Chapter Six

A mournful wind swept through the empty hallways, sometimes whispering, at other times suddenly crying, but always with a deep sorrow. The usually well-lit great hall was now dim with only a single glow orb lighting the far end of the hall where a display screen of gigantic proportions dominated the wall. The image on the screen showed the Moon Kingdom, now eerily silent with only a few broken remains that once attested to the greatest court of the solar system.

She slammed her fist on the control panel but the thick crystal only registered it with a dull thud. "Arrrrgh! How could this happen," her eyes blazed with a furious anger but also shimmered with a deeper despair.

"Uranus...." whispered Neptune, her voice tinged with sadness and concern. The beautiful aquamarine haired woman stood holding a hand mirror, a calm contrast to her angry partner.

Uranus moved to stand next to Neptune and looked into the all-seeing mirror. A crystal clear picture of Princess Serenity reflected from the surface of the mirror.

"Our Princess...." growled Uranus.

"She is alive," reassured Neptune.

"But not safe. We will go to her now," said Uranus, walking towards the crystal case that held her Space Sword.

Both trained warriors flashed with alertness and were instantly in their battle stances at the sound of steady footsteps echoing in the empty Great hall. The dark silhouette of a woman melted to reveal Pluto as she moved underneath the sole light source. They both relaxed their stance as they realized it was the guardian of time.

"We cannot," said Pluto. She held her magnificent staff in her left hand and emitted an aura of timelessness. Her regal figure stood tall, commanding attention in its dignity.

Uranus and Neptune nodded respectfully to Pluto. As the guardian of time, she was a solitary soldier of mystery whose duties were to protect the continuity of time and to eliminate any and all that would threaten it. To fulfill this grave responsibility, she had been granted unimaginable powers from Queen Serenity. It was rare for her to leave her post at the time gates but recent events dictated that her presence was necessary.

"It is imperative that we move cautiously," said Pluto.

"The situation is clear. Our Kingdom has fallen, but we must still ensure the safety of our Princess, she is the successor," said Uranus impatiently.

"Events are not unfolding as they should be, but there may still be a way," said Pluto calmly.

"What do you mean Pluto, has something affected this time continuum?" asked Neptune alarmed.

"I am not sure, but I feel that something is not right. This time feels like it has been slightly unbalanced." Pluto closed her eyes for a moment. "It is difficult to explain, but it is as if there is a certain vibration in the time stream that has offset something in this time. It is a small ripple, but could have grave results."

"Regardless, it is obvious what we must do. Our Princess is in danger and we must rescue her. We must hurry or else we could be too late," said Uranus, her frustration mounting.

"The Princess' care is the responsibility of her four guardians. You two are to guard against invasion of our solar system from outside forces," said Pluto gravely.

"The enemy eluded us by manifesting in the centre of our solar system, from within our sun. We did not anticipate that," said Neptune regretfully.

"The Princess and her guardians have all been captured, they are unable to protect the her and hence we should go in to help them," said Uranus angrily.

"There seems to be a young man with our Princess," said Neptune peering into the mirror curiously.

"Yes, the Prince of Earth," said Pluto.

"That dog!" exclaimed Uranus, gazing into the mirror. "His people sided with the darkness to battle us. Our kingdom is now lost because of him. I will punish him for the death of our people and our Queen."

"You must remain here -" began Pluto.

"No! His presence makes it clear that the Princess is in immediate danger! There is nothing further to discuss," said Uranus, no longer willing to wait. She ran towards her Space Sword.

"Death Scream," whispered Pluto. A dense fog engulfed the guardian of time. A flash of the garnet orb glowed to life, piercing the fog briefly before the blast of the attack blew between Uranus and the display holding the Space Sword.

"Uranus!" Neptune cried in alarm. She ran to her comrade.

Uranus had instinctively jumped back as the blast hurtled towards her detonating just in front of her. Her lightning reflexes had reacted before her mind had even registered the attack. She realized that Pluto did not intend to hit her with the blast but she also knew that the next attack would hit if she persisted in trying to take her Space Sword.

Neptune exhaled in relief at the sight of Uranus untouched by the attack. Her eyes met those of Uranus and a silent message of understanding passed between them. Neptune turned her attention to Pluto, who stood as calmly as she had since she entered the great hall.

"Why must we only watch while our Princess remains trapped," asked Neptune. "Surely it is our duty to also protect the her if her guardians are unable to."

"No. We must not act too rashly. I sense that all is not right with this time. The things that have occurred, it was not meant to be this way," said Pluto.

"The attack of the Dark Kingdom should not have been," said Uranus.

"No. I feel a strong sense of inevitability for that," said Pluto gravely.

"Are you saying that the invasion of Beryl and the destruction was meant to be," asked Neptune, her eyes wide in shock.

"Yes, but I do not feel that our Princess should have been captured. Something has interfered with this time," said Pluto, looking at the remains of their Moon Kingdom displayed on screen.

"What can we do then," asked Neptune.

"We must wait and see. Things are still unfolding. We shall see what direction destiny takes us," said Pluto.

***

"I will try," said Serenity. Endymion's eyes radiated with encouragement and Serenity felt the last of her lingering doubts dissipate. It was the first time that anyone showed such trust in her abilities and it gave her hope that she did have the power to aid them in their escape. She also drew strength from the knowledge that their lives depended on her success.

It took a few minutes to reach the level of concentration needed, but she was able to once again free Endymion from his shackles. Endymion stretched his sore muscles the best he could but his body and mind were still tense from his recent experience and the pain caused from the device strapped on him still reverberated in his bones. He would take it off the first chance he got when they escaped this godforsaken place.

"Princess, please make haste. Take us out of this place," said Endymion.

"Yes," she said softly. She looked at him hesitantly for a moment. She took a deep breath for courage and then took his hands in hers. She could feel her cheeks getting hot at her bold actions. Somehow it had been easier to touch him when he was in pain, but now that he was fully conscious, she felt shy again at even being in the same room as him.

She looked up to find him looking at her intently. "My mother once told me that it is easier to teleport another along with her if she is standing close and is in contact with the person," she explained, her cheeks still heated. She gasped in surprise as Endymion pulled her into his embrace. She felt the hard wall of his chest; the heat of his skin penetrated through both his shirt and her dress to warm her flesh. She looked up to see a devilish smile play upon his lips and her cheeks flushed further at his nearness.

"Since you are new at this, we will make it easier with very close contact," he said smiling at her.

Serenity did not know how to respond to the slight teasing tone of his voice. She only knew that being held by him in this manner increase the nervous but excited flutter she felt within her. If this had happened back on the Moon under the watchful eyes of her mother and her guardians, it would have been met with severe disapproval.

The thought of her friends brought her back to the present situation. She had to escape with Endymion immediately. Closing her eyes, she concentrated again on drawing the power needed to teleport from the room. She prepared herself for the feelings of coldness but it did not feel nearly as chilling as it did that first time. It was almost as there was a buffer between the coldness and her, allowing her to draw the energy without it overwhelming her with its darkness.

She took in as much as she felt she could and forced the energy to envelope them both. Wrapping the power securely around them, she drew upon the memory of the hallway outside of the room wished with all her strength to there. She felt the power conforming, humming around her softly almost as if answering her.

Endymion watched in amazement as a soft light emitted from Serenity and then extend to fill him. He was careful not to make any noise or movements to disrupt her concentration, but he was silently filled with awe. He felt a moment of disorientation as the room shifted before his eyes and melted away.

The empty hallway outside of the room came into focus and the energy slowly left them. Serenity opened her eyes. Although she expected it, she was slightly disappointed that she could not teleport them any further than out of that room.

She felt Endymion pull her tighter into his embrace, his feelings of delight at her success apparent. His scent, a mix of musk and what seemed like chocolate filled her senses. She found herself leaning into his embrace, enjoying the warm glow of joy between.

She looked up as he gently released her, disappointed that she was no longer being held by him. She found him looking down on her with a mixture of awe and wonder.

"Serenity, your power is incredible," he whispered respectfully.

"But we are still inside this terrible place," said Serenity solemnly.

"We just need to find the closest exit. You can then take us to the other side and we will be able to escape," said Endymion. He was not as confident as he sounded, but did not want her to be hampered by any doubts. He knew that she was the only chance they had of getting out.

"Let us go," said Endymion, taking her hand. He began leading Serenity towards the arch to the steps which led both up and down. He hoped that the exit was down since he knew that the upper floor contained Beryl's rooms.

His steps were halted by the sudden resistance he felt from Serenity. She had stopped in her tracks without a word and was looking past the stairs intensely.

"Serenity. What is wrong? We must hurry down and try and look for the way out," said Endymion urgently.

"No." She shook her head, still looking down the hall. She started walking towards the direction that had caught her attention. Endymion caught her arm with his hand before she could get much further, confused as to her sudden actions.

"Where are you going Serenity?"

"I feel her... this way," she said looking up to him. Her expression was a mixture of confusion and anxiety.

"Who?"

"Mars, my friend. I know she is this way. I thought I felt her before when I was here but I was then caught in your room and I completely forgot. I am sure I felt her just now. I must find her," said Serenity, her expression revealing the hope she felt of finding her friend.

"Quickly then," said Endymion as he took her hand.

They ran down the dimly lit hall once more hand in hand. Endymion shortened his steps to let her lead the way. The lighting orbs were so faint, it was impossible to see very far. They reached a bend in the hall that turned sharply to the left. Endymion noticed that this part of the hall did not have the many doors that aligned the previous hall. The only thing he could see were the lighting orbs and even those were few and far in between.

Soon they came to a split in the hall. Without hesitation, Serenity took the left again, her steps increasing in speed the further she went. Endymion kept his senses sharp, aware that any second a guard might discover them if they were careless.

Serenity slowed as they approached the end of the hall. The hallways seemed to open into a gigantic room that was almost in total darkness.

"She cannot be here can she?" whispered Serenity. She was not so certain anymore as the darkness loomed in front of her. A large pulse of energy emanated from within, thudding almost like the rhythm of a giant heart.

"Can you still feel your friend?" asked Endymion.

"I am not sure... I mean.."

"We are here, let us find out," he said and stepped into the darkness. Serenity followed him in and held onto Endymion's hand tightly again. His warm touch comforted her, and she did not question it.

She felt something further in the darkness and slowly walked towards it. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they realized there was a faint green glow from certain parts of the room. The faint outline of what looked like large pods aligned the walls, grouped loosely in clusters. Veins that resembled the large roots of a tree connected the pods to the walls of the room, each also pulsing with a faint green glow.

The presence of Mars was in the room, and it was even stronger than before. Letting go of Endymion's hand, she ran towards the call before it could fade. She stopped in front of the pod where she felt the presence the strongest. Up close, she could see that the pod was slightly taller than her. A small, round, glass window was fixed upon the upper portion of the pod. She slowly leaned closer to peer into the small window of the pod which also glowed with the same green colour.

Serenity jerked back in surprise and would have stumbled if it wasn't for Endymion's arms steadying her. A gasp of horror escaped her lips.

"What is it Serenity?" asked Endymion holding her close. He walked up to the pod and peered into the window, his left arm still around Serenity's shoulders. He saw the face of a beautiful woman, her skin green from the light, encapsulated within the pod.

"Mars." Serenity whispered, her voice trembling with unshed tears.

As if hearing her call, the young woman's eyes fluttered open weakly and then focused on Serenity's grief-stricken face.

"Mars!" Serenity cried, the tears now flowing down, unstoppable as the spring rain. She braced her arms on the pod and cried with relief to finally see with her own eyes that her friend was indeed still alive.

Serenity leaned heavily on the pod. The happiness of seeing Mars alive made her weak with relief. The energy seemed to drain from her making her limbs feel heavy and cumbersome.

"Serenity!" Mars' sharp voice jerked Serenity from her daze. Serenity remembered her fiery friend's voice well even though it was slightly muffled from the thick coffin that imprisoned her.

"Serenity, get ...away from this thing, don't lean on it," said Mars, her voice urgent but yet heavy with weariness. "It drains...your energy."

Endymion pulled Serenity away from the pod, adjusting her so that she could lean on him instead. She gratefully leaned into his embrace. She knew that she should not get too use to it, but a part of her acknowledged that it was already too late.

"Mars, I'm so happy you are alive," said Serenity

"I.... too am glad..to see that you are well Princess," said Mars. "And with the Prince of Earth...."

Endymion stiffened at her address. He knew he should not be surprised that she knew who he was considering the powers he had seen from the Moon people, but he felt no comfortable with that knowledge.

"Mars, how can we free you from this thing?" asked Serenity.

"I..do not think you should," whispered Mars, her eyes drooping drowsily. "It is... designed to take our energy. I.... sense that there are many people like me, people of Earth also.... having our energy slowly drained from us, but not so much as to kill us."

"How abominable," said Endymion, sick with the knowledge that Beryl was feeding off the energy of his people like a festering parasite. He looked around at the countless capsules where undoubtedly many of his people laid, their energy sapped from them to feed the darkness.

"Beryl... she needs a great amount of energy... I do not think that... the dark energy that she serves... can exist in our solar system, without our life energy. I suspect that Mercury, Venus and Jupiter...are also being drained like me," said Mars.

"Then they are all alive, thank goodness," said Serenity softly, the seed of hope within her blossomed with Mars' assurance. "Still, why should we not free you Mars," asked Serenity worried.

"Princess...my powers have been sealed....by a metallic device around my throat. I am also...too weak; I would be a burden to you.....and if you broke this capsule to free me... Beryl would be alerted. You must make your escape with the Prince. while you still can," said Mars, forcefully trying to stay awake despite the overwhelming tiredness she felt.

"My lady, do you know of a way to escape this place?" asked Endymion.

"There is... a large telepod... three floors below... I was brought here, along with many of your people.... and ...placed within these capsules. It connects to Earth...you can use it... but there are.. many guards...."

"Then we will go there and take our chances," said Endymion grimly.

"NO, I won't leave you!" said Serenity, not able to abandon her friend in such a situation.

"Princess, you must be strong.. and complete the mission your mother started," said Mars.

"I don't understand," said Serena.

"Queen Serenity...knew that a darkness was approaching. There were several portents. She... assigned Venus, Mercury, Jupiter.. and me.. to find... the Golden Crystal."

"The Golden Crystal?" asked Serenity. Her mother had never mentioned it to her.

"Yes. It is said...that the Golden Crystal... has power similar.... to our Silver Imperium Crystal. The two Crystals, complement each other... strengthening each other. The Queen.. thought it could erase the darkness. Mercury.. managed to isolate the location of the Golden Crystal. That is why.. we were sent to Earth....to find the Golden Crystal... and the one who could use it."

"Prince Endymion. Help my Princess.. find the Golden Crystal.. and the one who can unlock its power...... it might..... be the only way... to free us.... and your people also. Go," whispered Mars, her voice fading as she began to lose in her struggle to stay conscious.

"Mars! No! I can't leave you," cried Serenity tearfully and would have pounded her frustration on the capsule that enclosed her friend if it was not for Endymion holding her back.

"Be strong Princess. You have...all the powers that the Queen had.....inside you. Do not forget her teachings...believe in yourself," said Mars, her voice only a faint whisper as the last of her energy was spent and she lost conscious.

"Come Serenity," said Endymion, pulling her away from the pod. "It is time that we go. There is nothing we can do for her now. You must be strong as Mars said," he said firmly, doubly anxious to go now that he knew of a way to get back to Earth.

"Endymion, I feel like I am leaving her to die again," whispered Serenity, her eyes blurred with tears so that she could not see at all. She allowed Endymion to lead her out of the room.

"I know it is hard for you Princess, but all hope is not lost. Your friend has given us hope of possibly saving all of your people as well as mine if we can find what they were looking for on my planet. But we must first escape" said Endymion, his mind in turmoil over what he had just learned from Mars. The Golden Crystal. If it will free his people, he was determined to find it.

"You are right Endymion. Let us go," said Serenity, wiping the last of her tears away.