Jealousy
Alia flew over the night sky towards Metaria's lair as thunderclouds rolled in. "Thunderclouds" said her companion as they flew "Mm. Yes but notice…" she looked around "…No lightning
"Is it because of her?"
"Who cares" said Alia
"Why are we doing this Alia, what is the point?"
"The point?! The point is… I should have been the guardian of thunder; it should have been me"
"Alia"
"Now be silent"
"We're here" said her companion
They descended down to the mountain at full speed. Alia stopped dead in her tracks, the double doors that would take her inside the mountain opened as she gently glided towards them.
"What the?" asked the companion
"Come one" said Alia irritated as she walked through the doors and down the dark hallway. Once they reached the hourglass Alia spoke "Great one I come bearing news from what remains of the moon kingdom" there was no response, so she tried again.
"Can you hear me mistress" Alia's voice rang like an echo in the dark cavern. Her companion stood back and said, "Maybe we should go" Alia turned back and stared "Be silent" she said she was about to speak again when another voice cut her off.
"How dare you!" screamed the voice, Alia suddenly turned but saw nothing, there was no one there.
"Is that you great Metaria" she said
"How dare you!" screamed Metaria's voice again
"I come bearing news" said Alia
"What news could you possibly have for me"
"One that is most distressing" said Alia while her companion looked on.
"Speak!, and be done with it then".
"I know that the awakening is happening soon and what it will mean to you my mistress" she carried on "but what if I told you I have a way to get rid of the guardians before they awaken it would most certainly secure your legacy and guarantee you peace of mind and your freedom from this place"
"Go on" said Metaria her interest piqued
"Strike while the guardians still slumber"
"And how do you propose I do that when their location is guarded under an impenetrable shield"
"I can break through the shield" said Alia her companion looked on skeptically.
"How do you propose we kill them"
"I can take care of that mistress" said Alia with a wicked smile as she continued to propose her plan. On the flight back to Kimora Island, Alia felt free and happy while her companion trialed behind "What's wrong with you Sera I thought you'd be happy our plans for revenge are finally coming into fruition" Sera simply smiled and carried on. In her mind Sera was making her own plans all she had to do was warn Merek that his granddaughter was in great danger.
Kimora Island Hours Later…
Alia lay sleeping while Sera crept into her room "I can't let you do this" she told the sleeping dragon maiden and walked out. Sera unfurled her wings and took flight towards Merek's cave. Sera arrived at her destination and was careful not to startle the great dragon, he maybe advanced in years but he was still dangerous if the occasion called for it, she gently walked towards him and called out his name, nothing she called for him again when she reached his laying form. She placed her hand on his scaly back when she was struck with how cold he felt. She called his name again only this time it was a female voice that answered, "I'm afraid Merek can't help you" Sera recognized that voice "Alia" she said.
"The old dragon won't be helping anyone anymore" said with malice in her voice and aimed the torch she was carrying down towards Sera's feet. Sera looked down at the pool of blood at her feet "What have you done?!" she screamed.
"What I had to" was her only response before she lunged at Sera. Sera managed to fight her off and ran out of the cave she took flight, but Alia was too fast for her, she struck her down with a bolt of lightning. Sera opened her eyes in shock as she went down and hit the ground. "How did you do that? Only the guardian of thunder can generate bolts of lightning"
"A little gift from Metaria" said Alia
She was about to strike again, but Sera managed to dodge her attack but only slightly. Sera grabbed a nearby tree trunk and knocked Alia off her feet. Alia went down and struck her head on a nearby rock knocking her unconscious, Sera took the opportunity and fled "I need to get to them" she told herself I must warn the felines and headed straight for the moon kingdom.
Lunarian Palace…
"We've done all we can Artemis try to relax" said Luna "I can't the sandmen circle the temple the guardians are still days away from waking and Serena has disappeared from the planet and our allies are in short supply, how can you expect to relax when we are running out of time"
"Look on the Brightside"
"What Brightside? There is no Brightside war is coming and it's coming now?"
"Come on, let's go for a walk" she said
They walked the grounds and met up with Pluto near the garden gates.
"Something is happening" said Pluto
"What?" said Artemis
"What do you mean?" asked Luna
"Just a feeling" said Pluto
"How are things at the door of time?"
"I bring news" said Pluto
"Good ones I hope" said Luna
"I do, I found her"
"The Princess!" both felines yelped
"Yes"
"Well, where is she? How is she doing? Is she alright?" asked Luna
"She is home"
"What?" asked Artemis
"She's…"
"On the ruins of the old Kingdom, and she is with him"
"Him who?" asked Luna
"Prince Diamond"
"He's keeping her prisoner?"
"I don't know, all I know is that they are both there along with the Dark Moon Circus"
"Why is Diamond keeping her there in the first place?" asked Artemis
"Why else, you know how he feels about her, He's always wanted her," said Luna
"and now he has her" said Pluto
"But for how long?"
They stood there looking at each other when suddenly Pluto looked up into the sky. "The light of the moon is gone from this world it's all dark now, ominous"
"Wait" said Luna "What is that?" she asked and noticed a darkened figure flying in the moonless night sky "What? I don't see anything" said Artemis. "Look towards the harbor"
she said. "I see it too" said Pluto "It's coming right towards us"
"No, it's falling into the water"
"Come on we need to see whether it's a friend or a foe"
Lunarian Harbor…
Pluto dove into the water while Luna and Artemis watched on. A few moments later Pluto's head broke the surface of the water along with another. Pluto dragged Sera's limp form out of the water and back to the shore. "Who is that?" asked Luna "I don't know but she is from the Dragon clan, look at her arm" said Artemis looking down at the distinctive tattoo on her forearm. "What is she doing here?" asked Luna
"I don't know but she is hurt"
"Come on let's get her back to the palace and tend to her wound" said Pluto
Sera woke to find herself in an opulent room decorated in ivory a tall dark figure stood at the foot od her bed holding a staff with a red stone.
"You are a guardian" said Sera
"Yes" responded Pluto
"How are you still awake?" she asked as she sat up holding her head in her right hand. Her head was pounding, and her side hurt. "I am the guardian of time and the underworld" was her only explanation as if that should solve the puzzle of why she was awake. "Why are you here?"
"I needed to warn the two felines who came to Kimora Island there is a plot against you and the slumbering guardians" said Sera
"What do you mean?" asked Luna as she jumped on the bed Artemis right beside her
"Her name is Alia; she is a dragon with a grudge and a heart full of jealousy"
"Jealousy, seems to be going around lately" said Artemis
"And Metaria is feeding off of it"
"It's how she is gaining power" said Pluto
"Yeah well she was able to grant Alia with the power of thunder" said Sera
"Jupiter's power"
"Yes"
"And what else"
"She plans on coming here she knows the guardians are in the temple and she wants to kill them before the awakening in a few days"
"Even if she got here the temple is being guarded, she'll never get through"
"it's not a chance that I am willing to take, she killed Merek" and with that both felines opened their eyes in shock. "How?" asked Artemis.
"While he slept"
"Why are you telling us this" asked Luna
"Because I have no ill will towards the moon kingdom, Alia was my friend, but she has gone too far"
"How do we know we can trust you?" asked Luna
"You don't, but you don't have a choice, I'm telling the truth"
"How long do we have?"
"I don't know"
"What do we do now?" asked Artemis
"I have an idea" said Pluto as she faded out of the room Luna and Artemis looking on.
Ruins of the Moon…
Prince Diamond walked into his chambers only to be met by a surprise, Pluto stood with her back to him staring at his hologram of the sleeping princess. "How did you get in here" he demanded of the dark stranger, Pluto turned and looked him straight in the eye and said, "You need to lift your spell" Diamond stared back at her in surprise.
"How are you still awake?" he asked
"I'm not" she responded
"Then how are you here"
"I am the guardian of time I can be in multiple places at once" she told him staring him right in the eye. "My body lies dormant in the temple along with the rest of the guardians, and I am afraid we are in great danger"
"What does that mean?"
"One of the Kimora dragons plans on assassinating us while we sleep, you need to lift your spell now"
"I can't"
"You can't or you won't"
"I can't once the sleeping curse has been enacted it has to runs its course, I cannot wake you"
"Then we are doomed"
"No, my sandmen are guarding the temple if there is a threat against you, they can handle it, but the more pressing question is if you are asleep then how are you here?"
"Times moves differently; I can be anywhere at any time and any place"
"So, you are from the past"
"From a different time" she said turning back to the hologram of Princess Serena as Diamond walked to stand beside her. "Who is after you?" he asked while looking at the princess "Her name is Alia and she is another pawn in Metaria's game"
"It's just another few days before the spell breaks and the battle resumes"
"Metaria must be desperate if she is going to such lengths as to assassinate us while we slumber"
"She knows that if Serena were to ever take the throne as Queen it will all be over for her"
"Yes" Pluto agreed
"But the question is why didn't Queen Serenity use the crystal to stop her"
"Because it wasn't her destiny"
"You know the outcome of this battle, don't you?"
"No"
"Must be frustrating" said Diamond and Pluto just smiled and faded away.
Kimora Island…
Alia woke on the ground with a splitting headache, she rubbed the back of her head in annoyance "TRAITOR!" she screamed as the sun rose on the horizon and stood on shaky legs "I'll get her then I'll gut her like I did that old dragon Merek" she told herself. She spread her wings and took flight headed straight to the Moon Kingdom. Her vision was hazy she could barely tell where she was going but she was determined she would not fail on her mission she would kill the guardians before they awoke and then her revenge would be complete.
Back on the ruins of the Moon…
Serena lay on her bed, the sleeping the curse still in effect when suddenly her lips moved to form a single word "Darien" Rubeus stood by the door and looked on in astonishment as the princess spoke.
Solaris…
Darien stood by the railing of his balcony when he heard it again, it was his name being called in the distance "Where are you" he said and looked back into the blue skies as the morning birds chirped in the distance. The Lady Beryl walked into the great room and smiled. If what Metaria told her was true, then the world would be hers in no time at all. "By tonight the guardians will be dead and all that will be left is to find that insipid princess and cut out her heart" she told herself "She can't be too far" but little did she know there was a dark figure standing by the alcove listening holding a key shaped staff with a red orb on the top. Pluto once again faded away into the nothingness as she reappeared inside Queen Serenity's old chambers.
"What did you find out" asked Luna standing at attention along with Artemis and Sera.
"Prince Diamond cannot lift the curse" Both cats looked crestfallen
"The Lady Beryl's arrogance will be her undoing"
"What do you mean?" asked Artemis but Pluto simply smiled
Lunarian Temple…
Meanwhile in the temple Pluto's sleeping form also smiled and let out an exhale of breath.
"Come on we have a lot to do" said Sera "Alia is probably on her way here now" she stood from the bed having sufficiently recovered from her injuries and ran out the door. "So, tell us more about this Alia" said Artemis
"She is ruthless and cunning"
"She'd have to be in order to take out an old dragon like Merek, wasn't he once a general for the dragon clan?"
"Yes, he was truly great, and it is a great loss for our nation, I just can't believe how far Alia's jealousy has gotten"
"This is all happening because of jealousy" said Pluto "Metaria feeds on it it gives her power it's how her seal was weakened to begin with all the world is falling apart hearts fall to darkness and people give in to their darker natures all the time the light is fading"
"Beryl's jealousy must have given her enough power to break her seal but not enough to break her free completely otherwise thing would have been far worse" said Luna with a sigh
"How is jealousy the key to all this" asked Sera
"It was Metaria's jealousy towards Nyx and the other children of the night that lead to her downfall in the pantheon of the primordial gods"
"So, she feeds on all the jealousy in the world?"
"Exactly" said Luna and Pluto
"So… what we can't stop everyone in the world from being envious of other people it's impossible it's a war we can't win" said Sera with despair. "I know" said Pluto
The Ruin of the Moon…
"You lied to the guardian" said Rubeus
"What makes you say that?" Asked Prince Diamond
"You know full well that you can lift the curse on the moon kingdom"
Diamond just stood there looking out at the earth from the moons distance "Why wont you lift the curse Diamond?" Asked Rubeus concerned
"Because I know that the minute, she awakens she'll go to him"
"So, what you are jus planning on keeping her asleep forever?"
"No"
"Then what is your plan?"
Diamond kept looking out the window with a pensive stare what is my plan? He thought he didn't have a plan just a few more days the curse would be lifted, and everything would go back to the way things were and he would lose her forever to him. He didn't want that to happen when suddenly he got a terrible idea "I'll kill him" he said in a low voice.
"What?" Asked Rubeus who could not hear him Diamond smiled to himself.
Lunarian Temple…
Jupiter's sleeping form twitched when suddenly a tear rolled down her cheek and a crack of electricity burst from her finger tips and she exhaled. The spell was weakening with each passing hour. Luna, Artemis and Sera made their way to the outskirts of the temple where the sandmen where hovering around the perimeter "We need to find a way inside" said Luna
"Wait!" Said Artemis
"Will you be quiet, what is it"
"The old catacombs underneath the city, I don't know why we didn't think of this before follow me" he said as he ran out of sight
"Now where is he going?" Luna asked as she and Sera ran after him
"Artemis! where are we going?" Said Luna still running "Your'll see" he said and ran off in the directions of the woods beyond the north entrance.