It was crowded and Minako's belly kept getting bumped. That was rather uncomfortable, but she had to find a good spot to see the ceremony. She didn't know what would happen. She didn't know what she would do after this. She did know that it wouldn't be the same. Never . . .

She found a spot on a fence-rail – a woman had forced her husband to give up his seat for the pretty pregnant girl. Jezibiah and Maria were beside her and the rest of the town was near enough for her to see if she rose up a bit.
The ceremony started, but she couldn't see very well. Serenity was in a long, lacy gown of pure white, and her mother stood beside the priest with Luna and Artemis. Minako was glad to see them – and surprised that she felt no more fear of facing Artemis. She watched with curious joy the tender way her old guardian and the Moon Queen's prime advisor interacted. It wouldn't have been obvious to the normal eye, but the light touches and brief glances spoke to the Goddess of Love with a voice at once special and familiar.
Goddess, it felt good to be near them all again.
The inner senshi stood at attention beside the Princess, the generals beside their Prince, but the sides were uneven. There was an empty spot where she should have been, and if she looked carefully, she could see Mercury carefully holding a golden transformation wand.
The priest began and Minako paid careful attention to the rights. It was in Venusian and the priest was from Earth, so he mispronounced a few words, but less than she would have imagined, and nothing important.
"Good," she sighed, happy.
"What?" Jezibiah asked, looking up at her. She looked down at him, eyelids heavy with contentment, and noticed that he was staring.
So were others.
"What?" she asked.
"You . . ." he started, but something the priest was saying caught her ear.
"If anyone has reason that these two should not be joined, speak now. . . ."
Minako turned, slipping from the fence, and raised one hand. She had not rehearsed this, but something in her knew that this was her calling and her duty. "Stop!" she called. It was as if her voice had been magically amplified, though she had uttered no such spell. It echoed through the crowds without apparent source. She saw Serenity turn in surprise and Endymion frown over his shoulder, also scanning for the speaker. The guards snapped immediately to alert.
The priest collected himself, snapping his mouth shut. "Who speaks?"
"You have forgotten one important element of this marriage ceremony," she replied, voice still echoing. The priest waited and the crowds shifted and parted, staring at her, giving her way. Minako was suddenly in full view of the royal court and marriage party, and she had a brief knowledge of exactly how she looked – a woman with blonde hair up, in a plain peasant's dress, stomach heavy with child, glowing a pale, golden yellow. With one graceful movement, she reached up and untied the red ribbon keeping her hair in place. It slid out like silk and let loose a jumble of molten gold spill over her shoulders. She held the hair ribbon high and released it to the air. It floated for a moment before exploding into golden sparks, glittering and flying to the couple as Minako smiled and stepped forward. Hand on one hip, she smiled and winked at the startled Serenity. "A blessing from the Goddess of Love." The sparks settled onto the couple as everyone stared – even at this distance, Minako could see the joyful tears forming in her Princess's eyes.
And then the magic faded and the child within Minako gave a fitful kick. She started and touched her stomach, eyes wide and focused inward. It wasn't ready to come yet, but sure was protesting.
Then the guards grabbed her and poised spears at her throat. One cursed her and spat, demanding to know what she had just done to his Prince. Their eyes were angry and frightened, afraid of what she had done and would do next.
Another feinted a jab at her stomach and Minako's eyes widened in fearful fury. She didn't want to hurt anyone at the wedding – it was Serenity's special day – but she couldn't let her baby be harmed!
When another brandished his staff too close to her belly, she grabbed it and jerked, sending the man tumbling forward. The men closed in around her as she frowned vehemently, golden light growing as she called on her magic after almost two years of disuse. It pulsed wildly around her as she prepared to take down all of the guards surrounding her, the irrational urge to protect her baby surging in her and making her suddenly careless of their lives – but before she could move or direct the gathered magic in any certain direction, a voice rose in utter violence:
"I said STAND DOWN!"
Her heart picked up as the men hastily, uncertainly backed away, lowering their weapons as a silver-haired man broke through their ranks, striding toward her with barely constrained agitation. It took her less than a moment to recognize Kunzite and for a brief, wild moment her heart fluttered with joy.
But then he reached her and shot out one hand, gripping her hard, painfully, by the back of her neck. She winced and stared at him in confusion, the icy anger in his eyes frightening her.
"Whose?" he wrenched the word out savagely, eyes sweeping over hers, demanding. She knew what he was asking.
"Yours," she gasped, flinching from his hard grip and the harsher look in his eyes. He held her like that for a moment more, eyes penetrating hers, before whirling around and stalking silently away. That look, though – the last look she had seen before he turned – tore at her heart and stole her breath. Anger, incredulity, . . . and pain. Oh, Selene, what pain.
She was left there, staring after him and trembling from the intensity of his gaze and his betrayal. Was it because she ran away from him after their encounter at the festival? Or was it because she hadn't told him that she was with his child? Perhaps both. But he needed to understand – he had to understand – that she couldn't have! It was impossible, preposterous. In her emotional state . . . she needed time alone. Didn't she?
Minako was visibly quivering, staring blankly after where he had been, with one hand clutched protectively to her chest. She began to have doubts as to her right in leaving and staying away so long . . . and then she was enveloped in white.
"Minako!" Serenity cried, joyful tears coursing down her cheeks as she embraced her friend. The entire assembly had watched the blur of white fly and throw herself at the too-still blonde woman. "We missed you so much!" She hugged the young woman, who was just coming out of her daze.
Minako, startled, allowed herself a small smile for her Princess' sake. "I missed you too, Princess." She brought her arms up and held her back.
The Princess has a heart the size of Jupiter! Minako chuckled, smiling into the girl's warm shoulder. Her eyes became warm and wet, smile wavering, as she noticed the three figures standing silently behind their Princess.
Minako drew back, rubbing her eyes, and gave an uncertain smile to the three Sailor Senshi.
"Mars, Mercury, Jupiter," she greeted, not moving any closer to them. There was something in their presence that kept her from moving any closer. "I–" She was stuck. What could she say? She was sorry? She was back?
Jupiter stepped forward, stopping just short of Minako and not quite meeting her eyes. "Come on," she said softly, turning and bringing Minako with her by a gentle, insistent hand on her arm. As if that was their cue, the other two Senshi fell in silently behind them. The guards fell back as they approached, almost in fear, and though Minako felt like clinging to Jupiter's arm and sobbing wildly with relief and pain, something in the tall brown woman's cool, dispassionate stride kept her back.
As they were entering, Minako realized that she had left her bags behind and Mercury offered to go get them, leaving again.
"Thank you!" Minako called after her, but the Senshi of Wisdom only acknowledged her with a brief nod, not even turning back.