chris@future.atlcom.net (The CowGod) The Water loves the Moon. There is no courtship more ardent and passionate, nor one so sad and full of longing. She races across the sky and the waters rise up trembling behind her, pursuing her pale beauty. She is the heartbeat of the earth, the rhythm of the waters is the pulse, and this cycle gives birth to all the others. Life rises and falls according to the Moon. For every birth there is a death, for every death a birth. Love and loss circle each other through an orbit of - Mythopoeia "The Making of Myths" Moon Goddess At this point, I could still consider suggestions for events to include in future chapters. Not that I don't have a plan of my own, but every little bit helps. Oh dear... I finished this chapter, and I am still obsessed. Guess I'll just have to write another. Please, give me feedback! I'll never get any better if I don't know what I'm doing wrong! You DO want me to get better, don't you? Yes, I know Serena's family isn't really like that. Yes, I know it will affect the plot later on. Yes, I added it for more than just dramatic effect.* * * "Oh! Prince Endymion, you did startle me so. Why are you sneaking around the gardens at this hour?" "Only to catch another sweet glimpse of you, my love." "Would you have it be only a glimpse? Is that all you desire?" "Nay, Princess, my arms long to hold you, and my lips to kiss yours. Please, come closer . . . " "Oh, Endy, we really should . . . " "Shush, little one . . . " "Serena?" "SERENA! IT'S 8:15! ARE YOU GOING TO SCHOOL OR NOT?" Serena jarred herself awake, and flung the covers away. "AHHHH! MOM! WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP SOONER?!?!" she yelled, as she hurriedly got dressed. "I did, you little bastard! Honestly, sometimes I wish I had never given birth to you! Now get out that door! If I hear one more word out of you, I'm gonna tan your sorry little ass!" screamed Alice, Serena's mother. Alice raised back her right hand as if to hit Serena. "Ma?" asked Serena, timidly, "Don't I even get lunch?" Alice's hand came down with lightning speed, leaving a red hand print on Serena's face. "OUT!" screamed Alice. * * * "Hey! You there! What are you doing?" she called out. Serena snapped back to her senses, giving the kids enough time to get away. "Uhh . . . Nothing, Ma'am . . . We were just playing. I guess I got a little rough. Sorry." "Well don't let it happen again. In fact, aren't you a little old to be playing with those kids? Why don't you run along and find someone else to play with?" "Err . . . yes, Ma'am." Serena stood up and pretended to examine her bloody knee, while actually looking at the cat that the leader had dropped. It was simply laying on the sidewalk, motionless, except for a slight shiver. She couldn't help but notice that the cat had a small yellow bald spot on its forehead. She reached out gingerly to touch it . . . ...and was rewarded by a bright flash of yellow light! The cat suddenly awoke, and scampered off. Serena started to follow it, but she realized she was already late for school, so she sighed and continued on her way. * * * Ms. Camp, Serena's 1st period English teacher glared sternly at her when she tried to slip in unnoticed. "Serena," she said, "Where are your wits this morning? Not only do you show up late, but you don't even have the sense to look at the clock! It's 2nd period!" "Oh!" Serena blushed. "I... I'm sorry Ms. Camp." Ms. Camp sighed loudly. "Well, next time, be sure to look at the clock before coming into my class late. Wait, scratch that, don't let there even BE a next time." "Yes Ms. Camp." Serena sat in her 2nd period Algebra II class and stared blankly at the blackboard. While the teacher was explaining the complications of Cramer's rule as applied to matrices of 25 digits, Serena thought about the cat she had saved earlier in the morning. She had almost convinced herself that she had imagined the yellow light when she touched the cat. Imagined the images she saw. Imagined the sense of peace, yet also of urgency, and despair. She was disturbed from her reverie by a f "Yes, Serena? Do you have a question?" asked Mrs. Robinson, the teacher. "Err, well... not really, Ma'am." "Yes Ma'am," replied Serena. * * * Later, at lunch, Serena sat next to her friend Chris. "You gonna eat that apple?" she asked. "Naw, you can have it. So, How'd you do on Mrs. Robinson's Semester Test? Boy! She must have been smokin something when she made that one out! It was so easy, it could have been a pop quiz!" laughed Chris. "Aww... don't even bring that up. Hey, I had this really weird dream last night! Wanna hear about it?" "Sure, dream-interpretation is one of my hobbies!" "Err... really... well, when it started, I was in this huge forest, but it seemed well-taken care of, almost like a garden, anyway, it was night time, and suddenly this guy stepped out of nowhere! I don't know how, but he seemed really familiar..." "Yes, go on..." "Well, we started talking, and I kept calling him a Prince, and he kept calling me a Princess! Weird, huh? Then, we were about to kiss, but I had to wake up to go to school.... So what do you think?" "Heh.... this is a strange one... Let's see, a garden is sometimes representative of a place of peace or a place to grow. Does any of that seem right to you?" "Well, it was kind of peaceful... almost the same as... er, go on..." Serena suddenly realized that she had felt the same way when petting the cat. "Hmm... Finding a familiar person in your place of peace, and not being alarmed, would suggest that you are very close to whoever it was. Perhaps it was an alter-ego, manifesting itself in your subconscious mind." "Eh? Could you rephrase that? In terms a normal person could understand?" "Sure," Chris laughed, "you dreamed of meeting another version of yourself. Unless this other you had something important to say, the dream means very little." "Well, thanks anyway." "Hey, did you see that Sailor V story in the papers this morning?" "No, I didn't get a chance to read the papers. Who's Sailor V?" "Who is Sailor V? Only about the sexiest super-heroine around! We're talking a real silicon jiggle-fest here! She could charge money just for appearing in public!" "Shut up Chris!" "Oh. Sorry. Anyway, she foiled a major jewel theft yesterday. Seems someone tried to STEAL the Hope Diamond!" "Whaaaat? THE Hope Diamond?" "The one and only. It was on loan to some museum in France from the Smithsonian. You can imagine the security they had around that thing. Didn't stop the thieves, though. Whoever it was walked right through the lasers!" "Whoa! Weird!" "That's not the half of it! The security guards were found in a coma after it was over! If it wasn't for Sailor V, the Hope Diamond would be long gone!" "He he... I could see why someone would want that thing. It must be worth a fortune!" "It's priceless, but I wouldn't touch it for the world!" "Eh? You mean to tell me that if you got a chance to have the Hope Diamond, you wouldn't take it?" "Not a chance! It's cursed! People drop like flies around that thing!" "Really now, you don't BELIEVE in that nonsense, do you?" "Call it nonsense if you like. Your not gonna get ME to touch it." The bell began to ring, signaling the end of lunch. "Oh well, I'll see you tomorrow, Chris." "Bye, Serena, oh, and by the way, you know that jewelry store my mom owns? Well, she's having this big sale today. You might want to stop by later today." " Kay. See ya then." * * * Queen Beryl sat on her obsidian throne, coldly staring at the person standing before her. She had been doing this for over three hours. Finally, she decided to speak. "Jadeite," she said, in an uncharacteristically soft voice, "Report." "Yes, my Queen. I believe I have found the Ginzuishou," replied Jadeite. If this excited Queen Beryl, she hid it well. "Where?," She asked. "It is in a museum, in the country called France. But, my Queen, I fear it will not help us as we had planned." "Explain." "Apparently, the years have taken their toll on the gem. It is no longer silver in color, and now it barely has enough power to destroy a few city blocks, if even that." "I see. It may still be useful to us. Did you attempt to capture it?" "I did, my Queen, but I was stopped by the security measures taken to guard the gem." Queen Beryl's eyes flashed red briefly. "Tell me, Jadeite, what security measures are these that could stop one with the powers I have given you? Or perhaps you are not suited for this job." "My Queen, please, another chance! I won't fail you again!" "Correct, Jadeite, you will NOT fail me again. I will give you an easier job to do. Our stores of energy are running low. Gather more. Go now." Queen Beryl lifted her hand and caused a glowing black portal to rise silently out of the ground behind Jadeite. "Yes, my Queen, as thy wish," said Jadeite, stepping backwards, through the portal. "Malachite." "Yes, Queen Beryl?" asked a dark, cloaked figure, stepping out of the shadows. "Go and retrieve the Ginzuishou." "And of Jadeite?" "Leave him be, for now." "Yes, Beryl. As thy wish." * * * After school, Serena slowly walked into Mrs. Robinson's class, her face lowered. "Serena," Mrs. Robinson said, "I'm glad you came. You know, when I first thought of having you stay after school today, it was because of your grades, but now, I think there's another reason." "Err... huh?" replied Serena. Mrs. Robinson sighed loudly. "Serena. How shall I put this. Have you been having troubles at home?" Serena stammered, dumbfounded. "No, no, Mrs. Robinson, err... not really, everythings fine, you see, just great!" "What was that red handprint on your face then? And why were there bruises on your knees? I wouldn't be worried if this were the first time, but this is the fifth time you've showed up to my class with marks like this! Are you sure everything's ok at home? Serena felt as though she was being pulled between two mules. On one hand, she felt an irrational terror of betraying her mother. On the other hand, she felt a strong need to trust Mrs. Robinson. Her eye's began to water. "Yes, Mrs. Robinson, everything's fine. Please may I go now?" she asked, a tear beginning to form as she remembered the day's earlier events. Mrs. Robinson sighed. "Yes. Yes, I suppose so, Serena. I just wanted you to know that, if you ever need help, you can always turn to me, or even one of your other teachers. You might be surprised to know how much we could help. Bye now." "Bye, Mrs. Robinson." * * * "Ticket?" replied Malachite. "Admission's $10.00. Ticket, please." "I need no ticket," said Malachite calmly, reaching out with his mind. The guard's eyes glazed for a second, the cleared. "No. No of course not, sir. Sorry to bother you. Go on in." At the glass case the housed the Hope Diamond, Malachite acted again. "Guard, come here." he ordered. "Err, yes sir," replied the guard. Malachite glanced at his name tag and said, "Louis, break this glass case for me and hand me the crystal." "Yes sir," said Louis happily, as he reached back with his fist to hit the glass. His first attempt did little more than smear his blood on the case. "Got to break the glass!" he yelled as he pulled back for another try. The crunch of his bones was audible as his fist slammed into the three inch thick glass a second time. "Gotta break the glass for God!" he screamed at the top of his lungs while his final punch jarred the glass loose from the wall. He reached in with a bloody hand an "As a matter of fact, yes. Kill yourself," replied Malachite. "Yes, sir!" said Louis as he calmly drew his gun with is one good hand, raised it to his head, and happily pulled the trigger. Malachite allowed himself a small smile as he summoned the black moongate that would take him back to Queen Beryl's throne room. * * * Serena turned the corner, and her mouth nearly dropped to the pavement in surprise! Never had she seen so many people in such a little space! There was easily a hundred people trying to crowd in to Chris's Mother's jewelry store. "Whoa! Chris wasn't kidding when he said it was a big sale!" she thought, "How will I ever get in there?" "Oh, there you are Serena! I've been looking for you," said a voice behind her. "Ahh! That's not funny, Chris, you shouldn't scare me like that!" "Sorry. Hey, you'll never get in the front way; follow me, I'll let you in the back way!" "Great! Thanks, Chris!" * * * Jadeite mumbled to himself. "What a load of shit. I find the Ginzuishou and Queen Beryl sends me off to the dregs of the universe to capture energy'. All the while I'm out here, she's getting all the credit for MY discovery. By my word, she shall suffer for this insult!" Just then, a door opened behind him. He turned around, quickly re-shaped his body to take to form of Chris's mother. "Who's there?" he demanded. "Chill, Mom, it's just me and Serena," replied Chris. "Err.. Of course." A grin appeared on Jedaite's face. "Listen, you two, I could really use your help today. How about you two working behind the counter for an hour or two while I take a break?" "What? A whole hour? Um... no thanks, I have to... um.... get home or my mom will be mad," said Serena. "Yeah, mom, and I have karate practice in 45 minutes. You know that," replied Chris. "Oh yes, of course," returned Jedaite, "well, before you go, let me give you both something." Jedaite opened the counter and withdrew two small rings. "Here you go," he said, giving the rings to Serena and Chris. "Mom? Are you sure your feeling ok? These rings are 500,000 yen each! Besides, I don't wear jewelry," said Chris "OOOO! Wow! Thanks a lot!" giggled Serena. She slipped the ring on her finger and held her hand up to the light to admire it. The ring was made of gold, and had a small, dark gem embedded in it. "Oooo! It's so beautiful!" she giggled. "Come on, Serena, let's get out of here before she gives us the whole store," said Chris. "Hey, no way. I don't have to leave just yet. Ooo... look at those necklaces over there!" replied Serena. "Come ON, Serena. NOW." ordered Chris, grabbing Serena by the arm and pulling her toward the back door. "Now, now, Chris. Serena doesn't have to leave if she doesn't want to." said Jedaite. "Err... we'll talk about this later mom. Come ON, Serena!" said Chris, giving Serena's arm a hard tug. "Bye! And thanks for the rings! Whoa, whoa ,WHOA!" yelled Serena, right before crashing into a stack of boxes in the alleyway. "Sorry, didn't mean to pull so hard. Come on, lets get out of here!" urged Chris. "Hey, what gives? You're mad because your mom is such a nice person?" asked Serena. "Exactly. You don't really know my mom. She would NEVER give away something that valuable. Sometimes I'm lucky to get extra money for a soft drink at lunch! She must be over worked; why don't you give me that ring back, and I'll return it when she comes back to her senses." Serena sighed, suddenly feeling very weak. "Oh, ok. I'd hate to have to explain to my mom where I got something this nice anyway," she replied, trying to remove the ring from her finger. "Hey! It's stuck!" she said, concerned. The more she pulled on the ring, the weaker she seemed to feel. After only a few seconds, she fell to the street! "Serena!" yelled Chris. Serena moaned quietly, losing her grasp on consciousness. * * * Princess Serenity stood at her window, peacefully looking up at the Earth. Prince Endymion came up beside her. "Beautiful, is it not?" "Yes, it is. I was just thinking of you. How long do you have here until you must return?" Prince Endymion sighed. "That was what I have come to tell you. Important business has come up on Earth. I must return tonight." "Oh! So soon? But you will miss the Grand Ball!" "It saddens me, to, that I will once more be parted from your grace. But have heart; I will come back soon. Nothing, not even death, could keep me from you, my love." Prince Endymion's lips parted slightly, and he lowered his head to kiss the Princess. Princess Serenity lifted her head back and held her self close the Prince Endymion, savoring the very warmth from his body. There lips met, and in that magic moment... * * * Serena floated hazily back from unconsciousness, only to find that her dream had been a little more real than a dream had any right to be. Her strength returning, she pushed the offending person off of her and sat up. "Hey! What's the big idea? You get your kicks from kissing sleeping women? Pervert!" she screamed. "Hey! I was just trying to help, Meatball Head! And no way would I kiss you; that was CPR! In case you hadn't noticed, you just passed out!" replied Darian indignantly. "Eeeww!" said Serena, realizing who it was she had been kissing, "I was kissing YOU? Gross! I was going to be ok, anyway! I was just taking a little cat nap!" "In the middle of the sidewalk?" "YES, in the middle of the sidewalk. What's it to you, anyway? Hey! Where'd Chris go?" "Oh him. I sent him to go get some water. He hasn't come back yet." "Water? I'm sprawled out unconscious on the side walk and you wanted a glass of WATER?" screamed Serena. "I thought you just said you were only sleeping! Besides, I only wanted it to throw on you!" replied Darian. Just then, Chris came running up with a bucket of water. "Throw on ME? Why you!" Serena grabbed the bucket from Chris and tried to splash Darian, succeeding only in getting his shoes wet. "Bah! I try to do you a favor by saving your life and you pour water all over me? See if I ever help you again, Meatball." said Darian as he turned around and walked off. "Uhh... Serena? You ok?" asked Chris. "Hmpf!" she replied. Serena spun around and walked off angrily in the opposite direction. * * * Malachite stepped out of the portal into Queen Beryl's throne room. Immediatly, Queen Beryl said, "Well? Have you returned with the Ginzuishou?" "I have taken the object the Jadeite found, if that is what you mean, but I do not believe that this is the Ginzuishou." "Give it to me." Malachite caused the diamond to float gently up into Queen Beryl's hand. "Hmm... No, this is not the Ginzuishou. It is a worthy prize, however." The diamond floated back into Malachite's hand. "Put it in the vault. I will come across a use for it later," said Queen Beryl, "In the meantime, you may return to your regular post. Also, send Zoicite to replace Jedaite's old job of looking for the Ginzuishou. Perhaps he will have better luck." "As you wish, my Queen" * * * Serena's eyes darkened as she began walking up the steps to her apartment. She could already hear her mother screaming at her father. She opened the door, and the yelling immediatly stopped. "Serena," Alice said, with a false sweetness, "the Principal called today. Seems you're failing algebra. Seems to got a 30 on your semester test. Would you care to explain?" "I'm sorry, mom, I tried to study, I really did..." "DAMMIT, Serena! I give you EVERYTHING! I give you food, I give you a place to stay, I give you love and affection, but all you every do is fail!" "Please, momma, I tried...." "Do you want to live like I did growing up? That's how you're gonna be if you don't pull ahead! All you EVER do is fail!" Serena ran into her room, tears gushing from her eyes. She flopped down on her bed, crying unstoppably. Her finger began to itch, and she began to feel weak again. "Oh no... not again..." she mummbled before passing once more into unconsciousness. * * * After hours, Chris walked back into his mother's store. The walls had been stripped bare; there wasn't a single gemstone left. Seeing a light coming from the back room, he walked in. A strange man with white hair and black clothes was sitting at his mother's desk, staring trance-like into a crystal ball. Behind him were piles of human bodies. "Hey! Who are you? Where's my mom?" Chris demanded. The man made no sign to acknowledge that Chris even existed. Chris tried to pick up the c "So.... You again." said Jedaite. "Again? Where's my mom? What are you doing here?" "Ah, so many questions. None of them matter." Jedaite removed a crystal from his pocket and activated it with his mind. Lightning quick, wave after wave of black energy began streaming forth from the crystal. Chris felt his mind become clouded, as though a blanket had been thrown over his thoughts. Grunting, he sank to his knees.... * * * Princess Serenity was supposed to be listening to Luna, her guardian cat, lecture about the 12 planets and their respective powers, but she was much more interested in daydreaming about this year's Grand Ball, the first ever she would be allowed to attend. "Princess?" asked Luna, "Honestly, how do you ever expect to learn this if you keep letting your mind wander like that?" "I am sorry, Luna dear, I was just thinking about the Grand Ball" "I would much rather you concentrate on your lessons. There are still three days until the Ball!" "Oh Luna, I can worry about the lessons anytime! Let us go and help with the preperations!" "NO, Serenity, imagine what your mother would say!" "Please?" "I absolutely forbid it. At least wait until you've finished your lessons." "Oh Luna...." "Princess Serenity," said Luna authoratativly. "Ok, Luna, but can we hurry?" sighed Princess Serenity. Luna hung her head and sighed. "Yes, we can hurry if you like." * * * Serena awoke to a strange sight. The same black cat that she had rescued earlier that morning was sitting on her stomach. The small bald spot on its forehead was glowing slightly. "Oh," said Serena, still slightly dazed, "The bald kitty from this morning." "Excuse me, but it is NOT a bald spot. How rude," replied the cat. Serena giggled. "Oh, I see, I'm still dreaming." "No, you are most definatly not dreaming, but if you fall back to sleep, you may never wake up again. Now stand up!" "Silly kitty. Of course I'm dreaming." Serena began to slip back into unconsciousness. "NO! Serena, you MUST wake up!" said Luna loudly, but with no affect. In desparation, Luna dug her claws into Serena's stomach. "Ouch.... oh, you again. What is it?" said Serena weakly. The yellow bald spot on Luna's forehead began to glow again, much brighter this time. A solid object formed in the air over Serena, and fell to her chest. "Touch the locket, Serena, it belonged to you long ago," said Luna. Serena, still weak, but facinated with this new bauble, reached out her hand to grasp it. When she touched it, she began to feel her strength returning again. She also felt a pleasant, tingling warmth on her finger; the ring had fallen off, allowing blood to circulate again. "Now listen very carefully, Serena. I've been looking for you for a very long time. My name is Luna. Do you remember?" asked Luna. Serena, however, was busy examining her new locket. "Serena! Please listen!" said Luna. "Oh. This is a nice dream after all... Yes Luna, you were saying?" Luna sighed deeply. "Serena, this is NOT a dream. Beryl has broken across the dimensions again! Your help is needed!" "Don't tell me this isn't a dream when I know perfectly well that it is. Besides, I've never heard of any Beryl." "Listen, I don't really have time to explain it all to you right now, just say `Moon Prism Power, Make Up.'" "Sailor Moon, for the five-hundredth time, this is not a dream!" said Luna, "Now follow me, you have work to do!" * * * "This one is very strong," thought Jedaite, still draining Chris of his energy. "Few even of the Negaverse could have held out for so long. Perhaps, once he is drained, he can be turned. He would be an excellent warrior." Chris groaned, mumbling a few choice word under his breath. Just then, Sailor Moon came running around the corner yelling, "Get away from Chris, you freak!" "Eh? ANOTHER interruption? What are you supposed to be, an escapee from the circus?" replied Jedaite. "Hey! This is MY dream, and you're not gonna insult me like that! I'm Sailor Moon, and I fight for love and justice, and by the power of the Moon, I will punish you!" "What?!? It can't be! The Moon kingdom is long gone!" Jedaite halted his attack on Chris and held up the crystal to Sailor Moon, activating it as before. While Chris suddenly felt the blanket lift from his mind, Sailor Moon began to feel nausous. While her intristic powers saved her from the worst of Jedaite's attack, she soon found herself disoriented. The room began to spin, the walls to close in. "Oooaaahh.... why can't I just wake up?" she wondered as she fell to her knees. A solitary rose flew from nowhere, knocking the crystal from Jedaite's hands. Looking up, Jedaite saw a figure dressed in a black tuxedo wearing a cape and top hat leaning against the wall. "What is this, a talent show? Who are you supposed to be?" demanded Jedaite. "I'm Tuxedo Mask, guardian of Sailor Moon!" "Just Peachy. ANOTHER survivor of the Moon Kingdom," replied Jedaite, willing the crystal to return to his hands, "Then you too will perish, along with your precious charge!" Jedaite made an unnatural leap to put himself into position, lining up Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. Once again, the crystal emitted its deadly energy waves, putting Sailor Moon in the Dust, and Tuxedo Mask to his knees. Luna, who had been watching from a safe distance, began running like mad to attack Jedaite, k "Fuckin Bastard!" mummbled Chris, "For seven years and seven months, I studied the occult. Then you come along, and that crystal renders me powerless. No deal, freak.... Next time, maybe you'll learn to finsih what you start!" Jedaite paid Chris little attention, concentrating instead on his two obvious advasaries. Chris focused his mind on the crystal, shaping what was left of his strength into one word... "SHARD!".... and then collasping again, unconscious. The crystal instantly shattered into millions of tiny peices, many deeply cutting into Jedaite's hand. Jedaite clutched his wounded hand by the wrist and howled in pain. Tuxedo Mask, quickly recovering, threw a rose, which badly cut Jedaite's left leg. "Sailor Moon! Use your tiara!" yelled Tuxedo Mask. "Huh?" croaked Sailor Moon, on her feet, but clutching her stomach. "Your Tiara! Say `Moon Tiara Action' and throw it at him!" yelled Luna. "What's a Tiara?" asked Sailor Moon "That thing wrapped around you head! Now hurry up!" replied Luna "Well.... ok.... I guess this dream couldn't get any weirder... Moon Tiara ACTION!" yelled Sailor Moon, throwing the tiara at Jedaite. In midair, the tiara began to glow bright white and spin like mad. Like a bolt of ball lightning, the tiara struck Jedaite full in the face! Jedaite flew backwards... and right through the black moongate, which immediatly began to sink back into the earth. Tuxedo Mask ran to help Chris back to his feet, but to no avail. "He'll be ok, he just needs some rest. So will the others, I think," said Luna. "Luna, who is this person that succeeded where we had failed?" asked Tuxedo Mask. "Honestly, I don't know. He is good friends with Serena, though. I'm so glad I found the two of you again. Tell me, who are you when you arn't Tuxedo Mask?" asked Luna. Tuxedo Mask's eyes narrowed when he heard Serena's name. "I.... I have to go, Luna. Until we meet again," he said, running off into the night. "Well, that was certantly odd of him," said Luna, "I wonder what was more important than this?" "Lu... Luna? Who was that guy?" asked Sailor Moon "That was the person you are destined to marry, Sailor Moon. That was Prince Endymion." * * * End of Chapter One....