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CHAPTER NINE

*********************************
Moon Kingdom
*********************************
Solitaire watched as Endymion and Beryl sped away from them 
over the horizon. The four generals followed, their duties being 
to both the Queen and the Prince. Beryl hoped to leave Solitaire 
far behind, seeing that she had never ridden a horse before. She 
had made her horse canter, and forced Endymion to go with her, 
and the generals were obliged to follow. She ordered Fayate to 
'have his fun' with solitaire, an exchange which only Beryl and 
Fayate could truly understand. Fayate knew exactly what Beryl 
meant - he appeared to be her servant, but infact he was serving 
something much greater than Beryl could hope to be. Now, 
however, Beryl's voice was beginning to sound more and more 
like Metallia's every day, and soon he would no longer have to 
work on converting her to the Negaverse. He knew that Beryl 
wanted him to try and get some information out of Solitaire, 
which is what he sought out to do as the others passed them. 
The generals were convinced Solitaire could hold her own, but 
Endymion looked back worriedly at Solitaire. He was 
responding to her kindness, and he wasn't sure how Solitaire 
would fare on the horse. 

Solitaire smiled as he watched them leave - the visit was, after 
all, all Beryl's, and everyone's goal was to keep Beryl satisfied 
in the hopes of making negotiations with her go smoothly. 
Solitaire didn?t want to cause problems - she had already made 
a mess of her personal life, and she didn't want to create any 
conflicts that involved Beryl. Fayate watched Solitaire and 
Endymion with the slightest feelings of jealousy. Unlike the 
way in which Endymion would serve Beryl in the future, 
Fayate's choice to work for Metallia could almost be classified 
as a conscious decision. The way in which Beryl changed 
Endymion (the same method that Neflite would use on 
Solitaire) caused the true soul and emotions of Endymion to be 
repressed; Beryl worked to consistently control all of his actions 
directly; if she left him alone, he might even break free. Inside, 
the true voice could overshadow the false one. In Fayate's case 
however, it was completely natural to obey the Negaverse; it 
was a son obeying the parent - the Negaverse was as much a 
part of him as any parent. Even though it took a spell to remove 
Fayate from his Earth life and drag him back to his true home, 
the spell was a weak one that soon became a part of him - he 
would eventually consciously believe what Metallia was telling 
him, and he would change to meet the needs of the Negaverse. 
It was not true consciousness, but it was defiently not out of his 
control. Consequently, there was no need to repress any part of 
Fayate; he was free to be himself - free to feel anger and 
jealousy towards Endymion. But the driving force behind his 
existence now prevented him from acting on his feelings too 
much - there were more important things to work on.

Solitaire watched Fayate's silent brooding out of the corner of 
her eye. He made her feel uneasy, especially after what she had 
done last night. She wondered if she made him feel nervous, 
after what she had said. There was only one way to find out, 
and Solitaire found it difficult to listen to the silence.

"So have you ever seen a winter before Lord Fayalite?"

Fayate eerily turned away from watching Beryl in the distance 
to face Solitaire's nervous expression. Her voice sounded so 
cool - her posture so relaxed and regal - but in her face and her 
eyes there was tension. "I used to live here on Earth, actuality."

"Oh." Solitaire replied. "Did you grow up here?" Solitaire 
continued.

Fayate became nervous as well as Solitaire brought up his past. 
If his true home was the Negaverse, then why did he grow up 
on Earth? Furthermore, why did he like his life on this planet so 
much? Such issues plagued Fayate, because one day he would 
realize what he was doing now was wrong, and the Earth would 
be the closest thing he would ever have to a home - not the 
Negaverse. "I spent most of my life here. But now I work for 
Beryl" Fayate said determinedly and somewhat stupidly, as 
Solitaire looked at him strangely. Before she could continue the 
subject, Fayate quickly changed it - "So how do you like riding 
horseback?"

Solitaire smiled shyly as she ran her hand along the horse's 
mane. "I'm sorry they made you stay with me. If you want, go 
on ahead."

"No, I'd much rather stay here with you." Fayate himself didn't 
quite understand why he had said what he said, but somehow it 
was the truth and he couldn't control it.. But as he said it the 
normal warmth in his eyes returned that had been blocked by 
his quest for power. 

Solitaire blushed, caught off guard by what Fayate said as much 
as Fayate himself was surprised. Somehow his words gave her 
energy. "But you shouldn't have to freeze her with me. I can 
probably do this. Its the poor horse that has to do all the work."

"The horse's trot has a special motion to it and if you don't 
know how to handle it, its really uncomfortable. Just stick to the 
walk." Fayate advised kindly. But Solitaire was already tensing 
her body.

"Then we'll skip the trot."

She turned to him with a confident smile as she loosened the 
reigns somewhat. Fayate didn't even hear her signal the horse 
and the animal pooled its muscles together, releasing them like 
a spring which propelled it and Solitaire far ahead. The horse 
was in a canter, snow flying behind it - and Solitaire was still on 
top. Fayate motioned his horse to follow her, and as soon as he 
caught up to her, she looked at him again with determination 
and pleasure in her eyes and she urged the animal on into a 
gallop. Instinctively, Solitaire rose off the animal, giving it 
freedom to move under her, as Fayate was obliged to follow. He 
was more worried about her safety than anything else, but he 
couldn't help wondering how it was possible for her to know 
how to ride the horse when she had never ridden before.

Solitaire was bathed in the mix of speed, fear, and excitement. 
She didn't want to slow down - for the first time she felt free - 
like the wind. Later on, she would find this pleasure in anything 
that made her go fast - but right now she could not think of 
anything so exiting. 

The cold wind slapped Solitaire's warm face, and she could feel 
her scarf coming undone from her head, but she didn't want to 
stop. She saw Endymion and the others ahead of her - 
instinctively, she knew she would pass them - her goal was not 
to catch up with them anymore; she just wanted to feel this free 
for as long as she could. The Queen was walking her horse like 
the others, so that she could talk with Endymion, and solitaire 
sped past them before they got a chance to turn around and 
listen where the sound of horse-steps was coming from. Fayate 
was soon to follow, riding his horse more elegantly than 
Solitaire - but he was not enjoying it like she was. He was 
trying to keep up with her. Endymion tuned out Beryl's voice as 
suddenly something occurred to him - there was a steep valley 
at the top of the hill that they were all heading up, and Solitaire 
would not see it until it was too late.

"Solitaire - wait!" he cried, but Solitaire had already passed the 
point of no return. Endymion raced with Fayate up the hill, 
fearing the worst. It would take an experienced horseman to be 
able to maneuver through the valley and the jump; the horse 
itself might not be capable of such a feat. Endymion passed 
Fayate as his horse was less tired than Fayate's, reaching the top 
of the hill where he could just begin to peer into the cliff below. 
If Solitaire had made it, she should have gone across by now, 
but - 
Solitaire appeared out of a cloud of snow, her scarf flying off 
her head as the horse finished the ordeal. She tugged tightly on 
the reigns, stopping the animal as she herself caught her breath. 
Out of the excitement, speed and fear she had been feeling, fear 
dominated her expression right now, and she was only able to 
hide it partially when she saw the others looking at her. 
Endymion leapt across the valley, struggling slightly not to fall 
off, but soon he reached Solitaire who stood somewhat frozen at 
the edge.

"Are you alright?" Endymion asked, somewhat out of breath as 
he dismounted.

Solitaire smiled at him lightly, as the terror in her eyes subsided 
and excitement replaced it. Fayate was not far behind, holding 
Solitaire's scarf as he approached her with worry in his 
expression that subsided when he realized she was alright. He 
handed her the scarf and smiled at her, the two looking at 
eachother in silence that was no longer uncomfortable. 
Endymion refused to be ignored.

"How did you learn to do that?" he demanded, with surprise and 
admiration in his voice.

"Fayalite, of course." Solitaire replied to Fayate's surprise. 
Endymion looked at Fayate surprisedly, but he could see 
nothing written in his face other than the interest it had towards 
Solitaire.

Fayate caught Endymion looking at him. "I just told her that 
trotting was uncomfortable for the novice." Immediately the 
both of them sensed the humor in Fayate's words, even though 
Solitaire missed it. It was out of a context out of Fayate's and 
Endymion's past, and consequently the two enemies found 
themselves laughing wholeheartedly as Solitaire watched in 
surprise. 

The moment of unity subsided, however, as soon as Fayate 
returned to watching Solitaire and Endymion remembered how 
the past he had spent with Fayate had now been tinged by his 
departure a while ago. The war waged, with Solitaire being the 
center of its focus, though not for long.

********************************
Crystal Tokyo
********************************
Fayate had forgotten how similar Solitaire looked to Serenity, 
especially when she was dressed in a royal gown. He couldn't 
stop the people from staring at the two of them - people rarely 
saw Serenity in the city, and when they did it was with 
Endymion. Not only was the 'queen' with Fayate, but she was 
crying...Quickly they realized it was not Serenity, but then who 
could it be?

Fortunately the walk to Fayate's apartment was a short one, and 
Solitaire was too caught up in herself (as usual) to notice the 
people staring at her. But Fayate could see this would be a 
major problem for Solitaire. But perhaps with a change of 
clothes and a new haircut, Solitaire would look less like 
Serenity and more like the eerily perfect beauty that she was. 
But what was more important was what would solitaire DO - 
what would be the thing that would make her happy? And how 
would solitaire know what makes her happy, if she had never 
been happy? Once again Fayate turned to himself for the 
answers. How had he turned his life around? A day at a time. 
Each day had been a struggle to survive, and eventually other 
things replaced the survival until Fayate learned a new duty and 
a new goal to work towards. The first year had been almost 
unbearable; the only thing that kept him going was the fact that 
he owed it to Beryl. Solitaire not only had nothing to be 
ashamed of like Fayate had, but she also had people who cared 
about her, even if they didn't understand her. Fayate was all 
alone, and he stayed alone for that year until he slowly solved 
what was bothering him. And, although Fayate did not dare to 
admit it - Solitaire had him; someone who had the time and 
desire to devote all of his attention towards her and her well-
being. Not only that, Fayate understood Solitaire. Really all she 
had to do was let go of her past.

But as Fayate watched her slender form, her hand trying to 
cover her face to hide the pain and the tears, he saw how her 
past had been ingrained into her today - even now, even though 
she had fallen asleep in his arms, even though he knew she 
knew she had nothing to hide from him, she was still hiding 
something, still ashamed of what she was feeling. He didn't 
want to see her turn into a lifeless, if beautiful, statue. There 
was so much more for her.

No one recognized Fayate as he and Solitaire headed towards 
the elevator in the elegant lobby. Fayate was rich. He had 
nothing more to do during that first year than focus his 
intelligence on money. That was how he was introduced to 
Serenity, at a royal function. But money didn't matter to him 
much - what mattered was his work, preserving the peace that 
Serenity had worked so hard to create. There was not much to 
do now, that Nemesis was no longer a threat. The past week he 
had spent working on a computer program of all things, 
debugging the security system in his house, and fine-tuning the 
tracking system in his car. He had been going to visit Serenity 
earlier today, so that he could square things away with her 
before he left for a long-needed vacation on the sugary beaches 
of the Gulf Coast. Fayate was not afraid to go alone - he could 
easily find company, although he never kept permanent friends. 
The mask of happiness that Fayate put on for the world - the 
world that could not understand his past - quickly eroded as 
conversations turned towards the serious. Fayate assumed the 
trip was cancelled.

The elevator slipped up through the center of the building, 
arriving at the top floor. Fayate pressed a special code so that 
the door would open as he led Solitaire into a small waiting 
room, opening the door to his apartment with the swipe of a 
plastic keycard. As he opened the door, a panel of lights quickly 
turned on inside, revealing an expansive livingroom decorated 
in a western style with a few Japanese elements. The ceiling 
was made completely of glass, but instead of the sky, above it 
there was about three feet of water and beyond that the sky was 
exposed. The water was lit with lights, however, providing a 
shimmering glow to the room beneath it where the few lights 
that were on the entrance did not shine quite so well. Fayate 
placed they key on the kitchen counter, as he thought for a 
moment to offer Solitaire a drink, but decided against it.

"I haven't been here in a couple of weeks, so I guess I'm a little 
short on food."

"Please, Fayate. Really, you don't have to do this." Solitaire 
replied quietly. She felt awkward, not knowing what course of 
action to follow like she always had planned in the past.

Fayate shook his head, sighing as he opened the fridge to find 
nothing in it but several types of wine. "You can sleep in any 
room you like; I'm sure you'll find your way around here." 
Fayate added softly. He saw how acquired Solitaire was acting, 
so he just tried to leave her in peace as much as he could. 
"Upstairs are the bedrooms and the bathrooms, and if you want 
you can try the pool, just make sure you heat the water first."

"How am I going to pay you back for this Fayate?" Solitaire 
asked.

"By staying here and not worrying everyone. At least for 
tonight, okay?" Fayate added tenderly.

Solitaire was troubled by his kindness. Strangers were never as 
kind as Fayate, and she didn't know how to react. She was 
desperately trying to find a way to have some sort of plan. But 
all she could do was stand in near the door awkwardly.

"Just make yourself at home." Fayate said as he headed towards 
the door.

"Where are you going?" Solitaire wondered.

"I'll be right back. Don't wait for me. Just go to sleep. Use 
anything you find." Fayate replied, as he slipped out the door to 
get groceries.

Solitaire was given a moment to think when Fayate left. She 
thought of leaving for a moment, but the door to the outside hall 
was locked. She assumed one needed the key to get out as well. 
Fayate had probably done it on purpose. Solitaire didn't know 
what else to do than what Fayate had suggested. She had no 
inner voice of her own, so her mind substituted his words for 
her own. She went up the elegant staircase to find two 
bedrooms and a two bathrooms. Beyond a glass door was the 
pool on the roof of the building among the marble flooring and 
tropical plants. Solitaire continued past the balcony to one of 
the bedrooms. She opened the door to find a pristine order in 
another western-style room. Solitaire looked around for some 
pictures, perhaps of family, but there was nothing. No parents, 
no siblings, just a picture of Fayate and some woman standing 
near the ocean. A wave of jealousy coursed through Solitaire, 
but before she had time to analyze the feeling and suppress it, 
Solitaire recognized Serenity from the picture. There were 
others in the background too - it was easy for her to recognize 
Neflite and Jaedite - with them were Lita and Rei. Fayate was 
even smiling, very much different from the serious and gentle 
expressions she had known him to have. Solitaire couldn?t 
believe she had felt jealousy. She didn't want to admit to liking 
Fayate, despite her opposition to everything he suggested. 
Infact, she didn't want to think of anything right now, and she 
didn't want to have to deal with Fayate when he came back. He 
was being too nice; it was a new feeling for Solitaire, and 
everything new made her uncomfortable.

The bed was cool at first, but as Solitaire drifted into sleep it 
became warmer. She didn't bother uncovering the matters - 
Solitaire was making it clear that she was not here to stay.

******************************
Fayate drove quickly towards the palace, knowing that given 
enough time, Solitaire would eventually find a way to leave his 
apartment. He was convinced if he could just talk to her, he 
could convince her not to run away. The car slipped through the 
gates and into the paved road before the courtyard. The gates 
closed behind Fayate as he stepped out, turning the engine off 
and hurrying inside. He walked the halls for a short while, but 
soon found Serenity were he suspected she would be - among 
the rose garden. She always went there when something was 
bothering her.

"Serenity - " Fayate addressed her cautiously. He had almost 
forgotten their argument earlier.

There was silence for a moment, until Serenity finally spoke. 
"Did you find her?" she asked monotonously.

Fayate was unsure of what to answer. But he decided to trust 
Serenity with the truth. "Yes." Through the darkness the 
moonlight shone timidly on Serenity's brooding face, but Fayate
 could detect the relief in her expression when he had answered.

"Is she all you hoped for?" Serenity continued without looking 
at Fayate. Her mood was beginning to worry him.

"She's what I expected." Fayate answered ambiguously. He 
could not see where the conversation was going, as Serenity's 
voice revealed nothing but a slight anger.

"And what did you expect?" Serenity quickly added, a trace of 
hope in her voice. She realized Fayate was closer to Solitaire 
than her, even though Solitaire was her sister. She would have 
to learn to accept this, but she didn't want Fayate to know, in 
case Solitaire did something terrible to him. Solitaire was 
unpredictable.

"Myself." Fayate added smiling and shaking his head. He 
watched Serenity, as the warmth returned to her eyes and her 
voice slowly.

"And what ELSE did you expect?" Serenity asked somewhat 
playfully. 

"What do you mean?" Fayate wondered. He was relieved that 
Serenity had returned to her characteristic demeanor, but he 
didn't see her point.

"Oh, nothing." Serenity smiled as she rose. "Why are you here, 
Fayate?"

"I thought I was welcome in the Palace..." Fayate joked in 
response to the change in mood. Inside, he was trying to 
discover what Serenity was hiding.

"Well, yes, technically you are."

"I wanted you to know she's alright." Fayate added softly. 
Serenity's demeanor shifted back to seriousness.

"Is she staying with you?" Serenity asked.

"Yes, but I don't know how long I can keep her from leaving." 
Fayate answered.

"Where is she going to go?" Serenity asked anxiously.

"I have no idea. You know what it must be like for her."

"Not as well as you do." Serenity replied. Fayate was comforted 
by her acknowledgement. 

"She just needs time. Maybe a lot of time." Fayate admitted.

"Well, if you need anything..." Serenity offered.

"Actually, do you know what size she might wear? I was 
hoping -" Fayate began before Serenity cut him off.

"I can have it taken care of. Which apartment do you want me 
to send them to?"

Fayate was not entirely surprised by Serenity's preparedness. It 
was clear she truly wanted to help her sister. "Downtown. 
Thanks." Fayate said, kissing Serenity on the cheek. He had to 
hurry back. Serenity smiled at him warmly.

"Go" she urged him.

Fayate stayed a moment before he departed. "I didn't mean what 
I said earlier."

"No, you were right." Serenity began, until she was interrupted.

"Mommy! Mommy!" an unmistakable voice came from under 
the brush. Fayate had to resist the urge to cringe as Rini ran by 
him - he was so happy when she had left for the past, 
considering all the baby-sitting he was forced to endure while 
the war was going on and afterwards. Not that Rini was an 
especially annoying child, but Fayate could only take so much 
abuse. He was too nice to her, and she took advantage of it.

Rini ran into her mother's arms selfishly. Serenity was so happy 
to have her return, she almost forgot about Fayate. "Rini, aren't 
you going to say hi to Fayate?" Serenity asked, looking up, but 
Fayate was already hurrying towards the palace. He stopped for 
a moment to smile at her before he disappeared inside.

*********************************
MOON KINGDOM
*********************************
The group sat over the large and decorated table within the 
warm palace. Endymion was next to Beryl, but watched 
Solitaire out of the corner of his eye. She was talking to Fayate. 
He admitted it bothered him, and tried to convince himself he 
was over her. It would have worked, too, had it not been Fayate 
she was talking to. Out of all the people in the world, why did 
she have to focus her attention on him?

?So what of the mobilization?? Jaedite asked as he sipped the 
wine slightly quickly. This was the last dinner they would have 
together, perhaps even for a very long time. Beryl was leaving, 
and Solitaire had been called back to the Moon Kingdom. A 
ball was being held after the dinner.

?You should know - ? Neflite warned, mocking Jaedite. 
Everything was ready, but it was clear to everyone tat Jaedite 
had not done his part. Something else had been on his mind.

Jaedite made a face and turned to Malachite for some 
reassurance, but the cold general would not provide him with 
any. Normally he could always talk to Endymion or Solitaire, 
but they were both busy. Zoicite was much too reserved for 
him. He smiled lightly as his thoughts shifted away from the 
current events.

Solitaire showed only mild interest in what Fayate was saying. 
It was all over - her vacation, her friends. She had to go home. 
Her wine disappeared faster than Jaedite?s.

?When are you leaving?? Fayate wondered.

?Tonight. As soon as I finish here. Serenity wanted be back as 
soon as possible, but I told her I had work to do.?

?Oh.? Fayate added, not really knowing what to say. The 
energy that he had seen in Solitaire earlier subsided when she 
had gotten the news.

Solitaire smiled at him lightly, as she twirled the glass in her 
hand. ?I?m sorry, but I have to get ready.? She said as she was 
about to stand up.

?You?re not staying for the ball?? Fayate wondered. Solitaire 
shook her head.

?I?ll talk to you later.? Solitaire added as she tried to slip past 
the others.

?Sure.? Fayate mumbled.

Jaedite noticed her as she headed out of the dining room. He 
jumped out of his chair to follow her.

?Solitaire!? he called as she turned to him. Solitaire smiled. 
Jaedite wrapped his arm around her waist. ?Are you leaving 
already??

?Yes.? Solitaire sighed.

?Won?t you at least stay for the ball?? Jaedite wondered.

?No, thanks. I?m so tired.?

?So when am I going to see you again??

?Serenity will hold a meeting. She has to. Within a month, I 
promise.?

Jaedite looked somewhat sad. He really liked Solitaire. He 
knew what it was like to miss someone, even though missing 
Solitaire would be nothing like missing Rei.

?Tell everyone goodbye for me.? Solitaire added as they 
reached her room. Jaedite mumbled something as a reply.

?I?m going to miss you.? Solitaire added, smiling somewhat. 
Jaedite kissed her on the cheek and bowed. Meanwhile the 
music began to play down the hall

?Be safe.? Jaedite added as he walked towards the ballroom.

?You too.? Solitaire added. She turned to close the door to her 
chamber. She would have to pack her clothes, but not much 
else. She hadn?t brought anything. What was there to bring. 
Other than the crystal. Solitaire tapped the box lightly as it lay 
on her table. This crystal was her whole life. Sometimes she just 
felt like crushing it. Now was one of those times.. But instead 
she let it slide out between her fingers. If she destroyed it, she 
would be powerless. Quickly she packed her clothes into three 
neat suitcases. Solitaire was about to leave. She didn?t want to 
stay any longer, and she didn?t want to say goodbye to anyone, 
knowing it would make her sadder. Jaedite was too immature to 
realize that good-byes were painful for her; but the others, even 
perhaps Endymion, knew that it was not rudeness that would 
cause her to leave so quickly in the middle of the night. 

A swift knock was heard at the door, as Solitaire turned towards 
it while the crystal remained in her hand. Nothing happened. 
?Come in? she eventually replied. The door opened slowly to 
reveal Endymion. He smiled at Solitaire for a moment, but his 
smile evanesced as he caught the sadness in her eyes.

?I didn?t know you were leaving already.? He said softly, 
somewhat hurt.

?Well, I don?t see any point in staying when I know I have to go 
back.? Solitaire said matching his softness.

?When am I going to see you again?? Endymion added.

Solitaire didn?t reply for a moment, not knowing the answer 
herself. ?Why don?t you come to the Moon? For vacation??

?You know travel is banned between the Moon and Earth and 
Mineral Kingdoms.?

?But you came before.? Solitaire pointed out.

?We were invited. Just like you were invited here. By royal 
order.?

?Oh, I?m sure some matter of state will come up sooner or later. 
It has to, with the war. Infact, I know that Serenity is planning 
to unite the Soldiers very soon. It would be foolish of her not to 
include representatives from Earth when every other planet in 
the solar system is invited.? Solitaire continued, her voice 
becoming playful towards the end.

?Oh, yes, very foolish.? Endymion played along.

?I?ll have to mention it to her. But of course, a formal complaint 
from Earth would be out of the question.?

?Indeed, it would.? He said, smiling.

?Are there any other concerns the Earth Kingdom needs 
addressed?? Solitaire mocked.

?Well, maybe.? Endymion said as he brushed his hand across 
Solitaire?s face. Solitaire was growing sad again, as she felt her 
departure from Earth on many levels. She knew it would never 
work out between her and Endymion. She also realized she was 
going home, and the war was coming. She didn?t know if this 
was perhaps the last time she would see Endymion.

?I have to go.? Solitaire uttered silently, with sadness and 
dullness in her words as she looked at the ground. 

?Goodbye, Solitaire.? Endymion whispered as he leaned in to 
kiss her. A moment later he couldn?t feel her lips anymore, and 
as he opened his eyes a silver glow shone before him, subsiding 
and melting into air. Endymion knew very well that he couldn?t 
have Solitaire, or at least not the way he wanted her. She would 
never be happy.

*********************************
Crystal Tokyo
*********************************
Fayate struggled to open the door to his apartment with the bags 
of groceries in his hands, but eventually he was able to place 
them on the counter-top. No lights were on and it was quiet - 
too quiet. Fayate feared that Solitaire had found a way to leave, 
as he cursed silently. In the back of his mind he hoped that 
perhaps she had actually done what he told her to do - maybe, 
just maybe - she was sleeping in one of the bedrooms. Fayate 
took his jacket off as he headed upstairs and past the pool, and 
to his relief in the first room on the right Solitaire was sleeping 
on top of the bed. He watched her rest for a moment before he 
went to the other room to get another blanket, which he let fall 
over her. Solitaire shifted for a moment, but Fayate thought she 
was still asleep. He walked softly towards the door. Solitaire 
opened her eyes as soon as he left. She lay there in the darkness, 
thinking. Tomorrow would be a new day. She should look for a 
job. She refused to rely on the kindness of others.

********************************
Moon Kingdom
********************************
Solitaire waited for the haze to clear as she stood in the hallway 
of the Moon Kingdom Palace. She could hear voices - many 
voices. Something must be happening. The light subsided. 
People were running about, among them she made out her 
mother hurrying. Serenity caught her daughter?s gaze.

?Oh, Solitaire! Welcome home, darling.? Serenity said as she 
hugged Solitaire.

Solitaire hinted at a smile. ?What?s going on? Why all the 
commotion??

?Didn?t I tell you yet? Three Guardians are arriving today, any 
minute. We have so much to finish with the preparations, and 
they could already be here. Oh dear! Solitaire, please go to the 
official room and welcome them if I?m not there.? Serenity 
pleaded, while talking to some palace workers. Solitaire slipped 
away from her mother and headed towards the room. Three 
scouts? She wondered which ones. She made her way into the 
official room, where the throne was, but no one was there other 
than the guards. Solitaire did not have to wait long before her 
mother arrived.

?How was Earth?? Serenity asked, smiling at her daughter.

?It was very pleasant. I think-? Solitaire began, before she was 
cut off by the waves of energy that engulfed the room which 
distracted her mother. Everyone watched the materialization 
among the greenish-blue haze, as Neptune appeared with grace 
and elegance that matched Solitaire?s. She wore a white gown, 
detailed with blue-green trimmings and flowers.

?Sailor Neptune arriving, your highness? Neptune spoke, 
bowing her head as Serenity approached her smiling. Serenity 
embraced the young woman, and taking her by the hand lead 
her towards Solitaire who stood indifferently next to her sister 
who had arrived just a bit late.

?My daughters, Solitaire and Serena? Serenity said. Solitaire 
nodded her head, while Serena smiled warmly and bowed. 
Neptune looked at Solitaire for a moment, but her attention 
quickly turned to the younger of the sisters, whose warm smile 
caught her eye, and she was forced to smile back. 

?Please, everyone, have a seat? Serenity said, as she seated 
Neptune to her right, and Solitaire and Serena on the other side 
of the throne. There were two more visitors to await. Neptune 
and Serenity talked, while Solitaire tried to close her eyes. She 
was so sick of these formal greetings.

?So how was Earth?? Serena asked her sister excitedly.

?Good? Solitaire said, without opening her eyes. But she could 
see Serena was really curious.

?Did you visit that guy? What was his name - Neflite? 
Hmmmmm?? Serena asked. Solitaire opened her eyes and 
watched her sister?s excitement.

?I visited the royal palace. I met all the royal guards, and the 
Prince.? She continued, trying to hide any emotion that may 
have been linked to the words.

?Really? Were they nice? You know mother has asked the four 
of them to come to the Moon in a month, to escort the other 
four Guardians??

?No, I didn?t know.? Solitaire added shocked. How did her 
mother know to invite them. ?Why only four? There is 
Endymion, and his four guards??

?I heard the Prince was not invited.? Serena said, as she 
watched her sister?s face take on sadness. She knew something 
was causing her sadness. 

?Oh.? Solitaire uttered dully. ?That doesn?t really make sense. 
Why not??

?I don?t know. She wouldn?t tell me. It is very strange, 
especially since almost ten guards will be visiting from the 
Palace. I wonder why not the Prince.?

?It?s a pity. You would have liked him.? Solitaire continued.

?Oh, Solitaire! You can tell me - how many of them did you get 
involved with? I heard they are all really good looking.? Serena 
had not expected the distress and anger that her sister?s face 
took on after she had said these words. She had done something 
very wrong, and Serena knew Solitaire was in one of her 
?moods? so it was best just to leave her alone.

With perfect timing, however, another Guardian was arriving. 
Once again, the room was bathed in a yellowish light, and 
slowly Uranus emerged from the glitter.

?Sailor Uranus, your Majesty.? Uranus said as she bowed. She 
wore a white gown similar to Neptune?s, like every royal of the 
Moon Kingdom. Everyone in the room rose once again, and 
greetings were exchanged. Uranus and Neptune started at 
eachother uncontrollably - they had met before, and after 
Serenity had welcomed Uranus, the three of them quickly 
engaged in conversation.

?Aren?t they beautiful?? Serena asked her sister.

?Yes they are? Solitaire replied somewhat more subdued. 
Another light bathed the room, this time a violet color, as the 
third and final Guardian arrived - Pluto. She wore a trimmer 
version of the royal gown, and instead of being white, it was a 
golden satin that reflected her dark skin and greenish hair, while 
illuminating her fiery eyes.

?Sailor Pluto.? She said without bowing. Serenity approached 
her, embracing her, and Pluto smiled for a moment.

?I?m so glad you could come? Serenity added, as she lead Pluto 
towards the others.

?Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune,? the greetings 
continued??And these are my daughters, Solitaire and 
Serena.?

Pluto examined each of them with the detached interest of a 
poet, but she couldn?t help but notice the similarities between 
herself and Solitaire. Solitaire watched Pluto with apprehension 
that bordered on admiration. Serenity was quick to intervene.

?So why don?t we all have something to eat. You girls must be 
starving!? Serenity announced, Pluto and Solitaire averting their 
stares.


******************************
later that day, after dinner
******************************
?But do you think this is for the best, Serenity?? Luna 
wondered.

?It has to be. I can?t see it any other way. Solitaire should have 
never found out that I wanted her to not be Queen. She hasn?t 
figured out that I wanted her to be the Guardian of Time, and all 
she feels is that she has had something taken away from her. I 
know she is older than Serena, but I can?t ignore what I have 
been told about the future. She can?t rule without the love of 
another.? Serenity replied. Then she whispered ?No one can.? 
Luna looked away.

?The Door of Time cannot go unguarded.? Luna announced.

?I know. I hope Pluto will forgive me, but it has to be this way. 
Solitaire can?t do it any more - she will see it as something 
below her, and quite frankly it is a very lonely life.? Serenity continued.

?Sailor Pluto?? Luna gasped. ?But she?ll be devastated!?

?I know, Luna. I know. But she is so much like Solitaire - she 
has all of Solitaire?s good qualities. Even more, she is such a 
loyal and responsible person. I don?t know how I can say this - 
I trust her more than my own daughter.?

?Indeed - you would not be giving her a duty that you would 
not have given to your own child.?

?Of course, I must ask it of her, an not place such a burden on 
her without explaining its consequences fully to her. I don?t 
understand why Solitaire?s fate is to be alone, and why Serena 
is so different from her. All I know is that Solitaire is too cold 
to make a good Queen, and she will not find love to soften her 
heart. I hope Pluto will understand.?

?When do you plan to tell them?? Luna asked.

?I must tell them soon, for the war is approaching. Something 
very bad will happen because of it, but I do not know yet what 
that is. We have to be ready.?

?How much time do we have?? 

?Two months at most. The four other scouts will arrive in a 
month, along with the generals from Earth. I was hoping 
Solitaire would keep me updated on their progress on Earth, but 
as soon as she left here, I didn?t hear anything form her. I 
wanted her to enjoy herself, even if only for a short while, but it 
was necessary to call her back. I need her help. She is really so 
much like her father. If only it didn?t have to be this way.?

?I know, your majesty. But the future is bright, for all of our 
children.?

?Yes, Luna, I hope so.? Serenity said, smiling somewhat. Soon, 
however, her smile faded as she realized it was time to do 
something that she had been dreading for ten years. ?I have to 
tell them now. They need this month to prepare, and then we 
will be ready for the other scouts.?

?Everything will work out.? Luna said hopefully, as she jumped 
upon a chair next to Serenity. The queen motioned to a guard to 
ask the three scouts and her two daughters to gather in the royal 
room. She wanted to announce her decisions before the ball. 
Uranus and Neptune were the first to arrive, followed by Pluto, 
and then Solitaire slinked her way into the room that was so 
familiar to her. Serena eventually staggered into the room as 
well, dressed in pajamas. The others all had evening gowns on, 
even Uranus.

?I have something very important to share with you all,? 
Serenity began as Serena sat beside her mother, resting her head 
in Serenity?s lap. ?I want to get through this as soon as possible. 
Please, everyone, sit down-? Serenity motioned. The other 
gathered around the round table.

?As you are all too aware, there is a war going on Earth. It 
seems very distant from all of us, but everything indicates that 
within the next two months the battles there will heighten, and 
somehow affect all of us. I know it must be hard for everyone to 
understand, and I myself often have my doubts, but I feel that 
we must be prepared. In doing so, I have two measures that I 
feel will give us our security. First, I have spent several years 
preparing a shield that will surround our Kingdom, that is 
unpenetrable as far as my sources indicate. While I plan this 
shield to be activated within the time we are left with, I also feel 
another measure is necessary to ensure the survival of our 
Kingdom. Since you were born, you all have been raised to fill 
the roles of the Sailor Scouts - the primary defenders of the 
Moon Kingdom. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto have all been 
given powers greater than the other five scouts in order to 
defend the outermost parts of our kingdom, which they have 
already done so well. We are very grateful to you and your 
families for sacrificing your innocence to protect our world.?

?It is our honor.? Neptune interjected quietly.

?I only hope that what I am doing is right, and the best for all of 
us and our future. With that said, I have come to the conclusion 
that it will be necessary to set up the team of the Guardians with 
the following arrangement. Neptune and Uranus, I ask you with 
the highest respect if you would honor us by taking on the 
duties as Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. While I know that 
the three of you have powers that are much stronger than the 
five inner princesses, I feel that you will want to work 
independently from the Moon for much of the time, and with 
that confidence, I have chosen the Kingdom of Venus, with 
their princess, as the head of the Sailor Scouts, as they are not 
only closet to the Moon by distance, but also by family. For that 
reason, it will be easiest with them to stay in touch with the 
Moon. If you have any objections or concerns...?

?We have none.? Uranus and Neptune said simultaneously. 
They had been prepared for everything Serenity told them now 
since their birth. ?It is our honor.? Uranus repeated, smiling 
knowingly. Serenity smiled back and thanked them. For a 
moment she glanced at her older daughter, who had grown quiet 
and brooding once again. It was hard for her to continue.

?With that said, I have come to the conclusion that the leader of 
the Sailor Scouts, above Sailor Venus, shall be assumed by my 
daughter Serena when she is either twenty-one, or I am no 
longer able to fulfill  my duty.?

The three scouts looked at Solitaire all at the same time, and 
were more shocked than finding out that is was not Solitaire 
who was to been Serenity?s successor, when they saw the calm 
on her face. She looked at them quietly, her fortitude intact, as 
they turned quickly to watch Serena?s reaction.

?What? Why?!? Serena protested as she quickly awoke from 
her sleep. ?What about Solitaire??

?This is my decision, Serena, we are not going to discuss it.? 
Serenity argued. She understood that Serena was not ready at 
this time to assume the responsibility of Queen, but she knew 
that Solitaire would help her fill out her role.

?What? No! I don?t want to! Solitaire, was this your idea? I 
mean, I know you don?t like us that much, but really, do you 
think *I* would be able to make a Queen?!? Serena demanded.

?Oh, no.? Solitaire added calmly. ?This wasn?t my doing.?

?Mother?!? Serena demanded.

?It is my decision, and one day you will understand.? Serenity 
continued. She wasn?t going to reveal the reason behind her 
decision to anyone other than Luna.

?What about Solitaire? What will she do?? Serena wondered.

?Solitaire will continue to be the primary advisor to the queen. 
If something should happen to Sailor Moon, she will be there to 
replace her, and like Sailor Moon, she is not the one directly in 
charge of the other Sailors, which will be Venus? duty.? Now 
let me finish, Serena, please? Serenity said as she soothed her 
daughter. She really wanted to be comforting Solitaire, but it 
was Solitaire?s own independence that caused her the loss of the 
queen-ship. ?Finally, I have a special request of Pluto. Not only 
do I want her to be the eight and final Sailor Guardian, but in 
addition, and with her consent, I would like to ask her to be the 
Guardian to the Door of Time.?

Unlike Solitaire?s expression when she had heard her fate, Pluto 
was somewhat shocked by Serenity?s announcement, although 
she tried to hide much of it. Serenity was prepared for  Pluto?s 
hesitance. ?I would like to discuss it with you when you feel to 
do so, and please understand that there is no shame or anger if 
you do not want the duty. I hadn?t planned it this way 
originally, but this is how it worked out.?

?Of course, you majesty.? Pluto motioned. She knew everyone 
would look down upon her if she didn?t take the role, and she 
was not only prepared to give her life to protect the queen and 
Sailor Moon, but she felt this was also part of her duty as a 
scout. ?I would be honored to accept both duties, of Sailor Pluto 
and as the Guardian of the Door of Time, Queen Serenity.? She 
said smiling lightly.

?Please, Setsuna, we?ll talk about it. As for everyone, I would 
be happy to address any question or concerns that you have. 
Otherwise, please enjoy the ball.? Serenity prompted.  Solitaire 
stood abruptly, smiled obligatorily at the others, and excused 
herself. Neptune began asking the Queen about the shields she 
mentioned, while Uranus also listened in. Serena saw that her 
mother should not be bothered now, and she looked for 
Solitaire, but Solitaire disappeared out through the door. Pluto 
also stood, and excused herself.