Jupiter's Secret
Ken carried Lita up the stairs of Cherry Hill Temple quickly. He was finally beginning to feel her weight on his arms and realized he was exhausted. Carrying her all this way as well as the encounter with her fist had definitely taken its toll. He was about to collapse when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was Venus Knight- or Anthony as he had just discovered. He smiled at Ken and held out his arms, gently taking Lita from him. Ken smiled at him with gratitude, realizing at that moment this was where he belonged. He suddenly wondered why he had stayed away from them so long. He decided to finally start up a conversation.
"So..." He began, turning to Raye, who was now next to him. "How did you find us anyway?"
"I was doing a fire reading and I picked up a strong negative energy signal. The Sacred Fire told me Sailor Jupiter was in danger so I rallied the scouts. We got there as soon as we could, but it wasn't soon enough..." She said quietly, hanging her head. Ken nodded, and hurried to catch up to Lita, who was still in Anthony's arms,
Anthony carried Lita the rest of the way, and Ken followed closely at his heels. When they reached the temple he took her through the doors and into a spare room. Here, Anthony softly set her on the bed. Chad ran to get towels and warm water to wash her wounds. They were slight, but in her weakened state, even the smallest wounds could prove dangerous. Anthony followed him to quicken the process. The girls left Ken and Lita alone, knowing that at the moment they would only get in the way.
Ken stared at Lita. She looked so weak and frail lying in the bed alone. He gazed at her lovely face and her beautiful auburn hair that was now loose and spread over the pillows. Cuts marred her skin, but did not mask her exquisite beauty in the slightest. He felt a strong ache in his chest, knowing he had broken her heart when she had turned out to be the very girl he had loved all along.
He kneeled next to the bed and took her hand in his. He placed it gently against his cheek and sighed softly. He kissed the back of it and felt tears fill his eyes. Lita suddenly stirred and slowly opened her own. She stared at Ken for a moment, gave a small gasp, and looked away. He frowned and moved to sit next to her, but smiled in relief knowing she was conscious.
"Lita! You're all right! I'm so glad you're okay... What's the matter?" He asked finally, when she did not look at him.
Lita turned to him again, feeling tears rise in her eyes, knowing he now loved another girl, and now that he knew her true identity, everything would be different. She couldn't believe that all this time Ken had loved someone else. It hurt to know he didn't love her, but discovering that he was Jupiter Knight hurt even more. Now both of the men she loved would never love her back because they were one and the same. The cruelest irony life could ever dish out. She swallowed hard and turned to look at him. She might as well give him the truth.
"Ken, I know there is no hope for me in love. You love someone else and Jupiter Knight was the only consolation to me when I realized you didn't love me. There is just no hope." Lita said finally.
Ken gaped at her, not sure if he understood her right. He suddenly threw his head back and laughed! Lita looked up at him, startled, and quite angry.
"It's not funny Ken! I can't believe you would laugh at something like that!" Lita choked angrily. She tried to say more but a horrible pain suddenly wracked her body, leaving her breathless.
Ken stopped laughing immediately and leaned forward with a look of unmistakable horror. He blanched as Lita stared at him with pain-filled eyes. He held her hand until the hurt subsided and she looked away again.
"Lita..." He murmured softly, but frowned when she didn't respond. "Lita look at me!" He said firmly.
"No." Her voice whispered.
He could see her shoulders shaking a little and realized she was crying. He knew then that she really didn't know how deep his feelings for her ran. He had loved both sides of her- the warrior and the woman. He was stupid not to tell her before. She proved herself braver than he ever could have been. He reached down and gently moved Lita's head until she was facing him. He noticed she had indeed been crying, and was still very hurt by everything that had happened that day. He smiled at her gently and bent down and kissed her trembling lips. Lita gasped and her eyes widened unexpectedly. When Ken parted the kiss, Lita was staring at him with open-mouthed wonder.
"Ken... Why?" Lita stammered.
"Because weirdo, I do love you. I've loved you since the moment I met you. Why do you think I was there the day Freddie broke up with you? I was there to show you I was the one that cared. I was the one who would always be there, ready for you whenever you needed me. Lita, I swore I would wait until the end of time for you to love me." Ken said, beaming at her.
"I fell in love with Sailor Jupiter by accident. Yes, Sailor Jupiter was the girl I told you about." He grinned at Lita's stupefied expression. "I fell in love with her because she reminded me of you. She was an enigma to me. I knew she was part of my past and I was determined to find out how. Sailor Pluto came to me that day we walked in the park together, and introduced me to my destiny as a Sailor Knight. Then I met Sailor Jupiter, and felt such an amazing attraction and rightness towards her that I fell in love with her in a matter of weeks. She was like me. She held the same destiny as I, and I knew somehow she held the key to my mysterious past." Ken said quietly, his eyes pleading with Lita's to understand.
"So you see, Lita? I loved her because I knew she was part of me. I loved her because I was afraid to love you. I thought my love for you was wrong because we were best friends- but for the life of me I couldn't give it up. I couldn't give up hope you would finally see me and ease the pain of my doubts."
"But that day that I kissed Sailor Jupiter for the first time, I knew she was part of me, and all those doubts and all those thoughts came crashing down on me... I realized I had to let go of you. But it doesn't matter to me anymore Lita, because you see, everything's perfect! You are the one for me. I know that now, just as I knew it before, because now my fear is erased. Can you forgive me, and be with me forever? Like I've always wished for?" Ken asked hopefully.
Lita stared at him, weighing over his confession in her mind. She thought about all the times he had looked at her and shook her head. She mentally kicked herself for not noticing the love that should have been obvious. She smiled at him and he smiled back. She could forgive him and she knew she could love him.
"Yes." She said.
That was all she could say to him now. She was afraid if she said anymore- if she opened her mouth again- she would burst into tears of joy. He smiled back at her happily and kissed her again, cradling her head in his arms gently. That was how Chad and Anthony found them- still kissing- but neither quite believing their dreams had come true.
"Whoa! Sorry about that! Here, Ken, take these and clean her wounds." Chad said giving the towels, hot water, and disinfectant to Ken. Ken smiled his gratitude and Chad and Anthony returned it as they left the room.
Ken turned back to Lita and smiled. Lita, however, looked at him quizzically. "Ken, when will we be able to get our memories back?" Lita asked suddenly.
"Right now." Spoke a voice.
Lita turned in her bed and saw Trista in the doorway. "Trista! What are you doing here?" Lita exclaimed, surprised.
"I'm here to return your memories. Afterwards, I will return to the Time Gate." Trista said seriously. "If it is possible, I would like Amara and Michelle to accompany me."
"We will go." Came a voice behind Trista. She turned to see Amara and Michelle standing in the doorway. Mina and Anthony stood behind them, looking at them with some surprise.
"But why? Why do you have to go? We need your help!" Mina protested angrily, her eyes filling with tears.
"Because Mina, we can no longer interfere with the lives of the Sailor Scouts. We are meant for a different purpose and we are not meant for this time. You will see us again, but for now you must put your faith in your Knights." Michelle answered softly and finally.
Mina stared at her for a moment, taking in what Michelle had said, then sat back in defiant silence. Michelle looked at her for a moment, as if she wanted to apologize, then shrugged and turned back to Trista. Mina bit her lower lip angrily and struggled not to cry.
"Well Sailor Pluto, are you going to do what you came to do, or what?" Michelle asked.
"Yes, and right now in fact. But four will be coming on this journey- not two." Trista said softly.
"What?" Lita asked, startled. "Four? What do you mean?"
"I mean that Princess Mina and Sir Anthony will be accompanying you. You are not the only ones who need to know of your pasts. However, I have reason to take you all together, for your stories are intertwined."
Lita and Mina looked at each other while Ken and Anthony caught each other's eyes. They all turned back to Trista and Mina and Anthony entered the room fully in order to hear more.
"So now you know." Trista said. "But now I must make you see for you cannot fight beside each other without knowing the events of your past lives. This journey will be much like seeing a movie. You cannot interact at all with the people you see. You will be nothing but silent observers. What's done is done. Do you understand?" Trista asked.
Ken, Lita, Mina, and Anthony nodded silently and crowded together. Ken supporting Lita gently in his arms. Anthony and Mina held each other's hands tightly.
"All right." Trista said finally. She held up her Time Key and they all gasped as a purple fog began to cloud the room. There was suddenly a gust of wind, and Amara and Michelle were left alone.
"Well Michelle, should we get ready to go?" Amara asked softly.
"Yes." Michelle answered. "It's a shame isn't it Amara? I'm really going to miss the girls." She said regretfully.
"I know Michelle. I'm going to miss them too." Amara said gently, and lead her out the door.
Ken carried Lita up the stairs of Cherry Hill Temple quickly. He was finally beginning to feel her weight on his arms and realized he was exhausted. Carrying her all this way as well as the encounter with her fist had definitely taken its toll. He was about to collapse when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was Venus Knight- or Anthony as he had just discovered. He smiled at Ken and held out his arms, gently taking Lita from him. Ken smiled at him with gratitude, realizing at that moment this was where he belonged. He suddenly wondered why he had stayed away from them so long. He decided to finally start up a conversation.
"So..." He began, turning to Raye, who was now next to him. "How did you find us anyway?"
"I was doing a fire reading and I picked up a strong negative energy signal. The Sacred Fire told me Sailor Jupiter was in danger so I rallied the scouts. We got there as soon as we could, but it wasn't soon enough..." She said quietly, hanging her head. Ken nodded, and hurried to catch up to Lita, who was still in Anthony's arms,
Anthony carried Lita the rest of the way, and Ken followed closely at his heels. When they reached the temple he took her through the doors and into a spare room. Here, Anthony softly set her on the bed. Chad ran to get towels and warm water to wash her wounds. They were slight, but in her weakened state, even the smallest wounds could prove dangerous. Anthony followed him to quicken the process. The girls left Ken and Lita alone, knowing that at the moment they would only get in the way.
Ken stared at Lita. She looked so weak and frail lying in the bed alone. He gazed at her lovely face and her beautiful auburn hair that was now loose and spread over the pillows. Cuts marred her skin, but did not mask her exquisite beauty in the slightest. He felt a strong ache in his chest, knowing he had broken her heart when she had turned out to be the very girl he had loved all along.
He kneeled next to the bed and took her hand in his. He placed it gently against his cheek and sighed softly. He kissed the back of it and felt tears fill his eyes. Lita suddenly stirred and slowly opened her own. She stared at Ken for a moment, gave a small gasp, and looked away. He frowned and moved to sit next to her, but smiled in relief knowing she was conscious.
"Lita! You're all right! I'm so glad you're okay... What's the matter?" He asked finally, when she did not look at him.
Lita turned to him again, feeling tears rise in her eyes, knowing he now loved another girl, and now that he knew her true identity, everything would be different. She couldn't believe that all this time Ken had loved someone else. It hurt to know he didn't love her, but discovering that he was Jupiter Knight hurt even more. Now both of the men she loved would never love her back because they were one and the same. The cruelest irony life could ever dish out. She swallowed hard and turned to look at him. She might as well give him the truth.
"Ken, I know there is no hope for me in love. You love someone else and Jupiter Knight was the only consolation to me when I realized you didn't love me. There is just no hope." Lita said finally.
Ken gaped at her, not sure if he understood her right. He suddenly threw his head back and laughed! Lita looked up at him, startled, and quite angry.
"It's not funny Ken! I can't believe you would laugh at something like that!" Lita choked angrily. She tried to say more but a horrible pain suddenly wracked her body, leaving her breathless.
Ken stopped laughing immediately and leaned forward with a look of unmistakable horror. He blanched as Lita stared at him with pain-filled eyes. He held her hand until the hurt subsided and she looked away again.
"Lita..." He murmured softly, but frowned when she didn't respond. "Lita look at me!" He said firmly.
"No." Her voice whispered.
He could see her shoulders shaking a little and realized she was crying. He knew then that she really didn't know how deep his feelings for her ran. He had loved both sides of her- the warrior and the woman. He was stupid not to tell her before. She proved herself braver than he ever could have been. He reached down and gently moved Lita's head until she was facing him. He noticed she had indeed been crying, and was still very hurt by everything that had happened that day. He smiled at her gently and bent down and kissed her trembling lips. Lita gasped and her eyes widened unexpectedly. When Ken parted the kiss, Lita was staring at him with open-mouthed wonder.
"Ken... Why?" Lita stammered.
"Because weirdo, I do love you. I've loved you since the moment I met you. Why do you think I was there the day Freddie broke up with you? I was there to show you I was the one that cared. I was the one who would always be there, ready for you whenever you needed me. Lita, I swore I would wait until the end of time for you to love me." Ken said, beaming at her.
"I fell in love with Sailor Jupiter by accident. Yes, Sailor Jupiter was the girl I told you about." He grinned at Lita's stupefied expression. "I fell in love with her because she reminded me of you. She was an enigma to me. I knew she was part of my past and I was determined to find out how. Sailor Pluto came to me that day we walked in the park together, and introduced me to my destiny as a Sailor Knight. Then I met Sailor Jupiter, and felt such an amazing attraction and rightness towards her that I fell in love with her in a matter of weeks. She was like me. She held the same destiny as I, and I knew somehow she held the key to my mysterious past." Ken said quietly, his eyes pleading with Lita's to understand.
"So you see, Lita? I loved her because I knew she was part of me. I loved her because I was afraid to love you. I thought my love for you was wrong because we were best friends- but for the life of me I couldn't give it up. I couldn't give up hope you would finally see me and ease the pain of my doubts."
"But that day that I kissed Sailor Jupiter for the first time, I knew she was part of me, and all those doubts and all those thoughts came crashing down on me... I realized I had to let go of you. But it doesn't matter to me anymore Lita, because you see, everything's perfect! You are the one for me. I know that now, just as I knew it before, because now my fear is erased. Can you forgive me, and be with me forever? Like I've always wished for?" Ken asked hopefully.
Lita stared at him, weighing over his confession in her mind. She thought about all the times he had looked at her and shook her head. She mentally kicked herself for not noticing the love that should have been obvious. She smiled at him and he smiled back. She could forgive him and she knew she could love him.
"Yes." She said.
That was all she could say to him now. She was afraid if she said anymore- if she opened her mouth again- she would burst into tears of joy. He smiled back at her happily and kissed her again, cradling her head in his arms gently. That was how Chad and Anthony found them- still kissing- but neither quite believing their dreams had come true.
"Whoa! Sorry about that! Here, Ken, take these and clean her wounds." Chad said giving the towels, hot water, and disinfectant to Ken. Ken smiled his gratitude and Chad and Anthony returned it as they left the room.
Ken turned back to Lita and smiled. Lita, however, looked at him quizzically. "Ken, when will we be able to get our memories back?" Lita asked suddenly.
"Right now." Spoke a voice.
Lita turned in her bed and saw Trista in the doorway. "Trista! What are you doing here?" Lita exclaimed, surprised.
"I'm here to return your memories. Afterwards, I will return to the Time Gate." Trista said seriously. "If it is possible, I would like Amara and Michelle to accompany me."
"We will go." Came a voice behind Trista. She turned to see Amara and Michelle standing in the doorway. Mina and Anthony stood behind them, looking at them with some surprise.
"But why? Why do you have to go? We need your help!" Mina protested angrily, her eyes filling with tears.
"Because Mina, we can no longer interfere with the lives of the Sailor Scouts. We are meant for a different purpose and we are not meant for this time. You will see us again, but for now you must put your faith in your Knights." Michelle answered softly and finally.
Mina stared at her for a moment, taking in what Michelle had said, then sat back in defiant silence. Michelle looked at her for a moment, as if she wanted to apologize, then shrugged and turned back to Trista. Mina bit her lower lip angrily and struggled not to cry.
"Well Sailor Pluto, are you going to do what you came to do, or what?" Michelle asked.
"Yes, and right now in fact. But four will be coming on this journey- not two." Trista said softly.
"What?" Lita asked, startled. "Four? What do you mean?"
"I mean that Princess Mina and Sir Anthony will be accompanying you. You are not the only ones who need to know of your pasts. However, I have reason to take you all together, for your stories are intertwined."
Lita and Mina looked at each other while Ken and Anthony caught each other's eyes. They all turned back to Trista and Mina and Anthony entered the room fully in order to hear more.
"So now you know." Trista said. "But now I must make you see for you cannot fight beside each other without knowing the events of your past lives. This journey will be much like seeing a movie. You cannot interact at all with the people you see. You will be nothing but silent observers. What's done is done. Do you understand?" Trista asked.
Ken, Lita, Mina, and Anthony nodded silently and crowded together. Ken supporting Lita gently in his arms. Anthony and Mina held each other's hands tightly.
"All right." Trista said finally. She held up her Time Key and they all gasped as a purple fog began to cloud the room. There was suddenly a gust of wind, and Amara and Michelle were left alone.
"Well Michelle, should we get ready to go?" Amara asked softly.
"Yes." Michelle answered. "It's a shame isn't it Amara? I'm really going to miss the girls." She said regretfully.
"I know Michelle. I'm going to miss them too." Amara said gently, and lead her out the door.