"So you see, my daughters," Queen Serenity said, looking down at her daughters, "this is not the result of any punishment for anything that you did to your sister. This is...my fault."
"So..." Trivia thought. "So, is that what you meant when you told Serenity that her having to marry a serpent-god was your fault?"
"You have a good memory," Serenity said, nodding. "Yes, that is exactly what I meant. You see...what Eros meant by me scorning the prophecy...well, you'll see. In your letters, it is explained that the Moon and the Earth are inherently bonded somehow. I never believed it. As a matter of fact, Eros scared me so thoroughly, I told Hyperion to stop sending help to his kingdom. I think that's why, in part, that the Elysianites fell so hard below the Erebese, and would have lost.
"However, this war ended strangely. Both kings were killed within a few days of each other – before the report could reach the land about one, the other was killed. So their children, Prince Endymion and Princess Beryl, rose to the thrones, and to the helm of the war. Beryl knew she had the upper hand, but something happened and she stopped the war. I'm not completely sure of the details, but everything just – stopped. She continued to have her armies occupy the outlying areas of Elysian, forcing all their people to reassume their magical cloaking. But they weren't fighting anymore.
"But Endymion was several years older than you girls; I'm sure he was probably fighting and knew about the Moon's retreat, and I thought it was only a matter of time before he enacted his revenge on the Moon, especially since Beryl's father hated the Moon and they were now in Elysian. I thought they would have joined up much more quickly than before.
"But when Serenity was called to...to marry some serpent-god...I figured that was my punishment for being so selfish, that my one wish was going to be taken away from me. Somehow she ended up on Earth. I think Elysian used its magic to trick Hyperion, and when we left Serenity on the summit, she was actually taken to Earth; somehow the prince there decided to have him for herself, married her, and now she's in some kind of trouble, while they're attacking the Moon Kingdom."
Queen Serenity finally fell silent, and the three women stared at each other solemnly.
"So...now what?"
Serenity smiled, then stood. "Now...you really must fight. As your father wished you to. Against Erebus."
"But – the war against Erebus is obviously over," Diana said, standing up as well. "Elysian and Erebus are partnered. And in addition to that, no matter where my original mother was, the Moon is my home. I will fight for the Moon!"
"Diana, darling, there is nothing to fight for here," Serenity said, turning to face her daughters again. "The Moon Kingdom will be destroyed. But its spirit will be preserved in Elysian – which is why your sister is there. And you have to go to her, and help her. You have to make sure that Erebus and Elysian aren't partnered anymore – that Elysian's beautiful magic isn't lost to Erebus's darkness."
"How are we supposed to do that?"
"Remember those scrolls from my story?" Serenity walked over to her locked armoire, took a key from a fold in her dress, and unlocked it. "When Eros first told me what they did, I tried to destroy them, silly me. Of course they couldn't be destroyed. So I locked them away in here, and nearly forgot about them." She took them out and handed them to the girls. "Diana, this is yours, and Trivia, here's yours."
The girls began to unroll them, but Serenity shook her head. "You can't read them here," she said. "This is the next place they'll come. You can't be seen by Erebus's forces – or Elysian's, at this point. Go on; lock yourselves somewhere they'll never come, read them quickly, and then go on about your business."
Diana was the first to nod. Trivia looked to her, then nodded as well. They started on their way out, then turned when they realized their mother wasn't following them out of the room.
"Mother," Trivia said, "what are you doing still in here?"
Serenity's eyes filled with tears, but she shooed her daughters out. "It's not my place to leave," she said. "I won't leave this palace tonight."
"Mother!"
"No, Diana," Serenity said, shaking her head. "Even if I tried, I won't. Go on now. Leave me."
The girls hesitated, then Trivia crossed to her mother, and hugged her tightly. Diana followed her over, and squeezed her mother tight.
But Trivia released her.
"Trivia, you can't possibly—"
"Diana," Trivia said, "let's go."
Diana sighed, looked at her mother with tearful eyes, and followed her sister out of her mother's bedchamber.
"Serenity, did Beryl give you another task to complete?"
"No." Serenity turned to face Minako, who was being lifted on Helios's back as they floated out of the hole to the Underworld. They alighted, and Minako slipped from his back.
"Why not?"
"I have no idea. It's really odd." Serenity cocked her head to the side. "She seemed in a hurry to try to get back to wherever she lives at, too. Maybe she feels as if she doesn't need to bother me anymore..." Serenity's eyes went dreamy. "Maybe she will let me go home to Endymion now! Although he might not even want to take me back now..." Serenity lowered her eyes.
That's not true at all, my lo — er, Queen Serenity, Helios said, stepping closer in his Pegasus form. He began the detransformation into his human form, talking all the while. The King is still just as in love with you as the day you arrived in the palace.
Serenity turned to face Helios. "Really?"
"Really," the human Helios said with a smile. "When he was delirious, you were all he could think of. And he refuses to even touch Beryl."
"Why would he?" Minako held her chin, thinking. "Do you remember what Beryl first said to you when you first met up with her?"
"Somewhat," Serenity said. "I remember the first. She called me Queen Serenity, matriarch of Elysian, and then she told me that she thought she would be the first to hold that title."
"Beryl's been hot for King Endymion since before their fathers died, a long time ago...I think we were still teenagers," Helios said. "That's why she's taken to terrorizing him. As a matter of fact, you've got her to thank for even being here. Endymion was sent to kill you, because she was jealous of you and wanted revenge on your family. But he fell in love with you and brought you home instead."
Minako raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"So where is Endymion at now? At Beryl's home?"
"No. She's moved camp to Elysian. When Endymion...got hurt, his magical protection against the palace was broken. Her servants found the palace and she decided to live there, to invade Endymion's personal space. She..." Helios turned away. "She lives in his bedroom."
"What the—" Minako said.
"Well, she takes the bed. He wants to leave, but she won't let him sleep anywhere else. So he usually sleeps in a chair, or on the floor."
Minako started laughing. "Good for him!"
"And he's still sick. She won't let anyone tend to him. I snatch moments when possible, but I've been confined to the sanctuary. It's like being in prison. They even check whoever comes through for weapons to sneak me," Helios said sullenly. "It was—"
Suddenly, he stopped.
"It was what?"
Helios just shook his head. "I just realized what I said. Beryl doesn't let Endymion leave the bedroom at night; she forces him to sleep in the same room as her. And she has these black wristbands on her to control him and keep him in the room at night. He can't leave it," Helios said.
"What does that mean to us?"
"I went to sleep after Beryl retired, which means Endymion was already confined," Helios continued, obviously working things out to himself. "When I was unbound, Beryl definitely hadn't woken up yet. It was late at night, and she would've come running if she realized Endymion was out the room. It couldn't have been the maids, they don't let anyone else in my room besides Endymion and Beryl's servants. Although the guards were knocked out."
"Helios!" Serenity placed her hands on the priest's shoulders and shook them. "What are you talking about?!"
Helios softly kissed the queen on her cheek, then drew back, blushing.
"Helios!"
"Sorry! I couldn't help it!"
"Did you finish?"
"Yes, I finished."
Diana rolled up her scroll and tossed it behind her. It disappeared, but it was no matter. She didn't need it anymore.
All she needed was the small, dark blue wand she held in her hand.
"That was..."
"Intriguing."
"Wild, was more my choice of words," said Diana. "But the letters said – we had to find that crystal. Mother didn't have it around her neck, did she?"
"No," Trivia said. "She said she hid it somewhere else in another locked armoire in the palace."
"But she forgot to mention where." Diana shook her head. "Are you ready to try these things?"
Trivia smiled and stared at her aqua-blue wand, encrusted with a crystal in the same color. It looked like aquamarine to her, and that would be most fitting, given the powers she was said to have.
"I'm ready. But you go first."
"No problem."
Diana thrust the henshin wand into the air.
"Uranus Crystal Power, make up!"
"Neptune Crystal Power, make up!"
Minako brought her hand to her chin and looked to the sky moving above her. There was something she was trying to remember – it had to do with Serenity and Helios – but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
It was hard to remember anything at that point, though. She and Serenity were seated on the pegasus-Helios' back, soaring through the air, watching clouds and blue sky fly by. The day was perfect for flying; of course, Helios wasn't flying quite as fast as he did with just Serenity on his back, but Minako was awed that he could even fly with both of them back there. He contended that pegasi were very strong animals. Minako only hoped that he wasn't struggling.
Serenity's head was bent over the side of the pegasus, her sapphire blue eyes sweeping the ground. They were searching, of course, and Minako probably should've been aiding Serenity and Helios in the search. But the truth was, she was somewhat afraid of being high in the air, soaring over mountain and glen. And Serenity knew what they were looking for, had seen it, touched it.
No, it was better for Minako to go over what had passed.
Tereisias. Unlike the younger oracles, or the lesser ones, he spoke in shadows, forcing his listeners to listen carefully and decipher messages. Minako had been spending the better part of the pegasus ride just decoding what the old blind prophet had said.
The story had been simple enough, although elongated with Tereisias's colorful language. Tereisias confirmed Minako's story about Beryl exchanging her soul for glorious power. How Beryl had risen up, the power of the souls of the Underworld behind her, to conquer the Earth. And how the magical land of Elysian, Endymion's home, was the only power standing against her. How Beryl had commissioned Endymion to kill Serenity in return for protection and he, smitten with the young princess, had taken her as his wife.
But there was more to Endymion's deal and Serenity's marriage than simple jealousy and power exchanges, the prophet said. The circumstances, the events arranging themselves were only in conjunction with a prophecy from long ago, when a crystal was born. Serenity was one chosen, chosen to gather the powers that would emancipate the world from the dark hold of the Underworld. Chosen to find the crystal. This crystal was connected to four jewels, four powers that would bring the crystal's power forth, and together the rainbow of gems would conquer the darkness that threatened the Earth.
Minako cleared her throat. "So Beryl is this great darkness that will take over the Earth if we don't defeat her?"
Tereisias actually chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "Child. Beryl is only a link in the chain – simply a key to the gates of the darkness. She is a tool. The gods – especially the dark one Hades – have allowed her to believe that she has more power than she really has. She is powerful, no doubt. But she is controllable. Hades' power has not come without price. And that is her weakness.
"The power in the jewels," he continued. "do not have such a weakness. Their greatest asset, though they may be not as powerful individually as the dark power, is that they are free. There is no price to their power. There is no selfishness in their power...the jewels pulsate with freedom, as the gods' gifts. It is your quest to find these jewels, to touch their power and bring them out."
At that Serenity had sat up, her eyes wide and sparkling with knowledge.
"Come on, Minako!" she had said, grabbing Minako's arm and pulling her to her feet. "I know what he's talking about! But we must hurry, before they disappear!
Minako had followed. She had wanted to ask Tereisias more, to find out more. She wondered if Serenity was acting too hastily. There had to be more.
But one look at the smile on Tereisias's face and the hope in his eyes dispelled her questions. She looked at Serenity, at the faith in her blue eyes, and latched onto that, allowing her heart to follow the faith that Serenity had.
Now she lightly tapped her traveling partner on the shoulder. "Serenity...how did you understand what Tereisias said? I have been listening to him for years and it still takes me hours to figure out his riddles."
Serenity smiled. "Tereisias said something about jewels pulsating with freedom, with the gods' gifts. When I came to find you, the Time Guardian told me to close my eyes and follow my heart...and when I did, I felt your power pulsating inside my heart."
Minako's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Really! Then I thought about it. Your power had felt so similar to others I felt. Then he said what he said about the gods' gifts. And I remembered! Along the way I met three other girls who said they all had powers gifted them from the gods – Mercury, Mars, Jupiter. And you. I was told to get a beauty charm for Beryl from you. Then I thought you must've been gifted with powers from Venus, right?"
Minako nodded. Still waters run deep, she thought.
"So I figured that the four of you together must be the power that Tereisias is saying that I have to find," she finished, turning back to her searching. "So now we have to find them so that we can fight the darkness."