Setsuna
Few things in the Kingdom of the White Moon
inspired more awe in the heart of a commoner than a Sailor Soldier. As
many of them believed, to be a Sailor Soldier was to be second only to
Serenity herself. Known to be beautiful, powerful, fearless, and steadfastly
loyal to the High Queen, the deeds of the planetary warriors were a favorite
subject for bedtime stories on all of the nine worlds that made up the
kingdom. In common children's games of fantasy and pretend, girls cast
themselves as Princess Serenity and the Sailor Soldiers. For hours, they
kept themselves entertained by fighting the boys who, cast as the evil
gods' minions, enthusiastically 'died' in a display that was both horrific
and thrilling.
If one was royalty, however, they heard the
story from a different angle—especially if they happened to be a princess.
Endowed by birth with incredible powers from their native planets, every
Queen's firstborn daughter became a Sailor Soldier. Their earliest years
were spent on their home planets, learning the conventional rules of etiquette,
and what their duties would be when they became Queens. But most importantly,
they learned that they must always be loyal to Queen Serenity and her kingdom,
for as soon as they were old enough, they were taken to the Silver Palace
on the moon, and were taught to wield their celestial powers in defense
of the White Moon Kingdom as Sailor Soldiers.
It was always the planet's Sailor Soldier
who inherited the world's throne, for it was the female descendants of
the seven goddesses who were gifted with the most planetary power. Of course,
only the Queen's first daughter was ever given enough of that same power
to become Sailor Soldiers. Because of that, few Queens had any more children
after bearing her first daughter. If she was not an only child, a Sailor
Soldier was usually the youngest. If she was the youngest, her older siblings
were always brothers. Rarely did one find a Sailor Soldier with a younger
sibling. A Sailor Soldier with a sister was an obscurity indeed. But that
was perfectly all right with them. The team of warriors found a sisterhood
in one another that was as deep and true as any established by blood, and
the loyalty instilled in them from the beginning guaranteed that they could
never forget their friendships. Loyalty was the name of the game, and loyalty
was Queen in the heart of every Sailor Soldier.
The Plutonian royalty's interplanetary vessel
drifted toward the moon, silent in the vacuum of space. Within, Lady Moira
of Pluto's six-year-old daughter, Setsuna, was alone in her personal chamber,
just as quiet. It might be considered a pity that there was no one else
present in the girl's room, for at the moment, Princess Setsuna was a most
endearing sight, which would have been a pleasure to behold. She was draped
in a lavish silk gown in a gleaming shade of deep red, the same color as
the elegant choker adorning her throat. Her dark green hair was partially
twisted on top of her head, and the rest streamed over her shoulders like
a curtain, spilling to her waist. Setsuna sat primly in her seat near the
window, her pretty little hands folded neatly in her lap. The child was
solemn, and outwardly calm as she watched the moon growing bigger as the
ship approached it, but her insides trembled with anticipation.
The moon. Setsuna and her mother had reached
their destination. Her father had been unable to join them. He had remained
on Pluto so her mother would be able to stay with Setsuna during her time
at the Silver Palace. Setsuna had never set foot on the moon before. She
was frightened, being such a dreadfully long way from her home and her
beloved father, with no idea when she would see them again.
At the same time, she was excited. She and
her mother had a very good reason for coming to the home of the High Queen.
At long last, Setsuna had been deemed ready to begin her training as a
Sailor Soldier. At six years old, she was taking her first step toward
fulfilling her destiny of following her mother as Sailor Pluto, Soldier
of the Afterlife. The most important years of her life had begun.
All at once, the young princess was no longer
alone in her chamber.
"Setsuna, darling," Lady Moira whispered in
a warm, tender voice laced with pride, "we have arrived. Queen Serenity
awaits us."