Hello, everyone! Sorry, I missed you last week. My goodness, this one was long. I had originally given myself two weeks with this one because I had been ill for a while and had a lot of stuff to catch up and couldn't work on the chapter. I guess this is what happens when I give myself that amount of time. I just keep going.
"Congratulations, son. I'm proud of you." Endymion wished he could feel a bit better about his father's praise, however, he knew it had simply been a stroke of luck that he was chosen. What were the odds that he would end up as the bonded partner to the princess? The prince that had sat next to him during the beginning ceremony had just as much chance as he had. "You're returning soon, yes?"
"Yes, sir. I'll be returning in roughly one Terran day." Due to the time difference, he would have a day and a half left on the moon before heading home.
"See if it's possible to bring her with you. There's no chance of me being able to venture up there, but I'd like a chance to meet her. Show off our planet a little, let her see what she's getting into."
"That's a wonderful idea, King Alicud." Endymion visibly jumped as Queen Selenity walked past him to get closer to the communications monitor. "Princess Serenity has never been to Earth, I think it would be beneficial to have her become familiar with a planet she will rule over one day. It will also allow the two of them to spend some quality time together. Despite his lack of magic, there is still the opportunity for the bond between the two to grow very strong."
"Of course, of course." His father muttered out between a random coughing fit. Endymion knew he hadn't been gone very long from home but his father's condition had seemed to worsen in his absence. "I'll inform the staff of her arrival, but I best be off. The doctor is glaring at me from the corner of the room."
"May your health be well," Endymion said bidding his father farewell.
"As I hope yours will." The king said in response before shutting down the transmission.
"His illness has gotten worse," Queen Selenity commented sadly.
Endymion nodded. "It's been two years now. The doctors have tried everything they could think of. It's more about making him last as long as we can in comfort than trying to actually heal him."
The queen sighed running one of her hands through a silver pigtail, "I offered to send him to Mercury for treatment. They really have the best doctors and they're the most technologically advanced, but he turned me down. All the more reason for Serenity to get to know your planet." She squeezed his shoulder before turning and exiting the room. He moved to follow her and found Princess Ami waiting for him at the exit.
"I apologize your Majesty but I wanted to give you this," the Mercurian Princess held out a small hardcover tome for him to take. "It is my understanding that you and your people are not familiar with soul bonds. This book covers the more intimate and personal effects of the bond. I thought it best to give it to you personally than to one of your men."
"Thank you, Princess Ami." He said taking the book from the Mercurian and making a mental note to take a look at it when he got back home.
"Are you sure the Princess should come with us so soon?" Nephlite asked as he threw clothes haphazardly into his luggage. "The queen is literally announcing it in the next two hours."
Endymion shrugged as he did the same, "My father wants to officially meet my betrothed. Given that he can't travel, the appropriate thing to do would be to bring her to him. Besides, the Princess has been wanting to visit the planet for some time now." He stuffed the book he had received earlier in with the rest of his things, grateful that it hadn't been one of the larger ones that made up the shelves of the palace library.
"I wonder how the girls at home are going to take to you returning with a fiance," Nephrite said.
"They should have been prepared, given that was the main reason we made this trip in the first place." Zoicite, always the voice of reason, chimed in from the other room.
"Regardless of what they think, Serenity will one day be their queen. I won't tolerate any disrespect towards her from any of them." Endymion zipped his bag up finally finished with his packing.
"Good. I'm glad to see you exhibit more enthusiasm to the idea of marrying the princess." Zoicite called out, "she seems to be enamored by you."
"Serenity has fantastic ideas and views on ruling and society as a whole. She would make an excellent queen. The people of Earth are lucky. I am lucky."
"I didn't really mean your enthusiasm in her queenly duties. I'm more concerned about your enthusiasm in her wifely duties." The blonde retorted finally entering the room and throwing his packed bag on the chair next to Endymion's.
"We'll have a child. Eventually." Endymion hadn't really given it much thought. He had hoped that in a year or two she would have grown out of her childish features. However, given what her actual age truly was he doubted it would happen any time soon.
"Will you be satisfied?" Nephrite prompted.
"I've read that soul bond sex is the best sex."
"Really?" Endymion's interest in the conversation rose . "Well then, that might change things. And if not," he said with a shrug. "There are others for that. Nowhere does it state that a good queen has to be good in bed too."
Serenity fidgeted in excitement, shifting her weight from one leg to the next as she waited for the transporter to power up. The Terrans had originally arrived via shuttle but the Queen had urged them to use the transporter to teleport to Earth instead. "Excited to step foot on Earth for the first time, your highness?" the darker haired general Nephlite asked as he picked up the sole bag that the Princess had brought with her. He was pleasantly surprised, having expected enough luggage to last most people a lifetime.
"Oh, I can't wait, General. I'm positively bursting at the seams."
"Contain that excitement, Princess, we wouldn't want you popping open now would we." Princess Makoto of Jupiter said teasingly as she came forward to stand next to Serenity.
Makoto had been assigned to protect Serenity during her visit to Earth. Minako had volunteered, but her offer had been vetoed by the queen. Minako was needed on Venus as her mother was almost ready to give birth, welcoming a new member of the Venusian royal family. Makoto was also, physically, the strongest of the Inner Senshi, and often didn't need to rely on her magic to end a fight. Scrunching up her nose, the princess of the moon stuck her tongue out at her Jovian counterpart. She would have retaliated further had Endymion not shown his face at the exact moment she stuck out her tongue. Serenity cringed inside at the image she knew she just gave her future husband.
She wanted to bury her face in her hands as Endymion raised an eyebrow at her behavior. "Are you ready to go, Serenity?" All the Lunarian Princess could do was nod quietly. She peeked out of the corner of her eye and saw General Nephlite looking a tad nervous.
"Your first time on a transporter, General?" Serenity asked quietly as to not call attention to him.
"I admit, I have never been on one. We're currently building the one on Earth so I never had an opportunity to." The thought of his body being torn to bits shot to Earth at warp speed and pieced together again didn't appeal to him in the least.
"Is it the same for you, Endymion?"
"Yes, it's my first time, also. But after passing through a door last night I think I can handle a quick teleport," he said with a quick wink towards her. She smiled back at his wink, thankful that he didn't seem to hold her earlier actions against her.
The first thing that caught Serenity's attention was the color. Where the Moon was pristine and crystalline, the Earth was brimming with every color of the rainbow. From the bright blue of the sky above to the lush green of the leaves in the trees. Even the browns of the tree trunks stood out brightly. She looked up turning in circles to try and take in as much as she could, Makoto grabbing hold of her arm before dizziness could set in. The difference in gravity paired with it would have sent her sprawling onto the ground. Even the ground was different, she noted, looking down. Green plants, grass she recalled from lessons, grew everywhere on the ground, and she held back to urge to take off her shoes and feel it against her bare feet. "Let is go for now Serenity," Endymion said offering her his arm. "There will be time to take in the outdoors when we get ourselves settled. My father is waiting for us." Nodding, the Princess slid her arm around his and followed him closely so that their bodies almost touched as they left the forested area.
They made their way from where the transporter had deposited them over to the palace courtyard. The King had gathered there along with two Generals, she assumed from their uniform, and two other guards. "We welcome you, Princess Serenity, heir to the Lunar Empire and betrothed to my son." King Alicud opened his arms in welcome. The lunar princess curtsied in response, noting that the king had lost a drastic amount of weight since their previous encounter.
"I thank you for the welcome, King Alicud. I hope that your health has been well. Your home is beautiful, and I must say that I am thrilled to become better acquainted with your planet." Serenity responded.
"It will be your home also, in time. I hope that you will come to love it as much as I do. And who is our other esteemed guest?" the king said turning his attention to Makoto.
"Father, this is Princess Makoto of Jupiter. She is here as Serenity's guard." Endymion stated before any of the girls had a chance to answer.
"A guard, of course, one of the famous Senshi. Princess Makoto, we welcome you as well. I hope you take pleasant stories and inspiring tales from your stay here and bring it to your people so that Jupiter may always think well of the Earth."
Makoto bowed deeply. "Thank you for your kind words, your majesty. I am sure that I will."
The king nodded at her response before turning his attention to his son. "Endymion, it is good to have you back and with a remarkable lady on your arm. I am proud of you, son. The Earth is proud of you."
"Thank you, your grace," Endymion said, bowing his head at his father's remarks. "It is good to be back."
"Well, I think that's enough with the pleasantries. We have a lot to catch you up on in your absence and I'm sure the Princesses would prefer to become acquainted with where they'll be staying for the next few weeks. Jadeite, if you would escort Princess Serenity and Princess Makoto to their rooms. And Kunzite will brief the three of you." He said waving his arms toward the Prince and his two other generals.
Kunzite watched the retreating backs of the King, Jadeite and the Princesses until they were out of sight before turning to Endymion, "I will admit, Endymion, I truly didn't think you would have returned successfully. I owe Jadeite money now."
Endymion raised his eyebrow at Kunzite's confession. "You bet against me?" he asked. He didn't know what was more shocking, Kunzite betting against him or Jadeite betting for him. "I'm hurt."
"Oh don't be dramatic. Pretty much no one thought you had a chance with the Lunar Princess. You should have seen the shock and uproar when the King announced it. We didn't announce the exact time of your arrival cause the entire staff would be out here to get a glimpse of her."
"No one believed in me. Except for Jadeite." He responded dryly. He knew he shouldn't give his next in command a hard time. He hadn't even believed in himself, but he wouldn't go around admitting something like that.
"And Jadeite likes rooting for the underdog. He also said that you know how to use your good looks to your advantage. So while he didn't necessarily have faith in you, he did have faith in your good genes." Endymion didn't even bother suppressing the eye roll at Kunzite's comment. "Your girls aren't too happy about it, either. I heard that brunette threw an absolute fit."
"She can throw her tantrum, they never did like to share."
After unpacking her lone bag of belongings, there was nothing that Serenity wanted more than to get out of the castle and see the world. She wanted to feel the grass, smell the air, meet the people and see the bright colors of the world around her. Practically running down the stairs, she ran straight into the General with the shorter blonde hair. "Where's the fire, Princess?" He asked as he held onto Serenity's shoulders to prevent her from falling back from the impact.
"I apologize for my clumsiness, General, I was in too much of a rush to get back out I'm afraid."
"Well, Endymion went to his chambers and the four of us have duties that need attending to now that everyone is back. You can wander around the immediate grounds but please don't go any further than that until at least one of us can escort you." The princess's face fell at the news, but she resigned herself to make the most of the situation. It was only for a small amount of time, surely she'd be able to find something to entertain herself either inside the palace or on the grounds. She nodded at the General, noting that she needed to ask Makoto if she remembered the man's name.
"Father, please, how has your health been?" Endymion asked as he entered his father's chamber.
"No worse than how I usually feel." Alicud sat at his desk a handkerchief to his mouth. It had become a too familiar image of his father who had fallen ill a little over two years ago. "Don't waste too much energy and worry on an old man like me."
Endymion's eyebrows furrowed at his father's remarks but he held his tongue knowing that any outburst would be futile. "I just wish that you would put some worry into yourself."
The king shook his head as he wheezed into the handkerchief. "My worries are for my people and for my son who just advanced our planet leaps and bounds by winning the hand of the next monarch of the Silver Alliance. Endymion," he lifted himself out of his chair and walked over to the prince grasping him firmly by the shoulders. "You and Serenity will one day rule over the Solar System. Your children will inherit the thrones of both Terra and the Lunar Empire. When," the King choked over his words. "When I die, I will die knowing that the Earth is taken care of. That our people have found their place in this world and will be ruled well."
"Father. Don't," King Alicud cut him off before Endymion could say anything else.
"I'm going to die, Endymion. Of that I am certain. I will not live the last of my days worrying the last of my family. I want to get to know my future daughter-in-law, see you get married and if I'm lucky enough, grandchildren."
Endymion nodded at his father's words. "I will do my best," he trailed off quietly, "not to worry."
"I'm sure Princess Serenity will keep you so occupied you'll not have a chance to worry about me. That's a beautiful girl you have there, Endy. I know she's not your type." He said giving his son a look. "But regardless, she's a stunner." Endymion chuckled softly at his father's words, even a decaying illness didn't stop the man's wandering eyes. "Don't be like me. You've always looked up to me. I always pray to the gods that you pick up my good habits and not the bad ones. Now go," he said squeezing his arm "There's plenty you need to catch up. I, on the other hand, am going to catch up on some rest."
The loud laughter from the kitchens caught Endymion's attention as he walked through the dining hall looking for a maid, butler, anyone who could have fetched him something to eat before dinner. Due to the time difference on the moon, he hadn't eaten in quite some time and it was way too late for lunch but still too early for dinner. The kitchens tended to be where the servants gathered and he hadn't stepped foot inside since he was around twelve years old.
He didn't quite know what to do with the sight that greeted him as he made his way towards the giggling voices. His staff had decided to take a break and had all gathered together in the middle of the largest countertops. Sitting atop said countertop was the princess of the moon still in her white silk dress and slippers. A small child was sitting next to her and they were sharing something out of a large mixing bowl.
"When Jadeite told me that you had gone to wander about, this isn't quite where I expected to find you." Serenity jumped at Endymion's voice almost flinging the poor bowl into the air. Choruses of various versions of 'my lord' or 'my prince' echoed through the room as all of the servants scattered like ants, rushing to make themselves occupied.
"Endymion!" She greeted him excitedly as she hopped off the counter. She turned and lifted the child off the counter also. "Alright Caleb, now run along. And no more sweets for the rest of the day. You've had more than enough for one day." She said resting her hand gently on his messy brown hair.
"Aww, Princess Serenity, Princess Makoto is making those delicious cookies. I'm not going to get any." He complained, pouting as he looked longingly toward the ovens.
"Don't worry, little one. I'll save some for you." Makoto said, a small pink apron tied around her waist. She had small smudges of flour on her cheeks and arms, evidence of her time spent making the cookies earlier.
"Thank you, Princess." He chimed and then wrapped his arms around Serenity's legs in a quick hug. "The two of you are the best." And ran off to find the other young children in the castle and brag to what they had missed out on.
"What have the two of you been up to?" He asked suspiciously. Serenity had been a massive bundle of energy since they had arrived and while he expected that she would keep herself occupied without his presence he just didn't think this is where she would be doing it. Although, it really shouldn't be surprising that she found her way to the kitchens.
"Just getting to know the people of Earth. You have such wonderful staff. And the children. There aren't any children in the Lunar Palace." She clasped both hands together in delight. "Lenora gave us these wonderful things, she called them chocolate chips." She held up the bowl that they had used to put together the cookie mixture. "They're absolutely delicious, and then Mako and Lenora used them and made cookies for everyone. I can't wait. Here, have some."
Endymion couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. "You're going to catch salmonella on your first day here." He said in amusement as he took the bowl with leftover cookie dough out of her hands. He twirled the container around in his hands looking at the remaining dough temptingly.
"What's salmonella?" She asked confused, glancing at Makoto who only shrugged her shoulders.
"It's a type of bacteria found in raw eggs. It can cause a really horrible upset stomach."
"But I'm not eating raw eggs." Serenity said, the look on her face echoing as if she had just eaten something nasty. "That's disgusting."
"I'm pretty sure that you put eggs into the dough." Finally given into temptation he picked out a piece of cookie batter and popped it into his mouth.
"No! Now you'll catch it too." The moon princess rushed forward to take the bowl back from him. He lifted it high, his height allowing him to easily hold the bowl above her head and out of reach.
"Nothing you can do about it now. Chocolate is my favorite dessert. That dessert from Mars that was served at the ball reminded me of it, but it's really much better."
"Kunap? Oh, I love Kunap. But you're right, chocolate is absolutely delicious."
"If you like chocolate chips, you should try it in a cake, with whipped chocolate icing and melted chocolate on the inside. Or you might want chocolate ice cream or even better, a chocolate milkshake." Bowl forgotten, Serenity looked like she had seen Heaven, eyes glazed over with the thought of the scrumptious desserts that she had yet to try.
"Prince Endymion, I congratulate you. It seems you've found the way right to Serenity's heart." He raised his eyebrow at Makoto's commendation. "Straight through her stomach."
Over the next two weeks, Endymion and his generals found themselves showing Serenity around the sprawling grounds of the royal palace. Horseback riding had been an adventure. Makoto had marveled how Serenity had ridden on Mars' Royal Phoenixes multiple times and even one of the Jovian Thunder Wyrms, but couldn't seem to find her bearings on one of Earth's horses. Instead, she clung to Endymion's back as they rode around the grounds. When asked, Serenity said that it was because they were closer to the ground and would be far easier to be trampled. When Nephrite pointed out that falling from hundreds of feet in the air would more likely result in death than falling off a horse, she scoffed. If she fell off when flying she could easily float herself down to safety. Neither the Generals or Endymion seemed to have a comeback.
After horseback riding came various visits to villages and towns closest to the castle. The Terrans, curious at their Prince's new engagement, all crowded around as they passed by. They stared in wonder at the length of the Lunarian's silver-blonde hair as she waved at them from her place on the horse behind Endymion. The Prince and his guard took her to meet the heads of the towns; mayors and council members. However, after the initial meeting and introductory dialogue, Serenity found herself wandering off to the shabbier parts of town. Streaks of dirt marred the bottom of her beautiful white dress as she bent to greet a small child on the side of the road or to help an elderly woman who had spilled her things, her worn knapsack burst at the seams from the weight of the load.
The first time the two had disappeared had sent Endymion into a frenzy. He had told himself it was his good instincts that led him to her although he knew deep inside it was the work of the fatedl bond of theirs. When he had found her, weaving her magic through a young boy's worn shoes, he had pulled her into a hug, the dual buns on the top of her head lodged beneath his chin. A scolding had followed before he let her continue, watching in amazement as the holes were patched and the obviously hand me down shoe extended to fit the boy's foot.
These trips spawned questions on the technological advancement of Earth. When Zoicite pointed out that the majority of the Solar System's technology had been enhanced through magic, Serenity vowed that she would do all she could to introduce more magic and technology to Earth's societies. Surely there should be a way to allow the Terrans to experience the same conveniences as the rest of the world.
Endymion sat at his desk, buried in documents that he had been neglecting. His father had been right. With Serenity around, he had hardly found time to do much of anything. He found himself going to bed utterly exhausted with the days' events and waking up to introduce Serenity to something new. However, the Princess was having a rare lunch with the king and he had taken the break to tackle some of the paperwork that crowded his workspace.
Thinking on Serenity, he quickly jotted down a reminder to call the tailor. Serenity had brought a number of dresses with her, the majority in white, and despite the staff's best efforts couldn't get the stains out of them from when she visited the townspeople. New clothes were definitely in order for the Princess.
A knock sounded on his door and it opened before he could respond. Hazel eyes lit up at Endymion alone at his desk. "My Prince," she cooed swinging her hips as she walked towards him. "You haven't sent for me since you've been back. And I've talked to the other girls and you haven't sent for them either. Didn't you miss us?" She pouted as she played with her strawberry blonde hair.
"I've been very busy, Elissa. And things are a little different now, as I know you've heard." Elissa frowned at his statement, knowing that someone must have told him about her outburst when she had found out the news.
"I don't like sharing. I want to rip out the other girls' hair already and now there's another one in the mix." Endymion put down the paper he had been trying to read and looked at her sternly in the face.
"Whatever you do with the rest of the girls, I can really care less about. But if you touch one hair on Serenity's head you will find yourself in chains or worse. She is the Princess of the Silver Alliance and the future Queen of Earth. Think about your own safety before you do something rash."
"You just met her, Endymion. Don't tell me that you're choosing her over us already."
"I don't understand how you believe that there is a competition. When I am in need of what's between your legs, Elissa, I will send for you. Until then, I am extremely busy and have a lot of work to catch up on. I trust you can see yourself out."
Letting out a frustrated huff, Elissa turned to leave, she knew better than to argue with her Prince. She was about to open the door when he called back to her. "Oh Elissa, make sure you tell the girls I'm not to be disturbed as well."
Serenity and Makoto followed the clang of metal against metal to what Serenity assumed was the training grounds. Both were shocked to see the prince himself, shirtless and sweaty, in the middle of the soldiers. Kunzite noticed the look on some of the men's faces and turned around to see the duo at the entrance. "Ladies, I don't think you want to be in here at the moment." He said announcing their arrival to the others who turned at Kunzite's words.
"Serenity, Princess Makoto." Endymion greeted the two, stepping directly in front of his betrothed, blocking the view of her from the rest of the soldiers. The Princess of Jupiter nodded at his greeting but poor Serenity did her best to not give an interpretation of a gaping fish. "I'm not sure if this is the best place for two ladies like yourselves. It can get a bit," he glanced behind his shoulder, "messy."
"You offend me Prince Endymion, do not forget I am a warrior as well." Princess Makoto reminded him, giving a grateful Serenity a chance to gather her thoughts so she could speak coherently again.
"I meant no disrespect. It is often times easy to forget that you are here as Serenity's guard, not simply her companion."
"Would you like to join us, Princess?" Nephlite asked holding out the hilt of his sword for her to take.
"I would love to." Makoto was hardly one to back down from a challenge."Are there any rules?" she asked suspiciously.
"Don't kill your opponent," Zoicite answered dryly. "Truthfully, just don't put your opponent in the infirmary."
Makoto nodded in understanding "Although, I'm not that great with a sword, it should do."
"Truly?" Questioned Kunzite. "What type of weapon do you use?"
"My fists!" She pounded them together as she spoke. "But I'll try and use the sword, don't want to beat you too bad."
"Are you saying that you can beat us worse when you're unarmed?" Nephrite questioned uneasily.
"Oh darling, I'm never unarmed."
"Let's see it, then," Kunzite said taking the sword back. He was proud of his men and their abilities and truthfully, her cocky behavior had started to eat away at his pride.
"Go easy on them, Mako." Serenity warned as she tugged on Endymion's arm to move him aside closer to her. Several of the men chuckled at the Senshi, and Makoto was grateful that she had worn a lighter dress. It wasn't as convenient as a pair of pants or even her Senshi fuku, but it wouldn't hinder her movement as much as a heavier gown.
The lieutenant awkwardly held out the sword in front of him. It was uncomfortable for him to face an unarmed opponent, even worse the opponent was a female. "Prepare yourself." She warned before charging forward. Her fists, charged with electricity broke through the soldier's weapon and sent him sprawling into the back wall, landing on his behind next to a rack of maces.
"Makoto! I said to go easy!" Serenity called from the side. An unapologetic sounding sorry came from the Senshi of lightning.
"Did she just shoot lightning from her hands?" Jadeite asked dumbstruck. Unlike Zoicite and Nephlite who had grown used to seeing magic during their stay on the Moon, Jadeite was a caught off guard by the display.
"You're using magic," Kunzite said accusingly.
"And?" Makoto shot back in a threatening manner. "I'll take you all on at once if you feel that would odds easier." She said with a smirk. On the sidelines all Serenity could do was pinch her fingers against her forehead. She should have done something before allowing Makoto to participate. Once the challenge started, she knew nothing was going to tear the Jovian away from beating down every opponent she had. It was what made her and Haruka such good friends.
"Did you know she was going to do that?" Endymion asked his fiance hesitantly. Serenity could only nod in reply. "Do my men stand a chance?"
"How about the two of us sneak out somewhere together so we don't have to see the massacre that's about to occur?" Serenity said wrapping her arms around his bare torsor, flushing as she did.
Endymion couldn't hide the cringing grin at Serenity's response. "As much as I'd love to, Serenity, a Prince does not leave his men to fight the dragon alone."
"Never have I been so thoroughly trounced." Kunzite collapsed next to Nephrite at the dinner table. The men had retreated to the showers, tails between their legs as they nursed their injuries. Small electrical burns dotted the generals' arms and parts of their faces. Jadeite held an ice pack up on a particularly large one on his side.
"We all got our asses handed to us, individually and collectively." Zoicite groaned, dropping his head onto the table.
"Endy, how are you moving around so well. I could have sworn you were just as demolished as we were. It hurts just to breathe, I'm bruised everywhere."
Endymion shrugged. "I felt horrible earlier, but I'm all better after my shower. I probably didn't lose as badly as the rest of you." He added slyly.
"You got your ass kicked." Retorted Kunzite, "and you complained that you never encountered anyone that hit as hard as her."
"Do all the Senshi hit like you?" Endymion asked a bit embarrassed at how easily he and his top soldiers fell to one of Serenity's guard so easily.
"In terms of electricity, it's just me. Each of us has our own element and what we're good at. You don't want to go up against Venus when you're using weapons, and either Mars or Neptune if you're just using magic. Word of advice is just don't bother fighting either Uranus or Saturn." Makoto explained.
"So, basically the only person that we might stand a chance against is Princess Ami? And what happened to Pluto, you never mentioned her." Makoto looked unsure to how to answer Nephrite's question and glanced over to Serenity for help.
"Sailor Pluto is a bit different from the rest of the Senshi. While the Inner Senshi are my guardians and the Outer Senshi guard the solar system from outside threats, Sailor Pluto holds the post at the time gate, literally standing guard over the portals of time and space. There's not much we can say about her as we don't interact very often, but Setsuna is also quite powerful."
Endymion nodded as he thought back to the festival. The Princess of Pluto had been missing. "Wait, I can understand Princess Haruka, but Princess Hotaru is so young. Is her magic that powerful?"
"She is the Senshi of death and destruction." Explained Serenity.
"That's a bit ominous for a teenager," Endymion said, not taking into consideration that Hotaru could age at the same rate as Serenity.
"Her weapon of choice is a giant scythe called the Silence Glaive," said Makoto, adding fuel to the fire.
"That's especially ominous, at any age." Nephrite had seen the Princess of Saturn during the festival and he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"She's not that bad." defended Serenity.
"You just told us not to fight her." Kunzite butted in.
"Well, she's not that bad until you fight her. Then you end up in a body bag." Makoto said putting an end to that subject of discussion.
Their banter lasted pleasantly throughout dinner. Endymion had requested a special dessert especially for Serenity and had felt especially proud of himself when her face had lit up at the sight of the chocolate lava cakes. "To your liking, Serenity?"
Her mouth filled with the delicious treat, she nodded her head in affirmation. "It's absolutely exquisite." She said once her mouth was empty, licking her chocolate-covered lips. Endymion found himself wondering, if only for a second if she would allow him to do it for her. He quickly looked away from Serenity grateful that everyone else had been absorbed in their own dessert to notice his staring. It was then he caught Jadeite's eye and he couldn't help but smirk at his General's face.
A frantic knocking interrupted Jadeite as he opened his mouth, most likely to say something rude. Frowning, Kunzite called for them to enter. The guard, one of the men that usually stood at his father's door, entered quickly rushing to Prince Endymion. He kneeled at the prince's feet leaning over to speak with him as privately as possible. The Generals didn't catch what had been said but when Endymion got to his feet and rushed out the room, they knew it was urgent.
Serenity, though, had sat closest to Endymion and had been able to make out the guard's words. "Your father has taken a turn for the worse. The doctor fears that he won't last the night."
If the chapters are going to end up as long as this one, I'm definitely going to need 2 weeks for each. Let me know if you prefer a shorter chapter every week or a longer one every two weeks. I already have the outline made up for the rest of the story but I can just split the chapters in half to get them out quicker. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter. Am I moving things too fast? Too slow? The characters? One of my biggest fears is that the personalities of the secondary characters will kinda get lost in the motions.
Anyways, thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows in the previous two weeks. I love em!