DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon. Those rights belong to Naoko Takeuchi and the rightful companies of DiC and Cloverway, etc. All original senshi rights and ideas are not my own.
CLAIMER: I do own these characters which are all my own creations. I own the plot and have not taken it from anyone.
This fan fiction uses ideas from the original and dubbed animes along with the manga; however, it takes place in a very different time with new characters, personalities, and plots.
Chapter One: Meetings with Mother
"No, don't pack that one Pudicitia. The neck's way far too high, and I'd never wear that. I don't even know why I still have that one." Picking up the cream colored dress, she waltzed it back into her closet, being careful to walk between the maidservants that were scurrying around her room in an effort of last minute packing.
"Princess, I think it's a very modest dress and would make a good impression on the Prince," the woman said in as commanding a tone as she dared. She was a large woman, her brown hair pulled back into a taught bun that was nearly as large as her own head. She was the least intimidating woman on staff, reminded of this fact whenever she felt the need to scold anyone in her way. Why, this woman couldn't look threatening if she tried her hardest. It was her smile that made her so warm; the one that was always tugging at the edge of her lips.
"Oh, Pudicitia, you're too modest yourself. You should learn to loosen up a bit!" The Princess poked her delicate head out of her closet doors, her giggle floating through the room like the chime of bells in the palace temple. Whenever she smiled, she could light up a room; it was a fact that was undeniable.
"Oh yes, I'm the one who should loosen up. And whenever talk of Prince Demetrius reaches your ears, you stiffen up like your mother on a rainy day," Pudicitia said, snorting to loudly. She had busied herself with folding the array of dresses the Princess had settled on bringing.
It was a moment before the Princess answered, "So now you're calling my mother stiff? I wouldn't let her hear that!" She tried to cover up the sound of sadness in her voice by throwing something back at the maid. By then, she had moved back into the closet, walking down the small hallway inside. Running her porcelain fingers over the silken fabric of her dresses, she stopped when she noticed the one she had forgotten to pack, the design that had been passed down through generation after generation.
"Dear, don't tell her I said that. I'll be out of here before you can say Ginzuisho," Pudicitia joked, the skin on her belly jiggling as she nearly waddled to the dresser to make sure nothing had been left behind.
A few minutes passed before The Princess walked out of the closet clutching her dress. She was staring fixedly at the hem of her dress, nearly whispering, "Pudicitia, I don't want to leave yet. I mean, why do I have to do this? I'm not Queen yet, so why is it my responsibility to be living proof of a treaty?" She stopped once she reached her bed, staring intently at the pearls resting underneath the bust of her dress.
"Princess, don't be like that. This treaty…you know how things are. When you two are married, we'll be the strongest force this universe has ever seen! And besides, I hear the Prince isn't so unattractive, either," Pudicitia smiled, coming up slowly to stand beside her princess. Reaching up a hand to push her midnight colored hair behind her ornamented ear, she watched as the girl's eyes suddenly became watery. It was something she had mastered as a little girl, crying to get whatever she wanted. But this was an instance where it wouldn't work.
"It's going to be a beautiful day when you arrive," offered one of the other maidservants in an attempt to brighten everyone's spirits. No one was happy about the Princess leaving the Moon. After all, she was such a cheery presence; no one knew how her absence would affect the lot of them.
And so, everyone milled about the Princess' room without saying another word. It didn't feel like the right time to say anything, no matter the hilarity it might have held moments before. Today was a dark day for anyone who had ever had an encounter with the young princess. She was leaving and who knew if she was ever coming back. To be taken as another's wife on Earth was like a death sentence to them. There would be no return trips to visit the family.
Sitting herself down in front of her dresser, the Princess stared at her reflection. The constant movement of maids behind her did not distract her from looking herself up and down, trying to figure out what made her so special. The only reason she had to do any of this was because she was born to do so. Some are born great. Some achieve greatness. And others have greatness thrust upon them while she would rather have pushed that greatness onto somebody else. So, why couldn't she? Possibility after possibility was running through her head, her eyes caught in their own diamond blue reflection. Her inquiring mind was full and she was too caught up in them to notice Pudicitia standing behind her. Nor had she heard the fervent whispering at the door to her apartments only moments beforehand.
"My lady, the boy says the Queen sends for you. She's waiting in the Imperial Library." She was staring into their reflection, noting how little they looked like mother and daughter. Of course, it was hardly likely that she would deliver a girl like the Princess. The teenager sitting before her was regal in the simplest of ways. She never took anything for granted and always knew what the good things were in horrible situations. "It would be best not to keep her waiting, dear," she urged, knowing that Queen Selenity would come down on her own head sooner or later. But she wasn't thinking of that, at least not exactly.
"Well, I'd better go see what she wants then. After all, she is my mother," The Princess offered, moving to get up from her seat. She didn't notice Pudicitia moving aside as she walked to the door, bowing her head in either reverence or because she was at a loss for words, she couldn't tell. The only thing she focused on was the folds of her dress.
Watching her walk out of the room, Pudicitia remembered the times the two of them had spent together. She had been her governess before the princess could walk, had taught her everything she needed to know about just being alive. She had left the regality of it all to her tutors and mother. But Pudicitia had been more than a mother. She was the hand to hold, the one to answer questions no one else knew the answers to, and the best friend to tell everything to without fear of it being spread around as the latest gossip. Pudicitia had been there to watch her grow up. And as the woman watched the edge of her dress disappear around the edge of the door, she felt a tear swelling up in the corner of her eye. Making a quick move to wipe it away without anyone's noticing, she remembered something that a young princess had told her years ago, "As long as there's a sky to look up to, things can't be unbearable. Because, you see that? No matter where you are, you're looking at the same thing that someone else is."
As the she walked down the palace corridors, she ran her fingers along the cold walls, feeling every texture, every crack, and every vibration that filtered through them. Made of marble, stone, moon rock, she didn't know, but it felt familiar enough that she would know it anywhere. Her eyes lifted to the ceiling, a ceiling decorated with the occasional ancient painting from the times of Queen Genesis, paintings separated by great arches every so many meters. She couldn't hear the satisfying clack of her heels over the floor as it was covered in the sort of silvery blue carpeting done with golden starlight twinkles along the edges near the walls. It was one of the many decorative carpets that were spread throughout the palace. If ever you needed a change of foot scenery, one must only turn a corner. But the Imperial Library was only a little bit ahead of her, and turning a corner would only keep her mother waiting longer.
Finally, the Princess came upon the beveled doors of the library. It was the one of the largest libraries anywhere, except perhaps on Mercury, and a room where access was prohibited unless you were of royalty or had specific permission from one of royal blood. To the Queen, it was her study and a place of quiet counsel with her advisors. To the Princess, it was a leap into the great unknown, at least for this particular moment. Her mother wasn't known for being predictable. But, despite her thoughts of turning back, she pushed open the doors to enter the fragrant library.
"At last. I'd wondered when you would get here, Aurora. I expect it was Pudicitia who was keeping you, am I right? That woman must get a grip on reality…" she trailed off, her stony eyes focused on a stack of papers in her hand. She didn't need to look up to know it was her daughter entering.
"No, Mother. I was helping with the finishing touches on the packing. I mean, I can't just let them throw anything into my bags," she started in defense of the maidservant she cared so dearly for. If she went off and put Pudicitia out of a job, she wouldn't know what to do next without that woman.
"Mhm, I see," she said, sarcasm exploding heavily in her tone. "Tell me, how is packing going? You've known you were leaving for, how long? A couple of months? And how long exactly has it taken you to pack, darling?" Her words dripped an air of motherly judgment in the most unfavorable of ways. But this was only part of being a mother in the Queen's eyes.
"We've packed all my best dresses. The ones I received from the Queen of Neptune were the first ones to go in. I plan on wearing the Family Dress on the night of the ball. I'm sure it will dazzle the Prince and his father." She chose not to answer the other questions pointed at her, hoping that they had been rhetorical like any good teenage daughter would. She referred to the famous Princess dresses that every moon daughter wore at least once in her life, even back in the times of the Silver Millenniums. It was simple enough, with gold ovals and pearls on the bust, a bow on the back trailing down to the floor. Anyone could point out a woman's status if she wore the famed dress, altered a bit each generation.
"The Dress, hmm? I suppose it will suffice. The King will think you're more conservative, leading him to believe you're a better match for his son than he originally thought. Good strategy, Aurora. Now, let's start talk of the seriousity of this treaty, Aurora. It's the reason I wanted to see you before we left." There was no warmth as she neared the end of her sentence. She held her quill in her long, delicate fingers while brushing the end of the silver feather on the palm of her opposite hand. She looked as though there was a weight resting on her brow while inviting her daughter to come sit across from her desk.
"Look, Mother, I-" Aurora was abruptly cut off.
"This agreement between King Meridian and I, it is of utmost importance. Earth has a great army and power that must be added to our forces. The kings of Earth have been reluctant to join us, but you know the kind of threats that loom in the darkness. If they were to strike at our galaxy, we couldn't say that we could protect Earth, not without gaining something out of it. You know, of course, that we would protect Earth by default; if it was destroyed, so too would be the Moon. King Meridian…well, let's just say that he's a very imprudent man. With his, I mean their, induction into our alliance, I, I mean we, get full use of his artillery. Do you understand that, Aurora?" She had hardly stopped for a breath as she explained the situation. She had said it so many times before, but she needed to make sure it had been pounded into the princess' pretty little cranium.
"Yes, you've told me more times than I can count. But I'll never understand my part in all of this. If he's already agreed to it, then isn't it set?" She was nearly pleading with the woman, throwing away most of her dignity in doing so. She was perched on the edge of her seat, her large blue eyes watery and innocent, her lips pointed in a pout. It was a look that few could refuse.
"Things today aren't as they used to be. Deals and agreements need to be set in concrete somehow, or else backstabbers and double agents are born quickly from heated energy. Your marriage to Prince Demetrius of Earth is that concrete. Once, many thousands of years ago, the Moon and Earth were united. You know the story of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion; we told it to you enough as a child. The Ginzuisho was at its strongest during that time, and again it shall be. The Prince holds the Golden Crystal in his heart, Aurora. You will be the one to unite their power. If you do not, then your presence as Queen shall be short-lived." Her tone was icy, her eyes the color of blue stones. As she finished, the Queen rose from her leather seat to look out the window behind her, staring out over the Sea of Serenity. It was a beautiful sight, the sea, with its gentle blue-white waves lapping at the shore, the bottom showing clearly on the surface while reflecting the Earth at the same time.
"Mother, I…" Aurora trailed off. She couldn't disappoint her mother. Even though she disliked her to a point, even if she wasn't always everything a child expects of her, disappointment was not something she did.
"Now go. I have a meeting with the Senshi in a few minutes. If you see Atreo on your way out, tell him he's going to have to fix the wall in the Southeast corridor. Being Sailor Jupiter doesn't give him the right to smash my palace to pieces." With that, Aurora was dismissed, the Queen not even turning around to watch her hurry out the door.
As she closed the door behind her, Aurora could hear the loud teasing and laughter of the Senshi as they approached the library. Above them all, she could hear Endellion shouting over them, trying to get his point across. As Sailor Mars, it was no wonder that he had such a temper. And, following his boyish voice was that of Sailor Neptune's, Rosemarie D. The two of them were often going at each other's throats, although Rosemarie had a more refined way of going about it.
Eager not to get caught up in their conversation, Aurora headed in the opposite direction, hurrying around a corner so as to miss them. She wasn't in the mood for boisterous Senshi who would pick on her to no end. It was the way that the lot of them worked, and they got on her nerves more often than naught.
Walking out onto the balcony overlooking the rose garden, Princess Aurora leaned against the marble railing, gawking up at the Earth that was staring her down from the blue sky. There had never been anything else up there to look at except the sun, stars, and distant planets. Soon enough, it wouldn't be the Earth she saw coming over the horizon. It would be the Moon, herself on Earth looking up at her former home. She nearly shuddered at the thought but, she hated getting goose pimples.
Bringing her eyes downwards, she gazed at the assorted roses and different paths through the courtyard. In the center, at the fountain, they were of the purest white, trickling out to kissable red and then to midnight black. There were various other colors scattered around, always making it a delight to find a pink, yellow, or orange rose among the bunch. It was her favorite place in the palace, the Rose Courtyard. And, staring down at the roses, she was surprised to see a head of golden hair bobbing through the bushes. And, by the way he walked, she didn't need to see his face to know who he was.
It's Cyrus! Where has he been all week? Most likely running errands for cook Abeona. He's been avoiding me all week. I know because every time I went looking for him, he had just left. Oh, Cyrus, I know you well enough to know where your hiding spots are. But why run away? I'm leaving soon. Don't you want to say goodbye? She wondered for several minutes, head in her hands as she leaned on the railing. Eventually, he walked through the doors at the other side of the courtyard.
"Cyrus, what will you do when I'm gone? You've been my best friend for…how long? I even remember the first time we met. It was my sixth birthday right? Or was it my seventh? And there you were, standing there with your hand and a peculiar stone held out towards me. How did you get inside the palace walls? Where did you come from, Cyrus Solis?" And so, her musings began, starting with her first memory of her best friend: Cyrus Solis, the servant boy.
A/N: Alright, so there's the first chapter. Not a lot of action, I know. But it's going to take a lot to get into the thick of things. I think I'm pretty happy with it, with the length and the content of it all. I'd appreciate the feedback on it ASAP.
The next chapter? Musings of Memories. It's about the first mysterious meeting of Princess Aurora and a strange boy who's standing in the rain within the palace walls on the Princess' birthday. Where did he come from? Well, he sure doesn't know. The truth about him? I'll not tell you just yet, but he's certainly not a Pereru. Now, he's the Princess' best friend and the only one she trusts with all of her deepest secrets.