Chapter 5: Rini is Gone!
Rini sat in her room and stared out the window. She looked at the nighttime sky and she remembered when Pegasus had taken her flying that one night. Rini sighed sadly as she continued to look out the window. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Rini said, trying to sound casual. The door slowly opened and Rini got up to see who it was. It was her mother, looking as beautiful and graceful as ever. How Rini wished she could act and look as regal and royal as her mother.
"Hi, Rini," she said softly.
No matter how Rini felt, she always felt much better hearing the sound of her mother's gentle voice. "Hi, mama," she answered.
The Queen could see that her daughter was still feeling sad as she looked at her seated at the window. She noticed how Rini was dressed in her favorite gown. It looked similar to the dress the Queen had worn herself on the Moon Kingdom. It was white with some gold at the waistline and puffed sleeves. The Queen grabbed a seat and pulled it near Rini. "I know that you've been thinking about Helios, dear," she told Rini. Rini looked up at her mother, seeing all the love and compassion in her eyes. Finally, Rini could no longer hold back the tears as she threw herself into her mother's arms. Neo-Queen Serenity held her daughter closely and allowed her to weep for a little while. She also stroked and pet her hair very lovingly. Rini sighed as she felt her mother's hand on her hair. Ever since she was a little girl, her mother would always stroke and pet her hair when she was sad. It always seemed to calm her down. Finally, Rini stopped sobbing and stood up to look at her mother. "Oh, mama," she began sadly, "I just don't understand why he doesn't love me anymore."
"He does love you, dear," she responded, bringing her hand up to Rini's face and caressing her cheek.
"Then why hasn't he come to see me again?" she asked as she looked at the Queen.
"That I do not know," she answered, "but I do know that he could never forget you or stop loving you. I was there when he said goodbye to that day and I remember the way he looked at you as he left. He truly does love you and I know you will see him again someday."
Rini knew her mother was right as she looked into her mother's beautiful blue eyes. She smiled as she hugged her mother once more. "Thank you, mama," she whispered, "thank you so much."
The Queen smiled as well as she looked at her sweet daughter. "It's so nice to see you smiling again."
Finally, Rini got up and both mother and daughter exchanged "goodnights." The Queen began to walk towards the door to leave as Rini walked over to her closet to change into her nightgown. Suddenly, a black cloud began to form in the room. Rini noticed this and began to scream as the dark cloud began to form around her. The Queen turned around and saw the dark cloud and watched in horror as it engulfed her daughter.
"Mama!" Rini yelled from within the cloud. The Queen ran towards the cloud, but when she went to touch it, a surge of energy shot at her, flinging her back onto the floor. The Queen screamed from pain as well as fear as she now could not even see her daughter anymore. Suddenly, the cloud slowly began to fade away. But when the cloud cleared away, there was no trace of Rini. The Queen sat on the floor, stunned, confused, and shocked by what had just happened. At that moment, the King ran into the room after hearing his wife and daughter's screams. He saw his wife on the floor and immediately ran to her and took her in his arms. "Are you all right?" he asked with worry, "what happened?" The only answer he received was his wife's anguished cries as she flung herself into his arms. He did his best to comfort her as he held her closely. Then, the King glanced around the room for his daughter, but did not see her anywhere. "Where is Rini?" he asked, a feeling of dread filling him.
The Queen looked up at him with so much fear and sorrow, that it broke the King's heart to see her like this. Then, she finally spoke, so quietly that the King almost didn't hear her. "Rini is gone!"
Rini sat in her room and stared out the window. She looked at the nighttime sky and she remembered when Pegasus had taken her flying that one night. Rini sighed sadly as she continued to look out the window. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Rini said, trying to sound casual. The door slowly opened and Rini got up to see who it was. It was her mother, looking as beautiful and graceful as ever. How Rini wished she could act and look as regal and royal as her mother.
"Hi, Rini," she said softly.
No matter how Rini felt, she always felt much better hearing the sound of her mother's gentle voice. "Hi, mama," she answered.
The Queen could see that her daughter was still feeling sad as she looked at her seated at the window. She noticed how Rini was dressed in her favorite gown. It looked similar to the dress the Queen had worn herself on the Moon Kingdom. It was white with some gold at the waistline and puffed sleeves. The Queen grabbed a seat and pulled it near Rini. "I know that you've been thinking about Helios, dear," she told Rini. Rini looked up at her mother, seeing all the love and compassion in her eyes. Finally, Rini could no longer hold back the tears as she threw herself into her mother's arms. Neo-Queen Serenity held her daughter closely and allowed her to weep for a little while. She also stroked and pet her hair very lovingly. Rini sighed as she felt her mother's hand on her hair. Ever since she was a little girl, her mother would always stroke and pet her hair when she was sad. It always seemed to calm her down. Finally, Rini stopped sobbing and stood up to look at her mother. "Oh, mama," she began sadly, "I just don't understand why he doesn't love me anymore."
"He does love you, dear," she responded, bringing her hand up to Rini's face and caressing her cheek.
"Then why hasn't he come to see me again?" she asked as she looked at the Queen.
"That I do not know," she answered, "but I do know that he could never forget you or stop loving you. I was there when he said goodbye to that day and I remember the way he looked at you as he left. He truly does love you and I know you will see him again someday."
Rini knew her mother was right as she looked into her mother's beautiful blue eyes. She smiled as she hugged her mother once more. "Thank you, mama," she whispered, "thank you so much."
The Queen smiled as well as she looked at her sweet daughter. "It's so nice to see you smiling again."
Finally, Rini got up and both mother and daughter exchanged "goodnights." The Queen began to walk towards the door to leave as Rini walked over to her closet to change into her nightgown. Suddenly, a black cloud began to form in the room. Rini noticed this and began to scream as the dark cloud began to form around her. The Queen turned around and saw the dark cloud and watched in horror as it engulfed her daughter.
"Mama!" Rini yelled from within the cloud. The Queen ran towards the cloud, but when she went to touch it, a surge of energy shot at her, flinging her back onto the floor. The Queen screamed from pain as well as fear as she now could not even see her daughter anymore. Suddenly, the cloud slowly began to fade away. But when the cloud cleared away, there was no trace of Rini. The Queen sat on the floor, stunned, confused, and shocked by what had just happened. At that moment, the King ran into the room after hearing his wife and daughter's screams. He saw his wife on the floor and immediately ran to her and took her in his arms. "Are you all right?" he asked with worry, "what happened?" The only answer he received was his wife's anguished cries as she flung herself into his arms. He did his best to comfort her as he held her closely. Then, the King glanced around the room for his daughter, but did not see her anywhere. "Where is Rini?" he asked, a feeling of dread filling him.
The Queen looked up at him with so much fear and sorrow, that it broke the King's heart to see her like this. Then, she finally spoke, so quietly that the King almost didn't hear her. "Rini is gone!"