Even after being back at Gardenparesu for a couple of hours, Alan and Ann still had not returned. "I assure you, the king and queen are on their way back," Ash vowed.
"WHERE did they go?!" Christen hollered as she was tired of waiting. It wasn't good manners to disappear for this long when you had guests.
"We don't know, milady. But, even if we did, we wouldn't be permitted to inform you. Not if they instructed us not to." Glen clarified to the hot head princess.
"We're Princesses! We're being treated like spies!" Christen started to throw a massive tantrum. She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. It wasn't very comfortable seeing a princess act like a toddler. And they were supposed to be guests. Which meant they needed to respect their host.
"We know you're not spies. This is just protocol." Birch attempted to appease Christen with his explanation. However, his girlfriend Hazel's eyes just glared hatefully at the fiery Princess. You couldn't tell as they were taught to mask their emotions. However, Christen's tactless attitude was getting on the Eight Knight's last nerve! Finally remembered the lullaby trick Alan had pulled on them before.
Jewel forewarned Christen about it when she decided to look for the couple. So, she told anyone who wanted to help locate the royals, including the cats. But not to get too close. After the females of the Eight Knights tucked the girls in. They waited until they were confident everyone was fast asleep.
"Wait. What if any Knights are standing outside trying to safeguard us?" Gracie did not feel comfortable attacking. After all, they were only trying to do their job. Moreover, the Knights had been quite friendly since they arrived. Therefore, she had serious doubts about it while she cradled her Holy Stone Sword.
"You need to stop hanging around, Alexis," Christian huffed, annoyed. It seemed Alexis' sensitivity was rubbing off on Gracie and Crystal. However, Christan was in the wrong yet again. At this point, everyone wanted to smack Christan upside the head for her blatant rudeness. Enough was enough!
"Quit it, or I'm going to make you extremely sorry." Emily hissed dangerously. To show how serious she was, she poked Christen in the back with her Silence Glaive.
Crystal, Jewel, and Shadow held Christen back from attacking Emily. Everyone else wasn't going to do it. They believed it was wrong to probe into other people's business.
"I've got another idea. But you've all got to do as I say when I say it! Then, Gracie, use Venus Crescent Beam...SMASH! on the doors." Christen smiled devilishly.
Although not entirely on board with this idea. In the end, it would save them the trouble of fighting. So, Gracie transformed and blasted the doors open! Then, Neo-Sailor Mercury used Mist Spray to cloak them as best she could.
Neo-Sailor Saturn and Sailor Eclipse held back two of the Eight Knights. They had predictably been safeguarding them. Nevertheless, they were skilled enough to make it through the mist. They even threatened to use Death Reborn Purge (Death Reborn Revolution) or Dark Black Void Eclipse if they tried to stop them.
As the group maneuvered through the palace, they heard what they thought were extra security personnel out to get them. However, they found out all too soon it was not!
"Why is this door covered in vines?" Neo-Sailor Venus hesitantly used her sword to cut through!
"Look out!" Neo-Sailor Moon tackled her teammate/friend to the ground. They were narrowly avoiding something that swiped at the redhead soldier! Then, looking up, they noticed a massive Venus Flytrap!
"Alan and Ann must be feeding it well." Sailor Eclipse joked, but she was trembling too.
"Is it even possible for a" Neo-Sailor Mercury began, but she was cut off?
"We live in a world where a tree lives off love energy. So why would you think this is outlandish?!" Sailor Universe yelled in concern and terror.
"I was hoping I was high and hallucinating that thing." Neo-Sailor Mercury replied dryly.
"I got this! Fireball!" Neo-Sailor Mars hit the Venus Flytrap right in the mouth!
Quickly, the plant perished. Then, however, two more took its place. The others looked on dumbfounded with surprise and horror. Every time Neo-Sailor Mars took down one of the creatures. Double the number took its place!
"We need to open this doorway, and the onslaught should stop!" Sailor Universe called to the others.
"Saturn, help me!" Neo-Sailor Venus got up and started hacking at the vines all over the door again. Neo-Sailor Saturn shortly joined her.
They were distracted by Neo-Sailor Mars hurling fire at their mouths. The Venus Flytraps could not concentrate on protecting the door, which allowed Neo-Sailor Venus and Neo-Sailor Saturn to clear the way! As soon as Neo-Sailor Mars finished off the last wave of Venus Flytrap, they stopped re-spawning! Continuing through a few chambers with nothing, the girls expressed concerns.
"Does anybody think killing those Venus Flytraps is disrespectful to nature?" Neo-Sailor Saturn knew that was not the last dangerous thing they would face. So naturally, Alan and Ann would not be pleased by this.
"Either us or them. But we'll probably encounter worse before we can get out of here." Neo-Sailor Mars cautioned.
"I wish Ivy had come with us. She can talk to nature, even in civilian form." Sailor Universe commented, looking down-hearted.
"Well, she's not, So we have to make do with who we do have." Neo-Sailor Mars snapped. The look in her eyes showed she felt the same as Sailor Universe.
"Watch it!" Sailor Eclipse screamed as the group halted when thick trees blocked the way. But these did not look like any tress anyone had ever seen before as they were covered in tiny, blackthorns!
"Hmm...a Sandbox tree! Be careful! Those thorns aren't the only things dangerous about this tree! It secretes a sap that is a skin irritant. Its fruit is similar to grenades!" Neo-Sailor Mercury used her visor and supercomputer to analyze this threat.
"Where's the part where it eats us?" Neo-Sailor Mars joked. But with all the danger these trees pose, was it a joke? "Let's make our own bombs!"
Neo-Sailor Mars combined her fire abilities to combat the trees. First, it started firing its dried-up, pumpkin-like fruit seeds at her, which happened to be the parts that exploded! Then, Neo-Sailor Saturn used the Barrier Shield of Silence to protect the others. Then, with seeds falling in every direction, Neo-Sailor Venus started charging up!
"Neon Venus Golden Shower!" Neo-Sailor Venus's version of Venus Shower!
Multiple beams of golden light rained down on the trees. Destroying them and the bomb-like seeds! All they needed to worry about now was not touching the sap, which would be easy enough. Everyone was impressed with Neo-Sailor Venus's power!
"Cool attack for the warrior of Love and Beauty." Neo-Sailor Mercury commented.
"Love and Beauty aren't all I'm known for." Neo-Sailor Venus smiled in a fun-loving manner.
"Let's not celebrate too soon. We already had a bit of trouble facing three obstacles. I'm sure there's more." Neo-Sailor Mars warned.
"If we're going to be taken down by plants, I'd like to spend my last moments celebrating." Eclipse replied.
Neo-Sailor Mars wanted to agree, but she was too tired from attacking. After walking through a few more rooms with no threats, they relaxed. But all too soon when Neo-Sailor Mars was lifted off her feet and devoured by a pitcher-like plant that was at least 5 feet tall!
They were joined by a second and third, which hastily took care of Neo-Sailor Venus and Neo-Sailor Saturn in the same fashion! So finally, neo-Sailor Moon and Sailor Universe are ready!
"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" Neo-Sailor Moon yelled.
"Crystal Bell Echo!" Sailor Universe summoned a mini bow and arrow shaped like a bell. She used it similarly to Neo-Sailor Mars Fire Bow And Arrow with energy fired instead of flames. Sadly, even though the attacks were effective when the plants puked up the Neo-Sailor Senshi, they are wet and covered in a few dead bugs, unconscious!
"Mars, wake up. We need you!" Neo-Sailor Mercury begged, and even though Neo-Sailor Mars opened her eyes slightly, she looked out of it.
"Venus?" Sailor Universe tried to rouse the redhead.
"Saturn!" Neo-Sailor Moon rushed to check on the Senshi she was closest with, besides her half-sister, of course.
"It's no use. Whatever those things did, it drained them." Sailor Eclipse explained.
"Let's give them a quick pick me up!" Neo-Sailor Moon's crescent moon mark shimmered, and the others knew what to do.
Using their tiara gems, the girls transferred as much energy as they could spare to the fallen Senshi. Though this was not much, as the Princesses did not have much after attacking, it was enough to bring the girls back to consciousness!
"Thanks, Neo-Sailor Moon..." Neo-Sailor Saturn croaked gratefully as Neo-Sailor Moon helped her dry off.
"Well, that was embarrassing: Neo-Sailor Mars taken down by a plant!" Neo-Sailor Mars scolded herself as she wrung her jet-black locks out.
"You should be grateful we weren't touched by those things, stomach acid." Neo-Sailor Venus tried to sound harsh. But she just looked beat as Neo-Sailor Mercury picked dead bugs off her.
"Look!" Sailor Universe pointed to an ornate archway, which led right outside: They made it!
As the girls rushed towards the archway, swaying, thorny vines sprung up, blocking the doorway.
"GET OUT OF MY F*C*ING WAY!" Neo-Sailor Mars screamed as she fired at them, but it did not seem to do much!
Being the smart one, Neo-Sailor Mercury had nabbed some samples from the previous threats. So she used them on the vines, which worked much better as they slithered back into the ground!
"Freedom!" Neo-Sailor Moon happily cried when they made it out.
"And what are you doing up and about?" A stern but understanding male voice sounded behind them. The girls jumped and whirled around to see Alan and Ann!
"We were looking for you! You had us worried! We almost got battered, stabbed, blown up, melted by stomach acid, and skewered!" Neo-Sailor Mars yelled.
"Sorry, but those are our defense systems. So you don't have to worry about us." Ann tried to calm the hot-headed young woman.
"Where were you all this time?!" Neo-Sailor Mars questioned in a tone that unquestionably indicated she wanted answers without having to go through any more BS!
"We were returning to the palace to notify all of you together. There is a significant event to happen shortly." Alan explained.
Although the girls were eager to hear about this event, they returned to their room and waited until everyone was present. Then, finally, Alan stood up in the Throne Room with other high-ranking members of the royals' choice.
"I apologize for rousing you all from your sleep so late. But Ann and I have a marvelous surprise. Would you like to tell them, Ann?" Alan turned, smiling at his wife.
Ann stood up with pride in her eyes and announced, "Koen is getting a Princess. We're having a baby!"
The Throne Room erupted into congratulatory cheers! In this case, Christen is glad she had to wait to find out the news to celebrate the excitement with her teammates!