Chapter One
"Serena! Open UP!" Amy screamed for her best friend. She had been knocking on Serena's bedroom for the past ten minutes, but Serena refused to open the door.
"Don't make me break the door down!"
"Amy, please, leave me alone," a sobbing voice called out from inside.
"Serena, OPEN UP!!!" with that, Amy kicked the door, and it split neatly in half. Serena was lying on her bed, her silvery golden hair spread around her head, curled up into the fetal position, and sobbing her heart out. The pudgy thirteen-year-old lifted her head at the noise, and then returned to her original position.
"Oh, Serena, don't do this to yourself. I told you, he's not worth it."
"I'm sorry... I just thought he'd be nicer than all the others.... He seemed that way..." "Ssshhhhhh... don't cry. I'll help you. Don't worry."
"Oh, Amy, what would I do without you? You're always there for me."
"What are best friends for?" The Princess of Mercury sat down next to the Moon Princess, and smiled sadly. She was so wonderful. But no one went past her chubby features and thick glasses to take a look at the real girl inside her.
Two hours before...
"Amy, who's that hunk?" Serena whispered as a boy with jet-black hair and ocean blue eyes walked past. She was at the annual Solar Ball, in which representatives from every planet came to the Moon to enjoy a night of festivities.
"Who, him? That's the Earth Prince. Don't get your hopes up for him, though. He's as cold as ice."
"But he's so hot!"
"Serena..." Amy had a warning look in her eyes. The Lunar princess wasn't exactly beautiful. Her crystal eyes and pale hair were breathtaking, but her fat features and thick glasses pulled attention to her flaws.
"I'm warning you. Don't get near him. I don't want you to cry like the hundreds of other times boys rejected you. "
"Don't worry, I won't. But I can't help but like him... you know I always have an eye out for hot guys!"
"Hah, Serena, you're funny! But I'm serious. Stay away."
Serena pouted, but stayed her ground. She pulled Amy to the food table, poured a glass of punch for herself and Amy, and took a seat at a table. Soon, music played softly, and couples spun around the dance floor. Serena stared admiringly at her mother, whose slender figure and long hair radiated beauty. Queen Serenity flew around the dance floor with kings from other countries, talking about treaties and such. Serena sighed at her mom. She didn't know how her mom could be so beautiful and how she could be so ugly. She suddenly spotted the prince from Earth. Seeing that Amy's attention was elsewhere, she shyly walked up to the prince.
"Hi," she said nervously. "I'm Serenity, but you can call me Serena. Would you care for a dance?"
The prince looked her up and down.
"I'm sorry," the prince said coldly. "I don't go out with maids."
"But... I-I'm not a maid. I'm a princess."
"Well, a princess doesn't look that ugly. Only a maid would do so."
"B-b-but I'm a princess. I'm not ugly."
"Listen, Serena, get it past your thick head. I. Don't. Like. Ugly. People."
"B-b-but..."
"Go away, already!"
Serena ran crying into her room. She slammed the door shut, and threw herself onto her bed. Amy saw the entire episode and ran after her friend, her shoulder-length blue hair flying out behind her. One of the prince's friends looked after the Lunar princess.
"Endymion. That was a bad thing to do," the boy said.
"Why?" Endymion, also known as Darien, asked.
"She was the princess. The next ruler of our solar system." "
Damn it! Me and my loud mouth!"
Amy consoled Serena. She was worried about the princess, not because this was her first time being rejected, but because it was her twelfth. Serena did not take rejection well.
"Sere, come on. Cheer up," the Mercurian pleaded. She ran her hand through Serena's hair, whose head was in her lap.
"No," came the muffled reply.
"Sere, I have an idea. But you have to promise to put your entire soul into it."
"What kind of idea?"
"Why don't we give your cousin Mina a visit? After all, she is a beauty queen, and would be willing to help her favorite cousin! But, in order to change yourself, you have to do a lot."
"I'm willing to do so."
"Good. Now, I'm gonna go give Mina call. We have a vacation to plan."
"But tomorrow's my fourteenth birthday!"
"As I said, you have to do a lot."
"Fine."
"And anyways, we're not leaving tomorrow. We need an entire week to get prepared. So don't worry."
"Yay!"
Amy smiled at her friend. She was so easy to please! It didn't take much at all to make her happy. She was kind and generous. Amy wondered why everyone hated her without even getting to know her.
Serena woke up the next day with a big yawn. She looked up at her crystal calendar, and screamed. It was her birthday! She jumped out of bed, even though it was six in the morning, changed into a black and white striped gown, and ran out. She jumped into her large bathroom, carefully did her hair, deciding to leave it down from her normal buns, and skidded out. She rushed down the stairs, almost running into a few early maids and servants, who all smiled at the always cheerful, always kind princess, and wished her a happy birthday. Serena laughed, gave them hugs, and continued downstairs. Once she reached the kitchen, she screamed a "hi!' to the chef, who was up preparing breakfast. The chef smiled down at her favorite girl.
"Hi there Serena! Is there anything I can do for my favorite little girl?"
"I'm not little anymore!" Serena said happily. "I'm fourteen now!"
"My little girl is growing up, I see! Oh, and check out the refrigerator. I have a little surprise for you!"
"Really?"
"Yes, really!" The chef laughed, and went back to preparing breakfast. Serena opened the refrigerator, and found a small chocolate covered cake. It was in the shape of a heart, and was enough for two people. Serena screamed out in delight and ran up to the chef, giving her a huge bear hug.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you Mrs. Pot!"
"You're welcome! I know chocolate is your most favorite thing in the entire world, so I baked my special triple chocolate cake for you!"
"Oooohhh! My favorite!! Can I eat it now?"
"Go ahead! Enjoy!"
"Please join me! I don't want to eat alone!"
"I'm sorry, I can't. I have to finish breakfast here. And I have to make it extra special for the birthday-girl."
"I'll help you, but you have to join me."
"Fine, I will!"
The portly woman joined Serena for a little breakfast. Serena cut the cake in half, giving the bigger piece to Mrs. Pot, who refused and took the smaller piece. They spent around fifteen minutes eating, and then got up to finish making breakfast.
A half-an-hour later, Serena took a walk in the Moon Palace's extensive garden, filled with fragrant flowers of all kinds. She sighed happily. The day was going perfectly so far. She had Mrs. Pot's famous triple chocolate cake, had a fun morning helping Mrs. Pot, and was now on flower paradise, with the sun rising beautifully on the horizon. She was blissful. She took a seat on a bench, and watched the sunrise. A sudden voice made her jump.
"Hi!" It was the Earth Prince again. Serena sat up stiffly.
"Oh. Hi." she said coldly.
"Ummm... about the other night..."
"Listen, I don't want to hear your stupid excuses, ok? Just because I'm the Moon Princess does not mean you are forced to be my friend. Just shut up, and stop ruining my day. What are you doing here, anyways?"
"Oh. We had to stay overnight because of transportation complications."
"You mean there are more assholes?"
"You sure can cuss for a princess."
"And you sure are a complete idiot for a prince."
"Anyways, yes, there are more of us. Not that we're assholes or anything. This is Seiya, this is Yaten, this is Taiki, this is Zoisite, this is Kunzite, this is Jadeite, and this is Nephrite."
Serena refused to look at the prince's bodyguards, and walked away. She yelled over her shoulder. "You need an entire army to protect you? Ew! I don't have any bodyguards, only Amy and Rei. But Rei is gone on a vacation to Mars, so she's not here."
Darien just stared at the princess's retreating back. He didn't understand the fat girl. He didn't think he ever would.
Serena yawned as she got up. The last week had passed by quickly, and it was finally time to visit her older cousin, Mina. Mina was breath-takingly beautiful and only four years older than her. Already, she had won Miss Universe and various other pageants as well. Not only was she beautiful, she was extremely smart. Mina was perfect. Serena worshipped the Princess of Venus, who represented her planet's goddess well. Serena got up, walked to her gigantic bathroom, and took a quick shower, this time deciding to dress in a comfortable pair of baggy sweats, and a large sweatshirt on top. She hurriedly packed a few last items into her suitcase, and rushed downstairs. She speedily ate breakfast, ran upstairs to grab her suitcase, ran back down, and banged on Amy's door. She walked in and found Amy sleeping.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Serena screamed as she hit Amy with a pillow. "Guess what today is?"
Amy groaned and said, "Sleeping day?"
"No, stupid, we go see Mina today! Hurry up; we only have an hour left before we leave."
"Sere, lemme sleep! I'm tired."
"NO! GET UP!!!" Serena yelled at the top of her lungs, and pushed Amy out of her huge bed. Amy fell with a thump, and let out a sigh. She got up, gave Serena an evil glare, and ran to her bathroom. When she came out an hour later, she had taken a shower, changed, and brushed her hair. Serena sat patiently at Amy's bed, reading one of Amy's many interesting novels. Serena jumped up when she saw Amy, and pulled her downstairs. Amy ate breakfast hurriedly and grabbed her suitcase, waiting for Queen Serenity to appear to say her farewell to Serena. As soon as Queen Serenity appeared, Serena jumped on her, giving her a bear hug. She was teary-eyed.
"Oh, mommy, what if this doesn't work?" Serena said sadly. "What if I don't turn beautiful? What if I stay the same?"
"So many 'what ifs', my dear," Serenity replied. "Never lose confidence. I believe in you. You can change, but only if you put every ounce of your effort into it. Now, remember, you must return in two months. We have an important ball that you have to attend. Minako may come here with you. Her presence is always appreciated. Don't lose hope, my sweet, dear child. You can do it."
"Don't worry, mommy, I'll return in two months. Good-bye. I'll see you in two months."
"Bye, sweetheart. Have fun!" With that, Queen Serenity whipped out her Silver Millennium Crystal, said a few words, enveloping them in a silver light, and transported Serena, Amy, and a few bodyguards to Venus.
Serena fell with a thud as her butt landed on the steps of the Venarian palace. She groaned, her knee-length dress sliding up to her thighs. One of her bodyguards quickly pulled her up. Amy had landed perfectly on her feet, her hair and dress faultless. Her bodyguards had landed on their feet as well, hair and black suit perfectly in place. Serena turned red when she saw this.
"OW! Damn! I'm such a klutz!" she exclaimed. "How can you guys be so graceful?"
"Princess, knock on the door," one of her intimidating bodyguards said. "Fine, fine.
Amy, you knock."
Amy, sighing, went up to the humungous, golden double doors and knocked three times, using the gold knocker on the front door. It was carved into a beautiful, flowing statue of the goddess Aphrodite. Her hands were held above her in a stretch, holding an amber crystal in them. Her gown was revealing, but not by much. Serena gasped in amazement at the beauty of the palace. She hadn't come here in over six years, and its beauty came to her suddenly. The doors slowly opened as a butler, wearing gold (gold was the color of Venus; silver was the color of the Moon), approached them. Seeing Serena, he straightened up and led the Lunar princess inside.
"Hello, your highness, we've been expecting you," the butler said in his kind, deep voice. "I hope you will find your stay here, on our beautiful planet Venus, pleasurable. Remember, our home is your home!"
"Thank you," Serena said. "Umm... where should we set down our things?"
"Oh, give them to me. I'll see that it reaches your rooms."
"Thanks!"
Serena ran into the dining hall, where she knew her aunt would be waiting. Sure enough, Aphrodite, named after the goddess of love and beauty, was waiting there, a large bouquet of orange carnations, roses, and white baby's breath in her hands. Serena rushed to her aunt. "Aunt Aphrodite!" Serena screamed, hugging her favorite aunt dearly.
"Oh my god! It's you! I haven't seen you in forever!"
"Serena!" Aphrodite said. "Stop squeezing me! You're gonna choke me!"
"Sorry." Serena blushed.
"It's alright, sweetie. How are you? How's your mother?"
"Oh, we're all doing great. Where's Mina?"
"She's upstairs in her room."
"Ok. I'll go meet her, then. Amy, let's go!"
Amy followed a hyper Serena up a set of bronze stairs. Serena banged open an orange door that said "Mina's room" in white letters, and ran in. She jumped onto her cousin's bed, where her cousin was reading a magazine. Bubble gum lip-gloss frosted her full lips and light orange eyeshadow framed the blonde's blue eyes perfectly. Mina's hair was cut in a layered style, curls of hair falling into her face. She looked every bit like a beauty queen.
"Mina! HI!" Serena yelled.
"Hey! It's you, Serena!" Mina yelled back. "How's my fave cuz doin?!"
"Great! Well... not really..." Serena faltered.
"Oh. Well, what happened? Tell me EVERYTHING!"
"Well, there's this guy-"
"I KNEW it had to do with a BOY!! Who IS he?! Is he hot!?!"
"MINA! Let me FINISH!"
"Go on..."
"So, I was at the Solar Ball, and the prince from Earth was there. He's SO hot! He has icy blue eyes and midnight black hair. And, what happened was, I asked him for a dance, and he called me... he called me... F-F-FAT A-AND UGLY!!" with this, Serena began to sob. Her shoulders shook as deep, heaving sobs broke out from her fat body.
"Oh my GOD! Serena, why didn't you tell me before! I was gonna go to the Solar Ball, but I had a beauty pageant to go to! You should have called me! Oh, Serena, I told you to watch your weight! Why don't you listen? Aaawwww, come here." Mina gave a hug to Serena, who had calmed down by then. Amy gave Serena a hug as well, and Mina, Serena, and Amy just sat there for a few moments, thinking hard about what to do. "
Listen, Sere," Mina said gently. "You make who you are. And anyways, you are beautiful; you just have to know how to express it. First of all, lose the specs. I can get my eye doctor to prescribe you contacts. Second, lose some weight. Third, you need a new wardrobe. I know just the place to go!"
"Ok," Serena replied, still quivering slightly. "I-I'll do what it takes."
"Good. Now let's get started. First thing to do would be to cut your hair..." "M-my hair?" "Duh. You need a new do. I'm thinking something like a layered cut, down to your shoulders. Let's go to my hairdresser!"
Two hours later, Serena came out with layered hair up to her shoulders, died blonde, with light brown highlights. Her hair perfectly accented her crystal blue eyes and white skin. Serena's head felt a lot lighter, and she couldn't help swinging her silky, beautiful hair. Mina laughed at her antics. Amy just walked by Serena, shaking her head, but laughing.
"See, Sere, you already feel beautiful," Mina said. "And all we did was cut your hair. Your image says everything about you!"
"You know what Mina," Serena said happily. "I think you're right. I feel so much prettier! I think I'm up for this challenge."
"Mission Make Serena Beautiful."
"I like the sound of that. Now, what next?"
"Lose the glasses, get some contacts. I think we need to visit my eye doctor. Let's hurry!"
Serena, Amy, and Mina raced into the palace, rushing to the second floor, where all of Mina's doctors were located. As soon as they reached Mina's eye doctor, they fell into a heap, breathing heavily. As Serena walked out of the doctor's office, she felt weird. She had been wearing glasses for so long, she couldn't be without them. But now, her contacts irritated her eyes, and she didn't have glasses to hide behind. She had to admit, though, she looked stunning! All she needed was to lose some weight...
"Mina, I feel GORGEOUS!" Serena screamed out her last word. "See, a simple change of appearance can completely change your outlook on your life, and boost your self-confidence!" Mina said happily.
"Now, about my weight..."
"Well, I was thinking about that. You could get lypo, but the weight can come back any time. The healthiest way would be to diet and exercise. I can get someone to be your health instructor. This is your last step I changing yourself. The next step is to change your wardrobe..."
One month later...
Serena had been getting up at 5:30 everyday for the past 31 days. After getting up, she went running a mile, came home, ate a light breakfast, and then went to a gym to work out her muscles. She had been on a raw diet, with only 1,000 calories a day. Of course, not everything was raw. Pasta, rice, and other complex high-carb foods found their way into the diet, filling her otherwise plain green food with a touch of taste and high energy. After breakfast, she would do a little reading; spend some time with Amy, then take a one hour nap. After the nap, she would go running again, this time with Mina. Coming back, she would eat her lunch, take another quick nap, and then, at five, after dinner, it would be relaxing time! During her free time, Serena did what she enjoyed the most: playing video games, watching movies, giggling over the latest styles, and talking on the phone. At ten, she would go right to sleep. Her diet was very healthy, and she lost four to five pounds every week. By the end of the month, Serena was way thinner, even though she still had a healthy chubbiness. Serena woke this morning with a yawn. She jumped out of bed, changed into jogging shorts and a white tank top, grabbed a nectarine, and ran out, eating the nectarine on her run. When she came back, everything in the palace was dark. All the curtains were pulled, and the candles that lit the hallway were blown out. Serena cautiously walked in, breathing and sweating heavily from her long run. She lit the candles, using the Lunar powers she had been endowed with. (AN: DUH! She DOES have powers; even though I didn't reely explain it b-fore!) When she reached the end, she opened the doors that lead to the dining hall. When she walked in, she screamed loudly. The entire hall was lit as all of her close friends and family yelled,
"SURPRISE!!" On the dining table, a triple-tiered cake stood, elegant and charming. CONGRATS! was written all over it.
"Serena!" Mina screamed. "This is a party just for you and ALL of your hard efforts! I know the past month has been hard on you, but you did it! Look at you! You're beautiful!"
"My dear Serenity," Serena's mother held her arms open for the young princess. Serena ran into them, tears sparkling in her eyes. "You did it. I knew you could do it, only if you put all your heart into it. You look radiant, and even more, I can sense happiness in your heart that was absent before. You truly deserve this party. So, what are we waiting for?!? Let's get this party started!"
Everyone stared at the Queen. She was normally very authorized and elegant, and never had they seen her without acting like royalty. But Aphrodite, who had known her sister like the back of her hand, wasn't surprised. Serenity had been a party girl when she was young, and definitely knew how to get her freak on. Soon, the party had started, and lasted until the sun had fully set, and the moon showed it's fingertips of silver on the horizon. (AN: I KNOW!! I stole the entire 'fingertips of dawn' thingy from The Odyssey and made it my own. But what can I say? I have to read the stupid thing over the summer for a reading assignment. I can already tell my high- school life will be tough!). Serena, yawning, made it to her room and fell in a heap on her bed. She was ready to go home now.
I might not continue this fanfic, but i dunno. I haven't really been getting nice comments... Umm.. about my writing... I just turned 13, so it's not gonna be perfect... and whoever adriane is: you are a retarded ass, so shut the fuk up!
