rest of 20
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“You idiot! You complete and utter-” the end of the screamed reprimand was muffled when Sol slammed the door shut. Venus and Jupiter took one look at each other and immediately knocked him out of the way so that they could try and listen through it. Saturn chuckled and powered down, soon followed by Sol.
“Travis?!” Uranus exclaimed and let her own transformation slip.
He winked at her. “Of course, you don’t think I’d let Sere have all the fun, do you?”
“Serena’s the Silver-” Haruka continued in a stunned voice.
“Sun,” Hotaru finished, “And a lot more.”
“Shocked you, didn’t we Ruka?” Travis laughed.
“Just slightly,” Neptune answered for her partner who could only shake her head in disbelief. “I take it that it’s safe to reverse our transformations now?”
Artemis looked up from his monitor and nodded. “Yeah the forceshield was put in place as soon as the twins got here. As long as you’re in the hidden complex you’ll be right, but you’ll need your transformations on the surface.”
“Are you going to tell everyone the rest of it Travis?” Raye asked pointedly after she’d powered down.
“Rest of it?” Venus asked, diverted from the door. Jupiter looked up at her movement and both noticed that they were the only two still in senshi form. Seconds later Mina asked, “What rest of it?”
“There’s more?” Michiru asked in surprise and her composure started to slip.
Terran was lost in his thoughts as he watched the door. Jim was involved in a quiet conversation with Khonsu and Travis looked as if he wanted to keep them in suspense so Hotaru sighed and opened her mouth to explain. Someone else beat her to it though.
“Serena is not only the Silver Sun but also Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity. Travis is Prince Tranquillity and Lunari is High Prince Tranquillity but you’d know him as the twins’ Uncle Jimmy,” Luna told them calmly.
“Two Tranquillities?” Lita groaned and Travis laughed.
“It is tradition, the royal twins are always named Tranquillity and Serenity-” Luna started but was interrupted by Travis.
“If it ever comes up then I’m Tranq and Uncle Jimmy’s Quill.”
“You’ve known where the princess was all along,” Mina said slowly, “So why have you had us looking for her?”
“She hasn’t,” Amy denied suddenly, “Ever since Saturn joined us, Luna has emphasised the importance of locating the crystal, not the princess. I would theorise that, up until then, Luna’s memories were incomplete as she claimed.”
“It’s not that surprising really,” Lita murmured, “I can’t find it in me to be shocked that she’s our princess.”
Raye looked at her seriously, “I’d be very surprised if anyone was. The real wonder is that she and Travis are Sun and Sol.”
Haruka paused in her cautious stroking of Rhea and grinned. “That is the shocker,” she agreed and ignored Travis’ mock scowl.
Travis’ sudden stiffening at her side distracted Hotaru. She looked at him in concern and found that he was looking at the door with an outraged expression on his face. She noticed Terran’s pricked ears, Luna’s soft smile and the way Travis shook his head as his outrage faded to be replaced by amusement. Terran moved away from the door moments later and winked at Jim smugly before he made his to a chair and jumped up. Everything came together in her mind and she smothered a giggle.
“Your dad’s going to kill him,” she whispered to her boyfriend.
Travis nodded and then paused thoughtfully before he pointed out, “Only if he ever finds out.”
“You think Sere could keep something like this secret?” she asked incredulously.
He looked at her thoughtfully. “Five months until we’re officially eighteen. All she’d have to do is avoid having Dad see them together for any length of time until then. After that she’s legally an adult and Darien should be safe.”
Hotaru shook her head. “Are you kidding? She’s not going to be able to hide him, it’ll be obvious that she’s in lo-”
“Yeah but that’s not the problem,” Travis interrupted her, “The trick is not to let Dad know anything that’ll push him into a killing rage.”
“Like...” she trailed off meaningfully as she glanced at the door.
“Exactly.”
“What are you two talking about?” Haruka burst out in frustration.
Hotaru winced and opened her mouth to reply when Mina burst out, “Soul mates!”
“Huh?!” several of the scouts grunted as they looked at her in confusion.
Mina looked at the various people around her, at the door then back at the scouts. “Darien and Serena are soul mates! Can’t any of you feel the energy radiating off them?”
Hotaru bowed her head and allowed her hair to fall forward and conceal her face. Travis hugged her from behind and buried his face in her neck as he struggled to hide his laughter. Raye cocked her head and choked which almost set Hotaru in peals of laughter. She knew what the scout had just sensed.
Raye quickly recovered, increasing Hotaru’s respect for her, and snorted, “Oh come on, surely you’ve all noticed that Darien’s gone on her by now?”
“They’re soul mates,” Mina exclaimed, “That’s a little bit more serious than a crush!”
“Darien with a crush?” Raye drawled, “It’s not possible. He never does anything halfway.”
Mina open and closed her mouth but was unable to deny it. Darien would never give his heart frivolously. Lita grinned suddenly. “I take it you approve then Raye? She meets your standards?”
Raye shrugged. “How could she not? Even before she told me what she is, it was obvious that she was just what he needed. And now... well I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of her than him.”
“I don’t approve!” Rhea argued and the softening of Haruka’s face stopped as she fell back, away from her Guardian. “The princess deserves someone better than that... that rogue!”
“I approved the match Rhea, so what’s the problem?” Luna questioned.
The wolf shook her head. “No offence Luna, but you dote on Serenity. If she wished to marry a youma you would agree... not that there’s that much difference.”
Luna frowned and Terran opened his mouth to reply when Haruka beat him to it. “Get a life Rhea!”
The Guardian looked at her ward in confusion. “I don’t understand Ur... Haruka. You used to disapprove as strongly of Endymion’s suit as I did.”
“Endymion?” Haruka repeated and then shook her head. “No, later. For now... Darien’s been my commander for the last two years and he’s been a good one. I respect him as both a warrior and a person. He’s a good man Rhea, one of the best. I trust him as much, if not more, than any of the scouts and I think they’d all agree with me.”
“We do,” Hotaru spoke up, “Rhea, only the inner scouts had much to do with court in the Silver Millennium. Uranus, Neptune and I never even got to know our own prince, let alone Earth’s so how could we make an unbiased judgement? Well, this time we were given a chance and we can make that judgement. Darien is worthy of Serena, Rhea, trust me and if you can’t do that, trust Haruka.”
The wolf sighed and glanced at Terran. “Very well. I’ll with hold my decision until I’ve had a chance to see more of him-”
“If she went in now she’d see more of him,” Travis whispered into Hotaru’s ear. She elbowed him and turned her attention back to Rhea, who hadn’t noticed the exchange.
“Are you happy now Terran?”
“No,” he replied honestly, “But it’s a start.”
Mina broke the following silence. “You’re really Terran. Of course you are... but you look so... you’re so... and you’re colour is...”
He grinned at her toothily. “I’m a battle trained Guardian Mina, like Io and even Artemis. That means that aside from whatever native abilities we possess we are also sizeshifters and, to a small extent, shapeshifters. That was how Io became a panther just before.”
“Artemis?” Mina’s jaw dropped and she glanced to her Guardian who winked at her.
“Amon also, but Travis already knows that, and Atlantia, Khonsu and Rhea, of course.” He shimmered for a second and then was the Terran that they were all familiar with, smaller, greyer and more doglike. “Like this I’m less frightening and less out of place on Earth. I could stay with Serena and not draw undue attention to her.”
“That’s something I would like to know,” Thanatos said, “What were you doing with the princess, rather than your prince?” Hotaru looked to where her Guardians were perched with Raye’s, reminded that, although the main function of a Guardian raven was to advise, their curiosity was endless.
“Why do you think he was with her Thana?” she asked wryly. The ravens looked thoughtful and then, as one, comprehension dawned on them.
“What I would like to know,” Raye added, “is Darien’s part in this. What do you all mean by Endymion, prince, etc? Well Spaghetti Brains?”
Phobos and Deimos gasped in shock. “Mars, that’s your prince!” Phobos scolded.
Travis just chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it. To answer your question Darien was Crown Prince Endymion, of Earth who was engaged to Serenity. He is the Earth Knight, Earth’s avatar and I think we can all assume that he’s now my sister’s boyfriend and my future brother in law...”
*****
Serena leaned back and felt Darien’s arms tighten around her. She quickly glanced at his face and caught him while a self-satisfied smile danced on his lips. Their gazes met and she couldn’t help but blush at the way his eyes darkened.
*Ahem!* Both of the young lovers jerked in surprise and Serena looked away from Darien to find her brother pointedly looking towards the door. A brief glance around the library showed the gathered scouts and Guardians talking amongst themselves, still ignorant of the newcomers. The Generals were in one of the corners and the newly healed Nephrite listened to Mina and Artemis as they softly talked with Malachite and Zoisite.
Her eyes lingered on the small group for an instant and the memory of, when unconsciously at the peak of the deepest joining, they had healed Nephrite flashed through her memory. She blushed at the thought and moved her gaze onwards. The explosion of power had affected everyone and made it obvious to all that there was something between her and Darien. Not that they wouldn’t have guessed anyway but at least she would have been able to deny it for a while to buy herself some peace.
The other scouts talked softly with their respective Guardians either singly or in pairs and Serena smiled at the sight of the re-emergence of old bonds. Then her eyes stopped at the door and she smiled. She tried to stand but Darien refused to let her go and she was forced to pull him up as well. The feel of his lean body virtually plastered against her was distracting but the figures in the doorway were more so. High Prince Tranquillity stood with another, an expression that resembled perfect contentment on his face. The others began to fall silent and Darien’s hold loosened slightly. Serena straightened and saluted, fist to heart.
“It is good to have you with us Sailor Pluto.”
“It is good to be with you once more, my princess,” the Guardian of Time replied and her reserved voice did not conceal the true joy she felt to Serena. Tranquillity’s companion was dark skinned, the skirt and collar of her scout uniform was black, her hair was a deep, shadowy emerald green and her ancient eyes were the same colour as the garnet orb atop the strange staff she bore.
“Mei, well met,” Hotaru greeted warmly and the other scout’s cool expression thawed a touch.
“Well met, Lady of the Silence.”
*?*
Raye’s mental question reached Serena at the same time as Lita blurted out, “Who?”
Serena motioned for her uncle to bring the scout in and moments later the scouts awaited their explanation. She could feel the almost tangible impatience of the scouts and smiled. “Come on you guys,” Serena snorted, “It doesn’t take someone of Amy’s smarts to realise that we were still one scout short.
Pluto smiled in amusement. “Allow me Princess,” she suggested and faced her peers for the first time in centuries, “I am Pluto, the Guardian of Time, and, unlike yourselves, I did not die with the Silver Millennium. Instead I, like both the High Prince and the Guardians, survived not only the war but the ensuing centuries. Until such a time as I could rejoin all of you I stood guard at the Gates of Time, baring entry to all. Now my princess has returned, with her, my prince and my commander and I am free to leave the fourth dimension and join you in the approaching battle.”
She felt Darien’s mind race with a sudden thought and sure enough a moment later Serena’s lover asked, “Guardian of Time... Do you know what will happen in the future?”
“What I know, I cannot reveal,” the woman replied in regret and Serena sent confirmation of that truth directly to his mind.
She felt his dissatisfaction as he persisted. “Can you at least tell us if we have the time to wait for the twins to come of age? If we could make it so that we fight after they reach full strength...”
“I am sorry your highness,” the ancient scout replied, “But I am afraid that to do so would be ill advised. Waiting is all to your advantage and Beryl is aware of this. Each moment that passes you all come closer to reaching your adult strengths and Beryl no longer has her generals to fight for her. She will begin the final part of this war. For her to do otherwise would be to guarantee her own failure.”
“So we attack first,” Travis stated calmly.
Serena nodded. “Yes. But let’s do this right. First we have to plan.”
next
“You idiot! You complete and utter-” the end of the screamed reprimand was muffled when Sol slammed the door shut. Venus and Jupiter took one look at each other and immediately knocked him out of the way so that they could try and listen through it. Saturn chuckled and powered down, soon followed by Sol.
“Travis?!” Uranus exclaimed and let her own transformation slip.
He winked at her. “Of course, you don’t think I’d let Sere have all the fun, do you?”
“Serena’s the Silver-” Haruka continued in a stunned voice.
“Sun,” Hotaru finished, “And a lot more.”
“Shocked you, didn’t we Ruka?” Travis laughed.
“Just slightly,” Neptune answered for her partner who could only shake her head in disbelief. “I take it that it’s safe to reverse our transformations now?”
Artemis looked up from his monitor and nodded. “Yeah the forceshield was put in place as soon as the twins got here. As long as you’re in the hidden complex you’ll be right, but you’ll need your transformations on the surface.”
“Are you going to tell everyone the rest of it Travis?” Raye asked pointedly after she’d powered down.
“Rest of it?” Venus asked, diverted from the door. Jupiter looked up at her movement and both noticed that they were the only two still in senshi form. Seconds later Mina asked, “What rest of it?”
“There’s more?” Michiru asked in surprise and her composure started to slip.
Terran was lost in his thoughts as he watched the door. Jim was involved in a quiet conversation with Khonsu and Travis looked as if he wanted to keep them in suspense so Hotaru sighed and opened her mouth to explain. Someone else beat her to it though.
“Serena is not only the Silver Sun but also Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity. Travis is Prince Tranquillity and Lunari is High Prince Tranquillity but you’d know him as the twins’ Uncle Jimmy,” Luna told them calmly.
“Two Tranquillities?” Lita groaned and Travis laughed.
“It is tradition, the royal twins are always named Tranquillity and Serenity-” Luna started but was interrupted by Travis.
“If it ever comes up then I’m Tranq and Uncle Jimmy’s Quill.”
“You’ve known where the princess was all along,” Mina said slowly, “So why have you had us looking for her?”
“She hasn’t,” Amy denied suddenly, “Ever since Saturn joined us, Luna has emphasised the importance of locating the crystal, not the princess. I would theorise that, up until then, Luna’s memories were incomplete as she claimed.”
“It’s not that surprising really,” Lita murmured, “I can’t find it in me to be shocked that she’s our princess.”
Raye looked at her seriously, “I’d be very surprised if anyone was. The real wonder is that she and Travis are Sun and Sol.”
Haruka paused in her cautious stroking of Rhea and grinned. “That is the shocker,” she agreed and ignored Travis’ mock scowl.
Travis’ sudden stiffening at her side distracted Hotaru. She looked at him in concern and found that he was looking at the door with an outraged expression on his face. She noticed Terran’s pricked ears, Luna’s soft smile and the way Travis shook his head as his outrage faded to be replaced by amusement. Terran moved away from the door moments later and winked at Jim smugly before he made his to a chair and jumped up. Everything came together in her mind and she smothered a giggle.
“Your dad’s going to kill him,” she whispered to her boyfriend.
Travis nodded and then paused thoughtfully before he pointed out, “Only if he ever finds out.”
“You think Sere could keep something like this secret?” she asked incredulously.
He looked at her thoughtfully. “Five months until we’re officially eighteen. All she’d have to do is avoid having Dad see them together for any length of time until then. After that she’s legally an adult and Darien should be safe.”
Hotaru shook her head. “Are you kidding? She’s not going to be able to hide him, it’ll be obvious that she’s in lo-”
“Yeah but that’s not the problem,” Travis interrupted her, “The trick is not to let Dad know anything that’ll push him into a killing rage.”
“Like...” she trailed off meaningfully as she glanced at the door.
“Exactly.”
“What are you two talking about?” Haruka burst out in frustration.
Hotaru winced and opened her mouth to reply when Mina burst out, “Soul mates!”
“Huh?!” several of the scouts grunted as they looked at her in confusion.
Mina looked at the various people around her, at the door then back at the scouts. “Darien and Serena are soul mates! Can’t any of you feel the energy radiating off them?”
Hotaru bowed her head and allowed her hair to fall forward and conceal her face. Travis hugged her from behind and buried his face in her neck as he struggled to hide his laughter. Raye cocked her head and choked which almost set Hotaru in peals of laughter. She knew what the scout had just sensed.
Raye quickly recovered, increasing Hotaru’s respect for her, and snorted, “Oh come on, surely you’ve all noticed that Darien’s gone on her by now?”
“They’re soul mates,” Mina exclaimed, “That’s a little bit more serious than a crush!”
“Darien with a crush?” Raye drawled, “It’s not possible. He never does anything halfway.”
Mina open and closed her mouth but was unable to deny it. Darien would never give his heart frivolously. Lita grinned suddenly. “I take it you approve then Raye? She meets your standards?”
Raye shrugged. “How could she not? Even before she told me what she is, it was obvious that she was just what he needed. And now... well I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of her than him.”
“I don’t approve!” Rhea argued and the softening of Haruka’s face stopped as she fell back, away from her Guardian. “The princess deserves someone better than that... that rogue!”
“I approved the match Rhea, so what’s the problem?” Luna questioned.
The wolf shook her head. “No offence Luna, but you dote on Serenity. If she wished to marry a youma you would agree... not that there’s that much difference.”
Luna frowned and Terran opened his mouth to reply when Haruka beat him to it. “Get a life Rhea!”
The Guardian looked at her ward in confusion. “I don’t understand Ur... Haruka. You used to disapprove as strongly of Endymion’s suit as I did.”
“Endymion?” Haruka repeated and then shook her head. “No, later. For now... Darien’s been my commander for the last two years and he’s been a good one. I respect him as both a warrior and a person. He’s a good man Rhea, one of the best. I trust him as much, if not more, than any of the scouts and I think they’d all agree with me.”
“We do,” Hotaru spoke up, “Rhea, only the inner scouts had much to do with court in the Silver Millennium. Uranus, Neptune and I never even got to know our own prince, let alone Earth’s so how could we make an unbiased judgement? Well, this time we were given a chance and we can make that judgement. Darien is worthy of Serena, Rhea, trust me and if you can’t do that, trust Haruka.”
The wolf sighed and glanced at Terran. “Very well. I’ll with hold my decision until I’ve had a chance to see more of him-”
“If she went in now she’d see more of him,” Travis whispered into Hotaru’s ear. She elbowed him and turned her attention back to Rhea, who hadn’t noticed the exchange.
“Are you happy now Terran?”
“No,” he replied honestly, “But it’s a start.”
Mina broke the following silence. “You’re really Terran. Of course you are... but you look so... you’re so... and you’re colour is...”
He grinned at her toothily. “I’m a battle trained Guardian Mina, like Io and even Artemis. That means that aside from whatever native abilities we possess we are also sizeshifters and, to a small extent, shapeshifters. That was how Io became a panther just before.”
“Artemis?” Mina’s jaw dropped and she glanced to her Guardian who winked at her.
“Amon also, but Travis already knows that, and Atlantia, Khonsu and Rhea, of course.” He shimmered for a second and then was the Terran that they were all familiar with, smaller, greyer and more doglike. “Like this I’m less frightening and less out of place on Earth. I could stay with Serena and not draw undue attention to her.”
“That’s something I would like to know,” Thanatos said, “What were you doing with the princess, rather than your prince?” Hotaru looked to where her Guardians were perched with Raye’s, reminded that, although the main function of a Guardian raven was to advise, their curiosity was endless.
“Why do you think he was with her Thana?” she asked wryly. The ravens looked thoughtful and then, as one, comprehension dawned on them.
“What I would like to know,” Raye added, “is Darien’s part in this. What do you all mean by Endymion, prince, etc? Well Spaghetti Brains?”
Phobos and Deimos gasped in shock. “Mars, that’s your prince!” Phobos scolded.
Travis just chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it. To answer your question Darien was Crown Prince Endymion, of Earth who was engaged to Serenity. He is the Earth Knight, Earth’s avatar and I think we can all assume that he’s now my sister’s boyfriend and my future brother in law...”
*****
Serena leaned back and felt Darien’s arms tighten around her. She quickly glanced at his face and caught him while a self-satisfied smile danced on his lips. Their gazes met and she couldn’t help but blush at the way his eyes darkened.
*Ahem!* Both of the young lovers jerked in surprise and Serena looked away from Darien to find her brother pointedly looking towards the door. A brief glance around the library showed the gathered scouts and Guardians talking amongst themselves, still ignorant of the newcomers. The Generals were in one of the corners and the newly healed Nephrite listened to Mina and Artemis as they softly talked with Malachite and Zoisite.
Her eyes lingered on the small group for an instant and the memory of, when unconsciously at the peak of the deepest joining, they had healed Nephrite flashed through her memory. She blushed at the thought and moved her gaze onwards. The explosion of power had affected everyone and made it obvious to all that there was something between her and Darien. Not that they wouldn’t have guessed anyway but at least she would have been able to deny it for a while to buy herself some peace.
The other scouts talked softly with their respective Guardians either singly or in pairs and Serena smiled at the sight of the re-emergence of old bonds. Then her eyes stopped at the door and she smiled. She tried to stand but Darien refused to let her go and she was forced to pull him up as well. The feel of his lean body virtually plastered against her was distracting but the figures in the doorway were more so. High Prince Tranquillity stood with another, an expression that resembled perfect contentment on his face. The others began to fall silent and Darien’s hold loosened slightly. Serena straightened and saluted, fist to heart.
“It is good to have you with us Sailor Pluto.”
“It is good to be with you once more, my princess,” the Guardian of Time replied and her reserved voice did not conceal the true joy she felt to Serena. Tranquillity’s companion was dark skinned, the skirt and collar of her scout uniform was black, her hair was a deep, shadowy emerald green and her ancient eyes were the same colour as the garnet orb atop the strange staff she bore.
“Mei, well met,” Hotaru greeted warmly and the other scout’s cool expression thawed a touch.
“Well met, Lady of the Silence.”
*?*
Raye’s mental question reached Serena at the same time as Lita blurted out, “Who?”
Serena motioned for her uncle to bring the scout in and moments later the scouts awaited their explanation. She could feel the almost tangible impatience of the scouts and smiled. “Come on you guys,” Serena snorted, “It doesn’t take someone of Amy’s smarts to realise that we were still one scout short.
Pluto smiled in amusement. “Allow me Princess,” she suggested and faced her peers for the first time in centuries, “I am Pluto, the Guardian of Time, and, unlike yourselves, I did not die with the Silver Millennium. Instead I, like both the High Prince and the Guardians, survived not only the war but the ensuing centuries. Until such a time as I could rejoin all of you I stood guard at the Gates of Time, baring entry to all. Now my princess has returned, with her, my prince and my commander and I am free to leave the fourth dimension and join you in the approaching battle.”
She felt Darien’s mind race with a sudden thought and sure enough a moment later Serena’s lover asked, “Guardian of Time... Do you know what will happen in the future?”
“What I know, I cannot reveal,” the woman replied in regret and Serena sent confirmation of that truth directly to his mind.
She felt his dissatisfaction as he persisted. “Can you at least tell us if we have the time to wait for the twins to come of age? If we could make it so that we fight after they reach full strength...”
“I am sorry your highness,” the ancient scout replied, “But I am afraid that to do so would be ill advised. Waiting is all to your advantage and Beryl is aware of this. Each moment that passes you all come closer to reaching your adult strengths and Beryl no longer has her generals to fight for her. She will begin the final part of this war. For her to do otherwise would be to guarantee her own failure.”
“So we attack first,” Travis stated calmly.
Serena nodded. “Yes. But let’s do this right. First we have to plan.”
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