Just a note to readers: I have rated this chapter PG-13, I don't
usually do this, but this chapter is very graphic. It may be disturbing
to some younger readers. Just like with anything else in this life, if
in doubt - don't do it. If you'd like to simply skip this chapter, you
can pick up at chapter 1. Otherwise, happy reading and normal author's
notes at the bottom of the page - enjoy!
@------
Beyond the Staff
By: Bethany
Prologue
Editor: Meara
Rated: PG-13
@------
The room was pitch black. The never-ending abyss
stretched on in every direction. Darkness. As hollow and
empty as the deepest dwelling places of the mind and the
farthest expansion of space. One strangled cry that seemed
to come to a violent stop followed by the silence that
echoed within the vast regions of time.
Her screams had stopped long ago. They wouldn't help,
anyways. There was no one here to listen. Solitude in this
time of need ate at every emotion lined nerve within her small,
fragile body. Alone. The sound of her heavy breathing seemed
intensified as another pain hit, hard. Stabbing her stomach
and lower back until she arched on the floor she laid upon -
her eyes so wide that pain shot through her head from the
effort to not scream.
Blood streamed down her face, colliding with the patches
of sweat and mixing with them, dripped down her face and neck,
was absorbed into the fabric of her shirt. She bit her lip harder,
forcing back the urge to let a pain filled howl escape her. The
pain coursed through her body - nonstop now. Pressure built up,
forcing the child in her womb further until finally - birth.
The dead silence was ripped apart - letting the first
wails of a child penetrate the once silent area. Lifting the
babe up, the new mother placed the umbilical cord in her mouth,
biting it in half. Tears poured down her face as she sloppily
tied the cord. The newborn babe laying on her stomach continued
to cry.
She imagined the beautiful child had perfect fingers, ten
tiny toes and his eyes. She had to have his eyes - otherwise she
would resent his child - never able to love her. But even in the
darkness, the endless abyss, she knew. And the pain didn't matter,
the suffering was nothing. All that would fade - but this, this
life would last. Would be the only thing that belonged to her
that nobody could take away.
"I shall name you Setsuna," she whispered to the baby girl
wrapped in the shirt off her back.
The new born quieted in the young girl's embrace as exhaustion
set in. Tucking the sleeping child safe against her side, the woman
pulled herself into a fetal position and also fell into a deep
slumber.
A noise, not that of the sleeping child, woke Mayuki up.
Fearfully she scooted towards the wall, the greasy feeling of
after birth clinging to her skin. Pulling the new child to her chest,
Mayuki watched in terror as the door to her prison opened.
The dim light of the oil lamp burned the shadows back,
bathing Mayuki in it's weak glow. Painfully she stared into the
light, her eyes burning as her pupils dilated.
The man came towards her, his large boots clucking against
the wooden floor. Roughly he reached out, seizing the baby by
the chest and brought it into the light. In response the child
whimpered but, surprisingly, didn't cry.
"So it lived," he stated, his ice blue eyes staring at it
with hatred.
Mayuki reached out towards baby Setsuna, tears falling
rapidly down her face. "Please, give her to me," she whispered,
her hand shaking badly even though she tried to hold it steady.
"Onegai." When the man made no movement she cried out, painfully
getting to her knees and reaching again for the baby. "Don't
hurt her!"
Suddenly the man let go of Setsuna, her small form falling
towards her death. Mayuki reached out, catching the babe and
pulling her close to her bare chest. With a hateful glare,
Mayuki stared up at the man. "Leave us."
The ice in her tone, the hate in her eyes caught the man
off guard. No one had ever dared look at him with their true
feelings said so loudly on their features - usually they would
be beheaded for such an act. But this time he took an uncertain
step backwards. This child sitting before him, with her new baby,
could ruin him and cause the downfall of his kingdom. His breath
came in ragged, quick gasps as he stepped backwards and then
spoke again. "Get out of here. I never want to see you or that
wretched child ever again."
Grinding her teeth against the pain in her body, Mayuki
stood with the child. "This is your flesh and blood," she spat.
"You can't deny that. You'll live with this the rest of your
years," she predicted.
"LEAVE!" he boomed, his voice vibrating off the walls.
"Get out of my sight before I kill you both!"
Mayuki's eyes widened in fear. Clutching the child, she
ran past the man and into the night.
~~~~*~~~~
Apx. twelve years later
~~~~*~~~~
"Spooky!"
A young child of eleven years covered her ears with both
hands as she walked away from the crowd of children. Tears ran
down her face, dripping off her chin.
"Bastard child! Spooky Setsuna and her green hair!" the
children taunted, their laughing and giggling following Setsuna.
Determinedly she tried to block the voices, but they echoed
in her mind. Over and over again they taunted her, called her
names. Reminded her, as if she needed it, that she had never
fit in with other children her age. Due to the lack of friends,
Setsuna had buried herself in school work from the day she
could pick up a book. At eleven she found algebra and other
mathematics easy. She read volumes of books, loosing herself in
facts about the universe in order to forget the hardship of life.
But no amount of knowledge would hide the hurt in her eyes from
her mother.
Setsuna could remember no one in her life that was as
beautiful or as loving as her mother. She was always there -
hugging and raining kissing on her only child. And no matter
what the children at school said; it never bothered Setsuna
that she had no father or that her mother was a youthful
twenty-seven years old. And they were poor, the poorest family
in the village. But no matter how bad things got, Setsuna could
never remember being hungry or without clothing and shoes.
This particular afternoon Setsuna dried her tears before
walking up the pathway and into the small cottage she lived in
with her mother. The recent rain was still dripping off the
roof and into the barrels that would be tomorrow's bath water.
The sound soon faded as Setsuna walked in the house, dropping
her school bag at the door and removing her shoes. "Mama! I'm
home!"
When she received no answer, the young girl walked into
the bedroom where she found her mother laying sound asleep on
the bed. Tip-toeing out, Setsuna almost made it to the door
when Mayuki turned over. "Oh, Setsuna. I'm sorry. Please, come
to me."
Slowly Setsuna turned, walking back to the bed and sat
beside her mother. Mayuki reached up, running her fingers
through Setsuna's waist length emerald hair. "How was your
day?"
Setsuna's magenta eyes danced around the room
momentarily before falling on her mother. She looked a
great deal paler today than normal. And her eyes seemed
to be sunken in her head. "I read a new book today, Mama.
It's about the Moon Kingdom. And it had pictures of the
Queen Serenity and her newborn daughter."
Mayuki smiled sadly, her eyes suddenly filling with
tears as she stared off into space for a minute. Licking
her parched lips, she strained to sit up and pull Setsuna
to her breast. "My baby," she began, her voice thick with
emotions. "I didn't ever want to tell you this, even though
I knew one day you may ask. And then I would tell you. But
I never imagined it would be this way."
"Mama," Setsuna moaned, actually feeling physically
sick from the pain in her mother's voice. "I don't understand.
Tell me what?"
Mayuki looked weak, years older than her twenty-seven.
Her hair that once lay in beautiful waves on her shoulders,
was now stringy and thin. The bright green eyes of her childhood
gone, stripped away by years of hardship. Pain crossed her
features as she finally meet her daughter's eyes.
"About your father."
--End Prologue.
And there you have the Prologue to my newest set of stories.
I plan on doing a number of seried stories about the early
years of the senshi, starting with the Outer Senshi. Pluto's
past has never been revealed, so I began with her because
she intriqued me the most. And I won't lie about it, this
story will not be a pretty one with happy endings. I never
pictured Setsuna being as strong as she is and having an easy
life.
Anyways, as usual, I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters
I've borrowed to make this story. I do own this story line, ideas,
and characters that I create - do not use them without my express
permission as I will get really mad and beat you with a lip noddle.
Huge thanks to everyone who reads this story, now if only you
could be so kind as to write a review or drop me an email with
your thoughts, comments, or suggestions. I'll be your bestfriend
forever =)
I'm eternally thankful to my editor, Meara. Without her you would
be staring at a blob of bad grammer and misspells. ^_^; For everyone
who is wondering about my other story, No Greater Love, I have
finished the last chapter and will be releasing it with this one.
The next book in that story "Forever More" is being written and
will be released as I release this one. That means...? It will
take longer to get these stories out. I imagine I will be releaseing
one chapter of each story every three weeks or so. Please don't kill
me, I promise the chapter's length will more than make up for the
time extension.
If you are still here, then I will proceed now to a self promotion.
My web page, Moon-Bunny.org, has a new message forum !! Yay! No
annoying pop up ads, no slow loading - we have a total of six
members, we don't bite, so please feel free to join us
http://Moon-Bunny.org/forum The layout is really ugly until you join
and change your theme preferances, and then it turns blue and pretty
^_^ Hope to see you there!
3 Bethany
http://Moon-Bunny.org
Bethany@moon-bunny.org
08-19-02
usually do this, but this chapter is very graphic. It may be disturbing
to some younger readers. Just like with anything else in this life, if
in doubt - don't do it. If you'd like to simply skip this chapter, you
can pick up at chapter 1. Otherwise, happy reading and normal author's
notes at the bottom of the page - enjoy!
@------
Beyond the Staff
By: Bethany
Prologue
Editor: Meara
Rated: PG-13
@------
The room was pitch black. The never-ending abyss
stretched on in every direction. Darkness. As hollow and
empty as the deepest dwelling places of the mind and the
farthest expansion of space. One strangled cry that seemed
to come to a violent stop followed by the silence that
echoed within the vast regions of time.
Her screams had stopped long ago. They wouldn't help,
anyways. There was no one here to listen. Solitude in this
time of need ate at every emotion lined nerve within her small,
fragile body. Alone. The sound of her heavy breathing seemed
intensified as another pain hit, hard. Stabbing her stomach
and lower back until she arched on the floor she laid upon -
her eyes so wide that pain shot through her head from the
effort to not scream.
Blood streamed down her face, colliding with the patches
of sweat and mixing with them, dripped down her face and neck,
was absorbed into the fabric of her shirt. She bit her lip harder,
forcing back the urge to let a pain filled howl escape her. The
pain coursed through her body - nonstop now. Pressure built up,
forcing the child in her womb further until finally - birth.
The dead silence was ripped apart - letting the first
wails of a child penetrate the once silent area. Lifting the
babe up, the new mother placed the umbilical cord in her mouth,
biting it in half. Tears poured down her face as she sloppily
tied the cord. The newborn babe laying on her stomach continued
to cry.
She imagined the beautiful child had perfect fingers, ten
tiny toes and his eyes. She had to have his eyes - otherwise she
would resent his child - never able to love her. But even in the
darkness, the endless abyss, she knew. And the pain didn't matter,
the suffering was nothing. All that would fade - but this, this
life would last. Would be the only thing that belonged to her
that nobody could take away.
"I shall name you Setsuna," she whispered to the baby girl
wrapped in the shirt off her back.
The new born quieted in the young girl's embrace as exhaustion
set in. Tucking the sleeping child safe against her side, the woman
pulled herself into a fetal position and also fell into a deep
slumber.
A noise, not that of the sleeping child, woke Mayuki up.
Fearfully she scooted towards the wall, the greasy feeling of
after birth clinging to her skin. Pulling the new child to her chest,
Mayuki watched in terror as the door to her prison opened.
The dim light of the oil lamp burned the shadows back,
bathing Mayuki in it's weak glow. Painfully she stared into the
light, her eyes burning as her pupils dilated.
The man came towards her, his large boots clucking against
the wooden floor. Roughly he reached out, seizing the baby by
the chest and brought it into the light. In response the child
whimpered but, surprisingly, didn't cry.
"So it lived," he stated, his ice blue eyes staring at it
with hatred.
Mayuki reached out towards baby Setsuna, tears falling
rapidly down her face. "Please, give her to me," she whispered,
her hand shaking badly even though she tried to hold it steady.
"Onegai." When the man made no movement she cried out, painfully
getting to her knees and reaching again for the baby. "Don't
hurt her!"
Suddenly the man let go of Setsuna, her small form falling
towards her death. Mayuki reached out, catching the babe and
pulling her close to her bare chest. With a hateful glare,
Mayuki stared up at the man. "Leave us."
The ice in her tone, the hate in her eyes caught the man
off guard. No one had ever dared look at him with their true
feelings said so loudly on their features - usually they would
be beheaded for such an act. But this time he took an uncertain
step backwards. This child sitting before him, with her new baby,
could ruin him and cause the downfall of his kingdom. His breath
came in ragged, quick gasps as he stepped backwards and then
spoke again. "Get out of here. I never want to see you or that
wretched child ever again."
Grinding her teeth against the pain in her body, Mayuki
stood with the child. "This is your flesh and blood," she spat.
"You can't deny that. You'll live with this the rest of your
years," she predicted.
"LEAVE!" he boomed, his voice vibrating off the walls.
"Get out of my sight before I kill you both!"
Mayuki's eyes widened in fear. Clutching the child, she
ran past the man and into the night.
~~~~*~~~~
Apx. twelve years later
~~~~*~~~~
"Spooky!"
A young child of eleven years covered her ears with both
hands as she walked away from the crowd of children. Tears ran
down her face, dripping off her chin.
"Bastard child! Spooky Setsuna and her green hair!" the
children taunted, their laughing and giggling following Setsuna.
Determinedly she tried to block the voices, but they echoed
in her mind. Over and over again they taunted her, called her
names. Reminded her, as if she needed it, that she had never
fit in with other children her age. Due to the lack of friends,
Setsuna had buried herself in school work from the day she
could pick up a book. At eleven she found algebra and other
mathematics easy. She read volumes of books, loosing herself in
facts about the universe in order to forget the hardship of life.
But no amount of knowledge would hide the hurt in her eyes from
her mother.
Setsuna could remember no one in her life that was as
beautiful or as loving as her mother. She was always there -
hugging and raining kissing on her only child. And no matter
what the children at school said; it never bothered Setsuna
that she had no father or that her mother was a youthful
twenty-seven years old. And they were poor, the poorest family
in the village. But no matter how bad things got, Setsuna could
never remember being hungry or without clothing and shoes.
This particular afternoon Setsuna dried her tears before
walking up the pathway and into the small cottage she lived in
with her mother. The recent rain was still dripping off the
roof and into the barrels that would be tomorrow's bath water.
The sound soon faded as Setsuna walked in the house, dropping
her school bag at the door and removing her shoes. "Mama! I'm
home!"
When she received no answer, the young girl walked into
the bedroom where she found her mother laying sound asleep on
the bed. Tip-toeing out, Setsuna almost made it to the door
when Mayuki turned over. "Oh, Setsuna. I'm sorry. Please, come
to me."
Slowly Setsuna turned, walking back to the bed and sat
beside her mother. Mayuki reached up, running her fingers
through Setsuna's waist length emerald hair. "How was your
day?"
Setsuna's magenta eyes danced around the room
momentarily before falling on her mother. She looked a
great deal paler today than normal. And her eyes seemed
to be sunken in her head. "I read a new book today, Mama.
It's about the Moon Kingdom. And it had pictures of the
Queen Serenity and her newborn daughter."
Mayuki smiled sadly, her eyes suddenly filling with
tears as she stared off into space for a minute. Licking
her parched lips, she strained to sit up and pull Setsuna
to her breast. "My baby," she began, her voice thick with
emotions. "I didn't ever want to tell you this, even though
I knew one day you may ask. And then I would tell you. But
I never imagined it would be this way."
"Mama," Setsuna moaned, actually feeling physically
sick from the pain in her mother's voice. "I don't understand.
Tell me what?"
Mayuki looked weak, years older than her twenty-seven.
Her hair that once lay in beautiful waves on her shoulders,
was now stringy and thin. The bright green eyes of her childhood
gone, stripped away by years of hardship. Pain crossed her
features as she finally meet her daughter's eyes.
"About your father."
--End Prologue.
And there you have the Prologue to my newest set of stories.
I plan on doing a number of seried stories about the early
years of the senshi, starting with the Outer Senshi. Pluto's
past has never been revealed, so I began with her because
she intriqued me the most. And I won't lie about it, this
story will not be a pretty one with happy endings. I never
pictured Setsuna being as strong as she is and having an easy
life.
Anyways, as usual, I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters
I've borrowed to make this story. I do own this story line, ideas,
and characters that I create - do not use them without my express
permission as I will get really mad and beat you with a lip noddle.
Huge thanks to everyone who reads this story, now if only you
could be so kind as to write a review or drop me an email with
your thoughts, comments, or suggestions. I'll be your bestfriend
forever =)
I'm eternally thankful to my editor, Meara. Without her you would
be staring at a blob of bad grammer and misspells. ^_^; For everyone
who is wondering about my other story, No Greater Love, I have
finished the last chapter and will be releasing it with this one.
The next book in that story "Forever More" is being written and
will be released as I release this one. That means...? It will
take longer to get these stories out. I imagine I will be releaseing
one chapter of each story every three weeks or so. Please don't kill
me, I promise the chapter's length will more than make up for the
time extension.
If you are still here, then I will proceed now to a self promotion.
My web page, Moon-Bunny.org, has a new message forum !! Yay! No
annoying pop up ads, no slow loading - we have a total of six
members, we don't bite, so please feel free to join us
http://Moon-Bunny.org/forum The layout is really ugly until you join
and change your theme preferances, and then it turns blue and pretty
^_^ Hope to see you there!
3 Bethany
http://Moon-Bunny.org
Bethany@moon-bunny.org
08-19-02