"Will you take it, Sailor Moon?" the female asked, a tone of
amusement entering her voice.
"Hai!" Sailor Moon said. The pilots hung their heads in defeat, obviously she had not heard their silent pleas. Nine small threads of energy uncoiled from the crystal and flew up, attaching to center of each person's forehead. It was not painful for any them. Another, larger strand unfurled from the crystal and attached to Usagi's heart, right on her brooch.
"Begin." the voice said simply. All at once, the strands glowed, sucking an unseen essence from each of them. None of it hurt. Sailor Moon watched as the shining parts grew, traveling down to the crystal and nearing her. As the silver hit her, she threw her head back and tried to leave her mind behind.
She couldn't. She closed her eyes, she saw a burning church and a young boy cursing the god he had tried to love. She saw a laughing teenager playing with a girl and her dog, then screaming and denying all feelings as he destroyed the happy scene on accident. She saw a boy unafraid as a sister he did not know threw knives by the handful at him, though he never flinched and none hit him. She saw a boy cradling his dead father's body in his arms and crying for the dad he never really knew. She saw a boy training to impress his clan leader, and berating himself for the death of his wife. She felt the pain they went through as they trained to be the best; felt every bullet ever fired from their guns; felt the explosions and the intense heat burning her skin; felt the emotions they went through as they destroyed anything they were told. She felt things from the Senshi, too: the loneliness of being known for an IQ instead of a personality, of being acused of wanting to be a superheroine, of being feared for strength, of being labeled as different because of upbringing. She felt their energy blasts as if she was the youma, as if she was Beryl, as if she was Dimando. She was floating midair by this time, her body visibly shaking from the pain. Bullet holes and scars from the Senshi appeared and then were gone a few moments later, only to be replaced by worse. The others felt nothing, they could only watch as she shook, lips silently pleading for it soon to be over. She saw each of their lives in an instant; she knew everything they had ever done. Tears poured down her cheeks; she had not understood when the boys had tried to explain their training. She felt ashamed of herself for not understanding before. She screamed for Hiiro in her mind, but would not scream it aloud. Whatever was left of Gi in her forbid it, but that part also pleaded for the torture to end soon. Soon, she told herself, not really knowing she was doing so, it will be over.
Suddenly, it was. Sailor Moon dropped to the ground, and landed gracefully on her feet. Her head dropped, she was as still as the marble around her for a minute or so. She slowly stood, though still quivering, and faced the crystal. Now, the only feelings showing on her face were those of courage and new understanding. She stood tall, her hands curling into fists.
"You survived?" the woman said, still not showing.
"Hai. I am ready for the last test." she said confidently.
"This is a very different test." the deep voice remarked, more to herself than to the others. Another shimmer emitted from the crystal in the front of the room, and a silver dagger appeared in front of Hiiro's throat.
"Here's how the game works, Sailor Moon." the voice began, though it was a little less deep. "The dagger is currently six inches away from Hiiro's throat. I assume you know him?" Moon nodded. The voice, growing less and less deep, continued. "Good. Now, the rules of this game are simple- I will ask you three questions, and you will answer truthfully, no matter what the consequences might be. For every lie you speak, the knife moves three inches closer. Lie twice, and the game is through. Hiiro dies." she finished, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Ready to begin?" Moon nodded once more. "Oh, and trust me, I will know if you lie." she added.
"Okay, first question: What do you know about this man?"
Unsure of how to answer, Usagi paused for a moment before replying.
"Everything- I know his emotions, his thoughts, his actions, his victories, and his scarce failures."
The answer seemed to satisfy the woman, for the blade in the air did not move. Hiiro stayed the Perfect Soldier on the outside, but inside, he was wetting his pants. For once he could do absolutely nothing but watch and pray she would answer with her heart.
"Question two: Can you read Hiiro's mind right now?"
Sailor Moon went through a complex series of thoughts in a very short instant. Yes, she could hear what he was thinking, and, if she wanted to, she could talk to him telepathically. But she had been counting on that to get them out alive.
"Iie." she answered, and, to her dismay, the dagger moved closer. It now hung only three inches away from Hiiro's throat.
"Lies do not become you, highness." the female mocked. "Third question- and I warn you, answer truthfully or Hiiro dies." Sailor Moon nodded, allowing fear entering her eyes for the first time. "Good. Do you love him?"
Sailor Moon involuntarily took a step backwards. She took a deep breath before answering, hoping that her answer would not hurt the object of her affection.
"Hai." she said, looking up and meeting Hiiro's eyes.
'She... loves me?' Hiiro thought, incredulous.
'Hai.' she answered silently. She saw his eyes widen slightly. 'Hai, I can speak to you this way. I'm sorry for pushing you away, Hiiro, but I love you. Aishiteru, aishiteru, aishiteru, aishiteru. Can you ever forgive me?' she asked, watching his eyes carefully. The woman had still not answered, but the dagger had not moved, either. She watched as his eyes moved about the room, watching the other's expectent faces.
"Sailor Moon." the woman said. Another shimmer from the crystal and the dagger disappeared. From somewhere, deep in the shadows on the ceiling, came a woman. She walked down through the air as if it were a flight of stairs. She wore a golden dress that shimmered every color in the rainbow, her hair long and as gold as her dress. Her face was kind, and she smiled at them as she reached the ground. She snapped her fingers, and the Senshi and pilots reappeared on the marble floor. As soon as they were safe, Sailor Moon ran to Hiiro and embraced him in a hug. He placed his arms around her and returned the gesture. She looked up at him, tears shining happily in her eyes.
"Hiiro... gomen nasai." she said softly.
"You apologize too much, onna." he said jokingly. She smiled at him, locking her gaze with his. The gap between their faces closed slowly, until....
"Yo! Lovebirds!" Duo cried, breaking the moment. He was immediately smacked by the four Senshi.
"You ruined it!" Venus hissed at him. The gold-clad woman smiled.
"Who are you?" Sailor Moon asked. The woman grinned.
"I am Ai no Megami, better known as Aphrodite and Venus's guardian Goddess. In the Silver Millenium, I was best known as Minako's mother." she said, leaving several jaws hanging.
"Wha-?" Venus asked.
"It's true." Aphrodite confirmed, smiling once more. "What you just went through was terrible- but had to be done. In order for Sailor Moon, as Princess of the Moon and as Tsukino Usagi, to fufill her destiny and better understand her soulmate, the Bond had to be made." she said.
"Bond? What bond?" Jupiter asked. This time, Venus replied.
"I think she refers to the Bond of Eternity."
"The what?" Wufei demanded.
"The Bond of Eternity means that they know everything about each other. Eventually, with time and training, they'll be able to speak telepathically, among other things." Aphrodite tried to explain. "But in connecting you all to her like that, I did something else on accident. The eight of you were Bonded as well- Ami and Quatre, Trowa and Minako, Duo and Matoko, and Rei and Wufei. It is not a total mistake; you are also soulmates."
The others nodded in understanding.
"What now?" Mercury asked quietly. Aphrodite heard.
"Well, I can teleport you and your Gundams back to Quatre's hanger and mansion, if that is your wish." she looked to them expectantly.
"It's been a long day, Aphrodite-san, I think that would be wise." Sailor Moon answered after seeing nods from the others.
"Hai, you are right. Close your eyes, it will take but a moment." she said. They did as they were told, and after feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of their stomachs, opened their eyes to find themselves in Quatre's living room. Hiiro fought the urge to run to the hidden hanger to check on his Gundam. Sailor Moon detransformed and sank down to the couch, signaling for the others to do the same. She closed her eyes for a second and was asleep in an instant.
Rei was the first to notice this, and opened her mouth, perhaps to ridicule her, but Wufei placed his hand over her mouth, shaking his head not to disturb her.
"She's been through enough for one day- we all have." Quatre said, placing his arm over Ami's shoulder.
"Let's hit the sack." Duo suggested, guiding Matoko towards the door.
"Wait, we can show them to their rooms." Trowa said, leading Minako to join them. They left Hiiro and Usagi alone.
Hiiro placed an arm under her thighs and another behind her back, lifting her as gently as possible. She immediately moved closer to his warmth. He walked slowly down the many hallways to where their rooms were, but he passed by her room without a second glance and entered his. He put her down on the couch and took a moment to remove her duster and shoes. Then he layed her in the bed and climbed in, drawing her close to him. Hiiro felt her stir a bit, and her eyes opened a little.
"Hiiro?" she asked, rolling over to face him.
"Hai?" he replied softly.
"Remember how you said that time heals all wounds?" she inquired. He nodded.
"Well, what if time ran out? Do you think love could heal what was left?" Usagi asked. Hiiro smiled at her.
"I'd like to think so." he said. Satisfied with her day's work, Usagi put her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Hiiro kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her small form. He fell asleep soon after with a smile on his face. Tomorrow would be a good day, indeed.
PLEASE READ- Review or email (akamoonsugar@yahoo.com) if you think there should be another chapter or a sequel. Other than that.... Ackies! It's over! Wahhh! I had so much fun writing this! I just began posting another story, though, and I would LOVE to see you all reviewing there, too. Also, I'm going to try and start writing more of 'Blinded' because I got a lot of nice reviews for that, too. Arigato, and ja ne!
"Hai!" Sailor Moon said. The pilots hung their heads in defeat, obviously she had not heard their silent pleas. Nine small threads of energy uncoiled from the crystal and flew up, attaching to center of each person's forehead. It was not painful for any them. Another, larger strand unfurled from the crystal and attached to Usagi's heart, right on her brooch.
"Begin." the voice said simply. All at once, the strands glowed, sucking an unseen essence from each of them. None of it hurt. Sailor Moon watched as the shining parts grew, traveling down to the crystal and nearing her. As the silver hit her, she threw her head back and tried to leave her mind behind.
She couldn't. She closed her eyes, she saw a burning church and a young boy cursing the god he had tried to love. She saw a laughing teenager playing with a girl and her dog, then screaming and denying all feelings as he destroyed the happy scene on accident. She saw a boy unafraid as a sister he did not know threw knives by the handful at him, though he never flinched and none hit him. She saw a boy cradling his dead father's body in his arms and crying for the dad he never really knew. She saw a boy training to impress his clan leader, and berating himself for the death of his wife. She felt the pain they went through as they trained to be the best; felt every bullet ever fired from their guns; felt the explosions and the intense heat burning her skin; felt the emotions they went through as they destroyed anything they were told. She felt things from the Senshi, too: the loneliness of being known for an IQ instead of a personality, of being acused of wanting to be a superheroine, of being feared for strength, of being labeled as different because of upbringing. She felt their energy blasts as if she was the youma, as if she was Beryl, as if she was Dimando. She was floating midair by this time, her body visibly shaking from the pain. Bullet holes and scars from the Senshi appeared and then were gone a few moments later, only to be replaced by worse. The others felt nothing, they could only watch as she shook, lips silently pleading for it soon to be over. She saw each of their lives in an instant; she knew everything they had ever done. Tears poured down her cheeks; she had not understood when the boys had tried to explain their training. She felt ashamed of herself for not understanding before. She screamed for Hiiro in her mind, but would not scream it aloud. Whatever was left of Gi in her forbid it, but that part also pleaded for the torture to end soon. Soon, she told herself, not really knowing she was doing so, it will be over.
Suddenly, it was. Sailor Moon dropped to the ground, and landed gracefully on her feet. Her head dropped, she was as still as the marble around her for a minute or so. She slowly stood, though still quivering, and faced the crystal. Now, the only feelings showing on her face were those of courage and new understanding. She stood tall, her hands curling into fists.
"You survived?" the woman said, still not showing.
"Hai. I am ready for the last test." she said confidently.
"This is a very different test." the deep voice remarked, more to herself than to the others. Another shimmer emitted from the crystal in the front of the room, and a silver dagger appeared in front of Hiiro's throat.
"Here's how the game works, Sailor Moon." the voice began, though it was a little less deep. "The dagger is currently six inches away from Hiiro's throat. I assume you know him?" Moon nodded. The voice, growing less and less deep, continued. "Good. Now, the rules of this game are simple- I will ask you three questions, and you will answer truthfully, no matter what the consequences might be. For every lie you speak, the knife moves three inches closer. Lie twice, and the game is through. Hiiro dies." she finished, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Ready to begin?" Moon nodded once more. "Oh, and trust me, I will know if you lie." she added.
"Okay, first question: What do you know about this man?"
Unsure of how to answer, Usagi paused for a moment before replying.
"Everything- I know his emotions, his thoughts, his actions, his victories, and his scarce failures."
The answer seemed to satisfy the woman, for the blade in the air did not move. Hiiro stayed the Perfect Soldier on the outside, but inside, he was wetting his pants. For once he could do absolutely nothing but watch and pray she would answer with her heart.
"Question two: Can you read Hiiro's mind right now?"
Sailor Moon went through a complex series of thoughts in a very short instant. Yes, she could hear what he was thinking, and, if she wanted to, she could talk to him telepathically. But she had been counting on that to get them out alive.
"Iie." she answered, and, to her dismay, the dagger moved closer. It now hung only three inches away from Hiiro's throat.
"Lies do not become you, highness." the female mocked. "Third question- and I warn you, answer truthfully or Hiiro dies." Sailor Moon nodded, allowing fear entering her eyes for the first time. "Good. Do you love him?"
Sailor Moon involuntarily took a step backwards. She took a deep breath before answering, hoping that her answer would not hurt the object of her affection.
"Hai." she said, looking up and meeting Hiiro's eyes.
'She... loves me?' Hiiro thought, incredulous.
'Hai.' she answered silently. She saw his eyes widen slightly. 'Hai, I can speak to you this way. I'm sorry for pushing you away, Hiiro, but I love you. Aishiteru, aishiteru, aishiteru, aishiteru. Can you ever forgive me?' she asked, watching his eyes carefully. The woman had still not answered, but the dagger had not moved, either. She watched as his eyes moved about the room, watching the other's expectent faces.
"Sailor Moon." the woman said. Another shimmer from the crystal and the dagger disappeared. From somewhere, deep in the shadows on the ceiling, came a woman. She walked down through the air as if it were a flight of stairs. She wore a golden dress that shimmered every color in the rainbow, her hair long and as gold as her dress. Her face was kind, and she smiled at them as she reached the ground. She snapped her fingers, and the Senshi and pilots reappeared on the marble floor. As soon as they were safe, Sailor Moon ran to Hiiro and embraced him in a hug. He placed his arms around her and returned the gesture. She looked up at him, tears shining happily in her eyes.
"Hiiro... gomen nasai." she said softly.
"You apologize too much, onna." he said jokingly. She smiled at him, locking her gaze with his. The gap between their faces closed slowly, until....
"Yo! Lovebirds!" Duo cried, breaking the moment. He was immediately smacked by the four Senshi.
"You ruined it!" Venus hissed at him. The gold-clad woman smiled.
"Who are you?" Sailor Moon asked. The woman grinned.
"I am Ai no Megami, better known as Aphrodite and Venus's guardian Goddess. In the Silver Millenium, I was best known as Minako's mother." she said, leaving several jaws hanging.
"Wha-?" Venus asked.
"It's true." Aphrodite confirmed, smiling once more. "What you just went through was terrible- but had to be done. In order for Sailor Moon, as Princess of the Moon and as Tsukino Usagi, to fufill her destiny and better understand her soulmate, the Bond had to be made." she said.
"Bond? What bond?" Jupiter asked. This time, Venus replied.
"I think she refers to the Bond of Eternity."
"The what?" Wufei demanded.
"The Bond of Eternity means that they know everything about each other. Eventually, with time and training, they'll be able to speak telepathically, among other things." Aphrodite tried to explain. "But in connecting you all to her like that, I did something else on accident. The eight of you were Bonded as well- Ami and Quatre, Trowa and Minako, Duo and Matoko, and Rei and Wufei. It is not a total mistake; you are also soulmates."
The others nodded in understanding.
"What now?" Mercury asked quietly. Aphrodite heard.
"Well, I can teleport you and your Gundams back to Quatre's hanger and mansion, if that is your wish." she looked to them expectantly.
"It's been a long day, Aphrodite-san, I think that would be wise." Sailor Moon answered after seeing nods from the others.
"Hai, you are right. Close your eyes, it will take but a moment." she said. They did as they were told, and after feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of their stomachs, opened their eyes to find themselves in Quatre's living room. Hiiro fought the urge to run to the hidden hanger to check on his Gundam. Sailor Moon detransformed and sank down to the couch, signaling for the others to do the same. She closed her eyes for a second and was asleep in an instant.
Rei was the first to notice this, and opened her mouth, perhaps to ridicule her, but Wufei placed his hand over her mouth, shaking his head not to disturb her.
"She's been through enough for one day- we all have." Quatre said, placing his arm over Ami's shoulder.
"Let's hit the sack." Duo suggested, guiding Matoko towards the door.
"Wait, we can show them to their rooms." Trowa said, leading Minako to join them. They left Hiiro and Usagi alone.
Hiiro placed an arm under her thighs and another behind her back, lifting her as gently as possible. She immediately moved closer to his warmth. He walked slowly down the many hallways to where their rooms were, but he passed by her room without a second glance and entered his. He put her down on the couch and took a moment to remove her duster and shoes. Then he layed her in the bed and climbed in, drawing her close to him. Hiiro felt her stir a bit, and her eyes opened a little.
"Hiiro?" she asked, rolling over to face him.
"Hai?" he replied softly.
"Remember how you said that time heals all wounds?" she inquired. He nodded.
"Well, what if time ran out? Do you think love could heal what was left?" Usagi asked. Hiiro smiled at her.
"I'd like to think so." he said. Satisfied with her day's work, Usagi put her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Hiiro kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her small form. He fell asleep soon after with a smile on his face. Tomorrow would be a good day, indeed.
PLEASE READ- Review or email (akamoonsugar@yahoo.com) if you think there should be another chapter or a sequel. Other than that.... Ackies! It's over! Wahhh! I had so much fun writing this! I just began posting another story, though, and I would LOVE to see you all reviewing there, too. Also, I'm going to try and start writing more of 'Blinded' because I got a lot of nice reviews for that, too. Arigato, and ja ne!