Chapter 9: There Are No Winners

*Hotaru*

Standing there, waiting for Setsuna to answer, Hotaru knew her intuition was correct on this. They were hiding something from her and from Serenity, and Hotaru couldn't help but feel betrayed. When Setsuna didn't answer, Hotaru spoke again, "What are you hiding Setsuna? And why are you hiding it from ME?"

Setsuna sighed, and replied with great difficulty, "Hotaru, I cannot tell you anything. Please know that I wish that there was another way, but there isn't. I am truly sorry."

Hearing the pain in Setsuna's reply only made Hotaru angry. She snapped, "If it is a situation that dire you should at least tell Serenity. She is our queen. She is who we serve."

Setsuna tried not to snap back, knowing that Serenity was Hotaru's best friend. She gathered herself and simply said, "The only thing I can promise Hotaru is this, if her majesty needs to know, she will. But I ask you to stay out of this." She looked at Hotaru with a pleading in her eyes.

Hotaru kept the hardness in her eyes, though she did believe Setsuna, "I will stay out of this then… Unless I feel I have no other choice. I am the soldier of destruction and rebirth. I have no desire to lower my glave on this kingdom." Hotaru walked past Setsuna, deciding not to pursue the matter further… for now at any rate.

*Seiya*

Sitting in the cockpit, Seiya replayed the whole thing over and over in her head. The moment when Kiyoko brought her the pancakes, the way she let her kiss her cheek, and then the nightmare with the broken plate. That look on Kiyoko's face. What did it mean? She used to feel like she knew Kiyoko so well, but with everything that had happened she just didn't trust her instincts.

When Seiya had held her hand and caressed her cheek she could've sworn Kiyoko wanted Seiya to kiss her. Then her eyes had stayed locked on Seiya as Haruka came over to take care of the plate. She looked so sad. What did it mean?

Of course then there was Haruka…. Haruka who'd always had a large piece of Kiyoko's heart… Had Seiya lost the rest of it to her? She remembered what a flirt Haruka was known to have been in the twentieth century. It was easy to imagine her seducing Kiyoko into her bed. But that didn't make it okay. That didn't leave Kiyoko without blame! They'd taken vows! On the day of their wedding Seiya had felt the overwhelming love Kiyoko had for her. How had they gotten here?

Her mind circling back, she thought of what Haruka'd said when carrying Kiyoko off… I know you're still in love with her, for the record…. She was right, but somehow it irked Seiya to hear Haruka say it. Was she rubbing it in that she'd won? It was Haruka after all. She had never fully let go of the grudge she'd carried for over twelve hundred years. On the other hand, neither had Seiya. But Seiya'd tried for Kiyoko! When the Shitenou were resurrected and she knew she owed Kiyoko's life to Haruka, Seiya had genuinely tried! The thought of Haruka with Kiyoko, with her wife! Seiya slammed her fist hard on the edge of the navigation console. Fortunately, nothing was damaged.

She looked over at the now empty plate next to her, it'd been sitting there for a long time. They were over halfway to Estara now thanks to the continual improvements to the ships engines. Seiya guessed it was time to take it to the galley. So she grabbed it and headed that way.

As fate would have it when she walked out of the cockpit she saw Haruka standing there, warming up some of the leftover soup…. The soup she'd made for Kiyoko the day before. She guessed that meant Kiyoko was finally awake then, but was she too weak to even come out to the table? Or maybe she couldn't face Seiya again…. I know you're still in love with her, for the record… Again Haruka's words ran through her head.

Haruka turned her head, having heard the cockpit door. When she saw Seiya and the array of emotion that played on her face, Haruka took a small satisfaction in knowing she was a better actress than Seiya anyway. She turned back to the soup and called over her shoulder, answering the question she was sure was on Seiya's mind, "Kiyoko is awake, but she is still very tired." What she didn't say was that the tiny bump in her stomach was growing, little by little. Haruka had no idea how long or short this pregnancy would be, or how Kiyoko would handle the strain of it.

Walking the rest of the way to the sink with gritted teeth, Seiya put the plate in it and replied, "Thank you for the update." She started to turn and walk away, but her rashness got the better of her, facing away from Haruka she said, "I guess you finally win. You have her all to yourself, just like you wanted."

"There are no winners here Seiya, you fool. However, there are those of us who accept what is and those of us who don't. You love her, then do your duty as a Senshi and serve her," Haruka retorted as she continued stirring the soup.

Seiya wanted so badly to turn and just punch Haruka in the face, but she was right… partially anyway. Seiya did love her. And what happened shouldn't erase all of the good Kiyoko has done for her people. So maybe serving her was the best thing she could do, even though the idea of serving her while she was with Haruka brought a red-hot pain to her heart. Her voice was almost a snarl when she replied, "Was that what you were doing when you…. When you seduced her?"

Haruka sighed, knowing she had a part to play and knowing what Seiya expected from her, so she obliged, "Well, if you'd met that amazing being when you were young what would you have done?" Before she could snap or make some kind of snarky remark Haruka answered for her, "You would've done whatever it took to win her heart because she would've been worth any risk or sacrifice you had to make." She turned off the heat and poured some soup into a bowl, walking back toward where Kiyoko rested.

Hearing Haruka's words, Seiya knew she was right again. Damn. But it just made the wound even deeper, making her think again that she never stood a chance…. Not against Mamoru and not against Haruka, she was never enough…. Her knees felt like they may buckle and so she made her way to Ruka's quarters, thinking maybe she needed to sleep a couple of hours, not that it'd help.

*Kiyoko*

She may not have enough strength to move, but she still had enough power to eavesdrop on Seiya and Haruka. So by the time Haruka entered their quarters her cheeks were already wet.

Shaking her head, as she made her way toward Kiyoko with the soup Haruka told her, "You shouldn't be using your powers like that. We have no idea what that child is doing to you. Conserve your energy."

Kiyoko nodded, tears still silently beading down her cheeks. She propped herself up with pillows and replied, "I know Haruka. Though you didn't have to be so harsh with her."

"I was playing my part, just like we planned. Besides, I meant what I said," She set down the soup on the nightstand next to the bed and took Kiyoko's hand, "I remember meeting you then… Since the battle with Bugendai. You were mysterious, beautiful, and magnetic." Then she laughed a little, "Michi was so jealous."

"Why on Earth would she possibly be jealous of me, "Kiyoko asked, genuinely baffled at the very idea.

Haruka touched the same cheek that Seiya had early and though Kiyoko blushed, wasn't the same. Then Haruka said, "After all of these years…. After being bound to both Seiya and I, you still don't see it, do you?"

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