Title: An Unsuitable Match
Part: 4
Author: W.bymeeh
Rating: PG
E-mail: jhyunl@aol.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/jayhyun/sm/ 


*Author's Note: Here's chapter 4.  I'm a hopeless romantic, so 
don't expect me to stick to the too depressing story line of the 
Silver Millennium.  I'm a pretty strange writer...if you read 
enough of my stories, you'll see what I mean.  

*Disclaimer: Stuff-not-mine. 

				Chapter 4

	Darien groaned inwardly as he walked into the teleportation 
chamber early that morning.  Serena was surrounded by her 
friends, chattering away excitedly as they laughed and giggled 
together.  He had impatiently set their trip to the Moon the 
morning after they had met with Darien's parents, not wanting to 
postpone their engagement longer than necessary.  Unfortunately, 
there would likely be few chances for him and Serena to be 
together alone on the trip, not with his sister and her court 
tagging along.  Serena had looked up into his eyes, her eyes 
shining, and begged that her friends accompany them, and he had 
simply wilted.  This was the man who was known as a man of steel 
to his troops due to his decisive leadership, and he could not 
stand up to a girl five years younger than him.  
	Of course, he wouldn't have it any other way.  
	Serena looked up and saw him, and the girls began giggling 
at Serena's change in expression, backing away from her so that 
she could get up.  Smiling, Darien walked toward her and met her 
partway, taking her into his arms.  
	"Ready to leave?" he asked after a quick, stirring kiss.  
	Serena smiled back at him and nodded, blushing.  Amused, he 
bent his head and whispered into her ear, "You had better get 
used to me acting like this...after we finish this trip to the 
moon, we get to announce our official engagement..."  
	With that, Serena blushed even more, and unladylike 
whistles were heard from her friends in the background.  
	Laughing, Darien released her from his close embrace, but 
continued holding her hand.  He gestured to his sister and her 
friends to come closer, and they all linked hands. 
	"Mina, are you sure you can handle this?"  It would be his 
sister's first time actually helping to power up a teleportation.  
She had been growing into her power for quite awhile...and it was 
puzzling to his parents, as well.  Her power worked in a way that 
was very dissimilar to that of the family of Earth.  But, power 
was power...
	Mina nodded, and closed her eyes.  Darien, gripping Serena 
tightly, concentrated on his own powers, and it surged forward.  
In a brilliant flash of light, they disappeared from the room.  
None of them noticed that they had been watched the entire time.  

	Serena breathed out slowly, sensing an odd sort of peace 
come over her as she looked around in awe at the moon.  There 
were crumbling remains of what must have been a very stunning 
civilization once.  She felt a wistfulness deep inside of her, 
that she had missed out on seeing the kingdom at its height.
	In the distance, there were groups of soldiers drilling in 
the distance.  Serena wondered who they were.  
	"General Amiro's troops on patrol," Darien whispered in her 
ear.  "Remember, he claims that he's the last surviving military 
leader of the Silver Millennium.  He is temporarily the 
representative of the Neo-Moon Kingdom, which is what he is 
calling the reconstruction of the kingdom as he searches for the 
missing Moon Princess and her court."
	Serena tilted her head to the side and looked at him 
inquisitively.  "Can you read my mind all the time?"  
	Darien chuckled.  "Unfortunately, no..."  He ducked a 
playful slap from Serena.  "But I am able, at certain times, to 
sense a few of your thoughts or images in your mind when you 
don't purposely try to block me out.  You had some pretty 
powerful shields up when we first met."  
	He felt anger again at those who had made her suffer 
through so much, recalling the memories that she had 
inadvertently sent him.  Serena smiled and put a hand on his arm, 
saying, "It's over now.  I have you."  He looked at her in 
surprise and her eyes twinkled merrily.  	
	"You're not the only one who can play mind games, 
apparently...although I can't read your thoughts as you can
read mine."  
	The fact that she could have an idea of what he was 
thinking puzzled him, because only Earth royalty and those who 
had married into the family had telepathic powers, and an actual 
mind link between him and Serena, who had no such powers and who 
wasn't his bride yet, could not be explained in any other way 
than...them being soul mates.  But that way of thinking only led 
him back to his betrothal to the Moon princess, who had been said 
to be his soul mate, and he rapidly pushed thoughts of her out of 
his mind again before Serena could detect them.  
	He smiled at her and they walked hand in hand to the 
palace, a short distance behind the energetic group of girls who 
had already headed excitedly down the path ahead.  

	"Artemis...there was a flare of power in the hall."
	The white cat looked over in the direction of the voice in 
surprise.  "Luna, you had better not be joking.  After all this 
time..."  
	A black cat with a gleaming crescent moon on her forehead 
walked next to the white one.  "There was a definite glow in the 
power sticks of the planets.  It means that they're here.  And I 
know who they are, as well.  One of the girls is of the royal 
family of the Earth, while the other three are her court."  
	Artemis frowned in puzzlement.  "Royal family of the Earth?  
Huh?"  
	Luna shrugged.  "All four of the girls were adopted and 
raised on Earth.  But I believe that the King and Queen adopted 
that girl because they sensed the presence of planetary power in 
her.  The others were raised by families who simply knew that 
they were special, but nothing more.  They are all unaware of 
their powers, but they still have that certain presence about 
them."  
	Artemis nodded.  "That is how you were able to detect them.  
Unfortunately, in the case of the Moon presence...we have neither 
the Silvery Imperium Crystal nor has her presence been able to be 
detected at all." 
	Sighing, Luna shook her head.  "I don't understand it.  
There's not an emptiness, so she's not dead.  But it's like a 
wall has been erected, to prevent her presence from being 
detected at all.  It's not even as if her powers are 
dormant...they're hidden completely."  
	After a few moments of silence had passed, Artemis spoke 
again.  "At least General Amiro will be glad to find out he was 
justified in his actions.  Since the princesses of the inner 
planets survived, that at least dispels the theory that all of 
the babies were killed, and thus the greater chance that Princess 
Serenity survived as well."  
	The black cat's tail twitched nervously.  "Yes...he has 
taken much responsibility in attempting to rebuild the kingdom in 
the name of the missing princess.  Yet there is something I don't 
like about him...I don't trust him.  He was a minor commander 
before, and now he is gathering power in the name of the Moon 
Kingdom...it seems peculiar."  
	Artemis paused.  "Luna, you worry too much.  If it hadn't 
been for him, we'd of been stuck here alone, wandering the ruins 
forever, without any chance of finding the princess."  
	Luna sighed, as only a cat could sigh.  "Still...how will 
we be able to find the moon princess?  It's paradoxical; I can't 
do anything to detect her, and without my detecting her she won't 
be able to figure out who she is...and therefore she won't 
awaken."  
	Artemis grinned.  "There is the prince of the Earth, you 
know...they were betrothed at birth and were destined to be 
together...so the stars say."  
	Luna wrinkled her nose, her whiskers twitching.  "That 
betrothal was a political maneuver with a bunch of romantic 
rubbish thrown in."  
	Artemis shook his head.  "No, I think they were meant to 
fall in love."  
	Luna scoffed, "Such a romantic, Artemis."  
	Artemis shrugged.  "Call me crazy, but I'm betting you that 
destiny will make sure that those two meet and fall in love."  
	Luna swatted Artemis with her paw.  "You lost already.  The 
Prince of Earth arrived with the Senshi in disguise just a little 
while ago.  And they're not here for a pleasure jaunt, I assure 
you.  He's brought a servant girl who he intends to marry!  He's 
come to dissolve the betrothal made more than a decade ago to the 
princess of the moon.  For all those ridiculous rumors that have 
arose from the destruction of the Moon kingdom, no one ever 
bothered to nullify political treaties that bound planets to 
them.  I suppose most of them hoped that the Moon kingdom would 
be rebuilt one day..."  
	"We can't dissolve the betrothal.  It would mean officially 
declaring the princess dead...and since you've just discovered 
the Senshi...there's still the strong chance that Queen Serenity 
saved the princess as well.  After we find the princess, we can 
dissolve the betrothal."  
	Luna looked amused.  "Isn't that ironic.  A betrothal 
between two people, one of whom is dead, is to be upheld until 
both are alive together, in which case the betrothal ends."  Then 
she sighed.  "He'll just have to wait.  Let's go report to 
General Amiro."  

	With butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Serena stepped 
into the Great Hall clutching the arm of Darien.  She was dressed 
in a new satin dress of sky blue that exactly matched her bright 
eyes, and was somewhat aware that it was flattering, judging by 
the dazzled look in Darien's eyes when he had first seen her. 
	He looked handsome too...standing strong and proud in his 
dark suit and princely regalia, complete with a cloak attached to 
his shoulders.
	Mina, Lita, Raye, and Amy were all dressed up in their 
finest as well, and they lined up behind Darien and Serena in 
pairs with an uncharacteristic solemness.  They were a far cry 
from the awkward twelve-year old girls they had been so long ago. 
	Serena felt rather peculiar at being placed in front of 
Mina, but she sighed and accepted the change as necessary.  
	The Hall was not as crowded as the one on the palace on 
Earth, but it was certainly twice as large.  Perhaps that was why 
the number of people in it seemed to be miniscule in comparison.  
At the opposite end of the hall, a stocky, red-haired man with 
flashing green eyes stood in military uniform waiting for them. 
	Darien calmly led the way, and Serena had a chance to 
covertly glance around the hall.  She caught glimpses of the 
deteriorating walls and crumbling mold.  In the air...it was 
strange.  There was dust gathering everywhere, but as Serena 
walked by, a breeze of fresh air swept into the room, making the 
room seem more bright and more alive, unlike the ancient remains 
that they had been for years.  It seemed that the inability to 
rebuild the Moon kingdom faster had more to do with the fact that 
the royal family had been nowhere near it than the pace of 
workers.  
	Serena felt saddened at the state of the palace, and Darien 
felt it, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.  
	They reached the front of the throne where General Amiro 
stood, with a mysteriously cold look on his face.  Behind them, 
the girls had taken a step away from the formal proceedings as 
Darien and Serena solemnly greeted Amiro and exchanged diplomatic 
greetings.  However, Darien refused to let Serena curtsy very 
deeply, restraining her through his tight grip.  He felt somehow 
that Amiro was not equal to his future fiancé.  
	"Prince of Earth, what is your reason for granting us your 
presence on the Moon?"  
	Darien looked at the green eyed military leader without a 
hint of fear in his eyes.  "Representative of the Neo-Moon 
Kingdom, I request to be released from my age-old betrothal to 
the long-deceased princess of the Moon."  
	The red-haired man didn't blink an eye.  "Your reason?"  
	Serena held on to Darien's arm tightly, her heart beating 
madly.  He looked down at her and smiled. 
	Without removing his gaze from her, he spoke.  "I wish to 
marry Serena, a woman from my home planet." 
	Near the shadows of the wall, a black and white cat 
exchanged looks.  
	Amiro paused before responding.  "I'm sorry to inform you, 
your highness, but I cannot grant your request."  
	Serena gasped, and Darien's blue eyes blazed with anger.  
Before he could say anything, Amiro continued. 
	"Be aware that it is not I personally who makes this 
decision.  The princess of the Moon is still alive, and in her 
place I do not have the right to make decisions that belong to 
her.  The betrothal still holds."  His green eyes narrowed.  He 
had chosen each word that he said carefully, but no doubt those 
empty-headed cat advisors would be after him later.  But it no 
longer mattered.  He had a willing participant in his scheme that 
would allow him to control the power of the Moon kingdom.  It 
didn't matter to him if the real princess existed or not; the 
respect and power that the throne of the Moon commanded merely by 
its name would be enough for him.  He would be the power behind a 
puppet ruler, with an easy victim to play princess and allow him 
to do everything.  He spoke again.  "The betrothal still holds." 
	In the shadows, Luna muttered to Artemis, "We haven't found 
the princess yet..."  
	Amiro paused, and then point to a door on the side of the 
wall.  "If you'll follow me..."   
	Artemis frowned, whispering, "I don't like this.  Is he 
planning on identifying the Senshi already?  What is he doing?"  
	Luna became tense, not liking the direction this was 
heading in.  "All I know, is that the prince looks ready to 
kill...and there's something about that girl that he wants to 
marry...something special..."  
	

*****Comments would be greatly appreciated!  

Inspiration comes anytime.  

I was listening to a jazz lecture when I thought up this strange idea 
for a fic placed in the first half of the R season...

w. bymeeh
jhyunl@aol.com
http://members.tripod.com/jayhyun/sm/