Setsuna's Sun Prince

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko
Takeuchi. The following story is a work of fiction.

Setsuna's Sun Prince: Prologue (pt. 1)

Time: A thousand years in the past during the heyday of the Silver
Millenium.

Place: Crystal Tokyo at the Palace. Queen Serenity is throwing another
Royal Ball. Attending this ball are all of the Celestial Princesses.
Neo Princess Serena is sitting on the throne next to her mother's
throne. Her Tiara is gleaming in the light. However, Serena seems to be
waiting for someone.

"My darling daughter, you are not your usually happy self
tonight."

"I am okay mother, just enjoying the ball."


Standing next to the pair, with her staff grasped lightly in her hand
is Princess Setsuna of Pluto. She is wearing a long formal dress in
dark purple with lack trim. She is looking around the room.

"Well your Highness, I see that your friends are here. Why don't
you go over and talk to them. They look like they are having fun, but I
can see the worried looks that they cast over here every once in
awhile.", said Setsuna in a quiet and mysterious voice.

"Maybe I will go talk to them. I need to up up and stretch a bit
anyway. Setsuna, will you be joining us?.", asked Serena.

Setsuna replied, "No, highness, I am stepping outside to get a breath
of fresh air for a little bit."

"Okay suit yourself.", and with that, Princess Serena rose up from
her throne and walked over to the inner princesses.

Setsuna watched the princess go and then headed outside. Once out on
the balustrade, she put her hands on the railing and looked out.

"I know she is waiting for Prince Darien to arrive, but she needs
to mingle a bit. I am so happy that she has found love.", thinks
Setsuna as she smiles weakly.

Setsuna decides to take a seat and watch the latecomers to the ball
arrive. While sitting on a small ornamental bench, she sees the arrival
of the Earth Prince and his entourage.

"Hmm, he looks handsome tonight, so do his replacements for his
generals. I know that the rest of the princesses are going to be
happy.", says the Princess of Pluto quietly.

As she watches, Prince Darien turns back to his carriage and says
something. Since she is so far away, Setsuna cannot hear what is being
said, but she see's Darien smile and deduces that the person still in
the carriage replied in a humorous manner.

"Takeru, get out of the damn carriage. My wife-to-be is waiting.
We are late enough as it is. You had to go and hide so you wouldn't
come and we spent an hour looking for you.", said a slightly perturbed
Darien at the sole person still in the carriage refusing to come out.

"Oh alright. You win as usual. I really didn't want to come and
you know it. Sheesh, I bet you will want to wait out here all night if
I don't get out of the carriage.", replied a slightly deep voice from
inside the carriage. The voice is melodious and, at this moment, a bit
downcast.

As Darien stepped back, he held his cape out of the way. First out of
the cab was a pair of legs covered in light grey tuxedo pants. Planting
his feet on the ground, the newcomer started to rise up out of the
cabin to his full height of 6 foot 3 inches (only slightly taller than
Darien).

"Darien, you know I am your best friend. We trained together when
we were little kids. Now you will be getting married soon and I am
still single. I am the better looking of the two of us also.", laughed
the person while looking at the Prince of the Earth.

"Yes that is true. You are the better looking but you are so
mysterious.", replied Darien in jest.

After he stopped chuckling Darien said, "Let's go inside. I have
someone to see."

Together, the two friends walked into the palace. With Darien's men-at-
arms right behind their charges.

They made quite a pair, receiving many approving glances from the women
around the room. Darien was wearing a black tuxedo with a short
waistcoat and white vest together with a long black cape with red trim,
On top of his head, he wore a top hat (typical Tuxedo Mask disguise).
His friend wore a light grey tuxedo with a short waistcoat covered with
a sunburst orange cummerbund and bowtie. He also wore a cape. However,
unlike Darien's cape, this prince had a short, waist length grey cape
that he wore slightly off of his right shoulder. His cape had a deeper
orange lining that complemented his cummerbund and bowtie.


"First things first, Takeru. I have to introduce you to the queen.
I am also going to be letting her know that you will be my best man at
my weddingher her daughter."

"Best man, hell, I only thought I was going to be a groomsman.
This is a task that I will accept with honor. You just wait till your
bachelor party.", replied Takeru, smiling innocently the whole time.

"The reason I want you as my best man, Taki, is because we have
known each other for a long time and because I consider you my brother
in royalty. I know that we are not related but it seems that we are.",
said a somewhat misty-eyed Earth Prince.

As the two friends walk into the palace, Darien hands two invitations
to the impeccably dressed door announcer. The announcer looks at the
invitations and clears his throat.

"Ahem, introducing His Royal Highness Darien Shields from Earth
and his guest His Royal Highness Takeru Corona from Sol the Sun."

Both princes bow deeply acknowledging the announcement. Darien turns to
his friend, Prince Takeru and mutters something that cannot be
overheard beyond the two of them.

"Taki, I know you are my best man, but can you please take off the
sunglasses. It is embarrassing.", muttered the Earth Prince to his
friend.

"Okay Dari, just because you asked and because you made me your
best man. I will take off these sunglasses. I just hope that the people
are not affected by the way my eyes are.", mutters a somewhat pissed
off Takeru in return.

As Darien watches in approval, his friend takes off his sunglasses and
puts them in an inside pocket. Together, the two friends walk further
into the palace. Ignoring the glances cast their way.

(Meanwhile, back out on the balustrade)

"Hmm, I wonder who that person is who just walked in with Prince
Darien. Maybe I can make it inside and find out when he comes and
presents himself before Her Majesty. I need to tell Her Highness
Princess Serena that her fiancé just walked in.", thinks Setsuna as she
stands and prepares to walk inside.

Setsuna makes her way inside and walks over to Queen Serenity and
whispers something in her ear. The queen nods and asks her to find her
daughter and bring her back to the throne.

"Yes your majesty, I will find the princess.", says the ever
dutiful Princess of Pluto.

On her way to where she last saw Princess Serena, Setsuna makes a side
trip to the refreshment table and picks up a glass of champagne. As she
was walking away from the table, Setsuna bumps into a tall dark-skinned
gentleman wearing a grey tuxedo and a short cape. He was surrounded by
many female admirers.


"Oh excuse me, sir. I didn't mean to run into you like that.",
said Setsuna with a downcast look.

Takeru turned his glass so that it wouldn't spill from the slight jolt
to his arm. While he was reaching for a handkerchief, he heard a slight
voice quietly say excuse me. He turned around and looked at the person
behind him.

His first impression of his polite assailant was that she was tall and
had long, flowing, dark-green hair. Takeru couldn't see her eyes
because they were downcast. He noticed that she wore a dark purple
dress that couldn't hide (in fact it accentuated) her very beautiful
figure.

"That is no problem ma'am. It was my fault. I shouldn't have
turned so fast.", replied an awestruck Takeru.

Setsuna looked up at the melodious voice that had addressed her and
found herself looking into a pair of deep orange eyes. It seemed that
the pupil of the gentleman's eyes were orange. When she looked clos
Se
Setsuna could see the faint outline of some design in the eye.

"My god, he has a voice I could listen to all night long. And
those eyes.", thought Setsuna.

Feeling the warmth on her cheeks from a very big blush, Setsuna turned
and hurried away from the gentleman. Continuing on her assignment to
find the princess.

After looking for Princess Serena, Setsuna was surprised to see her
seated next to her mother. Standing in front of the queen (but with
eyes on the princess) was Prince Darien. He was chatting with the
queen, every so often directing a question to either Serena or the
inner princesses standing behind her.

"Your Majesty, I have someone for you to meet. The person I have
chosen for my best man.", Darien looks around then continues, "I cannot
seem to find him, although I know he is here.", says a somewhat
mystified Darien.

"My dear Prince Darien, I am trusting you with your choice. If you
have chosen him, I know he will act accordingly."

Just then, Takeru came striding up with a look on his face that Darien
had never seen before.

"Darien have you seen ahhh............oh.", Takeru bows as he sees whom
Darien is talking with.

"Good evening Your Majesty. Pardon my abruptness.", he continued.

"You are pardoned this one time. I am usually not this generous
with a breach of protocol but since you know his Royal Highness Prince
Darien, I will let it pass. Now if you don't mind.", replied Queen
Serenity, somewhat brusquely, as if the interruption was a minor
annoyance.

"Your Majesty, this is the gentleman whom I have chosen for my
best man. Let me introduce him to you correctly.", replied Darien a
little quickly.

He received a quick glower from the queen questioning his choice, but
it was replaced by a beautific smile as if the glower had never
appeared. On the other hand Darien received a glare that lasted a full
5 minutes from Princess Serena before she too turned her attention to
the still bowing gentleman.

"Your Majesty, your Royal Highes: es: I introduce my closet friend
and training partner: His Royal Highness, Takeru Corona from the Royal
Solar Family. This gentleman is like a brother to me and it is for that
reason I have chosen him as my best man."


Everyone is surprised at the announcement. Even Her Majesty Queen
Serenity herself was slightly surprised. She turns akerakeru and gives
him a closer look.

"Rise, Prince of the Sun. I believe you have spent enough time
down there.", says the queen cing ing her surprise with a steady voice.

Hearing this, Takeru slowly and respectfully rose to a fully upright
position not saying anything. Watching the young man's face, Queen
Serenity sees what she expected to see upon hearing of this gentleman's
pedigree. Serenity noticed Takeru's orange eyes and dark skin. Two
signs of one hailing from the Kingdom of the Sun.

"Prince Takeru, let me introduce you to my daughter and the
members of her court. Seated to my right side is my daughter, Moon
Princess Serena. Around her are the members of her immediate court:
Princess Amy of Mercury, Princess Rei of Mars, Princess Lita of
Jupiter, and Princess Mina of Venus. Standing to my left side are
Princess Hotaru of Saturn, Princess Haruka of Uranus, Princess Michiru
of Neptune, and advisor Princess Setsuna of Pluto. My other advisors
are Baron Artemis and his wife Baroness Luna.", recited a very proud
queen.

When introduced to the Moon Princess, Takeru had taken her hand and
brushed a slight breath over it like a gentleman. During the rest of
the introductions, he had given each of the other princesses a slight
bow. However as he was coming out of his bow to the last princess, he
looked up and stopped; for there was the person who had jolted him and
then ran away when he tried to apologize.

"She is a princess, damm. I didn't know that.", thought Takeru.
Out loud he said, "Princesssunasuna, how nice to see you again. You ran
off before I could apologize."

Mounting the steps to the Princess of Pluto, Takeru took her hand and
placed a gentle kiss on it. At the same time, he took an orange rose in
full bloom out of his pocket and placed it gently into her hand.


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