Planet Bound: Venus
     by Marj

Author's notes: Still no Japanese definitions.  This is getting freaky 
. . . my hand is itching to write down some notes that I have to 
translate - it's getting a bit paranoid because it's not doing anything 
other than typing this note down.  Whatever.
	
Please e-mail your comments and constructive criticisms at 
.  Thanks!

Disclaimers: The characters of Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon were created 
by Naoko Takeuchi-san, its copyright owned by Toei Animation, Kodansha, 
Nakayoshi, Sterling Animation Inc., and many other companies scattered 
throughout the world.  Meaning, I cannot claim the characters as my 
own, and am mearly borrowing them.  The character Ayukawa 
Himeru and all the characters of the . . . umm . . . characters not 
found in the manga are mine.  So please don't sue, as I don't earn 
anything from this other than the satisfaction of making a story.



Chapter Seventeen:  Confusing Discussions and Announcements

Elder Venus watched as young Anchises left the room.  She then turned 
to the duke and duchess.  "Your youngest son certainly seems distant 
today," she said softly.  "He's more stiff than ever."

The duchess looked worriedly at her husband.  "Do you think something 
happened to him back on Earth, dear?"

Her husband rubbed his chin.  "Perhaps we're only imagining it.  It has 
been quite a few months since we last saw him."

 
Artemis thought.  He considered telling them, but opted against it.

"Anchises always wanted to be a perfect soldier," Elder Venus said, 
rising from her soft seat and walking towards the window.  She stared 
at the stars in the vast infinity of space.  "He reminds me of your 
eldest," she said softly.

There was silence.

"If . . . if Vulcan was still alive, do you think your child still 
could have loved him?" the duchess asked softly.

Elder Venus turned around to look at her adopted sister with sad eyes.  
"I don't know."  She thought deeply for a while.

"Your Majesty . . ." Artemis said gently, walking towards her.

She turned back to the stars. "We just can't escape the past, no matter 
how hard we try, can we?" 

"Your Majesty, the past consists of your daughter and our son's life 
and death.  How could we forget?" the duchess asked quietly.

The queen fingered her beautiful blond hair nervously.  "Is it really 
necessary for us to tell her about . . . ?"

"It may be for her own good, Your Majesty," the duke reasoned.  "We 
can't just let the past happen again."

"But the past is past.  Why do we have to involve my daughter's present 
life with it?  What is so wrong with humans that we try to deprive her 
of loving them?"

"We don't have to do this if she doesn't want to, Your Majesty," the 
duke said reassuringly.  "But we do have to keep in mind what happened.  
We have talked about this before.  You do remember what happened?"

Elder Venus winced. 

"But it wasn't his fault!" Artemis asserted.  "We know that he wasn't 
his normal self!"

"We just don't want history to repeat itself!  Artemis, please don't 
tell me that the princess has never been hurt by humans on Earth before 
- even in her new life!" the duke said.

Artemis's thoughts drifted back to when Minako told the Senshi about 
Alan.  "Telling you that Minako was never hurt before is . . ."  He 
looked away.  ". . . next to impossible," he continued, barely above a 
whisper.

The queen and the duchess looked at the white cat, their faces full of 
worry.

"But that doesn't mean that all humans are like that!  What about the 
prince of the Earth?  He protected Princess Serenity up to his very 
death!" Artemis exclaimed.  "And don't tell me that all of the planets 
are sinless!"

The duke didn't know what to say.

"What now?" the duchess asked.

The duke shook his head.  "I don't know.  I just don't know."

Artemis looked at the queen.  Elder Venus saw him staring at her, and 
she turned back to the window.  She was confused.  She wanted her child 
to be free, but she didn't want her to be hurt again.  "Finding a . . . 
a prince and a real human like Endymion is . . . one in a million."

"He was a real human, Your Majesty.  He loved her . . . and she loved 
him," Artemis said quietly.

"His conscience should have bothered him when he tried to kill her if 
he truly loved her!" the duke said.

"Duke of Venus, do I have to keep repeating myself?  He wasn't his 
normal self!"

"It doesn't matter!  Artemis, the princess almost died!!  I would 
gladly not subject her to follow once more the custom of our people if 
it only meant her happiness and freedom, but this is her safety we are 
talking about!  You knew what happened!  It was your duty to look after 
her, so you know what happened!"

Artemis angrily snapped his head towards the Duke's direction.  "You 
don't have to tell me again and again.  I have not forgotten.  I have 
not let that pass me, even after all of these years.  Now, lay off!"  
There was a hint of hurt and pain in his angry voice.

The duke was taken aback by the sudden outburst.  He stared momentarily 
at the white cat, who had a higher authority over him, being the 
ambassador of the Moon.

Artemis turned his angry glare away from him.  

The duchess stared first at her husband, then at the queen.  "Your 
Majesty . . . when you were married to your husband, did you do it 
because you were being obedient to the customs of our crown, or was it 
because you loved him?"

Elder Venus closed her eyes as she recalled the memory of her long 
departed husband.  "I loved him, Duchess Venus.  You, of all people, 
should know that."

"But sister, you rarely knew him when it was announced that you were to 
be married."

"I fell in love with him during our time together before our marriage.  
As he did with me."

"Do . . ." The duchess looked at her husband.  "Do you think the 
princess would also accept the marriage as you did, then?"

The queen walked away from the window and sat down on the soft cushions 
of the sofa in the middle of the room, her face hidden within her 
hands.  "I don't know.  She refused the betrothal then, because she was 
already in love with that . . . that man."

"I don't think she is in love right now," the duke said.

"How can you be so sure?" Artemis asked.

The Duke of Venus looked at him.  The cat was staring at the ground.

"Artemis . . ."

"She may not be in love with a man presently, but she loves her friends 
and relatives.  These are the people that we cannot deprive her from no 
matter what we say."

"So you wish for her to return to Earth, then."

Artemis gazed at him coolly.  "Is there anything wrong with that?"

The duke placed his thumb and his forefinger on his forehead.  "Is this 
the reason why you are defending the humans, Artemis?  Why you refuse 
the customs of this royal family?"

"It is not!"  The queen stared at him.  Artemis looked away.  "Part of 
it, I guess . . ."

The duchess shook her head.  "I just don't understand you, Artemis.  I 
know that you love the princess as though she were your own daughter.  
You know that if she returns to Earth, she will die!  Yet here you are, 
still wanting to take her back.  Do you really wish to take her away 
from us?"

"I don't want to take her away from all of you!  I don't want her to 
die, Duchess.  I don't want her to die!!!" he shouted.

"Then why, Artemis?  For what reason is it that you wish for her to 
return?" the duchess asked.

The duke looked around.  "I think we're straying a bit from our 
original subject . . ."

"I want to hear!" the queen said, looking at him.  She then focused her 
attention on the white cat on the floor beside her.  "Why?"

"She made a promise to her friends that she would return.  She loves 
them.  She loves her parents. She can't just leave them behind forever!  
We can’t possibly ask that of her!"

The duke stared at Artemis.  "If she dies, she'll be gone forever from 
both Earth and Venus.  Isn't it possible that we can still save her by 
letting her stay here?"

"She may spend her last moments on Earth, then remain forever as only a 
memory to her friends and relatives.  But are we not her relatives too? 
What about us, Artemis?" the duchess asked.  "What about you?"

Artemis couldn't answer.  

The silence of the room was deafening, as all those inside the 
seemingly empty chambers could not say another word.

 *****

The following afternoon, Minako was called to the throne room to meet 
her mother, the duke and the duchess.  She was about to walk towards 
the court when she heard footsteps behind her.  She turned around and 
saw Ares coming towards her.

"Ares?  Where are you going?" Minako asked.  She was still 
uncomfortable with his presence even though he had given her a lovely 
tour the day before.

Ares bowed in front of her before answering.  "I was called to the 
throne room, Your . . . er . . . Minako.  It seems that you are also on 
your way there . . . ?"  Ares knew that the princess hated being called 
by her royal titles.

Minako nodded slowly.  "Yes, I am on my way there.  One of the people 
here told me that my mother was looking for me."

"Well, since we both have the same destination, may I escort you?" Ares 
asked.

Minako bit her lip.    She curtsied in front of 
him.  "It would be rude to refuse that offer coming from such a . . . 
gentleman," she said.

Ares blinked.  "Minako, I am a person of lower authority than you.  
Please don't curtsy!"

"That would be even more ruder."  The princess giggled.  "Come on.  
They're waiting for us!"

*****

"Come again?"

"You are betrothed to Ares, my dear.  That is the reason why we sent 
Anchises to look for you.  You are to be married," the Duchess of Venus 
said.

"But . . . but I barely know him!" Minako argued.

"You'll get to know him, child," Ares's father said.  "Ares is kind and 
is just as devoted to his duties as his brother."

"Father . . ." Ares said.

Minako looked at her mother.  The queen returned her look with an 
apologetic one.

"It has been this way, Minako-chan, since the existence of the Silver 
Millennium.  The Venusian princesses have also been betrothed to their 
own countrymen," Artemis explained.

The young princess glared at the white cat.  Artemis knew what it 
meant.  

"You do think Ares is nice, don't you?" the duchess asked.

Minako looked at Ares, who was standing and waiting for her answer.  
  "I guess," Minako said 
slowly.

"Then the matter is all solved.  Everything will be all right, don't 
worry!" the duke assured everyone.

Moments later, the dukes and duchess of Venus left the throne room.  
Minako turned to her mother.  "Did I agree to this the last time?" she 
asked.

The queen shook her head.  "No, you didn't.  In fact, you had another 
love."

"Then, can't I not agree with this now?  Sure, Ares may be nice and 
all, but we don't love each other.  And a love forced between two 
people isn't going to work at all!  Besides, I don't think I'm ready 
for this . . . I'm only sixteen years old!"

"I thought the same way, too.  When your father and I were engaged, it 
was only through the wish of our parents, as well."  Elder Venus turned 
her head away.  "But we were deeply in love by the time we got 
married."

"Oh."  Minako blushed.

"You can disagree, my child.  I don't want to deprive you of your 
happiness . . . but . . ."

Minako walked towards her mother.  "But what?"

The queen looked at her, her eyes very sad.  "My child, do you remember 
how your Earthen lover betrayed you a thousand years ago?"

"My Earthen lover . . .?"

    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/field/4723/stories