Chapter 3 - A love that loves to hate

Crystal Tokyo - Chambers in the Isolated Wings

Neo Queen Serenity lay in awake in bed, unable to sleep. She knew about the Epousers, nothing was hidden from her. Not even when Pluto had taken every precaution. She turned on her left side, facing the other occupant of the bed who was sound asleep. 'Whatever happens in the past now, is how my future will be shaped. This isn't right. I can't allow it. I could order Pluto to call back her message. Hmmph! I'm not even thinking clearly. I couldn't bring this in public, it would mean this one's execution. Treason is the only crime punishable by execution.' Serenity moved closer to the figure on the bed and slid her hand around its waist. 'As if I could hold on forever. This isn't right. I know. I should be in my chambers, in a bed where my husband lies, in a bed where I belong. I shouldn't have to sneak in here. I should check on my daughter's progress and not escape only to have lunch with you. Yet this unfamiliar bed where we lie together is the warmest I've been in since a long time. You've made me feel safe. A feeling I never experienced even with a legion guarding me. I sometimes wonder how it happened. I mean I know exactly how it happened, but I wonder when I fell out of lust and in love with you. Maybe it was at the banquet two years ago when every accidental brush with your skin sent tingles down my spine. I merely brushed it off, thinking it was a little chilly. Or perhaps it was long ago, when we battled Galaxia. When my hands itched to kill the one who took you away from me. Perhaps I've always loved you and never known it. Its funny isn't it. We both lived our lives as though there were nothing between us. I kept dismissing the heat when our bodies were closer than needed and you kept ignoring the spark when we touched.' The figure on the bed stirred slightly, as if disturbed by the line of thought of the awakened one. Serenity kissed it's ear. 'Perhaps if I'd done this sooner, I could have avoided all this heartache. I've been unfair to you, I know. I only wanted everyone to be happy. I love them. All I do, I do to make their future happy. My life would be a small price to pay if they could smile a little while longer. They've all died and come back - for me. You've died to protect me. Sometimes I wonder whether the reason you died was me. Me and my "love". I wonder whether my brother died because of my "love" for the world. I wonder when my love turned from something precious to the reason you all died. I wonder whether it will get you killed again, this time forever. When I think like that I feel fear. That's another thing you made me feel. I started imagining the ways someone could use me against you. How easy it would be to enter the castle through the kitchen backdoors and enter your chambers. Killing you wouldn't be simple for a skilled assassin, I know this. You're powerful but you always were a bit reckless. The fight might get you wounded or worse, killed. That day I had guards posted on the kitchen back doors, the passageway to your chambers secured and set another security alarm inside your room. My fear of losing you has done wonders for the castle's security system.' The object of Serenity's thoughts popped an eye open.

"Is something wrong?" said the voice, husky from sleep.

"No, everything's perfect" smiled Serenity. "Go back to sleep. We have a few hours before duty calls."

"Then I say lets put them to good use" said the figure in a suggestive tone. "Unless, of course, I've tired you out" said the mischievous lover with a twinkle in its eye.

Serenity giggled. Something that left the figure with a surprised expression and sudden lack of speech. Regaining the latter it said in a soft voice, "You haven't done that in ages. I thought the schoolgirl I once knew had become the Queen I love. I guess its always been the other way around. The girl I love has become a Queen." Serenity silenced her lover with a kiss and the spent the next few hours forgetting. Forgetting she was warming another's bed. Forgetting that Crystal Tokyo was alive with gossip about the Queen and her secret lover. Forgetting that she would have to return to her bed tonight, if only to sleep. Forgetting that it was her love that might destroy their future and their past.


Downtown Tokyo

"Fire soul" screamed Sailor Mars as she proceeded to reduce the youma to ashes. "and here I was beginning to get a little rusty."

"Deep Submerge". The ball of energy took out the youma at Mars' flank.

"Nice of you to show up" said Mars in the general direction of Uranus and Neptune who had joined the fight. "As you can see, we're a bit short handed" chuckled Mars as Sailor Moon shot her a withering look.

"The cast was just put on today. I can't disturb it too much." defended Moon as she kicked another youma in the gut. "It's not my fault Chibiusa decided to practice her karate lessons on me!"

"Can't you guys give it a rest? We're in battle for crying out loud!" said Jupiter, finding herself cornered by three youma.

"Shining Aqua Illusion" Sailor Mercury evened the odds against the youma by pushing them towards the center of the battlefield. "Minna, my scans show these are just dummies. It doesn't matter how many we kill. They'll keep coming until we determine which youma is the one that's multiplying itself."

"Well then I guess we'll have to kill 'em all. World Shaking" attacked Uranus, severing limbs of the closest four youma.

"Ara, Uranus, you seem to have a lot of energy today." conversed Neptune, now standing back to back with the wind senshi. "Don't over-exhaust yourself or you might not have the strength for more" she giggled suggestively.

"Don't worry Neptune I'll have plenty of energy left" said Uranus as she smiled and destroyed another youma.

"Uranus! Neptune! Continue flirting but give me some fire power!" said Venus as she was surrounded by six youma on the bridge while the others were still fighting the others underneath the bridge."Love me chain!" Venus wrapped the chain around a street lamp and flung off the bridge and onto the cement road. "Ow!. That's the last time I jump off a bridge in heels. Shit. Don't you guys know how to attack other senshi and spread yourself out? Its a better battle plan" advised the goddess of love as she saw the six youma were still pursuing her alone.

"Dead Scream"

"Silence Glaive Surprise"

Pluto and Saturn tackled the youma on Venus' left while she pounded the ones on the right. "That's right you youma scum. That'll teach you to mess with the goddess of love." Pluto sweat dropped while Saturn crinkled her mouth into what looked suspiciously like a smile.

"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss" said Sailor Moon, finishing the ugly youma that was the real one according to Mercury's scan. "Another one bites the dust" proclaimed the moon princess with a smug smile.

A woman suddenly appeared in front of Sailor Moon, a few feet away. She seemed human. Her long, light, blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and extreme beauty caught the attention of all the warriors. She had a cape on that hid her body well but hinted heavily at the full figure underneath it. The woman was smiling with a warm and friendly. She would have seemed harmless had she not appeared from thin air.

"Well done Royal Sailor Senshi. I expected nothing less of the Queen's finest." She glanced around them, looking at them as if seeing old friends. Her gaze lingered at Mars. Her eyes raking her body in a way that made Mars' body temperature rise considerably. She blushed and lowered her eyes but she could feel the gaze still on her body. It moved after a while and finally rested on Sailor Moon. "Queen Serenity-sama or should I call you Sailor Moon now? I've always wanted to see what this century was like. The way Mars ranted and raved about it I thought it would be paradise" she said as her voice grew more biting with every sentence, "but then again Mars isn't exactly honest, is she?" said the woman in a now disturbingly calm voice.

"We know who you are and why you're here and we're not going to let you harm anyone" said the senshi of death and rebirth as she looked the woman in the eye. "My friends will not die because of some jealous woman. My sense of friendship won't allow it"

"Friendship? Wow, I've really gone a long way into the past haven't I?" questioned the woman to no one in particular with a twinkle in her eye. "Well, anyway, we'll meet again and lets see if your sense of 'friendship' can stop the altercations of time I've already made by just being here. Ja ne." With that the woman disappeared into the same thin air whence she came from.

"OK now what?" said Sailor Moon impatiently. "How do we track her down? She hasn't done anything yet. I'm calling her bluff. Lets end this before it begins."

"I'm afraid what she said about disturbing the timeline was true Sailor Moon" said Pluto looking thoughtfully at the spot the figure had disappeared. "She's already damaged the future by her mere presence. She obviously has some ability to control time or else she wouldn't have been able to freeze the time around her body"

"She froze time around her body?" said Jupiter who was now completely puzzled.

"Yes" continued Mercury, picking up where Pluto left off. "There was gust of wind but not one strand of her hair was displaced. She's obviously disciplined enough to control her powers as well."

The Sailor Senshi stood silently for a few minutes, each in her own thoughts. Venus looked around and saw that the damage was enough for the local authorities to show up soon.

"Minna, lets discuss this in a more secure spot. Senshi meeting. Hikawa Jinja. Tomorrow."

With that the senshi de-transformed in the closest alleys and headed home.


Tsukino Residence

Chibiusa kicked a pile of junk on the floor of Usagi's room. 'Great, why do I have to be stuck in this dump while Saturn gets to go out and fight. In retrospect maybe I shouldn't have tried my karate moves on Usagi. Maybe she's having trouble in battle. I just wanted her to be proud of me in this century and the other. I guess I screwed things up again. I wonder if they're OK. I still can't believe what Pluto said. The Epouser is her. Mars' former lover. I can't believe it. Its the same woman who attended my 18th birthday banquet. The same woman who fought alongside the senshi. I guess life really can change a person. ' Chibiusa lifted a photograph of the inners from the top of the junk pile. They all had matching grins. Ami seemed a little embarrassed while Makoto looked like she was barely suppressing her laughter. Venus had made her Sailor V pose specially for the camera. Usagi looked, well, like Usagi. Rei seemed, peaceful? 'heh. I guess they all are progressing towards what they'll be like in my time. They're so different. All expect Puu of course. I don't think she has the ability to change anymore. Centuries of loneliness can do that to a person. Ha! I sound like Taru. Maybe I'm picking up some stuff after all.' Chibiusa began to pace up and down the room, avoiding the litter as much as humanly possible. 'Argh. I can't just stay here while they're out fighting. I can't fight since Pluto specifically forbade it and I can't sit here thinking up horrible deaths for them. Between the devil and the deep sea. Well I never did care much for drowning, so I guess I'm off.' Chibiusa was about to head out when she heard Usagi creep into her room through the window. 'I guess the choice was made for me again'


"Why the hell did you let them go!" stormed the black haired woman as she glared at her companion who seemed unfazed by her anger.

"Relax princess. Don't get your knickers in a knot. This requires precision not brute force. You want Pluto back don't you?" sneered the blonde who had just returned into the vortex after retreating from a fight with the senshi. "It doesn't matter how many youma we send. We have to send them after the right person."

"The pink lady. Send them after Serenity's daughter. She won't be able to refuse such negotiations."

"Pluto's too smart for you Sierra, she's forbidden the kid to battle. We have to get through nine senshi to get to her. However, Mars is already beginning to show physical signs of the wave I passed through her. It should give us some advantage." The blonde sat at the throne opposite Sierra. She was working with her towards a common goal, that didn't mean she had to like her. She actually despised Pluto's lover even before she became what she was.

"What do you propose we do then?"

"For now we wait. We find an opening and then take the girl." Both women then fell silent. Each lost in her own thoughts.

'I swear by any God in the universe. I'll make your life a living hell. You took away what was mine. Now I'll kill everything you love. Right in front of your eyes.'

At that moment, the two women's thoughts mirrored each other.


Ne, what do u think about the chapter? good? bad? horrible? Don't worry I never take criticism personally unless you're a homophobic flamer. Then I just laugh at you - As you see I'm desperately in need of a beta reader. Any volunteers?