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Mariner Castle, Mercurial Capital
16:20 Earth time
Second day after Earth's Winter Solstice
10365 S.A.

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" Of course I am terribly sorry. Excuse me."

With that the king left the throne room and exited out of a blue velvet covered doorway to the left of the room.

Uranus untied her cloak and before the stunning black cloak touched the hot white stone floor it disappeared. She shook herself, long white silken hair that fell to her knees swayed about her in the air. Extending her arms she cracked her bronzed knuckles.

" Ah, yes I needed a good stretch. What aren't you tired?" She stated her slightly slanted rich blue eyes, blue as the earth's seas from space, gazed into the wide Apatite colored eyes of her companion.

" No not particularly but I am quite hot. My eyes are drying."

" Ah, your eyes are do big anyway sea dweller."

"Well at least my people thought of better places to live then the high mountain tops where you get those tiny eyes of yours."Neptune pointed out, mimicing the shape her companion's eyes on her own face.

" Really, you think so." Uranus smiled an I-going-to-get you smile.

"Of cour..." Neptune was cut off as Uranus yanked her cloak off her body.

"Give that back."

"You have to get it from me first."

What can you say, senshi or not they we're still two fifteen-year-old girls who never got to play. Uranus quickened her step as she walked down the hall.Neptune ran, and stopped, ran and stopped. She should have known Uranus would have picked the main hallway to tease her in.

"You really do need to work on your running, all that swimming underwater does you no good."

"Funny." Neptune remarked sarcastically as she jumped and grabbed her cloak, smoothing out the wrinkles.

"What is this room?"

"Well if you had listened to the educational part of the training you would know." Touching her head making sure her style was still in place. And it was the most elaborate hairstyle you would see on a senshi. Her beautiful dark cyan hair was pulled from the corners of her head in twists till it reached the back of her head and was done into a twisted bun."Its the wive's room."

" The..."

" This is the room full of pictures of King Pluie's wives."

" So.. oh the curse." spatted Uranus,"Damn earthlings."

"Ancestor's of earthlings."

" No difference, the same blood flows in both. How does then Mercurial curse go again?"

"The tenth generation king, declined the..uh.."future earthlings" plea stay on the planet, the head priest then cursed the king with something along the lines of "for four times you shall die till life is given again but only for a small damned amount of time."

" Ouch. I suppose she was King Pluie's first victim." pointing to the large portrait hanging on the north wall.

"Yes Queen Reine." Neptune moved closer to the painting of a woman with hair as black as night, tied in a bun, crown resting regally on her head matching her white gown that only showed of her shoulders as she sat on her throne.

" She was born and taught all her life to be queen. She gave the king his male heir and did all her duties to the fullest. She killed herself when her son was five because she thought she wasn't a good enough queen." finishing of her sentence with an unknown sympathy. During to the next painting, "And this is Queen Abortif."

"I didn't think Mercurials allowed women to go around with their hair undone."

"Well she is an exception. Her hair was her best quality, a beautiful shade of frost, and since she was from the lower levels she came from a bit more liberal people. That's why she got to be painted in her garden in a blue dress that looks like it reflected the sun, judging from how sparkly it is. Gave the king twin boys, thrown off her horse.", turning Neptune continued, " And this is.. ."

" I know who it is Queen Ilelle. She came from a small village on a crater peak. So smart that she was the only woman ever allowed to work in the Great Library of Mercury."

"Maybe that's because her hair is cut to her chin, and she's wearing a man's suit, like a man."

That she was midnight blue hair framed against her chin and a elegant grey and baby blue man's suit similar to that of the kings and was placed in what looked like a library with a thick leather book in her right hand, but she looked more feminine than masculine.

" She does not, she's a reformer. Besides she gave the king a lovely little girl. Shame she was murdered for trying to have men and women go to the same college."

"So who is are next wife?"

"Mercury's mother." came a whisper from Uranus.

"Yes." Neptune quickly added, mentioning family of any senshi brought sad memories. " Queen Moyen. Half under world, half surface dweller. Very talented if I say so. She could play any instrument."

"Obviously the harp was her favorite or she wouldn't be pictured with it, nice cloak too, she must have had excellent taste for choosing such a lovely shade of navy."

" Yes and it compliments her lovely navy hair as well, jeez aren't we a little over loving of a certain color."

Neptune added roling her eyes.

Uranus didn't notice what Neptune she was busy sniffing the wind. The way it moved was different, almost elemental in nature, but this was Mercury not Uranus. The wind whispered gently in her ear, as a lover would. It was coming from the hall going to the west corridor. Instinctively she followed it. Rolling her eyes Neptune reluctantly followed. They stopped three feet from the door. Uranus sucked her breath in and kicked the thick old door open.

" Ok that's the second time today I've lost my breath."

"You could say that again."

"Ok that's.."

"Shut up."

Staring at the site before them was too much. It was an open courtyard with only one entrance and exit. The courtyard was a marvelous garden of healing herbs and water-storing plants. The plant life was not enough to take their breath away but the giant fountain and life size statues of every Mercury senshi hat ever lived was. Neptune bent over to read a rough stone plaque.

" This is the fountain of Mercury. Started in 8536 C.S. by Cherino Anata who was commisioned by King Aqulla IV. The fountain and all statues around it are the representations of every Mercury senshi that every guarded the planet. Those who are wearing cloaks that hide their faces either disgraced the planet or their faces are long forgotten. The senshi at the very top of the five tier was the very first mercury senshi, every new senshi is placed in front of the statue, thus the newest senshis are no longer in the main fountain but spread about it."

Uranus walked around a few statues taking them in. Every one was made of pale white marble, bright blue stones for the tiara gems, and the statues were so life-like they even had the smallest indentation of a pimple scar. To boot every statue was in a different pose, some sitting on the edge of a tier, some in battle pose and even some that looked as if they were waiting for something. Not to mention every senshi in the fountain had water coming out of their hand, finger, or even like one with water coming out of her eyes.

"Ahm."

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The senshi swirled around, only to find a twenty-year-old boy/man looking at their legs.He was dressed like the king except the top only reached mid thigh in a shade of white and pants that were blue with a silver design on the bottom of his sleeves. Short black hair fell in his face and he bowed elegantly. This was obviously the king's first son.

" I am High Prince Règne, my father the King sent me to give you what you came for."

" Thank you... well hum..."

"Ah yes follow me."

The prince walked them through the castle father and farther till it seemed that they had traveled an entire day's worth. The halls looked older and older. The rooms came with more dust the farther the traveled, till it almost looked as if they were in a part of the castle no longer used.

"They keep her down here!"

"Maybe it's for protection."

"Sure, I believe that just as much as I believe the prince over there wasn't looking at my legs."

"First off Neptune, Mercurials do not stare they glance over, and as much as I'd like to we aren't here to judge anything."

"And here we are so you can stop whispering."

"Wahhha."

Suddenly two identical ice blue haired twins threw water filled goats stomachs at the trio. With senshi reflexes they both leapt backwards. Sadly Prince Règne was not fast enough and was soaked from waist up.

" Brouillard... Arène, what are you doing! You're not supposed to be here this is...is...is, it not what you're supposed to do."

"Ok yeah sure."

"Wife number two's." whispered Neptune

"Yeah..where did you learn that word, its such slang." turning to the senshi," I am quite sorry, this need not be mentioned to the..." he turned around, the twins stood with nice smile," the..." the twins were making incredibly funny faces to their brothers back which Uranus could not help but smile at.

"Yes we won't tell your father."

"Thank you,... move brats" he hissed. "Right through here."

He opened the doors and entered a slightly cleaner room, with a cradle, small silver bath pan, a white dresser, a piano and a rocker. The twins watched the senshi with suspicious eyes.

"Do not worry little reflections, by the way..." Uranus lowered her voice," next time don't make a noise before you throw those little inventions of yours, it makes a better surprise."

She moved closer to Neptune who stood near the piano, staring at the occupants of the rocker.

" I don't want her to go Règne, who will take care of her, who will play the piano for her," said an adorable little black haired girl, gray eyes wide full of tears.

" Now Avenir I thought we talked about this."

" I don't remember."

Neptune took this as her cue. " We promise we'll be good with her until she gets to the Queen. Then she'll be so happy there that she'll never cry again. Ok."

" Only if you promise to play her music every night."

"Of course we will."

This whole time while Règne and Neptune tried to get the girl to hand over Mercury, Uranus couldn't help but stare at the tiny little thing that was supposed to be the senshi of ice and water. The child was about three resting in the arms of her seven year old sister. Her body was small and slim, with a lite dusting of wavy sapphire hair and pale almost deadly white skin.

"Is she sick, or cold?"

Avenir turned to Uranus whom she seemed to just notice and smiled at.

"No she's always like that, the only way to tell if she's cold is if you..." the little girl reached into a silver bowl and grasped onto a piece of half melted ice, " this is how you tell."She took the piece of ice and litely rubbed it over Mercury's lips. The babe glass blue eyes popped open and shivered. Uranus's eyes grew wide as she watched the toddler's hair go from sapphire to ice blue. At little laugh escaped both girls.

"I can't pronounce her name, it's some form of under world but it sounds like...."

"No need she won't ever use that name anyway."

"Will we ever see her again." Avenir looked up with wide eyes in hope.

"Of course you will, little one." Neptune knew that was a lie and if they did Mercury wouldn't even know them. She saw Uranus back up towards the window opening the shutters. She bent over the little girl, arms held out for the child. The girl shook her head no and looked to Règne for help but he nodded yes, then turning back to Neptune she kissed Mercury on the cheek and handed her over.

"Ok ladies now if you don't mind I'll escort you to the palace gates."

A laugh escaped Uranus as she embraced Neptune and the baby.

"No need. We can get there on our own."

With that the three still embraced burst into droplets of water and were taken up by the wind. All four of the Mercurial children rushed to the window. They could she little sparkles being carried to Landing Tower MQ5. They waited there till the sun went down behind the crater ridge, for the last shuttle to leave that one tower. All four missed diner, breaking protocol to see off a tiny little girl blessed and cursed to be one of the senshi.

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* If you had not noticed all the names of the royalty are french words.

*remember to email if you have any questions.

*Apatite is a stone