Chapter Twelve. Short Lived Peace

"Enjoying the peaceful view?"

Mandrake turned around to see Setsuna behind him.

"Why yes, my dear." Mandrake answered. "I am enjoying the view indeed."

"It's hard to believe how things are now." Setsuna stated. "It's hard to believe that Hadea once ruled the galaxy."

"Yet she had ruled the galaxy for an entire year. She's proven to be a bigger threat than Ming."

"I assume Queen Hadea had bigger ambitions than this Ming the Merciless did as she done in over a year what he had failed to do in his life."

Mandrake sighed with a smile as he looked down on the floor before he looked back up at Setsuna, "You do have a valid point on both statements. Hadea apparently had greater ambitions, which was why she had the Necklace of Oros and ruled the entire galaxy. However, there is one other person who has bigger ambitions than Ming the Merciless."

"And who would that be?"

"His son: Prince Krotan."

"What is he like?" Setsuna asked.

"Prince Krotan, as you now know, is the son to the Emperor of Mongo, Ming the Merciless." Mandrake explained. "He once took over the throne of Mongo for some time as acting Emperor."

"How was that possible?"

"That is quite a story but I will make it a long story short." Mandrake continued the story. "Krotan disguised himself as a guy named Dan and won Jedda over. Somehow, he got the best of Ming and took the throne from him."

He looked away before continuing on. "Krotan became acting Emperor for sometime after he defeated Ming and at one point, he kidnapped Jedda and forced her to marry him. He implanted mind bombs on us to make sure she would do as he wanted."

"Did Jedda marry Krotan?"

"No. However, she was Queen of Mongo for the time that she was captive by Krotan, even if it wasn't official. We did rescue Jedda before she could go through with the wedding and Ming returned to the throne."

"That's some kind of story. Do you think that we will encounter him as well?"

"You may very well see him, my dear."

"Do you think that he will try to get Jedda to marry him again?"

"Possibly," Mandrake placed a thumb and index finger to his chin. "but not in the same manner that he done last time."

"Hey! We're home!"

Mandrake and Setsuna turned around as Usagi, Ami, Rick, Jedda, Rei, Makoto, LJ, Minako, Kshin, Chibiusa, Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru all entered the mansion.

April arrived at the scene. "Welcome home, you guys. How was having to repeat your school years for you?"

"You really shouldn't tease them, my dear." Mandrake suggested. "You wouldn't like it if you didn't get to graduate the academy because of Hadea's year long reign."

"Yeah, you're right." April sighed as she crossed her arms.

"While we're on the topic of mot...Hadea's reign," Jedda spoke up, "Sierra the Queen B acts as if I was truly loyal to Hadea. Which as you know is true but not in the way she played it out."

"Sierra speaks these stuff for attention." Rick scoffed. "She's been like that to you ever since we were first Defenders, Jedda. You should know that."

"Yeah." Jedda nodded. "I'm aware of that."

"If Sierra does keep up her antics and acts the way that you are suspecting," Rick told the group, "I believe that we will have no other option but to file a restraining order against her."

"It better not get that way." the Phantom replied as he crossed his arms. "I don't like Sierra's attitude towards you, Jedda."

"None of us do." Rick chimed in.

"It's not just Jedda." LJ pointed out. "It's Rick as well."

"How so?" April asked, head tilting as she was not liking what she was hearing.

"Sierra has also been stalking Rick the last few times over the years." LJ answered.

"If she tries anything on my brother, she's going to answer to me."

"And she won't like that." Rick smirked.

"What about her friend Elina that I seen her with?" Makoto asked. "Will she be a problem too?"

"She doesn't like Jedda either." Rick explained. "However, she's not as bad as Sierra is."

She sighed, remembering the drama that Sierra caused, especially the rumors she spread about her after the whole Krotan scenario as well as the time she dated Eric. Sierra had always been such a drama queen and still was a drama queen to this day. Elina was no better either but as Rick pointed out, Elina Belova wasn't as bad as Sierra Rose.

"So," Jedda looked over towards the younger group of kids to change the topic, "how did you guys enjoy each other at Elementary school?"

"It was pretty good." Hotaru answered. "Chibiusa and I managed to make a couple of friends, which is shocking because I usually don't make friends that easy."

"Hey!" Kshin exclaimed. "I helped you girls!"

"Correction," Chibiusa replied, "you and I are the ones who helped Hotaru make some new friends."

"Okay fine." Kshin smirked. "You're right. We both helped Hotaru make new friends. How are you capable to make friends easy?"

"It's my own little secret." Chibiusa replied.

"No fair!" Kshin exclaimed.

Mandrake looked on as the group shared a mass group of laughter. He was glad that his adopted son was getting along okay with Chibiusa and Hotaru, given that those girls are Sailor Guardians while he was just a mere Defender. He could get used to the Sailor Guardians being with them.

-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-

Mandrake looked outside the window, staring at the night time view. He felt a strong hand touch his shoulder and turned around to see his best friend behind him.

"You doing all right?" Lothar asked.

"Yeah." Mandrake answered. "I am doing quite well, my friend. I'm just reflecting on recent events."

"It's been a crazy year and six months, huh?" Lothar asked.

"Yeah." Mandrake nodded as he adjusted his hat. "The Sailor Guardians have joined us and will be here until the threat with Zorelda is over."

"How are the parents taking this?" Lothar asked.

"Usagi's parents are fine with it since Mamoru is with her." Mandrake explained. "Ami has yet to contact her mother, so there's no telling there. Rei's grandfather is a little worried but she managed to let him know things are fine. Makoto lost her parents a long time ago. Minako's parents are skeptic but I had to assure them that all is well."

"Jedda and Rick are going to be parents soon. Something told me that those two would end up having the next Phantom. I don't know why though."

"They're not even engaged yet," Lothar replied. "but if all does go well, Rick and Jedda will end up being parents to the next Phantom, the one who will succeed Jedda as the Phantom."

Mandrake felt his shoulders tense. He had felt a strange sensation, something in which he hadn't felt in such a long time.

"Mandrake?" Lothar glanced at his friend in concern. "What's the matter?"

"It's fine, my friend." Mandrake looked at his friend. "I just...sense something."

"Sense something?"

"I sense that someone familiar is near."

"What are you talking about?"

"It appears that you are about to find out."

Mandrake leapt from his seat and made his way out of the mansion. Lothar was right behind him. "Mandrake!"

He made his way out the mansion door and his senses and suspicions were correct. It was a familiar face that he now saw before him, one whom he thought he would never see again. She was standing right in front of him, with a smile on her face and her black hair standing out in spite of it being a plain black night.

"Cathleen?"

Author's Note: This is the chapter that builds to the introduction to Cathleen O' Connor as well as the start of the redemption arc for Prince Krotan which was also presented in "A Defenders Christmas Carol". I had a hard time deciding on how this chapter was going to go, but I managed to put this chapter and Volume Two in the path that I am aiming for. With that being said, here's some commentary in order.

Mandrake sighed as he looked down on the floor before he looked back up at Setsuna, "You do have a valid point. Hadea apparently had greater ambitions, which was why she had the Necklace of Oros and ruled the entire galaxy. However, there is one other person who has bigger ambitions than Ming the Merciless."

"And who would that be?"

"His ambitious son: Prince Krotan."

"What is he like?" Setsuna asked.

"Prince Krotan, as you now know, is the son to the Emperor of Mongo, Ming the Merciless." Mandrake explained. "He once took over the throne of Mongo for some time as acting Emperor."

"How was that possible?"

"That is quite a story but I will make it a long story short." Mandrake continued the story. "Krotan disguised himself as a guy named Dan and won Jedda over. Somehow, he got the best of Ming and took the throne from him."

He looked away before continuing on. "Krotan became acting Emperor for sometime after he defeated Ming and at one point, he kidnapped Jedda and forced her to marry him. He implanted mind bombs on us to make sure she would do as he wanted."

"Did Jedda marry Krotan?"

"No. However, she was Queen of Mongo for the time that she was captive by Krotan, even if it wasn't official. We did rescue Jedda before she could go through with the wedding and Ming returned to the throne."

This scene was intended to introduce the Sailor Moon fans who may not know a big lot about Defenders of the Earth to the character known as Prince Krotan as Krotan's arc begins in this volume. Stay tuned for that because you will be in for some surprises!

She sighed, remembering the drama that Sierra caused, especially the rumors she spread about her after the whole Krotan scenario as well as the time she dated Eric. Sierra had always been such a drama queen and still was a drama queen to this day.

"If Sierra does keep up her antics and acts the way that you are suspecting," Rick told the group, "I believe that we will have no other option but to file a restraining order against her."

"It better not get that way." the Phantom replied as he crossed his arms. "I don't like Sierra's attitude towards you, Jedda."

"None of us do." Rick chimed in.

"It's not just Jedda." LJ pointed out. "It's Rick as well."

"How so?" April asked, head tilting as she was not liking what she was hearing.

"Sierra has also been stalking Rick the last few times over the years." LJ answered.

"If she tries anything on my brother, she's going to answer to me."

"And she won't like that." Rick smirked.

Ever wondered what school life was like for the young team of Defenders? Marzena briefly made a similar scenario about Jedda in her DoE story "Defenders of the Earth: This is Their Story". Most likely, Rick and LJ might have their share of bullies as well. That applies to Kshin as well and it'd most likely apply to the Sailor Guardians attending school as well. There might be trouble for Jedda with her pregnancy. Only time will tell. Rick isn't safe around Sierra as well as mentioned here. This Queen B is trouble with a capital T.

"It's been a crazy year and six months, huh?" Lothar asked.

I believe just as with the situation with the Sailor Guardians remaining in the United States, I should've been more specific with how long Hadea was ruling the galaxy. This should confirm everything now.

"How are the parents taking this?" Lothar asked.

"Usagi's parents are fine with it since Mamoru is with her." Mandrake explained. "Ami has yet to contact her mother, so there's no telling there. Rei's grandfather is a little worried but she managed to let him know things are fine. Makoto lost her parents a long time ago. Minako's parents are skeptic but I had to assure them that all is well."

This is to confirm that the Sailor Guardians do have family members as Ami's mother was mentioned in Volume one. Minako's family situation was shielded. Minako apparently didn't want to contact her folks as in the manga it appears that Minako's mother always yelled at her and complained to her husband as Minako's father would give in to his wife.