Chapter 13

Silence.

That's all it was for a while, a blissful silence.

Meteor woke up on her old bed. The one day owned when she was five. She rubbed her eyes, but when she pulled her hands away, her hands had became small. Her nails were painted sky blue with gold details. It was the symbol of Sailor Uranus. But that's impossible!

"Nessa, what are you wearing?" a soft voice asked. Meteor looked over, it was her mom. Her real mom, before their divorce. Her mom, Maybel, had a big round stomach. Meteor poundered her brain for this memory. When did this happen?

Her dad, James, walked in, a big smile on his face. Her mom suddenly cried out in pain. James' smile faltered.

"Nessa, sweetie, can you go over to Nanny's house real quick? Daddy has to get mommy to the hospital." James told her. Meteor nodded, although she was confused. Nanny, as in their neighbor from when she was 5?

Meteor quickly ran outside and rang on. Nanny's doorbell. No one answered. A woman with silver hair walked up to her.

"Hey, little one. Are you looking for Nanny? She mentioned you to me before." The woman told Meteor. Meteor nodded, unsure what else to do.

"Is your daddy taking Miss Maybel to the hospital?" The woman asked. Meteor nodded, a sick feeling spread in her stomach.

The woman was Mistress.

()

Asteroid grunted as his spell dissolved the fake Nessa into white dust. Immediately, the place he was in dissolved as well. He looked around.

"Meteor! Nebula! Moon! Where are you guys?" he shouted nervously. He started running down the hallway, only to dump into someone else at the end of the hallway.

"Asteroid! There you are. Do you know where the others are?" it was Nebula.

"Over here!" Angel shouted, waving her hand in the air. She looked somewhat unharmed. But there was a figure lying down on the floor. There was puddle of blood.

Asteroid and Nebula ran toward Angel. When they got close enough, they recognized the figure. Black hair, orange streaks.

"Comet! What happened?" Asteroid asked. Angel shook her head.

"I found him like this. We need Meteor, fast. Where is she?" Angel replied with a frown. Nebula bit her lips.

"Everyone got separated. Pluto? Constellation?" Nebula replied. Before Angel can shake her head, footsteps were heard. They all nodded at the same time, agreeing to a silent plan. They all, as quiet as possible, got on the ground and lied down.

The footsteps got louder and louder. Asteroid's heart pounded as the footsteps seem to stop.

"Oh no!" Someone exclaimed. Wait... Asteroid recognize the voice...

"What happened to them?" Another familiar voice. Asteroid carefully opened one of his eyes and sighed of relief.

"It's just the senshi..." Asteroid said, getting up. A few yelped in surprise. Nebula and Angel got up as well.

"Are you guys ok?" Moon asked, walking up to Angel. Angel nodded, but she wasn't looking at Moon. She was looking at that giant wooden door down the right of the hallway they are in.

"Nightmares. That's what Mistress used against us." Asteroid stated. Nebula smiled reassuringly to Saturn, who turned around to face Pluto when Pluto softly ruffled Saturn's hair.

"We need to find Meteor and Constellation." Angel said, glancing at Comet's unconscious body.

"No need." Venus said with a sigh, holding up a ominous white envelope.

()

Mistress laughed triumphantly. The two girls kneeling on the floor, facing the door. Their eyes sparkled with hate, malicious, and evil. They are both in scarlet princess gowns, staring ahead of them like lifeless dolls.The door bursted open.

"Mistress! What have you-" All words died on Moon's lips as her eyes land on the two girls in front of them.

"Nothing. I just gave them some new clothes. That's all." Mistress replied, crackling with laughter.

"Nessa!" Nebula exclaimed, and ran toward Meteor, dressed in a full-on formal scarlet outfit for Princess Celestial. Meteor didn't respond. She only looked up to Nebula, her eyes lifeless.

"Who are they, mi'lady?" Constellation, now Princess Galaxy turned toward Mistress and asked. Her voice was cold and monotone.

"My dears, don't be afraid. You've been trained your whole life to fight. Now, get it together and defend yourselves." Mistress replied, a evil grin spreading from ear to ear. Celestial pushed Nebula off of her and stood up, following by Galaxy. Their movements were slow, as if every move pained them immensely. Perhaps it did, Moon thought sadly, what can we do?

"Celestial Shooting Star." The spell hit right in front of Moon's boots. Moon yelped in reply.

"Snap out of it!" Asteroid shouted, something flashed in his eyes that Moon couldn't decipher. Celestial flinched, but nothing seemed to change. At least that's what Moon thought at first.

Then, Moon saw it. Celestial's eyes flashed for a second, it became its regular shade for just a second, then became lifeless again.

"Meteor, we need you! Meteor can you hear me? Comet is dying. We need you!" Saying it makes it so much more real. Moon wished it wasn't. Soon enough, their movements began to quicken. Galaxy seem to react to Comet's name.

"He is already dead. There is no need to call us by our senshi names. We are only senshi in training after all, aren't we, dear Celestial?" Galaxy said, venom dripping in her voice. Each word carefully woven in Mistress's spinning web of lies.

"No he's not! We can save him. You- we can still save your beloved!" Venus yelled, trying to dodge more attacks coming from Galaxy and Celestial while Mistress examines her nails, bored.

Although it felt weird calling Comet Galaxy's 'beloved', since Izzy never showed any type of romantic emotions toward Hinata.

As Venus got stronger and stronger, she could see different types of bonds. The soulmate ones are usually easier to see. It became more obvious as the days dragged on. At the beginning, after the fight with Galaxia, it was only a thin translucent line, but now she could it clearly. Galaxy's soulmate bond is weakening, so is Celestial's.

What happens when a bond breaks? Venus doesn't know, but nothing good obviously. She grabbed Asteroid's hand to pull him back, avoiding a critical hit.

()

(Ten minutes ago)

"I'm speechless..." The supposive Mistress said into the phone, eyeing the little Nessa out of the corner of her eye. Nessa paitently sat on the sofa, clutching on to a paper folded rose that Isa had gave her last week, or according to her memory anyways, nothing makes sense anymore.

"Nessa." Mistress said, waving the little girl over. Her eyes were impossibly soft as Meteor walked over to her.

"Nessa, your mother and your unborn sister..." she paused, searching for a softer way to deliever the blow, but didn't. "They died."

"Wha-" Nessa stumbled over her own two feets as she accidentally dropped the paper rose in her hand. Then, everything changed, the Mistress turned back into the one Nessa saw just hours ago, before she got trapped in this mysterous dream-like place.

"Stay in this nightmare, then I can make sure what you just saw will never happen. Stay in this nightmare as I replay the scene of how your lover died at the hands of my soldiers and my intrusions years before the lunar princess were born." Mistress told her. Nessa became Meteor again. Being the right size helps a lot but she felt dizzy. Her lover? Lunar princess? Nightmare? What was going on?

The scene before her changes, so does her clothing. Her senshi uniform changed into a heavy gown in white, fading into a baby pink. A heavy necklace forms out of no where, she also felt her senshi fuku boots extend into heels. Before she can understand what was happening, she shouted something. A cold and sick feeling spread over her as she realize what was happening.

"Asteroid! Where are you?" Celestial took off, running in random directions all while grabbing the skirt of her dress. She ripped the skirt off easily, as if this was all planned. She threw the skirt off to the side, disgarded, and sighed in relief as a much shorter version of her old dress spinned out from the waist belt of her dress. The pink from her old dress was gone, replaced by a entirely white skirt.

"Celestial!" A voice shouted. The sound of swords clinging together, and arrows flying through the air is sickeningly loud. Celestial ran toward the direction where the voice came from.

Above her, the sky roars in anger. Storm clouds that had gathered just minutes ago darkens. Thunder flashes, the rain poured down upon Asteroid and Celestial's kingdom. Celestial tried to call out to her allies. But none replied. Celestial felt bile rise to her throat. Galaxy... please, Princess Galaxy, can you hear me?

No answer.

Prince Comet? Queen Angel? Queen Selene? King Tiberias?

No answers.

Celestial felt the need to throw up. How cruel does she have to be? Comet and Constellation must've tried to defend themselves but failed to get backup in time. Or else, the calling should've gotten an answer.

Celestial

The voice was weak, but in Celestial's mind, she heard clearly. Angel! Where are you, your majesty? Celestial's mind raced with possibilities.

Find him, we don't have much time left.

No! Celestial answered. She knew what Angel meant.

Queen Selene is out of reach, she has to take care of some business with her daughter, Princess Serenity the First.

Tears sparkle in her eyes. With a slow nod, Celestial realized that there's no going back now. They've lost. And now they shall pay the price.

With a shudder, Celestial located Asteroid and clutched on to his barely warm body. His blood stained her white dress, but she did not mind. As she cried and cried, she didn't notice the person that stood in front of her until they spoke.

"Like the gift I left you?" The voice was cold. Celestial looked up.

"You. It was you all along. You took everyone away from me," Celestial said, unable to stop herself, "Prince Comet, Princess Constellation, Queen Angel, my own sister, and my beloved. What could you possibly want more of from me? I'm good as dead."

Mistress sneered at Celestial's words. "Given up already, princess?"

"Never. I will never give up." Celestial said, copying her sister's, Princess Nova, words before she died.

The blow came quickly, faster then Celestial could've ever imagined. She first felt emptiness, then agonizing pain. Everything blacked out. When she awoken, she was in the place she was in before, with the longer pink gown. She groaned inwardly.

"You are forever trapped in this nightmare, while I control your body in real life." Mistress's haunting voice said, seemingly in Celestial's mind.

"Did you kill King Tiberias of my neighboring kingdom as well, Mistress?" Celestial asked, her tone lifeless. The silence gave enough answer. Celestial felt bile rise to her throat.

"He loved you. He was the only one who loved you and yet you chose to go after two already chosen men. They had a happy life before you destroyed their lives. I guess your name had to come from somewhere, huh?" Celestial said, voice filled with hatred.

()

"Wake up!" Pluto shouted, frustrated. She was getting tired of dodging attacks. The senshi didn't want to attack the two, and according to Mistress, even if they kill her, they would still be trapped in their nightmare. Pluto sighed.

"Dead Scream!" She said, a hint of regret in her voice. Everyone was stunned in silence, as Celestial was hit and stumbled back a few feets.

"How dare you harm a princess, you bit-"

"Silence Glaive Surprise!" Saturn cut Galaxy off before she could curse. The two princesses stood back up. Galaxy's dress was ripped apart near the bottom, same with Celestial.

"Deep Submerge!"

"World Shaking!"

The attacks from the outer senshi came as fast as it left, leaving the two princesses speechless.

"Star Gentle-"

"Stop!" Nebula yelled, tears in her eyes. Everyone turned to her.

"Nessa, snap out of it. We won't die. It's just a trick! She's a liar!" Nebula pointed to Mistress, who watches her with interest, "Nessa, STOP"

The attack flew toward Neptune faster then anyone could imagine. Tree vines suddenly burst out of the floor, locking Neptune in place. Nebula ran in front of the trapped Neptunian guardian. Barely made it in time, Nebula caught the deadly attack that was meant for Neptune. Nebula's body collided with Neptune. The tree vines disappear suddenly, leaving a certain sakura scent.

Celestial and Galaxy watches as Nebula flutter her eyes, a thin string of blood flowing out of the corner of Nebula's mouth. Nebula weakly turned toward Celestial as everyone fell quiet.

"Nessa... I love you." Nebula said, her eyes flutter close.

"Nebula! NEBULA, WAKE UP!" Asteroid shouted, panicked. Everyone joined in. When the shouting died down, a tear drop hit the floor.

"Nebula... Roni... RONI!" Celestial yelled, crying. She buried her head in her hands and slowly, her scarlet dress dissolved around her. Back came her dress from her memory. Slowly, Galaxy dissolved beside her, Galaxy's scarlet dress turned into a matching dress, only fading into blue instead of pink.

"Celestial, quick! Heal her!" Jupiter shouted. Celestial continued crying into her hands. She doesn't know how. Not as Princess Celestial. She only knew how to heal as Sailor Meteor, as a senshi. But she doesn't know how to turn back into a senshi.

"Get a grip on yourself, we can't just let her die in here! What are you going to tell your parents?" Asteroid asked, more harsh then he intended. Mistress watched intensely, her eyes darted between Princess Celestial and her sister, formally known as Princess Nova. Her grip on her throne tightened.

This, is what you wanted to avoid, isn't it? This is why I told you to stay in your nightmare! Better you suffer than your friends, right? Mistress seethed angrily into Celestial's mind. Now you saw the consequences of your actions, there's no going back. Princess Nova's death is your fault. Murder!

"No! I- I..." Celestial tried to defend herself, but no words came out of her mouth. She stared at Nebula's limp body as Mistress continued to call her names in her mind. Celestial sighed shakily.

Extending her arms, she focused on her energy. The energy flowed toward her fingertips and hit Roni easily. Mistress groaned frustratingly. With a flick of her finger, her spell hits Celestial's unprotected back easily.

Celestial flinched unnoticebly. More of her power flows toward the group. Comet's fingertip twitched beside Angel. Galaxy slightly smiled, the only sign of her emotion.

Asteroid smiled as he felt Nessa stirr. He gave Angel a nod, who flicked her wrist. In less then seconds, they teleported back to Usagi's house. Celestial immediately wished she could change back into Meteor.

The dress Celestial is currently wearing is not like any usual dress. It is almost like when Usagi transforms into Princess Serenity, the magic has to change her back; Celestial can't just unzip the zipper. Same goes for Galaxy, but she seems to be handling this better than Celestial is.

"Angel, how do I get out of this thing?" Galaxy asked, annoyed, seconds after they've teleported.

"Your senshi crystals doesn't respond to me." Angel replied with a shrug.

"You could've teleported us all along ?!"

()

"My dear darlings, take on the other senshi first. Try to kill them, the ones who swore to protect the princess of the Moon. Alpha, you're up first. You know who to target." Mistress's voice was calm, flat, and trusting as she gave her first order.