Planet Bound: Venus
by Marj
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 Twenty: Minako and Himeru
The next day, Minako accompanied Ares and his family to Venus. The
Venusians, upon seeing their princess alive and well, rejoiced at her
homecoming. Words could not express the joy they all felt after they
discovered that the Moon Princess was also alive, and that she and the
Inner Senshi had been able to defeat the same force that had killed
them hundreds of years ago.
"They feel more secure with their future now, now that they finally
know that their defenders are still here to protect them," Ares had
whispered to her while they were passing through the crowd of people in
a glamorous parade. Minako just nodded, speechless from the words of
admiration the people of Venus were giving her.
The Duke smiled at her. "Are you happy to see them, my princess?" he
asked.
The young princess nodded again.
Minutes later, the horse-drawn carriage that carried the royalty of the
planet Venus stopped in front of yet another huge castle located on top
of a hill at the north end of the city. It shone like gold and
glittered with thousands of precious jewels whose names Minako did not
know.
Ares, Himeru, and the Duke dismounted first so that they could help the
women get down from the carriage. "Thank you," Minako said to Ares,
who held her hand as she descended.
Himeru was watching them as he helped the princess's servant dismount.
Minako turned to look at him and smiled brightly. He simply smiled
briefly in turn, then rotated to help the attendant with the luggage.
Minako felt herself frown at Himeru's sudden change of behavior.
The Duchess placed her hand on Minako's shoulder. "There will be a
grand ball the night before you leave for the castle. It is being held
in your honor," she said softly.
"A ball?" Minako gulped while Artemis, who was on her shoulder,
snickered a bit.
Ares nodded. "It is only right for a princess to receive a grand
celebration for returning to her homeland after hundreds of years," he
said.
Minako looked at the red carpet that had been laid in front of them,
her face turning scarlet. A ball? she thought, her memories wandering to the time when she and
the Inner Senshi had attended the Princess Seminar. Ami and Makoto had
passed with flying colors, but she, Rei and Usagi had failed due to
lack of grace during the ballroom dance.
"Umm . . . Minako? Are you all right?" Ares asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Minako said. The truth was, her stomach was
churning from nervousness.
Ares and his mother looked at each other, then shrugged.
Later on, Minako was in her room, staring at the scenery that lay
before her. From her point of view, she could see the entirety of the
Venusian capital, Cyprus. The sight was so breathtaking, that she
didn't notice how time flew by as she gazed at it.
"It would have been much more beautiful if the city wasn't located
underground," Minako said softly.
Artemis looked up from his place on Minako's bed. "I don't think the
people would like to rebuild the domes and risk another attack like
that of the Dark Kingdom."
Somebody knocked on the door. She forced her eyes away from the window
of her room and turned them to the door. "Come in! It's open!" she
said.
The entrance to her room opened, revealing the youngest duke of Venus.
"Request permission to enter, Your Highness," Himeru said, bowing.
Minako smiled. "No need to be so formal, Himeru-san. You can relax."
But Himeru was still stiff. "You should never leave the door open,
princess. The locks are there for a purpose."
Minako was getting confused and a bit frustrated over Himeru's
behavior. "What is wrong with you?" she asked quietly.
The young duke just shook his head. "I have been sent here to inform
you that dinner is ready in the dining hall. My parents and brother
are waiting for you there."
"Will you join us?"
Himeru shook his head. "I regret to inform you that I cannot accompany
Her Highness. Please, pardon me. I have many things to do." With
that, he bowed once more and left, leaving Minako speechless.
Artemis jumped from the bed and went beside Minako. "Not quite used to
his new behavior, huh, Minako-chan?" he asked.
"'Not quite used to' is an understatement, Artemis. It's like we never
met before," she said sadly, staring down the hall at Himeru's
retreating back . She sighed, bent over and picked up her guardian.
"We might as well join them for dinner."
"Good. I'm hungry."
Minako raised an eyebrow at him. "You're always hungry. You have a
bottomless pit for a stomach!"
Artemis scowled at her. "I do not!"
"I feed you three times a day, not including snack time, and you still
go to those restaurant kitchens and hunt for something to eat!"
So the girl and her cat bickered each other all the way to the dining
hall, both knowing that it was their normal way of saying how fond they
were of each other, amidst the looks the servants gave them as they
passed by.
*****
The night of the ball.
Minako stood in front of a mirror in her room, studying herself. She
had searched her closet earlier and found herself in a paradise of
beautiful gowns that she alone actually owned. After a few hours - and
a few mutters from Artemis - she was finally ready.
Ares was waiting outside her room. He avoided whistling as he stood in
front of her door, despite being terribly bored. He even tried not to
tap his foot, for he knew all the proper manners and customs of one who
held a title. His patience was worth it, for when his princess's
servants opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of a goddess.
Minako was wearing a gown, the gold and burgundy colors highlighting
her already shining hair. The gown was off shouldered, with no
decorations other than pearls, the golden lace at the hem sliding
gracefully on the carpeted floor. Its neck line was low, and a
nameless Venusian gem glowed at the middle, its color and radiance
matching that of Minako's eyes.
The duke was so caught up in her beauty that he didn't realize that he
was gawking. He suddenly blinked and cleared his throat, standing up
straighter. "Shall we be going now, my princess?" he asked.
Minako looked at him, his black tuxedo embracing his well-built frame
and making him look more handsome than before. She felt herself blush
a bit, then she giggled softly as his suit reminded her of Tuxedo
Kamen.
She took his hand and, with Artemis beside her, they walked in the
direction of the Grand Ballroom located on the first floor of the
palace, where the majestic celebration was taking place.
*****
Himeru stood beside the Queen of Venus, his hands behind his back, his
back as straight as a ruler. The queen went down to the planet to
attend the ceremonies. Usually, escorting her was his brother's job,
but now that his supposed fiancee had returned, the task had fallen to
him. He helped seat her before walking towards his own chair, yet he
still did not sit, waiting for his brother and father to arrive and be
seated at their places.
His father guided his mother, and as she sat beside the queen he
couldn't help but notice how stunningly beautiful both women were. The
Duke of Venus stood beside him and winked. "There are plenty of girls
here tonight, Anchises," he said in a stage whisper. "Maybe you'll
find your soul mate, today."
Himeru managed a weak smile, then looked down at the ground to study
himself on the shining marble floor.
He heard the clapping of the people and the announcer proclaimed
Minako's title, but he didn't look up until she passed by him on her
way to her chair with his brother. And when he did raise his head, he
wished that he never had. What he saw was the most beautiful woman in
the entire universe, her face filled with the gentlest smile he had
ever seen that threatened to take his heart away. He found his head
following the beautiful girl to her place, where she sat beside her
mother, her cat sitting beside her chair.
His brother walked towards him and his father, a dreamy look on his
face. And he still wore the same expression when they sat down.
For once in his life, Himeru envied his brother.
*****
Time passed by, and soon, everyone was asking people to dance.
As custom demanded, the queen got to dance first with her escort. So
Minako watched as Himeru took her mother's hand and led her to the huge
space in the middle of the room.
She smiled a bit. In contrast to his brother's black suit, Himeru was
wearing a white tuxedo, which reminded her of Tsukikage no Knight. She
noticed as they twirled around the dance floor that their blond hair
shone under the lights, making them glow like two angels that had
descended to the ground.
Minako sighed. Her mother was so graceful, and so was the duchess, who
was dancing with her husband. The occasion was very formal and a bit
solemn and she didn't want to destroy it through her clumsiness. So
when Ares invited her to dance, she just smiled and said no. Soon, she
found him dancing with another girl.
By and by, she grew tired of watching people dance. She only envied
them more. So she wandered around and found herself in the palace
garden just outside the hall. There, she could still hear the
beautiful music, but nobody in the room would be able to see her.
She had spent quite some time there when somebody touched her shoulder.
She jumped from surprise and turned around. It was Himeru.
"What are you doing here, my princess? Shouldn't you be inside
dancing?" he asked.
"What about you? What are you doing here?" Minako asked.
"I was sent to look for you. You are the celebrated guest of honor,
Your Highness. You should be inside."
She looked away from him. "Well, I don't want to be."
Minako stared at the shining lights of Cyprus from the garden. she
thought, homesick.
"You look very ravishing tonight," Himeru said quietly.
The princess turned her head slightly and saw with the corner of her
eye that he was blushing. She smiled. "One cannot wear a fuku at such
an elegant ball," she answered softly, glad that he was starting to
loosen up a bit.
As she said those words, she felt something from the back of her mind
trying to push itself forward to her consciousness.
"Why don't you dance?" Himeru asked.
Minako shook her head. "I don't . . . I don't know how."
"You've always been such a graceful dancer."
"Ballroom dancing? Since when? I know that I can dance . . . just as
long as I don't have a partner!"
"You *know* how to dance. I'm sure of it." Himeru stepped closer to
her. "Would you like to dance, Venus?"
Minako looked at him, captivated by his handsome face, his beautiful
eyes staring intently at her. "Are you sure you don't mind being
stepped on?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
Himeru smiled. "I'm a good teacher. I could teach you. Don't feel
embarrassed. Nobody can see us here unless they will it to be so." He
placed one of his hands on her waist, the other he cupped with her
hand. "When you get back out there, you'll stun everyone because of
your grace," he whispered in her ear.
She placed her free hand on his shoulder. "I will?"
"You will."
The young princess let herself be guided by the young duke as they
glided on the soft green grass of the garden. When they started, each
step she took she winced, expecting to see her partner howl in pain.
But he didn't, nor had she stepped on him. It was like dancing had
come naturally to her . . . as if ballroom dancing had always been one
of her greatest talents.
They swirled around and around, each turn following the gentle beat of
the music. Himeru's hands were soft but firm as he lead his princess
through the song smoothly. He smiled as he looked in Minako's eyes,
which were looking back at him.
When the music halted, their dance stopped, each still staring deeply
into the other's eyes.
"I told you . . ." Himeru said softly.
Minako blinked. She still couldn't believe that she had danced
flawlessly. It felt like heaven as he lead her around and around, and
it seemed as if only a few seconds had passed by since they had first
started. A smile appeared slowly on her face.
Himeru held her for a few seconds more, then removed his hands from
her. "You have to go back to the ball, Your Highness. The people
await you."
Minako nodded slowly, still speechless. She was walking back to the
palace when she realized that she had forgotten to thank him. She
turned around.
He was gone.
*****
Minako sat down quietly on her chair back in the ballroom, still in a
daze over what had happened in the palace garden. Artemis, who had
been watching the ball from atop a table beside her chair, looked at
her questioningly.
"Where have you been?" he asked.
"Here and there. I just got kind of bored," she answered, watching the
dancers twirl on the dance floor. Her gaze fell on her mother, who was
dancing with Himeru once more. she
thought.
"Why don't you dance?" Artemis asked, smirking. "Afraid you'll step
on someone's foot again?" He laughed.
Minako glared at him. "That isn't very funny, you know. I can dance
better than you think."
"Oh really? Then why don't you dance with him, then?" Artemis said,
pointing at Ares who was walking slowly towards them.
"Maybe I will."
Artemis raised an eyebrow.
Ares stopped in front of the table. "Is Her Highness ready to dance
now?"
Minako nodded. She threw a smug look at Artemis, who had an amused
grin on his feline face. "I guess I'm ready now," she said.
Her partner smiled widely. He held her hand and led her to the dance
floor. Minako gulped. she thought nervously. She felt herself clutching Ares's
hand tighter as they started to whirl around on the wooden floor.
Artemis watched wide-eyed as his charge danced flawlessly on the dance
floor. he asked
himself.
Everyone stopped dancing and watched as the duke and the princess
danced gracefully around the dance floor. Ares's parents beamed. The
queen smiled gently at the young duke beside her. "What do you think,
Anchises?" she asked.
Himeru didn't answer her.
"I don't understand why you didn't want to dance earlier," Ares
whispered in Minako's ear as he led her in another swirl. "You're such
a magnificent dancer."
Minako just smiled, then looked down at the floor. She knew that she
was dancing splendidly in front of so many people. It was supposed to
thrill her to her very bone, as she loved the attention she was
receiving. Not to mention teaching Artemis a lesson or two in not
believing in her abilities. Then why didn't it feel right? Where was
the wonderful feeling she had experienced when she was dancing in the
gardens alone with Himeru? Her eyes wandered over the crowd until it
finally came to rest on the person she was looking for.
The queen of Venus looked up at Himeru, concerned, for he had never
ignored anything she had ever said before. Her sixth sense as a
goddess of love enabled her to see the jealousy and despair that was
emanating from him.
Himeru was watching the young couple with a straight lip line and a
firm look on his face. The arm that was supporting the queen's hand
was stiff, and its hand was tightly clenched.
The queen's gaze fell on her daughter, who was also staring back at the
man beside her mother, an unnoticable look of longing invading her
beautiful blue eyes. The queen bit her lip worriedly. Could they
possibly have made a mistake?
*****
The next day, Minako and the queen headed back to the Magellan Castle,
Himeru accompanying them.
Before they left, Ares kissed the princess, this time on her cheek. "I
know that you've only known me for six days, Princess. That's less than
a week. But . . . I just want you to know that I've loved you since I
first laid my eyes on you."
Minako had been expecting those words, but she did not show it.
Ares sighed deeply. "Even if you were engaged first to my brother . .
." he said so softly that she barely heard. Was there a hint of pain
in his voice?
He cupped her chin in his hand. "Don't go back to Earth. I know you
will . . . someday . . . but please, don't go. I don't want to lose
you again . . ."
"Minako-chan, it's time," Himeru said softly. Minako saw Ares glare at
his brother.
She looked at Ares apologetically. "I'm sorry . . ." she said in a
voice that only Himeru and Artemis, who were the ones closest to her,
heard. She watched quietly as the duke and the duchess bade her mother
goodbye. She had made her decision, and it was final. She was going
home.
*****
The night after Minako and Himeru returned to Magellan Castle, Minako
wanted to think alone. Artemis was inside her room relaxing, so she
decided to go to the palace garden. Besides, she would be able to see
Venus from there, as well as the small star that was actually the
planet Earth.
While walking, she was already thinking. How could she tell the queen
about her decision? What would her mother say? How would she feel?
How would the others feel? Minako sighed. She just didn't know what
to do.
As she entered the palace gardens, she realized that she wouldn't have
the place to herself. At the edge of the garden stood Himeru, all
alone.
She walked towards him silently. Before he knew there was someone
behind him, Minako covered his eyes. "Hey!" he exclaimed.
He never would have guessed that it was Minako, but her giggling gave
her away. "You! I'm gonna get you for this!" he cried as he abruptly
turned and grabbed Minako around her waist. They tumbled down on the
grass from Himeru's momentum, laughing.
"Gosh, you don't know how much I missed laughing with you," Minako
giggled.
Himeru smiled and stood up. He bent over, took Minako's hand, and
helped her up. "It has been six days. Almost a week," he said softly.
Minako pouted. "Yeah, it's been almost a week, and you've been
ignoring me! Or are you just too busy to talk to me for even more than
a few minutes . . . ?" She dusted herself off. "You were being so
incredibly stiff, you looked like a programmed robot!" She giggled.
Himeru blushed. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . it's just . . ." He
sighed. "I'm a warrior. I have my duties and responsibilities to
attend to."
Minako smiled, knowing exactly how he felt. "Oh, Himeru-san . . ."
His smile widened. "You don't know how much I miss being called by
that name, either!"
"Oh, yeah. You're called 'Anchises' here, Anchises-kun!"
"Don't call me that!"
Minako laughed. "Why not? That's your birth name, right?"
"Yeah, but I would rather have something different. I had some rather
pleasant memories with 'Himeru' . . ."
Minako's smile ceased a little. "You mean you had a much better time
on Earth . . ."
Himeru looked at her, frowning a bit. "You still want to return to
Earth, don't you?"
Minako stood up straighter. "I do."
"You can't. I mean . . . don't you care about your life? You'll die
if you go back!"
She looked at him seriously. "Life isn't worth living if you can't
spend it with your loved ones."
"But death isn't worth it if you can't love them the same way that they
love you!" Himeru argued.
"Please don't make this hard on me."
"Don't you love your mother? My brother? Your people? Your planet?"
Minako became frustrated. "I love them all! But this is my life! My
new life! I belong on the Earth, and on Earth I shall stay!" She
looked at him accusingly. "Besides, you, yourself, hesitated to bring
me here because you were afraid that I won't be able to go back! But
now I'm going back, Himeru-san! I'm going *home*!"
"What about me?" Himeru asked softly, looking away from her. "Don't
you love me?"
"What are you talking about?! Of course I love -" Minako stopped in
mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open.
"That kiss I gave you in that Truth or Dare game wasn't just because I
admire you. I . . . I'm in love with you, Minako-chan."
Minako stared at him in shock. She knew. Deep in her heart, she had
known it all along. No wonder he didn't want her to return when he
found out that she was his princess. He knew that she and his brother
were bound to be engaged! “Why . . . how . . . ?”
“I know what you’re thinking. Why you? Why not Makoto?”
The princess nodded silently.
“I . . . I don’t know either. Maybe it was because you had amused me
when we first met . . .”
Minako blushed, remembering how they first met. She had been thinking
so deep that she almost bumped into a door. Luckily, Himeru was there
to open it for her.
“Maybe it’s because your aura had told me that you have a cheerful
disposition about you, and that you always tried to make your friends
happy. Or maybe it’s because you were brave enough to accept something
that most people could not . . . your death . . . a troubled past,
perhaps . . .” Himeru continued, squinting his eyes as he tried to read
her. “Whatever the reason was, I’ve always remembered you for it,
admired you for it, and as we became even closer, I started to love
you.”
Himeru's eyes grew sad. "But I guess we were never really meant to be
. . ."
"Himeru-san . . . I . . . I don't know what to say . . ."
Nobody spoke. Minako's head was whirling in confusion, and Himeru was
thinking of what to say next.
He looked up from the ground where he was staring. "I'll be leaving
soon."
"Oh." She kept staring blankly in front of her. "Where are you
going?"
"Pluto. Where your father was last assigned."
"When . . . when are you coming back?"
He fingered the strands of her golden hair that fell on her shoulders.
"I'm not coming back . . ."
Minako's eyes grew distant. "Why?"
"I have to let go of the time I spent with you . . . I don't want to
interfere with you and my brother. I have to forget . . . yet I know
that I cannot . . . not ever . . ." Himeru paused, then continued.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Can I kiss you, one last time?"
Minako took a deep, shaky breath. Yet she did not object. She let him
hold her close in his arms and felt his gentle breath on her hair. She
closed her eyes as Himeru slowly leaned forward. It wasn't long before
she felt his lips on hers. She was filled with warmth, his kiss being
so familiar to her already. Then, she finally found out why Cassandra
had said that she wouldn't fall in love with Ares.
She was already deeply in love with Himeru.
On Earth, she had tried to ignore her feelings for Makoto's sake. But
now, she couldn't hide her feelings any more. She kissed him back.
Himeru was surprised. Minako looked in his eyes. They were twinkling
with happiness.
He embraced her, and she returned it. "I love you, Minako. I'll love
you forever."
Minako felt tears rising in her eyes as he embraced her more tightly.
For probably the last time.
"TRAITOR!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Minako and Himeru turned around. Their eyes widened as they found
themselves looking straight into Ares's burning eyes . . .
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