A/N: Chapter last edited on 21/7/21

The New Princess

The Early Years - Part 2 - Chapter 3

That, which should have better been left forgotten.

Previously:

Leaving the well-made paved road she walked up so far, to a dirt pathway that led to the front door, she raised her hand to knock on the door of Hephaestus's workshop; a typical, at least for wizards, small on the outside but massive on the inside, magically expanded building, which had at one point been a mere cowshed.

Hearing her 'brothers' voice bidding her permission to enter, she promptly opened the door and stepped inside, only to be nearly overwhelmed by the amazing sight of a near ludicrous amount of tools and materials, Cogs and gears, pistons and springs, all working together in a cacophony of mechanical buzzes of activity of a thousand gears working together at once.

For a moment, even she, the last survivor of a space-faring race was taken by stunned surprise.

Considering that she was currently in a world that had been thrown back into a version of its ancient historical past, it was quite a sight to behold. Here was clearly a workshop of someone who believed he could invent anything.

'Well, come what may, today I will give him something which will test his skills to the limit,' she thought as she greeted him with a wave.

If he couldn't do it then nobody ever would!

And now the continuation:

Another two thousand, two hundred and twenty-seven years had passed since Pluto's vision. Time had moved on, and with it, the age of the gods had ended. The great moon kingdom, which once held dominion over the known universe, was now all but forgotten.

'The Mythical Age' or 'The Dawn of Time'. That's what it had become. Mentioned now only by the oldest of the most ancient of texts, by word of mouth by the eldest of elders, or by the oldest of the few obscure cults, who still stubbornly held on to remember those most ancient of ancient times.

Pluto's vision however had changed everything. No longer was she the angsty sailor guardian plagued by past decisions. She had a new mission: to find the new princess, help her and any other sailor guardians she might find, and if the princess wished it, restore the Silver Millennium to its former glory.

That's why she now stood in the middle of a construction site, overseeing the construction of what would, one day, become the greatest economic hub in the magical world. At least according to the gates of time.

As everyone knows, money is time and time is money. And since money makes the world go round, the new princess would undoubtedly need a lot of it. What better way could there possibly be to secure a lasting fortune, than to invest in the creation of what would become one of the greatest banks in the known world?

Sure, there would be other banks, especially in non-magical communities. But none would gain the supreme power, control, and near-constant monopoly over the magical world's economy as this one would.

Already Goblin builders and architects were busy laying the foundations of what would become the first wizarding bank.

It had been difficult at first, requiring bribes and favors to secure the rights to build and own a bank. But a few years ago, she finally secured permission from the Wizards Council to build the first and only bank of the magical world.

And so, after contracting the goblins to build the bank, she had supplied the goblin king with part of the start-up funds.

While she would be listed as the official owner on paper, to keep the wizards of the ministry happy, the bank would be run and controlled solely by the goblins.

At first, the goblins were reluctant to allow a human, especially one who they had, thought was just another simple arrogant witch, to own a sizable portion of their future bank. But their objections disappeared, like a drop of water in a desert on a hot summer's day when she transformed into Sailor Pluto in front of their king.

Like most ancient races, the goblins, formerly known as Zoblinx, had long memories. Unlike humans, they lived longer lives and valued old oaths and alliances. As such, they still remembered the stories of the sailor guardians and the moon queen who led them. Especially the alliance between the king of the earth; their liege of the time, and the queen of the moon, the supreme ruler of the old cosmos.

Imagine their surprise when one of these ancient legends came to life in front of their king.

Still bound by oaths taken millennia ago, they had quickly complied. Even more so when it would make them money.

The goblins decided to name the bank Gringotts, after Gringott, one of their oldest commanders and war heroes.

Well, they were welcome to call it whatever they wanted. As the partial owner of the bank and soon-to-be owner of its first vault, the financial future of the moon kingdom would soon be secure. The bank was, after all, destined to have a monopoly on the magical world's economy for years to come.

Of course, the bank wouldn't be her only investment. She would soon invest in other businesses, including non-magical ones. But for now, it was a start.

Her alliance with the goblins, being the only non-goblin shareholder and member of the board of directors in the only magical bank run by goblins - a sovereign nation in its own right - was a nice bonus.

480 years later, after the construction of Gringotts, Direct location unknown, deep in the Amazonian Rainforest.

It was a dark and stormy night in 1954 CE. Deep in the heart of the Brazilian jungle, a shadowy figure crept stealthily from tree to tree, moving ever closer to a remote location deep within the Amazon rainforest. He alone seemed to know his destination, or so he believed. The young man, who had just turned 26 that year, had stumbled upon the location by sheer luck while poring over an ancient manuscript. He had acquired the manuscript during a game of chance, while on a quest to uncover ancient magic in Egypt.

Supposedly, according to the old professor he had played against, it had once rested inside one of the oldest libraries known to mankind; the Imperial Library of Constantinople, before its unfortunate destruction in the Fourth Crusade of 1204 CE. At least that's what the old man had told him, right before his untimely demise at his own hands.

After being denied his dream job at his alma mater by his former headmaster for being too young, the young man traveled the world in search of ancient magic, both light and dark. This manuscript was a rare find indeed, and he was hopeful that it could be his most significant discovery yet.

It had taken Tom Riddle, for that was the young man's name, several years of trial and error to fully translate the text. He had even created a translation spell for that purpose, no easy feat even for someone like himself. Although he couldn't be certain if the contents of the manuscript were true, he was intrigued by the ancient magic it described. For Tom, finding, studying, and above all, learning old forms of magic was his greatest passion. The darker and more powerful the magic, the better. And so he knew he just had to have it.

The manuscript mentioned a place, supposedly a meeting place of some sort, for an old cult that Tom suspected had once been demon worshipers. According to the text, they worshiped powerful demonic entities that were nearly impervious to harm and controlled great and terrible forms of magic. Supposedly, they had once fought against powerful elemental deities thought to have come from the stars, during an age before time itself came to be. Tom wasn't sure what that meant, but that's how the text described it.

While he admitted that there was always some chance of error, even from someone like himself, judging from the ancient texts - which seemed to be written in an even older form of the already ancient Elder Futhark runic language- he felt certain it was probably all just some sort of old cultish superstition.

Finally reaching his destination, according to the map he had found with the manuscript, Tom discovered an ancient temple hidden deep within a secluded clearing. It was easily missed if you didn't know where to look and nearly inaccessible through normal means - the journey through the forest had been harsh and only made possible by his magic. Despite being forgotten by time and weathered by the harsh conditions of the Amazon rainforest, the temple still stood proudly.

Tom suddenly found himself standing before a massive set of double doors, seemingly made of solid diamond and protected by an unfamiliar shield. The doors were intricately carved and adorned with various symbols and motifs, some of which Tom recognized, while others were unfamiliar to him.

Raising an eyebrow at the large diamond door, mostly due to the obvious wealth the door held, Tom smiled. Here was almost definite clear proof that nobody else had been there before him. At least not since its original owners.

While the shield surrounding the temple may have been a formidable obstacle to any previous adventurers lucky enough to find the place, Tom was fairly certain that if someone had been there before him, the location would have been far more well-known. Such was the greed of man.

Tom however wasn't interested in the door's riches, at least not enough to distract him from his goal. The magic inside was far more important. Ignoring the obscene display of wealth on the mere doorway, Tom took a deep breath and muttered an ancient incantation mentioned in the manuscript. He hoped it would lower the shield surrounding the temple because if not, he wouldn't know how to proceed. Fortunately, it seemed to do the trick as the shield dropped and the diamond doors creaked open, allowing him to pass through. Almost instantly, he was hit by a wave of stale, ancient air.

Quickly casting a bubblehead charm to protect himself from any potential maladies or sicknesses in the air, Tom cautiously entered the temple, his senses alert for any sudden traps. He was soon confronted by a narrow corridor leading further into the temple. Blue flames sprang to life as he passed by, burning away spiderwebs and filling the musty air with their scent. After a few minutes of walking through dusty corridors, Tom finally reached another diamond door, which he ignored in favor of opening it slightly to peek inside.

Inside appeared to be the main chamber of the temple. Tom quickly realized that this was no ordinary temple. Scattered around the room were strange artifacts and ancient statues of various shapes and sizes, depicting unknown creatures or perhaps deities that he had never seen before.

With a loud grunt, Tom slowly pushed open the large stone doors. They opened with great difficulty, and he stepped inside, constantly on the lookout for any hidden traps or other dangers he might encounter.

Strangely, much to Tom's surprise and growing paranoia, there didn't seem to be any traps. This only made him feel more nervous. It was almost a universal rule that old tombs and forgotten temples, especially those of the darker variety, were always filled with traps. The Egyptian tombs, for example, were well-known for them. 'Enter, stranger, but take heed. Here may be riches great indeed, but beware our guardians, traps, and curses - great, dark, and gory all - there to welcome you as you take the fall.'

However, when nothing happened after a few moments, Tom finally ventured a closer look at the contents of the room.

The sight that greeted Tom filled him with awe. In front of him was a vast secret chamber filled with ancient artifacts and books of knowledge of various types and sizes, all covered in dust and cobwebs as if untouched by human hands for thousands of years. Some books were so old they had crumbled to dust, and another disintegrated as he touched it. Tom's heart raced as he walked further into the chamber, examining the objects within. It was like walking through an ancient museum filled with artifacts and texts from times long past, telling stories that no one fully understood anymore. It was as if time itself had frozen in this chamber. Despite the dust that covered everything, it was clear that one would need centuries to even begin to comprehend the secrets held within these walls. It was every historian and archaeologist's dream, but Tom wasn't there for them. He didn't have centuries to study them.

Tom knew that true power lay within this chamber - knowledge beyond imagination, ancient and powerful magic that even he had not dared to imagine until now. With a heavy heart, knowing that he would never be able to read it all if he tried, at least not yet, not unless he found a way to become more immortal than he already was, he stepped forward eagerly, ready to explore the rest of the secrets this hidden chamber had kept from the world for so long.

Tom was especially eager to find the so-called secret inner sanctum mentioned in the manuscript - a hidden room within another room deep inside the temple. Within it lay the ultimate prize: an ancient book said to reveal the secret of everlasting life, or at least a way to achieve it. He could hardly wait.

A few hours later

Tom had finally succeeded. The ancient tome he had read about was now in his grasp, its pages crafted from animal hide and inscribed with a crimson, blood-like script, just as it had been described. But his triumph had come at a terrible price. The temple shook violently around him, its walls crumbling and exploding as if possessed by an angry beast. Debris flew towards him like deadly shrapnel while the ceiling caved in and the floor split open, threatening to swallow him whole. Desperately, Tom scrambled for an escape from this now-forsaken place.

All the other artifacts and ancient books were lost, either consumed by flames or reduced to dust in the wake of Tom's theft. The temple, once a treasure trove of knowledge, was now obliterated by its wrath, punishing Tom for his daring plunder.

But perhaps the worst of all was the guardian. The elusive protector that Tom had feared would come to stop him from completing his deed. Its eyes blazed with an otherworldly fire, like an ancient demon of death summoned from a long-forgotten realm. There was no better word to describe it as it advanced towards Tom like the apocalypse itself, intent on punishing the thief for his insolence.

The guardian had tried to stop Tom, and even now, he could feel the effects of its attempts on his battered and bloody body. Tom knew he had been lucky to survive, having come close to death multiple times that day. If it hadn't been for the immense power he had gained through years of rituals and training, he wouldn't have stood a chance. But Tom refused to die without achieving his goal. With all the power at his disposal, he fought back against the monster with everything he had, only to fail at every turn.

Tom had never encountered anything like the guardian before. None of his spells had any effect on it, and everything he tried failed to even make a dent. Even his most powerful battle spells barely made an impact. Tom had never felt as terrified as he did in that moment. It was only the knowledge that his soul was safe, thanks to his ultimate failsafe - his Horcruxes, items that harbored parts of his soul and would allow him to return from death itself - that kept him sane and able to react in the face of such overwhelming fear.

Tom had always considered himself to be a powerful wizard, one of the greatest to ever exist. He had never had trouble defeating his adversaries or at least holding his own against them. But this beast, this forsaken guardian, was on an entirely different level.

Tom had never believed in the existence of demons or gods, but after his encounter with the guardian, he was willing to believe just about anything. Against its overwhelming power, he felt humbled, like a first-year student standing before Merlin himself. Even now, Tom wasn't sure how he had survived. He hadn't defeated the guardian; it was still out there, searching for him. But that wouldn't matter if he didn't find a way out of this forsaken place soon.

Tom had tried to apparate, a magical form of teleportation, to escape the temple, but something - perhaps another shield that had sprung up when he took the book - had stopped him.

White-hot terror seared through Tom as he sprinted through the crumbling halls of the temple, the precious book clutched in his left hand and his wand in his right.

He quickly realized that casting spells at the beast chasing him was futile, so he stopped trying.

Walls exploded and pillars of scorched stone crumbled with each step he took. Desperately clinging to his last ounce of power, Tom frantically waved his wand, casting a Protego shield spell to protect himself from the falling rubble.

With a final yell, he cast a Bombarda blasting curse to blast apart another wall, just in time to duck and roll away from the giant fist that punched through it. Every fiber of his being screamed as he leaped through the gaping hole, mere seconds before the unstable roof came crashing down.

"What will it take to stop this thing?" Tom wondered, as he sensed the monster following close behind him, the heavy thumping of its armored feet echoing on the crumbling floor. "I don't care," he thought desperately. "I just want to get away from it!"

Tom had considered creating a ritual to destroy or at least seal away the beast. When all else failed, rituals usually succeeded. But with the monster so close behind him and the temple self-destructing around him, attempting such a thing was impossible. There simply wasn't enough time. Even if the monster allowed him to try, staying in one place for too long would mean certain death for Tom and the loss of the book - something he was determined to prevent, at all costs.

Tom no longer had any desire to fight or face the guardian. All he wanted was to get as far away from it as possible and never see it again. His only wish was to escape this place, and if he managed to trap or destroy the monster in the process, so much the better.

Sweat poured down Tom's neck, drenching his clothes as he paused to catch his breath and search for an escape route. That's when something strange about the wall ahead caught his attention. If he had kept running from the monster, he would have missed it.

Tom suddenly realized that there was a hidden passageway, cleverly concealed by an illusion that had been dispelled by the damage to the temple. Quickly deciding that it was his best chance for escape, he took a deep breath and slipped inside, narrowly avoiding a loose stone block that fell towards him, dislodged by another tremor. The passageway was already closing up again, hiding its secrets as another explosion rocked the walls. Tom felt an immense sense of relief as the walls collapsed behind him, blocking the monster from view once more.

For a brief moment, monster and prey caught a glimpse of each other - one in relief, the other roaring in furious anger - before they were separated once again.

To Tom's delight, the new passageway was much more stable than the rest of the temple. Several torches still burned along the walls, allowing him to proceed without using any more magic.

Tom braced himself as another explosion shook the wall, followed by a series of smaller blasts. He heard the monster roar in rage and pain before, with one final tremor, everything fell silent.

After waiting a minute to make sure it was really over, at least he hoped it was, Tom finally allowed himself to collapse to the ground, completely exhausted. He took deep, greedy breaths, trying to ignore the pain that wracked his battered body as he allowed himself time to recover. It had been years since he had run so much. He hoped he would never have to do it again.

As the temple's shields suddenly dropped, Tom knew he had won. He had escaped from the monster. Even if it was still alive and searching for him, he didn't care. The book was in his hands, and that was all that mattered. By the time the monster caught up to him, he would be long gone.

With the shield which stopped him from apparating finally fallen, nothing could stop him anymore.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Tom silently thanked whatever deity had been watching over him for granting him this miracle. Without wasting another moment, he quickly disapparated away before anything else could happen.

20 years later

Lily Jane Potter, formally Evans, an 'unspeakable' in the employment of the Ministry of Magic, charms mistress, wife to James Fleamont Potter, and mother to Aryanna Jasmine Potter, a little over a year old baby girl, was worried. No, more than that: she was in utter despair.

She was currently in her office, deep within the Department of Mysteries, trying to find a solution to a serious, life-threatening problem that she and her family were facing.

Lily wondered, "Is this rune for Guardian? Protection? Or even both? I swear I saw 'Spirit' mentioned on this page somewhere. Or was it 'Spiritual Guardian'?" The complexity of the symbols seemed endless and often confusing. To make matters worse, she couldn't focus properly on her work. Half of her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of her family, uncertain if they were safe at home or in danger.

Not long ago, Lily discovered that Voldemort, a malicious and powerful wizard, and a true dark lord, was targeting her and her family. Specifically, he was after her daughter, Aryanna.

Now, you may wonder why a powerful dark lord would be interested in a one-year-old baby. The answer is as cruel as it is simple. A prophecy stated that this infant would possess a power that Voldemort would not, and would eventually defeat him. Unwilling to accept this, the dark lord decided that it was time for Lily's barely 15-month-old daughter to die.

Of course that would not do at all and so Lily was determined to protect her precious daughter from Voldemort. That's why she found herself deep within the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries—one of the most mysterious and perilous places in existence. With her nose buried in an ancient ritual book, she researched ancient rituals that she hoped would protect her child from the evil man.

But how do you protect yourself and your family from a man so dangerous and feared that an entire country is too afraid to even say his name? Instead, they call him 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,' for fear that he would come after them if they did not.

The situation in the country had deteriorated to such an extent that many families were forced to make unthinkable decisions. Some chose to flee the country altogether, abandoning everything they knew. Others betrayed their own and switched sides completely, in a desperate bid for survival, hoping that Voldemort would be merciful enough to spare them.

Sadly, unless you were a pureblood—meaning descended from exclusively magical families for at least three generations—your only options were to live in servitude or die. Half-bloods (those with one magical parent) could still live as second-class citizens and hope that future generations of their family would someday become 'pure.' But Muggle-borns and the few Muggles unfortunate enough to learn about magic had no such chance. They could either accept slavery or face death. No exceptions. That was the future they all faced.

The sad fact remained: Voldemort was winning. It was now just a matter of time before he would emerge victorious, and everyone knew it. Nobody seemed strong enough to stop him and his followers, the Death Eaters, as they carried out acts of terror and took over the country.

Those few brave souls who dared to stand against Voldemort usually ended up dead. Even the Ministry itself seemed powerless against the evil tyrant, unable to do anything to stop him. Other countries had already started to feel his reach, with many closing their borders in a desperate attempt to keep him out. Lily was sure that if he wasn't stopped soon, not just their country would suffer, but everyone else as well.

It had become a regular sight: a nearby neighbor or relative dying each day. The entire country was paralyzed with fear, praying for a miracle that few believed would ever come.

No, there was no running from Voldemort, not anymore. The only options were to join him or fight and die.

So, the problem remained: how do you overcome an adversary whose power supersedes everyone else's in every way? Even Albus Dumbledore, Lily's old Headmaster and the only one Voldemort had ever feared—who was leading the rebellion against him—could barely stand against the man anymore.

Lily sighed deeply, wondering again what her husband was doing with Aryanna at home. While they were as safe as they could be under the strongest protections in existence, especially the Fidelius Charm—a protective spell so powerful that it effectively hid their entire house in a different dimension, making it completely invisible and untouchable, at least as long as you didn't know it existed.

Lily hoped that Peter Pettigrew, an old family friend from their school days, who acted as their secret keeper, would stay true and not give in to Voldemort, revealing the secret that could break the charm's protection.

Unfortunately, that's where the problem lay. While Lily believed Peter was trustworthy, he was not known for his bravery or strong will. If he were captured and tortured by Voldemort himself, she feared he might betray them to save his own life. Many stronger people had already broken easily under torture, especially from the dark lord himself. If that happened, Lily was certain Peter would break sooner rather than later. He didn't have it in him to die first, thereby giving them at least some warning and a chance to run as the protections fell.

The charm's only weakness was its secret keeper—the only one who could tell others where they were hiding. Everyone else was incapable of revealing the location of their hidden home. Sadly, the secret keeper couldn't live inside the hidden house for long, or else the charm would fail. So, whoever it was had to live outside the charm's protections.

Lily still believed that it would have made the most sense to choose Sirius Black as the secret keeper. Lily was sure he would have died before revealing anything. However, it would have been too obvious to choose him, as he was James' closest friend and Aryanna's godfather. So, against her wishes and James' better judgment, they decided to heed Sirius' and Albus Dumbledore's advice and select Peter instead.

Lily hoped that their decision to choose Peter as the secret keeper wouldn't come back to haunt them later. The lives of her and her family depended on Peter staying strong. If he were ever captured by Voldemort… Well, she could only hope that it would never happen.

'Now, if only I could figure out the translation for this last part,' she mumbled to herself as she tried to once again concentrate on the trice damned ritual she was trying to translate. It was so old and faded, it was very difficult to fully make out.

"Is this the rune for Guardian…or for protection?" Lily wondered again as she diligently continued her translation of the ritual she was working on. The ancient script was difficult to read, so faded that it was almost completely unreadable.

'I think...yes...yes, it's the rune for Guardian, I'm certain,' she decided with a nod as she made the correction.

She hoped the ritual would be enough to stop the dark lord. It was her last hope, her fail-safe, should the worst happen.

Lily anxiously studied the text in front of her once again, her knuckles white as she clenched the book. The ritual described would protect her daughter from even the most powerful curses, including unblockable killing curses like Avada Kedavra. A feat thought impossible—until now. If it worked, that is. Lily hoped it was true, but she also knew for it to work a terrible price would have to be paid as well: her own life. To save her daughter, Lily would have to sacrifice herself. It didn't seem fair, but she was willing to do anything to see her safe. Her heart raced as she searched for the correct translation.

Could it be possible? Was there really a way for Lily to sacrifice herself for her daughter's safety and bring about Voldemort's downfall? If she got it wrong, it would cost not only her own life but also her daughter's, and end any hope of defeating the dark lord. But if she did nothing, they would all die anyway. She had to keep working, no matter how difficult or risky it was. With a heavy heart, Lily continued into the night.

Unnoticed by Lily, she had just made a crucial mistake. A single rune had faded enough that a small part of it had disappeared completely, changing it into a different rune. While similar in appearance to the first, it had a completely different meaning. This change would have drastic and long-lasting effects on the overall effect of the ritual Lily was translating and hoping to use against Voldemort.

And so, a rune that should have meant 'to protect' suddenly became 'to guardian' instead. Had Lily not been under so much time pressure to find a ritual to protect her family, she would have double and even triple-checked her translation. Unfortunately, time was not on her side, and so she did not. The change would never be discovered or corrected.

It would change everything, altering history and what could have been forever.