Hey people!! Well I don't own sailormoon or the quote below..(its from
buffy) and yes, this is going to have the same basic plot line as the last
galaxy knight for the first few chapters but then theres going to be
significant differences! Please review people..i want to know wether or
not u like the new version!! Guys for some reason my normol dividers aren't
working so I'm using the w's instead...(so sorry)
wwwwwwwwwwww
Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes, more than we can bear. If we lived without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow...empty rooms, shattered and dark. Without passion we would truly be dead.
From the diary of King Aura II Emperor of the Moon.
wwwwwwwwwwww
Cold.
That was the first thought that I could remember coming to my mind when I regained consciousness. My cage was a vulgar assault on all the human senses. The over bearing smell of urine and other bodily wastes clung to the air, yet this was nothing to the unbearable stench of rotting human flesh. The walls were alive with green moss, effectively creating a blanket of disease and an ambassador of infection. Rats scurried in and out of the cold dominating bars, in search of food and warmth.
My cell lacked both.
The smell was enough for me to empty the contents of my stomach. The rats reduced me to a shivering mess.
Yet it was the silence that broke me. It drove me to the brinks of insanity. It allowed the memories of my father's murder to replay itself in my mind, blurring my ability to distinguish illusion from reality.
I did all that I could to break the silence. I ranted and raved, and screamed at the top of my lungs. Yet always I was greeted with the same silence. The constant reminder that my own mother had sentenced me to death for a crime that I had not committed. A crime that I could never have committed.
Even to this day the memory of those hours can reduce me to a trembling shadow of myself.
Yes it was only hours.
Yet it felt like an eternity.
I can still hear the footsteps. The feet of the individual against the cold marble floor.
Thump. Thump.
I waited in anticipation, my senses stringed to breaking point.
Louder, closer.
I closed my eyes, saying what I thought would be my last prayer. A very feminine voice cut through my thoughts.
"Serenity?" I could scarcely believe my ears. The voice, although lacking its usually bubbly nature, undoubtedly belonged to Mina.
"My God what have they done to you?" Her words caused the tears to fall from my face. I couldn't bear her seeing me like this. So weak, so utterly powerless. I could not bear to see the look of fear in her eyes. I started trembling. The emotions were too strong, too utterly overwhelming for me to cope with. I may have been strong, but at fourteen I was not invincible.
Yet.
I regained my composure after Mina held me in her arms for a few moments. She stroked my hair like a mother who was soothing a troubled child. I loved her for it. I still do.
"They wouldn't let Rei see you, after the Queen made her announcement we were each escorted to separate rooms, as far away from you as possible. Rei managed to not only burn down her room, but I believe that she made it to this corridor before they could stop her. And they only managed to do that by knocking her unconscious. One of the officers even said that when he was holding her he could feel his insides burning."
I let out a small laugh. Lord knows how much I missed my friends, my family, and it had all been taken away from me within an instant. The thought was enough to unleash new tears. Mina's hold tightened around me.
"Lita, well It took five guards to restrain her in the throne room. I believe she knocked out 3 men through sheer force of will. Quite a remarkable achievement in a dress, don't you agree?"
This brought a lasting smile to my face.
"Now with Amy, well they locked her door with six different locks determined to outsmart her. However they failed to notice the rusty hinges on the door. When the door opened with ease the guards ran away from fear. However as she made her way down she was faced with four men strong and was defeated."
I gazed at Mina in awe.
"How did you ever make it down here?"
"Quite simple actually. I told the guards defending my room that if they came into my room I would do anything in my power to convince them to see you. Once they did I hit them both over the head with your mother's favourite vase. Then when I got down here, I told the guard that I would exchange your keys for a kiss. He agreed. Now I'm sure you have heard of the famous sleeping potion of Venus, that affects all humans except those from the planet itself. It just happened that I had some traces of it in my mouth."
I wrapped my arms around her tightly and murmured how much I loved her and the others, how thankful I was and that I would never forget the things that they had done for me. Then I said how it was an honour for me that she would be the last person I would ever converse with. To my surprise her lips curled into a smile.
"Do you really believe any of us would come here unless we didn't have a plan to break you out?"
I looked at her in astonishment. This was beyond my wildest dreams. Those words did the impossible for me. They gave me back my hope.
"How?" My voice was barely audible.
"You always did like playing dress up."
wwwwwwwwwwww
I don't ever believe I was ever so nervous in my life. Mina and I had switched clothes and our resemblance would allow me to escape the palace without anyone becoming suspicious. It was indeed an excellent plan, it gave me a chance to escape while not placing Mina in any real danger. Any attempt to harm Mina after our ploy was discovered would result in war with the planet of Venus. The Queen was reckless, but she was not stupid.
Even now after years of studying military history and technique I don't believe I could have come up with such an excellent plan.
I embraced her for long moments, refusing to let her go.
"Take care of Damien and the girls for me. Perhaps one day we will meet again."
"I am sure we shall meet again. Take care Serenity." I nodded and then slowly left. I walked through the dungeons and rushed to the stables.
The experience was one of incredible fear, but with that interestingly enough came intoxicating exuberance.
I rode on a black stallion into the deep forests of the moon.
My life had now begun.
wwwwwwwwwwww
The forests of the moon are immersed in superstition and mystery. As a child I had constantly heard stories of monsters and dangerous shadows that lurked in the forest. However my stubborn nature never allowed me to believe these stories.
That was not what concerned me.
In the previous months I had heard countless stories of men riding into the forest during the night. All of them had died in the same way.
Drowning.
They had all been found face down floating on a lake the next day.
I had no doubt of the truth of these stories. I remember very clearly the families of these men and their pleading with my father to send a search party for the murderer.
These deaths had with good reason sparked a number of rumours.
The most prominent one being that the men were seduced by a siren like creature that led them to their deaths on moonlight nights.
The mistress of moonlight they called her.
I don't know why I remembered this particular rumour. Or why I believed it for that matter.
At this point of the story it is irrelevant.
However I am sure you can understand why I was slowly being overcome with fear as darkness approached.
I had no shelter, no food.
Nothing.
"Nothing will come of nothing." No words ever resounded more truth in me than in those moments.
The hunter and the hunted.
For the first time in my life I wanted to grip the sand of time in my hands and prevent them from going any further. I wanted to prevent the future and to be trapped in the eternal present.
Life is scarcely that fair.
This was no exception to that rule.
My horse had grown tired due to the hours of the continuous riding.
The night had caused an incredible shift in the atmosphere of the forest. What was in the daylight pleasant, an essence of colour and uncountable shades of green was transformed to a mass of menacing shadows. Under the cover of the night harmless tree branches morphed into dangerous claws each with their own sinister purpose.
I felt like a thousand eyes were staring into the depths of my soul.
I found shelter under the canopy of a large willow tree. I rested against my horse. We drew from each other the warmth we could.
Yet sleep provided me with no comfort.
wwwwwwwwwwww
Emptiness.
Utter nothingness.
My cage no longer contained bars but it was a mass of never ending black.
Cold.
Out of nowhere a table appeared. A single glass of red wine placed on a white silk table cloth.
As I reached out to it, the glass shattered.
Red wine on white silk.
White silk resembling the Queen's dress.
I screamed.
Then my salvation appeared.
A faint outline of a man.
My father.
No words could describe the happiness I felt at that moment.
That is until he turned around.
Ice.
"Soon." A voice like wine.
wwwwwwwwwwww
Suddenly I was very awake. The dream had shaken me up significantly.
My body was layered with cold sweat. I was trembling. After a few long minutes I was able to regain my composure, only then did I notice that the sun had risen. With the realisation the ice biting cold and hunger also made themselves re-known to my senses.
A tree branch snapped.
Within an instant I was on my feet, sword drawn ready to attack.
"Show yourself." I was surprised by the demanding nature of my tone. It had no resemblance to my true feelings of fear and anxiety.
To my surprise an old woman stepped out from behind the trees. She was dressed in worn clothes of various shades of grey. Her hair was dark and in a tight bun, while her eyes were a brilliant silver framed with long lashes. The deep wrinkles embedded within her skin were the only sign of her age.
"Who are you?" The lady curtsied deeply, I in response raised a brow in surprise. How was it that a peasant knew the traditions of court?
I would be pondering this question for years.
"They call me Luna. I am the village healer an old women who means no harm to anyone." She pointedly looked at my still drawn sword. I examined her carefully to make sure she was unarmed, and when satisfied I put my sword away. Seeing this she continued, "I came to gather herbs." She brought up her basket to emphasise her point. I nodded at the women acknowledging her explanation then I started to gather my things.
"It was a pleasure making your acquaintance Luna." I replied with an indifferent tone then slowly turned to walk away.
"You realise Serenity that I could offer you a place for the night, modest as it may be compared to the palace beds."
I froze.
I had never told this woman my name nor my position. I turned around slowly; I knew my eyes were ablaze with fear and anger.
"What are you?" I sneered at her. She straightened her posture to fit that of a regal queen.
"As I told you, I am the village healer. Many of the villagers call me a witch for my strange...shall we say powers? However they require me to heal the ill when the apothecary cannot."
I did not trust the woman.
I'm sure she knew it too.
I'm also sure she knew that I had little choice but to accept her offer.
And accept I did.
"Why is it that you want to help me?"
"Because I know that if a young women just appears in the village people will talk. And the gossip would reach the palace. I do not approve of the execution of an innocent."
I did not know then that she was lying. That her reasons for helping me were actually far more complex and personal. At that time I was far too distracted by the fact that she believed I was innocent.
The woman led the way to a small cottage. It was quite charming really, made out of stone surrounded by the forest trees and wild flowers and accompanied by a tranquil lake. A picturesque house all in all. As we entered her house she offered me a seat and made me a warm cup of hot chocolate. After a few moments she sat down beside me. Her ebony hair now loose and falling around her shoulders. As I examined her I realised that she was amazingly beautiful for a woman of her age. While the wrinkles of her face conveyed the passage of many long years her eyes held the mirth of one very young.
A young soul captured in an old body.
This caused me to be intrigued by the woman, to know her past, to be able to understand her.
"Have you given any thought to what you shall do now that you have left the palace?" Her voice cut through my thoughts. The question had caught me quite off guard. I had not given any thought to the subject. I had not had that luxury.
"No, I may be forced to impose on your hospitality for a few days." I despised the fact that I had to accept help from a stranger. That I was now utterly dependant on her. Yet I had no other choice. With a wave of her hand she dismissed my statement.
"I believe that Artemis is in search of the Galaxy Knight." I raised an eyebrow, not certain of what she was talking.
"I'm afraid that I do not understand."
"Are you acquainted with the legend of the Promised Knights?"
"I heard the tale as a young child, but I do not remember it now."
"Within every generation there are six chosen ones, chosen ones that possess a power that is beyond our comprehension. These men are called the Promised Knights, trained to serve justice and obliged to help all those who are in need. The leader of these nights is called the Galaxy Knight, as his powers extend to all corners of the galaxy. The prophecy states that a promised knight shall rise unlike any of those before. The death of that knight would bring peace to the land. The last Galaxy Knight would be a being whose power has never been rivalled in history and never shall. The single most powerful being ever to breathe."
"That is quite a tale. What of the other five knights?"
"The Galaxy Fighter is the next in command, followed by the Warrior, Defender, Protector and finally the Healer. Their names suggest their area of expertise."
"I do not understand. This story is like many others I have heard as a child; it holds no originality. What makes anyone believe that such people actually exist?"
Her lips curved into a flirtatious smile.
"Perhaps they do exist and maybe they do not. The main issue here is that Artemis believes they exist, and he is offering many men training as knights in order to find the legendary warriors."
Suddenly her implications were all too clear. It was not something that I would have personally thought of, but the idea provoked an unknown emotion in me. Something between curiosity and ambition. She was able to read me well. I knew not why, and that made me very uneasy.
"You would have to pretend to be a male. If you get caught it would mean certain death."
"Then I won't get caught." The answer was simple, no question about it.
"I have one condition." I raised an eyebrow and narrowed my eyes. I did not trust this women, I admired her yes and I was grateful. But trust?
Never.
"You must return here at every opportunity. I want to train you as my heir."
I accepted her as I still felt that I owed her for the kindness she had bestowed on me.
I would have never have accepted if I had known the truth.
The hunter and the hunted.
I was certain that she was a huntress.
Was I her prey?
Undoubtedly.
Lucky for me she only killed to eat.
"Would you care for some wine?"
Then again maybe I was wrong.
wwwwwwwwwwww
Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes, more than we can bear. If we lived without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow...empty rooms, shattered and dark. Without passion we would truly be dead.
From the diary of King Aura II Emperor of the Moon.
wwwwwwwwwwww
Cold.
That was the first thought that I could remember coming to my mind when I regained consciousness. My cage was a vulgar assault on all the human senses. The over bearing smell of urine and other bodily wastes clung to the air, yet this was nothing to the unbearable stench of rotting human flesh. The walls were alive with green moss, effectively creating a blanket of disease and an ambassador of infection. Rats scurried in and out of the cold dominating bars, in search of food and warmth.
My cell lacked both.
The smell was enough for me to empty the contents of my stomach. The rats reduced me to a shivering mess.
Yet it was the silence that broke me. It drove me to the brinks of insanity. It allowed the memories of my father's murder to replay itself in my mind, blurring my ability to distinguish illusion from reality.
I did all that I could to break the silence. I ranted and raved, and screamed at the top of my lungs. Yet always I was greeted with the same silence. The constant reminder that my own mother had sentenced me to death for a crime that I had not committed. A crime that I could never have committed.
Even to this day the memory of those hours can reduce me to a trembling shadow of myself.
Yes it was only hours.
Yet it felt like an eternity.
I can still hear the footsteps. The feet of the individual against the cold marble floor.
Thump. Thump.
I waited in anticipation, my senses stringed to breaking point.
Louder, closer.
I closed my eyes, saying what I thought would be my last prayer. A very feminine voice cut through my thoughts.
"Serenity?" I could scarcely believe my ears. The voice, although lacking its usually bubbly nature, undoubtedly belonged to Mina.
"My God what have they done to you?" Her words caused the tears to fall from my face. I couldn't bear her seeing me like this. So weak, so utterly powerless. I could not bear to see the look of fear in her eyes. I started trembling. The emotions were too strong, too utterly overwhelming for me to cope with. I may have been strong, but at fourteen I was not invincible.
Yet.
I regained my composure after Mina held me in her arms for a few moments. She stroked my hair like a mother who was soothing a troubled child. I loved her for it. I still do.
"They wouldn't let Rei see you, after the Queen made her announcement we were each escorted to separate rooms, as far away from you as possible. Rei managed to not only burn down her room, but I believe that she made it to this corridor before they could stop her. And they only managed to do that by knocking her unconscious. One of the officers even said that when he was holding her he could feel his insides burning."
I let out a small laugh. Lord knows how much I missed my friends, my family, and it had all been taken away from me within an instant. The thought was enough to unleash new tears. Mina's hold tightened around me.
"Lita, well It took five guards to restrain her in the throne room. I believe she knocked out 3 men through sheer force of will. Quite a remarkable achievement in a dress, don't you agree?"
This brought a lasting smile to my face.
"Now with Amy, well they locked her door with six different locks determined to outsmart her. However they failed to notice the rusty hinges on the door. When the door opened with ease the guards ran away from fear. However as she made her way down she was faced with four men strong and was defeated."
I gazed at Mina in awe.
"How did you ever make it down here?"
"Quite simple actually. I told the guards defending my room that if they came into my room I would do anything in my power to convince them to see you. Once they did I hit them both over the head with your mother's favourite vase. Then when I got down here, I told the guard that I would exchange your keys for a kiss. He agreed. Now I'm sure you have heard of the famous sleeping potion of Venus, that affects all humans except those from the planet itself. It just happened that I had some traces of it in my mouth."
I wrapped my arms around her tightly and murmured how much I loved her and the others, how thankful I was and that I would never forget the things that they had done for me. Then I said how it was an honour for me that she would be the last person I would ever converse with. To my surprise her lips curled into a smile.
"Do you really believe any of us would come here unless we didn't have a plan to break you out?"
I looked at her in astonishment. This was beyond my wildest dreams. Those words did the impossible for me. They gave me back my hope.
"How?" My voice was barely audible.
"You always did like playing dress up."
wwwwwwwwwwww
I don't ever believe I was ever so nervous in my life. Mina and I had switched clothes and our resemblance would allow me to escape the palace without anyone becoming suspicious. It was indeed an excellent plan, it gave me a chance to escape while not placing Mina in any real danger. Any attempt to harm Mina after our ploy was discovered would result in war with the planet of Venus. The Queen was reckless, but she was not stupid.
Even now after years of studying military history and technique I don't believe I could have come up with such an excellent plan.
I embraced her for long moments, refusing to let her go.
"Take care of Damien and the girls for me. Perhaps one day we will meet again."
"I am sure we shall meet again. Take care Serenity." I nodded and then slowly left. I walked through the dungeons and rushed to the stables.
The experience was one of incredible fear, but with that interestingly enough came intoxicating exuberance.
I rode on a black stallion into the deep forests of the moon.
My life had now begun.
wwwwwwwwwwww
The forests of the moon are immersed in superstition and mystery. As a child I had constantly heard stories of monsters and dangerous shadows that lurked in the forest. However my stubborn nature never allowed me to believe these stories.
That was not what concerned me.
In the previous months I had heard countless stories of men riding into the forest during the night. All of them had died in the same way.
Drowning.
They had all been found face down floating on a lake the next day.
I had no doubt of the truth of these stories. I remember very clearly the families of these men and their pleading with my father to send a search party for the murderer.
These deaths had with good reason sparked a number of rumours.
The most prominent one being that the men were seduced by a siren like creature that led them to their deaths on moonlight nights.
The mistress of moonlight they called her.
I don't know why I remembered this particular rumour. Or why I believed it for that matter.
At this point of the story it is irrelevant.
However I am sure you can understand why I was slowly being overcome with fear as darkness approached.
I had no shelter, no food.
Nothing.
"Nothing will come of nothing." No words ever resounded more truth in me than in those moments.
The hunter and the hunted.
For the first time in my life I wanted to grip the sand of time in my hands and prevent them from going any further. I wanted to prevent the future and to be trapped in the eternal present.
Life is scarcely that fair.
This was no exception to that rule.
My horse had grown tired due to the hours of the continuous riding.
The night had caused an incredible shift in the atmosphere of the forest. What was in the daylight pleasant, an essence of colour and uncountable shades of green was transformed to a mass of menacing shadows. Under the cover of the night harmless tree branches morphed into dangerous claws each with their own sinister purpose.
I felt like a thousand eyes were staring into the depths of my soul.
I found shelter under the canopy of a large willow tree. I rested against my horse. We drew from each other the warmth we could.
Yet sleep provided me with no comfort.
wwwwwwwwwwww
Emptiness.
Utter nothingness.
My cage no longer contained bars but it was a mass of never ending black.
Cold.
Out of nowhere a table appeared. A single glass of red wine placed on a white silk table cloth.
As I reached out to it, the glass shattered.
Red wine on white silk.
White silk resembling the Queen's dress.
I screamed.
Then my salvation appeared.
A faint outline of a man.
My father.
No words could describe the happiness I felt at that moment.
That is until he turned around.
Ice.
"Soon." A voice like wine.
wwwwwwwwwwww
Suddenly I was very awake. The dream had shaken me up significantly.
My body was layered with cold sweat. I was trembling. After a few long minutes I was able to regain my composure, only then did I notice that the sun had risen. With the realisation the ice biting cold and hunger also made themselves re-known to my senses.
A tree branch snapped.
Within an instant I was on my feet, sword drawn ready to attack.
"Show yourself." I was surprised by the demanding nature of my tone. It had no resemblance to my true feelings of fear and anxiety.
To my surprise an old woman stepped out from behind the trees. She was dressed in worn clothes of various shades of grey. Her hair was dark and in a tight bun, while her eyes were a brilliant silver framed with long lashes. The deep wrinkles embedded within her skin were the only sign of her age.
"Who are you?" The lady curtsied deeply, I in response raised a brow in surprise. How was it that a peasant knew the traditions of court?
I would be pondering this question for years.
"They call me Luna. I am the village healer an old women who means no harm to anyone." She pointedly looked at my still drawn sword. I examined her carefully to make sure she was unarmed, and when satisfied I put my sword away. Seeing this she continued, "I came to gather herbs." She brought up her basket to emphasise her point. I nodded at the women acknowledging her explanation then I started to gather my things.
"It was a pleasure making your acquaintance Luna." I replied with an indifferent tone then slowly turned to walk away.
"You realise Serenity that I could offer you a place for the night, modest as it may be compared to the palace beds."
I froze.
I had never told this woman my name nor my position. I turned around slowly; I knew my eyes were ablaze with fear and anger.
"What are you?" I sneered at her. She straightened her posture to fit that of a regal queen.
"As I told you, I am the village healer. Many of the villagers call me a witch for my strange...shall we say powers? However they require me to heal the ill when the apothecary cannot."
I did not trust the woman.
I'm sure she knew it too.
I'm also sure she knew that I had little choice but to accept her offer.
And accept I did.
"Why is it that you want to help me?"
"Because I know that if a young women just appears in the village people will talk. And the gossip would reach the palace. I do not approve of the execution of an innocent."
I did not know then that she was lying. That her reasons for helping me were actually far more complex and personal. At that time I was far too distracted by the fact that she believed I was innocent.
The woman led the way to a small cottage. It was quite charming really, made out of stone surrounded by the forest trees and wild flowers and accompanied by a tranquil lake. A picturesque house all in all. As we entered her house she offered me a seat and made me a warm cup of hot chocolate. After a few moments she sat down beside me. Her ebony hair now loose and falling around her shoulders. As I examined her I realised that she was amazingly beautiful for a woman of her age. While the wrinkles of her face conveyed the passage of many long years her eyes held the mirth of one very young.
A young soul captured in an old body.
This caused me to be intrigued by the woman, to know her past, to be able to understand her.
"Have you given any thought to what you shall do now that you have left the palace?" Her voice cut through my thoughts. The question had caught me quite off guard. I had not given any thought to the subject. I had not had that luxury.
"No, I may be forced to impose on your hospitality for a few days." I despised the fact that I had to accept help from a stranger. That I was now utterly dependant on her. Yet I had no other choice. With a wave of her hand she dismissed my statement.
"I believe that Artemis is in search of the Galaxy Knight." I raised an eyebrow, not certain of what she was talking.
"I'm afraid that I do not understand."
"Are you acquainted with the legend of the Promised Knights?"
"I heard the tale as a young child, but I do not remember it now."
"Within every generation there are six chosen ones, chosen ones that possess a power that is beyond our comprehension. These men are called the Promised Knights, trained to serve justice and obliged to help all those who are in need. The leader of these nights is called the Galaxy Knight, as his powers extend to all corners of the galaxy. The prophecy states that a promised knight shall rise unlike any of those before. The death of that knight would bring peace to the land. The last Galaxy Knight would be a being whose power has never been rivalled in history and never shall. The single most powerful being ever to breathe."
"That is quite a tale. What of the other five knights?"
"The Galaxy Fighter is the next in command, followed by the Warrior, Defender, Protector and finally the Healer. Their names suggest their area of expertise."
"I do not understand. This story is like many others I have heard as a child; it holds no originality. What makes anyone believe that such people actually exist?"
Her lips curved into a flirtatious smile.
"Perhaps they do exist and maybe they do not. The main issue here is that Artemis believes they exist, and he is offering many men training as knights in order to find the legendary warriors."
Suddenly her implications were all too clear. It was not something that I would have personally thought of, but the idea provoked an unknown emotion in me. Something between curiosity and ambition. She was able to read me well. I knew not why, and that made me very uneasy.
"You would have to pretend to be a male. If you get caught it would mean certain death."
"Then I won't get caught." The answer was simple, no question about it.
"I have one condition." I raised an eyebrow and narrowed my eyes. I did not trust this women, I admired her yes and I was grateful. But trust?
Never.
"You must return here at every opportunity. I want to train you as my heir."
I accepted her as I still felt that I owed her for the kindness she had bestowed on me.
I would have never have accepted if I had known the truth.
The hunter and the hunted.
I was certain that she was a huntress.
Was I her prey?
Undoubtedly.
Lucky for me she only killed to eat.
"Would you care for some wine?"
Then again maybe I was wrong.