A week later, Rini was skipping down
the street when she ran into a short, young woman with black hair and
midnight blue eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry ma'am," she said
sweetly before looking straight in the woman's face.
"Why,
that's alright," the lady replied with a smile. Reaching into her
bag, she pulled out a yellow rose. "This is for you. Have a nice
day." She stood up and ran off quickly.
Rini looked down at the perfect, single yellow rose in her hand. "Wait a minute…"
**********************
Kisha stopped pulling and sat down with a hand to her brow. "This is hard work, I hate weeding."
Michelle smiled as she took her gloves off. "Yes, but the flowers appreciate it."
"How are you ladies doing out there?" Amara called from inside. "Do you want another hand?"
"We're almost done," Kisha and Michelle said at once.
With a laugh, Michelle set her glass of lemonade down and took a seat on the ground. "Don't you just love the flowers at the gardens?"
"I've never been, what's it like?"
"I just saw you there yesterday. You were looking at the yellow roses," Michelle said with a laugh.
Kisha looked at her and frowned. "No, I promise you that I've never been."
"Oh, well the girl I saw looked just like you. That's weird."
"Yes, but I guess it could happen to anyone," Kisha replied with a shrug and bent to pull on another weed.
*****************
"Kisha?! Kisha!!" Serena called and ran up to the lady walking ahead of her. Pulling on her arm, she went to apologize and stopped when the lady turned around. "You aren't Kisha…"
"Who is Kisha?" the lady asked with a gentle smile.
"One of my friends that I need to talk to," Serena replied. "Sorry to bother you."
"Oh, it's not a problem. I've been stopped by three other girls today with the same name on their lips. My name is Lauren, and you are?"
"Serena. It's nice to meet you, Lauren. You know, the only difference between you and Kisha is your eyes. Hers are green and yours are a lovely shade of blue, just like my Darien's," Serena babbled with a smile.
"Oh? Maybe I'll meet her sometime. My mother always told me that I had a twin out there," Lauren responded with a shake of her head.
"I'm sorry that we've all been bothering you. Would you like to join us for a soda?"
"That would be nice," Lauren answered.
Serena hooked her arm through Lauren's and started walking with her towards the arcade. "So tell me, where are you from?"
"Here, in Tokyo. I'm specializing in botany at the gardens. I just love flowers."
"Really? What's your favorite flower?"
"The yellow rose, of course." Lauren stated.
Something about the way that Lauren had spoken of her favorite flower put off a warning in the back of Serena's mind. Choosing to ignore it for the moment, she opened the door and they stepped in to the arcade.
***************
"I will find out who she is," the sorceress said to her flames with a smile. "If not in this way, then there will be another."
**************
(Flash Back)
^^Moon Kingdom.. many years ago^^
A very young servant lay in agony. She was hurt, but strong and determined. Her queen was in labor and so was she.
With her long black hair spread out and tangled around her, the girl bore down again and heard a healthy cry. A woman came into the room and the next thing the servant knew was complete and total darkness. She had been knocked out.
The next morning, the servant awoke with her babe at her breast. First thing, she pulled aside the blanket and looked the babe over for imperfections. When she found none, she sighed with a smile. Her green eyes looked into the blue eyes of her little girl and she frowned. It was hard to know what the child could look like, since she had not seen the face of her attacker. "At least you are not ugly," she whispered with a smile before laying back and continuing to rest.
*************
