Jupiter rested her arms on the windowsill, stared out at the last rays of the sun bathing the tall grasses in the orange light. Up in the sky, the forbidden planet Earth hung like a blue bauble. A few times her princess had taken excursions their and her guardians had followed. (Jupiter had her suspicions as to why Queen Serenity allowed those excursions, especially when Princess Serenity's scandalous affair with the Earth Prince was an open secret, but political intrigue was no concern of hers.) Lately there had been no excursions, quests or monster attacks. No threats to the well-being of the Silver Millennium. Nice. And peaceful. And boring. She should have been happy, not bored. She had plenty of time to practice her cooking and grow her plants. Why couldn't she just be happy?

Turning around, she watched her comrades. Venus was running a brush through the Princess's luscious golden locks and giggling with her about something (probably the habits of Terran males.) Mars and Mercury were huddled close together, pouring over a scroll. Jupiter alone was away from the happy group. Mars glanced up at her. "You okay, Jupes?"

Jupiter sighed and walked back to the group, settling down on the bed. Serenity, worry wart that she was, placed a hand on Jupiter's forehead. "Are you sick? Something's been going around."

She smiled at her princess, who was closer to being her friend. "Nah. Honestly, I'm just kind of, well, I don't really know how to describe it."

"Bored?" Venus helpfully supplied.

"Yeah, that's it."

Mercury looked up from her scroll. "Really? Honestly, I've been enjoying the quiet. It's been letting me catch up on my studies."

Mars stretched. "I've been thinking of a pilgrimage to the Fire Temple to practice some meditation. Want to come along?"

Jupiter shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Could be fun."

Venus returned to running long strokes down Serenity's hair. "And you, Serenity? What have you been up to? I notice you haven't taken any trips down to Earth. Is our, ahem, diplomatic ties with Earth strained lately?"

Serenity gave her a look that indicated that the Princess was not amused and a heavy sigh burst from her lips. The guardians exchanged looks. While they had originally been her body guards, they had learned Serenity was emotionally fragile so they often took on the role of her comforters. By common, unspoken agreement Mars, Mercury and Jupiter sat on either side of her while she stared down at her hands. At last she spoke. "You know, it's hard to see him. We're, we're not supposed to. A few dalliances is fine, everyone does it at some point-"

Venus blushed. Serenity continued. "But this is no dalliance. I love him."

This time, Venus clenched her fist. "It's unfair. You should be able to be with the one you love."

Serenity touched her hand. "I understand your anger, but do not rage against the Gods. They have their reasons. If Earth were on the same spiritual level as the Silver Millennium it would be no issue. I could even marry him and bear his child. That is why he has been trying to introduce certain reforms to elevate the Terrans, but it's not going well."

Mars looked up. "If he needs a guide, I would gladly volunteer. It would be...quite interesting to bring the message of the Gods to the barbar…to the Terrans."

Venus shot her a glance. "Not going well? There has been resistance I assume?"

Serenity nodded. "Not full-fledged rebellion yet, but the Death Priests are loathe to give up their traditions and they have some witch to give them aid. I fear the Northern Provinces have seen some clashes."

Venus looked to Jupiter. "Well, Jupes, how's a foreign military intervention for some excitement?"

Serenity frantically shook her head. "Oh no, no, no. That would be a disaster!"

Mars scratched her chin. "The Death Priests' rites do not endear them to the common Terran, or so I've been told, maybe we'd be greeted as liberators."

Serenity threw up her hands. "That's Mother's decision and she has no love of war…" She sighed again. "Or of Earth." She threw herself down on the bed to the general alarm of her guardians. "Hmm, I'm a little bored too."

Mercury stretched out her arms and stood. "Well, why don't we go outside?"

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea." Jupiter motioned to the still open windows. Angry, grey clouds were gathering, hiding away the blue planet, crowding the darkening sky. Serenity clutched the blankets. "Come on, everyone. I'm not a little one-hundred year old anymore." Still, a trembling betrayed her fears. "I can take a little storm-"

A boom shook the sky and she jumped, but (to her credit) did not dive beneath the covers. Venus patted her hand. While she was no little centuryling, three centuries was still very much adolescence for those of the Moon Kingdom. Jupiter stood and boxed the air a few times. Venus, smirking, snuck up behind her and threw a light punch which made Jupiter whirl around and catch it. Venus kicked and Jupiter blocked it. Mars cleared her throat. "Settle down, Ladies. You don't want to break anything do you?"

Venus and Jupiter stepped away from each other and sat back on the bed. The rain had broken forth from the clouds, pelting against the windowsill. Thunder was crackling, raking the sky with yellow claws. Serenity kept switching her attention from the storm to the antics of her most warlike guardians. Mars crossed her legs. "How about a story? A ghost story." Her voice took on an ethereal, otherworldly quality which drew everyone's gaze to her. Serenity pushed up against her pillow and began to listen. Jupiter and Venus settled next to her while Mercury sat across from Mars. As the wind roared and sheets of rain lashed the stones of the palace, the priestess began her tale.

"It began long ago, before the establishment of the House of Rabbit, before your ancestors, Serenity, came to power. You remember the names of your predecessors do you not?"

Serenity bit her lip. "Um…"

Mars refrained from slapping her own forehead in frustration. Mercury cleared her throat. "She is referring to the House of Metal and the wicked Queen Metallia."

"Ohhhh. Yeah, we totally beat those guys, right?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Your great-grandmother did in fact and I would expect you to at least know the history of your own family."

Serenity stuck out her tongue at Mars. "Whatever! I just forgot, okay!"

"Right. Anyway, this is a tale predating even Queen Metalia. Her mother, Queen Steelia. It is said, that that line was not always known for its cruelty. There was a time when the House of Metal was most kind and generous. Princess Steelia was to be wed to her beloved Prince Iron. In what is now this castle's basement-for castle it was then-the wedding was to be held. Prince Iron was of the Kingdom of Nibiru-a planet that no longer exists." She paused. "That story is a sequel to this one. Prince Iron had no intentions to wed her."

Thunder boomed and her face was illuminated in sapphire light. Serenity snatched up the sleeping Luna and held her. "H-he didn't?"

Mars shook her head. "No, no he did not."

Luna opened one eye and accepted her lot in life as a royal squeeze toy, going back to sleep. Mars shifted on the bed. "The guests he brought had knives and swords hidden in their clothes. In truth, he intended to kill the whole House of Metal."

Serenity gasped and squeezed Luna who mewled in protest. "Serenity! Let me go at once!"

"Sorry, Luna." She let go of her and Luna curled up by her side.

Mars' voice took on the tenor of tragedy. "As Princess Steelia watched, the Niburites attacked and slaughtered her family. The Lunarian Army eventually pushed back the invaders, but Steelia's mind was lost and her heart grew cold. She never loved again. No love for any man, no love for her subjects, no love for her daughter. And her daughter grew. It is said she had such hatred for her mother that she killed her and sentenced her to worse than death-eternal imprisonment within a crystal. Metallia was simply insane and within time her evil grew until she was sealed away within the sun, her physical body long gone."

Serenity clutched Venus' hand who winced, but didn't pull away. "Mars, that's a terrible story!"

Mars smiled. "It got you to stop thinking about the storm, didn't it?"

Serenity jumped from the bed. "Do you think the story is true?"

Mars shrugged. "Just a ghost story. Probably not."

Jupiter bit her lip. "Though now that I think about it, I have heard some pretty strange security reports from in the basement. Spooky noises. Items in storage going missing."

Serenity frowned. "Then, do you think Queen Steelia is still down there?"

"Could be." Jupiter scratched her head. "Or it could just be rats."

"If she does, we should go and free her!"

Mars sputtered. "W-what? You want to free the Butcher of Nibiru?"

Serenity wrung her hands. "She's been imprisoned a long time, hasn't she? Isn't it better if she's released to go off to the Otherworld?"

Mars grit her teeth. "I know you're a big supporter of clemency and rehabilitation, but some criminals deserve their fate."

Venus held up her hand. "Um, Mars? From a security standpoint, she has a point. Better to release her now and escort her soul to the realm beyond than for her to get released and then we have to deal with her anyway."

Jupiter slammed her fist into her palm. "Sounds like the kind of adventure I need. I don't want my guardian skills getting rusty."

Mars, this time, could not restrain herself from slapping her own forehead. "Fine. If all of you are going, I'll go too."

Serenity grabbed her arm and dragged her off the bed. "Well of course! Who else here knows how to deal with spirits?"

Mars conceded the point and allowed herself to be dragged, though she gently pulled away from Serenity's grip. Venus picked up the holy sword leaning against the wall and attached it to her belt. It was the symbol of her authority as leader of the Inner Guardians and a symbol of her duty to defend.

That and Mars strongly suspected that she just liked to carry it around with her. What made her think a sword would work on a ghost? Venus paused. "Should we transform?"

Mars shook her head. "If we did, the ghost would sense our presence and we also don't want to cause a panic."

Venus nodded. Mars could have sworn there was a look of disappointment on her face. She needed a hobby, in Mars' opinion, like Jupiter did with her cooking. She seemed to like music, so maybe that. They walked together out of Serenity's bedchambers, Venus and Serenity striding ahead. Rei and Mercury flanked Jupiter. They walked down the halls darkened by the storm outside. Usually, pillars of golden sunlight flowed through the arched windows set into the marble walls, but today only the eerie blue of the lightning and flickering candles provided any illumination. They strode along the familiar halls. Serenity paused and turned a corner. They followed behind her, suddenly feeling a shift. Mars felt it first, a chill that made her shiver. She glanced over to see if Jupiter had felt it. Jupiter gave no indication that she had, but the hairs on Mars' arm had stood up. It was certainly a dark spiritual aura.

The farther into the heart of the palace they walked, the darker it became, the flames casting shadows over the walls that twisted and waved. The guardians huddled closer together. Stone stairs led deep into a yawning abyss. Serenity gulped. "I've never been down to the basement."

Jupiter crossed her arms. "I could see why. Security hates going down there. They cast lots to determine who has to."

Venus raised an eyebrow. "Not sure I like the idea of security rotation being decided by lots."

Mars stepped past her and up to Serenity. "I'm sensing something. A dark spiritual presence I've never felt before. Whatever it is, it's consumed by anger and hatred."

It broke out along her senses and she violently shuddered. She only got the shuddering under control by an effort of will. Mercury, ever the healer, touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Mars nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

Mercury didn't look convinced, but Venus had taken a step so they all followed in single file, Venus first and then Serenity. Mars after, followed by Mercury and Jupiter. The Moon Palace had been built on the ruins of a former castle which had been destroyed during the war that brought the House of Rabbit to power. Whoever had built this corridor had apparently never taken into consideration the thought that more than one person might want to walk down the stairs. The maids had also neglected to activate the torches. Mars whispered an incantation and they roared to life, casting orange light over the grey walls damp with mold and mildew. The old castle had been a massive edifice carved from limestone. Serenity suppressed a shiver. This had been her idea, to take mercy on the trapped and tormented soul of her ancient predecessor, but now she longed to run back to the safety of her room. Down here it was impossible to say whether the storm outside was still raging or not. If it was, she couldn't hear it. The stairs seemed to go on forever. The only sound to break the suffocating silence was the crackling of the torch fires and her friends' footsteps. They had all fallen into silence. Serenity bit her lip. While she trusted Mars' ability to banish a spirit, she didn't really know how strong Queen Steelia was. It was possible she was leading them all into danger on a whim. Hopefully, she could speak to the spirit, convince her that they were not enemies, even though they were. She was not as naïve as everyone thought she was. Queen Steelia would not like here simply because she belonged to a rival house.

They crossed the last few steps, walking into a circular hall filled with crates. The ruins of the former castle had been turned into a storage center, the crates full of weapons and food in the event of an emergency. So many food preservation charms were present that Mars couldn't quite focus her senses. Still, that dark presence was growing stronger. She cleared her throat, drawing everybody's attention. "I believe whatever seal is holding Queen Steelia is starting to weaken." Perhaps that was why the story had popped into her head. Sometimes her premonitions worked in mysterious ways. She activated the torched with a flicker of magic and was not surprised to find Serenity bunched up against her. The guardians were circling her, instinctively protecting the princess.

Serenity gulped. "Um, I know this was my idea, but we can go back. She's been down here a long time; what's a few more centuries?" A nervous giggle underpinned her words.

Venus strode forward. "If you want to go back, you can. But we need to investigate this. Mars, you said you sensed a dark presence? Can you pinpoint the exact location?"

"Of course." She closed her eyes, focused, fell deep within herself, then projected her soul outward. Her soul did not want to go past a certain point. Gasping she pulled back, her heart hammering in her ears. Mercury touched her shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Mars groaned and pulled away. No matter what she said, nothing was going to stop Mercury from making her herbal teas while Jupiter fussed over her like her mother, were she much, much younger. "I told you, I'm fine."

"If you say so."

"I do say so." She stiffened her back. "Venus, we should transform. We're getting closer to the malevolent presence."

Venus held out her wand. "You heard the lady."

They raised their wands and soon had changed into their battle garb. Serenity still hoped it wouldn't come to a fight, but it was best to be prepared. Now it was Mars leading them, which made Venus uncomfortable. It was a leader's duty, not her privilege, to walk ahead. If something came it was her blade that must draw first blood, to defend the princess and her fellow guardians. Serenity was in the center, as she should have been. Mars was going into a trance, focused on something none of the others could feel. They trusted her enough to follow, moving around the crates, entering into a corridor sliding deep into the heart of the ruined castle. Venus looked around. "Everyone still up for this?"

There were four answers in the affirmative, even from Serenity which surprised her, though she could be brave when she had them backing her. So, together, they walked into darkness.