As I edit this prologue, it's December 30th, 2009. I didn't change it word-wise, but I wasn't happy with the plot. (Okay, just a few grammar/spelling ever. That's it. I swear. )The original prologue gave too much of the plot. SOOO I scrapped it, and the prologue does not have the full summary.
Prologue
One December Night
London, England, 1884
A small white mouse with a black crescent moon-shaped marking on her forehead trotted back to her home. She had lovely brown hair and piercing green eyes, and she wore a puffy white shirt, a navy blue vest, and a light brown skirt. She also had a silver bandana tied innocently around her head. The young girl was merely ten years old, and had more innocence than most. As she came to a large human house, and looked through a small, hidden door on its walls, she smiled. She knocked on the door. "Mum, Daddy! I'm home with the food!"
A male mouse, silver with a white crescent moon-shaped marking on his forehead and with black hair, opened the door. "Selene! I was beginning to wonder when you would come home!" he said with a broad smile. His proud brown eyes shown at his daughter.
Selene Celesta Skyhaven grinned. "Sorry, Daddy." Her father sighed, smiled, and let her in. Selene smiled warmly at her home. It was fairly nice, with good furnishing, food on the table, and a nice fireplace in case it got cold. It was one of those particular days. It was a bit chilly outside in the winter, needless to say. Selene winced, remembering the scolding she'd get from her mother for not wearing at least a scarf outside. In fact, here came her mother now. Uh-oh…
Her mother looked like her, with white fur and green eyes and the same brown hair, except she had no moon marking. That was because she was not born a Skyhaven. According to the stories her father told her, those who were born a Skyhaven had the marking. Her father had been born one, and so had she and her elder brother by two years, Apollo. Her mother, Rita, was a Skyhaven by marriage. Rita's eyes widened. "SELENE!" she went over to her daughter, worry in her eyes, "What the blazes!? Not even a scarf, young lady!?"
"Sorry, Mum. To be honest, it wasn't that cold when I left, so I felt that I didn't need a scarf," Selene said calmly, telling the truth.
Rita sighed, "Very well, Selene. But please, wear a scarf next time."
Selene smirked, "Will do, Mum."
"Busted," Apollo Tisorin Skyhaven teased from behind a door. He had his own fur, a bright golden-brown with a white moon marking.
"APOLLO!" shouted Selene, and soon chased her brother around.
Rita sighed as her two children ran about the house. "I swear, they get it from you, Artemis."
Artemis raised his hands up, shrugging. "Hey, it's not my fault." He and Rita laughed, and when they heard someone tumbling down the stairs, they both shouted, "CHILDREN!!"
"Sorry!" both their children chorused.
Apollo and Selene were sitting next to each other back-to-back, sleeping peacefully. The fire crackled as Rita and Artemis lovingly watched their children sleep. A knock sounded on the door, startling the husband and wife. Artemis' marking glowed, and his eyes narrowed. "We're in for trouble. Rita, hide the children."
Rita nodded, and gently woke up the boy and girl. She ordered them kindly to go up to their room. As the little mice stumbled up, she cast a worried glance at Artemis before rushing up to join them.
When Artemis made sure the rest of his family was upstairs, he opened the door. A large black mouse was at the door.
"Where's the Stone, Skyhaven?" the mouse growled.
"What on earth are you talking about?" asked Artemis, although he knew perfectly well what the mouse was talking about. And he wasn't about to let him have it. "And it's late, good man, you shouldn't be out in this cold weather."
"Indeed," the mouse growled, and stepped inside. He rounded on the mouse, glaring daggers at him, "Now, Artemis Skyhaven, where is the Stone?"
Artemis's eyes narrowed. This man knew too much, he could already tell. "Even if I did know where and what it was, I certainly wouldn't tell he likes of you."
"Why you little-!"
Selene looked curiously out of her room. Apollo did so also from across the room on his bed. They saw their mother leaning on the stairs, looking worriedly down at her their father and the menacing looking "visitor." Selene's eyes narrowed, "If that nitwit of a mouse harms one hair on Daddy, he's in for a good-"
"Shh, Selene!" Apollo hissed quietly. "Just listen. If the man attacks, we'll attack. Got your knife?"
Selene nodded, and reached down her bed. She protruded a small knife, it's blade a mere three inches, but its point was still sharp. Her hand was trembling as her eyes widened worriedly at Apollo, "D-do you think I might have to use it?" She set the knife back under her bed. "I…I don't think I could ever…"
Apollo got out from his bed and went over to hug his little sister. "It's okay, Selene. If you don't wanna use it, you got me…" He hugged her a bit tighter, "I promise, I'll always be there to protect you."
Selene looked up at him, tears forming in her bright emerald green eyes. It was then Apollo noticed how piercing they were. Their color was almost unreal, but he knew it was reality. His little sister was just special. Selene sobbed quietly and whispered, "Promise, Pollo?"
"Promise, Seli."
Fear rose up in Artemis's chest. He had made the mouse increasingly angry, merely because he would not give the information he wanted. A sudden pang hit him as he knew he was going to die.
"If you shall not tell me," the mouse growled, "Then I'll tell you this, Artemis: If I have no Stone, you have no life."
"Then so be it!"
Suddenly, mice all over the house appeared, torches in their hands. They knelt down, and suddenly the Skyhavens' home was on fire. Artemis glared furiously at the mouse, and his moon-marking glowed brightly. His brown eyes suddenly glowed white, and an air suddenly blew around them. "Cáru!" his voice, although seemingly shadowed by another, shouted, echoing through the house, and a ball of silver light hit the mouse, knocking him to the ground. Rita rushed down, a kitchen blade in her hands. The large black mouse snarled, and whipped out a gun.
It fired. Twice.
Selene and Apollo gasped. "Mum! Daddy!" Selene shouted. She instantly whipped out her knife, and Apollo whipped out his, and the siblings rushed downstairs. They saw the living room engulfed in flames, the bodies of her parents kneeling before a large black mouse. Selene almost dropped her knife, but then rage rushed through her veins. Her eyes seemed to glow as she glared at the large black mouse, "You nitwitted RAT!!"
Coughing distracted her. She looked down and saw her parents, barely alive. Selene and Apollo rushed to their sides.
"Mum…Daddy…" Selene whispered fearfully, tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's okay, Selene…" Rita murmured. "You'll see us again…"
"Until then, dear ones…" said Artemis, and handed each of the siblings a pendant. It was a blue stone with silver lining for Selene and a golden stone with silver lining for Apollo. "You'll need these…And remember…Protect…" he made a gasp, and he and Rita joined hands, "The Stone…" Suddenly, their parents went limp, and they were gone.
"We will," both Apollo and Selene murmured in unison, although they had absolutely no idea what their parents were talking about. What was the Stone?
The strange mouse grabbed them both roughly by their collars. "Hm…no use if they know nothing." A wicked smirk came across his face. "So…you shall die with your parents!!" He dropped them roughly, and as soon as he sped out the door, the flames enlarged dramatically. But then a scream was heard, sounding like the mouse's voice. After a few moments, two figures, cloaked in black, rushed in and scooped up the children, and rushed them out of the house as it was about to collapse. Selene screamed in horror and clutched her new necklace tightly.
Apollo, however, wrangled loose of the mouse's grip, and ran off a few yards, before calling, "I'll save you one day, Selene, I promise!!" He then disappeared into the night, and the mice found no use in trying to catch him.
"APOLLO!!" cried Selene, and began to cry and sob hysterically. Her brother…her only kin now…had just abandoned her, even after the promise he had made to her… Sorrow suddenly went to anger, He lied…He doesn't deserve to be called 'brother…'
She glared harshly at the mice as they set her down in an old and damp alleyway. "Okay, whoever ya are…I want an explanation NOW." Her hatred was being taken out on whoever these mice were, and she really did want an explanation of why the barged in and killed her parents out-of-the-blue.
The mouse that had been carrying her took off her mask, "I'm terribly sorry for your parents' death, dear one. Had we known it involved murdering a couple that had children, we would have never taken part of it."
Selene scoffed. She could get rather nasty when she was in a negative mood. Tonight's events were no exception. "Right," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Okay, now tell me why you're here." She whipped out her knife, "I've only needed to use this once, and I don't want to use it right now, got it!?"
The female rolled her eyes. "My name's Juliana, and we're a thief guild. We were about to offer you a position as being taught the art of thievery, but with your apparent hatred, I don't think-"
"Wait!" cried Selene a bit desperately, even though they hadn't moved an inch yet. "I'm…I'm very sorry…" she whispered, realizing what she had just threatened. She hated it when her anger took control over her. She looked up pleadingly at the female, tears welling up in her eyes, "Please…I…I'm alone. I need somewhere to call home…"
Juliana smiled, and outstretched her hand, "Then you'll become a thief like us? It's your end of the bargain."
Selene smirked. She had always wondered what it would be like to be a thief. She thought it exciting. Selene took the hand, "Selene Celesta Skyhaven, at your service."
Juliana smiled warmly, "You'll fit in just fine, Selene…Just fine…"
Enjoy the rest of The Lunar Thief!
Love,
Gabby
