"Minako you can't be serious!" Rei gasped,
"This is between me and Usagi" Minako grumbled, watching her four friends stand side by side, shock and dismay etched upon their faces.
"No this concerns all of us" Makoto grumbled in retaliation; Usagi remained silent.
"I made an oath in that life, and now I am going to live 'my' life" Minako spoke coldly,
"What about duty" Ami whispered, loud enough for all to hear, Minako remained silent.
"What about friendship?" Rei growled angrily, Minako shot her a glare.
"My friendship remains, however I
will not continue to live in order to protect another persons dreams"
Minako retaliated,
"We protect this world" Makoto snapped.
"I am not a soldier!" Minako screamed, everyone stepped back in disbelief.
"Minako" Usagi whispered, a tear falling down her cheek – she could see Minako's frustration, was she to blame for this?
"You are a soldier, you were born a soldier and you will die a soldier" a foreign voice called from behind Minako, she swerved around to see Haruka and Michiru come through the temple arch.
"I am not a soldier, I'm Aino Minako – I make my own destiny" Minako's voice nearly broke,
"Afraid not sugar, you have and always have been the Warrior of Venus" Michiru's voice shot coldly.
"You're wrong!" Minako yelled. The couple smiled, looking at one another and giving a subtle head nod,
"Minako" Artemis's voice spoke
from in front of Rei. Minako swerved around to look at her old
companion,
"what has gotten into you?" he asked curiously,
everyone awaited an answer. Minako's head hung down,
"I won't spend my life making your dream come true Usagi, I'm tired and I just wont' do it anymore" Minako sighed.
"You make it sound like you've been fighting most of your life" Haruka growled angrily,
"Pretty much Haruka" Minako sighed, turning around to exit the temple.
"what are you just going to quit on
us" Michiru snapped, grabbing Minako's arm.
"Let her go"
Usagi spoke, in an instant Michiru let go of Minako's arm and made
an exit for the blonde.
"But your highness, how can –"Haruka stuttered, Rei, Ami and Makoto watched with teary eyes as their former comrade walk into the horizon.
"My queen, please forgive –"Artemis stuttered, looking at Usagi in desperation.
"I always knew there were things that Minako would never say, she was always the strongest of us – everything has to have a reason" Usagi attempted to smile, as she brushed the tears that fell from her eyes away.
"What reason could she possibly have for this?" Michiru barked, turning to watch Minako's silhouette completely disappear from site.
"She's had a hard life" Artemis sighed,
"No harder than the rest of us" Rei shot back instantaneously.
"Actually, that's not completely true" Usagi interceded,
"What?" Haruka growled in confusion,
"Do you remember Sailor V?" Usagi asked curiously,
"vaguely" Makoto responded. Most of the inner scouts were twenty and twenty one years old now, it had been awhile since they thought back to their early teenager years.
"Artemis" Usagi spoke surely,
"Yes" he spoke unsurely,
"I
think you would be the best to enlighten us, I think it's time we
learnt Minako's whole story" Usagi stated,
"As you wish" Artemis stated/