Chapter 9
Secret Burdens
The illusory sense of peace and contentment, which had settled over the Silver Palace since Hotaru's arrival, was fading. Serenity knew it the moment she awoke the morning after her daughter's disappearing act. All was silent within her lifelong home, but worry hung in the air like smoke. All who dwelled there breathed it in, and it slowly ate away at the blissful ignorance within them.
It did its worst with Serenity herself-perhaps because she had the most to worry about. Of course, she suspected that the princess had not been telling her the whole truth about her little outing. That in itself was reason enough to be worried, as she had never known her daughter to be the type to hide things from her-and she was certainly not a liar. Whatever she had been doing, it seemed to be of a rather illicit nature, or else she certainly would have told her mother. But even as she thought it, the Queen felt herself plagued with doubt. It just did not seem within Princess Serenity's nature to do anything she knew was forbidden. Serenity simply could not bring herself to believe that the princess what doing something that she felt she could not tell her mother. Logically, she knew she ought to at least question the girl, just to put her mind at ease, but something held her back. What it was, she could not say, but whatever it was, it trapped her tongue and held it fast whenever Princess Serenity was near, and the Queen could not ask her what she had truly been doing that night. She tried to reassure herself, saying that her daughter seemed to have the situation under control, but she knew only too well that circumstances could change in the blink of an eye. Yet, always, something prevented her from simply asking the princess for the truth. And so Serenity remained silent, and worried over her child.
Besides the princess, Serenity also had her secret daughter to worry about, the one who lived hidden away within the Crystal Tower, behind Selene's most sacred shrine. Fear gripped the Queen every time she looked into Hotaru's young face. It lanced through her heart every time the girl spoke. She spoke so eloquently, her words laced with wisdom far beyond her years. It seemed to Serenity that Hotaru's mind had aged even more rapidly than her body, and that worried her even more. Physically, Hotaru was approximately five years of age. Mentally...well, the Queen could hardly think to place an age upon her wisdom. It seemed to her that Hotaru's mind was akin to that of a Mercurial philosopher and scholar, with perhaps a touch of the Martian priestess in it. Truly, though, Hotaru of Saturn was not even a year of age yet.
Obviously, there was something unnatural surrounding the girl's mysterious transformation. What it was, though, Serenity could not say. She had suspicions, certainly, the foremost of which was that Hotaru's dark planetary magic was beginning to awaken, in spite of her efforts to contain it. But then, that was impossible. The nature of planetary magic prevented it from being awakened unless its bearer consciously began calling for it. And even then, it required control over the power of the bearer's aura-as well as knowledge of the element that ruled the spirit of their guardian star. In light of those facts, Serenity saw two possibilities for Hotaru's developing power. One suggested that Hotaru had always been intelligent beyond her age, and over the past few months, she had somehow been teaching herself about the nature of her power, and how to use it. The other was that some outside force had visited the child, and helped her to develop her magic. Given that Hotaru had mentioned someone hurting her when Serenity found her the night of the princess' disappearance, the Queen believe the latter to be far more plausible. With a heavy heart, Serenity acknowledged that she finally understood, truly understood, why Chronos had advised her to leave the child to the gods. A part of her still insisted that she ought to make amends to her elders by offering Hotaru to them now, but she quickly squashed that thought. What in Urien's name kind of good would that do? She demanded of herself. Even if Hotaru dies, whoever it is seeking her may find an even greater weapon! If they are determined enough to kill my daughter or me, they will find such a weapon, I have no doubt. No, it would be far wiser of me to leave Hotaru alive, that I might learn the nature of my enemy. Besides…I cannot kill Hotaru. I have come to love her almost as if she was my own daughter, and I know that she looks upon me as her mother. I can see it in her eyes that she trusts me. How could I kill someone who trusts me so?
No, Serenity could not kill Hotaru. Nor could she question her daughter. She could only worry, and she was far too weary to go on acting as if she had nothing to hide. The High Queen wore her unrest like a dark violet mourning cloak, which all who laid eyes upon her noticed. Mealtimes were quieter than ever. The gathered kept their eyes upon their meals for the most part, but every so often, the silence was accented by an exchange of glances. The princess would steal a look at Rei of Mars, who would answer with a vicious scowl. That would prompt Princess Serenity to gaze pleadingly at her guardian, who would only glare until Minako of Venus caught her eye, sternly warning her without words to leave the princess alone. The Queen knew that none of them spoke in words, for within her mind there was not even the most vague flicker to indicate that her daughter or the Guardians were communicating mentally. No one felt much like speaking. And before long, even glances became rare.
The Queen, princess, and Sailor Guardians withdrew from the rest of the world. Each locked herself within her own little prison, wherein she worried herself sick over the others. Everyone who dwelled in the Silver Palace knew that something was terribly wrong. No one was spared that knowledge, but no one acted upon it, either. The Silver Palace bathed in unrest and troubled silence.
Within the Crystal Tower, Queen Serenity's secret child struggled with worries of her own. There was no doubt in her mind that there was something strange about her, something that made her different from all the other children of the universe. She had never laid eyes upon another child in all her days, but somehow she knew that she was different from all of them. She was not what she believed herself to be. She was not just a pathetic child with a mother whose beauty and kindness almost seemed inordinate when they graced a little girl as indigent as Hotaru. No, she was something more than that, something much bigger-and perhaps much worse.
***
"Hotaru! Hotaru!" The familiar voice gently drew the girl from a deep, blissful slumber. A smile touched her lips as she became aware of the tender hand upon her shoulder. Grinning widely, she opened one eye to gaze upon the face above her.
"Hello, Mother," she whispered sleepily. The silver-haired woman shook her head slightly.
"I am not your mother, Hotaru," she said. A frown creased the child's forehead as she blinked several times.
"But you must be! You look..." Hotaru trailed off suddenly. No, this woman was not her mother. In spite of the fact that this woman was as beautiful as her mother, wore the same silvery dumpling tails as her mother, and possessed the same air of ethereal wisdom and gentle strength as her mother, Hotaru knew that this woman could not be her mother. For whereas her mother's eyes were like a twilight sky, a beautiful blend of blue and purple, this woman's eyes were the same pure silver color as her hair. Hotaru frowned at the woman, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You look just like Mother," she said flatly. "Why do you look like her?"
"Because," the woman answered, "I am her mother. I am her mother's mother. I am her grandmother's mother. I am the mother a great bloodline, which has flourished for many generations. I am the mother of this very moon upon which you live. I am the Queen of the Gods. My name is Selene."
************************************************************************
Short, I know. But the next chap will be longer, I promise.
Secret Burdens
The illusory sense of peace and contentment, which had settled over the Silver Palace since Hotaru's arrival, was fading. Serenity knew it the moment she awoke the morning after her daughter's disappearing act. All was silent within her lifelong home, but worry hung in the air like smoke. All who dwelled there breathed it in, and it slowly ate away at the blissful ignorance within them.
It did its worst with Serenity herself-perhaps because she had the most to worry about. Of course, she suspected that the princess had not been telling her the whole truth about her little outing. That in itself was reason enough to be worried, as she had never known her daughter to be the type to hide things from her-and she was certainly not a liar. Whatever she had been doing, it seemed to be of a rather illicit nature, or else she certainly would have told her mother. But even as she thought it, the Queen felt herself plagued with doubt. It just did not seem within Princess Serenity's nature to do anything she knew was forbidden. Serenity simply could not bring herself to believe that the princess what doing something that she felt she could not tell her mother. Logically, she knew she ought to at least question the girl, just to put her mind at ease, but something held her back. What it was, she could not say, but whatever it was, it trapped her tongue and held it fast whenever Princess Serenity was near, and the Queen could not ask her what she had truly been doing that night. She tried to reassure herself, saying that her daughter seemed to have the situation under control, but she knew only too well that circumstances could change in the blink of an eye. Yet, always, something prevented her from simply asking the princess for the truth. And so Serenity remained silent, and worried over her child.
Besides the princess, Serenity also had her secret daughter to worry about, the one who lived hidden away within the Crystal Tower, behind Selene's most sacred shrine. Fear gripped the Queen every time she looked into Hotaru's young face. It lanced through her heart every time the girl spoke. She spoke so eloquently, her words laced with wisdom far beyond her years. It seemed to Serenity that Hotaru's mind had aged even more rapidly than her body, and that worried her even more. Physically, Hotaru was approximately five years of age. Mentally...well, the Queen could hardly think to place an age upon her wisdom. It seemed to her that Hotaru's mind was akin to that of a Mercurial philosopher and scholar, with perhaps a touch of the Martian priestess in it. Truly, though, Hotaru of Saturn was not even a year of age yet.
Obviously, there was something unnatural surrounding the girl's mysterious transformation. What it was, though, Serenity could not say. She had suspicions, certainly, the foremost of which was that Hotaru's dark planetary magic was beginning to awaken, in spite of her efforts to contain it. But then, that was impossible. The nature of planetary magic prevented it from being awakened unless its bearer consciously began calling for it. And even then, it required control over the power of the bearer's aura-as well as knowledge of the element that ruled the spirit of their guardian star. In light of those facts, Serenity saw two possibilities for Hotaru's developing power. One suggested that Hotaru had always been intelligent beyond her age, and over the past few months, she had somehow been teaching herself about the nature of her power, and how to use it. The other was that some outside force had visited the child, and helped her to develop her magic. Given that Hotaru had mentioned someone hurting her when Serenity found her the night of the princess' disappearance, the Queen believe the latter to be far more plausible. With a heavy heart, Serenity acknowledged that she finally understood, truly understood, why Chronos had advised her to leave the child to the gods. A part of her still insisted that she ought to make amends to her elders by offering Hotaru to them now, but she quickly squashed that thought. What in Urien's name kind of good would that do? She demanded of herself. Even if Hotaru dies, whoever it is seeking her may find an even greater weapon! If they are determined enough to kill my daughter or me, they will find such a weapon, I have no doubt. No, it would be far wiser of me to leave Hotaru alive, that I might learn the nature of my enemy. Besides…I cannot kill Hotaru. I have come to love her almost as if she was my own daughter, and I know that she looks upon me as her mother. I can see it in her eyes that she trusts me. How could I kill someone who trusts me so?
No, Serenity could not kill Hotaru. Nor could she question her daughter. She could only worry, and she was far too weary to go on acting as if she had nothing to hide. The High Queen wore her unrest like a dark violet mourning cloak, which all who laid eyes upon her noticed. Mealtimes were quieter than ever. The gathered kept their eyes upon their meals for the most part, but every so often, the silence was accented by an exchange of glances. The princess would steal a look at Rei of Mars, who would answer with a vicious scowl. That would prompt Princess Serenity to gaze pleadingly at her guardian, who would only glare until Minako of Venus caught her eye, sternly warning her without words to leave the princess alone. The Queen knew that none of them spoke in words, for within her mind there was not even the most vague flicker to indicate that her daughter or the Guardians were communicating mentally. No one felt much like speaking. And before long, even glances became rare.
The Queen, princess, and Sailor Guardians withdrew from the rest of the world. Each locked herself within her own little prison, wherein she worried herself sick over the others. Everyone who dwelled in the Silver Palace knew that something was terribly wrong. No one was spared that knowledge, but no one acted upon it, either. The Silver Palace bathed in unrest and troubled silence.
Within the Crystal Tower, Queen Serenity's secret child struggled with worries of her own. There was no doubt in her mind that there was something strange about her, something that made her different from all the other children of the universe. She had never laid eyes upon another child in all her days, but somehow she knew that she was different from all of them. She was not what she believed herself to be. She was not just a pathetic child with a mother whose beauty and kindness almost seemed inordinate when they graced a little girl as indigent as Hotaru. No, she was something more than that, something much bigger-and perhaps much worse.
***
"Hotaru! Hotaru!" The familiar voice gently drew the girl from a deep, blissful slumber. A smile touched her lips as she became aware of the tender hand upon her shoulder. Grinning widely, she opened one eye to gaze upon the face above her.
"Hello, Mother," she whispered sleepily. The silver-haired woman shook her head slightly.
"I am not your mother, Hotaru," she said. A frown creased the child's forehead as she blinked several times.
"But you must be! You look..." Hotaru trailed off suddenly. No, this woman was not her mother. In spite of the fact that this woman was as beautiful as her mother, wore the same silvery dumpling tails as her mother, and possessed the same air of ethereal wisdom and gentle strength as her mother, Hotaru knew that this woman could not be her mother. For whereas her mother's eyes were like a twilight sky, a beautiful blend of blue and purple, this woman's eyes were the same pure silver color as her hair. Hotaru frowned at the woman, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You look just like Mother," she said flatly. "Why do you look like her?"
"Because," the woman answered, "I am her mother. I am her mother's mother. I am her grandmother's mother. I am the mother a great bloodline, which has flourished for many generations. I am the mother of this very moon upon which you live. I am the Queen of the Gods. My name is Selene."
************************************************************************
Short, I know. But the next chap will be longer, I promise.