"Your Majesty, important message from Mars." the feline came bursting into the throne room.
"What is it Luna?" the Queen replied rising to her in alarm.
"There is to be a Council in a week's time. They request your presence." Luna was aware that such a request was unheard of.
"They cannot be serious, how am I supposed to leave the Moon Kingdom. No, I will not go. I must send someone in my place." The Queen's voice was filled with contempt at the idea of being asked to leave her station. "Send for the Princess." she told Luna.
"Serenity? Is she…" Luna asked, "Very well your Majesty, I will do as you say." She exited the room and headed toward the West End of the Palace where she knew Princess Serenity would be.
"Your Highness, your mother requests your presence in the throne room." Luna stated as she entered the room where Serenity was.
Serenity, even at 16, was the most beautiful girl in the entire System. Her hair piled into two perfectly round buns with the rest flowing in pigtails that, when standing, barely missed the floor, it was a common hairstyle for the Serenity Line, yet her hair color was that of pure gold so unlike anything found on the Moon. Her eyes, bright blue and filled with curiosity and an inner strength that is unmatched by any. As she turned her head to look at Luna, a light struck her face and the golden crescent moon on her forehead seemed to glow. It is that crescent moon that is the first and true sign of her heritage and nobility.
"When?" Serenity asked her most trusted advisor and friend.
"Now, it is urgent, your Highness." Luna said with obvious urgency in her voice.
"Oh, Luna, how often have I asked you not to call me that. But that is a different matter, please, if it is urgent then we must go quickly."
"Yes." Luna led the way and then soon dropped in line with Serenity. There was a loud crash and then the entire palace shook. "Come, we must go quickly!" stated Luna as the two broke into a run.
"A Princess should never run unless necessary… I think this is definitely necessary." Serenity said in between breathes.
"Be prepared, Moon…" Luna was the only one, besides the Queen, who knew who the true Soldier of the Moon was. At least that's what the Queen thought; she didn't like to remember the years in which the Sailor Scouts lived on and protected Earth.
"Right." The eyes of the once curious girl grew to be filled with alert and her body tensed ready for whatever may lay ahead. Her fist clenched around, what seemed to be, an ordinary compact mirror.
The two approached the throne room and entered. "Mother, what happened?" Serenity ran to her mother's throne.
"Nothing, my daughter, there was an explosion near one of the mines. I have sent Mars to check it out. That is all. Now, for the reason I sent for you." The Queen smiled but there was no mistaking the alarm in her eyes.
"Yes, mother." Trying to catch her breath, Serenity stood before the Queen. Except for her hair color which is sliver gray, the Queen was looking at what she looked like when she was her daughter's age.
"There is to be a Council on Mars within a week's time. They have asked for my presence but, especially in light of things, I cannot leave my station. I ask that you go in my place. Mars will be your escort, the rest will meet you there. They have also been called to the Council so they will be there with a message from me to meet you at the space port when you arrive. I do not suspect anything amiss, however it is only precaution. Please, do not reveal to anyone that you are Sailor Moon for no one must know that the Soldier of the Moon is in fact the Princess. If you must tell anyone, it must only be out of necessity and the other Scouts must know first."
"Of course, you do, however, know that Luna knows? But it will be as you wish, Mother."
"I know that Luna does know, I know that you two share many secrets together and I trust Luna will keep them."
"I will indeed, Your Majesty."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Enter!" ordered the Queen.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Luna. The explosion was an attack." a man, who appeared to hold some rank in the military, entered the throne room.
"An attack?" the three ladies said in unison.
"Yes, it seems to have come from Earth. However, we are not certain of this notion, it only appears to have been from Earth but there are also signs that it was an attack from somewhere else."
"Somewhere else?" A look of confusion across the Princess's face showed what the others were also thinking.
"Yes, there is evidence that the weapon used came from inside our System, but possibly not from Earth." Replied Sailor Mars as she entered the throne room.
"Where then, who could possibly attack us like this?" demanded the Queen.
"It could have very well come from Mars, Your Majesty." The Soldier hated to admit that her own planet could have indeed attacked the Moon. It was her planet, but it was not her home.
"Serenity, you will get answers to this while on Mars for the Council. Mars, you will escort her. Luna, alert the other Soldiers. They must get to Mars as quickly as possible and await the arrival of Serenity." The Queen, now standing, was filled with anger, but also gripped with fear that her daughter is going to the place where this attack could have come from.
"Yes, we will do as you say." The three responded.
"The transport will be waiting and you will leave as soon as Jupiter and Mercury have arrived on Mars, which I guess will be sometime tomorrow. Luna, go now and alert the Outer Scouts. Captain, return to the site with more men and discover who did this. Mars, I would like to speak with you and Serenity."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Luna and the Captain left the room and the doors were closed behind them.
"Serenity, my dearest, it is time that Mars knows the truth, though she may already if she has had any visions recently."
"Your Majesty?" Mars asked with a look of confusion.
"Mother, is it by your wish that I reveal who I am?"
"Yes."
"Ok. Moon Eternal, make up!" Serenity transformed into the Soldier of the Moon.
