This chapter is now finished! I heartily thank everyone who has commented. I hope you don't mind that I had to take a little time away from Rei at the end of this chapter. It came out a little heavier than I had planned, but I will get some comedic relief in next chapter.
Again, thanks for the comments! I stayed up until 5 AM last night finishing this chapter (I'm a slow writer, I know) because all of a sudden I got all this mail with your reviews. :)
A Faerie's Tale: Fairest of Them All
Erienne C. Lee
Chapter One
"There once lived a princess, fairest of them all,
with lips red as blood and skin white as snow..."
10 years later
SHE STOOD STRAIGHT and tall at the parapet on the highest tower of the castle, overlooking the kingdom. It was her kingdom now. At the thought, the corners of her lips tilted up in a slight smile. How easy it had been to make a conquest of the stodgy old king! He might have been a wise and powerful ruler, a veritable genius at forging critical alliances and tamping down the enemy, but when it came to women, he had made a wrong choice. A deadly choice, for now Beryl was queen and sole ruler of Fieryn Kingdom.
The breeze sent her flame-red hair rippling behind her, and Beryl closed her eyes to savor the new found power she contained. Years of waiting and wanting paid off, for she had finally uncovered that one elusive object coveted by any practitioner of the dark arts, the enchanted mirror named Metallia. The legend was true: while the mirror itself was a plain physical object of this world, the entity within the glass was not. The dark shapeless mist that lurked in the pool of glass could not leave its bounds of a simple wooden frame but gave its power and knowledge to the privileged Beryl. In this way, she had charmed and subsequently murdered Fieryn's king.
'Twas but a stepping stone, her new throne, for Beryl's true goal was dictatorship of the Terran Kingdom, the one indestructible domain on Earth. As queen of the neighboring kingdom, an alliance and then an infiltration of Terran would be a simple task, in due time. It didn't hurt, either, that the next in line for the throne of Terran was a handsome young prince by the name of Endymion. Beryl wet her lips appreciatively at an image of the dark-haired, blue-eyed Endymion, complete with devastating smile, striding across her mind. She would have to be conscious of keeping the end in sight and biding her time. Patience was a virtue, and Beryl didn't have enough of the latter as it was.
A sudden flicker of red flashed across the courtyard below, catching Beryl's eye. A solitary figure made her way slowly but resolutely towards the fields beyond the castle portcullis as she had done daily for the past two months without fail. The setting sun glinted off of hair black as coal, in stark contrast to skin pale as snow. Garbed in ruby red silk, the Princess Rei, sole blood survivor of the House of Mars, was hard to miss. Although Beryl could not see the girl's face, she knew it wore the imperturbable mask of quiet grief. Rei had been so since the death of her father.
The day King Ignatius died, Rei's composure failed her, and she locked herself in her rooms for two days before emerging once more behind the armor of serene grace. Only then had she flashed her amethyst eyes filled with accusation and contempt at Beryl. Just as quickly, the promise of dire retribution disappeared under the guise of royal comportment. Not a single complaint had been uttered from Rei since then; if the princess thought it an injustice as Beryl assumed the throne by royal edict, she did not voice her opinion. All Rei had done was visit her father's grave in the Fields of Elysia bordering the kingdom everyday. Until Rei became of age, Beryl's seat was secure by the laws of Fieryn. And the plan was that Rei would not live past the age of eighteen. Beryl took comfort in her plans, for there was no argument that the princess' aura of righteousness frightened her. The queen narrowed her eyes at Rei's retreating form. Perhaps it was time to hasten the plan.
"PHOBOS! DEIMOS!" REI called up at the sky, her slender hands cupping her mouth. She lifted a hand to her forehead to shade the midday sun as she spun around to scan the sky for her pet ravens.
"Not a sign of them," she muttered under her breath impatiently. Turning around to start towards the stables in search of the birds, Rei was almost run over by a maid clutching two fat geese in each hand.
"Oh!" the young girl gasped, performing an awkward curtsy that sent forth squawks from the geese in her hands. "Be- beg pardon, my lady, I didn't see you!"
Rei smiled slightly and nodded the maid on with her task. Inwardly, she sighed. The entire castle was abuzz with activity in the wake of the herald's news. Prince Endymion and his entourage were but days away from Fieryn. It gave the castle staff hardly enough time to prepare their best rooms and plan the ten course meal to welcome the young prince. Although the herald did not disclose the nature of Endymion's visit, there was naught else to attribute to its cause but the long-standing pact between their departed king and Terran's King Georgios. Endymion had come to fetch his bride and unite the two most powerful kingdoms on the continent.
Rei wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about that. Endymion was the closest thing she had to a brother. Years ago when she was still a young girl with fresh ideas of love and happily ever after, she nursed a fancy for him. The girlish dreams turned into the realization that she wanted more than the comfortable affection she held for Endymion. Yet her fate was royal duty, and that meant marriage as arranged for political alliance. And if there was one word to describe the princess, it would be dutiful. For all of her eighteen years on the planet, she had struggled to gain approval and love from one person only. In spite of her efforts, her father had never willingly praised Rei, instead always prodding her to improve herself to the point where she became known as the paragon princess. While everyone else declared her to be unsurpassed in dignity and grace, King Ignatius had found her lacking. His sudden death devastated Rei, but no one could guess to what extent. A piece of her remained empty, unfulfilled by the approval she would now never receive from the only parent she knew.
"My lady princess, you should not furrow your brow so. You'll mar your beauty with wrinkles and lose your legion of suitors save me, and then where would you be?"
The deep drawl shook Rei from her thoughts and drew her attention to the tall, blonde figure emerging from the stables. Rei struggled to mask the surprise she knew was evident on her face, while she could do nothing but let the fluttering feeling that began at the appearance of this one man in her stomach slowly die down. What was he doing here already? Had the herald not declared the arrival of Endymion's party for this evening?
Yet a smile was quick to tug on her lips, which was stubbornly suppressed. Like so many times before, Rei chose to express her pleasure at seeing him by settling into her most poised manner. "Jadeite, you should not speak so to a princess. Will you never stop using that ridiculous title for me? I vow I've outgrown it years ago."
Jadeite chuckled and stepped in front of Rei, sketching an elegant bow before taking her hand in his. "My apologies, princess, for I can think of you in no other way than when I first clapped eyes on you those many years ago."
Raising Rei's hand to his lips, he pressed a warm kiss to the back of her hand, smiling crookedly against her soft skin. The faint scent of lilies surrounded him, and Jadeite felt as if he had returned home. It had been far too long since his last visit, but duty called, and as he had constantly reminded himself, it was best he stayed away from the princess.
Rei felt her breath hitch, but she had not trained herself to retain composure at all times to lose it in front of Jadeite, of all people! "You are a rogue!" she declared, snatching her small hand out of his and stepping back slightly. Her eyes swept his form quickly before they settled into a piercing gaze locked with his.
Mars' Flame Sniper, there is no justice in the world if the gods let such a dangerously handsome man loose, Rei thought to herself. Willing her eyes not to wander over Jadeite's classically sculpted face, she brought to mind his broad shoulders that seemed to span doorways. Mentally fanning herself, she moved lower to his trim waist and then powerfully long legs forever clothed in the gray uniform of the Terran guard. And, ah yes, how could she not travel back up his generously packaged build of muscles to his beautiful face framed by hair as vibrantly gold as hers was coal black?
Immensely glad of her strong willpower, Rei's focus returned to what she was looking at in reality. Big mistake. His eyes were perhaps his best feature, a silvery blue that, at the moment, seemed to be twinkling with laughter. Laughter that gave the impression he knew what Rei had been thinking of.
Rather than making a fool of herself and acting embarrassed as she had been wont to do as a child, Rei snapped, "And what are you doing here so soon? We did not expect you until nightfall. You've put a serious crimp in Cook's plans."
Jadeite grinned and without warning grabbed hold of Rei's waist to lift her out of the way of an approaching wooden cart full of wine jugs on the way to the dining hall. The frantic rush of the castle staff in preparation of the royal visitors had completely escaped Rei's mind.
"I rode ahead to ensure that our new messenger did his task. But in truth, I could not wait to see your lovely face, my lady princess."
Rei frowned, but did not make a move to escape his hold. "Don't waste your flirting on me, Jadeite. Go find your woman of the week. I have things to attend to," she said lightly.
Imperceptibly, his fingers tightened around her waist before Jadeite dropped his hands. "King Georgios wants this business settled properly," he said, his demeanor turning somber. "I assume you understand what business I speak of?"
Rei gave a curt nod and avoided Jadeite's gaze. She felt an uncomfortable sensation burning through her chest, an unexplainable cloak of melancholy that had shrouded over her the past few months. Since when did she feel so disparaged towards performing her duty? She couldn't understand it, nor could she explain why when Jadeite appeared before her the distress seemed to magnify.
"Rei."
He said her name in a tone she had almost forgotten. Not certain if she heard him correctly, Rei kept her gaze on the far castle wall a few moments longer. When she finally dared to sneak a glance at Jadeite's face, she blurted out, "Why have you stopped treating me like your best friend these years past? I haven't heard you call to me like that for the longest time."
She knew they were both thinking the same thing. Jadeite did not reply, but a flash of emotion flickered across his eyes. Rei inhaled a short breath, staring beseechingly into the face of one of her dearest companions. The nearly permanent icy façade Rei erected around her melted in a rare laying down of arms. It was that important to her; she wanted desperately to understand what had happened between them.
JADEITE LOOKED DOWN into her face, just as it had been when she was still a young girl. It was as if Rei knew she was vulnerable in such a callous world, yet she placed all her faith and trust in him, Jadeite, an ordinary man. It still terrified him, as did his feelings which had never changed over the years. He knew she probably could not pinpoint the exact day he had drawn away from her. How could she, when she didn't know how he felt?
It had been a chilly spring morning, one of those last icy blasts that lingered from the passing winter. Jadeite had found Rei in the rose garden on a solitary walk, paused in front of a sparse bush. He had stood there on the garden path, waiting for Rei to turn around and greet him, not expecting to have the breath knocked out of him when she did finally spin around. She held in her hand a fragile red rose, one of the earliest blooms of the season. Her face was wreathed in delight at the find, her cheeks dusted with a faint rosy hue, drawing even more attention to her perfectly smooth porcelain skin. Her violet eyes glowed brighter at seeing Jadeite near to share in her discovery.
He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He had known she was beautiful; everyone knew that. He had known her spirit burned fierce and bright, even underneath the royal mask of pride she always wore. He had known that she was a young girl still unsure of her place in her home and the world. What had hit him with the force of a hurricane was how much of his heart was forever lost to this one slip of a girl.
"Jadeite!" Rei greeted him warmly, always in her quiet voice, never one to break the quiet or serenity of her surroundings.
Jadeite barely restrained himself from taking a step back, as if to run away like a coward from his feelings. He swallowed the lump of fear in the back of his throat and gave Rei a tight smile. When Rei motioned him forward, he could do nothing but walk slowly to her side. One hand was held in front of his abdomen in the military stance instilled in him almost naturally, the other hand balled into a tight fist, as he attempted to rein in his emotions.
"I was going to preserve this rose before you came along, Jadeite, but I think I'd like to give it to you now. Will you wear it in today's tournaments?" Rei gave him one of her rare impish smiles.
"You know how Endy is always wearing one and never tells us why. You should wear one, too, and mayhap he will be curious enough about it to trade explanations."
Jadeite couldn't help but laugh at Rei's idea. He took the proffered rose along with Rei's hand into his, giving her a light squeeze. "And what shall I tell Endy in return for his explanation?"
Rei tilted her chin as her eyes wandered in thought. "Why, tell him 'twas a favor bestowed upon you by a fair lady. A very fair lady." She smiled again and gave his hand a light squeeze in return. Her smile faded when she looked up into his face and saw the sudden seriousness that had taken over.
"Why is this explanation of Endymion's so important to you, my lady?"
"I am just curious is all," Rei replied softly, a quizzical look on her face at Jadeite's unreadable expression.
He did not comment on Rei's answer for a moment that in turn became a pregnant silence. Jadeite searched her eyes before finally dropping her hands and letting out a long breath.
"Princess, you've become a gentle young woman." He clasped his hands behind his back and turned to face the hedge of roses. "You should remember your duty, and I, my place."
Uncharacteristically, Rei broke in to Jadeite's speech. "What is that supposed to mean?"
He didn't turn to look at her. "You should give this rose to my lord, Endymion. He should be wearing it."
The stressing of the words, "my lord", and the pause at the end of his words were not lost to Rei, who felt increasingly uncomfortable with the realization of what Jadeite meant.
"If you would like, I may relay this token to his Highness." Jadeite finally returned his steady gaze to Rei.
"I-- I would rather you have it, Jadeite. Please," Rei said softly, raising her hand to the base of her throat to mindlessly finger the ruby necklace that hung there. She let out her next words in a rapid stream, before Jadeite could refuse to listen. "Just because I am a princess and you a soldier, it doesn't mean we cannot be friends--- good friends, does it? I know my duty, I know what is expected of me, of all of us. But I do not see how that would affect our friendship. Jadeite, I lo--"
"Princess, I believed you to be more responsible than you are demonstrating," Jadeite said sharply. "A lady of your station does not keep company with a royal guardsman, especially one not of her own guard. I serve Prince Endymion and no one else, not even you, Princess."
He had pinpointed Rei's most sensitive weakness, what she believed to be her worst failing, and twisted it to erect walls between them. Walls that should stand strong, Jadeite told himself firmly, no matter how much it hurt Rei and in turn, himself. His courage failed him as soon as he saw the sheen of tears glistening in her violet eyes, and he abruptly turned as if to make his leave. Over his shoulder, he quietly spoke his parting words.
"While I am not pledged in your allegiance, you will always have my faith in your actions. I know I won't be disappointed."
Jadeite had barely been able to make his way out of the maze of royal gardens and parterre without looking back.
PERHAPS HIS MISTAKE was in abruptly severing their relationship. If he had gradually started to distance himself from Rei over the years, she wouldn't have questioned the rift between them. It wouldn't have hurt her as much. It could have been attributed to the simple flow of things, the way life turned out. But who was he trying to deceive? He hadn't been capable of slowly easing himself out of the princess's life. Any prolonged time spent in Rei's company would only tempt Jadeite's resolve.
And so he had simply and coldly detached himself from her life. On the summer visits to her castle, he managed to avoid Rei unless the other generals were with him. He never volunteered for the unexpected trips to Fieryn that would always crop up as he had used to do. At first, it had been difficult, for Rei would invariably be roaming the castle grounds searching for his company before she realized anything was amiss. But realize it, she did, and Jadeite never knew that the already shaky confidence of a young adolescent girl had crumbled a little more.
His friendship had meant the most to Rei. With Jadeite, she did not have to maintain the tiring poise meant for the rest of the world. She could confide in him her deepest fears and secrets without worry of censure while never failing to receive genuine words of comfort. There was simply a pervasive feeling of belonging with Jadeite that Rei had never felt with anyone else. While her dearest friends were Endymion and his guard, Jadeite had a special place in her heart.
The years passed, less than could be counted on one hand, but critical nonetheless. The promise of beauty that dominated her childhood had held true, and Rei blossomed into the land's most beautiful lady. At the cusp of womanhood, her mask of serenity hid a delicate soul, the fires of which had been nearly put out twice--- once with the withdrawal of friendship and then again with the death of a parent. She wanted no more disappointments, and there was no better way to ensure such than with a hardened heart.
With that sharp reminder tugging at the back of her mind, Rei let out a small breath and stepped back from Jadeite, relinquishing her pose of supplication.
"I suppose you don't even know what I am speaking of," she said stiffly.
Jadeite cleared his throat. "I may have an inkling." He had more than an inkling, but she would never know. Already, he chastised himself for unconsciously calling out to Rei in that tone. "Princess, pardon my candor, but I thought you grown up and no longer bothered by childish fancies."
"You're right, it must be childish fancy, for I can't imagine you as the close friend I once thought you to be," Rei bit out.
Jadeite raised an eyebrow at Rei's uncharacteristic tone, and she flushed with embarrassment.
"As you say, milady," Jadeite bowed his head. "Now, if I may be excused, I must oversee preparations for my liege's arrival on the morrow."
Rei scowled at Jadeite's retreating back, her fists balled at her sides. "A true courtier is supposed to wait for my dismissal," she muttered under her breath.
She turned towards the stables and scolded herself for letting her temper loose. She had better things to do, her pet ravens to find.
JADEITE'S LONG STRIDES brought him quickly through the castle kitchens and vast hallways to the main hall, where he conferred with the steward on the Terran party's visit. His comments, however, were only half-hearted and distracted with burning thoughts of the princess. It was nothing new to him; there were no arguments running through his head that he hadn't already assessed a million times.
He knew Rei had had a childhood infatuation with Endymion, and it was only right, he kept telling himself. They were betrothed, after all. It didn't matter if Jadeite felt as if he was the only one who truly understood Rei. It certainly wouldn't matter if it would kill him to watch the woman he loved marry the one man he held loyalty for. He was one of the four Terran Generals, and his duty was his honor.
"Has His Highness indicated whether he desires a ball be held during his visit?" The annoyed voice of the steward brought Jadeite forward to the present.
Jadeite ran a hand through his hair at the steward's tone. That was obviously not the first time he had asked that question. But before Jadeite could answer, another voice rang through the hall.
"Why, if it isn't my favorite General," the throaty tones of the provisional Queen Beryl floated to Jadeite from behind.
Involuntarily, he stiffened before turning to greet the queen with a controlled expression of courtesy on his face. He bowed at the waist with his right arm crossed to his left shoulder in the customary form of obeisance.
"Your Majesty," Jadeite murmured, taking the proffered hand. As always, Beryl's hand felt cold and clammy in his loose grip.
Beryl lowered her eyes and gave a small smile at Jadeite's proper behavior. She always enjoyed it when a handsome man paid her the respect she thought she deserved. Slowly, she withdrew her hand, looking about the hall as if searching for someone.
"And where is the prince? I do not see him."
"Ah, I have come ahead of the rest of the party to see to provisions," Jadeite answered, watching Beryl.
A brief shadow of annoyance flickered across her face at his answer. Her eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. "But you're personal bodyguard to the prince. You should not leave him simply to run ahead of the group. That's what the servants are for. We wouldn't want anything to happen to our dear prince."
Jadeite managed a small smile as he replied, "I have every faith in my three colleagues as to the safety of Prince Endymion."
Beryl's obvious obsession with Endymion never failed to raise his alertness on duty. If the prince needed protection from anyone, it would be from Beryl's lecherous hands, Jadeite thought to himself. His veiled antipathy towards the queen was further strengthened by recalling the cold manner with which she treated Rei.
Beryl cleared her throat when a silence fell through the hall.
"Well, do what you must, then." She dismissed him airily as he was of no importance without Endymion's presence.
"THE NERVE OF that gutter rat who calls himself General!" Beryl fumed, slamming the door of her private solar shut.
She treaded heavily to the ornate mirror that stood in the middle of the room, a centerpiece of gothic design that seemed to draw darkness into the chamber. It stood larger than the queen herself, on two legs carved in the menacing shape of a beast's limbs. Beryl circled the mirror, a furious whirl of deep purple skirts and flame-red hair, all the while cursing Jadeite.
"His eyes! Those blue eyes that are so much like Endymion's, condemning me! Me!" Beryl paused in front of the mirror to stare into its murky depths. Her voice lowered in pitch. "As if I would ever harm the one man worthy of my love."
Beryl focused on the obsidian surface in front of her, allowing the few vestiges of light to leave her soul. The rhythm of her heartbeat increased in anticipation of the rush of dark power emerging from the mirror. She exhaled lightly as the voice of her benefactor reached into her mind, and the metallic planes of the mirror began reflecting a smoky haze.
"Metallia, my master," she murmured.
It is no use to waste your feelings on any of them.
The statement was more of a command, one that had Beryl immediately rejecting. "No, you are wrong, Metallia."
There was no response from the mirror save for a small shift in the cloudy smoke directly below the surface on the opposite side.
"With the powers you have imbued me, Endymion will be the king to my queen," she continued.
This time, the reply cut out sharply.
He will not. Then the voice became almost sympathetic. How can he, when he loves someone else in his heart of hearts?
Beryl froze, unable to believe the dissonant voice. "No," she whispered, shaking her head.
The silence that answered her did nothing to placate the rising feeling of despair. She knew that Metallia never lied.
"Who?" Beryl demanded.
It is easy to see why Endymion has fallen for her. A pause.
She is the fairest in the land, you know.
At this, Beryl fell at the mirror, grasping the cold stone edges with white knuckles. "Who?!"
The Princess Rei. Rei is far fairer than you will ever be. Fairest in all the land.
The screech that Beryl let out reverberated through the chamber.
"The little bitch! That conniving little whore!" Beryl released the mirror to begin pacing the room once again. The fury that she had entered with did not compare with the fit she was in now.
"She must be rid of." Beryl stopped abruptly in her tracks, her amber eyes narrowing. "This very night."
Beryl glanced at the mirror to distinguish its opinion on her decision. It stood silent now, a monolithic piece of glass that was too dark to reflect. Satisfied with the reaction, Beryl's mouth formed a chilling mockery of a smile. She glided purposefully out of the room. The evil queen was too absorbed in her assassination plans to hear the soft cackle of laughter coming from the empty solar. The mirror had done its job.
REI HAD SPENT two hours searching for her beloved pets, to no avail. The mews where they were kept remained empty of birds. No one had noticed where they might have flown off to. There was not a single shadow in the quickly darkening sky above. What had started out as a leisurely pursuit became an increasingly anxious search.
Phobos and Deimos had been raised and trained by Rei herself, and she held a deep affection for the two ravens. The disappearance was ominous. Rei could feel it in her bones. One of the many secrets she held private was the relationship with her birds. No one could even guess that she was able to understand the behavior of the ravens, and that it allowed her to forecast the future. A drop of a feather, a few hops down the branches of a rowan tree, and a quick swoop westward--- all were intricate signs that Rei used to portend the future.
Rei didn't know why she was capable of such a thing, nor did she question it. It had simply been a part of her since childhood. Most importantly, it was a secret all her own that no one could take away from her. Once the actions of her birds were deciphered, she could never change the forecast, but the knowledge had been there for her. Now, her access to the future was gone.
In her search for them, Rei had wandered to the southwest gate to the castle grounds, near the border of the woods that framed the kingdom. She paused now as she spied the form of a royal guard making his way in her direction. He arrived quickly, a bearded man of middle years holding an impressive bow. Rei recognized him as the Master of the Hunt.
"Your Highness," the man greeted Rei, kneeling.
Rei bade him rise and watched him thoughtfully. She sensed an aura of uneasiness about the man. "You have a matter to take up with me, sir? Have you seen my birds?"
There was a hesitant pause before the man suddenly brought up the bow in his arms and drew an arrow from behind him. The deadly tip of the arrow was aimed directly at Rei's heart.
She stood frozen in place, too bewildered to fear for her life. But before she could demand he lower the weapon, the bow and arrow swerved to the left of Rei. The man released the arrow, and it hit its mark, an unfortunate deer nearly camouflaged in the dark green foliage.
"I cannot do it. God spare me, but I could not," whispered the guardsman, retrieving the carcass of the deer. He turned to face Rei, his expression determined. "You must leave here, princess. And never return. Never!"
Rei took a step back at his vehemence. "What do you mean by this?" she demanded.
He began gutting the deer, searching for the heart. "The queen. The queen wants your heart. I was paid to do the deed." He looked up into the princess's now wan face. "I didn't want to, but she threatened my life, and those of my family."
With the heart cut out, the man stuffed it into the pouch slung around his shoulders and returned his pleading gaze to Rei. "Please, you must leave the kingdom. If not for the lives of me and mine, then for your own. 'Tis not safe here for you any longer. The queen wants you dead, and she will not stop at one reluctant hunter to have it done."
He dropped to his knees in front of Rei even as she inched further away at his words. A dull roaring crashed through her mind as she struggled to understand what was happening.
"I beg you, my lady, take my weapon and make your way to safety far from here," he continued on, in a frenzy to have done with his commission. He jerked the sling of arrows off his back and placed his bow at Rei's booted feet. "There is a safe shelter three days walk from here, if only you will follow the southern constellation. I know for certain they will not turn you away there."
Rei darted her gaze between the man's frantic eyes and the bow, allowing the truth to sink in. She had long ago suspected Beryl capable of foul deeds, but she saw now that it was foolishness on her part to have done nothing to thwart any of Beryl's possible plots. The prideful, stubborn part of her character refused to act the coward and run away from danger, no matter how grave. Her blood ran cold at the thought of what would happen to her kingdom if Beryl succeeded, and Rei wanted with a fury to confront Beryl with brute force.
Just then, the crow of a bird rent through the evening air, breaking the spell of Rei's thoughts. Phobos and Deimos! She looked up in time to see the pair weaving in and out of the trees, flying deeper into the forest. Deimos hovered in mid-flight, as if to wait, before following after Phobos.
Rei closed her eyes in disbelief and anguish. She understood what the birds were telling her. With a small sob, she took the bow and quiver from the hunter and started into the forest after her birds. She clutched the weapon to her chest as her slender legs pumped faster. She did not look back, but focused on Phobos and Deimos. Her mind was numb and her movements automatic.
The last coherent thought to cross her mind consisted of an image of Jadeite, smiling and holding her close only hours ago. She had felt safe in his arms then, when she still had a home in her rightful kingdom, and the world had not turned upside down.
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So what did you think about her powers spoken as a curse word? You're to imagine them saying something like "damn it" every time they say their powers. I wanted to make the stories more Sailormoonish. Does it work, or no?
(c) 2003 Erienne C. Lee