Chapter 8
"Serena! Don't tell me you ran off to see Darien again!" I say, scolding Serena as she comes back from the gardens. It had been three years; Serena was now 16 and very in love with Darien of Earth. "You shouldn't be doing that, it is strictly forbidden," I say. "Honestly Alana," says Serena, "cant you do anything besides chastise Darien and I?" she asks. "Yes, but this is not right. I really should go tell your mother," I say. Serena stops dead in her tracks. "You wouldn't dare," she says threateningly. "Or would I?" I say, just as menacingly, we start to have one of our staring contests. I change instantly to a cheerful tone, "besides it's December 6th and you could catch a chill," I say, putting a shawl around her. "Once a nanny, always a nanny," mumbles Serena under her breath. "What do you mean?" I ask. "I mean that you haven't after being married," says Serena. "Oh, shut up," I say, throwing a scarf at her as we reach her room. "Good night Alana," she says, shutting the door. "Good night," I say, then I retire to my quarters.
Heat. Fire. Fear. People running. People screaming. "Ahh," I scream, sitting up in bed, still waking up from the nightmare. My breathing is hard and uneven. "Alana, what's wrong?" asks Aerik, who sits up in bed. "I had a nightmare," I say, I am shaking. Aerik puts his hands on my shoulders and the shaking ceases. "It's all right now, everything is fine," he says. "Your right, let's go back to bed," I say; Aerik falls asleep immediately but just lie in bed, awake.
The next morning, December 7th, everything was normal. I sent the girls to their etiquette class, and then went down to the nursery to be with Kenny, my two-and-a-half year old son. As with all children in the palace he has to spend most of his time there, but I am with him a lot. He is a happy, bouncy little boy with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. He is so cute.
That evening I took him to dinner. Every one always goes gaga over him. Today was no exception. But something happened. First, the ground began to quake. Then a yellow light appeared outside the window. Only one word entered my mind, 'Negaverse'. The word is like a viper's venom on my tongue. It made me want to spit. The Negaverse had almost caused my death once before. I grabbed Kenny and held him tight. "Waz hapn mom?" he asks me. I want to say it is the Negaverse, but I am not totally sure. My confirmation comes from the fear in the queen's eyes. "We are being attacked," I tell Kenny quietly, so that I don't start a panic; Kenny does not speak any more. The attack is over in a couple of minutes; I close my eyes and breathe a sigh of relief. I want to believe that it has really ended, but I know it has only just begun.
I wake up on September 10th knowing that something is wrong. Then I remember, there is going to be a ball tonight. Luckily there have been no attacks for the past month, and to celebrate, or lift the peoples spirits, the queen announced a ball. It's been almost a year since the first attack and the 'secret training'. Shortly after the first attack the queen called Serena's court to her. She spoke with them for a long time and ever after they have been in 'secret training'. I found out that the 'secret training' was the queen training them to become the legendary warriors the Sailor Scouts. Don't ask me how I found out, I just have a lot of friends. They are training to guard the kingdom, the Moon Crystal, and Serena. I notice that Aerik has already gone on patrol. Why do they let him do anything with his shoulder the way it is? Luckily I got him the night off using the excuse that it will be Kenny's first ball.
That night I dress myself in a flowing blue dress. I put Kenny in a little black tuxedo with a blue tie. I carry Kenny and Aerik leads me to the Grand Ballroom. I stop at the window, something is not right, the sky has turned red. "Ow! Don't step on my tail!" says a voice from bellow; it's Artemis, with Luna trying to lift my foot up. "Kitty!" says Kenny; he is delighted to see them. "Yes, Kitty," I say to him, then I turn to Luna and Artemis, I pick up my foot. "Sorry about that," I say to Artemis who is massaging his tail. "It's all right," he says back, "you're going to be late if you don't hurry up." "Yes, we will," says Aerik, he turns to me, "the queen did say that she would have our heads if we were late." "Good day Luna, Artemis," I say as we walk off; they wave to us. Luna and Artemis are the queen's main advisors, even if they are cats. I do not know them very well. I look back to see what they thought of the sky to see that they had scurried off, I keep walking. As we walk into the Grand Ballroom I gasp. The room is full of little glass vines crawling up the walls. I each grape there is a little light, making the room lit but dim. It is so beautiful. The dance begins very joyfully with people laughing, talking, and dancing. I can't seem to find Serena or Darien anywhere. Suddenly Luna and Artemis run into the room. "We are being attacked!" they scream. I walk up to them, bend down, and ask, "what do you mean?" "We are being attacked, by the Negaverse. They have Darien and Serena," they say as they bat away Kenny's hand; everyone gasps. The soldiers run out of the room to defend us, and the girls go behind the curtain to transform. Aerik is about to go when I stop him, "don't be silly, you can't fight with your good shoulder hurt so bad. Or did you forget being stabbed be the Negaverse awhile ago? The queen put you on partial medical leave," I say, he relaxes. "You're right," he says. I notice that the queen has run from the room. "Come with me," I say to Aerik. We run out of the room, I am clutching Kenny with all of my might. I hear people screaming outside. We run into the garden and hide in the bushes. Every time Kenny starts to fuss I quiet him, this is the only way we will stay alive. We hide in the bushes all night and day. I cringe every time I hear a scream, knowing that someone else is probably dead. At about three in the afternoon everyone is still fighting. No fight has ever gone on this long. We run from the bushes into the street, I almost scream. People are strewn across the street. Some are screaming or whimpering, most are silent. Something hits me in the back and strikes me down. I can tell that the Negaverse has just attacked me, again. Aerik squeezes my hand, telling me not to move or talk. I tell Kenny the same. I lie there for hours, pretending to be dead. Everything just gets worse. I know we are doomed when the sun starts to set. I look over and see Darien lying dead in the square. Serena is sobbing over him. I see something in her hand; it is the crystal sword! She raises it and points it at her chest. "NO!" I exclaim quietly. Serena thrusts the sword into her chest and falls, dead, onto Darien's chest. Kenny hugs me and Aerik gives my hand an affectionate squeeze. "No!" yells the queen, "I can't lose her to!" The queen raises the Crescent Moon Wand into the air. "You can't use that!" yells Artemis. "You'll use up all of your power and die!" screams Luna. "No-your-majesty," I say, out of breath, standing up. Kenny, Aerik, and I stand up together. The queen looks me straight in the eye and a tear comes down out of both our eyes. "I have to," she say, her voice shaky but calm. I look in the distance, towards Pluto, and see a tiny, bright light. "Moon Crystal," shouts the queen, a darkness starts to fall over the kingdom, like the Silence Glaive was being dropped. "Power!" as she says this darkness fell over the kingdom. As the sun sets, the kingdom falls, on September 11th.
"Serena! Don't tell me you ran off to see Darien again!" I say, scolding Serena as she comes back from the gardens. It had been three years; Serena was now 16 and very in love with Darien of Earth. "You shouldn't be doing that, it is strictly forbidden," I say. "Honestly Alana," says Serena, "cant you do anything besides chastise Darien and I?" she asks. "Yes, but this is not right. I really should go tell your mother," I say. Serena stops dead in her tracks. "You wouldn't dare," she says threateningly. "Or would I?" I say, just as menacingly, we start to have one of our staring contests. I change instantly to a cheerful tone, "besides it's December 6th and you could catch a chill," I say, putting a shawl around her. "Once a nanny, always a nanny," mumbles Serena under her breath. "What do you mean?" I ask. "I mean that you haven't after being married," says Serena. "Oh, shut up," I say, throwing a scarf at her as we reach her room. "Good night Alana," she says, shutting the door. "Good night," I say, then I retire to my quarters.
Heat. Fire. Fear. People running. People screaming. "Ahh," I scream, sitting up in bed, still waking up from the nightmare. My breathing is hard and uneven. "Alana, what's wrong?" asks Aerik, who sits up in bed. "I had a nightmare," I say, I am shaking. Aerik puts his hands on my shoulders and the shaking ceases. "It's all right now, everything is fine," he says. "Your right, let's go back to bed," I say; Aerik falls asleep immediately but just lie in bed, awake.
The next morning, December 7th, everything was normal. I sent the girls to their etiquette class, and then went down to the nursery to be with Kenny, my two-and-a-half year old son. As with all children in the palace he has to spend most of his time there, but I am with him a lot. He is a happy, bouncy little boy with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. He is so cute.
That evening I took him to dinner. Every one always goes gaga over him. Today was no exception. But something happened. First, the ground began to quake. Then a yellow light appeared outside the window. Only one word entered my mind, 'Negaverse'. The word is like a viper's venom on my tongue. It made me want to spit. The Negaverse had almost caused my death once before. I grabbed Kenny and held him tight. "Waz hapn mom?" he asks me. I want to say it is the Negaverse, but I am not totally sure. My confirmation comes from the fear in the queen's eyes. "We are being attacked," I tell Kenny quietly, so that I don't start a panic; Kenny does not speak any more. The attack is over in a couple of minutes; I close my eyes and breathe a sigh of relief. I want to believe that it has really ended, but I know it has only just begun.
I wake up on September 10th knowing that something is wrong. Then I remember, there is going to be a ball tonight. Luckily there have been no attacks for the past month, and to celebrate, or lift the peoples spirits, the queen announced a ball. It's been almost a year since the first attack and the 'secret training'. Shortly after the first attack the queen called Serena's court to her. She spoke with them for a long time and ever after they have been in 'secret training'. I found out that the 'secret training' was the queen training them to become the legendary warriors the Sailor Scouts. Don't ask me how I found out, I just have a lot of friends. They are training to guard the kingdom, the Moon Crystal, and Serena. I notice that Aerik has already gone on patrol. Why do they let him do anything with his shoulder the way it is? Luckily I got him the night off using the excuse that it will be Kenny's first ball.
That night I dress myself in a flowing blue dress. I put Kenny in a little black tuxedo with a blue tie. I carry Kenny and Aerik leads me to the Grand Ballroom. I stop at the window, something is not right, the sky has turned red. "Ow! Don't step on my tail!" says a voice from bellow; it's Artemis, with Luna trying to lift my foot up. "Kitty!" says Kenny; he is delighted to see them. "Yes, Kitty," I say to him, then I turn to Luna and Artemis, I pick up my foot. "Sorry about that," I say to Artemis who is massaging his tail. "It's all right," he says back, "you're going to be late if you don't hurry up." "Yes, we will," says Aerik, he turns to me, "the queen did say that she would have our heads if we were late." "Good day Luna, Artemis," I say as we walk off; they wave to us. Luna and Artemis are the queen's main advisors, even if they are cats. I do not know them very well. I look back to see what they thought of the sky to see that they had scurried off, I keep walking. As we walk into the Grand Ballroom I gasp. The room is full of little glass vines crawling up the walls. I each grape there is a little light, making the room lit but dim. It is so beautiful. The dance begins very joyfully with people laughing, talking, and dancing. I can't seem to find Serena or Darien anywhere. Suddenly Luna and Artemis run into the room. "We are being attacked!" they scream. I walk up to them, bend down, and ask, "what do you mean?" "We are being attacked, by the Negaverse. They have Darien and Serena," they say as they bat away Kenny's hand; everyone gasps. The soldiers run out of the room to defend us, and the girls go behind the curtain to transform. Aerik is about to go when I stop him, "don't be silly, you can't fight with your good shoulder hurt so bad. Or did you forget being stabbed be the Negaverse awhile ago? The queen put you on partial medical leave," I say, he relaxes. "You're right," he says. I notice that the queen has run from the room. "Come with me," I say to Aerik. We run out of the room, I am clutching Kenny with all of my might. I hear people screaming outside. We run into the garden and hide in the bushes. Every time Kenny starts to fuss I quiet him, this is the only way we will stay alive. We hide in the bushes all night and day. I cringe every time I hear a scream, knowing that someone else is probably dead. At about three in the afternoon everyone is still fighting. No fight has ever gone on this long. We run from the bushes into the street, I almost scream. People are strewn across the street. Some are screaming or whimpering, most are silent. Something hits me in the back and strikes me down. I can tell that the Negaverse has just attacked me, again. Aerik squeezes my hand, telling me not to move or talk. I tell Kenny the same. I lie there for hours, pretending to be dead. Everything just gets worse. I know we are doomed when the sun starts to set. I look over and see Darien lying dead in the square. Serena is sobbing over him. I see something in her hand; it is the crystal sword! She raises it and points it at her chest. "NO!" I exclaim quietly. Serena thrusts the sword into her chest and falls, dead, onto Darien's chest. Kenny hugs me and Aerik gives my hand an affectionate squeeze. "No!" yells the queen, "I can't lose her to!" The queen raises the Crescent Moon Wand into the air. "You can't use that!" yells Artemis. "You'll use up all of your power and die!" screams Luna. "No-your-majesty," I say, out of breath, standing up. Kenny, Aerik, and I stand up together. The queen looks me straight in the eye and a tear comes down out of both our eyes. "I have to," she say, her voice shaky but calm. I look in the distance, towards Pluto, and see a tiny, bright light. "Moon Crystal," shouts the queen, a darkness starts to fall over the kingdom, like the Silence Glaive was being dropped. "Power!" as she says this darkness fell over the kingdom. As the sun sets, the kingdom falls, on September 11th.
