The huge doors looked dark and forbidding as its height dwarfed her. She looked up at it as if for the first time, her eyes taking in the intimidating aura of the wooden titans before her. As the Princess ran a hand delicately across the multitude of carved blossoms and foliage etched artfully on the deep brown mahogany, her thoughts wandered absently. I used to be so scared of this place, reminisced she as her hands chanced upon the tarnished gold knobs at the side of each door. Before turning the knobs she looked back at the hallway from which she had come. The length of the richly adorned corridor was dark except for random rays of sunlight peeking periodically from tall, narrow windows every fifteen paces. The many dark spaces were haunting, and at one point in her life, it had played tricks on her eyes. From it had emerged, a long time ago, bloodthirsty ogres and witches who hid in the shadows waiting for disobedient children to pass her way.

Who would have known that this darkness would later grant me my sanctuary? She asked herself as she smiled, twisted both doorknobs and heaved against the weight of the ornate doors. She shook her head good-naturedly as she entered quietly and leaned delicately on the doors to shut them. Tsk, tsk… That governess and her silly ghost stories! I can't imagine how I would have gotten along if she had scared me out of going here altogether…

She strode across the room, which was not much different from the corridor that led to it, toward the large table that sat in the middle of it, basking in the natural spotlight of a ceiling high window. Pristine rays penetrated the glass and bathed the table with light, slightly contrasting with its dim surroundings. The subtle shuffle of her long skirts sliced through the silence that pervaded the dark library.

Under the light from the ceiling, the she saw a crown of golden hair perched upon an opened book on the table, a heavy, leather-bound volume at that. As the Princess Mercury settled down on one of the great armchairs in the gigantic library, the Princess Venus sighed melodramatically while she closed her eyes and prepared to doze off. "Minako-chan! Giving up so soon?" asked Mercury softly of her hopeless comrade, putting a affectionate hand to her shoulder.

The head shot up and the half-closed azure eyes blinked twice.

"Oh, it's you, Ami-chan; konnichi wa! Konnichi wa!" cheerfully greeted the flaxen-haired princess as she quickly looked up from her momentary rest. The Princess Mercury was astonished to see that her friend had abandoned the choice of either a white or yellow or pink frock for the day, but was instead dressed in a serious blood red velvet. "So… what brings you here to the libra—" The bubbly princess stopped cold of her rhetorical question and quickly stuck out her tongue slightly in acknowledgement of her mistake. "Whoops, stupid question," she promptly countered, a slight blush coming over her cheeks as the other princess nodded just as cheerfully and smiled as she brushed it off. "Something's coming over me, it seems, and I'm not myself today. Must be this thick, boring book, ne?"

The lovely blue-haired princess immediately turned to look at the book her friend propped up in front of her and read the title. "'Ethics and Monarchy'. Hmm…" she murmured, thoughtfully picking up the thick leather volume and flipping through its pages as a pair of pretty blue eyes watched expectantly. "Oh, wow… I never thought you had the initiative to read one of these books on your own, Minako-chan! Congratulations on your new studious streak!" Princess Mercury eagerly told her friend, patting her on the shoulder in appreciation of their newfound similarity.

The Princess Venus was apologetic. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" She repeated as she stressed her denial to the charge with a vigorous shake of the head, both her hands also shaking rapidly in front of her to prove her point. "No, Ami-chan, I'm afraid I'm not as studious as you think!" Taking the book from the other princess' hands, she hugged the heavy tome to her chest as she slowly walked over to one of the numerous bookshelves in the library. The Princess Mercury followed suit as Venus replaced "Ethics and Monarchy" in its proper place.

"Remember how Queen Serenity told us to read at least one book a month?" Venus turned around to face her pretty blue-haired friend, a weary smile on her face. The gentle blue eyes looked confused. "Really? I never knew about that!" exclaimed a surprised Princess Mercury, much to her bubbly friend's amusement.

With a shrill giggle, the princess responded, "Ah, Ami-chan, but that's because Queen Serenity-sama obviously didn't have to impose such a rule on you!" The Princess Venus smiled brightly as she watched Mercury blush demurely, even under the dim, sparse light that crept into the library. She leaned on the shelves of thick, dusty books and hugged herself tightly with both arms, her blood red velvet gown crumpling under the pressure of her grip. "She said it was necessary that we, as princesses and rulers of our respective planets, were expected to be learned in all sorts of things, lest our kingdoms be plagued with rulers who are baka…" As she spoke, her eyes raised themselves up to the heavens, as if begging to be spared from impending doom.

A delicate smile escaped the Princess of Mercury. "Mina-chan… She is right, you know," spoke Mercury evenly.

"I know she is!" The exuberant reply came. "But these are too much for me right now! I'm still young, Ami-chan—my life was meant to be spent having fun and frolicking! Surely Queen Serenity-sama would not like me to grow up a spinster queen lamenting about the sadness of her childhood!" The gay azure eyes looked away in faux sadness, but the other princess was sure that her words, though exaggerated, were earnestly put. "I was not given a mother, Ami-chan…" she continued with a melodramatic sigh, "but it seems I could not be spared from Queen Serenity…"

"Think of what she imposes on Usagi-chan, then, who is her daughter! Oh, Minako! You know she means well, don't you?"

"Yes." The timid answer then came. "But Amiiii-chaaaaaan… I just don't want to read that boring book… well, at least not right now…"

A serious expression flooded her companion's face. "Mina… did she tell you exactly which book to read?"

"No. She just told me to choose my own, as long as it's about anything… grown-uppish?"

"Then follow me."

He bowed down as low as he could so as to pay the highest respects to the Princess Jupiter. "Thank you, Princess," the general said as he rose from his position. Nodding his head slightly to her auburn-haired companion, he murmured, "And to you, Nephrite," a sly, teasing smile on his lips that his friend pretended not to see.

The beautiful princess nodded, too, in acknowledgement. "You don't have to go, General Zoicite."

"But I must, Princess. I might be a bother to both of you right now. Ah, the sun is shining so brightly, and the flowers are all in bloom—is it not an ideal day for two to take a walk?" His surroundings affirmed his charming hint as it revealed the nature in all its awe-striking glory.

"But you're not a bother, Zoicite." This time it was General Nephrite, genuinely and good-naturedly shaking off his excuse.

An eyebrow raised doubtfully. "I regret to leave, but I have other matters to attend to. By the way, would you, by any chance, happed to know where the Princess Mercury is?" Zoicite intentionally placed the question at the end of his statement to disguise his anxiousness, but his companions saw through his charade. Nephrite immediately recognized the opportunity to throw the same sly, teasing grin Zoicite had earlier thrown upon him. He bit his tongue, trying hard to suppress a joking remark.

The verdant eyes of Princess Jupiter shone in delight as her brown-haired consort instead took her hand in his affectionately and clasped it tight. "Check the library, Zoicite-kun."

"'The Legend of Illusion Lake'. This is classical literature, Minako-chan."

Curious eyes looked over the Princess Mercury's shoulder as she held the blue-bound book in front of her and brushed the cover of it lovingly with the back of her hand. "What is it about?"

An uncharacteristic light reflected from her friend's tranquil eyes. "It's a wonderful love story, Mina-chan. And it happened on the moon, right here where we stand."

The perk in the blonde princess was revived as she accepted the volume from Princess Mercury, her eyes radiant and excited. "A love story? Sugoi! And it's classical, too!" As Mercury looked on, she hastily scanned the pages for romantic pictures. "Ami-chan?" She looked up from the yellowed pages, slightly dismayed at not having found elegant engravings, but nonetheless still intrigued. "Do you mind if I leave you right now? I can't wait to start on it."

Gently she nodded, happy at her friend's newfound enthusiasm for literature. The lively Princess gaily strode toward the heavy library doors, awkwardly ecstatic as she struggled to lift her heavy skirts of velvet. At her departure, the mild-mannered princess scanned the book-shelves for random books she had yet to read.

"Ah, Ami-chan?" An abrupt voice, coming from the far entrance, called the Princess from her browsing. It was the Princess Venus, who had stopped cold of the tall wooden doors four meters away. She was hesitating. "Ami-chan? Do you… do you think I look mature, sophisticated—and elegant?" she stammered uneasily, holding up her red velvet dress, which, as a fact, did exhume an aura of maturity not usually seen on the vibrant Venus. Her long hair was without its usual red ribbon, and delicate strands grazed her face gracefully. "Like, maybe, Rei-chan?" she added timidly.

She nodded sadly as she wondered why Minako did not like to be herself that day. "Like Rei-chan."

"Arigato!" Satisfied at this, the bubbly princess tried to conduct herself as properly as possible as she let herself out of the vast library. Her book in tow, she hurried across the enormous palace corridor, unaware that someone was rounding the upcoming corner.

"Oh, oh—Minako-chan no baka, Minako no baka!" The Princess Venus exclaimed desperately as she apologetically helped the regal Queen Serenity up from her fall. "I'm sorry, my Queen…"

"…Serenity," the beautiful lavender-haired woman continued for her. Her hair was swept up in two perfectly round odangos on her head as delicate strands framed the enchanting face. "Minako—my child, what were you so excited about?" She asked her ward as soon as she regained her composure, putting an affectionate hand to her shoulder. Her gently questioning face soon morphed into a stern expression. "Hmm… You have not started reading, have you?"

"Oh, no, my Queen! Look!" She proudly displayed the blue-bound novel in her possession.

"Ah, 'Illusion Lake'. Very good!" A smile showed her relief.

"Arigato! I was excited about this, in fact!" Venus smiled in turn, happy to have presented such a satisfactory choice.

"Well, then, I must not disturb you." The benevolent Queen Serenity lightly bestowed a kiss on the princess' soft cheek and walked on. An understanding look flooded her face. I hate to admit it, but it seems that our Mina-chan is up to something… She in red, her hair let down, her lips shining with color not usually on her fresh face...

As she walked on, she nodded to General Zoicite standing by the doors of the library, who in turn bowed down low to show his respects to her. This, too, is strange! Why is he just looking into the library, and not going inside? Maybe I should ask my Usagi about these peculiarities. I must be getting old—for I don't know what these children are up to anymore…

In her walking, she chanced upon a tall window, from which was visible to her eyes her daughter and the Prince of the Earth, laughingly chasing each other on the manicured lawn. Serenity smiled at her daughter's delightful squeals. At this, the queen's confused mien softened and she resumed her rounds around the moon palace, content with the fact that not everything was out of its place, after all.