SILVER SUN
A Sailor Ranko fanfic
by Jason Heinrich
Based on the Sailor Ranko story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman. With acknowledgments and thanks to Kevin D. Hammel and Arthur Hansen.
THE SILVER MILLENNIUM
Jubilee!
Never before in the history of the Moon Kingdom had there been a celebration with the scope, glamour, and excitement as the Millennial Jubilee. Celebrating 1,000 years of Queen Serenity's reign, the festivities encompassed not only the entire capital city and the large number of towns and communities under the lunar dome, but Mars and the Jovian colonies as well. Predictably, silver was the predominant color, as businesses and private homes alike honored their beloved regent.
The Seabreeze Diner, on a boardwalk in the capital's waterfront district, was no exception, though the heavy use of chrome in its decor muted the effect of the silver decorations somewhat. It was a favorite hangout of young people from the palace and the city alike, due to its relaxed atmosphere, amazing food, and equally amazing views of the Sea of Serenity. Inside, Angwyn enjoyed it all with Galen and two other friends from the Academy, though the sea view was a bit limited due to the lunar night. Still, the city lights sparkling off the ripples in the water provided a certain ambiance.
Now 18, Angwyn and her companions were celebrating their graduation from the Academy the week before. Due to uncooperative schedules, this was the first time that all four of them had simultaneous free time, and they were taking advantage of it. Angwyn was also privately celebrating a personal milestone: after two years of living in the palace, the Queen had finally decided to allow Angwyn to leave the palace grounds without an escort. Apparently the lack of monster attacks over the past year, combined with the lack of any personal threats against Angwyn since the Queen had taken her in, had finally convinced Serenity that the young woman was in no danger. As much as Angwyn had enjoyed spending time with Cytheria on the occasions that they had come into the city or gone on some other field trip, she reveled now in her regained freedom. There was a certain camaraderie that she had discovered with friends her own age that she could never have with a centuries-old senshi, no matter how youthful the Princess of Venus looked or acted. Angwyn was a little sad that having finally made some good school friends her senior year, they would soon be going their separate ways.
"So what about you, Angwyn?" asked Jemma Montgomery, a fellow commoner whose family had come from the Highland area, like Angwyn, to work at the palace complex a couple generations previous. She would be following in her parents' footsteps, beginning her on-the-job training at the palace in a few short weeks. Her question brought Angwyn's attention back to the present. "You've already told us you're planning to attend the university. Have you decided on your major?" Next to her, Rajesh Mehra leaned forward to hear Angwyn's answer over the noise of the diner's other patrons. While also a commoner, he came from a very wealthy family on the East Shore. His father had sent him to attend the Academy as a residence student for his senior high years, and he would be returning home in a couple days.
Angwyn glanced at Galen before answering. Of course he already knew her plans, as they had discussed them frequently over the past couple of months. Her gaze lingered for just a second as she saw something in his eyes, a look that she couldn't interpret. She wanted to ask him if something was wrong, but Jemma's question still hung in the air. Turning back to her other friends, she said, "Well, I was thinking about Multidimensional Engineering."
Jemma's eyes glazed over. "Multi-what?"
Rajesh chuckled as he interpreted. "Magic Tech. Going to follow in your father's footsteps, I take it?"
Angwyn nodded. "I always wanted to help my dad as a kid when he was working on stuff. And magic holds a certain… fascination for me." She again glanced briefly at Galen, whose lip curled up slightly in amusement. As much as she loved her friends and had enjoyed broadening her social circle and getting to know them over the past year, her magic ability was one thing she continued to keep a secret. "It seemed like the perfect major."
Jemma leaned back in her seat, a self-satisfied smile on her lips. "See, I knew the two of you were perfect for each other! You're both going to be engineers!"
Angwyn blushed, while Galen squirmed a little, the odd look back in his eyes. "I'll be Geological Engineering," he interjected. "Mining, terraforming, that sort of thing. Our majors aren't really related."
"But they're both in the College of Sciences," Rajesh pointed out. "There's got to be some crossover, at least in the introductory courses. And since you'll be in the same building, you'll be able to see each other all the time."
Galen was silent for a moment, and when he did finally speak, he looked at Angwyn apologetically. "Actually, we won't."
Angwyn's stomach suddenly felt like lead. "Why not?" she asked quietly.
In answer, Galen pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and set it in front of her. She picked it up and, with hands shaking slightly, pulled out a letter.
"Dear Mr. Prasinos," she read aloud. "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to participate in Korec Interplanetary Resources' Intern-Study Program…" She trailed off, staring at Galen in astonishment.
Rajesh whistled. "Wow, Galen, congratulations! Only a couple of students a year are chosen to study on-the-job with Korec. That's a pretty prestigious program: when you get done you'll have your choice of jobs! And, you'll graduate in only... oh."
"What?" Jemma asked, confused at Rajesh's suddenly serious expression. "What's wrong?"
"Their headquarters is on Io," Galen answered solemnly, never taking his eyes off of Angwyn. "The program is two years of intense training, with only a single two-week break in the middle. If I accept…"
"Oh," was all Jemma could say, echoing Rajesh.
For a few uncomfortable moments, Angwyn just stared at Galen, a kaleidoscope of emotions flickering across her face. Finally, she huffed and punched him in the arm. "When were you going to tell me, you jerk?!"
Galen winced, nursing his shoulder. The girl was stronger than her small frame would suggest. He held up his other hand in a warding motion. "I just got the letter this afternoon. I was going to tell you tonight." He gestured at the letter on the table. "And I did."
Angwyn slumped back into her chair. "Two years…" she groaned.
Jemma reached over and patted Angwyn's hand. "Hey, it'll be alright. It's not like he won't get any breaks; you won't have to go the full two years without seeing him. After all, True Love always finds a way!"
Angwyn just rolled her eyes. "You're not much help, you know that?" But she couldn't keep a small smile from emerging as Jemma's sage romantic insight reminded her of a certain blonde senshi.
Galen watched the two young women, and his expression turned thoughtful.
"I still say this is a bad idea," Nephrite grumbled.
Jadeite leaned against the door of his friend's apartment and just grinned as he watched Nephrite reluctantly pack his travel case. "Come on," he chided, "don't tell me you don't want to check out the biggest party in history."
"You're forgetting: Zoicite's the party animal," Nephrite retorted. "Besides, it's a Moon Kingdom party. I don't see why we need to be there. It doesn't have anything to do with us."
"We're going because the Prince specifically asked us to accompany him. Or have you forgotten already?"
"No, I haven't forgotten," Nephrite mumbled, rifling through a drawer.
"It's a gesture of goodwill," Jadeite continued. "After all, the moon originally used to be an Earth colony. Endymion's presence at the Millennial Ball will represent our shared ancestry!" He smiled weakly, obviously aware of how rehearsed and unconvincing the explanation sounded.
Nephrite shoved some undergarments into the case and straightened up. He looked at Jadeite pointedly. "Well maybe our Prince needs to worry a little more about goodwill here on Earth." He sighed and some of the anger drained from his face. "I'm worried about him, Jed."
"What do you mean?"
"He's not doing himself any favors by pining over Serenity's daughter. He's my friend, and I've done what I could to keep a lid on the rumors, but after two years of this, people are noticing. They're seeing his friendliness towards the Moon Kingdom, and a lot of people are none too happy about it."
"I've seen that too," Jadeite agreed. "Even if he has a legitimate reason to attend this ball as a diplomatic representative, people are going to view it as one more example of him turning his back on his own world, his own people."
Nephrite shook his head. "The thing is, I know he loves the Earth, and he's been preparing diligently to rule. But how can he be an effective ruler if his heart is split?"
Both men were quiet for a minute as they contemplated their prince's situation. Finally Jadeite said quietly, "It may be worse than you think." Nephrite shot him a quizzical look, and Jadeite continued, "There's a rumor going around the top brass that the king is losing confidence in him too."
Nephrite grimaced. "That's bad. Especially with the health problems the king's been having."
"If the king takes a turn for the worse and Endymion has to assume the throne…" Jadeite worried.
"Then the Baldrin Province's predictable uprising could be the least of his worries," Nephrite finished. He sighed again. "We're going to have to confront him. He needs to get his feet back on Terra firma, forget this infatuation, and focus on his own kingdom before it's too late."
"Are you going to do it?" Jadeite asked.
Nephrite considered the question. "Kunzite is the highest ranked among us; I think he might be the best one to bring it up, though we should all be there."
"Kunzite isn't due back until right before we're scheduled to leave," Jadeite pointed out. "The first opportunity to talk to Endymion may be at the Millennial Ball." He snorted. "On the moon, when he's with the princess. That will go over well."
Nephrite chuckled, despite the seriousness of the situation, but quickly sobered. "Well, whenever we do it, I just hope he listens."
Angwyn sat before the vanity in her washroom, as Cytheria enthusiastically worked on styling her hair. It was the night of the Ball, and she wore an elegant green sleeveless gown, her hands and forearms swathed in complementary pale green arm sleeves. The ball was the furthest thing from her mind, however; though two days had passed since Galen had dropped his bombshell, it still consumed her thoughts.
"I'm an idiot," the redhead grumbled.
"Eh?" mumbled Cytheria as she paused with a handful of hair and a hairpin in her mouth.
"He offered to stay. We talked about his intern-study program yesterday, and he told me he was ready to give it up so that we could be together." She swallowed and took a deep breath in an attempt to keep back tears. "I told him not to be silly. That this was his dream and he needed to do it."
Cytheria fastened the hairpin and released Angwyn's hair. "To put someone else's needs and dreams above your own is an act of true love," she encouraged softly. "There is nothing idiotic about that."
"I know," Angwyn sighed. "And I know he has a break in a year and I'll get to see him then. But it's a whole year away! I don't think I realized how much I was going to miss him until now." She glanced up at her friend in the mirror, worry evident in her eyes. "What if we drift apart?"
The Senshi of Love gave her a reassuring smile. "I doubt there's much danger of that happening."
Angwyn just sighed. "I wish I had your confidence."
"Do you trust him?" Cytheria asked.
"Of course," Angwyn answered without hesitation. Moria had been relentless over the past year in her attempt to woo Galen back, with absolutely zero success. Galen had remained devoted to Angwyn despite the ebony-haired royal's efforts, and Angwyn had responded in kind. Her heart now felt so inextricably knit to his that the very thought of losing his love caused her almost physical pain.
"Then trust that he will come back next year with just as much love for you as he has now, if not more."
Angwyn nodded mutely, and Cytheria resumed her work on her hair. For a few minutes she sat quietly as Cytheria arranged the last few locks of hair, then she sighed. "Am I a fool to hope that a dream will come true?" Cytheria raised an eyebrow, but otherwise kept her peace as Angwyn continued, "I dreamt of learning and practicing my magic with my mom. I thought I would help my dad with his magic work when I grew up. I thought Galen and I would spend our college years together." She paused before adding, "I wanted to be a senshi like you."
Cytheria didn't know what to say.
Angwyn looked down at the tabletop. Almost too quiet to hear, she whispered, "Why won't the queen let me join you?"
Cytheria closed her eyes briefly. There was nothing new she could say to encourage her young friend; the topic of why the queen wouldn't appoint her as a senshi had already been discussed to death over the last couple of years. She decided to go for a diversionary approach, instead. Pulling a couple of bows out of a drawer, she held them up to Angwyn's freshly-styled hair. "Maybe if you wear it with a bow…?"
Angwyn glanced up, irritation written on her face at the senshi's obvious attempt to change the subject. But the pitiful apologetic look in Cytheria's blue eyes made it impossible to stay upset. She grunted and a small smile appeared on her lips. "You're right, I'm being silly. I know Galen loves me. And tonight we're going to dine, and dance, and enjoy the biggest party the Moon Kingdom has ever seen… together." Her countenance visibly brightened at the thought.
"That's the spirit," Cytheria smiled. She glanced at the bows in her hand and held one up. "Now, how about the green one?"
Galen whistled as he and Angwyn entered the Grand Hall, where hundreds of tables had been set for the Millennial Banquet. Expansive draperies adorned the walls in the colors of the eight planets of the Kingdom, all highlighted by and interspersed with the silver of the Moon and its Queen. Each table was accented with a single rose, also in one of the colors of planets, resting in a silver-trimmed crystal vase. The room was rapidly filling with guests; some had already taken their seats, though most still milled about, socializing. Galen made a quick mental calculation and whispered to Angwyn, "There must be well over a thousand people in here. I can't believe we got invited to this."
Angwyn nodded, a little wide-eyed herself. "Living in the castle helped, but it was mostly because the inner senshi insisted that I get to come." She shook her head slightly as she took in the room. "When I first moved to the palace, the queen used to host weekly dinners in here. Everyone that lived in the palace was assigned a day of the week. Obviously we didn't have anywhere near this many people at those dinners -" she pointed to the other side of the hall, "tables were only set up on one side of the room. Still, I had no idea so many people could fit in here. It doesn't even look that crowded." She was lost in thought for a moment as she reflected on those early days in the palace, then she chuckled. "I hated those dinners. All those stuffy nobles and palace gossip: they were so boring. I'm glad the queen stopped making us come to them a few months after I moved here."
"I don't think this one will be so onerous," Galen commented.
"I don't know, I'm still here with a stuffy noble," she smirked, nudging him in the side with her elbow. Galen's only response was to return the smirk and slip his arm around hers. Her smirk softened into a contented smile as they made their way to their table.
"This is it," Galen observed, double-checking the table number with the one printed on his reservation card. He glanced around. The table was situated near one of the side walls of the hall, far from the queen's table at the head of the room, and almost directly underneath the immense purple and black banner of Saturn. "Looks like we've been relegated to the cheap seats. We're practically in the back corner of the room."
Angwyn rolled her eyes. "As if any seat at this banquet was cheap. Just be glad we get to even be here. It's a privilege."
"I know, you're right; I didn't mean to sound ungrateful," Galen apologized. "I guess I was kind of expecting to sit with your senshi friends is all." He lowered his voice and added, "As in, with someone we know."
"Nah, they're at the head table with the queen," Angwyn explained, gesturing to the long table at the front of the room. Unlike the round tables that filled the floor of the hall, the queen's table sat on a slightly raised platform and was long and rectangular, so that its occupants all faced the rest of the room. The queen and her daughter were already there, flanked by the princesses of Uranus and Neptune, who were both on a special dual protection duty during the Jubilee. For this occasion, however, they wore elegant gowns rather than their typical senshi uniforms. Neptune was as striking as usual, but Galen noted that the normally masculine Uranus looked surprisingly feminine in the gown. He frowned slightly as it occurred to him that he couldn't think of the Outer Senshi's names; they were so rarely present on the moon, and even less seldomly seen in public, that they were something of a mystery to the general public.
In addition to the four women at the center of the table, Minerva and Cytheria were also already there, sitting in the first and second seats on the left, respectively. He already knew that Sailor Pluto would not be in attendance, as she remained at Castle Charon to maintain the watch over both the Time Gate and the outer solar system. That left two senshi that were unaccounted for, yet four seats remained empty: one between Cytheria and Neptune, and three on the other side of Uranus.
He was about to comment on the extra seats to Angwyn, when a man and woman stepped up onto the platform and walked over to greet the queen. The man was tall, with a kindly face, a white formal suit, and matching white hair. His companion was notably shorter, with a pale blue dress and long, curly black hair. It appeared that the queen and princesses recognized the couple, but Galen had never seen them before. He leaned down to Angwyn. "Who are they?" he asked softly.
Angwyn's face mirrored Galen's own puzzled expression. "No clue. Something about them seems familiar, but I'm sure I would have remembered meeting them. Her hair is beautiful."
"It still doesn't compare to yours, though," Galen commented with a soft smile. He ran his fingers lightly through the back of her hair, brushing her neck and eliciting a slight shiver from the redhead.
"Mmm, you can keep doing that," she murmured.
Galen chuckled. "We should probably sit down," he suggested. Angwyn nodded, though not without a slight pout, and they took their seats.
It took another fifteen minutes for the remainder of the guests to arrive and take their seats. Two of the four remaining seats at their table were taken by a couple whom neither Galen nor Angwyn had ever met. After introducing themselves, Angwyn was surprised to see Jens Maltheson and another man approach the table. "Mr. Maltheson!" she greeted him. "Hello!"
"Miss Weaver!" Jens exclaimed. "What are the odds that we would be assigned to the same table? And please, call me Jens."
"Alright," Angwyn agreed. "I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Galen Prasinos. Galen, this is Jens Maltheson, a forensics technician with the Royal Emergency Services. He helped solve the mystery of… of what happened to my parents." The two exchanged greetings, and Angwyn added, "Are you here with Minerva?"
"Ah, well, not exactly," he answered, as he and his companion took their seats. He gestured to the queen's table. "She has other obligations." As Angwyn nodded her understanding, Jens jerked his thumb at the man next to him. "She did get me two invitations though, so I brought along my research partner, Silas."
"Pleased to meet you," Silas said with an abbreviated bow. He glanced around. "I never thought I would get the chance to actually come to this."
"Yeah, well, you owe me big time," Jens remarked.
Their conversation was cut short as a hush fell over the hall. As one they turned towards the front of the room, where Queen Serenity had stood.
"Friends and guests, I welcome you," she said in a voice that was gentle, yet filled the room. "For one thousand years this throne has stood for peace, love, and justice. Though we have faced challenges over the years, our kingdom has stood strong, endeavoring to be a guiding light and refuge in this solar system and beyond. We are gathered here now this evening to celebrate the triumphant history of this kingdom, to remember the joyous times and even the painful ones, and to look forward with hope and anticipation to our glorious future. We pray that this time of celebration will be an incomparable delight to one and all: both to those here in our presence, and to all within our realm. Bless all of you, and enjoy."
Applause filled the room as Serenity bowed to the crowd and gracefully reclaimed her seat. Before the applause died out, however, a dark figure rose from his seat in the center of the room, near to the royal table. Prince Endymion of Earth, garbed in his formal grey-trimmed navy blue uniform with matching cape, raised his glass in tribute to the queen. His four friends looked up at him in surprise; Nephrite looked like he wanted to pull Endymion back down into his seat, except he was seated across the table from the prince.
"Gracious Queen Serenity!" Endymion called out. "On behalf of myself, my companions, and the entire Kingdom of Earth, I want to thank you for the opportunity to share in this most august of celebrations. Under your leadership of the Moon Kingdom, and your watchcare over my own world, the entire solar system has enjoyed a golden age - no, a Silver Millennium - of peace and prosperity. May the coming future be one of continued peace and growing cooperation between us." His gaze flicked briefly to the princess before returning to Serenity. "Long live the Queen!"
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" echoed hundreds of voices from around the hall, causing the room to vibrate with their volume. Endymion took his seat, ignoring the barely concealed irritated looks from Nephrite and Zoicite. Jadeite's expression was more concerned than angry, while Kunzite's face was impassive as always.
"Well, that was nice," Angwyn commented as the applause died down and the drone of conversation began to fill the air once again. "Very complimentary." I can see why Pandia likes him, she mentally added. Handsome and well-mannered.
"Yeah, I always thought the Earth folks didn't really like us all that much," Silas remarked. "Good to see their prince is civil, at least." As the others at the table nodded their agreement, a small army of servers emerged from doors all around the room, bearing the first course. Angwyn tried to locate her friend Sandrine, but was unable to spot her among the crowd of wait staff in the large room.
Their own servers arrived, and just as quickly disappeared, leaving behind the first course, a small salad of exotic fruit and nuts on greens. Thoughts of the Earth Kingdom and its controversial prince were forgotten as all attention was focused on the meal.
It was an hour and a half before the feast ended, and Angwyn and Galen made their way, hand-in-hand, down the wide hallway to the ballroom. "I'm stuffed," Angwyn sighed as they turned and entered the spacious room. In many aspects, it was a near mirror to the Grand Hall where the banquet had been held, with similarly tall ceilings and complimentary decor. The ballroom, however, had an open floor, with only small standing tables lining the walls. Seven alcoves, small in comparison to the main room but sizable enough to hold up to nearly a hundred people each, punctuated three walls; the main entrance, through which they had just passed, marked the fourth. Opposite the main entrance, the central, and largest, alcove was well-lit and generously stocked with refreshments. The other alcoves had more intimate lighting, and were decorated with numerous comfortable chairs and benches where the revelers could rest their feet. Finally, in one corner of the the ballroom a tall dais had been erected, atop which sat the queen on a throne, observing the guests as they filed in and dispersed amongst the hall. A smaller throne was set to Serenity's right; clearly it was intended for the princess, but the young woman was already working the crowd, greeting the guests and raising their spirits even further, in the way that only she could.
"You think you'll be able to dance?" asked Galen in response to Angwyn's comment.
"Are you kidding?" Angwyn laughed. "As hard as Juno's been working me in my martial arts classes, my metabolism has been through the roof. I'll probably be hungry again in an hour." She glanced around. "Right now though, I'd like to find my friends."
As if on cue, a familiar blonde head with a red bow came bouncing through the crowd toward them. "Isn't this great?" the exuberant senshi exclaimed.
"Yeah, so many dashing young men to woo," Angwyn responded, giving Galen a wink. He just grinned.
"I know!" Cytheria gushed, completely missing Angwyn's teasing. "Those friends of Endymion's in particular; they are rather dashing, aren't they? Especially that silver-haired one..." She trailed off in thought for a moment, before snapping back to the present. "Oh! And weren't Luna and Artemis stunning?"
Galen and Angwyn glanced at each other in confusion. Neither had seen the queen's feline advisors all evening, and "stunning" would hardly be an adjective either of them would use to describe a Mau. "I'm sorry," Angwyn answered, "we didn't see them."
Now it was Cytheria's turn to look confused. "How could you miss them? They were at the queen's table with us."
For a moment the only response she received from the young couple was blank stares. Then their eyes suddenly went wide in realization. "You mean that mystery couple at the end of the table?" Angwyn asked, sounding rather stunned. "The white-haired man and the black-haired woman?"
When Cytheria nodded, Galen added thoughtfully, "Huh, that kind of makes sense, now that I think about it."
"Yep," the senshi confirmed. "The queen gave them the ability to take on human form not long after they came into her service. To be honest, they don't really like to use it all that much, as they prefer to stay on all fours." She chuckled. "But there are times, like tonight, when being small and having a long tail might not work out so well."
"I can imagine," Galen remarked. A fluttering caught their attention, and as one they glanced up to see a large crow pass overhead, banking gracefully and dropping to join a group of other birds gathered atop one of the tall tables several meters away. The seemed to be having a conversation. "Wow, I didn't know the Caori were here," he added. "I've never seen them in person."
Angwyn gave his arm a little tug. "Who are the Caori?" she asked. "I don't think I've heard of them."
"Really? They're a race of sentient birds from the Kronos system. Kind of like the Mau, but avian." Angwyn nodded in understanding, and Galen added, "In fact, if I remember correctly, the Mau and Caori home worlds aren't too far from each other. Intergalactically speaking."
Cytheria nodded in confirmation. "That's right. In fact there are representatives from a number of star systems and empires here to honor Queen Serenity." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Let's see. There is the Jurai Empire... the Kinmoku delegation... the Caori, of course... and the El-Aurians. To name a few."
"Wow," Angwyn said, thoughtful. "I never really thought that much about systems outside of the Moon Kingdom before."
"It can be a little humbling to realize just how big the galaxy is," Cytheria agreed. "Unfortunately, not everyone out there is friendly. That's why we have the Outer Senshi." She glanced toward the throne, where the senshi of Uranus and Neptune had been lingering, to see them moving out onto the dance floor. Her grin returned. "Speaking of the Outers, it looks like Oyana and Susana are finally getting into the spirit of things. I think I will as well. Have fun, you two!" With that, she moved off into the crowd.
Galen hit his hand with his fist as realization lit his face. "That's right…" At Angwyn's quizzical look, he explained, "I've been trying to remember Uranus and Neptune's names ever since we saw them at dinner. Oyana and Susana…"
"You should have asked," Angwyn responded with a raised eyebrow. "I was a big fan of the Senshi growing up. I've known their names since I was little."
"I bet you've learned more about them in the past couple years than you ever thought possible," Galen said with a grin.
"You have no idea," Angwyn replied with a roll of her eyes. Her gaze turned back to the dance floor, where the emerald-haired Susana was enthusiastically swaying to the music, her blonde partner looking a bit more reluctant. "You know," she said, "dancing sounds like fun. Come on!" She grabbed his hand and led him, laughing, out onto the dance floor.
Before long the music turned gentle, and Galen held Angwyn close as they swayed together in time to the orchestra. He rested his cheek against the top of her head, smelling her hair. A part of him wanted to stay like this forever - he couldn't imagine going on in life without this woman by his side - and for a moment a surge of irritation swelled up as he thought about his pending extended training on Io, and the friction it had caused in their relationship. He quickly pushed those thoughts aside, calming himself with a deep breath and Angwyn's scent. The work-study program wouldn't be a problem, he reminded himself, not if everything worked out as planned.
Angwyn glanced up, sensing that something was bothering him. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied, smiling back at her. "On the contrary, I couldn't be happier than I am right now, with you."
She smiled, resting her head back against his chest. They had very little time to stay like that, unfortunately, as the song wound down, and the orchestra began a spritely popular number. "You mind taking a break?" Galen suggested, indicating one of the alcoves with a tilt of his head.
"Sure."
They made their way through the crowd on the ballroom floor to the alcove. All of the chairs were taken, but they were able to find a standing table that was unoccupied. For a few minutes they simply stood together and watched the ball, Angwyn leaning against Galen as he wrapped an arm around her. His other hand he kept in his pocket.
Before long, Galen began to fidget. He released Angwyn, and turned toward her. "Angwyn," he began.
"Are you thirsty?" she interrupted him.
Galen blinked at the non-sequitur. Realizing that his mouth was indeed dry, he simply nodded.
"Great!" she said brightly. "I'll go get us something. Don't move, we don't want to lose our table." She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then moved out into the crowd toward the refreshment alcove. Galen watched after her, not moving even after she disappeared among the dancers on the floor. Finally he sighed, removed his hand from his pocket, and leaned on the table to wait for her return.
Angwyn stood in the refreshment alcove, two cups in hand, waiting with increasing impatience for the servers to bring more punch to refill the punch fountain. She growled under her breath at the delay. She really expected better from the queen's servants, especially at this event!
She distracted herself by looking around at the other people in the room. She wasn't the only person waiting to fill their cup, though it seemed most people had a companion to talk to. She was beginning to regret leaving Galen at the table. It seemed that he had wanted to say something before she had offered to get drinks; if he had been here he wouldn't have had to wait. Losing their table would have been a small price to pay in order to be together during this delay.
By Serenity, am I getting pathetic, she thought with a grin. We've only been apart for a few minutes.
Her gaze fell on an interesting pair of individuals only a couple of meters away. One was a thin young woman, slightly taller than Angwyn and perhaps slightly older. Her most distinguishing characteristic was her long red hair, almost as bright as Angwyn's own. The woman's companion was even more exotic: standing on the edge of the table was a large brown hawk with shimmering golden threads woven into its feathers, and a great deal of intelligence in its eyes. Curiosity about the Caori got the better of Angwyn and she stepped a little closer to eavesdrop.
"Well Amelia, it certainly has been a pleasure speaking with you," the hawk was saying, its voice clearly identifying it as female. "It is a pity you will not be able to spend more time here in the 'Silver Millennium'." The bird looked distinctly amused at Prince Endymion's nickname for the Moon Kingdom. "I know my group intends to spend several more days exploring this Kingdom before they return home."
"Well, my friend likes to keep moving," Amelia said apologetically. "We're only here for this event."
"Safe travels, then," the hawk replied, with a dip of her head. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."
"I will, thanks." Giving the Caori a smile, Amelia turned and headed to the entrance of the alcove, where she paused to look around. As Angwyn watched, the other red-head picked a direction apparently at random and disappeared into the crowd.
"I did not realize orange hair was so common among humans," came a voice from Angwyn's elbow. She jumped slightly in surprise, looking down to see that the hawk had quietly moved next to her, and was looking up at her in obvious amusement.
"It's, um, it's not," stammered Angwyn, flushing slightly in embarrassment at having apparently been caught eavesdropping.
"Ah, I see," the falcon stated, the amused expression not leaving its face. A part of Angwyn's mind marvelled that she could even read its expression, given that the bird's beak was incapable of smiling. The bird continued, "Let me introduce myself. I am called Chizuko." She spread her wings slightly and tilted forward in an avian version of a bow.
"Angwyn Weaver," the girl responded, regaining her composure. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is indeed mine." Chizuko glanced around. "It is an honor to be able to attend such an event. I feel very privileged to have been able to join my people's delegation." She looked up at Angwyn. "Are you also a traveller here to honor the Silver Queen?"
Angwyn couldn't help smiling at the Caori's enthusiasm mixed with her oddly formal method of speech. "No, actually I live here in the palace."
"Ah!" Chizuko bowed again. "My lady!"
Angwyn waved her hands and laughed out loud. "No, no! I'm only a commoner. I just live here."
"My apologies," Chizuko responded, and ruffled her feathers slightly, giving Angwyn the impression that the falcon was embarrassed. "Well, regardless, as you reside here, perhaps our paths will cross again. I shall be remaining here in the Moon Kingdom to attend the University this next term. I will be participating in a research project to learn more about the nature of magic, and the methods your people have devised to utilize it."
Angwyn's eyebrow went up. "Really? I'll be studying magic at the University as well!"
Chizuko bobbed her head. "Perhaps we will be able to compare notes at some point then."
"So what brings you all the way here to study magic?" Angwyn asked. "It seems a long way to travel just for a research project."
"My people have a high sensitivity to the energies of the higher dimensions, but little ability to use them," the bird explained. "My project will endeavor to determine what physical differences between humans and Caori may account for this discrepancy, and attempt to identify a method of harnessing magic ourselves."
Angwyn was intrigued. "That sounds pretty cool." She paused as an idea occurred to her. "Hey, maybe we should compare notes. My father was an expert in integrating magic and technology, and I plan to study the same field. If it will help in any way, I'd be happy to share what I've learned."
Chizuko looked thoughtful. "While I believe many of my people would prefer a more… natural way to harness the power of magic, I am not beyond considering a technological approach. I will keep your offer in mind."
"Great!" Angwyn said with a smile. Motion out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she glanced to her left to see two servers finally refilling the punch fountain. "It's about time," she commented dryly. "I've been waiting for them to bring out more punch. My poor boyfriend is probably wondering if I got lost."
Chizuko made a clucking sound, the amused look returning to her face. "Then I will delay you no longer," she said. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Angwyn."
"Likewise," Angwyn answered with a smile. She turned to fill the cups in her hand… and nearly dropped them in the fountain when someone out on the dance floor screamed.
Galen stood drumming his fingers on the table, his impatience growing. Angwyn had been gone for nearly ten minutes, and he was starting to get worried. Even in this crowd, just getting a couple of drinks shouldn't be taking this long.
He was about to give up the table and attempt to find her when a familiar figure entered the alcove. Jens Maltheson spotted him, and with a small wave, walked over. "Hey Galen," he said listlessly, his gaze drifting back over the couples on the dance floor.
"Hey," Galen replied. He frowned slightly. He didn't know the older RES technician well, having only just met him at the banquet, but something was clearly bothering the man. "Where's your friend?" he asked.
"You mean Silas?" At Galen's nod, Jens waved his hand out at the crowd. "Probably out there having better luck than me."
"Ah." Galen winced in sympathy. Then he frowned slightly as he recalled something Jens had mentioned at dinner. "What about Minerva? Weren't you supposed to be here with her?"
Jens grunted and leaned on the table. "Supposed to be? Yeah. But she seems to be otherwise occupied." He pointed to a spot about a third of the way across the ballroom. It took Galen a moment of searching where Jens had gestured, but eventually he spotted the petite form of the Princess of Mercury. His eyebrows raised slightly to see that she was dancing, surprisingly closely, with one of the Earth prince's companions, the one with long brown hair.
Jens sighed. "Part of me wants to be angry. I want to go tell that Earth… guy… to shove off, and whisk her off her feet. But what right do I have to do any of that? She's a Senshi, after all. Me, I'm just a technician. Not an officer; not even nobility. I should just be glad that she's paid me any attention at all over the past year." He grew silent for a moment, before coming to himself. He glanced back at Galen apologetically. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dumped that on you like that."
"Don't worry about it."
They both were silent for a couple of moments, watching the dancers on the floor. Galen started to feel a little awkward, but before he could break the silence, Jens straightened up. "Huh," the blond man grunted.
"What's that?" Galen asked.
"I just noticed something. Look over there," he pointed to a spot, "Princess Venus is dancing with that silver-haired Earth fellow. And over there Mars is with the blond one. And see, Jupiter is with the other brown-haired guy. All four of the Guardian Senshi are dancing with the Earth emissaries." He seemed to relax, leaning on the table. "How much you want to bet that the princess put them up to it? I guess I didn't have anything to worry about after all."
Galen wasn't so sure, having heard the desire in Cytheria's voice earlier when she mentioned the man with whom she was now dancing. On the other hand, that was Cytheria after all; her romantic tendencies didn't necessarily carry over to the other Senshi. He opened his mouth to reassure the older man at his side…
Then everything ground to a halt as a scream pierced the air.
Endymion stood at a table against the back wall, near the queen's dias, at ease as he waited for Pandia to make her way back. He smiled slightly as he consciously forced down his anticipation of dancing with the princess. Best not to look too enthusiastic. For now their relationship was still a secret, as far as he knew, and it was best to keep it that way. He had already "encouraged" his friends to go dance with the senshi: with them similarly occupied, his dance with Pandia would hopefully appear to be an expected and politically correct activity.
He chuckled quietly to himself. They had no idea.
While he waited he glanced down at the rose in the center of the table. This was a red one, no doubt intended to represent the planet Mars. To him, it was so much more than that. Though few people were aware of it, all of the roses had come from the royal nursery on Earth: the Earth Kingdom's contribution to the gala, and his secret gift to the Moon's princess. He lifted the rose out of its crystal vase and smelled it. Its crimson hue was, to him, a symbol of the passion that burned in his heart for her. Once he had tried to deny it; now he couldn't even if he wanted to.
A sudden movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Several meters away a man strode purposefully through the crowd, roughly shoving a woman out of his way. "Hey!" her partner yelled, catching her before she fell. The man ignored them, lifting a small rod and pulling on the knob at its end.
With a click, the rod extended slightly and unfolded. In a single second, the man was holding a compact crossbow-like weapon, its deadly dart aimed directly at the queen.
The woman screamed.
Instinctively, Endymion reached for his sword, only to belatedly remember that all of their weapons had been surrendered to the royal guard when they had entered the palace. Adrenaline surged through his veins and time slowed as he frantically considered his options.
The senshi were already moving, but they were too spread out across the dance floor to reach the queen in time.
The royal guards were even further away than the senshi.
The guests in the immediate area of the throne were frozen in shock. No help there.
The queen was rising from her throne, a staff appearing in her hand. Endymion had no idea what kind of magic she could bring to bear against her attacker, or if she would be able to even do so in time. He couldn't leave the situation to chance. But what could he do?
He glanced at the rose in his hand. And he had an idea.
With no time for a proper spell, Endymion sent a surge of raw magic into the rose, reinforcing its stem, then let it fly. With pinpoint accuracy, the flower buried itself into the attacker's right shoulder, just as he pulled the trigger on his weapon. The dart flew wildly off course, lodging into the wall far above the queen's head. With a strangled cry, the man collapsed to the ground, clutching his shoulder. Within seconds, he was surrounded by all six senshi, all of whom had powered up and were now in full uniform.
Sailor Uranus reached down and yanked the would-be assassin to his feet. The man gasped in pain as the magically-strengthened rose in his shoulder shifted with the none-too-gentle movement. Queen Serenity stepped off the dais and stopped before him, piercing him with a gaze of pure ice. Despite himself, Endymion shivered at the perfectly controlled fury in Serenity's eyes, and made a mental note never to make that woman angry at him.
"Explain yourself," the Queen commanded.
The attacker, despite his obvious discomfort and the queen's imposing presence, managed to fill his voice with defiance as he glared back at her. "You're so smug. Sitting there, celebrating a thousand years of dictatorship. It's too long! Too long for one person to have so much power. Too long for Earth to huddle in your shadow, like a family being held hostage in their own house. Don't think we don't know what you're planning! You won't succeed! Your precious daughter may have bewitched our prince, but don't think the people of Earth will just roll over and let you take control of OUR planet, the last bastion of freedom! We will never surrender, and you will be the one who falls, like every tyrant before you! We will…"
Endymion had had enough. As the attacker's rant became more and more agitated, the prince gathered a small amount of power in his fingertip and stepped forward. Whispering the words to shape the magic into the correct spell, he touched the back of the man's head. Like a marionette with its strings cut, he abruptly fell silent… then fell to the floor in a heap.
"My deepest apologies, your highness," Endymion said with a sigh, as Serenity lifted her gaze from the crumpled would-be assassin to the prince that had foiled him. "With your permission, I will detain this man and return him to Earth for justice."
The request was a gamble, and Endymion knew it. As the attack had happened on Moon Kingdom soil - in the Queen's own palace and against her person, in fact - she had every right to hold and prosecute her attacker herself, even if he was apparently a citizen of Earth. The prince, however, suspected that the man hadn't been working alone. He needed to discover how far-reaching the attacker's network ran. As the future king of the Earth Kingdom, Endymion intended to strengthen Earth's relationship with the Moon - in more ways than one - and if a sufficiently large group was militantly opposed to such an alliance…. Endymion didn't even want to consider the possibility of civil war.
Endymion waited anxiously as Serenity considered his request. Where she had been stern and angry just a moment ago, now her face only showed sadness. She shook her head slightly. "So deluded," she finally whispered, before focusing on the prince. "Very well, Prince Endymion. We place him in your custody, and trust that your justice system will deal with him fairly and firmly."
Endymion suppressed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Your Highness." He turned to Kunzite. "Restrain him and take him back to our shuttle. See to it personally that he remains under heavy guard."
"As you wish," Kunzite replied. Accepting a pair of binders from one of the palace guards, he secured the attacker's hands before Endymion reversed the sleeping spell with another touch to the back of the man's neck. Kunzite wasted no time in hauling the man to his feet and out the main entrance, the crowd parting before him. There was an awkward silence as the guests watched Kunzite and his prisoner depart. Then all eyes turned to Serenity as she unexpectedly let out a short laugh.
"Well, I never expected this ball to be boring, but that wasn't quite what I had in mind!"
A small chuckle rolled across the crowd and Venus piped up, "That's right! This party isn't over yet. Start up the band!"
As the volume in the room increased and the dancers began to move again, Endymion leaned back upon the roseless table and watched Pandia accompany her mother back to the throne. He sighed. It looked like he wouldn't be getting that dance after all.
Galen and Angwyn stepped out into the typically warm lunar night and walked hand-in-hand into the palace's expansive gardens. Above, the full Earth bathed everything in a blue glow, with enough light to cast shadows even in the lights of the palace. Inside, the party wasn't yet finished, but people were beginning to filter out and head home as the festivities wound down. Angwyn gave a yawn, then smiled up at Galen apologetically. "Sorry. It's been a long and busy day." She leaned up against him as they walked.
"Certainly an exciting one," he replied, putting an arm around her. They walked that way in silence for a few moments. Though other couples were also enjoying the gardens, it was easy to find secluded paths. For all practical purposes, they were alone.
Eventually, Galen stopped. "Angwyn, I… I have a question for you." She looked up at him curiously. "I've been thinking about my work-study program."
Angwyn frowned. She'd been having such a lovely evening. Why did he have to bring this up now?
Galen continued, "I, um, I think… well, there is a way that we don't have to be apart for so long."
Angwyn sighed. "Galen, I already told you not to give up on your dream. I had a good talk with Cytheria today, and she helped me see that, well…. Galen, I love you, and I believe - I know - that our love is strong enough to last through the time that you're away."
"I know," Galen answered in a low voice. "And I do intend to go to Io. But that doesn't mean we need to be apart. This past year, being with you, has been the best year of my life. You are, well... 'incredible' doesn't begin to describe you, and I'm the luckiest man on the Moon to have you love me, of all people." He dropped to one knee. Angwyn was frozen in place, her eyes as wide as the blue Earth above as Galen pulled a small box from his pocket. "Angwyn, the thought of living without you, even for a year, is more than I can bear." He opened the box, revealing a small silver ring with a trio of gems crowning it: a small diamond flanked by two slightly smaller rubies.
"Will you marry me?"
"In here," Pandia whispered, pulling Endymion into a darkened room and quickly shutting the door behind them.
As the prince had suspected, he and the princess never did get the opportunity to dance at the ball. After the assassination attempt, Pandia had stuck by her mother's side like glue. It wasn't until the queen had retired from the ballroom that they were able to slip out. Pandia had an intimate knowledge of the palace's back passages and service corridors, and she led him to the royal residence wing where she, her mother, and the senshi lived. But instead of going down to the quarters she shared with her queen, they had entered this room instead. He wasn't sure whether to be excited or nervous by the princess's apparent forwardness. He managed to be a little of both.
"Does anyone live here?" he asked, trying to make out his surroundings in the dim Earth-glow filtering through the sheer drapes that covered the windows. They were in the suite's living area; it was surprisingly small, given that this wing typically housed royalty.
"Pluto does, when she's here," Pandia answered. "But that's not very often." She strode purposefully across the room, and pulled the drapes open to reveal a glass door. "Come on," she called quietly, opening the door.
Together they stepped out onto a good-sized balcony. It overlooked the palace gardens, with breathtaking views of the hills directly ahead to the west, and the waters of the Sea sparkling in the Earthlight to their right. Endymion's attention was drawn back to his companion as she slipped an arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Even before I met you, I would love to come outside at night and just gaze at it," she said quietly. Endymion followed her gaze up to the Earth hanging high in the sky.
"I don't often get to see it from this perspective," he commented. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful it is."
Pandia nodded. "It's like no other planet in the solar system. Not even Mars. Night after night I would look up and wonder what the people were doing up on that blue marble. What were they like? What did they do day after day? How strange would it be to live in a place that had both a sunrise and a sunset in less than 24 hours!"
Endymion chuckled. "It's home." He looked down at Pandia fondly. "You know, as a boy I would look up at the moon and wonder the same things." After a pause, he continued, "We're not so different, your people and mine. I'm glad I got the chance to learn that."
Pandia looked up at him. For a moment, they lost themselves in each other's loving eyes. Then, slowly, Endymion leaned down, as Pandia turned her lips up to meet his.
From the upper floor of her quarters, Queen Serenity watched out a window down upon Setsuna's balcony. She smiled.
Author's Notes
I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for so long! A lot of important events happen here: the Millennial Jubilee, the (nick)naming of the Silver Millennium, the introduction of Chizuko, the Senshi and Shittenou hitting it off (straight out of artwork from the manga), and Galen's proposal, just to name a few. The ball provided a unique opportunity for a number of cameos, as well. I even got to write another scene from the comic (Venus helping Angwyn prepare for the ball). In a way, this chapter marks the turning point to the whole story. Don't worry, it's all downhill from here.
I actually had intended to include Angwyn's response to Galen, but leaving it as a cliffhanger was more fun! Or evil. Take your pick.
Next chapter will be a bit more Earth-focused. You know Endymion's praise and defense of the Moon Queen isn't going to go over well back home...
Behind the Scenes: Dates and Moon Phases
Throughout this story I have paid careful attention to just what the phase of the moon should be in each scene. To ensure accuracy, I have assigned actual dates to events in the story, with 2011 standing in for the year the story starts. For reference, Angwyn's birthday is July 14 (yes, the lunar school year goes to the end of July), so you can use any web site that shows lunar phases to figure out whether it's day or night at the palace, which is situated at the southern edge of Mare Serenitatis, just west of Menelaus crater. The reference year for this chapter is 2013, with the Millennial Ball taking place on August 7th to coincide with the new moon. Since the Earth's phases are opposite that of the moon's, we end up with a full Earth, and plenty of ambient light for a romantic evening!
Fun fact: In order to keep track of key dates in the story I have a spreadsheet, which I also use to keep track of which senshi is on guard duty. This actually caused a small problem in Chapter 5, when Mercury was supposed to be on duty, but she couldn't be doing that and finishing Angwyn's tutoring at the same time. Fortunately, Pluto volunteered to step in, and resolved my conflict for me.
Copyright Notice
- The characters and stories of Sailor Moon and Ranma ½ are Copyright © Naoko Takeuchi and Rumiko Takahashi, respectively, and are used here without permission or license.
- No claims to the above copyrights are made by the author of this work.
- This work is for non-commercial use ONLY, and is produced for the enjoyment of fans only.
- This work is the expression of the author and the depiction of the Sailor Moon and Ranma ½ characters herein are in no way represented to be a part of Sailor Moon or Ranma ½ as depicted by the original authors and copyright holders.
10-DEC-15
