"Run!" Serena yelled pushing her friends in the opposite direction. "Grab the emergency bags and go. Take my family with you, and Grandpa. And hurry!"
"But Serena-" Amy started to protest, but Serena interrupted her.
"I'll meet you at the Hollowed Place. Now go!"
They listened reluctantly, Lita and Mina ran inside the main house and told the family who robotically grabbed their bags and trooped out into the rain. Raye and Amy came out with Grandpa holding a bag for themselves and Lita, Mina, and Serena. Then they ran together, the mud splashing against their legs, past the fields and into the protected forest.
Serena saw none of this however for she'd taken off towards the other forest line, chancing crossing the road which the Royal Knights were marching on. She hurried across the muddy road, throwing a glance in the direction of the marching boots. Luckily, they were still on the other side of the hill. She ran over the roots and broken branches, ignoring the fact it was lightening and she was in a forest. Finally she reached the tallest tree with a golden flame glowing from it's tallest branch.
She scurried up it, grabbing one branch after another, until she reached the branch nearest the lantern. She straddled it and put her hand inside the tree, pulling out two lanterns full of oil, and flint stones. She opened the first lantern and struck the stones together. Sparks hit the latern's wick and it glowed golden. She hung it next to the other lantern swinging the wind.
Then she shivered as she grabbed the other lantern, she was soaked to the bone and the winds rushed her, chilling her. She lit this lantern too, and hung it on the breeze. She looked down at Crescent, a few flames in the distance, but she realized with a horrible feeling in her stomach that no one would be outside in this weather to notice the lanterns. They'd never find out!
She rushed down the tree and ran towards the village, careful to stay hidden in the foliage of the forest. She reached the forest's edge and gulped. Entering the village would be suicide, but she had to alert them. The closest house was a quarter mile away and she prayed that her voice would be carried by the wind and reach them.
Then she swallowed, took a deep breath, and...
Screamed.
It was high pitched and loud, and was so blood curdling surely no one could ignore it. She held the scream out for forty seconds then let her throat be silenced. She waited, waited, then she heard yells from house to house about the third lantern.
She sighed, and turned around. The trip back to the Hollowed Place would be long, and she'd have to trod quietly, lest she be caught. She stepped carefully around branches which could snap, and she hid behind the giant trunks of trees. She walked on, avoiding the thorns that threatened to rip her skin open and let the crimson blood drip out.
A half hour later she reached the road by her house, and it was riddled with muddy footsteps from the soldiers feet. They had long since passed, and had more than likely reached Crescent. She hoped the people had been swift in their movements to leave and that no one from the Moonrisen faith had interfered.
She crossed her road and gasped. Her home was a shambles. Windows had been bashed in, the doors busted down. No doubt the inside had been looted and was ramsacked. The guesthouse was the same. She moved past it, staying in the shadows it created. Then she took a breath before going into the open field where the chance of being seen was great.
She stepped in though and moved steadily through the overgrown weeds slapping against her legs and dress. She threw glances in all directions as she went. The wind howled in fury and yelled to her:
"Fall down child and hide your face,
They'll hunt and kill and hate your race,
They watch with taunting evil eyes,
Your capture will be the Moon's demise,"
Serena fell quickly, the tall weeds covering her body. And she laid there huddled in a ball, her face half in the mud, her whole left side coated in it. She heard voices yelling and she felt the weeds rustling. They were crossing the field!
She held her breath, and closed her eyes, praying. She mumbled words of hope under her breath, even more quiet then the rain's ceasing fall. An hour passed and still she prayed, and the soldier's disappeared. She opened her eyes and searched the grayness around her. Not a living thing was in sight. So she stood up and ran this time, for the forest line that would keep her safe.
She reached it in minutes, and upon making it into the shadowy glade she let out a sigh of relief. Now she had to find the Hollowed Place, and the great tree that would conceil her family and friends. Hopefully she could reach it before dark set and the cold windy night fell upon the Moon. Of course, she thought, as she padded quietly through the trees, the Earth would rise. And the Earth was a symbol of hope to her. She'd always gotten a feeling from the sapphire planet, a warm feeling.
She was deep into the forest now, and shadows were cast all through the trees only some lost light reached in and even those beams were scarce. A twig snapped to her left and she froze. Her breaths quieted and the Lunar landscape fell into a deafening silence. She could not even hear her heart pounding in her chest though she could feel it.
She focused on her finger tips and let an orb grow there. She knew how to throw them now and the light would be enough for who to see who it was. She silently pulled her now glowing hand back and hurled a silver globe in the direction of the sound.
A voice yelled, and she saw a head duck down to dodge the silver dart.
"Raye!" Serena sighed. She was safe, for now and at last.
============================
"You must help us," a man said wearily as he fell to the floor. His head full of raven hair laid upon the ground, and his dark eyes closed. The Earthen Prince rushed forward and helped the man up, but he was unconscious.
"He's right," Darien said as a knight helped him get the man upwards. "We have to help Mars father. Jupiter has joined the fight, why can we not? The Moon is spinning out of control and it orbits us! We are responsible for any deaths our own satellite takes."
"We have no rule over that Moon."
The Martian man was taken away and Prince Darien's dark eyes burned in anger. He focused them fully on his father, and steadied his voice.
"I'll take the armies. We'll attack on the Moon's land. You can sit upon your throne and not fight, but I'll be on the front lines."
"No son of mine shall do any such thing!" His father raged, his face turning a horrible shade of red. But a voice in the back of his head laughed. You silly fool, it said. You turned the army over to your son when he turned eighteen and he's twenty one now! He can do as he says.
"But you forget I am the commander of our armies," Darien threw in his father's face." We may not declare war, but we'll be attacking."
And with that Darien turned and left his father, a smile tugging on his lips. He'd beaten the king for once and done as he pleased. He turned down and empty hallway and she appeared again. The Princess shining silver looked at him and smiled.
"Thank you," she said and strode assuredly towards him. She reached his side, and his breath caught. Though he could see through her, she was beautiful. She stood on her tiptoes and her blue eyes closed, and her lips touched his cheek seconds before she disappeared. He stood wide eyed for moments, and touched the place were he'd felt a misty cold, the place the image had kissed.
And he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was doing the right thing.
Author's Note: It's a miracle! I updated something! I know, I know. But with swimming every night I haven't had any time to do anything but homework, eat, and sleep. Oh, and shower. But don't worry. Thursday is the last day. Please review!
Until the next time,
Ai No Senshi
