Chess // Chapter Two
Author: Chikara
Email: lilchikara@yahoo.com
Editor: Red Potato
Hi! Hi! Hi! Sorry that this part took so long to get out. Both Red Potato and I had a few moments of business. But anyway, here it goes. enjoy!
- - -
The vocab list // Courtesy of Red Potato ^^ (Thanks!)
Bonjour: Hello Pardonez moi: Pardon me Mon cherie: My dear Mon aimi: My friend Je voir: you see
- - -
Disclaimer: Uhh, yeah... Guess who doesn't own Sailor Moon.
@--- @--- @---
Chapter Two // Castle
Serenity unenthusiastically awoke with a groan. Her eyes slowly fluttered open only to find a place she didn't recognize. She blinked again, this time with much surprise, believing that her eyes had betrayed her. She had been expecting to awaken in her own palace chamber.
Absentmindedly, she rolled onto her sides which then cause a sharp pain to shoot through her body. Serenity winced in response before mentally shoving the pain into the deepest cavern of her mind. She had bigger things to worry about. Carefully, she inspected her surrounding. A thin mat lay beneath her, poised against the side of the tent, but other than the makeshift bed and a few unknown bundles, the tan tent was bare.
Time ticked away as Serenity stared at an invisible point out yonder, her concentration set on figuring out how she had arrived at her current location. It certainly wasn't home, and the air even seemed different somehow.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud chorus of laughter. Curiously, Serenity crept to the tent's entrance flap. She pulled apart the two edges of the thick cloth and poked her head slightly out through the newly formed gap.
A few meters away she could see the blazing glow of a fire dancing amongst the darkness. She couldn't see the men who owned the voices she could hear, but their shadows were clearly outlined in the fire's light.
Just then a gentle wind blew by, rustling the leaves of nearby trees, and that's when she remembered. Every detail, every emotion of the incident came flooding back to her like a quick lightning; and after a lightning strike into her mind, fears began to take over her. Taking a deep breath, she decides to make a run for it.
Cautiously, Serenity began to make her way across the camp to where the horses are tied to a few green trees. She kept her ears wide open with each step she took. Her figure was crouched as she attempted to keep as small as possible.
Ten steps. Eleven steps. Twelve steps. Crack!
"That's her!" One of the men cried out as he jumped from his seat.
Serenity crouched still and sucked in a deep breath. She dares not breathe for the fear of being caught and surrounded by rouge men. Silently she cursed the snapped twig which lay under her dirt covered foot.
The enthusiastic man burst into a roar of laughter as he held up a large cup. "That's her, alright. Lady Armelle Reinfeld. She was one bizarre and obsessive lady! Always lusting after our dear prince. She never knew just how or when to call it quits. Remember when she disguised herself as a maid just to get into your room, but she didn't know how to do any of the work or maybe she did and thought it too low to try! That, my friends, was priceless." The group burst into an ebullient laughter.
The Lunarian princess let out a long sigh of relief; they hadn't heard her after all. Fuel with a new spur of courage, Serenity continued toward the horses. She began to untie a mighty black stallion upon reaching her destination, hoping that its coat would be enough to keep them camouflaged. The horse grunted at the stranger and his hooves kicked around in an effort to war off the mysterious young lady. Serenity, however, ignored his complaints. Instead she softly patted his head while mumbling few words of comfort. Gradually, the stallion calmed down.
Serenity scanned the campsite for the saddle. The reins were already placed on the horse since they had been used to tie the midnight stallion to the tree, but there wasn't a single saddle in sight. Or at least there weren't any until Serenity's eyes fell on the area where the men were gathered.
"Not worth it," she mumbled before turning to mount onto the dark horse. Serenity held onto its body firmly as she made two little jumps in preparation for the final one which consisted of great height. The large horse let out a startled cry before dashing off into the heavily wooded forest as it carried a petite rider.
- - -
"Did you hear that?"
"I think Nephrite is hearing things again," a short haired blond announced lightly.
"I'm serious, Jadeite. Mamoru, didn't you hear it?"
"It was probably just a small animal," replied their leader.
"I guess," the brunette gave in. He then returned his focus to sharpening his sword while the other resumed their pleasurable chatter.
A few moments had gone by when the youngest of the quartet strangers unexpectedly stopped his joke in mid-sentence.
Mamoru's cheery expression faded. "What's wrong, Adrian?"
"I don't think Nephrite was imagining things, sire."
As if on cue, a sharp cry pierced through the air followed by the loud clattering of hooves against the earth.
"Enemies!"
Immediately the four young men withdrew their swords. They split off into opposite directions in order to find out where the invasion was coming from. Mamoru took the northern view of the camp. His broadsword reflected the full moon that hung high in the sky. His head swung from side to side as his eyes narrowed in concentration, but he couldn't find anything. The woods appeared untouched and only the calm winds that pass by him lay their swirling fingers upon the dark leaves.
His search ended when he heard Adrian's distant shouts. Immediately Mamoru raced to the southern side of the camp where his squire was stationed. Upon his arrival, Adrian began to explain the situation.
"She escaped! The princess she ran away! She took your horse, sir, and went into the forest in that direction," he pointed. "I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't able to stop her. I really am sorry, but I arrived too late."
"It is fine, Adrian," Mamoru assured the panicked boy. "She couldn't have gotten far. Saddle the horses," he command, "We're going after her."
His companions complied and in seconds they were ready to go. There was just one problem. They lack one horse.
"That's alright, sire," Adrian said. "I'll just keep an eye on the camp."
"Nonsense, this is your horse," Mamoru extended his arm towards the boy of thirteen years.
The page nodded and allowed the older boy to pull him onto the horses back.
"Let's go!"
"I think we lost her," Jadeite stated as he slowed his horse's sprint to a trot.
"He's right, Mamoru," Nephrite solemnly agreed. "We haven't even caught sight of her since she left. Maybe she went off in a different direction."
The ebony-haired man ignored the duo's comments. Handing Adrian the reins, he slid down the side of the horse. His squire watched in puzzlement as Mamoru's large hand spanned out and touched the ground. The young man's eyes shut in an effort to increase his concentration. A faint glow of gold encircled his hand, faint enough that it could be easily overlooked even during the night's hours.
Finally, his eyelids drifted open, revealing a pair of midnight orbs. Standing up, he dusted his hand off.
"She's about half a mile southwest of us," Mamoru said as he climbed back onto his friend's snow white horse. 'We're coming Tsukino,' he added in his mind, 'You can't leave just yet. Not until you have served your purpose for being here.'
- - -
Serenity let out a long awaited breath of air and allowed the horse she was riding to slow down his fast pace. They were nowhere in sight. The Lunarian patted the horse's head in gratitude, receiving a pleased whiny in return. The beat of the horse's hooves created a soothing rhythm that lulled his rider into a state of tranquility.
She kept the horse trotting in the same direction, hoping that the route would lead her to safety. It was all a matter of lucky stars. After all, she didn't even know where she was.
A thunder of hooves shook her out of her ease. Whirling her head around, she saw the approaching silhouettes of three overpowering riders. No, there were four. Serenity impulsively squeezed her horse's sides causing him to jolt into a much faster pace.
They dashed through the dark forest where the only light source came from the moon. Leaping over fallen rotten logs and ducking under low tree branches, they could only wonder in surprise how a female could have gotten away from them this far. The princess' heartbeat rapidly increased, her beating rhythm was perhaps the only thing Serenity could hear. Her now rugged and dirty cloak flowed behind her intertwining with her loose golden tresses.
She was once again gaining a lead but not fast enough. The four hunters still nipped closely at her heels. Desperately she urged her horse to go even faster. The stallion continued to push his limits sensing the uneasiness of his rider. His progress was relentless as he pulled away. Serenity mentally thanked him and rejoiced, but her joy was instantly shattered by two simple words coming from one of the men trailing her.
"Vulcan, halt!"
The midnight horse beneath her abruptly stopped involuntarily bucking its cargo. Serenity let out a loud yell of surprise and fear. She hit the forest ground with a thud by landing on her right arm. Once again, the pain shot through her body. However, she quickly rolled away and got onto her feet. She began to continue her escape by foot as she clutched her injured arm.
Her legs carried her body as fast as they could go, but it didn't take a psychic to figure out that at the rate she was going she would be recaptured in mere seconds. Without the horse, Serenity had to focus more on evading obstacles which proved to be no easy feat to conquer over. The dead logs and loose roots seemed to pop out of nowhere and she could have sworn they were out to get her, joining force with the enemies.
Taking one last look behind her, Serenity dove into a small hole created by a cluster of trees and bushes. She quickly recovered and continued running, making sure to take the smallest routes. Each time she squeezed through a gap, she was ensuring herself that she couldn't be followed by horses therefore taking that advantage away from the predators and evening out the playing field.
"Tsukino! Tsukino!"
Serenity looked back long enough to see the ebony-haired man sprinting after her. He was swiftly dodging nature's obstacles which lay about and was rapidly gaining on her. Adrenaline once again began pumping though the blonde's veins where her speed increased slightly.
Suddenly the world began spinning on her and the heaviness in the air returned to her attention. Gasping for air, Serenity tried to grab onto something to steady herself. In the distance, she could hear the muffled calls coming from the man who had been chasing her. The air grew heavier and heavier, and for the first time she noticed a luminescent globe in the sky. It was the moon, and once again things began to flood into her mind. It all made sense. No wonder the atmosphere was so different. She was on earth.
And with that unpleasant and deplorable thought, she collapsed to the ground.
- - -
Serenity tiredly awoke with a groan, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Her eyes slowly trembled open to find a place she didn't recognize. She blinked in surprise, believing that her eyes had betrayed her. She had been expecting to awaken in her own chambers.
Dejectedly, she turned her face towards the ceiling. She had been hoping that everything was just a dream, but apparently it wasn't.
"Well, well, gentlemen. Look who's finally up," a masculine voice announced from the opposite corner of the tent.
Serenity noticed for the first time that she wasn't alone. Rolling her head to the side, she found the man who had spoken. He had long brown hair and a grin plastered on his face.
"Are you feeling well? You woke up earlier than anticipated the first time. It seems the blood in your veins has already begun to use its magic."
Her attention shifted to the ebony-haired man who was striding towards her. She squinted away the last remnants of sleep as she suspiciously inspected his face. It was him, the man who had chased her.
The young man waited for response, but she appeared to be in a far off distant place so he repeated his question. She snapped out of the daze.
"Well, let's see, shall we?" Serenity began to answer his question. "I've been kidnapped not once but twice, chased by weird men, bucked by a horse, and to top things off, I don't even know where the bloody hell I am! I'm just dandy." She added the last phrase with a tone dripping with sarcasm.
Mamoru ignored her comments and kept silent. Becoming annoyed at her lack of elevation compared to the others, Serenity attempted to sit up, however a warm hand on her shoulder ceased her movements.
"Take it easy," Mamoru said softly. He began to gently push her back, but the stubborn princess resisted.
"I don't need your help."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't!"
"You may think you don't, but you do," retorted Mamoru.
"I know I don't!" Serenity jerked free from his grasp and shot up into sitting position. Immediately, her head began to pound and her vision swayed. Mamoru noticed the symptoms of her dizzy spell and began to once again lower her into lying position.
The petite blonde had other things in mind. Despite her lightheadedness, she bounded back into her desired position, unintentionally applying pressure to her right arm. She yelled out in pain.
A frown seeped onto Mamoru's face. "Are you all right?"
"You tied me up?" Serenity screamed angrily gesturing at the thick rope that bound her right arm to one of the tent poles. Honestly, she didn't really care about the restraint, but she'd be damned if she ever let them know about her weakness to the pain throbbing through her arm.
"Why wouldn't we? You've already tried to run away once and you haven't even been here for a full day yet. We don't need you getting into anymore troubles. We have enough to handle as it is."
"Excuse me," the blonde reply angrily, "but you make it sound as if my captivity is of a privilege to me."
"Well, who knows? Maybe it is."
"Why you-"
"Pardonez moi," Jadeite interrupted the small quarrel, "but I don't believe we have had a round of formal introductions yet."
He had been watching the bicker between his leader and their captive from a distance with Nephrite and Adrian. They had observed in silence until Jadeite felt that he should intervene before things can get really damaging, but there was one thing that all three onlookers agreed on as they watched:
This was going to be on interesting assignment.
"Mademoiselle," the tall blonde began, "introducing Adrian, our dear page." He motioned towards the dark-haired boy.
"Please to meet you, miss," Adrian greeted.
"My partner in crime, Nephrite."
The brunette she had seen before smiled and nodded as a greeting gesture.
"Of course, moi," The short-haired blond announced pointing to himself. "I am Jadeite. And last but definitely not least, the one and only-"
"Mamoru," the raven-haired man interjected.
Serenity raised her eyebrow. "The one and only Mamoru?"
"Well, of course," Mamoru respond somewhat sheepishly. "It's getting late. We all better take leave for the night if we want to make it to Carrington by nightfall tomorrow. Jadeite, you stay here and keep an eye on Tskuino tonight. The rest of you, let's go."
His subjects nodded and followed his orders as Serenity gaped. "I do not need a baby-sitter!"
Mamoru waited for his two friends to exit the tent before doing the same. Just as he was about to leave, he turned to Serenity and smirked. "We'll see, Tsukino."
- - -
"Ughhh!!!" Serenity screamed in exasperation. "He is so-so."
"Mickle?" Jadeite offered jokingly.
The princess smiled. "I was leaning more towards demonic."
"You should really get some rest mon cherie. I don't think the effects of the potion my comrades gave you have completely worn off yet."
"What did they give me?" Serenity asked.
"Something I like to called classified information, but to let you know, the potion was absorbed in the cloth," Jadeite stated as he began to roll out another mat on the opposite side of the tent as Serenity's.
"What does he want with me?"
"Who want what with you?"
"Mamoru. Why am I here?"
"He has his reasons."
"What are they?"
"Sorry, mon cherie, but I cannot tell you."
"Well, why not?" she question.
"It's not my place to say."
"But that's not fair."
"Ah Serenity, how naïve you are, you must know, life cannot always be fair, for that is life, just as life is not life without the muse of wine and cheese. But do not despair cherie ma petite. I promise you will know someday, when the time is right."
Jadeite then covered her with a blanket before slipping under his own. Reaching over, he blew out a small candle, the only light within the tent.
"You know, princess, he is not all that bad," the French soldier said before finally getting into a comfortable position on the hard ground to sleep upon.
Upon hearing no reply from the strange princess, Jadeite went on, "I wish you could give him the benefit of a doubt princess."
Alas, there came no reply after that and the creatures of the night took its role under the bright moonlight.
- - -
"Too early," Serenity muttered as Jadeite cut her ropes with his knife.
"You'll make it," the blond general assured with an undoable accent. "Come now. I think they are ready to go."
The two strode towards the horses where the others were already waiting.
"Tsukino," Mamoru called out, "you will ride with me."
"Excuse me for this momentarily comment, but...what?"
"You heard me, Tskuino," Mamoru said as he stretched his arm out to help her up.
The princess laughed dryly. "You are a jester of a court aren't you? I am not going to ride with you for the whole day. No, sir, I will not, not now nor ever."
"Too bad," Mamoru said, still in a monotone. "You don't have a choice. And to further answer the question you have been dying to ask in your mind, you have no choice because you are a prisoner and I your capturer. Hence the word that will now have a new meaning, hostage." Dismounting, he grabbed Serenity, who was kicking and screaming, and hoisted her onto his stallion. He then easily mounted himself back up, settling behind the blonde who was continuing to squirm.
"Calm down or you'll tire yourself out."
Serenity glared at him. "I'll do what I want to do."
"Suit yourself," Mamoru shrugged and tugged at the reins.
- - -
"He's crazy."
"You just may be the first of the female kind to say that."
"Then they're all crazy too."
Jadeite chuckled. "You're not so normal yourself, mon aimi."
Serenity rolled her eyes and gracefully fell back onto the grass. They were all taking a lunch break by a sparkling river. A rest that was well in need.
"Why does he call his horse Vulcan?" The Lunarian princess asked curiously.
"After the god of fire and the blacksmith of the gods. Greek or Roman, I don't remember, but they say her is as strong as a blacksmith's tools and as dark as ash and coal."
"Roman."
"Hmm?"
"Vulcan is Roman."
"Oh."
Serenity rolled over onto her stomach and made a move to prop her head up on her hands. She scowled as soon as her right arm came in contact with the ground.
"Are you okay?" Jadeite asked, deeply concerned.
Serenity tried to let out a word of comfort, but the pain was quickly becoming unbearable. She abruptly sat up and carefully brought her injured arm closer to her body.
Her friend's eyes widened in shock. "Your arm!"
"I-It's nothing," the princess managed to stutter out.
"Nonsense. Let me take a look."
Serenity allowed the older blond to take her arm into his lap. Gently, he rolled up her dress sleeve as far as it would go. He then proceeded to inspect the princess's arm. A grim frown gradually appeared on his features.
"Mamoru!" Jadeite called out while his patient remained silent. His leader was immediately at his side after sensing the distress in his voice.
"What's wrong?"
"I think her arm may be broken."
Kneeling down, Mamoru looked over Serenity's arm. He gently ran his fingers across the soft skin.
"You're probably right. She has some sort of fracture in her arm," Mamoru told the general. Then turning to the princess, he asked, "How did this happen?"
"When I fell off the horse last night, I landed on my arm," she replied meekly.
Mamoru nodded. "I guess we're even now," he mumbled under his breath. However, Serenity heard, but due to her condition she was in no mood to ask.
"Adrian," Mamoru said, "please get me my saddle bag."
The page scrambled away and promptly returned with a leather pouch in his hand which he tossed to Mamoru. His leader thanked the young lad as he removed a few items from the bag. He placed a narrow pipe on the inside of Serenity's arm with care. After positioning the item, he firmly tied it down with a long strip of white cloth.
"We should leave now, and get a proper doctor to take a look at it. We don't know how serious it could be," Mamoru stated as Serenity stared at his retreating form.
She was damned.
- - -
"We're almost there, Serenity," Jadeite announced excitedly, his horse striding up to Vulcan. "It's just beyond that cliff, je voir mon aimi?"
The group traveled towards the edge of the hill to be greeted by a magnificent sight. The sun was beginning to set, painting the landscape with a beautiful palette of bold hues. In the valley crevice laid a large bustling city, ready for the coming night. Serenity gasped in absolute awe.
"Welcome to Carrington," Mamoru whispered from behind her.
@--- @--- @---
Hope you liked it! ^^ And as usual, I'm always up for any feedback you guys have whether it's simple comments, flames, or whatever.
Just before I go I wanna thank the following people for their feedback: Red Potato, Erica, Bunny-chan, Molly, Bunny Brooks, Kimmi-chan, and Sailor_Sista. Thanks a bundle! There was one other person who commented at fanfiction.net, but I don't remember the penname and as most of you know, fanfiction.net isn't being that cooperative later. So, I'll be sure to get you down in the next part!
'Til next time, have fun in the real world! 3 Chikara
Author: Chikara
Email: lilchikara@yahoo.com
Editor: Red Potato
Hi! Hi! Hi! Sorry that this part took so long to get out. Both Red Potato and I had a few moments of business. But anyway, here it goes. enjoy!
- - -
The vocab list // Courtesy of Red Potato ^^ (Thanks!)
Bonjour: Hello Pardonez moi: Pardon me Mon cherie: My dear Mon aimi: My friend Je voir: you see
- - -
Disclaimer: Uhh, yeah... Guess who doesn't own Sailor Moon.
@--- @--- @---
Chapter Two // Castle
Serenity unenthusiastically awoke with a groan. Her eyes slowly fluttered open only to find a place she didn't recognize. She blinked again, this time with much surprise, believing that her eyes had betrayed her. She had been expecting to awaken in her own palace chamber.
Absentmindedly, she rolled onto her sides which then cause a sharp pain to shoot through her body. Serenity winced in response before mentally shoving the pain into the deepest cavern of her mind. She had bigger things to worry about. Carefully, she inspected her surrounding. A thin mat lay beneath her, poised against the side of the tent, but other than the makeshift bed and a few unknown bundles, the tan tent was bare.
Time ticked away as Serenity stared at an invisible point out yonder, her concentration set on figuring out how she had arrived at her current location. It certainly wasn't home, and the air even seemed different somehow.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud chorus of laughter. Curiously, Serenity crept to the tent's entrance flap. She pulled apart the two edges of the thick cloth and poked her head slightly out through the newly formed gap.
A few meters away she could see the blazing glow of a fire dancing amongst the darkness. She couldn't see the men who owned the voices she could hear, but their shadows were clearly outlined in the fire's light.
Just then a gentle wind blew by, rustling the leaves of nearby trees, and that's when she remembered. Every detail, every emotion of the incident came flooding back to her like a quick lightning; and after a lightning strike into her mind, fears began to take over her. Taking a deep breath, she decides to make a run for it.
Cautiously, Serenity began to make her way across the camp to where the horses are tied to a few green trees. She kept her ears wide open with each step she took. Her figure was crouched as she attempted to keep as small as possible.
Ten steps. Eleven steps. Twelve steps. Crack!
"That's her!" One of the men cried out as he jumped from his seat.
Serenity crouched still and sucked in a deep breath. She dares not breathe for the fear of being caught and surrounded by rouge men. Silently she cursed the snapped twig which lay under her dirt covered foot.
The enthusiastic man burst into a roar of laughter as he held up a large cup. "That's her, alright. Lady Armelle Reinfeld. She was one bizarre and obsessive lady! Always lusting after our dear prince. She never knew just how or when to call it quits. Remember when she disguised herself as a maid just to get into your room, but she didn't know how to do any of the work or maybe she did and thought it too low to try! That, my friends, was priceless." The group burst into an ebullient laughter.
The Lunarian princess let out a long sigh of relief; they hadn't heard her after all. Fuel with a new spur of courage, Serenity continued toward the horses. She began to untie a mighty black stallion upon reaching her destination, hoping that its coat would be enough to keep them camouflaged. The horse grunted at the stranger and his hooves kicked around in an effort to war off the mysterious young lady. Serenity, however, ignored his complaints. Instead she softly patted his head while mumbling few words of comfort. Gradually, the stallion calmed down.
Serenity scanned the campsite for the saddle. The reins were already placed on the horse since they had been used to tie the midnight stallion to the tree, but there wasn't a single saddle in sight. Or at least there weren't any until Serenity's eyes fell on the area where the men were gathered.
"Not worth it," she mumbled before turning to mount onto the dark horse. Serenity held onto its body firmly as she made two little jumps in preparation for the final one which consisted of great height. The large horse let out a startled cry before dashing off into the heavily wooded forest as it carried a petite rider.
- - -
"Did you hear that?"
"I think Nephrite is hearing things again," a short haired blond announced lightly.
"I'm serious, Jadeite. Mamoru, didn't you hear it?"
"It was probably just a small animal," replied their leader.
"I guess," the brunette gave in. He then returned his focus to sharpening his sword while the other resumed their pleasurable chatter.
A few moments had gone by when the youngest of the quartet strangers unexpectedly stopped his joke in mid-sentence.
Mamoru's cheery expression faded. "What's wrong, Adrian?"
"I don't think Nephrite was imagining things, sire."
As if on cue, a sharp cry pierced through the air followed by the loud clattering of hooves against the earth.
"Enemies!"
Immediately the four young men withdrew their swords. They split off into opposite directions in order to find out where the invasion was coming from. Mamoru took the northern view of the camp. His broadsword reflected the full moon that hung high in the sky. His head swung from side to side as his eyes narrowed in concentration, but he couldn't find anything. The woods appeared untouched and only the calm winds that pass by him lay their swirling fingers upon the dark leaves.
His search ended when he heard Adrian's distant shouts. Immediately Mamoru raced to the southern side of the camp where his squire was stationed. Upon his arrival, Adrian began to explain the situation.
"She escaped! The princess she ran away! She took your horse, sir, and went into the forest in that direction," he pointed. "I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't able to stop her. I really am sorry, but I arrived too late."
"It is fine, Adrian," Mamoru assured the panicked boy. "She couldn't have gotten far. Saddle the horses," he command, "We're going after her."
His companions complied and in seconds they were ready to go. There was just one problem. They lack one horse.
"That's alright, sire," Adrian said. "I'll just keep an eye on the camp."
"Nonsense, this is your horse," Mamoru extended his arm towards the boy of thirteen years.
The page nodded and allowed the older boy to pull him onto the horses back.
"Let's go!"
"I think we lost her," Jadeite stated as he slowed his horse's sprint to a trot.
"He's right, Mamoru," Nephrite solemnly agreed. "We haven't even caught sight of her since she left. Maybe she went off in a different direction."
The ebony-haired man ignored the duo's comments. Handing Adrian the reins, he slid down the side of the horse. His squire watched in puzzlement as Mamoru's large hand spanned out and touched the ground. The young man's eyes shut in an effort to increase his concentration. A faint glow of gold encircled his hand, faint enough that it could be easily overlooked even during the night's hours.
Finally, his eyelids drifted open, revealing a pair of midnight orbs. Standing up, he dusted his hand off.
"She's about half a mile southwest of us," Mamoru said as he climbed back onto his friend's snow white horse. 'We're coming Tsukino,' he added in his mind, 'You can't leave just yet. Not until you have served your purpose for being here.'
- - -
Serenity let out a long awaited breath of air and allowed the horse she was riding to slow down his fast pace. They were nowhere in sight. The Lunarian patted the horse's head in gratitude, receiving a pleased whiny in return. The beat of the horse's hooves created a soothing rhythm that lulled his rider into a state of tranquility.
She kept the horse trotting in the same direction, hoping that the route would lead her to safety. It was all a matter of lucky stars. After all, she didn't even know where she was.
A thunder of hooves shook her out of her ease. Whirling her head around, she saw the approaching silhouettes of three overpowering riders. No, there were four. Serenity impulsively squeezed her horse's sides causing him to jolt into a much faster pace.
They dashed through the dark forest where the only light source came from the moon. Leaping over fallen rotten logs and ducking under low tree branches, they could only wonder in surprise how a female could have gotten away from them this far. The princess' heartbeat rapidly increased, her beating rhythm was perhaps the only thing Serenity could hear. Her now rugged and dirty cloak flowed behind her intertwining with her loose golden tresses.
She was once again gaining a lead but not fast enough. The four hunters still nipped closely at her heels. Desperately she urged her horse to go even faster. The stallion continued to push his limits sensing the uneasiness of his rider. His progress was relentless as he pulled away. Serenity mentally thanked him and rejoiced, but her joy was instantly shattered by two simple words coming from one of the men trailing her.
"Vulcan, halt!"
The midnight horse beneath her abruptly stopped involuntarily bucking its cargo. Serenity let out a loud yell of surprise and fear. She hit the forest ground with a thud by landing on her right arm. Once again, the pain shot through her body. However, she quickly rolled away and got onto her feet. She began to continue her escape by foot as she clutched her injured arm.
Her legs carried her body as fast as they could go, but it didn't take a psychic to figure out that at the rate she was going she would be recaptured in mere seconds. Without the horse, Serenity had to focus more on evading obstacles which proved to be no easy feat to conquer over. The dead logs and loose roots seemed to pop out of nowhere and she could have sworn they were out to get her, joining force with the enemies.
Taking one last look behind her, Serenity dove into a small hole created by a cluster of trees and bushes. She quickly recovered and continued running, making sure to take the smallest routes. Each time she squeezed through a gap, she was ensuring herself that she couldn't be followed by horses therefore taking that advantage away from the predators and evening out the playing field.
"Tsukino! Tsukino!"
Serenity looked back long enough to see the ebony-haired man sprinting after her. He was swiftly dodging nature's obstacles which lay about and was rapidly gaining on her. Adrenaline once again began pumping though the blonde's veins where her speed increased slightly.
Suddenly the world began spinning on her and the heaviness in the air returned to her attention. Gasping for air, Serenity tried to grab onto something to steady herself. In the distance, she could hear the muffled calls coming from the man who had been chasing her. The air grew heavier and heavier, and for the first time she noticed a luminescent globe in the sky. It was the moon, and once again things began to flood into her mind. It all made sense. No wonder the atmosphere was so different. She was on earth.
And with that unpleasant and deplorable thought, she collapsed to the ground.
- - -
Serenity tiredly awoke with a groan, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Her eyes slowly trembled open to find a place she didn't recognize. She blinked in surprise, believing that her eyes had betrayed her. She had been expecting to awaken in her own chambers.
Dejectedly, she turned her face towards the ceiling. She had been hoping that everything was just a dream, but apparently it wasn't.
"Well, well, gentlemen. Look who's finally up," a masculine voice announced from the opposite corner of the tent.
Serenity noticed for the first time that she wasn't alone. Rolling her head to the side, she found the man who had spoken. He had long brown hair and a grin plastered on his face.
"Are you feeling well? You woke up earlier than anticipated the first time. It seems the blood in your veins has already begun to use its magic."
Her attention shifted to the ebony-haired man who was striding towards her. She squinted away the last remnants of sleep as she suspiciously inspected his face. It was him, the man who had chased her.
The young man waited for response, but she appeared to be in a far off distant place so he repeated his question. She snapped out of the daze.
"Well, let's see, shall we?" Serenity began to answer his question. "I've been kidnapped not once but twice, chased by weird men, bucked by a horse, and to top things off, I don't even know where the bloody hell I am! I'm just dandy." She added the last phrase with a tone dripping with sarcasm.
Mamoru ignored her comments and kept silent. Becoming annoyed at her lack of elevation compared to the others, Serenity attempted to sit up, however a warm hand on her shoulder ceased her movements.
"Take it easy," Mamoru said softly. He began to gently push her back, but the stubborn princess resisted.
"I don't need your help."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't!"
"You may think you don't, but you do," retorted Mamoru.
"I know I don't!" Serenity jerked free from his grasp and shot up into sitting position. Immediately, her head began to pound and her vision swayed. Mamoru noticed the symptoms of her dizzy spell and began to once again lower her into lying position.
The petite blonde had other things in mind. Despite her lightheadedness, she bounded back into her desired position, unintentionally applying pressure to her right arm. She yelled out in pain.
A frown seeped onto Mamoru's face. "Are you all right?"
"You tied me up?" Serenity screamed angrily gesturing at the thick rope that bound her right arm to one of the tent poles. Honestly, she didn't really care about the restraint, but she'd be damned if she ever let them know about her weakness to the pain throbbing through her arm.
"Why wouldn't we? You've already tried to run away once and you haven't even been here for a full day yet. We don't need you getting into anymore troubles. We have enough to handle as it is."
"Excuse me," the blonde reply angrily, "but you make it sound as if my captivity is of a privilege to me."
"Well, who knows? Maybe it is."
"Why you-"
"Pardonez moi," Jadeite interrupted the small quarrel, "but I don't believe we have had a round of formal introductions yet."
He had been watching the bicker between his leader and their captive from a distance with Nephrite and Adrian. They had observed in silence until Jadeite felt that he should intervene before things can get really damaging, but there was one thing that all three onlookers agreed on as they watched:
This was going to be on interesting assignment.
"Mademoiselle," the tall blonde began, "introducing Adrian, our dear page." He motioned towards the dark-haired boy.
"Please to meet you, miss," Adrian greeted.
"My partner in crime, Nephrite."
The brunette she had seen before smiled and nodded as a greeting gesture.
"Of course, moi," The short-haired blond announced pointing to himself. "I am Jadeite. And last but definitely not least, the one and only-"
"Mamoru," the raven-haired man interjected.
Serenity raised her eyebrow. "The one and only Mamoru?"
"Well, of course," Mamoru respond somewhat sheepishly. "It's getting late. We all better take leave for the night if we want to make it to Carrington by nightfall tomorrow. Jadeite, you stay here and keep an eye on Tskuino tonight. The rest of you, let's go."
His subjects nodded and followed his orders as Serenity gaped. "I do not need a baby-sitter!"
Mamoru waited for his two friends to exit the tent before doing the same. Just as he was about to leave, he turned to Serenity and smirked. "We'll see, Tsukino."
- - -
"Ughhh!!!" Serenity screamed in exasperation. "He is so-so."
"Mickle?" Jadeite offered jokingly.
The princess smiled. "I was leaning more towards demonic."
"You should really get some rest mon cherie. I don't think the effects of the potion my comrades gave you have completely worn off yet."
"What did they give me?" Serenity asked.
"Something I like to called classified information, but to let you know, the potion was absorbed in the cloth," Jadeite stated as he began to roll out another mat on the opposite side of the tent as Serenity's.
"What does he want with me?"
"Who want what with you?"
"Mamoru. Why am I here?"
"He has his reasons."
"What are they?"
"Sorry, mon cherie, but I cannot tell you."
"Well, why not?" she question.
"It's not my place to say."
"But that's not fair."
"Ah Serenity, how naïve you are, you must know, life cannot always be fair, for that is life, just as life is not life without the muse of wine and cheese. But do not despair cherie ma petite. I promise you will know someday, when the time is right."
Jadeite then covered her with a blanket before slipping under his own. Reaching over, he blew out a small candle, the only light within the tent.
"You know, princess, he is not all that bad," the French soldier said before finally getting into a comfortable position on the hard ground to sleep upon.
Upon hearing no reply from the strange princess, Jadeite went on, "I wish you could give him the benefit of a doubt princess."
Alas, there came no reply after that and the creatures of the night took its role under the bright moonlight.
- - -
"Too early," Serenity muttered as Jadeite cut her ropes with his knife.
"You'll make it," the blond general assured with an undoable accent. "Come now. I think they are ready to go."
The two strode towards the horses where the others were already waiting.
"Tsukino," Mamoru called out, "you will ride with me."
"Excuse me for this momentarily comment, but...what?"
"You heard me, Tskuino," Mamoru said as he stretched his arm out to help her up.
The princess laughed dryly. "You are a jester of a court aren't you? I am not going to ride with you for the whole day. No, sir, I will not, not now nor ever."
"Too bad," Mamoru said, still in a monotone. "You don't have a choice. And to further answer the question you have been dying to ask in your mind, you have no choice because you are a prisoner and I your capturer. Hence the word that will now have a new meaning, hostage." Dismounting, he grabbed Serenity, who was kicking and screaming, and hoisted her onto his stallion. He then easily mounted himself back up, settling behind the blonde who was continuing to squirm.
"Calm down or you'll tire yourself out."
Serenity glared at him. "I'll do what I want to do."
"Suit yourself," Mamoru shrugged and tugged at the reins.
- - -
"He's crazy."
"You just may be the first of the female kind to say that."
"Then they're all crazy too."
Jadeite chuckled. "You're not so normal yourself, mon aimi."
Serenity rolled her eyes and gracefully fell back onto the grass. They were all taking a lunch break by a sparkling river. A rest that was well in need.
"Why does he call his horse Vulcan?" The Lunarian princess asked curiously.
"After the god of fire and the blacksmith of the gods. Greek or Roman, I don't remember, but they say her is as strong as a blacksmith's tools and as dark as ash and coal."
"Roman."
"Hmm?"
"Vulcan is Roman."
"Oh."
Serenity rolled over onto her stomach and made a move to prop her head up on her hands. She scowled as soon as her right arm came in contact with the ground.
"Are you okay?" Jadeite asked, deeply concerned.
Serenity tried to let out a word of comfort, but the pain was quickly becoming unbearable. She abruptly sat up and carefully brought her injured arm closer to her body.
Her friend's eyes widened in shock. "Your arm!"
"I-It's nothing," the princess managed to stutter out.
"Nonsense. Let me take a look."
Serenity allowed the older blond to take her arm into his lap. Gently, he rolled up her dress sleeve as far as it would go. He then proceeded to inspect the princess's arm. A grim frown gradually appeared on his features.
"Mamoru!" Jadeite called out while his patient remained silent. His leader was immediately at his side after sensing the distress in his voice.
"What's wrong?"
"I think her arm may be broken."
Kneeling down, Mamoru looked over Serenity's arm. He gently ran his fingers across the soft skin.
"You're probably right. She has some sort of fracture in her arm," Mamoru told the general. Then turning to the princess, he asked, "How did this happen?"
"When I fell off the horse last night, I landed on my arm," she replied meekly.
Mamoru nodded. "I guess we're even now," he mumbled under his breath. However, Serenity heard, but due to her condition she was in no mood to ask.
"Adrian," Mamoru said, "please get me my saddle bag."
The page scrambled away and promptly returned with a leather pouch in his hand which he tossed to Mamoru. His leader thanked the young lad as he removed a few items from the bag. He placed a narrow pipe on the inside of Serenity's arm with care. After positioning the item, he firmly tied it down with a long strip of white cloth.
"We should leave now, and get a proper doctor to take a look at it. We don't know how serious it could be," Mamoru stated as Serenity stared at his retreating form.
She was damned.
- - -
"We're almost there, Serenity," Jadeite announced excitedly, his horse striding up to Vulcan. "It's just beyond that cliff, je voir mon aimi?"
The group traveled towards the edge of the hill to be greeted by a magnificent sight. The sun was beginning to set, painting the landscape with a beautiful palette of bold hues. In the valley crevice laid a large bustling city, ready for the coming night. Serenity gasped in absolute awe.
"Welcome to Carrington," Mamoru whispered from behind her.
@--- @--- @---
Hope you liked it! ^^ And as usual, I'm always up for any feedback you guys have whether it's simple comments, flames, or whatever.
Just before I go I wanna thank the following people for their feedback: Red Potato, Erica, Bunny-chan, Molly, Bunny Brooks, Kimmi-chan, and Sailor_Sista. Thanks a bundle! There was one other person who commented at fanfiction.net, but I don't remember the penname and as most of you know, fanfiction.net isn't being that cooperative later. So, I'll be sure to get you down in the next part!
'Til next time, have fun in the real world! 3 Chikara