Crystal Flaws - Book Five – Part 3

Crystal Ties
By Luna Hope

Rated – PG-13


(Author's Note: Please read:
"Crystal Flaws - Book 1 - Crystal Tears"
"Crystal Flaws - Book 2 - Crystal Fears"
"Crystal Flaws - Book 3 - Crystal Clear" and
"Crystal Flaws - Book 4 - Crystal Bells"

*before* you read this Book. There are things you will not understand in this story if
you skip the first books. Thank you ^_^)



Chapter 6


Late Wednesday afternoon, Castor showed up at the Palace. He found Ceres and asked
her to walk in the garden with him. He was afraid she'd refuse again, but Ceres nodded
her head yes and they walked without speaking until they came to a secluded bench.

Castor motioned for Ceres to sit on the bench and he knelt down on one knee in front of
her. Because of Castor's size, they were now eye to eye. Gently taking Ceres' hand in
his Castor quietly said, "I've missed you."

Ceres tried to explain, "I-I needed some time to think. Um, everything happened so
quickly and…"

Castor brought her fingers to his lips and gently kissed them. Looking up, he said, "I
need to apologize for that. I didn't realize how much I was rushing you. I love you very
much and I never wanted to make you unhappy. I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in Ceres' eyes as she whispered, "Thank you. I need to apologize too. I
should have told you I felt rushed. I should have said I wasn't ready."

Castor's eyes also filled with tears. He looked down and sadly whispered, "I guess that
means you do regret what we did."

Ceres reached out and lifted Castor's chin to have him look at her. Her other hand moved
to gently wipe the tears on his cheek. She quietly said, "No, I don't regret what we did.
Not anymore. Actually, I think I was just shaken by the implications. In my heart, I
didn't regret it at all."

Castor smiled with relief and Ceres shyly smiled back.

Castor suddenly remembered what he needed to do. Clearing his throat, he said, "Ceres,
I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Do you think you might be
able to love me too? Would you be willing to be my wife?"

As he spoke, Castor had reached into his pocket and lifted out a small box. He opened
Ceres' hand and placed the box in her palm. With fear and hope in his heart, he looked
up at her.

Tears now spilled down Ceres' cheeks as she answered, "Castor, I love you too. Yes, I
will marry you."

Castor opened the box in Ceres' palm and carefully lifted the delicate gold and diamond
engagement ring. Hesitating a moment, Castor looked at the ring then at Ceres' hands.
Finally he admitted, "Um, I forgot which hand and finger Elios said this goes on."

Ceres bit her lip to keep from chuckling as she thought, [So, that's how he learned this!]
Ceres lifted her left hand and pointed to her ring finger.

Quickly sliding the ring on Ceres' finger, Castor then looked up. They both smiled
joyously as Castor gathered her in his arms. They kissed then Castor sat on the bench
next to Ceres with his arm around her. Both of them sighed with relief and happiness.

Ceres looked up at Castor with a mysterious and knowing smile.

Castor raised his eyebrow and Ceres continued to smile. He observed, "You're smiling
like you have a secret. Are you going to share it with me?"

Ceres' smile got bigger and she giggled. Finally, she sat up, looked Castor in the eyes
and said, "It's a good thing you asked me to marry you. I would not have been happy
raising our children without you."

Castor's eyes happily lit up as he sat forward and grasped Ceres' shoulders. Because he
hadn't been near Ceres in his Pegasus form since they had flown back to the Palace from
their picnic, his nose hadn't told him. He excitedly asked, "You're pregnant?"

Ceres, who had visited Mercury earlier that day, shyly nodded her head yes.

Castor quickly scooped her up in his arms. Jumping up, he spun her around. Happily he
laughed and hugged her.

Gasping with surprise, Ceres clung to Castor. His exuberance was amazing to her.

As he came to a standstill, Castor captured Ceres' lips and kissed her deeply.

They slowly broke their kiss and Castor held Ceres close. He whispered to her, "Thank
you. You've made this the best day of my entire life!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early Thursday morning, Terrance headed for the Senshi Practice room as he usually did.
As he walked past the empty practice field he glanced up then quickly looked away.

Four purple roses quickly hit their mark and four more followed right behind. For a
moment, Terrance looked at the eight roses stuck in the wall. He then pulled a single
rose and intently looked at it in his grip.

Quietly Terrance sighed and closed his eyes as he twirled the stem of his rose between his
fingers. He thought to himself, [This is pathetic! Everywhere I look something reminds
me of her. Even my roses remind me of her hair and eyes! She's a Planet Senshi though,
just like Sailor Mars and the others. I have to get over this! She was only here two
weeks. How could she have become such a big part of my life in so short of a time?]

Terrance opened his eyes and looked at the rose again. Deciding he didn't really want to
know the answer to that question, he pulled his arm back and threw the rose as hard as he
could.

The flower hit the center of the small spiral of roses, then a flare of purple burst from it
and engulfed the other roses. The wall absorbed the power and registered a score on the
display. Terrance stared at it in disbelief. The score was higher than he had ever
registered before!

[What happened?] Terrance wondered. He pulled another rose and looked at it. It didn't
seem different. He threw it and it registered a normal power level.

Pulling another rose, Terrance held the stem firmly in his grip as he stared at it. [Maybe I
have to concentrate on it,] he thought. He closed his eyes and gripped the rose in his
fingers as he focused his mind. He tried to imagine his power flowing from his hand into
the rose.

Terrance opened his eyes and saw the rose was slightly shimmering. He launched it. It
hit the wall and power waves rippled out from the flower. The wall absorbed it all and
the score was twice what the other charged rose had been.

"Wow!" Terrance whispered. He then pulled a handful of roses as he thought, [I wonder
if my father can do this too? I've never seen him hold onto a rose. He always throws
them right away.] Terrance powered up all four roses at once. The power again flared
purple when the flowers hit their mark. The score registered was his highest yet.

Terrance was exhilarated by his find, but it did drain his power quickly. He realized he
needed to practice. Terrance found that working to increase his power and strength
helped to distract him from thinking about Hotaru. Grabbing onto this goal with a
vengeance, Terrance now spent all his free time either in the Senshi Practice Room or in
the gym.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early one morning about a week later, Sailor Venus walked into the gym and watched as
Terrance practiced martial arts. No one else was in the gym.

When Terrance paused to take a drink from his water bottle, Venus walked up behind
him and said, "Hi."

Startled, Terrance quickly turned. "Hi," he answered with surprise.

Venus stood there silently and after a few moments Terrance said, "I'm in the middle of
exercising. Is there something you need, Sailor Venus?"

Looking Terrance in the eyes, Venus answered, "I challenge you to a power battle, Prince
Terrance."

Terrance's eyes widened with shock as he stuttered, "Wh-What?"

Crossing her arms in front of her, Venus stated, "You heard me."

Terrance nodded his head as he said, "I did hear you, but I didn't think I heard correctly.
We both know power battles are forbidden."

With a challenging stare, Venus ignored what Terrance had said. Quietly she baited him,
"Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to power battle a Planet Senshi?"

Terrance didn't answer. He didn't need to. His expression revealed his thoughts.
Terrance *had* wondered what it would be like to be in a real power battle. He had
figured if he ever had the opportunity to power battle, it would be with Sailor Jupiter.
Based on the computer profiles, he didn't think either Sailor Venus or Sailor Mercury's
powers would be a challenge to him.

Terrance knew Sailor Venus had to have a reason for her offer. Suspicion hardened his
eyes as he asked, "What's the catch? What do you want, Venus?"

Smiling, Venus bluntly answered, "If I win, I want you to honestly answer the questions I
will ask you. If I lose, I will take all blame for the fight and will publicly state in front of
all the other Senshi that you beat me in a fair power battle."

Terrance silently weighed the options. He knew this was forbidden for the obvious
reasons of possible Senshi or property damage. However, he was tempted.

Quietly Terrance answered, "I accept. Where and when?"

"Here and now," she responded.

Terrance nodded his head and the two opponents squared off.

As they circled each other, Terrance pulled a handful of roses and powered them up as he
held them. He decided his strategy then launched the roses at the floor by Venus' feet.
His plan was simple. He'd disrupt her power with the roses, then use the time she
couldn't attack him to throw a blast at her.

Just before Terrance's roses hit the floor, Sailor Venus launched herself into the air
straight at Terrance. He ducked, and as soon as he had straightened up, Venus, who now
stood behind him, threw her Love Me chain. In a split second, it wrapped around
Terrance's shoulders. Two more lightning quick flicks of her wrist and the chain tightly
bound his hands to his waist and then his ankles together.

Venus slowly walked around Terrance until she faced him. Looking into his shocked
eyes, Venus smiled, as she deftly pulled his feet out from under him.

Terrance's butt hit the wooden floor hard and it knocked the breath out of him.

As Terrance sat and struggled to breath, Venus stepped up to him. Anchoring his feet to
the floor with her chain, Venus then placed her foot against his chest and slowly pushed.
Once he was lying flat on his back, Venus turned her back to him and sat her butt on his
stomach over his diaphragm. What little breath Terrance had gained left his lungs with
an "Ooff!"

Venus sat and waited patiently while Terrance desperately tried to gather another breath.
Gasping and wheezing, Terrance glared and hissed, "Get off!"

Venus looked down at him and laughed. She advised, "Don't waste your breath on
useless words."

After a few more minutes, and a few more hard won breaths, Terrance started to feel like
he was going to live. However, Venus still sat on his stomach. Each time he took a
breath, he had to tighten his abdominal muscles to support Venus and give himself
enough room to inhale.

Terrance continued to glare at Venus. He breathlessly asked, "What the hell are you
trying to do?" As he again struggled to inhale he exclaimed, "Damn, you're heavy!"

Venus just chuckled and asked, "Are you ready now to answer my questions?"

For a moment Terrance looked confused then he remembered the stipulation for if he lost
the battle. He tried to sigh as he nodded his head yes.

Venus looked Terrance in the eyes and asked, "Why did you let her go?"

Anger clouded Terrance's face as he sarcastically answered, "She didn't ask my
permission!"

Venus shook her head and chided, "You know, I worked hard to get her to stay here
longer for you and you wasted it."

"You wasted your own effort!" Terrance retorted. "I didn't ask you to do it!"

"You liked having her here though. Didn't you?" Venus responded.

Terrance didn't answer and Venus tried again, "You miss her, a lot. Don't you?"

Terrance shook his head no and said, "She's not anything special to me."

Venus looked annoyed. She barked, "The agreement was you'd answer honestly!"
Venus lifted her butt about four inches off of Terrance's stomach then quickly bounced
back down on him.

All of Terrance's breath again left his lungs with an audible groan. Tears filled his eyes
and trickled down the sides of his face as he again gasped and struggled to breath.

A few minutes later Terrance hissed, "Damn it Venus, that was cruel! I can't believe you
have such a sadistic mean streak!"

Venus picked up the end of her Love Me chain that was still securely wrapped around
Terrance. Holding it up for him to see, she said, "Get a clue, I use a whip you know!"

"Now," she continued, "As long as you answer honestly, we won't have a problem.
Clear?"

Terrance nodded his head yes and swallowed.

Again Venus asked, "You miss her a lot. Don't you?"

Terrance hesitated to answer then he felt Venus start to lift her weight. "Okay! Okay,
Damn it!" he exclaimed. "I do miss her! *Everything* reminds me of her. Even my
roses do! They're *MY* roses, but every time I look at them I see *HER*!" He ended
with a catch in his voice, "Are you happy now?!"

Nodding her head yes, Venus said, "That's good enough."

Terrance looked away and Venus gently continued, "Because of the way your mother
was, you think any woman you really love could never love you back. You
unconsciously pick women who are out of your reach because of that. Case in point is
your crush on Sailor Mars."

Terrance looked up with surprise and gulped. Blushing crimson, he quickly looked away
again.

Venus continued, "Yes, I do know about that. Sailor Mars really is out of your league
and she's happily married. However, you're wrong about Hotaru. She is very much
within your reach. You just need to be willing to try."

Venus grabbed Terrance's chin to force him to look at her as she added, "Both of you
have been hurt badly in the past. She is just as afraid as you are. However, if you two let
this pass you by, both of you will miss out on one of the few opportunities given to you
for real happiness."

Terrance whispered, "But she's the one who left. She turned me down."

Venus asked, "Did you really ask her? Did she actually say to your face that she doesn't
love you? Or did you just let her avoid you and run away?"

Terrance's eyes turned sad as he admitted to himself and Venus, "I let her avoid me and
run away."

"That's what I thought," Venus said. She admonished Terrance, "Go to her and ask her!
If she can say she doesn't love you to your face then at least you'll know. I know she's a
lousy liar. She could never lie to your face."

With a thoughtful expression, Terrance considered Venus' words.

"One more thing, Terrance," Venus added.

He looked up at her and she continued, "I never really try when I'm practicing in the
Senshi practice room. I find it boring to work my powers out there. Also, whatever your
power levels are, they will never fully make up for a lack of experience."

"Lastly," Venus paused. She quickly lifted her weight and again bounced back down
hard on Terrance's stomach as she said, "This, is payback for all the face plants!"

Venus stood, gathered her Love Me chain and left the gym.

Terrance curled himself into a ball on the floor as he again struggled to breathe. When he
finally did manage to catch his breath, he started to laugh. Tears rolled down his face as
he held his abused and tired abdominal muscles. Once again he couldn't breath, this time
from laughing so hard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, Terrance went to the breakfast room. The King was just finishing his
breakfast. Terrance asked his father if they could talk privately in his office.

King Endymion looked surprised. "Sure," he answered. "I'll need a moment to
reschedule something, but then my time is yours."

The King and Terrance entered the King's office. Terrance, who knew the routine,
started the tea while his father made a call.

Terrance was just pouring the tea when his father came over and sat down. They sipped
in silence then King Endymion asked, "What's on your mind Terrance?"

Taking a deep breath, Terrance put his cup on the table and self-consciously fiddled with
the handle. "Um, I, well," he stumbled then cleared his throat. He looked up at his father
then looked back down as he quietly said, "I need to go on a trip…to Saturn."

King Endymion was not really surprised by his son's nervous words. Sitting back in his
chair he answered, "There isn't anything urgent right now. We will suspend your studies
and royal duties until you return." The King paused to sip his tea, and then added, "Can I
assume this trip has to do with Hotaru?"

Terrance blushed to the roots of his hair as he nodded yes.

Looking up, King Endymion smiled at his son. He said, "I think Hotaru is a very special
woman. She has a kind and just heart. Someday, you will be King. This job is much
easier with a loving and supportive Queen to rule with you. I think she would be a
wonderful Queen."

Terrance looked up and quietly said, "I'm not at all certain she'll accept. However, it is
nice to know you approve of her. Thank you."

King Endymion then asked, "When do you leave?"

Terrance answered, "My flight leaves 11:30 this morning and I still need to pack."

The King looked at his watch and said, "You go pack. I need to get something, and then
I'll come by your room. Please don't leave until I return."

Terrance looked at his father quizzically and said, "Sure."

Terrance had just closed his travel bag when his father entered his room.

The King had a small box in his hand. He held it out to Terrance and said, "Soon after I
became King, Elios had told me about a hidden royal treasury in Elysion. This is a ring
that was stored there. I remember seeing my mother wear it. Usagi already had an
engagement ring so I put this away. If you think Hotaru will like it, you may give it to
her."

Terrance lifted the box from his father's hand and slowly opened it. Inside glowed a
beautiful ring. It was a thin band of white gold with a sparkling center diamond. The
diamond was flanked on each side by a brilliant blue sapphire.

Terrance smiled and looked up at his father. Quietly he said, "Thank you."

Mamoru put his arm around Terrance's shoulders and gave his son a quick hug. Looking
at his watch he said, "You'd better hurry."

Terrance saw the time and agreed. He put the tiny box in his pocket and grabbed his bag.

King Endymion walked to the palace transport with Terrance and saw him off. As
Mamoru watched the transport drive through the palace gate he sighed and thought, [I
guess Usako was right after all. I just hope Hotaru has the same feelings for him. I'd
hate to see his heart broken.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Terrance watched from a window as the Interplanetary Transport sat
in orbit over the planet Saturn and waited to intercept Saturn's Titan moon. The planet
was stunningly beautiful with its multihued glowing rings and bands. Saturn itself was
too inhospitable to settle but several of its eighteen moons had successful colonies. Titan
had Saturn's only major city.

The transport landed and Terrance discovered that Hotaru's castle wasn't anywhere near
the city. He also realized it wasn't going to be easy to get there. Once he finally
convinced the ticket coordinator that he wasn't a poorly informed tourist requesting a
transport to the planet Saturn and that he actually wanted to visit Saturn's royal palace,
Terrance was ushered to a waiting room.

The transport employee spoke to a receptionist who in turn asked Terrance to take a seat.
She then asked for Terrance's name and looked up at him with surprise when he
answered her. Quickly remembering her job, the receptionist looked down and typed a
message on her computer that announced Terrance's presence to her boss.

A door at the far end of the waiting room quickly opened and a jovial looking, somewhat
overweight man came hurrying out. He took one look at Terrance and his face lit up with
a hearty grin of recognition. Terrance stood and the ambassador advanced to shake his
hand.

"Your Highness," the ambassador greeted him, "It is an honor to have you visit our
moon. Please come in." Terrance politely thanked the ambassador as they went into the
office.

Once they were comfortably settled and the ambassador had offered Terrance a drink, he
asked, "Well, how can I be of service to the Crown Prince of Earth?"

Smiling, Terrance once more stated his desire for transport to Saturn's royal palace.

The ambassador proved he knew how to do his job well as he tactfully answered,
"Normally a private transport is sent from the palace for visitors."

Terrance explained, "This isn't a normal visit. I wish to surprise the Princess."

Looking suspiciously like a protective father, the ambassador asked, "Is there a special
occasion that requires this to be a surprise visit?"

Terrance could see that, Crown Prince of Earth or not, he wasn't going to get past the
ambassador without a full and satisfactory explanation. Terrance sighed and tried, but
couldn't stop his cheeks from blushing as he quietly confided, "I wish to ask the Princess
to marry me and I, um…don't want her to run away before I can ask her."

The ambassador sat up straight in his chair with surprise then burst out laughing. He
answered Terrance's perplexed expression when he finally caught his breath by saying, "I
love our Princess dearly but I have to admit that you are correct. She would run for the
hills if she knew you were coming to ask her that!" Still chuckling he continued, "Okay,
I will send you to the palace in my personal transport but I wish you a lot of luck. You're
going to need it!"

"Thank you," Terrance answered then added, "Please keep this between us. I'm not
certain of her answer. If she says no it would be embarrassing for her to be asked
questions about it later."

"Of course, of course," the ambassador assured as he stood and walked out from behind
his desk. He continued with a smile, "Now, let's get you on the road, shall we?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the road continued interminably through the harsh, bleak, frigid land with its rust-
colored sands, Terrance thought he'd never get there. Finally he saw some very large
ice-capped mountains rise up from the horizon.

The transport drove up into the mountain range and Titan Castle came into view. It was
nestled in the valley and was completely surrounded by mountains. A permeable
biosphere surrounded the castle and protected the immediate area from the harsh climate.
The city had had a similar but bigger biosphere. As the transport got closer Terrance
could see the details of the small castle and its surrounding grounds. He noted that just
like Hotaru herself, the castle and grounds had classic lines and beauty but weren't
ostentatious or flashy.

Terrance got out of the transport and walked up to the castle doors. He was surprised that
they were unguarded. He thought, [I guess Hotaru figures this is so remote that if any
one managed to approach her castle they would have to be someone she had invited.]

Terrance cautiously entered the castle and walked down a long corridor. He came to a
large open area with four staircases. Two went to the second floor and two went down to
a floor below.

Terrance debated which way to go. Finally he decided to go down. He thought, [If I
know Hotaru, she is working out now. The gym is probably this way.] He followed a
hall at the bottom of the stairs and came to a door. It was open and Terrance saw that
Saturn was there working out her powers.

He watched her a minute as he gathered his courage. Terrance then reached down and
pulled a handful of roses. He continued watching Saturn and concentrated on powering
up the roses.

Her back was to the door and Terrance saw his opportunity. Saturn had pointed her
glaive at the power wall and said, "Silent Glaive Surprise!"

As power waves rippled from the blade of her weapon toward the wall, Terrance
launched his roses. They flew past Saturn's shoulder and hit the target just after her
attack. The power meter spiked high then dropped to zero when Terrance's roses flared
purple.

Saturn gasped out loud. "Who…," the question died on her lips as she turned around and
saw Terrance standing in the doorway.

Terrance smiled and said, "Hello."

Saturn gulped and choked out, "Wh-What are you doing here?"

Terrance stepped into the room closer to Saturn. "I came here to ask you a question," he
quietly said.

Saturn's eyes widened as she took a step backwards. She stuttered, "O-oh. Y-you could
have written instead of c-coming all this way."

Shaking his head no, Terrance stepped closer again. He said, "This isn't a question that
can be asked in a letter."

Saturn tried to step back again and realized the wall was there. Now trapped, she looked
up at Terrance again. "O-okay," she whispered, "Wh-what is it?"

Terrance gulped and opened his mouth, but the words didn't come. Looking down he
cleared his throat. Again he tried. With a quiet voice he said the hardest words he had
ever said in his life, "Hotaru, I love you." He then looked up uncertainly and whispered,
"D-do you love me?"

Saturn gasped and de-transformed. She covered her face with her hands and burst into
tears.

Terrance's heart fell when he saw she wouldn't answer. Harshly he stated, "Fine. Just
look at me and tell me you don't love me. I can take it. I promise I will then leave and
never bother you again."

Hotaru sobbed into her hands as she mumbled something unintelligible.

Just about at the end of his rope, Terrance reached out and pulled Hotaru's hands away
from her face. He growled, "Just *look* at me and say it already!"

Tears coursed down Hotaru's cheeks. She tried to turn away from him, but he held her
hands tightly. "Please," she quietly implored, "Please, I-I can't do it!"

Sighing sadly, he said, "Just get it over with. Say you don't love me and I will leave."

"I c-can't," Hotaru whispered.

Terrance's expression changed to puzzlement. "What?" he asked.

She swallowed a sob then resignedly repeated, "I can't."

"Why can't you?" he asked with confusion.

Hotaru sighed. She looked up into Terrance's eyes and whispered, "Because…I'm a
lousy liar."

Terrance still held Hotaru's hands as he tried to understand what she had said.

Desperately, Hotaru looked around. She wanted to run away to anywhere but there.

Finally, Terrance's rattled brain comprehended the meaning of her words. With hurt
heavy in his voice, he quietly asked, "Why don't you want to love me?"

She heard the sad confusion in his voice and it tore at her heart. With a sob, Hotaru
finally admitted defeat. She swayed on her feet as the despair and fear she had been
running from overtook her.

Alarmed by her suddenly white pallor and unsteadiness, Terrance drew Hotaru into his
arms and held her close. He implored, "Please, please talk to me!"

From the depths of his embrace a small sad voice said, "I would be a terrible wife for
you! I don't fit in on Earth. You need someone who is going to a good Queen. I could
never be that!"

Hotaru cried brokenheartedly as she clung to Terrance. She finally admitted to herself
that she desperately wished she *was* the kind of woman Terrance needed.

As he stroked her hair to soothe her, Terrance realized Hotaru didn't think she was good
enough for *him*! He turned her face to look up. Gently, he caressed her cheek and
wiped her tears.

Terrance said, "I know *you* are just what I need. Neither of us is perfect. However,
together we are both better. Even my father said I need you. He said you have a kind
and just heart and would make a wonderful Queen."

Terrance took a deep breath as he reached into his pocket. Anxiously he gripped the
small box in his hand as he said, "Please Hotaru, take a chance with me and be my wife."

Hotaru looked up into Terrance's deep blue eyes so full of fear and hope. She knew she
couldn't run away again. She loved him too much.

Breathlessly she answered, "Yes."

"Yes?" Terrance questioned with shock.

Hotaru nodded and smiled. "Yes," she repeated.

Terrance's sudden smile lit up his eyes and face. With joy he repeated, "Yes!" then
crushed Hotaru in his arms and kissed her.

Quickly breaking the kiss, Hotaru squirmed and exclaimed, "Ow! What's that poking my
back!"

Blushing, Terrance grinned apologetically as he brought his hand forward with the box in
it. He explained, "Sorry, I forgot I had this in my hand. It's for you. I don't know if it
will fit. If it doesn't, I'll get it sized."

Hotaru opened the box and gasped. Her eyes again filled with tears as she whispered,
"It's beautiful!"

Lifting the ring, Terrance carefully tried it on Hotaru's left ring finger. Amazingly, it was
a perfect fit.

Hotaru looked at the ring a moment then threw her arms around Terrance's neck and
kissed him.

Happily, Terrance returned her kiss with interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, Hotaru and Terrance walked hand in hand as she took him on a tour of her castle.
She had an extensive and incredible antique weapons collection displayed on the walls.
Many of the pieces were from past times and distant planets. Some were even from other
dimensions.

While they ate dinner together, Hotaru was quiet. Terrance could tell something was on
her mind. He asked, "Is something wrong? You seem preoccupied."

Sighing, Hotaru said, "There's something we need to talk about but I don't know how to
start."

Terrance pushed away a little twinge of apprehension as he reached across the table to
hold her hand. He said, "It's better to just say it than to keep it to yourself and worry."

Nodding her head, Hotaru said, "Yes, you're right. It's just a hard subject."

He tried to help her by prompting, "What's the subject?"

Hotaru looked down and quietly answered, "My ultimate attack."

Continuing, Terrance asked, "What about it?"

She sighed again then looked up and asked, "Are you aware that it is a one time attack?"

Perplexed, Terrance repeated, "One time attack? What do you mean?"

Hotaru's explanation tumbled from her mouth in a rush, "It's a suicide attack. I can only
do it once in a lifetime."

Shocked, Terrance responded, "That's not right! None of the other Senshi have attacks
that kill them!"

Sadly, Hotaru nodded. She added, "None of the other Senshi have the ability to destroy a
planet. My attack would only be used if there were no other options left. I need you to
know that even if we were married and had children, if I was called upon I would do my
duty. I would be sad because of the pain I'd cause you, but I would not be able to deny
my Senshi spirit. You need to know this."

Hotaru then looked down as she whispered, "If you don't want to marry me because of
this fact, I'd understand. I need you to say so now, though."

Terrance gently rubbed her small hand in his. Tears filled his eyes as he realized what a
horrible burden the woman he loved carried. He then swallowed the tears and assured
her, "Now that I know you love me too, you're not going to be able to get rid of me that
easily. Hopefully, we won't ever have to deal with that. If the time does come, I would
not stand in your way. I was a soldier too. I would understand about your Senshi spirit."

Sighing with relief, Hotaru looked up at Terrance and smiled gratefully.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, Hotaru took Terrance to her game room. She had games from many
different times and places to play. The pool table caught Terrance's attention first and he
asked how to play. An hour later, he was able to play a pretty good game. He couldn't
beat Hotaru though.

Next, Terrance challenged Hotaru to a game of darts. He had never actually played the
game before, but naturally he won every game. Hotaru laughed and said he had an unfair
advantage.

Just for fun, Terrance threw one of his roses at the dartboard. It easily hit the bull's eye
and securely stuck there. Turning to Hotaru, Terrance then offered her one of his roses.

She smiled as she held it to her nose and deeply inhaled its heady perfume. With a
mischievous grin she also threw the rose at the dartboard.

To their surprise, the rose hit the target then fell to the floor. Hotaru picked it up and
tried again with the same results.

Terrance then picked the rose up and tossed it at the board. The rose penetrated and stuck
there firmly.

Hotaru shrugged and said, "I guess they really are only your roses. Your power must be
what makes them stick."

When they tired of the game room, they went to the library and cuddled together with
books and a very good bottle of wine. As the wine bottle slowly emptied, they paid less
attention to the books and more attention to each other.

Hotaru giggled as she felt Terrance teasingly nibble on her ear.

Terrance started to laugh as he observed, "I've never heard you giggle before."

Blushing, Hotaru admitted, "I only do it when I've had a few drinks."

She was sitting on Terrance's lap and leaned up to kiss him. After they broke the kiss,
Hotaru started to plant playful little kisses along his jaw then down his neck.

When she reached the base of his throat, Terrance reached up and slid his hands through
Hotaru's hair and cradled her head in them. He tilted her head up and passionately kissed
her.

As they kissed, Hotaru slowly ran her hands up over Terrance's chest then wrapped her
arms around his neck.

They broke their kiss and Terrance quietly groaned as he buried his face in Hotaru's hair.
He then tilted her head to have access to her slender neck. Terrance's kisses were now
more insistent and passionate. Each kiss lingered as he slowly worked his way back up
her neck.

Hotaru gasped as each of his kisses created a flash of desire in her. She ran her fingers
through his thick hair and enjoyed its sensual softness.

Finally, Terrance returned to Hotaru's lips. He crushed her to him in his arms as he
kissed her deeply. The wine on her lips made them taste even sweeter to him. He never
wanted to stop tasting her.

Terrance's thoughts began to turn to more than just kissing, but he decided that probably
wasn't a good idea. What he hadn't counted on was Hotaru having the same thoughts.

Slowly, they broke their kiss and Hotaru looked into Terrance's eyes. Her cheeks were
flushed and her eyes sparkled with love and desire for him. She smiled shyly then quietly
suggested, "We could continue this upstairs if you'd like."

Terrance's body reminded him how very much he really *would* like to do exactly what
Hotaru had said. A more clear thinking and logical part of his brain smacked him upside
the head and reminded him of a very important fact.

With a sigh, Terrance hugged Hotaru as he answered, "I would love to do that, but I'm
not prepared for it."

With a suggestive smile, Hotaru shifted around a bit to lean more firmly against Terrance
and against the very evident proof of his desire for her. She quietly noted, "It seems to
me like you're plenty prepared."

Groaning, Terrance hugged her fiercely. His honorable intentions were quickly
beginning to fray. He chuckled, "Okay, I guess I didn't word that well. I meant I didn't
come here prepared to avoid the consequences."

Hotaru sat up as she finally realized what he really meant. Tilting her head quizzically,
she looked at him and asked, "You came here with a question and a ring, but you didn't
consider this possibility?"

Nodding, Terrance tried to explain, "I expected you to tell me to take a hike, and then I
would turn around and go home."

She thought about his answer a moment then questioned, "If you thought that, then why
did you even bother to bring a ring?"

Terrance blushed as he admitted, "Actually, that wasn't my idea. When I told my father
where I was going, he pretty much guessed the reason for the trip. He got the ring from
the Golden Kingdom's treasury and gave it to me just before I left. He said it was his
mother's and that I could give it to you."

When Hotaru heard this, she lifted up her hand and stared at the ring. Tears welled up in
her eyes.

Noticing her tears, Terrance quickly said, "If you'd prefer to have a different ring, that
would be okay."

Vehemently shaking her head, Hotaru choked out, "No. It's beautiful. Knowing that
King Endymion's mother wore it makes it even more special to me."

Hotaru was silent a moment then she asked, "We're not going to have a super long
engagement, are we?"

Smiling, Terrance responded, "I certainly hope not. I'd marry you tomorrow, but my
parents would probably have a fit if we did that."

Hotaru smiled and hugged Terrance. She said, "Well, it doesn't need to be tomorrow.
We can take enough time to have a wedding on Earth. However, since we're going to be
married soon anyway, it would be okay with me to take a chance now.

Terrance gently sat Hotaru up and looked her in the eyes. He was very surprised by what
she had just said. Finally he asked, "Hotaru, are you drunk?"

Now it was Hotaru's turn to be surprised. She answered, "No. I'm a little relaxed, but
I'm far from drunk. Why?"

Relieved, Terrance said, "I wanted to be sure you didn't say that because you were
drunk."

"Oh," she responded. After a moment of thinking, she laughingly added, "Also, if we're
going to catch up to Serenity and Elios, we have to hurry. They're already ahead of us by
two."

Terrance's eyes widened with surprise and he cracked up laughing at her statement. He
asked, "When did this become a contest?!"

With a saucy smile Hotaru reminded him, "You know I'm competitive."

Continuing to chuckle, Terrance agreed, "Yes, you are!"

Finally catching his breath Terrance looked at Hotaru. He reached up and softly stroked
her cheek with his fingers. Seriously, he admitted, "The idea is *very* appealing to me.
However, I wouldn't want to do something you would later regret. Are you sure this is
what you want to do?"

Hotaru nodded her head yes, then kissed Terrance deeply. She slowly broke their kiss
and whispered against his lips, "I've waited long enough."

With a sigh, Terrance let the last of his reservations fall away. He pulled Hotaru to him
and kissed her passionately. As he broke their kiss, Terrance stood up with Hotaru in his
arms.

Resting her head against his chest, Hotaru listened to his heartbeat as she quietly told him
which stairway to take and which way to turn.

Terrance pushed open the door to her room. He stood Hotaru up and she reached out to
dimly light the room with a small candle lamp.

Turning back to Terrance, Hotaru reached up to thread her fingers in his hair and pull him
to her. They kissed then Terrance hugged her close and whispered in her ear, "Hotaru, I
love you!"

Terrance's words filled Hotaru with joy. She quietly answered, "I love you too!"



Chapter 7


Serenity woke suddenly from a dream and looked at the clock. [2 a.m.,] she thought with
a sigh. She had been dreaming she was running in a marathon through a field of pea
soup. [Whew! I'm glad I woke up. What a disgusting dream!] she mused as she tried to
get up from the bed to go to the bathroom. Her next thought was, [A race of all things!
It's really sad when even your dreams make you tired!]

She knew, at eight plus months pregnant with twins, it was fruitless to try to get out of
bed by herself, but she tried anyway. She hated having to wake Elios just so she could go
to the bathroom! Finally admitting defeat, she shook Elios.

"Huh?" she heard from the depths of his pillow.

Sighing she said, "I have to go again. I need your help to get up."

Elios rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stifled a sigh. He knew if he made any sound
that she could construe as reluctant, Serenity would start crying. For the sixteen
hundredth time in the last three months Elios reminded himself, [Remember, you want
this!]

Rolling out of bed, Elios stumbled to Serenity's side. He grabbed her hands and slowly
pulled her to sit up on the edge of the bed. He now put his arm around her body where
her waist used to be. Bracing his leg against the side of the bed, Elios hauled Serenity to
her feet.

As she leaned against Elios in the dark, Serenity whispered, "Thank you."

Hugging her, Elios quietly said, "Anytime. Are you awake enough to get there?"

Serenity nodded her head yes and stepped away from Elios' arms.

Elios turned to go back to bed when he heard Serenity gasp then say, "Oh no!"

Immediately Elios was wide-awake. He rushed back to her side as he worriedly asked,
"What? What's wrong?"

Elios' bare foot stepped on a very warm, wet spot on the rug at Serenity's feet.
Fortunately, Sailor Mercury had warned them Serenity's water might break, but it was
still a bit of a shock.

Leaning heavily against Elios, Serenity said, "Eww! This is even worse than pea soup!"

[I'm not even going to ask!] Elios decided. He tried to think of what to do next. "Do you
want to lay back down?" he asked.

With an annoyed look Serenity said, "No. I still need to go to the bathroom. What I need
is a towel and help to get there without leaving a trail."

They finally got Serenity in the bathroom. She used the toilet then decided to take a
quick shower. Elios helped her get clean, dry, changed into a new nightgown and back in
bed. He threw a few towels on the rug then went to sit by his wife. Serenity was worn
out and had already drifted back to sleep.

Elios gently brushed her damp bangs out of her eyes as he thought, [I guess she hasn't
had any contractions yet, or she would have said something.]

Standing up, Elios walked to the dresser and picked up Serenity's communicator. He
walked into the living room and pushed Sailor Mercury's button. Mercury answered and
Elios thought, [She seems surprisingly awake and alert for 2:40 in the morning.]

"Hello Elios. Is it time? Is there anything wrong?" Sailor Mercury asked.

Elios told her what happened and that Serenity was now sleeping.

Mercury nodded her head yes and said, "Contractions will probably start within the next
few hours. Let her sleep as long as she can. Call me as soon as they start. I'll be there at
seven if you don't need me before that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serenity was again dreaming. This time she was wearing clothes that were too tight. She
tried to take them off because she didn't want them to hurt the babies. The clothes were
so tight they wouldn't come off, and they were getting tighter. Serenity woke with a start
and realized what was going on. The contraction subsided. Looking at the clock again,
she sighed. It was only 3:30.

Serenity breathed deeply and tried to relax. She was excited, but also afraid. She thought
to herself, [Maybe by this time tomorrow we'll be able to hold our babies in our arms.]
She tried not to think about what it would take to get to that point. She had just started to
drift back to sleep when another contraction started. Serenity opened her eyes and began
to rub her belly. The clock said 3:40.

As the contraction continued to build in intensity, Serenity looked over at Elios. He
looked totally relaxed and was quietly snoring. She decided, [That's enough of that!]
"Elios, Elios!" she called. When she got no response she reached over and poked him.
"Elios!" she said louder.

As Serenity's insistent words reached through the fog in Elios' sleepy brain, he opened
bleary eyes and looked at her. Her statement of, "I'm having contractions," finally
reached his consciousness.

Wide-eyed and still slightly disoriented, Elios jumped up from the bed as he grabbed the
communicator off the end table. He pushed Sailor Mercury's button and her cheery face
popped up on the screen. Elios looked at her and realized he had absolutely no idea what
to say! He just stared at her with a dazed look in his big brown eyes.

Sailor Mercury smiled and said, "Hi Elios, I guess it's time for me to come over. I'll be
there in five minutes. Bye."

Elios looked up at Serenity and said, "Um, she's coming."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Deep breath, now *PUSH*! More! *PUSH*! Okay, short break, breathe." Sailor
Mercury looked up at Serenity and saw her struggle to do what Mercury was telling her
to do. Mercury sighed and pushed her bangs off her face with her wrist. They had been
at this for quite a few hours and all three were starting to show fatigue.

They were still in Serenity and Elios' bedroom at the Palace. So far things had been
going normally, but now they were to the more difficult part. Mercury picked up her
handheld and again checked the babies' vital signs. [So far so good, just this last part
now,] she thought.

Elios was sitting behind Serenity as he propped her up and supported her. He brushed
her sweat soaked bangs off her face then grabbed a cool washcloth and gently wiped her
forehead, cheeks and neck with it. He could feel her body tense with the beginning of
another contraction.

Mercury again stood next to Serenity as she said, "Time for some more."

Tears welled up and overflowed down Serenity's cheeks. "NO!" she insisted, "I'm
*TIRED*! Please stop this! I can't do it anymore!"

Mercury tried to encourage her, "You can do it. We'll be done soon, you just have to
keep at it!"

Vehemently shaking her head no, Serenity wailed, "*I can't*! I'm too tired!"

Elios tightened his arms around Serenity and leaned his head down against hers to hold
her still. He whispered in her ear, "Maiden, our sweet little ones are depending on you.
Please don't give up. You can do this!"

Serenity cried harder as she felt her body relentlessly clamp down like a vise tightening.
"Okay! *OKAY*!!" she screamed as she reached up and grabbed Elios' upper arms.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed with all her might as she squeezed and pulled on his
arms convulsively.

Mercury cheered, "YES! *GOOD*! A few more like that and you'll have a baby to
hold! Get ready and do that again!"

As Serenity put everything she had into giving birth, she again squeezed and pulled on
Elios' arms. He felt her fingernails digging into his flesh and thought, [I'm going to have
welts and bruises from this for weeks!] He didn't try to stop Serenity or say anything
though. Elios was determined to take whatever was necessary to help. A fleeting
thought did cross his mind. It wondered whatever had possessed him to marry a female
warrior!

"Here it comes!" Mercury encouragingly said. She expertly grabbed the newborn and
exclaimed, "It's *A GIRL*!" Mercury quickly suctioned out the baby's mouth and
noticed the crescent moon on the infant's forehead. Suddenly, she remembered. Quickly
knocking her visor into place, Mercury advised, "Cover your eyes!"

The baby let out a wail and a white-hot burst of bright light filled the room. The blaze of
energy quickly dissipated, but Serenity and Elios could barely see. Mercury's visor had
absorbed the intense light and protected her from the temporary blindness.

Elios exclaimed, "What was that?!"

"Well sweetie," Mercury crooned to the baby as she quickly cut the cord, cleaned her up,
put her in a diaper and wrapped her in a blanket for warmth, "your mommy taught me
that lesson, but you almost got me too."

Mercury looked up at Elios and Serenity. She held the swaddled baby up and announced,
"A Moon Princess is born!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the living room, Terrance and Hotaru, who had been married in November, sat on a
couch with the King and Queen. Ceres and Castor sat on the other couch with Pallas and
Pollux.

Vesta and Volans snuggled together in a large upholstered chair. They had gotten
married only two weeks ago, and Pallas and Pollux had been married two months before
them. Ceres and Castor had been married since September.

Juno, Jabbath and the Planet Senshi were all sitting on the floor.

During the hours they waited, Mamoru had stopped Usagi from running into the bedroom
a few times.

Finally, they heard a baby's cry and saw the bright light blaze out from under the
bedroom door.

Usagi shot up off the couch and ran into the bedroom. Jumping up, Mamoru exclaimed,
"Usako wait!" as he ran after her.

Everyone in the room looked at each other with surprise then started laughing. They all
dug out piles of money and handed them to Sailor Jupiter.

Jupiter smirked as she accepted the money. "I knew they wouldn't stay out once they
heard the first baby's cry," she boasted.

Castor had his arm around Ceres, who absently rubbed her very swollen belly. She
laughingly said, "I thought the King at least would wait, but I was wrong."

Terrance hugged Hotaru when he heard her sigh. Her arms rested on her smaller, but still
obviously pregnant belly. She said, "Well, that's one of us down, and four more to go."

Jabbath looked at Juno. He took her hand in his and smiled. Juno blushed then quietly
said, "Make that five."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Jabbath and Juno with surprise.

Pallas laughed and said, "So, you two finally gave in and decided you love each other.
It's about time!"

Everyone congratulated them warmly.

Sailor Venus looked at all four Pegasus brothers and the Asteroid Senshi. She was glad
they all were happy and content. She then looked at Terrance and Hotaru. Venus was
especially proud of the part she had played in their lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi and Mamoru stood just inside the door and watched as Elios went to Mercury and
took his first born in his arms. Her eyes were squinched shut and her face was bright red
as she furiously protested the abrupt changes in her environment.

Mercury thought it was interesting to note that the first thing Elios did was lift his
daughter to his face and smell her deeply. He then looked at her. Smiling, he softly said,
"Our own Small Lady. Welcome to our world."

When she heard a voice that was so familiar to her and yet now sounded different, Small
Lady stopped crying and opened her pale lavender eyes. She stared at her father for a
moment. Then, deciding he wasn't doing anything to make her happy, she again started
to wail.

Elios smiled again then looked up as he heard his wife react to a strong contraction.

"Don't I get a break here?" Serenity wailed over the sound of her baby.

Mercury shook her head and said, "Apparently not."

Elios walked over to his mother and father in law with the baby still in his arms. He
smiled at them and asked, "Would you please hold her while I finish helping Serenity?"

Their faces lit up with awe and Usagi whispered, "Yes, we'd be honored to!" Elios
gently placed the crying baby in Usagi's arms then turned back to his wife.

The second birth wasn't quite as difficult or as long as the first. Soon Mercury, with her
visor down, grabbed Serenity and Elios' second born daughter and pulled her into the
world. She suctioned this little girl and noticed there wasn't a crescent moon on her
forehead. Her forehead didn't have a mark or a jewel. It was just a plain blank forehead.

Everyone had been expecting a bright light again. Mercury put her visor away. She
quickly cut the cord, cleaned, diapered and swaddled the softly mewing baby. She
announced with a perplexed voice, "Your second daughter doesn't have a forehead mark
at all."

Elios stood up and walked to Mercury. Putting his hands up, he quietly commanded,
"Give her to me."

Mercury quickly complied.

Again Elios brought the baby to his face and smelled her. He then placed his lips on her
forehead and gently kissed her. When he lifted his lips away, a small red jewel softly
glowed where he had kissed her.

Elios looked at his second daughter. With a smile he quietly said, "Hello Little Maiden.
Welcome to our world."

When the baby heard his familiar voice, she opened her big pale lavender eyes and
solemnly looked at her father.

Even more perplexed, Mercury asked, "Where did that jewel come from? I know it
wasn't there before."

As Elios and his daughter continued to gaze at each other, he quietly explained, "A
Pegasus' jewel needs to be activated by a kiss. Traditionally, the father's kiss."

Mercury nodded her head as she stored this new information in her brain for future
reference. She knew she still had a lot to learn about Pegasuses both medically and
culturally.

Serenity had finally caught her breath. She looked around and realized everyone else had
her children.

"I want my babies!" Serenity forcefully stated.

Elios looked up at her and nodded. He walked over to Usagi and Mamoru who were still
holding a wailing baby. Smiling, he said, "I can take her now."

Everyone in the room watched with amazement as Elios easily put each baby in a football
hold then confidently carried both of them to the bed. Elios handed Small Lady to
Serenity then sat down next to her and held their Little Maiden.

Gently, Serenity touched each baby's face. "Hello, little ones," she whispered.

Elios looked up at Serenity with tears in his eyes. He gently kissed her lips then quietly
said, "Thank you. You have given me the two most precious and wonderful gifts I have
every received."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi and Mamoru were standing beside the bed. The other couples and the Planet
Senshi stood next to them. The room was very full and everyone was talking and
congratulating the new parents.

Vesta was looking at the babies and couldn't help but curiously observe, "The babies
aren't identical."

Mercury paused from cleaning and putting things away. With a thoughtful expression
she said, "That had me perplexed too at first but I think I may have figured out why."

Everyone in the room except for Small Lady quieted and looked at Mercury expectantly.

Mercury continued, "Now, this is only a theory but I don't think the crescent or the jewel
are actually physical things."

Terrance interrupted, "How can they not be physical when they can be touched?"

"I think they are actually a physical manifestation of a spiritual state," Mercury
explained, "We know that the twins are physically identical but they are also spiritual
individuals with individual souls. If magical abilities were a part of the soul then each
twin would have different magical abilities based on each of their individual souls. Their
different magical abilities would then generate either the crescent or the jewel."

"That's a very interesting theory," Elios mused. He thought some more and added, "That
would also explain many things that haven't made sense about magical abilities. It's
definitely something worth looking into."

Everyone thought Mercury's theory sounded good, at least what they understood of it
did. With that settled the conversations changed to more simple things that wouldn't
make most of the room's occupants' heads hurt to think about.

Through out all this the sound of Small Lady's continuous wails rose above the chatter.
Elios reached out and gently touched her lip. Small Lady's wailing paused as her mouth
opened wider. She turned her head as if searching then began to cry again.

Looking at Serenity, Elios smiled and said, "I think there is only one thing that is going to
make her happy and you have it."

Serenity looked up at Elios a bit nervously.

Usagi, who had heard Elios' observation, smiled and added, "Yes, that was the only thing
that could quiet you down too."

Mercury, who had just finished cleaning up and putting things away, had overheard the
conversation and noted Serenity's shy and unsure reaction. She decided it was time for
her to pull rank. Turning to the crowd, Mercury stated with a firm loud voice, "It is time
for everyone to leave. The new family needs time together alone."

Slowly everyone said their goodbyes and headed for the door. Usagi had the hardest time
leaving. Finally she kissed her daughter, hugged Elios and allowed Mamoru to lead her
out.

Standing by the bed, Mercury said, "Now is a good time to feed them. They are both still
alert from the birth."

Serenity gulped and nodded her head yes. Opening the front of her nightgown, she
uncovered a breast. Mercury showed her how to hold Small Lady and how to bring the
baby up to her body. Mercury then told Serenity to touch her nipple to the baby's bottom
lip.

Small Lady eagerly opened her mouth at her mother's prompting, and Mercury helped
Serenity place the baby's mouth over her nipple.

Next, Mercury showed Serenity how to check the baby's bottom lip to make sure she was
latched on correctly. She also told Serenity how to break the baby's suction with her
finger and warned her not to forget that step when removing the baby from her breast.

As Mercury turned to pack a few last things in her bag, she told Serenity, "Because you
have twins, it will be easier to give each baby one breast per feeding. Just be sure to
switch which side each baby is on at the next feeding. Drink at least sixteen ounces of
water at each feeding. If you want, up to half of that can be milk three times a day. This
will replenish your fluid levels and help build your milk supply."

Mercury thought a moment then added, "Also, to begin with, fifteen to twenty minute
feedings every two to three hours are fine unless the baby makes it obvious she's not full.
This will let your breasts get used to nursing gradually." With a smile, Mercury asked,
"Any questions?"

Elios had listened carefully to Mercury, but Serenity had not paid attention at all. She
was too enthralled with watching her daughter nurse. Elios shook his head no and said,
"I'll help her. If we have more questions we'll call."

Elios stood up from the bed still holding his Little Maiden. Mercury picked up her
medical bag and headed towards the door. As Elios walked with her, he said, "Thank
you Mercury."

Smiling at him Mercury said, "You're welcome. Take good care of them. I'll stop by
tomorrow to see how things are going. Bye."

Elios turned around and saw Serenity drooping over from fatigue as she still nursed the
baby. Quickly putting their Little Maiden down on the bed, Elios sat beside Serenity and
supported her and the baby with his arms.

Small Lady looked like she had fallen asleep and fifteen minutes had passed. Elios
suggested, "Serenity, I think it's time to switch babies."

Serenity woke from her light doze and began to lift Small Lady away from her body.
Elios stopped her and said, "Do this or else it will hurt," as he slip his finger between the
baby's jaws and broke the suction hold she had on her mother.

Serenity nodded her head yes as she saw how it could have hurt to just pull the baby
away.

Carrying Small Lady in his arms, Elios walked to the bassinette. He gently kissed her
then placed her in the bed. He whispered, "Be a good girl and sleep. Your sister will join
you soon."

By this time their Little Maiden had realized she wasn't being held and had started to
protest. Serenity looked at her and said, "I guess it's her turn next. I'm so tired, I hope I
can stay awake."

Serenity began to reach for the baby on the bed, and Elios said, "Wait a second," as he
came back to the bed and lifted the baby up. He brought her to Serenity and continued
with, "Don't worry, I'll help so you can rest."

Elios handed the baby to Serenity then pushed the pillows back and climbed on the bed
so he sat behind Serenity.

Lifting their Little Maiden up like Mercury had showed her, Serenity touched the baby's
lip with the nipple of her other breast.

Their Little Maiden cooperatively opened her mouth. Serenity moved the baby's mouth
over her nipple and the baby latched on. Remembering what Mercury had said about
checking the baby's bottom lip, she looked and it seemed to be right. Serenity sighed as
she realized her daughter had begun to nurse and seemed content.

Elios wrapped his arms around Serenity and the baby. He whispered, "Go ahead and
sleep. I'll wake you when fifteen minutes are up."

Serenity gratefully leaned her head back against her husband's shoulder, closed her eyes
and was soon asleep.

Elios continued to hold the baby and he watched her as she nursed. He was tired, but he
decided he hadn't ever been this happy before in his entire life. All three had made it
through the birth fine, and the babies are healthy. [Finally,] Elios thought, [I have a
family, my very own family!]

Fifteen minutes later, Elios woke Serenity enough for him to stand and take the baby. He
gently kissed his Little Maiden. Ignoring the second bassinette, he put her in with her
sister so each baby had her head at an end and their feet met in the middle. Elios stood
looking at his children for a moment then walked to the bed and gratefully collapsed on
it. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Serenity was also already asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"CRYSTAL TOKYO TIMES (Front Page dated February 26th)

King Elios and Queen Lady Serenity of Elysion announce the birth of their twin
daughters,

Princess Small Lady Serenity IV
and
Princess Little Maiden Sirrah.

The babies were born on February 25th at 1:25 p.m.. Both weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces
and were 19 inches long.

The proud grandparents are King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo.

Both babies and their mother are healthy and doing fine.


Crystal Tokyo Times joins all of Crystal Tokyo in congratulating the new parents. We
wish them much health and happiness."




The End…

Author's notes:

This is the last book of this series. I have an idea for continuing the story but it's set 5
years after the end of this series. Before I can write that though, I need to write a 4 book
prequel series about the time when Prince Endymion was young, the fall of the 2
kingdoms, Beryl and her group's exile, Terrance's birth and life in the Negaverse, how
Terrance was concealed, the entire "R" season of Sailor Moon from the General's and
Beryl's point of view then how Terrance survived on the Earth after Beryl's defeat and
how he ultimately ended up at the Crystal Palace. (Whew! ^_^;) I've only just started
writing so it will be quite a while before I post it. ^_^



Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you did like my story, or if you have any (kind and gently worded)
suggestions/comments about my story, please let me know. I truly appreciate feedback.
You can email me at ndeblock@att.net .



This story was edited and enhanced by the great mind and imagination of Sophia Prester.
Her help and ideas have been of great value to me! Thank you Sophia! ^_^

Sophia Prester is also the author or a *wonderful* continuing Sailor Moon epic called
"Empire of the Sun". Her story is very intricate and absorbing and I highly recommend
reading it! The most up to date version is on Fanfiction.net . ^_^



Bye, Luna Hope



Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all her friends (except for Prince Terrance Donovan, the
Pegasus brothers - Jabbath, Castor, Pollux and Volans, and the twin baby girls - Princess
Small Lady Serenity IV and Princess Little Maiden Sirrah. They are all mine! ^_^ ) don't
belong to me. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I just borrowed them for a little bit of
fun.