As Chibiusa explained what happened to the parents, Orca was doing the same. "Mother?!" Orca called as she hurriedly swam into the Throne Room. The rest of Aqua Senshi followed but stopped to bow before the honorable King and Queen. All the Aqua Senshi's nails are orange.
"Orca, what are you and your Senshi doing back so soon?" Queen Oki asked as she embraced her daughter, and Orca's nails turned pink.
"We encountered..." Lucy began without thinking of what to call those creatures. After all, they hadn't given any identification other than a name and a bit of personality. Embarrassed at her lack of preparation, her nails turned lilac.
"Sharp-faced women with wings, talons, and scaly hands and feet!" Not one to make up inventive stories, Sara's words are taken very seriously.
"I've never heard of such a hybrid." Queen Oki knew almost every animal on the planet. Yet she hadn't any knowledge of such beings as her daughter had described.
"They seem to have heard of us, though. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been at the beach." Hannah reasoned in a heated tone. Her long, bright red hair floating around underwater looked almost like flames. Moreover, her nails shimmered red too.
"Did they harm anyone?" King Delphin questioned, alarmed.
"Not yet. Thanks to the princesses of Jupiter and Mercury, we are fine." Noel replied.
"I am relieved to hear you are all safe." King Delphin's blue eyes had been glued to Sara and Seira. The pair looked a bit messy from Marina and Lily's attack. Aside from that, they didn't seem hurt too severely. Quickly, several mermaids rushed to hug their daughters. Noel was held by Karen's mother, Violet, as Sara and Seira had adoptive parents. Everyone's nails are pink now.
"My queen?" Another mermaid spoke up. This particular mermaid controlled communications to and from the palace. She had swam in with a large conch shell held close to her chest and a miserable expression on her face.
"Ella, what's wrong? What is it?" Oki gently grasped the young woman's shoulders with a worried look in her blue eyes.
Too sick to speak, the short-haired brunette mermaid just handed the shell, which acted like a cell phone for them, to her queen. For a minute, Orca's mother listened but didn't hear any background noise on the other end, saying "Hello?" whoever it was hung up. Everyone felt a chill run up their spine at the dial tone.
"Who was it?" Orca inquired with her voice quivering in fear.
"They hung up. Did they say anything to you, Ella?" Oki looked to the brown-eyed mermaid for further information.
Ella nodded, "They wanted to speak to you and warn you of your inevitable downfall."
"WHAT?!" Everyone could not believe the audacity. Someone would have to think they could dethrone Oki! The ocean queen was as powerful as Neo-Queen Serenity! The Aqua Senshi nails turned black!
"Our queen won't be taken down without a fight!" Lucy stated.
"It might be a prank." Lina hoped she was right.
"That's not something someone should joke about." Sara countered bitterly.
"We've been getting calls like that for months. However, our time of peace has been so long overdue. We wanted everyone to enjoy it. Like you, Dead Sea Princess, we assumed it was a prank. Now, I'm not so sure." Ella flicked her pink tail in anxiety. Ella was from Lucy's kingdom and wore a navy top.
"Ella, I understand your desire for peace, which is admirable. Regardless, you should've casually brought this up earlier. Please return to your station." Oki handed the shell back to Ella, and she hastily left.
"She's ashamed," Seira observed, her nails a sad blue.
"I'll talk to her about it later. Aqua Senshi, as I am unsure who this is or if they pose a threat, I don't want you going up to land until further notice." Oki knew this would go over poorly with some group members.
"What if the Neo or Dark Kingdom Senshi need us?!" Orca shrieked in alarm, her nails flashing brilliant orange.
"They will have to make do without us." Oki hung her head a bit.
"My queen, while I mean no disrespect, I don't like the idea of hiding away if your sovereignty is in danger." Karen thought this might be a suitable argument. Some girls concealed their fingernail colors. They didn't want to display their anger at this declaration.
"Sailor Gulf and Indian were already attacked. Thankfully, our allies were there to execute a rescue. THIS is a precaution and not up for discussion. Dismissed." Oki snapped.
The girls hated it when their queen treated them like subjects, not warriors. Nonetheless, they understood her view. Sensing their friends' frustration, aquatic creatures came to comfort them. These animals used to reside in Noel's kingdom. Yet they'd bonded with her friends once they grew brave, happy, and strong. So, they are considered pets, similar to Luna's family.
Orca- Bottlenose Dolphin
Lucy-Hammerhrad Shark
Hannah- Ghost Crab
Lina- White Snail
Karen- Sardine
Noel- Ringed Seal
Coco- Box Jellyfish
Sara- Fin Whale
Seira- Freshwater Angelfish
While the pets respected the queen's orders, they agreed with the girls on how unfair Oki could be. Sara's whale, Finley, volunteered to sneak the girls up to land as his body was so massive it could easily shield them from the bluish-green-tailed royal's view. Though this is risky, it is their best option should they need to go above for any reason. More calls came, just like the last one, and the girls became increasingly unsettled. Even King Delphin was considering if keeping the Aqua Senshi here was the safest for them.