Chapter Two: Moonlight Revelations
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The night was dark with the moon as the sole light to guide the wayward souls that were out that night. Crystalline tears fell onto the balcony as a lone girl held onto the rails, crying all of her heart out, she was silhouetted by the moon, a shadow on one of the many balconies of the empty two story apartment complex. She was pouring her heart out to the only thing that gave her comfort, the distant yet familiar moon. She wished with all her might that it could grant her hearts' desire, but she knew that it could not, no matter how hard she tried or wished. The moon gleamed off of the tiara and off the jewels that decorated the two buns on the sides of her head, her long blond hair streamed behind her blown by the gentle breeze that flowed around her and the pale moonlight turned her sun-kissed golden hair a pale silver.
I'm always alone, I can never find anyone who will understand me for me, my own friends don't understand half of the things I've been through. I know they try their hardest to cheer me up but they just can't. It might seem like I'm being selfish, like I don't want to be cheered up but its that I can't be. I'm slowly withering away, my life, and my will to live it is disappearing. Her head drooped until all you could see the was the two buns on the top of her head, and if any eyes were on her she didn't care and wouldn't have realized even if they had.
I'm searching for someone anyone who will save me, but so far I have not found them, its as if the world is collapsing around me, trying to bury me in the darkness and loneliness that comes with being the Champion of Love and Justice, and Leader of the Sailor Scouts. Her eyes were red, and slightly puffy, her hair was in disarray but the moon was kind that night and it shimmered and glowed around the young girl that stood like an angel.
I can feel the pain, every night I dream of Endymion and every morning I awake to a dreary world, one where I am unloved and unwanted, cast aside and taunted. Darien and Raye taunted and teased her, humiliating her beyond belief, and Amy doesn't realize the pain she puts me through while trying to tutor me and then Mina and Lita are too boy crazy. She sighed and brought her head up to look at the beautiful moon, the moon that usually could comfort her, it calmed her somewhat but she was too far gone in her sadness and loneliness to be fully comforted by the moon.
Gods, am I so horrible that no one wants me, and the battles are the worst. Raye wants to be leader and points out my every flaw, the other Scouts have yet to voice their opinions but I'm sure they've had their doubts about me. Luna is always nagging about at my skills and Tuxedo Mask is so condescending, first a compliment and then an insult, and he's so cold and indifferent as if all I can do is screw everything up.
More tears hit the rail at a faster rate. "Kami!" she cried aloud, her voice hoarse with deep sadness, her eyes were a bloodshot eyes glimmered with unshed tears, even her buns drooped with sadness. This night she was truly the image of profound and indescribable sadness, a sadness so deeply rooted inside her that she seemed like a distant goddess, one shrouded by shadows and haloed in moonlight. "Kami..." she whispered desperately, "help me please?! I'm lost and I don't know what to do, without Endymion I am nothing."
A young man stood beneath her, he was covered in the shadows, he had been on his way home, when he heard her loud exclamation. He stood entranced by both her beauty and her sorrow, he could see the crystalline tears that were sliding down her cheeks. By looking at her he could see that there was more to her than met the eye, her stance alone was regal, and the desperate way her hands clung to the rail showed her desperation. He knew that he should turn and leave and that it was not for him to witness her in such a state, she was above him, elevated to an almost goddess like status, one that a mere human should not have access to view. But he could not leave, he could not turn away from her, if he could he would have comforted her, but he knew not how. A lone tear fell unnoticed from his deep green eyes.
How beautiful and yet how sad, she is beautiful like the goddess Selene and yet holds within her being the tragic lives that are held by the gods, to be immortal and yet to never be able to escape the sadness that would surround her and divide her within. Daniel would spend the rest of his life portraying the goddess above him and the sadness that surrounded her, and he set off running to his studio to start on the project immediately, the project that would consume him for the rest of his mortal life, trying to bring to life the sadness that this young woman held in her being.
"Somebody save me please..." she whispered to the uncaring world, knowing very well that no one would hear her, the pain that she hid was a burden that the world must never learn of. She wished she could die or disappear, but no the world depended on her when all she wanted was a normal life, her life was plagued with youmas and evil generals.
She didn't know who Endymion was but he had awakened emotions within her that she had never felt, the dreams were always so vivid and the way he treated her, just like a princess was every girls' dream but she was no princess. And for Heaven's Sake why did she have to keep the pretense of being happy up all the time. If anyone looked closely they would see the haunted expression in her eyes the one that showed the world her heart, the one side of her that no one got to see, not even Molly would notice it. And Luna, it saddened Serena that she had to hide this from her guardian but it was necessary, which was the reason behind her nightly escapades and her dear, kind mother could suspect but she would never really know.
And how many could guess that the all powerful Super Heroine, Sailor Moon was also klutzy, crybaby Serena Tsukino? She gave a bitter laugh at the thought, that knowledge alone would shock all who knew her to the very core. Sure she wasn't graceful in battle but the glamour kept anyone from really guessing her true identity. Normal, happy, perky and klutzy Serena was seen as an innocent, one who knew too little of the world around her. If Raye saw her right now she would call her a crybaby and tell her to suck it up or give up the leadership of the Senshi. But the truth was Serena could never give that position to Raye, she was too much of a hothead and her arrogance could cause the Senshi grave damages in battle, Amy analyzed too much and that could cause too many problems, she was too used to standing in the shadows and let the others fight while she analyzed. Lita was most likely to jump into the fight while not thinking, sure she did that from time to time but that was only because if she didn't innocents were more than likely to get injured. Truth be told the only Senshi capable of being leader was Mina, sure she could seem airheaded and her quotes came out all wrong but the girl was a great strategist and she knew exactly when to ask for help and she knew what a team was, the others were too used to being alone. If Sailor Moon were to resign, the position could only be filled by Mina as Sailor Venus, any other choice would hurt the team.
But there would be two major obstacles to her resigning, Luna and Artemis would never allow her to resign, as the Crescent Moon Wand was given to her and the Silver Imperium Crystal and a lost Moon Princess were to be found and protected, she could not nor would she fail the Moon Queen like that. Too much rode on her and the burden of that knowledge was weighing down. Kami! It was terrible to have destiny and fate work against you, they must hate me too. What good am I except to take up space? I'm not even as powerful as the others, they have water, fire, lightening and chains, while I get a stupid frisbee and wand? Even Tuxedo Mask with his roses is more powerful than me!
She thought ruefully and failed to notice the tiny pulsing of the golden crescent moon that appeared on her brow. For this tiny, saddened child was none other than the lost Princess waiting to be found and loved. The Imperium Crystal pulsed as well hidden deep within the Moon Princess, its connection with the Princess it ached to show her how much she was loved and cared for, it longed to protect her as only it knew how but it must remain hidden until she discovered it and there remained the fact that its Princess did not know of her past life as the Princess of the Moon and the Silver Millennium.
But if you watched her close enough you would see that she had a regal air and a commanding tone, she was graceful and quick and was smart, smarter than knew she was. Her only weakness was that she tried to please all those around her and she felt like she had to fulfill the world's concept of what a blond was. "I never wanted to be Sailor Moon!" she cried to the uncaring sky. "All I wanted was to be a normal girl, just a normal girl..." she whispered brokenly as a lone tear fell unto the uncaring metal rail. If any had heard those last words it would've broken their hearts, it was a desperate plea for a life that could never be had from a broken girl that was thrown into battles and dark plots.
"If only Beryl had never awakened once more! If only her and that damn Metallia had stayed buried in time! Damn them! They will pay for this!" she seethed hatred at her nemesis. "Bloody hell!" she cried out her palm hitting the rail hard enough to dent it. "All of my life all I've heard is how I'm never good enough. All I do has never been enough..." tears of rage and sadness flew from her eyes spraying the area, as her blond hair tumbled out of their buns and cascaded around her. She knew it was wrong for her to be out here this late at night, but she could never let Luna see her like this. It would not be good for Luna to see her in this way it would only make the cat more assured that she was not even good enough to be in the Senshi.
Little did she know that the Guardian cat was not too far away watching over her, she always followed Serena on her nightly escapades to ensure that her young charge came to no harm. It was at this moment that Luna noticed the change in Serena's demeanor, when she was angry there was always a change, she grew taller and stood straighter, her voice grew haughtier and more commanding, her eyes would flash. But it was the flash of gold that caught Luna's attention, and she felt her own crescent moon pulsate along with that of her charge's. "Oh no, damn it all to hell!" Luna cursed beneath her breath. I can't believe it! Central Control should have told me, I've trained the wrong person to be the leader of the Senshi!" she said as memories rose unbidden to her mind of the young woman on the balcony. She turned to look at the moon as the moon glowed even brighter, that was their home, a place that had held unsurpassed glory and power during the era known as the Silver Millennium. She herself had been the Royal Advisor for the Lunar Royal Family of the white moon, who ruled during the Silver Millennium from the Sun to Pluto, the only planet excluded had been the Earth who had refused to take their place like the other planets.
"Sailor Moon!" Luna cried out as she landed before the young maiden, "Sailor Moon, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Luna asked as she balanced delicately on the rail.
"Luna, how did you find me here?" Sailor Moon asked as she desperately tried to scrub away her tears and turned away from Luna so that the guardian cat would not see the tears that had stained her cheeks.
"Sailor Moon, that is useless, I know you've been crying. Now tell me what's wrong?" the black cat said as she looked at the saddened young woman who was the Princess of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium.
"Luna, what could possibly wrong..." Sailor Moon's voice said sarcastically "except that I remain unloved and unwanted! I am lost and I don't know what to do! Every night I dream of Endymion and these memories that rise unbidden, and I don't even know who he is!"
"Sailor Moon, I can assure you that you find Endymion soon enough," Luna told her trying to put as much sincerity and comfort into her voice.
"But if Endymion is dead..." Sailor Moon said as she turned to face Luna, the tears glittering in her eyes at the thought of never seeing Endymion again.
"More than likely he would have been reincarnated as you were." Luna offered trying to comfort her knowing that her Princess needed to hear any words of reassurance that concerned Endymion.
"Luna, I..." the young girl tried to say what it was she was thinking but couldn't think of the right words without it sounding completely lame about it.
"Its alright Sailor Moon, I understand." Luna offered knowing what it was that her charge was trying to tell her about what was going on inside her mind. She remembered that even as the Lunar Princess, she had always wanted to be a normal teenage girl.
"At least someone does..." Sailor Moon said and then touching the brooch on the bow of her Scout uniform and de-transformed to Serena. Her hair was mussed so she pulled the pins out of her buns and her hair cascaded around her floating in the breeze that sprang up. She picked the cat up into her arms and held her, Luna purred for her mistress and knew that Artemis would have to hear about this development but the others shouldn't and I can't tell Serena this, she didn't want to be Sailor Moon and then to tell her that she is the Moon Princess would devastate her.
"I know I shouldn't be like this, we still need to find the Moon Princess and the Silver Crystal..."
"At this moment they are irrelevant, but the only important thing is for you to feel better."
"But Luna, you've always said they come before anything."
"I realize what I've said, but Serena as Sailor Moon your state of mind and your emotions hold far more importance, especially to me since I am your Guardian. I should've realized that I was pushing you too much." Luna said dejectedly, as she let her head fall to her chest, showing the sadness she held for being so inattentive to her charge's needs.
"Luna?"
"Yes, Serena?"
"The Negaverse?"
"Is a formidable enemy, they destroyed the Silver Millennium and the Moon Kingdom..."
"Then they will pay, Beryl and the Negaverse will pay for all they've done!" Serena said, her hands gripping the rail, her face hard, her eyes were cold as blue steel. She stood and appeared like a maiden of vengeance seeking her dues. The moonlight gathered around her and made her and gave her an unearthly glow as she and the small black cat looked up at the moon the golden crescent moons upon their brows glowing and showering them in a golden light.
Now all that was left was to make Beryl and Metallia pay for the crimes and evil deeds they had done... all that was left was time...
Definitions:
silhouette- portrait or picture cut from black paper or done in solid black upon a light ground; outline seen against the light; outline of object seen against the light; v.t. to represent in outline; to cause to stand out in dark shadow against a light background.
