Chapter 7: Debutantes and Dares

The next morning, Kagome awoke in bed, staring at the thin gold canopy above her bed. She could hear Kagura and Tali talking in the next room, and Risuyo running around- undoubtedly playing with some toys -but all she could think about was her talk with Sesshomaru yesterday.

Who's right? The princesses, who say that demons oppressed and attacked and killed without a thought? Or Lord Sesshomaru? He seems to think that the humans were the ones who did the real damage...who's telling the truth? Who should I believe?

Kagome turned over, clutching her pillow, more confused than ever.

"Kagome!" Tali said loudly, "Kagome! You need to wake up, right now!" Her voice carried through the door. She sounded agitated and excited all at once. Just as suddenly, Risuyo ran in, a red envelope held close to her heart.

"Oneesama!" Risuyo said breathlessly, "Oneesama! Look at this! It came for you this morning!" She jumped onto the bed, making Kagome wince (and four of her pillows fall on the floor), then crawled over to Kagome. Kagome wearily pushed herself into a sitting position, and said indulgently to her younger sister:

"Hey, Risuyo. What's that?" Kagome bent forward to get a closer look at the envelope. Risuyo grinned wildly, then offered up the envelope.

As she took the envelope from the little girl, the haze of sleep was gone in an instant. Kagome gasped, now wide awake. The red envelope was made of fine silk and embroidered in gold. In fine calligraphy, the front read, "To Her Highness, Kagome Kiori, Daughter of the Sun, Princess of Sands, and Princess of the Sun Kingdom." The back was stamped with the elaborate purple seal of the Royal House of Mars.

Nervously, Kagome undid the seal, practically shaking with excitement. Her voice trembling, she began to read:

"Her Royal Highness, the Princess Rei of the House of Hino, daughter of Their Majesties, Queen Ariesna and King Vulcan of Mars, has reached the age of majority. Accordingly, she will be formally be installed as the Right and True Heiress to the Kingdom of Mars, She Who Will Be Queen, on this July the 19, Year 1009 of the Silver Millennium. In addition, Her Royal Highness, the Princess Rei, will be sworn to the gods as a priestess and begin her apprenticeship forthwith. It is the greatest pleasure of Their Majesties, Queen Ariesna and King Vulcan, and of Her Royal Highness, the Princess Rei, to cordially invite Her Highness, Kagome Kiori, Daughter of the Sun, Princess of Sands, and Princess of the Sun Kingdom, to this momentous celebration. Furthermore, Their Majesties also extend an invitation to His Majesty, King Savitr the Magnificent, Supreme Lord of the Sun Kingdom, to attend the ball. Wishing the Royal House of the Sun Kingdom good health and much respect, and eagerly awaiting their presence at the Princess Rei's installation as the Right and True Heiress of Mars,

Their Majesties, Queen Ariesna & King Vulcan of Mars

Her Royal Highness, the Princess Rei of the House of Hino"

Beneath the very formal invitation, Rei had scrawled:

"Sorry this is so late! You were always invited, but I wanted to convince Mother and Father to invite your father too! They only just agreed. Hope you can come! See you tonight! It's going to be the party of the year (but don't tell Serenity that; she'll get jealous that my party trumps her masquerade)! Oh, and you can bring two guests. Lots of love, Rei."

Kagome's mouth dropped open. She had just been invited to the debutante ball of debutante balls. Mars was famous for its debutante balls- they had one every year to introduce the young ladies of society -, a practice which had long been abandoned by the other planets. As a result, Mars' balls had gotten more extravagant and over-the-top each year, and though the other planets pronounced them as archaic, everyone secretly loved to go and enjoyed them greatly. For ages, Kagome and her sisters had heard about them- the reports of crazy entertainment, feats of magic, and wonderful dancing. They'd never been invited.

But now- now Kagome had been invited to the most FANTASTIC debutante ball of all. At this ball, Rei was officially going to become the Heiress of Mars. She'd always been the heiress, of course, but Mars had a tradition that when an heir reached the age of majority, they had to go through a special ceremony in order to assume the proper title (and obviously, the ceremony only happened once every three hundred or so years). Over time, it had developed into the raging party it was today.

Kagome could hardly contain her excitement. Not only was she invited, but her father was too! That was unprecedented. The Sun royals rarely went to Federation events, and almost never were invited. It would have taken a lot for Rei to accomplish that. She might have even fought her parents for the right to invite Savitr and Kagome. Kagome was touched by Rei's thoughtfulness.

Maybe they're starting to accept us, she thought in disbelief.

"Kagome, what are you going to do!" Tali demanded. By this time, both her older sisters had barged their way into her bedroom. Tali was staring at her with wide eyes, while Kagura was amused at Tali's excitement.

"Obviously, she's going to go," Kagura said dryly, "Why wouldn't she?" She smirked, her scarlet eyes full of amusement.

Kagome nodded vigorously, "Of course! I can't believe they invited me...and Father, too!" It's incredible!

Kagura shrugged, "It wasn't something any of us expected. Still, it's a great honor," she winked at Kagome, "I guess you're making good networking with the power people, huh?" She sat down next to Risuyo on the bed, eyebrow elegantly raised.

"Kagura, who cares how she did it!" Tali demanded, "More importantly, Kagome, who are you going to invite as your guests?" Kagome blushed as she realized Tali was practically salivating at the chance to go. After years of being snubbed by the Federation royals, she still wanted to interact with them. Kagome wasn't sure whether this was a good or a bad thing. Tali was either very forgiving, or very desperate.

"Me, of course!" Risuyo cried out. She stood up on the bed, trying to be regal, but wobbling slightly. Nevertheless, she kept her balance.

"Risuyo," Kagura eyed the little girl, "You're eight years old. You can't go to a ball like this."

"Yes, I can!" she said stubbornly, and crossed her arms, "I have a new dress and everything!" Risuyo looked at Kagome plaintively, "It's gold with nice red ribbons! Please, Oneesama?" She clasped her hands together.

Looking at Risuyo, Kagome felt guilt and sadness rise in her gut. It was like she was seeing a younger version of herself, desperately searching for someone to play with her, trying to understand why other princesses didn't like her and ignored her at the few gatherings the Sun Kingdom had had with the Federation. On one occasion, all the other princesses had played tag together, chasing each other round and round. When the shy, six year old Kagome had at last asked to join in, the other girls were silent for a moment. Then Minako had suggested they play hide and seek instead. Kagome had eagerly agreed- hide and seek had been one of her favorite games -and ran and hid while Makoto counted. Kagome had found the perfect place: a small, snug cabinet used to store mops and other janitorial supplies that the Moon Kingdom servants used to clean the marble floors of the palace. At first, Kagome had been elated when no one found her. Nearly twenty minutes had passed since the game had started.

They must all be looking for me now, Kagome had thought excitedly to herself. Imagining all the princesses trying to find her made her feel important and special, which she never felt like. Frequently lost in the myriad children of her father, she never received much attention on her own. Having all the princesses all focused on finding her- just her -was amazing.

Another twenty minute passed. Then forty. After nearly an hour and a half in the cabinet, Kagome at last gave up. She left the cabinet, stretching her cramped muscles, and began to search the palace for the others. Though many people- all kinds of nobles, guards, and servants -had traversed the halls, none spoke to the little princess. Many had not even noticed, even though she'd worn her new, bright gold dress her father had bought her for the occasion of the special visit.

When at last Kagome had found the princesses, they were all gathered in Serenity's room. At the time, it had been covered in shades of bright pink, with dolls and cushions littered everywhere. It was a little girl's paradise. The princesses sat in a circle, gaily chattering and talking back and forth. Kagome had hung back, watching through the crack in door, witnessing a scene she never was supposed to be involved in.

"Think she's still hiding?" Makoto had grinned. The others began to laugh.

"I told you people from the Sun were stupid," Minako said, with a toss of her hair. It had been as gold then as it was now, though a little bit shorter.

"Now, Minako, there's no scientific evidence of that-" Ami began, but Rei cut her off:

"She didn't even realize we never hid, and Makoto never went searching. She's still hiding somewhere! What more proof do you need?"

"Guys," Serenity had begun, "Stop being so mean-"

Kagome never heard the rest of what she said, because she felt she'd heard enough. Tears prickling at her eyes, she blinked and ran away from the door, crying.

She had never returned to the Moon Kingdom- until her father had told her she was going to be tutored there. Although Kagome had never forgotten that long ago day, she doubted the princesses even remembered it.

How things have changed, she thought. Now, the same five princesses were quickly becoming her best friends. They were moving mountains to get her and her father involved and accepted into mainstream Federation society. They included her in all their secrets, and all their exclusive events. They'd grown up.

Kagome had grown up too.

Gazing at Risuyo, she knew her little sister would never be able to understand that though the other princesses liked Kagome (she'd figured that out by the sleepovers Kagome had told her about), many in the Federaton were still biased against the Sun Kingdom. Her older sisters would be able to defend themselves, but there were plenty of people who'd take the opportunity to laugh at a star-eyed little girl.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kagome said, "I'm sorry, Risuyo. Kagura's right. It's only for grown-ups." Her heart broke at the crestfallen Risuyo's face. She quickly added, "I promise I'll bring you back something nice." Hopefully, the gift bags Mars presented at the debutante balls were as wonderful as Kagome had heard. She promised herself she'd give Risuyo the best thing she could find in the bag.

Risuyo said nothing, and hurriedly walked out of the room, holding back tears.

"I feel terrible," Kagome whispered, head in her hands. She always wanted Risuyo to be happy. Though she felt affection towards all of her siblings, Risuyo was special. Ever since she was born, she had played a large part in Kagome's life. Kagome sometimes thought that she'd even raised Risuyo better than Risuyo's own mother. Secretly, she thought Risuyo knew that, at least subconsciously. As such, she reached out to Kagome, and Kagome tried her hardest to make her happy.

"Don't," Kagura said wisely, "You're only trying to help her. She doesn't understand now, but she will one day."

"She shouldn't have to understand prejudice."

"No, she shouldn't. However, unfortunately, it's been around for ages. It will be around for many more."


Eventually, Kagome had decided to take Tali and Kagura. The two of them were thrilled, even Kagura, who did her best to hide it. Kagome, meanwhile, did HER best to forget the sadness of the morning by the time she went to the Moon Kingdom for lessons. She was going to a debutante ball! What was she going to wear? What would she do? Who would she dance with?

Will Sesshomaru be there?

"Your Highness!" Kagome heard Lady Crotchford's familiar, scratchy voice snap. The older woman, with streaks of gray through her red hair, stood before her. Her long gown, also a dull gray, swept to the ground. Her eyes flashed with fire.

"Yes, Lady Crawford?" Kagome said meekly. She had no desire to infuriate the woman today. If anything, she was hoping for a smooth, peaceful day in the Moon Kingdom and an easy transition to an exhilarating night in the Kingdom of Mars.

Eleven hours, Kagome told herself, Eleven hours until the ball. That's all you have to get through. She sighed, twisting her hands in her dress. She hoped she could change it before the ball. It was a soft green, and although it was pretty in its own way, it was far too simple for a debutante ball.

"You are late," Lady Crotchford said darkly.

"Well, yes," Kagome began, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "and I'm sorry for that, but my younger sister was crying this morning, and-"

"Lateness is not tolerated in my class," Lady Crotchford interrupted, utterly unsympathetic.

Kagome replied, this time forcefully, "Yes, but Lady Crawford-"

The elder noble cut her off, and said sharply, "I can assure you that lateness will not be tolerated at the Martian ball this evening." Kagome's mouth dropped open.

What in the name of the stars is she insinuating? More importantly, how did she find out about my invitation? I only got it this morning!

"Oh, yes. I am well aware that Princess Rei invited you and your father at the last minute. I can't say I agree with her decision, but the fact is she DID invite you. I'll let you in on a little secret, Your Highness," Lady Crotchford leaned in, as if to tell her something very intimate, "Not many of the royalty or nobles agree with inviting people from the Sun Kingdom, either. They're all going to be watching for you to trip up and make a mistake, which they'll use to condemn you and smear your name. If you're late, they'll take it as a personal affront to Princess Rei and assume you think her unimportant, and that you do not view attending as an honor. In their minds, it will only confirm their opinions that those from the Sun Kingdom are low-class."

Kagome felt her blood begin to boil, "How dare you! We are NOT low-class-" She was two steps away from slapping the woman when Lady Crotchford interrupted her again:

"I know this may be hard for you to believe, Your Highness, but I really am speaking out of concern for you," her gaze softened, though only slightly, "I admit, I used to share that opinion. However, you have convinced me that one should not always believe in stereotypes blindly."

Kagome wasn't sure if this was supposed to be a compliment or not, but she was still furious.

"The only reason I'm telling you this is because I know you want to be viewed as equal to the royals in the Sol System Federation. Nevertheless, I warn you," Lady Crotchford chuckled, "They're a stubborn lot. It will take a lot to prove to them that you and your father are not barbarians. I'm not sure if Princess Rei realizes the kind of negative environment she's put you in by inviting you. Whatever the case, you'll need to be on your best behavior. You can't afford to even smile incorrectly," she paused, then smiled, "Therefore, I'm going to be very hard on you today. I'll try to help you all I can in the next four hours, but after that, it's up to you."

Kagome was torn between anger and gratitude. She didn't quite know what to say, or really how to respond to that kind of statement. It seemed like Lady Crotchford was insulting her and trying to assist her in one breath. The question was, was Kagome going to let her help?

"I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to thank you," she said cautiously, "but-"

"Oh, you must always say thank you. It's a critical part of deportment."

"-have you told any of the other princesses about this?"

Lady Crotchford shook her head, "Not a soul. It wouldn't do to upset them. They'd only insult anyone who tried to insult you, and that wouldn't do well for your image- it would show you couldn't hold your own in society. Even so, Your Highness, I believe you can."


True to her words, Lady Crotchford was like a drill sergeant all day. She barked orders and corrections at Kagome endlessly, so much so that even the other princesses started to notice.

Serenity, who was particularly perturbed by Lady Crotchford's focus on Kagome, whispered to Kagome when Lady Crotchford wasn't looking, "Lady Crotchford really is being crotchety today! I don't know why she's singling you out, Kagome. It's like she's has a personal vendetta against you," she closed her eyes and sighed, as if horrified by Lady Crotchford's actions, "Do you want me to say something to her?"

Kagome recalled Lady Crotchford's words with perfect clarity:

"They'd only insult anyone who tried to insult you, and that wouldn't do well for your image- it would show you couldn't hold your own in society."

Filled with renewed courage, Kagome told the Moon Princess, "No, thank you. It's all right. I can handle it." She smiled at Serenity, who uncertainly smiled back. Kagome could tell she was worried about her. At the same time, Kagome knew Serenity was a bit confused and hurt as to why Kagome wouldn't accept her assistance.

Despite Serenity's misgivings, Kagome endured Lady Crotchford's treatment all morning. When they broke for lunch, Kagome was the last of the princesses to leave. As she went to follow her friends, she saw a wrinkled hand on her arm. She turned to see Lady Crotchford smiling at her.

"You will be fine,"the woman side, giving her a squeeze.

I certainly hope so, Kagome thought.


At lunch, the princesses were greeted with a surprise. Four handsome gentlemen were seated at the table. Rei's face turned completely white.

"Motoki?"

The attractive blonde man garbed in orange smiled wildly at Rei before rushing to her, kissing her hand, and then her cheeks. His eyes- which were carbon copies of Minako's -were fixed on her, and the look inside them was a mix of a childhood crush and utter adoration. He seemed to put Rei on a pedestal, and enjoyed appreciating her from there. Rei, for her part, did not like the attention at all. She hurriedly pulled back from him and rolled her eyes. Motoki didn't seem to notice. He gazed at Rei with such unabashed admiration that Kagome had to stifle back a giggle.

"Hello, Princess Rei," Motoki said rapturously.

"Okay, Motoki," Minako said, stepping in between them and guiding her brother back to give Rei some space, "No public displays of affection, please. It goes against all the etiquette we just learned." She smiled at him, but surreptitiously rolled her eyes at the others when he wasn't looking. Once Motoki had been returned to his seat, the princesses all sat down, each across from a man.

"Etiquette?" Amarion, who sat opposite Ami, raised his eyebrow, "Is that what they're calling it these days? All the stupid society rules? Frankly," he said, "I don't see what all the fuss is about a kiss on the cheek." He winked at the girls. Noting Motoki's hopeful glance (and Rei's equally dismayed grimace), Minako surreptitiously kicked Amarion under the table for bringing up that idea.

"Amarion," the pale, though handsome man with dark hair and an equally dark suit seated to the prince's left, said, "Stop it. You know etiquette is what forges our society. It makes us civilized," his face darkening, he added, "It's what separates us from demons. They have no rules."

Kagome was taken aback by the man's statement.

Sesshomaru is VERY civilized! she found herself defending the demon lord, He has more grace and etiquette than anyone I know! He follows rules! He's an ambassador! He's a prince! He knows laws- makes laws -

Her tirade was interrupted by Amarion's subdued, "I'm sorry, Sojan. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

The man in the black suit closed his eyes and sighed, "I know, Amarion. Still, I cannot forget the beasts who took Demetriana's life."

Abruptly, Kagome realized who the man was: Prince Sojan, the elder brother of Hotaru, and the heir to Saturn. Rumor had it that the prince had taken the death of his sister hard. She had only been a year younger than him, and the two had been very close. Makoto had told her that it had been Sojan who had discovered a stunned Hotaru, covered in blood, standing over the dead body of her sister- the sister who had died to defend her.

Demetriana, Kagome tried out the name in her head. It sounded like someone from a myth, some impossibly beautiful, ethereal spirit that everyone tried to seek out for a blessing.

Makoto had also told her that Sojan had vowed to avenge the death of his sister, although Kagome had never heard anyone say her name before. Seeing Sojan in a new light, Kagome examined him more closely. Sojan had gold eyes, a startling contrast with the rest of his features. His skin was extremely pale, almost ridiculously white, and his black hair was cut loosely, letting it hang slightly in his eyes. Two, slim crystal droplets hung from his ears.

How strange, Kagome thought to herself. She'd never seen any of the men wear what could only be described as earrings. Though they didn't look bad on him- in fact, they seemed to suit him, making him appear like a fairy prince -they most definitely seemed like they would have belonged on a woman.

Everyone at the table was silent for a moment. At last, Serenity awkwardly mumbled:

"I'm sure she's glad to know you remember her, Sojan."

Sojan gently fingered one earring, "I hope so."

Noting the care with which he treated it, Kagome wondered, Those earrings...could they have been hers? Does he wear them to honor her? She couldn't begin to imagine how hard it was to have such a blatant reminder of someone you loved- someone who had tragically died -with you every day.

"I know she is," Serenity said quietly, sneaking a glance at Hotaru. Hotaru had turned away from the others, her eyes filled with tears. One of her elbows rested on the table, and she held up her head wearily. It was as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders- or at least the burden of having to live up to someone's memory.

The servants began to serve the food. Kagome stared at the spread of dishes before her- steak, salad, mountains upon mountains of vegetables, potatoes, a giant crystal bowl of exotic fruits...

"Your Royal Highness," one of the servants- whom Kagome recognized as Adira -curtsied to Serenity, "The count and countess left instructions for you. They said it was most important." She handed the piece of parchment to the blonde princess, who opened it and scanned the paper in disbelief.

Serenity sputtered, "Luna says we have to have specialized diets! To maximize our health and senshi powers! She left one for each of us!" Rei snatched the smaller papers out of her hands and passed them around.

Ami examined hers, then reached for a large steak. The girls mouths' dropped open. Ami normally preferred salad, with maybe a slice of grilled chicken. At the princesses' incredulous stares, Ami shrugged and said:

"Well, it only makes sense. When we are at our physical peak, our senshi powers will also increase." With that, she delicately cut the steak and began to eat. The other princesses (and the men, who had also received their own lists) followed her example.

Serenity was still shell-shocked, "But look at my list! It's terrible!" she showed it to Makoto, who raised her eyebrow:

"It says you need to eat lots of vegetables and less sweets, Serenity. Carrots are high on the list."

"Carrots?" Serenity moaned, "I HATE CARROTS!" She threw her head down on the table and groaned. Her blonde locks spilled everywhere, the end of one of her long ponytails finding its way into a soup bowl.

Kagome was utterly relieved that Serenity's antics had seemed to relieve the tension in the room. Everyone laughed, smiled, and began to converse, except for Serenity and Rei. Serenity was still bemoaning her carrots, and Rei was trying to get her to eat them, spooning the carrots together and aiming them towards Serenity's mouth, saying in a sing-song voice, "Come on, Serenity! Be a good girl and open up for the choo-choo train! CHOO-CHOO!"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh. She liked this side of the princesses- the giggly, fun-loving, and carefree side -much better than their serious, worried counterparts. They seemed the most free this way, outside the constraints of their royal roles.

Seizing the relaxed moment, Kagome took the opportunity to mention what had bothering her since the lunch began:

"Guys? Um...guys?"

Everyone was too wrapped up in their own conversations (or choo-choo-ing) to hear her. They were still smiling and laughing, their voices growing louder and louder.

At last, Kagome shouted, "GUYS!"

Abruptly, the entire room went silent. The princesses gazed at her, open-mouthed, while the men were clearly taken aback. Even the servants, who were busy clearing and adding plates, were surprised by her outburst. Now overly aware of the attention they paid her, Kagome blushed, then said meekly:

"Sorry for shouting," she smiled, "but I don't know who any of you gentlemen are. I'd just like to know your names if I'm going to have lunch with you." Self-consciously, she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. No one spoke for a moment, and Kagome wondered if maybe her request had been out of turn. What if she'd offended them? Lady Crotchford hadn't quite told her what to do once the conversation turned from dead relatives to orange vegetables when one didn't even KNOW the identities of those she was dining with.

Finally, Amarion spoke up:

"You know me, Kagome."

"Well, yes," she admitted, "But I don't know them." As one, the gentlemen stood.

"I am Prince Ryo," said the tall man with blue hair a slightly darker shade than Ami's, "older brother to Ami, and Mercury Knight."

"I am Prince Motoki," Motoki said, "Minako's younger brother, Rei's betrothed, and Venus Knight."

"And I am Prince Sojan," Sojan said, drawing himself up to his full height, "elder brother of Hotaru and the slain Demetriana, and Saturn Knight."

"Well then," Artemis' voice smoothly interrupted, "As you've already met, let's commence training now."


Kagome watched the practice fields from behind the fence as the princesses transformed once more. This time, though, they were accompanied by the knights. The princes appeared in polished armor the color of their planets, lined with white accents. Each bore a sword in their planetary color. Their planetary symbols blazed on their foreheads, unlike the princesses, whose royal marks were covered by their jeweled sailor tiaras.

The four knights shadowed the senshi. Mercury Knight of course went to guard Sailor Mercury, Venus Knight to Sailor Venus (although he would glance longingly every so often at Sailor Mars), Saturn Knight to Sailor Saturn, and Uranus Knight to Sailor Uranus.

Luna and Artemis bowed to the assembled group, then Artemis raised his head to address them:

"Your Royal Highness," he acknowledged Sailor Moon, "and Your Highnesses, it is an unprecedented event to have you all here, training together. In previous eons, you would be trained separately- knights with knights, senshi with senshi. However, you are all soldiers who defend and protect your planets. In this era, knights will have to stand beside and fight with senshi, and senshi will have to stand beside and fight with knights. Knights, you must stop following everything by military textbook. Senshi, you must learn to accept help."

Sailor Uranus snickered, but the others nodded. The knights and senshi regarded each other warily, as if unsure what to do with one another.

"Very well then," Luna said, "Let's begin. First, you will face some projections."

Projections? Kagome wondered. What can she be talking about?

As if in answer, Luna leaned up against the wall of the weapons shed and flicked an unseen switch. Immediately, one hundred shadowy figures appeared out of nowhere. Each flickered- clearly artificial -but their forms were hideous: giant centipedes, flying serpents, supernatural wolves with glowing teeth...

The senshi gasped, and the knights' eyes widened.

"What are THOSE things!" Serenity shrieked. She hung back, repulsed by the creatures.

"Those 'things,'" Artemis explained patiently, "are examples of the demons that currently ravage Earth. Our officers who have been assisting Queen Equinity with the attacks by the demons have saved archived footage of the demons they have fought- and destroyed. We have been able to manipulate the footage in order to create a training exercise for you."

"So..." Minako trailed off, "We have to fight them." She examined the writhing projections critically, up and down. She seemed to be searching for any sign of weakness in them.

"Yes," Luna said.

"Well then," Minako shrugged, and cast a glance to Setsuna, "What are we waiting for?" Setsuna twirled her Garnet Rod around once in answer. With that, the Senshi of Love and Beauty ran forward and began to kick and punch the demons.

Wow, Kagome thought in awe, She's...she's really good! Minako roughly threw a demon to the side, smashing the projection into another one. Both the projections hissed as they tumbled over and away. Meanwhile, a tide of four projections rushed toward Sailor Venus.

In response, she looked at them indignantly, then elegantly pointed a finger their way:

"VENUS! CRESCENT BEAM!" she called out, "SMASH!" A surge of golden light collected near her index finger before flashing once, then sailing out to obliterate the projections in front of her. They faded into nothing, and Sailor Venus quickly turned her attention to another demon.

Sailor Pluto, meanwhile, had been holding her own. She'd begun herding the projections into a circle by confusing them. Ingeniously, she traveled through time in a matter of seconds- seemingly appearing in numerous places at once. This caused the projections to go for each of the many different Sailor Plutos that appeared- Sailor Plutos who were no longer really there.

When Sailor Pluto had gathered about twenty altogether, she twirled her Garnet Rod triumphantly, and whispered:

"Dead Scream."

The pink ball of flaring energy which had so entranced the senshi during their previous practice made short work of the projections. They screamed as they were caught up in its wave, but none could escape the trap Sailor Pluto had set for them.

Finally, the other senshi and the knights seemed to snap out of their daze.

"Vile scum," Saturn Knight muttered, before he raised his sword and also ran to face off against a group of the wolves. Mercury, Venus, and Uranus Knights followed in his wake. Together, they formed a triangular formation with Saturn Knight at the head.

"SATURN! EXECUTIONER'S BLADE!" Saturn Knight shouted. His sword glowed with deep purple light, then became unnaturally sharp. He swung it around his head, and the circle of projections around him crumbled into dust, neatly sliced in two.

Kagome was impressed by Saturn Knight's ease with his sword. Mercury Knight seemed born to wield his sword as well- he was quickly dispatching projections left and right and even freezing other projections for the others to attack at their leisure. As she gazed at the knights, she couldn't help but feel that Sesshomaru would also have been wonderful with a sword. In fact, she thought he would have put all of them to shame. Kagome blushed as she began to have an entertaining fantasy, one in which Sesshomaru was defending her from a legion of soldiers.

Where is he, anyway? she thought idly, and a bit sadly, as she surreptitiously checked the gardens and the balconies of the palace for any sign of the demon prince- but saw nothing. She'd figured that after their conversation the other day, he would have at least come to training to see her again. She'd thought they'd shared something, but maybe not. Kagome sighed and trained her eyes back on the battle.

Uranus Knight lifted his own blade before turning around to cover Venus Knight- who instead of focusing on the projections before him was frantically observing the ones who were battling Sailor Mars. He roughly pushed the younger man backwards, then held his golden scimitar before him:

"URANUS! SPACE SWORD BLASTER!" Unlike Saturn Knight, Uranus Knight held his own blade in front of him, where the golden light grew and grew until the sword nearly crackled energy. He thrust the sword at the projections, and each of them disappeared in a brilliant flash of light.

Sailor Mars said, "Come on, girls! Why should we let the boys have all the fun?" She casually kicked a projection to her left, then shouted, "MARS! FIRE SOUL!" A fireball leapt from her finger tips, circling around and around before burning the closest ten projections.

"Agreed," Sailor Jupiter growled before prepping her own attack, "JUPITER! SUPREME THUNDER!" She jumped into the air and crossed her arms before her as electricity crackled around her tiara. When she threw her arms out, the electricity followed, spiraling out in a cascade of lightning. She too took down several projections.

Kagome watched them in a mixture of shock and envy. They were so different from their normal selves- she could hardly imagine Minako sucker punching anyone, but here she was, whacking every other projection, then smashing others with her energy powers. All the senshi seemed so sure of themselves and so confident in their powers that it seemed to be impossible for anything to defeat them. The knights were impressive as well. Kagome had never seen them fight before, but they worked together well, and almost more cohesively than the senshi. It was clear that they'd spent more time as a unit than the princesses.

I wonder if I'll ever be able to fight like that, Kagome mused. She imagined herself in the fuku of Sailor Sun, long gloves reaching up her arms, a beautiful golden tiara on her forehead-

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" the sickeningly sweet voice crowed- again.

Not likely, Kagome thought darkly, both about herself fighting as Sailor Sun and about Narchesa's apology as she saw her sister approach. Narchesa was already in her senshi uniform, but she looked about as ready to fight as an over-indulged kitten. She balked when she saw the projections, but quickly recovered and replaced her fear and confusion with her simpering smile.

The battle stopped abruptly, the senshi and the knights focusing their attention on the newcomer. Unsurprisingly, Luna and Artemis were annoyed at the interruption. Luna sighed and shut the switch, and the projections immediately disappeared.

"Princess Narchesa," Artemis addressed her, his tone thick with disapproval, "How kind of you to join us."

"Thank you," Narchesa smiled at them, "Again, I'm sorry. I just had a bit of a wardrobe issue-"

"You're wearing senshi fuku," Luna pointed out, eyes narrowed. Her arms were crossed in front of her.

All at once, Kagome understood why Lady Crawford had been so firm with the lateness. Luna and Artemis were clearly offended, and she doubted they'd even bother trying to help Narchesa today. A little guiltily, Kagome found she couldn't blame them.

"I know," Narchesa began, "but I had to be properly dressed for the Moon Kingdom, you know. And the gown I was planning to wear dragged in the mud, so of course I had to change it-"

"Princess Narchesa," Artemis sounded as if he wanted to laugh, "even if you were so concerned about your gown, no one would have likely noticed it. You're spending the majority of your training here in fuku. The last thing we care about is your gown! We care about your proper training as a Sailor Senshi!" For once, Narchesa seemed a little guilty. Her smile started to disappear. Before Luna and Artemis could berate her again, a soft smooth voice cut in:

"Hello, Count, Countess."

Artemis' and Luna's attention was diverted from Narchesa to a handsome couple standing in the grassy area just at the entrance to the practice fields. Disbelievingly, Kagome looked at them as well. Her eyes widened at the sight, and she felt her heart clench.

Kikyo wore a dark navy gown today. It was simpler than other gowns Kagome had seen her in, wrapping gently like a slim-fitting kimono around her body. It just brushed the ground, keeping it away from the dirt and mud Narchesa was so fearful of. Kikyo sported delicate slippers lined in silver stitching to match her gown. A sapphire choker rested on her throat. A thin silver circlet was on her forehead, a tiny sapphire swinging gently back and forth above the symbol of Andromeda on her brow.

Beside her, with one of her hands tucked under his arm, stood Sesshomaru. He had traded his normal white robes for navy ones to match Kikyo's. He did not wear a sapphire on his brow like her, but Kagome still kept her gaze fixed on his face for any sign of emotion.

Why...why is he...why is he with Kikyo? she thought frantically, Makoto said they didn't love each other...and the other day- I thought-

"Greetings, Your Imperial Highness," Luna curtsied, "It's wonderful to see you."

"And you, Countess," Kikyo replied. Her long black hair swayed elegantly in the wind. She looked every inch a princess. Sesshomaru's own white hair was delicately entwined with hers as the wind wrapped around both of them. They were absolutely perfect for each other.

Kagome wanted to kill her. Now she felt indignant for her sister. Why was Kikyo getting preferential treatment, anyway? Just because she was princess of a galaxy didn't mean she should be allowed to stroll in and interrupt practice whenever she wanted, especially when Narchesa was chastised for showing up late because she'd wanted to dress correctly!

"How was the meeting with Her Majesty?" Artemis inquired.

"It went very well, thank you," Kikyo smiled, "We were just discussing the civilization flourishing on Earth. Queen Serenity seems to be very intrigued by the planet, though my mother remembers when it was entirely barren. My mother and I are wondering if a crystal lies at its core, and perhaps that is the reason for its sudden prosperity." Luna and Artemis nodded gravely, as if entranced by Kikyo's words. Meanwhile, Kagome tried desperately to make eye contact with Sesshomaru, but the demon lord seemed determined not to notice her. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the count and countess. He too was apparently enthralled by Kikyo's conversation.

Luna abruptly straightened, then said as if she had snapped as if out of a daze, "Your Imperial Highness, are you also here to fulfill Queen Serenity's request?"

"Of course," Kikyo nodded vigorously, "I was honored by her invitation." Kagome could hardly bear to watch Kikyo and Sesshomaru anymore, and turned away a bit to her right.

For the first time, Kagome noticed the princess' bodyguard. He was dressed in his usual outfit of red, and leaning up against the control shed. He'd slunk in, unseen by the others, who were dazzled by Kikyo and Sesshomaru. His eyes were heavy-lidded and half closed, and his arms were crossed in front of him. Nevertheless, from what Kagome could see of him, he too was watching Kikyo and Sesshomaru, and he did not look happy. In fact, as Kagome squinted to see more of his eyes- which were a yellow, distinct from Sesshomaru's gold -he was downright angry.

What's his name again? Kagome struggled to remember, then all at once it came to her, Inuyasha. That's right. Inuyasha. Sesshomaru's brother.

It was still hard for her to accept that Sesshomaru had a brother, let alone that he was Kikyo's bodyguard. He seemed a far cry from the sad little boy from Sesshomaru's story. Still, as she compared the two now, she could see definite similarities between them: the long white hair, the strange eye color, the same intensity in their gazes...

"Very well," Artemis' response attracted Kagome's attention again. He turned to the senshi and the knights and said:

"Queen Serenity asked that Princess Kikyo assist you all in your training as a senshi, and she has graciously accepted."

Kagome's mouth dropped open.

As Kikyo revealed a gorgeous black star-shaped locket, raised it to the sky, and shouted, "ANDROMEDA GALACTIC POWER, MAKE-UP!" Kagome couldn't see how this could get any worse.


She was proven wrong when Sesshomaru walked over to her side of the fence and stood next to her. She tried to ignore how handsome he looked in his blue robes.

"Good afternoon, Kagome," he said. Although he didn't smile, his tone was warmer than she'd ever heard it.

Kagome didn't bother replying. Instead, she deliberately stared at the practice field and pursed her lips. Watching the senshi and the knights was preferable to talking to the demon lord right now.

The count and countess has ordered up a new round of projections. The senshi were trying to fight, but were utterly in awe of Kikyo, who took out whole scores of them by herself. Aside from her incredible power and technique, she also had a distinctly different fuku from the other senshi. Her bodysuit was black as as the night sky, with long elegant silver gloves stretching up nearly to her shoulders. Her skirt and collar were both dark purple- even darker than Sailor Saturn's colors -and a transparent layer of black silk was also visible under her skirt. Her tiara was silver, and marked with a black star with a purple jewel in its very center. Her bows were both white, and silver stars accented many portions of her fuku- earrings, collar, and skirt. She sported thigh high black boots. Like Sailor Pluto, she also carried a talisman in the form of a staff which Luna referred to as the "Orb of the Andromeda."

Sailor Andromeda apparently had a variety of attacks, but she used two frequently, and to devastating effect:

"ANDROMEDA! BLACK HOLE! COLLAPSE!" in which she twirled her staff once, then slammed it into the ground, which caused a black hole to form, suck in a variety of projections, then close on them, as well as

"ANDROMEDA! STELLAR INCINERATION!" in which she twirled her staff numerous times, causing bright stars to cascade out of the talisman and rush into numerous projections, destroying them instantly.

The other senshi- especially Sailor Venus and Sailor Pluto -tried their best to keep up with her. Sailor Moon seemed more overwhelmed than anything else, but threw her tiara around with gusto whenever she got the chance. The knights also tried to keep up with her, slashing left and right. Still, for every three projections the others destroyed, Kikyo destroyed twelve.

Sesshomaru, upon observing the battle, commented, "None of them know what they're doing. The knights can't break military formation to actually FIGHT. Not everything is going to operate by textbook standards. The senshi don't seem to know how to work together to begin with. No one is strategizing at all. In a real battle, they'd be quickly defeated."

Kagome still didn't want to talk with him- she was stung by him ignoring her for Kikyo -but she had to admit he had a point. The knights were stiff, and if someone so much as tripped the wrong way, Sojan was incensed and they had to start all over again. The senshi didn't seem to grasp the concept of being a team, and each of them worked alone. It made them vulnerable to attack, especially as no one was watching out for the other. Most interestingly, the knights and the senshi didn't combine their powers. It was if none of them noticed that the other group was there at all.

The only one who this seemed to have no effect on was Kikyo, who was quite capable of handling herself. As she obliterated yet another round of projections, Sesshomaru commented:

"Princess Kikyo, however, is fighting admirably."

Kagome merely humphed in response, then rolled her eyes.

Geez, does he have to rub it in? I mean, I get she's super pretty and they're betrothed, but really, do we have to go on about what a perfect soldier she is too?

Finally realizing there was something amiss, Sesshomaru turned to Kagome, eyes full of concern, and asked, "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome merely glared at him, then sighed and returned to watching the battle. The demon lord was clearly taken aback, and he questioned warily:

"Kagome?"

Before she could even think about whether to dignify him with a reply, Sailor Andromeda called out. Apparently, Luna and Artemis had decided to turn off the projections, and were currently berating the knights and senshi for not following the initial advice they had been given. They wanted Sailor Andromeda and Sesshomaru to demonstrate.

"My lord, the count and countess would like us to fight together! They want us to show the princes and princesses how to work as a group and also how to improvise! If you would please...?" Sailor Andromeda trailed off. The whole company's attentions were now fixed on Sesshomaru, who was still gazing at Kagome in confusion and concern.

The silence dragged on.

At last, he gave a short bow to Kagome and said, "I am sorry for whatever I have done to offend you, Your Highness."

Then he left to join the senshi and the knights on the practice field, where of course, he put all the knights to shame with his swordsmanship, as Kagome knew he would.


"Oh, my back!" Serenity complained as they finally returned to the Moon Palace after practice. The exhausted senshi and knights followed in her wake.

"What a practice!" Minako said, "I'm absolutely covered in sweat!" She gestured to her fuku to demonstrate, "I'm so gross I'm not even going to change into my gown until I shower!"

"Well," Rei retorted, "You all should be ready for my party tonight!" she smiled wide, "It's going to be amazing!"

"Wouldn't miss it," Amarion winked at her. The others laughed, even Sojan, who had been stoic throughout the practice. The knights waved as they left to go change in the men's locker room (the locker rooms were located close to the practice fields. Usually the guards used them, but now the knights and senshi did as well). The senshi wearily waved back.

"You know," Michiru said, "I know it was hard...but watching Kikyo- imagine what we could be like!" Setsuna smiled, and Haruka nodded in agreement.

"Definitely. She was amazing. I'd be proud to be able to fight like her. In fact, I fully intend to," Haruka gratefully accepted a wet towel from one of the servants as they headed into the women's locker room. The other princesses guzzled from water bottles that had been provided for them. Only Hotaru was hesitant. She still seemed sad, and not ready to accept the mantle Demetriana had left behind. She gingerly sipped her own water, but the other princesses didn't notice.

Makoto undid her hair, shaking out her long brown locks, "Me too. And I have to say, Lord Sesshomaru wasn't that bad either." She pointedly ignored Serenity's gasp of shock.

"Not bad?" Ami said, wrapping a towel around herself as she prepared to go shower, "He was fantastic! The other knights only had a striking accuracy of about 60% to 70%. Sesshomaru's was around 99%!"

Took them long enough to notice, Kagome grumbled to herself. She found herself alternating hating and being proud of Sesshomaru for his actions today. She couldn't stand being confused, and her mood was only worsening with the princess' discussion.

Fortunately for Kagome, Rei was solely concerned with her coming out party. She was frantically scrubbing herself in the shower, and kept conversing with the others through the curtain. At the moment, she yelled:

"Either way, I don't really care about Sesshomaru right now! There's only one guy I'm concerned about!" Her voice was slightly muffled by the water, but they could still hear her loud and clear.

Setsuna asked, "Is this the mysterious Lord Jedite we've heard so much about?" She was brushing her green hair, and a small smile played at her lips. The other princesses giggled. Rei shouted indignantly:

"SETSUNA! That's not fair! You already know everything, don't you?"

The elder princess laughed, "Well, not quite, Rei. I know SOME things. I haven't been allowed to travel into the future yet, but I have been allowed to go into the past. Let me tell you, Jedite was quite the...interesting child." Michiru, who was pulling on a soft blue shift, raised her eyebrow. Minako, however, was the more demanding of the two. She strode up to Setsuna and said:

"Interesting how?"

"Well," Setsuna smirked, "It seems he was afraid of spiders."

"Arachnophobia?" Ami called from the shower. As usual, she was on top of the information and technical terms.

Serenity jumped to Jedite's defense (no doubt because he was Endymion's friend), "Well, it's a natural fear. I mean, I'm afraid of spiders. They're disgusting!" She made a face, wrinkling her nose.

"Well, yes," Setsuna's smirk only grew wider, "but it seems that whenever Jedite ran into a spider, he wet his pants." The princesses burst into laughter, even Hotaru. Kagome couldn't help laughing too. She couldn't imagine Jedite, who was so suave at the ball, as wetting his pants. Now that she thought about it...it was quite a comical image, actually. The famous Earthan general who had led numerous campaigns, wetting his pants at the sight of a simple spider!

"Doesn't matter!" Rei sing-songed from her own shower stall, "I don't care! He's perfect, fear of spiders or otherwise." As she stepped out of the shower, elegantly wrapping a towel around her head, and a second around her body, she cast hopeful eyes on the princesses.

"I want him to be my date tonight," she declared. Serenity's mouth dropped open, and the princesses stared at her with glances of sympathy.

"Rei," Makoto sighed, "You know that's not going to happen. You're betrothed to Motoki," she looked Rei straight in the eye, "Besides, it's not as if your parents are going to invite the Earthans anyway."

"Don't you think the invite is a little late?" Ami interjected.

"Well, I invited Kagome this morning!" Rei retorted. Her eyes flashed.

"Yes," Makoto said patiently, "This morning. Kagome's had a little time to prepare. If you were going to invite the Earthans now, they'd have barely two and a half hours to get ready, never mind arrive-"

The conversation was cut off by the arrival of Kikyo. The beautiful princess had stayed behind to discuss training tips with Luna and Artemis, but she had apparently finished and found the locker room on her own. Kagome had churlishly hoped that she would get lost, or maybe snobbily insist on a private changing room, but obviously Kikyo was just too perfect.

Kagome sighed. She didn't really hate the princess. In fact, from her limited interactions with her, Kikyo seemed very kind and gracious. Kagome was just upset with Sesshomaru for spending time with her when he could have spending time with Kagome. After the other day, she had felt so connected with Sesshomaru, as if they'd shared an important bond. He'd seemed to think she was important then. He'd told him to call her by his first name!

But if he really thought she was important, why did he act like nothing was wrong? Why did he show up at practice with Kikyo today?

"Hello," Kikyo said. She accepted a water bottle from Haruka with a polite 'thank you,' and gratefully sipped some of the cool liquid. She sat down on a chair, seemingly content to chat with the princesses.

The other princesses murmured soft hellos, apparently all clammed up now. None of them were sure if Rei wanted the Andromedan royal to know about her love for Jedite. It probably wouldn't be a good subject to bring up. However, Kikyo was very astute, and knew immediately by the suddenly quiet princesses that she'd walked in on something important.

"Don't stop on my account," she said sincerely. There was long a moment of silence, then Rei said:

"I know, Makoto. But I still want Jedite to be my date."

"Rei!" Minako hissed warningly. She (not so) surreptitiously tilted her head towards Kikyo, who stifled a giggle. The other girls looked at the princess incredulously. That was not the reaction they'd been expecting.

"Jedite?" Kikyo inquired, one eyebrow raised, "Who is he?"

"Lord Jedite of the Shitennou States, protector and best friend of Prince Endymion of Earth," Rei said impatiently, "I love him-"

"Oh, no. Here she goes again," Ami sighed.

"-and I want him to be my date to my coming out party tonight. However, I'm betrothed to Motoki, who's about as romantic as that wall." Kikyo laughed, the sound like a peal of twinkling bells.

"However," Makoto cut in, "Rei's parents would never invite the Earthan royals, never mind so close to the party."

Kikyo folded her hands in her lap, as if deep in thought. After a few moments, she stood up, gathered her things, and began to walk towards the door. As she opened the door to leave, she turned over her shoulder and said simply:

"Princess Rei, if I'm not mistaken, I'm also going to your ball tonight as the official representative of the Empire of the Galaxy of Andromeda. Might I add that as the Princess of Andromeda I am very interested in meeting the royals of this new civilization. Perhaps you could pass the word onto your parents."

With that, Kikyo winked and swept off into the palace.

"Did she just suggest what I think she just suggested?" Serenity asked, stunned. The princesses were open-mouthed in astonishment, including Kagome.

Grudgingly, she conceded, Maybe there's more to Kikyo than meets the eye.

The other princesses seemingly agreed, as Minako gleefully said:

"Oh, she most definitely did."

They all looked at each other, weighing the idea in their minds.

"Go on," Haruka urged Rei, eyes twinkling, "I dare you."

Rei smiled.


Author's Note:

Hello all! I apologize for the long wait in the updates, but I had two exams and that took up tons of time. In addition, this chapter was a bit difficult to write...it serves largely as a transition to the next chapter (which I am already working on). Either way, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Love,

Ladykikyo1792