CHAPTER 23

     Sailor Pluto heard the unearthly howl as she raced through the flowery plains. Her thoughts were jarred by its distraught and sorrow. The cries of loss and despair made her eyes moist as she neared the hunched figure near the pool. [what had made this happen?] though Sailor Pluto.
     "Adelaide? Are you alright?" Pluto gently knelt beside the dark hair girl. Her face was set in a stony expressionless facade. "Adelaide?"
     Adelaide suddenly sighed and wiped both sides of her face, wiping away the tears that had streaked her face earlier. She chose not to reply Pluto's gentle queries, instead she pointed to the pool and got up.
     Sailor Pluto stared in bewilderment at Adelaide, who appeared to be non-chalantly dusting herself. She was certain that the distraughted howl she heard came from Adelaide yet...now.....
     "What is past has no use, Sailor Pluto...as the Senshi of Time, you should know that...." Adelaide once again transformed herself into the pale hair senshi Sailor Cosmo Eos. "Look into the pool, Sailor Pluto.."
     Sailor Pluto silently obeyed her and stared in shock at the body lying in the pool. It was only after she recognized the clothes that she realized who was lying at the bottom of the pool.....Pluto shut her eyes as she shuddered. "The poor child...."
     "Child?" The flicker of a ghostly smile touched the edge of Cosmo Eos' mouth. "Mika was indeed an innocent child, but her innocence caused her downfall and death...." Sailor Cosmo Eos lightly patted Sailor Pluto. "Do not look so stricken, Sailor Pluto, this was foretold even before we arrived on Earth."
     "Then....she knew of her coming death?!"
     "No, the secret was kept from her....I kept it from her!" shouted Cosmo Eos in a sudden fury, cluthing her fists till it drew blood.
     "Cosmo Eos!" Sailor Pluto quickly pried open her bleeding fingers.
     "Hahaha.." Sailor Cosmo Eos gave a loud laugh. "I was a fool to think that Mika's death could be avoided! I brought her here!! I--"
     "ENOUGH!!!!" Sailor Pluto gave Sailor Cosmo Eos a hard shake. "Stop this! You're getting hysterical!"
     After a long time, Sailor Cosmo Eos finally calmed down. She squeezed Pluto's hand gratefully. "Thanks....."
     Sailor Pluto silently understood. It was best this way. She felt the same way when Hotaru was dead....
     Sailor Cosmo Eos gave a sudden gasp. "The castle!!"
     Sailor Pluto followed her gaze and saw a dark forbidding castle appearing . The cheerful sky turned black and grew misty, giving it an eerie atmosphere. "Th..that is the castle of the Shadow King?!"
     "Yes." replied Sailor Cosmo Eos grimly. "And also his Queen....."
     Before Pluto could react, Sailor Cosmo Eos suddenly caught her round the waist, her back simultaneously sprouting two pairs of feathery wings.
     "HEY!! WAI-" Pluto's protest was cut off as Sailor Cosmo Eos suddenly flew forward at an enormous speed.

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     "They are approaching..." murmured the Shadow Queen as her King ran his fingers through her silky black hair.
     "Indeed."
     "You gave them two hours..yet nearly a day has past...."
     "The hunter always plays with his prey. After all, it is a battle of wits."
     The Shadow Queen smiled seductively at her husband...even after so many years, he still looked so handsome...and she remain beautiful...
     "The one call Zakros resembles you a lot, my dear." purred the Shadow Queen.
     "He IS my direct bloodkin. Yet he was too soft for the Night Tribe... probably the result of the accursed Star Tribe!"
     "But..that helped you in obtaining control of his body." said the Shadow Queen. "Unbelievablely, I too obtain easy control of my new body." She raised her pale arms and twirled them in the air. "The Earth Maiden skin is so white...."
     The Shadow King caught hold of one of her hands and brought it to his lips. "It accentuates your eyes and hair."
     The two Shadows smiled at each other...yet deep within the recesses of their minds, two voices protested faintly....stifled by the heavy sleep of darkness imposed on them....

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     "Endymion!" gasped Neo Queen Serenity as she steped out from behind an archway.
     "Serenity!" Endymion gazed in amazement at his wife. Gone was the silly girlish air of Tsukino Usagi. Now standing before him was the beauty of the moon, Serenity.
     At the utterance of both names, they realize that they had instinctively moved into their new phase of existence. They were now the regal royals of the Moon and Earth.
     "I..I..." Neo Queen Serenity was at loss for words. Mamoru Chiba too had changed, now he stood before her, looking both wise and stern. The true King of Earth...
     "I'm glad you're alright, Usako..." Endymion hugged his wife thankfully, mindfully using his term of endearment to soothe Serenity's apprehensiveness.
     "So am I...Mamochan...but we can't call each other that anymore, could we?"
     "No....Serenity." Endymion sighed. It was unavoidable. They could no longer evade their true identities any longer. He stared wistfully at the black ebony steps leading up to the castle, his chin resting slightly on Serenity's head.
     "Endymion....someone's approaching....it's Pluto and Cosmo Eos!" exclaimed Serenity as she peeped over her husband's shoulder.
     Endymion did not share her enthuasiasm. He remained where he was while Serenity ran towards the two senshis. He acknowledged Pluto's faint nod of respect. However, he was duly surprised by Sailor Cosmo Eos' wings...
     Sailor Cosmo Eos' gently disentangled herself from Serenity's embrace and raise her head to meet Endymion's gaze. [So he remembers...] Cosmo Eos sighed and bowed.
     "I, Sailor Cosmo Eos, The Cosmo Queen Of Dawn, gives my respect to the King Endymion, regarding the Earth Maiden, Endyriana."
     "Cosmo Eos..what are you saying?" questioned Serenity in surprise. "And who is Endyriana?"
     Yet sailor Cosmo Eos ignored her and remained focused on Endymion. She knew no words could express her apologies and sorrow without at least angering him.
     Finally, Endymion bowed his head and spoke in a sad tone. "I accept your condolences, Cosmo Queen. It wasn't your fault....."
     "Pluto, who is Endyriana?" demanded Serenity, remembering the Shadow Queen's words and puzzled by her husnad's dejected look.
     "Your majesty...she was Sailor Cosmo Gaia...and also Endymion's sister, she's dead now...."
     "WHAT!"

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     Neo Queen Serenity took a few sideways glance at Sailor Cosmo Eos and then Endymion. Though surprised by Mika's true identity, she was also sadden by her departure. Sailor Cosmo Eos had only curtly replied a few questions and Endymion refused to speak of it.
     They raced up the ebony steps, finally reaching a red door inlaid with golden designs. Neo Queen Serenity turned to speak and instead gasped in shock
     "Sailor Cosmo Eos! Your wings!"
     To the surprise of the others, Sailor Cosmo Eos' wings were turning blue and shrivelling. Soon it vanished completely.
     "No need to look like that." replied Sailor Cosmo Eos, amused. "My wings were the results of a spell and can only be used for a certain period."
     "So that's why you did not use them earlier!" realized Sailor Pluto. Cosmo Eos only smiled.
     The sudden flash of light streaked across the skies, illuminating the area where they were standing. In that brief instant, they saw what was on the red doors and shuddered. People squirming in pain as spears, swords and arrows pierced them. The golden designs were of monsters devouring people, their likeness eeriely evil as their blank eyes stared back at the four senshi.
     "Disgusting!" said Endymion as he protectively encircled his wife.
     "Yes, it is...." agreed Sailor Cosmo Eos as she stepped forward. With Sailor Pluto's help, she pushed the heavy red oak doors open.


Forward to Chapter 24!

Why do I bother putting this here?