Standard Disclaimers Apply.
This is the story of the bravest girl to grace her world,
and the trials of her life.
Based very loosely upon the story of Mulan, a true heroine
in her own right.
Heroine
A Serena and Darien Alternate Reality Fic
by Moni-chan
monichan@telus.net
Prologue
People and pets rushed out of the path of the girl running
towards the lake. Chickens squawked clumsily and feathers
flew all over as she sped by.
Serena was behind schedule. She was supposed to have washed
these clothes over an hour ago, but she'd been practicing
her fighting techniques again. If her mother found out,
Serena knew she would be in huge trouble.
Of course, this was the norm. Serena Tsukino was a 17 year
old girl who was such a tomboy that neighbours often did
wonder if she really was a boy at heart. She never fully
obeyed her parents, never finished her chores, never dressed
in nice clothes. It seemed that all she liked to do was
to practice her fighting.
It wasn't that she didn't want to be feminine, Serena liked
to reason to herself, it was just that she didn't have a
reason to act feminine yet. She wouldn't have to start
worrying about a husband for several years, and she didn't
have any boyfriends to be worrying about either.
The latter was probably due to the fact that all the boys
were deathly afraid of her. With a single fluid movement,
she could have them pinned to the ground and begging for
mercy.
There was that time a boy new to the village had tried to
kiss her. Thinking that she was as frail as she looked,
he had cornered her into an alley and was quickly advancing
upon her when ..
WHAM!
The boy couldn't walk for a week after that incident.
It was plain and simple why the boys avoided her. She was
as beautiful as a sunny day, but no one dared to cross
Serena Tsukino; not if they valued their lives.
And yet, despite all that, all the villagers loved her. They
loved her sunny and carefree nature. They loved how she would
always drop whatever she was doing to help them. They loved
how she always tried to cheer people up.
There weren't many people like Serena in the world.
And there definitely weren't many people who could run as fast
as she, judging from way she was tearing the road in half.
-----------
The little imp in Serena's mind was talking again. Persuading.
Look at the lake.
Look at its beautiful blueness.
Notice how clean and refreshing it is.
Aren't you hot, after washing all those clothes?
Don't you want to cool off?
Look at the lake..
With a resigned sigh, Serena quickly stripped off her clothes
and jumped into the lake. She really didn't want to listen to
that little devil inside of her, but it really was so good at
convincing her to get into trouble.
The pool did feel good though, she had to admit. And she was
thoroughly enjoying herself. After all, she did deserve a
break from washing all those clothes.
*Rustle*
Three teenage boys huddled in the bushes, trying to take peeks
at the beautiful girl swimming in the lake. They couldn't
believe their luck. She was magnificent! The way her light
blond hair was loose and floating about her. The way the water
droplets looked on her skin. The way they could almost see a
full silhouette of her unclad figure ... almost ...
*Crack*
Serena's senses perked up immediately at the sound of a twig
breaking. Someone was in the vicinity! And she didn't have
any clothes on ...
Even Serena had the grace to blush this time.
A slow nonchalant gaze revealed no one, so she immediately
deduced that the faintly shaking bush must be the culprit, as
there was no wind currently blowing to shake the bush.
The boys never knew what hit them. One second, they were
watching her swim. The next, she became a whirling mass of
clothes, and disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" they mumbled quietly within themselves,
groaning at the lost opportunity. Ah well. The quick glimpse
that they had was more than enough to fill their fantasies for
next while. They quickly straightened themselves out and
stepped out of the bushes ...
only to find her standing there, hands on hips, an angry mask
clouding her face.
Uh oh.
"How nice to see you here." Serena's voice was sickeningly sweet
yet sarcastic in tone.
The guys stuttered nervously. "Uhh ... nice to see you Serena.
Umm... we'll just be going now ... BYE!" They turned, ready
to run as fast as their legs would permit.
A slim hand shot out in front and blocked them. It quickly
grabbed the arm of one boy and twisted it behind his back.
The other hand wasted no time, quickly and methodically
twisting his arm as well. The third was tripped with a quick
foot movement.
They clung to each other then, in fear, as they watched her
contemplate their punishment. After all, if the village
found out that they had been peeking, their parents would
be disgraced. But Serena would get her fair share of trouble
as well for daring to swim in the nude.
They begged. They dropped down to their knees and howled
in her face, begging her to let them go. They wailed their
apologies and regrets, and promised never to peek on her or
any girl again.
Serena snorted in disgust at their pathetic behaviour. And
to think they were older than her! She doubted that she could
bring herself to marry any one of those boys in a few years,
event if they were supposingly the best suitors in the village.
Sure they were handsome, sure they had money. Still, they were
cowards, and she knew she would never marry a coward.
No, Serena had always set her ideals high. She had always vowed
to herself to only marry a man that she both loved and respected.
With a sigh, she turned and walked away, not even noticing the
the three guys anymore.
-----------
The Tsukino family was a famous one throughout the country. Ken
Tsukino was a national hero, after having bravely fought his way
through the last war. He had led army after army and proved that
he was superior in both fighting skills and intelligence skills.
It had been the hope of the country to see him have a son, and
train the son into something special. But after discovering that
he had a baby daughter and that his wife could no longer give
birth to children, the people of the country lost interest in his
family. After all, Ken was old now; he wouldn't be able to fight
well anymore. There would be no son to pass on family secrets.
And yet they were wrong. Ken had been disappointed when he first
learned that his child was a girl, but as he watched his little
girl grow up, he learned to respect her, and he treated her as he
would treat his son.
Since Serena was five, he had taught her to fight. When Serena
was ten, she was adept with a full-sized sword. Now, she was
easily better than everybody in the village. But she still had
a lot left to learn. There was only one thing holding her back ...
Serena was a girl, and as a girl, she had certain duties that
could not be avoided no matter what the circumstances. She had
to help with family chores and she had to take courses in
etiquette.
Both she and her father had wanted her to take lessons in school,
like the other boys. But the country had strict rules regarding
education of men and women, and the law said that girls must
attend etiquette school.
All those times wasted on learning manners, her father thought.
Serena never acted like she had learned anything in those classes.
In fact she was as brash and as unlady-like as ever.
All those times when she could have been learning more fighting
techniques, or reading books about history and strategy. Spent
trying to become a lady!
Ken chuckled himself. He loved his daughter dearly, but he knew
that she would never be lady-like.
-----------
It wasn't until Serena was turning onto the street where she
lived before she saw the commotion. There was a huge crowd
of men gathered around some rich-looking officers on horses.
Well, she'd do anything to prolong her journey home, and
delay the punishment she knew she would get for taking an
entire day to wash her basketful of clothes. Curious, she
drew closer, noticing that her father was there as well.
"Father!" she called, but it seemed he didn't hear her; he
was intently listening to the man on the horse.
"Father!" she called again, this time pushing through the
crowd until she reached his side. The officers gave her a
disdainful look.
The man wearing the decorated armor must be the Prince, she
thought excitedly. To think that she, Serena Tsukino, had
actually seen a royal up close!
"Who is this impertinent girl?" The prince demanded angrily.
A girl like her had no right to them.
"Please, pardon my daughter." her father gave her a stern
glance and bowed his head humbly. "She is but a young girl
who is not yet versed in her rules of etiquette."
"Hmph. Well, she should be." And with that, the prince
continued talking. Serena fumed silently, but listened to
what they were saying this time. She knew that her family
would get trouble if she was too outspoken. The man on the
horse was the prince of their country. He was tall, dark,
and handsome, she acknowledged, but entirely too chauvinistic
for his own good.
"The neighbouring country has been threatening our border,
and it appears that war is imminent. The king has decreed
that one man from each family between the ages of fifteen
and sixty must enroll in the army to help defend his country.
Each one of you will be in a different army camp..."
The voices of the men were emotionless as they droned on,
but Serena didn't hear them. She saw the resigned look on
her father's face. He was so old! At 54, his bones were
already softening, and she knew he would be nothing against
the younger men.
"Akiba family .... "
The men were now handing out the official army notice to
every family in the village. It was so unfair! Her father
was a national hero, and had done more than his share in
the past. Why must he be needed to enlist once more?
Even as a general, he was not healthy enough to live in
such unfavorable conditions war demanded.
"Hino family .... "
She knew the determined look on her father's face. He
would not dishonor the respected name he had worked so
hard to earn. He would not dishonor their family and
become looked down upon by the entire country. She knew
how stubborn he was.
"Yan family .... "
Why did a national hero have to sacrifice himself to
retain his name? It was unfair, utterly unfair, but
there was really nothing to be done. If he went to
war, there would be almost no chance for his survival.
How could her mother and her live without the steadiness
of their father to support them? He was integral in
their family, keeping them together, helping solve family
issues when times were rough. A single tear fell silently
along her cheeks, as she mourned the fate of her father.
The prince was a sharp observer, and noticed her. All
girls were the same, he thought, unable to handle the
thought of war and of fighting. One mention of war, and
they'd all go scurrying to hide in their tears.
Now, of course, she'd run off, like the rest of them, and
go gossip with the other village girls.
"Tsukino family .... "
Serena couldn't stand it anymore, as she saw her father
trudge slowly but proudly to pick up his army notice. She
could say nothing; she knew she would only dishonor her
father more by demanding for him to be considered special.
People would think that her father had deliberately told her,
as a pretty girl, to go beg the officers for a favor. Before
her tears could fall, she quickly turned around and pushed
her way back through the crowd.
It wasn't until she was alone before she started crying.
-----------
That night, she watched discreetly as her parents discussed
the war.
Her mother's voice drifted through the night air, filled with
emotion.
"Ken, you shouldn't go. You should apply for a disability
leave. You know your health isn't well. The king remembers
you, I'm sure. He'll let a national hero rest at home ... "
"And disgrace our family?" Her father's voice was urgent.
"I will not have our country think that they cannot depend
upon their heroes. It is a time of need. No matter what
the danger is, I must go. I may not be able to help much,
but I am a veteran. I can give tips on strategy. I might
not escape the enemy's arrows, but any help that I can give
will help our country. I ... "
His voice cracked there,
"just hope that you and Serena can be safe. If I'm there,
I'll know the most up-to-date news about the war, and warn
you when the enemies are drawing closer."
"Ken ... "
"Ilene, please. You know I would do anything for you two.
If I were to stay, people would talk. I would be forced
to go and enroll on my own. Then .... then .... while
I am away, the other villagers would mock you, and mock
our Serena. You know how cruel people can be."
"But we need you, Ken. I need you, and Serena does too."
He was crying with her. But he responded as gently as
he could.
"Take care of yourself. I couldn't bear to see you hurt.
Take care of our daughter for me. I don't think I'll be
able to say goodbye to her without crying as well. I
don't want her to think that her father is a big baby."
"Ken ... I love you."
"I love you too, Ilene. I always have, and I always will."
The two aged lovers embraced under the moonlight.
-----------
Serena's tears ran down her face.
Why did life have to be so cruel to two people who loved
each other so much?
"I don't think you're a coward at all, father." she whispered
into the night. "I think you're the bravest man that has
ever graced our country. But I don't want you to risk your
life. No, you have already contributed enough. Every family
must sacrifice one man. If it won't be you, then it can only
be .... me. Nobody would think of you as a disgrace if I
ran off in the middle of the night. I'm young and I'm strong.
Half the village thinks I'm a boy in disguise, anyway. I'll
do my best father, to bring more honor for you."
Her eyes narrowed in determination, and she went to her room
to plan.
End Prologue
*8 pages! Not bad for a beginner :)
Chapter 1 will be long and it'll get better, I hope.
There'll be Serena-Darien interactions too!
Considering me, I'll probably end up revising the entire
thing before I finish all the chapters :)
Luv ya! And I luv e-mails too ^.^ hint hint.*
Moni-chan
monichan@telus.net
This is the story of the bravest girl to grace her world,
and the trials of her life.
Based very loosely upon the story of Mulan, a true heroine
in her own right.
Heroine
A Serena and Darien Alternate Reality Fic
by Moni-chan
monichan@telus.net
Prologue
People and pets rushed out of the path of the girl running
towards the lake. Chickens squawked clumsily and feathers
flew all over as she sped by.
Serena was behind schedule. She was supposed to have washed
these clothes over an hour ago, but she'd been practicing
her fighting techniques again. If her mother found out,
Serena knew she would be in huge trouble.
Of course, this was the norm. Serena Tsukino was a 17 year
old girl who was such a tomboy that neighbours often did
wonder if she really was a boy at heart. She never fully
obeyed her parents, never finished her chores, never dressed
in nice clothes. It seemed that all she liked to do was
to practice her fighting.
It wasn't that she didn't want to be feminine, Serena liked
to reason to herself, it was just that she didn't have a
reason to act feminine yet. She wouldn't have to start
worrying about a husband for several years, and she didn't
have any boyfriends to be worrying about either.
The latter was probably due to the fact that all the boys
were deathly afraid of her. With a single fluid movement,
she could have them pinned to the ground and begging for
mercy.
There was that time a boy new to the village had tried to
kiss her. Thinking that she was as frail as she looked,
he had cornered her into an alley and was quickly advancing
upon her when ..
WHAM!
The boy couldn't walk for a week after that incident.
It was plain and simple why the boys avoided her. She was
as beautiful as a sunny day, but no one dared to cross
Serena Tsukino; not if they valued their lives.
And yet, despite all that, all the villagers loved her. They
loved her sunny and carefree nature. They loved how she would
always drop whatever she was doing to help them. They loved
how she always tried to cheer people up.
There weren't many people like Serena in the world.
And there definitely weren't many people who could run as fast
as she, judging from way she was tearing the road in half.
-----------
The little imp in Serena's mind was talking again. Persuading.
Look at the lake.
Look at its beautiful blueness.
Notice how clean and refreshing it is.
Aren't you hot, after washing all those clothes?
Don't you want to cool off?
Look at the lake..
With a resigned sigh, Serena quickly stripped off her clothes
and jumped into the lake. She really didn't want to listen to
that little devil inside of her, but it really was so good at
convincing her to get into trouble.
The pool did feel good though, she had to admit. And she was
thoroughly enjoying herself. After all, she did deserve a
break from washing all those clothes.
*Rustle*
Three teenage boys huddled in the bushes, trying to take peeks
at the beautiful girl swimming in the lake. They couldn't
believe their luck. She was magnificent! The way her light
blond hair was loose and floating about her. The way the water
droplets looked on her skin. The way they could almost see a
full silhouette of her unclad figure ... almost ...
*Crack*
Serena's senses perked up immediately at the sound of a twig
breaking. Someone was in the vicinity! And she didn't have
any clothes on ...
Even Serena had the grace to blush this time.
A slow nonchalant gaze revealed no one, so she immediately
deduced that the faintly shaking bush must be the culprit, as
there was no wind currently blowing to shake the bush.
The boys never knew what hit them. One second, they were
watching her swim. The next, she became a whirling mass of
clothes, and disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" they mumbled quietly within themselves,
groaning at the lost opportunity. Ah well. The quick glimpse
that they had was more than enough to fill their fantasies for
next while. They quickly straightened themselves out and
stepped out of the bushes ...
only to find her standing there, hands on hips, an angry mask
clouding her face.
Uh oh.
"How nice to see you here." Serena's voice was sickeningly sweet
yet sarcastic in tone.
The guys stuttered nervously. "Uhh ... nice to see you Serena.
Umm... we'll just be going now ... BYE!" They turned, ready
to run as fast as their legs would permit.
A slim hand shot out in front and blocked them. It quickly
grabbed the arm of one boy and twisted it behind his back.
The other hand wasted no time, quickly and methodically
twisting his arm as well. The third was tripped with a quick
foot movement.
They clung to each other then, in fear, as they watched her
contemplate their punishment. After all, if the village
found out that they had been peeking, their parents would
be disgraced. But Serena would get her fair share of trouble
as well for daring to swim in the nude.
They begged. They dropped down to their knees and howled
in her face, begging her to let them go. They wailed their
apologies and regrets, and promised never to peek on her or
any girl again.
Serena snorted in disgust at their pathetic behaviour. And
to think they were older than her! She doubted that she could
bring herself to marry any one of those boys in a few years,
event if they were supposingly the best suitors in the village.
Sure they were handsome, sure they had money. Still, they were
cowards, and she knew she would never marry a coward.
No, Serena had always set her ideals high. She had always vowed
to herself to only marry a man that she both loved and respected.
With a sigh, she turned and walked away, not even noticing the
the three guys anymore.
-----------
The Tsukino family was a famous one throughout the country. Ken
Tsukino was a national hero, after having bravely fought his way
through the last war. He had led army after army and proved that
he was superior in both fighting skills and intelligence skills.
It had been the hope of the country to see him have a son, and
train the son into something special. But after discovering that
he had a baby daughter and that his wife could no longer give
birth to children, the people of the country lost interest in his
family. After all, Ken was old now; he wouldn't be able to fight
well anymore. There would be no son to pass on family secrets.
And yet they were wrong. Ken had been disappointed when he first
learned that his child was a girl, but as he watched his little
girl grow up, he learned to respect her, and he treated her as he
would treat his son.
Since Serena was five, he had taught her to fight. When Serena
was ten, she was adept with a full-sized sword. Now, she was
easily better than everybody in the village. But she still had
a lot left to learn. There was only one thing holding her back ...
Serena was a girl, and as a girl, she had certain duties that
could not be avoided no matter what the circumstances. She had
to help with family chores and she had to take courses in
etiquette.
Both she and her father had wanted her to take lessons in school,
like the other boys. But the country had strict rules regarding
education of men and women, and the law said that girls must
attend etiquette school.
All those times wasted on learning manners, her father thought.
Serena never acted like she had learned anything in those classes.
In fact she was as brash and as unlady-like as ever.
All those times when she could have been learning more fighting
techniques, or reading books about history and strategy. Spent
trying to become a lady!
Ken chuckled himself. He loved his daughter dearly, but he knew
that she would never be lady-like.
-----------
It wasn't until Serena was turning onto the street where she
lived before she saw the commotion. There was a huge crowd
of men gathered around some rich-looking officers on horses.
Well, she'd do anything to prolong her journey home, and
delay the punishment she knew she would get for taking an
entire day to wash her basketful of clothes. Curious, she
drew closer, noticing that her father was there as well.
"Father!" she called, but it seemed he didn't hear her; he
was intently listening to the man on the horse.
"Father!" she called again, this time pushing through the
crowd until she reached his side. The officers gave her a
disdainful look.
The man wearing the decorated armor must be the Prince, she
thought excitedly. To think that she, Serena Tsukino, had
actually seen a royal up close!
"Who is this impertinent girl?" The prince demanded angrily.
A girl like her had no right to them.
"Please, pardon my daughter." her father gave her a stern
glance and bowed his head humbly. "She is but a young girl
who is not yet versed in her rules of etiquette."
"Hmph. Well, she should be." And with that, the prince
continued talking. Serena fumed silently, but listened to
what they were saying this time. She knew that her family
would get trouble if she was too outspoken. The man on the
horse was the prince of their country. He was tall, dark,
and handsome, she acknowledged, but entirely too chauvinistic
for his own good.
"The neighbouring country has been threatening our border,
and it appears that war is imminent. The king has decreed
that one man from each family between the ages of fifteen
and sixty must enroll in the army to help defend his country.
Each one of you will be in a different army camp..."
The voices of the men were emotionless as they droned on,
but Serena didn't hear them. She saw the resigned look on
her father's face. He was so old! At 54, his bones were
already softening, and she knew he would be nothing against
the younger men.
"Akiba family .... "
The men were now handing out the official army notice to
every family in the village. It was so unfair! Her father
was a national hero, and had done more than his share in
the past. Why must he be needed to enlist once more?
Even as a general, he was not healthy enough to live in
such unfavorable conditions war demanded.
"Hino family .... "
She knew the determined look on her father's face. He
would not dishonor the respected name he had worked so
hard to earn. He would not dishonor their family and
become looked down upon by the entire country. She knew
how stubborn he was.
"Yan family .... "
Why did a national hero have to sacrifice himself to
retain his name? It was unfair, utterly unfair, but
there was really nothing to be done. If he went to
war, there would be almost no chance for his survival.
How could her mother and her live without the steadiness
of their father to support them? He was integral in
their family, keeping them together, helping solve family
issues when times were rough. A single tear fell silently
along her cheeks, as she mourned the fate of her father.
The prince was a sharp observer, and noticed her. All
girls were the same, he thought, unable to handle the
thought of war and of fighting. One mention of war, and
they'd all go scurrying to hide in their tears.
Now, of course, she'd run off, like the rest of them, and
go gossip with the other village girls.
"Tsukino family .... "
Serena couldn't stand it anymore, as she saw her father
trudge slowly but proudly to pick up his army notice. She
could say nothing; she knew she would only dishonor her
father more by demanding for him to be considered special.
People would think that her father had deliberately told her,
as a pretty girl, to go beg the officers for a favor. Before
her tears could fall, she quickly turned around and pushed
her way back through the crowd.
It wasn't until she was alone before she started crying.
-----------
That night, she watched discreetly as her parents discussed
the war.
Her mother's voice drifted through the night air, filled with
emotion.
"Ken, you shouldn't go. You should apply for a disability
leave. You know your health isn't well. The king remembers
you, I'm sure. He'll let a national hero rest at home ... "
"And disgrace our family?" Her father's voice was urgent.
"I will not have our country think that they cannot depend
upon their heroes. It is a time of need. No matter what
the danger is, I must go. I may not be able to help much,
but I am a veteran. I can give tips on strategy. I might
not escape the enemy's arrows, but any help that I can give
will help our country. I ... "
His voice cracked there,
"just hope that you and Serena can be safe. If I'm there,
I'll know the most up-to-date news about the war, and warn
you when the enemies are drawing closer."
"Ken ... "
"Ilene, please. You know I would do anything for you two.
If I were to stay, people would talk. I would be forced
to go and enroll on my own. Then .... then .... while
I am away, the other villagers would mock you, and mock
our Serena. You know how cruel people can be."
"But we need you, Ken. I need you, and Serena does too."
He was crying with her. But he responded as gently as
he could.
"Take care of yourself. I couldn't bear to see you hurt.
Take care of our daughter for me. I don't think I'll be
able to say goodbye to her without crying as well. I
don't want her to think that her father is a big baby."
"Ken ... I love you."
"I love you too, Ilene. I always have, and I always will."
The two aged lovers embraced under the moonlight.
-----------
Serena's tears ran down her face.
Why did life have to be so cruel to two people who loved
each other so much?
"I don't think you're a coward at all, father." she whispered
into the night. "I think you're the bravest man that has
ever graced our country. But I don't want you to risk your
life. No, you have already contributed enough. Every family
must sacrifice one man. If it won't be you, then it can only
be .... me. Nobody would think of you as a disgrace if I
ran off in the middle of the night. I'm young and I'm strong.
Half the village thinks I'm a boy in disguise, anyway. I'll
do my best father, to bring more honor for you."
Her eyes narrowed in determination, and she went to her room
to plan.
End Prologue
*8 pages! Not bad for a beginner :)
Chapter 1 will be long and it'll get better, I hope.
There'll be Serena-Darien interactions too!
Considering me, I'll probably end up revising the entire
thing before I finish all the chapters :)
Luv ya! And I luv e-mails too ^.^ hint hint.*
Moni-chan
monichan@telus.net
