The Second Triplet
Akhana Rishayo
Disclaimer: SM is the copyright of Naoko Takeuchi. TokyoPop comics, Kodansha comics, and Toei animation use it under license; I do not own it, nor do I own the name "Beauty," which has been used by Disney and HarperCrest books.
(Author's Note): Although I do not own SM or any of its affiliated characters, all characters mentioned otherwise are mine, and any person caught using them will be hunted down. I hope you like the story, so please R&R. Criticism is welcomed, especially constructive, and any comments, thoughts, and/or suggestions for future writing are welcome.
For those of you who do not know, there was a set of triplets born the day that Serenity was born. As a matter of fact, Serenity was one-third of that set; she was the eldest. Her two triplet matches were Beauty and Aurora, for Queen Serenitatis gave birth to these three in the peace and beauty of the dawn of a new day.
(A/N): Serenity is another word for peace, and aurora is another word for the dawn. Beauty is self-explanatory. I do not know if Serenity was really part of a set or whether she was an only child, nor do I know if Serenitatis was Serenity's mother's name. I decided that the mother's shortened name went to the eldest daughter. To fellow author Moonlady, I would like to say that your name for the princess's sister in your "Moonlady" fanfiction helped me with the aforementioned idea. And back to my story…^_~
Most people know the story of how Serenity's kingdom grew and flourished on Earth's moon, but none know the story of the other two triplets. This is the story of Beauty, the second triplet. She is the second eldest; Aurora is the youngest, although the three's ages are separated by mere seconds. But Aurora's is a different story.
We begin from Beauty's point of view, a few days before the war between the Earth and the Negaverse…
Beauty collapsed onto her older sister Serenity's bed. She pushed her loose silver, holographically-color-changing hair from her face and stared at her. "What," she asked in disbelief.
Serenity looked at Beauty. "Stand up, dear. You're wrinkling your dress." The younger woman did so, apparently at the motherly, no-nonsense tone. Beauty's loop- collar silver-satin dress fell into place, it's loveliness injured by the wrinkles that had so easily swarmed the fabric. "Now listen, dear. I'll say this one more time, very slowly, so that you can understand it." She circled Beauty, smoothing out the worst wrinkles with her magic. You, must, leave. There. Must I say it more slowly?"
"No, thank you, Serenity. I can do quite well without the sarcasm. But why?"
"Because I said so. And as queen of this realm, I order you to go. Something's not right." She didn't add that Beauty's mirror had shown her some awful things lately. Beauty often let Serenity borrow her magic mirror. She couldn't make any sense out of it, but the ravaged images of her kingdom, a shadowy queen, and her family's death were quite enough for her. If her sisters were here at the same time the images came true, they all would be destroyed, and Queen Serenitatis would have no heiress. Phoenixes rest her soul, Serenity thought. Her mother would not let this kingdom be destroyed; neither would Serenity. I am my mother's daughter. Nothing evil shall prevail, she had said once. Serenity fervently prayed it would be true this night.
When Beauty returned to her room, she rang for her steward. The little bellpull was made of blue silk and the bell tinkled merrily in the servants' room. Moments later a forty-ish man wearing the lavender-trimmed silver silk tunic and pants characteristic of Beauty's court entered the room. His features were worn, and he had a touch of silver in the brown at each temple, but he was loyal, and had a good heart. Beauty trusted him with her life. "Vincent, pack our bags." He waited. She walked to her window, looked out at the home she had known for ages when she was a child. Then she had moved to a new home, but this remained her heart's home. She had left for and found love on Omega Nine, the ninth moon of Planet Omega, and there built both a kingdom and a family. She had still yearned for the comforts of triplet-hood, though, so she and her sisters had planned regular visits for her on Luna, Earth's moon. She and her family stayed for a few weeks out of the year. Now she was afraid she would never see it again. "We are going home."
"Home? So soon?" Vincent usually didn't question, but when he did, it was for good reason. He always got answers, too. Things were just that way, because he was such a dear heart.
"Yes." Beauty took a breath. "Serenity has ordered us to leave because she feels something…something evil. I know because I feel it too. Above all, we must leave quietly." The steward bowed and started to leave. "Vincent," she said before he was gone.
"Yes?"
"Be careful. Some of my other relatives aren't 'available' right now due to some late-night carousing, and they might get a bit upset at being disturbed. They're feeling quite delicate about now."
Vincent tried hard not to smile. Beauty's court did love their champagne flutes. "Yes, my lady."
As soon as he had departed, Beauty ran down the hall, satin skirt flying behind her. She reached her younger triplet's door and sidestepped the guards. "Aurora! Aurora, please open the door! It's me, Beauty!" She pounded on the door. Seconds later, it swung open.
A woman of Beauty's and Serenity's age with a varicolor gown and multi- color hair cascading down from an odango on the crown of her head stood holding it. "Beauty?" she asked. "Why are you—"
Beauty stepped just inside the door and closed it. No one within the rest of the apartment could hear what she said, nor could anyone without. "Please. Don't ask. Just get everyone in your court out. Serenity fears something is wrong, and I feel it too. I'm leaving; Serenity ordered me out. Please do the same. I do not want to see you hurt."
"What do you mean?"
"Concentrate. Search for evil, malice, rage. You will feel them on the edge of consciousness, like they're getting closer, coming toward us." At her younger sister's surprise at her success, Beauty continued. "Go. Do not stay. Serenity herself will tell you if you don't. She has already ordered me out." Footsteps interrupted her, echoing down the hall and around the corner. "She is coming to as you to leave! Don't let on that you know. Tell no one in your court until she has gone." Beauty scurried off the opposite way from Serenity's approach, calling Vincent every so often so as to mask her reason for coming. When she got back to her own rooms, she threw open her wardrobe and pulled her clothes off of the hangers. After they all lay in a pile on her bed, Beauty systematically vanished each into her closet at her own palace, far away on the moon of Omega.
Vincent arrived a short while later, just as Beauty was gathering her cosmetics into her purse. She dropped in eyeliner, mascara, lipsticks in every shade, eyeshadow to match, nail polishes by the handful, and several combs and brushes. Her purse wasn't that big; in fact, it was the dainty little pouch that most women wear. But this purse had a secret. Inside was a portal to a storage area in space. No one knew where it was, but it was large enough for anything to go into—anything large enough to fit into the purse mouth, that is. This was never a problem, however; the purse mouth stretched to accommodate whatever Beauty wished.
Vincent cleared his throat. "My queen?"
Beauty whirled around and saw her steward standing next to her daughter. She put a hand to her chest and let out a breath. "Good heavens, Vincent. Don't startle me so!" She reached out to the princess, who was also named Beauty. "Come daughter," she said as the young woman stepped into her embrace. "Pack your things. We are leaving."
"Why, Mother Beauty? Why must we leave? I didn't even get a chance to go to a ball this visit."
"I'm sorry, dear, but Serenity—my sister—has ordered us out. She believes there is danger. We will leave because we must, both by order and my own doubt in the safety of staying this time. Go, quickly. Say good bye to your cousins Serenity and Aurora, and don't forget your Aunt Aurora and Aunt Serenity. Vincent, go with her. You can protect her with the jewel I gave you."
"Yes, my queen." Vincent gave a little bow.
"Hurry back," the queen instructed her daughter.
"Yes, mother." Princess Beauty curtsied, turned, and scurried out of the room, followed closely by the faithful Steward of the Court. Beauty was left in silence to finish packing.
The last item Beauty picked up was her magic mirror. It had belonged, once, to a princess on Earth who had been named Beauty. She had gotten it from a Beast, when she was imprisoned in his castle in a land once called France. The Queen now lifted the mirror up before her face. "Show me the evil my sister believes is coming," she commanded it.
Beauty gasped when the mirror scanned down a line of hideous faces. At the center of the advancing front line was a mass of black, punctuated here and there by glowing red eyes and smiling red mouths. And at the very core of the black shade that blotted out the stars was a figure dressed in purple, with hair of auburn-brown, sharp fangs, and a shimmering crystal of deepest ebony. She wore a crown, and her face matched that of Queen Serenity's rival from when she was younger.
The face was Beryl's.
"Omigosh!" the queen whispered. Here eyes were wide, her face pale. "Serenity!" she shouted, dashing to the door. She yanked it open. "Serenity!"
A lavender-garbed guard looked at her, startled. "My queen?"
"Where is my sister," she demanded. He made no reply for a second. "My sister, now!"
"I…I believe…she's…in her quarters?" the guard replied uncertainly.
Beauty took off in the direction of her sister's rooms, calling as she went. "Serenity! Serenity!"
Hearing the shouts from down the hall, Serenity stuck her head out the door. "What? Who's calling me?" She stepped out, closed the door, and turned around just in time to see Beauty come to a stop in front of her. "Goodness," she cried. "Beauty, what are you such in a commotion about?"
"Serenity! Thank the Phoenixes I've found you! You were right! I'm sorry! We have to leave!"
"What?"
"I had no idea you had seen things in my mirror that you didn't tell me about. Now that I've seen what you believe might be right, I completely understand. I had a hunch that you weren't telling me something, so I looked in the mirror and found the evil advance. And then everything about your strange behavior was explained! Watch." She held the mirror up. "Show me the evil Serenity believes is coming." The mirror flashed green light, and Serenity saw the face of her rival from youth. She paled, and Beauty asked, "Now do you believe me?"
"Yes. I'm sorry for not telling you before…I just didn't want to trouble you in case it didn't come true."
"Serenity! You know that my mirror is always true! That's part of the magic; the mirror can't lie!"
"I know. I'm sorry…I was a complete fool to believe otherwise. Could you forgive me?"
"Of course. I can't stay mad at you forever, even if I tried."
At that moment, Princess Beauty burst into the hallway, followed by Vincent. "Mother!" the girl cried. She flung herself into her mother's arms. "Oh, Mother! I had the most horrible daydream! I was walking down the hall when I just got this daydream and nearly fell over, but Vincent caught me, so I'm okay. But my daydream was awful, Mother! Everyone was getting destroyed and Aunt Serenity was killed! Can we please go now? I don't want to be destroyed!" The sixteen-year-old clasped her mother tightly.
"Yes, Beauty. We are leaving right now. Vincent, start vanishing everything back home. Get the guards ready to transport us to the comet as it swings around." She ushered her daughter away. "Good-bye, Serenity," Beauty said fiercely, and embraced her sister tightly. Her eyes misted.
"Good-bye, Beauty," Serenity replied. Her eyes, too, were glistening with tears. She lifted a hand in farewell as her sister walked down the hall with her daughter.
"Good-bye, Aunt Serenity," was the last thing she heard from either of them.
"Do we have everything, Vincent," Queen Beauty asked as she looked around the now-vacant apartment. Everything but the original furniture was gone.
"Yes, my queen," he replied. "And the guards are ready."
"Very good, Vincent." The queen was dressed in a traveling gown of lavender. The sleeves came three-fourths of the way down her arms, leaving just enough room for a few bangle bracelets. Several rings dotted her slender fingers. The dress she wore skimmed her curves and flared near her feet. It was exactly the type of gown her husband liked, and the trip was short enough that she'd be home before Omega-set on Omega Nine. "Let's go."
The guards formed a circle around them, and transported them to the surface of a passing comet. The comet passed near omega Nine in less than a day from Earth's moon; it traveled so fast that the stars were streaks in the sky. The queen has used her power to commission this particular comet as her personal travel item; she used it to travel instead of driving a special carriage on the Rainbow Road that appeared before and after one's carriage. That could be so tedious and long, and this was just so convenient.
Beauty saw another comet take off from orbit around the Earth's moon. That must be Aurora leaving, she thought, and sighed at the thought of leaving her sister behind. She sat on the grass.
Normally comets didn't have grass growing on them, but this particular comet had an atmosphere, and traveled so fast as to make its own light. So it supported simple life such as grass. Soon, the warm light relaxed Beauty's body, and she lay down and fell asleep, her daughter nearby.
She awoke to a gentle shaking. Opening her eyes, she saw a guard bent over. He was the one shaking her. "My queen? We're ready to transport." The queen sat up, then stood and walked to the circle the guards had formed. In a flash, they were gone, only to reappear on the surface of the planet below.
Akhana Rishayo
Disclaimer: SM is the copyright of Naoko Takeuchi. TokyoPop comics, Kodansha comics, and Toei animation use it under license; I do not own it, nor do I own the name "Beauty," which has been used by Disney and HarperCrest books.
(Author's Note): Although I do not own SM or any of its affiliated characters, all characters mentioned otherwise are mine, and any person caught using them will be hunted down. I hope you like the story, so please R&R. Criticism is welcomed, especially constructive, and any comments, thoughts, and/or suggestions for future writing are welcome.
For those of you who do not know, there was a set of triplets born the day that Serenity was born. As a matter of fact, Serenity was one-third of that set; she was the eldest. Her two triplet matches were Beauty and Aurora, for Queen Serenitatis gave birth to these three in the peace and beauty of the dawn of a new day.
(A/N): Serenity is another word for peace, and aurora is another word for the dawn. Beauty is self-explanatory. I do not know if Serenity was really part of a set or whether she was an only child, nor do I know if Serenitatis was Serenity's mother's name. I decided that the mother's shortened name went to the eldest daughter. To fellow author Moonlady, I would like to say that your name for the princess's sister in your "Moonlady" fanfiction helped me with the aforementioned idea. And back to my story…^_~
Most people know the story of how Serenity's kingdom grew and flourished on Earth's moon, but none know the story of the other two triplets. This is the story of Beauty, the second triplet. She is the second eldest; Aurora is the youngest, although the three's ages are separated by mere seconds. But Aurora's is a different story.
We begin from Beauty's point of view, a few days before the war between the Earth and the Negaverse…
Beauty collapsed onto her older sister Serenity's bed. She pushed her loose silver, holographically-color-changing hair from her face and stared at her. "What," she asked in disbelief.
Serenity looked at Beauty. "Stand up, dear. You're wrinkling your dress." The younger woman did so, apparently at the motherly, no-nonsense tone. Beauty's loop- collar silver-satin dress fell into place, it's loveliness injured by the wrinkles that had so easily swarmed the fabric. "Now listen, dear. I'll say this one more time, very slowly, so that you can understand it." She circled Beauty, smoothing out the worst wrinkles with her magic. You, must, leave. There. Must I say it more slowly?"
"No, thank you, Serenity. I can do quite well without the sarcasm. But why?"
"Because I said so. And as queen of this realm, I order you to go. Something's not right." She didn't add that Beauty's mirror had shown her some awful things lately. Beauty often let Serenity borrow her magic mirror. She couldn't make any sense out of it, but the ravaged images of her kingdom, a shadowy queen, and her family's death were quite enough for her. If her sisters were here at the same time the images came true, they all would be destroyed, and Queen Serenitatis would have no heiress. Phoenixes rest her soul, Serenity thought. Her mother would not let this kingdom be destroyed; neither would Serenity. I am my mother's daughter. Nothing evil shall prevail, she had said once. Serenity fervently prayed it would be true this night.
When Beauty returned to her room, she rang for her steward. The little bellpull was made of blue silk and the bell tinkled merrily in the servants' room. Moments later a forty-ish man wearing the lavender-trimmed silver silk tunic and pants characteristic of Beauty's court entered the room. His features were worn, and he had a touch of silver in the brown at each temple, but he was loyal, and had a good heart. Beauty trusted him with her life. "Vincent, pack our bags." He waited. She walked to her window, looked out at the home she had known for ages when she was a child. Then she had moved to a new home, but this remained her heart's home. She had left for and found love on Omega Nine, the ninth moon of Planet Omega, and there built both a kingdom and a family. She had still yearned for the comforts of triplet-hood, though, so she and her sisters had planned regular visits for her on Luna, Earth's moon. She and her family stayed for a few weeks out of the year. Now she was afraid she would never see it again. "We are going home."
"Home? So soon?" Vincent usually didn't question, but when he did, it was for good reason. He always got answers, too. Things were just that way, because he was such a dear heart.
"Yes." Beauty took a breath. "Serenity has ordered us to leave because she feels something…something evil. I know because I feel it too. Above all, we must leave quietly." The steward bowed and started to leave. "Vincent," she said before he was gone.
"Yes?"
"Be careful. Some of my other relatives aren't 'available' right now due to some late-night carousing, and they might get a bit upset at being disturbed. They're feeling quite delicate about now."
Vincent tried hard not to smile. Beauty's court did love their champagne flutes. "Yes, my lady."
As soon as he had departed, Beauty ran down the hall, satin skirt flying behind her. She reached her younger triplet's door and sidestepped the guards. "Aurora! Aurora, please open the door! It's me, Beauty!" She pounded on the door. Seconds later, it swung open.
A woman of Beauty's and Serenity's age with a varicolor gown and multi- color hair cascading down from an odango on the crown of her head stood holding it. "Beauty?" she asked. "Why are you—"
Beauty stepped just inside the door and closed it. No one within the rest of the apartment could hear what she said, nor could anyone without. "Please. Don't ask. Just get everyone in your court out. Serenity fears something is wrong, and I feel it too. I'm leaving; Serenity ordered me out. Please do the same. I do not want to see you hurt."
"What do you mean?"
"Concentrate. Search for evil, malice, rage. You will feel them on the edge of consciousness, like they're getting closer, coming toward us." At her younger sister's surprise at her success, Beauty continued. "Go. Do not stay. Serenity herself will tell you if you don't. She has already ordered me out." Footsteps interrupted her, echoing down the hall and around the corner. "She is coming to as you to leave! Don't let on that you know. Tell no one in your court until she has gone." Beauty scurried off the opposite way from Serenity's approach, calling Vincent every so often so as to mask her reason for coming. When she got back to her own rooms, she threw open her wardrobe and pulled her clothes off of the hangers. After they all lay in a pile on her bed, Beauty systematically vanished each into her closet at her own palace, far away on the moon of Omega.
Vincent arrived a short while later, just as Beauty was gathering her cosmetics into her purse. She dropped in eyeliner, mascara, lipsticks in every shade, eyeshadow to match, nail polishes by the handful, and several combs and brushes. Her purse wasn't that big; in fact, it was the dainty little pouch that most women wear. But this purse had a secret. Inside was a portal to a storage area in space. No one knew where it was, but it was large enough for anything to go into—anything large enough to fit into the purse mouth, that is. This was never a problem, however; the purse mouth stretched to accommodate whatever Beauty wished.
Vincent cleared his throat. "My queen?"
Beauty whirled around and saw her steward standing next to her daughter. She put a hand to her chest and let out a breath. "Good heavens, Vincent. Don't startle me so!" She reached out to the princess, who was also named Beauty. "Come daughter," she said as the young woman stepped into her embrace. "Pack your things. We are leaving."
"Why, Mother Beauty? Why must we leave? I didn't even get a chance to go to a ball this visit."
"I'm sorry, dear, but Serenity—my sister—has ordered us out. She believes there is danger. We will leave because we must, both by order and my own doubt in the safety of staying this time. Go, quickly. Say good bye to your cousins Serenity and Aurora, and don't forget your Aunt Aurora and Aunt Serenity. Vincent, go with her. You can protect her with the jewel I gave you."
"Yes, my queen." Vincent gave a little bow.
"Hurry back," the queen instructed her daughter.
"Yes, mother." Princess Beauty curtsied, turned, and scurried out of the room, followed closely by the faithful Steward of the Court. Beauty was left in silence to finish packing.
The last item Beauty picked up was her magic mirror. It had belonged, once, to a princess on Earth who had been named Beauty. She had gotten it from a Beast, when she was imprisoned in his castle in a land once called France. The Queen now lifted the mirror up before her face. "Show me the evil my sister believes is coming," she commanded it.
Beauty gasped when the mirror scanned down a line of hideous faces. At the center of the advancing front line was a mass of black, punctuated here and there by glowing red eyes and smiling red mouths. And at the very core of the black shade that blotted out the stars was a figure dressed in purple, with hair of auburn-brown, sharp fangs, and a shimmering crystal of deepest ebony. She wore a crown, and her face matched that of Queen Serenity's rival from when she was younger.
The face was Beryl's.
"Omigosh!" the queen whispered. Here eyes were wide, her face pale. "Serenity!" she shouted, dashing to the door. She yanked it open. "Serenity!"
A lavender-garbed guard looked at her, startled. "My queen?"
"Where is my sister," she demanded. He made no reply for a second. "My sister, now!"
"I…I believe…she's…in her quarters?" the guard replied uncertainly.
Beauty took off in the direction of her sister's rooms, calling as she went. "Serenity! Serenity!"
Hearing the shouts from down the hall, Serenity stuck her head out the door. "What? Who's calling me?" She stepped out, closed the door, and turned around just in time to see Beauty come to a stop in front of her. "Goodness," she cried. "Beauty, what are you such in a commotion about?"
"Serenity! Thank the Phoenixes I've found you! You were right! I'm sorry! We have to leave!"
"What?"
"I had no idea you had seen things in my mirror that you didn't tell me about. Now that I've seen what you believe might be right, I completely understand. I had a hunch that you weren't telling me something, so I looked in the mirror and found the evil advance. And then everything about your strange behavior was explained! Watch." She held the mirror up. "Show me the evil Serenity believes is coming." The mirror flashed green light, and Serenity saw the face of her rival from youth. She paled, and Beauty asked, "Now do you believe me?"
"Yes. I'm sorry for not telling you before…I just didn't want to trouble you in case it didn't come true."
"Serenity! You know that my mirror is always true! That's part of the magic; the mirror can't lie!"
"I know. I'm sorry…I was a complete fool to believe otherwise. Could you forgive me?"
"Of course. I can't stay mad at you forever, even if I tried."
At that moment, Princess Beauty burst into the hallway, followed by Vincent. "Mother!" the girl cried. She flung herself into her mother's arms. "Oh, Mother! I had the most horrible daydream! I was walking down the hall when I just got this daydream and nearly fell over, but Vincent caught me, so I'm okay. But my daydream was awful, Mother! Everyone was getting destroyed and Aunt Serenity was killed! Can we please go now? I don't want to be destroyed!" The sixteen-year-old clasped her mother tightly.
"Yes, Beauty. We are leaving right now. Vincent, start vanishing everything back home. Get the guards ready to transport us to the comet as it swings around." She ushered her daughter away. "Good-bye, Serenity," Beauty said fiercely, and embraced her sister tightly. Her eyes misted.
"Good-bye, Beauty," Serenity replied. Her eyes, too, were glistening with tears. She lifted a hand in farewell as her sister walked down the hall with her daughter.
"Good-bye, Aunt Serenity," was the last thing she heard from either of them.
"Do we have everything, Vincent," Queen Beauty asked as she looked around the now-vacant apartment. Everything but the original furniture was gone.
"Yes, my queen," he replied. "And the guards are ready."
"Very good, Vincent." The queen was dressed in a traveling gown of lavender. The sleeves came three-fourths of the way down her arms, leaving just enough room for a few bangle bracelets. Several rings dotted her slender fingers. The dress she wore skimmed her curves and flared near her feet. It was exactly the type of gown her husband liked, and the trip was short enough that she'd be home before Omega-set on Omega Nine. "Let's go."
The guards formed a circle around them, and transported them to the surface of a passing comet. The comet passed near omega Nine in less than a day from Earth's moon; it traveled so fast that the stars were streaks in the sky. The queen has used her power to commission this particular comet as her personal travel item; she used it to travel instead of driving a special carriage on the Rainbow Road that appeared before and after one's carriage. That could be so tedious and long, and this was just so convenient.
Beauty saw another comet take off from orbit around the Earth's moon. That must be Aurora leaving, she thought, and sighed at the thought of leaving her sister behind. She sat on the grass.
Normally comets didn't have grass growing on them, but this particular comet had an atmosphere, and traveled so fast as to make its own light. So it supported simple life such as grass. Soon, the warm light relaxed Beauty's body, and she lay down and fell asleep, her daughter nearby.
She awoke to a gentle shaking. Opening her eyes, she saw a guard bent over. He was the one shaking her. "My queen? We're ready to transport." The queen sat up, then stood and walked to the circle the guards had formed. In a flash, they were gone, only to reappear on the surface of the planet below.