Chapter 10
Lady Serenity paced nervously back and forth the halls of the palace.
"Chibiusa?" Helios asked when he saw his wife's distress. "Chibiusa, is something wrong?"
"I don't know," she replied, shaking her head. "I just... can't shake this feeling that the children are in danger."
Helios put a loving arm around the queen. "The children are under the protection of the white moon, and they have the asteroid senshi with them," he assured her. "I'm sure they will be fine." He said this to help calm her, but in his heart, the king too couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Neither the young senshi nor their guardians had sent any word back to the palace since they left, and though this could be due to any number of reasons, the king and queen couldn't help but fear the worst.
"You're right," Lady Serenity finally said. "They're probably fine."
"No!" Back in the shrine, Sailor Cosmos shouted loudly at the image before her.
"Cosmos!" Pluto scolded. "If you keep wearing out your energy like that, I'm not going to show you any images anymore." It was a poor threat, but Pluto wasn't sure what else to do. Using what power her spirit had left in her, she was able to display before the former queen images of what was happening in the outside world. She didn't do it often, only when Sailor Cosmos insisted. And the problem was now, that she was quite insistent.
"Don't talk to me about wasting my energy, Pluto!" Cosmos said. "Three of the asteroid senshi have been taken captive and once the fourth is gone, the palace is open for attack and so are the children. We have to do something."
"I agree," said Mercury. "Even if the palace falls and we fall, the children must be safe. Did we give our lives for nothing?"
"That's all very sentimental, but you're forgetting one thing," said Uranus coldly. "We can't leave the shrine. We've tried before, it's too much of a strain. We'll vanish forever before we even get near Crystal Palace."
"Let's try again," Cosmos insisted.
"No, I won't let you!" Uranus yelled back. Cosmos looked at her with a glare of anger and sadness. Uranus immediately fell silent; she hated it when her princess looked at her that way.
"Please understand," said Venus, gentler. "That it is and always has been our job to protect you. And I can't help feeling that as leader of your inner court, I have failed you somehow. I'm sure Uranus feels the same." Uranus nodded lightly, but did not say a word.
"And please understand from me," Cosmos replied. "I spent my whole life being protected. That time is over. Now, whatever happens, I must protect our future."
Pluto sighed. "If your highness is insistent, I believe there is something else I could try."
While King Helios was taking a stroll through the gardens to help ease his mind, the queen sat in her chambers. The two tiny cradles sat at the opposite end of the room, their inhabitants sleeping peacefully. Lady Serenity did not know why she kept them indoors so much. Perhaps it was that she feared for their safety. Or perhaps it was that she feared that if she let go of anyone precious to her anymore, it the moment she blinked her eyes, they would be gone. She walked over to the side of the cradles and peered in. The twins had been a surprise to everyone, including herself and her husband. The firstborn was a son, blonde hair, blue eyes sparkling like those of his grandfather. The second a girl, lavender hair and affectionate purple eyes. She always loved to be near her brother.
Lady Serenity pushed a small piece of hair away from her daughter's sleeping eyes. The child seemed to be smiling, hopefully from a good dream. Even though she hated to disturb her, the queen could not resist and pulled the tiny infant from the cradle, resting her head on her shoulder.
"My little princess," she whispered. "I hope you and your brother grow up happily. I hope you never have to see war, or know the pain it causes when those you love leave you." She held the girl a bit closer. "I swear, I will never leave you." At that moment, she heard a small cooing coming from the child as she held her. Of course, she had been holding too tightly and woken the girl up. Lady Serenity scolded herself for getting so emotional and pulled the child away from her, ready to place her back in her cradle. But as she did, she noticed something unusual. A symbol was glowing on the princess' small forehead. It was dull at first to make out, but as the symbol grew brighter, the image became clear. It was a crescent moon.
"Impossible!" Lady Serenity whispered. "Her power could not have awakened this early." But there were more surprises in store. As the infant looked fussed and turned, her lips seemed to move as if forming words:
"Small Lady."