Chapter 4: Abducting the Princess
"You have got to be kidding me?!" Raye stepped out of her sacred sanctuary with a wail. She was agitated with her readings.
"I take it that you have read misfortune in your fire," the sweet, little Amy said softly. She had come hurriedly down the corridor of their temple and loft. Raye rarely burst into fits after a reading.
"No! On the contrary, everything is vaguely depicted. I can't make out any meaning in them."
"Share! Maybe I can be of assistance. Reasoning and analyzing has always been my strong points."
Raye scowled at her, but her features softened instantly when she got a good look at her friend. She took notice of the blue smock, the white apron, and the empty basket on Amy. She was about to go somewhere.
"Heading out?"
"To gather herbs for my potions. Will we have good weather for the rest of the day?"
"Grand weather, I suppose. But, Amy what could it mean; the red flower, cradle, sword, and Silver Crystal?"
"These were the images?"
"What I made of them; yes."
"That is surely most peculiar. Aren't most of your readings intangible?"
"It's hard to explain, Ames. They aren't words, objects, or even shadows. They are just feelings, but yet they are not."
"Intuition?"
"Definitely not! I don't rely on feelings as I don't wish for fortunes to come. I wait for it to come to me."
Amy was stumped.
"I'm glad there is a problem The Great Amy cannot solve. Makes me feel a little relieved."
Amy frowned at this. "Don't make me feel stupid."
Raye shook her head in dismay. "The wilting flower and the cracking tea cup."
"Maybe it was coincidental that we witnessed something so ironic."
"I wouldn't take irony into account so quickly," Raye said, suddenly lifting her red robes and stalking off to her room. Amy followed heedlessly listening to Raye's rapid relay. "We haven't gotten a reply back from Lita, yet. If we can't get a hold of Lita, we cannot take anything that happens too lightly. Keep your eyes out for the postal boy and your ears open to gossip. That's the only way we get news nowadays."
"Yes, I will stop by the market first. What would you like for supper tonight?"
Raye gathered a few things in her room and decidedly escorted Amy out. "Anything, but rice and beans. I'm kind of getting tired of that."
"I'll keep that in mind," Amy laughed as the two women parted ways.
The market was as busy as ever. Amy was walking by two senior citizens, who were gossiping animatedly.
There was a sighting of that Soldier of Light.
You mean Sailor Moon?
Yes, that's her!
The bounty is raised up to fifteen pounds now!
Unbelievable. Thank Celeste for having made me female and alive in this day and age! The Queen is all powerful.
Speaking of The Queen, have you heard? The Queen has left the palace again.
How is the princess?
Probably frolicking with the common men taken in after the war. Despicable.
Ah, the spoils of war.
Yes! The Queen has a go at one per meal, but that good-for-nothing-girl goes with two at once—I heard!
Amy stopped next to the two spruce spinsters and slapped a hand to her thigh. "Who are you to spread such nasty rumors of our grand princess about?! Shame on you!"
If only they knew! Amy wished they knew what Serenity did all the time, putting her life on the line, never breaking, helping the slaves, and protecting everyone's hides no matter who they were. They knew nothing about Princess Serenity and lived on in their delightful little ways that The Queen did so allow for the women. Poor Princess Serenity was born into a cruel fate, always fighting and always hiding, so that gossipers like them could live on in their ignorance.
Amy's soft eyes hardened into crystalline icicles directing her full glare on the two out spoken women. Then, she turned, snapping her head forward and making her way out of the market and into the wild. She could only calm in solitude. It was how she was.
She left her basket in the bushes of the grove and sprinted further inward for her herbs. She knew exactly where the best roots grew and didn't hesitate as she stepped over brambles and snaked through thorn burdened branches. She rolled up her sleeves as she ran, fighting to find a break in the dense forestry. Finally, she slowed when she reached the field. Amy made a full stop just by the small dry patch of earth, where her herbs awaited her plucking, feeling both out of breath and the shock quivering through her bones. Slender fingers smoothed out the dark circles around her eyes. Finding moisture at her fingertips, Amy took a sharp intake of breath. She had been in such high spirits when she left Raye. Now, she was overly upset and even tearful.
Amy worked until the sun was starting to set on the horizon. She looked to the orange sky as she gathered her plants in the fold of her filled up apron.
Ever since she moved out of the palace with Raye, time seemed to fly faster than ever. She wondered if she could ever catch up to the past just trying to keep up everyday. Raye and Amy had a tranquil, quiet, and modest life, which was what both of them wanted. Ever since they were young and even before their Sailor Senshi days, Raye and Amy were the two girls who welcomed solitude. The only people who ever understood their ways were their fellow comrades and friends. Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina were best friends and the protectors of the Moon Princess since the cradle. When Beryl decreed that the Sailor Senshi were no longer needed, their transformation pens were taken from them and they returned to being regular mortals with high statuses in the Moon Kingdom.
Amy never told Raye this, but she had always felt that she, Amy, had given up on life when she had given up her place in the palace. Involuntarily, she had also given up on the princess. This reflection made Amy hurt even more. She felt just as low as the two gossipers in the market. The guilt of denying her obligation to the princess was a crime. She and the others had vowed allegiance to the Silver Alliance when they were three. Just because the Silver Alliance was dismantled, it did not mean her vow to Serenity had gone with it.
The original Sailor Senshi of Mercury walked her way back to the road. Before she got out of the forest though, she had to grab her basket of groceries first. In doing so, she ran into a bit of mischief. Boldly she stepped forward to confront the snoops rummaging through her basket.
"Who are you?" She explosively demanded.
The three figures, hovering over her things, turned abruptly. Each one of them was wearing a black mask over her face, but when the one in the middle actually pulled down the black material, she knew immediately that these were not women. The men advanced, but for some reason Amy was just rooted to the floor even though her mind was screaming to flee. Her body did not respond to her thoughts.
It was at that moment that she realized she was in a trap strewn from something inhuman-like. It was magic holding her down. One of them was a mage.
Damn! She laughed inwardly at the fact that she had become hotheaded like a friend of hers and neglected to sense the danger before stepping out. This was just one other mistake among many of her previous ones she knew she could not take back.
She was going to meet these thieves, hunters, rapists, or whoever they were head on. The horror and the fear reached her hard gaze.
"This lifestyle does not suit you, Princess."
He was in front of her and leaning slightly forward. He brushed some of her blue hair out of her eyes and chuckled. A blond curl slipped from the safety of his black bandana and his eyes shone with a mysterious green. "It's been awhile."
"Jedite?"
The man's green eyes turned a shade darker to match the green of the shadowed trees. His smile transformed into a frown. Swiftly, he reached out and applied the slightest pressure to the soft point in the back of her neck. The last things she saw and felt were the look in his eyes and the sharp pain in her neck where he had touched before she collapsed succumbing to the darkness.
oOoRedRosesoOo
Raye's eyes snapped opened, reflecting the flames of her fire.
"Hmmm… It's getting late. I wonder where Amy is."
Raye padded in her bare feet across the cold floorboards to the front of the house. She looked about the living area, which the two of them shared.
"It's getting dark out! What's holding her up?"
There was a clatter in the adjacent room and just as Raye was about to turn around and start yelling again, a hand holding a soaked cloth pressed against her mouth and nose. She got a good whiff of an aromatic spice and immediately felt the aftereffect of the anesthesia. She wobbled on her feet for a minute and almost hit the floor if it weren't for the other two men, who suddenly emerged from the corners of the room.
Barely hanging onto consciousness, Raye sensed the weak charms of their cloaking devices. They weren't mages, but they had magical items that shielded them from the priestess's sixth sense.
When Raye regained her consciousness, it was day again.
She was not in her own room, but in a tent. Her foreign surroundings reminded her exactly what had happened. Her instant realization got her immediately out of bed.
"Oof!" She hit the floor in a tangle of limbs, staring lamely at her bounded hands and legs.
"How could you make such a foolish mistake?" Came the angry question outside her tent.
"Sir, you told us to get you the girl at the temple! She was the only one there!"
"You imbecile! She has blue hair!"
The voices grew louder as they approached her tent.
"You didn't say that, Sir."
"I didn't think I would have to!"
The flap came up and two men entered the room. One was young and blonde and the other was middle-aged and balding. Jedite stared at Raye in horror.
"My apologies, please!" Jedite said with a low formal bow that almost reached the floor. "My men are nitwits. We mean you no harm."
"I would consider what you say if you untie me," Raye growled.
"We cannot do that at the moment."
"And why not, you damned man?!" She spat.
"I cannot have you raging through my camp in daylight. We might be spotted or overheard by unwelcome outsiders."
"Damn you mongrel--gypsy--beast! May Celeste curse you for your insolence! Fate receives you with death!"
The blonde man raised his eyebrow in shock. He looked down at his wear, which consisted of black trousers and a white puffy shirt. Did he really look like a gypsy?
"Are you done cursing the boss to hell, Kid?" Asked the middle-aged man when the ringleader suddenly became gravely silent.
"No!"
The bald man wagged his finger at her. "If you were with another foul bunch, you'd be alligator bate by now."
"Billy!" The blonde shouted. "Stop that already! It's your fault we have the wrong person in the first place."
"Fine. I'll leave you with her, then." The man named Billy stepped out of the tent. He looked relieved to leave.
"I'm sorry again. A thousand more apologies, Priestess."
Raye answered him with silence.
"Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let us start over. The fellow that was just in here—his name is Billy. I'm Jedite. I have nothing to hide from you, so let me explain. I am on a mission to recover the Princess of Mercury. I plan to guard her from the wars and keep her safe amongst my men. A girl of her nature cannot survive on her own." His voice was sincere and soothing.
Raye was still stubbornly withdrawn.
"I want to take her away from this hell hole and offer her safety. I've known Amy for a very long time—when Mercury was still a beautiful planet. I am the son of a Mercurian nobleman, who swore to the royal family that I would always protect her."
This young man was a leader? He had a heart of gold to match that crown of gold on his head.
"Which past century did you come out of?" Raye spat. "You apparently do not know Amy well!"
"I haven't seen her in years. You cannot hold that against me."
"You idiot. How would I know where she went? She hadn't come home last night!"
Jadeite brandished a knife and held it close to the ropes around her feet.
"Tell me—is this tardiness frequent."
"No, she comes home in the late afternoon and prepares the evening meals. Why does it matter to you?"
Jedite slashed the ropes binding her legs and reached over to her bounded hands.
"I'm risking the lives of many good people by releasing you. Swear, you will not try anything!"
Raye nodded.
Jedite found this unacceptable because only words sufficed to him.
"Say it." He ordered.
"I swear!" She cried along with the roll of her eyes.
"We may be too late," Jedite grumbled as he released the final binds around Raye.
"What the hell are you on about?"
"You said she did not return home."
"Yet! You are neglecting the 'yet.'"
"You were not aware that my men were not the only ones watching Sailor Mercury were you?"
"Who is this Sailor Mercury?!" She demanded suspicion rising for this stranger knew of Amy's past secret identity. "And what do you mean you've been watching the temple and so was another group?! Who are you working for?"
"Tsk, tsk. I'll explain to you on the way to the temple. You must show me the places Amy visits on her daily walks."
"You idiot. I know where she was last and it would be quicker to directly take you there. I want thorough details of your intentions and this 'other' you speak about."
Jedite nodded as the two of them strolled out of the encampment. "The only other man you have to worry about is my brother. He's the leader of a band of outlaws that take cover in the lunar caves. He has set his eyes on Amy for this war. She will be his to utilize in every fight if he gets his hands on her. That is why I must protect her at all costs."
"Is he an officer of the Rebel Army?"
"No, but he has done the reprehensible thing of joining Endymion."
"The Rebel Army fights against Queen Beryl's forces. The only ones against them are those who are on the side of Queen Beryl." Raye frowned at him, suspicion rising into the depths of her violet eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be…"
"I am on no one's side. The best way through this is to stay neutral. My men and I protect those in danger and move out."
"So if you saw any one like a Rebel Army member dying in battle, you would aid him?"
"No… He should die like the rest of them in this pointless fighting."
Raye's breath hitched. "Why Amy? What does your brother want with her?"
"She's the bait. The bait to bring Princess Serenity down."
Raye grabbed his collar. "What the hell is this? Are you making this up? Amy would never agree to that."
"Oh, you don't know that. My brother has a way with women. The will of a woman crumbles against his might."
"Ha! You have a lot to learn! Amy is the smartest woman around for galaxies and she is forever loyal to the Princess and late Queen."
"Are you prepared for the worst for your friend, Priestess? Because if we're too late we both have to be."
Raye stopped in the middle of the road as another retort died on her lips. Her sixth sense was telling her something was definitely amiss, so she walked along the perimeter of the grove before warily stepping in. Her frown disappeared and horror replaced it. Scattered on the floor were Amy's special herbs and a turned over basket. Raye fell to her hands and knees.
She whispered out Amy's name in her cracked voice as she knelt beside the basket.
"Dammit!" Jedite cursed from behind her.
"He took her already," Raye murmured.
"Priestess, go home. You have done your part."
Raye rose again. "Where is she? What have you done with my friend?!"
Jedite lowered his head in shame.
"I get it!" Raye stomped over to him. Jedite didn't even try to dodge when her leg smashed into his side in a perfectly executed round house kick. "You men only turn into the monsters that Queen Beryl make you out to be. You are all filth! What makes you any better than the Rebel Army or anybody else?!"
Jedite gripped his side, but did not shift his posture or even flinch.
"There's not a drop of honor in any of you. You have all done the hateful thing of kidnapping women from their homes. Is this your revenge on Queen Beryl—taking it out on the innocent?"
"That's enough out of you! Go home! I do not like your tone of voice!" Jedite turned and was making his way out of the wood.
"You idiot." Raye laughed, her hateful eyes boring holes into the man's back. "I'm coming with you and I'm going to save my friend."
Truth be told: I couldn't wait to update this story. I'm kind of just throwing ideas out and scrambling to organize it all. Not a well thought out process, I know, but nothing has to be carved in stone is all I'm trying to get at. I've had many ideas so far, but whatever gets word processed comes down to the speed of my hands.
The reason why I enjoy writing this one is because I don't have to stick to one character. However, this kind of a story that's made up of many stories is the reason why there are so many cliffhangers. Multiple cliffhangers might lead to confusion, but no worries, I can remedy that. Here's my plan; after I have introduced all the characters, and end each chapter with a cliffie, I will mark where I left off. Then, the next time I follow-up with that chapter, which would be after a few chapters about other characters, I will start off with a quick summary and a little citation of where you may reread the chapter if you find you may have to. There is always a reason to my madness. And the reason lies with the conclusion of this story. If you want to see how this concludes, then you're going to have to follow me and I also mean you have to stick with me. I also stress that you review or PM me your questions and comments. Those are always lovely when I'm having a bad day. :)
I like my friends, I like my peers, I like my teachers, but I love my READERS!