Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
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Usagi sighed as she sat in the nook of the tree of the garden. Today was a rather big day-she was making the official change over from palace maid to maid to the Head Wives of the Skeit. She was feeling rather grumpy and annoyed and depressed so she had hid in the garden intent on ignoring everyone else in the world.
Usagi's Grudges against the World:(Usagi had become bored quickly and started to list her problems with the world)
Grudge #1: The whole becoming maid to the Head Wives bit.
Grudge #2: Spying. She had the sinking feeling since Kunzite couldn't get her out of being a maid to the Head Wives he was going to milk the situation for all it was worth.
Grudge #3: She was hungry. She could go to the kitchens and try to sneak food but that involved leaving her tree...
Grudge #4: She missed Makoto and Rei and Hotaru and Jadeite, even though he nearly killed her but there was no hard feelings there... But she hadn't seen her friends outside the palace in weeks. Nephlite often gave her information on them when she saw him but even he had turned scarce at the moment. Besides, she wanted to see them. It was shocking how close she got to them in less than three weeks time.
Grudge #5:(and her major reason for pouting) Mamo-chan. The damn fool had disappeared on her! Forget the Lord Endymion who had finally arrived, even if he was supposedly dreamy and that she was working technically for him, she needed to see that idiot Mamoru and knock some sense into him! ...it was depressing how sharp she missed him...but that was besides the point!
She was going to skin him alive! She'd take 'im, and break 'im, and ring his little neck til-
"-phire..."
She nearly jumped straight out of the tree. She clamped one hand to her mouth to hold back a squeak and cautiously, after reassuring her grip on the tree, looked down into the garden. Just beneath her two people stood, a man and a woman. The man, he had dark hair and that was as much as she could tell, held the woman's hand to his chest, resting over his heart.
Oh score! They're sweethearts! she grinned. This beat palace gossip any day! She smiled and sighed fondly but very quietly. She didn't want to intrude after all!
"-It's not fair..." the young girl whispered. Oh no! frowned Usagi. Forbidden Love! Just her luck to happen to find two apparent sweethearts with a forbidden love. She could imagine it now-maybe the girl was a maid and the man nobility-or maybe it was the other way around! SHE's nobility and he's a servant! OR maybe their families hate each other! Usagi nearly gasped, it wouldn't be fair.
Then again she could totally be wrong. Usagi shrugged and went back to the little drama beneath her.
"-I'm sorry..." he whispered. "But it has to stop-"
"I don't care!" the girl snapped back. "It's not fair-I love you!"
Oh, it is forbidden love! thought Usagi. How completely unfair!
"Shh!" he shushed her. "We can't let anyone hear us." Too late! thought Usagi. The young man seem to wilt a bit. "And don't you think I love you too?"
Sooo much better than gossip. thought Usagi.
"Dearest..."
Usagi watching practically bouncing on her branch as she watched the two lovers kiss. So romantic...
Suddenly, a distant sound of footsteps drifted through the garden and the two jumped apart. Usagi watched as they gripped hands one more time.
"Sapphire..."
"Prisma...go. Before Diamond finds you."
Prisma, the young woman, raced back through the garden. Sapphire waited a moment then drifted out of the garden too.
Up in her tree, Usagi had frozen in shock.
Sapphire, the younger brother to the Skeit Diamond...
Prisma, one of the Head Wives to the Skeit Diamond...
"Holy shit." murmured Usagi.
Kunzite was gonna freak...
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Jadeite sharpened his blade with a wet stone as he sat at Makoto's counter. Beside him, swinging her legs back and forth from her perch on the high stool, Hotaru sat slurping her stew. "Papa?"
"Hmm?" answered Jadeite sitting his stone and knife aside. He turned to look at his daughter who had an anxious look on her face.
"Do you have to leave again?"
Ah, so this is what this is about. He smiled sadly down to his little girl and ruffled her hair. "'Fraid so, firefly."
She pouted and wilted a bit. "For how long?"
Jadeite shrugged a little. "It's a caravan, Hotaru. We'll all just be going to Encarnación on the other side of the Zoraida."
Hotaru gave a half glare at her father. "That's really far! Last time you went there you were gone three weeks!"
Jadeite sighed. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry, firefly, but I've got important business waiting for me in Encarnación." Hotaru huffed and reached out for him. He blinked and sat her in his lap. She looked up at him with doleful eyes.
"Come back soon, papa." she murmured hugging him.
He sighed and hugged her back. "As soon as I can manage, firefly."
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Ami sat on the edge her bed, quietly folding Usagi's clothing and placing it in a chest in front of her. Since Usagi was being transferred she would be getting new rooms and she needed to get her things ready but the girl had gone off sulking and had left her stuff here, tossed across the room and her bed haphazardly. Grabbing another shirt she folded and placed it with the others and found herself sniffling.
She blinked and rubbed her face harshly. She wasn't going to cry now!
She nodded and grabbed another dress of Usagi's. Besides it wasn't' like she was never going to see Usagi...it was just she wouldn't be in her room, and next to her as she cleaned...and probably not sitting with her at dinner...and...
She patted her pockets looking for her handkerchief. A handkerchief was offered to her from her side and she accepted and blew her nose.
"You know-" she began, "you really shouldn't be in here, Zoisite. It's improper. You could get me in big trouble."
Zoisite smiled lightly and sat down upon the edge of the bed. "Like that's ever mattered. I haven't been caught yet so now's not the time to start, right?"
She sniffled and nodded. "It would be a bad time, yes."
"So..." he started turning to look about the room. "either Usagi's really get transferred or you've succeeded in kicking her out."
She gave a wet laugh. "You knew before I did that she was going to be transferred."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and then looked away again. "Did I? Hmm, I've seemed to have forgotten it..."
She chuckled wetly at him. "Zoisite, if I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to comfort me."
"Me? Hmm, you must just be mistaken." he said with a half smirk. She laughed at him and he grabbed a piece of clothing and began to help her fold clothes.
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Usagi fidgeted quietly as a matronly woman lead her through the rooms. Behind the jalis, she began to feel the beginnings of claustrophobia and a nervous feeling gripped her stomach as she felt eyes watching her. She shuffled closely behind the woman as she opened a door and entered a room.
"My ladies," began the woman making Usagi jump. In front of her seven woman sat: Lady Beryl, the chief wife, a sour looking woman with auburn waves and violet eyes. Lady Metallia, a forbidding looking woman with dark hair, the second wife. Lady Catzy, a charming if not homely looking woman with violet eyes and hair, the third wife. Next to Lady Catzy was her sisters: Lady Bertie, a pale beauty with a chess set in front of her. Lady Avery, a sharp featured woman with snapping eyes. And then, Usagi faught from swallowing loudly, was the eldest of the sisters, Lady Prisma. Shut off from the rest of the wives in the shadows, a young woman with caramel colored hair was the last wife: Lady Galaxia herself, the only one of the wives with ties to true royalty.
Usagi bowed to them all. Beryl sneered at her and began to chat with Metallia. Catzy proved to be quite charming and began to fuss over "such lovely hair, the little darling". Usagi ignored her treating like she was five but allowed herself to soak up the attention for a bit. Bertie waved a bit to her and went back to her one sided chess game. Avery nodded and returned to her embroidery in her lap. Prisma smiled serenly and sipped her tea and distracted Catzy with chatting.
Having nothing better to do, she went and stood next to the Lady Galaxia. She blinked and looked up at her once and then turned away. Usagi shrugged and remained standing. After a moment, Galaxia turned back to her.
"You don't have to stand there. You can leave." she said finally. Usagi shrugged.
"I'm to wait on you."
"You're to wait on all of us." she shot back.
"Ah, but you're the only one who isn't busy." Galaxia looked up at her and shook her head.
"Well, just don't stand there."
"My lady?"
"Sit." she ordered. Usagi smiled softly and sat next to her. Galaxia studied her a moment and looked away. "Just stay there and don't cause trouble."
"As you wish, my lady."
Phew, that was a lot to write at one sitting. I must admit-no one got the clue I left them in the last chapter. I'm a bit shocked.
sailorSerena141-I'm glad you think my story is original, I try to strive and do that just that. Thank you.
whitey9h-Actually didn't planning on updating this today, but hey who am I to argue?
Serenathy-Who's to say she wasn't acting a bit? I'm shocked no one picked up on what I said about Mamoru.
Sapphire Midnight-I'm proud that this was the first then! How's this for stress relief? Pwee, the end is coming soon, I doubt there'll be a chapter twenty...
Friends1004-(glances at Chibi Lady who has a foul look and gauze wrapped around her head) Oh, she's...um, fine...I'm worried about my health.(Chibi Lady: You should be!) No, no powers. Minako was in too much pain to grab the cups so she was getting a little desperate...
Starlit Warrior-Cool pen name by the way. Here's the new chapter!
FireSenshi2-All dead corpses will be used burned accordingly-so no dying! And here's the next chapter!
searchingformydarien-Holy crap that's one long pen name. How do you remember it all? Oo Heh, no body has got the clue I left in the last chapter. When this story is done I plan to go back through and add things to help everyone out.
Laura-You bet I will (I hope I will...)!
Amesia Raighn-Close! So close! Try again! And no, Jadeite's the only real commoner of the four.
Princess d'Etoile-Thank you! Here's the next chapter.