknowledging him as an equal.

Although Kagome murmured all the appropriate how-do-you-do's, she was puzzled. The way Lady Crawford had taught her titles worked on Jupiter was that only royal children carried the title of Prince or Princess of Jupiter. Once grown, siblings of the reigning monarch- such as Makoto's aunt Hestia, who was famous for her cooking -were assigned one of Jupiter's moons and used a title such as, "Hestia, Archduchess of Ganymede, Princess of Jupiter." Their children, who were royal cousins to the heir, were styled as princes or princesses of that moon- so, Hestia's daughter Vesta, for example, was styled as Princess Vesta of Ganymede.

According to what Kagome understood of the rules, if Kairos was Makoto's cousin, he should have been a prince of one of Jupiter's moons. Yet Makoto had not introduced him as such, and so she couldn't help but wonder about the break in protocol. Who was he, exactly?

She knew it would be rude to ask with the prince there, however, and so said nothing.

Kairos interrupted her thoughts, "I heard that you would be joining us on our expedition to Saturn. I've also heard great tales of your abilities, Kagome. I look forward to seeing them in action soon." He bowed once more, then added: "I must go now; I'm late for the planning meeting. I understand it will be over in twenty minutes. I will see you then."

Kagome watched him summon his own golden mine cart, and a few minutes after it had swept up the train tracks, she turned to Makoto, whose prior high spirits were now gone. She looked sad again.

"Who's he?" Kagome asked, unable to deny her curiosity any longer.

"My cousin," Makoto answered flatly. Her eyes were dull.

"Yes, I know that, but who is he? The second you saw him your mood plummeted."

"Oh. Well, Kairos was my fiancé, until a few days ago."

"You were going to marry your cousin!?" Kagome knew that this was a common tactic in other parts of the universe, but it was never practiced on the Sun. The sheer amount of royal children made it impossible- and the constant mixing of blood would result in incest. Besides, she had never heard it mentioned in Federation circles before. They almost always intermarried with foreign royal families.

"Yes. It was an agreement made between my father and our nobility to end a rivalry in our succession. My uncle, Heracles, was King of Jupiter before I was born. When Kairos was a year old, Heracles drowned in a storm. He was trying to save his wife, who was foreign born, and didn't realize the signs of a Jupterian hurricane. Both were dead, and so there was no regent to rule for Kairos, except my father. My father performed so well in his role as regent, including improving and perfecting our underground shelters, that the nobility voted to keep him as king even after Kairos reached his majority.

"However, my father knew that this wasn't fair to Kairos, and so he proposed an alternate arrangement: that I, the daughter born two years after his coronation as king, would be the heiress to Jupiter, and that I would marry Kairos before I myself ascended the throne. Together, we would rule jointly as king and queen of Jupiter, and the line of succession would be restored.

"I've never minded this arrangement- as a child," Makoto smiled faintly, "I even had a crush on him. Now, though, having met Nephrite...I've never felt a love like this for anyone. So I came up with a different future: I'd abdicate in order to marry Nephrite, and Kairos could rule. It was a perfect, built-in solution, one that I had never told anyone, lest they tell my parents and try to stop it. However," she said sadly, "that will never happen now. Our betrothal is dissolved, and no matter what, Kairos loses his chance to be king, and I lose my chance to be with Nephrite."

Finally, Kagome understood why Makoto had been the saddest of all the princesses earlier. All along, Makoto had had a secret plan to be with Nephrite and serve the best interests of the people of Jupiter. She could do her duty and have love as well. However, if she couldn't marry Kairos, then that plan was ruined, and she lost her love forever.

"So," Kagome paused, wondering at Kairos' fate, "What happens to him? Does he rule a moon now?"

"I don't know," Makoto admitted, "He was a royal prince, born to be king of Jupiter. He was told he would be king his entire life. He can't just be demoted to an archduke. However, he can't marry anywhere else, either. He has nothing to offer a foreign kingdom."

"Like Sesshomaru," Kagome murmured softly.

Makoto froze, startled at the comparison. Then she said, just as softly:

"Yes, like Sesshomaru."

Beryl ran into her chambers. She shouted at her own servants to leave- though, she thought frantically, unless she did something drastic, they wouldn't be her servants for very long. Accordingly, she nearly threw the last two puzzled girls out of her chamber, then slammed the door shut, breathing heavily. She dragged one chair against the door,situating it so that it jammed the handle. She absolutely could not be disturbed for what she was about to do.

Then, she ran to her window and yanked the curtains down. Grabbing a taper laying on her bedside table, she methodically lit each of the torches in her chamber so that the room was filled with an eerie glow. Smoke curled around her, and she fought the urge to cough.

Instead, Beryl sank before her own mirror in the corner of her room and begged:

"Please, take me back. Take me back to the Dark Kingdom!"

Despite her pleading, the glass remained smooth and immutable. Beryl bit back a cry of frustration, digging the fingers of both of her hands into the iron sides of the mirror. A few drops of blood dripped down the right side of the mirror- she had cut herself on one of the twisting patterns in the frame.

Not even noticing the pain, the Earthan continued, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe in You! I'm sorry I didn't trust You! You were right...and I was wrong...Please, Metallia..." she slid to the ground, her face touching the stones, "Please, don't You abandon me too." The last sentence was a whispered prayer, the first she had ever offered to a deity other than Gaia. A few stray tears fell down her face, mixing in with her blood.

She waited.

Nothing happened.

No, Beryl thought, It can't be over. I know this is a test. If I have been chosen for greatness, then I know my patroness will always support me. This is a test from Her- to see if I support Her!

She ardently murmured to herself, "I won't lose faith in you, Great Lady. I will not doubt You ever again! I do not doubt You now!" She whispered the words as loudly as she could without attracting the guards' attention. To punctuate the statement, she slammed one of her hands on the stones.

A torch lit by her head snuffed out. Beryl turned to see the flame disappear, and her breath caught in her chest. She pulled herself up, pressing her lips into the mirror's surface, and said eagerly:

"I recognize Your power! I recognize Your Greatness!" Her breath fogged on the glass, but quickly disappeared.

In the reflection that came afterwards, she saw three more torches go out. Their smoke curled towards her in tendrils.

"Please, Metallia! Take me back to the Dark Kingdom! Let me join You! Let me be with those I was always meant to be! You have chosen me, and let me prove You right in my worship of You!"

The smoke suddenly tripled in size, and it rushed towards Beryl. As though it were a solid object, it pushed her through her mirror, which itself seemed to have become a deep, murky, black liquid. It felt thick and heavy, however, as if it were quicksand that were drag her to her death.

But I am not going to my death, Beryl reminded herself, I am going to Metallia. I am getting my second chance!

Then, she found herself in the dimension she had so recently fled. The sky was its familiar dark purple, and the smoke from her own chambers that had pushed her through the mirror combined with the gray fog that was ever-present in the Dark Kingdom. A few bats screeched a greeting, and once more, she felt the eyes of hundreds upon her. This time, though, she did not shrink from their view. Instead, she drew herself up to her full height, took two steps forward, and said loudly:

"I have realized the error of my ways. I have come to swear myself to Metallia."

Mohaka materialized out of the shadows. Beryl forced herself not to flinch at the Sun Queen's presence, and at the angry look on her face.

"You insulted our Great Ruler," she snarled. Her black eyes flashed with rage. Hisses came from the unseen forces watching in the background. The Earthan realized again that this was yet another test, and the only way to prove herself was to show that she would be honest before her goddess and her new family.

"I was afraid that I would lose Endymion," Beryl said plainly, "but then I realized that Metallia had been leading me to him all along, and that She would never let me lose him. She wanted us together. She wanted to help me. I did almost make a terrible mistake," she paused, then played her trump card, turning around to address all of the beings in the cavern, "but wouldn't you be doubtful if all you'd ever had was a goddess ignore you and stamp upon you? Weren't you? Would you really begrudge me the hours it took to accept that there was a goddess who loved me, who trusted me, who wanted me to succeed?"

There was silence. Even Mohaka stared at her. The rage seemed to be gone from her gaze, and her eyes were as unfathomable as an abyss. Beryl's heart was pounding, and passionately, she went on:

"That doesn't prove that I'm unfaithful," the Earthan hazarded, "just that I, like our Great Ruler, am careful who I choose." She hoped she hadn't gone too far with this declaration. Just in case they had any doubts as to her loyalty, she said grandly:

"And I choose Metallia." The words echoed around the chamber, and Beryl almost shivered as she heard her own voice thrown back at her.

I choose Metallia.

I choose Metallia.

I choose Metallia.

Suddenly, the gray fog around them turned darkest black. It flew towards the center of the cavern just before Beryl, curled upwards, and then slowed to form the vague shape of a woman. The woman stood nearly fifty feet high, and where her eyes should have been were only red glowing orbs. What passed for hair were black tendrils of smoke snaking outwards from her head. Other than that, her features were indistinguishable. She was a creature of smoke and ash, and Beryl finally understood what Mohaka meant when she said Metallia was unable to hold a corporeal form- how the gods had taken that form away from her.

Still, even though Metallia appeared to be just black mist, Beryl could feel the power emanating off of her in pulsing waves. Apparently, so could everyone else, for she heard rocks crunching as every other person in the chamber dropped to their knees. In a million different languages, they all murmured:

"Hail, Metallia. Hail, Great Lady. Hail, Thee who has Been Wrongfully Imprisoned." Then they repeated it in one language, and Beryl recognized it as the tongue Mohaka had spoken in earlier, the first time she had taken Beryl to the Dark Kingdom. The words were dark and musical and they made her heart sing.

Why do you not kneel before me as the others do? The words formed in Beryl's head as softly as the black smoke drifted off the goddess, and Beryl answered confidently:

"Because You taught me to stand tall."

Metallia's red eyes widened, and Beryl thought she heard laughter in her mind.

You understand more than they do, then. I like you. Perhaps you will be the greatest of my children.

"I aspire to be. I aspire to be Your most favorite servant, who does Your will on Earth as Endymion's wife and queen."

Metallia smiled, Very well. Then pledge yourself to me, Beryl of Earth. Open your body to me, and give me your spirit, and I shall give you everything.

Beryl replied, "Hail, Metallia. Hail, Great Lady. Hail, Thee who has Been Wrongfully Imprisoned." She pulled her sleeve back, revealing the cuts on her hands, and began her own prayer:

"I give You my blood freely, until You have Your own once more. I give You passage into my body when You require it, until You regain Yours. I give You my soul forever, for You have given me a future."

As Metallia reached towards her, Beryl repeated again, "I give You my soul forever."

Sesshomaru, Kagome, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Jedite, and a small group of Jupterian soldiers, Kairos among them, were aboard a sleek, silver Moon Kingdom starship. They were accompanied by a miniature fleet of starships, each bearing a group of soldiers from each planet who had elected to participate in the expedition. Though they had originally planned to fly separately, they had decided it was better to go together, firstly to cover more ground, and secondly because they felt there was strength in numbers if, stars forbid, they ran into whatever had massacred Saturn.

Also, just in case of that, certain senshi and princesses had been left behind. Princess Serenity and Makoto were the sole heiresses to their planets, and so could not be placed into any possibility of danger. Hotaru, as one of the last members of her race and the last member of the Saturnian Royal House, obviously could not go- though everyone agreed it might be too traumatic for her as well. Setsuna was, of course, still at the Time Gates, while Michiru was only just recovered (while she was now stable, doctors warned that she could not go anywhere near a fight, for she was also weak as a kitten). Although Serenity and Makoto were less than thrilled with this arrangement, they had no argument to fight it, and so kept informed via small communicators, both units of which were worn by Sailor Venus.

As they approached Saturnian airspace, their starship shuddered. The Jupterian pilot, Prince Kairos, swore.

"What the-?" Sailor Mars demanded angrily. Jedite threw out a hand to balance her, then placed his hand on his sword. The other senshi stumbled to the ground, a few choice curse words coming out of the Earthan general's mouth. Kagome would have fallen herself, if not for Sesshomaru placing his hands on her shoulders. Being a full-blooded demon, his balance was impeccable, and he did not so much as tremble.

"Apologies, Your Highnesses!" the Lunarian copilot called out, "But we were just hit by what seems to a large rock...our instruments detected no meteors in these parts, though-"

"A rock?" Sailor Mercury raised her eyebrow, pushing herself to her feet, "A lone rock happened to smash into our ship randomly? It's not possible. Check with the other ships. Have they been hit?" As the Mercurian chattered with the pilots, Kagome, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Mars forced their way towards the cockpit, trying to gauge the situation on their own.

"Oh my Mars," Sailor Mars breathed in shock. Kagome couldn't help but agree with her. It seemed as if large rocks filled their entire field of vision- in fact, it seemed as though they saw more rocks than stars through the front window of the ship. Massive boulders of varying shapes floated past the windows, the pilots swerving far more often than Kagome found comfortable to avoid them.

"Pull back," Sesshomaru commanded. When the pilots glanced back at him in confusion, he narrowed his eyes and practically growled:

"Pull back! We need to get our bearings. Tell the other ships to do the same."

The Lunarian copilot gulped, while Kairos grimaced, but both did as he said. As the starship drew backwards, the senshi, Jedite, and Kagome each grabbed one of the metal handles set in the ceiling. Once Sesshomaru ascertained that Kagome was secure, he made his way towards the cockpit. Jedite followed, albeit less gracefully, and Sailor Venus tiptoed after him. The trio once again surveyed the bizarre sight before them:

"They look like- like rings," Sailor Venus muttered, as if unsure of herself. She blinked, sharing a wary look with the former Earthan general. It made no sense to her- Saturn merely had numerous moons that slowly rotated around it. Hundreds- no, thousands -of rocks had no place there.

Jedite observed, "The rocks are being pulled towards the planet. Gravity's holding them in place, so there's no danger of them falling to the surface. It's safe to approach, but we need to go slowly-"

"How did they get there in the first place, though?" the copilot asked, "There were no meteor showers; we would have been alerted to them by our instruments-" He gestured futilely towards the control panel, as if believing that they would give them a full explanation for the phenomenon.

"What that tells us is that the rocks are not meteors," Sesshomaru said definitively, "If we know nothing else about them, at least we know that. I doubt we will discover anything further until we land." The pilots stared at him expectantly, hand poised over the controls. Sesshomaru had no idea what they were waiting for- they were the aviation experts, not him.

Then he realized it: they were looking to him as the one most senior in rank, and as such, were waiting for his orders.

How ironic, the demon mused dryly, that Federation pilots are looking to the demon prince to command them, he paused, taking in the fact that even the senshi were silent, Even their princesses are looking to the prince whose throne they stole.

Sesshomaru shook his head, a small smile appearing at his lips. Still, he said clearly:

"Take us to the planet's surface."

Kairos nodded, then pressed the controls to go slowly forward. The ship glided in and out of the rocks that had so strangely appeared around Saturn, and slowly, ever so slowly, began its descent to Saturn. When they finally touched down on the surface, the senshi looked at each other, steeling themselves for what was to come. The Jupterians, meanwhile, stood up in the precise manner common to soldiers and checked each others' armor and weapons. When they had ascertained they were all in perfect condition, they turned towards Sesshomaru. The demon prince, still disbelieving they were regarding him as their commander, shook his head slightly. Then he gave the order to exit the ship. Kairos pressed a button built into the hull, and the door opened. He and the Jupterians went out first. Meanwhie, Sesshomaru leaned towards Kagome:

"Stay close," he warned. Kagome nodded. Despite the presence of Jupterian soldiers (a unit of Jupterians lead by Kairos, no less) with them, she felt uneasy, especially after their flight in. She could sense a similar amount of fear in Sailors Mars and Mercury, though Sailor Venus seemed more wary than anything else. Still, they all walked forward together, slowly and carefully exiting their starship.

The senshi gasped in unison at the sight before them. Saturn had become a wasteland. Whereas before, Kagome knew from her geography studies, it had been a temperate planet, covered in pines and oaks and filled with all manner of woodland creatures, with hundreds of mountain ranges, now it was unrecognizable. The trees were either burnt to ash on the ground. Animals were nowhere to be seen. The mountains, bizarrely, were gone, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the other senshi:

"How could they just disappear?" Sailor Mars queried. She spun around, unnerved by the absence of the massive peaks she had known since childhood. Black ash covered the bottoms of her bright red heels, and she shook each foot in turn, trying to dislodge some of the soot.

Sailor Mercury agreed, "There's not even rubble indicating their old locations. It's as if they simply vanished-" Her analytical mind could not even begin to process the situation, "but that can't have happened. It's the Law of Conservation of Matter: it cannot be created or destroyed-"

All at once, Kagome understood, and she said, her voice full of shock and disbelief, "The rings," she recalled their pilots' confusion as they approached the planet, "Something destroyed them. The mountain ranges became rocks and rubble and now they make up the rings."

Sailor Mercury considered, "It's plausible, I suppose, but the amount of force required to destroy entire mountain ranges is extensive, and when one calculates the amount required to jettison the debris into space," she bit her lip, doing the calculation in her head, "it's just not physically possible."

Jedite said quietly, "By a human, it is not possible." He shot a wary glance at Sesshomaru, who met Jedite's look with a calm gaze of his own. After a moment, Sesshomaru turned away, and acknowledged:

"You are correct, Jedite, but even while it would be possible for a large group of demons, or even one daiyoukai, to easily destroy these mountain ranges using their bodily strength alone, sending them into space would require magical aid."

Sailor Venus crossed her arms and asked, "You think demons did this? How could they even enter Federation borders? Aside from that, why would they?"

Sesshomaru considered for a long moment, then said carefully, "I am not certain as to who or what destroyed Saturn's mountain ranges. However, Jedite's and Kagome's theory is possible. With greatest respect, Your Highness," he addressed Sailor Venus directly, "you are suffering under a delusion if you think that demons never pass through the Federation. They do not stay, but they do enter, and they do pass through. As they do not stay, they do not interact with your customs officials. It would be easy for demons to enter the Federation. As to why they would attack...for you, the Golden Millennium was eons ago. Still, your lifespans are nothing in comparison to ours. There are many demons still living today who were...defeated," he bit his tongue on the word, "during the fall of the Golden Millennium. They still hold great resentment towards the Federation. They do not lack a motive- but who could unite so many demons?" he mused, "It's the direction that interests me."

"But they weren't demons," Kagome pointed out, "They can't have been. Sojan said they were peasant men-"

"He said they were monsters," Sailor Mars corrected. She was still focused on the ash on her shoes. As she picked up one heel in her hands to brush it off, she nearly screamed: there were white shards amongst the powder.

Bones.

Before she had time to relay this discovery to the others, however, Kagome had already continued insistently:

"He said that they were peasant men with extraordinary powers. They acted like monsters, but they were men. If anyone would have wanted to identify demons as the culprits of something, it would have been Sojan. If they were demons, he would have known, and he wouldn't have hesitated to say that. But he didn't say that, so whatever it was, it wasn't demons."

Suddenly, there was an unearthly shriek in the distance. The soldiers who had traveled with them -two combined units of Jupterians -immediately whipped out their guns. A soft blue glow appeared at the edges of the barrels as the soldiers turned them on, indicating the lasers within. Jedite- who had foregone his robes as a Martian acolyte to wear his old Earthan armor, apparently viewing it as more prudent for the expedition -whipped out his sword, holding it before him and Sailor Mars. The senshi took battle positions, and Kagome, who wore the same armor as she had when they fought in the Andromeda Crisis, notched an arrow. Out of all of them, Sesshomaru alone stood still. His white hair blew in the wind, and his eyes narrowed as his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"It smells...somewhat like hanyou," he observed, "but the scent is not quite right."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, getting increasingly nervous. Her instincts were screaming at her about how very wrong this situation was, and the fact that Sesshomaru could not identify what exactly was on the planet with them bothered her immensely.

The demon prince turned to look at her and said, disgust evident in his voice, "It smells like hanyou and rotting meat." He did not like the smell of hanyou to begin with, but combined with decomposing meat, the smell was utterly revolting.

"So there's a bunch of dead half-demons out there?" Sailor Venus asked.

"At least one of them isn't dead, because one of them has to be making that noise," Jedite said sarcastically. He looked grim at the prospect, and kept testing the weight of his sword in his hands. Kagome wondered if it was a nervous habit, or if he was excited at the prospect of participating in a battle against half-demons, considering he had battled demons on Earth on a nearly daily basis.

"If whatever it is is alive- could this be what massacred the Saturnians?" Sailor Mercury wondered fearfully. She voiced what they had been thinking.

As if the monsters themselves had heard her words, the shrieking grew louder, and dust appeared on the horizon.

"I'd say we're about to find out," Kagome replied, drawing back her bowstring.

"My dear, now that you have chosen Metallia," Mohaka whispered, "Let Her show you that it was always Her guiding you and protecting you."

With those simple, the scenery morphed around them, and Beryl was stunned to find that they were no longer in the Dark Kingdom, but rather in Queen Equinity's private chambers. The queen's rooms took up the top floor of one of the castle's towers, and the circular chamber was hung with many tapestries. Blue velvet curtains were pulled back to reveal the bright spring day, and while there were torches on the wall, like in Beryl's rooms, they were currently unlit. The queen herself was at her dressing table in the midst of removing her sapphire earrings, the exact same shade as her eyes. They widened in shock as she saw the two women shimmer into existence behind her.

"Beryl? Mohaka? What are you- how did you?" Equinity sputtered, unable to make sense of what she had just seen in her mirror. While she knew that the Sun Queen was a frequent visitor, and of course that Beryl resided in the castle, they had seemingly appeared out of thin air. The great wooden latch that served as a lock on her door slid into place, untouched by human hands. At the sound, she whirled around, her green gown swishing against the stone floor.

"Equinity," Mohaka said amicably, "Beryl has a rather important matter she would like to discuss with you. You see, she is most concerned about the status of her betrothal to Endymion." Unnoticed by either the Earth Queen or Beryl herself, Mohaka just barely twisted her hand beneath her silk robes. Equinity, meanwhile, was completely taken aback.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, "Beryl...you aren't betrothed to Endymion. You never have been. You are my dressmaker!"

At the pronouncement, Beryl felt her heart stop. The blood drained from her face, leaving her skin frighteningly white. Completely out of her own volition, she began to tremble.

What!? It can't all have been a dream. It can't have been. But why would the queen say that I was never betrothed to Endymion? Or has everything been a lie? Oh, Metallia...don't let it have been a lie!

She almost moaned in agony, but the Sun Queen reached out a hand to steady her. At the Solarian's touch, Beryl stopped trembling and returned to paying attention to the conversation at hand:

"Ah, but Your Majesty," Mohaka interjected, her tone full of false warmth, "Don't you remember? It was at my wedding, only a few months ago, that you announced Beryl as Lady Baltica, your son's betrothed!"

The Earth Queen sank down on the chair before her dressing table, her forehead furrowed in puzzlement. While she recalled the memory, it was both hazy and clear all at once, sharp in its events, but hazy in the actual picture. She remembered the order in which things happened distinctly, but the people involved were almost fuzzy around the edges. It was a strange recollection, but she knew that despite its oddness, it was a real memory.

Equinity raised a hand to her forehead, stunned at the wave of pain that swept through her, "I- I-, well...yes. I do. However, such a thing- it can't be. He is a royal prince, and you are just a commoner-" she shook her head, "Beryl, I'm sorry to have given you false hope; I don't know why I said that-" Her voice was full of confusion and pity. It was clear the queen was both perplexed and genuinely remorseful.

Beryl, however, could say nothing. She was struggling both to stand and to process what Equinity was saying, and what it meant.

If Queen Equinity doesn't know why she said I was Endymion's betrothed, then why did she say it all? What made her say it?

As if Mohaka could hear Beryl's thoughts, she stepped behind the Earthan, then leaned close to her ear as she said softly:

"You see, my dear, our Great Ruler lends us some of Her power to manifest both Her will and ours in our lives. When I met you, I saw your potential, and I recognized you as one of those chosen by Her. I reached out to you, and when you told me of your dreams, I asked our Great Ruler if we could help you in such a delicate matter. She allowed me to," Mohaka paused, searching for an appropriate word, "...influence...Equinity, and so you see, it is only through our Great Ruler, and Her holy power, that you were betrothed to Endymion at all," Mohaka explained.

At the Sun Queen's words, Equinity demanded, "What are you talking about? What do you mean, 'influence' me? I am the Queen Regent of Earth!" Indignantly, she rose to her feet and strode towards Beryl and Mohaka. Mohaka ignored the upset woman, as did Beryl. Two tears slid down Beryl's cheeks as she whispered:

"So Queen Equinity never wanted me to marry Endymion?"

"No," Mohaka replied frankly, "Metallia did."

At the mention of the name, Equinity visibly paled. Her anger abruptly died, and she grabbed Beryl's hands in her own:

"Beryl, listen to me," Equinity said fearfully, "Do not fall for that devil's tricks! Her lies! Metallia is an evil being, one who uses humans for her own gain-"

"BLASPHEMY!" Mohaka shrieked. She slapped the Earth Queen hard across the face, and the force of the blow sent Equinity staggering backwards. The Solarian's eyes blazed, and it seemed to Beryl as though a supernatural power accompanied the strike, for Equinity nearly flew through the air as she smashed into her own mirror. Shards of glass rained down around her, and the queen struggled to hide from them, lifting the sleeves of her gown above her head in a futile attempt to keep the glass from cutting her face.

"You are a good person, Beryl," Equinity practically shouted, still trying to avoid the glass, "Do not listen to her!" She crawled across the floor in an effort to get away from her mirror, her great gown dragging behind her. The glass that had already fallen on the floor rose into the air and began to pelt her one by one, the shards flying around her in dizzying circles.

"Metallia tried to help you, Beryl," Mohaka retorted, "Equinity just wants to keep you in the same place you've always been!" The Solarian queen came to stand beside Beryl, twisting her hand again. The shards of glass flew faster and hit the queen harder, creating numerous cuts on her face.

"That's not true," the queen replied, blood streaming down her skin, "Endymion and I rescued you from poverty! We welcomed you into our home! We gave you one of the highest wages of any of the castle servants!"

"See, my dear? Even now, she calls you a servant," Mohaka said contemptuously, "Someone beneath her. Someone powerless-"

Beryl said nothing. The only indicators of her emotions were the tears still sliding down her cheeks and her hands curling into fists.

How? How could this happen? I thought the queen believed in me. I thought she wanted me-

"But you are not powerless," Mohaka continued, "You have all of the power of our Great Ruler behind you. Use it, Beryl. Let it flow through you. Kill her." She pointed at Equinity, who had now given up on crawling, and was kneeling on the stone. Her arms covered her face, and she bent forwards, trying to protect herself from the whirling glass. Ironically, the Queen Regent of Earth looked as though she was bowing to her dressmaker.

Kill...her? But why?

"If you kill her, Beryl, the way to the throne will be open to you. No one will ever know that Equinity never wanted you to marry Endymion. No one will be able to dissolve your betrothal, because Endymion will be king. In fact, to ensure another heir, they will want the king to be married quickly, and there you'll be, a queen-to-be already wearing an engagement ring from the new king of Earth. You can have everything you've ever wanted, and with the blessing of the only one who has ever truly supported you," the Sun Queen said, then commanded again, "Kill her."

"Don't do this, Beryl!" Equinity pleaded, "Think about who you are! You are a kind person! You are a loyal person! You are a good person-"

A long moment passed as the Earth Queen's eyes met Beryl's.

At last, Beryl replied, "But apparently, not good enough to marry your son." Then she raised her hand towards Equinity. A jolt of energy like she had never felt before went through her, and then black lightning sprang from her fingertips. It struck the stunned Equinity with a terrifying intensity, and a second later, the Earth Queen's lifeless body fell forward onto the stones. Her circlet crown, symbol of her royal authority, toppled off her head, and her black hair fell into a disorganized array.

At first, Beryl could only think about how her hard work on the very gown Equinity wore was now spoiled. All of the dust from the floor was now heaped upon it, and it undoubtedly get suck in the detailed embroidery.

She didn't even appreciate it, Beryl thought angrily, then seconds later, realized what she had done, Oh, Metallia! I've just killed Queen Equinity! I- I've murdered Endymion's mother!

She fought the wave of nausea that swept through her.

Mohaka, meanwhile, stepped towards the body, "Come quickly, my dear. We must make this even more to your benefit." She waved a hand again, and eerily, Equinity's body was lifted from the floor. It floated towards her ruined dressing table, the queen's green high heels just barely scraping the floor. With another twist of the hand, Equinity's mirror was repaired, the shards of glass flying magically back into place as if nothing happened. Similarly, the wounds on her face were healed, and the dust removed from her gown. Then, Mohaka lowered her hand, and Equinity's body was lowered so that the queen appeared to be in a sitting position, then her head resting on the dressing table.

"What- how- how can this be to my benefit?" Beryl asked, still horrified by the very scenario. Nevertheless, she felt compelled to help, and as she didn't trust her newfound abilities just yet, manually picked up Equinity's fallen circlet and replaced it on the queen's head.

Her corpse was still warm.

"I already told you how no one can break your betrothal now," Mohaka stated emphatically, "but we can also be certain to end Endymion's little romance with the Moon brat." With another twist of the hand, a wooden goblet appeared on the ground, a letter beneath Equinity's head. Beryl could just make out the opening lines:

To my dear friend, Equinity, Queen Regent of Earth,

I am sorry for the recent friction between our kingdoms. I hope that you know I bear you no ill will, and I wish to repair both ours and our kingdoms' friendships. Please accept this wine as a token of my esteem

She looked at the Sun Queen quizzically, and the Solarian smiled, "When the Earthans discover Equinity's body, they will of course open an investigation to determine her cause of death. I imagine an autopsy will be conducted. Anyone with just a hint of medical knowledge, my dear, will determine that she has been poisoned- and interestingly enough, that this poison's key ingredient is a flower native only to the Moon Kingdom."

"But I killed her," Beryl said, "The...power came from my fingertips."

"The power came from Metallia," Mohaka answered, "Never forget that. And with her power, comes infinite abilities, including the ability to manipulate how things appear to others. Don't worry, my dear, no one will ever know the truth of what happened today. To make doubly sure, though, you must get to your chambers and stay there for quite some time. I suggest drawing a bath. Let your maids see you, though. That way, there is no doubt as to your alibi."

"And you?" Beryl queried.

"I will return to the Sun Kingdom at once, and spend some time with my dear husband," Mohaka smiled, "Now. Here is another gift from our Great Ruler: you can teleport on your own. Merely picture where you want to be, and there you will be. Close your eyes-"

"That's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible with Metallia," Mohaka said. Then she closed her own eyes, and to Beryl's shock, was gone.

A few hours later, guards had grown increasingly concerned. Queen Equinity had not emerged from her chambers for nearly the entire afternoon, and she was not answering their questions as to her state.

Finally, they decided to enter her chambers on their own. They had knocked twice, then louder and louder when there was no answer. At last, they tried to open it, but found the door barred. They looked at one another, confused, but their captain eventually gave the order to use force. It took four men to break it down. As the wood splintered and the dust cleared, they surveyed the room. Then the captain gasped.

"Your Majesty?" he asked, "Your Majesty!" The four foot soldiers ran over to the queen's dressing table, where she was unresponsive. One of the men touched her hand, and found it ice cold. Shocked, he looked at the captain, who stood behind them, and said:

"The queen is dead."

Another soldier repeated stupidly, "The queen is dead?"

The captain, utterly disbelieving, approached the dressing table warily. Placing his hands in Equinity's glossy black hair, he gently lifted his monarch's head up. Her blue eyes were glassy and empty.

"The queen is dead," he confirmed, his stomach twisting, then shouted, "Long live the king!"

Author's Note:

Thank you again for reading! I'd love to hear what you guys think!

Love,
Ladykikyo1792