"You four should be ashamed!" Serenity lectured as she took her hair down in front of the mirror. "Setting me up like that and embarrassing Darien so much!"
"Ah-hah!" Mina said, pointing accusingly at her. "You said his nickname!"
"Old habits die hard, my dear."
Reily smiled. "I believe we should congratulate our dear Andi here for her stunning performance of trickery!"
Andi blushed much like Amy would have.
"Quite a job!" Mina said and bowed. "'Tis an honor to have such a trickster of love in my midst!"
"Oh please," Serena groaned. "Typical for a Venusian."
"Are you insulting my planet?"
"I believe I just did."
"It's on!" Mina screamed. She grabbed a pillow and started to beat Serena with it. The ever loyal Andi threw Serena a pillow to return the blows and before long feathers were flying and the five laughing so hard their sides hurt. Finally they collapsed on the bed still trying to get over giggles.
"I haven't laughed that hard in years," Serena said wiping the tears from her eyes. "Thank you all."
"No problem!" they answered, bursting out in laughs because they had said the same thing.
A hard knock rapped against the door causing them all to jump. Serena sat up, feathers sticking in her hair and onto her dress. She tried to push them off and quiet her Court.
"Serenity?" Darien asked.
Serena cleared her throat. This was it. He had come to her. Just as she hoped, like she had been waiting for. But what would she do?
Darien wondered the same thing as he turned the doorknob. He stepped in and couldn't help but think, She is an angel. Seeing the feathers sticking in her long silver hair made him take in a quick startled breath. Her face was still like glass, her eyes still small oceans set in it. He saw the image of her lying on the crest, eyes emotionless, and he felt like falling on his knees and begging for her to take him in. To love him like he loved her.
"Yes?" she asked expectantly. Her heart fluttered, her breath stilled.
"I came to tell you that I..." he stuttered, paused, searched for the words to express his hearts innermost feelings. It struck him how inadequate language was.
And it also came to him that he could not hurt her like he was about to. He could not tell her, leave her to make a decision she wished not to make. He could not stay either.
"I will be leaving earlier than planned."
"Oh," she said, visibly disappointed. Mina held back tears for she knew what he was about to say, and that he had chose to bare Serena's pain instead of leaving it to her.
"So, good night, your Highness," he said, bowing at the waist. He left and as he walked down the halls he felt like he'd been stabbed in the chest his heart ached so. He shed his clothes and slipped into the soft sheets of his guest bedroom, but he could not sleep.
He instead closed his eyes and watched visions of Serena dance across his eyelids. He watched her smile and cry, emotionless and angry. He watched his memories knowing that they were all he would ever have.
Serena changed into her nightgown and slid under her covers. Her guardians sat around her, comforting her as much as they could.
"I miss him," she whispered.
"We know, Serena," Lena said. "We know."
"But it's not the way I miss my mother because she was taken from me. I feel like I killed him. I told him to go away." She began to sob. "But I want him here."
They had nothing to say to that.
"Even when I was a slave I was closer to him. Maybe if I wasn't-" She cut off abruptly, the shock of her thought causing her to flinch. "He never freed me. I am still a slave."
"But you abolished the law!"
"It takes six months for a law to take effect. Until that time he can still command me to do as he wishes I'd be forced to do so under law."
This did not help the melancholy feeling that floated in the air around Serena. Nor did it help her get to sleep.
So while Serenity lay awake in her bed, thinking of Darien, he was doing the same, remembering her as if she was gone. It was very much like they had ceased to exist to each other. For the loss they felt was so overwhelming it could only be as if Serena's mother had been murdered again, as if Darien's parents had been killed once more.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
In the morning many ambassadors had left, leaving the breakfast table looking empty. Mina was now regretting switching the name cards on the table and sitting slaver by slave.
Serena ate quietly, every once in awhile throwing cautious glances at Darien. Once again her stomach ached too much to eat, so she nibbled on this and that, not even tasting what was going down her throat.
Darien ate uncomfortably because of the four gazes of Serena's guardians fixed square on his head. They never took their eyes off of him, watching him like if he moved they'd tackle him.
"Um..." he started to say.
The guardians shifted in their seats and he shut his mouth. Serena noticed of course, but wasn't about to do anything about it. The more silence, the less commands. But more time for him to think too. To think about her...
"So," she said a little too loudly. "Do you like the Moon so far?"
"I haven't seen much, but I plan to take a tour immediately after breakfast."
"That's nice..."
They could think of nothing else to say until he stood to leave. And even then they could only manage a good-bye.
Serena wished for her bed where she could mourn and cry without having to face anyone. But she could not go and the day was yet to get worse.
"Your Highness," a messenger said bowing, ripping into her thoughts. "Some men have arrived and have asked to see you."
"Thank you," Serena said. She excused herself from breakfast and followed the messenger to the Main Hall. Her small breakfast threatened to leave her as she rounded the corner. Her stomach took a leap and she could almost feel her ribs break again. It was the Generals.
"We'd like to talk to you alone, Serenity," Malachite said as she reached them.
"Alone with two guards," Serena said. There was no way she would be without protection while talking to the Generals, who obviously knew of her slavery being intact. She took two knights from the Main Hall with her and showed the Generals to the empty Drawing Room. She closed the door behind her and stood on the opposite side of the room.
"I understand why you would want to keep your knights with you, but we mean no harm, I assure you," Zoicite said.
"We'll see."
The Generals looked at each other, apparently uncomfortable with the new way Serena talked, and with the power she held.
"It's harder talking to a Queen rather than a slave," she said picking up on their feelings.
Nephlite gave her the usual cold look and said, "Not if they're one and the same."
Serena could hear the knight's armor shift, not knowing what to think about the comment. She took a deep breath and motioned for the Generals to sit down. They did, and she took a seat across from them.
"I have realized that I am still a slave for the next six months, the question is has Endymion?"
"Yes," Malachite answered.
"Then why hasn't he taken advantage of it?"
"That's what I'd like to know," Nephlite growled.
"Nephlite you still have a problem with me, don't you? I'll never understand your anger."
He narrowed his eyes, "You wouldn't."
"I never will if I never have the chance."
"Fine," he said. "I had a little sister who loved the Moon too much. In fact she visited here all the time. And she just happened to be visiting when Diamond landed. She was killed in the fires."
Serena reached across the foot or so separating them, and took Nephlite's hand. He looked repulsed, but did not pull away.
"There is still hope for her. Many who were killed were reincarnated. Come with me, all of you."
She let go of his hand and took them to the room where the Outer Senshi sat. Her guardians immediately stood up, fearing something would happen between these Earthlings and the Queen.
"Setsuna, I need your help."
The Guardian of Time nodded.
"It involves souls of those lost in the fires. I know many of them traveled through time and others escaped time all together. I need your help in finding one, and awakening their memories."
Setsuna nodded, "It'll be tough job considering how fast souls can travel."
"Do we need to go to the Gate?"
"No... I believe we can use the orb."
Serena looked at Nephlite. "Setsuna can help. She is the Guardian of Time. Just give her the name of your sister and some traits."
Nephlite looked very weak at the moment. Almost like a child, so lost in the hope that this would work, but knowing there was no way. Was there?
"Her name was Kyrina and she was thirteen at the time of the fires. She loved the Moon so much, I wouldn't be surprised if she was now a Lunarian. She was quiet and caring. She could read the stars to predict the future."
Setsuna put her hand up and gazed into the orb. Her pupils shrunk to pinpoints and the orb began to glow. Only the Outer Senshi knew she was searching through time for such a girl. Many silent, tense minutes passed until finally the orb dulled and Setsuna blinked her eyes back to normal.
"She's alive and she's in the Royal City, here on the Moon."
Nephlite smiled. A strange thing for anyone to see, especially Serena. His eyes began to glow, but still he held back some emotion. He did not fully believe in the power of the Senshi as of yet.
"Can I find her? Can I go see her?"
Setsuna grinned at his enthusiasm. "Someone fetch a carriage."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
They ended up in three carriages. The Generals in one, Serena's guardians in the next, and Setsuna and Serena in the other.
"I've been meaning to ask you," Serena said as they entered the Royal City. "Are my new guardians reincarnations of my original ones?"
Setsuna nodded, "Yes. After they died I guided them back to the births of your new guardians and had their souls put in their bodies. So their souls actually existed in two bodies at once for eight years. Quite strange, if I may say so."
"It is strange, but great too! Can we reawaken their memories?"
"If the girls allow so, yes. But then it might be quite confusing. They'll have two sets of memories."
Serena nodded.
"Stop!" Setsuna commanded the driver. "We're here."
The carriages rolled to a stop in front of an orphanage. Children gawked out windows at the number of royal carriages. They lined the street to see what royalty would come and see them.
First they saw a tall woman with green hair step out. An older child recognized her staff and whispered spread that it was the Time Guardian.
Four men stepped from the last carriage. Earth men that the children didn't know. A brown haired one stepped to the front. One girl found his face quickly, and her heart beat faster.
Four Princesses came from another carriage. They all knew the Royal Court and gasped. That must mean...
A silver haired woman stepped from the first carriage gracefully. Her dress shimmered like a star around her. Everyone fell to their knees and bowed their heads. The Queen had come to see them.
"Don't worry about formalities," the Queen told the children. They all stood up and gazed at her with wonder. "Which of these beautiful children is it?"
The Time Guardian looked at all their faces, searching for the eyes of the one she'd seen. Finally she stopped searching and smiled. She pointed her staff at an eight year old with curly brown hair and deep eyes.
"She is Kyrina."
The girl looked scared and shook her head.
"I'm Melanie."
Setsuna stepped through the crowd of children and bent down by the little girl.
"I know you've been scared all your life. You have nightmares at night, and you feel like you don't belong. That's because you really don't belong here. This isn't your life. And it's time you go back to your real life."
The girl looked up at the Queen, who smiled reassuringly with tears in her eyes, and nodded. Melanie's eyes then caught on the brown haired man. Why did he look so familiar?
"Melanie, look into this gem. Everything will be fine."
Melanie did what she was told and her eyes started to twitch. In her mind she saw flashes of a life she could barely remember. She saw a fire with flames so strong her skin felt as if it was melting. She saw a clear blue sky and the brown eyed man smiling at her. He tickled her stomach.
On the outside of her mind children gasped and scooted as far away from her as they could. Setsuna looked over her shoulder at the frowning Queen and begged for help with the girl, who was having seizures. Serena hurried forward and gripped the girls shoulders. She held her closely, and Setsuna pulled the orb away.
Nephlite crouched down beside Serena and looked sadly at the girl, who was in a sort of comatose.
"What's happening, Setsuna?" Serena asked.
"The memories are being awakened, and it's a lot on the poor girl. She'll be fine in a minute or so, as soon as her mind can return to normal."
Serena nodded and looked at Nephlite. He took the girl from her arms and held her closely, tears escaping his eyes.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, the girl blinked. She looked up at Nephlite and smiled.
"Nephy!" she exclaimed and hugged his neck. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
Nephlite's tears came out faster and he smiled at her. He kissed the girl on the forehead.
"I didn't think I'd see you ever again either, Rina. I missed you so much!"
Serena and Setsuna exchanged smiles. Peace had been made. Walls had been broken.
Nephlite had a heart.
Author's Note: Rather boring chapter and there are two left. They are perhaps my favorite. If you are wondering why the rating has changed to such an exaggerated, useless, overrated R, then check the Author's Note at the beginning of Chapter Thirteen. Thank you for the many reviews, and I'll probably have the next chapter out on Saturday, as long as Job Fair doesn't get late.
Until the next time,
Ai No Senshi