Beyond the Facade

Chapter Five, A Larger Destiny:

\"Mina, what could I possibly get Darien for his 14th
birthday celebration?\" Serena asked. \"I want it to be something
wonderful. Something thoughtful that shows how much I care for
him, yet does not go so far as to give away my deep feelings for
him.\" When Mina had directly told Serena that she could feel her
love for Darien, Serena had admitted it to Mina but sworn her
to secrecy about it.

\"I am not sure Serena, but you know I am the princess
of love. I feel his love for you as well. It is just as deep
and strong. Perhaps he should know that you feel the same way
too.\"

Serena shook her head. \"As much as I believe in your
love senses, and as much as I want Darien to know, I cannot risk
losing him.\"

\"Serena,\" Mina said. \"If you never tell him then you
have lost him.\"

\"No,\" Serena responded. \"I have lost any chance to be
with him in a romantic way, but not any chance for friendship
To me friendship is better than nothing.\"

\"I am not wrong. He loves you Serena.\"

\"Then why is he always so distant? Why does he always
avoid me or make some cutting remark to me?\"

\"He is distant with everyone Serena. He hurts inside.\"

\"I know. I can feel his hurt,\" Serena said.

\"He avoids you and makes cutting remarks because he is
in denial about his love for you. He is trying to convince
himself any way that he can that he does not love you.\"

\"Well there you go. He does not Want to love me. He
does not want these feelings. I do,\" Serena said softly.

\"He does want them. Deep down he wants them Serena,
but he thinks he does not want them because he is scared. He
is terrified to get close to anyone.\"

\"He thinks I am too young and naive.\"

\"Perhaps, but you can show him the truth.\"

\"He will never let me in.\"

\"You do not know that until you try.\"

\"What if he does not let me in though?\" Serena asked
fearfully.

\"Then you at least know that you were there for him and
that you made your feelings and love known. You will know it was
his choice and mistake if he gives up on his one chance for true
love.\"

\"And I will be miserable and alone.\"

\"What do you think you will be if you never tell him? If
you do not tell him, you do not even stand a chance.\"

Serena sighed. \"You are right. I know you are right, but
I am so scared Mina.\"

\"I know you are. I am right here,\" Mina promised,
embracing her gently.

His feet planted firmly on the ground, he swung his
sword through the air with determination and ease. His eyes
narrowed and his mouth set in concentration. He expertly moved
the sword. His eyes shooting everywhere to keep up with his
feet and hands. He was battling an imaginary opponent, and he
was winning.

\"Prince Darien!\" his mother exclaimed. \"What in the
world are you doing out here?\"

His father came to the doorway, and Darien dropped his
sword on the floor. \"Practicing with swords? Training like a
guard??\" his father asked angrily. His face turning red as he
grabbed his son\'s arm. \"Get into the palace and get dressed for
your birthday celebration in a few hours. If it was not so soon,
I would cancel it.\"

\"You are in big trouble after this celebration is over
Darien,\" his mother said angrily.

\"That is right. Do not ever come near this room again.
Do you understand? Your place is at meetings, dinners, and
balls, not in some training room,\" his father said harshly.

Darien ran upstairs, keeping the tears down, anger and
hurt rising in his whole body. He shut down and became numb to
the feelings to force himself through another boring royal
function. *Turning 14, and I wish I was turning 84 so that I
could be buried,* he thought in misery.

The day came and went. It was a slow torturous night.
*It is finally over,* Darien thought in relief. As he lay down
in bed, he cast his mind back over the day\'s events. One moment
stood out in his mind. *He opened Serena\'s gift. It was a
beautifully decorated journal. \"To write your thoughts in,\" she
had said. \"I know so much goes on in there,\" she added,
pointing to his heart. He had tried not to show any emotion but
inside his heart had stopped. *Had she noticed that?* Her eyes
had gazed into his with compassion and...something else that he
could not pinpoint. His eyes shone with the same emotions and
reflected in her light blue ones. Something about her calmed
his soul and brought joy to his heart. He sighed and tried to
force the image out of his mind as he finally fell asleep that
night.

His large sweaty body covered her small one as he moved
his body up and down on top of hers. He groaned as he forced
himself into her, and she whimpered in the back of her throat.
She was lying on her stomach. *Cannot move. Cannot breathe.* If
she struggled he would moan and tell her to keep it up, so she
lay very still while he finished. Her whole world shattered yet
again. Her whole body sore as she slowly moved to clean out her
blood red underwear.

Princess Mina gasped as she shot up in bed. Artemis was
awake and by her side immediately. \"Another nightmare?\" he asked
gently.

She nodded, her eyes dull from the pain.

He purred and sat next to her as she petted him slowly.
\"You are safe now Mina, safe. It is over Mina. You are safe,
safe,\" Artemis repeated gently.

She rocked back and forth to calm and ground herself.
*His hands all over my body. I can feel his dirtiness, his
darkness crawling into me.* She shuddered and ran out onto the
balcony. She wanted to scream but nothing would come out. Her
whole body full of the screaming fear but only a whimper would
escape her lips. She fell down to the cold ground, her eyes dull
as she left her body and rocked back and forth through her deep
pain. Power rose within her, and when she finally stood up and
let out a huge scream, a blinding yellow light shot out of her
body and destroyed the railing of the balcony and all the
gardens outside this side of the palace. When she was done,
unaware of the reality, she fell to the ground panting and
exhausted as she crawled back into bed and fell asleep.

Artemis\' mouth was gaping open in shock.

Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her eyes
flashed, and the sword she was using glinted as she twirled it
in her hand. She took her favorite stance and began swinging the
sword expertly, her mouth set in a straight line of
concentration. She gripped her sword more tightly as it sliced
through the air. The image of wavy sea blue hair blowing in the
breeze and sad deep blue eyes imprinted in her mind. Amara could
see her standing, dignified, with her hands folded together in
front of her flowing dress. *Oh Michelle, why did I say those
horrible things to you? It cannot be real. We are both women. We
cannot possibly be in love, but how many times have my heart
raced at merely the thought of you coming in the room? How many
times have I imagined lying next to you? We are just best
friends. That is all we can be, but if I have mistaken it so
often for love, it only makes sense that you would have done the
same. I should never have blamed you. I should never have been
so hard on you. All I wish for is to have your cool hands
intertwined with mine once again, your beautiful eyes looking
into my soul, and your body next to mine.* Her feet firmly
planted on the floor, she took a defensive stance and
protectively put the sword up in front of her face. She swung
again, jumping back and up in the air as she imagined her
opponent swinging a sword at her. She stopped for a minute and
wiped her sweaty forehead. She took deep breaths slowly. *Who am
I kidding? I do not know what love is, but I do know that there
is no one else in the world that I could ever possibly spend the
rest of my life with. No one else who knows my inner soul, and
no one else I would lay beside through the nights. No one else
whom I would want running his or her hands through my hair. I
only want to be with her. I only feel warm and safe and cared
for with her. There is no one else. Oh Michelle can you ever
forgive me? I just want to be near you.* When she felt tears
coming to her eyes, she furrowed her eyebrows angrily at
herself. *No crying Amara. Let it out through anger instead.*
She sliced her sword again through the air expertly. Her focus
on the sword fighting was so strong that she did not hear the
approaching footsteps or the opening of the door.

\"Amara!\" the woman screamed. Amara turned around and
froze. Her mother was standing in the doorway. \"Princess Amara!
What are you doing?\" her mother demanded angrily. Amara ran her
hands through her dark blonde hair nervously. \"Fighting? I Knew
there was something wrong with you. Since the moment you were
born you have been nothing but abnormal. Nothing but trouble,\"
her mother said in anger. Amara\'s eyes narrowed as her teeth
clenched. \"I was looking for the top guard and I find you in
here with swords. Tell me this is your first time,\" her
mother pleaded.

\"It is,\" Amara lied through her clenched teeth.

Her mother sighed loudly. \"Why oh why could I not get a
good daughter that did what she was supposed to do and did not
cause so much trouble? What could I have done to deserve this?\"

*What could I have done to be stuck with you as a
mother?* Amara thought bitterly. She said nothing however,
simply gritted her teeth harder.

\"Come on,\" her mother said as though she were speaking
to a puppy. \"Let us go inside. I will not tell your father
about this. He thinks so highly of you, and I do not want to
further humiliate you. Just make sure nothing like this ever
happens again all right?\"

Amara nodded her head as her sword dropped to the
ground and clanged on the floor. Her mother gasped and shook
her head in disappointment as they walked back into the palace.

She sat motionless in the large chair as her father
threw her mother across the room. \"You worthless trash,\" he
screamed at his wife. \"Why did I marry you? You cannot do
anything right,\" he screamed angrily. His eyes were cold and
his face was red with rage.

\"Please, I will get the dinner order right next
time,\" she promised desperately.

\"Damn right you will you scum.\" He grabbed her arm,
gripping it tightly as he pulled her up roughly. Her mother
did not make a sound as he slapped her across the face,
punched her in the stomach, and pushed her up against the
wall. He put his hand underneath her chin and forced her to
look up at him. \"Do not dare ever order the wrong meal for
my dinner again.\" He spat in her face.

She stayed silent and motionless.

Princess Lita also remained silent and motionless as
her father left the room.

Her mother glanced at her \"Do not worry,\" she said to
be reassuring when she saw the pain on Lita\'s face. \"He just
lost control of his temper that is all. He did not mean to hurt
me. I will be fine,\" she promised.

Lita ran out of the room, tears blinding her eyes.
*Like hell,* she thought angrily. *Why does she always defend
him and protect him? This was not one mistake. He does it all
the time. I hate him, and I hate her,* she thought in rage as
she got outside and lightning shot out of her hands. She
stopped in shock as she saw everything in sight electrocuted
and destroyed. \"Wow,\" was all she uttered.

She looked away from the window as her door was opened.
Her mother entered the room and sat down on one of her chairs
far from the window. \"Amara, I have decided that you are not
to have a birthday celebration this year because of your
thoughtless behavior with the sword. I have lied and told your
father that you do not want one and that I agreed with that
decision. If you want to remain in your father\'s good graces,
I suggest that you go along with this. Otherwise I will just
tell him what you were doing.\"

Amara shook her head quickly. \"I will go along,\" she
said emotionlessly. *Would father really hate me if he found
out? I just want to be like him. I admire him so much,* she
thought.

Her mother nodded. \"Good. I hope you have learned your
lesson,\" Queen Anita said as she swiped a lock of her golden
hair curled at the bottom behind her ear and exited the room
gracefully.

Amara growled after she had left the room, a low growl,
as her hardened eyes looked back out the window.

When Trista finally fell asleep it was nearly morning,
and she did not even get a restful few hours of sleep. Instead
she found herself back in the hazy vision with the cloaked
woman. \"Hello Pluto,\" the woman said.

\"Hello,\" Trista responded, feeling confused but trying
not to show her confusion.

\"You have returned to get the transformation pens for
you as well as Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn.\"

\"Transformation pens?\"

\"Yes. The four of you are sailor soldiers of your
respective planets. None of you need guards, but I am sure all
of your parents are too hung up on tradition to realize that.\"

\"Sailor soldiers?\"

\"Yes. You defend the universe from evil. You each have
your own transformation, powers, and objects. You as well as
Uranus and Neptune have the three of the most important
objects-the talismans. Guard them carefully. They are sacred.
The others will get theirs when they transform. You already
have your talisman. It is the key.\"

\"We take the place of the guards then?\" Trista asked,
slightly confused.

\"Well, in part, yes. You have to stop thinking in
terms of your traditional hierarchy. The truth is you are all
destined for lives much different from the ones you are living
now. You are all meant to protect the Silver Millennium
Alliance from the outside on your planet Pluto. The others
guard the inside from the Moon Kingdom.\"

\"The others?\" Trista wondered out loud. \"Do you mean
the other princesses?\" she asked.

\"Again too many questions. The others will find out on
their own. You need only concern yourself with the three from
the outer planets and yourself.\"

\"What are we defending our universe from? The Alliance
is peaceful, and their have been no major disturbances in
1,000 years.\"

\"That does not mean they will not come. Train. Train
and prepare.\"

\"What exactly are we preparing for though? It might
help if we knew.\"

\"You know enough,\" the woman answered mysteriously as
Trista awoke from her vision. She sighed. *Will this woman
ever give me the answers I seek? What will we have to save
this universe from? How do we do it? Can we do it? Are the
other princesses the inside defenders of the universe? I
suppose I best not mention this to them though since she said
I should not interfere with the inside defenders.* Questions
continued to race through her mind for the next hour before
she had to get up and be dressed for the day.

Serena ran outside excitedly to meet the other
princesses of the inner planets. \"Raye, Lita, Mina, Amy!\" she
exclaimed as she hugged them all tightly. They all hugged her
back gladly.

\"How are you all?\" she asked in concern.

\"Hanging in,\" Amy said vaguely.

\"All right,\" Lita lied.

\"Fine,\" Mina lied.

\"I do not know,\" Raye said to avoid the truth.

Serena saw through it all but said nothing. \"Let us
all sit and talk,\" she requested.

They all nodded and sat with her. Suddenly Lita
jumped up. \"I just need some time alone please,\" she said
desperately, running off.

Serena stood up to run after her, but Raye shook her
head. \"Let her have some time alone. She needs it,\" Raye
requested.

Serena nodded. \"All right.\"

\"I need some time alone too,\" Mina said quietly. \"I
am sorry. I will be back soon,\" she promised as she went off
on her own.

Serena and Amy sighed. Raye said nothing as she
stared after Mina silently.

Mina purposely went another way from Lita, but once
she got into the woods she circled back around and searched
for Lita. *I wonder what she is doing or thinking,* Mina
thought. When she finally found her near the river, Lita was
sending electric shocks out of her hand into the water. Mina
stood silently watching her. Lita picked up on someone
watching her only a few moments later, and she turned around.
\"Mina, this is not. I mean...\" she gasped.

\"Do not worry,\" Mina said. \"I have them too.\"

\"You have electric powers too? Really?\"

\"Not electric. Golden beams come out of my hand, but
it is power nonetheless.\"

\"Wow,\" Lita exclaimed. \"I thought I was alone.\"

\"So did I,\" Mina admitted.

\"Want to practice together?\" Lita asked.

Mina nodded as golden beams shot out of her hands and
combined with the electricity from Lita\'s hands to make a
strong, lethal combination. They smiled at each other,
feeling the stronger link between them as friends and
warriors now.

It was the meeting for those princesses of the
planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Princess Amara
came in last, and when she entered Michelle went away from
the other two and sat down on a chair by herself. Amara
stopped and hesitated. *Maybe she does not want to talk to me
anymore,* she thought sadly. She took a deep breath and
walked up to Michelle, trying to look confident. \"Michelle,\"
she said.

Michelle looked up in surprise and gasped. *She is
talking to me. What does it mean?* Michelle wondered in
surprise.

\"Michelle, can we talk...alone?\" Amara asked.

*Is she angry with me or could she possibly have
forgiven me?* Michelle wondered in confusion. Michelle
nodded her head. \"All right,\" she said, getting up and
walking out with her.

\"Where are they going?\" Hotaru wondered out loud.

\"I think they need some time alone small one,\"
Trista said wisely as she hugged Hotaru close.

\"Yes?\" Michelle asked when they were outside, her
mouth dry from the anxiety she was feeling inside. She did
not even realize she was holding her breath.

Amara\'s heart felt like it stopped when she looked
at her love. \"Michelle, I...\" She gulped. \"I love you too.\"

Michelle\'s heart fluttered. \"Oh Amara, do you mean
it?\"

Amara nodded. \"I am sorry Michelle.\"

\"No apologies,\" Michelle said softly as she
embraced the tall woman.

Amara held her tightly, never wanting to let her go.
She nuzzled Michelle\'s cheek with her own gently as she
smelled her citrus smelling hair. \"I love the smell of your
hair,\" she said, taking a deep breath.

Michelle nuzzled her cheek back and snuggled in
Amara\'s embrace. \"I love everything about you. The smell of
your hair. The way your dark blonde hair sweeps along your
face. The depth and variety of colors shining in your eyes.
Your strong arms.\" She looked into Amara\'s eyes with her own
deep blue ones, and Amara was lost in the depth and beauty
shining through them.

\"I love everything about you too Michelle. I love
you just the way you are.\" She looked at Michelle\'s
beautiful, thin lips, noticing them for the first time.

Michelle\'s breathing got faster as she too looked at
Amara\'s thin, set lips. Amara\'s breathing got faster too.
She looked into Michelle\'s eyes. Michelle nodded her head.
\"Yes,\" she answered Amara\'s silent question. Michelle stood
up on her toes as Amara\'s head fell down onto Michelle\'s
lips, and their lips touched briefly. Amara hesitated to go
any further, but Michelle pressed herself against Amara\'s
lips hard. Their lips opened as their mouths were joined in
a passionate kiss, and their bodies pressed against one
another.

\"Amara, are you all right?\" Michelle asked hours
later as she snuggled in her lover\'s embrace.

\"I do not know. So much is wrong now,\" Amara said
sadly.

Michelle nodded. \"I know. I feel the same way. Tell
me about it please. I am here for you.\"

\"I know you are. Thank you.\" She paused for a deep
breath. \"My mother caught me training with a sword in the
guards\' training room.\"

\"Oh Amara, is that why you did not get a birthday
celebration?\"

\"Yes,\" Amara said tightly. \"She did not tell my
father thankfully. I adore my father Michelle.\" Her voice
became strained. \"What if he finds out somehow? I do not
want to stop training. It is the only thing besides being
with you that I love, but neither one is allowed. I wish my
father could love me the way I am, even if I am messed up
as they all say.\"

\"They would all think I was messed up too if they
knew the real person underneath this façade I put up. Oh
Amara, I play their game. I get dressed up, and I act
refined. Yes, I do like some proper things such as painting
and dancing, but underneath it all I am just a tired,
strange, lost, confused girl who does like fighting with
my powers and who loves you. Amara, I will always love
you the way you are. I do not know your father, but I wish
and hope that he would love you no matter what too.\"

\"Michelle I Know he would Never accept us, and I do
not think he would even understand the fighting and
training I do.\"

Michelle\'s eyes got watery as she laid her head on
Amara\'s shoulder. \"I am sorry Amara, but please do not
change yourself for him. He may be an amazing person, but
all you can do is love him the way he is and be yourself.\"

Amara sighed. \"All right,\" she said, but inside she
questioned that thought. *If he cannot accept me, maybe I
can change. I can learn to dance and be proper and love men
right?* she tried to convince herself unsuccessfully.

When they returned to where Hotaru and Trista were
sitting, Trista asked them all to sit down and listen to
her. They did so of course.

\"What is this about Trista?\" Michelle asked.

\"I had another vision,\" Trista answered.

\"What happened?\" Michelle asked.

\"It concerns all of us really.\"

\"Go on,\" Amara encouraged her.

Hotaru nodded when Trista looked at her. \"Here,\"
Trista said, throwing four pens on the ground. They each
had a large planet on top. One was purple with rings around
it, one was light blue, one was a lighter purple, and one
was golden.

\"What is this about?\" Amara asked.

\"Transformation pens. We are sailor soldiers. That
is what she said. She told me that we use these to tranform
into sailor soldiers, and we are meant to protect and
defend the universe from the outside from evil forces.
There are others who defend and protect the inside planets.
Although she would not tell me who these others were, I
would guess that they were the other princesses.\"

\"I do not understand,\" Amara said in confusion.
\"What evil? The Alliance and the universe are peaceful.\"

\"Neither do I. As you say we are a peaceful galaxy
and have been for quite some time. I do not know what evil
forces she meant, and she would not tell me. She said only
that despite being peaceful now evil forces could come.
She would not elaborate or go into details beyond that,\"
Trista responded.

Michelle interjected. \"We are princesses of the
planets in the outer part of the solar system.\"

\"Yes, that part makes sense,\" Trista agreed.

\"How do we transform?\" Amara asked. \"I want to see
what it is like to be a sailor soldier.\"

\"I do not know. She did not tell me, but we need
to figure it out. I feel that something is coming, and we
are meant to protect from the outside. We must prepare and
train for this.\"

\"Agreed,\" Michelle said. \"But first we must figure
out how to transform.\"

\"And whose is whose. She did not tell me,\" Trista
added.

Everyone watched silently as Hotaru cautiously
approached the pens. \"This is mine,\" she said quietly as
she picked up the purple one with rings around it.\"

\"Of course the rings of Saturn,\" Amara said.

\"Hush,\" Trista said. \"Let there be silence for
this.\"

Amara nodded as they watched Hotaru in awe as she
began to glow purple and shot her arm up in the air.
\"Saturn Planet Power!!\" she yelled.

Their mouths opened. It was a huge surprise to
hear her yell, but they were in for an even bigger one as
light surrounded her and she transformed into a short
skirt and short sleeve outfit that was purple with a
tiara and a purple choker and purple boots that went
almost up to her knees and had a criss-cross lace
design up them. She held a glaive in her hand.

\"Look at her eyes. They have gotten a purple
coloring added into the black,\" Michelle said softly,
still in awe.

\"The second of the four objects,\" Trista
breathed.

\"What do you mean?\" Michelle asked.

\"All four of us have objects. Saturn has the
glaive. As you know you have already seen my time key. I
do not know what you two have, but the objects you two
have as well as my object make up the three talismans.
They are supposedly sacred and important. We must take
good care of them,\" she said.

\"Well I want to see mine!\" Amara exclaimed.
\"Uranus Planet Power!!\" she screamed as she picked up the
golden pen instinctively. Light surrounded her as well.
Whooshing up around her and twirling her into her sailor
suit of golden and dark blue colors with a tiara and a
dark blue choker around her neck. She had dark blue high
heel boots that came up past her ankle but not quite to
her knee. She held a sword with jewels on it and a fancy
handle in her right hand.

\"Uranus,\" Michelle breathed.

\"Yes!\" Uranus exclaimed. \"A sword. This is great.\"

Michelle walked up to the light blue planet pen,
and her hand also shot up in the air. \"Neptune Planet
Power!!\" she screamed. The waves of the ocean surrounded
her as she also twirled into her sailor suit and emerged
with the colors of turquoise and blue on her skirt and
choker and bows. SHe also had a tiara and small high
heeled blue shoes that had criss-cross straps. She held a
small blue mirror in her right hand.

Uranus smiled and looked at her love in
admiration.

Trista picked up the lighter purple pen and
transformed. Fog lights shot up around her engulfing her
in their mysterious light and twirling her into her
sleeveless verion of the same sailor outfit as the others
had on in marron and green colors. Her dark green hair now
up in a bun and beautiful green boots with a white band
around the top that went up past her knees. She held the
time key in her right hand.

\"Pluto,\" Sailor Saturn said quietly. They all
looked at one another in awe before beginning their
training. They instinctively began to say their soon to be
trademark phrases. \"Pluto Deadly Scream!!\" Pluto screamed
as power shot out of the top of her time key.

\"Uranus World Shaking!!\" Sailor Uranus yelled as
two golden worlds shot out of her hands and destroyed all
that was in sight.

\"Neptune Deep Submerge!\" Sailor Neptune yelled as
her ocean waves covered the land. Had Uranus\' attack not
destroyed everything, Neptune\'s power would have.

Sailor Saturn said nothing. \"Have you no phrase?\"
Sailor Neptune asked kindly.

\"I have one,\" Saturn answered. \"I cannot use it
though.\"

\"How do you know?\" Sailor Uranus asked.

Her wise purple eyes gazed into Uranus\' deep blue
and green ones. \"My power destroys the world.\"

\"I thought you had healing power,\" Sailor Neptune
said in confusion.

\"I do, but it has no phrase. I have the glaive to
use in battle, but my powers are opposing. The healing
comes from inside, and I can do it as either Hotaru or
Sailor Saturn. The glaive is only for Sailor Saturn as is
the opposing power. It is death. I am death.\"

She said it so calmly that a chill went through
the other three sailor soldiers. Pluto stepped forward.
\"How did you know this small one?\"

\"I am not sure. I just know.\"

Pluto nodded. \"Just as you knew the phrase to say
and the pen to use before any of us. You have the
greatest and most destructive power. That is a huge
burden for anyone to carry. Much larger than I could ever
imagine handling, and you are a mere child. You have an
old soul though, just as all of us do. I sense that in
you small one. I am sorry you have this burden. You are
an amazing soldier who will go on to do great things. I
know this. I can sense it. Only you could handle such
incredibly destructive powers. Use them wisely as I know
you will small one. I am so proud of you, and I always
will be.\" Sailor Pluto hugged Sailor Saturn close.
Sailor Saturn for the first time showed strong emotion
on her face as she wept.

\"You are the only one to ever say such kind
things to me,\" she said. \"You are the only one to
believe in me,\" she cried.

\"Oh no Saturn, I believe in you. I have always
believed in you Hotaru,\" Neptune promised.

\"As have I. You are strong. Much stronger than
you appear to others. Underneath your apparent childlike
body and weak body there lies the strongest spirit and
power of us all. I too have always been and always will
be proud of you,\" Uranus added.

\"Thank you all,\" she wept as they all embraced.
There was a closeness amongst them all that no other
could ever understand. No other except perhaps for the
other princesses who had also formed such a close bond
and closeness together.

It was the night after Michelle\'s 15th birthday
party, and they were in her bed. Amara was in her
cotton pajamas, and Michelle was in her silky light
blue nightgown. Amara lay on her left side, and
Michelle was laying on her left side as well snuggled
close against Amara\'s body who had her arms wrapped
around Michelle\'s body. They slept soundly that night.
When the sun came up the next morning, shining
through the glass windows in Michelle\'s bedroom, Amara
opened her eyes slowly. Yawning in a kind of sleepy
stupor. She snuggled closer to Michelle and nuzzled her
softly on the cheek. Michelle instinctively snuggled
closer as she slowly woke up. She turned to look up and
gazed into Amara\'s loving eyes. \"I love you Amara.\"

\"And I you Michelle.\" Amara ran her hand down
Michelle\'s silk nightgown.

\"Mmmm...that feels good,\" Michelle said.

\"Mmmm...it does to me too,\" Amara admitted,
smiling.

Michelle smiled back, nuzzling her and then
kissing her softly. \"I feel like I am in a hazy dream.\"

\"Mmm, me too Michelle. Me too. Let us never
wake up.\"

\"Never,\" Michelle promised.

Of course, they did soon have to get up and get
dressed before anyone found out that Amara was sleeping
on the bed with Michelle instead of alone in one of the
guest bedchambers.


\"Happy 13th birthday Raye!\" the other
princesses as well as Prince Darien all exclaimed. She
smiled some as she opened the gifts and then got to
chat with all of her friends. She tried to appear as
all right as possible, but inside she dreaded each
passing minute as the time alone with her parents after
the celebration came closer and closer. As the moment
approached, she pulled away more and more from her
friends. Lita and Serena stayed close to her being
especially sensitive to how she was feeling. Amy was
absorbed in a book, and Mina was absorbed in her own
horror at this time.

That evening did come eventually, and Raye
stood stone cold as she took the beatings from her
parents. The fire inside her burning intensely as her
face remained expressionless. Raye always appeared
cold but inside this fire had been burning and
growing in intensity with each passing day.

As she jumped down from the balcony that
night, she stood beside a bush, and her eyes narrowed
as she began to think of her mother slapping her
across the face and her father kicking her in the
stomach. She remembered her mother grabbing her neck
and her struggle to breathe as her mother\'s grasp got
tighter. Her mother\'s eyes cold, and her father
grinning at his daughter\'s struggle. She opened her
eyes suddenly from the heat she felt outside. The
bush in the garden was burning as fire was shooting
out of her hands. She gasped and then willed more
fire to come out of her hands as she began to feel
some satisfaction from the power and the burning of
the bush.

To Be Continued...