Queen Eternia sat on her throne thoughtfully, her attention only somewhat
on the diplomat speaking to her about the foreign policies with the
United States. She already knew the solution to the entire situation,
but if talking made the pompous man feel better, then all the better,
because it gave her a moment to think.
"... and the President, uh, had made his, uh, displeasure known at your
decision, uh, to strip your neighbors of, uh, their armies, but, uh,
you did it anyway..."
She could sense the diplomat's growing frustration at his lacking speech
capabilities that evening. Prying into his mind a little, she could see
he was normally a suave and manipulative speaker, the best of his kind,
or the worse, depending on how you saw it. Unnerved by her ethereal,
soft, glowing beauty and the tinted butterfly wings that framed her
petite, delicate body, he stuttered like a schoolboy as his eyes drifted
down to her full, heavy breasts every other second.
She smiled a little at his discomfort and let her thoughts drift back to
Hogwarts. It had been almost five years in her time, two years only in
that world. The time continuities kept shifting, something she
attributed to her Magiim friend. If they kept in the pattern they were,
the world that held the school she had known would be within her reach
soon.
The Hogwarts of her world had been surprised to see the Queen appear at
their gates a paltry week after the harsh squares of Tokyo had vanished
and been replaced by the haunting ivories and crystals of the Moon
Kingdom, brought to life again by careful magic and hard work. It was a
shock to the rest of the world, this beautiful woman declaring her
right to the earth, a gift of love from the heir himself. A besotted
Prince Endymion had given her the earth soon after her reappearance on
the planet.
It had gone smoothly, and rather unexpectedly so. Super Sailors Venus,
Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune had flanked the Queen, appearing seconds
after she did, their hands locked in teleport. Breaking apart quickly,
they took their positions around the regal goddess, Uranus and Neptune
behind, Venus and Jupiter in front, their eyes narrowing as Dumbledore,
flanked himself by McGonagall and Snape, advanced toward them.
"Professor Dumbledore, we have much to discuss." Eternia said softly,
her magick moving to weave little ribbons around him, letting him inhale
her scent of moonbeams and steel as she smiled at him. "You know who I
am."
Dumbledore nodded. "Shouldn't you be speaking to our Minister?"
Eternia frowned. "I will have no dealings with fools. Shall we go to my
office or would you be more comfortable in your own? I have no
preference, but I do require that two of my senshi accompany me. This is
Sailor Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Venus. My Planetary Senshi. You've
seen them in the news."
Dumbledore nodded, and wondered a little nervously to himself how she
had Apparated straight onto school grounds. "My office would be this
way, Your Majesty."
She nodded. "Yes, I know." As she passed Severus, his eyes locked onto
hers and the most peculiar sense of déjà vu took his thoughts as he
gazed at her, her beguiling eyes flashing something to him that sent a
jolt down his spine.
He did not miss the scathing, almost jealous glare that Uranus shot at
him, a look clearing detailing that if he were to touch the Queen, she
would delight in ripping his intestines out through the hole where his
genitalia once existed.
'Poor Severus.' A lilt of a voice sounded in his mind. 'Haruka's a
little possessive. Don't mind her at all.' He turned and gave the Queen
a suspicious look, but she was conversing seriously with Dumbledore, her
brow furrowed and nodding.
Severus turned to Neptune, the senshi who looked least likely to remove
his head on utterance of a whisper. "How old is Her Majesty, exactly?"
He inquired, as they followed the two into Hogwarts.
Super Sailor Neptune smiled mysteriously. "Her blood is old beyond the
count of mortal years, but the body she resides in is probably about two
human years old. Her earth name is about eighteen years old, accounting
for time spent in other dimensions, and her mind is a couple of
millennia old."
It took the professor half a second to process all of that to the true
answer. He spun around to face Neptune, his eyes shocked. "Are you
telling me that the most powerful monarch in the world is a teenager?!"
His voice rang off the stone of the corridors. Jupiter spun, emerald
eyes dangerous.
"We are not teenagers, sir." She seemed nine feet tall and pure muscle
and power. "I remember almost fifty years of life, and most of that was
spent in combat or combat training, and what part of my life I haven't
spent kicking the asses of arrogant bastards, I've spent in class or
with tutors. We are not incapable of ruling a planet not even a tenth
of the size of the one I inherited at the age of five!" Her voice was
tense, her posture hinted she had not slept in a while.
"Jupiter, calm down. He meant no offense, I'm sure." Eternia smiled and
the world was right again. Jupiter did not relax but resumed her pace.
They came to a stone gargoyle. "I've changed my mind. The four of you
should wait out here for me... I think that it would be a more
comfortable conversation if I didn't have two bodyguards breathing down
the necks of my friends."
Uranus opened her mouth to protest, but smiled mischievously and
changed her mind. Venus giggled and nodded.
"Feel free to wander the halls, my dears." Dumbledore said with a small
smile. "Severus may show you around.. Minera, as my deputy headmistress,
should probably come with me."
Eternia smiled again. "I have no problem with that." She gripped a white
staff in her hands, and the three magical humans were quite certain it
had not been there before, but made no comment.
'Go on, then.' She added, to her senshi only. 'I'll be fine, and you
four need a chance to relax a little. And no attacking anyone! For the
love of god, Mako-chan, I know it's been a long week for all of us, but
do watch your temper.'
Jupiter shot an abashed grin at Eternia and nodded.
"And de-henshin, if you so desire. I trust these three, if nothing else."
Uranus blinked, and then nodded. At the same instant, the four of them let
their transformations lapse in a display of color and magic, one that made
Severus jump, Minerva gasp, and Dumbledore's eyebrows to rise in surprise.
Four teenagers, two not quite sixteen and two not much older than that,
stared back at them from the places of the four intimidating senshi.
Uranus, now Ten'oh Haruka, offered her arm to Michiru and winked at
Severus. If he had not just seen the woman in a revealing warrior uniform,
he would have questioned the gender of the young woman, dressed in a
tailored suit and the boyish cut.
Minako laughed. "Let's go, Haruka-san!" She took the girl's free arm and
dashed off, the two outer senshi in tow. Makoto giggled and ran after
them, shouting something about getting detention if they kept this up.
Eternia smothered a smile and her wings fluttered a little. "They haven't
had much opportunity to relax, these past days. This will be good for
them."
Severus eyed her. "I must say I question the loyalty of soldiers who so
willingly leave their Queen defenseless." The tone was nasty, the remark
implicating. And Eternia didn't like it, but she conjured a sweet,
delicate smile.
"Defenseless I am not. I am the very last of the Lunarians, sir. Your
Headmaster recognizes the name Etern, I see in his eyes so. I carry half
his blood in my veins, and the other half is pure Lunarian. Severus Snape,
I am *never* defenseless." She paused, and then added, "And it certainly
helps that I'm immortal."
Minerva sputtered, the first time she'd spoken to Eternia the while. "That's impossible."
Dumbledore spoke softly to the gargoyle, hiding his smile.
"It is not." Eternia shot back. "No more impossible than Time Travel. And I came about it honest, and it is true, of the brand that Voldemort will never possess."
The gargoyle opened the door, and Dumbledore motioned that the Queen should go first. He followed her, asking his question quietly. "What do you know of Voldemort, my dear?"
Eternia shook her head. "Only what I have been told, and only what I see. My curse is to know the thoughts of all men, and sometimes, when I am able to make sense of the madness, it is a helpful curse. But the thoughts are mixed with the thoughts of another Voldemort, one I have dealt with in another dimension. This is why I've come to you now-- my power is great, but I am not omnipotent. The time threads move, and they are closing in such a way now that soon I may travel back to that dimension. This one and that are very similar, and you can help me. In return, I will help you. The ally of Etern is not a small one."
They found the door to his office and Dumbledore opened it. "I understand, I think. But what do you want us to do, exactly?"
Minerva made a small, disbelieving noise as she shut the door behind her. "Albus, this is ridiculous. She's just a girl."
Eternia kept her glare to herself and appealed to Dumbledore. "My mother always had good relations with the Founders of this school. She helped them many times and in the end they tried to help her. It is in both of our best interests to renew that friendship. I could rule this planet without the aid of human magic. I could but I have to desire to." She blinked. "Hell. Maybe this'll help."
There was a flash of light and a small, petite blonde girl, maybe all of sixteen, smiled at them.
Even Dumbledore looked taken aback.
She nodded. "I am a weapon, sir. I ask only for someone to accompany me to that dimension who is more experienced in magic and the dealings of the magic world than I am. That's all. In return, I'll give you the assistance of the Sailor Senshi in your war against Voldemort."
Minerva, still startled by the sudden transformation and even more so by the absolute harmlessness of the girl, who radiated nothing of the steel and determination of the Queen, nodded. "I think it's a reasonable deal, Albus." She said, her voice shaken.
Usagi smiled at her and looked towards Dumbledore. "I request Severus Snape, if at all possible."
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose; he had not missed the exchange between his Potions Master and her senshi. "I don't know if that will be possible, my dear. It is in the middle of the school year and you don't know the exact length of time you will be gone--"
She nodded blankly. "You have another in mind-- a creature-- Remus Lupin. A werewolf." She made a pleased sound in her throat. "Oh, werewolves are so attached to the moon. Perhaps he would be a better choice. And... yes. Yes, Mr. Lupin will do most perfectly. He's in the school now, is he not? In a hidden tower?"
Minerva's eyes narrowed. "You're a telepath."
Usagi nodded. "Yes. Uncontrollably so." She smiled again at Dumbledore, who was taking in this new turn silently. "May I go to meet this wolf of yours? He sounds delightful."
--------
Sailor Venus was roaming the halls when she heard the familiar, almost silent footsteps of the Queen, footsteps a normal ear could not hear. She was accompanied by two people, the headmaster and the other woman, Venus knew. She ducked around the corner and listened.
One of the last senshi to find the princess, Minako Aino was also one of the only senshi to note that her Usagi had been so very different since her return. They'd took her for dead, and Mamoru had mourned. But she had returned, and Minako knew that she had left her heart elsewhere. The slight rise in Serenity's energy when she'd stepped into Hogwarts made Venus suspicious, and Minako saw that Serenity's attention was on the tall Potions Master, even if he paid her little in return.
And her determination to return the to the dimension she had left...
Venus shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked around the corner as Dumbledore knocked on a door. Venus heard a rustling on the other side and then it opened. From her vantage point, she had a very good view of the man who answered, and her heart skipped a beat. God, and she'd thought Kunzite was dead sexy. But the rush of sheer energy that he gave off upon taking in his visitors nearly knocked her to his knees.
'A werewolf, Minako-chan. We're connected at heart. You might want to put up shields, darling.'
Venus growled and stomped out of her hiding place, muttering words that put up the magical barriers around her. "Thanks for the late warning, Your Odango Atamaness!"
A peal of beautiful laughter came from Eternia's lips, and her wings moved softly. "Poor Venus, you shouldn't eavesdrop. This is Remus Lupin... I was about to ask that he accompany us when we go."
Venus rolled her eyes and used the opportunity to give him a closer once over and smiled a little at the bewildered man. "Sooo... how are *you*, sexy?" She purred.
Eternia laughed again. "I'll tell Kunzite on you, Minako!"
Venus grinned cheekily. "Tell him anything you want! I'll just deny it."
"Headmaster? What's going on?" Remus asked weakly, forcing Dumbledore to smile.
"Remus, this is Queen Eternia, of Crystal Tokyo, and her senshi, Super Sailor Venus. The Queen has come to us searching for someone to accompany her into another dimension like our own, and I suggested you."
on the diplomat speaking to her about the foreign policies with the
United States. She already knew the solution to the entire situation,
but if talking made the pompous man feel better, then all the better,
because it gave her a moment to think.
"... and the President, uh, had made his, uh, displeasure known at your
decision, uh, to strip your neighbors of, uh, their armies, but, uh,
you did it anyway..."
She could sense the diplomat's growing frustration at his lacking speech
capabilities that evening. Prying into his mind a little, she could see
he was normally a suave and manipulative speaker, the best of his kind,
or the worse, depending on how you saw it. Unnerved by her ethereal,
soft, glowing beauty and the tinted butterfly wings that framed her
petite, delicate body, he stuttered like a schoolboy as his eyes drifted
down to her full, heavy breasts every other second.
She smiled a little at his discomfort and let her thoughts drift back to
Hogwarts. It had been almost five years in her time, two years only in
that world. The time continuities kept shifting, something she
attributed to her Magiim friend. If they kept in the pattern they were,
the world that held the school she had known would be within her reach
soon.
The Hogwarts of her world had been surprised to see the Queen appear at
their gates a paltry week after the harsh squares of Tokyo had vanished
and been replaced by the haunting ivories and crystals of the Moon
Kingdom, brought to life again by careful magic and hard work. It was a
shock to the rest of the world, this beautiful woman declaring her
right to the earth, a gift of love from the heir himself. A besotted
Prince Endymion had given her the earth soon after her reappearance on
the planet.
It had gone smoothly, and rather unexpectedly so. Super Sailors Venus,
Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune had flanked the Queen, appearing seconds
after she did, their hands locked in teleport. Breaking apart quickly,
they took their positions around the regal goddess, Uranus and Neptune
behind, Venus and Jupiter in front, their eyes narrowing as Dumbledore,
flanked himself by McGonagall and Snape, advanced toward them.
"Professor Dumbledore, we have much to discuss." Eternia said softly,
her magick moving to weave little ribbons around him, letting him inhale
her scent of moonbeams and steel as she smiled at him. "You know who I
am."
Dumbledore nodded. "Shouldn't you be speaking to our Minister?"
Eternia frowned. "I will have no dealings with fools. Shall we go to my
office or would you be more comfortable in your own? I have no
preference, but I do require that two of my senshi accompany me. This is
Sailor Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Venus. My Planetary Senshi. You've
seen them in the news."
Dumbledore nodded, and wondered a little nervously to himself how she
had Apparated straight onto school grounds. "My office would be this
way, Your Majesty."
She nodded. "Yes, I know." As she passed Severus, his eyes locked onto
hers and the most peculiar sense of déjà vu took his thoughts as he
gazed at her, her beguiling eyes flashing something to him that sent a
jolt down his spine.
He did not miss the scathing, almost jealous glare that Uranus shot at
him, a look clearing detailing that if he were to touch the Queen, she
would delight in ripping his intestines out through the hole where his
genitalia once existed.
'Poor Severus.' A lilt of a voice sounded in his mind. 'Haruka's a
little possessive. Don't mind her at all.' He turned and gave the Queen
a suspicious look, but she was conversing seriously with Dumbledore, her
brow furrowed and nodding.
Severus turned to Neptune, the senshi who looked least likely to remove
his head on utterance of a whisper. "How old is Her Majesty, exactly?"
He inquired, as they followed the two into Hogwarts.
Super Sailor Neptune smiled mysteriously. "Her blood is old beyond the
count of mortal years, but the body she resides in is probably about two
human years old. Her earth name is about eighteen years old, accounting
for time spent in other dimensions, and her mind is a couple of
millennia old."
It took the professor half a second to process all of that to the true
answer. He spun around to face Neptune, his eyes shocked. "Are you
telling me that the most powerful monarch in the world is a teenager?!"
His voice rang off the stone of the corridors. Jupiter spun, emerald
eyes dangerous.
"We are not teenagers, sir." She seemed nine feet tall and pure muscle
and power. "I remember almost fifty years of life, and most of that was
spent in combat or combat training, and what part of my life I haven't
spent kicking the asses of arrogant bastards, I've spent in class or
with tutors. We are not incapable of ruling a planet not even a tenth
of the size of the one I inherited at the age of five!" Her voice was
tense, her posture hinted she had not slept in a while.
"Jupiter, calm down. He meant no offense, I'm sure." Eternia smiled and
the world was right again. Jupiter did not relax but resumed her pace.
They came to a stone gargoyle. "I've changed my mind. The four of you
should wait out here for me... I think that it would be a more
comfortable conversation if I didn't have two bodyguards breathing down
the necks of my friends."
Uranus opened her mouth to protest, but smiled mischievously and
changed her mind. Venus giggled and nodded.
"Feel free to wander the halls, my dears." Dumbledore said with a small
smile. "Severus may show you around.. Minera, as my deputy headmistress,
should probably come with me."
Eternia smiled again. "I have no problem with that." She gripped a white
staff in her hands, and the three magical humans were quite certain it
had not been there before, but made no comment.
'Go on, then.' She added, to her senshi only. 'I'll be fine, and you
four need a chance to relax a little. And no attacking anyone! For the
love of god, Mako-chan, I know it's been a long week for all of us, but
do watch your temper.'
Jupiter shot an abashed grin at Eternia and nodded.
"And de-henshin, if you so desire. I trust these three, if nothing else."
Uranus blinked, and then nodded. At the same instant, the four of them let
their transformations lapse in a display of color and magic, one that made
Severus jump, Minerva gasp, and Dumbledore's eyebrows to rise in surprise.
Four teenagers, two not quite sixteen and two not much older than that,
stared back at them from the places of the four intimidating senshi.
Uranus, now Ten'oh Haruka, offered her arm to Michiru and winked at
Severus. If he had not just seen the woman in a revealing warrior uniform,
he would have questioned the gender of the young woman, dressed in a
tailored suit and the boyish cut.
Minako laughed. "Let's go, Haruka-san!" She took the girl's free arm and
dashed off, the two outer senshi in tow. Makoto giggled and ran after
them, shouting something about getting detention if they kept this up.
Eternia smothered a smile and her wings fluttered a little. "They haven't
had much opportunity to relax, these past days. This will be good for
them."
Severus eyed her. "I must say I question the loyalty of soldiers who so
willingly leave their Queen defenseless." The tone was nasty, the remark
implicating. And Eternia didn't like it, but she conjured a sweet,
delicate smile.
"Defenseless I am not. I am the very last of the Lunarians, sir. Your
Headmaster recognizes the name Etern, I see in his eyes so. I carry half
his blood in my veins, and the other half is pure Lunarian. Severus Snape,
I am *never* defenseless." She paused, and then added, "And it certainly
helps that I'm immortal."
Minerva sputtered, the first time she'd spoken to Eternia the while. "That's impossible."
Dumbledore spoke softly to the gargoyle, hiding his smile.
"It is not." Eternia shot back. "No more impossible than Time Travel. And I came about it honest, and it is true, of the brand that Voldemort will never possess."
The gargoyle opened the door, and Dumbledore motioned that the Queen should go first. He followed her, asking his question quietly. "What do you know of Voldemort, my dear?"
Eternia shook her head. "Only what I have been told, and only what I see. My curse is to know the thoughts of all men, and sometimes, when I am able to make sense of the madness, it is a helpful curse. But the thoughts are mixed with the thoughts of another Voldemort, one I have dealt with in another dimension. This is why I've come to you now-- my power is great, but I am not omnipotent. The time threads move, and they are closing in such a way now that soon I may travel back to that dimension. This one and that are very similar, and you can help me. In return, I will help you. The ally of Etern is not a small one."
They found the door to his office and Dumbledore opened it. "I understand, I think. But what do you want us to do, exactly?"
Minerva made a small, disbelieving noise as she shut the door behind her. "Albus, this is ridiculous. She's just a girl."
Eternia kept her glare to herself and appealed to Dumbledore. "My mother always had good relations with the Founders of this school. She helped them many times and in the end they tried to help her. It is in both of our best interests to renew that friendship. I could rule this planet without the aid of human magic. I could but I have to desire to." She blinked. "Hell. Maybe this'll help."
There was a flash of light and a small, petite blonde girl, maybe all of sixteen, smiled at them.
Even Dumbledore looked taken aback.
She nodded. "I am a weapon, sir. I ask only for someone to accompany me to that dimension who is more experienced in magic and the dealings of the magic world than I am. That's all. In return, I'll give you the assistance of the Sailor Senshi in your war against Voldemort."
Minerva, still startled by the sudden transformation and even more so by the absolute harmlessness of the girl, who radiated nothing of the steel and determination of the Queen, nodded. "I think it's a reasonable deal, Albus." She said, her voice shaken.
Usagi smiled at her and looked towards Dumbledore. "I request Severus Snape, if at all possible."
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose; he had not missed the exchange between his Potions Master and her senshi. "I don't know if that will be possible, my dear. It is in the middle of the school year and you don't know the exact length of time you will be gone--"
She nodded blankly. "You have another in mind-- a creature-- Remus Lupin. A werewolf." She made a pleased sound in her throat. "Oh, werewolves are so attached to the moon. Perhaps he would be a better choice. And... yes. Yes, Mr. Lupin will do most perfectly. He's in the school now, is he not? In a hidden tower?"
Minerva's eyes narrowed. "You're a telepath."
Usagi nodded. "Yes. Uncontrollably so." She smiled again at Dumbledore, who was taking in this new turn silently. "May I go to meet this wolf of yours? He sounds delightful."
--------
Sailor Venus was roaming the halls when she heard the familiar, almost silent footsteps of the Queen, footsteps a normal ear could not hear. She was accompanied by two people, the headmaster and the other woman, Venus knew. She ducked around the corner and listened.
One of the last senshi to find the princess, Minako Aino was also one of the only senshi to note that her Usagi had been so very different since her return. They'd took her for dead, and Mamoru had mourned. But she had returned, and Minako knew that she had left her heart elsewhere. The slight rise in Serenity's energy when she'd stepped into Hogwarts made Venus suspicious, and Minako saw that Serenity's attention was on the tall Potions Master, even if he paid her little in return.
And her determination to return the to the dimension she had left...
Venus shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked around the corner as Dumbledore knocked on a door. Venus heard a rustling on the other side and then it opened. From her vantage point, she had a very good view of the man who answered, and her heart skipped a beat. God, and she'd thought Kunzite was dead sexy. But the rush of sheer energy that he gave off upon taking in his visitors nearly knocked her to his knees.
'A werewolf, Minako-chan. We're connected at heart. You might want to put up shields, darling.'
Venus growled and stomped out of her hiding place, muttering words that put up the magical barriers around her. "Thanks for the late warning, Your Odango Atamaness!"
A peal of beautiful laughter came from Eternia's lips, and her wings moved softly. "Poor Venus, you shouldn't eavesdrop. This is Remus Lupin... I was about to ask that he accompany us when we go."
Venus rolled her eyes and used the opportunity to give him a closer once over and smiled a little at the bewildered man. "Sooo... how are *you*, sexy?" She purred.
Eternia laughed again. "I'll tell Kunzite on you, Minako!"
Venus grinned cheekily. "Tell him anything you want! I'll just deny it."
"Headmaster? What's going on?" Remus asked weakly, forcing Dumbledore to smile.
"Remus, this is Queen Eternia, of Crystal Tokyo, and her senshi, Super Sailor Venus. The Queen has come to us searching for someone to accompany her into another dimension like our own, and I suggested you."