Chapter 4 - Royal Meetings
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Dark eyelashes shimmered above two unblinking blue eyes. The Princess stared longingly at the planet she so loved to watch, completely unaware. Serenity's small arms clung to the base of a large aspen, her face peering out from behind to stare. Everyone else was asleep, and normally Serenity would be asleep as well, but for the first time in her young life, sleep eluded her. Something nagged at the back of her mind that made sleep impossible, and so, the eight year old child had found comfort here, with a tree and the night sky to show her longing.
Her desire to go to Earth had long since grown from some childish fancy. Though only eight, she may be, but a force stronger than the child's own drew something from there. Little did the tiny Moon Princess know that a force equal in strength drew ever nearer at that very moment.
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The five boys were awakened from their short slumber by a soft thump. The transport had touched down on the ground once more. Each of them shook the sleep from their eyes eagerly, wishing to see as much of this strange world as they possibly could. It was fascinating to them how alike and yet different the Moon and the Earth were. The Earth held a vibrant beauty that dazzled all, but the Moon...the Moon pulsed with an aura of mystery, wisdom, and beauty that could awe even the dullest heart.
Artemis stood alert, feeling relieved at returning home. This had, by far, been one of the strangest request made to him by the King and Queen. To fetch a small, grungy village boy from Earth to make him a Knight and return with four additional passengers who were apparently to become Knights as well, under the command of the Royals...A strange day indeed.
Never the less, Artemis took his duty in hand and led the five awed boys off the silver platform and onto bare ground. The Moon's transport was located in the open, for easier travel. It was, however, placed near the center of the capital, not more than a mile from the Silver Palace.
The grand structure dominated the scene on the Moon, and yet did not overtake it. The building looked as if it truly belonged there...was natural. The city held a strange beauty as well, even the most obscure building added it's magnificence to the entire sight. It was brilliant to behold, and few common Terrans had the privilege to gaze upon it's splendour.
To Artemis' surprise, and delight, a carriage awaited to carry them to the Palace. He had been under the impression that he would have to lead his tired self and these boys up to the Palace on foot. Not a hard journey, surely, but a tiring one for a man so weary.
The same could not be said for the five boys. They looked around savagely, trying to take everything in as fast as they could. They couldn't get enough of this wondrous place. None of them now regretted their decision to come to the Moon Kingdom. Throughout their small journey, they had all been a little skeptical, thinking now, and too late, that they had made too big a decision too fast. This was huge! None of them could possibly know when they would next see their family. Chances were, it would be many a year before that really happened. But gazing upon the Moon had set them in a strange mood, and they knew that all would be well, and they had somehow made the right decision.
Dawn was closing upon them, and with it, taking the splendour of the Moon Kingdom. It truly was beautiful in the day, but so much more so in the night. Silver encompassed the entire haven during the night, lending those that tread upon it it's awesome glow. In the moments between night and day, one could watch the Silver glow come vibrantly to life. All the moonlight slipping away with the wind, only to reveal the splendid colour beneath it.
And in the watching of this marvel, the boys took their first steps on the Royal Grounds of the Moon Kingdom, and their lives would never be the same again.
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Serenity, still calm from her night in the dark looked about her at the sunrise she so seldom saw. She drank it in, filling herself with the morning freshness. It made her smile. She twirled in the Garden, undeterred by emotion and just let her happiness flood. A small change had come upon her through the course of that night. She was neither the same, but nor was she a different girl than the one she had been only the night before. It was subtle, and would grow more as time wore on, but it was the beginnings of an understanding of life and of herself. Small, but still there.
With a grin that she would hold on to till the end of her days, Serenity bounded up the stairs from the Garden into the Palace. It was far to early to see many people out and about, and she was sure a couple people were wondering where she had been off to for the entire night. She felt not even the slightest bit tired, only refreshed and new.
Serenity burst through her doors and found a slightly panicked Luna pacing to and fro. Luna turned and embraced Serenity for a moment before questioning her.
"Where have you been?" Her voice was rather squeaky, but she took herself in check only a moment after.
Serenity scrunched her eyebrows and looked at Luna. "I was in the Gardens," she stated simply. Giving Luna no further reply, she bounded to her wardrobe and pulled out one of her many simple dresses. Today, she wore a dress of a soft lavender color, just as her mother usually wore. Serenity adored the colour, only wishing that she looked as her mother did in it.
Tearing out of the previous nights clothing, she struggled to put on the unspoiled dress. While she was taken with concentration, Luna walked over with a soft smile on her face and helped Serenity get the dress over her head and brush her hair once the dress was in place.
Luna loved brushing Serenity's hair. It was soft and lush, just as a child's should be. And the silkiness of it reflected even the smallest of lights, making it shimmer. Serenity possessed a gift that wouldn't develop until later, but it would surely become a grand mane of hair soon enough.
Serenity sat impatiently, waiting for Luna to finish with her hair. She was ready to be off around the Palace once more. Today was going to be a good day, she could tell. Luna, sensing Serenity's impatience, finished quickly, putting her hair in a long braid and shooed her off with a smile and a wish that she would just tell someone the next time she went off on her own.
With a quick nod, Serenity rushed out the door, in an excitement that seemed to grip her without fail. She felt there was no need to wake up her friends yet, it was far to early for any of them to be up. Instead, she skipped towards the Royal Apartments. Serenity knew that she would find her parents awake already.
Indeed, she did find them awake, and there was a great deal of surprise when they saw their daughter had awoken so early. Selenity gave her daughter a loving smile and swept her into a hug on her lap.
"What is my precious daughter doing up so early, might I ask?" Selenity joked.
Serenity grinned at her mother and father and wriggled around in Selenity's lap, not content with just sitting. Selenity let the girl down and smiled at her, waiting for an answer.
"I'm excited!" Serenity exclaimed.
Taranis let out a guffaw. "And what, pray, have you to be excited about love?" He pushed Serenity on merrily.
"Oh, nothing really...I just seem to be strangely excited today. I couldn't even sleep last night!" She grinned at her parent's, feeling slightly elated that she had managed to stay up all night.
"Is that so?" Selenity raised an eyebrow, "And yet you seem to be so refreshed."
Serenity nodded happily and looked from her mother to her father. Serenity suddenly felt the strange tension in her parent's faces. It's not that she recognized the tension, but she knew that everything wasn't exactly normal.
"Ma...Papa...are you alright?" Serenity questioned them curiously.
"We will be having some guests to the Palace today Serenity." Selenity started to explain. "They are to be staying at the Palace permanently and become a part of your Royal Guard."
Serenity's eyes were alight with excitement now, she waited for her mother to say more, unable to speak herself.
"They are Terrans." Taranis added. Serenity's eyes went dark for a moment. Could it possibly be that her mother had invited those horrid boys back permanently? That would be devastating.
Confusion went through both parties. Taranis and Selenity wondered why Serenity had suddenly frowned after the information of her Guard coming from Terra, and Serenity was still wondering if it truly was those boys.
If Serenity had been but a little older, she may have questioned why her parents still seemed tense, but the thought had slipped from her mind completely, and she stood there, waiting for some more information.
"We expect them to be here any time soon, but you are not to meet them for some time yet." Selenity explained. With this line came a ray of hope for Serenity, maybe it wasn't those boys. A smile drifted back upon her face lazily. She did not even question why she was not to meet them yet, she simply bounded out of the room into the hall and shot down through the Palace.
Selenity and Taranis watched her leave, a shimmer of mirth in both their eyes. Serenity was acting strange today, and yet she was still the same. For the time, they let her be.
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The five boys were entering the Palace through the main courtyard, but no special welcome had been waiting for them. They simply entered the towering doors into a large Entrance Chamber where they came upon some more guards for the Palace. One of them nodded to Artemis and shuffled off into the Palace, disappearing around a corner.
They took the time to stare around the large Chamber. Tapestries were hung upon the walls, portraying a series of scenes none of the boys could understand, all having to do with famous history of the Moon Kingdom. It was magnificent to behold. The walls behind the tapestries shined in a silver luminescence, tranquil beauty resonating off of every stone. The floor tiles were not carpeted, for the season was not cold. The tiles alternated between a soft cream colored marble slat and a light sky blue marble colored slat.
This perfection gave the Terran boys the impression that they were a black stain upon an otherwise flawless canvas. In the center of this entrance hall sat a magnificent fountain, portraying the Moon Goddess Selene, her arms up high, embracing earth and sky. She was carved in marble as well, standing upon a high pedestal. Water fell from her opened palms down into the large basin below. And once agin, certainly not for the last time, the boys felt completely awed by the Moon Kingdoms beauty.
A moment later, a woman entered the room clad in a yellow and violet summer dress. She was beautiful, with gorgeously long violet hair. There was a sparkle in her eye as she looked at Artemis, but it was soon gone.
The woman surveyed the ragged looking boys and huffed before leading them further into the Palace. Luna thought to herself, 'I'll have to do something about the shape these boys are in.' Their current state was not suitable for presentation to the Royals, but it would have to wait. She had specific order to take them to the Small Dining Hall straight away. There, the boys were to dine with the King and Queen, and all would be explained.
Luna herself, was just as befuddled about the situation as Artemis, but she did not question orders. Answers would come later.
With a nod and a smile, Luna stepped aside to let the five boys and Artemis enter the Hall. Her face grew slightly hot when Artemis thanked her, but she shook her head and was off once more to inform Selenity and Taranis of the arrivals.
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Selenity let out a sigh when Luna told them the boys had arrived. It seemed as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and things would start to become clear now. She and Taranis were already dressed and ready to entertain, and so, together they strode towards the Dining Hall, arm in arm.
As the two approached the Hall, they could hear the boys small, nervous voices creeping through the doorway. The Royal Couple entered gracefully and made formal introductions to the boys and welcomed them to the Moon Kingdom.
"We are glad that you all decided to join us in our court." Taranis' deep voice boomed in the Small Hall, and the five boys were awed by the Royal company. None of them had ever imagined a day like this to come.
Each of them stammered an introduction to the Royals, feeling awful bare with only their simple names to offer. Endymion seemed to be the most calm. He had not joined in the other boys nervous conversation. Instead, he had sat in thought, wondering what would come next. He introduced himself quietly, but with a confidence that made the other boys proud to call him their leader.
As the King and Queen took their seats, the boys, with the exception of Endymion, grew increasingly alarmed and uncomfortable. Endymion should have been the most uncomfortable however, for Selenity continued to stare at him, as if looking for something she could not yet see.
For a moment of reassurance, Endymion brushed his belt pouch, feeling the Rose safely inside. This slight action flooded him with warmth and gave him a renewed vigor. He returned the Queen's stare without a blink, not daring to look away until she had herself.
Selenity seemed to find this action highly amusing as well as a magnificent feat for the small boy. Only those ranking near to herself or those who knew her well were capable of holding her stare. Most looked away, to awed by her presence, or else thought themselves unworthy of the right. She had forever been attempting to stamp this absurd idea out of her subjects minds, but some things could never be undone.
Selenity gave Endymion a small smile and the slightest of nods, acceding to his presence. The Queen knew this boy would grow into a knight worthy of his daughter, and for that she was grateful. She would have to just watch and see as these five boys struggled through this new life. Many things that knights-to-be must know were taught to them since they were young, but these boys knew nothing, they were from a village on Terra. These boys had to learn everything, reading, writing, etiquette, history, strategy, theory, weaponry, riding... She could list a thousand more things. In her mind's eye she could see the five boys buckling under the weight of all this, what would Selenity do then? All she could do was pray that they all, more importantly Endymion, could succeed in this almost impossible task.
Shaking herself out of her momentary reverie, Selenity noticed that nobody had moved. She gestured towards all the delicious foods laid out upon the table. It was certainly not a feast, but it was surely more food than any of the five boys had seen on the table in one time. Hesitating only a moment, the five boys all reached out, filling their plates with the fruits, cheeses, and breads. They were all served stew only a moment later, generous amounts were received by the five boys, probably arranged by Luna to start her mission of making these boys fit to be a Knight.
The Royals had to suppress momentary laughter that went along with their feelings of pity. They wondered how often the five ever got to eat like this, or even if they had ever tasted some of the foods. Selenity's heart soared for Gaia; she had to watch her son live like this? And how many other families lived just as poorly? Selenity could only guess. However she may want to, there was nothing she could do for all of them...
The boys however, were not thinking along these lines at all. Each was delighted with their own food. The fruits were ripe, fresh, and juicy. Hands were covered with their sugary juices as the boys continued on with their feast. The bread was not stale, in fact, it was fresh, and pleasantly warm. It went right along with the cheeses that seemed to crumble in their mouths to produce a satisfying effect. The soup was lavished with spices unlike any the boys had ever tasted. After finishing the soup, their mouths watered for more, an effect that particular spices have on people.
The moment they had all finished their foods, however, they all became very still and silent once more. Each of them just as embarrassed as then next at the way they had eaten in front of the Royals.
Kunzite and Zoisite both attempted to wipe their sticky hands on their clothes, quite unceremoniously. Jadeite just stayed absolutely still, convinced that this course of action might really make him invisible. Nephrite squirmed in his chair, most uncomfortable and ready to be out the Royal's presence quickly. Endymion was the only one with the sense, still heavily embarrassed, to pick up the napkin near him and use it to clean himself up. It made little difference however, and he soon left the napkin to it's own devices, wishing he wasn't quite so dirty in front of the Royals.
There was nothing he could do but endure it, and so they all did, and rather bravely at that. A few moments of uncomfortable silence followed the boys demonstration, but the King soon cleared his throat, preparing to speak again to the boys.
Servers cleared away the settings and the food, clearing the table but for cups that were meant for tea. The steaming liquid was poured into everyone's cup, and Taranis sipped his own cup merrily before actually speaking.
"Now that we are all sufficiently fed, let us now speak about the reason you all are here," Taranis' low voice boomed in the hall once more.
Endymion straightened up, listening intently. This was what he had been wanting to hear ever since the trip in the Transporter. He waited silently for the King to continue speaking.
"As you all well know, you have been summoned here for the chance to become a Knight of the Moon Kingdom. The Queen and myself just so happened to catch wind of a village on Terra that contained a boy we were very interested to have in our court," Taranis nodded his head ever so slightly at Endymion. "We sent for Endymion, only to find that he would not leave the side of his four friends," At this, Taranis nodded his head towards the rest of them in turn. "Seeing that you were all capable young men who showed promising qualities for what we were searching, we allowed you to attend as well."
Seeing a look of awkward disappointment appear in the other four boys eyes, Taranis quickly revised his story a bit. "On no account had we ever overlooked you however. We had certainly seen that you four would be just as capable as well. At the time we were only in need of one knight, but seeing as Master Endymion refused to leave without you, we made an exception. We are not sad that we did either."
Taranis' little spiel seemed to mollify the others, and Selenity sighed and smiled. Both the Royal's had been very opposed to lying so bluntly to these boys, but had agreed that nothing could be done for it. Endymion could not know his true heritage yet, who knows what he might do if such information had been dumped on him now? No matter how opposed Selenity had been to lying, Taranis and herself had agreed that this was the best way to keep things simple and quiet for now.
"You see boys, lately, there have been no young men capable and willing to take up the challenge of becoming a Knight. Many of them chase after different endeavors, and we were forced to broaden our lookouts. That's where you come in," Taranis stopped for another moment to take a sip of his tea before continuing.
"In case you did not know, the Moon Kingdom has an Heiress to the Throne safely within the Palace. A small escort of ladies has moved into the Palace to keep her company. And your summons, should you wish to accept the duty, is to train to become the Princess' and her Ladies Royal Guard."
Selenity took this pause to look at each boy in turn and ask him if he was ready to dedicate himself to becoming a Knight of the Moon Kingdom and as such, serve and protect the Princess from the dangers that might lurk around her.
Each boy was so stunned at this sudden initiation that each of them stammered a yes to the Queen. They were to frightened and awed to even think of refusing now.
The King and Queen were experts of negotiation, and dealing with these boys had been nothing compared to a Hall filled with arguing counselors. Taranis gave Selenity a smile and a nod.
Kunzite, too eager to wait anymore, blurted out his question, "When will we start our training?"
Selenity answered, "Whenever you wish to, albeit, the sooner the better surely. I must inform you that being a Knight is not all swordplay and saving damsels. There is a lot of work that stands with being a Knight. You will have schooling, history of the Moon Kingdom is highly important in that realm of study. Etiquette goes along with the things anyone at court must know. You will learn to dance, to escort a lady, the code of chivalry here on the Moon Kingdom as well as elsewhere. On top of that, there is a lot of training involved. A knight must always be ready for anything, may it be a battle or a ball. Battle tactics and strategy, weaponry, and riding will be very important. And these things you must learn rather fast as well. Most knights-to-be have had some of the schooling, and many have been introduced to weaponry and know how to ride. On top of that, training usually begins when a boy is ten. You are rather far behind the normal Page...but worry not boys," Serenity stated, for at this point they all seemed effectively terrified once more. " I believe each and every one of you is capable of catching up, if not surpassing others in these tasks."
Endymion piped up for the first time in a long while, "Then we should start as soon as we can, else we'll be left even further behind!" The little Endymion sank back into his chair, having been overly excited at the moment. All thoughts of finding out the real meaning of why they were there were swept from his mind. He was to become a Knight! And he was to protect the Moon Princess! How many dreams can come true in a day?
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Minako, being the gossip of the five girls, came prancing into the gardens after snooping around the Palace, trying to find out if the boys from Terra had arrived. She grinned at the other four girls and blurted out, "They're here!"
Serenity had told her four friends right away about the Terrans, and that she thought they might be different boys than the boys who had escorted them for the Ball.
"Let's go see them!" Lita exclaimed, "I hope they'll be friends..." This statement didn't deter any of the girls however and they nodded quite enthusiastically to Lita's suggestion.
They all slunk off into the Halls of the Palace, giggling and messing around with each other, thinking themselves quite sneaky. They meandered their way through the halls of the building quite easily, finally making it to the large Entrance Chamber. They thought this might be the best place to start. If the boys had arrived, someone would have seen them enter.
Serenity grinned even wider and lightly pushed Lita out of excitement. Lita turned and grinned back at Serenity and gave her a light push back. Later on, everyone would say that only Serenity could possibly make this mistake. However, at that moment, Serenity lost her balance. After Lita had pushed her, her feet had become tangled, making her fall quite ungracefully into the fountain in the center of the hall.
The sudden shock of cold surprised Serenity and she floundered about in the basin before catching her breath and getting her footing. Just as she was standing up, a smirking Luna entered with five Terran boys in tow. She had been taking them to the Barracks that they would be occupying, which were just outside the Palace Main.
Having heard the splash of water, Luna had picked up her pace, but slowed back down once more upon seeing all the girls waiting in the Chamber.
Serenity's small frame emerged from the water, soaking wet. Her dress clung to her as if it never meant to let go. Her hair lay flat upon her head, face, and back. It was plastered there, looking like a heavy mop. Her eyes peeked out from behind her hair and immediately landed upon Luna and the five boys. The other girls gaze soon followed, their laughter still roaring through the hall.
When they caught sight of the other party however, they stifled their laughs, still snickering under their breath. Echoes of their laughter could still be heard reverberating upon the stone. Luna's smirk only spurred their small snickers at Serenity's plight.
The five Terran boys had been surprised to come upon the group of giggling girls. They watched as the smallest one emerged from the fountain, wet as she could be. They all grinned at each other, trying not to laugh.
Luna cleared her throat, and all snickering stopped. "Well, since we seem to have stumbled upon the Princess and her Ladies, there's no use waiting to introduce you all."
Serenity glared at everyone from behind her mop, wishing she wasn't quite so clumsy all the time.
In a noble attempt to save some of her dignity, Serenity hitched up her dress and walked toward the edge, preparing to get out of the basin of water. Her face was glowing with a fierce pride, but to everyone but her amusement, she slipped once more. She came up out of the water again, looking thoroughly embarrassed and about to cry. Could this moment get any worse?
Unfortunately, it was after that thought that she realized everyone, including the usually sympathetic Luna, was either snickering or just outright laughing at her. It took every ounce of her strength to stop herself from crying, which could only make the situation worse for herself.
The five boys wondered which girl was which, especially the girl that had emerged from the fountain. They watched as the smallest girl finally scrambled her way out of the basin. They finally took control of their laughter and looked at all the girls in turn, trying not to laugh when they came to the sopping wet, small girl.
Watching the scene, Luna had been surveying each of the boys. None of them had even made a move to help Serenity, even after she said that the group had been the Princess and her Ladies. They didn't know which was which, but that was not the point. They would learn soon enough however. They would one day jump at the chance to save one of these girls, as they would be trained. All of them needed a lot of work.
Clearing her throat, Luna went on to introductions. Pointing to each of the boys in turn, she told their names, "Master Nephrite, Master Zoisite, Master Jadeite, Master Kunzite, and Master Endymion of the planet Terra." They all made their extremely clumsy bows as they were introduced.
Now turning to the five girls, she proceeded with their own introductions, which were much more extravagant. "Lady Ami Mizuno, Heiress to the throne of Mercury," Ami blushed and gave the boys a small curtsey. "Lady Rei Hino, Heiress to the throne of Mars," Rei didn't even hesitate, but stepped forward, giving her own graceful curtsey. "Lady Lita Kino, Heiress to the throne of Jupiter," Lita giggled and gave a flattering curtsey, which she had been working on for quite some time now. "Lady Minako Aino, Heiress to the throne of Venus," Mina grinned and made her curtsey as well.
This only left the smallest girl, the boys were still rather confused about who she was. They could not see that this was the Princess, and so, they expected the Princess to come soon after, and this girl to just be another of the Ladies. Luna's introduction however, gave them all a shock.
"Princess Serenity Tsukino, Crowned Princess of the Silver Alliance and the Moon Kingdom," Serenity refused to curtsey. She had momentarily lost all manners to anger, believing that these boys didn't deserve her curtsey. Instead, she glared at each of them in turn, anger and pride overtaking her conscience.
The boys looked at the small ruffled Princess and wondered how this unremarkable little child could possibly be one of the futures most powerful leaders, each of the other girls looked more capable and Princess-like than Serenity. Endymion raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with the others. They all had to stop from snickering in disbelief.
Luna, being the Queen's Lady, had learned to read people quite well throughout her life. She noticed all the small exchanges and looks that people revealed. She shook her head and thought it might be best to end this meeting. Soon these boys might see Serenity in a different light...until then, she would knock some manners into them.
"Now, if the Princess would please excuse me, I must show these boys to their living quarters." With that, Luna herded the boys along, out of the Chamber, but not before their snickers could be heard throughout the room.
Serenity sniffed, holding off tears once again. Without a word, she sprinted off through the halls, away from the embarrassing scene. Before she could stop herself, tears really were streaming down her already drenched face. Her mood had changed in a matter of seconds. Instead of this being a great day, this had turned into one of the worst. Without a thought, she slammed the doors to her rooms closed, locking herself in. Ignoring the knocks of her friends that came a little while later.
The knocks soon subsided and Serenity was left to the peace of her room. It took a little longer for her tears to stop. As soon as they did however, she sat up, another determined look upon her face.
She slid off her bed and went to her vanity table. She ever so slowly took her hair out of the tangled mess it was currently in. By the time that gruesome job was done, her hair was almost completely dry. She then used the brush to give her hair that silky smooth sheen. Her hair would stay down, as Serenity couldn't do much with her hair without help, but this did not make her look any the worse.
Next, on went some dry clothing, one of her best informal dresses. It was a soft pink gown that reached her toes. There were no sleeves, and few adornments except for the tie at the back and the darker pink scroll work that went diagonal across the chest and down in a spiral until it reached the bottom of the dress. The scroll work was a vine of roses in bloom, very intricate, and yet, still simple.
For effect, Serenity place two soft pink ribbons in her hair. One on each side of her head, the ends flowing longer than her hair that was still left down. She put on a silver necklace and bracelet, unadorned, but nice. Last, she put on her soft pink slippers that went with the dress. By then, all traces of tears had left her face.
She would show everyone, even her friends. She didn't need help, no she didn't. A fiery spark had entered her blue eyes, making them more stunning than they even were before.
Something had stirred in Serenity and had opened a new side of her that nobody had ever seen. At the age of eight, she was already showing the true aspirations and qualities of a great leader.
As Serenity turned from her mirror, her last though came with a grin on her young face. She could do anything...
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Well now, finally, the 4th chapter is out! I can only tell you all that I'm desperately sorry that it took so very long. My excuse is the sorry thing I call life... It's been pretty crappy for me lately, and I felt no inspiration to write. But suddenly I did, and so I finally got this chapter out of me. Needless to say, it took a lot longer to write this chapter than the previous ones, because my life still is pretty crappy, but yeah... At least I did it right? I really didn't want to quite my first fanfic, and so I won't! I will finish it for you guys! I think it's safe to say that I'm more into the story again, so it won't take so long for the next chapter to come out, I promise. As long as I have people reading my story, it spurs me to write more. I realize that this chapter doesn't have much action, but I do hope you all enjoy it! Anyway, I'll stop my rambling now and write to my faithful reviewers!
ffgirlmoonie - I hope you are going to continue reading my story, and that you enjoy this chapter:3
Snick3rDooDl3 - Sorry for the terribly long wait, hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you like the rest of the story.
Chester91 - If by those four boys, you mean the other Terrans that escorted the girls, then yes, you will be seeing them later on... o.O Have I given away too much? Nope:3
Serenathy - I really like the fact that you enjoy my story and thank you for bringing up that error. I'll be going back and correcting all those mistakes soon enough. I didn't edit very well in my previous chapters because I wanted to get them out as soon as I could, but since this one already took so long, I took a lot more time to make sure it's right. I really hope this chapter is to your liking as well. I can't honestly tell if my style has changed at all since I last updated, you'll have to let me know:3
PaulitaDani - I hope I did not anger you for not updating for so long...I beg forgiveness:3 Anyway, I'll always be replying to my reviewers, I mean, it means a lot when someone reads your story and then takes the time to let you know that they are enjoying it or whatever else they may say. Thank you for reading and I hope you continue to do so! Also, I hope this chapter is to your liking as well.
CharmedSerenity3 - Hope you like this chapter as well:3
Starlit Warrior - Sorry for the long wait, but thank you for your reviews and a hope you enjoy this chapter as well:3
TearsOfChaos - I did update! Albeit...it took quite a bit longer than I think you hoped. I'm glad you enjoy my story, and I hope you continue to read:3
Heaven and Earth - I hope you like this chapter and continue on reading. It means a lot that you enjoyed my fic so far:3