Chapter 6
Hitomi took a deep breath and sighed. She raised her head and began to speak.
"Two years ago, something amazing and frightening happened to me. As you know, I disappeared for about a month. In reality, it was about three or four."
Mina's expression conveyed her puzzlement. "I don't understand." She said.
Hitomi sighed again. "I didn't expect you to, but I'll just have to try anyway... The place I went to was a planet called Gaea. I came here with Van." She motioned towards the young man sitting close to her. "Gaea is in another dimension." Hitomi explained. "Van crossed over by accident along with the dragon he was slaying. He came in a large pillar of light, just like the one that picked us up... I must admit, I wasn't that surprised at his coming." Mina raised her eyebrows and Hitomi decided to elaborate.
"Remember how I used to have visions and do tarot card readings?" Mina nodded in reply. "Well, right before I left, I began to have visions of a young man and a huge machine called a guymelef. I would always begin to fall in the dream and a figure with wings of an angel would always catch me."
Mina hitched in a breath. "Wings of a... Raye..." She whispered.
"What Mina?" Hitomi asked.
"N-nothing, please continue." Mina said nervously.
"Well, the dream came true. A young man with a guymelef did come, the very same day, on a racetrack." Mina looked at her and Hitomi nodded. "Yes, the very same racetrack we left from. He arrived and destroyed a dragon right in front of my friends and I. Oh yeah, and before you ask- yes, dragons do exist in Gaea." She smiled and paused to let it sink in, and then went on. "Anyway, the pillar of light came again and this time, it took me too." Hitomi took a breath, then continued.
"The light took me to a mysterious new world called Gaea. The Earth hangs in its night sky- the people here call it The Mystic Moon. I didn't know it then, but this strange new place was on the verge of war. A country called Zaibach was planning to take over Gaea. Zaibach was lead by a crazed emperor name Dornkirk, a man that wanted and could control Fate by a machine."
Mina's eyes went wide and goose flesh appeared on her arms.
"We managed to stop him by uniting the countries of Gaea. They fought while Van and I stopped the Fate Alteration Engine with our love." She smiled at the young man and he returned it. She turned back to Mina. "I have been to Gaea three times. This is my third and final journey. I'm not going back home, Mina. I love Van, and my home is here now. I came back to be with him. I didn't know you would follow me. The light must have taken you by mistake... I'm so sorry Mina." She said sincerely. "You must believe me."
Mina looked at Hitomi with wide eyes, but not surprisingly, she believed her cousin. She had seen many strange things and had quite a history herself. It didn't take much for her to decide the story was true. Her surroundings alone were enough to convince her.
"I believe you, Hitomi. I'm glad this secret is finally out in the open. I was really afraid for you and I didn't know how to help you." She smiled. "Now I understand..." Her voice trailed off and she suddenly noticed she was in the presence of complete strangers. "If you don't mind, though, I would like to meet my audience. I have a feeling they all have a part in your story."
Hitomi laughed and nodded. "Sorry Mina," She said. She turned to the young man next to her and took his hand, pulling him gently to his feet. "This is Van Phanel, King of all Phanalia, and the man I love. He is the one I came back here for." She smiled again as Van bowed gracefully towards her.
"It is an honor to meet you, Mina. I welcome you to Gaea." He said formally.
Mina smiled at him. "Thank you." She said.
Hitomi then turned to the couple next to the bed that had also risen to their feet and were both smiling at her. "This is Milerna Sara Aston, reigning Queen of Astoria. She is the woman who took care of you. This man is her fiancé, Dryden- the merchant and scholar just returned from his travels." Hitomi turned away from them and whispered to Mina in a voice just loud enough for the couple to hear. "We kind of interrupted their wedding banquet."
They laughed at Mina's blush and waved her apology off. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mina. You may stay here in Astoria as long as you like." Milerna said pleasantly.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I'm so sorry about my earlier conduct... I was extremely rude." Mina apologized.
"Don't worry. Your reaction was perfectly understandable." Milerna said gently. She smiled at Mina and the girl returned it gratefully.
Yep, Mina thought. We're going to be great friends.
"And lastly, I'd like you to meet Sir Allen Schezar, loyal Knight of Astoria." Hitomi said, and the blonde man she had been admiring stepped forward.
She watched with wide eyes as he gently took her hand and kissed it. She shivered as his lips grazed her knuckles. They were soft, like rose petals. A bright blush bloomed in her pale cheeks.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mina. I give you my word of honor as a Knight of Kailee that I will do everything in my power to get you back home." His eyes burned into her.
"Thank you." Mina managed, and tore her gaze from his.
He grinned and backed away. The group watched them with amusement. Mina looked back at Hitomi. "Well, I finally understand why I'm here, but how do I get back home?" She asked.
Hitomi looked uncomfortable. "I don't know, Mina. You see, the dream I had, well, I think the door is closed... The pillar of light... I don't know if it will work again." Hitomi's voice cracked and she looked away. "I don't know if you even can get home..."
Mina stared at her, completely speechless. She couldn't get home? She would never see the girls, or her mom, or Andrew, or Darien again? How would the girls ever manage without her? She couldn't just disappear! The Negaverse wasn't there right now, but what about the next danger? What about Crystal Tokyo? Earth needed Sailor Venus!
"Hitomi, I HAVE to go home." Mina stated firmly. "I can't stay here. There are things at home... It-it just needs me... You wouldn't understand." Mina sputtered.
"Mina, we'll try, it's just that it might take time... And you must know there's always a chance we could never get you home. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait..." Hitomi said calmly.
"No, it can't wait!" Mina exploded. She stood to her feet. "I'm not talking about missing a test or not turning in homework or missing volleyball practice! You don't get it. The Earth NEEDS me! Hitomi, I'm-" Mina stopped short and clapped her hand over her mouth. She had just almost blurted out a secret she had kept for almost four years.
"What?" Hitomi demanded, hurt and angry. "What are you?"
Mina stopped and suddenly felt immensely guilty. She had just blown up at her cousin who couldn't possibly understand her situation. It wasn't Hitomi's fault she couldn't get home... She placed her face in her hands. How could she tell her? How could she reveal the secret she had kept for so long to total strangers?
She suddenly raised her head, looked around her, and fought the urge to laugh out loud! Who really cared anyway? None of them would be going to Earth any time soon. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She met Hitomi's eyes and bit her lower lip.
"I'm Sailor Venus." She said simply. She cringed a little and waited for the result.
Hitomi took a deep breath and sighed. She raised her head and began to speak.
"Two years ago, something amazing and frightening happened to me. As you know, I disappeared for about a month. In reality, it was about three or four."
Mina's expression conveyed her puzzlement. "I don't understand." She said.
Hitomi sighed again. "I didn't expect you to, but I'll just have to try anyway... The place I went to was a planet called Gaea. I came here with Van." She motioned towards the young man sitting close to her. "Gaea is in another dimension." Hitomi explained. "Van crossed over by accident along with the dragon he was slaying. He came in a large pillar of light, just like the one that picked us up... I must admit, I wasn't that surprised at his coming." Mina raised her eyebrows and Hitomi decided to elaborate.
"Remember how I used to have visions and do tarot card readings?" Mina nodded in reply. "Well, right before I left, I began to have visions of a young man and a huge machine called a guymelef. I would always begin to fall in the dream and a figure with wings of an angel would always catch me."
Mina hitched in a breath. "Wings of a... Raye..." She whispered.
"What Mina?" Hitomi asked.
"N-nothing, please continue." Mina said nervously.
"Well, the dream came true. A young man with a guymelef did come, the very same day, on a racetrack." Mina looked at her and Hitomi nodded. "Yes, the very same racetrack we left from. He arrived and destroyed a dragon right in front of my friends and I. Oh yeah, and before you ask- yes, dragons do exist in Gaea." She smiled and paused to let it sink in, and then went on. "Anyway, the pillar of light came again and this time, it took me too." Hitomi took a breath, then continued.
"The light took me to a mysterious new world called Gaea. The Earth hangs in its night sky- the people here call it The Mystic Moon. I didn't know it then, but this strange new place was on the verge of war. A country called Zaibach was planning to take over Gaea. Zaibach was lead by a crazed emperor name Dornkirk, a man that wanted and could control Fate by a machine."
Mina's eyes went wide and goose flesh appeared on her arms.
"We managed to stop him by uniting the countries of Gaea. They fought while Van and I stopped the Fate Alteration Engine with our love." She smiled at the young man and he returned it. She turned back to Mina. "I have been to Gaea three times. This is my third and final journey. I'm not going back home, Mina. I love Van, and my home is here now. I came back to be with him. I didn't know you would follow me. The light must have taken you by mistake... I'm so sorry Mina." She said sincerely. "You must believe me."
Mina looked at Hitomi with wide eyes, but not surprisingly, she believed her cousin. She had seen many strange things and had quite a history herself. It didn't take much for her to decide the story was true. Her surroundings alone were enough to convince her.
"I believe you, Hitomi. I'm glad this secret is finally out in the open. I was really afraid for you and I didn't know how to help you." She smiled. "Now I understand..." Her voice trailed off and she suddenly noticed she was in the presence of complete strangers. "If you don't mind, though, I would like to meet my audience. I have a feeling they all have a part in your story."
Hitomi laughed and nodded. "Sorry Mina," She said. She turned to the young man next to her and took his hand, pulling him gently to his feet. "This is Van Phanel, King of all Phanalia, and the man I love. He is the one I came back here for." She smiled again as Van bowed gracefully towards her.
"It is an honor to meet you, Mina. I welcome you to Gaea." He said formally.
Mina smiled at him. "Thank you." She said.
Hitomi then turned to the couple next to the bed that had also risen to their feet and were both smiling at her. "This is Milerna Sara Aston, reigning Queen of Astoria. She is the woman who took care of you. This man is her fiancé, Dryden- the merchant and scholar just returned from his travels." Hitomi turned away from them and whispered to Mina in a voice just loud enough for the couple to hear. "We kind of interrupted their wedding banquet."
They laughed at Mina's blush and waved her apology off. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mina. You may stay here in Astoria as long as you like." Milerna said pleasantly.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I'm so sorry about my earlier conduct... I was extremely rude." Mina apologized.
"Don't worry. Your reaction was perfectly understandable." Milerna said gently. She smiled at Mina and the girl returned it gratefully.
Yep, Mina thought. We're going to be great friends.
"And lastly, I'd like you to meet Sir Allen Schezar, loyal Knight of Astoria." Hitomi said, and the blonde man she had been admiring stepped forward.
She watched with wide eyes as he gently took her hand and kissed it. She shivered as his lips grazed her knuckles. They were soft, like rose petals. A bright blush bloomed in her pale cheeks.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mina. I give you my word of honor as a Knight of Kailee that I will do everything in my power to get you back home." His eyes burned into her.
"Thank you." Mina managed, and tore her gaze from his.
He grinned and backed away. The group watched them with amusement. Mina looked back at Hitomi. "Well, I finally understand why I'm here, but how do I get back home?" She asked.
Hitomi looked uncomfortable. "I don't know, Mina. You see, the dream I had, well, I think the door is closed... The pillar of light... I don't know if it will work again." Hitomi's voice cracked and she looked away. "I don't know if you even can get home..."
Mina stared at her, completely speechless. She couldn't get home? She would never see the girls, or her mom, or Andrew, or Darien again? How would the girls ever manage without her? She couldn't just disappear! The Negaverse wasn't there right now, but what about the next danger? What about Crystal Tokyo? Earth needed Sailor Venus!
"Hitomi, I HAVE to go home." Mina stated firmly. "I can't stay here. There are things at home... It-it just needs me... You wouldn't understand." Mina sputtered.
"Mina, we'll try, it's just that it might take time... And you must know there's always a chance we could never get you home. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait..." Hitomi said calmly.
"No, it can't wait!" Mina exploded. She stood to her feet. "I'm not talking about missing a test or not turning in homework or missing volleyball practice! You don't get it. The Earth NEEDS me! Hitomi, I'm-" Mina stopped short and clapped her hand over her mouth. She had just almost blurted out a secret she had kept for almost four years.
"What?" Hitomi demanded, hurt and angry. "What are you?"
Mina stopped and suddenly felt immensely guilty. She had just blown up at her cousin who couldn't possibly understand her situation. It wasn't Hitomi's fault she couldn't get home... She placed her face in her hands. How could she tell her? How could she reveal the secret she had kept for so long to total strangers?
She suddenly raised her head, looked around her, and fought the urge to laugh out loud! Who really cared anyway? None of them would be going to Earth any time soon. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She met Hitomi's eyes and bit her lower lip.
"I'm Sailor Venus." She said simply. She cringed a little and waited for the result.