Chapter 3 Back at the shrine, Helios and Hyperion were preparing for the ceremony. They had spoken with King Endymion earlier, and though the king had expressed mild concern about Hyperion’s vision of the sad woman, he agreed that Hyperion’s control over his powers had become stable enough to support Elysion on his own, meaning, much to Helios’ relief, the ceremony would continue on schedule. Helios regretted being unable to greet Serenity before the ceremony, but all involved agreed it was for the best, as it was quite obvious now that he was significantly weakened. His morning ride on Pegasus had tired him more than he had realized, so much so that it was even a strain to undress himself for the ritual cleansing. Eos, who was attending him, stepped forward upon noticing his struggle. “Here, let me assist you, Helios-sama,” she said, helping him pull his tunic over his head, then unbuckling his belt. “Thanks,” he mumbled, too wiped out to care about modesty. Besides, she had seen it all before. When Eos had finished taking off the rest of his clothes, Helios sat down on a bench near the cleansing pool, allowing Eos to scrub his back while he made a valiant effort to wash the rest of his body. After about the third or fourth time the soap slipped out of his hands, however, he gave up, letting Eos take over. “You’ll feel stronger after a soak,” Eos said, referring to the healing waters filling the pool, which healed minor physical injuries and refreshed a person’s energy. “Yeah.” Helios sighed, slumping over. He would be glad when the transfer was complete and he would begin feeling like himself again -- whoever that might be. It had literally been eons since he had last been completely human, and he only faintly remembered what true mortality felt like. “I spoke with Princess Lady Serenity-sama earlier,” the shrine maiden remarked conversationally as she kneeled down in front of him to wash his feet. Helios’ back straightened at the mention of his maiden’s name, although he didn’t say anything. “She was disappointed when you did not come to greet her when she arrived,” Eos continued. “She kept asking me where you were.” “You didn’t tell her about the ceremony, did you?” “Umm…well…” Looking down, Helios saw that Eos was blushing, although he knew her embarrassment had nothing to do with the fact that he was naked. He sighed, realizing he should have known Eos could never keep a secret. “I didn’t tell her…exactly,” Eos finally confessed, her eyes cast downwards. “I just told her you had a surprise planned for her.” “That’s all?” Again, a pause. “Well, uh, I might have given her a little hint, but I don’t think she realizes what it is yet.” “What kind of hint, Eos?” “All I said was that you were going to make her most cherished dream come true…” “Eos!” Helios was not normally prone to loud outbursts, so Eos jumped a little in surprise at the sharpness in his voice, the soap slipping from her hands to the marble floor. “I’m sorry!” she said, bowing in apology. “Forgive me, Helios-sama. I know I shouldn’t have said anything, but the princess was so insistent, I couldn’t help myself.” “It’s okay, Eos,” he said in a softer, kinder voice, placing a hand on the top of her head and encouraging her to look back up. When she finally did, he smiled, not wanting one of her last memories of him to be of anger. “Really.” “Are you sure?” “I know how my maiden gets when she’s curious about something. I don’t think even I would have been able to hold out,” Helios said with a soft chuckle. “Besides, you said yourself that she didn’t seem to realize what you were referring to, so it may still be a surprise. It‘s fine.” Eos let out a sigh of relief and resumed helping him wash. “Good.” Once she had finished dumping several buckets full of the pool’s healing water over Helios’ head to rinse off the soap, he felt strong enough to make it into the pool himself, though Eos still hovered nearby in case he needed a helping hand. It proved unnecessary, however, so, after he was situated, she left to check on Hyperion and Aurora in the other bath. Helios felt the warm waters begin to work their magic as soon as he got in and let out a contented groan as he sat back and relaxed, fully submerged except for his head. The purpose of the ritual cleansing was not only to cleanse the body, but to help clear the head as well. Helios, after countless years of practice, normally had no trouble emptying his mind, but found it difficult when all his thoughts were of his maiden and of the wonderful life they would have once he was no longer bound to his duty. He hoped what Eos said was true, and Serenity hadn’t guessed what his “surprise” was. He had been looking forward to seeing her face when he was able to tell her that they could finally be together, like a normal couple. He had so many plans, so many things he wanted to do and experience with his maiden. Helios had seen much of the modern world in other people’s dreams, but other than occasional trips to the Crystal Palace, he never had the chance to really see the city and all that it had to offer. He wanted to go on dates with Serenity to her favorite restaurants and explore the places she always told him about, to sunbathe on the beaches along the Sea of Japan and visit the beautiful Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and Christian churches he saw in so many dreams of the particularly faithful. And the movies! Serenity liked to describe going to the cinema as being able to see somebody else’s dream (or nightmare, depending on the genre) on screen, and the idea had always fascinated Helios. A dinner and a movie seemed like quite an appropriate idea for their “first” date as a normal couple. From what he understood, it was standard first date fare. And afterwards… “Helios-sama, it’s time.” The sound of Eos’ voice startled Helios from his rather impure thought. Blushing, he craned his neck over his shoulder to see the Maenad standing at the door to the bath, a fresh set of robes in her hands. She set the robes down on the set of shelves near the door and grabbed a large, fluffy white towel, which she unfolded and held up in front of her. “Do you need any assistance getting out?” she asked, coming up behind him. Helios quickly shook his head. “I can dress myself,” he insisted, his blush deepening as he looked straight ahead. Despite his lack of modesty earlier, he didn’t want Eos to see his reaction to the arousing image of Serenity he had pictured in his mind just before she arrived. “Would you mind waiting outside for me?” “Are you sure?” He nodded, and, without argument, Eos refolded the towel and set it down beside the pool before exiting the bathing room. Once she was gone, Helios exhaled, closed his eyes, and emptied his mind as he should have done before. His arousal diminished, he then climbed out of the pool and dried off before putting on the robes Eos had left for him to wear. The ceremonial robes were different from his usual attire of a tunic and pants, far more ornate and elaborate. Made of pure white silk, they were embroidered with golden roses, the royal symbol of the ancient Golden Kingdom, and accented by clear, faceted crystals around the collar and wrists. A red sash was tied around the waist like a belt, providing a contrasting pop of color to the otherwise neutral ensemble. When finished dressing, Helios turned toward the only full-length mirror in the room, a sad smile on his face as he pressed his right hand against his reflection’s left. The jewel on his forehead glimmered. “Goodbye, Priest Helios,” he whispered. “Hello, Helios Nikolopoulos.” ***** King Endymion was waiting for Helios and Hyperion in the large chamber where the ceremony would be performed. Unlike the two of them, who were dressed in matching robes, he had donned his family’s prized armor, except instead of the usual red cape, he wore one of gold. Helios, along with Hyperion and the Maenads, who were there to assist with the ceremony, dropped to one knee in front of him. “King Endymion-sama…” “Arise, there‘s no need for that,” the king said, about as fond as formalities as Helios was. He smiled, descending from the dais where he stood to embrace Helios like a son. “So, it is time.” It was a statement, but Helios answered as if the king had asked a question. “Yes, Endymion-sama,” he said. “According to Eos, the sun is about to set. The ceremony must begin precisely at sundown in order to work.” Endymion nodded his understanding. “Then I must quickly ask you one last time -- are you certain this is what you want, Helios?” he asked, staring Helios straight in the eye. “It is not yet too late. As long as you are marked as the priest of Elysion, I can still restore your powers to you.” For one fleeting moment, Helios considered asking him to do just that. Looking over at Aurora and Eos, the latter who was discreetly wiping away a tear with a handkerchief, he thought of how much he would miss them, his constant companions for as long as he could remember. Though they weren’t related by blood, he considered them sisters of the heart, the only family he had left. The idea of not being able to see them every day was almost unimaginable, but Aurora, perhaps reading his thoughts, put on a brave smile and mouthed the words, “Go for it,” encouraging him to pursue his dream of being with the woman he loved above everything, even Elysion. “I’m certain,” Helios declared, turning back toward the king. “I want to stay by your daughter‘s side, no matter what.” The king smiled at his answer. “I could ask for no better partner for my Small Lady. Treat her well,” he said before moving onto Hyperion. Due to the extreme difference in their heights, Endymion kneeled in front of the boy so that they were nearly eye-to-eye. “And, you, young man,” he addressed Hyperion, “are you prepared to sacrifice your mortal life in order to serve Elysion, Earth, and myself? You are still so young, and it is a huge responsibility…” “I was all alone,” Hyperion said in a soft voice, barely above a whisper. “My parents had died, and nobody wanted me until I met Helios-sama in a dream. He, Eos-san, and Aurora-san -- they took care of me and treated me like I was a part of their family. I felt like I finally belonged somewhere.” Hyperion briefly glanced over at Helios. “I love them all, and I want Helios- sama to be happy. I’m going to miss him lots, but if I can help make his dream come true, then I want to repay him for all that he’s given me.” “But is becoming the priest of Elysion what you truly want for yourself as well, Hyperion?” Endymion asked him. “It is admirable you want to repay Helios for rescuing you from a life of loneliness, but you shouldn’t base your decision on gratitude alone. Nobody here will think less of you, should you change your mind.” Helios came up behind Hyperion, placing his hands on the young boy’s shoulders. “The king is right,” he said, kissing the top of Hyperion‘s golden curls. “If my happiness comes at your expense, then I will not be happy at all. I came to you in that dream because I sensed you were one who could take my place, but I have grown to love you as well. I don’t want you to chain yourself to a life you do not want, solely for my sake.” Hyperion shook his head. “This is for my sake, as well. I love this land, Elysion. It is my home, the place where I belong. From the moment I first stepped foot in this shrine, I knew becoming priest of Elysion was my calling, my destiny. I can think of no greater happiness or honor than to live here forever with Eos-san and Aurora-san, serving the people of this planet with my prayers.” “That’s a fine answer,” the king said, rising back up and placing a hand on the top of Hyperion’s head. “I do believe you will make a wonderful new priest of Elysion.” “Thank you, Your Majesty.” With the final decision made, the Maenads stepped forward to say their goodbyes. Eos, always the more demonstrative of the two, threw herself in Helios’ arms, hiding her face -- and tears -- in the fabric of his elaborate robes. “I’m going to miss you, so, so much,” she sniffled as Helios embraced her in a brotherly hug. “Come now, it’s not like we’re never going to see each other again,” Helios reminded her. “Serenity and I will be certain to visit often.” “I know, but it won’t be the same.” “Maybe not,” he agreed, lifting up Eos’ chin and lightly kissing her on the cheek, “but, no matter what, Eos, you will always be my big sister, even when I’m old and gray.” The lame joke managed to bring a small smile to Eos’ lips. “Silly boy,” she said, brushing a strand of his silvery-white hair out of his eyes. “You’re already old and gray.” Aurora then came up behind Eos and tapped her on the shoulder. “Eos, don’t be selfish and hoard Helios-sama all to yourself, now. Hyperion and I still need to say good-bye, too, you know, and the sun is about to set.” “Sorry.” Wiping away the last of her tears with the palm of her hand, Eos gave Helios a final hug and stepped back. “Good-bye, Helios-sama.” “Good-bye, Eos-nee-chan.” Aurora was much less emotional when it came to her goodbye, though Helios could tell it was taking all her willpower not to burst into tears like Eos had. “You better be happy,” she said, her voice strained, and poked him in the chest. “I’ll never forgive you if you aren’t. To give up your life here, with us…” She took in a deep breath to compose herself, then continued. “Please, just be happy, Helios-sama. That‘s all I -- no, we -- ask of you.” “I will, Aurora-nee-chan,” he promised and embraced her as well. “Thank you, for everything, and good-bye.” “Good-bye, Helios-sama.” The last one to say farewell was Hyperion, who simply hugged Helios around the waist, so tight he could barely breathe. Words were not needed, and Helios fought back tears of his own as he hugged the boy back. The two of them stayed like that until Aurora announced that it was time to start the ceremony. King Endymion resumed his spot on the dais, standing behind a marble podium and carefully opening an ancient leather-bound manuscript to the proper spell needed to perform the transfer. Eos and Aurora stood on either side of the dais, their hands folded in prayer. The two of them were to channel Elysion’s power, which would be combined with the power of Earth’s Golden Crystal during the ceremony. Hyperion and Helios were told to kneel down on their knees in the center of the room, directly in front of the dais. Their hands, too, were clasped in prayer. Surrounding them were four items, each placed to the north, south, east, and west of them. To the north was a glass of the pool’s mysterious healing water. To the south, a pile of ashes, taken from the shrine’s sacred fire. In the east, one of King Endymion’s trademark roses represented the earth, and in the west, there was a bar of pure gold. Back on the dais, just as the last rays of sun were about to set over the horizon, which they could see in the open-air room, King Endymion called forth the Golden Crystal to his hands. The holy light it possessed was nearly blinding. The king held the crystal aloft and began chanting in Terran, the language of the old kingdom. Loosely translated, the chant read: Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal Four elements created this Earth But a Dream gave it life Guardian of dreams, priest of holy Elysion You wish to end your endless dream And pass it on to another Golden Crystal, soul of Earth, Grant this final wish to your loyal servant And break the bond binding him to us Look favorably upon the candidate; Open your heart to him And mark him as successor Let this old Dream die at the sunset, Let a new Dream begin with the sunrise May the bond of Earth and Elysion, royal and priest Be reborn anew, strong and forever impenetrable. As the king finished reading the spell, the Golden Crystal’s light grew even brighter still, filling the entire room as if it were a sun. Helios closed his eyes, unable to look at it without being blinded, but he could faintly hear Eos’ and Aurora’s melodic voices chanting their prayers, calling forth Elysion’s power. Moments later, he suffered a pain like none other he had ever experienced before. It felt like his very soul was being ripped from his body, and his forehead burned with a feverish fire. Helios bit down on his lip to prevent himself from screaming in agony, but he could not stop the tears from freely flowing down his cheeks. His hands, no longer folded, clinched into fists as he crumpled over from the overwhelming pain, and the only thought in his mind was, “Make it stop! Make it stop!” And, suddenly, it did. He felt…nothing. “Helios! Somebody, get Mercury! Hurry!” The last thing he remembered was the king shouting his name and somebody -- Eos? -- crying before the world went black. ***** Though the celebration was in full swing, Serenity was not enjoying herself much. She had yet to see Helios. Despite Eos’ earlier assurance that he would be there with some wonderful surprise birthday gift for her, he was not present at the party. In fact, the Maenads appeared to be missing as well, along with her father, who had disappeared shortly after presenting her and her mother to their guests. Serenity had no idea where they could all be. Preparing her gift? The ballroom had been beautifully decorated in shades of pink, white, and silver -- her and her mother’s favorite colors -- but she had been disappointed when she came downstairs and saw nothing to indicate a wedding was to take place -- no altar, no aisle, no string quartet playing “Here Comes the Bride” as she descended the staircase with her parents. It appeared to be just a regular birthday party. But maybe the wedding was to take place somewhere else: the gardens, perhaps, or maybe the shrine. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Helios wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise by being so obvious. He most likely planned to propose to her first at the party, then have everybody follow them to the true wedding venue for the ceremony itself. “But where is he?” Serenity muttered to herself, weaving through her guests for what seemed the hundredth time, looking for a hint of short silver -white hair. “Sm-- I mean, Serenity-chan,” a soft voice said, somebody reaching for her arm. “There you are!” Serenity, not wanting to seem rude, stopped and turned around. “Oh, Mercury-sama, hello.” The soldier of water smiled and gave her a hug. “Happy birthday, Sm-- Serenity-chan,” she said, correcting herself for the second time with an apologetic bow. “I’m sorry. It’s just so difficult to break the habit of calling you Small Lady after so many years, although you are obviously no longer ‘small’. I can‘t believe you are finally eighteen!” “It’s okay. Even my parents sometimes slip up on occasion,” Serenity assured her, none-too-subtly looking over Mercury’s left shoulder. A man with silver hair had caught her eye, but she sighed when he turned around, giving her a good look at his faintly wrinkled face. Definitely not Helios. “Looking for someone?” “Sorry.” Serenity blushed, realizing her rudeness. “Um, but, well, now that you mention it, have you seen Helios?” “Helios-sama? No, I’m afraid I haven’t.” “Oh.” “But I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Mercury added, upon seeing her disappointment. “He’s been greatly looking forward to tonight.” “He has?” Serenity brightened, but before she had the chance to ask Mercury why, they were interrupted by a breathless Aurora, who grabbed Mercury by the arm. “Oh, Aurora-chan, there you are! Where’s He--” The Maenad ignored her, seemingly unaware of her presence. “Mercury- sama, come quickly!” Aurora said, pulling at Mercury’s arm. The usually calm woman was bordering on hysterics. “The shrine! Something’s gone horribly wrong! It’s Helios-sama!” For a moment, it felt like time itself had stopped, like the planet had stopped turning on its axis. Serenity was paralyzed, her breath caught in her throat, and her heart seized up as if somebody had punched a hole in her chest and grabbed it in their hand, squeezing it like one would do an orange. She faintly heard voices around her, but it sounded like they were miles away, echoes in a cavernous canyon. It can’t be true, Serenity thought. Helios is okay. He has to be okay. He just fell from a ladder, trying to hang up some wedding decorations, and broke his leg, that’s all, right? It can’t be anything worse than that. He’ll be okay. When she finally regained awareness of where she was, Mercury and Aurora were already gone. Serenity remembered Aurora saying something about the shrine, so she gathered the full skirt of her white gown in her hands and ran out of the ballroom, only faintly aware of her mother and Diana calling out her name. They may have been following after her, but Serenity didn’t look back to check, only stopping for a moment to kick off her high heels as she hit the grass. “Please be okay, Helios,” she prayed. “You have to be okay!” She was not known for athletic ability, but Serenity ran faster than she ever had before, her heart pounding against her ribcage. When she finally reached the shrine, she caught sight of Mercury and Aurora heading inside. Pushing her body to the limit, she struggled to catch up with them, following them to a room she had never seen before. In the room, Helios lay prone on the floor, her father leaning over him, giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Eos was sobbing, and a young boy -- maybe about ten or so -- who Serenity did not recognize had buried his face in the fabric of the Maenad’s flowing dress. It took Serenity a moment for the full impact of what was happening to hit her. Again, the world seemed to stop, although people were still moving around her. Maybe it was spinning around instead, out of control -- that would explain the queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Mercury took over performing the chest compressions from her father, while Aurora joined Eos and the boy, embracing her fellow Maenad, who continued crying on her shoulder. Nobody seemed to realize Serenity was there. Serenity stepped forward, her body feeling impossibly heavy. She wanted to scream, yell, but her voice was silent, her lips simply mouthing the words. *This can’t be happening. This is a nightmare. It can’t be real.* Forcing her leaden right arm to move, Serenity pinched the other, the pain bringing tears to her eyes and awakening her from her stupor, although not from the nightmare in front of her. No, it was very real, and Serenity cried out, running toward to the spot where Mercury and her father were still trying to revive him. “Helios!” Her father threw back an arm, signaling her not to come any closer, “Usagi, stay back,” he ordered, her voice harsh and very unlike him. Serenity didn’t listen, dropping to her knees beside him and Helios. Helios was so pale and lifeless, almost like a ghost… “W-What happened?” she asked as his father resumed breathing into Helios‘ mouth. “What’s wrong with him? Is he going to be okay?” “Serenity-chan, please, listen to your father,” Mercury said. “Let us handle it.” “But --” Somebody took Serenity by the arm, pulling her back up to her feet and away from Helios. “Come on, sweetheart,” her mother’s soothing, yet strained, voice said, her arm wrapped around Serenity‘s shoulder in comfort. “Papa and Mercury are doing their best to save him, so don‘t distract them.” “B-But I don’t understand. Why is he like this? What happened? What’s going on?” With every question, Serenity became more and more hysterical, hugging her mother tightly as sobs erupted through her body. “Tell me, Mama, why is this happening? Why Helios? Will he be okay? Please, tell me he will be okay!” Her mother had no answers for her, at least none she was willing to reveal. She simply held Serenity closer to her, kissing the top of her head. Over her mother’s shoulder, Serenity saw others had gathered in the room as well -- Diana in cat form and her four guardian soldiers, who had most likely followed after Diana and the queen. They all stayed back, however, for which Serenity was grateful. After what seemed like an eternity, her father finally said the words Serenity most wanted to hear: “He’s breathing again.” Relief washed over her, and Serenity’s legs buckled underneath her, pulling her mother down with her. He’s still alive! Thank goodness! “But his pulse is still weak,” Mercury said. “We need to get him to Crystal Tokyo, now.” Her father nodded his understanding and clasped the water soldier’s hand, the two of them taking each of Helios’ hands with their free ones. Glowing shades of blue and gold, the three of them shimmered briefly, then disappeared into thin air. ***** It was dark. So very, very dark… 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.