Chapter Four

Mina's House - London, Great Britain year 2000

Curled up on a rug by the window, Artemis pondered the recent developments in the Dark Kingdom. The last check-up he and Minako had done had shown that Queen Beryl once again had gotten prince Endymion and his generals in his clutches, and it worried Artemis beyond words. The last time that had happened, the Empire had been defeated, and that certainly did not bode well for the current world.

Whipping his tale around, Artemis came to a realization. They needed to get all the senshi ready to fight. Queen Beryl certainly seemed to have learned from her mistakes, and Metalia most certainly had. And as Minako and he were the only one who knew the truth about the Silver Millennia if you didn't count the possibility that the High Lord still walked this Earth , it all depended on them He had already sent Luna to wake the inner senshi, now he and Minako had to take care of the Inner senshi. Thank Serenity that he knew where they were.

With a sigh, he gracefully got up on his feet and bounced up the stairs to scratch the corner of Minako's, alias Sailor V's alias Sailor Venus' alias princess Minako Venus, door to be let in.

"Who is it?" he heard her call out from within the room.

After checking for her family, he answered.

"Artemis" he said.

He heard her getting up, and two seconds later, the door opened to reveal a petite teenager with long blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a pair of adidas and a short top.

"You look tired," she commented while she made her way back to her laptop through the mess of her room. "Didn't you say you were going to take a nap?"

"Yes" he replied. "My thoughts kept me up though. You are aware of the latest movements of the Dark Kingdom?"

That made the somewhat airy girl look up from the screen to glare at him.

"Yes," she sarcastically replied. "You did not think I'm busy covering our tracks from Beryl's spies just because I decided to take a peak on her latest hair fashion, did you?"

Artemis ignored her sarcasm.

"Good," he said. "Then you are aware of that the situation is becoming increasingly severe. In just a couple of years, it will become too much for the Inners to handle. We need to find, awaken and train the Outers."

Mina frowned.

"Do you have any idea where they may be?" she finally asked. "I know that we were all incarnated in Tokyo, but if I moved here as a baby, others may have done the same. And why not Briseis?"

"I do not know her location, but if we can find her too, so much better," Artemis said patiently. "But I have the Outers' locations. They are all in the US ironically enough. Uranus is an professional racer, Neptune is a world famous violinist, Saturn's father teaches at UCLA and Pluto is an interior decorator."

Mina perked up.

"That's good" she commented. "But then there's this tiny problem. I'm not of age yet, and I do doubt that mother and father would condone me traveling to the United States to find heroines from Outer Space."

Artemis looked thoughtfully at her.

"Yes, I had forgotten that," he admitted. "Not to mention how we are supposed to support ourselves over there."

Minako sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I may have the solution to both our problems," she calmly told him. "Am I right when I say that they all are somehow based in LA?"

Artemis cocked his head and looked thoughtfully at his young charge and mistress.

"Yes," he placidly agreed.

Satisfied, Minako nodded.

"Then it is settled," she said. "As you know, I have had several offers from Volleyball teams all over Britain to join them for the next season. Yesterday, I received one from the US. If I accept it, I will move to LA, all expenses paid, be given a satisfactory salary and be able to continue my studies to inherit father's company. Father has already given me several hints that he would like me to take them up on this offer. What do you think, Artemis? Is this an acceptable solution?"

The cat gave her an exasperated look.

"How come you always have all the solutions?" he complained.

On a plane over the Pacific, year 2000

Sleeping in the uncomfortable plane chair, Usagi dreamed.

The Palace on the Moon, Imperial year ?

The swords flashed in the sunlight as the two tall men danced the deadly dance of war. Even as they were just practicing, they were a sight to see. Movements' graceful, deadly and precise, skill as lethal as the bite from a cobra. They were completely synched, even as you could see that the taller man with black hair and piercing blue eyes were slightly faster and stronger.

Mars and the princess stopped a while to just look at them, but soon, Imperial princess Serenity continued walking towards the training grounds.

"They are very good" she commented.

Mars nodded agreeing.

"Especially High Prince Endymion" she granted. "I would believe he is almost as good at fencing as you, Bri and Uranus."

"Yes" Serenity smiled, then blinked mischievously at her friend and guard. "What do you think about the other one, the one the High Prince presented as his general Jadeite? He would be about your level."

Mars threw her hair over her shoulder, a dignified look on her face.

"As if," she haughtily said. "I'm so much better than that blond earthling."

At the same time, they entered the training area and the men stopped fencing, turning around to see whom it was. They made a beautiful picture standing there in the sunlight, their bare chests heaving, hair ruffled, eyes blazing and sword in hand. The fact that both were tanned and well muscled didn't exactly spoil the picture.

"Imperial Princess Serenity!" they chorused as they saw the two of them.

The two young women smiled at them.

"We were asked to find you" Mars grinned. "Dinner is being served in a few minutes."

The princess smirked a little.

"But you cannot go like that" she said, a teasing smile on her lips. "As much as my bodyguard appreciates it, not all ladies approve of half naked, sweaty men."

The two earthlings smiled at that, giving Rei two pointed looks. Mars blushed furiously, giving her princess a death glare.

"I'm going to get you for this" she mumbled.

Serenity smiled sweetly.

"I think not," she said.

Thinking fast, Mars returned the smile with one of her own. Then she got an idea.

"I think so," she evilly mumbled.

The princess got a slightly worried look on her face and was just going to say something when Mars spoke up, loud this time.

"As if you should say anything," she said with a high voice so the two young men would hear her. "I seem to remember that you were in the same state just this morning after sparring with Uranus. Venus actually said that it was the fastest you have moved yet."

Quickly catching on what Mars was trying to do, Serenity tried to intervene, but was interrupted as High Prince Endymion started to speak.

"So you are good at swordplay, princess?" he said with a degrading smile.

Not liking the look on his face, Serenity's voice was rather cold when she answered.

"Yes" she said shortly. "Me and my court are trained in the arts of war. The inner senshi are not as skilled as the Outers, Earth and I but they manage."

Endymion and Jadeite shared a tolerating gaze, which neither of the women liked too much. They shared a gaze of their own, making a quick agreement to put the men in place.

"Maybe we can spar sometime" Endymion said, the same indulging smile on his lips.

Serenity put on her most girlish and innocent expression.

"Yes" she said. "That would be fun."



"You did what?"

The exclamation echoed through the palace as the princess told her friends and loyal guards about the oncoming duel. Serenity smiled patiently at the eight senshi in front of her.

"I accepted his proposal for a duel," she repeated.

"He could get hurt, Sere" Jupiter said seriously. "You know how good you are. It could affect the relationship between Earth and the Moon seriously if he got hurt."

"I will be careful" Serenity promised.

Uranus shook her head.

"I cannot see why he would request such a thing," she said in an amazed tone. "Have he not heard about the senshi or the fact that Bri, you and I are the best fighters in the Universe?"

Mercury shook her head.

"Earth is a very isolated planet since the Wars," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised if this is the first time the prince has even left Earth."

Uranus frowned.

"But still..." she said. "He would not have known then that Serenity could fight, if not..."

Suddenly everyone's eyes were on Mars.

"...Someone told him" Uranus finished, fixing her dark eyes at the hotheaded Martian. "You told him, didn't you, Mars?"

Mars looked away.

"Yes" she said. "Serenity and I were teasing each other. Nothing serious. Until we saw their reactions."

"Reactions?" Venus said, and then smiled. "Oh, I see. They got into girls-can't-fight mode."

Serenity nodded with disgust evident in her beautiful features.

"Exactly" she said. "You should have seen the look they gave us. It was so... condescending and indulging."

It was as if a wind had blown through the group, all the displeased feelings gone. When someone finally said something, the normally shy and peaceful Mercury spoke up, with a smirk on her lips.

"What can we do?" she asked.

Serenity smiled.

"We should keep them from finding out anything" she decided. "Venus, you and your team takes care of the generals. I'll distract the prince. Uranus, you and the outers, just help were you are needed."

All the senshi nodded, agreeing. Operation 'Women can fight' had begun.


About two weeks passed by before something more happened, and the Earth delegates were as oblivious as ever. The presence of the five beautiful girls had caught their interests immediately and from there, everything had gone easy.

They had decided that the duel would take place during the autumn festival, celebrating the birthday of the Moon Empire. No one knew about the duel but them and the empress weapons master of course, as they needed access to the training area and the weaponry. When the day came, they all gathered where it had all started.


Serenity adjusted the brown pants and dirty, white blouse she usually wore when training with Uranus and let her hair out of her odangos to braid it tight, wrap it into a bun and pin it to her head. Then she pulled on her worn, wrinkly boots and took the long broadsword of moon steel from its corner to fasten it to the belt around her waist. Uranus smiled at her and handed the young princess a black coat.

"Pity you can't fight in your Sailor Moon form" she commented. "Then you could use your Imperial sword."

Serenity nodded.

"I know," she agreed. "But my mother doesn't know about this unscheduled exercise. If she felt me transform, she would think I was in danger."

"You'll have to do with a normal sword," Uranus concluded, opening her own black coat to hang a sword of her own over the twin outfit to Serenity's.

Serenity gave her a weird look.

"Why are you wearing the training outfit?" she asked. "It's not you who are going to fight."

Uranus smirked at her.

"I thought we should give them a show of how real fencing are done" she grinned. "Afterwards of course."

Serenity grinned back.

"Why not?"


Endymion pulled the loose shirt he used at practice over his head and stuck it into a pair of black pants. Giving the sword laying on his bead a nervous look, he turned to his generals standing a little bit away, already dressed in tunics, pants and coats.

"Do you think I should back out?" he asked nervously. "What if I hurt her? It would mean a serious drawback for the relationship between Earth and the Moon."

"Don't worry" Kunzite said in a neutral voice. "I've heard rumors. She's supposed to be capable with a sword. People have not been very sharing though. It is as if they have been told not to say anything."

Endymion frowned. That was weird. Maybe the girl could fight after all. Then he got his mind right and smirked. On the other hand, maybe not.


They had all gathered at the training areas. The princesses had all donned coats after their own color except the princesses of Uranus and Moon, who wore black ones, and so had the generals and the High Prince. The ones who were not going to fight had taken place on one of the sides together with the weapons master, while Serenity and Endymion were standing in the middle of the rectangular, sandy platform were you trained one-on-one combat.

When Uranus and Kunzite, whom were acting as judges of battle, signaled, both took off their coats, giving them to the nearest person and drew their swords, crossing them between them in a greeting.

"So" Endymion grinned. "Are you ready?"

Serenity laughed and got a smug look on her face.

"This is going to be fun," she answered.

Then they started. Their movements were slow in the beginning, both testing each other's strength. None of them were even a little breathless yet or any sweaty, even as the sun was burning into their bodies. Soon the prince started to move faster, forcing Serenity to follow, even though she did it a whole lot easier than he expected her to. They continued like that for a while, the prince setting up a pace, Serenity following gracefully, without making any mistakes. Both had taken minor hits, but nothing that would end the battle.

After a good of ten minutes, Endymion started to get tired, and by then he had realized that the princess was a lot better with the sword than he'd thought. She noticed him tiring and smiled beautifully at him. Then she switched hand.

It took him completely by surprise and when she quickened the pace after that, it was clear that she was going to win. Fifteen minutes after duel had begun, Endymion lay on his back in the sand, his sword a few feet away and Serenity's resting lightly against his throat. He looked up into her face and saw the laughter there, starting to smile himself. She sheathed her sword and held out a hand to him. Grabbing it, he pulled himself up, surprised at her strong grip. He brushed the sand of his cloths, and then held out his hand to shake hers.

"You're good" he smiled. "Where have you learned to do that?"

She smiled back at him.

"Oh, here and there" she answered teasingly. "Actually, I've been training since I was just a child. Have you ever heard about the sailor senshi, the ones protecting the universe from the powers of the demon dimension?"

Endymion looked at her.

"Yes" he said.

Serenity gestured towards the other princesses.

"We eight are the ones of this galaxy," she said. "There's a senshi of Earth too, but she isn't actually a sailor senshi, rather the key to keeping the demon dimension from taking over and she has special powers to do it."

Endymion frowned at her. He had never heard about a woman senshi coming from Earth.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Well" Serenity said mysteriously. "That's for me to know and you to guess."

Their eyes met, and in that moment, they felt something pass between them. Serenity shook her head, and then looked at him.

"So" she said with a beaming smile. "Want to see two of the best warrior in the universe in action? It's a pity Earth isn't here, then you would've seen a fight!"

Endymion stepped back and bowed.

"I would be honored," he answered truthfully.

In the next second, the tallest of the other senshi, the one he thought was an Urani, stepped out of the line and dropped her coat, revealing an outfit similar to Serenity's, complete with a sword. The two women stepped out in the middle and greeted each other, not bothering to draw their swords. Then, at the signal of Jupiter and Kunzite, they started to circle each other. As if they had synchronized each other, both drew their swords.

The next ten minutes he saw what real swordsman ship was. They seemed to glide over the ground, moving like big cats, their movements soft and easy. A fastness coming from intensive training was evident in every move, sometimes their swords even blurred. In addition, they didn't just fence; they kicked, hit, rolled. Used all their bodies to get the upper hand. However, no one succeeded. Ten minutes later, they stepped away from each other and bowed.

"My God" was the only thing he could say.

Serenity flashed him a grin, looking into his eyes. None of them spoke, but in that moment, a connection was established, and it hadn't broken since.