The Return of a Princess
Chapter Four
Dimande and Helios felt a strong need to protect Rini. There was something so familiar about her, but neither one of them could place it. They entered the valley cautiously. Both men had a grip on Rini just incase the youma appeared. youma were ancient creatures, once peaceful, but now hunted everything. As they walked, Rini noticed something in a tree. It was sticky. She walked over to it.
"What is it?" She asked.
"it's a web created by darkness" Dimande explained. "It is used by the youma to catch thier dinner" Rini inched closer to the web.
"There's something in there" She said. Dimande and Helios looked at each other. They both knew that freeing whoever was trapped was dangerous, but they knew Rini would not continue on if they didn't. Dimande used his sword to cut open the web. A young girl, no more than 16 years old, fell out. Rini helped her up. The girl had beautiful violet hair that was layered to her shoulders. Dimande seemed to know her.
"Hotaru, how did..." He trailed off. The girl sighed a rubbed her hands together.
"Serendipity" She spat. "She stole my transformation pendant and my glaive and sent me here to die" It was then that she noticed Rini. Her eyes widened. "Se..Serenity?" She whispered. Rini was shocked.
"You know me?" She asked.
"We were best friends, before you...before Serendipity..." She fell silent. Rini decided not to push. Tears welled up in Hotaru's eyes.
"I thought I'd never see you again" She said, throwing her arms around Rini. Rini hugged her back, but suddenly they heard noises.
"Youma!" Helios said. "We must hurry" They ran through the valley, and when the youma appeared, Dimande began fighting them, but there were too many.
"Stop!" Rini shouted, holding up a hand. A bright light flashed and suddenly the valley changed, and no longer looked like a death trap. Greenery covered the ground and fruit sprouted from the barren trees. The youma stopped and bowed on one knee before Rini. Rini was astonished, but Hotaru grabbed her hand and they exited the valley. "What just happened?" Rini asked.
"You have your mother's powers" Hotaru said. It suddenly dawned on Dimande and Helios who Rini was and why she seemed so familiar. She looked exactly like the queen except for her hair.
"Princess" Dimande acknowledged. Rini smiled slightly.
"I guess" She said slowly. "I just wish I could remember" Helios patted her arm.
"I'm sure you will" She said. "I am sure you will"
When they reached the moon palace, Rini was saddened by the state it was in. It was in ruins. They walked through the rooms, but Rini found nothing that reminded her of her past, until they entered a bedroom that had once been used by a child.
"Something bad happened here" Rini said. "I can feel it" She looked around helplessly. "But what" Hotaru knew it was time to reveal the truth to Rini so she walked over to a mirror. She touched the mirror and images began to appear.
Rini recognized herself as the one in the bed. Her pink hair was quite obvious. A woman with long golden hair in the same style as Rini's was reading to her from a story book. Rini could only assume that this was her mother. After the woman left the room and little eight year old Rini had fallen asleep another girl, about twelve, entered the room. Her hair was also in the same style as Rini, but it was black.
"Serendipity" Hotaru whispered. Rini gasped. The sorceress was her sister! The girl spoke a strange poem as she walked to the bed.
"The majestic queen of the Moon
had two lovely daughters.
One to darkness, she be drawn,
and one to light, she be shown.
in the eclipse, it is foreseen.
Light meets dark, and the stone is between,
but only one and one alone
shall hold the crystal and take the throne"
A dark force was emitted from the girl's hands and she proceeded to strangle the child in the bed.
"Serendipity tried to kill me" Rini whispered. Hotaru shook her head.
"She did kill you" Hotaru replied. Rini shook her head.
"But that doesn't make any sense" She said. She continued watching as Queen Serenity found her and began to cry.
"My little rabbit" Serenity whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you" She breathed life back into Rini's body, and her blonde hair turned silver. "There is one thing that can stop her. The imperial Silver Crystal" She whispered something in little Rini's ear. "The secret to finding it now lives inside of you. One day you will return. to save the Moon Kingdom" The picture in the mirror vanished.
"Well, if it isn't my little sister, come back from the dead" They spun around to see Serendipity and her guards.
"What do you want?" Rini asked.
"Well, up until a moment ago, I wanted your death, but now it seems you have something I want" Serendipity said.
"And what is that?" Rini asked.
"The crystal. You know where it is" Serendipity replied.
"No I don't" Rini snapped. Serendipity waved her hand at the mirror and Queen Serenity appeared. She looked lost and confused and trapped. "What have you done to her?"
"Tell me what I want to know, and I'll set her free" Serendipity replied. Rini glared at the sorcereress. she thought really hard and an explosion occured. siezing the opportunity, Hotaru and Rini ran out of the room. Dimande and Helios stayed to fight the guards.
Rini raced through the halls of the castle, but she was no match for Hawk's Eye, who caught her and dragged her to Serendipity.
Back in the room, Dimande was facing Safir. He was slashed in the chest with a sword and fell out of the window and onto the ground below. Helios jumped out the window, landing on his feet beside Dimande.
Rini was dropped in front of Serendipity.
"Welcome home little sister. There's no place like the Moon"
