Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ All's Fair in Love and War ❯ Earth in Trouble ( Chapter 25 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Anja 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.05.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 230 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.05.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 230 | Status: Completed
Chapter 25 ~ Earth in Trouble
"It is decided then. We attack at dawn." Uranus was standing at the table, all the other rulers sitting around it. Everyone nodded, already dreading the following morning. They had been on Uranus for a week, then all the rulers started transferring their armies to Neptune. In the morning they would move everything to Pluto, where the major part of the battle was already raging. Aminiha sent legions to the other planets as well for attacks, but most of her army was stationed near Pluto.
Their plan was a difficult one, and Diana knew she would be put out of commission for a few weeks afterwards, if they succeeded. Aminiha kept her armies well concealed, only bringing out as many fighters as were needed. They hoped that they could draw out as much of her army as possible if they all attacked with combined forces, drawing them out so that Diana could use the Imperium Silver Crystal to wipe them out. It would be a very intricate manoeuvre though, since all of the allied armies would have to retreat just in time not to be taken out as well, but not so soon that Aminiha would have time to retreat her own army.
Diana sighed, rubbing her forehead as the council dissolved. Selenity was sitting next to her, and she saw her mothers anxiety. Even she knew how much this was going to drain Diana, and she wrapped a comforting arm around her mothers shoulder.
Diana looked up into the eyes of her daughter, and silently thanked her for the reassurance. Kino sat on the opposite side of the table, concealing the fact that he and Selenity were united. Everyone had been rather surprised when Mars had not shown up to the council, even though word had gotten around already that he had some sort of truce with Queen Aminiha. No one liked it, but they hoped he would put it aside at their plea to put an end to the Queen. No such luck though.
Venus and her husband walked over to Selenity and the Moon Queen. Selenity's brother put his hand gently on Diana's shoulder, feeling the tension in his mother. She placed a cool hand over top of his, and the five of them waited until everyone else had left the council chamber. Only then did Kino stand and walk over to the small group across form him, although he did not dare touch Selenity, in case someone walked back into the room.
Diana sighed deeply, and looked up at her son and Venus. "Would the two of you mind if Selenity stayed in your room tonight? I need to meditate alone, and I don't want to go to Neptune to request another room, since he has enough to do as it is."
Venus nodded. "We won't mind at all."
Selenity looked to Venus gratefully, and then at Kino longingly. He smiled at her a little. She smiled back, then turned her gaze back to her mother. "Rest well mama," she said as she stood, quickly giving her mother a hug. Diana accepted the gesture, and then the four left Diana alone in the chamber.
Kino walked with them to their room. After a few moments a servant came to the door with some of Selenity's bags. She thanked him as he put the baggage down after which he left. Venus then locked the door, grabbed her husbands hand, and dragged him in the direction of the balcony. "We'll give the two of you a few minutes," she said, knowing they had not been alone at all since leaving the moon. As soon as the balcony door shut behind them, Selenity sank down into the comfy sofa. Kino followed suit, and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned against his chest, comforted by the sound of his steady heartbeat.
"I feel so bad for mama. Using the crystal to wipe out such a huge army…it's so much power! She has good control of he crystal, but still…." she let her sentence drift as Kino hugged her tighter.
"Don't worry, she knows what she's doing, and she knows her limits."
Selenity nodded, but frowned. "I know. I'm still worried about her though."
Kino smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "I know. You have every right to be worried." His gentle voice soothed Selenity, and all she wanted to do at that moment was drift off to sleep in the safety of his arms.
"I don't want to be alone tonight," she whispered, causing Kino to chuckle.
"You won't be," he said with laughter in his voice, "You'll be with your brother and with Venus."
Selenity smiled. "I know. But I'll still feel alone. I want to be with you."
Kino stoked her arm. "I do too," he said softly, then paused his stroking. "You know, we never used that seal Venus gave us three times yet. We've only used it twice."
Selenity brought her head up, a grin plastered to her face. "I have it with me," she said brightly, then her grin dropped. "Wait, even if you transform into Venus, it will still look odd if we walk to your room."
Kino pondered this. "Maybe you could change to look like your brother, and then there would be no problem. If anyone asked, I could just tell them that you and Venus wanted an evening to yourselves, and that your brother and I were planning on sharing a room."
Selenity nodded. "We can ask Venus when she comes back inside."
Kino nodded as he nuzzled her neck. "Sounds good to me," he said.
Venus didn't take long to come back in. Upon hearing Selenity and Kino's question, she smiled broadly. "That should be no problem. Selenity, just take his hand while holding the seal," Venus said brightly. Selenity did as instructed. As she held her brothers hand, an odd tingly sensation crept from their joined hands up her arm to her heart, and from there spread like fire through her entire body. There was a flash of light that caused her to close her eyes, and when she opened them, she felt like she was looking in a mirror. Her brother looked down at himself and grimaced.
"This is too odd," he said as he turned slowly, trying to look at himself. He stopped at the sound of his voice, and started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Selenity asked, but upon hearing her brothers voice coming form her own mouth, she began laughing as well. He was right, it was rather odd.
"Don't worry too much. As soon as Selenity puts the seal on Kino's door, the spell will be stopped," Venus comforted her pouting husband. He sighed and smiled, then looked at his…sister.
"Just make sure you come back here early. I would hate to have someone else come here to talk to me, and have me transform into you just as I open the door." Selenity nodded, and then looked at Kino. He was trying hard to hide a smirk that was creeping onto his face. She gave him a playful punch on the arm, and was rather surprised that she threw him off balance a little.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed. "I guess my brother really is stronger than me," she said, winning herself a proud smirk from her brother. She and Kino finally took their leave. Selenity found it odd that she could not mover her left arm at all, since that was the one which had been injured when Venus had been attacked. Her brother had taken the disability incredibly well, she now realized.
They reached Kino's room, and as soon as she placed the seal on the door, her brother's appearance dissolved from her. Kino wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed her. She sighed blissfully as she leaned into his embrace, savouring the closeness. The next few days would be very difficult, and Selenity was dearing every minute of them, knowing that there would only be bloodshed and tears.
Kino seemed to sense her worry. He pulled back and looked down in her eyes as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
Selenity sighed as she leaned her cheek on his shoulder again. "We can't really know that for sure. Aminiha is strong, too strong for my liking." She felt Kino stiffen a little as he pulled her closer. She sighed deeply, which seemed to motivate him to pick her up and carry her to the bed, where he lay her down. She quickly kicked off her shoes, and waited for him to take off his. As soon as he was done he stretched out beside her and took her into his arms again, enveloping her in his warm embrace.
"I know that she's strong," he said. "It worries me too. She took away my first home, and I will not let her take away my second." Selenity felt tears prickling in her eyes as she snuggled closer to him, pressing her face to his shoulder. She knew full well the pain Kino was going through. It scared her that he would have to go and fight in the battle, and risk being killed.
Slumber soon overtook the tired girl, but Kino did not find sleep easily. He stared at the canopy of the bed, his mind making him agitated.
I can't let her hurt Selenity. She's all I have left, and there is no way in hell that the Dark Queen is getting her. I will have my revenge on her, she killed my family and people! I will not allow her to harm Selenity, and I won't rest until she is dead. With these thoughts in mind he shifted himself and Selenity so that he could pull the blankets over top of them, fully clothed as they were. The motion woke Selenity, and she rubbed her eyes.
"Have you fallen asleep yet at all?" she asked groggily.
"No, I haven't. Sorry for waking you Tenshi. Go back to sleep," he murmured.
Selenity seemed much more awake as she sat up and leaned over him, a mischievous smile on her face. "Later," she said as she claimed his lips with her own, and he gave no protests, since she obviously seemed unwilling to let the seal go to waste.
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Diana stood there, motionless, her eyes closed, the Silver Crystal resting in the palms of her hands. A cool breeze blew, causing her hair to swirl about her, the only motion visible form her. Selenity sat in a chair near her mother in the courtyard. They were just waiting for the signal now. High above them, a battle raged. None of Aminiha's ships had been allowed anywhere near the planet, but they were reeking havoc on the Allied Armies. Selenity only prayed that Kino was still alright.
Venus stood on the edge of the courtyard with her husband's arm around her shoulders, along with Neptune and Uranus. As soon as the message came, they would act. Diana was ready, she had been preparing, focusing all her energy on the crystal.
Selenity watched her mother. The Moon Queen seemed so calm and focused. She had been standing in the same spot for nearly three hours now, and yet showed not signs of fatigue. It seemed as though she was dead, since there was almost no movement from her chest to show that she was breathing.
The faint sound of approaching footsteps was deafening to the group, and all of them, save for Diana, turned their heads to the source of the sound. A man, one of Pluto's soldiers, was running toward them. Everyone watching him tensed. He arrived, panting for air.
"It's time," he managed to get out. After a few deep breaths, he found the ability to speak. "Our armies, have pulled out of range, now is the time." Neptune nodded his head as Uranus looked to Diana. She was still standing motionless.
Uranus walked up to her and placed his hand on Diana's shoulder. "My Lady," he murmured, "it is time." Diana gave a slight nod, and Uranus walked back to Neptune, since they had to stay away from the Queen. As soon as he reached Neptune, all eyes turned to Diana. Selenity watched her mother intently. Venus and Selenity's brother had walked over to her, and she felt the warmth of her brothers hand on her shoulder.
Diana's eyes snapped open, and a glow surrounded the crystal. She held her hands out and allowed the crystal to levitate above them. The air around her seemed to crackle with energy, and her whole being seemed to radiate with power. Selenity watched in awe as her mother displayed just how powerful she truly was. Her gaze was focused on the crystal, completely unwavering. Her body seemed to glow with an inward light, and the crystal's glow intensified to the point where it was almost painful to look at.
A beam of light shot up into the sky as Diana closed her eyes, and the entire sky seemed to light up with the white light. Selenity needed to shield her eyes, but she didn't dare take her eyes off her mother. If anything were to happen, she would have to go and rescue the crystal.
The entire planet seemed to quake as more and more light energy poured out of the crystal. Diana's eyes remained closed, as if she was scanning the sky for enemies, as the light surrounding her body continued to pulse. Selenity noticed a sheen of sweat on her mothers forehead, and she only hoped her mother was not pushing herself too far. The light continued on for a full five minutes, before it started to fade and the beam grew thinner. It faded and disappeared, and the tired Queen dropped to their knees, cradling the crystal to her chest. Selenity was on her feet and at her mothers side in an instant, with Venus and her brother right behind her. Neptune and Uranus ran over to.
Selenity supported her mothers body, cradling it against her chest. Diana found Selenity's hands and thrust the crystal into them. "It is done," she whispered, and then passed out. Uranus crouched down and slipped his arms around the Queen so that he could pick her up. He stood up and began walking toward the palace, with Selenity walking next to him, still clutching her mothers hand. She glanced at her mother over so often as they walked, feeling a strong sense of awe. It wasn't until Uranus had laid Diana in her bed did Selenity finally release her mothers hand.
It would be a while yet before they got a message of how successful the plan was. Selenity hoped desperately that they had not injured any of their own armies. In the meantime, Selenity took care of her exhausted mother, along with Venus and her brother. She washed the sweat off her mothers face as her brother started a fire in the room. Selenity wanted as few people in the room as possible, so no servants were called to assist. Venus and Selenity then changed Diana's clothing, since her dress was plastered to her body with sweat. They washed her as best they could with cloths and sponges, while her brother kept his back turned to them. Once she was in a clean, dry nightgown, then tucked her under the covers and allowed her to sleep. Diana did not stir once, and Selenity had to check her pulse a few times to convince herself that she was still alive.
It wasn't until an hour later that there was a knock on the door. Selenity nodded to her brother to open the door. He walked over and turned the handle, allowing Artemis, Yokiro, and Kino to enter the room. Selenity looked up at Venus, who sat down next to Diana in Selenity's place. "I'll call you if she wakes up," Venus said, giving the worried princess a reassuring smile. Selenity smiled back and then went to her brother and the three men. They went into the small adjoining receiving room. Selenity closed the doors to the bedroom to giver her mother some peace, and then turned to the men. She was relieved that Kino was there, unharmed.
"Her armies are gone," Yokiro said, but the tone of his voice was not as joyful as it should have been.
"But…?" Selenity asked, knowing there was more.
Yokiro's shoulders slumped slightly. "But we don't think that it was her entire army."
Selenity wasn't sure if she should be upset about this news or not. "How much do you think was there?" she asked a little hesitantly.
Kino looked at her sullenly. "Only about a third," he said.
Now Selenity was upset. They had been hoping to get at least 85% of her army, but only a third? It was too little. "We had enough forces out there to draw out her entire army though!" she exclaimed, unable to understand why their plan had not worked. "There is no way she could have known about our plan."
Artemis nodded. "Yes, we know. It was very strange, it was as thought they were not even trying. We scanned the area, but we could find no trace of her remaining forces."
Selenity sighed in frustration. What was the Dark Queen planning? It just didn't make sense.
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Aminiha stared out the window of the ship she was on. "My Lady," her General said, "What would you like us to do about it?"
The Dark Queen pursed her lips, a look of annoyance on her face. "Nothing at the moment. We continue on with our own mission," she replied. She had been rather angered when her General had brought her news that the army she had stationed out by Pluto had been completely wiped out by some sort of secret energy the Allied Armies possessed. Still, she had something she needed to do. "You may go now," she said to her General, her words clipped.
He bowed to her back and left the room. Aminiha stared out into the cast starry sky. A smile slowly crept onto her lips. I have much more important things to worry about now, she thought. With assurance that Mars will not be attacking me, I can go ahead and attack the Moon Princess.
A small chuckle escaped her throat. Even though I can't attack the moon itself, I can go for the earth. The Moon Queen and Princess will not hold back from going to help. If they just so happen to be on the earth when I attack, it will be no fault of mine that they die. Even if Lord Mars decided to attack me for it, by that time I will be done and he will be no threat to me. I can put him aside easily.
Aminiha was a little worried about the fact that the Allied Armies possesed such power that they could wipe out such a large army in one strike with no damage to their own allies, but even if they could put on such a display, that much power could not be summoned twice in such a short while.
The Dark Queen turned away from the window, and walked to where she knew her daughter would be.
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"Mama, you can't!" Selenity cried. Her mother was making sure that everything was packed in her trunks.
Diana sighed. "Selenity, I have to. It is a responsibility that I have to earth which I must fulfill." They had been arguing for nearly an hour now, since Diana had decided that they would be going to the earth.
"But mama, you're not strong enough! It's only been two days since you used the crystal." Selenity was getting frustrated. In the same day that Diana had wiped out Aminiha's army, news had reached them that Aminiha had been found, and was heading toward the earth. Diana had right away decided that they would go and see what was going on, and help out.
Selenity was just as worried about the earth as her mother, but her mother could not take the strain of using the crystal again in such a measure, especially since this time the army would be much larger than before. Her mother had woken up about six hours after she had used the crystal, and she still looked weak and flustered. She had been exhausted, and had slept a lot. Selenity wished that she could take her mothers place, but she herself did not have the power of control of the crystal to do the manoeuvre herself.
Diana paused from her inspecting and looked at her daughter. "Selenity, I won't use the crystal unless I absolutely have to. Besides, all of the armies of Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Pluto, Mercury, as well as our own will be going with us as well. They will do any battling when we get there. Only if it looks like Aminiha has the upper hand will I step in." She knew that Selenity was worried. She felt bad for making her worry so much.
Selenity didn't like it still, but there was nothing that she could do to changer her mother's mind. It hurt her inside that her mother might be putting her life on the line, but even she had to admit she would do the same to save the earth. She sighed, and wrapped her arms around her mother in an embrace. Diana hugged her daughter back and stroked her hair. The two women stood in silence like this for several minutes. Nothing needed to be said, they each knew how the other was feeling.
"I love you mama," Selenity whispered, causing Diana to smile.
"I love you too sweetheart," she murmured into Selenity's hair as she kissed her forehead. Mother and daughter broke apart, and Selenity went to pack her own things as well. They left two hours later, with the armies not far behind.
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A/N: Ok, I've been working on this chapter in bits and pieces over the past few weeks, so I am posting it. However, like I mentioned, I don't know if I can get another one out by the end of April. Sorry for that, but please be patient! I promise a shower of chapters from May-September (as in a minimum of two chapters a week.) Anja
Next Chapter : Chapter 26~Sacrifice
"It is decided then. We attack at dawn." Uranus was standing at the table, all the other rulers sitting around it. Everyone nodded, already dreading the following morning. They had been on Uranus for a week, then all the rulers started transferring their armies to Neptune. In the morning they would move everything to Pluto, where the major part of the battle was already raging. Aminiha sent legions to the other planets as well for attacks, but most of her army was stationed near Pluto.
Their plan was a difficult one, and Diana knew she would be put out of commission for a few weeks afterwards, if they succeeded. Aminiha kept her armies well concealed, only bringing out as many fighters as were needed. They hoped that they could draw out as much of her army as possible if they all attacked with combined forces, drawing them out so that Diana could use the Imperium Silver Crystal to wipe them out. It would be a very intricate manoeuvre though, since all of the allied armies would have to retreat just in time not to be taken out as well, but not so soon that Aminiha would have time to retreat her own army.
Diana sighed, rubbing her forehead as the council dissolved. Selenity was sitting next to her, and she saw her mothers anxiety. Even she knew how much this was going to drain Diana, and she wrapped a comforting arm around her mothers shoulder.
Diana looked up into the eyes of her daughter, and silently thanked her for the reassurance. Kino sat on the opposite side of the table, concealing the fact that he and Selenity were united. Everyone had been rather surprised when Mars had not shown up to the council, even though word had gotten around already that he had some sort of truce with Queen Aminiha. No one liked it, but they hoped he would put it aside at their plea to put an end to the Queen. No such luck though.
Venus and her husband walked over to Selenity and the Moon Queen. Selenity's brother put his hand gently on Diana's shoulder, feeling the tension in his mother. She placed a cool hand over top of his, and the five of them waited until everyone else had left the council chamber. Only then did Kino stand and walk over to the small group across form him, although he did not dare touch Selenity, in case someone walked back into the room.
Diana sighed deeply, and looked up at her son and Venus. "Would the two of you mind if Selenity stayed in your room tonight? I need to meditate alone, and I don't want to go to Neptune to request another room, since he has enough to do as it is."
Venus nodded. "We won't mind at all."
Selenity looked to Venus gratefully, and then at Kino longingly. He smiled at her a little. She smiled back, then turned her gaze back to her mother. "Rest well mama," she said as she stood, quickly giving her mother a hug. Diana accepted the gesture, and then the four left Diana alone in the chamber.
Kino walked with them to their room. After a few moments a servant came to the door with some of Selenity's bags. She thanked him as he put the baggage down after which he left. Venus then locked the door, grabbed her husbands hand, and dragged him in the direction of the balcony. "We'll give the two of you a few minutes," she said, knowing they had not been alone at all since leaving the moon. As soon as the balcony door shut behind them, Selenity sank down into the comfy sofa. Kino followed suit, and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned against his chest, comforted by the sound of his steady heartbeat.
"I feel so bad for mama. Using the crystal to wipe out such a huge army…it's so much power! She has good control of he crystal, but still…." she let her sentence drift as Kino hugged her tighter.
"Don't worry, she knows what she's doing, and she knows her limits."
Selenity nodded, but frowned. "I know. I'm still worried about her though."
Kino smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "I know. You have every right to be worried." His gentle voice soothed Selenity, and all she wanted to do at that moment was drift off to sleep in the safety of his arms.
"I don't want to be alone tonight," she whispered, causing Kino to chuckle.
"You won't be," he said with laughter in his voice, "You'll be with your brother and with Venus."
Selenity smiled. "I know. But I'll still feel alone. I want to be with you."
Kino stoked her arm. "I do too," he said softly, then paused his stroking. "You know, we never used that seal Venus gave us three times yet. We've only used it twice."
Selenity brought her head up, a grin plastered to her face. "I have it with me," she said brightly, then her grin dropped. "Wait, even if you transform into Venus, it will still look odd if we walk to your room."
Kino pondered this. "Maybe you could change to look like your brother, and then there would be no problem. If anyone asked, I could just tell them that you and Venus wanted an evening to yourselves, and that your brother and I were planning on sharing a room."
Selenity nodded. "We can ask Venus when she comes back inside."
Kino nodded as he nuzzled her neck. "Sounds good to me," he said.
Venus didn't take long to come back in. Upon hearing Selenity and Kino's question, she smiled broadly. "That should be no problem. Selenity, just take his hand while holding the seal," Venus said brightly. Selenity did as instructed. As she held her brothers hand, an odd tingly sensation crept from their joined hands up her arm to her heart, and from there spread like fire through her entire body. There was a flash of light that caused her to close her eyes, and when she opened them, she felt like she was looking in a mirror. Her brother looked down at himself and grimaced.
"This is too odd," he said as he turned slowly, trying to look at himself. He stopped at the sound of his voice, and started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Selenity asked, but upon hearing her brothers voice coming form her own mouth, she began laughing as well. He was right, it was rather odd.
"Don't worry too much. As soon as Selenity puts the seal on Kino's door, the spell will be stopped," Venus comforted her pouting husband. He sighed and smiled, then looked at his…sister.
"Just make sure you come back here early. I would hate to have someone else come here to talk to me, and have me transform into you just as I open the door." Selenity nodded, and then looked at Kino. He was trying hard to hide a smirk that was creeping onto his face. She gave him a playful punch on the arm, and was rather surprised that she threw him off balance a little.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed. "I guess my brother really is stronger than me," she said, winning herself a proud smirk from her brother. She and Kino finally took their leave. Selenity found it odd that she could not mover her left arm at all, since that was the one which had been injured when Venus had been attacked. Her brother had taken the disability incredibly well, she now realized.
They reached Kino's room, and as soon as she placed the seal on the door, her brother's appearance dissolved from her. Kino wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed her. She sighed blissfully as she leaned into his embrace, savouring the closeness. The next few days would be very difficult, and Selenity was dearing every minute of them, knowing that there would only be bloodshed and tears.
Kino seemed to sense her worry. He pulled back and looked down in her eyes as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
Selenity sighed as she leaned her cheek on his shoulder again. "We can't really know that for sure. Aminiha is strong, too strong for my liking." She felt Kino stiffen a little as he pulled her closer. She sighed deeply, which seemed to motivate him to pick her up and carry her to the bed, where he lay her down. She quickly kicked off her shoes, and waited for him to take off his. As soon as he was done he stretched out beside her and took her into his arms again, enveloping her in his warm embrace.
"I know that she's strong," he said. "It worries me too. She took away my first home, and I will not let her take away my second." Selenity felt tears prickling in her eyes as she snuggled closer to him, pressing her face to his shoulder. She knew full well the pain Kino was going through. It scared her that he would have to go and fight in the battle, and risk being killed.
Slumber soon overtook the tired girl, but Kino did not find sleep easily. He stared at the canopy of the bed, his mind making him agitated.
I can't let her hurt Selenity. She's all I have left, and there is no way in hell that the Dark Queen is getting her. I will have my revenge on her, she killed my family and people! I will not allow her to harm Selenity, and I won't rest until she is dead. With these thoughts in mind he shifted himself and Selenity so that he could pull the blankets over top of them, fully clothed as they were. The motion woke Selenity, and she rubbed her eyes.
"Have you fallen asleep yet at all?" she asked groggily.
"No, I haven't. Sorry for waking you Tenshi. Go back to sleep," he murmured.
Selenity seemed much more awake as she sat up and leaned over him, a mischievous smile on her face. "Later," she said as she claimed his lips with her own, and he gave no protests, since she obviously seemed unwilling to let the seal go to waste.
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Diana stood there, motionless, her eyes closed, the Silver Crystal resting in the palms of her hands. A cool breeze blew, causing her hair to swirl about her, the only motion visible form her. Selenity sat in a chair near her mother in the courtyard. They were just waiting for the signal now. High above them, a battle raged. None of Aminiha's ships had been allowed anywhere near the planet, but they were reeking havoc on the Allied Armies. Selenity only prayed that Kino was still alright.
Venus stood on the edge of the courtyard with her husband's arm around her shoulders, along with Neptune and Uranus. As soon as the message came, they would act. Diana was ready, she had been preparing, focusing all her energy on the crystal.
Selenity watched her mother. The Moon Queen seemed so calm and focused. She had been standing in the same spot for nearly three hours now, and yet showed not signs of fatigue. It seemed as though she was dead, since there was almost no movement from her chest to show that she was breathing.
The faint sound of approaching footsteps was deafening to the group, and all of them, save for Diana, turned their heads to the source of the sound. A man, one of Pluto's soldiers, was running toward them. Everyone watching him tensed. He arrived, panting for air.
"It's time," he managed to get out. After a few deep breaths, he found the ability to speak. "Our armies, have pulled out of range, now is the time." Neptune nodded his head as Uranus looked to Diana. She was still standing motionless.
Uranus walked up to her and placed his hand on Diana's shoulder. "My Lady," he murmured, "it is time." Diana gave a slight nod, and Uranus walked back to Neptune, since they had to stay away from the Queen. As soon as he reached Neptune, all eyes turned to Diana. Selenity watched her mother intently. Venus and Selenity's brother had walked over to her, and she felt the warmth of her brothers hand on her shoulder.
Diana's eyes snapped open, and a glow surrounded the crystal. She held her hands out and allowed the crystal to levitate above them. The air around her seemed to crackle with energy, and her whole being seemed to radiate with power. Selenity watched in awe as her mother displayed just how powerful she truly was. Her gaze was focused on the crystal, completely unwavering. Her body seemed to glow with an inward light, and the crystal's glow intensified to the point where it was almost painful to look at.
A beam of light shot up into the sky as Diana closed her eyes, and the entire sky seemed to light up with the white light. Selenity needed to shield her eyes, but she didn't dare take her eyes off her mother. If anything were to happen, she would have to go and rescue the crystal.
The entire planet seemed to quake as more and more light energy poured out of the crystal. Diana's eyes remained closed, as if she was scanning the sky for enemies, as the light surrounding her body continued to pulse. Selenity noticed a sheen of sweat on her mothers forehead, and she only hoped her mother was not pushing herself too far. The light continued on for a full five minutes, before it started to fade and the beam grew thinner. It faded and disappeared, and the tired Queen dropped to their knees, cradling the crystal to her chest. Selenity was on her feet and at her mothers side in an instant, with Venus and her brother right behind her. Neptune and Uranus ran over to.
Selenity supported her mothers body, cradling it against her chest. Diana found Selenity's hands and thrust the crystal into them. "It is done," she whispered, and then passed out. Uranus crouched down and slipped his arms around the Queen so that he could pick her up. He stood up and began walking toward the palace, with Selenity walking next to him, still clutching her mothers hand. She glanced at her mother over so often as they walked, feeling a strong sense of awe. It wasn't until Uranus had laid Diana in her bed did Selenity finally release her mothers hand.
It would be a while yet before they got a message of how successful the plan was. Selenity hoped desperately that they had not injured any of their own armies. In the meantime, Selenity took care of her exhausted mother, along with Venus and her brother. She washed the sweat off her mothers face as her brother started a fire in the room. Selenity wanted as few people in the room as possible, so no servants were called to assist. Venus and Selenity then changed Diana's clothing, since her dress was plastered to her body with sweat. They washed her as best they could with cloths and sponges, while her brother kept his back turned to them. Once she was in a clean, dry nightgown, then tucked her under the covers and allowed her to sleep. Diana did not stir once, and Selenity had to check her pulse a few times to convince herself that she was still alive.
It wasn't until an hour later that there was a knock on the door. Selenity nodded to her brother to open the door. He walked over and turned the handle, allowing Artemis, Yokiro, and Kino to enter the room. Selenity looked up at Venus, who sat down next to Diana in Selenity's place. "I'll call you if she wakes up," Venus said, giving the worried princess a reassuring smile. Selenity smiled back and then went to her brother and the three men. They went into the small adjoining receiving room. Selenity closed the doors to the bedroom to giver her mother some peace, and then turned to the men. She was relieved that Kino was there, unharmed.
"Her armies are gone," Yokiro said, but the tone of his voice was not as joyful as it should have been.
"But…?" Selenity asked, knowing there was more.
Yokiro's shoulders slumped slightly. "But we don't think that it was her entire army."
Selenity wasn't sure if she should be upset about this news or not. "How much do you think was there?" she asked a little hesitantly.
Kino looked at her sullenly. "Only about a third," he said.
Now Selenity was upset. They had been hoping to get at least 85% of her army, but only a third? It was too little. "We had enough forces out there to draw out her entire army though!" she exclaimed, unable to understand why their plan had not worked. "There is no way she could have known about our plan."
Artemis nodded. "Yes, we know. It was very strange, it was as thought they were not even trying. We scanned the area, but we could find no trace of her remaining forces."
Selenity sighed in frustration. What was the Dark Queen planning? It just didn't make sense.
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Aminiha stared out the window of the ship she was on. "My Lady," her General said, "What would you like us to do about it?"
The Dark Queen pursed her lips, a look of annoyance on her face. "Nothing at the moment. We continue on with our own mission," she replied. She had been rather angered when her General had brought her news that the army she had stationed out by Pluto had been completely wiped out by some sort of secret energy the Allied Armies possessed. Still, she had something she needed to do. "You may go now," she said to her General, her words clipped.
He bowed to her back and left the room. Aminiha stared out into the cast starry sky. A smile slowly crept onto her lips. I have much more important things to worry about now, she thought. With assurance that Mars will not be attacking me, I can go ahead and attack the Moon Princess.
A small chuckle escaped her throat. Even though I can't attack the moon itself, I can go for the earth. The Moon Queen and Princess will not hold back from going to help. If they just so happen to be on the earth when I attack, it will be no fault of mine that they die. Even if Lord Mars decided to attack me for it, by that time I will be done and he will be no threat to me. I can put him aside easily.
Aminiha was a little worried about the fact that the Allied Armies possesed such power that they could wipe out such a large army in one strike with no damage to their own allies, but even if they could put on such a display, that much power could not be summoned twice in such a short while.
The Dark Queen turned away from the window, and walked to where she knew her daughter would be.
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"Mama, you can't!" Selenity cried. Her mother was making sure that everything was packed in her trunks.
Diana sighed. "Selenity, I have to. It is a responsibility that I have to earth which I must fulfill." They had been arguing for nearly an hour now, since Diana had decided that they would be going to the earth.
"But mama, you're not strong enough! It's only been two days since you used the crystal." Selenity was getting frustrated. In the same day that Diana had wiped out Aminiha's army, news had reached them that Aminiha had been found, and was heading toward the earth. Diana had right away decided that they would go and see what was going on, and help out.
Selenity was just as worried about the earth as her mother, but her mother could not take the strain of using the crystal again in such a measure, especially since this time the army would be much larger than before. Her mother had woken up about six hours after she had used the crystal, and she still looked weak and flustered. She had been exhausted, and had slept a lot. Selenity wished that she could take her mothers place, but she herself did not have the power of control of the crystal to do the manoeuvre herself.
Diana paused from her inspecting and looked at her daughter. "Selenity, I won't use the crystal unless I absolutely have to. Besides, all of the armies of Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Pluto, Mercury, as well as our own will be going with us as well. They will do any battling when we get there. Only if it looks like Aminiha has the upper hand will I step in." She knew that Selenity was worried. She felt bad for making her worry so much.
Selenity didn't like it still, but there was nothing that she could do to changer her mother's mind. It hurt her inside that her mother might be putting her life on the line, but even she had to admit she would do the same to save the earth. She sighed, and wrapped her arms around her mother in an embrace. Diana hugged her daughter back and stroked her hair. The two women stood in silence like this for several minutes. Nothing needed to be said, they each knew how the other was feeling.
"I love you mama," Selenity whispered, causing Diana to smile.
"I love you too sweetheart," she murmured into Selenity's hair as she kissed her forehead. Mother and daughter broke apart, and Selenity went to pack her own things as well. They left two hours later, with the armies not far behind.
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A/N: Ok, I've been working on this chapter in bits and pieces over the past few weeks, so I am posting it. However, like I mentioned, I don't know if I can get another one out by the end of April. Sorry for that, but please be patient! I promise a shower of chapters from May-September (as in a minimum of two chapters a week.) Anja
Next Chapter : Chapter 26~Sacrifice