Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
-- Evanescence, Bring Me to Life
Chapter 2: Enlightenment
Serenity-Zane Starcatcher had been victorious. Queen Beryl had been vanquished from the land, and the Earth was now safe. The sixteen-year-old brushed a platinum wisp of hair away from her face, her fathomless eyes deepening in thought. Something about Queen Beryl's final words troubled her.
You may think you have beaten me. But there is another time, another place where I will rule supreme. You may destroy me here, but I live on elsewhere, and you can never follow me there. I'll return to wreck my vengeance, mark my words!
Serenity-Zane shook her head, pulling herself out of her reverie. Those words meant nothing. They were simply the dying words of a desperate villian. Now that the battle was over, her mind returned to the present, and she had time to observe how her once happy, carefree life, all her hopes and dreams, had been shattered. They were all gone, and she was alone. A single crystal tear rolled down her cheek. Am I doomed to be alone?
Just then the thought came to her, dark and unrelenting. She had nothing now. Nowhere to go, no one to love her. Her only friends had been the Sailor Scouts, and even though they had been a little jealous of her powers, they still loved her for her caring personality and her sharp wit. She had never known her father and had no other family. Even school would provide her with no safe haven, for all the students made it a point to harass and tease her at every opportunity, even though she tried so hard to be their friends. No, there was nothing left for her, and no reason for her to go on living. If being happy meant ending her short life, then she would do so, and die comforted with the knowledge that Earth and the Universe would be safe because of her. She lifted the Staff of Polaris and turned it toward her heart. She mumbled an incantation and the tip of the staff began to glow. She closed her weeping eyes, and steeled herself for the blast that would turn her heart to ash and free her from the pain of her existance. Mother . . . friends . . . I'll be with you soon . . .
/STOP!!!/
Serenity-Zane gasped and her eyes flwe open at the voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. "W-what . . .?"
/Stop, my child, there is no need to end your life so rashly. There is much for you to do yet./ The strange female voice seemed to be everywhere at once. It reverberated like the song of the East Wind, blowing through chimes and flutes of crystal. In it was wisdom and music and a sense of unfathomable love. Serenity-Zane turned this way and that, desperately trying to find the source of the voice.
"Here, child."
Serenity-Zane gasped again, for the owner of the voice was suddenly before her, appearing in a golden shower of light. The golden-haired woman was tall and lovely, dressed in white from head to toe. There was something about her that was strange and different, and then she noticed. The woman's ears. They were POINTED! Serenity's eyes widened. The woman smiled at the girl's surprise, and the black of the sky above seemed to shrink away from the light of that glorious visage. There was something so familiar about this woman, something Serinity couldn't put a finger on.
"Serenity-Zane Starcather. It's been so long, my child."
"Who are you?"
The woman's golden head tipped graciously. "Allow me to introduce myself, precious one. I am called 'Lady of Light.' But you may call me Galadriel."
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And that does it for chapter 2. Sorry for the shortness of it, but I've got a lot of RL stuff getting in the way (grrrrr, school sux! --'). The next chapter will be longer, I promise. Our heroine gets to meet some special guests, and one of them starts taking a liking to her. Hmmm, who could these strangers be? What startling new revelations are in store? Stay tuned to find out! Ja ne!