Locket
Oh, magic is his voice,
Sweet the melody of his flute,
My friend, Pan the forest boy,
Dark and mischievous, a prince of the forest befriends me,
A flower he gives me, its petals never die,
A child of the Earth he tells me,
Who are you, my elusive friend, trickster and mage, protector of elementals,
Serenity Dawn
The Ancient Piper
“Consider me a friend. Oh, little princess, I am prince of the mountains, rivers and streams, and of your royal forest. I am a dreamer, a watcher and mage. I want to play!”
With these words, the frog croaked, making Chibi-Chibi giggle, the eyes of the beautiful creature sparkling with mirth. Gingerly, she extended a hand to stroke the frog’s crystal back. To her surprise, it was warm and soft to the touch. She gasped with the wonder of it.
“Where did you come from?” she said in awe, having lifted her skirts a little before kneeling on the soft damp grass to address the crystal amphibian. He tilted his head and winked, and this made her giggle at the coy mischievous expression – if that’s what it was – on the frog’s face.
“Oh little maiden, I am your humble servant. I have many names, Geb was the name my last mistress did give me. But that was long ago, long before your Silver Millennium and 100 times further back in the ancient past. I am who or whatever you wish me to be,” he chirruped. His boyish tone was polite, but not formal.
Chibi-Chibi then pictured within her mind a Pan-like figure: the peeked cap, the Robin Hood-like emerald green attire and the silver feather. With a burst of golden light, a boy, not much older than she, around seven years old she thought, sat upon the tallest of the crystal mushrooms looking very much as she imagined him to be pursing his lips and whistling a vaguely familiar tune. He was holding a crystal harp. He then began to strum its crystalline strings. The sound had her spellbound. Her eyes doubling in size at the beauty of the rhythm as the entire landscape sparkled to life in response to the bard’s magical touch and sensual voice. Then, a flurry of crystal stars, like millions of shimmering fireflies, whirled about them, the enchanting wonders humming in concert with this celestial minstrel.
He sang of things long ago. Before the story was born, of mountains and rivers of flame, creatures that drank the liquid fire of the Earth that sustained them. She was fascinated by the tales of rock beasts that harvested and fed upon the crystals that grew within the canyons of wonder beneath their feet. He told her of majestic winged marvels that soared upon the primal air, the thermals and storms. Entities that met with the elemental sprites, fairies, nymphs, gnomes, gargoyles and an assortment of other fascinating beings in order to weave the tapestry of life on Earth.
His story was strange, yes, but ever so vivid and pretty she thought. She hung upon every word, and was spellbound.
When he had completed his recitation, she had tears in her eyes. The crystal hawks, the fire tigers, and the star faeries delighted her. But the birth of a baby Pegasus princess and her brother in the land of Elysian caught her attention most. She bade him stop and asked her questions. He politely answered every one, explaining how the Pegasus could become men and women at will and traveled amongst the stars. He told her of how they'd made a home on the realm known as Elysian. She thought of her Pegasus, but kept this to herself. He then spoke of a lady so pretty with a body of fiery crystal, a queen who kissed the stars with her great love and power, having given birth too many worlds and children known as the celestial Senshi. She was enthralled. He sang with a voice that engaged her full attention. His words painting images and evoking the sounds, scents and textures of many realms.
He stopped playing. Bowed. Then spoke, “Want to play a magical game?”
“Oh yes please…”
~*~
Chibi-Chibi was much lighter of heart of late. She smiled more often, and the adults were pleased the dark clouds having earlier waylaid the little girl had vanished. As Chibi-Chibi’s birthday approached, she found herself growing evermore anxious about the box in the rotunda. Her new friend, Pan, continued to delight her with stories more magical than any she’d ever heard before. Since befriending her, he had visited Chibi-Chibi on several occasions. She looked forward to these meetings with great anticipation, counting the days.
~So lucky I am to have my Pegasus and my friend Pan~
~*~
Under the care and guidance of Diana, Chibi-Chibi manage to become the best little princess she could be. On one occasion when Diana visited her in the garden after Pan had escorted her to the border of the flowerbeds, having assumed the form of a songbird encircling the palace, Diana had called to her. The little princess ran eagerly into a warm embrace as her guardian lifted the little girl off her feet and swung her in a circle, laughing with the giggling princess.
“Come on, I have something to show you.”
They walked down one of the well-trodden corridors of the palace and into the room next to her bedroom. Before Diana opened the door, she made Chibi-Chibi cover her eyes. Diana took her tiny hand and led her into the room.
“Can I open my eyes now, nana?” she said impatiently, giggling all the while.
“Yes, you can now,” Diana replied.
“Oh, it’s beautiful. I can paint, draw and-”
“And sculpt and practice playing the piano and harp to your heart’s content, and there is so much more. Follow me,” she said, with heart-felt enthusiasm, taking the little girl’s hand once more. They walked into a larger chamber and Chibi-Chibi’s eyes doubled in size at the sight. The wall was six feet in height and spanned almost the entire room. Cast in bluestone with an assortment of paints, brushes and other accoutrements and a high-backed adjustable chair waiting for the little girl to explore, it was perfect. “You can paint on this wall as much as you wish without receiving a scolding from me, or anyone else. Come see,” Diana invited as Chibi-Chibi followed her behind the stone partition to find another painting surface fashioned by the palace masons with a stool and more painting implements at the ready.
“ I can paint on both sides; thank you, nana!”
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she grinned and hugged Chibi-Chibi, smiling down at the little face beaming up at the older woman.
~*~
The party was wonderful, a cake with her name blazon in silver on the almond icing, her favorite. The message read, ‘Serenity Dawn happy birthday!’ and along with this a series of crescent moon motifs, bunnies and kittens decorating its many tiers looked quite impressive. She made sure to save a piece for Pan and Pegasus. But she wasn’t sure if Pegasus actually ate. But if not, she would consider it a gift from him to her.
Later, Paris, Juno, Cassandra, and Mayer waited in the courtyard with their gifts for their friend. They all met under the light of the rising moon suspended above the Crystal Palace, taking its place within the star-spangled sky.
She was five years old now, and tall for her age. Mayer gave her a silver trident encrusted with aquamarine stones said to possess curative properties. It was simply beautiful. Chibi-Chibi bowed and allowed her friend to place the silver necklace with the gorgeous pendent about her neck. “Come look!”
Mayer and Cassandra led her to the fountain to catch her reflection in the crystalline waters. She grinned and clapped excitedly. “It’s really pretty. Thank you, Mayer!” she cried, hugging her friend.
The boys had given her a beautiful Orion Star Lizard. It shone like a multi-colored jewel when asleep, and it was half the size of an adult Moon Cat and gave off a fragrant scent that soothed and relaxed its owners. But if it ever felt threatened, or afraid, it turned into something like a rock and no predator could harm it. These were so rare on Earth and much sought after throughout the Crystal Kingdom.
“I will call her Starlight. She is so sweet. Thank you, Paris and Janus!” She hugged each of them and the boys blushed with embarrassment at the fuss and affection shown them by their princess and friend.
Cassandra had then given her a beautiful dress to go with the one she’d been given for the party that she and Diana had worked on with a little help from Lady Luna. It was beautiful, the bodice a fine soft lemon colored fabric, golden flowers sewn around the neckline, a silver hem and the skirts flowed out in a wide arc just above her ankles and the sleeves were short and puffed.
Chibi-Chibi was so happy and the best was yet to come, the moment they’d all been waiting for, their secret meeting at the rotunda after dinner.
~*~
They were all feeling a little nervous and more than a tad anxious, the boys shuffling their feet as they waited for Chibi-Chibi to open the box. She was as were they all, gob smacked at the sight of the ancient chest as it emerged from the rotunda as if carried by invisible attendants.
“Come on already, Chibi-Chibi,” Paris moaned.
Chibi-Chibi hushed them with a commanding stare. She closed her eyes and touched the lid of the ancient box. It flew open revealing a crystal cat washing itself atop the pile of gemstones that glowed brilliantly beneath the beautiful feline lighting up the young faces staring in awe at the nonchalant cat.
“Princess, it is I, Pan, your resident quartz cat, at your service!” The children gasped, turning their eyes to Chibi-Chibi in astonishment. “Oh, young Paris, don’t be so freaked out. I am Pan, servant to the princess and friend to all who serve her.”
With that, Pan hopped out of the box and the stones rose into the air in a swirling ring about the little princess. She touched them all with silvery-pink light that radiated from her hands. Then a loud crackling sound, much like a lightning strike blinded them all. But when they opened their eyes, hundreds of Shitennou surrounded them.
Pan then transformed himself into a tall and powerfully built young man with dark shoulder-length hair and golden eyes. Then he addressed the silent warriors, “You have been summoned after many thousands of years after the great slumber, a new enemy threatens the Crystal Kingdom and Mother Earth and we need her champions to join with the leaders of the Royal Shitennou here on Earth to fight and defeat this new enemy and rid the stars of this darkness.” Chibi-Chibi stood up and greeted each Shitennou individually. Those assigned to her friends spent time speaking with their lieges. “We shall return to your planets with you and help train and prepare your subjects for what is to come. You are young, yes, but the enemy won’t be upon us until you are older, so fear not. The Senshi and your other planets and their royal houses throughout the Crystal Kingdom will also be assigned their Shitennou,” Pan gestured to the others standing tall and imposing around them. Then, en mass, these majestic star warriors bowed to the young sovereigns.
Turquoise, Mayer’s personal Shitennou, insisted they return to the palace to meet with Chibi-Chibi’s mother. Suddenly, a golden glow heralded the arrival of the four generals of Earth, having emerged from their own stones after the summoning. Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite and Zoicite stepped forth and each in turn knelt upon one knee as the little princess took a deep breath and touched each upon the head as they swore their allegiance as she bestowed her blessing. As she touched each General, a silvery-pink light flashed every time she did this. This amazed both herself and her friends.
“Welcome to the Crystal Palace noble lords, I am Princess Serenity Dawn, and these are my friends: Mayer, Paris, Janus and Cassandra.” She curtseyed after the four kings bowed.
“Princess, young noble lords and ladies, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintances,” Kunzite said, and smiled as his companions echoed similar sentiments and began conversing with their charges and one another.
~*~
Luna and Artemis met with the Shitennou in the palace courtyard, amazed at the sight of their former adversaries now freed of Beryl’s influence and revived and not only this, but thrilled by the sight of the newcomers and their vast numbers. Chibi-Chibi had explained everything to Luna and Diana. The two women nodded at one another and smiled, each hugging Chibi-Chibi.
“You have done well Chibi-Chibi, and proven your ability to play your part as a Senshi Princess when you are older. But for now, our new guests must be hungry.” Luna straightened and clapped her hands, ”Noble Shitennou of the Crystal Kingdom, welcome to Crystal Tokyo and back to the beautiful planet Earth. You must eat and refresh yourselves, and later meet with Queen Serenity.”
~*~
“All right, General Jasper. I accept your advice, and my daughter was responsible for awakening you all. I must say she has great power, more than I thought possible. Yes, send Lord Kunzite and the others to see me tomorrow after they’ve rested.”
Luna, stood tall in her human form, her indigo locks pouring over her comely body. Artemis stood by her side admiring her sumptuous lavender locks tied back with yellow ribbons contrasting nicely with her violet gown and its gold ruffled bodice. She smiled with warmth at the queen as she addressed her, “You may wish to see Serenity Dawn, Sere. She is a beautiful child,” Luna entreated, hoping for a spark of interest to appear in those fathomless crimson depths.
But Sere’s eyes were filled with sadness as she changed the subject of conversation, her eyes brimming with tears. Luna chose not to pursue the subject any further, for the moment at least anyway. But knew eventually, Sere would have to mend the bridges with her daughter and there was no escaping this fact. “I want to discuss the situation on the moon, the observatory and the strange readings. We must investigate. Both Mars and I shall lead an armed taskforce to the abandoned observatory and base. If Youma or other hideous creatures meet us there, we will fight and purge our kingdom of this new threat.”
~*~
The new Shitennou Generals filled the throne room after the evening meal. Chibi-Chibi and her friends were asleep in their beds. It was time to assign the Shitennou their tasks.
“My queen,” Nephrite said, his voice rich and deep, “I will lead the delegation to the celestial Senshi home world and we will drop off our fellow Shitennou on their respective planets and return with our Terran allies to begin training here and on the other planets within the Terran system as it pleases you, my queen.”
“So be it, Lord Nephrite. But first, Lord Kunzite, I want you and my palace Shitennou to lead the elite force Mars and I will be taking to the moon. I trust you are ready?”
”Yes, we will be ready by mid afternoon to travel to the moon’s southern pole and secure the observatory and the military outpost.”
“Very well, my lords, I bid you a good night’s sleep. I shall meet with you at breakfast. Goodnight.” With this, the four generals bowed and took their leave.
Earlier, she had discussed with Artemis, Luna and Lord Pyrite her plans to have her mother’s Senshi breakfast with the generals of Earth in the morning. She had made sure they were briefed and prepared for the meeting with the four generals. Naturally, the women were nervous, curious and eager to meet with their former lovers. A new pact would be forged with the Shitennou of Earth and with the Celestial Senshi and their Shitennou.
~And perhaps~ Sere thought, ~amidst these new allies and return of the Earth generals, a rekindling of old love for dear mother’s loyal Senshi~
Smiling to herself, she was escorted by Luna and Artemis to her bedchamber and wished them a pleasant night’s sleep before taking leave of her friends and advisors. “Sleep well my friends. I do love you both, and thank you for your support and understanding. I do so appreciate everything guys, and don’t ever think otherwise,” she said, hugging them both.
“Goodnight Sere,” Artemis said with a bow.
“We will see you at breakfast,” Luna added and they smiled before Sere entered her rooms.
~*~
Pegasus had explained the history of Elysian in a little more detail that night to the little girl who sat up in bed, eyes wide with wonder as he described the many wonders of his realm. She hung on every word the winged being before her spoke. He was pleased to know that Pan was also looking after her. But it was prophesied in the Elysian tablets having come as no surprise to Helios.
The changes in Chibi-Chibi’s life were profound. She was very mature for her age. This, she was most grateful to Pegasus for, and she was happy her friends were finally accepting her as their leader and princess. But most important of all, she was cherished as a friend and they loved her very much. When she was younger, the boys teased her incessantly, much to her annoyance and disappointment. But over time, even Paris treated her with respect.
~*~
The afternoon was hot and she wanted to get away from everything for a while and spend time near the lake on the outskirts of the palace grounds. Chibi-Chibi sat on the dock, her legs dangling over its edge, her pink toes splashing the water. She looked down into the water, catching her reflection looking back at her from its mirror-like surface. She smiled.
~… Not a wisp of hair out of place,~ she sighed and got up to leave. That's when she saw something glittering in the middle of the pond. She squinted. It was something golden in color, spherical, and delicate. ~ Why would anyone throw something so wonderful away? ~
She carefully weighed her options, should she jump into the pond and fetch the object. Her curiosity piqued, it had gotten the better of her. She thought of how wonderful the day would be and shrugged, ~can’t do any harm~ she thought of how hot the sun would get when it reached high noon. But she would be okay. So, Chibi-Chibi hopped into the water with a splash and giggle as its coolness embraced her sprite-like form. She swam out to the center of the pond. Though her feet almost touched bottom, she enjoyed the sensation of floating on her back for a while, watching the clouds and birds track the sky. Then she altered her position and swam about until she was above the prize she sought.
Chibi-Chibi took a deep breath and dove. Her eyes were closed, not wanting the muddy water to hurt her large blue eyes. She felt her fingers touching something cool and hard. She clasped her little hand around it, hoping she had the desired object.
She then kicked her legs and returned to the surface, taking in deep gulps of fresh air. She used her free hand to wipe her face. She swam back to shore, climbed out of the water and lay on the dock as the sun dried her clothing as she dozed. But she was well rewarded. There in the palm of her hand was a locket shaped like a star, a chain attached to it. She assumed it was made of gold, because it was so heavy and rather large, filling her palm.
Helios had made certain the locket would be easily found by his little girl. Endymion and Serenity had entrusted him with the task. He floated about his sleeping daughter his heart filled with love and pride, and though asleep, Chibi-Chibi smiled as invisible lips kissed her crescent moon upon her brow.
Later, upon waking, she examined it and noticed the inscription and the crescent moon on its face. When she pressed the button, the lid popped up. Chibi-Chibi gasped in surprise as a beautiful melody filled her ears. The interior revealed a golden rose spinning within. Everything was in perfect working order despite being at the bottom of the pond for the Kamis only knew how long.
~ I am so glad I found you, you called to me!~ Chibi-Chibi thought with an heir of satisfaction. As she continued sunning herself, dry.
She closed her eyes, her little hand still wrapped around the newly discovered trinket. As the pretty melody filled her mind, she zoned out, to the world beyond, she was in a state of peace and restfulness. When she woke again, it was late afternoon. The music was still playing.
~ Well, I am dry now. I hope Nana and the others aren't too worried about me, better, go back to the crystal palace now. ~ Chibi-Chibi picked herself up and raced back home. Hoping she wasn't in trouble for sneaking out without Diana or a guardian. But what she hadn’t realized was that a soft silvery-golden light encircled her sweet face and her eyes shone like the daystar overhead, though by the time she arrived back at the palace, her outward appearance had returned to normal.
She couldn’t wait to show Paris, Mayer, Janus, and Cassandra the locket.
~*~
That night Chibi-Chibi painted the winged visitor upon the wall. The Pegasus looked magnificent. The little girl proved to be a great painter, nobody expected the five-year-old would paint something one would attribute to a highly gifted Japanese or international artist. Diana was stunned after she’d come to collect the little princess so she could feed Nijizuishou and have her supper. Her eyes fixed on the life-like image of the Pegasus and her heart was in her mouth.
“Chibi-Chibi, you painted this?”
“Aha, isn’t he wonderful, he is one of my favorites.”
“I had no idea you were this good, and everything looks so beautiful, even the image of yourself. I am so proud of you,” Diana said, putting her arm about Chibi-Chibi’s shoulder and leading her to the door before smiling down at her.
“I know, supper time. I want to say hello to Nijizuishou!”
“Okay then, let’s go.”
Later, as Chibi-Chibi was cleaning up after completing her other chores, she smiled and winked at the Pegasus. Then, the painting came to life and Chibi-Chibi stepped through the image and was soon climbing upon the winged horse’s back. As his wings unfurled and beat a path to the sky overhead, she laughed and stroked Pegasus’s neck as he whinnied and they were soon galloping upon the towering anvils of clouds under the watchful eye of the full moon and twinkling stars.
“Come on little one, let’s visit Elysium.”
