by Kev
posted July 17, 2001
Kev awoke about 2 weeks later, in much better shape, he got up slowly and looked around everything was the same minus a few things here and there that had fallen as he stumbled and pushed out them of his way as he went towards his bed. Forgetting that the princess now knew about his meetings with his old friend’s grave he silently left to visit it again. This time he was alert now but he was also not alone when he got there.
He wiped the snow off the gravestone and silently read it over in his mind. ‘Here lies Nickolas Muscovite A great man, and an even greater friend, His life taken ruthlessly and wrongfully, here he lies in peace for eternity. "I know you’ve forgiven me Nick, you know that I would do the same thing for you if I had to. I’m glad that you’re at least at peace, and if not, soon I will be sure to get rid of them...," he said softly.
He smiled, knowing that they would get it and he would be the one that killed them for all of this. The Princess had been watching him, she suspected he would come back and now here he was. She smiled seeing his smile, as if it was the first time she had ever seen him smile. It was also the first time in a long time that he had smiled as well.
He heard some one moving, and dived into a giant snow pile to his right and the only thing that was seen was his boots and his spiky blond hair. The princess giggled seeing only his boots and blond hair sticking up from the snow as he tried to hide. He stuck his head up out of the snow and caught a glimpse of the peeking princess; he didn’t know weather to sweat drop or to blush at his idiocy. He did a little of both as he pulled himself out of the snow pile.
"You know you shouldn’t be out here it’s cold," he said brushing the snow off him self.
"I’m in warm enough clothes," she said steeping out into the open. He took off his cloak and placed it over her shoulders before she could say a thing.
"Take it and go inside Princess."
"Can’t you call me by my name?"
"I’m a knight, I am to call you Princess."
"Please call me Setsuna."
"I can not Princess."
"Then I order you to call me Setsuna," she said. He looked caught and befuddled; she smiled having found that he is loyal and obedient to the royal family.
"How do you people know me with out knowing me?" he said shocked.
"All knights swear their allegiants to the royal family even if it wasn’t from the recent one they find themselves loyal to the end."
"Damn..."
"So who are you really?"
"Kevin Pluto Knight, I thought I told you that."
"They told me there was no such person."
"I’m here now aren’t I?"
"True... what are you doing?" she asked as he stood by the Rose bush.
"Shhhhh." The snow fell off a dead rose bud and he held his hands close around it and then he slowly opened them again to reveal the now partly bloomed blue green rose. He carefully cut it off and then out of the snow he pulled a small ice vase with water and placed the rose inside. "It should last about 14 years," he said handing it to her. She turned a bright red color taking it, as soon as she had it he vanished into thin air. Setsuna looked around but he was obviously gone.
"WHO GOES THERE?" Kev bellowed transforming into the knight of Pluto.
Someone had entered the gates of time. With out his permission and he had to go to defend it.
"It’s been too long Knight," a Snake like voice said. He turned to face the snake creature that he knew all to well. They had fought many times and she had lost every time but something stopped him from killing her every time. This time he wouldn’t let it.
"I could say the same Venous, you here to finish out battle once and for all?" he asked.
"Yes and once I’m done with you this time I will tell you exactly who sent me after you all these times," she said. She was a tall snake like woman with shot silver hair and solid black eyes she wore a silver cape no clothes as she was Reptilian and a belt with a sword on it that she drew into her green hand.
"Bring it on," Kev said. She ran at him with amazing speed and then there was a clank of swords. Kev blocked her attack with ease. "So tell me why you went bad?" he asked pushing her away.
"I’ve all ways been bad," she said. She stumbled back but came at him again their swords clanged against each other’s, the pulled away and they clanged again. She swiped at him missing the knight by millimeters.
"Stay still so I can properly kill you Knight!" she said.
"No way Venous! I’m not going to go down that easily," he said. He was serious while he fought, never once taking his eyes off her. "Now you going to tell me who sent you?" he said having his blade to her throat suddenly. She growled and suddenly kicked him in the gut hard sending him crashing into the door. He rubbed his head and knocked away her sword that stick into the wall. "Looks like you have a bit of a dilemma Venous," he said slowly standing up. She punched him hard in the jaw and he went into the blade of the sword. The wound was not deep but Venous being the snake woman, had it covered with a slow acting poison. She smirked as Kev pulled his arm off the blade.
"Looks like you’re in trouble now little man. Before this battle ends you’ll be dead one way or another," Venous said as she laughed pulling the sword from the door.
"Not if I can help it," he said grabbing at his belt, but the bottle was gone. "Damn... I forgot I used that...," he said. He ducked as her sword buzzed over his head, several blond hairs fell. "AHHH! I DIDN’T ASK FOR A HAIRCUT!" he said watching it fall. He knocked her feet from under her causing her to fall. She flipped up onto her feet and both slashed at each other at the same time.
"To bad you’ll die this time Knight, it was so much fun fighting you all these times," she said. She swiped at him and he jumped over her sword.
"I will not die with out a good fight," he said. The poison was starting to effect him and he knew it. He felt slow and clumsy even though his actions were fast and smooth. With one swift motion he was able to pull his robe off keeping on the chain mail and the few potions on his belt. He wore a sweaty gray sleeveless shirt and baggy black pants and black boots.
"Getting tired is the poison effecting you yet Knight?" she asked. She came down hard on his shoulder cutting threw the thin chain mail.
"That’s not going to protect you boy," she said with a laugh. He pushed it off his shoulder bleeding his shit hung on just barely by his other shoulder.
"What just cause you don’t wear clothes means I shouldn’t wear any?" he said.
"Shut up and fight!" she said as she struck at him.
"While I’m down on my luck here why don’t you tell me who sent you?" he asked blocking her attack. She laughed at him.
Both his right and left arms were bloody, the poison of her blade was starting to run it’s course and there was no way he would survive this battle unless he remembered where the rest of the antidote was stored in his room. But his chances were slim, as he was cut up more then she was. He managed to scratch her here and there but nothing too serious, like she had done to him. He spun avoiding her attack, and instead lost his shirt, his strong muscular upper body was exposed and so were his scars from battles of long ago, some from previous battles with her.
"You bare many scars knight but soon no more shall become of that pretty body of yours but my last wound!" she said. He slashed her right arm severely.
"Watch what I’m doing not what you are doing," he said. "Now talk, who sent you all those times?" he asked. She was shocked, it came to her that she might not live through this battle either.
"I’ll tell you with our dying breath," she said. He jumped up and round-housed her, knocking her to the ground. He fell to the ground as well, as he couldn’t keep his balance.
"Tell me Venous, I’m dying here as well." he said, he now held her sword as well. He stood and pointed both at her throat, he knew he would kill her this time.
"The king of Pluto sent me!" she said as he stood over him. He looked like she had repeatedly punched him in the gut. "I do not lie! He wanted to get rid of you because a witch told him that you would steal her from him," she said. His hands trembled as he dropped her sword next to her head.
"If the King wishes me dead then I shall die here, where I was sent to guard by the honorable first king of Pluto," he said. He stumbled back towards the door and slumped against it, his blood streaking against the door itself. She was shocked he was giving up, just like that.
"You would rather the king win and die, then live and tell all?" she said, slowly standing up. He nodded slowly as he placed his sword on the ground.
"In order for him to win you must win, you must live as well. It’s OK, go I’m dying any ways," he said. She blinked, her eyes filling with tears, he was being so brave when he could live and get his revenge.
"No I can’t let you die, because you’re innocent!" she said.
"Venous, please, I know you might feel sorry for me, but I live to honor my family and the king, if he wishes me to die then I shall do so. It’s too late the only cure for me is locked away in my room," he said as he spit blood to his right and then he looked at her. "I hope he’ll bring you back to good Venous, back to your formal self," his eyes were glazing over slowly.
"Where is the key to your room Kevin?" she said, slowly walking over to him. He didn’t answer as she started to cry. She reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small silver key. "I’m going to save you, I can’t let you die now. I know you can help me as well, please hold on Kevin," she said.
She ran over to the white, almost invisible door, and unlocked it, going inside. The place was full of potions, bottles, and things to make potions. She found it, the other small bottle that contained the same potion as he had before she also grabbed the eye drops he used too. She walked out of the room and over to him. She tilted his head back and startled him.
"It’s OK I’m going to help you." She said.
"Don’t, I’m suppose to die." He said. She opened his mouth and poured it down his throat. He gagged and tried to spit it up but it was to late. "Why?"
"You deserve it Kevin. I want you to do, what is meant to be done, on her 18th birthday you are to give her the transformation pen that she needs to become the Pluto senshi and help her take your place. You will fight the battles still but she will become the second guardian of the door," she said. She put the drops into his eyes to help clear them up again. He blinked as he started to see again, her face was no longer serpent like, it was human, the scales slowly vanished revealing real flesh.
"Venous... your face... your changing back," he said.
She touched a scaly hand to her soft human face and gasped in surprise. Her soft light green eyes became normal her hair turned back to it’s once reddish color her skin was a pail color, as if it lacked sun light for a long time. Kev passed out from exhaustion finally, Venous smiled and let him sleep. She changed back to a full human slowly, and she took some of Kevin’s clothes, as she had none of her own. She tended to him while he slept, she had dragged him into his room and placed him on his bed and tended to his wounds as he couldn’t himself. She cleaned up the mess of a room as if to keep her self occupied, the whole time Kev was out cold, she also guarded the gates, in case any one tried to enter them.
It was about 3 weeks later that he finally came to, his head was throbbing and he felt sick as if he hadn’t eaten in almost a month, and he was still weak. "My head, ugg… I feel sick," he muttered. He opened his eyes, and came face to face with a human Venous, wearing his clothes. "Who are you?"
"Venous but I guess you can call me Angela again," she said.
"Oh I see your back to normal," he said, almost drunk like. "Got any food?"
"Plenty, I thought you might be hungry when you woke up," she told him.
She brought over a tray full off food all for him. He took one look and was immediately devouring everything in sight. "KEV! Don’t eat the FORK!" she yelled, as he seemed to be chewing on it.
"Oh... so that’s why it’s so hard!" he said pulling it out of his mouth. He started to dive into the food again. "This is soooo good!" he said. She laughed and watched the plates clear off. "Ah now that was a meal," he said as he fell back onto the bed stuffed.
"Glad you liked it," she told him.
"So how does it feel?"
"How does what feel?"
"To be human again."
"It’s a bit odd but it feels great... even better if your clothes fit me."
"I can fix that!"
"You should save your strength, your still not back to perfect health yet, Kev."
"Mend." The clothes she was wearing suddenly started to mend itself to her body shape.
"You really didn’t need to do that, now you lost one shirt and a pair of pants."
"I know, that’s OK."
"You sure?"
"Yup, I’m going back to sleep."
"But you just woke up!"
"I know, I’ll be up again and really moving in about 3 days."
"Three days!? I Think not Kev you will be up and moving in 3 hours!" She yelled she was only responded with loud snores. "It figures..." she said with a sigh. She turned and cleaned up the mess and then cleaned up the room. It was a never-ending mess so it seemed, every time she turned around it seemed something else was a mess, and he wasn’t even awake! She wondered how he even lived there.
Kev awoke 2 days later and once again stuffed his face till he was full and then he looked at the date. It was almost the end of the month. ‘October on Earth is a beautiful time.’ He thought to himself as he looked over the time line on each planet. Things seemed stable, for now.
"Kev... when is your birthday?" Venous asked him.
"What’s today?”
"You know the answer already."
"OK, it’s the 26th, witch means my birthday is in 2 days."
"And how old are you going to be?"
"Now there’s a good question. How old am I going to be?"
"Have you lost count?"
"NO! I’ll be 1036 years old."
"Now there’s a lot of candles to blow out."
"Don’t remind me, that’s like a small forest fire."
"Yeah, some day it will be a huge one."
"But who remembers? It would have been so easy for you to kill me and no one would have ever known. I don’t remember the last time someone even recognized me." She fwapped him. "Ow!"
"Baka, your the Knight of Pluto, it was your duty to be alone, not dreary, so cheer up!"
"Why did you have to hit me so hard?"
"To try and knock some sense into you."
"Well it hurt!"
"Good, live and learn Kev, you don’t know everything, so don’t act like you do."
"I know, I don’t because every day you learn something new. That’s fact not fiction."
"Good now when is her birthday?"
"Believe it or not, it’s the day after mine."
"Wow, you have the Heshin device?"
"Huh what? Oh that yeah, I do, it’s over there," he said, motioning over to the dresser top where a small gold box rested. "Once she heshins with it, it will be final, he can not take it from her..." he said.
"Will you still live here?"
"Yup, I have no other place to go, my powers can override hers because I am the first. And if a battle comes along she won’t see it, because she will live along the gates themselves, and I will be sure she sees very few battles until it’s time..." he said. "I wish I could be like that."
"You could, but living so long..."
"It’s more like a curse then a gift sometimes, you don’t want to be like me."
"Kev... Will I be reborn some day?"
"Yes, we all are eventually... With the exception of a few ancients..." He said.
"Like you?"
"Like me, and soon Setsuna...."
"I see..."
"Why do you ask?"
"I want to know if after this life, when I’m reborn... If we could meet again, and be like this again, not enemies but friends."
"Hai, I will look for you in your next life Venous, but you have a long life here now."
"Where do I go from here Kev? I mean, I can’t stay here in your place forever."
"Once the doors reach Earth I’ll take you there, where you can live in peace with out worry."
"Will you visit me?"
"Hai, if you wish."
"Thank you, I just hope I can meet someone as sweet as you on Earth."
"You will."
"You promise?"
"Promise what?"
"That I’ll meet someone just like you, and that you’ll come visit?"
"There’s only one of me, but I will visit."
"True... Kev, I just hope one day you can be happy too."
"Me too..." With that Kev dosed off again.
Two days later when the doors had appeared on Neptune, it was Kevin’s birthday and Venous had made him a cake with only 19 candles. "In memory that you only look 19." She had told him. He laughed and blew out the candles, and both of them devoured the whole cake.
The next day Kev was up early placing the 3 silver keys to the gates of time onto the small gold box and then wrapping it with a greenish-blue wrapping paper, very carefully. He pulled out the rest of the wrapping paper and then cut out what seemed to be a dress and with his magic he made it into an actual dress meant for Venous. He only hopped it would fit her as tonight they had invitations to the princess’s birthday party.
His hair was now much longer and he left it down and he made it seem lighter then it originally was and he made his eyes become more of a violet color, so it was harder to recognize him.
"AH! Who are you!?" Venous said upon seeing him.
"It’s OK, it’s just me," Kev said, with that big goofy grin of his. "I can’t be recognized by any one, so I adjusted my looks for tonight."
"Oh jeez, you scared me that way," she said. She noticed the white box he had under his arm. "What’s that you got there?" she asked, looking at the box.
"This is for you, I hope it fits..." he said, handing it to her. She looked at him questioningly as she took it and opened it. On top of the dress were 2 invitations to the party. "I hope you like parties."
"We’re going tonight?" she said, looking at the tickets, and then she noticed the silky green dress. "Oh my, I guess we are," she said, shocked, handing the invitations to him and pulling the long green blue dress out. "I have to try this on now. You do plan on helping me with my hair and nails and makeup so I look decent right?" she asked walking into the small bathroom.
"I guess I have to," he said with a shrug.
"Yes you do... wow, is this silk?"
"Umm yeah..." he said not telling her it used to be wrapping paper. She walked out in the dress.
"It’s a bit big in some places and small in others..." she said. She looked stunning, still.
"Mend." Was all Kev said and soon the dress mended itself to her.
"Much better, thank you so much Kev!" she said as she hugged him.
"Welcome now umm… anything you might need, just ask and I’ll see what I can do," he said.
Later that night Venous walked up the steps, a lovely sight, with her mysteriously handsome escort. Kev looked like a lady killer, there was no sign that any one recognized him or his date, he was glad for this, though several people who didn’t want to seem still content with not knowing him struck up interesting conversations with him. Kev spotted the princess, when she came in she was wearing the cloak that he had given her the last time they met, the day that he had supposedly been killed. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that she still had it, and she seemed to treasure it. But he noticed she seemed a bit dreary as if she knew he was killed. They ate and then it was time to dance. He danced with Venous and then he told her he had to give the princess the package. She nodded and let him go.
Kev made his way over to the princess, who still seemed gloomy even though it should have been the best day of her life. "Princess Setsuna why do you look so gloomy?" he asked seeming to have appeared out of nowhere, he had startled her into jumping. "Sorry I did not mean to startle you."
"It’s OK, and I’m sad because, I am thinking of a friend, whom I was told was killed."
"Oh, but are you sure they are dead?"
"I don’t know, why do you ask?"
"I’m just a subject who wants to cheer up his sad looking princess."
"I just wish I had gotten to know him better."
"Well Princess maybe someday you will, come dance." He said taking her hand.
"But-!" she said as she soon found her self on the dance floor with the tall stranger.
"Just relax and don’t worry," he looked around and then whispered. "I’m still alive," she gasped and looked up at the Violet eyed, white haired man.
"Kevin?"
"Yes, I’m here for the reason that I was wanted for dead," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"Come follow me." He said pulling her away from the dance floor unseen.
He pulled her to the hallway where he pulled out the small package.
"This is for you and you alone. You can see that in the past every planet in our solar system has had a single guardian for their planet, except for yours. These people are called the Sailor Senshi, only the other Senshi know who they are and myself. The only other one’s who might know the identities of the Sailor Senshi are the planetary knights to which I am one. I am the oldest and will continue living until I am killed or something else occurs." He explained. "You see you’re a chosen one, the princess of every planet is one. But you are different, your job as a Senshi is to guard the Gates of Time from all danger," he said. She was shocked at what he was saying.
"But isn’t that suppose to be your job?"
"No, it’s not any more, I know it seems a heavy burden, but I’ll be their quietly, to help you, then it’s my job to vanish, working to fix what I see. You will be able to see 50 years into the future, I can see 100, but you will not be able to see me, and soon you might forget me yet you will always remember someone. I know you may not like that idea, but that’s the way things go." He noticed some guards heading his way. "Listen open it when you are alone, show it to no one, you will know what you are to do with it once you open it. I must go now, enjoy the night Setsuna, and do not worry about me any more!" he said, the guards were closing in on him quickly. "Try and catch me you slow poke!" he called out to them, this got them mad, and they soon caught up to him. "Stupid move! AHHHHHHHH!" He took off, the guards right behind him. Setsuna watched, looking down at the small package.
"I’ll never forget you Kevin..." she said.