Chapter Seventeen
LadyPrin
Disclaimer Applies.
This was no normal sleep.
Sleep makes you feel rested and refreshed. This just made Serena feel, more tired, and overloaded. Like as if she was back in some boring History class with a stuffy tutor going on and on about this big battle that took place, but the tutor was making even a violent battle seem boring.
"Excuse me, but whoever is trying to teach me all this, can you make it a bit more, interesting please?" Serena asked.
Of course it was her mind asking the question, and she wasn't even sure that someone or something would answer.
Something did answer, though not with a voice.
The pictures started speeding up, and only slowed either on important details or something very interesting.
Serena started learning more, but she also got the feeling that she needn't learn everything right now, so she wasn't learning faster out of needing to, just out of wanting to.
Everything abruptly paused as Serena felt some emotion that wasn't her own, and wasn't connected to any memories she was currently seeing.
The emotion tugged at her, so she let it pull her along.
Soon she came to realize that the emotion was a mix of concern, anxiousness, extreme sorrow, and it smelled slightly of fire.
Before too long, she also knew something else.
The Impearium Silver Crystal let her know that she had now entered the mind of another.
Rei was sitting on a cushioned bench that was placed beside a wall a little ways from Serena's bed.
Her purple eyes stared at Serena intently, waiting for her to wake up.
She still wore the same clothes she had on when she had left the Palace in England for Tokyo.
She had been sitting like this for two Earth days. She ate very little, and wasn't planning on moving an inch from the room until she knew that Serena was well in the mind as well as the body.
"Rei?"
Rei leaned forward and stared at Serena.
"Rei? It's you right?" Serena's voice echoed through Rei's mind.
"Yes, it's me! Are you okay? Why are you not awake yet?" Rei demanded, worried that something was wrong.
"Just a minute." Serena responded.
A few minutes later, Serena's eyes fluttered open.
"Rei?" She asked raspy, blinking rapidly.
"I'm here Serena!" Rei replied quickly, jumping up and running to the side of Serena's bed.
She took Serena's hands in her own.
Serena opened her mouth to speak, but had to swallow many times.
"Here, don't talk for a moment." Rei said as she went to the bedside table and poured a glass full of water from a crystal pitcher.
She handed the glass to Serena.
"Ami makes sure to freshen the water up every hour." Rei explained as Serena gulped the water down. "Ever since she got her memories back, and has been able to use her powers, she uses them as much as she can. She said something about needing to practice, but I think she does it just for the fun of doing it."
Serena smiled a she handed her glass back to Rei, and Rei sat it back on the table.
"So, what kept you?" Rei asked.
"From waking up?" Serena asked, her voice back to normal now.
Rei nodded.
"I was . . . processing information." Serena replied.
"Oh." Rei nodded knowingly. "The Crystal was taking the time to update you."
"Why are you sad Rei?" Serena asked suddenly.
Rei looked at her in brief surprise.
"It's just, my mother." Rei said haltingly.
"Her mother?" Serena thought to herself.
Unbidden, the Crystal starting filling her in on recent events.
Rei stayed quiet, for she could tell that Serena was somewhere else by her unfocused eyes.
A few minutes later Serena spoke.
"So, they found your mother." Serena said quietly, now understanding why Rei felt so sad.
"Yes. It seems that when Beryl did the memory transfer spell, she left my mother empty of all emotions and thoughts. My mother is just an empty shell now, unknowing, uncaring, and unmoving. You're the only one of us who has a mother now." Rei finished quietly.
Rei wasn't crying though she sure felt like doing so, but Rei wasn't the kind of person to show her emotions in front of someone. So she hid her tears from Serena, but she couldn't hide her pain, for Serena felt that too.
Serena knew that Rei needed to deal with the pain of losing her mother on her own, but she clutched tightly at Rei's hands.
Rei understood that Serena meant that Rei would find comfort there if she needed it.
Rei smiled.
"So where are we? Where is everybody?" Serena asked.
"We're on the Moon. In the Moon Palace of the Silver Millennium Kingdom." Rei answered. "All the Sailor Scouts are here, doing their own thing. Your mother is back on Earth conversing with the Governing Royals of England and the Prince of the Earth, explaining everything."
"I wonder how Endy is, uh, Endymion is taking the information." Serena wondered aloud, blushing a slight pink.
Rei smiled at Serena's little slip up of Endymion's name, but she let it slide.
"We'll find out soon." Rei assured her.
"Where's Sammy?" Serena asked.
"Oh, he's here too. We got him cleaned up, and well fed." Rei explained.
"Good, I want to thank him." Serena muttered as she stifled a yawn.
Then the yawn burst out in full force.
"You've slept for two whole days, and you're still tired?" Rei asked in disbelief.
"I haven't been sleeping exactly." Serena explained. "I've been having History lessons the entire time, so I'm not exactly rested."
"Well, tell that Crystal to shut down for a while and let you get some actual sleep. You'll need it for when your mother returns. She'll want to talk." Rei informed her.
"Okay." Serena said as she closed her eyes.
As Rei gently stood up to leave, Serena said something else.
"Thank you Rei." She muttered sleepily. "And thanks to everyone else too."
"You're welcome, Princess." Rei responded, even though she was sure that Serena was already asleep.
Serena fell into an actually peaceful sleep as soon as she had closed her eyes.
She dreamed mostly about Endymion.
The Crystal, seeing that Serena had the Prince of the Earth on her mind, supplied some information about him, but in such a way that Serena slept on while learning.
Serena learned almost everything about him, from his favorite color, to his favorite food.
When she next woke up, it was five hours later. She felt much more rested, and very happy.
The sunlight that had filtered through her window earlier was gone.
Now the room was lit with a soft silver light that she hadn't seen before.
With a yawn she tossed the silver colored silk sheets off of her feet, and sat up with her legs over the side of the bed.
There were little delicate silver satin slippers sitting just inches from her feet.
She slipped her feet into them, and as she had expected, they fitted her perfectly.
She still wore her Princess Serenity gown, still pure white, and not a wrinkle was in it even though she had slept in it for two days and five hours.
Personally, to Serena it seemed more the sort of a nightgown rather than a day dress, but she guessed she could get used to it. It was very pretty, and floating, and, well, beautiful. Serena loved wearing pretty things.
Serena stood up and walked over to her window.
She breathed in deeply, and her eyes widened in awe at the sight before her eyes.
The Earth was floating in the sky! The sky was the deep black of space, sprinkled everywhere with little twinkling white dots that were stars. The Earth hung suspended in the middle of it all. She could see the white mass of clouds moving across Earth's surface, and she could see the blue expanse of water that covered most of the world, and she could see the shapes of the lands floating upon the water too.
"I guess the Earth is their Moon here." Serena said softly. "It's bigger seeing it here than the Moon looks when seen from Earth."
Serena stepped back from the window and looked around her room.
On the same wall as the window, just further down, were two intricately carved doors.
She walked slowly over and opened them.
They swung soundlessly inward, and she stepped out onto a large balcony.
She walked up to the railing, which was made to look like large roses.
She gently placed her hands on the white marble rail, and looked over.
She could see a very beautiful garden below, with all sorts of flowers and plants. Some ways further past the garden there was maze made from some sort of hedge that had pretty flowers blooming all over it. From her balcony she could see which route led to the middle and then led back out.
She saw a large lake with crystal blue waters.
To her far right she saw the outline of a large city. She could tell that it must have many beautiful buildings.
She looked back to the garden and could see a couple people milling about in it.
She leaned forward to try and bring the people into focus, but her hand slipped off the rail and she commenced to fall over.
Soft hands caught her by the waist and hauled her back up to a standing position.
"Careful there, dear." Queen Serenity said with a small smile on her lips. "You don't want to become just another pretty little flower in the garden, now do you?"
Serena giggled.
"No, I wouldn't." She said with a smile as she looked back down upon the people in the garden.
"Lita is showing Sammy around the garden. Lita loves plants of all kinds, and is very talented at growing and caring for them." Serenity explained.
"Oh." Serena acknowledged. She decided that she needed to ask the Crystal for information on Lita so she could get to know her better. "Where are the others?"
"Ami is taking a swim in the Silver Lake. Rei is sitting in her mother's shrine, meditating with the Ancient Fire. Mina is sleeping after eating a big meal. Hotaru is reading in her room. Amora and Michelle are practicing their battle moves in our training room, and Setsuna is back at the Time Gate." Serenity explained.
Serena opened her mouth to ask about one other person, but Serenity didn't need telling.
"Prince Endymion is on Earth talking with his parents and his generals. He'll be visiting us up here soon." She added with a sad smile.
Serena smiled widely at the thought of seeing him again!
"Serena, there is something I must tell you, before anything else happens." Serenity stated softly.
Serena looked at her.
"What?" She asked.
"Come with me." Serenity said quietly.
Serena followed her mother out of her room, and through many corridors, and down many staircases. She noticed that almost everything in the palace from the floors to the ceilings was white marble.
She followed her mother out of the palace and into the garden she had seen from her balcony.
As they walked through the garden, Serena kept a lookout for Lita and Sammy, but she didn't see them.
When they were some yards away from the palace, Serena turned around and took a good look at the Silver Millennium Palace.
"Mother, this is just what is painted on a wall back in the Palace in England!" Serena exclaimed.
"Yes, Queen Ikoku and King Kenji had it painted, in the hopes that it would make you familiar with that Moon Princess part of yourself." Serenity explained.
They soon entered the maze, and made their way to the center.
There they came upon a large gazebo that Serena hadn't seen from her balcony. White lattices made the walls, and blooming ivy added a bit of color to the white. Rose bushes were planted all around the outside bottom of the gazebo.
"Roses are my favorite flower!" Serena exclaimed happily as she bent over and smelled the nearest roses.
"I know, Ikoku told me. That's why we grew so many, and why your balcony railing is shaped like roses." Serenity explained.
They climbed the four steps into the gazebo.
Serena was happy to see that everyone was there.
Ami with Luna on her shoulder, Mina with Artemis on her shoulder, Lita, Rei, Amora, Michelle, Hotaru, Sammy, Ikoku, Kenji, Endymion, Andrew, Nephrite, Kunzite, Jedite, Zoisite, and even Prince Alan who stood a little apart from the others. Setsuna was the only one not present, but that's okay. She would know what went on here.
"Good, everyone is here." Serenity stated as she walked, well it looked more like she floated than walked, to the center of the room. "Please friends, sit."
Everyone took a seat on a long bench that ran all along the walls, from one side of the door to the other.
Serena, though she wished to sit as close to Endymion as she could, instead sat beside Queen Serenity. She beamed at everyone, and they couldn't help but smile back at her. Her happiness was contagious.
"I'd like to start on a happy note." Queen Serenity started. "I'd like to thank you all for helping to find and protect my daughter, Princess Serenity. Thank you even to those who didn't know they were doing it."
A soft chuckled went around the room.
Queen Serenity's face became very serious then.
"Some of you may think that Beryl was permanently destroyed. She wasn't, just sent back to her own dark universe, which are many universes away from our own. She will be back eventually, and in force no doubt. The Moon Kingdom is the only defense against her before she reaches Earth. She's already destroyed all the other planets. I know that she wants to destroy Earth and the Moon Kingdom before she moves onto the other universes out there. The reason behind this is that, the Moon Kingdom has the most Sailor Scouts than any other universe. Take them out and she's taken the largest part of the threat against herself away. Also, should she get the Impearium Silver Crystal for herself she could destroy most if not all of the universes with it along with her self. She doesn't seem to understand that she can't control the Crystal, and I doubt she ever will understand that. The reason she wants Earth destroyed so badly, is because it has allied itself with the Moon Kingdom, and should she ever return Earth would fight against her with us. But sadly even with Earth allied to us, we don't have enough forces to completely defeat Beryl, not if the information we have about her forces are true. That is why Prince Alan is here with us."
Prince Alan stood up and slowly walked over to in front of Serenity, bowed, and turned to face the others, standing just a little in front and to the side of Serenity.
His face showed no emotion.
"His father and I have made an alliance treaty. Already signed and everything." Queen Serenity continued. "The conditions of the treaty have not yet been fulfilled, but within the next two days they will be. With them as Earth's and our allies, our forces combined should be enough to stop Beryl permanently should she return. Now about those conditions that need fulfilled."
Queen Serenity waved a hand and a long piece of paper appeared in her lap, covered in elegant curvy handwriting in black ink.
She handed the paper over to Serena, and told her to read the lighted part.
Serena looked at the paper or scroll as it was called here.
It all looked very official as her eyes scanned the page to the find the paragraph that was silver rather than black.
She began to read.
"This alliance shall take effect only when the two conditions stated below is fulfilled. One, that the daughter of the Moon Queen, Princess Serenity, gi—"
Serena trailed off and read the last bit of the paragraph in silence.
Everyone, but Prince Alan and Queen Serenity, held their breaths and waited for her to continue.
When she was finished reading her hands were clutching the paper so tightly that her knuckles were turning white and the paper was in danger of tearing.
She slowly laid the paper down on her lap. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply. Her cheeks were flushed with an angry red tinge.
She opened her eyes, and turned to look at Serenity.
She opened her mouth to speak several times, but nothing ever came out.
Then she finally found her voice.
"Every question that I have the Impearium Silver Crystal answers, or you had answered earlier. So I know the why, and I understand the why, but I am . . . angry about it to say the least." Serena said quietly and everyone could tell that she was holding her anger back.
Rei, Mina, Ikoku and Kenji all knew that Serena didn't get angry often, but when she did major disaster followed.
"I knew that you would be at least a little upset about it." Serenity started to confess, but Serena interrupted.
"A little?" She cried. "I don't even know him, and you expect me to marry him?"
She gestures toward Alan who is turning slightly pink in the cheeks.
Everyone was in shock. Even Sammy became completely still, his legs paused in mid swing.
"His father wouldn't accept anything else. I tried, but he would only accept an alliance through marriage. The second condition states that the new the bride must go to live on the Prince's world, I can't go my people need me. You were the only hope left if we were to save our people. It had to be done, so I betrothed you to him though I knew you probably wouldn't be happy about it. Prince Alan's not happy about it either."
"Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only one." Serena interrupted.
"I'm so sorry about this, but neither of you have a choice in the matter." Serenity finished with a tone of finality.
"I think we both know that." Serena whispered, but in the silence of the gazebo, everybody heard it as if it was a shout.
Serena elegantly stood up, placed the alliance treaty on her empty chair, and strode out of the gazebo with her head held high, though a single tear did fall down her cheek.
Endymion watched her go, as unnoticed by him everyone in the gazebo looked at him to see his reaction.
His face was blank, but his heart was breaking.