Chapter Seven
Daisy had been sitting in her room, moping, almost continuously since Cosmic Moon's defeat. Like her mother, Daisy had inherited a desire to protect her friends. She blamed herself for Cosmic Moon's condition, even though the Princess was far older than she was.
Daisy was the Princess of Jupiter. The Senshi of Jupiter were the Senshi of Protection. Lita had always made it her duty to shield her friends as much as she could. In fact, she told Daisy quite often that she had met the queen that way, protecting her. Daisy found it interesting. And to Daisy it showed her how much heart her queen and princess had. Rini had inherited her mother's sweet and loving nature. Even after seeing how strong her mother was, Serena had opened her heart to her.
And honestly Daisy felt guilty. While she had frozen when Annika was taken, Gloria had selflessly offered herself. Daisy did not get along with Gloria a majority of the time but she didn't hate her. Oh, she said she did but she didn't, not truly. Sometimes she believed it but it was mainly a major difference of opinions, not hate.
Oh, her jokes got annoying but they were tolerable. But Daisy had said some pretty mean things to her on occasion and yet when it came to the punch, she was the first to offer herself in exchange for Annika. She was loyal. That was what was so unique about her, her loyalty.
Daisy got up and walked to the window. The stars were bright but Daisy didn't feel wonderful. She felt terrible. She felt scared. And when she couldn't do anything about it, she got angry. The girl gazed off into the distance where she knew far away was the kingdom of Jupiter. Gloria had told them all that the Inner Senshi's Silver Millennium mothers were still alive, with the exception of Queen Serenity.
Although Gloria had not met the Queen of Jupiter, she had been told her name and what she was like. Daisy had never missed a grandmother, her grandmother on Ken's side had died a few months ago and she had not visited them very often, until she knew she had one. She spent a lot of time lately thinking of what she was like. And if she was Queen of Jupiter she probably could help them out about now.
From what Gloria had reported, from what she had learned from Queen Alina, the queen looked a lot like Daisy, with green hair and dark green eyes. However, unlike the rest of the Jupiters, she did not have a terrible temper. Daisy surmised that she must have gotten her temper from her grandfather. But as much as she had heard about Queen Juno, she wanted to meet her.
Daisy shook her head; why was she thinking of the queen now? Now, of all times! She needed to think of beating their enemy but instead she was thinking about a woman she had never met.
Her thoughts now turned to her Princess. The girl had been in a coma for quite a few days. Amy had tried everything she could. But nothing had worked so hard. It was killing their queen. Their king was not doing much better. But Serenity was practically hysterical.
Daisy reached into her nightstand and took her henshin wand out. In a rage, she threw it at the wall. It should have broken with the force of her throw but instead the wand left a nice hole in her wall. The girl growled and yanked it out,
"You don't work and I can't even destroy you!"
"Daisy!"
Turning, she saw her mother in the doorway, shocked. Daisy shook her fists,
"This stupid wand! It won't work anymore and now I can't do anything!"
Lita opened her arms and Daisy collapsed into them. "I'm like you Mom. If I can't transform then how can I fight?"
"I don't know, Daisy. But we're not gonna give up. Rini didn't."
Daisy pulled back, her heart beating fast and her breath coming swiftly,
"you mean?"
"Hai, she woke up."
"Can I see her?"
Lita nodded, "Hai. Come on."
Daisy was way ahead of her mother.
"Now, do you remember your job?"
"Hai, Hiroshima-sama."
"good, but remember, I will be able to see everything. Don't fail me. I don not tolerate failures."
"Hai. But how will I-"
Hiroshima tossed her youma a small locket. "That is the force of Venus. Use it wisely."
"Hai, M'Lady."
Then in a flash of light the youma vanished. Hiroshima stole a gaze at her prisoner, who had passed out from the massive pain.
"You're the first, Neo-Princess Ali."
Then she too vanished in a flash of black light.
"Mom! I'm okay."
Rini hugged her hysterical mother back. The queen was sobbing and had her daughter cradled close to her chest. She hugged her daughter around her back and Rini yelped,
"Ow! Pain!"
Serenity immediately moved her arms, "I'm sorry, baby."
Rini nods, "I'm alright Mom."
Amy walked in, "Excuse me, Serenity, Endymion and I need to talk to you. And Lita and Daisy wanna see Rini."
Serenity turned to her daughter. Rini smiled,
"I'll be okay, Mom."
The queen nodded, kissed her daughter's forehead, and walked out. Lita, sensing her queen's need for a shoulder to lean on, sent Daisy in and stayed with the Queen.
"Rini!"
Rini smiled at Daisy, "Hey, Daisy."
"How are you?"
"I'm alright, I think. But my back hurts. My wings were ripped off weren't they?"
"You don't remember?"
"I remember…pain."
Daisy smiled, "I'm glad you're okay. Now we're gonna beat some youma's ass right?!"
Rini chuckled, "Count on it. We'll wipe the floor with them. This hurt. And they took Gloria…right?
A nod
" Now it's no more Miss Nice Princess."
"Really? I'm sorry to hear that."
Rini jerked aside in time to see a youma, the same one they'd fought earlier, break through the wall and snatch her by her waist. Too weak from her condition to fight back, Rini did what her mother used to do.
She screamed.
Daisy was on her feet in an instant. She'd failed Gloria. She would not fail her princess. Without a thought to her safety, she leapt onto the youma's back, ripping into its flesh with her fingernails. She was cursing, screaming,
"Let her go!"
The youma let out a wail of pain. She grasped the locket her mistress had given her.
A wave of red white pain shot through Daisy's body but loyal protector to a fault, she clung on, using her teeth when her nails were too bloody and ripped to be of any use. The taste was terrible, like spoiled meat but she ripped her mouth back and forth like a wild animal.
The youma let out a second cry of pain,
"Get off, you rabid Senshi!"
With a second burst of power, it send Daisy flying through the wall.
"DAISY!"
The girl ignored her mother's shouts and screamed, as she ran forward again,
"Let my princess go!"
"RINI!"
It didn't take long for the other Senshi to follow the sound of the racket.
But the youma had already lifted Rini a good four hundred feet. A flash of black light appeared and Hiroshima was soon floating in front of the Senshi. Both original and Chibi had gathered at the whole in the wall which the youma had used as an entry. Hiroshima was very direct.
"Hand over your wands, Senshi, both original and Chibi. Or your princess will make quite an ugly stain on the street."