Chapter 2: Princess Serenity
"All hail Crown Princess Serenity!" A noble shouted and practically everyone else followed it.
Princess Serenity was speechless as her mother placed a Crown Princess tiara on her head. Princess Karasu then knelt in front of her sister. "I, Princess Karasu of the Moon Kingdom, acknowledge my sister Princess Serenity as the next Queen of the Moon Kingdom."
"Karasu, what're you doing?" Princess Serenity asked her sister.
"Honoring the promise we made to our mother, Crown Princess." Princess Karasu humbly answered.
Princess Serenity then remembered a detail from the lessons she received. "You may rise now, sister." She said and Princess Karasu did as she was allowed to.
After the succession matter was settled, the festivities started and a tall boy with black hair approached Princess Serenity. "Milady, would you give me the honor of dancing with you?" He asked.
Princess Serenity blushed before answering. "It'd be my pleasure."
"Is that Earth's Prince Endymion, mother?" Princess Karasu asked Queen Serenity.
"Yes, Karasu." The Queen answered. "Hopefully it might help maintaining the peace between Earth and the Moon Kingdom."
"Or make things worse." Princess Karasu replied. "Prince Endymion already has a Kingdom to rule after all."
Meanwhile, Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity were also discussing the tensions between their respective Kingdoms. "Mother is quite worried about your planet starting a war with ours, Prince Endymion." Princess Serenity commented.
"Some of my subjects feel uncomfortable with the surveillance the Moon Kingdom holds on Earth, Princess Serenity." Prince Endymion stated, making the Crown Princess even more worried. "But don't worry, Princess. I'm doing my best to keep them appeased. The Shittenou reassured me everything is under control."
"Oh, young love." Artemis happily commented. "Arranged marriages are better off when the two sides already love each other."
"As much as I fear a revolt from Earth, the combined might of the Silver Crystal and the Golden Crystal could be what we need to make sure the Dark Princess won't…" Luna said until someone interrupted her.
"Won't what, Luna?" Princess Karasu asked, shocking the moon cat.
'How does she do that?' Luna wondered.
"Anyway, if things between my sister and Prince Endymion go that far, she might go to Earth often enough for the Moon Kingdom to occasionally need a regent during her time as Queen." Princess Karasu commented, making Luna worried.
Later on, as the guests left, the Royal Family decided to go to their bedrooms. As they approached one of them, they noticed some maids carrying stuff outside it. "What're they doing in my sister's room?" Princess Serenity asked.
"Serenity, that's the Crown Princess' room." Queen Serenity explained. "Now that the position is yours, the room is yours as well."
"It's no problem, sister." Princess Karasu said. "I don't mind moving my belongings to your former room."
Having overheard that, one of the maids approached the Royal Family and bowed to them. "Actually, Princess Karasu, Royal Advisor Luna ordered your belongings to be taken to a provisory room until all of Crown Princess Serenity's belongings are taken from her former one." The maid explained.
"And where is this 'provisory' room?" Princess Karasu asked albeit she already had a guess.
Reluctantly, the maid lead Princess Karasu to a relatively smaller room. "Figures." She muttered.
"I'm terribly sorry if the room displeases you, Your Highness." The maid humbly said.
"It's not your fault." Princess Karasu reassured the maid.
"What was the big idea, Luna?" Artemis asked Luna with a glare.
"Just reminding Princess Karasu she won't be Queen anymore, Artemis." Luna answered.
"Don't worry, sister." Princess Serenity reassured her sister. "Mother already told the servants you'd go to my former room, remember?"
"Thank you, sister." Princess Karasu replied.
"Karasu, you can sleep with me in my room while your new room gets ready." Princess Serenity offered.
"I accept your generous offer, Crown Princess." Princess Karasu formally accepted.
"I'll go to my quarters." Queen Serenity stated. "Good night, my daughters. Good night, Luna and Artemis."
"Good night, mother." The Princesses replied.
"Good night, Your Majesty." The cats replied.
At Crown Princess Serenity's room, the two Princesses were discussing the ball. "Dancing with Prince Endymion was so exciting." Princess Serenity commented. "I wonder what's this feeling he makes me feel. Could it be love?"
"I haven't experienced this feeling myself, Serenity, but I have heard of it often enough to recognize the similarities." Princess Karasu explained.
"Wonderful!" Princess Serenity exclaimed. "But haven't you experienced love? What about that boy who looks just as bored with attending royal functions as you do?"
"I don't know." Princess Karasu reluctantly admitted.
A maid interrupted their conversation. "My apologies for interrupting the conversation, Your Highnesses, but the Queen has commanded me to inform you that Princess Karasu's new room is ready for inspection."
"I hope my books aren't misplaced." Princess Karasu stated and then addressed her sister. "I bid you goodnight, Crown Princess."
"Goodnight, Princess Karasu." Princess Serenity replied.
The next day, the Queen and her daughters were having breakfast. "Princess Karasu, now that you are no longer my Heir Apparent, what do you plan to do with your life?" Queen Serenity asked.
"I intend to defend the Moon Kingdom from any invading forces, mother." Princess Karasu answered.
"Like a Sailor Senshi?" Princess Serenity eagerly asked.
"More like fighting alongside the Outer Senshi but yes, sister." Princess Karasu commented.
"I can arrange for a training session with the Inner Senshi, if you wish, Karasu." Queen Serenity said. "But, wouldn't you rather discuss wedding proposals?"
"Is there anyone willing to marry me?" Princess Karasu asked in shock. "I was under the impression my affinity for darkness scared away all potential suitors."
"Even the boy who seems to be as stoic as you?" Princess Serenity asked.
"Funny thing you should mention him, Serenity, since he's one of the suitors." Queen Serenity replied.
"I knew it!" Princess Serenity exclaimed in triumph.
Princess Karasu's blushing just validated her younger sister's exclamation. "Well, I don't mind him and he doesn't seem to mind me but whoever marries me had better be comfortable with me being a fighter and a dark magic user."
"The last part rejects most proposals, I'm afraid, Karasu." Queen Serenity said.
"It's okay, mother." Princess Karasu replied.
"Since you want to help with the Moon Kingdom's defenses, how about you enter a spar with the Inner Senshi?" Princess Serenity suggested.
"Good idea, Serenity." Queen Serenity commented.
"Actually, it was Luna's suggestion, mother." Princess Serenity confessed.
'Luna probably wants to intimidate me.' Princess Karasu thought. "I do believe it's a good idea as well."
Princess Karasu had a training session with Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. The Dark Princess fought the four Sailors into a stalemate. "Good fighting, Your Highness." Sailor Mercury stated.
"Thank you, Sailor Mercury." Princess Karasu replied. "Now, if you don't mind, I have another appointment. Heir to the throne or not, I still am a Princess."
"I'm so relieved she's on our side." Sailor Venus commented after Princess Karasu left.
"Are you kidding?" Luna asked with an angry face. "I expected the four of you to make enough of a display of power she'd be too afraid of harming the Crown Princess."
"Luna, are you suggesting Princess Karasu would go after her own sister?" Sailor Jupiter asked in shock.
"Sailor Jupiter, you are one of the Senshi who must be able to protect the Queen and her heir from all potential threats." Luna pointed out. "As a former heir who lost her position to Princess Serenity, Princess Karasu is one of those threats."
"I can sense the darkness in Princess Karasu but no true evil on the Princess herself." Sailor Mars said. "We have nothing to worry from her, Luna."
When Princess Serenity became fourteen years old, the birthday ball was also used to celebrate an engagement between her and Prince Endymion. The two of them were ice skating when the ground suddenly quaked. "What's happening?" Queen Serenity asked.
"I'm happening." An intruder said as she revealed herself. "I'm Queen Beryl, Earth's new ruler."
"Liar!" Prince Endymion shouted. "I am the ruler of Earth!"
"Not anymore but you can change that by marrying me, darling." Queen Beryl said. "Your subjects didn't like the fact you're marrying into the Moon Kingdom."
"Some might feel like that but the Shittenou wouldn't allow for any usurpation." Prince Endymion stated.
"Do you mean these Shittenou?" Queen Beryl maliciously asked. "They're on my side now."
"How could you do this to me?" Prince Endymion asked them.
"Beryl brainwashed them." Princess Karasu stated and started a magical chant trying to free them but Beryl ordered her personal guards to attack the Dark Princess. While Princess Karasu was busy with them, Beryl's other willing servants and the Shittenou were destroying the Moon Kingdom regardless of the Senshi's efforts.
Later on, a dying Queen Beryl couldn't help but ask "I don't understand. Endymion, had you married me, you'd become a King. And Karasu, wouldn't you rather get even with your sister for stealing your birthright?"
"I don't love you." Prince Endymion replied.
"And revenge is pointless." Princess Karasu said.
Having practically nothing left of the Moon Kingdom, Queen Serenity used her last moments of life and the Silver Crystal to make sure her daughters and their friends would be reborn in a future when Queen Beryl's forces would return.
End chapter.
Answer to James Birdsong (Guest): Thanks.