Okay I had to write this. Jack D. made me do it (For those of you who don't know Jack Discord is my muse/curse)
"Daddy!" cried a little girl as she ran up to her regal father and jumped up into his arms.
"My little Seraphina," said the man as he scooped up the little girl in the green lace dress and spun her around the ship. Her hair was a black as coal and her eyes as gold as the stars that her General father guarded. She had skin as pale as any moon and was the pride and joy of her father and the galleon he commanded.
He was General Kozmotis Pitchiner under the command of the kind and wonderful Tsar and Tsarina Lunanoff and their son's the Princes Lunar. Manny and Tyme were dear friends of little Seraphina, Kozmotis's only daughter of his dearly departed wife.
The young girl laughed as she reached up for the stardust that was spread over the children by the stars to ensure them pleasant dreams. The child's arms were just too short and so her father reached his armored arm up and brought back a small handful of the sand for his darling daughter. A smile spread over the child's face and she clutched the golden sand.
"Sooo pretty!" she cooed tossing it up in the air and laughing as it formed shapes along the deck of the ship.
"Just like you, my darling," he smiled. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you, daddy," she said.
"And I love you, my little Seraphina," he replied.
"Sir," called one of the captains, saluting the general and handing him a dispatch. He opened the letter and read over it, Seraphina looking at the paper still too young to read the words.
"What does it say, Daddy?" she asked pulling the paper from her father's hand and twisting it trying to decipher the words.
"It is from the Tsar and Tsarina Lunanoff, my dearest. They invited us to visit them on the Moon Clipper. They have a job for Daddy," he said.
"I get to visit Tyme and Manny?" she asked, happily, a smile spreading over her pale face. Kozmotis nodded smiling. She gave a squeal of delight and jumped down from his arms running delightedly around the deck.
Kozmotis smiled at the sweet child that ran along the deck. He was a general capturing Fearlings for this little girl just to keep her safe. Suddenly the Dream sand she had been drawing in took the shape of a butterfly and twirled around her head. Seraphina smiled and yawned reaching after the butterfly.
"Come along, dearest. I think it is time for this little princess to get to bed," Kozmotis said picking up the drowsy child.
"But, Daddy, I'm not *yawn* tired," as she said this she curled up against his armor and drifted off to a heavy slumber.
"Sweet dreams, my little angel."
000
The next morning Seraphina was up with the morn. With a joyous shout she jumped from bed and dashed through the galleon in search of her father.
When she got to his quarters she slipped silently into the room a smile on her little face and snuck quietly to her father's sleeping form. She climbed up on the post and with a yell jumped landing on her father's stomach waking the general with a grunt.
"Good morning, Daddy!" she cried crawling off her father and up to beside his face.
"Goodness, Seraphina," Kozmotis yawned looking over at her, "You are up quite early this morning aren't you?"
"I am excited! I haven't seen Prince MiM and Prince Tyme in a long time!" she yelped jumping around the bed.
"Prince MiM?" Kozmotis asked looking at his daughter in confusion.
"It was Nightlight's idea. It's what we decided to call Manny. MiM for Man. In. The. Moon," Seraphina punctuated each word with a leap on the bed forming a circle before jumping to the floor.
"It fit's the young prince perfectly," Kozmotis said, knowing Seraphina had helped the group of children come up with the nickname. "Now come along, dearest. We must look our best for the Royal family." A smile lit up the young girls face as she raced back to her cabin calling for her nanny to help her get ready.
000
"Presenting the General Kozmotis Pitchiner and his daughter the Lady Seraphina Pitchiner," the herald announced as Kozmotis and Seraphina stepped aboard the Moon Clipper, the Lunanoff's royal vessel.
General Kozmotis was dressed in his best armor and he held little Lady Seraphina's hand. She had refused to be carried in rather indignantly making her father smile at how adult she was trying to be.
They bowed and curtsied politely to the Tsar and Tsarina Lunanoff. The Tsarina smiled at little Seraphina trying hard not to fidget and knelt to see the child better.
"Would you like me to take you to see your friends?" she asked sweetly. Seraphina nodded smiling sweetly.
"Yes, please, Your Highness," Seraphina said.
"All right then. They have been very excited since they heard you were coming to visit," she said rising and taking Seraphina's hand as the Tsar and the General began to talk.
The Tsarina opened the door where the two young princes and their celestial guardian was watching them. Nightlight's face lit up upon seeing the Tsarina and the young girl. Tyme and Manny smiled too jumping up from their spots around the telescope and ran to her.
"Seraphina!" they called running to her and hugging her. She smiled hugging each in turn before running forward to Nightlight and giving the startled boy a hug as well. The spectral boy smiled and hugged her back.
The Tsarina smiled and Nightlight nodded knowing he was now responsible for all three's safety. Then the Tsarina left the children to their devices.
Some time passed and the children, soon bored with the princes' toys and the passing comets that carried Dream Givers, they turned to Nightlight.
"What is my daddy talking about with the Tsar and Tsarina?" Seraphina asked, running up to the glowing boy.
"I do not know, little Lady," he said kneeling to the children's level.
"I want to make something for daddy," she declared suddenly.
"Us, too," shouted Tyme and MiM as they hopped around a smiling Nightlight.
"Then let's make lockets for them," Nightlight offered, holding up sparkling chains with charms on the ends. "Something for them to look at whenever they want so they will remember us no matter where we are."
"Ohh I like that one!" Seraphina cried pointing at the silver chain with a single sapphire in the center with intricate gold swirls all around the case. Nightlight smiled and handed her the chain giving the princes' their lockets as well.
"These are very special lockets," Nightlight said, "Put them on and think really hard about what sort of image you want in the locket." The children did so and Seraphina concentrated the most fiercely of the three.
When she opened her eyes she opened the locket and smiled happily. Inside was a portrait of her smiling sweetly back like a perfect lady and on the other side was a quote that read All the love in my heart.
"Nightlight! Look!" she shouted showing her older friend. He smiled brightly and her face lit up just as bright.
"Beautiful, Lady," he agreed. "I am sure your father will always cherish it."
"Thank you," she said with a grin. "When can I give it to, Daddy?" she asked.
"When he and the Tsar and Tsarina finish talking," the boy said smiling at the young black haired girl. She nodded and then went back to having fun waving to the stars that passed by.
000
Much later that evening the door opened and she was greeted with her father's open arms. She ran up to him and jumped into his arms smiling and laughing.
"Daddy, look what I made for you," she said holding up her necklace.
He lifted the locket and opened it. His heart soared and broke at the same time at the picture of his little girl looking back at him. Kozmotis hugged her close his tears welling in his eyes.
"It is so beautiful, my dearest. Thank you," he said.
"I am glad you like it," she said smiling. Kozmotis looked at the people in the room and carried his daughter out into the hall away from the others. It broke his heart to have to tell his little girl his current mission.
"Daddy?" she asked confused at her father's sad face. "What's wrong?"
"My little Seraphina, I have been assigned a very important mission. I must guard the prison where the nightmares are locked away. I must keep them locked away so they will not harm little angels like you," he said. Seraphina didn't understand. She was often placed with her nanny while her father was away on missions.
"I don't understand. Isn't that a good thing?" Seraphina asked innocently.
"Yes and no, dear-heart. It means that I will be protecting sweet little ones like you from nightmares but I won't be around much anymore," he explained tucking a stray lock of her dark hair behind her ear. Seraphina now understood and grasped his hand with her tiny little ones.
"Don't go, Daddy," she begged.
"I must, Seraphina. But now that I have your locket I will always be stronger because I have you with me everywhere," he promised. Now Seraphina was crying and she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder.
"I love you, Daddy," she cried.
"I love you, too, Seraphina. I will always protect you," he said. "You will stay here with the Tsar and Tsarina until I return. You will be just like one of their children until I am able to leave my guard duty because we have found a way to destroy the nightmares once and for all."
"Mm-hmm," she said wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
"That's my brave girl," he said kissing her on her forehead. "See me off?" Saraphina nodded again and let herself be pulled up into her father's arms.
000
General Kozmotis Pitchiner gave his dear daughter one last kiss goodbye before boarding his ship. He watched from the deck as the ship departed for the Prison as the Tsarina held his sobbing little girl as she reached for him. He had no inclination that that would be his last time to see his daughter as General Kozmotis Pitchiner. For in a few years' time he would become Pitch Black, King of the Nightmares.
000
Seraphina had grown accustomed to being a princess. She had everything she could ever want except her father.
For the most part she was a normal happy girl but the poor child felt all alone when she saw the princes with their parents. They treated her as if she was their own daughter as well but it wasn't the same.
Then the news came that fateful day.
The Tsarina was reading from her primer to the children when a Moon-bot came in and handed her a letter. The Tsarina opened the paper and tears and fear sprang into her eyes.
"Manny, Tyme, please go see your father. He will show you some new comets," she said, "Seraphina, dear I need to speak with you."
Seraphina watched as her adopted brothers stood up and left sending her looks of confusion and comfort.
"Come here, dear," the Tsarina said, placing the primer to the side and pulling the young girl up into her lap.
"What's wrong, Your Highness?" she asked as she nestled into the Queen's arms.
"My darling, it is about your father," she said.
Seraphina's eyes widened, "What's the matter with Daddy?"
"My dear, he isn't your father anymore. The fearlings and nightmares escaped and have taken him over. He is now after us. He is trying to destroy us, Seraphina. I am sorry."
"What can we do? We have to try and save my father!" Seraphina cried.
"I am sorry, Seraphina. He has already destroyed numerous constellations and kingdoms. The Tsar and I have discussed it and we would like to adopt you as our daughter to protect you from Pitch. It is what your father has taken to calling himself."
Seraphina nodded wiping her tears away. "You are tired, my darling. Nightlight will watch over your sleep tonight." Seraphina nodded again and handed her to the waiting guardian.
The Tsar stepped in soon after the guardian carried the little girl to her bed. "When do you suppose he will come after her?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied lifting a satchel that glowed brightly. "But when he does we will be ready. He won't get his hands on her. She will stay safe."
000
The family avoided Pitch's detection for a long time until he heard of the children. How they had never had nightmares. He had to fix that. He would make them his princes and princess of darkness.
The Tsar heard of his plans and ordered a brave little moonbeam forth.
"Tonight when Nightlight spreads dreamsand over Seraphina, I want you to become part of her. Change her appearance and suppress her memories of her birth father to keep her from grieving. I wouldn't do this if she wasn't so upset over losing him."
"Yes, my king," said the bright little moonbeam with a bow. He knew from that point forth he would have the important duty of keeping the new Princess Morra Terra Lunanoff safe.
That night, as ordered, the Moonbeam followed Nightlight to the princes' rooms the moonbeam told them of what he was to do and what they were to call Seraphina from now on.
They understood and agreed with the plan before Nightlight and the moonbeam went to Seraphina's room. The little girl was sitting sadly in her room looking out the window at the stars dotting the sky as they flew.
"Greetings, Princess," he said as the two breezed into her room.
"Please don't call me that, Nightlight," the little girl said not looking over to him. "I am no princess I am a general's daughter who was adopted by the Tsar when he fell to darkness."
Nightlight frowned, the girl was forced to be much older than she was. With the moonbeams help she wouldn't remember her sad life before. Nightlight glanced at the moonbeam beside him and knew that it felt the same sorrow for the young girl.
"It's time for bed now, Lady," he said complying to her wishes of not being called princess.
Seraphina nodded pulling the satin ribbon from her long dark curls and climbing into her bed. She curled up and awaited the dreamsand that would allow her to see her father again if only in her dreams.
Nightlight spread the dreamsand over her head and smiled as her face went from tortured to serene in a moment. The ethereal boy then turned to the moonbeam and nodded.
The moonbeam began to glow as brightly as it possibly could and rose, covering the sleeping girl. Her face contorted momentarily and then relaxed as her appearance began to alter. Her skin paled a shade that matched that of Tyme and MiM. Seraphina's dark curls turned a shimmering gold and became straighter going from curls to waves. In the morning it would be discovered that her eyes went from the warm amber that she inherited from her father to a gentle sea-foam blue.
But alas the Tsar and Tsarina would not be there to see how young Seraphina had changed to Morra. For the family had arrived at their destination over the lonely little planet Earth and alas Pitch had found them.
Manny was the one to alert Nightlight to their delima, drawing the young guardian away from the miraculous change Seraphina was undergoing. He ran out to the outter hull of the Moon Clipper were the Tsar and Tsarina were fighting to defend their children with their lives. When the Tsarina saw Manny and Nightlight she made the young guardian take an oath to defend her children with his very being and sent them below to the safety of the depths of the ship.
Manny was in tears as Nightlight carried Morra and a sleepy Tyme with the crown prince and himself to the deepest parts of the Moon Clipper for their safety. Once all were safely abed Nightlight tucked in Manny and spread the dreamsand over him. Nightlight then gathered the prince's tears and held them close. With a bright flash a dagger was formed that he knew would defeat Pitch. So with a look of grim determination he flew off to protect the children from the ominous Pitch Black.
000
"MiM!" came a hissing voice the next morning, pulling the young crown prince from his dreams.
"Wha?" the drowsy little Man in the Moon groaned looking up into Tyme's face.
"You gotta see what happened to Seraphina!" the white haired boy gasped his pale milky eyes wide in amazement.
"We are supposed to call her Morra remember?" he said to his brother rubbing the sleep from his blue eyes.
"Oh yeah. You gotta see Morra!"
Manny rolled over and glanced at their over their three joined beds, angled in a clover leaf pattern, at their new sister. She was still sleeping, sprawled out in her bed, one hand curled around her blanket and her mouth open in a silent snore.
"Wow!" the two were amazed. She looked nothing like Seraphina anymore. With a snort Morra closed her mouth and rolled over pulling the mussed up blankets with her.
"Hey, where's Nightlight?" Manny asked suddenly aware that the spectral boy was not with them as he usually was, "And Momma and Daddy?"
Tyme sat up and closed his eyes using a power that Manny sometimes envied. Tears sprang into the other boy's eyes as his pale eyes shot open. He jumped from his perch on his moon-shaped headboard and dashed outside. Manny knew that couldn't be a good thing.
He jumped after his brother and ran through the halls of their lunar ship to the surface of their home. The once beautiful ship was now a barren wasteland.
"What happened?" Manny asked his younger brother.
He watched patiently as Tyme's dark pupils clouded over as pale as his iris's.
"There was a battle. Pitch found us," Tyme said. "After Nightlight put us to bed he gathered your tear and it turned into a diamond dagger. He flew off to help Momma and Papa in the battle. They fought fiercely but when Nightlight got there they were already fallen. He attacked Pitch then there was a bright flash and everything was gone. Pitch, Nightlight, Momma, Papa, everything. Pitch and Nightlight fell to Earth. Nightlight is holding him prisoner inside the Dagger. Momma and Papa became the stars. There," the boy pointed to a constellation that did look a lot like the Tsar and Tsarina. "Manny. You are the Tsar Lunar now."
"Guys? Where is Momma and Papa?" they jumped at the sudden soft but gruff voice behind them. They spun and saw Morra's shimmering blue eyes from the door.
"They didn't make it through the fight with Pitch," Manny said sadly. Morra's eyes were suddenly wide.
"What? Pitch was here?"
"Uh-huh," Tyme said. "Nightlight's gone, too." Morra's new blue eyes filled with tears and she looked absently at the constellation that was now the Tsar and Tsarina. The Moon mice, Lunar moths, and Moon-bots consoled the children as best they could. After all the children were orphans now.
000
Years passed and some of the Darklings, heirs of the black holes that had once been great Houses in the Golden age, found the last of the Lights. What the Lunanoff children had taken to calling themselves.
Tyme saw them coming of course. His powers had developed to where he could see anything at any point in time and so he approached his brother.
"Manny," he said as his brother was working on the glowing smile on one side of the Moon Clipper that would give children hope through the night and chase away the dark.
"Yes?" he said not looking up. Morra was nearby but well out of ear-shot shifting rocks with powerful kicks and punches. Her skill seemed to be with rocks and stones and, Manny suspected, life and life giving materials.
She had long since abandoned her girly frivolous style and taken up a more free fashion; her skirts were replaced with leggings and an Egyptian style skirt. She now wore a tube top with vines weaving over the bodice. Her once wavy blond hair was now patched with braids and ponytails and tangles. Gold bracelets rested on her arms and two gold bangles were on her ankles.
"The Darklings approach," Tyme warned quietly.
"How many?" Manny asked suddenly worried.
"Many all of them I believe. The Seven Princes and Princess and the Prince of Death as well as their armies," the younger brother said.
"I see," he said, brows furrowing. Manny glanced over his shoulder at Morra.
"We have to keep our sister safe. She is just the type Death would like."
"I agree. Morra!" Manny called to the youngest Lunanoff.
The girl spun around leaping from the mountain, the light gravity catching her and placing her gently on the ground. "What's up MiM?" she asked sliding up to them.
"Would you mind checking up on some of the Moon-bots and Mice. They seemed very tired and I don't want to have pushed them to hard," he said.
"Okay," she said with a chipper smile diving into the ship.
Manny stood up and looked toward the sky as the dark starship landed on the surface of the moon. The other starships stayed back in the sky awaiting for cues from their leaders.
The eight people stepped out of the ship. Five males and three females. The man in the lead kept a heavy cloak over his head.
"Tsar Lunar?" he asked in a husky rasping voice.
"I," Manny said boldly, his brother and a couple of Moon-bots stepping up beside him to guard him.
"I am Crown Prince Ethan Bartal. We are the last of the Darklings. We come in peace searching for safety and protection," he said.
"And yet you bring armies with you?" Manny said diplomatically. There was suddenly a loud crash behind them and Morra flew from under the earth up into the air with a yelp before she laughed and waved down to her brothers and dove back, instead of through the crevice she created, becoming one with the earth. Manny watched in shock, his sister's powers developing more surprisingly.
"Who was that intruging creature?" Ethan asked.
"She is my sister, the Grand Duchess Morra Terra Lunanoff," the Tsar Lunar said taking over Manny's carefree attitude.
Tyme noticed the change in his brother and a hand lighted on the sword on his side as he eyed the others behind the darkened prince. All dressed in obvious dark clothing with dark intentions in their frightening eyes.
"And she is spoken for, sir," Tyme said confidently. Manny couldn't tell if it was the truth or a lie for their sister's safety.
"Are you the fiancé?" he asked calmly.
"Her elder brother," he responded.
"And her betrothed?"
"Not born yet. But I have seen him. His worth is much more than yours," he growled.
"His bloodlines? Which house is he born of? Surely you won't find better bloodlines to combine than the Houses of Lunanoff and Bartal," Ethan asked, as this sort of thing wasn't unheard of in the world of Immortals.
"He isn't of a royal house but their love will be true. And for our sister all we want is her happiness, not any extension of our bloodlines," Tyme argued.
"That is ridiculous," one of the girls muttered in the background putting her hands on her bare hips.
"It is how we believe. It is how we have always believed," Manny replied diplomatically.
"And your house still stands? Amazingly after the Golden Age, continues to stand?" another asked.
Ethan raised a gloved hand and the others silenced, "Forgive the Dukes and Duchesses. They speak out of turn. This is a subject to be spoken of by those who hold the crown." Ethan shot a glare toward Tyme.
"He is a Prince same as you," Manny said.
"You are Tsar?"
"Yes."
"Then this one is a mere duke interfering in a prince's affair," he said.
"Until I have wed and had an heir of my own, Prince Tyme is the Crown Prince of our people," Manny argued.
"As you wish, milord. These are your realms. All I ask is that we stay here until we may find our lost King," Ethan said with a bow.
"Your lost king?"
"The King Pitch Black, King of Nightmares," Ethan said.
Manny paled at the name and Tyme noticed. The younger brother stepped forward ready to defend his brother and sister as Manny didn't carry a weapon.
"I believe it best if you leave now, sir. Judging by how your armies have hung back you are in no shape for a battle of any kind and Pitch is an enemy of ours," Manny said with his most royal voice.
"Forgive me," Ethan said suddenly stiff, angry, and formal. "We shall leave, my lord."
"Leave my realms and never allow me to see your face here again," he said. Ethan gave a bow and they left.
Manny turned to a moon-bot and a lunar moth, "Follow them and make sure they leave for good."
"I am worried about her. What if he decides to pursue Morra?" Manny asked his wiser brother.
"He will pursue her. But she won't know until he becomes a great enemy of ours and she will feel no love for him at all."
"And what of this boy she does fall for?" Manny asked now back to his jovial self.
"Fear not brother, you will be the one who sees the boys potential," Tyme just smiled at the secret he carried inside.
000
As the years passed the siblings powers developed Morra could literally become the elements and speak with the lunar moths and moon mice more fluently than either of the brothers and had taken to spending all the time she could with them.
Manny could hear the wishes of children and had the ability to speak to them and reassure them from his home. He could now form moonbeams and send them out to search for the Dark King.
Tyme could see past present and future and it was he who made the decision to leave first.
"I believe it is time to go," Tyme said one evening looking at his family.
"Go?" Morra asked leaning around Manny and eyeing her brother suspiciously. "Go where? To Earth?"
"No sister. I am going to a place only an Immortal like us can touch. The Time Stream. I shall guard over and protect the children of earth as our brother already does. Soon you too shall go to Earth and protect them in your own way and earn your own name."
"My own name?" she asked confused her feet lighting on the surface of the moon. Ever since she discovered she could fly she only touched the ground to become part of it.
"Trust me, sister, you will be a great legend," he said pushing back a stray lock of hair for her. She smiled.
She flew forward and hugged her brother, "This mean you're not gonna as overprotective?" she asked.
"Don't bet on it, little sister," he said, mussing her already messy hair.
"Love you, bro," she said, stepping back. Manny rested his hand on her shoulder as Tyme disappeared into time.
000
The day when Morra was to leave, she was completely unaware of any thought of leaving. She was sitting on the surface of the moon and staring at the Earth. Manny was listening to the balloons and the wishes of the children.
It was Manny who knew it was time for her to go to earth. He watched her as he listened to the balloons. Several children had been speaking of their fears after being lost. He knew that this is what Morra was to do. She knew the Earth better than any of them and she had never even been there but she knew everything about it.
Manny gave a sigh before making his way to his sister's side.
"It is lovely isn't it, sister?"
"Yeah…"
"Mayhaps you should make your name there. Ensuring the children's safety. They have been getting lost and they need help… your help."
Morra looked up at him, "You sure?"
"I am certain that it is what Tyme meant," Manny said, placing a hand on Morra's shoulder. The siblings stood and hugged each other.
"Take some of the moon-bots, moon-mice, and Lunar moth's to help you, sister," he said. Morra nodded as the mentioned volunteers stepped forward. She lifted her feet from the moon surface. The moon-bots and mice boarded the moths and Morra started away from her childhood home to Earth.
Morra Terra Lunanoff turned back and gave her eldest brother a wave before resuming her journey to Earth to become the Ancient Guardian of Earth and Life… Mother Earth.
I am so very very proud of this story and I hope all of you like it too :) R&R my dearies.