Genesis, Chapter 2
By Distant Sky King
Rated PG-13
All standard disclaimers apply.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This fanfiction is an attempt to tell the story of how Haruka and Michiru
initially met during the Silver Millennium. Parts of this story may be too
mature for younger audiences, so if you're under 18 or don't think you can
handle adult situations, turn back now.
Chapter 2
Word of the fight spread faster than wild fire and soon Madame Delta was
pounding on Uranus's door. The girl paid no heed to the insistent knocking;
she was completely lost in thought. She sat on the marble sill of her window,
one leg bent and pulled against her chest, the other outstretched before her.
She held her right hand in front of her, the one that struck her brother,
examining it thoroughly. It amazed her that she could do such a thing with her
hands. With her fresh, clean hands, which were now dirty with familial
betrayal. If only she knew how often in the future she would sit the exact same
way doing the exact same activity.
She turned her hand over and inspected her knuckles. They were red from
the blow and a little bruised, but it didn't hurt. In fact, in her haze of
anger she hadn't even felt a thing. It shocked her to find that she was capable
of doing harm to another human being without considering the consequences of her
actions and feeling the effects later. She had a feeling it was very dangerous,
yet it had seemed so natural.
A light hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her reverie and she
glanced back to find Princess Neptune watching her, concern pooling in her deep
blue eyes.
"Are you all right?" she asked quietly.
Uranus looked around the room, confused. "How did you--"
"The bathroom," the aqua-haired girl said, seating herself across from the
blonde on the windowsill. "What's wrong with your hand?"
The other girl blushed slightly and removed her hand from sight.
"Nothing," she replied quietly.
"Someone's knocking on your door," she informed her calmly.
Uranus suddenly noticed the sound and groaned inwardly. This was not
going to be pretty.
The knocking suddenly stopped. The two girls watched the door warily,
expecting someone to break it down and enter forcefully. A voice came instead.
"Princess Uranus, "I know you're in there," the familiar voice said
gently. "It's the Queen. Please open the door."
Uranus closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. "You
might not want to be here when the Queen comes in," she sighed. "This probably
isn't going to be enjoyable."
"I don't mind," Neptune replied.
You will when you find out why I flattened my brother, she thought to
herself as she crossed the room and unbolted the door. She opened it and
immediately stepped aside, silently returning to her seat on the windowsill.
The Queen appeared in the doorway but did not enter.
"I have never seen such a blatant disregard for respect in my life!" Madam
Delta sputtered from behind the Queen.
"Hush, Madam Delta," the Queen said.
The large woman's face reddened considerably, but she became silent.
"Prince Orion, please come here."
A rather ashamed prince stepped forward and into the room as the Queen
motioned him. She followed him inside.
"Close the door," she instructed.
Orion did as he was told.
Princess Neptune switched her attention from the brooding blonde before
her to the one with the large bruise forming on the left side of his face and
gasped. So that was what had happened to her hand. She stood quickly as the
Queen came forward, and although she was rushed, she managed a rather graceful
curtsey.
"Your Majesty," she greeted.
"Princess Neptune," the Queen acknowledged in turn. "Princess Uranus,"
she addressed the other girl.
Uranus stood slowly and nodded.
"Would you care to explain to me what happened this afternoon?" the lovely
Queen questioned.
Just as she was about to open her mouth, Orion cut in. "It wasn't her
fault, Majesty," he hastily began. "I said something disrespectful and--"
The Queen held up an elegant hand for silence, her eyes still locked on
the miserable girl before her. "Uranus," she intoned.
"It's as he said, your Majesty," she said quietly. "He made a
disrespectful remark, and I...I..."
"What did he say, Uranus?" she pressed.
The two blondes blanched visibly as they exchanged a worried glance.
"I--I'd rather not say," Uranus said nervously.
The Queen laid a reassuring hand on her ward's shoulder. "I must know,
Uranus," she told her gently. "We must set things to rights."
Uranus quailed. How could she say such a thing in front of Neptune?
She'd think her a brute and her brother a pervert. She had to share a bathroom
with her, after all. She looked up and the Queen's eyes told her she had no
choice. She hung her head and sighed. Always a joke.
"He said that Princess Neptune was a cold fish and could only be admired
for her body," she admitted quietly, "so I hit him."
Neptune's eyes widened, as did the Queen's.
"Is this true, Orion?" the monarch questioned, shifting her now steely
gaze upon the chastened young man.
"Yes, your Majesty," he murmured.
"Princess Neptune has many admirable qualities, my young prince," the
Queen told him. "Very much unlike the company she keeps. I will not tolerate
slander or brutality in my court. I suggest you apologize to one another at
once."
Orion turned to Princess Neptune and shifted uncomfortably. "I apologize
for saying what I did," he managed quietly. "I was wrong. I hope you can
forgive me."
The aqua-haired girl nodded slowly, accepting his carefully chosen words.
The Queen stared at the other girl expectantly. "Uranus," she cued.
Uranus looked at her brother steadily, anger still seething in her bright
green eyes. She wasn't going to be as quick as the Queen and Neptune were to
forgive him, but they all expected something. Half truths were better than
nothing.
"I'm sorry for how I reacted," she said truthfully. She knew that
violence wasn't the answer even though it was often required.
The Queen nodded, satisfied. "I trust this will never happen again," she
stated, looking pointedly at the two blondes. They nodded in response. "You
are excused, Orion," she said then. "Princess Neptune, I would like to speak to
Uranus alone."
The lovely young girl nodded and left via the same route she took:
through the bathroom.
Uranus watched her go, wishing she hadn't left her alone with the Queen.
She expected to be punished for her deed, but had no idea her punishment would
come from the Queen herself.
"Uranus," she began, taking a seat on the windowsill, "Both law and
motherly instincts command me to punish you for striking your brother."
This wasn't looking good.
"I cannot condone your behavior, but I certainly cannot condemn you for
it, either."
What was this?
"You reacted to protect someone from harm," she continued, "which is
exactly what you are here to learn through your classes and senshi training. I
want all my girls to grow up to be strong of heart and body. You're just a bit
ahead of the others," she chuckled.
"You're not angry with me?" Uranus asked hesitantly.
"No, child, I'm not angry. I'm actually quite relieved. I was worried
that you wouldn't get along with Princess Neptune, but judging from how you
reacted to your brother's inappropriate comment I'd say you're fast friends."
The Queen stood and regarded her tomboyish ward lovingly and ran a slender-
fingered hand through her blonde hair. "Of all my girls, you are the most
distant to me, Uranus," she intoned quietly. "Someday you will find someone who
will love and understand you more than you could know. Promise me that when
that day arrives you will tell me."
The Queen's words puzzled her, but she nodded her assent. The beautiful
monarch rarely wasted words and she knew to listen to whatever wisdom she had to
share. Though the meaning of her speech was lost to her at present, she was
sure she'd know it soon enough.
"Thank you, your Majesty."
Queen Serenity smiled slightly and gracefully slipped out of Uranus's
room, leaving her to mull over the events of the day.
The dinner hosted in honor of the royal family from Neptune passed
unmercifully slow. Uranus couldn't bear the idle chatter and hollow
pleasantries exchanged among the patrons and wished direly to be elsewhere,
anywhere but where she actually sat. She was especially uncomfortable in the
fluffy dress that Madame Delta had forced her into wearing on pain of death.
While it showed off her feminine qualities quite well, she neither wanted to
look nor feel feminine. Tall and muscular, she looked extremely different from
all the other girls, and the fact that the color and style of the dress accented
her sharp green eyes and short blonde hair brought her more attention than she
desired. She was almost exotic. She garnered more than one approving gaze from
the young men present but shot them all down with a withering glare.
The other girls would tease her later, that was sure. And definitely her
brother. He would be the worst of all. But Neptune...what did Neptune think?
And why did she care?
She risked a glance to the end of the table where the Princess of Neptune
was seated with her parents. Much to her curiosity, the young princess's chair
was vacant. It wasn't like a well-bred lady of stature to leave the presence of
the Queen, especially since no one else had seemed to notice. Where could she
have gone?
Just then she felt a tug at her sleeve. Uranus looked over her shoulder
and was shocked to find Princess Neptune standing there.
"You looked bored," she whispered. "Let's go."
Uranus cast a roving glance around the table to be sure no one was
watching and quietly slid out of her chair. She followed the aqua-haired girl
out of the banquet hall and into a much quieter lounge around the corner.
"This is where you take over," Neptune instructed quietly. "I don't know
a thing about this palace."
Uranus nodded, grinning, and quickly led the girl out of the lounge and
down the hall. They sneaked past a couple armed guards by the front gate, and
headed around the corner to a rarely used maid's passage. Uranus stopped before
the door and quietly pulled it open, exposing a dark coridoor beyond. She
looked over her shoulder at Neptune, who was wide-eyed.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
The girl nodded dumbly and stared at the gaping darkness before them.
Uranus suddenly felt a small hand slip into hers and grip it tightly. She
started at the unfamiliar touch and was about to protest, but the fear in the
other girl's deep ocean eyes told her to endure. She squeezed her hand
reassuringly and noticed how small and delicate it was; so soft and smooth and
perfect, fitting for a princess as beautiful as she. Uranus swallowed hard and
turned her gaze back to the corridor. Dammit, what had she gotten herself into?
She didn't have time to wonder any longer, for Madam Delta had spotted
them. "Uranus! Princess Neptune! What in the world are you--"
"Come on!" Uranus yelled and pulled the surprised Neptune into the maid's
corridor. The door slammed behind them, but they weren't about to take any
chances. Uranus yanked the poor girl into action and half dragged her down the
dark passage. She stumbled a bit over her dress and pulled the skirt of it up
as she ran, keeping the other girl in check with her other hand.
"Where are we going?" Neptune panted as they passed a couple doors leading
back to the main hall.
"Someplace special!" Uranus called back over her shoulder. She grinned,
exhilarated by the wind passing through her hair as she ran and picked up speed.
Admirably, Neptune kept her pace. Now this was a real adventure.
They came to an intersection and dashed to the left, heading north, and
soon skidded to a halt in front of a rather dusty looking door. Uranus hadn't
used this escape route since she was a child and was glad to find that it still
existed. Not that anything ever really changed in the palace. She gave the
door a shove and peered into the starlit garden before her. They were facing
the north expanse of the garden, the direct opposite side from where Uranus's
favorite oak grew. Their destination was still quite a ways.
"Uranus! You get back here this instant!" Madam Delta bellowed from the
garden tier above them.
"Dammit! I thought they'd forgotten about this door!" the blonde swore
and charged into action again. Neptune whooped as the other girl pulled her
into the night.
"Get them!" the red-faced Madam Delta fumed to the guards behind her.
The guards poured down the hill in pursuit of their young quarry.
How the Princess of Uranus was able to dodge the natural obstacles of the
garden was beyond Neptune. If it wasn't for the blonde's iron grip she would
have fallen behind and into the clutches of Madam Delta's guards long ago. She
took the other girl's cue and ducked under some low-hanging branches. Where
were they going, anyway? No matter: She trusted her new friend and knew the
end result would be worth the effort.
She admired the girl. She was so confident and true to herself, and her
beauty and strength made her quiver inside. She was sure Uranus hadn't noticed,
but she was genuinely interested to her to the point where she found she was
severely attracted to her. She had noticed the boyish blonde immediately in
class and decided right then that she had to get to know her better. Such a
mysterious aura she presented.
Her mind was yanked back into the present when Uranus dragged her to the
ground and started pushing her through a small hole in the hedge before them.
"Hurry!" the blonde hissed between clenched teeth.
Neptune grabbed hold of some grass in front of her and pulled herself
through the hedge. Twigs and leaves threatened to snag and pull at her, but she
managed to pass through unscathed. She stood and waited apprehensively, taking
the moment to catch her breath. Uranus's golden head soon popped through the
hedge and her long body followed suit. She too got to her feet but apparently
didn't need to take a breather.
"Come on!" she urged again, and they were now running faster than before.
They maintained their breakneck pace through the shallowly forested wood until
Neptune faltered and nearly collapsed.
Uranus stopped and tried to help the other girl to her feet.
"I'm sorry," Neptune panted. "I can't...go...any..."
"It's all right," the blonde said, supporting the other's weight with her
strong arms. "We're here."
Neptune heaved a sigh of relief and leaned into Uranus, completely
exhausted. She felt the other girl stiffen and realized that she was making her
rather uncomfortable by clinging to her so.
"Help me to the ground," she instructed.
Uranus complied and lowered her to the soft moss below. "Are you all
right?" she asked worriedly.
Neptune nodded and smiled. "I'm fine. I just need to catch my breath."
She looked up at the other girl and blushed furiously when she noticed the state
of Uranus's dress. It was completely gone and only the highly revealing slip
remained.
Uranus reddened considerably and hugged her arms about her body, trying in
vain to cover herself up. "It got caught on the hedge," she muttered, nodding
her head toward the direction from which they came. "I had to take it off
otherwise the guards would have gotten me."
The aqua-haired girl smiled broadly and attempted to hide it behind her
hand. A giggle escaped, however, followed by a louder chuckle, which then
erupted into hysterical laughter. Neptune rolled to the ground, clutching her
stomach as laugh after silvery laugh racked her trim little body.
"I don't see what's so funny," Uranus growled at her friend.
Tears were now streaming openly down the smaller girl's face as she
honorably tried to suppress the amounting laughter within. "I'm sorry," she
grated, "but--but--" Her resolve broke and she resumed her laughing, quickly
reducing it to chuckling.
"Easy for you," the blonde muttered.
"Oh, Uranus," she gasped in between spasms, "had this been a real escape
attempt, losing your dress to the enemy would have been noble."
Uranus reddened again. "I was caught up by the moment, okay? Those damn
things are more of a nuisance than they're worth."
"Oh, I don't know," Neptune said, growing serious. "I thought you looked
lovely." She could see her friend roll her green eyes in the darkness. "Don't
be in such a huff," she told her. "I'm serious. Who would have known that
under all those layers of men's clothing you had a body like that?"
"What?!"
"Honestly, you shouldn't deprive the young men of court the opportunity to
see you. Don't be so selfish."
"I don't care if the men see me!" she replied heatedly, without thinking.
"I'm not trying to win their affection! And what right have you to tell me how
I look?"
"You mean to tell me no one's ever complimented you on your looks?"
Neptune was aghast. How could anyone be around this gorgeous blonde and not
tell her exactly what she was? Her tall, slender, muscular body and deep green
eyes that seemed to penetrate one's soul, her silky ash blonde hair and
perfectly rounded hips and breasts...and her face, so kind and hard all at
once...who in the universe would dare to see her and not marvel at her beauty?
The whole idea was absurd.
Uranus glared at her and slowly set herself on the moss beside her, her
arms still wrapped about her body.
"No one has, have they?" Neptune pressed.
The blonde shook her head, puzzlement in her eyes. "Why would they?" she
grumbled. "I mean, look at me. I make a better boy than I do a girl."
You'd be marvelous at either, Neptune thought to herself, then aloud, "Is
that why you dress the way you do?"
She shrugged. "It didn't start that way. Back on my home planet my
parents thought it would be a good idea to put me in public school rather than
tutor me at home. Some sort of political move, I guess. Because I was taller
than all the girls the uniforms didn't fit me, so I had to wear the boy's. I
liked it, and after a while it felt natural to me. And it was easier to defend
myself in pants than dresses," she finished with a devilish grin.
"You used to fight?" the other's girl's blue eyes were wide.
Uranus nodded and smiled at her unabashed interest. "I didn't have many
friends," she explained. "The girls didn't understand me and the boys all
thought I was a freak. I was the subject of many a jest and more than once
found myself surrounded by a group of boys looking for a reason to fight." She
looked at her friend and was surprised to find tears standing in her deep eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Neptune wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "That's horrible,"
she sniffed. "You never fought back?"
"Never."
"Why not?"
"I knew I could take them all and I didn't want to hurt them," the blonde
explained matter-of-factly. "It would be humiliating. Who wants to run home
crying about how a girl beat them up?"
"But you hit your brother today."
Uranus's face darkened and she shifted her gaze to the ground before her.
"That's the first and last time," she said quietly.
Neptune didn't know whether or not she should ask the next question, but
she had to know the answer. "Why did you do it?"
Green eyes met blue in a sharp and angry flash. "You're just full of
questions today, aren't you?" Uranus demanded hotly.
The smaller girl was taken aback by her friend's fierce retort. "Why are
you so angry?" she asked, her silver voice radiating a strange mix of calm and
confusion. "I just want to know more about you."
The green eyes softened slightly and returned to inspecting the ground
below. It embarrassed her to know that someone might actually be interested in
her as a person instead of a court anomaly or troublemaker. "Not much to tell,
really," Uranus murmured finally. She brought her knees up to her chest and
wrapped her arms around them, effectively finding a way to hide the rest of her
body from scrutiny.
Neptune shook her aqua head in disagreement, tossing her wavy locks about.
"On the contrary, I find you quite interesting. Who else would have led me on a
high-speed chase through the palace grounds to escape the clutches of the enemy,
dodging deadly obstacles to only come to a dead end, and then shove me through a
hole in the fence while losing her dress in the process all for the sake of
rescuing me from an untimely demise due to sheer boredom?"
The blonde chuckled softly in spite of herself. "Well, when you put it
that way..." She let it trail off. "Did you see the look on Madam Delta's
face?"
"It was all red and puffy!" Neptune giggled.
"I've never seen her so angry in my life! I thought she was choking to
death!"
"You're going to wish I did," a deadly voice said from behind.
Uranus's green eyes went wide and she froze in her spot. Dread enveloped
her body as she realized who the voice belonged to.
"Did you forget something?" Madam Delta asked, tossing Uranus's torn dress
to the ground beside her.
She looked at the rumpled cloth and groaned inwardly. How could she be so
stupid as to leave her dress on the hedge? Wasn't she thinking? No, as a
matter of fact, she wasn't, otherwise she wouldn't be sitting here half naked
and about to be pummeled by a grizzly bear.
Neptune stood quickly and turned to the portly woman and her small
assembly of royal guards. "Madam Delta, this is all my fault," she began. "I
asked her to--"
Madam Delta cut her off with a stern look. "Princess Neptune, I expected
better from you. A well-bred lady of your stature should not be reduced to
lying to save her friend, unlike this ill-mannered mule of a girl. I fear she's
been a bad influence on you already." She finished the last bit while looking
pointedly at the back of her unruly charge.
The large woman's insults did not go unnoticed. Uranus's anger flared and
she started to quietly seethe inside as she felt the monstrous eyes bore into
the back of her blonde head. She closed her eyes and focused all her energy
into restraining the urge to retaliate. Madam Delta wanted her to lose her
temper and lash out, thus giving her a reason to bring her before the Queen and
receive the punishment the woman most likely wanted her to receive for the day's
earlier offense. She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction, but her body
shook with the effort. Instead, clenching her fists, she calmly got to her feet
and faced her captor, an insincere yet friendly smile playing on her lips.
"Good evening, Madam Delta," she greeted. "It is a lovely evening, isn't
it?"
Madam Delta's jaw dropped in surprise but she recovered herself quickly.
She eyed her ward suspiciously, wondering what little plan she had concocted in
her mind. "I don't care how torn that dress is, but I won't have you going into
the palace like that," she said, indicating the revealing slip she wore. "They
know you're a girl because I've said so; they don't need to see it for
themselves." She smirked to herself, fully expecting the princess to cover
herself and blush in embarrassment, but it never came.
Uranus instead reached down and scooped up her dress, allowing the slip to
flop open and reveal its contents to the suddenly flustered guards. They
coughed politely and averted their eyes like good little soldiers, but Madam
Delta gaped openly. Uranus grinned; the old mistress wasn't going to win this
battle. She allowed the grin to fade into another smile as she straightened
herself and looked at Madam Delta expectantly.
Neptune watched the whole exchange with something akin to amusement on her
face. She realized that these little battles for dominance must have been
common and marveled at the taller girl's bravery. She vaguely wondered who won
the most, but figured no matter the outcome, Uranus most likely considered
herself the victor.
Madam Delta's face twisted in fury and she reached out and snatched Uranus
by the wrist. To her credit, the princess allowed herself to be led back to the
palace with little resistance.
Neptune followed close behind, barely able to conceal her smile behind her
slender hand. A brave, brave girl, indeed.
End Part 2
End Note:
Madam Delta's a monster, ain't she? If you think she's unnecessarily hard on
poor Uranus, don't fret. The woman has her reasons. You'll find out all this
later in the story.
Send any mail-type goodies to distantskyking@moonkingdom.com. I love hearing
from you, and make every effort to reply. Yes, even flamers.
By Distant Sky King
Rated PG-13
All standard disclaimers apply.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This fanfiction is an attempt to tell the story of how Haruka and Michiru
initially met during the Silver Millennium. Parts of this story may be too
mature for younger audiences, so if you're under 18 or don't think you can
handle adult situations, turn back now.
Chapter 2
Word of the fight spread faster than wild fire and soon Madame Delta was
pounding on Uranus's door. The girl paid no heed to the insistent knocking;
she was completely lost in thought. She sat on the marble sill of her window,
one leg bent and pulled against her chest, the other outstretched before her.
She held her right hand in front of her, the one that struck her brother,
examining it thoroughly. It amazed her that she could do such a thing with her
hands. With her fresh, clean hands, which were now dirty with familial
betrayal. If only she knew how often in the future she would sit the exact same
way doing the exact same activity.
She turned her hand over and inspected her knuckles. They were red from
the blow and a little bruised, but it didn't hurt. In fact, in her haze of
anger she hadn't even felt a thing. It shocked her to find that she was capable
of doing harm to another human being without considering the consequences of her
actions and feeling the effects later. She had a feeling it was very dangerous,
yet it had seemed so natural.
A light hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her reverie and she
glanced back to find Princess Neptune watching her, concern pooling in her deep
blue eyes.
"Are you all right?" she asked quietly.
Uranus looked around the room, confused. "How did you--"
"The bathroom," the aqua-haired girl said, seating herself across from the
blonde on the windowsill. "What's wrong with your hand?"
The other girl blushed slightly and removed her hand from sight.
"Nothing," she replied quietly.
"Someone's knocking on your door," she informed her calmly.
Uranus suddenly noticed the sound and groaned inwardly. This was not
going to be pretty.
The knocking suddenly stopped. The two girls watched the door warily,
expecting someone to break it down and enter forcefully. A voice came instead.
"Princess Uranus, "I know you're in there," the familiar voice said
gently. "It's the Queen. Please open the door."
Uranus closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. "You
might not want to be here when the Queen comes in," she sighed. "This probably
isn't going to be enjoyable."
"I don't mind," Neptune replied.
You will when you find out why I flattened my brother, she thought to
herself as she crossed the room and unbolted the door. She opened it and
immediately stepped aside, silently returning to her seat on the windowsill.
The Queen appeared in the doorway but did not enter.
"I have never seen such a blatant disregard for respect in my life!" Madam
Delta sputtered from behind the Queen.
"Hush, Madam Delta," the Queen said.
The large woman's face reddened considerably, but she became silent.
"Prince Orion, please come here."
A rather ashamed prince stepped forward and into the room as the Queen
motioned him. She followed him inside.
"Close the door," she instructed.
Orion did as he was told.
Princess Neptune switched her attention from the brooding blonde before
her to the one with the large bruise forming on the left side of his face and
gasped. So that was what had happened to her hand. She stood quickly as the
Queen came forward, and although she was rushed, she managed a rather graceful
curtsey.
"Your Majesty," she greeted.
"Princess Neptune," the Queen acknowledged in turn. "Princess Uranus,"
she addressed the other girl.
Uranus stood slowly and nodded.
"Would you care to explain to me what happened this afternoon?" the lovely
Queen questioned.
Just as she was about to open her mouth, Orion cut in. "It wasn't her
fault, Majesty," he hastily began. "I said something disrespectful and--"
The Queen held up an elegant hand for silence, her eyes still locked on
the miserable girl before her. "Uranus," she intoned.
"It's as he said, your Majesty," she said quietly. "He made a
disrespectful remark, and I...I..."
"What did he say, Uranus?" she pressed.
The two blondes blanched visibly as they exchanged a worried glance.
"I--I'd rather not say," Uranus said nervously.
The Queen laid a reassuring hand on her ward's shoulder. "I must know,
Uranus," she told her gently. "We must set things to rights."
Uranus quailed. How could she say such a thing in front of Neptune?
She'd think her a brute and her brother a pervert. She had to share a bathroom
with her, after all. She looked up and the Queen's eyes told her she had no
choice. She hung her head and sighed. Always a joke.
"He said that Princess Neptune was a cold fish and could only be admired
for her body," she admitted quietly, "so I hit him."
Neptune's eyes widened, as did the Queen's.
"Is this true, Orion?" the monarch questioned, shifting her now steely
gaze upon the chastened young man.
"Yes, your Majesty," he murmured.
"Princess Neptune has many admirable qualities, my young prince," the
Queen told him. "Very much unlike the company she keeps. I will not tolerate
slander or brutality in my court. I suggest you apologize to one another at
once."
Orion turned to Princess Neptune and shifted uncomfortably. "I apologize
for saying what I did," he managed quietly. "I was wrong. I hope you can
forgive me."
The aqua-haired girl nodded slowly, accepting his carefully chosen words.
The Queen stared at the other girl expectantly. "Uranus," she cued.
Uranus looked at her brother steadily, anger still seething in her bright
green eyes. She wasn't going to be as quick as the Queen and Neptune were to
forgive him, but they all expected something. Half truths were better than
nothing.
"I'm sorry for how I reacted," she said truthfully. She knew that
violence wasn't the answer even though it was often required.
The Queen nodded, satisfied. "I trust this will never happen again," she
stated, looking pointedly at the two blondes. They nodded in response. "You
are excused, Orion," she said then. "Princess Neptune, I would like to speak to
Uranus alone."
The lovely young girl nodded and left via the same route she took:
through the bathroom.
Uranus watched her go, wishing she hadn't left her alone with the Queen.
She expected to be punished for her deed, but had no idea her punishment would
come from the Queen herself.
"Uranus," she began, taking a seat on the windowsill, "Both law and
motherly instincts command me to punish you for striking your brother."
This wasn't looking good.
"I cannot condone your behavior, but I certainly cannot condemn you for
it, either."
What was this?
"You reacted to protect someone from harm," she continued, "which is
exactly what you are here to learn through your classes and senshi training. I
want all my girls to grow up to be strong of heart and body. You're just a bit
ahead of the others," she chuckled.
"You're not angry with me?" Uranus asked hesitantly.
"No, child, I'm not angry. I'm actually quite relieved. I was worried
that you wouldn't get along with Princess Neptune, but judging from how you
reacted to your brother's inappropriate comment I'd say you're fast friends."
The Queen stood and regarded her tomboyish ward lovingly and ran a slender-
fingered hand through her blonde hair. "Of all my girls, you are the most
distant to me, Uranus," she intoned quietly. "Someday you will find someone who
will love and understand you more than you could know. Promise me that when
that day arrives you will tell me."
The Queen's words puzzled her, but she nodded her assent. The beautiful
monarch rarely wasted words and she knew to listen to whatever wisdom she had to
share. Though the meaning of her speech was lost to her at present, she was
sure she'd know it soon enough.
"Thank you, your Majesty."
Queen Serenity smiled slightly and gracefully slipped out of Uranus's
room, leaving her to mull over the events of the day.
The dinner hosted in honor of the royal family from Neptune passed
unmercifully slow. Uranus couldn't bear the idle chatter and hollow
pleasantries exchanged among the patrons and wished direly to be elsewhere,
anywhere but where she actually sat. She was especially uncomfortable in the
fluffy dress that Madame Delta had forced her into wearing on pain of death.
While it showed off her feminine qualities quite well, she neither wanted to
look nor feel feminine. Tall and muscular, she looked extremely different from
all the other girls, and the fact that the color and style of the dress accented
her sharp green eyes and short blonde hair brought her more attention than she
desired. She was almost exotic. She garnered more than one approving gaze from
the young men present but shot them all down with a withering glare.
The other girls would tease her later, that was sure. And definitely her
brother. He would be the worst of all. But Neptune...what did Neptune think?
And why did she care?
She risked a glance to the end of the table where the Princess of Neptune
was seated with her parents. Much to her curiosity, the young princess's chair
was vacant. It wasn't like a well-bred lady of stature to leave the presence of
the Queen, especially since no one else had seemed to notice. Where could she
have gone?
Just then she felt a tug at her sleeve. Uranus looked over her shoulder
and was shocked to find Princess Neptune standing there.
"You looked bored," she whispered. "Let's go."
Uranus cast a roving glance around the table to be sure no one was
watching and quietly slid out of her chair. She followed the aqua-haired girl
out of the banquet hall and into a much quieter lounge around the corner.
"This is where you take over," Neptune instructed quietly. "I don't know
a thing about this palace."
Uranus nodded, grinning, and quickly led the girl out of the lounge and
down the hall. They sneaked past a couple armed guards by the front gate, and
headed around the corner to a rarely used maid's passage. Uranus stopped before
the door and quietly pulled it open, exposing a dark coridoor beyond. She
looked over her shoulder at Neptune, who was wide-eyed.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
The girl nodded dumbly and stared at the gaping darkness before them.
Uranus suddenly felt a small hand slip into hers and grip it tightly. She
started at the unfamiliar touch and was about to protest, but the fear in the
other girl's deep ocean eyes told her to endure. She squeezed her hand
reassuringly and noticed how small and delicate it was; so soft and smooth and
perfect, fitting for a princess as beautiful as she. Uranus swallowed hard and
turned her gaze back to the corridor. Dammit, what had she gotten herself into?
She didn't have time to wonder any longer, for Madam Delta had spotted
them. "Uranus! Princess Neptune! What in the world are you--"
"Come on!" Uranus yelled and pulled the surprised Neptune into the maid's
corridor. The door slammed behind them, but they weren't about to take any
chances. Uranus yanked the poor girl into action and half dragged her down the
dark passage. She stumbled a bit over her dress and pulled the skirt of it up
as she ran, keeping the other girl in check with her other hand.
"Where are we going?" Neptune panted as they passed a couple doors leading
back to the main hall.
"Someplace special!" Uranus called back over her shoulder. She grinned,
exhilarated by the wind passing through her hair as she ran and picked up speed.
Admirably, Neptune kept her pace. Now this was a real adventure.
They came to an intersection and dashed to the left, heading north, and
soon skidded to a halt in front of a rather dusty looking door. Uranus hadn't
used this escape route since she was a child and was glad to find that it still
existed. Not that anything ever really changed in the palace. She gave the
door a shove and peered into the starlit garden before her. They were facing
the north expanse of the garden, the direct opposite side from where Uranus's
favorite oak grew. Their destination was still quite a ways.
"Uranus! You get back here this instant!" Madam Delta bellowed from the
garden tier above them.
"Dammit! I thought they'd forgotten about this door!" the blonde swore
and charged into action again. Neptune whooped as the other girl pulled her
into the night.
"Get them!" the red-faced Madam Delta fumed to the guards behind her.
The guards poured down the hill in pursuit of their young quarry.
How the Princess of Uranus was able to dodge the natural obstacles of the
garden was beyond Neptune. If it wasn't for the blonde's iron grip she would
have fallen behind and into the clutches of Madam Delta's guards long ago. She
took the other girl's cue and ducked under some low-hanging branches. Where
were they going, anyway? No matter: She trusted her new friend and knew the
end result would be worth the effort.
She admired the girl. She was so confident and true to herself, and her
beauty and strength made her quiver inside. She was sure Uranus hadn't noticed,
but she was genuinely interested to her to the point where she found she was
severely attracted to her. She had noticed the boyish blonde immediately in
class and decided right then that she had to get to know her better. Such a
mysterious aura she presented.
Her mind was yanked back into the present when Uranus dragged her to the
ground and started pushing her through a small hole in the hedge before them.
"Hurry!" the blonde hissed between clenched teeth.
Neptune grabbed hold of some grass in front of her and pulled herself
through the hedge. Twigs and leaves threatened to snag and pull at her, but she
managed to pass through unscathed. She stood and waited apprehensively, taking
the moment to catch her breath. Uranus's golden head soon popped through the
hedge and her long body followed suit. She too got to her feet but apparently
didn't need to take a breather.
"Come on!" she urged again, and they were now running faster than before.
They maintained their breakneck pace through the shallowly forested wood until
Neptune faltered and nearly collapsed.
Uranus stopped and tried to help the other girl to her feet.
"I'm sorry," Neptune panted. "I can't...go...any..."
"It's all right," the blonde said, supporting the other's weight with her
strong arms. "We're here."
Neptune heaved a sigh of relief and leaned into Uranus, completely
exhausted. She felt the other girl stiffen and realized that she was making her
rather uncomfortable by clinging to her so.
"Help me to the ground," she instructed.
Uranus complied and lowered her to the soft moss below. "Are you all
right?" she asked worriedly.
Neptune nodded and smiled. "I'm fine. I just need to catch my breath."
She looked up at the other girl and blushed furiously when she noticed the state
of Uranus's dress. It was completely gone and only the highly revealing slip
remained.
Uranus reddened considerably and hugged her arms about her body, trying in
vain to cover herself up. "It got caught on the hedge," she muttered, nodding
her head toward the direction from which they came. "I had to take it off
otherwise the guards would have gotten me."
The aqua-haired girl smiled broadly and attempted to hide it behind her
hand. A giggle escaped, however, followed by a louder chuckle, which then
erupted into hysterical laughter. Neptune rolled to the ground, clutching her
stomach as laugh after silvery laugh racked her trim little body.
"I don't see what's so funny," Uranus growled at her friend.
Tears were now streaming openly down the smaller girl's face as she
honorably tried to suppress the amounting laughter within. "I'm sorry," she
grated, "but--but--" Her resolve broke and she resumed her laughing, quickly
reducing it to chuckling.
"Easy for you," the blonde muttered.
"Oh, Uranus," she gasped in between spasms, "had this been a real escape
attempt, losing your dress to the enemy would have been noble."
Uranus reddened again. "I was caught up by the moment, okay? Those damn
things are more of a nuisance than they're worth."
"Oh, I don't know," Neptune said, growing serious. "I thought you looked
lovely." She could see her friend roll her green eyes in the darkness. "Don't
be in such a huff," she told her. "I'm serious. Who would have known that
under all those layers of men's clothing you had a body like that?"
"What?!"
"Honestly, you shouldn't deprive the young men of court the opportunity to
see you. Don't be so selfish."
"I don't care if the men see me!" she replied heatedly, without thinking.
"I'm not trying to win their affection! And what right have you to tell me how
I look?"
"You mean to tell me no one's ever complimented you on your looks?"
Neptune was aghast. How could anyone be around this gorgeous blonde and not
tell her exactly what she was? Her tall, slender, muscular body and deep green
eyes that seemed to penetrate one's soul, her silky ash blonde hair and
perfectly rounded hips and breasts...and her face, so kind and hard all at
once...who in the universe would dare to see her and not marvel at her beauty?
The whole idea was absurd.
Uranus glared at her and slowly set herself on the moss beside her, her
arms still wrapped about her body.
"No one has, have they?" Neptune pressed.
The blonde shook her head, puzzlement in her eyes. "Why would they?" she
grumbled. "I mean, look at me. I make a better boy than I do a girl."
You'd be marvelous at either, Neptune thought to herself, then aloud, "Is
that why you dress the way you do?"
She shrugged. "It didn't start that way. Back on my home planet my
parents thought it would be a good idea to put me in public school rather than
tutor me at home. Some sort of political move, I guess. Because I was taller
than all the girls the uniforms didn't fit me, so I had to wear the boy's. I
liked it, and after a while it felt natural to me. And it was easier to defend
myself in pants than dresses," she finished with a devilish grin.
"You used to fight?" the other's girl's blue eyes were wide.
Uranus nodded and smiled at her unabashed interest. "I didn't have many
friends," she explained. "The girls didn't understand me and the boys all
thought I was a freak. I was the subject of many a jest and more than once
found myself surrounded by a group of boys looking for a reason to fight." She
looked at her friend and was surprised to find tears standing in her deep eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Neptune wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "That's horrible,"
she sniffed. "You never fought back?"
"Never."
"Why not?"
"I knew I could take them all and I didn't want to hurt them," the blonde
explained matter-of-factly. "It would be humiliating. Who wants to run home
crying about how a girl beat them up?"
"But you hit your brother today."
Uranus's face darkened and she shifted her gaze to the ground before her.
"That's the first and last time," she said quietly.
Neptune didn't know whether or not she should ask the next question, but
she had to know the answer. "Why did you do it?"
Green eyes met blue in a sharp and angry flash. "You're just full of
questions today, aren't you?" Uranus demanded hotly.
The smaller girl was taken aback by her friend's fierce retort. "Why are
you so angry?" she asked, her silver voice radiating a strange mix of calm and
confusion. "I just want to know more about you."
The green eyes softened slightly and returned to inspecting the ground
below. It embarrassed her to know that someone might actually be interested in
her as a person instead of a court anomaly or troublemaker. "Not much to tell,
really," Uranus murmured finally. She brought her knees up to her chest and
wrapped her arms around them, effectively finding a way to hide the rest of her
body from scrutiny.
Neptune shook her aqua head in disagreement, tossing her wavy locks about.
"On the contrary, I find you quite interesting. Who else would have led me on a
high-speed chase through the palace grounds to escape the clutches of the enemy,
dodging deadly obstacles to only come to a dead end, and then shove me through a
hole in the fence while losing her dress in the process all for the sake of
rescuing me from an untimely demise due to sheer boredom?"
The blonde chuckled softly in spite of herself. "Well, when you put it
that way..." She let it trail off. "Did you see the look on Madam Delta's
face?"
"It was all red and puffy!" Neptune giggled.
"I've never seen her so angry in my life! I thought she was choking to
death!"
"You're going to wish I did," a deadly voice said from behind.
Uranus's green eyes went wide and she froze in her spot. Dread enveloped
her body as she realized who the voice belonged to.
"Did you forget something?" Madam Delta asked, tossing Uranus's torn dress
to the ground beside her.
She looked at the rumpled cloth and groaned inwardly. How could she be so
stupid as to leave her dress on the hedge? Wasn't she thinking? No, as a
matter of fact, she wasn't, otherwise she wouldn't be sitting here half naked
and about to be pummeled by a grizzly bear.
Neptune stood quickly and turned to the portly woman and her small
assembly of royal guards. "Madam Delta, this is all my fault," she began. "I
asked her to--"
Madam Delta cut her off with a stern look. "Princess Neptune, I expected
better from you. A well-bred lady of your stature should not be reduced to
lying to save her friend, unlike this ill-mannered mule of a girl. I fear she's
been a bad influence on you already." She finished the last bit while looking
pointedly at the back of her unruly charge.
The large woman's insults did not go unnoticed. Uranus's anger flared and
she started to quietly seethe inside as she felt the monstrous eyes bore into
the back of her blonde head. She closed her eyes and focused all her energy
into restraining the urge to retaliate. Madam Delta wanted her to lose her
temper and lash out, thus giving her a reason to bring her before the Queen and
receive the punishment the woman most likely wanted her to receive for the day's
earlier offense. She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction, but her body
shook with the effort. Instead, clenching her fists, she calmly got to her feet
and faced her captor, an insincere yet friendly smile playing on her lips.
"Good evening, Madam Delta," she greeted. "It is a lovely evening, isn't
it?"
Madam Delta's jaw dropped in surprise but she recovered herself quickly.
She eyed her ward suspiciously, wondering what little plan she had concocted in
her mind. "I don't care how torn that dress is, but I won't have you going into
the palace like that," she said, indicating the revealing slip she wore. "They
know you're a girl because I've said so; they don't need to see it for
themselves." She smirked to herself, fully expecting the princess to cover
herself and blush in embarrassment, but it never came.
Uranus instead reached down and scooped up her dress, allowing the slip to
flop open and reveal its contents to the suddenly flustered guards. They
coughed politely and averted their eyes like good little soldiers, but Madam
Delta gaped openly. Uranus grinned; the old mistress wasn't going to win this
battle. She allowed the grin to fade into another smile as she straightened
herself and looked at Madam Delta expectantly.
Neptune watched the whole exchange with something akin to amusement on her
face. She realized that these little battles for dominance must have been
common and marveled at the taller girl's bravery. She vaguely wondered who won
the most, but figured no matter the outcome, Uranus most likely considered
herself the victor.
Madam Delta's face twisted in fury and she reached out and snatched Uranus
by the wrist. To her credit, the princess allowed herself to be led back to the
palace with little resistance.
Neptune followed close behind, barely able to conceal her smile behind her
slender hand. A brave, brave girl, indeed.
End Part 2
End Note:
Madam Delta's a monster, ain't she? If you think she's unnecessarily hard on
poor Uranus, don't fret. The woman has her reasons. You'll find out all this
later in the story.
Send any mail-type goodies to distantskyking@moonkingdom.com. I love hearing
from you, and make every effort to reply. Yes, even flamers.