The three former commanders of the Dark Kingdom were just about to start their early shift at the Crown when Motoki came bursting into the staff room, beaming with excitement. In his right hand fluttered a piece of paper, which he enthusiastically waved in front of Jadeite's face. Jadeite squinted critically at the text on it.

"A princess seminar? Am I supposed to attend that?"

Nephrite barely suppressed a laugh as he glanced at his two allies.

"Epheios, are you looking for a bride or something? As far as I know, Jadeite likes women. He won't become a princess anytime soon, even if his hair is now dyed pink."

Amused, Zoisite watched Jadeite's face turn tomato-red. With raised eyebrows, he remarked sharply,

"Better send Nephrite to such a seminar... Manners and etiquette, those are magic words completely unknown to Nephrite."

"Just like PLEASE and THANK YOU are foreign words for you, Zoisite?" Nephrite shot back instantly, the man with the self-given half-long haircut.

"Oh excuse me, Nephrite. I'm always polite."

"Now shut up for a minute, okay? You're ALL going!"

Motoki barked at his employees, receiving confused looks in return.

"But why?" they asked in unison.

"Because the Dark Kingdom is behind it."

"And Kunzite really wants to lure Serenity out of hiding with a princess seminar?!"

Jadeite incredulously looked back at the flyer he was still holding in his hand. The Dark Kingdom—most likely in the form of Kunzite—had come up with yet another ploy to trap Sailor Moon. Disapprovingly, Nephrite snatched the paper from Jadeite's hands and angrily tore it into small pieces.

"That idiot, what is he thinking? Are we supposed to show up and play the etiquette watchdog for obedient teenage girls?! This is absolutely ridiculous!"

Jadeite could only agree as he carefully tied his apron with a double bow.

"I honestly wonder if he's learned nothing from the three of us as his predecessors. All these stupid ideas with new pop-up stores, competitions, or events have failed countless times and are so overdone. He must be completely delusional to think that the Sailor Senshi would seriously fall for such nonsense."

Zoisite hadn't commented on Kunzite's latest idea until now. But even without Pluto's help, the matter was crystal clear to all three generals; the princess seminar by the English Countess Rose bore the unmistakable signature of the evil, white-haired villain.

"I think Endymion is involved too. Maybe we'll have the opportunity to encounter both of them at this seminar," the blond former general concluded.

"It's possible at least. So? What's the next step?"

Nephrite looked questioningly at his boss and colleagues.

"If you hadn't shredded the flyer just now, we could have looked at the exact schedule and then decided when to intervene. But you're lucky because I have a photographic memory. There's a final dance at the end of the seminar. We could blend in with the audience unnoticed and look for our two brainwashed comrades."

Motoki clapped his hands enthusiastically and then turned directly to the man with the pink hair.

"That's more or less what I had in mind. Jadeite, you'll be repurposed as Countess Rose's new butler, Edward. Conveniently, that position has just become vacant. Ahem. With a little makeup and a short dark blonde wig, it should work. You really can't be seen anywhere with that pink. Please schedule a new haircut as soon as possible. Besides that, you'll spend the day with that disguised Youma keeping an eye on all the young girls and reporting to the others if Kunzite or Endymion shows up early."

"Yes, Your Highness," jadeite replied with slight irony. Well, great, he had drawn the short straw again. On the other hand, he was glad that Epheios at least trusted him with such a supervisory job. He had absolutely no desire to spend the whole day in the kitchen chopping vegetables as a temp.

Nephrite, however, went against his ex-villain nature and took things a step further, now standing with crossed arms in front of his employer.

"And what should we wear to this seminar? We can't possibly run around in these grass-green jackets and lavender-colored pants."

Although they only had to combine the terrible chino pants and the black long-sleeve sweater with the aprons, that was certainly not appropriate dress code for a slow waltz. Motoki raised his eyebrows critically.

Jadeite glanced briefly at his two allies and then finally sighed lightly,

"Our Master certainly has enough tuxedos in his wardrobe. In various sizes, too. Some of them are a bit worn, but whatever. We only need the outfit for one day."

Zoisite groaned, then tied his pale pink apron with cherry blossom appliques around his waist and crossed his arms indecisively.

"The man is a real mystery to me. James Bond on one hand and Donald Duck on the other when it comes to his taste in clothes. His book preferences aren't any better. Boring physics tomes and then he has doujinshis and a whole bunch of Sailor Moon fanfiction on his bookshelf. How does that all fit together?!"

"Right! Did you see the titles he saved in his favorites list on his laptop? 'Since we first met' by Mintaka14 or 'Now what?' by Shnuggletea or 'Ice Breaker' by Lin Lamont for example... I'm telling you, two souls live in his chest!"

"It must be this crazy Tokyo. People here are all nuts anyway... but to be honest, I don't find the human world so bad anymore. Better than the dark gates of that overall rather dusty Dark Kingdom."

Jadeite had to agree with Nephrite. He had been among humans for a while now and, unlike the other two, had already made contact... primarily with the female kind. However long this would last and whether the Moon Princess would succeed in banishing Beryl and Metalia from this world like her mother once did; Jadeite wanted to enjoy this new life he had been given. To the fullest.

Soon there would be another opportunity... with the princess seminar. The thought of so many well-behaved girls made him look forward to the upcoming day when he would play the butler.

"We already have suitable clothing, but maybe wigs and, I don't know, glasses wouldn't hurt either. Serenity might otherwise recognize us at the seminar. You two stay here at Crown in the morning while I tail Countess Rose."

Nephrite and Zoisite briefly exchanged glances and then nodded to Jadeite, signaling their agreement with the details of their strategy.

A few hours later, the three generals found themselves in fairly well-fitting tuxedos and matching short-haired wigs in a large hall of Countess Rose's residence, waiting eagerly for their dance partners.

Nephrite had short reddish-brown hair and had chosen large-rimmed glasses to go with it, Zoisite had opted for a strange brown toupee that only covered the top part of his head, and Jedyte hid his pink hair under a sandy blonde wig.

"Do you think the disguise is enough?" Zoisite looked down at himself, worried.

"I spent the whole day as Butler Edward with Serenity, and she didn't notice a thing. We can relax and calmly look for Endymion and Kunzite. They haven't shown up yet, but they probably will."

"How did Serenity do as a princess anyway?" Nephrite asked with an innocent expression. His memories of the Moon Princess were rather vague, and he simply couldn't picture Sailor Moon as a royal. Jadeite sighed deeply before finally speaking up,

"Well, she can't speak properly, her table manners resemble those of a little piglet, grace is as foreign to her as it is to an elephant, while clumsiness and awkwardness are at the forefront. I think she's good at throwing frisbees, though. Once, she actually hit me with that stupid disc. Well, that's about it."

"Poor Endymion." Nephrite truly felt sorry for his actual commander.

"Where love falls!" Zoisite remarked dryly before they heard loud chatter in the hallway outside the large hall.

"Well, maybe she can dance. Can you guys?"

Before his comrades could respond, the large doors of the hall swung open, and the three ex-generals found themselves facing about thirty pretty girls in long ball gowns.

"Oh yeah, THIS is my world! Who needs the Dark Kingdom with such eye candy?!" Nephrite rubbed his hands expectantly, while Zoisite would have preferred to flee on the spot. Hormone-driven teenage girls on the prowl for men were definitely not in his repertoire. Honestly, he preferred the rats from the sewer.

"Just act like you're regular hosts. At least you can manage a slow waltz, right?"

Jadeite looked into shocked faces and sighed deeply.

"Oh dear, I just hope we get girls who tolerate our non-existent dancing skills. Otherwise, our cover might still be blown."

Within moments, the hall was filled with young people, much to Nephrite's chagrin, as several young men in smart tuxedos followed the numerous young girls. Countess Rose took the lead and paired up the dance partners. As it should be, the three generals ended up with Sailor Senshi as their partners; Jadeite was to dance with Serenity, Nephrite had the honor of dancing with Sailor Mars, and Zoisite's partner would be Sailor Venus.

Her memories of the Silver Millennium, particularly of receptions and balls, were rather vague (her duty at that time was more about guarding the Earth Prince than actively participating in festivities), but they all bravely started with a light waltz... and immediately regretted it deeply. The three former generals couldn't dance at all, but they didn't really need to.

What was happening on the dance floor resembled more of a true torture than a graceful dance performance.

Sailor Mars literally swept Zoisite across the dance floor like a ragged broom. It was more of an uncoordinated, rough dragging than dancing to the rhythm of the music. Sailor Venus wasn't much better, as she took every opportunity to stomp on Nephrite's feet with her sharp fifteen-centimeter heels, and Jadeite wished he could immediately return to Queen Beryl's side. She couldn't dance either, because she was more or less confined to her ugly throne due to a wooden leg, but at least she had never kicked Jadeite in his crown jewels. Serenity, however, was a true master at it; in fact, you could say she was the queen of egg dancing. At least the princess seminar had achieved something.

He nearly fainted at the first attack and had barely recovered when she awkwardly swung again and hit him with terrifying precision between the legs with her terribly pointed shoe tip.

Indescribable pain shot through the blond general, and together with his two accomplices, he was on the verge of throwing himself on the floor in protest when the three warrior girls spoke in unison to defend themselves:

"I never claimed I was particularly good at dancing."

--

Grimly, Kunzite observed the entire scene from his hiding place behind an open door. While searching for Sailor Moon among this bulk of hideous teenagers, a man with a strange, two-tone hairstyle had caught his eye, someone who seemed somewhat familiar. Almost trustworthy, if one ignored the strange movements he was forced to make on the dance floor due to his completely untalented dance partner. If he didn't know better...

But now wasn't the time. Countess Rose was currently selecting the talented girls from the untalented ones. What remained were three losers along with their tortured dance partners, one of whom promised to be the one they were looking for. Kunzite had fed his Youma Shakokai with very precise information: Sailor Moon was insanely clumsy, completely talentless, and a cheeky, silly brat.

Obviously, the three girls in front of her had qualified for this dubious combination of abilities. The rest of the participants were immediately lured into a room by the monster disguised as a countess, leaving only the three couples with the untalented girls behind. Kunzite hesitated briefly. It didn't make sense to reveal himself just yet. Sailor Moon hadn't been unmasked, and besides, the three men next to the girls were starting to look quite suspicious to him. They did have rather strange hairstyles, but their eyes were somehow... like his!

"That can't be! How is this possible?!"

Kunzite could no longer understand the world. Was this all just a huge coincidence? But before he could take a closer look at the three, the Youma had already emerged from the next room, now transformed into Shakokai. It then shot its liquid, greenish wax at the three men, who fled in utter shock. They couldn't dodge the attack, however, and were turned into greenish-glimmering wax figures by the monster.

"Okay, that can wait," muttered the white-haired general to himself as he briefly glanced at the green hosts, then turned his attention back to the three girls. However, they had already fled, and Shakokai was desperately trying to shake off the two cats that had attacked him out of nowhere. They were quite obviously part of the well-known Sailor Team.

"Damn it!" Kunzite growled and stormed off angrily, hoping to find the Sailor Warriors and the Holy Silver Crystal outside.

Another player in this strange battle was already waiting outside, well hidden behind bushes and trees, for his turn. The goal for tonight: to obtain the Silver Crystal from Sailor Moon. Once again. For that purpose, he had dressed in his finest attire, including new tuxedo pants. Generous as he was, he would spare Sailor Moon's life if she voluntarily handed over the Silver Crystal to him. He had simply ignored Queen Beryl's demand to present her with Sailor Moon's corpse as soon as possible. Having blood on his white gloves was simply - as mentioned before - not his style. Nor was allying with others, especially not with that arrogant, conceited jerk Kunzite. Endymion was a lone fighter. He always had been. Since his earliest childhood, he had been on his own and had to fight his way through life. Ever since his parents had died in that car accident.

Huh? Where did that come from?

Endymion shook himself briefly, trying with all his might to push back the thoughts his subconscious was desperately trying to send him. After a few moments, he had regained his composure and took a closer look at the large park in front of him.

He didn't have to wait long in his hiding place before the Sailor Warriors arrived, with Kunzite's Youma in tow. Kunzite's more than stupid idea had actually been successful. Sailor Moon had indeed been lured here. Endymion prepared to intervene in the battle, but again there was that strange voice within him that made him hesitate. He blindly fumbled a rose out of the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket and then looked at it in horror.

Why the heck was it red?!

His eyes widened in shock as he saw the Youma threatening Sailor Moon. She must not be harmed under any circumstances! He had to protect her. That's what he was here for, after all.

Huh??? What the heck!!!

Slightly dazed, he stood there for a moment with the red-glowing flower in his hand.

What was it that urged him to throw it at the monster? Before he could think clearly, he had already fired it in Shakokai's direction. Successfully.

Everyone turned to him in utter surprise. Sailor Moon was saved for the moment. Endymion was relieved, but this feeling quickly gave way to an arrogant coldness that once again took control of him. Thanks to the dark energy in his body, he was back to his old self. Or not, depending on how you looked at it.

The rose symbolically turned black, matching the state of his soul, just as it had in the hair salon before.

There was a strange tension in the air between him and the Sailor Warriors. They seemed partially disturbed by the fact that he was hostile toward them. But they were enemies, after all, and a certain level of hostility toward them was simply the polite thing to do... Or was it not?

"Sailor Moon, the Silver Crystal!" he commanded as he slowly approached her, "If you give it to me, I promise not to kill you."

For whatever reason, the Youma had to completely ruin his otherwise rather sovereign appearance by stepping behind him and half-whispering in his ear, loud enough for the Sailor Warriors to hear... how embarrassing!

"Uh, well, to be honest, Kunzite gave me a completely different order."

Angry at the mere mention of his hated rival's name, Endymion ignored the monster's subtle hint and gave Sailor Moon another firm command:

"I'm waiting! What is it, Sailor Moon?!"

The warrior of the moon looked at him with a mixture of horror, sadness, and disbelief.

Alright, now he had to get really strict with her. Internally, he counted to one, two, three!

"Hand it over!" he now threatened, extending his hand like a small child wanting a candy from the bag. But before Sailor Moon could react, the big spoiler Kunzite reappeared.

"Endymion. Don't be so selfish," he scolded him, floating towards him with crossed arms, pouting.

Okay, if he wanted a catfight, he could have it.

"I don't understand what you mean," Endymion pouted back, crossing his arms just as sulkily as his white-haired, floating opponent. God, what an arrogant show-off Kunzite was with his unnecessary floating show-off move.

"I have taken on this task, so don't mess up my plans!" the general snapped back, highly exasperated.

"Ha ha, I'm interested in nothing but the Silver Crystal. I want it," Endymion arrogantly retorted.

Kunzite's eyes darkened. He hissed, now extremely irritated:

"Forget it!"

"Uh, hello... umm what am I supposed to do now?" the purple Youma stood somewhat helplessly between the two quarreling men, waiting for further instructions. He got them, but... differently than expected.

"Defeat Sailor Moon!"

"Wait, the Silver Crystal first!"

"Defeat Sailor Moon!"

"The Silver Crystal first!"

"Defeat Sailor Moon!"

"The Silver Crystal!"

"Defeat Sailor Moon!"

"Aaaarrrggg, make up your minds, please. My head is spinning, I have no idea which order to follow?!"

In the end, she didn't have to follow any order, as Sailor Moon had depowered her with the Silver Crystal within seconds, transforming her back into Countess Rose.

With the Youma gone, Kunzite also disappeared like a spoiled brat. What remained were the three Sailor Warriors and Endymion. He was now visibly confused behind his mask. This kind of argument felt very familiar to him. But not with commanders of the Dark Kingdom, but rather with... hair buns. Blonde hair buns.

What on earth was wrong with him today?! Before Sailor Moon could raise her scepter again, this time against him, Endymion decided to make a quick exit. Incidentally, he could float as well.

"Sailor Moon... you can keep the Silver Crystal until next time. We'll meet again."

With these words, he disappeared into the darkness. The Silver Crystal could wait, as he had just come up with a completely different idea that he intended to carry out immediately.

—————————————

The involuntary paralysis ended the moment Sailor Moon turned the Youma back into the polite Countess. The three semi-dancers looked at each other gloomily.

"Nothing again!" Nephrite began the round of complaints and grievances. There were quite a few in a bad mood today.

"We made fools of ourselves, and for what? No sign of Kunzite or Endymion."

"I really hope Kunzite comes up with something smart, or better yet, nothing at all! If I were him, I'd just blackmail the Sailor Warriors, lure them to a location, and then confront them directly."

"Like at the airport back then? Great idea, Jadeite. Didn't Beryl punish you with eternal sleep for that?!"

The pink-haired Game Crown assistant, who had recently become their ally, looked grumpily at Zoisite.

"I'm just tired of all these embarrassing activities. That's all."

Nephrite only grinned mischievously at him and then turned to both comrades.

"We can't do anything else here anyway. Let's head back to Endymion's apartment and order something to eat. I could go for a pizza right now and maybe a chocolate sundae for dessert."

The three former generals headed to their temporary lodging. Today's battle might have been lost, but the fight against the Dark Kingdom was far from over. After all, they were the Shitennou and wouldn't be defeated so easily.

Tomorrow would surely bring the next opportunity to free their two allies from the clutches of evil.