Wings of Serenity
Senshi of the Glacier Moon: Another Story
Prologue: The Ice and Moon Princesses

Once upon a time, during the reign of the Bronze Millennium, there was a Kingdom on the Moon. Not many people knew about this Kingdom as many believed that there was no life on it. They, however, were proved wrong as many centuries ago the first settlements was created by the Moon Goddess Selene and her family. The Kingdom known as the Bronze Moon Kingdom and it was ruled by Queen Purity and King Pelias. Purity was the results of forced marriage and relationship whilst Pelias was the Prince of Mars. The two meet when the young Princess was visiting the Kingdom of Mars with her mother and it was love at first sight. Queen Ignacia, Pelias's mother, was overjoyed for her son once she found out that the Prince and Princess were in love and in time they were engaged. The wedding was held on the Moon Kingdom (marriages between other kingdoms were often held on the Moon) but the Queen of Mars never made it for she died when she was poisoned by her husband. Pelias grieved for his mother for many years and in time he moved over to the Moon Kingdom whilst his sister was crowned the new Queen of Mars. Eventually, grief turned to love as Purity told her husband that she was pregnant.

The couple had two children, both of them were girls and they had both had the traditional odongo hair style. The First was called Acantha. She had silver hair and green eyes. The second, who was born a few weeks before due date, was called Merrity. She had lavender hair and amethyst eyes. Everybody adored their new princesses but none of them knew why their youngest Princess was born early. Their parents, however, did know. The silver Crystal, a fabled moon crystal which was created by Selene and passed down through every generation of Moon Queens, had brought the birth forward as it was revealed to the King and Queen that their baby daughter wouldn't habe made it during her birth. As the girls were growing up it was revealed that the Silver Crystal had chose Merrity to be its bext owner and so, when Merrity was of age, her parents crowned her the next Queen of the Moon. Several weeks after her crowning, Merrity started to date her future husband. His name was Hermes and he was from one of the many Kingdoms on the Sun. Just like her parents, Merrity and Hermes fell in love at first sight but they decided to take their relasionship slow. The years had passed and eventually they married. Acantha, however, wasn't so lucky when it came to love. One night when she was visiting her sister, the silver haired maiden was attacked by a drunken man. When she woke the following morning she felt violated and went to the castle in tears. The doctor had told her and her family that she was raped and pregnant. It took weeks for her parnets and sister to comfort her which added more stress onto her pregnancy. Eventually, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Acantha called her Sapphira ,short for Serendipity, and she had white hair, green eyes and heart shaped odongos. Acantha never told anybody about what really happened so, to advoid pitiful confrontations, she decided to put her daughters birth down to a one night stand in which the father wanted nothing to do with it.

A few years later Merrity and Hermes were going to have a children of their own. One of them would give birth to the heroine of love and justice whilst the other would have an important destiny of her own.

The glittering, golden medallion was already high in the skies. The breeze was plesent and cool, despite it being early December. There was hardly any snow on the Moon Kingdom so it was no suprise that Queen Merrity, her sister Lady Acantha and her daughter Sapphira were in the royal gardans. Sapphira was playing in the flowers. Despite being on the Moon, there were plenty of flowers such as anemones, anthuriums, hydrangeas, moonflowers, red and white roses and lilies to name a few. Merrity and Acantha were sitting under a gezebo, enjoying a warm cup of coco. Both the Queen and her sister were dressed for winter. Acantha wore a silver dress with translucent yellow cape, light blue trousers and yellow slippers. Merrity wore her silver queen dress with lavender sleeves and a white cape that went the top part of her dress. She also had white tights and lavender slippers.

Merrity was already nine mounths pregnant and her baby should be due any day now. Acantha couldn't help but smile when she saw her sister interacting with her unborn baby, something the silver haired girl couldn't do whilst she was pregnant.

"Well, someones looking forward to being a mother." Acantha remarked.

"Believe me, this is what I've been looking forward to all year." Merrity replied before returning her gaze to her stomach. "I can't wait until your born little one."

"Have you thought about any names for your baby?" Acantha asked.

"Well, I suspect that it will a girl so we've decided to call her Iris" Merrity said. "Though, if it is a boy, then we'll call him Apollo."

Merrity was right to suspect the child's gender. For some strange reason that Selene never explained there were hardly any boys born on the Moon. Those Queens who were blessed with princes were consider lucky but in time they would give birth to daughters. Even Selene herself was blessed with a son before a daughter. Though in some rare ocations some Queens were only blessed with one child.

"Are you sure you don't want any more children?" Merrity questioned. "Your not the Queen of the Moon so you can have more than one child."

Acantha gave her sister a knowing look before replying.

"I know Merry but... I just can't after what happened." Acantha sadly replied "I know I'm being unfair to Sapphira but one child is enough for me. Besides my little girl is quite the handful."

"Mommy, mommy!"

It was at that moment when young Sapphira was came running towards her mother. She had a bouquet of flowers in her hands and when she stood in front of her mother she curtsy slightly before presenting them to her.

"These are for you mommy" The young maiden said, giggling as she gave them to her mother.

Her mother returned the jesture with a smile before taking them off her daughter.

"Thank you my little Luna." Acantha thanked. "Why don't you go find Uncle Hermes for us. He's probably steeling all the cookies in the kitchen."

"I'll go save them." Sapphira promised.

The child ran off, happly and giggling, leaving the Queen and her sister.

"So, you haven't told her then?"

Merrity's word were never intended to hurt Acantha's feelings but this wasn't about Sapphira's birth. Sapphira had received strange powers from Selene. Selene's gift was given to every new Princess of the Moon, even if the child's mother wasn't the Queen. The fabled Moon Crystal was one of them and, if the fates allows it, then a new crystal would be created. Sapphira had inherited one of these new crystals and hers was called The Lunar Crystal. She wasn't sure what these powers were but Acantha did she her daughter admiring a lotus staff before.

"No. I haven't told her... yet" Acantha replied.

"But she could be Senshi." Merrity pointed out. "She could be like the other planatary Queen and Princesses. That's why she has that Crystal."

The Sailor Senshi, also known as Sailor Soldiers, were group of female warriors blessed with powers from their Kingdoms. Though previous generations of Moon haven't been blessed with a sailor senshi (save for Selene and her daughter, Artemis.) it was getting more and more rare for senshi to be born in each of the families. Sapphira, despite being young, was one of them but neither Acantha or Merrity knew what her senshi name would be.

"That maybe true but until we figure out what her powers are then I will not allow her to take on that responsability." Acantha replied. "But, if time calls for it, I will allow her to take that responsability."

"But sister... ARGH!"

Acantha turned to face her sister. She heard the trickling sound and splash's of water. Her sister doubled over as she cluctched her stomach. Acantha didn't think that birth would be so soon but there was no time for thoughts.

"Sister, it's time. We must get you inside." Acantha said in a soothing voice.

"N- no! I'll never make it!" Merrity moaned. "G- get Hermes. I- I can't do this alone!"

Acantha couldn't leave her sister. Not like this! Instead she called to a passing gardener and told him to get the King and the doctor as soon as possible. Merrity was still in labour though she had only entered the early stages. The doctor placed warm blankets over her and had instructed Acantha and Hermes to stay away. It was only when Merrity was near to the end of labour that she called - screamed - for her husband.

Hours later, under the sealed ground of warmth and safety of the Moon Castle, Merrity held her baby closely to her chest whilst her husband sat in font of her. She looked almost like queen, the only difference was that she had light -almost icy- blue hair and blue eyes. Instead of a light purple or yellow crescent there was a azure blue one.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Hermes smiiled.

"Yes. Iris suits her well, doesn't it?"

"That it does. Though, I'm sure Selene would have us name the child in her name." Hermes replied.

"How about Iceisity?" Acantha suggested. "It suits the colour of her hair, the skies and change of weather."

"The change of weather?" Merrity repeated.

"Yes, look. It's snowing right now." Acantha turned to the windows and jestured outside.

Merrity and Hermes removed themselves from the bed and joined Acantha by the window. The silver haired lady was right. It was snowing and the skies changed from sunny and warm to cold and bleak. It was as if the world was going to end. But the glittering skies were alreay out, giving them peace. There was rapid knocking at the door. Hermes allowed whoever it was to enter the room. In respond to the King's word a tall but bulky golden haired man, wearing a white Kimono with brown slippers. He was one of the Moon Sages and he was called Badru. He bowed low with his arms crossing each other before adressing the King, Queen and the silver haired lady.

"Your majesties, I've taken it that you've seen the miserable weather outside?" Badru asked.

The trio nodded in respond though Acantha had more then just a few word to say.

"Forgive me, Badru, but the weather outside isn't miserable. It looks stunning. I'm sure my little girl would love to play in the snow once it settled." Acantha countered.

There had been a strange look in the Moon Sages eyes. A sly look perhaps a little mischievous and mysterious. Only Acantha saw it.

"That maybe true ,however, I have a feeling that this little snow storm isn't going to settle any time soon." Badru remarked. "There will be no end to it. This may carry on for weeks possibly months."

"If there's no end to it, then how do we slow the problem down?" Hermes asked.

"There isn't a sollution." The sage answered. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" The Queen questioned.

"Unless you somehow stop that wintery power of your child." Badru exclaimed fire burning in his eyes as he stared at the newborn child.

As time passed by and the months were changing, talk inside the Moon Castle had turned to gosip. Rumours of the young Princess's wintery powers were often turned into bitter arguments. Many people feared the young Princess, saying that they could be turned into cold ice. Merrity and Hermes did there best to end these arguments, stating that the Princess was still a baby, young and insecure about her powers. Though most of arguments were slandered, whispers of rebellion- of kidnapping- were held underground. Acantha was the only one who heard these words of treason. And, as much as she wanted to tell her sister about the whispers, she couldn't. For, once again, the Queen was pregnant.

Citizens of the Moon Kingdom thought that the Queen was only going to have one child. So, once they heard that the Queen was going to have a second child, the citizens started to make gifts for the young son or daughter to be. For they heard a rumour that the child to be was, in some connection, an incarnation of the Moon goddess, Selene. Like with young Iris, nobody knew the due date of the baby or its gender. Not even the King and Queen knew what gender their second child would be .

The baby wasn't born until late June. It had been one year since Iris's birth and Merrity's pregnancy was discovered in mid September. To prevent the little accident that happened last time the Queen kept to her bedroom with her sister keeping her company. The labour had been successful and Merrity gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Seeing as the baby was the 'incarnation' of the Moon goddess, Merrity and Hermes decided to name her Serenity. Serenity had her mother's hair and eye colour with the odongo hair style and buns.

"I guess, for once, the rumours were true. She does look like Selene." Acantha commented.

"True. I wonder..."

"She's gone!"

Merrity and Acantha exchanged looks before leaving the bedroom. Hermes was outside in a complete rage, anger and fustration on his face as he firmly held one of the guards.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" He demanded.

"Gone sire. Iris isn't sleeping in the master bedroom. I've sent my best men to search for her but..." The Guard explained "I- I fear she may have been kidnapped."

Merrity placed her left hand on her husband's shoulder, signalling him to let him go which he did. He softly apologized before making his way to the master bedroom with Merrity and Acantha in pursit. Truefully, as the guard said, there were no signs of the ice princess.

"Who would do such a thing?" Merrity questioned tears pouring from her eyes.

"Badru." Acantha stated.

"What? The head Moon sage? Why would he do such a thing?" Hermes questioned.

"Think about it, dearest brother in law. Badru was the one who told us to seal the child's powers but for what purpose? To end the neverending snow? Or to have Serenity as Queen of the Moon." Acantha explained. "Serenity is the 'incarnation' of Selene and that alone gives her the right to become the next Queen of the Moon."

"But... what about Iris?" Merrity asked.

"I- I don't know. I only hope, in Selene's name, that she is found as soon as possible." Acantha said.

A few days after the incident Badru was arrested for treason. He admitted to kidnapping the ice princess but wouldn't reveal where he took her to. With nothing else to do the King and Queen were forced to having him removed from his position and exiled from the Kingdom. Nobody, if they did care, had heard from him since. The searches for the child were effortless and, after a few moneths, they were soon stopped. Everybody grieved for the young Princess. Prayers were soon taken to the Moon Goddess, begging and pleading her to return the ice princess. None of them were answered, no questions were asked. Life had returned back to normal, the Princess was forgotton.

However, nobody relised that the Princess was on Earth...