"Ohaya minna-san! Here's the next chapter. Pls R&R!! Arigatou!"

"Sailormoon ain't mine to claim," sobs Hanei T.

"Honto ni arigatou to those who had the time to spare for a review. To Asilin-san: Hm.the plot is in my head and well... I myself don't know what is gonna happen but I'm sure the unicorn (*wink) can be seen by a certain woman...(*wink,wink)" ---the evil Hanei T.



A MYSTERIOUS TALE by Hanei Tamashii

Chapter One

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A 100 years later at a village.

A young girl sat in a meadow full of colourful flowers. She lay down on the ground enjoying the warmth of the sun and the music sung by the birds that flew above her. She let out a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Serena Keller!!! Get your lazy bum right here!!!!" shouted another girl who was busy looking after a herd of sheep. Serena grumbled as she sat up and dusted her skirt. "Yes Lady Raye. May I be of assistance?" she asked politely. "Assistance? Bah! Who needs your assistance. We just need to get home before dark and look at the sky!" Serena smiled at her sister. Sometimes, I doubt we are even cousins, Serena thought as she helped her sister herd the sheeps across the bridge.

"Raye?"

"Hm."

"Do you believe in true love?"

Raye sighed. "Nah! Maybe for others there is. But me, I'll be content if I had a farmer for a husband and a roof over my head." Serena couldn't help but smile. Raye was always the realistic one. Never, does she dwell on the past nor does she believe in fairy tales or myths. Serena herself on the other hand, lived to dream and absolutely loves listening to old Henry, an old man in her village who always spares time to tell a tale or two. Serena was still deep in her thoughts when Raye suddenly yelled. "Mama! We're home." Serena herded the sheeps into the small pen their father had made and followed Raye into the kitchen. Raye had already cleaned herself and was helping to peel some potatoes. "Ah Sere, there you are. Come on don't just stand there. Clean yourself and make yourself useful," Ilene Keller said. Serena nodded and hurried to clean herself. Robert Keller returned home just before night dawned with a frown on his face. Serena heard the door creak open and hurriedly gathered her skirts. "Pa! You're home!" she said excitedly as she ran into his embrace. It has been a week since he left for the forests to restock his medicine supplies. For the first time in that week, Robert smiled.

"How's my little girl doing? Did she get into any trouble while I'm gone?" he asked light-heartedly as he ruffled Serena's hair.

"Is that what you think of me? A troublemaker! I think not!" Serena huffed jokingly.

"Robert!" "Pa!" Ilene and Raye came flying into the small living room and the four hugged each other. "I'm so glad you're back pa! You don't know how tired it is taking care of Sere," Raye joked. Serena crossed her arms. "Is not!" she retorted. Robert and Ilene smiled at their daughter's antics as the two started a tongue war.

"Come on now. It's dinner time," said Ilene as she helped Robert set down his bag of herbs. Serena and Raye huffed and turned their backs towards the other. "For the sake of dinner, I shall forgive you," said Serena as she proudly walked into the kitchen. "Forgive me!? I didn't start this argument! I.." Robert sighed and his wife. "Those two will never change," said Robert. Ilene merely smiled.





Serena skipped happily passing rows of houses. She had just finish buying some groceries Ilene had listed down and was on her way to old Henry's. She reached the old worn looking house and lightly knocked on the door. "Hellooooo. Anybody home?" Serena was about to knock on the door again when it creaked open. An old man peeked out and smiled. "Ah, Serena. I thought you had forgotten about me!" he said cheerfully. Serena smiled. "Me forget you? Only if I had left my head at home!" They both laughed as she entered the small house and settled her groceries aside. Henry motioned to her to take a sit beside him and handed her a cup of tea. "Thank you," said Serena as she gratefully accepted the cup. The weather was rather hot and her throat felt dry. She took a sip and sighed blissfully. Old Henry chuckled. "I had never seen anyone so thankful for a cup of tea." "Well, the weather these few days are terrible don't you agree?"

"I wonder...have you heard the story about a wonderful kingdom that finally fell in the hands of a dark sorceress?" he asked as he placed his cup on a small table. Serena perked up at the mentioned of a story. "Woo...A story? Great!" Henry couldn't help but smile. Serena was his favourite listener and he enjoyed her company immensely. He settled in his wooden rocking chair as he told the story he knew so familiarly. "My father told me this story when I was a boy. Once, there was a great kingdom in the heart of the forest. This kingdom was full of joy and no disaster had ever fall upon them except the death of the ruler." "That must be terrible!" Serena exclaimed. "Indeed it was. After their death, their only son ruled the kingdom. Though he was young, he was wise and the kingdom lived on peacefully. But one day..."

"Goodbye Henry! I dearly enjoyed your story though the ending isn't quite to my liking," said Serena as she waved goodbye and rushed down the sandy path with her groceries. Henry smiled but as soon as Serena disappeared from his sight his smile turned into a sigh. "The story isn't finish yet...your destiny is about to come for you, destined one," he whispered and closed his door. As if by magic, the house shimmered like a wavering mirage and vanished. Old Henry was never heard for a long time.

When Serena returned home, she was greeted with an unexpected sight. There was a party gathered right outside her house. Serena rushed in, squeezing past the horses and men. She looked frantically around the house for her family but couldn't. "Raye!!! Pa!!! Mama!!! Where are you!!!" shouted Serena. She was about to break down any moment when a pair of hands hugged her from the back. Serena turned to see tear-streaked violet eyes. "Raye!!!" Serena hugged Raye tightly as she stroke Raye's back to calm her sister down. "Oh, Sere!!!" Raye cried. Tears poured freely from Serena's eyes as she hugged her dear sister. "Raye," Serena pulled away slightly. "Tell me what happened. Please!" Serena begged. Raye struggled to stop her tears as she looked up to her younger sister. "The prince... he...Oh!" Raye cried frustratedly. From the middle of nowhere Robert walked up to his daughters. "The prince wants a girl from every household to serve in his castle," he said sadly. The bag of groceries from Serena's arm dropped onto the ground with all it's contents rolling out. "He has already chosen," continued Robert. Tears slid down his face as he hugged his girls fiercely. Ilene who was crying at a corner ran to her daughters. "No!!! I don't want my little girls to go!" cried Ilene.

A soldier walked up to the family and rudely interrupted them. "Please hurry outside and prepare to listen to the prince's order!" Serena and Raye was roughly pushed outside their house, separated from their crying parents. The soldier took no notice of them as the other girls were being gathered. "Prince Ralph, future king to of country has sent his word to take a girl from the age of sixteen to twenty from every house to work at his castle as servants for as long as ten years. The names read are the ones chosen to serve our future king faithfully!" said the soldier as loud as he could. Serena tighten her hold on her sister's hand as the soldier read out the names. "...Tia Gothlin, Jane Ann Davis, Kelly Borris, Raye Keller..." Serena's eyes widened in shock as she stepped in front of her sister protectively. "No! That rotten prince shall not separate my sister of my family and I!" Serena shouted bravely. Raye was frantically trying to pull Serena back as the soldier came to a halt. "What did you say you peasant girl!? How dare you insult our king! Guards, give that filthy, ill mannered girl fifty taste of your whip!" the soldier in command ordered.

"Serena!!!" Raye screamed as a few soldiers pulled Serena away from her grasp. Serena proudly allowed herself to be dragged away as a guard pulled out a whip. "No!!!" Ilene screamed as she tried to get out from the house but two guards used their spears to block her way. "No..." whimpered Ilene as Robert held her in his arms.



The Keller's household was extremely quiet that night. It almost seemed lifeless if it was not for the dull light emitted by the fire at the fireplace. Robert Keller washed his hands after pounding some herbs for his resting daughter. He was about to hand the bowl of greenish paste to his wife when Raye offered to attend to Serena. Robert nodded understandingly. It would be the last time Raye helped her father and the last time she would ever be with her sister until ten years passed. Raye lightly knocked on the wooden door and entered Serena's childlike room. There were a lot of handmade dolls and beautifully sewn cushion in the room yet it didn't make a smile on Raye's face like it always did. Serena lay on the bed with her back facing Raye. She could hear quiet sobs coming from her younger sister but Raye was determined to leave her sister with no tears. "Serena?" whispered Raye. "I've brought some medicine for your wounds." Raye placed the bowl on Serena's messy worktable and sat on the bed. She pulled slowly pulled away the wool blanket and sighed. "Sere, I would appreciate your help." Ever so slowly, Serena got up and pulled down her nightdress. Raye closed her eyes momentarily and took in a deep breath. Taking a scoop of the greenish paste, Raye spread it on shred of cloth and placed it on Serena's back. Serena flinched but made no sound of protest. Raye on the other hand was heartbroken. She couldn't bear to take another look at Serena's wound; she believed she had been the cause of it. The wooden spoon clattered on the floor as Raye broke into a fit of tears.

Serena who had closed her eyes, preparing for another sting at her back slowly turned to her sister with her lips pursed. She pulled up her nightdress and held her sister in her arms. "Oh... I'm a hopeless sister aren't I?" Raye asked through her sobs. Serena gave a smile and hugged her sister fiercely. "No, you're the best of the best and no one will ever change that, ever!" said Serena. Raye pulled away and wiped away her tears with the back of her hands. "Goodness, I promised I won't cry and look!" They laughed but it ended as fast as it had came. "You will look after pa and mama as good as I had, will you?" Serena smiled. "Looks like your ego is still as big as ever." They giggled and continued making promises throughout the night.



It was around three in the morning when a dark figure slowly made it's way into Raye's room. There on the table beside Raye's bed was an envelope with the royal seal. The figure walked in the dark towards the table and took the envelope leaving a note in the envelope's place. "Goodbye Raye, my sister. I shall return after ten years as promised and I hope you will go on without me by your side at that time." Serena stepped into the moonlight and kissed her sister lightly on her forehead. Taking a peek at her parent's room she whispered a goodbye. Serena slung a tied package of cloth containing some clothes over her shoulder and quietly left her house. She was determined to take on her sister's suffering for she always wanted to protect each of her family members. Serena walked along the dark path and disappeared into the night.

Raye groggily got up from bed and rubbed her tired eyes. Tired from a whole night of crying. She was about to head to the well at the back the house when something caught her eyes. At her table was no longer a brown envelope with a noticeable red seal but a piece of paper with neatly written black ink. Oh no!, Raye groaned as she picked up the note.

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Pa, Mama and my beloved sister,

I cannot bear the thought of having you, my dear sister to suffer for a bastard prince and finally after thinking for a whole night, I have made my decision. Please, oh please do not get mad. I am doing this because I want to, so please don't be angry of me. Well though I prefer that we all stay together always, there are exceptions I guess. Do not forget me as I will never forget all of you. In ten years time, I shall return. And Raye, I want to see my niece or at least a nephew! Pa, Mama I will always love you.

Your daughter and sister always,

Serena.

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"NO!!!!!!!SERENA!!!!!!"

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Hm... any comments( I'm sure you've loads of 'em ) Mail me at haneitamashii@tokyo.com or write a review!