The next day, Helena contacted King Endymion early, utilizing the Command Center in Elysion. The moon kittens, Comet, Asteroid, and Diana, had answered the call.
"Helena!" the three little fuzzballs exclaimed happily at the holographic image. While they'd never met Helena in person, they'd heard about the other. It remained essential to know every ally for Crystal Tokyo. Moreover, the friends of the royal family.
The gorgeous redhead smiled warmly, "Comet, Asteroid, Diana! It is so good to see your faces finally! Sorry to cut our conversation so short. However, I need to speak with King Endymion urgently." Helena informed the furballs seriously.
"I'll get him!" exclaimed the eldest moon kitten. Comet did not mind letting her younger siblings have time with Lady Helena. Thankfully, Comet had an easier time waking up King Endymion than she often did with Neo-Queen Serenity or Chibiusa.
"My King, wake up!" Comet meowed and jumped on him in bed.
"Comet? What's wrong?" King Endymion yawned. The sovereign tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes. Yet it was clear he wanted to roll over and sleep some more.
"Helena is on the Command Center's communication link and needs to speak with you ASAP," Comet reported briskly.
"Thank you. I'll be there shortly." The kitten nodded and left. The king silently got out of bed so as not to wake his wife. He quickly made himself presentable before joining the felines in the Command Center.
"Good morning, my king. One thousand and one apologies for disturbing your slumber." Helena bowed respectfully.
"No need to apologize, Helena. You and your family have continuously accomplished your responsibilities. For that, I am eternally grateful. Now, what can I do for you?" King Endymion rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"I wanted to make sure if my clan may attend the Neo-Sailor Senshi's birthday?" Helena asked nervously.
"You don't need to ask my permission, Helena. I'd be honored if your family attended this noteworthy occasion," King Endymion answered delightfully.
"THANK YOU, MY KING!" A barrage of voices reverberated throughout the palace. Unquestionably that had to be Helena's children screaming in the background.
"Children, you do not eavesdrop on private conversations!" Helena snapped angrily at her swarming children.
"Sorry, Mother. Except this conversation was regarding us," a male brunette Dream Fairy with green highlights said apologetically.
"Don't be too hard on them, Helena. I know the position I bestowed upon you is immensely stressful. However, don't let it overwhelm you." King Endymion spoke softly.
Turning to her children, Helena composed herself, "Forgive me, my beloved ones. I was in some distress over this decision. Now that I've obtained our king's approval. We will join the Neo-Sailor Senshi in their celebration."
The Dream Fairies cheered loudly in happiness. However, they kept it quiet until they got out of their mother's earshot. Perle couldn't wait! Yet he had to think of the perfect gift for the charming young ladies! Well, diamonds are a girl's best friend, as they say. So, why not some fancy jewelry? It just so happened Perle heard of a shop on the surface which claimed to sell some of the best quality accessories around!
Perle could have waited a couple of months. However, he wanted to get the most reasonable discounts. Later that day, Perle slipped off just after Helena had checked on the progress of his chores, which were all done. Perle would only leave with fulfilling his king's standards.
"Everything on Earth looks the same and feels safe as always," Perle thought out loud as he wandered around.
This shop he was looking for was set farther back than the others. If you weren't looking for it, you might not even know it was there! Perle noticed a sign across the shop's roof reading "Mystic Jewels." Perle started to feel apprehensive for some reason.
However, he chalked it up to nerves and peeked inside. Thankfully, it was well-lit inside, cozy, and manageable. Then, a chipper woman called, "Come in, come in, young man. Don't be shy!"
"Thank you. Um..." Perle looked to see a woman with lengthy red hair and blonde highlights in a black business dress. She had a very bright smile. "Hi. My name is Perle. I'm looking for something...special."
"I'm Ms. Long. Is there a special lady in your life?" the woman smiled playfully as she came out from behind the counter. Her black heels clicked across the wood floor.
"Well...a group of special young ladies." Perle needed help understanding what the woman was getting at.
"You have more than one girlfriend?" Ms. Long did not like the thought of a boy playing with the pure hearts of a bunch of girls.
"Girlfriends?! Oh no, they are my friends. It's for their birthday." Perle blushed, a little embarrassed.
"Oh. What do these girls like? It might be more effortless to uncover what your looking for if I know a bit about them." Ms. Long put a perfectly manicured hand with dark red-painted nails on Perle's back. Then she slowly led him through the shop.
"I'm not sure. You might know them better as the Neo-Sailor Senshi." But, unfortunately, Perle did not realize the grave mistake he had just made!
For a hot second, Ms. Long looked stunned. Then her delicate features softened into a smile, "You are indeed looking for phenomenal accessories. I believe I have just the thing in the back. Come with me."
Eagerly, Perle swiftly followed her. A few minutes later, she presented him with a chest of unbelievably exquisite gemstones! "WOW!" Perle's eyes sparkled brightly at the dazzling gems. He instantly knew THESE were the ones he wanted for the girls!
"These are only pieces of what they once were. Nevertheless, they have not lost their beauty or value." Ms. Long explained cryptically.
"They are perfect! Uh...how much are they?" Unexpectedly Perle was ready to punch himself. He had not thought to bring any cash!
"Hm, they have been priceless in the past. Furthermore, I didn't intend to peddle them because of that. Nevertheless, since you seem like a good, pure-hearted, trustworthy lad, they will go to the Neo-Sailor Senshi. Hence I'll provide them to you for free." Ms. Long beamed. Perle was both stunned and appreciative.
"Are you sure? I feel bad not paying you a dime." Perle objected. His mother had raised him quite well regarding appropriate etiquette and other affiliated matters.
"My only wish is for these jewels to go to someone significant. We can agree there is no one more influential than the Neo-Sailor Senshi, right?" Ms. Long wrapped each gem in a cloth before she placed them carefully into a pouch.
"That's true. I promise I'll make sure the girls get them. They'll be just as stunning then as they are now. I am eternally grateful for your kindness." Perle made sure he did not shake the bag as he took it.
"No need to thank me so much, kid. It was MY pleasure. Come back anytime." Ms. Long waved him goodbye as he did the same and left.
Strolling into another back room, Ms. Long sighed and transformed into a creature with black hair, green eyes, and fairy-like wings. Her attire looked like it was woven from leaves. It had vines crisscrossing over her midsection and the rest of the dress falling to her ankles.
Her feet were bare. Ms. Long was a mythical creature known as a Fae. Similar to Dream Fairies in appearance, Fae had many of the same power too. However, they employ it to trick and torture humans. Their favorite pastime was abducting babies to eat and replacing them with their own children, called Changelings.
At first, Changelings look just like the misplaced child. However, they quickly turn into a continuously crying nightmare! To the point where the parents put it in mortal danger. Hoping the Fae parent will save it and leave their real child behind. However, this particular Fae had no children. Therefore, her objective was different.
Her only thirst was to see blood spilled! Those jewels she gave to Perle would do that and so much more if she got lucky. For those jewels were cursed! The Black Prince's Ruby, Delhi Purple Sapphire, Blue Diamond. The Regent Diamond, Koh-I-Noor Diamond.
Black Orlov (Eye Of Brama), Star Of India, Sancy Diamond, The Shah Diamond. Perhaps the most well-known, The Hope Diamond! Of course, they were breathtakingly beautiful and priceless. Save for their bloody pasts!
The Star of India was a golf ball-sized sapphire. It has yet to be discovered precisely where it originated. Finally, an expedition mining team uncovered it. This jewel's curse was terrible luck. It didn't waste any time doing so from the moment it changed hands. The most famous story connected to this gem is it used to be in a museum, where it was stolen by three men (among other gemstones.)
Come to find out; these jewels were not insured. Furthermore, the security cameras, which would have made the thievery easier to solve, were dead. However, the thieves were caught. The stones were recovered except for the one mentioned above...
The Black Prince's Ruby was an enormous, red spinel. Not a ruby at all, which makes people call it "The Great Impostor." It sits in an Imperial State Crown. Except its seldom displayed to the public due to its curse. Mainly, the curse has only impacted royals. It killed one by a strange ailment and caused another to die in a war.
The Blue Diamond has a unique curse: disappearance. A caretaker, who worked for a royal family, pilfered several tiny jewels. Although they were caught and returned, the diamond was nowhere to be found. Yet, the treasure seemed disgruntled as the people involved in the case vanished. Also, the officer in charge of the investigation was executed!
An enslaved person swiped the Regent Diamond. He concealed the jewel in a leg wound he'd sustained and escaped with it! The enslaved person made a deal with a sea captain but was backstabbed when the captain drowned him. He intended to sell the diamond and keep all the money for himself. Unfortunately for him, the enslaved person cursed the gem before he perished. This jewel has been stolen repeatedly. Greed seems to be its curse. It has even led to the defeat of famous figureheads in war.
The Shah Diamond wasn't the most fetching or nearly the most valuable gem. Nonetheless, what it lacked in looks or value. It more than makes for in blood and darkness it grants!
Inscriptions were put in the diamond after it was stolen from its previous owner, who had taken it from a conquered land. So, this jewel also changes hands. Yet on the death of the royals who owned it last. So, it does not stand out very much, but a curse is a curse.
The Sancy Diamond remained a favorite among royals. But, excluding it brought misfortune and incited greed! Predominantly ruining men. The Sancy Diamond was once stolen from the stomach of a deceased royal messenger when he thought swallowing it would keep his assailants from taking it! This gem was on display in a museum too. Yet someone got too close and...it was swiped!
The Delhi Purple Sapphire was also swiped from a vanquished domain. However, this one was from insurgency! Sold and willed around, health, financial trouble, and even suicide were this pretty jewel's curse to those who even held onto it for a little bit!
Why have a curse with one effect when you can have one with three?! A man who ran into a string of misfortune flung the jewel into a canal only to have it miraculously returned to him!
As if you need another example. The second man tried to travel with this gem three times. But was engulfed by an awful thunderstorm. A stomach bug the second time. Before he passed a kidney stone, the third time, the last two nearly cost him his life!
The Black Orlov remained a treacherous diamond to possess. It was rumored to have been stolen from a sculpture of the God Brahma. In which the diamond was one of its eyes! The man who originally owned it? He ended up jumping off a skyscraper!
After that, two Princesses owned it. One gave the jewel the name Orlov from her last name. They likewise jumped off buildings too. Suicide seems to be this gem's forte. This jewel has been shattered into three pieces. Yet it remained unspecified if the curse had been broken with it.
The Koh-I-Noor Diamond was the largest cut diamond in the world! Its value draws many to want it. However, it has killed multiple royals untimely. For unknown reasons, this jewel is stated only to eradicate men as no woman to hold it reported such an incident.
Last but not least gem needed no introduction after saying its name: The Hope Diamond! Considered the most cursed gemstone in history! This one was stolen from a goddess statue, then sold to traders.
It was changing hands among royals. This gemstone had caused death, suicide, madness, and loss of wealth! There are countless stories concerning this gem. Although, none of them end well. Hopefully, the Neo-Sailor Senshi wouldn't be the next victim...