A newborn child's cries filled a cabin to it's entiriety, filling
every room with the sounds of a new life, and of a new cause for worry.
The mother of the child fell back onto the bed, her body covered in sweat, her breaths coming out in short gasps. She closed her eyes, thanking the gods the hardest part was over. But no, she realized, it isn't.
"She's beautiful, Selenity," the doctor said. He and his nurse would be leaving shortly, no one was supposed to realize where he was. The nurse took the child and cleansed her. Then wrapped her in a warm blanket, leaving only her beautiful face peeking out.
Selenity took the baby and held her close. She looked down at the child, and was sure she saw her smile. But newborns couldn't smile, it had to be her imagination. She touched the child's forehead where a crescent moon shimmered. Another thing to be hidden.
"Oh, small beauty, I fear that this miracle moment cannot last long. And I fear that I cannot hold you forever like I wish to do."
"What do you mean, Selenity?" A senshi from Saturn said. This senshi was younger than the rest, and didn't always understand the situations that her friends and herself found themselves in.
"I cannot keep this child," Selenity said choking on tears. Sobs crawled into her throat, almost causing her to gag. Shining tears formed in her eyes then fell softly down her cheeks leaving glittering salty trails behind them.
The Guardian of Time nodded. She knew what the future held, and she knew the Queen had learned so too through a premonition.
"I don't understand... Why can't you keep the Princess?"
"Bite your tongue, Hotaru!" Setsuna said sharply. "This child shall not be the Princess ever!"
"But-"
"There are things," Michiru said gently, "that you do not understand, and will not understand until the time comes."
"What time?!"
All the Senshi looked at her, their eyes holding the wisdom she couldn't seem to find. Hotaru could not figure out why the Queen's child would not be Princess. For what reason could they possibly strip her title from her?
"The time when this child will learn of her past," Haruka said. Michiru and herself both knew to trust Setsuna and the Queen.
The nurse and doctor listened to the conversation, but looked away. They knew to never speak of a child born in a secluded cabin, born of the Queen of the Moon, heir to the throne. For a reason they couldn't find and may never do so.
"You may leave," Selenity said to the doctor gracious enough to keep her secret, and the nurse would keep it also. They bowed and left the cabin, trotting away on horses.
Finally alone with the Senshi, Selenity let everything out. The angel in her arms had fallen asleep, and did not stir even when her mother's body shook with sadness. The Senshi held Selenity close, but did not meet her eyes. Sorrow replaced the joyful feeling of new life.
"What is her name?" Hotaru asked as the darkness of night replaced the light of day, it's eerie silence slowly surrounding the cabin.
"Her name," Selenity said thoughtfully. She looked at the sleeping child. She looked so peaceful, so serene, despite the things that haunted her future.
"Her name is Serenity," she said. She then laughed as the baby scrunched her nose up. "Serena for short."
=======================================
Three weeks after Serenity was born, the Queen sat in the shadow of a large tree, her baby in her arms, gurgling as the Queen made crazy faces at her.
"Such a happy girl," Selenity laughed. The child did too, a glad little giggle that was deep within Serena, in her very essence. From the first time her daughter had opened her blue eyes, Selenity had known she was going to hold hope and happiness even in the worst of times. And she was going to need that trait in her future.
"Selenity," Setsuna said. "It's time for us to go."
The Queen looked away, but nodded. She'd been dreading this moment since the birth of her only daughter. She stood up slowly, still holding her daughter, desperate to keep her for as long as possible. She walked with Setsuna to a place where two carriages waited. One to hold Setsuna and the child, another to hold the Queen and the rest of the Senshi.
Selenity stopped in front of her carriage, and looked down at Serena.
"I'm sorry that you'll never know me, and I'm even more sorry I'll never get to know you," she said and she didn't cry this time. She'd promised not to cry. She didn't quite pull off the smile she was going for though.
"Her crescent moon," Setsuna said.
Selenity nodded. She touched the crescent moon on Serena's forehead with two fingers and focused her magic upon it. The moon didn't disappear exactly, it merely hid underneath the girl's skin, as it would for a long time.
"And her hair."
Selenity nodded again knowing all the things she'd have to hide from her own daughter. She touched the girls small amount of silver hair and then slowly it turned golden. Another thing gone, but not forever.
"She's just a normal Lunarian girl," Selenity said with confidence. "She's six months old and her anonymous mother could not keep her. Her name is Serenity, Serena for short, and her last name remains unknown. She needs a home where she'll be loved as much as she deserves."
The Senshi looked away the Queen's gaze, afraid if they met it they could not keep the emotions locked inside. They'd come to love the child too. Setsuna took the child from her mother's arms, and it immediately began crying.
"No, Serena," Selenity said softly. "Don't cry, my beautiful baby. I'll always carry you within my heart, and I shall always be in yours."
Serena stopped wailing, but the tears did not stop streaming down her cheeks.
"It's time to go, Selenity," Michiru said quietly. Selenity did not answer, but stepped into the carriage awaiting her. Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru followed, waving good-bye to Setsuna and the only heir to the Moon Kingdom's throne.
Or was she?
====================================
And in a year's time there was not only one Queen with a rumored miscarriage. But five. Every Queen between Mercury and Jupiter had had mysterious problems with their pregnancies, excluding the Earth. An evil plot? A horrible scheme? Black magic?
Or maybe it was a sacrifice they all had to make. A sacrifice to possibly save the Universe.
Author's Note: I know. I have other stories I should finish, but A Slave of His Heart will be finished tomorrow night and I couldn't wait to post this one! I'm really into it. Please review anyway.
The mother of the child fell back onto the bed, her body covered in sweat, her breaths coming out in short gasps. She closed her eyes, thanking the gods the hardest part was over. But no, she realized, it isn't.
"She's beautiful, Selenity," the doctor said. He and his nurse would be leaving shortly, no one was supposed to realize where he was. The nurse took the child and cleansed her. Then wrapped her in a warm blanket, leaving only her beautiful face peeking out.
Selenity took the baby and held her close. She looked down at the child, and was sure she saw her smile. But newborns couldn't smile, it had to be her imagination. She touched the child's forehead where a crescent moon shimmered. Another thing to be hidden.
"Oh, small beauty, I fear that this miracle moment cannot last long. And I fear that I cannot hold you forever like I wish to do."
"What do you mean, Selenity?" A senshi from Saturn said. This senshi was younger than the rest, and didn't always understand the situations that her friends and herself found themselves in.
"I cannot keep this child," Selenity said choking on tears. Sobs crawled into her throat, almost causing her to gag. Shining tears formed in her eyes then fell softly down her cheeks leaving glittering salty trails behind them.
The Guardian of Time nodded. She knew what the future held, and she knew the Queen had learned so too through a premonition.
"I don't understand... Why can't you keep the Princess?"
"Bite your tongue, Hotaru!" Setsuna said sharply. "This child shall not be the Princess ever!"
"But-"
"There are things," Michiru said gently, "that you do not understand, and will not understand until the time comes."
"What time?!"
All the Senshi looked at her, their eyes holding the wisdom she couldn't seem to find. Hotaru could not figure out why the Queen's child would not be Princess. For what reason could they possibly strip her title from her?
"The time when this child will learn of her past," Haruka said. Michiru and herself both knew to trust Setsuna and the Queen.
The nurse and doctor listened to the conversation, but looked away. They knew to never speak of a child born in a secluded cabin, born of the Queen of the Moon, heir to the throne. For a reason they couldn't find and may never do so.
"You may leave," Selenity said to the doctor gracious enough to keep her secret, and the nurse would keep it also. They bowed and left the cabin, trotting away on horses.
Finally alone with the Senshi, Selenity let everything out. The angel in her arms had fallen asleep, and did not stir even when her mother's body shook with sadness. The Senshi held Selenity close, but did not meet her eyes. Sorrow replaced the joyful feeling of new life.
"What is her name?" Hotaru asked as the darkness of night replaced the light of day, it's eerie silence slowly surrounding the cabin.
"Her name," Selenity said thoughtfully. She looked at the sleeping child. She looked so peaceful, so serene, despite the things that haunted her future.
"Her name is Serenity," she said. She then laughed as the baby scrunched her nose up. "Serena for short."
=======================================
Three weeks after Serenity was born, the Queen sat in the shadow of a large tree, her baby in her arms, gurgling as the Queen made crazy faces at her.
"Such a happy girl," Selenity laughed. The child did too, a glad little giggle that was deep within Serena, in her very essence. From the first time her daughter had opened her blue eyes, Selenity had known she was going to hold hope and happiness even in the worst of times. And she was going to need that trait in her future.
"Selenity," Setsuna said. "It's time for us to go."
The Queen looked away, but nodded. She'd been dreading this moment since the birth of her only daughter. She stood up slowly, still holding her daughter, desperate to keep her for as long as possible. She walked with Setsuna to a place where two carriages waited. One to hold Setsuna and the child, another to hold the Queen and the rest of the Senshi.
Selenity stopped in front of her carriage, and looked down at Serena.
"I'm sorry that you'll never know me, and I'm even more sorry I'll never get to know you," she said and she didn't cry this time. She'd promised not to cry. She didn't quite pull off the smile she was going for though.
"Her crescent moon," Setsuna said.
Selenity nodded. She touched the crescent moon on Serena's forehead with two fingers and focused her magic upon it. The moon didn't disappear exactly, it merely hid underneath the girl's skin, as it would for a long time.
"And her hair."
Selenity nodded again knowing all the things she'd have to hide from her own daughter. She touched the girls small amount of silver hair and then slowly it turned golden. Another thing gone, but not forever.
"She's just a normal Lunarian girl," Selenity said with confidence. "She's six months old and her anonymous mother could not keep her. Her name is Serenity, Serena for short, and her last name remains unknown. She needs a home where she'll be loved as much as she deserves."
The Senshi looked away the Queen's gaze, afraid if they met it they could not keep the emotions locked inside. They'd come to love the child too. Setsuna took the child from her mother's arms, and it immediately began crying.
"No, Serena," Selenity said softly. "Don't cry, my beautiful baby. I'll always carry you within my heart, and I shall always be in yours."
Serena stopped wailing, but the tears did not stop streaming down her cheeks.
"It's time to go, Selenity," Michiru said quietly. Selenity did not answer, but stepped into the carriage awaiting her. Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru followed, waving good-bye to Setsuna and the only heir to the Moon Kingdom's throne.
Or was she?
====================================
And in a year's time there was not only one Queen with a rumored miscarriage. But five. Every Queen between Mercury and Jupiter had had mysterious problems with their pregnancies, excluding the Earth. An evil plot? A horrible scheme? Black magic?
Or maybe it was a sacrifice they all had to make. A sacrifice to possibly save the Universe.
Author's Note: I know. I have other stories I should finish, but A Slave of His Heart will be finished tomorrow night and I couldn't wait to post this one! I'm really into it. Please review anyway.
