The woman panted, sweat dripping off her face, running between her breasts as she struggled. She locked eyes with the grim specter hovering at the end, folded arms like carved marble, face set, mouth hard.
"My........she's certainly in a hurry to be born this time," the woman gasped, clutching the covers weakly.
"Yes."
"She keeps trying," the woman managed. "It..it must be L-sama's Will."
Luna raised a violet eyebrow. "Of all the things L-sama would want, total destruction is at the bottom of that very long list."
"She's a stubborn one...." the woman said. Then her pale features twisted in agony, and she grabbed at the air, clawing. Luna moved to the woman and held her, supporting, helping for those last few minutes.
"So sad...such a little thing..." the woman whispered as she died and the infant wailed full force into the world.
Luna stared at the infant, then at the body of her mother. The infant whimpered, then quieted as Luna turned her hard stare to her. Luna's face showed none of the regret, none of the sorrow, nothing of the fact that it got progressively harder each time to carry out the mission.
Luna walked over to her infant sister, picked her up, looked at the tiny, bird-like face. It wasn't her fault.
"I'm truly sorry," Luna said, a statement that had been uttered hundreds of times, but never lost any sentiment.
"Forgive me." Her hand started to glow, and the baby's eyes widened.
THWAP
Luna dropped the baby back onto the bed with a cry, the infant shrieking as she hit the bed. Luna crouched, looked around wildly, jerked her head up and saw the offending object - a large frypan and the hand attached to it.
"XELAS!!!!!!" she roared, spinning around and reaching for her best friend. She grabbed the Mazoku by her tiny shoulders and shook her hard, sending her bracelets rattling like rain. "What the HELL do you think you are doing??"
The Dark Lord shrugged. "Stopping you, obviously." She looked around and located the infant, still crying her eyes out on the bed. "Oh, is this her??? Kawaii!!" she squealed.
Luna gritted her teeth and leaned forward until her nose was six inches from the young girl's. "Why_did_you_stop_me???"
"Because," Xelas said plainly.
"Because_why?"
"Because," Xelas said enunciating very clearly, "she's going to save all our asses this time, that's why."
"And whose authority do you have this on??"
"The Great Shrine," she said defiantly. At Luna's incredulous look, she added defensively, "Hey, they're only wrong every hundred years or so! It's not their fault that one of them is possessed by Ruby-sama. That doesn't mean their predictions are all wrong."
"Xelas," Luna said, speaking very slowly and calmly for the benefit of her somewhat vacant friend, pointing a finger at the hapless infant for added emphasis, "She lives, she loses control, world go BOOM!!!! L-sama touches us all in ways we'd rather not describe. Do you remember what happened 2000 years ago??"
"Of course I remember! You don't forget major world cataclysm anytime soon, especially if you were lucky enough to be there."
Luna went over and smashed her head against the wall post. Xelas stared at her curiously, then turned and walked towards the infant, picking her up expertly. "Oh, you poor thing. You must be hungry." She magicked a bottle out of thin air and gave it to the baby, who immediately began sucking it down with gusto. Xelas smoothed the infant's fuzzy red hair, and looked at her forehead. "Mercy, the marks are here all right. Poor little thing. You killed your mother too - all the signs are here."
"She is the One, Xelas. You know what we've been doing for centuries now. You know perfectly well what we have to do now."
"She will not die," Xelas stated calmly. "Hametsu to tanjou - destruction AND creation, dear. She will be the one that drives back the darkness. She's special, and things are different now. I will not allow you to destroy her this time."
"You.....are an ass. This child is too dangerous to live. She's not the only threat. Think of what Phibrizo or Dynast would do if they got their hands on her."
"I will protect her and you will protect her and teach her...if she's strong in magic early on, it may prevent her from losing control. That's what the problem was last time-she wasn't strong enough to accept her powers. Hell, I'll even get Xel-kun to protect her. He's not doing anything right now."
"You are talking of millions of lives lost if you are wrong."
"I am talking of millions saved if I am right. I am the Beastmaster. I will not be moved in this."
Luna stared at her best friend and saw unyielding stubborness, her pale face flashing through the shadows like a small moon. Xelas smiled softly.
"Come, Luna-I have been your partner in death for all these years now. Do you think I would really resist if I did not feel in my bones that it was right?"
Luna sighed, yielding. "I will raise her then. But-" she lifted a warning finger, "if you are wrong, this will all be on your head."
"Yes-and I will get to explain to Mother that it was all my fault. Itai!!" Xelas gasped, rubbing her head. "I can stillllll feel that shovel......."
Luna looked at her mother's body, then at the infant cradled in Xelas's arms. Xelas rose and placed the baby in Luna's arms.
"Here-I'll take my leave now so you can get accquainted." She turned to go, and then looked back. "Lu-chan....I'm truly sorry about your mother."
"It's L-sama's Will. I suppose it's for the best," Luna said flatly.
"Hai. But that doesn't make it any easier, I suppose. I should go-Xelloss is waiting for me at home."
Luna nodded. "Go then." Xelas faded from sight as easily as a cat melds into shadow, and Luna turned away.
She looked down at her new sister, still asleep. "Hmmph, a name would be good."
She looked out the window, and saw the red star still shining brightly in the sky, and cursed softly. Shit, those who knew would know now that she had survived. This little one would have to be strong-lots of sharks would be swimming around her soon enough, following the trail of her blood red hair.
"Selene," Luna murmured, eyes on the moon she was named after. Then she frowned.
"Too quiet-Serena?? Diana?? Celina....?? That's not bad. Lina for short. It suits you. Lina Inverse."
The baby snuffled and woke up, blinking her ruby-colored eyes. Luna glanced down at her and smiled.
"Hmmmm, it's good you're up. We have to get started." Luna headed towards the back room to get the burial prepations for their mother. Lina looked up and Luna nodded to her, crossing into the room and closing the door behind her.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us."