"Oh, my goodness. I so do not want to attend this ball." With a sigh, Serenity, princess of the Moon Kingdom, cast herself onto her bed, golden blonde hair flying forward to cover her face. Crystal blue eyes peered out at a pair of brown ones as her friend, Rei, princess of Mars, moved the mass of silk.
"But, Sere, it's your eighteenth birthday. You have to go. Your mother has worked so hard to prepare everything. And Endymion is coming. From Earth." The dark haired girl sat on the bed beside Serenity.
"Besides, if you don't go, we can't go." This came from the other blonde in the room. The princess of Venus, Mina had hair a few shades lighter than Serenity's. Her eyes were a shade lighter as well, though, other than that, they could have been twins. Her comment earned a laugh from everyone in the room, including Ami, the princess of Mercury, and Lita, who was the princess of Jupiter. Ami had short, dark blue hair and eyes almost the same color. Lita was the tallest of the girls, with rich brown hair pulled high into a ponytail and emerald green eyes.
"Exactly," Lita concurred. She turned from where she was rummaging in Serenity's closet, holding a dress in her hand. "And I want to wear this dress. Like you promised I could."
"Really, Sere, you did promise. Didn't she, Ami?" Mina said. Ami looked up from where she sat in a straight backed chair, nose buried in a thick book.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, Serenity. You did." The princess of Mercury was quiet and shy. Her greatest passion was learning, of any kind. Serenity sighed again, loudly.
"I know. I know. It's just, well, now everyone will be expecting me to marry. Mother and the Earth king expect Endymion and I to create a union between Earth and the Moon, but you all know that I cannot do that. Endy is my friend. If we were to marry, it would make both of us miserable," Serenity said, rising from her bed and moving to oust Lita from her closet.
"We know. But, hey, maybe there will be some other eligible young prince that will catch your eye. I heard that there are supposed to be some emissaries from the constellation outposts there tonight," interjected Rei, raising her voice a little so that she could be heard over the noise Serenity was making in the closet. Serenity soon emerged, carrying four large boxes. Each one was wrapped in bright colors. She dumped the boxes on the bed.
"Yeah, I know. Draco, Aries, Capricorn, and Pisces. Each one a prince. All of them are supposed to be very handsome. Exactly the right number of princes for all of you. Of course, my brother will be there. He says he's very good friends with all of them. I haven't seen him in a year. Not since he went on duty in the Outer Rim. Any way. These are for you guys. Here, Lita. Let me take that," Serenity moved to take the dress from Lita's hand and hung it up. The other girls moved towards the bed to examine the gifts. "Here, let me." Serenity took up the boxes and began handing them out. To Mina, she gave one that was wrapped in bright yellow paper and tied with a warm orange bow. Rei received a box with red wrappings and deep purple bow. Ami got one wrapped in navy blue and tied with ice blue. Lita's was deep green and rose pink. They began opening them. Serenity waited in silence until…
"Oh, Sere! It's beautiful!" Rei exclaimed. All three of the other's echoed her sentiments. The boxes were discarded to reveal the absolutely beautiful dresses the girls held.
"Do you like them? I asked Mother to have them made for you. I though that since I got to have a beautiful new dress for tonight, you all should too," Serenity was beaming with delight at her friends excitement. "Now, come on. I have another surprise!" She turned to the door, followed by the others. They walked down a long hallway decorated with bright silver moons and golden stars. After a short walk, they stopped in front of a pair of double doors, emblazed with a huge silver moon, which covered both doors.
"What's going on Sere?" Mina asked, giving her friend a confused look. The Moon princess just gave a secret smile and pushed the door open. On the other side of the door lay what appeared to be a wonderland. Pure white marble surrounded a gently lapping pool of steaming, fragrant water. From the ceiling and from dragon statues on the wall poured more hot water. The whole room was suffused with a warm golden light. In a small alcove hung huge, fluffy towels, two for each of them, all in the planetary colors. The princesses laughed with delight and rushed in. The marble was warm, most likely through magic. "Oh! This is wonderful! How long has this been here? Why didn't we ever know?" Mina exclaimed.
"It's my birthday gift, from my brother. Isn't it wonderful? He knew how much I had been wanting something like this and he made it happen!" Serenity was laughing. They moved farther into the room and the doors slowly shut behind them. They stepped into the alcove and disrobed, hanging their clothes on the hooks provided. With a cry, Lita took a running leap into the enormous pool of water. Everyone else followed suit. Soon they were laughing and swimming, dunking each other underneath the streams of water.
"I think I love your brother, Sere. Quatre is certainly wonderful to do this for you," Rei said, laughing.
"I agree," Ami said. After a while, they finished bathing and got out, using their towels to dry themselves. The put their clothes back on, but when the other four started to leave, Serenity stopped them.
"Wait! Look!" She touched a crescent moon carving on the back wall of the alcove. The wall slid down into the floor and they stepped over it. On the other side was a large dressing room. There was a sheet of brightly lit mirrors on the far wall, along with five vanity sets, all filled with numerous cosmetics. On the closer wall were five smaller alcoves, each with a three way mirror and small dais. In the center were five more daises, A huge closet occupied one of the corners. "This was Quatre's gift to all of us!" Everyone cried and screamed a little. Suddenly, Lita noticed the time.
"Sere! We've got to hurry! We only have two hours to get ready!" A small panic set in and the girls all rushed to prepare for the ball.
Two and a half hours later, Serenity, Rei, Mina, Lita, and Ami all stood at the head of the stairs leading down into the ball room. The five princesses waited for the music to pause and the herald to begin announcing their arrival.
"Princess Ami, of Mercury," the rotund herald pronounced. Ami began her descent slowly. She was resplendent in a gown of tropical blue. The sheath was a simple halter. It was the shimmery pale fabric that covered it that made the dress unique.
"Princess Lita, of Jupiter." Lita strode down the stairs boldly. Her gown was a deep hunter green. It had a square neck, trimmed in gold, and sleeves that puffed slightly at the shoulder and tightened dramatically, ending in tapered points on the backs of her hands. The high waist was tied with a wide gold ribbon, the tails of which trailed down her back.
"Princess Mina, of Venus." Mina all but bounced down the stairs. Bright and warm, her strapless gown was a sunset orange color. The waist had a double row of clear crystals, sparkling in the light. The same crystals flared up from the bottom of the dress in what looked like shooting stars.
"Princess Rei, of Mars." Rei's descent was like watching poetry in motion. She was graceful and fluid. The fire red satin of her slinky sheath dress showed off every one of her curves. At the foot of the stairs, the four lesser princesses moved to flank each side and turned to look up for Serenity's entrance.
"Serenity, Imperial Princess of the Moon Kingdom," the herald called. Serenity appeared at the head of the stairs and began to move down into the ball room. She looked like an angel. Her floor length golden hair was bound up in two buns, which were fastened with moonstone barrettes on top of her head. The rest of her hair trailed in two tails to her knees. The hairstyle revealed the golden crescent moon image on her forehead, the sign of her right to rule. Her gown was a pure white halter top, covered with a gauzy layer of silvery material that floated away from her on an unfelt wind. Every eye was riveted on her as her feet touched the carpet at the foot of the stair and her mother, Queen Selenity, moved to her side.
The two were remarkably similar in appearance. Both wore their hair styled in similar ways. Both bore the golden moon on their forehead, and both were stunningly beautiful, with the same crystal blue eyes. The only real difference was their hair color, Serenity's was golden, where the Queen's was silver, and their height. The Queen and princess glided through the crowd and took their seats in the raised thrones on the far side of the room. They were followed by the planetary princesses, who took their places behind Serenity's throne. A cheer went up, celebrating the princess, then the Queen stood.
"Everyone! I bid you welcome to this joyous celebration! Tonight we rejoice. It is Princess Serenity's eighteenth birthday! Soon, she will be of age to begin her rule of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Alliance!" Another cheer went up. "Now, enjoy the ball!" The music began again and couples moved out onto the dance floor. Serenity's mother turned to her. "Do you see anyone you like?" Serenity rolled her eyes.
"Mother, can't this wait till AFTER the ball? You have plenty of time to get me married off, though I don't understand why it's so important. Quatre is three years older than I am, and he's not married yet!" the princess whined.
"Quatre is the general of the Moon Kingdom's armies, not it's future Queen," Selenity replied.
"I don't want to talk about it. Where is Quatre, by the way? I don't see him." The Queen gestured towards a small knot of men in a corner.
"He's over there, with the emissaries from the constellations and Earth. Go on and great him. You should meet his friends any way." Serenity smiled as she rose. She bent to kiss her mother's cheek, then moved towards her brother, the other princesses in tow.
"She's getting stronger. Even with our improvements in weaponry, Beryl's forces are getting harder and harder to contain. Our new Gundams are helping, but not enough. I'm afraid we're going to have to ask the Queen for the senshi's help," Quatre, Prince of the Moon, was explaining the grave situation to Endymion, his best friend and Prince of the Earth. He was kept from further elaboration, however, by a squeal and a flash of gold and white.
"Quatre!" Serenity exclaimed as she grabbed her beloved older brother. He laughed and returned her hug. When she pulled back, she was bouncing in her excitement. "Thank you so much for my birthday presents! They were wonderful!" The other princesses expressed their agreement.
"I'm glad you liked them, Sere. I wish I could have been there to show them to you personally, but, things are getting bad on the Outer Rim," Quatre replied, throwing his arm around his sister's shoulders.
"Is it Beryl?" Serenity present herself as a little clumsy and slow witted, but really, she was very shrewd. It was her portrayed persona that gave her an advantage.
"Yes, but we'll discuss all this later. Right now, it's time for you to be celebrating! I can't believe that you're eighteen! It seems impossible. It's been so long since I've seen you!"
"Hey now! You can't keep our sister all to yourself! I haven't seen her in as long or longer than you have!" Endymion interrupted the siblings. "Where's my hug, Sere?" Serenity laughed and launched herself into his arms. She planted a huge, messy kiss on his cheek.
"I'm glad to see you, Endy! Where have you been? It isn't like I'm far away. You have no excuse for not coming to see me," Serenity admonished, teasingly.
"I know. Father has had me preparing to take the throne day and night. I never knew there was so much involved. Holding court, imposing taxes, stopping taxes, protecting the people from bandits and uprisings. It's our fault if there's a natural disaster, for Selene's sake!" The princesses giggled.
"I know. Trust me. After all you only have one planet to look after. I'm going to be stuck with the whole of the Silver Alliance!" Serenity pulled a face, which caused both her biological and adopted brothers to laugh.
"We know, Sere. Now, I have some people that you should meet. These guys are the rest of my team in the Rim." Quatre grabbed Serenity around the waist and turned her to face the other four men, whom she had previously ignored in her excitement. Endymion turned to greet the other princesses. "Serenity of the Moon, this is Trowa, of Aries. Trowa was tall and lanky. His eyes were shadowed and his dark hair was a mess. He looked as though he never smiled, though it was apparent that he would be a man of honor. He had to be to be included on her brother's team.
"Wu-fei, of Capricorn." He was slightly shorter than Trowa, and her brother for that matter, but still much taller than Serenity. His eyes had a fire in them that reminded her of Rei's. He muttered something under his breath about kingdoms ruled by women and was subsequently slapped on the back of his head by the next man her brother introduced.
"Duo, of Pisces." He was around the same height as Wu-fei, but that was where the resemblance stopped. Duo had light brown hair that hung in a rat tail down his back. His eyes held a spark of fun and mischief. Serenity liked him immediately. He lifted her hand and kissed it, which resulted in having his head knocked by her brother. Duo laughed and leered at her amicability. Quatre rolled his eyes and turned her to face the remaining member of his team.
"And this is Heero, of Draco." He was her brother's height, with a shock of brown hair that covered his eyes. Though his build appeared slight, it was obvious that, like the others, he had much power at his command. His expression was somber, till he looked up and his eyes met Serenity's. The fire burning there was passionate, but controlled. He would not be one to give his heart, or his trust easily, but when he did, it would be wild and implicit. Serenity's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, her thoughts scattered to the wind. She gathered herself, hoping against hope that no one had seen her lose it. Wrong. She saw her brother's concerned look. Ignoring it, she gestured to her friends. They stepped up beside her.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you. You must all be very good men, to be so close to my brother. I would like to introduce my ladies in waiting. This is Ami, Princess of Mercury." Ami dropped a curtsey, smiling her shy smile. "Lita, Princess of Jupiter." Jupiter gave a broad grin and swept a feminine bow, in the style of her royal court. "Mina, Princess of Venus." Mina's eyes sparkled as she gave a quick bob of a curtsey. "And Rei, Princess of Mars." Rei gave a regal inclination of her head. Endymion stepped up to rejoin the group momentarily.
"My sister wants her big brother to dance with her. If I don't, she's going to find someone else to dance with and Father's going to commit murder right here," he said. Those who know Endymion's sister Kensington and his father King EarthRose, laughed. The king's overprotective nature was well known among them.
"All right, Endy. You go keep Kensy out of trouble. I'd hate for anyone to have to clean up the blood," Quatre laughed. Endymion moved off, snatching his vivacious young sister from the arms of a young courtier before his father could see her. Quatre turned to his sister. "Care to dance, Mi'lady?" She smiled.
"Most assuredly, Mi'lord." He took her hand and began to lead her out onto the floor, before he turned back to his team.
"You guys, ask the princesses to dance. Even you Wu-fei." The other four shuffled their feet, bashfully, except for Duo, who leapt at the chance to ask Mina to dance, and Wu-fei, who only seemed angry. Soon, Lita was dancing with Trowa, Mina with Duo, and Ami with Heero. Wu-fei and Rei stood there silently, until Serenity and Quatre swept by. The siblings both gave admonishing looks to their respective friends. The dark haired couple gave each other disgusted looks, but reluctantly began to dance.
Everyone else appeared to be having fun. Mina and Duo were completely out of rhythm with the music, choosing instead to dance to their own beat. Lita and Trowa appeared to be engrossed in deep conversation. Rei and Wu-fei danced well together, though they each held themselves as far away from the other as possible. They appeared to be exchanging angry words. The Moon siblings laughed at their two friends. It was all right if they argued. There was nothing they preferred to do more. Quatre told Serenity that his friend had a slight problem with women rulers. She smiled. Rei would soon rectify that. Ami and Heero were quiet. Both of their attention seemed to be elsewhere. Their eyes never met, though they were both smiling.
"You know, Mother is trying to get my to marry already," Serenity told her brother as they swirled around the floor.
"I know. She's already talked to me about it. She wants an alliance with Earth. I told her that it would never work between you and Endy, that you were more like brother and sister, but she wouldn't listen. She thinks you would be perfect together. She's even started on me now. She wants me to marry one of your princesses," Quatre replied, taking a glance at the four girls dancing with his friends.
"Well, you and Ami always have had something special," Serenity said, looking over at Ami. "She's not really excited about Heero. Why don't you go cut in?"
"Do you think? I mean… Would she have me, if I tried? I think she's the only girl I've found who has anything in common with me. I thought that it was all one sided, though. She's grown up to be so beautiful," he was looking at Ami so intently that he backed into Duo, who happened to be behind him.
"Hey! Quatre! Wake up, man!" the other man said, stepping away before Quatre could step on him again and continuing his dance with Mina. Serenity laughed at her brother.
"You'd better get over there before you run over everyone else here. I'd hate to see what would happen if you stepped on Wu-fei," she said. He laughed.
"Me too. He'd pull out his sword, and who knows what would happen! All right. I'll do it." He relinquished his sister. She watched as he stopped the other couple. Heero let go of Ami and she went into Quatre's arms with a smile. Serenity began to move from the dance floor, but was stopped by a low voice.
"May I have this dance, Princess?" She turned, to find herself looking into Heero's Prussian blue eyes. He was holding his hand out to her. She paused for a moment, then accepted it, following him onto the floor. He swept her into his arms and they danced.