A/N: And FINALLY! A new chapter for Betrayed Destiny! *tosses confetti about* What with Frozen Hearts winding down and the growing popularity for Deal With It, I find myself struggling to juggle all of these fics. However, one is ending very soon, and Mistaken Gain isn't going to be more than twenty chapters at the VERY most. As sprawling as that sounds, I highly doubt it will exceed fifteen chapters tops. It's not going to be long, or drawn out. It's just a short series (compared to my other ones). However, I am going to be releasing one of my 'hidden fics' (a story I have chapters already written for) one chapter a month. It will give me ample time to wind down other fics before working on it far more. I also do have plans in the far future to write out back stories for all five of the Dark Inner Senshi I am designing. Without further ado, let's get this party started.
Warning: contains language, battle, and mild violence. Super tame.
With love,
Korrupted.
Shout Outs-
Guest: Thank you! I really hope you do continue reading this one as it is a lot of fun for me to write.
manticore-gurl071134: Well, I guess you'll have to wait and see! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon! Be glad.
Serenity didn't know what time it was, just that a snore in her ear woke her up, the blonde groggily opening her blue eyes to see the sleeping form of Makoto holding her like a pillow, her own pale face tucked into the crook of the tan neck. The princess was rather comfortable letting her friend cuddle her like this, closing her eyes again to listen to the sounds of the fourteen year old breathing, the soft grumbles and murmurs that the spunky teen emitted causing a tiny smile to grace her lips. The seventeen year old heir hadn't meant to fall asleep in the Jovian's bed, but they had been talking about training, books, and food for so long that it seemed that the elder girl had nodded off, her guardian opting not to wake her but to settle in as well. She could feel the slightly warm gold of the right bicep cuff digging slightly into her ribs, but Serenity didn't fuss; after all, Makoto had to wear them all day every day and was bound to her by the damn things.
It had been over two years since Haruka and Talia had left to try to handle the revolt, the remaining Outer warriors all the more protective of the emerald eyed soldier with each passing month. There was a somewhat steady flow of letters to herself, Michiru, and Makoto from their fellow Senshi, in them talks of missing them and hoping that they can beat back the Dark Kingdom supporters soon so she could return home. Michiru guarded her letters jealously, the Moon princess guessing that they might contain something more private that she really didn't want to read. Still, she did miss the boyish girl very much.
She and Makoto had been ice skating between their lessons, and more often than not, the Jovian wore dresses and went barefoot, but there was still an aura of strength that rolled off of the auburn haired teen. There apparently were rumors of the two of them well on their way to becoming the best skaters in the galaxy, but both of them laughed it off. They were still children, practically infants when their incredibly long lifespans were mentioned, they were nowhere near as experienced as her mother or her Senshi.
A soft mumble sounded from her sleeping friend, blue eyes scanning the lightly tanned face to see if she was about to wake up. When Makoto buried her face deeper into the pillow, Serenity decided that no, she was not about to wake up. Instead of trying to escape the cozy confines, the elder girl snuggled closer and closed her eyes, eager for more sleep.
Minako and Selene were standing across from each other in the training hall, each holding a whip. The young warrior of Venus wanted to learn more about using her old weapon instead of merely relying on her power over light and metal. Helena was currently abroad, and so the seamstress had opted to teach her more of how to wield her whip. The woman still wore the black arm band of mourning for Lacira, even after all these years; she doubted that she would ever truly get over the death of the stubborn warrior of lightning. As they squared off, Minako couldn't help but smirk at one of the Moonlight Knights who fancied her, seeing him blush and look away before focusing again on her instructor. The seventeen year old commander of the Inner branch watched as Selene snapped out with her whip dangerously, leaning to the side to nimbly dodge the attack before flicking out her own. The woman was very well versed in weapons, likely due to Lacira having her learn some in order to keep her safer, and the Venusian made sure to keep her guard up.
Her caution paid off as a crystal knife was knocked aside with a crack of her golden whip, spinning to avoid another with all the grace of Aphrodite herself. She prayed to the Light, Serenity, or whatever else might be listening that she could continue to dodge the razor sharp blades. The elder woman was agile, swift, and very accurate, one of her knives missing the blonde teenager's cheek by scant inches. The girl feinted left before snapping her whip around, the end wrapping around Selene's neck as the woman halted quickly to avoid injury. "I yield." She admitted, smiling as they both pried off the length of woven leather from around her throat. "Very well done, Princess."
Minako beamed at the queen's youngest sibling, knowing that praise from her was indeed hard earned. "Well, I do have the best instructor since my aunt is away."
Bright blue eyes softened sadly. "Second best, Princess. Cira would have been able to train you much better than I." The seamstress admitted in a weak voice.
The young commander knew that Lacira and Selene had been deeply in love; she had witnessed their final moments together, and it had been heartbreaking. Selene had never stopped loving the Jovian, and never even looked at another woman that way. "Selene, you are a great teacher. Princess Sailor Jupiter Lacira may have been a great one, but you are the one here now. You are doing her memory justice."
The woman smiled gratefully, inclining her head in thanks before turning away. Her throat was tight with emotion, her blue eyes bright with unshed tears, but she remained strong for the sake of her lost lover. Minako decided to take her leave, coiling her whip to the leather fastener as she strode out of the training hall, watching as Makoto and Usagi sleepily walked out of the Jovian's room, Lysander strolling out as he did his rounds to wave at the duo. "Good morning, Lysander." Minako greeted the Moonlight Knight, the green eyed man bowing to her.
"Good morning, Minako. Did you do well in training?"
The Venusian grinned in reply and flashed him a thumbs up, the older guard laughing as he swept his long black braid over his shoulder, walking on. The blonde caught up with the other princesses, noting that the now much taller teen was dressed in her tunic and trousers instead of a dress, though her feet were still bare. "You two felt like sleeping in?" The leader of the Inner branch teased, watching the auburn haired girl lace her fingers behind her head, her arms raised in a boyish gesture.
"We were sleepy. Besides, you know I have cooking and fighting lessons today. Politics are on Tuesdays, and they are so boring that arithmetic looks downright awe-inspiring." She grumbled, Serenity giggling at her guardian's hate of politics, but a squealing voice cut through the morning lull.
"MAKO!"
A streak of green and brown came flying at her, the Jovian grinning moments before she was tackled to the floor by her twin, both girls laughing and hugging. Sakura finally peeled herself off of the other girl, helping her up before Makoto embraced her firmly again. "Saku! What are you doing here? It's only July." The emerald eyed guardian inquired.
The brunette pulled back, pouting that she was an inch shorter than her five foot five inch sibling. "I'm old enough to visit on my own now, and Mother thought it would be nice for me to see you. Serenity!" The crown princess of planet Jupiter swooped in to hug the moon princess, then Minako. "Oh, I've missed all of you!"
The two blondes grinned and looked up slightly into the green-hazel eyes of the younger girl, Makoto taking hold of one of her hands and leading her along the crystal corridor. "I have cooking and combat today! You gotta watch these, I really am good at them!" The excited girl rushed out, the younger one laughing happily as she followed.
Minako laughed and walked after the duo swiftly, Serenity at her side. The two blondes were happy to see the heir to the Jovian throne again, even if it was unexpected, Selene beaming at the sight as she walked out to embrace the teen. Sakura hurried after her sister with a wide grin, the cold crystal under her boots making a dull clicking sound with her steps as she ducked into the training hall. Her green-hazel eyes were wide as Makoto transformed, lightning caressing her body and her uniform exposing her long legs via the short green skirt. When Princess Sailor Jupiter stood before her, the heir to the Jupiter kingdom simply stood in awe, watching her twin spin the dual bladed weapon with the ease of practice. When had her sister become so amazing?
Across from the teen stood Lysander, holding two axes and looking dangerous to the visiting royal; did they mean to spar with weapons?! "Fight!" Another Knight called, the black haired man leaping at her twin.
The staff of the girl's weapon raised to deflect the two blades, her fist flying to attempt to connect with his stomach. He dodged aside, dropping to avoid a mighty Supreme Thunder as he rolled away farther from her, sizing her up. He hadn't sparred with her like this in many months, and it was clear that she had vastly improved. The young woman was watching him silently, the very model of the princess' personal guardian as she looked at his stance carefully. It was something Talia did, and Lacira had been famous for; looking for subtle motions that would give away a weakness or opening, helping her to formulate a plan. "Coconut Cyclone!" The auburn haired warrior shouted, heavy winds tossing solid orbs of air laced with lightning at him.
Again, the Moonlight Knight was forced back, studying her carefully as he looked for a crack in her defenses, feinting to the left before leaping into the air, his weapons bearing downwards, the man ready to pull back should his maneuver been successful. The young guardian gasped and brought up her staff, a root exploding from the dirt below to toss him into a crystal wall. Upon impact, the man was knocked swiftly out, his opponent dropping her transformation and rushing over to his side as the referee declared her the victor. "Mina, go get Unazuki!" Makoto shouted, checking the male's vitals; his pulse was strong, steady, and even. He was fine.
Sakura dashed over, looking at her twin in wonder. Makoto had become so strong here, and it was awe inspiring to see that in action. The man opened his green eyes slowly, smiling at the guardian in a sort of tired fashion. "Very good, Mako. You used my own attack against me. Well done." He spoke in a sore sounding voice, the red headed medic coming in to take over tending him.
Makoto stood, her right hand tracing the metal on her left bicep in thought, clearly worried about the friendly Knight. She hadn't even been trying to summon anything with her block, her power had lashed out on it's own with her gesture. It was troublesome, but it could be something to try to train on her own. If she could harness silent summonings, she could protect Serenity even better, and even help Haruka defend Crystal Tokyo.
Princess Sailor Uranus Haruka was rushing at the rebels, the armor covering her Senshi uniform for an added layer of protection heavily dented from the blunt weapons they had scrounged up. She and Princess Sailor Uranus Talia had been destroying the supply routes that they used to smuggle in more powerful weapons, but the fall of planet Saturn to the Dark Kingdom had caused a shift in power. The people had killed Queen Saturn Brigid, ending the chance of a Princess Sailor Saturn to be reborn, and now they were fighting along side of the sky planet's sympathizers. The planet of Saturn had become a lost cause, the elder Order would likely need to destroy it to keep it from aiding the enemy further. Sailor Uranus and her brother Prince Uranus Nolan were currently trying to fight their way closer to each other, the young woman not wanting to lose the eldest of her siblings in battle.
A sort of bat came flying for her head, the scimitar slashing it in half before removing the combatant's head from their neck in the next swing. Her armor was coated in crimson, her face flecked with the same tones of death as she battled on, her midnight eyes watching the enemy coldly. Where were her other brothers? Had they fallen? Were they back at the stronghold? The blonde guardian had no idea, but she prayed to the sky that they were safe. Finally, there was a break and Nolan grabbed his younger sister by the back of her breastplate towards him, standing back to back. "So, ready to kick some ass?" He questioned with a note of humor in his soft voice.
There was a dark chuckle from the woman. "Thought you'd never ask. Let's get back to the others." Her deep blue hues narrowed as she raised her right fist. "WORLD SHAKING!"
When the summoning hit the ground below her, fissures began to open around the duo, the enemies scrambling to attempt to avoid dropping into the hungry darkness. The siblings leapt over the large cracks and attacked anew, slashing with swords to hack limbs away from bodies, making their way back to their portion of the field. Over the last two years, it had been a slow -sometimes futile feeling- struggle to gain ground to even fight on, let alone set up any sort of base of operations outside of the palace. The rebellion had been incredibly powerful when she and Talia had first arrived, but now they had it far more under control. Nolan once again yanked on his sister's armor, causing her to over balance and flop onto her back as she squeaked in surprise, a crude, heavy sword swiping where her face had been moments before. Sailor Uranus snaked her scimitar into his gut, dropping the man to the dirt as she tried to stand again, blocking a strike to her brother the moment she could.
"Wind Swords!" She snarled, several rapiers made of hard air slashing their foes down, the blonde dropping to her knees in exhaustion.
Nolan scooped up the tall woman moments before her transformation fell away from her passing out, dashing towards the stronghold as quickly as he possibly could. The prince could hear the cracking sounds of the dangerous hand canons the rebels had purchased from Saturn behind him, pushing himself to the limit to protect Haruka. His side and chest hurt from running, sweat pouring down his back and chest from exertion as he finally crossed into their territory and the safety of the stronghold. The gates were thrown open as he drew closer, the man rushing inside with his sister cradled in his arms, panting heavily. "S-someone, help her!" He forced out, numerous medics rushing to collect the unconscious girl from his grasp.
The princess was pulled away, the older man brushing off the hands that were trying to check him over for wounds. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Just mind the princess!" He commanded, watching the medics remove Haruka's armor and check the skin below.
Under her clothes lay several wraps already that covered smaller wounds, but thankfully no new ones. She had just worn herself out, and was now dozing. It was such a relief that his eldest sister was safe, the thirty two year old captain sitting heavily. This bloody war couldn't go on much longer. Everyday bodies fell on his once wonderful planet, the soft soil slowly stained redder and redder. It was only a matter of time before one of those bodies was a sibling, and that horrible truth terrified him.
Sakura sat happily at the table with the head cook of the palace, her chin propped on her palms and her feet swinging as she watched her twin. The brunette had to admit, Makoto was fascinating to watch at work in the kitchen. Her emerald eyes sparkled with focus as she diced foods, her hands agile and expertly moving to prepare the required meal for the teacher and her guest. Twice, Sakura had tried to snatch up a few scraps of food, but both times she received a sharp rap on her knuckles and an emerald glare, pouting at the inability to sneak a taste of the food. "Mako, I'm hungry..." She whined.
"Then wait five more minutes." Was the soft reply.
"But it's not my fault it smells so damn good!"
Another steely glare silenced the crown princess, waiting only somewhat patiently as the dishes were finished and plated before being placed before them. The green-hazel eyed teen was drooling by this time, eagerly tearing into the roasted boar, bread, and odd food her sister had called 'rice'. Unlike her sister's mentor, she didn't pause to consider the delicate balance of flavors, nor the robust spices, Sakura practically wolfed it down, reminding her twin of a certain pig-tailed princess and causing her to laugh loudly. "Saku! Slow down, enjoy the food!" The guardian giggled, doubling over when she saw the sauce covered face of her twin looking at her as if she was insane.
"Bub ipffs so goog." The tall brunette protested around a mouthful of food.
Makoto beamed widely at her sister, touching the gold cuffs on her arms. It had been so long since she had seen Haruka and Talia, and she was so very worried about them. She missed her blonde friend terribly, and she longed for her to hold her again, to hear her call her 'Tiger', and to walk next to her, Michiru, and Sets among the roses. However, the Neptunian walked in with all the grace imaginable, emerald eyes drawn to her in a way Makoto had been finding happening more and more often. The nineteen year old smiled at the elder twin warmly, the auburn haired girl feeling her cheeks traced in a faint blush that caused her to duck her head and turn away; was she getting sick? "Hello, Sakura. It's good to see you again." She heard the aqua haired woman welcome, but dared not to look until she was sure that the odd redness had vanished.
Which had proved to be a horrible idea.
She turned into a taller form, her face smacking directly into soft mounds before flopping to land on her rear, turning a dark shade of red at the sight of Setsuna leaning down worriedly. "Oh, Mako. Here, let me help you up." Extending a hand down.
The guardian of courage went even darker when she realized that she had gone face-first into the eldest warrior's bust, her throat suddenly far too dry as the Plutonian pulled her back to her feet. She didn't like all of these blushing spells that seemed to be becoming commonplace around the two Outer branch members, but maybe she was just getting sick. That had to be it, nothing else could possibly explain it. Perhaps she should eat and get to bed early today, just to make sure she wouldn't get her friends sick too. "I... I umm... I-I should go t-to bed... Not feeling well. Sorry..." Makoto stammered, turning to all but run out of the kitchen.
When she reached her room, the tall teen shut the door and heavily leaned against it, panting. What in the name of THUNDER was wrong with her? Quickly, as if her tunic and trousers were on fire, she shed the clothing, clad in only her breast band and loin cloth as she crawled into her bed and stared at painting lined wooden walls. Something about all this made her feel a bit ill, a bit giddy, and a bit scared, but completely confused. Her fingers absently traced the designs on her bangles, wishing so very hard that Haruka was here to make everything make sense again. If anyone could help her fix it, it would be her strong, wonderful, boyish warrior of the skies.