<Epona?> A little girl with bright white hair stared at the calm water of the lake in front of her. Through thought-waves she talked with the unicorn next to her, her Birth Animal. <I've really lived on the Moon of this solar system, haven't I... And my name...>
The unicorn looked, just as the six year old girl, at the water in front of them. Even though the temperature on Moonplanet, their homeworld, was far beneath the freezing point, the water wasn't frozen. It needed to get another few hundred degrees colder before it would freeze. <...cannot be changed back.> Epona communicated in the same way. <Things are different here.>
<But the creatures living there, the humans, aren't they the same as us? Mama said I couldn't go back...>

This morning the girl had asked if she could return to the Moon. The previous night, the memories of her past life had returned little by little. When she had been reborn on her home planet the memories of the Moon had vanished quickly. Now they were back, and she wanted to go back as well, to the Moon. Her mother had said 'no', and however much she had insisted, her mother kept maintaining that it was impossible. She could not leave the planet, not now. She had to grow up here, so her psychic powers could develop well.
<They're different from us.> Her mother had said. <We aren't human, like them.>
<But we look exactly the same, don't we!> Her daughter had yelled. <Then we are the same!>
<It only seems that way...> Her mother had said. <When you grow up you'll understand.>
<How can I understand when I can't talk to them! And when I've grown up our planet will have left this solar system again!> Moonplanet was a rogue planet, and would only stay in one solar system for a certain amount of time.
Her mother shook her head. <Moonplanet, I'll explain it to you later. It's best to calmly let the memories of you previous life dawn on you, and then release them.>
The girl had wildly shaken her head. <Don't call me Moonplanet! My name is Mene!>
<That was your name when you lived on the Moon. But your real name is Moonplanet. Through this name you will be able to receive your full psychic powers. If you're named 'Mene', you will never be able to entirely join to psychic community on our planet. You will never be able to develop all of your powers if you keep clinging to that name. It isn't your real name.>
<It is! What does it matter if I'll be able to receive 'my full psychic powers'? On the Moon I was called Mene and I could also use psychic powers! A name has nothing to do with psychic powers!>
<It has. Do you remember that I was, when I was born, named Thia? I didn't have any power, I couldn't even communicate. Only when my name changed into Euryphaessa, my powers started to develop. A name really has to do with your powers. You were named Moonplanet, because then you would have the possibilities to develop your powers from birth on. If you'd have been named 'Mene', your possibilities would have been limited from the start.>
<Mum, the name 'Moonplanet' really doesn't fit me! It's only the name of the planet! Until yesterday I didn't know my real name, but now I have my memories of the Moon back, I also remember my real name! You have to call me Mene!>
<That isn't your real name, Moonplanet. You are still too young and the memories too fresh to be able to make such an important decision.>
<I'm not too young! The name 'Mene' fits me, not 'Moonplanet'!>
<You can't decide if you want to change your name or not. You are born as Moonplanet, and that is your name. You need to be able to develop all of your psychic powers; to succeed me as Queen of Moonplanet.>
<Who says I want to become queen? One of my sisters can also become queen! I just want a name that fits me...>
<Moonplanet, you don't understand... You won't be able to change your name back anymore...>
The girl looked straight into her mother's eyes. <You don't understand! From now on my name is Mene, and not Moonplanet!>
Queen Euryphaessa felt how her little daughter pushed away all ties with her real name. She had decided her name to be 'Mene', and that would stay that way... Her psychic powers would stay at a minimum level, now she had changed her name at such a young age. Only the powers she possessed at this moment, she would keep. She was really sorry she hadn't been able to stop Moonplanet. She had changed her name of her own free will, and she could not beat that. Moonplanet would not be able to become queen, and for the first time in a long period one of her other daughters would have to replace her. The one with the strongest psychic powers... and that wasn't Mene.

<I want to go back...> Mene whispered, staring at the fluid substance, mainly methane. On the Moon the water didn't exist of methane, but of hydrogen and oxygen. The elements the atmosphere consisted of also differed from the air on the Moon, and according to her mother that was the reason beings from the Moon could not live on Moonplanet. The planets environment was not very habitable for Moon creatures.
<Wouldn't there be a possibility for me so I could go to the Moon, live on the Moon...> Mene mused. <Maybe Small Lady knows something... or Queen Selenity...>
<Do you want to leave this planet?> Epona was Mene's Birth Animal, a shining white unicorn - unlike the Moon creatures the species on Moonplanet could see in the eternal darkness the rogue planet found itself in. A Birth Animal was an animal you had a very strong psychic connection with from birth. And faultlessly felt what you thought.
<How did you want to do that?> Epona asked. <You can't contact them from here.>
For a moment it was quiet, but Epona knew what Mene was thinking. <Impossible.> Mene decided.
The interplanetary communicator. There was only one of them, in the Royal Palace, and almost always had someone sitting next to it. Usually Princess Hades or Prince Gaios would be found there...
<They certainly agree with mother...> Mene sighed. <They won't help me with it...> She leaned backwards against Epona's legs. The unicorn hang her head so Mene could stroke her mane. The eternal darkness surrounding the rogue planet slowly started to yield to the light of the star this solar system surrounded. A part of the planet, at least. As soon as they'd left this solar system, it would be a long time before starlight reached their planet again. The coloured, rotating rings of Moonplanet's satellite also emitted a bit of light themselves, but that never reached the planet's surface. It was only used for the time measurement. Every day the rings rotated 360 degrees, and the moment they started a new cycle, a new day began.
Attuned to the orbit the planet had had long ago in its own solar system, a Moonplanet year existed of 3500 ring cycles. Slightly longer than 9.5 Earth years, the planet which had the Moon as a satellite. So much could have happened in the meanwhile; Mene was already six years old… She'd probably be no more than a vague image in the memories of the Senshi, in view of the way the human memory worked.
The human memory. She'd had it herself, and knew the memory she had now remembered things in a very different way. But that term… Wasn't she human then? Against her mother she'd said she was, but her mother was the Queen of Moonplanet. The one with the strongest psychic powers. And she had said that they were not human. Then was that correct…?
Mene wildly shook her head, as if she wanted to shake off the thought of her mother, blown away in the wind stirring the vegetation of Moonplanet. But Euryphaessa had always had a strong psychic connection with plants, instead of with an animal. Something that was unique on Moonplanet. The plants could tell her mother what was happening everywhere on the planet, every moment. Even with her present powers Mene could feel the presence of her mother. She had always found that feeling reassuring, but now… She didn't feel safe anymore between the large psychic powers flowing through the planet. Powers of which she would only be a spectator.
<Epona…> Mene nestled herself against Epona's leg, while her emotional layers filled with sorrow and regret. Her mother had been right…

<They started again!> Quetzalcóatl, a red- and green feathered snake, jerked his head when the signal reached him.
<But… Didn't they have a good nest? Why…?> Princess Aphrodite asked surprised. The group of feathered snakes had just finished the period of nest-moving.
Her Birth Animal shook his head. <It's not about the nest. Tezcatlipoca is trying to take over the leadership of the group again.>
<Just left and already…> Aphrodite didn't finish her sentence, but quickly jumped on the back of the flying away Quetzalcóatl.

<A feathered snake?> Epona raised her head when she saw a long, red-and-green coloured animal flying past in the corner of her eye. On top of it she just saw another pink spot - fluttering hair. Quetzalcóatl and Aphrodite. They seemed to be in a hurry, Quetzalcóatl was flying so fast…
Mene had noticed Epona's movement and also looked up. Through her sorrow she could just see a pink spot. The colour of Yuri's hair, it seemed. Only a bit darker than she remembered Princess Ceres' hair, but still… almost the same…
<Princess Ceres!!!> escaped with a cry from Mene's thoughts, as she jumped up. Hopefully she fixed her eyes on the snake high up in the air, but it continued flying with the same speed, away from Mene, towards the higher situated mountains.
<Mene…> Epona caressed Mene's hair with her head. <That was Aphrodite, your sister.>
<I know… But for a moment… just a moment…> Mene briefly sobbed and then turned to the pitch black water of the lake she had been sitting near all the time. <Ceres is on the Moon. To her, it's already been a long time since I was there… I got the memories from my previous life back now, so I could retrospect on it and move on with this life. After a while the memories of my life on the Moon will fade again. Just as in every lifetime… Just as happens to everyone of the Royal Family… The princesses have surely not thought about me anymore for a long time. I shouldn't do that either.>

For a long while it was quiet. Epona knew Mene was trying to drive out her sorrow. But her emotional layers were still filled with the longing to see the beings she had met in her previous life again. Maybe she would be able to suppress it for the moment, but it would return. It would hold her till the memories would start to fade again. And by that time they would already have left this solar system. Princess Ceres, Small Lady, the others… They would never meet again. But because the memories temporarily came back Mene would grow a bit, something she'd probably need very much in next lifetimes.
<Let's go back to the palace.> Mene decided. <Maybe there's a pattern to discover in the way and order Moonplanet traverses different solar systems. Gaios has been working on it for a while and maybe he has discovered something new.>

<Princess Ceres?> Princess Aphrodite asked herself, while they were flying towards the mountains in high speed. <What was Mene talking about?>
<Her previous life?> Quetzalcóatl suggested. <She has now reached the age on which your species always gets back memories of your past life.>
<Of course… And Mene reincarnated outside of the planet last time. Rarely happens. Never happened to me. The experiences she has gained there seem to have made a strong impression. What kind of world would it have been..?>
<Quetzalcóatl!> Aphrodite was rudely interrupted by Tezcatlipoca's penetrating voice. <Until here and no further! These mountains now belong to me and my snakes! You and your Birth Human are not part of us!>
Behind him gradually more and more snakes rose up. An agreeing mumbling reached the two newcomers.
<Tezcatlipoca promises us a better environment…>
<…a better nest…>
<…more offspring…>
<…more food…>
<Seems he has won the group over to his side with false promises.> Aphrodite said in a way only Quetzalcóatl could hear it. <Maybe we should try to let Tezcatlipoca prove his promises. What won't succeed… At the moment this is the best nestling place for the snake group.>
Quetzalcóatl nodded. <You're right, Tezcatlipoca. I will retreat, on one condition: if you don't prove your promises, I will get the leadership of the group back.>
<Are you sure?> Tezcatlipoca asked suspiciously.
<Very sure.>
<Good, but don't show yourself anymore in our area, then.>
<Agreed.>
Tezcatlipoca made an approving movement with his tail and turned to the group of feathered snakes, who were expectantly floating in the air a distance beneath them.
<We go!>