My… sister…? Minako let out a gasp, the sound disappearing in the chaos of the shocked crowd of soldiers. How can that be? Surely I would remember having a sister.

"Please, settle down, and let me finish," Venus pleaded. For just a second, Minako was truly able to see herself in the Senshi, as a quick flicker uncertainty and anxiety spread across her face. "Maybe I spoke too soon. Yes, Psyche is of royal blood, partly. She is my half-sister: we share a father."

Venus paused, allowing her words to sink in, and for the crowd to finally fall silent. Minako started to feel impatient, wanting to hear more, to understand everything. I can't even tell anymore whether these feelings are my own, or Adonis'. Does it matter?

"You all know the story, of course, of my parents. Of how they died seven years ago in a battle against enemies attempting to encroach on Queen Serenity's lands… Very few were known to survive after coming face to face with Nehellenia, after all," she looked down, the memory clearly hurtful to bring up.

That was how I lost my parents? Funny how I never even remembered them… Maybe I wanted to forget. Maybe their loss was too painful for me. Minako could feel Adonis' heart welling up with sympathy for the mourning princess. It was all she could do to keep him from running up to Venus and wrapping his arms around her. He truly cared for me deeply. Or, for that Venus, anyway. She seems so distant from who I am today. So serious, and so tired…

"After their death, their wills were read, and it came to light that my father, the King, had fathered another child," she swallowed hard. "When I was still quite young, he was stationed on Earth for a short period of time. And, well, he found company with a woman there."

Minako started to feel embarrassed for these parents that she had never known. Or is it Adonis that feels embarrassed? I just don't know.

"Since communications with Earth are hard to arrange and generally frowned upon, I wasn't really able to contact the woman and her child when I was younger. However, two years ago, when I was finally old enough to fully understand the situation, I reached out, despite the laws. The girl was in a bad way, her whole town frightened of her because she had strange powers… so she accepted the offer to come stay here with me."

A vision appeared in Minako's mind. Myself, as Venus, with a younger girl in tow. She had bright blue eyes, blonde, bouncy hair, and I—no Adonis, this must be his memory—imagined that the girl looked like a young Venus. Glancing around, Minako could see other soldiers recalling similar memories, nodding to each other as they all began to make the connections.

It was obvious that Venus was getting too emotional to continue. "Things ended badly… and she came to want to take my powers, and take my place as guardian of this planet. That's all I can say for now," she breathed heavily. "Please stay here and my personal guards will continue to debrief you on the mission. Thank you." Quickly, she wiped her face, turned around, and disappeared down the hall.

Before even realizing that she had started to move, Minako found herself pushing through the crowds, following in the direction where Venus had just gone. Slipping through the door, Minako hid herself behind a pillar and peeked over her shoulder to see Venus sitting on a chair, cradling her head in her hands.

"She was just a kid…" Venus said, sounding to Minako more and more like herself. "Just a kid in love. I didn't mean to hurt her…"

Minako recognized the sound of her own crying. She could feel Adonis' heart aching, wanting to comfort her, but knowing that if he stepped forward he would be in even bigger trouble. But then all the sounds around her started to seem further and further away, and everything began to get darker.

"It is time to return… I have reached the limit for what I am able to do…"

….

Minako opened her eyes and found herself in her room, with Adonis staring back at her. "No! Take me back! I was so close to learning everything…"

Adonis shook his head. "I cannot bring you back. That was the extent of my abilities… there is only so much I can do in this state."

"Wait a minute—you knew, all along, that Psyche was my sister, but you didn't tell me? Why would you keep something like that from me?" Minako demanded, tired from her journey to the past, and frustrated that she still felt left in the dark.

He turned away from Minako, no longer looking her in the eye. "I thought that you should learn for yourself… Forgive me, I did not mean to betray you. Would you have believed me if I had just told you?"

Minako kept silent. He's right. I probably wouldn't have believed something like that. I had to see for myself. "Oh, that's right," she started to speak up, finally. "I wanted to apologize to you. For ignoring you back then, when you were right in front of me. I should have been kinder…" Maybe that's what caused all of this mess in the first place.

"No, there is no need to apologize," Adonis' eyes smiled. "Those were nothing but shadows of the past, there was nothing you could do to change those actions. And you were greatly distressed at that time. I was nothing but a selfish child, wanting you to notice me, not realizing that your mind was somewhere else entirely."

"But I should have been more attentive," she sighed. "All of this was my fault." Minako started to feel weary, and lay down, closing her eyes. "And you know what?" She spoke slowly, the sleep starting to overcome her.

"Yes, Princess?" Adonis responded, still watching over her.

"I truly wish I had noticed you that day." With these words, Minako drifted off entirely.

"And I wish that at that time I could have had the courage to speak up, to comfort you," he whispered softly, bending over Minako and kissing her gently on the forehead. "I hope that now I can finally make it up to you."