[Episode 103609] [Episode 103609]"Let me see … we have three cat shifters, two werewolves, one of which is Mamoru-san, two undead ladies, an ice maiden who's actually Amy-san, Rei-san as an efreet, a mermaid lady, Makoto-san as a kumo and Minako-san as … something else, a tengu (a VERY nice one if I am any judge …), two humans, a sidhe who looks somewhat familiar, a dragon lady, an youkai lady I don't quite recognize and a pair of succubi, when we expected only one. Well, that's CERTAINLY one hell of a party. Mind if we join in?" Spoke the voice, with a hint of mirthful playfulness.
All turned, but it was Usagi who summed it up. "UMINO?! NARU!? How, what … WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS?!?!" she spoke surprised and somewhat delighted. Naru was her best friend outside the senshi, and Umino … well, he was a pain sometimes with his nosy ways, but he was a good and loyal friend. Now …
… Now, Umino still stood his same high, but his demeanor had changed. His blue eyes were no longer hidden by his coke bottle glasses, shinning strongly. He seemed to have got more muscle, as his straining school uniform showed and his shaggy hair now framed his face with a certain rugged charm. Also, the bat wings coming from his temples and back marked him as an Incubus, a male counterpart for the succubus. Similar to Usagi, he seemed to have … matured. Naru had changed a bit more. Her wavy reddish brown hair now flew longer to her mid-back, and softly brown furred tipped with white animal ears poked from it. She was wearing a beautiful kimono, but from the small of her back, three fox-tails quivered excitedly, marking her as a medium-level Kitsune. Happiness and mirth danced in her eyes, as she looked at Usagi, feeling way too many things to define at once.
She suddenly lunged and caught Usagi in an embrace that would give a piton envy. "I missed you so much Usagi!" she cried on her shoulder.
Usagi embraced her friend back just as fiercely. She had not seen Naru for a time, and she DID miss her friend. Besides … she was cute before, now … she was ravishing. Usagi couldn't contain herself and planted a light kiss on Naru's flickering ear, relishing feeling its soft fur covering as it tipped this and that way. "I missed you too, my friend …" she replied softly as tears came to her as well.
Suddenly, Naru released her friend and stepped back to join Umino. Then, as one they first bowed to her speaking proudly together: "Honor to you, Princess Aesland, your servants have joined your service." Then, together still, they fell on one knee and spoke again. "and … honor to you … Princess Serenity, for your guards have returned to your service!" they spoke as one still.
All movement ceased.
"What did you called me?" asked Usagi surprised.
"You really don't remember us, do you, little sister?" replied Umino sadly.
"Our memories from the Millennium are very spotty at best I'm afraid. You will have to be more specific Umino …" she replied.
Setsuna had been watching the procedures with great interest until that last greeting. Then she looked again … and saw. On their brows. The glowing sigils. Kami-sama … THEY?!?!? Are they back as well?! She thought surprised.
In Umino's brow shone the golden moon, while on Naru's the sigil of Mercury glowed.
"Aarion? Velinda? Is that really you?!" she spoke surprised and delighted.
"Pluto …?!" they spoke, turning to her. "Rea … is that truly you? You … survived?!" Naru spoke stunned.
"Rea?" it was all Usagi said.
"That was my name in the time of the Millennium, Princess. Setsuna is the identity I took a few hundred years ago when I found that you would finally reincarnate." She replied. "Yes, its me. I survived but the Princess had already renewed me. I'm a Bisan now." She answered the couple smiling. "So you guys DID got sent ahead as well!"
"Can you explain what is going on?!" More that one asked, with varying degrees of surprise and annoyance.
"Hum, I can … some." Lilith spoke mild embarrassed. "She is my Aunt Velinda of Mercury and he is her husband, my Uncle Aarion of the Moon, mother's half-brother. They are the last survivors of the Royal Lunar Guard. And on my time, their patrons." She ended smiling. While all were trying to take it in, she ran and hugged Naru just as fiercely as her mother had. "You don't know how _awful_ was to keep seeing you and mom and not being able to tell!" she spoke tearfully into Naru's kimono. She missed her auntie a lot and finally she was back!
Naru hugged the young succubus slowly back. Her senses felt both his Mistress succubus heritage on her along with the Moon power. But Usagi had not had any children yet! How was that possible?! She looked at both Usagi and Setsuna, his very face a request for some explanation.
Setsuna took the lead to answer as the senshi and the cats were suddenly having another part of their memories of the Silver Millennium restored. "That, Velinda, is Small Lady Lilith Serenity Aesland, daughter of Queen Serenity Aesland and her Husband, the Wolf King Endymion. She will be born in the future and sent back to our times to help. That's the short version. Later on I'll give you the details … Maybe over a good cup of tea, eh?" she spoke winking to her. Velinda had been one of her few close friends during the Silver Millennium and she relished the chance to try and renew that.
"Hum, I prefer to be called Naru if you don't mind Pluto." Said the Kitsune, warming to the bundle of a young succubus hugging the life out of her. "Hum … Don't worry little one. I'm not going anywhere ..." she spoke softly to the emotional teen as she slowly caressed her back making soothing sounds. She also privately thought that coming to know Rea, no, Setsuna, again would be very nice.
Meanwhile, the minds of the senshi and her councilors were suffering from deep lost memories return. In particular two of them …
Usagi remembered. Remembered her mother telling her as how the Moon family became a Matriarchy. Not because they thought women better than men, but because only women could wield the full powers of their line. The men COULD wield some, but never as much as then. Something to do with the very nature of the Moon power, she thought …
She remembered. How the men of the Royal line usually took place as their sisters' councilors, champions and such, were they could use their abilities to their utmost.
She remembered. Her elder brother. Aarion. Mother had actually been widowed before having her. Aarion's father was a noble from Mars (an uncle of Princess Mars actually), with some Uranus heritage as well (the marriages between the different royal houses had produced individuals that, while never as powerful as the pure 'true-blood' royals exhibited a more diverse variety of abilities, being able to draw upon the mana of more than one planet). Aarion had been born some ten years before her and exhibited powers from all three bloodlines, which he trained to exhaustion day after day. His training and dedication paid off though as he became the youngest knight _ever_ to enter the Royal Moon Guard at 15. He also reached Man-at-arms at 20!
She remembered how he used to look after her. How they talked to one another, oftentimes as if of the same age. As how she was the first to know of his dates with Velinda and how happy she became for them. Of how he sneaked her earthward a couple of times to date Endymion in secret.
She remembered seeing his face, stern and bleeding from a demon's claw lucky strike as he and Velinda, alongside the Guard locked then in the ball and took to fight Beryl's youmas. The last time she saw them.
Amy remembered. She remembered her older cousin Velinda. Of how different of many children she never made fun of her because of her studies. Actually, she had many times helped her, being something of a scholar too.
She remembered. Velinda's mother was a noble from Jupiter (Princess Jupiter youngest sister, to be more precise), with some Venusian heritage. She always had felt a little envy of her abilities being so more useful than hers. Even if she couldn't freeze things as powerfully as she did.
She remembered. Her friendship with the moon princess and playing pranks together with her cousin and her boyfriend, the princess brother. Of how that friendship opened a lot to her. And Velinda had been the one who suggested she travel to meet the other princesses.
She remembered being at their marriage. Of how beautiful and happy she seemed. Of how badly she wished she could one day find such happiness herself. Of how red she blushed as she caught Velinda's flowers and her friends playful teasing. Of Velinda joining her husband at the Moon family service not long thereafter, for the pride of both Lines.
She remembered. Of the look of pain and sorrow on her face as she helped Aarion lock them to go to the fight. She knew now what that look meant. She didn't expect to live. None of them. But she would not run without trying. She loved then enough to give her life so they would have a chance of survival.
She remembered how she used to call her not cousin, but 'Big Sister' …
See other episodes by Philodox
(Posted Tue, 25 May 2004 20:38)
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