“Another canister has
arrived, your Highness,” reported a servant. She was a small woman,
somewhat timid, and asked her master from outside the door instead of stepping
into the monarch’s chambers.
“Just lay it on the
dresser,” the queen commanded, though in the manner she said it, it sounded
more like a request. The servant slipped quietly in the room and
set the canister on the bureau, then returned to the door, awaiting further
instructions. “That’s all for now.”
“Good night, your
Highness.” She left the queen, who had prepared herself for bed.
It was late and she would need plenty of rest to get through the next day.
Things had been tough for Serenity ever since the untimely death of her
mother, Queen Luna. At the young age of fourteen she was crowned
the new Queen of the Moon. Though she received helpful advice from
her aunt, Princess Artemis, it was still difficult for a young teenage
girl to handle all of the responsibilities of being a ruler. At times,
she felt she couldn’t take all of the pressure anymore and was ready to
crack. It was at these times she always seemed to receive a small
box containing something which always brought some joy into her life.
Serenity opened the
lid of the metal box by pressing two buttons on it sides with her index
fingers. She looked inside to find a single envelope with her name
on the front of it. She carefully opened the envelope, ensuring that
the letter inside would neither get torn nor crumpled when she took it
out. After retrieving the letter, she placed the envelope beside
the box on the dresser and unfolded the sheet of paper, her eyes scanning
the handwritten text.
Serenity,
Oh, how I long
to see your beauty. It becomes increasingly difficult to focus on
my duties as a leader when I think of you and the distance that separates
us. But I must continue to shepherd them, for the people need me
to lead them and once again I regret that I cannot meet you. As I
write this, I am on the planet Aleph, one that is very near my homeworld.
I turn my eyes toward the beautiful crescent moon. It resembles the
wand you hold in that last portrait you sent. But I have my obligations,
as you have yours, so once again I must decline your invitation.
I truly am sorry, and I hope one day to meet you in person.
With the love of a thousand planets,
Tottamo
She looked at the letter
for one moment more, then refolded it and placed it back in its envelope.
Then she opened the bottom left drawer of her bureau and laid it on top
of the other letters she received from him. For a minute, she stared
at the pile of letters and recalled how this correspondence came to be.
Exactly two years after her mother’s death, Serenity was sitting on the
throne. It was an ordinary day, busy but not hectic. Two neighbors
were having a dispute over property and the queen listened to the case,
trying to ascertain which of the two Lunarians was right. All of
a sudden, a servant ran into the room, interrupting the proceedings.
He directed Serenity’s attention to a window, and she rose from her seat
to look outside. An object that looked like a capsule laid on the
ground, directly in front of the palace. She ran outside to get a
better look at it. As she approached it, it automatically opened,
revealing a small, metallic box inside. Inside of the box was a letter,
a letter of first contact. It was from Tottamo, a prince from a distant
universe, and arrived through a trans-dimensional portal near the Moon.
Serenity replied to the missive, confirming that the letter arrived at
its destination. Thus began a communication between the monarchs,
which started out as a means of exchanging information that evolved into
love letters.
Now Serenity wasn’t
sure if her beloved wanted to complete this amour by meeting vis-a-vis.
Every time she asked him to visit her, he turned down her offers, using
a different reason each time. She began to doubt if he truly loved
her and decided to send another letter, a final plea, and wait for his
response. She closed the drawer and made her way to the desk where
she sat down. She took out a piece of stationery and wrote her response.
Tottamo,
Why are you reluctant
to see me? Do you think I am ugly? Am I not good enough for
you? If you do not wish to see me, then just tell me and don’t make
these excuses. I love you very much, but with each subsequent refusal
my heart is broken. If there is any sincerity in your words, please
come and visit me, or let me come to you. The passage that connects
our two universes may close at any time, and I only wish to hear your voice,
hold your hand, or see you under the light of the moon on Earth.
I have waited for three years, but I can’t wait forever, for I have a kingdom
to run as well, and my loyalty shall always remain with my people.
Tottamo, if you love me, please let us complete this written romance in
the flesh. Paper can’t contain my feelings for you; only a person-to-person
meeting will do that.
Your author of love,
Serenity
She waited for the
ink to dry before placing the letter in an envelope with Tottamo’s name
on it. After sealing the envelope, she laid it on the desk.
It would be sent early the next morning, but it was too late to send it
now. Now was the time for sleep, for the only time Serenity ever
got any rest was in her dreams.
Eternally yours,
Tottamo
This was the letter
Serenity received and this was the reason why she was on her way to Earth.
She had worn her best dress for this occasion, a sleeveless, flowing white
gown with gold trimmings. Upon her feet were cushy flat-heeled shoes
with a golden crescent moon symbol where a bow would have been. She
even took extra care when doing the traditional hairstyle, making sure
every hair was in place before leaving the Moon.
There wasn’t much
space in the Lunarian shuttlecraft, but it was sufficient for her and Rocco.
Rocco was Serenity’s personal bodyguard. He stood at an even six
feet tall, his dark Martian hair contained in a single braid which stopped
at the middle of his back. The red uniform tugged tightly at his
body and his black boots were far from comfortable, but he had long been
accustomed to the way they felt. Unlike his liege, he didn’t sit
on one of the cushioned seats but remained on his feet.
“I still don’t understand
how a wise woman such as yourself would be so enamored with this Tomato,”
Rocco remarked. He never trusted the man, or rather the letters that
this man supposedly wrote. Why would this person continually send
letters to a person he had never met face-to-face? Why did he want
to meet Serenity on Earth, on the new moon no less? It smelled like
a trap and Serenity, her senses dampened by infatuation, would step right
into it.
She corrected, “I’ve
told you a thousand times. His name is Tottamo. A tomato is
a Terran fruit. I hope you don’t call him that to his face.
After all, I’d hate it if his bodyguard called me ‘Serendipity’.”
“Don’t worry.
I’ll remember his name.”
“Thank you, Rocco.”
She looked out of the window, staring at the black sky littered with countless
tiny points of light. Her mind held steady on Tottamo and what she
would do when she met him. She had studied the sketches of the prince
carefully and tried to recreate the likeness using her imagination.
She closed her eyes as an image of Tottamo came to mind. She pictured
his entire body, from his long, thick, untamed ebony hair to the mysterious
monkey tail which always caught her attention. None of the inhabitants
of the Moon Kingdom had tails, nor did any of the species Serenity had
encountered. She wanted to know more about it, but always thought
it was too improper a question to put in a letter. She’d simply ask
him about it later.
“Serenity?” Rocco’s voice broke the queen’s concentration.
“Yes?”
“Why am I the only
bodyguard accompanying you?”
“Do you question my
orders?” Her tone was inquisitive, not demanding, and her question
was sincere.
“No, my queen.”
She hated it when a friend addressed her by a title. “I do not.”
“Rocco.” She
used the light-hearted tone of voice she reserved for those who were close
to her. “I want you to understand. I know you have reservations
about this meeting. Please tell me what you think.”
“My thoughts are irrelevant.”
“Then in that case
maybe I shouldn’t have brought you.”
“Serenity!”
She had never rejected his company before. Not once did she refuse
to include him on any journey she made off of the Moon. Now she was
talking about leaving him out of this, possibly the most important meeting
in her young life.
“I wanted to bring
you because other than being my personal bodyguard, you have been a true
friend. I haven’t ignored your suspicions; I just try to counterbalance
it with my faith, my hope, and my love for a man I have never seen in person
yet know so well. The situation may seem strange for a rendezvous,
but I can’t deny myself this chance. If it is a folly of mine, so be it,
but in my heart I am sure Tottamo is sincere.” Afterwards she was
silent. She had nothing further to say.
“But something could
still go wrong. I just have this feeling...” He couldn’t finish
the sentence, but Serenity understood what he was trying to say.
Because she had that
feeling too, and she didn’t like it at all.
Ersatz was desperate.
When she received the order from Beryl to kill Serenity, she had no idea
Tottamo would be there. The warrior had proven to be more than a
match for her, and for a moment she wondered if she truly deserved the
Sigma rank she acquired. Though her style was a quick, surprising,
fatal strike, as a Sigma assassin, she was also one of the best fighters
in the Negaverse. Not many of those from the Dark Kingdom received
the rank of Sigma; only those warriors whose fighting skills matched their
allegiance to the Negaverse were allowed in this elite position.
Another of Tottamo’s
energy blasts struck her, leaving a burn upon her upper arm. Even
with the flight bracelets, she couldn’t outmaneuver her adversary.
Not only could he dodge her attacks, but he could also hit her pretty hard
with some of his. She couldn’t outrun him, outfight him, or outlast
him and prepared herself for the harsh punishment Beryl would have in store
for her. Ersatz prepared the trans-dimensional device on her belt
to teleport her directly to Beryl’s throneroom, knowing she could never
beat Tottamo.
Then she realized
she didn’t have to.
Serenity was wide
open, and since she wasn’t on the Moon her power was not at its peak.
The new moon nullified many of her abilities, making her an easier target.
A fully powered energy blast would kill her easily, and it wouldn’t take
more than fifteen seconds to charge one up. She only had enough power
to try it once, but she knew she could make a direct hit. All she
had to do was stall for time.
“Wait!” she called,
all the while powering up the disruptor in her hand. “I yield.
Let me retreat in peace.”
The Saiya-jin prince
had readied another energy blast, one that would have surely killed Ersatz.
At these spoken words, however, he powered down, using only enough strength
to keep him floating. Part of him was glad she stopped the assault
and saw her error, but his violent side still wanted to destroy her.
Regardless of how badly he wanted to annihilate his opponent, she had acknowledged
defeat, and Tottamo was honor bound to let her go.
“I see you now realize
you cannot win,” he said in a cocky tone which had surprised even him.
The fight brought out the warrior in him, along with his overconfidence
which he struggled to keep in check. “No one messes with Queen Serenity
without paying dearly for their actions.”
“Yes, you are right
about one thing.” She paused for a second, mentally double checking
that she allowed enough time for her disruptor to fully power up.
“I can’t win...but I won’t lose, either!” Before she had completed
the sentence, she had already fired the energy discharge, and it was going
toward Serenity at an enormous speed. Within seconds, the ruler of
the Moon would be no more, letting the Negaverse begin its ultimate conquest
of the Moon Kingdom.
Tottamo wouldn’t let
that happen. He had been a little closer to Serenity than Ersatz
when she fired her weapon, but the energy beam got a headstart on him.
He could beat the beam to its intended target if the distance between the
two women was large enough. Immediately, he began a rapid descent
through the air in a race against the energy discharge. He had already
caught up with it before it was halfway between the assassin and the queen,
but the battle had drained some of his resources, and it became increasingly
difficult for him to keep up his speed. He looked at Serenity, who
still wore her cowl, unaware of the impending doom. Her very innocence
gave him a strength he never knew before. He couldn’t let the woman
he loved die so easily, so unfairly, without a chance to defend herself.
With a red streak of energy trailing behind him, Tottamo gained a burst
of speed, enabling him to reach Serenity just in the nick of time.
As soon as he reached
the queen, he grabbed her by the waist and carried her with him as she
fell, slowing down gradually so when the two reached the ground, neither
of them would feel more than a slight jolt. Both of them heard the
energy’s crackle as it made contact with the ground behind them, startling
Serenity so much that she dropped the mask in her hand. During the
fall, the hood she used to cloak herself fell off, revealing her beautiful
face and tresses. Upon seeing this Tottamo was stunned, unable to
say or do anything except keep the deceleration steady while he maintained
a firm grip on the queen. Silver eyes met black and for a moment
the two felt like they were floating rather than falling, as though nothing
else in the world existed. For a moment it looked as if everything
was going to be fine.
At least until they
hit the ground. The jolt was stronger than both had anticipated and
broke the spell the magic moment had cast. Tottamo loosened his hold
on Serenity now that she was out of danger, but couldn’t find it in himself
to release her. For the first time he had seen her face, the woman
that so entranced him and drew him from another universe. At last
he was rewarded for his patience, his loyalty, and his sacrifice with the
vision of his beloved. As he gazed at her, so bewitched by the crescent
moon symbol on her forehead, a tingling sensation went throughout his body.
He realized his mistake,
a fatal mistake, but it was too late.
“No!” he shouted,
pushing Serenity away from him.
“What is it?”
Serenity was puzzled by her companion’s reaction. Just a few seconds
earlier he saved he life. Now he acted as if she were a plague of
evil.
“Run! Get away from
here as fast as you can!” She could tell something was wrong by the
change in his manner, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. Then
she looked at his tail and saw that it had stopped swinging. Realizing
she had to get out of there, she began to sprint across the open field
without even looking back. Already Tottamo could feel the metamorphosis
starting to overwhelm him, his thoughts being smothered by pure, savage
instinct. The beast inside of him began to take over, bursting out
of the humanoid frame and reshaping it into a simian form, all the while
rapidly enlarging. By the time the painful transformation had completed,
a gigantic monkey stood where Serenity’s lover had been.
And he wasn’t in a
good mood.
Slowly, the darkness
that had been Rocco’s company for the past ten minutes gave way to the
light of the lantern on his belt. He had fought his way back to consciousness,
and the battle had taken its toll. His body was totally unresponsive
to any of his commands, and the temptation to go back to sleep was very
strong. In spite of that, he kept trying to move his body and after
a labored effort he was able to stand up.
His first organized
thoughts were about Serenity. He had no idea where she was at or
what had happened. He knew he shouldn’t have let Serenity come to
Earth without more bodyguards. Before he scolded himself further
he heard a deafening roar and not one to repeat a mistake, the first direction
Rocco looked in was up. It proved to be a fortuitous decision.
A woman in a black bodysuit was above him, flying, but she didn’t notice
him. She was trying to avoid a large monkey-like creature, which
shot beams at the woman through its mouth. She fired a weapon at
it, but she might as well have been firing at thin air for all of the good
that accomplished. Then she hovered in the air for a few seconds,
leaving herself open for an attack by the creature. Luckily for her,
the monkey chose not to fire any more energy beams, but began stomp violently.
Ersatz wasn’t hovering
in one spot for no reason, even though to an observer on the ground it
may have looked that way. She was fiddling with her belt, trying
to open a portal that would take her back to the Negaverse, but for some
inexplicable reason, the device gave her a hard time. Finally she
quit messing with it and turned her attention toward at her gigantic adversary,
who seemed to be having a temper tantrum. Serenity, you pick the
worst types as boyfriends, she thought as she once again fired her
disruptor at the being.
This time it didn’t
retaliate with a beam of energy. Instead, it started to chase the assassin,
who easily sped away, then paused to check the power level on her bracelets
and disruptor, and both were dangerously low. With the flight bracelets
losing energy and the portal generator malfunctioning, sooner or later,
the monkey would destroy her. In haste she formed a plan of desperation,
one that her life depended on.
She flew toward the
beast as quickly as she could, all the time powering up her disruptor so
it held every bit of energy it had left ready to fire. The creature swatted
at her, but she ascended just out of his reach and stopped once she was
behind the creature. Ersatz descended so she would be at the creature’s
eye level and waited for the giant to turn around, clutching her disruptor
with both hands. It behaved as she predicted and a grin appeared
on her face, believing the beast would soon be dead. All she had
to do was make a quick change in her position so she was directly beside
its ear and fire the disruptor into the opening. The damage would
spread throughout its internal system and it would be vaporized from the
inside out. There was only one problem.
The flight bracelets
didn’t respond.
“Oh--” Ersatz
didn’t even get the chance to curse as the monkey hit her with the paw,
sending her flying, this time not of her own volition. The force
of the blow should have killed her instantly, yet amazingly though death
remained near, it gave her the chance to reflect upon her life as an assassin.
Memories played in her mind, most of them surprisingly pleasant.
However, one memory stood out more than the others. She was preparing
for this assignment and her intuition told her to check the bracelets.
They responded nearly perfectly, except that one occasion, they stalled.
She should have requested new ones, but she dismissed the feeling, assured
that if push came to shove, she could finish the job without them.
She hit the ground
only a few yards from Rocco, who ran over to her. The grim reaper
decided to take his time and allowed Ersatz a few last breaths. She
saw Rocco, but didn’t recognize him; her dying mind was fixated on her
mistake. “Darn bracelets,” she was able to mutter before her soul
was harvested.
Rocco only made out
the “bracelets” part of her message and examined them until he finally
figured how to take them off. He put them on, not certain what function
they were supposed to perform. He also took the woman’s disruptor,
though he considered his actions no better than a grave robber’s.
If only I could fly as she did, he wished, then I could find Serenity easily.
At once he felt as if he were being pulled into the air and thought the
giant monkey had him in its clutches. When he turned around, though,
he saw nothing, all the while continuing to rise. He finally glanced
at the ground and noticed how high above the ground he was and nearly yelled
out in surprise before realizing it would do him little good. He
hoped whatever force was causing his ascent would stop, and instantly he
stopped rising. Testing a hypothesis, he thought about going in a
direction perpendicular to his movement and he shot forward. Then
he gave the mental command for the bracelets to take him back to the aerial
position he’d come from, and they responded by propelling him where he
wished. He silently thanked the dead woman for this gift and promised
to put it to good use.
He chose not to descend
but to remain at this height, for he could see all across the open expanse.
The giant beast was headed away from his position, chasing some other prey.
He was about to ignore it until he saw a flash of light originate from
that direction. “Serenity!” he exclaimed, then flew as fast as he
could toward that point.
It took all of Serenity’s
strength to keep herself from collapsing as she ran for her life.
Fear helped her to maintain her speed while shock, grief, and reason tried
to slow her down, to make her remember all that had happened to cause this
situation. But it was pure terror that forced her to run despite
the weariness of her body and her mind. That instinctual fear kept
her alive.
Still, it did not
matter how fast she ran, for the giant simian figure behind her grew ever
closer. It was only a matter of seconds before the great beast would
trample her. She knew she had to do something to stop it, but there
was nothing she could think of that would have any effect upon it.
Then she cast her eyes down to her side and saw the Crescent Moon Wand
held in place by the belt around her waist. She nearly exclaimed
with joy as she realized there was a chance to save both herself and Tottamo.
In one swift motion, she stopped running, pulled out the wand, and turned
around, pointing it at the monkey.
“Moon Healing Activation!”
she shouted slowly and carefully, focusing her energy so that the Crystal
could amplify the wand’s power. She stared directly at the creature,
which stopped as it was bathed in the warm, glowing moonlight. A
look of peace was on the beast’s face, and Serenity smiled as the magic
began to work on it. But that serene countenance quickly turned into
an angry scowl, causing Serenity to concentrate even harder. It was
of no use; the creature was more irate than ever and began to head toward
the queen once more.
She knew there was
no use in running, for her legs felt like lead and they had rooted themselves
into the ground. Even if she could get moving again, the monkey would
be closer to her than it was before, resulting in even less time for her
survival. There was only one option, one course of action Serenity
could take to avoid a dismal fate for her and Earth. A tear containing
the mixed emotions which battled on the playing field of her heart came
out of her eye, but she quickly steadied herself so no more of it’s kind
could follow. “I’m sorry, Tottamo,” she whispered as she held the
wand out in front of her, this time for a purpose other than healing.
“Cosmic Moon Power!”
As before, she focused her energy, trying to create the most powerful blast
possible. Yet this energy wasn’t the soft healing moonlight of before.
This was harsh lunar energy, potent and destructive, able to reduce a skyscraper
to ashes in less than a second. It had no effect on the gargantuan,
though, and it maintained its velocity. Serenity could feel the strain
of the Crystal on her body, but she ignored it. She had to stop this
beast at all costs. Pouring her entire will into the Crystal, she
glared intently at the monkey, hoping that the power of the Moon could
defeat it. But that hope was useless, for the beast was directly
in front of her. It lifted its right paw in the air, ready to stomp
the queen of the Moon into the ground. Serenity closed her eyes in
a moment of acceptance and prayed that the next ruler of the Moon would
be more competent than she had been.
When she heard the
thud in the distance, Serenity opened her eyes in surprise. Immediately
she realized she had been saved and when she saw the identity of her rescuer,
a wave of relief overcome her. Rocco had a steady grip on her, almost
to the point of impairing her breathing. She soon discovered the
reason why he held on so tightly. They were both several hundred
feet above the ground, flying through the air.
A bright beam of energy
shot by and narrowly missed the airborne duo. Serenity glanced at
the giant monkey. “Tottamo...” she said softly, but loud enough for
Rocco to hear and misinterpret. She then focused on Rocco once more.
“What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know, but
we can’t run forever.”
Serenity looked at
the disruptor hanging from Rocco’s belt. “Have you tried shooting
at it?”
“No effect.
The creature is too strong.”
“If the Crescent Moon
Wand can’t defeat it, then what can?” Rocco turned his eyes toward
the wand Serenity held onto so dearly. In of itself the wand was
a powerful object and Serenity wielded it expertly. Combined with
the power of the Silver Imperial Crystal, it was nearly unbeatable.
The Crystal was a powerful object that could magnify the energy poured
through it, be it from an inanimate object, a person, or both as it was
in the case of Serenity. That fact held fast to Rocco’s mind as he held
fast to the queen, the image of the Crystal embedded in his mind.
Then in a flash, it
hit him. The answer was so simple and clear, in front of him for
all of this time. Quickly but gently he descended, getting as far
away from the monkey as he could before setting Serenity on the grass.
“I need the Crystal,” he told her.
She put the wand behind
her back, out of Rooco’s sight. “Are you mad?”
“It’s the only way.
I’ll return it once I’m finished. I don’t have time to argue.”
“But I can’t just
give the Crystal to anyone, not even you, Rocco.”
“Look over there!”
He pointed to the area from which they had came. All of the wildlife
had been trampled, smashed flat under the paws of the giant beast.
Now it was no better than a graveyard, a true wasteland. “That’s
what will become of Earth if you don’t hand the Crystal over now.
I can’t force you Serenity, but for the sake of Earth, let me use the Crystal
this one time. I swear on your life, our friendship, and everything
else that I hold dear. I won’t misuse its power.”
Serenity stared at
the Crystal for a few seconds. She wanted to say no, had to say no,
but couldn’t find the words to do so. Instead she separated the Crystal
from the wand and handed it to Rocco.
He took to the air
once more and grabbed the disruptor, shutting out the twinges of shame
he felt using a weapon of the recently deceased. At first he had
trouble finding a spot to put the crystal in and as the monkey grew ever
closer to him, he worried that the plan might not work. The Crystal
slipped from his fingers, but instead of falling it emitted a warm glow
and slowly floated toward the weapon until it rested on top if it.
Wasting no time, he fired the disruptor and an enormous continuous ray
of energy shot out of it. The beast didn’t stop its forward progress
even as the energy hit it directly in the chest. Rocco didn’t know
how much power the disruptor had left, but he knew if the creature didn’t
die soon, then all his efforts would be in vain.
No, he thought.
I can’t let her die. I can’t let the Terrans die. In the
name all of those who live on Earth, give me the strength to defeat this
monster. He poured his will and soul into the Crystal, which
responded by glowing even more brightly. The beam got wider and more
intense, blinding Rocco. Serenity covered her face with the cowl
to protect her eyes from the blinding light. Finally, the beast began
to succumb to the power of the Crystal. It stopped and began to shrink,
all the time being pelted by the mysterious ray. Gradually, the beam
lessened in strength until it finally stopped altogether, returning darkness
to the night.
Rocco opened his eyes
and he saw nothing, still blinded by the beam of energy. Then he
looked to the ground and discerned a faint point of light. Descending
to the earth, he recognized it was Serenity, taking off the cowl.
As soon as he touched the ground, he pulled the Crystal from its makeshift
spot in the disruptor and handed it to Serenity, who immediately put it
back on the Crescent Moon Wand.
A low moan pierced
the air, which sent the duo looking for the source of the sound.
After a few minutes they found it, the battered, naked body of Tottamo.
Without hesitation, Serenity undid the clasp on her cowl and threw it over
him. By contrast, Rocco was so stunned that he couldn’t move.
He’d conjectured Tottamo had been killed by the beast. Now he realized
he was responsible for the Saiya-jin’s death and though he had distrusted
the prince, he had never wanted him dead. He remained silent as Serenity
knelt beside her lover. Tottamo opened his eyes and turned them toward
the queen, and she shirked back in fear. He reassured her in a weak
voice, “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen...this time.”
She returned to his side. “Save your strength,” she commanded.
“Too late...my body
won’t even trans--” Serenity stopped his words with a finger to his
lips.
“Be quiet.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I wonder if you’re going to be this
stubborn when we get married.”
“Don’t...make this
harder. We both know I’m...”
“I’d always thought
we’d take a honeymoon on Venus. The planet is so beautiful.”
“Serenity.”
The manner in which he said her name broke the spell delusion cast on her
mind. “Seeing your face is all I need to die happily.” He paused
as the water streamed from her eyes then dropped on the cowl she placed
on top of him. “I’ll always love you,” he declared.
She bent down pressed her lips against his, their first and last
kiss. “And so will I always love you as well.”
Those were the last
words Tottamo heard as the cruelly merciful hand of death swept across
him, ushering his spirit to the afterlife. Serenity released his limp hand
and turned to Rocco, both wordlessly affirming there was nothing they could
do.
Then the spaceship
appeared in the sky, and Serenity put on her cowl once more as she, Rocco,
and Tottamo’s body were transported to the vessel.
It had been a long
night for Serenity, too long for her to ponder as she sat on the bed in
her chambers. The events of the past few hours had both physically
exhausted her and the shock hadn’t yet worn off her mind yet. She
needed an escape, and her body needed rest, so she resolved to fall asleep
and deal with everything in the morning.
An unexpected knock
at the door changed that. Serenity sighed, then said, “You may enter.”
The person who opened the door wasn’t one of the palace servants.
This woman had blue skin and short green hair and was dressed in an entirely
black outfit. If Serenity hadn’t recognized her as one of the servants
aboard the spacecraft, she would have screamed in horror, thinking she
was another assassin. “What is it?”
“I have something
for you,” she replied, and showed her an envelope with her name written
on it. The instant Serenity saw it, she shrank back.
“Can’t it wait until
tomorrow? I’m too tired to read it now.”
“I wish I could wait,
but we’re leaving tonight.” She paused, then added tentatively, “He’d
want you to read it.”
The servant handed
the envelope to Serenity, who struggled to keep her hands steady as she
opened it. Before she took the letter out of the envelope she nodded
to the servant, who understood the silent command and left the queen to
be alone. Slowly she extracted the letter and unfolded it, her hands
trembling uncontrollably.
My Dearest Queen,
If you are reading
this letter now, it means that I am unable to meet you face to face.
I instructed one of my servants to deliver it to you in case something
has happened to me...
She stopped reading it, unable to go on. Her eyes wanted to fill with tears, causing her vision to blur. She skimmed the letter, looking past the pleasantries which had once made her happy and searched for an explanation. She found it a paragraph later, forcing herself to see through the mist in her eyes.
...I am a Saiya-jin, a member of a warrior race. Though we once craved battle and action, my father, my brother, and I have worked toward a peaceful planet, and there has been much success in that area. Nevertheless, we are a cursed people, for as powerful and advanced as our people would like to claim, we are truly ferocious beasts of destruction inside of these humanoid bodies. The light of the full moon unleashes our true forms, as gigantic, monstrous beings capable of annihilating entire worlds. That is why I could not visit you, Serenity, for as the Queen of the Moon, you emit the light of the full moon in your aura. This is the reason I asked for so many portraits from your artists, for if I were ever to gaze upon your true face-- the very thought of somehow harming you, the only woman that I ever loved, frightens me...
The letter continued,
and Serenity read every single word. He wrote about the journey,
though it wasn’t very long compared to some of the trips he had been on,
it crossed dimensions and made him feel so far away from the home he loved.
More attention was given to the measures he had tried to prevent the transformation
on numerous occasions, but all of them had failed. The only action
he could have taken that would allow him to see Serenity without any adverse
effects--the severing of his tail--was unavailable to him. It would
have invalidated him as ruler and his closest advisors would not allow
it. So the conditions he set for their meeting were the only means
he could meet the queen without destroying her.
He ended his note
with the usual declaration of love, and told Serenity to be a strong ruler
for him.
“I will,” she whispered
softly. “The Negaverse will pay.” A tear fell onto the paper,
sealing the promise.
“Sir,” Cherry begged.
“Please calm down.”
“Calm down?!” came
the angry reply. Cumbre was livid and had thrown several priceless
articles in his chambers in a blind rage. “How dare you! You,
an only child, a servant for that matter, tell me to calm down. Have
you ever lost a brother? Tell me, do you know what it’s like?”
A week ago, his brother had went into the inter-dimensional passage safe
and sound. Now he was dead. Dead. He wasn’t killed by
a freak accident during the trek. That would have been easier to
accept, though just as painful. No, Tottamo, who was to be coronated
king upon his return to this dimension, was killed by the white death in
his dream. Serenity, queen of the Moon, was responsible. Earth
was responsible.
All of them would
pay, starting right now.
“I want to speak with
General Koarn,” he said quietly.
“General Koarn?”
Koarn was a ruthless tactician who was an obstacle to the peace process,
Cumbre, Tottamo, and their father had dedicated themselves. He had
been exiled to the southern polar region for trying to lead a rebellion
against the monarchy. The very thought of Cumbre allying himself
with Koarn sent chills up the servant’s spine.
Cumbre slowly and
steadily walked closer and closer to Cherry, all the time staring directly
at her. She lowered her eyes in submission and respect until he commanded,
“Look at me!” She raised her eyes and stared into his. It was
like looking into the eyes of a stranger, not the man she had so faithfully
served and loved of before. Any remnant of kindness, warmth, or forgiveness
in them was dead. All that was left was an acidic desire for vengeance
and a deep loneliness of being the only surviving member of his family.
He slapped the servant across the cheek, leaving a bright red handprint
there. “Don’t you ever, ever, question my orders! Get me Koarn,
now!”
“Yes, sir.”
She hurriedly left the room in tears, but carried out Cumbre’s order, nonetheless.