Crystal Flaws Book 02 Crystal Fears

by Luna Hope

A Princess, a Priest & a Soldier. Who is Corporal Terrance Donovan? Who has Princess Lady Serenity's heart? Can King Endymion survive the answers?

Crystal Flaws – Book Two

Crystal Fears
By Luna Hope
Rated – PG



(Author's Note: Please read "Crystal Flaws - Book 1 – Crystal Tears"

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



Chapter 1


His eyes scanned the area. [Good,] he thought, [No one's here.] He
took two quick steps then silently launched himself from the ground to
the roof of the building concealing him. He immediately flattened
against the roof by the edge, and his black fatigues helped him blend
in. He peeked over the roof edge, smiling to himself as he spotted his
victim. She wore an orange Planet Senshi's uniform and a red bow held
back her long golden mane. He silently mouthed her name, Sailor Venus.
She was carefully searching the area, but her mistake was in not
looking up. Sailor Venus walked along the side of the building. When
she walked under him he silently rolled off the roof. He grabbed her
head and pushed her face down in the dirt as he landed next to her. He
had a large green dot in the hand he held over her eyes. He rubbed it
on her forehead then sprung away out of sight before she sat up.

Venus started cursing under her breath as she tugged the dot off her
face, "Damn him! Some day, powers allowed or not, I'm going to wrap my
Love Me Chain around his neck and pull it tight! He knows I hate face
plants!" Venus was still muttering to herself as she walked to a
bench. She sat down, wiped her face and pouted as she waited for the
others.

Sailor Mercury knew her enemy's favorite hiding places so she
nonchalantly walked under a tree. She heard a branch snap. She
quickly sidestepped as a young man in black landed face down on the
ground at her feet. Mercury winced as she thought, [I bet that hurt].
She checked his vital signs and saw he was only knocked out by the
fall. She placed a large green dot on the back of his hand and walked
away.

Sailor Mars vaulted over a large boulder. She landed facing a man in
black who had been crouched down behind the boulder. She held a green
dot in her hand and so did he. They started fighting hand to hand.
Almost immediately the man was face down on the ground with a green dot
on his back.

Sailor Jupiter had also planted her green dot on a man in black.
Jupiter, Mars and Mercury walked together into the clearing and rang a
bell. They looked at Venus sitting on the bench and waved to her
tauntingly. Venus stuck her tongue out at them.

The man who had tagged Venus heard the bell. He stood up from where he
was concealed with a sigh. He knew he had one minute to get to the
clearing or all three Senshis would come looking for him. He walked
past one of his comrades, the one Mercury had tagged. [Thanks for your
help], he thought sarcastically.

As he stepped into the clearing, the morning sun caught the mahogany
highlights in his dark brown hair. His startling, midnight blue eyes
showed amusement as he walked past Venus and winked. Venus smiled back
and warned, "Don't be so proud of yourself. I will get you back for
the face plant next time!"

Corporal Terrance Donovan, one of Crystal Tokyo's finest Elite Military
soldiers, walked up to the other three Planet Senshis and stood at
attention. He waited for the inevitable discussion on whose turn it
was to fight.

Sailor Mars said, "As usual you're the only one left and there's still
three of us. Who's turn is it to fight you today?

Terrance answered with a smile, "It's Venus' turn." He could see Venus
scowl from the bench. She hated being tagged out on her day to fight.

Mars answered, "Yes, but she's out." She turned to Mercury, "Did you
fight this week yet?"

Mercury answered, "Yes, on Monday."

Mars turned to Jupiter, "I guess it's my turn. You fought on Wednesday
right?"

Jupiter tried not to pout as she conceded it was Mars' turn.

Jupiter and Mercury joined Venus on the bench while Mars and Terrance
squared off. Terrance looked forward to practicing hand to hand combat
with the Planet Senshis and that's why he volunteered for Planet Senshi
practice duty. He usually got the tar beat out of him, but at least it
was a challenge. Terrance and Mars exchanged fast kicks and turns and
blocks. After a couple of minutes, Terrance knew he was on the
defensive. He could not quite keep up with the speed of Mars' moves
and she only needed his slightest hesitation to take him down.

"Thank you Terrance for a good match as always," Mars said with a smile
as she offered him a hand up.

Terrance brushed himself off and said, "Thank you, too, and I'll see
you all next practice. Bye."

The four Senshis walked away from the practice area together. "I did a
scan while Terrance was fighting. His speed and agility are amazing
for someone who's not a Senshi," Sailor Mercury said.

"Well, it's our good fortune that he has exceptional fighting skills.
It gets boring when we only have each other to battle," Jupiter noted.


Crystal Tokyo's Elite Military was instituted soon after the Darkmoon
invasion. It consisted of the best soldiers in the Sol Planetary
System and the Senshis. CTEM duties consist of Royal Palace Guards,
Interplanetary Diplomatic Escort Corp, Covert Interplanetary Missions
and Interplanetary War Force.

Corporal Terrance Donovan of Earth's Northern continent was a fairly
new CTEM soldier, assigned to Royal Palace Guard duty. King Endymion
was directly involved in overseeing CTEM soldier training. He noticed
Terrance's fighting abilities, speed and endurance during training
exercises. The King pointed Terrance out to Sailor Jupiter. She told
him that Terrance was one of the few Soldiers who can hold his own
against the Planet Senshis during practice.





Chapter 2


Fourteen-year old Small Lady was ecstatic. She had finally managed to
ditch the four young Asteroid Senshis assigned to her on her birthday.
Her entire life she had been watched over by either her parents or the
Planet Senshis, who were both her school instructors and guardians. It
had been too easy to slip away from the inexperienced new Senshis.
Small Lady was looking forward to many opportunities of blissful
freedom and solitude. She used her first hard won chance to go
horseback riding to a swimming pond at the base of a cliff, deep in the
woods.

It didn't take long for someone to notice Small Lady was missing. Her
new Senshis didn't know where she was, and soon the entire palace was
alerted to find her. Terrance was searching the stables and he noticed
a horse was missing. He found and followed the fresh tracks and
quickly caught up to Small Lady. She saw Terrance riding toward her
and attempted to use her budding Senshi abilities to hide from him.
She failed, and fell off her horse into the mud. Terrance laughed at
her as he caught her horse. He brought a dirty, furious and very
embarrassed Small Lady back to the Crystal Palace to face an angry
Sailor Mars and Parents.


A few weeks later, Small Lady managed to cajole and bully her Senshis
into sneaking out of the palace to go shopping in Crystal Tokyo.
Terrance, by sheer luck saw them at the public transport station while
he was off duty. The Senshis blanched when they saw his familiar
imposing face, and they quickly stepped back away from him.

Small Lady scowled at them reproachfully as she thought, [Cowards!]
She turned toward Terrance with wide innocent looking eyes and a smile.
Small Lady then made the mistake of attempting to flirt with him as she
asked him to join their little adventure.

Terrance laughed at her attempt to lure him into her plan. Suddenly,
he stepped closer to her. He quickly bent down to stared straight into
Small Lady's eyes with a firm menacing glare. He spoke loudly so the
Senshis would be sure to also hear, "Princess, I'd sooner put you over
my knee and spank your royal ass than take you up on your offer! Now,
march that ass back to the palace or I will be forced to use said
method of persuasion. Please be assured, I would not hesitate to do
so."

Small Lady's face turned crimson as she gulped back her retort of, "You
wouldn't dare!"

Terrance quickly led five very subdued young ladies back to the Crystal
Palace. Small Lady and her Senshis got into a whole lot of trouble.

That evening after dinner, Small Lady was standing in a hallway alcove.
She stared out the window at the darkness resentfully. She muttered,
"All I wanted to do was go shopping without having to schedule it 3
months in advance and without an entourage of thirty people plus
paparazzi!"

As she sullenly sulked, she overheard her Father talking farther down
the hall. "Terrance, a moment please?"

Footsteps ceased and Terrance responded, "Yes Sire?"

King Endymion continued, "I was told my daughter behaved
inappropriately with you this afternoon. I wish to apologize for her
rudeness. I also want to thank you for the wisdom, restraint and
decorum you used to handle the situation."

Terrance responded, "Thank you sir, I am honored to do my duty for
you."

King Endymion chuckled, "Well, I think having to deal with a
disobedient princess and her friends is well beyond a soldier's normal
duty!" Both men laughed as they walked away.

Small Lady was seething and embarrassed. It was like someone had
poured salt on her already wounded pride. [How dare they!] She
thought, [They spoke about me like I'm a child!]



Chapter 3


One of Small Lady's punishments, decided by the Planet Senshis, was
that she would now participate in military training with her own
Senshis. They hoped this would build some discipline in her, and in
all of them as a team. This would replace her training with the Planet
Senshis.

Small Lady didn't really think this was a punishment until her first
day. She was told to use her power and physical prowess to stay in the
outlined playing area. The other team consisted of volunteer CTEM
soldiers. The goal was to avoid being physically tagged by the other
team while trying to tag as many of them as possible before the time is
up. The markers were adhesive, fluorescent green, palm size dots that
needed to be pressed on hard to make them stick. Small Lady soon
realized her team was outnumbered and outmatched. There was almost no
way they could win, even with their powers! It didn't help that the
Soldier Team was increased by three but the young Senshi Team was only
increased by one. By the end of the practice all five girls were
dirty, bruised, tired and grumpy.

Small Lady asked her Senshis, "Do you like this?"

Sailor Ceres answered with resentment, "No, and there's still more to
come."

Before Small Lady could ask what Sailor Ceres had meant, Sailor Jupiter
called the teams to attention. The younger Senshis sighed as Jupiter
declared the Soldier Team had won and could be dismissed.

Jupiter then pointed to a large pile of buckets, cleaning supplies,
brooms and mops. She said, "Girls, move it! You have two hours to
complete the job and pass inspection, or you will loose the next
practice by default even if you win."

The younger Senshis grabbed their supplies and started to run. Small
Lady could hear them grumbling about the time limit as they ran off.
Totally confused, Small Lady grabbed her things and struggled to catch
up. She wondered what they were going to clean.

They turned a corner and Small Lady gasped. They were standing in
front of the soldier's barracks.

"Whaaaatt??!! We have to clean them?!" Small Lady shrieked
incredulously.

The four Senshis turned toward her and glared. Sailor Juno said, "Yes,
we each have a building to complete then have it inspected by Sailor
Mars. Also, thank you for our new time limit!" Her sarcasm was
palpable.

Small Lady hung her head guilty as she fought back the tears in her
eyes. She whispered, "I'm sorry. I did get us into this."

The four girls sighed then Sailor Vesta said, "Fine, just do your part
so we have a small chance of winning next time. A list of jobs is
posted on back of the front door. Do a good job. Mars doesn't miss a
thing!"

Each barrack held 12 sets of bunk beds, twenty-four lockers, three
shower stalls, three toilets, two urinals, four bathroom sinks, a full
kitchen and a living room. The cleaning list was long and explicit.
Small Lady groaned as she realized fifteen minutes had already gone by.

One hour thirty minutes later, the other four girls impatiently stood
by Small Lady's barrack door while she frantically rushed to finish the
job.

"Can't you help me?" Small Lady begged.

"Not if we want to keep our skins on, so hurry up!" Sailor Ceres
tersely replied.

Five minutes later they started to yell out to Small Lady the things
that wouldn't pass inspection. To her credit there weren't many, but
she was in tears by the time she finished. The four girls bolted to
Sailor Mars' office and asked her to inspect the last barrack. Three
minutes later Sailor Mars proclaimed the job well done.

Each girl wearily and painfully headed toward her room for a much-
needed rest. Small Lady's room was the farthest away and she decided
to take a shortcut through the gardens. She wasn't paying much
attention to anything and was startled when Terrance said hello. Small
Lady was too tired and sore to even be angry for his part in her
misery. She smiled wanly and continued to walk.

Terrance reached out and held her arm to stop her from walking away.
He winced and quickly let go when he saw her expression of pain and
heard her sharp intake of breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize your
arm hurt," he said.

Small Lady hugged her arms to her body and said, "That's OK.
Everything else of mine hurts too. You can't make it much worse.
Anyway, what do you want? I'm late for an appointment with my bed."

Terrance smiled sympathetically at her feeble attempt at levity. "Um,
I just wanted to see how you're doing, but I guess I already know the
answer. Senshi training and barracks duty is pretty rough," he said as
he reached out to gently take her hands and look at her palms. "The
hands get it the worst I think." He winced again as he saw her scraped
and reddened skin.

Small Lady was struck dumb by his sympathy. She started to try to find
some energy to be able to resent him and his part in her agony, but an
almost imperceptible warm feeling on her palms distracted her. She
looked at her hands and realized his large hands completely engulfed,
but were barely touching, her smaller hands. She thought she saw a
slight golden glow between their hands, but then he slowly slid his
hands away.

Small Lady was shocked to see her palms were healed and her hands
didn't hurt. She looked up amazed then looked back down at her hands.
"Thank you," she quietly said.

Terrance smiled and said, "You better hurry or you'll miss that bed
appointment," as he walked away.

Later that night Small Lady woke up and thought about what Terrance had
done. She almost thought she had imagined it, but her smooth hands and
still aching everything else was proof it really had happened. She
realized it had felt similar to the times her Father had kissed the
hurt away from the bumps and bruises, cuts and scrapes she had got
while playing when she was a child. Her Daddy was always the best at
making the hurt stop. She wondered why Terrance seemed to have a
similar ability.


The next day Small Lady asked her Senshis to meet in her room after
breakfast, so they could talk. Small Lady again apologized to them for
the harder workload. They couldn't stay mad at her. They were stiff,
but they could see Small Lady was seriously suffering. They brought
some aspirin and a heating pad to help her. Small Lady was grateful,
but she had an agenda and quickly got to the point. "How often are
they going to torture us like that each week? Is it the same each
time? Have you found any way to make this easier, and have you ever
been able to win?"

Ceres answered, "Three."

Vesta said, "Yes."

Pallas admitted, "No."

Juno stated, "Only once or twice."

Small Lady's response was a dismayed, "Icck!" She thought a moment and
asked, "Have you tried to beg or bribe the Planet Senshis or the
Soldiers?"

She received four glares. They didn't even bother to answer her.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Small Lady sighed. She continued with,
"Well, we have to think of something because I hate cleaning and I
really hate losing!" At first, the four girls were stunned by Small
Lady's vehemence then they fell off their pillows laughing. Small Lady
scowled and said, "I mean it!" which only made them laugh harder.

They finally calmed down and Vesta agreed, "I guessed it wouldn't hurt
to try."

Small Lady smiled, and they all put their minds to work. They
scribbled on paper, they argued, they laughed, and kept at it through
lunch and almost to dinner. By the time they were done they had a few
strategies to try.

Small Lady panted quietly. She had managed to climb up and hide in a
treetop undetected. She hoped no one would see or hear her. She
waited for a soldier to hide behind the trunk of her tree. One showed
up fairly soon. She prayed their plan would work as she launched
herself off the branch onto his back. She muffled his surprised yell
with the scarf in her hand. She then used her powers to stun him for a
short time. She smashed a green dot in the hair on his head, then
pushed and scrubbed his face in the dirt as she quickly pulled the
scarf and leapt away from his field of vision. She took a chance to
peek around a corner of the building concealing her. She saw the
soldier sitting on the ground, wiping his eyes, and looking dazed. He
started to grumble as he tried to pull the dot out of his hair while
walking off the field. [Yes! It worked!] she thought with triumph.

It became a ritual for Small Lady and her Senshis to meet in the
morning the day after their Senshi Training. They would go over what
had worked for them, and what they could do better. The girls even
started to train in hand to hand combat together on their own time. So
far they weren't winning so they were still cleaning the barracks, but
each time they played they would get more soldiers out. The Planet
Senshis noticed the younger Senshis were working together better. The
soldiers couldn't help but notice, too. Each time they trained more
soldiers left the field hurting. It was getting harder for the Planet
Senshis to convince the soldiers they wanted to volunteer for the
abuse.


The day finally came when the younger Senshis managed to win the
majority of the matches. When Sailor Jupiter announced the Senshi Team
had won and could be dismissed, the girls whooped, hollered and pounded
each other on the back. The soldier's expressions were classic
disbelief and dismay. They never thought they'd actually end up having
to clean the barracks!

The news of the girl's victory quickly spread in the palace. At
dinner, Small Lady's parents congratulated her and her Senshis for a
job well done. Sailor Jupiter made them a special cake and dessert
turned into an impromptu party with all the Senshis. The off duty CTEM
soldiers joined them.

Small Lady decided to take advantage of the good will by asking her
parents if she and her Senshis could go in the city the next day to
shop alone. Her parents said no, of course, but Small Lady could see
they felt bad about it. Like any normal teenager, she saw her
opportunity and took it.

"Why not?" Small Lady wailed loud enough for everyone in the room to
hear.

Her Father calmly answered, "You know it's too dangerous for you to be
in the city alone. If the Planet Senshis were available to go with you
it would be different." Small Lady pouted as she pointed out that her
parents had run all over Tokyo alone when they were her age.

Her Mother said, "We weren't royalty then."

Small Lady was running out of arguments. Her eyes brimmed with tears
and she whined, "It's not fair that I can't do fun things just because
I'm a princess!" She knew she was pushing it, but she really didn't
want to lose! She could see her father's face turning stern, and her
mother's eyes sent her a pleading warning to give it up. Unexpectedly,
help came from a different direction.

Terrance had been quietly listening to the exchange, as had everyone
else in the room. He interrupted, "If I may speak, I might have a
solution to the problem." All eyes turned to Terrance.

King Endymion hesitated, then said, "Very well, what do you suggest?"

Terrance continued, "If the Planet Senshis aren't available, maybe the
Princess and her Senshis could have a diplomatic escort instead."

The King protested as he shook his head no, "A diplomatic escort is
only one soldier instead of four powerful Senshis. It's definitely not
enough."

Neo-Queen Serenity put her hand on her Husband's arm and spoke, "Dear,
four others in the party are Senshis who are gaining more power each
day. Small Lady has shown she's improving in self-defense, too. I
think what Terrance proposes would be sufficient."

Her Husband looked at her like she abandoned him. He sighed, "Fine, I
will agree to the diplomatic escort with conditions. Terrance, *you*
will be the Princess's official diplomatic escort soldier. Also, any
and all travel plans by the Princess and her court that include leaving
the palace must be approved by the Queen, a Planet Senshi, or by me."

Small Lady couldn't believe it. They could go! She ran to her parents
and hugged them. Her Father looked her in the eye and said, "This
means when you are out you will do what Terrance tells you to do. If
he feels something isn't safe, you will not argue. If you give him
trouble, I will stop the trips immediately. Understood?" Small Lady
shook her head yes enthusiastically.

Terrance sat down disconcerted. He hadn't meant to volunteer. He had
only meant to give a suggestion. He groaned silently as he realized
he'd now be traipsing all over Crystal Tokyo shopping with five
squealing teenage girls. [I should have kept my big mouth shut!] he
thought with annoyance.

Sailor Mars frowned at the guarded expression she saw on Terrance's
face. She could guess how many different ways he was mentally kicking
himself right now. She opened her appointment book and added a meeting
with Terrance first thing the next morning. She decided she would give
him a different perspective regarding his new assignment, and also a
few warnings.


The next morning Terrance found himself standing at attention in Sailor
Mars' office. She motioned for him to sit. She gathered her thoughts,
then looked him level in the eye as she spoke with deadly seriousness,
"The King is entrusting you with one of the two things that mean more
to him than his entire kingdom, and even more than his own life. You
need to know the King, the Queen and the Planet Senshis are all
depending on you to do a good job protecting the princess. No other
soldier has ever solely had this responsibility. We are expecting
perfection from you in this assignment, and we won't accept anything
less. If you betray this trust, you will wish we had court marshaled
you and sent you to the mines on planet Uranus. Is what I've said
perfectly clear to you?"

When Mars had started speaking Terrance had been surprised, then shaken
by the full implication of her words. He knew she spoke the truth and
he knew he could do the job required. He returned her look with
determination and conviction as he said, "Yes, I fully accept the
assignment, and I'm grateful to be of service to the Royal Family of
Crystal Tokyo."

Mars shook her head affirmatively to accept his oath. She spoke again,
"The Asteroid Senshis are Princess Small Lady Serenity's personal
friends. However, they work for CTEM just like you and I do. If
necessary, you will need to depend on them to fight and protect the
Princess. You and they are a team, and you are the superior in this
situation. They are young, but they know their duty to the Princess.
They know they are required to carry out their duty bravely. If in
that situation the Princess tries to save them by putting herself in
danger, you are required to protect her from herself and her feelings
for her friends."

Terrance shook his head yes and gravely said, "I understand what is
required of my team for this assignment."

Mars smiled and said, "One other thing, congratulations on your
promotion Master-Sergeant Terrance Donovan. She handed him his new
insignia, shook his hand and dismissed him. She knew her words had
accomplished what she intended.

Terrance stepped out the door into the morning sunlight slightly
stunned and surprised. As he pinned on his new rank, the world
suddenly seemed a more sinister place than it had been before. The
full weight of his new assignment sat heavily on his shoulders.
Terrance thought about it, and realized he now had a better
understanding of King Endymion's desire to keep his daughter inside the
palace walls. Terrance laughed quietly at himself as he shook his head
and thought, [I'm a trained CTEM soldier and have been a Royal Palace
guard for over a year now. I, and my team (Can't forget them!) are
fully qualified to protect one little Princess!] With that thought,
Terrance went to look for the Princess and his new team.

The trip to the city went well. The only snag was before they left.
Small Lady had insisted she use the Luna Disguise Pen so they could
look around the city anonymously. Terrance first objected, but then
realized she had a point. His uniform did tend to get noticed. Small
Lady waved her pen at him and said some words. Suddenly he was wearing
casual khaki pants, boat shoes and a light purple shirt.

"Purple!" Terrance exclaimed in horror as Small Lady and her friends
giggled. He demanded, "Make my shirt blue." Small Lady shook her head
no. "Why not?!" he almost roared. He could already feel himself
starting to loose patience with the Princess.

"Because I think it looks nice on you, that's why!" she retorted with
her arms firmly folded in front of her and a pout.

Terrance sighed and suddenly found it hard to stay mad at her. "Fine,
forget the color then and let's go," he said resignedly. Small Lady
graced him with her brilliant smile and the rest of the day was
actually a little fun. If asked, Terrance would never have admitted
that fact.


Over the next year, Small Lady grew not only into a beautiful young
lady, but also in grace and leadership ability. Each time she and her
court went into the city more people recognized their Princess.
Eventually even Terrance's imposing countenance was not enough to keep
Small Lady's admirers away. Terrance took his job seriously and stayed
glued to her side during these trips. He noticed that she was gracious
to each person. No matter what her agenda was, Small Lady would take
the time to talk with the people who approached her. Terrance also
admired her diplomacy. Only rarely did he have to step in and deal
with someone. Most of the time Small Lady was able to charm and disarm
even the most antagonistic and disgruntled of the subjects. As
Terrance got to know her better, he found he liked the strong spirited
and spunky Princess.



Chapter 4


Small Lady was lying in bed and she couldn't sleep. She thought about
the party her parents, all the Senshis and Terrance had at dinner to
celebrate her 16th birthday. Her Mother had surprised her by saying
she was now ready to assume the duties of Sailor Moon. Small Lady had
dreamed of this day. Now she knew she was all grown up and able to
stand on her own as a true Senshi. From now on, she would lead the
Asteroid Senshis and they would fight with the Planet Senshis in
battle. Small Lady laughed quietly to herself, [Battle? We haven't
had a real universe threatening reason to battle in years!] She
decided she was not going to complain about it though. She was more
than satisfied with living the normal life of a Princess. Finally she
did settle down and she went to sleep.

The next day was hectic, and before Small Lady knew it she was standing
in front of her mirror and carefully looking herself over. She decided
she was ready. This evening was her 16th birthday Ball. Her name had
been officially and publicly declared to be Lady Serenity, Princess of
Crystal Tokyo, in honor of her now being old enough to entertain
suitors. No one would call her Small Lady anymore. That alone made
the day worth it. The ball this evening and the formal presentation of
suitors were icing on the cake to her. "Happy Birthday to Me, Happy
Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday Lady Serenity! Happy Birthday to Me!"
She sang quietly.

Her Senshis entered the room and they were wearing ball gowns in their
respective colors. The 5 young ladies walked down the hallway together
and Lady Serenity looked like a diamond amidst a rainbow of jewels.
They entered the ballroom and a hush fell over the crowd. Lady
Serenity tried to unobtrusively search the crowd for a certain face
with white-blond hair and brown eyes, but didn't see him. She sighed
as her court was introduced and she proceeded to the Royal Family Dais.


Elios, High Priest of Earth and Elysion, had come to the ball to
present himself as one of the many suitors for Lady Serenity. He
waited nervously, and after what he felt was forever, his name was
called to stand in front of the Royal Family dais.

Elios looked up as he walked to the base of the dais then stood still
and stared. Lady Serenity sat between her parents in full Princess
regalia. Elios couldn't tear his eyes off of her. A simple gold crown
adorned her head between the trademark royal hair buns, and her pure
white princess gown flowed around her now womanly form. He also
noticed her ponytails had grown since he had last seen her and they
pooled around her like a glowing pink cape. Elios looked into her
large rose colored eyes and all his carefully practiced words vanished
with his breath. Distantly Elios knew he needed to do something, but
he couldn't think of what it was. Lady Serenity blushed under Elios'
gaze as she drank in the features of the man she hadn't seen since
forever, but had thought of often.

King Endymion couldn't help but notice the way his friend and his
daughter were looking at each other. People were starting to murmur
among themselves with speculation. The King sighed then cleared his
throat, but neither of them noticed. Neo-Queen Serenity clamped a hand
over her mouth to stifle a giggle at her husband's annoyed expression.
He spared a glare at her, then firmly and loudly spoke, "Elios!"
Finally the King got a response as both Elios and Lady Serenity
startled, blushed crimson and looked away from each other.

Elios cleared his throat and tried to gather his thoughts. He finally
remembered what he was there to do. Being careful to look only at the
King, he finally spoke, "I Elios, High Priest of Earth and Elysion,
request permission to court Lady Serenity, Royal Princess of Crystal
Tokyo."

The King smiled and responded, "Elios, my friend, permission is
granted."

Elios then lifted a small box in his hand and said, "I have a gift for
the princess, may I present it to her?" The King nodded his agreement,
and Elios once again turned to the Princess. He held the box out and
shyly whispered, "This will match your beautiful eyes Princess." Lady
Serenity reached for the box and her fingers brushed Elios'. They both
slightly startled, and the princess quickly moved her hand away from
his. Her fingers shook as she opened the box. Inside glowed a
delicate, fire-rose gold necklace that was mined and crafted in
Elysion.

"Thank you. It's beautiful and I will treasure it," she whispered as
she looked up at Elios. The King was now very aware of what would
happen if he allowed them to stare at each other. He motioned to
Sailor Venus and she knew what to do. With a firm grip on Elios' upper
arm, Sailor Venus turned him from the dais and led him away.


Four more suitors were presented and then the next name announced was
Master-Sergeant Terrance Donovan of the Northern Kingdom. The crowd
started to murmur. The Queen and Princess looked surprised, but the
King looked more concerned.

Terrance purposely strode up to the dais and bowed to the Royal Family.
He stood straight and clearly spoke his intention to court Lady
Serenity. The King looked at Terrance and hesitated to answer. The
room was quiet because everyone wanted to hear what the King would say.

King Endymion decided to speak of his reservations honestly, "Terrance,
you have served the Royal Family well as a CTEM Palace Guard, and as
Lady Serenity's Personal Diplomatic Escort. If you wish to court Lady
Serenity, you will need to resign from the Princess's Personal Guard.
Do you still intend to continue your suit?"

Terrance responded, "I wish to court Lady Serenity. If you allow me
this honor, then as of now I willingly resign from the Princess's
Personal Guard." The crowd again murmured at this interesting turn of
events.

The King looked at his Wife and Daughter. He silently questioned if
they had a reason to deny Terrance's request. Based on their
responses, the King answered, "Sergeant Terrance Donovan your request
to court Lady Serenity is approved."

Terrance smiled then winked at the Princess. Lady Serenity wasn't
quite sure how she felt about Terrance being one of her suitors. He
hadn't given her or her parents any indication he had planned to do
this. Lady Serenity blushed and looked away.

Terrance turned to look at the King and asked if he could give a gift
to the Princess. The King agreed, and Terrance offered to her a
perfect single deep purple rose. As Lady Serenity took the rose its
heady perfume filled her senses. She looked up when Terrance took her
hand. He smiled and said, "In the time I've known you, you have shown
yourself to be even more unique and beautiful than this rose." He
raised her hand to his lips, gently kissed the back of it, then
released it. Lady Serenity blushed deeper as she thanked him.
Terrance turned to go, and many of the women in the crowd sighed. Some
from the sweet romance they just witnessed, and some from wishing they
were born as lucky as Lady Serenity and had Terrance vying for them
instead.

As Elios had watched what was happening, worry started to gnaw at him.
The other suitors had been men the Royal Family barely knew, but
Sergeant Donovan was one of their closest guards and obviously Lady
Serenity's good friend. Elios watched Terrance give the rose to the
Princess, and he drew in a sharp shocked breath. He recognized the
purple rose and knew it was a variety that only grew in Elysion. He
didn't know how Terrance got his hands on the rose, but he intended to
find out.

Elios' temper was already on a low simmer from watching Terrance with
the Princess. If he had been thinking clearly he would have waited to
ask about the rose. Elios was definitely not thinking clearly as he
confronted Terrance. He placed his hand on Terrance's arm and said,
"Sergeant Donovan, I would like a word with you."

Terrance turned with surprise and couldn't miss the animosity in Elios'
face. He roughly shook Elios' hand from his arm and glared as he
curtly said, "You have my attention, Cleric."

In spite of the fact that Terrance was both taller and more muscular
than Elios, his gaze didn't falter from the soldier's face, "Where did
you get the rose?"

Terrance scowled at Elios and said, "I don't know who you think you
are, but I'm not going to tell you anything. It would be in your best
interest to leave me alone."

Elios glared back at Terrance and stepped closer as he growled, "I am
the High Priest of Elysion and I demand to know how you got a rose that
only grows in Elysion."

Terrance's eye's flashed dangerously as he spoke with a deadly calm
voice, "I don't give a damn who you are. I don't wish to have a fight
with you at the Princess's ball, so I'm telling you one last time to
leave me alone."

Terrance turned to walk away, and Elios made the mistake of grabbing
the soldier to turn him back. The next thing Elios knew his back hurt,
his head hurt and he could barely breath. Everyone was staring at him
sitting on the floor with his back against a pillar. He also noticed
his stomach felt nauseous as if he had been hit with a power wave.
Fortunately he didn't seem to have any broken bones or to be bleeding.
He shakily tried to stand up. Elios focused his eyes on Terrance and
realized he had been thrown across the room. He knew Terrance must
have used something more than a punch on him. Elios shook his head as
he tried to figure how the soldier could have powers. He didn't get
much time to think about it.

With a growl Sailor Jupiter grabbed his arms, twisted them behind his
back and lifted him up so his feet dangled off the floor. Elios looked
at Terrance and saw Sailor Uranus holding her Space Sword to his
throat. He perversely decided he had got the better end of the Planet
Senshis.

The crowd stepped back and the King and Queen, flanked by more of the
Planet Senshis, stepped forward. CTEM soldiers stood behind them with
weapons ready. Elios inwardly cringed as he thought, [This doesn't
look good.] Terrance stood calmly at attention. His cold angry eyes
were the only things that gave his emotions away.

The Queen was livid, "How dare you fight during Lady Serenity's ball!
I will not tolerate such infantile behavior, especially from two men
who definitely know better! I don't want to know why, and I don't care
why. I want you out of here, and do not return to this party!" She
turned away from them. Sailors Jupiter and Uranus joyfully, quickly,
and roughly complied with her command. Both men wisely did not resist,
and neither of them got to dance with Lady Serenity.

Sailor Mercury had been standing apart from the others when the fight
started. She had felt the power wave Sergeant Donovan had created when
he punched Elios. She quickly slid her visor over her eyes and pulled
out her Mercury computer. She typed furiously while still keeping her
eyes on the dramatic events as they unfolded.

Once both men were gone from the palace, the ball continued. Sergeant
Donovan and Elios were top on the list of subjects of whispered
conversation.

Sailor Mercury finally put her visor and computer away when the Queen
gave her an annoyed look. Mercury had a preoccupied look on her face.
She had found something odd, a puzzle piece that didn't seem to fit
anywhere. She smiled inwardly to herself. She always enjoyed solving
mysteries. Now she could look forward to a new challenge.

King Endymion had also felt the power surge from Terrance. Later he
spoke to Sailors Uranus and Neptune. He asked them to find information
on Sergeant Donovan's background. They had found a file full of vague
and generic information. Nothing in the file suggested that Terrance
would have enhanced abilities. The King now realized there was more to
Terrance than any of them knew, and that made him nervous.


Among the many gifts and invitations Lady Serenity had received after
the ball were two apology gifts. One was from Elios and one was from
Sergeant Donovan. The Queen had teasingly asked, "Serenity do you have
any favorite suitors yet?"

Serenity blushed and answered, "I like both Elios and Sergeant Donovan
the most."

The Queen was dismayed by her daughter's answer. Serenity's Father had
overheard the conversation and he didn't like her answer either. Both
of her Parents tried to convince her of the good qualities some of the
other suitors had. The only thing they accomplished was to make
Serenity angry.



Chapter 5


Lady Serenity hadn't seen Terrance since the ball. A week later she
was sitting on a bench in the gardens. She was reading a book and
enjoying a moment of solitude. Two of the Palace guards happened to
pass close by her and she overheard their conversation.

Soldier 1, "Did you know Donovan has been reassigned?"

Soldier 2, "Yeah, he's going to the Interplanetary Diplomatic Escort
Corp. I guess they send you off planet when you get too chummy with
the Princess!" The soldiers laughed and the talking faded as they
walked away.

Serenity was furious. She didn't want Terrance to leave! Serenity
hurried to her Father's office to find out what was going on. She
knocked on the door and heard him say enter. Serenity walked in and
saw he was sorting their mail. Before she started to speak, he held up
a handful of invitation envelopes addressed to her. Serenity took them
and quickly glanced through the return addresses. She knew most of
them were date requests from her suitors.

Serenity stopped when she saw one envelope was from Terrance. She put
the others down and quickly opened it. Terrance had sent her a request
for a date that coming Friday.

Serenity decided to find out about Terrance's reassignment later. She
wanted to talk to Terrance and apparently this was the only way she'd
get to do so.

Serenity held the paper out to her Father, "Poppa, If you approve, I'd
like to accept this invitation."

King Endymion took the paper. His expression was carefully guarded as
he read it. He answered, "Your Mother and I will discuss it and give
you an answer tomorrow."

Serenity was surprised. She had expected him to approve it right away.
She took a deep breath and pasted a smile on her face as she said,
"Thank you. I would also like to request it be un-chaperoned. I will
wait for your answer."

Serenity left her Father's office and immediately went to her Mother's.
She had a feeling if she didn't get to her Mother first Terrance's
invitation wouldn't have a very good chance at all.

Serenity knocked on her Mother's office door and entered when her
Mother responded. Neo-Queen Serenity looked up and smiled at her
Daughter then realized Serenity looked upset. Serenity flopped down in
a chair by her Mother's desk and sighed. Her Mother knew that if she
waited Serenity would soon spill all.

"Mother, I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it!" Serenity
stated. "I just got an invitation from Terrance for a date and Poppa
doesn't look like he wants to approve it."

Neo-Queen Serenity sighed. She was afraid this was going to happen.
She took a sip of her tea and said, "Serenity, Your Father is a bit
leery of Sergeant Donovan now. He didn't expect your guard to want to
date you."

Serenity sighed again, "I know that Momma. I was surprised too.
Terrance doesn't deserve Poppa's suspicion though. He has always been
a perfect gentleman, a loyal guard and friend. He has never given me a
reason to think otherwise of him."

The Queen shook her head yes and said, "I'll be sure to speak about
this with your Father. Don't worry. I'm sure he will be reasonable."

Serenity smiled. She stood up and gave her Mother a hug, "Thank you
Momma." Serenity then added, "I also told Poppa I wanted the date to
be un-chaperoned."

Her Mother rolled her eyes and said, "Boy, you didn't make this easy
for me!"


That evening Mamoru mentioned Terrance's invitation to his Wife. He
was very reluctant to approve the date and especially about it being
un-chaperoned.

Usagi laughed, "Mamo-chan, Terrance has been our daughter's personal
guard for the last year and has been alone with her many times."

Mamoru persisted, "This is different because it's a date."

Usagi responded gently, "The situation might be different, but Terrance
is still the same person. He has an honorable record and has shown his
obvious devotion to our family many times. Do you really think
Terrance would betray our trust?"

Mamoru sighed. He knew she had him there. Mamoru knew in his heart
that Terrance would never do that.


Lady Serenity excitedly wondered where Terrance would take her. He
said dress casual and wouldn't say anything more. The day of their
date was warm and sunny. Terrance met her in the main hall and they
walked to the stables. Two horses were saddled up and ready to go.
Terrance led her off the palace grounds and into the woods. After a
while, Lady Serenity realized they were near the swimming pond and
cliff Terrance had caught her sneaking off to when they first met.

Terrance pulled his horse back to walk next to her. "Lady Serenity, do
you recognize where we are?" he asked.

She laughed, "Yes I do, and you don't have to call me by my title on a
date. I'd prefer if you just call me Serenity."

Terrance put his hand behind his head and hesitantly said, "Ok, I
guess. Please forgive me if I forget though. I still haven't got used
to not calling you "Small Lady" yet."

Serenity scowled, "You really better not call me that on our date or
I'll have to hurt you!"

Terrance started to laugh as he said, "I'll try, really, I'll try!"
Serenity couldn't help but laugh too.

Terrance tied the horses to some trees. He pulled a picnic basket and
blanket out of his saddlebags. They spread the blanket on the ground
by the edge of the cliff. They could look down and see the pond and
forest below. Serenity started to pull out the basket contents. She
set the plates, utensils and glasses on the blanket. Her eyes widened
with surprise as she started to set out the food. There was cold ham
and fried chicken, green salad, potato salad, homemade bread and
butter, a platter with strawberries, grapes, and apple, orange and
melon slices, a bowl of whipped cream and lastly, a small heavenly
looking Chocolate cake. She was very impressed with the elegant spread
he had brought. He hadn't forgot a thing. He even brought a flower
bouquet for her and a vase with water in it. Serenity *is* her
Mother's daughter and food is always a good way to get her attention.

(A.N. – The basket has a hammer space also known as a subspace pocket.
It's just like what the Senshis have behind their backs to keep their
wands in. ^_^ )

Terrance smiled and silently congratulated himself for such a great
plan. When he decided to have a picnic for their date he had gone to
Sailor Jupiter for help. He knew her culinary skills are legendary.
He told her he wanted to have a romantic picnic on his date with Lady
Serenity. Jupiter said she would take care of everything. (Mako had
been flattered Terrance asked her for help. He was the only soldier
who could hold his own against her in a practice fight and she knew she
would miss challenging him. Mako decided this would be his going away
gift from her. She has also always been a sucker for romance of any
sort so she was doubly motivated to send the best picnic ever.)

All was fine until Serenity pulled a bottle from the bottom of the
basket. She read the label then turned away from Terrance with a
furious expression. With a sinking feeling Terrance took the bottle.
He choked on a laugh as he read the label too. Sailor Jupiter had sent
a bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider instead of wine! It would never have
crossed Terrance's mind to consider Lady Serenity's age in regards to
alcoholic drink. Apparently it did cross Jupiter's mind. (Actually,
Mako had agonized long over this issue. She finally decided to play it
safe. She didn't want to face the King's anger if he found out she had
sent a bottle of wine on his 16 year old daughter's date with the best
looking soldier in the CTEM. She could just see the slop line she'd be
working - on the frontiers of planet Uranus!) Terrance took a deep
breath and noted to himself for future reference to always look over
the contents of a closed basket! He wanted to kick himself. He knew
how sensitive Serenity is about her age, and with people thinking she's
still a child.

Terrance touched Serenity's arm as he said, "I have a confession to
make." Serenity didn't turn, but he knew she was listening. "I asked
Jupiter to pack the basket for us. I never even thought about what she
might pack to drink. I'm sorry."

Serenity sighed and wiped at her eyes. "That's OK, I'm just being
silly about it," she said. She turned back toward him, gave a watery
smile and started to dish the food out. She said, "I did wonder how
you managed to prepare all this great food. I'm still impressed.
Jupiter truly outdid herself." Terrance and Serenity relaxed as they
started to eat. They chatted about funny and inconsequential things
between bites of food.

When they finished eating, they sat looking down over the quiet pond
and forest. Terrance leaned back, stretched his arms above his head,
and closed his eyes. His full belly and the warm afternoon sunlight
caught him off guard and they sneakily lulled him to sleep.

Serenity couldn't believe it. He even started snoring! Slowly a
mischievous grin appeared on her face as she got an idea. Serenity
carefully untied Terrance's shoelaces and firmly knotted the laces to
each other. She gently put the leftover whipped cream in the palm of
his hand then tickled his nose with the corner of a rolled up napkin.
After a few tries, he finally rubbed the hand with the cream, over his
face. Serenity clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a fit of
giggles.

Terrance suddenly sat up, "Hey!" He exclaimed as he tried to wipe the
whipped cream off with the same hand and only made it worse. He looked
at Serenity's purple face and dancing eyes then glared. This made
Serenity laugh even harder. She fell over as the giggles burst from
her mouth and tears ran down her face.

Terrance was embarrassed he had fallen so deeply asleep during their
date, and even under the best of circumstances he isn't a cheerful
waker. He growled and tried to grab Serenity to pay her back.

Still laughing, Serenity jumped up and ran off the blanket. She turned
around in time to see him try to jump up and chase her. He never even
made it off the blanket. Again Serenity fell down and laughed until
she cried as she sputtered, "It serves you right for falling asleep you
know!"

Terrance slowly sat back up and took a very deep breath. He counted to
ten, twice, then calmly un-knotted and retied his shoes. He still
didn't say anything as he reached for a napkin. He wiped his face as
best he could.

By this time Serenity had drifted to the edge of the blanket and was
still giggling. Had she known what Terrance was going to do next, she
would have ran for her horse and rode away like all the hounds of hell
were after her.

Suddenly, Terrance's arms wrapped around her waist and he picked her
up. Serenity started to get nervous as he slowly walked toward the
edge of the cliff. "Hey," she said, "It was only a joke and you did
fall asleep! What are you doing? We're going to fall if you go any
closer to the edge!"

Serenity panicked as she tried to squirm out of his arms, but his grip
only tightened around her. He looked her straight in the eyes, and
with a smile jumped over the edge. Serenity's screams echoed off the
cliff until they hit the water. It was very cold!

Serenity and Terrance surfaced. He held her up as she sputtered,
gasped, choked and coughed. He swam until he could reach the bottom
then walked until she could also touch. Serenity opened her mouth to
speak, twice, and all that came out was a squeak. Her eyes were as big
as saucers as she looked up to the top of the cliff. She shivered, and
not only from the cold water. Serenity looked away from the cliff and
back at Terrance who was chuckling at her.

Finally she felt as if she could talk, "Remind me to never play a
practical joke on you again," she hoarsely whispered. Then, in a fit
of anger she hit the water so it splashed him in the face. He splashed
her back and she squealed as she turned to run for the shore. Finally
on dry land, they found a warm flat rock to dry out on.

After a moment, Serenity asked, "Terrance did you requested the
reassignment?"

"No," he answered, "but it is a good thing for my career. I don't have
much interplanetary travel experience, but my Palace experience and
title of Master-Sergeant means I'll most likely earn a leader's
position quickly."

Serenity stared at the pond. "I'll be sad to see you go," she
whispered.

"I'll be back between trips, and I'll write," he said.

Serenity sighed. She wondered who had requested Terrance's
reassignment. She had a feeling no one would admit to it if she asked.

Terrance gently reached over and turned her face to look at him. Her
sad eyes pulled at his heart. He leaned over and gently kissed her
lips to try and erase the sadness he saw. His kiss lingered a moment
then he slowly released her lips.

Terrance sat up and looked at Serenity again. The sadness was gone,
and it was replaced with surprise and confusion.

Terrance was also confused. He knew he cared for Serenity. He thought
she was beautiful and he didn't think she was too young, so why didn't
he feel passion when they kissed?

Serenity's eyes asked a question as she looked at him. She sighed,
"So, you didn't feel anything special either, did you."

Terrance truthfully shook his head no. "The kiss was fine," he
reassured her, "but I don't think we are supposed to be lovers. I
guess we just don't feel that way about each other."

Serenity continued the thought, "I guess we needed to try it to find
out." She thought to herself, [I haven't kissed many men, but I
remember Elios' kiss and how it made me feel to this day. Kissing
Terrance wasn't anything like that.]

Terrance put his arm around Serenity and said, "I'm glad we found out
before I left. You know I will always be your friend. If any of your
suitors give you grief just let me know and I'll make sure it doesn't
happen again. OK?"

Serenity leaned against him and said, "That actually means more to me
than a hundred suitors. I'll always be your friend too. You be
careful on the other planets. Don't let any pretty foreign girl trap
you and make you not come back home. OK?" They laughed amicably
together.

Terrance sighed as he looked up at the cliff. "You do realize we have
to hike back up there to get our stuff and horses."

Serenity said, "Oh no, it was your idea to come down here. You can go
up there, pack up then come down here with the horses to get me!"

Terrance smirked, "Maybe I'll not come back down and just leave. How
would you know if I did that or not?"

Serenity stood up with a scowl, "Did I say I liked you? Did I just say
I'm your friend? I take it all back!" Serenity stomped over to the
trail. "Well, are you coming or not?" she demanded.

Terrance laughed as he hurried to catch up to her.


That same afternoon, Elios had a meeting with King Endymion at the
Crystal Palace. Elios had a kind, pure heart, and a fervent spirit for
the priesthood of Earth and Elysion. He has always been loyal. He
would not hesitate to bravely defend the Earth, Elysion and his King
from spiritual attack with his life. Personally, he was sensitive, a
bit shy and insecure about himself. He tended to wear his feelings on
his sleeve, and at times that has left him vulnerable and easily hurt.
This same trait has also made Elios sensitive to other people's pain
and sorrow. He would probably hug the whole world to comfort it if he
could. Elios has one bad habit of jumping to conclusions. This has
caused problems for him in the past, and it will probably someday be
the death of him.

Elios hadn't been to the Palace since the disaster at Lady Serenity's
ball. He was hoping to see "His Maiden", the name he secretly still
used for Lady Serenity when he thought of her. The Pegasus he rode
knew the way to the palace so Elios indulged in daydreaming as they
flew.

Elios thought about how beautiful and grown His Maiden had become. He
had last seen her a millennium ago in the past. She had been very
young, but also very brave. When he was a prisoner of Nephrenia, the
only thing that sustained him was he knew his Maiden was depending on
him and was trying to help him. They had gotten to know each other
well through the power of her beautiful dreams.

When Nephrenia was defeated and Elios was freed, he knew he had to
leave. His Maiden was much too young. He had promised the King and
Queen he'd wait until she grew up. He had hoped her parents would
dispense with the suitor ritual and allow him to court her exclusively.
He had stayed away until the agreed upon time as he had promised them,
but the King, and even more so the Queen, insisted he compete for Lady
Serenity's heart with the other suitors. Elios was determined, but he
had been amazed but the number of men who wanted to court his Maiden.
There were princes from other planets, wealthy merchants and
impressive, heavily decorated soldiers. He had been the only cleric
there. He hoped beyond hope, the feelings his Maiden had for him in
the past still existed.

Elios was suddenly startled from his thoughts by a blood-curdling
scream rising up from the forest he flew over. He could tell it was a
female voice, but the palace and city was still quite far away. He
urged the Pegasus down toward the source of the scream.

Elios saw a cliff overlooking a pond. He saw a man and a woman surface
from the pond. With a start he recognized, even wet, his Maiden's pink
hair and the now drooping distinctive buns on her head. He also
recognized the man as the CTEM soldier, Terrance Donovan.

Elios saw red. He was about to swoop down to rescue his Maiden and
skewer the Sergeant, when he spotted the picnic on the cliff. He
remembered the soldier was one of her suitors. He sadly realized they
were probably on a date. Elios stayed out of sight of the couple as he
watched them climb out of the pond and sit on the ground. He couldn't
hear their discussion, but he could tell his Maiden wasn't hurt or
being threatened.

Just as Elios had decided to continue on to the palace, he saw the
couple share a tender kiss. Tears pooled in Elios' eyes and his hands
clenched convulsively. The couple talked, then the soldier put his arm
around her and she comfortably leaned back against him.

Sorrow and jealously welled up inside Elios and made him choke. He
quickly turned away and flew toward the palace.

Tears slid down Elios' cheeks as he thought about the scene he had
witnessed. [It's obvious my Maiden ([No!] Elios thought as he forced
himself to amend her name) Lady Serenity cares deeply for the soldier
and he cares equally for her.]

Elios met with the King and woodenly concluded their business. King
Endymion looked closely at Elios and could see he was upset. He had
known Elios most his life and they were tied to each other with the
bonds of Earth's power in the Golden Crystal. The King didn't want to
pry, but he could see Elios really needed a friend.

Mamoru hoped Elios' problem didn't have anything to do with his
daughter. The whole situation was awkward. Mamoru had thought Elios
would be a wonderful husband for his daughter, but Usagi had said Lady
Serenity needed to compare Elios with other men before she chose for
good. He had disagreed, but deferred to his Wife in this. He admitted
he was more inclined to agree with Usagi after the fight between Elios
and Sergeant Donovan at the ball. He still couldn't believe Elios had
started the fight with the CTEM soldier. The Elios Mamoru knew would
have tried to handle things much more quietly. Elios was not a person
who could thrive on conflict or violence. Mamoru had thought Elios'
peaceful nature was a constant in life. He now saw how much his
daughter had affected his friend, and it was a bit unnerving to him.

King Endymion cleared his throat, "Elios, you are welcome to stay for
dinner and overnight."

The Priest quickly shook his head no and replied, "I need to get back
right away, but thank you anyway." Elios stood to leave.

The King also stood then clasped Elios' hand in his own as he said,
"You seem upset. Is there something I can do to help?"

Elios thought irritably, [Yes, you can get that damn soldier's hands
off my Maiden and let me marry her tomorrow!] Elios swallowed his
retort, sighed and said, "No, I'll be fine, I just need to get back to
Elysion."

Elios' reply didn't fool the King for a moment and he hadn't missed the
brief flash of hurt and anger in Elios' eyes. Mamoru sighed, "OK, I
thank you for your visit."


Lady Serenity thoroughly enjoyed being able to date and having suitors.
Many of her dates were chaperoned by one or more of her Senshis, but
she could request to be un-chaperoned on an individual date basis.
Sometimes her Mother was even able to get her Father to agree. Over
the next few months she went to elaborate balls, parties, restaurants,
the theater and concerts. Most of the men were nice and some were even
good looking, but none of them captured her heart.

Lady Serenity was surprised Elios didn't come to the palace. She
reminded herself that he does have a job and he lives far away, but she
had expected him to be one of her more attentive suitors. She wondered
if over time he had decided he wasn't really interested in her. She
then thought about what had happened at her birthday ball as she
absent-mindedly played with a chain around her neck. She thought,
[Elios certainly had seemed interested then.] Lady Serenity sighed and
decided she would never understand men.



Chapter 6


Mamoru sat staring at the computer screen in front of him. He had his
chin in his hand and mumbled to himself occasionally as the other
hand's fingers regularly clicked the keys on the keyboard. Sailor
Mercury stood beside Mamoru and occasionally leaned over to peer at the
screen also. Luna and Artimus stood on a table nearby and carefully
searched some printouts. Finally Mamoru sat up and ran his fingers
through his hair as he sighed, "Hey you two, was there anything helpful
in those reports?"

Luna and Artimus shook their heads no then they jumped over to the same
table Mamoru and Mercury were near. Mercury frowned and said, "The
data shows that things aren't right, but evidence of what it is seems
to be nowhere to be found. If things continue to deteriorate at the
same rate, the Earth will be vulnerable to damage and attack within a
few months.

Mamoru looked up startled, "You really think the Earth's shields could
be affected that quickly?"

"Yes," Mercury answered. "The shield's dimensional filter pulls the
most power, and it is the most temperamental part of the shield. Even
a brief power disruption could leave a gap open between the Earth and
another dimension. The power levels on the dimensional filter are
already too close to minimum for my comfort. For some reason the earth
is generating less power than last year and the levels are still
dropping by small increments. The power reduction is also evidenced in
Earth's other processes, but the shield is where it is most clearly
seen and critical. Actually, you may also experience a reduction of
power Mamoru. Have you noticed any changes with your powers?"

Mamoru shrugged, "I haven't really had a chance to use them lately."

Mercury chided her patient, "I've told you before and many times
Mamoru, you have to exercise not just your body, but also your power
regularly. You are not above atrophy from lack of use in either area!"

Mamoru sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "Yes I know, but
things get very busy. If you're so curious, I'll go through my paces
now. OK?"

Mercury shook her head yes and followed Mamoru to the Senshi practice
room. "First I want you to go through your power ups sequentially,"
Mercury directed.

The king complied, as he first became Tuxedo Kamen, then Prince
Endymion, and then the final form of the Earth King. This form used
the same lavender tuxedo he regularly wore, but he now held a golden
power staff. Mercury nodded then said to continue. The Earth King
turned toward a padded wall and started to rapidly launch his special
red roses four per hand at a time. He quickly created a tight spiral
of roses on the wall. Next he concentrated on his golden energy and
built it up between his hand and his staff. He raised the power into
an arc over his head between his outstretched palm and staff. He then
flung the power from him toward the wall. With a hiss the wall
absorbed the attack.

Mercury and Mamoru turned to a display and noted the power level
results. Mercury hadn't said a word, but it was obvious she wasn't
happy with the numbers. Dismayed by her response to the score, Mamoru
uncharacteristically complained, "Mercury! Sometimes you're even worse
than Mars!"

Mercury's eyes flashed annoyance, "Mamoru don't be dramatic. Now, I
want you to do the roses again."

Chastised, the Earth King again turned toward the padded wall and
rapidly launched his roses. He launched two full rounds of eight, but
the third round had only six roses and they didn't stay stuck in the
wall. He tried again and could only pull two roses.

Mercury quickly pulled her visor and computer out. She told the King
to stand still while she took some readings. Shaken, Mamoru thought to
himself that he probably couldn't do much more than stand there even if
he had to do something. He was shocked at how drained he felt.
Mercury finally looked up and told him to take a seat. Mamoru quickly
complied. Mercury continued to type a moment more before she put her
computer away. She sat down next to Mamoru on the bench and sighed, "I
don't think I have to tell you your powers are weakened, do I?" she
stated soberly.

Mamoru dejectedly shook his head no.


Chapter 7


Terrance had left with Sailor Uranus' team to return to her planet.
They spent six very difficult months there. One of the team's jobs was
mine inspection to insure continued safety and efficiency there. The
other job Terrance's group had was surface exploration and preparation
for settlement. The planet surface was even more forbidding than the
mines due to extreme weather and cold temperatures. In spite of the
harsh climate, there was a waiting list of settlers. Most of them were
with companies that were looking to profit from Planet Uranus' abundant
and very pure mineral deposits. The job was to be for eight months.
Sailor Uranus and the team were called back to the Earth early due to
the impending power crisis.


Sailor Mercury had calculated approximately where the dimensional
filter would fail first. It was two miles south of the Crystal Palace.
She couldn't place an exact date or time due to erratic power
fluctuations. King Endymion deployed a troop of 50 CTEM soldiers to
keep watch and notify the palace of any changes.

A distress call had come from the troop before breakfast a week later.
Oddly, the call had been sent, but there was only static and silence
from the troop. King Endymion, Neo-Queen Serenity, the Planet Senshis,
Lady Serenity and the Asteroid Senshis quickly prepared to assist the
troop. King Endymion tried to insist both his wife and Lady Serenity
stay at the palace. Sailors Mars and Uranus pointed out to him that
they do not know what they will be dealing with so every powerful
person might be needed. The King reluctantly relented. Terrance was
given a troop of soldiers as additional support for the Senshis.

As the small but powerful group approached, the dimensional filter
fissure was easy to see. It looked like a large black gash hanging
above the ground. What was more disconcerting was that there was not
even one soldier at the camp. It was deserted. Sailor Mercury tried
to figure out what had happened to the troop stationed there. She
couldn't find a clue as to their fate.

The Senshis had spread out to investigate when they all suddenly felt
an oppressive evil pressure in the air. They ran back to the fissure
just as a very large monster appeared. The only thing it could be
compared to is a dragon. It had a metallic scaled armor, claws and
teeth but the likeness ended there. It walked on two legs and had many
tentacles in addition to two arms and hands.

The monster threw a soldier's corpse on the ground at the Senshis' feet
as it spoke, "I hope you are a more challenging opponent than the last
group. They were pathetic fighters and their energy was hardly a
snack!" The Senshis gaped at the hideous creature. They were revolted
and sorrowed by its boasts.

Sailor Jupiter stepped forward and challenged the beast, "We are the
Sailor Senshis and we will not allow you to destroy us and our
beautiful world!"

A tentacle flew from the beast's side toward Jupiter. Mars attacked it
and the fight was on. Sailors Venus and Ceres aimed their attacks for
the Monster's face. Their attacks fell harmlessly to the ground about
twenty feet from the beast. Next, Sailors Jupiter and Juno launched
their attacks but they didn't reach the monster either.

"Damn!" Uranus exclaimed. Even her and Neptune's attacks fell short.

The Senshis were also dodging tentacles that whipped out from the
beast's side trying to grab them. Sailor Vesta barely managed to avoid
being caught. Sailor Mars again attacked and this time severed several
tentacles aimed at Lady Serenity/Sailor Moon and Sailor Pallas.

So far, none of the Senshis attacks had managed to get anywhere near
the beast's body. Sailor Moon began preparing her attack and Sailor
Mercury stopped her saying, "I think there is a shield around the
monster. Save your attack until I can figure this out." Mercury faced
the monster and began typing on her computer.

The monster raised a group of tentacles high in the air then swung them
in quick succession at the Senshis. Everyone moved frantically to
avoid being hit. Sailor Ceres had managed to avoid one tentacle but
another one hit her on the back of the head. She was unconscious
before she hit the ground.

Sailor Moon saw Sailor Ceres go down and she ran forward to help her
friend. Sailor Moon didn't see the tentacle reaching for her.

Everyone screamed, "Sailor Moon look out!" No one was able to throw an
attack soon enough to protect her.

Sailor Moon looked up just as the creature gripped her and raised her
into the air. It lifted her close to its face. Bloody slime dripped
from its large open maw as it gloated, "Hey, finally some decent
energy!"

Sailor Moon screamed as the Monster's tentacle tore her energy from
her.

King Endymion had been told to stay out of the fight because of his
depleted energy but this was too much for him to take. Before anyone
could stop him the Earth King ran forward into the beast's lap. He
leaped into the air and threw a round of roses into the tentacle
holding Sailor Moon. The energy disruption ability of the roses worked
and the monster released Sailor Moon with an angry howl.

Sailor Uranus had ran after the King. She caught Sailor Moon and
carried her to safety.

The Earth King turned to escape but he was caught by another tentacle.
The monster chortled with glee. The Queen and everyone else gasped
with dismay.

As the beast began to drain the king's energy, it laughed and said,
"Well, it seems I got the better end of that trade. This one has a
great power source that taps into your planet! This energy will make
me strong enough to transport my army here and take over your world!"

The Senshis could literally feel the earth's power being sucked out
from under their feet by the beast. The King screamed and struggled
but to no avail.

Neo-Queen Serenity felt helpless as she watched her husband suffer.
She wanted to moondust the beast but she knew the King would also be
killed if she attacked. Sailor Uranus went to the Queen and said,
"I'll get the King."

Sailor Mercury had finished checking Sailor Moon and Sailor Ceres. She
walked over to the Queen and Sailor Uranus. Mercury told the Queen,
"Sailor Moon is weakened, but not injured." She then turned to Uranus
and said, "Wait." She quickly began to do some calculations on her
computer as she mused, "The Earth King used his power against the
monster and it worked. I want to know why."

Everyone waited impatiently while Mercury typed. After a moment
Mercury said, "The beast's power shield is like a fence around it. The
Earth King physically breached the fence and his powers were able to
work once he was past the power shield."

"Uranus," Mercury continued, "If you can get inside the shield without
the monster capturing you then you should be able to attack. Your
attack will weaken its shield enough for us to finish it off with a
planet attack. The problem is that you and the King need to be able to
be clear of your attack or else you'll be hurt by it."

Sailor Neptune spoke up, "I'll go with Uranus."

Mercury answered, "Neptune, your power is needed for the planet attack
after the monster's shield is weakened. There will not be enough time
for you to rescue the King and still join in the attack. We need every
Senshi for this to succeed."

Terrance had been listening to the Senshis' discussion. He stepped
forward and offered, "I will go with Sailor Uranus and bring the King
to safety."

At that moment Elios flew down on a Pegasus. He jumped off and ran to
the Senshis saying, "What the Hell is going on? Elysion suddenly lost
its power and has a black out!"

Everyone glared at Elios and pointed to the unconscious King in the
monster's grasp.

Elios glanced up then visibly paled as he whispered, "Oh!" He looked
at Sailor Mercury and soberly said, "This world will end if he isn't
rescued soon!"

Terrance answered him impatiently, "We were working on it when you
interrupted!"

Meanwhile, Sailor Uranus was staring at the Pegasus with a curious
gleam in her eyes. She turned and said, "Elios, we need to surprise
the monster and get close enough to save the king. Does your Pegasus
fly fast and have good maneuverability?"

Elios answered, "Yes, and if it will help you may use it. Elios headed
toward the Pegasus as he offered, "I'll introduce you to him." After a
moment Uranus and Terrance mounted the Pegasus and flew away.

The Pegasus quickly dove down from above and behind the monster's head.
As it passed the monster's shoulder things happened quickly. Uranus
leaped off the Pegasus and used her Space Sword to sever the tentacle
holding the King. She continued to fall and when she landed on the
ground at the monster's feet, she unleashed her World Shaking attack.

Sailor Moon shakily stood up and began the Sailor Planet Attack power-
up. Even as each of the Senshis joined in they hoped all four had been
able to escape. Sailor Uranus appeared running out of the cloud of
destruction, and turned to avoid the path of the planet attack.

The monster had fallen to the ground injured by Uranus' attack. As it
struggled to stand the Senshis launched the Planet Attack. Everyone
breathed a sigh of relief as the monster turned to dust.



Chapter 8


Sailor Moon looked around worriedly for any sign of the Pegasus, her
Father and Terrance.

Everyone cheered as Uranus ran up and again as the Pegasus came flying
toward them. Terrance was on its back and he securely held the
unconscious King.

Terrance carefully placed the King on the ground. Sailor Mercury,
Elios, Neo-Queen Serenity and Sailor Moon hurried to his side. Mercury
scanned the King and started to cry as she choked out, "His Golden
Crystal power is completely drained. If it isn't replenished very soon
he will die."

Neo-Queen Serenity quickly pulled out her Silver Crystal. She directed
the Silver Crystal's healing power toward her husband.

Mercury continued to scan the King then said, "The Silver Crystal isn't
replenish the Golden Crystal's power. The Earth is the only thing that
will replenish the power of the Golden Crystal, but there isn't enough
of Earth's power available to do the job."

Lady Serenity put her arms around her Mother. The Queen put her
crystal away then started to sob as she hugged her daughter
desperately.

Terrance was sitting on the ground next to the King as he struggled
within himself. He knew he would be risking his life if everyone here
found his secret out. He also knew he wouldn't be able to live with
himself if he didn't try to help. He finally came to a decision when
the Queen failed to save the King. Terrance quietly reached out his
hands over the King's chest and concentrated. He knew his powers had
been weaker recently, but he still had to try.

Mercury raised her eyebrow when she saw Terrance concentrating. Mars
moved to stop him and Mercury held her back because of an unformed
hunch she had. Everyone watched as Terrance's hands began to faintly
glow golden and the King began to absorb the power Terrance was
producing.

Elios watched with shock and amazement. With confusion he recognized
that the source of Terrance's power is the Earth.

Terrance could feel his power becoming quickly depleted and he knew it
wasn't enough. In frustration and desperation he looked up at Elios
and said, "Elios, if you are truly the High Priest of Earth then pray
now to save your King!"

Elios lowered his head and choked out, "I'll try." He knelt beside the
King with his head bowed and his hands clasped in supplication. He
began to pray, but just as it has been for months, the prayers fell
hollow and powerless at his feet. Elios truly did love the King and he
felt horrible that he couldn't help. Tears coursed down Elios' cheeks
as he whispered, "It's not working."

Lady Serenity desperately pleaded, "Please try again! My Father was
caught while saving me. Please help him."

Elios looked up at Lady Serenity and saw her anguish and fear. He did
love her and it tore him up to see her so sad.

Suddenly Elios sobbed and collapsed to the ground. Tears of remorse
rolled down his cheeks as he prayed out loud for forgiveness with a
broken and convicted heart. He begged for mercy and power. He
vehemently pleaded for the King not to die because of Elios' own self-
centeredness and bitterness.

As Elios cried out his prayers, the ground around his body started to
glow golden. Suddenly a maelstrom of power arose around Elios like a
golden whirlwind. He stretched his hands out on the ground and raised
his head as the power lifted his hair and filled his being. He
continued to pray and the power arced from above his head and dove into
Terrance.

Everyone watching gasped, as they feared for Terrance's life. However,
instead of killing him, the power also filled Terrance then flowed from
his hands into the King. Elios continues to pray fervently and the
power increased.

As soon as Mercury had seen Terrance's power manifest itself she had
pulled out her visor and computer and began scanning him. When Elios
started to pray she scanned all three men and typed furiously.
Mercury's brow was wrinkled in concentration and she ignored everything
and everyone around her. She knew this all had to fit together somehow
and she wanted to know how, right now!

The King started to regain consciousness. He looked at Terrance and
Elios with confusion as the power stream slowly dissipated. King
Endymion tried to sit up and Neo-Queen Serenity grabbed him and hugged
him while she cried. Lady Serenity also knelt down and hugged him.
She then looked at both Terrance and Elios and choked out, "Thank you!
I don't understand what happened but thank you, both of you!"



Chapter 9


Sailor Mars stepped forward with a grim expression. She spoke firmly,
"Master-Sergeant Terrance Donovan step away from the Royal Family and
stand at attention."

Everyone looked at Mars with confusion. Terrance had just helped save
the King's life and she was treating him like an enemy.

Terrance sighed and shakily stood. He slowly walked over and stood
silently at attention in front of Sailor Mars. She looked him in the
eyes and bluntly asked, "Where do you get your powers from?"

Terrance looked uncomfortable and said, "I can't tell you."

Sailor Mars hissed with annoyance. She took a deep breath then barked,
"As your superior officer I demand that you explain your powers now!"
Terrance stood at attention silently and Mars continued now with
desperation in her voice, "You must comply! At the very least your
military career is at stake! At the very worst you could be exiled
someplace where you wouldn't be a threat to the Royal Family! Please
Terrance now as your friend, I'm asking you to explain." Tears were
running down Sailor Mars' cheeks. Terrance had tears in his eyes too
but he continued to be silent.

King Endymion stood up to go to Mars, but Sailor Neptune grabbed his
arm to stop him. He considered rejecting Neptune's restraint, but then
Sailor Jupiter stepped forward to defend Terrance, "Mars, how can you
accuse him? His record has been exemplary, and for God's sake he just
saved the King's life!"

Mars turned and vehemently took her sorrow at the circumstances out on
Jupiter as she angrily yelled, "I, we can't ignore what we've seen!
His powers are substantial! Until we know where they came from and why
he has them, he is a potential threat! He may be our friend, but our
job is to protect the Royal Family! Not to make friends!"

Mars turned back to Terrance and tried one more time, "Terrance, if
you're loyal to the Royal Family then put yourself in my place. What
would you do in this situation? Wouldn't you be concerned about their
safety?"

Terrance didn't move. The tears in his eyes spilled down his cheeks as
he realized what Sailor Mars said was true. He would be doing exactly
what she was doing if he was the superior in this situation. Everyone
quietly waited as Terrance struggled within himself. The tension in
the air mounted.

As the wait for his answer became unbearable, Sailor Mars sadly and
resignedly said, "This is the last chance you will get to explain."

Suddenly Mercury, who has been furiously typing on her computer
throughout the argument, yelled out loud, "*YES! I DID IT!*" To
everyone's shocked amazement Mercury started to dance around and sing,
"I did it, I did it! *YES! I DID IT!*" as she precariously waved her
computer in the air. Mid-dance Mercury finally realized everyone was
staring at her. She blushed crimson and apologized.

Venus pointed out, "Fine, but Mercury you still haven't told us what
you did!"

With a triumphant grin Mercury turned to Terrance. She looked him dead
in the eye and clearly stated, "I know who you are!"

Terrance blanched and lowered his head in defeat.

Mercury then said, "Either you can tell them or I will. It's up to
you."

With a sigh Terrance said, "I'll do it." Everyone looked at him
expectantly.

Terrance raised his head and met their gazes steadily. With a firm
voice he said, "I am Prince Terrance Donovan, son of Princess Beryl of
Earth's Northern Kingdom, also known as Queen Beryl of the Negaverse."

Everyone stood in shocked silence at his revelation while Mercury
smiled and vigorously shook her head yes.

The King seemed to take this news especially hard as he whispered,
"Beryl's Son?!" then fainted.

Terrance instinctively moved to catch the King. In a flash Sailor
Uranus halted him with the blade of her Space Sword at his throat.

Sailor Neptune and Elios managed to catch the King. Mercury walked
over to check his pulse. She said, "He'll be fine." They gently put
him down on the ground.

Terrance swallowed, and for the second time, he felt the cold metal of
Uranus' Space Sword against his neck. Everyone turned to look at
Terrance, Uranus and Mars as they wondered what would happen now.

Mercury started to chuckle at their worried expressions then said, "Um,
there's more."

"More?" They all said incredulously.

Mercury was valiantly trying to keep a straight face. [How does Pluto
do this so seriously?] she wondered. Mercury managed to compose
herself.

Again Mercury turned to Terrance and calmly stated, "Terrance, I'd like
to introduce you to your Father, King Endymion of Earth," as she
pointed to the unconscious King.

Everyone gasped and Sailor Uranus slowly lowered her sword as Mercury's
words sunk in.

Terrance stared at Sailor Mercury incredulously. He whispered, "My, my
Father?" Then promptly joined the King in a dead faint on the ground.

Mercury looked at the two men and said, "You know I'm surprised we
didn't figure it out before. They do look very much alike."

Everyone stood silently processing this incredible information as the
King and Terrance came to.

Terrance sat up and looked at the King with a mix of hope and dread in
his eyes. "Is it true? Are you my Father?" he hesitantly asked.

King Endymion sat up, sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he
said, "I'm pretty sure I am. Your ability to use the Earth's power
proves it." King Endymion paused as his eyes filled with tears. He
suddenly hit the ground with his fist and blurted in a strangled voice,
"Damn it! I wish she had told me!" He then looked up at Terrance with
tears streaming down his face. The King asked with pain and regret in
his voice, "Did you have a father? Were you alone? I'm sorry, I wish
I could've been there for you!"

Terrance was very surprised by the King's strong reaction. He tried to
smile reassuringly as he answered, "My Mother never married which was
probably a good thing. She ignored me for the most part, but I wasn't
alone. I had four very dedicated Generals who raised me and were my
family."

Everyone gasped again. King Endymion's voice broke with emotion as he
asked, "Were their names Malachite, Zoisite, Nephrite and Jadeite?"

Surprised Terrance answered, "Yes they were. How did you know?"

King Endymion smiled sadly and whispered, "They were my personal guard,
advisors and closest friends on earth before Beryl captured and
brainwashed them. Unknowingly they continued to serve me by caring for
you. I'm glad they were there since I couldn't be."

The group stayed silent as they all tried to accept this and comprehend
the implications.

Lady Serenity suddenly started to laugh out loud. Everyone looked at
her questioningly. She looked at Terrance and said, "You know, this
means you are my brother – my half-brother!"

Terrance started to laugh too and said, "Yes, I guess it does!"

Elios was very surprised and confused that they would laugh about it.
"Doesn't that cause a problem for your relationship?" he blurted out.

Terrance and Lady Serenity looked confused. Terrance asked, "What do
you mean by our relationship? We've been friends and now we know we're
half-siblings. Why would there be a problem?"

Elios was dumbfounded. He responded, "Friends? You didn't look like
friends when I saw you kissing!"

Lady Serenity jerked her head around toward Elios and sharply asked,
"When did you see us kiss?"

Elios blushed and answered, "By a pond in the forest."

Terrance stood up and angrily glared at Elios, "That pond is deep in
the woods and far from the roads. Did you follow us and spy on our
date?"

Elios quickly clarified, "No! I was flying on a Pegasus over the
forest on my way to a meeting with the King. I heard a woman scream
like she was being murdered from the forest below. I went to see if
someone needed help and I saw you both coming out of the water
together."

Suddenly, Terrance and Lady Serenity looked very embarrassed.

King Endymion decided he needed to interrupt. He asked Terrance with
concern, "A woman's scream? Was it Lady Serenity? Why did she scream
while on your date and why were you swimming?"

Terrance rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He realized how bad this
was starting to sound. "I, well she, Um, it was a practical joke," he
lamely answered.

Lady Serenity saw that Terrance's answer wasn't helping. She sighed
and said in exasperation, "Poppa listen. It wasn't anything wrong.
I'll explain." She started with Terrance falling asleep after their
picnic and her jokes. She then said what he did in retaliation.

Everyone was silent then Jupiter started to giggle. Soon Venus
followed and then the whole group fell down and laughed until they
cried. It was great tension relief for most everyone. The only ones
not laughing were Elios, Terrance and Lady Serenity.

Venus finally caught her breath and asked, "OK, we now know about the
scream, but didn't Elios say something about a kiss?"

Terrance scowled and said, "I guess it's my turn to straighten
something out. Lady Serenity was sad because I was leaving Earth and
we *were* on a date. I kissed her to try to take her mind off my
leaving. It worked, but we were both confused because the kiss didn't
do anything for either of us. No passion, nothing. We do care for
each other, but that's when we realized we weren't meant to be lovers.
*We agreed to be best of friends and that was our ONE and ONLY date!*"
Terrance stated the last sentence pointedly and emphatically in Elios'
direction.

Elios opened his mouth and then closed it again. He looked from
Terrance to Lady Serenity and did it again. He looked like a fish out
of water as he tried to absorb what they said. Finally he spoke, "You
mean, you're not a couple?" Elios suddenly went pale as he realized
all the time he had wasted staying away from Serenity. He looked at
her with a mix of contriteness and hope in his eyes, but she wasn't
buying it.

Lady Serenity glared back at Elios and furiously hissed, "That's why
you haven't come to see me? You just gave up? You didn't even try to
find out if what you thought you saw was true? How dare you!" Her
voice choked at the end. She turned and ran from him and everyone so
they wouldn't see her cry.

Elios was crushed. He hung his head and muttered, "I guess I deserved
that. I'm such a fool. She'll never forgive me for this." He rubbed
his eyes and sighed.

The King stood up and went to Elios. He put his hand on Elios'
shoulder and said, "My Daughter and her Mother both have an amazing
ability to forgive a fool. I think if you sincerely ask her to forgive
you, she will. Go to her."

Elios looked up at his friend hopefully, but then his insecurities and
shame over what he had done overwhelmed him. He shook his head no and
whispered, "I've hurt her so badly. She can do better than me. She
should find someone who is brave and strong and can protect her. I
can't do those things. All I can do is hurt her worse!" Elios quickly
turned and walked away from the King and everyone. He felt like his
heart had been removed. He was numb. All he wanted to do was get on
Pegasus and fly home before the numbness wore off and he would be able
to feel the pain that he knew was going to be there.



Chapter 10


While all this was happening, Mercury had been doing some scans of the
area and more typing. After Elios walked off, Sailor Mercury walked
over to King Endymion and cleared her throat. He looked at her
questioningly and she said, "I think I've discovered some things that
may interest you. First, the dimensional filter fissure has closed
completely and the Earth's power levels have gone back to full
capacity."

The King looked surprised and pleased. He was going to say something
but Sailor Mercury stopped him and said, "There's more. I scanned you
and Elios during the power transfer and found that there is a triune
relationship between you, Elios and the Earth's power. Elios' prayers
control the power conduit's volume. His lack of effective prayers
caused the Earth's power depletion. Then, his sincere prayers
requesting forgiveness for his part in halting the power flow, and his
request for restoration of the power flow, corrected the situation."

King Endymion stared at Sailor Mercury as he thought about what she
said. He asked her, "Did Elios say what had happened that caused him
to fail in his prayers?"

Mercury answered, "He didn't say directly. What he prayed was for you
to not pay for Elios' own self-centeredness and bitterness. Having
witnessed the exchange between Elios, Terrance and Lady Serenity, I
believe it is reasonable to conclude that Elios' emotional turmoil had
to do with his thinking Lady Serenity and Terrance were lovers."

Incredulously King Endymion loudly exclaimed, "This whole fiasco with
the dimensional filter failure, my powers being reduced and the
dimensional monster all happened because Elios was love-sick?"

Sailor Mercury shook her head yes and tried not to giggle. The thought
of quiet Elios almost destroying their world because of his broken
heart, struck her as funny. The King however, did not look amused.

King Endymion frowned as he looked at Elios' retreating back. He
firmly stated, "Well, I'm not going to let him do it again!"

The King quickly strode toward Elios and caught up to him. He grabbed
Elios and turned him around. King Endymion pushed on Elios' shoulders
until the cleric was kneeling at his feet. Everyone could hear the
King as he uncharacteristically yelled at Elios, "You will go to my
daughter and beg on your knees for her to forgive you! I will not take
no for an answer. I can't take it anymore and the Earth can't take it
anymore either! I am ordering you as your King. Go to her and get
this straightened out *NOW*! Clear?!" Elios was visibly shaking.

Everyone felt a bit sorry for Elios, but they also knew it was
necessary. They really did not want to deal with any more evil
dimensional beings, or worse!

The King finally let go of Elios' shoulders and pointed toward the
palace. Elios stood and left in the proper direction.

Everyone gave a collective sigh of relief.

King Endymion walked back to the group. He asked worriedly, "Was I too
hard on him?"

"No!" everyone answered at once, and then they laughed.



Chapter 11


King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity slowly walked back to the palace
together. Everyone realized they probably needed some privacy to
discuss all that had happened. The Planet Senshis made sure the Queen
had her communicator then they told the couple they'd meet them at the
palace.

Mamoru was quiet and a bit nervous. He wasn't sure how his wife would
react to the news of his having a son. Finally he couldn't stand
waiting any more. He asked, "Usako? Are you upset?"

Usagi sighed then said, "I don't really like the idea that you have a
son from that witch, but I do remember the circumstances back then. We
already dealt with that and worked it out. I guess this is just
another part of it. I admit it helps that I knew Terrance and liked
him before I knew this. I also feel sorry for him. He was raised in
the Negaverse and had a Mother who didn't love him. The generals did a
great job in spite of their evil, but a Mother's love is always needed,
as you well know."

Mamoru sighed with relief and hugged his wife. He said, "Once again
you have shown me what a generous and loving person you are. I am so
fortunate to have you as my wife!" He kissed her and handed her a
rose. Mamoru quietly thought a moment then said, "If you are not
opposed then I'd like to formally and publicly declare Terrance as my
son.

Usagi shook her head yes and said, "I had already realized you would do
that. It's not a problem to me."

Mamoru looked at her a bit uncertainly. He said, "This is probably
asking too much. If so, that's fine. I will never mention it again."

Usagi laughed and asked, "Mamo-chan, what could you possibly ask me
that is more shocking than what has already happened today?"

Mamoru took a deep breath and asked, "Would you be willing to think
about filling the position of Mother for Terrance? As you said, he
never had a mother who loved him and I can't think of anyone more
loving than you. As always, I've considered you the perfect mother for
my child, and now, my children. It would be silly to formally adopt
him since he's an adult. What he really needs is a bond from the
heart. Would you consider this for me and for him?" Mamoru took
another deep breath as he tried to catch up from saying all that so
quickly.

Usagi smiled and said, "How can I refuse a request so sweetly put?
Truly though, I won't mind. Don't force him to call me Mother, though.
It may make him uncomfortable. Let him decide what to call me and I'll
love him regardless of what he chooses."

They walked a bit in silence then Usagi spoke again, "Actually, it's
kind of funny Mamo-chan. I always felt bad that due to my family
genetics I would never be able to give you a son, a second child, or
give Lady Serenity a sibling. This may not have been the way I would
have chosen to go about it, but I am glad he is here."

As they walked through the palace gate Mamoru again kissed Usagi and
said, "Usako, I love you. Thank you for understanding. We should sit
and talk with Terrance and Serenity and make sure this is all OK with
them too."


The King and Queen went to the library and requested a private dinner
with Terrance and Serenity.

The Queen asked, "Serenity do you minded sharing us with Terrance?"

Serenity laughed and said, "I have always felt Terrance was more like a
brother to me instead of just a friend. I think it would be great to
make it official."

Terrance was amazed, thrilled, and relieved with how things had turned
out. He had always loved the King, the Queen, and the Princess, but
never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he could be a part of their
family.

While they ate, Terrance explained about his life in the Negaverse
dimension. "The Generals raised and trained me," he said, "My Mother
rebuilt her army. Eventually a way was found back to the Earth's
dimension and she invaded again. The Generals hid me at Mother's
deserted family estate in the Northern Kingdom on Earth. They left two
Yomas and a small treasury with me. They said they'd be back when they
finished establishing Mother's kingdom, but they never returned. When
the Silver Crystal cleansed the Earth the Yomas died. I had also
expected to die from the crystal cleansing but I didn't. Now I know
the Golden Crystal must have protected me. The cleansing did remove
what was left of the Negaverse's influence on me. I finally saw how
evil my Mother's kingdom was."

Terrance continued his story, "I used what was left of the Treasury to
buy an identity and decided to join the military. Out of gratitude I
wanted to help defend the Earth from any other evil it might encounter.
It was a career I had been trained for and my enhanced abilities made
me a good soldier. I was recognized and sent to apply to the CTEM.
Right away I felt at home at the Palace. I knew I wanted to serve
here. You know the rest already."

Mamoru, Usagi and Serenity all wiped their eyes then hugged Terrance.
They said they were glad he had found his way home, to them.



The End… ^_^



Author's Notes - I know I left some things unfinished, but that's what
"Crystal Flaws -Book 3 – Crystal Clear" will be about. ^_^



Do you think you know who requested Terrance's off planet reassignment?
If you do, send me an email with your guess. If you are right, I will
send you a (totally worthless, but still slightly gratifying) picture
award saying you guessed right. ^_^
The answer to this question will be given in "Crystal Flaws - Book 5 –
Crystal Cries"



This story was edited by Meara, the *BEST* editor in the entire world!
(I'm *SO LUCKY* to have had her help!! Thank you Meara! ^_^ )
Meara is also one of the greatest Sailor Moon Fanfiction authors
around. If you haven't read her stories then do so right away! ^_^


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 .



Bye, Luna Hope



Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all her friends (except for Terrance
Donovan – He's mine! ^_^ ) don't belong to me. They belong to Naoko
Takeuchi. I just borrowed them for a little bit of fun.