Character profile available at http://www.geocities.com/aleeaw/sitchar.html for anyone who's interested.
When the queen came over the speakers the next morning it was to begin a different day than the ones we'd been having for the past year. The 15 "Chosen Ones" met in one of the small commmons rooms that were stationed in the training palace.
"Now," the queen piped happily, "We're all going to introduce ourselves." She hugged Polaris, who happened to be sitting next to her.
"Stappit, Odango!" Polaris said grouchily.
We all gaped at him.
"He's my brother," the queen said, almost apologetically.
Our mouths fell further open, if that was possible.
"I can't believe my ditzy sister is the queen," Sammy said. "And Mom and Dad don't even know."
The queen laughed nervously. "Yes, well, what do you want me to tell them. Mom, Dad, guess what! I'm Sailor Moon, I've died three times, and I'm ruling the world. Is that OK with you?"
Everyone sweatdropped.
"Anyway," she continued. "From now on your rank is close enough to mine that you can call me by my real name- besides we'll have to work closely. I'm Serena, but if you're too uncomfortable with that, then I'm Serenity. Now we'll start from Polaris and go around the circle. Tell your name, patron, and anything else you'd like us to know about you."
"I'm Polaris, the guardian of the new Soldiers. I'll be staying with the moon princess and will primarily guard her, but I'll also have to guard the rest of you. My real name is Sammy Tsukino, I'm 15, and I like to play soccer and I love video games."
I was sitting next to him, so I continued. "I'm Ariadne McCain, I'm 16, my patron is Fate. I love to read and write, and to swim, and I also love music of almost any type."
Sarah, sitting next to me, gripped my hand tightly. Speaking to more than a few people at once usually made her nervous. "I'm Sarah Moncuriol, Sailor Skuld and I'm 15. I enjoy philosopy."
"I'm Sailor Iris, aka Sara's sister. I'm Samantha and I'm 16. I enjoy puzzles and strategy games, like chess, and I like to paint, especially landscapes."
The girl next to her had straight green hair and blue eyes, and was obviously twins with the girl sitting next to _her_. "I'm Nara Raion and this is my twin, Shinva. We're both 15. I'm Sailor Susanoo, and I like to do stuff with my twin. We like any sports, really, but especially water ones."
"She's _my_ twin," the other girl began. "Sailor Tristam is my...uh...actually, I didn't get a god. I got a dead guy."
"A legend," Nara corrected.
"A knight of the round table. Tristam, the sorroful knight."
"Wow," a couple of people said.
"I'm Terri Johnson," the next girl said. She had long light blue hair and red eyes. "Or Sailor Vulcan. I'm 17 and I like three-dimensional art."
"I'm Cassi Pierce," a small girl with short, wavy red hair and green eyes said shyly. "I'm only 11. And I'm Sailor Psyche. I like TV and dancing- well, all performing arts."
The girl next to her didn't look much older, and the way she wore her light-blue hair- in a short, high ponytail- didn't help. "I'm Hannah Black, Sailor Hermes." She was much louder than Cassi- they seemed to be opposites. Hannah was probably the bold one. "I like to play practical jokes!" Her yellow eyes twinkled.
Kelsey, sitting next to her, grinned and waved. "I'm Kelsey Grahm, here to prevent a fashion disaster! I love to shop, and my hobby is trying to get Ari to wear a dress."
"Shut up," I muttered.
"I'm Sailor Amaterasu-something-or-other, just call me Sailor Ama for short. I'm 15."
"I'm Chris, and you could call me Ariadne's polar opposite. I like dresses! I'm 16, and into cheerleading and music. But not that blues stuff," she continued, handing me my harmonica, leaving me to wonder how she'd nicked it from me. "I'm Sailor Eos- gentle dawn."
"I'm Kaguya," T.A. announced. "Sailor Kaguya that is. For a bamboo goddess. I like to read, write, and draw, and I'm 16. Oh, yeah, my real name is T.A. Thompson. Don't ask what it stands for."
"Well, I think it's nice that your name means moon goddess," August chirped. "By the way, I'm August Boone, 16. I like music. Hence, I'm Sailor Music, with the patron goddess Euterpe, muse of music."
"I'm Ginny Bonney- Sailor Nike. Why'd I have to be the shoe, anyway? Oh, sorry. I'm 14." She didn't look it- she was quite tall, with blond hair in low pigtails and green eyes. "I like to do- everything!" She grinned. "I'm supposedly really smart, but anyway- anything you want me to do- I'll try it!"
"I'm Natalie Brown, 16." The girl next to her introduced. She was small for her age, with black hair to her shoulders and blue eyes. "I'm Sailor Pan. I'm a painter, and I love nature and hiking."
"Sailor Huntress," Mia finally introduced. "Mia Shale. I'm a tomboy. Love to fight. Wanna make something of it?" A couple younger girls eeped, not knowing that she was (mostly) joking around. "I'm 17."
The queen clapped her hands. "So great to meet all of you! I hope you'll all get to know each other and become good friends! After all, you have to work together. Now, there aren't quite as many of you as I would have liked, but we'll just have to do. I'll be dropping a couple senshi from my guard for now. I'm going to move you down the hall to the end, because I want you to be living close together. Plus I'll be accepting a new batch of SIT's, and they'll be arriving in about a week. We still need two senshi, and I think I'll add another two to the moon princess's guard as well. Of course, it'll be a much smaller group..."
"Anyway, I need you to pick roommates. I'll give you five minutes to talk it out."
"Hey, Ari," Samantha whispered in my ear. "Would you mind terribly sharing with Sarah? I think she's really opening up around you and I think she trusts you."
"Not at all. In fact, I was going to ask you if it'd be OK."
"Yeah. I need to stop being so protective of her. Just- take care of my sister, OK?"
"You bet. I'll go talk to August then and make sure it's OK."
Five minutes later, we had split off into pairs, except for August, who ended up alone. Kelsey and T.A. had ended up together, as had Chris and Mia, Hannah and Cassi, Samantha and Natalie (did they even know each other? I wondered), Ginny and Terri, Nara and Shinva (which didn't suprise anyone) and, of course, Sarah and I.
The big halls were empty and echoing without most of the people we had done everything with for the last year, since they were gone by the time we got out of the meeting. It was creepy. However, within a week, we had a new batch of trainees. It was rather cool, because they all looked up to us and thought we were way cool, as the experienced older trainees. I thought it was cool, and managed to make friends with several of them.
A couple weeks later, we were again plunged into the whirlwind of classes. I had been able to drop strategy, but was now taking double sessions of magic and fighting, taught almost one-on-one since there were so few of us now. I also had to add a class in court manners.
Only Fate knows how I managed to make it out of the second year of classes. I know for sure I'll never be quite the same, after incidents, watching out for Sarah, practical jokes courtesty of Hannah (which no one escaped) and the soap-opera-esque life of the palace. And when I say it was like a soap opera, I mean it. It seemed that at least twice a week, someone was crying on either Cassi or Sarah's shoulder- them being the most empathic members of our group. And I'll be the first to admit that I was doing a bit of the crying myself- or rather, wrecking the room, which was more my style.
Just don't ask how any of us had time for a social life.
Then came the "Judgement Day" as we had jokingly nicknamed it. We were going to be assigned positions. I only hoped I didn't get assigned to Uranus or Neptune- I didn't think I could stand all the lovey-dovey mush 24/7. I had enough problems of my own, without having to listen to all the sappyness of a perfect relationship.
We all filed into an audience room, where the Sailor Scouts were lined up behind a table at the front of the room.
"Hi guys!" Serena piped cheerfully. "As you all know, I have to pick my sucessor as princess to the moon kingdom and we have to assign other positions today. That way you can get more specialized manners training depending on your position and learn to work well with the people assigned to the same position as you. For example, the guard of Mars needs to learn to work with Raye."
"Get on with it, Odango!" Sammy yelled.
"OK, OK, keep your pants on, Sammy!" Serena replied. "After much deliberation, considering that any of you would make a good princess of the moon-"
Everyone held their breaths.
"We eliminated anyone who wasn't a Spirit magic user, since we need a leader."
Everyone facefaulted.
"Sheesh! Since you can't get to the point, I will," Sammy said. "She chose Ariadne!"
I think I stammered, "M-me?" Or something along those lines. Everyone was applauding, even some of the younger students, whom I noticed collecting at the doorway even though they were supposed to be at lunch.
"I was getting to that," Serena said grumpily. "Ariadne, you need to pick three guards. Best if you only pick one spirit user." "Um...uh..." I said intelligently. "Sarah." That one hadn't been to hard a choice. After a few minutes of deliberating, I finally decided, "Mia and Samantha."
"All right," the queen said. "Sarah will be the head guard. Also, I choose August as the head of my guards. Now, each Sailor Scout will choose one person of the same element as their own guard. Mercury?"
She looked at Shinva and Nara, the two water magic users left, then got up to have a brief whispered discussion with Neptune."
"I'll take Shinva. Neptune will take Nara."
"Mars?"
"Ama," she said immediately.
"Jupiter- no choice there, you get T.A. Venus- same. You get Cassi. Uranus-"
She thought for a minute, before replying, "Hannah."
"Pluto?"
"Ginny," she replied.
"Saturn, that leaves you with August, the last spirit left, and I'll take Terri and Natalie." She scribbled something on a paper. "Dismissed."
We all got up slowly and flied out of the room, no doubt pondering our new positions.
If I thought second year was bad, third year got worse. Double manners classes were added, though fortunately magic was dropped back to a single block. We were also being fitted for dresses, interviewed (it seemed almost constant to me), questioned by architects and interior designers who were remodeling the palaces (the lucky Earth guards got off easy on that one), interviewed some more, learning how to work specifically at our positions and with the others we'd be working with and for, doing sparring matches...did I mention the reporters? I swear, they were everywhere.
Literally. One popped out from behind a shelf of books when Sarah and I were at the mall bookstore, eager to interview the moon princess.
One appeared from a dressingroom at a store where Kelsey was trying to force me into a tube-top.
Another jumped from inside my closet, and I complained to Serena about the security and how jumpy I was getting. That was the last time that happened, fortunately.
Eventually, I got fed up and cut my hair even shorter and got myself blue contacts.
A reporter appeared in the haunted house at the amusement park. Not an experience I'd like to repeat. He began interviewing Sarah, asked numerous questions about the moon princess-to-be from her. Then he stuck the mike in front of my face and asked what it was like to be Sarah's boyfriend.
"No comment," I growled.
Fourth year things finally quieted down. The architects and dressmakers were gone, and I had finished enough basic classes that I could be considered graduated. I could also drop magic, as I could now transform into Pretty Soldier Sailor Fate and perform two lower-level attacks. I was told that the rest would come in time and often with emotion.
Manners class, unfortunately, was still full-swing, as I tried to master my princess gown, which somehow became part of my transformation. (I had others, but this one suited me for all intents and purposes at the time.) Apparently, Neptune, who was teaching the class, got fed up and was whining to Uranus one night, and she helped me design some dress slacks and shirts, one creamy-white one replacing my gown.
I also had problems with other manners, too, and tended to be insensitive, all of which I had to address in class. Sometimes Neptune looked ready to chuck me out the window.
Person by person in our final year, we were declared ready to take our positions. We had to say goodbye to many of our friends, making the final six months of the year a very sad time.
The worst was the first, not just because it _was_ the first.
Ginny disappeared to the timegate with Pluto, and we knew it was unlikely we'd see the now 16-year-old genius anytime soon, if ever.
Shinva and Nara completed training at the same time, and left with Mercury and Neptune, Shinva living up to her persona as the sad knight as she waved goodbye to us, and to the sister she had rarely been separated from in the past.
Hannah and Uranus took off not long after that- no time for tears for the little joker- oh no. Instead, she waved cheerfully as she gripped Uranus's hand like Uranus's daughter or something. I wondered if they'd kill each other before too long.
Psyche and Venus left next, Cassi making no pretenses and bawling here eyes out. Then it was T.A., Kelsey, and Chris, leaving the same day. Kelsey was cool, Chris bawled her eyes out, and T.A. pretended stoicism.
I knew my group was the last left, and they were waiting on me, since I required the most training of anyone. I thanked Fate that I got to take three friends with me, unlike Chris, or, even worse, Ginny, who really didn't even know her mentor at all and would see no one else.
And finally, it was me leaving, along with Sam, Sarah, and Mia, as well as Sammy, and us waving goodbye to the earth guards, who had already completed training and taken up their duties in the palace.
And that's the story of my life. What, you want and epilogue? OK, OK. I assumed duties as the Moon Princess and married Sammy. Don't act so suprised. If I had had a choice, it probably would have been different, but I have my duty. I also have one-year-old twins.
In a lot of ways, it made sense for me to marry Sammy. He was the queen's brother, which secured my rights to the throne. It also secured my bond to him as my protector.
Don't get me wrong- I do love him, although it's more of a sibling thing. But hey- as Cassi would tell you, love is love. Sometimes that girl seems more than human- like she really has become Psyche.
Sarah becomes wiser every day. I don't know what I'd do without her- and Mia, and Sam. My friends, and probably the first true friends I've ever had.
Author's notes: Oh my god! It's _done_! Of course, it's spawned another ten-part series, but...still...it's done! Yes, it was going to be more parts, but the last years all got lumped into one. *shrug*
When the queen came over the speakers the next morning it was to begin a different day than the ones we'd been having for the past year. The 15 "Chosen Ones" met in one of the small commmons rooms that were stationed in the training palace.
"Now," the queen piped happily, "We're all going to introduce ourselves." She hugged Polaris, who happened to be sitting next to her.
"Stappit, Odango!" Polaris said grouchily.
We all gaped at him.
"He's my brother," the queen said, almost apologetically.
Our mouths fell further open, if that was possible.
"I can't believe my ditzy sister is the queen," Sammy said. "And Mom and Dad don't even know."
The queen laughed nervously. "Yes, well, what do you want me to tell them. Mom, Dad, guess what! I'm Sailor Moon, I've died three times, and I'm ruling the world. Is that OK with you?"
Everyone sweatdropped.
"Anyway," she continued. "From now on your rank is close enough to mine that you can call me by my real name- besides we'll have to work closely. I'm Serena, but if you're too uncomfortable with that, then I'm Serenity. Now we'll start from Polaris and go around the circle. Tell your name, patron, and anything else you'd like us to know about you."
"I'm Polaris, the guardian of the new Soldiers. I'll be staying with the moon princess and will primarily guard her, but I'll also have to guard the rest of you. My real name is Sammy Tsukino, I'm 15, and I like to play soccer and I love video games."
I was sitting next to him, so I continued. "I'm Ariadne McCain, I'm 16, my patron is Fate. I love to read and write, and to swim, and I also love music of almost any type."
Sarah, sitting next to me, gripped my hand tightly. Speaking to more than a few people at once usually made her nervous. "I'm Sarah Moncuriol, Sailor Skuld and I'm 15. I enjoy philosopy."
"I'm Sailor Iris, aka Sara's sister. I'm Samantha and I'm 16. I enjoy puzzles and strategy games, like chess, and I like to paint, especially landscapes."
The girl next to her had straight green hair and blue eyes, and was obviously twins with the girl sitting next to _her_. "I'm Nara Raion and this is my twin, Shinva. We're both 15. I'm Sailor Susanoo, and I like to do stuff with my twin. We like any sports, really, but especially water ones."
"She's _my_ twin," the other girl began. "Sailor Tristam is my...uh...actually, I didn't get a god. I got a dead guy."
"A legend," Nara corrected.
"A knight of the round table. Tristam, the sorroful knight."
"Wow," a couple of people said.
"I'm Terri Johnson," the next girl said. She had long light blue hair and red eyes. "Or Sailor Vulcan. I'm 17 and I like three-dimensional art."
"I'm Cassi Pierce," a small girl with short, wavy red hair and green eyes said shyly. "I'm only 11. And I'm Sailor Psyche. I like TV and dancing- well, all performing arts."
The girl next to her didn't look much older, and the way she wore her light-blue hair- in a short, high ponytail- didn't help. "I'm Hannah Black, Sailor Hermes." She was much louder than Cassi- they seemed to be opposites. Hannah was probably the bold one. "I like to play practical jokes!" Her yellow eyes twinkled.
Kelsey, sitting next to her, grinned and waved. "I'm Kelsey Grahm, here to prevent a fashion disaster! I love to shop, and my hobby is trying to get Ari to wear a dress."
"Shut up," I muttered.
"I'm Sailor Amaterasu-something-or-other, just call me Sailor Ama for short. I'm 15."
"I'm Chris, and you could call me Ariadne's polar opposite. I like dresses! I'm 16, and into cheerleading and music. But not that blues stuff," she continued, handing me my harmonica, leaving me to wonder how she'd nicked it from me. "I'm Sailor Eos- gentle dawn."
"I'm Kaguya," T.A. announced. "Sailor Kaguya that is. For a bamboo goddess. I like to read, write, and draw, and I'm 16. Oh, yeah, my real name is T.A. Thompson. Don't ask what it stands for."
"Well, I think it's nice that your name means moon goddess," August chirped. "By the way, I'm August Boone, 16. I like music. Hence, I'm Sailor Music, with the patron goddess Euterpe, muse of music."
"I'm Ginny Bonney- Sailor Nike. Why'd I have to be the shoe, anyway? Oh, sorry. I'm 14." She didn't look it- she was quite tall, with blond hair in low pigtails and green eyes. "I like to do- everything!" She grinned. "I'm supposedly really smart, but anyway- anything you want me to do- I'll try it!"
"I'm Natalie Brown, 16." The girl next to her introduced. She was small for her age, with black hair to her shoulders and blue eyes. "I'm Sailor Pan. I'm a painter, and I love nature and hiking."
"Sailor Huntress," Mia finally introduced. "Mia Shale. I'm a tomboy. Love to fight. Wanna make something of it?" A couple younger girls eeped, not knowing that she was (mostly) joking around. "I'm 17."
The queen clapped her hands. "So great to meet all of you! I hope you'll all get to know each other and become good friends! After all, you have to work together. Now, there aren't quite as many of you as I would have liked, but we'll just have to do. I'll be dropping a couple senshi from my guard for now. I'm going to move you down the hall to the end, because I want you to be living close together. Plus I'll be accepting a new batch of SIT's, and they'll be arriving in about a week. We still need two senshi, and I think I'll add another two to the moon princess's guard as well. Of course, it'll be a much smaller group..."
"Anyway, I need you to pick roommates. I'll give you five minutes to talk it out."
"Hey, Ari," Samantha whispered in my ear. "Would you mind terribly sharing with Sarah? I think she's really opening up around you and I think she trusts you."
"Not at all. In fact, I was going to ask you if it'd be OK."
"Yeah. I need to stop being so protective of her. Just- take care of my sister, OK?"
"You bet. I'll go talk to August then and make sure it's OK."
Five minutes later, we had split off into pairs, except for August, who ended up alone. Kelsey and T.A. had ended up together, as had Chris and Mia, Hannah and Cassi, Samantha and Natalie (did they even know each other? I wondered), Ginny and Terri, Nara and Shinva (which didn't suprise anyone) and, of course, Sarah and I.
The big halls were empty and echoing without most of the people we had done everything with for the last year, since they were gone by the time we got out of the meeting. It was creepy. However, within a week, we had a new batch of trainees. It was rather cool, because they all looked up to us and thought we were way cool, as the experienced older trainees. I thought it was cool, and managed to make friends with several of them.
A couple weeks later, we were again plunged into the whirlwind of classes. I had been able to drop strategy, but was now taking double sessions of magic and fighting, taught almost one-on-one since there were so few of us now. I also had to add a class in court manners.
Only Fate knows how I managed to make it out of the second year of classes. I know for sure I'll never be quite the same, after incidents, watching out for Sarah, practical jokes courtesty of Hannah (which no one escaped) and the soap-opera-esque life of the palace. And when I say it was like a soap opera, I mean it. It seemed that at least twice a week, someone was crying on either Cassi or Sarah's shoulder- them being the most empathic members of our group. And I'll be the first to admit that I was doing a bit of the crying myself- or rather, wrecking the room, which was more my style.
Just don't ask how any of us had time for a social life.
Then came the "Judgement Day" as we had jokingly nicknamed it. We were going to be assigned positions. I only hoped I didn't get assigned to Uranus or Neptune- I didn't think I could stand all the lovey-dovey mush 24/7. I had enough problems of my own, without having to listen to all the sappyness of a perfect relationship.
We all filed into an audience room, where the Sailor Scouts were lined up behind a table at the front of the room.
"Hi guys!" Serena piped cheerfully. "As you all know, I have to pick my sucessor as princess to the moon kingdom and we have to assign other positions today. That way you can get more specialized manners training depending on your position and learn to work well with the people assigned to the same position as you. For example, the guard of Mars needs to learn to work with Raye."
"Get on with it, Odango!" Sammy yelled.
"OK, OK, keep your pants on, Sammy!" Serena replied. "After much deliberation, considering that any of you would make a good princess of the moon-"
Everyone held their breaths.
"We eliminated anyone who wasn't a Spirit magic user, since we need a leader."
Everyone facefaulted.
"Sheesh! Since you can't get to the point, I will," Sammy said. "She chose Ariadne!"
I think I stammered, "M-me?" Or something along those lines. Everyone was applauding, even some of the younger students, whom I noticed collecting at the doorway even though they were supposed to be at lunch.
"I was getting to that," Serena said grumpily. "Ariadne, you need to pick three guards. Best if you only pick one spirit user." "Um...uh..." I said intelligently. "Sarah." That one hadn't been to hard a choice. After a few minutes of deliberating, I finally decided, "Mia and Samantha."
"All right," the queen said. "Sarah will be the head guard. Also, I choose August as the head of my guards. Now, each Sailor Scout will choose one person of the same element as their own guard. Mercury?"
She looked at Shinva and Nara, the two water magic users left, then got up to have a brief whispered discussion with Neptune."
"I'll take Shinva. Neptune will take Nara."
"Mars?"
"Ama," she said immediately.
"Jupiter- no choice there, you get T.A. Venus- same. You get Cassi. Uranus-"
She thought for a minute, before replying, "Hannah."
"Pluto?"
"Ginny," she replied.
"Saturn, that leaves you with August, the last spirit left, and I'll take Terri and Natalie." She scribbled something on a paper. "Dismissed."
We all got up slowly and flied out of the room, no doubt pondering our new positions.
If I thought second year was bad, third year got worse. Double manners classes were added, though fortunately magic was dropped back to a single block. We were also being fitted for dresses, interviewed (it seemed almost constant to me), questioned by architects and interior designers who were remodeling the palaces (the lucky Earth guards got off easy on that one), interviewed some more, learning how to work specifically at our positions and with the others we'd be working with and for, doing sparring matches...did I mention the reporters? I swear, they were everywhere.
Literally. One popped out from behind a shelf of books when Sarah and I were at the mall bookstore, eager to interview the moon princess.
One appeared from a dressingroom at a store where Kelsey was trying to force me into a tube-top.
Another jumped from inside my closet, and I complained to Serena about the security and how jumpy I was getting. That was the last time that happened, fortunately.
Eventually, I got fed up and cut my hair even shorter and got myself blue contacts.
A reporter appeared in the haunted house at the amusement park. Not an experience I'd like to repeat. He began interviewing Sarah, asked numerous questions about the moon princess-to-be from her. Then he stuck the mike in front of my face and asked what it was like to be Sarah's boyfriend.
"No comment," I growled.
Fourth year things finally quieted down. The architects and dressmakers were gone, and I had finished enough basic classes that I could be considered graduated. I could also drop magic, as I could now transform into Pretty Soldier Sailor Fate and perform two lower-level attacks. I was told that the rest would come in time and often with emotion.
Manners class, unfortunately, was still full-swing, as I tried to master my princess gown, which somehow became part of my transformation. (I had others, but this one suited me for all intents and purposes at the time.) Apparently, Neptune, who was teaching the class, got fed up and was whining to Uranus one night, and she helped me design some dress slacks and shirts, one creamy-white one replacing my gown.
I also had problems with other manners, too, and tended to be insensitive, all of which I had to address in class. Sometimes Neptune looked ready to chuck me out the window.
Person by person in our final year, we were declared ready to take our positions. We had to say goodbye to many of our friends, making the final six months of the year a very sad time.
The worst was the first, not just because it _was_ the first.
Ginny disappeared to the timegate with Pluto, and we knew it was unlikely we'd see the now 16-year-old genius anytime soon, if ever.
Shinva and Nara completed training at the same time, and left with Mercury and Neptune, Shinva living up to her persona as the sad knight as she waved goodbye to us, and to the sister she had rarely been separated from in the past.
Hannah and Uranus took off not long after that- no time for tears for the little joker- oh no. Instead, she waved cheerfully as she gripped Uranus's hand like Uranus's daughter or something. I wondered if they'd kill each other before too long.
Psyche and Venus left next, Cassi making no pretenses and bawling here eyes out. Then it was T.A., Kelsey, and Chris, leaving the same day. Kelsey was cool, Chris bawled her eyes out, and T.A. pretended stoicism.
I knew my group was the last left, and they were waiting on me, since I required the most training of anyone. I thanked Fate that I got to take three friends with me, unlike Chris, or, even worse, Ginny, who really didn't even know her mentor at all and would see no one else.
And finally, it was me leaving, along with Sam, Sarah, and Mia, as well as Sammy, and us waving goodbye to the earth guards, who had already completed training and taken up their duties in the palace.
And that's the story of my life. What, you want and epilogue? OK, OK. I assumed duties as the Moon Princess and married Sammy. Don't act so suprised. If I had had a choice, it probably would have been different, but I have my duty. I also have one-year-old twins.
In a lot of ways, it made sense for me to marry Sammy. He was the queen's brother, which secured my rights to the throne. It also secured my bond to him as my protector.
Don't get me wrong- I do love him, although it's more of a sibling thing. But hey- as Cassi would tell you, love is love. Sometimes that girl seems more than human- like she really has become Psyche.
Sarah becomes wiser every day. I don't know what I'd do without her- and Mia, and Sam. My friends, and probably the first true friends I've ever had.
Author's notes: Oh my god! It's _done_! Of course, it's spawned another ten-part series, but...still...it's done! Yes, it was going to be more parts, but the last years all got lumped into one. *shrug*