The morning was unusually cool and veiled by a layer of fog. Serena
gazed upon it in wonder. Around her were dozens of tents, each containing
her liberators. The grass was wet with dew and she remembered the morning
the Queen had been murdered. Questions still burdened her about that
morning. She felt they would be answered soon.
Voices reached her ears, and from them she took comfort. It'd been so long sine she'd really been able to listen to them. They repeated to her the rhyme she'd heard that fateful morning. It was louder this time. She recited it with them from memory.
"There's a place among the wildflowers,
Where hopes and dreams have blooms,
Where night and day become only one,
And summer thunder blooms.
Where you can find your inner self,
And your own magic too,
Identities can be revealed,
And gold becomes silver true."
A footstep fell behind her. She whirled around to face Darien. After long hours of persuasion, she'd gotten places in the army for her friends and herself.
"That's a beautiful rhyme," he said.
"It's not mine."
"Who wrote it?"
Serena turned to face where the sun was coming up. Soldiers started coming from their tents, stretching and wiping sleep from her eyes. She answered him so quietly he barely heard it.
"The Moon's."
He was puzzled by her answer, but she was ever illusive. She slipped into her tent to wake her frineds, and prepare for the day. They were marching towards the capitol, and were not very far away. It had been two weeks since she'd been liberated. Her family and the rest of the prisoners at the camp had stayed there until more Earthen soldiers came. Those soldiers brought food and supplies. They were now guarding the camp from outside attack instead of vice-versa.
Soon everyone was up, and the tents were disappearing from sight. The girls packed theirs away and Raye slung it on her back. Each one of them had a backpack. In Amy's were medicines and bandages; in Mina's clothing and blankets; in Lita's foods and things to cook it with. In Serena's bag was parchment and inkwells, arrows and quivers. They marched near the front because they were some of the most powerful soldiers capable of protecting themselves. Darien felt guilty riding his horse above them, but the girls refused to act like ladies.
"How far are we from the capital?" Serena asked. "How long?"
Darien looked down at her. "We shall arrive there today."
====================================
The Duke was furious. He knew what was coming. Three armies. One from the Earth, one from Mars, one from Jupiter. They would all arrive at his palace at different times, but within two days. The Earth was closest and the strongest.
Braeden strapped his sword around his waist, and a bow and quiver on his back. He strode out of his palace and thousands of troops snapped to attention.
"Men, it is your duty and your responsibility to protect this capital with all your might, even if it takes your life. I expect you to fight hard and kill all you can. Now let's move out."
The Duke mounted his horse and strode out in front of his troops. They'd meet the Earthen army and defeat it. He was sure he would win for he had the larger army and more strength. He'd heard the rumors of five women traveling with the Earth's army. He heard each of them possessed magic. He laughed at that. Magic? Magic was dead.
He sneered in delight. The Universe was his for the taking.
====================================
The Earthen army had fought twice in the two weeks Serena had been there. Each time she would wear herself out healing the wounded, but it was worth it. They won each battle.
Now they were going to fight the biggest battle of all. They'd marched through the Moon's forests, and now were in the fields. She could see for miles on all sides. It was an amazing feeling being swallowed up in that big sky. They paused for a break when the sun was high in the sky.
She sat down in a circle with her friends and Lita cooked them a meal of warm, doughy bread, and hot, thick soup. They all took their time eating it, savoring each wonderful bite.
"May I join in?" Darien asked. Serena patted the ground beside her and he sat down. Soup and bread were shoved into his hands. He took one bite and groaned. "This is delicious."
Lita beamed with pride.
Darien surveyed the group of girls, each beautiful, each mysterious.
"Just where are you five from?"
"Crescent," Amy answered.
"Were you born there?"
The girls all looked at each other, then at their soup.
"We're... We're all adopted," Serena answered him finally.
Darien almost gagged on his soup. Could it possibly be true then?
Horse hooves pounded in the distance, and came closer. There were four horses, dots on the horizon, spraying dust in all directions. As they drew closer, Darien was surprised to see they were women. He stood to greet the four... Queens?
The Queens of Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto dismounted their horses and nodded their heads to the Prince.
"Prince Darien," Haruka said, "we have come to help you."
"The Royal Army of the Moon approaches quickly," Hotaru said. She was grown now, a mature woman.
"We have little time left," Setsuna warned. "They will be here at dusk."
Serena, who had been eavesdropping, stood too. The four Queens glanced at her for a brief second, but were forced to look again. Their mouths fell open and they stared. Every feature of this girl matched the Queen's, minus the hair color and crescent moon.
"Who is this?" Michiru asked. Her eyes never left the girl's face, and Serena started to blush.
"I am Serena."
They had two urges at the moment. The first was to bow, and the second was to faint. Could this really be happening? This was Serenity, Serena for short?
Serena looked at Darien, then at the gawking Queens. She felt suddenly nervous. "Is... Is something wrong?"
The Queens shook their heads and closed their mouths. Hotaru even smiled, for once being more percepitive than the others.
"Everything is perfectly right."
Author's Note: Sorry, it took me so long to update this. I had this written a long time ago, actually, but I didn't like it very much. So I had to revise, and by the time I got that done I couldn't find time to post anything. I work a lot and when I'm off I usually go somewhere. But here it is finally. Please review.
Until the next time,
Ai No Senshi
Voices reached her ears, and from them she took comfort. It'd been so long sine she'd really been able to listen to them. They repeated to her the rhyme she'd heard that fateful morning. It was louder this time. She recited it with them from memory.
"There's a place among the wildflowers,
Where hopes and dreams have blooms,
Where night and day become only one,
And summer thunder blooms.
Where you can find your inner self,
And your own magic too,
Identities can be revealed,
And gold becomes silver true."
A footstep fell behind her. She whirled around to face Darien. After long hours of persuasion, she'd gotten places in the army for her friends and herself.
"That's a beautiful rhyme," he said.
"It's not mine."
"Who wrote it?"
Serena turned to face where the sun was coming up. Soldiers started coming from their tents, stretching and wiping sleep from her eyes. She answered him so quietly he barely heard it.
"The Moon's."
He was puzzled by her answer, but she was ever illusive. She slipped into her tent to wake her frineds, and prepare for the day. They were marching towards the capitol, and were not very far away. It had been two weeks since she'd been liberated. Her family and the rest of the prisoners at the camp had stayed there until more Earthen soldiers came. Those soldiers brought food and supplies. They were now guarding the camp from outside attack instead of vice-versa.
Soon everyone was up, and the tents were disappearing from sight. The girls packed theirs away and Raye slung it on her back. Each one of them had a backpack. In Amy's were medicines and bandages; in Mina's clothing and blankets; in Lita's foods and things to cook it with. In Serena's bag was parchment and inkwells, arrows and quivers. They marched near the front because they were some of the most powerful soldiers capable of protecting themselves. Darien felt guilty riding his horse above them, but the girls refused to act like ladies.
"How far are we from the capital?" Serena asked. "How long?"
Darien looked down at her. "We shall arrive there today."
====================================
The Duke was furious. He knew what was coming. Three armies. One from the Earth, one from Mars, one from Jupiter. They would all arrive at his palace at different times, but within two days. The Earth was closest and the strongest.
Braeden strapped his sword around his waist, and a bow and quiver on his back. He strode out of his palace and thousands of troops snapped to attention.
"Men, it is your duty and your responsibility to protect this capital with all your might, even if it takes your life. I expect you to fight hard and kill all you can. Now let's move out."
The Duke mounted his horse and strode out in front of his troops. They'd meet the Earthen army and defeat it. He was sure he would win for he had the larger army and more strength. He'd heard the rumors of five women traveling with the Earth's army. He heard each of them possessed magic. He laughed at that. Magic? Magic was dead.
He sneered in delight. The Universe was his for the taking.
====================================
The Earthen army had fought twice in the two weeks Serena had been there. Each time she would wear herself out healing the wounded, but it was worth it. They won each battle.
Now they were going to fight the biggest battle of all. They'd marched through the Moon's forests, and now were in the fields. She could see for miles on all sides. It was an amazing feeling being swallowed up in that big sky. They paused for a break when the sun was high in the sky.
She sat down in a circle with her friends and Lita cooked them a meal of warm, doughy bread, and hot, thick soup. They all took their time eating it, savoring each wonderful bite.
"May I join in?" Darien asked. Serena patted the ground beside her and he sat down. Soup and bread were shoved into his hands. He took one bite and groaned. "This is delicious."
Lita beamed with pride.
Darien surveyed the group of girls, each beautiful, each mysterious.
"Just where are you five from?"
"Crescent," Amy answered.
"Were you born there?"
The girls all looked at each other, then at their soup.
"We're... We're all adopted," Serena answered him finally.
Darien almost gagged on his soup. Could it possibly be true then?
Horse hooves pounded in the distance, and came closer. There were four horses, dots on the horizon, spraying dust in all directions. As they drew closer, Darien was surprised to see they were women. He stood to greet the four... Queens?
The Queens of Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto dismounted their horses and nodded their heads to the Prince.
"Prince Darien," Haruka said, "we have come to help you."
"The Royal Army of the Moon approaches quickly," Hotaru said. She was grown now, a mature woman.
"We have little time left," Setsuna warned. "They will be here at dusk."
Serena, who had been eavesdropping, stood too. The four Queens glanced at her for a brief second, but were forced to look again. Their mouths fell open and they stared. Every feature of this girl matched the Queen's, minus the hair color and crescent moon.
"Who is this?" Michiru asked. Her eyes never left the girl's face, and Serena started to blush.
"I am Serena."
They had two urges at the moment. The first was to bow, and the second was to faint. Could this really be happening? This was Serenity, Serena for short?
Serena looked at Darien, then at the gawking Queens. She felt suddenly nervous. "Is... Is something wrong?"
The Queens shook their heads and closed their mouths. Hotaru even smiled, for once being more percepitive than the others.
"Everything is perfectly right."
Author's Note: Sorry, it took me so long to update this. I had this written a long time ago, actually, but I didn't like it very much. So I had to revise, and by the time I got that done I couldn't find time to post anything. I work a lot and when I'm off I usually go somewhere. But here it is finally. Please review.
Until the next time,
Ai No Senshi
