Things were quite tense in the castle. Venus was on lockdown mode, which meant she was banned from training, her position as leader, seeing the other girls, or even leaving her room. Luna brought her meals. Artemis was so mad he wouldn't even go near her room. He had appointed Mercury the leader, for her intelligence was enough that she could hold them together, while her calm would prove effective in diffusing any tensions. Mars was considered, but decided that she may get too aggressive when it came to the other girls.
Two weeks had passed since the trip to Earth. Everything was tense, but Artemis was finally starting to calm down. He hadn't heard a peep from Venus and figured tonight would be a good time to tell her she could return to guarding the Princess. She would not be allowed to take her position of leader back, however. He was noticing the change in the girls and their attitudes. Jupiter was very quiet and sighed a lot, staring off at nothing, and being a bit clumsier than he remembered. Mercury was cool and tactical, but wasn't talking much and her brows were often knit in thought. Mars was angrier than before, constantly tense, and one could almost see the smoldering rage in her gaze, particularly when turned on Artemis. He avoided her almost as much as he had avoided Venus when he first met her.
As for Serenity, she just wandered around and moped. To make sure the point was made clear, Artemis destroyed her sham of a uniform in front of her and told her she would never be allowed to fight, she is too important to the Kingdom as a ruler. There was talk of an arranged marriage to happen soon, to make sure that the Earthlings couldn't get in the way of Moon affairs. The Princess was barely eating, she spent most of her time crying, and she never said anything to anyone anymore except, "When is Venus coming back?"
Although the girls shared a common area, it was like they were worlds apart. Mars was concentrating on the couch she had claimed, angrily reading and glaring at any noise that was made. Jupiter was staring at the wall, her gaze clouded and sighs escaping her every other breath. Mercury was so lost in her computer that she didn't notice the others, and Serenity was just staring at her lap, a tear dripping onto her hand every now and then. Luna hadn't been around much, always in meetings with the Queen, but she tried to comfort Serenity. Every time she tried, Serenity flinched and walked away. There was a rift between them, all of them, and it didn't look like it was going to be fixed any time soon.
Artemis took a back way into Venus's room. Every room had it, but only very select circumstances meant they could be used. He crept in through a cat sized hole and looked at the blonde princess, just observing for a moment.
Venus was sitting at her window seat, her hair down, bags under her eyes, wearing her casual clothes; a long shirt and loose pants that one slept in, her brush in her hand, sliding the bristles through her already silky hair. She looked thinner, there was no smile about her face, and tear streaks were upon her cheeks. She was gazing at the Earth, moving in the same pattern. Artemis sat down and watched her for ten minutes. Her hands moved, she blinked, she breathed, but that was it. It was making Artemis uncomfortable and he crept to a chair, clearing his throat.
"Venus."
The once-leader looked at the cat, but did not turn her head. It unnerved him.
"You… you have been punished enough, I think, for what you have done. You left the moon without permission, were fraternizing with those we have a ban put on, endangered the Princess…" The list went on and on. Venus turned her gaze back to the window before he was done talking, and the cat sheepishly coughed into his paw. "You were not made a leader for any reason apart from tradition. And sometimes it can be a worse burden than if you had earned it. Mercury is a good leader, she follows the rules…"
"Sometimes rules are wrong," she whispered, her voice sounding broken.
"…Sometimes… but not if they endanger a leader. Serenity is to lead the Kingdom, she will be the peacekeeper for all planets."
"So why can't she marry Endymion?"
"It would only bring her heartbreak. He will die so young… they're too different, Venus, you know that. She will marry someone from the Moon that her mother picks out."
"And us?"
"You… you all… Will protect the royal family." Artemis looked a bit uncomfortable.
"And this is our only duty? Our only job?" Venus finally looked at Artemis fully.
"You should be honored you were chosen!"
"Aren't we all princesses? Don't we have our own lives to live? What if we fall in love, are we supposed to put that aside and be robots, only knowing how to fight and follow rules and never feel anything?!"
"Until the time comes that you are relieved of your duty, yes!" Artemis stood, shifting into his human form and glaring at the girl. "You will protect the Princess, with your life if you need to, and when the time comes, you will be relieved of your duty to do another duty; marry one of your own and sire a new guardian!"
"Well what if I don't want to! What then!" Venus was crying, looking exasperated.
"Then… then… you have to deal with it and grow up! You should be honored you were born into this position!"
"I wish I wasn't! I wish I was born a commoner!" Venus's shoulders were shaking.
"So do I!" Artemis puffed his chest out, balling his hands into fists. "I wish everything were different! That you were a commoner; that the Princess of Venus wasn't a selfish, spoiled, lazy girl! You aren't a leader, you aren't even half the leader your mother was, and you never will be! You just won't grow up and accept that life isn't fair! I don't want to play tutor to a selfish brat like you, I wanted to be on my own planet, but it's gone, and now I'm here and I'm grateful for what I have!"
Outside of Venus's room, all eyes were on the door. What was going on in there? Everyone could hear the raised voices, but the words were muffled.
"Well then maybe you shou-"
Venus was cut off by the sound of an explosion. Artemis looked panicked, as did the dethroned leader. There was another, and another, each coming closer to the castle.
"The princess!"
Venus was in a pinch. She couldn't get changed fast enough and her heart was pumping. She yelled out "Venus Power!" and stuck her hand up in the air. In a blinding light that lasted only a second, she was in her uniform. Artemis looked startled.
"How did you…"
"We need to protect Serenity!"
Looking a bit stunned, Artemis watched Venus dart out of the room. He followed her, switching back into his feline form as he ran. What had just happened?
Something snapped into place in Venus's head. Her friends were in danger, she had to help them. Yelling and arguing with Artemis wasn't going to do anything. She had to stand up and make sure everything was alright. She didn't care about the petty arguments, those could happen later. Right now, she was needed elsewhere.
In the common room, Mercury was trying to hold the sword and her computer at the same time. Venus took the sword and said, "Let me take this burden, just for now." Mercury looked relieved and nodded. Mars and Jupiter were next to Serenity, looking around. "We have to get out of here before they corner us. Let's go to the main hall. Protect the Princess at all costs."
"But… but I want to fight too!" Sere tugged lightly at Venus's arm.
"Princess Serenity, we all have a job to do. You will rule the Kingdom one day; we cannot have you dying because you want to play at being a soldier." Venus didn't look happy to say it, but it had to be said. Like a slap in the face, Serenity's hand dropped from the soldier's arm and she looked a bit dumbfounded.
Sometimes things work out perfectly, sometimes they don't. Like a movie, Venus walked in front of the girls, Mercury right behind her. Serenity was in the middle, Mars behind her, Jupiter watching the rear. They quickly made their way to the main hall, where the woman from the ball was, but there was something different about her.
"No longer will we deal with the tyranny of the moon, their constant observations of us, the disappearing people, and the secrets they keep… Today we take our freedom back and destroy the oppressors!"
Venus could almost see black tendrils of evil wisping off of the woman. She held a sword and glared at the brightly colored women that were around the white clad princess. "Your time is over, moon people! Today, Earth will destroy you!"
The woman lunged for Serenity, but the Queen tackled her, quite out of the blue. The two went for a tumble, there was a clatter and some shouting, but Luna and Artemis pulled the two apart. Blood was everywhere and there were rips, tears, and cuts on both females. Venus let out a cry and dove for the woman, sword raised. But the woman was not alone, and an army flooded the main hall. The protectors of the royals stepped back, looking startled. They started to retreat, but behind them were more people. They half turned all at the same time to see that Endymion and his Generals were there, all ready to help defend the Moon Kingdom.
Venus saw Queen Serenity being helped out of the main hall by Luna and Artemis. Now it was just the girls, the generals, Serenity, and Endymion against an army.
"Protect the Prince and Princess at any cost," Venus said, squaring her shoulders. "I'll go for their leader."
Kunzite grabbed her hand and Venus looked at him. "Don't… don't do this. We can run away from this before we get hurt. Let the Moon people figure out their own problems, let's start a new life."
Venus looked sadly up at him. "Kunzite… I have such strong feelings for you, but these are my friends. I have a duty to perform. I must protect my own, and you can either help protect them, for your King is going to stay with her, or you can run."
Venus pulled her hand from his, looking a bit ashen. She had chosen her duty over her feelings and it gave her a funny feeling in her stomach. She glared at the woman who was getting ready to attack, lifted her sword, and started for her. Endymion held onto Serenity and got in front of her, Mars and Jupiter fanning out behind her to keep watch from more sides, while Mercury joined the Generals in a vague ring around the royals.
"Beryl, stop this. The Moon Kingdom has been helping us, not hurting us!" Endymion tried to reason with the angry woman.
"No, you've been brainwashed, Prince! You've eaten their foods, sipped of their water, you are being lied to!" She charged for Venus and the two women met with clashing swords. Venus was startled by the strength the woman had, but she kept up with her and parried most of her blows. Fighting could be heard all around them as Moon Kingdom guards battled the army from Earth. Slowly the Generals and Senshi were fighting back, protecting Endymion and Serenity.
Beryl raised her sword high and brought it handle down over Venus's head. She saw stars and then the blackness started to overcome her. She swiped at Beryl with her sword, hitting her in her side, but the woman was being fueled by hate and evil. She kicked Venus in the head and started in on the ring around the royals. Kunzite, distracted by Venus's downfall, was taken care of easily. A stab in the gut put him down for a while as he tried to crawl to the soldier. The Senshi and remaining Generals started to break formation, both leaders down. They started for Beryl and were all knocked out and wounded due to the army that was surrounding them.
Finally, Beryl stood before Endymion and Serenity. "Get out of the way, Prince! She must be dealt with like her mother!"
"You will not harm her, Beryl!" Endymion took out his sword. He put up a good fight, but the tendrils of evil Venus had seen were not figments of imagination. They clouded the area and while Endymion tried to find Beryl, she rammed the sword through his heart.
"You are not fit to lead us," Beryl hissed, withdrawing the sword. Endymion fell before Serenity's quaking form. She raised her sword to dispatch of Serenity, but found, quite suddenly, a sword protruding from her chest. Venus was behind it, panting, barely able to stand, but determined. The evil woman dropped the sword she had been holding aloft onto Venus's head. The two fell and did not move.
Staring at the scene before her, her friends too injured to move, the Generals injured, Endymion dead… Serenity picked up the sword Venus had jammed into Beryl. It was too much for her. She didn't know who was alive and who wasn't, but Endymion was dead, everyone else was leaving… A world without Endymion was not a world to live in though. She pointed the sword at her chest and said as the sounds of battle stopped, "I want to live in a world with Endymion, where we do not have to fight each other, but can live freely together. Where we're all friends… and I can protect those I love." Weeping, she impaled herself.
Luna, Artemis, and the Queen were watching. She was nearly gone herself, but the monarch watched her only daughter kill herself. Tears fell from her eyes. "Luna. Artemis. I… I want to help her. Make her wish come true. Please… help me."
"Of course, your Majesty."
Artemis went over to the battlefield. Now that the leaders were all dead, the armies were disappearing. He took the sword Venus had used and looked down at her, seeing blood mat her hair down and trickle down over her cheek. He sighed, looking miserable.
"I hope… that next time, we can be friends. You are a leader, Venus. You gave up everything in an instant to defend what was important to you. You… you gave up on your freedom…" He looked at Kunzite, having seen the silver haired man try to talk Venus out of fighting. And she said no. "Next time, next time, we won't be at ends. I promise I'll be as inseparable from you as Luna was from Serenity."
A tear fell onto Venus's brow, and Artemis turned to go. Queen Serenity had a lot to do and she'd need all the help she could get. Artemis had a request though. He asked it while Luna was tending to another matter.
"Queen Serenity… if it's possible, please, let me find Venus first. I want to have the time to meet her and train her privately to be a leader. I know we did not see eye to eye, but… she is a leader. She just needs to see it for herself before it's too late and it is thrust upon her."
The Queen smiled and touched Artemis's cheek. "I will do anything for the happiness of my people. She will be ready, Artemis. And she will be everything you envisioned for her."
He bowed deeply. Luna and Artemis were changed back into cats for easier transportation, and everything went fuzzy, and then black…
Artemis woke up one day, feeling a light breeze over his ears. They twitched and he listened. What was that grumbling sound? He climbed to his feet and stretched, walking towards it. Large things with lights, many people wearing trousers… He slipped back into the alleyway. But there was a strange tune he could hear, and he pricked his ears, following it. He found his way to a glass door and stared at it, willing to get inside. He went in when the doors opened and saw that it was dark inside. But the tune was still teasing his ears. He crept towards it and saw an empty box that reflected the light from outside. He hopped up onto the chair in front of it and stared. It beeped to life and glowed briefly, almost drinking him in. And then it moved, revealing a stair case. He went down it, and heard a voice from one of many screens, "Artemis, you have awakened. It is time to find Venus. As you requested, you are the first to awaken… There is danger on this planet, and I do not want what happened on the Moon Kingdom to happen again."
"Queen Serenity…?"
"It is my memory, but yes, it is I. Now hurry, before she is in danger. You must find her and make her into a leader before it spreads to Princess Serenity… Here is what you must do…"
A/N: This concludes the story part of A Leader's Strength! What do you think? I hope I didn't botch it too badly… I'm marking this story Complete as of today, but I will be adding "bonus" chapters about the senshi and generals later.
2017 A/N: Hee. I personally enjoy this story, and I've updated a few minor grammatical errors this time. I may be uploading the bonus chapters soon, or doing new ones.