Everything in the Moon Kingdom was going from bad to worse.

Contacting the village was growing even more hard as the rain seasons came because the road was too muddy to travel. Listening grew hard too, for going outside was a hazard within itself and the rain washed all messages away.

Now anyone of the Temple faith had to wear a red flame on their outer garments. It outraged Serena who'd recently found a way around the last proclamation. She'd set up a communication system. One lantern was put on the highest limb of the tallest tree if everything was okay. Two lanterns if there was a new proclamation, and three... Three if it was time to flee.

Now besides no horses or pets you could not have a musical instrument. And all books or scrolls written by a temple-goer had been burned. Everyone's fear was deepening. Their rights were being stripped from them, they're temple had been burned, what possibly could happen next?

Something completely and utterly horrible.

The rain pounded hard today as Serena watched it from the guesthouse window.

"I feel like something bad is going to happen, but the voices do not speak."

Raye sat cross legged in front of the sacred fire, perspiration dripping from her forehead.

"The fire knows of something evil, but will not tell of it."

Their other three friends sat near the wall listening to the conversation and growing more worried with every word exchanged between Serena and Raye.

"Is the rain going to end anytime soon?" Serena asked to anyone who would answer. Her power of the other elements were starting to fade and only came to her now in times of extreme anger, sadness, or happiness.

"Not until tomorrow night," Ami said. A drop of water landed in her outstretched hand.

"Ami," Mina whispered so that Serena could not hear. "You're not supposed to make leaks in the roof like that!"

Ami shrugged, her apparent boredom taking over her better judgement. She twisted the drop around in circles before finally letting it drop.

"Between these two happiness is almost not even an emotion," Lita mumbled. "All they do is 'see' and 'listen'. They're so busy living in the future that they've already forgotten the present."

Serena looked at her friends from the corner of her eye and sighed.

"You're right," she said turning to face them. "Raye get away from the fire."

Raye's eyes opened.

"Serena!" she began angrily, but soon stopped.

Serena threw open the door of the guesthouse and ran out into the pouring rain barefoot. She jumped into a huge muddle of mud and it splattered up around her.

"Come on!" she yelled to them as they stood frozen in the doorway. "It feels great between my toes!"

Amy ditched her shoes and quickly ran out into the rain. The rain was manipulated around her, acting strangely as it reacted to her power. Lita came running next and a streak of lightening bolted across the sky.

"They want me to go out into that?" Raye said pointing at all the mud and water. Mina smiled and nodded before leaving Raye alone in the doorway. Finally, and reluctantly, Raye stepped out into the wetness, flinching as a drop touched her. A lot of rain evaporated around her, but still drops met her skin.

"See?" Serena said her hair sticking to her forehead and her clothes clinging tight to her skin. "It's great!" She began to spin in a circle, but slipped landing flat on her back in the mud. Everyone threw each other glances.

"Are you okay?" Ami asked. Serena blinked twice and looked up at her. A couple of seconds passed and then Serena's face turned into an upwards smile and she began laughing. The others joined in, and soon their laughter was loud and real. Raye was doubled over in laughter when a big ball of mud hit her. She fell down at the force and looked up to see Serena with mud dripping from her right hand.

"Why I oughta!" Raye said and hurled mud in Serena's direction, but unfortunately it hit Lita instead. And that was only the beginning. Soon everyone was covered in mud, looking like monsters from the deep.

"I miss this," Serena said solemnly still sit in the mud.

"Yeah. Me too," Ami agreed.

"But even though things aren't the best, even though the Moon is ruled by a dictator, I think everything will be fine."

"How can you say that Serena?" Raye asked indignantly.

Serena shrugged.

"It's just a feeling, and hope is one thing that isn't going to be taken from us."

Her friends looked away. They're hope was already diminishing. Yes, they thought, it can be taken away from us.

And it has.

============================

"We can't sit by and watch this happen!" Prince Darien yelled angrily. His voice bounced off the stone walls of the room.

"Yes, we can," King Endymion said with just as much force as his son. "The Moon's business doesn't concern us."

Darien's face burned red and he tightened his fists so that his fingernails almost broke through the skin.

"They're invading Mars! How is that not our business? They're breaking the Silver Treaty!"

"You don't have to tell me what they're doing! I know what is going on and I know that if we interfere we will be invaded as well! So hold your tongue!"

Darien did keep his jaw tightly shut this time and he turned away. He left the room quickly and when he broke out into the hallway his deep blue eyes fell upon a young maiden.

"Find me," she whispered to him, her silver hair glistening brightly. She looked odd and strangely beautiful. It was then that Darien realized she was a vision and transparent.

"Who are you?" he asked. She looked at him sadly, her eyes mourning something he didn't understand. Then suddenly she turned and stared down the empty hallway. She stepped back shakily and slowly.

"Raise the third lantern," she whispered sharply.

"What?"

She started running toward him.

"Raise the third lantern!" she yelled. She was running directly at him and disappeared at the time in which she would have hit him. Her yell echoed down the hallway eeriely like a ghost.

His spine shivered upon realizing who she must have been. A Moon Princess. Surely she was a ghost for the Queen had been murdered, and had no children.

An idea struck him and his heart pounding three times as fast as usual. Maybe there was a Princess. Maybe there hadn't been a miscarriage.

Maybe it was a part of plan and maybe he needed to help. He needed to join Mars and Mercury in the fight against the Moon.

He needed to raise the third lantern.

Author's Note: I know it's kinda short and it took a long time to get up, but there's been a lot going on lately for me. Morning swim practice, the dance, a funeral, fifteen thousand tons of homework, not to mention struggling with the decision whether or not to tell this guy I like him. (I didn't.) So, yeah. Enough with excuses, eh? Please review my story. Please? Aren't you happy Dare's getting involved? I am!

Until the next time,

Ai No Senshi