Starting Points:

• 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. The only thing that needs to happen is everyone will die as in canon (you get to decide who kills who and how everyone dies). The only exceptions; Endymion will be killed by Beryl, Beryl will be killed by Venus.
  
• Players must post at least once every 48 hours to avoid being replaced by someone more active.
  
• Event ends on August 31st, 2015.
  

Serenity woke up and got ready for her day. Her dreams had been filled with Endymion and she woke up smiling, wondering when she would get to see him again. She got out of bed and walked to take a shower. After her shower, Serenity set at her dressing table and blew her hair dry.

As she dried her hair, she hummed the melody of the song that she and Endymion danced to at the ball. That had been one of the happiest nights of her life. Ever since that night, her love for Endymion grew more and more. Serenity found herself missing him and wanting to run away to see him.


Serenity loved hearing the stories he had to share and telling him stories about life on the moon. When Serenity finished drying and styling her hair, she got dressed in her white gown and made her way down for breakfast, hoping to run into one of her senshi, so she could tell them about her dream about Endymion.

 
Venus woke bright and early that day to complete her patrol rounds. She was having mixed feelings today, remembering the news she heard about a potential conflict on earth. It had sounded like a minor skirmish, though, so she figured it was probably nothing to worry about. Still, she hoped she could see Kunzite soon so he could tell her more about what had been going on down there.
 
Venus wasn’t going to pretend that Queen Serenity hadn’t noticed all the interactions happening between moon and earth, not only with her daughter but also with the senshi. It was honestly a miracle that no official talk had happened yet—she figured if the queen was going to turn a blind eye to Serenity, she would at least expect more from the senshi—but either way Venus wasn’t underestimating her in any way. She sometimes caught the queen’s gaze when the girls excused themselves to go for a vague outing plan or when they rushed on their way to go after Serenity, who had escaped to Earth again without telling them. And she knew that the queen knew.
 
Did the queen harbor the same hope Serenity and her senshi did, Venus wondered? That their relationships would somehow be able to create a peace alliance? Maybe one of these days Venus would bring it up. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing the queen’s disappointed look in her, but it was better to deal with it rather than keep sweeping it under the rug.
 
Venus thought of Kunzite, of how just thinking about him made her heart flutter, and smiled to herself. It was silly to dream, and sometimes it still felt impossible, but she secretly harbored it nonetheless. She didn’t dare to imagine a future as perfect as Serenity’s version, but as small as Venus’ seed of hope was, she still nurtured it lovingly.
 
She walked into the dining room after finishing her rounds and, to her surprise, she saw Serenity already there. “Wow, you’re up early,” she joked, walking toward her princess with a smile. “It must be the end of the world.”

He had never seen Venus look so happy. And he was happy for her as well, really. Artemis never thought that she would ever be able to even dare look past her duty. Not that she seemed to mind. Serenity was already much more to her than just her princess, after all. But something was still missing in her life, he was sure of it. And now? Well, now she seemed to be complete.

"But did it really have to be an Earth man?" Artemis sighed.

There were plenty of men on Venus who would have died just for her attention. Or surely, she could have at least met someone here on the Moon.

But no. It had to be from the Earth. A guard of the prince of the Earth, no less. This could either go wonderfully well or terribly wrong, surely.

Either way, he trusted Venus' judgment. And it was not his place to say something on the matter. Besides, if he had time to meddle into the affairs of others, he should do something about his own. Tonight he was planning to ask Luna to take a walk with him along the palace gardens. Hopefully she wouldn't be busy again.

They were due to leave for the Moon Kingdom soon; Earth was to finally wage war against the Kingdom in the Sky that had attempted to control them for so long. They would be controlled no longer.
 
Was this really the right move? Nephrite wondered as he continued to sharpen his sword. He couldn’t help remembering how happy his Prince was with the Moon Princess and Jupiter his mind whispered. He remembered her fondly. Since the ball they had taken to corresponding with each other. Both had shared hopes about bringing the Moon and Earth Kingdoms closer together through the marriage of their charges. That hope had shattered when Beryl came. Now he was to wage war against them.
 
Something inside him screamed that this was all wrong, but it was his duty to protect his Kingdom, especially his Prince from anyone who should attempt to harm them. As much as it pained him to do this, it was his duty.
 
Beryl was right, her evidence is irrefutable, a voice whispered in his mind. He was doing the right thing.
 

Wasn’t he?

Like the other senshi tended to do, Jupiter rose early in the morning, though she could never get up as early as Venus sometimes did. It gave her time to prepare for the princess's lessons, something all the guardians shared the responsibility of. Jupiter focused on the more physical aspects of education, such as poise and ballroom dancing. She was trained to fight, but that didn't mean she didn't have grace at the same time, something Serenity often needed.

It also gave her time to visit the gardens, her favorite part of the palace. Jupiter had her own section of it where she grew and tended for whatever plants she wanted, but her favorite one was the flower she had gotten a month ago. The pink rose that was carefully watered and clipped by her daily was a gift from Nephrite. 

She knew very well that dealing with the men of Earth was an idea that could easily backfire, and at first she had been against returning to the planet at all. But after Serenity had convinced them to attend that party, Jupiter's resistance crumbled as she fell for Nephrite. He sent letters to her when they couldn't see each other, and when they did meet on Earth, they often slipped away to a quiet corner of the grounds for more private moments. 

Jupiter blushed as she recalled the events of their last meeting. She was considered a formidable warrior yet she went weak at the knees for romantic gestures like the ones he made. It was a feeling she wasn't willing to let go of though. Maybe...Just maybe this entire conflict between the Earth and Moon could work out.

After setting up Serenity's next dance lesson and watering her plants, Jupiter entered the dining room as well, still riding the emotional high from her memories of her last visit to Earth. Venus was already present, but she hadn't been expecting to see their princess up yet.

 "Someone looks excited, and we haven't even had breakfast yet," she said with a grin, before sitting down at the table. "Do you have something to share with us, princess?"

Standing in the middle of his room, Jadeite drew his sword out of the sheath, observing it one more time.
 
The time had come. Tonight they would attack the Moon Kingdom.

As he saw his reflection in the blade of the heavy sword, Jadeite started to question the attack on the Moon Kingdom, the beginning of the war.
Could he really betray his beloved Mars after all? In spite of everything that happened?
 
Despite the incomparable night they had back then at the ball? Despite all the times they met secretly on Earth? Despite his promise to never leave her side?
He swallowed. How could he ever do that? How could he betray her after everything that happened? How could he ever abandon her?
 
Still watching his reflection in the blade, the blond young man shook his head.
‘No’, he recalled. ‘Beryl was right.’
 
He couldn’t cave in now.

Serenity was happy to see Venus walk into the dining room. She stuck out her tongue at Venus as she said, “It’s not the end of the world silly, I am capable of waking up early, believe it or not.” She was about to share her dream with Venus when Jupiter walked in.

When Jupiter asked if she had something to share, Serenity’s face lit up and a huge smile appeared on her lips. “As a matter of fact I do. I had the most wonderful dream last night. Endymion was hosting another ball and he invited all of us, I think you girls were there, but in my dream it was only me and Endymion.” She paused as her eyes took on a dreamlike state as she reminisced about her dream where she was with Endymion.

“It started with a tour through the gardens, Endymion showed me all the flowers and the special patch of red roses he was growing. He gave me a beautiful red rose, then led me to a small table where there was a candlelit dinner waiting for us. Oh it was so romantic, he walked me to my chair and even pulled out my chair for me. We ate a delicious dish, I am not sure what it was, but it was one of the best things I have tasted in my life.”

 She paused and glanced at Jupiter, “Jupiter if I remember, maybe you can make the dish.” She smiled before she resumed telling her about her dream. 

“After dinner, he escorted me to the ballroom where we danced for some time. After dancing, he escorted me to a small gazebo hidden away in the gardens. He told me stories, and I did the same. Soon it was time for me to return to the moon and before I left he gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.” 

Serenity’s face had lightly flushed as she shared the last part. “Oh it was so perfect, why did it have to be a dream?”  Serenity asked in a whiny tone. “I miss him so much, I know I saw him not that long ago, but I want to see him again.” 

She then looked to her two senshi in the dining room with her, “and did you have any dreams about Kunzite, Venus? What about you Jupiter, did Nephrite visit your dreams last night?”

If Zoisite was known to be an early bird, it was never to that extent. The sun had yet to rise when the general opened his eyes, his mind already set on the war that would soon follow. His first instinct was to look for the moon in the sky, but he soon found himself grimacing at the bright yet gentle light it casted upon the lands.

He took his time getting ready, absently dressing himself. His motions were more driven by muscle memory than any potent thinking. As he went on, Beryl's words accompanied his whole morning routine as well as a very small voice – that strangely resembled Endymion's – spouting nonsense about how doubtful their enterprise was. There were no doubts, his mind snarled back, they had to act before it was too late.

As he put down the cloth he was cleaning his sword with, his fingers brushed the hard cover of a book. He blinked, almost as in a haze and picked it up, barely noticing he was already going through the pages. A gift from the moon.

Mercury...

How strong someone's deception could be to conjure such treacherous feelings in one's heart? And how could he be so weak?

He put the book back on where it was before and turned to take a hold on his sword, the small lunarian object falling to the ground with a thud. He glanced back instinctively but soon looked away, rushing his sword into its sheath. Everyone should be awake by now and he needed to get out of this room. He secured his weapon against his side, adjusted his uniform and left the small space that had been his during all those happy years.

Beryl had woken him up.

And for Endymion's sake, he would burn the Moon Kingdom to ashes.

Queen Serenity woke with a start that morning. She calmed herself, and tried to remember why it was she awoke with her heart pounding in her chest? Was it the silver crystal? She removed the covers and walked briskly to the pedestal where it proudly stood, and checked it for any disturbance. The crystal twinkled and glowed just like it always had-and just like it always will. She sighed heavily and wiped some sweat from her brow. It came to her attention that she had had a nightmare, and couldn't remember what it was.

The queen donned her royal garment, adorned her head with the royal ornament, and did her hair. It was only after that, did she open her bedroom curtains to let the sunlight in. The queen couldn't help the anxiety in the pit of her stomach. The sun was high in the sky, and it appeared she slept later then usual. It was always customary for the Queen to be present at every meal, and she was very late. In no recent memory could Queen Serenity remember a time where everyone awoke before her, and it left a small twist of anxiety in her stomach to think about.

Queen Serenity locked the door to her chambers and was walking briskly down the hall and was about to make a turn to the stairwell when she heard her daughter and her guardians talking. It was about love, of course. The queen smiled, but a dull ache pressed itself against her heart.

Out of everyone to fall in love with, why did they choose men from Earth? While it was unknown to the rest of the citizens, it became clear that they were seeking off to earth far more then usual, the main culprit being her daughter.

It was always obvious who had used the teleportation ring last-and out of everyone's signatures, it was Serenity's that popped up the most. It was no secret that she was meeting the Prince of Earth-at least to the queen. When Serenity first started sneaking off, the queen became anxious, and used the Silver Crystal to the minimal extent to see where she was going. Through the crystal's blue, she saw the two of them embrace-and ever since, Queen Serenity was beside herself with anxiety. The people could not know about this, who knows how they would react? After a few more nights of overseeing her daughter's encounters, it became evident that Endymion had been sneaking out as well; and just how in love the two really were.

Oh, the pain that struck her heart when she found out that they both kept their relationship a secret! She would never forget that moment-it would stay with her for as long as she lived. If anything, the queen wanted her daughter to be happy and free-not feeling as though she was bound to the point of keeping her first love a secret-especially with the added weight of two worlds on her shoulders. It was clear that both of them knew the dangers, which is why they always seemed to take extra care during their encounters. The pressure of two kingdoms' separate peaces-this type of pressure wasn't supposed to find Serenity until she ascended to the throne.

The Queen cleared her throat as she descended the staircase and entered the kitchen-though her heart was still pounding in her chest. Why only now had she woken up late? It left her with a bad feeling in her stomach, and she wondered if she was well enough to eat. She smiled and approached her daughter regardless.

"Good morning, Serenity. Everyone." She gave a small curtsy and embraced her daughter gently. "I apologize for my lateness. What have the chefs brought for us this fine day?"

"I'm not sure my cooking's great enough to make anything that tastes like what you had in your dream, but I can try..." Jupiter said. She'd tried to cook for Serenity a few times, but the results were considerably less than perfection.

"It sounds like you've fallen pretty deeply for that prince of yours." Jupiter couldn't help but smile at the kinds of dreams Serenity had. They were like something out of a fairy tale. Her next question caught her off guard, and she blushed as well. "Visit my dreams...? Not last night." On a few other nights, definitely...

The queen entered the dining room then, and Jupiter tried to pretend they hadn't just been discussing Earth and romance. It was a miracle that Queen Serenity had not caught on to their actions by now. And if she was aware, she certainly hid it well.

"Good morning, Your Majesty..." she said with respect.

Queen Serenity sat down, and gave each of the sailor senshi a nod of greeting. "Good morning, Jupiter, Venus."

She grabbed her utensils and began to dig into the freshly-cooked meal. Her stomach still in knots, the food actually gave her some relief instead of more upset; proving to her that it really was all anxiety brought upon by a restless sleep. She grabbed a glass and took a swig from it, and sat it down rather roughly causing the rest of the cutlery to shake.

"Oh. My apologies, ladies." Here's hoping Serenity didn't notice that. The queen gave a genuine chuckle. "My, how clumsy of me!" It was rather funny. Being so shaken up by some unknown dream that she'd nearly drop a glass! If her mother before her had seen her just now, she'd get quite the scolding.

"How is the kingdom today?" She smiled and, making sure she had a firm grasp on the goblet this time, pored herself some more refreshment. "Is there anything that needs to be brought to my attention?"

Mars had found herself meditating in the temple, early in the morning.  She found the peace and quiet there relaxing.  She had trouble at first, to truly clear her mind.  Thoughts of Jadeite kept resurfacing, mostly memories of secret meetings on Earth.  However she quickly took control of her thoughts, reminding herself that Serenity's protection was her first priority.  She could not afford to be swept away by romance, forgetting responsibilities like the Princess would.  She took one last deep breath, enjoying the solitude before rising and returning to her room.  Besides, a smirk pulled at her lips, he's a flirt. Once there she changed into her uniform and headed down to the eating area.  Entrance brought to her view Venus and Jupiter, and Queen and Princess at the table.  
"Good morning, Your Majesty, Princess..." she announced and bowed slightly. Sight of the Queen reminded her of the secrets they were keeping, though she doubted that the Queen was unaware.

Kunzite stood alone among the Terran palace gardens, his mind reeling with doubts. He had gone to sleep the previous night ready for action, ready for war, and now he was having second thoughts. Thinking of Venus's face when she saw him attacking made his chest tighten. Would he have to fight her?

Was she the one working against Earth?

Fury boiled in Kunzite's eyes. Had she betrayed him? Had she been lying to him all this time?

He thought they shared something special - something that not even Serenity and Endymion had. But was Beryl right? Had Venus and the others just been lying all along? Were they planning an attack this very minute?

Fists clenched, Kunzite stormed back into the palace. He had sworn to protect this planet and its prince, and he'd be damned if he let anyone get in the way of that duty. Walking quickly through the palace, he searched for his shittenou.

Sailor Mercury entered the dining room with a degree of confidence and coordination not typically associated with someone whose arms guided a pile of awkward books. She carefully set them on a sideboard before joining the group assembled at the table. Her lesson preparations often served as more than a full day's work, especially at this important stage of the Princess's life and studies, but lately she had been taking on additional research on a topic that was much on everyone's minds: Earth. Although the libraries on the Moon were filled with knowledge, the details of the nearest planet seemed quite lacking. She had called an interplanetary loan for these volumes, the arrival of which had delayed her to the breakfast table this morning.

She may have missed the conversation prior to Queen Serenity's arrival, but one glance at her fellow sailor soldiers and their sweet princess told her enough. The faint blushes on everyone's cheeks and the flashes in their eyes only made it harder for her to keep her own focus from the fair-haired young man who featured so prominently in her thoughts as of late.

There was something odd in the Queen's habits this morning, Mercury observed, but she certainly would not be rude enough to bring it to anyone's attention. Asking such things of the Queen passed a border of appropriateness that the sailor soldier of water and wisdom would not be treading on. Perhaps she'd have a moment to discuss it with the others, if they noticed anything. Could it be related to the monarch's question regarding the kingdom?

"I have no news, Your Majesty," she replied, punctuated with a gentle smile. "Nothing out of the ordinary was brought to my attention this morning."

She felt a surge of guilt as she spoke to Queen Serenity, remembering their wonderful time at the ball on Earth... and the lie she had told to cover for them. It was unlike her to be untruthful, and although it had seemed reasonable at the time--pressured by her desire to see Princess Serenity's whim happily indulged and Mercury's own selfish interest in exploring someplace new--she found it sat less and less well with her as the days went on. The memories of the enjoyable event was tainted with the shame she felt for her behaviour. There was a time when she had hoped the Queen would never learn of her lie. Lately, she almost thought it would feel better to have that truth uncovered--if only it would be a punishment she could bear alone. Having the others implicated was far from what she wanted, so she dealt with that discomfort on her own. They shouldn't atone for her mistake.

"Are you ready for your studies this morning, Princess?" she asked, hoping to direct the conversation towards an easier topic for herself. "I thought we could begin with botanical sketches in the gardens."

She'd start with flowers and plants, which she knew Serenity generally favoured, and sneak some mathematics in there. Recently the lessons had been much too lax, with much focus on subjects the Princess preferred and very little of the things she did not. They all may have romance on their minds, but that didn't mean all learning ought to grind to a halt.

Sheathing his sword, he grabbed his cape as he strode towards his room door. It was time to find the others. His fingers work deftly to attach the cloth with practiced eased as he walked down the corridor in search of any of the Shittennou.
 
He needn’t have walked very far before he spotted a man with long silver hair.
 
“Kunzite,” he called in an attempt to get his leaders attention. If he was out in the castle like this, were they ready to go? Part of him still wanted to balk at the idea of harming any of the kind women they had met from the moon. He would do it for his Prince though, regardless of his personal opinions on the matter.

"Thank you for your report, Mercury." Queen Serenity took another sip of her drink and watched over the girls as they ate. Mars had showed up later, and the queen gave her a nod of greeting.

It was so out of character for the group of them to sit so silently during a meal, Especially Serenity. All conversation had ceased once she sat down at the table-and she knew why. With how quietly they were eating, it was clear that they were talking about their loved ones-especially how flushed Serenity's face was by the time the queen took her seat at the table. If it weren't for the fact that each girl fell in love from a man from earth; the queen would have found this absolutely adorable.

She smiled to herself, observing their actions. Actually, from earth or not, love is love, Queen Serenity found herself thinking as she gazed at Serenity's love struck face-one that she was not too good at hiding. The queen found it adorable regardless. Part of her wished she could join in the conversation, and help indulge in their first loves-but that would be to risky. Besides, Queen Serenity found some sort of joy out of watching each of them fumble about trying to hide the topics of their affections under the assumption she was unaware. It was quite humorous.

The queen finished her meal, and placed the napkin from her lap onto the plate for disposal. "Mercury has a point, Serenity. You really should continue your studies-and it is a fine day out. I think botany would be lovely for today. Then afterwards you could brush up on Earth's history, if you wish. Perhaps the others would wish to join you on that topic. Their destined to be at your side when it is your time to keep the peace, after all." 

Queen Serenity felt a sly grin slip past her regal complexion. This was quite fun, pretending that she didn't know. Now she would get to see them react and squirm at the mention of Earth, the birthplace of their loved ones.

Who says the queen couldn't have a wee bit of fun once in a while?

Beryl was getting ready to wage war against the Moon Kingdom. The Shittennou were now on her side and it was time to continue with the plan. She had been spending a lot of time brainwashing the Shittennou, it was hard at first, but eventually it was successful. They had strong minds and their love for the Princess's protectors had made it difficult. However, when she started convincing them that the Moon Princess and the others in the kingdom were out to betray them and take over Earth, things had started to change in her favor. It was just about time to start. She called a maid to her chambers and said, "Go gather the Shittennou for me. It's time to start and I need them here so we can make plans."

When Queen Serenity suggested that the group study Earth, Sailor Mercury nearly dropped her fork. Instead, it hovered for a moment, frozen in mid-air, and she glanced over at the pale-haired queen with the faintest of smiles dancing on her lips. She knew.

It was a shock, but not really a surprise. How long did she really expect that any of them could have hidden the Princess's clandestine meetings? Still... to be discovered already, and to know that the queen had been suspecting and possibly watching their activities for a while... it did not put Mercury at ease. Her guilt earlier was justified; the poor choices she had made would come back to spite her, she was sure of it. The queen would be fair and probably much kinder than Sailor Mercury deserved, but her lie would be exposed and she would be revealed as a liar. It was not something she was looking forward to, although the path to that day was now painfully clear.

Mercury steeled herself and tried not to look like she was concerned or afraid, although she felt a keen mix of both emotions. She tried to prevent her eyes from widening too much and was careful to set her fork down carefully, when she regained the ability to move it. The blue-haired girl did her best to keep her nerves steady and continue with breakfast and the conversation. If everything ground to a halt right now, they were sunk.

"Oh yes," she replied, trying to fake mild academic interest. The others couldn't have felt more comfortable with the queen's jab at them, or at least if they did it wasn't something Mercury could understand or accept. Maybe she could keep the conversation going.

"I just received some books on Earth from the Venusian and Martian libraries. They've conducted some interesting studies."

At this point, she knew that she was not going to fool Queen Serenity, but she was not eager to suddenly open up and lay bare all of their secrets and happenings as of late.

"I was advised that there is some information contained within those books that some of our own volumes are lacking. It could be interesting, Princess, although I know you are not fond of history or geography."

Jupiter arrived after her, and upon her prompting, Serenity started telling them about her dream last night. It did not surprise Venus at all to hear that she had had such a vivid dream about spending a romantic time with Endymion. It seemed like the prince of earth was the only person occupying Serenity’s mind lately. And she supposed that was what it was like when you were in love.

She suppressed a laugh at the idea of cooking a dish Serenity had dreamed up, but then immediately flushed bright red when Serenity asked her if Kunzite had visited her dream last night. As a matter of fact… well, now that she thought about it, he had been. But like many of her dreams about him, it was both hopeful and unsettling. In the end, he had turned away from her, and she did not know what it meant.

Thankfully, she was saved from having to answer. Not so thankfully, by Queen Serenity herself. Venus’ heart jumped as she saw the queen entered the room, wondering how much of their conversation she’d heard. “Good morning, Your Majesty,” Venus bowed respectfully. She sat down on the table quietly, and frowned in surprise when the queen seemed to appear agitated. Queen Serenity was always graceful, so the slightest change in her behavior was easily noticeable, especially for her. Nervously she wondered what was on the queen’s mind. Was she angry because she’d heard what her daughter had been talking about moments earlier?

The queen proceeded to ask about news reports, and while Mercury answered, Mars finally made her way in. Venus smiled at her, wondering what had caused her to run late. Even Mars had been so smitten by one of the prince’s generals… they were all kind of lowering their guard lately and she wondered if she should be more concerned.

“Everything looks fine on my end, as well,” Venus added to the queen, wondering if she should report the rumors about unrest on Earth. But then she’d have to disclose how she knew that and that was just asking for trouble.

When the topic moved to Serenity’s studies, Venus did a double take when the queen mentioned the history of Earth. Had Venus misheard her? Noticing Mercury’s frozen expression, though, Venus realized she had heard correctly. So now the queen was openly hinting how much she knew. ‘The others would wish to join you on that topic?’

Someone needed to teach the queen subtlety.

But what she was saying about peace made Venus wonder if Queen Serenity harbored the same hope for the future that they did. The senshi being at Serenity’s side when it was time to keep the peace? Did that mean she hoped their relationships would result in a peace alliance, as well? And the way she seemed happy rather than angry…

Had the queen already indirectly given them her blessing?

Venus looked at the others, wondering what they were thinking. The mention of her planet by Mercury suddenly gave her a pang of homesickness. It had been so long since she’d seen Venus… and for the first time in a long time she thought about her family and when she might get to see them again, if ever.

“Of course, we will be by the princess’ side as always, Your Majesty,” she finally said, her words equaling her vow. Neither of them were really talking about just today’s studies anymore, that much was clear. “No matter what happens.”

She then added lightly, “After all, someone’s got to keep Serenity awake.”

Everything was falling to pieces all around him; any semblance of the control he had once had over his subjects slid through his fingers, as impossible to keep in place as attempting to suspend water thin air using only his own hands - as soon as he left, it fell away, his subjects drawn back to dark places as surely as water succumbed to gravity. And nearly as quickly. Frustration dogged him, tension and anxiety rode on either shoulder, causing his jaw to clench and his hands to ball into fists. Why was this happening?! Surely they couldn't all believe the lies of that woman - that snake - Beryl! 

And yet even his closest friends seemed to be set against reason, willingly moving forward with her plans, swallowing the disgusting pill she fed them with her malicious speeches, her 'arguments' against the Moon, fueled by hatred. They would barely speak to him anymore, each of them distracted, only half listening. Did they think him a fool? How could they not see what was going on?

"Lay down your arms!" he commanded, turning a corner to find soldiers in full battle regalia. He powered past, long strides aiming towards a different purpose this morning. Time and again he had made impassioned pleas for reason against such groups, and just as he thought he had gotten through to them and they dispersed, the moment they were out of his sight they returned to their conversations against the Moon Kingdom. He knew by now it was futile. But maybe not for them. Kunzite was calculating, Jadeite, cunning; Zoisite intelligent, Nephrite honest. Maybe he could still get to them, talk some sense into them, make them see how wrong they were, before it was too late.

He paused before turning down the next corridor, for it held her room, and while he would have liked nothing more than to restrain her, he wasn't sure where his people's allegiance was directed nowadays, and he would prefer to keep his freedom in the upcoming hours. If he could only get his friends back on his side, if only they would see the light... Her door opened, and out stepped a servant, who motioned to others and spoke lowly, but he understood the order nonetheless: they were to fetch the Shitennou. 

And he would wait here to intercept them, before they saw the witch.

Zoisite was striding through the corridor, agitated. He was trying to focus. His mind had been clouded for a short moment by the vision of their 'secret' tradings: short exchanges that lasted until Beryl shown him the truth about the Moon Kingdom and their insanity. Now it was but a slowly fading impression of peace, whispers and rumors of treachery quickly replacing it instead.

He was not in the best of moods when their Queen's servants finally found him and perhaps it showed for there were signs of nervousness while they quickly spilled out the needed information. Or was it Beryl who inspired such reactions? He sent them away with a curt motion of hands and if the obvious lack of his usual respect was noticed, it wasn't pointed out.

Now to find the others.

He turned around, his boots clicking against the clean floor as he headed back towards their respective quarters. Surely they weren't as troubled as he'd been. This was him showing weaknesses. There was too much at stakes to doubt now.

So as he approached them, he slid a mask of amused indifference in place of his worried features.

“Nephrite, Kunzite... She has called for us.”

There was no need to add anything else.

“Where's Jadeite?”

Withdrawing the sword back into the sheath at his side, Jadeite shook his head once more, reproaching himself for the doubts he had for a second, and left his room in order to find the rest of his kind.
However, the hallways were empty and the only things in sight were the several doors and windows distributed on his left and right. Just where were those guys when you needed them?
 
Impatiently the blonde increased his pace, checking hallway after hallway, room after room, in order to find the others. He only had a few minutes left before the attack would start and he felt how the anxiety and excitement slowly seized hold of him.
 
“Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite,” he shouted after his long walk when he eventually found his comrades. “I was already searching for you guys.”
Not sure whether he should tell them about the fear he felt at the moment or not, Jadeite slowly breathed out, putting a smile on his face when he was just about to start with the conversation.
 
However, before he could say anything, he clipped his breath, somehow sensing that Zoisite wanted to say something.
“What’s wrong?”

Jupiter relaxed a bit when Mercury and Mars joined them for breakfast, drawing the Queen's attention away from them for the moment. After reporting that all was well on the Moon, Mercury started talking about studies. Anything that didn't involve Earth right now was welcome. And if she and Serenity needed help with their botany lesson, Jupiter would gladly help. 

She took a sip of tea, and almost choked on it when the Queen suggested they practice Earth History together. Instead, she swallowed hard and tried not to look surprised as she placed her cup back down. "We haven't studied together in a while..." Jupiter said. Really, when was the last time any of the senshi took lessons? The Queen's suspicions aside, it might be fun.

Mars quietly sipped on her tea as the conversation turned towards Serenity's studies.  The Princess had always been lacking in attention whether Mercury was teaching her history or she teaching her archery.  At the Queen's mention of studying Earth, to try and help keep her daughter's attention and theirs as well, Mars paused.  Her cup rested on its plate for a moment before she lifted it to drink her last sip.  Of course she knew, and now she was teasing them?  That seemed more like the Queen than anything else this morning.  Mercury's mention of her planet's libraries brought quick thoughts of home.  Venus's declaration returned her to the present.  "Yes we will be with her even when she sleeps through her history lessons." A small smile pulled her lips.

Queen serenity smiled. The senshi's reactions varied; Mars hesitated, Jupiter choked on her tea, and Mercury froze up practically in fear. Venus, however, didn't seem surprised. Each of their reactions reflected their core personalities; the ones that she had known since they were small. She briefly reminisced on how she oversaw their training before Serenity was born. They were so young, yet so dedicated. In the years that followed, they proved themselves as her guardians time and again. It warmed the Queens heart that they, too, had fallen in love. (Though she did feel a pang of guilt with Mercury. Knowing that girl, she probably thought that keeping a secret was going to get her punished by the royal court.)

"Thank you, everyone." The Queen stood up and smiled, and waved her thanks. "I'm sure Serenity would love if you all studied up on Earth's culture with her. After all, you all will be there with her when she ascends the throne. It would be beneficial if her royal advisers know as much about Earth as possible."

"Now, if you'll all excuse me..." Queen Serenity began to walk back up the stairs to her bedroom. "Let me know what you find out, and if you have any questions, I'll be more then happy to help. After all, I've overseen Earth for a very long time."

Once inside, she checked the silver crystal. She closed her eyes and focused, and was soon able to see visions of earth within. The queen was sort of glad that her daughter and her daughter's guardians hadn't seemed to notice the increase in tension on earth. It was quite out of character for the earthlings. It made her heart ache; the people of earth seemed more agitated then usual, but to use the crystal any farther would require extra energy and risk possible detection; and it was the Queen's job to only intervene when absolutely necessary. It was part of the burden to bare as the protector.

She returned the crystal to it's protective enchanted pedestal and sighed heavily. She needed to call for her advisers immediately. The senshi may not know of the situation on earth, but they might. Queen Serenity summoned a maid, and asked to retrieve the cats from Mau to have them meet her in the throne room. With that, she left her room and headed to the throne-her throne, and the throne that would later be her daughters.

Serenity let out a chuckle at Jupiter’s response, “Jupiter, if you make it, I know it will be delicious. Everything you make is amazing. Maybe I can write it down for you later….if I remember of course. When Jupiter mentioned how Serenity had fallen deeply for Endymion, Serenity held her hands to her chest and spun around.

“Oh he is everything I could dream of and more,” she said as she plopped into a chair, a little less gracefully than she should have, but she didn’t care.

She straightened up when her mother walked into the dining room. When her mother embraced her, Serenity returned her mother’s hug as she greeted her. “Good morning mother,” she said with a smile.

As they ate their breakfast, Serenity’s mind drifted off back to her dream. She was lost in thought dreaming of Endymion. Soon enough she was brought out of her daze when Mercury asked if she was ready for her studies. She was about to protest when Mercury mentioned studying in the gardens. She was not excited about having to draw, it only frustrated her to draw and erase, repeating the process until she had torn through her paper. Art was not her favorite subject, but it was better than stupid boring history in her mind.

Maybe she could even convince Mercury to take her to the roses, she wanted to draw the roses. Anything that reminded her of Endymion would get her to study, or to at least make others think she was studying.

Serenity’s eyes widened when her mother mentioned studying Earth and the other senshi would be studying with her. Could it be possible that mother knows I have been sneaking off to Earth to see Endymion? Serenity thought as she put another bite of food into her mouth.

Serenity was hopeful her mother did not know. She thought if her mother had figured out what had happened she would have been in big trouble. Serenity decided to play it off,  “Mother that’s the best idea. I think if the girls are with me and I can learn about Earth then…er and Venus and the other planets history, it might be fun than reading a boring book and writing essays all day.” She finished her sentence with a smile, feeling quite proud of herself.


Serenity finished her breakfast. She glanced over to Mercury and gave her a smile. She glanced to Mercury and said with a smile, “ I am ready to go when you are Mercury.”

Kunzite was relieved he didn't have to go on a manhunt for his shittenou, as they all seemed to find each other in a matter of minutes. He nodded at Zoisite's news, knowing it was only a matter of time until she summoned them.

"Men, today we reclaim the status of strength and superiority that this planet has lost to the Moon Kingdom. I will have nothing less than your unconditional loyalty and confidence in our leader. If you are having second thoughts, erase them. This is for the good of our country and our prince. We must do what is right," he said. He could see the doubt in his shittenou's eyes, but he knew what his mission was. He was doing this for the safety of everyone on Earth, and perhaps the rest of the galaxy.

But did they understand? Would they stand beside him in battle? Or would the people of the moon manipulate them, and turn them against him? The thought sent chills down Kunzite's spine. He needed his best friends, his brothers, by his side.

Princess Serenity's comment provided just what Mercury had been hoping for--an opportunity to get away from the breakfast table. She smiled back at the princess and nodded, before indicating that they were ready to begin lessons now. Sailor Mercury politely excused herself, respectfully bowing to Queen Serenity, and let the other sailor soldiers know that they could follow her now or join herself and the Princess later. They had volunteered to study alongside the Princess, which she appreciated, but Mercury wanted to ensure she was making allowances for any other duties.

She led the way from the dining room, down the beautiful white marble hallways, and out into the domed gardens of the Moon's castle. Above them, the stars twinkled in the blackness of space above and the beautiful orb of the blue Earth floated somewhere so close and yet out of reach. It was so different from what she had seen during the visits to that planet. Standing on their soft green grass, it was the sky that held that beautiful blue colour. She knew that there were atmospheric differences between most of the planets, but to see it for herself was something amazing.

The blue-haired sailor soldier shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind, and continued towards the roses--the flowers she knew that her Princess would be most interested in. In this clearing, the soft noise of a nearby fountain bubbled and several stone benches provided enough seating for the group. The roses were very new to these gardens, tended for lovingly by Jupiter and nestled among other floral less foreign. With her friends' current thoughts leaning towards the Earth, it was not an untraveled spot. She found her mind drifting towards memories of the ball, that distant castle nearly wreathed in roses of all colours, when she saw them. It was probably likewise for the others.

Mercury gently set down her stack of books, regained upon exiting the dining room. The Princess's drawing supplies and her own botany guides were nearby, placed here upon Mercury's request to castle staff.

"Princess, you may begin by selecting three nearby plants to sketch," she said, holding out the sketchbook and pencils. She knew that at one of them would certainly be the rose.

She hoped that one of the other sailor soldiers, or perhaps the Princess herself, would begin any conversation about their trips to Earth or what Queen Serenity might know. Just the thought of it made her feel nervous, as if the worries she had pretended to be free of in the dining room had multiplied. She wasn't sure if the Queen had been trying to convince them to confess their activities. The regal woman's tone and smile almost seemed to condone their actions, but perhaps instead it was an attempt at turning them off a path better left untraveled. The monarch did make mention of only watching the Earth. Visiting was not exactly supposed to be part of that.

Mercury sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. At least she had her friends; they'd figure something out, somehow.

Artemis was by himself at the palace gardens, thinking about his potential romantic date at night. If things went according to plan, that is. Even though they rarely did.

It was such a fine morning. The gardens were really beautiful, and he was quite certain Luna enjoyed them just as much as the princess. The weather was ideal, and the sun was bright as ever, not a cloud in sight...

Or was it? Artemis glanced up at the sun one more time. Something seemed off, actually. He couldn't really put it into words, but there was something different about its light. And the more he looked at it, he could notice a tiny black spot near its center.

"Maybe it's just my imagination," he shrugged. Perhaps his eyes were tricking him? You're not supposed to look directly into the sun for that long, after all. Either way, he should go find Luna, she must also have been long up by now. He headed back into the palace.

Walking down one of the palace halls, he was daydreaming about the night to come. Perhaps he could get her to open up a little more to him. What did she really think of him anyway? He wasn't entirely sure. And how would he ask her anyway? He should probably feign some disinterest and just be casual. Yes, act cool. Perhaps he should even pretend to be busy himself.

And then he found her. Or rather, lost in his thoughts as he was, he crashed right into her.

"Luna! Oh, I'm sorry! Uh, good morning! How are you?" Artemis hesitantly asked. Way to act cool.

"Ooooow Artemis, you have eyes for a reason you know! Where have you been? Queen Serenity has sent for us, we must report to her immediately," she replied and began to run off for the throne room by herself.

Well that went great. Artemis followed behind, and soon enough they both stood in front of the Queen. "Your Majesty, did you call for us?" he inquired as the both respectfully bowed their heads.