Chapter Eighteen
Two of a kind
"Oh Char…why are you doing this to yourself?" Charon sighed as she looked at her brother sorrowfully. "Can't you see how much you are hurting mother?"
Char's head was bowed and his sturdy hands firmly placed on his knees as he sat beside her on her luxurious bed. Due to the sheer lack of sleep he had managed to catch the night before the area around his eyes was ashen and his eyes themselves were bleak as he gazed down at his hands purposefully avoiding meeting the worried gaze of his sister. "She's in pain right now because she knows me so well that she can feel me decaying inside Charon." He replied in such a gentle voice that for a moment she thought that he had drifted off and was talking in his sleep. "It isn't me who's hurting her…she's doing that herself by caring so much." Prince Char, son of the King and Queen of the Outer Moon's face was a shade of dark grey on that particular morning since peaceful sleep had eluded him for many nights over the past few months since his return from serving in the great war between Pluto and its rival planet Palazea.
The weariness afforded to him by many nights spent gazing at the sky were beginning to tell on even his stubborn mind and he didn't even bother to pass the back of his hand over his eyes – the weariness in his body no longer even bothered him and instead masked the real greyness that weighed him down from the inside during his ever waking hour.
The Charonian Prince's once sparky and alert eyes of blue were now pensive and always seemed distant as if his thoughts were a long way away, an unimaginable distance from where he was.
A few months ago his face had been bright and attractive – so appealing that whenever he had attended social events he had been surrounded by the women of the court who had begged constantly for his hand on the dance floor, so much so that many thought it strange that at thirty years old the Prince had still not taken a bride. Now though his face maintained its handsome quality it had lost its edge and seemed always to wear a gaunt, haggard expression as if he was tired of the entire universe and only wanted everything and everybody to leave him alone.
"But why can't you just let us help you?" Charon asked quietly as she moved over and put her gentle hand on his shoulder, seeking for his grey-circled eyes as she tried to connect with her brother. "Char why are you still hanging on to whatever is hurting you like this? Why do you refuse to open up to our mother instead of building a wall between yourself and the people who love you?"
Char looked at her for the first time since he had arrived in her room and managed to twist his careworn mouth in a grateful but tired smile. "Charon…you're so caring. I know that you only want to help me and I'm happy to have a sister like you…" just as Charon was beginning to smile as she hoped that she had gotten through to him Char gently put his fingers around her hand and took it from his shoulders, firmly placing it back on her lap. "…but there's nothing you can do – nothing anyone can do for me. I need to face this alone – I have to find my own way out of what I'm going through right now or I'll never be able to rely on my strength ever again. You'll understand some day."
"Understand? What precisely do you want me to try to understand Char?" Charon exclaimed in disbelief. "That I had to stand by and watch as my only brother faded away before my eyes because he was too proud to ask his own family for help? Is that the lesson here? Is this what you want to pass on to me, your sister?"
Char winced – he could detect the anger in her clear voice, feel it. He had just known that this was going to happen when he had come to say good morning to her.
As soon as she had answered his knock at the door she had taken a single look at him and from then on she had been absolutely no-nonsense. Charon had told him to come in, closed the door behind him with one hand and ushered him over to the bed by placing the other between his shoulders and sending him on his way with a stern push.
Charon took a deep breath – she was frustrated and angry at him for being so stubbornly determined to refuse anybody's help right now but at the same time she had to bite her lip and resist the temptation to bury her face in his shoulder and cry for him – she could feel just by sitting with him the depth of the pain he tried to keep hidden inside and she knew that whatever happened to him now, no matter whether she or anyone else could do anything about it Char's wound would never truly heal. "Char…" she began in such a gentle voice after her burst of anger that her brother turned and stared at her in blank surprise. "It's time for you to move on. It has been for a while – the war ended nearly half a year ago and whatever you went through during that time you should let it go and forget. If you can't…or won't turn your back on whatever it was then at least try to let go of the memory for mother's sake if not yours."
Char's expression was as bitter as he felt and told of his inner struggle against doing what she urged him to do – the Prince was sorely tempted but he just couldn't. Char felt that he could never bear to let go of the memory of what he had seen, done, felt and said during the war because of one very special memory that was mixed in with all of the bad that had happened – a memory that was precious to him and came with all of the bad. Char was afraid that if he let it slip away then with the passing of time her lovely face would fade like his own reflection in a rippling ocean until he could no longer even remember what she looked like. If he faltered and let go even for a little while then the memory of the one woman he had ever loved would become no more than that…a memory.
So he held on to the time he'd spent by her side during the horrors of the war even though he knew that no matter how clearly the image of her face remained in his thoughts, no matter how long he kept her dark eyes in his heart he'd never see her again – memory was the only thing he had left of her and though they filled him with weariness and grief of what he'd lost he held on to them. "I've stayed too long." Char unexpectedly remarked. "It's been good to see you again sister. Goodbye dear, sweet Charon."
Charon watched helplessly as he rose to his feet evidently intent on leaving her room. A moment ago she had been quivering with frustration because of her brother but now that he was going she felt an empty wrench inside of her – she knew that she was only going to worry about him while she wasn't able to watch him. "Char…" she whispered even though she knew that nothing she could say would change a thing.
"Please sister – don't prolong this." he said without so much as turning to look at her over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. "When I'm gone go back Charon. Go back to your own life and don't remember what's going on in mine. Don't let your spirit be weighed down by me – I don't want that, you know it. Never."
Charon opened and closed her mouth as he turned the door-handle, desperately trying to think of something to say to him – she didn't want to let it end like this, she just couldn't let him go while he still felt like this…
"Our mother hurts more than you realise Charon." Char said right of the blue as his hand froze on the door-handle. "I'm glad that you don't understand the real reason for her pain…that you're still so innocent and pure that you don't see through the anguish. And I hope you never lose that the way I did. Charon, she hurts because she's helpless to do anything to ease my heartache and that's because she doesn't know who I am anymore. And the worst part is that I don't either. That's the price we pay for this 'freedom'. Independence changes everything when it hits you Charon. The world you live in, the way you used to look at it…even yourself."
Before his sister could reply he pulled the door open and walked out of her bedroom without any further delay.
"Char…" Charon cried out to him as the door closed, separating her from her older brother. "…goodbye."
As he gently closed the door behind him its heavy creaking was far more mournful than anything he could possibly have said to her.
~*~*~
Universe stepped into the long passageway that led to Charon's room with a peculiar unaccustomed look on her face.
Estrella was no longer held in her arms as she closed the door behind her since she had left the kitten behind with Mercury – neglecting to ask her if it was alright to do so. As Universe had been heading for Mercury's room she had felt a strong desire to see Charon all of a sudden – she was now fascinated to find out if she would be able to see any more depth in the green-haired princess now that she had gotten to know her mother.
However she had known that she wouldn't be able to get a single word in with Estrella tagging along and being resourceful as she was the purple-haired girl had not taken too long in overcoming this complication in her plan. Quietly and almost like a spider Universe had set Estrella down outside Mercury's room, opened the door just a little ajar and then cheerfully told the kitten to go in and play with the blue-haired Princess.
It had been a perfect solution – she had averted the possibility of Mercury not agreeing to look after Estrella by not giving her a chance to object.
Fiendish… Universe thought with a satisfied smirk on her face as she looked around the corridor. Mercury's sure to forgive me…it's one of the things she does best for me.
Universe couldn't wait to see Charon and as she walked briskly down the corridor in the direction of her room she once more compared the green-haired Princess to her mother and marvelled at just how similar the two of them were in looks and personality – the only significant difference between them was the colour of their eyes and that didn't mean a thing.
As Universe raised her eyes upward and smiled thoughtfully she wondered just how much like her mother Charon would be one day and so she didn't notice that the very door she was heading for at the end of the passageway was quietly opening…
Prince Char lay back heavily against the door that had just closed behind him and breathed a great sigh that told more than words could have done. Since his eyes were firmly fixed on the floor in front of his feet he did not notice the purple-haired girl walking towards him, her face tilted upward in thought.
Char felt utterly exhausted as he lay back against the door and began to ponder the state that he had allowed his life to fall into – bleakly he thought about the world he now lived in and his place in it.
Char didn't think that he could ever get used to this life again after what had happened to him – falling in love had changed the way he had seen things forever and now that he'd lost that Char was bewildered and filled with a black emptiness where his hope had once been.
My mother thinks that I can just go back to the way things were before… the Prince thought and his eyes were bleak and completely devoid of hope now as he thought about the simpler and innocent days before he had seen his first battle. But how can my life go back to the way it was now that I've felt the touch of the woman I love? And how will I ever know peace again now that it'll never happen again?
Now that he'd started to think about the subject of his mother he closed his eyes and began to feel much worse than he'd woken up feeling that morning – the misery that now freshly awakened as he thought about the last time they had spoken the night before was especially unbearable because now he could feel his conscious beginning to stab at him…
The memory of the previous night was so harsh that he felt as if he'd gone back to re-live it.
Char could practically see his mother standing right in the middle of the doorway having managed to corner him and block his only avenue of escape – Char had spent the entire evening brooding in the courtyard in order to avoid the flocks of young ladies who would have surrounded him immediately if he'd gone into the Ball-Room.
The green-haired young man who just happened to be the Prince of the Outer Moon just wanted to stay away from anybody who knew him, be alone with only his own thoughts and feelings for company and by slipping away from his mother and father as they had entered the Ball Room thinking that he had still been behind them he'd managed to achieve this desire.
But as the hours had dragged by the Prince had realised that having time alone to think about his mistakes hadn't been the wonderful gift he'd imagined it would be.
Instead of being able to sort out everything that had happened to him Char had found himself dwelling on the pain that he had begun to carry around inside from the day he'd lost the most important person in his life.
It had been so overwhelming that the sound of his mother's voice sternly calling out his name had come almost as a relief. "I shouldn't even be here." Char had muttered darkly as he and his mother had begun what she had quaintly described as 'a little talk'. "I should be back home taking care of Rika…"
"Rika will be fine without you crowding her all day and night Char." Chara had informed him cuttingly. "Do not worry yourself about her. I made perfect arrangements for her to be looked after while we are away. I wish that she could have come with us but with her cold she wouldn't have been able to come on the ship."
"All the more reason that I should have stayed with her." Char remembered how he had snapped with a strong edge of testiness in his voice.
Chara had felt anger brewing inside her at the tone he had used to speak to her but she had kept calm knowing that her just indignation would not help her get through to her wayward son. "Char…you did not even try to be there for your sister tonight." She said quietly but even he could not ignore the sadness and disappointment in her eyes as he looked up and met her almost beseeching gaze. "Charon misses you. She wanted to see you so much and you let her down! And now you aren't even going to tell me why?"
Char's harsh and grim expression had wavered as she realised that she was right, that he had disappointed his sister for no reason and as she had watched his softening expression Chara had felt hopeful…
But her hope came to nothing as her son narrowed his eyes and turned his back on her resolutely. "She'll get over it." He replied curtly. "Everybody is disappointed in life…the sooner she gets to know that feeling the better."
Chara's face was disbelieving as she stared at his back. "Is that all you have to say?" she demanded in mounting anger.
"I'm sorry…I just couldn't come." Char explained as he felt extremely ashamed of what he had done, what he had just said but didn't want to show it. "Charon had you and father…I couldn't go in there."
Chara thought that she heard a weakening in his voice and now she walked over to stand by her son who stood with his shoulders slumped. "Why?" she asked gently as she moved to put her arms around him and show him that whatever was happening to him he wasn't alone. "Tell me…it might help."
Char had felt her closeness and like a startled animal he had stepped out of her reach – he couldn't let her touch him, he didn't deserve her comfort.
Not now or ever.
Chara's face was stricken with the hurt that she felt inside as her son seemed to spurn contact from her and her hand remained in the air where she had started to move it towards him, never reaching him.
"In my current mood the company would have been too merry and bright for me to bear." Char had replied sourly.
"Well there were many pretty young women at the party." His mother had mildly remarked. "I am sure that they would have liked to meet you."
Char's lip had curled scornfully. "I might have appreciated the company of such a great number of pretty young women." He replied, his voice making it crystal clear that he severely doubted it "If that was how I saw them."
"Well how do you see them?" Chara had replied in exasperation as she had reached the verge of giving up.
For a while they had stood in heavy silence and then he answered her in a low and bitter voice. "As competitors for a prize…and that prize is myself."
Char sighed wearily – she understood how he felt about that at least since she herself had not been thrilled about being expected to put up with such things when she had attended parties in her youth but really that was no excuse for the way he was acting.
The Queen wished that she understood why Char was in such pain – she wished that he would let her into his heart so that she could help him find his way out of the misery that he was so hopelessly lost in…he had learnt how to resist telepathic advances while away during the war and so she could not read his mind anymore so long as he kept it closed to her.
"Char…listen to me please." She had pleaded as she had approached him again. "We are all here for you…"
Char blew up – there was no other way to describe his explosion of anger and frustration. For God's sake let it go!" he cried flinging his arms into the air in exasperation. "Why don't you just stop hounding me like this? Don't you get it? I can't tell you about it! Not now, not ever…it's a part of me nobody can ever know about! Please…just let it rest!!!!"
A long silence had hung over them both as his anger had died away and he had fallen back and slumped against a pillar, exhausted after his outburst.
Chara had stared at him in silence, her face now a tight mask of anger as she had recovered from the shock of his tirade but when she had finally broken the silence her voice had become deadly calm. "There is something that I have come to tell you Char…we are all going to be staying here for the rest of the week."
Char's back had stiffened as he had realised what she had just said and though he hadn't looked up at his mother his eyes had filled with disbelief.
What?!
"Charon asked us to stay so that she could see us for a few days before we have to be parted from her again – so we will be here for the rest of the week." His mother had gone on sternly. "We shall see if you are the same person you came here as when the day comes for us to leave again my son."
Char had felt completely numb as his mother had turned and walked back into the palace and such had been his shock that he had barely heard her whispering back to him "I love you dear." as she had left.
Alone again Char had stood rigid with shock, reeling at what he had just heard. Then even before he had realised what he was doing he had raised his fist and punched the pillar he was leaning against in frustration.
Damn it to hell… he'd thought savagely without even feeling the sharp, shooting pain that had flooded into his hand…
Char sighed – when he had seen the anger and hurt in her eyes they had not fazed him for he'd been too wrapped up in his own bitterness to take them in but now that he looked back on that night he felt sorry for what he'd said to his mother, the woman who had loved and raised him, more than he could bear.
Very much he wanted to go to her and tell her that he was sorry…if she would even be able to bear to look at him, the son who had treated her like a total stranger and thrown back her care and concern in her face…
Wondering how all of this was going to end he turned to set off for somewhere, anywhere he could go to and keep out of sight for the entire day…
Universe's heart practically jumped into her mouth as she walked right into somebody and at the same time Char winced and out of instinct he grabbed the shoulders of the person who had just walked into his arms with a firm grip.
As if they had just been hit by lightning the two who had collided with each other in the corridor adjusted their eyes and locked gazes with each other – there was irritation on Universe's face but the look on Char's face remained as sombre as it had been a moment ago.
As the two looked into each other's eyes they both felt a sharp yet clear shock tingling through their bodies. Universe's annoyed look died away and Char stood and stared at her as he saw her fierce eyes. Both of them recognized what they saw in each other at once but it wasn't the face of the one they had walked into that shocked them so deeply that their hearts nearly stopped but the passion that they saw in their new-found companion's eyes
Char's face emptied of the depression that he had felt so heavily all morning and was replaced with pure surprise as he gazed intently at the strange purple-haired girl's face. Her eyes… he thought as he realised with a shocking jolt just who she reminded him of as she stared up at him like this. They look exactly like hers!
Again it wasn't the colour of her eyes that struck him as so like those of the girl he had known so well but the irritation in them – the passion.
"That was a little careless of you." Char heard himself remark to his own surprise.
Now why had he said that?
This guy… Universe thought, too startled to say anything in response for a moment as she gazed into his grey-circled eyes. His eyes…they're so sad. They look just like mine did after I stopped crying after…
"Well that's pretty good coming from you!" she retorted sassily. "Who was walkin' around all spaced out a second ago?"
Char thought about that as a frown crossed his face – he knew that of course she was right but even though he realised it he didn't see any reason to tell that she was right and he was wrong.
His frown deepened – now when had he thought this way about losing an argument before?
Of course…with her.
"Hey, your face…you're Char aren't you?" Universe asked after a thoughtful pause during which he had the time to look at his face and noticed just how like the King he was in features. "The son of Queen Chara and King Char – the brother of Princess Charon right?"
"I might be." Char remarked smiling a little in spite of his mood that he suddenly seemed to have forgotten as he stood gazing at her. "But would it be too much to ask to know the name of the young lady who just ran into me?"
"I wasn't running!" Universe blustered in protest. "I was…moving at a quick pace! I'm Princess Universe…what's it to ya?"
Char almost laughed – this girl's fiery manner and attitude reminded him so much of her – the girl whose death had caused him to sink into the depths of misery.
But why didn't they seem to be dragging him down all of a sudden?
Realising that her hands were resting on Char's chest where they had pressed as she had walked into him Universe jerked them away and took a step back but she didn't take her eyes from his ashen face for a moment. Despite her hotness towards the green-haired Prince Universe was fascinated in him because she could sense how miserable he was feeling.
The purple-haired Princess knew the pain that registered so clearly on his face just as well as she would have known a sister and she knew also that char had recently lost somebody close and that he blamed himself for that loss – because she felt it herself.
Suddenly even though she didn't understand why she flicked her waist-long hair over one shoulder and grinned. "Ya know the stars of this Kingdom are glorious at night…wanna see?" she asked coyly, wondering what she was doing.
Char suddenly realised that his heart was pounding – for the first time in months. "It's early morning your highness." He pointed out archly as he tried to hold back the blush that fought to cover his face as this beautiful girl asked him to accompany her. "Besides…this is the Moon kingdom! The stars here shine day and night!"
"Yeah I know – ain't it great?" Universe exclaimed with a laugh. "We get to see the stars whenever we want! But you you should know about that since you live on the OUTER Moon right?! Really time-effective if you ask me."
"I didn't." Char muttered as a smile crossed his face.
"Never mind that…I wanna go now! Coming?"
Char thought it over – he had only known her for a couple of minutes but he was shocked to realise just how much he wanted to get to know this girl who had walked into him. "Well I don't know…I'd love to but…"
"Nuh-uh!" Universe scolded as she walked up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. "No thinking! C'mon you!"
Universe had made up her mind – Prince Char fascinated her and she dearly wanted to know what the cause of his sadness was.
Charon could wait, she decided, her brother would only be here for a week and a lot could happen in that time.
Char gave a startled blink as she marched him up the corridor towards a stairway that would take them to the top of one of the towers of the palace…then he found himself doing something that he hadn't felt like doing for months.
A thing that he'd never believed he'd ever want to do again after his experiences had scarred him for life.
Char laughed as Universe led him away and went on laughing now that he'd gotten started.
As the two who had become friends the instant they had seen each others eyes walked away the door they had been standing in front of opened quietly and slowly and Charon carefully looked around it.
There was a secretive and speculative smile on Charon's face as she watched her brother being led away by Universe as she thought about how Char had relaxed during the purple-haired girl's company. With a much lighter heart she stepped out into the corridor, closed the door behind her and went to meet up with Mars and Venus as she normally did every morning.
~*~*~
"Kangero."
Char's eyes suddenly seemed clearer than they had been when he'd wakened that morning to another day of emptiness and despair as he finally said her name out loud.
Universe was watching him intently as he stood with his hands placed on the marble rail that ringed the edge of the top of the tower – her face was concerned as she looked at his back but also kind of relieved as she noticed that his shoulders had suddenly straightened up having been slumped ever since they had arrived.
After getting here they had spent the first twenty minutes gazing at the endlessly shining stars in the sky above the palace, neither of them the Prince or the Princess had been able to say a single thing as they thought about the strange effect that they had had on each other.
Char felt so relaxed around her that he'd begun to feel the defences that he'd spent so long putting up around himself lowering as her nearness to him melted them away until they were nothing more than shadows created by his own fear and doubt which must depart when the sun shone down on him.
And then for some reason that he still could not understand her name had come unbidden to his mouth and as he spoke it softly he felt the tiring sadness and pain that had been weighing him down ever since the terrible night her eyes had frozen slipping away until it was all but gone from his heart.
Still gazing straight ahead Char felt as though he had been blind for his entire life and was only now seeing the world that he had lived in for the first time.
"That was her name huh?" Universe asked softly – for her the experience of being so close to him was different. What he was going through made her feel protective of him because it was the thing that she was trapped in every day of her life.
Char nodded sombrely. "How did you know she was a 'she'?"
"I kinda guessed."
Char furrowed his brow and turned and gave her an odd look. "You speak a lot like her." He remarked quietly.
"Who was she?" Universe asked him directly, ignoring the comment. "Who was Kangero, Char?"
Char gazed at her and for a very short while he struggled against telling her about the first love of his life – in the end he lost the fight. "Kangero was…" his eyes became distant again as he thought about her but this time it was a different kind of distance – he realised that there were no words to describe just what she had meant to him. "…she was Kangero." He replied in such a simple voice that Universe stared at him.
Universe felt that even though he was speaking to her his voice was directed at somebody else, somebody not present. "She…I…we met in the aftermath of a battle during the war with Palazea. I'd only been called into battle for the first time that day so it was my first day of real combat. I wasn't prepared to take the life of another human and I froze right in the middle of the carnage…it was a blood-bath Universe and I just - froze!"
As Char lowered his head at the memory of that terrible day Universe gave him a look of wonder – she couldn't remember having ever felt like that about killing somebody else.
Of course she'd only ever killed in self-defence but then she'd begun fighting from such an early point in her life that she'd never felt the same as Char. But listening to him talking about how he felt about it she thought that she could understand what he was trying to say.
"I got knocked out and when I came around the first thing I saw was her." Char continued as he raised his eyes to meet her expectant gaze again. "It was the most incredible moment of my life…seeing her standing over me. She was so beautiful and that almost got me killed by her. But it's strange…I knew that I was in danger but that was the thing that made our first meeting so unforgettable."
Universe raised her hand so that she could cut in. "In danger from her?" she asked and raised her eyebrow. "You mean she was…"
Realising that she'd guessed the truth Char nodded gravely. "Yes – Kangero was one of them…the enemy." He admitted, his voice low and regretful as he remembered how Kangero's appearance had changed his life forever. "A Palazean."
Universe looked at him quietly for a moment. "You fell in love with…one of the enemy?" she asked hesitantly, unsure about how he'd react to that.
Char shook as head he remembered how effected he had been by the situation at the time. "No – it wasn't like that…" he struggled to protest to what he thought was her accusation.
"I know Char, I know." Universe smirked and gave him a reassuring nod. "I heard about how it was really the Emperor of Palazea who started that war by telling people that the Plutonians stole the source of the energy they needed to function in their everyday lives…the Palazean Stone. But after the end of the war it turned out that it was the Emperor himself who had denied them the energy of the Stone, blaming the people of Pluto so that his people wouldn't suspect him." She smiled sadly. "Up until then they'd existed in co-operation with Pluto…it's amazing how quickly people change when given an excuse huh?"
Char's eyes widened as he gazed at her in surprise – for a Princess she was well informed about the war.
Noticing the look on his face Universe laughed but it was a good-natured one. "What?" she asked teasingly as she folded her arms. "Why shouldn't I know so much about what happened back then? I mean come on – it was a pretty dark time and what happened effected us all! Is it because I'm a girl Char?"
Char's faced burned deep crimson. "No, no!" he spluttered embarrassed, "I didn't mean…"
Again Universe laughed and let him off the hook with a shrug of her shoulders. "War effects everyone Char." She told him in a serious voice. "It's not just you…that's how everyone feels about it."
The graveness of her eyes startled Char and he could tell that she knew what she was talking about. "Everybody…feels the way I do?" he asked quietly – somehow he felt that if she could believe that then so could he.
For just a second Universe wavered…then nodded her head firmly. "Everyone with a heart as good as yours." She murmured and gave him a smile.
Char felt his heart starting to pound again as she smiled at him so beautifully.
"The story." Universe prodded him, her face intent. "What happened next?"
Char coughed and plunged back into the tale of his first love. "Um…yes, well I thought about the morale implications of the situation and in the end I decided that I'd be compromising my loyalty to my people by allowing myself to love Kangero." The Prince fell into silence as he thought about how difficult it had been for him to make that choice, how painful it had been to follow through with it. "I know that it sounds like I took the cowards way out Universe but honestly it seemed like the responsible thing to do at the time. I didn't have any time to think about my own feelings either…I had to focus on the little matter at hand namely winning the war."
Char stopped talking and gazed intently at her face as he tried to glean from her eyes just what she thought about the decision he'd made regarding his attraction to Kangero – one of the enemy as she had put it. "Do you understand Universe?" he asked, his voice anxious.
Char was shocked to realise just how much he wanted the approval of this girl he had only met a short while ago…
Universe's face was empty of expression as she gazed at him. "It's not my place to judge you Char." She replied in a very neutral tone.
Char's shoulders slumped. "Oh…" he murmured as he wondered what she must think of him.
"But…I'm sure that you had the best intentions for your people." Universe said and Char looked sharply up and seeing the warm smile returned to her face he felt filled with confidence all over again. "Don't worry Char…I'm not sure what I'd have done if I'd been you but don't let it bother you so much."
"But it did!" Char blurted, unable to let the matter drop now that he'd raised it. "She made me feel so…"
"Forget about it." Universe hushed him soothingly. "It's past Char. So what was it like…being with her?"
Char took a deep breath as he prepared to delve into the part that hurt the most…the bitter end. "Kangero started out hating me Universe…well who could blame her? I was one of the enemy as far as she was concerned, one of the people who had stolen the source of her people's civilization…somebody who deserved nothing but death. But we turned that into a totally different passion, the two of us. It was so strong, so intense that neither of us could ignore it. And then it all came to a head…on the day the war ended." Char sighed as he thought about the memory of his darkest hour. "Only Princess Pluto and I know the truth about what really happened there…" he paused and then quietly added. "…and two other people."
Universe was silent but she was fascinated by the story that Char was telling her – hanging onto every word.
"I'll tell you what happened Universe…and this is something that I swore I'd never tell a soul. The final battle was joined in a valley outside the Imperial Castle of the Palazean Emperor. We'd decimated each other – our Soldiers and his legions – and we decided to take the fight to him…somehow we managed to overthrow the last of his dedicated Soldiers. The others had realised just how meaningless the war was and surrendered to us. Just when we'd thought that it was all over he came." Char's eyes hardened and Universe gave a shaking gasp at the sight of what she saw smouldering in them. It was an old weary flame that refused to die out…hatred. "The Emperor of Palazea who'd started the war and caused so much bloodshed to us and his own people…Cortez. And it was then that we found out what had really been going on all the time…while the was had been going on he'd been siphoning off the energy of the Palazean Stone and draining it's power into his own body. While his people had been dying for the sake of getting
it back Cortez had been coveting it for himself…his goal was to become a demi-god to rule over all the galaxies. But instead the raw power corrupted his body and made a monster of him, something that wasn't even recognizable as having been human once. I never actually got the chance to see what he looked like before he changed."
Universe's face was thoughtful as she nodded her head. "The truth about what happened to him was never made public." She mused wryly. "What you just told me explains a lot…and?"
Char closed his eyes as he tried to steady himself enough to go on with this – the memories of the day he'd gone through hell and been spat out again from the other end, scarred for life were agonizing to look back on but now that he faced them instead of trying to turn his back on them he realised that he could bear the pain that he'd felt while trying to bear their weight with his shoulders.
Universe was watching him and he sensed that she understood his pain – as she looked at him with that encouraging smile on her face he felt that he could do anything as long as she believed in him.
Char smiled but it was a heartbroken one as he finished his story. "Cortez hurled down the gates of his Castle and waded through the blood of anybody who was standing in his way. By the time the monster that had once been the ruler of Palazea reached me I was the only person left alive on the battlefield since he'd killed all of my men and his own last loyal followers. I tried my best but he was just too great for me…he was on the verge of killing me." His eyes opened and they were now distant and calmer but it felt like he'd gone far away from where he was standing with her. "Then when I thought my time had come…Kangero came. She'd decided that she belonged with her people the day before and gone her separate way…I'd prayed that I wouldn't meet her again because I didn't want to have to kill her. But she saved my life, fought for me even though she knew that we had no future together, that she didn't stand a chance against him…and he killed her."
Universe was holding her breath as she listened – she had realised what must have happened to give him such agony but now that he'd said it out loud it hit her like a body-blow.
With no idea how she was feeling as she listened Char went on. "I can't remember a whole lot about what happened next…when I realised that she was going to die it all became a red haze. But I hated him so much for what he'd done…what he took from me…that I couldn't rest until he was dead by my hand." He hung his head and breathed the words that told the sheer depth of his rage. "I fought him with all my strength…through the pain and exhaustion. I couldn't die there and I couldn't leave without killing him. I refused to let that monster live after stealing Kangero's chance to have a normal, happy life…"
"…with you." Universe murmured quietly as she felt a lump rising in her throat as she finally realised just how much he had lost that day.
Char looked up at her again and now his face js much as actually living is. You've just gotta accept that side of life too - take the rough with the smooth as a friend of mine once said. But what you need to know is that I felt exactly the way you do now. I tried to shut out everyone around me and when I met someone who really wanted to help me I closed my ears to what she was trying to say. I guess that makes me a pretty inappropriate person to be trying to tell this to you but in the end I let her into my heart…" she smiled at Char again. "…and it got better. It really did Char. She gave me people to care about – it's just like Venus's story, you know the one she told last night? 'Everybody needs to live for somebody else'. What about you? Don't you have anybody to live for? A person very dear to your heart who needs you?"
Char's face flushed as he winced. "Yes…my daughter Rika." He replied in a quiet voice as he thought guiltily about her.
This time it was Universe's turn to jump. "You have a kid?!!" she yelped in utter surprise.
"Yes…no, not really. She was Kangero's daughter." Char corrected himself and shook his head. "Conceived when she performed one of her duties to her Captain – one of her obligations as a female warrior." He spotted the look on her face and laughed. "I know, I know! I was shocked myself when she told me." He sobered and the smile slid away. "Kangero's last wish was that I take care of her daughter for her…and I will. Rika's like my own blood now, my last link to Kangero."
"Then you haven't really lost her at all." Universe breathed. "You can keep her alive by giving her daughter the good, happy life that she was denied Char."
Char's face softened and his eyes lightened a little as he thought about this. "I…I never really thought about it like that." He admitted.
"Well why not?" Universe persisted. "She needs you Char…you're her father now. Blood or mud she's you daughter and it's up to you to take care of her!"
Char fell into silence – Universe was absolutely right. Back on Charon there was a little girl he had sworn to protect and bring up as his own.
A little girl who needed him.
Char felt weak as he realised just what a fool he had been acting like for the past three months but also relieved as he felt the last of his misery falling away from him.
Universe watched smiling gladly as Char's darkened eyes glassed over and then sharpened as they slowly filled with realisation. It was truly wonderful to watch the Prince changing in front of her eyes and she felt just as wonderful as he must.
How incredible it felt to help somebody in pain…
"Talk to your mother Char." She sternly told him what he had to hear. "You have to."
Char flinched and gave her a shocked look. "H-how did you…?" he stammered.
Could this beautiful and yet strange girl read his mind?
"I could hear the sadness in her voice." Universe responded, gazing at him severely. "Char don't you get it? You were so caught up in your own grief that you didn't see that it was hurting her as well."
Char couldn't bear to see the accusation in her eyes. "I…I'm sorry…" he said quietly, his face burning with shame.
"I'm not the person you've wronged Char." The purple-haired girl told him in a steely voice. "So I'm not the one you should apologise to."
Char was weak at the revelation and red with self-disgust but he knew what he had to do now. The Prince gazed at Universe, almost mesmerised by the graveness of her beautiful face – the face of the girl whose voice had brought him back to his senses at long last.
"Universe…" he whispered, desperate to thank her for what she had done for him.
"Don't say it Char." She told him simply. "Go to her."
Chars mind was blank for one second which seemed to last forever and then he turned on his heel and ran for the steps to find his mother, Queen Chara…his heart spoke clearly to him at last.
Universe closed her eyes gently as she felt both giddy and happy about what she had just done – she had managed to reach out, touch and move a soul in pain. But she also felt faintly disturbed and her happy face clouded just a little – she was thinking about the story that he had told her and as she thought about the fate of Cortez the Palazean Emperor she felt an inward twinge.
That mans greed for power and selfishness had destroyed him, turned him into a monster…so what about her?
Could her own powers turn on and betray her like that…if she wasn't careful with them then would she one day become a beast just like Cortez had? Maybe one far worse?
No…not that. Please not that…
~*~*~
"I'm afraid that I really can't answer that question you know Venus." Chara remarked as she gave her lively companion a teasing smile.
"Why ever not?" Venus cried in dismay.
"Well…" the green-haired Queen stretched her arms casually. "Everybody needs to have at least one secret all for themselves Venus."
Venus pulled a frustrated face. "Please Queen Chara! Tell me if the legend about your daughter appearing to you before she was born is true or not!" she pleaded.
With a lengthy sigh of regret chara shook her head. "I'm sorry but I just cannot Venus." She replied, a sorrowful look on her face though her sincerity was cast into doubt by the merry twinkle in her eyes. "It just wouldn't do. You do understand don't you?"
Venus realised that she was getting nowhere and with a sigh she gave up. Chara smiled fondly as she saw the dejected look on Venus's face – she had quickly gotten to like the blonde Princess very much during their introduction the night before and now she was enjoying her company.
Chara realised that the eager and bright Venusian reminded her of how Char had been when at her age…
The Queen sighed sadly remembering how energetic her beloved son had once been when he had still been a boy and the ways of the world that lay just waiting to be discovered had still been new to him. But the memories of that happy time of his life was gone and now was cold and flat like a mirror.
Chara did not yearn for memory. Her dearest wish was to see her son happy again, living his life to the fullest.
But the son she had raised was turning grey and old before his time and there was nothing she could do to save him from himself.
As her heart grew heavy she began to feel dreadfully certain that those happy days would never return…
"Mother?"
The breathless voice that addressed sounded as if it's owner had been running but she knew it at once – the Queen would have recognized it anywhere. But something about it caught at her heart – something familiar that she had not heard in it for a long time.
Not the voice itself which was as familiar to her as her own name but something that rang in its tones…a ringing that elicited a soft gasp from her as she opened her eyes in disbelief – and a surging hope.
The hope swelled in her as the ringing of his voice echoed in her heart too wonderful to be true. But even though she hardly dared to touch upon it the hope turned out to be good and true aetly rose to her feet and tactfully slipped away form it. Whatever was happening here she knew that the best thing she could do was give the mother and son some time alone together.
Queen Chara did not noticed Venus's departure and Char hadn't even noticed her presence in the garden to begin with.
Chara's lip trembled as she stood looking at him slowly, taking in every little aspect of the real him – this was the moment that she had longed for and been so close to despairing of.
"Mother…" Char's voice broke – he couldn't talk to her. How could she ever forgive him after he'd been so cruel to her?
"Shh." Queen Chara breathed and his gnawing doubt faded in a heartbeat as she walked towards him, a smile quivering on her lovely face.
Char shook with sheer relief and happiness as his mother hugged him tightly – he embraced her back as they stood together, reunited in heart at last.
Four days later…
As all good and wonderful times did the week passed regrettably quickly.
Finally the day came for Princess Charon's family to return home and on the afternoon that she and her son and husband were due to leave Queen Chara suggested that they should all go out on a picnic together an hour or two beforehand so that they could all enjoy being together one last time.
Venus had been delighted by the prospect but Universe had been unbelievably shy and nervous about the whole idea – she'd never done anything like that before and she hadn't been able to imagine herself doing so now.
Luckily Mercury had been able to bring her around to the idea and so the purple-haired girl had accompanied the rest of the Princesses, the King, the Prince and the two Moon Queen's on the picnic.
It hadn't turned out to be such a horrific ordeal after all. In fact the worst part of the otherwise cheerful hour that she spent outside the palace talking about light-hearted things and eating had been the way that Char had hovered around her, desperate to serve her even long after she'd been – as she herself would have put it – stuffed to the gills…and even that hadn't been so bad.
But now it was time for Charon's parents and brother to set off on the long journey home and the green-haired Princess had already started to miss her family before they had left.
"I shall miss you mother…" Charon sniffed softly as they stood together in front of the steps of the homebound spacecraft. "I'm going to miss all of you so much!"
Chara smiled sadly as she stroked her daughter's hair and did not say a word. Her eyes told precisely what she was feeling and thinking right now.
Universe watched in wonder from a short way off. The legend of the Outer Moon Princess… she thought in awe as she watched Chara and Charon sharing their wonderful moment together. Even if the story isn't really true their love is right there and it's stronger than any legend could be.
"And you father…brother." Charon added as she gazed at them both. "I'll miss you!"
"Charon…" Kind Char murmured sorrowfully as he put his hand on his precious daughters shoulder knowing that in a moment he would be parted from her again. "I don' know what to say. If you ever need anything…" he left the rest unsaid for just as his wife's his silence meant more than words possibly could.
Char's face was also wistful as he looked at the sister whose safety had been his responsibility to protect once. The green-haired Prince had gone through an extraordinary change over the last few days. During the week he had been in the Moon Kingdom with his sister his sleep had been untroubled by the whispering shadows of old troubles and now his eyes had regained their brightness. The ugly grey circles that had once ringed them were also gone and Char's skin which had become pale and haggard was once more healthy-looking once more.
During the short days he had spent much time with Princess Universe who had shown him the way and made him believe that he could make it and it had done him much good for he believed that he had found a kindred spirit in her.
Charon looked at him now and the relief that he'd seen in her face over the last few days now seemed renewed as she knew that when he went home he wouldn't brood about the things that had happened in his life and how differently they could have gone. Char was going home to care for his daughter Rika with exactly what she deserved…the love that her mother would now never be able to give her.
"I love you Char." Charon whispered, coming out with it so suddenly and sincerely that for once he felt happy rather than shocked. "Remember that always."
Char smiled, his sisters passionate eyes had always filled him with hope. "Until the end of my life dear Charon." He answered earnestly.
Queen Serenity came forward tactfully – behind her stood the other Princesses who had all come to say goodbye to Charon's family. "Goodbye Chara." She said smiling sadly at her best friend who she wouldn't see again for such a long time. "I know that you won't forget me but just so that I don't worry as soon as you leave will you promise me?"
Chara's smile was as dazzling as her eyes as she looked at the Queen of the Moon. "I'd forget my own name sooner." She replied lovingly as she and Serenity embraced affectionately, holding on as long as they could.
Each of the Princesses bade the visitors goodbye with deep regret for though their stay hadn't been for very long Charon's family had become almost like their own and now they all felt sad as they prepared to depart.
"Universe?" Queen Chara looked over at the group and beckoned to her. "Come here."
Universe's heart almost jumped into her mouth but she walked forward anyway.
Queen Chara gazed at her for a long time – the green-haired Queen had not asked either of them about it but she had sensed whenever Char had looked at or spoken about her that Universe had been responsible for her son starting his way along the path to recovery.
Chara felt deeply grateful towards Universe and smiled at her. "I just wanted to say before I left that if you ever want to come to Charon then you will be more then welcome." She informed the purple-haired Princess warmly.
"Thanks." Universe replied, surprised by grateful although she doubted that she'd ever accept the invitation.
Chara regarded her for a little longer and then laughed and tucked her ankle-length hair over her shoulders. "You know you have a wonderful talent for singing – you should keep going so Universe." She remarked honestly.
Serenity smiled for she was determined to make sure that Universe did so.
When it was time for him to say goodbye to her Char took his time to look at her one last time. The green-haired Prince's face was wondering as he gazed at the girl who had made such a difference to his life in such a short time, during the first hour that he'd known her in fact. Again he felt a deep reaching sense of gratitude for the brown-eyed Princess for he knew that if she hadn't spoken to him with such passionate conviction then he would have wasted his life by dwelling in his past failures in bitterness. The memories of his past would have choked him if it hadn't been for Universe.
The purple-haired Princess had made him realise that life needed to be seized and every day lived to the fullest – after all every day could be his last and he didn't want to miss out on his chance to make a difference. Char now knew that he wanted to leave behind something that would remain on after his time had ended and that was to be his beautiful daughter Rika who he teach everything that he had ever learned about life and the joy of living it.
"This is it…goodbye Universe." Char said gratefully as he silently thanked her one last time.
Universe smirked as she clicked her gloved fingers and pointed almost mockingly at him. "Chow." She replied with warmth.
Char gazed at her as his curiosity was rekindled by the peculiar gesture she had just made – he found her as beautiful as ever but though he now felt closer to her than most of the people in his life the prince suddenly realised that the two of them were still worlds apart. "You know I've just realised how little I really know about you." He said thoughtfully. "Universe…just who are you?"
Universe floundered for a reply but to her surprise it was Venus who knew just what to say for once. "Now Char!" she reprimanded the green-haired Prince severely with her hands on her hips. "Let Universe have at least one secret that she can keep all to herself!"
Queen Chara put her hand over her mouth to hold back a chuckle but of course since he had his back to her Char didn't even notice.
Two of a kind
"Oh Char…why are you doing this to yourself?" Charon sighed as she looked at her brother sorrowfully. "Can't you see how much you are hurting mother?"
Char's head was bowed and his sturdy hands firmly placed on his knees as he sat beside her on her luxurious bed. Due to the sheer lack of sleep he had managed to catch the night before the area around his eyes was ashen and his eyes themselves were bleak as he gazed down at his hands purposefully avoiding meeting the worried gaze of his sister. "She's in pain right now because she knows me so well that she can feel me decaying inside Charon." He replied in such a gentle voice that for a moment she thought that he had drifted off and was talking in his sleep. "It isn't me who's hurting her…she's doing that herself by caring so much." Prince Char, son of the King and Queen of the Outer Moon's face was a shade of dark grey on that particular morning since peaceful sleep had eluded him for many nights over the past few months since his return from serving in the great war between Pluto and its rival planet Palazea.
The weariness afforded to him by many nights spent gazing at the sky were beginning to tell on even his stubborn mind and he didn't even bother to pass the back of his hand over his eyes – the weariness in his body no longer even bothered him and instead masked the real greyness that weighed him down from the inside during his ever waking hour.
The Charonian Prince's once sparky and alert eyes of blue were now pensive and always seemed distant as if his thoughts were a long way away, an unimaginable distance from where he was.
A few months ago his face had been bright and attractive – so appealing that whenever he had attended social events he had been surrounded by the women of the court who had begged constantly for his hand on the dance floor, so much so that many thought it strange that at thirty years old the Prince had still not taken a bride. Now though his face maintained its handsome quality it had lost its edge and seemed always to wear a gaunt, haggard expression as if he was tired of the entire universe and only wanted everything and everybody to leave him alone.
"But why can't you just let us help you?" Charon asked quietly as she moved over and put her gentle hand on his shoulder, seeking for his grey-circled eyes as she tried to connect with her brother. "Char why are you still hanging on to whatever is hurting you like this? Why do you refuse to open up to our mother instead of building a wall between yourself and the people who love you?"
Char looked at her for the first time since he had arrived in her room and managed to twist his careworn mouth in a grateful but tired smile. "Charon…you're so caring. I know that you only want to help me and I'm happy to have a sister like you…" just as Charon was beginning to smile as she hoped that she had gotten through to him Char gently put his fingers around her hand and took it from his shoulders, firmly placing it back on her lap. "…but there's nothing you can do – nothing anyone can do for me. I need to face this alone – I have to find my own way out of what I'm going through right now or I'll never be able to rely on my strength ever again. You'll understand some day."
"Understand? What precisely do you want me to try to understand Char?" Charon exclaimed in disbelief. "That I had to stand by and watch as my only brother faded away before my eyes because he was too proud to ask his own family for help? Is that the lesson here? Is this what you want to pass on to me, your sister?"
Char winced – he could detect the anger in her clear voice, feel it. He had just known that this was going to happen when he had come to say good morning to her.
As soon as she had answered his knock at the door she had taken a single look at him and from then on she had been absolutely no-nonsense. Charon had told him to come in, closed the door behind him with one hand and ushered him over to the bed by placing the other between his shoulders and sending him on his way with a stern push.
Charon took a deep breath – she was frustrated and angry at him for being so stubbornly determined to refuse anybody's help right now but at the same time she had to bite her lip and resist the temptation to bury her face in his shoulder and cry for him – she could feel just by sitting with him the depth of the pain he tried to keep hidden inside and she knew that whatever happened to him now, no matter whether she or anyone else could do anything about it Char's wound would never truly heal. "Char…" she began in such a gentle voice after her burst of anger that her brother turned and stared at her in blank surprise. "It's time for you to move on. It has been for a while – the war ended nearly half a year ago and whatever you went through during that time you should let it go and forget. If you can't…or won't turn your back on whatever it was then at least try to let go of the memory for mother's sake if not yours."
Char's expression was as bitter as he felt and told of his inner struggle against doing what she urged him to do – the Prince was sorely tempted but he just couldn't. Char felt that he could never bear to let go of the memory of what he had seen, done, felt and said during the war because of one very special memory that was mixed in with all of the bad that had happened – a memory that was precious to him and came with all of the bad. Char was afraid that if he let it slip away then with the passing of time her lovely face would fade like his own reflection in a rippling ocean until he could no longer even remember what she looked like. If he faltered and let go even for a little while then the memory of the one woman he had ever loved would become no more than that…a memory.
So he held on to the time he'd spent by her side during the horrors of the war even though he knew that no matter how clearly the image of her face remained in his thoughts, no matter how long he kept her dark eyes in his heart he'd never see her again – memory was the only thing he had left of her and though they filled him with weariness and grief of what he'd lost he held on to them. "I've stayed too long." Char unexpectedly remarked. "It's been good to see you again sister. Goodbye dear, sweet Charon."
Charon watched helplessly as he rose to his feet evidently intent on leaving her room. A moment ago she had been quivering with frustration because of her brother but now that he was going she felt an empty wrench inside of her – she knew that she was only going to worry about him while she wasn't able to watch him. "Char…" she whispered even though she knew that nothing she could say would change a thing.
"Please sister – don't prolong this." he said without so much as turning to look at her over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. "When I'm gone go back Charon. Go back to your own life and don't remember what's going on in mine. Don't let your spirit be weighed down by me – I don't want that, you know it. Never."
Charon opened and closed her mouth as he turned the door-handle, desperately trying to think of something to say to him – she didn't want to let it end like this, she just couldn't let him go while he still felt like this…
"Our mother hurts more than you realise Charon." Char said right of the blue as his hand froze on the door-handle. "I'm glad that you don't understand the real reason for her pain…that you're still so innocent and pure that you don't see through the anguish. And I hope you never lose that the way I did. Charon, she hurts because she's helpless to do anything to ease my heartache and that's because she doesn't know who I am anymore. And the worst part is that I don't either. That's the price we pay for this 'freedom'. Independence changes everything when it hits you Charon. The world you live in, the way you used to look at it…even yourself."
Before his sister could reply he pulled the door open and walked out of her bedroom without any further delay.
"Char…" Charon cried out to him as the door closed, separating her from her older brother. "…goodbye."
As he gently closed the door behind him its heavy creaking was far more mournful than anything he could possibly have said to her.
~*~*~
Universe stepped into the long passageway that led to Charon's room with a peculiar unaccustomed look on her face.
Estrella was no longer held in her arms as she closed the door behind her since she had left the kitten behind with Mercury – neglecting to ask her if it was alright to do so. As Universe had been heading for Mercury's room she had felt a strong desire to see Charon all of a sudden – she was now fascinated to find out if she would be able to see any more depth in the green-haired princess now that she had gotten to know her mother.
However she had known that she wouldn't be able to get a single word in with Estrella tagging along and being resourceful as she was the purple-haired girl had not taken too long in overcoming this complication in her plan. Quietly and almost like a spider Universe had set Estrella down outside Mercury's room, opened the door just a little ajar and then cheerfully told the kitten to go in and play with the blue-haired Princess.
It had been a perfect solution – she had averted the possibility of Mercury not agreeing to look after Estrella by not giving her a chance to object.
Fiendish… Universe thought with a satisfied smirk on her face as she looked around the corridor. Mercury's sure to forgive me…it's one of the things she does best for me.
Universe couldn't wait to see Charon and as she walked briskly down the corridor in the direction of her room she once more compared the green-haired Princess to her mother and marvelled at just how similar the two of them were in looks and personality – the only significant difference between them was the colour of their eyes and that didn't mean a thing.
As Universe raised her eyes upward and smiled thoughtfully she wondered just how much like her mother Charon would be one day and so she didn't notice that the very door she was heading for at the end of the passageway was quietly opening…
Prince Char lay back heavily against the door that had just closed behind him and breathed a great sigh that told more than words could have done. Since his eyes were firmly fixed on the floor in front of his feet he did not notice the purple-haired girl walking towards him, her face tilted upward in thought.
Char felt utterly exhausted as he lay back against the door and began to ponder the state that he had allowed his life to fall into – bleakly he thought about the world he now lived in and his place in it.
Char didn't think that he could ever get used to this life again after what had happened to him – falling in love had changed the way he had seen things forever and now that he'd lost that Char was bewildered and filled with a black emptiness where his hope had once been.
My mother thinks that I can just go back to the way things were before… the Prince thought and his eyes were bleak and completely devoid of hope now as he thought about the simpler and innocent days before he had seen his first battle. But how can my life go back to the way it was now that I've felt the touch of the woman I love? And how will I ever know peace again now that it'll never happen again?
Now that he'd started to think about the subject of his mother he closed his eyes and began to feel much worse than he'd woken up feeling that morning – the misery that now freshly awakened as he thought about the last time they had spoken the night before was especially unbearable because now he could feel his conscious beginning to stab at him…
The memory of the previous night was so harsh that he felt as if he'd gone back to re-live it.
Char could practically see his mother standing right in the middle of the doorway having managed to corner him and block his only avenue of escape – Char had spent the entire evening brooding in the courtyard in order to avoid the flocks of young ladies who would have surrounded him immediately if he'd gone into the Ball-Room.
The green-haired young man who just happened to be the Prince of the Outer Moon just wanted to stay away from anybody who knew him, be alone with only his own thoughts and feelings for company and by slipping away from his mother and father as they had entered the Ball Room thinking that he had still been behind them he'd managed to achieve this desire.
But as the hours had dragged by the Prince had realised that having time alone to think about his mistakes hadn't been the wonderful gift he'd imagined it would be.
Instead of being able to sort out everything that had happened to him Char had found himself dwelling on the pain that he had begun to carry around inside from the day he'd lost the most important person in his life.
It had been so overwhelming that the sound of his mother's voice sternly calling out his name had come almost as a relief. "I shouldn't even be here." Char had muttered darkly as he and his mother had begun what she had quaintly described as 'a little talk'. "I should be back home taking care of Rika…"
"Rika will be fine without you crowding her all day and night Char." Chara had informed him cuttingly. "Do not worry yourself about her. I made perfect arrangements for her to be looked after while we are away. I wish that she could have come with us but with her cold she wouldn't have been able to come on the ship."
"All the more reason that I should have stayed with her." Char remembered how he had snapped with a strong edge of testiness in his voice.
Chara had felt anger brewing inside her at the tone he had used to speak to her but she had kept calm knowing that her just indignation would not help her get through to her wayward son. "Char…you did not even try to be there for your sister tonight." She said quietly but even he could not ignore the sadness and disappointment in her eyes as he looked up and met her almost beseeching gaze. "Charon misses you. She wanted to see you so much and you let her down! And now you aren't even going to tell me why?"
Char's harsh and grim expression had wavered as she realised that she was right, that he had disappointed his sister for no reason and as she had watched his softening expression Chara had felt hopeful…
But her hope came to nothing as her son narrowed his eyes and turned his back on her resolutely. "She'll get over it." He replied curtly. "Everybody is disappointed in life…the sooner she gets to know that feeling the better."
Chara's face was disbelieving as she stared at his back. "Is that all you have to say?" she demanded in mounting anger.
"I'm sorry…I just couldn't come." Char explained as he felt extremely ashamed of what he had done, what he had just said but didn't want to show it. "Charon had you and father…I couldn't go in there."
Chara thought that she heard a weakening in his voice and now she walked over to stand by her son who stood with his shoulders slumped. "Why?" she asked gently as she moved to put her arms around him and show him that whatever was happening to him he wasn't alone. "Tell me…it might help."
Char had felt her closeness and like a startled animal he had stepped out of her reach – he couldn't let her touch him, he didn't deserve her comfort.
Not now or ever.
Chara's face was stricken with the hurt that she felt inside as her son seemed to spurn contact from her and her hand remained in the air where she had started to move it towards him, never reaching him.
"In my current mood the company would have been too merry and bright for me to bear." Char had replied sourly.
"Well there were many pretty young women at the party." His mother had mildly remarked. "I am sure that they would have liked to meet you."
Char's lip had curled scornfully. "I might have appreciated the company of such a great number of pretty young women." He replied, his voice making it crystal clear that he severely doubted it "If that was how I saw them."
"Well how do you see them?" Chara had replied in exasperation as she had reached the verge of giving up.
For a while they had stood in heavy silence and then he answered her in a low and bitter voice. "As competitors for a prize…and that prize is myself."
Char sighed wearily – she understood how he felt about that at least since she herself had not been thrilled about being expected to put up with such things when she had attended parties in her youth but really that was no excuse for the way he was acting.
The Queen wished that she understood why Char was in such pain – she wished that he would let her into his heart so that she could help him find his way out of the misery that he was so hopelessly lost in…he had learnt how to resist telepathic advances while away during the war and so she could not read his mind anymore so long as he kept it closed to her.
"Char…listen to me please." She had pleaded as she had approached him again. "We are all here for you…"
Char blew up – there was no other way to describe his explosion of anger and frustration. For God's sake let it go!" he cried flinging his arms into the air in exasperation. "Why don't you just stop hounding me like this? Don't you get it? I can't tell you about it! Not now, not ever…it's a part of me nobody can ever know about! Please…just let it rest!!!!"
A long silence had hung over them both as his anger had died away and he had fallen back and slumped against a pillar, exhausted after his outburst.
Chara had stared at him in silence, her face now a tight mask of anger as she had recovered from the shock of his tirade but when she had finally broken the silence her voice had become deadly calm. "There is something that I have come to tell you Char…we are all going to be staying here for the rest of the week."
Char's back had stiffened as he had realised what she had just said and though he hadn't looked up at his mother his eyes had filled with disbelief.
What?!
"Charon asked us to stay so that she could see us for a few days before we have to be parted from her again – so we will be here for the rest of the week." His mother had gone on sternly. "We shall see if you are the same person you came here as when the day comes for us to leave again my son."
Char had felt completely numb as his mother had turned and walked back into the palace and such had been his shock that he had barely heard her whispering back to him "I love you dear." as she had left.
Alone again Char had stood rigid with shock, reeling at what he had just heard. Then even before he had realised what he was doing he had raised his fist and punched the pillar he was leaning against in frustration.
Damn it to hell… he'd thought savagely without even feeling the sharp, shooting pain that had flooded into his hand…
Char sighed – when he had seen the anger and hurt in her eyes they had not fazed him for he'd been too wrapped up in his own bitterness to take them in but now that he looked back on that night he felt sorry for what he'd said to his mother, the woman who had loved and raised him, more than he could bear.
Very much he wanted to go to her and tell her that he was sorry…if she would even be able to bear to look at him, the son who had treated her like a total stranger and thrown back her care and concern in her face…
Wondering how all of this was going to end he turned to set off for somewhere, anywhere he could go to and keep out of sight for the entire day…
Universe's heart practically jumped into her mouth as she walked right into somebody and at the same time Char winced and out of instinct he grabbed the shoulders of the person who had just walked into his arms with a firm grip.
As if they had just been hit by lightning the two who had collided with each other in the corridor adjusted their eyes and locked gazes with each other – there was irritation on Universe's face but the look on Char's face remained as sombre as it had been a moment ago.
As the two looked into each other's eyes they both felt a sharp yet clear shock tingling through their bodies. Universe's annoyed look died away and Char stood and stared at her as he saw her fierce eyes. Both of them recognized what they saw in each other at once but it wasn't the face of the one they had walked into that shocked them so deeply that their hearts nearly stopped but the passion that they saw in their new-found companion's eyes
Char's face emptied of the depression that he had felt so heavily all morning and was replaced with pure surprise as he gazed intently at the strange purple-haired girl's face. Her eyes… he thought as he realised with a shocking jolt just who she reminded him of as she stared up at him like this. They look exactly like hers!
Again it wasn't the colour of her eyes that struck him as so like those of the girl he had known so well but the irritation in them – the passion.
"That was a little careless of you." Char heard himself remark to his own surprise.
Now why had he said that?
This guy… Universe thought, too startled to say anything in response for a moment as she gazed into his grey-circled eyes. His eyes…they're so sad. They look just like mine did after I stopped crying after…
"Well that's pretty good coming from you!" she retorted sassily. "Who was walkin' around all spaced out a second ago?"
Char thought about that as a frown crossed his face – he knew that of course she was right but even though he realised it he didn't see any reason to tell that she was right and he was wrong.
His frown deepened – now when had he thought this way about losing an argument before?
Of course…with her.
"Hey, your face…you're Char aren't you?" Universe asked after a thoughtful pause during which he had the time to look at his face and noticed just how like the King he was in features. "The son of Queen Chara and King Char – the brother of Princess Charon right?"
"I might be." Char remarked smiling a little in spite of his mood that he suddenly seemed to have forgotten as he stood gazing at her. "But would it be too much to ask to know the name of the young lady who just ran into me?"
"I wasn't running!" Universe blustered in protest. "I was…moving at a quick pace! I'm Princess Universe…what's it to ya?"
Char almost laughed – this girl's fiery manner and attitude reminded him so much of her – the girl whose death had caused him to sink into the depths of misery.
But why didn't they seem to be dragging him down all of a sudden?
Realising that her hands were resting on Char's chest where they had pressed as she had walked into him Universe jerked them away and took a step back but she didn't take her eyes from his ashen face for a moment. Despite her hotness towards the green-haired Prince Universe was fascinated in him because she could sense how miserable he was feeling.
The purple-haired Princess knew the pain that registered so clearly on his face just as well as she would have known a sister and she knew also that char had recently lost somebody close and that he blamed himself for that loss – because she felt it herself.
Suddenly even though she didn't understand why she flicked her waist-long hair over one shoulder and grinned. "Ya know the stars of this Kingdom are glorious at night…wanna see?" she asked coyly, wondering what she was doing.
Char suddenly realised that his heart was pounding – for the first time in months. "It's early morning your highness." He pointed out archly as he tried to hold back the blush that fought to cover his face as this beautiful girl asked him to accompany her. "Besides…this is the Moon kingdom! The stars here shine day and night!"
"Yeah I know – ain't it great?" Universe exclaimed with a laugh. "We get to see the stars whenever we want! But you you should know about that since you live on the OUTER Moon right?! Really time-effective if you ask me."
"I didn't." Char muttered as a smile crossed his face.
"Never mind that…I wanna go now! Coming?"
Char thought it over – he had only known her for a couple of minutes but he was shocked to realise just how much he wanted to get to know this girl who had walked into him. "Well I don't know…I'd love to but…"
"Nuh-uh!" Universe scolded as she walked up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. "No thinking! C'mon you!"
Universe had made up her mind – Prince Char fascinated her and she dearly wanted to know what the cause of his sadness was.
Charon could wait, she decided, her brother would only be here for a week and a lot could happen in that time.
Char gave a startled blink as she marched him up the corridor towards a stairway that would take them to the top of one of the towers of the palace…then he found himself doing something that he hadn't felt like doing for months.
A thing that he'd never believed he'd ever want to do again after his experiences had scarred him for life.
Char laughed as Universe led him away and went on laughing now that he'd gotten started.
As the two who had become friends the instant they had seen each others eyes walked away the door they had been standing in front of opened quietly and slowly and Charon carefully looked around it.
There was a secretive and speculative smile on Charon's face as she watched her brother being led away by Universe as she thought about how Char had relaxed during the purple-haired girl's company. With a much lighter heart she stepped out into the corridor, closed the door behind her and went to meet up with Mars and Venus as she normally did every morning.
~*~*~
"Kangero."
Char's eyes suddenly seemed clearer than they had been when he'd wakened that morning to another day of emptiness and despair as he finally said her name out loud.
Universe was watching him intently as he stood with his hands placed on the marble rail that ringed the edge of the top of the tower – her face was concerned as she looked at his back but also kind of relieved as she noticed that his shoulders had suddenly straightened up having been slumped ever since they had arrived.
After getting here they had spent the first twenty minutes gazing at the endlessly shining stars in the sky above the palace, neither of them the Prince or the Princess had been able to say a single thing as they thought about the strange effect that they had had on each other.
Char felt so relaxed around her that he'd begun to feel the defences that he'd spent so long putting up around himself lowering as her nearness to him melted them away until they were nothing more than shadows created by his own fear and doubt which must depart when the sun shone down on him.
And then for some reason that he still could not understand her name had come unbidden to his mouth and as he spoke it softly he felt the tiring sadness and pain that had been weighing him down ever since the terrible night her eyes had frozen slipping away until it was all but gone from his heart.
Still gazing straight ahead Char felt as though he had been blind for his entire life and was only now seeing the world that he had lived in for the first time.
"That was her name huh?" Universe asked softly – for her the experience of being so close to him was different. What he was going through made her feel protective of him because it was the thing that she was trapped in every day of her life.
Char nodded sombrely. "How did you know she was a 'she'?"
"I kinda guessed."
Char furrowed his brow and turned and gave her an odd look. "You speak a lot like her." He remarked quietly.
"Who was she?" Universe asked him directly, ignoring the comment. "Who was Kangero, Char?"
Char gazed at her and for a very short while he struggled against telling her about the first love of his life – in the end he lost the fight. "Kangero was…" his eyes became distant again as he thought about her but this time it was a different kind of distance – he realised that there were no words to describe just what she had meant to him. "…she was Kangero." He replied in such a simple voice that Universe stared at him.
Universe felt that even though he was speaking to her his voice was directed at somebody else, somebody not present. "She…I…we met in the aftermath of a battle during the war with Palazea. I'd only been called into battle for the first time that day so it was my first day of real combat. I wasn't prepared to take the life of another human and I froze right in the middle of the carnage…it was a blood-bath Universe and I just - froze!"
As Char lowered his head at the memory of that terrible day Universe gave him a look of wonder – she couldn't remember having ever felt like that about killing somebody else.
Of course she'd only ever killed in self-defence but then she'd begun fighting from such an early point in her life that she'd never felt the same as Char. But listening to him talking about how he felt about it she thought that she could understand what he was trying to say.
"I got knocked out and when I came around the first thing I saw was her." Char continued as he raised his eyes to meet her expectant gaze again. "It was the most incredible moment of my life…seeing her standing over me. She was so beautiful and that almost got me killed by her. But it's strange…I knew that I was in danger but that was the thing that made our first meeting so unforgettable."
Universe raised her hand so that she could cut in. "In danger from her?" she asked and raised her eyebrow. "You mean she was…"
Realising that she'd guessed the truth Char nodded gravely. "Yes – Kangero was one of them…the enemy." He admitted, his voice low and regretful as he remembered how Kangero's appearance had changed his life forever. "A Palazean."
Universe looked at him quietly for a moment. "You fell in love with…one of the enemy?" she asked hesitantly, unsure about how he'd react to that.
Char shook as head he remembered how effected he had been by the situation at the time. "No – it wasn't like that…" he struggled to protest to what he thought was her accusation.
"I know Char, I know." Universe smirked and gave him a reassuring nod. "I heard about how it was really the Emperor of Palazea who started that war by telling people that the Plutonians stole the source of the energy they needed to function in their everyday lives…the Palazean Stone. But after the end of the war it turned out that it was the Emperor himself who had denied them the energy of the Stone, blaming the people of Pluto so that his people wouldn't suspect him." She smiled sadly. "Up until then they'd existed in co-operation with Pluto…it's amazing how quickly people change when given an excuse huh?"
Char's eyes widened as he gazed at her in surprise – for a Princess she was well informed about the war.
Noticing the look on his face Universe laughed but it was a good-natured one. "What?" she asked teasingly as she folded her arms. "Why shouldn't I know so much about what happened back then? I mean come on – it was a pretty dark time and what happened effected us all! Is it because I'm a girl Char?"
Char's faced burned deep crimson. "No, no!" he spluttered embarrassed, "I didn't mean…"
Again Universe laughed and let him off the hook with a shrug of her shoulders. "War effects everyone Char." She told him in a serious voice. "It's not just you…that's how everyone feels about it."
The graveness of her eyes startled Char and he could tell that she knew what she was talking about. "Everybody…feels the way I do?" he asked quietly – somehow he felt that if she could believe that then so could he.
For just a second Universe wavered…then nodded her head firmly. "Everyone with a heart as good as yours." She murmured and gave him a smile.
Char felt his heart starting to pound again as she smiled at him so beautifully.
"The story." Universe prodded him, her face intent. "What happened next?"
Char coughed and plunged back into the tale of his first love. "Um…yes, well I thought about the morale implications of the situation and in the end I decided that I'd be compromising my loyalty to my people by allowing myself to love Kangero." The Prince fell into silence as he thought about how difficult it had been for him to make that choice, how painful it had been to follow through with it. "I know that it sounds like I took the cowards way out Universe but honestly it seemed like the responsible thing to do at the time. I didn't have any time to think about my own feelings either…I had to focus on the little matter at hand namely winning the war."
Char stopped talking and gazed intently at her face as he tried to glean from her eyes just what she thought about the decision he'd made regarding his attraction to Kangero – one of the enemy as she had put it. "Do you understand Universe?" he asked, his voice anxious.
Char was shocked to realise just how much he wanted the approval of this girl he had only met a short while ago…
Universe's face was empty of expression as she gazed at him. "It's not my place to judge you Char." She replied in a very neutral tone.
Char's shoulders slumped. "Oh…" he murmured as he wondered what she must think of him.
"But…I'm sure that you had the best intentions for your people." Universe said and Char looked sharply up and seeing the warm smile returned to her face he felt filled with confidence all over again. "Don't worry Char…I'm not sure what I'd have done if I'd been you but don't let it bother you so much."
"But it did!" Char blurted, unable to let the matter drop now that he'd raised it. "She made me feel so…"
"Forget about it." Universe hushed him soothingly. "It's past Char. So what was it like…being with her?"
Char took a deep breath as he prepared to delve into the part that hurt the most…the bitter end. "Kangero started out hating me Universe…well who could blame her? I was one of the enemy as far as she was concerned, one of the people who had stolen the source of her people's civilization…somebody who deserved nothing but death. But we turned that into a totally different passion, the two of us. It was so strong, so intense that neither of us could ignore it. And then it all came to a head…on the day the war ended." Char sighed as he thought about the memory of his darkest hour. "Only Princess Pluto and I know the truth about what really happened there…" he paused and then quietly added. "…and two other people."
Universe was silent but she was fascinated by the story that Char was telling her – hanging onto every word.
"I'll tell you what happened Universe…and this is something that I swore I'd never tell a soul. The final battle was joined in a valley outside the Imperial Castle of the Palazean Emperor. We'd decimated each other – our Soldiers and his legions – and we decided to take the fight to him…somehow we managed to overthrow the last of his dedicated Soldiers. The others had realised just how meaningless the war was and surrendered to us. Just when we'd thought that it was all over he came." Char's eyes hardened and Universe gave a shaking gasp at the sight of what she saw smouldering in them. It was an old weary flame that refused to die out…hatred. "The Emperor of Palazea who'd started the war and caused so much bloodshed to us and his own people…Cortez. And it was then that we found out what had really been going on all the time…while the was had been going on he'd been siphoning off the energy of the Palazean Stone and draining it's power into his own body. While his people had been dying for the sake of getting
it back Cortez had been coveting it for himself…his goal was to become a demi-god to rule over all the galaxies. But instead the raw power corrupted his body and made a monster of him, something that wasn't even recognizable as having been human once. I never actually got the chance to see what he looked like before he changed."
Universe's face was thoughtful as she nodded her head. "The truth about what happened to him was never made public." She mused wryly. "What you just told me explains a lot…and?"
Char closed his eyes as he tried to steady himself enough to go on with this – the memories of the day he'd gone through hell and been spat out again from the other end, scarred for life were agonizing to look back on but now that he faced them instead of trying to turn his back on them he realised that he could bear the pain that he'd felt while trying to bear their weight with his shoulders.
Universe was watching him and he sensed that she understood his pain – as she looked at him with that encouraging smile on her face he felt that he could do anything as long as she believed in him.
Char smiled but it was a heartbroken one as he finished his story. "Cortez hurled down the gates of his Castle and waded through the blood of anybody who was standing in his way. By the time the monster that had once been the ruler of Palazea reached me I was the only person left alive on the battlefield since he'd killed all of my men and his own last loyal followers. I tried my best but he was just too great for me…he was on the verge of killing me." His eyes opened and they were now distant and calmer but it felt like he'd gone far away from where he was standing with her. "Then when I thought my time had come…Kangero came. She'd decided that she belonged with her people the day before and gone her separate way…I'd prayed that I wouldn't meet her again because I didn't want to have to kill her. But she saved my life, fought for me even though she knew that we had no future together, that she didn't stand a chance against him…and he killed her."
Universe was holding her breath as she listened – she had realised what must have happened to give him such agony but now that he'd said it out loud it hit her like a body-blow.
With no idea how she was feeling as she listened Char went on. "I can't remember a whole lot about what happened next…when I realised that she was going to die it all became a red haze. But I hated him so much for what he'd done…what he took from me…that I couldn't rest until he was dead by my hand." He hung his head and breathed the words that told the sheer depth of his rage. "I fought him with all my strength…through the pain and exhaustion. I couldn't die there and I couldn't leave without killing him. I refused to let that monster live after stealing Kangero's chance to have a normal, happy life…"
"…with you." Universe murmured quietly as she felt a lump rising in her throat as she finally realised just how much he had lost that day.
Char looked up at her again and now his face js much as actually living is. You've just gotta accept that side of life too - take the rough with the smooth as a friend of mine once said. But what you need to know is that I felt exactly the way you do now. I tried to shut out everyone around me and when I met someone who really wanted to help me I closed my ears to what she was trying to say. I guess that makes me a pretty inappropriate person to be trying to tell this to you but in the end I let her into my heart…" she smiled at Char again. "…and it got better. It really did Char. She gave me people to care about – it's just like Venus's story, you know the one she told last night? 'Everybody needs to live for somebody else'. What about you? Don't you have anybody to live for? A person very dear to your heart who needs you?"
Char's face flushed as he winced. "Yes…my daughter Rika." He replied in a quiet voice as he thought guiltily about her.
This time it was Universe's turn to jump. "You have a kid?!!" she yelped in utter surprise.
"Yes…no, not really. She was Kangero's daughter." Char corrected himself and shook his head. "Conceived when she performed one of her duties to her Captain – one of her obligations as a female warrior." He spotted the look on her face and laughed. "I know, I know! I was shocked myself when she told me." He sobered and the smile slid away. "Kangero's last wish was that I take care of her daughter for her…and I will. Rika's like my own blood now, my last link to Kangero."
"Then you haven't really lost her at all." Universe breathed. "You can keep her alive by giving her daughter the good, happy life that she was denied Char."
Char's face softened and his eyes lightened a little as he thought about this. "I…I never really thought about it like that." He admitted.
"Well why not?" Universe persisted. "She needs you Char…you're her father now. Blood or mud she's you daughter and it's up to you to take care of her!"
Char fell into silence – Universe was absolutely right. Back on Charon there was a little girl he had sworn to protect and bring up as his own.
A little girl who needed him.
Char felt weak as he realised just what a fool he had been acting like for the past three months but also relieved as he felt the last of his misery falling away from him.
Universe watched smiling gladly as Char's darkened eyes glassed over and then sharpened as they slowly filled with realisation. It was truly wonderful to watch the Prince changing in front of her eyes and she felt just as wonderful as he must.
How incredible it felt to help somebody in pain…
"Talk to your mother Char." She sternly told him what he had to hear. "You have to."
Char flinched and gave her a shocked look. "H-how did you…?" he stammered.
Could this beautiful and yet strange girl read his mind?
"I could hear the sadness in her voice." Universe responded, gazing at him severely. "Char don't you get it? You were so caught up in your own grief that you didn't see that it was hurting her as well."
Char couldn't bear to see the accusation in her eyes. "I…I'm sorry…" he said quietly, his face burning with shame.
"I'm not the person you've wronged Char." The purple-haired girl told him in a steely voice. "So I'm not the one you should apologise to."
Char was weak at the revelation and red with self-disgust but he knew what he had to do now. The Prince gazed at Universe, almost mesmerised by the graveness of her beautiful face – the face of the girl whose voice had brought him back to his senses at long last.
"Universe…" he whispered, desperate to thank her for what she had done for him.
"Don't say it Char." She told him simply. "Go to her."
Chars mind was blank for one second which seemed to last forever and then he turned on his heel and ran for the steps to find his mother, Queen Chara…his heart spoke clearly to him at last.
Universe closed her eyes gently as she felt both giddy and happy about what she had just done – she had managed to reach out, touch and move a soul in pain. But she also felt faintly disturbed and her happy face clouded just a little – she was thinking about the story that he had told her and as she thought about the fate of Cortez the Palazean Emperor she felt an inward twinge.
That mans greed for power and selfishness had destroyed him, turned him into a monster…so what about her?
Could her own powers turn on and betray her like that…if she wasn't careful with them then would she one day become a beast just like Cortez had? Maybe one far worse?
No…not that. Please not that…
~*~*~
"I'm afraid that I really can't answer that question you know Venus." Chara remarked as she gave her lively companion a teasing smile.
"Why ever not?" Venus cried in dismay.
"Well…" the green-haired Queen stretched her arms casually. "Everybody needs to have at least one secret all for themselves Venus."
Venus pulled a frustrated face. "Please Queen Chara! Tell me if the legend about your daughter appearing to you before she was born is true or not!" she pleaded.
With a lengthy sigh of regret chara shook her head. "I'm sorry but I just cannot Venus." She replied, a sorrowful look on her face though her sincerity was cast into doubt by the merry twinkle in her eyes. "It just wouldn't do. You do understand don't you?"
Venus realised that she was getting nowhere and with a sigh she gave up. Chara smiled fondly as she saw the dejected look on Venus's face – she had quickly gotten to like the blonde Princess very much during their introduction the night before and now she was enjoying her company.
Chara realised that the eager and bright Venusian reminded her of how Char had been when at her age…
The Queen sighed sadly remembering how energetic her beloved son had once been when he had still been a boy and the ways of the world that lay just waiting to be discovered had still been new to him. But the memories of that happy time of his life was gone and now was cold and flat like a mirror.
Chara did not yearn for memory. Her dearest wish was to see her son happy again, living his life to the fullest.
But the son she had raised was turning grey and old before his time and there was nothing she could do to save him from himself.
As her heart grew heavy she began to feel dreadfully certain that those happy days would never return…
"Mother?"
The breathless voice that addressed sounded as if it's owner had been running but she knew it at once – the Queen would have recognized it anywhere. But something about it caught at her heart – something familiar that she had not heard in it for a long time.
Not the voice itself which was as familiar to her as her own name but something that rang in its tones…a ringing that elicited a soft gasp from her as she opened her eyes in disbelief – and a surging hope.
The hope swelled in her as the ringing of his voice echoed in her heart too wonderful to be true. But even though she hardly dared to touch upon it the hope turned out to be good and true aetly rose to her feet and tactfully slipped away form it. Whatever was happening here she knew that the best thing she could do was give the mother and son some time alone together.
Queen Chara did not noticed Venus's departure and Char hadn't even noticed her presence in the garden to begin with.
Chara's lip trembled as she stood looking at him slowly, taking in every little aspect of the real him – this was the moment that she had longed for and been so close to despairing of.
"Mother…" Char's voice broke – he couldn't talk to her. How could she ever forgive him after he'd been so cruel to her?
"Shh." Queen Chara breathed and his gnawing doubt faded in a heartbeat as she walked towards him, a smile quivering on her lovely face.
Char shook with sheer relief and happiness as his mother hugged him tightly – he embraced her back as they stood together, reunited in heart at last.
Four days later…
As all good and wonderful times did the week passed regrettably quickly.
Finally the day came for Princess Charon's family to return home and on the afternoon that she and her son and husband were due to leave Queen Chara suggested that they should all go out on a picnic together an hour or two beforehand so that they could all enjoy being together one last time.
Venus had been delighted by the prospect but Universe had been unbelievably shy and nervous about the whole idea – she'd never done anything like that before and she hadn't been able to imagine herself doing so now.
Luckily Mercury had been able to bring her around to the idea and so the purple-haired girl had accompanied the rest of the Princesses, the King, the Prince and the two Moon Queen's on the picnic.
It hadn't turned out to be such a horrific ordeal after all. In fact the worst part of the otherwise cheerful hour that she spent outside the palace talking about light-hearted things and eating had been the way that Char had hovered around her, desperate to serve her even long after she'd been – as she herself would have put it – stuffed to the gills…and even that hadn't been so bad.
But now it was time for Charon's parents and brother to set off on the long journey home and the green-haired Princess had already started to miss her family before they had left.
"I shall miss you mother…" Charon sniffed softly as they stood together in front of the steps of the homebound spacecraft. "I'm going to miss all of you so much!"
Chara smiled sadly as she stroked her daughter's hair and did not say a word. Her eyes told precisely what she was feeling and thinking right now.
Universe watched in wonder from a short way off. The legend of the Outer Moon Princess… she thought in awe as she watched Chara and Charon sharing their wonderful moment together. Even if the story isn't really true their love is right there and it's stronger than any legend could be.
"And you father…brother." Charon added as she gazed at them both. "I'll miss you!"
"Charon…" Kind Char murmured sorrowfully as he put his hand on his precious daughters shoulder knowing that in a moment he would be parted from her again. "I don' know what to say. If you ever need anything…" he left the rest unsaid for just as his wife's his silence meant more than words possibly could.
Char's face was also wistful as he looked at the sister whose safety had been his responsibility to protect once. The green-haired Prince had gone through an extraordinary change over the last few days. During the week he had been in the Moon Kingdom with his sister his sleep had been untroubled by the whispering shadows of old troubles and now his eyes had regained their brightness. The ugly grey circles that had once ringed them were also gone and Char's skin which had become pale and haggard was once more healthy-looking once more.
During the short days he had spent much time with Princess Universe who had shown him the way and made him believe that he could make it and it had done him much good for he believed that he had found a kindred spirit in her.
Charon looked at him now and the relief that he'd seen in her face over the last few days now seemed renewed as she knew that when he went home he wouldn't brood about the things that had happened in his life and how differently they could have gone. Char was going home to care for his daughter Rika with exactly what she deserved…the love that her mother would now never be able to give her.
"I love you Char." Charon whispered, coming out with it so suddenly and sincerely that for once he felt happy rather than shocked. "Remember that always."
Char smiled, his sisters passionate eyes had always filled him with hope. "Until the end of my life dear Charon." He answered earnestly.
Queen Serenity came forward tactfully – behind her stood the other Princesses who had all come to say goodbye to Charon's family. "Goodbye Chara." She said smiling sadly at her best friend who she wouldn't see again for such a long time. "I know that you won't forget me but just so that I don't worry as soon as you leave will you promise me?"
Chara's smile was as dazzling as her eyes as she looked at the Queen of the Moon. "I'd forget my own name sooner." She replied lovingly as she and Serenity embraced affectionately, holding on as long as they could.
Each of the Princesses bade the visitors goodbye with deep regret for though their stay hadn't been for very long Charon's family had become almost like their own and now they all felt sad as they prepared to depart.
"Universe?" Queen Chara looked over at the group and beckoned to her. "Come here."
Universe's heart almost jumped into her mouth but she walked forward anyway.
Queen Chara gazed at her for a long time – the green-haired Queen had not asked either of them about it but she had sensed whenever Char had looked at or spoken about her that Universe had been responsible for her son starting his way along the path to recovery.
Chara felt deeply grateful towards Universe and smiled at her. "I just wanted to say before I left that if you ever want to come to Charon then you will be more then welcome." She informed the purple-haired Princess warmly.
"Thanks." Universe replied, surprised by grateful although she doubted that she'd ever accept the invitation.
Chara regarded her for a little longer and then laughed and tucked her ankle-length hair over her shoulders. "You know you have a wonderful talent for singing – you should keep going so Universe." She remarked honestly.
Serenity smiled for she was determined to make sure that Universe did so.
When it was time for him to say goodbye to her Char took his time to look at her one last time. The green-haired Prince's face was wondering as he gazed at the girl who had made such a difference to his life in such a short time, during the first hour that he'd known her in fact. Again he felt a deep reaching sense of gratitude for the brown-eyed Princess for he knew that if she hadn't spoken to him with such passionate conviction then he would have wasted his life by dwelling in his past failures in bitterness. The memories of his past would have choked him if it hadn't been for Universe.
The purple-haired Princess had made him realise that life needed to be seized and every day lived to the fullest – after all every day could be his last and he didn't want to miss out on his chance to make a difference. Char now knew that he wanted to leave behind something that would remain on after his time had ended and that was to be his beautiful daughter Rika who he teach everything that he had ever learned about life and the joy of living it.
"This is it…goodbye Universe." Char said gratefully as he silently thanked her one last time.
Universe smirked as she clicked her gloved fingers and pointed almost mockingly at him. "Chow." She replied with warmth.
Char gazed at her as his curiosity was rekindled by the peculiar gesture she had just made – he found her as beautiful as ever but though he now felt closer to her than most of the people in his life the prince suddenly realised that the two of them were still worlds apart. "You know I've just realised how little I really know about you." He said thoughtfully. "Universe…just who are you?"
Universe floundered for a reply but to her surprise it was Venus who knew just what to say for once. "Now Char!" she reprimanded the green-haired Prince severely with her hands on her hips. "Let Universe have at least one secret that she can keep all to herself!"
Queen Chara put her hand over her mouth to hold back a chuckle but of course since he had his back to her Char didn't even notice.