Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Enemy Within? ❯ Chapter 1
Author's Notes: Please review! I know people are reading my story...even if you think it sucks, tell me! I want some input, because I won't be able to improve without it! Thank you.:)
Disclaimer: Takeuchi-sama and Squaresoft own all. I own nothing. Don't sue.
Chapter One
Serin quickly signed off on the last report that had graced his desk, and sighed in relief.
"Finally!" he muttered as he pushed the offending folder into his 'out' box. Standing a moment, he twisted his neck this way and that, sighing in relief as the kinks popped out. After a moment of that, he turned to pour himself some grape juice when he heard the door open behind him.
"Unless you're here to pick up my outgoing files, I don't want to hear about it," the paladin threw over his shoulder.
A familiar polite cough nearly had him drop his glass, but he quickly set it down, and simultaneously saluted as he turned to face his visitor. "K...King Endymion! I'm sorry, I thought..."
Endymion laughed, and waved away the explanation still being formed by his brother-in-law. "Serin, I've told you before, formalities don't apply to private settings. We're family, after all."
Serin relaxed slightly, a slight smile on his face. "Maybe so, but I think it's best to at least keep in the habit of proper decorum." Gesturing to his visitor chairs, the paladin returned to his drink bar. "Make yourself comfortable, Mamoru. Can I get you anything?"
"Hot chocolate, if you have it," came the reply.
A brief moment later, the two sat across from each other, each sipping at their respective drinks. Finally, the king broke the silence. "So...how have things been going with the CTDF(Crystal Tokyo Defense Force)?"
Serin rolled his eyes, expressing his feelings on the matter quite clearly before he even spoke. "About like one would expect. Sephiroth and I are trying to remain on the conservative side of the issue, keeping the enlistment numbers down, and staying away from the touchy subjects of weapon development, stressing over and over that our goal is only the stability of Crystal Tokyo, not enforcing our will on everyone." A sigh began his next statement. "Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. Do you remember the report that I gave you on Raida?"
Endymion thought back for a moment, his eyes closed in thought behind his white mask. "She was the one who was trying to create a perfect soldier, wasn't she? A hybrid between man and machine?"
Serin nodded. "Apparently, some people still think that's a good idea. Oh, they give the usual flimsy excuses, saying that they wouldn't proceed without authorization, or that the research could have benign purposes, but..." Serin shook his head in disgust.
Endymion grimaced in sympathy. While Serin and Sephiroth headed off many weapon development requests from the army, he and his wife still got a good number of them from people who hoped to overrule the two military commanders, and therefore he was quite aware of the excuses used by those who hoped to get their way. "I understand. Apparently, people aren't willing to accept the fact that we live in a new era, where conventional weapons don't work that well...assuming they are needed at all."
Serin nodded in agreement, but before he could respond with his own observations, the door opened again, admitting the second commander of the defense force. His eyes widened slightly, and with a moderate, polite bow, Sephiroth stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind him. A warm smile graced his sharp face as he clasped the king's shoulder. "Your Majesty, I trust you are well?" he asked.
Endymion rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. No matter what he had been told, Sephiroth absolutely refused to drop the titles whether they were meeting in public or not. His only reply when asked why was that he felt it to be disrespectful whether he had their blessing or not. So, annoying as it was, both Endymion and Serenity had learned to put up with his little quirk. "Quite fine, Sephiroth." Shooting a glance at his brother-in-law, he asked, "Is there something you needed to discuss with your cohort?"
Sephiroth shot a playfully arrogant smirk at the king. "Nothing so important that you couldn't stick around," he quipped.
Both Serin and Endymion chuckled, the old joke relaxing the two after their tense discussion. Sephiroth waited until the laughter had died down, and then added, "Actually, I was wanting to double-check your schedule, Serin. You're still free for the inspection this Tuesday, right?"
A blank look from the paladin quickly resolved into a shocked realization. "Oh, SHIT!" he swore. "I SO do not believe I forgot that!" Grabbing a scratchpad, he quickly jotted a memo down, and then stuck it in the middle of the ink blotter that covered his desk. Looking back up at his co-commander, he apologized, "I made a promise to supervise some small negotiations between the Business Union and the Transportation Bureau. But if you don't mind leaving a bit later, then I can still accompany you."
Sephiroth nodded in understanding. "That's fine. Just don't forget this time," he added with a smirk and a mock-warning tone to his voice.
"Excuse me, but...what inspection is this?" Endymion cut in to ask.
Serin turned back to the king with a small frown. "I thought you got the report over a week ago."
Endymion shrugged slightly. "I probably did, but asking me to remember one report out of the milllions that get forwarded to me is like asking an operator at the Treasury to remember one coin out of all that are processed. So, please, refresh my memory," he asked while taking another sip of his drink.
Serin folded his hands together, and began: "Approximately two weeks ago, an archeological team came across some previously undiscovered ruins. Initial analysis indicated that the inside was completely stabilized, and its contents were also undisturbed."
Sephiroth continued, "We ordered several probes to be sent in, not willing to risk anyone setting off traps that could endanger lives at that time. What the probes sent back was...unsettling, to say the least." A deep breath was followed by his leveling a very serious gaze at the Crystal Tokyo monarch. "When you were in North America, your majesty, do you remember hearing about a place called NORAD?"
Endymion thought back, trying to recall if he had, indeed, heard that word before. "I...think I have. Isn't that the place..." his voice trailed off as he suddenly shot a look of horror at his two subordinates.
Serin nodded as he finished the king's thought. "Where the US President and his Cabinet could retreat to if the capitol were ever endangered." Tapping his desk briefly, he added, "Images from those probes we sent in indicate that we've located the site."
Endymion exhaled heavily, leaning back in his chair. "I see why you're taking such interest in this. If that is in fact NORAD, and someone with less than honorable intentions got in..."
Sephiroth hastened to cut off the direction the ruler was heading in. "Actually, we're still not sure. For all we know, NORAD may just be a glorified hole in the mountain, instead of the technological fortress that rumors purport it to be. Still, you're right, we're not taking chances. I've even taken the liberty of requesting Sailor Mercury to join us on this tour, as her technological expertise will be invaluable."
Endymion nodded in approval. "Good choice." After the uncomfortable silence which followed, the Crystal Tokyo ruler directed the conversation onto a more cheerful track. "Well...about my original reason for coming here...I, uh...actually was hoping to get some ideas for a gift for my wife."
Serin instantly knew what was coming up in the near future, but it was Sephiroth who beat him to the punch. "The queen's birthday is tomorrow," he stated with certainty.
Endymion nodded, a rather embarrassed look appearing on his face as he placed his cup on the desk. "Yeah...and for the first time in forty-five years, I have absolutely no clue what to give her for a gift."
Both commanders looked at each other with a measure of surprise at that. Despite the closeness of their own relationships, they still envied the bond that existed between the two monarchs of Crystal Tokyo. What few arguments there were got resolved within a matter of a day at most. Serin still vividly remembered one particular argument he'd gotten into with Makoto, the results of which had him sleeping on the couch in their quarters for the next week, and no words being exchanged between them in at least that long.
The paladin's reverie was broken by Sephiroth piping up, "Well...could you get her the same thing that you got last year?"
Endymion bit his lip as he weighed that possibility for a moment, then regretfully shook his head. "No...I'd look desperate then. I want to try getting something new each year...even though it gets harder all the time."
Serin remained silent as his comrade put forth another suggestion. "Okay...has she hinted at anything that she wants?"
With a frustrated growl, the king surged to his feet, whirling to face one of the walls of the office. "No. I've been agonizing over this each day, and I'm running out of time." To emphasize this point, he slammed a fist onto the wall with a loud 'thud'.
Serin cocked his head thoughtfully as the word 'Time' brought forth an idea into his head. Refusing to cast it aside out of hand, the paladin instead mulled it over, analyzing it carefully...and then a broad grin formed on his face. "Hey, Mamoru...I have a wild-assed idea, if you're interested. In fact, I think it may be the one gift that never gets old."
Endymion and Sephiroth both turned in surprise to look at their friend. "Well, let's hear it. I'm desperate," the king pleaded.
So Serin told them. A moment of shocked silence filled the room before it was broken by, naturally, Endymion.
"No way. It can't be done. We'll just have to think of something else," he said with finality.
Or at least, Endymion thought it sounded like finality. Serin, who knew his brother-in-law quite well, could easily see and hear that the idea was growing on him. All that was needed was a little push. "But, Mamoru, I'm sure you've heard her ask for this. And what better time than right now? We're at peace, the government's running quite smoothly, and business is booming."
"I actually have to agree with my comrade on this one. It's the perfect gift. In fact..." a wicked glint appeared in his eyes as he smirked, "We might as well make it a group outing. I'm sure Her Majesty would love to have her friends along."
The king slowly turned to face Sephiroth, his eyes clearly communicating 'Why are you doing this to me?' to the silver haired commander. But seeing that neither of them were willing to back down, he sighed and conceded defeat. Secretly, however, he did have to admit that it definitely appeared to be the perfect birthday gift, the answer to his prayers. However, a sudden problem appeared to stand in the way of making it a reality. "Wait a minute...what about everyone else? They might panic if we disappear for a day with no word."
Simultaneous mischievous grins appeared on both commander's faces at the king's question. Serin spoke first: "Well, Sephiroth and I won't be a problem. I can just cut some orders saying that we're going out to supplement the senshi in guarding you and Usagi. That might raise a few eyebrows, but I don't think anyone will really object."
Sephiroth then picked up the line, "As for you and Her Majesty, just leave a note. Make it into a 'research trip to see how the other half lives', or something. I think that Vashti and Medivh can handle affairs for one day."
Endymion chuckled as he shook his head. "Well, it seems that you guys have pretty much thought of everything. So, I guess we'll give it a shot. Just remember, if something happens, I'm blaming it all on you two."
Sephiroth grinned. "Don't worry so much. After all, what could possibly go wrong?"
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