The Dark Princess


Disclaimer: I don't own the copyrights to Sailor Moon, yadda yadda yadda, Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, DiC, Mixxzine and Kodansha do. I DO own Alexandrite and my friend owns Jacinth. So don't' steal them for your own story without permission!!


        Alexandrite tended her new garden very carefully, ever since she literally stumbled into a secret area where a few red flowers were growing. Now the ground was nearly covered in them, except for a few paths so she could get to each of them and check their progress. She only went between there and her room unless she was training, she didn't trust the hallways since her run-in with Demando when she could have sworn she was alone.
        Her room and her garden were the only places she could be alone. even though she felt alone even during the rare days when she allowed Zoi-chan in her room to talk. She didn't know what she wanted, but she wasn't getting it... Becoming 15 had done something to her, other than just growing her legs and other places. Why did growing up suddenly turn so odd?
        Alex decided her new garden needed more color, but she didn't know where to get any other plants. Then she remembered that she had a mirror in her room, maybe she could cast a spell on it to show her where to go. There were portals to nearly every planet hidden around the Dark Kingdom.
        Alex teleported to her room after sensing the area for intruders. As soon as she was in her rooms he grabbed a candle and put it in front of her mirror. Then she cast a crystalline frost around the edge of the glass and lit the candle. She didn't have the power to summon up visions in a mirror with the wave of a hand, but she knew cheat spells.
        "Mirror, mirror on the wall, I command you show me all!" The candle light flickered and the mirror grew hazy with more frost. The frost cleared to show a view of the stars. "Oops... I forgot to command a certain place. Mirror, show me colored plants!" The mirror fogged again then cleared to show red leafed trees. "Those would be perfect in my garden. Where are they?" The mirror phased backwards to show the Martian landscape. "Mars huh? Ok. Now I need to find the portal to it." Alex blew out the candle and the mirror returned to its normal reflection of a blonde girl with crystal shard eyes.
        Alex grabbed her dark green cloak and whipped it over her, pulling the hood over her gold hair. She peered out her door and when she was confident no one was nearby, she slipped out and headed down the hallway. Alex kept her senses alert for anyone ahead of her or behind her... especially Demando. Finally she reached a portal, but was it the one she wanted? She put her hand on it and sensed the area behind it. Thunder and lightning... it was Jupiter. She sighed and moved on...
        It took Alex nearly an hour, but she found the portal to the fire planet. She slipped through quickly, hoping she wasn't noticed, but a pair of eyes glinted in the darkness behind her as she vanished into the vortex. What the hell is she doing? the person thought and waited for her to come back out.
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        Mars was very pretty, everything was red, even the soil. It was odd, she'd have to ask Zoi-chan about it when she got back... First things first, to find the tree before she was found! She looked around quickly to memorize everything around the portal and spotted a grove of the firey trees. She looked around again to check for any Martians then ran to the grove. The leaves seemed to be actual fire, but when she touched them, they didn't burn. She looked for the seed or a small sapling that could be transplanted. One of the trees was fruited and she took a piece from the tree.
        "Well that was easy." she smiled, then froze as she sensed some one behind her.
        "Freeze! Who are you?" A girl's voice shouted.  Alex put the fruit in the pocket of her cloak then turned around slowly.
        "No one for you to be concerned with." she said in her best princess voice. A glimmer of her gold hair slipped out of the cloak.
        "Minako-chan? Impossible, the voice is wrong." the dark-haired Martian girl said and shook her head. "Sounds more like Malachite." Alex stayed silent and glared from under the hood. "I'll ask you one more time, then no more, who are you?"
        "And I'll answer one more time: No one for you to bother with!" Alex said and put her hand out. A crystal shard blasted out with a bit of dark power and the girl dodged easily.
        "A Youma? How did you get to Mars?" the girl was shocked and suddenly in a flash of fire, transformed into the Senshi of Mars. Alex suddenly cursed, realizing that she'd been taunting the Martian Princess. She braced herself for a very bad burn.
        "Fire Soul!" A blast of fire was blasted right at Alex. She closed her eyes and waited for her death, lifting her hand to ward off the heat. Suddenly a crystal formed and captured the fire's energy. Alex was as shocked as the girl and even more shocked when the crystal shattered in her hand and absorbed into her hand. She decided to make a run for it before the Senshi had gotten her senses back. Alex dashed away and the Senshi ran after her, but Alex made it to the portal and leapt through, making it close behind her. the Senshi leaped after her but was too late and ended up face first in the red soil, cursing beneath her breath.
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        Alex planted the seeds of the Martian fruit in her garden that night and smiled, looking at the hand that had absorbed the crystal with the Mars Fire in it. She didn't know what made it do that, but she felt the fire course through her blood. Almost as if it were her own power. It mixed with her own power until she couldn't tell where it was anymore. She'd learned the Senshi's magick. And she had a plan...
        As Alex slept, she dreamed of blasting things with her new power, things like her father and that prince who'd been so rude and claimed her without her consent. All she had to say was "Dark Fire" and it came out of her hand, the one that had absorbed the crystal. It was interesting, but she still wondered how she'd been able to copy the magick.
        The next morning Alex consulted the mirror again, this time she saw a planet of ice and water, it was so cold, but there was an ice plant there that looked too tempting, she wanted her garden to have every color she could find. She blew out the candle and grabbed her cloak again. This time it only took fifteen minutes to find the Mercurian Portal.
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        The ice plant wasn't as cold as it looked, but there were no seeds. Alex had to uproot a younger plant, she kneeled down to the plant, but sensed someone again. "Aw geez..."
        "Shine Aqua Illusion!"  A blast of ice that looked more like water came up to face Alex as she turned around.
        "Dark Fire!" Alex's new power extinguished the Mercurian's.
        "What the--?? Where did you learn that?" the girl with a short cap of blue hair gazed at Alex like a little kid who just saw the worst shock of their life.
        "None of your business!" Alex shot a crystal shard at the girl and watched her jump away from it.
        "That does it. I don't know where you learned Mars' Fire, but I do know you're a Youma... Shabon Spray Freezing!"
        "What's with you people and going against Youma?? What did I ever do to you?" Alex growled and shot a crystal out to capture the ice power. While the Mercurian stood there gaping, Alex pulled up a small ice plant and ported away to her portal.
        "Well, now I know where she got Rei's magick..." the now untransformed princess sighed, then spotted the hole where the plant used to be. "Now what did she want with that?"
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        The next day, Alex went back to the Jupiter portal. Her mirror had shown her that there were trees there that grew tall and green and small pink flowers beneath them. The tree had seeds and the flowers were small enough to bring a couple.        Unfortunately, the Jovian Senshi girl was waiting.
        "Ami said a girl was teleporting to planets and stealing powers and plants. Mind telling me why before I shock your butt back to the Dark Kingdom?" the Jovian Senshi was taller than the other two, and her brown hair was tied back. And she did not look happy...
        "You think you can beat me?" Alex smirked and drew back her hood to get a good look at the other girl.
        "Minako-chan? Rei was right... You look a lot like her."
        "Who the hell is Minako?" Alex asked and glared, then blasted dark power at the girl without a second thought.
        Sailor Jupiter dodged in a split second and called her power up. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
        Alex didn't even flinch, she simply lifted her hand as the lightning closed in on her and smiled as a crystal formed, locking away the power... As soon as the crystal shattered and absorbed into her hand, Alex called the power back and blew the Senshi away with her own magick. But the power seemed to have a worse effect than the Jovian's actual power would have, she got up looking tired and drained. Alex didn't think twice about it, she just grabbed the seed and two flowers before the girl could get her wits back and teleported away.
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        The garden was getting much nicer, but it wasn't enough for Alex. Maybe it just needed more color. Compared to her special place, the Dark Kingdom looked dead. Even with the colorful plants, the garden wasn't alive enough for her. She went back to her room and got the candle again.
        "Mirror, mirror on the wall, again I command to show me all. And this time I want good results!" the mirror fogged over and cleared to show Alex a sight that made her gasp. there were so many colors, and creatures copying and clashing with the plants. "Mirror, what is this place?" she asked, eyes wide open. The mirror flashed and showed a blue green planet with white wisps of cloud around it. "It's beautiful. I'll never be able to replant everything growing there! But I can try." Alex smiled. "Now all I need to know is what the planet is called and where it's portal is... and if they have Senshi." she grumbled and went off to look for Zoi.
        "Alex! Where have you been? You've been gone for the past few days. Some youma have seen you in the hallways but then you vanish." Zoisite said with his hand on his hips.
        "Sorry Zoi-chan. I've been busy."
        "With what?"
        "A secret. Can you tell me the name of a certain planet? I saw it with my mirror."
        "You shouldn't be using magick you're not supposed to have. Metallia might frown on that..."
        "Who's Metallia?" Alex asked suddenly.
        Zoi went white, "Um, no one... what planet do you want to know the name of?"
        "It's a blue green one, with clouds. Pretty big too. about the size of Mars."
        "You mean Earth? Why did the mirror show you that?" Zoi crossed his arms and stared down at her.
        Alex blinked innocently, "I wanted to see color. It's so drab and dull here. Even Mercury's nicer."
        "When have you been to Mercury?!?" Zoi's frown deepened.
        "Um... I heard about it!" Alex plastered on a fake smile and hoped Zoi-chan wouldn't ask anymore of her. "Um... if I wanted to, could I go to this Earth?"
        "NO!" Zoi snapped fiercely, making Alex's eyes and mouth go wide. "It's forbidden to go to Earth without an army!"
        "Why?" Alex asked in a small voice.
        "It just is, especially for a princess! Now go find Jacinth and play with him." Zoi waved her away with his hand.
        "I'm too old to play, Zoi-chan." Alex put her hands on her hips and gave him an incredulous look.
        "Well, then just go off somewhere and do something. You can't go to Earth anyway... the only portal is in the throne room." Alex sighed and slunk away with a pout on her little lips. Then she grinned as she remembered her secret entrance and ran off out of Zoisite's sight.
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        Lucky for Alex, no one was in the throne room when she peeked in. Even the big red thing was "turned off", whatever it was... She gave the whole room a good visual go over, where would they put a portal? As Alex stepped into the room to examine the area closer, eyes glinted from behind her in the shadows.
        "Damn, where the heck is it??" Alex muttered, this time the red thing offered no help, if it was even listening.
        "Where's what?" a voice asked from behind her and grabbed her arms.
        Alex screamed and turned as the person pulled her to face them. "Didn't Zoisite say to stay outta here?"
        "No, Zoisite said to go do something, I'm doing something." Alex said and stared at her friend from Nemesis until he looked away.
        "Fine, so what are you doing?" he asked tiredly.
        "Looking for something."
        "Like--?" the young man urged while giving the room a once over. "Ew, who decorated this place?"
        "Like a portal."
        "And just where would this portal happen to lead?"
        "Um... I don't think you've heard of it. Earth?"
        "I distinctly remember Zoisite saying that place was off limits..."
        "Well, you don't tell on me and he'll never know." Alex gave him her sweetest "I'm right and you're not" smile.
        He obviously couldn't resist it. "Well if I come with you, I can't tell on you, can I?"
        Alex laughed, "I suppose not, but if we don't find it we won't need to bribe each other."
        "God forbid that..." he smiled and glanced around again. He went walking off and suddenly stopped, "I think I found it..."
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        Earth was everything the mirror had shown her, only more alive than the mirror could ever have shown. Even the ground seemed to thrum with life. Alex almost lost her breath at the sight of the large silvery white full moon and the glimmering stars that dotted the dark sky.
        "It's..."
        "I know." Jacinth nodded. "Too bad your Queen wants it gone."
        "I thought she was after the Moon..."
        "That and all the planets... she's gonna turn them all into the Dark Kingdom."
        "She can't!!! They're all too beautiful!" Alex gasped and looked out on the landscape with pained eyes.
        "Not as beautiful as some things..." Jacinth sighed, when Alex looked up at him in wonder, he snapped his head off to look at something else. Before Alex could ask what he meant, he spoke again, "Hey what's that?"
        Alex looked at the stone castle, "I think it's the palace of the Prince... Endymion."
        "Really? Then we shouldn't go over there, the place is bound to be insanely well guarded."
        "Wanna bet?"
        "Gladly... how much ya willing to lose?"
        "Hmm... I dunno, I dun got much."
        "Well then how about winner names terms when they win?" Jacinth smirked, sure that he was going to win.
        "Fine. Shake on it." Alex said sharply and put out her hand. He took it gently and smiled. "Shall we go?"
        "Sure." They walked right down the hill with no regard for being seen.
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        The castle was in shadows, just the way Alex liked it. There were only two guards at the gate, a man on each side, holding a spear-staff and wearing minimal armor.
        "You have got to be kidding me..." Alex whispered, "I'll go first." she snuck down behind the guard on the right and just as she slammed both fists behind his head, Jacinth blasted the other into the wall. The guards slumped down unconscious without a warning to the rest of the castle.
        "Not bad," Jacinth said and smiled, walking up to Alex.
        "Of course, by the way, I win. I want breakfast in bed for a week."
        "Fine, but we haven't checked the whole castle yet."
        "We got in, didn't we?"
        "Let's see what happens if we go farther." Jacinth said, putting his hands on his hip and glancing inside the gate.
        "Fine. After you..." Alex gave a mock bow and let Jacinth pass in front of her.
        The castle was larger than it looked from the outside. There was a wooden building with animal sounds coming from it, and a stone building with animal like snores coming from it, obviously the barracks, but what was in the wooden building?
        Alex crept over to the door and peered in, there were large faced creatures with big brown eyes that snorted and nickered at her. One of them was pure black with a white star mark on it's forehead. There was a white cat sitting about three feet from where Alex stood. It had a gold forehead mark like hers, but resting on its curve instead of the points. She glared at it and sneered, recognizing the origin of the mark.
        "Get outta here, moon cat." she huffed and tossed a pebble at it. The cat hissed and dashed out past her, trying a swipe at her leg. She snarled at it and sighed. The larger animals snorted at her again. "What are you guys looking at?" the black one shook its head. "What are you anyway?" It nodded its head up to a saddle and bridle hanging over its stall door. "Something to ride? Figures."
        "Alex? There's a cat out here." Jacinth called a bit too loud. She raced out and clamped a hand over his mouth.
        "Shut up you moron!!! The guards are asleep, we don't want them waking up and running us through!" she hissed.
        It was too late, the barracks awoke with shouts and the palace was lit up with candles and lanterns, banishing the shadows, and Alex's hair reflected them, making her presence all too known. "DAMN!" they both said and ran for the gates.
        Suddenly, guards swarmed in front of the open gate, pointing their spears and loaded bows at them and ordering them to stand where they were. "Way to go, Jace." Alex muttered and raised her hands up a bit.
        "Sorry, Alex, guess we should have obeyed Zoi."
        Suddenly, the black animal in the stable cried out in a loud shrieking call. "That's it!" Alex smiled and grabbed Jacinth's hand, dragging him to the stable.
        "Stop them!" a guard shouted and arrows shot all around Alex and Jacinth. They outran the arrows and got inside the stable just in time. Alex slammed the door shut and put a feeding trough against it.
        "That won't hold them for long..." she sighed.
        "And we're trapped here when they get the door open." Jacinth grumbled.
        "No we're not..." Alex said and petted the long muzzle of the black creature.
        "What the hell is that?!?"
        "You ride it."
        "You may, but I don't!!!"
        "Don't be such a baby!" Alex laughed and put the bridle on the animal. "Get the saddle and put it on his back." she said ad gave the animal some of the grain that was in its feeding trough. It nickered and nudged her hand.
        "God, you're crazy, that thing's bigger than both of us." Jacinth said and put the saddle on the animal's back. "I'm still not getting on it."
        Alex swung up onto the saddle and urged the horse out of its stall. "Oh yes you are!" she said sternly and grabbed him, pulling him up as the horse launched forward and through the door and plunged through the mass of guards. Jacinth yelled and the guards scattered to keep from being trampled. Alex let out a war cry and led the horse out of the castle. Endymion looked out the window of his room to see a golden haired girl ride off on his horse with a dark haired boy...
        Alex and Jacinth sped off to the portal and Alex pulled on the reins to stop the animal. She jumped off and laughed as she noticed Jacinth was petrified on the spot. "Get down here! We have to get home!!" She tugged on him and laughed harder as he fell on his butt.
        "Not funny, by the way, you lost, there was more defense than you thought." Jacinth said, rubbing his sore spot.
        "We got out easily." Jacinth sputtered and gave Alex an incredulous look for her comment. She laughed again, "Come on, Jacey, before we're missed."
        "Too late..." Zoisite growled and came out of the portal with his arms crossed. "Alexandrite, you have got some questions to answer... Like what you were doing on Mercury, Mars and Jupiter and what the hell you're doing here!"
        "Oops..." Alex gulped. "Busted." she sighed and looked back at the castle, preferring the guardsmen's arrows and spears at the moment to Zoisite's wrath.
        "Move it." Zoisite ordered and pointed to the open portal.

Author's Notes: Okay how is it so far? Betcha yer wondering what's gonna happen... you'll find out as soon as I get a few e-mails... at least five from DIFFERENT people... trust me, the fourth and final chapters will be worth the correspondence, I just want to make sure people are reading this stuff! The sooner I get the e-mails the faster the chapters come up. E-Mail to queenalexandrite@hotmail.com 1