Return of the Moon Princess - Chapter 2

by Princess Nat

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.

**Here is Chapter 2, I hope you enjoy it. :-) **

Serenity slowly regained consciousness. She felt like she was suffocating. She was too hot, her limbs felt like they were made of lead, and her head was pounding. She carefully opened her eyes, squinting against the pain in her head. Her breath was coming in short gasps and she tried to breathe deeply, but only succeeded in setting off a fit of coughing. Closing her eyes again, she called out to her mother. *Mother* She waited a few minutes and then frowned when there was no response. *Mother?* An icy trickle of fear ran down her back as she concentrated on the link that she and her mother had always shared. It was gone. There was nothing there. She couldn't feel her mother at all! Serenity screamed in terror and grief. Never in her life had she not felt her mother's comforting presence somewhere nearby. Tears were running down her cheeks as she finally looked around and discovered that she wasn't in her bedroom. Her eyes widened in panic and she instinctively called out for the Ginzuishou. She was surprised to find it in a brooch that was pinned to her nightgown. Not taking the time to wonder about how it came to be there, Serenity grasped it in her hand and willed it to take her home. Just as she felt the power wash over her, she thought she heard someone shout, but then she was gone.

When the bright white light dissipated, Serenity found herself standing in the middle of an ancient ruin. She looked around her in confusion before it dawned on her that it looked familiar somehow. The longer she looked, the more her vision started to blur and she could see how it should look. She was standing in the remains of the palace of the Moon Kingdom. Her home had been completely destroyed. Serenity reached out with all of her empathic power trying to find her mother, the Senshi, anyone, who might still be alive. Nothing. Silence. The moon was dead. The anguished cry of a wounded animal broke the stillness. Serenity covered her ears to block the sound, but the tortured sound continued. Falling to her knees in the rubble that was left of her home, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom cried out her anguish over the loss of her home, her mother, her Senshi, her people, her very life. Flashes of a battle, a great dark demon, a young man dying in her ams, and a blood-covered sword flickered at the edges of her mind, but she couldn't grasp any of them. In her grief, she didn't hear the soft step of the person walking up beside her. When she felt a hand on her shoulder, Serenity whipped around in terror. Her large blue eyes were wide with fear and her cheeks were stained with the tracks of the tears she had shed. The crescent moon blazed upon her head like a brand. "Puu?" she whispered, not daring to believe that the person in front of her was real.

Sailor Pluto nodded. "Princess Serenity," she started, but couldn't finish as she suddenly had her arms full of a small, shivering body that was holding onto her as if she was a life line. She brought her arms around the shattered girl and tried to calm her. "Shh, Princess, I'm here. Tell me what happened."

Serenity clung to the Senshi of Time and tried to calm her breathing. She was a princess and princesses did not fall to pieces. Taking a shuddering breath, she brokenly started speaking. "I don't know what happened. I woke up and I felt really ill. I tried to call for Mother, but there wasn't a response. Then, when I reached out for her, she wasn't there. There was nothing." Serenity shuddered again and took a couple of breaths before continuing, "That's when I realized I wasn't in my bedroom. I called for the Ginzuishou, which was pinned to my nightgown for some reason, and willed it to take me home." She frowned, wondering how the Ginzuishou had come to be with her. Her mother always kept it in a secret chamber off the royal suite. "But it brought me here. This place looks like home, but it isn't, is it, Puu? This is all a horrible mistake? The Moon Kingdom is still there, the Ginzuishou just brought me to the wrong place, didn't it?" Serenity stared into Pluto's crimson eyes, her frightened blue gaze pleading the other woman to tell her it was all a terrible mistake and that she had come to take her home.

Pluto closed her eyes and pulled the princess closer to her. "I'm so sorry, Princess. I don't know how this happened, but you should not be here. You need to return to Earth."

"Earth? But, but that is forbidden!" Serenity protested.

Pluto looked at her sharply. "Princess, how old are you?"

"Fifteen cycles of the Earth's revolution around the sun, you know that, you were at my birthday celebration." Serenity answered, her brow crinkled in confusion. She didn't understand what her age had to do with anything.

Pluto cursed under her breath. This certainly was unexpected. Not only had Princess Serenity's personality completely taken over Usagi, but it was Serenity before she had ever met the Earth Prince. What was going on? She examined the princess closely. "You said you felt ill, can you tell me what your symptoms were?"

"Well, I was hot and I felt so heavy. It was hard to breathe and my head really hurt." Serenity gingerly brought her hand up to her head. "It's still throbbing a bit, but at least I can breathe now. And I'm just so tired." She closed her eyes and leaned against the taller woman.

Pluto paled as she realized what had happened. 'But that's not possible, Endymion should be countering this...' she paused and then her eyes widened in realization. She hadn't been paying enough attention. Mamoru had broken up with Usagi, forcing her away, if something happened to their link, she would be susceptible to... "Earth sickness" she whispered to herself. The princess couldn't stay on the moon, she didn't realize it yet, but the Ginzuishou was the only thing that was allowing her to breathe. The moon was no longer habitable. She couldn't continue to use the Ginzuishou indefinitely, though, the energy drain would kill her just as fast as the absence of atmosphere. That only left one alternative... Pluto sighed heavily. 'Damn Endymion and his stubborness. In trying to protect her, he's going to kill her!' She looked down at the girl in her arms. Already, the glow of the Ginzuishou was getting dimmer as Serenity weakened. She had to take her back. "Serenity," she called softly, giving her a little shake. The princess looked up, her eyes not focusing properly as she tried to fight off the fatigue that was plaguing her. "I need to return to the Time Gate." Serenity stiffened and her eyes once more held fear. Pluto understood that the Princess feared being left alone and she hurried to reassure her. "I will leave you in the protection of Prince Endymion."

"Prince Endymion?" Serenity repeated. For some reason, the sound of that name caused a deep ache in her heart and again she had a flash of blood, a young man dying in her arms, a sword, more blood... She shook her head to dispel the images. "He is the Prince of Earth, correct?"

"Yes. You need to stay with him, Princess, no matter what happens. Tomorrow, the Inner Senshi will come for you, but you must insist on staying with him, do you understand?"

"The Inner Senshi? They're alive!" Serenity exclaimed happily, but then she frowned in confusion. "But why can't I go with them? They are my friends."

"Yes, they are your friends and your guardians, but they can't protect you from what he can. It's all right. Mercury will understand and explain to the others. Now, we have to go. Are you ready?"

Serenity nodded uncertainly. She didn't understand what was going on, but she trusted Puu, and she was too tired to protest, anyway. Pluto raised her staff and in a flash they disappeared, leaving the moon silent once more.