Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ After the Battle is Over ❯ Chapter 15: Being Blind ( Chapter 15 )

Author's Notes: Well here's the next chapter. I'm sorry I haven't written since February, but I got some written block and life was just so busy that it was easier to forget then to try and get around it. Some encouragement from readers got me over the block and this is the result. I will be finishing this just in case anyone is wondering!

Mala LoneMala@hotmail.com

Chapter 15: Being Blind

Minako's POV

As I followed Kaykuu-hime she suddenly stopped and looked out a window that had a view of the garden. She stood for a moment, then turned and went back down the steps and sort of glided out the side door. I followed her as she went into the garden and watched her for a few minutes, trying to gauge her mood. I know I seem to be a fairly impulsive girl, but when it comes to uncomfortable topics of conversation I always seem to think too much.

She was almost glowing but her face was troubled. She didn't seem to focus on any one thing for more then a moment and even then her eyes seemed to fly so far away that I'm not sure she was even seeing the beautiful blooms her hand held so reverently.

In fact, I managed to get within a few feet of her before she even noticed me.

"Sailor Venus," she startled. "Is minna all right?" Kaykuu-hime straightened up quickly and I could see a neutral expression fall over her face and I quickly rushed to reassure her.

"Hai, hai, everyone is fine! I just saw you going out here and . . . I followed."

"Doushite?"

Oh sugar. Blunt isn't she?

"Because I wanted to know how the Starlights were," I stuttered out, "I mean they are my favourite teen idol group. It wouldn't do to lose that much talent." I finished weakly. Oh Zeus, you would think a girl who has faced evil since she was 13 would have the courage to ask about a boy . . . girl . . . whatever!

She smiled slightly and her mask of neutrality slipped a bit as she answered, "They are just fine. They are still asleep, as is Hope. I was unable to rest so I thought I would see some more of this lovely home. However, what is it you would really like to ask?"

Kaykuu's POV

What a lovely girl. I wonder what has her so flustered.

"Come, it cannot be any thing bad. After all Galaxia's gone and we are all well."

"Iie, it isn't, it's just awkward, and slightly personal I guess."

She seemed to pull herself up and I briefly glimpsed the princess in her future, the courage and beauty that are her birthright. Once again I'm reminded that this solar system has a bright future ahead of it. They would survive and they would thrive.

She seemed to be thinking and then with a final grimace she finally just blurted out "Is Yaten always like that?"

What?? I blinked twice before carefully re schooling my expression again. "What do you mean? Like what exactly?"

"A walking confusion! One minute he's bitter and angry, the next he's sweet and thoughtful. Which one is he?" She was leaning toward me, an earnest expression on her face. She was genuinely interested but I could also see that she was also `interested'. My grin widened but it didn't last long as the import of her words sank in.

"Iie, she hasn't always been that way. The last few years have changed her. When she first came to my home to train, she was very open and very young."

Minako's POV

I started to really worry and to wonder when she sighed deeply and sank onto a rather convenient garden bench, her `public face' falling away to reveal a troubled young woman.

"I see a `but' coming . . . " I sidled over and sat myself down on the other end. "What happened? That's not the Yaten I've seen. Her maturity sometimes makes me feel like a 2-year-old. I mean I haven't tried to be mature too much really, but she was so bitter and holier then thee that when I did, I always seemed to come up short. She made me feel small."

"Hmm . . . hai I can see how she might do that. Yaten is small in stature, but big in attitude, as you say."

I smiled at her use of a Terran saying. "She is that."

"It used to be a wonderful thing. Seiya was the tough one, the fighter. Taiki was the smart one, the thinker. Yaten, she was the heart, our sunshine. She's very much like you in that way." I looked at her, startled, but didn't say anything.

"Then about two years after their training was complete, we got a frantic message from her home planet, Chiyu Kokoro. An unknown assailant was attacking them and they needed back up. Before we could even get the troops assembled, we lost all communication with them. When we finally got a visual on the planet, it had been destroyed. The surface was barren. Yaten's entire family was gone in a blink."

"Oh my god." I was stunned. I'm not on the best of terms with my parents, but I couldn't imagine losing them and all my other relatives in one fell swing.

"She closed down for days and isolated herself in her room. Finally, she emerged one day and her joy was gone. Anger was seeping in to replace it and there didn't seem to be anything we could do. Every world, each attack, seemed to make it worse. We were able to bring Fighter and Maker's families to the palace, but even that didn't save them in the end. However, I think my abandonment of them was what put the bitterness in her." Her eyes were clouded and I fancy I can see the tears gathering in them, but they never fall.

"Well, Galaxia took all the star seeds with her. Who knows, maybe they'll all be there waiting for you when you get back." She smiled slightly at my positive attitude and then looked me straight in the eye.

I was rooted to the spot by the warring emotions of hope and grief that emanated from her. "Hai, I'm hoping that all my people will be alive and well when I return, however, I know that will not be the case. Although many had their star seeds stolen some were killed during the destruction of the buildings and planets, their lives are gone. I know not which is which. Moreover, there is also the fact that many of the outer planets in my solar system, moons included, have been made inhabitable. We will have to learn to accommodate them on the few plants that are still hospitable. It will be a big job. We must leave soon."

All I could do was nod. I hadn't considered that aspect of things. Once again I felt very lucky.

"Needless to say, I have no way of knowing if the families of those close to me are among the star seed victims or those that died of natural causes. We won't know until we get home, and until Galaxia gets to us. That will take a while I suspect as she must seed all the planets between Earth and Kinmokusei. That is why we have not insisted on returning immediately. There is no point."

Kaykuu's POV

She sat thoughtfully for a few moments digesting what she had just learned. Truly, her world will seem like a paradise compared to what we will return to, but return we must.

"Can I come and help you?"

"Come with . . . oh my dear! That is an amazing offer, but isn't it your first duty to protect your princess and the saviour of us all? How could you do that from half way across the galaxy?" I'm truly touched by the offer she has made, but I know that a clean break, at least in the beginning would be best. This planet is not inter-galactically recognized yet and communication would be almost impossible without physically travelling to the planet. I do not doubt that it will quickly become one of the most recognized plants in the known universe but until then . . .

"That's true but Usagi wouldn't mind for a while I mean she's got everyone else and as long as I don't stay too long it should be okay. Onegai, I want to help. I need time to . . . " She broke off then, and almost jumped off the bench to start pacing.

"Need time to what my dear?"

"To find out what he's, I mean she's, really like." Her eyes darted back to mine but receded just as quickly.

"Why do you need to know this?" I wanted to make this clear and understand all that was developing here.

She stopped her pacing beside the rose bush I had been admiring earlier and holding a yellow bloom in her hand whispered, "I think I like Yaten, I think I like him, er her, a lot. I need to find out the truth."

"Minako-san, if what I have seen since I came to this planet is true, you like a lot of young men." I wasn't trying to be insulting, just stating a rather plain fact.

I needn't have worried though she didn't even turn around. "Not like this. Oh those boys are cute but Yaten . . . I can't stop thinking about him. I don't mean how good he looks, although he is cute." Now she was giggling into the rose, "I mean he's always there. Whenever I go somewhere I want to know where he is. I'm constantly wondering what he'd think about something and I value his opinion almost as much as my friends, sometimes more. It doesn't feel like a crush, it's different." She turned now and looked me straight in the eyes, the force of her determination almost palatable in the air between us.

"I want to learn about him, learn who she is. I want that chance."

"Well then it seems to me that you need to be talking to Healer, not me."

Michiru's POV

She's not doing too badly at this. All those nights of telling stories to Hime-chan must have improved her storytelling ability.

I giggled silently as she once again imitated Pluto's `mysterious' voice as she told us what we needed to do, what our destiny was.

"We felt drawn to that area of Juban and neither of us knew why. The only constant to the attacks seemed to be the unfortunate attention of five young women before or after almost every one. We were determined to find the Talismans, as was our destiny. Then too there were the other Sailor Scouts. I have to admit we were very harsh with them." At a quick look from me she instantly amended her statement. "All right, I was more harsh with them. Michiru was harsh, but not in such an obvious way. She looked down on them too. (my POV, not necessarily the truth!) But, eventually Michi-chan wanted to tell them everything. She could see their potential. I could only see a risk to Michiru, them and myself. I wouldn't take that risk."

I noticed the startled looks on the other Sailor Scouts faces. We had never really discussed our first few meetings, having come to an almost silent agreement that it was behind us. It seems that tonight we are opening doors that have long been shut.

"Haruka was right at the time however. As good at fighting as you girls had become there were times when it wasn't enough, that's what we were there for. We know that now. I only wish we had started to train you a little earlier that might have made a difference in the end. We might have been able to be a more cohesive group when we eventually went up against Pharaoh 90. We will never know now."

"Who's Pharaoh 90?" enquired Shingo-san from the floor. "That's an awful name. Was he Egyptian royalty of some kind?" Haruka looked with a surprised look of grudging respect at the young man sitting beside our daughter on the floor and replied, "That's an interesting thought, one I have to admit I'd never considered, but no, he has nothing to do with Egyptian royalty."

"I'm not even sure why he had that name, that's just the only one he ever used." spoke up Hotaru from a little farther down the floor.

"How would you know him, you aren't even in the story yet?" Mr. Tsukino said.

"I will be." I could see the trouble gathering in her eyes and I smiled `I love you' as she glanced our way. Ahh . . . there's that purple coming back from behind the clouds.

"Anyway, that's how Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus showed up in the picture." Haruka finished with a flourish.

"Hai, only we didn't know that's who you were for a very long time. In fact, we were convinced, well most of us were convinced, that you were the enemy for a while. Usagi was the only one who wouldn't believe that other Sailor Scouts could be bad. She was determined to talk to you." Makoto smiled fondly at Usagi while managing to look suitable guilty at the two of us.

"Ami, why don't you tell what was happening from our perspective."

"Hai, Serenity-sama." Ami's head bobbed solemnly. "We thought that we were finally done fighting, we were wrong."

Usagi's POV

Oh yeah. Just getting to the part where I temporarily lose my powers. Not one of my more stellar moments I must say. It will be perfect canon fodder for my Dad, I hope he has sense enough not to assume my powers aren't reliable because of it. That'll make how I got them back even more of a shock. I let my mind drift imaging images of my otou-san with an angry indigent face and gave them each of rating from 1 - 10, 10 being the most likely to appear.

"You mean you let my daughter fight these things without any way to defend herself? Are you crazy?" Wow, number 7 won. There was more surprise then I thought there would be. Not as angry as I anticipated either.

"Sometimes Sere has some bad ideas, this was one of them." I jerked around to stare at my `soul-mate' and glared daggers at him.

"Nani!? You're supposed to be on my side remember." I was totally affronted. I knew what I had done wasn't that smart but it was almost two years ago and I'd changed a lot. The least he could do was not voice that little comment.

"I am on your side, and that's why I still think staying without your powers was a bad idea. I know it upset you, but it was too dangerous. Those Daimons were new and more powerful then anything we'd come up against yet. You knew that you couldn't do a thing without Sailor Moon. I know you. You can't stand back and just watch, you care too much to do that and staying just made it more likely you would get involved. I wish you had run when I told you to. I was scared silly when that thing started batting you around like a rag doll." What episode are you talking about? I'm really confused. Did I miss one?

He's such a worrier. I pat his hand gently. "Ahh . . . but I knew I had my big black-capped protector to pull me out of the line of fire."

"Onegai, don't depend on me Usako. I can't be there all the time, even if I want to."

"I know, don't worry, some things have changed." I smiled just to make sure he realized what I meant and silently told him, `We'll never be out of touch again, so it really doesn't matter.'

`True, and Iie, I'm not going to tell you the answers to your exams at school!' He was grinning now.

"I didn't ask you to!" I would never ask him to help me cheat! I then received a soothing feeling, a slight wriggle of laughter, and knew that he was just baiting me, and by golly it'd worked. What a man.

Makoto took that moment to continue with the story only looking occasionally at the two of us with a `what was that about?" expression on her face.

"Anyway, it really doesn't matter because Usagi managed to get her powers back."

"Yes, the power of the love between our Prince and Princess created the Spiral Moon Heart Rod that both of them could use." Ami smiled over at the two of us with almost maternal pride. She would make a wonderful mother someday. My otou-san only grunted and sat straighter in his seat.

"Oh how romantic." That would be my oka-san, she's got hearts in her eyes.

"Hai, I got them back and stronger then ever. It was a good thing too because our new enemies were stronger as well."

"Hai, they were."

Taiki's POV

Good lord, I wish Yaten would quite hitting her pillow like that. It's starting to sound like a drum practise is going on in here.

"Would you stop that onegai?" I know my voice sounds more annoyed then it should be but haven't I the right? After all it's not fair to be woken out of a sound sleep by the pounding our roommate is giving her bedding? Especially after nearly being killed. It's just not right!

"Gomen ne, Taiki, but I woke up and I just can't go back to sleep."

Sounds like we're up. Truthfully I don't think I could sleep much longer either.

"What woke you?"

"Nothing." Well, that was informative. Yaten normally sleeps like the dead, nothing can wake her up when she's tired and I must say we were tired when we finally got into bed. `Something' must have woken her or she would have slept longer. The other dead give away would have been the lack of `the look'. Ordinarily she would have sat straight up and glared daggers at me (or at least she had been doing that since we moved to this planet) but this time she just continued to stare out the widow beside her bed.

"I don't believe you. What woke you Healer-chan? Doushita no?"

She glared over her shoulder and climbed stiffly out of the bed. "I had a dream, that's all."

"In that we are similar then, I had one as well. What was yours about?" Talking with Yaten was like pulling teeth.

"What was yours about?"

Okay I can play this game. "I was discussing Galaxia with Ami. She was trying to discover the physics involved in the star seeds." I smiled softly at my whimsy and asked again, "What was yours about?" Oh, venom in that look. I may be calm, but I'm stubborn.

"It was a nightmare ne. Can we not talk about it?" She now seemed wary and I wish she'd had longer to sleep. She obviously needs it.

"Why won't you tell me about it? You used to tell me about your dreams? Onegai Yat-chan I just want to help." Although this young woman may not seem to be that easy to get along with, I have never had a problem. Not until all this started. She was my Star Sister and we'd felt the bond since the beginning. In fact I think our friendship is even stronger because of the relationship between Fighter and Kaykuu-sama. Those two had each other, and we had each other, but in a different sense. It worked. We worked.

"Not this kind, not thing time Taiki. It's . . . it can't happen so there's no point in hashing it out. We're leaving soon and that'll be the end of it." Oh, lightening has struck. (God I love that saying, earthlings have an amazing variety of them.)

"I see, Sailor Venus."

Yaten's POV

How the hell!? I think I gave myself whiplash my neck twisted around so quickly. "Minako? What does Minako have to do with this?" I realize my voice sounds slightly high and tight and I hope Taiki didn't notice it.

"Something obviously." Okay, I'll give her some credit, there's no sarcasm in her voice, just honest worry. My star is dimming fast. Well I'm taking her down with me.

"Hai she does, and Ami was in yours. Don't you think that's a little pointless now? I mean, considering earlier." I know it's a low blow, but I don't want to talk about Minako. I don't know what's going on.

"I knew it was pointless from the beginning Yaten. Although she became a good friend, she never once led me on. I knew that her mind was elsewhere often and I knew it wasn't on books. I just didn't know it was going there. But, you can bet if she had been free, I would definitely have been trying."

That got me a semi-sympathetic look. "At least consider this, your girl is still free and she seems to be giving off signals that she wouldn't mind."

"What do you mean?? All we do is argue!" Oh boy, she didn't know that?

"Oh yes, that scene after Galaxia was killed was one big argument. I must have been confused." Oh shoot! I'd sorta tried to forget about that. Too much hope wrapped up in that memory.

"That's different. We were all on an emotional high."

"Yes well, I'm still fairly sure that Venus-san doesn't hate you."

"Iie, she doesn't." I murmured the last so quietly I was almost sure she couldn't hear, but I was wrong.

"Then what are you so worried about?" Now she seems almost angry with me. I guess I'm not making much sense.

"She's not like us Taiki-chan. She's been chasing boys for years and I'm not a boy. Well I don't want to be one on a permanent basis. I like being a girl. Not to mention, we live half way across the galaxy from each other and I have to leave in a few days. It's not worth even starting something. It wouldn't be fair to her." Maybe if I say it enough I'll believe it and it won't hurt so much.

How can I be so torn apart but one simple girl? I've lived a painful life the last few years and now all I can think about is a young girl who can't seem to keep her head out of the clouds but who has the most amazing blonde hair and happy smile. What is wrong with me?

"Do you think she is interested in you?"

"You seem to think she is." Now I sound sulky.

"Hai I do, and if that's the case, this isn't your decision to make. You aren't the only one involved. Seems to me that you need to talk to Venus-san."

Taiki's POV

Oh, she didn't like that suggestion.

"I already talked to her Taiki, that's the problem."

All that deserves, and receives, is a confused raising of my eyebrow.

"I can't keep my resolve around her." Oh now she's pacing, we're getting somewhere. "I was going to talk to her about this and I just couldn't. I couldn't admit it wasn't possible so I didn't start anything. Maybe she'll just leave it alone and we won't have to think about it."

"I don't think that's going to work. However, it's your life, you do what you think right. It will all come out in the wash." Oh, there's a tiny smile, I knew that would get her. She loves these earth sayings too.

"Thanks Taiki." Well, that makes it all of this worth it. The sleep disturbance, the pacing and the glares. I was just on the receiving end of one of Yaten's most genuine smiles in about three years. Hai, made it all completely worth it.

Makoto's POV

"Things weren't going well. We had no idea who the new Scouts were, or whose side they were on although Serenity insisted they weren't evil. I was taking that with a grain of salt until I had proof. The Daimons were just too powerful and we were constantly needing to be backed up by the new scouts and, to top it all off, Usagi was starting to revert." Good lord . . . did I just say that?

"Revert . . . I was starting to revert? What on Earth does that mean?" Oops, yep said it out loud. However, since I don't have a face full of enraged princess, it mustn't be too bad. I think maybe I'll let Ami handle this one, maybe she can use so many big words it'll just confuse her until she gives up.

Puppy dog eyes to my right . . . ah, works every time.

Pluto's POV

She certainly has Ami wrapped around her little finger and if I didn't know that it was mutual I'd worry about those two. Ami will continue the story, I have no doubt.

"Well you have to admit Usagi-chan, having Chibiusa-chan around seemed to inspire you to . . . mature quite a bit." More then you know Sailor Mercury, more then any of you know.

"Hai that's true. Somebody had to keep an eye on her." The comment, although it sounds harsh, was made with such tenderness and love nobody was in any doubt that she didn't mean it.

"Hai, and you did a fine job. But, once she left, you stopped . . . well, being as mature. It took a while. By the time the festival came around we were really starting to worry. You were becoming more easily distracted every day."

"That's not true!" Then, after a moment's hesitation, it appears she has decided that the truth is always the best course. "Well not totally true. I just wanted to have fun again. Why not have fun while we could? We never knew when things could change. Chibiusa had proven that to me. Gomen nasi, I worried you all. Did that continue to be a problem?"

"You know it did not Usagi. I allowed Chibiusa to return."

Kenji's POV

Who, nani? Who said that? Oh, it's the green haired woman. Not the most talkative person in the world is she? I think that's the second thing she's said the entire time we've been here, not including her introduction. Pluto I think.

"She returned? She came back? Did something happen to her home again?" This kid, if she's real, is taking a real beating.

"Hai she came back, right in the middle of a Daimon fight too. Neo-Queen Serenity knew what was going to happen and knew we'd need Chibiusa's help. What happened next would not have transpired had Chibiusa not returned when she did." Regardless of Ami's use of words with more then two syllables Usagi seemed to be nodding in agreement. Maybe some of these changes aren't going to be for the worse.

Oh! The youngest Scout is moving . . . and I know this since she is now sitting on one of my feet.

"That's where I come into the story."

Minako's POV

"Come, let us go and see if any of the others are awake. I don't want Hope-chan to wake up Fighter-chan. She needs the sleep very badly."

I don't think I will ever be that graceful. She looks like she's not even touching the ground when she walks or moves. I know I'm supposed to be a princess but I don't see it. I still feel like a gawky teenager.

"Ah . . . maybe I'll go see how the story is going. I mean, they might need my help. I'll see you . . . "

"Venus-san, what is the earth saying . . . "

"Let sleeping cats lie?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of, `There's no time like the present.' Now, come. We shall find Yaten-chan and you can get this all worked out." Okay, that was an imperial command.

I follow.

Note: The name of Yaten's home planet, according to an online Japanese to English dictionary translates to "healing heart". I just made it up.