Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ All's Fair in Love and War ❯ Troubles of War ( Chapter 19 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The morning came too early for the two lovers. Sometime halfway through the night, clouds had rolled in and a storm had started up. Selenity had never been afraid of storms, but that night she was glad to have Kino by her. Granted, each time they heard thunder she though it was someone opening the door, but true to Venus' promise, no one disturbed them all night.

"You should wear this on the chain with the other one," Kino said at one point in the night, twirling Selenity's wedding band. He was laying behind her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

She nodded at his comment. "I will. As soon as we get up in the morning." He accepted the statement with a kiss. She sighed with contentment as his hands wandered down her body again. Neither of them slept at all that night.

When morning did finally come and the two managed to drag themselves out of bed, they could not have been in better moods. They took their time getting dressed, and once they were dressed they still lingered in the room, happy in each others company. Kino undid the chain on which hung the ring he had given Selenity when she had promised to marry him, and allowed her to slip her wedding band onto it as well. He promised he would do the same as soon as he could find a chain, but for now he slipped it into his pocket.

When Selenity finally removed the seal from the door, Kino once again looked like Venus. He had been about to lean over and kiss his wife, but she had stopped him. "No. It-it would feel too weird with you looking like that," she said, and he had agreed in his new feminine voice. Selenity was relieved that Venus had provided the disguise, for no sooner had they gone five steps from the door when Diana had walked around the corner. They exchanged a few words, Diana commenting on how nice it was that the two girls could still find time to spend with each other. Selenity could see the whole time that Kino was trying very hard not to laugh.

By the time that they reached Venus' room, they were both giggling. Each time Kino giggled, it made it worse, since he could not get over how he sounded. Selenity's brother opened the door to allow them entry, looking rather amused. Venus was sitting at the table, looking like Kino still. She smiled when she saw them. "So, how was your evening?" she asked slyly.

Both of them blushed. Venus laughed, that being all the answer she needed. "Do you think I could get my voice back now?" Kino asked, making Venus laugh again. She came over and held out her hand. As the same glow disappeared, Kino and Venus had their proper forms again.

Serenity's brother placed his hand on Kino's shoulder. "Come. Mother sent word a little while ago saying that a messenger from Pluto just arrived, and wanted to see as many of us men as possible since he knows we're visiting." Kino nodded, and after pecking Selenity on the cheek quickly, left.

Selenity turned to Venus and hugged her. "Thank you so much, for everything," she said.

Venus smiled at her friend. "No problem. I'm just glad that you don't want to murder me for having sent the letter I did."

Selenity looked at Venus accusingly. "So what exactly did you say to him in your letter?" she asked.

Venus shrugged her shoulders and motioned for Selenity to take a seat next to her on the overstuffed sofa. "I only told him the truth, that you were being forced to marry Mars against your will, and you thought it would be easier on him if he thought that you did not love him to let go," she replied, and then smiled. "I also might have mentioned that you were out of your mind when you wrote your letter to him," she added.

Selenity smiled. "I should be angry with you, but you know I can't be. I'm just glad that he's here. I thought of something last night that started to worry me though. I'm worried that since Kino and I spent the night together, that well…..I could, I mean, there's the possibility that…." Selenity trailed off.

Venus placed her hand gently on Selenity's. "Don't worry, you won't be with child. That was part of the seal that you put in your room last night," she said, knowing exactly what Selenity was thinking.

Selenity smiled. "That's a relief. I don't think we'll be able to spend such nights together for a while though, since I don't want to be with child any time soon, and I can't expect you to whip up a seal for me each time I ask."

Venus reached to the table that was beside the sofa and grabbed a small envelope, and handed it to Selenity. "I can't give you seals that ensure no one will disturb or hear you, and ones that provide the disguise for Kino. Those drain me, so as I said, that was my wedding gift to you. It is good for three uses, so you still can use it two more times. However, ones that prevent you from getting a child I can do no problem, I make them for myself as well as others of my planet. Here, there should be enough in here to last you a while, and see me if you need more. It's up to you when and where and how you conceal it, but at least you won't have to worry about any…..unwanted side effects." Selenity accepted the envelope with a blush and a quick thank you.

The two women then decided to go for a walk. They walked out into the hallway, and were right away met with Helen. Helen gave Selenity a broad grin, which caused the girl to blush furiously. They walked through the gardens, and came back around noon. They were surprised to see that all the men were still in conference with Diana and the messenger from Pluto. They ended up eating lunch along with Hera, and it wasn't until late afternoon, early evening that the doors to the conference hall finally opened.

The three girls were sitting in one of the small libraries when the doors opened to permit the weary royals. Right away they were flooded with a dozen questions at once. Once the girls had finally let them all sit, Jupiter began to explain.

"There have been some odd attacks on Pluto, and some on Uranus and Neptune, although there they have been very few and infrequent. Pluto however is getting attacks every few days, not big ones though. It's always a small legion that comes in quickly, destroys as much as it can, then leaves before anyone has a chance to retaliate. They disappear so fast that no one really knows who they are or why they are attacking. They need help, since the attakcs are getting stronger each time."

Hera looked at her husband as he stopped talking. "Will you be going there then?" she asked.

Jupiter nodded, as did Paris, Mars, and Kino. "We'll all be going," Paris said. Helen looked worried as she leaned on Paris' shoulder. "It might just be a vagabond group, or some anarchists, but we're still going to go there to see what is going on."

Kino sighed. "From what the messenger said, it all seems too well planned and precise to just be a group of vagabonds or anarchists. The way that they attack, and how they always know just when to leave, is all too well laid out. There has to be more to it than that."

Mars nodded. "I agree. It sounded almost as though someone was subtly declaring war on Pluto, not just creating mischief."

Selenity looked from Mars to Kino. "When do you leave?" she asked, directing the question at all of them.

Kino shrugged. "The messenger seemed pretty eager to leave. I think he wants to be gone already by this time tomorrow."

Jupiter looked to his wife. "You'll be staying here until I return," he said gently. Paris nodded to Helen, showing that she would be staying too.

"Will my mother be going as well?" Selenity asked.

Mars shook his head. "No, she's sending one of her generals, Yokiro." Selenity nodded, knowing which man he was talking about. Yokiro was a master swordsman, no one better than him on the entire planet. He was also a very good diplomat, so she understood her mothers choice. She turned her eyes sadly to Kino, knowing that he would be leaving by the next evening, most likely the very next morning.

He was sitting right across from her on a sofa beside Jupiter. Jupiter had his arm around Hera, and Selenity wished desperately that Kino could be sitting next to her in the same way, but there were certain people in the room who might not like them being so close. His eyes caught hers, and she felt her heart flutter. The feel of his hands on her skin was still fresh in her memory, which caused her to blush.

That night she got her wish. Kino once again slipped into her room beneath the disguise of Venus. They cuddled together on Selenity's bed, Kino resting his head in her lap while laid down. Selenity stroked her fingers through his soft hair. His eyes were closed as they talked, his voice quiet.

"When do you think you'll come back?" Selenity asked, hoping they would not be gone too long.

"I don't know. I don't think we'll be gone too long. Hopefully this is an issue that we can resolve quickly," he chuckled, "I don't think that your mother will want me coming back anytime soon."

Selenity smiled. "I still have to think of how I'm going to tell her. She is going to be so mad. I should do it well before any wedding is actually arranged, since I don't think it would be a good idea to tell mama that I'm already married just before I go to walk down the isle to another man."

Kino smiled. "No, I don't suppose that would be too good," he replied.

Selenity felt a pang in her heart as she looked down at his calm face. He looked so peaceful, quite content to have her just running her fingers through his hair. She didn't want him to go, but she knew he would have to go eventually anyhow, otherwise her mother might think it's odd that he was staying too long. Still, she had hoped that everyone would be staying at least a week or two.

Kino opened his eyes. Selenity had a far off look on her face as she sat there, stoking his hair. He smiled a little to himself, thinking of the beautiful woman whom he could call his own. He felt a sort of pride in his chest, not in a negative way, but just looking at her made him happy, knowing that she would not be any other man's, that he could call her his own, and that she willingly called him hers.

Her eyes scanned over his face and she noticed that he was watching her. The corners of her lips curved up slightly. "What?" she asked.

Kino chuckled. "I was just watching you. I should be asking that too, you were staring at me longer."

Selenity leaned over a little and placed her lips on top of his. She felt his hand reach up and cup the back of her head. The pang in her heart got stronger, as she thought about having to part with him, but for the moment was glad just to be with him as long as she could. She pulled back and looked in his eyes again. They seemed glazed over with passion.

"So tell me about how you're going to tell your father about us that we're actually married," she said teasingly. She was rather surprised when she suddenly found herself on her back, pinned below Kino's strong form. He kissed the skin directly beneath her ear, causing her to shiver.

"Later," he growled, and she didn't protest to this.

-------------------------------------------

"Mama, I just can't anymore," Selenity gasped out as she sank to the floor, sweating and gulping for air. Diana nodded and handed her a glass of water, which Selenity gulped down greedily. Diana was worried. It shouldn't be taking so long for her to learn to slowly unlock the power of the crystal. She's been training for nearly a year now, and she can barely make it glow. She should have had that down pat in the first month of training, and by now she should at least be able to levitate large objects and send out energy bolts.

"Let's try one more time, and then we can call it a day," Diana said, wanting her daughter to push herself to the limits and find what she needed to be able to use the crystal.

Selenity sighed but nodded, and stood up on her trembling legs. She held her hands out and focused on the crystal. Right away sweat appeared on her forehead again, and her arms began to shake. Still, she got it glowing, although not very much.

"There, now hold on to it for as long as you can!" Diana urged. Selenity gritted her teeth and stood her ground, allowing the crystal to levitate. She could normally hold it about five to ten minutes, depending on how tired she was. The past two weeks, however, since all the men had left, she had a hard time concentrating on anything.

There was a knock on the door. Selenity heard her mother walking to the door and opening it. She could hear her talking to whoever was there, and then the door shut, followed by two sets of feet walking to the table.

"I'm glad to see you. What news from Pluto?" Selenity heard her mother ask.

"There's trouble, my lady. War has now been declared on both Pluto and Neptune, and Saturn is getting attacks now too," the newcomer said, and Selenity recognized the voice to be Yokiro's, the General her mother had sent to see what was going on. He continued to speak. "Lord Jupiter and Lord Mercury have returned to their planets to prepare their armies, and Lord Mars is still on Pluto, while Lord Kinotsu has returned to his home planet where a full out war is raging…" he was cut off by a cry from Selenity, who was still keeping the crystal levitating and glowing.

The room was filled with a blinding light, and all the furniture shook. Diana and Yokiro stumbled a little, but as quickly as the light came with the shaking, both disappeared. Diana spun around too look at her daughter. Selenity stumbled over to them, clutching the crystal in her hands. "War?" she asked quietly, tears in her eyes. Yokiro nodded his head slowly. Diana place her hand on Selenity's shoulder, but gave a small cry as Selenity collapsed. Yokiro was there to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Quick, put her here," Diana motioned to the sofa at the other end of the room. Yokiro brought her over and lay her down. Diana took her daughter's hands, which were still clutching the crystal and slowly opened them. The crystal was sitting in her palms, warm and still glowing slightly. Diana shook her head. Something that Yokiro said made her unlock some power, but what? She asked if there was she is so afraid of war coming here? Diana pondered this as she smoothed the hair from her daughters face.

"Will the princess be alright?" Yokiro asked, his voice filled with worry.

Diana nodded. "She'll be fine. She's just exhausted. She's never used the crystal like that." Yokiro nodded. Diana straightened up. "Allow me to get someone to tend to her and then we'll be able to talk." Yokiro nodded, and stepped out of the way so the Queen could walk to the door. Or could it be that it was the fact he mentioned Kinotsu has gone to fight….Diana thought to herself, her expression darkening. At least that will mean he won't be coming here anytime soon, and Selenity can start to mend her heart in preparation for her marriage with Mars.

As Diana called for a few servants and watched them tend her daughter, her expression softened again. I wish you to be happy, Selenity. I almost wish I had never made the Mars union. Kinotsu seems to love my daughter very much, and the way that she just unleashed all that power….I can only imagine how she feels about him in return. She turned around and walked over to Yokiro.

"Come, let us go and talk here," she said motioning to a pair of doors leading into the adjoining library. He followed her, and waited until she took a seat. Once she had, and motioned for him to do the same, he sat down. "Now tell me, do you think the war will come as far as the Moon?" she asked.

Yokiro shrugged. "It is difficult to say for sure. I was surprised at how much damage was already done on Pluto, and the attacks are getting stronger. I guess it depends on how quickly we can stop them."

Diana nodded. "I wanted to send troops out there regardless, but I wanted to see how many you think I should keep behind, in case the attacks reach us."

"We'll have to look closer at our resources and reserves before I can say for sure," Yokiro said, "But I would suggest sending as much help as we can, at least for the time being. The faster that we can defeat the enemy, the smaller the chance that the war will touch our planet."

Diana nodded. "Who are we dealing with? If war has actually been declared, then you must know who is declaring it."

Yokiro nodded. "It is not someone I am very familiar with. The attacker is a Queen from a very distant solar system, Queen Aminiha. From the reports that have been received so far, she first attacked Prince Kinotsu's kingdom, and then moved closer and closer to us. She already had many planets under her control, and that count must have doubled from the time she started her rampage," he paused. "I think that Kinotsu's kingdom can stand its ground against her. The last report that we received was that they were under heavy attack. Saturn and Neptune sent troops out there as soon as they heard that there was a war, but could spare no more once the attacks started to appear on their own planets. They seem to be holding out for a long time now, so they should be fine."

Diana frowned, not liking the whole situation. "You think that Lord Takahashi can't defeat her, or at least protect his own planet?" she asked.

"I think so, Lord Takahashi has a strong army. I think that they can defend themselves, although I don't think they can actually defeat her. Many of the neighbouring planets have offered their help as well, so they may be able to defend themselves. Queen Aminiha is strong though, and I fear it will take all the combined power of our solar systems planets to defeat her."

"So it is going to have to be all out war against the Queen to ensure that she does not get as far as our planet, correct?" Diana asked. Yokiro nodded, his silence all the answer Diana needed. "Very well. Go and survey the troops and reserves, and bring me back a full report by tomorrow evening." Yokiro nodded and stood up, bowing to Queen Diana before exiting the room.

Diana stood and walked back into the room where her daughter had been training. She must have woken up, or the servants must have carried her to her own room, since there was no one there anymore. Diana absentmindedly touched her hand to the Silver crystal, mentally preparing herself for the upcoming fighting she would have to do, and the hard training she would have to put Selenity through.