CHAPTER THREE: 5 MINUTES OF FAME

Snively, Shadow, and Sydney fell through what felt like air for what seemed like forever. Their bodies jerked as they hit the pearl white floor which was etched with gold and silver lining intersecting with each other.

"Where are we?" Shadow inquired, getting up. Since he was the Ultimate Lifeform, the impact of the fall didn't affect him as much as the other two.

"I think we're at the Moon Palace," Snively replied.

"It looks so much different than when I was last here," Sydney commented.

"We're in the past," Shadow said. They saw King Raciel, looking much younger and worried, coming down the hall with several guards and a nurse.

"How is she?" Raciel asked. The group walked past the trio, not acknowledging them. They followed, wanting to know what was happening.

"Your daughter is fine if-"

"No, no, no! Not her, Serenity," Raciel interrupted.

"She is also fine. Just a little tired is all," the nurse said.

"This must be when Sam was born," Snively said. They went into the room where King Raciel was going in. The room appeared to be Queen Serenity's bedroom, due to its feminine décor. She was holding a small bundle of cloth and nursing what was inside, looking relieved.

"Love, what are you doing? You cannot get attached to it," Raciel said scornfully.

"Why not? She could be a great ruler when she's older," Serenity said softly.

"You weren't even supposed to have this infant! You know as well as I that this infant was a mistake from the beginning," Raciel explained. Snively stared at Sam's father in disbelief. 'He never wanted Sam from the start?'

"Your Majesties!" A servant came fleeing into the room.

"What? What is it?" Queen Serenity asked.

"Your Majesty, Ramano is he-" The servant fell to the floor with an arrow piercing his back. The aforementioned man stepped into the room with at least twenty-five troops behind him.

"Ramano, friend, what is the meaning of this?" Raciel asked.

"Dear, dear Raciel, don't you already know? It's because of your daughter." Ramano strode towards Queen Serenity, who now held the baby Sam snuggly in her bosom, the baby making gurgle noises, not knowing of the danger her life was in.

"Ramano, no! Can't you seek mercy for this child?" the queen of the universe begged.

"That's my father," Sydney said, "but mother said that Sam's parents caused the war."

"Shh," Shadow said throatily. Ramano picked the infant up, Queen Serenity screaming hysterically. Raciel moved, but was stopped short when two troops blocked his path and held him in his place. Ramano pulled a small dagger from his cloak, ready to kill the infant. Then, strangely, a small crescent moon appeared on the baby's forehead, glowing brightly. Sam cried loudly and Ramano, dropping the dagger, dropped to the floor, beside the dagger.

The baby cried louder and, one by one, the twenty-five troops had dropped to the floor and disappeared in a cloud of dust. Her parents looked at the baby, still in Ramano's grip. Raciel picked her up and gave the child back to his wife.

"We can't just do away with her; she saved our kingdom," the queen said.

"Fine, we'll bind her powers until she'd of age, and then give her to someone on Earth," Raciel said. The room and whoever was in it started to fade and give into darkness.

"That's it?" Shadow asked.

"No, there's so much more," Sydney replied.

"I had no idea her birth was so grim," Snively commented dismally.

"No one did, myself included," Sydney said. The three noticed a light shining brightly and walked towards it, unsure if they were ready to see more. After all, Sam had barely lived through the first five minutes of her life.