Chibi Usa was awoken early the next morning by Ves-Ves. "Small Lady, wake up!" shouted the red-haired Senshi, shaking her roughly. "Come on!"
Chibi Usa groaned. "What is it?" she snapped irately.
"Hey, don't get mad at me!" said Ves-Ves. "I just thought you'd want to know that King Endymion has returned!"
"What?" Chibi Usa sat up quickly, flinging the covers off. She jumped out of bed and rushed out the door.
"Wait, Small Lady, shouldn't you get dressed?" called Ves-Ves, hurrying after her.
"Waste of time!" Chibi Usa responded over her shoulder, not slowing her pace. She rushed to the throne room, where she found her father standing with his knights and Usagi. They all turned to face her at the sound of her approach. The knights all turned away abashed when they saw she was only in her nightgown.
"Small Lady!" chastised the queen. She produced a long silk robe and handed it to her daughter.
Chibi Usa impatiently pulled the robe on, her eyes never leaving her father. "What happened?" she demanded. "Did you find him? Was he okay? What about Eos and Aurora?"
"Small Lady, calm down," said the king sternly.
Chibi Usa hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry, Papa. I just want to know what you found in Elysion."
"I know, and I'm going to tell you," said King Endymion. He paused, then began: "When we arrived in Elysion, we felt an evil presence. We hurried to the tower, and we found Eos and Aurora at the bottom. They would not let us in at first; we had to prove who we were. When they finally did let us in, they told us that when Helios returned from visiting you he had shown the way to Elysion to dark forces that invaded your dream."
Chibi Usa gasped. "Those…things…they got into Elysion through my dream?" Did what her father said mean that it was her fault Elysion had been invaded again?
Her father put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, sweetheart. None of it was your fault."
Chibi Usa didn't answer. Instead, she said, "Please, tell me what happened next."
"We asked the maidens where Helios was, and they told us he was at the top of the tower. The three of them had cast a spell to seal off the top of the tower as a means of protecting the Golden Crystal from the dark forces that had invaded. Only they could penetrate the barrier. I asked to see Helios, and Aurora led me through the barrier to the top of the tower, while my men waited with Eos.
"When I got there, Helios was praying, and I had to wait for him to finish before I could speak with him. When he was done, he told me that it was too late to defend Elysion, and that the Golden Crystal would not be safe there. He asked me to take it with me."
"Do you have it now?" asked Chibi Usa.
Her father shook his head. "It remains with Helios for the time being."
"But where is he?" Chibi Usa asked, worried again. "You didn't leave him and Aurora and Eos in Elysion, did you?"
"Of course we didn't," said the king defensively.
Chibi Usa frowned. "Then where-"
"Chibi Usa-chan."
Chibi Usa froze. The voice that had spoken came from behind her. She began to tear up as she turned to look. When she saw Helios standing behind her, she ran toward him and threw her arms around him. Tears fell freely as he hugged her back. "Oh, Helios," she sobbed. "I was so worried!"
Helios tightened his arms around her. "I apologize for worrying you," he said softly.
Chibi Usa sniffled. "Don't apologize," she whispered. "All that matters is that you're here." She was content to stay in his arms forever, but after a moment, Eos and Aurora came in. When she saw them, she gently released Helios and rushed forward to hug them, too.
Helios smiled as he watched her. Despite the circumstances, he couldn't help but be grateful that he had ended up here, where he could see his maiden. Of course, this by no means meant that he wasn't concerned about Elysion; in fact, he was impatient to do something to save it. Nonetheless, seeing Chibi Usa's face had lightened his mood.
Chibi Usa turned to her father. "So what happens now?" she asked him.
"Helios, Aurora, and Eos will remain here for the time being," he answered. "In the meantime, we will try to identify the evil that's attacking Elysion, and stop it."
Chibi Usa tried not to betray the rising excitement within her. Helios was staying here! She could see him every day! "Um, that…sounds…wise," she said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible. She heard Helios chuckle and felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment.
"Sweetheart, why don't you go freshen up?" said the queen to her daughter as King Endymion's knights left. "Then we can all have breakfast together."
"Yes, Mama," said Chibi Usa. Helios smiled warmly at her as she passed by him, and she hurried back to her room feeling considerably lighter than the day before.
When she had gone, Helios turned to Endymion. "My king, there is something I feel I must discuss with you and the queen, if you would please give me a moment of your time."
The king smiled kindly. "Of course, Helios, my dear friend. Tell us what is troubling you."
Helios asked Eos and Aurora to give them a moment of privacy, and they obeyed. He then looked at the king with serious eyes. "First, I must express my thanks for allowing me and the maidens to stay here; however, I fear it will not be enough to protect the Golden Crystal."
"What do you mean?" asked Endymion.
Helios hesitated before answering. "I have been having premonitions about the dark ones who have invaded Elysion," he said. "I am afraid that I will be unable to elude them, even here, and I do not wish harm to come to any of you if you try to stop it."
"We're not going to let anything happen to you or anyone here," said Serenity. "If that's your only concern, you don't need to worry."
"It is not my safety that I'm concerned for," said Helios.
"No one is going to get hurt," said Endymion sternly, "and you are not to leave the palace. We must not allow a repeat of what happened in the past."
"I agree, and that is why I have a favor to ask of you," said Helios. "I know you won't want to do it, but I must insist. I think it is the only option right now." He looked at Endymion beseechingly.
Endymion exchanged a wary glance with his wife, then turned back to Helios. "Go on."
Chibi Usa hurried through her morning routine, aside from taking a little extra time on her hair and make-up. She knew Helios wouldn't care about her appearance, but she wanted to look pretty for him. When she was satisfied, she hurried to the dining hall, where Aurora and Eos were waiting.
Where are Mama, Papa, and Helios? she thought as she took her usual seat next to her mother's.
"Good morning, Princess Small Lady," greeted Eos and Aurora.
"Good morning," said Chibi Usa, forcing a smile. "I'm glad you will be staying here for now."
"Yes, we are very grateful," said Aurora.
"We will be sure to repay you when this is all over," added Eos.
Chibi Usa shook her head. "That won't be necessary!" she said. "You're our friends, and we're more than happy to help." The maidens smiled admiringly at her, and she took their hands and squeezed them reassuringly.
Just then, Endymion, Serenity, and Helios came in. The king and queen seemed lost in thought, but Helios beamed when he saw the three seated at the table. Chibi Usa briefly wondered what was on her parents mind, but became distracted when Helios sat down next to her. They talked as they ate, and Chibi Usa thought she detected a hint of sadness in Helios' eyes.
Alright! So I feel the need to clarify a couple of things. First of all, this story combines elements of the anime and manga, as you may have noticed. Second, in the anime Helios was show looking older in some parts and looking slightly younger in others. In the manga he looks perfectly adult, and this is the appearence I was going for. And third, I may be taking some creative liberties with Helios' abilities in future chapters, and possibly Chibi Usa's as well. I'm not completely familiar with the details of the series, though I think I have a good understanding of it. Soo yeah...
Also, I haven't been getting much feedback, and I can tell you it is a bit discouraging. Please, please, if you like the story, leave a review! It means a lot to me to hear your feedback! Thanks and God bless!