Chapter 2

	The morning of June 30th, Serenity awoke with a huge smile on her face. 
Not only was it her 18th birthday, but in just a few short hours, she would be 
with Helios again in Elysion, where they would be able to spend the entire 
weekend together without worrying about his powers giving out. It truly was the 
best gift she could have ever hoped for, and she planned to spend every possible 
moment with the man she loved.

	“Good morning, Serenity-sama,” Diana said as Serenity sat up and 
stretched her arms over her head. “Happy birthday!”

	“Thank you, Diana.” 

	Serenity petted the gray cat on the head, then climbed out of bed, 
walking over to her closet to pick out what to wear when she arrived in Elysion. 
As an early birthday present, her parents had presented her with her own credit 
card, which she had promptly used to go on a shopping spree with her guardian 
senshi. Her closet, bare just a week ago, was once again filled with all the 
latest styles. 

	After some deliberation, she selected a red-and-white polka-dot printed 
sundress. It was sweet, but still showed off her womanly curves. She then got 
dressed, humming a cheerful little tune to herself as she sat down at her vanity 
and styled her hair in her usual odango, tying red ribbons around them to 
complement the dress. A ruby necklace and a dab of cherry-flavored lip gloss 
completed the look.

	“So, how do I look?” Serenity asked her guardian cat after she had 
finished, standing up and twirling around so Diana could see the full effect. 
“Do you think Helios will like it?”

	Diana, still sitting on Serenity’s bed, sighed. “You look beautiful as 
always, Serenity-sama…” she said.

	“But?” Serenity prompted, sensing the cat wanted to add something more 
to that statement.

	Indeed, Diana appeared to be fighting an internal struggle, biting down 
on her tongue as if to prevent herself from saying what was really on her mind. 
“It’s your birthday. so I’m not going to lecture you today,” she finally 
decided, much to Serenity’s relief. 

	“Thanks, I appreciate it, Diana.” 

	The last thing she wanted was to be reminded yet again that her love for 
Helios was ultimately hopeless, especially on her birthday. She was determined 
not to think about it the entire weekend, if possible. Even if it was only for 
two days, Serenity wanted to pretend they were a normal couple in love, with 
their entire lives ahead of them.

	“But…”

	Before Diana could finish thought, however, there was a soft knock on 
her door. *Who could that be?* Serenity wondered, walking over to the door to 
answer it.

	“Surprise! Happy birthday, Serenity-sama!”

	Outside the door, Ceres stood holding a small lit birthday cake, the 
other three members of her guard blowing noisemakers and tossing colorful 
confetti behind her. Without being invited in, the four girls came inside and 
began to sing a rousing chorus of the traditional “Birthday Song”.

	Happy birthday to you!
	Happy birthday to you!
	Happy birthday, dear Serenity-sama!
	Happy birthday to you!

	“And many, many more,” Palla couldn’t resist adding, complete with jazz 
hands.

	“Guys…” Serenity smiled, touched by the unexpected surprise. “You didn’t 
have to do this,” she said. “My party isn’t until later tonight.”

	“Yeah, but those royal affairs are always so formal and stuffy,” Juno 
said, wrinkling her nose in distaste, “and you’ll have to share the spotlight 
with your mother. We thought it would be more fun to have a private celebration 
of our own, like we did when we were in training at Fort Crystal.”

	“Besides, we knew you wouldn’t mind an excuse to have two birthday 
cakes,” Vesta teased, knowing Serenity far too well.

	“Speaking of cakes…” Ceres stepped forward and held up the cake -- a 
delicious-looking confection covered with creamy strawberry frosting and 
decorated with red rosettes -- to Serenity. “This thing is getting heavy, and 
the candles are starting to melt. Make a wish and blow them out, so we can eat.”

	Serenity thoughtfully stared at the eighteen pure white candles and the 
dancing flames, considering Ceres’ words. “A wish, huh?”

	There was only one true wish in her heart, and it would never come true. 
She knew that, yet when Serenity closed her eyes in preparation to blow out the 
candles, all she could see was a vision of a golden-eyed priest, herself 
standing next to him, dressed in a beautiful white gown befitting a bride -- her 
most cherished dream.

	*Please, no matter how impossible it may be, let Helios be by my side 
always,* she wished, inhaling deeply, then releasing her breath in one long, 
steady stream.

	All the candles extinguished in one try.

*****

	As his faithful horse Pegasus landed near the Crystal Lake after their 
final ride together over Elysion, Helios inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar 
smells of the forest that he had loved for so long. It was hard to believe that 
in just a few short hours, Elysion would be his home no longer.

	In the five years since he had first put his plan into action, Helios 
had never really allowed himself to think of “after”. Whether it was because he 
thought it might jinx things, or because he was afraid if he did, he might 
change his mind, Helios did not know, but now that the day had arrived, an 
undeniable sadness had fallen over him, mixed with conflicting feelings of 
excitement and anticipation.

	After dismounting Pegasus, he led the winged unicorn over to the edge of 
the lake to quench his thirst. Pegasus, however, ignored the water, nuzzling at 
Helios’ cheek as if to reassure him that everything would be okay. Though 
Pegasus did not possess the ability to talk, Helios had cared for him for so 
long, it sometimes felt like he could actually understand the horse as if he 
were speaking human language.

	“Oh, I’m going to miss you, boy,” Helios murmured, running his hands 
over Pegasus’ pure white coat. “You have no idea how much. You, and Aurora, and 
Eos, and Hyperion…”

	Thinking of the boy who would take his place as the new priest of 
Elysion, Helios sighed. Over the years of training him, Helios had grown 
attached to the dreamy, energetic youngster, to the point that Helios almost 
considered Hyperion like his adopted son. And, like most fathers, he worried how 
his “son” would fare after he was gone. Hyperion had come far in his training 
and had accomplished much, but Helios feared he was not quite ready yet to take 
over the reins on his own, so to speak.

	It was a concern Aurora and Eos both shared as well. The three of them 
had done everything they could over the past week to try to prepare him for what 
was to come, but Hyperion still had difficulty in controlling his powers. It 
wasn’t his fault; the boy tried his best, but he was still green and immature, 
and his dreamy nature made it hard for him to focus his concentration when in 
prayer. Even the slightest distraction could cause his mind to wander, although 
he was getting better at it.

	Ever since the day of Serenity’s return, Eos and Aurora, along with King 
Endymion, had been trying to convince Helios to give Hyperion more time to 
mature into his powers. Helios had to admit that would probably be the best 
course of action, just to be on the safe side, but after waiting over a thousand 
years for his maiden to return to her proper time, then losing five more years 
while she trained on the moon with her guardian senshi, he was impatient. He 
wanted to be with her, and even a month delay would seem like an eternity. Maybe 
it was selfish of him, and maybe even foolish, but Helios didn’t care, as long 
as it meant he and Serenity could finally be together.   

	“Helios-sama!”

	Startled from his thoughts by somebody calling his name, Helios turned 
around to see a young boy running toward him, a huge, ever-present smile on his 
face. The boy was dressed in a manner similar to Helios, but he did not yet 
possess the jewel on his forehead that would mark him as the priest of Elysion; 
that would be bestowed upon him during the final ceremony later that evening.

	“Morning, Hyperion,” Helios said, raising his hand in greeting, as well 
as to signal the boy to stop before he ran straight into the lake. It wouldn’t 
be the first time that had happened. “You’re in high spirits as always, I see.”

	Hyperion braked just inches away from the edge, throwing his arms out 
like wings to prevent himself from falling in. He then turned around and dropped 
to one knee before Helios, a closed fist over his heart. “Good morning, Helios-
sama.”

	Helios motioned for the boy to stand back up. Hyperion’s tendency to 
treat him with such reverence, as if he was some kind of king or god, had always 
bothered him, but it felt even more inappropriate now that his replacement was 
now so much more powerful than he was. “There’s no need for formalities today. 
You are priest of Elysion in all but in name. If anything, I should bow to you.”

	Silver eyes, the opposite of his golden ones, looked up in surprise. 
“No, please don’t,” Hyperion said, rising back to his feet. “I am not yet 
worthy, and I never will be, compared to you.”

	“Don’t think so little of yourself. You will make a fine priest of 
Elysion.”

	“Do you really think so?”

	Helios smiled. “I would not be able to leave this land I love if I 
didn’t trust it was in good hands,” he said, placing a fatherly hand on 
Hyperion’s shoulder. Despite his minor concerns, Helios had confidence that 
Hyperion would do just fine in his role as the new priest. There would be an 
adjustment period, obviously, but Earth and Elysion were at peace, so even if 
the protective barrier was a little weaker than usual, it would be fine. “Tell 
me, how did your prayer session go?”

	The morning prayers were to be the final test to determine if Hyperion 
was ready to take on the mantle of priest of Elysion. King Endymion refused to 
go through with the ceremony until Hyperion proved able to support Elysion 
through his prayers alone.

	“Eos-san and Aurora-san said I did well,” Hyperion boasted, obviously 
proud of himself. “I concentrated really hard the whole time, and I didn’t make 
a single major mistake. Elysion should be protected until after the ceremony.”

	Helios let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. 
“Wonderful! It seems those concentration exercises Mars-sama taught you have 
paid off. What about visions? Did you receive any during your prayers?”

	A frown crossed Hyperion’s lips, replacing his satisfied grin, and his 
eyes darted to the right. “I saw one, but I didn’t understand it,” he admitted. 
“It was very faint, and I couldn’t hear most of what she was saying.”

	“She?”

	“It was a beautiful woman with long hair. I could not make out more than 
that.”

	“What did she say? Did you catch anything important at all?”

	Hyperion shook his head, still not looking at him. “I’m sorry, Helios-
sama,” he apologized. “She was *very* pretty, and I think I may have been a 
little distracted.” A faint blush colored his cheeks. “I know she said my name, 
and yours a couple of times, but that’s all I really remember save for some 
random ‘and’s and ‘but’s.”

	Helios resisted the uncharacteristic urge to roll his eyes. He had hoped 
to convert Hyperion before the boy began to notice the opposite sex, to save him 
from the complications he had faced when he fell in love with Serenity, but 
evidently Hyperion had reached puberty a bit ahead of schedule.

	“Well, how did she sound? Act? Did you get the impression that her 
message was urgent?”

	“No, she just seemed…sad, I guess. I think she was just expressing her 
regret that you would no longer be the priest of Elysion.”

	Helios pursed his lips. He wished he knew for certain what the woman had 
said, but it didn’t seem like Elysion was in any kind of danger. The little 
power he had left consisted of the bond between himself, Elysion, Endymion, and 
Earth, and he sensed nothing to indicate trouble. Indeed, the pulse of Elysion 
felt strong and secure, thanks to Hyperion’s prayers of protection. Not all 
visions were those of warning and premonition, so Helios chose to agree with 
Hyperion’s interpretation of the vision and pushed it to the back of his mind. 

	“If that’s all, then I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about,” Helios 
finally said, smiling and ruffling the boy’s golden blond hair. “Your ability to 
receive visions should improve once you receive the blessings of the Golden 
Crystal. You did well, but, next time, try to keep your hormones in check, 
okay?”

	Hyperion’s blush deepened, but he nodded, saying, “I will.”

	The two of them sat down on the grass, Hyperion laying on his back with 
his hands behind his head while Helios looked out onto the clear blue lake. “You 
know, this is where I first met her,” he said.

	“Princess Serenity-sama?” 

	Helios nodded. 

	“What is she like, the princess?” Hyperion asked, rolling over on his 
stomach and propping himself up with his elbows.. “She must be incredibly 
beautiful for you to give up your life here in Elysion just to be with her.”

	“Yes, she is physically attractive, but it is her soul that is truly 
beautiful,” he said, smiling as he thought of his maiden. “She is the kindest, 
sweetest, bravest person I have ever met, and she has so many wonderful dreams. 
That’s why I’m doing this. I want to make all her dreams come true, no matter 
what it takes.”

	“But won’t you miss being the priest of Elysion?”

	Helios sighed. “Yes, of course I will,” he admitted. “This has been my 
home for almost my entire life, and it has been an honor serving as the priest 
of this land, but I have a new dream now.”

	“To be with the princess?”

	“I want to be by her side for the rest of my life.”  

	At that moment, Helios felt a slight warming in his heart. It meant the 
king had arrived in Elysion. Hyperion, though his connection was not so strong, 
appeared to sense King Endymion’s arrival as well. The two of them nodded their 
mutual understanding, and Helios mounted Pegasus, offering his hand to help 
Hyperion climb up. They then flew back to the shrine, where both their lives 
would change forever.

*****

	The first thing Serenity did when the royal family and their entourage 
of senshi, advisors, and trusted servants arrived at the Golden Palace was look 
around for Helios. She had assumed he would be there waiting for her, just as 
anxious to see her as she was him, but the only two people there to greet them 
were his two shrine maidens, Eos and Aurora. Serenity frowned, but tried not to 
look too disappointed lest Ceres decided to lecture her again about her hopeless 
feelings for Helios. Unlike Diana, Ceres had no qualms about scolding her on her 
birthday and had already made Serenity promise to dance with at least three 
other available men at her birthday celebration later that night.

	*Where is he?* Serenity couldn’t help but wonder, though, as Eos and 
Aurora greeted them and began directing the servants where to take their things. 
*Helios always comes to greet Papa and me when we come to Elysion. Something 
feels…off.*

	Absentmindedly petting Diana, who she carried in her arms, Serenity 
glanced over at her father and mother, deep in conversation with Aurora. Her 
father seemed tense, almost nervous -- an unusual occurrence for a man who was 
normally so self-assured and in control -- and her mother was rubbing circles on 
his back with one hand, as if trying to relax him. Serenity strained to hear 
what they were talking about over the hustle and bustle going on around her, but 
they were speaking in soft voices, and the only words she managed to make out 
were “Helios”, “crystal”, and “ceremony” before Eos startled her from her 
concentration.

	“May I show you to your room, Your Highness?” the shrine maiden asked, 
standing right in front of Serenity so she could no longer spy on her parents 
without being obvious.

	Serenity wanted to stay and see if she could decipher more of her 
parents’ and Aurora’s conversation, but a quick, covert look over Eos’ shoulder 
revealed that the three of them had slipped out of the room while she had been 
distracted. Resigned, Serenity nodded and allowed the shrine maiden to take her 
and Diana to the suite where they would be staying for the weekend.

	“I hope these rooms are to your satisfaction,” Eos said, pulling apart a 
set of velvet drapes covering a large window, which gave them fantastic view of 
the shrine where she, Aurora, and Helios lived. “Your senshi have been given 
rooms nearby, and your parents are in the master suite as usual. Diana, your 
room is just beyond those doors, should you wish to sleep in human form.” She 
indicated a set of double golden doors leading to a smaller bedroom, then turned 
back to Serenity. “Is there anything else I can get for you? Extra towels? More 
blankets?”

	Diana, upon hearing that she had her own room, jumped out of Serenity’s 
arms and transformed into her teenaged human form. She immediately went to check 
it out, leaving Serenity alone with Eos and giving the princess the perfect 
opportunity to ask the shrine maiden about Helios and the conversation she had 
partially overheard between her parents and Aurora.  

	“No, I think we’re fine for the moment,” Serenity said, taking a seat on 
the queen-sized bed. “I do have a question, though, if you don‘t mind.”

	“Oh?”

	“Where is Helios?” she asked, trying to sound as casual as possible just 
in case Eos and Aurora shared Ceres’ and Diana’s opinion of their relationship. 
“He usually comes to greet Papa as soon as he arrives in Elysion.”

	“Helios-sama?” Eos, turning away from Serenity, began opening the rest 
of the curtains in the room, letting in the sunlight. “I’m not sure. Perhaps he 
has gone out for a ride. He likes to take Pegasus out this time of day for 
exercise.”

	“Knowing that we were to arrive today?” Something about Eos’ behavior 
told Serenity that the shrine maiden was lying. “That isn’t like Helios.” 

	“Maybe he forgot.”

	“My birthday?”

	Eos let go of the curtain she had been tying back, apparently realizing 
her mistake. Serenity knew that Helios would never forget her birthday and 
wondered just what everybody was hiding from her.

	“I overheard my parents and Aurora talking about him,” Serenity 
continued, not giving Eos the chance to come up with another implausible cover 
story for Helios’ absence. 

	“Oh?” The shrine maiden resumed tying back the curtain. “What did they 
say?”

	“I couldn’t hear much. There was too much going on, and they snuck out 
before I got the chance to get any closer, but I know I heard Helios‘ name, and 
I have a feeling you know exactly what they were discussing. Where did they go, 
and why hasn‘t Helios come to greet me?”

	With a sigh, Eos finally turned back around. “I wish I could tell you, 
Your Highness, but I promised Helios-sama that I would not say anything to you,” 
she said.

	“Why?”

	“It’s a surprise,” Eos said, immediately slapping a hand over her mouth. 
“Oh, you’ve made me say too much already!”

	“A surprise?” Serenity rose from her seat on the bed, her eyes wide. She 
always loved surprises. “A surprise for me?”

	“Forget I ever said anything. I shouldn‘t have even said that much.”

	“No, wait!” As Eos started to leave, Serenity reached for her arm. “You 
can’t just tell me something like that, then walk off without telling me what it 
is. That‘s too cruel.”

	Eos smiled. “Your Highness, you will find out soon enough. Surely, you 
can wait until tonight’s celebration to find out what it is.”

	“But that’s *hours* away,” Serenity groaned, acting more like an eight-
year-old girl than the eighteen-year-old woman she was supposed to be. “Can’t 
you at least give me a hint? Just a teeny, tiny one?”

	“Don’t you want to be surprised?”

	“I will be, I promise. It’s just going to drive me crazy if I have 
absolutely no idea what it’s going to be. All I‘m asking for is a hint, and I 
promise I won‘t tell Helios that you told me about the surprise.”

	“Well…” 

	Conflicted, Eos bit her bottom lip. Serenity could tell that she was 
dying to spill the beans about what Helios had planned. Between the two shrine 
maidens, Eos was known as the gossip, and it was always difficult for her to 
keep secrets. That was why Serenity knew she had a better chance of finding out 
what the surprise was from Eos, rather than tight-lipped Aurora, who was 
notoriously difficult to crack.

	“Please, Eos-chan,” Serenity begged, giving Eos her best “pleading 
eyes”. “Just a little one?”

	“Oh, you know I can never say ‘no’ to you when you do that,” Eos said 
with a roll of her eyes. “You aren’t playing fair! Fine, just a little hint, but 
you didn’t hear it from me, okay?” Though they were the only ones in the room, 
Diana still exploring the rest of the suite, Eos made a show of looking around 
before cupping her mouth and whispering in Serenity’s ear, “Helios-sama plans to 
make your most cherished dream come true tonight.”

	“My most cherished dream?”

	Eos brought a finger to her lips, shushing Serenity. “That’s absolutely 
all you are going to get out of me,” she declared. “Now, I am required back at 
the shrine. Happy birthday, Your Highness, and I look forward to seeing you 
tonight at the ball.”

	With a bow of respect, Eos left the suite, leaving Serenity to fall back 
on her bed and ponder what she had told her. *My most cherished dream… How can 
Helios possibly make something like that come true?* she wondered with a sigh, 
thinking back to the wish she had made that morning on the cake her senshi had 
made for her. *It’s impossible for him to live with me in the human realm, and 
as much as I would like to live here in Elysion, I have a duty to citizens of 
Crystal Tokyo; I can’t abandon my responsibilities as crown princess, not even 
for love.*

	But then she remembered the day of her homecoming, and what Helios had 
told her just before he had to return to Elysion: *Continue believing in your 
most cherished dream.* Serenity recalled how certain he had seemed that one day 
her dream would come true, despite the futility of such a wish, but maybe their 
situation wasn’t so hopeless after all. Maybe Helios had discovered some way 
they could be together! 

	The moment the forbidden thought came to her, however, Serenity pushed 
it away. She could not allow herself to hope for that. The disappointment would 
be too much for her to bear, and she already knew that such a thing was 
impossible. The surprise had to be something else, but what?

	Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Diana, who had 
just returned to Serenity’s room, offered to answer it. “This is for Her 
Highness,” a voice Serenity recognized as belonging to one of her handmaidens 
said. “Special delivery.”

	“I’ll take it. Thank you, Hitomi-chan,” Diana said, taking whatever the 
package was and closing the door behind her.

	Serenity sat back up, curious when she saw the garment bag in Diana’s 
hands. “What is it?” 

	Diana grinned. “I believe it’s your dress for tonight’s celebration,” 
she replied. “Shall I do the honors?”

	Serenity nodded, Helios’ surprise, for the moment, forgotten. “Open it, 
open it!” she prodded, as anxious to see the dress as Diana was. Her parents had 
commissioned the one-of-a-kind dress from one of Crystal Tokyo’s top designers 
months before her return to Earth, so she had no idea what it looked like. 

	Diana unzipped the garment bag and gasped as she pulled out the white 
silk dress and held it up. “Oh, Serenity-sama, it’s gorgeous!”

	Serenity had to agree. She had never seen a more beautiful gown in her 
entire life. The dress had an empire waist, a row of pearls sown underneath the 
bust and along the neckline. More strands of pearls served as sleeves, and a 
lace overlay covered the bodice. The skirt was full and flowing.

	Taking the dress from Diana’s hands, she walked over to a full-length 
mirror and held the dress in front of her, imagining Helios’ face when he saw 
her wearing it. It was guaranteed to take his breath away.

	“Why don’t you try it on?” Diana suggested. “Make sure it fits, since 
you weren’t able to go to any of the fittings.”

	Serenity didn’t need to be persuaded. She immediately went behind the 
silk screen in the corner of the room and changed, pleased when the dress fit 
her perfectly. Upon emerging from behind the screen, she twirled around for 
Diana, who clapped in approval.

	“You look beautiful, Serenity-sama,” Diana gushed as Serenity admired 
her reflection in the mirror. “It’s almost like you’re a bride on your wedding 
day!”

	“Tha-- Wait, what did you say?” Serenity abruptly turned back around, 
her eyes wide.

	Diana, confused, frowned. “What do you mean?”

	“Repeat what you just said.”

	“Uh… It’s almost like you’re a bride on your wedding day?” the catgirl 
repeated, tilting her head to the side. “Did I say something wrong?”

	Serenity shook her head, bringing her hand to her mouth in shock. *Could 
that be it?* she thought, recalling the earlier conversation between her parents 
and Aurora. *They mentioned something about a ceremony. Were they talking about 
a wedding ceremony? Is that Helios’ surprise?* 

	“Serenity-sama?”

	They couldn’t live together, but, to her knowledge, there was nothing 
that said they couldn’t get married. Of course, they wouldn’t have a 
conventional marriage by any definition of the word… Was it possible?

	“Serenity-sama?”

	In her mind, marriage and living together were always a package deal. 
She never considered the fact that they could get married and *not* live 
together. It would be difficult, certainly, and it wasn’t *exactly* what she had 
envisioned earlier that morning when she made her birthday wish, but in light of 
their situation, it was the next best thing. At least she would get the wedding 
of her dreams, if not the life.

	“Serenity-sama!” Diana grabbed her by the arm, lightly shaking Serenity 
back to her senses. “Are you okay?”

	“Hmm?”

	“You spaced out there for a minute. Are you feeling okay?” Diana 
repeated, placing a hand on her forehead and frowning. “You don’t feel feverish, 
but you are looking a bit flushed.”

	“I’m fine, Diana,” Serenity assured her, beaming. “In fact, I’m even 
better than fine!” Taking both of Diana’s hands, she twirled her around in a 
circle, laughing like a little girl. “I feel wonderful! This is going to be the 
best birthday ever!”


DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at 
ElysionDream@aol.com. Special thanks to my editor Starsea.