All standard disclaimers that I've already used so far with any of the various stories that I now have on will apply. For your information, all of the characters that you may not actually recognize well enough in this story are original characters of mine, unless otherwise stated, in fact. So please don't steal my original characters from this story or any others, for that matter.
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First Kisses?
AThe Chrysanthemum Chronicles Series Story
Main Dining Hall In The Rainbow Springs Palace
Rainbow Springs, Moon Kingdom, Moon
November 19, 986
Some length of time later, then, after everyone had gotten ready for their lunch period, they all met in the main dining hall, as planned. By the time that they all got there, then, Dorothy already had at least a little food and drink ready for them all to consume. For while her fellow Scouts were all training elsewhere all over the RSP's grounds, she'd been preparing some food for at least a little while. This was so that when their morning training sessions were done, everyone could eat very soon after that became the case for them, of course.
She wasn't as good a cook as Lita was normally. But she'd still been known to make some rather delicious food items in the past. Even before she first left Neptune some time before. Which was most likely anytime in the last six to twelve Terran months, if not even earlier than that in her own life. She was now about a month or two past the middle of the sixth year of her mortal life, at least according to the usual calendar year used by most people either on Terra or anywhere in the Moon Kingdom. True, a Neptunian year was much longer than a Terran year. But she still was about five or so Terran years old, by the usual time-keeping standards of most people anywhere in the Moon Kingdom or on Terra. She'd left Neptune for the first time by the time that she was about 60 or so Terran months of age. And since the time that she did that, she had rarely, if ever, been back on Neptune or in its mini-system of moons and/or space stations. That was mainly, if not entirely, due to the great distances that usually needed to be traversed mile by mile between the Moon and Neptune's mini-system. Sometimes, people were even able to travel through hyperspace between various Moon Kingdom worlds. But such had not been the case while her older sister and her three fellow Alpha-level Scouts were still out of the Milky Way Galaxy's Sol solar system. She'd eventually joined them on the necessary ship heading back to the Moon when they'd gotten close enough for her to teleport onto that ship. Just as Tracy Meyers had also done when they'd earlier passed by Pluto some time before. After she teleported to that ship, she then spent the rest of the trip back to the Moon with her sister Poruzuka, or at least as often as she could during it. Even after Gwendolyn Herschel and Estella Tompkins teleported onto that ship too. That was whenever she wasn't with anyone else aboard it instead, of course.
By the time that her sister Michelle also returned eventually to the Moon Kingdom's homeworld with all the other Princesses, Queen Serenity, and two cats that they'd just been with while they were all still present anywhere on Ozotov IV, she was already on the Moon with at least a few other Moon Kingdom Princesses. After Michelle had eventually returned to the Moon with Serenity and the rest of their current companions from anywhere at all in the Milky Way Galaxy's Sol solar system, she'd begun getting considerably well-acquainted with various other people who also lived on the Moon, if she'd not already begun doing so in her life.
Dorothy Catherine, who was also often called just "D.C.," had earlier taken over the required protection duties at least temporarily, if not permanently, for her planet and its mini-system, at least for as long as her oldest sister was away from Neptune on a mission for Serenity. Supposing, of course, that her sister Michelle was currently unable for any reason at all to take them over herself. Like if she'd been whisked too far away from the Moon Kingdom to protect her planet and its mini-system, for example.
D.C. periodically also had at least a little help, if and whenever possible, from certain other Scouts or other Moon Kingdom military personnel as she then did the best that she could to protect her planet and its mini-system from any conceivable kind of harm that might come toward them both, of course. It wasn't always easy for her to protect it well enough, due to her still-young age, quite obviously enough. But she still managed to keep it safe enough from such conceivable harm, at least until such time as she then teleported herself onto the necessary ship that was heading back toward the Moon after its last mission to another Milky Way Galaxy solar system. She only left her protection duties directly relating to her planet and its mini-system when she was sure that they'd both still be protected as much as possible from such kind or kinds of harm. After she was as sure as she could be that they'd be protected as much as they could be, she eventually teleported onto the ship that was now heading back toward the Moon.
As D.C. finished putting the food that she'd just made for lunch on a large table in the main dining hall, Serena and the rest of the Princesses entered that dining hall. They all did that here so that they could each get themselves at least some lunch, before they'd actually have to start training again. Of course, Luna and Artemis weren't far behind them, if they were even behind them at all. Destiny was being led into the main dining hall by Bethany, as was quite often the case for her in her life. And whenever Bethany did that, she was always connected to her older sister Destiny, with a cord attached between one wrist of theirs apiece. That was so that Destiny wouldn't unnecessarily bump into anything at all anywhere that Bethany might go with her in her life, quite obviously enough.
Serena and Raye were quite animated as they entered the main dining hall with each other and the rest of the girls who'd earlier been training all over the RSP's grounds. As they did so, their hands were often moving quite rapidly, so that Bethany could try to follow their conversation whenever she wanted to. As they did so, they often heard or saw comments from various other Princesses now in that main dining hall with them.
At the moment, Raye and Serena were having a discussion about Darien. And they were both wondering how soon, if at all, they'd be able to see him in person again somehow. Raye was currently very skeptical about the chances of that somehow happening any time in the very near future. As were a number of other girls who were now with her in that part of the RSP. Serena, though, was not sharing that opinion, of course. She said, "Raye, I think that we might be able to get out of here again sometime by the middle of December. That is, if we all work hard enough here in the meantime. And then, if that's the case, I think we'll be able to get back to Moon City before too much more time passes for each of us."
"I say we'll not likely get out of here for at least a week before December 20th, Serena."
"I disagree, Raye. I don't think Mom would mind if we came back to the Moon's Moon City side by then. Of course, I could be wrong, you know. I want to see my honey again as soon and as often as I can."
"Serena, don't count on that happening for at least a while. Your mother, in her latest message to us, also said that might not be possible. And that she knew you'd probably be quite upset, if it isn't, by then," said Lita.
"Lita, what's wrong with wanting to be with my honey, who is also my Rose Prince?"
"Rose Prince? We've not heard you refer to Darien as that before, Serena," said Lita.
"Well, he is a Prince, Lita. And he does at least occasionally give me roses, does he not?"
"Well, yeah, Serena, I suppose so. But does he know that he's also your Rose Prince?"
"No, Lita. Not yet. But he does know that he's my honey. And those of you who know me well enough in my life know that's true as well."
"I suppose so," said Lita.
"Who else besides Raye likes Darien, then?" asked Serena.
Deborah said, "I do, at least a little." As she eventually said this here and now, all the Princesses and the cats now present in the RSP's main dining hall began taking seats at tables near each other in it, if they'd not already done so.
"Who else?" Of course, Serena asked that sort of question again.
Beatrice said, "I think he's cute. However, my parents, at least, if not also my sister Rachel, probably wouldn't like the idea much of me ever chasing a man or a boy like him who's from Earth, and not from Jupiter or anywhere in Jupiter's mini-system. I'm not jealous, though, of Serena and the close relationship that she shares with him. Or at least not very jealous, if even a little bit at all."
"Cousin, you'd chase him too, if you could?" This was from Lita to her cousin Beatrice. And Lita asked this while D.C. began serving food and drinks to each of her fellow Princesses and the cats, if she'd not already done so.
"I could, already, Lita. Even though my parents, at least, if not also my sister Rachel, would probably not like it much, I could do so, I think, if I really wanted to. But at the current time, which may be rather fortunate for Serena, I won't do so. Because if I did, I think that I could really give her a real run for her money, if not totally steal him away from her. And I don't think Raye would really have a chance to out-chase me for him, if we both tried to chase him at the same time. Nothing against Raye, of course, but I just think that I could really chase him with the very best of the Princesses from our Moon Kingdom, if not be the best of all those Princesses from it. Supposing, of course, that I really wanted to chase him. Which I don't want to do at the current time in my life, if I'll ever chase him in it. I haven't done so, and I don't think I'll do so for at least a little while longer yet, if ever, in it. I've seen him around the Moon before at least a few times. Even when he's with Serena and a number of you others. And he seems to be the happiest of all whenever he's with Serena and her sisters, anywhere on it."
"Who else here likes my honey too?" For a third time, Serena asked about that sort of thing, at least as it related to Darien and any of her current companions in the main dining hall of the Rainbow Springs Palace.
Ariel, Poruzuka, and Jackie also said they did like him at least a little. Ariel and Jackie said that they might consider chasing him someday. But at the current time, they said that they wouldn't. For they were currently more interested in young men from their own respective worlds and/or their respective worlds' mini-systems than they were in him. Sure, they both liked him at least a little. But they weren't currently interested in chasing him in either of their lives. While they said so to Serena, Poruzuka also said, "He's nice, but I don't think that I'll ever want to chase him in the future. Even if it's possible for me to do so someday yet in the future. Of course, I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. At least not about something like this, as of the current time in my own life."
Then, after D.C. finished serving food and drinks to all her current companions in that dining hall, if she'd not already done so, she took some food and drinks for herself. And she soon took a seat at one of the tables in it. Specifically the one that several of the Princesses who were also Outer Scouts were sitting at. Which was the one that both her sisters were at in it.
There were four tables that were currently occupied by Moon Kingdom Princesses, with at least one open seat at one of them, if not more than one of them, in the main dining hall. Serena was now sitting at the same table that Amy, Raye, Lita, Mina, Destiny, and Bethany were also all sitting at. Susan, Alexis, Hannah, Tracy, and Chloe were sitting at another table with Bridget there too. Winnie, Aurora, Beatrice, and Jackie were sitting at a third table with Ariel. That left the fourth of the aforementioned occupied tables to be occupied by Michelle, Dorothy, Poruzuka, Estella, and Deborah, of course.
As for Luna and Artemis, they each were sitting on top of another table behind four bowls on that table. Two of those bowls had food in them. While two of those bowls had water in them, of course. And the table they were now both sitting on was quite near the one that Serena and her current table-mates were now sitting around in the main dining hall.
After D.C. finally took her seat at her sisters' table, Serena soon said the blessing over the food that D.C. had earlier made for all the Princesses who were currently in the main dining hall, and for both Luna and Artemis, as well. After she'd done so well enough, she let herself and all her current companions in it begin eating their food, and drinking their various beverages, if that's what any or all of them really wanted to do in it for at least a little while. And she tried not to eat too fast while she ate her lunch, for all the obvious reasons. But she wasn't always successful enough in doing that, at least during her current lunch period. For she often wanted to eat a lot of food whenever she ate a meal with more than a few other people in her life, if at all possible. And this was actually one of those certain kinds of times in it. Or at least it was to some degree, if it wasn't entirely one of those times in it.
As she and her companions all ate their food, and drank all their drinks, they often conversed about at least a few things and people in each of their lives. And they wondered how soon they'd all actually be able to return to the Moon's Moon City side. And they wondered under what circumstances that they'd do so, if it was at all possible for them to do so, or if it'd be required that they do so, for any reason whatsoever in each and/or every single one of their own mortal lives in God's very own Universe.
Eventually, Serena thought she and her fellow companions in the main dining hall of the RSP had been in it long enough for them all to eat and drink the food they'd been provided with for each of their lunches. So she said as much. Even though she'd not have minded another serving of cherry pie. Then she said, "D.C., you did a really good job on all this food and these drinks while we were all otherwise occupied elsewhere on the grounds of this palace here. I hope that you can do the same for tonight's evening meal."
D.C. said, "Thank you, Serena. I'll see what I can do for tonight's meal, because it doesn't look like I'll be training yet, does it?"
"No. Sylvia's not yet here. We'll let you know if and when she is. And then we'll handle things as necessary when she arrives. Supposing, of course, that she even shows here sometime soon enough on this side of the Moon."
"I wish none of the Gamma-level Scouts had to train yet as Scouts in their lives, Serena."
"Well, I don't think that it's totally unheard of for kids younger than seven or eight years of age to do that. And I don't think that it'll be at all in the future. I have this strange feeling, though I can't explain it right now, that my future daughter will have to begin training as a Sailor Scout from a very young age."
"Supposing, of course, that you have one, Serena?" asked D.C., rather curious about Serena's plans for the future, and anything relating sufficiently well to it. At least right now, anyway. She already knew at least a little bit about Serena's dreams and visions about what might possibly happen in the future for Serena and various others in her life. And just because of that fact, she also knew that in at least a few of those visions and/or dreams of Serena about possible futures for Serena and various others in her life, there was often a rather young girl with pink hair who Serena and others would likely call Rini. That was if any of those possible futures that included Rini in them actually somehow came to pass sufficiently well in the future for all concerned people in it or them, of course.
"Well, yeah, D.C., that's sort of what I mean, when I mention this particular strange feeling that I'm having now in my life about her. I hope that such a thing doesn't ever happen in the future. But I fear that it might very well come to pass, of course."
"Well, if it does, I hope that God gives you the ability to train her up in the way that she should go in her life. Both as a Sailor Scout and as your daughter. No matter where you both are at such times in the future."
"So do I, Dorothy. And I'm sure that most, if not all, of our current companions here will feel the same way in the future, if they don't already hope that in each of their lives here on the Moon. Or at least I hope they do, of course."
Serena soon dismissed all her fellow Princesses from the main dining hall, once everyone had taken all their dirty dishes, glasses, and silverware to the necessary part of that dining hall. And after they'd done that here so that they could eventually be cleaned in the proper manner before too much more time passed in all their lives. All except D.C., of course, who'd take care of them before she started preparing that night's meal for all of her fellow Princesses and both cats. After Serena dismissed all her fellow Princesses from the main dining hall in the proper manner, she soon left. And Luna and Artemis followed her, minutes after she left that main dining hall.
Serena and the rest of the Princesses who didn't actually stay in the main dining hall soon went to each of their chambers elsewhere in the palace. Those places were where they'd each have at least an hour, but no more than two hours, to themselves before they'd then have to resume their training for at least a little while, if not a long while. Luna and Artemis went to a garden, though, elsewhere on the grounds. And they spent at least an hour, if not longer than an hour, enjoying themselves as much as they possibly could enjoy themselves there. They did this by doing whatever came to either or both of their minds while they were still in that garden, in fact. Which was, for that matter, the Double Anchor Garden, somewhat near the northwestern corner of the RSP's grounds.
I really do hope that you all have enjoyed the first two stories in this particular story series, and the first four chapters of this third story, if you've actually gotten this far. And that you'll all continue to read its related story series, of course, once I put even more of it up here. The other chapters of this third story in the series will be up shortly, if at all possible, readers, for your information. I really don't know yet just how long it'll still 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, readers. 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!