Mina's Lovelife: The Rules of Engagement
By: Lena Sauran
Okay, ppl, here's the next chapter *Ducks tomatoes* I know it's been a while, but I've been swamped with school. Gomen nasai, minna.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mina awoke some underterminable amount of time later. She looked around and found herself back in her own room. She smiled as she saw Azurite and Artemis curled up together in a chair beside her bed. *They look so cute...I shouldn't wake them.* she thought as she climbed out of her bed. She winced slightly as she stretched.
She proceeded downstairs to the kitchen and made herself some green tea. She sat down at the counter and sipped her tea thoughtfully.*I can't allow anything like that to happen again. I can't be vunerable...but I must follow Serena's wishes. She is the princess afterall. I'm just going to have to train some other way. I was never like this when I was Sailor V, but I never had so much to lose.*
She heard the front door open and saw Serena walk in.
"Hey, Mina! Glad to see that you're finally awake." Serena chirped.
"How long was I out?" Mina asked.
"About 2 days." Serena replied, sitting down across from Mina.
"I failed you, princess." Mina mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"No, Mina, I'm the one who should be sorry." Serena said, touching Mina's hand.
Mina pulled her hand away and staed at the countertop.
"I'm not fit to be a sailor soldier anymore. I'm just going to be in the way." Mina said, takingout the Venusian wand.
"Mina..."
"Serena,...Serenity, I want you to take this back. I can't be a sailor scout until I can find my own way." Mina interrupted, pushing the wand across the counter.
"But, Mina..." Serena stammered.
"No, Serenity, I can't protect you until I can protect myself." Mina said in a no-nonsense voice.
"Alright, Mina, if that's what you want." Serena sighed.
The wand vanished in a sparkle of gold.
"We have a meeting this afternoon, you're still a part of this team. You are expected to be there." Serena said.
"I'll be there."Mina sighed.
"Good. Well I just came by to check up on you. I have to go meet Darien and the spore for a shopping trip." Serena said.
"Have fun." Mina sighed.
"Hey, girl, cheer up, you'll find your way back, I know you will." Serena said.
Mina smiled slightly and watched the girl walk out. Mina sighed as she heard the door click shut. She dropped her head into her hands and a few tears fell to the countertop.
"Mina?" she heard Artemis ask.
"In the kitchen." she called.
The white guardian padded into the kitchen and jumped up onto the counter.
"What's wrong, Mina?" he asked.
"I gaveit back." Mina said, quietly.
"Gave what back?"
"My wand. I gave it back to Serena."
"What! Why?" the cat exclaimed.
"I'm not sure why..." Mina sighed.
"Mina, did you ever think about the consequences of your actions?" Azurite asked, coming into the kitchen.
"What do you mean?" Mina asked.
"The reason that Wiseman never defeated Neo-Queen Serenity and Princess Rini was because of you and the other girls." Azurite explained.
"Same with Queen Beryl." Artemis agreed.
"It's the teamwork of the sailor scouts that makes them unbeatable." Azurite added.
"Whether or not you believe us, the girls need you just as much as you need them." Artemis concluded.
Mina smiled warmly at the two. Strangely she felt better.
"Thanks, guys. I needed that." she said, smiling sadly.
Azurite kissed the top of her head and she leaned against him.
"How are you feeling, love, do you still hurt?"
"No, Azurite." Mina sighed, happily, "The girls are having a meeting this afternoon. Serena said I have to go."
"I'll drive you over there later but for now why don't we go shopping?"
"Sounds great, I need to stretch my muscles and a shopping trip should do the trick." Mina said, "Be right back."
The blonde breezed up the staris and changed in 2.5 seconds flat. She flew back down the stairs, grabbed the two boys and dragged then towards the mall.
4 hours, 10 shops and an Icecream later, the boys were throughly exhausted.
"Mina, ca't we go home now?" Artemis begged.
"No way! We haven't even covered half of the mall yet, you silly cat."
"Oh come on, Mina, we're tired." Azurite begged.
"Men are such babies." Mina muttered, "Oh alright, it's almost time for the meeting anyway."
"Thank you, oh merciful one." Azurite cried, taking Mina's hands.
Mina snatched her hands away.
"Stop it! You're making a scene." Mina hissed.
"Thou dost reject my amourous pursuits, dear lady? My heart pains me." Azurite said, quite loudly.
Mina blushed as the people around her began to giggle.
"Sit down, you idiot." she hissed.
"Fool I may be, but I will do anything to gain the love of my lady fair."
"Azurite, please. You're embarrassing me."
"No need to blush, dear lady, this fool lives for nothing but to make a smile appear on your lovely face."
"If you don't sit down and be quiet right now, I'm gonna kick your shakespearean behind!" Mina yelled.
"Deaths holds no fear for me, dear lady." he joked.
"That's it! I'm leaving." Mina said, storming out of the icecream parlor.
"Mina! Wait, I was just kidding around." Azurite said, running after her.
He caught up with her and she glared at him.
"Go away." she growled
Azurite stopped walking and stared as her as she continued on.
*You gotta love it. She's so cute when she's angry.* "I'll pick you up after the meeting!" he called after her.
She turned around and smiled as she waved.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mina walked slowly to the temple, a million images running through her head.
*I thought that she killed him, but then how did he end up working for the government? Damn it! Why can't I get some answers?!*
She stopped at the foot of the staircase leading tot he Cherry Hill Temple. She sighed and began up the stairs. She reached the top in a minute and stood under the gate. *How can I face them now....get ahold of yourself, girl, they are still the same.*
"Why, hello, Mina. Haven't seen you around here in a while." Raye's grandpa greeted her.
"Hello, sir, I'm just here to see Raye and the girls." Mina replied.
"You know where to go then." he smiled.
"Good afternoon, sir." Mina said, heading towards Raye's room.
She knocked on the sliding door and opened it.
"Hello, everyone. Am I still welcome here?" she asked, quietly looking at the ground.
"What a stupid question. Of course you are." Raye snapped.
Lita smiled at the poor blonde and motioned for her to take her usual seat.
"Now that you're here, we can get down to business." Luna said, "Serena?"
In a flash of gold, the Venus wand appeared in her hand.
"Serena, how did you get that?" Amy demanded.
"I gave it to her."Mina answered.
"And now you are getting it back." Serena said, handing the wand to her.
Mina tentitively reached out and the took the wand. As soon as she touched the wand, her Venus signal flashed, the wand recognized it's owner.
"Welcome back, Mina." Lita said.
"It's good to be back." Mina sighed.
"What's wrong, Mina?" Raye asked.
"It's just that I have so many questions that haven't been answered."
"Like how did Malichite come back from the dead?" Amy supplied.
"For one." Mina replied.
"And how are we going to deal with the government thugs now that they know?" Raye said.
"Well, I don't know the answers to either of those questions but we will have to figure it out soon." Luna said.
"Maybe we should just come out with it. Let the whole world know." Serena sighed.
"Yeah and then we'll live the rest of our lives as lab rats. No thank you." Lita replied.
"I'm the only one who's identity that Oblivion knows, maybe he'll be smart and keep it quiet." Mina said.
"Well, we can't count on that, plus we've still got the heartsnatchers to deal with. Mimete is out of the picture thanks to Uranus and Neptune, but we've still got the others to deal with." Amy said.
The screen door opened and Rini came in, dragging a reluctant Hotaru.
"Hotaru!' Serena exclaimed.
"Hello, everyone." Hotaru said, quietly.
"Look what Hotaru gave me!" Rini said, holding up a red flower.
"That's pretty, Rini." Mina said.
"Well, I have to go." Hotaru said.
Hotaru left and Rini sighed. The other girls walked out into the courtyard. Mina felt sorry for the tiny princess.
"Hey, I'm sure that Hotaru will come back to see you, Rini." Mina said, crouching down beside the girl.
"Hello, sailor soldiers." a smooth voice said.
"Trista. What are you doing here?" Serena asked.
"I was just passing..." Trista trailed as her gaze fell on Rini, "Rini, drop that plant!"
"What?" Rini aked.
Trista slapped the plant away from the child.
"Trista! What did you do that for? Hotaru gave that to me!" Rini cried.
"Yeah, Trista, are you buggin' or what?" Serena asked.
"That plant is heartsnatcher in disquise. Watch." Trista said, pointing to the flower.
The flower bloomed and a three foot area around the plant instantly died.
"Hotaru probably wanted your heart crystal." Trista added.
"Hey, Trista, you're way off base. Hotaru's a nice girl." Mina said.
"You've got to be careful around her, small lady." Trista said.
"I will, puu, but I think that you are wrong about Hotaru."
Mina and Trista exchanged glances before the older woman left.
*She's keeping something from us...* Mina thought as she looked at Rini.
She heard a familier honk and saw Azurite pull up in his lavender Mustang GT.
"Well, girls, it looks like me ride it here. See you around." Mina said.
She walked down the steps slowly.
"Hello, darling." Azurite said, as she entered the car.
"Hello." she said, flatly.
"How was the meeting?" he asked.
"It was fine, the usual. A lot of jabbering and gossiping." mina said, quietly, staring straight ahead.
He glanced at the blonde, a frown on his face. He pulled the car to a stop and put it in park.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing that you should concern yourself with." Mina replied.
"Mina, look at me."
She obliged and he saw the trouble and pain hidden deep in her eyes.
"Tell me what happened, Mina, what's got you so upset?"
"I've put them all in danger, Azurite, because of me they are all at risk. Do you know what that does to me? I'm their leader and I've lead them right into danger all because I was too blinded by love to see the truth!" Mina exclaimed.
"Is that really how you feel?"
"I don't know how I feel! That's the problem!" Mina cried, hitting the dash.
"I know that you're scared, Mina, I feel that same way."
"You could never know how I feel! I have to choose, I can't have both, I can't handle it."
"Can't have both? What do you mean?" he asked, confused and afraid of her answer.
"I can't be with you and do my duty."
Azurite looked at the girl is surpise.
"I'm sorry, Azurite, I need time to figure this out. Please say you'll wait for me." she said, sadly.
"I'll wait for you forever, you know that." Azurite sighed.
A single tear slid down her face as she kissed his cheek.
She exited that car and as he drove off, she felt her heart shattered into a million crystal shards.
Her eyes turned a hard blue and she wouldn't cry anymore.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Azurite drove on for miles, not noticing where he was going. He finally stopped and got out of the car. He was at the bay. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting purples and reds across the sky. He pulled a small box out of his pocket. The small gem caught the sunlight in it's fauceted depths. He snapped the box shut with a sigh. *Oh, Mina...*
****************************************************************
Okay there is chapter 11, oh gosh, I never thought that it would go this far, but stay tuned to find out what happens next.
Love ya all,
Jessica
Check out:
princessmercury.cjb.net/
Princesstyla.cjb.net/
By: Lena Sauran
Okay, ppl, here's the next chapter *Ducks tomatoes* I know it's been a while, but I've been swamped with school. Gomen nasai, minna.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mina awoke some underterminable amount of time later. She looked around and found herself back in her own room. She smiled as she saw Azurite and Artemis curled up together in a chair beside her bed. *They look so cute...I shouldn't wake them.* she thought as she climbed out of her bed. She winced slightly as she stretched.
She proceeded downstairs to the kitchen and made herself some green tea. She sat down at the counter and sipped her tea thoughtfully.*I can't allow anything like that to happen again. I can't be vunerable...but I must follow Serena's wishes. She is the princess afterall. I'm just going to have to train some other way. I was never like this when I was Sailor V, but I never had so much to lose.*
She heard the front door open and saw Serena walk in.
"Hey, Mina! Glad to see that you're finally awake." Serena chirped.
"How long was I out?" Mina asked.
"About 2 days." Serena replied, sitting down across from Mina.
"I failed you, princess." Mina mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"No, Mina, I'm the one who should be sorry." Serena said, touching Mina's hand.
Mina pulled her hand away and staed at the countertop.
"I'm not fit to be a sailor soldier anymore. I'm just going to be in the way." Mina said, takingout the Venusian wand.
"Mina..."
"Serena,...Serenity, I want you to take this back. I can't be a sailor scout until I can find my own way." Mina interrupted, pushing the wand across the counter.
"But, Mina..." Serena stammered.
"No, Serenity, I can't protect you until I can protect myself." Mina said in a no-nonsense voice.
"Alright, Mina, if that's what you want." Serena sighed.
The wand vanished in a sparkle of gold.
"We have a meeting this afternoon, you're still a part of this team. You are expected to be there." Serena said.
"I'll be there."Mina sighed.
"Good. Well I just came by to check up on you. I have to go meet Darien and the spore for a shopping trip." Serena said.
"Have fun." Mina sighed.
"Hey, girl, cheer up, you'll find your way back, I know you will." Serena said.
Mina smiled slightly and watched the girl walk out. Mina sighed as she heard the door click shut. She dropped her head into her hands and a few tears fell to the countertop.
"Mina?" she heard Artemis ask.
"In the kitchen." she called.
The white guardian padded into the kitchen and jumped up onto the counter.
"What's wrong, Mina?" he asked.
"I gaveit back." Mina said, quietly.
"Gave what back?"
"My wand. I gave it back to Serena."
"What! Why?" the cat exclaimed.
"I'm not sure why..." Mina sighed.
"Mina, did you ever think about the consequences of your actions?" Azurite asked, coming into the kitchen.
"What do you mean?" Mina asked.
"The reason that Wiseman never defeated Neo-Queen Serenity and Princess Rini was because of you and the other girls." Azurite explained.
"Same with Queen Beryl." Artemis agreed.
"It's the teamwork of the sailor scouts that makes them unbeatable." Azurite added.
"Whether or not you believe us, the girls need you just as much as you need them." Artemis concluded.
Mina smiled warmly at the two. Strangely she felt better.
"Thanks, guys. I needed that." she said, smiling sadly.
Azurite kissed the top of her head and she leaned against him.
"How are you feeling, love, do you still hurt?"
"No, Azurite." Mina sighed, happily, "The girls are having a meeting this afternoon. Serena said I have to go."
"I'll drive you over there later but for now why don't we go shopping?"
"Sounds great, I need to stretch my muscles and a shopping trip should do the trick." Mina said, "Be right back."
The blonde breezed up the staris and changed in 2.5 seconds flat. She flew back down the stairs, grabbed the two boys and dragged then towards the mall.
4 hours, 10 shops and an Icecream later, the boys were throughly exhausted.
"Mina, ca't we go home now?" Artemis begged.
"No way! We haven't even covered half of the mall yet, you silly cat."
"Oh come on, Mina, we're tired." Azurite begged.
"Men are such babies." Mina muttered, "Oh alright, it's almost time for the meeting anyway."
"Thank you, oh merciful one." Azurite cried, taking Mina's hands.
Mina snatched her hands away.
"Stop it! You're making a scene." Mina hissed.
"Thou dost reject my amourous pursuits, dear lady? My heart pains me." Azurite said, quite loudly.
Mina blushed as the people around her began to giggle.
"Sit down, you idiot." she hissed.
"Fool I may be, but I will do anything to gain the love of my lady fair."
"Azurite, please. You're embarrassing me."
"No need to blush, dear lady, this fool lives for nothing but to make a smile appear on your lovely face."
"If you don't sit down and be quiet right now, I'm gonna kick your shakespearean behind!" Mina yelled.
"Deaths holds no fear for me, dear lady." he joked.
"That's it! I'm leaving." Mina said, storming out of the icecream parlor.
"Mina! Wait, I was just kidding around." Azurite said, running after her.
He caught up with her and she glared at him.
"Go away." she growled
Azurite stopped walking and stared as her as she continued on.
*You gotta love it. She's so cute when she's angry.* "I'll pick you up after the meeting!" he called after her.
She turned around and smiled as she waved.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mina walked slowly to the temple, a million images running through her head.
*I thought that she killed him, but then how did he end up working for the government? Damn it! Why can't I get some answers?!*
She stopped at the foot of the staircase leading tot he Cherry Hill Temple. She sighed and began up the stairs. She reached the top in a minute and stood under the gate. *How can I face them now....get ahold of yourself, girl, they are still the same.*
"Why, hello, Mina. Haven't seen you around here in a while." Raye's grandpa greeted her.
"Hello, sir, I'm just here to see Raye and the girls." Mina replied.
"You know where to go then." he smiled.
"Good afternoon, sir." Mina said, heading towards Raye's room.
She knocked on the sliding door and opened it.
"Hello, everyone. Am I still welcome here?" she asked, quietly looking at the ground.
"What a stupid question. Of course you are." Raye snapped.
Lita smiled at the poor blonde and motioned for her to take her usual seat.
"Now that you're here, we can get down to business." Luna said, "Serena?"
In a flash of gold, the Venus wand appeared in her hand.
"Serena, how did you get that?" Amy demanded.
"I gave it to her."Mina answered.
"And now you are getting it back." Serena said, handing the wand to her.
Mina tentitively reached out and the took the wand. As soon as she touched the wand, her Venus signal flashed, the wand recognized it's owner.
"Welcome back, Mina." Lita said.
"It's good to be back." Mina sighed.
"What's wrong, Mina?" Raye asked.
"It's just that I have so many questions that haven't been answered."
"Like how did Malichite come back from the dead?" Amy supplied.
"For one." Mina replied.
"And how are we going to deal with the government thugs now that they know?" Raye said.
"Well, I don't know the answers to either of those questions but we will have to figure it out soon." Luna said.
"Maybe we should just come out with it. Let the whole world know." Serena sighed.
"Yeah and then we'll live the rest of our lives as lab rats. No thank you." Lita replied.
"I'm the only one who's identity that Oblivion knows, maybe he'll be smart and keep it quiet." Mina said.
"Well, we can't count on that, plus we've still got the heartsnatchers to deal with. Mimete is out of the picture thanks to Uranus and Neptune, but we've still got the others to deal with." Amy said.
The screen door opened and Rini came in, dragging a reluctant Hotaru.
"Hotaru!' Serena exclaimed.
"Hello, everyone." Hotaru said, quietly.
"Look what Hotaru gave me!" Rini said, holding up a red flower.
"That's pretty, Rini." Mina said.
"Well, I have to go." Hotaru said.
Hotaru left and Rini sighed. The other girls walked out into the courtyard. Mina felt sorry for the tiny princess.
"Hey, I'm sure that Hotaru will come back to see you, Rini." Mina said, crouching down beside the girl.
"Hello, sailor soldiers." a smooth voice said.
"Trista. What are you doing here?" Serena asked.
"I was just passing..." Trista trailed as her gaze fell on Rini, "Rini, drop that plant!"
"What?" Rini aked.
Trista slapped the plant away from the child.
"Trista! What did you do that for? Hotaru gave that to me!" Rini cried.
"Yeah, Trista, are you buggin' or what?" Serena asked.
"That plant is heartsnatcher in disquise. Watch." Trista said, pointing to the flower.
The flower bloomed and a three foot area around the plant instantly died.
"Hotaru probably wanted your heart crystal." Trista added.
"Hey, Trista, you're way off base. Hotaru's a nice girl." Mina said.
"You've got to be careful around her, small lady." Trista said.
"I will, puu, but I think that you are wrong about Hotaru."
Mina and Trista exchanged glances before the older woman left.
*She's keeping something from us...* Mina thought as she looked at Rini.
She heard a familier honk and saw Azurite pull up in his lavender Mustang GT.
"Well, girls, it looks like me ride it here. See you around." Mina said.
She walked down the steps slowly.
"Hello, darling." Azurite said, as she entered the car.
"Hello." she said, flatly.
"How was the meeting?" he asked.
"It was fine, the usual. A lot of jabbering and gossiping." mina said, quietly, staring straight ahead.
He glanced at the blonde, a frown on his face. He pulled the car to a stop and put it in park.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing that you should concern yourself with." Mina replied.
"Mina, look at me."
She obliged and he saw the trouble and pain hidden deep in her eyes.
"Tell me what happened, Mina, what's got you so upset?"
"I've put them all in danger, Azurite, because of me they are all at risk. Do you know what that does to me? I'm their leader and I've lead them right into danger all because I was too blinded by love to see the truth!" Mina exclaimed.
"Is that really how you feel?"
"I don't know how I feel! That's the problem!" Mina cried, hitting the dash.
"I know that you're scared, Mina, I feel that same way."
"You could never know how I feel! I have to choose, I can't have both, I can't handle it."
"Can't have both? What do you mean?" he asked, confused and afraid of her answer.
"I can't be with you and do my duty."
Azurite looked at the girl is surpise.
"I'm sorry, Azurite, I need time to figure this out. Please say you'll wait for me." she said, sadly.
"I'll wait for you forever, you know that." Azurite sighed.
A single tear slid down her face as she kissed his cheek.
She exited that car and as he drove off, she felt her heart shattered into a million crystal shards.
Her eyes turned a hard blue and she wouldn't cry anymore.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Azurite drove on for miles, not noticing where he was going. He finally stopped and got out of the car. He was at the bay. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting purples and reds across the sky. He pulled a small box out of his pocket. The small gem caught the sunlight in it's fauceted depths. He snapped the box shut with a sigh. *Oh, Mina...*
****************************************************************
Okay there is chapter 11, oh gosh, I never thought that it would go this far, but stay tuned to find out what happens next.
Love ya all,
Jessica
Check out:
princessmercury.cjb.net/
Princesstyla.cjb.net/