Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Sailor Senshi and all terms, names etc associated with the series are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha so please don't sue me!

Part 3

One Year later-

Serena and the others gathered in the throne room, waiting for Queen Serenity's presence. They chattered quietly among themselves, wondering what was up this time. Serena was especially worried for when she was called to the Throne room last time on Earth, it was horrible news. Serenity walked in, her face calm and cool.

"I have some news. I have contacted Queen Lauryl and King Terrance and we are expected on Earth in three days," she said.

They all gasped, not believing it. "Really? Are you serious?" Serena asked. She was the happiest of the five.

The Queen was smiling now. "Yes, my daughter. Are you excited?"

"Most definitely. I can't believe it! Thank you, Mother. We really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it. I'm rather worn out so I'm going to my room. Good night, girls." The servants escorted her, leaving the princesses alone.

"I cannot believe this! Does this mean we'll finally meet that handsome prince of yours?" Lita asked.

"And maybe we'll finally meet some guys on Earth. I do wonder if they are cute," Mina finished.

"Oh, trust me, you'll love it there. The guys are absolutely irresistible," Serena replied and they giggled.

The next few days came and went quickly as the five princesses got prepared for their trip to Earth. Serena was especially nervous for she couldn't wait to see Darien. She didn't know how he would react. Would he be glad to see her or would he totally ignore me? she wondered to herself. The door suddenly opened to reveal Lita, Mina, Rei, and Ami dressed in beautiful gowns, complimenting their figures. Rei was wearing a simple red dress with her blackish reddish hair swept back. Ami had a long ocean blue dress with little designs that adorned it superbly and Lita's dress was pale green with an elegant dress, which hugged her curves gracefully while her hair was pulled back into a ponytail like always. They excitedly chattered.

"Serena, is that what you're wearing?" Mina asked, pointing to her slacks and a white shirt.

"Why not? And why are you guys all dressed up? Not that I'm saying that you guys look good. Because you do," Serena blabbed on.

"Get a grip on yourself. Are you that nervous seeing him again?" Rei said, annoyed with her ranting.

"Well, I would too," Ami came into Serena's defense.

"Serena, you are meeting your dream prince. Why don't you dress up too?" Mina suggested.

"Yeah! It would be totally unexpected," they all chimed in.

"No way! You know how much I hate dressing up. And besides, I wouldn't look good in any dresses anyway," Serena protested.

"Are you kidding?" Mina said, not believing what she was hearing. "You would look killer in a dress and then, once Darien sees you, he'll fall totally in love with you and you guys will get married and live happily ever after."

"Yeah, I wish. I still don't it's a good idea to get so dressed up. I mean, what if he laughs at me?" Serena asked.

"He definitely won't. You should think more highly of yourself," Ami encouraged. "Now come on, we've got a lot of work to do!"

Lita pulled her up from the bed and started to glamour her up while Serena fidgeted uncomfortably. When they were finally done, they went to the Courtyard where Queen Serenity was waiting for them.

"You all look marvelous," the queen complimented. "How did you ever get Serena to wear a dress? I've been trying to do that for years with no success. For some reason, she always wants to wear men's clothing."

Serena pouted while the others laughed. "Okay, now are we finished with making fun of me?" she asked unhappily.

The five, including Queen Serenity, Mina, Rei, Ami, and Lita giggled some more in response. After finally calming down, Queen shouted, "Moon Teleport" and they disappeared in a flash.

When they arrived, Ami was the first to notice the scenery and gasped. The others turned to see she was looking at and Lita, Mina, and Rei gasped as well. "It's beautiful," Mina murmured.

"Wait until you see the rose garden. You guys will absolutely flip!" Serena said. The princesses ran ahead, forgetting about their dresses.

Queen Serenity shook her head. "Serena! Come back here! We must go in to see the King and Queen first," she called out.

Disappointedly, each trudged back to Serenity. "Yes, mother," Serena said and they walked into the palace.

Two guards stood by the enormous door and several servants stood in the front eagerly waiting for the royalty's arrival. Putting on bright smiles, they curtsied and bowed. "Your Majesty," they said in unison and a young lady led them to the throne room where the King and Queen were waiting again.

Serena felt a strange sense of déjà vu but quickly ignored it. The other princesses were murmuring how beautiful the palace was like Serena did once before but she joined in, showing where the ballroom and grand dining room was located. Finally reaching their final destination, Serena wondered if Darien would be in there, waiting for her. Don't be silly. Now why would he do that? she told herself.

"Lauryl! Terrance!" Serenity exclaimed warmly. "How nice to see you again."

"Yes, likewise," the queen of Earth said and they hugged.

"Now, I would like you to meet Princess Ami from Mercury," Serenity introduced. Ami nervously walked forward and curtsied. "Princess Mina from Venus." Mina smiled brightly, and curtsied slightly. "Princess Rei from Mars." Rei curtsied and walked back."Princess Lita from Jupiter." Lita gave a cheerful smile and bowed. "And my daughter whom you already know, Princess Serena." Serena lifted the hem of her dress and stepped forward. She curtsied gracefully, gazing down at the floor.

Lauryl smiled at the sight of them, knowing that they would make beautiful princesses. "They are very lovely," she said and the princesses smiled at the compliment the queen gave them. "Serena, why don't you and the ladies take a tour around the palace. I'm sure that our mindless talking would bore you." Actually she wanted Serena to see Darien as soon as possible.

"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for keeping our arrival a secret. I really wanted it to be a surprise to them. I'll see you later, Mother," Serena said and motioned for her friends to follow her. They walked out and were finally free of the nervousness that they had felt.

"Queen Lauryl is very nice," Mina commented. She craned her neck to see the rooms that were in the majestic hallway. "It sure is beautiful here."

"You got that right," Rei said. "What should we do first, Serena? Maybe go see Darien? I want to see for myself just how handsome he is that captured our moon princess's heart."

Serena blushed. "I want to see some friends first," she replied. They walked for a few minutes when Serena tripped because of her long dress. "Aww, man! I don't know why I listened to you guys. Remind me to *never ever* wear a dress again," she complained.

They laughed and continued walking to the room. When they finally got there, she told them to wait outside until she tells them to go in. They unhappily agreed for they wanted to see the handsome Royal Guards Serena had been telling them about.

She anxiously knocked on the door to the guards' room. A few seconds later, it opened to show Jedite standing there with his training clothes on.

"Umm... hey?!" Serena said at her bewildered friend. She was trying not to laugh at the expression he had.

"Serena? Is that you?" he asked, shocked.

"Yeah, it's me," she said softly and hugged him tightly. "I've missed you."

"Me too." Jedite was astonished at the beautiful sight the princess made. "Come on, let's go surprise the guys."

"Yeah! I can't wait to see their faces," Serena said.

"You haven't changed," Jedite said and shook his head.

"And I'm not going to," Serena shot back.

They were about to enter the back room when Serena grabbed his wrist. "Wait. Is...umm...Darien in there?" she asked.

He smiled. "Ah, still thinking about our prince, I see. Yeah, he's training with Malachite."

"No! I was just wondering," Serena protested.

He gave a knowing smile and proceeded into the room. "Guys, look who's here," Jedite said slowly. Because of his tallness and broad shoulders, it was very easy for Serena to hide behind him. He stepped aside to show Serena.

"Hi, you guys," Serena said and the room went still. They were too shocked to say anything.

"Meatball Head? Is that really you?" Darien managed to sputter out. He could hardly believe how much she had grown in just a year. If possible, her waist was even smaller and he could span it easily. Her long, shapely legs, that were endlessly long, completed her figure. The shimmering light pink gown she had on seemed to hug every curve on her body. Is this really her? She looks beautiful, like an angel, Darien thought as he stared at her.

"Hello?" Nephrite asked and waved a hand in front of the prince's face. "Anyone in there?"

Darien came back into reality and nodded. His black hair was a little longer than before which fell in front of his eyes at times. His eyes were still the same startling blue like they were a year ago but somehow, it became a bit more cold and unrevealing of his feelings.

She had given everyone a hug, which they graciously returned. "Yeah, the one and only," Serena replied with an affectionate smile. "How are you guys doing? I've miss all of you."

"We're doing great. I cannot believe you are actually wearing a dress. Our little Serena has grown," Malachite said jokingly.

"Oh no! " Serena exclaimed all of a sudden. "I totally forgot about them. Rei is going to kill me!"

"Who's Rei?" Zoicite asked being ever so inquisitive like a certain princess from the planet Mercury.

"You'll see. Wait right here, okay?" she said and rushed out of the room, leaving the men confused.

A few minutes later, Serena came back into the room with four other princesses following close by, one especially peeved. "Okay, guys, this is Princess Mina from Venus, Rei from Mars, Ami from Mercury, and last but not least, Lita from Jupiter," the Moon Princess said as she pointed to her friends. She then turned around to face the men. "These are Darien's royal guards and friends, Jedite, Nephrite, Malachite, and Zoicite. "

Jedite's eyes immediately flew to the raven-haired princess. Her big violet eyes captured him and he was stunned at how beautiful she was. Wow! She sure is a beauty, he said to himself. Rei was also staring back at him although she would never admit it. His mischievous grin made her heart flutter and she sighed inwardly. No guy had ever made her feel like this. Malachite could see no one else except for Princess Venus at that moment. Her radiant smile and long blonde hair caught his eyes. He was amazed that this seraph was standing right in front of him. Realizing that she was looking at him, he smiled. Although he was wearing a shirt, his muscles stood out and Mina blushed at the handsome sight of him.

Lita gaped at the roan haired man with tall, broad shoulders. Wow, is he a hunkmeister or what? He looks just like my old boyfriend back on Jupiter except he's so much cuter, she thought and smiled wickedly to herself. His brownish red wavy hair made him stand and she sighed audibly. Nephrite was spellbound at the sight of the auburn haired beauty. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with a few wisps let out loosely, framing her face. Rose earrings adorned her ears, making her look all the more beautiful. He silently promised himself to find out more about his princess.

As soon as Ami walked gracefully into the room, Zoycite knew he had fallen for her. How could anyone not, he thought to himself. With her demure smile and graceful movements, he was totally drawn into her. Ami immediately saw the golden haired general. His hair was longer than the others, almost looking girlish but she didn't really heed it. He looked just as handsome, maybe even more to her. Remembering her manners and her staring, she blushed and shyly looked down. She had never felt this way even to the most attractive of her suitors in Mercury. They had never succeeded in getting her attention, much less her affection. She wondered if what she was feeling was serious but then decided to put it out of her mind. It was way too early to tell.

Darien stared at Serena as if she was the most beautiful girl on Earth, the Moon, and the entire galaxy. He could not believe the transformation she had gone through in such little time. She was only fifteen but she was already exquisite and he knew that her loveliness would increase through time. Darien inwardly shook his head and chided himself. He was already betrothed to Beryl; he could not think of anyone else that way, especially his childhood friend. He was ecstatic to see Serena for he had truly missed her.

Once he shook himself out of his muse, Darien cleared his throat, which caused his friends to come to as well. "Why don't you ladies go to the rose garden and wait for us there. We'll be there soon after we clean up a little bit," he motioned to his sweat-drenched shirt that was clinging to him.

The princesses blushed, once they realized that he was right. Serena smiled and replied, "Yes, we'll wait for you there. We have a lot of catching up to do." She quickly ushered her friends out of the room.

"Aww, man, Serena's friends are total babes!" Jedite exclaimed once the princesses were out of hearing range. "And that Martian is *fine*!"

Nephrite and Jedite slapped high fives while the other guys laughed.

"So, what do you guys think of them?" Serena asked, hoping that they would like them.

"Mmm, those are some hotties!  Darien's friends are waaay cute, especially that Nephrite.  I could just stare at him all day," Lita said as she made a swooning gesture, making the girls laugh.

"Yes, I would really like to meet Zoycite.  He seems like a very nice person. And very handsome too," Ami commented quietly as if to herself then blushed, hoping that none of her friends heard her last comment.

Unfortunately for Princess Mercury, they all did and Serena said, smiling knowingly, "Well, it looks like our Ami has a little crush on someone." Ami tried to deny it but they all knew better.  Just then, the men, wearing their royal attire and looking very distinguished, came out into the garden. They all bowed gallantly to the princesses.

All of a sudden, an imaginary light bulb on top of Serena's head flashed and a brilliant idea popped into her head.  She could have all the guys give their respective princesses a tour of the palace, one on one.  Then they could have some privacy while they got to know each other.  Smiling happily to herself, she turned to Darien and his guards.  "Do you guys mind if you give a tour to my friends?  I am sure they would all love to see this beautiful place. They all nodded, thinking that it was a wonderful idea idea.   "Okay, great then. Everyone, let's pair up."

Lita immediately grabbed Nephrite's hands then reddened slightly when she realized her audacity.  Jedite tapped on Rei's shoulders then smiled handsomely, making her weak in the knees.  Malachite walked over to Mina and held his hand out.  She flushed and put her hand in his.

Zoycite stood next to Ami, cleared his throat and then smiled warmly.  "Well, I guess we're the only ones left.  Would you like to accompany me?  I would really like to show you around," Zoycite said.  Ami could hardly believe her luck but agreed quickly as she blush prettily.

The Moon Princess smiled, proud of her accomplishments.  "Oh, good, everyone's paired up now.  Okay, then, I guess I'll see you guys later.  Have a great time!" Serena said as she began to walk back to the palace by herself.

"Wait!" Mina said loudly, getting everyone's attention. "What about you, Serena? Aren't you going to go with Darien?"

Serena glanced at the Prince who shifted uncomfortably.  "No, that's all right. Prince Darien is probably busy anyway.  Thanks but don't worry about me, you guys.  Go and have some fun," Serena replied.  She had truly hoped that he would say that she was being silly and he would love to go with her but there really was no chance of that happening.  He was apathetic on the surface but she still knew him well enough to see through him.  His eyes were clear for a second or two, long enough for her to notice the apprehensive, almost distressed look like he was trapped in a cage.   Then it went back to being indifferent and calm as if he was fine all along.

"Oh, come on, Meatball Head.  Don't be so stubborn.  I'm sure that Darien wouldn't mind.  And besides, didn't you say earlier that you guys had to catch up?" Rei said, shooting a look to Serena, attempting to make her remain with Darien.

"Rei!  You know better than to call me Meatball Head!  I hate that nickname, when will you get it through your thick skull?" Serena said, pouting.

Darien suddenly smiled, reminiscing the times when he called her that.  How much fun and how simple it was back then.  He loved being with Serena and her carefree and easygoing spirit.  He suddenly wished he could once again.

Malachite, being the closest to the Prince, nudged him lightly.  "Hey!  Come out of La-La land!  They're trying to convince Serena to stay with you but she's too obstinate," he whispered to Darien, trying not to draw further attention to his friend.

At that, Darien immediately woke up from his musings.  "No, wait, Serena," he called after her, while asking himself just what the heck he was doing.  He knew that it wasn't a good idea but couldn't help himself.  He just wanted to be with Serena for a little while, if nothing else.  "Don't go.  Stay with me.  We can talk, or something."

Serena's eyes widened in surprise then smiled.  "Okay, Darien.  I would love to."

"Well, then great.  We can get this show on the road," Mina said. 

The other girls nodded, eager as well.

The four pairs left, talking and smiling happily, leaving Serena and Darien behind.  They sat in silence, not knowing what to say or do.  She had hoped that they would become close like they were a year ago.  Now, it seemed like there was no chance of that happening.

Darien coughed, hoping that it would break the silence.  "So...how have you been? Good I hope."

Serena smiled at his weak attempt to make conversation.  Trying to make it easier on him, she replied, "Darien...you don't have to do this.  I understand if you don't want to talk.  Really, I do."

"No!  I didn't mean that...It's just been a long time.  I've really missed you though," he said softly.  Turning around, he faced the Moon Princess.  She looked as beautiful as ever, maybe even more.  Her long golden hair gleamed in the sunlight and his hands itched to run through them.  He couldn't believe how much she had grown.

"I've really missed you too.  It's great seeing you again.  I remember how we use to hang out and spend so much time with each other.  The tricks we played on the others.  The horseback riding.  The roses we planted," Serena said, glancing at the lovely rose bushes that decorated the exquisite garden.   "We were practically inseparable. So much fun...there wasn't a single care in the world.  I really miss those times," She said, reminiscing with a faraway look on her face.

"Yeah.  Me too."  Nodding, Darien smiled at the memories that flew back.  He had tried so hard to forget those wonderful times he had had with his Meatball Head but it was impossible. He knew he shouldn't have those memories and feelings for her, now that he was getting married very soon but it was too hard to push away. And what's even more was that he didn't want to.

"Alright!  Enough of this stuff.  Why don't we go riding?  Just like old times. What do you say?"  She asked.

Darien chuckled at the eager face Serena made and agreed although he had a niggling feeling of what was soon to come.

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