Birth of the Planetary Senshi

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter One

Queen Serenity sat at her desk going over the latest trade proposals that had been brought before her. She laughed softly at the ridiculous offer made by some upstart trade group from Neptune. That one she quickly tossed into the trash. And forgot about it.

She looked up to a soft knock on her door. Standing in the doorway was Sailor Pavonis. The Martian looked graver than usual. She bowed. "My Queen."

Serenity smiled at her. "Pavonis, dear friend, come in and sit."

Pavonis didn't smile as she walked across the room and sat down. She looked Serenity in the eyes and spoke. "I have been Reading the Flame." Reading signs and portents was a skill that very few Martians had. And Pavonis was one of the strongest currently alive but she was limited to gazing into a flame no larger than that of a lamp. Legend had it that there were those who could Read fires but none had been born in centuries.

Serenity raised an eyebrow when Pavonis didn't continue. She could tell she was going to have to ask. "So, what did the Flame tell you?"

Pavonis stared at her hands. They were clenched together to the point of being bloodless. She looked up at her queen and spoke with tears in her eyes. "The Planetary Senshi will be reborn."

Serenity felt her heart freeze. It began beating again but it sounded overly loud in her ears. "When?"

"Soon. The Senshi of Earth will be the first."

Serenity flowed to her feet in a rush. She couldn't sit still. She had to move. "There hasn't been Planetary Senshi…"

"Since the last Great War." Pavonis rose to her feet and stared out the window that faced the gardens.

"Pluto…"

Pavonis interrupted. "Pluto, as the daughter of a god, doesn't count. You know that as well as I do. She has existed before your grandmother was born and will exist after your great-granddaughter dies."

Serenity sighed and collapsed on the window seat. This was something that she didn't want to hear. She was due in just a few years to go to the Galaxy Cauldron to be given the soul that would become her own daughter. This was not pleasant news at all. "Was Earth the first to be born the last time?"

Pavonis shook her head. "No. But there is something unusual about the Earth Senshi. I can't tell what it is but there will be something very different about her."

"Do you know who she will be born to?"

"The High King and his wife of Earth." Came the prompt reply.

"And the other Senshi?"

"They will all be born to the Royal Families of their respective planets."

Serenity stared in horror at Pavonis. Not even the last group of Planetary Senshi had been born to the Royal Families.

Pavonis nodded grimly.

Serenity stared blindly out the window. "When will the Earth Senshi be born?"

"In less than six months."

"That will be enough to give Visucia a chance to insinuate herself into the Royal Household."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Pavonis bowed and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Serenity sat a moment longer, staring blindly out the window before collapsing in tears.

Author's Note #1: Pavonis Mons is a volcano on Mars. I had originally thought to use names of Mars' Moons but since Mars has only two, Phobos and Deimos and that those names have other uses, I went with Pavonis.

Author's Note #2: Mercury doesn't have a moon. Which is a pain. And there aren't any geographical landforms that have interesting names, so I went to Wikipedia and looked at the article for the God Mercury. I found the name Visucia under the section that lists the various names and epithets that Mercury has been called.