Chapter 31
The soldier entered the inner chamber, filled with the oddest premonition of dread. He kept his stolen sword near him. He barely knew how to use to the stupid thing, but it made him feel better nonetheless.
Serenity's audience chamber was a relatively simple affair, bereft of the gaudy decoration or the visible displays of wealth evident in other rooms of the palace. It spoke to the queen's elegant sensibilities. The high ceilings were carved from gray lunar rock, as had been the walls and the floor. A majestic throne faced the back wall, which had been opened up to a brilliant panoramic view
Yet even with the elegance it displayed, the room was shockingly bare. Aside from the throne, there was only one more chair and a desk separating them. Serenity would often retreat to this chambers when harried with official work.
The solitude was oppressive. It was the room of a woman who wielded great power and knew that responsibility for its use lay solely in her hands. The Eternal Queen had been known to go into periods of brooding, never straying from this chamber. The Retainer supposed it had something to do with the fact that she knew not whether her successor would possess the foresight and compassion that she did.
It was within these penultimate chambers that the soldier found the last of the senshi. Sailor Venus lay sprawled next to Serenity's throne, her hair askew and streaked with the blood of human soldier and youma alike.
Venus had fought on valiantly, taking hundreds of the enemy with her in a final frenzied stand. Her attacks had carved deep scars into the rock walls, bisecting hundreds of enemy soldiers with her concentrated Crescent Beam. For those who had managed to dodge out of the way, Venus had moved in on them like a reaper among grain, slicing them down with her vaunted Love Me chain.
He knelt next to her body and rolled her over. Her final moments had been ones of intense and unrelenting fear...he could see that much in her eyes. Venus's hands were clenched over her stomach, trying to stanch the flow of blood from a deep stomach wound. Her attacker had thrust it in casually, lingering there for only a moment before tearing the blade free. There was no precision to the attack, only brute force. The Retainer shivered.
A cool voice called from across the room. "I take it you knew her."
The Retainer's twisted his head around, searching for the one who had spoken. A man wearing the officer's uniform of Beryl's army strode into the room. His long white hair fell luxuriously across his shoulders, obscuring the general's epaulets he wore. A cape fluttered casually behind him, and he clenched a blood stained ice blade in his hand.
The Retainer stood and carefully prepared his own weapon. "I did."
The man laughed and purposefully began to circle the Lunarian soldier. "Pity. She put up a good fight."
"Then I have you to thank for this?"
"Indeed." The man managed a generous grin then began to approach the soldier with a smooth competence bordering on arrogance. "I imagine you'll be joining her soon enough."
The Retainer eyed his opponent before sparing a glance down at his fallen friend. He gulped softly and whispered underneath his breath. "Rest easy, my friend. I won't be long."
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Minako brushed her hair out into its full golden brilliance, keeping a careful eye out for any strands that might escape. It was a task that she performed daily, but today she paid special attention to her looks.
She tried to convince herself it was not a date, that it was a simple outing between friends. But, though the methodology had changed, the ugly word still loomed at the front of her consciousness. She sighed. Minako desperately hoped for a resolution: good, bad, or whatever.
She returned her attention to the mirror and continued to examine her reflection for any flaws.
Primping was a surface manifestation of the brutally Darwinian dating process. It was a way for females to combat their disadvantages within the hormonally driven world of sex. No less a figure than famous medical anthropologist Jared Diamond noted that while the male of the species can reproduce with many of the opposite gender in relative simultaneity, the female must carry the baby to term and is therefore stuck with a single mate for a relatively long period of time. If one assumes that all creatures want to propagate their genetic lines, evolution dictates two diverging impulses. On the male part, the urge is to mate with as many females as possible to ensure genetic continuation in a sort of carnal diversification strategy. On the female end, the contribution of time is far greater and the premium is placed on finding the most genetically superior male possible rather than a multitude of partners.
In the past couple hundred thousand years, Homo sapiens sapiens found a relatively civilized way to reconcile these urges through the evolution of polygamy. However, the more recent advent of philosophical morality has swung the pendulum clearly in the female's favor through a strong selective process called dating and an artificial common-law practice known as marriage. However, the larger commitment is still on the part of the female, and it is in her interests to pick her subject as carefully as possible.
Hence the primping.
It was an uncomfortable feeling, preparing for a date she didn't want to go on. But, she reflected with a wry smile, it was a necessary evil. She wanted more than anything for him to be her friend again.
Idly, her mind had begun to wander. She recalled a very late Saturday evening spent with Bin-kun watching some random American sitcom marathon on television. At the time, she had been rather enthralled with the show and amazed at how quickly everything managed to resolve itself. A broken friendship forgotten by the end of an episode. An infidelity? A tasteless, if amusing irrelevancy.
She sighed softly and wondered why she couldn't have a team of cooperative script writers dictating her life.
It was on that thought her ruminations were interrupted by the ring of a doorbell.
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Kevin reached out to press the door buzzer. An inch away, his hand froze. As though it had offended him, he shoved it back into the pocket and stared morosely at the wooden entryway. There was something about the date that seemed terribly wrong.
To him, dating was a life-affirming act, the romantic dance of mating. Even though he was somewhat awkward at it, Kevin could appreciate the opportunity to meet someone new and exciting and maybe even connect with someone on a deeper level.
This one resembled more the mangled victims of a car crash rushed into the ER. All either party hoped for was survival; any cosmetic issues were irrelevant in the short run.
He had fretted over this date like he had few others. Originally, he had planned to go in a suit and tie to impart exactly how serious he was about reconciliation. But, upon more careful reflection, he had scratched that idea. He didn't want to be formal anymore, didn't want anything to get in the way of cool, honest conversation.
So he dressed down. A dress shirt and nice slacks. It was formal enough to gain admittance to most restaurants in the city, casual enough for Minako to remember who he was.
He had wondered whether to get her flowers and the night before had actually opted not to. It would be perceived as too romantic a gesture, and that was literally the last thing he wanted to convey. However, on his way over, he had spotted a flower vendor on the sidewalk selling daisies by the dozen.
Kevin hadn't seen a daisy since leaving America, yet he could think of no better a flower to give Minako. They were bright, friendly, and clearly conveyed a 'we're just friends' ethic.
Before he could rationalize anymore, he mashed his finger down on the doorbell and steeled himself for the confrontation.
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Artemis spied on the two from the top of the stairs, trying to fight down the deep welling of dread building up in his throat. It was Kevin's last night in Japan and he still had not convinced the young man to abandon his return to America.
That Kevin could so easily forsake the cause disturbed him deeply. He had thought the American would recognize the importance of a forward, proactive defense of the world. The boy had been good as a guard, ensuring that there was not too much serious malfeasance going on in the streets. Artemis had no doubt that he would have proved himself in battle as well.
The Retainer of Serenity's family was a battle-hardened fighter and an able practitioner of the deadlier magical arts. The cat placed a lot of faith in Kevin, and now the kid was ready to flee Japan because of some sentimental attraction to America.
Why couldn't the kid realize that Tokyo was his home now and he had the duty to defend it to the death?
Artemis straightened and bounded into Minako's bedroom. He climbed onto a windowsill and then leaped onto a nearby tree branch. He couldn't take any more chances. He had to convince Kevin to stay in Tokyo. No matter what.
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"Hey you." Kevin half smiled. "You're very beautiful tonight."
Minako reddened and unconsciously tried to smooth out the folds in her skirt. "Thank you."
It was the wrong comment to make, as it gave the wrong message to Minako. But try as he might, Kevin couldn't ignore the fact that she was terribly lovely. The spring night was abnormally warm enough that she had managed to slip on a white mini-skirt over which she threw a silk tee-shirt and jean jacket. One part of him wanted to order her to change and come out in something more presentable. The other part wanted simply enjoy the view.
He chuckled and rubbed his eyes. What was with him tonight? Those annoying feelings had never cropped up before...he had no reason to believe that he felt any different about Minako now. Yet there was something entrancing about her that he could not explain.
Perhaps it was because he had only one more night to spend in Japan and she had been the one constant light throughout his time in Japan. Whether responding to Artemis's insane demands or figuring out how to continue his academic research without an academician guiding him, he could always count on Minako to try to cheer him with a laugh and a smile.
He was a little surprised when he realized that he'd miss her much more than he missed Japan.
It was a little while before he noticed that the silence was getting awkward. "So, where did you want to eat?"
Minako looked at him with a betrayed look. "You mean you didn't make reservations?"
Kevin was not about to be browbeaten and replied smoothly. "I made several reservations. I didn't know what you were in the mood for."
She smiled and poked him playfully in the ribs. "Typical Bin-kun. Plans out everything to a fault. Whatever happened to spontaneity and working outside of the plan?"
"Gotta have a plan before you work outside of it." They both laughed. "But seriously, what's your fancy tonight?"
"Well, not the place we went to...last time." Minako skirted the name in clear attempt to not give those memories power. "Some place where we can splurge. I want to eat a lot tonight."
"On my tab, of course," Kevin jested softly.
"Of course!" Minako giggled.
"You know, it's rare for me to hear that a girl actually wants to eat on a date. Usually they're too conscious about impressing me."
"Impress you? Who would want to impress you?" Minako softened the retort with a smile.
Kevin offered her his arm and twirled his finger in the air. "You'd be surprised at all the crazy people that are out there."
She threaded her arm through his and rolled her eyes. "Do tell. Do tell."
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Kevin guided them to a brassy, authentically loud Italian restaurant. The proprietor was a Roman expatriate who had decided that the Italian food in Japan was roundly terrible and decided to go into business making his own. It was an unmitigated success. Legions of homesick Americans and Europeans descended on the restaurant every night to gorge on wonderful homemade pastas, sauces, Neapolitan pizzas, and a multitude of other Italian delicacies.
In spite of her worries, Minako was having a genuinely good time. She had managed to fake the server into giving her the wine list, from which Kevin had selected an excellent California chardonnay. When she had objected to the price, he had dismissed her concerns and had intimated that since it was his last night in Japan he was going to live it up.
Besides, where was the juku money going to be spent?
"So where have you been the past couple of weeks? I haven't seen you around much except during tutoring, and we don't really do much talking then."
Kevin took a sip of wine and grinned rakishly around the rim of the glass. "What, did you miss me?"
Minako rolled her eyes again and clasped at her heart. "Yes, dear Kevin. For you see, I'm madly in love with you and want you to be the father of my love child." She reached across the table a whacked him on the arm. "Of course I missed you...you dope!"
"Heheh." Kevin leaned back in his chair. "Just been really busy writing my paper and figuring out exams."
"I know how it feels. I had them too." Minako blurted out excitedly, "Hey I didn't tell you. Guess what?"
Kevin rested his chin on his palm. "What?"
"I got third highest in the class on my English exam!"
"Hey! That's wonderful." He grinned merrily. "I'm really proud of you!"
She paused and looked down at the table. "Well, I got it because of your tutoring."
"Pshaw." He waved off the compliment easily. "You took the test, not me."
"Still." The blonde reached out and took his hand from across the table. "Thank you so much."
The American nodded modestly. "The pleasure was all mine."
Minako released him, the lingering sense of unease buried underneath the warmth in her cheeks. She had almost forgotten what it was like hanging around him, how wonderfully easy it was to become his friend and talk to him forever. She wondered how she could have even assumed that he had any untoward intentions?
Kevin stared at her intently, concerned at her silence. She was about to make an excuse when the food arrived, obviating the need to make more idle conversation.
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Artemis was perched from a nearby tree branch, struggling to make out his charges through the smoky of the restaurant window. Giving up in exasperation, the cat contented himself with lying on the branch and wondering if the restaurant served fish. It was getting past his dinnertime, and he really could have used a fish head to brighten up his evening.
At this point, the chances of keeping Kevin in Japan were looking slim unless he took some drastic action.
Through Minako?
Artemis revised his earlier assessment of the situation. He needed those two together, for her to serve as his anchor to Japan. Kevin might return to college for a year, but with a girlfriend in Japan he would inevitably return. He would probably take a job in Japan and make a new life for himself.
Artemis supposed that the kid might miss his family, but as far as he was concerned Minako was a damned good consolation prize.
He was nearly jolted from his precarious seating when Minako and Kevin exited the restaurant and headed for the park. He looked around wildly for a solution, then spotted a group of young men in ties and suits each carrying samurai swords. Likely a yakuza hit squad off to enforce a little bit of mob law.
The idea struck him and he toppled off of the branch, barely managing to catch himself with his front paws. It might just be crazy enough to work.
Stretching out with his magical powers of persuasion, he infused an idea into their minds which caused them to turn around and head for the park.
Artemis scaled down the tree carefully and then awaited his chance.