AN: I will be using the terms/names "Earth" and "Golden Kingdom" interchangeably so you are all forewarned. All Sailor Senshi/Crown Princesses are named after the English names for their planets. I am going by the manga and in it when the Sailor Power Guardians are talking to the Senshi, they call them Princess Whatever-planet-they're-from.

Planet Names:
Suisei: Mercury
Kinsei: Venus
Kasei: Mars
Mokusei: Jupiter
Dosei: Saturn
Ten'ousei: Uranus
Kaiousei: Neptune
Meiousei: Pluto

Characters in this chapter:
Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom
Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom
Queen Juno of Meiousei
Crown Princess Pluto of Meiousei
Crown Princess Neptune of Kaiousei
Crown Princess Uranus of Ten'ousei
Queen Queprur of Dosei
King Thanatos of Dosei
Crown Princess Saturn of Dosei
Princess Titan of Dosei

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does NOT belong to me. Anyone or anything that is not in the manga or anime is MINE and you must gain my permission before using. That means all the Senshi' families, Endymion's family, the Guardians, all servants, the King of the Moon, and miscellaneous people.

CHAPTER ONE

The Outer Senshi

Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium stared out at the castle courtyard from her bedroom balcony. Children of the guards and servants played down there within the palace walls, staying out of the way of their elders, but enjoying themselves completely. A command from someone's parent and the children would disband for a few minutes but would soon be back in their groups somewhere else, laughing and playing tag or hide-and-seek. Someday, she would have a daughter and her daughter would have that, although her playmates would be the Sailor-Senshi-in-training.

Smiling, the Queen looked over at her husband, fast asleep. He'd be leaving shortly after the fourth hour, when he usually awoke. He really was so lovely to her, even agreeing to leave for a few weeks while her Senshi were here. She knew it wasn't just a desire to please her that got him to agree so quickly: he was frightened by her friends when they got into tempers and avoided them at all costs whenever possible. Really, you would think the husband of the wielder of the Silver Imperium Crystal would be a little less skittish but…

A dull roar in the distance brought her back to the present: The Queen and Crown Princess of Meiousei were arriving. Serenity grinned suddenly at a memory as she turned from her balcony and headed toward the throne room in her white dress. She recalled quite well the number of tricks Queen Juno had played on her throughout their lifetimes. It would be hilarious if Juno played another practical joke while visiting, especially since she was supposed to have outgrown such things and be a good role model for her daughter!

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Queen Juno of Meiousei held a tight grip on her daughter's hand as they walked down the boarding ramp of the spacecraft. Pluto had a tendency to go running off when she saw something interesting.

"Mama, I want to go see the other kids," the six-year-old whined.

"Pluto," Juno chastised, "stop whining. The more you whine, the longer the meeting with Queen Serenity will take. Besides, you'll get to meet the Princesses of Ten'ousei, Kaiousei, and Dosei. You'll be training to become a Sailor Soldier with them."

"Mama, what's Queen Serenity like?" Pluto asked, twisting her moss-green hair around one finger as they reached the gates. She grew more nervous when a guard stepped forward to inquire about their business.

"She's very kind and beautiful," Juno told her daughter for the hundredth time since they'd left their home planet. To the guard she said, "Kindly inform High Queen Serenity that the Queen and Princess of Meiousei request an audience." The guard bowed and left the mother and daughter standing at the gates.

A few minutes later he returned. "Queen Serenity will see you now," he informed them.

Current Sailor Soldier and Sailor Soldier-to-be walked into the throne room where their Queen waited for them. Upon reaching the throne, both curtsied in their deep green gowns and straightened when Queen Serenity commanded, "Arise, both of you. Juno, you should not bow to me: we've been friends and equals too long for such foolishness. Princess Meiousei, if you are to train with the other Princesses of the Outer Planets here, you will be seeing me too much to curtsy every time you see me. Please don't, at least not here in private."

"Thank you, Serenity," Juno said as she straightened up. "How are you and your husband doing?"

The Queen of the Moon Kingdom gave a small smile. "We're doing wonderful."

"Crown Princess of Meiousei," Serenity called after a few minutes of small talk, bringing Pluto crashing from her daydreams, "may I know your name?"

"Pluto," she murmured shyly, looking at the tiled floor.

"Well, Princess Pluto, the other Princesses of the Outer Solar System should be arriving soon. Would you like to be here when they arrive, or would you rather Luna and Artemis show you to your room and I send them there when they get here?" Pluto thought hard for a few minutes.

"I'd like to be here please, your Majesty," she requested politely. "I want to meet my new friends."

"That's what we thought you'd say," a lazy voice drawled. Pluto looked around in alarm, searching for the source of the new voice.

"Luna, Artemis, come out and meet the Princess of Meiousei," Serenity commanded. Two cats, one black and one white, slunk out from behind the throne. The thing that shocked little Pluto was the crescent moon markings on each cat's forehead.

"But I was warm back there," the white one grumbled. Pluto could've been pushed over with a feather when she heard a human voice coming from a cat.

"You- you- you can TALK!" she screeched. Serenity and Juno laughed as Luna replied.

"Yes, Princess of Meiousei, we can talk. We serve the royal family of the Moon and the two of us shall help train you girls," the black one sighed. "My name is Luna and this furball is Artemis."

"How do you do?" Pluto replied politely. Artemis mumbled something and curled up at the High Queen's feet. Luna gave a distinguishable response just as polite and curled up next to her mate.

The two queens began to talk and discuss old memories that Pluto held little interest in, as she knew only two people in them.

Within minutes, she was fidgeting with her dress and hair, still holding her mother's hand, but very bored. Luna noticed the young princess' lack of attention and decided to do something about it. She hopped down from the podium where she lay at Serenity's feet and wound herself around Pluto's legs. Pluto jumped in surprise, then slipped her hand out of her mother's to scoop Luna up.

Pluto looked up at her mother, hoping for the woman to turn and look at her, her eyes begging. Queen Juno looked down, realizing her daughter's hand was no longer in her own, and saw the question in her daughter's eyes. She smiled her permission and Pluto, with Luna in her arms, went over in a corner to play with the black cat advisor.

Pluto sat cross-legged in a corner and would place Luna on some part of Pluto's upper anatomy and the cat would carefully climb back down into Pluto's warm lap. Once Luna managed to get there and not be pulled out again by eager little hands, she curled up and went to sleep as Pluto stroked her soft fur.

Soon a dull roar was heard that heralded the landing of a spaceship. In came the Queen and Crown Princess of Kaiousei. Both were very beautiful, their aqua hair cascading down their shoulders and matching sea-green dresses to identify their home planet. They curtsied to Queen Serenity at the same time and Pluto caught herself staring, wondering if the princess was a clone of her mother for just a moment before reminding herself that cloning was illegal and pulled her eyes away.

Once the introductions were over with, the Princess of Kaiousei hurried over to Pluto as her mother moved closer to the throne so as to talk and better hear her friends. The girls quickly got into a deep discussion about their home planets and barely noticed when the Queen and Princess of the Heavenly Planet entered and made their introductions.

They noticed the entrance when Crown Princess Uranus plopped down next to them and wanted to know their names. They told their names and quickly Uranus entered into a tale about her home where she only rarely had to wear dresses.

Once the tale was done, Pluto turned toward the mothers, wondering. The Queens were talking in low, worried voices, occasionally glancing toward their daughters or the main doors.

"What's wrong with them?" she asked her new friends. Before they could voice any opinions, Luna yawned and stretched in Pluto's lap.

"The Queen and Crown Princess of Dosei were supposed to be here about an hour ago," the cat yawned. Neptune and Uranus ogled for a moment before finding their voices.

"YOU CAN TALK!" they screeched, causing a moment of laughter from their mothers. So Pluto calmly explained to the others about Luna and Artemis as a messenger came in and spoke softly to the High Queen.

Moments later Artemis trotted over to tell the princesses the news.

"Princess Saturn and her father will be a few hours late, so we get to take you three to you room. Follow me." Then he and Luna vanished out a side door and the princesses followed them down the winding halls.

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What had delayed the arrival of the Crown Princess of Dosei? the girls wondered. Did her mother just not want to let her go? In reality, the case was quite similar, yet quite different.

Saturn of Dosei, daughter of Queen Queprur and King Thanatos of Dosei, had been waiting quietly inside the classroom reserved specifically for her. Her parents were late, the six-year-old realized. She was getting ready to go and try to find her mother when the doorknob turned. In came Queen Queprur, as though summoned by her daughter's thoughts.

"I'm afraid there won't be any lesson today, darling," the Queen apologized. "The Queen of the Moon Kingdom has decided it is time for you to begin your training as a Sailor Senshi. You need to go pack. The transport is leaving in an hour."

Excitement filled the young girl. She had always wanted to meet Queen Serenity and see the Moon Castle! She started for the door, a thought stopping her with her hand on the knob. "Will Titan come with me?" the violet-eyed princess asked. Her mother only smiled.

"We'll see. Now, go get packed." So Saturn raced down the halls to the rooms she shared with her twin sister.

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Crown Princess Saturn had packed and was ready to go, holding a small bag she had refused to let anyone else carry. The rest of her things were on board already, as she should be. But she wasn't. She wasn't going anywhere until Titan came out.

But there was no sight of her clingy twin.

Titan? Saturn called softly through her mind.

'A'er? Titan's frantic voice came back, using the nickname she had for her precious sister. Where are you? I can't find you and Mother won't tell me where you are!

I'm at the front doors, Saturn replied softly, calming her sister with her tone and words. Didn't Mother tell you? I'm supposed to go to the Moon Palace now for my training. Mother said you might be able to come with me.

Mother never told me anything! Titan shouted mentally. I don't want you to leave! You can't! Then she ended the connection, though Saturn could still feel her sister's presence coming nearer with each passing second.

"Crown Princess," a servant spoke gently, "it's time to go."

"No," Saturn replied stubbornly. "I'm not going until Titan comes out. Unless she comes out, I'm not going."

"But, please, we're on a tight schedule—" the man protested.

"So go do your errands and come back for me later," Saturn told him simply. "Wouldn't that be easier?"

Then Princess Titan came running, screaming for her sister. Saturn turned and caught her crying sister, holding her close.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently. She was more of a mother to Titan than their birth mother was. So Saturn could act older than she was for her dark-haired twin when she needed to.

"I don't want you to go!" Titan wailed. "You can't! Mother'll be even meaner and I won't be able to talk to you! And— and…" Her words dissolved into more tears and incomprehensible wailing.

"You'll still be able to talk to me," Saturn reassured her sister. "Remember when I went out to one of the moons? We could still talk."

"But—the Moon Palace is farther away than our moons," Titan protested, clinging to her sister like her life depended on it.

"I'll make it work," Saturn proclaimed. "Remember how Mother said that your per- persistency is most important if you want something to work? Then she said stubbornness would work too, and we both have a lot of that." Saturn made a funny face and Titan giggled, recalling the memory. It was one of the few good ones she had of her mother.

"I still don't want you to go!" Titan protested.

"I have to," Saturn reminded her twin. "But I'll be back before you know it!"

"Fat chance," Titan muttered with a snort into her sister's chest. Then Saturn remembered the present she had hidden in her bag.

"Titan," she said gently. "I need you to let go of me for a minute. I need to get something."

"You're not gonna run off, are you?" Titan asked softly, her grip tightening on her sister.

"Why in the world would I do that?" Saturn demanded, her feelings hurt.

"Sorry," Titan mumbled as she let go. "But Mother keeps saying that you don't love me." A look of fear crossed her features and she clutched her sister again. "You do love me, right 'A'er?" That Saturn might not love her like she loved Saturn was one of Titan's deepest fears, one that needed banishment on a regular basis which could only come from one source.

"Of course I love you," Saturn told her sister with a tight hug. She was not hurt that Titan doubted her love. It was only reasonable after everything their mother said about Titan being a worthless nothing with no one who could ever love her. It made young Saturn's blood boil just thinking about it. "You know that. Whenever you think I don't, just call me. I'll answer the moment I feel it. I don't care what's going on. If you need me, you have to call, okay?" Titan nodded, then slowly let go, still clinging tightly to her sister's arm.

Saturn set her bag down and reached into it, pulling out a doll she had finished that morning. Giving it to her sister and seeing the joy evident in the other girl's expression, Saturn knew that all the blood and time she had lost to make this was more than worth it.

Titan took the doll from her sister's hands, holding it in both her own. It was an exact duplicate of either her or her sister, down to the black hair made from thread and purple dress they had been sentenced to wear. The face was happy, smiling even, and seemed to reassure Titan that everything was going to be okay.

"She's mine?" Titan asked in wonder, running her small thumb over the dress and face.

"Yep," Saturn grinned. "She's supposed to be me, so that if you have a bad dream and if I'm away and you call, you can talk to me and hug her. So it'll almost be like I'm almost there." Then inspiration struck her and she held out her hand again. "Can I see her for a moment? There's something I want to do."

So Titan gave her doll back and Saturn held it, closing her eyes. Titan felt the magic move from its resting place inside Saturn and a tiny portion go into the doll, filling it until the little thing shone in the magicked sight of the twins with the power of Destruction, Silence, and Healing.

Titan giggled and clapped her hands as Saturn gave the doll back, Senshi symbol blazing upon her forehead. Some people thought Saturn looked scary when that happened, but both twins thought that those people were idiots. There was nothing scary about a shining light, even if it was coming from somebody's forehead. Much scarier were the weapons people kept in their houses, like swords and glaives.

"I have to go now," Saturn reminded her sister gently.

"You can't!" Titan shouted, gripping her the other girl again, tears coming to her eyes. "I don't wanna be 'lone!"

"You won't be," Saturn reminded her. "You've got the doll, haven't you? And we can still talk."

"Not the same," Titan protested, on the verge of tears, as she buried her head into her sister's shoulder. "Not the same."

"Titan, you knew I'd have to leave someday," Saturn told her sister, trying to make her see reason.

"But I can't let you go all alone," Titan objected. "I wanna go too."

"You just can't let me leave you," Saturn laughed. Titan nodded, hugging her sister tightly, refusing to let go as she cried.

"But… if I don't go, I can't be Sailor Saturn," Saturn reminded her twin. "Then you don't get to know a celebrity."

"Mother's a Sailor Senshi," Titan responded.

"Not a sane one," Saturn retorted. Titan laughed. It was an old joke between them that only someone insane would love one twin over the other, especially to the extreme that their mother did.

Then Saturn pulled away and looked around to see her trunk right behind her and the ship long gone. Both twins laughed then, lugging the trunk to the office where their father was. He was a bit nicer than Queprur was and not as likely to blame Titan for Saturn not getting to the Moon on time.

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The Crown Princess of Dosei arrived just before sundown with her father, King Thantos of Dosei.

The Crown Princess insisted upon lugging her own trunk and smallest bag with her, refusing to let anyone else touch them.

"It looks like your daughter is a bit prideful," Queen Serenity commented to the Dosei King with a smile when they appeared in the Throne Room.

"Apparently," he sighed, catching the attention of the Queen of Meiousei, who went pale and seemed about to faint.

Saturn noticed this and immediately went over to her, leading her out of the room and away from her father.

The High Queen continued speaking with the Dosei King, keeping the attention off of the Meiousei Queen and Saturn.

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"What's wrong?" Saturn asked Juno softly, looking up at the woman whose hand she held. "What did Father do to you?"

Juno hesitated, not wanting to tell this child of what her father had done, but knowing intuitively that Saturn would never give up. How could she explain in simple terms, without giving too much away?

"Your father… hurt me. A long time ago," she explained, softly and simply as she knelt down to child's eye level. "What he did… destroyed me in a way, and I've been scared of him since then."

"Oh," Saturn said softly. Juno had the feeling that Saturn knew and understood, though Juno had no intention of ever explaining what that bastard had done to her. "Is that why I like you so much? You're like a nice mommy and like part of me." Juno drew in her breath sharply. How could Saturn know these things? Yes, Queprur knew what her husband had done, but she had promised never to tell anyone. Thantos was not the sort to say these sorts of things aloud, especially to his daughter.

"Well, maybe," Juno admitted. "But… how did you know?"

"Daddy's scared of you," Saturn confided. "He told me on the ride here what you look like and that he's scared of you and said he was sorry for something. He wouldn't say what."

"Why…?" Juno wasn't quite sure how to phrase her question, especially with long-dormant memories and pain suddenly renewing themselves.

"You're a Sailor Senshi," Saturn responded simply. "You could kill him, if you wanted, and Mother would never try to stop you."

Juno had nothing to say to that, knowing it was true.

Saturn hugged her, then started crying.

"What's wrong?" Juno asked with worry.

"I miss Titan," Saturn mumbled. "I had to leave her behind to come here and she can't defend herself when something bad happens. She needs me and I left her all alone."

"Doesn't your mother help take care of Titan?" Juno asked.

"No…" Saturn replied, shaking her head. "She doesn't like Titan."

"Why not? She always used to love children," Juno asked in confusion.

"Titan won't become a Sailor Senshi," Saturn explained. "So Mother doesn't see the point of taking care of her."

"That's not right," Juno whispered in horror as she comforted the small child. Then she added in a normal voice, "What's your name?"

"I'm Saturn," Saturn said softly. "Who're you?"

"I'm Juno," the Meiousei Queen said with a smile.

"Then I'll call you 'Mama Juno,' " Saturn declared.

"Why?" Juno asked, taken aback.

"Because you act like a real mother and you've already helped me," Saturn explained simply, with typical six-year-old logic. Juno laughed at that, but agreed.

Then she led the girl to meet the other Outers-in-training.

AN: End of chapter. Next coming as soon as I can destroy writer's block. Anybody know the meanings of the Senshi's Japanese first and last names separately? If so, I need to know. And don't link to the website in your review. It doesn't work and the website is gone from the review. Which defeats the purpose.