Title: Love For All Time Part 15 Author: Jade Hunter A.N: Man, this is my second time writing this chapter, even though I changed some stuff. I suddenly caught a cold which changed me into 'butterfingers' and accidently deleted the origional work. Disclaimer: Is on Parts 1, 4, 8, 12. "talking" **thoughts** <> _emphasis_ ////memories//// ############################################################################# ////flashback//// Horror was all that was painted on Princess Serenity's face as she pressed her ear closer to the huge oaken door of her mother's study, where all the peace treaties were signed and all the negotiations were made. She shook her head and suppressed a sob that rose from the depts of her heart. "No," she whispered frantically to herself. "NO." A slender hand clasped down on her shoulder. Startled, she whirled around, minding her voice, though her heart stopped for an agonizingly terrifying second. She nearly collapsed with relief when she saw Mina's cheerful face, Lita's knowing one, Raye's 'why me' look, and Amy's slightly disappointed expression. "Princess," Amy began disaprovingly. "You shouldn't listen in on your mother's negotiations. I don't understand, though, what interests you so much about this one enough to make you spy on her? You never took an interest before," Amy finished, removing her hand from Serenity's shoulder, a bit puzzled. Princess Serenity tried to cover up her true reasons by brushing non-existant dust off her white dress and flipped her head hauntily, "I will be Queen one day. And if I am to be as good a Queen as my mother, then I must learn from her, yes?" Mina grinned and was about to answer her when Raye frowned deeply and thought aloud, "You did not listen to yesterday's discussion, nor this mornings. When did you come to this decision?" "I, ah......, ahem, a few hours after this morning's meeting, actually," the Princess of the Silver Milleniem's most powerful kingdom nodded slightly, unknowing of the way she held up her head a bit higher and somehow looked down at her guards, all who were taller than her by at least six inches, assuming a regal pose. Which did absolutely nothing but to make them all suspicious. "I understand your wanting to learn more about negotiations, and how you keep peace within the Kingdom," Mina began, her smile slipping slightly as Serenity raised a regal eyebrow cooly. "But I don't get why you ran away from your lessons on negotiations to listen in something that you were supposed to learn in the first place?" Lita finished, now wearing the same frown as everone else. Serenity sweatdropped, and then scowled at herself, **Think before you lie, you fool!** She came out of her stupor when she heard a sort of crashing sound, audible to her, but light enough not to be heard over the murmerings in the study. When she looked around, she frowned in confusion. Where were her guards? "Ohhh boy," came Lita's voice from nowhere. **No, not nowhere, from.........down?** Serenity thought before looking down, upon which she had to fight with herself not to join her Senshi, who were all tangled out on the floor, dresses spread out, all having done a major facefault. "What, pray tell, is the matter?" she asked, stepping lightly through the entanglement of legs, arms, heads, and being extra careful around hair. Mars was very sensitive about hers, and if she so much as stepped on those silky raven strands, the Fire Senshi would shave her bald at night, Princess or no. "You, you, you," was all that Amy could say, struggling to get up. Serenity offered her a hand, which was quickly knocked away, in what seemed to be anger, but then after a few seconds, was just as quickly pulled back. Once the others had gotten their bearings, they too got up, all of them, for some reason, wearing angry expressions. Princess Serenity felt nervous, "What are you so angry for, my friends?" It was eerily silent, at least for her, when Raye, at last, and thankfully, spoke up, though later Serenity would wish she hadn't, "What was that you said? You should think before you LIE?" Then the floodgates seemed to crumble. "How could you lie to us?" Amy shook her index finger furiously at her charge. She paused, looked at her finger, and then muttered, "I'm getting too much like my tutors." However, the Mercurian shook it off and, this time, used both her index fingers as she continued her tirade. "Honestly, _lying_ does not make a good Princess, let alone a good Queen!" Raye shook her head, her hair fluttering about as if scolding Serenity along with the Martian. All Lita could say over and over was, " ' Think before you lie, you fool.'?" "I said that out loud?" Serenity demanded. Her Senshi teetered for a bit, and Mina finally added in a word, or two, or three, or four, or a sentence, "I can believe you didn't notice!" Serenity swept her gaze across her friends before shrugging and saying weakly, "Ooops?" Another massive facefault insued. ////end flashback//// "So, she was a ditz, even back then," Luna muttered to herself, a HUGE sweatdrop running down her head. Usagi whipped her head around to glare at her cat, "I HEARD that, Luna!" "I know," Luna shot back, sniffing slightly. "I _meant_ for you to. It would do you good." Usagi scowled darkly at the Moon cat, and Artemis was feeling very glad he wasn't in her place, when Usagi suddenly got confused and asked, "Wait a minute. I didn't see you anywhere back then. So how do you know what happened?" Luna had the grace to blush as she mumbled something underneath her breath. "What was that?" Minako asked, curious. "I didn't hear you." Artemis sniggered and said, "She _said_ that she was spying on you. To keep you out of trouble." "What?" Usagi demanded, whirling on her cat. "You didn't trust me?" Minako shook her head, "I'm glad Artemis trusts me." Luna gasped idignantly and scowled as best she could at the blushing white cat, "I beg your pardon, but Artemis was with me every step of the way with _that_ little piece of memory. _He_ was following Mina, and I now distinctly remember him telling me that even though Mina was a great Senshi, she was hopelessly absent- minded." It was Minako's turn to glare. "Is that true, Artemis?" The white Mau blushed harder, which showed plainly on his white fur, and admitted, "You were pretty ditzy. You forgot where your things were immdeiatly after you set them down. I spent the entire time I knew you wondering if there was anything else but air in between your ears." Minako gasped out loud in shock, and so missed Rei, Ami, Haruka, Michieru, Setsuna, Hotaru, Ryuujin, and Mamoru restraining their laughter. Usagi didn't notice either, she was too busy directing glares at her charge and Minako's cat. The two blondes, alike in more ways than one, then rounded about their Guardian cats and gave the two of them a good scolding, saying that the two cats had better be nice or they'd be splayed and neutered before they knew it, and that they shouldn't insult such beautiful women who were in their prime, and let's not forget who feeds them, so if they didn't want to starve for the next millenia, they'd better apologize! ############################################################################# To be continued in Part 16. ~~~~~Jade Hunter~~~~~