Here is part two of my story.  I hoped you all enjoyed part one, and I will
guarenteed you that this part is even better then part one.  Sit back,
relax once more as this story takes you on a twisted ride.  


The painted portrait was still the same, but it seemed that every time Luna
glanced at it as she passed it in the hallway, that it would be slightly
different then the last time she looked at it.  Every time she did look at
it, she would become more grateful for the spirit of dancing. 
    It had been three months since she met Artemis.  Those three months were
full of happiness for her.  Ever since that first night they danced, she
had never been unhappy ever since.  Artimis, her best friend, had always
been there at the balls every night, sweeping her off her feet as they
danced together.  It had become a new hobby that they have created.
Everyday during their spare time, they would practice dancing together.
They wanted to be the best dancers at the ball with a different kind of
dance a night depending on the music which was playing.  They had become
expert dancers, showing off every night.  To that, Luna was grateful for
the spirit of dancing.  They have done more together then dancing.  They
became best friends who would help each other and stick together, almost
like brother and sister.  
    Luna smiled at the portrait, as if the angel in the picture noticed that
Luna appreciated her.  Appreciation.  That was one of the best things in
her life to Luna.  Without appreciation for her tasks, she would feel as if
the world was coming to an end.
"Hello Luna."  Artemis came up beside her, looking at the portrait as she
looked over at him and gave him a friendly smile,
"Hello Artemis."  
"Who’s that?"  He asked, pointing to the twirling angel in the portrait,
looking over at Luna as she answered.
"This is the spirit of dance.  It’s suppose to be an important spirit to
the kingdom."
"I’ll say, it is important!"  Artemis smiled as he told Luna, "You know,
you look a little bit like her."
"Who?"
"The angel in the picture."  He pointed out.  
Luna looked at the painted portrait again and blushed, 
"Thank you."
"That reminds me."  Artemis had that thinking look on his face as he stared
at the picture, putting his hand to his chin.  "Let’s practice for the ball
tonight."
"All right."  Luna stepped out to the middle of the hallway, as Artimis did
so, facing her.
"Let’s try something… A little erotic for a change."  
Luna’s eyes widened.  Erotic?!  EROTIC?!  "Erotic?!"
"Yeah!  I mean, let’s do something that will make the other dancers look
like wimps!"
Luna looked hard at Artemis.  Really hard.  Erotic?   E-r-o-t-i-c.  She
just couldn’t get the word out of her head, but hey, what could it hurt?
"Sure."
"After we go out and bow and curtsy to each other, you take a large step
towards me and kick your leg out while leaning back."
Luna, slowly stepped up to him, closely, and gently kicked her leg out as
she leaned back a little, feeling Artemis hold her back with his arms.
"No, you got to lean back a little more farther.  Try again."  He let go of
her as she stood back up.  Luna stepped back and stepped to Artemis again,
raising her leg up as she leaned back farther down where her fingertips
almost touched the ground.  
"That’s it!"
"Artemis…"  Luna suddenly felt tired as she stood back up, rubbing her
forehead with her hands.  "Can we skip dance practice for a day?  I’m
feeling exhausted."
"Well, we don’t really need practice anyway.  We’re great dancers."
Artemis smiled.
Luna nodded as she walked over to her bedroom door, opening it as she
walked in, leaving the door open to let Artemis know that we was free to
enter.  Luna rushed over to her bed, falling back on it as she covered her
eyes and forehead with her arm.
"You must be exhausted!"  Artemis exclaimed as he entered, sitting down at
the foot of Luna’s bed as she just laid there, motionless.
"I don’t know why I feel this tired."
"Did Serena give you any trouble?"
"No, she was a sweetheart today, as always."
"Did any of the servants annoy you?"
"No."
"Have you been working hard lately?"
"Well…"  Luna uncovered her face from her arm, lying it by her side as she
stared up at the blue ceiling, "You know, I haven’t been able to work as
hard as I used to lately."  She sat up in her bed, "It seems like your the
one who’s been working hard."
"Me?"  Artemis leaned over to look at Luna’s face.
"Yeah.  You’ve been working the most lately."  It was true.  Artemis seemed
to be taking all her jobs for the past month and a half, only leaving her
with little things like telling Serena a bedtime story some nights.
"Maybe."  Artemis leaned closer to her.  "Maybe I want to give you a break."
"Give me a break?"  Luna leaned over close to Artemis.  "A break?  Me?"
"Yeah."  Artimis smiled.
"Why would I need a break?"  
"Because, your my best friend.  And as your best friend, I want to give you
a little slack."
"I don’t need any slack."  Luna gave Artemis a slight look of will in her
tired red eyes.  She didn’t want a break.  She didn’t want to show anyone
that she was weak enough to give Artemis all her jobs to tend to.  
"I want to give you a chance to regain some energy."
"I have energy!"  Luna abruptly climbed off her bed, facing Artemis who was
still sitting on the foot of her bed.  "Who said I didn’t have enough energy?"
"The look in your eyes say so."  Artemis stared at Luna, giving Luna a
weird feeling inside of her.  Luna turned to a small mirror which was on
the wall where her piano was.  
Her face, strangely looked like it was made of white china with her purple
painted lips and her painted ruby eyes.  Under her eyes were tiny dark
lines which said that she was indeed losing her strength that she always
seemed to have inside her.  Her long, blue, layered hair which used to flow
down, healthy and shiny as it could be, now looked a little stringy and a
little worn, but it was still healthy.  Her golden crescent moon pin which
was pinned on her tunic, shined beautifully in the light. 
Luna turned back to Artemis, who was now standing with those trustworthy
blue eyes staring at her with concern, and admitted,
"Your right.  I don’t have a lot of energy today."
"You haven’t been having a lot of energy lately, except in your dancing, but…"
"I don’t know what to think…"  Luna walked over past Artemis to her bed and
just fell on it, lying as if, helpless, on her stomach.  "Maybe it’s
because I’m growing old…"
Luna heard Artemis rush over to the foot of the bed where her head was
buried in her arms, and said in his caring voice,
"Your not old.  Your not even thirty years old yet." 
"Thirty IS old."
"No it’s not."
"Is so."
"You don’t even look a day over twenty."
"I’m not as young as I used to be…"
"Listen, don’t think like that.  Believe me when I say this.  You’re NOT OLD."
Luna lifted her face out of her arms to look at Artemis with a small smile
on her weary face.
"It’s probably something else, like the air or something that’s making you
tired."
"Maybe…"  Luna looked over at her piano, suddenly wanting to play that
haunting, sad song that she hadn’t played in about two months.  "Artemis."
"Yeah?"
"I have this sudden urge to play the piano.  Want to hear me?"
"Are you sure your up for it?"
Luna sat up on her bed, looking over at her piano one more time.  She
wasn’t sure about playing it anymore.  It was like she suddenly lost
interest in it.  She turned back to Artemis,
"I’m not up for it."
"It’s almost time for dinner."  Artemis indicated as he stood up from
kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed, lending Luna his hand as she
climbed out of her bed once more, slowly taking his head with a tired smile
as they walked out of the room together.


"Let the ball begin!"  Queen Serenity cried happily, letting the crowd
before her to start dancing.  This was the way all her balls began.
Serenity would stand from her royal throne and then gesture her arms out to
the audience and announce the commencement of the ball.  At this point the
music began to play.  The music was happy and full of beat, but it was
graceful all at once.  Serenity sat back into her throne, watching her
people dance happily.
    Luna, who was standing on the right side of the queen’s throne in her
usual blue gown, took a few steps forward as she looked happily over at
Artemis, who was wearing his light brown tuxedo with a ruffled shirt, who
also stepped forward as she did so, looking over at her with his usual
friendly smile on his face.  They turned to face each other.  Artemis
walked up to Luna, kneeling down as he took her hand and gently kissed it
for a brief moment.  Luna looked down upon him with gratitude in her eyes.
She was glad that he came into her life, always giving her his time every
night to dance with her, and only her.  Artemis rose to Luna, giving her
his arm as she smiled and took his as they walked down the steps from the
throne together, arm in arm.  They walked through the dancing crowd to the
middle as they always did every night.  Artemis graciously bowed as Luna
gracefully curtsied.  The music, which was upbeat, was still playing,
likely to end at any moment.  Artemis stepped up to Luna, lifting his arm
slightly high in the air.  Luna, who understood what kind of dance they
were to do, stepped up to Artemis, raising her arm up to his as they took
hands.  They started to walk around in a circle, as they usually do every
time they danced, with their eyes locked on each other.  Artemis suddenly
came up to Luna, taking her by the waist as he pulled her close to him.
Luna stared into his eyes, as she felt herself being slightly lifted off
the ground as he twirled her around.  She laughed, she felt herself getting
a little dizzy but she still enjoyed it.  Artemis lowered Luna down, still
staring into her eyes as he removed one of his arms from her waist, taking
her hand as she gripped a part of her gown with her other hand.  Luna
looked over at their hands as they began to waltz in a rapid, but careful
motion.  
"Luna, I can’t think of anything else to do right now.  I can’t seem to
concentrate."  Artemis acknowledged her with a smile as they waltzed.
"Neither can I.  I somehow don’t care though."
"Did you know that Serena’s birthday is coming up in a few days?"
Luna’s eyes widened with unfortunate surprise.  She forgot all about
Serena’s birthday and with only a few days to get her a present!  She
couldn’t let her down,
"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!"  
"Listen, if your worried about getting a gift for her, I already got it.
We can say that it’s from the both of us."  His caring smile and his words
calmed her.  
"What is it?"  Luna asked, curious and relieved at the same time.
"It’s a music box, with a couple dancing on it.  I got it about a week ago.
You should really see it."
"I feel horrible now…"  Luna sadly sighed turning her head awkwardly at
Artemis’s left shoulder.
"Don’t be…"  Luna felt herself being swung around one time by Artemis as
they continued their conversation,
"Like I said.  The gift will be from both of us."
"You’re a life saver, Artemis."  Luna smiled as she looked up into
Artemis’s eyes as the music suddenly died down.  A different form a music
started to play, a very sad but beautiful form of music which almost seems
like it was made by violins, but Luna wasn’t sure.  Luna was suddenly put
into a little trance of awe as the music continued to play with it’s
graceful song.  Artemis suddenly came closer to her and softly whispered in
her ear,
"This is the song.  Let’s make it special for everyone."
Luna knew what Artemis was saying.  This was the song that they needed to
dance beautifully to and try to make it the most emotional dance they will
ever make that night.  Luna put on her depressed look on her face, trying
to match it to the music as Artemis let go of her, trying to make himself
seem like he was grieving, reaching his hand out to her as he did so.
There was something magical about these sort of dances with Artemis.  Luna
always thought she was in another world, almost like the day dreams she
used to have, whenever she danced these kind of dances with Artemis.  Luna
stared at Artemis as if she was daydreaming once again, but she knew that
this wasn’t a dream.  She ran up to him, throwing her leg slightly in the
air as she leaned back, letting her arms and her blue hair fly down to
touch the floor as she closed her eyes, feeling Artemis tightly hold her by
her waist and her back.  There was something inside Luna that was always
free when she danced with Artimis.  She couldn’t figure out what it was,
but once again, she didn’t care, she just wanted to dance.  Luna felt
Artemis pull her back up slowly, almost making her feel as if she was as
light as a feather as she slowly opened her eyes to find Artemis’s who
looked at her as if he was in mourn.  She had to admit to herself, Artemis
was a really wonderful actor when it comes to making impressions in their
special dances.  He swung her around slightly, with his arms around her
waist, making Luna feel as if she was a little rag doll with her arms
hanging limply out as she continued to stare into his eyes.  She stared up
to the ceiling as Artemis lifted her up off her feet where she leaned back
slightly to raise her arms out to the sky.  Luna felt a certain kind of
energy run through her body, an energy that made her feel like she could do
anything that was impossible.  Luna closed her eyes as she felt Artemis
slowly twirl her around.  She felt like she was flying.  She could feel her
hair flow around in the air.  She wasn’t afraid because she knew that
Artemis would never let her fall or take away her wings.  She lowered her
arms as she felt Artemis lowering her down.  She rose her head up to him,
looking deeply into his beautiful blue eyes.  She reached out her fingers
to touch his cheek, but they just brushed away from him as Artemis took her
hand with his, keeping his other arm tightly around their waist while her
free arm dangled out as they faced their grasped hands and started to do a
short of tango, only it was slow and not so rapid, and very elegant.  As
Luna was dipped down, she could feel Artemis’s ponytailed hair brush
against her bare neck, making her feel a thrilling quiver inside her that
made her want him to do that once more.  She rose up with her right hand in
his as they separated their embrace.  This all seemed so familiar to Luna,
but she just couldn’t place the thought in her head.  Everything seemed to
stop as she tried to think.  The pause seemed so long.  No one seemed to
move at all.  Artemis stood there with his hand still grasping Luna’s, the
watching faces of awe around them froze in place, and the queen sat on her
royal throne in a daze as she stared at Luna and Artemis.  The music of the
dance suddenly faded out of her hearing.  The song wasn’t suppose to be
over.  She knew that it wasn’t suppose to end yet.  She began to wonder why
she couldn’t hear it anymore as she stared off into an unknown space that
only she knew. She closed her eyes to think.  Think, think, think, think,
think, think.  What was she suppose to think?  She suddenly didn’t know.
It was just a strange, stupid feeling that she felt, nothing more. 
"A STUPID FEELING!?"  A deep, horrible voice suddenly rose,  "NOTHING
MORE!?"  
Luna’s heart stopped as she abruptly opened her eyes, feeling her stomach
shake with tension.  Tension that made the ability to move impossible.  In
her sights was nothing but a blurring darkness.  She blinked her eyes to
see if she could see Artemis and the watching crowd around her, but she
couldn’t.  All there was darkness.  Darkness, and more darkness!  Her
breathing rose to a fast, deep one as she tried to turn herself around.
She couldn’t move herself!  She lost her ability to move her legs and the
rest of her helpless body!  Her heart seemed like it wasn’t beating.  The
only thing she could do was breath with her stomach quivering.  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING LUNA!?  DANCING WITH ANOTHER!!!"  The voice
was strong and powerful like a lion’s roar.  It frightened Luna, so much
that she opened her mouth to speak but only to find that her voice let out
a choking sound.
"YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE ONLY TO DANCE WITH ME!!!  DIDN’T YOU GET THAT
THROUGH YOUR HEAD A LONG TIME AGO!?"  
Luna felt her neck being grasped by two cold, strong hands.  She tried to
reach her hands up to pull the hands away, but she was too weak to do so.
A shadowy figure stood before her, choking her as it did so.  She suddenly
knew who it was.  It was the man of her dreams, the man who danced with her
throughout her daydreams that she never wanted to end.  
"YOU LEFT ME LUNA!!!  YOU LEFT ME FOR ANOTHER!!!"
"No…"  Luna silently choked as she stared up at the dark stranger.  The
hands let go of her neck as she felt her own hands reach up to it with one
covering her neck and the other to grasp her collar of her gown, as if it
was her heart that she was really holding.  There was a pain in her chest,
a pain that could almost make her weep in agony.  But she didn’t.  The grip
was no good, she felt another kind of darkness flow through her as she felt
herself falling back as she stared up into the blurring darkness.  She
freed her hand from her neck to reach out for something to hold on to, to
keep her from falling.  But there was only darkness.  The fall ended with a
pain striking land onto the cold floor which took the air out of her life
giving lungs.  She lied there, helpless and in pain.  She couldn’t breath.
The darkness wouldn’t go away.  Her eyes lowered with shock as she felt
herself go into a deep sleep.


"Luna..?"  The voice was faint, concerned, but it was wonderfully familiar
to her ears.  She felt weak, but had enough strength to raise her arm up to
try to touch something, anything that can give her the sign that she wasn’t
alone, that could give her security.  Something soon touched her hand as
she gently traced it with her fingers.  It was smooth, and it gave to peace
to Luna’s mind.  It was warm and heavenly to her touch.  She slowly opened
her eyes to see what she was touching.  Her vision, was at first, a big
blur that began to irritate her inside.  She blinked her eyes a few times
until the blurry image cleared, leaving Artemis, who was slightly leaning
over her, in her sight.  His face did not have that smile that she had
always remembered Artemis for.  Instead, Artemis had a frown, which Luna
saw only a few times in her life.
"Artemis..?"  Luna’s voice felt strong, but somehow weak all at once in a
silent tone, almost in a whisper,  "What happened?"
Artemis just stared at her, as if in sorrow for a moment, but soon said,
"You had a heart attack."
Luna suddenly felt old.  It depressed her in such a way that she never
wanted to know.  She had to get over the fact that she wasn’t young
anymore, and that she must live with it,
"A heart attack?"
"Yes.  You scared me so much that I almost had one too."  Artemis suddenly
reached down with both his hands to hold Luna’s hand, "You were staring up
at something, your hand went to your heart so I figured that you were
having a heart attack.  You suddenly seemed like you were suffocating.  I
tried to get your attention, but you couldn’t seem to hear me.  You
suddenly said no and passed out onto the dance floor.  Now tell me
yourself, what happened to you?"
Luna looked up at Artemis was a troubled face.  What could she tell him?
That an imaginary man came up to her and tried to kill her?  How would he
believe her?  Was the man even trying to kill her, or just trying to get
something straight to her head?  Luna couldn’t tell him,
"I don’t know."
"Why did you say no?"
"I don’t know.  I don’t remember."  Luna had to lie to him.  She figured
that he wouldn’t understand about the man from her dreams.  Luna stared up
at the room’s ceiling and realized that she was in her own bedroom, lying
in her own bed.  She sat up in bed, looking down to realize hat she was
wearing her violet sheer nightgown,  "Who undressed me?!"
"One of Serenity’s servants did."
"It better have not been a man."  Luna threatened as if that servant could
hear her.  She slightly grimaced to herself at the thought that a man
dressed her.  She closed her eyes for a moment, as if it would take that
thought away from her mind as she tried to concentrate on something else.
She opened them once more as she glanced over at Artemis who was holding
her hand.  It was suddenly getting her irritated even though she really
liked it whenever Artimis held her hand,  "How long have I been here?"  She
asked, slowly pulling her hand away from Artemis’s grasp as she glanced
around her room.  
"A few hours."                      
"Well then, it must be the middle of the night."
"It is."
Luna looked over at Artemis who was sitting in a chair at her bedside.  His
gentle smile returned as she stared at him in an awkward way,  "How long
have you been sitting here?"
His smile turned into, as if, a sly grin as he said with his gentle,
carefree voice, 
"All night."
"You watched over me all this time?"  Luna sweetly smiled.  She suddenly
started to feel better.
"Yeah."  Artemis yawned softly, covering his mouth with his hand as he did
so.  "I wanted to know how you were feeling when you woke up."
"I’m fine now."  Luna said simply with a satisfied smile,  "In fact, I
think I’m feeling a lot better.  I don’t even feel weak anymore."
"Well, Serenity wanted me to let you know that she wants you to stay in bed
for at least five days."
Luna wasn’t smiling anymore.  How can this be?  She never had a sick day in
her entire life here in the palace as an advisor!  It would be like someone
picking a flower that she worked hard on to grow.  Luna decided that she
wasn’t going to take this, 
"But I’m fine now!"
"Serenity told me that you may not like it, and that you would disagree
with it.  I even knew you wouldn’t want it."
"This is absurd!"   Luna cried, frustrated and angry.
"Why?"  Artemis asked curiously as he stood up from the chair, starting to
pace beside her bed,  "I wish her majesty would give me a week off." 
"I’ve never had a sick day here in my life!  I never ever wanted one!"
"Relax Luna…  It’s only five days."  He said in his calm voice with a
gentle smile.
"ONLY five days?!"  Luna tried to climb out of her bed to walk, but Artemis
put his hand in her way, motioning her to lie back down.  "Five days is a
long time!  What in the world am I going to do in five days?!"
"Sleep?"
Luna looked up at Artemis with a smirk, but frustrated look on her pale
face.  She felt a little calm, but she was still angry with the whole
thing.  An excuse suddenly appeared in her mind,
"What about Serena’s birthday?"
"Serenity doesn’t want you to get back on your feet at all.  She doesn’t
want you to leave this bedroom neither."
"I can’t attend the princess’s party?!"
"No."
"This is the most insane thing that has ever happened to me!  I’ve never
missed Serena’s birthday since I’ve started working here and it won’t
happen now!  I won’t allow this to happen!"
"But it has too."  Artemis turned to her bedroom door, taking a few steps
towards it before he turned back to Luna with a sympathy look on his face,
"Serenity put me in charge of all your duties along with mine until the
five days has passed."
Luna opened her mouth to say something, but she didn’t know what to say.
Her worst nightmare has come true and now Artemis was going to take over
her job, leaving Serenity content with his work and probably make him the
head advisor and release Luna.  She laid her head back on her pillow and
turned over on her left side, looking over at Artemis as he looked back at
her.
"Believe me Luna, I don’t want this neither.  Who am I going to dance with
for the next five nights?  Who’s going to help me out with things I don’t
understand when it comes to advising?  I still don’t know everything.
Who’s going to keep me company?"
Luna slightly smiled but said in a soft, depressed voice, "There are other
moon women who would love to dance with you."
"I don’t like dancing with people I don’t know."  Artemis took a step as
his golden earring shined in the little light of the room,  "They also
don’t have that special touch to dancing that we have."
"Whenever something comes up to your mind when your advising or if someone
asks you something that you don’t have an answer to, you can always come to
me for help."
Artemis’s smile returned, pure and caring.  He stepped over to the door but
as he put his hand on the doorknob, he said, 
"Serenity is doing the right thing."  Luna’s crimson eyes were suddenly
penetrated by Artemis’s,  "She cares so much for my best friend and she
doesn’t want anything to happen to her.  I don’t want anything to happen to
you Luna.  Without you…"  He suddenly looked down slightly over to his
shoulder as he said softly,  "I would be alone with my job."
Luna looked strangely at him as he stepped through the door.  He looked
back at her one last time to say,
"See you later, Luna."
She nodded with a small smile as he left the room with the door shutting
softly.


    Everything was dark except for the glowing silver misty floor.  It lit up
Luna’s face and her body which wore her violet sheer nightgown.  She knew
it was a dream.  She knew in reality that she was asleep, snug in her bed.
She was really surprised that she would dream all this in her sleep.  It
had been a long time since she daydreamed or rather dreamed at all of this
place and of the man who she used to love.  She never really missed it
neither.  She used to be so obsessed with her piano and her daydreaming,
and now she was ill from it.  She didn’t want to dream of him again.  He
represented something different to her now.  Something dark and
frightening.  She knew she had to get away from him.  She knew that he may
try to kill her again.  But wait.  He could never kill her.  It was all an
illusion of her mind.  But it seemed so real.  So terribly real with the
coldness of his hands gripping her neck…  
Luna violently shook her head.  She didn’t want to think about what
happened at the ball.  Luna just wondered how her mind could daydream on
it’s own, without her consent.  She glanced around at her surroundings.  It
was dark, so very dark except for the mist that flowed on the floor.  She
knew she had to get out of there, but how?  How could she escape?  How…
"Luna…"  The silent call behind her filled Luna’s heart with dread.  She
froze in place with fear striking her soul.  He was so close.  So damn
close.  Luna could almost hear him breathing.  
"You have come to dance once more."  His voice was soft, deep, but
threatening. 
Luna tried to shake her head in reply for no, but she couldn’t move.  Her
heart begun to beat heavily.  So heavily that she could hear it.  She
stared off into the darkness before her, wanting to run away. 
"Have you..?"
"You brought me here."  Luna firmly but fearfully whispered into the
darkness, knowing that he was behind her, trying to be brave,  "I have not
come on my own."
"Why do you not come to dance with me anymore?"  He asked, his voice
slightly rising,  "I miss dancing to our music.  The music that we share…"
"We used to share something."  Luna replied, still in a firm whisper,
feeling her fear slowly wash away with her words,  "But that is over now."
"Why won’t you play your piano?  I thought the music meant something
wonderful to you."
"It used to, but now it stands for pain and sadness.  It had always
represented those things to me.  I thought they were beautiful, but now I
don’t."
"We have not shared pain and sadness.  We shared the music of the dance."
"I don’t need my piano anymore."  Luna’s voice rose above a whisper, in a
defending tone,  "I’m not unhappy now."
"Yes you are…"
Luna ignored his reply,  "I will never play that piano again.  If I must,
then I’ll play a different song.  A song that represents happiness and joy."
"You will play our song again…" 
"I won’t."
He chuckled softly, but whispered,  "You will!"
Luna closed her eyes in frustration,  "I will not..."
"You shall."
"Shall not."  
"Luna, you must…"
Luna opened her eyes rapidly and turned around to face the dark shadow,  "I
won’t!"  She cried firmly, annoyed by the shadow,  "I will never play that
horrible song again!  I’m not suffering anymore!  I don’t need you!"  She
took a breath as she pointed to the darkness before her,  "You have given
me nothing but pain!  You tried to kill me that night!  You are nothing but
a killer!  The music is nothing now!  I will never dance with you again!
Nothing you can do can change my mind about it!  Now shut up before I have
to make myself clear without my words!!!"
There was only silence as Luna caught her breath from all her shouting.
She fixed her dark red eyes at the darkness before her, still pointing to
the figure which was hiding in the dark.  Luna knew he was still there, all
uncaring and selfish.  
    He suddenly begun to chuckle.  It was, at first, silent, but it soon grew
into the most hideous laugh that Luna had ever heard.  Luna felt that her
knees may tremble, but she tried to stand still, so still for so long.
Luna didn’t want to show anyone that she was weak and now she especially
will not show this shadow that she was afraid of him.  She soon felt
herself relax as she slowly began to lower her pointing arm down by her
side.  But before it made it there, the shadow’s hand suddenly reached out
and grabbed her wrist which made her pointing hand let go of it’s pose.
Her mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out from her violet lips.  He
pulled her into the part of the darkness where he was hiding, where there
was no silvery mist to give her light.  All there was there was silence as
everything stood still.  Nothing was there but the silvery mist which
continued to flow along the floor.  Time seemed to stand still as the
darkness seemed to grow. 
    He suddenly leaped out from the darkness with Luna falling behind.  He had
her wrist tightly around his hand.  Luna tried to break free, but he was
too strong.  His hand chilled her.  It seemed to make her blood in the
veins of her wrist run cold.  It was so cold, so very cold.  She fell down
on her knees.  The cold was making her weak.  She lowered her eyes from the
cold as she lowered her head to stare at the mist.  The mist was cold too.
It was freezing her, freezing her blood.  
"Please stop…"  She pleaded softly in a hushed, pained whisper.  
"If you don’t want to dance, then I’ll make you."  He started to chuckle
again, the errie chuckle which seemed to make Luna suffer even more.  There
was nothing she could do.  She was his prisoner, doomed to dance with him
for all eternity.  Luna, all of a sudden, thought she could hear music.  It
was faint, and it echoed throughout the darkness.  It wasn’t the music that
they used to dance to, but it was something different.  It was happy, and
innocent.  Luna looked up at the black sky.  She recognized the melody.  It
was Serena’s musical carousel.  Luna softly smiled, forgetting about all
the pain the cold was giving her.  For she had forgotten that this was all
a nightmare.  She reached up her free arm with the other arm’s wrist still
gripped by the shadow.  
"Serena…"  Luna called softly, almost in a whisper as she stared up at the
sky.  


"Luna?"  The child’s voice called softly.
Luna slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying in her bed, looking up at
the ceiling of her dark blue bedroom.  She carefully examined her ceiling
before she turned onto her side towards the bedside where the little
princess stood, with her little carousel in her hands which still played
the charming little melody.  Serena’s young blue eyes seemed to fill with a
fear for Luna.  The buns of her golden hair were wrapped with a pink ribbon
which formed a bow with the two strands of the ribbon wrapping around the
picktails to keep the hair in place with another bow tied at the bottom of
each.  She was wearing her cotton pink nightgown which had two, puffy round
short sleeves; a waistline above her waist, and a slim, laced skirt which
flowed down to her little bare feet.
"Serena,"  Luna smiled happily, grateful inside that the princess woke her
up from her nightmare,  "What time is it?"
"The ball had started about an hour ago."
Luna slightly widened her eyes.  Artemis was probably dancing with some
fair moon woman and probably forgot about Luna,  
"What are doing up this late?"  Luna asked a little firmly, but with her
small smile.
Serena looked down at her little carousel which was still playing the
melody, and looked back up at Luna and said with a smile, 
"I wanted to let you borrow my carousel, to cheer you up."
Luna smiled tiredly as Serena placed it on Luna’s night table,
"Thank you, Serena."
"Your welcome."  The little princess smiled as Serena climbed onto the bed,
sitting beside Luna,  "I know why balls are neat now."
Luna curiously looked up at Serena and asked,
"Why?"
"Because of your dances with Artemis.   You two are beautiful dancers."
"You have seen us dance?"  Luna asked, surprised. 
"I have been watching you two dance at the ball."
"When you are suppose to be sleeping?"
"I’m never tired, I always get excited to watch some of the ball."
"Have you been watching the ball tonight?"
"Yes."
"Did you see Artemis?"
"Yes."
Luna looked at Serena before she asked, 
"Was he dancing?"
"No, he wasn’t.  He looked like he wasn’t having fun."
Luna smiled and soon remembered that she had been in bed for two days and
that tomorrow was a certain, special day,
"Serena?  Do you know what tomorrow is?"
"It’s my birthday."  Serena smiled proudly.
Luna gazed sadly at the princess.  Serena was going to be eight years old
tomorrow and she won’t be able to attend to her celebration.
"I wish you could get out of bed tomorrow."  Serena frowned too.
"I wish I could too, but it’s for own good.  Your mother knows that."
"I begged mommy to let you get out of bed tomorrow, but she wants you to
stay in bed."
"I’ll be out and up in three days."  Luna smiled,  "Serena, you know that I
wouldn’t want to miss your birthdays for anything in our whole universe."
"I know…"  Serena suddenly looked as if she was about to cry.
"Serena, you are one of the most important blessings to my life."
The little princess sniffled, a small tear was forming in her eye.  
"You know how much I care about you and your mother and the kingdom
itself."  Luna reached up and gently wiped Serena’s tear away with her
finger,  "Believe me, I wish I was well enough to go, but I can’t."
Serena sadly looked at Luna, still looking like she may burst with a
million tears. 
"Please don’t cry."  Luna softly pleaded, not wanting to see the princess
cry,  "I don’t want you to be sad on your birthday."
"It won’t be the same without you."  Serena sniffled.
"I want you to have as much fun as you ever had tomorrow, even though I
will not be there.  Will you do that for me?" 
Serena sniffled again as she nodded.
"Don’t worry about me.  Artemis will be there to make it special for you,
and I know he has a very special gift for you."
Serena smiled with a sudden excitement.
"Now, you must be in bed now." 
"Goodnight, Luna."  The little princess leaned over and hugged Luna before
she hopped off her bed and walked slowly over to the bedroom door, turning
the knob with both her hands.
"One more thing."  Luna added as Serena turned to look at her.  Luna
smiled,  "Happy Birthday."
The princess smiled with thanks in her eyes as she left the room, shutting
the door behind her.
Luna closed her eyes, as she listened to the melody of the carousel which
slowly played into the night.


    That next day, there was a royal ball throughout the day in honor of the
eight birthday of the little moon princess.  The ball was held in the royal
throne room like all of Serenity’s royal balls.  It was to be Serena’s
first royal ball to ever attend to, even though she was only a child. 
    Serena sat in a little golden throne beside the queen’s throne.  It was
like her mother’s, only smaller.  She loved the ball gown that her mother
let her wear that day.  It was a beautiful satin white dress with short,
puffy sheer sleeves that seemed to be transparent.  The golden embroidery
circles along the square collar and the waistline line which was above her
waist, gave the dress a very radiant look.  The slightly puffy skirt of the
tiny gown, flowed down to her tiny, white flat-heeled shoed feet.  Her hair
was in it’s usual style, like her mothers, with golden ribbon tied around
the buns with the strands flowing down beside her delicately beautiful
face.  She indeed, felt proud to be the daughter of the queen of the moon.
    Serena sighed sadly as she watched the guests of the ball dance.  She was
still unhappy about Luna not being able to come.  She felt that it just
wasn’t the same without her.  
"Hello Serena."  Artemis suddenly came up to her from somewhere behind and
kneeled down to her.  
"Artemis, you don’t have to bow for me!"  Serena grinned, feeling happier.
"But such a beautiful princess, like yourself, who is growing up into a
beautiful lady, needs to be bowed down to."  Artemis smiled back as he rose.
Serena blushed.  She couldn’t help it whenever anybody compliments her,
"Thank you."
"I see that this is your first ball to ever attend to."  Artemis walked
over to her side.
"Yes, it is."  Serena smiled sweetly.
"Are you having fun?"
"Well…"  Serena looked sadly up at Artemis,  "I wish Luna was here."
Artemis frowned too, but gave Serena a little smile as he replied,
"So do I dear princess."
"My birthday isn’t wonderful without her."
"I know how you feel, Serena."  Artemis slowly kneeled down to her again,
only beside Serena and pulled out a small white box that was tied in a bow
at the top with golden ribbon.  Serena looked down at him curiously as he
looked up at her in her eyes as he said, lending the box to her,  "This is
from Luna and I." 
Serena smiled as she gently accepted the gift from Artemis and began to
untie the bow.  Artemis was watching her with a small growing smile as she
gently pulled the ribbon away from the package.
"I think you will really love this."  Artemis added as Serena carefully
opened the top of the box.  Inside, the gift was wrapped with blue and
white sheer paper.  Serena, slowly uncovered the gift from the paper and
beamed.
"Oh Artemis!"  Serena cried happily as she carefully pulled the fragile
gift from the box,  "It’s so beautiful!"
It was a beautifully hand sculpted china music box.  It wasn’t really a
box, but it was a little china sculpture that had a little key attached to
the bottom to turn to make the little melody play.  It was a sculpture of a
young couple, dancing to their hearts content.  The woman, looked strangely
like Luna with hair that was dark blue and was pinned up in two large buns
at the back of her head with little curly dangles falling from the back and
beside her face.  Her face was white with painted violet lips and red eyes.
The woman wore a dress of blue which was off the shoulder with long
sleeves and with a skirt which flowed down to her dancing feet.  The man
looked exactly like Artemis with his slightly golden white hair in a low
ponytail.  His face was white with beautifully painted dark blue eyes.  The
man wore a light brown tailed jacket with a white ruffled shirt and a pair
of pants which matched the jacket, with a pair of combat boots.  Serena
glanced over at Artemis who was wearing the exact same thing that the man
on the music box was.  Their faces were slightly curved in a small smile as
they were posed in a waltzing position.  The woman’s right hand was
gripping the skirt of her gown with her other arm hugging his neck as a
romantic gesture as she was looking deeply into his eyes with their faces
close together.  The man’s right hand was holding the woman’s hand which
was gripping her skirt as his other arm formed tightly around her waist,
making her body come close to him as they waltzed.  It was a very detailed
sculpture.  
    Serena turned over the small music box and turned the golden key several
times until it couldn’t turn anymore.  The music was a little chime which
played a waltzing melody.  Serena fell in love with it as she turned it
right side up with her finger tracing the faces of the dancing couple which
were now slowly twirling to the music.
"They look exactly like you and Luna."  Serena awed, staring at her new
music box in amazement.  
"They are Luna and I."  Artemis smiled as he leaned a little close and
said,  "Right now, Luna cannot make it to your birthday ball, but she’s
always with you in your heart."  He pointed the waltzing couple of the
music box which laid in Serena’s lap which was carefully held in her hands,
"If I ever should not ever be with you at a time that you do need me or
wish to see me, remember that I too am always in your heart with Luna,
watching over you as you grow up."  He slightly paused as he slightly
traced the woman’s blue hair,  "If we are not with you at a time that you
need us, play this music box.  For whenever you do, we are dancing together
in your heart, watching over you."
Serena smiled as she placed the music box back into the package and placed
it on the floor by her throne and looked over at Artemis,
"Thank you."  And hugged him.  Artemis smiled as he hugged Serena back and
rose up to his feet as he walked over in front of Serena and bowed, lending
out his right hand and asked with a smile, 
"Would you dance with me, Serena?"
"Yes, Artemis."  Serena accepted his hand as she stood up from her throne
and danced with Artemis in a twirl and waltz around the thrones.  She was
no longer unhappy, for she knew that she had two people that love her and
would protect her throughout her life.


    The stars that night sparkled brightly in the beautiful dark sky.  Luna
stood silently and motionlessly by her bedroom window, staring out into the
universe.  The window was slightly cracked at the bottom to let a little
breeze flow into her bedroom, which was also flowing slowly through the
sheer skirt of her violet nightgown which gave the outline of her body in
the light of the stars.  Luna suddenly liked looking at the stars.  It
always gave her a glowing feeling inside or whenever she was alone or lost
in her thoughts.  Why was the shadow man so evil now?  Why was he doing
this to her?  Did he used to be kind and gentle before she stopped dancing
with him? 
"No…"  Luna whispered to herself as she turned away from the window and
walked over to her bed.  That was, perhaps, this first time she ever did
talk to herself before.  She suddenly wondered, as she climbed into her
bed, if she was going insane.  
"Who are you talking to?"  Serena softly asked, who secretly crept into the
bedroom without Luna realizing.
Luna looked over at her, a little shocked from the breaking of the silence
and said, 
"I was talking to myself."
"Oh…"  Serena walked over to Luna’s bedside.  That’s when Luna noticed the
little music box that the princess was holding in her hands.  She noticed
that the dancing couple looked a lot like herself and…
"Artemis..?"  Luna softly whispered in astonishment, but looked at Serena
and asked,  "Is that Artemis and…?"
"You."  Serena smiled as she lend the music box to Luna.  
Luna stared, feeling a little awkward as she took her finger and traced the
dress of the china figure of herself.  It was HER and Artemis, dancing
together!  Luna softly smiled as she gave the music box back to Serena who
was now sitting beside Luna on the bed,
"Do you like it?"
"It’s my favorite toy now."
Luna suddenly thought she felt a tear flow down her cheek, but ignored it
as she suddenly heard Serena ask,
"Will you tell me a bedtime story, Luna?"  Serena’s eyes were filled with
hope and a cheerful smile.  How could Luna refuse?
Luna smiled as she nodded and started to ponder for a really wonderful story.
"Once upon a time…"  Luna slightly hesitated before she thought of an ideal
story,  "There was a little princess."  Luna glanced over at Serena who was
smiling with interest,  "She was born as a miracle from a fairy’s magical
spell on a queen who wanted to have a child so dearly.  As a young child,
all that the princess did was dream.  She was always a dreamer who would
always love to play her beautiful golden harp whenever she wanted to
daydream.  The citizens of the kingdom thought that she was wasting her
life, always dreaming of things when she should have been learning about
how to be a proper princess.  The princess never paid any attention to
them, she would just play her harp and dream the whole day through…"
    
"The castle was covered with rose thorns which seemed to want to protect
the castle of it’s eternal sleeping princess.  Many men from near and afar
came to try to break into the enchanted castle and wake the sleeping
princess, but they all failed, for all they found was death."
Artemis, who was standing outside in the hall at Luna’s cracked bedroom
door, was secretly listening to her storytelling.  Artemis couldn’t take
standing around in the nightly ball anymore, not without Luna there to keep
him company and dance with him.  He sneaked out to check on Luna’s
condition, but instead, he was intrigued by her storytelling.  He was
always inspired by her to do anything.  She gave him company, advice when
he couldn’t think of any, dances, hope and so much more…  


"The prince suddenly came to a room in the castle, where these beautiful
roses of many different colors were growing.  That’s when he noticed the
young sleeping princess who was lying peacefully on her bed with roses and
thorns surrounding her, only leaving her head to see.  It all took his
breath away.  He wondered how he could wake up the poor princess who was,
forever dreaming in her sleep.  He felt helpless to her needs as he slowly
crept up to the bedside.  How could he wake her up?  How could he win the
princess’s heart?  He felt pity for her as he leaned over and gave her the
softest, most long lasting kiss that he could ever give.  He rose up to
look at her pure, beautiful face one last time, but was happily shocked to
find that her blue eyes were slowly opening, looking up at the prince with
the most heavenly smile on her face.  And so, the spell was broken, the
thorns crept away from the castle and the castle was once again alive from
the wakened spirit of the princess.  The prince and the princess, fell in
love with each other and they got married the next day, and lived happily
ever after…"  Luna smiled dreamily as she looked over at the princess who
was fast asleep on the bed, cuddled against Luna with the music box cradled
in her little arms.  
"Has anyone ever told you that you have the most wonderful talent in
storytelling?"  Artemis smiled as he walked into the bedroom.
Luna looked up at him with a tired smile, grateful for his compliment,
"Not till now."
That’s when they suddenly stared into each other’s eyes.  Luna just
couldn’t help it, his eyes were so beautiful with so much care and
unselfishness.  Artemis walked up to her bedside, still staring into Luna’s
eyes.  For a moment, that’s all that there was.  Staring, and more staring.
Artemis broke the staring moment and looked down at the sleeping princess
and said in a soft voice with a smile,
"That story must really have inspired her to sleep."  
Luna smirked to Artemis as he carefully picked up the princess in his arms,
with one arm under her back, and the other under her knees.  Her sleepy
head hung back with her mouth slightly opened as her arms hung out.  It was
the most precious thing that Luna had ever seen.
"I’ll see you tomorrow."  Artemis said softly as he turned and slowly began
to walk over to the door with Serena in his arms.  
"Don’t forget her music box…"  Luna held up the little music box of the
waltzing couple, watching him smile at her as he said,
"I’ll be back for it."  And with his smile, he left the room with Serena
lying in his arms.         
She was all alone with the new music box in her hands.  Luna suddenly
wondered what the musical melody sounded like as she continued to stare in
admiration at the dancing figures of herself and Artemis.  Luna carefully
turned it over, finding the golden key which held the power of the precious
melody.  She slowly turned the key several times and let it go.  The sweet
waltzing chime of the melody was sweet and innocent like the princess
Serena.  Luna turned the music box right side up as she looked at the
figures slowly twirling around to the music.  Luna couldn’t believe that
Artemis got something like it.  It was the most wonderful music box that
Luna has ever seen.  Luna looked over at the musical carousel which was
sitting on her night table beside her bed.  Luna found out that by playing
the carousel that the shadow wouldn’t bother her.  It was all so strange to
her.  Luna had been wondering why her mind was playing all these horrible
tricks on her.  She closed her eyes, trying to forget about her mind and
silently listened to the music that the music box was playing.  It was so
soothing that it made her want to drift off to sleep.


"Luna…"  It was the shadow’s voice, calling her softly.
Luna opened her eyes to once again see herself in the place of darkness
where the silver mist would flow over the floor.  The music was still
playing but it was so faint that Luna almost couldn’t hear it.  Luna looked
around her, trying to find the shadow.
"Luna, I’m not trying to harm you…"
Luna didn’t reply, but began walking through the darkness, with the silvery
mist as her light, trying to ignore the voice.
"You know Luna, I am your friend."
"No your not…"  Luna silently muttered as she continued to walk.
All of a sudden, some of the silver mist before her formed a large circle,
as if to block her way.  She stopped and looked up at it.  A window of
vision suddenly appeared in the circle.  It was Serena, smiling and waving.
"Serena?"  Luna’s eyes widened a little as she stared at the picture.  
"Yes, it’s the little moon princess."
Luna glanced around, trying to find the shadow again, but found nothing.
She looked back at the picture and asked,
"Why are you showing me this?"
"Because this is what will happen if you don’t listen to me.  Observe the
picture."
Luna stared hard at the picture which was now showing Serenity by the
princess’s side.
"They are in the castle, living their normal royal lives.
The picture showed the castle itself, glowing with it’s ivory beauty.  
"Now Luna, if you don’t listen to what I have to say.  This is what will
happen to them."
The castle and everything around it suddenly explode before Luna’s very own
frightened eyes.  Luna could feel her heart thumping in her stomach as she
fell on her knees, staring at the picture of the demolished palace in fear
and shock.  
"Now listen to me carefully."
Luna nodded quickly, agreeing to listen.
"Artemis is not your friend." 
Luna looked up at the sky, not believing what the shadow was telling her.
"He wants you out of their lives.  He wants to take over as their only
advisor."
"No…"  Luna whispered, disagreeing.  "I don’t believe you."
"He’s trying to use his charm to make you think that he looks up to you,
and that he couldn’t do his job without you.  He’s now admired by the queen
and princess and everyone in the kingdom.  No one admires you."
"That’s not true!"  Luna shouted out in the darkness as she hurriedly got
back on her bare feet.  "I won’t believe you!"


    Luna rapidly opened her eyes to find herself lying in her own bed, staring
up at the ceiling.  She could still hear the music box playing it’s
beautiful melody.  It was all a dream.  Her mind was trying to torture her
again.  
"Luna?"
She looked over at Artemis who was now standing by her bedside.
"Did I wake you..?  I’m sorry."
"No."  Luna sat up in her bed, looking down at her blue covers,  "I woke
myself up.  I was having a nightmare…"
Artemis’s hand suddenly came into her view.  She looked up at him as he
smiled at her gently.  Luna slowly climbed out of her bed with the music
box in her hands and stood up, looking at Artemis’s hand.  She set the
music box, which was still playing it’s melody, down on her night table
beside the carousel.  
"Want to talk about it?" Luna could feel Artemis’s eyes looking at her with
concern as she stared down at the floor.  
"There’s really not much to talk about it."  Luna said softly, trying not
to show her fear in her voice.
"You sound upset.  Surely a nightmare that made you this upset is something
worth talking about."
Luna looked up at Artemis’s eyes.  They were filled with care and, perhaps
some understanding.  She couldn’t take it anymore.  She had to tell someone
about the shadow man in her dreams.  Maybe he would understand her.  Maybe
he’ll think she’s insane.  Somehow now, she no longer cared but for only
comfort.  
"It was…"  She paused.  Luna couldn’t quite pick out the words, she felt
too nervous to talk about it, especially if it was about some dark shadow
saying that Artemis wasn’t her friend.  Artemis’s hand was still lending
out to her when she glanced down at it again, trying to think,  "It was
about this shadow…  And he threatened me that if I didn’t listen to him
that he would destroy the moon kingdom…"
"What did he say?"
Yes, what did the shadow say?  Luna wasn’t sure about telling Artemis what
he did say, but…  She looked up at him, with water filling up her eyes in
fear and cried softly,
"He said that you weren’t my friend…"
Everything was suddenly silent.  Luna closed her eyes tightly, trying to
take the tears back, but they were already flowing down her pale cheeks.
She kept them closed, she didn’t want to look at Artemis’s face.  She
didn’t want to know what he was thinking.  But all of a sudden, it all came
out off her chest,
"This shadow has been invading my dreams now.  He always had been.  Before
you came here, I used to spend my spare time playing my piano.  Whenever I
did play the piano, I would always daydream that he would come and dance my
pained heart away.  At those times, I could control those dreams.  But,
ever since you came here, I stopped playing my piano, and I haven’t danced
with the shadow ever since."  Luna turned around, facing her back to
Artemis as she continued,  "Artemis, that night that I had that, "heart
attack", the shadow came and tried to strangle me.  He has been controlling
my dreams.  I think he may be jealous of you, always dancing with me.  He
wants me to stay with him and dance with him forever.  I don’t want to
though.  I don’t want to ever see him again…"  Luna covered her eyes with
her hands and began to silently weep.  What was the use, Artemis couldn’t
do anything about her insane mind.  Except…
"Luna…  Don’t cry…"  Artemis’s voice softened as he came up to her from
behind, gently gripping her bare arms as she felt herself being pulled to
him, very close to him.  His arms were securely wrapping around her waist,
keeping her body against his.  The warmth was almost overwhelming, but it
soothed her mind.  She uncovered her eyes and gently gripped his shoulders
with her hands as she rested her arms against his chest.  Her face was wet
from her tears which have stopped as she sniffled, trying to breath
steadily.  She looked up into his calm blue eyes, wishing that she could be
calm whenever she wanted to be.  Luna felt lightheaded as Artemis suddenly
closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against hers, drying her face from her
tears.  Luna closed her eyes, not being able to think.  She just stood
there, in Artemis’s calming arms, trying not to cry again.  He rubbed his
left cheek against Luna’s right now.  It was a rather strange way to act
towards your best friend, but Luna somehow didn’t mind it.  She needed it.
She needed someone to come and take away her tears.  Someone to take away
the pain.  Someone to warm her from the cold.  Their noses soon touched.
Luna’s breath was suddenly deep as they stood there with their noses
touching.  She felt herself start to shake slightly with overwhelming
tension.  Luna felt Artemis’s grip around her tighten, to minimize the
tension.  His forehead soon budded against hers with their noses still
touching.  They stayed in that position with their eyes still closed, for
it gave them strength inside that couldn’t quite be explained beyond words.
"Luna, you’re the best friend that I could ever have."  Luna thought she
felt him shake a little,  "I care about you more than anything else…"
"Artemis…"  Luna felt Artemis’s face touch her bare neck.  She could feel
his hot breath against her skin.  It made her feel weak in a certain way,
but it wasn’t harming her,  "I need to lie down."
Luna felt Artemis pick her up where her feet couldn’t touch the floor and
carry her over to her bed.  She slightly opened her crimson eyes as she
laid down in the covers of her bed.  Artemis stood by her bedside, staring
at her with concern and care in his eyes.  
"You need your sleep…"  Artemis said softly with his caring, gentle smile
as he turned to leave.  Luna didn’t know why, but she didn’t want him to
leave.  She didn’t want to be left alone with her possible future
nightmare.  She need him there to protect her from the shadow.
"Wait."  Luna’s tiring, soft voice cried.
Artemis turned back to her as he was walking to her bedroom door.  His
ivory hair and his golden earring, along with the blue of his gentle eyes
shined in the starlight from her window.  He smiled at her, gently.
"Don’t go…"  Luna softly pleaded,  "I don’t want to be alone."
Artemis stood a moment, perhaps thinking, before he laid down on the bed
beside her.  Luna closed her eyes as she faced him, resting her forehead
against his shoulder with her arm wrapping around his chest with her other
arm resting against his chest.  Facing her, he wrapped his arms around her
and closed his eyes as they drifted off to sleep to the music of the music
box, together.          


    Luna sighed softly as she woke up from the most wonderful sleep she ever
had.  She was lying on her side, with her arms under her pillow where her
head laid.  Her dark blue, layered long hair almost covered her pillow in a
sort of mess.  She turned on her back, pulling her arms out of her pillow
as she stared at her ceiling.  What happened that night before was…  She
couldn’t believe that he behaved that way to make her feel better.  She
simply smiled.  SHE LOVED IT!  He even slept with her too.  Just like him,
she guessed, trying to make her happy.  She raised her hand to her
forehead, brushing away a strand of her hair with the back of her hand.  
"Artemis?"  Luna called softly as she stared at her ceiling, but turned to
the side where he slept to find that he wasn’t there.


"Your majesty, I came to give you my word of mind about Luna."  He couldn’t
believe himself about that night.  He couldn’t control his actions, he just
wanted to help her stop crying, but it was a very exposing way to do it.
Rubbing his cheek with hers?  And sleeping in her bed with her?  What has
he gotten himself into?  
"Yes, Artemis?"  Serenity asked, sitting up straight in her throne as she
gazed at him curiously.
"I don’t think she’s really ill."  
"Why do you say that?"
"She had a bad nightmare last night and she got very scared and very upset."
"She did?"  Serenity rose from her golden throne.  "I’ve never heard of her
ever getting upset before."
Artemis saw the vision of Luna upset in his mind.  Her face was beautifully
pale with tears flowing down her cheeks, her eyes looked like rubies that
sparkled radiantly in the moonlight.  Her unique dark blue hair seemed to
flow in the wind as she cried in fear along with her purple nightgown.  It
was, perhaps the first real time he had ever seen her cry so much.  Artemis
always did hate to see her cry.  It gave him a great deal of pain to his
heart.  He frowned slightly as he stared down at the stairs to the throne
which he was standing before.
"She cried so much that I had to comfort her."  Artemis added, still
staring at the stairs.
"I’ve known her for about four years now and she always seemed like she was
a strong, brave, and yes a woman with lots of strength.  She always wanted
to do certain things herself."
He looked up at her and said,  "Believe it or not your highness, but she’s
also a woman with feelings and she cares for you, your daughter, and…"  
"Artemis, is there anything wrong?  You don’t quite look so happy today."
The queen’s concerned voice asked,  "And I’ve never seen you talk
defensively…"
"I wasn’t trying to be defensive, I was just trying to prove a point."
Artemis stared back at the stairs again.  He didn’t even notice that
Serenity was walking down the stairs towards him.  
"Artemis, please look at me."  She was standing before him.  That’s when he
realized that his head was at her shoulders.  She was really tall for a
young queen.  Artemis looked up at her blue eyes and that’s when he noticed
that there was a touch of light, as if, moonlight, in her eyes that seemed
to do something to him.
"Please tell me what’s troubling you."  Her caring smile showed as he
pondered about what to say.
"It’s about her nightmares."
"Nightmares?  You said she had a nightmare."  Serenity said, correcting him.
"Yes, and she had other nightmares like this one too."
"What were they about, Artemis?"
"She told me that, before I came here, she would always play her piano."
"She plays elegantly."  
Artemis smiled slightly for a moment but continued,  "She said that she
would always daydream when she plays and that she dreams that this shadow
man would come and dance with her."
Serenity didn’t say anything, but her eyes showed that she was a little bit
concerned for Luna.
"She told me that ever since I came here, she never played her piano."
"What a shame, I love the way she plays the piano."  Serenity held her
gesturing hand up to her cheek as she pondered a moment,  "She puts feeling
into her music."
Artemis looked up at her, feeling a little troubled inside,  "Now she says
that ever since that night that she had her, "heart attack"…"
"What do you mean by, "heart attack"?"  Serenity stared at Artemis,
straight in his eyes.
"She doesn’t feel that it was really a heart attack."
"But it was.  She was trying to grasp her heart."
"When that was happening your highness, she told me that she saw the shadow
come to her and tried to strangle her."
There was silence as Serenity stood, shocked,  "Oh my…"
"I don’t know what’s going on neither, but she told me that ever since
then, that her dreams have been invaded by the shadow, trying to make her
dance with him again."
"Does she want to?"
"No, your majesty."
Serenity stopped to pace a bit, perhaps pondering about Luna.  After a
moment or so, Serenity looked over at Artemis and asked, 
"Artemis, the nightmare that Luna had last night."  She walked up to him,
"What was it about?"
Artemis looked down at the floor a moment, trying to regain his thoughts,
looked up at Serenity and said, worried about what Serenity will think,
"She dreamed that the shadow was threatening to destroy the kingdom if she
didn’t listen to him."
"Did she?"
"Yes."
"What did the shadow say?"
Artemis shrugged a bit,  "That I wasn’t her friend."
"Does she believe him?"
"No, but she was very upset about it."
Serenity paused, pondering before she said,  "Today is her last day to
rest.  Perhaps she will regain her senses by tomorrow."
Senses?  Senses!  Luna has her senses!  "Are you saying that she’s insane?" 
"I don’t know…"  Serenity walked back up to the throne, and sat back down
as she looked over, concerned at Artemis,  "Try to keep and an extra eye on
her today."
"Yes, your highness."
"You may go."
With that, Artemis turned and walked out of the throne room, leaving him to
think about Luna’s suffering that perhaps Queen Serenity did not quite
understand.  But then again, he didn’t quite understand everything himself.


    It was quiet.  Too quiet for Luna.  It was the evening of the day, where
the nightly ball took place.  Luna missed the royal balls.  And to think
that she used to hate them, thinking that they were boring.  That was only
before Artemis came.  Ever since he became an advisor, he would always put
the fun in the balls by dancing with Luna, and only Luna throughout the
night.  
"Luna?"
Luna turned from her bedroom window to the bedroom door where Serena walked
in with her nightgown on.  It was almost her bedtime, and Luna had two
guesses about what she wanted.
"Hello Serena."  Luna smiled gently as she walked over to the princess and
kneeled down on her knees to her to give her a hug as she opened her arms
to her.
"Luna, I miss you."  Serena rushed to Luna and gave her the biggest hug
that the little princess could ever give.
"I miss you too."  Luna replied softly, hugging Serena back.  
After the hug, Serena looked up at Luna and asked, 
"Today is the final day, right?"
"Yes, it is."  Luna smiled, still on her knees.   
"Luna…  I left my music box here last night."
"Oh, yes."  Luna got back on her feet, guessing that was one of the things
Serena came for, and walked over to her night table where the musical
carousel and the music box sat, quietly.  Luna carefully picked up the
music box of the dancing couple and brought it back to Serena,  "Here it is."
Serena looked up at Luna and smiled thankfully, 
"Thank you."
"You’re welcome, dear princess."
They stood in silence for a moment before Serena said, 
"I guess I better get to bed now."
Luna nodded and walked Serena to her bedroom door,
"Goodnight Serena, pleasant dreams."
"You too, Luna."  Serena smiled with the music box in her hands and walked
down the hall to her bedroom.  Luna stood by her bedroom door, watching
Serena walk slowly to her bedroom door.  Luna smiled to herself as she shut
her bedroom door.  Pleasant dreams.  She hoped that would be her case for
the night.  She looked over at the musical carousel, thinking that Serena
didn’t care much for it anymore since she had a new music box.  Luna
wondered what would become of the musical carousel now as she walked over
to it and stared at it.  Maybe Serena would let her keep it.  Maybe she
won’t.  Luna knew that it was one of the only things that would keep her
from dreaming of the shadow.  The shadow.  Why was he bothering her in her
dreams?  Why can’t she get rid of her?  Why?  Why?  Why?
"Because I am too strong and powerful for you to understand anything!"  The
shadow’s voice chuckled, and chuckled, and chuckled.
Luna turned around in a circle, trying to see if the shadow was there, but
it was in her mind.  She said softly with hatred, 
"Leave me alone…"
"I can’t.  Sorry."
Luna hurried as she turned to her night table and grabbed the silver key
which was lying beside the carousel.  She turned back to her room and held
the key in the air above her head as glanced around the room,
"I have the key to the musical carousel that you hate so much!"
"Hell with that music!  That is not what I’m here for!"
Luna turned back to the carousel and pushed the key into the hole at the
side of the carousel and turned it rapidly until it couldn’t turn anymore
and smiled in victory as it began to play.  It can’t bother her now, he
hates the music…
"Wrong again!  I can stand the music, but I’ve came for something much more
valuable then that."
Luna turned back to the room, filled with anger and hatred for the shadow
as she cried in anger,
"What do you want of me!?"
"I WANT  the music of your piano."
"Never…"  Luna whispered loathsomely staring at her ceiling.
"Oh, but I think you’re going to have to play.  You see, I’m not what I
seem to be at all."
With that Luna started walking to her bedroom door and reached for the lock
but suddenly…
"You are not going anywhere!"  And with that, Luna felt something explode
at the door and blast her into the air away from the door, making her fall
onto the floor on her back.  Pain struck Luna’s back and her head as she
laid on the hard floor of her bedroom.  She stared up at her ceiling as she
waited for the pain of her back and her head to go away.  What happened?
She wondered how it could be that a figment of her imagination can make
something happen in reality.
"I’m not a figment of your imagination Luna!  I am something far more
powerful then that!"
"What are you?"  Luna asked softly, feeling like the room was turning in
circles around her as she continued to lay on the floor.  
"Something that exists in your mind and out of your mind."
Luna groaned softly, trying to get herself to sit up without feeling dizzy
or pain,
"I don’t understand."
"You’re not suppose to.  But what you are suppose to understand is to play
the music of the piano, for ME!"
"No-o..."  Luna uttered softly as she slowly sat up.
"No more disobeying me, you are going to do whatever I say even if I have
to…  DO IT BY FORCE!"  The chuckle turned into the horrible, evil laugh
that Luna hated so much.  
As Luna tried to stand up, but she felt herself being pulled back down to
the floor, not being able to sit up.  She suddenly felt herself being
pulled back slowly across the floor and began to struggle with her
nightgown trailing behind her, trying to escape the force that was pulling
her.  
"You can never escape me now and never again!"
Luna rose her head back to see where she was being pulled to.  In her
sights, stood the piano.


    He finally reached to the top of the stairs where the door to the hallway
stood.  Artemis couldn’t take staying at the ball anymore without her.  It
just a boring function if she wasn’t around to make it fun for him.  As he
opened the door, he turned to see if anyone saw him leave, and walked
through the door into the hallway.  As he closed the door behind him, he
suddenly heard music flow to his ears.  The music was different from any
music that he ever heard.  It was beautiful, but sounded sorrowful in a
sense.  Artemis slowly wondered down the hall, trying to find where the
music was coming from.  The music came closer, and closer, and closer,
until he realized what kind of music it was.
"Luna…"  He whispered to himself, as he rushed to her bedroom door.  He
stood a moment as he listened to her play.  It so beautiful, but it sounded
downhearted.  Artemis slowly cracked the door enough where he could see
Luna play.  She was still dressed in her violet nightgown as she sat at her
piano with her fingers fiddling across the keys of the piano.  Her head was
lowered down slightly with her eyes closed as she slowly, and gracefully
played her piano.  Her midnight blue hair swung around slightly as she rose
her head and back down again.  She looked so graceful, so…  Beautiful.
Artemis smiled happily as he entered her bedroom.  Luna didn’t stop
playing, nor did she look over at him.  Artemis stood for a moment to watch
her play once more.  She played so elegantly, like Queen Serenity said as
he began to slowly walk over to her.  He stopped as he approached the
piano’s side, where he stood by Luna.
"Luna."  Artemis said as he smiled, trying to get her attention.
"Go away…"  Her voice sounded almost in pain, but it was a little weak.
Artemis was surprised by her reaction as his smile faded away,
"But I love your music, and I thought you would like some company."
"I said go away!"  Her eyes opened in anger, turning her head to him as she
stopped playing the piano.  Artemis thought his heart skipped a beat as he
stared at her glowing silver eyes.  What was going on?
"Luna…  What’s going on?"  Artemis suddenly noticed something dark flow out
of the piano around Luna’s ceased hands.  The darkness suddenly formed into
a shadowy pair of hands.  
"Luna!  Get away from there!"  Artemis shouted, but it was too late, the
hands grabbed Luna’s wrists as it pulled her up firmly and rapidly, off the
ground.  She hung there, motionless like a lifeless doll with her head hung
back and her eyes closed.  The rest of the darkness formed into a shadow
human body.  It was the shadow.  
Was he going insane?  How could he see it? 
"I would suggest that you get away from us while you still can." A deep,
threatening voice softly warned.
Artemis looked up at the shadow, not believing of what he was seeing before
his very eyes.
"Let go of her!"  Artemis shouted, suddenly starting to feel angry.  
The shadow suddenly let go of one of her wrists, but still held on to her
other one as the freed wrist fell down to her side as her head hung over in
front,
"I can’t do that, Artemis."
"How did you know my name!?"  Artemis stared sadly at the helpless Luna who
he thought, saw a tear trickle down her white cheek,
"It flows through Luna’s mind, but it will disappear from her memory and
another name will fill it.  I can’t stay and answer your foolish questions,
for Luna and I have a date with a dance."
A dance!?  It was the shadow that interfered with Luna’s dreams!  All of a
sudden, the shadow flowed swiftly towards the bedroom window with Luna
hanging in the air from her wrist which was gripped by the shadow.  It all
seemed to be a blur as the window shattered into a million pieces with the
blue curtains flowing violently in the air as he saw a blur of blue from
Luna’s hair and the blur of black from the shadow fly through the shattered
window.
"Luna!!!"  Artemis cried, feeling hatred for the shadow suddenly flowing
through his veins.  No one messes with his best friend and gets away
without having to deal with him first!  Artemis turned and ran as fast as
he could out the bedroom door.


    Artemis arrived out the gates of the castle of the moon as he hurried down
the many small white stairs that lead to the front land of the castle.
Artemis felt his heart beat deeply and fast in his chest as he looked
around, trying to find Luna and the shadow.  He stopped running he reached
to a couple of white columns that were standing on each side of the white
path which lead to the stairs of the castle.  Artemis lowered his head in
sorrow.  The shadow must have took her away, somewhere far where they would
dance for all eternity.  No!  Artemis rose his head in frustration.  He
would not let this happen!  He can’t give up!
"LUNA!"  Artemis screamed in sorrow and anger to the top of his lungs,
hoping that she would hear him.  He stared out into the starry universe.
How can this happen?  What was that shadow?  This was all impossible but it
didn’t matter to Artemis anymore.  All he wanted was Luna back.
"Bring her back!"  He shouted in rage at the universe, as if that was what
took her away.
"I can’t, for we need her for our needs."  
Artemis abruptly looked up towards the left column where the shadow’s voice
came from.  On top of the column stood the shadow with Luna, helpless, in
his arm with his other hand grasping Luna’s.  Her head hung, with her eyes
closed, to it’s side to her freed arm where it hung out at her side.  
"I need her, for my dance."
Suddenly the musical piece that Luna played began to flow in the air around
them.  Artemis stared ruefully at the shadow as the shadow began to waltz
around with Luna swinging around in the air above the column.  A thin
silvery mist suddenly appeared and flowed around Luna.  Artemis could
suddenly see Luna wince in pain as her teeth slightly gritted and her eyes
tightened. 
"Stop..!"  Luna cried in agony.
"What are you doing to her!?"  Artemis shouted in anger as he fixed his
hatred eyes on the shadow.
"I’m doing what I’m suppose to be doing.  I’m taking away her energy and
filling them with more evil and hatred from my universe!"
Luna screamed slightly, in tremendous pain that she had probably never have
felt before.
"Leave her alone!"
The shadow just chuckled and soon laughed it’s evil, dirty laugh as Artemis
stared sadly at Luna who groaned weakly and silently in pain.  Artemis knew
that he needed to save her, and he suddenly knew what he had to do,
"Take me instead!"
"I would, but your energy is almost as strong as I am.  Luna, has weaker
energy that is filled with sorrow and loneliness that I can take control
of.  I had to take over her mind first, and it wasn’t easy.  I just about
had her before you showed up, Artemis!  When you arrived, you gave her
strength that I could not quite take hold up until I made myself become
stronger which took for those three months after you came!  After that, I
slowly grasped her mind, forcing her to play her piano again where I could
be free in reality to take her energy!  After her energy is gone, your
strength will weaken where I can take yours and then, the moon is ours!
The Negaverse!"  
"I won’t let you do this!  Let her go!"  
"Artemis…"  Luna softly cried, as tears flowed down her pale face.  Her
once ruby, but silver eyes slowly opened and stared at Artemis.  Artemis
stared into Luna’s eyes, seeing all the evil and hatred flow inside her,
almost at the point where she has been taken.  
"You’re existence here is giving her back her strength!  She’s trying to
fight the evil and hatred off!"  The shadow let go of Luna’s hand and
turned to Artemis with his left arm wrapped around Luna’s waist and used
his other arm to point at Artemis,  "I can see that I’m going to have to
destroy you so that she can be weak again!"
Artemis clinched his fist, staring hard at the shadow, ready for anything.  
"SAY GOODBYE!"  With that, a hard wind suddenly begins to flow around the
pointing shadow and Luna, so strong that the skirt of her nightgown rapidly
flowed in the air along with her hair and her arms with her head hung back
with her heavy silvery eyes staring up into the universe.  A small, silvery
ball of glowing stone suddenly formed at the finger of the shadow’s
pointing hand.  Artemis wondered what the shadow was going to do as he
stared at the stone.  The stone must be about the size of his own fist.
All of a sudden it flies at Artemis.  It all seemed to go in slow motion.
Artemis tried to dodge away, but he couldn’t get his legs to move.  He
stared at the stone as it suddenly flew into his stomach, cutting through
the skin and the organs.  Artemis threw his head back and screamed in
agonizing pain that he thought he would ever feel.  The scream seemed to
fill the whole universe with it’s horrible cry.  It sounded like thunder
crashing down with it’s mighty power.  He clinched both his fists, trying
to fight off the pain, but it didn’t help.  He felt himself fall down on
his knees.  His hand supported his body from falling by holding him up from
the ground with his other hand at his large abdominal wound, trying to stop
the bleeding.  The warm, almost hot, red blood, flowed through his fingers
down his arm and out onto the white ground under him, which was now wet
with his blood.  His eyes were filled with tears of pain as he stared up,
weak, at the shadow who was now laughing.  Luna turned her head to the side
and looked down upon Artemis, who was mortally wounded.  Artemis saw her
mouth open, as if to say, or scream something, but all it let out was a
faint sound of pain, as if she was trying to breath.
"Luna…  I’m sorry…"  Artemis said softly, feeling his tears turn to tears
of sorrow for her.  He couldn’t rescue her now.  He lowered his head as he
closed his eyes tightly as his tears flowed down his cheeks and onto the
bloody ground.  He opened his eyes again, for he was seeing visions of Luna
and himself, dancing together at every ball they’ve ever went to together.
He also saw themselves with Serena as Luna was telling the princess a story
about a princess who turned into a swan by night.  A vision of Luna and
himself in her bedroom suddenly appear in his mind.  It was the night
before this very night where she was crying.  Artemis was rubbing his cheek
against hers.  She was always there for him, like he was always there for
her.  Luna was what made his job at the palace exciting and wonderful.  To
work with a friend you truly care about makes his life easier then what it
used to be.  Artemis closed his eyes in pain.  He suddenly realized
something that he had never known, but he knew deep down inside himself.
He opened his eyes up to Luna who was still lying motionless in the
laughing shadow’s arm.  Her eyes were staring at him, with tears flowing
down her face.  He knew that he needed to do what he should have done
before this ever happened.
"Luna…"  Artemis said softly and whispered weakly and painfully while
staring into Luna’s eyes,  "I love you…"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The sound of the shadow’s echoed scream filled Artemis’s weak mind as the
shadow suddenly disappeared in an explosion of dark ashes.  Luna slowly
fell off the column and down towards the ground in front of Artemis.
Artemis hurriedly crawled to the spot where she would fall and used his
remaining strength to reach his arms out to her while supporting his body
up.  He caught her, and tried to hold her a moment, but it was no use.  The
pain from catching her, made him let go of her to roll onto the ground and
lower his arms down to his sides.  He stared at her silvery eyes, which
were staring up at the universe, as they slowly turned back to the ruby
eyes he knew.  Artemis suddenly heard a sound from the column which where
Luna and the shadow were, which was starting to crumble into many large
white logs which were toppling over towards them.  Artemis weakly let
himself fall on top of Luna’s body with his arms wrapping around her
shoulders with her head under him as he lowered his head to protect her
head as the many large logs fall around them, making a tomb over them.


    Free…  That word was what she first thought in her mind when she opened
her eyes to realize that the shadow was dead.  It was gone, and it would no
longer torment her again.  Her vision seemed blurry, too blurry to see
anything.  There was darkness, but light all at once.  Luna closed her
weary eyes once more, trying to clear the blur from her vision.  Her whole
body ached with a faint pain.  She felt weak, so weak.  Luna opened her
eyes, slowly as she found herself staring up at a tomb of white broken
pieces of column logs, all around her, and that she was lying in Artemis’s
arms.  She turned her head to her right side to find his lowered head lying
against her neck and shoulder with his eyes closed.  She could feel his
heart beat steadily against her chest.  She was eternally grateful that he
wasn’t dead, but suddenly she remembered what he did for her.  She weakly
turned him over on her left side to see all the red blood that stained
almost her entire nightgown.  She looked over at him, now full of fear for
his death, at his stomach.  There was a large wound, which exposed his
ruptured organs, that was still bleeding.  Luna acted fast as she sat up
and grabbed the end of the skirt of her nightgown and tore a fairly large
piece off.  She folded the sheer cloth, which she wished was cotton, many
times till it was about the size of the wound and placed it cover the
wound, firmly.  She felt tears form in her eyes as she held the cloth in
place.  He saved her life.  And now she knew she had to save his.  
"Artemis..?"  Her weakening, but strengthened voice tried to wake him up,
"Artemis, can you hear me..?"
He didn’t move, neither did he answer her.
"Artemis…"  Luna’s voice rose slightly, feeling frightened that he may
never wake up.
"Luna…"  He spoke weakly, and his voice was filled with pain.
"Artemis!"  Luna leaned down and hugged him with her hands gripping his
shoulders.  She felt his bloody hand reach up and touch her hair as she
began to weep happily that he was alive and that he was awake.
"Luna…  Did you hear what I said to you..?"
"Yes…"  Luna said softly, feeling her tears for him fall from her cheeks
onto his face,  "I love you too…"
Artemis softly smiled as he carefully sat up, and leaned his back against a
large column log behind him as he winced in pain,  "Please let me hold you…"
"Wait…" Luna quickly tore another strip of her nightgown off and wrapped it
around his stomach over the cloth that covered his wound and tied it to
hold the cloth in place.  "The wound was still bleeding…"
"Luna, how did you ever get all your intelligence..?"  Artemis smirked as
he spread his arms to her.
Luna crawled weakly to him and leaned against his chest with her head
against his right shoulder.  It was amazing to her that he could be his
happy self at a time like this.  She replied,
"From long, hard hours of school when I used to be a little younger…"  She
closed her eyes as she felt Artemis wrap his arm around her, and with his
other arm, gently held her hand.  Luna didn’t mind all the blood that was
still on his hand, she didn’t care for anything anymore except for his
health.  She opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the column log
tomb, feeling her hopes steadily balance inside her.
"Did your parents miss you..?"  Artemis asked weakly.
"My mother died when I was six...  My father sent me off to a private,
boarding school where I learned how to become a lady and other such
things..."  Luna looked back down at Artemis,  "He died while I was there
from a disease that affected his lungs...  No one was sure what it was..."
"Your not alone, Luna...  I was born an orphan and I was adopted by several
families, but they never could keep me forever...  They would usually let
me go because they didn’t have enough money to take care of me, or they
didn’t have any room, or some things like that...  Finally, when I was
about eighteen, I left to try to find a living with different jobs…  And
now I’m here and…"  He groaned once more.
Luna stared back up at the ceiling of the tomb,
"Will someone find us..?"
"Eventually…"  Artemis slightly groaned, still in pain.
Luna raised her head off his shoulder and gazed into his eyes,
"You’re still in pain…"
"It doesn’t hurt so much as long as your here…"
Luna smiled slightly as they continued to stare into each other’s eyes.
Luna knew how Artemis’s blue eyes used to have light to them, but now, they
were growing dark.
"Did he take your energy..?"  Artemis asked weakly with concern.
"Not all of it…"  Luna suddenly looked down at his chest, feeling the urge
to hear his heartbeat.  She let go of Artemis’s hand that was now in his
lap as she gripped the collar of his ruffled white shirt and pulled it
down, hoping it would tear, but it wasn’t quite easy.  
"What are you doing..?"  Artemis asked curiously.
"I want to hear your heartbeat…"  It finally tore enough where his left
side of his chest was exposed.  Luna, who then pulled her hair back behind
her left ear, carefully put her ear to Artemis’s chest, hearing his
surprisingly strong, but gentle heartbeat go on, and on, and on,  "It’s
beautiful…  As long as it’s beating I’ll be the happiest I’ll ever be."
"Then…"  Artemis winced slightly as he reached his hand up to touch her
hair again,  "Someone needs to find us…  Soon…"
Those words made Luna’s heart beat faster as she rose her head up to him,
feeling her happiness suddenly fade,
"Don’t say that…"
"Luna…  I think I may not live much longer…"
"Artemis, take that hopeless response back right now..!"  Luna cried
weakly,  "Don’t you dare give up..!  Not now, not ever..!"
"Luna…  I can’t help it…  The pain is too much now…"  Artemis tightly
closed his eyes, in an agony that screamed out inside him.
Luna looked up at the ceiling of the tomb, knowing that she was the only
one to save him now.  She cried weakly, and in determination,
"Help..!  Someone please help us..!"
"Stop…"  Artemis silently pleaded,  "Don’t waste your remaining energy like
that…"
Luna turned her head to him again and asked weakly and sadly,
"Then what am I suppose to do..?"
"Just…  Just let me hold you…" 
Luna gazed lovingly, but sorrowfully at him.  He was dying, she knew it
now, and she didn’t want him to as she leaned back against his chest with
her forehead resting against his neck,
"Please don’t die on me…"  Luna whispered as tears began to trickle down
her face,  "You are the only thing that matters to my life now…  Without
you, I’m forever unhappy like I was before you came here…"
"Let’s not speak…"
"I would have nothing…"  Luna closed her eyes in pain that grew inside her
weak heart.
"I had nothing until now my dear Luna…"  
Luna couldn’t stand it any longer.  If he was dying, then there was
something that she wanted to do before…
"Your right…"  Luna sniffled,  "Let’s not speak anymore, but…"  She rose
her head to him and gently rested her forehead against his with her eyes
closed.  She softly rubbed her nose against his with their foreheads still
touching.
"Luna, you must know that I have always loved you, ever since we met I was
intrigued by your intelligence and your determination towards advising...
I have always thought that you were uniquely beautiful with your ruby eyes
and your blue hair…"
"Artemis…"  Luna wept, feeling her tears of joy and of sorrow fall upon
Artemis’s face which was close to hers.  
"Luna, this isn’t horrible…  I’ve always thought about what it would be
like to experience death…"
"Please don’t talk about death…"  Luna whispered, pleading as she slowly
opened her eyes to see the blue of Artemis’s staring weakly back at her
with his love,  "You’re not going to die…"
And with that, she slowly closed her eyes and softly pressed her violet
lips against Artemis’s.  Luna, who never let go of their, as it seemed,
undying kiss, held her hand up to caress Artemis’s cheek.  It was warm to
the touch, as she first felt it that one night when she woke up from one of
the shadow’s dreams and reached up her hand to touch Artemis’s cheek.  Luna
felt Artemis’s hand reach up to caress her head as they continued with
their kiss of their true love that they just realized they had for each
other.  She felt his other arm wrap tightly around her, keeping her body
close to his.  Luna was suddenly determined to keep the kiss going and
never let it stop.  She reached her fingertips up and touched his golden
ball earring and higher to feel his beautiful ivory hair.  Their kiss soon
grew firmly as they held each other tightly, not wanting to let each other
go.  Luna felt her tears fall upon each other’s faces as they slowly let
their lips separate, but only an inch away with Artemis smiling gently and
whispered,
"I love you…"
"Don’t talk like this…  Please…"  Luna softly pleaded as she gave Artemis a
firm, but soft moist kiss.
The kiss soon ended with Artemis gazing lovingly into Luna’s eyes with his
loving smile for her on his face.  Luna never took her loving eyes off his
as she smiled lovingly back at him. 
Artemis whispered weakly, smiling,
"Your kiss took away the pain…"  His eyes were heavy, about to close. 
"Artemis, don’t leave me…"  Luna silently pleaded as she watched his eyes,
her life felt as if it was hanging at the balance.
He smiled at her softly with his eyes closing.  His grip around Luna was
loosening and his hand let go of her head.  He acted, as if, he was trying
to regain his strength, but suddenly, he let go with his head hung back
against the column log.  
Luna stared at him, trying to convince herself that he was sleeping.  He’s
just sleeping…  He was just too tired to keep himself awake…  She looked
down at his chest.  Was his heart beating?  There was only one way to find
out.  She held her hand up to feel his chest, but held it back to her.  She
didn’t want to know, but she knew that it held the answer to her fearful
question.  She took a fearful, but deep breath and held her hand against
his chest.  There was no heartbeat.  
Luna suddenly felt herself start hyperventilating as she looked up at the
ceiling, with tears streaming down her face.  She straightened her back,
using almost all her remaining energy as she felt herself screaming out to
the universe,
"NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  It was, almost the way the shadow screamed before it
died.  Luna felt all her hopes and dreams shatter inside her like the
window in her bedroom.  The screaming stopped as she felt her weak body
fall down upon the bloody ground before her.  That’s when she wept, and
wept, and wept in pain, sorrow and hopelessness.  Luna knew that she had
never cried this much before.  They will never have a life together.  Luna
was doomed to be alone forever.  She sat back up and looked up at the
ceiling of the tomb once again and whispered in her weeping, weak voice,
"Why..?"    
She lowered her head down in despair, and suddenly saw it.  It was a stake
shaped piece stone from a piece of the column.  She suddenly started
thinking about what she would do with the rest of her life.  Grieve over
her loss?  She weakly reached out and gripped the stake into her hand which
was covered in blood from Artemis’s bloody hand.  That’s when she suddenly
realized.  Queen Serenity and the whole kingdom will think she killed him.
Could they think like that about her?  Luna didn’t know, but her life
wouldn’t be worth living anyway without her true love, Artemis.  She held
the stake up to look at it closely.  It had a very sharp point, good for
cutting.  She turned herself around weakly to Artemis, crawling weakly over
to him.  With her free arm, she wrapped it around Artemis’s neck as she
stared up into the universe.  On her knees, she held the stake up to the
middle of her chest with her other hand, feeling all the sorrow and
loneliness disappear from her heart.  Luna suddenly saw visions of herself
and Artemis dancing at the royal balls.  She wished she could do that
again.  But now he was dead.  They would never dance again.  This had to be
the only way.  Without Artemis, nothing would seem fair anymore.  Tears
streamed down her face and down her neck as she felt all the fear of the
pain she was about to feel flow away.  She smiled softly, as she thought
about how much she loved Artemis and rapidly struck the stake into her
chest with all her remaining strength…  


    The site struck Serenity’s heart which was now broken into a million
pieces.  The guards of the castle finished carefully taking each piece of
the column away to reveal what was inside.  There they laid, the lifeless
bodies of her most trusted advisors in a large puddle of their blood.  
Artemis was leaning against a log piece of the column with his arms lying
at his sides.  His head was hung back with his eyes closed in his eternal
sleep.  His ruffled shirt, which was worn under his light brown jacket, was
torn down, exposing his bare chest.  The deep wound on his stomach seemed
to be caused by something that penetrated through his skin and into his
stomach.  He seemed to have died from loss of blood and from his ruptured
organs.
Luna was perhaps the saddest site of death of all.  She was leaning against
Artemis with her left arm around his neck, sitting on her knees.  Her head
was resting, lowered, on top of Artemis’s, with her forehead touching his.
Her nightgown that was once violet, was now almost fully drenched in blood
along with some strand of her dark blue hair.  Her other hand, which was
lying in Artemis’s lap held a bloody stake that punctured a deep wound into
her heart, with it ripped apart.  Streams of blood flowed down her bar arms
and her legs.  The worst part was that her once shining red eyes were now a
pair of dark, lifeless eyes, fixed into a stare.  
Serenity felt tears form in her moonlight blue eyes.  She first, lost her
husband, and now, she losses her most trusted advisors.  She stared sadly
at them, full of grief.  She wondered how they died and who killed them.  
All of a sudden, a vision appeared into her mind.  It was Artemis, standing
bravely as he stared up hatefully at the universe, but it wasn’t the
universe, it was a dark shadowy man who was holding Luna, who seemed to be
very weak in it’s arm.  The shadow was laughing and it shot something at
Artemis which struck into his stomach.  Artemis screamed in pain as he fell
on his knees.  Another vision came into Serenity’s mind.  It was Artemis
was lying against the log where he died.  Luna was leaning against him.
They were kissing, perhaps it was their first, or it was their only, and
last kiss they ever shared.  Artemis suddenly died with Luna putting her
hand to his chest and screaming in sorrow at the universe.  That’s when
Serenity saw Luna’s death.  Luna commit suicide by stabbing her heart with
the stake that she held in her death.
Serenity broke down into tears, making her fall on her knees before them.
It wasn’t fair.  They should never have died when they just started to love
each other.  They would never have a life.  They were gone, and now
Serenity had to live the rest of her life without them.  She lowered her
head as she closed her eyes in sorrow.
"Mommy?"  
Serenity turned, shocked that Serena was walking towards her with the music
box in her hands of the dancing couple.  Serenity raised her hand to her
daughter, trying to convince her not to come any closer,
"Serena, stay back!"
Serena didn’t listen to her.  The little princess walked slowly towards her
mother with dread in her eyes as she carried the music box.  Serena was
wearing a fully white dress with short puffy sleeves and with the puffy
shirt that reached down to her feet with white ribbons in her hair,
"Mommy?  What’s going on..?"
"Please darling, for your own sake, please don’t come any closer!" 
"Why are you crying?"  Serena asked with concern before her eyes suddenly
saw the lifeless bodies of Luna and Artemis.  Her lips curved into a frown
with her precious blue eyes filling with tears.  She put her music box on
the ground and ran to her mother, now bursting with tears,  "Luna!
Artemis!"  She cried, brokenhearted as she leaned against her mother.
Serenity wrapped her protecting, loving arms around Serena as she softly said,
"Darling, I’m so sorry…"  And all of a sudden, she remembered something
that her husband told her about her crescent moon wand which she brought
out with her when she was told by a guard that Luna and Artemis were dead.
Serenity remembered him telling her that the wand held a special life
giving power that was only to be used once and that, he pleaded not to use
it on him whenever he dies.  She also remembered him saying that when she
uses it on someone who was dead that they would be changed into another
form of her wish.
"Serena, there’s hope!"  Serenity cried happily as she stood up on her feet
with the crescent moon wand in her hand.  She looked happily down at Serena
who looked confused and explained, 
"I can bring them back to life!"
"You can..?"  Serena sniffled, who was picking the music box back up off
the ground and looked up at Serenity, tearfully.    
"With my wand."  Serenity looked over at her wand as she held it in front
of her,  "But they will be in a different life form which I must decide to
transform them into."
"Like an animal?"
"Yes."
"Will they be able to still advise us?"
"I don’t know.  I don’t even know if they will remember anything."
Serenity said softly now looking over at Luna and Artemis, trying to decide
what to transform them into.  She walked over to them, and leaned over as
she carefully pulled Luna’s eyelids down.  Serenity stood back up and
stared down at them, mainly at the way Luna rested her forehead against
Artemis’s.  It reminded her of a…
"They remind me of a couple of moon cats."  Serenity smiled as she
hurriedly took a few steps back, holding the wand in the air above her
head.  She gazed up at the heavens as she shouted,  "Moon, life giving,
transformation!"
Golden glittery light suddenly shined upon Serenity, Serena and the bodies
of Luna and Artemis as golden shimmer surrounded the advisors.  Slowly, the
transparent images of their feline bodies appear inside the bodies as the
human bodies of Luna and Artemis slowly disappear with their cat bodies,
slowly appearing.  Luna’s feline body was dark blue, like her human hair,
with a golden crescent moon sign in a shape of a smile on her forehead.
Artemis’s feline body was the same, except that his fur was white.
As Serena watched happily, she turned the music box of the human couple of
Luna and Artemis over and turned the golden key several times and turned it
right back up.  Serena smiled as she heard Artemis’s voice, in her mind,
telling her,
"If we are not with you at a time that you need us, play this music box.
For whenever you do, we are dancing together in your heart, watching over
you." 
The musical chime of the music box filled the air around them as Serena
stared at the china Luna and Artemis who slowly twirled to the music of
their dance...