Title:The Nightngale's Song
Author: Estreya Rose
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon only the idea of this story.
She stepped onto the white stone balcony in only her night-clothes; a tank top and a pair of shorts. It was almost always comfortable on Kinmoku; the days were usually warm and the nights were hardly ever cold, but she would not have noticed if they were. It was late; most people had retired to bed by now, but not her. Not until her nightly ritual was complete could she rest.
Her long dark hair cascaded freely down her back, let loose from its customary ponytail. She sat on the stone railing and leaned against the wall; her midnight blue eyes staring up at the night sky filled with stars.
This is home. It's where I belong and where I'm supposed to be. She sighed, softly. That used to be such a comforting thought. It's funny, I've spent most of my life within the walls of this palace and never realized how much of a cage it could be.
She closed her eyes and pictured a different sky with different stars and a single pale white satellite. I understand my duty and my purpose; I am a soldier in service to my princess. My life is not my own, but I don't think that anyone's life is truly their own.
Her eyes still closed and her mind thousands of light years away; she began to sing.
In a different room, not very far away a balcony door had been left open to allow the occupant to hear the song. Kakkyu sat on her bed, listening intently to the voice of her soldier.
She only sings like this at night. She never sings alone in the day and I will not ask her to. Even if I want to hear her alone, I am not the audience she intends this for.
I've known for some time that the time would come when I would not be enough for my Starlights. And that they would eventually come to realize it for themselves. I've both wished and dreaded that day's coming... but why did Seiya have to be the first?
I think I was more ready for Yaten or Taiki to be first, they are both a bit older than Seiya; but then Seiya was the first to awaken. I didn't think that Seiya's heart would be the first to distance itself from me. If I had not stayed hidden from them, perhaps I could have prevented their pain. Or maybe this is the way it was going to be no matter what. This is not a situation I would have wished on anyone, especially not them.
"She's in rare form tonight." The melodious voice spoke from the balcony distracted her from her thoughts. She turned to see the woman with dark golden hair and cheerful gold eyes standing on her balcony.
"Good evening, Velus. How have you been?"
"Good enough. How are things lately, Kakkyu-hime?" Velus returned,
"As well as can be expected, I suppose. Rebuilding may have lasted a while, but now that it's finished; distractions are becoming hard to find. Yaten and Taiki are coping, but they did leave pieces of their hearts elsewhere. Seiya is a different matter, I'm afraid."
"So, I've noticed. I can smell the depression on her, and every note she sings has an undercurrent of sorrow. Even Tiar and Sana are becoming concerned; the Librarian, himself is voicing some worry as well." Velus stated.
"I wasn't aware that the Librarian concerned himself with any of our kind. Or that she had been out to see you."
"He doesn't really, and she hasn't. That is part of the concern. When you live as long as we do, you get bored rather easily. Anything at all that can alleviate that boredom is something we pay attention to closely."
"Seiya left her heart on a rooftop of a planet very far from here. It's not an easy thing to fix."
"She's a fool. And whoever has her heart is a bigger fool for not returning it," Velus hissed, her gold eyes shifting to something darker. Foolish little girl, how could you give anything so completely? Was your education so incomplete?
"Seiya is not one of you, Velus. There is pain; but she will get through it. It's not dangerous for her to give of herself in that way. "
"That is not what I sense. There is danger, if not to others as it would be with my kin, than it is to her alone. WE do not let go of anything that eases our boredom easily, Kakkyu-hime, I wish you a good night," Velus stated, leaping into the air. Her form shimmered and seemed to unfold on itself, sprouting large leathery wings and golden scales. The golden Drajkon flapped her wings and headed to her aerie. No doubt to tell the Librarian of what she had learned.
Her words worried Kakkyu. If Velus thought that Seiya was in danger than there was a good chance that she truly was. Drajkons were one of the oldest races on Kinmouku as well as one of the wisest, they were matched in that and their longevity by the Eldth.
It was later that night when Velus arrived in the Librarian's domain. The Librarian was the eldest of the Drajkon race, and considered the wisest among them; it was to him that most took their questions and concerns. He rarely left his area of their aerie, and purposely stayed in a mortal from to care for the more fragile items within his extensive collection. his hoard was made up of books of knowledge and items of mystical nature that required caution when being dealt with. He was quite perturbed when Velus entered.
"Of all the foolish things... I cannot believe this... " Velus's rant continued for several minutes, her volume altering from normal to yelling to a low whisper muttering.
"What has she done this time?" the Librarian asked, knowing that only one thing could cause such concern from Velus.
"Little sister has given her heart away."Velus growled.
"Ah, so she has a mate, then? Have you the chance to meet them, yet?" The Librarian asked; he knew fully well that no one would match Velus's standards of Little sister's mate. It cannot be helped, Velus was the one who discovered her in the shadows of the aerie. A mortal, the only mortal to have ever been raised and taught by Drajkons. She who knows our rules and customs as well as her own kind's. The one who could bridge the gap between our races. Velus is most overprotective and would rather no one touch Little sister.
"No. She was rejected." Velus spat, viciously.
"I see," he sighed, "It does happen from time to time among mortals. What was the reason for it?"
"Unknown, and it matters not. When I find them, I will personally rip them apart." Velus hissed.
"I do not think she will thank you for that. Nor will she be pleased to hear that you were the cause." he stated calmly. No one is good enough for Little sister in Velus's eyes, but the one who would reject her is worst than scum.
"Depression lingers on her scent, and her song is sorrow, itself."
"I am well aware of that, Velus; we did discuss this earlier."
"I fear, Librarian, that she will do something more foolish than she has ever done before this. Just this very eve I heard her, and it tells me that something is very wrong."
"Take Tiar and watch for her then. If your suspicions are real, than we will have to intervene. Seiya existed within the shadows of this flight long before being among her own kind. Our laws state that she is ours; and we never surrender that which is ours."
The next afternoon Seiya sat under a tree at the edge of the palace grounds; alone with her thoughts as she was, not having to act as if nothing was wrong. As though her heart hadn't been broken. It is not as though I thought there was a chance for Odango and me. We are from two very different worlds and stations in life, our paths were never even meant to cross. She sighed, closing her midnight blue eyes.
"Seiya!" A voice shouted from nearby. She blinked; getting to her feet quickly, just in time to be knocked off balance by the embrace of a woman with dark gold hair.
"Little sister, I found you." the woman declared cheerfully; tightening her hug carefully as Drajkons were a great deal stronger than other beings.
"Hello, Velus, Thanks for the notice, Tiar." Seiya said as the male Drajkon walked towards them.
"I wanted to be a surprise," Velus grumbled in Seiya's ear, as she had not released her yet.
"You are. No one told me you were coming. What brings you this far from the flight's lands? Not troubles with the Eldth again, I hope. I hate having to deliver that kind of news."
"No. nothing of that sort." Tiar answered, "Velus, would you please release her? It is rather distracting to have a conversation while watching someone be carried like that."
Try being that person, Tiar. Seiya thought, not that she'd say anything to Velus. The golden female Drajkon had always treated her like some kind of plaything; it was something Seiya learned to live with from a young age.
"Fine. You know, Tiar, you're starting to sound like D'Mit." Velus complained, finally letting Seiya go.
Tiar sputtered, indignantly at the comparison, while Velus smirked and Seiya was laughing. D'Mit was older than the two Drajkons present but younger than Sana or the Librarian. He was also the most obsessed about decorum and the proper way of doing anything.
"So, why are you here?" Seiya asked after a few minutes of calming down.
"Because of you, little sister. The entire flight is aware of something wrong with you, the sorrow that resonates in your song." Velus started.
"Nothing is wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine." Seiya stated, annoyed.
"Since when could you possibly lie to any of us and have us believe it?" Tiar asked. Seiya sighed, it was next to impossible to lie to a Drajkon, especially if they knew you well enough and these two certainly did.
tbc
A/N: This was originally supposed to be a short oneshot that will connect to To Want More but it took on a life of it's own as well. Most of this it typed off the top of my head so please excuse any oddities that occur. Please let me know what you think of it.