Plum Blossoming
Chapter 3 - A Loved One's Death
By: Lady Crescent Moon
Standard Disclaimers Apply
AN: This story is taken from a Chinese movie series, called "mei hua san nong"(pinyin, for those of you who know what it means...). I'm not taking any credit for the creation of this story but it's so good that I decided to make a Serena/Darien fanfic out of it. Some parts might be changed, however. I decided to fill in, add, or change the story so that it made more sense to the story of Sailor Moon. Please bear with me if it doesn't make sense... ^.^
AN2: In the beginning it might be kind of confusing but try to follow along. It'll be better later on in the story.
AN3: "the instrument" is referred to one that comes from China. I really have no idea what the English translation of it is so I will just stick with "the instrument." I'm sorry that it sounds so funky but it'll have to do.
AN4: In order to corporate "mei hua san nong" into a Sailor Moon universe, I have to adapt many things. Just think of it as a weird alternate reality.
AN5: indicates thoughts
If you haven't noticed, these messages are the same, each chapter...I'm too lazy to type up new ones! ^-^;;
Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this fanfic. I'm glad that you guys like and I hope the chapters continue to live up to your expectations. Thanks again...^_^
Chapter 3 - A Loved One's Death (if that's not a spoiler for this chapter, then I dunno what is!)
~A few days later~
*In old China, the color of mourning was white. They didn't wear black or any other color when a family member or relative died. The color white was then worn for a long time.
What began as a beautiful day ended as a dreadful and anguished evening.
Alexander walked towards the entrance of the bar. With every further step he took, he was reminded of the disgrace he felt after the humiliating incident. No one had ever dared to lift so much as a finger to him. He got what he wanted, and he wanted the girl. Nothing was going to stop him from getting her. Striding in, he walked directly towards her, this time giving her no chance to prepare for what was coming her way. He ordered his men to grab her and they did, without so much as a glance towards anyone else. They had a purpose and they were going to complete it.
Serena shrieked, thrashing about. Her father shouted for them to let her go but it was futile. He ran after them, as they dragged her up the stairs. She cried out for him, begging for help. He tried to fight them away but to no avail. One got annoyed at the unceasing bother the old man was, and decided to rid him. He hit him, not caring that his opponent was older and weaker. Kenji struggled with him; his daughter's life was on the stake. He didn't dare to give up. Growling, the insolent man punched, too hard for Kenji to keep his balance. He fell backwards, falling down the stairs. His head snapped back, hitting one of the wooden steps. Landing on the bottom, he whispered his daughter's name before succumbing to the darkness.
Serena screamed in horror, tears falling from her ashen face. "Papa! Papa! No!" She ran to him, gently shaking him. "Please wake up, papa!"
Alexander and his henchmen stared at the broken man lying unconscious, almost guiltily. They had wanted to secure the lowly servant into their master's room, not kill an old man. Alexander ran, followed by the rest of his men, like the true cowards that they were. They left Serena sobbing over her father, with the onlookers.
"Help," she cried. "Someone help, please."
* * *
Kenji laid on his deathbed, frail and feeble. His harsh breathing was the only sound in the austere and simple servant room. Serena rushed into the room, dried tears on her face. She struggled to be strong, but it was so difficult.
"Papa, please, hold on. You can't die," she pleaded. "I have to find some way of getting money for a doctor. Just a few more days. Then, I'll get it. You'll be okay, papa. Please...don't leave me."
Kenji opened his eyes, opaque and weary. "My darling daughter. Please forgive me. I tried..." He coughed severely, a dark red liquid ejecting from his mouth.
"No." Serena whimpered. She took a clean white handkerchief and lightly covered his mouth. "Just rest. I'll try to get the doctor again." She was about to get up from his bedside, when she felt his hand on her wrist, holding her back.
"I don't have much time, Serena. Please, listen," he faintly said. "You're not our real child. Ikuko and I found you in a valley years ago, when you were just a babe. We didn't have the heart to leave you there. "
Serena stared at the only father she ever knew in shock and denial. "Papa, that can't be true. Please don't say that. I'm yours and mama's daughter! I'm yours! Papa," she sobbed. The only world that she ever knew was disintegrating before her eyes within seconds. She didn't know what to think, feel, or do.
"Listen to me, Serena," Kenji said firmly. As much as he hated to admit that she was not his own blood, he felt she had to know the truth. "It's true. You captured our hearts from the beginning."
She sobbed, not wanting to believe him but she knew her father would not kid about something so grave.
"There is one thing that Ikuko and I never understood, however. You have a mark on your left shoulder."
Serena's hand automatically touched her shoulder. She had seen it many times before but thought nothing of it. She cried silently, not daring to interrupt him.
"It was there when we found you, and at first it was unrecognizable but we later realized that it was a plum blossom. We figured- " He stopped abruptly, a fit of cough wracking his injured body.
"We figured you were special. That you were brought down from the angels themselves. Ikuko and I never could have a baby and we believed that they brought you to us." His eyes grew teary and hazy, lost in the memories of the past with his beloved. "We love you, Serena. Never forget that. Be...be happy, my sweet...daughter."
Slowly, his eyes closed heavily, as if he couldn't bear to keep them open any longer. A small smile appeared on his face, a kind of smile that was only given to a lover. He finally met his loved one again through death, and this time, they would never part again.
An anguished scream filled the room and echoed through out, her pain evident to all those who heard. "No... Don't leave me! Papaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
* * *
The girl wore all white*, her face pallid and drained. Her father lay unmoving. His face still wore a smile, as if he died peacefully. Slowly, his body lowered into the ground. His grave, poorly constructed, was all that the girl could afford. She no longer had money and shelter. The money to bury her father was actually a portion of Melvin's savings, a friend she had found when she sang with her father in the restaurant. She had asked the manager for a small loan but he had refused.
"I'm sorry," he had said. "I cannot pay you anything. I know it's a hard time for you but I am going to have to ask you to leave. My little restaurant cannot handle this kind of occurrences. If this keeps up, I will be out of business! Please, do not cause a scene. Gather your belongings and leave quietly."
Turning away, he left her shaken and dazed. She had just lost someone she loved dearly and now this? It was all too much to handle; her legs wobbling from exhaustion and distress, she collapsed onto the hard ground, with no one left to care for her. No more tears left to cry, she only shuddered. She tried to be brave and strong, something that her father would have wanted her to be.
Wet cheeks coaxed her from her reverie. The smell of dirt and flowers on the grave harshly reminded her that this wasn't a dream. It was deathly real, an irrevocable truth.
Days later, Darien eagerly walked to the restaurant, with Jadeite and Malachite lagging behind. He was on the verge of skipping, something that he had not done since he was a small child. "Come on, you slowpokes! Can't you hurry it up?" he yelled to them.
"Slow down, your highness!" Malachite said, speaking to him as if he was that young child again.
"I know who you want to see," Jadeite said in a singsong voice. "I know who! I know who!"
Darien put on a face of innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about! I just want food! I'm hungry!" He hurriedly walked to the entrance of the restaurant, where it held the object of his thoughts.
It was quiet and calm, not as it were a couple days ago. No beautiful voice singing, no boisterous crowd clapping along. He knew something was wrong. He grabbed the next manservant he saw. "The girl. Where is she?" Darien asked, grabbing his shirt.
Quivering in fear, the servant was afraid to give the wrong answer. "S-she...she's not here any longer. Her father, Kenji, died just a few days ago and she's probably mourning him. The manager kicked her out right after Kenji's death. Really harsh, if you ask me."
Darien's eyebrows drew in an angry furrow. He tightened his grip on the servant's shirt and looked like he was about to blow up.
"But...you're not asking me." He quailed, afraid he was going to be hit.
Malachite stepped in, not wanting Darien to do anything rash. Malachite knew Darien wouldn't hurt him an innocent stranger. But that stranger didn't.
"What happened?" The now angry prince asked, his expressions fierce.
Melvin gulped. "Lord Alexander came back. He wanted her, Serena. Kenji fought for her and one of his men punched him. He fell backwards and was severely injured."
Growling, Darien barely controlled his fury. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"I-I don't know. She buried her father somewhere nearby. I've heard from the customers that they've seen her on the streets, playing her father's instrument. They give her a few coins, but that's it. No one has the means or the money for anything more. That's all I know, m'lord."
Releasing him, he commanded for Jadeite and Malachite to follow him. They were going to look for her.
Serena sat on the cold ground, playing bleakly the instrument that her father had left behind when he left for heaven. She had no choice but to beg for money on a busy street. Her black writings stood out from its white surrounding, harsh and severe. Those that walked past her and were interested in what the writings had to say stopped from their busy tasks to do so. They would shake their heads and some threw one or two coins to convey their pity. She bowed her head partly to show her gratitude but mostly because she didn't want to see the people's pity and sympathy. She couldn't handle it, not when the emotions were still too raw. She swallowed a lump in the back of her throat. It sat there, refusing to move. Serena was afraid that she started crying, she wouldn't be able to stop.
Many walked by. She didn't pay any notice to who they were and what they looked like. All she saw was the occasional coins thrown down. Mumbling thanks, she continued playing, not bothering to pick up the coins.
A powerful rich lord walked by, his guards closely behind. He saw a pretty girl kneeling on the cold pavement and was eager to claim her. He thought she looked familiar but paid no attention. Her instrument looked familiar as well but then again, there were many of them floating around.
"Hey, little lady. Don't be so sad," he said with a leer. "I'll take you home and cheer you right up." Throwing down a sack filled with coins, he wanted her in exchange for the money.
Serena couldn't believe what the stranger was saying to her. She looked at the sack, then up for the first time that day, wanting to know who was speaking to her. "You!" she cried, disbelief and rage on her face. "It's all your fault! Give me back my papa! You took him from me! Give him back to me!"
His face dawned in recognition. "It's you!"
She got up and threw the sack at him. "Take your stinking money away! I don't want it! Get out of here!"
"It wasn't my fault," Alexander insisted like a child. "It was your father's! He shouldn't have come after my guard like that!"
Unable to control her rage anymore, she chased him, batting him with the instrument when he was within reach. "Give me back my dad! I hate you!"
He ran, screeching whenever he was hit. "Help! Help! She's going to kill me!"
A crowd formed around the commotion, curious as to what was happening. She chased him, not caring about the spectacle or the damages she was making.
One of Alexander's men quickly stepped in. He grabbed her and she struggled in his arms, trying to break free. "Let me go! He killed my papa!" Irritated, he slapped her face callously.
Darien came just in time to witness this cruel hit. He saw her crumble, her legs refusing to support her anymore. He ran, the fastest he had ever ran in his life, praying he would catch her. He reached her and grabbed her just as she was about to collapse.
"Darien..." she whispered, when she fell into his arms. Darkness consumed her; exhaustion, starvation, and her overwrought state finally brought a toll on her.
Gently, he handed her to Malachite. He had business to take care of...Alexander was going to pay...
Chapter 3 - A Loved One's Death
By: Lady Crescent Moon
Standard Disclaimers Apply
AN: This story is taken from a Chinese movie series, called "mei hua san nong"(pinyin, for those of you who know what it means...). I'm not taking any credit for the creation of this story but it's so good that I decided to make a Serena/Darien fanfic out of it. Some parts might be changed, however. I decided to fill in, add, or change the story so that it made more sense to the story of Sailor Moon. Please bear with me if it doesn't make sense... ^.^
AN2: In the beginning it might be kind of confusing but try to follow along. It'll be better later on in the story.
AN3: "the instrument" is referred to one that comes from China. I really have no idea what the English translation of it is so I will just stick with "the instrument." I'm sorry that it sounds so funky but it'll have to do.
AN4: In order to corporate "mei hua san nong" into a Sailor Moon universe, I have to adapt many things. Just think of it as a weird alternate reality.
AN5: indicates thoughts
If you haven't noticed, these messages are the same, each chapter...I'm too lazy to type up new ones! ^-^;;
Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this fanfic. I'm glad that you guys like and I hope the chapters continue to live up to your expectations. Thanks again...^_^
Chapter 3 - A Loved One's Death (if that's not a spoiler for this chapter, then I dunno what is!)
~A few days later~
*In old China, the color of mourning was white. They didn't wear black or any other color when a family member or relative died. The color white was then worn for a long time.
What began as a beautiful day ended as a dreadful and anguished evening.
Alexander walked towards the entrance of the bar. With every further step he took, he was reminded of the disgrace he felt after the humiliating incident. No one had ever dared to lift so much as a finger to him. He got what he wanted, and he wanted the girl. Nothing was going to stop him from getting her. Striding in, he walked directly towards her, this time giving her no chance to prepare for what was coming her way. He ordered his men to grab her and they did, without so much as a glance towards anyone else. They had a purpose and they were going to complete it.
Serena shrieked, thrashing about. Her father shouted for them to let her go but it was futile. He ran after them, as they dragged her up the stairs. She cried out for him, begging for help. He tried to fight them away but to no avail. One got annoyed at the unceasing bother the old man was, and decided to rid him. He hit him, not caring that his opponent was older and weaker. Kenji struggled with him; his daughter's life was on the stake. He didn't dare to give up. Growling, the insolent man punched, too hard for Kenji to keep his balance. He fell backwards, falling down the stairs. His head snapped back, hitting one of the wooden steps. Landing on the bottom, he whispered his daughter's name before succumbing to the darkness.
Serena screamed in horror, tears falling from her ashen face. "Papa! Papa! No!" She ran to him, gently shaking him. "Please wake up, papa!"
Alexander and his henchmen stared at the broken man lying unconscious, almost guiltily. They had wanted to secure the lowly servant into their master's room, not kill an old man. Alexander ran, followed by the rest of his men, like the true cowards that they were. They left Serena sobbing over her father, with the onlookers.
"Help," she cried. "Someone help, please."
* * *
Kenji laid on his deathbed, frail and feeble. His harsh breathing was the only sound in the austere and simple servant room. Serena rushed into the room, dried tears on her face. She struggled to be strong, but it was so difficult.
"Papa, please, hold on. You can't die," she pleaded. "I have to find some way of getting money for a doctor. Just a few more days. Then, I'll get it. You'll be okay, papa. Please...don't leave me."
Kenji opened his eyes, opaque and weary. "My darling daughter. Please forgive me. I tried..." He coughed severely, a dark red liquid ejecting from his mouth.
"No." Serena whimpered. She took a clean white handkerchief and lightly covered his mouth. "Just rest. I'll try to get the doctor again." She was about to get up from his bedside, when she felt his hand on her wrist, holding her back.
"I don't have much time, Serena. Please, listen," he faintly said. "You're not our real child. Ikuko and I found you in a valley years ago, when you were just a babe. We didn't have the heart to leave you there. "
Serena stared at the only father she ever knew in shock and denial. "Papa, that can't be true. Please don't say that. I'm yours and mama's daughter! I'm yours! Papa," she sobbed. The only world that she ever knew was disintegrating before her eyes within seconds. She didn't know what to think, feel, or do.
"Listen to me, Serena," Kenji said firmly. As much as he hated to admit that she was not his own blood, he felt she had to know the truth. "It's true. You captured our hearts from the beginning."
She sobbed, not wanting to believe him but she knew her father would not kid about something so grave.
"There is one thing that Ikuko and I never understood, however. You have a mark on your left shoulder."
Serena's hand automatically touched her shoulder. She had seen it many times before but thought nothing of it. She cried silently, not daring to interrupt him.
"It was there when we found you, and at first it was unrecognizable but we later realized that it was a plum blossom. We figured- " He stopped abruptly, a fit of cough wracking his injured body.
"We figured you were special. That you were brought down from the angels themselves. Ikuko and I never could have a baby and we believed that they brought you to us." His eyes grew teary and hazy, lost in the memories of the past with his beloved. "We love you, Serena. Never forget that. Be...be happy, my sweet...daughter."
Slowly, his eyes closed heavily, as if he couldn't bear to keep them open any longer. A small smile appeared on his face, a kind of smile that was only given to a lover. He finally met his loved one again through death, and this time, they would never part again.
An anguished scream filled the room and echoed through out, her pain evident to all those who heard. "No... Don't leave me! Papaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
* * *
The girl wore all white*, her face pallid and drained. Her father lay unmoving. His face still wore a smile, as if he died peacefully. Slowly, his body lowered into the ground. His grave, poorly constructed, was all that the girl could afford. She no longer had money and shelter. The money to bury her father was actually a portion of Melvin's savings, a friend she had found when she sang with her father in the restaurant. She had asked the manager for a small loan but he had refused.
"I'm sorry," he had said. "I cannot pay you anything. I know it's a hard time for you but I am going to have to ask you to leave. My little restaurant cannot handle this kind of occurrences. If this keeps up, I will be out of business! Please, do not cause a scene. Gather your belongings and leave quietly."
Turning away, he left her shaken and dazed. She had just lost someone she loved dearly and now this? It was all too much to handle; her legs wobbling from exhaustion and distress, she collapsed onto the hard ground, with no one left to care for her. No more tears left to cry, she only shuddered. She tried to be brave and strong, something that her father would have wanted her to be.
Wet cheeks coaxed her from her reverie. The smell of dirt and flowers on the grave harshly reminded her that this wasn't a dream. It was deathly real, an irrevocable truth.
Days later, Darien eagerly walked to the restaurant, with Jadeite and Malachite lagging behind. He was on the verge of skipping, something that he had not done since he was a small child. "Come on, you slowpokes! Can't you hurry it up?" he yelled to them.
"Slow down, your highness!" Malachite said, speaking to him as if he was that young child again.
"I know who you want to see," Jadeite said in a singsong voice. "I know who! I know who!"
Darien put on a face of innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about! I just want food! I'm hungry!" He hurriedly walked to the entrance of the restaurant, where it held the object of his thoughts.
It was quiet and calm, not as it were a couple days ago. No beautiful voice singing, no boisterous crowd clapping along. He knew something was wrong. He grabbed the next manservant he saw. "The girl. Where is she?" Darien asked, grabbing his shirt.
Quivering in fear, the servant was afraid to give the wrong answer. "S-she...she's not here any longer. Her father, Kenji, died just a few days ago and she's probably mourning him. The manager kicked her out right after Kenji's death. Really harsh, if you ask me."
Darien's eyebrows drew in an angry furrow. He tightened his grip on the servant's shirt and looked like he was about to blow up.
"But...you're not asking me." He quailed, afraid he was going to be hit.
Malachite stepped in, not wanting Darien to do anything rash. Malachite knew Darien wouldn't hurt him an innocent stranger. But that stranger didn't.
"What happened?" The now angry prince asked, his expressions fierce.
Melvin gulped. "Lord Alexander came back. He wanted her, Serena. Kenji fought for her and one of his men punched him. He fell backwards and was severely injured."
Growling, Darien barely controlled his fury. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"I-I don't know. She buried her father somewhere nearby. I've heard from the customers that they've seen her on the streets, playing her father's instrument. They give her a few coins, but that's it. No one has the means or the money for anything more. That's all I know, m'lord."
Releasing him, he commanded for Jadeite and Malachite to follow him. They were going to look for her.
Serena sat on the cold ground, playing bleakly the instrument that her father had left behind when he left for heaven. She had no choice but to beg for money on a busy street. Her black writings stood out from its white surrounding, harsh and severe. Those that walked past her and were interested in what the writings had to say stopped from their busy tasks to do so. They would shake their heads and some threw one or two coins to convey their pity. She bowed her head partly to show her gratitude but mostly because she didn't want to see the people's pity and sympathy. She couldn't handle it, not when the emotions were still too raw. She swallowed a lump in the back of her throat. It sat there, refusing to move. Serena was afraid that she started crying, she wouldn't be able to stop.
Many walked by. She didn't pay any notice to who they were and what they looked like. All she saw was the occasional coins thrown down. Mumbling thanks, she continued playing, not bothering to pick up the coins.
A powerful rich lord walked by, his guards closely behind. He saw a pretty girl kneeling on the cold pavement and was eager to claim her. He thought she looked familiar but paid no attention. Her instrument looked familiar as well but then again, there were many of them floating around.
"Hey, little lady. Don't be so sad," he said with a leer. "I'll take you home and cheer you right up." Throwing down a sack filled with coins, he wanted her in exchange for the money.
Serena couldn't believe what the stranger was saying to her. She looked at the sack, then up for the first time that day, wanting to know who was speaking to her. "You!" she cried, disbelief and rage on her face. "It's all your fault! Give me back my papa! You took him from me! Give him back to me!"
His face dawned in recognition. "It's you!"
She got up and threw the sack at him. "Take your stinking money away! I don't want it! Get out of here!"
"It wasn't my fault," Alexander insisted like a child. "It was your father's! He shouldn't have come after my guard like that!"
Unable to control her rage anymore, she chased him, batting him with the instrument when he was within reach. "Give me back my dad! I hate you!"
He ran, screeching whenever he was hit. "Help! Help! She's going to kill me!"
A crowd formed around the commotion, curious as to what was happening. She chased him, not caring about the spectacle or the damages she was making.
One of Alexander's men quickly stepped in. He grabbed her and she struggled in his arms, trying to break free. "Let me go! He killed my papa!" Irritated, he slapped her face callously.
Darien came just in time to witness this cruel hit. He saw her crumble, her legs refusing to support her anymore. He ran, the fastest he had ever ran in his life, praying he would catch her. He reached her and grabbed her just as she was about to collapse.
"Darien..." she whispered, when she fell into his arms. Darkness consumed her; exhaustion, starvation, and her overwrought state finally brought a toll on her.
Gently, he handed her to Malachite. He had business to take care of...Alexander was going to pay...