Have you ever heard the sound of thunder reverberating beneath a moonlit sky?
On the mountaintops, the echo is fluid, filling the crevasses and the valleys, skirting around the peaks of the range just to settle into the embrace of the landscape. Oddly enough, I find the crack of thunder to be both comforting and empowering.
Some would wonder at the image of a young woman standing on one of these mountains crests, alone and drenched, skin puckering because of the icy droplets pouring from the sky. Perhaps they'd wonder why she gazes longingly at the sliver of the pure white moon that shines through the dark cloud cover.
Truth is, I need to be alone. I need to be the young woman in the cold rain, letting my doubts wash away.
I had discovered the pathway from the Moon Kingdom to the Earth after following my Princess as her concerned guardian. All four of us know of her attraction to this planet and the dark-haired prince that resides here. Mercury...is far more curious about the land and the culture than the rest of us, while Venus herself has fallen for one of the generals serving under the prince.
That leaves me and Mars. Still, I am the only one of us taking the strength from this planet what it is willing to give.
I find these torrents of rain and wind to feel more like home than the ever-peaceful Moon Kingdom. The Princess doesn't know that I venture down here once I've seen her safely home. No one can know. Not yet. Relations between the two peoples are not strong, and I do not wish to stir up trouble. Her Majesty Queen Serenity has enough stress as it is, she can hardly eat what I cook for her.
I blink, my hair now glued to my forehead, concealing the tiara and its green gem. The white body suit is drenched, showing just a bit of my skin through the thinner fabrics, while the skirt and bows hang heavy.
The storm releases its fury in another crack of thunder, splitting the sky with purple-white lightning. The Moon is still visible.
A deep breath in to sample the air, the small hairs on my arm and neck stand upright as the charges around me dance through the atmosphere.
Mars has seen signs of unrest in her fire, only sharing her concerns with me. She is too wary to trust the rocky peace we have right now, as though it will soon be upheaved into chaos. "It's best to err on the side of caution", she tells me. "Do not be so quickly seduced by Earth as the others were." I can close my eyes in this storm and I just know...she's right.
I do not wish to tear my Princess away from this place. Any fool can see that this is where she belongs.
So, when the time comes, I will lay down my life to protect what she loves and desires.
That is why I am here, on this mountain top, training alone in the dark and the violent weather.
I swear so by my very own planet, Jupiter.
This is my oath.