The Fiction We Live Chapter VII, a sailor moon fanfic

"The Fiction We Live" Chapter Seven

by Greta

Seiya looked around him, studying what was to be his room for an unknown amount of time. Narrowing his eyes he sighed. It was very unlike Queen Kakyoko to not tell them what was going on. Senshi training, she had said to them. Right. Who was to believe that they were being carted off to the far away Sol System to train? And most of all when he even wasn't a senshi?

Letting his hand run through his dark hair, he unfastened the sword hanging on his left side, letting it drop absently unto his bed. The room was very large, being a small apartment in itself. The separate rooms were connected through high doors, ending high above his head. Thick brocade curtains covered the high windowpanes and heavy carpets softened his every step.

He was feeling slightly uncomfortable in all this luxury. Yes, he did live in a Kingdom himself, and in a palace just as well, but strange as it seemed, everything he laid his eyes upon here seemed to mock him with its foreignism. Stretching, he moved to open a window, breathing in the cool air deeply. He was indeed tired. Travel had exhausted him, and their stupid little tirade earlier wasn't exactly doing a thing to make him feel any better.

He really had made a wonderful entrance after all, hadn't he? Groaning slightly at the thought, he rubbed at his temples. "Wonderful, really wonderful," he muttered, just as Taiki had earlier. But then, why did he care at all anyway? It was not as if he needed to be on good terms with the people he met here. Even though he didn't know when he'd be able to return home, he definitely wasn't going to spend a significant amount of his life here. Come to think of it he wasn't even feeling remotely interested in being on good terms with the people of this galaxy. Well, truth be said it was that princess he had encountered earlier he felt no need of getting to know. She was strange being so naïve and childish as a princess, being nothing like the princess he had known for all his life.

Sighing once more, he leaned back against one of the heavy doors, propping his hands up behind his neck. So he was in a strange galaxy for reasons he did not know, unsure of what he was supposed to do now he was here, and had made himself unpopular already.

"Wonderful, just wonderful."

Hands busy, she tried blowing the unnerving strand of hair that kept tickling her nose away from her face over and over again patiently, but failed miserably in doing so every time. Muttering under her breath, the tall girl therefore tried to ignore the unpleasant feeling of having silky strands of hair swaying softly over her cheek and brushing her nose ever so slightly, softly tickling ….

"WAH!" the tall girl bellowed angrily as she forced her hands out of the fresh soil of the trough she had been kneeling in front of, to finally brush the unnerving strand of silky hair away from her face and scratch her cheek and nose.

Scrunching up her green eyes, Makoto sighed in bliss. What agonizing torture something so small could bring.

Feeling her muscles scream in protest at her sudden and unpredicted movements, she flinched before allowing her limbs to stretch slowly. She had been in the palace's greenhouse since the early hours of the day, feeling horribly restless within the confined walls of the palace as there was nothing to be done that satisfied her. And so she had come down to one of the places she loved with all her heart; but her fascination and liking of the greenhouses confused her friends just as much it did the personnel. The glasshouses were huge buildings, crammed to every nook and corner with all of the palace's plants and seedlings, the confined rooms stifling hot because of the sun that shone brightly through the countless glass panes. And on days like these, when it had been raining heavily on the moon, the humidity inside the greenhouse was not making it the more comfortable.

"Makoto?" A blue-haired girl suddenly appeared from behind a large potted plant – a Savaris, a palm-like tree found only on the Moon - smiling warmly at the brunette girl.

"Ami!" Smiling in return, Makoto wiped her hands on the clothes she wore as she got up once again and stretched her arms high above her head to stretch some more. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing in particular. I just had this feeling that I'd find you here," Ami answered, winking at her friend.

Grinning, the Princess of Jupiter stuck out her tongue playfully. "Now, how did you ever guess that?" she asked mockfully. It was no secret that she was slightly obsessed with all things that shouldn't concern a Princess. But she couldn't help it – the things that were not supposed to be of her concern had held a strange fascination over her ever since she could think. Back when she had been still a child on her home-planet she had often snuck into the kitchens of the Io Palace and peeked into the many ovens and mixing-bowls and had begged to be of some help, to be of any use at all. The servants had smiled at her, finding her interest sweet, and had let her help whenever she had wanted to. If it weren't for her many duties and the appearance she had to keep up nowadays she probably would sneak down to by far grander kitchens of the Moon Palace still. Letting a small sigh escape her lips, she pushed the thoughts that also always held the bitter aftertaste of her mother's and nurse's outraged cries and yells directed at her dishonourable deeds as far from her mind as she could, and instead motioned for the Princess of Mercury to come closer.

"Look here," she said, motioning to the large trough in front of her, pride shimmering in her eyes. Moving aside so her friend could take a closer look at what the trough held, she couldn't help smiling widely as she said, "They're Pearl Orlayas."

Blue eyes widening, Ami knelt down beside Makoto, her gaze fixed on the flowers her friend was proudly motioning to. "Really …?"

Makoto nodded as she studied her hard-work with shining eyes. The large stone trough at her feet was brimming over with long-stemmed pale flowers whose delicate petals were of a pearl colour that shimmered softly in the sunlight that shone into the green-house. An indefinable rich scent rose from them, exotic and intoxicating at the same time. "I've been working on them for a few months now. You can't imagine what stress I've had with them. But you know, you've got to keep them a secret. They're a surprise for Serenity's birthday."

Ami glanced sideways at her friend, noting that her friend was still smiling delightfully even as she told her of the many troubles she had had with the seedlings of some of the rarest flowers that could be found in the whole galaxy. Smiling to herself Ami turned back to the beautiful flowers. Makoto would be the very last to defy a good challenge, especially when it concerned the things she loved the most. Had it been not for their destiny, she would have been the best mother of all times – Ami's hand quickly shot to cover her mouth as if her cursed thoughts had actually left her lips, quickly biting back the thoughts that had arisen inside of her head. Thinking about a life that was not bound to destiny was bound to be useless. For who was she to decide any such thing as destiny and fate? Closing her eyes for a moment, the blue-haired girl took a deep breath. Get a grip on yourself, her mind was telling her, and that was what she intended to do. She would let Makoto enjoy the small joys she had. Snapping her blue eyes open once more, she grinned at her green-eyed friend, before bending to admire the more than seldom flora once more.

"Are you alright?" Shocked to see a raven-haired girl kneeling on the floor upon carelessly rounding a corner, the young man dropped to one knee to rest beside her immediately. A pained expression was marring her delicate features, but her eyes seemed to be lost in a sphere that was her very own. Unsure of what to do, Taiki frowned at the startling interruption of his lost-in-thought strolling through the palace he intended to get to know. "Hey … Are you alright?" he repeated, his words soft as not to startle her.

But the girl gave no answer. Her hands were clasping her bowed head tightly, her widened eyes staring into the distance emptily. She sat rigidly on the hard and cold marble floor, her back arched and stiff, and she looked as if she had been in the very same position for quite some time. But what frightened Taiki the most were her eyes. The lilac orbs were so fixed in the distance that it seemed it was impossible for them to move.

Own lilac eyes narrowed, Taiki softly raised his arms to grasp her shoulders, trying to release her from her trance like state carefully as not to shock her. And it seemed to work, for her eyes finally came back into focus as her head snapped up to look at him. Her lilac eyes widened and her mouth rigid, her gaze fixed with his as she exhaled deeply before crumbling to the floor in a dead faint.

Grumbling beneath her breath, Minako let herself be wrapped into soft towels by her chambermaids as she rose from her golden bathtub, her thoughts still fixed elsewhere, the warm water having done nothing to relax her at all. Chewing her bottom-lip, she stomped off to her dressing room, ignoring her servant's timid questions of concern.

"How dare he!" she suddenly hissed out under her breath as she let herself drop heavily into a large and heavily padded armchair. How dare he! Her mind was repeating inside of her, the rest of her jumbled thoughts even incoherent for herself. She was not only a Princess of the Solar System, she was the leader of the Inner Senshi as well and a proclaimed sword-fighter in the bargain! No matter where she went, she was treated respectfully, or at the very least nicely. But he, he – ARGH! Her eyes snapped open as she let a low grumbling sound leave her throat, making her two chambermaids look up in alarm. Sighing, Minako knew that she needed to get a grip on herself. She shouldn't let her weak sides slip in front of others, as there was no need of it spreading through the Palace, as gossip was cease- and merciless in the Moon Palace.

But still, that – that person would not mess with her! And she would not lose her reputation because of someone as irritating as him – something she had worked very hard for to achieve. It was Venus' reputation of being strong and unapproachable that she would not allow to be touched.

It had not been a long time at all since she had still hated being a princess and senshi with a tremendous fervour. Being a princess had made little and yet everything be expected of her from the moment she was born; while in the public, all she was to show was her lovely and polite side, and nothing more. But being nothing but beautiful and nice gave her no right whatsoever to also have things as carefreeness and fun in her life, as her mother and royal advisors did not think it to be adequate for a royal child. Not that she was ever offered any of the things she so sought after anyways; whenever she approached other people – servants and royal guests alike - in the Magellan Palace all normal conversation ceased away and was instantly replaced with boring and mindless formalities.

Things did not to start to change until she started approaching puberty slowly – for it was around that time that she finally learned that she was to be a senshi, a soldier whose one and only priority it was to protect someone else. Whenever she approached servants now, the forced and awaited respect of laying their eyes upon a royal was replaced with something truer and more honest than before.

But as soon as she left the confined and safe walls of her palace to train her senshi powers far away from home, she found out soon enough that her new status as a senshi didn't amount to the same everywhere. All people that talked with her were without a doubt respectful – but they never lowered their whispers behind her back far enough for her to overhear what they really thought of her. Birth-given powers! Where was the difficulty of yielding powers that one had been born with? Stuck-up, proud little Princess, that knows nothing of life, nothing of real difficulty! Showered with respect and praise wherever she goes for the sole reason of who she was born as! How those words had stung her soul that had still been that of a child! But something inside of her had awoken back then. She had felt the urge and need inside of her arise to show them that she could be the best, that she could not only perfect the powers she possessed but take them much, much further. The blonde child had gotten interested in every art of fighting that could only be attained through hard work and sweat – and had finally followed her heart's long fascination for sword fighting.

Her eyes snapped open abruptly, a dark smirk etched into her face, as she got up from the armchair in reply to her maid's question if she wanted to get dressed now. Noting the ruffled orange dress that had been pre-picked for her, she shook her head disdainfully as she instead motioned at a dress that fit her mood of angered pondering much better.

Oh, she had shown them all. She had proven them that she did not need the powers she had not chosen to have, the powers that had been given to her without ever having been asked if she wanted to have them. She had proven the fact that she was capable of fighting and be the best at it. The soul of a true warrior had awoken inside of her when she had been only eleven years old.

Looking herself over in the golden full-body mirror standing in the middle of the narrow room that was lined with endless shelves and racks of her clothing, she smiled at her reflection. No, she had worked hard for who she was. Let him do what he wanted to do – she'd be the biggest obstacle in his way, she'd see to that.

"I'm bored," the silver-haired youth grumbled beneath his breath, his arms behind his neck as he walked lazily down the corridor.

"Shut up, you obnoxious idiot."

Narrowing his pale-green eyes, Yaten turned to look at the black-haired young man walking him beside him. Shaking his head, he sighed. "What's up with your flowery mood today, Seiya?"

"Oh, shut the fuck up," Seiya rolled his eyes as he replied, keeping his stare deliberately ahead of him. His hands that were curled up in fists were buried in the pockets of his dark pants, his steps as heavy as his mood. He wasn't even sure why he was feeling so very unlike himself today. He was actually a cheerful person by nature – but today something was pressing on his mood. And he had a feeling that it was in fact the grand and sparkling Silver Millennium that was making his thoughts churn around themselves and turn into dark and unrecognizable clumps.

"I'm still bored, Seiya. Your fucked up mood may be interesting, but there's no one to spark it off."

"Yaten, I'm warning you. You are big enough of a spark!"

Chuckling as he stuck out his tongue, Yaten ducked beneath the arm clad in a simple black shirt that had been heading for the back of his head. While he was still wearing the minor armour he always wore as his daily apparel, Seiya was not, which honestly surprised him. Seiya was a proclaimed fighter, and always liked to show that fact off to the world. But today the black-haired youth wore only simple black clothing to match his mood. Hearing a clicking of high-heeled shoes, Yaten turned his gaze from his friend to look up. Grinning, Yaten let his fingers run through his long strands of silver hair as he cocked his head at the young woman approaching them.

"Are you following me?" she barked harshly upon seeing them to her obvious distaste once more, her eyes narrowing as her hands travelled to her hips.

"What a warm and friendly greeting. I feel so welcome," Yaten drawled, raising an eyebrow. She looked different by far from before. Apart from not only being clean, the Princess of Venus was dressed in a trailing gown of black and scarlet lace that hugged her curves very tightly, revealing much of her figure in the bargain. Her hair was tied back in a loose French-braid, the blonde tendrils of hair escaping it framing her face which showed distinct but obvious irritation.

"Well, it seems you've picked up how to feel just right." Her blue eyes narrowed, she kept her eyes fixed on Yaten as her stride slowed down in the slightest as she approached them. Her blood-red lips curled into a small scowl as she noted Yaten's irritating superior gaze as his eyes travelled obviously over her body. "What, surprised to see the girl unworthy of being a Princess looking like one?"

"One, I never said you were unworthy. And two, I still don't think you look like a Princess exactly. Aren't you supposed to run around in ruffled silk and look innocently pretty?"

A small and surprised laugh escaped Minako's full lips, the sarcasm in it obvious. "Are you telling me how I should look as a Princess? How about putting a full programme for me together and tell me how to act as well?"

"As gladly as I would do so, I don't see any use for me in a cause like that."

Eyes snapping open once more, Minako muttered Lunarian curses obviously directed at the silver-haired youth under her breath loudly enough for him to hear, before clenching her teeth together and picking up her stride once more to walk past him without another glance.

Seiya's eyebrow raised as he turned his upper body slightly to allow his gaze to look after the girl walk away from him and Yaten. Well, it was more likely Yaten she was consciously turning her back on as she had not even so much as glanced at him while exchanging verbal attacks with his companion. Shaking his head he could actually see what Taiki had meant earlier. How long had they been here? A day? No, not even a whole day yet. How many people had they insulted up until now? Too many for that amount of time. He therefore was not sure if he should take Taiki's place right now and tell Yaten off or actually start chuckling avidly. Somehow the latter won.

Yaten too had turned to look after the blonde woman walk away but raised his gaze to look at Seiya upon hearing him laugh. His eyes narrowed for a moment as he thought about what to do next. A grin spread on his handsome face slowly as he turned back to gaze down the long corridor. "Well, see you later," Yaten said, before taking the same route Minako had. Seiya couldn't help his laugh increasing upon seeing Yaten walk away from him without another glance. Yaten could surprise him over and over again – it was impossible to predict his reactions. And Seiya honestly felt that the one Yaten had chosen now, pursuing after the blonde, had been the choice he personally had expected the least.

"… Minako …?" a timid voice suddenly echoed around him, making him turn away from Yaten's retreating back. And who did his eyes come upon standing in the middle of the corridor, her eyes fixed in the distance on her own friend's backside? The Princess of the Moon, who else. Rolling his eyes, Seiya sighed. According to Yaten's description she was indeed a Princess through and through, garbed in a baby-blue silken dress that – though it too hugged her figure, though more discretely by far – practically screamed innocence. Her delicate features looked quite startled in fact, and her body language was telling him she felt distinctly disgruntled.

Usagi was indeed feeling so. All of her senshi were friends of hers just as much as they were her warriors and protectors; but she had to honestly admit that the girl she saw in her mind whenever she thought about Minako was nothing like the hot-blooded woman she had just seen in the flesh. Her tight dress with its alluring lace and dark colours, the scarlet lips, the way Minako had talked, the aura she had given off – everything was absolutely unlike from what Usagi was used to.

"Princess, don't you feel like dressing like that yourself some time?"

Seiya's mocking voice suddenly broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to the corridor she was standing in all too suddenly. Blinking to clear her gaze that was slightly clouded from staring off into the distance for too long she turned around heavily to face him, her face set in a grimace. "What?"

Seeing her enraged gaze with a vigour Seiya grinned. "What, don't you agree? Your friend certainly was a sight to behold. Quite different from what you present yourself as I'd say."

"Are you insulting me?" Usagi whispered in slight disbelief as she narrowed her eyes, her mouth slightly agape. Was he insulting her? What had she done to deserve this sort of treatment from him?

"I don't think I am, actually. I'd say take it as a bit of advice," Seiya drawled at her, grinning cockily as he got ready to turn around and leave. Teasing her may be fun, but her wide eyes brimming with disbelief were irritating him quite a bit. Before he actually had the chance to get a single step away from her though, she had stomped up to him with heavy steps and struck his cheek with her right hand. Alright, it was probably the weakest slap he had ever received in the course of his life, but it startled him quite a bit, not thinking the girlish princess was up to any such thing. Turning back to her, disbelief was now etched into his own face.

"Don't talk with me as if I were a child of some sort – I may not present myself as a woman the way Minako does and I may not even be a woman the way Minako is, but that still gives you NO reason to talk with me like that!" Her voice was angered and rose in pitch with every syllable in the last sentence directed at him; and yet it was still quite stable despite the tears brimming in her blue eyes. Clenching her teeth upon not hearing a single word of response or even an apology from his mouth she spun on her heel to hurry away down the lone corridor they were standing in.

Rubbing at her eyes she cursed herself silently for presenting her tears to him as she quickened her pace down the long and winding corridors of the palace that was to be hers. She didn't care where her hasty pace took her – all she wanted was to get away from him. She was not used to criticism from anyone but herself. And it was only in her moments of deepest insecurity that she let those thoughts of herself rise inside of her; seeing them noticed by someone else and having them actually voiced out was a bit too much for her.

Did he honestly think that she didn't know she was nothing like a woman? She didn't look it, and well, just look at the way she was acting now, running away and bawling like a child! Damn herself for presenting her weakness like that!

It wasn't until she ran into a frantic looking Luna that she stopped from her increasingly growing rapid pace and finally managed to shake the clammy feeling that had gotten a hold over her away; and it wasn't until the words that Rei had collapsed and fainted had burst from Luna's mouth that her advisor noticed the tears streaking her face. But Usagi brushed Luna's concern away almost angrily, swearing to herself that she would pull herself together. For there were more important things than petty egoism. And her friends were without a doubt among those things.

Flinching, the Queen quickly withdrew her fingers from the book she had been leaning over before. Eyes narrowed, she muttered low words of pain, as she rummaged around for a handkerchief to wrap around her thumb and forefinger which she had just cut on the heavy pages of the old tomb she'd been studying. Sighing, she realized she would have to do without a cloth to stop the blood from trickling down her pale hand, as there was nothing of use to be found in or on her vast desk.

The blood was now making its trail down the inside of her palm, slowly trickling over the many lines and creases that told her of her life. Thick and deep-red, it took its own time. Thick and deep-red …

Closing her eyes shut so tightly it was almost painful, the Queen clenched her teeth as she held her breath. Deep-red … Oh, it was not supposed to be that way.

She was the Queen Serenity of the grand Silver Millennium, the biggest and most powerful kingdom and monarchy known throughout the universe. As Queen Serenity she was the direct descendent of the great Goddess Selene who had been the first to rule over the Solar System. There were legends, stories and songs about the Silver Millennium – myths of glory and of wars, of unbelievable riches and of breath-taking splendour. It was only the true story of the Goddess Selene that was almost unknown at large.

The true Goddess of the Moon had lived thousands of years ago, back in the time when the Solar System had just come into existence. But even back then in its earliest days of existing, the galaxy had already harboured a cold and cruel darkness – but Selene had had the courage and the power to ban Chaos into the furthest corner of the universe to where it could do no harm anymore.

The great beings of Time and Space that had created the universe at large were peculiar beings – they were noble and yet unbelievably vain and cruel at the same time; they were proud and arrogant creatures, but also wise enough to know that a war among their own ranks was nothing to be risked. So they decided that each of them would seal a part of their powers away on the planets of the Solar System, weakening their separate strengths that could be so fatal to such an extent that they now would not have the power to attack one another successfully anymore. Impressed by the pure power and courage Selene presented while banning Chaos they decided to put the powers they had sealed away under her care.

This made Selene even more powerful than before – but wise and thoughtful, she never abused the powers that had been bestowed upon her, and instead used them to form the Solar System in the way she thought to be the best. Selene was now the most powerful human being in the universe – and that power had been given on from one generation to the next. Silver blood ran in the veins of the followers to the throne of the Silver Millennium, silver blood that held the power of the universe.

Bowing her head in silent defeat, the Queen let out a shuddering breath. Silver blood … Yes, it too had run through her veins. She had been born a direct descendent of the true Goddess Selene, just like the many rulers of the Silver Millennium before her. She too had held the power of the universe within her. She too had been the most powerful human in existence.

Her hands curled into a fist as she deliberately let her nails sink into her injured flesh, forcing the pain to spread through her digits. But the great beings of Time and Space weren't stupid – they never had been and they still were not. Even though they had weakened their individual powers, their combined power was still something that rivalled no other. They had always been far stronger than Selene if they set their mind to it; oh and how they liked that fact. And so they used their powers on a regular basis to show the ruler of the Silver Millennium who was the real ruler behind everything, acting under such names as destiny and fate.

And on that one day almost 18 years ago they had done so once again, even if they had never admitted to doing so. But they had gone too far that one time.

Sighing, the Queen leaned back in her seat once more, straightening herself from the crouched position she had been sitting in. Her grey eyes scanned the dim ceiling high above her, as the thoughts lay heavy in her head. Eighteen years … Had it really been that long now? The time had passed so fast, and yet she could still remember it all so clearly. She could recall every second of pain she had gone through, the very sound of her own ragged and desperate breath, the smell of the cold rain that had drifted about her and most of all the torture for her soul that that one night had brought along. Eighteen years – and yet it all seemed like yesterday.

It seemed just like yesterday that she had given everything up. What was that famous line again? God gave angels the choice. They are free to choose.

Chuckling beneath her breath, she raised her unscathed palm to her forehead, pressing it against her hot forehead. Free to choose …She too had had the choice to choose her path. And she had been the first to ever do so in the history of the Silver Millennium. She had been the first to pay the price that was set for defying the decisions made by the great beings of Time and Space. The first and maybe the last, for the price she had paid for her child had been a high one. The powers of Selene no longer ran through her veins, making her into nothing more than mortal.

It seemed that her choice was now about to doom the galaxy she loved to death and destruction.

Magda raised an eyebrow at the woman seated opposite her. The young woman was very pretty, her red locks of hair trailing down her slim body thickly. Her hands were clasped in her lap, and her eyes fixed on the Palace's head servant, listening attentively to every word that was being said to her, answering the questions being asked of her politely and smartly. But the young woman's eyes and the gaze they were fixing her with were irritating Magda deeply. Those deep brown eyes staring into her direction were strangely empty and void of all the things eyes usually held and were supposed to hold; there were no emotions, no thoughts and no feelings whatsoever. Beautiful in themselves, the eyes seemed almost inhuman as empty as they were. Blinking to break their locked gazes, Magda took a deep breath, trying to shake the strange thoughts from her head as she studied the questionnaire clasped in her hands once more.

Empty stare or not, she had been the best applicant for the free position of a servant all day. She looked smart and tidy, and capable of working the way Magda demanded of the many people that were employed in the grand Moon Palace. An empty stare was no reason to deny her the position she was obviously fit for. And so Magda forced a warm smile unto her round face as she slowly rose from the chair she had seated, raising her hand to shake the young woman's.

"That will do. I see you are fit for the position. I welcome you to the Moon Palace, Beryl."

"Mama?" The Lunarian guards had already left their posts in front of the Queen's private chambers to take up their place for the night at the entrance to the West Wings of the Moon Palace, so the young Princess slowly opened the door to her mother's private chambers herself, flinching at the creaking sound that reached her ears.

Once again her mother's chambers were covered in a heavy cloak of darkness, only solitary candles lighting the way through the separate rooms. Crossing the parlour slowly she found the sound of her step seem strangely out of place in the merciless silence that surrounded her. But she went on steadily, her heart's beat increasingly rising as the strange atmosphere of the rooms slowly seeped into her bones.

Grasping the heavy silver handle of the door that led to her mother's study, she softly pressed it down, inching the door open. Eyes wide, she stopped upon seeing her mother bent over her arms that rested on the wooden desk in front of her, her one palm smeared with blood, weeping heavily and deeply.

Her eyes wide, the young Princess withdrew from the scene she was witnessing instantly, as her mother had obviously deeper worries on her mind than those that were bothering her young soul. But truth be said that fact scared her quite a bit.

So, that's that for today! Drop me a line if you have the time, 'kay?

Cheers,

Greta