Little Prince 12

The meeting was nothing like he had expected.  The room was full of people ranging from anywhere between thirteen to probably fifty at the most from what he saw.  Some people had even brought their children with them, though he glances over seeing some had gathered around a table that held food and drinks.

Quite a few were chatting excitedly to themselves, though he noticed a group of women that kept looking over at where he and Rubeus were.  He thought they were a bit odd, but didn't say anything about it. After all, they were probably fans or something with the way that purple haired girl kept blushing.

"Anyway, the old man will be here soon enough to speak. You'll hear about some of the things we'll be doing." Rubeus was saying, "But you know you need a new name, Daisuke."

"Eh?" He blinks a bit looking at him, "Why? What's wrong with my name anyway?"

Rubeus sighs, "Don't you know anything? We're a rebel group-sort of. People that aren't happy with the way things are. The Monarchy's been cracking down lately. It's too dangerous to use real names. So we have to go with aliases.  It was all Sapphire's idea."

"Oh" His brows rose, "Is there a theme here?"

"Yeah, gemstones mostly but that's usually reserve for our rank. Most people pick up other things here and there."  Rubeus raises a brow looking around the room. "Take your time. You oughta think of something good."

Nodding, he also takes up a stance next to him watching the crowd.  A gemstone huh?  What kind of gemstone could he pick? "How about Tanzanite?"

"Unless you wanna be called 'Tranny' for the rest of your life." His friend laughs.

"Oi, it has nothing to do with each other!" He shook his head, "Alright alright, I'll give it some thought."


"Shh, here they come."


The meeting was called to order as Kaitou and the others filed into the room bringing everyone attention to the front.

"My friends and comrades," The older man spoke, "too long have we been forced to endure this mediocre life that has been pushed upon us!"    He looks around for a moment before continuing," Who was it that gave them the right to extend our lives beyond what was necessary? Who was it that told them they should rule? Did we?"

There was a chorus of 'nos' from the audience.   For the life of him, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the stand where the man stood.  It was odd but he was enraptured by what was said.  It was true, wasn't it? No one asked them to do this!

"Exactly!" He continued puncturing that with a slam of his fist onto the speaker podium. "No one! Yet there they are! The Deluded king! His alien wife and daughter! If there was to be a ruler of this planet, their brows should not bear the symbol of some alien place like the moon! It should be from Earth!  Even so, we had a government! We had reasonably good lives. Our short lifespans were not in vain!"   

"He's really fired up tonight." Rubeus mutters watching with the same awestruck look as many around them.

"Because we didn't live centuries as they promise we would, it gave our lives meaning! Every day was an uncertainty and that uncertainty lead humanity to build great and momentous things! Tell me- my comrades! My friends!- what right did they have in this? None!   What once gave us meaning, gives us nothing.  Why should it? We could put it off for another day, because we have so many days left under their regime.  What drives us any more? Nothing. I tell you now, mark my words, those in that loft crystal palace that have never come down even once to see what pain and suffering they have caused, will get theirs! And who shall give it to them?"

"We will!" Darius found his voice joining others and applauded with them. Yes, this man made so much more sense.  He was right. Utterly right in all his points.  But the question was- how do you stop something like this?

"Now, my friends, I'll give you a preview of your hard work and where your donations-for those that can afford it- have been going to.  Prince Sapphire, if you would?"

Nodding the blue haired man presses a few things on his keypad and the image of the crystal palace appeared briefly from the side view before showing it from a bird's eye.  It was clearly in star-shape with central points glowing.


"These are our target areas." He said, "Once we have the manpower and equipment we need, we'll take them out and therefore take out the source of their power and overthrow them!"

Again the people cheered, but one particular blonde was having a bit of a problem looking at the image for too long. It was giving him a headache.  "Rubeus.. I think I need some air."

"Sure thing." The red head replied a bit distractedly as the old man went into a few details about what they would be building and it wouldn't be just them but others like them.

There would be many others.


Staggering a bit, he found himself in an empty hallway trying to get back to Rubeus's room. It was really the only place he could call home right now.  His headache was getting better but he couldn't keep going on and finally slide down on the floor for rest.  He remembered his head was still bandaged up and he shouldn't treat it like it was nothing.

Closing his eyes he tries to will it away. The painkillers he was given earlier didn't help much and he only sighs rubbing the heel of his palms into his eyes.  Must've been the hit on the head, he finally decided and breathes out.  His mind wondered a bit back to what that man had been talking about.

It moved him, to see so many people willing to try and take back the life they had before from such inconsiderate people.  He felt a faint smile and a bit happy that he was part of something that could change the world.  Change it for the better, he believed.

To be considered normal again. He thought to himself though found it a little odd.  What..would be normal?

He hums softly rocking but frowns feeling something poking him a bit from the inside pocket of his vest.  Why hadn't he noticed it before?  Though he digs in and found a strange star-like pocket-watch.  He opens it and watches the face as the small hands went by.  Tick. Tick. Tick.

For a moment he wonders who gave it to him but decides not to think about it as he puts it away inside his vest again and got up. Besides, he should get some food.

--


One week passed, then two, then three and then..

She didn't know anymore.  Her husband hadn't returned until an entire month went by. He had become thinner than before and he looked like he hadn't slept at all as he leaned against Helios for a moment for support.  She and the girls had been worried sick about him but were anxious to know what had happened to the prince.

So far, they had kept his disappearance out of the papers saying he had gone off to study.  They had waited by the phones for some call of ransom and had even broke down and searched the city themselves.

But there was no word or even a whisper of where Darius could've gone.

Within the second week, Serenity had finally broken down and cried herself to sleep over the disappearance of her son.  Regret, guilt and grief had overcame her in her lonely room of white with her soft white bed, when she let go.

Her daughter had became silent almost and more contemplative than she had been before. She often went off on her own with Luna P and Diana or in the company of Helios learning her lessons or reading a book.  She drew often but seldom was it anything other than pictures of landscape.   

Serenity had feared her daughter would become distant from her and tried hard to slavage their relationship by telling stories to her in the stead of Endymion who had always told the children stories at bedtime.

Now that Endymion had return and was being checked on by Ami and the others, Serenity couldn't help herself. She wanted to know desperately what had happened to their son.

"Mamo-chan..?"

His head turns a bit looking at her but he closed his eyes, "I cannot find him."

"But-" She swallows fighting back her tears, "But you can find anyone as long as they're on this world!"

"I don't know what it is, Usako." He says softly with a little heat but it wasn't directed at her. He was angry with himself. Angry he couldn't find him. "I tried and sorted through so much..."  He covers his face with his hands and breathes out, "I tried and looked so hard for him. Helios and the maidens had to stop me otherwise I would've never return to my own body again.  It's like.. he's no longer on earth."

Serenity could only move to his side and  just hugs him even as tears fall from her eyes, "We won't give up." She vowed, "Even if it takes years, we won't give up."

--

Three hundred and fifty years later and the young man now known as Hyacinth stood finally breathing out hard after having readjusted a few things on the experimental ship. It had been a secret for many years and it was only now coming into fruition.  And he had been there from the beginning.    His hair had grown out some but he tried hard to keep it at a decent length just above the shoulders but the bangs had become longer and he decided he liked it like that.

As promised or rather cursed, what the old man had said came true.  He and the others hadn't aged an inch forward. Though the children from the meeting were now grown men and women, they had stopped aging once they reached their majority.  Even Rubeus stopped again when he reached his, but Hyacinth hadn't aged one bit past his body's mature age of sixteen.

It baffled them and him when they learned of this but Sapphire had theorize that it could be in part of the Silver Crystal's doing.

"Some people." He said while working on a dozen other projects, "Are more...likely to stop aging sooner than others.  He's probably one in a million though."

"But the Rabbit is like that too." Hyacinth said, "It makes no sense."

Sapphire glances at him in disdain, "I said one in a million there are billions of idiots living in this city."

Hyacinth didn't like that.  He didn't like that the Rabbit was similar to him, it just rubbed him wrong and pissed him off more.  What's worse is that the Old Man- Kaitou- had been caught in the last raid on the weaponry and had been charged. They were either going to kill him or expel him.

Either way, it didn't look good for the Black Moon Movement.  With the loss of their strongest leader, a lot of things went to the wayside until Diamond took the lead.   For some reason, the formerly pessimistic one of the group who didn't usually follow the Old Man's words, threw himself into the project and movement with abandonment that bothered even his younger brother Sapphire.

When questioned about it, Diamond had merely told them that they would see.

Another thing that bother Hyacinth, as he puts away his tools and went to shower, was the fact that there was this 'prince' everyone kept muttering about. Apparently it's been revealed that he's either disappeared or ran away.

"Hmph, I would run away too if I had to share a birthday with the rabbit." He said to himself.

He didn't even notice the person behind him until it was far too late.  

"So, Hyacinth, where are you heading to now?" The throaty voice of Calaveras purred, "I was hoping we'd go together."

He sighs softly, Gods, give into a one of these girls for a night or two and they think they can walk all over you.  He thought to himself irritably. He didn't get why Rubeus kept them around.  It wasn't that the sisters were unattractive, it was simply that they were all such a nuisance.

"Why don't you see what Rubeus is up to." He said annoyed. He was so not in the mood to deal with her and her catty ways. She was no better than Cooan and her laugh was about as granting on his nerves as Emerald's, believe it or not.

"But he's busy with something for the prince." She pouts, "I thought you liked me, Hyacinth."

"Like a tooth ache." He replied, "I got things to do and they don't include your skanky ass."

Calaveras glares angrily at him turning a bit red, "Oh yeah? We'll see about that when you want some of this, you know!"  She stalks off angrily.

Hyacinth didn't really care. "Pfft, she'll come crawling back again like always."  He breathes out, a bit. "I don't know where they find these guys."  He said to himself as he headed to his room for a good long warm bath.  

With the ship nearing completion they would be able to attack soon.  He smiles a bit but frowns once more as he closed the door and headed to the bathroom.  The problem was the power source.

Just what were they going to use?

"It's not like we have nuclear explosives lying around and growing off trees." He mutters then groans softly at the warmth of water over his tired muscles.  Even though I have this body, he glances down at himself, it's not scrawny any more.

Amused, he laughs softly to himself, "Probably why I can't seem to get rid of those sisters. Last time I listen to Rubeus."  He scoffs scrubbing his body clean of oil, dirt and other things.

Once he was cleaned up he headed to bed deciding to forgo his dinner for now.  Sleep was what he needed.

But even in his dreams there was little rest.  Darkness came for him once more and he found himself unable to get away from it.  What did it want from him?

What is it that you wish for?

That damn voice again!

"I wish you would leave me the hell alone!" He yells at it but knows it's useless. This thing kept coming for him more and more.  He had thought after a while that it would go away but it hadn't.

What is it that you desire?

  He clutches his head as a sharp pain went through it. It was enough to bring him to his knees as he heard the sound of laughter. The sound of voices mummering something. Something he could hear quite clearly.

It was getting worse. This pain that felt all too real.  He wanted it to stop. It had to stop!
Yet through it all he heard something. A voice that was vague and soft but it called to him.  By a name he didn't quite hear.

"-rius!"

Who was that? What was calling him?

I can grant your wishes...

He squeezes his eyes closed, praying to whatever gods there was for this to end. It had to end.  He had to wake up.

"Let me wake up please!" He chokes out just as he heard that sound.  A horse crying through the darkness.  He breathes easily.  He was safe. That horse-even though he's never seen it- was always there. Keeping whatever it was at bay.

"Sleep now..young one."  Strange, this voice he hadn't heard before yet it felt comforting. The dream was dissolving into nothingness that he could rest in.



--

Gasping, Helios leans forward almost falling on the floor of the shrine before he looks up at the crystal pillar.  His brow was drenched with sweat once more as he breathes out slowly trying to calm his racing heart.  

"I see.." He said gasping a bit, "You are surely cunning. You've hidden him well from all their eyes and ears. Why? Why now?"

There was nothing but silence but the priest bows his head again, exhausted from his efforts, "I see. If that is your will.  I do not care for it much."

He winces as if he had been hit, but finally he pulls himself together to do the closing prayers for the night.  Getting up, Helios left the prayer room but he felt shaky.  It had taken a lot out of him to do that.

Still, he couldn't believe it.  Over three hundred years and She was up to her old tricks again.   Sometimes, he really hated his job but knowing no other could do it, he headed to the waters to bathe.   Cunning wasn't the word for what was happening around him.  It was pure manipulation done in such a sublte way that even he failed to notice it- again.

He shivers once his body was fully submerged in the waters, and only took his time cleaning him self and ridding his body of the stench of sweat and fear.  The last time he had felt such a thing...

"Darien.. you truly know how to punish someone." He mutters to himself watching the currents go by.   Gods, he hadn't thought of that man in ages.

The man that had trapped him in this role of a priest.   He bites his lower lip annoyed with himself as the image of a dark haired youth with bright eyes flashed through his mind.   Heir, yes he had been. Wise and kind, yes to those that had earned his loyalties and trust.   Cruel?  Most certainly.

He hugs himself remembering the other maiden that used to be there. One that none of them were allowed to speak of her name now.

"Perse..."