I knew Serena and Tuxedo Mask had been caught the moment my family and I received an urgent command to meet on the Moon at once. I did not know what would happen to Tuxedo Mask or Serena. I felt awful. They really loved each other. Didn't that count for anything?
They had been going out for going on two whole years. He made her happy. I personally thought Serena should have told her Mother about everything long ago. But then again, if she had, she might not have had as long with him as she did.
I arrived on the Moon. An hour later, I was in court meeting hall. Everyone was there. Even the reclusive court members were in attendance. The last time I had seen this much Royalty in one room was when Darien disappeared. Everyone was properly presented. "The King and Queen of Mercury and Princess Amy The King and Queen of Earth The King and Queen of Jupiter and Princess Lita The King and Queen of Neptune and Princess Michelle The King and Queen of Saturn and Princess Helen The Queen of Venus and Princess Mina The Queen of Mars and Princess Raye The Queen of Pluto and Princess Sharon- Guardian of time The King of Uranus and Princess Alex"
All of us entered and took our seats. Each of the planets had along side them a trusted Ambassador and two Delegates. Micah was already seated along with a man who must have been Tuxedo Mask.
Queen Serenity and Serena, followed by their Ambassador, Aurora, took their seats. We were all sitting at what a world conference room would look like. There were six giant tables at which all of the court were seated according to which planet they were from. The tables were set up in an rectangle shape.
Serenity stood. "Thank you all for coming, as you know from my briefing..." Serenity went on to explain the situation at hand. I did not hear all that much of it. I knew the story. But looking at Tuxedo Mask... He looked familiar. I could not figure out where I knew him from. Then it hit me. Darien? Was that Darien sitting over there. The facial features, the manner, expressions... No. It couldn't be. If it was, the Earth royalty would have recognized their son before I did.
I came out of my thoughts in time to hear the first question. It was from the Queen of Mercury, "Serena, why did you not stay faithful to Micah, your betrothed?"
That was when the court shattered. After the first question Serena spoke with such eloquence and seriousness that the whole Court came to her rescue. "I have never been one to cause trouble. I have never stepped out of line in my life. I have done whatever I was told to do and I did it without complaint. Then at the age of thirteen, my Mother informed me that I was to marry the person I that had regarded as a bully my whole life. All the children of the Court knew that he was violent. He had been that way since the day I met him. However, I did not speak a word of complaint to anyone. I gave him a chance. I thought that perhaps he had changed his ways and that he would treat me differently now that I was to be his wife."
Serena's tone changed from one of fact to one of anger. "He had not changed. The first time I was presented to him he molested me and tried to take advantage of me. I was able to fight him off, but he had made his intentions clear. He told me I was nothing to him but a nice body and a way to power and that I should be grateful that he was marrying me, because if he did not, I would have no one else I could marry."
She paused then started talking in a calm, but menacing voice. "When I met him, he touched me. When he was angry, he beat me. When I was tired, he used me. When I was hurt, he abused me. When I cried, he laughed at me. When I fought back, he threatened me.
When he touched me, I said nothing. When he beat me, I said nothing. When he used me, I said nothing. When he abused me, I said nothing. When he laughed at me, I said nothing. When he threatened me, I said nothing. And now you all have the audacity to sit here and call ME unfaithful."
The planet Earth was the first to speak. "Believe her, Serenity. I did not believe my son, and look what happened to him!" the Queen pleaded.
"This is outrageous! She is lying through her teeth! Don't you see that she is just making this up to give her a better excuse to be with him?" Micah pointed at Tuxedo Mask.
"That's not true! I have seen Micah hit Serena!" Mina piped up.
"My daughter is right. I have been sensing hostility in his heart against Serena for a long while." the Queen of Venus said. "Her love is pure, so I thought nothing of it. But now it is evident that pure love is intended for another."
"My son is not an abuser!" The King of Saturn yelled.
"How do you know?" Sharon demanded.
"Serena could be making this up." The King of Uranus stated.
"I am not a liar!" Serena declared.
"Are too!" Micah attacked. What was he, three?
"You are the liar, Micah. Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" I yelled.
"If we could all just calm down..." The Queen of Mercury sighed.
The entire courtroom was in an uproar. Tuxedo Mask just sat in the corner, motionless. Poor guy. I thought. All he did was love a girl.
Serenity set of a flash that went through the courtroom, silencing everyone.
"I am going to leave with Micah. This session will recommence after my interrogation and I have reached a conclusion on his guilt or innocence."
Serenity left with the guards, bringing Micah behind. Everyone stayed put. We all knew it would not take long for Serenity to discern a lie from the truth.
A half hour later Serenity returned with Micah. Serenity raised her head. "Aurora, please escort Helen outside." Aurora took Helen out and when the door was shut Serenity continued.
"It is my conclusion, that Micah has abused Serena exactly as she claimed. I saw in his mind thoughts of what he wanted and what he had done to try and get it. Serena did not tell me of her troubles for the reason that I might be disappointed." she turned to her daughter, "Serena, I would have never wanted any of that to happen yo you. I am so sorry."
Serena had tears in her eyes. "It is alright now, Mother." she replied.
"It is therefore my duty to carry out according to the law what is right. The punishment for molesting of a Princess, attempted murder, lying in a Court session, and abusing power, is execution. This sentence will be carried out five days from now."
Micah's parents had to agree. They were rather upset, as most parents would be. It was a complete shock to all the adults in the room. He was rather two faced. The Micah I knew and the Micah they knew, were two very different people. I could tell Serena was upset for them and the fact that they had to be in pain, but I could sense that she was happy to finally be rid of her aggressor.
The trial for me was torture. I was being labeled a criminal for loving a wonderful person. It was nothing that I hadn't expected, though. To the people in that court, I was nothing more than a gold digger. I couldn't blame them. From their standpoint, I looked pretty bad. Taking an abused girl's emotions and making it all better by manipulating her into believing that I loved her. That way I could get her power and money, two things I lacked.
Well, that is the way it looked. They had no idea that I would love Serena just as much if she were penniless. I was glad that Micah was going to be executed, though. I had been torn apart all those nights she would cry in my arms. When she cries, my world is upside down. That was the hardest part about this trial. It wasn't what hardships it brought on me. I would gladly endure any amount of pain for Serena. But watching her cry was more than I could bare. That was torture enough for me. All I wanted to do was take her in my arms and make all of her worries fade away.
The trial was good for one thing. I thought I recognized the Earth royalty. A personal memory, not one from a book. And Lita. I saw her and knew her. I knew her! I didn't know from where or when, but she and I had been friends. Come to think of it, all of the Princesses did. But it was so far off, sort of like a dream that you can't remember.
I was in my room when a flash of light entered my eye. I turned from the window to see Raye, Lita, Mina, Sharon, Michelle, Alex, and Amy standing and sitting in various positions.
Most men in my position would been overjoyed. Seven beautiful Princesses all in my room at once. However, I just wanted to be alone.
"You flashed?" I said. A few of the girls giggled. I was more annoyed than joking.
"Yes, Tuxedo Mask, we did." Alex stated.
"Why?" I pried.
"We want to know what's really going on." Raye told me.
"Yeah. So do you love her? I mean love her like, marriage type of love." Lita asked.
"Oh yes!" I said, heartbroken, sitting on my bed and putting my face in my hands. "I love her so much that I want to die because we're apart. You don't understand. I can't live without her in my life. She IS my life." I told them. I heard a chorus of "Oh"'s and "How cute"'s and it made me sick. That has to be the most annoying thing about women to men. Why is it that everything nice you do for another girl results in some high pitched noise? Here I was pouring out my deepest emotions to a bunch of stranger and all they could muster was a bunch of girlie noise?
"We'll do everything we can to help. Here's a message from Serena." Mina said. I anxiously took the letter and set it down beside me. I knew if I read it now, I would break down. I looked at Lita. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
Lita seemed surprised by the question. "Maybe. I gotta feeling of De Ja Vu with you too. Were you born on Earth?"
"No. It was either Jupiter or the Moon." I told her.
"Oh. Then you aren't who I thought you could be." she said with some disappointment.
"So, where did you come from?" Sharon inquired, folding her arms across her chest.
"Look, no offence but I would really prefer not to talk about my personal life with all of you. I don't even know you. How do I know I can trust you?"
Some of them looked puzzled. Raye was the first to speak. "You. Not trust us? Excuse me but WE are not the ones on trial here for a possible charge of manipulating royalty. And here we are in your room, trying to see if we can help you and YOU'RE the one not able to trust us?!" Raye was obviously angry at me. She must have thought I was saying that I couldn't trust them because they were who they were. None of them understood what my life had been like. I sighed. There was nothing that I could say to make them understand without telling them everything.
I began talking. I told them of how I had hidden myself away from people and why. I also mentioned the fact that when I was seen, I was attacked. I explained everything, from the way I saved Serena, to falling in love with her, to my theories about human behavior. They all sat in shock as I explained my life. I knew that none of them had ever endured hardship as far as wondering if they'd be alive tomorrow and it was probably the first time they had talked to someone who HAD been through it. I explained how much the trial was hurting me and Serena and how much I hated to see her upset. Amy started to cry.
"That's the saddest story I've ever heard." I half smiled. These girls really WERE sheltered.
Soon, they left, all feeling pity for Serena's and my situation. At least I might now have a chance at beating this thing. With all the Princesses pulling for Serena and me, it would be a lot easier. I loved Serena too much and now I had a glimmer of hope that we might be able to be together.
The next day I got up early. I had not slept all night. I ached with exhaustion, but I knew it was useless to just lay in bed. I took a shower and got dressed. The court session was to resume and nine thirty. It was nine fifteen now. It was only then that I remembered Serena's letter. I reached for it and I read it. She told me how much she loved me and that we would find a way to be together no matter what.
"I love you too, Serena." I said aloud, as if I was talking to her. Somehow I got the feeling that she knew that I had spoken those words.
Every minute seemed like an eternity as the court members filed in. I saw Serena at the other end of the room. She looked beautiful, as always, but was incredibly sad. It ripped my heart out just looking at her.
"Thank you all for coming. I hope that we can run this session in order, unlike yesterday." The Moon Ambassador, Aurora said. I looked over at Saturn's royalty. I knew I would never win them over. Both of the parents looked like wrecks and Helen was not even in attendance. I felt terrible for the family. It must be hard to loose a son like that.
Aurora read my accusation statement. "We are here to address the issue of this man. His name is Tuxedo Mask. Obviously this is a nickname, but his real name is not known. He stands accused of treason against the Moon Kingdom. He has gone above his status and slept with the next ruler of the Kingdom. If in fact, they were to conceive a child, that child would no longer have all the power associated with Moon royalty, in other words, tainting the loodline." I guess that was true. I had always pictured Serena and I one day having children. But those children would not have the full power of the Moon, considering I had no power of my own. They would therefore be only half as strong as they should be to carry on the Supreme ruler title. The powerful bloodline was what kept erenity in charge. It would cause chaos and a gigantic power struggle as all the royalty of the different planets would have equal power. No wonder it was considered treason.
"But we love each other! It does not matter who he is or where he comes from! I love him and that should not be a crime. You can tell me a lot of things. What I can wear, how to talk, where I can go, what I can do... But you cannot order me not to love someone!" I heard Serena scream. She collapsed in a heap of tears and sobs. I wanted to shield her from the eyes of everyone in the room, but I dared not move. I felt helpless as I watched the girl I loved... She was only a table down from me, but she may as well have been across the galaxy. She eventually calmed down enough.
"We cannot allow the bloodline of the Moon to be tainted. That is the bottom line." The King of Neptune stated.
"I agree." The Queen of Mars started, "We would not only open the possibility for civil war down the line, but we would be weakening our defences against the Negaverse. Without the full power of the Silver Crystal, it would be impossible for us hold them off." It made sense that Mars would bring up that point. After all, Mars was the planet of War. It was where many of the armies trained.
"But do we really want to sentence them to lives filled with unhappiness? If Serena is miserable, she will not be able to fight, anyway." The Queen of Venus said. That put a smile on Mina's face and nodded seriously. "I agree."
"I think so too. Serena finds strength in Tuxedo Mask whether or not he is royalty." Lita proclaimed.
"To my understanding, he's not a bad fighter himself." Raye added, folding her arms.
"But what we are worried about is not Serena and our defence now. We are well set for battle now. But in the future, there could be problems. That is why we are worried." The King of Uranus said.
"But what kind of an example are we setting for our children when we make a rule that love comes second to power?" The Queen of Pluto put in.
"They will understand when they are older why we did what we did what we did." the King of Saturn stated.
"Yes, but first impressions last throughout your whole life. If that is the message you want to send to your kids... Fine. But if I were a child and saw my parents putting power over love, I would not be taught out of that state of mind easily." Sharon said.
"Why do we not impregnate Serena with Micah's child and then let Serena and Tuxedo Mask get married. That way they could be married and have kid of their own and still have at least one pure child." The Queen of Mercury.
I was going to object to that but I didn't have to. I did not like the idea of my Serena giving birth to someone else's child.
"While that is a good idea, won't that cause too much friction between siblings? It would make raising the children impossible. Eventually, jealousy would take over when the children grew up and there would then be a civil war inside the Moon palace itself. On top of that, how would you feel if you found out the only reason your Mother had you was to 'keep the bloodline pure' and that she actually hated your Dad?" The Queen of Jupiter rationalized.
"But that is a big 'if'. Suppose they don't end up fighting for power?" The Queen of Mercury argued.
"Is it worth the risk in your opinion?" The King of Jupiter asked.
"I will not be impregnated with that man's child. I refuse to have anything of his inside of me." Serena declared.
"If it is the only way we can find for you to be with your Tuxedo Mask, would you do it? If you really loved him as much as you say, you would." The Queen of Mercury told her.
Serena glared at her. She was never one to speak against an adult.
"Maybe we should impregnate her and then just not allow Tuxedo Mask and her to have any children." The King of Uranus suggested.
"But they love each other. We would be depriving Tuxedo Mask of having children and it is the right of a husband and a wife to have a child. You can't possibly take that away without consent." The Queen of Venus stated.
"If they want to be together so badly, they will have to be willing to make sacrifices." The King of Neptune.
"Yes, but suppose the child that Micah was the father of died before he could marry. Then what?" The Queen of Jupiter asked hottily.
"I think that it is horrible that Serena and Tuxedo Mask are being forced to go through all of this just to earn the right to be in love." The Queen of Earth blurted out. It was the first comment Earth had thrown out.
"Would you rather risk an all out war just so that these two children can live together?" The King of Uranus stood up. "Serenity this is outrageous! The punishment for treason is death. What is being debated? We can't possibly allow these two to be wed! It would throw the Kingdom off the very foundation it was built upon; the ability to fully use the power of the Silver Crystal. The Moon's bloodline is the only one which has that kind of purity. If any of us tried to use it, it would work, but not completely. Is this, puppy love worth sacrificing that?"
"Either we let them marry, or they'll just do it behind our backs. Serena will cheat on whomever she is married to because he is not the man she wanted to be with. We might end up with a tainted bloodline anyway. And let's say that we do execute Tuxedo Mask and Serena marries another Prince from another galaxy. We would then have forced her into a loveless marriage and the child would then be raised in a loveless home." Queen Venus got a few applause from the Princesses.
It was at that time that Helen was brought into the room. She sat down with her parents and listened.
"What's the big deal with a loveless marriage. The child will probably mainly be raised by a Nanny even if the parents were in love." The King of Mercury pointed out.
"Even so, children pick up on things and emotions that their parents have and are affected by it." Queen Pluto stated.
"I can attest to that." said Helen.
"What are you talking about. Hush child." Queen Saturn scolded.
"Sorry Mother. But you must admit that a loveless marriage never made anyone in our family very happy."
The room was silent. I almost laughed. Royalty was actually quite amusing. They out right insult each other, but do it so properly.
"Impregnating me is not an option." Serena stated though gritted teeth.
"It is her body." Lita reminded the Court. At least somebody other than myself remembered that Serena's body was not property.
"That's right. You can't possibly be thinking of making Serena carry the child of her aggressor. Can you?" Mina asked.
"You people make me sick!" Michelle exclaimed.
Her comment was ignored.
"The real question is, what is Tuxedo Mask's punishment for treason? He committed it, he confessed to it, and now he should pay for it." King Neptune proclaimed.
"Sit down, Charles." Queen Neptune ordered under her breath.
"Isn't there any way to give Tuxedo Mask power? Could we train him or something?" Amy asked.
"No. The problem is that we're dealing with genes. Earth, Mars, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Venus, and Pluto's Royalty all have a gene that we'll call the 'A' gene. This gene is the source of their power. Now the Silver Crystal works fully with 'AB' genes. The Moon has the 'A' and the 'B' but only passes on the 'B' to their children. The child therefore needs to get the 'A' gene from the Moon's mate." Aurora explained.
"Could we give Tuxedo Mask some of Micah's blood and then amplify the power?" Helen asked.
"No. The heart would never produce the 'A' gene." Queen Mercury answered.
"The issue is not whether or not Tuxedo Mask can produce th 'A' gene. The issue is his punishment." The King of Saturn growled.
"Well, it seems to me that he is merely a lowly commoner out to gain some wealth and power." Queen Mars assessed.
"That's not true. He loves her a great deal!" Mina declared angrily.
"That he does." Queen Venus affirmed.
"You can tell just by the way he looks at her." Amy said.
"He's manipulating her. Of course he loves her. Have you looked at her? She's gorgeous!" the King of Neptune stated. This time his wife knocked him upside the head. I was starting to like Queen Neptune!
"They're in love. They can't help it." Alex added.
"But he's violent. After all, he attacked my son." King Saturn said.
"Yeah. When 'your son' was about to kill Serena! How awful of him!" Lita snapped sarcastically.
"Why don't we talk to him?" Michelle suggested.
The whole Court turned to me. For some of them, I almost thought it was the first time they had seen me. I had just sat there throughout the whole session, waiting for someone to point out that I was in fact in the room.
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, you little animal?" King Uranus asked pointedly with a sneer.
"You people all act like barbarians." I said matter of factly.
"Excuse me?" Queen Saturn hissed.
"Barbarians. You consider love to be a crime, defending a woman's rights; pointless, you sit around arguing about the thickness of blood, think it is acceptable to force children to grow up without knowing their parents as well as a Nanny, insult each other politely - which is rather an oxy moron, you think power is more important than people, and you sit in a hot stuffy room for hours and never offer drinks. On top of all that, we have been talking all this time and you are no closer to finding a solution than we were six hours ago. I have read about chimps who could get more done in this amount of time than you, the royal court of the Moon Kingdom. And I'm the one who's an animal?"
The room was silent. I sat back and smiled. These people must have never realized how stupid all of this must seem to an outsider. The Princesses all cracked up followed by a few of the King's and Queens. Serenity tried not to laugh.
"We must sound like fools." Queen Venus stated quietly.
"How dare you?!" King Saturn yelled.
Queen Serenity glanced at him and must have said something telepathically, for he glared at her a minute but calmed down immediately.
I sighed. I knew what was going to be said next.
"Tuxedo Mask, tell us about your feelings for Serena." King Jupiter said.
"What can I say? I was a recluse. I hid myself away in a far corner where no one could reach me. I lived my life on day at a time, not really worried about anyone or anything but my own welfare. Then one night, I saw a man about to kill this girl. I jumped on him and saved her life. She was knocked out, so I brought her back to my room. I couldn't just leave her there. What if the man woke up? He would certainly try to hurt her again. During the fight with the man, the man stabbed my shoulder with a knife. Serena saw that I was hurt just before she left. She felt guilty I guess and came back the next day with some medicine. We talked a while and we liked what each other had to say. I had always thought humans were all cruel and violent. She put a huge hole in my theory. We continued seeing each other and we fell in love. Serena completely changed my life. She filled me with joy and helped me see the better side of humanity. I couldn't go back to the way I had been, and to live without her in my life became an unbearable thought. I love her, for who she is, and who she has made me. I am not after money or power. All I need is her. I would love her the same if she was penniless." I looked straight into Serenity's face. "If that is what I am being accused of, then I am guilty."
I glanced at Serena who had tears streaming down the sides of her face. Then I saw her eyes close and she put her hands over her face. It was more than I could bare. "No, Princess. Babe, please don't cry." I ran over to her faster than anyone could stop me. I feel on my knees in front of her. I raised up to just below her eye level and pulled her hands away. I felt tears swell in my own eyes but I didn't care. I put my hands up against her cheeks. "Serena, it's okay. I'm right here." I brushed away her tears with my thumb. I could feel the warm water running down my cheeks as well. She fell into my arms.
"Tuxedo Mask, hold me." she said through loud sobs and tears. I wrapped my arms around her and held her. I could hear some of the Kings and Queens protesting our display of emotion. I didn't care. Serenity dismissed the Court and everyone left. I was still holding Serena until the guards came over.
They pulled us apart. I tried to hold on, but they pulled us apart. I could hear Serena's screams all the way down the hall as I was escorted to my room. My heart was pounding, tears flowing down my face. My temples throbbed. The guards told me they wanted me to win this. They wanted her to once again be happy. They told me that they had heard Serena screaming my name all night in pitifully agonized wails. It would be a long night.
That night seemed to last forever. When they brought me to my room I spent the first three hours pounding the doors to try to get the guards to let me out.
I wanted to be with him. All I knew is that I could not allow anyone to kill him. If my Mother read the verdict to have him executed, I would fall on my own sword when I got back to my room. At least that way we could be together in death.
I could not sleep. I kept wondering what tomorrow would bring. There must be some other way besides impregnating me with Micah's child. I did not even want to think of Micah. He would be gone in three days, anyway. I was not pleased with the way the trial had gone. My Mother would listen to the worst case scenarios and base her decision on them. I longed for Tuxedo Mask to be with me tonight. I needed him to be there for me. He must be going through a lot of pain, too.
I spent the night just thinking about everything Tuxedo Mask and I had done together. I remembered the first time we went to Venus. Once we became open about our feelings for each other, we would take trips in disguise. The first time we went to Venus, we visited the pools of Utopia. It was a beautiful place with waterfalls and lagoons within a rain forest. We went skinny dipping in a secluded area and we ended up making love on the bank.
We went to so many different places, most of which Tuxedo Mask had read about. Once we went skiing on earth. It was so much fun. I could not ski and neither could Tuxedo Mask. We were so terrible at it that we ended up completely off the trail had to transport ourselves back to the lodge because we were so lost.
A few times I managed to get him to go ice skating with me on Pluto. He did not know how and it was fun to try to teach him.
I loved being with him. I always enjoyed going places that I had been many times before, places that had become old to me and had lost their appeal, because he was seeing it for the first time. He would get so excited about the things that I now thought to be pretty unmarvelous. He treasured what I took for granted and it was so refreshing to once again discover the beauty of the universe.
I cried in my bed as I thought of these things. I realized that these memories could soon be all I had of him left. I was roused the next morning without getting a wink of sleep. I got up and looked in the mirror in my bathroom. My eyes were red and puffy. Normally, I would have spent hours making them look perfect again. But this morning, I did not care. I had no reason to want to make myself look presentable. I could spend hours in the mirror making my eyes perfect and I would still end up looking this way after an hour. I knew the news coming was not going to be good.
I arrived in session. I glanced over at Tuxedo Mask. He was looking straight down at the table. He too knew that the verdict was not going to be good.
My Mother entered the room. I looked up at her. She avoided my eyes, but I could tell she had been up all night and crying, too. This was not easy for her and I knew that. I pitied her. I felt a pang of guilt wash over my body. I was the one who was putting her through this. This was my fault. This entire problem was because of me. I never thought that love, a pure and beautiful thing, could bring so much pain and so many problems.
"Thank you all for coming." Mother started. Her voice was raspy and I could tell she was starting to loose it.
"I have reached the verdict on the case involving Tuxedo Mask. The punishment for treason according to the law, is death. However, in this case, the treason was committed through the act of love and not an act of hate or revenge. Tuxedo Mask fell in love with my daughter and Serena returned his affection. I am confident that Tuxedo Mask would have not acted on his emotions had Serena not returned his emotions. Further more, Serena would not have returned his love if her fiancé had not been an abuser. Which brings me back to the question, 'Is this really treason?' We have never had a case like this before in the history of the Moon Kingdom. Therefore this decision is my own and not based on any prior results.
I do not believe Tuxedo Mask committed treason, but the law says he did. But then there is the question of the bloodline of the Moon remaining pure. As much as I hate to say it, I cannot condone any action which may result in future war. I have therefore decided that Tuxedo Mask shall be banished, not executed, for the crimes he committed. However, I do recognize the strength of their love. It is for this reason that they will have one more night together. In the morning, he will be transported to another galaxy."
I was stunned. Everyone looked at me. My eyes filled with tears. My ears hurt. It took me a minute to realize why. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I breathed in and collapsed on the floor. I stopped screaming as soon as I regained control. Everyone left and Tuxedo Mask ran over to me. Mother stopped him and came over to me. I looked up at her and just glared. My own Mother was against me. I would never forgive her. Never. She had put the value of power over the value of love... and me. She looked me in my eyes and sobbed.
"I am so sorry, Serena. My dearest daughter. But I cannot bend the rules as I see fit, just to save my family pain. I wish there was another way. I hope you can forgive me... Someday."
She ran out. She knew the way I felt about her. She had been reading my emotions the whole time. She felt the pain I was going through. But that did not make a difference. The man I loved and needed was now being ripped away from me, forever.
Tuxedo Mask knelt beside me and gently lifted my body off the ground. He picked me up, my body now a sobbing, lifeless piece of flesh and carried me to my room.
I carried Serena up the stairs. She was a mess. I could barely walk. When I got to the open door I set her down. She ran to the bed and sat there looking at me, her blue eyes red and puffy. I closed the door and went to her. I took her in my arms and kissed her. I climbed on the bed and sat back against the headboard. She crawled into my lap and buried her head in my chest. I held her. Slowly I undid her hair and let the stands fall down her back and over her shoulders. She clamed down long enough to make one plea to me.
"Please, Tuxedo Mask. Do not leave me. Never stop holding me. Hold me forever. That is all I want. Just please, do not leave me. I could never bare it." That was it. I pulled her face up to mine and kissed her.
I made love to her the next two hours. After we finished I looked into her eyes and said, "Take a good look at your room Serena, this is the last time you will see it." She looked around puzzled. Then looking back at me she said, "What do you mean?"
"Run away with me Serena. Please. I can't live with out you. If I get to another galaxy and you aren't there, I will kill myself anyway. They may as well execute me. But if you come with me, we can build a new life. Start a family together. Serena please say yes."
"Yes. Of course I will. I was also planning to kill myself as soon as you left. This way I at least get to be with you."
I kissed her and then got dressed. We ordered dinner and had it delivered to her room. She was in a robe and was setting up the table. I opened the door when the knock came. We talked about our plan as we ate. I was going to be transported the next morning. Then Serena was going to do the rest. She planned to cut her arm and get some of her blood on a noose and a mangled gown Then she was going to leave a suicide note saying she transported herself to Earth and hung herself off the side of a bridge. She would then tie a rope to the side of the bridge she mentioned in the note and make it look like the noose broke. Then she would throw the noose and the gown in the water. That way it would look like a shark or something ate her body. Thus, leaving her free to transport to me, unobserved.
We made love a second time before ordering dessert. I was so relieved that we finally had this whole thing solved. We decided she should not pack any bags because it would look like she left with me. After dessert, Serena disguised herself and transported to a mall on Pluto. Nobody would be looking for her because they assumed that she would be spending the night with me. She bought all new clothes and accessories. Then she bought toiletries and other essentials. She returned to her room at four in the morning. I was leaving at ten. We packed everything in the new luggage she had bought and we hid them in her closet.
Then I took one of her old gowns and thrashed it with my sword. She got out the rope she had bought and I tore it after tieing a noose. Next, she took one of the knives we had used at dinner and she cut herself with it. She was good about it and we spilled her blood all over the gown and noose. These we pushed under her bed and quickly healed her arm. She looked at me. We were actually doing this.
"What if this is recognized?" she pointed out caressing my patch. I took it off and said, "there's not much we can do about it, is there?" I stated.
"Well, maybe..." she said. She lifted off the patch and touched my eye. I saw a flash and smiled. "There." she said. She handed me mirror. My scar was healed! She had healed me!! I threw me arms around her waist and held her close. "Thank you, Serena!" I exclaimed. We crawled in bed and waited until nine.
Sure enough, at nine there was a knock on the door. I quickly replaced the patch over my eye and answered the door.
"Tuxedo Mask, we're here to take you." There were five guards at the door. Serena started fake screams and crying and I managed a few tears of my own. As they walked me down the hall, I could still hear Serena in her room. The five guards all commented on how sorry they felt for us and how they wished me luck. I thanked them for their concern and told them to look after Serena for me. I reached my destination and found that the whole court had shown up for my departure. I said nothing and concentrated on looking sad and crying as I was put on a platform for transport.
"Goodbye, Tuxedo Mask. I am sorry." Serenity said as she transported me away.
While everyone was busy wishing Tuxedo Mask farewell, I left my note and transported to Earth. I tied the rope around a pole at the designated bridge. I had to work fast. I had left the note on my bed and I was worried they would find it sooner than I could get back. I dropped the noose and the gown off the bridge. There was one problem. The gown didn't sink. It began to float down the river. I had to catch it! I ran to the end of the bridge and started to chase after it. I finally caught up to it, after falling and bruising myself many times. It had snagged on a log that stuck out. I crawled down the log and tried to reach it. I got it!
I walked back down to the bridge just in time to see my Mother and the court arrive on the bridge. I heard my Mother scream and my friends start to cry. Could I do this? Forsake all of my responsibilities and my friends just for one person. Yes! I had to. I had promised Tuxedo Mask. It would not be right to leave him in a new place all alone. I ducked under the edge of the bridge. I had to get the gown snagged next to the noose. There was only one way to do it.
I dove in the water under the bridge. I swam deep enough so that no one could see me from the bridge top. I went deeper and deeper until I could not swim any further down because of the water pressure. I spotted the noose. I took my bracelet off and hooked it onto my gown. I made it look like an accident. I let the gown go. But now I was running out of air and if I came up for air, I knew I would be seen and this will have all been for nothing.
All of a sudden it occurred to me. I transported myself back up on shore, but in a nearby tree. I heard someone on the bridge say they saw a flash of light under water. Confounded! I had forgotten that when I transport, a burst of light emanates from my body. But it also does that when royalty dies. It is a sign of their power leaving them, back into the Silver Crystal. I transported again, this time to my bathroom. I peeked my head out into my room. Nobody there. I ran to my closet and reached for my luggage. I was about to see Tuxedo Mask. This was the beginning of the rest of our lives together.
I transported myself to wherever he was in the universe.
I arrived at my destination and took a look around me. I was in a valley that was covered with trees and brush. I had the feeling of de JA vu, considering that once again was to be lost and without help. I started walking. I was not in a forest this time. I shifted the bag on my shoulder. I had packed some necessities and toiletries as to look like I was planning to be alone. Considering I didn't own much to begin with, my bag was very light.
I looked up. At least the sun was out this time. I walked on, gazing at the natural beauty around me. I considered myself lucky. At least I had not been sent to a dessert planet. Queen Serenity had at least put some thought into where I was going.
I heard a creek running nearby. I had been walking for a long while now and I needed a break. I sat down on a log and watched the creek. There were little fish that kept swimming by and jumping out of the water. I opened my bag and got out a water bottle. I filled it up and raised the water to my nose. It did not appear to be polluted. I drank a sip. It tasted fine. I refilled the bottle and placed it back in my bag.
I started to wonder if Serena had succeeded. I guessed I would see her by late afternoon. That is, if she was coming. Maybe she got caught, or wasn't planning to come after all. Not that I could blame her. She had a life, family, and friends to leave behind. I didn't. I began to feel guilty for asking her to run away with me. I still hoped she would come, though.
I got up and brushed off my pants. Serena had bought me some clothes, too at the mall luckily. I was no longer dressed in a Tuxedo. Now I wore a white shirt and a pair of jeans. They felt a little strange to me, but I became accustomed quickly. I started off.
About an hour passed. It was then that heard a crack of a twig behind me. I turned around. Nobody there. I continued on. Fifteen minutes later, 'snap'. I turned again. Still, I saw nothing. I turned back and kept walking. Now I was hearing things all around me. I stopped dead in my tracks, laid my bag down, and put my hands on my head. "I am unarmed. Who ever's out there, I mean you no harm."
Eight men jumped out from all around me. I was scared stiff. They all had guns and were dressed in camouflage colors. That is why I could hear them but I never saw them.
"Who are you?" one of the men asked.
Good question. I thought. I could not very well tell them my name was Tuxedo Mask. I had to think of a name quick.
"My name is Skyler." I announced, still with my hands on my head. One of the men ran to me and grabbed my bag. He backed away with it and he and another man went through my stuff.
"No weapons." the taller man reported.
"Search him." the one who asked my name ordered. That must be their leader.
The taller man who had helped search my bag now came to me and felt my clothes. He shook his head indicating I had no weapons.
"Lower your guns." the leader ordered. "Where you from?"
"I am from the Moon Kingdom. I just got here. I was sent on a mission to scout out possible threats when my shuttle hit a wave of energy. The nest thing I knew, I was on board a bigger ship. They had taken my shuttle and they transported me here. I think they are still in orbit. They still have my girlfriend on their ship. I am hoping they'll transport her here, too." Wow. That was a good story. I couldn't very well tell them I had been banished. They'd shoot me.
"He must have been captured by the Nemesis." one of the men told the leader.
"Yes. Or a spy for them."
"But he has no weapons with which to fight."
The leader crossed to me. "Are you working with the Nemesis?"
"Who is the Nemesis?" I asked. "I was a scout for the Moon in the Moon Kingdom. Our enemies are the people from the Negaverse. Most of them are rather tall and led by a Queen Barryl. Is that who you mean? If it is, no. I am not working for them."
"I believe him." one of them men said.
The leader turned from him and looked at me, his face softening. "I, too, believe you. Your Nega Verse? and our Nemesis are one and the same. If you are enemies with them, you are friends with us. You are on the planet Trysidia. Come. We shall take you back to our town. We are one of the last colonies left on this world. The Nemesis has nearly wiped us out. You may live with us if you wish.. You are far from home and with no ship, you have no way to get there. You said your name was Skyler, right?" I nodded. "I am Julian."
We walked a ways before we stopped at a small clearing to rest. "We patrol far out from our camp. You see, we are frequently attacked my Nemesis and we need all of the warning time we can get. You must understand being a soldier yourself."
"Yes." I agreed. "I did not catch your men's names, Julian."
"Ah, yes." He pointed to each man and said his name. "This is Tobin, J.R., Allister, Paris, Ethan, Chris, and Ryan. Ethan, here has recently had a new addition to his family."
I looked at Ethan and smiled. I hoped to one day be a father, also. "Her name is Natasha." Ethan declared proudly.
The other men all laughed. I found out later that Natasha was all Ethan ever talked about. She and his wife, Teresa.
We walked on until wee came to a secluded town. It was kind of like a village, no paved streets. One of the men, Tobin, came up to me. "Skyler. You have no place to stay tonight. My wife and I would be honored if you would stay with us. If your girlfriend shows up, she may stay, too."
"Thank you kind sir. You are Tobin, correct?"
"Yes." He was a short man with brown hair and brown eyes. He was muscular from being a soldier and walked casually.
Tobin walked me to his house. It was small, but lovely. It was three bedrooms, to bathrooms, a kitchen and a small dining room. There was also a parlor at through the kitchen.
"This is my wife, Ivy." Tobin said. I bowed and shook her hand.
"What are you doing?" Tobin asked puzzled. Ivy just laughed.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Have I offended you or your wife?"
Tobin took my hand and shook it. "What is this?"
"A hand shake? It is a formal greeting in the Moon Kingdom. What is the custom here?"
"This." Tobin reached out and embraced me. I hugged him back, rather embarrassed. I must have frightened poor Ivy. I apologized. Ivy just giggled and told me it was alright. Tobin explained my situation to her and she went to prepare their guest room.
"I hope I am not any trouble, Tobin. Ivy." I said.
"No. No trouble. I just don't want you sleeping on dirty sheets is all. Will your girlfriend be here soon?"
Ivy had shoulder length, white blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was almost as tall as her husband and was quite thin. Her face resembled that of a cat with her high cheek bones and her slightly slanted eyes. We all walked back to the guest room. Ivy retrieved the sheets from the hall closet and began taking apart the bed. Tobin and I assisted.
It was at this moment that Serena appeared in the room with two luggage bags and one duffel on her shoulder. She was wearing her hair down and had on a red tube top and jean shorts that barely covered her rear. Tobin and Ivy stopped in amazement.
"Thank Heaven they transported you here, Fiona!" I said to a puzzled Serena. I took the luggage from her and embraced her. She muffled a 'huh?' against my chest and gave me a rather strange expression. I turned to Tobin, still holding Serena's hands.
"This is Fiona, my girlfriend. Fiona, this is Ivy and Tobin. They were nice enough to let us stay with them. Are you alright, Babe? Did they release you without a fight?"
Serena looked at me for a moment. She must have probed my mind for she came out with, "Skyler, it was awful! They asked me a whole bunch of questions and I did not know what they were talking about. They took our ship and said that they had already sent you away! But then they gave me my things and sent me down here, when they finally believed I was telling the truth. They told me the people here would probably kill me. Oh, I am so glad you are alright and we are back together!"
Serena turned to Tobin and Ivy. "Thank you so much for inviting us into your home. Is there anything we can do for you as payment?"
"You can help me with dinner, Fiona." Ivy said.
"Great!" Fiona said. She walked out with Ivy, smiling at me knowingly as they left the room.
"You can stay until you can afford a place of your own." Tobin told me.
"Thank you Tobin. If there is anything I can do for you, let me know."
We heard the back door open. Two children ran into the room yelling "Daddy! You're back!"
"Skyler, these are my daughters, Lina and Stephanie. Girls, this is one of Daddy's friends. His name is Skyler. He and his friend Fiona are going to be staying with us for a while." They were twins. They looked about ten years old. Brown hair and green eyes, they were both beautiful.
"Pleased to meet you, Lina and Stephanie." I said.
"Pleased to meet you, Skyler." they said in unison.
"Now how old are you two? You must be ten years old, right?" I asked.
Both of them giggled and looked at each other with their hands covering their mouths. "No. We're five months old." Lina said, beaming. I looked at them.
"Five months? You pulling my leg?" The girls laughed and ran out. I looked at Tobin. "Five months?"
"Yes. Five months. Why is that so hard to believe?"
I sighed. "Where I come from, five month olds are about this size." I made the size of a baby and now it was his turn to gasp.
"That does not leave you much time to be grown up then, does it?" Tobin asked, amazed.
"How long is the average life span here?" I asked.
"The oldest age we get to is six years. I think there have been a few who have made it to seven, but it's rare. Why how old are you?"
"Around nineteen or twenty years old. I am not exactly sure." Tobin's mouth hit the floor. "Nineteen? How old is your girlfriend?"
"Sixteen."
"I do not believe you." Tobin laughed.
"No, truly. Ask her." Tobin left the room with me close behind. Tobin went up to Serena and looked her in the eyes.
"Fiona, how old are you in years?" Tobin asked.
"Tobin!" Ivy gasped. "You must never ask a woman her age!"
"No, it is alright." Serena told Ivy. "I am sixteen."
Ivy dropped the pan. "Sixteen? Years? You people in the Moon Kingdom sure live a long time! How old do you get?"
"Royalty lives until they are killed or they choose to die. Commoners live to be about Eighty or Ninety."
Needless to say, it took a while to get used to this new planet. Luckily Serena had brought things to trade rather than money. She did have some gold, which did hold the same value over here.
That night Serena and I sat up talking quietly. We were sitting up under the covers with our backs up against the headboard.
"We did it, "Skyler." Now we can finally live together and share our love openly with others. It felt so good when you called me your girlfriend! Oh Tuxedo Mask, I am so happy."
"I am too Serena. But we have to be careful. Call me Skyler now. You are Fiona, a daughter of a Delegate, and I was a soldier for the Moon Kingdom."
I laid my head down on the pillow. I had no pajamas so I slept in my boxers. Fiona didn't seem to mind, though. She had brought the sexy nightgown she had worn the first time she seduced me. She was wearing it now. I rolled over and looked her in the eyes.
"It just occurred to me, Fiona. Serena and Tuxedo Mask have made love several times. But Fiona and Skyler have not." I raised an eyebrow. Fiona giggled.
"We shall fix that. But we must keep quiet." Fiona said. It was 'quiet' for the next three hours.
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Chapters Twenty-six through Thirty-one
