Luna looked at her friend. Serenity was silently gazing into the sky, looking out at the asteroid belt. Now that she had her daughter, she'd found joy in life again, but her long period of mourning had killed all of her youthful exuberance. She was so driven by duty that she had time for almost nothing else. She only came out of her self-imposed prison for little Serenity. Luna worried about it, but Lady Serenity staunchly ignored all her attempts to draw her out.
Little Serenity began to fuss, and Luna swiftly bent over to quiet her--this was one of the few times Lady Serenity had to herself--but Serenity just slowly turned her head and smiled.
"It's all right, Luna, I'll take care of her." Serenity took her daughter from Luna's arms. Little Serenity quieted immediately. "It's rather nice to be needed so much, actually."
Luna smiled back, a little unsure, but nevertheless glad that Serenity seemed to be happy.
*****
Serenity looked around the council table and shook her head. "I don't want such a title. We have no reason to need a queen, or a king for that manner. We've been fine as things are."
Zeus took up the argument. "We need to establish some sort of order, Lady Serenity, for future generations. All of our decisions have been sort of rough and tumble, we need a definite set of rules to follow, or sometime later, when our children, or our children's children are ruling, they'll have a problem, and they won't bother to work things out, they'll just get right to the fighting."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"You are the most logical choice for our ruler, Serenity, because you are the strongest of us, and your daughter will be even stronger, with her being a planet warrior as well as holding Ginzuishou." Aphrodite laid a strong hand on her arm.
"But I don't want to be a queen--" Serenity started again, but Hermes shook his head to silence her.
"Our choice is unanimous, Serenity. Even though the outers didn't come to this meeting, we got their agreement--you are the only possible choice. It's your duty to us, Serenity. You are our leader."
Ares and Gaia nodded in solemn agreement, and Serenity sighed sadly. "All right, I'll accept the responsibility, and the title. What else did you have in mind, then?"
"We thought we'd send all our daughters to your planet--"
Gaia broke in. "The natives call it the moon, by the way."
"The moon, then. We'd send them all here for training, and they could also be like a royal court to surround your daughter, our future queen."
Aphrodite broke in after Zeus when she saw the uncomfortable look wash over Serenity's face. "They wouldn't come right away of course. Maybe when they're about five or so."
"And we could all call ourselves princes and princesses, I suppose. . ." Hermes trailed off thoughtfully.
Serenity shook her head. "I'm liking this less and less. Why make such a large difference between us all. We'll all be kings or queens of our planets, we can rule by council, as we have been. If you want, I'll head the council, but I don't think I should outrank you all."
The rest of them looked at each other around the table, the Gaia nodded. "We can't force you. I think that might work. It's not exactly what we had in mind, but I'm sure the outers will agree with it."
"If they even notice," Zeus muttered. "They seem to be drifting farther and farther from us lately."
"It's only to be expected. They have to keep themselves ready for outside attacks, and after the trouble between Hades and Chronos, neither of them want to be in the same room anymore," Serenity offered an excuse for the outers. She did miss her friend Charon though. They'd grown so distant, lately. It seemed as if the only two things holding her to this world any longer were her daughter and her duty. "Luckily, Poseidon and Ouranos are still close friends. Even though Chronos and Hades won't stand together in a fight, they will."
"I still think we should send our children here when they reach schooling age--raise them all together." Aphrodite reasserted. Everyone but Gaia and Serenity nodded.
"I won't object to having them taught schooling and control of their powers here, but I can't say we should force anyone." Serenity caught Gaia's discomfort. "Luna, I have found, is indispensable at running things around here, and I think she could handle a few children well. Artemis is a genius with technology and science, so he would make a good tutor. And both of them could teach fighting. I would be willing to devote some time to teaching self-control and magic, but if I'm to head the council. . .maybe I could find somebody else who's settled here to teach them." She put her head in her hands in a gesture of frustration and indecision. Aphrodite put a commiserating hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it so much Serenity. The children aren't even a year old yet--except for Gaia's Endymion and the outers--we can decide later."
Serenity nodded. Later.
*****
"Why are they bowing to us like that?" Queen Serenity asked curiously.
"They know I'm the ruler of Atlantis, and they know you came from the Moon. I think they almost worship us as gods."
"Well, then, make them stop!" Serenity exclaimed with worry.
"Why?"
"We're not gods, we're not at all!"
"I know that, but how am I going to explain that to them, when we seem to live forever, have technological marvels, and inexplicable powers? I discourage worship of us, but there's only so much I can do. At first I tried explaining things, how we had ships made of metal that traveled to the planets, I even pointed out the visible planets, how they move differently through the sky, and told them who lived on which planet, and even explained the planets and rulers that are out of eyesight. It did no good. So I gave up."
Serenity calmed down a bit. "I understand. I guess there's no help for it. Well, at least you're trying." She scanned the lush ground around them for another topic of conversation that wouldn't be so touchy. "You really did pick a paradise spot, Gaia. The Moon has some plants, a few insects, and one or two small mammals, but Earth. . ." She smiled. "I'm almost jealous!"
Gaia smiled back. "Yes, I did find a good place to settle. And I got some good people to come with me, which is a relief, considering the surprise we had when we found an intelligent race here."
Serenity nodded. "Almost everyone came either here or to the Moon." Her smile widened. "Seems most of us don't have the temperament to be pioneers--most wanted to live in the most civilized area. Who's been most helpful?"
Gaia pointed at a tight knot of people--mostly natives, with one tall woman in the center, talking animatedly. "That woman's name is Metallia."
"Metallia? I don't recall--oh, yes, I've seen her before. She's the one who showed us how Chaos was taking control of the universities with propaganda, wasn't she? She hasn't done much else, as I recall."
"No, but she's an absolute wonder working with these humans. She especially likes to work with some tribe to the south of us. She has a little girl, too, I can't remember the child's name right now but she's showing promise as well--well, speak of the devil!" She pointed at a little red-haired girl that was running toward them. "There she is. Her name is Beryl. She stays with her mother most of the time, so I'm hoping when she grows up, she can help handle human affairs for Endymion." Gaia leaned in a little to speak to Serenity confidentially. "I already have my eye on her for him, you know." Serenity saw the little girl pause momentarily on her way toward her mother at Gaia's words, then continue on as if she'd heard nothing. "She's not Metallia's real daughter though, she was adopted. I heard that her biological parents died in an illegal raid conducted by Chaos' people." Serenity looked at the young girl in sympathy as Gaia led her on the rest of the tour of her kingdom Atlantis.
*****
Serenity looked around the council chamber at her friends who'd showed up for the meeting. "Ouranos. It's good to see you here. We haven't had anyone from the outer planets in a long time."
Ouranos smiled faintly. "We're so far away, and with the bad blood between," he cleared his throat, "some of us, only Poseidon and I can really ever represent everyone. Our main concern is keeping Chaos and her minions out of the Solar system."
Serenity clutched her hands to her chest at his last words, and she looked around the table to see all of the inner planet representatives turn away from her gaze uncomfortably. "Wha-what did you just say? S-Solar. . .System?"
Ouranos looked a little worried, and glanced around at the others, and they again looked away uncomfortably from his questioning eyes. "You mean to say you haven't told her yet?" He shook his head, then turned to explain the new name of the system with gentle tones. "We voted a while ago that we would name this system after your husband. He wouldn't take a planet, but he died defending us, and we thought it was the least we could do to make sure he's remembered forever."
"We were just so worried, after your long depression, none of us felt comfortable to bring the subject up, though we voted in the name soon after your daughter was born." Aphrodite hurried in to explain the inners' reasons. Then she bowed her head. "We're sorry. This had to be quite a shock for you."
"Quite a shock," Serenity repeated under her breath, then she visibly pulled herself together, and spoke with brisk authority, though her eyes were still moist. "Well, continue." Ouranos sat back down and did so.
"As I was saying, we really want to keep Chaos out of this system, and we're so remote, none of us really see any need for us to be closely associated with you. We'll send a representative back every once in a while to keep contact up, but-" He shrugged. "I don't see any reason for someone to be constantly traveling back and forth." At his last comment Serenity wanted to ask him a question, but she decided to wait. It was a little too personal for this meeting. So she just nodded and continued.
"Well, then, we're happy to have you for now, Ouranos, and please tell the outers that we'll always be pleased to hear from them." She turned to the others gathered, and her brow wrinkled as she noticed someone was missing. "Where's Gaia? This is the second time she hasn't shown."
"None of us have heard from her in a long time, Serenity. She seems to be isolating herself." Hermes shrugged. "She doesn't seem to like leaving her planet. It must be a lot of work to run."
Serenity filed that information away to deal with later. "Well, then, let's get on with business."
*****
"Ouranos!" Serenity snagged him after the meeting adjourned. "How's Charon? Couldn't she come back and forth to represent you, or couldn't she carry one of you to represent the outers? It wouldn't be such a long trip, then."
"Charon refuses to leave Chronos' palace. I'm a little worried for her. The pregnancy's not going too well. All of us except Hades are trying to convince her to come here to have the child, so Aphrodite can be there, but she won't listen. Hades still won't have anything to do with her."
"Why haven't any of you made her call me, so I can convince her?"
He just shook his head. "She refuses to leave her chambers, and won't use a communicator." Poseidon lowered his voice. "I was going to talk to you about this anyway, Serenity. I'm a little worried about Chronos. He's terribly worried about Charon. I think he sees that something bad is going to happen, and I'm afraid he's going to mess with the time stream. I think he needs another reminder of your power and the rules about diverting the time line."
Serenity nodded worriedly, fears for her old friend and for the danger to their time line creating wrinkles on her forehead. "I'll see what I can do." She mumbled to herself. "I should send Aphrodite out there in a ship. Charon's due soon, but maybe Aphrodite can get there in time to help out. Yes, I'll definitely call her." She looked back up at Poseidon. "Thank you for coming, and bringing this to my attention." She flashed him a brilliant smile and swept off down the corridor. Ouranos simply stood there and watched her go.
"You were a lucky man, Sol."
*****
Serenity collapsed in the soft padded chair next to her bed. She looked over toward the crib where her daughter slept soundly. She smiled. If only she could sleep so peacefully, without a care in the world, without responsibility dragging her down like a ball and chain. She pulled herself up to her feet to walk over to little Serenity's crib and tiredly drape the top half of her body over the tall rail to gaze down on her dozing daughter. She tenderly reached down with a gentle finger to wrap a downy lock of golden hair around it.
"Sleep while you can, little Serenity. When I'm gone, all the troubles and fighting will fall on your shoulders." She disengaged her fingers from her daughter's hair and traced a feathery trail along her daughter's rosy cheek. "I only hope you find someone to share that burden with, as I did, and that you don't lose him." She felt tears once more well up in her eyes, and blinked them away. She clenched her fist until it was white and hard, a block of ivory, and her eyes sharpened into knives of cold, blue ice. "I'll protect your future, Serenity. I'll make sure that you don't have these troubles. I'll find a way for you to live in peace."
Still sleeping, her tiny daughter brought a small hand up to wrap it around her mother's finger in a warm grasp. Serenity's hard face softened immediately, and her lips curved up into a soft, maternal smile. She just stood there, silent, and watched her daughter dream of white clouds and frilly dresses and happy days filled with laughter.
*****
Luna stood in the shadowed doorway between the living room of Serenity's suite and her bedroom. She'd walked in to check on the small Lady, only to find both of them in the room. She brought her hands to her mouth in sad shock when she heard Serenity's speak, and tears rose unbidden to her eyes at the hopelessness that seemed to underlie her words. She looked at her mistress, and, she hoped, her friend, and made a vow of her own.
"I'll guard over you and yours as long as live, my Queen," she whispered into the darkness, then closed the door and made her way out to leave mother and daughter in peace.