AN: Insert disclaimer here!

Chapter 8 – Back to the Past

The blonde covered her eyes with her hands squealing with embarrassment.

"Oh my gosh I am so sorry, I had no idea you were in there Heero," Mina the Princess of Venus spluttered and Raye let out a sigh of relief that it had only been Mina. Mina knew that Raye and Heero were married for she was Raye's best friend. If it had been anyone else, there would have been lots of trouble. As a Princess Raye had a duty to marry someone of her parents choice and as it was well known that Queen Serenity was not fond of her son, there was no way her father would approve that she had married Heero, unwanted Prince of the Moon Kingdom.

Heero, not liking that he was the centre of attention, took the opportunity while Mina's eyes were covered to step out of the tub and wrapping a towel around himself. Raye smirked at him, liking the look of him wrapped in a towel, his toned body glistening with water droplets.

"You can open your eyes Mina," he invited her and Mina uncovered her eyes blushing deep red and Heero stooped over to deposited a kiss on Raye's forehead.

"I will see you at the confirmation," he told her, and Raye smiled glad she had gotten him to see reason.

As soon as Heero departed Mina dropped into a fit of giggles, rolling around on the floor as Raye stood in the tub and reached for a towel wrapping it around herself.

"Mina will you do my hair?" Raye asked and Mina grinned nodding as Raye slipped into a flowing red dress, adorned with ruby and diamond stars. Once her dress was on Raye sat in front of her dresser applying makeup at Mina went to stand behind her working on her long locks of ebony.

"Serena becomes the official heir today, this is exciting," Raye said, although her voice didn't seem excited and Mina gave her a look in the mirror.

"Yes it is," Mina responded knowing there was something wrong and Raye frowned thoughtfully as her conversation with Heero came back to her.

"Mina, do you think it is unfair that we are born into this power of privilege merely because we are women, and the men are overlooked?" Raye asked and Mina looked shocked by the question, it was obvious Mina had never even though of it.

"It is the way it has always been, why?" Mina said dismissively and Raye leant forward, resting her chin on her hands as she started at her reflection in the mirror.

"Heero is just so angry, I want to try and understand his pain," Raye said earnestly and Mina gave Raye's shoulder a comforting squeeze. Mina knew Heero was gorgeous but to be married to him was something Mina didn't even want to imagine. He was too complex for her, too troubled.

"He is a troubled young man, but he loves you Raye, I can see it in his eyes and that's all that matters," Mina said this softly and Raye turned to look at Mina as she relayed some news she had gained from Heero.

"He said that Relena has been acting strangely."

"Strangely?" Mina repeated not quite sure what she meant and Raye elaborated,

"Cursing and yelling, being rude."

"That doesn't sound like Relena at all, that can't be right," Mina said surely. Relena had been their friend since they were children. Her cousin was Prince Endymion of Earth, and when her parents had died early on in her life Relena had grown up as an adopted sister to Endymion, although it would be Endymion, who was an only child that would take the throne of Earth. Relena had always been sweet and lovely, never speaking a wrong word about anyone, she was always charming, just the epitome of a perfect princess.

"Heero suspects something, but he won't tell me what," Raye said downheartedly as she gave a deep sigh adding in a wistful voice, "I just wish he would share himself more with me."

"You would be beating your head against a brick wall with Heero, how strange that he and Serena are siblings yet different in everyway," Mina commented lightly and Raye smiled turning to look in the mirror again as Mina began working on her hair again.

"Like you and your brother," Raye teased, for Mina and her bother were like chalk and cheese, completely different.

"Quatre is just quiet and polite, I am outrageous and extravagant, at heart we are the same, Amy and Trowa are similar on the inside and on the outside, both quiet and unassuming," Mina went off on a tangent as she considered the Princess and Prince of Mercury. As soon as she said Trowa's name, Mina's voice and eyes became dreamy. Prince Trowa of Mercury, the man Mina adored, for even though he was silent, his silence spoke volumes to her.

"Duo and Lita are different, Duo is a…a dope and Lita is an elegant young woman full of maturity," Raye pointed out laughing and Mina raised an eyebrow at her.

"I think Duo is smarter than you give him credit for Raye, just because he has been your brother's arch rival since they were children training on earth, doesn't mean you have to give him grief too," Mina remarked rolling her eyes at the feud and Raye shrugged.

"Being a twin heightens your feelings, especially if you are me, my empathic abilities are growing daily, what Wufei feels, I feel, it's a curse and a blessing," Raye said resignedly and Mina couldn't imagine being linked with Wufei in that way. Raye was one of the strongest people Mina knew, with the most perseverance. Having Heero as her husband and Wufei as her brother and still managing to stay sane.

"Do you think they will announce Serena's engagement to Prince Endymion of Earth tonight?" Mina asked thinking of their Princess and Raye let out a tinkle of laughter, knowing Serena as she did.

"I think Serena would burst if they didn't, she had been so happy ever since they first met," Raye replied giggling, just imagining Serena stomping her feet and having a tantrum but Mina seemed a little withdrawn.

"What do you think of his generals?" Mina asked and Raye shivered just at the thought of them, she didn't like them. There was Malachite, Zoicite, Neflite and Jedite, four of them, all protectors of Prince Endymion, but there was just something about them that rubbed Raye the wrong way.

"To be honest, they frighten me a little, their eyes are so cold," Raye said softly and Mina let out a breath of relief that she wasn't the only one.

"I thought that too, and they seemed more interested in protecting Relena than protecting Endymion," Mina noted as well and Raye raised an eyebrow.

"I hadn't noticed that."

"Maybe it's just me," Mina said shrugging and Raye inspected herself in the mirror pleased with what she saw.

"Maybe, anyway lets get going, we are going to be late," Raye got to her feet walking towards the door that would lead to her bed chamber but Mina's small voice stopped her at the door.

"Raye I must confess something to you."

"What is it?" Raye asked urgently, worried. If Mina needed something Raye would do whatever it took to make sure she was okay.

"I peeked while Heero was getting out of the tub," Mina said blushing bright red and Rei's mouth dropped open.

"Mina!" Raye cried out indignation rolling her eyes and Mina chuckled and ran from the bath chamber with Raye close behind.

"Woman, get out here now!"

Raye knew that voice anywhere. She threw open the door to her bedchamber and there was her twin brother, Wufei dressed in all his finery, a electric green sword handing from his hips. Raye wasted no time in hugging him and Wufei pushed her off him, embarrassed at her open affection when Mina was standing there staring at them both.

"Princess Mina," Wufei acknowledged her with a nod and Mina curtseyed to him.

"Prince Wufei."

"Wufei! Is it done, you are a Knight?" Raye asked excitedly and Wufei grinned proudly.

"Of course little sister, the Knight of Jupiter," Wufei gave a small bow and Raye stomped her foot angrily.

"Little? You were born two minutes before me!" Raye protested and Wufei patted her on the head lovingly.

He loved his twin sister but he loved taunting her so much more.

"Thus making you my little sister," Wufei concluded and Raye stopped her bickering and looked her brother in the eyes feeling something coming from him.

"You are happy," Raye said simply and Wufei took in her glowing face and nodded.

"As are you."

Raye suddenly felt a wave of guilt flow through her. She hadn't told Wufei that she had married Heero, one of Wufei's closest friends and a comrade. She had feared that Wufei wouldn't approve and tell their father, so up until now she had not told him. But deep inside Raye knew he should have been the first to know.

"Wufei, I must tell you something," Raye said urgently, but Wufei waved her conversation away, they were late, whatever Raye had to say she could tell him later.

"Come on, we are really late!" Wufei said taking Raye hand and Raye barely had time to grasp Mina's hand before Wufei went tearing through the halls dragging his twin and her friend behind him.

On entering the throne room, Raye saw that they were really late; everyone else was already seated in their allocated seats. The outer senshi apart from Saturn were all missing, they rarely came to the Moon Kingdom for these ceremonies. Saturn was seated beside her mother; her father had died long before Saturn was born. Amy and Trowa, the Princess and Prince of Mercury were seated with their mother and father. Princess Lita of Jupiter sat with her father who was acting as regent until Lita was old enough to take the throne, her brother Duo was sitting with them, but he seemed more interested in the family of Mercury rather than the confirmation. Mina's brother Quatre and their mother were sitting there, and the Queen of Venus dropped her head in her hands thoroughly embarrassed and Quatre flushed red. Raye and Wufei's father was seated alone and he sent them both a sharp reprimanding glare. Prince Endymion, Princess Relena and the four generals were all seated together, and Relena seemed different just as Heero had said. She no longer smiled, and her eyes had become so cold. Serena and Heero were sitting perfectly still behind their mother who stared hard at the three latecomers, annoyed at their incompetence. Raye and Mina were so embarrassed they both wished the floor would open and swallow them whole, but Wufei didn't seem perturbed. They quickly took their seats and Queen Serenity stood to address the congregation.

"On this day, I announce that my daughter, Princess Serena, will be next in line for the throne of the Moon Kingdom," Serenity turned ot her daughter smiling lovingly and Serena went forward to accept her birthright. Serenity placed a finger to Serena' head and transferred to her daughter the crescent moon sign. When Serena pulled away a crescent moon adorned her forehead, proclaiming her the next in line for the throne.

"On another note I would also like to take this moment to announce that in seven days my daughter will wed Prince Endymion of Earth," Serenity added and Endymion came forward to take Serena's hand as they shared a small kiss and stood together holding hands, gazing at each other adoringly.

"To strengthen the alliance, it has been decided that our four inner princesses will wed the four generals of Endymion, Princess Amy will wed General Zoicite, Princess Raye with marry General Jedite, Princess Lita will marry General Neflite and Princess Mina will wed Malachite, head of the Generals on the same day as my daughter, that is all," with this bomb, Serenity turned and left the room as much muttering was heard.

Amy was sitting there in shock, and Trowa took her hand attempting to comfort her as his eyes went to Mina. Duo looked as though his heart had dropped into his feet. Lita wasn't taking the news much better, she began breathing heavily and Duo rubbed her back telling her to breath slowly. Mina's mouth had just dropped open and Quatre slowly reached over to shut her mouth, and Mina through herself into her brother's arms. Quatre held her, glancing over at the generals who had remained emotionless at the announcement. Raye looked over at her husband in shock but he hadn't even glanced her way, his face emotionless showing nothing of what he felt.

The generals finally moved and came towards their future brides.

"Princess Raye, it is an honour, I am Jedite," a handsome young man with hair of gold and eyes the colour of the sky approached Raye and Raye took a deep breath knowing she had to handle this as a lady should. Raye held out her hand for Jedite to kiss and as soon as he touched it, Raye felt a vision rush through her.

Death. Destruction. Pain. Betrayal. The Silver Millennium, gone. Everyone dead. And there was Jedite laughing as he approached her, a bloody sword in his hand. He wiped the blade on the side of his pants with relish before raising it above his head.

"Goodbye Princess, it was an honour," Jedite said grinning evilly as the sward came down to end Raye's life.

Raye came to, her eyes wide with fear and Jedite was watching her with those blue eyes that seemed so chilly. It was as though he knew what she saw and giving a smile he bent his head to kiss her hand but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Get away from her," he hissed and Jedite stopped and moved back, looking at Malachite for backup. They had not expected resistance from the Princesses Knight's.

"This is my future bride," Jedite protected his rights and Heero stood between Jedite and Raye not budging and certainly not afraid.

"And I am her protector, come Princess," Heero said and Raye picked up her skirts and went running after him.

Taking Heero's lead each of the protectors lead away their Princesses leaving the generals alone in the throne room for everyone had departed. The generals waited until they had all left and Relena came to stand with them.

"This is an unforeseen problem," Malachite commented and Zoicite looked over at him confidently.

"We can handle it," he said assuredly and Neflite and Jedite nodded in kind.

"Of course," Malachite grinned, his smile so evil.

"Once you are all married to those princesses, there will be nothing those protectors can do, you will brainwash the girls turn them against the Moon, and then, we will attack and destroy them all," Relena dictated darkly in a voice not her own.

"As you say Queen Beryl," the four generals bowed respectfully and Relena let out a laugh as she left the throne room.

AN: Now I have no idea where I am going with this lol! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!