I woke the next morning feeling only slightly refreshed. The bright light seemed to dance across the walls, but I couldn't enjoy its beauty. It seemed almost a mockery of current events. How could a morning seem so normal when other worlds were in chaos?

I went about my daily routine automatically, trying to keep my thoughts focused on the day's events. As I arranged my hair, my thoughts drifted back to last night and the implications of tampering with the portals.

Portals are our main method of transportation between the worlds. The kingdoms have used them for as far back as I could remember. Over time, the method of creating and sustaining portals has been refined, so much so only four people were required, but it was still four people who needed to be in tune with one another, to align their power and hold a balance between them. It was very possible that Beryl had recruited watchers into her army, but even that brought up the question of where she could be hiding in between battles. Watchers needed to know where they were opening a portal to, and the easiest way to learn is by visiting. As far as I knew, no watcher had ever been outside the system.

I frowned and abandoned that train of thought. As interesting as it was to speculate, it only served to distract me from the task at hand. I finished my morning routine, pausing to inspect my work in the mirror. Hair, attire, mask, check, check, and check. I tilted my head as I studied my reflection. My up-do brought my hair up almost to my shoulders, and my movements highlighted its silvery strands in the light. I frowned at this; to think I would live long enough to have grey hair. I pushed the vain thought aside, and satisfied with my appearance, set out through the palace.

I walked slowly down the corridor, the lines of pillars casting regular shadows across my path. I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't notice him until I had passed.

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, and I was pulled around a pillar to rest against a solid chest.

I closed my eyes as I savored the contact, unafraid of my vulnerable position.

"Worried about today?" He murmured, his voice coming from just behind my ear.

I hummed and leaned against him, reaching up to rest my hands on his arms, basking in his heat.

He pulled his arms tighter and sighed.

"Everything will be alright. Try to think about after the meeting. I have something for you."

I turned my head, peering up and over my shoulder. Most of his face was in shadow, but I could clearly see his fierce eyes.

"Why wait until after?"

He smiled. "Because then you won't be distracted by this meeting."

I sighed and pouted slightly. He chuckled at my antics, his voice causing a gentle rumble against my back.

We staying like that for a few minutes longer, until a bell began to toll in the distance, alerting me of the time.

I squeezed his arms against me before I took a reluctant step forward. He dropped his arms slowly, holding contact until the last moment.

"I must go, otherwise…"

I turned to him as he sighed, and I took a moment to commit his image to memory.

He smiled ruefully as I studied him. "Afraid I'll disappear?"

"I have much to be afraid of."

"Don't worry so much. I'll do my best to stay out of trouble."

I smiled at him. "Why do I not believe you?"

He shrugged playfully, then leaned in quickly, gently brushing his lips to my cheek.

"Until we meet again, my dear," he whispered, then he was gone, disappearing into the fading gloom.

I blinked and suppressed a sigh. I was not going to act like a lovesick schoolgirl.

I used the rest of the walk to control my composure. I could feel my cheek tingling from his kiss, and suppressed the urge to blush. Before long, the doors of the throne room were before me, and I stepped through, my mask, figuratively and literally, firmly in place.

As I walked the long hall, I studied the collection of people talking quietly amongst themselves.

The raised chairs had been brought in, creating the sense of standing on a stadium floor, though it only spanned half the room. The permanent members of the council sat in the highest rows and stretched the length of the bleachers.

The bottom half of the rows were split into sections representing the Planets of the System. The Inner Ring sat along the left of the room, or the Queen's right, while the Outer Ring sat on the opposite side. I glanced over the faces, noting that of the Outer Ring, Saturn's queen was absent, but that was expected given the circumstances.

The Inner Ring was fully represented, and I was satisfied to see the Princesses in their seats looking a little bored, but alert. The delegation from Earth had also taken their seats, their group filling the entire section. At its head sat Prince Endymion, his blue eyes scanning the room, his face carefully neutral.

I stepped up the dais, noting how the noise died as I ascended the stairs. I noticed the extra seat that had been arranged for the Princess and took my place between the two chairs, turning slowly to face the assembly.

I glanced over the room one last time, satisfied that everyone had taken their seats and were quietly waiting for the meeting to begin.

"Honored members, may I present Our Lady of the Moon, Wielder of the Silver Imperium Crystal, and Keeper of the Peace, Queen Serenity, and her daughter, Princess Serenity."

I turned slightly, my body facing the throne and curtsied, my movements accented by the sound of the room rising to their feet to bow.

Queen Serenity emerged from the room behind the throne and gracefully took her seat. Princess Serenity mimicked her mother, looking only a little nervous. I flashed a quick smile in her direction as I stood and she smiled gratefully in return. I stepped between the two chairs and bowed slightly to the Queen, pausing as the room again took their seats.

"With your permission, my Queen," I intoned solemnly, my voice echoing in the sudden silence.

She nodded once, and I stepped to the edge of the dais to address the room.

"This emergency Council Meeting is now in session. Our main topic of discussion is Queen Beryl and her recent attacks on the Outer Ring. We will also discuss the ongoing threat and how to mitigate the damage and eventually negate her power. Are there any objections?" My question was met with silence, and I nodded.

"Very well. We will begin with the facts." I shifted my stance, settling in for a long speech. Best to be comfortable if I was going to be standing still. I glanced quickly across the room. It seemed the seriousness of the situation was not lost on even the Princess, as their faces echoed the solemn atmosphere in the room.

"As many of you may know, Queen Beryl was a minor queen of Earth, serving under Prince Endymion and Royal Court." I inclined my head to where he sat with his advisers, and received a nod in return.

"For reasons unconfirmed, she began to gather supporters who were sympathetic to her cause, and eventually established a decent sized army. Once settled, she began attacking Earth forces, starting with minor raids, and eventually moved up to full scale assaults on Earth's standing army. As word of her rebellion spread, more people began to turn to her side, though their reasons ranged from minor discontent with the ruling family to complete hostility."

A councilman rose from his seat, his hand raised slightly. I nodded to him, granting permission to speak.

"You stated she was just a minor queen. Was she well respected or distinguished in some way that enabled so many to join her on such short notice?"

"There was nothing special about her, at least nothing that we are aware of," Prince Endymion stood, addressing the question in my stead. "She ruled a small province just outside the main city. I suppose the most noteworthy thing about her was that we never had problems with discontent or unhappy citizens. She was a fair ruler."

I nodded to them both, and they took their seats.

"This information has led us to believe that she is not acting alone, but this is conjecture for another discussion. The fact remains that for reasons unknown, her army grew rapidly, which led to the Battle of Gaia. The entirety of the Earth Alliance Forces engaged Queen Beryl's army, which resulted in her rout from the capital. However, before she could be captured, a portal was opened, and she escaped, along with her advisers and a large portion of her army. We do not know where the portal led; anyone who passed through it did not return."

"Is the portal still present?"

"It remained open for three Earth days before vanishing. I suspect it remained open for so long to allow for additional soldiers to pass through should they feel inclined. However, due to heavy policing on the part of the Earth Alliance Forces, there was no further travel through the portal."

I shifted my stance, clasping my arms behind my back.

"Queen Beryl went into hiding for a total of six Earth days, during which her whereabouts were unknown. Even now, we have no clues as to where she may have been hiding. Nonetheless, after the sixth day, there was a surprise attack on Pluto, the result being the destruction of Charon Castle and most of Pluto's inhabitants. Only a few people managed to escape through the Space Portal, which allowed us to realize Queen Beryl's movements.

"Steps were then taken to reinforce the remainder of the Outer Ring. However, it seems that in that short time, her power has grown tremendously, and as a result, Triton Castle of Neptune and Miranda Castle of Uranus have fallen as well."

I gazed around the room, deliberately turning my head so that they could tell I was studying them all. "We have sent all remaining reinforcements to Titan Castle on Saturn, but it would seem her power is growing exponentially, and it's very possible that Titan will fall as well."

My words were greeted with oppressive silence.

"Thank you for your explanation," Queen Serenity said calmly. I turned and curtsied to her before returning to her side.

"Our position is dire, my lords," She stated firmly. "It would be wise to proceed with caution from this point forward, and to view her not as a simple queen, but as an outside threat which must be dealt with in the most decisive manner."

Prince Endymion stood, bowing low to the throne. "My Queen, Earth is ready to lend our full support behind any decision that is made here today. I have brought my best warriors and advisers to assist you in any way we can."

"Thank you, Prince. Your support is appreciated in this trying time."

"Perhaps they should be on the front lines then."

All eyes turned to the man who spoke. He rose slowly from his seat, and I was glad for my mask. Otherwise, my glare would have given away my disgust for the man.

Councilman Takori was as average a man as one could be. He was unremarkable in face or body, easily overlooked, except when he opened his mouth. I will admit, he could be charismatic, but he was also mean-spirited and ruthless, someone who would throw others away if it meant advancing his own agenda.

He leered at the Prince. "This situation has been brought on our heads thanks to your inability to control minor queens. Up to this point, the lives lost have belonged to the unfortunate planets who have stood in the way of her anger. Where have your troops been, I wonder?"

The Prince, to his credit, did not reply in anger, but he could not control his indignation entirely. "My people were focused on reinforcing and defending our borders, and rebuilding those areas she destroyed before she ran. We had no reason to believe that she would attack anywhere else, let alone another planet."

Takori shrugged. "What about between the attack on Charon Castle and Triton Castle? Surely there was enough time to react and move accordingly?"

Prince Endymion opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a hand on his shoulder.

"Allow me to explain, my Prince."

He nodded and sat, leaving the man to stand alone. He turned his teal eyes on the councilman, and addressed him with a calming voice.

"Allow my to introduce myself. I am General Shuten Doji, and I lead the Warriors of Seasons. To answer your question, yes, in theory, we would have had enough time to move our troops to intercept and reinforce Triton Castle. However, due to certain provisions, there are no Space Portals which connect Earth directly to Neptune. We would of had to move our forces here, to the Moon, which could have been construed as a hostile act, before moving them again to Neptune."

Takori waved his hand dismissively. "You misunderstand. I am well aware of how people would react if such an event were to occur. However, seeing as how this threat cannot be handled with regular forces, surely you considered simply utilizing your own warriors instead?"

"That was taken into consideration as well. However, we had no way of knowing how quickly she would move from one planet to the next. We had six days between our own battle and the attack on Charon Castle. The time between that battle and Triton Castle was four days, and it was another four days between Triton Castle and Miranda Castle."

"Then by that reasoning we have enough time to move forces from Earth to Saturn. We have time even now to move your warriors onto the battlefield and cut off this rampage!" Takori said fiercely, his expression reflecting exaggerated outrage.

The General shook his head slowly. "Even with this information, we cannot assume we will have the same amount of time to prepare Titan Castle. If her power is growing as reports suggest, even reinforcements may not be enough to hold."

"Are you suggesting reinforcements are a waste of time?" The councilman scoffed, his gaze smug. "Perhaps we should send only your warriors in their place."

Shuten blinked a moment, but before he could recover, another warrior stood and addressed the assemblymen.

"Considering the scale of her attacks and fact that she is only growing in power, sending our warriors to the front lines without any reinforcements would be a blatant waste of strength. They would simply be overwhelmed."

"Are you suggesting, boy, that you don't have enough power to stop her?" Takori jeered.

The 'boy' in question glared in response, his blue eyes all but projecting his indignation. "I am suggesting that such a comment shows a certain lack of understanding of the situation. I have no doubt about the ability of my team and the power each of them possess. But to throw one or two of them into a volatile mix on the battlefield is nothing short of foolishness."

"And who are you to assess the situation of a battlefield you have never seen?"

"I am General Ryo Sanada, and I lead the Warriors of Virtue."

"Ah, I have heard of your prowess on the battlefield, along with that of your team." Another councilman stood, his bent back and white hair attributing to his calming presence. "I have no doubt that between the two sets of warriors, we will be able to hold back this tide of destruction."

"Thank you, grandfather, for saying so." General Sanada bowed to the man, who nodded and took his seat.

Queen Serenity closed her eyes. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, taking note of her effort to remain calm.

"In light of these comments, what would either of you suggest by way of reinforcements to Saturn?" She asked as she opened her eyes.

The two generals shared a look before the older of the two nodded.

"Considering her current strength and our own losses, we believe it would be best to send a team to Saturn to serve as cover for withdrawal." The young man stated firmly.

"Withdrawal!" Takori shouted, his voice rising above the sudden murmurs of discussion. "Are you suggesting that we abandon the Outer Ring completely?!"

"The fact of the matter is that we have lost too much of the Outer Ring already. The Inner Ring is much easier to defend, and the forces on each planet have had ample time to build up their defenses. By now, it would be foolish to throw forces at Saturn in the attempt to hold the castle. We would simply be overwhelmed." He repeated, looking around the room, his intense eyes almost daring those assembled to speak.

"Young man, if I may," A light, feminine voice cut through the silence, drawing the council's attention as she stood gracefully. She brushed her long dark hair over her shoulder as she rose, the light showing off its deep blue hue.

"I am Queen Naraka of Charon Castle," she began, her red eyes focused on the young general. His eyes widened and he bowed slightly to her, which she returned with a nod.

"I understand what you are saying, but you must understand, from the viewpoint of one who lived and ruled there, I am dismayed that this is the course you would suggest for us."

Sanada inclined his head, acknowledging her words.

"However, despite my own grief, I agree with your assessment. Mourning our losses does us no good if we lose this war. There will be time to rebuild once this is over." She motioned to either side of her, where two women sat. "I am sure my Sisters will agree."

The first woman stood, whom I recognized as Queen Salacia of Neptune. She nodded gently to the council, her sea green hair bound in her signature style, reminding me of the waves of the oceans of Earth. As she nodded, the Queen of Uranus, Lady Anu, also stood, her tall form overshadowing her Sisters. Her short caramel hair appeared wind swept, though I knew from experience this was not the case.

The Queens of the Outer Ring, including Queen Cronus of Saturn, rarely visited the Moon Kingdom, and before this meeting, had never been in the same room together. Yet they stood as one, a united front, as physical manifestations of their planets.

"As much as it pains us to hear it, we all agree with General Sanada's assessment of the situation and are willing to hear his course of action." Queen Anu reaffirmed, her stance projecting solidarity with her Sisters.

General Sanada turned to the dais, his stance unyielding.

"My Queen, my team and I will go to Saturn and cover the withdrawal of forces to the Inner Ring. In the meantime, General Doji and his team will remain here and serve as an additional line of defense for the Moon Kingdom."

Queen Serenity sighed deeply and closed her eyes to the room. As the silence lengthened, I took the time to study the faces of those assembled.

The Queens of the Outer Ring stood like sentinels, their gazes hard and faces haggard. The loss of their kingdoms has been hard on them. Across the room, the Prince of Earth and his advisors sat, their postures tense. The Prince and his Generals were focused entirely on the Queen, but their commanders' eyes continuously darted around the room, taking in everything around them. I tried not to smile; it was obvious that while this was an important discussion, they were growing restless and fidgety.

Their actions reminded me of another set of young participants, and I swept my gaze over the assemblymen to rest on the Princess and her own set of advisors-to-be. As expected, she was fighting back a yawn, still too young to fully grasp the concept of war. After all, it's hard to appreciate something that has had no direct impact on her own life. The young princesses of the Inner Ring displayed varying degrees of interest, from thoughtful expressions to downright boredom.

"Very well." Queen Serenity's voice broke through the silence, her lilac eyes sweeping the room as I had just a few moments before.

"Prince Endymion."

He stood quickly, bowing his head. "My Queen?"

"Please prepare one of your teams for immediate dispatch to Saturn following this meeting. The other will remain here, as General Sanada suggested. I leave the decision of which team up to you."

"Of course, m'lady. I understand." He bowed again and took his seat.

"I believe now is a good time to call a recess to this meeting. Please return upon the next bell. Dismissed." She stood gracefully, and the members of the room stood as well, bowing and curtsying as she stepped around the throne and disappeared into the back room. As I watched her go, I felt a heavy weight settle in my chest, and I tried to identify the source. With a start, I realized I was feeling something I hadn't felt in hundreds of years. Fear.