A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews! Again, I need a beta. I also, still don't own Sailor Moon, odd isn't it? Lt me know if there are any inconsistencies and I will do my best to fix them.
"Queen Serenity, it is always a pleasure," the king of Earth stated as he bowed before the queen of Earth, his black and gray hair falling over his kind blue eyes. A grin spread across his slightly wrinkled face. Queen Selenity allowed a blush to appear on her face, giving it a rosy tint. After bowing, he stood up tall and walked over to the princess. "You have grown into a beautiful little princess, Serenity."
Serenity blushed less than her mother and fought back the urge to kick him for calling her little. "Why thank you, King Endymion. Are all of the men on Earth flatterers like you and your son?" she said with a smile. The king laughed heartily as the prince hid a smirk.
"And who are these young ladies behind you?" the king said instead of replying.
For a brief moment, Serenity was angry that they were "young ladies" and she was a "little princess." Instead she answered him. "These are my best friends. Princess Raye of Mars, Amy of Mercury, Lita of Jupiter, and Mina of the planet Venus." Each of the young ladies curtseyed when Serenity spoke their names.
Darien lifted himself off the ground, spitting up yet another mouthful of leaves. His midnight-blue eyes stared into the cerulean eyes that glared back at him. It was definitely Serena, but where were her meatball buns? This upset him greatly and he frowned at her. "What was that for?"
Serena didn't let up her glare. "I refuse to tell you if you can't figure it out for yourself, you dolt!" She huffed and turned back to face the royalty again.
A dolt? I didn't think Serena knew that word. Why is she glaring at me like that? It's like when we first met. "What are you looking at?" Serena rolled her eyes and pointed to the group. Darien gasped in surprise. He saw himself (or Endymion to be exact) and Serenity, the girls, Queen Selenity and HIS FATHER. Off to the side, he noticed four very familiar men.
"Ah, yes of course. Well, today with us we have Prince Endymion's friends. Here is Gregorius, Chadwick, Druisus, and Joseph." When the king finished his introductions, everyone heard a strange sound coming from the forest. It was the undeniable sound of laughter, and a lot of it. Then two shapes came rolling out of the forest. They were holding their sides. Prince Endymion's hand went to his sword at first, but then he realized the beings were harmless. Serenity noticed his eagerness to fight, though.
Darien realized their situation first. He quickly stopped Serena and pointed to the onlookers. Serena squealed in realization. She quickly scrambled up, pushing Darien back down in the process. She felt a tingle on her forehead and came to the conclusion that it was her crescent moon symbol on her forehead. Darien finally managed to get up and he noticed everyone gawking at them, the men focusing on Serena's clothes. He protectively took off his green blazer and put it on her shoulders. She tightened the jacket around herself.
Serena laughed nervously and put her hand behind her head (you know what I'm talking about, right?). "Uh, hey guys!" she said, her voice higher than usual. Then she gauged everyone's reaction. Princess Serenity was studying her features, Raye was scowling at her, Amy looked inquisitive, Lita was ready to fight, Mina was looking at her clothes, and her mother winked at her. The men were just shocked and looked at the Lunarians to see if these two people were supposed to be here. She quickly checked her mind for an excuse, but luckily Darien saved her.
"Usagi, you did send your cousin Princess Serenity a warning that we were coming, right?" Darien looked at the others slightly apologetic and urged Serena on by raising his eyebrows.
Usagi…where have I heard that before? Serena giggled and frowned a little. "I thought I did, but I must have forgotten! Sorry, cuz!" she said uncertainly. Darien smiled at her, letting her know it sounded believable.
"Uh, Selenity I wasn't aware that you were having company. We could have rearranged our plans," the king said and Serenity thought she saw a twinkle in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Endymion and…Usagi," the queen answered after a split second of thought. "I received your letter, Usagi, dear, I just forgot to tell everyone." Everyone seemed to accept this excuse. "Girls, why don't you show our friends from Earth to their rooms and I will talk to Usagi and…er, um, her companion." The princess nodded uncertainly and motioned for the people of Earth to follow them.
The queen gave Serena and Darien a look that clearly stated "don't you dare talk I just saved your butts." They silently walked behind her as she guided them through the several hallways and corridors of the beautiful Moon Palace. They ended up in the throne room, and Serenity sat down on an almost ethereal looking throne.
"Now, explain." Her voice signaled that this was obviously a demand, not a request. Serena looked at Darien expectantly and hopefully and he sighed.
"Well, you see your highness—"
"Stop. I want to hear my daughter explain what she is doing here and in those clothes," the queen said, successfully cutting Darien off. Serena self-consciously pulled the jacket around her tighter. Serena said nothing and just looked at the ground, not wanting to answer the queen, her mother. She had no choice once her mother yelled, "Answer me, Serenity Elizabeth Lunari!"
Serena's eyes shot up, wide as saucers. Darien's eyes grew wide as well. "Ok, well we're here because Sailor Pluto sent us here. And as for my clothes, everyone wears them in the 21st century." Darien bit back a remark about how she was lying about the clothes, but restrained herself.
Selenity considered her daughter's answer. To be sure it was the truth, she mentally called Sailor Pluto to the throne room. After a flash of purple light, the Guardian of Time appeared. She took one look at Darien and Serena and smirked. They both glared back. Oh, princess if looks could kill. "You called my queen?"
"Yes. Pluto, my daughter tells me you sent her and Prince Endymion here from the 21st century." Then she paused and smiled wryly. "From the looks they are giving you, I'd say that's true."
Sailor Pluto nodded. "Yes, your majesty, I did. They nor I can tell you the conditions, however."
"Yes, yes of course. And of Serenity's clothes, are all of the girls wearing those kinds of things where she is from?" Selenity added with a nod to her daughter.
"Well…" Pluto looked at Serena, whose eyes were now pleading, "not ALL of the girls. I must be going now." And just as she came, Sailor Pluto left.
"It seems you were telling the truth for the most part." Both of the younger ones let out a sigh of relief. The queen's eyes were no longer questioning, but full of life and love. "What are your names now?"
"I am called Serena Rebecca Tsukino."
Her mother's eyes swelled with pride. Rebecca was her mother's middle name. "And what about you? I don't believe they call you Endymion anymore."
"No, your majesty," Darien chuckled. "My name is Darien Jacob Shields, your majesty."
"Enough with the 'your majesty's. There is no need for you two to call me that. Now we need to move on to you pseudonyms for this millennium. You are Princess Serenity's cousin Usagi, I suppose?" Serna nodded meekly. "And you, Darien, will be…"
"My servant?"
"Your escort, dear," the queen said with a chiding tone. "As for your name, how about Mamoru?"
"That will be fine, Queen Selenity," Darien replied, putting his new alias to his memory. (From now on, when I say Usagi, I mean Serena and when I say Mamoru, well you know.)
"All right, now Ser—Usagi, your room will be adjacent to the rest of the girls' rooms. And Mamoru's room will be near the Earthlings' rooms. I believe we have a room open with a balcony." Usagi and Mamoru nodded. "All right, now I will have clothes sent to you, Mamoru and Usagi, borrow something from Serenity, after all-you are cousins." Queen Selenity smiled as the two left, her daughter making sure not to get too close to Mamoru. She sighed and finished the preparations for the ball that night.
Usagi sat with the rest of the girls in a living room area that was connected to all of their rooms. Each girl's door was distinctive by her planetary symbol. And there were three doors with the Outer scouts' symbols on them, so Usagi suspected they visited every so often. The room had a U-shaped couch on an expansive area rug. There were also large lounge-chairs and pillows around the room. Serenity was half-laying, half-sitting up on an edge of the couch, Usagi sat on the opposite side of the couch from her, Raye, Amy, and Lita sat on the other parts of the couches, and Mina was out-stretched on three or four pillows.
"Being a princess is exhausting work!" Mina yawned.
"You're just lazy, like Serenity," Raye remarked with a smirk.
"Don't be so hard on her, Raye!" Amy said, hiding a smile.
"Yeah, she's not NEARLY as lazy as our moon princess here!" Lita laughed. "She looks zonked out!"
"I heard that Lita, and you're lucky I don't have you tried for treason!" Serenity threatened and all the girls, Usagi included, burst out laughing. This reminded her so much as the post-battle hangout sessions at the shrine.
"So, Usagi how was your trip here?" Amy asked, changing the subject.
"It was all right. It would've been nice with better company, though," she added with a giggle.
"Are you kidding me? That guy is HOTT! With two T's!" Mina exclaimed, sitting up to see Usagi's reaction. Usagi started with a smile, then a giggle, and then she was rolling on the floor laughing. If only Darien knew what Mina just said! I would tell him, but I still hope he dies. Her anger brought her out of her laughing fit and she sat up, leaning against the couch.
"Anyway, girl, what's the deal with him. I gotta agree wit Mina on this one," Lita asked.
"Hmm, well his name's Mamoru and I've known him for about…" Usagi ran the years in her mind and realized it had been seven years! "Seven years."
"Wow, seven years. So did you guys ever hook up?" Raye asked with an evil glint in her eyes.
Usagi started coughing and was lucky she wasn't eating or she would be choking. Speaking of eating, when's dinner… "Um, yeah he, uh, courted me, I guess you would say, for a couple of years."
"And you guys aren't married?" Amy asked innocently enough. Usagi felt sadness in her heart and had to fight back the tears. Oh, how she had wanted to marry Darien. But then, he…
"No, no we aren't," she said laconically.
"Oh, well why—" Mina, began but was cut off with a pillow to the face from Raye. She threw it back and they all got into a very un-princesslike pillow fight.
"So, Mamoru, is it? What is with that girl…Usagi?" Druisus asked while they were walking around the palace, looking for something to do. The troupe consisted of Druisus, Mamoru, Endymion, Chadwick, and Joseph; Gregorius decided to stay behind and unpack his own things.
Mamoru let out a huge sigh. "Long story."
"So shorten it," Endymion said with a smirk. Mamoru had noticed his arrogance in other short conversations he had overheard.
"We were together, we're not anymore."
"Well, why not?" Endymion replied.
I wish I knew! I wonder what her problem is… "You would have to ask Usagi about that, prince," he spat the word out. HE didn't like that this used to be him.
Endymion laughed. "If I get with her, we certainly won't be talking, we'll be—" His sentence was cut off when Mamoru punched him across the face. Endymion quickly recovered and tackled Mamoru. The two rolled around in the dirt of the gardens and Endymion ended up on top. He proceeded to punch Mamoru in the face until Mamoru head-butted him. Now it was Endymion's turn to be punched repeatedly. He stopped Mamoru by managing to kick him off. The prince of Earth straightened his clothes and stormed off.
"Whoa, Mamoru!" Chadwick said while helping him up.
Joseph slapped him on the back. "'Bout time someone kicked his ass!"
"Gotta say, I'm his sparring partner, and I've never seen him so angry!" Druisus said, shaking Mamoru's hand. Mamoru said a quick good-bye and headed to where he hoped the kitchen would be.
About half an hour later, he arrived in the kitchens. When he opened the doors, he saw Usagi sitting at a small table in there, eating a turkey, ha, and chicken sandwich someone had prepared for her. He saw she was no longer in her red halter, but a simple white cotton dress that came down to her ankles. She gave him a glare when she first saw him and then her expression changed to a look of concern, and then to a scowl.
"What did you do this time?" she asked coldly as he took a seat across from her. She noticed that his dark blue tunic was dirty and torn. "Didn't the queen just send that to you?" she asked once he asked the cooks for a sandwich.
He rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, she did."
"So how did you manage to ruin it already?" she asked condescendingly.
"You just assume it's my fault?" She smiled. "Someone else decided to throw me to the ground. That's three today!" he complained before the chef placed the sandwich and a glass of milk in front of him.
"Three?" she asked, becoming slightly interested.
"Yes. Three," he took a bite and chewed it, "Pluto, You, and now the good prince of Earth." He used his fingers to count, demonstrating his point.
"How can you get into a fight with yourself?" she asked in a low voice.
"He is NOT me!" he said, coming close to shouting. This surprised Usagi. The kitchen staff went along their business. He finished his sandwich and thanked the cooks. With that he left, leaving Usagi deep in thought.
Hope you liked it. I'm sorry if the POV or names or anything got confusing. Let me know if it did, I'm working on it. I also tried my best to put insome humor, but I'll try for more next chapter.
Usagi or SerenaSerena Tsukino
Mamoru or DarienDarien Shields