AN: I had no idea how long this chapter was getting until I went to copy it into a separate file for upload and it went from page 412 to 445! For reference, most of my chapters are between 9 and 15 pages long. So, I have posted the party as chapters 30 and 31 (if you haven't read an update since last year, make sure you read both chapters!) I love all of the favorites and reviews and I am trying to find more time to update with my new job. Enjoy!
Chapter 31: Movements of Light
March 6, 8983
Endymion had never seen so many nobles gathered in one place before. Hundreds of men and women filled the enormous hall, the blue glass windows stretching nearly five dozen feet before reaching the mosaic ceiling and enormous and intricate white gold chandeliers hanging above the crowd. Every color in the rainbow was represented among the milling nobles, in fabrics he had never seen on Earth, the people collectively wearing more jewels than his entire kingdom could boast. He felt out of place among people whose vibrant hair seemed to come in more shades of color than he could count, except for the Plutonians who seemed to be the most similar to his own people in appearance.
A muted hush seemed to spread through the crowd as a tall Neptunian man with bright green hair and midnight-black eyes stepped up onto the stage. The groups of milling nobles turned their attention to him, knowing that it was time for the royal families to enter and be announced. Neptunians prided themselves on ceremony and presentation, and they were certainly going all out for their princess's birthday party.
The man stepped into an invisible amplification field, clasping his hands behind his back as he began the introductions. He was reciting names from memory, since reading from a holo-imager would be considered rude among his people, especially on such an important occasion. "Welcome to the birthday celebration of Michiru, High Princess of Neptune, Empress apparent of Triton, and future High Priestess of the Seas of Poseidon Temple. She is honored by your presence and your gifts, and it is my privilege to now introduce her most honored guests, the royal families of the Silver Millennium. We will begin by welcoming the children of Hermes to this event, King Kashin and his children High Princess Ami, Princess Hakuchou, and High Prince Kaichou." Kashin led his family onto the stage, bowing to the crowd before moving on. He had chosen a very simple white suit with dark blue trim, cut in a conservative style that was very popular on his world, the colors a stark contrast to his dark aqua and black hair and shocking golden eyes. His coloration had been considered strange among the Neptunians when he was a child, and he stood out even more among his wife's people.
Ami, the Crown Princess and current Sailor Mercury, had chosen an elaborate swan white and ice blue gown for the night, lace along the edges holding tiny aquamarines. She wore a tiara in her dark blue hair and a round blue stone on a chain from her neck. It was the only piece of jewelry the princess allowed herself, and Endymion wondered what significance it held. Ami's younger siblings, the twins Kaichou and Hakuchou, also wore white, both with blue and green accents, though neither was old enough to wear one of the Mercurian Crowns. They were an interesting pair, the princess with white and blue hair and purple eyes while her brother looked slightly more Neptunian with his white and green hair and odd silver eyes.
"I also introduce Her Highness Princess Ria, sister of Queen Amami, and her daughter Lilia the Duchess of Urawa." Ria had chosen a dark blue dress to contrast her light blue hair and green eyes, the woman taller than most of her people though nowhere near the height of the Uranian War Queens waiting offstage behind them. Her daughter was dark where the Queen's sister was light, with very abnormal black hair and her cousin's bright silver eyes. Lilia had chosen a gown of sea green with white accents, ribbons of lace covering the skirt in semi-circular patterns and her hair restrained by delicate silver clips fashioned into butterflies. She smiled as she joined her mother and cousins at the end of the stage, knowing that her odd beauty attracted off-worlders to her even as Mercurians tended to shy away. Rumor had it—and Endymion was amazed at the number of rumors that he had been subjected to in his few hours on Neptune—that she had partnered with one of the Uranian noble women and was currently unavailable.
"It is now my honor to introduce Duchess Haname of Mintara, her husband Duke Jurin of Mintara, and Duke Kounin of Gaoren." The last three members of the Mercurian party joined the king as he left the stage to mingle with the crowd, the two men with ice blue hair while Haname's was a brilliant silvery blue that Endymion had noticed among many of the lower nobles filling the hall. She had the ice blue eyes common among her people while her husband's eyes were a brown often seen on Earth and Kounin had the same silver eyes as his second cousin Kaichou.
"We will continue by welcoming the children of Aphrodite, the Royal Family of Venus, starting with His Majesty King Shinrai, Gladiator High Class of Mars and Emperor of the Golden City. He is accompanied by his daughters the High Princess Minako the Empress of Sunrise Bay, Princess Fuji'iro the Priestess of the Jeweled Mountain, and Princess Gin'iro the Priestess of the Feathered Marshes." King Shinrai, though clothed in the gold and orange colors adored by his wife's people, still carried himself as a Martian, his movements more restrained than a Venusian's and his expression a little more closed. His amber eyes were warm, though, and his red-blonde hair was one of the lightest shades seen among his native people. Minako, however, was almost the opposite. Her beauty marked her as a clear daughter of the Line of Aphrodite, golden hair cascading across her shoulders and down her back only barely restrained by a cluster of bejeweled golden pins, sky blue eyes smiling at everyone in the room as she curtsied. Her dress was far from simple, colored in gold with red and orange filigree covering the entire skirt, hundreds of yellow and orange topazes smothering the corset. She wore plenty of jewelry, as was customary among her people, though her only necklace was a round orange stone that seemed to be the same as Ami's. Her crown, one of the most elegant among the Royal Courts of the Silver Millennium, held the sigil of Sunrise Bay framed by a pair of rare and expensive fire opals from her home world. Her two sisters, though young, were dressed in beautifully fitted matching pink gowns, the style modest though elegant, each wearing the necklace of her inherited temple. The twins both had silvery blonde hair, the lightest shade ever seen among the Venusian Royal Family, though Fuji'iro had lavender eyes and Gin'iro had silver. The Venusian royal family was not accompanied by any attached royals, the high nobility of Sol's second planet much more loosely organized than that of the first.
"We now welcome the children of Ares to the stage, beginning with the Royal Family of Mars. First, welcome His Majesty King Akaneiro, High General of the Martian Military, High Priest of the Twin Moon Temple, and Champion of the Ganymede Invitational Tournament in 8948. He is accompanied by High Princess Rei, Priestess of the Twin Moon Temple, a Seer of the Blade of Ares Priestess Circle, and Commander of the Royal Guard. He is also joined by High Prince Kazan who holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Martian Military and Princess Momoiro who holds the rank of Lesser Priestess in Service to Deimos of the Twin Moon Temple." The king, his curly indigo hair more common among the people of Jupiter, Neptune, or Mercury than the members of his wife's planet, had chosen a suit of muted red with black trim, the color only a few shades darker than his sunset-red eyes. His son had dressed to match, but Kazan's red and black hair matched the suit rather than contrasting with it, though his red eyes were far darker than his father's. The two princesses clearly took after their mother in appearance, the younger with light lavender eyes and pink highlights in her red hair while the older had dark, vibrant purple eyes and crimson hair. Momoiro had chosen to wear pink and red, rejecting her father's dark and militaristic color scheme, but Rei had seemingly abandoned her planet's favorite color completely. Her dress, which whispered across the marble of the stage as she followed her father to the side, was colored in bright orange and vibrant gold, the colors swirling up the skirt like flames, all of the trim pure white with rubies and topazes sparkling in the light. With her bright red hair, the effect was absolutely stunning, but there was a hardness in her purple eyes that served to remind any observers that she was, in fact, a warrior first and foremost, far deadlier than her appearance would suggest. She wore a white leather arm cuff above each elbow and intricate gold pins in her hair, and anyone who had seen her fight on Mars knew that every one of those pins was a weapon and there were knives hidden in her armbands. There was actually a distinct possibility that her simple tiara doubled as a sword. Party or not, Rei would always be prepared for war. The only jewelry she allowed herself was a red stone hanging from a golden chain above her breasts.
"I now introduce Prince Ryuu, brother of Queen Rikuriko and a General in the Martian Military, and his sons Guard-General Ryuuhiko, Duke of Mashiru, and Lieutenant Commander Akida, Lord of Harumeya. They are joined by High Lord Abaraki and High Lady Emika of Deimos, their son Ishida and daughter Karume, and High Lord Jiru and High Lady Kumiza of Phobos and their daughters Miwa, Miho, and Miko." Prince Ryuu stepped onto the stage proudly, leading the others as was his birthright. He very closely resembled his sister, though he kept his red-gold hair military short and his eyes were more red than pink. He had chosen to wear black with red accents, a nod to his planet's patron god who was known to always wear leather and almost always black, and his sons had decided to follow suit. Ryuuhiko, who had both inherited and earned through rite of combat a very large Duchy in northern Mars, had a gentle demeanor and soft gold eyes, traits that probably lulled many opponents into a false sense of security. His curly hair matched his father's in shade and length, and he tended to follow his father's example in matters of war, politics, and decorum. His younger brother, however, had yet to attain a high rank in the Martian Military or Royal Guard, and his clear impatience with the slow progress of his career glinted in his dark red eyes. Akida had always been jealous of his cousins, angry that he was the second son of the Queen's brother, and he was known to be brutal and reckless. His hair was black with red highlights, and he had chosen to wear a suit similar to his uncle's red instead of matching his father's black.
The two High Lords and their wives entered together, holding equal rank in the Martian Court and all hoping to find partners for their children among the high and low nobles of the other seven planets. Abaraki was tall and lean, his wife almost a match for him in height, and he towered over the entire rest of the royal family. His dark gold hair and blue eyes betrayed his distant Venusian ancestry, but his red and orange suit was cut in a traditional Martian style and he wore the Crest of Deimos proudly on his chest. His wife, willowy and slender, looked far more fragile than the typical Martian, and she had chosen to devote most of her time to the Temple rather than to arts of war. Her grandmother had been born on the Moon, and Emika's silver eyes and fine white-gold hair betrayed that ancestry. She had chosen a dress that matched her husband's suit, the colors emphasizing the colorlessness of her hair, but the High Lady clearly enjoyed the fact that she stood out in a crowd of Martians. Her daughter's hair was also colored an unusually light blonde, and Karume's bright orange eyes were also oddly unique among the people of her moon, though not so uncommon among Martians in general. Karume never wore orange, knowing that the color would clash with her eyes, but her white and gold gown suited her perfectly and helped her stand out among her own people. Her brother was shorter than both Karume and their parents, but not by much. Ishida's pride had taken a hit the day Minako arrived on Mars, and he seemed less sure of himself, clad in a dark red and black suit that would help him blend in among the other Martians. As she watched the young lord cross the stage, Rei couldn't help but smirk.
High Lady Kumiza was the true ruler of Phobos, in equal parts by birth, social standing, political connections, and simple force of personality. The woman was only average height, with fairly common orange-gold hair and pink eyes, but the Crest of Phobos on her chest and the strength of her stance defied anyone to think her weak. Her low-cut white dress shone against the black and red backdrop of the Martian Royalty, gold leaves along the hem and starbursts covering the skirt. She wore white leather cuffs on her arms above her elbows that certainly contained knives, heavy golden combs holding her hair out of her eyes, with her husband holding tightly to her left arm. He was taller than her and much stouter, his frame and dark green hair indicating a Jovian ancestry, though his eyes were a pale Venusian blue. His suit was dark blue with forest green patterning, a very odd color combination among the Martians, a choice clearly meant to contrast with his wife's light colors. Their children, slender triplet girls only barely old enough to be entertaining suitors, followed behind their parents, all dressed in pink to match their eyes with gold filigree to match their pale gold hair. All of them wore a minimal amount of jewelry, but since it was their first major public appearance they were clearly expected to make an impression among the eligible young nobles present.
"We now welcome the children of Zeus, beginning with the Jovian Royal Family. Please welcome King Meisha who won the Ganymede Invitational in 8955, followed by High Princess Makoto who won the Ganymede Invitational in 8976, High Prince Ken'nin who won the Ganymede Invitational in 8977, Prince Eiki who won the Ganymede Invitational in 8982, and Prince Saiki who has entered the Ganymede Invitational this year. They are joined by Rinae, High Duchess of Callisto, winner of the Ganymede Invitational in 8980 after taking second place in 8979." Endymion chuckled to himself at the specifics of the Jovian introduction, having learned in that short period of time that the most important title on Jupiter was winner of the Ganymede Invitational, whatever tournament that was.
King Meisha, a native of Neptune, had earned his title after pressure from his wife's people to prove that he was a true warrior despite his pacifist birth. He kept his aqua and green hair cut Jovian-short rather than adopting one of the longer Neptunian styles, but there was still a gentleness in his ice blue eyes that belied his Invitational win. His daughter, however, seemed perfectly Jovian, both in her Amazonian height and the corded muscles of her arms that no amount of silk and lace could hide. Makoto's light green hair was loose around her shoulders, the first time Endymion had seen it in such a feminine style, and she wore a dark green stone on a golden chain around her neck, her dress the same shade of emerald green with blue vines embracing each other across the skirt. She was a beautiful woman, but the glint of steel in her emerald eyes reminded observers that she was very much a warrior, while her height would deter all but the tallest men from approaching her.
Makoto's brothers were even taller than her, Ken'nin taller than most men in the Silver Millennium while Eiki and Saiki were still among the tallest Jovians. All of them shared Makoto's green eyes, though Saiki's were a color that Endymion had heard described as Neptunian Ice Green and his hair was a rich aqua many shades bluer than his father's. Ken'nin's hair was dark blue and green, tied behind his neck in a simple style that was as popular on Jupiter as the military-short was on Mars. Saiki and Eiki also kept their hair long, the youngest prince with his loose wavy locks bouncing on his shoulders proudly announcing his Neptunian heritage. The three princes followed Makoto to the edge of the stage, collectively waiting for the last member of their family to join them.
Rinae was nothing like her cousins, willowy and petite with golden eyes and fine silvery green hair that reached her knees in feathery ringlets and floated on the air behind her. She wore a short-sleeved forest green dress designed to emphasize the tightly corded muscles in her pale slender arms, her skirt fading from opaque dark green velvet to a translucent pale green lace that floated around her deceptively slim legs and laced boots. As Endymion watched the young duchess walk across the stage, knowing that she had won the Ganymede Invitational just like her taller, stronger cousin, the prince heard some of the young nobles behind him whispering about the differences between the two types of Jovian warrior women. Makoto was a classic Amazon, tall and strong with well-defined muscles and an aptitude for war sports, while Rinae was a classic Nymph, petite with an ephemeral beauty and a powerful connection with the forests of their world. Heads were turning throughout the room to watch as the duchess crossed the stage, and the background conversation suddenly turned to her eligibility.
"I am now honored to introduce His Majesty King Otou of Saturn and his daughter High Princess Hotaru, children of the Line of Cronos." There were no other members of the Saturnian delegation with the king and princess, their entire planet on high alert after the first appearance of the Sailor Saturn mark on Hotaru's forehead. Otou was tall and dark with Plutonian black hair and amethyst eyes that could have come from his Plutonian grandmother or Saturnian family, though his skin was too dark for a Saturnian and too light for a Plutonian. His daughter, small for her age, walked beside her black-clad father, having chosen a dark purple and white dress that reached the heeled boots on her little feet. Hotaru's shiny purple-black hair reached her shoulders and her huge amethyst eyes sparkled in the light from the windows in stark contrast to her pale white skin. Endymion looked at her forehead, partially hidden by dark bangs, and wondered where the mark of Saturn was. The other nobles knew that the child princess was dangerous, but none of them actually knew why. Despite that, the atmosphere in the chamber was notably chilled as Hotaru walked across the stage, holding onto her father's large hand.
"Finally, I am honored to introduce the children of Uranus, home of the new husband of High Princess Michiru of Neptune." A subtle murmur of acceptance filled the room, everyone understanding that there had been a recent change of plans for the planetary introductions. Originally, the queens had planned to enter with their courts, but since Shousha had decided to have the queens all cross the stage at the same time, the tiny delegation from Pluto did not contain enough high nobles to warrant any kind of formal introduction without their queen present. The delegation from Uranus would be the last group to enter before the queens themselves, and Michiru would join the party shortly thereafter along with her new husband. The herald stepped forward again and raised his chin, as if mentally steeling himself for the ordeal he was preparing to endure. The Uranian delegation was larger than all of the other groups of nobles put together, and it would be a supreme test of his abilities if the herald could introduce them all correctly.
"We begin by welcoming the War Queens of Uranus, the highest ranked nobles after the royal family. All War Queens carry many titles, and in an effort to avoid prolonging this event, I will simply mention that everyone here tonight has earned the title Kazemaru, Asachou, or both. Our first guest from Uranus is First War Queen Endou Ado and her eldest daughter Haruhi, joined by Second Kimura Sanae and her daughters Naru and Yumi." Ado walked onto the stage with the grace of a forest panther, her steps measured and deliberate as her heeled red boots hit the stage. Uranians did nothing by halves, and they would certainly not pass up the opportunity to show their beauty and strength to a gathering of nobles. Ado's crimson dress highlighted the chestnut tint in her loose, straight brown hair, the corset of her dress covered in dark green filigree that faded as it reached for the hem of the skirt. Her skin was tanned from long days outside in the sun, though free from any wrinkles or blemishes, and her gold and green eyes shone vibrantly as she looked across the crowd. Her daughter, Haruhi, was nearly as tall as her mother, slender but bustier than Ado, and it was said that her beauty, combined with her odd pale gold eyes and curly chestnut hair, had made her a worlds-famous actress. She had chosen a dress of crystal-white with gold trim, letting her shine on the stage as a gem against the group of desert-hardened warriors. Kimura Sanae followed her fellow War Queen, having chosen a dress of sky blue with lapis lazuli gems embroidered into the hem and hundreds of aquamarines adorning her neck and wrists. Her vibrant emerald eyes, common among the women of Titania, contrasted with her strawberry blonde hair, cut short to fall just below her cheeks, the style making her look taller despite her petite stature. Sanae's daughters followed her across the stage, both dressed in various shades of vibrant blue with silver and white accents, both with her emerald eyes though Naru had red hair and Yumi had blonde.
"I now introduce Third War Queen Tahara Hiroko." Hiroko entered the stage alone, her crimson eyes dancing across the crowd as she pushed her Plutonian-black hair over her shoulder and lifted the hem of her light purple dress so she could walk without stepping on the delicate fabric. Her knee-high purple boots had only minimal heels, Hiroko already tall enough without assistance to dwarf the women of most of the other worlds. She had two daughters and four sons, but all of them were too young for Hiroko to be comfortable taking them off-world, so she had simply attended the party alone.
"Please allow me to welcome Fourth War Queen Ono Hikari and three of her children: her heir Ayano, her daughter Chiho, and her son Mochi." Hikari stepped onto the stage, absolutely stunning in a flowing gown of pure white kilan fabric, one of the lightest, softest, and most expensive materials available on the moons of Uranus. It shone in the chandelier light with an odd multi-colored luminescence, the colors shifting as she moved across the stage. Golden threads formed swirling patterns across her flowing skirt and tiny flowers with pale golden pearls decorated her tight bodice. Her white heels added three more inches to her already impressive height, reminding the gathered nobles that Uranian women were just as beautiful as they were deadly. She had chosen to wear her gold-streaked brown hair in loose waves, enhanced by strings of the same pale golden pearls that adorned her dress, a golden cuff on each arm above the elbow and a fine chain around her neck. She let her golden eyes pass above the crowd, making it was clear that she was simply offering the lower nobles the implied courtesy of her attention, though not actually granting them any. She was the highest-born and most heavily titled of the ten War Queens, granddaughter of a queen, and she could not resist the opportunity to remind everyone of that fact.
Ayano was nearly as tall as her mother, though slightly less aristocratic as she glided across the stage. She was not quite so lean, her figure far more obviously feminine, and her dress did everything possible to emphasize her curves. She had chosen a rich fuchsia and red gown with white trim and pink sapphire adornment, three necklaces sitting just above her bust and multiple bracelets on her strong arms. Her hear was darker than her mother's, but her eyes were shades lighter, the same pale gold as the pearls on Hikari's dress. She was the heir to the Fourth War Queen title and a very powerful warrior in her own right, but she enjoyed social gatherings and parties as much as a Neptunian. Her sister, the younger twin Chiho, entered the stage behind her, Takako waiting her turn among the other Lesser War Queens behind the stage. Chiho had Hikari's brown hair and gold eyes and her strength, but Chiho had opted for a rich ochre and black ensemble, wearing far more jewelry than her sisters or mother. Mochi, one of the few men with enough titles and social standing to have joined the Uranian delegation, followed his shorter sisters across the stage, an easy smile on his face. His suit, colored in black and dark blue, was clearly very expensive, a matching cloak flowing behind him as he joined his family. His black hair was slightly longer than a Martian's, nearly long enough to hang in his eyes, and his easy-going demeanor was certain to attract many of the single noble women at the party.
"I now introduce Fifth War Queen Nishina Yuri who won the Ganymede Invitational in 8961, her husband Ryuuji, and her eldest daughter Misako, winner of the Ganymede Invitational in 8981." Yuri was a beautiful woman, bustier than most Uranians with long, wavy dark red hair and soft green hazel eyes most commonly seen in women from Jupiter, though her ancestry would have been obvious from the Ganymede Invitational title that she and her daughter shared. Jovians were obsessed with the tournament, a testament to their unarmed combat prowess, and very few off-worlders ever won. Yuri was an exotic beauty among her own people, her long hair flowing down to her knees in unrestrained waves, her dress colored in vibrant shades of pink and layered to give the effect that she was floating across the stage. She smiled gently at the crowd, no trace of a warrior in her stance or gait, but there was a sharpness in her hazel eyes that betrayed her true nature. Yuri was an assassin, granted the title Kakushi ken at a young age, one of the deadliest of the Uranian warrior classifications, and her husband was a member of the same elite caste. That and his position as the favorite son of the previous Sixth War Queen, Yasuda Mari, granted him a place among the Uranian delegation. Ryuuji was only just taller than his wife, with long, dark blue hair tied behind his neck and bright orange eyes scanning the crowd in an instinctive reaction to the presence of so many people. He wore a suit of simple black and blue, clearly designed to be elegant but not so fancy that he would outshine Yuri, and he carried a sword on his waist, probably his late mother's famous blade. Their daughter, Misako, had inherited her father's blue hair—though hers had streaks of dark red—and her mother's green hazel eyes, giving her a darker, more disarming look than either of her parents could manage. She was quite lovely in her own fashion, but with a more Uranian-lean figure than her mother and less obvious feminine characteristics she could potentially be mistaken for a man. Endymion could hear a few of the lesser nobles from Uranus behind him whispering about Misako, complimenting her feathery, short haircut and lovely sky-blue dress, but wondering why she was not wearing her customary suit. As much as Yuri disliked suits, her daughter despised dresses.
"It is now my pleasure to introduce the newest of the War Queens, born Ono Miki, the youngest daughter of Ono Hikari. She has just recently taken a new family name in accordance with Uranian tradition. Please welcome the Sixth War Queen Kawasaki Miki." The newest War Queen stepped onto the stage proudly, head high as she scanned the room before crossing to join her mother and siblings. She had let her hair loose to cover her bare shoulders, having chosen a daring backless gown that hooked around her neck and flowed down to the floor in uneven layers of blue, aqua, and green. The color and style of the dress were meant to honor the Neptunians she served as a guard for years, the Uranian Fire Opals in her hair and jewelry meant to honor her home planet. She was the youngest of the War Queens at twenty-two and clearly both available and actively seeking a husband, her golden eyes slowly scanning the crowd as she crossed the stage. Miki was lovely, and she would not have any problem finding a partner from Uranus or any of the other planets in the Silver Millennium, but something about her gait hinted that she was not used to wearing dresses and heels. Endymion tilted his head to catch the conversation behind him, noting that the same lesser nobles who had noticed Misako's odd clothing choice were now commenting on Miki's well-known preference for suits. Why were so many of the Uranian women dressing outside their comfort zone tonight? It couldn't be to impress the other worlds since the wild women warriors of the wind never cared to live by other peoples' standards.
Endymion shook his head in wonder as he realized the reason for the wardrobe of the War Queens and their daughters. Shousha still believed that Haruka was a man, but if any of the androgynous Uranian women appeared at the party in suits, the Neptunian queen could well start to question her new son-in-law. The senshi could not allow that until whatever they were planning at last came to fruition. Endymion guessed that Haruka had asked the Uranians, as a gift to their princess, to dress as women regardless of their personal preference. He had no idea how she expected to hide her true nature from Setsuna, however.
"Please join me in welcoming Seventh War Queen Takeda Keiko and her new husband Kenji, the son of First Endou Ado." Takeda Keiko stalked across the stage, gold eyes narrowed against the brilliant light of the banquet hall, dark purple hair held back by a series of jeweled pins. Her black dress seemed to absorb any light around her, opals decorating the trailing hem and plunging bodice, swirls covering the slight bulge of her belly. Keiko was the only pregnant War Queen, as far as Endymion could tell, and her new husband was justifiably proud of the fact. Kenji towered over his new wife, his dark green and black hair tied behind his neck with a simple piece of leather, his black suit studded with emeralds to match his slightly-curled locks. Kenji clearly took after his father, though his gold-flecked green eyes and confident stride had been inherited from Ado. Though the herald was not announcing any titles for the Uranian delegation, Kenji must have already earned quite a few to have been invited.
"Next, we welcome Eighth War Queen Inami Tomoko, her daughters Risa, Teruyo, and Hisano, and her sons Hidemasa and Gyou." Tomoko led her children onto the stage, the only War Queen with Neptunian ancestry hardly looking old enough to have full-grown children, especially since half of her daughters were out commanding her fleet while she was at the party. Her half-smirk, sharp eyes, and confident stride dared the spectators to underestimate her. Tomoko was a warrior, but she had the most arts titles among the War Queens, including the coveted Asachou, and her five children were clearly also more concerned with the arts than war. Her waist-length Neptunian-aqua hair was shot through with shimmering gold, both from her natural color and the chains of turquoise hanging among her wavy locks, though her cerulean eyes were clearly Neptunian. Her dress was cut in a popular Neptunian style with a tight and heavily-jeweled bodice, open back, and light, layered skirts. It was similar enough to Miki's gown for Endymion to wonder if the newest War Queen had borrowed one of Tomoko's gowns for this event. She had chosen to wear white layered with aqua and blue, chains of turquoise, lapis lazuli, and light jade looped in intricate patterns around her waist and arms. Tomoko's gauzy sleeves flowed behind her as she reached the opposite side of the stage and turned, watching as her daughters followed.
Risa, though the oldest of Tomoko's daughters, was still barely old enough to begin searching for a husband, though from the glint in her dark blue eyes she was more than ready. As the daughter of a War Queen, however, she had been commanding parts of the Eighth Fleet for the better part of the last decade. Her dress, a far more moderate Uranian style than the gown her mother had chosen, was colored in sea green and blue, heeled boots clicking on the stage as she crossed to join the War Queen. Risa had pulled her hair into a loose bun, letting some of the dark blue strands frame her face, but something in the tilt of her head indicated that she was more easy-going than her fancy dress and hairstyle would indicate. Her sisters Teruyo and Hisano were twins, only a couple of years younger than Risa, the teenagers wearing matching gowns of pink and gold to complement their light blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, though Teruyo had chosen a set of antique emerald combs to keep her pale locks out of her eyes and Hisano had opted for a jeweled golden net instead.
Hidemasa and Gyou were older than their sisters, both of them accomplished singers and members of the Titanian Arts Society with enough titles to net them highly-ranked wives and guarantee their children high standing in Uranian society. Hidemasa was the taller of the two, his pale skin and upward-slanted eyebrows giving him a more elfin look than his brother, dark navy eyes and dark aqua hair making him one of the most colorful Uranian men at the party. Gyou looked much younger than his brother, his icy green hair and sapphire eyes catching the attention of many of the women at the party and even a few of the men, though he had chosen a very simple navy suit in order to avoid outshining his siblings at the event.
"I am now pleased to introduce Ninth War Queen Murata Ayumi and her second Kira, daughter of the Lord of Metis, newly promoted to Lesser War Queen." Endymion felt himself start in shock at the introduction, knowing instantly that Kira could be nothing less than Ayumi's lover, a woman she was unwilling to leave behind. Ayumi stepped onto the stage with the indifferent confidence common among the War Queens, her bright golden hair hanging down her back in gentle waves, strings of pale yellow and orange topazes enhancing its beauty. Her blue eyes, as much as her incredibly delicate beauty, hinted at her Venusian ancestry, and she had chosen a multi-layered dress of pink and gold from her grandmother's home world for the party. Unlike most of the Uranians, Ayumi wore a great deal of jewelry, sparkling in the light as she crossed the stage and glanced back, waiting for her partner to join her.
Kira looked barely old enough to have a major title at all, though Endymion had already learned that a Uranian had to be at least seventeen to be promoted to Lesser War Queen. Her elfin features and shy smile reminded the young prince of Rinae, though as the daughter of the Lord of Metis it was highly unlikely that Kira shared any ancestry with the High Duchess of Callisto. Her long, silvery green hair reached past her waist, the feathery texture enhanced by the strands of white silk she had woven into it, a series of tiny braids hanging on either side of her face. Kira's emerald eyes followed Ayumi's progress across the stage, the petite half-Jovian lifting her dark blue skirt to avoid stepping on it. Despite her fragile nymph-like appearance, Kira's title of Lesser War Queen hinted at her deadly warrior prowess.
"I am now honored to introduce the final War Queen, Tenth Katayama Sayuri." Sayuri entered alone, the glint in her eyes daring the crowd to question her choice to attend the party without any of her family. She was taller than the average Uranian, her height surprising considering her Mercurian ancestry, though her blue/black hair and dark blue eyes were much more common on the innermost planet than among the people of Uranus. Her dress was a very simple though surprisingly elegant cut from Mercury, the last War Queen only allowing herself a simple necklace and a sapphire at the end of each of the braids hanging on the right side of her face as adornment. Endymion couldn't know it, but each of those braids marked a savage victory that the War Queen had won, two of them from the Asteroid Belt Riots five years earlier and the others from the tournament victories that had granted her the Kazemaru title. She was part of a small, elite guild of warrior-sages from Umbriel, a group associated with the Silent Wind Temple that valued the deep philosophy of battle as much as the practice of it, and they all wore braids to commemorate their victories. Sayuri joined her fellow War Queens on the opposite side of the stage, all ten of the powerful warriors leading their families into the crowd as the herald stepped forward again.
"I now introduce the leaders of the Lesser War Queens, Taichen Laira and Ono Takako. They are joined by their fellow Lesser War Queens Tenru Akae, Yamahi Miru, Seo Yasuko, Saitou Kai, Murata Natako, and Neru Kaori." Laira led the group onto the stage, her long blonde hair held in complex curls by a series of blue-gold combs that seemed to be Mercurian in origin. Her emerald eyes, common among the Uranian nobility, glowed against the pale color of her pink dress, a cocky smile on her face as she looked into the crowd. Endymion followed her gaze, not surprised to find Laira looking toward her lover among the Mercurian delegation, his attention shifting as Takako began her own journey across the raised platform.
Takako looked a great deal like her mother, though her brown hair lacked the brilliant golden highlights that Hikari sported, but her bright gold eyes marked her as a member of the Ono family. She had chosen a dark burgundy dress that hugged her curves and emphasized her stature, golden bracelets spaced along her arms. Tenru Akae looked positively tiny beside her taller comrade, her bright red hair the most vibrant in the group, canary yellow eyes filled with joy at having been invited to such a prestigious event. Yamahi Miru, a distant relative of Endou Ado, had spent most of her childhood on Pluto learning the secret fighting styles of Setsuna's people, and she had chosen to wear the dark colors favored by the people of the outermost planet. Her black and navy dress, covered in patterns of black opals, offset her bright green hair and pale blue eyes, but there was a sharpness in her step that Endymion had not seen among the other Uranians, presumably something Miru had learned during her time on Pluto.
Seo Yasuko, the newest of the five Lesser War Queens, followed Miru confidently, knowing that she belonged on that stage, holding the edge of her gold dress as she completed her journey to the other side. She had chains of diamonds in her short silver hair, her flame colored eyes catching Endymion's from across the room. Saitou Kai, who had been granted command of two additional fleets after showing her honor during the fight for the Sixth seat, did not seem in the least upset that she was still only a Lesser War Queen. Uranians tended to accept defeat by a stronger opponent with equanimity, and Kai's presence among the huge delegation proved that her princess had approved of her conduct during the recent tournament. Kai, her dark green eyes a fairly common shade on Oberon, had pulled her short strawberry-blonde hair back with a pair of Neptunian combs, her dark navy dress covered in light lace and strings of gems like many of the Venusian dresses present in the crowd. Endymion had heard bits and pieces about the fight for the Sixth seat, but it seemed that Kai had decided to offer homage to the two senshi who had defeated her through her wardrobe choice. Natako, the only other challenger for the Sixth seat who had been a Lesser War Queen already, followed Kai across the stage, her rust-red and orange gown contrasting nicely with her pale blonde hair, hazel eyes passing across the crowd nonchalantly as she joined Kai. Neru Kaori, the last of the Lesser War Queens attending the party, hardly looked like a warrior at all. Unlike her fellows, she was actually rather busty, a trait she must have inherited from her Martian ancestors in addition to her long, curly crimson hair. Her orange eyes were also more Martian than Uranian in origin, but she had to be a powerful warrior in order to have been invited to Neptune.
The herald returned to the front of the stage, glancing to the side as he prepared to announce the final group of nobles. The War Queens ruled Uranus, controlling every fleet and all relations between the moons and the planets, but the Duchess Council took care of the economic and internal politics of the Uranian moons. "We now welcome the leader of the Duchess Council, Hibari Kira, and the leader of the Lower Chiefs, Oreji Terume." The final two Uranian women were relatively low ranked in comparison with the Lesser War Queens, but as sitting members of the complex government of their world they were valued members of Haruka's entourage. Kira, who had earned her position by right of birth, had only one war title and two lower arts titles, certainly nothing compared to the ones carried by the War Queens and their children, but since she had been born into a leadership position she had focused more on perfecting the skills she needed to keep the economy and internal politics of Uranus in check. Her long, feathery ice blue hair was a result of her father's Mercurian ancestry, but her emerald eyes were typical Uranian. Kira had chosen a beautiful dress of dark purple that faded to fuchsia along the hem, the entire thing covered in tiny amethyst chips that sparkled in the lights on stage. Terume, much shorter than her counterpart, was also much leaner with a long, angry scar across one cheek reminding the other nobles that she was just as much a warrior as the War Queens. Her dress was simple, probably because she disliked wearing them as much as Haruka, though the orange and red coloration enhanced her pale yellow eyes and dark chestnut hair. As she crossed the stage, the herald glanced into the shadowed wings, nodding at the final Uranian standing there.
"The court of Neptune is honored to welcome His Highness the Royal Consort of the late Queen Kazeko and sire of Her Royal Highness Princess Haruka, Duke Koshu of Pluto, cousin of her Imperial Royal Highness Queen Setsuna." Koshu, though once King of Uranus, had fallen to a position lower than the Duchesses after being deposed, and he seemed far more relaxed in his new position as consort of the late queen than he had ever been as King. The tall man, a simple golden crown sitting atop his dark blonde hair, smiled at the gathered crowd, joy in his green-tinted hazel eyes. His suit of gold and navy, the colors paying homage to his daughter's favored shades, was adorned with only the simplest dark blue stones, a short navy cape flowing behind him as he crossed the stage. The herald, his duty done at last, followed the deposed king and yielded the floor to Queen Shousha's sister, Princess Raya.
Raya was only a few years younger than Shousha, as slender and as beautiful as any Neptunian, and she carried herself as proudly as any queen. Though she herself had inherited almost twenty titles, Raya had chosen not to pass any of them on to her sons and daughter, hoping to spare them the stresses of court life. She wore a small tiara in her long sea green hair, diamonds adorning her long arms and neck as well as clustered on the bodice of her dark blue gown. The rich purple lace along the bottom of her underskirt shimmered in the light where it peeked out, her blue high heels just barely visible every time she took a step. Her ice blue eyes searched the crowd as silence descended, the nobles knowing that the queens themselves would be entering soon, followed by the princess and her new husband.
As soon as silence had taken hold of the room, Raya smiled and opened her arms wide. "Welcome to my niece's twenty-first birthday party and the formal introduction of her new husband. You have been patient during the introductions of the royals and high nobles of the many worlds of the Silver Millennium, and now I have a surprise for you. Please join me in humbly welcoming our most honored guest to Neptune, High Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium." Raya dropped into a low curtsy as the small blonde princess stepped onto the stage, every royal and noble following her example with the notable exception of the four senshi. Makoto, Rei, Ami and Minako walked back onto the stage and bowed their heads to their princess, knowing that she needed no more show of loyalty from them after all the time they had spent together over the past few weeks.
Endymion glanced up from his kneeling position among the Plutonian delegation, his stormy blue eyes meeting Serenity's pale blue across the room, the prince smiling at his girlfriend. The young princess lifted the hem of her white skirt as her senshi raised their heads, following the four women to the main floor and toward Endymion, hoping that her eagerness was not too apparent. Raya stood as the gathered nobles also rose, many of them clustering around the High Princess and her attendant senshi, eager to meet the woman who would one day rule them. "Princess, you honor us all with your presence."
Serenity, having reached Endymion despite the nobles clustered around her, turned to the Shousha's sister and smiled. "Michiru and her partner are important to me. I am honored to count her among my beloved senshi."
Raya smiled and bowed her head slightly, accepting Serenity's words as she turned back to the crowd. "And now, without any further ado, I welcome the Queens of the Silver Millennium to Neptune." The princess left the stage, knowing that the queens themselves needed no introduction nor would they want to share the spotlight with anyone else.
As the queen of the innermost planet, Amami led the group, wearing a light green dress that would be considered quite daring on her conservative world. The low neckline and tight waist accentuated her slim figure, making her seem taller than her four feet and ten inches. She wore a cluster of gold necklaces, the longest holding a sapphire and emerald heart just above her breasts, a line of sapphires adorning the lacy hem of her skirt where it whispered across the floor. Amami had chosen to wear one of Mercury's oldest crowns, a delicate golden piece set with a large sapphire surrounded by lapis lazuli and turquoise. The colors brought out the blue in her dark hair, the pale color of her dress matching her ice blue eyes, the entire effect quite stunning. She was followed by Asakaze, the Queen of Venus as stunning as the day she had first taken her henshin stick. Her long golden hair rolled down her back in loose barrel curls, strings of yellow and pink topazes woven between the layers of her hair to match the gold and pink silk of her dress. Her tight bodice was heavy with gems, a common style on Venus, and her skirt was covered in intricate embroidery and diamonds to match the diamonds in her heavy golden crown. She turned her head as she crossed the stage, smiling as Rikuriko emerged from the shadows behind her.
Asakaze's longtime lover was dressed in a beautiful dark red gown with golden accents, rubies in her jewelry and hair to match the ones in her ancient crown. Unlike Asakaze, Rikuriko had chosen to pile her red and gold hair on top of her head, accentuating her long neck and slim figure, a simple golden chain around her neck. Her high heels added a good three inches to her height, as if she didn't already tower over her blonde partner, and there was nothing but confidence in her posture. She glanced out into the crowd, smiling as her pink eyes met her daughter's amethyst, both women bowing their heads briefly before the queen finished her trek across the stage. "You're planning something for tonight, aren't you?"
Rei made no outward response to her mother's telepathic question, but the three senshi standing near her could sense her attention shift. "We are. Can you keep Shousha and Setsuna busy after the party is over?"
Rikuriko looked up sharply at the question, quickly refocusing her gaze to Meika as the Queen of Jupiter stepped onto the stage. "It won't be easy. I'll figure it out." The tall Jovian queen crossed through the spotlight quickly, unwilling to be the center of attention for any longer than required, her thick green hair pulled into a beaded braid and pinned under one of the heaviest golden crowns her planet had to offer. She rarely wore jewelry, but her servants had convinced her to accept a necklace and bracelet of emeralds to match the dark green gems in her crown, a few of the beautiful stones decorating her short-heeled boots. The Amazon was easily the bustiest of the queens, though she normally wore a tight corset to keep her breasts out of the way when she fought, and the dress she had chosen did a very good job of showing off her best attribute. Yumemi followed the Inner Queens, having chosen a vibrant silver and white dress in contrast with her dark purple hair and nearly-black eyes. She was worried, her daughter's impending rise as Sailor Saturn weighing on her heart, but Yumemi was determined to be in a good mood for Michiru's party.
Shousha entered with Setsuna, the two making a striking pair. Setsuna's dark blue dress, whispering along the marble floor, was one of the lightest shades she had ever worn, while Shousha's light blue and silver was one of the most exquisite and daring gowns she had exhibited since the death of her lover two decades earlier. The contrast between the two colors combined with the beauty of their ancient crowns served as a magnificent finale to the parade of royals and as a symbol of the interchangeable nature of their two planets. With Neptune currently occupying the unenviable position of ninth planet, such solidarity between the outer queens was appreciated. Setsuna let Shousha lead her off the stage, the dark queen glancing over her shoulder into the shadowed antechamber she had left. Shousha's daughter and her husband had not been waiting in the back with the other royals, something to do with the new prince's tunic not fitting perfectly, but Michiru's lady-in-waiting had assured the queens that the princess and her partner would be along presently.
"This is quite the event, Shousha," Asakaze murmured, joining the outer queens as a servant approached with a tray of wine. Asakaze took one gratefully, sipping the pale blue alcohol with an appreciative smile. "Loq'hibar Blue, 8930; a perfect choice. This was a very good year, especially in the Sunset Hills."
"The Blue is from the Leaf Dance Winery in the Sunset Hills," Shousha confirmed, sipping the translucent wine herself. It was a very sweet wine with an odd almost-sour aftertaste, though on Venus it was rarely ranked among the sweetest varieties. "Your mother gifted a dozen or so bottles to my mother when they were the same age as our daughters are now, and I have been saving them for a special occasion. I also have some '48 Midnight Red, '57 Leafwhisper White, and possibly one very old bottle of Black Hole at the bar."
Rei scrunched her nose at the last one, having taken a flute of the Martian Soul Burn before joining the queens. "I have never likes the Plutonian wines very much, especially the Black Hole variety. It's far too heavy and thick."
"That's because you Inners never let it age long enough," Setsuna countered, having already gestured for a servant to bring her a glass of the Plutonian wine in question. "It sweetens with age and loses that syrupy aftertaste that plagues the young wine, and it does manage to develop the most interesting nutty bouquet after a hundred or so years."
"Who waits a hundred years for wine to age?"
"Plutonians," Amami answered matter-of-factly, grinning at her lover's irritated glare. "They do not drink young alcohols, that's for sure."
Setsuna smirked as the servant returned with a glass of her favorite wine, the dark liquid seemingly absorbing all light around it. "Anything worth drinking is worth waiting for. This particular vintage was a gift from my mother to yours the year I was born, was it not, Shousha?" The dark queen sipped from her glass, smiling at the nutty taste.
Shousha nodded, her teal eyes flicking to Rei and Minako before returning to Setsuna. The Plutonian queen had revealed her age to her fellow senshi more than four decades earlier, but clearly she had also recently told the younger senshi that she was more than a hundred years old. "It was indeed. How does it taste?"
"Wonderful. This is one of the finest vintages my world has ever created." Setsuna's eyes strayed to Ami and Makoto standing with Serenity and Endymion near the back wall, glad that the young princess was able to see her prince again. They were a good pair, his darkness to balance her light, and Setsuna felt a pang of premonition at the sight. She finished her wine and forced her gaze to move away from the princess, the dark queen freezing at the trio of women she found herself staring at afterwards. The first woman, tallest of the trio, stared at Setsuna with piercing silver-blue eyes, her silver hair mostly hidden under a dark blue cloak. On her right side stood a smaller woman with curly blonde hair and vibrant pink eyes, the worry in her stance echoed within those pale depths. Beside her stood a woman too beautiful to be mortal, her long golden hair hidden under a crimson hood and her pale blue eyes dancing furtively through the crowd as she pulled the edge of her hood to cover the side of her face. She could scarcely hope not to be recognized by her people, since Aphrodite was one of the most active gods, but no one seemed to have noticed her so far. Psyche caught Setsuna's eye with her own, taking a single step forward as she touched Artemis's sleeve and nodded toward the cluster of queens. Setsuna handed her empty glass back to the hovering servant, swallowing the ice that had suddenly caught in her throat. "Shou, I have to go."
"What do you mean? Setsuna, my daughter has not even been announced yet."
Setsuna turned to her fellow queens, a trapped look on her face. "My cousins are here and need to speak to me. They would not come if their mission was not desperate."
"What cousins? Your mother had no siblings." Asakaze turned to follow Setsuna's gaze, gasping in shock as she recognized her goddess. "Your . . . Setsuna!"
"They would not come if it was not important," Setsuna repeated, knowing that she had to join the goddesses before anyone else recognized them. "I will return as soon as I can, or I will meet you all in Shousha's private meeting chambers afterwards." With that, she left, striding away from the cluster of queens toward a small door that led to one of the balconies overlooking the ocean below. The three robed goddesses turned to follow her, silently slipping through the crowd and vanishing outside.
Shousha shook her head in wonder at the abrupt departure of her fellow Outer Queen, knowing that the appearance of the three goddesses in the middle of such a gathering could portend a most calamitous event. "Setsuna rarely meets with her divine family while she is mortal. I hope that nothing terrible is going on."
"Setsuna will take care of it," Minako assured the Neptunian queen, assuming the mantle of leadership she had inherited as Sailor Venus. "Michiru and Rukaze will be introduced in a few moments and I don't want to ruin their big day worrying about what troubles the gods." Rei raised one eyebrow at her lover's words, knowing that the blonde was just as concerned as Setsuna but determined not to show it.
Shousha nodded and turned to the stage as a single trumpet sounded, the vibrant tone announcing the arrival of the princess and her new prince. Silence swept through the room of vibrant nobles, all eyes turning toward the stage as Raya took her place before them once more. "And now, without any further ado, join me in welcoming my niece, the High Princess Michiru Neptune, Grand Duchess of Triton, future Empress of the Shepherd Moons, and Honorable High Priestess of the Temples of Art on Galatea." Michiru entered the stage on the last word, her stance perfect and her head held high. Her gown of vibrant cerulean blue flowed behind her in gentle waves, pale blue lace along the edges of her voluptuous sleeves, and aquamarines decorated the myriad designs embroidered in sapphire thread from the top of her bodice to the flowing hem of her skirt. She wore a bracelet on each wrist, a jeweled ring bearing the symbol of Neptune on her right hand and two of her own smaller stones on her left. Her necklaces matched the blues of her dress perfectly, three of them from the princess's Crown Jewels collection and the fourth the Neptunian keystone itself. Her aqua hair hung down her back in gentle waves, a style her mother would never have approved, but the intricate crown on her head more than made up for any perceived lapse in protocol with regard to her hair style.
Michiru was one of the most beautiful women in the Silver Millennium, but she had never before appeared in public. Whispers of awe filled the room as she stopped and turned to face the darkened right wing, her hand held out in supplication. She paused in that position, the slightest of smiles lighting her face as a tall blonde slipped out of the shadows to join her. The court had never before met Haruka, whom they knew as Ono Hikari's son Rukaze, but from the breathless shocked silence that suddenly gripped the enormous room, it was clear that the royals and highest nobles of the Silver Millennium were suitably impressed with the future king of Neptune. Haruka herself, either not noticing the awe or not caring, crossed the stage with a long gait that was unhurried yet somehow still regal, her black boots silent against the marble as she joined her wife. Her blonde hair had resisted any and all attempts at styling, though her white and navy suit had been expertly tailored to hide any hint of a feminine figure. The beautiful golden embroidery covering the cloth, which had earlier annoyed the young princess, clearly no longer bothered her once she had been provided a suitable warrior's corset. Her pants matched the navy color of her under-tunic, the white fabric of the outer tunic glowing in the lights of the hall. She had been given one of the lesser royal crowns to wear, the one worn by young Tsuyu during his betrothal to Princess Shousha, before their marriage and coronation. It was smaller than Michiru's, the gold set with opals and aquamarines, but it fit Haruka's face and form perfectly. She reached out to take Michiru's hand, smiling at her wife as the pair turned to face the silent crowd.
"Welcome to this celebration of my recent marriage and the day of my birth," Michiru greeted, smiling as the silence erupted into cheers. "I know you have been welcomed many times already tonight, but I heartily thank you for joining us today." She offered the gathered nobles a perfect curtsy, Haruka bowing at her side. The nobles bowed and curtsied back, moving forward to meet the princess's blonde partner as the two descended to the floor. Shousha and the other queens waited in the back of the room with the cluster of princesses, letting the other nobles offer their congratulations first.
"Your daughter will be a great queen someday, Shou," Asakaze murmured, watching as the Neptunian princess greeted each and every well-wisher, despite the slightly strained look on her wife's face. "The people will love her."
"I know. She has always been the perfect and most obedient child, though at times she does like to contradict me. Now that she is married, I feel much more confident in her ability to one day be queen." Shousha sipped her wine as her daughter approached, smiling at the aqua-haired princess.
Haruka glanced around the room, her emerald eyes brilliant in the light from overhead as she searched in vain for Setsuna. Michiru glanced up from greeting the Lord of Proteus, a question in her sapphire eyes at the turbulence of her wife's thoughts. "Setsuna is not here," Haruka murmured, nodding at her fellow princesses as they approached them through the crowd. "I suppose Minako's appeal to her goddess worked."
Michiru declined to answer, but she was secretly pleased that their plan to temporarily remove Setsuna from the party had worked. They would never have been able to hide Haruka's double identity from the Plutonian, so Ami had devised a way to prey on Setsuna's fear about the activities of the Cupids in order to keep her away during the presentation. The pair reached the group of queens and princesses at last, Michiru offering her mother a brief curtsy as Haruka bowed.
"Allow me to introduce you all to my new son-in-law," Shousha began, smiling at her fellow queens. Asakaze flinched slightly at the words, but she had hidden her own relationship with Rikuriko for so long that she knew how to control her reaction. Minako looked up and met her mother's gaze, almost daring the older Venusian to give away their secret, her sharp blue eyes skewering her mother. Pink eyes closed in recognition of the silent message as Amami stepped forward to greet the new member of the Neptunian Royal Court.
"Rukaze, we are honored to meet you. Your mother was a very close friend of ours, especially during the fighting on Pluto, and I can see her strength in you."
"Thank you, Majesty," Haruka replied, her voice as deep as it had ever been. "It is an honor to be included among the royalty of the Silver Millennium." The princesses and queens could sense the truth of her statement, the feeling that Haruka had been nearly abandoned by the royal houses as a child and was now finally becoming a true princess of the Silver Millennium. Michiru smiled as she took her wife's hand and offered the Uranian whatever support she needed.
"Well, now that you two have joined us, it is time for the main banquet." Shousha glanced toward one of the servants standing along the edge of the room, indicating that it was time for the herald to call the nobles into the dining hall. Haruka glanced at Minako as the nobles began to file out of the room, silently thanking the younger princess for getting the Plutonian queen out of the party. Minako grinned and nodded, joining her mother and siblings at the head of the Venusian procession.
"Artemis?"
The silver goddess touched Setsuna's arm as the four women vanished, reappearing in the Moon Temple on Mount Olympus, seated high above the lush forests with a view of most of the godly domain. Mirrors filled the marble building, each of them able to look into the mortal realms and observe the goddess's subjects. "Do you see?"
Setsuna shook her head, staring at the nearest mirror as it flipped from one scene to the other, pointing at buildings and open spaces that seemed incredibly familiar. "What are we looking at, cousin?"
"My son is missing," Psyche replied, the remnants of tears in her voice. However she discovered the unexpected loss of Tranquility, she had clearly cried for some time over the information before informing her mother and cousin. "He has not been visible to me for hours, and I do not know how long he has been gone."
"How did you discover that he was missing?" Setsuna placed her palm on the edge of the large mirror before the group, forcing the scene to change to the large temple on the Moon where she had spoken with Tranquility a month earlier. "The temple is nearly abandoned. I cannot see any Cupids or even their apostles. There is no one left except for the lowliest priests."
"One of my subjects offered a prayer to me earlier today," Aphrodite replied, running her fingers through her hair in a gesture somewhere between irritation and exasperation. "She asked me to restore the Cupids to their traditional roles, and I could not find any. When I called for Tranquility, he did not answer. Psyche knew the instant that her son did not respond, and we came here to use Artemis's mirrors in the hopes that we could locate him."
"I saw him a month ago," Setsuna murmured, narrowing her garnet eyes. Though she had been born into a mortal form, she was still a goddess and could process information far faster than a mortal. She sped up the scenes on the mirror, determined to find at least one Cupid or their leader, wondering what had happened to the flights of Cupids that had been assigned throughout the Silver Millennium to help search for the coming darkness. "How long has it been since he contacted you?"
"He doesn't speak to me much since Serenity's death," Psyche murmured, staring at her feet, golden hair falling to cover her face. When her daughter died, the young goddess had retreated into her palace on the lower flanks of Mount Olympus and refused to interact with any members of her divine family. Once she finally emerged from her self-imposed exile, her son was too angry at her to respond to her overtures. Se was the only god who spoke to Tranquility on a regular basis, and even their relationship was incredibly strained.
Setsuna nodded, crimson eyes scanning through hundreds of images of empty Cupid temples and gathering places, finally realizing what she was missing. "Earth," the Queen of Pluto murmured, forcing the multitude of mirrors to focus on the primitive world. She finally located the primary Temple of Serenity on Earth, a frown marring her features as the interior of the large building was also eerily empty. Summoning every ounce of the power she had inherited from her father, Setsuna called for Tranquility through the main statue of Serenity in the Earth temple.
Hundreds of mirrors flared with a golden light before going dark, the golden-haired leader of the Cupids appearing in Artemis's temple at last, a hint of anger in his stance. Tranquility caught his mother's eye and sighed, relaxing as Setsuna stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder. "They were worried about you."
"Se, I thought you avoided visiting Olympus during your mortal lives." Tranquility ignored the implied question, instead trying to divert attention away from his recent absence from the divine realm.
"Why did you answer my summons after ignoring my cousins?" Setsuna's tone did not allow for further dissembling, Psyche stepping forward to embrace her wayward son as he finally relaxed.
"I've been busy, Se. My Cupids are training, increasing their powers, in the hopes of fighting this coming darkness. I was disappointed when I found that we were not capable of finding the source of your time knot dilemma, but I know that we will be of help to you when the time comes to prevent the destruction of the Silver Millennium."
Aphrodite and Artemis exchanged a charged look, neither one of them truly believing the godling but neither entirely sure why. Setsuna noticed the agitation in her old friend's voice, something telling her that he was hiding the truth from the gods. Her garnet eyes flicked to the still-dark mirrors, a nagging fear taking up residence in the back of her mind. "Where are they training, Tran? I haven't seen them around recently."
"Earth," he replied readily, most certainly telling the truth. There would be no point in lying about something like that. "We have a new priestess who is quite promising, and she has rallied more humans behind our cause than we have ever had before. I have such hope that we can begin to unravel the mystery of Ren's death now that our movement is finally growing in popularity."
"Why have you hidden this from us?" Artemis's tone was harsh and uncompromising, her disapproval of the Temples of Serenity evident in her soft voice. She was among the gods that did not approve of Tranquility's obsession with his sister, despite the fact that all of Olympus mourned her loss. She always referred to the Cupids by their original name, the one they were known by before the first Temple was built on the Moon over six thousand years earlier, the Cult of the Broken Wing.
Tranquility turned slightly to face his great-aunt, his golden wing rustling irritably. "It's not like most of you would approve, least of all you, dearest aunt. You and Apollo voted against letting me grant my Cupids powers that would let them help me in my search, and I highly doubt that you are terribly impressed that I have recently found a powerful and charismatic new priestess who can bring thousands of new worshippers into the fold."
Artemis sighed and fingered her bowstring, silvery-blue eyes distant. "Tran, you know that we do not begrudge you your worshipers. As gods, we all need the power granted to us by our followers and we expand our temples and congregations as often as possible. I just worry that your Cupids will become too powerful for you to control. They have the potential to destroy so much that we have built over the past ten thousand years."
"I would never lose control of them," Tranquility assured her, his wings dropping in supplication. He truly believed what he was saying, and Setsuna let herself relax at last. "I just want my sister back."
"I want her back, too," Setsuna whispered, resting her free hand on the surface of a nearby mirror; "but at some point we must all face the reality that she is gone. She will not return until we truly need her. That's what she said to me, at the end."
"She wants us to find her! She wants us to bring her back!"
"Tran, she doesn't! Nothing in her final words to me indicated that she would return of anything other than her own volition. I can't waste my life hoping for a miracle and neither should you." She felt the heaviness in her heart as she admitted something that she had begun to fear over the last three thousand years, but saying the words brought the truth home to her. Setsuna no longer believed that she would ever see Serenity again, and she was, for the first time in her life, ready to let her first love go. Psyche, who could never let herself lose hope that Serenity would one day return, gasped in shock at the change she sensed in the younger goddess, but Aphrodite and Artemis watched the exchange in silence. Most of the gods had been able to accept that Serenity was gone, dead even as Cronos was dead, and they no longer actively mourned her.
Tranquility squared his shoulders and stood up taller, fury in his golden eyes. "You may no longer love her," he whispered, "but I always will. No one was there when she died except you, and none of us have your power of prophecy, but I know that Serenity wants to return to us. Nothing you can say will convince me otherwise."
"Tranquility, Serenity is dead. Let her go before your obsession destroys everything she helped to create!"
"Never! If you refuse to help me find my sister, then you are as much my enemy as those who call us the Cult of the Broken Wing! I will find her no matter the cost!" With that final desperate affirmation, Tranquility vanished in a shower of golden feathers, Setsuna collapsing against the nearest darkened mirror as her childhood friend deserted her. For the first time in ten thousand years, the godlings who had birthed the nine royal lineages were at odds and unlikely to see eye-to-eye again.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Setsuna whispered, garnet eyes closing against the harsh reality that she no longer believed that Serenity would ever return to her. "Psyche, I'm so sorry. I do hope that she returns eventually, but I cannot build my life around that dream anymore."
"It's not your fault," the goddess whispered, taking Setsuna's hand as Aphrodite wrapped an arm around her cousin and Artemis reached out to cup her cheek in one battle-scarred palm. "Even Eros doubts that our daughter will ever return. I will always believe, but you have a right to move on with your life. I hope Tranquility can move on before his obsession with her destroys us."
"He will see the truth of our concern before this is all over," the dark queen whispered, her eyes distant as she caught a glimpse of the future. "He has to."
AN: next chapter will be concerned with the unlocking of planet crystals.
Here's where all of the names for the War Queens' family members came from (and some of the descriptions match these actors). Just a note that you may have already guessed, men on Uranus tend to take their wives' names, especially when their wives are heavily titled War Queens:
Kasahara (Nishina) Ryuuji – sixth longest running actor, only 19 stages behind Anza & Morino Ayako, mostly played villains like Kunzite, Tigers Eye, Chaos, and Prof. Tomoe
Kotani (Nishina) Misako – second Sailor Mars
Urai (Takeda neé Endou) Kenji – third longest Tuxedo Kamen, graduated at the end of Mugen Gakuen with Nao and Yuuka
Honma (Inami) Risa – fifth longest Sailor Mars
Watanabe (Inami) Teruyo – sixth longest Sailor Pluto
Akamine (Inami) Hisano – fourth longest Sailor Mercury
Edo (Inami) Hidemasa – fourth longest Tuxedo Kamen, TK for the entire vampire arc, often referred to as the elf
Miyamoto (Inami) Gyou – shortest running Tuxedo Kamen