Author's Note: Not much to say, yet again... Uh, don't hate me!
Chapter Ten
Selena did not return for a few hours, but still managed to be back more than an hour before everything was to begin. She joined everyone for lunch, but excused herself quickly to rest before she had to begin the lessons.
When she entered the training room an hour later, she looked very different. She looked refreshed, as if she had been able to rest for days instead of just an hour. Her long black hair was pulled back into a simple braid, and her dress had been replaced with a pair of pants and a shirt. As she heard the steel clashing from the men warming up, she seemed to come alive. She watched for a few minutes before she began walking amongst the men, stopping every now and then to make a suggestion to someone. She'd stay there long enough to make sure they followed the suggestion before moving on to another power.
This went on for several hours before Luna came by to tell them to get ready for dinner. Before allowing them to leave, Selena made an announcement. "I know you are not required to come back after dinner, but I would appreciate it if you were back here at eight. Bring your swords, but you won't have to duel tonight. I would like to have a chance to look them over tonight. You won't have to be here for more than an hour, then you can all return home."
The men all agreed without any complaint, heading out the door. Selena started to follow.
"Selena."
She turned and looked back to Endymion. "Yes?"
"I appreciate what you're doing for my men... I can see improvement in them already."
Shrugging her shoulders, Selena dismissed the comment. "They were only simple mistakes. Nothing that you yourself could not have corrected, if you had cared to."
He furrowed his brow at the insult. This didn't sound like Selena at all. "There was no reason for that."
"No?" She turned to look at him. "Endymion, I loved you. I still do. But I won't torment myself over it any longer. As for the insult, I apologize for that, but I won't take it back. You have been through more battles than I have, and more than most have the chance to. You should know that with a kingdom as powerful as Crystal Tokyo, there are always enemies. Some day, there will be an enemy that will be stronger than you expect, and Crystal Tokyo will fall. It happened to the Silver Millennium when the armies from nine planets joined together and senshi were all there to fight as well. Don't doubt that it could happen here." With that, she turned and left, leaving Endymion behind with a now solemn expression on his face. Yet again, Selena seemed far more knowledgeable than he was, this time in an area that he should have known far more about. Shaking his head, he headed out after her to change before going to eat.
After dinner, Selena again excused herself from spending time together with everyone else. Bewildered, Serenity followed after Selena, catching up with her in the gardens.
"Selena?" When she found she had her sister's attention, she continued. "What's wrong with you lately? You don't eat as near much as you should, you never let anyone talk to you, and you've seemed exhausted the past few days... I'm worried. Everyone's worried."
Selena turned to look at her sister. She did not speak for a few long moments. "Serenity, do you remember when I left the Moon again, and everyone was told I was to marry?"
The queen nodded her head. "But wasn't that just a cover story for why you were leaving?"
"In a way, yes. But I did marry him. For a while, I dared think I might have a chance to be happy. Six months later, I heard about the Moon being attacked, and started to leave to help. My husband stopped me, and I found out his family supported Beryl, and had helped her to enter our world. I killed him, then left for the Moon. When I got there, it was too late."
"I'm sorry, Selena, truly. But why think of this now?"
She let out a long sigh. "Unfortunately, I had a sister-in-law who was especially furious with me. She let me know some time later that she would do all she could to defeat the Moon family, especially me."
Serenity's confusion did not clear up at all.
Selena gave a frustrated sigh. "Your memory is atrocious, sister. Ask Endymion or one of the others. They'll surely remember." With that, she turned and left to meet with her class.
Bewildered, Serenity sought out someone who might be able to answer all the questions she had been left with. It didn't take her long to locate Michiru and Haruka, winding down from a long day. "I don't mean to interrupt, but could you two try to help me?"
The two women looked up and smiled. Michiru answered for them. "Of course. What's the problem?"
"Well... I confronted Selena about how she's been, and all she told me was about killing her husband. I don't understand what that has to do with now."
Michiru's eyebrows lifted. "What else did she tell you?"
"That she had thought they could be happy together, but she found out that he supported Beryl and killed him when he stopped her from coming to help ups during the attack. It really upset his sister."
The green-haired beauty's mouth was set in a grim line as Haruka gave a scornful laugh. "She never told you?"
"Never told me what? All I know is what she just told me."
"Thought they could be happy together, that's a load of - "
"Haruka!"
The short-haired blonde looked to her girlfriend briefly before looking back to Serenity and continuing. "Her in-laws knew how she became pregnant. They figured it meant she'd help Beryl as well, since it appeared to them that she hated you so much that she slept with Endymion. They'd been trying to get her help from the very day they heard she was mad at you, when she was only twelve. Once they found they wouldn't have her support, they became mentally abusive toward her. Anything they could have possibly said to turn her against the Silver Millennium, they did. But she kept secretly trying to ruin their plans of attack. She found her husband was a key player in it all, a favorite of Beryl's. So she killed him, days before the attack even began. The family found out and locked her away. Beryl had never meant to slaughter the entire system, only to take over. But when she heard about what had happened, it was all revenge against Selena."
Serenity dropped down into a chair, pale with shock. Michiru rushed off to get help. "Butt... she said..." She shook her head. "No wonder she feels so guilty about it all... But I still don't understand why it's affected her so much lately."
Haruka shook her head. "The attack."
"What about it?"
She sighed. "Serenity... The attacks from the planet that her in-laws lived on. They're the ones coming from Scorpio to destroy Crystal Tokyo. To destroy her. They must have just found out she'd here and alive."
Michiru returned with Ami, who carried a cup of tea. She handed it to Serenity whom only looked up at her.
"Did you know about this too, Ami?"
The blue-tressed woman side-glanced at Haruka and Michiru. She was slightly upset that they had told, but knew that they knew what they were doing. Looking back to Serenity, she gave the most diplomatic answer she could. "It is a senshi's job to protect their queen from pain, Serenity. That's all any of us were doing."
"Any of you? You all knew?!" Serenity shrank back at her own outburst, sobbing. "I'm such a horrid person."
"Serenity, no! How can you say such a thing?"
She looked up to Michiru. "All I have ever done is cause Selena pain. And at a time in her life when she would have needed me the most, she couldn't even tell me!"
"Of course not!"
Serenity looked to Haruka.
"It was her way of trying to make up for what happened with Endymion and she failed. Of course she wouldn't tell you. Endymion never found out either."
Meanwhile...
Twenty men watched as Selena and Endymion dueled. Selena still held her sword in her left hand, easily keeping her opponent at bay. She shouted suggestions over the sound of steel clashing. "You're not letting yourself trust in your sword and your ability to wield it, Endymion! You're doubting yourself. Quit just thinking you can get past me and do it!"
Endymion's brow furrowed as he concentrated, pushing her back. Selena grinned a little, switched hands, and made an easy slice up his chest. They both lowered their swords as Endymion winced from the light wound.
"Great attack. Unfortunately, you let your defense down." She then walked over to him and, using the white blade of her sword sliced open the palm of her hand. Before it could heal, she pressed her palm against the wound on his chest, which healed almost immediately. She then turned to the men. "If you would all please place your swords beside the door on your way out, you are free to go."
The men rose and left in silence, each leaving their sword by the door.
Selena began straightening up the room as Endymion looked on for a moment before helping her.
"Selena... if you don't mind me asking, what was the point of having the men here? Simply to have an audience to watch you defeat me again?"
She grinned faintly, straightening from arranging some mats. "No, but I suppose that was a bonus."
"Hey!" Endymion swatted her playfully, mock indignation on his face.
Selena smiled a little before it faded. "Those men look up to you as the strongest sword fighter they know. As talented as they are, they have faults. It was important for them to know there is always someone out there who is stronger, better, and faster."
"So now they'll think there's someone better than I that's on their side anyway."
She let out a long sigh. "They won't trust me for long."
"What makes you think that?"
"Endymion... do you remember where that dojo was where we first dueled?"
"Yes... you stayed at the palace, right? But what's that got to do with me men trusting you?"
"Well, if my guess is right... it's my in-laws coming to attack Crystal Tokyo... And they won't give up, even if it means destroying Earth to get to me."
Chapter Ten
Selena did not return for a few hours, but still managed to be back more than an hour before everything was to begin. She joined everyone for lunch, but excused herself quickly to rest before she had to begin the lessons.
When she entered the training room an hour later, she looked very different. She looked refreshed, as if she had been able to rest for days instead of just an hour. Her long black hair was pulled back into a simple braid, and her dress had been replaced with a pair of pants and a shirt. As she heard the steel clashing from the men warming up, she seemed to come alive. She watched for a few minutes before she began walking amongst the men, stopping every now and then to make a suggestion to someone. She'd stay there long enough to make sure they followed the suggestion before moving on to another power.
This went on for several hours before Luna came by to tell them to get ready for dinner. Before allowing them to leave, Selena made an announcement. "I know you are not required to come back after dinner, but I would appreciate it if you were back here at eight. Bring your swords, but you won't have to duel tonight. I would like to have a chance to look them over tonight. You won't have to be here for more than an hour, then you can all return home."
The men all agreed without any complaint, heading out the door. Selena started to follow.
"Selena."
She turned and looked back to Endymion. "Yes?"
"I appreciate what you're doing for my men... I can see improvement in them already."
Shrugging her shoulders, Selena dismissed the comment. "They were only simple mistakes. Nothing that you yourself could not have corrected, if you had cared to."
He furrowed his brow at the insult. This didn't sound like Selena at all. "There was no reason for that."
"No?" She turned to look at him. "Endymion, I loved you. I still do. But I won't torment myself over it any longer. As for the insult, I apologize for that, but I won't take it back. You have been through more battles than I have, and more than most have the chance to. You should know that with a kingdom as powerful as Crystal Tokyo, there are always enemies. Some day, there will be an enemy that will be stronger than you expect, and Crystal Tokyo will fall. It happened to the Silver Millennium when the armies from nine planets joined together and senshi were all there to fight as well. Don't doubt that it could happen here." With that, she turned and left, leaving Endymion behind with a now solemn expression on his face. Yet again, Selena seemed far more knowledgeable than he was, this time in an area that he should have known far more about. Shaking his head, he headed out after her to change before going to eat.
After dinner, Selena again excused herself from spending time together with everyone else. Bewildered, Serenity followed after Selena, catching up with her in the gardens.
"Selena?" When she found she had her sister's attention, she continued. "What's wrong with you lately? You don't eat as near much as you should, you never let anyone talk to you, and you've seemed exhausted the past few days... I'm worried. Everyone's worried."
Selena turned to look at her sister. She did not speak for a few long moments. "Serenity, do you remember when I left the Moon again, and everyone was told I was to marry?"
The queen nodded her head. "But wasn't that just a cover story for why you were leaving?"
"In a way, yes. But I did marry him. For a while, I dared think I might have a chance to be happy. Six months later, I heard about the Moon being attacked, and started to leave to help. My husband stopped me, and I found out his family supported Beryl, and had helped her to enter our world. I killed him, then left for the Moon. When I got there, it was too late."
"I'm sorry, Selena, truly. But why think of this now?"
She let out a long sigh. "Unfortunately, I had a sister-in-law who was especially furious with me. She let me know some time later that she would do all she could to defeat the Moon family, especially me."
Serenity's confusion did not clear up at all.
Selena gave a frustrated sigh. "Your memory is atrocious, sister. Ask Endymion or one of the others. They'll surely remember." With that, she turned and left to meet with her class.
Bewildered, Serenity sought out someone who might be able to answer all the questions she had been left with. It didn't take her long to locate Michiru and Haruka, winding down from a long day. "I don't mean to interrupt, but could you two try to help me?"
The two women looked up and smiled. Michiru answered for them. "Of course. What's the problem?"
"Well... I confronted Selena about how she's been, and all she told me was about killing her husband. I don't understand what that has to do with now."
Michiru's eyebrows lifted. "What else did she tell you?"
"That she had thought they could be happy together, but she found out that he supported Beryl and killed him when he stopped her from coming to help ups during the attack. It really upset his sister."
The green-haired beauty's mouth was set in a grim line as Haruka gave a scornful laugh. "She never told you?"
"Never told me what? All I know is what she just told me."
"Thought they could be happy together, that's a load of - "
"Haruka!"
The short-haired blonde looked to her girlfriend briefly before looking back to Serenity and continuing. "Her in-laws knew how she became pregnant. They figured it meant she'd help Beryl as well, since it appeared to them that she hated you so much that she slept with Endymion. They'd been trying to get her help from the very day they heard she was mad at you, when she was only twelve. Once they found they wouldn't have her support, they became mentally abusive toward her. Anything they could have possibly said to turn her against the Silver Millennium, they did. But she kept secretly trying to ruin their plans of attack. She found her husband was a key player in it all, a favorite of Beryl's. So she killed him, days before the attack even began. The family found out and locked her away. Beryl had never meant to slaughter the entire system, only to take over. But when she heard about what had happened, it was all revenge against Selena."
Serenity dropped down into a chair, pale with shock. Michiru rushed off to get help. "Butt... she said..." She shook her head. "No wonder she feels so guilty about it all... But I still don't understand why it's affected her so much lately."
Haruka shook her head. "The attack."
"What about it?"
She sighed. "Serenity... The attacks from the planet that her in-laws lived on. They're the ones coming from Scorpio to destroy Crystal Tokyo. To destroy her. They must have just found out she'd here and alive."
Michiru returned with Ami, who carried a cup of tea. She handed it to Serenity whom only looked up at her.
"Did you know about this too, Ami?"
The blue-tressed woman side-glanced at Haruka and Michiru. She was slightly upset that they had told, but knew that they knew what they were doing. Looking back to Serenity, she gave the most diplomatic answer she could. "It is a senshi's job to protect their queen from pain, Serenity. That's all any of us were doing."
"Any of you? You all knew?!" Serenity shrank back at her own outburst, sobbing. "I'm such a horrid person."
"Serenity, no! How can you say such a thing?"
She looked up to Michiru. "All I have ever done is cause Selena pain. And at a time in her life when she would have needed me the most, she couldn't even tell me!"
"Of course not!"
Serenity looked to Haruka.
"It was her way of trying to make up for what happened with Endymion and she failed. Of course she wouldn't tell you. Endymion never found out either."
Meanwhile...
Twenty men watched as Selena and Endymion dueled. Selena still held her sword in her left hand, easily keeping her opponent at bay. She shouted suggestions over the sound of steel clashing. "You're not letting yourself trust in your sword and your ability to wield it, Endymion! You're doubting yourself. Quit just thinking you can get past me and do it!"
Endymion's brow furrowed as he concentrated, pushing her back. Selena grinned a little, switched hands, and made an easy slice up his chest. They both lowered their swords as Endymion winced from the light wound.
"Great attack. Unfortunately, you let your defense down." She then walked over to him and, using the white blade of her sword sliced open the palm of her hand. Before it could heal, she pressed her palm against the wound on his chest, which healed almost immediately. She then turned to the men. "If you would all please place your swords beside the door on your way out, you are free to go."
The men rose and left in silence, each leaving their sword by the door.
Selena began straightening up the room as Endymion looked on for a moment before helping her.
"Selena... if you don't mind me asking, what was the point of having the men here? Simply to have an audience to watch you defeat me again?"
She grinned faintly, straightening from arranging some mats. "No, but I suppose that was a bonus."
"Hey!" Endymion swatted her playfully, mock indignation on his face.
Selena smiled a little before it faded. "Those men look up to you as the strongest sword fighter they know. As talented as they are, they have faults. It was important for them to know there is always someone out there who is stronger, better, and faster."
"So now they'll think there's someone better than I that's on their side anyway."
She let out a long sigh. "They won't trust me for long."
"What makes you think that?"
"Endymion... do you remember where that dojo was where we first dueled?"
"Yes... you stayed at the palace, right? But what's that got to do with me men trusting you?"
"Well, if my guess is right... it's my in-laws coming to attack Crystal Tokyo... And they won't give up, even if it means destroying Earth to get to me."