- Authors Note: Hey my lovely readers, sorry for the lack of an intro in the first chapter. I was updating in a public area and was completely distracted by the guy sitting next to me with his rap videos blasting for everyone's displeasure. Don't get me wrong, I like some rap, but I find it rude to have it playing in a close area when everyone else may not like it. Off topic, sorry. So, yeah. This will be the only time I post an author's note in the beginning, unless I'm warning you of certain scenes to come. So, please enjoy.

Pairings Thus Far:
Serenity/ Atem
Hotaru/ Marik
Minako/ Bakura

Ages:

Serenity, Ami- 16 (on verge of 17)
Minako, Makoto, Rei- 17
Hotaru-16 (just turned when encased)
Haruka, Michiru- 23
Setsuna- 27
Atem, Bakura- 17
Seto, Marik- 18
Endymion- 20

CHAPTER TWO:

SHADOWS FROM THE SUN

"Sailor Saturn, once crowned princess of the planet Saturn, guardian of the heir to the throne of the Moon Kingdom, our Princess Serenity. You have been found guilty by the council for the crime of murdering high councilman, Lord Samuel. For your crimes you have been sentence to an eternal sleep within the new Temple of Selene. Your sentence shall be carried out immediately." a man in the shadows of the surrounding chairs read off.

The accused girl in a purple and maroon sailor fuku stood before the courtroom on a raised platform in the middle of the room. She had been stripped of her weapon, and had her wrists and ankles were bound in crystal chains. Her violet eyes held no emotion when the verdict was given, as she had long since known what was to become of her. The men in the room stood up and nodded and agreed with each other on their ruling. The two fully armored guards, that stood on either side of the girl, gripped their spears in anger. They knew her, had trained with her. They knew she was no monster. However, most would disagree with this. After all, she was the Messiah of Silence.

Each guard grabbed her arm and steered her out of the room. As they exited they heard the council practically cheer. The guard to her left slammed the door shut before taking her arm again and leading her down the long dark hallway. The arched windows gave barely enough light to see by, as they were facing away from the glowing Earth. Glancing out of them as they continued on, the girl looked at the stars. She thought of all the times she had looked up at them before, admiring their sparkle and beauty. Often she had dreamed of finding out about the worlds that surrounded those stars. Perhaps even visiting them some day with her princess.

Her princess. She had not seen the young golden haired girl at the trial. It was possible she had been denied entrance by those devious old men. The look upon her queens' face left her heart feeling broken though. She had tried with all her might to convince the room of Saturn's innocence, but to no avail. The victim of the murder had peculiar wounds, ones that could only be caused by a curved blade. As scimitars were considered Tellurian filth, they were hard to come by on the moon. The only other weapons with curves were forms of sickles, but they were more so used by farmers rather than soldiers or nobles. That left with only one weapon known to be kept at the palace. Her silence glaive.

"Saturn... We could look away," one of her guards suddenly whispered. She whipped her head around to look at him. Their grips on her were loosening.

"You shouldn't have to go through this. It will make our princess cry." the other said.

If she had it left in her, she would've smiled at them. She knew them both. She knew all the guards and soldiers at the palace. Not all of them liked her, but most she had made a place among. It had taken a long time to make other friends besides the princess, but after proving herself a true warrior many had warmed up to her. They saw how their princess adored the girl and how she in return was willing to do anything for Serenity. Never had she harmed anyone, nor used her terrifying powers even in training. She was kind to everyone she met, even those who stuck their noses up at her or called her monster. She had made a promise after all. A promise that she would not take a life, for it would make her princess sad. A childish promise, and one she wasn't sure she could keep in the long run ... but she would try her hardest.

"I appreciate it, Motoki, Yuuiichirou(1). However I will not risk your safety or that of your families. The council is firm in their punishments if you have not noticed." she replied, facing forward again. Her eyes stared ahead of them, determined to see this through. "As for Princess Serenity... look after her for me. Make sure she smiles again."

They nodded as they came to the gardens and made it over to the temple. Queen Serenity and her daughter were waiting there. As were the head councilmen to make sure nothing tricky was tried. The princess's shoulders were quivering as her face was turned towards the ground. The queen held no emotion in her features, but her hands were balled into fists as she watched the three approach. She nodded to the violet eyed girl who bowed her head in respect.

Princess Serenity suddenly cried and rushed to embrace her friend. The council admonished her against this, but a furious look from their queen silenced them. Though slightly empty feeling, Saturn managed a smile. She petted the top of the blondes hair as the girl cried onto her shoulder. The Lunarian let the tears fall freely as she trembled in the other girls' arms. The guards had looked away, unable to take the scene.

"There now Little Bunny, no more tears." Saturn said soothingly, using her pet name for the princess.

Pulling away to look her in the eyes, Serenity sniffled, "Saturn, I'm so sorry I couldn't-"

"Don't, this is not your fault. Don't ever think it is. The fates dealt the cards, and I had a bad hand. That is all."

The councilmen then ordered her inside the temple. She glared at them, earning a visible shudder from one. Turning back to her princess, she gave her one last hug, then stepped away and went into the cold, bare building after the queen. Only they were to be in there while the spell was cast. Once complete the others would be permitted in to make sure it had indeed been performed, and in some cases to say goodbye.

"Hotaru!"

At the mention of her birth name the girl stopped and looked back at Princess Serenity. Her crystal blue eyes still had tears streaming from them, but they also had a determined look in them. No one had called her that name in years. Not since she had been labeled an outcast by her own family. Serenity had said she loved the name, but it was an old life, one Saturn didn't care for. However, at this moment, hearing it shouted by her princess with such purpose, finally brought tears to her eyes.

"I won't leave you in there forever! One day I will set you free! You will always be my sister and I won't abandon you!" she shouted, and then a sad smile spread across her face, "I love you!"

Saturn allowed the tears to fall, "I love you too!"

With that the twin doors closed. When it was over the councilmen went in first. When they were satisfied they left as did the queen. The guards followed their princess into the temple. When they came upon the alter where the violet eyed girl laid in her crystal coffin the two men shuddered. Serenity walked right up to it and looked down at her friend with solemn eyes. She shed no more tears; she wouldn't in front of her. Later in her room she would. She would scream and shout and possibly throw things, but for now she just looked on. She didn't say goodbye, nor did she say anything. Silently she turned and made her way out. The guards bowed to their sleeping comrade then followed her out. Once the doors shut they remained locked for the next three years.

...

The four senshi rushed through the hall and out to the garden. Whatever had managed to slip onto the palace grounds was extremely swift and cunning. The four closed in around the temple, their senses on high alert. Every rustle from the wind or shift in the shadows was the enemy. The guards were ordered to stay back and protect the princess. Sailor Venus focused on the stone walls of the building. Her aura brushed it, trying to detect anything out of the ordinary. She felt nothing stirring within and mentally sighed with relief. Whatever had invaded had not yet found a way in.

She felt a prick in her mind and quickly turned towards Mars. It had been a silent warning that she had discovered the enemy's location. With a nod the four of them leapt up in the air and released their elements upon the rosemary bushes. An inhuman screech rang out and a shadow vaulted out of its hiding place. When it settled, they were able to get a good look at it. The invader was tall and wore a black, nearly form-fitting cloak that covered it from head to toe. The cloak billowed and rippled as if constructed by actual shadows. Its face was also dark and held little features except for a wide, lipless mouth and pure ruby red eyes. It was strong, whatever it was. They could feel that. That and it resonated with nothing but pure evil.

"Who are you, and why have you come here?" Venus questioned, readying herself in case it chose to attack.

It laughed, if you could call it a laugh. The sound was vile, more like a dying gurgle with hitches in it. "Foolish mortals you are no match for me and my kin."

Venus saw Mercury twitch ever so slightly at the grammatical mistake but remained unmoving otherwise. The blonde would've smiled, but now was not the time. "You have not answered my questions, demon."

"Do not label me as such an imperfection!" it snapped and they felt its power increase slightly with its anger. Its skeletal hands, that looked more like black armor, clenched. "I am one of the Shiichi Kage, a youma sent by Queen Metalia, Gesen."(2)

"Queen Metalia?" Mercury questioned as she typed the name into her minicomputer. None of them had ever heard of the name nor of the Shiichi Kage, or Seven Shadows in the common tongue.

Before Venus could say more, Gesen jumped up and came down on them. The girls quickly dodged. Without sound or warning it was upon Jupiter. The girl had barely enough time to bring up her arm to block the kick aimed at her head. The force nearly broke her bone and she gritted her teeth at the searing pain. Venus lashed out her chain in hopes of roping the youma. It vanished, only to reappear behind her. Anticipating that, she kicked her leg back and up, hoping to nail it in the chin. Gesen was much too fast for her as it was gone before she could land the blow.

"Mars Snake Fire!" the raven haired warrior cried out, aiming at the creature when it halted before them. The attack hit and the girls waited with baited breathe for the smoke to clear.

That same horrible laughter rung out and through the smoke an energy bomb shot out and hit Mars and Mercury. The two screamed as they were flung back and tumbled along the ground. Neither got up or so much as moved. Venus stared in horror at her fallen comrades and prayed they weren't dead as she focused her attention back on the enemy. Jupiter had come to stand next to her. Though she favored her arm, she still stood tall and strong. In seconds the two charged and released a flurry of physical assaults upon the youma. Gesen dodged most of them and blocked the rest. The large eerie grin it wore only stretched wider at their attempts.

Jumping back the two released their own magical attacks at him, though this time didn't wait for the smoke to clear to see the results. Using the smoke as coverage they went in and used their senses to pinpoint the thing. As quietly and stealthy as they could they would leap in to launch an attack and then jump back into their coverage as soon as they either landed the hit or it was evaded. Jupiter managed to bring her hands that were gripped together down on the youmas' head before it could dodge her. It growled and leapt up clear of the smoke. The girls followed, surrounding it in the air. It snarled and aimed another energy blast at Venus's face. The girl tensed up as it was released. She couldn't dodge it in midair.

"Shabon Spray!"

Water shot up and froze the attack as a pair of arms gripped the blonde around the waist and pulled her out of the way just in case. She and her savior landed on top of the temple. Looking over she found it was Sailor Mars. The raven haired beauty looked a little worse for wear but otherwise was fine. Mercury was up too, her visor over her blue eyes as she tried to detect a weakness for them to exploit. Jupiter was back on the ground and Gesen was standing several feet away.

Suddenly Mars gasped, "oh no! There's more of its kind here!"

Gesen chuckled, "so you've finally noticed. I was merely a distraction for my associates to carry out our main objective."

Venus was about to ask what was going on when the temple shook beneath her. It was then that she picked up several more energies identical to the youma they were fighting. And they were all coming from inside the structure under her feet. Cracks started forming and light poured out of them. Instantly the two warriors flung themselves away as the roof blew off. Three more shadows, each with different colored eyes were now carrying the crystal confines of their fellow senshi.

"Sailor Saturn!" Jupiter cried and leapt towards them, charging her lightning, "I won't let you take her! Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

Gesen jumped up and knocked her aside, causing the attack to veer off course and miss the other youma. It then spun around, propelling a kick into her stomach, sending her flying into the rose bushes. A black portal opened up and the three carrying the sleeping girl vanished within it. Gesen laughed as it looked at the senshi.

"You have failed Sailor Senshi. Now the universe will belong to us." with that, it vaulted backwards and into the portal before it closed.

Jupiter slammed her fist on the ground, ignoring the stinging cuts she got from the thorns and being driven into the dirt. Venus and the others looked on, horrified. The enemy, whoever they were, now had the most powerful senshi within their clutches. Not only that but if they awoken her, they could twist her thoughts and taint them with hatred towards the ones who had imprisoned her. They only hoped the girl was strong enough not to fall for that.

Hearing running feet the four turned to see Queen Serenity and some guards approach them. They all looked away, not daring to face the queen after such a horrible failure. The silver haired woman gasped when she saw the destroyed temple and immediately figured out what had transpired. Her hand, that had flown up to her lips when she gasped, now clenched at her heart. The general behind her immediately ordered for searches to be sent out throughout the palace to make sure no enemy was still hiding out. Others searched the wreckage for possible clues as the light of the sun finally lit everything up. It was hard for most to see, being so used to the soft glows of the night. They had to shield their eyes or put on protective gear.

Queen Serenity looked forlornly at the girls as she approached them, her back was to the sun, giving her an ethereal appearance. Softly she asked, "They indeed took Sailor Saturn?"

Venus stepped forward, though she still did not meet the queens' gaze, "yes, they called themselves the Shiichi Kage, and they served a Queen Metalia. That is all we were able to find out."

"You did your best. How could we have known someone would actually try to take her?" though it was a question, they knew she expected no real answer. She then ordered the four to go seek medical attention for the time being while the search continued. Without hesitation they went to do as she bid.

As they entered the palace they turned to see Princess Serenity standing there. She was clutching at her nightgown and trying hard not to cry though the tears still gathered at the edges of her eyes. The senshi felt their hearts nearly stop. Failing the queen was bad enough, but their princess? Jupiter stepped forward and embraced the girl, silently giving full permission to let the pain out. The golden haired princess sobbed into her friends' uniform and her shoulders trembled slightly.

The brunette petted the top of her head as she whispered soothingly, "we will get her back. Don't worry. Saturn is strong, and she won't fall for any tricks they have up their crummy sleeves."

"It's not that." they heard her sniffle. She pulled away and wiped her face with the top of her hands. "I feel like the one who has failed. I promised her that I would set her free, but now... Now she'll wake up somewhere and I won't be there for her. I failed. I can't do anything, not even protect my friends."

"You can't think like that princess. You have done so much for us already." Mercury stated as she and the others encircled the girl.

"And Saturn knows it. Those youma, or whatever they were, are gonna be sorry when she wakes up to find out they took her away from you." Mars pointed out with her fists on her hips.

Serenity couldn't help but smile at that, she just hoped Saturn didn't actually kill any of them. The group encouraged the girl a little longer then went with her to the infirmary. Only Venus out of the senshi didn't need any tending to as the youma hadn't struck her in any way. She didn't know if it was skill, or just dumb luck, though she would guess the latter. As the others were examined and healed by the palace healers, she and Serenity stood off to the side. She could tell her princess was still bothered by the events of the night, but didn't know what more to say to her.

Later, she and the others would do some investigating of their own. This Queen Metalia hailed from no planet or moon within their orbit. If it was an invasion the remaining outer senshi would've alerted them ahead of time. They may be stuck up in some ways when it came to the younger warriors, but they wouldn't dare fail to report an enemy managing to get past them. That meant this queen and her advisories had to have come from the inner ring of their system. Perhaps she wasn't a real queen, but was only referred to as such by her subjects.

The thoughts swirled around her cranium until the others were finishing up. All were exhausted from the fight as well as the healing. Guards came to report that nothing else was found yet and to escort the princess back to her room. After all, it was getting late, or early depending upon how you looked at it. On Earth the people were already well into their day and the Lunarians that did not occupy the palace were sound asleep by now. The girls went to there rooms to get some much needed rest before night fell again. They had a lot of work ahead of them.

...

In the castle of the Northern Earth King there was a strange occurrence taking place. Prince Endymion was doing his best to over hear the meeting that his father had mysteriously barred him from attending. King Prometheus the VII and his advisors were meeting with an unknown foreign diplomat. Whoever it was, they did not hale from Elis. The talks were very peculiar. No refreshments had been brought out as all servants were forbidden to enter the room, and instead of sitting at delegated seats, the men were crowded around in the middle of the floor. The prince was concealed from their sight by a secret passage he had learned through some of the older servants. His deep blue eyes peered through a grate in the wall and he tried to make out what was being discussed.

So far he could only pick up tidbits of the conversation. Something about the sun and balance of their solar system. The topic weighed heavily on the group of men. All had grave expressions on their faces. His father was the only one who kept his emotions locked up for the moment. He knew the king never liked to come off as weak by any means. If something troubled him, the only way you could tell was if he revealed it to you later in private. With so much secrecy though, he doubted his father would speak of what was transpiring until the time was right.

Deciding he wasn't going to hear enough to put anything together coherently, Prince Endymion backed away from the grate and walked quietly down the narrow tunnel. The presence of the foreigner greatly bothered him. Judging by his attire, he had to have come from the Desert Kingdom, known to its locals as "Egypt". There was also a slight chance he was from the western lands as well, as the prince was unable to see his face. The man had a strange aura around him. It felt dark and otherworldly. Akin to that of a demon. He needed more information. Something tickled at the back of his mind. A feeling. Something wasn't right and he felt as though he needed to hurry up and find out what that was.

He exited the passageway and entered a courtyard. After closing the stone slab so no one could see where he had come from, he made his way out from behind a pillar and onto the stone walkway. In the middle of the courtyard stood a very old looking tree. No leaves sprouted from its many twisted branches. In fact, if one were looking at it from far away, they would've guessed the tree was completely burnt. It was blackened, but instead of gritty and ashy, the tree was actually petrified. It almost looked like a craftsman had carved it out of a large black crystal. At its heart, in the thick of its trunk, an ember as large as a mans head burned and flickered into life. The orange light danced up into a few of the thicker branches. It was a beautiful, yet almost haunting sight.

"Staring at Pramantha(3) again?" came a familiar voice behind the prince.

Turning he came face to face with one of the castles novice sorceresses. Her eyes were a dark blue color, yet were also pale. Curly, thick black hair reached all the way down her back and swayed gently as she walked to stand beside him. Her dress was common; all black that went down a little past her knees and an off the shoulder peasant style top. A beige, angular cut apron was wrapped just under her bust as a chain with white roses attached hung loosely off her hip. The only way you could tell she was ranked above commoners were the few ornaments she wore. On her forehead and around her neck, teardrop, thumb sized, aqua blue Beryllium stones hung from thin silver chains. A matching pair graced her ears as well.

"What is on your mind, my prince?" she asked, clasping her hands behind her back and smiling sweetly at him.

He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair, "is it that easy to tell when something is bothering me?"

"You always come to stare at this old tree when you are troubled. No one else really knows it, but your father, King Prometheus, does too. I guess it has always been a comfort for your family."

"It has been our undoing as well." he darkly murmured as he gazed back at the tree. When she looked at him curiously, he just shook his head. "Forget it. Beryl, do you know who that man is that is speaking with my father?"

Beryl looked skyward and placed her hand at her chin as she tried to recall the person in question. "He is a priest I believe, sent by Pharaoh Atem."

"Is he here to discuss a treaty?" currently the desert kingdom had a truce with no one. One was being drawn out when Atems father was in command, but it was put on hold after his death as the kingdom had then more personal problems to attend to.

The woman shook her head, "I'm afraid I don't know. But with how serious he and his apprentice were when they arrived I don't believe so."

"Where is his apprentice now?" he asked, preparing to go meet with them.

"She is in the stables. I don't think they planned on staying long."

He nodded and ran to the stables. The two and their guards had only arrived at dawn, why would they leave so soon? He hoped he would get at least some answers from this apprentice.

The stables looked quite busy when he arrived. Many servants were bustling about, getting the new horses fed and groomed. The foreign guards were grouped at the entrance. Some sat lazily on the fence or stacks of hay. All had they faces minus their eyes concealed by a linen wrapping. Their attire was modest. All un-dyed fabrics that were meant to protect them from the desert sun and allow mobility when dealing with raiders. They were speaking in another language to each other but ceased when they noticed him. They watched the prince cautiously as he entered the building.

The servants bowed and acknowledged him as he went past. In the guest stables he finally found who he guessed he was looking for. A girl a great deal shorter than him was feeding her cream colored mare an apple and mumbling compliments to it. Her thick brown hair was barley tamed by the headpiece she wore. Her clothing was less modest than the guards. It consisted of an off the shoulder beige top and skirt. She also wore golden bracelets, anklets, belt, and a necklace. When he approached she looked over the railing at him and blushed.

Hastily she got down on her knees and bowed to him in the way she would bow to her Pharaoh. Obviously she had not learned the customs of the north. "Your knees are getting dirty." he pointed out.

She flushed again and stood, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry, Prince Endymion. May I be of service to you?"

"I just had a few questions to the nature of your masters visit." he inquired resting his arms casually on the gate to her stall.

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm not allowed to say. Priest Mahado is the only one allowed to speak of it. I can tell you it's urgent news from the Pharaoh." she explained, wringing her hands. Was she worried he'd become angry?

He smiled for her own comfort, even though he was slightly disappointed. However, the name she used of the man did not go unnoticed by him. He knew the priest personally and if he was here, then that meant something was terribly wrong, "is there some sort of trouble? Is that why you must get back so quickly?"

"That, and my master wishes to investigate something we felt while on our way here."

This peaked his interest. "What do you mean?"

"As we entered your capital city we felt a strange occurrence come from our home land. It troubled my master so we are wanting to check it out as soon as possible. It was close to your country's border with ours." she told him.

Now that she mentioned it, he had felt something in the early hours of the morning as well. It was so far off though and he had only felt it for a split second. At the time he had dismissed it as just one of those odd moments when after you wake up and you're still not fully prepared for the day. He wondered if he should offer to accompany them in discovering what it was. Mentally, he sighed, his parents would never let him go off on such a whim. Even if they too felt whatever it had been, they would not risk their only son and heir to the throne so lightly.

"Mana," came a voice and the two looked over to see the priest that had been speaking with the king walk in. He was about Endymions height, though his build was more muscular. With the exception of his arms and face, the man was covered from head to toe. His face was stern with the kohl, that protected his eyes from the sun, making the same patterns as Manas did down the outer corners of his eyes. A large golden collar rested around his neck and shoulders, the tips on the top of each shoulder were curved up into points. Small pendulums hung off the sides of it and his golden belt. The loose turban on his head was kept in place by a headpiece and a few arm bands decorated his tanned arms. The last piece was an intricate necklace. It featured a pyramid with a strange eye in the middle. The pyramid was surrounded by a ring with five elongated pendulums hanging from the bottom.

As he approached the prince he positioned his right arm across his stomach and bowed respectably. Endymion nodded and the man straightened. "Forgive me Prince Endymion for not properly greeting you before. We are on a tight schedule."

"There is nothing to forgive. I would like to know if everything is alright?" this time, he spoke not as a friendly boy as he had done with Mana, but as the true prince of the north.

Priest Mahado bowed his head, "I'm afraid not, but your father shall inform you of the matters to which I had previously discussed with him, when he sees fit. For now we must leave."

He let out a whistle and in no time the guards came in to begin saddling their mounts. Mana had also gotten to work on readying her mare. Endymion stepped aside to allow Mahado to pass. He walked out of the stables and waited for them to finish. When the group rode out the priest pulled his horse over to the young royal. He took something out of his pocket and tossed it to him. Barely seen by the others, the prince swiftly snatched it out of the air. With a grin the priest once again bowed his head and rode on. Mana smiled and waved while the others bowed as they passed.

Prince Endymion watched them ride out of the gates and down the road until they were no longer in sight. Opening his hand he found a miniature, golden figure of the desert god, Set. His brows furrowed together. He knew the trinket was from Atem. It was their own private way of telling each other what was going on. When their fathers used to meet they played together often as children. Mahado was a little older and would watch over them. When the two boys wrote to each other, they would sometimes send little figures in case their parents or someone intercepted their letters.

Set. He was the god of the desert, foreigners, and storms. However he also represented chaos and darkness in some ways. Endymion looked towards the direction that the priest and his followers had went. Though Mahado had met with his father, it was probably only out of obligation due to the fact that he was still ruling. However this token signaled that his old friend was seeking his help, not the kings'. Something terrible hung over Egypt, and the new pharaoh could not face it alone.

"My prince!" he turned to see Beryl running over to him. "Your father is looking for you. He says it is urgent."

He nodded, "I'll go to him. Beryl, I need you to meet me at Pramantha when I am done speaking with him. Will you do this for me?"

The woman was taken aback at the sudden request and nodded her head, "of course, my prince."

Pocketing the figure he made for the throne room. Determined to find out what ailed the pharaoh so.

...

Princess Serenity tossed and turned as she tried to sleep. Memories flooded what dreams she managed to have before waking again. The last few were different though. She saw everything in red, no crimson. Like blood. Shouts cried out as metal clashed with metal, and everything was so dry, even the people. Their hearts soon crumbled into sand and flitted away. She hadn't known where she was or who was around her. The figures were only silhouettes in kicked up clouds of debris. It was all so strange and unfamiliar to her.

Giving up, the girl leaned against the silver headboard of her bed. The darker curtains were drawn to keep the sunlight out. Looking at the clock she found it was early afternoon on Earth. Rubbing at her puffy eyes she groaned as she got off the bed and walked to her vanity. Looking at her reflection she frowned. There were bags under her eyes and they looked slightly red from crying. She was sick of crying. It did her no good, and it only served to worry the others. Taking her handkerchief she blotted her eyes and tear stained cheeks. With a sigh she sat down and began to undo her hairstyle and brush the long golden locks out. She had forgotten to take it down when she went to bed earlier. Too much was on her mind to really care.

Putting down the brush she again looked at her reflection. Her crystal blue eyes narrowed and her small hands clenched. A thought was coming to her. It whispered softly in her mind and she had to strain to receive it. Every outside noise was a distraction to this epiphany. She had to slow her breathing and calm done her heart to stop them from breaking her concentration. It felt forbidden. Like if she even so much as thought it every guard, councilman, and even her mother would come storming in to quell the idea before it grew too large. She almost gave up, but then she remember the happenings of their late night. No, she had to do it. When it finally came to her, it felt like she had thrown down the heaviest hammer she could find on the hardest of stones. The stone burst and she felt liberated. She was going to find Saturn herself.

This was not the others responsibility. They would be cross with her, and no doubt Saturn would be too, but she didn't care. She was no longer going to sit back and be the sheltered princess she once was. No longer would she be weak and powerless to help her friends. Like her mother, she would be a strong leader and a force to be reckoned with. Now all she had to do was locate where these so called youma had taken her. It had to be relatively local as any means of passing the outer ring of their system would be futile. Though that was still very vast, her hope grew a little more. She knew Saturn better than anyone. She could tell which life-force was hers if the girl used even an ounce of her power. All she had to do was wait until they awoke her. Once that was accomplished there would be a moment where Saturn's energy could be traced to a generalized area. She needed to be ready for that.

Serenity knew she was no warrior like the senshi. She had been trained in politics and etiquette, not fighting and magic. Still, the blood of the moon and its most powerful rulers coursed through her veins. She had been known on some occasion to cause things to happen when she concentrated hard enough and wanted it badly. Transportation would be slightly more difficult. Only special machines could in a sense teleport a person from one planet to the next. Unfortunately they were limited though. Only a few resided on each planet and hardly any were on other moons. The senshi had their way of teleporting to where they needed to go, but she couldn't ask them. No doubt they would follow her if she commanded it, but then their lives would be at stake. Not only from the enemies but by the councilmen as well. After all, it was their job to protect her, not throw her to the wolves.

"Mothers wings." she whispered.

Of course, how could she have forgotten? Her mother had a trinket that would enable her to sprout wings and take her wherever she chose to go. She could fly out in the middle of space if she wanted with no troubles at all. The idea of stealing this wasn't a pleasant one...but wouldn't it be more of borrowing as she intended to return with them? Yep, she would just have to call it that. She would have to devise a plan for getting them, but for now she would seek additional help. As previously mentioned, she had no knowledge of combat and would need some form of defense should she run into those vile creatures.

A smile spread across her face as she stood up and walked to the door. Just outside, two guards were positioned. Normally that was not their post, but after the attack her mother had ordered extra protection for her daughter and herself. Before the guards could react she grabbed them by the arms and dragged them into the room. After getting over the shock at being forced into the chamber the guards steadied and looked around before turning to their charge.

"Is something wrong your highness?" one questioned.

Serenity shook her head, "no, I need to ask you two for a favor."

The two glanced at each other then looked back at her, waiting to hear of this request. The princess clapped her hands together. "I need you two to train me to fight."

There was a moments pause as the information sunk in. When it did the two both cried, "What?!"

"Shh!" she hushed, "do you want to alert the whole palace? Yuuichirou, Motoki, you guys are the only ones I trust to do this."

"But your highness," Yuuichirou started. Both knew that teaching the princess such things would cause a great scandal for the court. She was of royal blood, and a woman. The Sailor Senshi were chosen warriors by the fates, and were blessed with special abilities.

Knowing that the two men were about to argue the case her stare hardened and she straightened her posture. "Don't make me order it of you two." the two gulped, never had they seen such harshness in her gaze, but there was something else. A sort desperation glinted in those crystal blue orbs as well. "Please,... I must save Hotaru. I have failed her in a way that is not so easily forgiven. She is my friend, my sister like the rest of the senshi. I can't just sit here and do nothing while she is out there, and in the hands of this new enemy. Please you guys... I need to do this."

There was a moments pause, and Serenity wondered if she really would have to order them, even though that had been a bluff. Finally, Motoki stepped forward which startled the girl. After a few more seconds, he smiled down at her, "understood, princess. You had best change into some suitable clothing though. " Walking over to the wall, he set his spear against it and removed his helmet and gauntlets. "Your first lesson starts now."

Serenity beamed before quickly trotting into her closet to find something to wear.

A/N: I know in the previous chapter I had thrown in a few other anime series. Just so you know, some of them may make cameo appearances, but will ultimately not be apart of the main plot. I'm frankly not sure they'll shown up at all, but I'm leaving that for cushion. Also the moon doesn't actually have a night or day like Earth does. Its night lasts for somewhere around 23 Earth days, however I had already written too much to change it once I learned that, so I'm taking some creative liberties for that part.

As for this chapter-

(1) Yes, I've added Motoki and Yuuichirou, or Andrew and Chad for those who watched the American dubbed. I find the audience connects better to known characters from the show, rather than just making some up.
(2) I've pulled from the anime here to bring in the Seven Shadows. Their powers and personalities are going to be akin to that of the monster forms they take after their hosts turn into them when the rainbow crystal is extracted. However, I'm changing their designs as those ones... Really suck. So picture them as a cross between a Dementor and a Ring Wraith. I want them to be scary and dark, but they will still have their respected eye colors. Eventually I will draw one for your benefit.
(3) The Pramantha is the fire Prometheus gave to mankind, which was ultimately his downfall when Zeus found out. Endymion's mention of it being a problem in the past is something different though.

Hope you all liked it! Please review, follow, and/or favorite!