Chapter Eight - An Enemy
"Is it done?" the voice floated in the stillness of the chamber.
Beryl looked up from where she had been staring at the ground, "Yes, my
Queen." She said, "The energy the monster took from the Princess gave
us enough of a copy of her body to recreate it. Cloning has begun
already." The red haired Queen of the Negaverse hoped that the voice
could not hear the tremor of fear in HER voice.
"Very good. My plans can go ahead then. We shall soon rule over the
two kingdoms." The voice said, pleased, "You may leave Beryl." She
commanded.
"Thank you, my Queen." Beryl said politely.
"Are you sure that the Princess is dead, Beryl?" the voice asked
suddenly as Beryl left the chamber.
Beryl froze, fear written all over her face.
"Beryl?" a warning edge came into the voice.
"I - we - we weren't sure - " Beryl stammered, "The rose was
destroyed before the last of the message came through -" she trailed
off as the walls started to flicker in different colours.
"And now - what have you found out now?"
"The - the Princess and her Scouts are in a - " Beryl swallowed, "A
coma - "
"But they're alive?"
"Y-yes." Beryl whispered.
The chamber shook as Beryl was thrown onto the ground, shimmering with
dark energy as she writhed in pain.
"Beryl you IDIOT!" the voice roared, "The Princess is still ALIVE?!"
Beryl crouched down in fear, "It wasn't my fault, my Queen!" she
pleaded, "The Queen used the Imperial Crystal and drained herself to
save the Princess. The monster was killed before it could drain the
Princess to death!" Beryl held up one hand in supplicant, "We have only
to try again surely?" she begged.
"The Queen and all of those planet Guardians are now aware of that
form of attack, you fool!" the voice snapped, "Begone from here,
Beryl!" the voice roared angrily, "You are shamed!" Beryl was picked
up bodily and thrown against the wall of the room, "The Negaverse cannot
use the clone now to replace the Princess! All the energy that went into
this has gone to WASTE because of your blunder! You should have forseen
what might happen!" the walls of the chamber was thrumming in time to
the Voice's anger, "The Negaverse has to rely on our armies now! This
has set back my plans for conquest and the Imperial Crystal by years!
TOO many years!"
"My Queen - " Beryl began, holding out one hand in supplicant, "I
didn't know your plan - you didn't tell me we - You - were going to
replace the Princess Serenity -!" Beryl arched in agony as dark light
surrounded her.
"SILENCE!" the voice roared, "LEAVE NOW ELSE YOU SHALL PAY THE PRICE
FOR YOUR FAILURE!"
Beryl cringed and ran from the chamber in fear.
The chamber grew darker as the disembodied voice grew silent, the pool
of dark energy bubbling slightly.
Deep in the depths of the Dark Palace, a room was slammed shut as
a woman stood in silence, staring at the large canister in the center of
the room. Machines beeped as the water bubbled. The woman stepped
closer, wiping away condensation that had formed on the surface of the
canister. A girl floated in the water, her long blonde hair floating in
the water as she grew.
*Queen Beryl and the Negaforce are wrong.* the woman thought, *They
cannot gain anything now. The Moon Kingdom is at its strongest, even
with our armies out numbering theirs TWENTY to one, it is useless. They
have THREE of those Power Stones. But THIS way - this way is safer.
They are FOOLS to let something like this slip away.* she tapped
several numbers into a machine and the water started draining away.
The canister's walls shimmered and disappeared, sending the girl inside
down to her knees. Confused blue eyes stared up at the woman.
"W-w-where am I?" the girl asked, "W-WHO am I?"
"You are -" the woman paused, then went on, "Verena. Elder twin
sister of the evil Princess Serena." She said, "I have saved you from
Serena's plot to kill you so that SHE can become the heir to your
mother's Kingdom."
The girl's eyes grew wide, "W-w-why can't I remember?" she asked.
The woman forced her face into sadness, "The revitalization process is
slow and I cannot do a very good job. Your memory must have been lost
while I healed you." She snapped her finger and a long cloak appeared.
Efficently, she wrapped the girl in it's grey lenght, "Come, we must be
gone from here. Princess Serena's powers are great, and should she find
that you still live, she will kill you." The woman said.
"What of my Mother? Surely if we go to her?" the girl newly named
Verena asked.
"Your Mother? The Queen?" the woman laughed harshly, "Queen Serenity
would sooner kill you than save you. She encouraged Princess Serena to
do away with you."
Verena glanced down at the ground, "Where do we go?" she asked softly.
"Away to plot your return to the Throne of the Moon Kingdom." The
woman said, "You have to grow before you become strong enough to defeat
the Princess and her evil. We shall go to a safe haven I know of." The
woman snapped her fingers and they started to mist away towards the safe
haven.
"What shall I call you?" Verena asked.
"You may call me -" the woman paused, then smiled, "Mistress."
"Thank you for saving me Mistress." Verena whispered, hugging the
woman, "I can never thank you enough."
"We shall talk of this later." Mistress replied and they vanished
fully.
