Soldiers of Distortion

She stood there at the balcony overlooking the city of Crystal Tokyo below. Night time had fallen across the fair kingdom, casting a dark sleepy blanket over the residents of Crystal Tokyo, but not everyone was asleep. The residents of the castle were all wide awake. A party could be heard taking place within the inner confines of the Crystal Palace. Music, laughter, and chatter could be heard distantly behind her. Her long dark green hair hung about her back as she looked the Kingdom over.

It was almost hard for Sailor Pluto to partake in the festivities. Sure, Chibiusa was finally turning fourteen and is about to being her training to replace her mother as Sailor Moon, but Pluto was used to sitting out on social gatherings. She only attended the party out of her duty as one of the Sailor Senshi, and as the Time Guardian. It seemed like it wasn’t that long ago that Sailor Moon and the others fought Sailor Galaxia alongside the Starlights, and saved the world, for Crystal Tokyo to come into existence. Despite the peace that settled upon them, there was this strangely unsettling feeling lingering in the shadows of her mind. It felt like something or someone was missing, but what or who?

Who could be missing? We’re all here…aren’t we? Setsuna thought to herself quietly. Her eyebrow furrowed in concentration as she went over each of the Sailor Scouts and the names of their successors in her mind. Whenever a Moon Princess becomes the next Sailor Moon, a new circle of Senshi is chosen to take up the task of the previous circle, except Pluto herself of course. Setsuna became so lost in thought that she nearly jumped out of her skin at feeling a hand go on her shoulder. Her red eyes blinked in confusion and she looked over to see a young girl about fourteen staring back at her.

The young girl had her pink hair swept up into two pigtails with carrot shaped buns on top of her head. Her red eyes stared back at her, becoming full of concern. From the faint light of the moon and the light streaming from the nearby windows, Setsuna could see her Little Lady was wearing a dress similar to her Queen’s, only instead of the gold trimmings at the sleeves and the bottom, she could see silver trimmings. Chibiusa is definitely becoming quite the lady.

“Puu? What’s wrong?” Chibiusa’s soft voice greeted her ears and the Senshi of Time felt her lips pulling back into a soft smile. She gently placed a hand atop the young Princess’ head, her fingers gently stroking the top.

“Everything is fine, Little Lady. I’m just a little tired.” Setsuna said softly to her friend. She would have to address her concerns to the Queen and King later on…after the party. There was no need in working the Princess up at her own Rites of Passage party.

Chibiusa’s eyes glittered with even more concern, but her soft lips spread into a warm smile and the young princess just took Setsuna’s hand into her small ones, giving it a soft squeeze. The young girl was about to say some comforting words to her fellow Senshi when cry rang out in the air, accompanied by a string of voices calling out a single name.

“Rei! Sailor Mars!”

Both Chibiusa and Setsuna quickly ran back into the grand ball room where they saw three women huddled over a young black haired woman collapsed in the arms of Setsuna’s fellow Outer Senshi, Haruka. She recognized the woman in Haruka’s arms as the Queen’s personal psychic and friend, Rei. The fire senshi groaned a bit. Her hand reached up under her bangs, as if to grab at something inside of her head. From the strained look on the woman’s face, everyone in the room could tell that a premonition or something evil had hit her.

“What happened, Sailor Mars?” Sailor Uranus asked quietly, helping the younger woman sit up more now. The strap Rei’s black and white dress slipped down her arm a bit, making her shoulder feel a bit bare, but Setsuna watched the Princess of Mars shake her head.

“It was nothing; I mean…” Mars casted her blue eyes to Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, who had both risen off of their thrones at hearing her fellow senshi call out her name. Setsuna knew that Sailor Mars didn’t want to alarm anyone. Causing a panic now would be bad. She knew that the Queen and King would be calling a Council Meeting soon.

Setsuna’s footsteps clacked against the defeanig and hushed silence of the room as the heels of her green shoes met with the tiles of the floor below her. She stopped right before Serenity and Endymion. She curtsied as best as she could with her forest colored dress, gripping her staff in one hand.

“Your majesties, perhaps we should have the Succession of the Senshi right now so that we can then have a Council Meeting soon to address Princess Rei’s troubles.” Her red gaze flickered to the thrones sitting behind the King and Queen. There were four chairs. Chibiusa occupied the one on her mother’s left, but who occupied the one next to Endymion?

Neo-Queen Serenity looked to her husband. Her silvery blue gaze grazed his dark blue ones. They were seeking answers within their hearts, both of them wondering what the best course of action would be. After a few seconds of what seemed like an eternity, Endymion finally nodded to his wife and the two of them looked to Sailor Pluto. Neo-Queen Serenity released her husband’s arm and stepped away from him.

“Let the Sailor Senshi Succession commence. Will my Senshi please approach the throne with their chosen ones?”