Evolutions     

                     Interlude



     

                  "Tale of the Past"

                    by Andrea Hui





     The blue-green light of the Earth with its brilliant green

viridescenece illuminated the surface of the Moon brightly. A slight 

solar breeze flew past the ground, giving a delicate, warm feeling

to whoever stood in the way. A garden of roses and baby's breath 

rustled against the wind a little bit, and some rose petals were being 

carried by the breeze into the royal corridors of the great Moon 

Palace.

     An incredibly handsome man walked through the corridors, on his

way out into the royal rose gardens. His heels clicked languidly, and

his mind deep in thought about something that was important. As he 

stepped out of the door, he took in a deep breath, inhaling the perfume 

of the red roses surrounding him in a colorful display. 

     He was a man of duty. His whole life was lived under the fact that

he always needed to protect someone, and guarding the ones he loved 

proved to be the most painful of all. He had turned into a stern, cold

man, but he always knew he was capable of warm love, if it just came 

his way. He thought it did, when he finally got back to the Moon, but

the special woman in his life didn't give him a clue as to how she was 

feeling about him.

     This man took some time to stare at his face in one of the two

reflecting pools surrounding the marble bridge to the gazebo. He 

kneeled down on the marble floor and looked into the crystal clear

waters only inches from his face. In the pool, his face was the same 

as always, but he seemed a little more tense than usual by the crease

of worry on his brow. He knew why. His concern about the coming war 

made him think about his loved ones, and what...no, how he should tell 

them about his past before he dies in battle. He knew he would die in 

this war. Everybody had to die someday. He just decided that he needed 

to die soon. If there was nobody to live for, why live anyway? All he 

needed to know before he gets buried is the comforting fact that his 

loved ones would be safe.

     He stood back up and advanced toward the gazebo. He could see a 

small forest of oak trees behind the stone structure, and smiled a 

little, which was rare. He knew she planted them herself. As a memoir.

     The gazebo was a little dark, but the Earth's light lit it up

halfway. He walked through it like he did so many times in the past, 

but before he could exit the other end, a soft, melodic voice spoke up.

     "Isn't it a bit late for a walk, Guard Commander?"

     He glanced to his left, and saw a dark shadow against the 

reflecting pools. Though it was dark tonight, he could see her quite 

clearly now that his sight was used to the darkness. She was Queen 

Serenity. Her light purple hair flew about in the solar wind, and she 

gave the Commander a warm smile.

     "I could ask you the same thing, Your Majesty. What are you doing

out here anyway, when you're supposed to be getting some rest?"

     "Insomnia, I guess. Why are you out here in my gardens?"

     The Commander looked out beyond her stunning face to the surface

of the Earth. He was thinking of the coming war, of his tragic life, 

of his unbearable love for her. It was almost too much just to stand 

here and talk to her after so many years of separation, and finally, 

rejection.

     "I had some thinking to do, and I think better when I'm walking."

     Serenity smiled. "My reasons are the same as yours, but I think

much better when I'm sitting down. Why don't you find out how much 

better it is? Join me," she said, patting the space next to her on

the marble bench.

     'She makes our relationship sound so simple,' he thought as

he took a seat beside her. His senses and emotions were overwhelmed

by the feeling of bewilderment of how this woman could take their past

and their present so lightly.

     He let out a deep sigh, and didn't make eye contact with the 

beautiful Queen. He kept his gaze affixed on the pearls of her satin

gown, not on her.

     "What's wrong?" she asked him, taking a hold of his hand.

     He slipped his hand out of hers and looked at the oak trees.

He couldn't help but feel the suffocation of the most painful memories

anybody could ever have the 'luck' to experience. No. He couldn't think 

about Serenity, or his other loved ones right now.

     "I was thinking about the coming war with Queen Beryl. You know

it's coming, don't you?" he asked her.

     "Yes. I've heard reports that she is gathering her forces not only

of humans and monsters, but also of...Cimmerians."

     A pang of guilt was felt by the Commander. Somehow, he thought part

of this war would be all his fault, because of his selfishness. If he 

hadn't fallen in love, some of this wouldn't be happening. And most

certainly not from his home planet of Cimmeria.

     "The war is mainly of the warrior ranks. The worker and religious

castes were happy with your offer of retaliation, but the warriors 

wanted to create their own empire on Earth, led by Queen Beryl. If she 

had gotten your Silver Crystal and enough of the warriors, including the 

Cimmerians, most of them would have followed her to make her an 

unbeatable force," he informed her. "Matthew 10:36," he added, sadly 

shaking his head.

     "What's that?"

     "Something I picked up from one of my friends from Earth. 'And

a man's foes will be those of his own household.'"

     "How appropriate that sounds, Brenainn."

     They both sat silent for a long time, not looking at one another. 

Brenainn, Guard Commander. He thought about his title for a moment, and 

how long it took him to follow the tedious road to his profession before 

finally becoming his lifelong dream. A road filled with love, pain, and 

a good deal of tragedy.

     As if she had read his mind, Serenity said, "There are so many

times that I wish I was a normal person instead of 'Queen Serenity,

Ruler of the Silver Millennium,'" she said sarcastically. " Perhaps I 

might have been happier if I had not been born into this royal 

family."

     Brenainn locked his brown eyes onto her blue ones. "I don't think

it was our destiny to be happy. Ever."

     "How can you say that?" 

	Serenity thought for a while. "Oh. I'm sorry. I know you lost 

Boadicea and Eithne, and afterwards, you had to give up Rhiannon-"

     "DO YOU HAVE TO REMIND ME?" Brenainn cried.

     "I lost you fifteen years ago. I lost my husband on top of that,

and now I have to rule by myself. Perhaps we are cursed."

     Brenainn sat staring straight forward again. "I'm sorry I yelled 

at you like that. I just don't want to dig up the ghosts of our past. 

Is that clear?"

     "Yes sir," she said, saluting to him. "I understand. Well, at

least I have some interesting news about my daughter."

     "Oh?"

     "You know Prince Darien of Earth?"

     "Yes. I also know your daughter is infatuated with him."

     "It's more than that. They're in love, and they want to get 

married."

     "Married?!? Oh. Well, my main worry is the Prince's ties with 

Queen Beryl, since they are both from Earth."

     "Don't worry, he is totally against her. In fact, he is staying 

here and he's going to help us defeat the evil before he weds my 

daughter."

     "Well, that's good. But isn't Princess Serena a little young? I 

mean, you were about her age when you and I..." Brenainn saw the look 

of pain in Serenity's bright blues. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have 

brought up the ghosts of your past..."

     Serenity sighed. "It's all right. That was a long time ago. Do

you ever regret that we did?"

     "The only thing I regret is that we didn't run away like I wanted

us to. How do you think it felt when I was exiled?"

     "Bren, you know that we couldn't survive if we lived on our own. 

It never would have worked. And besides, if we did run away, our people 

would have found us and killed you instead of carrying out your exiling. 

I didn't run away because I wanted to save you. I-"

     "Death would have been much better than not seeing you again,

my dear Serenity."

     "But now we're here," she said quietly. "Brenainn, I never 

forgave my parents for making me give up my baby boy."

     "Neither did I. I heard from Cimmeria that you had a boy, and

I was overjoyed. That was, until someone told me that your parents

made you give him up and send him to Charon. He was the only son I 

had..." he said, his voice choking.

     "I swear, I will find our prince one day. He will rule the 

kingdom rightfully, along side with Serena and Darien. No matter

how long it takes, I will bring our family together again."

	"And Rhiannon?"

	"Yes, her too. Our son will bind our circle together, as it was

meant to be."

     Brenainn wrapped his arms around Serenity's soft, bare shoulders

as she leaned her head against his neck. The scent of her hair reminded

him of a time long ago when he used to snuggle up with her like this

all the time. He could remember her then, and he wondered about her now.

Was the pain still there? The pain of losing everything and everyone

important to her?

     The solar winds stopped, and everything was still on the Moon and

in the gazebo. Brenainn embraced Serenity closer to him, and he could 

feel her heart beat against his as he wrapped his arms around her back.

Maybe he could take away some of that pain.



He remembered all of what happened...fifteen years ago...



                    *************



     A young Princess Serenity sat alone in the gazebo, her eyes full

of tears. They fell in a steady stream down her pretty cheeks and onto

her white satin dress. Her quiet sobbing was gut-wrenching, and she

couldn't keep her mind off of all the problems that she was facing.

She was only thirteen years old! All the problems that rested on her

shoulders would have been heavy even for an adult. She was growing

up too fast.

     Her face left her hands as she leaned her head against the gazebo

railing. Her vision focused on the shape of the Earth, round, full, and

an alluring azure. 'I will never get to see the Moon from the Earth,'

she thought with a choke.

     Quiet footsteps sounded as someone walked toward her. A hand was

placed on her shoulder, and she spun around.

     "Brenainn!" she cried.

     "You've been crying," he said, wiping away some tears with his

thumbs. "What is it, Serenity?"

     'How do I tell him?!?' she thought frantically. "Nothing," she

said, but her face paled and she almost vomited. Her body was wracked

with dry heaves of her stomach, but thankfully, nothing had come out.

She hadn't eaten since yesterday. Ever since she found out, she just

didn't have an appetite anymore.

     Brenainn patted Serenity's back as she doubled over. "Are you

all right?" he asked with concern.

     She could practically feel her stomach in her throat. Bile

came out of her nose as she tried harder to keep her stomach down.

"No. I'm not all right. I'm pregnant!" she cried.

     Brenainn stared at her in shock. He noticed her swollen belly,

and gingerly reached out to touch her. "When...?" he asked, stunned.

     "When two people make love, a baby comes out of it! My parents

are going to murder me when they find out!" She sobbed against 

Brenainn's shoulders. "Oh, god. What about you?" she said, looking 

at him. 

     "What about me? I'm worried about you!"

     "My parents are going to kill you too."

     Realization hit Brenainn. He lost himself in his thoughts, but

he didn't worry about himself. He worried about Serenity. It was his

nature to put other people before him, no matter how severe his 

situation was.

     Brenainn kissed Serenity's head. She was such a small person 

compared to nineteen year old Brenainn, who was already six foot three. 

He was training to be a member of the Royal Guard, and being the 

apprentice of the Commander was the best thing possible. That meant 

that he would probably get to be the Commander when he reached adult-

hood at the age of twenty three, only four more years away.

     Things were going so well for him, not to mention his relationship

with Serenity. He had met her when the Royal Family paid a visit to the

training courts of the Guard in the Mare Imbrium, or Sea of Rains. It

was a fairytale romance. Love at first sight. Serenity fell in love 

instantly, and so did Brenainn. They met secretly, but Serenity's 

parents already knew about their little relationship.

     They warned her. They told her that she was too young for this

kind of relationship, that love only belonged to adults and young 

people who weren't of royal standards. She was angered by their behavior

and rebelled in the only way she could think of. She wanted it, she

needed it. She and Brenainn made love.

     Serenity didn't think of circumstances. She didn't think of her

own life and her own future. All she wanted was to love Brenainn

completely, nothing more, nothing less. He had revealed that he loved

her too, and from then on, they were inseparable.

     She never told her parents that she had been making love to

Brenainn. She knew how strict they were, and how much they disproved

of their daughter even attending annual balls held in the Moon Palace

for the fear of their little girl meeting an older man. They were even 

beginning to choose a prince from the Andromeda galaxy for her to wed, 

and that was the last thing in the world she wanted. 

     Now she had paid the price for disobeying her parents. Somehow

she wanted this, but she was afraid. She was so young, and her life

was just beginning. The problems she was facing, with her baby and

with the rest of her life, just seemed like too much for her. She

needed Brenainn for comfort, but she would just fall deeper into his

spell. The higher she went, the harder she crashed.

     "I'm so sorry for everything," Brenainn whispered in her ear.

     "Don't ever say that. I deserved it," she stated.

     "No! You deserve the best life has to offer, my Princess. You

are not the one to blame-"

     "I blame my parents. They drove me to...no, I still deserved

it. I have loved you ever since I met you at Mare Imbrium. I wouldn't 

have had it any other way...my Prince."

     "I'm nowhere near a prince," Brenainn protested.

     "What are we going to do?" Serenity asked in despair.

     They sat on the bench inside the dark gazebo for a long moment,

and the space breeze beginning to kick up again. The pondwater lapped 

up against the white stone of the gazebo and the rose petals flew 

around, landing in Brenainn's and Serenity's hair. 

     "Let's run away," he said softly.

     "We can't."

     "What?!?"

     "We can't run away, Bren. Don't you see? We have to face the

music and deal with our problems. If we don't, the demons of our

past will always be attacking our souls."

     "Even if we did face our problems, those demons will never go 

away," Brenainn said, holding Serenity tighter.

     Serenity grimly realized that Brenainn was right about that.

The demons of their past would always invade their dreams and their

lives no matter how many they could defeat. The demons would always 

be there.

     

     A week later, Serenity informed her parents of her pregnancy.

She thought it was better to tell them sooner, because the later she

kept her secret, the more punishment would be waiting for her at the

end of the road. Her mother had fainted as soon as Serenity uttered

the two words, and her father had a screaming rage.

     Telling them was the hardest battle she had fought with herself.

Every night, she would cry herself to sleep, still uncertain of 

whether or not she should tell her parents. She knew that she had

to, so what was the use deciding? When she did tell them, she felt

some weight being pulled off, but it was put right back on as soon

as her father told her that they were going to execute Brenainn for 

raping their daughter.

     "He didn't rape me!" Serenity screamed at her father.

     "Then what?!?" he screamed back.

     "I MADE LOVE TO HIM!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"DON'T YOU SEE?  I LOVE HIM, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT 

IT!!!"

     Her father's eyes turned a scary cold steel blue. "Yes there is.

If he's not here, there's nothing to love. I'm ordering an execution,

and there's nothing *you* can do about it."

     That was when Serenity slapped her father with all the strength

her small frame could muster. "Go to Hell, Father."

     She ran to her room after the unsuccessful confrontation, and

cried for the remainder of the day. Brenainn was not able to enter

the Moon Palace grounds, much less comfort her. Her life was over,

as far as she could tell.

     Her window was open that night, and the Earthlight streamed in,

bathing her in its comforting embrace. She imagined that Brenainn was

in the room with her. She imagined his body close to hers, and his

voice telling her that everything was going to be all right. 

     'Never say good bye to your loved ones,' she imagined him saying.

     "Why?" she asked his visualized form.

     'Because saying good bye means that you will never see them again,'

his form told her.

     "I understand," she said, then she fell asleep.

     

     The next morning, a servant informed her that Brenainn was in

the courtyard. That was her only reason for leaving her bed.

     She ran as fast as she could to the royal courtyard, as if her

life depended on it. The wind raced past her ears and played in her

hair as her long legs carried her like an ocean current.

     Serenity stopped in her tracks when she noticed that Brenainn

was in a tattered white tunic instead of the blue one. A symbol of 

foreign enemies.

     "What's happening?!?" she asked frantically.

     "Brenainn is being sent back to Cimmeria for exile," her mother

informed her in a hateful tone.

	"I have decided not to kill him. An exile will be worse than 

death. Living the rest of his life alone will make him realize that

his fate is worse than any execution that can be ordered," her father

added.

     "What?!? NO!!!" she screamed.

     Two members of the Royal Guard held Brenainn's squirming form

as he struggled against their grip. His long brown hair was undone,

and he had various red slashes and welts on his arms, signaling that 

he had been whipped badly.

     "SERENITY!" he screamed, making a feeble attempt to reach out.

His neck was craned out, and she could see him sweating like a

waterfall. His veins popped out as he struggled even harder against 

the guards who pulled him back violently, almost dislocating his

shoulder.

     "BRENAINN!" she cried, running toward him. Her mother started

to get up, but her father motioned for her to sit back down.

     Serenity ran into Brenainn's arms, embracing him in a vise like

grip. "Why?!?" she asked, rubbing her tear streaked face against his

neck.

     "I don't want to leave you, Serenity, but I must. I wanted to

die when the Guard Commander told me that your parents were going to

exile me. I'd rather be executed than not being able to see you 

again," he added. Tears burst from his eyes. He couldn't hold back 

his sorrow any longer.

     "I don't want you to go either. Why can't adults ever understand

the true nature of love? It can't be denied."

     "Life will never work out simple for people as diverse as us,"

Brenainn said, caressing Serenity's cheek. "We are special. *You* are

special. Not only in my heart, but in every other way. I will never

forget you, not for as long as I live."

     "I'll never forget you, my dear sweet Brenainn."

     "Remember our son or daughter will keep us together."

     "And our love...?"

     "Of course. 'Til death do us part," he said.

     "I will never die without seeing you again."

     They kissed one last time, and sealed their love in it. All

her soul and all of his went into their last embrace, but before

they could break apart, the two Guard members did the job of ripping

them apart.

     "It's time to go," one of them said coldly. He and his partner 

pulled Brenainn away from Serenity and led him to the doors of the 

courtyard.



     Serenity fell to her knees.

     

     "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"



                    ***************



     Brenainn was pulled back into the harsh reality as he remembered

the last tortured, agonized scream of his beloved. He noticed that

Serenity's face was rested against his, and her cheeks were wet with

her tears.

     "You were thinking of the past, were you not?" he asked her.

     "Yes."

     "I need to ask you something," he began.

     "Anything."

     "Do you still love me, after all this time?"

     Her head left his as she stared him straight in his eyes. "I

have never stopped loving you."

     Joy seared painfully in Brenainn's heart. He was so unsure of

the way she felt about him, he almost expected a negative answer.

He took her soft hands in hers, and kissed her.

     He could remember all of the special times he and Serenity had

shared such a long time ago. He remembered the picnics at Mare Imbrium,

the days wandering the various cities of the Moon, and the nights spent

in his bedroom. His emotions went on overload as his fingers went to

her back and unconsciously began untying the tiny ribbons of her bodice.

     No words were said as Serenity took off Brenainn's silver armor

and weapons. His blue tunic was soft and his flesh pliable, yet firm.

It had been so long since she touched him. The last time she had touched

him was before his exile, she could remember his soft stomach. Now they 

were replaced by muscles of steel carved by years of hardship.

     Brenainn's hands slipped off her gown as he viewed her completely

in the greenish glow of the Earth. Her body had completely changed over

the years. He was a man now, and obviously, she wasn't a girl anymore.

Her breasts had a soft outline, and were perfect in symmetry. They 

looked so wonderful and firm, beautiful in Brenainn's eyes. She 

swallowed a lump in her throat as his searching mouth touched her 

very heart and soul.

     Their bodies lay down on the bench, but eventually made way to

the cold stone floor. They writhed against each other as Brenainn

kissed Serenity's neck, his warm breath moistening her hot skin.

	As they crept along the stone bridge leading back to the palace,

they didn't realize how close they were to the edge. They were in a

world of their own, and they fell with a slight splash into the warm 

shallow waters of the reflecting pond. Serenity giggled when she felt 

the goldfish brush up against her heels. Brenainn continued his ardorous 

kissing as Serenity sighed with great longing.

     Above water, everything seemed innocent as Brenainn kissed her

ears and her chin, but underwater, their desires of flesh could only

be known to the fish. Some of their clothing floated on the water as

splashing became more consistent.

     One of Brenainn's hands caressed Serenity's breast as the other

worked wonders underwater. Her awareness of his desire became apparent

as she felt his hardness against the vee of her thighs. Passions were

anew and burning brightly as she reached for him.

     He gasped out loud, and kissed Serenity bruisingly. He hadn't 

had a woman in so long, and he felt that he couldn't be denied any

longer. He couldn't be denied of love.

     Brenainn slipped his hands over her hips as he slid easily into 

her delicate womanhood. He didn't remember her feeling this soft, 

this silky, and that made him want more of her. One of his wet hands 

ran through her ponytails as his other supported her firm buttocks.

     "I love you so much, Bren...!" she cried as she climaxed for the

first time in a millennium. She exploded as she indulged in her lover's

expert delight.

     "As do I," he whispered. Their bodies fell against the wall of

the stone bridge as satiated her need for his love. What he gave her

fulfilled her beyond any given adequateness. The exultant feeling

between them were beyond words. Their yearning had spawned a new 

fire of passion as they continued kissing each other, reaching out

to the farthest points of ecstasy.

     Both of their bodies were glistening with the pond water and

sparkled in the bright light of the Earth as they were consumed in

wave after wave of pure, untainted pleasure. Brenainn's hands flowed

over the small of her back as he put more rapture into their embrace.

He concentrated on making her climax over and over, he didn't even

notice that he was on the verge of one himself.

     Serenity's back was slightly scratched from the rough surface

of the white stone, but the scratches she inflicted upon Brenainn's

back were much more severe as she climaxed again and again.

     Totally off guard, Brenainn reached the exhilarating peak of his

emotions, bursting in an atomic bomb of explosions. Serenity also 

reached the end of the rainbow with him, and their minds and souls were 

somewhere else besides the surface of the Moon, the Palace, or the clear 

pond water. They coalesced in a dream of passions, unable to stop the 

ebbing flow of gratification. Together, they discovered happiness not

felt in too many years.

     The first thing Brenainn uttered to her was, "I'm sorry."

     The breath Serenity had been holding for at least a minute 

rushed out of her. Color returned back to her face as she hugged 

Brenainn close to her hot body. "Don't be, my love. It was meant to

be, just like it was years ago."

     Brenainn brushed a wet strand of hair away from Serenity's 

breathtaking face. "You are the most beautiful woman in the universe.

I'm glad you still love me."

     "I've never stopped."

     "Neither have I."

     Both of them leaned against the white stone bridge for a while

longer, still in one being. When Brenainn's breathing finally slowed

down, he released Serenity, much to her protests. She still held on

to his arm as he reached for his soaking wet blue pants floating in 

the water.

     "Answer me this, Serenity."

     "Yes?"

     "Are you going to let Serena and Darien get married?"

     "True love cannot be denied. It's too bad that ours was, but 

I've vowed never to let that happen again. Not to my own loved ones.

I can't ever let that happen."

     Brenainn nodded, taking Serenity's hand in his. "I understand. 

How about us?"

     "Are you asking?" 

     "Are you accepting?"

     "Yes," Serenity replied, smiling.

     "Then I'm asking," Brenainn said, kissing her lightly on her 

soft lips. Their kiss lasted a while longer, just to make sure that

none of their past memories could interfere with this wonderful,

happy moment.

	They were able to climb back up from the waters and ran to the

gazebo, tickling each other on the way. Brenainn and Serena tried 

dressing silently, but it was hard to slip clothes on wet bodies. 

They left their clothing in a small heap beside the gazebo bench.

     "Do you want to practice for our honeymoon?" Serenity asked,

smiling wickedly. 

     "Only if you pull back your ponytails. It's easy to get tangled

in five feet of beautiful hair."

     Serenity giggled and tied her hair up in six loops. "You've

never had a problem with them before."

     "That was when we actually had a bed to tie them up to."

     Both of them exploded in a fit of laughter, finally free of 

all the tensions that had been bottled up for fifteen years.



                    **************



     'How will I tell her?' Brenainn thought as he woke up at dawn

of a new day. Sunlight and Earthlight played a symphony of lights in

Serenity's bedroom as it streamed through the open windows, splaying

various and assorted colors on the two figures lying on the large,

king sized bed.

     A musical, almost angelic voice sang a song of sadness outside 

the Palace. It was as if the singer knew...

     Brenainn sat up restlessly and stared at Serenity, who was 

still sleeping peacefully, her cheeks glowing and her lips open

in a small o. 'How...?'

     He decided not to tell her. He knew much more about the real

reason why the Cimmerians and Mal wanted revenge against him. He

couldn't tell her. Not now, not ever.

     Brenainn caressed Serenity's cheeks and patted her hand. The

day was too beautiful to be spoiled by his dark past.

     His feet made soft sounds as he walked to the open balcony,

stepping out into the new day. It was a long time since he last

saw the planet of Cimmeria without thinking of all the pain that

went along with it. Even though the planet was several thousand

miles away, with Brenainn's hawk vision, he could view the small

greenish planet from the Moon.

     A sigh escaped his mouth as one memory broke though the cloud

of his mind. The memory of Boadicea, of Eithne...of Rhiannon. She

was so close, yet so far away.

     A figure was wandering outside of the palace, walking along the

same white stone bridge leading from the courtyard into the gazebo.

She had long brown hair tied up into a ponytail, and her green satin

nightgown fluttered in the morning's first space breeze.

     She seemed to be staring right at Cimmeria...



                   

			 ~End of Interlude~









NOTE:

1. This is an interlude of the series, "Evolutions," found at 

http://penicillin.cyber-naut.com/~arteluna.

2. Email me! aerdnahu@ctdnet.acns.nwu.edu