Disclaimer: *blinks sleepily* Morning... *huge yawn* Oh yeah...
I don't own Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi does, rah rah. Please don't
sue...
PS- This is kind of an alternate relity fic, my first, yeah! So
powers, ect will be different, along with titles and what not...
Serendipity Lost
Teaser:
~serendipity~: the accidental or unexpected discovery of something
amazing
* * * * * *
~lost~: misplaced or strayed, missing
A story of Lita and Nephrite and love that would not be denied.
Chapter One
Nephrite frowned as he stood shillouted in the dank room's
door. The shabby furniture was in pieces and the room's occupant, a
single man who claimed ownership of this wreck of a once mighty
mansion, lay flattened on the ground, the swords of Nephrite's elite
soldiers pressed against his panting neck.
"He won't talk?" he asked his captain, a dark man who managed
to tower even over his own considerable height. Bernum shook his
head, his thin lips compressed into an angry white line. A loud cry
and shufflings brought his attention to the hall where two more of his
guards wrestled with a plump, desperate woman who could have only been
the stubborn man's wife.
"Bring her!" he barked. Grabbing the peasant roughly on her
arm he shoved her into the room while Bernum drew the man on the floor
up by his hair to see who was brought in. As the woman started to sob
Nephrite stared down his prisoner, cold blue eyes boring into his own
frightened brown ones. Nephrite's sword slipped from his scabbard
with a hiss and he casually pointed it at the weeping woman's neck.
"Now that we have you attention," he all but purred, "let's
get down to real business. The princesses, we know they were here but
the real question is where are they now, hum? Are they hiding in one
of the rooms upstairs," he nodded to the second floor, which alone
would take hours to search because of this place's immense size, "or
have they gone elsewhere?" The mansion had been through many hands
and only recently, with the onslaught of the Earthen Empire's Army had
it fallen into such ragged disrepair and the reputable hands of the
peasant man and his wife. "I suggest you start giving me the answers
we seek or things are going to get... messy."
The man blanched but remained silent and oddly enough the
woman, though still crying, did not plead for mercy or beg her husband
to give him the information he sought. Sapphire eyes narrowed
dangerously and he dropped the woman to stride up to his helpless
prisoner. "Are you a fool?" he snapped. "I will kill her and you,
slowly if I must, to get what I need. All you have to do is tell me
where the princesses are and you will be set free. I give you my
word." And then despite his terror, the man spat at Nephrite, rage
glinting in his righteous eyes.
"Free?" he asked, hysterical laughter filling the room while
the guards watched on uneasily. "You'll have us in chains no matter
what we do, the word of an Earth Man, or an Earth Soldier mean
nothing! And we will not speak."
"You sign your own death warrants," Nephrite whispered but the
peasant smiled at the words.
"Perhaps," he said simply. "As long as our princesses are
free nothing else matters. The moment you catch them it won't matter
because all hope will be gone forever. If my wife and I must die for
the greater good then so be it. For them, for them we would gladly
seek oblivion." Nephrite studied him coldly for a long moment before
stepping away.
"They're not here, he's stalling us. Shackle them and throw
them with the others. Let's see where your precious princesses hide
when all their people are in chains. Move out."
Two hooded figures hurried through the small garden that led
up to the quaint manor. Cloaked in gold and green they stood out in
the gathering gloom that dusk brought. The fabric that clothed them
was fine and had been beautiful once, now though it was frayed and
damaged with the wear of hasty travel. The one in gold paused and
knocked lightly on the great oaken door. The two huddled together
under the arch that protected the old porch, their hoods drawn to
obscure their faces. After several moments the door swung noiselessly
open to reveal a tired looking young man.
His slanted eyes studied them wordlessly before he sighed, his
pointed ears twitching with anxiety. "I can't," he whispered at their
silent pleading.
"Please Alan," Mina said softly, coaxingly, "just until we can
catch out breaths, please." His wary gaze flickered between their
exhausted faces, torn, and they stiffened to receive the denial he had
yet to speak which registered clearly on his handsome face but
then he sagged in defeat, face downcast.
"All right," he murmured worriedly, "all right. Sere..." he
choked as he said the revered name, the mere mention of it proved to
be enough to bring tears to Lita and Mina's eyes, "Serena would have
wanted me to. She always gave so selflessly..." voice trembling with
grief he stopped until he had composed himself. Another voice called
from inside the house.
"Alan, who is it?" a face similar to his peered around his
greater bulk. Harried eyes widened with surprise, then shock.
"I told them they could stay for a bit Ann, it isn't too much
is it? For their memory at least?" Ann's gaze snapped close, face
bitter before she looked at the two princesses again, features
subdued.
"No, nothing is too much for Endymion's memory, or Serena's,
even if the love we held for them was never meant to be love lost,
hope smashed, causes grief as well. But we can only offer refuge for
a night, two at the most, for there are others who live here who we
must think of also, servants and such. If we were found by the
Earthen Men then so be it but it isn't fair to put others unknowingly
into danger." Lita nodded in agreement.
"No," she said sadly, "not fair at all." Mina laid a
comforting hand on her arm but it did little to appease the shame in
her troubled gaze.
"Come," Ann said as she drew them into the manor, "before you
are recognized." The siblings ushered them into the house where a
maid promptly took their traveling gear and cloaks, all except for one
bag that Lita clung to, refusing to relinquish it. The maid shrugged
while Alan sent her a questioning look. Fighting the tears Lita
opened the satchel to show three necklaces, the symbols of Neptune,
Uranus, and Saturn on them.
"We were at Neptune last," Mina said, gently breaking the
oppressive silence. Ann frowned.
"All of you...?" Mina nodded sadly.
"Yes, the last time we were together, those of us left that
is. After Uranus and Saturn were taken with Serenity, Serena, and
Endymion we fled to Neptune. Mirchiru housed us as long as she
could. The Earthen Army broke through their army's ranks, like they
always do, and we had to scatter.
An arrow took Mirchiru in the back as we fled..." Mina half
sobbed at the memory before continuing, "Ami and Rei... We don't know
where they are. Venus knows, maybe safe somewhere..."
"Or if not safe than at peace, at least. I'm starting to
think there isn't anywhere safe in this universe, anywhere where the
people of Earth can't find us. I'm just so tired of running..."
Lita's voice trailed off, her eyes haunted with the shadows of a woman
who had seen too much suffering, too many people die. Alan swallowed
before daring to interrupt in their inner reflection.
"If you're hungry dinner is served around now or if you'd
rather go rest I'm sure the maids will prepare your rooms..." Mina
looked up brightly at the offer of food.
"I'm starving!" she burst out, eyes lightening with the first
happiness the siblings had seen since their strange guests had
appeared. The golden haired princess looked to Lita eagerly.
"It's been what, three, four days since our food ran out."
Lita smiled grimly and shook her head, amused.
"Try one drama queen but before that all we had was that hard
bread." Mina scowled at the memory.
"That was not food!!" The statement brought a weak chuckle
from the other three and managed to banish some of the darkness that
had crept into the room.
"Go ahead Mina. I'm going to go up to my room if you all
don't mind too terribly much. I don't care if it's clean; your maid
shouldn't bother with it. A blanket on a hard floor would satisfy me
now. Last night was spent under a bridge." Mina wrinkled her nose at
Alan and Ann's looks of distaste.
"It was worse than it sounds. Okay now, time for food!" At
Mina's not so subtle urging they left after calling for another maid
to show Lita to her room. The woman curtsied deeply before guiding
her upstairs. Several minutes later they stopped in front of a plain
door. The maid curtsied deeply again but her dark eyes were intent on
Lita's face. Before Lita turned to go in her room the woman reached
out hesitantly and grabbed her arm lightly.
"Mam?" she asked, unsure. Lita bowed her head heavily for a
moment, willing her strength to last just a little bit longer.
"Yes..." A black gaze caught her emerald one.
"It doesn't matter where you are or what them Earth people,
bad folks, do to you, you and Princess Mina will always be our
princesses, the people's, in our hearts." Lita's own heart warmed
with the sentiment and those like it that had been shared with them.
She had lost so much and yet, knowing that people all over the
universe cared for them, mourned with them, it helped, oh Jupiter
only knew it helped so much. To be that loved, that respected, it
dazzled the mind, more than mere confusion and pain could.
The Earthen Army ruled by force, by terror. The rest of the
universe would bow to its power but it was because they knew it
wouldn't last. 'The Earth Empire will rule gloriously for awhile but
then, then it will collapse from within because its base support,
peasants, farmers, its very heart is intent on poisoning it.' She
thought, satisfaction making her grin, smile feral. Come hell or high
water they'd pay for all the pain they'd caused.
Unconsciously her hand went to the rose earrings she wore
always, ever since that night... Her throat closed with unshed tears
and she thanked the maid before slipping into the room and solitude.
Lita closed the door and leaned up against it, gasping through her
sobs as hot tears ran down her cheeks. Her other hand reached blindly
under her ragged homespun dress to clutch at the necklace she wore.
The sign of Jupiter pressed into her clenched fist along with
another charm, a small umbrella. Memories flooded her, memories that
she tried so hard to keep at bay but to no avail... Ken smiling
handsomely in his officer uniform, saluting her with a grin that had
melted colder hearts than hers. The awful explosion, the boiling
smoke, the cries, and then that deathly silence that followed with the
realization that they were gone, he was gone... Queen Serenity,
Princess Serena, Prince Endymion, Princess Uranus, Princess Saturn,
and Ken, her love, her lover, the other half of her soul. And Rose...
More tears slipped from brimming jade colored eyes to join the
ones already fallen as Lita sank to the floor, head in hands. So much
lost and yet so much to live for. Revenge didn't fill her like love
did but it accomplished its purpose. It kept her moving, kept her
from giving up and joining those already gone beyond the petty
struggles of this world. It kept her from letting go and it made her
care. 'Oh yes,' she thought, bitter with unimagined pain, 'you'll all
pay, that I swear.'
Nephrite reined in his mount, a beautiful bay horse that
snorted spiritedly. Cobalt eyes narrowed in speculation. "So your
spy is really this good..." Bernum nodded sagely.
"He's that good. He's been watching this house for weeks.
Turns out the siblings that own this house both had things for
Princess Serena and Prince Endymion. They'd be well known to the
princesses, a likely choice for refuge." Bernum spat, unconcerned, as
he awaited his commander's orders.
"Two left, that's all we need to rule." Nephrite muttered to
himself. All the other princesses were taken or disposed of.
Princess Mercury and Princess Mars were prisoners, held by the
sorceress, Beryl's, dark power in a state of immobilization. Both
were wounded, mortally, and the moment the magic unfroze them they
would most likely die of their wounds, several which had been self
inflicted in an attempt to keep themselves from falling into the
Earthen Empire's hands. But for now, and as long as Beryl could hold
them, they lived, barely and that was enough to serve their purposes
because as long as the Earthen Empire held two princesses hostage the
universe would submit to them, for fear of their safety.
Or it would submit when the last two princesses were captured,
Princess Venus and Princess Jupiter. And the best spy in the Imperial
Earth Army had intelligence reports that indicated that they were in
this very house. Five years of war might be ended this night.
He hoped he wouldn't have to kill them. If they were truly
captured they would die eventually but he hoped he wouldn't have to
have their blood on his hands. At least not Princess Jupiter's,
Lita's blood. He had never seen the strong willed princess but he had
heard stories, everyone had, and he knew what Rose told him, his wife,
his soul, his living heart. They had married for peace, a political
marriage that was supposed to make the universe and the grasping
Earthen Empire one. But what started out as duty bloomed into a deep
abiding love that had ended that tragic night, the night the war
started anew, the night Rose's life ended.
Rose hadn't been the only one to die that night. It had been
an ambassador's trip to the Earth where the peace conference was
suppose to take place that would draw up a formal treaty. The sky
carriage's shields, sky carriages were magicked to carry people
between the stars, failed on the return trip to the Moon. Rose had
been with it so that she could visit Lita... It plummeted from the
heavens to land in the middle of the Moon palace killing Rose, a
noble from Jupiter, Princess Serena, princess of the Moon, her
traitor husband, Prince Endymion, who had abandoned Earth for the
Moon and his love long before a treaty had even been an option,
Queen Serenity, ruler of the Moon, Princess Uranus, Princess
Saturn, and Ken, a Jupiter guard who had been assigned to protect
the envoy.
All gone and with them any chance for a peaceful resolution.
So be it. His thoughts trailed back to Princess Jupiter. She had
been his wife's best friend from childhood. Despite the fact that
Rose had only been a rather minor noble Lita and she had been raised
as sisters, a kindness that Rose never forgot. He sincerely hope he
would not have to be the one to slay the person his love had regarded
as family but if he must, he would. He never shirked his duty, it had
brought him love and now it brought the only fulfillment he knew.
"Let's go," he finally said to Bernum. The soldier nodded and
raised his sword to command the troops onward to the manor house.
Author's Notes: So what did ya'll think? Like it? Hate it? Love me?
Hate me? hehe Email me and tell me about it...
inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com
Oh and check out my brand new(stress on new, ie not quite finished)
web site.. http://www.geocities.com/keitree
(
geocities.com/element_sprite)