Pluto heard something in the mist.  She spun her staff toward the sound, determined to stay stoic, to hide her shock.  “Who goes?  Travel here is forbidden, and if you continue, I will have to punish you.”  

Blonde hair came from the thickest mist.  Pluto lifted her staff.  “Aino Minako.  Sailor Venus.  How can I help you?”  It was odd, one of the senshi coming to the Space-Time Door.  Since the queen had brought her entourage to meet Pluto months before, Pluto had been alone.  As her job demanded.

“Neo-Queen Serenity has requested your presence at the palace.  There is someone she wants you to know.”  Aino grinned, which eased Pluto’s nerves.  The leader of the senshi wouldn’t grin so easily if there was any trouble.  “I am to watch the Space-Time Door while you are gone, and the queen told me to let you know she is in her chambers.  Off you go!”

Pluto hesitated.  The Space-Time Door was her responsibility, a duty assigned to her a millennia ago by her first queen.  Pluto had fulfilled her duty from childhood.  She had never abandoned her post.  

Aino seemed to notice Pluto’s concern.  “Go, go!  I will make sure that nothing happens here, and the queen wants you.”

Glancing back, Pluto moved through the mist before opening the door and entering the palace.  She had never entered the palace, but Pluto knew where to go.  She had watched queen build the palace, and Pluto knew every hall and chamber.  Pluto moved through the halls as if she lived in the palace, and she arrived at the queen’s door quickly.
Pluto knocked on the door, which opened to reveal Sailor Jupiter.  “Hey, Pluto.  Come on in.”  Pluto entered, only to see Neo-Queen Serenity sitting in the bed.

“Sailor Pluto!  Come here, there is someone for you to see.”  Pluto approached the bed, eyes darting around the room.  She wasn’t one of the queen’s personal guards, and she had no place in these chambers.  Particularly while the queen was still abed.

Her discomfort was forgotten when she noticed the shape in the queen’s arms.  Pink tufts of hair peeked through blankets, and Pluto stared.  A baby.  The queen had brought her here to meet her new princess.

“Sailor Pluto,” King Endymion addressed her, but he didn’t look away from the child, “Usako and I are proud to present our daughter, Princess Serenity Usagi.”  

The queen broke the formality with a giggle.  “I don’t think we need to use all that.  It’s a lot of name, and she is such a small girl.  For now, I am using Small Lady.”  The queen held out the bundle.  “Here, Pluto, get to know her a little.”

Pluto took the bundle slowly, terrified she would drop or harm the little one.  As soon as the baby was cradled safely in her arms, she moved the bundle of warmth close to her chest, nestling her in the bow on Pluto’s uniform.  Then she looked down.

Red eyes blinked slowly up at her.  Pluto couldn’t look away.  The baby was perfect.  Slightly chubby, with big eyes and sporadic tufts of bubblegum hair, she captured Pluto’s attention completely.

Pluto had no idea how much time passed before she spoke.  “She is amazing, your highnesses.  Absolute perfection.”  Her voice was dumbstruck; Pluto didn’t care.

Still staring at Small Lady, Pluto missed the broad grin the royal couple exchanged.

“Don’t bother with the your highness here, Pluto.  The rest of the senshi use our names, and you should, too.”  Neo-Queen Serenity’s voice stayed soft.  “I expect we'll be seeing more of you.  Small Lady is going to need all the support she can get if she is going to be our princess.”

Pluto didn’t ask what the queen meant.  She didn’t need to know the queen specific concerns, not when Small Lady was wiggling in her arms while Pluto adjusted her grip to make sure Small Lady was comfortable.  Regardless of what support the queen wanted for her daughter, Pluto’s answer would be the same.

“Small Lady,” Pluto spoke to the child, though she knew the king and queen were listening, “will never lack for anything I can provide.”  Even as Pluto spoke, she knew it was more than a promise.  It was the most sacred of oaths, more precious even than the oath Pluto had made to protect the Space-Time Door.  More binding than the oath she had made to follow the laws of time.  And more heartfelt than any pledge Pluto had every made.

Luna held the back of her head as she whirled around. She knelt down to pick up the brooch as she glared at the cat. Brooch in hand, she advanced angrily toward Usagi. “Jewelry is not meant to be a weapon, cat!” She hissed, waving the brooch at the cat.

Usagi flinched in fear and withdrew into herself, placing her paws over her head. “Say the first words that come to your mind!” She panicked, her words slightly muffled.

Luna stopped and looked curiously at the cat, and then at the object she held in her hands. “Why?” She queried.

The cat stammered, because she hadn’t expected for Luna to ignore her advice. The longer this went on, the more Usagi felt unprepared. “Because you’ll transform into a guardian of love and justice?” She said, in a tone that betrayed her own lack of confidence in herself.

Luna sighed, closed her eyes, and appeared to be counting under her breath. They would be seen before long and how could she explain this situation to others when she didn’t even believe it herself? “Fine,” she muttered, picking up the quivering cat.

In a different area of the schoolyard, Usagi and Luna found more privacy. Usagi, still looking sheepish, sat and waited. Luna turned the brooch in her hands as she considered her situation. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and said

“Moon Prism Power, Make-Up”.

A feeling of warm washed away the feelings of doubt from Luna's mind as she felt herself go through the motions of a dance she had never before learned. As power coursed through her body and the light surrounding her intensified, so did her feelings of strength and confidence. Her eyes sparkled with raw emotion and she stood tall as she finished the routine. A new hero was born.


"I am Sailor Moon, the champion of love and justice!"


Afterwards, the brunette appeared startled by her own words. Her strength and confidence plummeted as Luna saw what had happened to herself. She held her hands in front of her face as she looked at the long, white gloves. Her eyes trailed downward to the bow across her chest, and then she felt the ornaments in her hair.


Usagi thrust her chest forward as she puffed with pride at the sailor senshi standing in front of her. Success! She had found her first sailor senshi! Well, she didn't remember there being a Sailor Moon before, but obviously that didn't matter too much. A sailor senshi was a sailor senshi, right? The cream-colored cat hummed happily too herself as she strode in a circle around Sailor Moon and looked at her with self-satisfaction.

"You look great!" She beamed, sitting on her haunches in front of Sailor Moon.


Sailor Moon looked skeptical as she tried to adjust the length of her skirt. "I look like I am wearing a size too small. Why am I wearing this outfit?"


Usagi tilted her head as she looked at Sailor Moon with confusion, "that is the standard uniform of a sailor senshi. You have to wear it when you are Sailor Moon."


Sailor Moon barked a short laugh, and then stiffled her laughter behind her hand as she regained her composure. "You are certainly joking. This provides inadequate coverage against an enemy and I sincerely doubt it would protect me from a blow."


Usagi's shoulders drooped as the first sailor senshi of love and justice degraded the standard uniform. "I don't have anything else for you to wear," she said. "But, it's stronger than it looks. It's been tested and has magical protection and stuff." She hadn't really read the owner's manual, but she sorta-kinda had listened to the creator of the original design. Although, that was more because Usagi had wanted to see if some sequins could be added.


"And stuff?" Sailor Moon asked.


The small cat looked embarrassed, but then reasserted herself with a sniff. "Yes! And stuff, I doubt you could understand it all without an advanced education in magical seals." There, that should dissuade Sailor Moon from wanting to learn more. None of that stuff was any fun. And, this would also mean Usagi would not have to explain that she had no idea what the uniform did outside of being really durable.


Sailor Moon quirked an eyebrow and looked entirely unconvinced of Usagi's knowledge regarding the standard uniform of the sailor senshi. "Right, I suppose I will read through the instruction manual later. May I take this off now? I need to attend my classes."


Usagi nodded her head and gave a few short explanations on how the uniform could be removed. Afterward, Luna stood in her school uniform and she hefted her school bag onto her shoulder. "If you excuse me, I need to leave. If you still want to talk to me, Usagi, you can meet me at the school's entrance after my last classes and club activities have ended."


She turned on her heel and left without hearing the cat further. As Luna walked away, Usagi began to panic. The petite cat yowled for Luna to wait, but the young teenager ignored the cat. "I hate running!" Usagi cried, as she ran to catch up with the brunette.


Luna whirled around in a barely repressed rage as she prepared to scold the cat for speaking in public, but she was smacked in the face by a phone. She yelped in pain and pressed a hand to her face as the phone tumbled to the ground. "You are being ridiculous, cat!" Luna hissed, bending over to reach for the phone.


The cat began to cry as Luna scolded her and looked at her in anger. "I thought you would catch it!" She wailed, dashing forward to throwing her body at Luna's feet in an apology. "You are supposed to be coordinated and athletic," she said, rubbing her head against Luna's leg.


"Oh, so I suppose this is my fault," Luna muttered, flipping the phone open.


"Take that phone, so I can let you know if anything is wrong. I'll call you if anyone is being a dastardly villain, and then you can save the day." Usagi said, looking up at Luna.


Luna palmed the phone, and then placed it into her book bag. "Thank you, but I would rather still speak to you further before I save anyone. I'm not trained to be a hero and I still think someone else would be better suited."

The bell that signaled the beginning of classes rang loudly throughout the school yard. The color ran from Luna's face as she stared at the clock on the top of the school tower. "My perfect attendance record," she whispered, as her shoulders drooped and her school bag reached closer to the ground.