Chapter Four

Chapter Four

        "Mother…" the Princess stammered.

            The queen stormed over and snatched the wand from her daughter's hands. She laid it back on the pedestal and then turned to her daughter.

            "Young lady, I'm going to have a talk with you right now." That said, she snatched her daughter by the wrist and forced her way up to her daughter's chambers.

            The princess swallowed hard as her mother made her way to her chambers. Her mother did not punish her a lot but when she did it was severe. Since she was not yet a teenager, she was still vulnerable to a spanking. And judging by her mother's angry face, that's what she was in for.

            Queen Serenity was seething. She had told her daughter more times than she could count to stay out of that room. Now she was going to have to make an example of her.

            The two entered the Princess' chambers and then closed the door.

            "Serenity! I have told you dozens of times to stay out of that room. You know better."

            The princess bowed her head, "Yes Mother."

            The queen hated herself but she took hold of her daughter and swatted her three times. The princess cried. Her mother hardly ever spanked her.

            "I'm sorry!"

            The queen released her. "Darling, I hate to have to do that. But why were you in that chamber?"

            'I…I got bored, watching the senshi."

            The queen smiled. "I know it's hard-"

            "It's not fair!" The princess leapt up and stomped her foot.

            The queen was taken aback by her daughter's outburst.

            "Serenity…"

            "It isn't fair! The senshi are princesses too but they have no protectors. I have protectors because I'm the prime princess. It stinks. I can take care of myself! I don't need them hanging over my shoulder and breathing down my neck whenever I go out!"

            "I know it's hard being a Prime princess, sweetie but-"

            "And I can't have any fun without ruining the proper manners of a heir to the Silver Millennium."

            She looked at her mother and stomped her foot again but there were tears in her eyes. "It's not fair!"

            The queen's anger was forgotten and she opened her arms. She knew her daughter was very independent. She also knew that her daughter had trouble with proper manners and posture. No wonder she felt like she was a prisoner.

            "Darling," she sighed and just rubbed her daughter's hair. "I know it seems unfair but it's for your safety."

            "But I'm not helpless. I can take care of myself."

            The queen sensed that she was not going to convince the child so she just held her.

            Finally, she seemed to calm but inwardly she was planning.

            She wasn't going to take this sheltered business anymore.

* * *

            "Are you feeling better, Darling?"

            The queen smiled as her daughter nodded. The queen kissed her forehead, on the crescent moon and tucked her in.

            "Sleep well, my darling." The princess kissed her mother's cheek and turned his face into the pillow and closed her eyes.

            The princess didn't dream though. She waited, until the clock struck midnight before venturing out of the room. She crept down into the gardens. The moon's powers seemed strongest here. She closed her eyes, put her hands in an x across her chest and whispered,

            "Please, I don't want to be defenseless any longer. I'm supposed to be a Princess, a prime and proper girl. That is not I. I'm independent. I need my own way, my own independence. Please, Moon, Great Power of the Moon, the power than flows with my blood let me be my own protector."

            Her answer came swiftly.

            The flowers bloomed around her dress, the fragrance flowed into her nostrils and a heat gathered beneath her palms. When the heat seized, she lowered her hands. In them, was a small circular broach, silver with a white crescent moon across the bottom. She opened it and found two crescent moons back to back in a black background. She felt the power in it.

            She looked up and then held her locket up.

            "Crescent Moon Power! Make-Up!"

            She felt her body lifted up and her night shift melted away, leaving her body bare to the night winds. Crescent moons spun around her upper body and then exploded with a sparkle, leaving a white leotard over her top. Two circles of stars encircled her waist and then exploded with a crescent moon, leaving a silver skirt attached to the leotard. She stretched her hands out to the side, and stars swirled over them, leaving long white gloves with silver bands. She lifted her right foot to rest against the shin of her left and spun around as crescent moons melted over her feet, leaving behind Roman sandals which had crisscrossed straps to her knees where they were ended by a silver strip that went all around her leg and had a silver crescent moon shape on the front. Her long golden pigtails slowly grew lighter, turning white and then silver. She froze, stood with one hand on her left hip and her feet planted firmly apart. A crescent moon shape appeared behind her briefly.

            The newest senshi moved her hands around and a silver facemask appeared in her hands. She placed it over her eyes. Before she had even gotten used to the outfit, she heard a scream. Since screams were uncommon on their peaceful kingdom she ran towards it.

            She saw an odd shape looming over a terrified child. The shape looked like a gargoyle and was solid black with red eyes. Youma were uncommon so no wonder the child was taken by surprise. She looked as if she had been roused from bed and thrown through a window. She was bleeding and her red hair was ruffled.

            The youma drew its claws.

            Serenity ran, dove and snatched the child up. But she got several claw punctures for her effort. Now she was angry.

            The girl starred. She was stunned; she'd never seen this senshi before.

            The new senshi turned, her eyes burning.

            "How dare you disturb the peace of the night, I won't allow this to continue. A pretty soldier in a sailor suit, Sailor Moon and in the name of the moon on which we stand, I'll punish you!"