A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait everyone. I hadn't felt like writing and needed a bit of a break from the site. But I'm still here ;)

Thanks ever so much to those who favourited/followed this story and thanks for the wonderful reviews as well:

AriellaSerenity: LOL. Don't die just yet! I'm sorry for the delay but hope you'll like this chapter as well ;) Darth Brando: It's okay. I understand. Thanks for reviewing this time around though. It's much appreciated ;) LOL. That last comment! ;) Shaydoe: Hi my Shay! Oh, I'm so glad you thought so! I'm partial to Minnete myself. She's so much fun to write! ;) And don't you just love the name? ;) Leslie wjack: Thanks! I'm delighted you thought so! :) LOL. The boiled egg comment was actually one of my first snippets for this story. I'm glad you liked it! I'm especially glad that you enjoyed reading my stories. Thanks for letting me know. I'm grateful and humbled. LoveInTheBattleField: Thanks! I plan to! ;) Emily: I'm glad ;) I think so too. LOL. Eggs, toasts and books were what came to my mind and they seemed apt given the boy's individual character. Wouldn't you agree? ;) CherrySerenity-sama: LOL. I wouldn't mind myself though green is one of my favourite colours ;) And haha… I totally agree with you. The boys are doomed! I'm delighted you liked the girls as well. Raye biting Jed's finger would've been a scene worth watching but I kept her asleep because that was the picture I had in my mind. But yes, definitely possible and definitely would have been fun! ;) emilyelizabethandclifford: I'm very pleased. Thank you! ;) SerenityShields: Oh I'm so glad you thought so! I always question my sense of humour. So, it's especially nice to see that the scenes worked with intended results ;) UsaMamo1989: Good of you to say so ;) I'm glad Endy and Jed with the babies made you laugh. We all could use a bit of laughter in our lives I think :) iBott: Sorry for the delay but I'm glad you liked the story and characters. Here's more! :) animegirl73: Here you go! ;) sere-chan: I'm delighted you thought so! Don't worry, I'll keep writing till it's finished ;) Guest: Here's your update! ;) ArmyGirlStrong: Here's more! ;)

Telepathic communications / thoughts are in Italics.

(Standard disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sailor Moon characters. All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.)

Chapter 3: Salacia, Nero & Callisto

Crystal Palace, Moon Kingdom

Luna looked on at the sight before her. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. It seemed that even the fierce Sailor Uranus was not immune to the charm of the little Moon Princess.

If she had thought that her prince was a handful, the princess lived up to her brother's legacy, in fact, more so. At three years old, she was completely uninhibited and fearless, a bundle of energy, life and laughter, and like her brother, was both a terror and a delight to everyone responsible for her.

Luna was grateful that for the moment at least, she was completely enthralled watching six years old Princess Lilita and Princess Minnette combining their powers to make flower buds bloom under the supervision of Sailor Neptune instead of getting herself into any number of troubles that the raven-haired guardian never imagined possible before, not even with her experience watching over Prince Jadeite.

Several times a week since Minnette arrived, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, either individually or together, had started training the Venusian Princess and later, the Jovian Princess as well, on the sacred duties of Senshi warriors, the martial arts and the control of their powers.

Keeping true to the protocol of the Silver Alliance, the princesses of Venus and Jupiter had come to live in the Moon Kingdom when they turned five years old, to take their places as the companions and future guardians to the Princess Serenity.

Princess Minnette had come first, fifteen months prior and she and Serenity had got on like a house on fire. After Jadeite, Minnette was Serenity's favourite person in the world and she tried her best to emulate the Venusian Princess who much to Luna's amusement and exasperation shared the same exuberance and zest for life and trouble as her two charges.

Princess Lilita had joined them almost exactly a year ago and was immediately accepted into the fold. And once the Princesses Reinelle and Amelia each turned three years old, they too joined the group through their weekly visits.

In fact, the two princesses were due for their visit that day which had Serenity even more excited than usual, if that were possible, especially since she had been missing her brother who had joined his friends on Earth for endurance and survival training in the jungle for the last two months, the first time she had been apart from him for longer than a couple of days.

Luna shuddered to think of some of the endeavours the young princess had attempted in order to see her brother and when missing Jadeite became too much, the horrendous tantrums which otherwise would be very rare for her.

Another shudder ran through her before footsteps caught her attention and she blinked and blinked twice more to be sure what she was seeing was real and not an apparition.

"Jed!" Serenity scrambled towards her brother as fast as her little legs could carry her, laughing all the way.

Ten year old Jadeite laughed a hearty laugh as he bent down to hug his baby sister, "Hey Princess! Miss me?"

Jadeite too loved his little sister very much. In fact, since she was born, he was often found in her nursery, reading or singing her to sleep for almost her every nap sessions or simply talking to her as though she understood his every word. Regardless what he was up to, the prince always made time for his baby sister whom he regarded as his own precious miracle.

Luna greeted Reinelle's nursemaid with raised eyebrow. She was expecting the little princess for her weekly visits but her prince was not due back for another month.

"Prince Jadeite decided two months is too long for him to go without seeing Princess Serenity and managed to convince his and her Majesties, the Kings and Queens, that Prince Endymion, Zoicite, Kunzite and Nephrite's presence with him would be beneficial for the bonds between alliances, considering their betrothed would also be present and they too had not had any occasions for bonding in the last two months," the nursemaid explained.

Luna struggled to hide her smile. It seemed her prince's learning sessions on strategies and diplomacy with both herself and her husband had not gone to waste after all. Her prince was turning into quite the diplomat even at the young age of ten.

Amidst the commotions of young royals greeting one another, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune slowly slipped away unnoticed.

Seeing Minnette and Lilita curtsying prettily to Kunzite and Nephrite, Serenity decided it was the proper thing to do. Hence, letting go of her brother, she looked up at her betrothed, grabbed a fistful of her skirt the way she saw Minnette and Lilita did and hiked it to her knees. "Endy," she said and bent down to curtsy.

Being somewhat awkward, she promptly lost her balance but before she could fall flat on her face, she quickly leaned back and landed on her bottom instead. The three year old little princess stood back up immediately, even remembered to let go of her skirt and then grinned up at the Earth Prince, proud of herself and her accomplishment. Endymion couldn't help grinning back at her as he returned her curtsy with an elegant bow.

At the announcement of tea being served, the princess's grin grew wider. "Tea," she said as she lost all interest in the conversations going on and turned back to her brother who had an identical expression of delight on his face.

"Cake," they said together and hand in hand the Crown Prince of the Sun and the Crown Princess of the Moon started towards the direction of the treat.

"Just like her brother," Nephrite said with a chuckle.

About an hour later…

"Kunz, your betrothed is falling asleep in her tea."

"So is Endymion's," thirteen year old Kunzite retorted mildly.

Two golden heads, one streaked with silver, leaned against each other, fast asleep.

Somnium Castro, Moon Kingdom (Approximately a year later)

As an anniversary present for Queen Selenity, King Solarius had a getaway castle built near the outskirts of Mare Serenitatis, the Sea of Serenity. He named it Somnium Castro, the Fortress of Dream.

One glorious weekend, seven royal families decided to spend some quality time together away from imperial obligations. The newly built fortress was their destination.

While four year old Princess Amelia of Mercury sat with her betrothed Prince Zoicite of Earth's Northern Kingdom, immersed and mesmerised by what he was telling her in a quiet voice, with a large volume of leather bound manuscripts shared between them, seven years old Princess Lilita of Jupiter stomped her feet and charged her betrothed yet again, "Oomph!" she grunted as she fell on her backside on the white sand. Quickly getting back on her feet, she scowled up at her betrothed, "Why won't you fall," she demanded.

"Maybe you have to try harder," Prince Nephrite of the Eastern Kingdom of Earth teased.

"I tried my very hardest!" the Jovian Princess insisted.

"Maybe you're not strong enough," fourteen years old Nephrite persisted.

"Papa says I'm very strong," she declared with fire in her eyes, challenging him to contradict her.

As Kunzite watched the exchange between the two, he felt a tug on his leg and he looked down to meet the brightest blue eyes.

"Serenity," he said and couldn't help the softening of his features.

"Kunz, up," the little girl demanded, putting her arms out reminiscent of Minnette when she was that age that Kunzite almost smile.

Once she was in his arms, her little fingers went to the corners of his lips, "Smile," she ordered as she pushed the corners up to get her desired result.

Brushing the tip of her nose to his, she smiled happily, "Kunz happy, Minnette happy."

The mentioned Princess of Venus sat herself down next to her betrothed's feet and clapped her hand delightedly as she looked up at Serenity. "Clever girl, Sere!" she complimented before smugly repeating, "Kunz happy, Minnette happy."

The laughter that came out of the Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom startled even himself.

Setting Serenity down, he settled himself next to Minnete and watched the seven years old as she studied the scene in front of her, "What's going through that mind of yours, Minnette?" the silver-white haired prince asked.

"Weak spots," Minnette replied as she continued observing Lilita's and Nephrite's interaction with a concentration that surprised Kunzite with its intensity. The princess was only seven after all.

"Weak spot?" To say Kunzite was amazed would be an understatement. "Who taught you that word?"

"Papa did. He's named after the God of War you know."

"Yes I did know."

"Of course you would. You are very clever. Mama said you would have to be, to manage me." Frowning thoughtfully and looking him straight in the eyes, she asked, "What does she mean by that?"

"Well, you can be quite a handful," he replied straight-faced.

Minnette stared at him. Just before he started to acknowledge her scrutiny, the golden princess nodded as if to herself and broke into a smile, "You're teasing me," she concluded with foresight and a wisdom that again took him by surprise.

Jadeite and Endymion stopped their sparring when their little sisters came and joined them, secretly glad for the breather for they were both evenly matched.

Serenity aimed her brother a soulful look, "Jed. Sweet," she said pointing to the picnic baskets which have yet to be unpacked.

Jadeite shook his head, chuckled lightly, "Oh no. Do want me to get in trouble with Luna again?"

"Please?"

Never able to say no to her, the prince looked over his shoulder, noted that Luna wasn't looking. He concentrated on the picnic basket and a mini tart floated their way.

Endymion shook his head in amused exasperation, "She has you wrapped around her little finger."

"She has everyone wrapped around her little finger. Including Neph and Kunz."

While he wouldn't admit it out loud, eleven years old Endymion had to agree with Jadeite. Even his normally fiery sister became somewhat even-tempered in the presence of Serenity.

Serenity…the name suits her. The errant thought crossed his mind. But seeing the blue eyes bright and alive with mischief, he quickly dismissed the wayward thought but smiled when his betrothed shared the tart with his sister.

Jadeite tugged Serenity's bun affectionately and looked teasingly at Reinelle. So serious, like her brother, he thought fondly. "You don't have to share," he said as another mini tart floated in front of the raven-haired princess but as she moved to take it, the tart moved out of her reach.

Reinelle glowered at him, her eyes shooting dagger and Jadeite laughed his hearty laugh.

Elysium Castle, Earth's Middle Kingdom (Approximately another year later)

Luna gasped as she made a grab for five year old Serenity before the little princess could go out barefoot as she obviously planned to, "Your Highness! You can't go out there without your shoes!"

Serenity frowned, "Why not?" she asked slightly impatient. The little princess had fallen asleep on the way to Earth and instead of waking her, her parents had let her sleep. All her other friends were already outside. She didn't like being left behind, not at all.

"This isn't the moon and we're having a picnic in the garden near the lake with the waterfall. Really, anything can be in the grass, on the grounds or in the water and on the rocks. There could be insects or foreign objects, water creatures…" Luna tried to reason with her charge, kneeling down as she fastened the strap of Serenity's shoes on her, "You could get hurt. I already told you this before."

Serenity shrugged and gave Luna an innocent look. "I forgot," she said sheepishly.

"And do you know why you keep forgetting, Your Highness?"

"I don't pay enough attention to your lessons," the little princess's attempt at a grave answer was ruined by the twinkle in her eyes, but her beguiling smile saved her from further lecture as Luna let out a resigned sigh as she escorted her princess out.

Seeing the familiar expression on her advisor's face and a similar one on Serenity's nursemaid, Queen Selenity curbed her smile and kneeled down on the grass, uncaring of her magnificent dress as she tried to look stern, "Are you giving Luna and your nursemaid trouble again, Serenity?" she asked her daughter gently but firmly.

The little princess's eyes were wide as she shook her head in earnest. She put both her hands on her mother's cheeks and looked into blue eyes the same shade and shape as hers imploringly, "Mama, what's a misfit? Am I one?" the five years old asked her mother earnestly.

The powerful Queen had to bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. She chanced a glance up at Luna and the nursemaid, both of whom now had appalled expressions on their faces. Giving them both an assuring smile, she kindly dismissed them with a slight tilt of her head and turned back to her precious daughter. "I supposed you could be one. Though your Papa would prefer to see you as his little angel…"

Lilita ran towards Serenity in excitement when she saw her friend had finally joined them. Curtsying politely to the Queen who nodded her assent at her request for Serenity's company, she quickly took Serenity's arm in her hand and steered her towards their group near the pond, chattering excitedly all the way. "Papa sent me Callisto and say she's mine now! She's a griffin!"

Amelia joined the two. Her excitement equalled the Jovian Princess's, "Sere! Come meet Salacia!"

"Who's Salacia?" Serenity asked in confusion but ran along with her two friends.

"My hippocampus. Father sent her to Zoi to take care of until today when all of us are together as a surprise. She's mine now, a friend from home now that I'm living with you in the Moon Kingdom said Father in his message. Zoi named her Salacia. He said it's the name of one of the Goddess of the Sea. He named his hippogriff Nero which means water because he likes the water so much, the hippogriff, I mean, Nero. He's here too. Zoi brought him because he and Salacia had become friends." The usually articulate bluenette was almost incoherently babbling in her excitement.

And it was no wonder too because the sight that greeted Serenity when she joined her friends near the waterfall was nothing short of fairytales and had both her eyes and mouth as round as the moon she came from.

Two magnificent creatures with wingspans longer than even three or four of her put together were flying in the air. Yet neither were birds. Or rather, they were not entirely so.

The bigger of the two looked like a winged horse with the upper body of an eagle. His steel coloured beak and large bright orange eyes with yellow specks in them shone in contrast to its dark blue feathers. Sharp, silver talons, at least half a foot long, gleamed from his front legs whilst his lower body and hind legs were those of horses but with gleaming blue coat a shade lighter than his feathers. Thick, long silver hair made up his tail.

When the creature swooped down to graze his talons on the surface of the lake, twelve year old Prince Zoicite somersaulted onto his back.

Amelia clapped her hands and turned to Serenity, "That's Nero, Sere. Zoi said he was an egg when Jed gave him to him and that he was hatched on my first birthday which means he's a year younger than I am," the extremely smart princess explained animatedly.

Jadeite came to stand next to his sister. "What do you think, Princess? Aren't they magnificent?"

Serenity nodded her head vigorously, "Can I ride them?" she asked eagerly.

Jadeite laughed while Endymion who managed to catch her request when he stepped closer intending to assure her in case the creatures frighten her, looked on incredulously, "You want to ride them? Aren't you scared, Serenity?"

Reinelle scoffed at her brother, "She's my friend. Of course she's not scared!"

Jadeite looked from his betrothed to his best friend and back again, the identical incredulous expression on both faces made him laughed harder, "There! You have your answer, Endy. Even little Reinelle knows that my Sere is completely fearless!"

He couldn't resist adding teasingly "It runs in the family."

At the same time, Reinelle gave Serenity a wicked grin, claiming boldly, "I'm braver than she is though."

Endymion raised his eye brow at Jadeite while Serenity shrieked indignantly at Reinelle.

Impatient, eight year old Lilita pushed herself between the arguing five year old princesses. She put both hands on Serenity's shoulders and turned her towards the smaller flying creature that chose that moment to land herself on a rock high up between the waterfall. "That's my Callisto. She's only two years old. She'll be bigger than Nero when she's older. She's very strong. Neph said so," she announced proudly.

Like the hippogriff, the griffin's upper body, head and wings were that of an eagle. But where Nero's feathers were as blue as Amelia's hair, Callisto's feathers were the deep brown of her mistress's wavy locks. Her beak was a dark yellow colour and her eyes were a mixture of orange and brown with golden specks in them. Her lower body, hind legs and tail were that of a lion as were their colour and texture. Four strong muscular legs, the front with powerful talons, the back with sharp claws, all gleaming, golden yellow, made the griffin seemed very fierce indeed.

As she studied the griffin with awe and listened to Lilita's excited chatter, a flash of blue in the water caught Serenity's eyes.

"Fish horse!" she mouthed reverently, pointing at the silvery-blue hippocampus back-flipping in the water much like a dolphin would. Her wet scales from the waist down glistened under the sunlight and her different shades of blue streaked with silver tail-fins reflected rainbows from certain angles.

Amelia laughed, "No Sere, that's Salacia. She's a hippocampus."

"I agree with Sere. She's half-fish and half-horse after all," eight year old Minnette cut in, smiling conspiratorially at Serenity.

"You two would call a hippocampus fish-horse," Reinelle said just to be contrary even though she privately agreed with her friends.

Serenity bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "What about a merhorse? Like a mermaid and merman from some of the stories you like to read, Amy."

Reinelle and Lilita burst out laughing, as did Jadeite as he picked up his little sister and swung her around. But Amelia and Minnette gave her suggestion serious thought.

Endymion studied his betrothed and while he would never admit it out loud, he quite agreed with her observation for like a mermaid or merman, a hippocampus was a fish from the waist down, with the upper body of a horse instead of a maid or a man. He smiled at the thought and at the sound of her delighted laughter, his smile turned into a quiet, happy chuckle.

Posted on fanfiction: 12 December 2014

A/N: I hope you were able to see the growing dynamics between the group as the years go by and to picture Salacia, Nero & Callisto in your mind from my descriptions.

Misfits & Mishaps will be the next chapter. Just in case I don't manage to write and post it before the year is up (highly likely), happy holidays, Merry Christmas and happy New Year everyone!

P/S: After some condescending feedbacks I got for PC and TOBITF, my feelings about reviews have changed and I don't quite look forward to them as much anymore (Once bitten twice shy I suppose) So if you like this story, maybe…press the favourite/follow button? That would be a great Christmas, birthday, wedding and New Year's present! *exactly in that order* One present for four different occasions is a pretty good deal, don't you think? ;)