Chapter 17: Queen Serenity Knows
The scouts, generals, and Helios formed a ring around Pearl, Jade, Jet and the cats. They were off to the Moon. Unlike every other time they had made this trip, they found no joy in traveling through space. They barely noticed that their cloths changed when they landed at Mare Serenitatis. Prince Endymion, Princess Rini and Helios lead the way to the prayer room and Queen Serenity.
"Where is my daughter? What has happened to Serenity?" was how Queen Serenity greeted them. She looked worried sick.
They all looked at each other, who was going to tell her what happened. Finally Luna took a deep breath and stepped forward. "We have some terrible news, Your Majesty. I'm afraid that our enemy, that's hiding in Elysion, is none other then the Redeans."
Queen Serenity gasped, "I thought we had defeated them. What have they done to my daughter?"
Pearl ran forward crying, "They've taken her!" Pearl collapsed at the Queen's feet and Jade sat next to her with his arms around her.
"But if they had just kidnapped her, and taken her to Elysion, I would still be able to sense her! Why can't I sense her anymore!" Queen Serenity sobbed.
"Because … because they have done more then just kidnap her," Luna cried. "The Princess has - the Princess has..."
Artemis took over for Luna, "The Princess has joined with the Redeans."
Queen Serenity was speechless. She looked from one face to another, not wanting to believe that it was true. Finally she looked at Prince Endymion and knew that there was no mistake. "How… how did they do it?" the Queen finally whispered, while sitting down.
Everyone else took a seat as well and prepared to tell the story. "First they turned Molly and Melvin, Bunny's best friends, against the Sailor Scouts," Trista started.
"Then the Redeans used Molly and Melvin to expose her weak spot, and used that to turn the Princess away from us," Rini added.
"But what was Serenity's weak spot?" Queen Serenity inquired. "She was so strong, I thought that nothing could happen to her anymore."
Mina sighed, "I hate to tell you this, Your Majesty. But Bunny's weak spot was that… she didn't want to be Sailor Moon." The Queen gasped.
"I'm afraid it's true," Amy affirmed. "When Luna first found her Bunny just wanted to be a normal teenager. But none of us thought that she still had those feelings."
The Queen nodded, "I understand, and I don't really blame her for it. I had hoped that she could have been a normal teenager when she was reborn. Now I must ask, when did she turn?"
"Last Sunday," Kunzite answered.
"Almost a week," Queen Serenity said almost to herself. "We don't have much time."
"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked.
"Well, you know that you scouts will lose your powers if Serenity stays evil, right?" The scouts nodded. "And that the future as we know it will sess to exist." Queen Serenity looked sadly at Princess Rini and the Asteroid Scouts. "You only have about a week after she turns before these consequences will take affect."
"What must we do to save her?" Pallas cried. The others all echoed her question.
"Hummm... well, what has she been like now that she's changed. Does she still care for the people of Earth, or does she just want to rule over them or destroy them?" inquired the Queen.
"She is still concerned for them," Raye replied.
"Well that means her Silver Imperium Crystal will still work," the Queen mused. "If she still cares for her subjects then the Crystal will still have power." They all nodded numbly. "Now Rini has a Silver Crystal, but it can only work in the future so what does that leave us?"
They let Queen Serenity think for a while in silence. Then Helios ventured to say, "The Prince has his Golden Crystal."
"What?" Queen Serenity had been lost in her own thoughts.
"His Golden Crystal," Zoisite repeated. "It's a lot like the Silver Crystal, it can harness his powers."
Queen Serenity looked at Endymion, "Is this true? Have you recovered it?"
Endymion nodded, and retrieved his Crystal to show her. "Only, I've only used it once. And that was with Princess Serenity's help," he sighed. "I don't know how strong it will be on it's own."
"That's okay. This is good, very good. Now then, what has Serenity been up to this week?" Queen Serenity continued.
"Well, she's been going to school, and tried to cheer the people up," Lita remembered.
"In fact, she just held a concert for that very purpose," Michelle added.
"Yeah, we left as soon as it was over," Amara recalled.
"Wait! Did you see Serenity leave that concert?" Queen Serenity demanded, she sounded worried.
They looked at each other and shrugged. "No, I don't believe we did," Diana replied.
"Why? What do you think she might do?" Jade wondered.
"Well, the Redeans are very infectish in taking over. First they cause chaos, which you have told me they have already done," The Queen explained. "Then they come and bring their order to the chaos. If they are using Serenity to bring this order then they may use this concert to start things off. You see the rulers of the Redeans are very beautiful. They only meet their match with Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. They would use their beauty to help control the people they concurred. They could easily use Serenity's music to do the same."
"You mean they may be starting their takeover?" Raye cried.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." Queen Serenity affirmed.
"What can we do?" Juna asked.
"Let us see if Serenity said anything after the concert," Queen Serenity proclaimed. She got a large mirror and said an incantation. Instantly they could see Bunny walking back onto the stage and hear the applause welcoming her.
Bunny smiled when she saw how happy her audience looked. She curtsied when she reached the microphone at the center of the stage before beginning her speech. "Did you all enjoy the concert?" She was almost deafened by the cheers that followed. "I'm glad. You see I've been worried about you lately. Have any of you noticed that you haven't been exactly yourselves lately? You know, starting to ignore some of your friends, feeling depressed." Her audience thought for a moment and then started to nod. "Well, I can tell you why. It's because of the Sailor Scouts! They have been plotting to take over Tokyo, the whole planet actually, and this has been part of their plan." Some members of the audience gasped, but those who had already started to remember the Moon Kingdom and Golden Kingdom just nodded. "I to was part of their plan. I was manipulated by the Sailor Scouts and their friends, so that they could use my power for their purposes. You see I am Sailor Moon." Bunny took a step back and morphed into Sailor Moon in front of everyone.
"I know some of you are starting to remember the Moon Kingdom and the Golden Kingdom of the Silver Millennium. For those of you who don't let me tell you about it. You see, over a thousand years ago our solar system was at peace. Each plant plus our Moon had it's own kingdom. Earth's kingdom was known as the Golden Kingdom and was ruled over by Prince Endymion." Sailor Moon had to stop for a second, because a strange lump had formed in her throat. "The other planets and the Moon formed the Moon Kingdom, ruled over by Queen Serenity and her daughter, Princess Serenity." Again Sailor Moon stepped back and this time morphed into Princess Serenity, minus her crescent moon and with a red dress.
"Yes, I am Princess Serenity. Anyway, though they were peaceful, prosperous kingdoms, they were still controlled by cruel hearted people. Each of the planets in the Moon Kingdom had a Sailor Scout which was supposed to protect it. Unfortunately the scouts cared more for themselves then for their planets. Then a great evil attacked the Moon Kingdom, named Queen Metallia. The Scouts could not defeat her so Queen Serenity sent the children of the Moon Kingdom into the future, to be reborn on Earth. She hoped that their past memories would never have to be reawakened, but she sent along my guardian cats, Luna and Artemis, just in case the Scouts were ever needed.
"However, the scouts and the Prince of Earth had their own plans. They wanted to get their old power back. So when Queen Metallia attacked again, around 4 years ago they set their plan in motion. You see Luna gave me my memories back, but she did it in a way so that I wouldn't remember how cruel the Sailor Scouts could be. Luna even made me think I was in love with Prince Endymion. They knew that they would need my power, the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal that allowed us to be reborn, to take over this world.
"Luckily the rulers of a near by people called the Redeans, saw what was happening. King Rodo and Queen Ralcea were able to help me, and my friends Molly and Melvin see what the scouts are really up to. And they came just in time.
"Now, if you want to stop the Sailor Scouts and their friends all you need to do is except the help of the Redeans. King Rodo and Queen Ralcea have adopted me as their heir. I am destined to rule over my former subjects, a destiny that the Sailor Scouts tried to use for their own purpose, but if you except the help from the Redeans I can promise you a much happier existence. What do you say? Do you want the scouts or your true Princess?"
Everyone began to shout "Princess Serenity! Princess Serenity! Down with the Sailor Scouts!"
"Good. Then starting tomorrow I promise you will have much happier lives," and Princess Serenity walk off the stage and returned to Elysion with Molly and Melvin to tell her new parents what had happened.