Yay! I finished it!
Serena huddled against the parapet, shivering in the frigid air. She did not respond when Darien stopped by her side and covered her with his heavy cloak. She stared off into the air, with Darien's warm presence beside her. Her breath came out in tiny clouds of moisture that froze as soon as it touched the air. Her eyes stared bleakly at the remains of what was once her house. "Christmas Eve," she whispered.
"Serena," Darien's voice was gentle. "It's time to come inside. You'll freeze out here."
"It's Christmas Eve, Darien," she said in a curious singsong voice. "Santa Claus is coming tonight. Have you been good? I have. Since I've been very, very good, do you think he'll give me what I want? Huh, Darien? Huh? Do you think he'll give me my parents back?" Her childish voice quavered back into her original voice, and she trembled with exhaustion.
"Serena." Darien's voice was harsh. "Snap out of it."
Serena looked up with tired eyes. "They're dead, Darien. They're dead." Her voice cracked. And she began weeping openly, the tears freezing into perfect crystals on her pale face. "They're dead."
"I know," Darien whispered. "I know. But see who is alive. Your bother is alive, and he's not paralyzed after all. All of your friends are alive. Most of your cousins and aunts and uncles are alive. Many survived in spite of Beryl's and Demando's insanity."
But Serena did not heed him, and she continued whispering, "They're dead, they're dead," over and over. Sighing, Darien gestured into the shadows.
Amy came into view. "Come on, Serena," she whispered. "We have to go back."
"I know, Amy," Serena sighed, slowly turning back to normal. "I know. I understand. It's just ."
"You've been through a lot of trauma," Amy comforted. "But we'll always be here for you. Always."
"Always," Darien repeated.
Serena smiled sadly and the three walked into the car.
On the rooftop, two unseen shadows were seen. The female one whispered, "And they who art Artemis's Angels shall appear, and lo! Unto us, the one who nameth the Angels among her friends shall come, and behold! She is the ancient goddess called Artemis. And thou shalt worship her and praise her, and she shall reward thee, but most of al, she shall give thee her love and friendship, and she shall bless thee and thy posterity and all of thine, and thus shall the world live in peace. Thus did the Great Sybil of the Roman Empire prophesy it, and thus shall it come to be. Live long, Goddess."
"Live long," the man echoed.
"And be safe in the care of your Angels."
"Be safe," the man echoed.
"And may your life be blessed," both finished.
"By, Serena," a figure now seen as Luna, shopkeeper of ~ROSES FOR ALL OCCASIONS~ now dressed in a charming white dress, said.
Beside her, Artemis, dressed in a long white robed nodded and together, they flew off into the moonrise.
And the moon rose and set. And Christmas came. And slowly, Serena pulled out of her depression. And slowly, she became filled with joy, and her blinding beauty of goodness charmed all about her. But the heritage of Artemis she did not accept, and the rejection tore her life until she grew mad. And so, in the end, she became but another Sybil, prophesying the return of the true Artemis, one by the name of Usagi .
The End
I only added the last, because I thought some people might appreciate it. And no, I am not writing a sequel if anyone is interested. You just have to use your imagination .
Serena huddled against the parapet, shivering in the frigid air. She did not respond when Darien stopped by her side and covered her with his heavy cloak. She stared off into the air, with Darien's warm presence beside her. Her breath came out in tiny clouds of moisture that froze as soon as it touched the air. Her eyes stared bleakly at the remains of what was once her house. "Christmas Eve," she whispered.
"Serena," Darien's voice was gentle. "It's time to come inside. You'll freeze out here."
"It's Christmas Eve, Darien," she said in a curious singsong voice. "Santa Claus is coming tonight. Have you been good? I have. Since I've been very, very good, do you think he'll give me what I want? Huh, Darien? Huh? Do you think he'll give me my parents back?" Her childish voice quavered back into her original voice, and she trembled with exhaustion.
"Serena." Darien's voice was harsh. "Snap out of it."
Serena looked up with tired eyes. "They're dead, Darien. They're dead." Her voice cracked. And she began weeping openly, the tears freezing into perfect crystals on her pale face. "They're dead."
"I know," Darien whispered. "I know. But see who is alive. Your bother is alive, and he's not paralyzed after all. All of your friends are alive. Most of your cousins and aunts and uncles are alive. Many survived in spite of Beryl's and Demando's insanity."
But Serena did not heed him, and she continued whispering, "They're dead, they're dead," over and over. Sighing, Darien gestured into the shadows.
Amy came into view. "Come on, Serena," she whispered. "We have to go back."
"I know, Amy," Serena sighed, slowly turning back to normal. "I know. I understand. It's just ."
"You've been through a lot of trauma," Amy comforted. "But we'll always be here for you. Always."
"Always," Darien repeated.
Serena smiled sadly and the three walked into the car.
On the rooftop, two unseen shadows were seen. The female one whispered, "And they who art Artemis's Angels shall appear, and lo! Unto us, the one who nameth the Angels among her friends shall come, and behold! She is the ancient goddess called Artemis. And thou shalt worship her and praise her, and she shall reward thee, but most of al, she shall give thee her love and friendship, and she shall bless thee and thy posterity and all of thine, and thus shall the world live in peace. Thus did the Great Sybil of the Roman Empire prophesy it, and thus shall it come to be. Live long, Goddess."
"Live long," the man echoed.
"And be safe in the care of your Angels."
"Be safe," the man echoed.
"And may your life be blessed," both finished.
"By, Serena," a figure now seen as Luna, shopkeeper of ~ROSES FOR ALL OCCASIONS~ now dressed in a charming white dress, said.
Beside her, Artemis, dressed in a long white robed nodded and together, they flew off into the moonrise.
And the moon rose and set. And Christmas came. And slowly, Serena pulled out of her depression. And slowly, she became filled with joy, and her blinding beauty of goodness charmed all about her. But the heritage of Artemis she did not accept, and the rejection tore her life until she grew mad. And so, in the end, she became but another Sybil, prophesying the return of the true Artemis, one by the name of Usagi .
The End
I only added the last, because I thought some people might appreciate it. And no, I am not writing a sequel if anyone is interested. You just have to use your imagination .