Part 4: Witch of the Woods
With a thud, Rose fell to the ground. She was still concious, perhaps a good sign, but the pain was incredible. Every bone seemed broken and she could almost feel the internal bleeding. It was as if she was a china doll a careless toddler had dropped to the floor. She didn't try to move - didn't feel like it - but just lay there as the blaring sun slowly sank in the west, giving way to the full moon. Eventually, the moon was high in the sky and it was obvious she wasn't dead. With an amazingly low level of difficulty, she got to her feet. Clutching the cliffside, she slowly walked forward. Every step was like a sword stabbing her legs, every inch of her body in utter pain. Her vision was fuzzy and tears stung her eyes.
For hours she walked with no purpose and no destination. Why the gods had cursed her so, she wasn't quite sure, but her one wish was that she'd died from that fall. Suddenly, she came to a cottage in the middle of the woods. Filling with a renewed sense of hope, she made her way to the door and knocked, but no one answered. Had her tired eyes been better adjusted to the dark, had her vision not been slightly impared by the fall, she would've noticed that it was abandoned. Five minutes later, she gave up banging on the door and let herself in.
She now knew the truth, she knew who she was, of her past lives. Those years spent with Haruka and Michiru hadn't been a waste. She'd become intune with her powers. She was a fairy, a witch of the water, and she had no other choice than to return to her roots. Sniffing around, her mind reached out and could feel the history of the house. The former occupants had just recently moved for the city, so she would have the place all to herself. There was a nice garden out back for her to live off of, and some tools and things left about the house. She would fare pretty well.
******Years Later******
A dark figure stood at the top of the hill overlooking the pond. Slowly, someone moved up to parallel with it's shadow. "You're up here again, Draco?"
The dark figure of the prince didn't even move as he spoke, "Yea, I guess I am." He sighed and shifted his weight as he stood gazing down. "You know, Angel, as long as I can remember I've been coming down here to look at the pond. I never really do anything except watch the water, yet I keep coming back. If mom or grandma ever caught me in the rose garden they'd lynch me. But I just keep coming back."
"I don't know, Draco," said Angel, sitting on the grass, "What are you going to do when I have to leave home? You won't have anyone to come out here for you."
"I know," he said sitting down next to her, "But I just can't help it. There's this weird feeling I can't seem to shake when I'm out here - its almost as if I'm missing something, but I don't know what it is. And lately its been getting stronger. I don't know if its because I'm growing older or what, but its something I can't ignore no matter how hard I try.
"I've tried having a decent conversation with mom about it, but all she talks about these days is getting me a girlfriend. She raves on and on about it, which is making me come out here more than normal. And dad, well, forget about him. Dad won't say anything except tell me stories about how I'm a reincarnate of King Endymion and will someday be a great man bleh bleh bleh. I can't take it anymore!" said the prince as he threw his hands in the air, "This life! All of this! It just doesn't feel right. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm going for a walk."
"But Draco!" said Angel, trying to get up.
"No buts, Angel!" snapped Draco over his shoulder, "I need some time alone...to think. Just give me that much."
Angel watched as her brother walked down the hill, debating whether or not to go after him. However, it wasn't long until she heard her lookout call. "Angel! Your mother wants to talk to you about the dress you'll wear tonight!"
Angel sighed dejectedly and turned, walking back towards the palace. "I'm coming, Pallas, tell her I'm on my way."
************
Hours later found Draco deep within the woods. He hadn't intended to go this far in, but it was too late for regrets. The sun was low in the sky and he was sure he had no idea where he was. He around, then up, spotting a thin line of smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Smoke meant house and house meant people, so Draco raced in the direction of the smoke trail, hoping to find someone who could help him.
In a thick section of the woods, barred from almost all light, he came upon a small cottage. He saw a candle in the window and it was as if that little fire had lit up his soul. He had found salvation! He went up to the door and proceeded to knock twice, then waiting for some sounds of movement. After a moment there was a creaking as the door struggled to open. The prince peered into the dark, but couldn't make out a figure. "Hello?" he asked.
"Come in, boy," came a voice from deep within. The prince swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and stepped inside. "Its not everyday a prince comes calling, you know."
The prince looked around, but still saw no one. "How did you know who I am?" he asked. Just then, the door slammed from behind and he whirled around to face it. "What's going on here?" asked the prince in fear, "Where am I? I can't see you."
"You needn't be afrightened," cackled the voice, "I'm surprised you don't remember me. But then, you were very young when I died."
"But...if you're dead..."said Draco nervously, "How can you be here?"
"You're a sharp one, you know that?" said the voice, "Always were. You made your mother proud." The voice seemed to be getting closer and it sent chills up Draco's spine, "You are a young one, I see. You also grow faster than your mother. She was the size of a first grader for about 900 years before she started to grow. You are doing much better. Probably has something to do with your sister."
"Listen, I don't understand what you want from me," said the prince, "All I came here for was directions...directions back home."
"You are home, my dear," said the voice softly, "You belong right here with me, always have. Ever since the dawn of time it has been written among the stars, adn so help me I make things right once again. And this time your grandmother can't stop me - I won't let her!"
"You're insane!" cried the Prince into the darkness, "I've never seen you before in my life! I need to get home! I'm not supposed to be here! This is wrong, all wrong! Why won't you let me go?"
"I don't think so, Hogosha, not yet, anyway."
************
The Queen sat at the dinner table, nervously awaiting her son's return. "Did he tell you where he was going?" she asked.
"No," replied Angel, "He just went for a walk. He should be back by now."
"Well, he isn't!" snapped the Queen, "Elios, did he say anything to you?"
The king shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Lady, I don't know."
The queen sighed impatiently and stared at the clock. "Where is he?"
************
Juno looked closely at the approaching form. "Halt! Who goes there?"
The figure laughed as it came into the light. "Oh, Juno, its only me."
"Prince Draco!" said the green-haired senshi, "I thought you were an intruder! You do not look like yourself. Are you well?"
"I've never been better," smiled the prince, "Don't worry about me." Juno nodded and stepped aside, allowing him to pass. He passed guards along way whom confronted him much like Juno. Afterwards, they always let him pass and eventually he made it to the dining hall. Another senshi stood there waiting. "Hello, Ceres," he smiled, "Let me pass, I'm sure my dinner is getting cold."
The wise senshi eyed him carefully. "Prince, you don't look quite so well," she said after a moment, "You may go in, but I shall fetch Dr. Mizuno."
"Nonsense," said the Prince, "I'm just fine. Now, please, let me in."
"Very well," said Ceres, moving aside. The prince walked into the room and she reclosed the door. Then she flipped open her communicator. "Attention fellow Sailor Senshi! This is Ceres. I'm calling an emergency meeting at midnight. Bring in the night watch to stand in. Something is wrong with the prince."
AN: Don't you just LOVE cliffhangers? I know I do! I'll have the next chapter up sometime in April, but for now this is all you get. And you'll never guess what has happened to our dear prince! -Chiba Apey
With a thud, Rose fell to the ground. She was still concious, perhaps a good sign, but the pain was incredible. Every bone seemed broken and she could almost feel the internal bleeding. It was as if she was a china doll a careless toddler had dropped to the floor. She didn't try to move - didn't feel like it - but just lay there as the blaring sun slowly sank in the west, giving way to the full moon. Eventually, the moon was high in the sky and it was obvious she wasn't dead. With an amazingly low level of difficulty, she got to her feet. Clutching the cliffside, she slowly walked forward. Every step was like a sword stabbing her legs, every inch of her body in utter pain. Her vision was fuzzy and tears stung her eyes.
For hours she walked with no purpose and no destination. Why the gods had cursed her so, she wasn't quite sure, but her one wish was that she'd died from that fall. Suddenly, she came to a cottage in the middle of the woods. Filling with a renewed sense of hope, she made her way to the door and knocked, but no one answered. Had her tired eyes been better adjusted to the dark, had her vision not been slightly impared by the fall, she would've noticed that it was abandoned. Five minutes later, she gave up banging on the door and let herself in.
She now knew the truth, she knew who she was, of her past lives. Those years spent with Haruka and Michiru hadn't been a waste. She'd become intune with her powers. She was a fairy, a witch of the water, and she had no other choice than to return to her roots. Sniffing around, her mind reached out and could feel the history of the house. The former occupants had just recently moved for the city, so she would have the place all to herself. There was a nice garden out back for her to live off of, and some tools and things left about the house. She would fare pretty well.
******Years Later******
A dark figure stood at the top of the hill overlooking the pond. Slowly, someone moved up to parallel with it's shadow. "You're up here again, Draco?"
The dark figure of the prince didn't even move as he spoke, "Yea, I guess I am." He sighed and shifted his weight as he stood gazing down. "You know, Angel, as long as I can remember I've been coming down here to look at the pond. I never really do anything except watch the water, yet I keep coming back. If mom or grandma ever caught me in the rose garden they'd lynch me. But I just keep coming back."
"I don't know, Draco," said Angel, sitting on the grass, "What are you going to do when I have to leave home? You won't have anyone to come out here for you."
"I know," he said sitting down next to her, "But I just can't help it. There's this weird feeling I can't seem to shake when I'm out here - its almost as if I'm missing something, but I don't know what it is. And lately its been getting stronger. I don't know if its because I'm growing older or what, but its something I can't ignore no matter how hard I try.
"I've tried having a decent conversation with mom about it, but all she talks about these days is getting me a girlfriend. She raves on and on about it, which is making me come out here more than normal. And dad, well, forget about him. Dad won't say anything except tell me stories about how I'm a reincarnate of King Endymion and will someday be a great man bleh bleh bleh. I can't take it anymore!" said the prince as he threw his hands in the air, "This life! All of this! It just doesn't feel right. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm going for a walk."
"But Draco!" said Angel, trying to get up.
"No buts, Angel!" snapped Draco over his shoulder, "I need some time alone...to think. Just give me that much."
Angel watched as her brother walked down the hill, debating whether or not to go after him. However, it wasn't long until she heard her lookout call. "Angel! Your mother wants to talk to you about the dress you'll wear tonight!"
Angel sighed dejectedly and turned, walking back towards the palace. "I'm coming, Pallas, tell her I'm on my way."
************
Hours later found Draco deep within the woods. He hadn't intended to go this far in, but it was too late for regrets. The sun was low in the sky and he was sure he had no idea where he was. He around, then up, spotting a thin line of smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Smoke meant house and house meant people, so Draco raced in the direction of the smoke trail, hoping to find someone who could help him.
In a thick section of the woods, barred from almost all light, he came upon a small cottage. He saw a candle in the window and it was as if that little fire had lit up his soul. He had found salvation! He went up to the door and proceeded to knock twice, then waiting for some sounds of movement. After a moment there was a creaking as the door struggled to open. The prince peered into the dark, but couldn't make out a figure. "Hello?" he asked.
"Come in, boy," came a voice from deep within. The prince swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and stepped inside. "Its not everyday a prince comes calling, you know."
The prince looked around, but still saw no one. "How did you know who I am?" he asked. Just then, the door slammed from behind and he whirled around to face it. "What's going on here?" asked the prince in fear, "Where am I? I can't see you."
"You needn't be afrightened," cackled the voice, "I'm surprised you don't remember me. But then, you were very young when I died."
"But...if you're dead..."said Draco nervously, "How can you be here?"
"You're a sharp one, you know that?" said the voice, "Always were. You made your mother proud." The voice seemed to be getting closer and it sent chills up Draco's spine, "You are a young one, I see. You also grow faster than your mother. She was the size of a first grader for about 900 years before she started to grow. You are doing much better. Probably has something to do with your sister."
"Listen, I don't understand what you want from me," said the prince, "All I came here for was directions...directions back home."
"You are home, my dear," said the voice softly, "You belong right here with me, always have. Ever since the dawn of time it has been written among the stars, adn so help me I make things right once again. And this time your grandmother can't stop me - I won't let her!"
"You're insane!" cried the Prince into the darkness, "I've never seen you before in my life! I need to get home! I'm not supposed to be here! This is wrong, all wrong! Why won't you let me go?"
"I don't think so, Hogosha, not yet, anyway."
************
The Queen sat at the dinner table, nervously awaiting her son's return. "Did he tell you where he was going?" she asked.
"No," replied Angel, "He just went for a walk. He should be back by now."
"Well, he isn't!" snapped the Queen, "Elios, did he say anything to you?"
The king shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Lady, I don't know."
The queen sighed impatiently and stared at the clock. "Where is he?"
************
Juno looked closely at the approaching form. "Halt! Who goes there?"
The figure laughed as it came into the light. "Oh, Juno, its only me."
"Prince Draco!" said the green-haired senshi, "I thought you were an intruder! You do not look like yourself. Are you well?"
"I've never been better," smiled the prince, "Don't worry about me." Juno nodded and stepped aside, allowing him to pass. He passed guards along way whom confronted him much like Juno. Afterwards, they always let him pass and eventually he made it to the dining hall. Another senshi stood there waiting. "Hello, Ceres," he smiled, "Let me pass, I'm sure my dinner is getting cold."
The wise senshi eyed him carefully. "Prince, you don't look quite so well," she said after a moment, "You may go in, but I shall fetch Dr. Mizuno."
"Nonsense," said the Prince, "I'm just fine. Now, please, let me in."
"Very well," said Ceres, moving aside. The prince walked into the room and she reclosed the door. Then she flipped open her communicator. "Attention fellow Sailor Senshi! This is Ceres. I'm calling an emergency meeting at midnight. Bring in the night watch to stand in. Something is wrong with the prince."
AN: Don't you just LOVE cliffhangers? I know I do! I'll have the next chapter up sometime in April, but for now this is all you get. And you'll never guess what has happened to our dear prince! -Chiba Apey