Chibiusa shook her head. "No, I don't want to go to the park today, Pu. Tell me a story!" Excited by this idea, the tiny pink-haired girl scampered around the room.

"Very well, Small Lady," Setsuna replied, inclining her head. "I have seen events from all over time. What story will I tell?" A small smile flickered on her lips. One of Setsuna's greatest loves was storytelling, but in her sojourn between times, she had had no chance to practice.

"Why don't you tell us all a story?" Artemis suggested lazily. Absently, the white cat snapped up another KitEKat treat.

"You'll be a fat cat if you don't exercise that off," Luna told him. Artemis shrugged.

"Tell us about the old times," Michiru suggested from across the table.

"Yes. What about the Silver Millennium?" her partner asked. Both Minako and Makoto were unconsciously leaning towards Haruka, but she pretended to ignore it. "I want to hear from that time."

"You're such a sentimentalist," Michiru sighed.

"I love the idea of it. But there were no cars or cycles to drive then…" Michiru laughed lightly at her.

"Tell us about Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi said eagerly. Mamoru was the only member of the group not in attendance; he had gone to meet a friend who was flying in from overseas.

Everyone sighed deeply. "Maybe not, Usagi-chan," Makoto said drily.

"Tell us about the Sailor Knights," Minako said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she flushed. "What? Did I say something?"

"Something about sailing at night…" Usagi said vaguely, reaching for the plate in the middle of the table. It was piled high with tempura shrimp, courtesy of Umino in exchange for a favour Usagi had done him concerning Naru.

"Oh, Usagi…" Luna groaned, putting her paws over her eyes.

Setsuna cleared her throat gently, silencing them all. "I've seen the Sailor Knights. I'll tell you their story."

"Wait!" Chibiusa cried, clambering over them all to sit in Setsuna's lap. "I couldn't hear well over there," she explained, blinking up at her.

Setsuna laughed gently. "Very well, Small Lady."

"A thousand years ago, there was a wondrous kingdom on the Moon, known as the Silver Millennium. Queen Serenity ruled, and she had two daughters; Serenity and Darkness."

"What?" the Sailor Senshi gasped.

"Two daughters?" Usagi asked. "I'm not the only princess?" She frowned. "Mamoru-san…"

"Not two princesses," Setsuna corrected. "Two daughters. Darkness was the elder daughter, but the Silver Crystal bound itself to Princess Serenity instead. Now. The Kingdom had nine protectors, known as the Sailor Senshi. Princess Serenity was Sailor Moon, of course. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus," she pointed to each of them in turn, "protected the Silver Millennium from obvious threats. Sailor Saturn," smiling at little Hotaru asleep in the corner, "was Queen Serenity's advisor. Neptune and Uranus were elite and kept for emergencies. And Pluto guarded the Time Corridor."

"Yay, Pu! And Chibimoon protected the future!" the excited Chibiusa squealed. For once, Usagi didn't shout her down.

Setsuna went on. "Opposite to the Sailor Senshi was a group of male warriors, known as the Sailor Knights. There were eight of them; the Knights of Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus."

Ami interrupted, frowning. "That's only seven. And why don't we remember the Knights?"

"Who cares, Ami-chan? What was the Knight of Mars like?" Rei asked, leaning forward. "I bet he's… tall, handsome, charming…"

"He won't be as good as Mamoru-san," Usagi asserted quickly. Rei's eyes narrowed, and she and Usagi began shouting at each other. Setsuna sighed. It looked as if her story would have to wait.

"Pu," Chibiusa said, tugging at her sleeve. She looked down. "Go on with the story. Please?"

Setsuna smiled at the child. "The last of the Sailor Knights was also their leader, a great hero named Eàryon Slenth."

"Strange name," Minako shrugged, her face troubled. "It's familiar somehow…"

"He was the equal of Princess Serenity in combat, and they trained together many times. The Sailor knights are all physically stronger than Mako-chan, and they use weapons instead of magic. Eàryon and his second-in-command, the Mercurian Knight Tobias, were the only two who combined their swords with Sailor Senshi-like attacks."

"That's it!" Minako said without thinking. "Eàryon-sama's sword dances in the moonlight. It is made from starlight and unicorn's horn. After the battle, he puts it away and comes back to me."

"Minako-chan…." Usagi whispered.

"Sounds like poetry," Rei said approvingly.

"It didn't rhyme," Usagi pointed out.

"Poetry doesn't have to rhyme, you turtle!"

Usagi's face screwed up "Rei-chan!"

Haruka Ten'ou stood up, obviously frustrated. "Listen!" she shouted. "I want to hear this stage!" Rei and Usagi nodded, cowed, and she sat back down.

"It came to pass that Eàryon was badly wounded in battle," Setsuna resumed. "The only one who could save him was Queen Serenity, but she was away from the palace."

"What happened?" Minako asked, almost desperately.

"Princess Darkness inherited much of her mother's gifts. Between her and Sailor Saturn, they managed to heal the wound, but he had lost much blood and was very weak for a long time. With Saturn's help, however, he could at least walk the halls of the Moon Palace."

"So beautiful," Usagi whispered, remembering it.

"And he began to hear rumours. Rumours that a group of young girls had appeared on the battlefield after he had been taken away, and defeated the enemy themselves. Stories said how they had ripped up the ground and blinded the enemy with mist."

"Haruka and Ami," Makoto said aloud. "What did he think of these stories?"

"He was jealous. That had been the task of his knights, but since the Sailor Senshi's attacks struck from a distance with no risk, they were gradually becoming useless. Amongst his knights, Eàryon found discontent. They wouldn't go near the Senshi, although some of them found them attractive."

Setsuna looked directly at Minako. "Sailor Venus was especially desired, but she rejected them all."

"Me?" Minako gasped. Then she smirked. "Well, of course! I'm so beautiful, what do you expect?"

"The Sailor Senshi wanted desperately to make peace with the Knights, but they were knocked back. The Sailor Knights told Eàryon about the horrible Senshi, and he promised not to meet with any of them. In the Court of the Moon, every woman desired the leader of the Sailor Knights. Even Princess Darkness wanted him, but knew she couldn't."

"That's when he came to me," Luna interrupted, raising her head. "He asked me which of the Sailor Senshi was the weakest, so that he could train her."

The original five Sailor Senshi looked at each other, wondering whom it would be. Minako's burning cheeks said she already knew.

"Eàryon knew that if his knights confronted the Sailor Senshi directly, they would be defeated by their superior numbers and teamwork. He planned to catch them one-by-one, alone, and kill them."

"Just to get his job back?" Makoto gasped.

"To get his life back. They had all sworn a death-vow to the royal family. Luna told him that Sailor Venus was the weakest—"

"Lucky! It wasn't me!" Usagi giggled, while Minako slid beneath the table in shame.

"He found her in the training dojo. He entered behind her, holding his sword up. But his honour as a Knight wouldn't let him attack her from behind, so he called out to her. She turned—"

"—and his world changed," Minako said dreamily, back on her cushion.

"Eàryon and Sailor Venus fell deeply in love. They formed the first bridge between the Sailor Knights and Sailor Senshi. After that day they were never apart. Everyone knew they were together, and they were a perfect couple. A match made in heaven. His happiest times were spent in her bedroom—"

"I bet they were," Rei whispered. Usagi snorted, trying not to laugh.

"—holding her, looking into her eyes and listening to her play the flute."

"You play the flute, Aino-san?" Michiru asked.

"I don't know…"

"Here." Opening a case near her, Michiru quickly assembled a fine flute. "Try it."

Minako brought the instrument to her lips— and a string of horrible, discordant notes emerged.

"Oh!" she said, disappointed.

Haruka winked at Michiru. "Try again," she suggested. "Concentrate, hard." As Minako closed her eyes, Haruka stood up and stepped around behind her. Taking a breath, she wrapped her arms around Minako, taking on the persona of the male she was usually mistaken for.

"Play for me," she whispered, assuming her masculine voice. "Play for your Sailor Knight."

Minako jumped at her words— then began to play Michiru's flute, flawlessly. Tears sprang to Haruka's eyes as she detached her arms and returned to her place.

"What a beautiful tune!" Usagi sighed as Minako finished.

"Yes! Play again!" Makoto demanded.

Minako began to play, a slower tune now. It was poignant; for no reason they knew; all the Sailor Senshi were deeply moved by the sweet notes.

"That's the Moon Serenade," Luna told them. "Eàryon-sama wrote it for Minako-chan. She played it for hours."

"Urgh… mouth ulcers…." Usagi muttered.

"Shall I continue?" Setsuna asked diffidently. Minako was staring in amazement as the flute— Rei realised her expression was like Makoto's when she had put on ice skates.

"Yes, Pu!" Chibiusa said, half-asleep by now. Setsuna smiled down at her.

"Very well. I will tell you one more tale of the Sailor Knights." Setsuna sighed softly and thought, her mind running over her thousands of courtly memories, the ones she had watched through the Door of Time, out alone in the Corridor.

"After Eàryon returned from Sailor Venus' chambers early one day, he overheard his knights talking. They were discussing treason."

"Treacle?" Usagi's mind swam with visions of golden syrup.

"No. They planned to kill the Moon Princess."

"What?"

"That was his reaction as well. Eàryon immediately left and found his best friend, Tobias, in your room, Hino-san," she said, swinging on Rei suddenly.

"What?" she asked blankly. "What was he?"

"The Knight of Mercury. You were very much in love with him."

Rei bit her lip. "I forgot… damn!"

Usagi snickered. "I've still got Mamo-chan…"

"Shut up, you turtle!"

"Rei-chan's being mean!"

"The two Knights confronted the other six with this knowledge," Setsuna hurried on. "The battle was fierce and terrible. Eàryon had trained each of them to be the best they could, and they outnumbered himself and Tobias. In the end, it was only the flame attacks Rei had taught Tobias, and the magic Minako taught Eàryon, that gave them the advantage."

"What happened?" Rei asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"They won," Setsuna said simply. "The treasonous Knights were killed in the battle. Tobias, also, received a sword through his chest."

"What?" Rei reeled back, shocked at how much that statement hurt her.

"The injury was beyond the skill of even Queen Serenity to heal," Setsuna went on. "Eventually Eàryon smuggled him out of the palace and Tobias walked out to die in the deserts of the Moon. He wanted…"

"… to die looking at Mars in the sky," Rei finished softly.

"Yes. The treason was defeated, but Eàryon was the only Sailor Knight. Knowing that he would be almost useless alone, compared to the Sailor Senshi, he and Sailor Venus began fighting together as a stronger and stronger team, until not even Princess Serenity and Endymion could overcome them. They were perfectly linked. And they stayed that way until Beryl and Kunzite came."

Setsuna fell silent, indicating the end of the story.

The Sailor Senshi didn't speak for a moment.

Minako spoke first. Staring at the ground, cradling the flute in both hands, she asked, "That was a thousand years ago?"

"Yes."

"I remember it like it was yesterday." She paused. "He's dead now, then?"

"I assume so."

"I haven't seen him in my mirror, and I would have with so much power," Michiru added.

Minako said nothing, but raised the flute to her lips and began, again, to play the Moon Serenade.

This time it caught at the heart of all of them. Minako's notes were sharpened by her shaking hands and the tears raining behind her thick hair she allowed to fall forward.

"And Tobias as well," Rei said past the lump in her throat.

"Hey, Rei-chan! What about Yuuchiro?" Usagi reminded her.

"It's… different, Usagi," she sighed, looking away.

The door intercom buzzed just then. Usagi sprang up, as Mamoru's voice came through the speaker.

"Good afternoon, Usako. Mind if I come in?"

"Mamoru-san!" Usagi squealed, throwing the door open. It was not Mamoru who stood there, however.

"Hello," the stranger said in perfect English. "You must be Tsukino Usagi."

"Come in," Usagi said in Japanese. He laughed and did so, Mamoru following him in.

"Everyone, this is my Australian friend," Mamoru said.

His friend's eyes had gone straight to Minako, and hers to him. Ami and Makoto also stared openly, and even Setsuna and Michiru leant forward, interested.

"My Australian friend," Mamoru repeated, louder, annoyed at the reaction.

The taller boy smiled easily. Deep brown eyes sparkled, and his dimples stood out. Under his fitted shirt, Minako could see the every muscle on his chest, and even the flat, hard oblongs of his stomach. Solidly-muscled arms summed up his body as "gorgeous."

Minako gulped.

"Hello, all," he said to them all in flawless Japanese. Usagi raised an eyebrow— he even switched accents perfectly. "It's good to meet you all at last. Mamoru told me all about you."

"Oh, yes? And what's your girlfriend? I mean name?" Makoto asked, not bothering to hide her intentional slip.

"I'm Eàryon. Eàryon Slenth." He paused, and looked right at Minako. "And I think we're going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on."