Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Alliances ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Minako sat at her dressing table bleakly, so angry and upset about the night's coming events that she had become numb. She brushed her hair as if she were in a trance, deciding that she wouldn't wear it down like usual. It was one of her best features, and if she was to meet the man she was being forced to marry that night, she would certainly not allow him to witness the golden waves that typically flowed to the small of her back.. She decided to frame the curls that now piled on her head with the crown of her planet, the crown the Senshi of Venus before her had worn. She couldn't call the older soldier her birth mother as the other younger senshi could, for the Senshi of Venus before her, as kept with tradition, had remained chaste. The Venusian Senshi weren't born of a woman, they always emerged from the foam of the seas of Venus, as had the Goddess Aphrodite countless millennia ago. The Senshi was bound to celibacy after that, so devoted to serving her Queen that she had no time to think of fleshly pleasures. Tradition had it so that the Senshi of Love herself would never love, but in exchange, could make others love. Minako had always upheld this honor proudly, and knew she should be continuing the tradition set by Venus Senshi before her, but alas, now she was bound to an Earth man by an unforgiving, unfaltering Royal Decree. She secured the crown and stood up from the mirror, grabbing the dress that she was to wear.

If she had it her way, she would have met her fiancé wearing a beggar's clothes; burlap sacks loosely fitted over a dirty body. Perhaps then she would repulse him into doing something drastic, like killing himself…or better yet, killing her. But no, Queen Serenity had chosen a positively exquisite dress for her. It was made of gold silk, having a thickly boned, strapless corset top and a slightly bustled, flowing skirt. It fit her splendidly, she thought as she tightened the lacings on the bodice, groaning in displeasure as she saw how it complimented her features. She tugged hard on the lacing, hoping that the lack of air in her lungs would make her weak and give her an excuse to leave early from the ball she was about to go to. She gave it a final tug and tied it in a secure bow, positive it was squeezing the life out of her with every passing breath as it squeezed her already slight frame into a shapely hourglass.

She slipped on her simple gold heels and studied herself furiously in the mirror, cursing Queen Serenity and the Silver Alliance for making her marry against her will. Tears welled up in her eyes and rage boiled inside her as she stared heatedly at her reflection. The anger overtook her and she cried out, punching the mirror with all her might It shattered easily. The glass nicked her right hand and wrist in many spots, leaving one particularly deep cut in her palm. She examined it spitefully, thinking of the Queen's reaction to her self inflicted wound. Let her see it, she thought as the blood began to rise in a few of the deeper cuts. This is her fault anyway, and if I can help it, there will be more where this came from. The deep cut on her palm was bleeding profusely, so she cleaned it quickly and used her energy only to stop the bleeding. She didn't want to heal this one all the way, not yet, at least. No use in getting blood in my hair or on my face, though, she thought as the wound formed a scab. The clock chimed 8, and Minako felt the anger disappear in a rush of sadness and desperation. She was late, and reality began to sink in quickly, weighing her down with dread. She would meet him tonight, she would finally get to see the decorated Earth General for whom she didn't even know a name yet. She would meet him, hate him, and be wed to him in two weeks. That was reality, no matter how much she loathed the prospect. She examined her hand again before heading out the door, much of the blood already clotted. Blood shed in vain, she reminded herself as she walked out the door, her anger now morphed back into a sick, dismal numbness.

The ball was overly extravagant, Minako thought as she respectfully approached the thrones of the Queen and Princess. She had entered through the side door to avoid spectacle, the one directly next to the 10 steps that let up to the royalty's thrones. The Queen looked like her normal self, she noticed, outfitted in the elegant gown she often wore when taking care of Royal Affairs. Minako laughed bitterly to herself. That's all this is, she thought, a simple matter of business. She resisted the urge to scream. Minako reached the top of the marble stairs and stood next to the Princess, noticing that she looked downright sad. She tried to uphold her regal composure, but Minako noticed a slight slump to her small frame, her normally cheery blue eyes clouded with thought. Minako realized that she must be nearly matching the sad Princess's bleak expression. The Golden Alliance was hardest on the two of them, since each of their successors had never married. She touched Princess Serenity's hand lightly and the girl looked up slowly, some of the sadness leaving her face when she saw it was Minako. Minako forced a smile for her little Princess, for there was nothing she hated more than to see her in pain. She began to speak, but was cut off by her.

"Don't pretend you're happy, Mina-chan," she said sorrowfully. "Neither of us are okay with this."

Minako let her smile fade.

"You're right, Sere, I'm not okay with it. I hate it," she said, feeling the resentment begin to boil up in her a bit. She tried to suppress it before it became too noticeable.

The Princess sighed and looked down, noticing the cuts on Minako's hand, which was still placed lightly on the younger girl's wrist.

"Did you do this to yourself?" she asked.

"No, not really…I got angry, and it happened," Minako replied, hoping the Princess wouldn't press her further about it. Apparently the Princess wasn't in the mood to, for she simply sighed again and patted Minako's hand gently. Minako was about to speak when she was interrupted by Queen Serenity.

"Venus," she called to her. Minako squeezed the Princess's wrist lovingly before walking to the Queen, seated at the other throne.

"Yes, your majesty," she said obediently.

"Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter are all here already. Why were you late?" the Queen said sternly.

"I apologize, your majesty, I had an injury right before I left that I needed to tend to," she said, bowing her head respectfully, hoping the Queen wouldn't see through her. She wasn't in the mood to defend herself tonight.

"Very well," she said, "Go and enjoy yourself. The Earth Prince and his generals will be here momentarily."

"Yes, your majesty."

Minako turned descended the steps as gracefully as a queen, her head held high but mouth kept in a taut line. Many people looked up from where they were standing or sitting around the room, and some even stopped dancing to see the golden beauty descend down the red carpeted strip that ran down the center of the white marble stairs. Minako ignored the attention and looked intently into the crowd for a woman she knew would be in red, a woman with jet black hair. She needed to talk to her, to vent before she went insane. She found her in the back of the room, standing alone, watching the dance floor lazily. As Minako had suspected, she was wearing red, a dress that Serenity must have chosen for her, too…it fit her perfectly and looked positively stunning. Hers was a dark scarlet satin, boned for shape on the thinly strapped bodice and continuing down the sleek line of her thighs, before flaring out dramatically at the knee. The woman's black hair complimented it perfectly, making the red stand out in the soft light

"Rei," Minako called out to the young woman as she approached, getting her attention.

"Minako!" the raven haired woman called back, walking up to meet her.

They greeted with a brief hug, and Rei pulled Minako back, holding her by her arms.

"I can feel something isn't right," Rei said. She paused, looking at Minako's expressionless face.

"You aren't happy about this, Minako, are you? You can't be. I'm not thrilled about it myself, and I don't have tradition and pride lingering over my head."

Minako's eyes fell at that, and she shook her head sadly. Rei pulled her into a close hug.

Minako broke the hug, light blue eyes gazing deeply into dark violet ones. She wanted to fume, to let all her anger and frustration fly right there in the middle of the ballroom. She couldn't of course, and she and Rei knew that.

"Lets go out on the balcony," Rei said, "You can say what you want to out there."

They walked quickly towards the grand balcony on the left side of the room, a courtyard-style setting that overlooked the Moon Palace's reflecting pond. They stopped a waiter and grabbed two glasses of champagne on their way out. Once there, they walked to the far end, leaning on the railing and setting their glasses down.

Ouch!, Minako thought as her corset dug into her ribs, cutting off her air supply even more. She was starting to regret lacing it so tightly, for it was already making her a bit lightheaded. She traded the uncomfortable position for leaning her back against the railing, easing the pressure on her already overworked lungs. Rei looked at her with concern, asking gently, "So what is it?"

"Oh, Rei, it's this whole thing. Nobody seems to understand what this is like for me. On top of that, no one even wants to understand!"

"Tell me," Rei pressed, "How do you feel?"

Minako took a long sip of her champagne, downing it in one sip. She reached for Rei's glass, and she gave it to her.

"I feel horrible, like I'm letting down my ancestors, like I'm letting down my planet…" she proceeded, trailing off as two other women their age walked up to them. One was tall, with curly auburn hair that reached just past the bottom of her shoulder blades. It was partly secured back in an emerald-studded barrette, but a few wispy locks shaded the girl's face. Her green eyes sparkled warmly, accented and complimented by the dark green on her dress. The dress was beautiful, made of dark green satin. It was cut with an empire waist with small cap sleeves. The skirt, which flowed loosely against the tall woman's curvy frame, was covered by a green shimmering chiffon overlay.

"Makoto," Rei greeted her with a smile. Minako smiled at her, too, only slightly miffed that she had been interrupted. She hadn't really felt like getting into detail with Rei anyway; she still needed time to think things through with herself.

"Hey Ami," Minako welcomed the other girl, a girl of much smaller size, standing about five inches below Makoto. She, too, looked beautiful, with a blue silk dress that trailed the floor. It had a modest neckline, accented by a string of pearls, and a slit in the skirt that went to her knee. Pearls in her ears and short blue hair tied the look together, creating an elegant, glamorous line. She smiled and said hello in return.

"So how's it going?" Makoto asked. "We brought you some champagne."

Minako sat Rei's now empty, confiscated glass down on the wide marble railing and took the glass that was offered to her from Makoto. She didn't care about getting tipsy; she was so depressed she figured it would make her act more like her normal self. Rei gave her a sideways glance as she began to sip from her new glass, but Minako ignored it.

"We're alright," Rei responded to Makoto. "How are you two?"

"We're okay, I guess," Makoto said.

"We aren't terribly excited about this, though," Ami added.

"I hate it," Minako mused to the group. They all grimaced slightly, knowing how difficult it must be for her.

"I mean," she continued, "Can't you just see them now? The prince: arrogant, self-centered, rude…I hate the thought of Sere with someone like that. And these generals…I can just imagine them. Aging, balding military men, surely loving the prospect of having their own little 19 year old princess to call his own. You know how Earth men are, they're so possessive of their wives."

The other three girls agreed, obviously disturbed by the thought that what Minako said was probably true. They all took a long sip of their champagne, their uneasiness heightened by the visual Minako had given them. Unfortunately, though, they didn't have a chance to talk more, for Queen Serenity's voice suddenly sliced through their thoughts.

"Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, come to the throne now. They're here," she communicated telepathically to them.

Minako drank the rest of her champagne quickly before setting the glass down. The girls all looked at one another anxiously.

"This is it, let's go," Makoto said, her expression changing to something Minako had only seen before she squared off in an important fight. She called it her "game face." She walked back in the ballroom, followed closely by the other three.

They scaled the steps and proceeded up to stand by Princess Serenity and the Queen. Venus took her place to the left of the Queen, signifying her position as leader. Rei, Makoto, and Ami took their place to the right of the princess, lined up accordingly in order of rank. They stood stiffly, hands behind their back, chests and heads held high. It was a stunning sight for the ball's guests to see, the four strong looking yet beautiful young women outfitted splendidly, surrounding the elegant Queen and her stunning daughter. The music stopped, the couples stopped dancing, and all conversation ceased as the attention turned to the Queen and her Royal Guard. And then, the large, ornate double doors in the back of the ballroom opened, allowing a couple to enter the room. The man was dressed in a gray dress shirt and pants, his long silvery white hair hanging freely down his back. The woman next to him had equally long black, curly hair, and a yellow and black dress. They moved silently to the foot of the throne and bowed to the Queen.

"Artemis, Luna," she acknowledged them both, and they stood up.

"Your Majesty," Artemis began, as Luna turned and walked back down the red carpeted strip to the doors, "We present to you the Earth Prince Endymion, escorted by his personal guard."

Luna led the five men out, walking beside a tall man with short black hair and a long, sweeping black cape. Gold and silver accented his black uniform, and a silver sword swung in its hilt at his side. He walked with a graceful gait, his head raised nobly, a proud expression on the face of a man that couldn't be more than 23. The four men that proceeded directly behind him were each matching in his good looks, appearing to be only one or two years older than him. They wore dark gray uniforms, each accented by a different trim. Well, Minako thought, they certainly aren't as old as I thought they would be. They stopped a few feet from the base of the throne, prompted by Luna, and bowed deeply to the Queen. She rose and descended the steps along the strip of red carpet. She met the Prince at the bottom, who acknowledged her with a bow and a kiss on the hand.

"Your Majesty," he said. His voice was that of a rich baritone. He stood from his bow and smiled at the Queen. She gave a warm smile in return.

"Prince Endymion," she addressed him, "I welcome you to the Moon. May it be a comfortable home to you for the next two weeks."

"I thank you for your graciousness, and my father sends his regards. He is caught up in political affairs, and regrets that he will be unable to meet with you before the Golden Alliance takes place."

What wonderful protocol he follows, Minako thought sarcastically as she listened to the "by the book" conversation taking place between the Earth Prince and the Queen. Perhaps that will be out entire relationships with these men, strict protocol. Her mind wandered, as it often did when she was trying to shut out something unpleasant, and she almost smiled when she began imagining a strictly protocol marriage. It got even harder to do when she tried to imagine strictly protocol sex.

"I'm so happy to hear that, Prince Endymion," the Queen commented in response to something the Earth Prince had said. "Now, I would like to introduce you to my daughter and her royal guard."

The smile snapped off of Minako's face when she heard those words. That was their cue. Princess Serenity rose from her throne and proceeded to stand at the right of her mother, the taller, yet very similar looking Queen. Minako proceeded down next, standing at the Queen's left. Rei, Makoto, and Ami proceeded into place so that they were arranged exactly as they had been minutes ago next to the thrones.

"My daughter, Princess Serenity VII," Queen Serenity announced, and her daughter dropped to one knee in an elegant curtsy. She rose and said softly, "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

The Queen smiled. It was Minako's turn next.

"Princess of Venus and highest ranking of my and my daughter's royal guard, Lady Minako," the Queen said.

Minako kept her eyes lowered as she, too, dropped to one knee like Serenity had. She rose, finally letting her eyes raise to the Prince and his generals. She kept her voice cold and repeated what Serenity had said.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

The Queen followed suit with each of the young women, each repeating the actions of the former two in the emotionless, grave voices that reflected exactly what they felt about the whole situation. The Queen started on some long spiel about the position of the guard and whatnot, and Minako glanced over to Artemis, who was standing beside the general to the Prince's right. He looked back at her and forced a smile.

-I hate this, Artemis,- she flashed telepathically to the older man's mind. Minako had a special telepathic link to Artemis. He had been her personal guardian since she was brought from the seas of Venus and sent to the Moon, taking the place of the parents she lacked.

-I know, dear,- he said back tenderly.

-Which one am I betrothed to?-

-You will be paired off by rank.-

-So probably the one next to you, then, right?-

Artemis and Minako both glanced to the cold looking man to the left of Artemis. He was young, like the rest of them, with silver hair like Artemis's, only not quite as long. The trim on his uniform was plain black, but he was the only one other than the prince wearing a cape. It, too, trailed the floor, but rather than dramatic black, his was the same gray that was on his uniform. It was fastened to his shoulders by a heavy silver brooch, accented by a grayish pink stone. He must have noticed Minako's studious stare, and he glanced over at her. She quickly looked away, but for the moment their eyes met Minako saw his eyes to be a deep blue gray.

-I don't like all the gray on this guy, it seems so boring.- Minako said to Artemis.

-Eh, don't judge a book by its cover. He could be different than what he seems. For example, did you notice his hair? Its silver, like mine. Silver hair isn't native to Earth.- Artemis had a point. -This guy is different, Minako, just try to give him a chance and at least see what his story is.-

Minako sighed.

-I'll try, Artemis, for you. But I won't like it.-

Artemis smiled at her, and she smiled weakly back.

-That's my girl. And by the way, quit punching mirrors. Its really not good for your hands.-

Minako looked at him in astonishment, about to question how he knew that, when Prince Endymion's voice interrupted her link with Artemis.

"And now, Your Majesty, I request the honor of introducing to you my personal guard and highest ranking generals."

"By all means, proceed," the stately Queen replied.

"To my right, Commander of the Armies of the North, Captain of the Royal Guard, and my personal advisor, General Kunzite."

The general, the man in gray and black whom Minako had just studied, bowed low to the Queen and Princess.

"Your Majesties," he said sternly. Minako liked the sound of his voice. It was fairly mid-range, like the Prince's, but it had a hint of something familiar to it. It was rich, almost like honey, a quality she had been told she possessed. She had never heard it on anyone until now, and it was pleasant.

-He sounds Venusian,- Artemis noted thoughtfully to Minako.

-Is that what it is? I thought I heard something interesting in it.-

-It's interesting, alright. Venusians have never been allowed to settle on Earth, and they haven't been able to even vacation there for 20 years.-

"…General Jadeite…" she heard the Prince say as a man with short blonde hair and blue eyes bowed. She didn't pay much attention to what was being said, she was really only concerned with names.

-So that is Rei's betrothed?-

-Yes.-

The prince continued on, introducing a man with long mahogany hair as General Nephrite. His reddish brown eyes matched the trim on his uniform. He was the tallest of the four.

-Makoto's?-

-Looks like it. At least he's taller than her.-

-That's surprising, but fortunate, I guess.-

The last man introduced was General Zoicite, a man about as tall as Jadeite with long wavy blonde hair secured back in a loose ponytail. He had deep set green eyes and a thoughtful look on his face.

-And this is Ami's.-

-Right.-

-I guess that finishes it off, then. Can I leave now?-

Artemis laughed. -No, dear, now you get to look like your interested in learning all about their rank. After that, you get to spend time with your new fiancé.-

-Joy.- She said sarcastically.

-Just make the best of it, darling. It's unavoidable, so you may as well not fight it.-

Not fight it, she thought to herself. She was going to fight this. She had to.

-I'll try, Artemis.-

-Promise me.-

-Ugh…I promise.-

-That's my little goddess.-

Minako groaned.

After the formal introductions, the ball proceeded like normal. The Generals and the Senshi stood, facing each other for a few awkward moments, before chatting quietly among their familiars. Minako moved to where Rei was, but the two were too dumbfounded to speak.

"We're being paired off by rank," Minako said finally. She pulled Ami and Makoto to her and repeated what she had just said. They sighed sadly. Suddenly Minako wished she hadn't tied her corset so tight. It really was making her lightheaded and she found it hard to get in a good breath.

"I'm- I'm going out on the balcony. I need some air," she said softly to her closest friends.

"Do you want us to join you?" Makoto asked.

"No, I'll be fine. I think the Queen wants us all to dance with them, anyway. I'll just be a minute."

Ami looked at her questioningly. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just a little lightheaded, that's all. It's too stuffy in here, I'll be fine in a minute."

"Alright, then," Rei said finally. "Come on girls, lets go meet our fiancés."

The three women went over to where the generals and Prince were standing. They noticed their presence and stopped talking. There was an awkward silence, but finally, General Jadeite spoke.

"Lady Rei," he said, "May I have this dance?"

Everyone let out the breath they had unconsciously been holding.

"Yes, General Jadeite, thank you," Rei said, and proceeded out to the dance floor with him.

The rest of the Generals followed suit, leaving the Prince and Kunzite alone.

"So where's your Senshi?" the Prince asked.

"I'm not sure," Kunzite answered grimly. "How rude of her to leave."

The Prince scoffed in agreement.

"I think you should ask the Princess to dance, sir," he said.

"I'm not leaving you until you have your Lady Venus."

"Very well, help me search."

It only took them a moment, for the balcony wasn't far off and Minako was the only one wearing a gold dress that stunning.

"Well, that was easy enough. I'm off then," Kunzite said. "I still despise this entire idea."

"As do I, Kunz. It bites, really," the Prince said, letting his slang slip out in the formal setting. Kunzite looked at him sternly, but then smiled.

"Oh well, at least they're beautiful," he commented. "Later, Princey."

"Have fun," the prince replied, and the two began to head toward their respective princesses.

Venus leaned over the railing of the balcony, gazing at the Sea of Serenity below. The ocean breeze calmed her senses and aided her reeling head, but not very much. Her hands gripped the marble railing tightly as she fought to maintain her balance.

"Lady Venus, are you okay?"

The voice behind her startled her out of her mind, and it was all it took for her to lose her balance and begin to fall. Immediately she found herself being pulled up by strong arms. They remained on her waist after she was righted again.

Once her vision cleared, she saw who had caught her.

"Lord Kunzite," she said wearily, remembering her promise to Artemis. "How do you…"

But before she could finish her weak greeting, she almost fell again. He righted her one more time, and before she could get her voice back, he had helped her sit on the nearest bench. She was silent for a minute while she collected herself again his concerned eyes never leaving her. Finally she could speak.

"I- my- thank you…I tied my dress too tightly, I believe," she breathed.

Kunzite smiled at the dreaminess in her tone.

"Probably, Lady Minako. Women do it all the time. Just relax, I won't let you fall again."

"How kind of you, General," she chimed, still not feeling quite right. Sitting down was helping, though.

"Call me Kunzite. General makes me sound like I'm middle aged."

"And how old are you?"

"I'm only 22."

"My goodness, that's young," she commented, coming to her senses slowly but surely. "Venusian blood must breed leadership and power."

"Pardon me?"

"Venusian blood, why, you are Venusian aren't you? Your hair…oh, you could be Lunarian, too, with that hair. Or Venusian, but you sound Venusian to me. And Lunarian don't have your eyes…" she went on, only faintly aware that she was rambling. Kunzite stopped her.

"Yes, my lady, I am partially Venusian. Half, to be exact," he said, quieting her.

She thought for a moment, senses becoming clearer. The conversation was helping, too.

"Well, travel from Venus to Earth has been forbidden for 20 years, though, but- Ah! I see. You're 22. That makes sense, now, doesn't it?" She smiled at her own senselessness.

"Finally," he said, "A smile. Are you feeling better?"

"Much, thank you," she replied.

Kunzite laughed to himself. "And to think, I thought you were just being rude by leaving me, when in fact you were about to pass out."

Minako laughed, too. "I'm sure the Queen was upset, too. She probably is still upset, actually."

"Why would she be upset?"

"She expected us to be ladies and wait for our gentlemen," she laughed, "To dance, I suppose."

"Well, couldn't we dance out here? I think you're still in need of fresh air," he said with a smile, standing and offering his hand.

"I suppose we could dance here," she replied, taking his hand and allowing herself to be helped to her feet. A bit unsteady, he stabled her by wrapping a protective arm around her waist, taking her hand in his other hand. He leaned his head close to hers and said softly, "We'll go slow. No use for you to pass out on me."

Minako felt his breath dance on her ear as they began moving in time with the music that seeped gently from indoors. She allowed herself to be led, feeling the warmth of his body and hand where they contacted one another. She still felt a bit delirious from the champagne and lack of oxygen, but a new delirium seeped into her head. A new sense

of security washed over her body, reaffirmed by the supporting arm placed around her waist. A tingling also seeped in, beginning in the places where they touched and traveling straight to her head, making her lightheaded again.

For a moment, there was nothing else, no Queen Serenity, no Golden Alliance, no duty, rank, or tradition, as she moved slowly, as he had promised, to the now waning music. She had no idea how much time had passed when the music finally ended. To her, it could have been a year, or it could have been 30 seconds…it all felt the same being held in his arms.

The break in the contact brought her back to reality. The rush of cool air that flowed between them when he pulled her away was enough to straighten her mind again, sobering her immediately. She looked up at the man she had just danced with and pushed the tingling sensation that still remained away. She remembered her promise to Artemis, though, and avoided seeming too rude. He looked down to her with a smile, and she smiled back…suddenly, she became lost again, swimming in a sea of blue-gray. She couldn't pull her gaze away from his, his eyes holding more depth than she had ever seen.

"Thank you for the dance, Kunzite," she said softly. She couldn't think beyond his eyes and his touch…it was unreal.

"Thank you, Minako," he replied, pulling her right hand to his lips, placing a light, feathery kiss on it. Her mind rushed again, the feeling leaving the extremities of her body. He held her hand a bit longer running his own hand over hers. He stopped on her newly formed scar and turned her palm to face him. Minako wasn't aware of what he

was doing; her mind was off in space, thinking of whether it was really possible to not wash one's hand ever again.

"What's this from?" he asked her, tracing the long line with his index finger.

"Hmm?" she asked, coming out of her thoughts again.

"This scar. It looks, well, bad, to say the least."

Suddenly, Minako lost the ability to speak. The scar…she studied it, too, the red, slightly jagged line that cut across her white, silken palm like a fault line. Tradition, anger, pride, anguish; emotions came rushing back at her, engulfing her unwillingly as she stared down at her palm, which was resting in his hand. HIS hand. The man she would marry. Marry. The word hadn't been in a Venus Senshi's vocabulary until now. Until her…she pulled her hand away from his quickly, stepping back to where she could look at him again. His eyes, they looked confused and hurt, and blue…oh, they were so blue, she thought.

-No!- She screamed in her head. -I can't look in his eyes.-

"Minako, are you-" Kunzite started, but Minako cut him off.

"I have to go! I…I need- I just have to! Goodnight!" she said with more desperation than she had hoped for. She had just danced with the enemy, the man that she was supposed to marry, supposed to abandon a thousand year old tradition for, and she had liked it. She had let herself get caught up in a pretty face and a charming voice, and she was quickly becoming enraged with herself. Tears welled up in her eyes and she ran off the balcony, through the ballroom, and out the side door. Kunzite stood in the same spot, mouth gaping open in amazement at what had just happened.

"I was actually enjoying myself…how did this happen?" he said.

Minako ran through the ballroom in a flash, tears beginning to stream down her face. She didn't care if Serenity saw her, and it was pretty much stupid to think that she hadn't. Repercussions didn't matter right then. She was so confused and so angry, at herself and at the night's events. She hated this Alliance, she hated the Earth and it's bullheadedness, and she hated Kunzite for making her forget that she hated everything.

-I'm sorry, Artemis,- she flashed to her Guardian as she ran out of the ballroom. She made her way back to her chambers in an instant, pressing her hand on the insignia on the door. It scanned her palm and opened the door, letting her in, where she promptly threw herself on her large bed, weeping uncontrollably.