Legend of the Dark Moon – Book 1 - Chapter 2
By Sailor Heartache
	Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom walked briskly down the main corridor of 
the palace heading towards the throne room where she was to meet her parents.  She 
was tired of social events, the only thing that ever happened in them was when some 
stuck up snob would ask her if she was naturally so thin.  Royals annoyed her.
	Plus the fact that she'd been under a lot of stress lately, she'd stayed up the last 
three days wondering how Charity was doing; her sister had failed to communicate with 
anyone.  Serenity sighed ungracefully; she seemed to be worrying a lot lately.  
	Her father had been distant, and even though he didn't say it Serenity knew that 
he was waiting for an attack by Beryl.  Sometimes she even wondered if that was the 
reason that Charity had been avoiding contact with them, but why would her sister do 
something like that?
	She'd been trying for days to talk with her telepathically, but Charity had blocked 
both her and Alexandra.  Neither was happy with the fact, but they'd tried to forget it 
because they didn't want their parents wondering.
	Her eyes scanned the garden that the corridor ran parallel to; it was so beautiful 
and tranquil.  So opposite her own emotions, yet she still seemed serene, she'd learned 
the hard way that emotions were better when left hidden.  She wished life could be 
more like the garden, she wouldn't mind living like that.
	But the tranquility of the moment was squashed as one of the servants rushed 
forward bowing hastily and sputtering apologies for interrupting her during her walk.  
Serenity calmed him down quickly by saying, "Don't worry, sir.  I'm sure what ever you 
have to say is very important."
	The servant nodded, making one last bow.  "It is Your Highness! The captain of the 
Moonlight has sent an urgent message to the king.  Only the king can not be found!"
	Serenity tried to calm him down again, but the servant was too busy trying to tell 
her what happened then to listen to her.  
	"Your highness, the Princess Charity has disappeared! She vanished from her ship! 
You must talk with the captain! The king and queen can not be found!" 
	The servant finally finished his tale and Serenity smiled serenely at him, but even 
though she smiled she was scared inside.  "Sir, I would like you to go find Princess 
Alexandra for me, and what ever you do, do not tell the King and Queen of this incident.  
They have enough to worry about right now."
	The servant looked at her hesitantly before agreeing and exiting to find 
Alexandra.
	She stared after him until he had totally disappeared from her view.  Finally she 
continued her walk, this time heading for the communication room.  She'd needed to 
talk with the captain of the Moonlight, but she was already pretty sure where her sister 
had gone.
	Charity had a habit of disappearing into places where she could be treated like 
anyone else.  She hated be stuck in pretty dresses and stuffy rooms.  She was almost as 
much of a tomboy as Princess Uranus, but where as Uranus wouldn't wear a dress unless 
Neptune literally wrestled her into it; Charity did have her own feminine side.  She 
enjoyed doing cross-stitching, but would rather be riding horses and shooting arrows then 
be attending a formal function.
	And Serenity was fairly certain that today was the Mercury Market day, and 
knowing Charity she'd want to be there where she could see everyone enjoying 
themselves and having fun.  In fact, Serenity knew she had to be there, because for one 
of the few times in the last week she could actually feel Charity's happiness.
	She opened the door to the communications room only to find a hologram of 
what must be the captain of the Moonlight pacing around the room.  Serenity almost 
giggled at it, but she knew that wouldn't be wise at the moment.  Instead she spoke, 
"Captain."
	The captain turned around quite flustered at being caught pacing and bowed to 
her, "Captain Andros, your highness."
	Serenity nodded, "Captain Andros, before you begin with your apologies I would 
first like to tell you that this is not your fault.  I'm afraid Charity does have a bit of an 
independent streak."
	Andros nodded, "Yes, your highness.  Right after the servant was dispatched to 
find you we found a note the Princess had left.  It simply says not to worry."
	"Have you told the Mercurian castle of your arrival yet?" Serenity questioned.
	"No, Princess.  We were waiting for orders from the royal family."  He answered.
	Serenity smiled, "Don't worry, captain.  I don't want you to do anything.  Do not 
alert the castle yet, Charity should be back by nightfall, if not then I want you to get 
back in touch with me.  Understood?"
	The hologram nodded and bowed again before disappearing.  
	Serenity sighed and leaned against one of the walls.  Now all she had to do was 
wait for Alexandra, and explain the whole thing.  The thought brought another sigh to her 
lips.  The social event forgotten the rest of the afternoon would be spent waiting for word 
from the Moonlight.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
	The girl in question was having the time of her life.  She'd already bought gifts for 
her sisters and parents, and for once she didn't feel lonely.  All around her the people of 
the planet of Mercury were shopping, trading, and just having fun.   It's amazing how the 
smallest things could mean a lot.
	Princess Charity had snuck out of her ship around dawn that morning, and had 
been walking around for most of the day.  She'd never seen so many kinds of pastry, 
jewelry, and pottery in one place.
	She was dressed simply, in a black peasant dress and a matching hooded cloak, 
so not to stand out in the crowd.  For extra precautions she'd hidden her royal birthmark 
with a little bit of magic, she didn't want to be caught.
	The streets were packed with tourists and citizens, but like any other place they 
still had the homeless wondering around eying the tasty treats with their mouths open.  
Charity had seen one staring at a loaf of bread, not even a big loaf, drooling.  She'd only 
thought about it a moment before going to the vender and buying it.
	Charity turned to the little boy and handed him the loaf of bread.  At first he only 
looked at it in wonder before taking it slowly and eating it twice as fast as she had ever 
even seen Serenity eat.  It made her wonder when the last time this boy ate was.
	"Thank you, ma'am."  The young boy said, his eyes filled with tears.  "My mama 
was fired from her job last week, we can't afford food."
	Charity's eyes widened under the hood of her cloak, she imagined this was why 
she was here in the first place.  "Don't worry son, take this money to your mother."
	The boy's eyes widened twice the width of their sockets and he ran off thanking 
her gratefully for the small amount of money that was in his hands.  
	Charity watched him as he disappeared into the crowd of buyers and sellers, and 
wished she had more money to give him, but she'd spent most of what she'd brought 
with her already.  She hoped she'd be able to do something to help him out later.
	Her thoughts stopped abruptly as she heard the boy scream from within the 
crowd.  At first she stayed where she was, frozen in place, but quickly she followed the 
sound of his screams as she moved through the crowd.  It was a hard thing to do with the 
citizens already curious as to why someone was screaming, and she had to push and pull 
apologizing as she went.
	What she saw when she reached the front of the crowd confused her greatly.  
The young boy was being restrained by what looked like military soldiers, and a man that 
was dressed richly was screaming at the guards to hold him back.  For a moment she 
stood there trying to figure out what was going on before she walked up to one of the 
younger looking solders and asked.
	"Lord Meren, says the boy stole money from him, and we found two gold nobles 
on the boy.  The boy says he was given the money by a lady."  The guard quieted down 
at the captain looked his way.
	Charity looked over the man whom she presumed was Meren, he looked like a 
man who would assume that a boy carrying a large amount of money must have stole it.  
Sometimes she thought nobles were just stuck up and pompous.
	Her eyes traveled over the scene, the lord was still screaming at the captain and 
he seemed to be ignoring him completely.  The boy had stopped screaming and had 
started crying as a guard tried to take the money from him.  Charity bit her bottom lip 
she couldn't let them take the boy away, but she didn't want to expose herself.
	She walked up to the captain her eyes staying on the lord, "Captain, may I ask 
why the boy is being taken?"
	Charity hoped the Captain was nice, if not she'd have to do this the hard way.  
But the captain smiled at her, "Young lady, Lord Meren has accused him of stealing.  We 
must take him to the Lord Provost for punishment."
	She looked up at him, being careful that he didn't see her face.  "But, Captain I 
gave the boy two nobles for his mother."
	The captain looked up startled, but the lord was quick with a retort.  "You?  
Where would you get two gold nobles?  You're obviously a peasant."
	Charity bit her tongue to keep from throwing an insult at him.  "My lord, are you 
sure you're missing any money?  Ask the boy, I gave him that money."
	The boy had been paying attention as soon as he saw her approach and at the 
comment he quickly agreed.  The captain was torn between what she was telling him 
and what the lord was trying to get him to do.  The crowd had gone quiet, and was 
watching with growing attention.  One man stood out though, he too was dressed in a 
cloak, but unlike the rest of the crowd you couldn't see his eyes staring at the three of 
them.
	Lord Meren was in a rage, "Are you telling me that I'm lying?  Do you know how 
long I could throw you in jail for?"
	Charity mouth drew up in smirk, but no one could see.  "No, my lord.  I do not, 
and nor do I care."
	Charity watched as the man in the cloak shook with laughter at her sarcastic 
remark, but the rest of the crowd drew in a breath.  She wondered how long Lord Meren 
had been threatening and insulting peasants.  "I wouldn't try it either."
	She was far beyond caring whether her cover was blown or not, this man was 
infuriating.  He made her want to punch him, but she was a lady and she'd been taught 
better.
	Obviously the lord had not, he rolled his hand into a fist and looked as if he was 
about to punch her.  "Are you threatening me, peasant?"
	She giggled, a sound that made the cloaked man in the crowd think of silver 
bells, and she replied.  "No, my lord.  If I was you would know it."  The thought made her 
wonder how many people had ever stood up to this man.  Even the captain looked a 
little scared of him.
	Lord Meren obviously wasn't used to it.  Just as she finished thinking she saw his fist 
coming towards her, and without a second thought she caught it before it could smash 
into her face.  Shocked the lord stared at her, and then the thought processed and 
began screaming at the captain.  "You saw that Captain! Throw her in with the boy! She 
threatened me and tried to assassinate me!"
	The man in the cloak began to take a step forward but stopped abruptly as she 
held her hand up to him, silently asking him to let her take care of it.  She wasn't to sure 
who he was, but he seemed to be in a position like hers.
	Just as the captain reached out to take her arm she spoke, "Captain, I wouldn't 
do that if I were you."
	The captain stopped and looked up at her his eyes filled with sympathy, "I'm 
sorry, you remind me of my daughter.  I truly wish I didn't have to do this, but unless 
someone over throws his command I must obey it."
	She smiled back at him though he still couldn't see it, "Then I shall over throw it."  
She paused for a second and took the hood of the cloak off her head revealing her dark 
hair that had been put up in a ponytail for the day.  "As the Supreme Princess of the 
Moon Kingdom, Princess Charity, I order you to let the boy go, and take Lord Meren into 
custody until I sentence him."  She turned to Lord Meren who stood shocked, "That is an 
Imperial Command."
	Everybody stood still nothing moved, not even the man in the cloak.  But Lord 
Meren stood disbelieving, "You are not Princess Charity, you do not have the mark of the 
moon and stars on your forehead."
	She glared at him before looking up at the sky.  "Mark of the stars revive upon my 
forehead and join with that of the Moon."
	A bright light brighter than anything Lord Meren had ever seen before lit up the 
sky, and the mark he had been arguing about was now on her forehead shining brightly.  
And the Princess of the Moon and Stars was quite angry, he had forced her to end her 
good day and return to the life of a noble.  "I do hope you'll be happy in jail, Lord 
Meren."
	The Captain smiled happily and took the lord into custody, ordering the boy be 
let free.  The soldier who had been holding the boy had long ago let go of him in shock, 
but the boy took the money from his hands and ran to the princess who had just saved 
his life.
	Charity watched him approach his eyes wide open in awe and bent down so 
that she could look in his eyes, "I suppose you're a little shocked aren't you?" She 
giggled and the man in the crowd awakened from his shocked state and stared at the 
princess again.
	The boy smiled, "Are you really a Princess?" 
	She smiled, "Yes, I am.  My name is Charity, what's yours?"
	"Osito."
	Her smile widened, "Well, Osito, I promise to find your mother a job, okay?  Until 
then I want you to use that money wisely, and take care of your mother."
	He nodded, "Yes, your highness."
	Charity made a face, "And we were having such a nice conversation," she 
sighed.  "Tell your mother to come to the palace tomorrow morning alright?"
	The boy's face lit up, "Could I come and visit you?  Please?"
	She giggled at the look on is face, "Sure, why not! Just be there at ten, now run 
home and tell your mother."
	He nodded and ran off for home.
	"That was a very nice thing you did, Princess.  I understand why your parents 
named you Charity."  The man in the cloak had walked up beside her while she was 
talking to the Osito.
	The man puzzled her, he seemed different from everyone else and he made her 
feel nervous.  Just the sound of his voice made her heart quicken, "Thank you, sir."  She 
answered shyly.  She might have been brave for a few minutes, but bravery for her only 
came in the face of danger.
	He looked down at her his face still covered by the hood of the cloak, "Why 
don't we get out of here?  I can take you to the palace or to your ship.  I'm guessing 
they don't know you're gone?"
	For some reason she felt safe with him, and even though she knew she shouldn't 
go anywhere with him without even knowing his name she agreed.  And before she 
knew it they were on his horse and riding away from the screaming crowd.
	As soon as they got on the outskirts of the city he stopped the horse and they 
began to walk.  "Where would you like me to take you, Princess?"
	Charity smiled at him, "Please don't call me that! Call me Charity, you saved me 
from a crowd of loud people! You're my hero!" She finished over dramatically drawing a 
chuckle from him.
	Charity was confused; she'd never been this open with people before.  Not even 
Endymion.  "You never told me what your name was?  A hero without a name is tragic."
	He laughed again, "I'm Adrian, pleased to meet you Charity."
	Charity smiled, "You sound familiar, I've met you before when I was really little."  
She paused for a second, "You locked me in a closet when I was three, and I was stuck 
there until Serenity and Alexandra finally found me."
	He nodded, "I can't believe you remember that! I was eight, and you pulled my 
hair so I locked you in that closet."
	She giggled, "You're the Crown Prince of Mercury right?"
	He nodded, "Only when I can't avoid it."
	She smiled, "I know the feeling.  Where are we headed?" 
	He cocked his head, "Your ship.  We might as well get it over with, plus the news 
will travel fast."
	She nodded, and never even noticed when he took her hand.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
	Andros was pacing back and forth in the ship, his eyes traveled from the windows 
to the doors back to the windows.  He was worried about Charity; trouble always 
seemed to find her.  
	Andros had been with Charity since she started traveling, and he'd been the pilot 
of the Moonlight since before she was even born.  While they were traveling Charity 
often thought of him as a second father, and when Ryan had told her she'd have to 
fight Beryl on Midwinter Festival she'd cried on his shoulder.
	He'd always worried about Charity; she was independent and shy.  A 
combination that didn't go well together.  For the last year he'd been watching as she 
lured in more suitors then even Serenity, but Charity was so quiet and shy that she drove 
away the suitors before they got a chance to know her.  He knew she just needed time, 
but he hoped she'd find someone soon.
	His thoughts ended as he returned to his pacing and worrying.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
	Charity stepped on board the Moonlight, Adrian trailing behind her, and looked 
around.  It was around nightfall, and it looked as if the guards had all fallen asleep.  
Knowing Andros he'd made sure they patrolled with every ounce of their strength.  
Thinking of Andros made her realize how much trouble she was going to be in.
	"Beware, I'm about to get the lecture of a lifetime."  She whispered in Adrian's 
ear.
	He chuckled, "Well, at least you don't have every peasant and guard tailing you.  
My parents go haywire whenever I disappear."
	She smiled, "Knowing Serenity I bet my parents don't even know I'm gone, but 
Alex is going to be awfully mad."
	He smiled, "They're just trying to protect you."
	She was about to respond before one of the soldiers, who had been woken by 
their voices, jumped up and started shouting.  "CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! PRINCESS CHARITY 
HAS COME BACK!! CAPTAIN!!"
	The captain emerged from one of the doors on the port side of the ship looking 
ruffled and tired.  "CHARITY!" He ran at her and hugged her, without even bowing.
	Charity giggled, and looked at him, "You shouldn't worry so much, Andros! I'm 
perfectly fine see?  Adrian brought me back in one piece."
	Andros looked up at the young man standing behind her, "Then you must be 
Adrian! I'm Captain Andros of the Moonlight, it's a pleasure to meet you, and thank you 
very much for bringing our Princess back safely!"
	Adrian smiled at the older man, "I think she could have handled it without me, 
but she does make interesting company!"
	Andros looked over at Charity, "What did you do this time?"
	"This time?  You mean she's done this before?" Adrian asked shocked, he'd 
known she was a kind person, to risk your life continuously was a little hard to imagine.
	Andros nodded, "When we were on Venus she saw a young girl who was about 
to get hit by a carriage and jumped out in the middle of the road to save her.  Last 
Midwinter Festival she jumped in the way of a guy trying to rob a jewelry stand.  On 
Jupiter-"
	"Okay! That's enough, Andros!" She was blushing a bright red and was very 
embarrassed, "We have to call Serenity, right?"
	Andros smiled at Adrian, "If you ever want to hear any stories just find me."  He 
paused and let Charity take Adrian's hand, "Now come on, we'd better hurry and call 
the palace."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
	Serenity and Alexandra had been sitting in Communication Room for hours, and 
had long since quit talking to worry by themselves.  Food trays sat along side the hall 
where they'd been left for the two to eat hours ago, but neither of the two had felt much 
like eating.
	A couple of hours ago they'd both felt a jolt of happiness, and for a split second 
Charity had let her guard down.  They knew she was fine, and that she was probably was 
okay.  Still though she could have been anywhere, and she could walk into trouble at 
any time.  It was infuriating.
	"What do you think she's doing?" Alexandra asked from across the room.
	Serenity looked over at her, "I don't know, but I wish she'd finish doing it.  This is 
making me crazy."
	Alexandra nodded and went back to thinking silently.
	Serenity looked around, her eyes watched the hologram projection machine 
wishing it would come on already, so she could get out of this stuffy room.  And almost as 
if it had heard her it sputtered to life and a hologram of Prince Mercury and Princess 
Charity appeared in the center of the room.
	Charity looked down at the ground ashamed and Prince Mercury bowed to both 
the Princesses.  "Hello Princess Serenity, Princess Alexandra."
	Serenity stood up and curtsied, "Hello Prince Mercury.  I hope your family is well?" 
	He nodded and Charity looked up annoyed, "Why is it that we must say that?  It 
sounds almost rude."
	Alexandra and Serenity stared at her shocked for a second.  Charity was being 
more out going, and she wasn't acting as shy as normal.  Serenity looked over at Prince 
Mercury only to notice his eyes were on Charity.
	"So, where have you been?" Alexandra asked her eyes wide with fury.  "You 
realize if Father had heard about this the whole alliance would have been searching for 
you?  Mother would've been crying her eyes out."
	Charity looked back down at the ground, "I was at the Market, I need some time 
away from everything, okay?  Whether or not you like it there are some things Father 
hides from you."
	Serenity stared at her youngest sister, the conviction which had been in her voice 
was alarming.  What was it that Father had asked her to do?  Serenity was almost certain 
it had to do with his recent attitude.  Her eyes looked to Alexandra who seemed to have 
the same thoughts.  Not wanting to make her sister any angrier she decided to change 
the subject.  "You'll be back in time for Midwinter Festival right?"
	Charity cringed inwardly, "Yes, but I've something else I have to do.  I wont be 
attending the celebration."
	Alexandra gasped, all the Princesses were supposed to attend the festival.  She 
was worried, if Charity wasn't going to the festival then she had to have a good reason.  
Dark Moon.  The final conclusion.
	Serenity smiled, "Then we'll see you then, alright?  Do contact us though, it gets 
lonely without you here."
	Charity smiled at her sisters attempt to cheer her up, "I will, but it might not be 
very often.  See you soon."
	The hologram disappeared.
	"What was that all about?" Alexandra asked her sister her eyes more worried 
then when her sister had been missing.
	"I don't know, but I bet Father does.  We shouldn't worry."  Serenity smiled, "But 
did you see the way Prince Mercury was looking at Charity?"
	Alexandra smiled, "Yes, maybe she'll be married before us."
	"Yes, maybe she will."  Serenity finished.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
	Adrian whistled to himself as he closed the door to his rooms.  He was feeling 
delightfully happy.  It was almost a weird feeling, he'd never been this happy before.  
Charity just seemed to bring out the best in him.
	Charity.  He could still hear her twinkling laughter that rang like silver bells, and he 
could feel his heart speed up whenever he thought about her.  What was this feeling?  It 
made him feel utterly helpless yet happy and carefree.  He felt as if he should go buy 
every flower in the capital just for her, just because she lit up his day.
	For years, Adrian had felt lonely, not physically lonely because he had 4 other 
brothers and sisters, but mentally lonely.  It was almost as if he'd been missing something 
for most of his life and had yet to figure out what it was.  Charity made that feeling go 
away; she made him feel complete and whole.
	From the first time he'd seen her that afternoon in the market place till right now 
he'd felt like a tiny flame in his heart was beginning to grow.  It made him feel 
lighthearted, and as soon as he'd left her in her own room he'd felt as if every ounce of 
warmth in his body had been taken with her.  All he wanted to do was run back into the 
room and stay with her forever.
	The strength of his own feelings scared him, the fact that he could care so much 
for someone he had just met was frightening.  But he wouldn't trade it for anything in the 
whole world.  And suddenly he realized what this feeling was, he was in love with her.  
Totally and helplessly in love with her.
	And his whistling went on as he happily planed every minute of the time she was 
here, and hopefully by the end of the week she'd feel the same way.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
	Charity smiled happily as she fingered a white rose that had been left by her door 
that morning, most likely by Adrian.  For days he'd been taking her places and showing 
her how to have a good time.  Charity had never had so much fun in her life.  
	She had finished with all of her business days ago, and had asked if it would be 
alright to stay for a little longer.  The queen being one of her mother's close friends was 
delighted, and quickly moved her to a more permanent room.  Which was coincidently 
next door to Adrian's.  It seemed even the queen had seen the love blossoming 
between the Princess and Prince.
	Adrian had been delighted too when he found out that she'd be taking the room 
next to his, and seemed quite puzzled when he entered it one afternoon.  He'd made a 
remark about what a good job his mother had done remodeling, Charity had been 
puzzled by the remark.
	For some reason, she didn't feel shy around Adrian she could tell him anything 
without fear of what he would say.  He reminded her of Endymion, but she didn't even 
tell Endymion some of the things she told Adrian.  They'd sit around for hours on end just 
talking about nothing.  He took her horse back riding and every night they'd go for a 
walk in his personal garden.  
	He loved flowers as much as her and Endymion; he had lilies, roses, and tulips.  For 
some reason though she felt drawn to the white roses, Adrian had told her it was 
because they stood for purity and innocence.  She was sure she didn't believe him.
	The past few days had been paradise, and she wasn't sure she ever wanted to 
leave.  It wasn't just the way Adrian made her heart speed up, but also how everyone 
else treated her.  Queen Alanna made her feel like she was a second mother to her, and 
even the King had been treating her like a daughter.  It was almost perfect, but she still 
missed her family.
	She sighed blissfully to her self, she missed him already and she'd seen him an 
hour ago at lunch.
	It was almost as if he'd read her thoughts, because just as she finished thinking 
cold hands covered her eyes and a warm voice asked, "Guess who!"
	She giggled playfully, "Lets see...  Captain Andros?"
	Adrian made a rude noise, "Gee, and I thought you wanted to spend the day 
with me."  He moved his hands from her eyes and in fake dejection began to walk away.
	She giggled an hugged him, "I do! I do!" 
	He smiled; the look she gave him reminded him of a child looking through a 
window at chocolate, "Why don't we go to the gates?  Remember that Osito is visiting 
today."
	Charity nodded, "Sure."
	He took her hand and they walked silently to the palace gates to wait for Osito.  
"I heard from mother yesterday.  She says that Osito's mother is one of the best maids 
she's had in a while."
	Charity smiled and leaned against his shoulder, "I hope she's happy."  
	He smiled back down at her; her kindness was so large it surprised him.  "I'm sure 
she is."
	At that moment Osito came bounding through the gates skipping happily and 
carrying a package.  "Charity! Adrian!"
	The two waved as he approached, and he thrust the package into Charity's 
arms.  "This is from mama, she made it to thank you for your help."
	Charity smiled and opened the package, inside was a small cake with chocolate 
icing.  Just looking at it made her want to dig in.
	"Why don't I go get some plates and milk and we can eat it by the lake?" Adrian 
asked, "Okay, you two go ahead down there and I'll meet you there in a few minutes."
	Charity and Osito smiled and ran off towards the lake.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
	Adrian skipped down the path carrying a picnic basket with plates, silverware, 
and milk inside.  He loved spending time with Charity and Osito, it made him feel like they 
were a little family.
	He smiled happily as they came into view: Charity was curtsying to him and he 
was presenting her with a bouquet of wild sunflowers.  She smiled and took them from 
him sliding them into her braid.  She looked absolutely radiant.
	Osito smiled at her, "You remind me of an angel."
	Adrian almost chuckled at the child's precise description of the creature in front 
of him.  And Charity seemed totally shocked, and as soon as she saw him she jumped at 
the chance to change the subject.  "Adrian! You brought the plates!"
	He smiled and nodded.  And let her cut the cake into three equal pieces putting 
each onto a plate.  They all ate their cake, and afterwards they played in the water 
splashing each other and hiding from each other.  And by the time that Osito left the sun 
was already going down.
	Adrian stretched his tired muscles and put his arm around Charity's shoulders, he 
was feeling a little nervous about what he had to tell her.  "Did you have fun today?"
	She smiled happily, "Yes!" She was about to go on when she felt something, she 
felt uneasy and nervous, but they weren't her emotions.  Her eyes widened and she 
looked over at Adrian.
	He was looking the other way, and squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.  "I have 
to tell you something Charity."  He didn't wait for her approval, "I..  Ever since I met you, 
I've been happy.  You make me feel like I can do any thing.  Charity, I..  I love you"
	She stood still in place shocked, but as quickly as the shock wore off she felt 
unbearably happy.  At that moment Adrian felt it, HER happiness.  He looked at her 
wide-eyed.
	This time Charity wasn't paying attention; she threw her arms around his neck.  "I 
love you too!"
	This time she felt his happiness and it made her remember the thought she'd had 
before.  It made her scream, "We're soul mates!"
	Adrian looked down at her smiling, "That explains it."
	She looked up at him confused, "What do you mean?"
	He smiled playfully back, "It explains how much I love you."
	Giggling playfully she jabbed him in the side, and sat down to watch the sunset.