Dedicated the greatest prereader, Kari… hehe ty so much for everything. :D
Earth Bound
A Thought Long Forgotten
Chapter ten
He had spent most of the day out in the gardens with his comrade. They had gathered horses, and rode deep into the thicket of trees, and were able to find peace and quiet. The Moon he found was filled with silence, and little to no danger.
Staring at the man across from him, he frowned. They had been battling for nearly an hour, and either had yet to fail in defending themselves. It was exhilarating.
It was hard to find good opponents, but it appeared the young Prince knew a thing or two. "Are you rested yet Heero? There are plenty more where that came from."
The man was quite cocky, which Heero found he admired. Miliardo didn't settle for anything below the best. Which had helped in making Heero the Captain of the Royal Guard. "I don't need to rest." Raising his blade, he moved to attack. He arched his blade, attacking the man from below.
Blocked, Heero dropped down, and did a sweeping kick, before swinging his blade again. He knew a few cheap shots that kept most men guessing. His training, for the men who joined him, were the toughest around. He taught his men how to fight with an edge.
Ducking to avoid a hit to his head, he rolled and jumped to his feet. "That was cheap." He smirked at the older boy, who only shrugged. "I can be a cheap man." The Prince rushed forward jabbing and slashing his sword. Heero found himself on the defensive side, and had to dodge each attack.
The boy was good, almost too good. Heero hadn't been the one to teach the Prince how to fight, but who did had taught him well. Curious, he asked, as he side stepped a striking blow, "Who was your teacher?"
Heero had learned from his father how to fight; he had been a great swordsman. But when his father had died, Heero had to teach himself the rest. "And tell you my secrets?" The Prince chuckled, as their swords clashed together. "But then again, since you are supposed to be my protector, I guess a little confiding won't hurt." He shrugged, as if he had been contemplating on whether tell or not. "I was taught by the skillful Princess of Uranus. Her family visited when I was boy, and she taught me all she knew."
He was impressed. Blocking another blow, he reflected on all he knew of the Princess of Uranus. She was one of the Guardians of the Solar System who were known to protect the universe. Her planet, like most of the outer planets had formed an alliance with Earth long ago, because of the good trades.
Also, most Uranians were well known for their good fighting capabilities. But the Princess was to be their best fighter. "Very impressive."
Miliardo nodded, "I agree. Her teachings have become quite handy." Heero nodded, knowing what the older boy meant. It was good to know a lot, and to be capable of lot. It helped in all situations. Well most of them.
Everything he had learned hadn't prepared him for a certain girl he had met. Their last meeting hadn't ended badly at all, he thought. For once, he was actually looking forward to seeing her again. He wondered faintly if she would slap him for that innocent kiss he had stolen from her. He pictured her, just as he always saw her, when they butted heads. She would be angry, and her eyes would ignite with that inner fire.
Narrowing his eyes, he swept his sword in a sudden arch, catching the Prince off guard. Heero barely stopped his attack, before he slit the boy's throat. "I win."
Sheathing his sword, he took in great pleasure at knowing he had defeated the undefeatable Prince. One good ego boost, to go with his day already going well.
"Heero!"
He turned at the sound of his name, and found Trowa galloping on a stead. "Heero, your highness. You must come quickly. There has been an attack."
Miliardo took a step towards the guard, who slowed his horse. "Is my sister all right?" Trowa pulled the reins, turning horse around. "Yes, you must hurry. Quatre, and miss Serena have been attacked. It appears that this place has its own enemy it's fighting against." With that said, he dug his heels into the horses sides, and galloped off towards the castle.
He didn't need any further persuading. Climbing onto his own horse, he flicked the reins, and his horse shot off after Trowa's. Miliardo followed close behind him.
~~~~
She should have known. Since the girl had entered their kingdom, she should have known. But she hadn't, and that terrified her. How much did she know of her own daughter?
She was too distraught to be upset. Falling to her knees, she took the young girl into her arms, and clutched her, like she had the sheets moments ago. "Serenity, oh my baby Serenity." A sob tore from her throat. "I am so sorry." Her fingers wrapped around the black cloth the young girl wore.
"Oh mother!"
Her cry was heart shattering. Her frail arms wrapped around her, and Serenity never felt so grateful in her life. "It's Quatre! He's been hurt, and I couldn't help him. I couldn't save him!" Her wail shattered the silence in the teleporting room.
"Shh, my child, it's going to be okay." She rocked the child in her arms, and rubbed her back. "It's going to be okay."
Her daughter shook her head, "no, no its not. How will I ever be fit for my title, if I can't even protect one man's life? How could I ever protect our home?" Serenity felt her daughter's tears, and felt her pain in her heart. "My darling, you did protect him. You brought him home."
The young girl lifted her head, her eyes leaking with tears. "I tried so hard. I wanted to prove that I could be a good Queen, but I failed. Mother I failed!"
Serenity shook her head, "Is that why you left? Oh darling, you didn't fail." She pulled her daughter into her arms, and held her close to her heart. "Its I who failed. I wanted to make you into something your not."
The girl shook her head, "I'm sorry I ran away mother. But I had to test myself. I had to prove that I was worthy enough to wear the crown." She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, "but I'll never be good enough. I just don't have what it takes to be a Queen."
"Serena?"
~~~~
The day had started out pretty good. But he wasn't surprised at all that it backfired on him. He should have expected it to, really. Anything too good always had to have a catch. In his case, Serena ended up being the Moon Princess.
Heero sat broodingly on a tree, which reminded him too much like a chair with the way it was formed. Sighing, he looked up and stared at the Earth. They would be going home soon, after they attended the ball the Queen wanted to throw. Relena insisted they stay to celebrate the Princess's coming of age. Or something like that.
He'd have rather go home, where things were, as he liked them. The day had ended shitty, and his mood wasn't any better. He had never liked liars, and what Serena had just done, was the least of his most likable things. She had lied to all of them, even to her own people.
That made him even angrier. He couldn't believe someone could put their own mother through such pain, as she had done. And she had been here to witness it; she had stood next to her mother, and knew what she had been going through. Heero felt his heart twist in his chest. He didn't have to stay. He could take the shuttle back alone, without anyone ever knowing he had left.
Dropping his gaze to the silver blades of grass, he felt rotten. The day had indeed ended horribly. Quatre, had been a good person, and had been very dedicated to his job. It was heart wrenching to know he had died for a lost cause. He had died protecting his Princess, who didn't deserve to live the life given to her. She had lied to him, and to his Queen without any remorse.
The scene he had walked in on had been pitiful, sickening really. How could Serenity forgive her daughter so easily?
It disgusted him.
Pulling himself from the tree, he went to his feet. He had had enough of his stay on the Moon. The Moon was a fraud. Its enchanting look disguised the lies and deception it held. Right then as he gazed around he realized the Moon wasn't that much different from the Earth after all.
Both Kingdoms were filled with bad people.
"You shouldn't judge us, before we give you our side of the story."
He hadn't realized he had company until the voice had spoken to him. Glancing over his shoulder, he found himself looking at the last person he expected to see.
"What do you want?"
~~~~
Serenity, never felt more alone than she did now. She had gone to Earth as a maid, and had felt more at home than she did now. But then again her plan had sounded better then, then it did now.
She bent her head as she stared at the bed in front of her. She didn't have a place in the world. She wasn't a maid, or a Princess. She was a worthless cause.
A has been.
Closing her eyes, she fought off the tears that threatened to fall. "You made me seem like I was a better person than I was. And you cared for me, and loved me, even though I had betrayed you." Her bottom lip trembled. "I'll never get the chance to say goodbye, or show you how much I loved you. You were my friend."
She inhaled sharply, as her chest tightened around her heart. "Even though I didn't deserve it, thank you for caring. Thank you for protecting me." Her hands trembled at where they held the white sheet. "I hope I can see you again Quatre, so that I can tell you, how much you meant to me. And how much I've always wanted to tell you, that I cared for you more than as my personal guard. You will always be my best friend. Even when I die, you will still hold a part of my heart."
Serenity leaned down, and kissed the pale forehead of the boy who lay motionless on the bed. As she drew the sheet over his head, she whispered brokenly, "Goodbye my friend."
"Serenity?"
Turning from the bed, she regarded her advisor. "Yes Luna, I'm finished." Leaving the hospital unit, she felt a part of her heart stay behind. Another life lost, and another life soon forgotten. It was sad when one died, because the thought of them soon died, and was forgotten. And all you had left was a memory of them. A small potion of what you remembered of them.
"I'm alright Luna. I'll see him again, maybe not now, but someday." Forcing a smile, she tried to sound cheerful for her feline friend.
Luna sighed, "I know its hard Serenity. But you must remember, Quatre died saving you. You must not let his death go in vein by not bouncing back. He saved your life, because of what you were to him."
She smiled, and scratched the cat behind her ears. "Its good to be back Luna." The black cat purred in reply.
Standing, Serenity walked along the halls of her home, with her advisor following at her heels. "Where's Artimis?" Luna meowed in annoyance, "I don't know. He disappeared earlier, without so much as a word to me." She shook her head, her garnet eyes narrowed. "He just doesn't think about anyone but himself."
Serenity chuckled, "don't judge him too quickly Luna. I'm sure he's not just thinking of himself." The cat snorted, "the day that happens, I'll bite my own tail."
"Oh Luna…"
~~~~
"All I'm asking you to do is not to judge us, before you give us a chance to tell you, our side of the story." The white cat was perched on the tree he had been sitting on a moment ago. Heero had had the chance to meet him earlier, when he had met the Queen.
Artimis.
Heero remembered the name vaguely. He was one of the Queen's advisors. Odd as it was…
Luna was the other one, the black cat who also could talk. He was grateful there was only two. If there were more, he might as well jump off a bridge. He didn't think he could handle too many talking animals all at once.
"I'm not judging anyone." He crossed his arms over his chest, before he faced the cat. You have got to be kidding me. He was not having a conversation with a cat!
"Yes you were. You think Lunarians are horrible people, but you haven't given us a chance to show you, we're not." Artimis absently scratched at his ear with his back leg. It was hard to resist his feline habits. "And don't argue and say you weren't. I saw you, and I know what you were thinking."
Heero snorted, "What, you can read my mind too?" He wasn't in the mood for these kinds of games. If the cat thought he wanted to play cat and mouse, he was sorely mistaken. Heero had had his fill of games.
The white cat shook his head, "I don't have to read your mind. I know, if I were you, I would probably be thinking the same thing. Which is why I came as soon as I could."
"Not soon enough. I'm leaving." Turning his back on the cat, he started to walk away, heading for the shuttle port. "No your not." Artimis jumped from the tree, and moved to follow the human boy. "You might think you are, but you wont."
Pleased to see the young guard pause, he continued. "Princess Serenity, may have done a bad thing, by impersonating a maid, and lying to you, and your Princess." He held up a paw, to stop the boy from interrupting. "But the good outweighs the bad."
"Good, what good!" Heero whirled on the cat, outraged to think there was good that might come out of what happened. Nothing good came from the death of a soldier. Nothing good came from liars, or people who deceived those close to them. Serena was the worst kind of person. She hurt those who cared for her.
Artimis scowled, "Don't interrupt me! You're so quick to judge, you don't think of those who are hurting. What Serenity did, was wrong, but she did it with good intentions." He narrowed his blue eyes on the boy, daring him to say anything. His claws lengthened, and he bit back the growl that formed in his throat. Sometimes adolescents could be so selfish, and too prideful, for his taste.
"All her life, she grew up knowing that one day she would take her mother's place. And if you know her, like I do, or like how her friends do, then you would know, she wasn't Queen material." He sighed, fearing that all this talk might be a waste of both their time. Sometimes it was hard to break someone from what they believed to be true. And Artimis knew Heero believed the worst in the young Serenity.
Pacing in the grass, the white cat continued. "She didn't know how to be a Princess, let alone a Queen. But she wanted to rule like her mother did. She wanted the people's faith, and she wanted the people to love her like they did her mother.
"But she realized that she needed to prove to them, she could be a strong leader."
Heero frowned, his eyes following the cat's moves closely. Princess material? Why did that sound familiar? Princess material?
You appear to be a girl, but you sure don't look like lady material.
He thought of the Serena he met on Earth with her messy bun, and filthy maid dresses she wore. She had given up her position as a Princess to wash his clothes. To clean his room. She had been whipped and beaten, and she hadn't run home afterwards. He knew a lot of women who would have, though. Most would have given up.
But she had lied. Didn't that mean anything? So what, if it had been for a good cause? Lying was still wrong. "What good does it make? She still hurt the ones closest to her."
Artimis lifted his head, and tilted it slightly to the right, to regard the young man in front of him. His blue eyes took in the boy's anger, and hurt. Realization dawned on him. "Oh yes, I see what you mean. But you still aren't looking at it, from all angles. How strong would it make a person, to hide themselves to those closest to them? I would say Serenity had been testing her limits, when she had held up her act, when your Princess dragged her back here. I'm sure Serenity wasn't ready, but felt like she had no choice.
"What kind of strengths does it take, for a young girl, to take on a battle against her emotions?"
Shaking his head sadly, he stated bluntly, "I can't change your mind, boy. I can't force you to see what I see, in a dear friend of mine. I can forgive her, because I know she has to be strong for the duty that will be put on her shoulders. She's going to have to be tough to hold all the responsibilities her mother holds." He nodded, when he saw something flash in the boy's dark eyes. "Yes you've seen it too. You've seen the Queen in her worst. She has been protecting her home and the rest of the universe for many years from the Dark Kingdom. And soon it will be young Serenity's turn. And she will bare the burden alone now."
Taken aback, by the news, Heero asked confused, "alone? But isn't she engaged?" Artimis shook his head gravely, "oh no. The law has been broken. Serenity must obey the law, whether the person she broke the law with, wants her or not. She's not suitable for marriage, for she's bound to another."
"But that's ridicules!"
The white cat snorted, "I beg your pardon! I find nothing ridicules about soul mates. It is a very serious matter, whether you like it or not." The boy frowned, "Soul what?"
Sighing, he thought over his words carefully, before he spoke them aloud, "Soul mates. The bond was made the instant she decided to go to Earth. Serenity has changed her future. She would have married the Earth Prince, and together they would fight the battle to protect those they love. But that would have happened if she hadn't decided to leave the Moon." He realized he was losing his audience, and decided to elaborate more on the subject.
"Here, I will make it simpler for you to comprehend. It's the very reason why Quatre protected Serenity even though she may have lied to him. Serenity is destined to die protecting everyone she loves. Just as her mother will, before her."
"Destined? You mean this is all planned?" He waved his hands to his surroundings. His voice was filled with great disbelief.
"Oh yes. Many centuries ago, in fact. Serenity has been given a set destiny, but somehow she found a loophole. She was to wed the Earth Prince, Endymion, in the next year. They were to be announced at the ball. But Serenity went to Earth; at the time Endymion came here to see her.
"See if she would have stayed, she would have been bound to Endymion. But she left, and bound her soul to another. Do you understand?" He might as well have been talking another language.
Heero rubbed his forehead. He could feel a headache forming. None of it was making any sense, and the harder he tried to understand, the more difficult it became to understand. He didn't believe in anything the cat was saying. But then again he never believed in talking cats either, and look where that got him. He was having a conversation with one.
Maybe it would be better if he just believed the cat, and figured it out that way. But there were just so many holes in the story he had just heard.
"I'll leave you be, for now. If you wish to go to Earth still, a shuttle is waiting. If not, the ball is tomorrow night." With that said, the white cat left the clearing, and Heero alone to his scattered thoughts.
It was almost too much for him to handle. Feeling drained from the long day, he started back to the castle. He could always leave tomorrow.
Right now he just needed rest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love you guys to much. I got soooooooooooo many reviews, I didn't know what to do with myself. Eleven reviews within 24 hours of putting up the last chapter. I have never been so happy in my life!!!! Thank you so much.
I know this chapter is redundant, and quite pathetic, but it helps lead to the next chapter. Which I know all of you will like, so much more than this chapter. :D Well I hope this story is turning out to your liking, and not getting dull. Again ty for all the reviews.
Review reply/thanks:
CJ-Chan: glad you found this story again, and I'm glad you like it. Ty for the review
Nerf-or-Nothing: thank you for the review!
Hikari: Gum for breakfast? Sounds nutritious. Hehehe… You can say that. I know it is sad about Quatre, but lets put it this way. Either he died now or he died later…
Sere Star: hiya!!! Hehehe I'm glad its getting good. It must there are so many reviews… I hope this was quick enough for you.
Shi: I couldn't do that. I'm really sorry, but I think it was more honorable for him to die this way…
Dark Universe: thank you for the review… a 5 hour nap… I love those. Come home from school, fall asleep and don't wake up until morning… I've done that a few times… worries the parents tho…
Rynn: sorry, but I gotta put some suspense in the story. Hehe…
Unagigreenleaf657: ty for the review.
Fir3 FairY: I hope this story doesn't become a big disappointment to any of you. I'm almost afraid to put up the ending…
Silly Smiles: yes I did… I love cliffys, and get on a lot of peoples nerves and forces them to review… more than usual… I hope this was soon enough…
Anonymous: hehe I hope this was soon enough. Ty for a review.
Melodi Moon: Well I hate to say this, but the Silver Millennium didn't exactly end on a good note. But I have been considering writing a fluff. Maybe I can talk myself into it after this chapter is put up…
Amy@ngel: ty for the review, and I'm glad you like it…
Kagie-chan: ty for the review!
SEALZ: sorry to leave it off like that, but it adds a little suspense…
Elemental Angel Number 4: I don't plan on a quitting. Its almost over how could I?
John Steppenwolf: I'm sorry this chapter didn't meet to your standards… and I hate to think I annoyed you with this chapter… LOL… I wasn't much of a fan of the older Serenity myself… But I had to reunite the two sooner or later… I hope in the epilogue I make you like my version of Queen Serenity. But I wont bet any money on it… I'm never good at persuasion… in fact I failed at debate… I ended of joining the other team… oh well… I heard about the planet… Gah… where did it come from… hmm if I do write a fluff, maybe I'll se about putting Sedna in it…
Heero's Bunny: people like me? Well I don't know about that… out of six stories (under this name) I've only finished two. I stopped working on two, and am currently working on two… not very responsible, nor reliable…
Twiggirl06: I plan to!!! It's almost finished. Yay! Ty for the review.
Moongirl: I know I'm mean, but its for the better, really… it would have been torture to let the poor guy live…
Fellow: I hope this was soon enough… ty for the review…
Usagi Asia Maxwell: ack you reviewed for my story. Hehehe I love your work. Tyvm for the review…
AnimeGirl: hehehe all part of the plan heheh…
Tenshi-Chikyuu: I am so happy you like it. YAY!!! It makes me feel so good to know so many like it… ty for the review.
Bright-Anarchy: you got it!!!! Yay I think you're the only one who knows… which is kind of scary… I'm almost afraid to end my story… I might lose all my reviewers…
Pulplu: I know, and I'm sorry I did… so far I have ran into one, but if I see a Quatre fan I know where I can hide… I've already dug the hole to bury myself in…
Again ty to all who reviewed!!!! There were so many!!!!
LP
