Disclaimer: The Reality Benders own nothing of Sailormoon, only this unusual storyline.



Chapter One:

The Un-Welcoming Ball

Later that night, everything in the ballroom was prepared as the nobles of a lot of stars, Kinmoku, the council and, of course, the Lights, gathered in it, awaiting the arrivals. However, a couple of them weren't very much comfortable with the arrangements.

"There is no way that I am about to go and actually talk to them!" Yaten snarled.

"You can't avoid them," reminded Kakyuu. "Remember, they'll be staying in the palace for a whole week."

"That's seven days too many!" snapped Taiki. "And four people too much!"

Seiya groaned. "I have a question: Why do you hate them so? I mean, the Stars aren't so bad. Once you get to know them."

"The Inners are," said Taiki. "I'm on good terms with Ami. But the Outers are a whole new category, and they're the ones coming."

"Who knows?" asked Seiya. "They might've changed over the past two months. Besides, they had enough respectability to come, right?"

"That was only because Kakyoku-mama offered to have them here when Queen Selenity was looking for a place," said Yaten bitterly. "The reason as to why completely eludes me."

"You're making it sound more horrible than it actually is," Kakyuu sniffed. "Besides, I don't think the Stars are all that bad."

"That's because you don't know them yet," said Yaten. "Just wait."

"Well, you won't have to wait long," said Seiya, looking at the doorway. "Because here they come."

Indeed, everyone had now turned to the doorway, listening. The sounds of rushing power could be heard, and a light outside seemed to be growing brighter and brighter. A child of one of the nobles was looking out the window and she cried, pointing, "Mama, mama—look! Those stars are falling from the sky!"

Yaten glanced that way too, and the four rainbow-colored teleportation beams the Stars were in as they sped closer to the palace.

Within seconds, there was a brilliant flash from outside, and the Queen rose from the throne to welcome the visitors. The Lights stared at the doorway, as the double doors slowly opened.

The five people outside were shrouded in absolute shadow of the night, and the only thing that signified their presence were the gleaming jewels heaped upon them and their sparkling gowns. The first person to step forward had long, glittering golden hair in two odangos on top of her head, and a dazzling golden tiara. Stepping forward into the light of the ballroom, she smiled at everyone present.

"Princess Serenity," said Queen Kakyoku with a grand smile, "how nice of you to have finally arrived on our Star of Kinmoku."

"If it please you, Your Majesty," said she courteously, smiling brightly, stepping down from the staircase, "call me Usagi, as all of my friends do."

The Lights stared at her. Usagi Tsukino looked…different. She looked a lot more mature and sophisticated. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was a total princess now. She curtseyed to Kakyoku, who smiled warmly and asked, "Will you be staying here with the Outers, Your Highness?"

"Oh, not really," Usagi shook her head. "I just came here to see the Outers into the palace. However, I will remain for the ball—you do know how I love these sort of things."

"Of course," smiled Kakyoku. "And what about the Outers?" Everyone set their sights from Usagi to the four princesses who've entered already, and began murmuring once again.

Well, the Lights were rather astounded when they saw the Outers because…well…they didn't look like the Outers very much anymore, but one couldn't doubt that they won't behave like the Outers always do.

Haruka Ten'ou was in a marvelous ball gown, and it was obvious to them now that she was behaving totally like a girl and had dropped out of the entire boy-type phase. And there was also the matter of her sandy hair, which had grown quite long and reached down her back. In the whole, it was an intense improvement, and she never looked prettier.

Michiru Kaiou looked more glamorous that ever, and her hair flowed gracefully and loosely over her shoulders down to her waist. She was in a beautiful dress, and looked very mature, like Haruka.

Setsuna Meiou, who towered above them, had her let down her hair and wore lovely black pearl and silver headband and her dress matched it. She looked younger (like in high school instead of college), and a lot more approachable.

"Hold on," said Taiki, counting the arrivals. "Where's the other one?"

"Behind them," said Yaten quietly, who'd also been looking. "There she is, hiding again."

Hotaru Tomoe was behind all the rest, and it seemed like she was in no position to face the crowd as of yet. It was either that, though, or the Outers were keeping her back again. But she was also surprising. She didn't look pale and sickly anymore. She looked very healthy and incredibly beautiful especially now that her shiny black hair had grown very long and fell past her waist like a sheet of dark silk. She was also dressed beautifully, and her cheeks were pink in shyness as she hid behind the Outers.

"Wait a minute," said Seiya, frowning in confusion. "Wasn't she younger when we left? About thirteen?"

"Nah, she's really sixteen," said Taiki. "Ami told me about it. She's grown back to her proper age now; she had been reborn before. When we were there she was still in her thirteen-year-old stage."

Yaten didn't speak, but he frowned at the pretty girl, for he could feel a strong psychic power in her, like his. He didn't exactly like it. Hotaru felt his stare and looked up. They eyes locked. Yaten narrowed his eyes at her, and Hotaru looked back timidly, then dropped her eyes, her cheeks flaming.

Yaten was surprised. Man. How shy can one get? But he felt a small pang of guilt for looking at her so meanly for a moment. And then he got mad at her for making him feel it.

Kakyuu stomped on Seiya's foot and said, "Seiya! Kakyoku-mama is calling us!"

"Right," gasped Seiya, swallowing a cry of pain. Kakyuu's spike-heeled shoe was quite painful. Tugging the other Lights, they made their way across the ballroom, where people were interacting with each other once again. When they reached the Queen, she bent down and whispered to them, "Why are you just standing there? Why don't you go see to your guests? Or, shall I say, fellow Soldiers?"

Yaten looked horrified. "What?! No way!"

The Queen narrowed her eyes at him. "Do it, young man, or I shall have to be forced to empty your closet of your clothes and fill it with dresses like the one you wore this morning. That goes for you too, Taiki, Seiya. Now go!"

Well! Just imagining the humiliation they'd get from the Outers if they saw them wearing those was enough to paralyze them on the spot, so…

"Oh, come on, let's go," groaned Taiki.

Luckily, the first one they came across with in the ballroom was Usagi. "Hello, guys! We haven't seen each other in a long time, ne?"

"Um…yeah," said Yaten, then glanced at Seiya.

Usagi looked at Seiya and said, "Hey, Seiya!"

"H-Hello, Usagi," Seiya stammered. "Wh-where's Endym—I mean, where's Mamoru?"

"Oh, Mamo-chan's still back in Crystal Tokyo," grinned Usagi. "He's taking charge of royal duties while I'm out here. Everyone else helps, of course, but they don't exactly stay."

"You live there now?" asked Taiki.

"Of course," said Usagi. "I'm going to ascend the throne, so I'm going to have to get used to royal duties and stuff from now on. Selenity-mama says that I've had enough time in Earth and I ought to concentrate around there."

"Oh, it's a good thing," said Kakyuu, nodding. "Royal duties aren't very easy if you're not used to them."

"Tell me about it," Usagi agreed. "Just the decorum and stuff—whew!" She sighed. Soon, she and Kakyuu were talking animatedly to each other and they walked away, quite forgetting about the Lights. They seemed to have taken to each other at once, seeing as how they were alike in some ways.

"I see they got along," Taiki raised an eyebrow.

"I just hope Usagi doesn't spill anything about our former…relationship," Seiya said hesitantly.

"Kakyuu will probably maim you severely if she ever finds out," said Yaten. He caught the queen's eye and said, "Uh, I guess we'd better find the Outers."

They sighed, but went. The first they saw was Setsuna, which was a mercy, because of she seemed a little less imposing than Haruka and Michiru. She was alone, looking at a painting on the ballroom wall. Of course, she knew that they were approaching.

"What brings you three around?" asked she just when they stepped behind her. She turned and saw the surprised looks on their faces and smiled, "Shouldn't you be tending to your guests?"

"Well, that is what we're doing," said Taiki. "Queen Kakyoku wants us to…see to you guys."

"Well, that's a difficult one," said Setsuna with a small smile. "I fancy that dealing with Haruka and Michiru will not be easy for you for tonight, let alone a week."

"Are we still under those conditions?" asked Seiya. "I thought that—when we left, that is—we were in…good terms."

"More or less," shrugged Setsuna.

Yaten shot him a "see?" look, and Seiya glared at him. "Well, what about you?" asked Taiki, turning back to Setsuna. "You don't seem to…dislike us very much anymore."

"There's no point," Setsuna smiled. "It is all over now, ne? So I really don't find anymore reason to be against you or anything that you do. Besides, I must say that I am sensible enough to see sense in things more than they could."

Why do I always have to be so stupid and follow what everyone says? I get confused!

"Huh?" Yaten looked up and around him. He wondered who that was who spoke. He heard the speaker in his mind, and it was a strange, new voice—lovely yet so sad.

I don't know why…why I should hate the Lights so…

Yaten looked around even more, now, hearing their name.

…when Usagi and the Inners say that they're OK…who should I listen to?

Now Yaten had a guess on who was talking, and he knew that he had to find her. Taiki asked, "Yaten? What's the matter?"

"What?" Yaten turned to see that they were staring at him. Seiya and Taiki looked at him in concern, but Setsuna looked at him in a strange, understanding way. She nodded once.

Yaten swallowed and said, "Um…you guys just…go on, okay? I have to…I have to go somewhere." And without another word, he fled his friends.

Looking around the ballroom. "Okay, girl, where are you?" he muttered, scanning the room. There was only one person whom he could've heard speaking that way, and sure enough, there she was, all by herself on the outer hall, which opened out to the garden. She was sitting at the fountain, staring at the water, and lost in thought.

Yaten carefully approached Hotaru, unsure of what steps to take, and he realized that now that he'd found her, what was he going to tell her? As he approached, he thought he saw tears that have yet to fall gleaming in her eyes. Soon, he was but a few paces from her in the wide outer hall, and the sounds from the ballroom seemed far away. This was the reason, he thought, as to why she wanted to remain here.

Hotaru suddenly looked up, sensing his presence. She looked at him with such frightened and nervous eyes that he felt guilty for apparently no reason. She immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to him, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

All of sudden, he felt annoyance rise up in him, angry that she had managed to make him feel like this when he had done nothing wrong. "Princess Hotaru…" he said in a voice soft yet somewhat frosted, "what're you doing here? Why aren't you inside?"

Hotaru quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and flustered, "I—I'm sorry, P- Prince Yaten, but I—I—I don't like crowds…and a lot of people."

Yaten raised and eyebrow at her, and she looked back down. Yaten felt impatient and annoyed. "Why are you so afraid of me?"

Hotaru gasped and gulped. She stammered, "I—I am under the impression that—that you don't like me."

Yaten opened his mouth to say that it wasn't true, but then closed it and thought it over. "Well…that's not entirely true…"

They fell silent again, and Hotaru glanced at him before looking down again. "Wh-why did you come looking for me?"

Yaten looked at her and pointed to his head.

"H-huh?" Hotaru blinked.

Yaten just pointed to his head again. "I heard you."

And then, Hotaru's face drained of color and she looked absolutely terrified when she remembered Yaten's psychic quality, like hers. "Y-you heard me?" she cried out in shrill, frightened voice. "H-How much did you hear?"

Yaten bit his lip and felt rather nervous. "N-not much…just the part when you…when you were considering us Lights…"

"O-o-o-oh!" Hotaru burst into a flood of tears. "Oh what have I done?! Now you know about it all! I—I can't believe you listened to what I was thinking!!" She ended with a wail. And then she fled, running away back into the ballroom. Yaten ran after her. "Princess Hotaru, wait!"

Heads turned as the sobbing princess fled the hall and headed for the chambers. The entire ballroom fell silent, and when Hotaru's sobs faded away, they all turned to the Light who was standing alone, staring utterly appalled at the vanishing girl. He was unable to move in shock.

"YATEN KOU!!" came an outraged shout.

People parted like the Red Sea as Haruka came storming towards him, her face angrier than they've seen, and closely followed by Michiru, who wore the same expression. Usagi, Kakyuu and Setsuna came after them, all three looking extremely worried. Taiki and Seiya sprang out of nowhere to Yaten's defense as Haruka closed in on him.

"What did you do?!" she yelled, looking like she was about to fly to Yaten and box his ears. "Why did Hotaru run off crying like that?!"

"Uh-oh," Usagi muttered. "I think I'd better go and see to her. Kakyuu, could you accompany me to her room? Hotaru knows where it is, but I don't." Kakyuu nodded nervously, and the two supreme princesses left the ballroom.

Michiru wasn't sure if she should restrain Haruka or help her yell at Yaten, but as of now, she was preventing Haruka from flying at him. The people in the ballroom were staring hard enough.

"Look, I didn't do anything!" Yaten shot back.

"If he says he didn't do anything, then he didn't!" Taiki snarled, glaring at the Outers enough to singe eyebrows.

"You stay out of this!!" Michiru shouted at him.

"He didn't do anything, eh?" Haruka cried with a challenging glint in her eye. "Then why did she run?" Yaten took half a step back, and he looked uneasy about the answer.

"What happened, Yaten?" asked Setsuna, staring at the Light quite hard.

Yaten swallowed hard. "I—I was just…I just…heard something…"

"What something?" Haruka snarled, as if just waiting to pounce at the first hint of Yaten's mistake. "What did you hear?"

"Something that…that she was thinking…and it got her upset and—"

"You entered her mind?!" Michiru screamed, just as Setsuna left to fetch the queen upon hearing this answer. "Well no wonder she ran! How dare you enter her mind and listen to what she was thinking!"

"Look, I didn't mean to—" Yaten tried to say, but Haruka roared, "Just because you have telepathic ability doesn't mean you can go around reading people's minds, especially hers!"

"Yaten did not do anything!" Taiki yelled, stepping forward, and Seiya tried to stop him, but it was too late. "Why would Yaten do such a thing?! She must've let it slip from her mind and Yaten just picked it up!"

"You think Hotaru is careless enough to do something like that?" Haruka snapped.

"If she's under you, she probably is!" Taiki retorted angrily.

"Why you—" Haruka's aura was starting to light up and she looked just about ready to grab her transformer pen and thrash Taiki with her Space Sword.

Taiki was not about to be put down. His aura lit up and he said, "What are you going to do, Haruka? Fight me? I don't think you'd be able to handle it!"

"Stop it, Taiki!" Seiya said, trying to drag him back, but to no avail.

"Exactly what I had in mind, and don't worry, I will handle a lot more than your pitiful power!" she snarled. "And after I'm through with you, I'll deal with him!" she glanced at Yaten.

Yaten felt angry. "You can't touch us! Not here in Kinmoku! We rule around here if you didn't know!!" Seiya paled, because with Yaten beside Taiki, he won't be able to stop this riot anymore.

"Let's just try, shall we?" Michiru snapped back, stepping beside Haruka, looking angrier than she'd ever been and with a hint of her sea-green aura around her. "We probably won't even break a sweat when we mop you boys all over the floor!"

The ballroom had been thrown into an uproar when all of this began, and now an even louder chaos ensued as the two groups grabbed their transformation items and were about to start fighting.

Then a loud voice exclaimed, "THAT IS ENOUGH!!"

Absolute silence fell upon the entire ballroom as Queen Kakyoku arrived at the scene, Setsuna trailing behind her. The Lights and Stars stopped and looked at her, and she looked very grave and angry. She then said, "Your Highnesses! Kindly act your ages! This is not the proper conduct of the rulers of a planet!"

She turned to Haruka and Michiru.

"Princess Haruka, Princess Michiru, I understand that the boys have a great fault and I personally apologize for it, but please do not resort to such extreme measures of retaliation! Fighting within the walls of the palace is…well, very undisciplined and very unbecoming of you, your council, and the planets which you represent. The Queen Selenity will be deeply disappointed that two of her most powerful and trusted soldiers have resolved to retaliate in such impertinent fashion in nothing more than a juvenile altercation!"

Haruka and Michiru, who would quail only under a queen, looked at each other, and then stared stonily away, for the queen was right. It was true, all that she said, and the Transformer Pens in their hands vanished. But then Kakyoku added, "However, I find impartiality in your animosity, and I will personally deal with the Lights, Kinmoku's own princess-fighters, for such disgraceful transgression."

"But Kakyoku-mama—!" Taiki began.

"As for your three—" Queen Kakyoku rounded on the Lights, who winced at her hard tone. "I want all of you three in my private chambers this instant! Such demeanor is unforgivable and will have to be dealt with in private. Seiya!"

Seiya jumped, looking pale, and the queen said, "I want you to fetch Kakyuu. She will have to hear this as well."

"Y-yes, a-at once," Seiya stammered, and left.

"Princesses," she turned back to the Stars, "I apologize once again. Perhaps it will do you well to retire to your chambers now, or see to Princess Hotaru. Everyone else," she raised her voice for all to hear, "this ball is now ended due to these appalling circumstances."

The Stars nodded, and after a final glare at the Lights, they left the ballroom and heading for the chambers, most undoubtedly to find Hotaru. The other people, murmuring, also dispersed out the doors.

"You two," said the queen, looking at Yaten and Taiki, "Go to my private chambers. NOW."

And the two nodded nervously and fled.

~~*~~

"Hotaru!!" cried Usagi, pounding on the doors of Hotaru's chamber. "Please let me in! It's me Usagi!"

There was no reply once again from inside the door. Usagi pressed her ear against the door, but could barely hear anything inside. "Ooh," she said in frustration, stamping her foot. "How am I supposed to help her if she won't let us in?"

Kakyuu shook her head helplessly. "Sorry, Usagi, but I think Princess Hotaru just wants to be left alone."

"I can't hear a thing!" Usagi said, trying to hear once again.

"Maybe it's because of that uproar going on down there," said Kakyuu, squinting her eyes as she looked back at the direction of the ballroom. "What has been going on down there?"

"The Lights and the Outers are probably about to kill each other," Usagi said morosely. "This'll ruin the entire point of this trip!"

"Which is?" Kakyuu looked at her questioningly. Usagi glanced around and said, "I'll tell you, but don't tell this to any of the Lights, okay?" She whispered the reason to Kakyuu's ear, and Kakyuu jumped back, looking aghast. "Oh no! This will ruin everything!"

Usagi nodded solemnly. "'fraid so, Kakyuu. But the least we can do now is to make sure that Hotaru's okay."

But before they could try knocking on the door again, Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna flew into the corridor with faces as dark as thunderclouds, clearly very angry. They'd come in from the ballroom, which had fell suddenly silent. They didn't say a word as they stormed down the hall, but stopped in front of Hotaru's door.

Haruka turned to Usagi and said, "She's all right?"

Usagi shook her head. "She won't let us in."

Michiru raised an eyebrow and it was clear that they were not up to aknowledging Kakyuu's presence for she was connected to the Lights. Kakyuu bit her lip and turned pink with embarrassment as she stepped a bit behind Usagi.

Haruka rapped hard on Hotaru's door and said, "Hotaru!! Open this door! It's us—!"

But before she finished, the door flew open at once. Apparently, Hotaru already knew that they were there. Haruka glanced at Usagi, then nodded to the rest of the Outers and they strode into the room with Usagi. Kakyuu hovered around the doorway, knowing fully well that it was not her place to enter.

The princesses entered and saw Hotaru sobbing in her four-poster bed. She turned and saw them, then flew sobbing into Haruka's arms. "Haruka! I'm so sorry…I don't know what I've done…but…he heard me!"

Haruka looked at the girl in sympathy. "It's all right, Hotaru, we've fixed it all. None of it is your fault, is that clear? You have nothing to be sorry for. It's all Yaten's fault."

Kakyuu twitched over at the doorway, but didn't dare say anything. There were four to one, and she'd instantly get obliterated if she had any hint of heresy.

Hotaru thought, thought, No…you still don't understand, Haruka! You don't understand what I think! It is my fault! And I'm saying sorry to you because I'm disagreeing with what you think!

Haruka sat with Hotaru the bed and Michiru stroked the girl's hair. "It'll be all right, Hotaru-chan. We won't be beaten by those…Lights." She said the last word in a spiteful tone.

Haruka nodded. "That's right. We'll get 'em."

Usagi and Setsuna looked at each other, but there was nothing they could do.

Kakyuu still hovered at the door, wondering what was going to happen and what she ought to do, when someone pinched her arm. "Ouch!" she gasped. She turned to look and saw Seiya hiding in the shadow of the door. "Kakyuu!" he whispered, "Come on. Kakyuu-mama wants to see us. I'll tell you aboutn it along the way—it was a horrible bout in the ballroom!"

Kakyuu nodded.

But, of course, how do you get past the super-sensitive senses of the Stars, especially now that it's been amplified by their fury?

All heads snapped to the direction of the door, and saw Seiya and Kakyuu. Haruka appeared to see red at this.

"Seiya!" she thundered and whipped out her hand with Michiru.

"Come on!" Seiya cried and grabbed Kakyuu's hand. He pulled her down the hallway just in time as a rocking blast of power sent the door closed with an almighty bang.

"Whew," said Seiya in relief, and oozing down against the wall, breathing hard. "Thank goodness. I thought we were gonna get killed."

"Nearly," said Kakyuu, also breathing hard. "Let's go, shall we? Before anything else get's flung at us."

"Good idea," said Seiya, and he and Kakyuu fled.