Please R/R.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, never have, never will. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi, and I'm only borrowing them a bit.
***
That night, the leader of the revolution paced in front of her comrades. She held attention, her followers were rapt the way they once were with Selenity. She reveled in this change. "There is one more among us tonight," she intoned. "Another set of eyes has been opened, another heart desires more. Another mind is awakened to the truth."
She paused, surveying her small but powerful army. "The power of fire is on our side tonight, the flame of hatred shall light beneath our army, and we shall be unstoppable. The White Moon kingdom will be brought to justice. And from the ashes a new kingdom will emerge, one of freedom. One free of fear, one free of oppression. Who is with me?"
A rousing cheer hit the air. The new recruit gazed uncertainly at her fellows, fear plain in her eyes.
"Do not be afraid, my dear," the leader said in a voice that would have seemed kind, had her followers not known her true, ruthless nature. "You are allowed to be afraid and confused at first. All of my agents were in the past, and look how loyally they follow my regime now. Look how they dedicate their lives, their very souls to my cause. To the disruption of the White Moon kingdom. Be afraid now, fire child, be cautious, feel regret if you so choose, but do so knowing that while your heart may pang, your head is truly the stronger and more noble organ, the one whose orders dictate you. Hear me now, my people!" she called loudly to the crowd. "Notions of love are ludicrous fantasies, woven by your true enemy, the White Queen Selenity! Do not be fooled by her hearty notions, but understand that they shall be her downfall! The people she so foolhardly places trust in, they shall be her enemy! Her world comes to an end tonight!"
She was greeted by yet another cheer, more raucous than the first.
The new recruit, standing to the leader's left, as Number One held her usual position as right-hand man, turned to her new commander with eyes that were dead. "Prin--that is, Mistress," she amended, looking sheepish, sorrowful, and fearful, "she knows. Sailorvenus. She's overheard a conversation between yourself and Number One, and she knows. She knows too much."
"I am aware; Makoto has already informed me of such actions against us," the leader said, looking nothing if not unconcerned. "Fear not. One girl is hardly an army."
"But Mistress..." the new recruit hedged, "didn't this army here start from humble beginnings? From a young girl, seeing the light?"
"Your point is?" the leader said coldly.
"I don't think we should eliminate Sailorvenus as a non-threat. At least, not just yet."
"Number One! Do you hear these things?"
"Yes, Mistress," Number One said reverently, bowing her head in respect.
"And what say you?"
"Mistress, I...I do believe our newest recruit has a point," she said. "Venus is too far into the White Kingdom, too full of love for Selenity to be swayed easily, if at all. On the other hand, I don't think she has substantial power to rise an army against us."
"What do you propose then, Number One?"
Number One glanced between the two women before her. Leave Venus go, and there was the chance that she could be a weapon against them. Kill her with the rest...but Venus was once a friend. Was still a friend, even now.
She grew aware of the Mistress's patient stare. She had been earnest when she'd declined from battle. Her duties did lie with Selenity and the White Moon. And while her loyalties truly lay with the revolution, she couldn't easily or with good conscience fight against the people she'd once fought with.
"I think we should..."
***
Selenity was alone in her quarters when Minako entered without knocking. The Queen of the Moon Kingdom glanced at the mirror which she'd been sitting before, brushing her hair, and her eyes focused from her own reflection to that of her intruder. She turned to look fully at Venus.
"Minako? Isn't it a bit late for you to be wandering the halls, going into people's chambers without sufficient warning?" she said. Whether it was an admonishment or not, Minako couldn't tell. After Chibi-Usa had gone missing, presumed to be dead, something in the queen had died. Her old persona, the Usagi that everyone knew and loved, had been banished from her soul, leaving only the queen. It wasn't that the regal, noble woman was unloving or unlovable, merely that she seemed so distant, so unconcerned with anything but policies. Minako and each of the senshi, or so she had previously thought, longed to put some spark back into her old friend, but it seemed impossible to do, especially with the truth she was about to deliver.
"I have some bad news, your majesty, that couldn't wait for another time." Unable to stop herself, Minako started to cry slightly, just filled with remorse.
For the briefest flash of a second, though no longer, there was a bit of life behind the cool blue eyes. "What is it, Minako?"
"I...I heard word that there is some sort of revolution going on. There may be an attack against the kingdom, against *you*, tonight. I don't know who they are. But they...they killed her. The princess."
"Is this true?"
"I believe so," Minako said, wiping at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, then assuming the most commanding posture that she could, trying to convey strength and her loyalty to Selenity.
The queen slumped into her chair, looking older and more tired than Minako had ever seen her, or had ever wished to. "I see."
There was the longest silence. "What should I do, your majesty?"
"I don't know," the queen said carelessly. "Assemble the troops."
"There's a problem with that..." Minako hedged, biting her lip. "Several of the senshi have joined the revolution. Setsuna, Makoto...maybe others. I don't know."
"I see." She said nothing else.
And Minako realized in that moment that she was without a leader.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, never have, never will. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi, and I'm only borrowing them a bit.
***
That night, the leader of the revolution paced in front of her comrades. She held attention, her followers were rapt the way they once were with Selenity. She reveled in this change. "There is one more among us tonight," she intoned. "Another set of eyes has been opened, another heart desires more. Another mind is awakened to the truth."
She paused, surveying her small but powerful army. "The power of fire is on our side tonight, the flame of hatred shall light beneath our army, and we shall be unstoppable. The White Moon kingdom will be brought to justice. And from the ashes a new kingdom will emerge, one of freedom. One free of fear, one free of oppression. Who is with me?"
A rousing cheer hit the air. The new recruit gazed uncertainly at her fellows, fear plain in her eyes.
"Do not be afraid, my dear," the leader said in a voice that would have seemed kind, had her followers not known her true, ruthless nature. "You are allowed to be afraid and confused at first. All of my agents were in the past, and look how loyally they follow my regime now. Look how they dedicate their lives, their very souls to my cause. To the disruption of the White Moon kingdom. Be afraid now, fire child, be cautious, feel regret if you so choose, but do so knowing that while your heart may pang, your head is truly the stronger and more noble organ, the one whose orders dictate you. Hear me now, my people!" she called loudly to the crowd. "Notions of love are ludicrous fantasies, woven by your true enemy, the White Queen Selenity! Do not be fooled by her hearty notions, but understand that they shall be her downfall! The people she so foolhardly places trust in, they shall be her enemy! Her world comes to an end tonight!"
She was greeted by yet another cheer, more raucous than the first.
The new recruit, standing to the leader's left, as Number One held her usual position as right-hand man, turned to her new commander with eyes that were dead. "Prin--that is, Mistress," she amended, looking sheepish, sorrowful, and fearful, "she knows. Sailorvenus. She's overheard a conversation between yourself and Number One, and she knows. She knows too much."
"I am aware; Makoto has already informed me of such actions against us," the leader said, looking nothing if not unconcerned. "Fear not. One girl is hardly an army."
"But Mistress..." the new recruit hedged, "didn't this army here start from humble beginnings? From a young girl, seeing the light?"
"Your point is?" the leader said coldly.
"I don't think we should eliminate Sailorvenus as a non-threat. At least, not just yet."
"Number One! Do you hear these things?"
"Yes, Mistress," Number One said reverently, bowing her head in respect.
"And what say you?"
"Mistress, I...I do believe our newest recruit has a point," she said. "Venus is too far into the White Kingdom, too full of love for Selenity to be swayed easily, if at all. On the other hand, I don't think she has substantial power to rise an army against us."
"What do you propose then, Number One?"
Number One glanced between the two women before her. Leave Venus go, and there was the chance that she could be a weapon against them. Kill her with the rest...but Venus was once a friend. Was still a friend, even now.
She grew aware of the Mistress's patient stare. She had been earnest when she'd declined from battle. Her duties did lie with Selenity and the White Moon. And while her loyalties truly lay with the revolution, she couldn't easily or with good conscience fight against the people she'd once fought with.
"I think we should..."
***
Selenity was alone in her quarters when Minako entered without knocking. The Queen of the Moon Kingdom glanced at the mirror which she'd been sitting before, brushing her hair, and her eyes focused from her own reflection to that of her intruder. She turned to look fully at Venus.
"Minako? Isn't it a bit late for you to be wandering the halls, going into people's chambers without sufficient warning?" she said. Whether it was an admonishment or not, Minako couldn't tell. After Chibi-Usa had gone missing, presumed to be dead, something in the queen had died. Her old persona, the Usagi that everyone knew and loved, had been banished from her soul, leaving only the queen. It wasn't that the regal, noble woman was unloving or unlovable, merely that she seemed so distant, so unconcerned with anything but policies. Minako and each of the senshi, or so she had previously thought, longed to put some spark back into her old friend, but it seemed impossible to do, especially with the truth she was about to deliver.
"I have some bad news, your majesty, that couldn't wait for another time." Unable to stop herself, Minako started to cry slightly, just filled with remorse.
For the briefest flash of a second, though no longer, there was a bit of life behind the cool blue eyes. "What is it, Minako?"
"I...I heard word that there is some sort of revolution going on. There may be an attack against the kingdom, against *you*, tonight. I don't know who they are. But they...they killed her. The princess."
"Is this true?"
"I believe so," Minako said, wiping at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, then assuming the most commanding posture that she could, trying to convey strength and her loyalty to Selenity.
The queen slumped into her chair, looking older and more tired than Minako had ever seen her, or had ever wished to. "I see."
There was the longest silence. "What should I do, your majesty?"
"I don't know," the queen said carelessly. "Assemble the troops."
"There's a problem with that..." Minako hedged, biting her lip. "Several of the senshi have joined the revolution. Setsuna, Makoto...maybe others. I don't know."
"I see." She said nothing else.
And Minako realized in that moment that she was without a leader.