Chibi-Usa sighed as the sun set over the mountainous skyline. She walked down the broad boulevard, walking past the small boutiques and chic cafés. She had been admiring a ruby necklace for the past couple of weeks in one of the shop windows; a deep red teardrop set in platinum. It would be an easy thing to walk into the shop, show the mark of her royalty, and be given such a valuable piece for nothing it all. After all, she was the crown princess of Tokyo, and today was a very special day.

Her birthday.

But such a gesture from a shopkeeper would be empty. A gift given out of respect, to be sure, but not one given from the heart. And even the most beautiful ruby teardrop could not bring him back. Oh, Helios...where was he? She was 913 now, and her mysterious stasis as a child has stopped in those days she had trained with Sailor Moon and come into her own. Now she had the body of a teenager, and had...well, she had come past the time that a little girl becomes a young lady.

But no. Being nostalgic and mopey did not bring back her prince. She shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and headed back home.

---

The party was as opulent as Chibi-Usa--or Lady Serenity, as she was called on such formal occasions--had expected. And as dull. The party had entirely too many strangers.

"Princess," A voice said, accompanied a poke in her the back. Lady Serenity turned around to see tomboyish Juno in billowy bronze pants. Her hair was rather more understated than usual. "You look like you're about to fall asleep."

"I am. I miss the parties from when I was a girl, when it was just the senshi and a strawberry cake." She sighed. "Well, the cake is the same, I suppose."

"It's a lot bigger," Pallas remarked, coming up behind Juno. "So that's better, right?"

Lady Serenity giggled. "And you guys are here," she added. "That's a welcome addition."

"Here, have some of my cake," Pallas said, holding out a bite. "Cake makes everyone feel better. Cake and ice cream. And a brand-new dolly."

Lady Serenity delicately took the fork. "It's very good," she said after eating it. "Thanks." But it tasted empty.

All of the chattering in the room suddenly died down as Lady Serenity's mother walked elegantly to the top of the stairs, Endymion beside her. Lady Serenity did not talk to her parents as much anymore. They were gone from meals all too often as obligations tore them away; it seemed almost like Hotaru and the guardian senshi had raised her in these early years of ladyhood more than her own parents.

"We have a very special announcement to make," her mother declared, holding a champagne glass in her hands.

"Do you know what it is?" Ceres whispered, coming up beside Lady Serenity.

"They're probably just going to announce my gifts," she whispered in response. "Have me accept them and give thanks, and all that."

"It will be time to open the gifts soon," Her mother continued, and Lady Serenity looked at Ceres, a knowing look on her face. "But first, we have a very special guest to introduce to the royal court."

"Although you know our royal persons well as those who look after the health of this planet," Endymion said, "You may not be aware that there is another person who ensures the continued prosperity of this kingdom--behind the scenes."

"No way..." Lady Serenity murmured.

"It's my pleasure to introduce the priest of Earth's most holy land, Helios," He said, and he motioned to the entrance to the staircase. Helios stepped out, looking barely a day older than when Lady Serenity had said goodbye to him He smiled at her--at her with that gentle, beatific smile, and Lady Serenity felt her heart freeze. She ran from the ballroom and did not dare to turn back.

--

"Why do you weep, my lady?" Helios asked. She had run to the garden, heedless of how such an action must look, and he had followed her there with as much carelessness to the consequences.

"Why did you come back now? Like--like this? I waited for you. I wanted you to be there...sooner. I thought you...I thought maybe you had decided that I was just a lovestruck little girl after all."

"The time wasn't right," Helios replied.

"Why not?" She asked. "Was I so immature that you couldn't even...even talk to me? Even as just a friend? But what makes me feel the emptiest is knowing that...as much as I wondered where you were over a few brief years, you waited over a thousand while I was born and grew to be a young lady! Did your thoughts not turn to me even once? Why didn't you meet me as soon as you could?"

"Your father thought it best to wait until you came back from the past and would know who I was," he replied. "Otherwise the chain of events that led to our very meeting might have been disrupted."

"I don't mean before I came back!" she snapped. "What about after I returned?! Why weren't you there at the gate of time, eagerly waiting for my return after a millennia of waiting?"

"I...I wanted to," he admitted. "But your father thought...he wanted to wait for a few years."

Lady Serenity wiped away her tears, but a pouty face remained. "Well...why did you listen to him? He was just being over-protective."

"I...er..." Helios looked flustered; his pale face became lightly flushed. "I would not think of disobeying my lord in that manner," he replied a little defensively.

"Hmph!" she replied, folding her arms and looking away. "If I had known you would be such a goody-two shoes, letting my daddy get between us, maybe I wouldn't have been so eagerly waiting for you!"

Helios smiled. "So you have been awaiting my return?"

"That's a dumb question. What do you think all these tears were for? I should be asking you that!" She turned back toward him, giving him an accusing gaze. "Well, have you? Or was I nothing more than a passing fancy?"

Helios smiled and cradled her cheek in his hand. "Oh, my lady," he said, looking at her longingly, "How I missed you these many years."

Lady Serenity sniffled. "You dummy," she said, smiling despite herself. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

She took his hand and knelt toward him, sealing their reunion gently with a kiss.