The Galaxy Cauldron is proud to announce its fourth writing contest. The theme for this writing contest is "Spending a Birthday alone". The writers interpreted the theme as they liked.

Entries from the fourth Writing Contest are posted below in random order. Do not announce anyone's identities or guess at them in this thread. The writers of the entries may still vote in the poll. I trust you all to vote for what you honestly believe is the best entry, regardless of who wrote it.

Note: Voting will be opened for 8 days (until 09/07/12). All questions may be directed to Small Lady or Sashminda.

Entry One




Shattered


Shards of crystal and gravel scattered across the Earth, now
a wasteland, destroyed in the most horrifying way. Chaos had finally conquered,
engulfing every civilian heart turning them to darkness, as they ruthlessly
turned the beauty and peace of Crystal Tokyo into a graveyard. Dark power surged through the land,
destroying the light of the royal family, banishing the glow that I was known
for. The end of the descendents of the Moon Kingdom…I could never allow this
to exist.





The day of my birth was destined to be a somber one, and I
had hoped it would never come. I thought my power would have been enough to
keep the world under control. My burden was enough onto my owners. Somehow, my
first was able to connect to me through her heart. I never understood how or
why, nevertheless I hardly questioned it, knowing that it would only confuse me
immensely.


Selene was her name…. my first. Most notably, she was the
goddess of the Moon, but to me, she was a savior, even if she never realized
it. Rays of light glimmered from her, forming a tiny silver shard she wore
until she passed it on to the next.


The fondest memories I have are of my gracious, kind queen.
Serenity brought prosperity to the Moon more than her previous life could have
ever accomplished. Her love made me grow into a full Silver Crystal, allowing
me to be powerful through the energy of love and peace. My queen was my mentor,
allowing me to connect to her in an unimaginable way. It was as if I was a part
of her, and I never wanted to let go of that feeling. She made me feel strong.


Light pulsated through my small body, as the queen bared a
baby girl, the heir to her throne and the Moon Kingdom. “Princess…” I thought
to myself, as the infant clutched onto me, cooing and giggling happily. She was
a beautiful bundle, as Queen Serenity held her. Just from her touch, I felt
tender warmth emit from her. “We are both part of you…” the Queen said,
smiling. “...heart and soul.”





As time passed, however, the princess’s heart grew away from
me. I never believed she understood what it truly meant to be heir to her
mother’s crown. Her heart lied with a crown prince from a distant forbidden
planet that we watched over. She longed for the air, land and beauty, and it
grew into a love for a human. Despite the princess’s efforts to…sneak out, so
to speak, the queen knew about her daughter’s love affair. Concern grew to
happiness, as she prayed, holding me in her hands. “Please…let my daughter’s
love create a new connection between Earth and this kingdom.”


No one could have foreseen the darkness that fell upon the
kingdom. My body resonated with the Queen’s heartbeat as she watched her people
fall, murdered at the hands of a corrupted society. Light crackled through my
glass once Serenity’s eyes fell on the Earth Prince, lifeless, and directly
next to him laid a fatally wounded princess, with a sword in hand.
“She….k—kil….” Serenity sprinted to her daughter’s body, holding her, shaking
violently. I felt like I would explode, as the Queen’s tears multiplied. I knew
it was time. All I can remember was heat. White, searing heat pouring out of me
as the Queen held me, using my power to save everyone. But in the end, we both
disappeared, not knowing if she would return, and if I would ever feel that irresistible
warmth once again.





Darkness…a familiar friend…


How I hoped to never meet you
again…


Will I ever leave this time?


I hear a familiar cry, a similar
sense of love…


I knew I would be alright.





Princess Serenity…no
Sailor Moon…I had been secluded in her heart the entire time. Disbelief
overtook my thoughts, as I was exposed to a new time, unfamiliar and weak. For
sure, I figured I died with the Queen, to be passed off as a legendary crystal
that once powered an empire. However, it was the princess’s body that made me
shine once again. Her wishes and her feelings resonated with me. All of them. “Thank
you, silver crystal…” the soldier said, as she vanquished all remnants of the
Dark Kingdom. No, thank you, my princess.
For now, I know you are strong, and for years we fought for the sake of a
new place…Earth…





This warm feeling….


It is fading…


Have I lost another?


Seren—





My birthday was not a reason to celebrate. In the midst of
shattered crystals, there was an ominous silence. Unlike previous disasters,
where I would have felt the energy of 1000 suns smite the enemy, I was a hollow
stone. The Neo-Queen, Small Lady, everyone…perished before they could wield
me, use me to…


I jolted, realizing my thought, my purpose…it was a
nightmare. I was simply a piece of
glass, whose power was useless without anyone. I caused this. Even if I was
used, I caused death, pined for until a moon royal sacrificed their selves
using me.


Why? WHY?


Angered by my epiphany, I started to tremble, as an unfamiliar
energy started to pierce through me. No,
I screamed. I have to fix this…..NOW.



With that last word, my crystal existence burst into a pure
white light, exposing a figure. I looked down at my new form. Hands, fingers,
arms, legs…I was a human?


I ran over to a piece of crystal still intact on its hinges.
Reflected was a young woman with long silvery white hair, adorned with a white
fuku with a rainbow design, similar to the soldiers. My forehead exposed a star
symbol.


Tears flooded my face and I knew then that it was true. I
felt it in my new beating heart. I took a deep breathed and spoke for the first
time.


“Sailor Cosmos…I wish you had never been born."

Entry Two



Dawn crept softly across her room, streaming through the thick green leaves to create blotches of shadows on the carpet and hardwood, the rays creeping ever closer to her bed. This was one of her favorite times of day. It used to be right about now that Dad would be turning on the coffee maker in the kitchen, pattering around as he sleepily fumbled for the pre-ground beans. The Mom would pop into the kitchen, tease him quietly for not knowing his way around her kingdom, and playfully push him back towards their room to get ready for work. Then she would measure out the coffee and put it into the machine, the beans sliding into the filter with a quiet shhh and then she’d press the button. The maker would bubble and steam and the smell would seep through the hallway and hit her immediately.

She would already be awake, watching them through the crack in her open door, but when her mother walked down the hallway to wake her up, she’d hide back under the covers and pretend to be asleep. Being woken up by Mom was always nice; she would sneak in quietly, look around the room with a smile when it was clean, and then get really close and kiss her on the forehead. “Wake up, Mako-chan! ” she would say, “The day is ready for you!”

And then they would pick out her school clothes and get dressed together, and go back into the kitchen and make breakfast for Dad. She always got to stir and taste-test, but Mom had only recently let her near the pans on the hot stove. She got to walk the plate over to Dad, who would ruffle her hair and say “Good Morning, little girl! You’re so pretty today!” And they’d eat breakfast together. Then she’d help Mom collect the dishes and Dad would get his shoes on and grab his briefcase. She would jump into her shoes and grab her bag and lunch and they would kiss Mom goodbye, then she and Dad would walk to school. His work was in another direction, but he always took the train so they could walk together and talk about sports and classes.

But that was before.

Her alarm went off after the sun had almost filled the entire room, and she shut it off with a sharp tap on the top, glancing at the date again as if by staring at it, it could change. It was 5 December, and she was fourteen today.

She pulled off the sheets and got out of bed, peeling off bedclothes and folding them nicely, putting them under her pillow just as her mother had done. She made her bed and looked around the room until she found their picture on her dresser, allowing herself one more minute of remembering them – their smiles, their warmth, and their happiness – before hardening the sensation of loss and locking it away. She went to the closet, pulled out her school uniform, and stepped first into the long skirt, then slid the long-sleeved shirt on over her head, taking a moment to push the sleeves up over her elbows despite the snowfall on the ground outside. She brushed out her hair, looking at herself in the mirror, and tied it quickly into a high ponytail with the green-bauble hair elastic her father had given her as a going-away present. She ruffled her bangs and offered a smile that, even to her, looked false. A grimace looked more at home, and it was that grimace she was known for now.

Picking up her book bag, she went into the main hall and exchanged the bag for a watering can and took a few minutes to water her plants and sweep the apartment again. She put her lunch by the door, then turned on the coffee maker, listening to its clicks and pops and breathing deeply its aroma as she stood, waiting for some water to boil for breakfast.

…….

She arrived back at her apartment just after dark, having stayed after school for cleaning and a club meeting. When she got in she put her school bag away and started water for some tea, then changed clothes into something more comfortable. When she finished the water was ready, and she made some rose tea as she washed her lunch container and got out some pots and pans to make tomorrow’s lunch, tonight’s dinner, and a small cake for herself, wanting to try a new icing trick she had learned earlier in the week. She smiled as she cooked, loving the sounds and smells as she multitasked, busily going from pan to pan, tweaking seasonings as she saw fit, stirring sauces and flipping shrimp and little hotdogs to make sure they cooked evenly, even as she preheated the oven and mixed together a quick cake recipe.

As the cake baked and tomorrow’s lunch cooled, she had dinner. Making mental notes on her food as she chewed, she concocted new ways to make the dish better, or in a different style, keeping herself busy with exciting new combinations. Once dinner was finished, she arranged her lunch in her bento box and put it in the refrigerator to cool and keep for tomorrow. She took the cake out to cool, then started washing all of the dishes; her hands never stopped moving, the smile never left her face.

Everything was put away, even the implements used to make the icing she piped onto the cake, making tiny roses on top. The more she made, the better they got, but by the end the entire top of the cake was covered in tiny red flowers and there was no room for a birthday message. She smiled and piped a message in sugar pink anyway, spelling out “Happy Birthday Makoto!” on top of the delicate flowers.

It was then that her smile finally faded. When everything was finished, and she cut into her birthday cake alone.

Entry Three



Lying low among the cemented air of her celestial mission, the girl with glossy black hair knelt before her flames. A special treat was expected, not by her but by the culture around her. She had lost expectation long ago, in her childhood. It was torn into two irreplaceable and irreparable parts, one into her father’s grey bureaucracy, and the other into an unreachable plane, where her mother now rests.
In the fire, embers of the love she had burnt into ash grew and faded. They flew in all directions, escaping the hearth only to become charred remnants of their origin.
Her home smelt like wooden perfumes, and a cleanliness that surpassed holiness. Daily, the leaves were swept and the floors scrubbed. The incense was lit and she began a new day
Which happened to be the day of her birth, fourteen years ago.
Every chore was performed by midday, every chore to mask the rapidly emptying remembrance for her day of initiation.
But now there were none, the mask had fallen and her sentiments arose with only a grotesque, grey crust.
“Happy birthday,” she murmured.
It was a most happy day.
Above, her mother looked down from the sanctuary of Mars, while sprinkling red sparkles into space-time.
“Happy birthday, my daughter,” said the removed mother, “Enjoy your final year before the change…”
Rei looked towards the fiery hearth, the embers still blowing haphazardly. As she tried to suppress the sentiments which were tainted by her father’s absence, she saw a figure, black and soft.
“Announce yourself!” She demanded, “Tell me your finality in being here!”
“Rei… you must treasure today.”
And the figure sharpened into a face, the nostalgic features of her joyful years. “Rei… you are to undergo something very important soon. Mother wants you to spend this final birthday in absolute joy. Please, Rei this is your last chance…”
“Mother… where are you?”
“You’ll know eventually. Treasure today, Rei.”
“I… I will.”

The black figure faded away into the heat, and took with her a decade of accumulated grief, compressed, dried, rotten emotions. Rei laid down her weights, and for the last hours of the day, she felt the touch of a glistening pool of happiness hidden beneath her heart for a decade. She bought a small cake, light and fluffy for the Japanese palate, and in her room, on a table lined with colourful drawings and elegant calligraphy, she scattered buttery crumbs, in defiance to herself.
And a laugh was evoked.
And a smile possessed her lips.
“Haha. What a mess I’ve made on my table! Ha-ha! Sorry mother! I know I’m not supposed to eat in my bedroom, but the cake was so yummy I just couldn’t think straight! Ha-ha!”
“I forgive you,” said her mother.

Entry Four



Birthday Cake


The winter sun paints faded fairy sprites on the kitchen floor.

Sift flower, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

Any chill in the air is wrestled away by the warmth of oven pre-heating behind her,
the heat wafting up from the registers on the floor beneath her slippered feet.

Add in order: oil, egg yolks, lemon juice, rind and vanilla, beat with mixer until smooth.

Her hands deftly work, ignoring numbness in her fingers and burning behind her eyes. The apron is
knotted sweetly at her waist.

Pour mixture gradually over whipped egg whites, carefully folding with rubber spatula, just until
blended.

She gently works with the egg whites as if handling a newborn child. There are bruises on her
knuckles.

Pour into ungreased pan, bake at 165 degrees for 70 minutes

In the time it takes to bake she makes the frosting, pure white as the snow that has silently fallen
on the city outside her brand new apartment while she works.

The oven timer rings.

Remove cake from oven and invert pan over top of a glass bottle. It should hang that way until completely cool.

She watches the steam rise from the cake into the cool December air. She colors some of her
frosting green and some dark pink.

When cake is completely cool, then begin to frost.

She works for hours, with a piping bag and flat knife. She makes roses and leaves and swirls and valleys,
squinting through a swollen black eye.

A candle is placed in the center of the masterpiece, she lights it and shuts her eyes and wishes.

The next day, the garbage man hauls away the entire cake, not one bite eaten.

The frosting has been smudged so much that ‘Happy 14th Birthday, Makoto’ is barely still readable.

voted!

voted

voted

They're all so sad I felt like giving hugs!

voted

bump!

Bump

bump

I...can't decide. T____T

voted!

bump~

bump

Heheh... I voted XD x.x"

(and it wasn't an easy vote either)

Voted! Best of luck, my lovies.