Chapter 40: Sparkling Wide Pressure

April 12, 8983 – April 12, 8983

Ami cracked her eyes open reluctantly, not used to being awake before the sun reached their window. The cause of her sudden return to reality sat at the nearby vanity, pulling her green hair up into a ponytail and running a quick comb through it. "Mako?"

The Jovian spun around, the apology in her eyes visible even in the pre-dawn light. "Ami, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Why are you up already?" Ami pushed herself into a sitting position, stretching her arms over her head as her body informed her that the sleeping part of the day was definitely over. The sheet and heavier blanket pooled around her waist, exposing her breasts and protesting nipples to the chilly air. Only a couple of months ago, she had been too shy to sleep without a shirt on, but now her own nakedness didn't bother her as long as only Makoto saw it.

"I have to head over to the courtyard to help set up our display. Ken'nin found out about that damn holo-projector and all three of my brothers thought they should get up early enough to program in something impressive to accompany our demonstration. I think it's ridiculous—Rei didn't use the thing and we are also a planet of war—but they insisted. I think they want to make sure that Zeus is impressed if he decides to show up today."

"Well, since Hermes, Aphrodite, Eurynome, Selene, and Ares have made an appearance, it is only logical for your patron to do the same."

Makoto grinned as she returned to sit on the edge of the bed, offering her girlfriend a quick hug and kiss. "I'll see you guys when the gates open, okay?" She slipped away and out into the suite, leaving Ami to finish waking up on her own.

The Mercurian showered and dressed quickly, choosing a simple blue and green dress while her servants came in to dry and style her hair. They knew that she generally preferred to dress alone, but they insisted on handling style and jewelry. She allowed a few of the chains of gems in her hair, choosing green jade chips and blue lapis lazuli for a change, accepting a bracelet and simple necklace before shooing the women away. The last one left her a cup of hot tea, which she took gratefully before heading out into the small garden outside the suite. None of the other senshi were awake yet, but she could hear some movement in Minako and Rei's room. Sometimes they could get a bit loud in the morning if they opted for some . . . exercise before their showers, so she was grateful to be able to escape to the small, quiet courtyard.

Ami sat on a bench on the far side of the small garden, listening to the trickling of a small stream nearby and the rustling of the trees overhead in the predawn breeze. The sunlight was just coloring the top of the castle towers, certain to be visible soon, and it looked like it would be a clear day. Since the climates of all of the Silver Millennium worlds and moons were controlled by domes, the fair day was manufactured for the purposes of the festival, but malfunctions had happened. Ami knew for certain that the dome on the Moon was the most updated in the system, always the same as the one over Mercury, so no malfunction had been recorded in decades.

"It's nice to have some quiet time first thing in the morning."

Ami started at the sudden sound, her cup slipping out of her hand as she turned toward the voice. Her surprise companion caught the cup effortlessly, moving faster than her mind could track, certainly appropriate since Hermes was the god known for his speed. The blond handed the cup back to his senshi, having reduced himself to mortal proportions for this visit. "Hermes."

"Yes. I wanted to come and speak to you this morning, before your mate's Presentation." Hermes looked east toward the rising sun, his pale eyes thoughtful in the faint light. "You know that Zeus will come today. Makoto knows it, too. And, knowing my father, he will certainly want to appear in person to greet his soul daughter. I know you saw me a few days ago, but I wanted to come see you in person, too. I was aware that if I greeted you on stage, in front of those thousands of guests plus the billions watching remotely, you would have been embarrassed, and I didn't want to do that to you on your big day."

"Thank you for that. When Aphrodite appeared, I was immediately grateful that you had not done that to me. I was happy to see you, of course, but I was glad no one else could."

Hermes nodded, smiling gently at the senshi. "You played wonderfully, you know, and I have always been impressed by your scholarly accomplishments. I know that you are an asset to the senshi team and you are the strongest and wisest Sailor Mercury who has ever looked to me. When Ayako was born, I never truly believed what Uranus had seen in our future, that our soul-daughters would one day reach unimaginable heights as senshi and become this perfect avatar." Ayako had been the first carrier of Ami's soul, the daughter of Hermes himself when he chose to breed into the Mercury Royal Line at the urging of the Trio. "With Chieko, I thought you were all getting close to that ultimate senshi, but when she took her own life and my grief locked her crystal, I despaired of seeing the future promised by my great-grandfather."

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, but it was necessary," Ami replied, the pieces of Chieko's memory that she carried bubbling to the surface.

"It was damned unpleasant."

"For me, as well," Ami replied lightly, grinning when the god laughed. The death had shattered him at the time, but after three thousand years, with his child reborn, he could accept her humor.

"Fair, it was worse for you, and I'm truly sorry you had to go through that after surviving such a terrible war. Guiding your daughter and the ones who came after her was not easy, but Uranus promised us that you would be reborn and one day you would reform the crystals."

"How could she have possibly known that? Setsuna didn't even know that we would do it; she saw her prophecies as warning not truth, and I never saw one that outlined our plan."

"And yet by seeing what she saw in the Time Streams, she locked this reality to that path. Her prescience is a gift and a curse, and neither Hades nor Chronos has ever been able to explain how she sees what she sees. Uranus is billions of years old and she taught herself to look into the future while she spent time wounded in her cave. Remember, she is a compatriot of Chronos and had access to the same technology he did from their original home world. She knew for sure that you would return and that you would heal what you had to break back then. When I fell victim to Aphrodite's lust, I was overjoyed to feel you reaching out to me, pulling on my power to awaken your stone. At last, you were returning to your full power! I was proud of you before, but you have grown exponentially since reawakening Mercury. You're my ultimate senshi, and Uranus says you will become a True Avatar. I can't wait to see how far you go."

Ami smiled, accepting a hug from her god before he faded into the growing dawn. Bolstered by his visit, but concerned by a few things he had said, Ami finished her tea and returned to the suite she shared with her fellow senshi.

She found the room a hive of activity, Minako and Rei sitting on one of the couches as their servants worked on their hair, each of them drinking their own morning beverage. They planned to eat breakfast at the festival, but none of the senshi could reach a state of useful awareness without some sort of bracing beverage first thing in the morning. Setsuna had also arrived, tea in her hand as she scrolled through the morning news on a nearby holo-screen. While she spent her nights in Queen Serenity's chambers, she always appeared in the senshi suite first thing in the morning, her hair and clothing already perfect and ready for the day. The dark queen never used personal servants if she could avoid it, though she had allowed the queen's servants to help select her dresses each morning from lighter Lunarian colors, rather than her normal dark wardrobe. Today she wore a jade green dress decorated with golden flower embroidery, certainly borrowed from Meika in honor of the Jupiter Presentation Day.

"Good morning, Setsuna."

"Ami, how was your visit with Hermes?"

The senshi sighed as she claimed her own seat, smiling as a hovering servant helpfully refilled her tea. "Do you ever not know when the gods are walking among us?"

"No; it's a gift and a curse."

Ami leaned forward at that, catching not only the attention of the Outer senshi, but the two Inner senshi, as well. "He said that, you know, about your gift to see the future. Hermes said that your prescience is a gift and a curse and that what you saw in the Time Streams, the visions that became your book of prophecies, locked us to this reality."

"I think it did, yes. I didn't know it at the time, but some of the things I saw are immutable. Still, a lot of it was vague and there were places that branched into multiple paths we could take. Some paths lead to a magnificent future, a glowing time of power and peace, and many others lead to darkness and the utter destruction of everything we know. Prophecy is a fickle beast; it's never clear enough to guide you and it's impossible to fully understand until it's past us. My old teacher, Chronos, once told me that he has the ability to see the true future at times. There are certain points in time that are locked, and he said that I may one day have the power to cause that future, one of the locked points, and not merely see it. I never really understood him, so what you read, what I saw, is not really specific enough to guide us."

"Despite that, we make laws and fight wars in the name of your prophecies."

Setsuna nodded, sipping her tea. "It's only been like that for the last few thousand years, and some of that by my command. I miss the days when my prophecies were seen as the insane ravings of a heartbroken god."

"I can't imagine anyone saying that to you." Haruka, moving quite a bit less gracefully than she normally did, shuffled into the room, sinking onto the free couch slowly, wincing slightly as she put her full weight on her backside. She wore her preferred masculine suit, colored mostly in green and gold today in recognition of Jupiter, with tall, forest green boots on her feet and a heavily embroidered vest of the same color covering her corset-flattened chest. Her tight sleeves were long, reaching her hands, which was a bit odd since she had been preferring shorter and looser sleeves of late.

Setsuna tilted her head curiously as she watched the wind senshi, comprehension entering her eyes as Michiru exited their room, her dress and hair perfect as usual, with a familiar golden chain in one hand. Like the others, she had chosen green shades today, though her wardrobe was already replete with that color so it was not hard for her to find a decent dress to wear. The sea senshi walked over to Minako and handed the talisman over, its wielder letting it vanish back into her crystal to await her call. "I presume it was sufficient?"

"Yes, thank you." Michiru glanced over her shoulder at her cowed wife, the blonde not looking up to meet her gaze. "I believe the lesson was learned."

"I didn't hear anything all night. I must admit, it was a surprise."

Michiru chuckled, heading over to her wife at last. "She can be quiet when she's ordered to be." Michiru reached for Haruka's hand, pulling the blonde to her feet as she sent love along their link. She reached one arm around to Haruka's back, using her powers to heal the Uranian's injured skin. "But she has earned forgiveness."

"Thank you, Michiru," Haruka whispered, resting her chin on Michiru's head, enfolding the siren in her longer arms. The other senshi looked away, unwilling to intrude on such a private moment, but happy that their friends were comfortable enough in their presence to share it with them. Setsuna, who had known Nao and Yuuka, was amazed to see the control that Michiru had over Haruka, having not seen such a balanced relationship between them in their last life. Nao had always been dominant, Yuuka deferring to her in most things. If that dynamic ever flipped, the two had never been comfortable enough around their friends to show it.

I'm not afraid to show what Ruka and I share.

Setsuna nodded at the mental message, seeing that Rei and Minako had heard it, too. "You know, the War Queens say that Haruka is the most perfectly balanced Uranian to ever lead their world. She keeps her saliis and sajink equally, one in each hand, and yet I think I could say the same thing about you, Michiru."

"Oh?"

"You have a steel in you that your mother does not have, that Yuuka did not have. I have known all of your incarnations since Takayo, daughter of Poseidon, and they have all had beauty, grace, and femininity without measure, but none of them could match your fighting ability and none of them could stand as equals to their Uranian wives." Michiru turned around at that, clearly about to protest, but Setsuna raised her hand to ask to continue. "They were equals, they were in love, and they ruled their worlds side-by-side, but reach into your memories and tell me that Yuuka ever punished Nao for any of her transgressions. There were plenty, and she was annoyed at a lot of them, but I feel that you were maybe a bit more forceful with your annoyance last night. I mean, Venus's chain?"

Michiru hummed softly to herself as her fingers danced across the edge of Haruka's sleeves, cloth that certainly covered some unmistakable heart-shaped marks. "Perhaps you're right, Setsuna, but it's only because Haruka and I are two parts of the same soul. We understand each other too well, and we intentionally influence each other in ways that Nao and Yuuka never would have thought would be required. Also, Haruka has taught me something that Nao never taught Yuuka. I love war." At the shocked gasps around the room, Michiru smiled and held up a hand. "Scandalous, I know. Yuuka never truly understood the beauty of her wife covered in blood or dancing with her enemy, but I do. I may come from a pacifist world, but my soul is the daughter of Poseidon, and he is as much a warrior as your father, or Zeus."

"That's true; they battled across the Pantheon multiple times before my birth." A light knock on the door announced the arrival of the four War Queens who had spent the last few days with them, a new pair just behind them. Sanae and Hiroko had just arrived within the last hour, only waiting for their ships to dock before heading down to meet with their queens.

Haruka and Michiru stepped forward to greet the pair, the Uranians bowing deeply before letting their queen embrace them. War Queens only kept the most basic formality with their queen, having spent their entire careers proving that they deserved to stand at her side at all times. In every generation, the War Queens were the Uranian Queen's closest friends and staunchest defenders, and Haruka was always grateful to have their support. Uranians believed that women needed to move in groups of close companions to maintain their mental strength, just as they sparred with each other constantly to maintain their physical strength.

Ami watched the group of women, feeling like something was off but not able to put a finger on it. Sanae pulled out a data pad and showed something to Haruka, the queen examining it while Hikari leaned close enough to read it, too. Seeing Haruka and Hikari standing side-by-side finally answered Ami's question. "Haruka, are you taller?"

"Taller than who?"

"I mean are you getting taller?" Haruka looked up at that, Hikari also raising her gaze from the data pad. It was clear now; while Hikari used to be the taller of the two women, Haruka was now somehow winning that battle, and their boots had equal heels today. Miki, standing on her mother's other side, also looked to be just the tiniest bit shorter than her queen, though she was taller than her own mother. "Look, I know that Hikari was taller than you when we first met her, but now you are taller even than Miki." She touched Setsuna's arm, gesturing for her to go stand with the Uranian women, nodding as her hypothesis was proven. "Setsuna used to be taller than you, too, but I don't think that's true anymore."

"It was the planet crystal," Michiru replied. "We all became . . . more the night we awakened our planets. More graceful, fiercer, stronger, faster, smarter, whatever. We became closer to our gods, something that Uranus has hinted at time and again when she met with my wife. Uranus is a world of simplicity, without much pretense or subtlety, so Haruka just . . . physically became closer to her god."

"Are you saying she grew taller because Uranus is taller than her? Is that more useful in battle?"

"Yes, and it helps in other areas," Haruka replied casually, clearly having known of the change that Ami only just noticed. "However, it did take some time to happen; you wouldn't have noticed it at first. I think it's finished, though; this is probably my final height." She glanced over at Setsuna, the women who had once been the tallest of the senshi, and grinned. "Good; I was hoping I would grow tall enough to tower over you."

"I hardly call this towering," Setsuna argued, turning toward the door. "The princess is coming."

The War Queens moved back into the group of senshi as Princess Serenity entered the suite, Endymion by her side as he had been now for weeks. The women gathered around the princess and headed for the door, the group now complete enough to head for the Festival. The gates would open within the hour, though the senshi and their companions would be able to enter the festival courtyard early, and all of them were eager to get to the food stalls and see what Jovian breakfast delicacies they could try today.

Makoto grinned as she spotted Ami enter the courtyard, the rest of their growing group behind the Mercurian. She spotted the two new War Queens with the group, nodding her head at Sanae and Hiroko in a quick greeting. By tomorrow, Haruka's entire court would be with them, though the two new ones had already forcefully rejected the company of the entire retinue of Lunarian guards. Sanae's argument was that if six War Queens could not protect a handful of senshi with their own powers and one little princess with her Earth prince, they didn't deserve to be War Queens at all. The guards had protested, but it was clear that Sanae had won.

Queen Serenity entered the gate second, a cluster of queens walking with her and her own group of guards. Luna and Artemis, the royal advisor cats, rode on her shoulders, one on each side, giving her some advice about something. Yumemi touched Serenity's arm and added her own suggestion, Artemis nodding in agreement. Queen Serenity looked up as her group met the senshi group, smiling and reaching out to hug her daughter before greeting the others.

"How are you enjoying the Festival so far?"

"It's been absolutely lovely, Majesty," Minako replied for the group. "It's certainly the best one I have attended so far."

"Yes, your name is all over the net. That was an interesting way to announce your soulmate." She didn't look at Asakaze, but it was clear she knew whose idea it was to keep Minako and Rei's relationship a secret.

"It wasn't on purpose," the senshi replied softly, though there was no hint of apology in her words. She felt Rei grab her hand in support, the queen's eyes flicking down at the motion before returning to Minako's face.

"Well, you impressed your goddess, that's for sure, so I do wish you luck together." She bowed her head and turned to lead her group away, pausing as she realized something. "Where are all of the guards? I thought I assigned you a decent-sized group."

Ado, Sanae, Hiroko, Hikari, Miki, and Sayuri stepped forward, drawing their swords in perfect unison, a knife in each of their off-hands and a deadly glint in their eyes. Queen Serenity's guards, misinterpreting the show of strength as a threat, moved to attack, which was probably the worst mistake they could have made. It took the War Queens less than a minute to disarm and disable all thirty guards, having accepted the fight instantly even though they did not intend to cause one. Rikuriko and the other queens had clustered around Queen Serenity protectively, but a sharp hand signal from Haruka sent all six War Queens to the back of the senshi group, their swords and knives sheathed again. None of them had even one hair out of place, and if the royals had not seen what had happened, they would not have believed it.

"I don't think we need them," Haruka remarked casually, "but I am happy to lend you a couple of War Queens if you would like. If not, I would suggest better guards."

"Point taken," Queen Serenity replied carefully, wondering if she should take Haruka up on her offer. Uranians were fierce warriors, but she had none in her own Royal Guard; perhaps it was time to improve their training if they could be dropped so easily. The guards, none of whom were badly injured, though their pride had taken a beating, struggled back to their feet and fixed their armor, resuming their positions around the group of queens, albeit with a newfound respect in their eyes for the power of the War Queens. They hadn't been out in the system since Kazeko died, and it was clear that some people had forgotten how deadly they were. Word of this would spread through the festival today, and by the end of the week no one would dare to underestimate the War Queens of Uranus.

Artemis, however, was not willing to let them return to their positions after failing so badly in a fight against the War Queens that they had instigated. He leaned forward to see around the queen's head, his white tail puffed up to twice its normal size. "That was disgraceful! I cannot believe you just challenged a group of Uranian warriors, unprovoked, and War Queens at that! A War Queen holds the equivalent Lunarian military rank of a four-star general; were you aware of that, Captain?" The way the small cat spit out the man's rank indicated that he didn't believe the Lunarian deserved to hold it, and the blonde man took an involuntary step back.

"N-no, Sir, I didn't."

"And this is the kind of incompetence that I cannot allow around the queen. You will call your Colonel now and inform him that a new guard troop is required at once, and I will not accept a leader of any rank lower than Major for the rest of the Festival." Artemis turned to face Haruka, having to readjust his tiny feet on Serenity's shoulder, but she was used to her diminutive cat advisors so she moved her arm up slightly to accommodate his stance. "Queen Haruka, I do believe I would like to take you up on that offer of a couple of War Queens, only until a more seasoned and less careless troop arrives."

"It would be my pleasure to assist," Haruka replied, not even bothering to look over her shoulder as Ado and Hikari joined Queen Serenity. She had known those would be the two to volunteer, as did the other War Queens who had not moved an inch. "Don't blame your guards too harshly; they were greatly outnumbered."

"True," Hikari murmured; "Ado and I could have handled them alone, but it's good for the youngsters to get some practice in from time to time."

"Hmm, that gives me an idea." Haruka pulled a small data pad out of her pocket, tapping it a couple of times to summon her planet's current troop deployments. "Hikari, I'm guessing your fleets are still guarding the Moon?"

"As ordered."

"Perfect. Artemis, would you object to a few squadrons of eager young Uranians joining the Lunarian Royal Guard and Lunarian Army for a few weeks? They can pass on some of their more useful training and your generals can teach them how to behave in foreign militaries. I have too many youngsters on my world unpolished by war, so off-world assignments are the next best thing to turn them into useful citizens."

"I'd really appreciate that, Haruka," Artemis replied, dropping the formal address now that the official business of protecting the queen was handled. The two advisors took their jobs very seriously, and Queen Serenity had once commented that it would be impossible to run the Silver Millennium without them. "And I may have a group of guards that could stand a bit of training up on Oberon if you have the room."

"Of course. Hikari will handle all of the details." The two groups bowed to each other as the Lunarian guards stood awkwardly to one side, not willing to get near the two War Queens but unable to leave until their replacements arrived. Hikari and Ado would join Haruka's group again at the midday presentation, but they welcomed the chance to spend time with the queen and the planetary rulers who had fought beside them on Pluto.

Makoto led her group toward the food booths, in search of breakfast as the merchants began to open up for the day. Most of them had been there for hours, preparing for the crowd, even as Makoto had been there early to get the stage ready. She had also had time to visit her favorite armor merchant with a set of measurements ready to order a new set of armor. It had not been as easy as she hoped to gather the teeth, but she knew that the final result would be worth it. Her merchant promised her a quick turnaround, so the set would be ready by Pluto Day and delivered to her suite in the palace.

"You were waiting to do that."

Sanae grinned, a vicious light in her eyes. While she wasn't the most bloodthirsty of the War Queens, she did enjoy a good fight. "We don't like being doubted, Makoto. The Lunarian guards tend to be a bit arrogant around us, but this will keep them in their place for a while. It didn't help that Artemis reamed them, and a good dose of Uranian training should help them learn how to behave properly around foreign dignitaries."

"Well, it's an interesting start to the day, that's for sure." Makoto reached the booth she had chosen for the morning, waving at the merchant as he laid out his breakfast options. Jovians liked small vegetable bites and smoothies with added fruit for breakfast, sometimes with sugar-coated or salt roasted nuts on the side. They all tried multiple different types of the bite-sized breakfast quiches, Makoto suggesting smoothies that each of her friends would like.

"What do you think?"

"Not bad," Sayuri replied, sipping at her pink concoction. "The fruits are not too sweet like the ones from the inner world and the vegetables balance out the flavor. Since you are a planet of warriors, I'm guessing this is more for portability and speed on march."

"Exactly, and since most of our worlds are forested, it's better to have something you can make from the land around you as you march. All of these fruits and most of the vegetables can be found in our forests at certain points of the year, though generally not at the same time. We will eat them whole or blended like this, though when we make a batch before marching, we tend to blend it for easier portability. What they are selling is from our farms, of course, so we get a lot more variety."

"Do you ever have meat?"

"Not at breakfast; it's considered ilkari, heavy food. We only eat chikari at breakfast, but that does include nuts so we will add those if we find them. In the past, we didn't grow any of the kinds of grains common on other worlds, since most of our moons are forested and we won't destroy the forests to create farming land, but some of our greenhouses have added grains to their repertoire. Wheat, rye, barley, corn, and the related grains are considered ilkari, so we have them at later meals but not for breakfast. Rice is chikari, though I rarely have it this early in the day. Many Jovians swear by these rice paste buns, however."

"Interesting," Minako murmured. "My people enjoy breads at breakfast, and Neptunians are fond of fish soups pretty much for any meal. I've only really eaten foods from other worlds at these Festivals, though I never asked why certain foods were served."

"Where do you keep your greenhouses if you don't remove the trees?" Ami, as usual, was more interested in the scientific minutia of Makoto's explanation.

"Anything that can grow in the forest, we simply grow it there. Outdoor farming has a certain amount of loss to wild animals, but we simply accept that and grow extra in order to provide food for our populace. As long as the predators thrive, the animals that eat our crops will not grow out of control, even with the extra food, so our farmers spend a lot of time managing the food chain to keep it balanced. They also hunt a certain number of these herbivores and catch a reasonable number of fish per year for our food system. We put our largest greenhouses on cliffs that are too steep for people or animals to live on, but many of them are underground or in the seas. Mostly, we try not to displace nature for our food."

"It sounds like a good system; Mercury doesn't have as many forests or animals as your moons, but I think it might be a good idea for some of our food scientists to train in your greenhouses and forests to learn better techniques."

"We would welcome them, of course; many of our own farmers trained in Mercurian schools to learn proper crop rotation and insect management techniques to keep undesirable pests under control as naturally as possible."

"I'm glad we can have these types of exchanges; sharing our knowledge between worlds is what will keep the Silver Millennium strong."

"Agreed. Now, let me show you some of our best armorers; Jovian armor is famous throughout the system for its strength despite being lightweight enough to let us run through the trees."

Makoto led the group to a group of armor merchants near the far wall of the courtyard, each of them displaying different styles of armor. The first one, with the largest booth, carried multiple leather styles, including the lightweight one that Makoto preferred in the trees and heavier ones that were suitable for a ground war. Each piece was carefully tooled and colored, many with designs of leaves, small flowers, or trees worked into the leather. Haruka lifted a bracer and examined the designs along the edge, running her fingers across the expertly sewn edges. "The style is very interesting and it would certainly blend in with the trees."

"We do make armor in many colors," the young man, clearly a son of the shop's owner, pointed out, waving a hand toward the displays in the back of his shop, "but green is a favorite among our people. I know that Uranian armor tends to be a little flashier when you are doing your Sword Dances or fighting in any of the dozens of tournaments required for any Rite of Title, but during a real war they seem to come to my father's shop."

Ado and Hikari, two of the four sitting War Queens who had actually fought in the Uprising, nodded their heads in agreement. "My armor from Pluto came from your father, certainly one of the greatest armor smiths on Jupiter. I've always thought that the Haruka could stand to have a nice set of Jovian armor for any upcoming battles."

"If there are any battles, I have my senshi powers to protect me."

"Yes, but that outfit doesn't offer a lot of coverage," Hikari pointed out. "And you can't stay transformed the whole time you are in a war. Kazeko and the other senshi only did it in extreme circumstances, unwilling to burn themselves out."

"My armor is a Jovian design from the war, also," Rei pointed out. "It was my mother's and one of the midweight styles suitable for archers. The hardest part about owning armor like that is repairing it after pretty much any of my demonstration fights."

The young man sighed and shook his head. "Yes, that's why Martians go through their armor faster in peace time than any other people. You always use real weapons, even for practice or demonstration fights. Your palace employs a dozen Jovian armor smiths who have the job of repairing every slice in that lovely leather."

"Look, I didn't damage my armor too much during the demonstration yesterday, and some of my opponents got away with minor damage, as well."

"You stuck a sword in your mother's shoulder blade after slicing her leg half off," the merchant replied smartly. "My father spent most of the night in the guest wing of the palace directing the repairs of all of the nobles' armor while a number of other armor smiths, myself included, were helping the others who participated in the demonstration. He did fix yours first, of course, as High Princess, High General, and Senshi of Mars."

Rei grinned and raised her head proudly. "It's still strange to think that I have that title, High General of Mars."

"You would have had it eventually," Minako pointed out. "The queen takes that position as long as she is the reigning senshi, from what I understand."

"I would have had my henshin stick eventually, too," Rei pointed out. "I can promise you that she never intended for me to win that so soon. In any case," she turned back to the merchant, "I am grateful to your father for repairing my armor so quickly. The palace armor smiths were busy with some of the lesser nobles who were more damaged in the fights. I think they must still be busy with some of them today."

"Yes, I think my father is still at the palace, actually. He was here early this morning but then he disappeared again. I'm told that your brother's armor was particularly difficult to repair."

Haruka snorted and reached for Michiru, wrapping a possessive arm around the aquanette's shoulder, which she allowed, always somewhat enjoying Haruka's jealous streak. "He shouldn't have been so forceful with his letters to my wife. He deserved everything Rei gave him."

"Be that as it may," the merchant replied, clearly not interested in arguing with a woman who towered half a foot over him, "the armor was almost beyond repair. Our repair technique does not leave any marks, but it can thin the leather and his armor has been repaired multiple times in the same spots. He will need something new sooner rather than later."

"I'll let him know to stop by," Rei replied. "I see that you do carry some styles in Martian red, so I'm sure you have something that would fit him."

"Of course, Highness. And you can see that our designs are unique among the other armor smiths you will find here." The merchant was happy to show off everything in his shop, two other men who worked that booth helping customers on the other side. "I'm not as practiced as my father, but here are some of my designs. This stitch here along the edge of the bracer is a new one, and the edges will attach to each other automatically and hold tight until you press here and here to release it. It also has a built-in holo-pad and communication uplink that will work in any planetary orbit. All of the bracers we make now have these capabilities."

The War Queens were more interested in the features of the bracers than the nobles, though Haruka examined the boots with claws on the toes meant for climbing trees and the matching gloves with claws. "Are these strong enough for cliffs?"

"Yes; is Her Majesty planning a trip to the top of a mountain soon?"

"No, not again, but they would have been useful on Miranda."

The merchant tilted his head as he quickly ran through everything he knew about that small moon. There was a rather large plateau there, yes, and a cave system at the top with a built-in escape route, but to get there one had to climb some of the most unforgiving cliffside in the system. "The Chime Cliffs may not allow the materials we use, though I think your own people made some climbing gear that does work. I'm sure that's what you wore when you scaled the Chime Cliffs and earned your Yamakami title."

Haruka nodded, somewhat amused by how quickly this young man picked up on her meaning. She had been vague on purpose. "We do have some gear that works, of course, but Jovians are far superior climbers. As a matter of fact, Jovians make up the largest off-world group to earn the title each year. It wouldn't be a bad idea for you and your father to speak to some of the armor smiths from my world about better climbing gear."

"I'm always interested in collaboration with crafters from other worlds, but isn't the climb meant to be hard? We wouldn't want to trivialize it."

Michiru chuckled, clearly surprising the merchant. At this point, the other two merchants and many of the people shopping were trying to unobtrusively listen in, though the War Queens did notice their sudden interest. "I doubt better claws on the boots will trivialize that climb. And, anyway, I'm sure Uranus is happy to see people reaching the top and paying homage to her. I happen to know that she enjoys being worshiped."

Haruka nodded in agreement, turning the gloves so Rei could see the claws on them. "She does enjoy that, for sure. Ado, do you know the best person to work on something like this? If this is Makoto's favorite armorer and the one trusted to serve the Mars royal family, I think they would be the best Jovians to work on a project like this."

"Of course. After the festival, I will arrange the appropriate introductions. I, for one, would be happy to accept more Yamakami into the nobility each year."

"And, sometime after the festival, we should get Haruka's measurements and see if you can make a decent set of war armor for her. I imagine she wouldn't ask herself," Hikari added. Her queen chuckled and nodded, the group slowly moving away from the booth to see some of the armaments that the Jovians made, mostly intricate quarterstaffs and similar weapons.

Miki and Sayuri, walking at the back of the group, heard the whispers that followed them. The onlookers could not believe that a Neptunian had reached the top of the Chime Cliffs; did that mean Michiru was Yamakami on Uranus? What about the other senshi? There had been no official announcement of Queen Haruka's new title, but surely this was something that needed to be known through the system. It was one of the most prestigious titles one could earn on any of the worlds of the Silver Millennium, ranked even higher among war accolades than Champion of the Ganymede Invitational because so few made it, usually only two or so in a decade. Miki looked over at Sayuri, silently asking her lover if everything was ready. Sayuri offered a brief nod and a half-smile that seemed to say, let them talk if they want. The plan that the War Queens had would be certain to impress every world during their Presentation Day.

Makoto raised her arms as Rinae helped tighten her vest, grunting as the duchess pulled the strap a couple of notches tighter. "Look, it's not my fault your damn breasts are so large. They're going to get in the way today if I don't get this vest tighter."

"I'll be fine, Rinae, and I would really like to be able to breathe today."

Rinae shrugged and fastened the last buckle, handing Makoto her bracers as she fastened her own. They carried small knives in their bracers, even as Martians did, but they would not be needed for this demonstration. "Did you see your armorer?"

"I did, yes, thanks for letting me know where his stall was." Makoto laced her bracers with the ease of long practice before bending to her tall boots, green like the rest of her armor. It was a favored color on her world, though her affinity was partially from her senshi uniform. "I don't know how you got those measurements from the servant, but I appreciate that, as well."

"I told her what it was for and she was glad to help." Rinae pulled her silvery green hair back in a bun, using pins to hold the curly mass in place. Makoto's hair, pulled up in a ponytail as usual, resisted the bun a bit more, but the Duchess reached up to help her princess once her own hair was out of the way. Loose hair was not allowed during their presentation, and warriors generally did not allow it when they were in the trees. "Will it be ready in time?"

"Yes, he is confident. The teeth were the hardest part to acquire, but your cousin had what I needed. The armorer wasn't at his stall when I took the others there later this morning, so I imagine he's working pretty hard on it, leaving his son to run things in his absence."

"The son will be as good as his father one day, but he has a lot to learn." The two stepped back and checked each other's outfits, nodding in approval as they headed out to the main backstage area. As princess, Makoto had been able to acquire a small, somewhat private, dressing room, knowing that her brothers would pounce on her the moment she reached the main crowd. "Did you take them to get some new weapons? From what you've said, quarterstaffs are not used that much on other worlds, but a non-fatal weapon is sometimes an advantage."

"Yeah, Haruka agreed with you. They've all put in orders for some lovely new staffs, though they all had to agree to a certain level of decoration or the Uranians would have had a fit. At least my talisman is pretty enough for them."

Her brothers spotted her before Rinae could respond, swarming their only sister. "Mako! There you are. How was shopping this morning?"

"Saiki, so good to see you." All three of her brothers were dressed in their armor from Metis, matching the rest of the family in shades of green. They each carried a quarterstaff, Rinae accepting one from them as Makoto summoned her own talisman. Today, she would stand out; last year she had carried a normal staff like her siblings. "Did you finish running all of the tests on the holo-projector?"

Ken'nin nodded as he spun his staff around a few times to test the balance. "Yeah, thanks for your help this morning. You could have stayed for the tests, you know."

"She had to go guide her friends through the festival," Rinae replied.

"She had to show off for her girlfriend," Saiki replied, grinning as he ducked Makoto's staff as she swung it at his head. "She'll be showing off in the presentation today, also, so we have to all be on our toes."

"Hey, if you had a girlfriend in the crowd, you'd be showing off today, too," Ken'nin scolded. "Come on, get into position." The siblings followed their oldest brother, meeting their parents at the edge of the stage and climbing into the trees behind them. Some of the trees were physically there, huge props created by the finest crafters on their worlds and designed to look like real trees from their beloved forests, while the vast majority of them were holo-projections created by Mercurian technology. The projected ones looked and felt just as real as the physical ones, and Makoto found that she was having trouble telling them apart. This technology was amazing, and now that she was in the branches of a projected ancient baythorne tree, the scent of its leaves surrounding her, she decided that waking up early to get this set up had been worth it. The musicians on the ground, armed with bamboo flutes of varying lengths, paired sticks to beat a tempo, and a scattering of small drums, looked up at the warriors overhead and measured their positions carefully. Mobile forcefields would move underneath each participant in case they fell, which had never happened, but none of the royals had been willing to risk their people's safety during the demonstration.

Makoto checked the claw attachments on her gloves, ones that she only wore in the trees but not when she planned to stay on the ground or venture across the plains like they had done on Metis. She swung her staff across her back, feeling the automatic sheath grab it for a moment before a tug released it. Balanced on a large branch, Makoto eyed the distance to the next tree, just visible through the canopy, and recalled the plan they had mapped out over countless hours of intense practice. The map worked the same if they were on the ground or in the trees, though it would be more impressive in the trees, and this way they didn't have to swap the groups between canopy and ground or worry as much about the musicians.

One of the drummers, eye on the time, began to beat a slow, contemplative beat. Two pairs of sticks began to beat a counterpoint, dancing between the slower beats as the tinkling of bells whispered along with them, tied to the legs and arms of some of the musicians. As the curtains slowly opened, the smaller flutes joined in, their larger cousins slowly adding their own voices to the song. Jovians were not singers at all, but they enjoyed the music of nature around them in their beloved forests, so they preferred instruments that mimicked the wind through the reeds, the heavy stomp of animals marching through the plains, the tapping of a bird trying to break open a shell on a rock, and the gentle tinkle of bird song.

Makoto sensed her body move into high alert as she raised her staff, every muscle ready for her commands and every sense on high alert. This was a demonstration, but it was also the kind of fight that brought joy to her people. It was carefully choreographed, and only warriors who had won the Ganymede Invitational or had enough qualifying prerequisites to attend were allowed to be in the trees for the demonstration itself. This was Saiki's first year. He faced Ken'nin on their branch without a hint of restlessness on his face, a calm warrior ready for battle. Makoto faced Rinae for the first round, her old friend's staff held parallel to the ground as she waited for the drums to reach the beat announcing the beginning of the demonstration. Two more groups in trees behind them would perform the same actions as the front two trees, though Makoto knew that she and her family were the ones truly on display.

The sound came an instant later and the dozens of Jovians in the trees moved at once, staves cracking against each other with a measured amount of force. Rinae took two steps back as Makoto advanced, each pair moving in a synchronized dance across the uneven branches of the huge trees shading the stage. Makoto dropped down one branch at Rinae's counterattack, her balance perfect as other sure-footed Jovians hit their own marks. Each warrior now turned to face a new opponent, the cracking of their staves in perfect harmony with the beat of the sticks below, flutes swirling between the percussion with ease. Makoto and every second Jovian jumped as their opponents swung their staves in a wide arc at their feet, using the claws on their gloves to grab the branch overhead and swing back into their original spots. Rinae had danced to the end of her branch and jumped across to the next tree, her landing perfect as she began to meet staves with a new opponent, the person who had been standing on that branch now in front of Makoto. Grinning, they moved into the next phase where the attacks were faster and more complicated, requiring more movement on the swaying branches to keep their balance and avoid a direct strike. She could feel the excitement of the crowd as the speed of their attacks increased, some of them knowing what was coming next while the newcomers waited anxiously to see how much faster this could go.

As soon as she heard the six-beat transition marker, Makoto spun on her right leg and dashed off toward the end of the branch, staff held in her right hand at an angle that would prevent it from hitting any branches as she moved. As soon as she reached the predetermined position, she jumped, eyes locked on Rinae who was crossing from the other side back to this one. With practiced precision, the two let their staves crack together in midair, having controlled their jumps to allow just that much force to not disturb their landings. Makoto landed without even the hint of a wobble, straightening and turning to face the group on the other tree.

The crowd cheered as the Jovians all sheathed their staves, the back of their armor designed to grab the weapon if held in the perfect position. Now the fun begins, Makoto purred in her mind, a place even the other senshi couldn't penetrate. She had not told her friends the extent of the demonstration planned, and this part they didn't do every year so none of the other senshi had been prepared for it ahead of time. Makoto stretched as the drumbeats faded and only the song of the flutes and bells filled the air, even the sticks below silent. She took a moment to measure her distance to the end of her branch, knowing that everyone else was doing the same thing and adjusting themselves if they were just slightly off from the mental mark they had to hit. Rinae met her eyes across the stage and Makoto felt the tchakitcha with her, the warrior's bond. They breathed in sync, their hearts beat as one, and they each knew what the other felt in that moment. This was why Rinae was her partner; they had always been able to reach this level with each other naturally.

The drums began again with a peal that startled the crowd, but the Jovians had been ready for it. Every other Jovian, on four levels of the paired trees, ran and jumped across the space between them, the arc only slightly different than the one from the last jump where they had cracked their staves together. Makoto reached out her hands, keeping her center of gravity far back to counter the weight, and caught Rinae's hands in hers, letting the woman's momentum pull her down just slightly before recoiling and tossing her back the way she came. This part relied on the strength of the partner, and Jovians prided themselves on being powerful enough to lift many times their own weight. The acrobatic part of the show, when included, was to emphasize that for the rest of the Silver Millennium; Martians were warriors of accuracy, Uranians were warriors of speed, and Jovians were warriors of strength.

Rinae was caught one level up and tossed back to the branch above Makoto, another Jovian falling into her hands. She tossed him over to the branch Rinae had used, half of the performers swapping positions in this manner. As soon as he landed, Makoto backed up on her branch and took a running leap across the space between the trees, somersaulting in the air and reaching blindly for her brother's hands. Ken'nin, in perfect position as always, caught her and tossed her higher, moving the senshi of Jupiter to the apex for the final part of their display. Only she would be able to hold the spot of the apex due to her senshi power; twenty years ago, the last time they had performed this specific finale, her mother had taken that spot. Meika preferred the ground-based version of the performance, however, and had never hung from the wire again.

Makoto was tossed up one more level before landing, quickly finding the rope they had strung between some of the tallest strong branches. She pulled her staff out and held it in both hands, parallel to the ground, stepping out onto the delicate-looking strand. She knew that it was barely visible from the ground below, but it was plenty thick enough for this trick and incredibly strong, crafted from braided silk created by an arachnid bred on Mercury for practical applications. The staff helped her keep her balance on the thin wire, though Makoto also began to call on the power of Jupiter to hold her steady. Meika had told her that she was allowed to transform for this part, though Makoto had been able to do all of the practices in civilian form and she was grateful to Haruka's training regimen for making that possible. She was also more comfortable in the soft boots of her armor than the ones in her senshi uniform while this high in the air.

Makoto reached the center of the rope to absolute silence; the musicians below had stilled their hands and the crowd waited with breathless anticipation. They knew she had not done this before, and the few observers in the crowd who had seen Meika do this years ago remembered that she had been transformed at the time and her daughter didn't seem like she was going to do that. How could she possibly call on the strength required for the final hanging display without becoming Sailor Jupiter?

Knowing exactly what the crowd was thinking, Makoto took a moment to show off a bit. She did a backflip on the rope with her staff still held perfectly parallel to the ground, sheathing it and leaning forward onto her hands. She raised her legs into the air, a trick her mother had never been able to master, and walked a few steps forward on her hands, turning in midair with her legs spread just slightly for balance before walking back. Training with the other senshi, especially Michiru, had revealed her greatest weakness and she refused to let it hold her back anymore. Makoto was no longer stuck with her feet on the ground, and this display was as much for her senshi sisters as for the crowd. She carefully lowered her legs back to the rope, moving to sit with her knees hooked over the rope and her hands on either side stabilizing her.

Makoto took a deep breath and focused her connection to Jupiter before the next part. This would be the true test of her senshi training and the enhanced power she had now that her planet crystal was reawakened, and even her mother had not been sure she should do this. She leaned back slightly and tested the grip of her knees, finally falling back with her arms dangling toward the branches below. She could see the first two chosen in the highest branches, knowing already that it would be Meika and Ken'nin, both considered the strongest non-senshi Jovians among the performers. Each would be expected to hold half of the final weight, the most that Meika had been able to manage on her own. She could hold slightly more on the ground, but her daughter had been determined that the highwire version of the demonstration was more impressive to the watchers in the crowd. Makoto readied herself as both of them ran across their branches and jumped, reaching for her arms.

The crowd gasped as Makoto caught both of them, Meika with her right arm and Ken'nin with her left, the claws in her gloves digging into their bracers as their claws dug into hers. The leather was reinforced for this reason, and she could feel that their hold was secure. The two grabbed each other's hands across the center, their arms held stiff to avoid them falling into each other. Makoto steadied herself as Eiki jumped next, grabbing Meika's inside leg with one hand and Ken'nin's with the other. Straps had been added to the leg armor of all of the participants of this part of the demonstration, so Eiki was able to stabilize his grip with those straps to avoid slipping from the smooth leather armor. Saiki jumped next, grabbing Ken'nin's outside leg while Ameko of Europa grabbed Meika's. They landed at the same time, reducing the chance of uneven stress on Makoto, and they had been carefully balanced when this was being planned. Saiki was a slender young man and Ameko was a huge amazon-type warrior, so they balanced each other out. Noriko and Mikira of Ganymede jumped next, each taking one of Eiki's legs and one of either Saiki's or Ameko's, stabilizing themselves with the leg straps as they stretched their legs to the side to test the distance. Two more young men jumped for the outside edges, Makoto steadying herself for the final row and the ultimate test of her strength. Five more women joined to create the lowest level, each grabbing two legs of the performer in the row above and the four on the outside stretching their legs out to touch each other, forming a tree shape with Makoto at the top. Miori in the center kept her legs hanging straight down, watching as the last performer readied herself on her branch. The various greens of their armor added to the image of a tree, and everyone held their pose as the next performer jumped for the bottom of the tree, the hardest landing arranged for her alone. Makoto, reaching the limit of her endurance, grinned as Jupiter responded to her strain and sent the maximum power she could hold in civilian form, the energy of her planet covering her in green ribbons and reaching down to embrace all of the other performers as Rinae leaped for Miori in the center of the tree. Rinae grabbed Miori's left leg with one arm and right with the other, jamming her fingers into straps quickly to avoid losing her precarious position. Her armor was also green, but as she stretched her legs down to form the trunk, the holo-projector changed it to a rich brown.

The crowd cheered at the Jovian tree that had been created, Makoto feeling just the first tremble of fatigue running up her arms. Rinae dropped first, landing on a thick holo-projected branch that extended to catch her, Miori dropping beside her as the four other women on the bottom level swung out onto other waiting branches. As quickly as the tree formed, it disintegrated, leaving Makoto alone handing upside-down from the high wire with blood still rushing to her head. She swung herself back into a sitting position on the rope, glancing at the branch nearby that she was meant to land on. Still feeling the whisper of her planet in the back of her mind, Makoto pushed herself back to her feet and jumped.

The crowd and all of the Jovians gasped as she fell for the ground, green ribbons embracing her as her planet crystal appeared in her hand. Sailor Jupiter landed in a kneeling position, one hand on the ground and her other raised to the sky, lightning crackling around her fingers. Lightning flashed overhead in response, the senshi looking up in shock as she had not called for that. She found herself facing a tall, blond bearded man wearing an iridescent white robe with a lightning bolt worked in gold clasped on the right shoulder. Even without that mark or the heavy golden crown on his head, she would recognize her own patron god, and an instinct to bow almost overwhelmed her. The other Jovians on the ground and in the trees did not hesitate to offer obeisance, but Sailor Jupiter rose to her feet and faced her patron god, father of her soul, as an equal, as Mariya had faced him the day she took her own life to seal the planet crystal.

"It's been a long time," Jupiter remarked casually, seeing that everyone in the crowd behind Zeus had also bowed except for the senshi themselves.

Zeus laughed, his voice booming out across the courtyard. "Always so impetuous, daughter. I have missed you these past three thousand years."

Makoto let her transformation fade as she bowed her head slightly, closing her eyes as the last memory she had of Zeus filled her mind. "Mariya didn't mean to hurt you, but she had no choice. The senshi had to seal their crystals."

"I know," the King of the Gods murmured, reaching out to embrace the tall woman, smiling as she melted into his arms. "I missed you," he whispered, "and I have never been prouder of you than I am today. You have the wisdom of Athena, the strength of Heracles, and the beauty of Hera herself, my beloved queen who has always been sad that she could not be your mother in truth. You are my ultimate senshi, and I wanted to see you in person to tell you."

"Thank you," she whispered, "father of my soul. I'm glad you enjoyed the show."

"Immensely! Heracles himself could have done no better, and he had a weakness that you have conquered. I have never seen one of my avatars who is so comfortable when her feet are not on the ground."

"Poseidon's daughter taught me that lesson," Makoto chuckled, glancing at Michiru in the crowd. "We're stronger together."

"Of course you are, even as we are. I'm glad you have learned that." Zeus patted Makoto's shoulder and stepped back, Hera appearing by his side as he prepared to take his leave of the mortal realm. The queen, her chestnut hair piled on her head in her favorite ancient style, held in place by gold chains under her golden diadem, smiled kindly at Makoto as she shook out her peacock-feather cloak and took her husband's arm. "This is not the last time we will see each other, Makoto, who was first known as Mai and, more recently, Mariya. One day we will meet on Olympus, I promise you that."

"I look forward to it," Makoto replied as Jovians climbed down from the trees and gathered around her, eager to look on their god. She offered a quick bow as Zeus and Hera vanished back to Olympus, turning toward to crowd and raising her arms to the sky. "We hope you all enjoyed the show today!" The roar of the crowd answered her question as the Jovians took a bow.