Kill Sailor Moon.

        I'm in the air before the enemy can react, my sword glinting black as I pull it from its scabbard. There is a strangled gasp from the senshi as I descend and with a single blow she's knocked to the ground.

        I marvel at how easy it is to carry out my orders when others have failed so many times before.

        My queen chuckles contentedly and I feel pride swelling in my chest. Yes, I must follow my orders, but that doesn't mean I can't entertain my beloved at the same time. I pull back my sword and swing at the enemy, smacking her with the flat end and flooring her once again. A few wisps of her golden hair catch the blade and fall away.

        For such a difficult enemy, she sure is easy to defeat.

        I continue my slow torture of the senshi maiden, more than once feeling the edge of my blade sink into her flesh. She is scratched and bruised, blood seeping from multiple wounds on her once white sailor costume. She fights back once, and only once, hurling energy at me from her crescent wand.

        The light bathes my face and tousles my hair, but does little else. I notice, before lunging for the kill, that the failure of her weapon hurts her much more than any of my blows have.

        Her back is to me, an easy kill.

        My queen cheers me on.

        I raise my sword.

        Then, the senshi twists, her arm snapping out and a disk of light hurtles towards me. I have no time to react before the burning light slams into my breastplate, snapping it and, I surmise by the pain, a few of my ribs as well.

        The pain ...

        I want to die.

        My queen's screams push me to stand, to finish her off. I have to prop myself up with my sword to maintain balance. Pain breaks my body as I try to raise my sword. But then I see a glowing locket glinting in front of me, and have no will to destroy it.

        The enemy, the senshi, the defeated child, is speaking to me. She's telling me about a

        ... promise ...

        ... token ...

        ... love ...

lost years and years ago that I'm about to lose again. She holds the locket in her small hands, offering it to me. I'm entranced by the beauty of the star shaped object and the soft music that fills my ears and mind and

        ... heart ...

        My queen is saying something, but I can't hear her. I reach out to touch the delicate golden light. It caresses my fingers gently, warming my palm. Then it crawls up my arm at an alarming rate.

        I cry out.

        The light encompasses me, surrounds me in a golden embrace, and I can see and hear and understand

        ... everything ...

        I see myself sitting in a garden at night, watching a lithe figure skimming the surface of the ice on her rump. I applaud for her, much to her surprise, and walk out to the ice. I don't know why I'm bothering myself with the Lunari commoner, but my father's lectures give me any excuse I need to not be in the imperial palace of the moon at that time.

        I momentarily forget I am a prince and proceed to have a sarcastic exchange with the servant girl which unfortunately leads to my falling on the ice, water dampening the seat of my trousers.

        I talk to her and she talks back, a real conversation.

        I hadn't had one of those in forever.

        Then, she discovers I'm the Terran Prince and I fear I might lose this beautiful creature who treats me as an equal. She, in fitting coincidence, turns out to be the Lunari Princess whom I must be presented to later that evening. The fates smile upon me from the stars, and the dance we share back at the palace is not nearly so uncomfortable as it would have been. I hold her in my arms and realize that I'd actually lost something back there on the ice. My heart, my life, is hers.

        I wish silently to live the rest of my life in the arms of my princess.

        The scene shifts and I watch as Princess Serenity smiles at me, the color on her cheeks a testimony of her embarrassment. I return the smile to her and include a kiss for good measure. She blushes a deeper shade of crimson and, when we separate, tumbles to the ground the same way she had the last eight times she attempted to walk within the earth's gravity.

        I mutter something about klutzes and help her to her feet. After about five more tries, we both give up and I scoop her into my arms to escort her back to her chambers where the magi have cast a lunar gravity spell for her comfort.

        I set her on her bed she doesn't let me go. I oblige her and remain in her embrace, wishing to live the rest of my life in the arms of my princess.

        The image fades and is replaced with a ballroom filled with masked dancers. I see my princess descending a staircase and I bow to her, my cape sweeping around me. I offer my hand to her and she pulls herself into my arms, into the dance. We speak of the demise of the moon kingdom but do not feel its ramifications, only the sound of music, the warmth of our bodies, the light of her eyes.

        We walk away from the dance floor, from the musical heaven, and for a moment I stray towards the corridor leading to her quarters where we have met in secret so many times before. Relative secrecy at least, for Queen Serenity did orchestrate the meeting and politely turn her head and those of her subjects away from our intimacy. But no, we walk to the columned veranda where the earth shines bright in the lunar sky.

        To say good bye.

        I take her in my arms once again, fearing like she does that it will be for the last time. I know she thinks the moisture on our faces is from her tears, but that isn't completely true. I give an inward sigh, wishing for the millionth time that I could forget about the world, the universe, the negaverse, and live the rest of my life in the arms of my princess.

        But no, Queen Beryl had to strike.

        I protect my heart, my princess, with my life and even when the evil queen herself demands the princess's life I refuse. Then, the fire haired queen looks at me, really looks, and my skin crawls. She invites my to join her in the fight, at her side, to conquer, to kill, to rule.

        There was never any choice for me, I refuse her offer before she finishes presenting it.

        I pay for it with my life.

        I'm torn away from the princess, torn into the sky towards the gaping maw of the darkest creature I've ever seen. I hear Queen Beryl laughing and Princess Serenity crying. Then, my princess leaps into the air to follow me into oblivion. I shout at her, scream at her to go back, to survive, but she refuses and the tearing wind takes her too.

        I catch her hand in mine. Our eyes lock. I pull myself towards her, to hold her in my arms one last time.

        The blow that breaks my grip comes through my back, out my chest and into Princess Serenity's.

        I see nothing.

        The nothingness slowly coalesces and I find myself back in the dark and dismal throne room of Queen Beryl. I'm on my knees, falling limp towards the ground. Beryl is saying something, I don't hear it. In fact, I don't hear anything. I feel arms taking me into a shaky embrace and supporting me as I collapse. Sailor Moon speaks encouraging words to me, the only phrase I catch is "I love you."

        I hold her as tightly as I can, refusing to let go.

        I more feel than hear Beryl as she curses and lets loose with a flying, spear shaped crystal. Sailor Moon gasps as the weapon shocks towards us, glinting black in the gloomy light.

        There was never any choice for me, but I pay for it with my life. My arms snaps and a rose flings from my hand and shatters the crystal missile and continues onward to pierce the heart of the dark queen beyond. I throw myself over Sailor Moon as the crystal shards sink into my back.

        Queen Beryl is hurt badly. I feel smug contentment at her demise as she sinks away. For a while she held possession of me the way she wanted me in the Moon Kingdom. I shudder, remembering the days before Sailor Moon arrived to challenge the queen.

        Sailor Moon is crying. I tremble slightly as she pulls her gloved arms around me, her words slurred with tears. I try to comfort her somehow, to give her the strength she'll need to carry on. But the words fail me. I'd helped and hurt her so many times the past few days, I want to make it up to her, to live and protect her whatever the cost.

        Her voice is fading as is the color of the rose in my hand. As the darkness fills everything but the light of her eyes my final wish is granted. I smile and live the rest of my life in the arms of my princess.

Completed 7/97
Revised 4/98, 6/98
C&C Welcome Lunari@Sprynet.com