This is the sequel to my other one-shot, Blood Red Eyes for a Silver Moon Princess. This one probably won't make any sense if you haven't read that one first. ^^
Thanks to Wyra who was first to review Blood Red Eyes and gave me the idea for this fic and Crystal who asked for other points of view. I hope you enjoy it and that it meets your expectations. I'm not 100% sure of it, but I knew if I didn't post it now I'd chicken out and never do it.
She had her mother's eyes.
Usagi had left Mamoru to take care of Pluto. Mamoru. Even if he was King Endymion and she Queen Serenity in their private lives they were still Mamoru and Usagi. Or they had been.
The last six months had been torture. He hadn't told Usagi right away, but she had suspected something was wrong. He had been acting odd, but she had assumed he was worried about something, that when he disappeared he was talking to the Shittenou. She never suspected he was with someone else, with one of her guardians.
Yes, Pluto was technically the Guardian of Time, not one of her Inner Guardians or one of the Outer Senshi guarded the kingdom. Despite that, Usagi still counted her as one of the Guardians. She stillremembered when they had all fought together, in the past, united.
She kept her face serene as she went through the back passages of the palace, passages only servants ever used. The baby in her arms weighed next to nothing. She was tiny, maybe all babies were, Usagi didn't really know.
Her baby. She had to remind herself of that. She had spent the last few months in a daze and with the child in her arms she was confronted with a choice, trying to clear her head so she could consider her options.
She could tell the truth. She could renounce them both, throw them out of her kingdom with the child. She would lose Mamoru, but then again, hadn't she already? She had trusted him. Yes, in the past they had had their difficulties. They had been tempted, but in the end they were always together. An unbreakable force. Time after time, they played out their romance.
Maybe they were always doomed to a tragic end. If not at someone else's hand, then by their own designs.
Or she could lie. She could keep hold of her marriage. Raise the child with a smile and pretend everything was fine.
She reached her, their, bedroom and laid the baby on the bed, still wrapped in the pink blanket. She had fallen asleep somewhere during the walk. She should probably wake her up and feed her, but Usagi didn't want to listen to her cry.
Usagi crossed the room to the floor to ceiling window, looking out over Crystal Tokyo. If she told the truth, what would happen to her kingdom? Would it tear itself to pieces? The child was the only thing they had close to an heir, years had passed and Usagi had yet to have a daughter of her own. They already had the Black Moon rebels who she had sent away, could the kingdom handle more people leaving? Possibly to return in force? Would they become like the ancient kingdoms who fought their cousins over who would be the heir to the throne?
And to lose Mamoru, for good… because he had come to her, promised he would never look at Pluto again. Usagi wanted to believe him. She did. He had even offered to banish Pluto, but Usagi had refused. No matter what, she was still a Senshi. Usagi couldn't bear to throw out one of her own and to punish one, but not the other would be unjust.
Usagi pressed her hand to her forehead. There was another technicality. Her power came from the Moon, but the Earth's power was Mamoru. She might have awakened the world from its ice age, but did she even have a right to rule alone?
She had to hold the kingdom. That one thought shone clearly in her mind. They had peace, she owed it to the world to hold it if she could, whatever it meant to herself. If she gave up, she knew she could doom the universe. She could not do that. Her friends, her family, all the innocent people who she knew or had yet to meet, she could not condemn them all for a mistake and a moment of selfishness. She would not condemn them all when she had the power to save them.
She lowered her hand and turned back to the bed. While she had been lost in thought the baby's eyes had woken. Blood red eyes, set in an alabaster heart shaped face stared up at her with intensity that seemed unusual in a baby.
When their eyes met, blue on red, the baby opened her mouth and started to wail. Moving as if in a daze, Usagi picked her up, looking at her warily.
She would claim this child as her daughter. She would raise her as a princess. She would pretend and lie for the peace of her kingdom, her universe. She would hope for the best, although she was unsure if she would ever forgive either of them, if she would ever be able to love the child in her arms.
And every time she looked at the girl, at her daughter, all she would see were her mother's blood red eyes staring back at her.
A/N I wasn't originally planning on turning this into a series, but I think I have a few more ideas. Like Wyra and Crystal suggested, I may try to add views of the other characters involved. I have the start of an idea for one involving Seiya and I'd like to add in the other Senshi at some point, but no promises because I want to make sure what I post is actually good. However! If you have a suggestion or idea for another sequel just post it up and I will most definitely consider it and write it up if I have an idea and the inspiration.
So suggestions, comments, critiques, if you enjoyed it and have a spare moment I love getting reviews. Thanks for reading! :)