Disclaimer: Neither Prince of Tennis nor Sailor Moon is mine

Disclaimer: Neither Prince of Tennis nor Sailor Moon is mine.

Seishun Moon

Chapter IV: Welcome to Seishun Palace

After floating in the 'bridge' realm consisting of endless pink cotton-like clouds for several seconds, they finally landed on something solid…

…and spiny.

"OWW!!"

"Real, Karupin," Ryoma scolded his snow-white cat while the said pet made an innocent apologetic face. "Of all places, why should we land HERE?"

The regulars' faces twisted as they found out what their butts had just kissed.

Cacti. A lot of them. How pleasant.

"Oops!" As the last regular--Momoshiro--tumbled down from the towering purple cactus he clung on, they straightened up and looked around.

"Where are we?" Inui asked, notebook and pen were ready on hands.

"You are where you were a minute ago," Ryoma answered simply, looking for any damage the cacti might have caused to his body. "Or rather, a hundred years ago."

"S-So, this is what Seigaku has become after a century?" Kikumaru rounded his eyes. They were surrounded by multicolor tall cacti. Like trapped in the middle of festive cacti jungle, to tell the truth.

"This is Okaa-san's private garden," Ryoma scowled darkly, hissing as he pulled a thorn out of his bottom. "He seriously thinks these spiky creatures are beautiful."

"They are," Fuji said cheerfully while scrutinizing a bright yellow cactus. The thorns were blinking in various colors, making the plant look like disco lamp.

"So the technology nowadays is able to make cacti colorful like this?" Inui asked, bending to scrutinize a sky-blue cactus and scribbling furiously on his notebook. "How?"

"I don't know, Inui-jisan," Ryoma shrugged. "Ask Inui-jisan about something like that."

"Eh?"

"Ugh, I mean you should ask the Inui-jisan this century," Ryoma tugged his cap.

"Ryoma-kun, maybe you shouldn't call us oji-san. It's rather confusing now that we've been in the same place as your ojisan-tachi," Oishi said wisely.

"Hoi! Hoi! I also feel very old, being called an oji-san!" Kikumaru agreed, bouncing around Oishi while declaring so.

"Why don't you just call us senpai?" Kawamura suggested. "You are just around the age of our kouhais."

"Well, senpai then," Ryoma agreed with ease.

"Maa, I will miss the way you call Tezuka and me 'Otou-san' and 'Okaa-san' ne…" Fuji said sadly, pouting adorably.

"Fuji…" Tezuka warned. The tensai pouted more.

"Mada mada dane, Kaa... Fuji-senpai. You will eventually gain the right to be called so," Ryoma smiled at Fuji.

"You heard him, Shuusuke," Tezuka whispered almost inaudibly into Fuji's ears. The latter seemed to be brightened by the cheering.

"You three sure look like a real family for me," Kawamura pointed out a bit shyly.

"I think Tezuka-buchou and Fuji-senpai make quite good parents," Momoshiro added with a sly grin. "Ryoma is a nice child, too."

"Ahem," Tezuka cleared his throat while Fuji still smiled brightly, pinkish tint decorating their cheeks.

"We got to go see the Emperor now," Ryoma stated a bit too hastily, tugging his cap to shadow half of his face. The other regulars snickered at their unusually flustered 'kouhai'.

Ryoma led the way out of the cacti jungle. Passing through the last line of rainbow cacti, they came upon a clearing where everything was in sight.

"Whoa…" The regulars were dazed. The main building of their school was replaced by a sparkling crystal castle, glistening in the bath of sunlight. Festive trees and flowers surrounded the royal building, a huge artistic fountain stood proudly near the entrance.

"Welcome," Ryoma announced, sounding princely for once. "…to Seishun Palace."

After recovering from their state of awe (which took two full minutes), the regulars followed Ryoma and Karupin into the castle. They eventually arrived in front of a tall carved door.

"Pardon," Ryoma pushed the door ajar and helped himself in. He immediately fell onto his knee upon a sight of someone inside, followed by Karupin.

"Greetings Emperor!"

The regulars hesitantly stepped in too and couldn't help but gawk at the sight that greeted them.

There stood one certain Tezuka Kunimitsu, approximately in his late twenties, with all his regal being and authoritative aura. He was dressed in a royal blue cloak while a proud golden-sapphire crown was attached to his brown head. Without the rimless glass that usually graced the ever-serious face, his hazel eyes shone even more intimidating than they normally did.

Before the boys could decide whether or not should they kneel down, the Emperor had approached them and bowed deeply.

"Greetings Ancestors."

"Greetings Emperor," Tezuka bowed back, followed by his fellow teammates.

"We apologize for bothering you to come here," the Emperor straightened up and focused his sight on his 'Ancestors'.

"As long as we could help, we don't mind," Tezuka replied politely, standing straight up as well. To tell the truth, it was quite a sight to see the two Tezukas fighting in a battle of politeness and stoicism.

As the Emperor and the regulars went on a discussion—possibly confirming what Ryoma had told them, Ryoma made his way to the back of the room. There he silently watched through a crystal coffin that occupied his father's attention before he came.

"Mew, Chibiusa, you're still sad about your mother?" Karupin sneaked onto Ryoma's shoulder, her eyes following the prince's gaze. Inside the coffin, a slender body laid peacefully undisturbed.

"Don't call me that name," was Ryoma's only respond.

"But that nick is from the Empress, right?"

"From Kikumaru-jisan, actually," Ryoma muttered; his voice almost resembled a sigh. "But the idea is from Okaa-san."

Silence fell upon them as they two wordlessly stared at the sleeping Empress. He was still smiling slightly even in this state. The honey-haired Empress was wearing white silk clothing with a royal blue cloak on top of it. A brilliantly sparkling crystal pendant was resting on his chest.

"Damn silly witch…" Ryoma cursed suddenly.

"The Empress will eventually wake up, Chi… Ouji-sama. That's what the Ancestors come for, right?" Karupin asked, trying to soothe the gloomy prince.

"RIIGHT-OO…!!"

Before Ryoma could utter a syllable, Kikumaru had jumped onto him and clung on his neck. The other regulars and the Emperor had stood behind him as well. Ryoma blinked. Normally, he wasn't easily caught off guard.

"Fujiko, he really looks like you, nya…" Kikumaru opinioned, gazing at the sleeping Sailor.

"Don't worry, Ryoma, we're gonna save your mother and this kingdom!" Momoshiro shouted spiritedly. The other regulars nodded in agreement.

"We really owe you, Ancestors," Emperor Tezuka said. "We thank you so much."

"Nya, Emperor Tezuka, names are find with us! 'Oji-san' is already too old to our likings, let alone 'Ancestors'! We're still 14!" Kikumaru whined loudly while Oishi frantically tried to place a hand over his double partner's mouth.

The Emperor merely raised an eyebrow in amusement, apparently was used to seeing such behavior. "Very well, Kikumaru-san."

"Is this coffin what causes you not to be able to just wake the Empress up, ne, Emperor?" Fuji asked, feeling odd as he stared at the sleeping face.

"Hai," the Emperor answered, eyeing Fuji meaningfully before gazing at his Empress solemnly. "You see, besides Grande Crown, we have another treasure to protect. It's Silver Crystal, the symbol of Crystal Tokyo. I trusted the Empress to guard it. However…"

Pairs of eyes focused on the shiny pendant on the fair-haired Empress' chest, which looked so much like a crystal tennis ball.

"Silver Crystal has ability to protect the person who's wearing it. When that St. Rudolph's Mizaki witch tried to snatch it off of Okaa-san's neck, it built a crystal coffin to protect Kaa-san. The coffin won't disappear before all harms that threaten Kaa-san vanish," Ryoma continued explaining.

"Don't worry, Ryoma-kun," Oishi soothed. "We'll try our best."

"We'll beat Hyotei and Rikkai for sure!"

"We'll beat that Miyuki witch as well."

"Hoi! Hoi!"

"Mada mada dane," Ryoma sounded annoyed but his eyes sparkled nonetheless. "Before that, please let go, Kikumaru-senpai! I can't breathe!"

"Now it would be better for you to dine and get some rest," the Emperor said. "We only have a week to prepare for the tournament."

"Hai!" Karupin exclaimed spiritedly. "Because you'll battle as Sailors, you got to have some training!"

-

A/N: Opinions and ideas will be greatly appreciated. If you have any question, never hesitate to ask. Ryoma, Karupin, Emperor Tezuka and I will try our best to explain!

Read and review please!

Next chapter: Sailors' Identities

Mini dictionary:

Ojisan-tachi: Uncles

Kouhai: Junior

Chibiusa: Little rabbit (a character from Sailor Moon, Usagi's future daughter. Ryoma's fancy nickname)