Against All Odds

Author: tokyo_rabbit

Rated: PG13

Prologue

He waited in the cold night; for how long, he couldn't tell. Morning dew was already starting to accumulate in the forest and on his pitch-black cloak due to holding still for so long. Even the Crystal Forest's wildlife was already beginning to stir in the dead hour.

Where was she?

Sleep seemed to taunt him while he sat on the damp ground and leaned against a crystal tree, arms crossed against his broad chest. His eyes were closed, but his ears were tuned to the faint rustling sound he could now detect.

Confident that the noise had come from the person he had been waiting for, he said, "You are late," without so much as stirring from his position.

"I never specified what time I would arrive," spoke the cloaked figure that appeared in the clearing.

Opening his eyes, a smirk played across his face. "True."

"However, I do apologize for any sleep you have lost on this fated night," the female voice paused, pursing her lips to delicately phrase the remainder of her sentence, "but certain obligations kept me from meeting you sooner."

Standing now, he waved a hand in dismissal.

"Think nothing of it. Let me hear your reason for this whole shenanigan so we may return to where we are assumed to be."

The smaller figure nodded, and the Moon caught her icy violet eyes under the shade of the hood.

"The Princess is going to die."

He felt his muscles go taut as he stood straight and rigged, "What?"

"That is, if we do not do something," she continued. "An assassin has infiltrated the Moon and the Queen refuses to admit that something has slipped passed her attention. Due to her stubbornness, her daughter's life is being threatened considerably."

"How do you know that the assassin is after the Moon Princess?" he asked skeptically. "Or that the assassin even exists in the first place?"

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly at his disbelief, "When the Princess was born, it was prophesized by the Sisters of Jupiter that a servant of the Silver Court would betray the Moon and murder it's Light."

"You mean Princess Serenity."

"Yes. They said the betrayal would begin when the Sun's ‘tears' would flow."

"I do not understand," he said truthfully.

"Being the Sun's pride, I am surprised to hear that you have not noticed the irregular activity in solar flares and sun spots." There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

He gave a snort.

"So I assume that those abnormalities are tears?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes and then hoped that his own hood was keeping his face hidden completely from the Moon's silver light. This woman was not one to defy, for she held the power of Death in one breath and the power of Rebirth in a thought. The last thing he needed was for her to sense his cynicism. It was just hard to believe that some vision could have the Silver Court in an uproar.

"You don't believe me," she stated knowingly.

He winced, "Barely."

"The Sun is a star, is it not? And do we not use the stars as our window to spy upon what Fate has in store for us? The patterns of the flares and spots of your protector are a most efficient way of foretelling danger."

He was silent.

"In fact, it was that very form of foretelling that confirmed the whispers of the Dark One's arrival on Earth. You were affected by that very reading. It is what motivated King Terran to begin your studies at age three, for he knew his demise was near and your mother could not wield that Golden Crystal and you could."

He hated that. He hated that his father knew he would leave him and his mother, and that some higher power had a hold over his destiny when he could do nothing to change it.

"Why have you come here tonight?" he asked. In his voice was a bitter cold that gave her motivation to finally reveal her plans, knowing she had his undivided attention.

"I want you to kidnap Princess Serenity."