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Meeting the Menace

A The Chrysanthemum Chronicles Series Story

Sailor Scout Garden In The Crystal Palace

Moon City, Moon Kingdom, Moon

October 13, 986

Two hours later then, all the necessary Princesses were ready for that night's ball and fireworks show. Which had indeed not been cancelled earlier that day by Raphael, who'd come upon his sister and Daniel alone together in the Crystal Palace's main dining hall. He came upon them both as they were finishing up their food that they'd gotten for themselves there. He slipped silently into that main dining hall. Raphael soon saw them both in a very tender, yet not very intense, embrace as they sat at their current table in it. When he saw that, he very briefly cleared his throat rather quietly. But still not quietly enough to keep his sister from hearing him do so.

She said, just as soon as she saw him out of the corner of her right eye, "Hello, Raph. I suppose Artemis finally passed you my note."

"Yes. I didn't expect you to be here, though. I looked for you in several of the gardens. But, of course, I found neither of you. I'm glad that you're back now. Have you rested quite a bit since you got back here?"

"You might say that," said Serenity, with a bit of a twinkle in her eyes while she did so.

"I see."

"What would you say if I told you that I might be having another child?"

"Are you kidding me? I'd be delighted. It's been a while since you had the twins."

"And you didn't expect me to have any more kids?"

"I have to admit, the thought did cross my mind, Serenity."

"Well, if all goes sufficiently according to plan, I should be having one come sometime in late May or early June, I think, at the very latest. It seems I've been carrying already for a month, if not more. Supposing that's actually the case, of course. If it's actually the case, it seems I might be carrying for a longer time than normal. And I think if I do that, this might very well actually be my last child. I'd think, though, that if it's not longer than normal, and I'm with at least one child again, I might have them by late March or early April, at the very latest. I don't know how long I'll be carrying them for sure. But it seems I've already been with child for at least a month, if not longer."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Don't tell any of the Princesses yet. I'm not totally sure if I'm carrying one child or more than one, if I'm carrying any at all. Or at least not yet. I should know for sure, though, I think, by the beginning or the middle of November, what's actually true for me. If I'm with child by then, I may need your help quite a bit until it or they come to be with us for at least a little while."

"Understood. I'll do my best not to let any of them know these things yet, at least until you say that I can. But don't be surprised if I can't keep them from finding out from me. And if they do, please don't be mad at me, Niti."

"Good. I'd greatly appreciate it. Now, if I'm not mistaken, I believe there's still a ball and a fireworks show planned for tonight?"

"Yes. Anything else?"

"Be outside my chambers around midday tomorrow, then. We have a lot to discuss. In the meantime, feel free to get ready for tonight. That's if you have no further business here and now, of course."

"Nope. No further business here at the moment, in fact. I'll do as you've just asked me to do to the best of my abilities to do so."

"Good. Now please leave us. If anyone needs us before an hour prior to Earthrise, please have them summon us by ringing a bell three times in quick succession every five minutes or so, until we come to them."

"Will do." Raphael left Serenity and Daniel alone again. And he went to get ready as desired or needed.

Not more than ten minutes, then, after he left them, Daniel and Serenity finished their remaining food they'd still been eating when he'd entered the main dining hall. And they brought their dirty dishes and glasses where they needed to bring them in it, of course. That done, they soon set off again for the Sailor Scout Garden, so that they'd be able to get there by Earthrise, as she'd earlier asked Serena and others to be there by then.

By the time they got there, many, if not most or all, of the various Princesses in Serena's royal Court were there. Even Destiny and Bethany, who'd joined it at least temporarily, if not permanently. Besides Serena, Raye, Amy, Lita, Mina, Destiny, Bethany, Ariel, Jacqueline, Deborah and Poruzuka, also in that garden were Chloe, Bridget, Aurora, Beatrice, Hannah, Alexis, Susan, Michelle, Gwendolyn, Tracy, Estella, and Dorothy. Each of those Princesses were chatting with each other as Serenity and Daniel arrived near them in that garden. Or they were making conversation with Luna, who was still guarding the things Serenity had earlier asked her to guard for at least a little while. Serenity asked, "I don't see Sylvia or Rolando."

"They're with Darien at the moment, Mom," said Serena. "It seems Sylvia's worried that she might be unable to say goodbye either to Darien or Rolando before she goes back to Earth sometime soon."

"I see. Do you think that you could get them? I have some things I think they should have from us."

"All right, I'll go. Destiny and Bethany, stay close to Raye and Amy, while I'm getting them. Amy and Raye, watch them for me, please, while I'm not here. Maybe I'll even find Artemis as I do so."

After getting some nods from Raye and the other three girls, who all agreed to do just as she wanted them all now to do, Serena left the Sailor Scout Garden to find Darien, Sylvia, and Rolando. She eventually found them all in the Crystal Chalice Garden. They were all sitting on a bench in front of a medium-sized fountain there.

I suppose that I'd better stop here now. For this will be where the next part of the story will take up from, in fact, readers. I hope that you have so far enjoyed the story, if you've gotten this far, and that you'll all continue to read it. I don't know yet how just long it'll take me to get each story in this series up fully here. But it might take a while for each story in this series, just the same. Until later, then, this is "The Universal Storyteller" signing off here. Happy reading, and God bless, and all that, of course, readers! Over and out!