"I'll see you tomorrow, Candra-chan! Stay safe!"

Having become bored with sitting around, Candra decided to venture out and explore where she was being held. It hasn't taken her long to get lost.
Candra sighed as she walked past another unknown room. She had finally concluded that she was being held in the Silver Millennium, but when you are away from a place for over a thousand years, you tend to forget where certain rooms are.
She opened another door and saw a big crystal tower in the middle of a huge room. Something, maybe the size, maybe the texture, drew her to the it. She placed her hand on it.
"Search for the passage."
Her hand snapped back. "What? Who's there?" There was no response to her question and no one else in the room. She put her hand back on the tower. Nothing happened.
Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she turned and quickly exited the room. "I should get back my room before Grety finds out I left." She noticed she was shaking. "I probably should take a nap, too."
Candra made her way down several hallways. While a few things looked farmilar, none of it helped her find her way back. Then, she passed the room where the crystal tower was housed. She sighed and asked it, "Please get me back to my room."
She wasn't expecting a response, but out of nowhere, she saw a farmilar ghost. "Queen Serenity?" Candra chased the spirit up one hallway and down another. After a few minutes, the ghost disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"Queen Serenity? . . . .Mama?" That's when she looked over and realized she was standing in front of her room. With tears in her eyes (from both relief and sadness), Candra smiled and slipped in her room.
"Candra-chan? Are you there?" Candra heard Usagi's voice coming from her mini-computer. It was very faint and surrounded by static.
"Serenity?" Candra rushed to the night table, but by the time she flipped up the lid, the voice was one.

"Usagi, I hate to sound mean, but you've tried to contact Candra-chan ten times now. She can't hear you." Rei sighed as Usagi finally put down her communicator.
Mamoru rubbed Usagi's neck. "It's a nice, beautiful day today, Usako. Let's just enjoy the picnic."
"Besides, one of Candra-chan's brothers is really hot," giggled Minako.
Usagi looked over at their improv American Football game. "Which one?" she asked.
pointed to the one with green hair. "I forgot his name, but that's him."
"Jim-san? You like him?" asked Usagi.
Minako crossed her arms. "And what is wrong with that?"
"All I have to say about him is that I hope he can tolerate you," said Rei.
Minako looked the other way with a huff. "Meanie."
They watched as Lance threw the football to Jim. "Maybe you could ask him about that game, how it's played and all," suggested Mako.
"Hey! Not a bad idea!" Minako jumped up. "Hey Jim-san!" The group laughed.

Candra searched through her closet for something else to wear besides the gray, floor-length dress she had been wearing for a week. "'Search for the passage'," Candra repeated to herself. She still hadn't figured out who had said that or what the passage in question was.
"Dang! I had a lot of clothes as Princess." "I am not wearing this stupid dress one more day.. . . Although this one here is a little too reveling. Hey, what's that?" Candra found, thrown in the corner, a black shirt and dark jean overalls. They looked farmilar, though she couldn't remember at first. Once she picked them up, however, she did.
"Shouldn't a princess of the Moon Kingdom be wearing something a little more. . . presentable?"
"Hey! Have you ever tried to climb a tree with a dress on?"

"I remember. . .This was my favorite outfit." She knelt down for a closer look. "I could climb trees, sneak into the city. . .Hey, what's that?" In the corner next to the clothes, there was an outline of a door. It was at waist level and looked big enough to fit through. "'Search for the passage.' I get it!"
"Serenity?" said Grety in this singsong voice.
"Shoot. Coming! And it's Princess!"

"So, do you enjoy your dinner?" asked Grety.
"Oh. It's great." Candra put another forkful in her mouth. She hadn't eaten much since she got here, but she was doing a pretty good job in hiding it.
"My dear, what is the matter?" Grety tried to show sympathy.
Candra didn't buy it. "Well, gee. When someone kidnaps you from your home, your family, and your friends, you tend to get a little upset. Hey, don't give me that look! You brought this upon me; I had nothing to do with it."
Grety stood up very dramatically. If looks could kill, the palace would have been leveled.
He grabbed her by the neck and picked her up. "My fault?" He threw her across the room. "This is your fault! If you had just accepted me as your true mate, none of this would have happened!" He walked across the room with fire in his eyes and grabbed her neck again, this time leaving her on the floor. "You should have just accepted me. Not that stupid Prince. He was the enemy!"
"He's more of a man than you'll ever be!" Candra screamed, blood trickling from her mouth.
She was slapped for that. "So, you slept with him before me?"
"No!"
"That's good. Because. . ."
Candra couldn't take it anymore. She kicked him in the stomach. She rubbed her neck as she got her breath back. "You sh. . .should think of . . .others . . .before yourself. Maybe that's why you had to pursue me!" She got up and hurried from the room.
Grety's eyes turned red. "That's it, little girl. I think your boyfriend deserves a little punishment."

Minako rubbed her chin. This game was beginning to give her more than her share of bumps and bruises. "Here, let me help you up," said Jim in his broken Japanese.
Minako sighed. "Sure!" she said happily in English.
"Kami-sama. She's trying to milk this for all it's worth," groaned Rei.
Mamoru didn't like the way Usagi was acting. Her eyes looked blank and she hadn't said a word in about a half-hour. "Usako? Talk to me."
"He's hurting her. I can feel it. And there is nothing I can do about it."
Mamoru couldn't stand the way she was acting. He kissed her lips and held her in his arms. "Don't go away, Usako. Please."
Usagi finally blinked and held him tightly. "Gomen ne, Mamo-chan. I'm just so worried about her. I'll try to be a little happier. We'll get her back." Usagi's smile returned to her face as she gazed lovingly into his eyes.
"Oh, come on you two," mumbled Ami.
"Get a hotel room! We don't need to see that here," said Mako in mock disgust as ChibiUsa grabbed her throat and made gagging noises.
Mamoru suddenly leaned forward and clutched his chest. "Mamo-chan!" Usagi and ChibiUsa helped him stay upright.
"Your little Princess pissed me off." Sir Grety appeared in the air. "Now her little boyfriend is going to suffer."
"Jupiter Crystal Power!"
"Venus Crystal Power!"
"Mars Crystal Power!"
"Mercury Crystal Power!"
"Moon Crisis!"
"Make Up!"
Grety's eyes turned red and fired lasers at Jim. Venus pushed him out of the way, landing on top of him when they stopped moving. Jim looked into her eyes. "Arigato," he gentely said.
Venus blushed. "No problem."
"Uh, guys? This isn't the time!" yelled Mars.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" yelled Mercury.
"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" yelled ChibiMoon.
The attacks hit Grety, but instead Mamoru screamed in pain. It was so severe, he had to lay down.
Usagi placed a wet napkin on his forehead. "It's going to be okay, Honey."
Grety laughed. "Every time you hit me, you see, you speed up his death! But I'll be leaving soon, so you won't have to worry about that. Just wanted to tell you that I am getting rid of my competition." Grety once again laughed as he left. "Enjoy hell, Prince!"
"Mamo-chan! Say something!"
"I fell like shit," he said.
Usagi tried to smile. "Well, you said something."

Candra was sitting on her bed, holding herself like she was cold. Serenity, something is wrong isn't it?
"Hey, Sweetheart. Guess what I just did?" Grety said through the door. "I decided that, since you couldn't choose between the two of us, I wouldn't make you."
Candra's head snapped up. "Oh, no," she whispered.
"He should be dead in an hour. 'Night, Dear."
Oh, God! Serenity, is that why you are crying? I have to help you. She checked to see if he was still at the door, then went to find the Crystal Tower.
She ran down one hallway after another. "Maybe here? No, this hall. . .Shoot. Serenity? I need your help."
Queen Serenity appeared. "Follow me."
Candra followed her mother to the Crystal Tower. "Please Crystal Tower," she prayed out loud, "save Prince Endymion. Take off the spell that is on him. Serenity, my sister, needs him." The tower started to glow. "Please, help preserve their love." Her crescent moon birthmark began to glow. She finally became the Princess she was destined to be. "Save him!"
Usagi's ears perked up. "Candra?"
The moon began to glow. Mamoru started to glow, too. The color slowly returned to his face. The pain disappeared and his breathing became regular. He looked at Usagi. "Usako, I feel ten times better."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mamo-chan! Candra saved you! Somehow, she was able to save you." She couldn't help feeling a little let down, though. She had thought Candra was back. I guess this means she's okay. Until I see her again, though, I should enjoy my time with my other friends.

Chapter Eleven: The Great Escape! Candra Loses Her Past.