Hearts in Time: Beginnings
part 2: Meetings
By
Lance the Flamesniper
The day was what the people of the Earth Kingdom would
have called October 29th, if they used calenders. The midwives
assigned to the royal Palace of Pluto didn't care about the date
however. All they cared about was that Lady Trista was giving birth
and seemed to not be taking it well.
"I swear Chronos, that when if you EVER do this to me
again, I'm going to cut it off!" Trista panted, her breathing becoming
more labored as the delivery went.
"You don't mean that," Chronos soothed. "Push my darling.
She's almost here."
"You tell me to push one more time and I swear I'll kill you!"
Trista screamed as she pushed one more time. She'd been in labor
almost twenty hours now. Clearly the child didn't want to leave.
Chronos for his part was glad he offered her his left hand
instead of his right. From the way she'd been squeezing his hand
during the contractions he was sure that it was broken four times
over. His mind however was on other things. Grand visions of his
daughter growing into a strong, beautiful woman who, when the time
was right, would marry and rule Pluto with wisdom and a little
compassion. Granted male births were in short supply on most
planets, except for Earth, but that could be dealt with.
Chronos' thoughts were interupted by the sound of a child's
cries. The midwife brought the child to them after cleaning her off .
She had already a fringe of moisture matted dark green locks.
Slowly the child calmed down and opened her magenta eyes briefly.
She was beautiful.
"Look Trista. She has your eyes," Chronos replied.
"And your hair," Trista replied. "What shall we name her?"
"How about," Chronos began then paused while the midwives
bandaged his damaged hand. "Setsuna."
"That sounds perfect," Trista responded as she cuddled and
coo at the child in her arms.
********
"Your highness," A palace guard said. "Lord Anduris is here
as you requested."
"Send him in," Chronos intoned. It had been several weeks
since the birth of Setsuna and Chronos had used the time to put forth
a plan.
Anduris was a minor lord on Pluto; not a mage or a philosopher
and normally would not have even been worth the king's notice. He was
a man on the slightly stout side and not particularly bright with sickly
pale skin, thinning blonde hair and dull blue eyes, all of which Chronos
considered signs of poor mental and physical health. Still Anduris, head
of the Golden Unicorn clan and Plutonian Lord had something that was of
great value. Anduris had many months before been blessed with a son and
daughter. The daughter had been kidnapped but no one knew by who. Still
the son was something of great value, especially in the outer kingdoms.
"You sent for me my king?" Anduris stammered.
"Yes, Anduris I did," Chronos replied as he studied his broken hand.
"As you know my family has recently been blessed with a daughter."
"Yes and many happy blessings to you for that my king," Anduris
commented. "How may I serve you Lord?"
'By jumping off a cliff you insufferable insect,' was what he thought.
"I have been told that your clan recently was given a son," was what he replied.
"That is indeed true my King and I have had already two offers of
bethrothment," Anduris replied with a smirk.
"Oh really? From whom?" The King of Pluto and lord of time asked.
"From the Queen of Uranus and the ruler of Neptune. Both of whom had
daughters this year."
"Well now you have a third offer. This one not from the desert dwellers or
the Ocean born but from your king. Think carefully, Lord Anduris. The answer you
give will either bring you great joy, or destroy you utterly."
Anduris gulped. To deny the king would probably guarantee that his clan's
extinction. However, the Uranians and Neptunians had offered him a fortune and
their blood would add great worth to his clan. 'What greater wealth could there be
than the fact that saying yes would mean your clan would rule this land?' a
sensible part of his mind hissed. "Oh wise King Chronos. I will accept your offer."
"Very wise Anduris. When your child is old enough to be away from his
mother. He is to be turned over to the Plutonian Knights. There he will be trained in
both the ways of a noble and the ways of a warrior."
"B-but your highness I..," Anduris began.
"Do NOT question me Anduris! Now, get out of my sight! Your visage offends
me!"
Anduris bowed quickly then scrambled out of the throne room before what
was left of his backbone disappeared.
*******
"What a jerk," Mika replied as The Bard paused to take a sip of his drink.
"You have no idea," Bard Mumbled under his breath.
"Yeah," Sonia replied, feeling somewhat mortified as she realized what
she'd just heard told.
"So what happened next Bard?" Kaen asked.
"Next we skip ahead one hundred sixty eight years as back then children
aged slower than they do now," Bard replied. "And one hundred sixty eight years
would make the young Prince and Princess physically eight."
*********
Setsuna had grown into a healthy yet curious child. Her skin was a golden
tan with flowing dark green hair. All the courtiers knew of her. She was forever asking
questions and learning what she could about the government and the universe around
her. What she didn't know was that in the same castle she was growing up in there
was a young man who was learning the same things as her, and then some. For while
she was taught basic self defense, the young boy was being taught how to use a
sword, a staff and his bare hands as weapons.
Lance and Setsuna were kept apart. Not by choice. No one ever would
CHOOSE to be alone. Chronos had planned it so they wouldn't meet until their teens.
However, he didn't count on his Daughter being as curious as she was.
She'd wandered off into an isolated courtyard one afternoon and was greeted
to quite the sight. In the middle of a group of five armed Knights there stood a child no
older than herself. This child had sandy blonde hair in a short pony tale and eyes the
color of ice. Setsuna had heard of boys from her mother, but she'd never seen one. All
she ever saw were the old men of the court. To Lance's benefit he'd never met a girl
before but had been told about them.
Setsuna watched, unsure of what this was. Then on cue the warriors charged
the boy. One with a pike rushed at him only to have him twirl out of the way. The boy
used the momentum of his twirl to power a shakey kick that took out the next piked
guard as he rushed in. A third guard charged using a staff only to have the boy kick
the staff in the center, snapping it in half. While his attacker was stunned the boy
unloaded a series of kicks and punches taking the man down. The fourth man, who
was carriying a wooden sword charged in only to have the boy grab his arm, clumsily
flip him through the air then take up the wooden blade. This boy then faced off with the
two knights that were still standing, reversing the blade so it rested along his forearm.
The pikeman approached carefully while the last Knight, armed with live steel held back.
The pikeman swung his pike's point only to have it parried. He brought the butt
end of his pike around to smash into the boy's head only to find that the boy ducked.
The piker realized too late that his quarry had ducked inside his guard until he felt the
sting of the wooden sword colliding with his stomach then the back of his head. The
last knight charged in swinging. The young boy parried his attackers swings before
scoring with viscious wooden sword uppercut. The knight staggered back allowing his
young opponent to land a standing kick to the the stomach followed by him dropping
an unsteady kick across the back of his attacker's neck.
Setsuna for her part was stunned. Never in her life had she ever seen anything
like this and from someone her age no less. There was only one word for it. "Incredible."
That got this young warriors attention. He looked toward the sound and his eyes
widened as he encountered a most entrancing sight. He had heard about girls, but now
that he saw one.... The stories just never did them justice. The young man bowed at the
waist as he was taught to do before speaking. "You flatter me My lady. I am mediocre
at my skill but I am getting better."
"You looked very skilled to me. Tell me young warrior, what is your name?"
"They call me Lance. May I ask who you are? Or shall I name you Star of the
evening and leave it at that?"
"I am Setsuna," she replied all the while blushing. No one had ever sweet talked
before.
The knight with the Sword approached the two talking. "You did well Lance in a
few more seasons you'll be a match for any of the knights." When the man saw who
Lance was talking to he immediately dropped to one knee. "I'm sorry my Princess, is
this one bothering you?"
Setsuna scowled. "No, he is not bothering me. However, you are bothering
me now."
The Knight bowed his head then backed away.
"Tell me Lance what is it that train so hard for?" Setsuna asked.
The boy leaned against a post in the courtyard. "One day I hope to become a
weapon master and maybe even a weapon lord. Then I can travel the Millenium righting
wrongs and being a brave hero."
"Sounds like a fun job," Setsuna responded, though she had no idea what a
"weapon master" or a "weapon lord" was. But she planned to find out.
*******
Dinner was the one time Setsuna was sure to see her father. He often insisted
on her joining him for this meal. He's listen while she told him about her adventures
during the day. Normally these were the mundane tales of this palace accountant
showing her how to do this task or this instructor telling her about some event. Today
however, things would be different. Chronos had just taken a deep drink of mullberry
wine when his daughter asked.
"Father, what's a weapons master?"
"Phhhhhhft!" sputtered Chronos as suddenly wine had tried to invade his lungs.
"Pardon?"
"A weapon master, father. What is a weapon master?"
"Uh well Setsuna a weapon master is a person who's mastered the martial
arts of a specific weapon. They might know how to use other weapons too but most
stick to just one. They also are taught martial arts, Diplomacy and philosophy. Mostly
they're used in situations that require more than an ambassador and less than an
invasion. Why do you ask my child?"
"Well I was wandering around the palace and found this courtyard. And in the
courtyard was a group of knights sparing with at young boy. When they were done the
boy, Lance was his name, and I talked. He meantioned wanting to be a weapon
master," Setsuna replied. "He was kinda nice and called me the Star of the evening."
Internally Chronos scowled.This meeting had happened almost two hundred
years too soon. Still now that they met it would be impossible to keep them a secret
from each other any more. Still he could not explain an arranged marriage to his
daughter, she was too young still to understand. "That boy is named Prince Lance.
He's is being trained by the Plutonian Knights to be a warrior and a noble."
Setsuna nodded but didn't say anything further, especially since the topic
seemed to be a sore spot with her dad.
*******
Days drifted into weeks and weeks into months. Setsuna during this time,
made it a habit to seek out Lance and vice versa. It was clear that the two were
forming into quite the duo. It had even gotten to the point that Lance started
teaching Setsuna the finer points of using the staff.
It happened that one day when the two were just entering into the time
went their bodies were maturing that Lance, now a swordmaster adept started
to notice things about his long time friend. It was little things at first. The fact that
he suddenly liked the smell of her perfume. Or how suddenly he'd forget what he
was talking about when he looked in her eyes. Then he'd noticed that her body
had began to curve in places, causing him to be distracted when she talked to him.
Worse still she seemed to notice that and delight in using it to torment him.
She'd do things like lean forward so he'd be looking down her top as she'd talk or
kick her feet in such a way that his eyes would be following her soon to be shapely
legs. It wasn't lady like behavior, but when they were together they never followed
decorum. When they were together they were Lance and Setsuna. Not a prince and
princess. Not a pair of stuffy royals. Just two friends that even if they'd never admit
it were on the verge of something more.
One day, however there came news that changed everything.
Lance was getting ready for a journey. He'd been friends with Setsuna for
one hundred sixty eight years and had been training in the way of the sword
since he could walk. It was now time for him to journey to the Moon to take his
weapon master training and earn his starsteel weapon.
Starsteel was a mysterious metal that was easily a hundred times harder
than any metal around. The metal itself was an alloy that only certain master
smiths knew how to make. The alloy, being as hard as it is, could only be forged
in the heart of a star. That being why it was called starsteel.
Weapons master. It was a title that Lance had strived for all his life. It was
his dream. So why did he feel like he was running away? Before he could find an
answer, there was a knock at his door. When he opened the door though his mouth
went dry.
There stood Setsuna. She was dressed in a simple dark green sundress.
The material and cut of the dress did nothing to hide the beauty that Setsuna was
rapidly becoming. It also didn't do anything to stop his heart from trying to pound
it's way out of his chest. "Suna."
"Hello Lance," Setsuna answered uncertainly. Things had started to change
between her and her friend. When he was around her heart started to pound. She
got light headed and it was hard to focus on anything other than him.
"I have something to tell you," They both blurted out then blushed.
"You first," Setsuna offered.
"I've have to go away for a while. To the Moon for Weapon Master testing,"
Lance replied.
"To the Moon?" Setsuna said. "And you're trying to tell me good bye?"
"Yes. I don't know when we'd see each other next."
"Well my news is that I'm heading to the moon to become a member of the
moon princess's council as a seishi. So we'll have until we get to the moon Kingdom."
"We'' have until we get to the Moon kingdom for what?" Lance asked. Was
it getting hot in his room? And why was he leaning closer to his friend all of a sudden.
More importantly why was she leaning toward him. Their lips got closer and closer until.
There was a loud pound on his door that jolted the two mere moments before
their lips would have met.
"Come on Lad!" one of the Guards replied. "We have business to attend to!"
Lance looked to Setsuna then nodded. "Good luck Sailor Pluto," he said with
a smile.
"Good luck to you, swordmaster adept, " She replied. Then after he left she
added. "Please be careful Lance, I care for you too much to see you get hurt."
**********
It was early evening when Chronos sat down to dinner. His daughter and Prince
Lance had both shipped out for the Moon, but he was not alone. A peice of riff raff from
the tides of time was now before him.
"You want what?" Chronos asked.
"I wish to wed your daughter," Necros responded.
"Why would I let my child marry you?" Chronos asked.
"Because I am powerful Lord."
"Let's test that theory. Shall we?" Chronos tested.
"How do you mean?"
"I propose a challenge.If you win I shall let you wed my daughter," Chronos
replied.
"And if you win?"
Chronos smiled "If I win, I'll name my own reward. The game will be played
as follows," With that Chronos outlined the game.
"Sounds like fun! Very well I accept your challenge," Necros replied
gleefully.
'And I'll gladly accept your death to insignifigant WORM.' Chronos thought
as he shook his opponent's hand. "Let the games begin!"
TBC
I'd like to wish all my fans/reviewers Happy Holidays. Thank you all for
reading!
part 2: Meetings
By
Lance the Flamesniper
The day was what the people of the Earth Kingdom would
have called October 29th, if they used calenders. The midwives
assigned to the royal Palace of Pluto didn't care about the date
however. All they cared about was that Lady Trista was giving birth
and seemed to not be taking it well.
"I swear Chronos, that when if you EVER do this to me
again, I'm going to cut it off!" Trista panted, her breathing becoming
more labored as the delivery went.
"You don't mean that," Chronos soothed. "Push my darling.
She's almost here."
"You tell me to push one more time and I swear I'll kill you!"
Trista screamed as she pushed one more time. She'd been in labor
almost twenty hours now. Clearly the child didn't want to leave.
Chronos for his part was glad he offered her his left hand
instead of his right. From the way she'd been squeezing his hand
during the contractions he was sure that it was broken four times
over. His mind however was on other things. Grand visions of his
daughter growing into a strong, beautiful woman who, when the time
was right, would marry and rule Pluto with wisdom and a little
compassion. Granted male births were in short supply on most
planets, except for Earth, but that could be dealt with.
Chronos' thoughts were interupted by the sound of a child's
cries. The midwife brought the child to them after cleaning her off .
She had already a fringe of moisture matted dark green locks.
Slowly the child calmed down and opened her magenta eyes briefly.
She was beautiful.
"Look Trista. She has your eyes," Chronos replied.
"And your hair," Trista replied. "What shall we name her?"
"How about," Chronos began then paused while the midwives
bandaged his damaged hand. "Setsuna."
"That sounds perfect," Trista responded as she cuddled and
coo at the child in her arms.
********
"Your highness," A palace guard said. "Lord Anduris is here
as you requested."
"Send him in," Chronos intoned. It had been several weeks
since the birth of Setsuna and Chronos had used the time to put forth
a plan.
Anduris was a minor lord on Pluto; not a mage or a philosopher
and normally would not have even been worth the king's notice. He was
a man on the slightly stout side and not particularly bright with sickly
pale skin, thinning blonde hair and dull blue eyes, all of which Chronos
considered signs of poor mental and physical health. Still Anduris, head
of the Golden Unicorn clan and Plutonian Lord had something that was of
great value. Anduris had many months before been blessed with a son and
daughter. The daughter had been kidnapped but no one knew by who. Still
the son was something of great value, especially in the outer kingdoms.
"You sent for me my king?" Anduris stammered.
"Yes, Anduris I did," Chronos replied as he studied his broken hand.
"As you know my family has recently been blessed with a daughter."
"Yes and many happy blessings to you for that my king," Anduris
commented. "How may I serve you Lord?"
'By jumping off a cliff you insufferable insect,' was what he thought.
"I have been told that your clan recently was given a son," was what he replied.
"That is indeed true my King and I have had already two offers of
bethrothment," Anduris replied with a smirk.
"Oh really? From whom?" The King of Pluto and lord of time asked.
"From the Queen of Uranus and the ruler of Neptune. Both of whom had
daughters this year."
"Well now you have a third offer. This one not from the desert dwellers or
the Ocean born but from your king. Think carefully, Lord Anduris. The answer you
give will either bring you great joy, or destroy you utterly."
Anduris gulped. To deny the king would probably guarantee that his clan's
extinction. However, the Uranians and Neptunians had offered him a fortune and
their blood would add great worth to his clan. 'What greater wealth could there be
than the fact that saying yes would mean your clan would rule this land?' a
sensible part of his mind hissed. "Oh wise King Chronos. I will accept your offer."
"Very wise Anduris. When your child is old enough to be away from his
mother. He is to be turned over to the Plutonian Knights. There he will be trained in
both the ways of a noble and the ways of a warrior."
"B-but your highness I..," Anduris began.
"Do NOT question me Anduris! Now, get out of my sight! Your visage offends
me!"
Anduris bowed quickly then scrambled out of the throne room before what
was left of his backbone disappeared.
*******
"What a jerk," Mika replied as The Bard paused to take a sip of his drink.
"You have no idea," Bard Mumbled under his breath.
"Yeah," Sonia replied, feeling somewhat mortified as she realized what
she'd just heard told.
"So what happened next Bard?" Kaen asked.
"Next we skip ahead one hundred sixty eight years as back then children
aged slower than they do now," Bard replied. "And one hundred sixty eight years
would make the young Prince and Princess physically eight."
*********
Setsuna had grown into a healthy yet curious child. Her skin was a golden
tan with flowing dark green hair. All the courtiers knew of her. She was forever asking
questions and learning what she could about the government and the universe around
her. What she didn't know was that in the same castle she was growing up in there
was a young man who was learning the same things as her, and then some. For while
she was taught basic self defense, the young boy was being taught how to use a
sword, a staff and his bare hands as weapons.
Lance and Setsuna were kept apart. Not by choice. No one ever would
CHOOSE to be alone. Chronos had planned it so they wouldn't meet until their teens.
However, he didn't count on his Daughter being as curious as she was.
She'd wandered off into an isolated courtyard one afternoon and was greeted
to quite the sight. In the middle of a group of five armed Knights there stood a child no
older than herself. This child had sandy blonde hair in a short pony tale and eyes the
color of ice. Setsuna had heard of boys from her mother, but she'd never seen one. All
she ever saw were the old men of the court. To Lance's benefit he'd never met a girl
before but had been told about them.
Setsuna watched, unsure of what this was. Then on cue the warriors charged
the boy. One with a pike rushed at him only to have him twirl out of the way. The boy
used the momentum of his twirl to power a shakey kick that took out the next piked
guard as he rushed in. A third guard charged using a staff only to have the boy kick
the staff in the center, snapping it in half. While his attacker was stunned the boy
unloaded a series of kicks and punches taking the man down. The fourth man, who
was carriying a wooden sword charged in only to have the boy grab his arm, clumsily
flip him through the air then take up the wooden blade. This boy then faced off with the
two knights that were still standing, reversing the blade so it rested along his forearm.
The pikeman approached carefully while the last Knight, armed with live steel held back.
The pikeman swung his pike's point only to have it parried. He brought the butt
end of his pike around to smash into the boy's head only to find that the boy ducked.
The piker realized too late that his quarry had ducked inside his guard until he felt the
sting of the wooden sword colliding with his stomach then the back of his head. The
last knight charged in swinging. The young boy parried his attackers swings before
scoring with viscious wooden sword uppercut. The knight staggered back allowing his
young opponent to land a standing kick to the the stomach followed by him dropping
an unsteady kick across the back of his attacker's neck.
Setsuna for her part was stunned. Never in her life had she ever seen anything
like this and from someone her age no less. There was only one word for it. "Incredible."
That got this young warriors attention. He looked toward the sound and his eyes
widened as he encountered a most entrancing sight. He had heard about girls, but now
that he saw one.... The stories just never did them justice. The young man bowed at the
waist as he was taught to do before speaking. "You flatter me My lady. I am mediocre
at my skill but I am getting better."
"You looked very skilled to me. Tell me young warrior, what is your name?"
"They call me Lance. May I ask who you are? Or shall I name you Star of the
evening and leave it at that?"
"I am Setsuna," she replied all the while blushing. No one had ever sweet talked
before.
The knight with the Sword approached the two talking. "You did well Lance in a
few more seasons you'll be a match for any of the knights." When the man saw who
Lance was talking to he immediately dropped to one knee. "I'm sorry my Princess, is
this one bothering you?"
Setsuna scowled. "No, he is not bothering me. However, you are bothering
me now."
The Knight bowed his head then backed away.
"Tell me Lance what is it that train so hard for?" Setsuna asked.
The boy leaned against a post in the courtyard. "One day I hope to become a
weapon master and maybe even a weapon lord. Then I can travel the Millenium righting
wrongs and being a brave hero."
"Sounds like a fun job," Setsuna responded, though she had no idea what a
"weapon master" or a "weapon lord" was. But she planned to find out.
*******
Dinner was the one time Setsuna was sure to see her father. He often insisted
on her joining him for this meal. He's listen while she told him about her adventures
during the day. Normally these were the mundane tales of this palace accountant
showing her how to do this task or this instructor telling her about some event. Today
however, things would be different. Chronos had just taken a deep drink of mullberry
wine when his daughter asked.
"Father, what's a weapons master?"
"Phhhhhhft!" sputtered Chronos as suddenly wine had tried to invade his lungs.
"Pardon?"
"A weapon master, father. What is a weapon master?"
"Uh well Setsuna a weapon master is a person who's mastered the martial
arts of a specific weapon. They might know how to use other weapons too but most
stick to just one. They also are taught martial arts, Diplomacy and philosophy. Mostly
they're used in situations that require more than an ambassador and less than an
invasion. Why do you ask my child?"
"Well I was wandering around the palace and found this courtyard. And in the
courtyard was a group of knights sparing with at young boy. When they were done the
boy, Lance was his name, and I talked. He meantioned wanting to be a weapon
master," Setsuna replied. "He was kinda nice and called me the Star of the evening."
Internally Chronos scowled.This meeting had happened almost two hundred
years too soon. Still now that they met it would be impossible to keep them a secret
from each other any more. Still he could not explain an arranged marriage to his
daughter, she was too young still to understand. "That boy is named Prince Lance.
He's is being trained by the Plutonian Knights to be a warrior and a noble."
Setsuna nodded but didn't say anything further, especially since the topic
seemed to be a sore spot with her dad.
*******
Days drifted into weeks and weeks into months. Setsuna during this time,
made it a habit to seek out Lance and vice versa. It was clear that the two were
forming into quite the duo. It had even gotten to the point that Lance started
teaching Setsuna the finer points of using the staff.
It happened that one day when the two were just entering into the time
went their bodies were maturing that Lance, now a swordmaster adept started
to notice things about his long time friend. It was little things at first. The fact that
he suddenly liked the smell of her perfume. Or how suddenly he'd forget what he
was talking about when he looked in her eyes. Then he'd noticed that her body
had began to curve in places, causing him to be distracted when she talked to him.
Worse still she seemed to notice that and delight in using it to torment him.
She'd do things like lean forward so he'd be looking down her top as she'd talk or
kick her feet in such a way that his eyes would be following her soon to be shapely
legs. It wasn't lady like behavior, but when they were together they never followed
decorum. When they were together they were Lance and Setsuna. Not a prince and
princess. Not a pair of stuffy royals. Just two friends that even if they'd never admit
it were on the verge of something more.
One day, however there came news that changed everything.
Lance was getting ready for a journey. He'd been friends with Setsuna for
one hundred sixty eight years and had been training in the way of the sword
since he could walk. It was now time for him to journey to the Moon to take his
weapon master training and earn his starsteel weapon.
Starsteel was a mysterious metal that was easily a hundred times harder
than any metal around. The metal itself was an alloy that only certain master
smiths knew how to make. The alloy, being as hard as it is, could only be forged
in the heart of a star. That being why it was called starsteel.
Weapons master. It was a title that Lance had strived for all his life. It was
his dream. So why did he feel like he was running away? Before he could find an
answer, there was a knock at his door. When he opened the door though his mouth
went dry.
There stood Setsuna. She was dressed in a simple dark green sundress.
The material and cut of the dress did nothing to hide the beauty that Setsuna was
rapidly becoming. It also didn't do anything to stop his heart from trying to pound
it's way out of his chest. "Suna."
"Hello Lance," Setsuna answered uncertainly. Things had started to change
between her and her friend. When he was around her heart started to pound. She
got light headed and it was hard to focus on anything other than him.
"I have something to tell you," They both blurted out then blushed.
"You first," Setsuna offered.
"I've have to go away for a while. To the Moon for Weapon Master testing,"
Lance replied.
"To the Moon?" Setsuna said. "And you're trying to tell me good bye?"
"Yes. I don't know when we'd see each other next."
"Well my news is that I'm heading to the moon to become a member of the
moon princess's council as a seishi. So we'll have until we get to the moon Kingdom."
"We'' have until we get to the Moon kingdom for what?" Lance asked. Was
it getting hot in his room? And why was he leaning closer to his friend all of a sudden.
More importantly why was she leaning toward him. Their lips got closer and closer until.
There was a loud pound on his door that jolted the two mere moments before
their lips would have met.
"Come on Lad!" one of the Guards replied. "We have business to attend to!"
Lance looked to Setsuna then nodded. "Good luck Sailor Pluto," he said with
a smile.
"Good luck to you, swordmaster adept, " She replied. Then after he left she
added. "Please be careful Lance, I care for you too much to see you get hurt."
**********
It was early evening when Chronos sat down to dinner. His daughter and Prince
Lance had both shipped out for the Moon, but he was not alone. A peice of riff raff from
the tides of time was now before him.
"You want what?" Chronos asked.
"I wish to wed your daughter," Necros responded.
"Why would I let my child marry you?" Chronos asked.
"Because I am powerful Lord."
"Let's test that theory. Shall we?" Chronos tested.
"How do you mean?"
"I propose a challenge.If you win I shall let you wed my daughter," Chronos
replied.
"And if you win?"
Chronos smiled "If I win, I'll name my own reward. The game will be played
as follows," With that Chronos outlined the game.
"Sounds like fun! Very well I accept your challenge," Necros replied
gleefully.
'And I'll gladly accept your death to insignifigant WORM.' Chronos thought
as he shook his opponent's hand. "Let the games begin!"
TBC
I'd like to wish all my fans/reviewers Happy Holidays. Thank you all for
reading!