Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon does not belong to me.
Author's notes: Thank you to all the loyal reviewers and constructive critics. I see many of the same people sending reviews, and I cannot possibly express my gratefulness. Life is painfully short, and yet a handful of wonderful people take a little time out of their lives to say kind and inspirational things to me. You people know who you are.Thank you.
And special thanks to these lovely people who've made me one of their favorite authors:
thescientist
himitsu-no-hi (You're too sweet! Every one of your reviews is uplifting!)
kiki054
Sereanlae
guardianmercury
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
denotes mental messages (Senshi communicate privately this way to each other, and Shittenou do the same. Blood relations can also communicate mentally.)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Winning Losers
Chapter 11: So We Meet Again
The servant's words echoed in Princess Serenity's ears, but she refused to believe she'd heard them. A fainting spell would have been welcome, but she was too shocked to even think about it. The handkerchief she had been wringing earlier was forgotten, now trampled delicately under her satin slipper.
The servant could not bring himself to look up from his kneeling position, to look at the stricken face of his princess. With diffident reluctance, he delivered the damning news to the Queen and her daughter. The grim silence in the room drove him to nervous sweating and uncontrollable trembling. If he had gathered the courage to stand up, he probably would have slipped in his own puddle of perspiration. The embarrassment appealed infinitely to him compared to his present state of tortuous insecurity.
Finally, after a pause that felt like an eternity, Queen Serenity told the servant to stand. He followed her instruction, but he still refused to meet either of his sovereigns in the eye.
"Why was I not informed of Viscount Edgeworth's arrival?" she gently questioned, aware of the young lad's sweat-stained shirt.
"I-I do not know, your Highness. No one in the office knew that he w- would be coming today, but he insists th-that he had scheduled a meeting with the princess two days i-in advance."
"Who received that message?" she demanded, still using a placid tone.
"That is the strange part, your Highness. No one remembers Viscount Edgeworth ever calling the office to set up a specific appointment. I have asked everyone, even the people who do not usually answer the telephones, but no one claims to have marked the calendar."
Queen Serenity nodded her head solemnly. "That is understandable. The palace has been in a chaotic bustle since news of the Terran royalty's arrival. Papers could have been lost in the harried process. We cannot help that. Where is the viscount now?"
"He is in the informal parlor, your Highness."
"Alright. Thank you, you may return to your duties."
The servant bowed quickly to Serenity and Serenity the younger before nearly running out the door.
Queen Serenity looked apologetically at her daughter while the latter stared blankly ahead of her. "Sere, dear," her mother called, pulling her out of her empty gaze. "We cannot simply turn the viscount away, for he apparently already scheduled a meeting with you."
"I know, Mother, but why now? Can't he wait a little longer?" Serenity's protest sounded weak, and she knew it, but she was desperate. Any minute now, Endymion could walk through the portal into her welcoming arms. For eight long years, she waited patiently to see her best friend from Earth, but now this damn viscount had to come and interfere. Furthermore, it was another stupid attempt at courtship, and she would rather tie a noose around her neck than allow the viscount to kiss her royal hand. Her priority was not entertaining another likely pervert for the sake of political correctness.
"It would be rude to force a guest to wait, Sere. You know that. I know you were terribly looking forward to seeing Prince Endymion, but duty is duty. Io is a valuable provider of resources, so it would not do to offend its viscount."
The princess sighed deeply. It was a sigh of defeat.
Sympathetically, her mother patted her cheek. In an effort to console the crestfallen princess, she said, "Our Terran friends will still be here when you finish attending to the viscount, and they'll be staying for a long time. An hour away from Prince Endymion is nothing, especially since you'll be spending every waking moment with him until he leaves, I imagine."
That brought a smile to Serenity's lips. Her mother was not far from the truth.
"Okay Mama. I will go and slay the disruptive dragon to uphold the honor of our kingdom, and I'll manage to escape with my life." She gave a mock salute before marching with exaggerated gallantry toward the door. Her mother's chiming laughter followed her out.
Inside the Lunar Temple, Queen Serenity, Luna and Artemis waited nervously for the portal to emerge. If a glitch was present in the time and space continuum, the Terran royals could find themselves in the volcanoes of Europa. Standing quietly at the side were the inner planet princesses. Their posture was rigid and their faces unemotional. To face the Shittenou, the four girls prepared themselves by becoming the embodiment of cold cordiality. They were mature ladies now, so silly pranks and mud slinging were out of the question. A princess of the Silver Millennium and a Senshi of the crown Moon princess should be cool, collected, and unreservedly intimidating.
The Senshi changed into more appropriate attire, it being simple yet semi-formal dresses, for the occasion. Greeting the guests in their Senshi uniform might put them on the defensive side or just thoroughly offend them. The skirts were unorthodoxly short, for easier movement, but the traditionalist Earth people were not accustomed to the outlandish style of the galaxy around them. The girls were not little girls anymore, so the length of the Sailor skirt would have seemed much more scandalous than before. Ami hated the barely-there skirts but detested nitpicking over insignificant material things. To compromise, she wore long blue boots to cover more of her legs.
The flashing rays of brilliant light blinded them from their thoughts. In an awesome show of luminosity, the beams reflected off the mirror situated in the middle of the marble floor to create a vibrant white door. First, two shadows appeared, one a head taller than the other, followed by five masculine silhouettes. As quickly as the bright glow came, it disappeared, leaving the occupants of the room to adjust their eyes to the dim lighting again.
If taking a cursory look, Queen Gwendolyn looked not a day older than the last time Queen Serenity had seen her. However, upon closer inspection, one would observe the sprinkling of white hairs at her temple, disturbing the flowing inky darkness of her long mane, and see the almost imperceptible wrinkles at the corners of her vivid magenta eyes. Each white hair and each wrinkle told a story of sleepless nights and endless days of toil. These subtle signs of age and stress worried Serenity the elder, but the sparkle of youthful verve in the light ruby eyes told her to banish every concern.
And then they grinned mischievously at each other. Queen Gwendolyn let go of her husband's supporting hands, and the two queens rushed together in a tight hug, laughing and crying simultaneously.
As light and touching as the sight was, the eight younger spectators on the sidelines were dark and cheerless. The Senshi refused to look at the Shittenou, and vice versa, except maybe at each other's shoes. Despite their claims of total indifference, they were not ready to face each other- civilly, at least. There were no "how d'you do's" or even a succinct "welcome". Silence was the more comfortable alternative.
Still, the emotional reunion of the two women brought a genuine smile to their faces. 'At least someone will enjoy this excursion,' mused Kunzite, still not meeting the eyes of the Senshi leader across from him.
"We have much to say to each other, I bet," Serenity said to her best friend.
"Indeed we do," the latter agreed warmly, "but we've plenty of bonding time for later. I believe we need to start reintroductions now."
After giving them their space for an expressive greeting, King James joined his wife and said to Serenity, "Well, hallo, hallo Serenity. As busy as ever and yet still as lovely as you were in your debutante days."
"Still quite the ladies' man, are you James? How your compliments do get old," teased Serenity. "Better watch out, Gwen. You may have to put this old dog on a leash."
"Oh please, I have this man wrapped around my little finger," Gwendolyn boasted.
James nodded subserviently. "I'm a reformed rakehell, I am. And as a notorious gentlemen of experience, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm in love with and scared of my wife."
"Good boy," said his wife as she patted him under his gray beard. It was then that Serenity noticed he'd grown a beard. He too seemed a little older, but she pushed those thoughts aside. Like Gwendolyn had pointed out, they would have plenty time to talk about their lives thus far.
Up to this point, Prince Endymion had stood quietly and politely, searching for the possible face of his good friend Princess Serenity. He looked at the four well-dressed young women, none of which had the signature hairstyle of the Lunarian royalty. 'Why isn't she here to see me?' he thought, more than a bit hurt.
Queen Serenity sensed his distress, but before talking to him, she studied him carefully, though only in a cursory glance, with her shrewd silver-blue eyes. He had grown very well, so much different from the unassuming and tenderhearted boy she last saw. Also, there was more to his searching glance than just curiosity for her daughter's absence. Finally, she turned away from her good friends to properly greet their son.
"Hello, Endymion. My, you've grown into a very handsome man. When I last saw you, you were only yay high." She held her hand up to her waist to demonstrate. "I remember the potential I first saw in you. I expect that you've excelled in your studies and training."
"Thank you, your Highness," he said, bowing. "I've done my best in all areas, for I would hate to return and disappoint you by not meeting your expectations. It would break my heart to lose your high esteem of me, Queen Serenity," he added smilingly.
His comments made the queen chuckle. "My goodness, James, what have you been teaching the boy? He sounds exactly like you, with all those pretty words."
"I swear, I put none of those words in his mouth! I guess it just comes naturally in the Anima-Mundi blood," said the king, patting his son's shoulder proudly.
Endymion couldn't wait any more. "Excuse me, your Highness, but where is Princess Serenity? Why is she not here?" 'To see me,' he mentally added.
"I'm very sorry, Endymion. I know you were looking forward to seeing my daughter, but we have an unexpected visitor in the palace that has requested her company. She is with Viscount Edgeworth of Io, but she will join us around dinnertime."
"Unexpected? Did the man not have the courtesy to call first?"
"Supposedly, he had already called our offices.but that is another story. Do not fret, prince. It is already almost sunset."
Endymion's expression was clearly one of disappointment, but he nodded his head in understanding.
"Luna! Artemis!" exclaimed Gwendolyn. "I didn't notice you in the shadows over there, and it's not like Artemis to keep quite!"
"Welcome, your Majesties," said the two advisors.
"You know better than to use formalities with us," hollered the king jovially. "We've known each other too long to deal with that 'your Majesty' twaddle!"
Artemis smiled cattily. "Of course, of course, James my man. But my loverly Luna over here insisted that we be 'proper', whatever that means."
"I just didn't want anyone to be offended," stated Luna defensively. "I'm not so careless as you are, Artemis."
"Ouch, Luna. You have no idea how your words strike a dagger through my heart."
Upon hearing his feigned pain, Gwendolyn said, "Still haven't gotten on her good side yet, eh Art?"
Artemis clutched his heart and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, throwing himself into his silly-ass romantic-in-distress role. "I've devoted more than half of my life expressing my love to the fair lady, and yet she acts as if I do not exist! However can I make her return my honest affections? Oh woe is me, woe is me!"
Luna crossed her arms across her chest and looked stubbornly away, blushing all the while, much to the amusement of everyone else. "Hush your mouth, you scamp. We're too old for these ridiculous games." The damning truth of the matter was that Artemis did express his feelings to her on a daily basis, as luridly and obscenely as he could, just so he could savor her pretty blush. How he made her so uncomfortable, when nothing else ever could, confused Luna to no end.
"Ah, but one is never too old for lo-"
"I believe," Luna interrupted before he could finish his sentence, "that we have been neglecting these fine gentlemen over here." She motioned to the Shittenou, who, in response, walked toward Queen Serenity and bowed to her.
"Your Highness, I am Kunzite Acoupsur, king of the Northern Hemisphere and first commander of the Shittenou."
"Nephrite Jusdivinum, king of the Southern Hemisphere and second in command, at your service."
"Jadeite Amerveille, king of the Western Hemisphere and joint third commander, at your disposal."
"Zoisite Aufait, king of the Eastern Hemisphere and joint third commander, ready to assist."
She nodded approvingly at them. In all sincerity and kindness, she said, "I needn't have to ask. One look at you four tells me that Earth is in good hands."
Kunzite was very pleased, for such a compliment, especially from the queen of the Silver Millennium, was extremely high praise. The other three kings were humbled not only by her acclaim but also by her illustrious person. Zoisite and Jadeite were never humbled, yet the honorable Queen Serenity had to be the only person in whose presence they remembered their manners. The Shittenou really liked her. They just didn't like her daughter's guardians.
"The Shittenou are my personal bodyguards as well as rulers of their respective lands," Endymion elaborated. "Under the Terrestrial Decree of 1011, they can regulate trade, control taxes, pass laws, veto supreme court decisions, and raise armies for their own nation, but all four work in an alliance under my father. They are my father's key cabinet members of the Terran administration. It is their job to act as universal ambassadors and commanding generals of the Royal Allied Terran Army."
"Impressive," stated Queen Serenity. "Now it is my turn to brag about my daughter's Senshi." At the queen's cue, the Senshi stepped up to the crown Terran family and curtseyed. "I'm sure you remember the inner princesses of the Silver Millennium, right Gwen?"
"How can I forget!" Gwendolyn exclaimed. She was very fond of the four spirited girls and admired their individuality. 'Exceptionally different from all other princesses,' she remembered, 'and yet more regal than all of them put together.'
"The Senshi, like the Shittenou, are Princess Serenity's guardians and heiresses to their own respective planets. With their unequalled background in combat, each one heads a department of the Silver Millennium's military: the Royal Navy, the air force, the dry army, and a special fleet of clairvoyants and sorcerers called the Royal Panacea. Also, I send them as my governmental representatives. They will one day serve as my daughter's court once she inherits the throne."
"Welcome back to the Moon, your Majesties," greeted the princesses together. Then, the queen began reintroducing them to their guests. Each girl stepped forward at the mention of her name.
"Minako Aino, crown princess of Venus, leader of the Senshi, and head of the Royal Air Force. Crown princess Makoto Kino of Jupiter, controller of the Royal Land Army. Princess Ami Mizuno, future queen of Mercury and supervisor of the Royal Navy."
Gwendolyn had heard rumors of the girls' celebrated beauty; both peasants and aristocrats raved about their legendary looks, but she was not prepared for seeing them herself. Neither were the Shittenou. Once each of the four kings had finally mustered the courage to look at his old nemesis, he desperately wished he hadn't. The rumors did not serve the girls justice. Compared to looking at the girls in person, the rumors of their beauty were in fact dirty insults.
"Oh goodness," murmured Gwendolyn. "Heavenly, just heavenly."
"I've got plenty o' unattached male relatives who'd love to make your acquaintances!" blurted King James, earning him his wife's elbow in his gut.
Ami blushed furiously, for she wasn't used to people giving her compliments, making her look even prettier than possible. Zoisite felt the blood rush to his cheeks too, but miraculously and to his relief, it didn't show. He was feeling unusually warm despite the recent chill and was tempted to loosen his collar. 'I must be coming down with something,' he thought, blaming the sudden change in weather a little too strongly.
Makoto and Minako beamed at the king's generous, if rude, compliment. Nephrite and Kunzite had never seen smiles as alluring or as endearing as those of the two maidens'.
Snap out of it, men! ordered Kunzite vehemently. Remember: looks can be deceiving. And like I always say, women are--
--Lying, conniving, secretive, two-faced, cold-blooded snakes, recited the other three dully. (AN: refer to Chapter 7: "Hair Today, Fair Tomorrow" for the same anti-women statement.) In other cases, they would have ignored Kunzite's predictably forceful warning, but that particular day gave new meaning to his favorite saying. The Senshi's angelic appearances were alarmingly disarming, but how could one forget their deviltry during their childhood days? The Shittenou surely never forgot.
It was then that the Senshi chose to take a good look at their reviled rivals. Then they did a double take. What they saw was nothing what they expected. What they expected was what they hoped for, and what they hoped for was a group of disheveled, greasy, hairy, foul-smelling, clumsy, lanky and/or grossly obese men who could easily be the target of malicious insults. Unfortunately for the Senshi, the Shittenou were the exact opposite.
Minako almost wished she hadn't made Kunzite's hair white. His colorless locks against his tanned skin gave him an exotic appeal and added more sophistication to his well-defined face. Regardless of the fact that she was responsible for his pale hair, she hated him for it anyway.
Makoto, who was never prone to fainting spells, suddenly felt lightheaded. Almost every man she met was a couple inches shorter than her 6'2, and she liked having that upper hand. She did not appreciate the fact that Nephrite was taller than her. Makoto felt like he was threatening her, even though he wasn't doing anything.
Ami's expression returned to being distant and unreadable. Displaying emotions - fear, anger, curiosity, loathing, nervousness, and interest - was a damaging habit. She scrutinized the Shittenou as if they were her lab rats, noting every move they made and committing to memory every one of their unique features. Her scrutiny lastly fell on King Zoisite. 'The rumors are factual,' thought Ami dispassionately. 'He's a preppy pretty boy.'
Finally, Serenity motioned to Rei. Gwendolyn actually gasped upon seeing her niece once removed. The resemblance between Gwendolyn's cousin, Rei's mother, and Rei was startling. "My darling Rei," breathed Gwendolyn, kissing Rei's cheek. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here to watch you grow, but I see you've matured into the loveliest of ladies. My little girl.where has she gone?" Regretful tears started to shine in her deep magenta eyes. She had wanted to be Rei's maternal figure through the turbulent teenage years, especially because Rei's mother passed away unexpectedly after Rei turned thirteen. Alas, circumstances on Earth interfered.
"I'm still here, Auntie Gwen, and it was certainly not your fault," Rei said affectionately as she embraced the elder woman. "I've missed you, but now you are here, so that is all that truly matters. Has Uncle James given you many headaches?" she added, trying to get her aunt to smile.
Uncle James snorted. "I'll have you know, Rei my girl, that I have been on good behavior and that young ones like yourself should not be concerned about such things."
"Aw, still bitter over your defeat in our archery contest, dearest uncle?"
"Hmph. I let you win that game. Now that you're probably more experienced than before, I demand a rematch so I can show you my true skill with the bow and arrow!"
"All bark and no bite," quipped Endymion, drawing out a dark scowl from his father. Rei immediately grinned at Endymion, and he matched it with an exultant grin of his own before suffocating her in a tremendous bear hug.
"How've you been, favorite cousin of mine?" he asked as he swung her around and around. "I see that the palace is not a pile of smoking rubble, so I'm guessing the years have treated you well."
"Cousin Endy, ever the charmer. Who'd have thought that you had enough brains in that thick head of yours to come up with a comeback? But let us not forget that a comeback is not a comeback if it is delivered eight years too late."
"For your information, I have an incredibly good-looking thick head."
"Now, now, children," said Queen Serenity in mock scolding, "We still have to present Rei to refresh the minds of the Shittenou. Gentlemen, this is Rei Hino, the Martian crown princess and chief of the Royal Panacea."
Although she was not a blood relation, James adored Rei like the daughter he'd always wanted. She and Endymion were already like siblings ever since they wore diapers. He was also as paranoid as a father, so seeing Rei all developed and divine made him vow to find her a worthy husband. Of course, he did not voice these thoughts for she would have surely blown a gasket, but he did say, "You are definitely Azalynn's daughter. When your mother was your age, she was called 'the rose of the galaxy'."
And she's just as thorny, too sneered Jadeite, but he couldn't deny, nor would he admit, that she was indeed 'the rose of the galaxy'. He would stick a needle in both of his eyes before admitting that she physically interested him.
Rei took a little time to examine the Shittenou. 'They're handsome, I'll give them that,' she thought, electing to be blunt with herself, which was what she always did. 'But the better a man looks, the more dangerous and troublesome he is.' According to her logic, that made Jadeite, in her opinion, a very dangerous and troublesome man.
"With presentations out of the way," announced Queen Serenity, "I wish you a merry stay here in my palace. Please, make yourselves at home, for-what was it, two and a half months?-is no short period of time."
"Thank you for your hospitality, your Highness."
"No, no, thank you for gracing me with your company."
Endymion turned blithely to his second cousin. "Well Cousin Rei, since time so generously permits it, how 'bout we have some family bonding time? Just you and me, squirt, like old times." His tone was lighthearted, but Rei heard something akin to urgency that no one else could hear. By looking into his incisive indigo eyes, she also saw the passing of a deeper meaning. Nodding wordlessly, she took his arm, and the two walked away from the rest of the group. Endymion smiled down at her. If anyone could understand him, it was Rei.
How come you get to leave? And not even take us with you?! whined Minako, expressing Ami's and Makoto's exact sentiments.
Sorry guys. Family thing, Rei vaguely offered. And handling the Shittenou can't be _that_ bad.
Shut up, Rei-chan. Just shut up.
I love you guys, too. Don't enjoy yourselves too much without me.
If they made it through the day alive, they would make sure to murder dear friend Rei-chan. At the moment, they could only watch her lucky, retreating back with longing.
"Dinner is still a couple hours away, Gwen," observed Serenity. "Care for some of Makoto's amazing tea and pastries?"
"I'll always care for her tea and pastries. By the by, my dear Makoto, you still need to give me your recipe."
Makoto nodded enthusiastically. She was proud that the Terran queen had a penchant for her baking. Nevertheless, it was no surprise. Makoto Kino's culinary skill rivaled that of the best chefs in the universe. When she was younger, her governesses and advisors forbade her to step foot in a kitchen since a princess was not fit to be a soot-covered cook. In spite of that, she imperturbably disobeyed them, and a taste of her delightful dishes was enough to convince them to allow her to submerge in her hobby. Over the years, and especially following The Tragedy (AN: "The Tragedy" will be explained in a later chapter), fine cuisine developed into more than a hobby. It was her means of therapy.
"You kids run along now," advised Serenity. "If you need us, we shall be in the private faux dining room. Care to join us, Luna? Artemis?"
"Dainty tea and me? With *three* superior crowned heads? Priceless!" Artemis crowed.
"I believe that what this incorrigible rascal is trying to say is that we would be delighted to join your Majesties," explained Luna in a voice of practiced grace and strained patience, glaring evilly at Artemis all the while.
The three high monarchs and the two Lunarian advisors departed, leaving the Shittenou and the Senshi to drown in awkwardness and uncertainty.
The princesses stared sullenly at the four men. The kings stared dolefully back at the three remaining princesses.
It was going to be a long day.
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Happy New Year! May the year 2003 bring nothing but the best to you all!
Author's notes: Thank you to all the loyal reviewers and constructive critics. I see many of the same people sending reviews, and I cannot possibly express my gratefulness. Life is painfully short, and yet a handful of wonderful people take a little time out of their lives to say kind and inspirational things to me. You people know who you are.Thank you.
And special thanks to these lovely people who've made me one of their favorite authors:
thescientist
himitsu-no-hi (You're too sweet! Every one of your reviews is uplifting!)
kiki054
Sereanlae
guardianmercury
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
denotes mental messages (Senshi communicate privately this way to each other, and Shittenou do the same. Blood relations can also communicate mentally.)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Winning Losers
Chapter 11: So We Meet Again
The servant's words echoed in Princess Serenity's ears, but she refused to believe she'd heard them. A fainting spell would have been welcome, but she was too shocked to even think about it. The handkerchief she had been wringing earlier was forgotten, now trampled delicately under her satin slipper.
The servant could not bring himself to look up from his kneeling position, to look at the stricken face of his princess. With diffident reluctance, he delivered the damning news to the Queen and her daughter. The grim silence in the room drove him to nervous sweating and uncontrollable trembling. If he had gathered the courage to stand up, he probably would have slipped in his own puddle of perspiration. The embarrassment appealed infinitely to him compared to his present state of tortuous insecurity.
Finally, after a pause that felt like an eternity, Queen Serenity told the servant to stand. He followed her instruction, but he still refused to meet either of his sovereigns in the eye.
"Why was I not informed of Viscount Edgeworth's arrival?" she gently questioned, aware of the young lad's sweat-stained shirt.
"I-I do not know, your Highness. No one in the office knew that he w- would be coming today, but he insists th-that he had scheduled a meeting with the princess two days i-in advance."
"Who received that message?" she demanded, still using a placid tone.
"That is the strange part, your Highness. No one remembers Viscount Edgeworth ever calling the office to set up a specific appointment. I have asked everyone, even the people who do not usually answer the telephones, but no one claims to have marked the calendar."
Queen Serenity nodded her head solemnly. "That is understandable. The palace has been in a chaotic bustle since news of the Terran royalty's arrival. Papers could have been lost in the harried process. We cannot help that. Where is the viscount now?"
"He is in the informal parlor, your Highness."
"Alright. Thank you, you may return to your duties."
The servant bowed quickly to Serenity and Serenity the younger before nearly running out the door.
Queen Serenity looked apologetically at her daughter while the latter stared blankly ahead of her. "Sere, dear," her mother called, pulling her out of her empty gaze. "We cannot simply turn the viscount away, for he apparently already scheduled a meeting with you."
"I know, Mother, but why now? Can't he wait a little longer?" Serenity's protest sounded weak, and she knew it, but she was desperate. Any minute now, Endymion could walk through the portal into her welcoming arms. For eight long years, she waited patiently to see her best friend from Earth, but now this damn viscount had to come and interfere. Furthermore, it was another stupid attempt at courtship, and she would rather tie a noose around her neck than allow the viscount to kiss her royal hand. Her priority was not entertaining another likely pervert for the sake of political correctness.
"It would be rude to force a guest to wait, Sere. You know that. I know you were terribly looking forward to seeing Prince Endymion, but duty is duty. Io is a valuable provider of resources, so it would not do to offend its viscount."
The princess sighed deeply. It was a sigh of defeat.
Sympathetically, her mother patted her cheek. In an effort to console the crestfallen princess, she said, "Our Terran friends will still be here when you finish attending to the viscount, and they'll be staying for a long time. An hour away from Prince Endymion is nothing, especially since you'll be spending every waking moment with him until he leaves, I imagine."
That brought a smile to Serenity's lips. Her mother was not far from the truth.
"Okay Mama. I will go and slay the disruptive dragon to uphold the honor of our kingdom, and I'll manage to escape with my life." She gave a mock salute before marching with exaggerated gallantry toward the door. Her mother's chiming laughter followed her out.
Inside the Lunar Temple, Queen Serenity, Luna and Artemis waited nervously for the portal to emerge. If a glitch was present in the time and space continuum, the Terran royals could find themselves in the volcanoes of Europa. Standing quietly at the side were the inner planet princesses. Their posture was rigid and their faces unemotional. To face the Shittenou, the four girls prepared themselves by becoming the embodiment of cold cordiality. They were mature ladies now, so silly pranks and mud slinging were out of the question. A princess of the Silver Millennium and a Senshi of the crown Moon princess should be cool, collected, and unreservedly intimidating.
The Senshi changed into more appropriate attire, it being simple yet semi-formal dresses, for the occasion. Greeting the guests in their Senshi uniform might put them on the defensive side or just thoroughly offend them. The skirts were unorthodoxly short, for easier movement, but the traditionalist Earth people were not accustomed to the outlandish style of the galaxy around them. The girls were not little girls anymore, so the length of the Sailor skirt would have seemed much more scandalous than before. Ami hated the barely-there skirts but detested nitpicking over insignificant material things. To compromise, she wore long blue boots to cover more of her legs.
The flashing rays of brilliant light blinded them from their thoughts. In an awesome show of luminosity, the beams reflected off the mirror situated in the middle of the marble floor to create a vibrant white door. First, two shadows appeared, one a head taller than the other, followed by five masculine silhouettes. As quickly as the bright glow came, it disappeared, leaving the occupants of the room to adjust their eyes to the dim lighting again.
If taking a cursory look, Queen Gwendolyn looked not a day older than the last time Queen Serenity had seen her. However, upon closer inspection, one would observe the sprinkling of white hairs at her temple, disturbing the flowing inky darkness of her long mane, and see the almost imperceptible wrinkles at the corners of her vivid magenta eyes. Each white hair and each wrinkle told a story of sleepless nights and endless days of toil. These subtle signs of age and stress worried Serenity the elder, but the sparkle of youthful verve in the light ruby eyes told her to banish every concern.
And then they grinned mischievously at each other. Queen Gwendolyn let go of her husband's supporting hands, and the two queens rushed together in a tight hug, laughing and crying simultaneously.
As light and touching as the sight was, the eight younger spectators on the sidelines were dark and cheerless. The Senshi refused to look at the Shittenou, and vice versa, except maybe at each other's shoes. Despite their claims of total indifference, they were not ready to face each other- civilly, at least. There were no "how d'you do's" or even a succinct "welcome". Silence was the more comfortable alternative.
Still, the emotional reunion of the two women brought a genuine smile to their faces. 'At least someone will enjoy this excursion,' mused Kunzite, still not meeting the eyes of the Senshi leader across from him.
"We have much to say to each other, I bet," Serenity said to her best friend.
"Indeed we do," the latter agreed warmly, "but we've plenty of bonding time for later. I believe we need to start reintroductions now."
After giving them their space for an expressive greeting, King James joined his wife and said to Serenity, "Well, hallo, hallo Serenity. As busy as ever and yet still as lovely as you were in your debutante days."
"Still quite the ladies' man, are you James? How your compliments do get old," teased Serenity. "Better watch out, Gwen. You may have to put this old dog on a leash."
"Oh please, I have this man wrapped around my little finger," Gwendolyn boasted.
James nodded subserviently. "I'm a reformed rakehell, I am. And as a notorious gentlemen of experience, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm in love with and scared of my wife."
"Good boy," said his wife as she patted him under his gray beard. It was then that Serenity noticed he'd grown a beard. He too seemed a little older, but she pushed those thoughts aside. Like Gwendolyn had pointed out, they would have plenty time to talk about their lives thus far.
Up to this point, Prince Endymion had stood quietly and politely, searching for the possible face of his good friend Princess Serenity. He looked at the four well-dressed young women, none of which had the signature hairstyle of the Lunarian royalty. 'Why isn't she here to see me?' he thought, more than a bit hurt.
Queen Serenity sensed his distress, but before talking to him, she studied him carefully, though only in a cursory glance, with her shrewd silver-blue eyes. He had grown very well, so much different from the unassuming and tenderhearted boy she last saw. Also, there was more to his searching glance than just curiosity for her daughter's absence. Finally, she turned away from her good friends to properly greet their son.
"Hello, Endymion. My, you've grown into a very handsome man. When I last saw you, you were only yay high." She held her hand up to her waist to demonstrate. "I remember the potential I first saw in you. I expect that you've excelled in your studies and training."
"Thank you, your Highness," he said, bowing. "I've done my best in all areas, for I would hate to return and disappoint you by not meeting your expectations. It would break my heart to lose your high esteem of me, Queen Serenity," he added smilingly.
His comments made the queen chuckle. "My goodness, James, what have you been teaching the boy? He sounds exactly like you, with all those pretty words."
"I swear, I put none of those words in his mouth! I guess it just comes naturally in the Anima-Mundi blood," said the king, patting his son's shoulder proudly.
Endymion couldn't wait any more. "Excuse me, your Highness, but where is Princess Serenity? Why is she not here?" 'To see me,' he mentally added.
"I'm very sorry, Endymion. I know you were looking forward to seeing my daughter, but we have an unexpected visitor in the palace that has requested her company. She is with Viscount Edgeworth of Io, but she will join us around dinnertime."
"Unexpected? Did the man not have the courtesy to call first?"
"Supposedly, he had already called our offices.but that is another story. Do not fret, prince. It is already almost sunset."
Endymion's expression was clearly one of disappointment, but he nodded his head in understanding.
"Luna! Artemis!" exclaimed Gwendolyn. "I didn't notice you in the shadows over there, and it's not like Artemis to keep quite!"
"Welcome, your Majesties," said the two advisors.
"You know better than to use formalities with us," hollered the king jovially. "We've known each other too long to deal with that 'your Majesty' twaddle!"
Artemis smiled cattily. "Of course, of course, James my man. But my loverly Luna over here insisted that we be 'proper', whatever that means."
"I just didn't want anyone to be offended," stated Luna defensively. "I'm not so careless as you are, Artemis."
"Ouch, Luna. You have no idea how your words strike a dagger through my heart."
Upon hearing his feigned pain, Gwendolyn said, "Still haven't gotten on her good side yet, eh Art?"
Artemis clutched his heart and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, throwing himself into his silly-ass romantic-in-distress role. "I've devoted more than half of my life expressing my love to the fair lady, and yet she acts as if I do not exist! However can I make her return my honest affections? Oh woe is me, woe is me!"
Luna crossed her arms across her chest and looked stubbornly away, blushing all the while, much to the amusement of everyone else. "Hush your mouth, you scamp. We're too old for these ridiculous games." The damning truth of the matter was that Artemis did express his feelings to her on a daily basis, as luridly and obscenely as he could, just so he could savor her pretty blush. How he made her so uncomfortable, when nothing else ever could, confused Luna to no end.
"Ah, but one is never too old for lo-"
"I believe," Luna interrupted before he could finish his sentence, "that we have been neglecting these fine gentlemen over here." She motioned to the Shittenou, who, in response, walked toward Queen Serenity and bowed to her.
"Your Highness, I am Kunzite Acoupsur, king of the Northern Hemisphere and first commander of the Shittenou."
"Nephrite Jusdivinum, king of the Southern Hemisphere and second in command, at your service."
"Jadeite Amerveille, king of the Western Hemisphere and joint third commander, at your disposal."
"Zoisite Aufait, king of the Eastern Hemisphere and joint third commander, ready to assist."
She nodded approvingly at them. In all sincerity and kindness, she said, "I needn't have to ask. One look at you four tells me that Earth is in good hands."
Kunzite was very pleased, for such a compliment, especially from the queen of the Silver Millennium, was extremely high praise. The other three kings were humbled not only by her acclaim but also by her illustrious person. Zoisite and Jadeite were never humbled, yet the honorable Queen Serenity had to be the only person in whose presence they remembered their manners. The Shittenou really liked her. They just didn't like her daughter's guardians.
"The Shittenou are my personal bodyguards as well as rulers of their respective lands," Endymion elaborated. "Under the Terrestrial Decree of 1011, they can regulate trade, control taxes, pass laws, veto supreme court decisions, and raise armies for their own nation, but all four work in an alliance under my father. They are my father's key cabinet members of the Terran administration. It is their job to act as universal ambassadors and commanding generals of the Royal Allied Terran Army."
"Impressive," stated Queen Serenity. "Now it is my turn to brag about my daughter's Senshi." At the queen's cue, the Senshi stepped up to the crown Terran family and curtseyed. "I'm sure you remember the inner princesses of the Silver Millennium, right Gwen?"
"How can I forget!" Gwendolyn exclaimed. She was very fond of the four spirited girls and admired their individuality. 'Exceptionally different from all other princesses,' she remembered, 'and yet more regal than all of them put together.'
"The Senshi, like the Shittenou, are Princess Serenity's guardians and heiresses to their own respective planets. With their unequalled background in combat, each one heads a department of the Silver Millennium's military: the Royal Navy, the air force, the dry army, and a special fleet of clairvoyants and sorcerers called the Royal Panacea. Also, I send them as my governmental representatives. They will one day serve as my daughter's court once she inherits the throne."
"Welcome back to the Moon, your Majesties," greeted the princesses together. Then, the queen began reintroducing them to their guests. Each girl stepped forward at the mention of her name.
"Minako Aino, crown princess of Venus, leader of the Senshi, and head of the Royal Air Force. Crown princess Makoto Kino of Jupiter, controller of the Royal Land Army. Princess Ami Mizuno, future queen of Mercury and supervisor of the Royal Navy."
Gwendolyn had heard rumors of the girls' celebrated beauty; both peasants and aristocrats raved about their legendary looks, but she was not prepared for seeing them herself. Neither were the Shittenou. Once each of the four kings had finally mustered the courage to look at his old nemesis, he desperately wished he hadn't. The rumors did not serve the girls justice. Compared to looking at the girls in person, the rumors of their beauty were in fact dirty insults.
"Oh goodness," murmured Gwendolyn. "Heavenly, just heavenly."
"I've got plenty o' unattached male relatives who'd love to make your acquaintances!" blurted King James, earning him his wife's elbow in his gut.
Ami blushed furiously, for she wasn't used to people giving her compliments, making her look even prettier than possible. Zoisite felt the blood rush to his cheeks too, but miraculously and to his relief, it didn't show. He was feeling unusually warm despite the recent chill and was tempted to loosen his collar. 'I must be coming down with something,' he thought, blaming the sudden change in weather a little too strongly.
Makoto and Minako beamed at the king's generous, if rude, compliment. Nephrite and Kunzite had never seen smiles as alluring or as endearing as those of the two maidens'.
Snap out of it, men! ordered Kunzite vehemently. Remember: looks can be deceiving. And like I always say, women are--
--Lying, conniving, secretive, two-faced, cold-blooded snakes, recited the other three dully. (AN: refer to Chapter 7: "Hair Today, Fair Tomorrow" for the same anti-women statement.) In other cases, they would have ignored Kunzite's predictably forceful warning, but that particular day gave new meaning to his favorite saying. The Senshi's angelic appearances were alarmingly disarming, but how could one forget their deviltry during their childhood days? The Shittenou surely never forgot.
It was then that the Senshi chose to take a good look at their reviled rivals. Then they did a double take. What they saw was nothing what they expected. What they expected was what they hoped for, and what they hoped for was a group of disheveled, greasy, hairy, foul-smelling, clumsy, lanky and/or grossly obese men who could easily be the target of malicious insults. Unfortunately for the Senshi, the Shittenou were the exact opposite.
Minako almost wished she hadn't made Kunzite's hair white. His colorless locks against his tanned skin gave him an exotic appeal and added more sophistication to his well-defined face. Regardless of the fact that she was responsible for his pale hair, she hated him for it anyway.
Makoto, who was never prone to fainting spells, suddenly felt lightheaded. Almost every man she met was a couple inches shorter than her 6'2, and she liked having that upper hand. She did not appreciate the fact that Nephrite was taller than her. Makoto felt like he was threatening her, even though he wasn't doing anything.
Ami's expression returned to being distant and unreadable. Displaying emotions - fear, anger, curiosity, loathing, nervousness, and interest - was a damaging habit. She scrutinized the Shittenou as if they were her lab rats, noting every move they made and committing to memory every one of their unique features. Her scrutiny lastly fell on King Zoisite. 'The rumors are factual,' thought Ami dispassionately. 'He's a preppy pretty boy.'
Finally, Serenity motioned to Rei. Gwendolyn actually gasped upon seeing her niece once removed. The resemblance between Gwendolyn's cousin, Rei's mother, and Rei was startling. "My darling Rei," breathed Gwendolyn, kissing Rei's cheek. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here to watch you grow, but I see you've matured into the loveliest of ladies. My little girl.where has she gone?" Regretful tears started to shine in her deep magenta eyes. She had wanted to be Rei's maternal figure through the turbulent teenage years, especially because Rei's mother passed away unexpectedly after Rei turned thirteen. Alas, circumstances on Earth interfered.
"I'm still here, Auntie Gwen, and it was certainly not your fault," Rei said affectionately as she embraced the elder woman. "I've missed you, but now you are here, so that is all that truly matters. Has Uncle James given you many headaches?" she added, trying to get her aunt to smile.
Uncle James snorted. "I'll have you know, Rei my girl, that I have been on good behavior and that young ones like yourself should not be concerned about such things."
"Aw, still bitter over your defeat in our archery contest, dearest uncle?"
"Hmph. I let you win that game. Now that you're probably more experienced than before, I demand a rematch so I can show you my true skill with the bow and arrow!"
"All bark and no bite," quipped Endymion, drawing out a dark scowl from his father. Rei immediately grinned at Endymion, and he matched it with an exultant grin of his own before suffocating her in a tremendous bear hug.
"How've you been, favorite cousin of mine?" he asked as he swung her around and around. "I see that the palace is not a pile of smoking rubble, so I'm guessing the years have treated you well."
"Cousin Endy, ever the charmer. Who'd have thought that you had enough brains in that thick head of yours to come up with a comeback? But let us not forget that a comeback is not a comeback if it is delivered eight years too late."
"For your information, I have an incredibly good-looking thick head."
"Now, now, children," said Queen Serenity in mock scolding, "We still have to present Rei to refresh the minds of the Shittenou. Gentlemen, this is Rei Hino, the Martian crown princess and chief of the Royal Panacea."
Although she was not a blood relation, James adored Rei like the daughter he'd always wanted. She and Endymion were already like siblings ever since they wore diapers. He was also as paranoid as a father, so seeing Rei all developed and divine made him vow to find her a worthy husband. Of course, he did not voice these thoughts for she would have surely blown a gasket, but he did say, "You are definitely Azalynn's daughter. When your mother was your age, she was called 'the rose of the galaxy'."
And she's just as thorny, too sneered Jadeite, but he couldn't deny, nor would he admit, that she was indeed 'the rose of the galaxy'. He would stick a needle in both of his eyes before admitting that she physically interested him.
Rei took a little time to examine the Shittenou. 'They're handsome, I'll give them that,' she thought, electing to be blunt with herself, which was what she always did. 'But the better a man looks, the more dangerous and troublesome he is.' According to her logic, that made Jadeite, in her opinion, a very dangerous and troublesome man.
"With presentations out of the way," announced Queen Serenity, "I wish you a merry stay here in my palace. Please, make yourselves at home, for-what was it, two and a half months?-is no short period of time."
"Thank you for your hospitality, your Highness."
"No, no, thank you for gracing me with your company."
Endymion turned blithely to his second cousin. "Well Cousin Rei, since time so generously permits it, how 'bout we have some family bonding time? Just you and me, squirt, like old times." His tone was lighthearted, but Rei heard something akin to urgency that no one else could hear. By looking into his incisive indigo eyes, she also saw the passing of a deeper meaning. Nodding wordlessly, she took his arm, and the two walked away from the rest of the group. Endymion smiled down at her. If anyone could understand him, it was Rei.
How come you get to leave? And not even take us with you?! whined Minako, expressing Ami's and Makoto's exact sentiments.
Sorry guys. Family thing, Rei vaguely offered. And handling the Shittenou can't be _that_ bad.
Shut up, Rei-chan. Just shut up.
I love you guys, too. Don't enjoy yourselves too much without me.
If they made it through the day alive, they would make sure to murder dear friend Rei-chan. At the moment, they could only watch her lucky, retreating back with longing.
"Dinner is still a couple hours away, Gwen," observed Serenity. "Care for some of Makoto's amazing tea and pastries?"
"I'll always care for her tea and pastries. By the by, my dear Makoto, you still need to give me your recipe."
Makoto nodded enthusiastically. She was proud that the Terran queen had a penchant for her baking. Nevertheless, it was no surprise. Makoto Kino's culinary skill rivaled that of the best chefs in the universe. When she was younger, her governesses and advisors forbade her to step foot in a kitchen since a princess was not fit to be a soot-covered cook. In spite of that, she imperturbably disobeyed them, and a taste of her delightful dishes was enough to convince them to allow her to submerge in her hobby. Over the years, and especially following The Tragedy (AN: "The Tragedy" will be explained in a later chapter), fine cuisine developed into more than a hobby. It was her means of therapy.
"You kids run along now," advised Serenity. "If you need us, we shall be in the private faux dining room. Care to join us, Luna? Artemis?"
"Dainty tea and me? With *three* superior crowned heads? Priceless!" Artemis crowed.
"I believe that what this incorrigible rascal is trying to say is that we would be delighted to join your Majesties," explained Luna in a voice of practiced grace and strained patience, glaring evilly at Artemis all the while.
The three high monarchs and the two Lunarian advisors departed, leaving the Shittenou and the Senshi to drown in awkwardness and uncertainty.
The princesses stared sullenly at the four men. The kings stared dolefully back at the three remaining princesses.
It was going to be a long day.
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Happy New Year! May the year 2003 bring nothing but the best to you all!
