Chapter 8
The morning came as Minako rolled in her sheets; her feet felt trapped as the silk
stuck to them. This morning was just like any other, sunny, warm, crisp morning air. The
blonde stared at the yellow ceiling for a second, listening to the soft chirps from the birds
outside. Then it struck her- this is the morning she'll be dragged away from here. The
second time she'd be ripped from her home.
Hot tears stung her eyes at the thought of leaving everything behind. Starting over
once more is harder than she'd thought. Never the less, she climbed out of bed and got
dress in the yellow silk dress she'd prepared last night. The light fabric that she was so
accustomed to seemed to tickle her skin, teasing her.
She gathered her luggage as instructed the night before, and put it outside her
door. She looked back one last time at the room she'd loved. With a final sigh, she closed
the door behind her and got ready to leave for breakfast. She looked at the room to her
right and gripped the sword in her hand tighter. It's too painful to say goodbye. She
walked over to the door and slipped a small silver key through the bottom crack of the
door.
"Good morning, Minako," a masculine voice said from behind her. She twirled
around to face the greeter, heart full of hope. She was almost convinced by the long silver
hair, but the clear blue Venusian eyes gave him away.
"Good morning Artemis," she sighed. He smiled, not noticing her melancholy
mood. He held out a hand as he'd learned so long ago and she stared at him for a second,
surprised. Artemis had never been so formal to her before. Everything's already changing.
With a gentle smile, she placed her delicate hand in his and his fingers tightened around
hers. Then slowly, they began to stroll down the hall.
They passed by the large glass doors leading to the courtyard. She sighed and
lowered her eyes as she remembered her talk with Nephrite, their conversation about
leaving. She held the tears inside her heart instead of spilling them. No, she's no longer a
little girl. She's the elegant and strong princess of Venus. She must act as so.
Once again, she raised her chin up high and walked straight, not able to looking
back. She's afraid that if she did, she wouldn't have enough strength to hold all the
sadness inside. She didn't notice, however, that Artemis was concentrating on her the
whole time. He'd notice the sad glint in her eyes as she stared around the halls of the great
palace. He began to reminisce the past himself, all the times he spent competing the five
young princes, Kunzite especially. To him, they all seemed to have one common goal, to
win the pleasure of knowing that they'd cast that beautiful smile on his princess' face.
"I'm going to miss this place so much, Artemis," she whispered softly as they
looked at each other for a minute. They've both grown so since they'd come here, but it
only seemed like yesterday. All this time had past and they've aged so and yet they didn't
even notice as the time flew by. Now they're beginning to regret that they didn't
treasure those times more.
Artemis breathed out a sigh as they slowed their pace and relaxed as they walked
down the too familiar halls for one last time. "I'm going to miss this place also," he
sighed. He didn't want to admit it but he had to. He had many good times here, all those
competitions and rivalries have created new friendships, as much as he hate to admit.
When they arrived at the dining area, they walked over to their usual table.
Minako immediately noticed the absence at the head of the table. "Where's
Kunzite?" The others stared at Endymion as they waited for an answer. They didn't
want to be the one to tell her that he didn't want to see her for one last time.
"He… wasn't feeling that well this morning. He told me to tell you good luck for
him so… Good luck!" Jadeite lied. It was obvious that he lied though. The usual smooth
talker hesitated as he tried to think of a story. It's especially hard for him to lie to the
princess, almost impossible.
Minako just nodded though, not willing to give him a hard time. She could tell
that he was lying, but she didn't want to argue, not today. She took her seat and they all
said a final prayer. They ate in silence, each of them holding back tears. The tension in
the air thickened near the end of the meal and they just stared at each other.
Then, a pair of hands were placed on her shoulders and she turned around,
surprised. She looked up from her seat to find herself staring at a smiling Earth queen.
She got up to bow, but she was stopped. She stood and realized that she's now as tall as
her aunt. "You have to leave now," she whispered. "They're expecting you."
Minako nodded as tears filled her eyes. It took all her strength to prevent the
drops from falling on her face. The queen pulled her in for a hug, a motherly hug. The
Queen herself tried to hold back her tears as she unwrapped her arms from the sunshine
of the palace. "Let's go." They began to walk towards the transportation room and the
others followed.
As they walked down the hall, she explained why they weren't using instant
transportation. "There's a slight problem with the machinery so you'll have to take one of
the shuttles today." The queen lead them to a silver ship with the symbol of the Earth on
the side.
Artemis and Minako gave everyone a long hug and tears spilled on the princess's
face. It's too hard to say goodbye. They boarded the shuttle and Minako looked out the
window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the familiar silver hair from outside. But to her
dismay, there were only four young men standing there, waving and teary eyed. She
turned back at Artemis, who was staring at her with sad eyes. She looked up at him with
the saddest eyes he'd ever seen.
He sighed and put his arms around her shaking form. The shuttle began to move
and he felt them lifting off. She buried her face in his chest, wetting his uniform. He
patted her golden hair with one hand like a gentle parent calming a shaken child. They
stayed like that for a long time, crying and leaving memories behind.
From a stone porch, a pair of sad gray eyes watched as the shuttle tore through the sky.
Tears began to spill uncontrollably down his cheeks, leaving stains of running rivers
along the coarse face. He held on tighter to the two small objects in his hands. He'd
strung the two objects on a simple silver chain and wrapped it around his neck. He'd
silently vowed that he'd never take it off. It's a symbol of his affection for her. "Good bye,
my princess…" he whispered
The morning came as Minako rolled in her sheets; her feet felt trapped as the silk
stuck to them. This morning was just like any other, sunny, warm, crisp morning air. The
blonde stared at the yellow ceiling for a second, listening to the soft chirps from the birds
outside. Then it struck her- this is the morning she'll be dragged away from here. The
second time she'd be ripped from her home.
Hot tears stung her eyes at the thought of leaving everything behind. Starting over
once more is harder than she'd thought. Never the less, she climbed out of bed and got
dress in the yellow silk dress she'd prepared last night. The light fabric that she was so
accustomed to seemed to tickle her skin, teasing her.
She gathered her luggage as instructed the night before, and put it outside her
door. She looked back one last time at the room she'd loved. With a final sigh, she closed
the door behind her and got ready to leave for breakfast. She looked at the room to her
right and gripped the sword in her hand tighter. It's too painful to say goodbye. She
walked over to the door and slipped a small silver key through the bottom crack of the
door.
"Good morning, Minako," a masculine voice said from behind her. She twirled
around to face the greeter, heart full of hope. She was almost convinced by the long silver
hair, but the clear blue Venusian eyes gave him away.
"Good morning Artemis," she sighed. He smiled, not noticing her melancholy
mood. He held out a hand as he'd learned so long ago and she stared at him for a second,
surprised. Artemis had never been so formal to her before. Everything's already changing.
With a gentle smile, she placed her delicate hand in his and his fingers tightened around
hers. Then slowly, they began to stroll down the hall.
They passed by the large glass doors leading to the courtyard. She sighed and
lowered her eyes as she remembered her talk with Nephrite, their conversation about
leaving. She held the tears inside her heart instead of spilling them. No, she's no longer a
little girl. She's the elegant and strong princess of Venus. She must act as so.
Once again, she raised her chin up high and walked straight, not able to looking
back. She's afraid that if she did, she wouldn't have enough strength to hold all the
sadness inside. She didn't notice, however, that Artemis was concentrating on her the
whole time. He'd notice the sad glint in her eyes as she stared around the halls of the great
palace. He began to reminisce the past himself, all the times he spent competing the five
young princes, Kunzite especially. To him, they all seemed to have one common goal, to
win the pleasure of knowing that they'd cast that beautiful smile on his princess' face.
"I'm going to miss this place so much, Artemis," she whispered softly as they
looked at each other for a minute. They've both grown so since they'd come here, but it
only seemed like yesterday. All this time had past and they've aged so and yet they didn't
even notice as the time flew by. Now they're beginning to regret that they didn't
treasure those times more.
Artemis breathed out a sigh as they slowed their pace and relaxed as they walked
down the too familiar halls for one last time. "I'm going to miss this place also," he
sighed. He didn't want to admit it but he had to. He had many good times here, all those
competitions and rivalries have created new friendships, as much as he hate to admit.
When they arrived at the dining area, they walked over to their usual table.
Minako immediately noticed the absence at the head of the table. "Where's
Kunzite?" The others stared at Endymion as they waited for an answer. They didn't
want to be the one to tell her that he didn't want to see her for one last time.
"He… wasn't feeling that well this morning. He told me to tell you good luck for
him so… Good luck!" Jadeite lied. It was obvious that he lied though. The usual smooth
talker hesitated as he tried to think of a story. It's especially hard for him to lie to the
princess, almost impossible.
Minako just nodded though, not willing to give him a hard time. She could tell
that he was lying, but she didn't want to argue, not today. She took her seat and they all
said a final prayer. They ate in silence, each of them holding back tears. The tension in
the air thickened near the end of the meal and they just stared at each other.
Then, a pair of hands were placed on her shoulders and she turned around,
surprised. She looked up from her seat to find herself staring at a smiling Earth queen.
She got up to bow, but she was stopped. She stood and realized that she's now as tall as
her aunt. "You have to leave now," she whispered. "They're expecting you."
Minako nodded as tears filled her eyes. It took all her strength to prevent the
drops from falling on her face. The queen pulled her in for a hug, a motherly hug. The
Queen herself tried to hold back her tears as she unwrapped her arms from the sunshine
of the palace. "Let's go." They began to walk towards the transportation room and the
others followed.
As they walked down the hall, she explained why they weren't using instant
transportation. "There's a slight problem with the machinery so you'll have to take one of
the shuttles today." The queen lead them to a silver ship with the symbol of the Earth on
the side.
Artemis and Minako gave everyone a long hug and tears spilled on the princess's
face. It's too hard to say goodbye. They boarded the shuttle and Minako looked out the
window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the familiar silver hair from outside. But to her
dismay, there were only four young men standing there, waving and teary eyed. She
turned back at Artemis, who was staring at her with sad eyes. She looked up at him with
the saddest eyes he'd ever seen.
He sighed and put his arms around her shaking form. The shuttle began to move
and he felt them lifting off. She buried her face in his chest, wetting his uniform. He
patted her golden hair with one hand like a gentle parent calming a shaken child. They
stayed like that for a long time, crying and leaving memories behind.
From a stone porch, a pair of sad gray eyes watched as the shuttle tore through the sky.
Tears began to spill uncontrollably down his cheeks, leaving stains of running rivers
along the coarse face. He held on tighter to the two small objects in his hands. He'd
strung the two objects on a simple silver chain and wrapped it around his neck. He'd
silently vowed that he'd never take it off. It's a symbol of his affection for her. "Good bye,
my princess…" he whispered