Silver Millennium Life Bonds
Rocky Oberlin
Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Now if my father is going to have a birthday soon, but he hasn't asked for the Ronin Warriors or Sailor Moon. Frankly I would be surprised if he did considering he doesn't like either. So neither one is in the family meaning that I have no claim to them. Any questions?


Sage was going to do something to the Windwalker when he got back. He didn't know what, but he was going to do something to her. Instead of the clearing he had been meditating in, now he was in a great flat plain. In the distance were mountains capped with snow, but he didn't think that he could get to them in a day. To his right was a very large oak tree with perpetual green leaves and on a closer approach there was a small shallow pond in front of it. Nothing was growing in or on the water and Sage could see no fish swimming in it. Sometimes Sage would see a flash of something on the surface, but it would disappear as quickly as it appeared. He had no idea where he was or how to get home.

"Nice to see you again, my son."

Sage looked up to see a tall man walking around the tree trunk. The Ronin of Halo wondered where the man had come from and who he was.

"No greeting for your first father, Prince Sage?" asked a voice from the tree. Closer inspection showed Windy sitting on a branch with her feet swinging down. She didn't seem to be interested in the goings on around her.

"What do you mean my first father? I only had my one father," bit Sage.

Windy barked a laugh. "Oh, that's good. Queen Serenity had an immaculate conception and, bam; the two of you were born. Right. Tell me another one."

"The Guardian is right, Sage. I would be your first father. The one that helped you come into the world in the Silver Millennium."

"So, you are my father. It is a pleasure to meet you."

The Sun King turned to Windy still in the tree. "I don't remember my son ever acting so polite. Did you do something to him?"

"Me? No. That would be the influence of his current family. Just like Serena was influenced by her second birth family. Too bad they had such little faith in her."

"Everyone had little faith in Rena," said Sage. "No one would look past her act to see what she truly was."

"No one?" asked Windy with an arched eyebrow. "I certainly did know her importance and tried to protect her as much as I could in the past and the present. Her mother did little to get to know her and your father couldn't leave everything just to see her on a whim now could he. He was having as much trouble as the Moon with the rebellion sitting so close to him as well."

"I would have loved to see Serena as she grew up. May be I would have been able to help her more then her mother seemed to have. I didn't agree with the marriage arrangement and I was saddened that Serenity had sent you all away before I could see you. I may not have been able to stop your deaths, but I would have liked to let you know I did love you before you were swept away into the mists of time."

Sage digested what he had been told and it didn't taste very good on his tongue. Windy had been the most honest out of all the mystics he had come across and what little Sailor Pluto and the other Outers had told him of Serena's current lifetime, their mother had much to answer for. Sage decided to trust what Windy was doing and see what else the King and Guardian had in store for him. "I don't think that Windy brought us here for a reunion so we should probably get down to business. What else do you have to say father?"

"That's the son I raised," laughed the Sun King. "The Lady Guardian came to me about a concern that she and I guess a few others have about you and a certain princess. That you haven't let her near enough to you to even try talking to her about anything."

Sage narrowed his eyes at Windy. "What princess?" he asked his father.

"It would be the Princess of Jupiter, Makato Lita, I believe."

"I don't see why I should talk to her. She had as little faith in Rena as Rena's family or mother. She turned on Rena just before Lady Windy brought Serena here. Then the Lady had the gall to bring the traitor here and close to Rena. History will happen all over again. Something will happen and Sailor Jupiter will forsake all vows she made to her princess and leave Serena in the lurch."

"Not this time, my son," said the Sun King. "This time Sailor Jupiter will make her stand and the powers that be will listen. Once she has made her pledge, then she can't revoke it. Everything will mark her word and proceed from there. It will be binding."

"Great," said Sage sarcastically. "Makato will be bound to Serena. But why should I talk to her?"

The Sun King looked at the Guardian again. "What happened to my son that he would avoid talking to a woman much less the one he has affection for?"

Windy gave Sage a measuring look. "I would say that it was something to do with his current life and family as well. He wasn't the oldest this time and had to put up with older sisters."

Sage grew angry. "That isn't any of your or his business. My family life is mine to deal with."

Windy looked at the Sun King. "I was right."

Father looked at son. "Sage, I loved you and I will continue to love you. What happened in your new family isn't any of my business, but you must overcome your fear. It will only lead you to an unhappy ending if you don't have the courage to overcome it. I loved Serenity when I married her and I still do even if I don't agree with what she did. I almost lost her to another suitor and almost lost my daughter to a Prince in another galaxy. I put my fear aside to claim the one I loved and to put my foot down before Serenity betrothed Serena to that prince. Now I give you the same advice. Don't let your love escape you. Fight for her and don't stop fighting until you win her or she gives you a reason to stop. Control your fate, don't let it control you."

"Is that all?" asked Sage.

"No. I love you and Serena and I always will. Do me proud; live your lives." The Sun King turned to Windy. "I'm ready to go back now. If I stay away too long, then someone will start thinking that they should be doing my job and I hate to get rid of good help for just being pushy."

Windy jumped down from her perch in the tree and bowed to the King with a mocking smirk on her face. "As you wish mighty king of the Sun."

"Don't give me that," growled the King. "I have enough of that from the Court. I almost prefer you calling me old man."

Windy's smirk became a mischievous grin. "If that is your wish..."

The Sun King waved at her disgustedly. "Just get me home."

Windy waved her own hand and the Sun King was returned to his palace and work. Then she turned to Sage. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Say it now before you get home. I don't want the whole area to blow up from your temper."

Sage scowled. "You didn't have to do that. I was content with the way things are. I didn't need anything from my father let alone a talk about my feelings."

Windy gave him a measuring look and started to walk around the pond. "Actually, yes, you did. I'm sure you were quite happy stalking around the house in a perpetual black cloud, making your twin miserable, and snapping at the Seasonals and Lita. Yes, you were doing quite well making progress and settling with the new changes."

Sage exploded. The ghost was just asking for it and he was finally going to give it to her. "Yes, I was miserable. I was confused," he yelled. "I saw the person that I didn't know if I liked after I heard that she had betrayed my sister. I saw the fear in Serena's eyes when Lita was first brought here. I wasn't sure if I could cope with her being here, my feelings, and the feelings of my sister. Then Cale started to pay attention to her and I began to think that I wouldn't get to tell her anything. When she asked for Serena's forgiveness, I felt a little better, but I had been hiding my feelings for so long then and now that I don't know where to start. Heck, Makato probably is with Cale right as we speak."

Windy wasn't looking at Sage at the end of his tirade; she was looking at the pond. She gave a slight smile and turned to Sage. "Actually she is with Cale at this moment." Windy forestalled Sage's "I told you so" with a raised hand. "You want to know what she's talking about? She's asking your rival about you. She wants to know as much about you as she can get without annoying you. You have been so grouchy that she is walking on eggshells around you. She just wants to know if you really return her feelings that she is finally acknowledging."

Sage was going to say something, but Windy interrupted him again. "Before you say anything more, Lita had a rough time in her previous dimension. She was a tomboy who lost her family and had only the other Sailors for a family. Yes, she was afraid when Rini was killed, that is a natural reaction. How many times have you yelled at Ryo for almost killing himself? If I recall it was plenty of times. The only difference is that Ryo hears it and an apology from you and has a case of guilt. Serena heard the condemning, but no apology and she has a case of low self-esteem. Ryo knows that you support him because you are friends. Serena only had the support because she was found to be the legendary and missing moon princess the Sailors were looking for. The Outers didn't have this trouble because they had a different mission given to them by Serenity. They saw the power Serena has learned to weld and understand that she will have to work at the rest of the power. The Inners who betrayed her had a knack for their powers and expected her to also. Kind of hard to remember something taken away from you by your own mother and then given power by the Silver Crystal, isn't it?"

Sage nodded his head. He could understand that part, but why out of all of them did Lita come back when she was one of the ones who betrayed in the first place?

"Lita wasn't given a chance by anyone by the time she had come to Serena's school. She had been the person accused of causing fights, so no one came close to her. Then Serena came into her life. Serena didn't care that she was taller then everyone or that she was strong and could win any fight against any bully. All Serena cared for was the fact that Lita was a great cook and was willing to be her friend. Serena made friends with all her Sailors before they found their powers, but Lita was the most loyal out of the Inners." Windy looked back down at the pond again. "When we get back, Lita will be on the back porch. I would suggest that the two of you go someplace private and talk. I think that Ryo and I will be able to keep any nosey people from interrupting and I'm sure that Rowen will be happy that you are finally doing something about your problem."

"So the great Guardian and the Sun King commands me to talk to Makato?" asked Sage mockingly.

Windy shook her head. "No a concerned father and a worried friend ask you to talk to Lita. For the good of you, Lita, your sister, and the rest of the group. By the end of this trial, we will need a united front and you will have to work with Lita sooner or later."

Sage was resigned. "Since you put it that way, I'll talk to her. Don't expect miracles like I'll fall desperately in love with her like Serena and Rowen are. I doubt that will happen."

Windy shrugged. "Not asking for any. Besides, I just give the messages; I don't orchestrate how things will turn out. For all I know, you and Lita will be as attached to each other as Serena and Rowen are. Then there will be even more complaints of needing to brush teeth due to the sappiness in the house."

"Whatever. Can we go now?"

"Sure." Windy looked at the pond once more. The surface showed Lita and Sage in a very long kiss on the back porch. In the background was a smug looking Ryo and Rowen with Mia and Serena grinning like fools. Cye was off to another side trying to keep Kento's mouth covered while he timed the kiss. Windy was sure that the kissing pair didn't even know they had an audience as they continued the kiss. Windy turned to leave the neutral Middle World and the pond of Water of Sight. When pictures were clear like that then Windy was pretty sure that was going to happen. A quiet query to the Author of Life confirmed that she had one less worry on her hands. It was now time to let the two hammer out the rest of the relationship on their own without her intervention.


Lita was on the back porch when Windy returned Sage to the Mortal Realm. Windy smiled at the tall girl and continued into the house. Sage stopped on the steps and looked at the Jovian princess. Lita looked back at him and waited for him to speak.

"Mak-" Sage's voice broke and he had to start again. In the house Windy silenced any giggles with a sharp look. "Makato, I was wondering if you would take a walk with me and we could talk about what happened in the past."

Lita smiled, relieved. May be Sage was finally going to speak with her about what was going on between the two of them. "I would like that. Thank you." She joined him on the steps and they started for the woods. White Blaze looked at the ghost and Windy shook her head. The forest would tell her if there was any trouble; she could get help there in a flash. Literally.

"This should be promising," said Serena. "I almost wish I could follow them and see what they have to say."

"I don't think so, Angel. Sage would be furious that anyone followed him and heard what he said."

"He's right, Serena," said Ryo. "Sage is a very private person in this time. His family taught him a lot on controlling himself and his emotions. He wouldn't want an audience."

"Still..."

"Serena, did you like it when the others watched you with-" Here Haruka spat. "-Darien on your dates? Give some consideration to your brother."

"And have some consideration for my floors, Haruka," said Mia. "You keep that up and you will be mopping ALL the floors in this house."

Michiru laughed lightly at her partner. "I think it best if you clean up your mess before Mia brings in reinforcement to back up her threat."

Haruka grumbled, Haruka groaned, but Haruka did as she was told and was given a smile from the owner of the house.

"This be a lesson to you, young Hotaru," said Windy. "Do as the head of the household says and you won't get into trouble."

"Since when do you follow that sage advice?" asked Dais from his seat at the table.

Windy smirked at the one eyed man. "Since I learned it at my parents knee. Or should I say over their knee. Spankings were given as deserved."

People moved in and out of the kitchen, but Windy and Ryo stayed by the back door to watch for the Ronin of Halo and the Princess of Jupiter. It was getting close to dark when the two returned. Sage nodded to his friend and the ghost and went up the stairs to his room. Lita smiled at Ryo and hugged Windy.

"Thank you. For everything," she whispered.

"Your welcome," Windy murmured back.

Lita went to her room, leaving Windy and Ryo sitting in the kitchen. "Did it go well?" asked Ryo.

Windy nodded her head as she watched the stars take their places for the night. "Yes, it did. It went very well."

Ryo gave Windy a grin and went in search of his girlfriend. Windy just watched the stars start their nightly dance for a bit before going to her own bed. Who knew what was going to happen the next day?