Stuff at bottom. Thanks! -Lianne (liannesentar@hotmail.com) http://Lianne_Sentar.tripod.com *Blue Planet, White Moon* Part 3 Rated PG, for romance, although, again, some of the concepts may go over younger readers' heads Serenity was ready. She had been cleaned and primped and poked since dawn; her attendants had been surprised to see her up so early, but had taken full advantage of the time and made her radiant, ravishing, and all sorts of other positive descriptive words that start with R. A white, silken, many-layered dress. White gloves of silk lined at the wrists with pearls. White ribbons in her hair and white, pearl-encrusted hair barrettes. White slippers. A silver necklace with a single, white pearl dangling from her throat. Teeth polished to a formerly-unreached level of whiteness. Truthfully, the attendants had wanted to go with a pink theme and lilac fragrance, but Serenity had wanted white and baby powder. She had a feeling Endymion might like that better. She stood in a marble reception room filled with tables covered in white flower petals, with bright, pearl lights shining in the ceiling. Mars, in a stunning silk dress of crimson, and Venus, in a dress of striking orange in the same style, stood on either side of her. Formal appearances and formal presentations to the court and its multi-racial attendants would come later. First, the girls of the moon and the boys of the Earth could see each other casually. Outfits, however, were anything but casual. "How much longer?" Venus rolled her eyes. "Five seconds less than the last time you asked, five seconds ago." "Oh." Serenity swallowed. She touched her hooped, silver-and-pearl earrings, smoothed out her skirt, and cleared her throat. She touched a hanging curl at the back of her neck. "Well?" She gazed at Venus with hopeful eyes. "How much longer *now*?" "Good *God*, Serenity." There was a scream from the hallway. Serenity jumped. Venus and Mars, after exchanging looks, each rested a hand on a shoulder of the princess. "Two more seconds," they said in unison. Exactly 2.2 seconds later, the silver double doors burst open and Mercury, in brilliant blue silk with brilliant blue eyes wide and terrified, flew into the room. She slammed the doors shut behind her and shoved her weight against them, her shaking fingers fumbling for the lock. "T-tall," she stuttered, the whites of her eyes quite very near the size of dinner plates. "It's been almost two years since the last meeting," Venus tried to say matter-of-factly, though she was unsuccessful at hiding the tinge of wicked amusement behind her voice. "You know Earthian boys can have their growth spurt around 14." "T-tall," was all Mercury could manage, and she focused her attention on steadying her hands so she could lock the door. A moment later, however, the door was pushed from outside, and she squealed as she and the door scooted forward. "Mercury!" Emerald eyes peeked from the slit of open doorway. A flash of white teeth in a grin, then the door scooted forward another few centimeters. "Mercury, darling, don't be scared!" "Stop it!" Mercury cried. "I'm busy! I can't see you right now!" "Princess, your queen said all Sailors were freed for the event. I'm afraid that excuse won't work." With a final push, the door scraped open (with Mercury pushed with it), and Zoycite slid through the thin door opening. Mercury bolted toward the other girls in the room, but Zoycite managed to grab her arm before she got far. She squealed as he pulled her back. "Blue Mercury," he cooed, putting his arms around her shoulders and squeezing her affectionately. "It's been years! Didn't you miss me a *tiny* bit?" Mercury, struggling unsuccessfuly against him, turned pleading eyes to Mars and Venus. When Mercury had been eight, and the Sailors and generals had first met, she had been 6 centimeters taller than Zoycite. She had been able to get away. At age fifteen, when she had last seen him, she had been 1 centimeter taller than he; still, she had, albeit with difficulty, been able to get away. Now, at seventeen, the sixteen-year-old general was 15 centimeters taller than *she*, and had developed that hint of true muscle boys his age finally managed to develop, and there was no way, absolutely *no* way, she could get away using conventional methods. She was frightened. She was desperate. She stepped on his foot. Zoycite laughed and swept her off her feet. She shrieked as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her like a damsel in distress. "*You*, my dear, are coming with me." He grinned. "We need some alone time." "NO!" Zoycite smiled over at the other three princesses. "Afternoon, ladies," he called. "Nice to see you again. Serenity, you positively look grown up." Serenity smiled weakly. The compliment was nice, but she was a little worried about Mercury. "General Zoycite," Mars warned, her voice just a touch threatening. "Whatever you plan on doing these next few days, just watch yourself. We are *ladies*." "I'm hurt." Zoycite raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I'm as virtuous as they get. And I respect the fact that you're ladies, not to mention warriors with inherited firepower who could easily destroy me without so much as breaking a sweat." This seemed to give Mercury an idea. She cupped her hands together and began forming a tight ball of blue light. "No you don't." Zoycite kissed her forehead, and she slapped him away as the color drained from her face. The blue light vanished. Venus cleared her throat, likely to hide her evil snickers. "Where are the others?" she asked. "Have they settled in their rooms yet?" "They'll be here anytime. Nephlite and Jupiter, though, have already disappeared together. I'm sure they'll be gone most of the day." The general then promptly exited the room, the kicking and struggling Mercury in his possession, and pushed the door shut behind him. In the silence that followed, Serenity stared at the closed door. She swallowed and clasped her hands over her stomach. "He *has* gotten tall," she murmured. Mars shrugged. "So Mercury will have to learn other ways to get the upper hand," she said simply. "She'll make do." "I hope so." Hardly a moment later there was a knocking at the door. Serenity went stiff. "Yes?" Venus called. "May we enter?" Malachite's cool voice set Serenity's heart racing. She straightened her shoulders, cleared her throat, and brushed a stray curl behind her ear. Venus, watching her with amusement, waited until the princess was done primping before calling, "If you know the secret word." There was a pause. "I brought you a present." Venus' face lit up. "That's sufficient," she answered as she flew to the door. She pulled it open, and a giant bouquet of yellow roses met her. "You WONDERFUL man!" she cried happily, accepting the bouquet from Malachite and offering her free hand. Malachite smiled, took it, and brushed his lips over her skin. She jumped to her tip-toes and gave him a quick hug about the neck. "It's been too long, Malachite," she declared. "Indeed it has." Malachite gestured to someone behind him, and Endymion, followed by Jedite, appeared by his side. Malachite threw a glance at Mars and Serenity and nodded his head. "Ladies." Serenity could feel the color drain from her face. Endymion, like Zoycite, was progressing rapidly through puberty, and six months had changed him drastically. He was even taller than he had been the last time she'd seen him; his body was filling out from its skinny teenager phase (he was actually starting to look semi-solid), and his hands and feet no longer looked big and awkward. In fact, he didn't look very awkward at all. She was surprised by how much he was starting to look like a slim, attractive young man. A dark one. Good *God*, he was much darker than she remembered. Was this what he looked like every summer? He smiled at her, and she smiled shakily back. Her blood was starting to stir at his smile. It also reminded her that no matter how different he looked, he was still young, and was probably just as (rather cutely) immature as he had been since he jumped off that balcony and hurt himself in an attempt to impress her. Venus' wave broke Serenity's thoughts. "We're off," the young woman said, gesturing to Malachite with her head. "We have some catching up to do. Will you be all right with Mars, Serenity?" Serenity nodded. With a last smile, Venus and Malachite exited the room, leaving the two younger boys in the doorway. There was a moment where nobody moved, where Serenity wondered if she should bother waiting for Endymion to come in or if she could just run up to him and give him her hand - and then Jedite touched Endymion's high shoulder, and the dark-haired prince snapped out of whatever he'd been thinking. He reached into the navy silk of his shirt as he and Jedite walked across the room, and when he pulled his fingers from his inside pocket there was a small, pressed flower in his grip. He stopped in front of Serenity, held out his gift, and smiled. "You're even more beautiful than I remember." Color flooded to Serenity's cheeks. She grinned rather foolishly and let him kiss her hand, then accepted the small navy flower and held it against her chest. "You're looking well," she answered. "Did you just arrive?" He shook his head. "Nah. They sent me up this morning, before everyone else. You know." He looked away. "It takes me several hours to sleep off the effects of the drugs." "Your color's good." Mars studied his face. "I heard you're usually quite pale the day you arrive. Is the trip getting easier, Prince?" He shrugged. "I guess." Mars turned her gaze to Jedite. "Hello," she said. "You look taller." Jedite faltered under her shimmering dark stare. "Yes," was all he answered after a moment's pause. "How are you eating?" Jedite swallowed. "Well enough, I guess." "And sleeping?" He averted his eyes. "Fine." Endymion furrowed his eyebrows. "Cripes, Mars," he murmured. "Let him be. He's been taking care of himself." "You, of all people, wouldn't be able to tell that." Mars gave Endymion a flat, yet not rude, look. "He worries about you too much. He doesn't pay enough attention to his own health." Endymion smirked. "Sorry, Mama." Mars' look faltered not in the slightest. The smile slowly melted from Endymion's face, and he averted his eyes. He cleared his throat. "Uh ... yeah." He took a moment to brush down his shirt. "It's lunchtime, should we go eat something?" Serenity nodded enthusiastically. "Mother said the chefs made fabulous things for the outdoor festival tonight, and we could be the first to try the food." She raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Can we eat together?" Endymion smiled. "We didn't travel millions of kilometers to split up and *not* hang out, did we?" Serenity giggled. She could feel something happening; what was it?.... Something very comforting, yet exciting, in the way she was loosening up with him. The fear she had held that last time she'd been with him was all but forgotten, and a new, hungry sensation had replaced it. She was a little suspicious of it - she hadn't forgotten how she'd gotten carried away on the balcony - but her senses were all still in check, so she figured she could let go a bit. There was something about male companionship that made her feel safer, more at home.... She found herself thinking about her father. ***************** The laid-out food in the kitchen was far from formal, but the cooking staff had done their best to set aside a few minutes and make a respectable buffet on a free table. With a high stack of china plates beside a dozen platters laden with food tidbits, it was quite pleasant. Endymion, having eaten nothing since early in the morning (drugs or no drugs, he preferred to have a relatively empty stomach before transporting), was pleased with what he saw. "Wow." He picked up a small pastry and pushed it between his lips. "You staff's great to have made us this set-up," he mumbled as he chewed. "That's really considerate of them, considering how busy they must be." Jedite tapped Endymion's arm and murmured something about manners. Endymion made a face, finished chewing, swallowed, then picked up a small skewer of meat. "Is this venison?" he wondered aloud. Mars placed a roll on her plate and nodded. "Queen Serenity insisted on having both Earth and moon food for the festival. She wants to further encourage acceptance and unity between the races." She sliced a few thin layers from a wedge of cheese and placed one on Serenity's plate. "She had much of this food imported just this week." "It's very impressive," Jedite said, observing a salad laden with pieces of turkey and egg. Mars watched him a moment, then leaned over, gripped the salad tongs, and placed a heaping portion on his dish. He gave a start. "Eat it." She placed another slice of cheese on his plate. "You're still looking too thin." Jedite swallowed. "You don't have to-" "Eat it." He looked away. "Yes, Ma'am." Serenity pointed to an off-white cake laden with red cherries. "What's that?" she asked. "Those are Earth cherries, right?" Jedite gently put a slice of bread on his dish. "It's called cheesecake, princess. It's a rich dessert." "Man." Endymion grinned. "Your chefs can even make that? Zoycite *never* lets me eat that stuff at home; he keeps saying I'll get addicted and get fat." He picked up a knife and turned glittering eyes to Serenity. "Wanna try some?" She smiled and nodded. Endymion cut two big pieces and served the two of them; Mars and Jedite declined. "Promise me you won't tell," Endymion told his blond general. "Malachite'll probably have my hide, too." Jedite smiled. "I won't tell if you let me taste it." "Deal." The group finished loading their plates, then made their way to a small, deserted dining room a little way down the hall. Having the place to themselves was nice; Endymion hadn't spent much quality time with Jedite in a while, and, of course, he'd been hoping to spend as much time as possible with the little white princess. Getting to watch Jedite squirm under Mars' gaze was an added bonus, too. He had to admit, though, that although the moon food he had chosen ended up being delicious, the Earth food was a little lacking. Still, he'd gotten enough of everything to somewhat satiate his recently-unbridled hunger, and he was too busy glancing at Serenity from the corner of his eye to be thinking much about food, anyway. She was really beginning to grow up. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been a beautiful little china doll with wide, crystal-blue eyes and a shy smile. In six months she had grown, if not much in height, then plenty in proportions. There was substantially more ... female padding on her, as his carefully censored mind noted, and she filled her dress out a little better. She was still very young, but was developing nicely, and in a year he had the feeling she would be an attractive young woman. His mind kept trying to think about what she would look like in a year, but since the concept was throwing his system off and making it harder to digest, he angrily pushed it away. She also looked particularly beautiful that day. Formality aside, it really looked like she had gone out of her way to look perfect. Even if he didn't think it was appropriate to tell her, he was greatly appreciating her particular radiance. "It's good." Serenity pulled her fork from her mouth and nodded, her small lips closed as she chewed. She swallowed, then added, "Thanks for recommending it." Endymion realized he had no idea what she was talking about. "What?" he asked. "The cheesecake." Serenity smiled and used her fork to point at the cake on her plate. "It's really very good." Somehow he doubted it. He took a generous bite of his own cake, chewed, and swallowed. He glanced at Jedite; curious, Jedite leaned over and scooped a forkful from his prince's slice. He tasted it. The slight cocking of his head was the only confirmation Endymion needed. Endymion smiled wanly at Serenity. "It's not bad, but ... I'll have to get you some authentic stuff sometime." He pushed another moon pastry into his mouth. "The stuff at our palace is incredible." Jedite touched his prince's shoulder and murmured something about manners again. Endymion frowned and made sure to finish swallowing before talking again. "The Earth food here isn't very good?" Mars gestured to Endymion's dish. "I see you haven't seemed too interested in it." Endymion held up his hands. "Don't get me wrong or anything. The Earth food here's not *bad* by any means, just ... moonish." Serenity blinked. "What do you mean by that?" Endymion scratched the back of his neck. "Well, Earth and the moon are so far away, and with the racism and stuff that, unfortunately, won't go away, there's not a lot of communication between you guys and us regarding unimportant things like food. So you have the right ingredients and everything, it's just that when you guys prepare Earth food, it comes off ... kinda light, and easy on the stomach, and mild. Like moon food." "We're worse at it than anyone, though," Jedite was quick to add. "Our palace is supposed to have the finest chefs in the world, but the moon food they prepare basically tastes like Earth food with less salt and butter. It really can't compare at all to true moon food." Endymion winked at Serenity. "I'll be sure to get you some real Earth stuff sometime. It'll knock your socks off." Serenity giggled and nodded enthusiastically. Endymion could feel his blood begin to stir at that giggle. He suddenly forgot about whatever he'd been eating and found his mind wandering to what it would be like if she could sit in *his* dining room, on Earth, and try all sorts of real Earth food. Or better yet - her sitting in his bedroom. On his bed. Her baby powder scent filling his air and locking into his bed sheets, maybe a smudge of makeup on her hand smearing onto his pillow ... just the concept of sleeping in a bed that smelled like her set juices in him running that made it *very* difficult for him to digest. His stomach rumbled, and he quickly looked away and tried to calm his racing heart. It wasn't just the attraction, though. There was something else about being with Serenity, about being with a female, that made him feel more protected. Not in the same sort of way his generals made him feel protected, really - there was something different about that feminine presence. He realized how much he longed for it. He found himself thinking about his mother. "You just dropped cheesecake on yourself." Endymion snapped out of his little baby-powder- bedroom fantasy. He looked at Jedite, then down at himself. A large bite of cheesecake had fallen from his fork, hit his knee, and rolled its way down navy silk to hit the floor. He groaned, then bent over, used his napkin to scoop the offending piece of cheesecake from the marble, and stared sadly at his pant leg. "I'm dead." He touched the stained fabric. "Mother told me if I spilled on my good outfits before tonight, she'd kill me. She explained to me in detail how difficult it is to clean this fabric." Jedite observed the accident, then let out a breath. "We packed you a number of outfits," he said after a moment. "We can just get you changed. Nephlite may actually know how to clean that, too." Endymion smiled sheepishly at Serenity. "I'm sorry. I probably look like a four-year-old. I swear, I learned how to use utensils ten years ago." Serenity shook her head and smiled kindly. "It's all right. We were all done eating, anyway; you can go get changed if you want." "That's probably a good idea. We all have to prepare for the evening's festivities." Mars raised her eyebrows in questioning. "I take it you two will be dance partners?" "Yes," Endymion and Serenity said in abrupt unison; embarrassed, they both turned a touch red. Mars glanced at Jedite. "Do you have a partner yet?" she asked. Jedite looked like a cornered puppy. After a moment of fumbling his lips, he managed, "N-not really." "I'll go with you, then." She stood up. "This was nice. Serenity and her court look forward to seeing you again this evening." She touched Serenity's shoulder. "Let's go, Serenity." The princess stood, picked up her plate, and nodded her head at the boys. Smiling, she followed Mars out the door. It was a long moment Jedite stared at the door after they had exited. Endymion, enjoying every moment of his young general's discomfort, smiled wickedly. He raised his hands and curled his fingers, like paws. "Mrowr." Jedite whipped his head to his prince angrily. "Stop it," he ordered, though he looked substantially paler than he had a moment ago. Endymion found himself looking forward to the evening now more than ever. To be continued.... -A little short, but I'll put up Part 4 in about a week, so you won't have to wait too long. Endymion's final sound effect is hard to put into writing, but the spelling of "mrowr" was used in Animerica once, I think, and that seemed to work pretty well. Um ... yeah; that's a rather odd topic to have in the AN. -_-; Anyway, gotta jet - I'm off on yet another road trip. Next part will be up October 28th. See you then! -Lianne (liannesentar@hotmail.com) http://Lianne_Sentar.tripod.com *Sailor Moon and all its characters copyright © Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha Ltd./Toei Animation, Co., Ltd. This story part copyright © Lianne Sentar, October 2001.