Disclaimer: Two pennies and some citrine. That's more or less all I have, and I don't own that or Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing, so unless you want some fancy Shakespearean quote such as: "Hell is empty and all the devils are here," or "'Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?' 'I do bite my thumb sir, but not at you, sir.'" don't sue.

From Then, To Now, 'Til Later

Chap.4: In Which a Queen Decides

By: AutumnHime

The great, golden brown spirit-wood doors of the throne room burst open, hitting against the wall with an almighty crash. Silence, like a pebble thrown into the midst of a still pond, rippled outward from the center among the chatting courtiers. The Queen stood up, shock quickly covered up by a politic mask.

Shenlong, Nanashi, and Shinigami swept into the room, striding briskly forward. Behind them, Ares and Apollo dragged a black armored body between them.

Whispers ran through the crowd. Why were the Planet Princes...in new outfits!!!???... in their Deity form, versus their own guise? A touch of worry laced their words as well. Was that man between them some new threat? As one, the people in the throne room turned towards the Queen.

The five approached the Silver Throne. The people parted, fancy dress rustling and rasping as they shifted.

Finally, silver Shenlong, amethyst Shinigami, crimson Ares, golden Apollo, and emerald Nanashi reached the silver throne.

Ares and Apollo dropped their burden.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Queen's voice rang out, bell tones hammering against white marble columns and richly tapestried walls.

"Your Majesty, we demand a private audience as is our right as guardians of the kingdom." Ares' cold voice froze many in the audience, mice caught under the gaze of a cat.

Apollo glared at his friend. He had hoped to make their request in a slightly more diplomatic manner. "Queen Selenity, mother, we have things that need to be said quickly and privately, if possible."

"It cannot wait?" Selenity asked, narrowing her blue-silver eyes at her son.

"No, Majesty, it cannot wait." Shinigami spoke, his voice, normally at least slightly sympathetic, now promising death as slowly and painfully as he could manage.

The queen bowed her head, lilac-white streamers falling forward. "Very well." she sighed softly, and gestured to her herald to dismiss the court.

The nobles ran out of the room, praying to Selene that they missed the fireworks.

The great doors that had crashed open now shushed silkily shut. The five males stood arrogantly in a star position (1) with the only obviously armored male on his stomach in the middle.

The Queen regally sat down, acting as if the center of the star did not exist. "Well?" She arched a graceful brow at her son, "you wished an audience. You have it. Speak."

Ares lifted his own haughty gaze, Prussian blue eyes colder than Mercury's ice storms. "Majesty, do you recall when I warned you about Prince Endymion a few weeks ago? I told you that he may not be all that is desirable."

A creamy alabaster hand waved negligently in the air, yet something flickered in the lavender depths of the queen's eyes. "I asked King Entymion. He informed me that they were simply destructive rumors to curtail our progression towards an alliance and peace."

"Really," Wufei drawled. "So that means this man is not Prince Endymion?"

Duo and Trowa bent down smoothly as one, and each grasped a cuirassed shoulder. They lifted the black haired man with ease.

Bruises marred the once too-pretty face, and striking navy eyes stared back at the queen with fear, defiance, and anger. The man's cut and bleeding mouth worked soundlessly.

Nanashi snapped.

"...Your bitch of a daugh..." Venom filled words lashed out and then abruptly stopped. Nanashi had snapped again.

The queen paled in shock, then turned to granite. "How dare you hurt an ambassador to this court! I will not have it!" She turned her head towards Heero, gaze hardening from ice to diamond.

"This is your doing, Ares. You have NEVER liked Terrans, and you hated me for seeing through you and hindering your courtship of my daughter." The poison kept flowing. "You merely want more fodder for your causes, just like your father. I am glad I have saved my daughter from that heartbreak!" Selenity hissed, flinging her hand outwards. "I banish you from this court, for the rest of my time as reigning queen. You may not make contact with Princess Serenity. If it becomes needful for communication between yourself and this court, a third party of MY choosing will do so."

"Moth..." Blue eyes flared, shock, rage, disbelief flooding without dam.

"Queen..." Death-filled eyes reverted for a moment to indigo...then tombstones, ghosts, and rustling wind refilled them as Shinigami stared at his queen.

"Highn..." Black diamonds clashed hotly with silver-blue moonstones.

"SILENCE!" Selenity's voice crashed down about the five shocked young men in strange clothes. She continued on in a voice barely above a whisper. "I will forgive the rest of you your trespasses against my reign. However, you will be banished from the moon for the length of six months. If you return during that time...you will be exiled for life. Do you understand?"

She banged a here-to unnoticed scepter against the marbled floor. "The banishing ceremony will take place in six days. You will be confined to your quarters until then."

"But mother!" Quatre protested. "Endymion tried to rape Serenity!"

"Is that what Serenity told you? She has been against this marriage since I announced it this morning. THE WEDDING WILL GO ON! Now, release the Prince Endymion, Nanashi!"

A startled gasp from behind the queen attracted everybody's attention. Long hair pulled into a style similar to her mother's, mouth silently whispering "no mother, mother no...mother NO", Serenity stood like a deer when a tree branch snaps in her hearing. Like the deer, she turned and ran, hair whipping out into a golden banner. Racing back through the dark portal by which she had entered, the only sign of her presence was the death-knell crash of the door as it clanged shut behind her.

Without another word being said, the five defenders of the Tsuki no Hime and her court turned and walked out, defeated, sorrowful, and most of all...betrayed.

*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)**)*)*)*))*)*)*)*)*)*)*)

The queen watched them go, and the newly released Prince of Earth watched her. When the doors that had burst open only minutes ago closed behind her daughter's brother and friends, she turned her attention to the man at her side.

He sketched a bow in her direction. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I was afraid for a moment there."

"You let yourself get caught, Endymion. I told you to do it some place where she could not be rescued." Queen Selenity's voice had changed from bell tones to brimstone. "They are going to get suspicious. Queen Selenity would never have let someone touch her precious daughter in such a manner."

"Yes, but this has allowed you to begin the alienation of the few who could save the Silver Millennium." Endymion's voice turned bitter. "Besides. The bitch princess knew some fighting techniques. You never said that she was trained in martial arts."

"That is the only reason you are still alive!"

Endymion's laugh could have cut diamond. "That and the fact you need me to open the Moon Kingdom's gates."

"What is the use of having the body of this disgustingly good creature if I cannot achieve the opening of the gates myself?"

"Why dirty your hands...Queen Beryl? I see no reason for you to do it when I can."

Beryl ignored him. "The queen sleeps restlessly in her head. I fear I cannot contain her much longer."

"Seven days...in seven days, I will have opened the gates in, and Earth will take its rightful place as the planet second only to the Negamoon."

"Just seven more days."

Hair-raising laughter jumped off of the walls, as the Prince of Earth and the Queen of the Negamoon in the Queen of the Moon's body saluted one another.

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1) The star position I'm talking about would look like this: * (back)

                   * - *

* *(front)

Another short chapter. I hope you liked this one. You didn't really believe that Queen Selenity could have let her own daughter marry the man Endymion is portrayed as, do you?

Next chapter: The Beginning of the End of the Moon Kingdom.

Ja ne!

AutumnHime