Chapter 1:
~~~
Ray tossed in her bed. The dream had been haunting her for the past 2 and half weeks.
**
Ray stood there, looking on a Black Crystal Tokyo. She could see everybody, but nobody could see her. She walked through the palace, as she did many times before. She walked to the largest room in the palace. Queen Serenity's room. Ray opened the door, and looked in. the room was black. Everything was black. The walls, the floor, the curtains, the bed frame, the blankets. Everything. Then Ray saw it. The crystal that Serena spent all of those years protecting, sitting in a black velvet casing. She reached out to touch it, and when she did, she picked it up. It was so very hot. Almost burning hot, but the heat did not bother her. A brilliant white light flashed from the gem, and Ray had to close her eyes against it. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw that the crystal was beginning to turn grey. It was no longer black. Ray widened her eyes. She had never been able to touch the crystal before. Every time she tried, her hand slipped through it. This was something new.
**
"RAY! Wake up!"
Someone shook her shoulders, and she opened her eyes, and looked to see Lita, Mina, and Ami.
"You slept through everything Ray…you were dreaming…"
Ray sat up, and felt something dig into her side. She picked up the object and gasped. It was the crystal! Everyone let out a gasp.
"It's…"
"Yes…"
"How?!"
"I don't know! Somehow I dreamt that I picked it up…and then you woke me up!"
Everyone's eyes widened.
"So… you pulled that crystal out of your dream?" Ami asked.
Ray nodded. It was hard for her to believe that she had the spiritual power to do that.
"Hey you guys…how's Darien?"
Mina shook her head.
"He could be a lot better…"
"Any word from Serena?" Ray asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
"Dammit…"
~~~
Serena walked off of the plane, and looked around the airport for her new family. Someone came up and tapped her on he shoulder.
"Excuse me miss, but you wouldn't happen to be Serena Moon would you?" a lady asked with a Texas drawl
"Yes I am…"
"Well great! My name is Savannah Taylor, and welcome to Texas! Let's get your bags, and set off!"
Savannah led Serena off towards baggage claim, and soon, she saw her bags. Serena picked them up, and followed Savannah outside and to her awaiting truck. Savannah helped Serena put her bags into the back, and then they both climbed in.
"You're going to love it out on the ranch. School hasn't started yet this year, but you're already enrolled, and we have got you some school things. I know that you're used to a private school, but we don't have one close to the ranch. But you'll be going to school with Emma, my daughter. She's about your age…and just excited to meet you…"
The drive to the ranch seemed long, but Serena didn't mind. She loved the rusty colored hills that surrounded the place.
"Well… here we are!"
Savannah pulled into a driveway of the ranch, and Serena read the sign.
Starlight Ranch…I like that. It's pretty…
Savannah stopped the truck, and Serena could see two dogs lying on the porch. They got up and started barking when they climbed out of the truck. The porch door swung open, and a girl Serena's age ran out. She had shoulder length brown hair, and clear green eyes.
"Mom! You're back!"
"Emma, I'd like you to meet Serena Moon."
Emma ran up to Serena and gave her a hug.
"Welcome to the Starlight Ranch! Let me get your bags, and I'll show you your room!"
Emma grabbed a bag, and Serena grabbed a bag, then they all walked into the house.
"That's Buster and Rocket…they won't bother you…"
Emma led Serena up a flight of stairs.
"We didn't know what room you'd like to sleep in, but I thought that the one at the end of the hall would be perfect for you…"
Emma opened the door, and Serena stepped inside. The room was bright with the setting of the sun. Emma placed her bag on the floor, and walked to the window.
"This is the best room in th house. You can see the pastures, the mountains, the woodland, and it has a great view of the night sky. I love this room because of the bay windows. They give off so much light."
"Emma! Why don't you help Serena unpack, then show her the animals?" her mother called from downstairs.
"Ok!"
Serena and Emma began to take out and hang up all of Serena's clothes. Emma came upon a picture.
"Is this you?"
Serena nodded, and Emma looked at the picture again. Serena was standing with a good-looking guy, and they were gazing at each other. Leaves fell in the background of the photo.
"Who is this?"
"My ex…"
Emma could see by the look on Serena's face, that this subject was off limits…for now.
"Well… let's get you outside…"
Emma handed Serena her jacket, and then they walked down the stairs, and outside.
"We have a ton of land…most of it's untamed, and we like it that way, but we have great fields for the horses…"
Emma opened the barn doors. Inside was dim, but still very light from the sun, and Serena could see horses.
"These are not all of them, my dad and bother are out right now rounding the rest of them up…but we have a brand new one…just got here today in fact."
Emma led her to the last stall. Serena looked inside and saw a black horse with a white diamond on its head.
"She's a beauty… huh?"
"She is…"
"She's yours…"
Serena looked at Emma.
"What?"
"Mother and father thought that in order for you to be a Texan, you have to have your own horse, and they felt that none of the horses here would fit you, so they were out and bought her."
"What's her name?"
"Guardian."
Serena stretched out a hand, and the horse nuzzled it. Outside the barn, Buster and Rocket started to bark.
"I think my dad and brother are back…"
"Hey Emma!"
"Hey dad! We're in the barn!"
Serena turned and saw two figures walking towards them.
"Daddy… I'd like you to meet Serena. Serena, this is my dad Cal, and my older brother Grady."
"Well hello there! Hope Emma here isn't bugging you too much."
"No. She's not…"
Cal laughed, and Serena looked at him. He was tall, and well built with sandy brown hair, and blue eyes.
"I see you've met Guardian…" Grady asked.
He was taller than Cal, and very good-looking. Black hair, and brown eyes. He looked a lot like…no...she scolded herself.
"Yes I have."
A bell began to ring.
"Dinner!" Savannah called.
Thy walked out of the barn, and headed to the house.
"Wash up boys!"
Cal and Grady went to the kitchen sink and washed their hands.
"Have a seat girls!"
Emma and Serena sat down at the table beside each other. Serena looked at the food on the table. It didn't look like much, but it smelled delicious. Chicken salad, with cornbread, and iced tea never looked so good.
"Well…help yourselves!"
Emma piled salad onto her plate, and then passed the bowl to Serena. She helped herself, but had to remember that there were 3 other people, so she handed the bowl over to Cal. Conversation at the dinner table was what Serena had expected. They asked her about Tokyo, her fiends, and her family. She answered the questions, and yawned.
"Oh… excuse me…"
Savannah smiled.
"It's ok. After you're done, you can go to bed if you want."
Dinner ended, and Serena placed her plate in the kitchen.
"Is there anything that I can help with?"
"No! We have everything under control. Go to sleep. You look like you could fall over. Tomorrow, I'll get someone to take you out on a ride… you do know how to ride, right?"
Serena blushed.
"Not really…"
"Perfect! I'll get Grady to teach you. Now head upstairs…"
Savannah smiled. Serena said goodnight to everyone, then walked up the stairs to her new room.
They're so nice. I'm going to like it here, and Grady's kind of cute…
Serena let down her hair, and changed into her star pajamas. She looked in her bag for her slippers and slipped them on her feet. She located the bathroom, and found he toothbrush. Just as she was finishing brushing her teeth, Grady walked in.
"OH! Sorry!"
"That's ok. I'm done here…"
He looked at her. Serena's silvery/blond hair was way past her bottom, and was almost touching the floor.
"That's a lot of hair you have…"
"I know. It's a pain in the ass…I'm going to see if Savannah can drive me into town do I can get it cut…"
"I can take you. I have to take Emma to get her hair done anyways…"
"I'd like that… thank you."
"I'm going to wake you up first thing so we can start on your lessons…"
"OK…" she yawned, and walked out of the bathroom.
Grady watched as Serena walked out of the bathroom, and to her door.
"Goodnight 'Rena…"
"Goodnight Grady…"
She disappeared into her room. She shut the light off, and then heard a beeping sound coming from her laptop that her mother and father bought for her before she left. She walked over to it, and flipped up the lid, and saw that she had mail. Serena sat down at the desk, and opened it.
~~~
Ray tossed in her bed. The dream had been haunting her for the past 2 and half weeks.
**
Ray stood there, looking on a Black Crystal Tokyo. She could see everybody, but nobody could see her. She walked through the palace, as she did many times before. She walked to the largest room in the palace. Queen Serenity's room. Ray opened the door, and looked in. the room was black. Everything was black. The walls, the floor, the curtains, the bed frame, the blankets. Everything. Then Ray saw it. The crystal that Serena spent all of those years protecting, sitting in a black velvet casing. She reached out to touch it, and when she did, she picked it up. It was so very hot. Almost burning hot, but the heat did not bother her. A brilliant white light flashed from the gem, and Ray had to close her eyes against it. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw that the crystal was beginning to turn grey. It was no longer black. Ray widened her eyes. She had never been able to touch the crystal before. Every time she tried, her hand slipped through it. This was something new.
**
"RAY! Wake up!"
Someone shook her shoulders, and she opened her eyes, and looked to see Lita, Mina, and Ami.
"You slept through everything Ray…you were dreaming…"
Ray sat up, and felt something dig into her side. She picked up the object and gasped. It was the crystal! Everyone let out a gasp.
"It's…"
"Yes…"
"How?!"
"I don't know! Somehow I dreamt that I picked it up…and then you woke me up!"
Everyone's eyes widened.
"So… you pulled that crystal out of your dream?" Ami asked.
Ray nodded. It was hard for her to believe that she had the spiritual power to do that.
"Hey you guys…how's Darien?"
Mina shook her head.
"He could be a lot better…"
"Any word from Serena?" Ray asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
"Dammit…"
~~~
Serena walked off of the plane, and looked around the airport for her new family. Someone came up and tapped her on he shoulder.
"Excuse me miss, but you wouldn't happen to be Serena Moon would you?" a lady asked with a Texas drawl
"Yes I am…"
"Well great! My name is Savannah Taylor, and welcome to Texas! Let's get your bags, and set off!"
Savannah led Serena off towards baggage claim, and soon, she saw her bags. Serena picked them up, and followed Savannah outside and to her awaiting truck. Savannah helped Serena put her bags into the back, and then they both climbed in.
"You're going to love it out on the ranch. School hasn't started yet this year, but you're already enrolled, and we have got you some school things. I know that you're used to a private school, but we don't have one close to the ranch. But you'll be going to school with Emma, my daughter. She's about your age…and just excited to meet you…"
The drive to the ranch seemed long, but Serena didn't mind. She loved the rusty colored hills that surrounded the place.
"Well… here we are!"
Savannah pulled into a driveway of the ranch, and Serena read the sign.
Starlight Ranch…I like that. It's pretty…
Savannah stopped the truck, and Serena could see two dogs lying on the porch. They got up and started barking when they climbed out of the truck. The porch door swung open, and a girl Serena's age ran out. She had shoulder length brown hair, and clear green eyes.
"Mom! You're back!"
"Emma, I'd like you to meet Serena Moon."
Emma ran up to Serena and gave her a hug.
"Welcome to the Starlight Ranch! Let me get your bags, and I'll show you your room!"
Emma grabbed a bag, and Serena grabbed a bag, then they all walked into the house.
"That's Buster and Rocket…they won't bother you…"
Emma led Serena up a flight of stairs.
"We didn't know what room you'd like to sleep in, but I thought that the one at the end of the hall would be perfect for you…"
Emma opened the door, and Serena stepped inside. The room was bright with the setting of the sun. Emma placed her bag on the floor, and walked to the window.
"This is the best room in th house. You can see the pastures, the mountains, the woodland, and it has a great view of the night sky. I love this room because of the bay windows. They give off so much light."
"Emma! Why don't you help Serena unpack, then show her the animals?" her mother called from downstairs.
"Ok!"
Serena and Emma began to take out and hang up all of Serena's clothes. Emma came upon a picture.
"Is this you?"
Serena nodded, and Emma looked at the picture again. Serena was standing with a good-looking guy, and they were gazing at each other. Leaves fell in the background of the photo.
"Who is this?"
"My ex…"
Emma could see by the look on Serena's face, that this subject was off limits…for now.
"Well… let's get you outside…"
Emma handed Serena her jacket, and then they walked down the stairs, and outside.
"We have a ton of land…most of it's untamed, and we like it that way, but we have great fields for the horses…"
Emma opened the barn doors. Inside was dim, but still very light from the sun, and Serena could see horses.
"These are not all of them, my dad and bother are out right now rounding the rest of them up…but we have a brand new one…just got here today in fact."
Emma led her to the last stall. Serena looked inside and saw a black horse with a white diamond on its head.
"She's a beauty… huh?"
"She is…"
"She's yours…"
Serena looked at Emma.
"What?"
"Mother and father thought that in order for you to be a Texan, you have to have your own horse, and they felt that none of the horses here would fit you, so they were out and bought her."
"What's her name?"
"Guardian."
Serena stretched out a hand, and the horse nuzzled it. Outside the barn, Buster and Rocket started to bark.
"I think my dad and brother are back…"
"Hey Emma!"
"Hey dad! We're in the barn!"
Serena turned and saw two figures walking towards them.
"Daddy… I'd like you to meet Serena. Serena, this is my dad Cal, and my older brother Grady."
"Well hello there! Hope Emma here isn't bugging you too much."
"No. She's not…"
Cal laughed, and Serena looked at him. He was tall, and well built with sandy brown hair, and blue eyes.
"I see you've met Guardian…" Grady asked.
He was taller than Cal, and very good-looking. Black hair, and brown eyes. He looked a lot like…no...she scolded herself.
"Yes I have."
A bell began to ring.
"Dinner!" Savannah called.
Thy walked out of the barn, and headed to the house.
"Wash up boys!"
Cal and Grady went to the kitchen sink and washed their hands.
"Have a seat girls!"
Emma and Serena sat down at the table beside each other. Serena looked at the food on the table. It didn't look like much, but it smelled delicious. Chicken salad, with cornbread, and iced tea never looked so good.
"Well…help yourselves!"
Emma piled salad onto her plate, and then passed the bowl to Serena. She helped herself, but had to remember that there were 3 other people, so she handed the bowl over to Cal. Conversation at the dinner table was what Serena had expected. They asked her about Tokyo, her fiends, and her family. She answered the questions, and yawned.
"Oh… excuse me…"
Savannah smiled.
"It's ok. After you're done, you can go to bed if you want."
Dinner ended, and Serena placed her plate in the kitchen.
"Is there anything that I can help with?"
"No! We have everything under control. Go to sleep. You look like you could fall over. Tomorrow, I'll get someone to take you out on a ride… you do know how to ride, right?"
Serena blushed.
"Not really…"
"Perfect! I'll get Grady to teach you. Now head upstairs…"
Savannah smiled. Serena said goodnight to everyone, then walked up the stairs to her new room.
They're so nice. I'm going to like it here, and Grady's kind of cute…
Serena let down her hair, and changed into her star pajamas. She looked in her bag for her slippers and slipped them on her feet. She located the bathroom, and found he toothbrush. Just as she was finishing brushing her teeth, Grady walked in.
"OH! Sorry!"
"That's ok. I'm done here…"
He looked at her. Serena's silvery/blond hair was way past her bottom, and was almost touching the floor.
"That's a lot of hair you have…"
"I know. It's a pain in the ass…I'm going to see if Savannah can drive me into town do I can get it cut…"
"I can take you. I have to take Emma to get her hair done anyways…"
"I'd like that… thank you."
"I'm going to wake you up first thing so we can start on your lessons…"
"OK…" she yawned, and walked out of the bathroom.
Grady watched as Serena walked out of the bathroom, and to her door.
"Goodnight 'Rena…"
"Goodnight Grady…"
She disappeared into her room. She shut the light off, and then heard a beeping sound coming from her laptop that her mother and father bought for her before she left. She walked over to it, and flipped up the lid, and saw that she had mail. Serena sat down at the desk, and opened it.
