to her
daughter's side, rocking the little girl in her embrace until her cries
ceased and she looked up at her mother with tired eyes. With relief, the
couple had tucked their daughter in for the night, but their relief faded
when Endymion caught sight of her back. One of the buttons on the back of
Dia's nightgown had come undone, revealing something dark on the girl's
back. Worried, he's unbuttoned the rest of the buttons, only to find that
his daughter's entire back was charred and covered with large, black scars.
Serenity had screamed, bombarding the little girl with a hundred questions.
What had happened? Did it hurt? Why hadn't she told her parents about it? In
a very serious voice, Dia informed them that, no, she didn't know what
happened, and hadn't even known it was there until just now. Scooping his
child up in his arms, Endymion had rushed towards the medical wing, waking
the doctors at one in the morning to inspect Dia's wounds. Even Ami couldn't
fathom what had happened. There was no physical cause for the blistering
flesh, in fact, all the scans showed the skin to be perfectly healthy, when
the naked eye attested otherwise. All medical knowledge failing, the worried
parents sent for Rei, hoping that the medium could find an answer in the
spiritual. But the senshi of Mars would have no part of it, and informed but
monarchs quite bluntly, well aware that she was bordering on the edge of
mutiny. Sometime around five in the morning, the very weary King and Queen
of Earth sent their daughter back to bed, and retired to their own sleep
with worry in their hearts.

 The next morning, Dia awoke with yet another bruise, this time on her
forehead. Only Endymion noticed that, if you looked at it in the right
light, it was the exact shape of an upside down black moon.

 Every night since then, Dia woke up screaming bloody murder. Most of the
time she was too shaken to relate any of it, barely possessing enough energy
to shove her thumb in her mouth and crawl wearily into her mother's lap.
But, once, while Serenity was away in France, averting a diplomatic crisis,
Endymion had been the only one to offer his daughter comfort. The child had
looked at him with those unfamiliar eyes, suspicion in their depths, when he
asked her to tell him what she dreamed about.
 "I dreamed about *before*," she said softly, almost to herself, "I dreamed
about when I died and went up to the blue."
 "You *what*?" Endymion said in shock. The little girl looked at the ground,
hands folded in her lap.
 "When I died," Dia said seriously, looking her father square in the eye,
"The man that killed my brother, he comes and says he will kill her, and I
jump in front to save her. Then I get hit and fall down and go up to the
blue."
 "You... you don't have a brother, Dia," was all the King could think to
say. Dia looked sad as she replied.
 "No, I don't." Then she laid down and closed her eyes.

 It hadn't been the last Endymion had heard of Dia's mysterious 'brother'.
Shortly after Chibi-Usa returned to the past for her training, Makoto and
Kip left for a prolonged vacation on Jupiter. This left Dia with no one to
play with, save Hotaru, who, truth be told, had never been as close with the
princess as she was with Chibi-Usa. It was pure chance that while wandering
in the rose garden, Endymion had overheard his daughter talking to herself.
Or rather, that had been what he'd first thought. But, peering through the
hedge, Endymion saw that this was not so. Dia stood by the orchids, having
plucked one and raised it to her nose. She was addressing her otouto.
 "Otouto-chan," she'd said softly, looking at the flower, "I have lots of
pretty flowers. You would like them, there are so very many!" She then went
on to talk about 'back before, when there weren't any flowers,' and how she
wished he could see them now. The King's breath had caught in his throat,
though he tried to rationalize that Dia was probably only playing a game,
the tone she had used resonated in his mind. Ever since then, every once in
a while, Endymion would catch her talking to Otouto-chan, mostly about
flowers, and the happy times they'd has 'before'. But, occasionally, she
would talk about how she missed him because he 'died and went up to the
blue' and was 'someone else now.' Each time, Endymion felt a shiver go down
his spine. He knew though it was his daughter's voice, Dia wasn't the one
talking.

 The King knew Dia was changing, and he didn't like what he was seeing. No
longer was his daughter a happy, carefree child. Now she seemed sad,
weighted by guilt and plagued by nightmares. She rarely smiled, and only did
so when her mother was around. Indeed, she wanted nothing to do with her
father, and shunned him at all costs. Often she seemed angry with him for no
reason. Eventually, even the oblivious Serenity knew something was amiss,
when Dia took down her odangos and refused to wear the hairstyle anymore,
instead tying her hair back with a single piece of string. Only her parents
refusal kept the child from chopping off her long white locks. Endymion
shook his head from his musings. He had his suspicions... Kami-sama help
them them all if he was right.

 Later that evening, Serenity came out on the balcony and stood beside her
husband. Knowing she needed comfort, he placed a possessive arm around her
waist and held her close.
 "Endy," Serenity said at last,her eyes fixed on the moon, which hung low in
the sky, "Something... I'm worried about Dia. She's so sad all the time."
 "I've noticed, but I don't know what to do," the King replied, hating the
helplessness he felt. Serenity turned in his arms and tied her own loosely
about his neck, resting her head against his chest.
 "Maybe she's lonely?" Serenity suggested. Endymion said nothing. He still
hadn't spoken to her about the incidents, and had no intention of doing so.
Though he wanted to tell her badly, something always stopped him, as though
this was something he and Dia had to solve. "I mean, she and Hotaru have
never been good friends, and Kip is off at the academy... she really doesn't
have anyone to play with or talk to, does she?"
 "No," Endymion replied, his hands absently stroking his wife's golden
locks. 'Accept otouto-chan' he added silently.
 "Do you think Pluto would let us send her to the past? Maybe if she gets to
spend sometime with Chibi-Usa, she'll feel a little better." Serenity
suggested. Endymion hugged her tightly.
 "Serenity, you're a genius!" he declared, spinning her around until she
shrieked. Setting her back on her feet, he looked into her eyes and smiled.
Though he doubted Chibi-Usa could solve Dia's problems, there was someone
else in the past that might... Mamoru, his previous incarnation.
Perhaps his past self could see something he himself couldn't. After all,
Dia wasn't *his* daughter... yet anyway.
 "Do you really think it will help?" his wife asked.
 "I really do," the King replied. With a sigh of relief, Serenity hugged him
tight.

 The dawn of the next morning found Dia and her mother waiting outside the
King's study while Endymion had a 'word' with Pluto. In truth he was
relating to her all the incidents that had occurred in the past eight years,
from the moment he frist held Dia, to her nightmares and conversations with
'otouto-chan' now. The green haired woman nodded slowly, curiosity in her
crimson eyes. The King wanted her to be able to help should any problems
arise in the past. At last the heavy marble doors opened, allowing Endymion
and Pluto to enter the hall. Serenity stood beside Dia, who looked like
she'd just finished throwing an unsuccessful tantrum. The child looked on
her father with an expression thatt clearly said 'this is all your fault.'

 Then Pluto offered her hand, which Dia took.
 "Bye Mama," Dia waved with a hopeful smile. Serenity smiled back bent down
to hug her daughter. As the Queen stepped away, the child's violet eyes
focused on Endymion, "Papa," she said coolly.
 "Come, Dia-chan, it's time to go," Sailor Pluto said, raising her time
staff. The silver rod struck the floor, and in a flash of black smoke, both
where gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How will Usagi and Mamoru react knowing they have ANOTHER daughter?
What is this 'trouble' mentioned?
Just WHAT is wrong with Dia?
FIND OUT NEXT TIME!!!