Chapter 18: The Plan is Set
Everyone on the Moon was speechless. They hadn't really known what the Redeans had been telling Molly, Melvin and Bunny about them. Now that they did they really weren't that surprised that they weren't liked.
"Well then, I for one am glad we weren't there for the speech," Jet said. "We might have been killed by that mob." The others agreed, the audience certainly looked mad enough to kill any of them on site.
They looked at Queen Serenity and Prince Endymion now. Both were in major shock. Rini put her arms around Endymion and Pearl went to her Mother. "It's alright," Rini cooed. "We'll fix this."
"Think about it, she didn't say anything against you," Pearl reminded Queen Serenity.
The Queen tried to smile down at her adopted daughter, "You're right, but :sob: she has new parents."
"But she already had new parents when she was reborn. Didn't she mother?" Diana asked Luna softly. Luna shook her head, silently telling Diana not to talk about that.
After a few minutes of recollecting themselves, Queen Serenity cleared her throat. "Yes, well this just gives us all the more reason to move quickly. If Serenity uses her Crystal to make all the people think that what the Redeans said about us is true, we may not be able to undo the damage. "
"And this could be a good thing," Jadeite ventured. "At least now we know that the Redeans have been telling Molly, Melvin and Bunny."
"So what do we have to do?" Nephrite asked.
"Well, we have to get Princess Serenity to remember the truth. Once we do that we have to get the people she's affected to remember the truth as well. It's going to be a hard job, but I believe you can do it, if you truly love her," Queen Serenity assured them. She looked at Prince Endymion, "You especially have to believe in your love. If your heart wavers, even a bit, your Golden Crystal will be useless. I don't mean to put any pressure on you, but you mustn't blame yourself! You must only remember the good things, not dwell on the bad. Do you understand?" Endymion looked into Queen Serenity's eyes, took a deep breath and nodded. "Then I suggest you return to Earth and rest. You must confront her tomorrow morning, before she has used her crystal. Good luck." And Queen Serenity disappeared.
Prince Endymion looked at the others, he seemed more confident then he had sense Bunny turned, "Come on. We best all stay at my place, so that we don't have to gather again tomorrow morning. We must keep a low profile, I'd hate to be caught by any members of that mob."
The others nodded agreement. They were relieved to see Endymion so confident. They had been worried that this would be to much for him. They returned to Earth and Darien's apartment and immediately fell asleep.
"I was very impressed with you speech, dear," King Rodo praised as his adopted daughter entered the throne room.
"Thank you Father," Princess Serenity murmured as she curtsied to the King and Queen.
"How are you feeling?" Queen Ralcea inquired. "I though, perhaps, it might be hard to speak so of people you had called friends for so long."
Princess Serenity looked at her hands for a moment, took a deep breath, then looked Ralcea in the eyes and answered, "I'm fine. I'm just not used to revealing my other identities to so many people." Molly looked sidewise at Serenity. She knew her best friend, and she knew that Bunny had struggled slightly when speaking ill of Darien. However, she would never say so.
"Yes, I suppose after hiding them for so long it would be some what uncomfortable," Ralcea agreed. "Why don't you go get some rest dear? We will have a long day tomorrow, and you will need all your strength.
Serenity smiled and curtsied to her parents. Then she turned and went to her room, followed by Molly and Melvin. They walked in silence. When they reached Serenity's bed chamber Serenity waved them away. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She changed into a black silk night gown and laid down on her bed, starring at the canopy.
'Even if he was using me...' she began to think. 'Even if he only wanted to use my position and power… I still miss him.' Serenity rolled over, chiding herself for thinking of him at a time like this. She tried to get comfortable but couldn't. Finally she got up and went out on her balcony. 'It really is beautiful here. The roses smell so nice.' She walk along the edge of the balcony looking out. Then she turned and left the balcony, then her room and then the palace.
She walked into the rose gardens, trying to lose herself in it's beauty. 'I love the smell of roses. It always makes me happy.' Serenity brushed her hand over a yellow rose, 'For friendship' she thought. Then she saw a pink rose 'For romance.' Finally she was directly under her balcony, surrounded by red roses. 'And red is for true love.' She shook her head, trying to rid it of a thought that was trying to push it's way in. She walked over to a very familiar corner of the garden.
There was a white stone bench that she had often visited in her past life. On it was a single red rose. 'Just like he used to leave. When he couldn't stay and wait for me, to tell me...' she lifted the rose to her lips, 'to tell me that he loved me.' She kissed the rose the way she had when it was a token from her prince. Suddenly she lowered her hand and shook her head, making her hair fly, 'No, it must have just fallen from it's bush. Lies, all lies, he never really cared for me.' She turned on her heal and returned to her room. Unthinking she placed the rose she had carried from the garden on her vanity table, never noticing that the thorns had been cut off and how smoothly it had been cut from it's bush. She climbed back into bed, then fell asleep.
Darien, too, was climbing back into bed. He had a faint smell of roses about him. Luna looked up at him. "Where have you been?" she yawned.
"Just seeing if an old custom might spark an old feeling," Darien smiled. Luna looked at him, having no idea what he was talking about. She shrugged and settled back down to sleep. She was happy to see Darien returning to his old self.
Darien lay down and looked at the ceiling. He took out a newly cut white rose and held it before him. It was identical to the red rose Princess Serenity had found, other then its color naturally. It, likewise, had had it's thorns removed. 'I love you Princess Serenity. I always have and I always will. My heart will never waver from that point. I will see you soon, just as the rose has always promised.' He kissed his rose, then placed it on his night stand. After which he feel asleep, and dreamed of the past and all the white roses he had found on the white stone bench.