Author's not: Well here's the next part. Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own SM never have and never will.
It wasn't long before I met the other senshi. The inner senshi soon became my friends though we weren't as close. We didn't seem to have that many interests but I still thought of them as my little sisters. We all got along well and spent a lot of our time together whenever we all visited Neptune together. The way we acted then is not how we act now as if we were separated into two different groups. I guess time had changed us all slightly. The long years of loneliness and agelessness have created who I am today and it has dictated many of my actions. It was different back then. Not just for myself but also for the rest of them. We were just a bunch of young girls lucky enough to born during one of the greatest time in history ever to be born.
Suffice to say that my teenage years were much more tolerable for me than when I was a little girl. I had my own friends, each of which possessed their own gifts and accepted me for me. They never once made fun of my visions or me, and I was thought of as one of them. I thought of all of the other princesses as part of my family. When I was younger though I learned that I had other family…though sometimes I wish I had never found out about them…
As the cobwebs of dreams slowly fell away I fought hard to keep them in their place. The only snatches of the dream that I could remember were the piercing blue eyes that had looked like they were searched my soul, and a smile that seemed only for me. I tried to snatch the other details of my dream but to no avail. All I could hear was a persistent knocking that seemed to be made from wood. All traces of the dream fell away as I slowly opened my eyes.
" GO AWAY! Leave me alone!" I yelled towards the door. Burrowing myself, deeper into the mattress I pulled my covers over my head to muffle the sound. After a little while the noise stopped to my great relief. I was soon comfortable and slowly drifting back to those eyes when I was jarred awake when someone roughly pulled my covers away, flung open the giant drapes, and jumped on my bead. Giving a resigned sigh, I slowly pulled myself up. Resistance was futile. Looking around my room, I saw three smirking faces. One of them was leaning against the doors to the sunswept balcony, the sun kissing her golden hair. Another one was sitting elegantly on a chair, holding part of my covers. The other one was happily jumping atop my bed giggling. Grabbing a pillow, I proceeded to pummel her with it.
" Stop it Hotaru-chan. I'm awake alr…." The pillow had come flying back at me. Throwing the pillow to the side I just glared at the three.
" Come on Setsuna-chan. It's your birthday. We should be out celebrating." Haruka said as she walked toward the bed and sat down at the edge.
" Oh man!" Groaning as my head went back down onto the bed.
" Why are you groaning Se-chan?" Michiru asked. " Shouldn't you be happy?"
" I would be if we weren't having company." I got up, headed towards the basin on my dresser, and splashed some water on my face. " Last night my mom told me that my cousins from Andromeda were visiting. In other words, I'm stuck acting like a prim and proper princess attending to every wish that they may have. It may be my birthday but I doubt I will have much fun. Especially if all those rumors about my cousin Mariko are true."
" Hey isn't your dad from the House of Garne?" Haruka asked.
" Yeah".
" Oh god", Michiru gasped. " Your cousin wouldn't happen to be Mariko Shiga from the House of Garne would she."
" Yeah, you guys know of her?"
" Are you kidding me she's said to be one of the most beautiful women in Andromeda. Some have even compare her to Queen Serenity!"
" You can't be serious!" I exclaimed. " The queen is like an angel."
" She may look like an angel, " Haruka interrupted. "But she acts like a total."
" B*tch." Hotaru supplied.
My eyes bugged out at that comment. I had never heard her say that word before. Turning around, I saw that the other two were nodding their head in agreement. " You guys have met her before? When was that?"
" Do you remember that time about a year ago when there was a council meeting and you were staying with your Aunt when she fell sick? You weren't able to come because you had to take care of her?" I nodded my head. I remember wanting to go so badly, to meet my friends. I knew I couldn't though, because my Aunt had fallen ill while she was training me. " Well some ambassadors from Andromeda came too. She happened to be one of them. Her beauty caused a bit of a stir at court, but not as much as she had expected."
"But didn't you say that she had been compared to the Queen earlier?" I was a little confused.
" Well I said SOME people compared her beauty to the Queen." Michiru answered. " She was exquisite I must say, but she just didn't have the same allure as the Queen does. She didn't have the same disposition and caring compassion that resonates with the Queens beauty."
" That and the fact that she acted like a stuck up holier than thou bi*." I clamped my hand over Hotaru's mouth to stop her from finishing. I didn't think I could ever get used to her using that type of language.
Sighing in defeat. " I guess this is going to be worse than I had expected."
" Aww, don't be so down Se-chan." Hotayu said brightly. " With the three of us here, we'll find a way around this little dilemma."
Brightening up slightly I nodded my head and headed to my closet. I had to look presentable. When I had finished dressing, my friends had already started on their breakfast. A servant had brought it up while I had been otherwise occupied.
" You should try these crumpets Se-chan." Michuru said when she saw her entering the room again. " They are simply delicious, almost as good as Mako's."
Raising an eyebrow I took a bite of one. My eyes closing when the taste assaulted my taste buds. " Your right! I must compliment that new cook that Mother hired."
" Oh and one of the servants said that your relatives are expected to arrive in the afternoon so we have some time for you to really enjoy your birthday." Haruka said.
" Let's go ice skating!" Hotaru suggested enthusiastically.
" Well if we're going to go ice skating then I guess we should go and change then."
Groaning, "Why couldn't you guys tell me this before I spent 30 minutes finding this annoying dress?"
Haruka just smirked and Michiru just shrugged her shoulders as the three went to their rooms to go and change. Walking back into my closet I rummaged through my clothes to my skating outfits. Deciding upon a simple black outfit with red trimming I got took my black skates and headed towards Michiru's room. After all four of us had met up we headed to Mirror Lake. It was a vast lake that had albino trees surrounding it and a beautiful frozen waterfall at one end. Laughing amongst ourselves we chased each other around and danced on top of the ice. I don't know how long we were out there on that at ice but it must have been for a few hours. The other three had decided to go for a little break when I found myself alone on the lake. I might not have been as fast as Haruka or as graceful on the ice as Michiru but I still loved to glide through the ice.
Slowly picking up speed I turned and looked behind me. With great concentration I propelled myself into the air. 1.2.3. Landing on the ice with one foot I swung the other foot behind me. Skating on I placed my torso parallel to the ice and my left leg extended up to the sky. I felt excited as the wind softly blew around me as I glided through the ice. Skating towards the waterfall I put my left leg down and taking a deep breath, propelling myself up into the air one more I spread my legs wide nearly touching my toes with my fingertips. The applause that came right after that simple act startle me so that I stumbled onto the ice.
Whipping my head around I saw two boys about my age. Both were of equal height. One had raven hair and piercing blue eyes. The other also had raven hair, but with ruby eyes. I was started to see those eyes. I had never known anyone other than myself or my father that had ruby eyes.
" Se-chan, hurry up." Hotaru yelled from the other side of the lake. " It's past noon and we have to get ready for your relatives remember."
" I'm coming." I took one last look over to the spot the two boys had been. To my surprise, they were gone. " I must be seeing things again. But I could have sworn I heard clapping." I shook my head and got up." Must have been the fall or something."