Author's Note: It's almost at an end! Dun dun dun... Hehe.
Chapter Twelve
The next day passed without any major events. Everyone went on with their plans, the senshi leaving to help transport groups of people all over the world to where they needed to go. Since even Selena, Small Lady ( after much pleading ), and the Quartet helped, they managed to finish by lunch. Selena excused herself from the meal, and was not seen again until afternoon lessons began at two.
She was seated in the training room as the twenty men, followed by Endymion, came into the room. "I apologize for not being here with your swords this morning." She rose and, with amazing accuracy, handed each sword back to its rightful owner. "I'm glad you all keep your swords in good condition, but you will notice a change. I spent last night doing it. Since I cannot be everywhere at once to heal, if the need arrives, I have enabled your swords to heal minor wounds. Down one side of your blade, you will find a thin line of blood. It's mine, obviously. Simply press that side against any minor wounds you or someone else may have. Major wounds will still require my assistance. But, let's hope that it won't be necessary." She paused, giving a weakened smile. "Other than, I have nothing left to tell you. If any of you desire advice, I'd be happy to give it. Other than that, there's nothing I can really teach you. With the level you are all at, the only way to improve is practice. Unfortunately, time to practice is limited. If you aren't happy with your skill level, I'll try to help, but time is simply against any vast improvements. We're headed to war... welcome to it."
A dead silence fell over the room as she finished speaking. Nobody moved at all except to glance at each other. The only one in the room that had seen actual battled was Endymion. But it still seemed that Selena knew more.
She let out a long sigh. "If you want my advice, gentlemen... go home and spend time with your families. Depending on the length of this war, it may be the last chance you have to see them for a long time."
With those words, the men seemed to come alive and within minutes had gathered their things and left.
Selena sat back down, look more tired than ever. Endymion frowned and went over to her. "Serenity's worried... more than ever, Selena..."
She looked up, giving a small sigh. "She had the dream?"
"You knew about it?"
"Well, yes... she had the same dream when we were children. At nine, she started training with the Crystal, and it took its toll on her. She had the dream constantly for some time until the ball when you two met... every time after she'd have it, she had to come check on me."
"Well... what caused her to have the dream? A dream recurring that often must have a cause or a meaning."
"Yes..." Selena let out a sigh. "You know the theory of my inheriting my father's soul?"
Endymion gave a slow nod, unsure of where this was going.
"Well, Serenity would have been alive and at least partially able to realize what happened. I suppose that she kept seeing his death essentially relived by me. I can't be certain, though. No one ever really filled me in on the details."
"She seems to think it means that you will die in the oncoming battle."
A dry laugh was his response.
"You find this fact amusing?"
"Vaguely, yes. She never seemed to notice, but each time that she had the dream, I had been here on Earth, with you. She didn't have it when I was away at the Scorpio constellation because I no longer felt close to her, and that secret separated us. She's having it again because there's nothing severing our bond as sisters."
"But what does it all mean?"
"It means I'm dying. Being away from the Moon is slowly killing me. It didn't while I was at Scorpio because Mother visited me."
"...Wouldn't Serenity have the same effect?"
"No... I suppose it had something to do with having a stronger, more constant connection with the Moon, since she lived there. But being near her doesn't keep me alive like being near Mother did."
"This can't... Why did you come here then?!"
"Because it made Small Lady happy... And I could not have possibly continued to live as I had for the past two thousand years. I had forgotten what being away from the Moon did to me, until recently."
"So... go back then!"
"I can't I may need help in defeating Kira. If she defeated me while I was alone on the Moon, she'd only come to finish off the last of my family. Meaning your wife and your daughter."
"Gods, Selena..." Endymion's eyes had closed as he had listened. A moment later, he felt a hand grasping his. He opened his eyes, looking down to Selena.
"This is what I've longed for so long, Endymion. As happy as I might have been if I could remain here with you all, I would have had to forget all those years of pain. That would mean forgetting those moments in my life that led to pain, but brought me so much joy at the time. I couldn't live like that. I would lose who I was... It's past time. I know it, and you know it. Everyone else will know it when the time comes."
Endymion released a long sigh. He reached his hand up and lightly touched her cheek, placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. He then placed a faint kiss on her lips. "It took nearly losing Usako to make me realize how much I really did love her. Maybe realizing that we're all losing you... it's letting me know that I've had more than one love in my life." Endymion lingered for a moment, then headed out from the room. Selena closed her eyes, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
All of a sudden, the ground shook violently, causing her to fall to her knees. "No..." The ground shook again, and she heard the sounds of the castle coming alive.
"Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, set up the barrier! We can stop more from getting into the kingdom. Saturn, Neptune, we have to get out there." Uranus stopped at the door of the training room to find Selena already gathering her things. "Ready?"
Selena gave a small smirk. "Always." She dashed out of the castle to find the four inner senshi waiting for the remainder of the fighters to get outside the limits of the boundary. She saw the soldiers of Endymion gathering quickly, and the king not far off. She unsheathed her sword. "Get back inside. We have a system, remember? Stick to it."
"Selena..."
"Just do me a favor."
"Anything."
"Make sure Small Lady doesn't see the end." With that, she dashed off to join the battle, the barrier going up behind her.
Chapter Twelve
The next day passed without any major events. Everyone went on with their plans, the senshi leaving to help transport groups of people all over the world to where they needed to go. Since even Selena, Small Lady ( after much pleading ), and the Quartet helped, they managed to finish by lunch. Selena excused herself from the meal, and was not seen again until afternoon lessons began at two.
She was seated in the training room as the twenty men, followed by Endymion, came into the room. "I apologize for not being here with your swords this morning." She rose and, with amazing accuracy, handed each sword back to its rightful owner. "I'm glad you all keep your swords in good condition, but you will notice a change. I spent last night doing it. Since I cannot be everywhere at once to heal, if the need arrives, I have enabled your swords to heal minor wounds. Down one side of your blade, you will find a thin line of blood. It's mine, obviously. Simply press that side against any minor wounds you or someone else may have. Major wounds will still require my assistance. But, let's hope that it won't be necessary." She paused, giving a weakened smile. "Other than, I have nothing left to tell you. If any of you desire advice, I'd be happy to give it. Other than that, there's nothing I can really teach you. With the level you are all at, the only way to improve is practice. Unfortunately, time to practice is limited. If you aren't happy with your skill level, I'll try to help, but time is simply against any vast improvements. We're headed to war... welcome to it."
A dead silence fell over the room as she finished speaking. Nobody moved at all except to glance at each other. The only one in the room that had seen actual battled was Endymion. But it still seemed that Selena knew more.
She let out a long sigh. "If you want my advice, gentlemen... go home and spend time with your families. Depending on the length of this war, it may be the last chance you have to see them for a long time."
With those words, the men seemed to come alive and within minutes had gathered their things and left.
Selena sat back down, look more tired than ever. Endymion frowned and went over to her. "Serenity's worried... more than ever, Selena..."
She looked up, giving a small sigh. "She had the dream?"
"You knew about it?"
"Well, yes... she had the same dream when we were children. At nine, she started training with the Crystal, and it took its toll on her. She had the dream constantly for some time until the ball when you two met... every time after she'd have it, she had to come check on me."
"Well... what caused her to have the dream? A dream recurring that often must have a cause or a meaning."
"Yes..." Selena let out a sigh. "You know the theory of my inheriting my father's soul?"
Endymion gave a slow nod, unsure of where this was going.
"Well, Serenity would have been alive and at least partially able to realize what happened. I suppose that she kept seeing his death essentially relived by me. I can't be certain, though. No one ever really filled me in on the details."
"She seems to think it means that you will die in the oncoming battle."
A dry laugh was his response.
"You find this fact amusing?"
"Vaguely, yes. She never seemed to notice, but each time that she had the dream, I had been here on Earth, with you. She didn't have it when I was away at the Scorpio constellation because I no longer felt close to her, and that secret separated us. She's having it again because there's nothing severing our bond as sisters."
"But what does it all mean?"
"It means I'm dying. Being away from the Moon is slowly killing me. It didn't while I was at Scorpio because Mother visited me."
"...Wouldn't Serenity have the same effect?"
"No... I suppose it had something to do with having a stronger, more constant connection with the Moon, since she lived there. But being near her doesn't keep me alive like being near Mother did."
"This can't... Why did you come here then?!"
"Because it made Small Lady happy... And I could not have possibly continued to live as I had for the past two thousand years. I had forgotten what being away from the Moon did to me, until recently."
"So... go back then!"
"I can't I may need help in defeating Kira. If she defeated me while I was alone on the Moon, she'd only come to finish off the last of my family. Meaning your wife and your daughter."
"Gods, Selena..." Endymion's eyes had closed as he had listened. A moment later, he felt a hand grasping his. He opened his eyes, looking down to Selena.
"This is what I've longed for so long, Endymion. As happy as I might have been if I could remain here with you all, I would have had to forget all those years of pain. That would mean forgetting those moments in my life that led to pain, but brought me so much joy at the time. I couldn't live like that. I would lose who I was... It's past time. I know it, and you know it. Everyone else will know it when the time comes."
Endymion released a long sigh. He reached his hand up and lightly touched her cheek, placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. He then placed a faint kiss on her lips. "It took nearly losing Usako to make me realize how much I really did love her. Maybe realizing that we're all losing you... it's letting me know that I've had more than one love in my life." Endymion lingered for a moment, then headed out from the room. Selena closed her eyes, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
All of a sudden, the ground shook violently, causing her to fall to her knees. "No..." The ground shook again, and she heard the sounds of the castle coming alive.
"Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, set up the barrier! We can stop more from getting into the kingdom. Saturn, Neptune, we have to get out there." Uranus stopped at the door of the training room to find Selena already gathering her things. "Ready?"
Selena gave a small smirk. "Always." She dashed out of the castle to find the four inner senshi waiting for the remainder of the fighters to get outside the limits of the boundary. She saw the soldiers of Endymion gathering quickly, and the king not far off. She unsheathed her sword. "Get back inside. We have a system, remember? Stick to it."
"Selena..."
"Just do me a favor."
"Anything."
"Make sure Small Lady doesn't see the end." With that, she dashed off to join the battle, the barrier going up behind her.