Crystal Flaws - Book Five - Part 1

Crystal Ties
By Luna Hope

Rated - PG-13


(Author's Note: Please read:
"Crystal Flaws - Book 1 - Crystal Tears"
"Crystal Flaws - Book 2 - Crystal Fears"
"Crystal Flaws - Book 3 - Crystal Clear" and
"Crystal Flaws - Book 4 - Crystal Bells"

*before* you read this Book. There are things you will not understand in this story if you skip the first books. Thank you ^_^)



Chapter 1


"Bye!" the Asteroid Senshi called out and waved as Serenity and Elios boarded the Venusian Planet Transport.

Terrance stood next to Hotaru and watched them board. With a sigh he said, "Whew! I'm glad they're finally married. Maybe things will settle down around the Palace now."

The four Pegasus brothers were still wound up by all the festivities and they didn't want the fun to end so soon. Taking the lead, Jabbath looked at his brothers and said, "You know, I don't want to go back to Elysion right away. How about we stick around a while longer?"

Castor smiled and agreed, "Sure, but what should we do? I think I've had enough of Crystal Tokyo for now." The brothers all nodded their heads.

The Asteroid Senshi were standing near by and heard the brothers. Vesta offered, "There's more to our Earth than just the city."

Volans quietly asked, "What else is there to do?"

The girls laughed then started taking turns listing places, "There's the beach, the mountains, rivers, deserts, oceans, islands, lots of things!"

The brothers looked at each other. Always eager to explore, Pollux said, "Those all sound interesting. Would you be willing to show us those places?"

The girls laughed again and Ceres responded, "Well, not all in one day! But sure, we'll show you around. Where would you like to go first?"

Castor answered, "We don't know. Which of those places do you like to visit most?"

All four girls looked at each other then said together, "The beach!"

Jabbath responded, "Okay, the beach it is then."

Vesta, thinking of the practical requirements for a trip, said, "When we get back to the Palace, we'll need to arrange for a transport to get us there."

The brothers looked at each other, clearly confused. Jabbath asked, "Why do you need to do that?"

Laughing, Juno replied, "How else are we going to get there? Fly?"

The brothers all nodded their heads yes.

Vesta smacked herself on the head, "What a dummy I am! I forgot you could fly! You don't have to though. I mean, we can't fly, so we'd need to ride."

Castor asked, "Do you mind having to ride with us?"

Hastily Vesta added, "No. I, We don't mind. Actually, we'd love to ride, but you don't mind giving us rides?"

The brothers shook their heads no then Pollux said, "There is one thing. In Pegasus form we can't talk out loud. We communicate telepathically. Will that bother you?"

The girls shook their heads no and they all smiled. Secretly, each of them had wished they could fly with a Pegasus.

Terrance and Hotaru walked over to the group. Terrance asked, "Are you all ready to head back?"

Jabbath answered, "The girls have agreed to show us the beach. We're going to go there instead."

Terrance was surprised. He wondered, "Is there trouble they could get into at a beach?" He decided it was unlikely, and anyway, they'd have the Senshi with them.

Ceres asked, "Would you two like to come along?"

Hotaru and Terrance looked at each other. Terrance said, "Not this time thank you. We'll return the transport to the Palace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Terrance and Hotaru waved good-bye to the group then left in the Palace Transport. They listened to music as they rode in silence. Hotaru stole a glance at Terrance and his expression showed he was deep in thought. She turned to look at the passing scenery and Terrance spoke, "I know age is an irrelevant issue anymore. But for some reason I feel like I'm much older than the Asteroid Senshi and the Pegasus brothers. I wonder why. Do you sometimes feel that way too?"

Hotaru smiled, thought a moment then answered, "Yes, there are some people I feel like that with. It really has nothing to do with physical age. I think it has more to do with experiential age. The Asteroid Senshi and the Pegasus brothers haven't had as much life experience as you or I. Their perspective in life and how they behave reflects this inexperience. On the other hand, I often feel much younger than the Planet Senshi, even though I'm one of them."

"Yes," Terrance agreed, "I think you're right. Physically, I'm only two years younger than my father because of his reincarnation. In spite of that, he is still my father." Terrance laughed, "It's strange to try to figure this out."

Without glancing at Hotaru, Terrance asked, "So, what are we going to do when we get back? I don't know about you, but I didn't get much sleep last night. Reading a book after dinner then going to sleep sounds good to me right now." Terrance thought about what he just said and laughed, "I really do sound old, don't I?"

Laughing too, Hotaru said, "The Asteroid Senshi kept me up last night, so I feel the same way you do."

They pulled into the Palace garage. As they got out of the transport Terrance looked at the time. He said, "We have just enough time to change before dinner."

It was a little strange to only have the King, the Queen, Terrance and Hotaru at the dinner table. All of them were worn out from the wedding. The King and Queen tried to keep up a brave front and not show how difficult Serenity's leaving was for them. Even though they attempted some polite conversation, it was obvious the King and Queen were forcing themselves to be social for Terrance and Hotaru's sake.

Soon after eating the King and Queen excused themselves from the table.

Hotaru felt sympathy for Serenity's parents as she watched them leave the room. "I think it just hit them that Serenity is really gone," she observed.

Terrance nodded his head. He thought, [I'm glad Hotaru is here. I'd be feeling pretty alone right now otherwise. I don't think we realized until now how much Serenity's exuberance filled our lives.]

"I'm going to relax in the library and read a book for a while," Terrance said as he stood. He offered, "Would you like to join me?"

Hotaru nodded her head yes and they walked to the library together. They took a while to pick out their books as they looked over what was there. They debated the merits of different genres and authors. Terrance teased Hotaru when she picked out a romance novel and she teased him back when she saw he picked a science fiction story.

Finally they each settled down on a couch with pillows under their heads. Hotaru's couch was against a wall and Terrance's was perpendicular to hers. They began to read, but the book Terrance picked didn't keep his attention well. He subtly glanced over the top of his book, and for a few moments, watched Hotaru as she read. He quickly went back to his book when she looked up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Pegasus brothers and the Asteroid Senshi left the transport station and walked to a quiet area down the road. The Pegasuses transformed then knelt for the Senshi to mount. The girls found it a bit tricky to get comfortably and securely settled because they were still in their satin bridesmaid's dresses. Fortunately, the skirts were full enough they didn't have to ride sidesaddle.

The brothers took off and at first the girls weren't quite sure what to do with their hands without reins to hold. They climbed higher into the sky and the Senshi looked down at the Earth in wonder. The wind in their faces was exhilarating and they laughed with excitement.

The brothers could see the girls were enjoying the ride. Castor asked, [Which way to the beach?]. All four girls startled when they heard his voice in their heads. They giggled at the unusualness of it.

Vesta answered out loud, "Fly East and when you see the ocean meeting the land, we'll tell you where to go."

Soon they saw the beach and Vesta directed them to land where there was a wide beach and relatively few people.

The girls dismounted, removed their heels then made the Pegasuses face the ocean. Each girl took a turn standing behind the other three girls as she somewhat modestly removed her stockings.

The guys transformed and continued to look all around them. They heard the ocean's waves roar as they crashed against the shore. The Pegasus brothers sniffed and enjoyed the strong scent of salty mist in the air.

Looking at the guys, Pallas suggested, "It would probably be easier to walk in the sand if you took your shoes and socks off and rolled your pant legs up some." The brothers complied with Pallas' suggestion and found the sand to be cool and somewhat damp and squishy under their feet. They had never seen anyplace like the beach before and the brothers decided they liked its clean, brisk, open sparseness.

The four girls ran to the water's edge and dipped their feet in the receding pools of water. A small wave came toward them and they lifted their skirts to their knees to keep them dry.

The brothers joined them. "It's cold!" Volans and Pollux exclaimed together as a small wave rippled over their feet.

The Senshi were about to warn the brothers about bigger waves that can sneak up quickly, when the girls saw one heading straight for them. Each girl grabbed a brother and quickly pulled him back as the wave crashed at their feet. The brothers looked surprised and the girls laughed.

"Watch out, they sometimes try to get you!" Pallas exclaimed.

Vesta noticed the sun was setting. She said, "It'll be dark in a little while. How about we build a fire? I thought I saw a farmers market just inland of here. We can buy some food and have a barbeque."

Vesta asked Volans to go with her to find the farmers market. The rest of the group gathered driftwood and dug a shallow pit. By the time the two of them returned with food, the pit was ready.

Ceres took the food from Vesta and asked, "Would you please do the honors?"

Vesta nodded her head yes then began her transformation. Sailor Vesta drew out her ribbon and stated, "Sparkling Ribbon Scintillate!" She snapped the glowing ribbon like a whip. A bright flame broke off the end and dropped into the barbeque pit. The wood quickly caught and they had a nice fire for cooking on. Vesta transformed back.

Volans appreciatively stood by the fire. He admiringly said, "That's a very useful talent you have!"

Vesta blushed and said, "Thank you."

They cooked the food on long green twigs. As they ate together, they companionably joked and teased each other.

When Ceres finished eating, she stood up and said, "I'm going to pick some shells before the sun is completely down. I won't be gone long."

Finishing the last bite of his dinner, Castor asked, "Can I come too?"

Ceres said, "Sure."

Castor stood to go and his brother couldn't resist teasing him.

Jabbath said, "Don't get lost you two!" Pollux and Volans laughed and Castor shot them an annoyed look as he turned to go. His brothers just laughed harder.

Vesta, Pallas and Juno each reached out and smacked a brother on the head. Juno chided, "Be nice! Now, help us clean up."

The brothers groaned and Volans complained, "How come Castor gets out of helping?" The three Senshi just ignored his question and put the guys to work.

Ceres and Castor looked down at the shells in the sand as they walked along the beach. They found a few interesting ones then continued walking together. The moon had risen low over the water and a silvery reflected trail shimmered over the waves.

Ceres looked back and said, "We walked farther than I expected to."

Castor, who was enjoying the peace away from his brothers, asked, "Do you want to sit a bit before we head back?"

"Yes, that would be nice," Ceres responded.

They walked to a dune and sat down on it next to each other. Ceres shivered a little in the cool evening breeze.

Castor noted, "That dress is very pretty, but it doesn't offer much protection from the cold air."

Ceres nodded in agreement and was about to say she was okay, when Castor put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. Ceres thought, [Forget being okay, this is nice!]

Leaning her head against his chest, Ceres whispered, "Thank you. I feel much warmer."

They sat quietly together watching the waves. Ceres' late night, busy day and the droning sound of the ocean quietly snuck up on her. She fell asleep in Castor's comfortably warm embrace.

Castor realized she had fallen asleep. He looked down at her peaceful expression and an unexpectedly strong feeling of protectiveness welled up inside of him. He leaned his cheek against her hair as he looked out over the water. Castor thought, [I think I'm starting to understand what Elios sees in all this. It's nice to have someone to protect and care for, and it's nice to have someone who will care for and protect you too. Someone who is just and only for you.]

Castor hated to wake her. He wanted to stay sitting there forever, but he knew the others would soon start to worry and come looking for them. "Ceres?" he quietly said in her ear.

Ceres felt wonderfully warm and content. She heard a soft low voice call her and she looked up.

Looking into her sleepy eyes, Castor suddenly knew. Somehow, in one full day he had lost his heart to this beautiful woman in his arms. Castor lowered his head as he pulled her closer to him. Their lips met and he thought to himself, [I've never tasted anything sweeter than this!]

When Ceres had looked up into Castor's eyes she was drawn into their gentle brown gaze. She realized he was going to kiss her and she knew she wanted him to. His lips tentatively touched hers and Ceres reached up behind his neck to pull him closer and deepen their kiss. Castor's arms tightened around her as he crushed her up against his broad chest.

Slowly they broke their kiss. Castor hugged her to him and she could hear his heart racing as he took in deep breaths against her hair. "Ceres," he quietly said as they continued to hug, "Would it be okay if I came to visit you and we go out together?" He whispered, "I really want to be with you. You're very special to me."

Dating had never gone well for Ceres or any of the Asteroid Senshi. Most of the available guys were in the Crystal Tokyo Elite Military. It seemed like there were only two kinds of men there. There were the ones that didn't believe the Senshi were really very powerful. Dates with them usually ended with an arm-wrestling challenge and thinly veiled put-downs. The other men had a clear understanding of the Senshi's abilities and it scared the wits out of them. Very few actually got up enough nerve to ask a Senshi out. When one did, he would sit there stiffly and worry he was going to do or say something that would get him killed. Needless to say, the girls didn't go on very many second dates.

Ceres nervously reminded herself that Castor was a Pegasus, not a soldier. Looking up, she shyly answered, "I would like that very much."

A smile filled Castor's face and lit up his eyes. His obvious joy made Ceres' heart do a little flip in her chest. He said, "Great! Would Wednesday around four be okay? My work ends early that day. We could go out for dinner. I don't really know what else is good to do on the Earth for a date. Do you have any suggestions?"

She smiled, flattered by his enthusiasm, as she assured him, "Dinner for a first date is fine. I'll be looking forward to it."

Castor didn't want to let go of Ceres. What he really wanted to do was kiss her again. He firmly reminded himself they needed to get back. Reluctantly, he moved to stand and pulled Ceres up too. "We should go back before the others come after us," he said.

Ceres nodded and shivered as she missed his warmth. Castor again put his arm around her and tucked her in close to his side. He lifted her chin then kissed her nose as he said, "I'm not going to let you be cold."

They walked arm in arm back to the camp. Three Senshi and three Pegasus brothers raised their eyebrows when they saw Castor and Ceres walk up. Castor defensively answered the unspoken question, "She's cold. Aren't you girls cold too without jackets?"

Juno dryly answered, "Maybe a little, but not unbearably so considering it is the end of July."

Blushing, Ceres knew the other girls thought her and Castor's excuse was flimsy.

The others had finished cleaning up after the barbeque and everyone was ready to head back. The brothers transformed and the eight of them again took to the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi heard the commotion when the Pegasus brothers and the Senshi had returned to the Palace. She sighed as she turned her head and looked at her husband. [At least one of us is sleeping,] she thought. Serenity's leaving had been harder on both of them than they had expected. Usagi thought about it and realized it hadn't fully hit them that Serenity was really gone until they had seen her empty seat at the dinner table. Yes, she would be coming back to live in the Palace until the babies were born, but it wouldn't be the same. Her daughter's first priority would be Elios, as it should be. Usagi and Mamoru couldn't take it for granted anymore that Serenity was a part of their day-to-day lives.

Usagi sighed again as she tried to carefully settle into a more comfortable position without waking Mamoru. Closing her eyes, mental images came to her of Serenity growing up. She smiled as she recalled how she and Chibi-Usa, the name Serenity had used in the distant past, had fought and how they had teased each other. They had been more like sisters then and Usagi cherished those memories. So much had happened when she had been raising Small Lady that Usagi felt she had barely enough time to train Serenity to be a Princess, and almost had no time to be her mother. It seemed to Usagi as if all those years had gone by so quickly. However, in spite of what she considered her mistakes as a mother, her Small Lady had become a wise and just Princess and even more importantly, a good and kind person. Usagi was very proud of her daughter and she felt as if they had come full circle. Serenity was now a married woman and would soon be a mother herself. Usagi may have felt like she missed many things as a mother, but with the realm finally settled she was looking forward to being a very doting grandmother. She also hoped that with her and Serenity now being on a more common ground, that they would develop a relationship similar to what they'd had in the distant past.

Looking at the clock, Usagi saw that it was midnight. She decided she might as well get up. Putting on her robe and bunny slippers, she decided to go get a book from the library. Maybe reading would help her fall asleep.

The door to the library silently slid shut behind Usagi and she turned to the shelves to see what looked interesting. As she scanned the titles, she turned the corner and came upon a very interesting and adorable sight. Both Hotaru and Terrance had fallen asleep while they were reading. Terrance's book was on the floor by his couch where it had fallen. Hotaru's book had slid off of her stomach and rested against her side.

Usagi hadn't ever seen Terrance while he was sleeping and it struck her how very little boyish he looked at rest, and how very much he looked like Mamoru. The only thing Terrance had inherited from Beryl was the mahogany highlights in his hair.

Usagi felt a secret pang in her heart as she again wished that Terrance was her son by birth. He had shown himself to be everything she would have wanted in a son and she cared for him a great deal. She again wondered what Terrance's childhood had been like in the Negaverse. It amazed Usagi that even though he had been raised by the generals in that evil place, he had become a good, decent man.

The fact remained though that he wasn't hers. He treated her with kindness and respect, but they weren't as close as she wished they were. Terrance seemed to have a cautious reserve around all women, including his stepmother. Usagi could understand that Terrance's caution probably had a lot to do with his mother. She had gotten the impression that Beryl hadn't been kind to even her own son.

Usagi's feelings were mixed about Beryl's part in all this. A part of her burned with anger at the thought of Beryl being so cruel to her own child, and yet another part of Usagi was grateful Beryl had given birth to Terrance and had allowed him to live. She also had to admit that there was another part of her that was still jealous of Beryl. Beryl had the privilege of having Mamoru's son and she hadn't even cared. Usagi would have been ecstatic to be able to have had that honor.

Even though she knew all that was true, Usagi reminded herself that she and Mamoru had Terrance now and that that was what really mattered. Usagi had hope that as time went on Terrance would get to know her better and eventually things would change between them.

Usagi thought about these things as she quietly walked out of the library and down the hall to the Palace linen closet by the kitchen. She picked out two blankets and headed back to the library. It comforted her to realize that their home really wasn't empty yet. They did still have Terrance.

Usagi picked up Terrance's book, put it on the table then tenderly covered him with a blanket. She resisted the urge to kiss his forehead, as she would have for Serenity. She was concerned the unfamiliar action would startle him awake. With a silent sigh, she turned to Hotaru.

Carefully, Usagi lifted Hotaru's book and put it on the end table. As she gently placed the second blanket over Hotaru Usagi wondered, [Could Hotaru be the woman to dissolve Terrance's reserve? Could he find happiness and love with her?] Usagi stood back. She watched them a few moments as she seriously hoped so. She knew Terrance was too old for a mother, but a wife could be just what he needed.

Usagi turned off the lights and headed back to her room. The idea of getting a book to read was completely forgotten.



Chapter 2


Terrance woke when a bright morning sunbeam rudely shone through the window and onto his face. He stretched and almost fell off the narrow bed he slept on. Opening his eyes in surprise, Terrance realized he had fallen asleep on the couch in the Library. He looked to the other couch and saw Hotaru was still there too and sound asleep. Terrance wondered who had come in and covered each of them with a blanket, but hadn't woken them up.

Putting one hand under his cheek, Terrance continued to stare unabashedly at Hotaru while she slept. He admired how the early sunlight made the purple highlights in her hair glow. He also noticed how her impossibly long purple-dark eyelashes rested against her cheeks and how her pale rosebud pink lips were pursed into a slight pout. He thought to himself, [She looks like a perfectly created and delicate porcelain doll.]

Lost in thought, Terrance didn't notice Hotaru had opened her eyes. He blushed when he realized she had caught him staring at her, but quickly pulled himself together. "Morning Sunshine," he quietly said with a smile.

Hotaru blushed to the roots of her hair and turned to look at the ceiling. "I'm not a good morning person," she quietly said, "I'm sure I look a mess."

"Actually," Terrance said, refuting her claim, "I was just thinking how pretty your hair looks with the morning sun reflecting off of it."

Hotaru didn't quite know how to respond to his statement and she felt kind of funny waking up with him there. Also, she couldn't help noticing how incredibly good looking he was with the morning sunlight glinting on the mahogany highlights in his hair and the deep midnight blue of his eyes.

The silence was stretching out between them and Hotaru quickly asked, "Who covered us up? Did you?"

Terrance shook his head no and shrugged his shoulders. He looked at her with a slightly amused smile, which for some reason unnerved Hotaru. Pushing the cover off, Hotaru sat up quickly.

Terrance noticed she looked like she was going to run away. He also sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "Um, are you hungry?" he asked her.

"No, not really," she quietly answered as she stood and began to fold up the blanket she had used.

Terrance tried again, "We need to plan what we're going to do today and I'm hungry. How about we have breakfast and we can decide what we'll do then?"

Hotaru tossed the folded blanket on the couch as she said, "We don't need to make any plans. I think I'll go to my room instead."

She turned to leave and Terrance was standing in front of her. He smiled and said, "Remember I told Sailor Venus we'd do things together while Serenity and Elios were gone? Do you want me to get in trouble with her? Please join me for breakfast," he earnestly requested. "We'll see what plans we come up with. If you still don't want to be with me then at least I'll be able to tell Venus I tried." He ended his plea by giving her big, hopeful, puppy-dog eyes. With his tousled hair, Terrance truly was irresistible.

Hotaru sighed in defeat then nodded her head yes. Terrance's smile grew as he offered her his arm. Tucking her hand in the crook of his arm, Hotaru allowed Terrance to lead her to the breakfast room.

When Terrance had been a Negaverse Prince, he had not lacked female attention. The Generals however, had taught him to be extremely cautious regarding women, and for good reason. Many female Yomas had seen him as a possible quick route to power and prestige. Some of the Negaverse female ranking officers had thought Terrance could be a shortcut on their ladders to success. Many of the Negaverse women had included him as a part of their secret plans to unseat Beryl and become Queen.

When Terrance had become a CTEM soldier, he hadn't lacked female attention either. However, he had been very dedicated to his job and hadn't paid attention to what was available. He had considered Serenity then, but that had been because he hadn't been able to explain the connection he had felt to her.

Now as the Prince of Earth, Terrance found he was again suspicious of the attention he received from women. Terrance also felt his life was plenty full with being a part of the royal family and with his royal duties and studies. There had been a few women Terrance admired, but he told himself there was plenty of time for that later. He didn't have a good reason to rush into anything. Because of this, Terrance was not used to having to work to keep a woman's interest.

Terrance racked his brains for an idea that would keep Hotaru with him after breakfast. He came up with and rejected many ideas as they walked. They had filled their plates and sat down, and he still hadn't come up with something he felt she would accept. They started to eat when it finally dawned on him. The only time Terrance had seen Hotaru really relaxed and having fun was when they had spent the morning together two days before. She seemed to really enjoy the time they had spent working their powers out and exercising together.

They finished eating and sat quietly as they drank their coffee. Terrance put his cup down and thought, [Let's go Ter! It's now or never!]. "Usually I like to work out in the morning," Terrance stated then asked, "Would you want to go and do that now?"

Hotaru thought, [I guess that wouldn't be a problem and I do want to work out.] She looked up and quietly said, "Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Asteroid Senshi and the Pegasus brothers had agreed to meet about nine o'clock for breakfast. Ceres had been late getting ready and the other girls had gone ahead without her.

As Ceres walked, two of the Pegasus brothers entered the hall ahead of her. They spotted Ceres and waited for her to catch up to them. One of the brothers put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. He smiled, and with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes asked, "Miss me?"

Ceres looked at him suspiciously.

Jabbath tried to keep up his charade as he feigned an innocent expression and said, "What? I'm Castor."

She looked at his face again then coolly said, "No. You are not Castor and get your arm off of me."

Surprised, Jabbath lifted his arm as he asked, "How'd you know?"

Volans, who had silently watched, burst out laughing.

Ceres didn't answer Jabbath's question. Instead, she transformed.

Both Jabbath and Volans quickly took a step back from her.

Angrily, Ceres glared at them as she let her pink power aura glow around her.

The two men took another step backwards. Jabbath nervously said, "It was just a joke. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry."

"I don't like the 'Name Game' you play," Ceres quietly said. She stepped forward and threateningly raised her voice to a growl, "If you *EVER* try to play that game again with any of us, in the name of the Asteroid Ceres, *I WILL PUNISH YOU*!" Ceres stood posed a moment for effect, then de-transformed.

Smiling at the stunned brothers, Ceres sweetly said, "Let's go. We're late."

Two very subdued young men followed after her. Volans looked at Jabbath and whispered, "How did she know?"

Shaking his head, Jabbath answered, "I don't know, but I'm not going to try that again."

The rest of the gang was already in the breakfast room eating. Castor put his coffee cup down and stood when Ceres entered the room. He said with a smile, "I waited for you. Sit here. Tell me what you'd like and I'll get our plates."

Ceres gave him a relieved, slightly watery smile as she quietly said, "Thank you."

Castor, surprised by the emotion in her eyes, gave her a concerned look. He asked, "Is something wrong?"

Shaking her head no Ceres said, "I'm fine, but I am hungry," as she sat down.

Jabbath and Volans had also entered the room. They got plates of food and sat down to eat. At first they were pretty quiet, but by the time they finished eating they were cutting up and joking as usual.

Ceres was relieved to see their little conflict hadn't affected the brothers too badly.

The group talked together and decided to take a picnic to the cliff and go swimming for the day.

Ceres and Castor lingered over their coffee while the others left to get ready to go. Once they were alone, Castor took Ceres' hand in his and quietly asked, "Why are you upset? Do you regret saying you'd go out with me?"

Looking up quickly, Ceres saw the worry in his eyes. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and said, "No. That's not it at all."

Castor looked relieved then said, "What is it then? Can I help?"

She shook her head no and responded, "I handled it already, but it did shake me up a bit." Ceres internally debated with herself then decided to tell him what happened.

Castor's eyes flashed angrily as she finished telling him. He said, "Jabbath did that because he's a nosey pain-in-the-butt. Last night I wouldn't tell him anything he could tease us about. He was trying to trick you into spilling something."

Nodding her head in understanding, Ceres said, "I disliked the 'Name Game' from the beginning, but now I really hate it. He could have unintentionally hurt us badly if I had thought he was you."

Gravely Castor nodded his head yes. "I love my brothers," he said then added with a sigh, "but sometimes it's a real disadvantage to have three other people around that look just like me."

Thinking a moment, Castor then chuckled, "I would've loved to see the looks on their faces when you told them off. My brothers may be pains, but they aren't stupid. I don't think they'll try that again."

Smiling, Ceres said, "Good. They'd better not."

Castor looked at Ceres. He hesitated then asked, "How did you know he wasn't me?"

Ceres thought about it then answered, "I don't really know. I just...did. I guess it was because he acts different from you. His smile and expressions are different. I don't think I could accurately tell your brothers one from another, but I know who you are now."

Castor smiled as he looked into Ceres' eyes. He reached up to gently touch her cheek then cleared his throat. He quietly said, "That means a lot to me. It's not often someone can make me feel unique."

Ceres blushed at his heartfelt words. She said, "I guess it really can be hard to be a multiple."

Nodding his head yes, Castor said, "Sometimes it's great, but many times you feel like you're just part of a group. Sometimes I feel like introducing myself as, "Hi, I'm number two of four."

Ceres laughed at his light joking words, but she didn't miss the sad undertone that was there. She knew Castor was someone special and unique. She wished there was a way to help him feel that way about himself too.

An idea came to mind, and before she thought about it, Ceres blurted out, "You could get a tattoo. That would make you look different from your brothers. Maybe on your forearm where it could be seen easily."

Castor looked confused as he asked, "A tattoo? What is that?"

As Ceres explained what it was and that it was permanent, Castor began to really like the idea. She made sure to tell him that it would hurt to get one, but that didn't deter him.

Ceres thought a moment then asked, "Would a tattoo show when you transform?"

Castor answered, "It would show if I wore short sleeves or kept my sleeve rolled up."

Surprised, Ceres asked, "Your clothes make a difference when you transform?"

Castor said, "Of course they do. We still have clothes on after we transform. They don't disappear."

Intrigued, Ceres asked, "What if a Pegasus isn't wearing clothes when it transforms?"

Castor felt like he was stating the obvious when he said, "It would be naked."

Ceres briefly imagined a Pegasus without fur then shook her head. She thought, [That can't be what he meant!]

They looked at each other a little exasperated. They knew they were using the same language, but for some reason they didn't seem to be communicating.

Ceres thought hard about it and said, "So, a Pegasus can be naked or clothed in their Pegasus form too. Right?" Castor nodded his head yes and Ceres asked, "How would a naked Pegasus look different from a clothed one?"

Totally perplexed and a little embarrassed, Castor sighed. He knew she was asking honestly, but he couldn't figure out what she didn't understand. He tried to speak as simply as he could, "The Pegasus would be naked just like it would be either clothed or naked in its human form." He blushed as he said, "'Everything' would show."

Finally, Ceres understood. She said, "Oh, I get it now!" She thought, [I always wondered why certain physical attributes didn't show on a Pegasus!]

Another thought occurred to her and she said, "So, to a Pegasus, our horses are naked. Right?"

Castor blushed a deeper red and said, "Yes. That's just one of a few reasons why we aren't comfortable around horses."

Another question occurred to her. Ceres asked, "Are Pegasuses able to take their clothes off in Pegasus form?"

Castor sighed. With a smile he said, "You have a lot of questions. That's okay though. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions about surface humans too." He then answered her, "Pegasuses can take their clothes off, but it's like another transformation."

Smiling Ceres said, "I guess we have a lot to learn about each other."

Castor smiled back and agreed.

Ceres then returned to the previous subject by saying, "If you'd like, I can find where a good tattoo place is and we can go check it out."

"Thank you," Castor said, "I'm not sure I would do it, but it wouldn't hurt to look."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Terrance and Sailor Saturn had finished working out their powers and were now considering exercise options. They had used the gym the last time, so Terrance suggested the outdoor practice field. He knew it would be available on a Sunday morning. Saturn agreed so they headed outside.

Terrance started to review what was on the field and how they played. Saturn interrupted him by saying, "It has been a while, but I think I'm still pretty familiar with this field and how to play."

Surprised, Terrance asked, "Have you participated in Senshi Tag Practice often?"

With a mysterious slightly amused smile Saturn answered, "Yes."

"Great," Terrance responded, "I guess that means we can start."

They each moved to opposite ends of the playing field and began to work their way through the playing area. Because it was only the two of them, Terrance knew he couldn't use the ambush method. They had to actively search for each other.

Terrance had been searching for almost an hour. He had caught sight of the blue skirt of Saturn's uniform only once or twice. Each time she had managed to disappear before he had caught up to her. Terrance thought, [It's harder to play with only two people,] as he stood next to the building in its shadow.

Saturn had been one of the original designers of this game when the field was first built. She had not designed the field, but she had spent many hours with Sailors Uranus and Neptune testing it. Saturn's job had been to design the tag dots. She had chosen their size, color and materials. She was also the only person who knew a secret about the dots.

Saturn saw Terrance pause in the shadow by the building and decided this was her chance. Silently she snuck up behind Terrance. She licked the back of the dot and barely touched it to the back of Terrance's pants. It stuck like a magnet and he had not felt the feather light pressure. Saturn crouched down and silently leaped straight up. Her foot pushed off of Terrance's shoulder so she could reach the rooftop.

Almost falling over from the surprise push, Terrance spun around and looked up. He was stunned to see Saturn on the roof above him. Her musical laughter fluttered down to him as she turned and ran the length of the building. Terrance quickly sprinted around the building. He couldn't believe she had been able to sneak that close to him and he hadn't heard her!

Terrance saw Saturn leap off the roof and run to the center of the clearing. He started to pursue her but stopped when she stopped and turned to face him. Both of them were breathing hard from running.

Terrance panted as he called out, "What? Are you giving up?"

Saturn shook her head no. She turned her back to him and looked over her shoulder with a saucy smile. Her violet eyes sparkled with laughter as she posed with one hand on her hip and patted her butt with the other hand.

Terrance's eyes widened as he stood there appreciating Saturn's flirtatious stance. [God!] he thought as he stared at her hand patting her butt. He noticed that her skirt would flip up slightly on the upswing. Mesmerized, Terrance felt his entire body react to the enticing sprite standing in front of him.

Saturn had consciously thought to show Terrance he had lost the game. As she watched him stare she realized what she was really doing. Shocked, Saturn admitted to herself that she was flirting! Also, if she could base it on Terrance's expression, she had done it well. Saturn had Terrance's full-undivided attention.

Blushing, Saturn silently scolded herself, [Flirting *IS NOT* a part of my personality so cut it out!] Turning to face Terrance, she put her hands on her hips. Loudly she admonished with exasperation, "Not *my* butt, check *YOURS*!"

Terrance had the grace to blush when he heard her words. He quickly reached around and was shocked to find a green dot firmly stuck to his pants.

"How, how did you...?" Terrance's question trailed off as he stared at the offensive green dot. Never before had he lost this badly at this game!

Saturn could see the unbelieving dismay on Terrance's face. She thought to herself, [Now I get to see if he's a good sport.]

Terrance walked up to Saturn and she kept her face carefully neutral. He asked, "How did you do that?"

Saturn shrugged.

Chuckling, Terrance handed the dot back to Saturn as he said, "So, you won't tell me. Well, it's clear you beat me. You're good at this. We'll have to play again so I can figure out how you do it. Not today though. I'm tired and it's almost lunchtime. Are you ready to get cleaned up and eat?"

Saturn smiled and nodded her head yes. They walked back to the Palace together.

Later as Hotaru showered, she thought about the game and Terrance, [Not only is he good looking, but he doesn't get bent out of shape if a woman is better than him at something.] Hotaru sighed. She realized she was in danger of liking Terrance more than she was comfortable with liking a guy.

After lunch, Terrance suggested a trip to Crystal Tokyo. He asked Hotaru to help him find a gift for Elios and Serenity's new apartment at the Palace. The two of them had a great time together and came back with a beautiful painting for the apartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Asteroid Senshi and the Pegasus brothers had also returned to the Palace and the Queen invited them all to dinner.

They had a very noisy and fun dinner together.

The Pegasus brothers went back to their rooms to pack after dinner. Telling his brothers he needed to do something, Castor said he'd catch up. He saw Terrance and Hotaru just leaving the dining room.

Castor asked, "Could I talk with you for a moment Terrance?"

Terrance shrugged his shoulders and said sure. Hotaru said she'd meet him in the Library and went ahead.

Terrance asked, "What do you need? You're...?"

Castor smiled a bit ruefully and said, "Castor. Can we go to the garden? I have a personal question to ask."

Terrance agreed so they walked outside and sat down by the fountain.

Again Terrance asked, "What's up?"

Castor haltingly explained, "I, um, asked Ceres to go out to dinner with me this Wednesday. I was wondering, could you recommend a nice place for us to go?"

Terrance nodded his head yes thoughtfully then said, "There's a place I've heard is nice in Crystal Tokyo called The Jade Tree. It's a dinner and dancing place."

Looking up, Castor smiled. He remembered he had liked dancing with Ceres. "That sounds perfect," he said.

Terrance told Castor how to get there then said, "It is a place you need to be dressed up nice for."

Dismayed, Castor asked, "I have to wear a tie?"

Terrance laughed, "Well, maybe not a tie if you don't want to. A nice jacket, shirt and dress pants should be fine."

Castor thanked Terrance for his help and happily went to pack.

Terrance thought about the conversation with Castor as he headed for the Library. He thought about how happy and excited Castor had been and it reminded him of how Elios was with Serenity. [Hm, Ceres and Castor. Definitely interesting,] he decided.

Terrance passed his father in the hall on the way to the library. Terrance asked, "May we speak a moment?"

They went to the King's office and Terrance told his father that Venus had asked him to spend time with Hotaru until Serenity came back. His father agreed to temporarily suspend Terrance's studies and most of his royal duties. Happily, Terrance said, "Thank you," then left.

The king sighed and thought, [So, Venus set this up. It figures!]

Castor had managed to take Ceres aside before he left and tell her about the place Terrance recommended. She said it sounded nice too. He tried, but he just couldn't stop himself from giving her a small kiss. His brothers hadn't seen it, but Castor and Ceres were still teased for going off alone.



Chapter 3


The next day, Monday, Terrance was relieved to see Hotaru had accepted the idea that they'd be spending time together. They decided to go to the beach.

After they spread their towels out, Hotaru pulled her t-shirt up and over her head, exposing the top of her pretty sapphire blue one-piece. As she brought her arms down, Hotaru absently looked over at Terrance, who had already shed his clothes down to his black swimsuit, and was now looking out over the ocean. This was the first time Hotaru had seen Terrance without his shirt on and she realized his clothes had barely hinted at the physique she was now staring at.

A slew of tired old clichés suddenly had new life breathed into them as Hotaru went down the list in her mind, checking them off, [Washboard abs, broad shoulders, muscular chest, slim waist, trim hips, sculpted thighs and a *really* nice-looking tight...]. Hotaru finally managed to clamp a mental hand over her runaway thoughts. Tearing her eyes off of Terrance, she quickly slipped her shorts off then sprinted toward the ocean. As she ran past him, Hotaru hoped Terrance didn't notice her scarlet stained cheeks. [I *definitely* need to cut back on the romance novels!] Hotaru thought as she approached the water.

Splashing with her feet in the cool waves like an excited child, Hotaru waited for Terrance. He had never been to the beach before and his senses were filled with impressions of hot sand, salt scented breezes and laughing children as he approached the water at a more leisurely pace. They laughed together as they splashed each other then they swam in the ocean for a while. When they had sufficiently tired themselves they stretched out on their towels to dry and read.

Terrance had tried to read, but his eyes kept wandering. He smiled when he caught Hotaru looking at him once too. She had blushed and quickly looked back at her book. Finally, Terrance gave up reading and closed his eyes. He found his eyelashes made rainbows dance around Hotaru when he barely slit his eyes open to look at her.

On Tuesday, they took a picnic with them to the Moon and saw some of the Museums. As he had when he and Serenity had their picnic, Terrance again employed Jupiter's skill for the basket. She was thrilled to help. He did check before they left and was happy to see Jupiter had packed a good bottle of wine.

Terrance had never taken the time to visit the Moon before either. Playing tour guide for Hotaru was giving him the chance to do many of the things he had not done before.

Wednesday, they once again spent the morning working out. They had skipped it the last two days, and they knew they'd feel guilty if they skipped again. Unfortunately, the practice field was in use, so they had to settle for working out in the gym.

Later that afternoon they went horseback riding. They rode to the cliff and Hotaru laughed as she tried to imagine Terrance and Serenity jumping off the cliff into the water. Terrance was a little surprised she knew that story. Hotaru told him she and Serenity wrote each other often to keep up with each other's lives.

Hotaru had noticed it was almost dinnertime and they decided to head back. A section of the trail was too narrow for them to ride side by side so Terrance pulled back to have Hotaru ride ahead of him. Their conversation had lulled and they listened in companionable silence to the woodland's muted rustling music and the horses' methodical stepping that kept a rhythmic time to it. The sun was beginning to set and the trees' shadows intermittently flowed over them as they traveled down the trail. The combined effect of sound and shadow created a tranquil, almost hypnotic atmosphere.

Terrance quietly sighed as he relaxed and allowed himself to fully enjoy the ride. He watched Hotaru ahead of him and noted how pretty she looked with the dusk-tinted sunlight shining on her.

Terrance reviewed the last four days in his mind and was surprised at how comfortable he felt with Hotaru. He was enjoying the time he was spending with her and now understood why Serenity valued Hotaru's friendship so much. Hotaru doesn't project expectations on a person. She had the rare quality of being able to like people just as they are. It was noticeably nice to Terrance to spend time with someone who wanted nothing more from him than an honest friendship and to have fun together.

Terrance's reverie was interrupted when something startled his horse enough to make it snort and look around. As Terrance reached out to pat the horse's neck it prompted him think of the Pegasus brothers. Terrance remembered that Ceres and Castor's date was that evening. He hoped it would go well and that they would have a good time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ceres didn't have any dresses for dinner and dancing. The ball gowns she did have were much too formal. She thought about it and decided to ask the Planet Senshi if one of them had a dress she could borrow. Ceres knew she and Venus often wore the same colors and they also wore the same size so Ceres tried her first.

As soon as Venus heard she excitedly exclaimed, "I have the *perfect* dress for you!" Wednesday morning Venus brought the dress to Ceres and she agreed it was the perfect dress. The long black silk dress had a flowing floral pattern finely embroidered in gold thread. The embroidery started over the left breast then diagonally trailed across the front of the dress to the hem where it merged with a smaller pattern of vines that encircled the rippling swing skirt. A smooth fitted bodice, sweetheart cut neckline and thin double spaghetti straps finished the dress off. Venus also brought a light golden opaque wrap to be worn over the shoulders, and a pair of gold strappy shoes with heels high enough to flatter the leg, but not too tall for dancing.

Ceres tried to keep quiet about having a date, but when she went to her room to get ready, the other Asteroid Senshi were sitting on her bed waiting for her. Ceres had hung the dress on her closet door and three pairs of eyes turned from looking at it to look at her expectantly.

Vesta got right to the point as she asked, "Who and where?"

Ceres implored, "Guys!"

Juno pointed out, "You know we aren't going to leave so you might as well just tell us."

Ceres sighed then resignedly said, "Fine, Castor is taking me to dinner and dancing."

"Castor!" the girls exclaimed with surprise.

Vesta chuckled as she added, "So, you weren't just cold at the beach. I thought so!"

Ceres blushed and her friends giggled.

Pallas jumped up from the bed and grabbing Ceres' arm, pulled her over to sit on the bed too. With an excited and hopeful expression she pleaded, "Oh, this is so sweet! You have to tell us all about it! Please?!"

No one could resist Pallas when she made one of her sweet requests, and Ceres was no exception.

She looked at her three friends and hesitantly started with, "Well, there really isn't that much to tell. We really liked being together and he asked me on a date."

Pallas giggled then said with a sigh, "I don't blame you for going out with him. I think they're cute, and I'd go out with Pollux if he asked me. He was very nice and his jokes made me laugh!"

Vesta rolled her eyes as she pointed out, "Pollux's puns were just silly."

Indignantly Pallas huffed, "Well, maybe I *like* silly!

Holding up her hands, Vesta conceded, "Fine you can have him! I was just saying that's not my style. I like guys who are a little more serious."

Juno said, "Enough you two! I want to know more about Ceres and Castor." Juno then turned to Ceres and bluntly asked, "So, did you kiss him?"

Ceres looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car as she hesitated to answer. Her expression and hesitation was all Juno needed to see. "You did! You did kiss him already!" Juno triumphantly crowed as Ceres again blushed bright red.

Jumping up from the bed, Ceres hastily said, "I've got to get ready!"

Vesta also jumped up and she grabbed Ceres' arm to stop her from running away. Ceres turned to tell Vesta to let her go when Vesta looked her in the eyes and seriously asked, "Do you really like him that much?"

Ceres sighed then admitted, "Yes, I do really like him. He's sweet, kind, nice and fun to be with."

Concerned, Vesta cautioned, "Just remember, he's a Pegasus. He is different from us."

Bristling, Ceres reminded her, "Elios is a Pegasus too and he and Serenity are just fine. That shouldn't make a difference at all!" Vesta let go and Ceres desperately ran for her bathroom and a little privacy.

Ceres had hoped they would get tired of waiting and leave. However, when she emerged from the bathroom they still sat on her bed gossiping speculatively about the couple and giggling. Sighing with exasperation, Ceres tried to ignore them while she got ready. She had to admit though, it was a little nice to have them there to assure her she looked good, and the girls were even kind enough to stay out of sight when Castor arrived.

Castor hadn't had much better luck trying to avoid his brothers. By using threats and pleas Castor had barely managed to keep them from following him.

When Castor landed at the Palace, he transformed right away. He wanted to greet Ceres in his human form.

Castor walked toward the main Palace door for the garden and saw Ceres sitting on a bench waiting for him. She stood up and Castor stared at her. She was so beautiful he couldn't speak.

Ceres had taken out her customary braids, letting her wavy, strawberry-colored hair fall nearly to the floor. She had pulled it back from her face with a black satin ribbon in a fashion similar to the one Venus favored.

As Castor stepped up to her, he reached out and gingerly touched her hair. "It's beautiful," he whispered. Ceres smiled. He smiled back and said, "All of you is beautiful."

Ceres blushed. She was mindful of the other girls watching and listening from a second story window above them. Ceres said, "You look very nice too."

Castor wore a black suit coat, a white dress shirt open at the neck, and black dress pants. He slightly blushed and admitted, "I do have a tie, but I refuse to wear it unless I really have to."

Ceres reached up to straighten his collar a bit as she said, "As far as I'm concerned, you don't have to wear it." She quietly whispered, "I like the neck of your shirt open." Ceres could tell by the look in Castor's eyes that he wanted to kiss her. Blushing, she looked down and subtly shook her head no.

Castor got the message and realized they probably were not alone. He said, "If you're ready, we can leave." Ceres agreed. Castor offered her his arm and they walked down the path to the end of the garden.

As he stepped away from Ceres Castor transformed into a Pegasus. He knelt down and Ceres carefully situated herself on his back. They took off and finally they could talk together in peace.

Ceres asked, "Do you still want to visit a tattoo place?"

Castor answered, [Yes, if you don't mind.]

"I don't mind," Ceres responded, "I asked Sailor Mercury for a reputable recommendation and she told me about a place in Crystal Tokyo's shopping district. She said she had seen their work on some of the soldiers and it was always clean and well done." Ceres started to giggle, "She thinks I want the tattoo. I didn't say that, but she assumed it and I didn't correct her."

Chuckling, Castor said, [Well, you never know. Maybe you'll get one too.] They had reached Crystal Tokyo and Ceres directed Castor where to land.

They found the tattoo studio easily. Inside was well lit with many artistic designs and examples on display. Ceres thought many of them looked gaudy and some vulgar. More than once Castor had looked at something with a puzzled expression. With a silent groan, Ceres realized she would end up trying to explain some of this to him at dinner.

The owner came out from the back and greeted them. Ceres noticed he was clean and neat and looked to be a serious artist. She explained they were considering a forearm tattoo for Castor and wanted to look at the available designs.

The owner pulled out three large books and said, "Anything you see on the walls and anything in these books can be done. I'm also good at putting together original designs if you'd like some suggestions. The price depends on the size and detail of the design. If you have any other questions, or if you decide on a piece, just call back there for Bob. I'll come as soon as I can. Thank you and have fun looking."

Bob had tried to get a good look at the jewel on the large man's forehead without staring. He was sure it wasn't a tattoo. It was too three-dimensional. He knew however, that one of the reasons his business was successful was because he didn't ask his customers too many questions so he kept quiet.

Ceres and Castor sat down and flipped through the books. They noticed a nice Earth and even a Pegasus. Castor was surprised to see it. Ceres explained, "Most surface humans know about Pegasuses, but they think they are mythical fantasy creatures and only a part of their dreams."

After the last book, Castor sighed and said, "Some of these are nice, but I didn't see anything I think is uniquely me. The ones I've liked can apply to my brothers also."

Ceres asked, "Is there anything that only you do? A hobby or a job or something that you think is special?"

Smiling, Castor quietly flirted, "I think you're special Ceres. Can I put you on my forearm?"

Ceres blushed and said, "I don't think that would be a good idea. Does anything else come to mind?"

Castor thought about it more seriously then said, "Some of these designs have decorative script in them. At the Shrine, I'm an apprentice scribe and should earn my master's level soon."

With a surprised smile, Ceres said, "So, you're an artist! I didn't know that. Are any of your brothers scribes too?"

Castor shook his head no and Ceres said, "Then that's it. I'm sure we can find something to represent you as a scribe. Bob also said he'll do original work. If you want to, you could probably draw something yourself."

Castor thought a moment then a smile crossed his face. Picking up a pencil and piece of scrap paper from a pile on the table, he began to sketch. When Castor was done he showed it to Ceres. She saw a stylized design with wings and an inked feather quill poised over it as if it was used to draw the picture.

Ceres said, "It's beautiful! Do you do your scribe work with feather quills?"

Nodding his head yes, Castor explained, "Pegasus feather quills."

Ceres thought to herself, [That makes sense I guess.] She then pointed to the design in the sketch and asked, "What is that?"

Castor turned the paper back to him and darkened a few curved lines.

Ceres could now see it was very fancy script of two intertwined letter Cs. She looked up and asked, "One C is for your name, but what is the other one for?"

Castor simply replied, "Ceres."

Looking down Ceres blinked back tears and took a deep breath. She was honored he wanted to include her in this. Ceres looked up and said, "Putting my initial there is risky. It's permanent. What if we don't stay together?"

Castor looked up at her and sincerely said, "I'm not planning on going anywhere. Are you?"

Blushing, Ceres thought, [It's odd to think of this on our first date! However, I feel like we've known each other forever.] She looked back up at Castor and tentatively said, "I don't think I am, but how can you be so sure?"

Castor smiled and quietly answered, "I'm sure because you're very important to me. I want you to always be a part of my life.

Ceres' eyes opened wide and she was very surprised by Castor's earnest and resolute words.

Before she could consider a response however, Bob came out from the back and interrupted them. He looked over their shoulders at the quick sketch and exclaimed, "Wow! Who drew that?"

Ceres mutely pointed to Castor and Bob said, "I'm really impressed. It's beautiful! Is that what you want on your arm?"

Castor nodded his head yes and Bob said, "I'll total up a price for you."

About an hour and a half later Ceres and Castor, with his sleeve rolled up and a bandage on his forearm to protect the tattoo until it healed, left the tattoo studio.

Ceres, who by this time had forgotten about their previous conversation, giggled as she linked her arm in Castor's other arm and said, "Bob was very impressed with your talent! It's funny to think one of Elysion's Holy Scribes could quit and take a job offered to him as a tattoo artist in Crystal Tokyo. Bob sure looked disappointed when you said you already had a job." Together they laughed at the funny situation.

Castor then looked around and said, "The restaurant is pretty far from here. I should transform so we can get there."

"I'm not sure if transforming will affect the tattoo because it's so new, or make it hurt," Ceres said as she looked at his arm. She offered, "How about we do this the way surface humans do this time?"

Intrigued, Castor agreed.

Ceres stood next to the curb as lots of traffic went by. She raised her hand and to Castor's amazement, a transport pulled up in front of them and stopped. Ceres opened the door and they both climbed in. She said the name of the restaurant out loud and they drove away.

Impressed, Castor asked, "How did you do that? Why did the transport stop for us?"

Laughing, Ceres explained about cab service. They arrived at the restaurant, paid the cab and went inside. The place was a nice upscale restaurant with a large dance floor. They were seated then ordered their dinners.

Many couples were dancing and Castor asked, "Ceres, would you like to dance while we're waiting for our food?"

Ceres liked that idea too so they moved out onto the dance floor. Castor took Ceres' hand and pulled her close to him. He put his arm around her and held her. Smiling, he whispered, "Do you mind dancing like this?"

Ceres smiled back and responded, "I don't mind at all." She rested her head against Castor's chest and could hear the steady rhythm of his heart as they danced.

Their food came so they returned to the table. They talked while they ate and laughed together as Ceres tried to explain some of the strange things they had seen at the tattoo studio. When they had finished eating, they went back to dancing.

Castor and Ceres enjoyed dancing together in their own little world and were totally unaware of the many people who pointed out to each other, the unusual and striking couple. As they returned to the table for a drink between dances, Ceres looked at her watch. She asked, "Castor, did you know it's after eleven already? Don't you have work tomorrow?" Reluctantly Castor admitted he did have work the next morning. They agreed they should probably go.

Out in the cool night breeze, Ceres was glad to have the wrap Venus had lent to her. Castor transformed and Ceres noticed the bandage hid the tattoo. He said it felt okay so they headed back to the Palace.

They landed in the garden and Castor transformed again. Concerned, Ceres carefully peeked under the bandage and saw the tattoo was fine.

They stood in the shadow of a flowering shrub for some privacy, and Castor finally got to do what he had wanted to do all evening. He wrapped his arms around Ceres and gently kissed her.

Ceres sighed into their kiss then reaching her arms up, she tangled her fingers in his soft wavy hair and pulled him closer.

Castor hugged her against him as they deepened their kiss. After a few moments, Castor released Ceres' lips and trailed small soft kisses over her cheek and down her neck. He buried his face in the silky strands of her hair and breathed deeply. Quietly he murmured, "Hm, you smell *so* good!"

Slowly Castor continued his kisses along Ceres' collarbone and she clung to him. The feel of his lips on her skin made exciting and incredible feelings course through her. When he reached the base of her throat, he kissed his way back up her neck to her lips. Their passions intensified as they kissed again.

Castor released her lips then hugged Ceres close as he tried to catch his breath. He realized if he didn't stop now, he wouldn't stop ever.

Ceres was disappointed. She wanted him to kiss her again and to keep on kissing her. Castor held her close and slowly her ability to think and reason returned with her breath.

Clearing his throat, Castor whispered, "I've never felt like this before."

Ceres quietly responded, "Me neither."

Castor lovingly rubbed his chin against Ceres' hair then said, "I don't want to, but I think I better go. On Saturday, would you like to visit Elysion? It's not a huge place like the Earth, but we could have a picnic together and I can show you around."

Looking up at him, Ceres smiled. Castor forgot to listen to her words as he internally fought against the strong urge to kiss her again and again. Shaking his head to clear it, he laughed at himself.

Ceres looked puzzled as she waited for an answer to her question. Castor blushed as he admitted, "I, um, didn't pay attention to a single word you just said. Please repeat it?"

Sighing, Ceres again said, "I would love to see Elysion. How about I bring the picnic basket?"

Nodding, Castor answered, "That sounds fine. Is ten too early to pick you up?"

Ceres said, "Ten is fine. I'll be looking forward to it."

Finally, Castor felt like he could handle kissing her again. Their lips touched and Castor felt his passion for her slam back into him full force. He crushed her to him tightly while they kissed then he sighed as he forced himself to release her lips.

Shakily, Ceres tried to keep her balance as Castor stepped back from her. He hoarsely whispered, "Good night."

Breathlessly Ceres answered, "See you Saturday."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Terrance and Hotaru ate breakfast together and discussed what they wanted to do that day. Terrance asked, "Is there something that you'd like to do that we haven't done yet?"

Hotaru thought a moment then blushed. She said, "No. Not really."

Terrance now knew Hotaru well enough to know she had thought of something, but for some reason she was reluctant to suggest it.

Smiling, Terrance cajoled, "I'm sure there has to be something. Maybe something you enjoyed doing as a kid here on Earth?"

Blushing redder, Hotaru looked down. Hesitantly she admitted, "There is something. You have to promise not to laugh and if you don't want to, we don't have to do it. Okay?"

Terrance nodded his head yes and waited patiently for her to tell him.

Taking a deep breath, Hotaru quietly said, "As a child I really liked going to the zoo."

Terrance offered, "I've never been to a zoo and I think it's a good idea."

Hotaru looked up and shyly smiled. She said, "I hope you like it too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ceres hurriedly got ready. She had overslept her alarm and had already missed breakfast. If she didn't get moving she'd be late for fighting practice too. She hated oversleeping but she couldn't help smiling as she thought about her date the night before.

Entering the gym, Ceres quickly joined the other girls as they stretched. She looked around and was relieved she didn't see a Planet Senshi yet. At least she didn't have to answer any questions from them about why she was late. She knew she wouldn't get out of answering her so-called friends' questions though.

During the practice Sailor Jupiter caught Ceres spacing out, twice. The other girls hid their giggles behind their hands when Jupiter asked, "Ceres, what's up with you? That's the second time I've repeated myself for you today! Did you have a hot date last night, or what?"

Ceres' face turned a bright shade of red as she apologized and Jupiter realized she had probably hit the proverbial 'nail on the head'. Nodding her acceptance of Ceres' apology, Jupiter winked and said, "Good for you! You girls don't get out enough in my opinion."

As soon as they entered the locker room Ceres was accosted by three very curious girls.

"Spill!" Juno demanded with a feral smile.

Vesta was only a little more polite as she excitedly added, "Details please! We want *all* the details!"

Pallas with her big bright eyes and excited expression didn't need to say a word.

Ceres didn't want to tell them anything, but she knew they wouldn't let her get away with that. She said the meal was nice, the place was pretty, dancing was fun and they had a good time.

With a grin, Vesta noted, "You must have been having a good time since you didn't get back to your room until after midnight!"

Ceres blushed and sighed. She muttered, "Won't you guys give me even a little privacy?!"

Juno laughingly answered, "Of course not!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening Ceres took a walk in the garden. She sat down on a bench and pensively stared at the fountain.

Pallas found her there and asked if she could sit too. After a few moments Pallas asked Ceres what she was thinking about.

Ceres sighed and answered, "Is it possible to fall for someone when you've only known that person a few days?

Smiling, Pallas responded, "Of course! Do you think you've 'fallen' for Castor?"

Ceres looked down and said, "I don't know. I really like being with him and I feel very comfortable and secure around him. Even though I know we've only known each other a short time, it's like we've known each other forever."

Pallas nodded her head and asked, "Do you know if he feels the same way about you?"

Ceres smiled as she thought about the tattoo and what he had said. She answered, "I'm pretty sure he does." Ceres then quickly added, "But isn't this too fast? It's scary really. I've never felt like this about someone before."

"I think your heart is talking to you," Pallas offered, "and sometimes hearts don't follow all the rules."

Ceres sighed again. Pallas smiled as she gave her friend a hug and encouraged, "I'm sure you'll figure it out Ceres. Don't worry!"

Smiling back, Ceres said, "Thanks, Pallas. I guess you're right. It'll work out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Friday, Terrance and Hotaru worked out in the morning. The practice field was being used again, so Terrance suggested a hike and some rock climbing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday morning the King and Queen were walking to the breakfast room. They turned the corner and Usagi stopped Mamoru as she whispered, "Look at that."

Mamoru looked in the breakfast room and saw Terrance and Hotaru sitting at the table with cups of coffee. They were talking quietly together and Hotaru laughed at something Terrance had said.

"Don't they look cute together?" Usagi asked her husband.

Raising his eyebrow at her comment, Mamoru cautioned, "Usako, don't read more into it than there might actually be."

Usagi gave him an annoyed look and said, "Well, I think they'd be great for each other and they certainly seem to be enjoying spending time together."

Patting his wife's hand Mamoru said, "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Terrance and Hotaru looked up as the King and Queen entered the room. Greetings were made, plates were filled with food, and when they sat down, Terrance stated, "You're just the two people we needed to talk to."

Mamoru paused from drinking his coffee and looked up.

Usagi, who had a bite of egg on her fork that was half way to her mouth, stopped it mid-air and curiously asked, "Yes? Why?"

Slightly taken back by their sudden intense attention Terrance answered, "Um, Hotaru and I decided to go shopping in Crystal Tokyo today. We figured we could pick Serenity and Elios up at the station on the way back this afternoon."

Mamoru said, "Oh...okay."

Usagi finished putting the bite of egg in her mouth, chewed and swallowed it. Hiding her disappointment she said, "That's a good idea and it's nice of you to offer."

Terrance was a little perplexed by his father's and Usagi's odd behavior. He said, "Okay," then turned to Hotaru and suggested, "We should probably get going."

Hotaru agreed so they said good-bye and left the breakfast room.

After a moment of silence Mamoru slowly shook his head and smiled as he stated, "Usako, we need to be more careful about our speculations."

Giggling, Usagi agreed then said, "I guess we may have been a little premature but you have to admit, they do act like a couple already."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week after the wedding, Serenity and Elios stepped off the planet transport and back onto the Earth. Elios couldn't help sighing with relief. The planet Venus had been nice but he was happy to be home.

Serenity looked around and saw Terrance and Hotaru waiting for them.

Hotaru had spotted them too. She smiled as she walked up to Serenity and gave her a big hug. "Welcome back," she greeted, "Was the resort on Venus nice?"

Serenity started to answer her, but Hotaru suddenly pulled back, held Serenity at arms length and looked her up and down. Teasingly she observed, "Serenity, how much did you eat while you were away?"

Blushing, Serenity put her hand on her slightly rounded stomach and answered, "I guess the babies grew a lot over the last week. The clothes I brought with me barely fit anymore."

Hotaru hugged her again and said, "You're starting to look like you're pregnant. It's a cute look for you, but you definitely need maternity clothes. We'll have to go shopping next week and get you some."

Serenity smiled and said, ""Yes, that sounds like fun!"

The two men returned with the luggage and they all piled in the Palace transport.

Back at the Palace, Serenity had barely enough time to give everyone a hug and their souvenirs. She could tell Elios was anxious to get back to Elysion and see how things were going at the shrine.

Pollux had been waiting at the Palace to bring the newlyweds back to Elysion. He said good-bye to Pallas, who had kept him company while he waited, and soon the three of them were on their way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost dark when Ceres had returned from her and Castor's picnic in Elysion. She had just dropped the basket off at the kitchen and was heading for her room when Vesta saw her and called to her.

Startled, Ceres turned around.

Vesta caught up to Ceres and said, "You missed Serenity and Elios but Serenity left a souvenir for you in your room. They've already left for Elysion but..." Vesta stopped when she realized Ceres wasn't listening and seemed very preoccupied. Looking more closely at her Vesta asked, "Are you all right?"

Ceres stepped back from Vesta and quietly answered, "I'm fine. Um, I'm tired though. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Vesta responded, "Sure, but are you really okay?"

Quickly Ceres repeated, "I'm fine! I said I was just tired. Bye."

Ceres turned and quickly walked away. Vesta's keen observation skills were telling her that Ceres was lying but she knew she couldn't force the issue.



Continued...

There are two more sections to this book that should be posted soon. ^_^


Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you did like my story, or if you have any (kind and gently worded) suggestions/comments about my story, please let me know. I truly appreciate feedback. You can email me at ndeblock@att.net .



This story was edited and enhanced by the great mind and imagination of Sophia Prester. Her help and ideas have been of great value to me! Thank you Sophia! ^_^

Sophia Prester is also the author or a *wonderful* continuing Sailor Moon fanfic called "Empire of the Sun". Her story is very intricate and absorbing and I highly recommend reading it! ^_^



Bye, Luna Hope



Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all her friends (Except for Prince Terrance Donovan and the Pegasus brothers - Jabbath, Castor, Pollux and Volans. They are all mine! ^_^ ) don't belong to me. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I just borrowed them for a little bit of fun.