TWO WRONGS
Chapter 2: The Hero
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
After the unseemly display by Elysian resident Na and his wife Keika, and their embarrassed retreat from the gathering, those remaining attempted to return to the festivities. The dance troop went into their first number as an accompanying band of musicians played for them.
"Who was that?" gasped Sailor Saturn, appalled by the outburst. When no answer came immediately, she turned to their host, Candide of the dreaming.
"Na and Keika," Candide replied, trying to regain her good humor. "They are man and wife and have lived among us for many years."
"Does that mean they're not natives?" Juno inquired.
"They are," and Candide paused, searching for the best way to describe the couple, "let us say they have been granted asylum here in Elysian."
"They're refugees?" Ceres asked, the diplomat's daughter picking up on Candide's choice of terms.
"I shall tell you the tale if you wish," Candide surrendered. "Once long ago, the Cloak of Umbra was stolen from Elysian. It is a talisman through which the guardian of dreams may commune with the dreaming. At this very moment, my Helios wears the cloak to aid him in the ceremony he performs."
At the mention of her love, Sailor Moon snapped out of the fog she'd been in and listened to the tale.
"The thief was the Sorcerer King of the Realm of Yaban'na," Candide continued. "It is one of the realms of the dreamscape, a place of barbarism and magic on the edge of reality. Horoque, the Sorcerer King, sought to use the cloak as a means of dominating all within his realm and even to expand his control over neighboring realms. And without the cloak, I could have lost my connection to the dreaming and the worlds would have been thrown into the chaos of eternal nightmare."
Ceres shivered, recalling the time they all fought Echidna, the mad guardian of the Nightmare Realm.
"But my dear husband knew of a man," Candide continued. "Na was a man sympathetic to our plight. And he was a man who enjoyed a challenge, enjoyed daring danger and triumphing. Together my husband Rysthios and his friend Na ventured into Yaban'na. There Na met Keika, who was the daughter of Horoque. She was a dark beauty who chafed beneath her father's oppression. And to her, Na was a summer day, bright and golden amid the darkness of the realm. Rysthios later told me of the spark of passion that ignited between them, of how Na offered to liberate her from her prior life and how she vowed to help him in his quest in the face of her own kin. And with Na's daring and Keika's considerable help, the cloak was recovered."
"And they came to live here?" Saturn asked.
"Horoque's desire for vengeance was considerable," Candide told her. "Keika could not go back, not that she wanted to. And Na was a wanted man, by Horoque and by others of whom his daring had previously made enemies. So Rysthios offered them asylum here in Elysian. I married them myself. And they have resided here ever since."
Candide's tale was punctuated by a snort. Everyone looked and found Sailor Moon's head bent forward, asleep. Saturn touched her lightly and the Princess roused.
"Hmm?" Sailor Moon said, her eyes unwilling to focus. "Did I miss something?"
"Are you all right?" Saturn asked with concern.
"A little woozy," the Princess mumbled.
"Are you drunk?" gasped Vesta. "You only had one sip!"
"I'm not drunk!" Sailor Moon barked in Vesta's general direction. Then she frowned. "At least I don't think I am. God, I hope I didn't inherit THAT from Mom, too!"
"How do you get drunk on ONE sip of wine?" Vesta exclaimed. Ceres was trying to conceal her giggling.
"Mom can," Sailor Moon frowned. "One drink and she's dancing on top of the table." She glanced at Saturn, her head wobbling from side to side, and squinted. "Why do you keep moving, Saturn?"
"Perhaps you should lie down, Princess," Candide suggested charitably.
"I don't want to spoil the party, Candide!" Sailor Moon whined.
"Though we will all be poorer for your absence," Candide smiled, "my first concern is for you."
"I'll help you get to bed, Sailor Moon," Saturn offered.
Sailor Moon attempted to get to her feet and almost lost her balance. A quick assist from Saturn kept her from falling.
"OK," Sailor Moon mumbled in defeat. With Saturn's help, they made their way toward the door. "I only had one, Saturn! Not even one!"
"I know," Saturn said sympathetically.
"And it didn't even taste good!"
In the home of Na and Keika, a cozy cottage atop a rolling hill surrounded by picturesque trees and grasses, the atmosphere was the complete opposite of the tranquility outside.
"...humiliated me in front of everyone in Elysian," Keika muttered bitterly. She sat at one end of a dinner table. Her husband sat at the other end.
"You humiliated yourself," Na scoffed.
"You were staring!"
"So I was staring," Na questioned. "I had never seen the Princess Usagi before, though I had heard the tales both of her prowess and her beauty. And the tales of her beauty are not lies. I could not help but stare. No man with blood in his veins could."
Keika's dark eyes smoldered and her jaw set.
"And I no longer please you?" she asked.
"I remain, don't I."
"For how much longer?" Keika asked, emotion coloring her voice. Na looked at her.
"I begin to wonder," he scowled. Keika's eyes flared again. Na reached over and brought a bottle of wine to him.
"You drink too much of that," she admonished.
"It dulls the pain," Na replied and took a draw on the bottle.
"Pain of what?" sneered his wife.
"Of boredom!" Na shot back. He withdrew for a moment, instantly regretting his honesty. Then he cast his regret aside. "I once fought the good fight. I once dared to face down a king. I once stared danger in the eye and laughed. I once was the talk of a realm, the enemy of the powerful and the friend of those the powerful exploited." He took another drink from the bottle. "Once I was a man."
"That has changed?" Keika responded unsympathetically. "And what are you now?"
"A domesticated animal," Na frowned. "A dog tied to a fence in the back of a yard, who barks of his past exploits to anyone who will listen - - and is ignored."
"And I am the rope?" Keika asked, her hurt showing through. He glanced at her. "I thought you loved me."
"Once I thought you loved me," Na volleyed back. "But more and more I see myself as less of a lover and more of a prize you were rewarded with for defying your father."
"You're drunk," sneered Keika.
"Not yet," Na snorted. He rose from the table, grabbed a second bottle of wine in his other hand and headed for the door. "But it's not a bad idea."
"Go then!" shouted Keika, rising up as well. "Spurn the woman who has stood by you, the woman who gave up everything for you! Go and stare at the princess you can never have! Throw away a warm home and a comfortable life for your dreams of past glory! Wallow in your animal lust for this little girl!"
"You must start wearing lower-cut blouses more often, My Dear," Na retorted cynically, "to remind me why I fell in love with you."
He turned to leave. A small fireball shot past his ear and dissipated against the door, leaving a small scorch mark on the wood. Undaunted, Na opened the door and stepped out.
Keika stood and glared at the door, wondering in the back of her mind if this was the end. Once she couldn't have contemplated a life without her Na. When they first met, his roguish handsomeness and daring had been the perfect compliment to her dark comely beauty and her sorcery. He had given her independence. He had opened the world to her. He had lifted her from a girl to a woman. And they had set standards in passion.
But that was long ago. Now they seemed to stay together because each one was afraid to attempt life alone again. The unknown was more intimidating than the thought of waking up and facing another day in each other's company.
Until SHE had arrived.
Turning suddenly, her floor-length skirt whirling with the motion, Keika went to the counter and poured water into a bowl. A drop of blood from Keika's thumb was added to the water. Uttering a spell, Keika cradled the bowl in her hands. Staring down into the surface of the water, Keika beheld a vision in the water. So long as she maintained her concentration and stared into the bowl, Keika could see what she invoked the spell to see.
Let Na go with his wine and his cruel remarks. If he went to see his pretty little princess with her bubblegum hair and her skirt that barely covered her bottom, she would know. And then there would be a reckoning.
Sailor Juno quietly ascended the steps to the Temple. She didn't want to make any noise because she knew Helios and his temple maidens were inside performing their ceremony and she didn't want to disturb them. When she reached the top step, Juno found the person she was looking for. Over by a support column, about fifty feet away, stood Sailor Saturn. As quietly as possible she walked over.
Saturn was watching the ceremony. Juno peered in. Helios was kneeling in the center of the temple by a stone altar. Draped over his shoulders was the cloak that Candide had told them about. It was midnight blue and from the look of the soft highlights on the fabric resembled crushed velvet. Juno wondered what it would feel like against her skin. Helios had his hands resting palms up on his knees. His eyes were closed and his chin was dropped to his chest. If someone didn't look closely, it might be assumed that he was sleeping. Juno could see his lips moving, emitting a soft chant that she couldn't make out.
On either side of him knelt Ravonna and Fisheye. Both temple maidens had their heads erect and their hands resting on their thighs. An energy field tinted a pale blue arced between them and over Helios. None of the participants seemed to be straining, but all three were deep in concentration.
Saturn noticed Juno's presence and signaled her fellow Senshi outside the temple.
"I didn't want to risk disturbing Helios," Saturn explained. "Did you want something?"
"Just curious," Juno shrugged. "You didn't come back to the festival."
"I'm," Saturn grimaced, "not much for festivals."
"Did Usa get to bed OK?"
"Yes. She went right to sleep." Saturn marveled at the memory. "I've never seen her like that. I think she was a little embarrassed." Saturn thought about the image for a moment. "Are the others still there?"
"They left when I did," Juno reported. "Miss 'I had Chardonnay when I was twelve' started getting buzzed on her second glass. Vesta and Pallas took her to our quarters. Pallas was getting sleepy anyway. I wanted to check on you and Usa first." Juno nodded to the temple. "How long have you been watching the ceremony?"
"I lost track of time," Saturn admitted. "I couldn't look away for some reason. Nobody moved at all the entire time except for the chanting, but I could - - sense what Helios was connected to. It's very hypnotic." She looked down. "Well I suppose I should be getting to bed."
"I'm going to grab a quick swim in the pond," Juno told her. "See you tomorrow morning."
"I brought our lesson plan with me," Saturn said. "We can review it tomorrow if you want."
"You would," chuckled Juno as she headed for the pond.
"I knew I should have left that at home," Saturn muttered to herself.
Sailor Moon woke with a snort, her body momentarily forgetting how to breathe. When her lungs kicked back in gear, she started to turn over. The pounding in her head made her stop short.
"Ohhhh," the girl groaned. "My head." Her hand went to her temple in an attempt to keep the room from spinning. "Mom never mentioned this. Explains why she was so grumpy the morning after she ever had anything to drink."
Only then, and only through a haze she couldn't seem to focus, Sailor Moon noticed a figure silhouetted in the doorway. She couldn't figure out who it was and only after a few moments even realized the silhouette was male.
"Pop?" she asked. Through the fog in her brain, she finally dismissed the notion. The silhouette wasn't tall enough to be King Endymion. "Who is it?"
"You caught me," the figure said, ambling easily into the room. "Forgive me, Princess Usagi. I was drinking in the vision that is your exquisite countenance."
Sailor Moon frowned. As the stranger drew closer, she could make out his face. It seemed familiar, but she couldn't place it. She also made out the bottle of wine in his hand. What was he doing here? Alarm bells were going off in her head, but they were being drowned out by her pounding headache.
"Do I know you?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Only by reputation, if that," Na replied, his mannered elegance slurred by his unsteady gait and his slightly unfocused eyes. "Allow me to introduce myself, Your Grace. I am Na, bastard son of Nerophilus and hero of the realms." Na bowed dramatically at the waist and nearly fell over. He straightened up and wobbled slightly. "And you are the great and wondrous Sailor Moon, also known as the Princess Usagi of Earth."
"OK," Sailor Moon reacted warily. "What are you doing in my room?"
He smiled. "Fear not, Maiden. I mean you no harm. I spotted you at the festival and was at once enslaved by your fair form. I have been experiencing dark times as of late and only wished to once more know that there was still beauty and light in the world. As such, I yielded to temptation and attempted to steal another glance at you."
"All right. You've had your look. Now maybe you better go." Sailor Moon took a steadying breath. "And don't call me 'Maiden'."
"Forgive me if I offend. It was not my intent," Na grinned. But instead of leaving, he sat down on the side of Sailor Moon's bed.
"Get off of that!" spat Sailor Moon and tried to shove him off. Na caught one of her hands and kissed it. "Stop that!" Sailor Moon snapped, jerking the hand away.
"You are so very lovely," Na replied, his demeanor changing from loopy humor to intense longing in an instant. "Believe me when I say this, Princess. I have known many women in my life, but you are the pinnacle of your species."
"I have a boyfriend!" Sailor Moon shouted.
"And I have a wife. Let us not dwell upon our past mistakes," Na assured her. "Long had I thought Keika was the ultimate in feminine desirability. She is still a handsome woman - - on the outside..."
"But she doesn't 'understand' you?" Sailor Moon added cynically.
"I am forward," Na smiled at his actions. "Forgive me my boldness, but I have always found a way to take what I want. It is my nature."
Sailor Moon's throat felt dry.
"You are so very lovely," he whispered, his hand caressing her cheek.
Responding with a tactic Makoto had taught her, Sailor Moon grasped the thumb of the hand with her right hand and braced her left against the edge of the hand below the pinky. Pulling out and down on the thumb and up on the edge twisted Na's arm awkwardly. Forced to bend forward to relieve pressure on his elbow, Na doubled over.
"The rose has thorns," Na chuckled. "I do like a woman who is strong enough to stand up for herself. Shrinking little flowers are so boring."
Striking like a cobra, Na swung the bottle of wine at Sailor Moon's head. She was able to block the swing before it struck her, but it forced her to let go of his hand. Immediately the hand clutched at her, trying to gain some grip and control on Sailor Moon. She blocked it, shoving the hand away forcefully. Undeterred, Na let the wine bottle slip to the floor and moved again to grab her. Sailor Moon kept him at bay. Even though her moves weren't as coordinated as usual, neither were Na's. Drunken persistence fueled his efforts more than skill at that point. Finally the Princess saw an opening, shot her hand out and shoved Na back. He tumbled backwards off of the bed and onto the floor.
"Get out!" she demanded angrily. "Go sleep it off!" And she summoned the Moon Tier for emphasis.
"Well done, Princess," Na grinned. He began to pick himself off of the floor. "Has domestication eroded my skills that much?"
And in a blur, Sailor Moon was on her back on the bed, with Na on top of her. Her hands were pinned to the mattress on either side of her head by his. The Moon Tier clattered to the floor behind her.
"Or are you indeed the ultimate prize," Na smiled in drunken triumph. Sailor Moon's eyes grew wide as she stared up at him.
Continued in Chapter 2