Here's another chapter! Um, yeah. I don't really have much to say 'bout this chapter so... On with the story, ne?
Oh yeah, Disclaimer thingy. I dun own the characters from SM, I only own my two characters... That's all I have to say... yeah.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 2
::Hei-koi! I've missed you!:: Masaki hugged Hei tightly as she
caught up with him. He returned her hug just as enthusiastically. He hadn't
had a single class with her all day and their need for physical contact
was almost painful. Sure, their connection to each other was there for
them to talk through but it wasn't the same as actually being in the same
room.
::I missed you too Airen.:: Hei rubbed her back as she snuggled
deeper into his embrace. He looked up to see Ami, Makoto, Minako and Usagi
watching them, each with a varied expression. Usagi was blushing and sighing
dreamily. He could hear her murmuring something about a 'Mamo-chan'. Minako
was blushing and smiling at them brightly, almost in approval. Ami was
blushing and looking away demurely. Makoto was smiling widely with a slight
blush. He slowly let go of Masaki and took her hand as she leaned against
him.
::Want some soda and ice cream?:: Masaki perked up at the mention
of soda.
:Soda? What kind of soda?:: Masaki asked. She looked very interested
now.
::Whatever you want. Wanna go to that ice cream parlour down
the road?::
::Sure!:: She glanced back and saw the others watching them.
::Want to invite them to come with us? It's the least we can do for them.
After all, they've been so nice to us.:: Hei glanced at them before bending
his head and kissing her cheek.
::Sure. If you want to.:: Masaki smiled and turned back to the
other girls. She waved them over.
"Hey, you guys, want to come with us to the ice cream parlour?
We're gonna treat you guys to some ice cream."
"Treat us? You don't have to do anything like that." Ami said.
Usagi was drooling at the thought of ice cream.
"No, no. We insist. It's the least we can do. You've all been
so nice to us. Let us thank you. Please?" The girls took one look at her
bright smile and couldn't say no. They all nodded and her smile widened.
She turned and they all started walking.
"I forgot to ask. How are you guys?"
"We're fine. Why?"
"Remember yesterday when that monster came? We hid behind a car
but we didn't see you. When we were sure that the monster had been taken
care of, we came out and saw the Sailor Senshi! They're cool! Anyways,
um, they said they had sent you guys home. So you guys are all right?"
"Yes, we're fine. The Senshi protected us so we weren't hurt."
Masaki smiled and they smiled back. They walked a little further before
they reached the ice cream parlour. Hei opened the door for them and Minako
commented to Masaki about what a gentleman he was. Masaki just laughed
softly and walked over to a booth. Usagi sat down on the inside, Masaki
next to her and Hei on the outside. Ami, Makoto and Minako sat down opposite
them in that order. A waitress came up to up to them and she asked them
cheerfully what they wanted. Her eyes turned dreamy as she looked at Hei
who was taking off his sun glasses and he looked up briefly. She blushed
deeply when his enigmatic eyes turned to her. He glanced at her for a moment
before wrapping his arm around a girl sitting next to him. The waitress
sighed. The cute ones were always taken.
"So what would you like?" Masaki looked up and smiled at her.
The waitress couldn't help but smile back.
"I'll have a single cookies 'n cream cup with a raspberry soda.
Hei-chan will have a double cup of devil chocolate with nuts." The waitress
nodded. She turned to the other four girls. They paused and Masaki waved
a hand. "Choose whatever you like. It's okay."
"I'll have a double chocolate sundae with nuts, extra chocolate
sauce, fudge and sprinkles." Usagi said enthusiastically, already drooling
at the thought of it.
"Um, I think I'll just have strawberry sundae." Minako said.
Makoto looked at the menu for a moment before deciding.
"I'll have a mint and chocolate cup."
"I'll have a vanilla with sprinkles." Ami said. The waitress
nodded and walked away.
"You really don't have to pay for us." Masaki waved away the
protest.
"It's all right. Really. We want to."
"All right. If you're sure." They sat in a comfortable silence
for a minute.
"What was China like?" Ami asked.
"It was busy. Always busy. It's loud too, but so full of life."
Masaki said after a moment of thought. "It's different from Japan."
"When did you arrive here?"
"Last week. We were spending most of the time getting our accommodation
arrangements right, our registration into school, that sort of thing. That
and we had to get use to the different time zones." Masaki finished a little
sheepishly.
"That's expected." Ami said kindly.
"I guess. What's it usually like during winter here?" Masaki
asked.
"It's usually cold. It snows a little and it rains." Minako answered.
"How was school different?" Usagi asked.
"They're very strict. I mean, VERY strict. But I guess it means
that you have to learn and you can't slacken off." Masaki shrugged. The
waitress came back with their orders and set them down in front of everyone.
"Enjoy." She flashed them a smile before leaving. Usagi rubbed
her hands together before digging in enthusiastically. The others started
to eat at a more sedate pace. Everyone looked at Hei's ice cream for a
moment as they ate. It was dark, very dark. If the name of his ice cream
suggested anything, it would be VERY rich. Masaki sipped at her soda before
she started to eat her ice cream. Hei looked at them staring at his ice
cream.
"What?" They looked at him in surprise. It was the first time
he'd actually said anything directly towards them without any prompting.
"Is that rich?" Makoto asked. Hei looked at it for a moment before
shrugging.
"Yes. It's nice." He started eating again. Masaki laughed softly
and explained.
"Hei-chan likes food with a lot of taste."
"Oh. I see." Makoto said before shrugging and eating her mint
cup. They sat in a comfortable silence while they ate their ice creams,
occasionally asking about Masaki's life in China. As they talked a shadow
fell over their table and they looked up. A tall blond wearing a flirtatious
smile and an aqua haired girl stood by their table. Rei stood by them and
Masaki smiled welcomingly at them.
"Hi there."
"Oh! Michiru, Haruka, Rei! It's nice to see you." Usagi said.
They nodded in greeting and smiled at the unfamiliar pair sitting next
to her.
"And who are your friends?" Haruka asked as she stared at the
chestnut haired girl curiously. Usagi licked the chocolate sauce off her
lips and introduced them.
"Oh, this is Masaki." Haruka flashed her a charming smile that
was set to stun. Unfortunately, Masaki didn't know that. Instead of blushing
madly and stuttering, she just smiled back. Haruka looked at the boy next
to her. His cold gaze and an arm wrapped around the girl's waist indicated
that they were a couple.
"And this is Hei." Hei nodded to Michiru but just looked at Haruka.
"This is Haruka and Michiru."
"Nice to meet you. Please, get a chair and join us." Masaki said
with a warm smile which they all returned. When Haruka and Michiru and
Rei had settled down on the chairs, Haruka decided to have a little fun.
She reached out and picked up Masaki's hand. Raising it to her lips she
gave her another beguiling smile. Masaki just looked puzzled and tilted
her head at her.
"Yes?" The other girls watched Haruka with curiosity and a little
bit of eye rolling. Michiru was rolling her eyes and wondering whether
or not she should stop Haruka's fun.
"You've got a lovely shade of eyes. The deep violet of flowers
at the peak of their bloom." Masaki blinked and turned to Hei as she took
her hand out from Haruka's grip.
"Are my eyes that colour?" Hei reached out and tilted her face
up to the light gently. After looking down into her eyes for a long moment,
he nodded.
"Your eyes are that colour." Masaki smiled and kissed his cheek.
Everyone sighed at the romantic scene. Haruka looked a little put out by
her lack of success but Michiru shut her up by giving her a playful whack
on the head.
::Hei-koi, why would a girl be pretending to be a boy?:: Masaki
asked as she looked at Haruka.
::I don't know. Perhaps she likes the clothes.:: Hei could tell
from the way Michiru and Haruka interacted that there was another reason
but Masaki would probably take a while to understand. She had lead a pretty
sheltered life and wouldn't understand something like same sex relationships.
They wouldn't bother her, no, it wasn't Masaki's way, but she wouldn't
understand it.
::Oh. All right.:: Masaki mentally shrugged and went back to
eating her ice cream. Hei smiled slightly and stroked her back.
"Usagi! You're such a pig!" Rei said as she watched Usagi shovel
the ice cream into her mouth. Usagi looked up and pouted.
"Aw! You're so mean Rei!" Everyone laughed as they listened to
the two banter. They chatted for another ten minutes before everyone finished
their ice creams. As everyone stood, Hei walked over to the counter and
paid for the ice cream.
"Thanks a lot for the ice cream Masaki." Ami said. Masaki just
smiled and nodded.
"It's okay. I'm happy that you liked it."
"So where do you guys want to go now?" Haruka asked.
"Let's go to the Arcade. We can play video games and maybe we'll
see my Mamo-chan!" Everyone sweat dropped except Masaki and Hei.
"All right, let's go. Come with us Masaki, Hei." Makoto said.
Masaki looked up at Hei for a moment before she nodded.
"We'd love to."
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone's head snapped to the side as they heard
a scream. For a moment, all they saw were running people but then a car
skittered across the road. Followed by a metal bench. A huge black figure
came lumbering into their range of sight and everyone drew back. It's burning
crimson eyes looked down the road as if it was looking for something. Masaki
shrank back against Hei as it turned towards them. Its eyes flared brightly
and it stepped forward.
"Give me the One!" It's arm shot out and slammed right through
the glass window of the ice cream parlour. Shattered glass made everyone
duck and seek cover. Hei grabbed Masaki to his chest and fell with her
to the floor, shielding her from all the glass. He ignored the glass that
cut across his face and rolled with her under a table. He held her against
his chest, her face buried against his shirt. He looked up to see that
the others had taken refuge under tables and behind chairs. He heard something
going crunch and looked up just in time to see the table they were under
ripped away. Masaki gasped and he cursed as he adjusted his hold on her
and surged to his feet just as the youma's hand slammed into the ground
where they had been lying and ran for the counter. He leapt over it and
shoved himself backwards so that his back was pressed against the all under
the counter. He closed his eyes as they hid in the shadows.
Usagi cried out in alarm as she watched the youma rip the table
that Hei and Masaki were hiding under out from the ground. She watched
in fright as Hei got to his feet and ran for the counter. She let out a
sigh of relief as they made it safely behind the counter. She nodded to
the other Senshi and they nodded back. Taking out her locket she held it
up in the air.
"Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!"
"Mercury Star Power, Make Up!"
"Mars Star Power, Make Up!"
"Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!"
"Venus Star Power, Make Up!"
"Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"
"Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"
Under the brilliant light, the girls transformed into the legendary
Sailor Senshi. They ran into the street to confront the youma.
"Stop right there! How dare you terrorise the quiet streets of
Juuban! For love and Justice, I am Sailor Moon!" The other Sailor Senshi
struck their poses and introduced themselves.
"I am Sailor Mercury!"
"I am Sailor Mars!"
"I am Sailor Jupiter!"
"I am Sailor Venus!"
"I am Sailor Neptune!"
"I am Sailor Uranus!"
"And in the name of the Moon, we will punish you!" Sailor Moon
finished off.
"You are the Sailor Senshi? I will take your souls!" With that,
the youma leapt at them. Sailor Moon let out a shriek before throwing herself
out of the way.
"WORLD SHAKING!" A ball of yellow of energy screamed through
the air and slammed into the youma's side. It was thrown into a building
across the street and it let out a bellow of rage. A low growl was heard
as it pulled itself out of the rubble. It's aura of darkness seemed pulse around it. It stepped onto a path of grass and the grass turned brown
and died. As it did so, a faint shimmer in its aura caught the light for
a moment before it snarled.
"I did not like that. Prepare to die." It threw out both its
arms and black ribbons shot out, tearing up the ground where they met.
Everyone dived out of the way as the ribbons raced towards them.
"I'll cut those ribbons! BURNING MANDALA!" True to her words,
the rings of fire sliced through the ribbons. Before she could celebrate,
however, the monster threw itself at her and knocked her to the ground.
She cried out in pain as she slammed into the pavement. The concrete under
her shattered. As she lay there, the youma reached down with a hand and
touched her face. She cried out as it began to take her life force.
"Mars, no! LOVE ME CHAIN!" Venus pulled with all her strength
and hauled the youma off her friend. It twisted around before it landed
and slashed at her with its arm. Venus barely managed to dodge and twisted
around before it could get another shot at her. "CRESCENT BEAM!" As she
shot off her beam, the youma ducked low to the side and avoided getting
hit. It swept its arms low and knocked her off her feet.
"DEEP SUBMERGING!" Blue energy hit the youma and it was thrown
towards another building. It didn't hit it. It dug its fingers into the
ground and stopped its movement. It kept its body low to the ground as
it re-evaluated them through narrowed eyes. Sailor Mercury ran over to
Mars and helped her sit up. She groaned in pain.
"Mercury, that thing, it tried to take my soul. We can't touch
it!" She slumped, feeling very tired. Mercury bit her lips and summoned
her visor. As she watched the youma, indicators and gauges popped up all
over her visor and she frowned.
"You guys, it took some of Mars' energy. We can't touch it because
it it'll take our energy too." She paused, then her eyes widened. "Everyone!
Duck!"
"What? What's wrong Merc-!" Before Jupiter could get anything
else out, the youma opened its mouth and a ball of fire shot out. Ducking,
Jupiter grunted.
"What the Hell was that?!"
"It took Mars' life energy! Her life energy consists of the element
of fire! Of course it would be able to reproduce something like her attack!"
Mercury said as she half carried, half dragged Mars to a sheltered area.
She set Mars down carefully and typed quickly on her computer.
"SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!" Jupiter let loose a dragon of pure
lightning towards the youma as it turned towards her. Blue lightning danced
across its body as it screamed in pain. Before the lightning stopped, it
had lashed out in a random direction. Unfortunately, it managed to clip
Jupiter's side before she could move and she cursed softly as she jumped
awkwardly to the side. The youma shook its head and it glared at her, crimson
narrowing to dangerous slits. She took a ready stance, watching it wearily.
It stepped towards her threateningly.
"PSIONIC BLAST!" A series of tiny balls of light shot past her.
As though they were ripping through the air itself, there were ripples
in the air behind it as they screamed past. Jupiter felt intense heat but
intense cold at the same time as they moved past her. They slammed into
the youma's side and hurled it away. It landed heavily on the ground and
leant against a nearby building in order to right itself. It shook its
head and let out a roar.
"Sailor Moon! It's down! Hit it!" Uranus took no time in wondering
where the new attack had come from. Sailor Moon blinked and nodded.
"Uh, right." She took her sceptre from her subspace pocket and
charged up her attack. The youma wasn't finished yet. It leapt desperately
for Sailor Moon and everyone cried out as they were all too far to help
her.
"Ah! Help!" Sailor Moon closed her eyes and waited for the blow.
Her eyes snapped open when she heard the youma cry out in pain. A red rose
was sticking out of one of its eyes. It was roaring in pain and Sailor
Moon felt Tuxedo Kamen wrap his arms around her and leap away to stand
by the other Sailor Senshi.
"Kamen-sama! You saved me!"
"And not a moment too soon." Everyone's head turned towards the
new voice. A ball of pure light hovered above her hand as she regarded
the barely standing youma. Her sharp eyes watched it cautiously. From the
shadows behind her, a man materialised and stepped next to her. It was
the pair from the other day!
"Youma! I am the Guardian of Earth! How dare you disrupt the
quiet of this district. For attempting to take the soul of Sailor Mars
for your own ends, I will punish you! BLINDING FLASH!" As she yelled out
her attack, she threw the ball. The ball flew through the air and stopped
a meter in front of the youma. As it looked at it cautiously, it exploded.
The sudden explosion of light made the youma reel back in shock. Earth
turned to Sailor Moon.
"Now Sailor Moon! Finish it off!"
"Right! MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" The youma never saw its end.
With one last cry, it became dust that was blown away by the wind. Everyone
stared at the spot it had been for a moment. Then they turned to Earth.
She walked over to Mars as she struggled to stand up.
"Careful Mars. Here let me help you." Earth gently laid a hand
on Mars' shoulder and they were surrounded by a bright silver aura. A moment
later, Mars gasped as she felt all her energy return and Earth stumbled
back, her face a little pale. Her partner, Shadow, reached out and steadied
her. He smoothed her hair from her face before she nodded. They stepped
backwards but before they could go any further, Sailor Moon stepped forward.
Earth bowed deeply and so did her partner.
"Guardian of Earth? Who are you? And you Knight of Shadow, who
are you?" Sailor Moon asked the black clad man.
"Like I said before, Sailor Moon, I am the Guardian of Earth."
"I am the Knight of Shadow, sworn protector of the Guardian of
Earth." The pair turned to leave but a shout from Uranus made them turn
back, Earth with an elegant eyebrow raised, Shadow Knight stepped in front
of her and the light glinted off his drawn sword.
"The Princess asked you a question! Answer her!" Uranus growled.
Earth waved off her protector and tilted her head at her.
"I answered her. She never specified which identity I was to
reveal. Besides, I have places to go, people to see. Ja." With that, she
stepped back into the shadows with Shadow and they melted into the shadows
before anyone else could do anything.
"Where did those two come from?!" Uranus asked angrily.
"Calm down. I think we should go to Rei's temple and find some
answers." Ami said. She pulled out her computer and tapped into it. "Luna?
Artemis? Could you please meet us at Rei's temple? All right, we'll see
you there."
"You guys, we have to check on Masaki and Hei!" Jupiter said
and everyone started for the ice cream parlour. As they came closer, the
rather broken door squeaked open and Hei carefully looked out. He saw the
Sailor Senshi and no youma so he stepped out from the doorway, Masaki holding
onto his hand behind him. He looked at them for a moment.
"Hi. We meet again." Masaki said with a smile. The Senshi returned
it. "You haven't happened to have seen any girls around have you? Um...
" When she was about to start to describe them, Moon interrupted.
"Oh, we, um, sent them home." Masaki nodded.
"Oh, thank you. Um, it's nice to see you again. We have to be
going. Ja." Masaki bowed to them and Hei gave them a nod before they walked
away. Something nagged at the back of the Senshi's minds but the brushed
it away. They had bigger fish to fry. With a nod, everyone leapt onto the
roof tops and started running and leaping across the buildings as they
made their way towards Hikaru Shrine. Maybe they'd get some answers about
the new players in the game.
"What do you think happened?" Luna asked Artemis as she paced
up and down the porch of the shrine. Artemis sat lazily against a beam
of the house and watched the horizon for any sign of their charges.
"I don't know. Ami sounded pretty serious. Do you think it has
anything to do with that mysterious girl and boy they saw the other day?"
Luna sat down from her pacing and frowned.
"Yes, I think it does have something to do with them. I keep
getting this nagging feeling that I know who they are but I can't quite
place it." As Luna pondered over it, Artemis nodded.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. They sound familiar. Especially
that silver gem that Minako described. I just can't remember where it's
from."
"Artemis! Luna!" The cats looked up to see the Sailor Senshi
on top of the roof. They quietly jumped down and Mars ushered them into
her room. Once safe inside, they detransformed and sat around her room.
"All right you guys, we need to find out who those two are."
Uranus said testily. She needed to know who those two were. The nagging
feeling she had was starting to bug her.
"Luna, Artemis, can you tell us anything about her? She said
she was the Guardian of Earth."
"Guardian of Earth?" Luna asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Yes, it does sound vaguely familiar but... I'm not quite sure where I've
heard it."
"The Guardian of Earth was the Princess of Earth." Everyone jumped
and spun around towards the corner of the room to see Setsuna Meiou, clad
in her usual perfectly ironed and tailored business suit, sitting on a
chair sipping from an elegant teacup. Hotaru was standing by her with a
small smile. She sat down by Michiru and Haruka. Setsuna had brought her
because she knew that she would need to hear what she had to say. Her crimson
eyes looked at them intently.
"The Princess of Earth?" Mamoru piped up. "I don't remember having
a sister." Pluto looked at him for a moment.
"Tell me your Highness, do you remember anything before the battle
between the Moon Kingdom and Queen Beryl?" Mamoru frowned as he thought
and shook his head after a long moment.
"I don't remember anything before that."
"Do any of you remember anything before that time?" Setsuna asked
as her gaze moved around the room. She was met with shaking heads.
"You don't remember anything before that time because it was
never considered necessary. Princess Terra died before the fall of the
Moon Kingdom. Queen Serenity's magic never reached her." Setsuna took a
sip from her tea and looked up again. There was a strange saddness in her
eyes, a sort of regret but that passed quickly as she continued to talk.
"She was the last defender of Earth against the power of Queen Beryl and
the Shadow Stalkers. She destroyed the armies left on the planet as Beryl
made way for the Moon. Because she died before the magic of the Silver
Crystal could help her, it was not expected that she awaken to her former
self."
"I had a sister?" Mamoru broke out. Setsuna nodded.
"She was a kind, gentle young woman. She had only just been named
as the Guardian of Earth."
"Why wasn't she a Senshi? "
"Earth had never needed a Senshi. Earth was the very last planet
to join the Silver Millenium. It had had a tradition of having a Guardian
of Earth rather than a Senshi. The Inner Senshi were the bodyguards of
the Princess while the Outers protected both the Queen and the Silver Millenium.
The title of the Senshi ran through the royal families of the planets.
The title of the Guardian of Earth does not run through the Royal Family.
The individual may be male or female, unlike the Senshi, and one person
is chosen whenever the planet itself feels as though there is a need for
a new one, or for one at all if the previous Guardian had died many years
before the next Choosing. The Guardian may be from the Royal Family or
they may be from the slums of the Palace City. Either way, the Guardian
is a very special person to the planet. I have not heard of a Guardian
in all my time since Princess Terra was killed."
"How... how did she die?" Mamoru asked in a shaky voice. Usagi
held his hand and squeezed it comfortingly.
"Her lover and fiancé was fatally wounded protecting her.
In an attempt to save him, she fed him some of her own life force. But
because she had expended so much of her own power trying to save her people,
she had barely enough to keep herself alive. As he died, she killed herself
in a suicide blast. The blast was fired off minutes after Queen Beryl began
her attack on the Moon Kingdom. She managed to kill every one of Beryl's
allies and troops that were present in the Earth Palace. In her last efforts,
she bound her and the soul of her lover to together and made sure they
would be reborn together."
"I... I should have been there to save her." Mamoru said quietly.
Usagi hugged him.
"There wasn't anything you could have done Mamo-chan." Usagi
said.
"The Princess is correct. Princess Terra would have made sure
there was no way for you to return to Earth. She knew that you would have
to be with the Princess because she would have needed you." Mamoru closed
his eyes.
"I don't remember her though. But I still feel so sad."
"The appearance of the Guardian of Earth foretells of a new enemy.
She would not awaken unless something dangerous is threatening her planet.
She was the very first Guardian to be from the Royal Family. Before her,
every single Guardian had come from the lower classes. It was of great
suprise to those of the Silver Millenium that she had been chosen. Especially
to the Royal Family of Earth. Her father had been quite adamant that she
should not take the mantle but the Earth itself made it's intentions clear
and he was forced to bow to it. But you, Prince Endymion, were not suprised.
After all, you had watched her grow up. The presence of her psionic powers
from birth and the way every creature and plant was in tune with her made
her the perfect candidate."
"This Knight of Shadows, he was with her when he saw her. Who
is he?" Rei asked.
"The Knight of Shadows was the son of a middle class family.
He was also half demon. His mother was a Shadow Stalker from a clan of
the demons who had refused the life of their more violent brethren and
opted to try and live peacefully with humans. His father was a strong fighter
from the Royal Guard. For his half breed blood, Celek was mostly shunned
throughout the social world. Despite all that, none could deny he was an
incredible fighter. Not only with a sword but with magic as well. His magic
was concentrated on darkness and shadows. For example, he could walk through
shadows. Despite his good looks and quick mind, he had a cold, almost unemotional
demeanour. Because of that, it was such a surprise that Terra accepted
his suit. But opposites attract as they say. His darkness and her light
were too tightly intertwined for anything to break them apart. Their death
was tragic." Setsuna looked down at her tea for a long moment before she
looked up. "Because of the need for her, I have to reawaken your memories
of the Silver Millennium. All of them. Are you prepared?" Everyone nodded
slowly and Setsuna stood and with a wave of her hand became Sailor Pluto.
"Very well." She tapped her time staff against the floor and the room was
bathed with light and they remembered.
---------------------------------------------
"Terra! You are the Princess of Earth! I cannot allow you to consort
with... with that half breed!" Large violet eyes narrowed dangerously and
the air shimmered slightly with suppressed power. A circlet of silver rested
on her brow just above the flaring silver symbol of the earth : three circles
joined together to make an upside down triangle. Her silver dress was off
the shoulders with a violet sash tied under the bust. A silver gem rested
in the middle of the sash.
"How dare you! Celek hasn't done anything to deserve your scorn!
He fought for us! What right do you have to judge him?" The King of the
Earth started to redden in anger as he stared down at his slender daughter.
Her long chestnut hair started to wave in the air as she fought down her
anger.
"You dare speak to me like that? I'm your father!"
"And I'm your daughter! Treat me like one! Not some sort of commodity
to order around!" Before her father could bellow in outrage, Endymion,
Crown Prince, stepped in.
"Father, Terra, calm down." Endymion was relieved to feel Terra's
power being carefully pulled under control, the invisible threads of energy
wrapping around her again.
"Very well." Terra said. Her voice almost back to its normally
sweet and gentle tones. She relaxed her body and stepped down the stairs
that led to the upraised dias that the throne sat upon and faced her father
in a calmer manner. Her father had calmed down somewhat but anger flowed
off him in waves.
"Terra, I am only looking after your well being. He is not good
enough for you. He has nothing to his name."
"He fought his own kin to protect the citizens of this city.
His family and land was destroyed while he fought for us against the Shadow
Stalkers."
"He IS a Shadow Stalker!" King Endymion snapped out. Terra's
eyes flashed before she settled back into a calmer stance.
"He may be part demon, but he is a kind man. He is just and he
is loyal to the Royal Family. He deserves none of the scorn you're showing."
She said.
"Father, she is right. He fought bravely and did everything he
could and lost everything in return. The least we could do is give him
consideration." Prince Endymion said, carefully putting together his words.
Terra gave him a grateful look that was quickly squashed by her fathers
next words.
"I will not let Terra marry the half breed!"
"Do not talk about him that way! I love him!"
"You don't know what love is! You're just a child!" Terra's eyes
flared as her careful control snapped for a brief moment. The marble floor
around her cracked and splintered as she struggled to maintain her hold
on her devastating powers.
"That's it. I will not stay here anymore and listen to this.
He has asked me to marry him and I accepted." Her voice had become a husky
whisper of barely supressed anger. She turned on her heel, her long silver
skirts swirling around her ankles, and stalked out of the enormous throne
room, her slippers making a soft tapping sound against the marble floor.
King Endymion bellowed in anger after her.
"Terra! Get back here! You insolent child!" Terra ignored him
and disappeared from view. King Endymion continued to yell after her before
he suddenly went silent. Prince Endymion was torn between going after his
sister and reassuring his father about how Terra was just rebelling for
a moment. His father went quiet and he gave a loud sigh. He was shaking
his head when Endymion turned to him. He rubbed a large hand down over
his bearded face and leant back tiredly into his chair.
"I didn't mean for it to get out of hand like that." He said
softly. "I've forgotten how much like your late mother, Goddess bless her,
she is. So spirited and quick to defend a loved one. I should never have
tried to tell her not to see him. It only made it worse. Polar opposites
yet so alike." King Endymion lapsed into a thoughtful silence and Endymion
wondered if now was the time to go after his sister.
"Father?"
"Go to her. Tell her I didn't mean what I said. If she really
does love Celek, she has my blessings. After all, he is a powerful young
man and he would look after her far better than any of the others who are
chasing after her heart. He would never hurt her. He really does love her.
I see it in his eyes. Quite like you and Serenity." Endymion blushed at
the teasing note in his father's voice and coughed in embarassment.
"She does love him father. It would be great if they were to
marry."
"I agree. Find Terra. Tell her she has my blessings." Endymion
nodded and left the room. His four Guardians stood by the door with raised
eyebrows. They had seen Princess Terra storm out of the Great Hall and
had heard the raised voices. Endymion could see slight cracks in the marble
floor and shook his head. The marble would have to be replaced again.
"What were they fighting about now?" Kunzite enquired. Endymion
shot him an exasperated look and Kunzite understood.
"Celek? Again? I thought they had worked that out."
"Father finally gave his blessings. After she stormed out. I've
got to go find her now." Endymion said as he walked past them. They followed
behind him and talked among themselves as they observed the slight cracks
that ran along the marble floors and tiling around the gardens. Endymion
walked quickly out of the main palace and went into the gardens. He turned
to face his Guardians.
"Stay here. I have to talk to her alone." They nodded and took
up guarding positions at the entrance of the private section of the garden.
With a nod, Endymion entered and headed for the secluded glade that Terra
loved and found her, as he expected, to be sitting by the clear pool in
the center of the shaded clearing with her back to him. Her silver dress
was dappled by the light that broke through the dense leaves of the trees
above her. She dipped a slender hand into the clear water and waved her
hand around as she hugged her knees to her chest.
"I know he didn't mean it Endymion. It... hurt to hear it though.
And Celek doesn't deserve that sort of treatment."
"Celek's a good man." Endymion said truthfully. He admired and
respected Terra's beau because of the sacrifices that he had made in order
to aid those who had helped him.
"Yes. He is." Terra said softly, her violet eyes softening to
a deep blue as she thought of him. Endymion sat down next to her and stared
down at the water thoughtfully. Widely known for her kind and generous
nature, Terra was also known for her icy attitude towards those seeking
a relationship with her. It probably had something to do with how her father
kept pushing her to find a husband. Despite her public displays of reluctance,
she was one of the most sought after females in the System. To find out
that she was in love, let alone with a soldier and a half demon, was a
suprise.
"Where is he, by the way?" Terra sighed and traced a pattern
in the water. Endymion watched as tedrils of silvery thread waved around
her as she manipulated the water that dripped off her hand and changed
the drops into random shapes.
"He had to attend to some business with his uncle in the Southern
Sector. He should be back in a few days."
"You already miss him?"
"Yes. I miss him when we're not together." Terra dropped her
head onto her knees and watched the light reflect off the water.
"Perhaps you should let Celek talk to father. Let him show him
that he's serious. It might make all the difference."
"I guess I should. But I'm afraid that father or Celek will say
something that the other doesn't like and then it will get worse. I don't
want either of them to be mad at each other."
"You know father only does it because he loves you." Endymion
said gently.
"He treats me like a child. He always has. Ever since mother
died."
"You're his only daughter, and like he always says, you remind
him so much of her that he's afraid to lose you." Terra nodded.
"She died ten years ago Endymion. I've tried to show father I
can look after myself but he's never given me a chance."
"He promised mother that he'd look after you."
"I know, but he can't make me give up the man I love."
"He doesn't want to. He just wants to make sure you don't get
hurt."
"I know." She said softly as she sighed deeply. Endymion sighed
and looked at the water.
"You know. Father finally gave his blessing to you." Terra's
head turned to look at him in suspicion.
"You're not joking with me are you?"
"No, I'd never do that."
"Are you serious? No joking?" She repeated.
"No. I'm serious. Father has given his blessing. As soon as Celek
comes back, he can go talk to father about wedding plans." He was unprepared
for the force at which his sister threw herself at him. Her skirts billowed
out as she hugged him tightly.
"I'm so happy! Oh! Father, I love you!" She cried out happily.
Endymion coughed loudly as he felt his ribs creaking under the force of
her hug.
"Not so tight Terra..." She looked up at his face, and quickly
let go at the expression of pain.
"Oh! I'm so sorry Endy! I'm just so happy!" She hugged herself
and went back to watching the water. Endymion noticed that the large drops
that floated in the air were making heart shapes and flowers.
"I think you compliment each other perfectly." Endymion said
as he watched the water moving under her influence. Terra tilted her head
and looked at him over her shoulder, her happy smile still on her lips.
"How so?"
"Darkness and Light. Your Light, his Shadow." Terra looked thoughtful
as she considered his words. She nodded slowly.
"Darkness and Light. Both halves of the same whole." She gave
him a bright smile and hugged him tightly. Thank you Endy. You're the best
brother any girl could ever have!" He hugged back warmly and smiled down
at her. She was a ray of sunshine when she was happy, the light of the
kingdom.
------------------------------------
Princess Serenity glanced out towards the Earth Palace Gardens.
The beautiful flowers were in full bloom once again. She let out a small
cry of surprise as a splash of water fell in front of her. A chestnut haired
girl popped up from behind one of the bushes.
"Princess Serenity! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." The
girl worried at her lip, her voice was full of apology. Serenity laughed
and stepped carefully over the puddle and came around the bush to her.
She sighed as she lifted her long skirts as she moved. Silly dress. Though
it looked nice the thing was far too impractical for everyday activities.
She came around the bush and noticed that Terra had opted for a short tunic
style dress in her usual silver and violet colors. The always friendly
young lady was on knees tending to the lovely rose bushes that formed the
short walls to the paths around the magnificent Earth Palace Gardens.
"I've told you to call me Serenity. After all, I will be you
sister soon Terra." Terra smiled a little sheepishly.
"I'm sorry. Force of habit." She dusted off her loose tunic style
dress and got up. The silvery coloured cloth suited her. She walked over
to a bench with Serenity and they sat down together. "So how it it going
with you and Endy?" Serenity blushed slightly.
"Endymion and I are going well."
"Oh, I've come up with a great design for your bouquet at the
wedding. Here, let me show you." Terra pulled out the sketch pad that was
leaning against the stone bench. She flipped over several pages before
coming across the page she wanted. She showed it to Serenity. "It's got
red roses, white roses and yellow roses. The red represent love and passion,
the white innocence and purity," She laughed softly at the blush that went
over Serenity's face and patted her hand comfortingly. "and yellow for
friendship."
"Oh, that's a lovely bouquet." Serenity said as she looked at
the pencil coloured in sketch. Terra nodded.
"It was designed to match your wedding dress. See how the ribbons
fall here and here? It matches the symmetry of your dress." The pair spent
over an hour discussing what kind of materials she would be using and what
flowers went well with it and so on and so forth. Serenity watched
Terra as she spoke. The Earth Princess' generosity was amazing. She didn't
have to do all this for her wedding, they had people for that already.
"Why are you doing all the preparations yourself? Aren't there
people for that?" Terra tilted her head and smiled.
"You two deserve the best wedding possible. The love you two
share should be celebrated. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't do anything."
Serenity reached out and hugged her. Terra smiled and returned the hug.
"Now... what's this I hear about you and that Celek getting married?"
Serenity watched in facination as a deep and becoming blush spread over
the bridge of the Earth Princess' nose. She looked at her hands.
"Celek asked me to marry him a week ago. I accepted him. We're
planning to get married six months after you and Endy." She was fiddling
with the hem of her tunic, her beautiful face still pink. Serenity giggled
and patted her hand.
"Now, let's discuss your wedding then, Terra." Terra blinked.
"Discuss it?"
"Yes. What kind of dress are you going to wear?"
"Uh..."
"You're going to have it in silver and violet, right?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"And Celek. He's going to wear his usual black, right?" Terra
nodded.
"He thought that-"
"I think he should have a black tuxedo jacket with a dark blue
under shirt."
"We were thinking of having him wear his Royal Guard uniform."
"Yes! He looks so dashing in that! What about the flowers?"
"I was thinking irises and some white -"
"I think I'll bring in the Moon Kingdom's best dress designers!
They'll be able to make you a wonderful gown!"
"Oh, don't put yourself to the trouble of it Serenity! I couldn't
let you do that. Celek and I were thinking of having a quiet ceremony in
the Great Hall with relatives and friends."
"No, no. That won't do! You two deserve a huge wedding!" Serenity
was about to go into a description of everything when Terra laughed.
"Serenity! Think about your wedding before you think of mine!
Your wedding will be talked about for centuries to come! I want your wedding
to be perfect, a ceremony to befit your social status as well as show how
much you and Endy deserve to be together. Your love is a magnificent thing,
it will last forever! I want everyone to know how much you two mean to
your friends and family." Serenity could feel tears coming to her eyes
and she threw her arms around the other girl's neck.
"Oh! you're so sweet and caring Terra!" Terra smiled and hugged
back.
------------------------------------
"Hello Sailor Mercury!" Mercury looked up from the large leather
bound book she had been sifting through and saw the gentle face of Terra.
She smiled and started to rise.
"Princess Terra, it's good to see you again." Terra waved a hand
and sat down on the seat opposite the blue haired Senshi with a smile.
"Don't go into the titles. They're such a bore."
"Very well, if you just call me Mercury."
"All right, Mercury it is. So, what are you up to, mm?" Terra
looked at the heavy book sitting on the desk curiously. She began to read
the fancy script upside down.
"It's a book written over two centuries ago by a Mercurial scholar
who visited the outer fields of the solar system. He writes about the amazing
sun crystals and incredible cultures he sees along the way. It's a great
book."
"Oh! I know this series! Father has the entire series! I'll be
right back! I'm sure you'll love them!" Before Mercury could protest, Terra
had already left the room in a flurry of silver and violet silk. She returned
more than ten minutes later, a happy smile on her face.
"Mercury! I have that book you wanted." Terra waved from the
library doors as she called out. Mercury had gone back to reading the book
as she waited for the Princess to return and smiled. She watched as Terra
came into the room followed by her ever present beau. Terra was holding
a large leather volume and Celek was carrying a half dozen or so as he
followed sedately behind her. As she stopped and placed her book on the
table, Terra leant up to kiss her suitor Celek on the cheek as he set his
books down on the huge oaken table before he melted back into the shadows.
He nodded respectfully to Mercury before he left.
"Princess Terra, you shouldn't have gone to the trouble of looking
for those books." Terra smiled cheerfully and picked up on of the large
books she had brought with her and set it down on the table in front of
her as she took a seat next to the scholarly Mercury. She pulled one big
book out of the pile and set it down in front of Mercury.
"I found these in Father's personal. He won't mind. He hasn't
picked up one of these books since Endy got engaged. He's gone out with
Endy to make sure he doesn't get into trouble with his Guardians again.
Last time the five of them managed to get lost in the back woods behind
the larger manor of Lord Hammersway, the one in Velvet Falls, and lost
their horses. The silly boys had to be teleported back because no one could
find them in the enchanted woods." Terra laughed softly. Sailor Mercury
smiled a gentle smile as she opened the huge leather bound book.
"It's got some other books in the series so I brought them along
too." Terra added as she waved a hand at the large pile. Mercury frowned
slightly.
"You didn't have to go searching through the archives to find
their location did you?"
"Oh no, Father told me where they were. I knew he had them somewhere
so I just went and asked him. No trouble at all, really." Mercury nodded
and her eyes widened as she flipped through the pages.
"Oh my, there's so much in here. Thank you so much for finding
it for me! You didn't have to do that." Terra smiled.
"It was okay, besides, I like helping people. Here, I'll go get
us something to eat. I want to see why you keep reading these books." Mercury
smiled as Terra got up to get some food. What a nice girl.
------------------------------------
Sailor Mars sighed and wiped her brow as she relaxed. A cold wind
swept through the Fire temple and she shivered. She was visiting the Fire
temple of Earth in order to make sure that the flow of Fire was balanced.
It was her way of relaxing she supposed. After all, Princess Serenity had
requested for them to relax while she had some alone time with Endymion.
"Sailor Mars? Are you there?" Mars turned at the familiar voice.
Princess Terra stood by the doors of the temple with the Knight of Shadows
by her side. Celek was holding her hand and glanced at her unemotionally.
"Yes, Princess Terra. Is anything wrong?" Mars frowned and stood
up from her kneeling position. Terra smiled and shook her head.
"Nothing's wrong. I was just wondering if you were hungry. We
brought you something to eat." Celek held out a covered basket to her.
"There's bread, sweet meats and fruits. I wasn't quite sure what you wanted
so I just put a whole lot of stuff in there."
"Oh. That's so kind of you." Terra just smiled and nodded to
Celek.
"Well, we'll be going now. Enjoy your meal Sailor Mars." With
that, Terra and Celek melted into the shadows and Mars looked down at the
basket. Now that she thought about it, she was pretty hungry. She pulled
the cover back and smiled. She silently thanked Terra again as she started
to eat.
------------------------------------
Jupiter was bored. Very bored. She sat in the shade of one of
the many large trees around the Earth Palace and sighed. It was two days
until the wedding and she had nothing to do. Sure, she wouldn't mind helping
Serenity out with all the arrangements, but Serenity had insisted that
she relax. Now that Jupiter had the time to, she didn't know what to do.
She considered going to the combat rooms but she realised she didn't know
where they were. She didn't want to bother one of the many and hurried
servants running around so she decided to go look for it herself. After
many minutes of looking around the maze like Palace, Jupiter was getting
frustrated.
"Where is it?!" She muttered under her breath as she leant against
one of the cool marble pillars of the throne room.
"Sailor Jupiter! You seem a little lost. Is ther anything I can
do for you?" Jupiter glanced up. Then down. Princess Terra was a fair ways
shorter than her and she smiled at the polite and quiet girl.
"Ah. Yes. A little."
"Where would you like to go?" Terra asked.
"I was wondering if you would happen to know where the combat
rooms are?"
"Ah! Yes! I do. Celek's there. Would you like me to show you
where they are?"
"That would be very helpful."
"All right! Follow me!" Terra smiled and she started to lead
the way.
"So Sailor Jupiter, what do you think of the Palace?"
"It's very... big." Jupiter said with slight embarassment. She
hadn't really paid any attention to anything around her when she was looking
for the combat rooms. Terra smiled kindly.
"I understand. I remember when I was younger that I always had
to have a nanny of sorts around me so that I wouldn't get lost. Well, I
did get lost. Plenty of times. But it never stopped me from loving the
great halls and winding staircases."
"Yes. There are a lot of staircases around here." Jupiter said.
Terra laughed softly and smiled.
"Yes. My Mother always said that..." Terra trailed off suddenly,
a wistful look on her pretty face. Jupiter felt a pang of sympathy and
sadness as she recognised the look on her face. Though she still had her
parents, she knew of many people who did not. Jupiter had heard the story
of Queen Gaea's death. A sad story.
When Terra was five, Queen Gaea had been struck down by a deadly
and painful disease. The doctors of every planet had been called by King
Endymion in an effort to save his beloved wife but it had been for nothing.
She lived painfully for the next year, trying never to let her pain show
to her children, especially Terra, until Terra had turned six. She had
passed away during the night of Terra's birthday party.
"I'm very sorry about your mother." Jupiter said quietly as Terra
stared off into space.
"Huh? Oh, it wasn't your fault." Terra blinked away the tears
that threatened to come and quickly plastered a smile to her face, the
purple of her eyes giving away her sadness. "Besides, Mother was happy
to the very end. She always said that."
"Ah." Jupiter didn't know quite what to say. They turned the
corner and stepped into a great hall, the room lines with weapons of every
sort and mats for fighters to fight in. Jupiter smiled widely at the room.
"Thank you so very much Princess Terra."
"Just call me Terra. Are you all right now? Do you still need
me?" Terra asked.
"Uh, no, I think I'll be fine here." Jupiter had already moved
to a mat that had been vacated. She smiled as she began to think about
all the training she could do. She looked up to see Terra throw herself
into her fiance's arms. A smile on both their faces.
------------------------------------
Away from all the people fussing with decorations, a lone Sailor
Senshi sat. She was bored. As the Senshi of Love, it was amazing to be
around Serenity and Endymion because of the love that they gave off and
it was boring to be around people rushing about and fussing. She sighed
again.
"Are you bored?" Venus looked up to see the smiling face of Princess
Terra.
"Uh, yeah." Terra sat down next to her.
"Would you like to play match-maker with me?"
"Match-maker? Really?" Venus smiled in excitement.
"Yes really. I mean, with all these people here, there are bound
to be people who are just made for each other." Terra pointed at a pair
of nobles as they stood. The young girl was blushing to what the young
man was saying. He was blushing too and Venus felt something stir inside.
Wow! Another pair of soul mates! They spent the entire afternoon talking
about who should go with who and Venus couldn't remember when she'd had
so much fun.
------------------------------------
Uranus pulled Neptune closer as they kissed. She wrapped her arms
around the shorter young woman and the pair were too busy to hear the door
of the room open.
"Oh my! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you two." The
pair leapt apart as they saw a madly blushing Princess Terra standing at
the door. She was staring at the floor.
"It's all right Princess Terra. This Palace is your after all."
Uranus and Neptune prepared themselves for the disgust they'd see in the
Earth Princess' eyes. Terra looked back up and offered them an embarrassed
smile.
"I really should have knocked. I wasn't expecting anyone to be
in their rooms yet. I'm so sorry." Terra hovered at the door and came further
in when Uranus nodded. She pulled in a cart behind her that was loaded
with towels and other assorted accessories. "I thought that you'd like
to have some of these. Because each suit has a bath of its own. Since we
were a little short on hands, I'm taking stuff around to everyone." The
two Senshi stared at her with a little surprise. They hadn't expected this
kind of reaction, but her silent acceptance made them feel better. If this
young girl could accept them, maybe they weren't doing something so bad
as everyone made it out to be.
------------------------------------
Sailor Saturn sat in the shade of the Gardens. She was lonely
again. No one would talk to her because of the legends surrounding her
heritage. She sighed deeply and watched as a leaf fell.
"Hi there. Want to talk?" Saturn looked up to see the Princess
of the Earth smiling down at her. She didn't know what to say. Terra sat
down and Saturn eyed her warily.
"Why would you want to talk to me? I'm the Silencer." She said
almost bitterly. Terra shrugged.
"You seemed a little lonely. I thought we could talk." Saturn
looked at her as her mind worked quickly. She wanted a friend. Needed a
friend. This girl was offering friendship and she didn't know whether or
not to take it. She bit her lip and stared at her. Terra offered her a
hand with a warm smile.
"Do you want to be friends?" Saturn looked from the hand to the
face. Both were warm and inviting. She nodded slowly and shook her hand.
A friend. A friend at last.
------------------------------------
Everyone's eyes cleared of light and they shook their heads. Pluto
looked at everyone as they sat in silence.
"I can't believe I couldn't remember someone who was so kind
to me." Hotaru whispered as she looked at her hands.
"She was different all right. Not like other nobles at all."
Rei said quietly. Pluto nodded.
"She doesn't completely remember her past dduring the Silver
Millenium, but she remembers some of it."
"Are we going to make her remember?" Hotaru asked.
"She will remember in her own time, but considering the circumstances,
it is neccessary to make her remember. When she shows up next time, do
not let her leave."
"But she and her boyfriend can travel through shadows. How do
we stop that?" Rei asked.
"Make sure she doesn't leave. I will come and help you in regaining
her memory." Pluto said. She stepped back. "Until then." With that, she
disappeared in a flash of bright light. Everyone looked at the spot she
had been and then they burst out talking.
"We have to get her memories back!" Rei said.
"What if she doesn't want them back?" Hotaru asked.
"Whether or not she wants them, we need her. We need them both.
You've seen their power." Haruka said. Everyone nodded. There was a thoughtful
silence.
"Oh no! Look at the time! I have got to get home! Come on Luna!"
Not giving her cat a time to react, Usagi grabbed her and made a break
for the door. She paused before turning around and kissing Mamoru's cheek.
"Bye Mamo-chan! Talk later! Oh, Mom's going to kill me!" She sprinted off.
Everyone watched her with a large sweatdrop rolling down their heads. When
they all thought about it, they decided that maybe it was time to go. They
all went their separate ways.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, Terra." Mamoru said
sadly as he looked out across the neon lit streets of Tokyo.
"I'll protect you this time around." His stormy blue eyes closed
as the wind swept out and wrapped around him like a gentle embrace. He
sighed deeply, taking in a lungful of the comforting air before he turned
and went to his room. As he lay in his bed and slowly fell asleep, an image
of laughing violet eyes sprang into his mind.
"I promise I'll protect you." He whispered.
