Planet Bound: Venus
     by Marj

Notes:
	gomen - I'm sorry
	o-kaeri nasai - a greeting when somebody gets back (You're home)
	okaa-san - mother
	onegai - please
	tadaima - I'm home

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 is
mine.  So please don't sue, as I don't earn anything from this other 
than the satisfaction of making a story.



Chapter Seven:  Confessions

While the girls emoted back at the shrine, Minako was walking out the 
front doors of the hospital.  She sighed as she began walking home.  
Her doctor had been striving to find ways to alter his diagnosis - he 
could have been wrong, he said.  So he held countless appointments for 
the last few days just for the sake of check-ups.  But every meeting 
yielded the same results.  

Minako knew that it was hopeless.  That was why she already told her 
family about her secret the other day.  Everyday, her breathing seemed 
to become more labored, and it would only be a matter of time before 
her friends noticed that something was wrong. 

 she thought.  
 She counted the months that were given to her by her doctor, who had 
finally given up that day.  The last, remaining months of her life.  
“Life is so short.  It seems to end so quickly,” she sighed.

"When exactly do you plan to tell your friends?"

Minako turned around.  Himeru was leaning against the wall, his hands 
thrust down his pant pockets.  He was looking at her with a serious 
expression on his face.

"I told you not to follow me!!"

Himeru shook his head.  "That was what you told me weeks ago.  This is 
today.  And you haven't said anything.  I went all the way inside the 
hospital, Minako-chan.  I heard everything from the door."

Minako frowned.  She resumed walking home.

The boy walked beside her, even though she was obviously angry with 
him.  "How long were you planning to keep this a secret?  Until you 
finally die?"

"No!" she snapped.

"Then when are you going to tell them?  They're your friends. Maybe I 
don’t have a right to know since we just met a few weeks ago, but they 
do!"

Minako didn't answer.  She looked away from him.

Himeru sighed.  "Okay, okay, I know you're angry at me for following 
you.  But, please Minako-chan, tell your friends.  They care an awful 
lot about you.  If you don't tell them, then they won't be around if 
you ever . . ."

He didn't need to continue because Minako knew what he had been going 
to say next.  < . . . if you ever die, > she continued in her thoughts.  
 Minako thought back to 
when the factory had exploded in London, and how she had wished she had 
died in the explosion when she had seen Alan and Katarina embracing 
each other, thinking that she was dead.  She had watched them with an 
aching heart . . .

"Onegai, Himeru-san . . . could you leave me alone?"

Himeru looked at her downcast expression.  He had been planning to walk 
with her until they reached her house, but he knew that she needed to 
be left alone.

"Just remember what I had told you . . . please."  He walked away.

Minako watched him.  <' . . .tell your friends.  They care an awful lot 
about you . . .'>

 Minako sighed.  She couldn't decide on what to 
do.

Upon reaching her house, she saw her mother's car parked inside the 
garage.  Opening the front door with her house key, she shouted, 
"Tadaima, okaa-san!"

Her mother peeped out of the living room door to welcome her daughter.  
"O-kaeri nasai, Mina-chan!  You have visitors!  They're up in your 
bedroom."

 she thought, thanking her mother and climbing up the 
stairs.   Minako brushed aside those thoughts.

Just as she had expected, Usagi and the other senshi were sitting on 
her bed, waiting for her.  She attempted to smile just for their sake.  
"Hi, minna!  What brings you here?"

"Minako-chan . . . is it true?" Luna asked, leaning forward slowly.

"Is what true?"

"That you’re . . ."

Minako looked at Artemis.  "Did you . . . ?"

The white cat shook his head.  "Ami found out from her mother, and Rei 
eavesdropped on us the night you told me."

The blond girl sat beside Usagi and stared at her carpeted floor.  
"Yes, it's true."

"Why?" Usagi asked a bit angrily.  "Why didn't you tell us?  We could 
have helped you!"

Minako shook her head.  "I never found out I was sick until it was too 
late!  Even if I had told you, what could you have done?  Nothing!"

"We could have at least helped you get over with the pain that you're 
feeling . . ." Rei said.

"I don't want pity," the girl said icily.  "If there's anything I hate, 
it's pity.  That's why I didn't tell you.  I knew that after the shock 
wore off you'd start to pity me, and I can pretty much predict that you 
won’t be leaving my side after all this."

"But we're your friends!" Makoto objected.  "Didn't you think that we 
would stay beside you because we love you, and not because we pity 
you?"

"I . . . I . . ." Minako stammered.  She felt burning hot tears rise in 
her eyes.  She quickly shut them tightly.  “Gomen.”

Usagi wiped Minako’s eyes and hugged her.  She was starting to cry 
again.  “You’ve always been there for us.  You’ve always made sure that 
we are safe and happy no matter what.  Now let us pay you back.”  She 
tightened her embrace.  “How I wish I’m only dreaming.  I still can’t 
believe this is happening . . .”

Minako held her and let her cry on her shoulder.  “I couldn’t believe 
it either, at first.  But I guess this is life,” she whispered.  She 
looked at her friends.  They were misty-eyed as they stared at them . . 
. “Minna . . .”

They waited until Usagi let go of Minako, then they each took turns 
embracing their friend.

"I'm really sorry, minna.  It’s just that . . . I don’t want you guys 
to be hurt . . . and . . . well . . . I . . ."

Ami held her hand.  "We're different from your other friends, Minako-
chan.  We understand you.  And we won’t ever abandon you.  Especially 
now."

"Does Himeru-san know?" Makoto asked.

Minako nodded her head slowly.  "Yes . . . but he found out by 
following me to the hospital.  I saw him following me today."

"He must care a great deal for you." Usagi said.  She giggled a bit.  
"I guess that means you've won the fight already!"

". . ."
	
"Of course, you would know, Usagi-chan.  After all, you have experience 
through Mamoru-san," Makoto said teasingly.  Usagi blushed.

"By the way, where is Mamoru?" Rei asked.

Usagi frowned.  "Oh, he's back in his apartment, studying again."  She 
looked around the room and glanced at the clock on top of Minako’s 
study desk. "Hey, it’s still early!  Since we’re all here already, why 
don’t we all go shopping like we had planned?"

Her friends stared at her in shock.  "Usagi can read a clock?!" Makoto 
said incredulously.

"Since when?" Rei asked.

"Since she started dating Mamoru," Minako answered, smiling.

Usagi pulled out her tongue at her friends. "Well, come on!"  She 
grabbed Rei

Artemis smiled softly as he watched the five girls.  He was glad that 
their friendship was as tight as he had always believed it to be.  But 
. . . there was one more person in Minako's life that the news had to 
be broken to and he needed the other's help to achieve his goal.

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