P.S. The second chapter will take much longer to write because I've just
started High School and I'm literally drowning in homework ^_-
* * * * * * *
Dousing the Flames
* * * * * * *
The Darker Half of the Moon
Piles of rubble, great stone pillars crumbling to pieces, great archways
leading nowhere, a once-beautiful world, falling to bits where it had once stood
proudly. This is all that remains of the Silver Millenium Palace on the moon.
There is an eerie sort of silence, a quietness that makes one think of death.
But where there is death, there has to also be a kind of life. This is true
everywhere, including the moon...
******
A being moves silently through the shadows, her long cloak brushing softly
against her ankles. She is pale, a deathly shade of pale. A skin so white,
there is reason to believe it has never seen the light of the sun. Her long red
hair is pulled back into a braid. She lets a smile pass over her ruby-red lips
as she thinks about her revenge. "She will not escape, she will pay for what
she's done," the beautiful woman whispers, fingering a small knife in her hands.
She stops suddenly, there is another person behind her. Angrily, the woman
spins around to see who it is. But all she sees is inky-black darkness. "Who's
there?"
"Ruby, what are you doing out here so late at night? Shouldn't you be at home
asleep?" a voice asked. A figure seems to materialize before her.
Ruby laughs, recognizing the outline of the man. "Uncle Xavior, how did you
know I was out here? Besides, why do you call this night? You know as well as
I do that there is no difference between night and day."
Her innocent comment sends a chill up Xavior's spine. He thinks of the time
when there was day and night; sunlight, as well as darkness. He shivers again,
"I don't know how I knew you were out here, I just had a funny feeling while I
was sleeping. I'm not even sure why it bothers me so much, you're old enough to
do as you like now."
Ruby senses his saddness, even though she can't see his face, "What troubles
you Uncle? Did I say something to upset you?" She silently slips her knife
into her boot and places a gentle hand on Xavior's arm.
"You...never..." he replied humorously. They both laughed, remembering how
obnoxious she had been as a child. The smile leaves Xavior's lips as he
remembers other details from Ruby's childhood.
******
Rui'n sat up in bed. She fingered her large stomach, absently wondering
whether she would be having a boy or a girl. She had always wanted a little
girl to bring up, but she knew Xavior had always wanted to have a son to train
to become a man. She glanced toward the window to look outside but it is of no
use. It's no darker inside than it is outside. 'I wonder if I'll ever be able
to see as well as Ruby,' she thought sadly. 'I don't even know what our house
looks like, let alone the whole town.'
She felt a muffled kick from inside her lower belly and winced in pain. 'Well,
whether it's a boy or a girl, at least I know it's healthy. And who knows,
maybe my son or daughter will have better vision than I do. Anyway, if they
don't, their children certainly will to adapt to into their surroundings.'
She waved her pale hand around a candlestick sitting on the bedside table,
mumbling a strange chant under her breath, shutting her dark eyes in
concentration. All of a sudden there was a glimmer of a spark at the end of the
wick; then it was blazing high in a small flame. A bead of sweat trickled down
Rui'n's white face. She opened her eyes and brushed it away with a trembling
hand. This sort of magic always took a lot of her energy, but lately it had
gotten even more difficult. 'Probably because I'm pregnant,' she finally
concluded.
She swung her long graceful legs out from beneath the blankets and gently picked
up the candle. Standing up, she nearly fell forward thanks to the extra weight
on her front-side. Nonetheless, Rui'n carefully walked to her dresser. By the
candle's flickering light, she could see the large mirror hung on the wall.
'How silly it is to have a mirror when there's no light,' she thought with a
smile. 'Oh well, I may as well look my best for Xavior, even if he can't see
it.'
With this thought embedded in her mind, she picked a large brush up off the
dresser and moved to stand facing the mirror. She softly pushed the brush
through her tangled mane until it was once again a smooth shiny black one could
be proud of. She tilted her head to the side and admired the full effect of her
face. She liked what she saw staring back. Along with her long raven-black
hair, which shone in the flickering candlelight, she had lovely pale skin, a
perfect snowy white without a mark on it, and deep violet eyes, full of love and
warmth at all times. Rui'n also had a figure others would die for. She was a
medium height, leaning towards the tall side, with well defined legs and strong
arms. She was indeed, a beautiful sight to behold.
She vaguely wondered whether her child would look like herself or Xavior. She
decided it would probably be dark like herself. Xavior's pale blonde hair and
deep blue eyes would hardly have an effect on his offspring. Rui'n breathed a
sigh of relief at this thought. She had secretly hoped, while she thought
Xavior handsome enough, her son or daughter would receive her own dark looks.
She thought it would look better to have a dark child than a light one. But
anyway, that was her own secret opinion. She would never tell her dear Xavior
any of this. It would probably break his heart.
A wave of weariness came over her suddenly causing her knees to buckle. She
felt an urge to sleep and, yawning loudly, blew out the tiny flame before
climbing into bed and closing her eyes...
******
Neo-Queen Serenity walked calmly down the long hallway staring solemnly out an
even longer window running alongside. Her long white dress trailed gracefully
after her, dragging on the marble floor. There wasn't another soul in sight.
She breathed a sorrowful sigh of discontentment.
"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" a voice cut into the silence like a knife
through warm butter.
The lady in white twirled to face the intruder and smiled joyfully when she saw
who it was. "Rei-chan, what are you doing out so early? You should get your
sleep."
The girl smiled at the Queen, her long black hair glistening in the early
morning sunlight. She was wearing a long velvet dress in a deep shade of
crimson. "I was having difficulty sleeping when I heard you leave. I don't
know why," she said, her beautiful face scrunched up in deep confusion, "But I
had a feeling you were in trouble. I decided to come to your aide as the
faithful servant I am." She bowed deeply as she said this, glancing up at the
Queen.
Neo-Queen Serenity's long blonde pigtails flew back as she rushed towards her
dear friend and servant, embracing her in a hug. "I'm glad you're here. I did
want to talk to someone, but I was secretly hoping it would be you. I know
you'll understand..."
The raven-haired young woman pried the young Queen from around her slender
waist and held her an arms length away, staring deeply into the blonde's blue
eyes. "What is it Highness, are you in some sort of danger? Tell me what has
to be done and I'll do it without a moment's hesitation."
The Queen felt herself weaken by her friend's violet-tinted eyes and turned her
head to the side. "I...I had a dream. No, it was worst than a dream, it was a
nightmare," she stammered, her voice shaking.
Rei looked confused, "A bad dream? Is that the problem? Oh, Serenity, you
know dreams aren't real. You probably ate too much last night."
Neo-Queen Serenity whirled on the black-haired girl, her eyes blazing. Rei
looked so astounded by her action, that she stood there, staring at the Queen,
her jaw slack. "It wasn't just a 'bad dream'" she snarled menacingly. "It was
like watching the world collapse, but not being able to do anything about it
because I'm DEAD!! I saw whole towns wasting away, the Outer Senshi, Sailor
Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus," her voice began to quiver and a tear
dropped from her light blue eye. "...you, my dear husband, and my sweet little
daughter. Everyone! Suffering like that when I no longer felt any pain. My
spirit soared around the world, watching children torn from parents. And worst
of all, I don't even know who was behind it all..."
Rei stared at the Queen, quietly musing over what she had just been told. When
she decided to speak, she chose her words carefully, not wanting to upset her
dear friend further. "I know your dream may have seemed real while it took
place, but I don't think you really have anything to worry about."
"But..."
"Please, dear Queen," Rei whispered while placing a delicate hand over
Serenity's mouth. The blond looked enraged by her words but didn't say
anything, choosing to see what her young guardian had to say first. "I too have
had disturbing dreams, but I feel yours mean nothing more than your
sub-conscience reminding you of your tremendous responsibility to the world.
That's a lot of pressure to have on one's shoulders."
Serenity thought long on the young woman's words. She glanced out the window,
a curious look in her eyes. "I understand what you're trying to tell me. I
appreciate your attempt at calming me," she stared into Rei's violet eyes, "But
I don't think that's what you really feel. You're hiding your real worries from
me. What do you think? Honestly."
Rei looked down at the floor, avoiding the Queen's steady gaze. "I have
forgotten how wise you are Queen. You are correct in your thinking. I too, am
worried by these visions, or dreams, as you call them. But I will ask the fire
what it means if you wish," she said, raising her head to gaze into two blue
eyes.
The Queen looked at the raven-haired girl, the edge of her lip twitching.
Suddenly she burst out laughing. The gay tinkling of her happy voice carried
down the long hallway, echoing on the far wall. "I find it so funny how you
speak to me. I almost wish you would call me odango-atama; for old times sake."
"Odango-atama?" Rei asked, obviously puzzled. "Odango...atama..." Her face
brightened as she remembered where that pet-name came from. "Of course! Why, I
haven't called you that in years! Mamoru started calling you that back in
Junior High, right?"
Serenity laughed again, her face turning red with joy. "Yes, it has been a
long time since then. He began calling me that before I knew anything of the
Silver Millenium and while I was still a klutzy, piggish crybaby."
Rei's eyes traveled up and down the young Queen, "And now look at you! You're
beautiful, graceful, and incredibly confident. You have a wonderful husband, an
intelligent teenage daughter, and are the 'Queen of the World.' You're
completely different!" this last sentence was said along with a loving gaze
shared between the two friends. She tenderly wrapped her arms around the blond
and squeezed her tightly.
"I knew you would be able to cheer me up," Serenity whispered, her head leaning
softly against her guardian's strong shoulder. "I always feel the safest when
I'm with you. Even more so than my dear Mamo-chan." She felt Rei stiffen as
she said this. "Rei-chan, what's wrong?"
The dark-haired girl pulled away sharply and looked the confused blond straight
in the eyes, "You know that shouldn't be. The King should be the greatest
support you have. I have my own life to live. I won't be able to be there at
every second." She saw the Queen's troubled face and added more gently, "I will
be there for you as much as I can but the King will always be there for you.
You must learn to make him your first source of comfort."
"But Rei-chan, you're my best friend. I will always think of you first."
Rei shook her head defiantly, "I am nothing more than a servant and a friend.
The King and Princess come before me. I know you know that. Please try to
understand dear Queen. I too, like to dwell in the past. It feels so
simple...but we must forget the past and look forward to the future."
With those words, Rei turned from the Queen and started down the hall towards
her bedroom in the palace. Serenity watched her go with a sinking heart. She
felt as though she would burst with all her curiosity. 'Whatever is the matter
with my dear friend,' she wondered. Fully forgetting who she was and her high
status as the Queen, she ran after the departing woman, "Rei-chan, wait up, tell
me what's wrong..." Her long skirts flying about her ankles in a furious
whirlwind, she raced after her friend, feeling like the young schoolgirl she
once was.
******
Xavior walked down the street toward his home, his mind filled with thoughts of
Ruby. 'What was she doing out at this time? Most are asleep by now. And an
even more pressing question: Why did she block her mind off to me? She has
never denied me the right to enter her thoughts. Why now? What is she hiding?'
So intent was he on these questions, that he didn't even realize where he was.
And even if he hadn't been so lost in thought he might have gotten lost anyway,
as there was total darkness. He didn't realize he had walked too far and
suddenly he found out in the hardest way. He ran into the wooden door of his
home.
"Ow!" he cried out as his head connected with the hard wood. He silently hoped
to himself that no one had seen his foolish stumble. He would never live it
down if someone did. Sighing deeply at his own blunder, he felt for the
doorknob, found it, and entered his home.
******
Rei stepped swiftly from the hallway, her eyes staring ahead, unwavering. She
heard the Queen calling for her to stop but paid no heed to the command. She
felt a tear forming on her cheek and brushed it away with a quick thrust of her
hand. The long, velvety dress she wore whipped at her ankles as she began to
run. She ran out of the hallway and out into another hallway, a smaller and
more narrow one, where her room was located.
At the end of the corridor stood the door to her room, standing next to the
Queen's quarters as Serenity had wished. She scrambled to the door and hastily
entered. Only when she had shut and locked the door, did her heart stop
pounding heavily. A moment later, she heard the sound of someone running in the
outside hall. The footsteps grew nearer and then there was a knock on the heavy
wooden door. Rei, still leaning against the wall beside the door, jumped away
at the sound and stood staring at the wood as though she could see through to
the person on the other side.
"Rei, are you alright?" came the concerned voice of her mistress. When she was
answered by silence, she tried again, "Rei, please open the door and let me in.
I want to help you. Tell me what's wrong."
Rei had to give a slight smile at this for how could she ever tell the Queen of
the deep love she had for a certain man. There would be no way to ever tell her
beloved mistress how she truly felt inside. "I'm alright my Queen, I have just
gotten a splitting headache, that is all. I would appreciate some time alone if
that's okay."
The Queen was quiet for a moment, "Well, if you're sure that's all it is. I
could have sworn...oh never mind. I'll leave you for now but I promise to
return later. Goodbye."
"I'm sure that is all Queen, goodbye." Rei heard the slow footsteps of the
retreating blond, her heart full of pity. 'I wish I could tell her, I really
do. But that's out of the question. It would hurt her too much.' Rei told
herself this over and over until her feeling of pity passed.
The dark-haired beauty moved silently across the room, settling herself upon her
large bed. She leaned back on the soft mattress and stared up at the perfectly
white ceiling. Her violet eyes were full of the pain she felt. The pain that
would never leave her, haunt her to the end of her life. And there was no way
to stop herself from it. She shut her eyelids quickly to stop the tears from
coming. In the dark depths of her love-stricken mind she saw the object of her
affection, King Endymion. This image fresh in her memory, she fell into a deep,
restless sleep.
******
The little girl sat quietly by the window, her long black hair glistening down
her back, contrasting perfectly with her pale skin and red dress. She was
looking into the sky when she saw their arrival. The King and Queen from Earth
and their son, Prince Endymion. Leaping up from where she sat, she raced off to
tell her own parents of their guest's appearance.
Her parents, though glad to be meeting with their friends from Earth, walked out
slowly to greet them. Their daughter, however, pushed past them in her
eagerness to see these new people. Her blood-red dress blew behind her as she
grew closer to the small ship. She could see a man and a woman step out,
dressed in rich clothing, smiles plastered across their faces. 'The King and
Queen,' she thought looking at them. But her attention was soon taken from them
when she beheld their only son step out.
The little princess felt strange all of a sudden, just by looking at the young
prince. She felt her heart flutter and beat faster though she didn't know why.
The Prince stepped down the small ramp slowly, taking in as much around him as
possible. His dark hair fell down over his forehead, covering one of his deep
blue eyes. He pushed it back and continued staring. Suddenly, he saw a girl,
standing a few yards away. He felt himself unable to remove his eyes from her.
She too was staring at him. Endymion felt his face growing red and looked away.
Princess Rei watched the Prince stare at her. She felt herself unable to take
her eyes off him. There was something special about him, she could feel it. In
fact, she felt a lot about him. 'What's wrong with me?' she wondered,
perplexed. 'Why do I feel so strongly for this Prince. Surely he is just like
any other boy.' Even as she told herself this stubbornly, Rei still felt she
couldn't stop looking at the boy.
******
"Who is this?" Rei asked, staring at the picture of a girl approximately her own
age. She was sitting with Prince Endymion by the side of a river. She had just
finished taking him around town and they were both relaxing. The picture she
was referring to, was a small photo of a blond girl, her hair done up in an
unusual way. It was in a small gold locket hanging from the Prince's neck.
The Prince gently took the locket from Rei's hand. He looked at it a moment and
a flash of grief passed over his face. He looked, for just a moment, like he
was angry at something. "That's the Princess of the Moon, Princess Serenity. I
was visiting her last month and this picture was taken."
"The Princess of the Moon?" Rei asked, her voice filled with awe. "What's she
like?" She glanced again at the picture in the Prince's hand. The blond girl
was smiling, her bright blue eyes sparkling with joy.
"I didn't like her," the Prince exclaimed suddenly, standing up. He closed his
fist around the small locket, anger tearing over his face. "I didn't like her
and I never will. She's a crybaby and she stuck up and she's...she's...well
she's something horrible, I can promise you that!"
"If you hated her so much, why do you wear her picture around your neck?"
The Prince stiffened. He turned to look at the dark-haired girl and smiled
wickedly. "You're right. Why do I have this? I don't care what my father
says, I won't wear it anymore!" With these strong words of furious passion, he
clutched the locket tight in his fist and flung it into the river. It landed
with a small splash in the middle of the running water and was quickly swept
down by the strong current. Princess Rei watched him do this, unable to move or
say anything. The Prince turned back to her and, grabbing her wrist gently, he
cried out happily, "Come on Princess, show me the rest of Mars!"
Rei obediently followed him, but she glanced back at the river, her mind filled
with curiosity.
******
Princess Rei walked down the hall of her castle. She was lost in thought about
the Prince. She had spent the entire afternoon with him, showing him around
town, telling him about herself, listening to him tell about himself. She had
never been so interested in a boy before. The fact that she may love this one,
whom she had met only hours earlier, frightened her to no end.
She paused in her thoughts when she heard the sound of voices coming from the
living room. Curious, she quietly made her way to the door and stood, just out
of sight of the room's occupants' sight.
"Yes, out Rei is a well-behaved girl," her father was saying proudly. "I have
no doubt in my mind that she will develop into a wonderful young lady."
She heard the King and Queen of Earth agree with her father and felt proud that
she had made a good impression on their guests. She listened carefully, hoping
for more compliments.
She heard the King say, "Yes, and how about our little son. He is growing up
into a fine young man. I only wish he wouldn't be so stubborn. But I suppose
it comes with the age."
"Stubborn in what way?" her mother asked.
"He refuses to get along better with the Princess of the Moon. I don't think he
realizes he has no choice."
"No choice? What do you mean by that?" her father asked in confusion.
"Oh, I thought you had heard. I guess the news didn't travel as far as Mars
yet. Our little Endymion is betrothed to the little Princess Serenity. It was
actually confirmed at the Princess's birth, but we decided to wait a while to
let them meet. Endymion didn't...ahem...take too well to the idea. If you know
what I mean." The other adults laughed heartily at this last comment.
Rei fell back against the wall, her legs suddenly feeling too weak to support
her weight. A single word entered her mind, 'Betrothed.' She felt her head
start to spin as she realized what that meant. 'Endymion will have to marry
that Princess one day. But he does not love her at all. He doesn't even like
her. He made that quite clear earlier. How could his parents do that to him.'
And she felt her heart stop breaking into pieces, 'How can they do that to me?'
She curled up on the hard floor and wept out her sorrows...
******
Rei watched her parents saying goodbye to the King and Queen of Earth. She
stood quietly beside Endymion, wondering if she would ever see him again. She
knew, deep in her heart, that there could never be anything between them, yet
she wished to see him again. She knew that wouldn't happen.
Endymion watched his parents board the ship and turned to Rei. He could clearly
see the pain in her eyes and wondered briefly if she could see the same pain in
his. He cleared his throat, "I guess this is goodbye Princess."
"Please," Rei begged, looking at him, "Call me Rei."
"Alright, Rei," he mumbled, turning away, unsure of what to say. He turned face
the girl and saw a single tear trickle down her cheek. He brushed it off with
his hand. "I wish I could have gotten to know you better. I'm sorry it ended
so soon."
"I'm just glad we got to meet at all," she said quietly. She bowed her head,
embarrassed. Endymion reached out a hand to lift her chin. Their eyes met.
His deep blue eyes staring deeply into her violet ones. Before either of them
realized what was happening, they were bending toward each other, letting their
lips connect. They remained that way for a few moments. As they each pulled
away, they seemed surprised but not embarrassed by it.
Rei took a sudden leap toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She
clung to him, desperately doing everything she could to keep him with her as
long as possible. He gently shook himself free and reached inside the folds of
his cape for something. She watched him curiously and was surprised to see he
had pulled out a perfect red rose. He handed it to her and she stared at it
before smiling up at him.
"Roses are considered very special on my planet," he said softly. "I must go
now, goodbye."
"Thank you," she whispered, staring at the red flower in her hand. She looked
at him again, her eyes brimming with tears. "Do not forget me."
"Never," he replied and turned toward the ship and his parents. He walked
steadily, not glancing back until he had reached the ship's ramp. He then
turned to take one last look at the beautiful princess, standing alone,
unmoving, holding a red rose in her hands and watching him. Then, he went
inside and the ship took off, soaring high into the air and into space. The
little princess watched until she couldn't see the ship any more, and even then,
she continued to stare up into the sky. She wondered if she would see him again
and whether or not he would keep his promise...
******
Rui'n's eyelids fluttered and then opened. She stared up into the deep darkness
for a moment, trying to figure out what had awoken her. She was sure she had
heard something. Suddenly, from the stairs, there came the sharp sound of
someone yelping in pain. Rui'n recognized the voice as belonging to Xavior.
She giggled slightly.
She could here his footsteps on the stairs, coming closer. Then the bedroom
door opening and his angry sigh at his own clumsiness. He tiptoed to the bed
and slipped into his side, trying to make sure he didn't wake his dear wife up.
Rui'n knew he was trying to be quiet and smiled at his show of affection. She
sat up in bed, but couldn't see him. So she sent her mind out to him. 'Hello
Dear, welcome back. How was Ruby?'
Xavior was started to discover she was awake and immediately apologized a short
message to her mind. 'Rui'n, you're awake. I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I
move like an ox in this darkness. My mind was on other things.' He moved to
her side of the bed, using his hands to guide him.
Rui'n felt the mattress sink down by his weight. She reached out to grasp his
arm lovingly. 'You didn't disturb me. I was already awake.' She lied.
Xavior smiled and gently caressed her arm, 'You're lying but I know you're doing
it to make me feel better so I don't care.' He felt her soft arm tremble
slightly in his firm grasp. "Rui'n, what's wrong?" This he said out loud,
breaking the calm silence of moments before.
"Nothing," she gasped, taking a deep breath. "My baby is kicking me, that's
all. I just wasn't expecting it." At the mention of their child, Xavior puffed
up with pride, feeling like a father already. He leaned toward her and groped
in the inky blackness before his hand came to rest on her stomach. Sure enough,
he felt a strong kick from deep inside.
"That's my boy," he stated proudly.
"Or girl," Rui'n reminded him gently.
He grinned at this response, "Or girl," he agreed with the same proud attitude.
As much as he wanted a son, he knew Rui'n wanted a girl and he felt he would
love either just as much. Another sharp kick fell from Rui'n's large belly,
smacking Xavior in the hand. He pulled it away sharply, surprised by the
strength. Rui'n, though she was wincing in pain, rejoiced that her child was
growing up strong and healthy so far. 'And in a few more weeks,' she thought,
her violet eyes sparkling with joy, "I'll be holding a newborn baby in my arms.'
******
Ruby sat in the stiff wooden chair in her room. She was facing the window but
didn't seem to acknowledge that fact. She was staring directly in front of her,
her green eyes cold with anger. She sits perfectly still, her eyes don't even
blink. All around her is the thick darkness, surrounding her and pulling her
into its evil soul.
'I will make her pay, she has to pay,' the redhead thinks sinisterly. 'I will
strike when it is least expected and finish her off.' Her bright red lips
suddenly part in a wicked grin, a crazed expression on her pretty face. 'Years
from now, all will remember my name. They will always have a reason to fear
me.' She suddenly thinks of her dear Uncle Xavior and feels a pang of sympathy.
Then it is replaced by her wicked desires. 'No matter, I will destroy anyone
who dares to stand in my way.'
Ruby stood up and reached deep into her boot, pulling out her knife. She
handles it fondly, admiring the sharpness of the blade. 'Serenity,' the name
enters her mind, causing her eyes to darken in rage. She closes her fist over
the knife as the name repeats over and over in her mind, 'Serenity, Serenity,
Neo-Queen Serenity.' She is so completely absorbed in these thoughts that she
doesn't notice the sharp blade slicing open her hand, and the bright red drops
of blood falling to the floor below...
Author's note: This part took a long time to finish, even though it's short. I
wanted to give my readers a better idea of the story and include details to make
it interesting. It doesn't help that I got a Writer's Block part of the way
through. But I promise the next one will be coming soon...see you later!!! (
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