Chapter 3: Friendships Lost, Found, and Lost Again
It has been five years since the thought dead princess was placed in the arms of Naru, a mere Earthian peasant. She has grown up to be a lovely and normal ten-year-old with an over active imagination.
On the hottest day of the year, Serena was sitting on her bed with her tiny black kitten Luna. Yes, in five years, that kitten of hers has not grown. Little did Serena know that Lunaric cats take much longer to mature and have a life span of almost a normal Lunaric. She was petting the kitten's head gently waiting for her mother, Naru to come and get her. As always, the blonde pig tailed girl was telling Luna about her plans for the future.
"Just you wait and see Luna! In five years I will be one of the Sailor Warriors!" she exclaimed. Luna just chuckled in that way only a cat can do. "What? You don't believe me?? I will! I just have to train...And try not to fall as often as I do." Luna chuckled again and put her paw on Serena's hand. "I will be! When the competition starts in five years I shall be there. It'll be easier since the competition's open to any 14 or 15 year old girl! It's sad though, that Queen Erde died before having a daughter. If I'm correct she only had one son, Prince Whats-his-face..." Luna chuckled again knowing Serena meant Prince Endymion.
"For the past seven years, Earth has been without a Sailor Warrior to protect this planet. But they're not out of luck yet! In the ancient scrolls, it says if ever the day came when a planet did not have a. . a . . ." Serena tried to remember how to say that word...She wrinkled her nose. Luna gave her a look as if to say 'go on. . .' "A successor! Yeah, that's the word... Anyway, so when the planet did not have a successor, then a contest must be performed with any willing of age Earthian girl. This is the only time when the Earth Gem can be touched and used by someone of non-Royal blood. But only a worthy young warrior may be allowed to encompass such a duty. . ." She picked up Luna so they were eye to eye. "And that person will be me! To be a Warrior. . . My lifelong dream!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha. . . ."
Serena turned around to see her mother chuckling in the doorway. "Naru-mama! Don't scare me like that!" Serena scolded.
"I'm sorry dear. I just always think it's funny that you talk to Luna as if she could understand you." Naru was leaning against the doorway with her light jacket tucked under her arms. She had that smile she always gives to Serena.
"Well, if she was a Lunaric cat she'd be able to talk back!" commented the youngster.
"Hmm...Yes, but I think you'd wish she was normal again if that happened." Naru chuckled again as she saw the kitten give her a menacing but very cute look. "Are you ready, princess? It's time to pick up Molly from the healer's building."
"Yeah!" Serena excitedly jumped up from her bed causing the poor kitten to fly into a pile of dirty clothes.
"MROWWW!!!"
"Sorry Luna!" Serena picked her now bruised kitty from the pile and held her close. She started petting Luna's back hoping to have her forgiveness. In return, the kitty just purred. Luna could never be mad at Serena long.
Again Naru chuckled. 'What a silly girl you've become, princess!' she thought to herself. "Thank goodness the healers have been able to cure poor Molly of Pac-Pachi. . ." Naru went into deep thought trying to remember how to pronounce Molly's illness.
"Pachiferoinlipinskan. [AN: pronounced Pakifroinlaipinskin. ^.^] It's a rare but not fatal disease from the Moon." the little girl said quite easily. Both Luna and Naru looked at her in astonishment.
"My, Serena. . .You know Moonarium and the disease better than me!" Naru exclaimed. Forgetting that Serena knew three languages: the language of Moon Royalties(Lunaric), language of the Moon commoners(Moonarium), and Earthian. 'I wonder if she remembers the whole language or not. . .'
Serena just beamed with pride. "Yup! So let's go!" She put down Luna for a second to grab her warm weather coat and picked up the kitty again.
"Sorry princess, animals aren't allowed in the healers building." Naru gave Luna a comforting look when the kitten's face fell. . .
"Oohh!" she whined. She carefully put Luna on the bed. "Sorry Lu, I guess you'll just have to stay here 'till we come back."
"Mmmroww. . ." Luna laid down on the bed and gently placed her head on her front legs.
Serena kissed her forehead, "We'll be back as soon as possible! I promise!" With that said, she ran to Naru and grabbed her open hand. "Bye Luna!"
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Meanwhile, on the planet Mars.
A raven-haired girl woke up from her not so quiet slumber. She sat up quickly realized she was soaked in sweat. 'Why have I been having these strange dreams recently?' she thought to herself. But she was too young to understand these dreams by herself. She then remembered what her mother always did when she was perplexed. "The Sacred Fire!" she exclaimed quietly. She quickly got out of her bed and changed into her temple clothes, only fitting when visiting the Sacred Fire.
She opened her door slightly to see that the Royal Guard was still awake. "Oh mazz it!" [AN: aka "oh damn it!"] 'I guess I'll have to take the secret exit now. . .' she thought. Slowly she went to the curtains of her balcony and pulled them. A soft grinding noise sounded behind her. She turned around to see her bed moved to the side slightly showing steps to the servant halls. 'Here I go!'
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Three happy figures were walking out of the healer's hospital hand in hand. Naru to the left, Serena to the right, and Molly in the middle. All three were smiling.
"I'm so glad to be out of that hospital!" Molly sighed. "The people there were nice and all but I missed you both terribly!" Molly let go of Serena's hand to hug her mother.
"Aww, we both missed you Molly! Serena was so worried about you that she prayed every day that you would be safe. Right Serena?" Molly looked at her sister-friend in awe.
Serena smiled and nodded her head. "Yup! It was no fun to just play with Luna all this time. She can't even hold a dolly properly!"
Both Naru and Molly laughed. Then Molly hugged her blonde companion. "Oh I'm so glad to be well to be with ya Sere! Hopefully we'll never be apart again, right?" She put her arm around Serena's shoulder. Serena did the same.
"Nope! Best friends forever, right Naru-mama?" She and Molly looked up at the smiling mother.
"Right. Now are either of you hungry?"
"I am!" Serena raised her arm enthusiastically.
"But you're always hungry!" Molly looked at her in astonishment. Luckily, in the two weeks that Molly was gone Serena hadn't changed a bit.
Ignoring that last comment Serena asked, "Can we go and get some iced cream?? We haven't had that in a long time."
"Sure why not?" The two girls cheered as Naru stopped in front of the road to take out her coin purse. 'I hope i brought enough shillings...'
But before Naru could even open her purse, a man came running out of the healer's building screaming. He bumped right into Naru causing her to fall.
"Mama!" "Naru-mama!"
The man tried to get up off the fallen woman, "Fire box!!! Fire box!! [AN: firebox is this era's bomb] RUN!!!" Not even caring if he hurt Naru, he stumbled and ran off into the distance. The two girls ran Naru and tried to help her up. Naru was trying to get up but fell realizing she had hurt her ankle.
"Come on mama! You heard the man we have to-"
BOOM! The whole building exploded deafening what Molly was trying to say to her mother. All three screamed as debris fell all around them.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!" cried Molly as she held on to her mother's blouse. Serena had fallen to her knees holding her head praying that nothing would hit them.
Naru finally stumbled to her feet trying to put all her weight on her good ankle. She desperately looked around trying to find shelter as more debris and people were landing everywhere. "Come on!" She grabbed onto the arms of her two children and ran to what looked like a safe place to hide until it was safe to come out. But just before she got there, she stumbled on her bad ankle and fell, letting go of the girls.
"Mom!" Molly ran in front of her trying to help her up. "Come on Serena! Help me!" But Serena didn't hear her. She stood there paler than ever, her eyes hazy. Molly started pulling her mom into the shelter. "SERENA!"
A piece of debris fell right in front of Serena but the girl did not budge. 'Why is this all so frighteningly familiar?' She closed her eyes as a scene ran across her mind.
********Beginning of FLASH BACK*********
A silver column fell before her. "AAHH!! Mama!!!" Serena was much younger, wearing a tattered but very expensive dress. Suddenly, she was scooped up in someone's arms.
"It's okay princess..." A familiar and comforting voice said. She looked up but could not see the face of the voice. Only her beautiful silver hair. . .In the most oddest but very lovely hairstyle. . . .
********End of FLASH BACK*********
"PRINCESS!!!" Naru yelled from the doorway, too weak to stand any more. She prayed that Serena okay but could not see her with all the smoke coming from the nearby fires. She couldn't live if she realized the only successor to the Moon throne died.
Serena finally snapped out of it. "Mama?!" she yelled, then coughed. 'Where'd this smoke come from?' she thought. She then realized there was a huge stone only a foot away from her. She gasped. "Oh my!" She quickly ran around the stone hoping to find that the shelter hadn't moved. Lucky for her, it hadn't. Within seconds she found Naru at the doorway.
"Serena!" Naru gasped, almost fainting from relief. She took the running girl and gave her a bear hug. "Don't ever do that!! I was worried the debris hit you! Are you okay??" Naru looked up and down the frightened girl. She sighed, no cuts or bruises.
"I'm sorry Naru-mama. . . I don't know what came over me!" She looked down. "Is Molly with you?" She looked behind Naru and saw Molly sitting on the floor near some other people who also found the shelter. Blood was coming down her arm. "Molly!"
Both Naru and Serena stumbled over to the hurt girl. "Molly! What happened! How'd you get hurt?"
Molly looked up, her cheeks tear-stained, "I don't know! Once we got into the shelter, i felt an aching in my arm and when i looked, i had a huge gash!"
Naru began ripping part of her jacket and pressed onto Molly's wound. "Here, this should stop the bleeding... Don't worry honey..." All Molly could do was whimper.
Serena grabbed Molly's hand hoping that may help the pain. She looked out at the doorway, the door long gone. 'There's no more falling debris, and i think i hear the guards and the healers from the next town over!' Serena started walking through the door.
"Serena! Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going to get help for the both of you! I think i hear the healers and guards coming in! I'll lead them here okay?" Before she can get through the door, Naru grabbed her arm.
"It's still dangerous Serena! The fires are raging and there might be bad men out there! I can't let you go."
"Please Serena.... Don't leave me," whimpered Molly.
The blonde gave her family a sad look, "I have to Molly. You're bleeding too much. I need to get a healer's help. I promise I'll be back as soon as possible okay?" She looked at Naru, "I'll be safe. Don't worry."
It was then that Naru knew. . . 'She has the same look as her mother when she left,' Naru thought. But Naru knew that Serena had a greater destiny. She knew the girl wouldn't die. "Alright, be careful now!" She grabbed Serena into a tight hug. 'Why do I get the feeling I'll never see you again?' "Remember I'll always love you, my little princess."
Serena gave Naru a puzzled look. "Don't worry, I'll be back. Wait and see!" She turned to Molly, "See ya in a few minutes!" Serena picked up her skirt and started running through the smoke.
"See ya, old friend," Molly whispered before she closed her eyes. The pain on her arm too much for her to handle.
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The Marsonian Princess slowly slid open the doors to the Sacred Fire. As always, whenever a Royal steps in the room, the Fire flared. Princess Rei flinched back a second. But the fire died down to its normal size quickly. She stepped into the room, forgetting to close the door. A few feet ahead of her was a royal purple pillow. 'That must be where you kneel to talk to the Sacred Fire,' she thought to her self. She cautiously knelt on the pillow hoping the wooden floors don't creak under her weight. She did the gestures she always saw her mother do whenever she asked the Sacred Fires.
"O Great and Sacred Fire. Please tell me. . . Who is this mysterious girl that plagues my dreams of late? I, Princess Rei of Mars ask you to show me who is she!" The flames suddenly roared and almost touched the ceiling. The princess fell onto her butt in fear. 'Did I anger the Fire?' She looked deep into the blaze, almost mesmerized by the reds an oranges. Soon the swirling of the gas formed a shape of a young girl. Little by little, the image cleared and showed a blonde girl of no more than five years wearing an odd but surely royal dress. But what was the oddest thing was that her hair was tied up in "odangos..." whispered the princess.
"Princess Serenity!" someone gasped behind her. She turned.
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Motoki looked around at the wreckage. "Heavens, who on Earth could have done this? Are there any survivors at all?" Motoki the healer, once royal advisor to the King of Earth, just stared at all the dead bodies. Nearby people who weren't in the line of the wreckage heard some man yelling firebox. "Must have been one damn fire box to destroy a whole healer's building," he muttered. Finally the fires were being put out, so he decided to breathe through his mouth again. He looked up and saw a figure emerging from the smoke. It was a little girl!
Serena ran a long time before she realized where she was. Finally, she found a figure in the distance. 'Please let that be a healer,' she thought to herself. In just a few yards, she saw him. A tall and slender man with rich blonde hair was staring at her as she ran out of the smoke. "Please! Help me!" she cried, almost falling to her knees if it wasn't for him catching her.
"What's wrong? what happened honey?" he asked, worried. The girl looked very distraught and covered in soot from the fires.
"Are you a healer? Because if you are then my mom and sister need help, they're both injured!" Serena blurted, trying to catch her breath.
Motoki nodded, "Yes I am. Where is your family?" He looked at her oddly. 'She looks familiar, why?'
Serena got up and tugged at his arm. "This way! They and a couple of other survivors are hiding out in this shelter that Naru-mama found!" She kept tugging at him until he finally got up and started speed walking to keep up with her.
"Is anyone else injured?"
"I don't know... I just know that Naru-mama has a hurt ankle and Molly has a really nasty wound on her arm." 'Please let them still be okay. . .' Serena looked around for any signs that this was the right direction, the smoke clearing up helped a little but she wasn't actually sure. Until she found the stone that had fallen right in front of her. "Here! Just past this this rock here." She ran ahead smiling. 'I did it!'
Motoki was already beginning some of his spells. He assumed that there might be a big group of them. 'Come on magic, you may be a little rusty but you still can help!'
"Molly! Naru-mama! I told ya I'd come back safely!" Serena called as she cleared past the stone. But the site before her stopped her dead in her tracks. The little shelter, she realized was a store by the sign, was in rubble. 'No. . .This can't be,' thought Serena.
"So where are the-" Motoki looked at the rubble in front of him. He looked up and saw that the building behind the rubble had a big chunk missing. 'It must have fallen onto the shelter. "Little girl, I'm sorry. . ."
"No..." she whispered. She started pulling off the rubble. 'They can't be dead...They can't be!' "No!!! Not again!" she yelled, desperately grabbing a rock and throwing it behind her.
Motoki scanned the area. No other life signs. All had been killed swiftly. He sensed for a mother and daughter. Dead. All dead. He looked down. . . 'DAMMIT! I was too late!' Motoki always blamed himself for any wrong that fell in front of his eyes. Subconsciously he noticed wheel tracks, fresh, in front of him going off in the distance. But the girl crying aloud, hurting herself more with each rock she grabbed soon distracted him. "I'm sorry little one but they're all gone. . . I don't feel any life signs."
"You're WRONG!" Serena yelled. "They have to be alive!! I promised them I'd come back soon to bring help!" She kept at it. Finally, Motoki grabbed the girl by the waist and had to pull her away from the rubble kicking and screaming. "Noo!! Let me go!! I have to help them!!!"
"Little girl! I'm sorry but they're gone! Please, you'll just hurt yourself even more! Don't you have any other family?" He looked at her, felt sorry for this poor young thing.
Serena stopped fighting, crying harder than ever. "They were all I had.." she answered quietly, "And now they're gone and I'm alone again..."
"I'm sorry. . .If there is anything I can do. . ." Motoki tried to hug her but she resisted, pulling away from her arms.
"No! there's nothing you can do! There's nothing anyone can do! I'm all-alone again!!!" Serena cried. She couldn't stay here anymore. She had to go home. Before the healer could react, she ran off to her home.
"Wait!" Motoki yelled. But she disappeared into the lingering smoke. 'That poor child. Alone in the world. . .' He thought about it for a few minutes, "She shouldn't be alone. . . She might get hurt!" He then ran the direction she did. "Come on senses, don't fail me now!" Soon his figure also disappeared in the smoky air.
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"Lieutenant Aladar!" Rei exclaimed as she recognized the man in the doorway. "How'd you find me?"
The man couldn't tear his eyes away from the image in the flames. "The moon princess..." he whispered.
"ALADAR!" Rei yelled, hoping that may get his attention. He quickly faced her, bowing. "Do you know that image in the Fire?" Rei demanded. Any information on that face would help her greatly.
"Why yes my lady. That is Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom." Aladar stepped in the room getting a closer look, "Yes that's her alright."
"But there is no such thing as a moon kingdom!" Rei knew all the kingdoms of the solar systems and every princess, with the exception of Earth.
Aladar looked appalled, "You don't remember her, Princess?"
"Should I?" Rei asked, her voice softening to her normal ten-year-old princess self.
"Of course! She was your best friend during your early years! You and her played every time Queen Serenity and your mother saw each other! But it was such a long time ago and you were very young. I guess that would explain it."
"Explain what? Why haven't I seen this princess since then?" The name Serenity, sounded so familiar to her, but it was like reaching for a cookie that was on the highest shelf. Too far to grasp it.
"About five years ago, princess, there was a war against all the kingdoms and some kind of evil force. They began attacking savagely the Moon Kingdom. Since the attack was so sudden, the Moon Kingdom didn't have time to retaliate. Queen Serenity had hidden the powerful Silver Crystal and used the Sun Gem to finally destroy the evil force, but it took her life." Aladar looked down in respect.
"What about the princess?" Rei racked her brain trying to see if she could remember anything from such a young age, but she couldn't.
"She was said to be killed with her father when the castle collapsed. That was a day before Queen Serenity died. The people of the moon kingdom started migrating to other worlds but most ended up on Earth. That is why the poor population has increased there. But that is all I know princess."
Rei was shocked. She was never told of this. Not of the war or anything! Everyone had always told her that the kingdoms were in some kind of economical slump. But everything picked up shortly afterwards. She looked up at the guard, speechless.
"Would you like me to take you to your room, princess?" asked Aladar, worried. 'Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.'
Rei nodded. By the time she got to her room, a whole flood of memories attacked her once Aladar closed the door. She remembered playing in the Moon Gardens, a sea of silver and white, trying to find the hider. She heard giggling and looked up. *Silly-enity! There you are!* *Darn it! you found me!* whined the blonde princess with the odango hair. Rei leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. "My friend. . .she's gone. . .How could i have forgotten her?" The princess grabbed her knees, and for the first time in her life, she wept for a forgotten and lost friend. . .
End of Chapter 3.
It has been five years since the thought dead princess was placed in the arms of Naru, a mere Earthian peasant. She has grown up to be a lovely and normal ten-year-old with an over active imagination.
On the hottest day of the year, Serena was sitting on her bed with her tiny black kitten Luna. Yes, in five years, that kitten of hers has not grown. Little did Serena know that Lunaric cats take much longer to mature and have a life span of almost a normal Lunaric. She was petting the kitten's head gently waiting for her mother, Naru to come and get her. As always, the blonde pig tailed girl was telling Luna about her plans for the future.
"Just you wait and see Luna! In five years I will be one of the Sailor Warriors!" she exclaimed. Luna just chuckled in that way only a cat can do. "What? You don't believe me?? I will! I just have to train...And try not to fall as often as I do." Luna chuckled again and put her paw on Serena's hand. "I will be! When the competition starts in five years I shall be there. It'll be easier since the competition's open to any 14 or 15 year old girl! It's sad though, that Queen Erde died before having a daughter. If I'm correct she only had one son, Prince Whats-his-face..." Luna chuckled again knowing Serena meant Prince Endymion.
"For the past seven years, Earth has been without a Sailor Warrior to protect this planet. But they're not out of luck yet! In the ancient scrolls, it says if ever the day came when a planet did not have a. . a . . ." Serena tried to remember how to say that word...She wrinkled her nose. Luna gave her a look as if to say 'go on. . .' "A successor! Yeah, that's the word... Anyway, so when the planet did not have a successor, then a contest must be performed with any willing of age Earthian girl. This is the only time when the Earth Gem can be touched and used by someone of non-Royal blood. But only a worthy young warrior may be allowed to encompass such a duty. . ." She picked up Luna so they were eye to eye. "And that person will be me! To be a Warrior. . . My lifelong dream!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha. . . ."
Serena turned around to see her mother chuckling in the doorway. "Naru-mama! Don't scare me like that!" Serena scolded.
"I'm sorry dear. I just always think it's funny that you talk to Luna as if she could understand you." Naru was leaning against the doorway with her light jacket tucked under her arms. She had that smile she always gives to Serena.
"Well, if she was a Lunaric cat she'd be able to talk back!" commented the youngster.
"Hmm...Yes, but I think you'd wish she was normal again if that happened." Naru chuckled again as she saw the kitten give her a menacing but very cute look. "Are you ready, princess? It's time to pick up Molly from the healer's building."
"Yeah!" Serena excitedly jumped up from her bed causing the poor kitten to fly into a pile of dirty clothes.
"MROWWW!!!"
"Sorry Luna!" Serena picked her now bruised kitty from the pile and held her close. She started petting Luna's back hoping to have her forgiveness. In return, the kitty just purred. Luna could never be mad at Serena long.
Again Naru chuckled. 'What a silly girl you've become, princess!' she thought to herself. "Thank goodness the healers have been able to cure poor Molly of Pac-Pachi. . ." Naru went into deep thought trying to remember how to pronounce Molly's illness.
"Pachiferoinlipinskan. [AN: pronounced Pakifroinlaipinskin. ^.^] It's a rare but not fatal disease from the Moon." the little girl said quite easily. Both Luna and Naru looked at her in astonishment.
"My, Serena. . .You know Moonarium and the disease better than me!" Naru exclaimed. Forgetting that Serena knew three languages: the language of Moon Royalties(Lunaric), language of the Moon commoners(Moonarium), and Earthian. 'I wonder if she remembers the whole language or not. . .'
Serena just beamed with pride. "Yup! So let's go!" She put down Luna for a second to grab her warm weather coat and picked up the kitty again.
"Sorry princess, animals aren't allowed in the healers building." Naru gave Luna a comforting look when the kitten's face fell. . .
"Oohh!" she whined. She carefully put Luna on the bed. "Sorry Lu, I guess you'll just have to stay here 'till we come back."
"Mmmroww. . ." Luna laid down on the bed and gently placed her head on her front legs.
Serena kissed her forehead, "We'll be back as soon as possible! I promise!" With that said, she ran to Naru and grabbed her open hand. "Bye Luna!"
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Meanwhile, on the planet Mars.
A raven-haired girl woke up from her not so quiet slumber. She sat up quickly realized she was soaked in sweat. 'Why have I been having these strange dreams recently?' she thought to herself. But she was too young to understand these dreams by herself. She then remembered what her mother always did when she was perplexed. "The Sacred Fire!" she exclaimed quietly. She quickly got out of her bed and changed into her temple clothes, only fitting when visiting the Sacred Fire.
She opened her door slightly to see that the Royal Guard was still awake. "Oh mazz it!" [AN: aka "oh damn it!"] 'I guess I'll have to take the secret exit now. . .' she thought. Slowly she went to the curtains of her balcony and pulled them. A soft grinding noise sounded behind her. She turned around to see her bed moved to the side slightly showing steps to the servant halls. 'Here I go!'
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Three happy figures were walking out of the healer's hospital hand in hand. Naru to the left, Serena to the right, and Molly in the middle. All three were smiling.
"I'm so glad to be out of that hospital!" Molly sighed. "The people there were nice and all but I missed you both terribly!" Molly let go of Serena's hand to hug her mother.
"Aww, we both missed you Molly! Serena was so worried about you that she prayed every day that you would be safe. Right Serena?" Molly looked at her sister-friend in awe.
Serena smiled and nodded her head. "Yup! It was no fun to just play with Luna all this time. She can't even hold a dolly properly!"
Both Naru and Molly laughed. Then Molly hugged her blonde companion. "Oh I'm so glad to be well to be with ya Sere! Hopefully we'll never be apart again, right?" She put her arm around Serena's shoulder. Serena did the same.
"Nope! Best friends forever, right Naru-mama?" She and Molly looked up at the smiling mother.
"Right. Now are either of you hungry?"
"I am!" Serena raised her arm enthusiastically.
"But you're always hungry!" Molly looked at her in astonishment. Luckily, in the two weeks that Molly was gone Serena hadn't changed a bit.
Ignoring that last comment Serena asked, "Can we go and get some iced cream?? We haven't had that in a long time."
"Sure why not?" The two girls cheered as Naru stopped in front of the road to take out her coin purse. 'I hope i brought enough shillings...'
But before Naru could even open her purse, a man came running out of the healer's building screaming. He bumped right into Naru causing her to fall.
"Mama!" "Naru-mama!"
The man tried to get up off the fallen woman, "Fire box!!! Fire box!! [AN: firebox is this era's bomb] RUN!!!" Not even caring if he hurt Naru, he stumbled and ran off into the distance. The two girls ran Naru and tried to help her up. Naru was trying to get up but fell realizing she had hurt her ankle.
"Come on mama! You heard the man we have to-"
BOOM! The whole building exploded deafening what Molly was trying to say to her mother. All three screamed as debris fell all around them.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!" cried Molly as she held on to her mother's blouse. Serena had fallen to her knees holding her head praying that nothing would hit them.
Naru finally stumbled to her feet trying to put all her weight on her good ankle. She desperately looked around trying to find shelter as more debris and people were landing everywhere. "Come on!" She grabbed onto the arms of her two children and ran to what looked like a safe place to hide until it was safe to come out. But just before she got there, she stumbled on her bad ankle and fell, letting go of the girls.
"Mom!" Molly ran in front of her trying to help her up. "Come on Serena! Help me!" But Serena didn't hear her. She stood there paler than ever, her eyes hazy. Molly started pulling her mom into the shelter. "SERENA!"
A piece of debris fell right in front of Serena but the girl did not budge. 'Why is this all so frighteningly familiar?' She closed her eyes as a scene ran across her mind.
********Beginning of FLASH BACK*********
A silver column fell before her. "AAHH!! Mama!!!" Serena was much younger, wearing a tattered but very expensive dress. Suddenly, she was scooped up in someone's arms.
"It's okay princess..." A familiar and comforting voice said. She looked up but could not see the face of the voice. Only her beautiful silver hair. . .In the most oddest but very lovely hairstyle. . . .
********End of FLASH BACK*********
"PRINCESS!!!" Naru yelled from the doorway, too weak to stand any more. She prayed that Serena okay but could not see her with all the smoke coming from the nearby fires. She couldn't live if she realized the only successor to the Moon throne died.
Serena finally snapped out of it. "Mama?!" she yelled, then coughed. 'Where'd this smoke come from?' she thought. She then realized there was a huge stone only a foot away from her. She gasped. "Oh my!" She quickly ran around the stone hoping to find that the shelter hadn't moved. Lucky for her, it hadn't. Within seconds she found Naru at the doorway.
"Serena!" Naru gasped, almost fainting from relief. She took the running girl and gave her a bear hug. "Don't ever do that!! I was worried the debris hit you! Are you okay??" Naru looked up and down the frightened girl. She sighed, no cuts or bruises.
"I'm sorry Naru-mama. . . I don't know what came over me!" She looked down. "Is Molly with you?" She looked behind Naru and saw Molly sitting on the floor near some other people who also found the shelter. Blood was coming down her arm. "Molly!"
Both Naru and Serena stumbled over to the hurt girl. "Molly! What happened! How'd you get hurt?"
Molly looked up, her cheeks tear-stained, "I don't know! Once we got into the shelter, i felt an aching in my arm and when i looked, i had a huge gash!"
Naru began ripping part of her jacket and pressed onto Molly's wound. "Here, this should stop the bleeding... Don't worry honey..." All Molly could do was whimper.
Serena grabbed Molly's hand hoping that may help the pain. She looked out at the doorway, the door long gone. 'There's no more falling debris, and i think i hear the guards and the healers from the next town over!' Serena started walking through the door.
"Serena! Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going to get help for the both of you! I think i hear the healers and guards coming in! I'll lead them here okay?" Before she can get through the door, Naru grabbed her arm.
"It's still dangerous Serena! The fires are raging and there might be bad men out there! I can't let you go."
"Please Serena.... Don't leave me," whimpered Molly.
The blonde gave her family a sad look, "I have to Molly. You're bleeding too much. I need to get a healer's help. I promise I'll be back as soon as possible okay?" She looked at Naru, "I'll be safe. Don't worry."
It was then that Naru knew. . . 'She has the same look as her mother when she left,' Naru thought. But Naru knew that Serena had a greater destiny. She knew the girl wouldn't die. "Alright, be careful now!" She grabbed Serena into a tight hug. 'Why do I get the feeling I'll never see you again?' "Remember I'll always love you, my little princess."
Serena gave Naru a puzzled look. "Don't worry, I'll be back. Wait and see!" She turned to Molly, "See ya in a few minutes!" Serena picked up her skirt and started running through the smoke.
"See ya, old friend," Molly whispered before she closed her eyes. The pain on her arm too much for her to handle.
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The Marsonian Princess slowly slid open the doors to the Sacred Fire. As always, whenever a Royal steps in the room, the Fire flared. Princess Rei flinched back a second. But the fire died down to its normal size quickly. She stepped into the room, forgetting to close the door. A few feet ahead of her was a royal purple pillow. 'That must be where you kneel to talk to the Sacred Fire,' she thought to her self. She cautiously knelt on the pillow hoping the wooden floors don't creak under her weight. She did the gestures she always saw her mother do whenever she asked the Sacred Fires.
"O Great and Sacred Fire. Please tell me. . . Who is this mysterious girl that plagues my dreams of late? I, Princess Rei of Mars ask you to show me who is she!" The flames suddenly roared and almost touched the ceiling. The princess fell onto her butt in fear. 'Did I anger the Fire?' She looked deep into the blaze, almost mesmerized by the reds an oranges. Soon the swirling of the gas formed a shape of a young girl. Little by little, the image cleared and showed a blonde girl of no more than five years wearing an odd but surely royal dress. But what was the oddest thing was that her hair was tied up in "odangos..." whispered the princess.
"Princess Serenity!" someone gasped behind her. She turned.
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Motoki looked around at the wreckage. "Heavens, who on Earth could have done this? Are there any survivors at all?" Motoki the healer, once royal advisor to the King of Earth, just stared at all the dead bodies. Nearby people who weren't in the line of the wreckage heard some man yelling firebox. "Must have been one damn fire box to destroy a whole healer's building," he muttered. Finally the fires were being put out, so he decided to breathe through his mouth again. He looked up and saw a figure emerging from the smoke. It was a little girl!
Serena ran a long time before she realized where she was. Finally, she found a figure in the distance. 'Please let that be a healer,' she thought to herself. In just a few yards, she saw him. A tall and slender man with rich blonde hair was staring at her as she ran out of the smoke. "Please! Help me!" she cried, almost falling to her knees if it wasn't for him catching her.
"What's wrong? what happened honey?" he asked, worried. The girl looked very distraught and covered in soot from the fires.
"Are you a healer? Because if you are then my mom and sister need help, they're both injured!" Serena blurted, trying to catch her breath.
Motoki nodded, "Yes I am. Where is your family?" He looked at her oddly. 'She looks familiar, why?'
Serena got up and tugged at his arm. "This way! They and a couple of other survivors are hiding out in this shelter that Naru-mama found!" She kept tugging at him until he finally got up and started speed walking to keep up with her.
"Is anyone else injured?"
"I don't know... I just know that Naru-mama has a hurt ankle and Molly has a really nasty wound on her arm." 'Please let them still be okay. . .' Serena looked around for any signs that this was the right direction, the smoke clearing up helped a little but she wasn't actually sure. Until she found the stone that had fallen right in front of her. "Here! Just past this this rock here." She ran ahead smiling. 'I did it!'
Motoki was already beginning some of his spells. He assumed that there might be a big group of them. 'Come on magic, you may be a little rusty but you still can help!'
"Molly! Naru-mama! I told ya I'd come back safely!" Serena called as she cleared past the stone. But the site before her stopped her dead in her tracks. The little shelter, she realized was a store by the sign, was in rubble. 'No. . .This can't be,' thought Serena.
"So where are the-" Motoki looked at the rubble in front of him. He looked up and saw that the building behind the rubble had a big chunk missing. 'It must have fallen onto the shelter. "Little girl, I'm sorry. . ."
"No..." she whispered. She started pulling off the rubble. 'They can't be dead...They can't be!' "No!!! Not again!" she yelled, desperately grabbing a rock and throwing it behind her.
Motoki scanned the area. No other life signs. All had been killed swiftly. He sensed for a mother and daughter. Dead. All dead. He looked down. . . 'DAMMIT! I was too late!' Motoki always blamed himself for any wrong that fell in front of his eyes. Subconsciously he noticed wheel tracks, fresh, in front of him going off in the distance. But the girl crying aloud, hurting herself more with each rock she grabbed soon distracted him. "I'm sorry little one but they're all gone. . . I don't feel any life signs."
"You're WRONG!" Serena yelled. "They have to be alive!! I promised them I'd come back soon to bring help!" She kept at it. Finally, Motoki grabbed the girl by the waist and had to pull her away from the rubble kicking and screaming. "Noo!! Let me go!! I have to help them!!!"
"Little girl! I'm sorry but they're gone! Please, you'll just hurt yourself even more! Don't you have any other family?" He looked at her, felt sorry for this poor young thing.
Serena stopped fighting, crying harder than ever. "They were all I had.." she answered quietly, "And now they're gone and I'm alone again..."
"I'm sorry. . .If there is anything I can do. . ." Motoki tried to hug her but she resisted, pulling away from her arms.
"No! there's nothing you can do! There's nothing anyone can do! I'm all-alone again!!!" Serena cried. She couldn't stay here anymore. She had to go home. Before the healer could react, she ran off to her home.
"Wait!" Motoki yelled. But she disappeared into the lingering smoke. 'That poor child. Alone in the world. . .' He thought about it for a few minutes, "She shouldn't be alone. . . She might get hurt!" He then ran the direction she did. "Come on senses, don't fail me now!" Soon his figure also disappeared in the smoky air.
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"Lieutenant Aladar!" Rei exclaimed as she recognized the man in the doorway. "How'd you find me?"
The man couldn't tear his eyes away from the image in the flames. "The moon princess..." he whispered.
"ALADAR!" Rei yelled, hoping that may get his attention. He quickly faced her, bowing. "Do you know that image in the Fire?" Rei demanded. Any information on that face would help her greatly.
"Why yes my lady. That is Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom." Aladar stepped in the room getting a closer look, "Yes that's her alright."
"But there is no such thing as a moon kingdom!" Rei knew all the kingdoms of the solar systems and every princess, with the exception of Earth.
Aladar looked appalled, "You don't remember her, Princess?"
"Should I?" Rei asked, her voice softening to her normal ten-year-old princess self.
"Of course! She was your best friend during your early years! You and her played every time Queen Serenity and your mother saw each other! But it was such a long time ago and you were very young. I guess that would explain it."
"Explain what? Why haven't I seen this princess since then?" The name Serenity, sounded so familiar to her, but it was like reaching for a cookie that was on the highest shelf. Too far to grasp it.
"About five years ago, princess, there was a war against all the kingdoms and some kind of evil force. They began attacking savagely the Moon Kingdom. Since the attack was so sudden, the Moon Kingdom didn't have time to retaliate. Queen Serenity had hidden the powerful Silver Crystal and used the Sun Gem to finally destroy the evil force, but it took her life." Aladar looked down in respect.
"What about the princess?" Rei racked her brain trying to see if she could remember anything from such a young age, but she couldn't.
"She was said to be killed with her father when the castle collapsed. That was a day before Queen Serenity died. The people of the moon kingdom started migrating to other worlds but most ended up on Earth. That is why the poor population has increased there. But that is all I know princess."
Rei was shocked. She was never told of this. Not of the war or anything! Everyone had always told her that the kingdoms were in some kind of economical slump. But everything picked up shortly afterwards. She looked up at the guard, speechless.
"Would you like me to take you to your room, princess?" asked Aladar, worried. 'Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.'
Rei nodded. By the time she got to her room, a whole flood of memories attacked her once Aladar closed the door. She remembered playing in the Moon Gardens, a sea of silver and white, trying to find the hider. She heard giggling and looked up. *Silly-enity! There you are!* *Darn it! you found me!* whined the blonde princess with the odango hair. Rei leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. "My friend. . .she's gone. . .How could i have forgotten her?" The princess grabbed her knees, and for the first time in her life, she wept for a forgotten and lost friend. . .
End of Chapter 3.