Chapter 5: The Garden Swing
The sun drifted in and touched the still sleeping Serena. Her blue eyes fluttered open and she looked around. "Where am I?" She whispered to herself.
The door opened to reveal a beautifully dressed Michiru. She wore a long aqua gown that hung at her ankles. (An: Think princess dresses.) Her hair was pulled into a bun with a few strands touching her shoulders. "Morning, Michiru." Serena said.
"Good morning. Glad to see your up."
"Where am I?" Serena asked while pulling herself out of the comfy bed.
"The palace on Kinmoku." Michi said unconsciously.
"Oh." Serena took a few tentive steps to the window and peered out. It was beautiful! The city looked like it was carved from marble and glass. It was so wonderful, and amazing. The streets were stone and there was a garden in every yard. The palace was surrounded by more gardens full of the most beautiful flowers that she'd ever laid eyes on.
"Those are moonflowers." Hotaru was standing next to the door with a small smile. "And the violet ones are glossy poppies. The black are ebony silkies." She walked over to the window and peered out with her friend.
Michi rolled her eyes, "Here put this dress on." She laid a silver gown on the bed. She gave Serena a smile and left.
Serena sat there gazing out the window for a few more seconds, "Taru,?"
"Hm?" Hotaru was staring into the garden far out into the distance.
"Why does everyone hate me?"
Hotaru whipped around and gave Serena a soft look, "Ser, no one hates you. The inners have just lost their will to be friends. They'd probably knock each other off if given the chance." Taking a step closer, Hotaru wrapped her arms around the blonde. "Don't you worry Ser. Time is all we need and theirs a great guy in the main hall that's wanting to see you."
Serena wiped at the eyes, ridding herself of the tears that threatened to spill, "Seiya's down there?"
"Yep." Hotaru winked, "And I'll be heading that way in ten minutes or so. There are a couple of irate women. Specially Ruka-papa who's stuck in a dress." She giggled softly and kissed Serena's cheek. "You clean up then come down and join us."
Serena nodded and watched her Taru leave the room, "Thanks for understand." She whispered.
"Wait a second.. Where's the main hall?"
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Serena peered at her reflection in the mirror. "My hair's awful!" Taking a brush that was ironically there; she fixed her long yellow tresses as best she could. "Now to find this main hall." Exiting the bathroom she went into the hall.
Now happy to be somewhere nice, feeling clean, and refreshed; she went looking for the main hall. Instead she ran into Seiya, literally.
Her eyes widened as she gazed at the raven-haired starlight. She threw her arms around him and hugged him until he turned blue. "Ser.. en.. a." He gasped out. She let go and grinned sheepishly. "Nice to see you up. Have a nice nap?" He asked.
Serena nodded. 'It's strange. Seiya is so nice and I know he cares for me. So why haven't I actually thought about him as more then just a friend? No. that's bad Ser! He's a friend. You're safe thinking of friends. No love, ever again!'
"Could you take me to the main hall?" She asked. He nodded and led her to a huge door. "Thanks, Seiya. I'm glad to see you again." She whispered, before slipping into the room.
"I'm glad to see you too." Seiya said as he watched her go. It was hard though. He stilled loved her.
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Hotaru sat in the gardens looking at all the lovely flowers. She'd found the most beautiful spot. It was a circular area surrounded by shrubs that were too tall to see over and flowers bellow them. A small that didn't look very used was the only way to and from the spot. Flowers of all sort grew there, lilies, heather, pansies, carnations, tulips, and many others she'd never seen before. (An: No roses! Ha. take that cape boy! Guess whom I don't like?)
A tall tree loomed on one side of the area. From one of it's braches hung a swing. And that was one of the most appealing parts. The childish thing was so different then the rest of the royal things here that it appealed to her. She couldn't help but sit down and let herself rock on it.
It was also the farthest spot from the palace and from the city.
"Having fun?" A voice broke her out of her daydreams. Kakuya stood at the entrance a small smile playing on her lips. "I thought I'd find you here. It's one of Yaten's favorite spots." She said, lightly. Walking over to the bench near the base of the tree she took a seat.
Hotaru hopped off the swing and sat down on the bench too. "Hello, Kakuya." She greeted. "I wanted to ask you something and also tell you something. First I wanted to know of the dark force you had mentioned yesterday. I couldn't help but over hear you telling Yaten and Taiki about it." Hotaru watched for Kakuya's reaction.
"We, for a while now, have been having problems here. There have been raids on the villages, leaving everyone dead. And darkness has surrounded some of the stars on the farther reaches of this galaxy." Kakuya sighed. "It has been difficult but it's nothing to concern yourself with Saturn." She looked up at the sky for a moment then back to Hotaru. "Now what was the other thing?"
Hotaru closed her eyes trying to figure out how to say it. "Serena hasn't regained her full memories of the Silver Millennium." She started. "Before she came to me I'd been having dreams of the past." Kakuya nodded for her to go on. "The inners have done this before, betrayed her I mean. It happened so long ago though; that I'd hope it wouldn't happen again.. But it did. And now Serena is suffering so much. When she came to my door she was in tears. And she cried herself to sleep. But since then she hasn't mentioned it." Taking a deep breath she continued, "I'm worried it's eating away at her from the inside. I thought maybe you and the Starlights could help."
"I'll try. But that's all I can do. Try." Kakuya got up and started to leave. "Oh and Saturn." Hotaru looked up and met the princess's eyes. "You should try to let it go too. I know the inners were also your friends. If you need anything the Starlights and I are here. Even if the others don't see it, I know you feel just as betrayed as Serena. But for a different reason." With those final words she left.
"Am I really that easy to read?" Hotaru asked the wind.
The sun drifted in and touched the still sleeping Serena. Her blue eyes fluttered open and she looked around. "Where am I?" She whispered to herself.
The door opened to reveal a beautifully dressed Michiru. She wore a long aqua gown that hung at her ankles. (An: Think princess dresses.) Her hair was pulled into a bun with a few strands touching her shoulders. "Morning, Michiru." Serena said.
"Good morning. Glad to see your up."
"Where am I?" Serena asked while pulling herself out of the comfy bed.
"The palace on Kinmoku." Michi said unconsciously.
"Oh." Serena took a few tentive steps to the window and peered out. It was beautiful! The city looked like it was carved from marble and glass. It was so wonderful, and amazing. The streets were stone and there was a garden in every yard. The palace was surrounded by more gardens full of the most beautiful flowers that she'd ever laid eyes on.
"Those are moonflowers." Hotaru was standing next to the door with a small smile. "And the violet ones are glossy poppies. The black are ebony silkies." She walked over to the window and peered out with her friend.
Michi rolled her eyes, "Here put this dress on." She laid a silver gown on the bed. She gave Serena a smile and left.
Serena sat there gazing out the window for a few more seconds, "Taru,?"
"Hm?" Hotaru was staring into the garden far out into the distance.
"Why does everyone hate me?"
Hotaru whipped around and gave Serena a soft look, "Ser, no one hates you. The inners have just lost their will to be friends. They'd probably knock each other off if given the chance." Taking a step closer, Hotaru wrapped her arms around the blonde. "Don't you worry Ser. Time is all we need and theirs a great guy in the main hall that's wanting to see you."
Serena wiped at the eyes, ridding herself of the tears that threatened to spill, "Seiya's down there?"
"Yep." Hotaru winked, "And I'll be heading that way in ten minutes or so. There are a couple of irate women. Specially Ruka-papa who's stuck in a dress." She giggled softly and kissed Serena's cheek. "You clean up then come down and join us."
Serena nodded and watched her Taru leave the room, "Thanks for understand." She whispered.
"Wait a second.. Where's the main hall?"
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Serena peered at her reflection in the mirror. "My hair's awful!" Taking a brush that was ironically there; she fixed her long yellow tresses as best she could. "Now to find this main hall." Exiting the bathroom she went into the hall.
Now happy to be somewhere nice, feeling clean, and refreshed; she went looking for the main hall. Instead she ran into Seiya, literally.
Her eyes widened as she gazed at the raven-haired starlight. She threw her arms around him and hugged him until he turned blue. "Ser.. en.. a." He gasped out. She let go and grinned sheepishly. "Nice to see you up. Have a nice nap?" He asked.
Serena nodded. 'It's strange. Seiya is so nice and I know he cares for me. So why haven't I actually thought about him as more then just a friend? No. that's bad Ser! He's a friend. You're safe thinking of friends. No love, ever again!'
"Could you take me to the main hall?" She asked. He nodded and led her to a huge door. "Thanks, Seiya. I'm glad to see you again." She whispered, before slipping into the room.
"I'm glad to see you too." Seiya said as he watched her go. It was hard though. He stilled loved her.
**********************************************************************
Hotaru sat in the gardens looking at all the lovely flowers. She'd found the most beautiful spot. It was a circular area surrounded by shrubs that were too tall to see over and flowers bellow them. A small that didn't look very used was the only way to and from the spot. Flowers of all sort grew there, lilies, heather, pansies, carnations, tulips, and many others she'd never seen before. (An: No roses! Ha. take that cape boy! Guess whom I don't like?)
A tall tree loomed on one side of the area. From one of it's braches hung a swing. And that was one of the most appealing parts. The childish thing was so different then the rest of the royal things here that it appealed to her. She couldn't help but sit down and let herself rock on it.
It was also the farthest spot from the palace and from the city.
"Having fun?" A voice broke her out of her daydreams. Kakuya stood at the entrance a small smile playing on her lips. "I thought I'd find you here. It's one of Yaten's favorite spots." She said, lightly. Walking over to the bench near the base of the tree she took a seat.
Hotaru hopped off the swing and sat down on the bench too. "Hello, Kakuya." She greeted. "I wanted to ask you something and also tell you something. First I wanted to know of the dark force you had mentioned yesterday. I couldn't help but over hear you telling Yaten and Taiki about it." Hotaru watched for Kakuya's reaction.
"We, for a while now, have been having problems here. There have been raids on the villages, leaving everyone dead. And darkness has surrounded some of the stars on the farther reaches of this galaxy." Kakuya sighed. "It has been difficult but it's nothing to concern yourself with Saturn." She looked up at the sky for a moment then back to Hotaru. "Now what was the other thing?"
Hotaru closed her eyes trying to figure out how to say it. "Serena hasn't regained her full memories of the Silver Millennium." She started. "Before she came to me I'd been having dreams of the past." Kakuya nodded for her to go on. "The inners have done this before, betrayed her I mean. It happened so long ago though; that I'd hope it wouldn't happen again.. But it did. And now Serena is suffering so much. When she came to my door she was in tears. And she cried herself to sleep. But since then she hasn't mentioned it." Taking a deep breath she continued, "I'm worried it's eating away at her from the inside. I thought maybe you and the Starlights could help."
"I'll try. But that's all I can do. Try." Kakuya got up and started to leave. "Oh and Saturn." Hotaru looked up and met the princess's eyes. "You should try to let it go too. I know the inners were also your friends. If you need anything the Starlights and I are here. Even if the others don't see it, I know you feel just as betrayed as Serena. But for a different reason." With those final words she left.
"Am I really that easy to read?" Hotaru asked the wind.