Tension of the Past

Part 8

*~*~*~*

The royal families stood at the center of the garden in a circle, shoulders not quite touching, but there was almost an irresistible urge to reach out to the people across from them… it was not only Serenity and Endymion’s open affection, or Ami and Taiki’s entwined fingers, nor was it just Kakyuu’s hand relaxed on Seiya’s shoulder, and her lover’s arms around her waist. It was the circle of love in the center… an emotion that was fed to each person with every breath and word.

“I’ve been thinking about the strange differences between time, space, and aging. Nine years verses nine hundred,” said Taiki. Ami instinctively moved into the voice of science. The others were interested, but not quite sure if they were prepared for the scientific language that Taiki would be using, especially Serenity. Luckily he had enough control to keep his vocabulary to a bare minimum.

“What my queen had said before about the rotation of a planet (or lack there of) around the sun effecting time and aging is true. But what of gravity? Should that have made a difference? Obviously, the ginsuishou has great power, and I’m sure that has helped in stopping the aging process of those who’s lives are touched by it. But what of us on New Kinmoku? Can the crystal reach that far? Those a part of our planet have not aged since Serenity came to reign on Earth nine hundred years ago... or nine… however you think of it. Kakyuu has said she has not felt Kinmoku’s crystal working at all to stop the aging process… could it be because our planet has been destroyed and we are no longer attached to it?

“We had tried studying the radiation levels of the stars, and it had been working for a while, but the galaxy experienced sporadic and frequent accounts of radiation level change… it just got to the point where it wasn’t worth it. I realize now that the galaxy’s energy changed when Tsukino-san…” Taiki hesitated a moment before Serenity nodded her head in re-assurance. “…became Serenity, newer and greater powers were formed, and a level of change had to take place to have that new energy be brought in. There were more of those changes as the other senshi acquired heightened strength as well.”

“I think you mistake my power,” said Serenity. “I am not as strong as the others anymore.”

“But they aren’t as strong as you, either,” said Seiya. “There are different types of strength. You have a power that can’t be gained with the physical self. It is found within.”

“Then why does the ginsuishou bring such changes to the body?” asked Kakyuu. “There is still gravity on this Earth, on New Kinmoku as well, and people a part of the Silver Millennium are not aging.”

“I had been studying the power of the crystal,” said Ami. “Keeping a record of the attributes and changes that have occurred since Crystal Tokyo began, and we’ve found—“ Serenity glowed, knowing she had a hand in some of the research “—that it’s not JUST the crystal’s power that has been keeping us alive for so long. People who are a part of the Silver Millennium can age quite dramatically… signs of that have been shown from those who fall into frequent depressions, or lose a sense of themselves… but just as soon as they pick themselves up again, the aging process stops, even reverses if they begin to heal.”

She blushed slightly, embarrassed by her words, for every one in that circle knew that she had been one of those people. Small wrinkles had formed on her face, and she felt as if her life had been sucked out of her, ever since a part of her had snapped. But those aging tells were diminishing by the minute, and Taiki found it fascinating just watching her youth slip back into place.

Ami still didn’t look technically twenty one. She hadn’t completed the circle between her and Ichigo or the clone… and she knew she needed to… she wanted to, more than anything.

And the sad thing was the signs of aging were showing in Minako. Minako would always be beautiful, but she looked to be in her mid twenties, and she was aging slowly but surely. She couldn’t hold back the pain anymore as she had done for so long.

Everybody felt a little guilty for not helping her out, or asking what the problem was… but each knew it was something they could not change for her. Minako had to want to heal. And right now, wallowing in sorrow and self-pity looked very comfortable to her.

But Taiki had been surprised at the immediate change Minako had made when seeing him and Yaten… or was it just Yaten? Her eyes had become younger, her face brighter. There was definitely something happening with her.

“We have a theory,” continued Ami. “Our own minds and hearts are the key in this aging process. The ginsuishou is just an aid… a magnifier to place a name to it. And the crystals around Tokyo and other parts of the Silver Millennium are aids to the ginsuishou. The energy from ourselves is bounced off of the crystal nearest to us, and sent to the ginsuishou where it sends it back to the crystal where we are, which sends it back to ourselves. Without the crystal, the changes would be very subtle, but they would still be there. I also believe we would still have such long life spans anyway. With the knowledge we have gained since the battle of Galaxia, about our hearts and dreams, and even the secrets we have come to understand about the universe, I believe our bodies could last for as long as we wanted them too.”

“Live forever?” whispered Seiya. “Immortality?”

“Why not?” said Ami. “We have the choice to leave our bodies when we wish to. When we gain all the knowledge we need, or decide it’s just time to try new things, we let go… but I don’t think we would die if we really believed we didn’t have to.”

Everyone around her showed a small amount of skepticism at the thought, including Taiki. It had been a habit of hers long ago to blush, apologize, and then hide. Ami had gotten over it. It was her idea, and she liked it. And that was that. If others didn’t agree, that was fine. There were plenty of things she didn’t agree with even in Serenity, but she never took anything personally anymore… Taiki01 had taught her that. He was scared, angry, hurt, and confused about his life. Why not blame it on the woman who created him? She knew it was her fault he was here… but on some level, a place she had never delved into, Taiki01 must have agreed to be a part of this.

“I’m not saying this is fact. We have yet to see if it works, right?” Ami said. “I for one, will live with that belief all my life… and even if it isn’t true, it would only make my life better for wanting to live fully.”

“I’d like to believe it,” said Endymion. “But death has always been the end for us. The ultimate and inevitable place.”

“What is death, really, though?” said Serenity. “The leaving of a soul from a body once it’s had its use… or the body is beyond repair. There must be something that makes us stay or leave. But is it possible to merge everything together? Bring Heaven to Earth?”

*~*~*~*

Rei walked down the hallway, taking out the invisible tangles in her hair as her mind flashed through all that Serenity had said the day before. She had done a fire reading to see if there was a confirmation on the queen’s vision, but unfortunately the flames were unreadable. So many images layered on top of each other, it was impossible to discern one from another. The tarot reading helped a little more. The issue had been the future. The outcome had been indecision, choices, and fast action.

There needed to be some clear, sound, heart filled choices this time, though Rei had no idea what they were. The age had passed for destiny to be straight forward. No more enemies giving you only two choices: Destroy or be destroyed.

It was now more along the lines of: Be extremely happy; be happy with some decisions and not happy with others; be happy alone; be happy with somebody; be unhappy alone; be unhappy with someone; be miserable; be downright evil and make others unhappy; travel; don’t travel; stay at home tomorrow; go next door; bake a cake; don’t bake a cake; get a date for the celebration… or don’t.

And those last two were the questions she had been keeping from her mind. Guys. Hmph. Who needed them? Nobody, except she had been missing the intimacy between two lovers for an EXTREMELY long time, and Ichigo was beginning to catch on to the fact that he was the only available man in the palace. He was short, but she could work with it… Joking! Joking! Everybody knew his heart was taken already. Poor guy, he was a man trapped in a boy’s body. And Hotaru was a woman through and through.

Ami was still trying to understand both Small Lady and Ichigo’s growth state… she wouldn’t dare try to do to the kids what she had done to the Taiki clone… growth of the body and mind in only two weeks… but the kids would have to grow by themselves. And they did do it. It was just sporadic. And it had something to do with their own inner thoughts.

This was now the time of choice. I just hope you guys choose the road you want… She had some consolation knowing she wasn’t a part of this mess, and some disappointment along with it. They had always been together in everything… and now for the moment, she was closer to Michiru, Haruka, and Setsuna than the inners. Hotaru was near the middle in everything. The other outer senshi wouldn’t be caught up in it…

No, wait… they would. Most definitely. Especially Haruka. Michiru would have a hand too… they could get in deep if they wanted to… which they would. So they were in it. But the fact remained that Mars would be the least touched by the coming of New Kinmoku. No, wait… she and Pluto… maybe Setsuna would be more of an observer than her… yes, Setsuna would be the least touched… unless…

Damnit! Everybody was in it except her! No, wait… unless… Forget it. It was going to be a free for all this time. She had no idea what she was thinking about anyway.

“What in the world…?” She stopped walking and watched as Jupiter appeared in the distance of the hallway, a body slumped over her shoulder, and Ichigo limping against Hotaru behind the brunette senshi. Anybody could tell the limp was a fake, even the distance Rei was at, but Hotaru was oblivious, and Ichigo was obviously enjoying the touch.

She started to rush to them, but tripping over her dress wasn’t exactly charming in her eyes, so she just cursed and transformed into Mars.

“What happened?!” she called as she ran down the hallway. “Is he dead?”

“Not yet!” called Jupiter. “When he’s in his right mind he’ll wish he was!”

They met each other, Mars making three fourths of the way.

“So then what’s going on?”

“Guess who Makoto-san’s date for the celebration is?” asked Hotaru.

“No… seriously?”

Ichigo made a weak nod, and then slumped against Hotaru even more.

“Boy, you need to get stronger,” muttered Jupiter.

“A very tall and heavy man fell onto me. Give me a break. I’m only 904.”

“Weren’t you the one that was talking about being too young? It seems to me like you want to stay that way,” surmised Hotaru.

“Oh! It’s a miracle!” and Ichigo stood up quickly, and moved somewhat reluctantly from Hotaru’s embrace.

“Wow.” Mars rolled her eyes. “I am SO impressed.”

Ichigo pressed a finger to his lips, and Hotaru smiled sweetly.

“So where are you guys going?” asked Mars.

“The kitchen,” said Jupiter and the small troop started walking again, leaving Sailor Mars behind.

“What?!” she cried. “Why not to his cell?!”

“He always goes to the kitchen, anyway,” called back Ichigo.

“Ever since we installed the hot-tub in his room,” added Hotaru.

“Well, wait for me!” she called, and ran after the three… no, wait… the four. Hell. She just wasn’t thinking straight today.

Well, whatever was going to happen, it certainly wasn’t going to be boring.

*~*~*~*

Minako opened the smaller door to the back (and much more secretive) entrance, the summer wind bringing in a gust of heat to Yaten’s face. They were stopped along the walkway by two women in incredible gowns each holding bags that somehow didn’t match the dresses, no matter how beautiful they were.

“Haruka-san! Michiru-san!”

“M-Minako-chan?”

“You finally came! Did you just get your stuff at your house? I hope you’ll be staying longer than last time. We’ve missed your company so much. Especially Hotaru-chan, though she’ll never say it.”

Haruka and Michiru ogled at the two women standing before them. Minako was wearing a very nice light blue spring dress, very becoming on her and full of the taste she had lacked in her teenage twentieth century years. She looked incredibly sweet and innocent, and the couple’s heart warmed at her returning charm.

And then, there was… that.

“What happened to you?” scoffed Haruka. “Finally coming to terms with your feminine side?”

Michiru was silent, her apologies radiating from herself, with a little amusement, and with bemusement as well. Yaten was wearing a delicate pink tank top with a short, white mini-skirt. And it was impossible not to notice her.

“Hey, now. I should be saying the same to you,” countered Yaten. “Your dress is oddly alluring, though I never thought of you as the type to bare shoulders, seeing as they’re so broad.”

Both Michiru and Minako blanched, while Haruka turned red. The aqua beauty laid a gentle hand on Haruka’s arm, and murmured, “Remember… you were the one who started this.”

“Come on, Yaten-chan.” Both Haruka and Michiru winced at that small title, and watched as Minako placed a hand on Yaten’s shoulder. The silver haired girl mildly shrank back by reflex, but didn’t openly shrug it off. “Be nice. It’s been way too long to hold onto grudges.”

“Yeah, let’s talk about that for a second,” said Yaten.

“Come ON,” pleaded Minako. “Let’s not get into this now!”

“Haruka,” Michiru warned. Haruka ignored her.

“Minako-chan.” The older blonde motioned for her to come, Minako looked at Michiru who only gave her a sympathetic smile, and followed the angry princess of Uranus.

Michiru and Yaten looked at each other, each void of emotion.

“You do look very nice, though,” said Michiru after small pause. “I’ve forgotten how beautiful the people of Kinmoku were.”

Yaten smiled and nodded to the princess of Neptune. “I had forgotten how the people of Earth shined too.”

Michiru blushed slightly but then paled at the words of, “But you’re still wearing that same lipstick color last time I saw you.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…I’m joking, Kaiou-san.”

“You better be.”

When they had rounded the corner and were out of earshot, Haruka grabbed Minako’s shoulder, the younger woman gasping.

“What are you doing?” said Haruka, through clenched teeth. “I can’t believe you’re even with that rude thing. I know we have an alliance, the queen is all a wonderful woman could be, but her guardians are another matter…”

“You don’t even know them. You don’t even want to give them a chance.”

“They’ve proven themselves to be heartless and selfish, and I don’t want you to associate with them.”

“We talk about how much we’ve changed, Haruka-san…” murmured Minako, who took Haruka’s hand on her shoulder and pried it off. “But when you see something that you don’t want to deal with, you still consider it a threat. You haven’t even tried. They’ve changed. It’s been a while. You can’t make me stop liking them.”

“I have to admit,” said Haruka more quietly. “That they grew on me when they were away. I thought of all the times when they weren’t the sons of bitches they usually were.”

“See? They can’t be all that bad if YOU liked them.”

“But then we learned Ami-chan was pregnant with Ichigo-kun.” Haruka scowled. “Taiki MUST have known somehow. He must have. And the fact that they were already—“

“What about Serenity and Endymion? She got pregnant with Chibi-Usa when she was barely an adult!”

“That’s different!”

“How?!”

“Because King was there for her! He’s Mamoru, for God’s sakes. He’s not some alien that picks up and leaves his life at the scent of another woman!”

“Even so—“

“Minako-chan… It wasn’t my choice to make this alliance. We all care for Serenity and her wishes—“

“But what about Ami? Don’t you care for her, too?”

“I don’t even need to answer that,” said Haruka quietly. She put her hand back onto Minako’s shoulder, guilt flooding through her as the younger woman trembled slightly. The touch was gentle, though, and Haruka continued. “We speak of Serenity as our only source of life. But I care about you just as much. All of you. Earth would not be home if Makoto-chan didn’t exist, or if I never knew Rei-chan.”

“I know… I really do… but it just doesn’t seem fair,” murmured Minako. “Love. I watch Serenity and Endymion, how their lives have revolved around each other, and you and Michiru-san, your loyalty. It’s possible to be together forever, and what about the rest of us?”

“What?”

Minako looked up at the moon in the noon-day sun, and stared at New Kinmoku… a new planet planted next to the ruins of an ancient civilization. A new born life next to the death. The eleventh planet of the solar system.

“That’s their home. Right there. I can almost touch it, Haruka-san. And knowing I can gaze at it everyday, it gives me some peace. Taiki will always be with Ami now, no matter what. Kakyuu-sama has her home now. No longer a drifting planet. We knew, somehow, they would always come back. They became our family too, somehow in all of this mess.

“Once, I was the outsider to the senshi. But I was a part of the family after a while. Setsuna-san was an outsider… and now she has a place to stay, always. You, Michiru and Hotaru, it’s all the same thing.

“And now we have our four new family members. And if the only love I can ever have is in my family…”

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Haruka looked slightly away. Minako gazed at Kinmoku and said sweetly, “I’m in love again, Haruka-san. And it hurts so much…”

They looked at each other, and Minako whispered, “I’ve always wanted to know what your love was like. But the truth is, I know I’ll never be able to. But please don’t tell me to stay away from Yaten, because it’s just like telling me to walk away from Serenity and never look back.”

Haruka was chilled by those words, and Minako smiled sadly and kissed the older woman on the cheek.

“Yaten-chan!! I’m coming!!” she called down the walkway. The transformation was heartbreaking, and Haruka watched as Minako bounced down the path to her friend. She wasn’t fooling anybody but herself, and that was the saddest part.

Haruka joined her lover and they watched the two girls leave the palace grounds.

“I hope you weren’t too harsh on her,” said Michiru.

“How could I when she already beats herself up ten times worse?”

“She’s in love with Yaten?”

Haruka nodded.

“Poor girl,” whispered Michiru, and they entered the palace.

*~*~*~*

“Puu!!”

“…Small Lady!”

The child ran to the guardian of time, and Pluto knelt so they could see eye to eye. Pluto gazed at Chibi-Usa’s face worriedly, and then gently brushed the princess’ bangs away from her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something weird is going on at the palace! I needed to get out of there as quick as I could. It’s nuts.”

“Oh?”

“Jupiter-san’s feeding the Taiki clone.” Chibi-Usa wrinkled her nose in disgust. “With her FINGERS. Ick.”

Pluto laughed, and said, “I wish I could be there to see it.”

“Can’t you?”

Her laughter faded. “Small Lady, you know I need to stay here and take care of the gate.”

“Couldn’t you just come to the celebration? One night only, that’s it. Please? Pleaaaaase?”

“I can’t. I want to, but I can’t.”

“But why? When you went into the past, nothing ever happened.”

“That was different. I’m waiting for someone now.” There was a pause and the pink haired girl frowned.

“Waiting for someone? I don’t understand…”

“I need to tell somebody very important a story.” Pluto’s face went slack. “Now go back to the palace. Your mother’s waiting for you.”

“But Puu—“

“I’m serious, Small Lady. Go.”

Chibi-Usa nodded her head, turned her back from the guardian, and started to walk away, but then turned her head to Pluto. “Please try to make it. It would mean so much to all of us.”

*~*~*~*

“I have to say,” said Seiya. “Heaven’s already here.”

“Really? Well, thank you so much,” a warm, low voice broke the small circle.

They all turned to see Haruka and Michiru walk towards them, their gowns shining against the setting sun. Haruka’s dress was fitted high enough so she didn’t have to pick up the skirt as she walked, but Michiru’s was a hand full. Seiya couldn’t understand how the princess of Neptune could ever move with such grace and dignity in that thing.

“We must have missed something very important,” said Michiru, and both women bowed deeply to their queen and king, and then to Kakyuu.

“Haruka-san, Michiru-san…” Serenity held their hands. “It’s so good to see you again! You never visit.”

“It’s envy.” Michiru smiled. “The palace is too wonderful to stay long in.”

“We decided now would be the best time to come.”

“Have you seen the others?” asked the queen of Earth.

“Minako and Yaten left the palace just as we came in…”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Yaten wear a skirt,” added Haruka.

Seiya looked at Taiki and grinned. “Seems like you’re the only one left, dude.”

Kakyuu stifled a giggle, and Taiki blanched, staring at the black haired woman helplessly.

Endymion looked around and then said, “Looks like pretty soon everybody will be pressuring me to change into a woman.”