AN:-annd another chapter to make up for not updating in a while-

same disclaimer as ever. What's not mine, isn't and what is mine isn't canon.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" Serenity shouted holding her wand up at the youma. The Creature only sneezed then laughed as it threw knives at her. Serenity jumped back, trying to avoid getting hit. "They're fast!"

"No kidding!" Mamoru said dodging a few more, "There's got to be a better way in dealing with this monster."

"I'm open to any suggestions right noooow~!" She ran back and ducked behind a tree, "Watch where you're throwing those things!"

"Seriously?" Mamoru gave her a sidelong look, ducking behind trashcans, "You're going to lecture a murderous monster?"

"Hey, they can understand me perfectly well!" Serenity huffed, "But I don't have enough power to defeat it."

Mamoru considered this for a moment as the monster started swallowing up mirrors, "Maybe we should combine powers, or something? I heard from Ami that that's how you defeated your last enemy."

"Are you sure?" Serenity asked, "I mean-"

"My daughter is still in the house and this thing is running loose." Mamoru told her sneaking over to the tree while the youma was distracted, "I don't think there's an option here."

"Alright..so on three?" Serenity tightened her grip on the crescent moon wand.

"On three." Mamoru said, standing next to her.

"Three!"

They both jumped from behind the tree, Serenity pointed her moon wand at the creature with Mamoru at her side. She tried not to think about his close proximity, but instead kept her attention on channeling the additional energy he was giving her. "Moon Healing Escalation!"

This time the youma cried out as it's body began to disintegrate. Most, if not all, of the dream mirrors returned to their hosts.

"We..did it." Serenity breathed out, though she leaned heavily against him, "I think. Wow, it's been a while since I did something like that."

"Can you walk?" Mamoru asked her, concerned that the pale haired woman would pass out there.

"Of course I can walk." Serenity told him, though added with a small smile, "With a little help?"

"Alright, come on. We still have snacks leftover." Mamoru helped her back into the house, "But where did that thing come from?"

Serenity shook her head but sat down heavily in a chair, "My guess would be Queen Nehellenia, but I have no idea where she could be."

"There's a lot of places to hide in this city." Mamoru came to the coffee table with the crackers and tunafish along with soda, "Do you think it has something to do with Raina's disappearance?"

"We can't rule anything out." Serenity told him but sighed happily as she ate some of the tuna fish, "Man, I missed this so much! Though, no offense, but my mother was such a good cook. Her lemon pies were wonderful!"

Mamoru smiled a bit, "I can do pretty good job of it if I had the right foods."

"Maybe we should go to the store? Since there's no food in the fridge?" Serenity's eyes brightened at the notion of food.

"I suppose so..?" Mamoru looked at the stairs, "I'll go to the store, though we have to figure out what's happened."

"Sure, I'll watch Nijiko for you." Serenity smiled and sipped the soda, "Oh, I've so missed this! Wine, tea and water is all we have on the moon."

"Don't drink all of it up." Mamoru said dryly before getting, "I'll be back."

"You've failed me." Queen Nehellenia glared at Zirconia, "You better have found something that will soothe my anger, Zirconia, or I will have no further use for you."

Zirconia bowed again, "I'm so sorry my queen! However, we've discovered something that would indeed make you very happy."

"Oh? What is it?"

"The Golden Crystal, my liege." Zirconia said to her, "There is a land in which it is said to be guarded by a white haired priest. He may know of the location of the Golden Crystal that would multiply your powers greatly, my queen."

"Hmm.. This priest...where is he?"

"In a land called Elysion."

The dark queen considered this for a moment longer before she smiled, "You have quelled my anger, Zirconia. Find this Elysion and find a way to it. We shall have this priest tell us the location of the crystal."

"Yes my queen.." Zirconia bowed again before leaving her. The old wizen crone shuffled to what appeared to be where the performers stretched and practice. "Amazoness Quartet!"

"Heh, what is it old hag?" Cere Cere asked, "We're busy!"

"Hmph, doing nothing." Zirconia muttered, "I have a mission for you."

"A mission? Like what?" Jun Jun asked looking at the crone upside down in a handstand.

"Our Queen wishes to find the location of Elysion and this priest." Zirconia said, "If you can find how to get to this Elysion, you shall be rewarded with her favor."

"Palla-Palla doesn't care." Palla Palla said, "It sounds boring!"

"Boring or not, your queen wishes it!" Zirconia's face twisted further into displeasure, "Now get off and find it. Use whatever means you must- but find that entrance."

"It's rather vague though, isn't it?" Ves-Ves mused as she petted a tiger, "How do we find it?"

"Do I have to think of everything myself?" Zirconia grumbled, "Very well, it is said that the doorway to Elysion is where the dead are laid to rest."

Palla Palla shivered and clung to Cere Cere, "You don't mean-!"

Zirconia permitted herself a smile, "The Cemeteries of this world."

"Wonderful." Jun-Jun huffed, "Fine, old hag, we'll find the doorway."

After the old hag left, Jun-Jun sat down cross-legged, "There is no way I'm going into a cemetery!"

"Me neither!" Cere Cere said, "All that death- ugh! It's not good for my complexion."

"Palla Palla doesn't want to go!" Palla Palla groaned hugging a dolly.

"Then why don't we send someone in our stead?" Ves Ves smiled looking at her older sisters.

"Who?"

Ves Ves snapped her fingers and a hawk appeared along with a fishbowl with a blue fish swimming around in it, "Them."

"Oh!" Palla Palla grinned, "I know!" She held up her hand and three glowing spheres appeared, "And go!" She threw them at the tiger, hawk and fish.

When the light faded, three twenty-something looking young men were there, dressed as circus performers.

"I'm ..human?" The blonde flexed his hands and looked over at the other two with a grin, "I'm human!"

"Me too!" The blue haired feminine male said, "Wow, this is amazing!"

"It is!" The pink haired one looked down at his legs and arms, "I wonder what we get to do now?"

"You three." Ves Ves called to them, "We need you to search the cemeteries of this city and find the doorway to Elysion. Zirconia said you'll know it when you see it."

Fisheye pouted, "Well that doesn't sound like fun."

"It's not supposed to be." Jun Jun looked at her nails, "Just find it. The Queen wants this Elysion thing, so we give it to her."

"Very well.." Hawkeye couldn't help but look disappointed.

"And..." Cere Cere smiled slyly, "If you do, you get to stay human."

"Really?" Tigerseye's eyes widen, "Promise?"

"Sure, just find the doorway." Cere Cere said.

Raina sat with the Maenads in the garden. She yawned a little, before turning her head to look at the two that were giggling to themselves. She hadn't any idea how to start with this. Why did Kunzite volunteer her for this?

Still, if it was something they could use..

"Say," Raina scooted over towards them, "Why are you called the Maenad Maidens? I thought Maenads followed Dionysus? What are you doing here?"

Both white haired women stared at her for a long while before one of them spoke, "Do you truly wish to know?"

Raina nodded, "Yes, I'm curious as to why you're here and why there aren't any more like you."

"There were." the other one picked a flower, "Still are."

"Still?" Raina looked between them, "But I haven't seen them."

"They're trapped." The first said. "By a spell."

"I don't understand..."

The second one stood and walked towards the closest tree, "Here, they are with the Dryads."

"Dryads? Those are real?" Raina couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice. This was insane, how could all this be real? Then again, she reminded herself that a man turned himself into a weird creature then a flying horse.

The first nodded, "Everything in mortal myth springs from some bit of truth, Lady Raina." She smiled a little, "My name is Leucippe and that is my sister, Alcathoe." She nodded to the other one. "We were humans, once."

Alcathoe giggled as she started to decorate the tree with flowers, "Once upon a time, long long ago."

Leucippe looked to her sister then to Raina, "The Maenads have existed for as long as there was revelry to be had. We, the nurses of Dionysus roamed all over Earth and all over the other world that our lord walked."

"How did you come to be here?" Raina asked, unsure what to feel about this.

Leucippe looked down, "I can only speak of myself and my sisters. Sanity is only granted when one asks us of ourselves."

"Sanity? So..you've been insane this entire time?" Alarmed, Raina moved back, but stopped when Leucippe placed a hand on hers.

"You are safe from us, Lady Raina." Leucippe told her, "Because of your connection and the one you carry within you, we cannot and will not harm you."

"Oh..I ..see." Raina still didn't settle well with this but remained as she was. "So what happened, why are you not following your lord? Where is he?"

Leucippe looked lost in thought for a while before she answered, "Long ago, my sisters and I served our home faithfully in the days where Dionysus reigned supreme in our mountainous homes. He came to us, once, disguised as a maiden and we befriended him. However when asked to join the revelries, we declined, for we had many chores to do. However, our younger sister, Arsippe, snuck away an joined. The next night, we searched for her, for she didn't come home and saw our god in all his splendor and wondered why did we not join sooner? We drank from the wine pouches and reveled in his power and delight for an unknown time." There was a faint smile on Leucippe's face as if she was recalling a pleasant memory, " We were free then. However, a sorceress had become enraged by our lord, for her daughter was made part of us when it had been promised that she wouldn't. So, she cast a curse upon us to serve her Temple. We lost our powers and can no longer run with our lord. He was bound to this land in a deep grave underneath the temple. We cannot go to him nor can he call for us. We are apart from him until the curse ends."

"How does it end?" Raina wondered, but no, she didn't know if it was a good idea to even think of helping them. From what she remembered of mythology, Maenads were mad women that tore men apart and drove other women insane and join their group. Still, she couldn't help but feel for Leucippe and Alcathoe. "Why are there only two of you? What happened to your sister?"

Leucippe frowned deeply at this, her expression trouble as she gripped her skirts. "After Elysion separated itself from the rest of the Underworld- connected but not-, and the rise of the Golden Kingdom to it's glory, the Darkness came. From the heavens, Apollo cast out the darkness to our pitiful Earth. There, it tried to corrupt this sacred land. The Dryads had lost much of their power but took pity on the maidens and our sister, taking them into their bosoms and keeping them safe. However, that had been the last of their powers; they cannot let the other maidens go and so they are still there in the trees."

"How awful.." Raina found herself saying and followed Leucippe's gaze towards where Alcathoe was speaking to a tree. "Isn't there any way to free them?"

Leucippe nodded, "There is. The last sorceress that tried to take the powers of the Tree, failed, but you- if you successfully take the powers, then you could free our sister and the other maidens."

"Is that why you've been careful with me?" Raina looked at her, "You just want me to basically free the maidens and..then what?"

"We serve our time." Leucippe said, "The magic that binds a god to the earth is something that is far beyond your reach, even with the Tree's powers to help you. Even though it's our fondest wish, we know you cannot free our Dionysus."

"I..see.. But what about Helios? Is he a god as well? This is all completely confusing." Raina sighed and rubbed her eyes, "How is it that some gods are real and some aren't? Why was Elysion even separated from the Underworld in the first place?"

"We do not know why it was separated." Leucippe replied, "However, Helios is a descendant of Apollo- one of his offspring."

"One?" Raina raised a brow, "He has siblings?"

"Many, perhaps." Leucippe shrugged, "However it came to be, Helios was the one chosen to become a priest of this temple."

Raina absently laid her hand on her abdomen, drumming her fingers lightly on top of it. "Leucippe, what is this temple devoted to? I've seen the paintings, however I have no idea what you're suppose to be worshiping."

Leucippe blinked, "I thought Priest Helios told you and the others this?"

"No, otherwise I wouldn't be asking."

Leucippe glanced up at the temple, her sister moving back over to them to grab more food, and answered, "This temple is devoted to the Three goddesses: Gaea, Selene, and Latona."

AN: Random notes-

Latona is the Roman name for Leto (who gave birth to the god and goddess Artemis and Apollo)

Alcathoe, Leucippe and Arsippe are from a story about Dionysus coming to them to join in the revelries.