Hi, Rina Stell here! First SM fanfic, hope you enjoy! (Also, first attempt at a one-shot).
And NO, YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ THE SAILOR V MANGA TO UNDERSTAND THE STORY. However, you will enjoy the story better if you did, though I'll explain as I go along. :)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon, Sailor V, etc. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Any recognizable characters are hers. Anything else that remotely resembles a spoon is mine. Oh yes, the translations I mainly used for this fic were from Sailor V Headquarters, many things including some of the original plot and the translations, were somewhat modified here to suit the story…
SUMMARY:"I'll tell your final love fortune," Ace says. "Your love will be hopeless for all of eternity." Even now, years later, these memories still haunt her in her dreams. Her name is Aino Minako, and this is her story.
My Love, My Destiny
By Railway Station
"I'm sorry, Minako. I've fallen in love with someone else." Ryan turned and left her.
Mina stared at the empty doorway. The wind blew from outside, blowing through the room, void and empty as her soul felt, inside. This is... familiar. Where... has it... happened before?
Her knees gave way. She was too stunned to even cry.
Was... was it me?
Sailor Venus grabbed Kaitou Ace's hand, holding him as he hung precariously on the roof between life and death.
She had to know. She just had to know.
"Is your fate to defeat the ones I've fallen in love with?" the young, naive Aino Minako in Venus asked.
Ace threw a card to her.
"The ace of hearts?"
Just then, the card tore in half before her eyes.
"I'll tell your final love fortune," Ace says. "Your love will be hopeless for all of eternity."
She stared at him, eyes wide. Terrified. No...
"What's wrong?" he says. "You should look happier. Now you can go on living, without having to torment yourself over the ultimate choice, your love or your duty."
"Your fate is to continue fighting."
Suddenly, his face changed into one of pure evil as their surroundings also changed.
Into someone that Venus knew... all too well.
"...K-Kunzite?"
They were on a battlefield. Venus wanted to cry. Everywhere around her, everything was crumbling. Where was her princess? The Moon Kingdom was about to collapse!
"Venus." Kunzite spat, like her name was vermin. Venus' heart gave a cry as if it had been stabbed.
"Kunzite..."
"Fight me." Even as he said this, his sword was lunging forward. To kill her.
Venus dodged it just in time. "Kunzite, what are you doing?" The look in his eyes scared her. "Did Prince Endymion permit this?"
"My service is with Queen Beryl."
Venus gasped. "No..." She dodged again, the sword barely missing her face as it sliced a bit of her beautiful golden hair.
Kunzite repeated, "Fight me."
"But you are not my enemy." Venus took her own weapon out –her dagger –even as she said this, instinctively blocking strike after strike with her senshi skills. With the other hand, she waved her magic deftly around her, creating barriers made of chain. She refused to do any more than defend herself.
"Fight me." Kunzite repeated. "Fight me, damnit!"
"Stop this, Kunzite. I don't want to fight you. Don't you remember? We are destined together." She was so naiive, but she knew she wasn't the only one. Her connection with the other senshi told her that their hearts, also, were slowly and painfully breaking with the betrayal of the four generals...
"We have no destiny." Kunzite was cold, more colder than Venus had ever seen him.
"No... we... we are entwined. Definitely. Forever."
His sword broke through Venus' barriers. It plunged straight through her stomach. Even as Venus watched, he pulled the sword straight out, causing Venus to gasp in pain, in pain of the life and love she had lost. Blood began spurting out. Venus could feel her life draining away, drained by the one she loved the most.
Even as he stood there facing her, holding the bloodied sword in his hand, Venus didn't understand. This feeling of dread... she knew it all too well.
Can he see her heart breaking?
"Goodbye, Venus." Kunzite said. His eyes locked in with hers. It made Venus feel cold, and woke her from her once-happy dream.
Finally, she understood. "This... this is... my destiny." Then, with a cry, she threw herself forward and plunged her sword through Kunzite's heart.
Mina woke up in tears, gasping. "No... please... Kunzi-"
Artemis turned his head to look at Mina. "Mina?" He looked worried. "What's wrong?"
Her hands shook. She fought to keep them still, trying not to alarm Artemis. She paused, for too long, to calm herself. "I'm fine," she said finally. "Really, I am."
"Did you have a nightmare?"
"Y-Yeah. A nightmare."
Artemis waited for Mina to elaborate. But Mina stayed silent, a faraway, brooding look on her face. Artemis didn't know what to say.
"Don't worry about it," the cat finally said, an attempt to soothe her. "Whatever it was, it was only a dream."
"Yeah, a dream," Mina echoed softly. "Not real." She attempted to smile. "I'm the super-extraordinary princess of Venus, right? I can do anything!"
Minako sighed. She definitely did NOT feel like going to school today. The news of her break-up with Ryan would spread around quickly enough. Everyone would know she had been dumped. Again.
Mina bit her lip, trying to stop the tears forming in her eyes. Ryan… he had said he loved her. Then again, so had every other person she had ever gone out a date with –and that had already been remarkably few, with her being so busy with Senshi work.
But of course, they all seem to fall in love with somebody else instead. Or have some terrible fate fall upon them. It was like she was cursed to hurt everyone around her.
"Mina? Are you okay?" Artemis asked, startling her out of her thoughts.
Mina looked down at the cat, and picked him up. She didn't feel like telling Artemis about her break-up yet. He'll hear it from one of the senshi soon enough. "I-I'm fine…"
Suddenly, she realized tears were rolling down her cheeks. She gave a weak laugh. "Well, I don't exactly look it, do I? But I'll survive." She stroked her cat. "I always do."
I can make it, I'm almost there, I can make it…
RIIIING!!
Mina screeched to a stop as she turned into her classroom. "I was on time, I swear!" Mina panted. "My foot was right at the door, sensei, when the bell rang-"
"Alright, alright," Haruna-sensei grudgingly nodded her permission. "Just go to your seat, Aino, so we can begin."
Mina smiled proudly. She was on time! Sure, it wasn't her first, but at least that meant she wasn't as ditzy and lazy as everyone thought. Her friends –Usagi especially, herself panting out of breath in her seat– grinned at her.
She noticed Ryan out of the corner of her eye. He looked away, and pretended not to notice her. He was already holding hands with some other girl in their class. Mina clenched her teeth. She'll show him that she was much, much better than the girl –it was his loss...
She tripped over. Although she lifted up her arms to try to keep her balance, it was too late. She fell face-first onto the floor.
Giggles around her broke out. Tears threatened to form in her eyes, and only because of her disciplined senshi training could she stop them from falling.
Ami and Usagi quickly hurried to help her up. "Are you okay, Mina?" Usagi asked, concerned.
Mina could barely hear her. All around her, the whispers were starting again.
"Wow, what a klutz..."
"I heard that Ryan dumped her, maybe that's why she was late..."
Stop it.
"I wonder how she's taking it, do you think she's going to cry?"
"Well... she has hardly had the best of luck with guys lately, hasn't she? Don't you remember, there was that time she went out with-"
Stop it.
"Hasn't there been rumours about her, you know, doing it with guys? She seems like such a nice girl, but so open about love-"
STOP IT.
"No wonder Ryan broke up with her..."
NO! DON"T SAY ANYMORE-!! Mina put her hands over her ears, trying to block away the voices, everything. Just STOP, STOP-
"Oi!" Makoto exploded from behind her. "Stop being so nosy and mind your own business!" The voices stopped.
Usagi put her arms around Mina and helped her up. Ami put up her hand.
"Haruna-sensei, I don't think Mina is feeling well. Can me and Usagi please take her to the nurse?"
"Very well," Haruna agreed, looking at Mina with concern. "You and Usagi may go."
"Me too," Makoto stood up from her desk. "I'll go as well-"
"We don't need a crowd to take her to the nurse. Please sit back down."
Makoto looked like she was about to argue, but Ami sent her a look, and she sat back down, clearly annoyed. "Sorry, sensei," she mumbled.
Mina felt herself being gently led out of the classroom. She felt a rush of warmth and gratitude for her friends, who had all come to her defense. They were all looking out for her, protecting her. Yes, she remembered, I'm not alone.
They sat her down in the nurse's office. Luckily, the nurse was busy caring for someone else, so they were able to talk quietly.
"Mina? You okay?" Usagi said quietly to her. "You look like you haven't had any sleep."
Mina put a hand to her face. She must've looked terrible. And to think she just turned up to class like that- "I-I'm fine," Her friends were so supportive. Mina could already feel the tears she had fought to suppress form in her eyes.
"Mina?" Ami asked, as sensitive and timid as ever. "Remember, if you need us for anything, we're here for you. So just tell us if there's anything wrong."
Surely they must've heard already, Mina knew. But still, they're waiting for me to tell them.
She had such wonderful friends. No matter how many boyfriends leave me, Mina realized, I still have my friends to fall back on. She shook her head. "I'm fine," Mina managed a weak smile. "Thanks for worrying about me. I'm really, really alright, just a bit tired. I'll see you at senshi meeting today, okay?"
That's right, Mina remembered, as her friends gave her one last worried look, then left. I don't have time to be worrying about Ace's words right now. I have youmas to fight, and I still have to find the moon princess.
You never are serious. You always choose something more important than love. Your duty. The words resounded in her head, harsh and biting.
Mina closed her eyes. NO! she thought, No... I always give my best effort... I was serious... Ryan... love... was... is... important to me. Mina couldn't sound convincing even to herself. She smiled bitterly to herself, I make such a fantastic goddess of love. I don't even know how to love.
"Are you alright, my dear?" The nurse went over to her at last.
"I'm fine," Mina nodded, trying to reassure the nurse. She was beginning to feel like a parrot, saying the same "I'm fine, I'm fine" words over and over again. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all."
"Then why don't you lie down and rest a bit?" The nurse suggested.
Mina nodded, and lied herself down on the bed. She did feel exhausted: she had hardly been in the best condition to sleep last night. But, even as she tiredly began to drift off, Mina knew of the dreams that would come to haunt her, as soon as her eyelids closed...
She looked up at him. "Why are you giving me this?"
"Because, Minako..." Ace leaned forward. Minako closed her eyes. He kisses her lips. "...I love you."
Ace holds out a deck of cards.
"I'll tell your love fortune," he says. "Pick a card you like."
She takes a card and holds it out.
"The ace of clubs," says Ace. "A crossroads in fortune. Do you love me?"
"I- I love you!"
"A lie."
He drops the card to the ground.
"You never are serious. You always choose something more important than
love."
"No, that's not true!" says Minako. "I'm always serious about love! Love is the most important! Nothing else is ahead of it! You are the most important, Ace!"
"Although..." she thinks, "being so busy with my job as Sailor V day after day, I haven't had a chance to get a boyfriend. Being a soldier of justice... Like Artemis and Boss say, there's nothing I can do about it... Is there nothing I can do? No... My life now is staked on the love of Sailor V. Compared to that... Have I really staked my life on love?" Minako thinks. "I always do it only halfway. Have I never been serious...?"
"But this time I mean it!" Minako shouts desperately. "I swear on my life, I love you Ace! I do love you, don't I?"
"Why are you asking me?" he asks.
"Because... I don't really know..."
Ace flicks his finger across her forehead.
"You're a child," he says. "Haven't you awakened yet?"
He turns and walks away.
"Ace...!!"
Mina swore under her breath. She was late for her senshi meeting. Again. What was wrong with her these days? Finally, she had reached the top of the huge set of stairs leading to Cherry Hill temple. She tiptoed her way around to the back of the temple where they usually met. As she quietly stretched out her hand to open the sliding door, she heard voices which made her pause.
"No, don't, Usagi! If Minako feels ready to come, she'll come, we shouldn't push her-"
"But she looked really upset back in the nurse's office-" Usagi protested. "What if something happens to her? We need to go and look for her-"
"Oh, I just wanted to punch that Ryan, did you guys see the look on his face? That bastard- hurting our Mina-"
"Minako hasn't talked to us yet," Rei's voice was firm. "We should wait until she feels she can talk to us-"
"But Rei, it's nearly been a whole week, Mina looked like she was going to collapse-"
"You should've seen her, Rei," Ami agreed. "It is so unlike our usual Mina. She's always been so cheerful and bubbly, but now it's like... she's lost all her confidence. In herself."
"She's been having nightmares," Oh, great. Artemis reveals all. But Mina could hardly blame him. Artemis sounded really worried. "I've never seen her face expressed so much pain before. Not since..." Artemis trailed off, then pulled himself together. "I think this reminded her of the thing with Kaitou Ace, and... Kunzite."
Mina's heart stopped at their names. Shaking her head, she stepped back, backing away from the door. No. She couldn't hear it. She couldn't face these memories.
She couldn't even face her friends. She decided to leave, and she ran away. Meanwhile, oblivious, the senshi's conversation continued.
"Kaitou Ace? Kunzite? You mean Kunzite from the Dark Kingdom?"
"But what's he got to do with it? Is he the one hurting Mina?"
Artemis shook his head. "You guys still haven't awakened yet," he said. "You haven't yet recovered your memories, so you do not remember the terrible past as Mina does."
"Many years ago, Beryl's four generals had once been on our side. They were your lovers," Artemis said quietly.
"WHAT?!" The senshi looked shocked. "But, but-" Ami began.
"I'll tell your final love fortune," Ace says. "Your love will be hopeless for all of eternity."
Mina stumbled in the trees and fell. She looked at her hands, soiled with dirt. She took a breath, and was surprised when a small sob escaped from her throat. Hiccup, hiccup. After a whole day -no, a whole week- of suppressing her sorrow, she was crying.
At last.
"Why... hic... did it have to... hic... be me...?" Mina sobbed. "Kaitou... why did his... hic... words have to hurt so much?" She pounded her fists against the ground, shaking all the fallen leaves around her in the clearing. "What's... hic... wrong with, me?"
Slowly, her breathing began to calm. She looked around her. She hadn't thought about where she was going, and it seemed she had ended up by the trees behind the temple. Rei had told her about this spot, Mina remembered, looking around at the trees and bushes around her. Once, Mina had been helping her out, and Rei had showed her this area which she often used to think, away from all the temple's visitors.
I could definitely use some of Rei's good luck charms right now, Mina thought to herself. But it's like I'm cursed, or something. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear a twig snap behind her, its foreboding warning overlooked. But even with her charms, Mina continued, I think... I won't be able to escape my destiny... Ace's prediction...
"I'll tell your final love fortune," Ace says. "Your love will be hopeless for all of eternity."
"My... love fortune..." Mina echoed.
Something struck a tree from behind, and it fell with a crash, narrowly missing Mina as she instinctively rolled out of the way. The crows that always surrounded the peaceful temple fled from the trees, cawing.
Youma.
"It was a long time ago," Artemis said firmly. Then, his eyes turned sad. "Perhaps it was because Venus was the goddess of love, that his betrayal was the biggest shock for her. The princess of Venus and head general Kunzite had been especially close. But Kunzite killed her by his own hands." Artemis coughed, "They killed each other, actually." Gasps. "Venus' duty, to the very end, was to her princess," Artemis ended the story. "even if it conflicted with her love. And... I think that fact itself was harder on her than anything else. That she'll always give her heart to her duty over love."
"And what has that got to do with Ryan and Mina?"
"Well, Minako, Venus..." Artemis paused. "I suppose she never told you guys much about her old life as Sailor V. She had been in love, not as deeply as she had been with Kunzite perhaps, but nevertheless she was in love, with a man named Kaitou Ace. He loved her too, since their past life on Venus. But he was reborn as a pawn of the dark kingdom, and was killed in an accident. Though, not before," Artemis added bitterly, "telling her she was cursed to a loveless fate. Told her she needn't worry about choosing between love or duty anymore. It hurt Mina, she murmured his words in her sleep last night. But, what I don't understand is..." Artemis was pacing to and fro. "Why did she suddenly become like this? A whole week... I thought it was just, well, usual teen love troubles." He said rather apologetically to the very teen senshi.
"I... I think..." Ami ventured to give her analysis of what she heard, her timid voice startling everyone. "...the break-up with Ryan is made her link it to and remember the past. She seemed nearly in tears when she fell over... I think she was upset with herself more than anything else. I think... she thinks... that everything was, somehow, her fault. Her fault that things became this way."
Tears trickled down Usagi's eyes. "Mina... For her, love is the most important thing... For those kind of things to happen to her... For her to hear that..." Usagi began wailing like a crybaby.
"...oi, shut up, Usagi, you're not helping." Rei whacked Usagi over the head. As usual. "YOU don't need to cry about it." Rei's eyes clouded with concern. "Speaking of Mina, I suddenly have a bad feeling, a bad vibe all of a sudden... she's still not here. And she still hasn't contacted us about skipping the meeting. Then... where on earth is she?"
As if to answer her, their communicators beeped.
"YOUMA!" Sailor Venus screamed over her communicator. "BEHIND YOUR TEMPLE, REI!"
"Got it!" The other four senshi turned their communicators off. Venus dodged another... vein that came flying her way. Yes, vein. Most appropriate for the occasion, this week's youma is based on the heart. Not the warm thing with feelings. The actual human heart. It was literally a pulsing slab of meat (with eyes and legs) rhythmically spouting blood-like substances at Sailor Venus, and trying to whip her with veins and arteries dripping with blood. When Venus ducked underneath yet another swinging vein, only to be rained with dark red blood that stung her skin, Mina had finally, had enough.
"OI, YOU!" Sailor Venus screamed at the youma. "I'VE ALREADY HAVING A BAD DAY, THE WORST DAY OUT OF THIS ENTIRE FREAKING WEEK, I'M TIRED, I'M UPSET, GIVE THE GIRL A BREAK, WILL YA?!"
The youma, uncomprehending, blinked at her, and continued its attack.
"Why, don't you ignore me, baka youma, you, CRESCENT BEAM-"
From the corner of her eye, she could see the other senshi running up to her. "Venus!" Sailor Jupiter called out to her. Almost immediately, the senshi began fighting the heart-youma. She stepped back a few paces, exhausted.
Then, something flashed behind her. She turned, but even before she did so her heart had already sank beneath her stomach. She stared at the stranger who had appeared behind her in a flash of light, a stranger who was not quite a stranger in her memories, but nevertheless her enemy.
"K-Kunzite..." she murmured, unable to neither attack nor react. It was him. The guy who had reawakened in her memories, the one who had been her destiny. Who, despite the bizarre circumstances, was STILL supposed to be her destiny.
Kunzite's eyes glowed black, and a ball of darkness gathered in his palm. He pulled his arm back, ready to attack her. "You senshi have been a nuisance to the Dark kingdom for too long."
His eyes were so cold. Venus could not move. He threw his attack down. It whizzed past her. What...? Hope rose in Venus, for a brief second, before she realized that the attack was not intended for her to begin with. She turned her head, and saw the attack head towards the senshi behind her, all oblivious to Kunzite's arrival and to her dilemma. Towards Sailor Moon.
"SAILOR MOON!" Before Venus even realized what she was doing, she was already leaping forward. She pushed her out of the way, and felt Kunzite's attack electrify her. Venus screamed, but even as she did her world swirled and she fell unconscious. The black power bound her arms, legs, mouth, slowly enclosing around her.
"VENUS!" Sailor Moon screamed.
Venus? Mina thought groggily. Yes... the Greek goddess of love. Or am I Venus? My name is Mina... but... this feeling... that someone is calling my name... someone I have to protect...
"VENUS!"
Was she meant to respond? She didn't... feel like the goddess of love... In her mind, Venus was beautiful. Even the planet shone to her at night like the brightest star in the sky. She was just Mina, not Venus... Venus was a planet... Mina thought, I wonder if I, too... will find my true love... Wait, no, there was something else...
"I'll tell your final love fortune," Ace says. "Your love will be hopeless for all of eternity."
It was hopeless, Mina remembered. I can't be Venus... I'm... a... nobody...
"VENUS!"
This time, the voice felt so strong, so super-sonic, that it made Venus' head swirl again. This time, it stirred a strange, single memory to Venus' consciousness. It was a memory, so small yet so precious, she had forgotten.
Minako returned to her room, exhausted from the day's events with Kaitou Ace, and with her own reawakening of her memories. The initial euphoria on realizing her mission had faded a little, replaced by the hard, present reality that she was still alone, and that her romantic hopes for Ace had once again been dashed. Horribly. She sat down on her bed, looked across the mirror reflecting back her pitiful self, and sighed.
Artemis had followed her in. "Minako?" he asked, concerned. "Mina? Are you okay?" I'm fine, Mina drowsily wanted to reply. But the Mina in her memory answered differently.
Mina hesitated. But she plucked up her courage. "Artemis? Is... what Ace said true? Am I... Will I... never be serious about love?"
"Absolutely not," Artemis said firmly. "The Mina I know, and the Venus I know, has the biggest heart I have ever known. She always puts her whole heart into everything and for everyone, and she never gives up."
The words touched her. "But... I've always only been doing my duty..."
"Mina, you want to find and protect the princess, right?" Nod. "Then, ask yourself. Why do you want to protect her? Is it because you have to, just like you have to do your homework or wash the dishes? Or is it because-"
"-I want to," Mina whispered. It was true. Somewhere in her heart, she had felt an ineffable love for the princess, for the other senshi, for Moon, for Venus. It had been the same in her time as Sailor V. Hadn't she fought the youma to protect the people she loved?
Yes, she could turn away her destiny now. Ace had given her plenty of chances to. But...
"I'm doing my duty..." Mina whispered, so overcome that tears were forming in her eyes, "...out of love."
"And you do your duty very well. You do your planet proud, Mina."
The senshi's voices replayed in her head. "She's always been so cheerful and bubbly..."
...They were right. What was she doing...?!
I believe in love.
From within the black cocoon that had formed around Sailor Venus, a golden light radiated out, destroying the darkness to reveal the floating, shining senshi of Venus. The symbol of Venus glowed on her forehead, and there was a peaceful and serene expression on her face, as if she had only been sleeping. Her feet landed softly on the ground, and she stood straight.
Sailor Venus opened her eyes, and locked into Kunzite's. She smiled. She was not afraid. "Kunzite..." she said, and the beautiful light emitting from her expanded, and grew stronger destroying the youma and reaching closer and closer to the general.
Kunzite stepped back, then turned away from them. "Damn Sailor Senshi...!!" He drew a void in the air and escaped in a hurry. There was a silence, as slowly, Venus allowed her light to fade.
"...Venus?" The senshi asked her, hesitantly.
She wasn't confused anymore. Aino Minako, Sailor Venus, Princess Venus. Different identities, different missions... but, essentially, all fighting in the name of love.
"Venus?" The senshi detransformed. "...Mina?"
Mina turned. "I'm sorry, I made everyone worry. Thank you, everyone," Aino Minako's eyes were shining. With happiness, with hope, with love.
Months later...
"WHAT? Usagi's the moon princess?"
Kunzite's eyes glowed black with power. "Then I will kill you, moon princess," He threw a black ball of power at her.
"Look out, princess!" Once again, Sailor Venus' instincts kicked in. Before the thought had even registered, she pushed the girl out of the way. Yes... My duty is to protect the princess. Because Usagi is... important to me.
Sailor Venus stood up and steadied herself. Her eyes locked with his. "Kunzite..." she breathed. Even now, after all these thousands of years, her heart still fluttered, seeing him.
"Venus... Mina..." Princess Serenity's, or perhaps Usagi's, eyes looked at her, concerned. "Are you okay?"
Venus's arm was already up, her palm facing the sky as it gathered with her power. She ran forward, rapidly throwing down her arm as her power surged in her hands.
Yes, I believe it. A day when I can protect my princess and find my love... Perhaps a day, when we'll reincarnate and be destined together again, and you will no longer be my enemy, Kunzite.
No matter what Ace, or anyone else, says... I believe in a destiny, a love fortune, that is as strong as Venus shining in the sky.
Mina took a deep breath.
"CRESCENT BEAM!"
Ends
A/N: Soooo, what do you think? Good? Bad? Could be better? Confusing or understandable, especially with the Sailor V references? I love feedback/compliments/critique/whatever!
So... PLEASE don't forget to REVIEW!!
Signing off, RS