June 23
Dear Diary,
My 16th birthday is just one week away!
It seems like only yesterday I was back in Tokyo, training with the
senshi of the Past to become a warrior. And yet here I am... quite
powerful in my own right... happy in Crystal Tokyo. Diana tells me
that I'm going to have to pick a suitor pretty soon. I asked Mama
about it, and she said yes-- back in the Silver Milennium, suitors
had begun coming to her when she was only fourteen. She and Daddy get
this funny, goofy look on their faces whenever they talk about it--
so kawaii to see. You'd think they were still my age, and not over a
thousand years old.
Daddy says I look remarkably like Mama
did when she was my age, but more graceful. She threw a pillow at him
for saying it, but it was only in fun. I'm glad that I finally got
over that horrible time when I was short and
stayed short. Of course, my hair's pink-- and I
keep it in ovoid odangoes rather than round ones-- but everyone tells
me how much I look like the way Mama used to.
I don't know how I feel about
receiving suitors. Things are so different than how they were in the
Silver Milennium. Back then, there was the Moon Kingdom, and the
Earth Kingdom. Now, the Moon Kingdom is no more-- or perhaps it
merged with the Earth Kingdom when Mama and Daddy married, over a
thousand years ago. And for the thousand years before they Awakened,
our solar system was virtually isolated from the rest of the
universe. I think the only other royalty I'd seen is Princess Kakyuu,
and her Starlights. But after Crystal Tokyo was established, Sailor
Pluto went ahead and opened the Kingdom up to foreign ambassadors and
emissaries. Luna says things are almost like they used to be--
masquerade balls, dancing, fireworks...
*smiles* I didn't mean to turn you into a
History Book, Dear Diary. I'm only thinking out loud... in a manner
of speaking. But this is a crucial turning point in my life, and I
want to get it written down. Problems seem a lot easier when you
write them down... so much more manageable. I guess my main problem
is, I don't feel so comfortable about accepting a suitor without
finding out what happened to Elios.
--Oops, it's dinnertime. Gotta go. I'll
write again tomorrow.
Love,
Princess Usagi
-----------------------------
June 24
Dear Diary,
Dinner was good last night... Pudding for
dessert! Woo-hoo! After all this time, I still love
pudding. Carrots are a bit more acceptable than they used to be, but
not nearly as good as pudding is... Funny. With all of the fine
dishes of the universe to choose from, I still get excited over
pudding.
*ahem* I'm supposed to be talking about
Elios.
What can I say about
him?
I can give the facts about him-- a Priest
of Illusion. A Guardian of the Golden Kingdom. A Protector of Dreams.
A humble servant of Daddy's. He can shapeshift between a horned
Pegasus and his normal form, just as I can shift from Usagi into
Sailor Chibi-Moon. Although I'm not so chibi anymore... *smile* I
could communicate with him in my waking moments via the Stallion
Reve... and I had the Crystal Clarion Bell to call upon his powers in
times of necessity. He took refuge in my dreams of being big... I
protected him; he saved Mama and myself. But I haven't seen him
since. Would that make it I haven't seen him in perhaps seven
years... or would it be that I haven't seen him in more than a
thousand? Time travel does horrible things towards making normally
easy calculations a chore... I wonder how Mercury and Pluto would
count it.
Granted, though, he broke the rules of
Illusion by coming to me in the first place. He's not supposed to
communicate with us... I don't know why. He's so mysterious!
Enigmatic is a good word... Mercury would be proud of me for using
it. ^_^ But the fact remains that I wouldn't feel too right about
interviewing suitors without knowing what happened to him. I don't
know if it's love... or if it's just the remnants of a childhood
crush... or even just curiosity. Diana thinks that I should ask Mama
if there's any way I could go visit Illusion, but I don't know.
Perhaps I ought to ask Pluto instead...
Confused,
Usagi
-----------------------------
June 25
Dear Diary,
We were sitting around-- Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, and myself-- in the garden, reminiscing on our old
battles. I managed to bring up the subject of Elios. "I wonder what
happened to him," I remarked.
"He's probably still alive," said
Mars.
Mercury nodded. "He was alive during the
Silver Milennium...he was alive when we were in Tokyo... I bet he's
probably still alive."
"I wonder what Illusion is like
nowadays," I mused. "Crystal Tokyo is so very different from the
Tokyo of the past-- I wonder if Illusion has changed
any."
"Good question," laughed
Jupiter.
"Is there any way to find out?" I
asked. "Meaning, how can I get there?"
"You're serious, aren't you,
Princess?" inquired Venus, giving me a long look. The others
Looked at me, too.
I found myself 'fessing up, not to
Mama, not to Pluto, but to the Inners. "Yes," I admitted. "I
don't know why-- I'm just curious, that's all."
The girls all looked at each other. "That
would be more your department than mine, Venus," said Rei with a
laugh.
That was true. In Neo-Tokyo, Venus was in
charge of ambassadors and other external affairs. Mercury was the
head of the Minsitry of Internal Affairs. Jupiter and Mars were
Generals in the army (the army not to be confused with
senshi).
"I'll see what I can do," Venus
said, and the conversation progressed towards the founding of
Neo-Tokyo and all the struggles that had surrounded
it.
I wonder if she will seriously
investigate my problem, or if it was merely a way of dismissing an
awkward subject. But I won't press it.
Love,
Usagi
-----------------------------
June 26
Dear Diary,
Only four days until my
birthday! The kingdom is getting ready to celebrate. I caught a
peek at the guest list for the Ball they're throwing that night...
since it's Mama and my birthday (both of us were born June 30), and
it's my 16th (showing that I'm now of-age), it's going to be a really
big gala affair. Not that it usually isn't-- but
you know what I mean, Dear Diary.
I noticed there were a lot of high
nobility on the list. The Prince of Corona Borealis... the Count of
Lyra... the Grand Duke of Ophiuchus... the Prince of Cygnus... the
King of Ursa Major... to name a few. I had to look at a star map to
figure out where they were all coming from... and have to admit I was
a bit surprised they would travel such a distance to attend a Ball in
Mama and my's honor. Diana told me they were coming more for me than
for Mama or Daddy's sake. "You're the most eligible bachelorette in
the Universe right about now!" she told me. I had to laugh. Me.
Bachelorette... haha.
I've met the Prince of Corona Borealis at
a party two years ago... he's probably around twenty or so by now.
Dark green hair, like Setsuna's-- the color, not the
style! Silly Diary! He's very handsome. I'm surprised he hasn't
married yet, but Diana says his kingdom has been at war with the
Kingdom of Bootes over possession of a few stars. It's a very ancient
war, I'm told, and has been going on for milennia, and he inherited
it with the crown. I'm not sure that I like the idea of marrying
into a kingdom as troubled as that... They really ought to resolve
their differences.
The Count of Lyra-- well, he's
much too old for me to even consider. He looks
about 75... he knew my grandmother personally... He's outlived at
least three wives. Is now in search of "a pretty young thing". Well,
I happen to be a "pretty young thing"-- but am
not in the least bit interested in being his
pretty young thing. Come to think of it-- Elios knew my grandmother,
too. But he doesn't look old, like the Count does. So that's
different.
The Grand Duke of Ophiuchus is a year
older than I. His hair is red and his eyes are blue and he's always
cheerful and cracking jokes. He's a nice guy, but I just don't
see myself ever marrying him... He's immensely popular with the
ladies, though.
The Prince of Cygnus is just a kid-- he's
only eleven. His parents, though, are interested in a marriage bond
between my Kingdom and theirs. Come to think of it, I wonder why it
seems normal for a boy of 16 to be betrothed to a girl of 11... and
yet the other way around, it's just too weird to even consider? I
really don't feel like waiting for him to grow up. I'm sure he's a
perfectly nice kid, but I don't want to marry him.
The King of Ursa Major has everything
going for him. He's just three years older than I. He's handsome,
with hair like Daddy's, and green eyes like Jupiter's. He's rich,
too-- Ursa Major is not just a kingdom, but has several smaller
principalities and dukedoms dependent upon it. Vassal states, I think
they're called. I hear he had been courting Princess Kakyuu, but she
turned him down. I'll have to ask someone why... Did she not love
him? Or was it some flaw in him personally?
Ah, well. No one on the guest list could
possibly hold a candle to my Elios. Heehee... did you see what
I just wrote, Diary? My Elios. I have to be
careful of my possessive pronouns.
Goodnight,
Princess Usagi, eligible
bachelorette
-----------------------------
June 27
Dear Diary,
I asked Venus how things were coming
along. I know there have been a few meetings yesterday between her,
Pluto, Mama, Daddy, and a few other dignitaries in the upper
eschalons of External Affairs. She shook her head and said she
couldn't help me just yet. I didn't bug her about it, but was very
disappointed.
I find myself thinking about Elios quite
frequently. I even draw pictures of him in the margins of my
notebook, when I ought to be listening to speeches. Yes, we held
Court today. *yawn* Mama, Daddy, and I sit on our thrones, looking
very royal, and people come up with their complaints and problems.
It's a nice way to be involved with the day-to-day lives of people,
but I can't help but notice how so very petty a
lot of their problems are! They really ought to learn to work
together and solve things themselves. A few awards were given out--
Mars and Jupiter got decorated with the Lunar Award of Honor for
putting down a rebellion in the Eastern Provinces last month. Someone
who shouldn't've done it messed with magic and created youma, which
ran pretty rampant until the two got there and fixed things. Venus,
who was standing behind the thrones, caught sight of my doodling and
grinned. I was sitting to Mama's right-- Mama was sitting in the
middle-- and she saw my drawings, too. But she didn't reprimand me.
If we weren't on the dais in full view of all, I might've started up
a game of tic-tac-toe or hangman with one of them. *smile* When court
goes long, I can't help but notice those in the back
surreptiously bringing out little chess sets, or games of
Nine-Mens'-Morris, and other such small diversions. I also can't help
but be envious of them.
I underwent a final fitting for my
costume for the masquerade ball. It's oh-so-lovely-- a long, sweeping
black dress, with a colored diamond pattern on the underdress, and a
fabulous black feathered hat. Reminiscent of the Carnival gowns I
used to see in the newspapers, back in Tokyo. That's what the
designer had based it on, anyways. I'll even have a little mask to
wear with it, but everyone will know who I am. How many pink-odangoed
girls are there, running around the Kingdom?
*smile*
Foreign dignitaries are beginning to
arrive. The Palace is bustling and busy. The excitement is beginning
to grow on me!
I saw the King of Ursa Major in the
hallway today, or at least his entourage, moving some things into the
apartments he'll be occupying for the duration of his stay. Diana saw
him personally, and reported that he's even more handsome than he was
the last time I saw him. I asked her if she thought he was more
handsome than Elios-- she replied that he didn't look as sad as Elios
often did.
"They're hard to compare," she said,
not quite sure of how to phrase it. "The King has dark hair-- Elios'
hair is white. The King's eyes are green-- Elios' is are a sort of
dark orangey-brown that's hard to describe. And sometimes, Elios has
a jewel and a horn in his forehead-- which the King certainly
doesn't."
I pretended to whap Diana with a
conveniently nearby pillow. "The horn is where he keeps the Golden
Crystal, silly!"
Daddy came into the room in time to see
me whap Diana. "You're getting more and more like your mother," he
grinned at me, and continued onward. I was a bit afraid he had heard
my comment about the Golden Crystal, but he seemed oblivious. So
that's good.
It's getting late. I'd better put you
away for now, Diary.
Sleepily,
Usagi
-----------------------------
June 28
Dear Diary,
Two days. Two days!
Ran into the King of Ursa Major this
morning, at breakfast. Diana was right-- he is
even more handsome than I remembered. But handsome in a
different way than Elios is. No matter what Diana thinks, I think
that Elios is handsome... the eyes... the
hair... *dreamy sigh* We chatted a bit, in a friendly way. I wasn't
quite sure how a suitor would go about his business-- I half
expected it to be a "Your Majesty, I request permission to marry your
daughter" right in the middle of breakfast. Heheh. But fortunately
not. I had a dream last night about the ball-- where it suddenly
became an auction, and I was Item #1 on the block. *shiver* I
saw Elios in the dream, watching amusedly from the punch table. I
wanted him to bid. I wanted him to bid very badly. But he was
merely watching and drinking punch. In the end, the Count of Lyra
won. Right when he was about to kiss me-- a sort of toothless, wet
kiss that had my skin crawling-- I woke up. Phew for
that!
Later on today, the Count
did arrive, along with the usual entourage of
courtiers and hangers-on. A few hours later, the Grand Duke arrived.
I was very nice and spoke with all of them. Mama was pleased that
I was being so cordial. I think she knows I'm a bit nervous
about the upcoming ordeal, and she gave me a big hug when we had some
time alone together. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan," she reassured
me. "Everything will work out happily for you. Don't
worry."
I wondered about that myself. What would
be a happy ending? I can't really think of one. Do I want
to marry Elios? Is it possible for the
daughter of someone of the Moon Kingdom and someone of the Earth
Kingdom to marry someone of Illusion? Would I want to move to
Illusion? I don't even know what it's like. And refer back to my
comment a few days ago-- I don't know if my interest is love, a
crush, or curiosity. But I certainly do not
want to marry the Count of Lyra. Ick.
I wondered vaguely if I would end up
rejecting all of my suitors, and end up becoming Queen, and never
have an heir to succeed me. Who would the Kingdom fall to? The
thought was scary. I suddenly realized how very important it was to
everyone else in the Universe about who I married. Whoever
I married would also marry my Kingdom.
I've decided I certainly do
not want to marry someone who wants me for my
kingdom. I want to marry someone who wants me for me. Someone who
loves me... and someone I love in return. I wonder how you tell...
what if they're very good at being sneaky? And hiding their thoughts?
That got me a bit worried, and I went and confided in Diana. She told
me the same thing Mama said. "Everything will work out happily for
you. Don't worry."
I hope so.
Later--
Usagi
-----------------------------
June 29
Dear Diary,
The palace is practically crawling with
newcomers. It's amazing-- the pomp, the circumstance, the glitter. We
held High Court today. This time wasn't to solve people's problems;
this time was to greet everyone properly, to exchange gifts between
kingdoms, and to strengthen the bonds between Us and Them, and
between Them and Themselves. I hardly had a moment to myself-- I was
always surrounded by nobles, by dignitaries, by courtiers. It was
quite pleasant at first, being so much at the center of attention. As
the day wore on, though, my feet started to hurt.
*smile*
I found myself quite unconsciously
beginning to look at each man I talked to as a potential consort. I
imagined standing next to them in a throne room all their own, with a
crown on my head, receiving dignitaries together. I found myself
mentally trying on their titles-- Princess Usagi of Cygnus, later to
become Queen Usagi of Cygnus. Usagi, the Grand Duchess of Ophiuchus.
Princess Usagi of Corona Borealis. I found myself wondering if they
were good kissers, and, um... huggers. You know what I mean,
Dear Diary. *blushing*
My Asteroid Senshi were standing at
guard, laughing and talking and having a great time. Ceres, Juno,
Vesta, and Palla. They seemed to be quite popular with the entourage
of the Prince of Cygnus' entourage. I wondered how they would feel
about being transplanted from our Kingdom and following me to my new
place of residency after I married. They would have to, after
all, being my personal bodyguard... They had been so busy preparing
for the Ball which will take place tomorrow night, and getting things
organized, and being useful, that I've had precious little chance to
talk with them this past week.
My breath caught when I spotted a man
with white hair, looking remarkably like Elios from behind-- but was
disappointed when he turned around. He was no one I knew, just
some dignitary attached to the Prince of Cygnus. Rats.
There were fireworks that evening, which
we watched from the palace terrace. The Prince of Corona Borealis
suggested that we go for a romantic stroll in the garden, by the
fountain, but I shook my head. I most certainly did
not want to go for a romantic stroll with him.
But I was nice about it and said that my feet hurt. Perhaps later. He
seemed a bit disappointed, but I noticed a few minutes later, he was
setting off on a romantic stroll with Juno. I had to laugh-- Juno's
hair is even more unique than mine, seeing as it's green,
triple-braided, and one of them sticks straight up. You couldn't
possibly mistake her for anyone else, even at night.
I think I'll go to bed, but I don't
think I can sleep. I'll probably stare at the ceiling and wonder
about Elios...
Goodnight,
Princess U.
-----------------------------
June 30
Dear Diary,
Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday
to Mama! Today was amazing... I have never seen the palace look
so beautiful as it did today. Everyone was so nice to me... I got
many, many presents, and there was cake (and pudding!) and ice
cream. Oooo... the food was glorious. I think I'm going to have a
tummy ache. But that's all right.
I got to wear my outfit for the ball. I
felt so elegant. I can't wait until I'm older-- I like the way I
looked when I was Black Lady, except my expression wasn't very nice.
But I know that I'm well on my way to looking grown-up. But
needless to say, I looked very stunning. Lots of people told me so.
It made me feel so good inside to catch admiring glances!
Heehee...
The music was wonderful. As people came
in, a herald would announce them and their titles. I had just
finished a waltz with the Prince of Cygnus-- who's actually a
half-decent kid-- and was standing by the punch table, talking to
Vesta and Ceres, when I heard the herald.
"Elios, Ambassador from
Illusion."
I turned around and looked at the
doorway. There he was... not looking a day older than I had left him
a thousand years ago-- or was it seven? He was not dressed in his
familiar white tunic, but was rather in pirate garb. Not the most
romantic, but it suited him well. His horn and jewel were showing. I
smiled to myself and made my way towards him.
"Elios!" I said, giving him an
elaborate curtsey. "It's good to see you!"
He smiled at me, no doubt recognizing me
through my costume. H'mm... it couldn't be my hair. ^_^ "It seems
like your beautiful dream came true," he said.
I nodded. "I wanted to see you, and
you came-- oh." I blushed, realizing he referred to my beautiful
dream of the past-- to grow up.
He smiled again at my slip. "May I have
this dance?" he inquired.
"Certainly!"
We stepped onto the dance floor as a
waltz began.
"What brings you
here?" I inquired. "I heard them say you're the
Ambassador? We don't have an ambassador from
Illusion."
He smiled at me. "You do now," he
said. "Venus put in a request for one earlier this week, saying the
position should be filled as soon as possible. She put in a specific
request for me. Permission was granted... and here
I am."
"It's so good to see you!" I said. I
still couldn't get past the fact that he was here... he was really
here. "I've been thinking about you a lot recently... wondering how
things are with you."
"I'd love to tell you anything you like,
Princess," he replied. I couldn't help but think how different
that was from his previous mysteriousness concerning the
subject.
We must have danced every dance together
for the rest of the evening. I noticed that the Count looked a bit
put-out, but saw that Mama and my Daddy were smiling. And I caught
them sharing that funny, goofy look they do when they reminisce about
their own pasts. I saw Ceres, Juno, Vesta, and Palla in deep
conversation with Diana, probably trying to scrounge the story from
her. I laughed and continued dancing.
Oh, Diary! I had such a wonderful time
this evening. My curiosity's sated, and I still don't know whether
it's a crush or real love, but I'm so overwhelmingly happy to see
Elios once more. No, he didn't kiss me again-- but it didn't matter.
I had a fabulous time, and look forward to developing our
relationship. Whether it's friendly, or love-- I don't know, and I
don't care. I'm pleased that he's back in my life.
Sixteen and Happy,
Princess Usagi
Back to Archive
Back to Castle Triton