~ Chapter 2 ~
"How do I accept the princess's challenge?"
Yuri was stunned for a moment, and Hikari glanced worriedly back and forth between her mother and the stranger. Yuri could see that the young man's eyes burned with genuine desire, and she cast her eyes downward sadly, "I was afraid this would happen."
"Tell me!" the stranger shouted forcefully, making Hikari jump back from him in fear, "I must save her!"
Yuri glanced questioningly at the stranger, "Save her? From what?"
Before he could say anything more, a tiny voice called out from behind him. He swung around and was shocked to see a young woman, nearly his age, with the same raven hair as his. His mind raced as he wondered if she could possibly be another survivor from his kingdom. She was dressed like the servant of a noble house, and her hair was tied back in a long braid. She looked familiar somehow.
She slowly approached him with utmost respect, half bowing as she walked. "My prince!" she whispered.
The stranger ran up to her, grabbing her arm in his enthusiasm, "Are you from the Sun Kingdom? Are there others with you?"
The girl kept her gaze at the ground as she answered, "Only one other, your majesty." She slowly glanced a few steps behind her at an older man with a long black beard who was limping towards them on an injured leg. His robes were burnt and in taters, but they had unmistakably been of a grand design and pure gold, the same as the stranger's. As the girl ran back to help the man, the stranger finally got a good look at him and gasped.
"Father!" the stranger called out as he ran forward to embrace the man in a flutter of golden robes.
The bearded man gazed uncomprehending at the young man for a moment, before sinking to his knees overwhelmed with emotion. "My son! You're alive!" His eyes filled with tears as he drew the young man tightly into his arms. "Oh, thank the heavens! How did you escape?"
"Shomei found me. She sent me here with the last of her power," the stranger blurted out, "What about you? Are you injured?"
The bearded man glanced down at his wounded leg, "It's not serious." Then, he turned to look up at the dark-haired girl, "This girl saved me. She protected me from the Shadows until we could find a transport crystal."
The young stranger stood and kindly took the hand of the girl, "What's your name?"
The girl blushed at the prince's touch, but kept her eyes downcast as she answered, "I'm Liu, your majesty. I was a handmaiden of your mother's before she passed away."
"Liu," the stranger said quietly, "What gave a simple handmaiden the courage to face the Shadows and protect my father?"
Liu blushed deeply at the question and tried to avoid the prince's gaze.
The stranger was about to say something else when Hikari bounded in to interrupt them. "Are you all from the Sun too?" Hikari asked cheerfully.
The young man turned his attention to Yuri and Hikari, "That's right... Father, these people aided me when I arrived here."
Yuri stepped forward and bowed to the older man. "I'm Yuri Haruno, and this is my daughter Hikari," she said, putting a hand on Hikari's shoulder.
With Liu's help, the bearded man got to his feet, "I am Ciro, King of the Sun Kingdom."
Hikari tugged enthusiastically at her mother's sleeve, "Momma, momma! A real, live king!"
The prince spoke up again, "Father, we're still in danger. The Shadows have started manifesting here too. I believe the Princess of the Moon is the host. Did you hear her decree about choosing a suitor?"
"Yes, but-"
"Then you know what I must do. If the host's heart is not freed of the Shadows' presence soon, then this entire kingdom will become tainted and the Shadows will be able to manifest physically. If that happens, then the Moon Kingdom will fall as surely as ours did."
"You mean to accept her challenge?" Ciro asked, his voice trembling with emotion.
"There is no other way to get close to her, and besides..." the young man's voice trailed off, and he lowered his gaze. The faintest touch of red rose in his cheeks.
Ciro grabbed his arm urgently. "You've fallen for her," he whispered disbelievingly.
The prince said nothing, but continued to avoid his father's gaze.
Liu looked panicked, "Your majesty, if you accept that challenge, it will cost you your life!"
"What life?!" the prince shouted, suddenly releasing his pent up anger, "My life went up in flames along with my kingdom!"
Liu looked down, the sting of his words bringing tears to her eyes.
Ciro put a firm hand on his son's shoulder and turned to face him, "When our kingdom fell, I thought you dead. Now, you would force me to see you die again?"
"We're all dead if those Shadows appear!" the prince said desperately, pulling away from his father's hand.
The bearded man's eyes flashed with anger at his son's stubbornness. He turned away and motioned vaguely to Liu, "Speak to him!"
Liu fell to her knees before the prince, her eyes still brimming with unshed tears. "Your majesty! You asked me what gave me the courage to face the Shadows," she slowly looked up at him and trembled as she began to speak again. "It's because, one day... long ago... in the palace... you smiled at me."
The prince looked quietly at her trembling form and could not help but feel a pang of guilt. He kneeled down and gently took her hand, "Brave Liu, if I smiled at you once... then for the sake of that smile, let me face this challenge. For if I do not, I will become a man who never smiles again."
Liu could do nothing but lower her head and let her tears fall. The others remained silent. Even the old king kept his back turned to hide the anger and sorrow in his face, and he pleaded no more with his son.
The prince stood and turned to Yuri, more determined than ever, "Now, how do I accept her challenge?"
"The gong in the town square. Ring it three times," Yuri answered sadly.
He turned to his father and Liu again, "Do not worry. I will succeed. Stay with Yuri and Hikari. The little girl will offer some protection from the Shadows."
"My son," Ciro called over his shoulder, "Take care with the Shadows' host. Their hold on her heart cannot be removed by force. Such tactics only make their power stronger. We've learned that much already."
The prince nodded and turned towards the town square. His golden robes swayed gently as he walked, their luster drained in the cold light of twilight. The four watched silently from a distance until three harsh clangs rang out through the darkening square and a squad of soldiers appeared to escort the prince into the palace.
The memory of her does not do her justice, the prince thought as he stood before the Moon Princess accompanied by a small group of nobility, officials, and guards. The throne room was bathed in torchlight that lent her skin a warm glow and shone through her silver hair creating a halo of light around her face. She looked more human, less ethereal than she had upon the balcony outside, yet this enchanted the prince even more. Now she appeared to be within reach.
He could detect no trace of the Shadows around her, but looking into the cold and distant expression on her face, he knew without a doubt that they held sway over her heart. He had seen that exact same expression on the man who had brought ruin to the Sun Kingdom.
Serenity narrowed her icy blue eyes and looked down at him with contempt. "Stranger," she said, her voice ringing through the regal hall, "Do you know why I created this challenge?"
"No, princess," the prince said, his voice unwavering.
"On the day I came of age, a shadowy figure came to me in a dream. She showed me a vision of the past that I had never known about. Long ago in this kingdom, my great-grandmother reigned as a young princess in peace and tranquility. But the Earth Kingdom attacked, and she was taken prisoner, carried off by a stranger like you. She was forced to marry in the Earth Kingdom, never again to see the shores of her home. She lived a miserable and lonely life, and I wept for her. I wept even though I had never met her." The faintest glimmer of emotion flickered across her face before her eyes locked on the prince and all compassion dissolved instantly. "In her memory, I swore I would never marry. Stranger, do not tempt fate. Leave now and never return, and I will spare your life."
The prince stood tall as he answered in a clear strong voice, "Princess, I will face your trial."
"Very well," Serenity said, her voice betraying no emotion, "Bring forth the riddles."
A blast of trumpets announced the arrival of a tall young girl with long dark green, almost black, hair. She had dark skin and was clothed in an elegant dress of black silk. In her hands, she carried an ornate silver box encrusted with dark rubies. Standing before the princess, she gracefully opened the box, revealing three shimmering crystals that flashed in the firelight.
The princess slowly lifted the first crystal from the box, then held it high above her head. A beam of light nearly blinded the prince as the crystal began to float to the center of the room. Gently pulsing with light, a slightly distorted voice echoed from within the crystal:
In the dark of night, a ghost takes flight.
It spreads its wings over the sorrow of human life.
All the world calls to it, imploring it.
But the ghost vanishes at dawn,
to be reborn in men's hearts.
Each night it is reborn, only to vanish again each day.
The prince's brows furrowed in concentration. He stood silently for a moment before he spoke. "Yes, princess, it carries me away on its wings. It is Hope."
The crystal shattered spectacularly, tiny fragments sparkling fiercely before winking out of existence.
Serenity's mouth tightened into a slight frown, "Yes, stranger, hope... which always deceives." She turned to select the next crystal, and again she lifted it above her head. It floated to the center of the room, its voice echoing in crystalline tones:
It burns like a flame, yet is not flame.
At times it brings delirium.
It burns like a fever, a passion.
Inertia makes it weak.
If you lose heart or die it becomes cold.
Dream of conquest and it burns again.
Its voice fills you with dread.
Its glow is like the sunset.
The prince lowered his eyes and paced back and forth, bringing his hand to his chin in thought. In a few moments, he turned to face the princess again. "Yes, princess, it races flaming through my veins as I stand before you. It is Blood."
The crystal shattered amid the hushed and hopeful murmurs of the nobility and officials in attendance. Serenity's eyes flashed with anger as she reached for the last crystal. It floated between the prince and princess, the last barrier between them, its voice echoing out:
It is ice that makes you burn,
and, when you burn, becomes colder still.
It is both light and dark.
In setting you free, it makes you a slave.
If it accepts you as its slave, it makes you a king.
The prince again took to pacing, his footsteps falling quicker as the minutes passed. The audience restlessly whispered hushed encouragement to him. With each minute, Serenity's look of satisfaction grew stronger. "Come, stranger," she mocked, "what is the ice that makes you burn?"
Fear crept across the prince's face and his blood ran cold as he fell to his knees. The room went silent.
Serenity turned away from him, looking pleased.
Then the prince suddenly looked up at the princess as if seeing her clearly for the first time. "I have won," he declared as he rose to his feet again.
Serenity's face fell, her smug look turning to uncertainty.
The prince took a step forward, his voice swelling with strength, "My fire will melt your ice. It is you, Serenity."
Serenity turned in horror to see the crystal shatter. The gasps and cheers of the audience filled the room as the princess shook her head in disbelief and fear. "This cannot be. No," she glanced panic-stricken at the prince, "I refuse. I will not be yours."
The room seemed to darken suddenly, and the prince was struck with the familiar sickening feeling induced by the Shadows. He looked around quickly, but saw nothing out of the ordinary except a subtle dark mist rising around the princess. His mind racing, he remembered his father's last words of advice. He needed to act quickly to calm the princess, but what could he do?
"I shall belong to no man," Serenity muttered to herself. Her hands trembling with rage as she pointed at the prince, "Stranger, would you force me into your arms against my will?"
"No, proud princess," the prince replied, approaching her cautiously, "I would only want you with your heart full of love!"
Serenity was taken aback by the prince's words, and her resolve faltered as he took her outstretched hand in his. The shadowy aura around her seemed to fade slightly. "My princess," he spoke softly, "You have asked me three riddles. I will ask you only one." He stepped closer to her, gazing into her glassy eyes which seemed captivated by him, "You do not know my name. Tell me my name before dawn. If you do, then at dawn I will die."
Serenity stood tall and seemed to have regained her noble composure. Her expression was once again cold and unfeeling. She nodded slowly, then swept from the room as the audience burst into anxious chatter.
A/N: Hooray for the Sailor Pluto cameo! I'd been trying to figure out a way to work her in. :) Thank you to everyone who fav'ed and followed this story! This is the first story I've ever made public, so I really appreciate the reviews!