5 - An Unwelcome Discovery.
"Hmmmmm…" Alexia scanned down the menu. "I'm gonna have gnocchi di spinachi e ricotta. What about you guys, what would you like?"
"I'll have the calzone." Matthias told her.
"I'll try the petti di pollo al limone." Darien announced.
"I don't know…" Serena moaned. "It's all in Italian! What do you recommend Alexia?"
"Nearly everything's nice here Serena! Wait I'll ask the waiter what he thinks." Alexia looked around for a waiter. "Mi scusi!" she called to one nearby, he walked up.
"Sì, signora?"
"Cosa raccomanda Lei?"
"Ahhh, le consiglierei cozze, panne e aglio, è molto bene." Alexia smiled.
"What did he say, is it nice?" Serena implored.
"Well, if you like mussels, bread and garlic, then yes."
"Eeeew mussels - gross!" Serena exclaimed.
"Siete pronto a scegliere?" the waiter asked.
"Quasi, uno momento per favore." Alexia turned back to her confused friend. "Hmmm…try the macaroni con pomodori, that's pretty safe."
"Okay, I'll have that, then." Serena agreed; Alexia turned to the waiter.
"Vorremmo gnocchi di spinachi e ricotta, calzone, petti di pollo al limone e macaroni con pomodori, per favore." the waiter nodded and took down the order.
"Non c'è altro?"
"No, grazie." the waiter took the menus and left.
"Wow," Serena exclaimed, "You're soooo good at Italian!" Alexia blushed.
"Well it does help when half of your family is fluent in the language and you spend every summer in Italy from when you're very young." she explained.
"That makes sense." Darien remarked. "So you two, how's the recital coming along?"
"Very well, thank you." Matthias replied. "Alexia's very talented and so she's picked up the dances very quickly." Alexia once again blushed.
"Oh stop it Matthias! You picked them up quickly too, or else there would've been no way we could've danced together!" Serena looked at Darien and he gave her a knowing smile.
"So, this restaurant is very nice, do you come here often Alexia?" Darien asked.
"Oh, yes it's my family's favourite." she answered just as the food arrived. "Wait until you taste the food, it's divine." she grinned, picking up her fork. Serena eagerly tucked in.
"Yummmm!!" she exclaimed. "This is good!"
"Yes, it's very good." Darien smiled.
"This is delicious – here, Alexia, try it." Matthias offered his fork to Alexia, who ate off it, once again blushing fiercely. The other couple once again smiled at each other.
"Mmmm…I love calzone." she said. Matthias looked at her, she looks so lovely tonight, he thought as he admired the pretty blue dress she was wearing. Her hair was up in a tight bun rather similar to the way she wore it at ballet class but with a single silver chopstick diagonally through it. On the end of the chopstick was a sparkling rhinestone star. I certainly could get used to this, he said to himself in his head, if it weren't for Lucilius and my mission I actually don't think I'd mind living the rest of my life in this form…as long as I could be with Alexia…
x x x x x
"It - was - amazing!" Alexia sighed as she walked into her room. Mina grinned as she followed her. She had been waiting for her friend's return so she could get the details of the evening out of her. "Matthias looked gorgeous and Serena actually managed not to drop, smash or spill anything all night!"
"Wow, it's a miracle." Mina laughed. "So the food was okay?"
"Of course, it always is at Lucia's." Alexia threw herself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Oooh Mina, I wish all of us had boyfriends, then we could've gone out in a huge group and you all could've got to know Matthias better! That would have been so, so cool!"
Alexia sat up again as Estrella jumped in through the window.
"So, your date was good then?"
"Fantastic, Estrella. Where have you been?" the ginger cat curled herself up on the bed.
"Myself, Luna and Artemis had a meeting about the attacks. We tried to put some kind of pattern to them but so far they've been totally random…apart from Nerissa's always there."
"Hmmmm, there's something with these creatures too - so far they've been quite easy to get rid of." Mina murmured.
"Yeah, I think that Nerissa has something up her sleeve…" Alexia muttered.
"I agree." Mina stood up. "Anyway I'd better let you get some sleep. Goodnight Alexia." Mina smiled as she closed the door behind her.
"Goodnight." Alexia yawned and rolled onto her stomach. "I'm gonna go straight to bed, I'm exhausted!"
"That would be a good idea." Estrella stretched out. "I'm going to go for a little walk, do a bit of patrolling." she leapt onto the window sill.
"Be careful Estrella." Alexia told her. Estrella nodded.
"Aren't I always, Alexia?" with that, she jumped out of the window and landed on the ground neatly. "Sometimes I worry about that girl's lack of sleep, perhaps she should take a few lessons from Serena." she sighed, and wandered off into the night.
x x x x x
Caliban watched the Earth in profound silence. The Moon's gentle breeze fanned his hair as he contemplated the shining greens and blues of the planet below. He closed his eyes for a brief, contented moment and sighed blissfully. The delicious scents of the delicate white, purple and red flowers around him filled his senses and relaxed him; it was almost like a dream. He left the gorgeous view and wandered through the beautiful gardens that were so lovingly cared for by Queen Serenity's gardeners. The water shooting from the fountains sparkled like diamonds in the starlight. He sat down by one and felt the cool spray on his face and hands, allowing his mind to continue wandering. He could still hardly believe he was here, the place he had heard so much about from his father and Florizel. He went through what had already occurred that day and decided it might possibly be the best day of his life. Meeting the incredibly beautiful Queen Serenity had been one thing that had especially filled him with joy; however something else had occurred just half an hour before that had been for him the most wonderful thing, so far, about this visit. Queen Serenity had granted him permission to explore the palace at his own leisure, as long as he kept away from certain places which she told him were most definitely out of limits, including the wing where the Princesses' chambers were. So he had wandered around the parts which he could go to, taking in the beauty of the building and its decor. It was just as he had been about the pass the main parlour that it happened. He'd frozen as the door had swung open and 4 girls, ranging from between the ages of 14 to about 17, had rushed out, chattering earnestly amongst themselves about a 'visitor' in the palace (he knew for sure that they had been talking about him). He had been unable to remove his eyes from them - one with short blue hair, another with long flowing purple locks, the third with brown hair pulled into a high ponytail…and then, her.
The fourth girl, who had shiny, dark green hair which fell to her waist, had been the only one who had sensed his presence as they'd walked in the opposite direction to where he had been stood. She had turned her head enough to look at him and smile. Her eyes had been of the palest blue he had ever seen, almost like the icy sea of Glazos, the first Moon of Reimo, yet radiating a warmth he could not comprehend. Her skin had been pale and pure, like it had never been touched by a single ray of sunlight. As she had smiled the Prince had felt a strange tingling sensation run from the top of his spine right down to the tips of his toes, and his stomach seemed to perform a somersault inside him. However, instead of stopping to say hello the girl had continued along with her companions, rejoining in their conversation. He had thought it very odd at first, but then decided she must have simply been shy.
"I'm getting really worried now."
His dream-like state was broken suddenly by a female voice, murmuring urgently on the other side of a white wall nearby. The girl spoke again as Caliban moved closer to investigate. "She's been practising non-stop almost all day!"
"Oh don't be worried, she's just being herself!" the other voice said. "She just desperately wants to please Queen Serenity."
"She doesn't need to keep practising so much though! She's already the best dancer in the galaxy; I don't believe I have ever seen her put a foot out of place."
"But you know what she's like - that's why we call her Princess Perfectionist! Anyway, I bet she wants to impress that Prince we're being introduced to later." Caliban's curiosity was beginning to get the better of him - who was this girl they were talking about?
"Do you think so?" the other girl exclaimed, sounding surprised. "You know, that had never crossed my mind…"
The youth decided to walk away, feeling a little bit strange about hearing them talk about someone who could only be him. He stood at the bottom of the palace steps and was debating whether or not to return inside until his introduction to the Princesses or to venture further into the public gardens when a flash of dark green and lilac caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head slightly to the left he saw her - the girl who had turned and smiled at him earlier in the palace! She was stood under an archway, over which beautiful white roses grew. She had one of the blossoms cupped in her hands and was inhaling its fragrance deeply, a look of contentment on her face. Instantly she let go of the flower and fixed her eyes on the youth, her face breaking into that same bright smile she had given him just thirty minutes ago. Her dark hair was now tied in a neat plait which fell down the middle of her back, a soft fringe and two slender sections of hair, which came to an end a little way below her chin, framed her face. She was too far away for him to make out her eyes properly but he just knew that they were sparkling brightly. The fact that she was dressed in a lilac leotard and an ankle-length gossamer skirt made him wonder if she could be the dancer, whom the other two girls had been talking about. All of a sudden she turned away and headed into the gardens, but not before turning her head again slightly and giving Caliban a look that clearly meant only one thing: Follow me.
Swiftly he did as he was told. Walking quickly but not running he entered the labyrinthine gardens, making sure he kept the girl in sight. Every now and then he thought he'd lost her, but then he'd spot her again, walking slightly slower so he could keep up with her. At last he came to a section of the garden enclosed in high, sweet smelling, pale green hedges of which Caliban had never seen the likes of before. He was sure this part of the gardens was private, but he found himself being drawn closer by the intoxicating scent of exotic flowers and the promise of what lay beyond the hedges - an audience with the mysterious girl. He crept around the hedges, looking for an opening. Finally he found an archway cut into the bushes and carefully stuck his head around to see if he'd come to the right place. His grey eyes widened with amazement when he saw the magnificent garden of blue - ice blue, navy blue, indigo and azure flowers of different shapes and sizes were scattered around the place, casting off their sweet scents into the breeze. However, more incredible than these was the source of his being there. The girl was stood with her back to him, the fingers of her delicate-looking hands entwined behind her. He took a step closer, totally entranced when he, much to his embarrassment, caught the tip of one of his boots under one of the large rocks which separated the garden from the path and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Immediately the girl turned to stare at him with eyes as blue as some of the flowers around her. He felt his heart instantly melt as she moved to stand over him.
Then, it hardened again and sank.
"This is a private area - you're trespassing." she announced rather haughtily, turning away again. "Please leave." The blonde youth quickly picked himself up and dusted his clothes down, feeling rather puzzled.
"I'm…I'm sorry." he apologised rapidly. "I was stood outside the palace when I saw you and I thought that you looked at me and wanted me to follow and so-"
"Excuse me?!" the girl turned to stare at him again, a horrified expression on her face. "What in the universe would make you think that a girl like myself would want a…a…person like yourself to follow her?!"
"I don't know," Caliban responded, flustered. "I just thought that maybe…you liked me?"
The girl inhaled sharply and held a hand to her chest as her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Sir, are you accusing me of being a…a…seductress?!"
"WHAT?!" Caliban couldn't help but splutter loudly. "I never said such a thing!"
"But that was what you were implying, wasn't it?" the girl turned away for a second time, and he stared at the back of her head in bewilderment. "I simply cannot believe this!" she exclaimed in her haughty manner. "I cannot believe that some…handsome stranger would have the gall to come into my garden uninvited, accuse me of leading him astray…and not even have the decency to introduce himself!" Her voice grew less haughty and more amused with each word, and Caliban didn't know what to say as she started to giggle to herself, causing her shoulders to shake slightly. Wait a moment, he thought as what she had just said hit him, she called me handsome!
"Oh! Goodness, I am sorry!" he replied, his silver-grey eyes wide. "Please, won't you turn around so I can introduce myself to you properly?" His companion turned around; the radiant smile he had seen before had returned and her eyes sparkled merrily. That strange feeling he'd experienced in the palace returned to his stomach.
"Very well." she said gently, and it was then that he knew for sure that she was not at all as snobbish as he had first thought. He took her hand and got down on one knee.
"My name is Caliban. I am Prince and heir to the throne of the Imperial Planet Reimo of the Lensei galaxy. I am here with my father's trusted adviser and commander of our army, Florizel. He has been invited by Queen Serenity to become part of her court."
"Oh I see, so you're the Prince." the girl continued to smile at him as he stood up. "So, why exactly are you here? You did not tell me that." Caliban blushed deeply.
"It was my father's idea. He wishes for me to find a bride." the girl laughed sweetly.
"So, he sent you here to meet the Princesses?"
"Why, yes. He hopes it will keep good friendship between our planet and your galaxy." She is so beautiful, he thought as she led him over to a white marble bench, continuing to keep hold of his hand. "By the way, this garden is incredible. Please tell me where are the flowers are from? I have never seen anything so exquisite." he watched her closely as she looked him deep in the eyes, that radiant smile still playing on her lips.
"You like them?" he nodded. "They are from my home - Charon."
"Charon, I don't believe I have ever been there, where is it?" he inquired.
"It is the moon of Pluto." she replied softly - to the Prince's ears her voice was like a summer breeze, and at that moment he wished for her to never stop talking. "This garden belongs to me; Queen Serenity arranged for the flowers to be sent here when I was feeling homesick. Usually only myself, my friends and Queen Serenity herself are permitted here."
"Oh, so I am trespassing." he murmured, feeling embarrassed. "I'm so sorry for following you, it's just-" his words were halted by one of her soft fingers, which she pressed to his lips.
"Don't be silly," she chuckled brightly. "You were right - I did want you to follow me! I saw you inside earlier and was…intrigued."
"Oh!" the Prince exclaimed, and this time the 'oh' was full of surprise. The girl blushed and looked away and the pair of them fell silent. Finally Caliban spoke up again. "You know, I've just realised I have no idea what your name is!"
"My name?" the girl blinked at him, and then raised her hand to her mouth. "Of course, how rude of me! There I am teasing you about not introducing yourself and I haven't even told you who I am! My name is Princess Charon; I am heir to the throne of the Outer Moon, and it is an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance, Prince Caliban."
"The pleasure is all mine, honestly." he smiled, stroking her hand, which he now realised was firmly entwined with his. The Princess tilted her head slightly and the stars above made her eyes even more enchanting.
Suddenly he could no longer resist.
He leant in slowly towards her, feeling her warm breath on his face, his eyes never losing contact with hers. Her lips were full and inviting. Her eyes closed and the Prince's did the same…
DONG! DONG!
Princess Charon gasped and leapt to her feet as soon as she heard it.
"The bell!" she exclaimed, not noticing as Caliban just managed to put his hands down on the bench in time before he toppled over. "Oh my goodness!"
"What does that mean?" Caliban inquired, also rising to his feet.
"It means we're meant to be in the palace! It's time for your formal introduction!" She looked at him, and he could tell she was just as disappointed as he was. "We must leave, Queen Serenity is waiting."
"I'm supposed to be meeting Florizel right now." he admitted, silently cursing his luck.
"Well," she managed to smile. "I shall see you again in only a few moments, I suppose."
"Yes, you shall without a doubt, Princess." Caliban sighed rather mournfully; he didn't want this to end now. Although he had only just met her he felt…he wasn't sure what, but it was certainly something he had never felt before. "Come, let's walk to the palace together." he started to walk, but Charon placed a hand on his shoulder to halt him.
"Wait, I want to give you something before you leave." she said firmly; she walked over to a patch of flowers, which were the same shade of blue as her eyes, and plucked one. She handed it to Caliban, who touched one of the delicate petals. Each one looked like a shard of sharp blue ice and the fragrance was heavenly. "This is called the Charonian Ice Blossom, however on Charon it is known as the…" she hesitated for a moment. "…The Flower of Eternal Love. It is custom for a girl to give it to a boy she…likes." she murmured, once again looking him deeply in the eye. "Please, keep it, I need to know if what I am feeling within myself right now is real."
"And how will you know?" the Prince inquired, and the girl looked away from him.
"When picked the flower can only thrive on the pure emotions that resonate from two people whose souls are destined to be intertwined for eternity. So, if it is dead by the end of the day then it means…"
"It means we are not destined for one another." Caliban finished her sentence softly, and she nodded.
"Correct. Now please, leave. I shall follow shortly. It would not be right for us to be seen together." she told him, gesturing towards the archway.
"As you wish, Princess." he took her hand again and kissed it, her skin like satin against his lips. After that he turned and left, his eyes fixed firmly on the small flower in his hands. "The Flower of Eternal Love…" he whispered, inhaling its scent once more…
…His grey eyes opened, and Caliban lay still. For a while he'd thought he really was back in the Moon Kingdom, but no - it had just been a dream. He sat up and instantly regretted it. His head was throbbing so violently that he felt it might explode and it felt like the room was spinning all around him. After shaking himself out of the dizziness he allowed his eyes to grow used to the dullness of his room, the only light coming from an unfamiliar source he could not place the location of. The place was a mess - the remains of what had been a wooden drawer lay in a heap against the wall; clothes strewn everywhere; his wardrobe door ripped away from its hinges and thrown on the floor. For a moment he recollected his thoughts, in order to recall how all of this had happened…
Of course.
Raising his legs to rest his chin on his knees he wondered how he could have got away with smashing up his room like this in the violent rage he always fell into when Quintus's mind control wore off. Back on Lucilius's ship someone had always supervised him (for his own safety, according to Lucilius) and so he had always been placed back under control rather quickly. However this time he knew for sure that this hadn't happened - his dream had been proof enough of that, and even as he sat there memories were slowly beginning to reawaken.
So, why hadn't Nerissa reported to Lucilius?
He wondered if perhaps she wasn't there, and a quick teleport to her chamber proved him correct. Her bed was empty and still made and he doubted that it'd been slept in all night. Teleporting back to his room he decided to tidy up, as he could no longer sleep.
Thank goodness she isn't here - there's no way she wouldn't've heard me wrecking this place, he thought to himself. Since she doesn't know now then I can't let her know at all. I do not want to be under his control anymore. I have to find Charon myself and somehow make her see the truth…I need to make amends with those people I love. Peering curiously at the source of the strange light, which he had now discovered was coming from beneath a pile of clothing. He lifted the garments and immediately a gasp of utter surprise left his lips. On the floor was a small glass cube, and within that was the source of the glow that had eerily lit the room…
"The Flower of Eternal Love." he murmured, carefully picking up the cube as if it might shatter at his touch. The light which resonated from the Charonian Ice Blossom's delicate petals caught in the tears in Caliban's eyes, causing them to shine brightly.
After all those centuries the flower was still as perfect as the day Princess Charon had given it to him.
She still loved him after all.
x x x x x
"So, the date was incredible then?" Rei inquired. It was Saturday and Alexia had agreed to spend the day helping her friend at the temple.
"Yes." the green-haired girl sighed, dancing absent mindedly with a broom. "It was the most perfect, romantic, beautiful night I've ever had! The food was excellent, the company interesting…"
"Matthias gorgeous…" Rei butted in. Alexia blushed.
"I still haven't actually met this boy Alexia, when will you let me see him?" Estrella asked.
"Well I'm meeting him at the park later, we're gonna have a picnic." she replied. "Why don't you just do what the others did on my first date and spy?"
"Alexia!" Estrella exclaimed. "You're still bitter about that?!"
"No, not really." the girl answered, smiling as she looked at her watch. "I ought to go Rei, I'm sorry I haven't been here very long." Rei waved her hand.
"Forget about it." she smiled. "Go and have fun!"
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Alexia grabbed her coat and Estrella leapt onto her shoulder. "Bye!"
"See you soon Alexia!" the girl and her cat walked down the stairs.
"I mean it Estrella, come and have a look; I'm meeting him at three." Alexia told her as she looked at her.
"Alright then I will," the ginger cat said. "It'll be interesting to finally see the boy who's stolen your heart!"
x x x x x
"Earth to Caliban…" Nerissa teased as the youth sat thinking about the events of the night before.
"Leave me alone, Nerissa," he muttered. "I'm trying to think."
"What about? Alexia, by any chance?" she said in a sing-song voice, leaning on the back of his seat.
"Hmmph," he folded his arms across his chest. "Actually, I was thinking about Charon; I dreamt of her last night."
"Ahhhh, I see." Nerissa remarked at the prince got to his feet, almost causing her to fall as the seat swivelled.
"I must go now, I will be back in a few hours." he announced.
"Meeting Alexia again?" Nerissa asked, winking playfully. Caliban just ignored her and left. The orange-haired woman fell back into the swivel chair Caliban had just vacated and sighed contentedly.
"You seem very happy today, Nerissa." Florizel commented as he suddenly appeared in front of her.
"I have every right to be." She responded, not bothering to open her eyes.
"Greetings Nerissa, Caliban." the man nodded his head in the direction of the blonde, who remained seated.
"Well, may I learn why you are in such a good mood?" Florizel inquired as he sat down. Nerissa finally looked at him, smiling with pride.
"My theory proved to be correct. Alexia Risolto is indeed the Sailor Scout of Charon."
"Excellent," the man smiled satisfactorily. "Very good work, Nerissa. Everything is going even better than we expected." he looked at his companion seriously. "I think it is time we moved on with the plan. You know what to do next."
"Yes, Florizel, I do."
"Good," he leant back in his chair. "If fate continues to keep on our side as it has so far then our mission will be over soon."
"And it will be a success." the orange-haired woman added. "I shall be thankful when we can return home, I find all this secrecy rather stressful."
"I understand," Florizel said. "But it will be worth it in the end, Nerissa."
"Yes, yes it will be." she said rather dreamily.
x x x x x
"Did you find it difficult to adjust?" Matthias looked down at Alexia, who was resting her head on his lap.
"When I moved?" she replied; he nodded. "Yes I guess I did. New house, new school, new people…it gets better though."
"When you make friends?"
"Yes, friends are great. I don't know what I'd do without mine." she sighed, and he played with the end of her long plait of hair. His mind was still recovering from the evening before, memories were returning to him in confused fragments and he was finding it difficult to keep in character. Alexia kept asking him if he was feeling okay as every now and again he'd become distracted by part of a memory and forget where he was or what he was talking about. He assured her every time that he was merely tired. As he found himself admiring the pretty cream-coloured top she was wearing he couldn't help but notice it had lifted slightly at the bottom, revealing a long white mark on her stomach.
"Alexia, what's that?" he inquired, pointing to the mark. She looked down and lifted her top up a little more to reveal the whole line.
"Oh this, it's a birthmark." she said, running a finger along it. Matthias looked sadly at it, it reminded him of something…
"What's wrong?" Alexia asked him as she noticed the serious expression on his face.
"Oh, nothing." He looked at her and saw how curious she looked, and so simply smiled at her.
Meanwhile Estrella was watching from a tree, a look of horror on her face.
"It can't be…" she exclaimed to herself. "It's just a coincidence, it's got to be!" she leapt onto a lower branch, and suddenly the boy felt her watching and looked up. Estrella stared straight into his unmistakable grey eyes. "No!" she gasped, leaping out of the tree behind the couple below. "I must inform Luna and Artemis!" she ran off in a panic, leaving Alexia and Matthias to their conversation.
"What are you looking at?" Alexia asked him, confused by his rather odd behaviour. He blinked and looked at her again, wondering what the flash of orange he had just noticed in the tree could have been.
"Oh, I thought I saw something in the tree, that's all." he shrugged. "It was probably just a bird."
"Yeah, probably." the Charonian responded.
x x x x x
"Ya know the next time I see that Nerissa?" Lita announced. "I'm gonna get her!"
"Calm down!" Amy exclaimed. "She's not done anything that bad yet!"
"I know…but she's already beginning to annoy me!" Lita sat down.
"I wonder what Alexia and Matthias are doing…" Serena sighed. "Last night was wonderful!"
"Yeah, Matthias seems cool." Darien said.
"Alexia was on cloud nine all morning, I'm surprised we got any work done!" Rei told them.
"Help! We have an emergency!" a voice piped up.
"It's Estrella!" Mina exclaimed, standing up. The little cat gasped for air as she joined the group.
"What's wrong Estrella?" Luna inquired.
"It's…Alexia!" she gasped. "She's in serious trouble!" the group looked at her in confusion.
"Take a deep breath and tell us - what's wrong with Alexia?" Mina said, a hint of concern in her voice.
"She's with Matthias, that's what!" she yelled. "Or should I say Caliban!" the Sailor Scouts looked at one another in bewilderment, however Luna and Artemis stood in front of Estrella in shock.
"Caliban?! Are you sure?" Luna exclaimed. Estrella nodded.
"I would never forget those eyes." she whispered, shuddering as she remembered how he'd looked straight at her.
"Hey! What's going on?" Serena moaned.
"Yeah who's this Caliban guy?" Lita demanded.
"Let's just say forget about Nerissa, this guy is serious trouble." Artemis told them. "But how can he still be around? The last time we saw him was back in the Moon Kingdom!"
"Please tell us, why is Alexia in trouble?" Amy inquired.
"It's a very long story," Luna began. "Caliban was the heir to the throne of a planet called Reimo. One day he visited the Moon Kingdom along with his father's adviser and met Charon. They fell in love almost instantly were to be married; however, a few days after the announcement of their engagement Caliban mysteriously disappeared, much to the panic and then misery of Charon. A month later, on the night of Princess Venus's birthday, he reappeared and accused his father's adviser of treason, and was going to kill him. Charon, who had left the party because she was so miserable and couldn't enjoy herself, was fetched by Venus and Estrella, who had left before he had made his announcement concerning the adviser's treachery. Charon had no idea what was happening when she arrived, and was so overjoyed that she ran to him…" The girls, who had been watching Luna's pained face with wide eyes, jumped almost simultaneously as a sob escaped the cat's mouth. "That is when it happened…" she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't go on." she murmured, unable to look at the group. Estrella was sobbing loudly, not wanting to relive the terrible events.
"What happened?" Amy asked the question which all the Scouts and Darien wanted to know the answer to, yet at the same time really didn't. Artemis was the first to find his voice.
"Caliban drew his sword…and there was no way for Charon to avoid it." the girls gasped in horror, Serena squeezing Darien's hand tightly as memories of fighting Neromostro and seeing the seemingly dead Charon lying in a pool of blood came back to her.
"You mean, she was…?" Darien murmured, his blue eyes full of disbelief.
"Yes, she was stabbed." Estrella managed to say between sobs. "And Caliban didn't even so much as bat an eyelid! He just went back to what he was doing before…and then…he appeared."
"Who?" Lita inquired quietly.
"Lucilius." the three cats said together, their voices full of revulsion.
"Who is that?" Amy asked, her hands still trembling from the revelation.
"He was a twisted, evil man, who, after committing many atrocious crimes in the universe, was finally captured by Princesses Charon and Universe and then punished by Queen Serenity's court to live as a small boy for all eternity. He hated this galaxy for that reason." Luna explained.
"That's all they did to him? Doesn't seem very harsh." Lita remarked.
"Oh, but it was for Lucilius. He had real issues, and he hated to be humiliated. Can you imagine a small boy going round claiming to be a feared criminal?" Artemis replied. "He was soon deemed a complete washout by every other lawbreaker in the universe."
"Aah, I see, so everyone just laughed at him?" Amy said thoughtfully. "That was clever of Serenity, but it must have driven him insane…"
"I believe it did, and that's why he decided to abduct and brainwash Caliban." Luna muttered, her eyes narrowed.
"So, what happened after he turned up?" Mina asked.
"Well, you other girls had no choice but to attack, but the cowards ran before you had a chance. After they'd gone you were all so concerned about Charon…we thought she was dead. As it was it turned out she wasn't. She had lost a lot of blood though and was comatose for a week." Luna continued sadly.
"The moment she finally came round was terrible," Estrella shuddered. "I remember being in the room and watching Queen Serenity, Mars and Universe try to hold her down as she struggled and screamed hysterically…it was so frightening, I had to leave."
"It frightened us all." Artemis remarked. "After that she became catatonic; she wouldn't speak, she just lay with her back to anyone who was in the room; that is until her mother, who had been stuck in crucial peace talks with another planet, finally arrived. Then she said just one thing - she wanted to go home."
"She returned to Moon Kingdom a month later, seemingly a lot better," Luna explained. "But then things happened that proved she wasn't."
"The first thing occurred as we walked through the armoury. As soon as she saw a sword she passed out - and after that we made sure she never saw another one again." Estrella took up the explanation again. "Secondly, she couldn't go near the ballroom. The mere thought of it caused her to grow hysterical." she took a breath, and fresh tears started to form in her eyes. "And then…then she did something that still frightens me today when I think about it. Something that none of us could hardly believe Charon would do…"
"What was it?" Rei asked nervously.
"I'll never, ever forget it…" the kitten whispered, the tears once again dampening her fur. "She announced she was feeling much better and we actually thought she was, that was until Princess Mercury pointed out the curious way Charon had said 'goodbye' to them as she'd requested some time alone to myself and Princess Universe. Universe and I rushed to Charon's garden and, thank the Stars, arrived just in time…"
"In time for what?" Serena inquired, pretty sure that it wasn't going to be a tea party.
"Her eyes were wide and glassy, almost as if she were in a trance," Estrella somehow managed to continue, her voice distant as she saw what she was saying in her mind. "Beside her on the bench were a pile of letters…and in her hand was a bottle, which she was raising to her lips – it was some kind of poison." the kitten shook her head, trying to remove the images from her mind's eye. "Universe ran over to her, knocked the bottle from her hand and hit her hard across the face, calling her terrible names that my young ears had never heard before. She was so furious, not only at Charon but at herself for not realising what the girl had been planning to do all along. Charon simply looked up at her blankly, and then behind us…she asked in an emotionless voice, how they could have lied to her and we understood at once what she meant. She was staring at the smoking, ash-covered ground where the Charonian Ice Blossoms, a flower which can only thrive on the true love of a couple once picked, which had been so precious to her, had grown. She had destroyed them all."
"After the suicide bid she once again went back to the Outer Moon with her family," Artemis continued. "And on her return to our kingdom Queen Serenity announced that no one was to ever mention the events concerning Caliban and Lucilius in the presence of Princess Charon again. This was because a decision was made to close off any memories concerning the two of them – including her involvement in the capture of Lucilius."
"She was so much better when she returned to us," Luna spoke up. "There were still moments when she became nervous, although of course she couldn't understand why this was. Chara, who had been the one to put the memory block on her, warned us that it would not last forever – if anything were to remind Charon of any of the events that had been repressed there was a chance the block would come undone." She looked at Serena. "The nightmare Alexia was having about being stabbed was proof that the block was starting to fade – being told that she was a Sailor Scout must have triggered it."
"Do you see why we can't allow them to be together? We cannot allow the past to happen again!" Estrella blurted out. Rei leapt to her feet, suddenly feeling anxious.
"And while we're discussing all of this she's out there with him! He must know who she is, why else would he be hanging around her?" Luna spoke up again.
"We need to find her, now!"