WARNING: Some discussion of suicide. Chapter 14 “Damn it, Mercury-sama, pick up!” Serenity punched the blue button on her communicator for the third time in just as many minutes, but the screen remained blank, the call unanswered. She growled in frustration, resisting the urge to smash the communicator to the ground. Where the hell was Mercury when she was needed? “Serenity-sama, please try to calm down,” Aurora said, having calmed down herself after they had checked on Hyperion and moved him to a couch inside the shrine. “It seems Hyperion-sama merely fainted. His pulse is normal, his breathing is steady, and his injuries are minor. I don’t believe he’s in any immediate danger.” “Maybe so, but I’ll feel better once I hear that from a doctor. There’s a chance he might have a concussion,” Serenity said, trying to reach Mercury once again with no luck. “Damn it! Why isn’t she answering?” Eos took a seat on the edge of the couch where Hyperion lay, still unconscious, and brushed the hair off his forehead to check his temperature. “He doesn’t seem to have a fever,” she said. Looking up at Aurora, who stood behind the couch, hugging herself, she asked, “What happened before he collapsed?” “Nothing out of the ordinary. At least, nothing that I noticed. Hyperion-sama had just finished performing his prayers. He stood up, and he seemed a little unsteady on his feet, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. Then when he was near the bottom of the staircase, he suddenly collapsed and fell down the rest of the way.” “It’s fortunate that he didn’t have that far to fall. His injuries could have been much worse. These scratches and bruises can be easily healed in the bath.” Serenity, for the moment taking a break from contacting Mercury, looked up from her communicator and frowned. “Aurora-chan, are you certain he didn’t purposely throw himself down the steps?” She hated to think such a thing, but considering the circumstances and Hyperion‘s current state of mind, she had to ask. “I can’t be positive, but I don’t think so, this time. It didn’t seem like a deliberate act to me,” Aurora said. “Besides, if he truly intended to kill himself, wouldn’t he have fallen from the top of the tower, rather than the bottom?” “Right before you came to tell us what happened, Serenity-sama told me Hyperion-sama has been having nightmares,” Eos informed Aurora, whose complexion visibly paled in response to the news, just as Eos’ had earlier. “Is it possible he collapsed from a lack of power? Since it happened right after he finished his prayers, he was probably very weak, and add that to the fact he hasn’t been eating well for the past few weeks…” “Hyperion-sama has been having nightmares?” Aurora looked down at Hyperion and shook her head. “This isn’t good. If his powers are weakening, then the barrier won’t be as strong. Earth and Elysion will be vulnerable to attack. Things have been peaceful ever since the Black Moon clan invaded Crystal Tokyo, but we can‘t risk letting our guard down.” “Can’t you and Eos-chan assist him with his prayers?” Serenity suggested. “If you two joined him, he wouldn’t have to use as much of his own powers, right?” “We can, but it would only be a temporary fix, and our prayers aren’t as potent as those offered by the priest.” Aurora turned around, leaning against the back of the couch. “I hate to say it,” she said in a low voice, “but I think Helios- sama may have made a mistake in naming Hyperion-sama as his successor.” “Aurora, no,” Eos protested. “I know Hyperion-sama had difficulties in controlling his powers at first, but he’s worked so hard, and he loves Elysion so very much.” “It’s not a question of dedication and devotion, Eos. Hyperion-sama has both in spades. I’m not denying that. However, it’s becoming clear that Hyperion-sama doesn’t have the mental maturity to deal with the realities of being priest of Elysion. Perhaps if he had a few more years to mature into the role, he may have handled the transition better, but Helios-sama was simply too impatient to wait.” “You’re blaming Helios?” Serenity asked. She was unable to hide her anger at the accusation. Eos fidgeted on the couch, obviously uncomfortable. “It’s true that Aurora, Endymion-sama, and myself tried several times to convince Helios-sama to postpone the ceremony,” she admitted, staring down at her hands. “We worried that Hyperion-sama might not be experienced enough to handle his duties by himself,” Aurora elaborated, turning back around to face Serenity. Like Eos, however, she too was unable to look Serenity in the eye. “As Eos said before, Hyperion-sama was not a natural when it came to controlling his powers. He was often unfocused and absent-minded, but he had begun to improve as of late, enough so that both he and Helios-sama felt he was ready to take over. Even we judged Hyperion-sama proficient enough during his trial prayer session.” She sighed. “Perhaps, we are partly to blame as well. We loved and respected Helios-sama so much, it’s possible we overlooked Hyperion-sama’s faults in favor of Helios-sama’s opinion.” Silence fell over the room’s occupants as they contemplated Aurora’s words. They were so lost in their own thoughts that they barely noticed Hyperion start to stir back into consciousness. “I believe in Helios,” Serenity finally declared. “He may have been impatient, as you said, but I don’t think he would have gone through with the ceremony if he didn’t think Hyperion-sama could handle his duties. Helios loves Elysion more than anyone; he would not knowingly put this land and Earth in danger for his own selfish wants.” “Serenity-sama…” Just then, a beep emitted from Serenity’s communicator. She picked it back up and saw that the blue button was pulsating. It was from Mercury. “Finally!” Serenity pushed the button, enabling the connection, and Mercury‘s face appeared in the video screen. “Mercury-sama, I’m glad you called back. Would you mind --” “Serenity-chan, you need to return to Crystal Tokyo as soon as possible,” Mercury interrupted, her face stern and serious. “Come to the hospital. It’s Helios- sama.” ***** The second she and Diana arrived at Tokyo General Hospital, Serenity headed straight to the nurses’ station. “Where is Helios?” she demanded of the young nurse on desk duty. The nurse rose to her feet and bowed. “Y-Your Highness!” “Never mind the formalities. What room is Helios Nikolopoulos in?” “Um, yes… How do you spell that?” the nurse asked, flustered in the presence of the crown princess. “Never mind!” Serenity snapped. She was not normally so rude, but she was not in the mood to deal with incompetence. “I’ll find him myself.” “Serenity-sama!” Diana bowed in apology to the nurse and followed after Serenity as she stormed off in the direction of the elevators. “Serenity-sama, I know you are worried, but you have to calm down.” “You know, I’m sick and tired of people telling me to calm down. I can’t calm down! Not until I know what happened.” Serenity mashed the “up” button on the nearest elevator, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the doors to open. “Ugh, this is taking too long! This is the 30th century, for crying out loud! Why are these still as slow as they were in the past?” “Where are you going? This is a huge hospital, and you don’t even know what floor Helios-sama is on.” “I’ll start with the second and make my way up.” “That will take forever.” Diana grabbed Serenity by the shoulders and turned her around so that they were facing each other. “Listen, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. All this running around isn’t going to help you find him any faster. After you settle down, we’ll go back to the nurse’s station and find out what room Helios-sama is in. Okay?” Serenity did as she was told, realizing that Diana was right. Freaking out when she didn’t even know what was happening wouldn’t help anything. “Better?” She nodded. “Thank you, Diana. I needed that.” The two of them began heading back to the nurses’ station, but were intercepted by Mercury. “Serenity-chan, Diana, good, I’m glad you’re here.” Despite Diana‘s words, Serenity felt herself getting worked up again. “What happened, Mercury-sama? Why is Helios back in the hospital?” “I was just on my way to update the king and queen on Helios-sama’s condition,” the doctor said, stepping into the elevator Serenity had been waiting to open and holding open the doors so they could join her. “Come with me. I’ll explain everything then.” Though they were only going up to two floors, the elevator ride seemed to take forever. Serenity resumed tapping her foot; Diana took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. When they finally reached the third floor, Mercury led them to the waiting room where her mother and father were waiting, along with the Sailor Quartet. Everybody except for the king, who sat with his head in his hands, not even looking at Serenity, stood up when they entered the room. Serenity threw herself in her mother’s arms. “Mama…” Her mother kissed the top of her head. “It’s going to be okay, sweetie,” she murmured before looking over at Mercury. “Right, Ami-chan?” Mercury, however, looked grim. “At the moment, Helios-sama is in serious condition.” “What happened?” Diana asked. “Like everything else concerning this case, it’s difficult to say. The only thing I can tell you for certain is that he went into cardiac arrest.” “You mean, like a heart attack?” Serenity turned back around, disengaging herself from her mother’s embrace. “I don’t understand. You said other than the fact he couldn’t wake up, Helios was healthy. Why would he suddenly have a heart attack?” “First off, I must clarify that cardiac arrest is not the same thing as a myocardial infarction -- or, in layman’s terms, a heart attack -- although a heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest,” Mercury explained. “Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating, cutting off blood circulation in the body. As for why Helios-sama went into cardiac arrest…” Sighing, Mercury slipped on her reading glasses and looked over the electronic files in her Mercury Computer. “I wish I could give you an explanation, but I can’t. None of the tests we’ve performed have given us any definite cause, and his heart appears to be quite healthy. Considering the case, I’m inclined to believe it was not a medical cause at all, but related to whatever put him in the coma in the first place.” “Will… Will he be okay?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer. Her heart pounded in her chest. “We’ll continue to monitor him closely, but…” Mercury took off her glasses and placed them back into the pocket of her lab coat, then closed her eyes. “I think you should all begin preparing for the worst.” “No.” Serenity shook her head, unwilling to accept that. There had to be something more they could do to save him. “No,” she repeated, looking over at Mercury. It had to be some kind of cruel joke. Helios couldn’t possibly…he couldn’t… “No…no!” Realizing that Mercury was telling the truth, Serenity collapsed, her mother catching her in her arms and falling to her knees. She rocked her back and forth like a baby as the tears began to fall. ***** A light shone in the darkness. It was just a sliver, barely thicker than a strand of hair, but after spending so much time in an unending world of night, the beam of light seemed like a ray of sunshine. Helios could barely believe his eyes. He blinked twice before confirming that it was indeed real and not a figment of his imagination. He felt himself drawn to it, yet a part of him feared it. It was not the light of either King Endymion’s Golden Crystal or his maiden’s Pink Moon Crystal, but it conveyed a sense of being just as powerful -- if not even more so -- as those royal artifacts. The best word Helios could use to describe it was “awe-inspiring”, and he felt a warmth in his heart even as a chill ran up his spine. The light spoke to him -- not so much in words, but he understood it just the same. It was telling him not to be frightened, that everything would be okay if he only followed it. All he had to do was touch it, and his never-ending nightmare would be over. His body began moving on its own volition, “swimming” toward the thread of light. Helios was powerless to stop it, feeling a magnetic force pulling him toward it. He gave up fighting against it and began actively trying to reach the holy light, pushing down his fear. He wasn’t certain, but it was possible that the light would lead him back to the world of the living. ***** Half in a daze, Serenity walked the quiet halls of the ICU, following the directions Mercury had given her to Helios’ room. The sound of her heels echoed loudly in the silence. When she finally came to a stop in front of the door labeled with Helios’ name, Serenity reached for the doorknob, but did not turn it. A part of her did not want to see him. As long as she didn’t lay eyes on him, she could pretend that it wasn’t real, that this really was a nightmare from which she would soon awaken. However, she knew she had to face reality, so inhaling deeply, she squared back her shoulders and opened the door. Unlike the first time she saw him in the hospital, Helios was attached to many machines, including a ventilator. His condition had worsened to the point that he couldn’t even breath on his own. Serenity choked back a sob when she saw him, tears burning her eyes. He looked so pale and lifeless… The nightmare truly had become her reality. After managing to recompose herself, Serenity took a seat in the chair beside his bed and reached for Helios’ hand. There was so much she wanted -- no, needed -- to tell him, yet the words would not come, her throat closing up as she struggled not to cry. She tried to speak anyhow. “Helios… I love you. I will always love you,” she said, her voice strained and cracking. “They’re telling me that I should say my goodbyes to you, but I don’t know how to do that. How can I possibly say goodbye to the person I love most in the world? It’s… It’s too hard.” A few tears managed to escape, and Serenity kissed the back of Helios’ hand, tasting the salt as they coated her lips. “Don’t make me say it,” she continued, holding his hand to her cheek. “Open your eyes and tell me this isn’t goodbye. Tell me that we’ll always be together and you’ll never leave my side. Make my cherished dream come true, like you said you would. Please… Please, don‘t leave me here.” Serenity squeezed his hand tightly, hoping against hope that the pain would stimulate him awake. It did not come as a surprise when it didn’t. “I’m not going anywhere, Helios. I’ll stay by your side until the very end,” she vowed. “I won’t let you --” Unable to finish the sentence, she released her grasp on his hand and curled up into an upright fetal position on the chair, her arms wrapped around her knees. Tears now freely flowed down her cheeks; she made no attempt to stop them. Serenity wasn’t sure how long she stayed like that. At one point, she heard the door creak open, but whoever it was -- most likely either her mother or father, or possibly Diana, coming to check on her -- had enough courtesy to leave without saying anything. When her tears finally dried up, the moon had risen up to the sky, its soft light shining through the window. Serenity walked over to the window, her forehead pressed against the glass as she looked up at the full moon. Five years, she had trained there with the other girls, working hard to achieve her dream of becoming a proud Sailor Senshi like her mother. At the time, five years didn’t seem like such a long time. Compared to her true age, five years was nothing in the span of her lifetime. It had been hard to leave Helios behind, knowing that they would be unable to visit each other, but she assumed they would have all the time in the world when she returned. Now she would give anything to have those five years back -- even just a day or two would do. She had wasted so much time, and for what? Her powers were useless to save him. She might as well start calling herself Sailor Chibi-Moon again, a pale imitation of the real thing. With a heavy sigh, Serenity pulled down the mini-blinds over the window, hiding the moon from her view. Seconds later, a bright golden light filled the darkened room, almost blinding. Shielding her eyes, Serenity turned toward the source of the light and gasped when she saw the figure of a child in the center of the room. “Hyperion-sama!” Noticing how unsteady he appeared on his feet, Serenity moved quickly to catch him in her arms as he collapsed. “I’m okay,” he mumbled. “Just a little tired…” “Hyperion-sama, you shouldn’t be here,” Serenity said, helping him to the chair she had vacated. “Eos-chan and Aurora-chan told me you don’t have enough power to travel to the human realm.” Hyperion shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” “Yes, it does!” Serenity snapped, unable to control the sudden burst of anger she felt at his willingness to die. How dare he be entertaining suicidal thoughts when Helios was dying only feet away, against his will! “You may not value your life, but we do. If you can’t live for your own sake, then at least live for those who love you.” “I wonder…if you would still say that…if you knew the truth…” Against her protests, Hyperion stood back up and immediately crumpled to the floor. “Stay here,” Serenity told him, kneeling down beside him to check on him. He was still conscious, but just barely. She needed to get help. “I’ll go find my father.” “No, don’t, please.” With some of his last remaining strength, he grabbed the hem of Serenity’s dress as she stood. “Endymion-sama… He’ll only send me back.” “But --” “I won’t stay long,” he promised, his eyes beginning to close. “I just want… to apologize…” “Hyperion-sama! Hyperion-sama!” Serenity violently shook him by the shoulders, screaming his name. “Hyperion-sama, wake up! Somebody, help!” The door flew open. “Usagi, what’s wrong?” her father asked, his eyes falling on Hyperion’s motionless body. “Hyperion!” He kneeled down beside them and searched for Hyperion’s pulse. “What happened?” Serenity shook her head. “I don’t know. Is he…?” “He’s alive, but barely,” he announced upon finding a pulse. “What is he doing here? He should know his powers aren’t strong enough to cross over. Trying to teleport to the human realm at his level is practically suicidal!” Serenity flinched at the last word. With all that had happened, she had yet to tell her father about Hyperion’s death wish. Indeed, Hyperion had been the last thing on her mind from the moment she returned to Crystal Tokyo, to her shame. “He said he wanted to apologize,” she said, noticing her father looking over at Helios’ bed. “Papa?” “The barrier…?” he murmured, so low that Serenity could barely hear him. “Papa, is there anything you can do?” “R-Right.” Endymion turned his attention back to Hyperion. He placed his folded hands over Hyperion’s chest and closed his eyes. His hands began to glow golden as he used his powers to infuse Hyperion’s body with energy from the Golden Crystal. After a couple of minutes, Hyperion’s eyes fluttered back open. “Why?” he asked in a quiet voice, looking up at Serenity and Endymion. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. “Why?” Serenity gathered the young boy in her arms, crying her own tears of relief. “Because Helios loves you.” “And he wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your life for his sake,” her father added, causing Hyperion’s eyes to widen and Serenity to look at him in confusion. “What do you mean?” she asked. “The barrier…” After a glance back at Helios, he looked down at Hyperion. “It’s your power, isn’t it? You’re the one who has been keeping Helios alive all this time.” Hyperion’s head rolled to the side, avoiding looking either one of them in the eye. “It’s my fault,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper. “This is all my fault. If I had listened to Serenity-sama…” “You said something like that to me before, the first time we met,” Serenity recalled, remembering that night in the garden. “What did you mean?” “I…I had a vision,” he confessed. “A woman came to me. I did not know who she was at the time, but she was one of the prettiest girls I had ever seen.” Hyperion once again stared up at Serenity, a mixture of awe and shame reflected in his eyes. “She was you, Serenity-sama. She wanted me to convince Helios-sama to cancel the ceremony. She said I wasn’t ready yet to be priest of Elysion.” “This vision, it was the one you had the morning of the ceremony, correct?” Endymion asked, and Hyperion nodded. “You told us that the vision was unclear and you couldn’t understand her.” “I lied. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I wasn’t ready to become the new priest and risk disappointing Helios-sama. He was so looking forward to the princess’s birthday. He wanted to give her the one thing she wanted most in the world.” “Helios would have understood,” Serenity said. “He’s not the type to get mad over something like that. If you had told him the truth --” “I know, but…” Hyperion sighed. “I thought I could handle the responsibility. Truly, I did. I thought everything would be okay if I just tried harder, but Aurora- san was right. I wasn’t ready.” “You heard us?” “Bits and pieces. I was falling in and out of consciousness, but I heard enough of the conversation to realize what you and the Maenads were talking about.” It was Serenity’s turn to feel ashamed. Even if they had assumed Hyperion was unconscious, they shouldn’t have said those things in front of him. “Hyperion-sama, I’m so sorry. We didn’t real--” He shook his head. “It’s okay, Your Highness. Aurora-san was simply stating a fact. I never should have been named priest of Elysion, not at my current level. It was my fault for lying about the vision I received.” “What about the barrier?” Endymion asked, turning the subject back to the original topic. Hyperion closed his eyes, as if trying to bring a mental picture of that horrible day to his mind. “Something went wrong during the ceremony,” he began. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but Helios’ soul was being ripped from his body. I knew if I didn’t do anything, he would die, so I placed the barrier around him to block his soul from leaving.” After a short pause to open his eyes, he continued. “It takes a lot of energy to keep a barrier like that intact, though. I was fine for the first few days, but then I started having nightmares, and I felt my powers weakening. I couldn’t even control my powers as a Dream Walker and began showing up in the dreams of the woman I saw in the vision the day of the ceremony. I finally had to admit to myself that my vision was right. It was then that I decided I would sacrifice my life for Helios-sama‘s sake. I thought if I were to die, his powers would return to him and he would wake up from his coma. It was the only way I could think of to repent for what I had done. The ceremony probably failed because I was not strong enough to become the next priest of Elysion, like the vision told me. Helios-sama doesn‘t deserve to pay the price for my arrogance.” “Hyperion, you’re wrong. Nothing went wrong with the ceremony,” the king said in a low voice, surprising both him and Serenity. “What happened had nothing to do with your abilities as priest.” “Papa, what are you talking about?” There was a brief pause before he answered. “Helios was *meant* to die that day.” Her father reached inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, which he smoothed out and handed to Serenity with a shaking hand. “That is a translation of an entry taken from the journal of my ancestor, Endymion I, the first king of Earth. I discovered the journal the night you left for Elysion, while I was looking for a way to bring Helios back.” Serenity scanned the paper, bringing a hand to her mouth when she came to the part relevant to the subject at hand. “This wasn’t the first time the spell had been used?” “For unknown reasons, the first priest of Elysion suddenly went insane,” he said. “He murdered the two Maenads who served him and committed numerous other atrocities that are too vile to even put into words.” Indeed, he looked ill to his stomach just thinking of them. “At that time, Earth was in chaos. Endymion’s dream was to unite all the various countries and kingdoms under one empire in an attempt to bring peace to the planet, but not everybody was in favor of him becoming king, even though he was in possession of the Golden Crystal. It was rumored that one of the rebel factions had brainwashed the priest in order to prove that Endymion was not fit to rule. Since the king and priest were so closely connected to each other, the thinking of the time was that if the priest was evil, then the king must be, too. “When the priest was captured, he denied all knowledge of the acts of violence he had committed, seeming to prove the brainwashing theory correct. According to Endymion’s diary, the priest was sincerely horrified by the crimes he had committed and even tried to take his own life in atonement, but if he were to die, Endymion would as well.” Hyperion gasped when he heard that. “Then if I had succeeded…” “Then I would have died as well,” the king confirmed. “It would not have restored Helios’ powers to him as you hoped.” The boy in Serenity’s arms began weeping. She held him even closer, attempting to comfort him, as she encouraged her father to continue with the story. “What about the spell?” “Endymion was willing to forgive the priest for his crimes, believing that he was not in his right mind when he committed them, but the people of Earth and the priest himself were not. Many were crying out for his execution, paying no mind to the fact that the king would die as well if his priest were to be killed. As far as they were concerned, the two were partners in crime and both deserved to be put to death. “The priest urged Endymion to create a spell that would break the bond between them, allowing for a new priest to be named. Unfortunately, the only way to do that was for the king to kill the former priest himself. That is why Endymion referred to it as a ‘Forbidden Spell’. Though the priest had offered up his life willingly, the king had loved the priest like a brother, and it broke his heart to have to kill him, even if it was the only way to appease the populace.” “So it was a killing spell,” Serenity said softly to herself, still cradling Hyperion in her arms. “Helios was never meant to survive. Giving up his priesthood was the same as giving up his life. It was all…all for nothing?” No, Helios was still alive -- just barely hanging on by a thread, but the spell had not succeeded thanks to Hyperion’s quick thinking. Now that the truth had been revealed, there was a chance they could find a way to save him… “I’m sorry, Usagi.” Her father scooted over beside her, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders and kissing the top of her head. “If I had known, I never would have… I should have studied the spell more thoroughly beforehand, instead of taking Helios’ word at face-value that it was simply a spell forgotten by the ages. I should have known that it couldn’t be so easy to break the bond. I…killed him… I’m so sorry. So, so, sor--” For the second time in three days, the king of Earth broke down in tears, joined by his daughter and his priest. ***** Helios had heard everything, having stopped in his journey toward the light when he became aware of Serenity screaming Hyperion’s name. “That spell was meant to kill me?” he murmured after the king had finished the story of Endymion I and his priest. “That’s why it was called a ‘Forbidden Spell’? I‘m dying?” He turned toward the light once again. The fear he had felt the first time he saw it returned, stronger than before, paralyzing him. Helios suddenly realized what the light represented. It was not the way back to the waking world, as he had hoped. It was the passageway to the afterlife. “No, I don’t want to die!” he screamed. “Don’t take me! I have to return to my maiden. I promised her! I promised her that I would make her dream come true!” Even as he resisted, Helios felt the magnetic pull of the light continuing to draw him closer toward it. He was virtually powerless against it. With nothing to grab on to as an anchor, all he had was his own strength to hold him back, and it was nothing compared to the strength of the light’s gravity. “I’m sorry, Serenity,” he whispered. “I love you.” ***** Serenity was the first to regain her bearings, wiping away her tears with the palm of her hand. Her father had his face buried into her shoulder, while Hyperion clung to her like a child would his mother. Serenity reached for her father’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Papa, please, you mustn’t blame yourself,” she said when he finally lifted up his head. “You didn’t know what the spell would do to Helios. It’s not your fault, and neither is it yours, Hyperion-sama.” She kissed the top of the boy’s golden curls. “You tried to save Helios, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.” With some struggle, as he was still quite weak, Hyperion rose to his feet and walked over to the foot of Helios’ bed. “I just wanted to make things right, but I can’t, can I?” he said, craning his neck to look back at Serenity and her father, who had stood up as well. “Helios-sama is dying. I can feel it.” He turned his attention back to Helios. “The barrier is no longer as strong as it was. His soul wants to escape. If only I had kept up my strength…” Coming up behind him, Endymion placed his hands on Hyperion’s shoulders. “Is there truly nothing you can do, Hyperion?” “If I was stronger, I could strengthen the barrier, but I’m afraid that would only postpone the inevitable. I put up the barrier in the heat of the moment; I cannot heal his soul, only contain it.” “Wait a minute.” Serenity walked over to Helios’ bedside, a flicker of hope in her heart at Hyperion’s words. He may not have the power to heal the soul, but she did. And if the barrier was as weak as he claimed… It was worth another try. “If the barrier is weakened, then my powers may be able to reach him now.” Since Helios’ mouth was obstructed by the ventilator, she could not kiss him as she did the first time. Instead, Serenity called forth her crystal, her casual clothes transforming into a gown of pale pink silk. A sigil in the shape of a golden crescent moon appeared on her forehead, and the room was filled with a rosy glow. Only Helios remained untouched by the light, as if his body was being protected by some kind of invisible barrier. If Serenity focused properly, she could just barely see the thin outline of golden light surrounding him, the Golden Crystal’s power that was the only thing still keeping him alive. Though her crystal was now stronger in comparison, she could not risk breaking the barrier. Instead, she searched for weaknesses, looking for small holes or breaks in the barrier that would indicate a possible way inside without harming it. To her disappointment, the barrier, though not as powerful as it once was, still covered the entirety of his body. Serenity was about to let go of her transformation when she noticed a small beam of white light coming from a spot over Helios’ heart, so thin that it resembled a spider’s thread. Indeed, at first she dismissed it as her eyes playing tricks on her. Blinking back her tears, she refocused on the spot in question and saw the beam was still there. *What is that?* she wondered. *It’s so tiny, but something has obviously broken through the barrier. That can’t be part of the Golden Crystal’s power. In that case…* Serenity cupped the Pink Moon Crystal between her hands, raising it up to chest level. She concentrated her power on the white light, hoping to chase it away and take its place at the one visible break in the barrier. The white light, however, proved formidable. It held a power Serenity had never experienced before. It wasn’t evil, and in some ways, it seemed similar to her own, yet it rejected her, the thin thread not even wavering when barraged by her powers. Serenity, undeterred, released even more of the crystal’s energy, determined to break through. She didn’t know why, but she sensed that it was of utmost importance that she get rid of that holy, yet horrifying, light. If she didn’t, then Helios…then Helios would… “Usagi, no!” She felt, rather than saw, her father coming up behind her, placing his hands on her arms. His voice was rough, yet frantic, as he shook her. “Stop it! It’s not working. The barrier is still too strong!” His words barely reached her ears. “Please, crystal, give me more power!” she prayed aloud. The crystal glowed even brighter, and she felt an extreme rush of power filling her, threatening to crush her. “Listen to me! If you don’t stop it, you’ll die! Please, Usagi!” Die? What did that matter anymore? Without Helios, what else did she have left to live for? It would be better for her to die in a hopeless bid to save him, than to live without doing nothing, to go on without him by her side. She didn’t want that life. It would be a fate worse than death. “More!” she shouted, knowing she was already close to her limit. The pain was excruciating, yet Serenity withstood it, gritting down on her teeth. “Serenity-sama!” A pair of short arms wrapped around her waist, and she became aware of somebody sobbing. “Stop it, please!” the child begged. “Helios-sama wouldn’t want this! He wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your life for his. Don’t make him sad; don’t make those who love you sad! You have to stop. Please!” “Hyperion-sama…?” The young priest’s words finally getting through to her, Serenity released her hold on the crystal and promptly fainted in her father’s arms. 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.