Beginning of the End

Twelve

The next twelve Years passed by in relative Peace, and before anyone knew it, Princess Serena'd reached the tender age of fourteen alongside her Guardians. Everybody'd seemingly forgotten Nehelania crashing her commemoration celebration mere Days after her Birth, and the Moon Princess certainly didn't remember it. She'd absolutely no recollection of it, and aside from the stories her mother told her of there being a Light in her heart that'd always overcome Darkness, she didn't even know who Nehelania was.

        In the interim, she spent most of her Time in her Princess form, as did said Guardians–who were also the Princesses of their respective Planets. When they appeared thus, they were generally in the Moon Palace and being put through various lessons much like the wealthier children down on Earth. But there were Times that they'd Transform into their Guardian forms so they could practice and gain more mastery over their individual powers.

        What no one knew at first was that the Moon Princess'd a Secret she was keeping from not just her Guardians, but her parents, as well. Having always loved gazing down on the Earth, she'd eventually spotted a boy that appeared roughly the same age as her older brother, Jadeite. Over Time, she'd found herself falling for him more and more, and she'd eventually started sneaking down to her sister Planet for a closer look. That'd led to her meeting the boy and learning that he was Prince Darien, the Prince of Earth's Golden Kingdom. Not only that, but he was the Prince the older brothers she didn't remember all guarded and advised, much like her Guardians did for her.

        Eventually, those Guardians'd caught Serena in the act of Returning to the Moon Palace red-handed. They'd demanded to know where she'd been and why she'd left the Palace since she knew she wasn't supposed to for her own safety. Naturally, she hadn't wanted to be honest with them at first, but she'd eventually cracked and told them the Truth.

        Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter were all more than a lil surprised by the story she told them. All four of them couldn't help being pissed at first, 'cuz they took their duty as her Guardians with the utmost seriousness. But as they observed her with Prince Darien from afar, their collective Anger'd slowly faded away into something closer to Queen Serenity's typical Calm and poise. They'd been able to see the same kinda Love between their Princess and her beloved Prince as what they'd once seen between her parents–before the Moon Queen'd started fighting with King Apollo almost every other breath. It was something they longed for in their own rights, but seeing the one they were meant to protect find that for herself made them happy enough to accept it.

        Hiding the circumstances from the aforementioned Queen certainly hadn't been easy for any of them, though. When she'd found out, she'd originally forbade the Princessta Return to their sister Planet, which she knew her now-estranged husband tended to reside on to be closer to his sons. She'd told her that she wasn't supposed to be anywhere near Earth, that their duty wasta watch over and Guide the Earthlings down the same Path that the Moon Queendom took. But no matter how hard she tried to keep her in the Moon Palace, nothing she did worked–her Spirited daughter continued sneaking out behind her back.

        Serenity eventually decided that even if her own marriage hadn't worked out, that was no reason for her to get in the way of her daughter's Happiness. Checking in on them through her own means–not to mention sending one of the Cats who now served as her advisorsta keep tabs on her–lessened the worry she lived with.

        But much like when King Kuu and Queen Kuutar reached the End of their Lifespans just after their granddaughter's conception, all good things must come to an End. That was made abundantly clear when the people of Earth were suddenly corrupted by a Darkness the Moon Queen'd striven to lead them away from. Led by a woman known as Beryl, those people waged War by attacking the Royal family of the Golden Kingdom. What was worse than that was that her beloved daughter'd been visiting their sister Planet again at the Time of the attack.