My Shitennou, an AU First Season Fic
Chapter 1
What Might Have Been
Elysian 1992
The year was 1992. The location was the Golden Palace, in Elysian. Many, many years had passed since the Silver Millennium, when Prince Endymion and his Shitennou grew up walking these halls. Many more would pass before King Endymion would walk them with his daughter, Princess Usagi Lady Serenity II. The palace was abandoned, the walls cloaked with 1000 years' worth of dust and other signs of neglect and lack of use. The gardens outside grew wild, as wild as the forest that never used to be quite so close to palace itself. Even after all these centuries, however, it was still a beautiful sight to see. After all this time, it still felt like home.
At least it did to the cool silver eyes that stared up at it. The old but still properly tucked and finely made uniform may have felt strange against his body, but the old palace still held the comfortable call of home. It was a bit of a wonder how a man who seemed to care so little for frivolous things like clothing and fashion always managed to be dressed so meticulously. It had been true in his past life and it remained so now. Many things had changed, but not everything. He was still proper. He was still loyal, and he still held that connection, that ever-enduring bond with his prince, his prince who… as yet, had no idea who he was or how important he was.
Kunzite himself was just beginning to remember it all. He had spent the last twenty-two years as Takayama Katsuro; he spent his time helping out in his parents' little family-owned restaurant part-time while working as an EMT and saving for entrance to medical school. How he was supposed to fit the life of a soldier – more specifically, a Shitennou – into all that he already had going in his life he had yet to figure out.
With a bit of help, however, he had managed to track down his three brothers-in-arms: Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoisite. Nephrite had been reborn to a wealthy businessman, Santorin Katashi and his wife; he was eighteen-years-old and went by the name Santorin Masato. Santorin Katashi's best friend, the owner of a racetrack, had become the father of Jadeite; he was sixteen now and went by the name Kanedai Ryuu. Zoisite, now known as Fukami Yasou, was fifteen and still the youngest, the son of a simple but kind middleclass couple and as unsure of himself as ever.
"Kunzite. I am glad you made it."
The sound of a familiar voice coming up to the right of him caused Kunzite to turn his attention from the palace to the young man that had addressed him. Without his assistance, the white-haired man wouldn't be standing here now. "Helios," he greeted, his cool silver eyes taking in the young priest through a neutral gaze. "The darkness that has been developing in the north is seeping deeper into the earth; the prince needs to be awakened soon."
"That might require locating him first," Nephrite quipped, coming up beside his leader with a bemused expression playing across his face. Glancing towards Kunzite, the brunette noted the blank stare he was receiving and sobered a bit. "Afraid the stars haven't given me anything… except a massive headache." Having the 'voices of the stars' constantly babbling inside of one's head could be irritating at times.
"Uh, oh. Kunzite looks angry. You'd better run, Nephrite. Or is that the 'happy' expressionless stare? I always get those two mixed up." Chuckling, Jadeite came out of the woodwork to join the others. "Sorry I'm late; had to wait until the parents were asleep. Mother is starting to pick up on the whole 'sneaking out' thing… afraid I'm hanging out with a bad crowd and all." Considering what he was actually doing, Jadeite found this misconception rather amusing. Although, the lying to his father part he wasn't too keen on. The blonde might be a lot of things, but one couldn't fault him for not being loyal. Only the fear of putting the man in danger kept him from trying to tell him… something. "So… where's Zoi?"
"Inside; looking around." Helios offered, motioning towards the palace. "He beat you here."
Kunzite raised a brow at this. The fact the teenager had managed to beat him here impressed him, and that in itself was a difficult feat to be had. Then again, Zoisite always had been the curious sort; it was no real wonder the opportunity to explore a 1,000-year-old ancient palace preserved as well as this one had been would draw his immediate attention. The leader of the group turned his full-attention to the priest in front of them. "Shall we begin?"
"Of course. Please, come inside." Motioning with his hand, Helios led the group out of the garden and deep inside the high walls of the ancient palace. They had a lot of catching up to do and relatively little time to accomplish the task at hand.
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Nemesis 2900
Another 1,000 years in the future, a man with short white hair and skin of nearly the same pale tone as his hair sat within the confines of his dark crystal palace. The prince, Demando by name, sat tall in a high-back chair near a crackling fire place far in the back of the palace library. In his hand, he held a tall glass filled to the brim with thick, red liquid. In his other hand, he held a book on the History of Royals of Crystal Tokyo. He brought the glass to his lips, letting a small sip of the warm liquid slide back and down his throat, as he skimmed through the pages in search of some information of particular interest to his present cause.
His present cause? Get rid of King Endymion and thereby win the heart of the lovely Neo-Queen in the white palace in the center of Crystal Tokyo. Oh, sure, she would probably be rather upset if she knew he had been the one to kill her husband. But Demando had a plan for that, too. He would send his people to the past and destroy his opponent before Crystal Tokyo ever came to be, before the king and queen ever met even! King Endymion and that pink-haired spawn of his would disappear and Demando and his own progeny – his and Serenity's – would take their place! Another sip of wine slid down his throat as a particularly loathsome picture appeared in the book in front of him. Demando scowled.
It was a picture of Endymion, Endymion and his four guards, his… Shitennou. Thanks to those four nuisances – and the Sailor Senshi of course – he hadn't been able to get anywhere near King Endymion. That was when it hit him. A sly smirk spread its way across his face. That was it; that was the way to handle it: get rid of his protection. Setting his glass down on a side table, the prince sent for one of his soldiers… a woman with light green hair and an almost ear-shatteringly annoying laugh. "Emerald."
"You called for me, My Liege?" The slightest hint of a blush tinted the young woman's cheeks, her emerald-colored eyes hopeful as they took in her liege. She and Demando had something; he didn't know it yet, but they had something. One of these days, however, he was going to take notice. Maybe even today? A smile crossed her face as she bowed before him.
"Yes." Turning the book around, Demando hovered it over into the hands of the woman in front of him. She might be annoying, but her fighting skills were top rate. He was, of course, well aware of the woman's affections and, frankly, scoffed at them. He simply had no interest in such a woman and yet still she pined after him. Imagine; chasing after someone who clearly had no interest in you? Not like him and Serenity; now there was a match and soon she would know it too. "Those men… the Shitennou. I want them wiped from history. Handle it."
"Of course, My Liege." Giving another bow and faint smile, Emerald turned to leave, book still in hand. Another mission. It sounded like an important one, though. Demando had trusted her with an important mission. She would complete this mission, come back a success, and perhaps then he would see. She was the woman for him.
Picking up his glass from the side table, Demando took a sip and starred into the fire in front of him. Soon. Soon, he would have what he wanted. After all, Demando always got what he wanted… eventually.
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Tokyo, Japan 1992
Back in the year 1992, a young woman with flaming red hair and red-brown eyes was sitting on the balcony of a small apartment. Komori Rekka had an intense sort of beauty that was difficult to ignore and a spitfire personality to match. She had only been out of her parents' care for a couple of years now, and her apartment was small but tasteful. A table and a couple of chairs sat upon it, decorated sparsely but with a 'classy' look about it… at least she thought so.
At the moment, however, she felt like picking up one of those flower pots on the porch and throwing them at the first male that dared to get within ten feet of her. How dare he? How DARE he?! Leaving her for that worthless, two-timing bleached-blonde hustler. It just wasn't right. It just wasn't… Tears sprung up in the young woman's almost-red eyes as she leaned on the railing, starring out over the city of Tokyo. Of all the men out there, she always seemed to catch the idiots, the cheaters, and the scoundrels. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, her eyes turning to stare up, directly into the sunlight. She had been told not to do that, but somehow, it never had bothered her eyes like it did so many others. And, anyway, she found the sun calming.
And this was the point where Emerald came in. She appeared behind the woman in a swirl of dark energy, her long hair whipping about her as she did. Her heels beneath her clicked upon the hard cement floor, causing Rekka's head to snap up in surprise. By the time Rekka had time to turn to see who was there with her, Emerald had reached out her hand, touching it lightly upon the woman's shoulder. "You could teach him a lesson you know."
Rekka's eyes widened. How the hell had this woman gotten into her apartment, much less right up behind her… and without Rekka having heard her approach at all? At the very least, she should have heard the balcony door slide upon. "Who? Who are you?"
"Poor thing," Emerald tsk-tsked, an expression of mock-pity on her face. It caused Rekka to scowl darkly; she'd never appreciated pity. "You don't remember. Come; maybe I can jog your memory." Without warning, Emerald used her dark energy to carry herself and Rekka away from Tokyo altogether, all the way to a cave in the north pole. The place was dark and dank and filled with a faint, putrid scent like sulfur. The dim red lighting gave the place an eerie glow, as if the death-reminiscent decorations weren't creepy enough without it. "Look familiar?"
"What…?!" A wave of fear moved over the woman. She didn't like the darkness here; it had an evil feel to it and… she couldn't feel the sunlight here. The sunlight made her feel calmer… stronger. There was something familiar about this dark and eerie place, but somehow… she wasn't sure she really wanted to remember. The last time she had walked into the darkness… she had gotten lost in it completely. "Take me back," Rekka demanded, turning to give her 'captor' an angry glare. "Are you listening?! I said, TAKE… ME…BACK!" Even with fear welling up inside of her, the woman had a naturally demanding voice that just made you listen, whether you wanted to or not.
"You can get back on your own…" Emerald assured the woman. Of course, with the toying smirk playing across her face as she said it, the assurance wasn't very reassuring. "That is... if you still want to." Grabbing the red-head by the wrist, she pulled her over towards an old throne where a staff with a large crystal orb on top sat, as though waiting for the owner's return. "Take it," she offered, hold the staff out towards the woman.
"I don't want it; I want to go back where I was."
"Would you rather I use it?" Emerald questioned, the same sly smirk still painted across her face and making it quite clear trusting her was not an option.
Rekka scowled, grabbing the staff away from Emerald and staring into it. "What is it I am supposed to be remembering? I just want to get back to my…" The red-head trailed off as a wave of dark energy came off of the staff, hitting her right between the eyes. Her red-brown eyes went dark momentarily as memories, tainted memories, were forced to the forefront of her mind. Rekka released the staff, but it was too late to stop it now. Perhaps, if she'd had the power she'd had in her last lifetime, she'd have had the power to stop it. But… the memories… her eyes filled with tears first… and then fire… the dark fire of anger and hatred.
"You…" the red-head growled, spinning towards the woman that had forced these awful memories upon her, only to find her already gone, disappeared into the darkness. "You made me remember; I didn't want to remember this…" Rekka's voice came out in a whisper, one last time, before the past swallowed her up completely. The next time she spoke, the voice that came out was the strong and steady voice of Queen Beryl. "They must pay for what they have done."
Carrying the staff with her, Beryl made her way back through the familiar passages, the dark passages that made up what she had come to know as her "Dark Kingdom." She stopped before what appeared to be a large skeleton with fire coming out of its eyes and nose, a platform of similar coloring coming out of its mouth. The entire structure echoed with dark energy, twisted and warped and eager for blood. Beryl approached the altar with a powerful air. She took in a long inhale, released a long exhale, and reached into her hidden pocket. From within it, she pulled out an old henshin stick, red and orange with the symbol of the sun engraved on the front. She held it out for a moment and then… placed it down upon the alter. "Oh, great Metallia. Take this power, my power, and use it to replenish your strength. Awaken and guide your servant…"
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Time Gates, Overlooking the Year 2900
Meanwhile, the Gates of Time stood shrouded in their usual fog and mist. A single figure, a young male in his early twenties, moved through the haze with the stealth of one traveling the same road he had traveled millions of times before. Then again, being the son of the Guardian of Time, grandson of Father Time himself, did have its benefits. The river of time roaring in his ears, he moved with a purpose in the direction of the Door of Time. Something wasn't right; something more than just a few Black Moon rejects managing to slip past his little sister and escape to the past. He needed to speak with his mother, needed to know…
"Takeshi." Pluto recognized her son's silhouette coming out of the fog and spoke his name right about the time he came into sight. Meioh Takeshi was a tall, rather reserved man with green hair of the same shade as his mother's and green eyes to match. He preferred solitude and the company of a few close family members to large crowds and strange faces. Then again, this personality trait made him suited to guarding the gates, so his mother didn't have to spend all of her time standing before the great door of time.
"Mother?" Takeshi paused as a tremor shook the floor beneath him, causing him to adjust his stance to keep from being thrown off his feet. The young man frowned distinctly. "The timeline is becoming more unstable. Is there anything we can do? Whoa…" Takeshi placed a hand against the door of time as what felt like a full-out earthquake shook the ground beneath him violently. "This can't be good."
"Take this." Takeshi looked up to see his mother tossing her Time Staff in his direction. He caught it in one hand, looking to the Time Senshi questioningly. "Protect the Chibi-Shitennou."
"The boys?" He questioned her, rather perplexed at this instruction.
"Yes. Go now."
The young man nodded, frowning distinctly as he activated the Time Staff… directing it towards the 30th century…. Crystal Tokyo.
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Crystal Tokyo, 2900
The year was 2900 and Crystal Tokyo was at peace. At this point, Prince Demando and the Black Moon Clan had yet to attack. A seven-year-old Princess Usagi Lady Serenity, otherwise known as "Small Lady" was still a short time away from making her vastly important trip back to the 20th century. All was as it should be... or so the pink-haired young princess thought as she made her way out into the palace yard. A small swing-set and a few other odds and ends made up the palace "playground," set up just for her. Well... her and the children of the soldiers and servants and cooking staff that were known to pass through on occasion.
Taking a seat on one of the swings, the little girl known by most as Small Lady pushed off and swung slowly back and forth. She had everything a little girl could want, really: loving parents who adored her, the undivided attention of all the Senshi (when they weren't busy, of course), and all the toys she could possibly want. Of course, there were times when she wouldn't mind sharing the attention... just a little bit, of course, not all of it. It got lonely being the only royal child in the palace. As a general rule, the 'normal' children didn't want to socialize with a 900-year-old princess who still had the physical and mental capabilities of a seven-year-old.
Slowly she went forward. Slowly she went back. The wind blew through her soft pink pigtails. The birds sang at her from way up in the trees. A bright light flashed through the garden; Small Lady blinked, bringing her swing to a stop. A dome of energy appeared not ten feet in front of her, appearing to hold within it the figures of five small boys and one adult; the princess gasped, bringing herself quickly to her feet. Her ruby eyes searched for a safe exit... a safe adult... something or someone that could protect her.
The dome dropped and one of the younger boys rushed at her. Small Lady let out a terrified yelp as the impact of the smaller body against hers sent her backwards over the swing and onto the hard ground behind it. Tears threatened the sides of her eyes as pain shot up from her bottom and she found herself at the mercy of a little boy of no more than four years of age. His raven hair fell over his baby blue eyes as he sat up on the older girl's chest. His little face broke into a gleeful grin as he leaned down and wrapped his small arms around Small Lady's neck. "Onee-san! You're alright! There was this energy and everything disappeared and you weren't safe inside 'Keshi's time bubble. And… I was scared for you." The little one, known by his friends as Mamoru or Mamo-kun, explained urgently.
Forgetting that she was in pain and potentially in danger, Small Lady sat up and starred at the younger child, who continued to cling to her neck, with trepidation. "Onee-san...?" She looked from the child to the rest of the group, some of whom were still a little dazed by the trip. The adult of the group had dark green hair similar to Pluto and distinct emerald-green eyes. It was he that spoke up first.
"Is everyone alright?" Takeshi asked, setting his Time Staff down to rest upon the ground. It didn't take but a second to see that something was wrong. The very garden in which they had been standing had changed in its appearance.
"I... I'm alright," came the soft voice of a six-year-old boy with blue hair and the symbol of Mercury on the front of his uniform. He was known by his friends as Akemi. The young man studied his surroundings with intelligence well beyond his six years, noting the differences between what had been only moments ago and what was now. "Everything is different," he remarked, wandering over to a large tree to look up. "And the tree house is gone too."
"I think the stars have shifted too..." This calm interjection came from nine-year-old Kanechi, a boy with the symbol of Jupiter reflecting off the front of his uniform. At the advanced age of nine, he was a handsome youth with russet-brown hair and chocolate brown eyes with stars twinkling within them. His eyes glazed over as he turned to stare up at the sky.
"What the heck WAS that?!" His loud voice topping that of the others, eight-year-old Akiyama gave away his personality in only five words. He was the outspoken, the intense one of the group. Even his raven-black hair was unruly, ever threatening to fall down into his violet eyes as they flickered like two little campfires. In every way, he lived up to the symbol of Mars on the front of his uniform. "Hey, Stupid Lady! Where did my dad go?!"
"I'm not alright. I fell on my butt. I think I hurt it." The youngest of the group and the last to speak up, four-year-old Kaishou answered Takeshi's question quite matter-of-factly. His parents hadn't raised him to be a crybaby and he wasn't hurt badly, only a little bit; therefore, he saw no reason to cry over the injury. Standing on his feet, he reached back to rub his sore behind. With his soft blonde locks, baby blue eyes, and the symbol of Venus reflecting off the front of his uniform, Kaishou held a strong resemblance to the Sailor Senshi of Venus.
Small Lady's eyes flashed angrily at the little dark-haired boy with the symbol of Mars on his uniform who called her "Stupid Lady", but she knew how to deal with him! Pushing the smaller boy off of her, the princess got to her feet and ran off in the direction of the palace. These boys were intruders. When she told her daddy what happened, they would all get in trouble and get kicked right off the palace grounds! She was quite sure of it!
Akiyama blinked in surprise as Small Lady ran off without so much as a threat or a raspberry. "That's weird. She didn't yell at me that time." The young man frowned a little in disappointment. Of all the kids, Small Lady was the most fun to tease 'cause she was feisty and fought back, not like Akemi's sister, who cried (he hated seeing girls cry), or Kaishou's sister, who simply ignored it altogether (he also hated being ignored), and Kanechi's sister would probably hit him if he went too far teasing her. And of course, he couldn't tease his own sister too much because she was one of the few people that actually understood him. So, that just left the feisty pink-haired princess to be the primary object of his teasing attentions.
Not surprisingly, it hadn't taken very long for the wave of energy combined with the little princess' terrified scream to gain the attention of the palace staff. In her hurry to find an adult, Small Lady managed to crash right into the very one she had hoped to find. She grimaced as she landed on her bottom for the second time in the past five minutes. Tears stung the sides of her eyes as her father reached down to offer her a hand up. "Are you alright, Usagi-chan?" he wondered, scooping his daughter up and holding her close within his protective arms.
"Daddy, there are INTRUDERS in the palace! They pushed me down and started teasing me!" the princess charged, one finger pointing accusingly back towards the garden she had just vacated. Hugging her father's neck, she let a satisfied smile cross her face. NOW, they were going to get it. Her father and the Senshi would get onto them and make them leave right away.
"Your Majesty, why don't you take Small Lady inside?" Jupiter suggested, coming up beside the king and his ever-young daughter. The child had retained the approximate maturity of a seven-year-old for as long as almost anyone could remember. The last thing she wanted was the princess (or her king for that matter) near any danger.
"We can take care of this." Venus added, reassuring him with a confident smile.
Nodding, King Endymion took his daughter, who had her little head resting comfortably against his shoulder and carried her back towards the palace where her mother was surely waiting for them.
"Strange..." Mercury remarked, speaking up as the king and his daughter disappeared out of sight. At the quizzical glance from the others, she explained, "The energy signatures are familiar. The computer indicates they are almost a match for the energy of our own home planets… a mixture of the Earth and the Inner Planets."
"Well, let's not just stand here!" Sailor Mars was itching for some action, for not a whole lot had been happening around there lately and in truth... she was bored. Jupiter was the first one on the scene, but Mars was the first to speak, directing her demands at the adult of the group. "What the heck is going on here? Who are you and where did you get that staff?!"
Sailor Mars' tone and immediate demands upon arrival told Takeshi all he needed to know about the state of those not protected inside his time bubble. The time flux had completely altered their memories, a fact which was going to make fixing this calamity all that much harder. Giving his attention to the inflamed Martian, Takeshi calmly answered her questions. "My name is Meioh Takeshi. Chronos gave it to me. And your guess is as good as mine, Mars-sama. Well... perhaps, not quite as good as mine. I do have time on my side, after all."
"Mama!" Elated at the arrival of Venus, young Kaishou paid no attention to the conversation between the adults but flung himself upon the blonde-haired Senshi. Hugging onto her legs tightly, he looked up with an excited grin. "Mama, there was a BIG energy wave! And 'Keshi protected us with his time bubble! And I protected Mamo-chan, just like you said!"
"Mama?!" Venus felt light-headed. She looked down at the child, shock written clear upon her face. She didn't have a child. She would know if she had had a child. She would remember if she had given birth to a child! But... this child quite clearly picked her out as his mother and he did... kind of resemble her with that blonde hair and those blue eyes.
"Mom!" Eight-year-old Akiyama was also quick to rush at his mother, although he didn't throw himself upon her the way Kaishou did and he waited till she was finished yelling at Takeshi first. He wasn't a little kid after all. He was practically grown! "That energy had a dark feel to it, didn't it, Mom? I would have come and told you, but Stupid Lady ran off and wouldn't tell me where you and Dad were at... and if she says I did anything, she's just a stuck-up ol' liar!"
"..." Sailor Mars starred down at the young man that had approached her, then to the one that was still holding onto Venus, and then back at Mercury. "Mercury... what is going on?!"
"Yeah, Mercury...!" Akiyama started, mimicking his mother's words and tone quite well until Mars turned to stare down at him again. "Eh, I mean...Mercury-sama, what's going on?! That was really, really weird! Cool... but weird! Are there going to be bad guys to beat up?!"
Although she was as shocked as the others, Jupiter couldn't help but grin a little at the boy's mimicry of Sailor Mars. He had her pegged to a tee! "Well, that one is definitely yours, Mars," she offered with a bemused chuckle at the befuddled expression on the other Senshi's face. Of course, there was also the matter of the other three boys who had arrived on scene; the brunette with the symbol of Jupiter on his chest armor turned to look at them.
Kanechi, the brunette with the Jupiter symbol upon his chest, had returned from his inquiry of the stars and was now trying to comfort a concerned Mamo-kun who wanted to know why his mother hadn't come to get him, whether something bad might have happened to her when everything disappeared.
Akemi, the one with Mercury's symbol upon his chest, had moved closer to Takeshi, and was staring out shyly from behind his back.
"I have to agree." As her mini-computer returned the information she had requested of it, Mercury nodded at Jupiter's assessment of the situation. These boys were in fact what they claimed to be, the children of the Inner Planetary Senshi... and Pluto, respectively.
"WHAT?!" Mars blanched at this.
"Perhaps... we should take this inside and see what Endymion and Serenity have to say," Venus suggested, recovering herself well-enough to reclaim charge of the situation. If what they said was true, then something must be seriously wrong. At the others' agreement, she motioned for the boys to follow and led the way back towards the palace.
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Sailor Venus led the group back to a large sitting room with a viewing screen on one side. The Senshi often met here because it gave them the opportunity to relax while also using the viewing screen to access the palace computer network and keep an eye on things wherever trouble might be brewing. All of the boys were familiar with the room and its contents, although things had changed ever so slightly, a few items added here and a few missing there.
On a small loveseat against one wall of the room, Endymion sat with his wife and their daughter, Usagi Lady Serenity, who presently had herself cuddled up against her mother. The child's ruby eyes went wide, however, when she saw the boys enter in the room along with the Senshi. "What are THEY doing here?!" she demanded angrily. Looking to her mother, she tried pleading her case yet again. "Those are the intruders who...!" She trailed off as her mother placed a single finger over her outspoken daughter's mouth, giving her a look that said she should keep quiet. The little princess let out a heavy breath and leaned herself back up against her mother's chest.
This wasn't to last, however, because the moment little Mamoru entered the room with Kanechi, his baby blue eyes locked onto the presence of his parents and sister. "Mommy!" His eyes teared up as he pulled away from his friend and rushed over to launch himself into Serenity's lap, displacing the offended princess. His face went straight into Serenity's chest and he started sobbing quietly, not loudly like Chibi-Usagi, who had taken after her mother in that respect.
"Hey!" Princess Usagi was NOT happy with this development or this child. Who was HE to come in and take HER place in HER mommy's lap? He couldn't just...
"Come here, Usa-chan." Endymion intervened, reaching over to take hold of his daughter and pull her down into his lap. When her red eyes turned to give him a put-out look, the king was ready with a smile of his own. "It's my turn to hold you anyway."
The fire in the princess' eyes died down a bit as she contemplated this. It wasn't really fair to give Mommy ALL the attention. After all, Daddy needed her too and she hadn't sat with him at all since they had gotten back into the palace. Though still not elated over the little boy clinging to her mother, the princess settled down against her father's chest to watch him.
"Oh, my..." Serenity's blue eyes widened in surprise as the little boy launched himself at her, but quickly melted as he started sobbing into the front of her dress. Wrapping an arm around him, she rubbed one hand up and down his back gently. "Poor baby... shh, you're all right."
"I... thought... you and Daddy had died." the child sniffed, his little muscles relaxing slowly in light of the queen's gentle attentions. Snuggling up against the queen, Mamoru shifted so that he was turned facing his older sister. "There was a big explosion and Onee-san was outside and she ran off, but you didn't come and I thought you had died!"
"Shhh..." Serenity hushed the boy again and he finally seemed to settle down. Looking down at him snuggled up to her that way, she just had to smile in adoration. He was so cute! In fact, he bore a striking resemblance to Mamoru back before his hair had shifted into its now darker purple shade. She looked to her husband who returned her smile before speaking to the Senshi.
While his wife tended to her newly acquired male child, Endymion observed those entering the room. If the king was anything, he was observant, so he quickly made note of the boy clinging to the neck of the Sailor Senshi's commander, that was to say, Sailor Venus. With his blonde hair and baby blue eyes, the boy strongly resembled Venus. But something about those eyes... the coloring was Venus but the intensity behind them and the way he kept them locked steadily and intently on the little boy sitting in Serenity's lap, it reminded the king of someone else.
The boy wearing Mars' symbol with his raven locks, exotic skin-tone, and those violet eyes which burned like two little fires, was easily a match for Mars. At the moment, the eight-year-old was quite intent on staying at Mars' side, even if it meant actually behaving himself. But, that playful smirk... he recognized it from another face, one that he had known all too well.
Jupiter and Mercury entered, Jupiter finding a seat and Mercury remaining standing.
The oldest boy, the one wearing Jupiter's symbol, didn't go for a seat either; he quickly found a comfortable spot on the floor, crossed his legs and settled in. So much like... even the stars that twinkled behind his eyes and that knowing look... reminded him so much of... could he be imagining it? And there was the boy wearing Mercury's symbol, the last to enter the room along with a strange man: his general appearance screamed Mercury, the blue hair being the first giveaway, but he too brought back memories. That look of uncertainty about himself... his more feminine features… the way he seemed to take in the entire room with just one glance, yet not missing a single detail...
Perhaps, it was just that he missed them so much... felt their absence as he built his kingdom, knowing that they were intended to be here at his side as he did it, when they had long since passed on. They had remained with him for a while... sort of... their spirits holding onto the four stones that allowed him to keep them close. But such an existence couldn't be expected to last forever. One by one they had stopped answering his call, Kunzite having lasted the longest. But, one day, even his spirit left, fading away like the wind.
It was the adult of the group that drew Endymion out of his thoughts. He directed the blue-haired boy with Mercury's symbol marking to a seat over by the raven-haired boy at Mars' side and then turned his attention to the royals. He approached quietly, stopping before them to take to a knee, laying his staff to rest across his leg. His calm face betrayed none of his concerns as he addressed the pair politely. "Your Majesties. I suppose it is safe to presume you do not remember me. My name is Takeshi... Pluto Knight. If you prefer a title, that is really the best I can come up with on short notice."
"Pluto Knight?" Serenity wondered curiously. "You are Pluto's..."
"Son," Takeshi filled in before the neo-queen could assume the obvious. "I am Sailor Pluto's son... or I was up until a few moments ago." With a motion of his hand, he introduced the five boys which had come along with him. "The boy in your arms is Prince Mamoru Endymion II, your son and Princess Usagi's younger brother."
Takeshi gave the princess a bemused smile as her little mouth dropped open in horror. When she had thought she wouldn't mind sharing some of the attention, she hadn't actually MEANT it! That was the LAST thing she needed! Some cute little kid stealing all of Mommy and Daddy's love and attention! This would NOT do! This would not do at ALL! She had to... she had to...
"Wanna sit with Mommy?" the child guessed, reading his sister's face like a book. Slipping down quietly out of his mother's lap, the boy padded over and climbed up next to Endymion holding his arms out to be held. For that very moment, at least, the child was perfectly content to switch places so long as he got to sit with ONE of his parents, for he was still disturbed by earlier events and wanted to feel the comfort of his family.
Princess Usagi Lady Serenity starred at the child in disbelief. Man, he was good. He was doing that on purpose, just to try and act sweet so that Mommy and Daddy would love him more than they loved HER. Well, that just wasn't going to happen! Two could play at THAT game! Girls were naturally sweeter than boys anyway. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly. Snaking her arms around her father's neck, she planted a kiss on his cheek before climbing over into her mother's lap and giving her one of the same before settling down. There... now I got him! Boys didn't like kisses. So, there was no way he could top that.
Mamoru didn't seem to catch on to her plot, however and merely settled down again once Endymion had lifted him up into his lap. Snuggling up close, he let a sleepy gaze fall back upon his older sister. She was acting a little funny, but then maybe she was just sleepy too.
Takeshi shook his head at the exchange and proceeded to introduce the others. Kanechi was the son of Sailor Jupiter and Nephrite. Jupiter's mouth fell open in disbelief, her brown eyes turning to meet those of the young man who – now that she thought about it – did bear a very strong resemblance to the man she had fought and killed in two different lifetimes. Akemi was the son of Sailor Mercury and Zoisite. The bluenette blushed prettily but wasn't surprised as her computer had already come to this conclusion for her; the child in question had yet to so much as look her in the eye. He had his hands on either side of his head and his eyes tightly shut.
Akiyama was the son of Sailor Mars and Jadeite. Sailor Mars just about choked over this confirmation while Venus did a full spit take with the tea that had been left for them by the servants before they had all vacated to check on the energy flux. Akiyama laughed outright at the scene as did Mamoru while Kanechi grinned, Akemi looked shocked, and Kaishou crinkled his nose in disgust. Kaihsou looked up at Venus to inform her that, "You made a mess, Mommy."
Sailor Mars looked down at her 'son' who looked back at her with a grin. "For both our sakes, I hope you took after my side of the family." Akiyama's bemused grin just grew larger.
Last but not least, Kaishou was the son of Sailor Venus and Kunzite. Of course, by this time the golden-haired Senshi had already come to this probable conclusion. She turned the boy in her lap so she could study his face. Rather than shock or disgust or embarrassment, Venus could only feel... sadness at the news. She, for one, would have loved to have fixed things with Kunzite but... it just wasn't meant to be. This child wasn't meant to be. And yet, here he was, flesh and blood, contentedly swinging his legs back and forth and leaning back into her chest.
Gently, the Venusian Senshi treaded her fingers through the boy's thick blonde locks, staring into that intense gaze that reminded her so much of his father, so much of Kunzite. Kunzite...How long had it been since she'd dared to think that name... to remember the time they had spent together, back before things went down the way they did? "So, what does this mean?"
"It means... someone or something has disturbed the timeline." Takeshi explained, answering Venus' question but continuing to address his words and attention towards the two royals. "With Mother's warning, I was able to protect these boys and myself. Everything else... everyone else... has been affected by the disturbance. I am afraid... to tell you anything more, I would have to return to the gates and see just when the disturbance began and what it has caused."
King Endymion frowned at this. A potential disturbance was something serious, but that didn't mean he was comfortable allowing a young man he had only just been introduced to moments before to enter the realm of Sailor Pluto. The king turned to look at his wife, wondering what her take on the matter was; personally, he would have felt better bringing Pluto here.
He didn't have to ask, for Serenity knew him well enough to simply read the question on his face. She also knew what he was thinking, "Perhaps, we should have Pluto come here instead?"
"I am already here, Your Majesties." And just like that, she was there. The age-old Time Senshi stood in the doorway of the meeting room, her garnet eyes locked upon the man that claimed to be her son. "Takeshi is correct. Something has caused a disturbance in the timeline."
Raising to his feet, Takeshi turned to address his mother, rather surprised to have heard her use his name. "You... remember me? I wasn't sure if you would, considering the shift..."
Pluto gave the young man a smile, her uncertainty not betrayed by the ever-contained look upon her face. "I am afraid not. After I noticed your appearance in the timeline, it was only a matter of time before I was able to trace down the problem." Looking to her king and queen, she explained, "Someone has gone back and changed the past. The change has caused a shift in the timeline, so that everything which occurred after that change was affected.
"When was this change made? Why was it made?" Mercury wondered, her slender fingers already starting to tap commands into her Mercury computer.
"The change was made in the twentieth century shortly before Beryl's awakening, before any of you were even aware of the battle," Pluto explained, coming further into the room, fully aware of every eye locked upon her. Her gaze, however, was turned upon Endymion. "Endymion... your men... they were reborn the same as Serenity and the Senshi and yourself. They were never meant to die the way they did; their lives were taken from them before they were able to locate and reunite with you." With a sigh, she had to admit honestly, "In fact... if she had not been told, Beryl never would have known where to find them in their reborn states."
"Why...?" At that moment in time, it was the only word the king could get out. Why would someone go through the trouble of ensuring that his Shitennou, his brothers, would not survive? Why them? They weren't any worse than the Senshi, all of whom had turned against Serenity during the battle against Galaxia and Chaos. They were no less deserving of forgiveness. They should have had... would have had the chance to find happiness, to build families, to stand by him. But all that had been taken from them. And for what?
"I could hazard a guess." Takeshi spoke up. With the king's nod and the others' attention, the son of Pluto offered his own thoughts. "As it is, you never knew the world as I have known it. With this change, you have effectively lost over two-thirds of your best soldiers. Young Mamoru and his Shitennou may not be much to worry over now, but they would grow into vital members of your team; Small Lady and her team of Senshi as well. All of the Senshi had heirs, all of them. Without them, the battles you face in the future will be many times more difficult..."
"Whoa, whoa...!" Princess Usagi (to later be dubbed as Chibiusa) nearly jumped right out of her mother's lap in excitement. "Go back to the part about MY Senshi! When do I get my Senshi?!"
"Onee-san has a team too? Cool!" Prince Mamoru was equally excited over this development. "That means my team can fight with your team! I bet my Shitennou can beat up your Senshi!"
"What?! They cannot!"
"They CAN too!"
"Can NOT!"
"Can TOO!"
"Can NOT!"
"I can beat YOU up!"
"Not if I get you first! Luna-P!" Without warning, Small Lady's Luna-P toy came seemingly out of nowhere, flying towards her outstretched hand. Standing up on Serenity's lap, the princess called out, "Henge!" The toy-version of Luna changed itself into a slingshot with a large water balloon at the end of it. Drawing it back, she shot her 'little brother' right smack in the face throwing him off of his daddy's lap and rear-first right onto the floor!
"Usagi Lady Serenity!" Neo-Queen Serenity scolded her daughter.
The child had landed flat on his rear-end and at first wore an expression of mere shock. Serenity knew better though; the poor boy was bound to turn on the waterworks any second now. Before she could get up and reach for him, however, the boy wiped his face and rose to his feet. "A.B.!" Also seemingly out of nowhere, a small toy-version of Artemis flew into the young boy's outstretched hand. "Henge!" The toy changed itself into a slingshot and water balloon matching that of his sister. Only this one had a minor alteration... the little prince had filled it up with whipped cream instead of water. Mamoru pulled back, aimed, and fired his weapon.
"Eep!" With a squeak, the princess dodged, causing the projectile to hit the queen instead.
The mouths of both children dropped open. Across the room, Akiyama was laughing so hard he fell right out of his seat and continued his giggling down on the floor. "Oops..." Mamoru tried to hide the offending weapon behind his back. "Uh... SHE started it!" he accused, pointing the finger at his elder sister. "Onee-san was settin' a bad example. Make her go to her room!"
"What?! I did not!"
"You did too!"
"Did NOT!"
"Did TOO!"