Chapter 6
"Artemis?" Mina poked her white cat, who was sleeping on one of the squishy sofa cushions. Artemis made a cute little purry noise as he started awake.
"Mina! I wasn't expecting you home so soon."
"Ya... uhm... Artemis, you know how I've been helping Darien with what's happening to Rini... I... there's more going on between us," Mina crumpled onto the floor in front of Artemis.
"I know," Artemis crossed his paws.
"And now... I'm pregnant. Artemis! I'm pregnant! With Darien's baby! Me and Darien are in love... we're killing Rini. What's going to happen to her, if I have this baby? I don't even know if I WANT this baby. What should I do Artemis? You're my only hope... help me."
"I knew something was up, Mina. You aren't very good at keeping secrets, especially from me. I've been thinking of a solution for a while. I had a dream, and in it Queen Serenity told me that there was only one way to remedy this situation," Artemis studied Mina's face, growing serious. "You know the portals that Rini uses to travel?" Mina nodded. "You and Darien need to take one, to the Moon Kingdom. And when you get there, you need to send King Endymion and Princess Minako back through the same portal. You and Darien will stay in a secluded pavilion until your baby is born. You will have 3 days with the baby, and at the end of that time someone will come for the child. They will be the only one in the pavilion that you do not invite, though I suggest you only invite the necessary people. After your child has been taken away, your memory will be modified and you will be sent back here. You will not remember your baby, or that you and Darien were ever in love. It will be as it was, before any of this happened. Darien will be devoted to Serena, and you will be devoted to a dream. This is the only way to save everyone and keep our destinies intact. I know it will be hard – but it's the only way, Mina."
Artemis crawled into Mina's lap after a few moments of silence as she nodded slowly and let fat, warm tears drip off her chin.
"I knew that Darien loving me was too good to be true," Mina put a hand on her belly and looked out the window. Artemis just lay softly across her knees. "When's the soonest we can go?"
"Tonight," Artemis replied in a small voice.
"Okay. I'd better go tell Darien."
It was well past midnight when Artemis woke Mina and Darien.
"Follow me," Artemis whispered and padded out of the apartment. Darien took Mina's hand an they followed him into the heavy Tokyo night and to Crescent Park.
"There," Artemis pointed his nose toward a patch of sky that distinctly had no stars in it. They knew they had to go through there, into a swirling cavern of time. Mina pressed herself against Darien's chest, and together they stepped into the portal.
When they arrived on the other side, in the future, in the Moon Kingdom, they both felt a sense of ease and calm fall over them. They were met by King Endymion and Princess Minako. The princess was standing beside Endymion, her arm laced through his and her head on his shoulder and the King's head was rested on Minako's, but it was a gesture of friendship and the level of comfort between them. Mina was suddenly conscious of the fact that she and Darien were always touching eachother because of the desire and the intensity between them. It was easy, but harsh. The Princess and the King just looked... natural. They also looked so incredibly ethereal, and glowing, bathed eternally in moonlight. The Princess' hair seemed to float around her, the royalty smiled down at their guests from the past. Mina felt dirty in front of them, like she needed a million showers, she now resented her carefully cultivated tan. She wondered if she could ever be so beautiful as the Princess. Everyone would notice the difference between regular Mina and Darien and the glowing, ethereal beauty of Minako and Endymion.
"Come," the human Artemis appeared from behind the royalty. "Mina, Darien... I'll take you to the pavilion."
The Princess and Endymion followed Mina's little white cat through the time gate. It made a loud sucking noise as it closed behind them.
"...the pavilion..." Artemis indicated. Darien put his arm around Mina and the followed the white haired man down a dark corridor.
NOTES: When I'm describing Princess Minako and King Endymion, I'm picturing them as the manga versions, whereas Mina and Darien are the anime versions! Hope you like! More chapters coming soon! Trust me... this hasn't even gotten started yet!! (
"Artemis?" Mina poked her white cat, who was sleeping on one of the squishy sofa cushions. Artemis made a cute little purry noise as he started awake.
"Mina! I wasn't expecting you home so soon."
"Ya... uhm... Artemis, you know how I've been helping Darien with what's happening to Rini... I... there's more going on between us," Mina crumpled onto the floor in front of Artemis.
"I know," Artemis crossed his paws.
"And now... I'm pregnant. Artemis! I'm pregnant! With Darien's baby! Me and Darien are in love... we're killing Rini. What's going to happen to her, if I have this baby? I don't even know if I WANT this baby. What should I do Artemis? You're my only hope... help me."
"I knew something was up, Mina. You aren't very good at keeping secrets, especially from me. I've been thinking of a solution for a while. I had a dream, and in it Queen Serenity told me that there was only one way to remedy this situation," Artemis studied Mina's face, growing serious. "You know the portals that Rini uses to travel?" Mina nodded. "You and Darien need to take one, to the Moon Kingdom. And when you get there, you need to send King Endymion and Princess Minako back through the same portal. You and Darien will stay in a secluded pavilion until your baby is born. You will have 3 days with the baby, and at the end of that time someone will come for the child. They will be the only one in the pavilion that you do not invite, though I suggest you only invite the necessary people. After your child has been taken away, your memory will be modified and you will be sent back here. You will not remember your baby, or that you and Darien were ever in love. It will be as it was, before any of this happened. Darien will be devoted to Serena, and you will be devoted to a dream. This is the only way to save everyone and keep our destinies intact. I know it will be hard – but it's the only way, Mina."
Artemis crawled into Mina's lap after a few moments of silence as she nodded slowly and let fat, warm tears drip off her chin.
"I knew that Darien loving me was too good to be true," Mina put a hand on her belly and looked out the window. Artemis just lay softly across her knees. "When's the soonest we can go?"
"Tonight," Artemis replied in a small voice.
"Okay. I'd better go tell Darien."
It was well past midnight when Artemis woke Mina and Darien.
"Follow me," Artemis whispered and padded out of the apartment. Darien took Mina's hand an they followed him into the heavy Tokyo night and to Crescent Park.
"There," Artemis pointed his nose toward a patch of sky that distinctly had no stars in it. They knew they had to go through there, into a swirling cavern of time. Mina pressed herself against Darien's chest, and together they stepped into the portal.
When they arrived on the other side, in the future, in the Moon Kingdom, they both felt a sense of ease and calm fall over them. They were met by King Endymion and Princess Minako. The princess was standing beside Endymion, her arm laced through his and her head on his shoulder and the King's head was rested on Minako's, but it was a gesture of friendship and the level of comfort between them. Mina was suddenly conscious of the fact that she and Darien were always touching eachother because of the desire and the intensity between them. It was easy, but harsh. The Princess and the King just looked... natural. They also looked so incredibly ethereal, and glowing, bathed eternally in moonlight. The Princess' hair seemed to float around her, the royalty smiled down at their guests from the past. Mina felt dirty in front of them, like she needed a million showers, she now resented her carefully cultivated tan. She wondered if she could ever be so beautiful as the Princess. Everyone would notice the difference between regular Mina and Darien and the glowing, ethereal beauty of Minako and Endymion.
"Come," the human Artemis appeared from behind the royalty. "Mina, Darien... I'll take you to the pavilion."
The Princess and Endymion followed Mina's little white cat through the time gate. It made a loud sucking noise as it closed behind them.
"...the pavilion..." Artemis indicated. Darien put his arm around Mina and the followed the white haired man down a dark corridor.
NOTES: When I'm describing Princess Minako and King Endymion, I'm picturing them as the manga versions, whereas Mina and Darien are the anime versions! Hope you like! More chapters coming soon! Trust me... this hasn't even gotten started yet!! (