AN: Yay! I know you will be excited but I am close to finishing now. This will be a chapter of struggle. The girls are gonna have to work so hard. I have been writing this chapter for like two weeks now. I just want it over and done with!
Ami looked frantically for Quatre as she left the study and she came upon Keira, Minako's maid.
"Have you seen a young man, with blonde hair come by here?" Ami asked and Keira grinned nodding.
She merely pointed towards the Crystal Gardens and squeezing Keira's hand thankfully, Ami deposited a kiss on Keira's forehead lovingly before following Quatre's trail. It was so dark in the gardens, as it was already night time, and Ami looked around in the darkness in vain looking for Quatre but she couldn't see anything. The moon gave off a small amount of light but not enough and Ami was about to give up when she felt someone wrap his arms around her from behind and bury his head into her neck. There were the sounds of soft crying and Ami didn't speak, afraid if she did she would scare him away.
"Ami, I can't express to you what I am feeling right now, I'm so confused," Quare whispered this in her ear and Ami couldn't remember ever hearing him this desperate, this lost. She felt so guilty, it was all her fault.
"Quatre…" Ami tried to turn but Quatre didn't release her. He couldn't stare at her face to face, not yet.
"No don't speak, hear me out, in my heart I hate you and I love you, everything I feel right now is because I want to get down on one knee and ask you to be my wife, but I think a part of me will forever think that if your duty called you would up and leave me without as second glance, I couldn't live like that, always dreading the day when you would leave me," Quatre's body was shaking with sobs as he pulled away from her and buried his face in his hands. He stumbled backwards and sat on the stone bench and Ami ventured to come near him and she knelt before him on the grass.
"I…" Ami tried to speak again but Quatre blindly tried to ward her off but as soon as his hand touched her Ami clutched onto his fingers so tightly. She was not about to let him go. Not that easily. She had waited so long for him, she was not going to loose him, not again, never again.
"No Ami, if I hear your voice I won't be able to push you away," Quatre tried to silence her but Ami would not be silenced, not this time.
"I don't want to be pushed away, I want to stay here with you forever, I promise I will never leave you," Ami pressed his fingers to her lips and she could feel him shaking at her touch.
"Don't make promises you can't keep Ami," Quatre warned her and Ami felt the tears running down her cheeks. He distrusted her so, and she had only herself to blame.
"I can, this time Quatre, its really our time, its our turn to live happily ever after," Ami promised, pledging her love and Quatre finally dared to raise his head and stare into her wide, honest blue eyes.
"Ami," he breathed and they closed the distance between each other and Ami could have died with happiness.
Makoto raced out to the balcony and buried her face in her hands and began balling her eyes out. After all Rei had told her, Makoto had been hoping against hope that Trowa would forgive her and love her again. But she had been wrong. He couldn't love anyone now, he couldn't love anyone, it was all her fault.
"Trowa," she murmured unhappily not realising the reason for her sadness had come after her onto the balcony and Makoto buried her head in her arms and started to cry. Trowa couldn't help these feelings that were running through him at this point in time. He wanted so much to hug her and tell her he still loved her and wanted to be with her forever, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. So afraid that his first words to her may be the anger which he felt deep inside for her abandonment.
"Oh Trowa, what I wouldn't give to be back with you in the past, to be a teenager again, running through the streets, with all of the others happy and smiling like we used to, all I have ever known these past years is loneliness because I was waiting for you, waiting for the day when I could see your happy and smiling face again, waiting until the day I could be with you forever, and I want it so much, I want so much to be with you, and only you, and I wish I could tell you how sorry I was that I had to leave you, that I was in so much pain I had to cry myself to sleep at night, Trowa, I wish you knew everything I was feeling, I wish you knew how much I love you," Trowa didn't realise he had been crying until he felt the salty tears on his lips. Make was so beautiful standing these, so sad, so unhappy, all because she wanted to be with him.
Trowa moved before he thought about it and wrapped his arms around Mako's form squeezing her so tightly, remembering all at once how it felt to hold her in his arms. It felt so good. So natural, so normal. Makoto turned around and Trowa smiled briefly and Mako's sad face turned to one of joy as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately which Trowa wasn't expecting.
"Mako," he said as he pulled away and caressed the side of her face gently as he told her, "If you give me time, I will learn to love you again"
Makoto knew this was the best promise she could get from him and so nodded her agreement.
"That is all I ask."
"Wufei! Stop being so childish"
Wufei stopped storming through the halls at the sound of Minako's voice, and he turned to face her, his expression was furious to see. Childish? How dare SHE call him childish!
"Get away from me Onna! You are the devil!" Wufei hissed at her warningly and Minako was getting fired up. How dare he be so angry with her. She had had no choice. But she was here willing to try again and give him all her love. Couldn't he see all that she was able to give him now?
"No Wufei, I am the girl you once loved, stop being so stubborn!" Minako demanded and Wufei turned his nose up at her as she came to stand in front of him.
"I am not stubborn," he retorted and Minako rolled her eyes. Looking around she noticed all the servants were staring at them and embarrassed Minako grabbed Wufei's hand and dragged him into the closest room.
"How…how.. dare you!" he stuttered with fury and Minako was about to tell him where to shove it when the door to the room opened to reveal Keira, her maid.
"Mama I…oh, sorry you have company," Keira turned to walk out of the room, when her mother's gentle hand grasped her wrist and Keira turned to look from her mother to the man standing there looking quite angry. He seemed so familiar somehow to Keira but she couldn't quite place him.
"Mother? You have a daughter?" Wufei seemed ready to implode and Minako shook her head at his accusing eyes. She could almost hear his thoughts. 'You claim you want to be with me, yet you have had a daughter with another man!' Minako knew Wufei well enough to know that he was too proud to ask who the father was. He was so suspicious of her. But he should of known that for her; there was only him.
"No, WE have a daughter Wufei," Minako corrected him and Wufei's mouth dropped open, and for the first time in his life, he was speechless.
"We? A daughter?" Wufei repeated stiltedly and Keira ventured further forward to inspect this man.
"This is my father?" Keira asked curiously looking up at him and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that new information.
Keira was smart for her age, 15 seemed such a great age to be. Often her Auntie Rei had sat Keira on her knee and told her stories of her brother, Wufei; Keira's father whom Keira had never met. It was difficult being the daughter of a sensei. They had to pretend Keira didn't exist at all, for if people found out that one of the sensei had a daughter there would be many who would try to kidnap Keira and force her to work for them, for in the years to come, like her mother before her, Keira would inherit the powers of the planet Venus. So all these years Keira pretended to be Minako's maid. Minako had shown Keira pictures of her father but Keira had never thought she would meet him in person. Most of the time he seemed like some fairytale her mother had made up.
"My daughter?" Wufei seemed so dumbfounded and Minako smiled fondly brushing back Keira's hair with a gentle, affectionate hand.
"You should have seen Rei's face, she was so furious when she found out that you and I…that we had…you know," Minako said blushing furiously and Keira half smirked at her mother's childish nature. Wufei however seemed to regain his composure and his mouth turned into a nasty looking sneer.
"I should of known you would of had a girl," he growled at Keira who's eyes widened in rage.
Keira was quite offended and, having been trained by her mother and the other sensei, Keira simply lashed out and punched an unsuspecting Wufei in the jaw. Wufei was once again speechless for the second time in two minutes as he stared in shock down at his daughter.
"I don't think I like you very much," Keira said quietly not at all afraid that Wufei would retaliate and bowing a quick curtsey, Keira ran from the room.
"Don't mind her, she will warm to you sooner or later, if you give her the chance. She has spent too much time training with Rei I think, she doesn't stand for being talked down to, I think she gets her pride from you," Minako said trying to diffuse the tension in the air and Wufei turned angry eyes to her.
"You are telling me you had my child, even though you knew I was in the future?" he asked in disbelief and Minako nodded immediately.
"I knew we would meet again, I believed it every day of my life, and there was no way I could abort a child that you and I created, it was the only part of you I had left."
Wufei turned away from her so she couldn't see his eyes, for he couldn't stand to see the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes like jewels. He didn't want to feel like he wanted to brush them away, he didn't want to feel for her at all. That way she wouldn't ever hurt him again. His next words cut Minako's heart like a thousand knives.
"Go away Minako"
"Never, I am staying with you," Minako replied swiftly and Wufei turned back to her his eyes unforgiving forcing himself to harden his heart against her pleading eyes and sincere face.
"I don't want you, can't you get that through your head! I hate you!" that said Wufei left the room and headed towards the exit afraid that if he stayed any longer he would break down and give in to her.
Minako watched the man she loved walk away from her for the second time that day and she crumpled into the nearest armchair, drawing her legs up to her chest whimpering with self pity. Rei was wrong. Minako could never win Wufei's heart back.
As Wufei reached the stairs he found Heero leaning against the doorjamb staring out into the distance, looking at nothing, so obviously deep in thought.
"Leaving?" Heero asked simply when he noticed Wufei was standing there at the top of the stairs and Wufei nodded his head violently. He needed to get away now, away from Minako's clear blue eyes, cherry pink lips, cute button nose….he had to get away.
"Damn right, the onnas here are crazy!" he retorted giving a shudder and Heero nodded slowly.
"Lets go," he said starting to walk away, down the stairs and for some reason Wufei just couldn't follow him as feelings he had felt when he was Rei's brother came suddenly flowing back to him.
Suddenly Wufei wanted to punch Heero for daring to walk out on Rei. Somewhere inside Wufei because the protective brother without even realising it. Wufei stalked down the stairs and clasped a firm hand on Heero's shoulder stopping him from walking any further.
"You are just leaving my sister?" Wufei asked through clenched teeth and surprised Heero turned back to face Wufei, but was saved from replying when Duo came running down the stairs.
"Heero, Wufei, you aren't leaving are you?" he asked in disbelief and taking the disruption in his stride Wufei laughed scornfully.
"Maxwell, these women are nothing but liars and fakes," Wufei said hatefully and Duo shook his head at Wufei, disappointed in him. Why couldn't Wufei see that this time they could be truly happy? Duo could see it. He wished they could just accept that the girls were here for them now, and were trying to make up for the mistakes made in the past.
"You know that isn't true, Minako would never lie, neither would Rei, you are both fools if you leave them," Duo said quite plainly not afraid to speak his mind and Wufei snapped past his breaking point. He didn't need to hear love advice, especially from some braided baka.
"Fools? Let me tell you who's a fool Maxwell, Usagi isn't Usagi anymore in case you hadn't guessed, Usagi is Neo Queen Serenity, she is royalty, and you are nothing but a mere pastor at a local orphanage, you are a fool if you think her subjects will allow her to marry so far beneath her, she is a Queen you fool," Wufei said cruelly with an evil gin on his face to disguise his own hurt feelings he was trying to hard to experience and from the look on Duo's face, it was obvious the thought that Usagi was now royalty hadn't even crossed his mind.
"Usagi and I…" Duo said softly and Heero replied for him.
"Are doomed, just like the rest of us, if you know what is good for you, you will come with us and leave this place forever," Heero said coldly but Duo shook his head.
"Never, I will never give up on Serenity," Duo swore valiantly turning on his heel and running back into the palace and Heero shrugged his shoulders.
"Fine do what you want," he replied turning and continued walking down the stairs and Wufei stared at Heero's departing back with rage.
"Where do you think you are going?" Wufei demanded of Heero and Heero turned around and raised an eyebrow. So it begins, Heero thought seeing the demise of Wufei before Wufei could see it himself. Once Wufei started to feel like this for Rei, his feelings for Minako would soon return as well. Heero could see that, and that wasn't what Heero wanted to happen to him. He couldn't do that, not again.
"Away from here," Heero responded in monotone and Wufei looked back at the palace and images of Rei and Minako and of Keira flooded in Wufei's mind, making it impossible for him to take another step.
"You can't just leave Rei," Wufei said darkly and Heero stared at Wufei blankly.
"Why not?" Heero asked and Wufei didn't have a reply straight away.
"Because…Because…"
Wufei couldn't think of anything else to say.
"That's what I thought," Hero said turning and walking down the stairs and Wufei sighed deeply and went to follow him when he thought better of it and turned to look back at the castle.
"Heero, we should wait for the others, we are a team after all, we can't just leave them behind, what if something happens to them? We have to be here for them," Wufei called to Heero who paused his walk and turned back around to face Wufei his expresion unreadable.
"Very well," Heero agreed without fuss eyeing Wufei suspiciously and Wufei sat down on the Palace steps thinking of Minako. Heero resumed his position leaning on the doorjamb watching Wufei.
"Duo, what is the meaning of this"
Serenity half giggled as Duo raced into her room, scooped her up in his arms and raced to her balcony.
"We need to run away," Duo said desperately crawling over the balcony and looking down to judge how far it would be to jump down and Serenity was confused.
"Run away?" she repeated frowning and Duo looked up at her and sighed.
"How can I marry you when you are a Queen?" he asked and Serenity let out a tinkle of laughter.
"Oh Duo, that doesn't matter here, my people don't base relationships on that sort of thing," Serenity said easily but Duo wasn't full convinced. He had not imagined the woman he married would rule a kingdom. To be honest he was petrified of the thought. He didn't want that much responsibility. He wanted to continue living as he had before, as a nobody.
"Odango, we can never be alone together here, we can never live a normal life, don't you want to be normal?" Duo asked and his words touched Serenity's heart. Yes, she had wanted to be normal a long time ago, but she had given up that dream of normality when she became a sailor senshi.
"That was always my dream as a teenager, to be a normal girl and have a normal boyfriend," Serenity replied in a daze and Duo nodded his head, looking behind him and noticing that the hedge was just close enough to land on.
"Then lets run away, lets elope and live our dreams," Duo encouraged her and for once Serenity felt like following her desires and she reached up and took the crown of royalty off her head.
"Live my dream for once," she said slowly looking at her crown and Duo nodded his head. Serenity looked down at her crown and then back at Duo and his handsome face made up her heart.
"Okay," she said throwing the crown onto the balcony floor and Duo smiled happily as Serenity joined him on the other side of the balcony.
They would run away and live happily ever after.
Suddenly an alarm sounded throughout the whole palace and people began running everywhere panicking. Worried Wufei jumped to his feet and raced inside the palace looking for someone to tell him what had happened.
"What does that alarm mean?" Heero asked in Wufei's ear and Wufei nearly jumped out of his skin when he realised Heero and followed him inside.
"I don't know," Wufei shrugged trying to get some of the servants attention but they seemed way too freaked out to co-operate.
"Papa!" Wufei heard the girl's voice and turned to see Keira's tearstained face as she ran up to him and threw her arms around Wufei's neck, much to Wufei's and hero's complete surprise.
"What's happened?" Wufei asked his daughter and Keira pulled away from him and hiccuped back her tears.
"Its Auntie Rei, she's disappeared!" Keira cried out and Heero's heart near fell into his boots, sure that his face matched Wufei's look of devastation.
AN: Finally ,I am bloody ending it here! Phew! Finally got something done on this one, now I can go back to knights of the Cosmic Table I think…yes that would be good. Sorry, i just realised this is a hideously long chapter lol.