All standard disclaimers, et cetera, that I've already used so far with any of my current stories on fanfiction dot net will apply. So please don't steal my original characters, settings, et cetera, from this story or from any others of mine that are now up here as well, people.
Now without any further ado, let's get on with this story again, if that's all right with you here. And this part of the story is the 21st and last chapter of it, in fact. Please do read, review, and enjoy, if at all possible, quite naturally enough, readers!
Meeting the Menace
AThe Chrysanthemum Chronicles Series Story
Main Ballroom In The Crystal Palace
Moon City, Moon Kingdom, Moon
October 13, 986 - October 14, 986
Minutes later, Sylvia and Serenity were in the main ballroom, as planned. By the time they got there, several other people were there. But not Serena. Among those who were then there were Destiny, Bethany, and Darien, to name just three of them. Also, the rest of Serena's currently-known Court members were there, in fact. Even the Princesses who were Gamma-level Scouts from Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The only Princess who was still missing from Serena's court was, of course, Serena. Prince Rolando was also present in the ballroom. And he was talking with Princes Raphael and Daniel near the main doors of that ballroom. When Rolando saw her walk in with Serenity, he said, "Princess Sylvia and Queen Serenity are here. And both of them look great, to put it very mildly."
That said, Princes Daniel and Raphael turned around. For their backs had been to those doors, at least for the most part. Then Daniel beckoned his wife and Sylvia over to where he was with Rolando and Raphael. Serenity and Sylvia both came. Though Sylvia was at least a little reluctant to do so, simply because Rolando was in that particular group of people at the current time. But she still came, not yet knowing if he'd cause her to blush again at least one more time like she'd done before. She feared that if he did so, she'd really embarrass herself more than she might possibly have actually done earlier in the Sailor Scout Garden. And most especially since there were no trees currently around for her to climb up there if he did so. She still came over to the three aforementioned Princes, however. Even though she really hoped that she'd not have to flee from the ballroom because of her blushing habit, of course.
Prince Raphael soon said, "Welcome to the Moon, Princess Sylvia of Israel. I hope you enjoy your stay on our world for at least as long as it lasts. It's nice to finally meet you. My sister and her young charges weren't lying, apparently, when they said you were quite good-looking."
"Thank you, Prince Raphael."
"They told me that you were quite the warrior some time ago."
"I tried to do the best I could, given the situation that I was then in, Prince Raphael."
"And you did a very good job at that, I've been told," said Raphael
"Yes, but I'd have preferred not to fight, of course," commented Sylvia.
"Maybe so, but I doubt we'd be having this ball if you and your fellow Terrans hadn't also fought."
"We were just three young people against very difficult odds. At least until your sister summoned others to help fight those people we all fought against, anyway, Prince Raphael."
"Actually, weren't you and Rolando trying to keep Darien from engaging them too early?"
"Yes, Prince Raphael. And if your sister hadn't summoned those people to help us, I don't think we could have kept him from engaging those enemies much longer," said Sylvia.
"I did whatever I then had to do whenever I did it, Sylvia. And I didn't actually know that was the case for you all then, Sylvia. At least as it pertained to you, Rolando, and Darien, at that particular time, and maybe even before it. Yes, I might have possibly known that you were somewhere either on or near the battlefield in question. I'm not really sure, right off-hand, if I actually did so at that particular time, But if so, I didn't want to see any of you hurt before it was time for you to fight in the battle. That's supposing, of course, that you'd all still have to fight in it," said Serenity.
"Understood," said Sylvia.
"Well, quite fortunately for all of us, and quite obviously enough, you all somehow survived that rather big battle of yours easily enough. And I now have my wife back on the Moon again, in fact. Which makes me very happy here, of course," said Daniel.
"Yes, and I'm also quite glad that she's back too, Daniel," added Raphael, with a somewhat wide smile.
"Sylvia, would you get too embarrassed, most likely, if I said you were drop-dead gorgeous?" asked Rolando.
"Rolando, please don't say that here, if at all. I really don't want another episode like I had before right now, if I can possibly avoid it."
"Sylvia, a young man can only speak the truth, whenever possible. Would you actually have me lie, and say you don't look great?"
"No, of course not. But please don't say that kind of stuff so often, at least not when others are around. For I don't know if I can keep from possibly embarrassing myself if you don't. Sure, I can understand that you might feel that way, Rolando. But because I've not often gotten comments like that before in my life, the idea that others might think that I'm very attractive is still very unfamiliar to me. And because of that fact, I had to climb a tree until I could settle down again after my recent blushing episode this afternoon, evening, or night. Yes, I may already know what you've just told me. But I've not often heard it before in my life from other people in it. So please don't be mad at me for asking you not to say such things in public so often, at least for the time being. Believe me, I'd really love to hear you say such things again, at least once more. But right now, I don't know if I'll be able to control myself well enough around you if and when you'd say such things to me in public. Maybe someday, I might not mind hearing such things from you in public. But, at least as of the current time in my life, the sensation of hearing such things for you is still rather new to me."
"That may be true, but I still think what I said about you, Sylvia."
"Understood, Rolando. But at least for the time being, if not even longer than that here, please try to be very careful wherever and whenever you might say such things to me, if possible."
"Agreed. Would you care to dance, then, if you don't think that it'd embarrass you too much to do so?"
"All right, Rolando. Once the ball starts, I'll do that at least once with you. But on one condition, if you can possibly adhere to it, even though, if you don't, I won't hold it against you."
"Name it, then, Sylvia."
"When we're not alone anywhere on the grounds during this ball and the accompanying fireworks show, you do your best not to say such things to me. Even though I might enjoy hearing such comments from you, of course, I'd still appreciate it if you'd do that for me. At least whenever we're not alone during the ball and the accompanying fireworks show that'll begin soon enough."
"It won't be easy for me, most likely. But I'll still see what I can do for you, so that you hopefully don't have a particularly embarrassing episode of blushing during the upcoming ball and fireworks show."
"Thank you, Rolando." Then Serenity left the little group with Daniel. And she went to another corner of the ballroom, so that she could briefly chat with him there very quietly, as they awaited the arrival of their eldest daughter in it. Raphael soon said he saw someone else he now wanted to talk to. So they let him go to that person, after he asked them if that was all right. However, they weren't alone for more than a few seconds. For Raye, Lita, Mina, and Amy soon spotted them and hurried to their sides in it.
All four Princesses said, all together, "Wow, Sylvia, you look really gorgeous right now!"
Sylvia asked, "You really think so, girls?"
Raye said, "Yes, Sylvia, we do. I wish I had a dress like you're now wearing. And I'd be willing, if I were a betting girl, to bet that Amy, Lita, and Mina would probably feel the same way. Who gave it to you?"
"Sailor Chrysalis gave it to me."
Amy then thought, "How can that be, since she's apparently been asleep for quite some time?" But she didn't say that out loud, to her own credit, of course. Instead, she said, "She hasn't been seen here for at least a little while, Sylvia. Last I heard, she was visiting other people near Mount Serenity. When did you last see her, and where?"
"This evening, though I can't tell any of you where and how come I saw her. She made me promise not to tell you all. Even though she knew that you'd likely ask me when and where I'd last seen her."
"And I suppose you liked meeting her, Sylvia?" asked Lita.
"She seemed nice enough."
"Does she still have light brown hair, Sylvia?" queried Mina.
"No, it's more like a gray or white color now. She appeared to me to be about the same age as Queen Serenity, but certainly not younger than her, in any case. More like someone about fifty or so of our years old."
"I see," said Raye. "Well, the next time you see her, please ask her if she'd be willing to make up a new crimson and black dress for me, if at all possible, Sylvia."
"I'll think about it, if I have a chance. But where is your dear Moon Princess Serena? She seems to be at least a little bit delayed, from when she was apparently planning to be here, Raye," wondered Sylvia.
"I suspect that she's having trouble with her outfit. At least that's what's most often caused her to delay balls before, in the past, if I'm not mistaken. If she's not here in five minutes, tops, I think I'm going to go see what the problem is."
"Well, if you go, Raye, we're going with you, of course."
"I'd rather you not, Mina."
"Either we all go there, girls, if that's the case now, or none of us go there. And Lita is going to back me up on this, I think."
"Are you sure, Mina?"
"Yes, I am. And don't think about tangling with me about this, Raye. If she needs us, I believe she'll ring for us. That is, if she can, of course. Until we know one way or the other, then, we're all staying," said Mina.
"Girls, please don't fight with each other here. For it doesn't look really good on any or all of you here, if you'd then do so. Let's wait five minutes, as Raye's thinking here. And then let's all go to see what might be keeping her, if she's not here by then," said Sylvia.
"Sylvia's right," said Amy. "Why should we spoil the rest of the night by fighting with each other, if it can possibly be avoided?"
So the girls waited five minutes more. And they briefly conversed with Rolando, Serenity, and Daniel, before leaving the ballroom with each other. Seconds later, Darien joined them all outside it, of course.
Then Darien and the girls headed off toward Serena's chambers, with the girls eventually ducking behind nearby pillars only long enough to transform themselves all into their respective Scout states. Just in case Serena was in trouble in or near her chambers. When they were in sight of Serena's door or doors, Darien told them to be very careful, of course. Just in case something quite bad was now in or near Serena's chambers. No trouble was either seen or detected near Serena's chambers, in fact. So all of them soon came to her door. Darien knocked on her door, and he asked, "Serena, are you okay in there?"
"Darien, I'm fine, at least for the moment. I saw another vision as I was getting ready for the ball. And this vision was rather scary indeed. I saw possible trouble for us during a future ball. And Destiny and Bethany went missing during it. I don't really know where they went during it. But I really hope such a thing doesn't actually happen. Who's there with you now, Darien? For I hear some people trying to remain quiet outside my door."
"Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Skyhorse."
"Send them in. But you stay out of here. And please watch my door, honey."
Serena unbolted her door, and let in the five named Junior Sailor Scouts. While she had Darien do as she said, of course. As soon as she bolted the door behind them, she said, "Girls, I'm sorry that I'm running later than planned. I had to watch one of my very disturbing visions again as I was getting ready, unfortunately. And I didn't really want to watch it. But I still had to do so, here."
"Did you see any bad people that you recognized well enough?" asked Mars, moments later.
"I saw a blonde woman who I think called herself Zoisite. I believe we saw her in our still-recent battle on Ozotov IV, girls. But I'm really not sure about that here, girls. In this vision, she said, 'Moon Princess Serena, we WILL eventually meet in battle. And when we do, prepare to serve the Negaverse and our Queen Beryl. If you choose not to, and you survive, don't be surprised what we do with and against you in the future. We'd especially like to see your siblings serve us in it, if at all possible. Most especially Destiny and Bethany. For they've really made pests of themselves in the past against us.'"
"Then what happened in your vision?" asked Skyhorse.
"I said in it, 'Get a life, Zoisite. And leave my siblings alone, especially Destiny and Bethany. For if necessary, and if possible, I'll defend all my dearest friends and relatives with my very life. And you shall not harm them at all. We may not beat you at first. But we'll eventually beat you. And don't be surprised if a real snake ever comes around to bite you in the future, in a manner of speaking. Watch your back, Zoisite. Watch your back very carefully. Or you may have eventually reason to regret not doing so. And I'll especially enjoy thrashing you in battle, whenever I possibly can do so. You may beat us at first. But you'll never beat us once and for all. For I know things that you don't, and that you won't likely know for a very long, long, long, long time. I'll most especially love thrashing your Queen Beryl someday, whether or not I ever do it with my siblings.' Then the vision ended."
A few moments more, at most, passed in complete silence. During which all of Serena's visitors thought about what she'd just said. As they did so, Serena finished getting ready for the ball. She'd just had to put her hair up when they'd all come to her chambers just a little while before. And she'd been doing it, just as Darien began knocking on her door.
Eventually, Serena was sufficiently satisfied with her appearance in a mostly pink and white dress. And she soon said so to her fellow Scouts. She gathered up whatever else she thought she'd need with her at the ball. Just a few moments later, she left her chambers behind with them, so they could all go to the ballroom with each other and Darien as planned. Before they got there, then, of course, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Skyhorse eventually transformed out of their respective Scout states. They all arrived outside the main ballroom minutes later, at most, of course.
Then, when Serena was almost ready to actually enter the ballroom, she sent Raye, Lita, Amy, Mina, and Sylvia back into it first. She did this just before she took Darien by the arm, so that she could walk into it with him. A minute after Sylvia entered, and five minutes after Raye did, Serena and Darien finally entered it together.
They went to where Serenity and Daniel were waiting for them in the main ballroom. And when they did, Serenity asked, "Serena, how come it took you so long to get here? It's now no more than an hour, I think, until local midnight. Don't you know that?"
"Mother, I can't tell you right now, at least not in front of so many people here. But I'll tell you after you meet with Uncle Raph tomorrow, first chance I get to be alone with you, if at all possible. And yes, I do know how late it is now."
"Well, before the natives get too much more restless, I suppose we better let this ball begin. As well as the accompanying fireworks show, of course, Serena."
"Agreed, of course."
So Serenity and Serena pronounced the ball begun. And the related fireworks show begun as well. Then Serenity let Darien take Serena out onto the dance floor, so that Serena could dance with her honey at least once during that ball. After she did so, Daniel soon asked her to dance with him as well during it. To which, she soon readily agreed. But not too enthusiastically. For she was still rather tired. That was mainly, if not entirely, due to the means of her recent return to the Moon with the rest of her companions during their just-ended adventure, if not for other reasons whatsoever as well.
Serenity eventually left the main ballroom with Daniel, after first reminding Serena and the other members of her Court not to stay up too late during that night. And all such people soon agreed to follow her advice. Even Serena, who would've probably loved to be dancing all night long with Darien, if it'd have been at all possible for her to do so with him. Eventually, the ball and its accompanying fireworks show did end, of course. And everyone eventually did retire to their respective chambers, if the need arose for them to do just that.
After that happened, things did eventually get as much back to normal as they possibly could, for all the people that'd found themselves on an unexpected adventure elsewhere in the known Universe. Even for Sylvia and Rolando. Both of them weren't actually from anywhere at all in the Moon Kingdom. But they'd recently enough both still become citizens-by-choice of it.
Little did they all know that they'd all likely find themselves in another unexpected adventure before too much more time passed. Even Sylvia and Rolando, who eventually did get back to Earth, once Darien returned to it again by late October of 986, as soon as he could possibly get back to it. The same ship that brought him back to Earth also did the same for Sylvia and Rolando, who were each teleported back to their respective homes' areas. Or back to wherever they'd each actually been when they'd each been whisked away to Ozotov IV some time earlier, elsewhere on Earth, during at least one of that ship's pre-landing orbits of Earth. Each of them took several message canisters with them, at least, so that they all could still hopefully remain in sufficient enough contact with each other. Even though they'd most likely have to send them to the Moon, because of where their respective nations were on Earth, under most circumstances. After they did so, then, people on the Moon would then relay those canisters to the necessary other people either on Earth or elsewhere in the Moon Kingdom, as the need arose. Of course, if the people on the Moon needed to contact them while they were on Earth, they'd likely be able to do so in like manner, using other canisters meant for that exact purpose. And if they all somehow met each other in person again back on Earth, they'd also likely be able to pass messages to each other whenever they wanted to do that.
Only time would tell how soon they'd see each other again in person, and under what circumstances. Not to mention, if and where they might do that. Before they all parted as already stated, they said some rather heart-felt farewells to each other. And they all wished each other well while they all were again away from each other. They promised each other that they'd try to stay in touch with each other as often as possible. Even though they didn't know how often that would be. They all parted from each other moments later, with Sylvia being the second of Darien's fellow Terrans to be teleported to the exact place on Earth's surface where she'd been whisked away to Ozotov IV from. Of course, all her things that were still with her from that particular time went with her back to that place. Then Darien was left alone in his ship once again. And he remained alone in his three-person craft until he eventually brought it to a perfect landing back at the Kyoto Area Spaceport, as planned, just as it was getting close to local dawn there. He landed there just before local dawn. Then he soon passed through Customs, just before finally returning to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Japan, as soon as he possibly could do just that.
He spent most, if not all, of the next few days, at least, getting himself used to being on Earth again after at least a month or two away from it. And he often worked in a number of the gardens on at least the Imperial Palace's grounds. If not also in any other gardens on the grounds of any palaces that were currently under the control of his own royal family anywhere else in Japan. This he often did whenever he thought about his friends and family, both on Earth and off it. He awaited the next adventure that'd likely come his way, at least, if not others as well, eventually. Even while not yet knowing if and when it'd come to find him anywhere in the known God-created Universe. But until it came to him, he essentially did either whatever he had to do, or whatever he wanted to do, whenever possible. As he was now quite sure that all of his friends and relatives would be doing. Whether they were newly-known to him or not. Even though, of course, he'd not know for sure until later, if ever.
End of Story Two
I hope that you all have enjoyed the first two stories in this story series, if you've gotten this far in it. And that you'll all continue to read its series, of course, once I put more of it up here. The next story in this series will be called, in fact, "First Kisses?" I don't know yet just how long it'll take me to get each story in this series up fully here. But it might take a while, 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!