Affair by Sereko

Hrm…not as much or as good as I had hoped, but I was reaching an all-time low for longest time without posting and wanted to get something out to all you faithful readers. Please know how much I appreciate all of your reviews. It may not seem like it, but they do encourage me to write...I just don't always have the time that I wish I did in order to do so. It is also surprisingly hard to choreograph what is one of the last chapters of a story that has taken up the past four years of my life! Alrighty, enough with the excuses. I think I've doused you all with plenty of those over the years. Thanks for hanging in there with me! Enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. I merely use Naoko Takeuchi's genius as a starting point for my own storytelling.

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Chapter 20

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Mars walked cautiously into the room, not knowing what to expect. Her father had assured her that this was where her brother would be. "It reminds him of her," he had said. The senshi glanced through the shelves of books in the library and scrunched her nose. She had no idea why this place seemed to remind Arian of Mercury, but then, she didn't know Mercury all that well. It was a shame how solitary all of the senshi were. Mars could remember a time when they were children and they played together, had sleepovers in one another's rooms and whispered secrets in each other's ears. She had never been that close to the princess. None of them were able to break through the wall that Serenity had erected around herself to protect against her mother's vicious ways. None except for Mercury, now that she thought about it. The water senshi had a special touch that connected with their liege.

Sun filtered through partially shuttered windows, highlighting streams of dust that hung in the air. Mars resisted the urge to cough as she stepped further into the massive cave of books. She paused in her reminiscing when she finally caught a glimpse of Arian.

Her brother was sitting on one of the window seats, gazing outward, a novel forgotten in his lap. He looked so sad that Mars immediately cleared her throat to catch his attention. Arian's head spun around at the noise. His expression became one of disappointment when he saw who was bothering him. "What are you doing here?" he asked harshly.

Mars didn't back off. She came here for a reason and she wouldn't let his surly attitude deter her. She decided to start with something light, hoping that would improve his temper. "I should ask you the same thing. I happen to know a wonderful blue-haired lady who is moping around on the Moon, pinning away for you."

Arian didn't grace her with a smile or a chuckle. He just looked blankly at her. "What do you want, Reianna?"

"Reianna? No more Rei? Have we truly drifted so far from each other?" Mars asked as she sat down beside him.

Her brother immediately stood up and paced away from her. Fire was at his fingertips, so she knew she was in for an earful. "How can you even ask me that, sister? You turned my best friend in to her witch of a mother and now she lay dying! Dying! You put your princess in her deathbed!"

Mars also stood up, her face set. "I did it for you!"

"For me? How do you figure that, exactly? You killed my best friend for me!"

"I did not kill her!" she shot back instantly while guilt churned away inside of her. "It was not supposed to happen like that!" Her brother huffed and she had to grab his forearm to keep him from storming away from her. "I was angry because I thought she was cheating on you and I did not want to see you made even more a fool!"

Arian glared at her beneath his lashes. "Well, it seems you were wrong, does it not? We had never been together to begin with. Now that I think about it, it was your fault that Serenity and I were thrust into that horrible engagement!" He pulled away from her and moved towards a stack of books. The top one read Broken Love, Shattered Body and he had to laugh at the irony. "You have no idea how much trouble you caused with that one, dear sister. I never thought I would see Serenity in so much pain again…but you had to outdo yourself, did you not?" He turned towards her in fury once more. "Why? Why have you ruined her life!"

When his sister didn't immediately respond, he observed her more closely. Her fists were clenched tightly together and something wet sparkled on her face. "I am sorry, Arian. That is what I came here to say. I am truly and deeply sorry for what has happened. While my intentions were good – I really was doing it all for you," she said earnestly, "I did not realize what I was getting into or how much wrong would occur." Carefully, she walked up to him and touched him briefly with a comforting hand. "I hope that someday you can forgive me and that I might have the chance of righting what I have wrought." Mars stepped away from him and moved towards the large double doors. "Do not spend too much more time hiding out in this musty old room, brother. The love of your life is waiting for you on the Moon."

Arian watched as she slipped out the door. He was glad that she had come. Part of him would never be able to forgive all that she had done, but part of him also recognized the deep love of a sister and was able to accept that part of her. He glanced once more outside at the setting sun and the small, almost indistinguishable, shape of the Earth.

…..

It had gone too far. They were faced with both of their children on the verge of death and the King and Queen of Earth were demanding Queen Serenity's help.

"We believe that they will benefit if they are closer together. Can you acquiesce to letting the princess come stay here on Earth?" the king asked of the floating holographic image before him.

Queen Serenity scoffed. "Why would their proximity be an issue? And why would Serenity be sent to Earth instead of the other way around?" Her tone was no less than condescending and Terra practically seethed behind her raised hand. Did this woman let nothing sink in? How could she have witnessed the shocking display of their children's Companion bond in her own throne room and still be denying its presence?

King Endymion bowed his head; even he was getting tired of his fellow monarch's attitude. "Sailor Venus was right, Serenity," he said frankly to remind the other woman that they were equals. "There has been too much evidence to prove that her claims of a Companion bond are true and, if they are, then our children lay dying unnecessarily. It means that the reason for their decline in health is solely due to their separation and the punishment we inflicted on them." There was a sudden vibration under his feet. He looked sideways at his wife and noticed that the guards at the door were also exchanging glances.

There was a pause on the other line. Terra and Endymion turned their attention back to the queen when they didn't receive an immediate response. One of her advisors was whispering something in her ear. Luckily for everyone, she decided to take Luna's comments to heart. "All right. I will admit to their connection and while I am not sure if it will yield positive results, I shall allow their sentence to be momentarily lifted so that they can be together. But only until they have returned to full health."

"When can we expect the princess to join us?" the King asked smiling, glad that they had gained the queen's cooperation.

"Join you?" she asked and watched as, at the same time, their holographic image shook. "Is everything all right?"

Queen Terra looked a little panicked and was staring out of the office window. "Just an earthquake," the king reassured. "As for the children's placement, we believe that it would be beneficial if they were in a place that held good memories. No offense, your highness, but I do not think that the princess will find those on the Moon." He barely finished his statement when Terra started poking him incessantly in the shoulder. He brushed her hand away irritated. His queen wanted him to admit the real reason that they so desperately needed the princess and he was not ready to beg.

"I will have to think about it," was all Serenity replied. She cringed to think of sending her errant child to a lesser planet where she would not be able to monitor her. Abruptly, the hologram became very dark. "King Endymion?"

"The skies are black," he whispered as he looked out of the window with his wife. An unpleasant smell quickly began to fill the room. The king scrunched his nose as the fetid air grew more intense. "What is that smell?"

The woman beside him was panicking. She had a sickening feeling that she knew what was happening. Hadn't Venus foretold of a great evil that the Companions were supposed to fight off? Before her husband could stop her, she pleaded, "The 100,000 troops that you sent us is not enough! You must help us banish this evil or it will overtake the Earth and move on to the other planets as well. We must stand together on this!" Her impassioned words were interrupted by another tremor.

Queen Serenity was trying to see what was happening, but the hologram wasn't sharp enough to pick out any details. "What is your wife going on about, king?"

"Something is happening to the Earth. Whatever it is, it is dark and very powerful. I think my queen believes that the evil that has been festering on this planet has finally broken through our defenses," his voice was both urgent and resigned.

"I will send you help immediately," his once nemesis replied while motioning for her advisors to execute her orders. She shook her head for a moment, confused by her own conflicting behavior. Before she could stop herself, she continued, "I will rally the other planets as well. You shall have the help you ask for. The Earth will officially be renamed a part of the Silver Alliance."

…

A stream of darkening skylight filtered through the window of one of the offices at the Moon Palace. It highlighted the shimmering eyes of an ageless woman. She was sitting comfortably in a tall wooden chair that had scripture in her native tongue engraved along the sides. The high priest Helios of Earth had made it for her, personally. The scripture told a story about ancient times between the Moon and Earth. It detailed the loving, tightly woven relationship the two used to have before the Angel Wars began. The tale began with the myth that the people currently on the Moon were descendents of Terrans who fled their planet during an intense environmental crisis that occurred on the Earth. The travel to the satellite and the resources within it caused a slight evolution amongst the refugees. Eventually, a new race of humans developed on the Earth. The refugees felt almost like parents of the new line and so took it upon themselves to look after them. They didn't want a repeat of the catastrophe that had caused the original Terrans to flee their planet. With all of their will and power, they held off any major events from harming their newfound children. It wasn't until a dark seed planted itself within the warm folds of Mother Earth that a true threat came unto the young Terrans.

The woman sighed. That was when everything fell apart.

Most did not believe the old myth or the prophecy that two people would forever entwine the two races of Terrans. Each one would represent a half, one the Terrans on Earth and the other the Terrans on the Moon, who were referred to as Lunarians after the Angel Wars. Due to this representation, a half of each soul would be missing. The other half could only be found within the second chosen one. Neither would be able to live without the other, both literally and figuratively. If one died, the other would follow. A desperate need to be whole would drive the two throughout their entire lives to find one another. It was a completely dependent relationship that could almost be thought of as a fate worse than death (for who could control the life of another?). However, when these two met, they would become the saviors of their respective worlds. The uniting of their souls would bring such light to the universe that chaos would crumble beneath them.

A soft hand traced the carvings on the arm of the chair that described this myth, these epic soul mates.

Another soft sigh echoed throughout the room.

She had hidden this chair in a secret place that even the palace maids did not know of. Now, looking at its brilliant craftsmanship, she wished that the hope and peace she had in her youth were still present in her. How had she maneuvered so far off of the path? How had she become this twisted creature when once she was as innocent and caring as her daughter?

There was a darkness within her. Something foreign that shifted in annoyance at the questions she was asking herself. For the first time in a long time, the queen stamped down the blackness and decided to do something good.

She had noticed the askance glances that her peers the King and Queen of Earth had been giving each other during their conversation. Though they never spoke of it, she knew they suspected that the time Venus had prophesized had come. They wanted the princess to heal their child as well as to act like the Companion she was born to be and smite down the encroaching evil on Earth.

Queen Serenity decided to let them have their weapon.

…..

They brought her the next day. Arian had to carry her because she was still unconscious. The only movement she had made in the last week was a seizure that had overcome her the night before. From what Arian was told, that was around – if not exactly at – the time Prince Endymion collapsed.

It was the last straw. As he understood it, Queen Serenity had finally given up her fight and consented to let the princess be moved to Endymion in the hopes that the close proximity would stop their rapid decrease in health. As Arian walked out of Serenity's room behind four armed guards, he was reminded of a time not too long ago when he was doing the very same thing. Both times, he sadly noted, Serenity's condition was due to her mother.

He glanced to his side and saw Mercury marching at attention, her jaw clenched. She had told him last night that she was very frightened that they had waited too long. He was too. He hoped with all his might that bringing Endymion and Serenity together would miraculously increase their health. If not for themselves, if not for him, then for Mercury. It wrenched his heart every night when she would cry with broken sobs as he rocked her in his arms. He couldn't bear seeing her in such emotional pain.

Arian glanced over at Mercury again. She was in what he liked to call "duty" mode. There was no shakiness in her eyes, no falter in her step, no tension in her hands, nothing to tell of the turmoil going on just below the surface. She was a senshi. The woman inside could wait.

He was continually amazed by her strength. By the strength of all the women of the Moon. Even the queen, he glowered.

…..

They had an extra bed moved into the prince's room for the princess to use.

That lasted only one night. There had been no change, not even an acknowledgement of one another when Serenity was first brought into the room. Many people had thought that just being in each other's presence would instantly reanimate them. Wishful thinking.

The next night, they got rid of the extra bed and placed Serenity next to Endymion. Nothing. They didn't grow any weaker, but they also didn't grow any stronger.

Days passed on.

…

Zoicite was looking in on them many days later. He was struck with the memory of the last time that he saw Endymion and Serenity in the same bed. Then, they had drawn together like moths to a flame. A small smile curved his lips when he remembered how scandalized he had been. This time, however, his friends made no movement towards each other. It felt like there was no sign of hope for him to cling to.

Unable to bear it, Zoicite briskly walked to the bed. He sat on the prince's side and leaned over his liege so that he could lace one of his hands with one of Serenity's. Pulling away, he brushed his fingertips over Endymion's forehead. "I know you would want that, my friend," he whispered. "Even if it is just her hand, I know you would want to hold her right now." He remained seated, idly playing with a loose string on the duvet cover.

That was how Jadeite found him a while later. He clasped Zoicite's shoulder in support. 'Please get better, prince,' he thought to himself. 'We all need you.'

…

"Beryl is gaining power," Kunzite said impassively.

"She has a name now?" Venus questioned from the chair on his left. Both were staring at the two figures prone in the bed before them.

"One of our spies reported in last night. He said that her numbers have doubled since last week."

"Doubled?" Venus's voice actually held a note of surprise in it. It was the most emotion Kunzite had heard in weeks. She, just as the other members of the Terran castle, had fallen into solemnity when it was confirmed that the prince and princess were too far-gone for their newfound proximity to heal them. The pronouncement had bled everyone's energy dry. They walked along the halls and conversed with each other as if in a trance, lacking all emotion or interest. So, it came as a shock when Venus managed to speak with more than a simple monotone. Apparently, the passion of war was the only thing that could arouse feeling anymore.

A sobering thought, Kunzite gulped. "Yes, there has been speculation that she is using dark magiks to lure Terran soldiers to her cause."

"What are we doing to stop it?" As the senshi spoke, she stood from her chair lazily and moved close enough to her lover that their arms touched. She briefly laid her temple against his shoulder.

Kunzite sighed. "Queen Serenity is sending Lunarian troops to our front lines every day. Jupiter and Uranus have begun to send their strongest warriors as well, but it is not enough. Beryl outnumbers us five to one. For now, it will only give our men a breather."

"That is all we can hope for now. A breather. Not the obliteration of her movement. Not even the win of a single battle. A breather. Meanwhile, our men struggle to maintain the very precarious stand-still there is right now." Before Venus could clench her fist or make any other sign of frustration, she dropped a kiss on the back of Kunzite's shoulder. Then, she moved from him to sit on the side of Endymion's bed. "No one can explain it, Kunzite. All of a sudden, for no apparent reason, Beryl's forces halted all aggressive maneuvers. She may still be amassing an army, but they are not going anywhere. The question is why?"

The white-haired general shook his head slightly. "I do not know. Nobody does."

"Mercury has a theory…"

"You believe her?"

Venus huffed a little. "You mean to tell me that after all you have seen, you do not?"

"She proposed that Beryl's halt was in direct correlation with the prince and princess's sudden leveling off in health. Come on, Min. You truly think that Beryl knew the second our lieges' health stopped decreasing? That it is what caused her to rethink her advancing? That does not sound a little far-fetched?"

"They are a powerful couple, Kunzite. Companions. We know that their coming foreshadows the arrival of some horrible evil. Who is to say that that is not Beryl? The King and Queen already believe it. If it is so, then she would be as tuned to them as they are fatefully tied to her on a cosmic scale of good versus evil."

If there was one thing Venus was good at, it was persuading an opponent. Kunzite liked to believe that he was also biased in that she was the love of his life and he couldn't deny her anything. When he tilted his head to the side, Venus knew that she had won him over.

…

Queen Terra held her head high as she initiated a holographic call to Queen Serenity. She hated that she constantly found herself asking the older woman for help. The last thing that her fellow monarch needed was an ego boost. When the hologram before her began to buzz, she straightened in her chair and prepared herself for another round of begging.

Queen Serenity's image faded into view. "Yes, Queen Terra? How are our children faring?"

"Not well, that is why I have come to call on you."

"Where is your husband?" the blonde asked abruptly.

Terra did her best to not feel undermined by the question. While it was true that her husband was the reigning monarch on Earth, she was not without her own power. "He has had to take leave of the palace to supervise the fighting in Ghellan." Serenity straightened in her chair, knowing that Ghellan was mere miles from the southern border of the Terran palace. "The war is on top of us and we need your assistance."

"I have already commanded King Arian, King Memrah and Queen Vyanntri to send you each an additional 250,000 warriors-"

Terra quickly interrupted her, "It is not enough. Beryl is plowing through men as if they were toys. She seems to also be reforming nearly half of everyone she meets in battle to her side. Her magiks are too strong for us." Shadows in the office grew deeper. Over her shoulder, the black cloud that had taken up residence over the palace and all its acreage was shifting. A low rumbling sounded loud enough that the floor shivered beneath it.

Serenity furrowed her brow. "I will send my personal chain of mages to aid you as well. They are taught in the old forms and might know something to break Beryl's hold over your soldiers."

"Please listen, your majesty," the lesser monarch began. "I have called counsel on anyone that I could find. Your own Sailor Mercury suggested that it is probable that our children are the only ones who will be able to stop the evil that plagues us." She waited a moment to let the other woman absorb that statement. "King Endymion agrees that we must do all we can to wake the prince and princess."

"I am waiting for the reason that you have contacted me, Terra," the high queen said patiently.

"Yes, well," the brunette fumbled. "Several things have been tried unsuccessfully. There is little left to do. Sailor Venus has suggested that we beg the gods their forgiveness and implore them to return our saviors to the fight they were born for." She waited a beat, almost expecting the other queen to laugh outright, before adding, "My king and I believe that her idea is not without merit. We would like to try a spirit séance." Serenity stared at her intently, waiting for the last line to fall. "With you."

End Chapter 20

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Will she or won't she? Only a few chapters left…

Please send any comments to me, Sereko.