Then came the NegaVerse, raiding the countryside, slaying innocent civilians and wrecking havoc. Then a loud explosion, and there was nothing.
The Queen awoke, drenched with perspiration, her thin nightclothes stuck to her trembling body. She glanced at her snoring husband, who looked as if he wasn't faring any better than she. She pushed a sweaty lock out of his forehead and stroked his cheek. If only he’d invited her...
King Solarus let out a scream, more feminine than masculine. He awoke, eyes wide. He was covered in cold sweat. He glanced at his frightened wife, and knew that they had both had the same dream. He plopped back down on his pillow, and stared at the ceiling, playing the scene over and over in his head.
Serenity was very worried. There’s no choice. If she left the child to the Princesses care, she could possibly lose her forever, but if she stayed... Serenity shuddered to think of the possibilities. She closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep. The next morning the Queen saw to it that her child was bundled up and ready to depart. She had to leave now.
If the Kingdom could not be saved, at least she could. She went with the warm little bundle as far as the gate, and then embraced her. It was a touching sight, the shivering figure clutching a tiny bundle, oblivious to their surroundings. The snow fell upon them, yet still she clutched the child, rocking back and forth, humming a beautiful tune to her. It was full of intrigue and mystery, and mesmerizing to hear.
At last, she handed the child to a cloaked figure and started to depart. "Wait!" She suddenly cried out. She hurried back to the cloaked one. "On her sixteenth birthday, give her this locket. It belonged to me and my mother and her mother, back and back. When she is old enough to comprehend her heritage, give it to her. She mustn't know she is of the Moon Family lest she tell and be killed."
She loosened her grip and left them to leave. Serenity bit her lip. "Goodbye, daughter." she whispered so quietly only she and the biting wind could hear.
Princess Serenity, eyes wide, was wondering where her mother went. A moment ago she was in her arms, and now she was being carted off to an unknown destination. She managed a little whimper. Princess Rei gazed down at her from inside the hood and grinned.
How adorable, she thought. What a cute little girl. In her mind she pictured Serenity with little wisps of black hair instead of gold. She shook it out of her mind immediately. It's over, she thought. I didn't even really love him, though. When Serenity was born; it made her realize a lot of things. She saw the tenderness in the Queen's face as she held the sleeping Princess... She was very jealous. She wanted a child, to love and to care for. Why did they get to be happy? She kept walking; grim and silent, till they arrived in a deserted wooded area.
The plan was going smoothly. They had traveled to the Earth, the safest planet, or at least the less populated one. No one could find them here. They were to hide in a secluded area and watch over her. They shortly arrived at an abandoned cathedral. The perfect place to hide, no one would suspect anything.
Rei was awestruck when she saw the crumbling but majestic cathedral, abandoned long ago. It was covered in vines and thorns, towering above the surrounding forest canopy. Rei took her communicator out of her cloak and opened it. "Now how do I get this darn thing to work?" She said to no one in particular.
She hated these new-fangled contraptions the gloomy bookworm Mercurians kept coming up with. She pressed a few buttons, and eventually an image popped up on the screen. It showed Princess Ami poring over her books in her private library. “Princess Ami,” Rei began. When she saw no response she shouted, “AMI!”
The studious girl looked over at her communicator, surprised. “Sorry Rei. I’ve been a bit busy lately.” Her voice took a more serious tone. “Did you make it to the designated area?”
Princess Ami had to be careful what she said, in case someone was listening in. “Yes, I’m here. Call the others, and make haste.” Rei replied, impatiently.
Rei closed her communicator and put it back in her robe. She wondered why the Queen had picked the Princesses to watch over little Serenity. Why couldn’t she have picked someone else? The Princesses were always very busy, but unfortunately, they all pledged allegiance to the Moon Kingdom.
She sighed, and figured it made sense. After all, they had till the end of time to do other things. Sixteen years is but a grain of sand in the hourglass of eternity. But, she thought with a grimace, which is why they were afraid of Beryl. She had devised a way to destroy even immortal beings like herself. She sighed and sat down on a nearby rock. She put Serenity down next to her and waited. They would be here soon, she thought.
After she thought she would fall asleep if she waited any longer, 3 figures wearing garments similar to her own arrived. “Finally!” Rei cried. “What was the delay?”
“Well,” Makoto replied, “Interplanetary travel is improving these days, but obviously not fast enough to your liking.”
“Oh, sorry. I forgot.” Rei blushed a little; embarrassed that she had forgotten that they had to travel from other planets.
“The Outer Princesses have to stay at the Moon Palace to protect the King and Queen.” Minako added.
“So, it’s all up to us. Well, where should we start?” Asked Rei.
They decided to look around the cathedral, to find a suitable spot to live. They couldn’t be too conspicuous, because the NegaVerse could find them. They decided to settle in the spacious attic. It was covered in cobwebs and was dusty. There was various religious paraphernalia stocked up here, untouched for centuries.
“Why do we have to spend all our time up here?” Minako whined. “I can’t be cooped up all my life. There are places to go, boyfriends to meet!”
“Minako, we must fulfill this duty for the Queen. She has always been there for us, no matter the risk.” Ami soothed. “Remember the Auroran War? She was brave for us then, and we’ll be brave for her now. Besides, how hard could it be?”