Parallel Dreams
She passed between two 35 feet statues painted in a shimmering gold. The impressive sculpture was merely carved with a symbol, shaped like a heart with a small cross at the bottom, which she did not understand or recognize. A buzzing in the young girl's ear made it hard for her to make out the screaming coming from beyond the two columns she stood in between. The priestess tried to run towards the noise but her vision slowly turned into a dark fog, the annoying ringing grew until she was wailing on her knees.
The floor under her was suddenly filled by the warm and shining reflection of the sun bathing her body in a glowing mist. The comforting moment was destroyed when a cold and dark breeze collided from beneath with the girl's shaking hands. The sun was eclipsed by a black moon. She looked up to find a dirtied path leading between a small yet beautiful town. The buildings were humble but decorated with gold and silver, sculptures of beautiful women stood evenly against the structures. In a sudden blur the town was falling and crashing the ground. Hundreds of people were running and crying as they fled from a burning wave of darkness. The hoards of women and children, very beautiful but scared, passed between the priestess as if she didn't exist. Confused and frightened, she turned to see where they were running. Beyond the crumbling town and past a colorful valley of flowers was a castle surrounded by a moat and crystal wall. The royal structure gleamed as it was made of pure gold. From one of it's highest towers the young girl could see a flag with the same symbol from before. The garden surrounding the castle turned putrid and shriveling dead plants in a blow of the wind.
Like a tide the buzzing in her ears became unbearable again. The scenery change and her sweating palms were now printed into a marbled floor. A swift movement caught the priestess's attention and fighting the agony in her brain she looked up to see locks of shining golden hair flow against the airy atmosphere. A red ribbon bounced on the head of the woman with the amazing hair as she twisted towards the girl on her knees. Two blue eyes, filled with tears and agony, looked past her and than disappeared under a crash of turbulent water.
The priestess was now collapsed on a frozen lake. The pounding in her head subsided as she got up and surveyed the area. Before she could conclude anything, the lake began to crack from under her. She gasped and began to run in the opposite direction. The young girl could see the ice in front of her collapse as the water under it began to boil. She fell and landed on a pool of scorching and smoking water. A loud crash of metal all around her suddenly broke her daze of being unharmed by the boiling liquid. A copper rolled towards her followed by a couple more. Then, without warning, a loud screaming, drowning out the buzzing in her ears, caught her attention. A girl she did not recognize was on her knees wailing in pain and holding her hand which was burnt and bleeding. From her forehead a symbol, very similar to the one on flag but not the same, engraved itself on the girl's skin before it began to shine a marvelous blue.
For a moment the priestess tried to reach out towards the suffering blue haired girl but the opportunity passed when the blue light engulfed her completely. The blinding glow died down in an instant and the ringing in her ears returned, she could barely make out the cries of a battle surrounding her. The young girl's vision was compromised with blurs and dark patches growing and then shrinking. Horrible screams were coming from her as she was sprawled on the dirty and bloodied ground. The wails of pain were not her own but she could hear them as if they were. Unable to move or control her vision, she was suddenly staring at a small flower barely beginning to blossom. Slowly a hand, bloodied and armored in an iron plate, reached out towards the plant. It was not her arm but the priestess was watching it as if it were. The unknown limb stretched out until the armor surrounding it was clear. Despite the dirt and blood, the young girl made out an engraving of a symbol she also could not recognize on the green metal armor. The phantom hand enveloped itself around the flower before crushing it in a fierce grip, taking the dirt under it as well. The desperate scene was followed by gut wrenching screams of pain.
The dirt from under her collapsed until she was soaring down towards an unknown destination. As the priestess was slowly beginning to regain stability she landed on a wooden floor. Again, she was unable to move or control her line of vision. A familiar fireplace came into view. A blade, belonging to her mother, was burning in the dancing flames of the fire. The symbol of Mars was engraved and turning red against the katanas single edged blade. In a blink of an eye the sword was falling to the floor drenched in blood.
Like being soaked in cold water Rei shot up from her bed until she was sitting up and heaving in sweat. She could feel her heart pound fiercely against her chest and a blinding headache sear against her skull. Her visions had been intense and frightful for the last few weeks but tonight`s were different. It was clear to her something was terribly wrong. Jumping out of the bed the priestess robed herself and ran out into the main hall of the palace. The soldiers outside were alarmed at first but after seeing it was the princess they blatantly ignored her. She passed the unmoving guards until she reached the back wall leading to the imperial garden. A wave of heat collided with Rei as she stepped out into the open and into the garden. The plants were already beginning to turn brown from the lack of water and extreme heat. The young girl cursed her heavy robes as she continued the path towards the royal shrine. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized the temple's torches were lit as well as the oil lamps used as offerings. The strong smell of incense penetrated her nostrils as she barged into the temple. A buzzing in her ears returned when she noticed the corridor leading the main room was aligned with bowing priests. The doors to the room, where her mother and father exclusively prayed, were shut and protected by two guards. Rei ignored the unusual amount of people and sprinted towards the sacred room. She was suddenly stopped by the firm grip of her sensei, who was the oldest and most revered priest on the planet, as he pulled her away from the two angered soldiers guarding the entrance.
"Where is my father? My mother?" Rei asked him respectfully but sounding extremely worried.
The old and wise man gently pulled the young girl away "The Emperor has ordered to be left alone. Please return to your bedroom. He will speak with you when he does." the man said kindly as he tried to lead her out of the shrine.
"No. I have had terrible visions and I must speak with him about them. Is my mother with him?" the priestess protested against the man's weak grip.
"Please return to the Palace, there is nothing for you to do here but wait. Waiting is best served somewhere comfortable" the old man insisted.
"If the mystic has not had such visions then there is no worry" another priest in the room dared to say in a clearly condescending tone.
Rei was furious. She recognized that no one was taking her seriously and if they could they would laugh in her face. Her youth and status were always a barrier when it came to matters of importance in the Empire of Mars. Tired of being treated like a child, she released herself from the man grabbing her and she gave the priest's aligning the corridor a heart piercing glare. "I am the Emperor's daughter and as such I am above all of you and anyone on this planet. My training has and always will surpass anything, anyone, in this room has learned or achieved. Remember, one day you will all be serving me and bowing to me, is that understood? Now, I order you to let me enter that room!" the princess demanded furiously as her voice echoed frighteningly against the walls of the small temple.
A loud bang made Rei turn around towards the guards who were grabbing the walls for support. Her father, the emperor, had slammed the double doors of the sacred room so strongly that the soldiers on the other side were pushed away. He stood tall and fierce looking down at his awed daughter. The ruler of Mars was a very strong and large man but his face was always serious and wise. During the last couple of weeks his face had turned old and weary and now, Rei could not deny it, he looked more broken down than ever. Nevertheless the Emperor took important strides towards his daughter. As he walked, he cleaned his hands of blood with a silk handkerchief, ignoring the princess's confused stare.
"Never speak to your elders in such a way! You may be my daughter but your power on this planet is no greater than that of a man selling bread in the market! This is no time to be acting like a spoiled brat! You are on Mars and on Mars you earn greatness, it does not come to you freely!" the Emperor cried as he stood before Rei who was fighting away tears.
The sensei quietly approached his master and bowed "The princess is ashamed. Her grace and pride have been hurt beyond a doubt. I shall take her to her room to pray." the old man said gently before giving the shaking priestess a small smile.
"Great man of the kami, I am grateful to you and your kindness but this is a matter that does not concern you. The princess must allow this great shame to pain her, that is my truth. Her fate has changed greatly this warm night and now she must learn to be strong. Please, purify the empress while I inform my daughter of her own truth" the Emperor explained gently to the small and aged priest standing beside him. He bowed and placed his large hand on Rei's shoulder before leading her away and out into the heat of the garden.
"Father please, I am terribly sorry. I will go to the city's shrine and purify myself for as long as you see fit...please allow me to correct myself!" the miko pleaded as her father led her to kneel in front of the small fountain in the garden.
"If you had time that would be your punishment. You are no longer safe here, the mystic has said so and your mother has proven it" the powerful man whispered as he caressed his hand against the warm water.
Rei looked over at her father and realized he was tense and teary eyed. "My mother? What has happened? Where is she?" the young girl suddenly began to hear the faint ringing in her ears. For a split second she remembered the bloodied blade falling to the ground.
The Emperor, in an unusual act of care and love, put his hand over his daughter's "Your mother has been murdered. I fear for your life as I did not for hers. You must leave" he said as he rubbed his thumb lightly against Rei's hand. He bowed and left her to cry.
"Do you think they're from Uranus? Maybe it is your parents!" Usagi cried excitedly as she stood on her balcony looking out into the Mare Serenitatis. For the past hour, she and her fellow princess Minako had been waiting for a large and very elegant vessel to make it's way across the frozen sea. Luckily for them the weather had turned and it was now warm enough to leave the Palace to skate.
"You're so stubborn! Stop it! First of all that's not a ship from Uranus, I've seen them and they're a different color and much bigger. Secondly, my parents are not coming back, Artemis told me so!" the princess of Venus protested as she straightened her yellow dress for the fifteenth time.
The Moon Princess looked over at her friend and giggled "You look very nice! Stop touching your gown before you ruin it! Why are you so nervous? Do you think there's a boy on the ship? Is that why you're nervous?" she giggled at the other girl's annoyed frown.
"I want to look nice for whoever arrives, don't you? Besides, if there was a boy, I wouldn't be allowed to flirt with him. It's against the law, remember?" Minako said shaking a finger at her friend. She looked out again and began to get nervous when the ship was almost at the dock. The flags of the masts had a symbol similar to Venus's. She wondered what planet they were from and suddenly imagined a handsome Venusian coming to take her away.
Usagi was now the one arranging her own white dress "Those laws are old and silly. I don't think they count anymore. Why do you think my mother allows Prince Endymion to visit so often. I know she wants us to marry even though it's "illegal". Mmm...Endymion...I miss him" - she said dreamily - "You should get a boyfriend! You can meet one of the terran generals when my Endymion comes to visit!" she screamed excitedly.
"Maybe. Look! The ship has arrived!" Minako cried jumping in her spot and pointing down towards the ship which was beginning to be unloaded.
"That's odd. Where are the banners? And the music? Where are the people?" the Moon Princess inquired as she leaned over the balcony to try to see further along the harbor. She inspected the blue and silver ship but saw no sign of anyone about to make a grand appearance.
"What to you mean?"
"Well... every time someone important comes to visit there's always a big celebration filled with people from the towns and music. My mother and I go down to the gates and greet the guests while everyone watches. It's been awhile since someone has visited...I was hoping for it..." Usagi pouted sadly as she lifted her dress a little and looked down at it with disappointment.
"Maybe they're here too early...or too late! Who cares! Let's go down and see who it is!" Minako cried and pulled her friend away towards the door. She flung it open only to be met by a shorter, older and meaner woman blocking the way out into the corridor.
"The ship has arrived! We're going downstairs!" the Moon Princess announced happily.
The woman, with a strange crescent moon on her forehead, shook her head "No, not yet. The Queen will let me know when you two are allowed to come down to the dining hall" she said shooing the two young girls back inside.
"But Luna! I'm supposed to be down at the gates greeting the guests with my mother! I'm wearing a new dress!" Usagi complained as the door to her room slammed shut.
"Not this time Usagi. The Queen ordered no one know we are having these guests so try to keep your mouth shut! You'll meet them soon enough so quiet your voice and wait until you're called" Luna ordered as she began arranging the girl's pig tails.
"Well if we can't go can you at least tell us who is coming?" Minako asked taking a seat next to her friend on the bed.
The short black haired woman nodded pleasantly "As a matter of fact I can. We are receiving the Queen and Princess of Mercury this morning. Remember to be respectful and..."
"Yes, yes. Respectful and kind. Really? The Queen and Princess? What is her name? How old is she? Did they have to leave Mercury like Minako-chan? Are they nice?" Usagi began bombarding her poor guardian with questions.
"How could I possibly know all the that? All I know is that she's your age and probably very shy so don't attack her with a million questions like you usually do. Remember to act like a Lady" Luna threatened as she anxiously looked out the window.
"Isn't this great? Another princess! I hope she's half as fun as you Mina-chan! Imagine all the things we can do? I've never met anyone from Mercury! Have you? Minako-chan? Mina...? Aren't you excited?" the pig tailed girl said as she poked her friend repeatedly.
Minako reacted and gave her a small nod and smile before returning to her worried state. It suddenly became very clear how alarming the whole situation was. Two princesses arriving on the Moon in such a short period of time, the fact that the arrival of the Mercurians was being kept so hidden and the constant reminder that her planet had been invaded. Could the same thing have happened on Mercury? Was it only a short matter of time before the Moon would also fall under the heavy darkness? Her previously pleasant and rosy cheeked face was now pale and nervous. Pushing her thoughts away Minako quickly got up and smiled with great effort.
"No Usagi-chan, I've never met a Mercurian but my parents used to tell me they were very close-minded and boring"
Before the Princess could begin to nag about the information her friend had given her a knock at the door raised the three heads in the room towards it. "Come in!" Usagi hollered excitedly.
With a soft click the door opened and a familiar man walked in with a smile. He bowed respectfully and blushed as Luna smiled back. He had a young face with magnificent blue eyes and a completely white set of hair; like most Venusians he was handsome and well kept.
"Artemis! Is it time to go downstairs?" Minako asked giving him a worried and knowing glance.
The man returned the gesture with a serious and angered glance "Almost. Let's wait and see what's happening before we jump to conclusions, be patient" he said directing himself mainly to his princess.
Usagi looked at Artemis than at her friend with a confused frown "Whatever. Hey Artemis, it's good you're here! We need a mans opinion. Who looks better? Me or Mina-chan?" she asked getting up and giving a twirl while her friend sat on the bed lost in thought.
Artemis blushed looking around the room until he met eyes with Luna who was smiling and also blushing. He grinned and without giving the Princess a single stare he sighed "I think you all look lovely..." he whispered dreamily.
"Artemis! Stop flirting with Luna!"
As the Emperor took his time walking back to the Palace he was suddenly stopped by a strong but respectful tugging against his robes. He looked down and as he expected Rei was on her knees, crying freely, begging him to stop.
"Please, allow me to see my mother..."
"I'm sorry but I cannot. We must avoid such a tragedy to become more impure. I've already ordered for the priests to practice Imi and leave the shrine intact as soon as possible. Your mother will be buried in private by the kami master. Go to your room and retrieve your amulets" the reigning man said coldly.
"Who is the murder? Where is she? She must be punished!" the princess cried in rage and ignoring her disrespect.
"The demon has been caught! There is nothing left for us to do except take you to safety! Is there no pleasing you with what I say? I am not a priest you look down on I am the Emperor of Mars and your father! Do as I say!"
"I don't believe you! Where is the murder? Stop lying to me! I saw it in a dream and no such demon exists! The hands...the hands holding the blade were those of a woman not a demon or strong man!" Rei screamed, her face red and trembling.
The Emperor pulled back for a moment in fear, he examined his daughter's face and knew she was not lying. Trying to regain his posture, he placed his hands on her shoulders and firmly squeezed "Such a dream means nothing if it does not come from a mystic, you know that very well. These visions you are having are inventions of a bored and spoiled sixteen year old girl who does not respect her elders or superiors. The murderer was caught but killed before we...could learn anything about him or why he decided to kill the Empress. Are you satisfied with what I've told you?" he explained angrily looking deep into the young girl's frightened eyes.
"But..."
"No! Do as I say and go to your room" - he yelled a little too loudly causing some guards to appear and approach them - "There are demons approaching. They come from the small towns outside of the city and they are ready to risk anything to kill you. You are leaving tonight and I won't have it any other way, you will not die at the hands of a demon like your mother" - he said this whispering and squeezing Rei's shoulders until it hurt - "They will not get you...".
"So it's true? It's true that a darkness is coming? Has the mystic seen it?"
"Put away such thoughts for now and take this for protection on your long journey" - the Emperor said before pulling out a small carved arrow from his robes and placing it in her hand - "This Hamaya will ward away evil, take it and treasure it".
Suddenly a parade of soldiers made their way to the garden from the Palace. The twenty armed men surrounded the father and daughter and waited for orders. From between them the small old sensei squeezed his way in and bowed to his master.
"Be wary of the past young girl but worry not for the future, then you will sleep pleasantly and be happy" the Emperor whispered to his daughter before standing straight and walking into the Palace with his soldiers escorting him.
"Come princess, let us go to your room and give a small prayer for the Empress" the sensei said kindly as he tugged a shocked Rei away and back into the Palace.
Minako thought her worries were meaningless and silly until they reached the great dining hall. The room where they normally ate peacefully three times a day was packed with royal soldiers standing diligently in front the large windows and both adjoining doors for the servants. She was surprised there wasn't one hanging from the huge chandelier hovering over the long table centered in the middle; it fitted about thirty people but since the Venusian had arrived on the Moon she had only seen it filled by herself, Usagi and Serenity. The two princesses walked nervously down the hall until they reached their usual places at the head of the table. Luna and Artemis, as usual, stood behind them and surveyed the full room for anything suspicious.
"Why are there so many guards? Do you think something happened? I'm starving, aren't you? Where is my mother!" Usagi whispered to Minako before receiving a tap on the head from Luna. As she rubbed it and turned to give her guardian a reproachful glare, the double doors of the hall opened.
Serenity, as always, entered first followed by her lady's maiden. She gave small bows to the many soldiers waiting on her. She eased into the room with grace and elegance as the double doors were slammed shut. Finally, Usagi and Minako dared to look up to see their guests. Followed by Serenity was a woman just as tall as her but with not so pleasant a face. She looked much older and bitter. Her blue hair was tied into a strict bun and her dress, very fine and precious, was a pale blue with no spectacular glow or radiance like the ones on the Moon. As the Queen of Mercury turned to cross the table her daughter finally became present. The young girl, with short blue hair and sad blue eyes, also wore a sickly boring dress though made of silk. She walked with her head down and holding her hands shyly in front of her. Unlike her mother, who glided with poise and strictness, the princess was frail and almost clumsy as she cowered passing along so many soldiers staring at her.
"Usagi-chan, Princess of the Moon. Minako-chan, Princess of Venus, these are our very welcomed guests. The Queen and Princess of Mercury" Serenity said as she reached the head of the table and presented the two women.
Both princesses stood from their chairs and bowed to the new comers. The Mercurians did the same and sat down once the Queen of the Moon did so. The five women at the table sat in silence as several servants entered through one of the adjoining doors and began serving them breakfast. They began eating slowly and respectfully like royalty without saying a single word to each other. Usagi, despite her righteous upbringing, could not help but steal small glances at Ami who sat directly in front of her. The blue haired girl, extremely shy and nervous, would not stop touching her hand which was bandaged and badly hidden under a silk blue cloth. The pig tailed blonde could not contain her staring which was obviously noticed by the blue haired girl. Even Minako noticed the rude gesture and poked her friend sitting next to her.
"What happened to your hand?" Usagi suddenly blurted out with no sign of guilt or subtleness. The remark was met with an uncomfortable gasp from the other four women at the table. Ami quickly lowered her hand and turned a deep red, scared to see her mother's reaction who sat next to her.
"Usagi-chan! What manners! Apologize this instant!" Serenity demanded, clearly furious by the humiliation she had just suffered.
The blonde, blushing and playing nervously with her napkin, bowed her head "Forgive my imprudence, it will not happen again" she whispered too scared to look up.
"That is alright. Nonetheless, please think before you speak Princess" Saeko said coldly and out of turn before returning to her meal. Though angry with her daughter, Serenity was not pleased with the Queen's response but decided to keep her mouth closed to avoid further problems.
With the atmosphere even more tense and uncomfortable than before, the royal women were quick to finish their meals. Happy to have the last dish served, they began eating hastily just as the double doors of the hall were fiercely opened from where a young servant and messenger dashed in. He ignored the guards trying to stop him as he made his way, with much difficulty, to the head of the table and beside Serenity. The youth whispered something into the Queen's ear before taking a step back and standing anxiously next to threatening soldiers. Serenity's face turned pale and worried before it turned blank and serious, she looked at each of the princesses and sighed.
"Everyone, please leave immediately! The Queen and I need privacy"
"But Lady, the security..." Luna protested as she approached the table.
"A few minutes will not matter, it is very important that everyone leave now" Serenity ordered.
The soldiers, in strict formation, filed out followed by the two guardians and three princesses. The men stepped out into the great hall and stood waiting diligently. Luna and Artemis stayed close to the three young girls but were instantly absorbed in conversation and flirting between them. Meanwhile, Usagi and Minako pinned their ears against the doors leading into the dining hall while Ami stood fearfully behind them.
"Come on! Don't you want to see what's going on?" the pig tailed blonde waved the shy girl over.
"It's no use, I can't hear a thing" the Venusian princess said sadly as she sat down in defeat.
"Oh well, we'll find out sooner or later. Come on and sit with us. What's your name? My mother didn't say" Usagi said as she also sat down and continued to wave the standing girl over.
Slightly shrugging, Ami took small steps towards them and slowly sat down. She smiled before bowing her head shyly. "My name is Ami-chan. It's very nice to meet you" she whispered.
"Well, I'm Usagi-chan and this is Minako-chan. I'm from here, the Moon, and she's from Venus. You're from Mercury right? Why are you here? Was it a long trip? What happened to your hand? Do you have a guardian too?" Usagi began to ramble with questions while her blonde friend sat uncomfortably beside her.
"It's nice to meet you too" - Ami said nodding at both girls - Yes, I'm the Princess of Mercury. The journey here wasn't very long, it was alright. I burnt my hand...in an accident down in the scullery of my Palace" - she caressed her wounded hand looking a little troubled - "We had to leave my planet...there were some problems so we could not stay" she said immediately regretting it. Her worries doubled when Minako suddenly flipped her head towards her and gave a small gasp.
The Moon Princess, oblivious and indifferent as always, didn't register her blonde friend's distress "What about a guardian? do you have one?" she asked fidgeting in her spot.
"Guardians? I don't understand...like servants?" the blue haired girl asked.
Usagi broke into a fit of laughter meanwhile rolling her eyes over at Luna and Artemis who were still distracted with each other "Oh Ami-chan! Don't let them hear you say that! - she pointed discreetly to the two guardians - "They are not servants or at least they wouldn't like it if you called them that. They're like...parents but not really, it's hard to explain..." she said grabbing her chin in thought.
"My parents were always traveling a lot so when they weren't around...Artemis took care of me just like they would have. So I guess they are like parents" Minako explained lamely when she noticed her friend was taking too long to answer the question.
Ami nodded and gave her a weak smile "If I may ask, where are the King and Queen of Venus now?" she said carefully.
The outer hall was suddenly filled by the rumbling of the dining hall's doors being opened. Out stepped both Queens; Serenity wore such a pleasant face that it even looked false, while Saeko was bitter and wide eyed but with no sign of weakness. The soldiers, guardians and princesses all straightened themselves and awaited instructions.
"You girls may go. Luna, Artemis? Please watch over them as usual" the blonde Queen said kindly.
"If the lake hasn't melted can we go skating?" Usagi asked giving her mother a pleading smile.
Serenity smiled tiredly "I don't see why not, as long as Luna and Artemis are with you it's okay" she said before beginning the walk away, half the soldiers escorted her.
"This is great! Have you ever skated before Ami-chan?"
Ami's eye's lit up as she nodded excitedly "Only once but yes I have! Is the sea frozen enough? she asked shaking from elation.
Saeko stepped harshly between the three girls "Ami-chan will not be joining you. She is very tired and needs her rest, excuse us" she grunted strictly before taking her daughter by the shoulders and leading her away. The two Mercurians reached the great hall before stopping.
"Mother, I am not that tired. Why can't I go skating with the other princesses?" Ami asked defiantly.
"Listen to me and listen well" - the Queen bent over until her face was in level with the young girl's - "You are forbidden to associate yourself with those two girls. As a guest you will be courteous and polite but if it is not necessary you will keep away from those two, is that understood?" she whispered in a threatening tone.
"Why? They are princesses just like I am and they are nice to me"
Saeko looked around before answering "It is dangerous for you as well as for them. In times like these we must be wary and keep to ourselves. Now go to your room and sleep. Be ready for dinner when we are called for" she said waving to two guards for them to escort her daughter.
As Rei was kneeling, palms together holding a small yellow amulet, she couldn't help hearing the constant marching of soldiers outside of her room. Her sensei, who was lost in prayer beside her, seemed to be oblivious to the commotion surrounding the Palace. Noticing this, the priestess constantly turned around to see the shadow of armored men running past the thin sliding doors of her room. She felt guilty for interrupting her prayers for her dead mother but the turbulence in her home was far too distracting. A sudden uproar of cries was enough to even startle the sensei, he looked up from his spot and sighed sadly. The sliding doors were broken when the Emperor burst in.
"It's time. Let's go!" the Martian ruler roared. He was heaving tremendously as sweat poured down his face. Rei was startled too see him wearing his leather and iron armor as well as holding his helmet and half faced mask. His blade, much like the one she had seen in her vision, was dangling by his thigh. The man's face was perturbed and tense as he slammed his arm against the wall, breaking the door even more "Come here, now!" he bellowed.
Rei quickly got up and ran towards her father. "Sensei, please alert the royal warriors and priests. I will see you on the vessel. Remember, do not board the Red Seal Ship! Let's go!" the Emperor ordered as he received as small nod from the old man. Desperately he pulled his daughter between the rumble of running guards and down towards the center of the Palace where the Emperor and Empress slept. They both entered the large room; he quickly made sure no one was inside.
"What now? What is happening?" the agitated priestess asked urgently.
"There is no time for me to explain...ugh...here..." - her father said suddenly bending over in pain. He instantly caught himself and hurried over to a large trunk sitting by the bed. He opened it and began taking out pieces of armor much like his own - "Put this on, it was your mother's" he commanded taking out more items.
Rei, too confused to argue or do anything else, did as she was told. The heavy royal armor was difficult to put on by herself as well as uncomfortable since it was a little too large for her. Her father, having taken everything out, helped the young girl place the uniform on. Then, very carefully and emotionally, he handed over a katana.
"This is the sword I saw in my vision! Father? What does it mean?" the miko cried desperately.
"Forget about such things! This was your mother's and now it belongs to you. Care for it and it will care for you. Now we must be ... ah!" the Emperor suddenly fell to his knees as he clutched his chest in pain.
"Father! What's wrong?" Rei threw herself over her twitching father. He looked up at her and she gasped. His eyes had turned into dark and raging orbs which pierced the girl with an evil glare. His hand shot up and grabbed her by the hair in a painful grip.
"Go! Leave me be!" the monstrous man wailed as he swung his petrified daughter away. With an amazing amount of effort, he began dragging his shaking body as far away as possible.
"No! I won't leave you! I'll get help. Help! Help! Somebody please help!" Rei began screaming as she approached the suffering Emperor. The man, trying to pull away, gave a great cry before turning over and swinging his sword out in fury. Had she been closer the miko would have lost her head. The sharp blade cut across her upper arm, unfortunately between her breast plate and iron protecting her limb, sending a gush of blood all over the room. Rei fell over and cried out as she held her aching wound. She began shivering from the sight of the gash and amount of blood leaking down onto the wooden floor quickly creating a growing puddle around her.
The Emperor, now perspiring dark energy and heaving with rage, got up and stormed over his helpless daughter. Towering over her with an evil grin on his face, the demon lifted his sword and made a move to strike her in a killing blow.
"rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen! Evil spirits, begone!" cried the old sensei as he barged in and threw several scrolls at his crazed master. The pieces of paper collided against the man and in an explosion of energy and fire for a moment the demon was purified. He fell to the ground and wailed terribly as the scrolls slowly shriveled against his skin.
"Come Princess, we must leave!" the sensei urged as he helped Rei up off the bloodied floor. Shocked, she followed the old man out and into the corridor which now burning in flames. The weight of her armor and pain in her arm made it difficult to avoid the guards who were now fighting against each other, nevertheless she and her sensei made it safely out into the imperial garden. An explosion of heat attacked the priestess making her almost fall over. With the loss of blood and sweltering leather of her uniform, a sudden wave of dizziness made her double over against the old man.
The sensei, despite his age and stature, managed to drag the sickened girl across the garden, past the shrine and through the southern gates where familiar royal guards where waiting for them. They were allowed passage and escorted by the uniformed men into the outskirts of the city. Rei was now being carried by one of the soldiers down through a small valley with a lake. The miko tried hard to see through the stinging sweat in her eyes and the oversized helmet bouncing on her head. She noticed a small boat hovering on the lake, she had only seen these types of vessels used by the plebs for trading in the harbor outside of the city. In her haze and worried state she began to panic.
"That is not a royal ship. Take me back to my father! This is a trap!"
"This is no trap Princess, please have faith in me. We will be safe soon" the wise man assured her as they boarded the small ship. Rei was taken to a wide seat just long enough for her to lay down. The rest of the crew stood anxiously where they could while the priests searched the skies. Two large crows descended on the only mast, flapping their wings urgently.
"Phobos and Deimos have arrived! It is time to depart! Master, let us be off!" one of the priests cried out to his master who was tending to the miko's injury. He stood and looked up to see a fleet of three large and elegant vessels flying away from the planet. He nodded and gave the order to part.
With a trembling jolt, the boat hovered a little and then began to float away towards the other departing vessels. Having only sailed for a few minutes a sudden explosion racked the small boat sending all of it's passengers to the ground. A fury of flaming arrows attacked the three large ships in front of them; the impact immediately began to burn the royal vessels as they slowly broke and soared further and further back down until they crashed into the city.
"We keep going! Do not stop!" the sensei demanded. Having foreseen this he prayed the smoke left from the ships would hide them long enough to escape another attack. The two crows left and flew down to investigate as the small boat soared higher and higher through the smoke and debris of the royal vessels.
"Sensei!" Rei cried trying to get up.
The old man returned to his princess "Rest, we are safe now" he reassured earnestly as he noticed four military ships approach them. "We are being protected by the Emperor's finest warriors. Once we are far enough you will be taken to another ship" he said warmly as he tended to her arm.
"Where are we going?"
Before he could answer, a loud crash shook the boat making it plummet down. The two crows, Phobos and Deimos, arrived squawking and flapping their wings hysterically. The mast was blazing in flames as the small vessel began to descend at an alarming rate. The guardian ships were too far to reach them in time before they soared down and crashed. The sensei fell to his knees and prayed to be forgiven by his princess for not protecting her.
Rei, not completely aware of what was happening in such turmoil, suddenly felt a burning on her forehead. The sensation grew until she was screaming in the pain. An incredible red glow shun from the symbol carving itself on her skin. The brilliant light covered the sky until nothing else could be seen. A powerful energy surged from it until the boat was shaking and slowly being lifted back up and soaring away from the planet. Everyone stared in awe at the wailing girl who was delivering such power.
"Help the Princess!" a guard ordered making his way towards her.
"NO! No one must touch her! She is our only hope to make it to the Moon! Leave her be!" the sensei ordered with an incredibly loud voice. He looked at his princess using such a tremendous amount of power and wondered what terrible dangers and suffering she would endure in her new life on the Moon Kingdom.
"Usagi-chan! Wait for me! I've never done this before!" Minako whined as she tried to hold herself steady. She had spent almost the entire day trying to learn how to skate and we would've gotten better if her blonde friend hadn't been showing off her skills. The frozen lake had slowly began to melt leaving the ice watery making it even more difficult to skate. The weather had turned warm as the day passed leaving the two princesses with only their gowns.
"Come on Mina-chan! It's not that hard! Just try to balance yourself and bend your knees! Like this!" Usagi cried from the other side before gracefully gliding towards the slipping girl. She took her hands and helped her move slowly on the ice.
"This isn't as fun as I thought it would be, it's too hard! And this heat! I hope we don't get sick after freezing last night" Minako said as she followed her friend's rhythm on the ice. Her skating skills began to improve when she was finally being taught how to properly do it.
"I don't mind as long as the ice doesn't melt" - the pig tailed blonde looked down at the moist ice - "We probably won't be able to skate tomorrow, the Mare will probably melt tonight if this heat continues. Too bad Ami-chan will miss out on it" she said sadly.
"I don't think she'd come even if the sea was still frozen, her mother wouldn't let her. Do you think all Mercurians are like her? She's so mean" Minako said coldly.
"Ami-chan seems nice though. Maybe it's just her mother"
"Do you think she has to act like that because she's a Queen? I mean, look at how she treats her daughter. Maybe that's how royalty on Mercury has to behave"
"But we're royalty too. My mother is mean when she has to be but I've never been treated like that before, especially in front of guests. What about your mother? What is she like?" Usagi asked tactlessly.
Minako's leg gave out a little but thankfully her friend caught her before she fell "She was perfectly nice and very friendly. I don't think I ever got a scolding from her even when I deserved it, of coarse she was hardly ever around" - she said bitterly and immediately regretting it - "Hey! Do you think we should sneak into Ami-chan's room tonight? We hardly know anything about her" she quickly suggested to change the subject.
"That's a great idea! We can sneak some cakes and tea too!"
"I only hope that Artemis and Luna aren't out patrolling the corridors. He still won't forgive me for stepping on his tail last week when we left our rooms"
"Mmm...I think they will be out tonight. With so many guards snooping around and with the new guests they're probably on patrol tonight. Oh, who cares? Let's do it anyway and if we get caught then too bad" Usagi said cheerfully.
"Usagi-chan! Minako-chan! It's time to come back in! You two have to get ready for supper!" Luna yelped from the shore where she stood next to a disgruntled Artemis.
"Speak of the devil. Well, it's alright. I'm hungry and tired and this heat is making me go crazy!" Minako said wiping the sweat off of her forehead. She sighed seeing how far she had "skate" to get back. Small clicking sounds suddenly started to surround the two girls. They looked at each other and shrugged before Usagi pointed at her friend and started to laugh.
"Ew! You're all sweaty! Even your gown is wet!"
"You are too! Besides, I can't help it! It's boiling out here!"
The two girls began bickering and completely ignored the cries coming from their guardians. It wasn't until one of Usagi's skates broke through the ice that they finally realized the danger. The small clicking sounds turned into load cracking all around them. The sudden heat hit like a wave instantly de-freezing the lake in seconds. The better skater, Usagi, grabbed onto Minako and flew towards the shore where Artemis and Luna were jumping anxiously and screaming at them to get out. The Venusian princess was at the brink of tears as she tried hard not to fall over, instead of skating she decided to take long strides though every step made her ankles swore. The two girls were successful as they approached the shore where their guardians were ready to catch them. Usagi leapt and fell on Luna and down to the melting snow. Minako was not so lucky; on her last clumsy step the ice under her collapsed making her fall into the chilly water. The poor girl waved her hands frantically trying to grab onto anything as she was quickly being sucked down into the sea. Artemis was fast to take hold of both failing hands and pull his princess out in one strong tug. The two flew back and landed abruptly on the snow next to a shocked Usagi and Luna. They all laid silently except for their heavy breathing as they watched the once frozen Mare suddenly turn into a completely liquid sea. Without warning Minako was invaded by a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
"Why are you laughing? You could have died!" Artemis complained angrily.
Usagi joined in the laughter "That was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me! I've never skated like that in my life!" she cried cheerfully.
"At least you were skating! I was running on these stupid things! Minako howled as she took one her skates off and chucked it away.
The two girls stayed giggling and chuckling on the moist grass as their guardians sat furiously trying to quiet them down. Neither of the four noticed the danger quickly approaching them.
From her balcony, high in one the royal rooms, Ami had spent the entire day watching the two princesses skate and laugh together. She envied them terribly but knew better than to disobey her mother. At least the privacy of her own room allowed her to take off her dress and get into a comfortable and airy robe. She was not used to such a warm climate and found it mysterious how rapidly the heat had come. Deciding it was best to keep her worries aside, she enjoyed the day wondering everything about the Moon and it's inhabitants. Only the reminder of her mother's prohibitions made her sad and bitter; her heart was set on getting to know the two girls of her own age and it hurt her dearly to think she could not make friends with them.
Ami sighed when she saw that Usagi and Minako were skating back to the shore. She was quickly alarmed when she heard cries coming from the the two guardians and her worry grew as she watched the two young girls skating towards them like their lives depended on it. It was then that the blue haired girl noticed the ice begin to break on the sea as the heat was getting worse and worse. She gasped seeing Minako fall through the ice and almost instantly sighed in relief as she watched the girl being saved by her guardian. A sudden uproar of laughter reassured her everything was fine though she found it very odd that they could laugh at such a thing. Nevertheless, she secretly wished she could have been there.
Just as she was about to leave the balcony to go get dressed, Ami noticed something that caught her eye. A small red light seemed to be approaching the palace from almost beyond the horizon. She squinted her eyes to try and make out what the flying object was. As it grew closer and closer the red light began to shine over anything around it. Before she could be blinded by the glow, the blue haired girl was able to make out three large ships following it. She covered her eyes with her arm trying to protect herself from such an intense shine as the object sped down and crashed into the Mare Serenitatis; the impact extinguished the red light and created a large wave which crashed against the gates of the Palace.
"No! Usagi-chan! Minako-chan!" Ami cried as she bent over the balcony only to see the water banging aggressively against the gates where just minutes ago the Moon and Venusian princesses had been laughing.
AN: Hopefully this chapter isn't too confusing. If anyone has any questions don't doubt to ask, I'd completely understand. Don't worry, Jupiter is coming so be patient. Hopefully you've enjoyed the chapter and please review!