Disclaimer-The song Miriam sings to Serenity in this chapter is by
Leann Rimes. It is called "You Light Up My Life."I did change the
contractions to be written out though because that is the way the
lunar beings speak in my story.
Chapter Two, Power Unleashed:
The door to Serenity's room opened carefully as Serenity
walked quietly inside her bedchamber and closed the door even more
softly than she had opened it. Serenity glanced toward her bed to
confirm what she already knew. Miriam was in the room. The
exhausted Serenity collapsed onto the bed beside a worn out Miriam.
"Where is Darla?" Serenity asked softly.
"Her mother was monitoring her too closely. She could not
come up, but she promises to meet us by the fountain tomorrow
night."
"The fountain?" Serenity asked suspiciously. "Do you mean
the one where we first met? In the palace grounds? That is very
dangerous," Serenity said in a concerned voice.
"No, a different one. I have never seen it, but Darla
suggested it. She assures me it is beautiful and well hidden. It
is supposed to be in the Secluded Forest to the right of the
farthest edge on the right of the palace grounds. "
"All right," I said tiredly, hoping I could find it with
my poor sense of direction. Miriam's voice interrupted my stream
of thought though.
"Serenityyyy," Miriam whined, "will you take out the clips
in my hair? They got stuck."
"Awww...is poor wittle Pwincess Miwiam having a hawd time
getting her cwips out?" Serenity teased Miriam, using a small
child's voice mockingly.
"Watch it Serenity," Miriam growled. Then she grinned
mischievously as she picked up a big, soft, feathery pillow next
to her.
"Oh no," Serenity gasped when Miriam took the pillow and
threw it at Serenity. "Ohhh, you are going to get it Miriam,"
Serenity warned, jumping over Miriam and falling off the bed while
trying to grab a pillow.
Miriam giggled, "you are so adorable Serenity. You can not
even get the pillow without falling off the bed." She laughed
harder.
Serenity glared at her, "do you want me to get those clips
out of your hair or not?" she asked sharply. Miriam smiled but
became silent. "Good," Serenity said, ignoring Miriam's
outstretched hand and getting up on her own. Miriam smiled again.
"That is beginning to frighten me Miriam," Serenity said.
"Aww you mean I am creeping you out?" Miriam asked
mischievously and then smiled warmly. "Come on Serenity. I am just
teasing you."
"Creeping me out? Where do you get these expressions
Miriam?" Serenity questioned her again but had a feeling she
would get the same place she always did when she asked Miriam
about her odd use of expressions, which was- nowhere.
"I will tell you someday Serenity, I promise," Miriam said
quietly. Serenity knew this was serious, but she did not understand
why Miriam did not simply trust her. *Oh well,* Serenity sighed and
began to take the clips out of Miriam's hair. It was a long, painful
process. Even as Serenity's gentle hands attempted to take out the
clips ever so gently and slowly, it became obvious from the
beginning that Miriam was going to feel a lot of pain.
"Are you doing all right?" Serenity asked Miriam when she
was done pulling the clips out and brushing Miriam's long, shiny
hair.
"Yes, thank you Serenity." Miriam hugged her close, and
Serenity willingly hugged her back. "You are the best friend I
could ever ask for," Miriam said happily, "and to show you how much
you mean to me..." *uh oh* Serenity thought. "...I want to sing you
this song," Miriam said with a twinkle in her eyes. She grabbed the
brush off of Serenity's nightstand and jumped up on the cushioned
chair in front of Serenity's bed. Serenity looked at Miriam and
smiled encouragingly.
"I dedicate this song to you Serenity, my soul-sister, my
lost companion, and my best friend," Miriam said sincerely as she
began to sing a song that Serenity knew by heart because it was one
of her favorites. Miriam looked at Serenity happily as she softly
sang into the pretend mirophone, pouring all her soul into the song
to show Serenity just how much her friendship meant to Miriam.
So many nights, I would sit by my window. Waiting for
someone to sing me his song. So many dreams, I kept deep inside me.
Alone in the dark, but now you have come along. And you light up my
life. You give me hope, to carry on. You light up my days. And fill
my nights with song. Rollin' at sea, adrift on the waters. Could it
be finally, I am turning for home. Finally a chance to say, "Hey, I
Love You." Never again to be all alone. And you light up my life.
You give me hope, to carry on. You light up my days. And fill my
nights with song. You, You light up my life. You give me hope to
carry on. You light up my days. And fill my nights with song. It
cannot be wrong, when it feels so right. 'Cause you, you light up
my life.
By the end of the song, Serenity was softly crying and one,
single tear also ran down Miriam's cheek. Serenity ran up and
hugged Miriam into a close embrace. "Thank you Miriam," she
whispered softly. "It means so much to me." Neither of them said
another word; they did not need to. They understood one other's
hearts. After awhile they had become tired of sitting and talking
about all of their problems. They had talked extensively about both
sets of their parents and the unfair expectations set for them.
They also talked about how detestable and fake all the nobles were,
except for Prince Michael of course. That topic became their last
in fact, and they had just finished discussing how much Michael
still meant to Miriam, not to mention Serenity's worry over not
having found someone of her own.
"Be calm Serenity. You are only 13 years old. You still
have plenty of time to find someone," Miriam reassured her.
"Perhaps you are better for the independent life anyway."
"Oh come now Miriam. You are more suited for the
independent life than I am. Besides mother and father would never
stand for it," Serenitysaid a bit sadly.
"No, I suppose they would not. It is a shame really. If I
had not met Michael, I would have thought the independent life
was for me and besides for all I know he does not like me in the
same way."
"Do not worry," Serenity said, "I know that it is hard not
to, but it is important for you to be patient when it comes to
matters of the heart."
"Patient?" Miriam asked curiously. "I do not understand
the meaning of the word." Both Serenity and Miriam chuckled at
the honesty behind that joke. Miriam stopped laughing when she
noticed a strange grin spread all over Serenity's face. She had
never seen that look on Serenity before. "Serenity," Miriam said
carefully, "what is going on?" Suddenly a pillow was thrown in
Miriam's face, and before she had a chance to react, another one
was thrown in her direction. Standing up calmly and picking up
both pillows, she ran after the shrieking Serenity,intent upon
getting her revenge.
Miriam was running with the pillows held high above
her head and a wild look on her face as she chased Serenity.
Serenity was trying to run faster, but when she became trapped
between Miriam, her door which was behind her, her bed to her
left, and her closet to her right, she was distinctly aware that
there was really no way to escape. Her hands flew above her head
in a misguided attempt to protect herself. Miriam giggled and
the pillows shot down quickly toward Serenity's head. Serenity's
eyes went wide as she shrieked. Her hands went farther
in front of her face with her palms outstretched towards Miriam
and suddenly the room was filled with a bright, light purple
light and silence reigned. It was as though the world was still,
not a single sound could be heard. Miriam was screaming as the
bright light filled her body, and Serenity's eyes were opened
widely in shock as the bright light continued to pour out of her
hands. The entire house was shaking and part of the room was
demolished. The light purple light shone out of the windows,
encircling the entire palace, and the intensity of the light
flashed throughout the city. Serenity sensed the room about to
explode, and at the very last moment she collapsed on the ground
from fatigue, her hands dropping to her side and a crescent moon
sign on her forehead flickering out.
Miriam collapsed to the ground, her body limp and her
eyes glazed over. Serenity's eyes were still wide open in shock
as she fell to the floor as well. Thundering footsteps echoed
throughout the palace, and the door to Serenity's bedroom was
opened urgently. King Stephen ran in first with a frantic Queen
Selenity close behind him. "What is going on in here?" King
Stephen's voice boomed through the room.
Queen Selenity noticed that her daughter was having
trouble breathing and then saw Miriam laying on the ground limp.
"Stephen," she said urgently, "Look."
King Stephen glanced at Miriam then back at Serenity.
He let out an exasperated sigh. "I will pick up the Princess of
Venus. After all, I am the King and I do want to appear to be
the most concerned for the welfare of others."
Queen Selenity nodded in agreement and abided by her
husband's decision. She walked to Serenity's side and picked her
up. "Breath Serenity, breath," she said in a tone that seemed
mixed with worry and anger. Serenity gulped and hiccuped. It
took her severalminutes but finally her breathing resumed its
normal course. Meanwhile, King Stephen had already picked Miriam
up with a forced gentleness and laid her down on Serenity's
plush white bed. Queen Selenity walked over beside him, and
Serenity cautiously crept toward her best friend, her
soul-sister, lying on the bed.
"Is...is she going to be all right?" Serenity asked
fearfully.
"We do not know Serenity. It is greatly possible that
she will never recover and even if she does I highly doubt she
will ever fully recover due to your reckless behavior," King
Stephen answered angrily.
Princess Serenity looked to her mother for comfort, but
she was looking in the wrong place. She was looking into Queen
Selenity's hardened violet eyes. "I do not know what we are
going to do with you Serenity. This kind of mischief always
happens when you are around. We have done our best to raise you
properly, and this is how you repay us."
Serenity could not help but agree. She was not really
sure what she had done, but she knew it was bad whatever it was.
She looked down at the floor guiltily.
"I suppose you do not even realize what you did, do you?"
her father asked in an angry tone.
"No," Serenity answered quietly.
"You unleashed your power. It usually happens between 12
and 14, so you are right on schedule," he said matter-of-factly.
"If..if this always happens to the Moon Princess...then
why am I in trouble?" She asked cautiously, knowing she was
getting herself in more trouble but her curiosity getting the
better of her.
"Because," Queen Selenity snapped, "You were playing
childish games as usual. This is why we have been telling you to
stop acting so childish and grow up. When you are not mature this
is the result."
"I am sorry," Serenity said sadly.
"I am going to go call for magical assistance," King
Stephen said in a defeated tone. "I just hope that it is not too
late."
"I am going to go call her parents. They deserve to know
what has happened to their child. I trust that if I leave you
alone you will not do something childish again Serenity?" Queen
Selenity questioned severely.
Serenity hung her head down in shame. "No mother, I will
not," she said quietly. After her parents left, Serenity held
Miriam's hand. She laid her head on the bed by Miriam's shoulder.
"Miriam, please please feel better," Serenity begged as tears
streamed down her face. "I did not mean to hurt you. I am so
sorry. I did not know about my powers. I could not control it.
Please say you understand Miriam; please say you understand,"
Serenity pleaded through choked sobs. "Do not die, please. I
need you Miriam. You are the only one who truly understands me,"
Serenity sobbed. There was no movement from Miriam though, and
she continued to lay still and limp. Serenity squeezed Miriam's
hand softly and sat down in a more comfortable position,
prepared to sit with her all night or longer if necessary. The
morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the balcony
and onto the form of Serenity with her head resting on the bed
near Miriam's body. Her hand was still holding Miriam's hand
softly, but her eyes were shut and her breathing steady as she
slept. Queen Selenity entered the room and woke her daughter up
rather roughly. "It is time to wake up Serenity. I need to
speak to you about your powers."Serenity mumbled in her sleep
and woke up reluctantly. She slowly stood up and prepared for a
long, hard day. Her concerned glance immediately fell on
Miriam's motionless, still body. Serenity's eyes once again
filled with tears and a horrible feeling of fear mixed with
guilt, shame, and anxiety not to mention sadness overcame her
entire body. A pang entered her heart when she started to think
about life without Miriam. *No, no,* she thought desperately,
*it cannot come to that. Please do not let it ever come to that.*
Queen Selenity glanced at her daughter impatiently. "Let
us go NOW Serenity."
"Yes mother," Serenity said immediately. She took one
last look at Miriam though. *I am so sorry for hurting you, my
friend,* Serenity thought sadly.
As they entered the living room, Queen Selenity motioned
for Serenity to sit on the dark peach sofa as she sat down
daintily on the plush red chair.
"At your age it is about time you received your powers,"
Queen Selenity finally said quietly but with an air of power.
"However, that amount of power was not expected. Serenity, your
father and I have determined that there is something wrong with
you. For one thing, you are much too childish and immature to be
getting your power at this age. Another reason we think there is
something wrong is that all princesses are always granted the
same amount of power. Although their powers are not always the
same from generation to generation, each princess should always
have the same amount of power. You have considerably more power
than I, or any other Moon Princess for that matter, had at this
age. Your father and I think that either you have tampered with
something that you were not supposed to or else you have somehow
been accidentally given too much power in which case you are a
hazard to this palace, this city, the moon, and the entire Silver
Millennium Alliance in fact."
King Stephen entered. "That is right. I am sorry I was
late," he said, glancing at his wife with a halfway apologetic
smile.
"I...I do not understand," Serenity said fearfully.
"Serenity have you done anything you were not supposed
to," Selenity questioned bluntly.
"No. I mean, I had a pillow fight in my bedchamber which
is against the rules, but I do not see what that has to do
with..."Serenity trailed off, getting pale at the thought of her
friend lying limp on her bed.
"Do not be an imbecile Serenity," King Stephen said
angrily. "Your mother meant something much more dangerous than
some silly pillow fight."
"I do not understand," Serenity said quietly.
Queen Selenity sighed. "Oh I am sure you do not," King
Stephen growled.
Queen Selenity stood up and put a hand on her husband's
shoulder. "Try to calm down. I know this is stressful, but she
obviously does not know what we are talking about." She turned
to Serenity. "I want you to answer me with the absolute truth.
Did you Ever Ever Ever take, look at, or touch the Silver
Crystal?" Queen Selenity asked sharply.
Serenity moved in shock. "Oh no. Of course not mother. I
know better than to go near your Silver Crystal. I do not even
know where it is. I know it is hidden somewhere in you room, but
I knew I was not supposed to go looking for it."
Queen Selenity sighed mournfully. King Stephen looked at
his wife with shock. "I suppose I was almost hoping she had
touched it," Queen Selenity admitted sadly.
"How could you possibly wish such a thing? Our futures
would all be in jeopardy if she had touched the Silver Crystal,"
King Stephen said with his characteristic anger.
"Yes, I know. I know it is ridiculous, but now we have
to..." Queen Selenity broke off sadly.
"I know," King Stephen said succinctly.
"What is going on?" Serenity asked, fear gripping her
whole body. *what is happening? Does this have to do with me or
Miriam? Please let
Miriam be okay*
"You have too much power Serenity. Somehow you were
given much too power," Queen Selenity said simply.
"Is it my fault?" Serenity asked.
"No," King Stephen said, "but since you cannot control
it, we cannot control you."
"And as long as we cannot control you, you are
dangerous to everyone," Queen Selenity finished.
"What are you saying?" Serenity asked, her body growing
cold and numb from shock.
"I am saying," Queen Selenity said carefully, "that you
are going to have to stay in your room and never leave it. We
will have to get specialists here to examine you and discover
what is going on and until we discover how to rectify the
mistake or how to get you to control this kind of power you
cannot ever leave your room."
Whatever Serenity was expecting to hear, it was not
this. "We will have to line the walls of your room with an
anti-magic spell to keep another one of your outbursts from
harming the rest of the palace which means we will have to get
Lune here." King Stephen and Queen Selenity looked at each other
hesitantly.
"Are you sure about this?" Queen Selenity asked,
concerned.
"Of course I am sure," King Stephen replied, "I would
not dare to suggest having Lune here if I was not sure. I wish
as badly as you do that there was another way, but there is
not," he said in a clipped tone.
Everyone in the room looked worried. Serenity did not
know who Lune was, but she was obviously not very well liked
around here. She seemed to vaguely remember stories about a
magical, eccentric witch whom everyone was frightened of, and
whom her mother and father had banished to live as far away from
the palace as possible, in a secluded hut at the edge of a
forest near some fileds. Serenity was still most upset about
Miriam though of course, so she voiced this concern. "What about
Miriam?" she asked urgently.
"She has been taken back to Venus in the instant
transport pod. We could not afford to lose time on a spaceship.
Her mother and father are sending for the best doctors in the
galaxy and in the meantime our doctors went with her to look
after her," King Stephen replied.
"Now go to your room," Queen Selenity ordered.
"Mother, do you think I will ever see Miriam again?"
Serenity asked fearfully.
"You heard your mother. NOW!!" King Stephen yelled.
Serenity instantly jumped up and ran to her room, tears
streaming down her face. *Please let Miriam be okay.*
That night Serenity was plagued with nightmares. There
were monsters chasing Miriam. She saw them, but Miriam did not
notice them. She was too busy smelling the flowers in the field
she was in. Serenity tried to scream out, but she found that no
sound came from her throat. *Oh please turn around Miriam,* she
pleaded silently. She kept trying to scream; she jumped in front
of Miriam even, but Miriam could notsee her. *I have to save
her,* Serenity thought desperately. *I cannot afford to fail her
again.* She looked to see two of the monsters right behind
Miriam, and she screamed, tears running down her face. Miriam
was too busy smelling the flower which was a strange combination
of light red and orange. She was twirling the flower in her
hand when the monster's clawed paws grabbed her neck. She made
a strangled cry, trying to break free, but it was too late. All
Serenity could do was stand there and scream. Of course she ran
at the monster and tried to hurt it, but the monster could not
feel any of her hits or punches. She was crying and screaming as
she watched her best friend slowly have the life drained from
her right in front of Serenity's very eyes. Serenity woke up
screaming, sweat and tears covered her face and body. Her first
thought was to find Miriam, but she knew her parents would never
allow her to see Miriam again. *How can I tell Miriam to meet
me in secret if I cannot even find her without getting in
trouble?* Serenity wondered. Then a thought struck her. They
were supposed to meet Darla tonight at the fountain in the
Secluded Forest. Perhaps Miriam would go there, and even if she
did not Darla would surely be there because she probably had not
heard about the incident. Serenity stood up excitedly and
carefully crept toward the balcony. She slowly opened the doors,
wincing when the doors made a loud noise. She waited for a few
minutes but no one seemed to have heard. She looked down to the
patio below. *How am I going to get down there without hurting
myself and making a lot of noise?* Serenity wondered anxiously.
Serenity looked around in vain. She knew that there was no ladder
or anything around that she could climb down on, but she felt
she had to search every part of her room just to be sure. She
could not let Miriam down. A sense of urgency filled her every
movement and she felt a sense of power rising in her. She went
back to the balcony and looked down. *Perhaps that power that
filled this room earlier can be put to good use,* Serenity
thought. She felt the power rise within her, and she closed her
eyes letting it take over her entire body. She began to think of
Miriam and of Darla. She began to think of getting off the
balcony and meeting Darla to warn her. She took a small peek
through her eyes and discovered she was levitating in the air.
She closed her eyes again and concentrated on landing on the
ground softly. She felt the power within her, and she saw the
purple light inside of her body and let it run through her, let
it bring her safely to the ground. As she landed softly on the
ground, she looked around her to make sure no one had seen her
display of power. Her next move was to run as fast
as she could to the Secluded Forest. *Where did Miriam say it
was,* Serenity thought desperately. *To the right I think,* she
turned right and ran into the Secluded Forest. She was exhausted
but the strange power inside of her was keeping her going. She
was not even aware of how exhausted she was becoming, she only
felt desperation and a power of great magnitude surging through
her body. Colors blurred together as she ran faster and faster,
feeling the wind around her, and the purple light growing inside
her body and light feel of the forest floor barely touching her
feet as she whizzed through the forest. A twinge entered her
body and she stopped immediately. Coincidentally, or not so
coincidentally, she was standing right beside a fountain and
Darla was standing there as well, her mouth wide open in shock.
"Darla," Serenity gasped desperately. "We need to talk."
"What is going on Serenity?" Darla asked in surprise.
"Are you doing okay?"
"Yes, I mean no, I mean I do not know. I need your help."
"Of course Serenity, anything," Darla promised.
"My parents they they," Serenity gasped, finding it hard
to go on. "They will not let me see Miriam or anyone else for
that matter for a very long time, perhaps forever. I unleashed
this power I did not know I had in me. This purple light that
filled the whole room while Miriam and I were having a pillow
fight. Apparently all Moon Princesses have powers but mine are
too great and my parents will not let me see anyone until they
are under control."
"Were you using your powers to get here Serenity?" Darla
asked, "because there was a soft, purple light surrounding you and
you were running so fast, faster than anyone I have ever known."
"Yes, I think so," Serenity said desperately. "I used
them to leave my room as well although I know I am not supposed
to. Please can you relay a message back to Miriam? Do you know if
she is doing okay by the way? I feel so horrible for what I did."
"What you did?" Darla asked in confusion. "I thought she
simply had an accident."
"No...my," Serenity stopped. "My powers hurt her," she
finally finished painfully.
"Oh," Darla said.
"I..I..I did not mean to. I suppose you do not want to be
around me, but please give Miriam the message for me."
"First of all, it is okay Serenity. I know it was an
accident. You and Miriam mean everything to each other. I know
you would not hurt her on purpose. Try not to feel so guilty
though I know that is hard. I still want to be around you
Serenity. You mean so much to me. Oh and secondly, you can tell
Miriam yourself. She should be here in a few minutes. She is
already late ,but I suppose that is because she had to sneak
away from her parents, not to mention that she has a limp in her
leg. Otherwise though, she is fine," Darla hastily added.
"Okay, thank you," Serenity said slowly. "You are such a
good friend, and I am so relieved she is okay," Serenity finished,
sitting down wearily on the edge of the white marble fountain.
The delicate, white fountain seemed so strangely out of place in
the middle of this imposing, dark forest. Yet the contrast of it
seemed to please Serenity in a magical way. There was a soft
shuffle sound that caused Serenity's head to whip up in surprise.
She could sense that Miriam was standing behind her. She heard
Miriam and Darla greet one another. Serenity jumped up and
whirled around excitedly. "Miriam!" she exclaimed.
"Serenity!" Miriam said excitedly, her arms wrapped around
Serenity as she limped over slowly.
Serenity's eyes filled with concern. "Oh Miriam, I am so
sorry," she said apologetically. "I," she pushed Miriam away. "I
really should not touch you. It is dangerous for you. I could hurt
you again."
"Oh Serenity," Miriam said quietly. "Please do not say
that. You would never hurt me on purpose I know. It was an
accident. You could not control your powers. It is not your fault.
In fact," she added, patting Serenity on the back. "I think your
new power is amazing. You could have wiped out the whole palace!"
"No Miriam, you do not understand. I am not allowed to
see anyone ever again, least of all you. My parents not only do
not approve of our behavior, but they are going to keep me locked
up in my room until they find out why I have so much more power
than I am supposed to."
"You are not supposed to have that much power?" Miriam
asked curiously.
"No, most Moon Princesses get their powers around my age,
but mother says that all Moon Princesses always have the same
amount of power and that amount is considerably less than mine.
They are treating me like some sort of prisoner, a convict. I
suppose that is what I am.What kind of friend almost kills her
closest friend?"
"Oh no, please do not say that Serenity," Miriam begged.
"You are my soul sister, my kindred spirit remember? I do not
ever want to lose that. You may have a lot of power but you
probably just do not know how to control it yet. You can learn."
"They are sending me a witch named Lune to teach me. At
least I think that is why they are sending for her. They are so
reluctant to do so. She is supposedly not well liked by them or
anyone around here. She is supposed to be hidden somewhere in a
forest near the fields, in a hut." As soon as the last sentence
left her mouth, Serenity regretted it. She knew the way Miriam's
mind worked, and she knew what Miriam was going to suggest.
Miriam's eyes lit up. "She is here in the forest? A
witch that everyone thinks is crazy? We must go meet her. I bet
she is incredible. We could all be friends."
Serenity groaned. "There is no such thing as witches
Miriam. Tt is just what she calls herself. We can not possibly
go looking for her. If my parents find out that I am gone I will
be in so much trouble."
"Oh all right. I have an idea though," Miriam said,
giving in more easily that Serenity had ever dreamed possible.
*I cannot believe she actually gave in,* Serenity thought in
amazement. "You go back, but Darla and I will go looking for
the witch. You are going to meet her anyway right? When we find
her we can relay messages to you through her. She could be like
our messenger, and we could set up dates and places to meet in
secret because I cannot imagine going on without you Serenity,"
Miriam said truthfully.
"There is so much wrong with that plan," Serenity said
in amusement.
"Oh yeah, have you got a better one?" Miriam countered.
Serenity shook her head, "No, but I do not think it is
a good idea to meet you Miriam. It is too dangerous. Until I
get this power under control I will not see you. I can not bear
to hurt you!" Serenity said in anguish. She began to feel the
power in her again. It seemed whenever she was truly determined
or emotional the power would be summoned. She used it now to
make a fast getaway. She ran and ran and ran until she finally
reached the palace. As she levitated back into her bedchamber
and lay on her bed, she attempted to go to sleep but found it
quite impossible. Thoughts of Miriam's shocked and hurt face
haunted her all night, and when she fell asleep she had the
dream of the monster attacking and killing Miriam again in
front of her very own eyes.
To Be Continued...
Leann Rimes. It is called "You Light Up My Life."I did change the
contractions to be written out though because that is the way the
lunar beings speak in my story.
Chapter Two, Power Unleashed:
The door to Serenity's room opened carefully as Serenity
walked quietly inside her bedchamber and closed the door even more
softly than she had opened it. Serenity glanced toward her bed to
confirm what she already knew. Miriam was in the room. The
exhausted Serenity collapsed onto the bed beside a worn out Miriam.
"Where is Darla?" Serenity asked softly.
"Her mother was monitoring her too closely. She could not
come up, but she promises to meet us by the fountain tomorrow
night."
"The fountain?" Serenity asked suspiciously. "Do you mean
the one where we first met? In the palace grounds? That is very
dangerous," Serenity said in a concerned voice.
"No, a different one. I have never seen it, but Darla
suggested it. She assures me it is beautiful and well hidden. It
is supposed to be in the Secluded Forest to the right of the
farthest edge on the right of the palace grounds. "
"All right," I said tiredly, hoping I could find it with
my poor sense of direction. Miriam's voice interrupted my stream
of thought though.
"Serenityyyy," Miriam whined, "will you take out the clips
in my hair? They got stuck."
"Awww...is poor wittle Pwincess Miwiam having a hawd time
getting her cwips out?" Serenity teased Miriam, using a small
child's voice mockingly.
"Watch it Serenity," Miriam growled. Then she grinned
mischievously as she picked up a big, soft, feathery pillow next
to her.
"Oh no," Serenity gasped when Miriam took the pillow and
threw it at Serenity. "Ohhh, you are going to get it Miriam,"
Serenity warned, jumping over Miriam and falling off the bed while
trying to grab a pillow.
Miriam giggled, "you are so adorable Serenity. You can not
even get the pillow without falling off the bed." She laughed
harder.
Serenity glared at her, "do you want me to get those clips
out of your hair or not?" she asked sharply. Miriam smiled but
became silent. "Good," Serenity said, ignoring Miriam's
outstretched hand and getting up on her own. Miriam smiled again.
"That is beginning to frighten me Miriam," Serenity said.
"Aww you mean I am creeping you out?" Miriam asked
mischievously and then smiled warmly. "Come on Serenity. I am just
teasing you."
"Creeping me out? Where do you get these expressions
Miriam?" Serenity questioned her again but had a feeling she
would get the same place she always did when she asked Miriam
about her odd use of expressions, which was- nowhere.
"I will tell you someday Serenity, I promise," Miriam said
quietly. Serenity knew this was serious, but she did not understand
why Miriam did not simply trust her. *Oh well,* Serenity sighed and
began to take the clips out of Miriam's hair. It was a long, painful
process. Even as Serenity's gentle hands attempted to take out the
clips ever so gently and slowly, it became obvious from the
beginning that Miriam was going to feel a lot of pain.
"Are you doing all right?" Serenity asked Miriam when she
was done pulling the clips out and brushing Miriam's long, shiny
hair.
"Yes, thank you Serenity." Miriam hugged her close, and
Serenity willingly hugged her back. "You are the best friend I
could ever ask for," Miriam said happily, "and to show you how much
you mean to me..." *uh oh* Serenity thought. "...I want to sing you
this song," Miriam said with a twinkle in her eyes. She grabbed the
brush off of Serenity's nightstand and jumped up on the cushioned
chair in front of Serenity's bed. Serenity looked at Miriam and
smiled encouragingly.
"I dedicate this song to you Serenity, my soul-sister, my
lost companion, and my best friend," Miriam said sincerely as she
began to sing a song that Serenity knew by heart because it was one
of her favorites. Miriam looked at Serenity happily as she softly
sang into the pretend mirophone, pouring all her soul into the song
to show Serenity just how much her friendship meant to Miriam.
So many nights, I would sit by my window. Waiting for
someone to sing me his song. So many dreams, I kept deep inside me.
Alone in the dark, but now you have come along. And you light up my
life. You give me hope, to carry on. You light up my days. And fill
my nights with song. Rollin' at sea, adrift on the waters. Could it
be finally, I am turning for home. Finally a chance to say, "Hey, I
Love You." Never again to be all alone. And you light up my life.
You give me hope, to carry on. You light up my days. And fill my
nights with song. You, You light up my life. You give me hope to
carry on. You light up my days. And fill my nights with song. It
cannot be wrong, when it feels so right. 'Cause you, you light up
my life.
By the end of the song, Serenity was softly crying and one,
single tear also ran down Miriam's cheek. Serenity ran up and
hugged Miriam into a close embrace. "Thank you Miriam," she
whispered softly. "It means so much to me." Neither of them said
another word; they did not need to. They understood one other's
hearts. After awhile they had become tired of sitting and talking
about all of their problems. They had talked extensively about both
sets of their parents and the unfair expectations set for them.
They also talked about how detestable and fake all the nobles were,
except for Prince Michael of course. That topic became their last
in fact, and they had just finished discussing how much Michael
still meant to Miriam, not to mention Serenity's worry over not
having found someone of her own.
"Be calm Serenity. You are only 13 years old. You still
have plenty of time to find someone," Miriam reassured her.
"Perhaps you are better for the independent life anyway."
"Oh come now Miriam. You are more suited for the
independent life than I am. Besides mother and father would never
stand for it," Serenitysaid a bit sadly.
"No, I suppose they would not. It is a shame really. If I
had not met Michael, I would have thought the independent life
was for me and besides for all I know he does not like me in the
same way."
"Do not worry," Serenity said, "I know that it is hard not
to, but it is important for you to be patient when it comes to
matters of the heart."
"Patient?" Miriam asked curiously. "I do not understand
the meaning of the word." Both Serenity and Miriam chuckled at
the honesty behind that joke. Miriam stopped laughing when she
noticed a strange grin spread all over Serenity's face. She had
never seen that look on Serenity before. "Serenity," Miriam said
carefully, "what is going on?" Suddenly a pillow was thrown in
Miriam's face, and before she had a chance to react, another one
was thrown in her direction. Standing up calmly and picking up
both pillows, she ran after the shrieking Serenity,intent upon
getting her revenge.
Miriam was running with the pillows held high above
her head and a wild look on her face as she chased Serenity.
Serenity was trying to run faster, but when she became trapped
between Miriam, her door which was behind her, her bed to her
left, and her closet to her right, she was distinctly aware that
there was really no way to escape. Her hands flew above her head
in a misguided attempt to protect herself. Miriam giggled and
the pillows shot down quickly toward Serenity's head. Serenity's
eyes went wide as she shrieked. Her hands went farther
in front of her face with her palms outstretched towards Miriam
and suddenly the room was filled with a bright, light purple
light and silence reigned. It was as though the world was still,
not a single sound could be heard. Miriam was screaming as the
bright light filled her body, and Serenity's eyes were opened
widely in shock as the bright light continued to pour out of her
hands. The entire house was shaking and part of the room was
demolished. The light purple light shone out of the windows,
encircling the entire palace, and the intensity of the light
flashed throughout the city. Serenity sensed the room about to
explode, and at the very last moment she collapsed on the ground
from fatigue, her hands dropping to her side and a crescent moon
sign on her forehead flickering out.
Miriam collapsed to the ground, her body limp and her
eyes glazed over. Serenity's eyes were still wide open in shock
as she fell to the floor as well. Thundering footsteps echoed
throughout the palace, and the door to Serenity's bedroom was
opened urgently. King Stephen ran in first with a frantic Queen
Selenity close behind him. "What is going on in here?" King
Stephen's voice boomed through the room.
Queen Selenity noticed that her daughter was having
trouble breathing and then saw Miriam laying on the ground limp.
"Stephen," she said urgently, "Look."
King Stephen glanced at Miriam then back at Serenity.
He let out an exasperated sigh. "I will pick up the Princess of
Venus. After all, I am the King and I do want to appear to be
the most concerned for the welfare of others."
Queen Selenity nodded in agreement and abided by her
husband's decision. She walked to Serenity's side and picked her
up. "Breath Serenity, breath," she said in a tone that seemed
mixed with worry and anger. Serenity gulped and hiccuped. It
took her severalminutes but finally her breathing resumed its
normal course. Meanwhile, King Stephen had already picked Miriam
up with a forced gentleness and laid her down on Serenity's
plush white bed. Queen Selenity walked over beside him, and
Serenity cautiously crept toward her best friend, her
soul-sister, lying on the bed.
"Is...is she going to be all right?" Serenity asked
fearfully.
"We do not know Serenity. It is greatly possible that
she will never recover and even if she does I highly doubt she
will ever fully recover due to your reckless behavior," King
Stephen answered angrily.
Princess Serenity looked to her mother for comfort, but
she was looking in the wrong place. She was looking into Queen
Selenity's hardened violet eyes. "I do not know what we are
going to do with you Serenity. This kind of mischief always
happens when you are around. We have done our best to raise you
properly, and this is how you repay us."
Serenity could not help but agree. She was not really
sure what she had done, but she knew it was bad whatever it was.
She looked down at the floor guiltily.
"I suppose you do not even realize what you did, do you?"
her father asked in an angry tone.
"No," Serenity answered quietly.
"You unleashed your power. It usually happens between 12
and 14, so you are right on schedule," he said matter-of-factly.
"If..if this always happens to the Moon Princess...then
why am I in trouble?" She asked cautiously, knowing she was
getting herself in more trouble but her curiosity getting the
better of her.
"Because," Queen Selenity snapped, "You were playing
childish games as usual. This is why we have been telling you to
stop acting so childish and grow up. When you are not mature this
is the result."
"I am sorry," Serenity said sadly.
"I am going to go call for magical assistance," King
Stephen said in a defeated tone. "I just hope that it is not too
late."
"I am going to go call her parents. They deserve to know
what has happened to their child. I trust that if I leave you
alone you will not do something childish again Serenity?" Queen
Selenity questioned severely.
Serenity hung her head down in shame. "No mother, I will
not," she said quietly. After her parents left, Serenity held
Miriam's hand. She laid her head on the bed by Miriam's shoulder.
"Miriam, please please feel better," Serenity begged as tears
streamed down her face. "I did not mean to hurt you. I am so
sorry. I did not know about my powers. I could not control it.
Please say you understand Miriam; please say you understand,"
Serenity pleaded through choked sobs. "Do not die, please. I
need you Miriam. You are the only one who truly understands me,"
Serenity sobbed. There was no movement from Miriam though, and
she continued to lay still and limp. Serenity squeezed Miriam's
hand softly and sat down in a more comfortable position,
prepared to sit with her all night or longer if necessary. The
morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the balcony
and onto the form of Serenity with her head resting on the bed
near Miriam's body. Her hand was still holding Miriam's hand
softly, but her eyes were shut and her breathing steady as she
slept. Queen Selenity entered the room and woke her daughter up
rather roughly. "It is time to wake up Serenity. I need to
speak to you about your powers."Serenity mumbled in her sleep
and woke up reluctantly. She slowly stood up and prepared for a
long, hard day. Her concerned glance immediately fell on
Miriam's motionless, still body. Serenity's eyes once again
filled with tears and a horrible feeling of fear mixed with
guilt, shame, and anxiety not to mention sadness overcame her
entire body. A pang entered her heart when she started to think
about life without Miriam. *No, no,* she thought desperately,
*it cannot come to that. Please do not let it ever come to that.*
Queen Selenity glanced at her daughter impatiently. "Let
us go NOW Serenity."
"Yes mother," Serenity said immediately. She took one
last look at Miriam though. *I am so sorry for hurting you, my
friend,* Serenity thought sadly.
As they entered the living room, Queen Selenity motioned
for Serenity to sit on the dark peach sofa as she sat down
daintily on the plush red chair.
"At your age it is about time you received your powers,"
Queen Selenity finally said quietly but with an air of power.
"However, that amount of power was not expected. Serenity, your
father and I have determined that there is something wrong with
you. For one thing, you are much too childish and immature to be
getting your power at this age. Another reason we think there is
something wrong is that all princesses are always granted the
same amount of power. Although their powers are not always the
same from generation to generation, each princess should always
have the same amount of power. You have considerably more power
than I, or any other Moon Princess for that matter, had at this
age. Your father and I think that either you have tampered with
something that you were not supposed to or else you have somehow
been accidentally given too much power in which case you are a
hazard to this palace, this city, the moon, and the entire Silver
Millennium Alliance in fact."
King Stephen entered. "That is right. I am sorry I was
late," he said, glancing at his wife with a halfway apologetic
smile.
"I...I do not understand," Serenity said fearfully.
"Serenity have you done anything you were not supposed
to," Selenity questioned bluntly.
"No. I mean, I had a pillow fight in my bedchamber which
is against the rules, but I do not see what that has to do
with..."Serenity trailed off, getting pale at the thought of her
friend lying limp on her bed.
"Do not be an imbecile Serenity," King Stephen said
angrily. "Your mother meant something much more dangerous than
some silly pillow fight."
"I do not understand," Serenity said quietly.
Queen Selenity sighed. "Oh I am sure you do not," King
Stephen growled.
Queen Selenity stood up and put a hand on her husband's
shoulder. "Try to calm down. I know this is stressful, but she
obviously does not know what we are talking about." She turned
to Serenity. "I want you to answer me with the absolute truth.
Did you Ever Ever Ever take, look at, or touch the Silver
Crystal?" Queen Selenity asked sharply.
Serenity moved in shock. "Oh no. Of course not mother. I
know better than to go near your Silver Crystal. I do not even
know where it is. I know it is hidden somewhere in you room, but
I knew I was not supposed to go looking for it."
Queen Selenity sighed mournfully. King Stephen looked at
his wife with shock. "I suppose I was almost hoping she had
touched it," Queen Selenity admitted sadly.
"How could you possibly wish such a thing? Our futures
would all be in jeopardy if she had touched the Silver Crystal,"
King Stephen said with his characteristic anger.
"Yes, I know. I know it is ridiculous, but now we have
to..." Queen Selenity broke off sadly.
"I know," King Stephen said succinctly.
"What is going on?" Serenity asked, fear gripping her
whole body. *what is happening? Does this have to do with me or
Miriam? Please let
Miriam be okay*
"You have too much power Serenity. Somehow you were
given much too power," Queen Selenity said simply.
"Is it my fault?" Serenity asked.
"No," King Stephen said, "but since you cannot control
it, we cannot control you."
"And as long as we cannot control you, you are
dangerous to everyone," Queen Selenity finished.
"What are you saying?" Serenity asked, her body growing
cold and numb from shock.
"I am saying," Queen Selenity said carefully, "that you
are going to have to stay in your room and never leave it. We
will have to get specialists here to examine you and discover
what is going on and until we discover how to rectify the
mistake or how to get you to control this kind of power you
cannot ever leave your room."
Whatever Serenity was expecting to hear, it was not
this. "We will have to line the walls of your room with an
anti-magic spell to keep another one of your outbursts from
harming the rest of the palace which means we will have to get
Lune here." King Stephen and Queen Selenity looked at each other
hesitantly.
"Are you sure about this?" Queen Selenity asked,
concerned.
"Of course I am sure," King Stephen replied, "I would
not dare to suggest having Lune here if I was not sure. I wish
as badly as you do that there was another way, but there is
not," he said in a clipped tone.
Everyone in the room looked worried. Serenity did not
know who Lune was, but she was obviously not very well liked
around here. She seemed to vaguely remember stories about a
magical, eccentric witch whom everyone was frightened of, and
whom her mother and father had banished to live as far away from
the palace as possible, in a secluded hut at the edge of a
forest near some fileds. Serenity was still most upset about
Miriam though of course, so she voiced this concern. "What about
Miriam?" she asked urgently.
"She has been taken back to Venus in the instant
transport pod. We could not afford to lose time on a spaceship.
Her mother and father are sending for the best doctors in the
galaxy and in the meantime our doctors went with her to look
after her," King Stephen replied.
"Now go to your room," Queen Selenity ordered.
"Mother, do you think I will ever see Miriam again?"
Serenity asked fearfully.
"You heard your mother. NOW!!" King Stephen yelled.
Serenity instantly jumped up and ran to her room, tears
streaming down her face. *Please let Miriam be okay.*
That night Serenity was plagued with nightmares. There
were monsters chasing Miriam. She saw them, but Miriam did not
notice them. She was too busy smelling the flowers in the field
she was in. Serenity tried to scream out, but she found that no
sound came from her throat. *Oh please turn around Miriam,* she
pleaded silently. She kept trying to scream; she jumped in front
of Miriam even, but Miriam could notsee her. *I have to save
her,* Serenity thought desperately. *I cannot afford to fail her
again.* She looked to see two of the monsters right behind
Miriam, and she screamed, tears running down her face. Miriam
was too busy smelling the flower which was a strange combination
of light red and orange. She was twirling the flower in her
hand when the monster's clawed paws grabbed her neck. She made
a strangled cry, trying to break free, but it was too late. All
Serenity could do was stand there and scream. Of course she ran
at the monster and tried to hurt it, but the monster could not
feel any of her hits or punches. She was crying and screaming as
she watched her best friend slowly have the life drained from
her right in front of Serenity's very eyes. Serenity woke up
screaming, sweat and tears covered her face and body. Her first
thought was to find Miriam, but she knew her parents would never
allow her to see Miriam again. *How can I tell Miriam to meet
me in secret if I cannot even find her without getting in
trouble?* Serenity wondered. Then a thought struck her. They
were supposed to meet Darla tonight at the fountain in the
Secluded Forest. Perhaps Miriam would go there, and even if she
did not Darla would surely be there because she probably had not
heard about the incident. Serenity stood up excitedly and
carefully crept toward the balcony. She slowly opened the doors,
wincing when the doors made a loud noise. She waited for a few
minutes but no one seemed to have heard. She looked down to the
patio below. *How am I going to get down there without hurting
myself and making a lot of noise?* Serenity wondered anxiously.
Serenity looked around in vain. She knew that there was no ladder
or anything around that she could climb down on, but she felt
she had to search every part of her room just to be sure. She
could not let Miriam down. A sense of urgency filled her every
movement and she felt a sense of power rising in her. She went
back to the balcony and looked down. *Perhaps that power that
filled this room earlier can be put to good use,* Serenity
thought. She felt the power rise within her, and she closed her
eyes letting it take over her entire body. She began to think of
Miriam and of Darla. She began to think of getting off the
balcony and meeting Darla to warn her. She took a small peek
through her eyes and discovered she was levitating in the air.
She closed her eyes again and concentrated on landing on the
ground softly. She felt the power within her, and she saw the
purple light inside of her body and let it run through her, let
it bring her safely to the ground. As she landed softly on the
ground, she looked around her to make sure no one had seen her
display of power. Her next move was to run as fast
as she could to the Secluded Forest. *Where did Miriam say it
was,* Serenity thought desperately. *To the right I think,* she
turned right and ran into the Secluded Forest. She was exhausted
but the strange power inside of her was keeping her going. She
was not even aware of how exhausted she was becoming, she only
felt desperation and a power of great magnitude surging through
her body. Colors blurred together as she ran faster and faster,
feeling the wind around her, and the purple light growing inside
her body and light feel of the forest floor barely touching her
feet as she whizzed through the forest. A twinge entered her
body and she stopped immediately. Coincidentally, or not so
coincidentally, she was standing right beside a fountain and
Darla was standing there as well, her mouth wide open in shock.
"Darla," Serenity gasped desperately. "We need to talk."
"What is going on Serenity?" Darla asked in surprise.
"Are you doing okay?"
"Yes, I mean no, I mean I do not know. I need your help."
"Of course Serenity, anything," Darla promised.
"My parents they they," Serenity gasped, finding it hard
to go on. "They will not let me see Miriam or anyone else for
that matter for a very long time, perhaps forever. I unleashed
this power I did not know I had in me. This purple light that
filled the whole room while Miriam and I were having a pillow
fight. Apparently all Moon Princesses have powers but mine are
too great and my parents will not let me see anyone until they
are under control."
"Were you using your powers to get here Serenity?" Darla
asked, "because there was a soft, purple light surrounding you and
you were running so fast, faster than anyone I have ever known."
"Yes, I think so," Serenity said desperately. "I used
them to leave my room as well although I know I am not supposed
to. Please can you relay a message back to Miriam? Do you know if
she is doing okay by the way? I feel so horrible for what I did."
"What you did?" Darla asked in confusion. "I thought she
simply had an accident."
"No...my," Serenity stopped. "My powers hurt her," she
finally finished painfully.
"Oh," Darla said.
"I..I..I did not mean to. I suppose you do not want to be
around me, but please give Miriam the message for me."
"First of all, it is okay Serenity. I know it was an
accident. You and Miriam mean everything to each other. I know
you would not hurt her on purpose. Try not to feel so guilty
though I know that is hard. I still want to be around you
Serenity. You mean so much to me. Oh and secondly, you can tell
Miriam yourself. She should be here in a few minutes. She is
already late ,but I suppose that is because she had to sneak
away from her parents, not to mention that she has a limp in her
leg. Otherwise though, she is fine," Darla hastily added.
"Okay, thank you," Serenity said slowly. "You are such a
good friend, and I am so relieved she is okay," Serenity finished,
sitting down wearily on the edge of the white marble fountain.
The delicate, white fountain seemed so strangely out of place in
the middle of this imposing, dark forest. Yet the contrast of it
seemed to please Serenity in a magical way. There was a soft
shuffle sound that caused Serenity's head to whip up in surprise.
She could sense that Miriam was standing behind her. She heard
Miriam and Darla greet one another. Serenity jumped up and
whirled around excitedly. "Miriam!" she exclaimed.
"Serenity!" Miriam said excitedly, her arms wrapped around
Serenity as she limped over slowly.
Serenity's eyes filled with concern. "Oh Miriam, I am so
sorry," she said apologetically. "I," she pushed Miriam away. "I
really should not touch you. It is dangerous for you. I could hurt
you again."
"Oh Serenity," Miriam said quietly. "Please do not say
that. You would never hurt me on purpose I know. It was an
accident. You could not control your powers. It is not your fault.
In fact," she added, patting Serenity on the back. "I think your
new power is amazing. You could have wiped out the whole palace!"
"No Miriam, you do not understand. I am not allowed to
see anyone ever again, least of all you. My parents not only do
not approve of our behavior, but they are going to keep me locked
up in my room until they find out why I have so much more power
than I am supposed to."
"You are not supposed to have that much power?" Miriam
asked curiously.
"No, most Moon Princesses get their powers around my age,
but mother says that all Moon Princesses always have the same
amount of power and that amount is considerably less than mine.
They are treating me like some sort of prisoner, a convict. I
suppose that is what I am.What kind of friend almost kills her
closest friend?"
"Oh no, please do not say that Serenity," Miriam begged.
"You are my soul sister, my kindred spirit remember? I do not
ever want to lose that. You may have a lot of power but you
probably just do not know how to control it yet. You can learn."
"They are sending me a witch named Lune to teach me. At
least I think that is why they are sending for her. They are so
reluctant to do so. She is supposedly not well liked by them or
anyone around here. She is supposed to be hidden somewhere in a
forest near the fields, in a hut." As soon as the last sentence
left her mouth, Serenity regretted it. She knew the way Miriam's
mind worked, and she knew what Miriam was going to suggest.
Miriam's eyes lit up. "She is here in the forest? A
witch that everyone thinks is crazy? We must go meet her. I bet
she is incredible. We could all be friends."
Serenity groaned. "There is no such thing as witches
Miriam. Tt is just what she calls herself. We can not possibly
go looking for her. If my parents find out that I am gone I will
be in so much trouble."
"Oh all right. I have an idea though," Miriam said,
giving in more easily that Serenity had ever dreamed possible.
*I cannot believe she actually gave in,* Serenity thought in
amazement. "You go back, but Darla and I will go looking for
the witch. You are going to meet her anyway right? When we find
her we can relay messages to you through her. She could be like
our messenger, and we could set up dates and places to meet in
secret because I cannot imagine going on without you Serenity,"
Miriam said truthfully.
"There is so much wrong with that plan," Serenity said
in amusement.
"Oh yeah, have you got a better one?" Miriam countered.
Serenity shook her head, "No, but I do not think it is
a good idea to meet you Miriam. It is too dangerous. Until I
get this power under control I will not see you. I can not bear
to hurt you!" Serenity said in anguish. She began to feel the
power in her again. It seemed whenever she was truly determined
or emotional the power would be summoned. She used it now to
make a fast getaway. She ran and ran and ran until she finally
reached the palace. As she levitated back into her bedchamber
and lay on her bed, she attempted to go to sleep but found it
quite impossible. Thoughts of Miriam's shocked and hurt face
haunted her all night, and when she fell asleep she had the
dream of the monster attacking and killing Miriam again in
front of her very own eyes.
To Be Continued...