Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian of Love: The Origins ❯ Coming to Terms ( Chapter 25 )

Guardian of Love

The Origins

Chapter 25: Coming to Terms

By Angel Love

 

Author's Notes: This chapter happens picks up shortly after the last one. The Starlights are now on Earth and searching for their princess.

 

Warnings: Um, none that I am aware of.

 

Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Sailor Moon, the Greek Gods or any of the various characters that I have used to fashion them after. However, the Guardians are mine. Please ask me before you use them, you can email me at bree101_nace@hotmail.com

 

 

 

I was unconscious for a little over a week after I fell into Vega's arms. I remember waking up in his darkened room, feeling disorientated and both sore and weak at the same time. It took me a long moment as I stared up at the ceiling to recall everything that had happened. My eyes closed tightly as I fought to keep the tears from coming. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Love wasn't supposed to hurt so badly. I wasn't supposed to feel even more helpless than I had when I was just a child without any powers.

 

I heard the sound of shifting clothes and my eyes flew open. I turned my head slowly and I saw him sitting a little awkwardly in an overstuffed chair, with his arms crossed over his chest and his head bowed, loose black hair falling to cover his handsome face. The noise I had heard was him shifting in his sleep. Vega had been watching over me while I lay here recovering, and guessing from the feel of the bandages on my body, he had patched me up as well.

 

Pushing myself into a sitting position, I pressed my lips to cover the sound of the groan that wanted to escape. I didn't want to alert him that I was awake just yet. I may have been a little grateful for his care, but I was still a little angry that he had hidden the true identity of Sailor Star Fighter from me. I heard another shift from behind me, but it was more like a shifting of the air. I was certain that the only reason why I had heard it at all was because I was completely in tune with the person who I knew had come up behind me.

 

I didn't turn to look even as I felt the hand gently squeeze my shoulder before the soft weight was placed on the bed just behind me. “Has everything been taken care of?” I asked in a soft whisper.

 

Her whisper was just as soft, but held a gentle note to it, as if she could feel my pain. She probably could. “Yes, the princess has been placed on Earth. She will be found… in the next day or two.” She paused for a moment before she continued. “The Starlights are also now on Earth, under the disguises of a boy idol band. They have met up with the senshi, but are not quite working with them. I am afraid that the Outer senshi are not being much help in this matter.”

 

Nodding my head just slightly, I focused my eyes on the bowed head of Vega as he slept. “It is to be expected, I suppose. No one wants to trust anyone else, and when they do they are betrayed by secrets and lies.”

 

She sucked in a breath before she gently turned my face to look into her black eyes, filled with pain and guilt. “I'm sorry, Ang. I could not tell you. If I did...”

 

I put a finger to Rose's lips, halting her explanation. “I do not need an apology from you. I know why you could not tell me. I do not blame you at all. I was never angry at you... or even at Trista.” I closed my eyes, my face starting to crumple. I understood Rose's guilt. It was the same one that I carried inside me because I had the knowledge of where her true love is and I could not tell her. If I did then they would loose each other forever, it did not matter to me what price I would pay, just the price I did not want them to pay.

 

Rose gathered me carefully in her arms, pressing her cheek to the top of my head as her fingers moved soothingly through my slightly tangled hair. “I know you are angry at Vega, and at Eros and Hades, but they could not tell you either for reasons of their own. Please, Angel, let go of the anger. It will eat you up inside. You need to heal so you might have the chance to see him.”

 

I sniffled softly and looked up into her eyes, knowing from the softness in hers that there was hope kindling in mine. “Do you think I could?”

 

She caressed my face in her soft gentle way. “I think you can see him as long as you try to stay hidden. I cannot tell you for sure if you will get the chance to actually speak to him. I do not know the answer to that.” She sighed, her eyes becoming troubled.

 

“Rose, what is it?” I asked in concern.

 

Rose's brow furrowed for a moment, as if she was debating on telling me. Finally she spoke mentally, insuring the secrecy of the conversation in case Vega were to wake in the middle. `My vision has become a little clouded since the Starlights went to Earth. Something dark keeps blocking my view of seeing things past what is happening now.'

 

I frowned deeply as I chewed on my lip, staring down at one of the bandages on my arm. If something were blocking Rose's vision then things were seriously wrong, there was magic at work against us, magic that obviously knew to keep us in the dark. Or... no, I pushed my mind away from those thoughts. I would not allow myself to even contemplate Serena loosing the battle against Sailor Galaxia and her henchmen. `Have you talked to Trista about it?'

 

Rose nodded just slightly, her fingers now absently taking the knots from my hair. `Yes, she says she is feeling the effects on her vision as well. She can only see glimpses of the future when she goes to the Gates of Time, but never very far into it. She has gone back to Earth to help them.'

 

I glanced up at Rose just to see the slight worry cross her eyes, and I knew that she had not wanted her to do so but had been unable to stop her. `She has to, Ro. Her place is with the senshi of Earth. She has to protect the planet as well as her prince and princess.'

 

`I know, I just wish that she had waited.' She sighed deeply before she began to check over my body, obviously needing something to do. `She wanted to talk to you, but time was not on her side. Things are heating up there very quickly and you showed no sign of waking for some time. To be honest,' she paused and looked up at me, `I was surprised to find you awake when I came in. You really lost a lot of blood. You had us worried.'

 

“I'm sorry,” I whispered, my body beginning to feel very heavy and weak.

 

Rose shook her head and smiled at me. She pressed a kiss to my forehead and gently pushed me back down onto the bed. “Don't worry about it. Get some more sleep. When you next wake, I will tell Vega that it is time to move you back to your own room. We'll decide what to do then, okay?”

 

I nodded very faintly even as my eyes drifted shut. As my world once again slipped into the inky blackness of sleep I heard Rose mentally promising me that she would make sure everything turned out alright, that she wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of what my heart wanted.

 

I slept for another two days before I woke once more, my body feeling much better. I was greeted by an ecstatic Chesna, who nearly knocked us both off of the bed when she threw her arms around me, causing Vega to reprimand both of us, her for doing it and me for encouraging her. Rose did talk to him about moving me back to my own room, but for some reason he refused, stating that he wouldn't allow it until I fully recovered. He refused to make any comments about what had happened, just acknowledging that he knew I was angry and I had the right to be. It was slightly frustrating but I let it go. There was no real need to fight between us. I knew he was in his own way trying to protect me.

 

I spent a long time thinking about Sailor Star Fighter, finding out bits of information from Trista when she would came to check on me. She had gone back to her original male form on the planet Earth, using it to disguise who the senshi was. His name was Seiya Kou and he was the leader of the group The Three Lights. The others were now going by the names of Taiki and Yaten. I knew that Seiya and the others had made friends with the inner senshi, and they had recently discovered the truth about each other. However, any other details about him I couldn't find out from these facts.

 

When I finally had a moment's worth of peace, I found that I could not stand to sit in Vega's chambers any longer. I had been cooped up here for three weeks, granted that the first week and a half of it I had been out of it, but I was restless. I wanted to get back to training. I wanted to do something that wouldn't make me sit and just think about what I would never be allowed to have.

 

I made sure that Vega was busy tuning his latest acquisition, a guitar, and then slipped out of his chambers. I saw a few of the Gods roaming around, talking amongst each other, but thankfully none of those who would send me back to bed, and none of the other Guardians. Slowly I began to wander the halls. I found myself in front of the room that I had gotten my powers. For a brief moment I wondered what it would have been like if I had not agreed to what Aphrodite had proposed and asked Eros to take us back to Earth. I never would have known a moment's worth of happiness, but I never would have hurt the way I was. Would the trade have been worth it to go back? No, I sighed to myself, no it would not have. I would rather love right now and hurt than to never have known it at all.

 

I moved forward and trailed my fingers along the doors before I sighed and turned and walked away. I found myself wandering to the training room. I could hear someone inside and I opened the door just a little to see Brenna and Osmound inside training. I watched only for a moment, leaving when Brenna had released one of her arrows that just barely missed hitting its target. She had become much better over time. She still seemed to give off the feeling that she was bothered by something, and that feeling had increased over the last two weeks. I made a note to talk to her when I was finally released from Vega's care.

 

This time my wandering ended in front of my own chambers. It seemed like a lifetime ago since I had left these rooms. I pulled open one of the doors and entered slowly, my footsteps echoing loudly. It seemed so empty here now. It had all of the comforts that I could ever ask for, but my breaking heart found no comfort in any of it. It only reminded me of everything that I had lost over my long life. I wasn't used to being so depressed; it was an overwhelming feeling.

 

I walked into my bedchambers and felt only the slightest kindling of comfort in my heart. I moved over to my large case where I kept my keepsakes, opening it slowly and fingering a few of the items. There was a collection of rocks with each of the planets' names labeled on them, taken from when each had been given peace by us. There were little trinkets from various people I had known over time. My hand paused on a small clasp and I pulled it from where it had been staying for nearly two hundred years. It was shaped like two green leaves on both sides and was designed to hold a cloak closed just above the breasts. Aurora had given it to me shortly before she had died.

 

“I purchased it from the market because it reminded me of the mistress and yourself. Will you keep it to remember me by?”

 

I felt a tear slip down my cheek as I pressed a kiss to the hard clasp. “I have never, nor will I ever forget you, Aurora,” I whispered to myself. “I miss you, my friend.” I placed the clasp back inside its special box and then closed my case. I didn't want to remember any more of my lost friends, even though my heart knew that they were still there with me.

 

I moved over to my bed and slipped off my shoes before curling into the softness of my pillows, clutching them a little. It was then that I felt something underneath me. I blinked slowly and then sat up, pulling something in a square plastic case from underneath my behind. I was surprised that I had not seen it before. It looked like it was one of those mechanical apparatuses from Earth, a cd if I wasn't mistaken.

 

I got up and went back to my case, this time opening the drawer on the bottom. Sitting there, only been used once, was the radio that Mina had given to me before we had left Earth the first time. I tried to remember how she had told me that it worked. After a few fumbled tries I had the cd placed correctly inside the radio and turned on, using the batteries that I had to recharge because they had long since gone dead. An upbeat sound filled my chambers and I blinked slowly as I listened.

 

Search for your love...

Search for your love...

 

Kimi wa itsumo kagayaite ita
Egao hitotsu chiisa na hoshi
Taisetsu ni shiteta yo (eien no Starlight)
Ano hi boku wa mamorenakute
Kuyashi namida koraeta dake
Itami ga nokoru yo (wasurenai Sweet heart)…

 

I sat for a stunned moment before I realized that I was listening to The Three Lights. I could feel so much emotion coming from the song. They were in pain and they were calling out for their princess through the song. I could feel their despair at not being able to protect her enough that she had to be helped by us, as well as anger that they were now forced to look for her. I felt something else as well in the main singer, who I knew without a doubt was Seiya, but what it was for sure I couldn't tell. It felt like a mix of confusion and wonder, but I was really just guessing.

 

It was a long time before I realized that the song was over as I sat on my knees before the radio on the ground. I wiped the tears from my face. I was not the only one in the world. It was not about me at the moment, but about the fight that my senshi were going through. I had to be supportive of them. I had to believe in them, and not drown myself in the sorrow that I felt weighing down my heart.

 

“I was wondering how long it would take you before you came in here and found that,” Rose said softly from the doorway.

 

I turned and looked up at her, giving her a slightly watery smile. “It probably would not have taken me so long if I had not been delayed a bit.” I pushed the play button again and listened for just a moment before I spoke softly. “When this is over I want to live on Earth. I no longer want to just watch their lives pass before me. I've been alive for so long, but I feel like I have no real memories of my own.”

 

Rose walked slowly over to me and sat down by my side. “We will have to get jobs, and identities and all kinds of other things.”

 

“We can do it,” I answered before I blinked and looked over at Rose with slight shock. “We?”

 

Rose nodded and looked over at me, smiling softly. “Yes, we. I left you behind once so that I could live among the mortals. I've loved, Angel, but I want to live again, and this time I want to do it with you.”

 

I smiled brightly at her and threw my arms around her, causing her to chuckle softly as she hugged me in return. For a long time we just enjoyed the moment between us, knowing that we had made a plan. We would never give up our Guardian ways, but we didn't need to live the Guardian life. Perhaps I would never be allowed to be with him, but she would be reunited with Allen. Perhaps we could even be near the Moon Princess.

 

Almost as if she had heard my thoughts drift to her I felt her calling out to me. I sighed and pulled back from Rose. She smiled at me and glanced at the radio. “I will put this away and cover for you with Vega. Go on to the princess. I think she has been a little worried about you. When you get back we'll team up and get you out of Vega's chambers and back into your own. I've missed you.”

 

I blinked at the comment about Serena but I nodded my head and rose up from the floor. "I've missed you as well. How could Vega say no to the both of us?" I winked at her as I pulled my rose quartz from my body and transformed for the first time in several weeks into Sailor Love. I brushed back my hair as I took my staff into my hand, my eyes saddening for a moment. The last time I was in this form I had been so close to the one thing that I had longed for secretly all of my life. `Seiya...' my mind whispered, `I hope you are well.'

 

Rose stood up and pressed a soft kiss to the jewel in my tiara and smiled at me. It was all she did but it was enough to make me feel my heart lift from its heavy burden so that I could focus on seeing the princess again. I hugged her tightly for a moment before I turned and called forth the Gates of Time. I walked through the large door, pausing for a moment and glancing around the spacious void before I called my thoughts together and focused on Serena's house.

 

I entered her bedroom to hear her talking to someone out on the balcony. I hesitated for a moment before I moved quietly over to it and peered out, wondering if I should come back a little later. I decided that I should and I lifted my staff up so that I could call forth the Gates again when the voice that spoke back to Serena halted me in my tracks. She was talking to Seiya.

 

I pushed myself forward to the doors of her balcony and peered out and felt my heart slam to my stomach. I knew the look he was giving to her, as well as the feelings that I felt swell over me emanating from him. It was a look reserved solely for someone that you loved in the deepest recesses of your heart. I stepped out of the way when they bid a goodbye and Serena turned to come in. Somehow she didn't see me and walked right past me. For a split second I debated on announcing myself but I needed one last look.

 

I stepped through the doors, just to fade back into the shadows when he looked back up at the window. A shadowed look crossed over his face as he stared up at the balcony for a long time and then moved on. I moved to the edge of the balcony so that I could watch him for as long as I could before he was finally gone from my sight.

 

It was then that Serena discovered me. She was just coming out onto the balcony again when she looked up and saw me. She stumbled in surprise and I reflexively reached out and grabbed her before she could fall, masking the slight pain I felt in my shoulder with a soft smile. “Well, hello, Serena, I see you are still as graceful as ever.”

 

Serena blushed brightly and it looked like for a moment she was going to yell at me and then her eyes went soft and sad at the same time. “Hello Angel, I heard that you were wounded. Are you okay now? I would have called you before but Trista said I should give you a little while longer.”

 

I smiled and gently moved her into her room, glancing briefly at the little red-headed girl in the bed before looking back at Serena. “I am doing much better, although I have a little ways to go before I am fully healed.” I titled my head just a little. “What is the matter, princess?”

 

She sat quietly and picked up a framed picture and stared down at it. “Darien went off to America for medical school, and Rini went back to the future.” She traced the picture lovingly.

 

I nodded my head slowly, snapping my wrist to put my staff in its hiding spot in my space pocket. “You miss them both very much, don't you? Have you gotten a chance to speak to Darien since he got there?”

 

Suddenly she turned away from me and clutched the picture to her, looking as if she were about to cry, but it was in a way that had me surprised. Instead of the wailing sobs that came usually from the young woman, these looked like tears from the soul. She was growing up, becoming the woman that I knew she would be. Slowly she shook her head. “He's been gone so long. I write him every day but...”

 

She trailed off and my eyes widened. I didn't need her to go on. She hadn't heard anything from Darien. That was very unlike him. I didn't know what to say to her so I did the only thing that I could. I moved over to her and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I'm sorry, Serena.” I closed my eyes and began searching for Darien as she began to cry softly against me, intending on finding out just what he was doing that he couldn't find the time to write back to his girlfriend. I blinked slowly when I came up empty. Suddenly I knew what had happened and I felt a wave of pain go through me. I hadn't known before because I had been unconscious. Darien had a very good reason why he had not written, but I could not tell Serena that. I could not tell her the truth.

 

I decided that I should keep her distracted instead. I pulled back slowly and gently wiped her face clean of the tears. “You need to focus on the battle that is going on right now. You and Darien will sort all this out, you know that.”

 

She nodded her head and sniffled once more before her eyes became serious. “The Outer senshi don't want me to be friends with Seiya or the others. They say that we shouldn't trust them. Why is that?”

 

I sighed softly and then spoke quietly, making sure she was listening. “It is their job to protect you from outside forces. They feel that the Starlights cannot be trusted because they came from another Solar System.” I held up a hand to silence her. “It does make sense if you think about it. These other people that you have been fighting were also senshi that came from other planets.”

 

“What happened to make them this way, Angel?” Serena asked me, trying so hard to understand.

 

I shook my head and sighed. “I cannot tell you that because I do not know the whole story. I only know that you have to focus on what is going on and fight with everything that you have. The Earth depends on you, and right now so does many other worlds. I am not advising you not to be friends with Seiya or the others, as far as I am concerned you can be friends with whom ever you choose. I just want you to be careful.”

 

She thought about what I had said for a long moment before she nodded and smiled. I had her fill me in on how everyone was doing, both of us laughing at how Mina tried to become each of the Lights' girlfriend. It was nearing dawn and we could hear movement down the hall when I decided that I should leave. “Try to have a good day today, Serena. Get a little sleep before you have to get to school.”

 

She nodded her head and then stopped me when I was about to raise my staff. “Angel, if you don't mind me saying so, you seem a little different today. Did something happen?”

 

I gave her a slight smile, not wanting her to become upset by telling her the story of how my hopes were now blowing away like ash in the wind. “I have learned a few things about myself, those around me and love.”

 

A look of slight confusion crossed her face before her eyes lit up. “Did you find your boyfriend?”

 

I looked away from her as I focused on the stone in my staff, my voice very quiet. “Yes, I did.”

 

Something in my voice had tipped her off that things were not at all well because she rose and moved over to put a comforting hand on my shoulder. When I looked at her, her blue eyes were full of friendship and compassion. “What happened?”

 

For a long moment I just looked at her, my heart weighing heavily on me. I ached to tell her the truth, but also yearned to keep her innocent and in the dark. Finally I turned away from her and whispered, “He fell in love with someone else.”

 

To be continued...

 

Notes: The song that was used is Nagareboshi he, one of the songs that The Three Lights sing during their show. Just in case you wanted to know, the translation to the lines that appear are:

 

Search for your love...

Search for your love...

 

You have always been shining so brightly.
Your smiling face is just like a tiny star.
I have been treasuring it (Eternal starlight)
On that day I could not come and protect you
All I did was cry tears of regret.
There is still pain left in my heart (I won't forget you, sweetheart)