Chapter 6-Minako the Mediator

I took a deep breath and stepped into the room. Cameras flashed as the reporters record today's event. It had been two weeks since the last attack, which landed Mako in the ICU. Rei took over the bodyguard job full time and she was busy bossing everyone around in the palace. Ami stayed in the ICU for the entire time, never leaving Mako's side unless there was an attack. Usagi was traumatized and dealing with her own PTSD.

As the public relation officer for the Queen, I had to address the people of the world. What I had to tell them would cause civil unrest and worldwide panic. So far, we had sugarcoated all the attacks and managed to keep the world citizens calm. Now, they wouldn't have the luxury of denial anymore.

The ice queen continued its attacks. Weird weather patterns were detected all over the world. For the southern part of Earth, winter stayed and refused to leave. Here in Japan, even though it was only autumn, snow had been falling for three days now. Resources dwindled and chaos ensued.

"Ladies and gentleman, good afternoon. Thank you all for coming. I am here to address the citizens of the world, on behalf of Queen Serenity. As you have all noticed, temperature had been steadily dropping all over the world….."

"Sailor Venus, what is the queen doing regarding this matter?"

"Sailor Venus, how is the queen going to solve the food shortage problems?"

Question after question was fired from the reporters. "Please. Let me finish. I will take questions after."

I took a big gulp of water from the cup. Buying myself some time. Rei's voice rang through my head. "Mina, you idiot. You can't admit the truth to the public. They will hang the queen. They will hang you, the messenger." Rei's advice regarding politic trickery and how to manipulate the public had been useful so far. However, at a certain point, the truth had to come out.

I talked to Usagi last night in her bedroom. She rarely left that room nowadays. I showed her the speech for today and I asked if she would like to go ahead with it. She nodded and then turned back to staring out the window. Her mental status had been worrisome.

"Do we need to go to plan B? If Usagi doesn't snap out of it?" Rei had asked one night. Usagi needed to show her face from time to time, doing interviews for TVs and touring in different places. If she was down with an illness or injury, I would be the one to step in.

"I still have the disguise pen. I can pull off a decent Queen Serenity. My skills as an actress will not go to waste." I flipped my hair and batted my eyes at Rei.

"Sailor Venus, are you okay?" one of the reporters asked.

I nodded. I cleared my throat and started over. "So, as you all have noticed, the temperature had been steadily dropping all over the world. This is caused by a new enemy called the Ice Queen. We have dealt with her in the past and we had defeated her. Yet, another evil force had managed to revive the Ice Queen. So, Queen Serenity and the scouts will try our best to stop her, once and for all."

The reporters nodded and seemed relieved to hear that we had defeated her before. Surely, we could do it again.

"However, we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of a new ice age!" I dropped that sentence like a bomb.

The room fell silent for a while. There were no questions. The reporters looked at me and waited for my next sentence. Don't worry the queen will stop it. Or don't worry the ice age is a remote possibility.

I took a big breath and dropped my next bomb. "Dr. Mercury had been coordinating with scientists all over the world, preparing contingency plans and building underground living quarters. The ice age is a real possibility and the queen may not be able to stop it. We will keep trying, but you have to prepare yourselves. Stock up your food and water supplies. Try to keep calm. We will find a way. Please have faith in the queen. Thank you."

"Queen Serenity is useless." Someone said in the room. He stood up and started throwing water bottles at me. I saw his black moon symbol right away, branded on his forehead. He must be one of the recruiters. The Dark Moon clan's original members had been calling themselves that. They dispersed themselves all over the world and spread the fire of hatred. The rest of the room followed and started throwing random objects at me. A pen. A half-eaten sandwich. More water bottles. Rei's voice rang in my head again, "I told you so. Now duck!"

The angry mob eventually ebbed. I got back up from behind the podium. On their way out, they wreck the doors and smashed the windows in the hallway. Damn. I started this. I had to stop them.

I leapt out the window and landed in front of them. "Please, listen to me. You see that man over there?" I pointed at the Dark Moon terrorist. "He is part of the group that has been bad mouthing Queen Serenity. He wants nothing but chaos in our otherwise peaceful city. Now, I know you are angry. If you must, take it out on me. Please, have faith in Queen Serenity. And I promise. We will protect you, all of you, till the end of time."

"Fine." Someone threw a shoe at me. I didn't duck this time. I stood with my arms outstretched. So the crowd did. They took their anger out on me. Eventually, they lost interest and left me alone. I continued to say "Have faith in Queen Serenity" to each and everyone as they walked past me.

I didn't go back to the palace after. The others didn't need to know about this incident. Instead, I went back to my parents' apartment.

As expected, mom and dad were out when I got there. I quickly took a shower and changed my clothes. Some bruises and cuts on my torso but nothing that couldn't be covered up. I went into my old bedroom and stayed there until night time.

My relationship with my parents hadn't improve since I came out. They found out I was Sailor Venus the same way everyone else did. I had always kept them in the dark as a way of protecting them. The first thing my mom did was locked me in my room. "You will not go out there and fight. You will not die. Not on my watch." That was her reason. So, I smashed the panel and leapt out of the tenth-floor window. My mom stopped interfering after that.

Whether they accepted it or not, there was nothing I could do. I am Sailor Venus, agent of love and beauty.

I heard the front door opened and shut. Time for me to go. I quickly gathered up my stuff and leapt out the window. I didn't need another confrontation.