Episode 2
Growing Up
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"What's wrong darling?" Queen Selenity asked as she entered the room.
"My hair wont stay up, it never does for me!" Meia said looking up at her mother. "Why wont it ever stay up for me but when you do it, it always looks great?"
"You'll learn in time, remember I've been doing my own hair likes this since I was your age, it takes time to learn how." Selenity said and sat down behind her daughter and began to brush her hair out. "How is your training coming?"
"Oh its coming along great, but not as well as when Siconja and Serena are here. They help a lot." Meia said. "I'd like to visit earth one day mama. Serena says its ever so lovely, and I've never met the royal family from there." Meia said.
"Perhaps one day dear, when your a little older, its a long trip." Selenity said and divided Meia's hair into two parts. and pulled a bit of one part up into a odango. "And I don't really want you on one of those intergalactic shuttles."
"Why not mama?" Meia asked.
"I'll tell you when your older." Selenity said and pulled part of the other side up into a odango as well.
"Mama..." Meia said quietly and glanced at her mother in the mirror. Selenity's eyes had a faraway look to them.
"Anyway what are you going to do today. Training or swimming?" Selenity asked pulling up one side of her hair into a ponytail.
"Well, I thought I'd go train some first, Sailorpiety-sama says I need work on my magic attacks and should get in some practice alone. And then after that I thought I'd go take a lesson with Rika-san." Meia said happily.
"Sounds fun, oh yes, Prince Ryono is visiting for a few days to get in some practice with the Samurai Trooper's main instructor so if you see him make sure you go and be pleasant dear." Selenity said finishing up with Meia's hair.
"Yes, mama." Meia said turning around. "Well, I'd better be off, its hard to find a place to practice in the forest if you don't get there early." She got up and bonded out of the room.
Selenity watched as her daughter left, her mind drifting to the day she had been born. "Mamo..." She wisphered.
*
"Finally found a decent spot." I sighed. "Better change." I pulled out my brooch and held it up.
"UNIVERSE STAR CRYSTAL POWER...MAKE-UP!" I felt my body lift off the ground and my gown melted into me. Ribbons of silver energy that felt incredibly smooth wrapped around me. Sparkles of silver flew around my body and a skin tight body suit formed. I drew one hand across my face with my fingers in a 'V' I opened my eyes and winked and a silver mist formed gloves covering my hands. I brought one leg up and stamped it down on the ground and Silver specks flew up and formed boots on my feet. I grabbed one of the ribbons flying around me and tied a bow and began to twirl as I let the bow go and it attached to the front of my uniform and another bow tied itself on the back of my uniform. A twirled about my fingers trailing and ribbon followed my fingers forming a skirt. I threw back my head and my symbol glowed and a tiara formed around it. Jewels appeared in my hair and earrings formed on my ears. I opened my eyes winked and twirled around and took a pose with my arms wrapped around me.
"Right time to practice!" I said. I looked around for a target for my attack. I saw a large tree about 10 yards away and decided to try and hit it. Taking a deep breath I began to call out my attack.
"Universe..." I placed my hands over my heart as a pink glow starts there. I fling my hands up above my head and millions of hearts start to circle my body. "Cosmic..." I twirl once and reach up a hand to clasp my tiara. I bring my tiara out in front of me. "Heart..." My other hand touched my brooch as a strong pulse of light comes from it and surrounds my tiara. "Revelation!" I hold my hand that was touching my brooch up in the air and snaps my wrist forward at the tree and my tiara lets out a pulse of white light that it joined by the hearts at towards the tree.
Seconds later I realized my aim had been off and I was not going to hit the tree but rather someone in samurai armor who had suddenly appeared close by. "Run you fool!" I yelled and quickly replaced my tiara as I tried to stop the attack.
The person looked up and I had the briefest glimpse of tiger blue eyes. He saw me and the attack flying at him and his eyes widened. He tried to dodge out of the way but he was a little late and the attack caught his right leg as he flew threw the air. The attack dissipated now that it had hit something.
I rushed over to him already apologizing to him. "My God I'm so sorry. My aim is just terrible." Where had he come from?
"Man that smarts. Ow." The boy in the armor said. He looked up at me kneeling over him and I recognized the face. 'Damn it its Prince Ryono. I'm in trouble now.'
"I'm so sorry." I said again.
"It's all right I can stand I think." Ryono said and tried to get up but quickly collapsed. "Some princess, what you hit me with Meia?"
So he did recognize me. "My attack, you see I was aiming for that tree over there. And all the sudden you were just there."
"Well, I guess this puts an end for today's training." Ryo said and laughed.
"What is that your wearing? You look funny." I giggled.
"And rude too. Its my Samurai armor dummy. I'm a Ronin Warrior remember. I was training when you hit me." He said and shook his head.
"Oh. Didn't look like you were training to me Ryo. It LOOKED like you were wandering around the forest." I said.
"I was looking for one of the targets I lost." Ryo said. "If I don't get back Kei-san's gonna get really mad."
"I can fix it if you like." I said. "I do have a healing power."
"If you're sure you wont miss again."
I glared at him a bit and called out my healing power.
"GOLDEN HEALING BLISS!" I took off my tiara and held it above my head where it hovered. I closed my eyes and held my hands in a praying position as my symbol glowed and the symbol on my tiara flashed. I held my hands up and sparkles of silver fly out from them and too my tiara. A golden circle formed around my tiara. I held my hand up in it and snapped my fingers. The golden energy concentrated into my tiara and the symbol on it shot out a beam of golden light hitting Ryo's leg and healing it.
Ryo flexed his leg and looked up. "Wow, that really works."
I lifted an eyebrow at him as I placed my tiara back on my head. "You thought it wouldn't?"
"Not really." He said standing up and grinning.
"Do not doubt the awesome and terrible powers of Sailoruniverse." I said and winked. "Now I think I must go work on my aim."
"You'd better. I must go back to Kei-san, see ya Meia!" He said and rushed off.
'Well, he certainly has grown, five years certainly make a difference.' With that I returned to my practice.
*
'Man I think a nice swim is in order after that.' Ryo thought as he shed his armor. "Same time tomorrow Ryono-ouji!" Kei called after him. Ryo nodded and tucked his armor orb into his pocket and walked off. He slowed down when he reached where Meyana had been practicing and carefully looked around. Seeing she was gone he walked on. 'Man for an 11-year-old princess that girl sure packs a wallop.' As he came out of the forest he saw several other pairs dueling or practicing. Tana looked up from her instructor and waved to him before resuming her training.
When he reached the nadatorium he immediately headed for the men's changing rooms. Those changing rooms were currently ocupied by the guys of the Olympia swim team cooling down from practice. Many of them looked up in a kind of awe that Ryo didn't really like. Most of them weren't princes or of any kind of royal descent. Talent for swimming didn't generally run in royal families. Two of them nodded at him. He recognized those two as the otoouji's of Mercury and Neptune. Them being there of course meant their elder sisters were there. He quickly changed and left the rooms to escape all the guys looking at him, it made him terribly uncomfortable. He looked out at the pool. The Olympia instructor was still there. That was odd.
"Just do another 600 and you can cool down girls." The instructor called and three girls in the pool nodded and took off. He caught a brief flash of each of their faces. The one in the first lane had striking blue hair and eyes and the Mercury symbol upon her forehead, Princess Mercury. The next had wavy green hair and green eyes as well as the Neptune symbol on her forehead, Princess Neptune. The third had silver hair and blue and gold eyes plus the...he didn't believe it, Meia was part of the Olympia swim team?
He shook his head and walked over to one of the other lanes and nodded at the instructor. The water was cool and refreshing. He took a couple laps to loosen up his muscles. He stopped to decide what to do next when he saw the three princess's getting out. Neptune and Meia pulled off their caps and let their damp hair fall down. The three were chatting easily.
'God Meia looks great in that swim suit.' At this thought he shook his head furiously, what was he thinking. This was his princess he was thinking about. He started swimming again furiously to shake off this feeling.
*Three Years Later
I cracked my neck as I waited for the ship to touch down. 'What a boring thing to have to do. Honestly my 14th birthday is in two days and I had to stand out here and greet the incoming quests, most of whom are princes who want to gain power by marrying me.'
The craft touched down and I finally recognized the emblem on it. It was from the Milky Way Galaxy or more importantly the Moon Solar System, meaning Serena might be on it. "Up you go Tyana, Megami. We have more guests." I said and looked back at the two girls sitting against the wall behind her. Each was in a Sailor Fuku. Tyana in a dark purple and red fuku with the silver star on her choker and a light gold tiara. Megami was in an orange and bright green fuku with the silver star on her choker and a light silver tiara. Each of them were the leaders of the two parts of the Senshi teams that protected me and a silver star on their choker meant that they were my closest protectors from each group.
"More boring Princes." Megami yawned. "What a pity they couldn't have some manners and a brain."
"Oh Megami!" Tyana said exasperated. "Some of them aren't that bad!"
I just shook my head and put on a false smile as the princes, no Serena, exited the ship. There were four. She instantly recognized the one in the back. 'Ryo' she chuckled 'I wonder how two years has changed him, probably conceited as the rest.'
"Welcome Prince Shin." I said putting my hand out to the first prince.
"Thank you princess, perhaps we shall talk later of joining our kingdoms?" Prince Shin said. 'Great he's just arrived and he's already made the worst proposal of the year.'
I greeted the other two princes and then reached Ryo. I expected him to be arrogant and forget my birthday, the reason they were all here, just like all the others. "Greetings Prince Ryono." I said calmly and held my hand out once again.
To my surprise he took my hand and kissed it. "Thank you princess." He then held out a white rose. "Happy Birthday Meia may it not be your last."
"Thank you." I said stunned. I took to rose and noticed all the prickers had been taken off.
"How dare you address the princess as such." Prince Shin said. He looked ready to take on his own prince!
Before Ryo could say anything I said calmly. "He does not insult anyone by calling me that. He is one of the few permitted to call me by my name."
"And who might be the others." Quite Prince Shuu inquired.
"Lets see, my mother, Princess Siconja, Princess Serenity, Princess Tanashia, most of the Princesses of the Moon solar system for that matter, Prince Rowano, the rest of the Ronin Princes's and of course Ryono here." I said counting off on my fingers.
With that I nodded at Tyana and Megami. They began to escort to other three princes to a carriage that would take them to the guests quarters. Ryo began to follow them.
I grabbed his arm and he looked back at me questioningly. "We have limited space in the quest quarters due to renovations, mother feels you are one of the few people she can trust to stay in the main palace with us." I said.
"Okay then where too." He said cheerfully.
I motioned towards another carriage somewhat hidden behind the wall.
*
The entire carriage ride to the palace Ryo tried to get Meyana to talk. He even told jokes. She smiled at him and continued to gaze out the window. 'What am I doing wrong. She used to be such a free talker with me. When did she become so cold?' Her hair had grown out he noticed. It had hung to her shoulders last time he'd seen her and now in hung all the way to her knees. She had developed in other ways as well. Her dress seemed to fit better on her form now than it had. 'Baka! Why do I keep having these thoughts about her? Damn she's my princess. This is definitely not how I'm supposed to think about her.' Just then the carriage stopped and quickly a door man opened the door. She looked at him and he gestured for her to get out first. 'God, and what is with that look in her eyes, so calm and serene, so knowing. Its like she's reading into my soul, like she knows everything about me.' She stood and lifted her dress up revealing perfect slender legs and shapire tinted slippers. Just then a thought occurred to him. 'If she looks this great in her princess dress I wonder how she looks in that Sailor fuku of hers.' He was taken aback by his own boldness and seeing Meia wasn't looking at him he took that moment to slap himself up the side of the head.
Mentally chewing himself out for what he was thinking he stepped out of the carriage. He quickly saw Meia now standing by Queen Selenity. 'I've never noticed it but Selenity-sama has the same look.' He took a few steps forward and knelt bowing his head. "Selenity-sama I honored by your trust."
"Rise Ryono. No need for that, I trust you because of your past, you are a good friend to my family. Come Meyana and I shall escort you to your quarters." Selenity said.
With this Selenity-sama turned around and headed back into the palace, her silver haired daughter following. As of late Selenity's hair had lost much of its a luster and had become more of a light grey than a silver, a sign that being queen of the universe and raising a young rebellious daughter was telling on her. Her magic was depleating, sooner or later it would be time for Meia to take her place. Meia had already aquired the soul peircing look in her eyes and the grace of her mother. She was beggining to aquire a certian air of distinguishment as well, a air that she had used to drop around him. What had changed her so drastically? Well Rowen was here he would have to ask him. They were now walking down elegant hallways he seemed to remember seeing once before. He blinked as they passed huge doorway carved with symbols and angels. This was the hallway he stayed on when he was young and he had meet Meia for the first time. He was lead to a tall doorway.
"This is where you will be staying." Meia said. Leveling her cool eyes on him again.
"Thank you princess, your majesty." He said giving the only type of bow Selenity allowed from him, a slight inclination of the head. He stod and wacthed them go.
'God shes really grown up since I saw her last.' he thought contently to himself. He turned and entered the room. It was just as he remembered it, as he entered the bedchambers he saw his bags sitting on the floor. 'Wow they're pretty fast' he thought impressed. He looked around and noticed something, no someone sitting on the bed. It seemed to be a young girl, maybe 15. She had long hair pulled into the royal style, twin odangos with ponytails. Her hair seemed to be black at first but then he saw it was streaked with silver. She was gazing out the window near the bed, she was wearing a light blue dress that hung to her ankles. She turned and saw him standing there staring. He could now see she had tiger blue eyes and upon her forehead...the symbol of the universe? She leaped off the bed when she saw him and ran towards him and cried. "Daddy!" She threw her arms around him and looked up smiling and then vanished. He gasped and stumbled back.
"What was that?!" He cried in alarm when he had gathered his wits again. He looked around him for any sign of the girl and let out a sigh when he saw she was not. 'That was odd, I wonder who she was?'
*
"Yo Rowen!" Ryo called out as I wacthed from the bushes, the Ronin Warrior of the Sky otherwise known as Prince Rowano of the Sun, had just fallen all over himself during his training session with the Ronin Warrior of fire. I giggled and kept wacthing, I was really supposed to be training but when I saw these two I had stopped just short of transforming.
"Come on Ro, you've gotta do better than that!" Ryo called as he approached Rowen who was undertsandably busy trying to get up.
"Your not supposed to use that thing of yours on me! You keep forgetting that we're still in training and only you and Sage have figured your attacks out." Rowen said as he finally got up. They quickly resumed training with Rowen fireing arrow after arrow at Ryo who dodged most all of them and got in a bunch of hits with his twin kantanta's.
Finally Rowen quit with the training and reverted back into his undergear. "I give up, whatever kind of training you've been doing is really paying off." Rowen said and left the areana leaving Ryo alone to practice. I then had a very deavilish idea, so Ryo wanted a real training session, well Super Sailoruniverse would give him one.
"SUPER CRYSTAL STAR UNIVERSE POWER...MAKE-UP!" I cried out throwing my heart shapped locket up into the air above me. As it spiraled up the cover flew off revealing a crystal shapped like a six point star which let out a huge flash of silver light. Cherry Blossoms flew around my body and formed my body suit. A trail of Cherry Blossoms flew around my waist forming the first color of my skirt as I kicked one leg out in the air. The silver of my skirt glinted forming a second color. The pink released more Cherry Blossoms which swirkled around me forming the final layer of gold. The blossoms circle my elbow forming a silver trim that flew down arms forming my gloves. Two large cherry blossoms fit onto my shoulders becoming single teir shoulder guards. My locket released a wave of blossoms flying back around my neck forming a white collar with silver stripes lineing the edge. The blossoms circled a place right bellow my knee caps forming a ringlet of gold with a silver gem in front and white boots grew around it. The blossoms came toghter on my back in the shape of a bow which came into being in a pink flimy way. My locket let out another flash forming my silver bow. The blossoms came toghter in several spots on my hair while my symbol let out a flash and there where pearls coming from under my hair. I opened my eyes and was surronded by one last flury of blossoms as I posed.
I took a silver mask out of my sub space pocket and tied my hair up into a bun. I also took time to tie a bandana around my head to hid my symbol. I then stepped out of the woods and I grabbed my charm at my skirt and threw it at him as he threw his attack.
"What the?!" He yelled as I made the discus circle his head a couple times before calling it back to my hand and reattaching it to my fuku.
"Would you like a real challenge Ryo of the Wildfire?" I called out standing tall in my fuku. I was careful to picth my voice several tones lower than usual.
"Maybe, who are you?" He asked standing up from his crouch. He looked at me inquisitively.
"You need not know my name. I am the Super Senshi of light and Life." I said making my voice sound threatining.
"Fine I except your challenge." Ryo said and luanched himself at me. I formed a ball of energy in my hands and formed it into a sword with golden handle with the universe symbol carved all over it. I used it to parry his thrust and send another one his way. We battled with swords for a while before I sent a blast of hearts and stars his way. I had to avoid my signature attack, he would guess who it was if I used it. We sword fought for a while then he lept up to throw his signature attack. I had no choice but to use mine while he was distracted using his.
I reached behind me and pulled out a small wand which grew into a long staff. "UNIVERSE HEART HARMONY REVOLUTION!" I cried out. I began to twirl it about me forming a dome of silver white energy. I swung the staff to my side getting ready to strike. I then waved it in front of me letting out a huge blast of white and silver energy. The two sets of energy clashed. I sighed as his eyes widened and he reconized the energy coming from me. I did however use his distraction to my advantage upping my power and knocking him all the way across the areana.
He got up and ran back across the areana. "What the hell, what do you think your doing princess!" Ryo yelled as he ran up to me. I sighed and removed my mask and bandana and let me hair fall down into its usual style.
"Having some fun and giving you a real fight, what did you think I was doing?" I asked ticked off at him for beleiving I was just another princess. Rowen had told me that he was different from the other princes that hung around me but he had been wrong.
"What were you thinking I could have killed you?" He yelled at me quickly removing his helmet.
"And I could have killed you!" I yelled back our faces growing close toghter the friction had to be obvious to any observer.
"Its not right for me to fight you and you know it!" He yelled his face growing red, not from emmbaressment but from anger.
Just then a figure came running up to us he was dressed in a Knights uniform. He grabbed Ryo around the shoulders and pulled him back. I saw the blue hair and knew who it must be. "Stay out of this Rowen!" I yelled growling in my throught.
"No way Meia, no fighting, you two are supposed to be friends and your going to act like it!" Rowen yelled holding us apart. His face was set in a way I rarely saw him. I fell back staring Rowen in shock. He never looked quite like this. I quickly regained myself and stood. And with a quick haugty glare at both of the them I turned and was off. 'The nerve of those two! And Rowen of all people!'
As I practically stormed back into the Senshi training area I nearly ran into Tanashia. She giggled and saud "Ought to wacth where your going Meia!" Her face light up with her laughter. "Why are you coming from the Ronin/Knight training area?" She quiered innocently.
"I was sparing with your brother." I said flatly looking at her, smilling for her sake.
"You were sparring with onee-sama?!" Tanashia said obviously confused. "But he wouldn't spare with you Meia. He wont even spare with me!"
"Oh he didn't know it was me." I replied with a grin whipping out my mask and waving it about. "I had this one and I covered up my symbol and changed my hair. He's never seen me in my Super form before, he didn't know who it was."
"So who won, you or onee-sama?" She said understanding dawning on her face. "Onee-sama's awfully strong in his armor."
"No one really, though if you had to choose a winner, I guess I did. He forced me to use my attack and he reconized it. I might have said something indecent to him if Rowen-kun hadn't shown up. Ryo was awfully mad." I said whipping my mask back into my subspace pocket.
Tanashia looked at me quite confused. At that moment Tyana chose to emerge from the palace looking for me. Tanashia stepped back, almost as if to hide in my shadow as I stood up straight to greet her. Tanashia was a bit affriad of the Younger Emotions, probably due to a trashing they'd given her once in a training session. Being a younger member of the Sol System Senshi of the Moon she was also considerabley outranked by Tyana, leader of the Younger Inner Emotions. Tyana was about to address me very informally until she saw Tanashia standing in my shadow "Princess, your mother requests your presence in the throne room, in umm, proper attire." Tyana said, she wasn't in her fuku showing that she had been summoned rather suddenly. My mother was only requesting but that was all she ever need do. Everyone was very happy to comply with her wishes. I nodded and detransformed.
I nodded to Tanashia and followed Tyana back into the castle. Tyana wasn't leading me to mother's throne room, she was leading me to her chambers! 'I wonder why Mother wants me to come to her chambers?' We soon reached her chambers where Tyana gave a quick bow and walked away backwards, in the repectful manner, until she reached the turning point. I rapped my hand lightly on her door and her voice rang out from inside "Enter."
I opened her and entered her room. She was not in the main chamber so I ventured further. There she was sitting in the second chamber. It was just then that I noticed that her hair was beggining to lose its luster and becoming less silver, more grey. What did this mean? Was it because of my coming cornanation? She looked up and smiled. She motioned for me to sit beside her. I did this quitely waiting for her to speak. "Meyana, dear. You should not be training when the first ball of your corination is tonight, you should be getting ready." Her voice was soft and gental but I almost immediatly felt bad. She had a way of doing that, just simply telling you what you should be doing and then you felt bad because you hadn't been doing it.
"Yes mother." I said bowing my head. I knew how much this mattered to her but I just couldn't get into it, I'd much rather be training or gossiping my friends.
*Later That Night..
The first ball was over at long last. He hated being in that stif and formal suit he was required to wear. The princess looked equally uncomfortable in her stiff formal dress. She had been required to dance with most every prince attending. Most had stepped on her feet. But when he had asked her to dance he beleived she'd been pleasently surpirsed. 'All those years of edicate classes are finally paying off.' He looked about the room that was quickly becoming less crowded. He yawned a little and then headed out one of the secret passages that he and Tana had discovered when they were young. The only problem was that he came out right in front of the Queen's bedchambers. If she saw him there he would be in deep trouble.
*
I walked back to my room slowly strecthing my arms. Not only did I have to attend this stupid ball but i had to wait until all our guests left before I could get back to my room. 'Ohhh how I hate these balls their so...formal'
Just then a flicker of movment by her mothers room caught her eye. She turned back and looked again. Yes there was a shadowy figure there. The figure was that of a man. I was so curious, I decided not to scream and wait and see what he would do.
He did nothing for the moment but then he looked around and ran past mothers door and headed down the hall in the direction of my room! I barely contained my scream. He was going to try and attack me when I entered my room! But wait, no he kept going past my own door. He stopped in front of Ryono's door. Then I caught a flash of a red emblem on his tuxedo. It WAS Ryono!
At this I sighed. I would chew him out in the morning for scaring me like that, and using that passage. The one only mother and I should know about. But not tonight. With that thought I headed towards my own room, ready for a good nights sleep.