Ch 15: A Found Jewel
The next morning Bunny seemed to be fine, though everyone knew she wasn't. After breakfast she suggested a walk in the park. Willing to do anything to help Bunny feel better, and always ready to play in the park, Darien, Rini, Hotaru, Diana, Apollo, Luna and Artemis accompanied Bunny.
Rini and Hotaru were having a jump rope competition, to see who could continue jumping longer. Bunny and Darien just sat under a tree, with the cats, watching. Suddenly something caught Bunny's eye. She pointed it out to Darien.
It was a young girl, around 13 with long, jet black hair. She was wearing a long, shapeless white dress, and had her back to them. Something about her made Bunny approached her, and Darien followed. As they got nearer they noticed that the girl had the same "meatball" hair style as Bunny.
"Oh my god! It can't be!" Bunny gasped.
"She has the same hair style as you Buns. Do you know her?" The question had hardly left his mouth when he realized who it was. It was Pearl.
Rini and Hotaru had noticed Bunny's reaction and come over to her. As Bunny got closer to Pearl something rather odd started to happen. "Bunny, your ribbon. It's glowing!" Rini exclaimed.
"I was right. This has to be Pearl. These ribbons always glow when they are near to each other. It was part of their charm," Bunny explained.
Right then the girl turned around. She looked exactly like Hotaru, except her hair was much longer. And on her wrist there was a ribbon, glowing, exactly like Bunny's.
"Pearl, do you remember me?" Bunny asked, hesitantly.
"Serenity? Is it really you?" Pearl asked, much surprised.
"You remember me!" and Bunny ran to give Pearl a hug. "Pearl, I've missed you so much. And look, we both still have our ribbons."
"No. This can't be. You're not the Princess Serenity I knew. She's dead, and you killed her!" Pearl yelled, full of anger.
"What? Who told you that? Look it's me. And here are Artemis and Luna. Don't you remember us? And our ribbons, what they mean?" Bunny asked, full of shock.
"No. You stole that ribbon from Princess Serenity. You aren't my big sister, she's dead! And you killed her, and my mother! Sailor Moon!" and Pearl ran of.
Bunny, Darien, Rini, Hotaru, Artemis, Luna, Diana, and Apollo all looked at each other. What could this mean? Pearl thought that Sailor Moon had killed Princess Serenity. What had Metallia been telling her?
Luna was the first to talk, "Well, she still has her ribbon, that's a good sign. And she obviously still cares a great deal for Princess Serenity, even if she thinks she's dead. I think we better call the scouts."
When Pearl had gotten back to the Dark Kingdom she was close to tears. She had just come face to face with the person who had killed, not only her mother, but the only person who had ever been her real friend, Princess Serenity. Pearl knew that she must learn how to control the powers she had taken from the girl so like herself.
Pearl had taken Hotaru's powers so that she could release Queen Metallia and avenge her mother's and big sister's murders. She had chosen Hotaru's powers for two main reasons. One was that they were strong enough to destroy a whole planet. But more important was the fact that they were the easiest to get. Hotaru was so like herself. Not only in appearance, but there lives where similar too. Both were only children, who had never really had much time with their parents. Both had found a true friend and sister in the Moon Princess.
Pearl laughed as she thought of Rini as the Moon Princess. She was no Moon Princess, only the daughter of that impostor, Sailor Moon, who had taken Princess Serenity's place, after killing her and Queen Beryl.
She knew all of this from Queen Metallia. When Pearl had been forced to fend for herself she had gone looking for Princess Serenity, hoping that she to had been reborn. Queen Metallia called to her, telling her that she had information about her mother and sister.
Pearl had found her way to the Dark Kingdom and Metallia told her the whole story. About how Sailor Moon had corrupted the people on Earth and fought against the Moon Kingdom. How Beryl had tried to protect the Moon, only to be defeated by Sailor Moon. Then how, after being reborn, Sailor Moon tried it all again. This time killing Beryl and Princess Serenity. Once she had the princess's Imperium Silver Crystal Sailor Moon had sealed away Metallia. The only one who could possibly defeat her, and bring revenge for Pearl's mother and sister, was Metallia. Then this Sailor Moon had taken Princess Serenity's identity, even fooling the other scouts, and Prince Endymion.
Pearl couldn't believe it. This Sailor Moon even had the nerve to wear their special ribbon. The ribbon that symbolized Pearl's and Princess Serenity's friendship. Pearl was never without hers. It was a reminder of what had been, of what had to be avenged.
"Great Queen Metallia, please show yourself to me," Pearl cried out. "I am ready to harness my new powers and release you, so that you may take revenge, for me, on Sailor Moon!"
"Princess Pearl, the last true heir to the Moon Kingdom, what is the matter? You look upset?" Metallia asked, icily.
"It is nothing. I have just meet that Sailor Moon you have told me about. She had the nerve to tell me that she was my big sister. I want you to kill her for me, and retrieve my sisters matching ribbon," Pearl order, holding up her wrist to show her ribbon.
"Yes, Princess. I have long wanted to take revenge on Sailor Moon. It is she who trapped me here, and she will pay!"
"Do as you wish. Only don't harm the other scouts. They were my friends and are not to be blamed for being under Sailor Moon's spell. You have told me before that I might have fallen to it, had you not helped me."
"As you wish, princess. Now release me so I can take revenge for all the wrongs done to you."
At that Pearl started to concentrate on her powers. She knew that if she concentrated hard enough that Metallia would be released. She had tried before, and failed. Pearl knew that it was because she didn't have the motivation, but that meeting with Sailor Moon… and Metallia was released.