After accidentally teleporting to earth and landing in the middle of a wolf hunt, Princess Serenity is saved by Prince Endymion and his Shitennou. The senshi, who came after her, encountered the men, and they introduced themselves to each other for the first time. Though their time together was brief, the prince found himself quite taken by the princess, and despite knowing she was from the moon, decided to extend an invitation to her to attend a ball that the Earth Kingdom was about to hold. Venus told them they would think about it.

Since then, Serenity had managed to beg, plead, and cajole the other senshi into agreeing to come with her to the ball. It was the beginning of a promising relationship between the earth and the moon. But it was not only the prince and the princess that had caught each other's eye...

This additional second phase will explore deeper interactions between Serenity & Endymion as well as the senshi & shitennou during the ball on the Earth Kingdom.

Starting Points:
In the Earth Kingdom, Endymion and his Four Generals are preparing for the ball. They have decided to disguise the Lunarian ladies as nobles from a far away kingdom in order not to cause riot among the Earthen court. They are a bit nervous about the ruse, but each one is intrigued by the warrior ladies they have seen only a glimpse of.

In the Moon Kingdom, Serenity and her senshi are also getting ready to leave. They have informed the queen that they are about to take the princess for a field trip of some sort to Mercury in order to help her learn about the planet better, where in truth they're leaving for Earth. The senshi are not at all comfortable with lying to Queen Serenity, but the princess has worn them down with her endless begging. Also, they may secretly wish to see certain gentlemen themselves...

• All out of character discussions must be posted in the OOC thread. If you have any OOC questions, please post there!
  
• Anyone may post first, following the starting points stated above.
  
• This is an Advanced RP event; please make sure your posts are 100 words or more.
  
• There is no posting order.
  
• Event host has the right to move plot forward if deemed necessary, but everyone should feel free to explore their characters as much as they wish with each other. There is no huge overarching plot or a specific objective that needs to be met so just enjoy your character development to the fullest.
  
• Players must post at least once every 48 hours to avoid being replaced by someone more active.
  
• Event ends on May 31st, 2015.
  

We are really going to do this now, aren’t we? After a lot of seemingly endless discussions and due to the Princess’s talent to plead and cajole to the bitter end, the Senshi finally agreed to go to the ball they got invited to. Admittedly, Mars was looking forward since she finally had the chance to meet the short-haired blond man again – however, she had a queasy feeling about it. After all they weren’t allowed to visit Earth.
 
“Guys?,” Mars eventually said, her concern was written all over her face. “Do you really want to do this? What if someone finds out? That we went to Earth? That we lied to the Queen?” She paused. “Or what if someone attacks Serenity? How should we explain that to the Queen?”
 
Mars turned around to Serenity and looked with a more than worried expression into the Princess’s innocent eyes. “Serenity, do you really want to do that?,” she said in a serious yet calm tone. “I can understand that you want to see him again and I don’t want to stand in your way – but does it really have to happen in this way? People from the Moon aren’t allowed to meet earthmen, far less to visit Earth in general – you know that! We’re breaking the rules right now, are you aware of that? And we lied to your mother! Can you imagine what is going to happen if anyone here finds out?”
 
Worriedly she arched her eyebrows, in hopes Serenity would understand her concern and realize that she only meant well for her. She couldn’t be the only one who was worried, could she?

This is a bad idea. A really, really bad idea.

All possible scenarios of things going wrong ran in Venus’ thoughts, most of them ending up with getting Serenity killed. If not tonight, then… sometime in the near future. Getting involved with the Earth kingdom was forbidden. Who were they to think they could break that sacred law? And why did she have a feeling they would have to pay for it dearly, possibly with their lives?

She knew she should have put her foot down. Even the Earth prince knew it was dangerous; that was why he’d suggested that they be disguised as nobles from another kingdom. Suddenly Venus felt an irrational anger toward him. How could he endanger her princess like this? How irresponsible could he be? These royal heirs—they were all the same. They only desired what their heart desired without thinking of the consequences. They were raised to be spoiled and taught that they could get whatever they liked just because they wanted it badly enough.

Sure, he had promised to protect Serenity at all costs. Venus had been forced to reveal Serenity’s true identity when she tried to decline the invitation, explaining how dangerous it would be. But he had promised to protect her. And Serenity, upon seeing that letter, had begged her to give the prince a chance. Venus didn’t care if he was the prince. He wasn’t the king yet. He couldn’t control his people as well as he might like to think he could.

And yet here she stood, in her gold dress, getting ready for a ball that she knew she shouldn’t attend. She was frantically applying layers of powder on top of Serenity’s crescent moon mark in order to make sure it was properly hidden. No one must see that symbol, or everything would fall apart.

I must be crazy to go along with this, she thought, trying to quell her panic.

And Mars’ barrage of questions did not help.

“Mars,” she blurted out a bit more harshly than intended. “Please,” she added, a bit softly. “We’re all already stressed out as it is.” But she looked at Serenity questioningly anyway, wondering if she truly still wanted to go through with this. It was not too late to cancel, and Venus sincerely hoped Serenity would change her mind.

She knew loving this princess too much would be the death of her.

Nephrite sighed as he took off the sling, tossing it on a nearby chair before sitting on his bed, allowing himself to collapse back on to it. His hand rose to cover his injured arm and shoulder, grimacing as he did so. Dammit, it had been weeks, yet it was still hurting.
 
The wounds themselves had healed thanks to the warrior woman’s friend of Selene’s and the Prince’s magic as well as herbs and poultices from the village they had been in, yet it still ached when he attempted to do too much. If he didn’t wear his sling, the others glared at him, especially the prince. He tried to get away with it as much as possible. How was he supposed to do his job as the Prince’s guard if this thing inhibited him? It did bring him plenty of female attention as many of the castle maids had begun to coo over him….he smiled at the thought.
 
Speaking of females, the image of the warrior woman with the long curly hair couldn’t leave his mind. He found himself utterly intrigued with her after only a brief meeting and longed to see her again. While he knew he would see the woman soon as she was, hopefully, attending the ball, Nephrite couldn’t help but have his doubts. The current plan was to pose Selene and the other women as nobles from a far off kingdom. Not only could this backfire in their face tremendously if the rouse failed, but Nephrite had his reservations about the women. What had him concerned was the possibility of these women being spies from the Moon Kingdom to destroy Earth and its citizens or harm the Prince? As much as he didn’t want to think like that, it was his duty. He had to consider all the possibilities in order to protect the Prince.
 

He scrubbed his face in irritation. What had they gotten themselves into this time?

She still couldn't believe they had all lied to the Queen just to go to a ball on Earth. Doubts about what they were doing ran through her head ever since they had agreed on accepting the Prince's invitation. Mercury had offered up a cover story of taking Serenity to her own planet for an educational visit, and she was confident that it wouldn't be probed very much, but now that the day of their plan was finally here, she was starting to see all of the possible holes in it.

What if the Queen contacted her kingdom while they were away at the ball? She couldn't possibly tell her own people to lie to her too. her own dishonesty was bad enough already. She was so nervous that it felt like there was constantly a chunk of ice sitting in her stomach, but she tried to not let that show too much. Everyone was under stress, and she didn't want to add to it, so Mercury focused on getting ready for the ball and trying not to seem suspicious to anyone before they left. Mars's questions were a little hard to tune out though....

Her own dress was colored dark blue, with light blue fabric accenting the sides and shoulder straps. She did like her gown, but she couldn't quite relax enough to really enjoy the though of a ball right now. Maybe she'd calm down once they were safely on Earth, but for now, Mercury would try her best to stay in one piece. She had a feeling that Serenity wouldn't back down about seeing the Prince now. Not after waiting this long  and begging so much....

Jupiter had listened to Serenity beg for weeks to attend the ball with her. Jupiter would be lying if she said she didn't want to go, especially if it meant a chance at seeing the Prince's nobleman with the long brown hair, she hoped he was okay. Jupiter knew though her duties to protect the princess were more important than her own love interests.

Jupiter had finished getting ready, she was dresses in a regal green gown that went all the way to the floor and accentuated her figure. She walked into the room with the others as she sat down next to Serenity who had just been questioned by Mars. Jupiter had walked in on the tail end of it, but she was also concerned for the safety of everyone involved, as the laws clearly stated those of the earth and moon cannot interact together.

Jupiter sat down next to Serenity and took her hands as she spoke gently, "Serenity, I know you have been looking forward to this, but is it really the best idea, I mean we did lie to your mom and there is a chance you could get hurt or be revealed as the princess. I will support your decision whatever it may be, but just know that I will do whatever it takes to protect you and your identity as the moon princess." She said with a smile as she gently squeezed Serenity's hand.

Endymion shrugged into his jacket and fastened it, his nimble fingers unusually clumsy as they managed the hidden clasps. The ball was tonight. His mind both stopped and rushed forward in the same instant - he had been waiting weeks for tonight; ever since they had returned from their hunting trip and his parents had approached him with what Kunzite had warned him about: an upcoming betrothal to an eligible noblewoman. He had quickly agreed to the gala, deciding he'd concern himself later with his parent's reaction to his apparent enthusiasm at the prospect of finding a wife, for at that moment and for many following, he felt both nervous and elated. And now, in mere hours, it would begin, and he could see her again.

Selene.

No, he corrected himself, looking to a locked desk drawer and thinking of the correspondence within, Princess Serenity. 

Just thinking about her made his heart flutter and his head ache. Nothing could happen between them. He was the Prince of Earth, she was the Princess of the Moon. The political backlash would be -- who was he kidding? He'd never be granted permission to even see her if they knew who she was, let alone - his hands fumbled with the last clasp - court her. He took a deep breath, clenching his hands as he turned towards his mirror, and the decorative medals resting on the dressing table beside. As his eyes fell on the heavy golden jewelry, a cold wave washed over him, his responsibilities finding their way back to him and settling over him like the cape he would later don. It was his duty to do what was right for the Kingdom, and that most definitely did not include entertaining thoughts about the Lunar Princess he had met while hunting. 

He reached for the medals and, one by one, pinned them to his jacket in the correct order.

He had invited her and her friends, and as the representative of Earth he would ensure she had a good time tonight, but it should go no further. He had promised her guardian, Venus, he would protect her, and the best way to ensure her safety was to keep her identity a secret and refrain from seeing her again until, or unless, he could figure out a way to discharge the ill-feelings of his kingdom towards the Moon. And with tonight's party filled to the brim with nobles, counselors, and high-ranking officials from across his Kingdom, part of him worried whether the two missions - her happiness and her safety - would balance at all tonight. That was, if they even came tonight. 

"Alan?" he called, and the pageboy quickly and quietly entered his room, bowing his head slightly.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness?" 

He glanced at him in the mirror's reflection, and offered his instructions in a soft tone, "Please find Kunzite for me, and tell him I would like to speak with him."

Jadeite was in the training field slicing dummies with his sword. Usually these dummies were for beginners, but he was bored. He should be getting ready for the ball tonight. He put his sword away and let out a sigh. He really didn't want to go to the ball. Dancing was never his thing and he knew that girls would ask him for a dance. He left the training grounds and headed toward his room. Jadeite told himself to suck it up. He had to be there help keep an eye on Endymion. That girl and her guardians might show up. While they did seem like good people, they couldn't be trusted. Endymion would be distracted by that girl's beauty and be oblivious to everything. 

He turned a corner in the castle and walked up some stairs. Suddenly the raven guardian popped into his mind. Jadeite blushed at the thought of her. A part of him hoped she would show up just so he could get a chance to talk to her. He shook his head and told himself he couldn't be distracted tonight. Sometimes it was such a pain being a guardian to a prince. It would be nice for one night he could just be a normal guy.

The clock had never moved so slow! 

Ever since Serenity and her senshi left Earth on that beautiful day, she hadn't able to get the picture of Endymion's gorgeous eyes out of her mind. Not only that, but also his smile, and his voice. He was everything Serenity had ever dreamed and more, so it was only natural for her to obsessively think of him.

All of her senshi were in the room with her, preparing for the ball that was only a few hours away. Serenity felt bad for having to lie to her mother, but she was confident it would be worth it. Earth was such a beautiful planet full of intriguing creatures. Endymion included.

After adjusting the skirt of her long, white gown, Serenity sat down in front of a mirror to adjust her hair pins. She could feel her buns becoming loose, and she definitely couldn't afford to have them coming undone as she danced.

Dancing. She was going to get to dance with Endymion tonight. The thought of his hand in hers as they twirled around the floor made a dreamy smile appear on the young girl's face. Just thinking of how much fun she was going to have tonight made Serenity feel giddy inside. 

Serenity was so lost in her own thoughts that it startled her when Mars began to speak. She had almost forgot her senshi were in the room. Hearing Mars's doubts, Serenity suddenly realized that all of her senshi had the same worried look in their eyes. It was reasonable, of course, but hadn't they ever heard of thinking on the bright side? Suddenly, Jupiter had taken her hands, and was asking her if she was sure about this. Of course she was sure! She hadn't spent weeks begging her senshi to let her do this because she wasn't sure of it! 

Her friends needed reassurance.

Grinning mischievously, Serenity sprung out of her chair. Still holding Jupiter's hands, she began to pull the taller woman around the room. Bouncing and twirling, the young princess led Sailor Jupiter through a completely-improvised-and-very-energetic ballroom dance. 

"Oh, just think of it, Jupiter! The delightful treats they will have at this ball, and not to mention that handsome man with the brown hair!"

Letting go of Jupiter, Serenity twirled to Mercury and took her hands, leading her through the dance next. "And the music! I have heard Earth has a reputation for the most unique music in the universe, and their people are quite intelligent." Serenity's smile was covering her face now as she twirled Mercury. "And do you not remember the way that man with the long blonde hair gazed at you, Mercury?"

Giggling, Serenity spun over to Mars taking her on the dancing journey. "I do remember the stare you had with the other blonde man, dear Mars. You were there yourself - did you notice the beautiful landscape? It is far more dashing than the silver trees of the Moon, do you not agree? There is so much to see!" Holding onto one of Mars's hands tightly, she pushed the senshi out and brought her back in with a twirl, suddenly hugging her tightly. "The opportunity is broad, Mars!"

Letting go, Serenity turned around to find herself face-to-face with Venus, her guardian and best friend. She stopped moving as her eyes locked onto Venus's. "Venus..." she said quietly.

"The dancing!" Serenity squealed, snatching Venus's hands and spinning them both around. "The men! The gowns!" Giggling uncontrollably, Serenity twisted her arm around Venus's so that they were practically square-dancing. 

Out of breath, Serenity forced herself to slow down and stop moving, releasing her hold on Venus and plopping down into a chair. "You all must lighten up. You will get wrinkles if you continue to worry! I promise everything will be okay."

Kunzite had finished getting ready hours ago. Whereas his men were out and about doing who-knows-what, the anticipation for the evening to come was too much for Kunzite to ignore. Now he spent what remained of the day until the ball pacing his room and thinking of what he would say to that beautiful blonde woman. 

As Kunzite adjusted his cape for what felt like the fiftieth time that hour, a knock resonated from the door to his quarters. Happy for some disturbance in the suffocating peace, Kunzite yelled, "Enter."

The door opened, revealing Alan, one of Endymion's pageboys. "Yes?" Kunzite said, trying not to intimidate the young man. He had a tendency to do that to people sometimes.

"Sir Kunzite, his highness Endymion has requested your presence in his quarters at your nearest availability," the boy said.

Was something wrong? Judging the pageboy wouldn't know the answer, Kunzite nodded his head and grabbed his sword. Alan scurried to get out of Kunzite's way as he walked briskly out of the room and to Endymion's quarters. Knocking three times, Kunzite didn't wait for Endymion's response before entering the room. They were close enough to where Kunzite felt a brotherly relationship with Endymion instead of a professional one.

"Endymion, you requested me?"

Zoisite put down the book he was reading, careful to mark his spot. The ball was tonight and he couldn’t help feeling apprehension and eagerness. He had so many questions for the blue haired woman about the healing that she had done on Nephrite to aspects of Lunarian culture, wanting to see if any of the books he had read had been correct. He had his own theories and wanted to ask her about them as well. 
 
Having dressed earlier, he had spent the remainder of his time before the ball reading and mentally going over their rouse for the evening. He had some serious doubts about it and part of him couldn’t believe he was going along with this.  However, the temptation to learn about the mysterious Lunarian culture was too much for the blonde man to ignore.
 

Getting up from his comfortable and favoured reading chair, he adjusted his uniform once more. He supposed he should go and find Jadeite to help him corral Nephrite who was no doubt down in the training yards pushing his arm beyond its limits again. He shook his head. The man was about as stubborn as a mule.

Mars felt somewhat offended when Venus started to snarl at her. Was she wrong? No. It was a bad idea – that was a fact. And they couldn’t deny it. But when she looked into Venus’s eyes she saw that Venus was as worried as she was herself. Mars looked through the room. The concern was visible in everyone’s eyes – except Serenity’s. Her happiness was written all over her face and she could really see how much she looked forward to this ball. It really cut her to the quick to take this happiness from her. But what should she do?
 
Finished with the preparations, Mars stood there with her hands in front of her red, floor-length gown. It has been a while since she was so dressed up.
Suddenly Serenity started to dance around, taking everyone’s hands and trying to convince them that it was a good idea. After an energetic dance with Jupiter, Serenity took Mars hands and threw her arms around. Mars started to blush when she mentioned the short-haired boy they saw on Earth. Did she see that? Did Serenity see how she stared at him? Before she could say anything, she jumped to Venus and started to dance with her.
 
“Princess,” she eventually said, looking on the ground. Slowly she raised her head and looked into her eyes. “Of course, we’d all love to visit Earth and enjoy the ball. We are only worried about your safety.” After Venus’s reaction on Mars’s words, she tried to be gentler this time. “We only mean well for you. And I just wanted to make sure that you are aware of the consequences that might occur.” Mars hoped for Serenity’s prudence but apparently she was too deep in love with the Prince and didn’t care for anything else.

Jupiter couldn't help but let out a hint of laughter as Serenity twirled her. The thought of delicious treats was intriguing, but for different reasons, Jupiter loved cooking in her spare time and was curious about the treats they would be served at this ball.  

Jupiter blushed when Serenity mentioned the man with the brown hair, she sure was a lot more observant than they gave her credit for. Jupiter had to hide her excitement though, yes she wanted to see him, hopefully dance with him, but her thoughts were still on the princess' safety. 

"You have a point Princess, but I still want you to be careful, we are all taking a risk by going to the ball and I want to make sure we all return safely without injury." Jupiter said with a smile.

Mercury half listened as Jupiter voiced her own concerns to the princess, and turned her full attention to them when Serenity dragged her into an impromptu dance around the room, gushing about the ball. Well, that settled it. Serenity had no intention of letting this one go. She gasped as Serenity grabbed her own hands and danced with her too, though her training allowed her to quickly fall into step without falling over. 

Hm...Earth music was supposed to be quite pleasant, based off the small pieces that had gotten off the planet. And what sort of songs would be revealed at the Prince's ball? And she could only imagine the important people that were invited as well. The planet's greatest minds in one place... 

Wait, the blonde man from the forest had been gazing at her?! Mercury's cheeks burned red as Serenity twirled her around, and she fell back into her seat with a soft thud. What did that mean? Was he interested in her? Mercury pushed aside the thought of Zoisite to support Jupiter and Mars.

"Just...try not to do anything too risky while we're there," Mercury said. "We'll be watching out for you." Seeing how smitten she was with Prince Endymion, she'd need as many eyes on her as possible.

Venus was stupid for thinking Serenity would consider the implications of this ball beyond her getting to meet the prince of her dreams. Serenity was still so naïve, so innocent. She was a romantic. She was not a soldier, a strategist, someone who was forced to think with her head instead of her heart. For Serenity, all that mattered was the adventure, the romance, and finally the freedom she had craved so much.

And Venus couldn’t begrudge her that. It was her and the senshi’s job as guardians to shield Serenity from the hard truths so that she might go on believing the world was a safe and beautiful place, not one wrought with many dangers.

She realized all this as Serenity started dancing around the room, her heart as carefree and light as her senshi’s were heavy. And the princess might be naïve, but she was not a fool; Venus watched her carefully and cleverly manipulate each of her senshi by playing to their weaknesses and things that would sway them. The food for Jupiter, who loved cooking more than anything else. The knowledge for Mercury, who was ever hungry to experience new things. The beauty for Mars, who secretly wished for more things than the life of a soldier even if she did not know it yet.

And of course, she offered them the opportunity of romance, too. Wouldn’t it be convenient if they were all as smitten with the prince’s guards as she was with their leader? Did she think all of them were just going to all pair off and ride off to the sunset to their happily ever after? Perhaps have a five-way wedding?

Then Serenity stopped in front of her, and Venus saw her hesitation. Serenity knew convincing her would require more effort. And yet the moment the princess swept her up in her little haphazard dance, mentioning all the wonderful things the ball promised, Venus could not resist smiling. Gods above, she loved Serenity too much.

Though curiously enough, while Serenity had paired the rest of them up with the prince’s generals, she had left that part out with Venus. By process of elimination, her mate should be the silver haired gentleman whom she had spotted looking at her, but… instead, Serenity had chosen to say ‘men’. Plural.

Venus was disconcerted by this. Did Serenity think she was some kind of boy crazy person or something? Had she ever given off that vibe?

She shook the thought away and sighed. “You know you can’t promise that. You have to be careful with the prince, okay? He’s the royal heir to the Earth kingdom’s throne. He’s not just anyone. This could explode into a political disaster quicker than you can say ‘nice to meet you’.”

She then added, “Also, I have one more condition. We can only stay until midnight. And it’s not-negotiable, Serenity. You either agree to go home by then or we don’t go at all.”

As soon as the door opened to reveal him, Endymion turned to give Kunzite a welcoming, if nervous, gaze. He could see the slight tension in his friend's stance, and while he regretted causing him alarm, the only real way to find anyone in the castle in any manageable amount of time was to send pages after them. "I--" he started, pausing to turn and take his cape off of a dressing-stand; Kunzite was already dressed for the ball, and while Kunzite tended to be well-prepared for anything well ahead of time, Endymion couldn't help but feel late when he was any less prepared in his presence - especially nearing the time of official functions. He cleared his throat as he quickly donned the cape, unsure and a little embarrassed now that he had called for Kunzite without having a better reason, but finally, focusing on he cape fastening, he asked, "Do you think they'll really come tonight?"

As soon as the question left him, he glanced over, wondering if he could play his concern towards preparations for their guest's safety rather than the butterflies in his stomach, but that was typically in Kunzite's court. Kunzite could read him like a book, no matter what he tried to hide.

She didn’t know why, but Mars felt some sort of relieved when Venus finally said something. After all these years, she knew that Venus was Serenity’s closest friend. She knew that the princess would mostly listen to Venus and take her advice to heart, more than she would from the others.
Now, thanks to Venus, they would only stay there until midnight. Well, that’s at least something. It still wasn’t a good idea but the probability of Serenity getting attacked would decrease a lot which made Mars feel way better. Maybe she could even enjoy the ball now. At least a bit.

She knew she should rather focus on the Princess’s safety but since they’ve met the young men on Earth, Mars would love to see the short-haired man once again. Maybe she could even talk to him this time. Or maybe he would ask for a dance? Mars started to blush at the thought and she felt how her heart started to beat faster and faster. Quickly she tried to calm down – she didn’t want her friends - especially not Serenity - to see her like that. She would immediately confront her with that.
 
For her benefit, no one had noticed. They were all busy with their last preparations, checking if they didn’t forget anything. In the meantime, Mars was just hoping that there wouldn’t occur any problems.

Serenity waved her hand dismissively at her friends. "You all worry too much! I landed in the middle of a pack of wolves and Endymion kept me from harm. If anything happens, I am confident that he will protect me. But none of that matters, because nothing is going to happen! And I am sure Endymion's men will protect us all." With a giggle, Serenity winked at Venus and twirled one of her pigtails around her finger. 

"You all underestimate me. I am smart, you know. Just because I do not memorize government policies and quadruple formulas does not mean I am blind to what is right and what is wrong. For just one night, will you allow me to let go of royal life and enjoy my freedom? I know you all want it too, even if you will not admit it."

With a sigh, Serenity shrugged her shoulders at Venus's condition. "I suppose midnight is acceptable, but are we referring to Terran hours or Lunar hours?" she grinned. "You never know, Venus. Perhaps you will be tempted to stay longer."

Serenity suddenly squealed with excitement. "I cannot wait another minute! When can we leave? You know, it is never harmful to arrive early."

The brief gaze he received from his prince was more than enough for Kunzite to tell he was nervous. He should have expected this. After the way Endymion looked at Serenity the day they met, he knew there would be plenty more in store for their group. His prince had seen countless beautiful, noble women in his days, but never in his life had Kunzite seen him look so infatuated.

Further entering the room, Kunzite stood in front of Endymion and helped him fasten his cape. Hearing his prince's concern, Kunzite chuckled. "Of course they will come. If the look on the moon princess's face says anything as to what she is thinking, I am positive they will all attend." 

The silver-haired shittenou stepped back to make sure Endymion's cape was even. He wondered if his prince would be able to tell how concerned Kunzite was for the ball. Not only did he have to worry himself with the princess's safety and comfort, but he would also have the constant pressure of trying to look good in front of the beautiful blonde guardian. He was typically a smooth, calm person, but every time Kunzite thought of her sparkling blue eyes, he felt all of his hard exterior melt away. 

"Everything will be fine," Kunzite said. But he had no idea if he was trying to console Endymion or himself.

Jadeite turned around corner and made it to his room at last. He opened the door and closed it behind him. He stripped off his training clothes and freshen up a bit before putting on his formal entire. He stood in front of the mirror as put on his cape. Jadeite frown at himself in the mirror. He hated this stupid cape. Why on Earth did they need to wear capes? The concept of them were silly. 

He gave himself one good look in the mirror before heading out. As Jadeite left his room he remember he promised Zoisite that they would make sure Nephrite was ready for the ball. Jadeite walked down the hallway looking for the blond. He finally came across him leaving his favorite reading area.

"Zoisite," he called out to the man. Jadeite then strolled over to him. "Have you tried finding Nephrite yet?"

“Ah, Jadeite, I was just coming to find you! I have already checked the training yards and have been told that Nephrite left there some time ago. Do you have any idea where he would have gone?” Zoisite said worriedly. Tonight was not the night for them to be late, as he was fairly certain if they were, the Prince would have their heads. For only having met the lunar woman for a short period of time, he was pretty obsessed with her.
 

While they all generally looked presentable, Zoisite couldn’t help but admire how well Jadeite cleaned up. “You normally do not put so much effort in when you have to dress for these events, are you trying to impress a certain raven haired maiden?” he smirked.

After having struggled with his uniform more than he would have cared to admit to, Nephrite gave himself a quick look to make sure nothing was out of place. Satisfied, he left his room to search for the others. The ball would be starting very soon and they needed to be ready and put their plan into action. Round a corner in the hall, he spotted two of his brethren, who, by the sounds of it had been looking for him.
 
“Oh ye of little faith. Do you not trust me get myself ready in time tonight?” he smiled walking up and clasping Jadeite on the shoulder. “Come, we should find Kunzite and the Prince before we’re late. Who knows what evil punishment Kunzite would come up with tonight.” He smiled at the thought. Kunzite was a tough leader and many were intimidated by his quiet, stern stature. It was only those that got to know him that realized how much he cared about those he considered his friends and to what lengths he would go to protect them.
 

Still, it wouldn’t do to blow the man’s cover would it? Silently laughing to himself, he headed towards the Prince’s room, knowing the other to would follow.

Kunzite's light laugh made him feel a little embarrassed for his concern, but his response served well to quell that specific fear. Kunzite thought they were coming. Again his mind split in two - the first excited and hopeful to hear that Kunzite thought his affections were reflected in Serenity's face, thrilled to know that she was coming, that he could see her, speak to her, be with her again - but the second half rung louder, reinforced by the worry creasing Kunzite's brow as he helped Endymion with the massive cape. They were coming. Foreign dignitaries from a far-off nation, coming in secret, invited by him, to a ball thrown in his honor to announce the King's intention to betroth him, the Crowned Prince of Earth, to an eligible lady of noble birth. What might happen if their cover is blown, and they are outed to be of Lunar origins? Or, possibly far worse, if they get the wrong idea and think he has tricked them into coming to a ball to entrap their Princess in some sort of marriage agreement? His heart sunk, and the butterflies in his stomach fell swiftly to churn around in his gut. He would never want Serenity to think that... and the other implications -- he represented Earth, and if they thought him deceitful, they would believe Earth to be deceitful, and if they were half as advanced as the rumors hinted, any fallout here may sound outwards with potentially deadly consequences. 

"Everything will be fine," Kunzite assured, and Endymion closed his mouth, keeping his question, "What have I gotten us into?" lodged in his throat.

A knock resounded through the room, and with a grateful, half-hearted look to his friend, Endymion stepped into view of the door and called them to enter. Alan popped his head back in, bowed deeply, and announced that they were expected in the the Royal Reception chambers just outside the Ball Room. 

The Ball was starting.

So innocent and naive, our princess. Mars would only be too pleased if everything would be as safe as Serenity wanted to make them think it was. But that’s not how it goes. How could she think the men would protect them if they just met for a few minutes? They didn’t know each other, so why would they risk their life only to protect some girls they just met? That was absolute nonsense. And they didn’t even know if they could trust them anyway.
 
Mars looked around and saw her friends still doing their last preparations. And all that only for the princess. Mars caught herself lying. If she was all honest with herself, a part of her also wanted to go to the ball. According to rumors, the earthlings always organized some excellent celebrations and parties. And now she finally got the chance to see all that…and to see him.
 
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the princess squealing that she wanted to leave. How much did she teach her that? Patience! Mars just wanted to start with telling her that it’s impolite if she would chivvy people all the time. However, she quickly changed her mind when she saw the hearty smile in the middle of the Princess’s face. She couldn’t be mad at her for long – especially not when she was full of joy and happiness as she was right now.
 
Mars smiled. “Only a few more seconds, Princess!”

It must be nice to have Serenity’s mindset, to never worry about a thing and believe the best in everyone. It might also get her killed, but Venus supposed that was why she had her senshi.

Her expression softened and her shoulders relaxed. “I know you’re smart, Serenity. And I know you desire this more than anything. We only worry because we love you.”

She pretended to scoff when Serenity claimed she might end up wanting to stay longer, the image of the long silver haired man flashing unbidden in her mind. No. She was not that foolish. She wasn’t going to let some… stranger distract her from her most important duty. And she was definitely going to keep that promise to leave not a second past midnight.

Almost laughing at the princess’ impatience, Venus looked her over once more, making sure the crescent moon mark was completely covered, and finally turned to the mirror to look at herself. The dress she was wearing had slim straps on her shoulders and a thin ribbon around her neck. Her usual red ribbon had been replaced by a matching gold one, and the top layers of her skirt cascaded like waves on top of the bodice. It was her royal princess dress, and for a moment she had to remind herself that she was still a warrior even if she wasn’t wearing her senshi fuku. Perhaps, if all went well, she could simply be a princess too tonight. Her heart certainly longed for the possibility.

But she knew she would always be a guardian first and foremost.

With a deep breath, Venus looked at all the other girls, unable to believe she was actually saying this. “All right, if everyone’s ready… let’s hold hands and teleport,” she said decisively, extending both hands for the other girls to take.

“To Earth.”

The words seemed to hold some kind of promise in them, though good or bad, she didn’t know.

Perhaps a little bit of both.

It still amazed her how naive Serenity could be, even as she claimed to know better. But then again, she was still younger than her guardians despite her appearance, and had less experience outside of the palace. Things were more complicated than just right and wrong. People were complex and had many motives for their actions, some stronger than others. 

Sure, the prince's men might protect them if they were discovered... but they might also abandon them if the risk was too high. Just as the Sailor Senshi prioritized Serenity's safety, the Shitennou would prioritize Endymion first. And Mercury could not fault them if they made that decision either. They had their loyalties to Earth just as she was aligned with the Moon, and it would be foolish to assume they would abandon their homes for the sake of a few foreigners.

But just for tonight, they would try to trust Endymion's judgement and have a good time at this ball. Mercury stood up, straightening her dress and checking her appearance in the mirror for a few more seconds. 

"Yes, we might as well get going..." she said. Being late would just draw more attention to them, so they should try to get there earlier. She stepped forward and grasped Venus's hand with her own, waiting for the others to join in.

It really only lasted a few seconds, after she had said that, until the others seemed to be ready to leave. "See," she smiled at Serenity. "Now we are leaving." Mars took a few steps towards Venus and Mercury, who were already holding each other's hands for the teleport, adjusted her gown for the last time and then eventually took Mercury's hand. "What are you waiting for, Princess?" She said ironically and smiled. "We can finally leave."

Sometimes people thought, Mars wouldn't like the princess because she teased her all the time. But actually it was her way to show her that she important to her. And fortunately Serenity understood that and would also join sometimes.

Jupiter smiled at the princess, she was definitely eager to go to the ball and see Prince Endymion again, but Jupiter was a bit taken aback by how naive Serenity was, sure she could hope that the prince would protect her and her senshi if it were needed, but Jupiter knew that things rarely worked out as nicely as they appeared. The prince and his knights would protect themselves and their people before they would protect the people of the moon.

Jupiter glanced at herself in the mirror one last time before she came over and joined hands with Mars and the princess. She concentrated on teleporting, hoping this would be a memorable night and that everyone returned safely, she also hoped their true whereabouts would not be revealed.

Serenity felt her heart swell with warmth at Venus's words. Sometimes it was hard for her to remember that her senshi did love her, and that was why they were so careful and strict. But at the end of the day, despite their scoldings and lessons, Serenity knew that they everything they did was out of love. 

Unable to wipe the smile from her face, Usagi took Venus and Jupiter's hands. It was all she could do not to bounce on her toes with excitement. Before they could teleport, Serenity looked at each of her senshi in turn and giggled at the memory of her last teleport. 

"I love you girls," she said happily. 

Closing her eyes, Serenity focused her magic on teleporting to Earth, and she could feel the power tingling in her fingertips. The warmth from Venus and Jupiter's hands gave her confidence, and she could suddenly feel her body being swept into the air. When Serenity opened her eyes, she was standing with her senshi outside of the Earth palace gates, where two guards were admitting lords and ladies from all over the planet. Suddenly feeling nervous in the presence of so many unfamiliar people, Serenity took a small step closer to Jupiter.

"This is lovely, isn't it?" she said quietly, trying to distract herself from her sudden fear. She tried to focus on the music pouring out of the castle and the bright lanterns placed around the area. The sky was beginning to darken, and in the distance Serenity could see the moon. Smiling in its light, the princess suddenly felt more confident. She could do this.

After joining with the other shittenou, Kunzite and Endymion left for the ball, which was in full-swing by the time they arrived. Beautiful ladies from all over the globe had come to attend, all excited to see the prince of Earth. Before they could descend the ballroom stairs to the actual dance floor, Kunzite leaned over to Jadeite and Nephrite and said, "Try to keep the charming of noble women to a minimum, alright?"

Returning to his professional, tense posture, Kunzite walked alongside his prince. His eyes scanned the room for any signs of those beautiful women from the moon, but he didn't see any of them. They would be hard to miss, he judged, especially the beauty with the blonde hair.