Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me so PLEASE don't SUE!! Tenjewberrymuch:)
Review Thanks:
Meeh-san: yeah, that prophecy was a bit obvious … :) anywho I'm glad you like the story … I hope to see your review again!
Eternal Cosmic Sailor Saturn: about those answers … hmmm … good questions:) I can tell you one thing, you'll have to go on wondering for this chapter (SORRY!!) but I PROMISE to shed some light on Sealight's past in the next chapter … thanks again for being nice to me:)
Tommy Oliver Brachio Black: wow! I bet it will be kinda difficult writing it … then again maybe not seeing as you will both have to collaborate well with eachother in order to maintain the flow … I have been checking out your stories but I just haven't had enough time to review them … (I'm using University money here, they don't know though …) so yes … I hope to check out this one, it'll be interesting no doubt … thanks again for the review:)
akasailorsea: gee you know how to make someone blush don't you!! Thanks for the kind words (seriously!!) I hope you like this chapter … yes … :)
Eternal Emi-Chan: I'm sorry you wasted your time looking to see if I updated … I feel bad now … :( anywho as for the pairings I have a small-ish idea that you will find out eventually … but for now it'll just have to be secret … I'm glad you still like my story, still, lol! Please review again friend … :)
Everyone deserves a smilie face today!!
Anywho, onward Chapter 5!
Chapter 5: Sunlight in the Making
Classes for that entire week had been cancelled and the Kingdom was clearly on guard.
Night and day senshi patrolled the halls and any conspicuous outings late at night or early in the morning were treated suspiciously.
The beauty and luxury of the palace was a façade for Usagi who felt imprisoned in her rooms, despite its vast size.
She was allowed no visitors and even Pluto was not permitted to see her whenever.
Their visits were now restricted to once a day, a few hours in the afternoon, something she could not bear.
It felt as though Pluto was not even there with her. Being restricted to her rooms was as good as being imprisoned.
Their meals were now bought to their rooms by their maids, where they were now being forced to eat alone as well.
Usagi stood from her seat on her bed as she moved to the windows.
Her shapeless nightgown brushed the smooth floor as she walked silently, her face devoid of any particular expression.
Her long pink locks floated unbound around her waist, her ruby coloured eyes clouded as she cast her mind back to two nights before.
The spectacle she had seen, the female that had saved both her and Kaku, she had been an Ancient … an Ancient!
She parted the curtains, half-expecting the same female to be standing on her balcony.
The great power she had sensed had left its mark on her. Lady Chikako had alluded to their power during the Etiquette turned History lesson. Yet even Usagi's imagination could not have conjured a viable comparison to the real power of the Ancients.
Whatever it was that attacked them both in the first place had a sinister power.
Yes the attacker was strong but that power had no match for the Ancient's power.
Perhaps that was why the person attacked them. Perhaps they knew that and Ancient would show herself.
But if they had anticipated the arrival of an Ancient then why did they attack at all?
Usagi released the curtain, its shadow falling across her ivory features as her gaze remained firmly on the night sky beyond.
Her eyes lowered as she went over her thoughts once more.
Who were these people and what did they want with the Palace? Did they want to kill them all or perhaps they were after their star seeds …
The questions were coming in thick and fast.
Unfortunately for Usagi she had no answers.
::X:X::
Mei strode quickly down the hall, her long black hair trailing like a glittering cloak, her emerald eyes glassy.
Her black kimono had been thrown on hurriedly and tied with a jade coloured sash. Beneath the robe she wore nothing but her undergarments seeing no need for the under robe.
Pausing, her charcoal coloured locks rested against her back, unable to be differentiated from her clothing.
She was in the southern wing of the palace, the part of the palace that was completely dedicated to the History of the Milky Way and the Celestial Palace. Here was where the library was located but even Mei knew better than to go there.
No, she would go to the abandoned chamber.
Stuffed beneath her robe was parchment that held her theories on the attack on the palace.
Furthermore, they held the words of the Prophecy, the Prophecy she had learned since birth.
Turning one last corner she thanked her constellation that she was yet to be caught by senshi, or even worse her father.
This part of the palace was the oldest. The entire southern wing of the Eternal Palace was, by itself, the Celestial Palace. Over the centuries the Queens of their time built upon it to have it become what it was now.
Mei held her breath as she came to the end of the hall, turning silently on the silver floor to face the door that would lead to the only room in that hallway.
Resting her hand on the door she waited for it to recognize her.
Her hand aglow, the door opened.
::X:X::
"My Lady I w-"
"Prince Kakuei you know the orders, no person is to leave their room without permission from the Queen or any Senshi who are in charge. If you are found in the hallways one more time you will be sent home!" the in-training senshi barked as she slammed his door closed.
Kakuei released a heavy sigh as he rolled his eyes, turning to return into his chambers.
Upon entering his room he headed straight for his bedside table, where, pulling the drawer open, he pulled out one of his textbooks.
Seating himself on his bed he opened the book directly to the middle pages.
On the left-hand side of the book lay the golden key in the hands of the pages that had been cut out to house the special trinket.
Kaku stroked the key, knowing that that very object held the power of the Ancient that appeared to him.
She had said that he would eventually find out how to use her power.
He hoped that he would find out in time how to execute the power, in time to fight off whatever it was that was after the Celestial Palace.
As he went to close the book, the key began to glow.
Kaku's brown eyes widened as he removed the key from its place.
The key's glow brightened as he stood and began to move towards the door.
Opening the door of his sleeping chamber Kaku headed straight for the door that would lead him out into the main hallway.
He stood behind the door as he gripped the key in the palm of his hand.
The prompt was obvious; the key was leading him somewhere.
Sunlight be with me.
He took in a deep breath as he flung the door open.
Stepping out swiftly he seemed somewhat relieved to find that no one was there.
He returned his gaze back to the key and its glow.
There's no going back now…
::X:X::
"Mei!"
Mei entered the room silently, her eyes firmly on the male in who sat the large mahogany table that took up the majority of the room in the chamber.
Filled bookcases lined all four walls of the room yet the high roof and the shining chandelier above them added a feel of sophistication, almost serving as a reminder of the luxury they were living in.
The male stood erectly, his silver-coloured eyes meeting Mei's gaze equally.
"What are you doing here?" Mei demanded as her brow furrowed.
"I have my own business to attend to … I could ask you the same question," he replied coolly as he hurried to sweep together the parchment he had been writing on.
"I would have thought that you were keeping Kaede company, particularly in tumultuous times like these Shigeru," Mei responded with a fake smile as she retreated toward the door.
"No doubt you would probably wish I were there Mei but alas I am not and you find me here in the secret chamber in the south wing, is that such a crime?" Shigeru replied as Mei straightened.
"Well excused me for the rude interruption then Prince Shigeru. As you were," Mei responded in a hiss as she curtseyed before turning to leave the chamber.
"Mei wait. You cannot travel along the halls, you know very well of the danger that is cur-"
"I am quite capable of transforming and protecting myself Sh-"
"If my assumption was correct and that was one of Sealight's henchmen-or women who had come after Usagi and Kakuei, then you will not have a chance against them," he said simply as he rolled his parchment up, sliding them under one arm.
Standing he came over to where Mei stood by the door.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Mei demanded as she turned to glare him in the eyes.
Unfortunately for Mei she had forgotten how beautiful his eyes really were, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she forced herself to look straight ahead.
"The Ancients were an unbeatable force and one of their greatest abilities was that of negating the power of other senshi other than themselves. This was one of the reasons why they were so prominent in not only the Milky Way but in the entire Galaxy," Shigeru explained as he slipped his arm through Mei's without request.
"Well well well, this little boy has done his homework!"
Both Mei and Shigeru looked ahead to see three identical females glaring at the pair of them.
All three were dressed in the generic senshi outfits. Their skirts were black, as were the scarves on their shoulders and the bows on their chests. They were black boots with their outfits, the only item of colour on them being the bright blue button that held their bows together on their chests.
All three females had a black plaited pigtails with dark eyes.
The trio smiled as they began to approach them, their faces contorted into an expression of hate and distaste.
"So much for increasing your security! We came across nobody in the halls. Tonight you will die," one spoke as both Shigeru and Mei moved backwards.
"Do not be so adamant ladies. Tonight you will meet your match and I know you know who I am talking of!" Shigeru responded as he straightened.
The three snorted.
Mei stared despairingly at Shigeru searching for any clue to what he was doing.
He would not meet her eyes.
I hope he knows what he is doing…
::X:X::
Kaku followed the light of the key religiously, its blinking light becoming increasing stronger as he headed south.
"Kaku!"
Kaku straightened momentarily as he tore his gaze away from the guiding light to glance backward.
A familiar figure came to him quickly.
"Usagi? What are you doing out? You shoul-"
"And what, may I ask, are you doing?" she whispered as she came to his side.
Kaku closed his mouth firmly as he looked down at the key.
"Well come quickly, I don't have time to explain," Kaku murmured as they went on their way.
"What are you following Kaku?" Usagi asked as they moved quickly, as if hurrying along the halls.
"The light," he said simply as he rounded yet another corner.
"What light?"
"The light coming from the key," he responded, his brow furrowed as they moved deeper and deeper into territory that had been, before that moment, unexplored by Kaku.
"SHIGERU!"
The sharp scream drew the pair of them into a running frenzy along the hall as they both witnessed the bright flash coming from around the corner.
Coming to a halt the pair stopped to see three figures before them. Beyond those females were a couple on the ground.
"MEI!" Usagi screamed as she went to approach them, halted by the trio of females who turned to greet them both.
"Look, the boy holds Sunlight's Key," one female noted as they began to advance upon Kaku, ignoring Usagi completely.
Usagi glanced from Kaku to Mei who was kneeled on the floor with Shigeru in her arms.
Mei's watering eyes lifted to meet Usagi's gaze squarely.
"Kaku, Usa, Kaku!" commanded as Usagi turned to see Kakuei cornered down the far hall.
"Moon C-"
"Usagi your transformation will not work, those Ladies negate your transformation …" Mei interrupted in a cry that made Usagi jump.
"Well how am I supposed to save him?" Usagi demanded as she turned to face the three senshi whose backs were to her.
"Hey, weaklings! That's right … you three! HEY!!" Usagi screamed as she pulled both her slippers off, hurling them at the three.
The trio turned, their faces dark.
"You will regret that you pint-sized air-headed PRINCESS!" one snapped as she pointed a black fingernail at her.
"USAGI!" Kaku called from behind the ladies.
Usagi's eyes narrowed.
Kakuei looked down at his hands at the key, the root of the problem.
If it's the key they want than it will be the key they will get…
As Kaku went to open his mouth to draw their attention away from Usagi to the key he was about to throw, the memory of Sunlight came back.
My son, my power is yours. You will know how to use it when the time comes…
Kaku's eyes widened as he held the key up.
"I in the name of Helios, the Sun, and Apollo, all light, I grant you Usagi Sunlight's power and might!" Kakuei commanded as the key began to float before him in a pool of light that seemed to deter the three females.
"I accept! Helios Fire Ignite!"
Usagi felt the light encompass her entire being, her figure disappearing in the ribbons of light that surrounded her.
"In the name of the Elite Soldiers, I, Sailor Sunlight, will punish you!" Usagi proclaimed as the light around her faded.
The entire hall was silent.
::X:X::
A/N: Hello friends! Thank you for all your reviews!!! I apologize, once more, for the late update of the previous chapter, but just for you guys I wrote this chappie just this evening and I am now about to post it!! (well, my friends are drinking tonight … as always, so I've locked myself away to be safe from all the commotion!! It's not really working … :P)
Anywho please review again,
As always,
Lady Sapphira