Title: Ava Adore - Book1, 3/? Author: Anastasia Shinsei E-Mail: eternalslrsenshi@aol.com Rating: PG Disclaimers: The titles, Ava Adore and Stand Inside Your Love, and verses quoted are by Billy Corgan and Smashing Pumpkins. Sailor Moon is trademark of Naoko Takeuchi. The story is mine. Authors Notes: This is a series, not a songfic, although I do use a verse as a quote in the beginning. This will include the past, present, future, as well as the Generals/Senshi Romances. I use a combination of Japanese anime/manga and NA dub information while using NA names because it's just easier for me to remember the dub names. I do prefer the Japanese version better. If you haven't already caught it now, the Luna/Artemis romance is in tribute to Patch's "A Denied Love". The series is in tribute and inspired by Alina's "Guardians of the Millennium", one of the best series around. Thank you to my beta team, who are simply the best. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ You and me, meant to be Immutable, Impossible It's destiny, pure lunacy Incalculable, Insufferable But for the last time, You're everything that I want and ask for You're all that I dream Who wouldn't be the one you love? Who wouldn't stand inside your love? Protected and the lover of? "Stand Inside Your Love" ~Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Book 1- To Stand Inside Your Love Chapter 3 *Time Table 1: The Past, Silver Millennium* Five lovely young ladies prepared themselves in the largest suites of the entire palace. They dressed themselves in beautiful gowns of rich materials to suit the occasion. The team of Ambassadors from the Earth Kingdom would be arriving in hours and the ladies were to lead them on a tour of the kingdom once the introductory ceremony ended. Once the tour was finished, the obligatory ball would begin. Mina giggled as she spun around in her golden silk dress. "So what do you think?" The other girls admired the pretty picture she made. With her sparkling sapphire eyes and sunny smile, they couldn't help but be pleased with what they saw. "I think we all look wonderful and Mother will be very happy to see us looking appropriately dressed for the occasion." Serena briefly glanced in the mirror at her silvery white dress and surveyed the room. A winsome smile crept across her face as she studied the girls. She then turned back to look at her reflection and frowned into the gilded mirror. Ami had calmly smoothed the wrinkles out of her velvety midnight- blue gown before noticing the princess' discomfort. 'Maybe this is too much.' She mused to herself while scrutinized the fitted bodice. The tranquil Princess of Mercury never desired to put herself on display before and she wasn't about to start now. Ami lifted her head to ask Serena's opinion when she saw her friend sigh. She stepped over to Serena's side and placed a gentle hand upon her friend's shoulder. "Serena," Ami asked with a concerned look on her face. "What's wrong?" Serena turned slowly and grinned wryly. "It's nothing really. I'm just not really looking forward to all of this." Lita sat herself down on Serena's bed and lazily stretched her long limbs out. "What could you possibly mean by that?" She asked. "There are five gorgeous men coming here and we get to escort them on a tour of the kingdom! What more could you ask for?" She lay back on the bed and tucked her arms behind her head with a dreamy sigh as her forest tulle skirt billowed about her. Serena laughed in response. "I happen to know what the prince is supposed to say to me, nothing more. I'm just not looking forward to hearing it, though I already know what I'm going to say." She giggled at her friends' confused faces. "Let me elaborate. Do you remember how I told you that it looks like the Earth Kingdom wants the alliance?" "Yeah, I think you told us about this some time ago." Rei's facial expression melted into one of intense concentration. "Your mother told you about what the Earth kingdom hoped to gain, something about a marriage between their kingdom's and another." She sank into a chair without paying much attention to crushing of her red satin skirt as the direct meaning hit her. "Did you mean marriage with the prince? I thought it was a figure of speech for a political marriage from the alliance." Serena nodded, pleased with Rei's immediate grasp of the situation. Rei had always been the hot-tempered one of the group but she was also a very quick thinker. "According to my mother, the Earth Kingdom would like a marriage between the prince and one of the princesses of the Kingdoms already part of the Silver Millennium." She paused momentarily to let the information sink in. "Most of all, they'd like it with the strongest kingdom so that the alliance is complete." The four young women slowly moved to gaze at their friend in disbelief. "That means you. He would have to propose to you." Ami spoke after a few seconds of silence. Serena glanced down at her tightly gripped hands and loosened them immediately before the others noticed. She had attempted to keep her cool as the time approached when the princesses would meet the prince and his royal guard, but it was going to be more difficult than she had assumed. Another pair of hands gently covered her own and gave an encouraging squeeze. "Serena," Mina began quietly. "Are you going to be all right? You know you don't have to go through with it, if you don't want to." Serena just smiled back in gratitude before answering. "I know. I already know I won't be accepting. It just makes me think that one of you might be asked and I'll lose one of my best friends." Rei impatiently brushed her bangs off her face while making her way to Serena's side. She gruffly reassured the princess, "Now you know that's not going to happen. We all just want you to be happy and our first duty is to protect you and the Silver Millennium. Now stop thinking with those Meatballs of yours and start thinking with your brain for a change." Rei sat down next to Serena in a huff while speaking. Despite her words, Rei was truly worried about her Serena and laid a calming hand on her friend's shoulder. Serena lifted her head and started laughing. "You're right. You're all absolutely right." She squeezed Mina's hand back and touched Rei's forehead with her own. "Thank you, all of you." She said softly with a smile and stood up. "At least we can establish a friendship with the Earth ambassadors and that's just as good." Lita bounced up from Serena's bed and gave her a hearty slap on the back, causing the poor girl to stumble forward slightly. "That's our Serena!" Lita exclaimed enthusiastically. "Everything's going to be great and we'll all have a good time!" She paused for a brief moment and crossed her arms in deep thought. "I wonder if one of them looks like my old boyfriend?" Four girls collapsed to their seats and groaned. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Fanfare and red carpets came out in full force as the Earth Prince and his generals made their way through the impressive splendor of Queen Serenity's throne room. The entourage stood in awe of the legendary Moon Queen before making their way down the aisle. The queen emanated absolute power and authority but was also compassionate in her demeanor. Each man calmly walked down the carpet to the throne, and bowed deeply before the queen. She nodded graciously at the men and motioned with her hand for them to rise. "Welcome," Queen Serenity's voice danced lightly throughout the room. "We hope you will have a pleasant stay here in the Moon Kingdom." She smiled at each one before introducing the girls surrounding her. The queen motioned to each as she spoke. "These are the princesses of the Inner Planets and will be escorting you on a tour of our kingdom. Princess Ami, Princess Rei, Princess Lita, and Princess Mina are the planetary princesses." Each princess stepped forward when her name was called and nodded her head regally to the entourage from Earth. One last girl stepped out from behind the queen's throne. "And this," Queen Serenity gently pulled the girl's hand forward and wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders. "This is my daughter, Princess Serena." The men bowed once more, this time is appreciation rather than in awe of what they saw before their very eyes. Each princess radiated from within, only enchancing their exquisite physical beauty. The Moon Princess blushed slightly from tension but gave each of the young men an affable smile. Princess Ami calmly smiled back at them, while Princess Lita pasted blindingly radiant grin on her face. Their friend, Princess Rei, gave Lita a sideways glance while trying to contain the laughter they could all see was just below the surface. Thanks to the over-exuberant Lita, the Earth entourage received a smile full of mirth from the Princess of Mars. Princess Mina stood poised on the other side of the queen and took a discreetly defensive position by Serena's side. She gave each man a pleasant grin. As the typical royal tableau unfolded, the prince acknowledged the princesses' pleasant manner as objectively as possible, and concluded that the young women were quite charming and lovely. He watched each princess as she greeted the terrans until his gaze finally rested on the Moon Princess. And a very lovely sight she was, he admitted to himself. The princess stood diminutively by her mother and Princess Mina's sides as she studied the young men with a friendly curiosity. His mouth curved as he realized she was nervous but radiant in her bravery. No, she wasn't what he expected at all. Malachite stood at attention, a stoic expression masking his anxiety over the whole affair. He had been Darien's friend through thick and thin, and was privy to his friend's concerns. Darien spent many sleepless nights worrying over the first meeting while Malachite tried his best to help the prince regain his composure. Malachite had expected the fanfare, but he had never imagined the hospitable yet reserved nature of the princesses before him. Each was beautiful in her own right, capable of proving her worth a thousand times over. Malachite smiled inwardly at that thought and admitted to himself that Jadeite might be right. Maybe this trip wasn't going be so bad, he thought to himself as he eyed the enchanting blonde who stood protectively by the Moon Princess' side. Princess Serena took a hesitant step forward and gave a tiny grin in greeting to the prince and his guards. "Welcome to our kingdom." She stepped down from the platform the throne rested upon and held out her hand to the prince. Prince Darien reached out his hand and the time stopped for those precious few seconds. Darien and Serena's gazes locked onto each other. They stood suspended as scenes from a different place and lifetime ran their course. * FLASH * A dark queen unleashes her fury onto a familiar young woman, in a sailor fuku and, just as familiar, a young man in a tuxedo suit. The woman cries out in heartbroken anguish, as he dies in her arms, a second time, a second lifetime. She vows that their first kiss in this lifetime will not be marred by stench of unforgiving death. * FLASH * The same young man and young woman are on a simple shopping trip. The man sighs in resignation at sight of his empty wallet but immediately forgets it as he marvels at the joy he has brought to the young woman. He swears silently that he will do anything and everything for her. * FLASH * The young woman watches as the product from the merging of two souls fades from existence. The pain of that realization shatters her very essence. A new sinister queen revels in the morbid dreams haunting all those she loves, especially the young man. Her head bows as she gives her word to take the undeserved punishment of the queen to release her beloved from the nightmares. * FLASH * A goodbye from the young man as he makes his way to a new country receives a tearful pledge from the young woman. In return, he gives her a token on their eternal bond, something that held more promise than words could say and gave more happiness than could ever be imagined. * FLASH * The young woman surveys the skies in sheer anguish as magnificent blue, green, red, orange, yellow, seafoam, purple, and navy stars shimmer among countless others. Her wings are useless when she tries to reach those stars. She thinks to herself, I can't take this anymore, please don't let it be; her focus returns to the skies and the golden sparkle catches her eye. Her torment increases tenfold. He promised, she whispers, until the agony breaks through. 'Give them back, onegai!' she screams into the blackened skies. * FLASH * A perfect starlit night finds the young woman and young man gazing into each other's soul by a lake. They look into each other's soul and find the piece of themselves that makes each complete. One of the most beautiful words ever created are spoken. 'Aishiteru'. * FLASH * Darien and Serena moved ever so slightly from each other's touch, too overwhelmed and shell-shocked by what had just occurred. Only one thought remained in their minds after the scenes finished their performance. What just happened? ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The lonely figure watched as the delicate threads of time pulled and tugged their way into the complex tapestry that would later be referred to as destiny, while others would call it fate. The weaving had begun and events would soon take their place in history. Another individual entered the room and spoke. "Perhaps we should start the preparations?" The observer carefully studied the first proceedings and replied, "Yes, I believe we should. It will soon be time to pave the way for the phoenix rising." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ END OF CHAPTER 3