The Other Side of Paradise

Part 10

Author:  Me

Hi everybody!  Sorry it's taken me a while to update.  I seem to attract writer's block.  Oh well.  At least I'm being good enough to write now, right?  Right.  By the way, it'll be another week probably before I post because of spring break.  I'm going to L.A!  Yayishness!  I'm gonna go to Disneyland!  Oh.  Wait.  I'm still mad at Disney for not promoting Spirited Away enough.  *thinks*  Ah, who cares if I can get Mickey Mouse Ears!  Yayishness!  Well, I guess I'll go be weird somewhere else, and you can sit here and read.  Don't own the anime, as you know.  Byers!

-Nyneve

************************************************************************Serenity walked down the hallway to Trista's room.  All the other girls (and guys) were in the throne room, waiting for court to begin.  However, Serenity had felt they couldn't make a fair decision unless all of the Senshi were there.

When she reached the door, she knocked.  No answer.  Slowly she opened the door and gasped at what she saw.  Trista was looking out the window absentmindedly, while Trowa laid his head in her lap.  Slowly, she was caressing his cheek.  It was as though the two failed to acknowledge the world around them.

"Um…" Serenity began awkwardly.  The tender moment evaporated as Trista snapped her head around and Trowa opened his eyes.

"Serenity!!!!!  Don't you ever knock?!?!?!?!" Trista cried, blushing bright red.

"Where'd he come from?"  Serenity asked, pointing at Trowa.  "He never got caught!"

"Trista brought me here, Your Majesty," Trowa explained, standing and bowing slightly.

"Puu!  How long have you been hiding him here?  Oh Jeez, Uranus and Neptune are gonna be so ticked…"

"That's why I didn't tell anyone.  Now, Your Majesty, will you please calm down for a moment?" Trista asked.

Serenity took a few deep breaths.  "Well, I was coming to get you so that you could be part of the jury."

"Jury?" Trista asked.  "For court?  Who's on trial?"

"Um, Heero, and Duo, and Quatre, and Wufei.  And him now, I guess," Serenity explained.

"Serenity, isn't that a bit much?  They aren't under Hecate's control anymore.  Can't we just…" Trista began, but Serenity put her hands up defensively.

"Look, it was Uranus's idea, and Neptune, and Endymion agreed to it.  Plus, this'll just serve as insurance.  What could it hurt?" Serenity asked.  "Let's go.  Don't want to keep them waiting."

"I suppose," Trista gave in, then motioned for Trowa to follow Serenity.

As she shut the door, Serenity whispered to Trista.  "He's been sleeping in your room?"

"Yes."

"In your bed?"

"Yes…"

"With you?"

"SERENITY!!!!!"

"Just kidding!  Kidding!"  Serenity laughed as the older woman began to blush profusely again.

************************************************************************

"Man, can we get this thing started?  I'm starving!" Duo complained under his breath as he yet again waved to Amy.  She smiled, but didn't wave back.

"Don't you think there's a little more important task at hand, baka?" Wufei countered.

"Hey you two, look!  It's Trowa!" Quatre cried suddenly, as their comrade entered the room with Queen Serenity and Sailor Pluto on either side of him.

Serenity said something to him, then pointed towards the table where all of them were seated.  He nodded, squeezed Trista's hand, then walked over silently.

"Trowa!  Where'd you come from?  Oh I see.  Having fun with Trista, huh?"  Duo grinned.  "How come you got to go up to her room while the rest of us were stuck in the dungeon."

"Duo, don't you think Miss Mizuno would be hurt if she heard you talking like that?" Quatre asked innocently.

Duo blushed as Wufei smirked.  "He's got a point there Maxwell."

"Shut up," he muttered, sinking down in his chair.

"Attention!  Court will now come to order!" Endymion called out, then looked to the five younger men seated at the table in front of him.

"You five are being tried for the attempted murder of the Royal Family and/or Sailor Senshi," he said solemnly.

"Give it a rest Endymion!  They were being controlled!  They're okay now!" Raye yelled out, standing up.  "Quatre would never hurt anyone!"

"Mars, can you be quiet for one second?" Amara snapped.  "We've barely even started."

Raye opened her mouth to say more, but Mina reached up and touched her arm, then gently pulled her back to her seat.  Mina's injuries proved to be only cuts and one stable stab wound.  As Amy had predicted, she was in pain, but could still function normally.

"Your Majesty, can I say something?" Duo asked, standing up.

"Of course!  You're the one on trial, aren't you?" Serenity replied.

"When we attacked you, we weren't trying to kill you.  If you need proof, ask that kid right there.  His mom was forcing us to attack.  And he was the one who possessed Quatre!" Duo cried, pointing at Janus, who was seated next to Rini and Hotaru.

"Janus?  Is that true?" Endymion asked the boy.

"Hmph.  Of course.  I can tell you the whole plan if you want.  Mama wanted to make them try to kill the Sailor Scouts so that she'd have a clear shot at you," he explained, with no remorse whatsoever.

"Wait a minute.  Why's he telling us this?" Michelle asked suspiciously.

"Why?  I'll tell you why.  You killed my mother!  What am I supposed to do now?  I'm certainly not strong enough to destroy you.  And you've defeated all of your enemies, so I've got nowhere to go.  There's no point in keeping it a secret anymore," Janus muttered.  But to Rini, who sat next to him, he seemed sad, and lonely.

"It's okay Janus.  You can stay here if you want," she replied.

"Now wait a minute Rini…" Endymion began, but Serenity cut him off.

"That sounds wonderful Rini.  Now you'll have someone else to be friends with.  But back to the matter at hand," she turned to the five boys.  "Now then, the Senshi say you five are on our side now.  Is there a way you can prove this?"

Silence.  What could anyone say?  Nothing.  There was no way to prove it.

Suddenly, Trista stepped in front of them.  "Your Majesty, if you need proof, you may as well ask for proof that you are the Queen of Crystal Tokyo.  Or proof that you are the reincarnation of Princess Serenity."

Serenity gasped at Trista's strong words.  But then, Amy appeared next to her.

"Maybe you want proof that I'm really Sailor Mercury, and not some clone.  Or that any of us are really your friends," Amy said sternly, laying her hand on Duo's.

"Mercury, what are you saying?" Endymion asked.

"The same thing I am," Raye remarked, moving to Quatre's side.  "Maybe you don't believe who they are, but we do.  Because we know them."

"And if you can't believe that, then we are no longer your Senshi," Mina added, stepping out from behind Heero.

The four Senshi looked to Lita, who was still seated next to Amara.  She looked back at them, not moving.  Then, she sighed, and joined her friends.

"The guys may not be extremely friendly.  Or smart.  And one certain one may be extremely egotistical and stubborn," she remarked, glancing at Wufei, who was glaring back.  "But overall, they're good guys.  If we trust them, and you trust us, then you should trust them too."

"Well then, that settles it!  They're innocent!"  Serenity cried cheerfully before Endymion, Neptune, or Uranus could say anything.

"All right!" Duo cried, jumping up and throwing his arms around the startled Amy.

"So then…" Amara muttered.

"What's that Amara?"  Serenity asked her friend.

"Nothing," she snapped back, standing up and putting her hand on Michelle's shoulder.

"Well Serenity, you've done it again.  Saved not only one, but five budding romances," Endymion commented.

"Um, I think we'd better make that four," she replied, pointing at Lita and Wufei, who were arguing loudly.

"Anyways, have you thought about where you're going have them stay?" Endymion asked.

"Why, here of course?  In the hallway next to the girls' rooms.  They ought to be nice and close, don't you think?" she giggled, then bounded over the group to tell everyone.

************************************************************************

There ya go!  Kinda short, but sweet too.  R+R+R!!!!