"Beryl!?" Serenity repeated as she hit the floor. She sat sprawled on the floor, looking up at this... this woman she had killed so long ago. What was the meaning of this? Why was she back? Who did this? So many questions were flowing through Serenity's mind as the evil Queen desended into her view.
Queen Beryl floated down majestically, her daughter faithfully at her side. She glared bitterly down at the senshi. Metiallia had taken her body to finish off that Tsuki no Hime, but had failed. Meanwhile, her soul had been encased into the orb that Metallia had once floated inside, a bitter and lonely existence. But she could not return to her real body,for it lay in the ashes left behind in that fated battle between Metallia and the cursed Tsuki no Hime. Her daughter had studied the black arts, willing to go to any lengths to reincarnate her mother.
"Jenneyl." Beryl beconned.
The nearly identical woman knelt beside her mother.
"Yes, Queen?" She asked, her head slightly bowed as the pair made contact with the ground.
"Kill them." As Beryl's spiteful glare turnned from the senshi to Serenity, the cold respite deepened. "But leave the Princess to me." She snarled.
"Yes, Queen Mother." Jenneyl turnned, her earings clinking as she turnned her head sharply towards her enemy. As she lifted her hand into the air, a stream of black emptyness flowed from her hand. "Black void!" She yelled out as she threw the dark, radient energy into the middle of the swimming area. It seemed to stay dormant for a short time, then started swirling around, sucking up everything in sight. Jenneyl laughed maliciously as the senshi tried to hold thier ground, clinging to anything they could find.
"Easier than taking candy from a baby." She smirked as she flew toward her victims, ready to follow up her attack with an even deadlier blow.
"Dead... Scream" A ball of pure, magenta energy flew at Jenneyl, stopping her rampage. She barely had even the time to react.
"Kusho..." She muttered under her breath as she wipped a stream of blood from her cheek. "Think that was the extent of my powers, senshi? You think wrong..."
But instead of attacking, Jenneyl suddenly jerked her head to the side as she felt another's presence. Now the battle would get interesting. She closed her open hand and the vortex that was whirling within stopped. She smirked as she abandoned the senshi and rushed to where her mother was floating above Serenity.
"Tsuki no Hime..." Beryl spat. She looked down at the beautiful woman Princess Serenity had turnned into. Despite her beauty, fear was encased in her bright blue eyes. Beryl smirked as she turnned, just barely looking over at Serenity.
"It seems the perfect Princess has grown into a Queen. I see you also have ensnared the heart of Endymion once more. I was dearly hoping that wasn't so. After all, one of my most trusted informants told me you and Endymion were a thing of the past. Rubeus... dare you lie to your Queen?" She turnned her head, so her vision could extend to the tall, red haired man at her side.
"My Queen, when I had last heard of her, she and Endymion were at odds with one another." He kneeled at her feet just before...
"Rubeus!!" Jenneyl flew towards him, encasing him in an adourous embrace.
"Rubeus...?" The name rolled off Serenitys tounge with surprise. How could he...? She was too much in shock to comprehend another nightmare from her past now stood before her. He was supposed to be dead. "You... Esmerodo..." Serenity stuttered.
"Not a fitting end for such a man." Jenneyl purred. "Who do you think lead the attack on Crystal Tokyo? Wiseman?" She laughed scornfully as she turned, Rubeus behind her. "Wiseman was a fool. I gave him my promised power, but he used it as he sought fit, not as it was destined to be used." The black moon insignia flickered onto her forehead while she smirked. "Pluto may control the time gates, but perhaps while the Small Lady was missing, she... misplaced a key?"
Pluto grabbed for her belt of time keys. It was true. One was missing. But how could it have been gone so long before she noticed?
"I watched him in battle. He was quite strong, just the man I needed for the battle against you senshi. We fell in love, but Esmerodo..." Jennyel cused. "That arrogant wench was always hovering over his shoulder. So, it was decided to stage Rubeus' death so we would no longer have to deal with those indolent fools. And how quickly they fell after that. None of them fit to fight such weak senshi. But it doesn't matter. Because now, now we're a family again. Me, my love," Jenneyl's gaze shifted to Rubeus, then Beryl, "and my Mother."
Beryl looked down at the incappacitated Serenity, but Mars quickly moved to stand between them.
"We killed you once, we can kill you again!" Mars challenged. Beryl's narrowed eyes glimmered as Mars was hit by an invisable power and tossed aside like a doll. Then she tossed her head back and laughed.
"You must be mistaken. I do believe that I had killed you." Beryl grinned wickedly.
"Mars!" Serenity yelled as she rose, but was quickly frozen in place but a familiar dread. She looked up, and just as centuries before, Beryl was right beside her, ready to deal a painful blow. A consuming fear weld up inside her as she looked into that malicious face once again. Beryl just smirked as she lifted the hand that would strike.
"Serenity... you took everything I had... and now--"
"Momma!" Small Lady screamed as she looked outside the door of the pool house. Her mother was so close to this scary lady. She had to help her Momma. She had to do something. She stepped outside the pool house and started running towards her mother. But before Small Lady could get anywhere near Serenity, Jenneryl scooped up the little girl by the top of her swimming suit, and looked at her intently.
"Hey, Rubeus!" she exclaimed, mirth dancing upon her face. "It's the Rabbit!" She tossed Small Lady in the direction of Rubeus, and he caught Small Lady and held her up by an arn. "Well, well.. so it is." Rubeus smirked. "I can't count the times I tried to catch you." Small Lady started to whimper and cry as these strangers held her up, toying with her as she tried to rescue her Momma.
"Small Lady!!" Serenity screamed as she strained to see what they were doing with her daughter, but caught a swift blow to the stomach as she did. She collapsed in pain.
"Serenity!" The senshi yelled as they all advanced toward their fallen comerade. Beryl moved her hand to the side and created an energy wall. Nothing was going to stop her from getting her revenge, not a thousand, no a million senshi. They all looked helplessly onwards as thier Queen was on the ground, and thier Princess was held captive.
"Your daughter I assume?" Beryl moved infront of Rebeus who held the small, crying child. Beryl ran her hand over Small Lady's cherubic face, then grabbed her by the throat. She struggled as Beryl took her from Rubeus that way and glided slowly back over to Serenity.
"Endymion's child as well... I'll enjoy destorying her... and all you hold dear!" An energy swarmed around Beryl's hand as Small Lady cried out and Serenity screamed, "STOP!!!"
There was a sudden light streak that flashed onto Beryl's hand. She dropped the poor child back on the ground and looked over to Serenity where Endymion now held his wife safely in his arms.
"Don't touch my daughter..." He glared at Beryl as he helped up Serenity and continued to look at the others around them. The Senshi couldn't do anything, and Endymion knew it, it was up to him now to free his family.
"Endymion..." Beryl still had that lustful look in her eyes. If only he'd choosen her... then they'd be unstopable!
"You were foolish not to choose me! And now you will suffer the consiquences!" She grabbed the child and disappeared. Rubeus and Jenneyl followed in suit.
Serenity's eyes glazed over as she realized what had just happened.
"SMALL LADY!!!"
As soon as Beryl left her barrier wall disinigrated and the senshi ran to Serenity and Endymion. They didn't know what to do... they hadn't done thier duty and protected Small Lady and Serenity. They hung thier heads as Serenity sobbed into Endymion's shoulder.
"Kuso.." Mars punched the wall of the pool house, silent tears falling from her eyes as she did so. She was powerless when she had faced up against Beryl. How could the Queen now have so much power? She was a match for Serenity when she was just a Princess, but now.. all this new power..
Saturn started to sniffle was Pluto comforted her.
"We will get Small Lady back Hotaru... don't worry..."
"Senshi..." Serenity stood slowly and quietly as she moved towards the castle. The Senshi followed her silently. She moved past the great halls, and into a locked room. She slowly held out her hand, the great doors swung open as several small pillars in the room lit up. Each pillar held a henshin brooch from a differnt time in Serenity's past. She moved past all the minor ones, she instead grabbed the pink hearted one with golden wings at the end of the corridor.
"We're going to get Small Lady back, one way, or another. Minna! Henshin!"