Into the Future

Mina’s Tale II – Part 1

The first thing that I heard from Nova was, “I was waiting for you to come for us”, and then nothing but silence.

She is so beautiful, dressed in her Sailor Warrior outfit, yellow and blue over the pure white leotard, but I could see that she used all her energy protecting herself and her young daughter from the raging firestorm. She collapsed in my arms. How little does she weight, it was like picking up a child; she is so beautiful with her black hair and smooth features. She took me by surprise when she looked at me with those dark green eyes, reached up to my face, stroked my cheek and raised herself to kiss me on the lips. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, I like boys but the kiss seemed so right and innocent that I couldn’t resist returning the kiss. I can’t begin to describe the taste of her lips upon mine; it was like honey and cinnamon, and it seemed so natural. She smiled at me with a smile so warm and inviting that it could melt an iceberg. She breathed heavily on my neck and slowly relaxed in my arms.

Susan was holding the expanding ball of energy as best as she could but I could see that it was a losing battle. Nova looked at the scene and waved her hand. We found ourselves standing in a different place or time; I couldn’t say which was correct. It was a featureless land with a path leading to the Gate of Time or a Gate; it’s hard to say and I didn’t ask. Susan offered to carry Nova but I knew that she had to get us back to our time and I knew, somehow, that he was my responsibility so I had her help me steady Nova on my back so I could carry her piggy back. I looked to my left and saw Serena with her priceless cargo. Serena had Nova’s daughter cradled against her chest protecting the small girl from any harm. It seemed natural for Serena to care for others but she seemed to have love in her steps.

We had come back into the past because Susan insisted that we rescue him and he would only leave at that exact instance when we thought that he and Chibi had died. I never understood time travelers or people that could see the future. Susan said that he insisted that it was to be done this way so Susan honored his request. I had never seen Susan like this, so driven in her convictions to save our two precious visitors. The Outer Warriors wanted to come but Susan told them that only two others were allowed with her and those two must be of Nova’s relatives. I knew that Serena had to go when Susan said that Nova and Serena’s mother, Queen Serenity, was siblings but I was stunned when she announced that I would come because I was Serena and Nova’s cousin; a blood relative to the royal family. I always thought that Serena and I were related somehow but we never knew until Susan told us. Susan met with the Outer Warriors and she hugged each one. As we were leaving, Erica rushed to Susan, held her hands and said, “Pluto, bring him back safely. He’s our world and future. Without him we have been lost for so long. We all love him.” She kissed Pluto on the cheeks and then crossed the room to hold Michelle’s hand. As we enter the doorway to the past, I heard Michelle say, “Erica, it will be fine. Nova is the strongest person that we know. We will get him back. You will be with your Prince and, maybe, I can get my princesses back.” I looked back and saw Terri take both their hands and smile at me. They knew something that they weren’t saying, something special to all the Sailor Warriors but they weren’t saying.

After we had rested for a time, Susan opened a doorway to the present and we hurried through the opening carrying our passengers. We arrived in Raye’s room at the temple in the future, or is this the present … I get so confused thinking about what we just accomplished. All the Sailor Warriors were present in the small room; the only ones that weren’t present were the cats, they said that had something to do and would come in a few hours. I could see each of their faces as they looked at the five of us faded into view. I felt Erica’s strong hand against my back as she relieved me of my burden. She held the young woman in her arms and slowly laid her down on Raye’s futon. Serena placed the small bundle that she carried next to Nova. Nova’s arm, even though she was asleep, folded over her daughter to protect her from all harm. Chibi rested her head against Nova’s shoulder and said, “Daddy”, before she fell asleep in Nova’s arms. Amy and Lita rushed to the cupboard and brought comforters to warm their bodies. Raye and Terri were preparing tea to warm them from the inside. I was in such a hurry to help them that I didn’t notice the broadsword across Nova’s back and gentle rolled her to side so I can take the sword from her back. Terri grabbed my hands before I could perform my task and said, “No, Mina. You shouldn’t touch the sword. It’s not evil but it is dangerous.” Terri retrieved her glaive from by the doorway and slowly moved the sword to the side of the room after I unbuckled the straps holding the scabbard. I looked at the sword, it didn’t see dangerous but I could feel the energy that it held in check. Was this the energy I felt when we were in the midst of the firestorm? What powers did the sword grant Nova and more importantly, why was Pluto so determined that we rescue her from the past?

I almost jumped out of my skin when Nova grabbed my left breast to raise her to embrace my neck but was still too weak to accomplish the task by alone. I started to rest her head on the pillow but I instead cradled her against my chest. I don’t know what’s going on, I mean, here’s a girl I have never met in my life and in ten minutes she has kissed me as a lover and grabbed my breast and here I was cradling her head against my chest. Something seemed wrong about this relationship but I knew in my heart that I loved her and not like I loved the other Sailors. It’s a love that transcends understanding or logic; a love that you can only feel for that one person in your life. I heard a giggle; I looked to my left, and saw Erica wink at Michelle and pointed to me. I didn’t care what they thought, I had Nova back and that was all that mattered. Now, wait, why did that thought come into my head. I don’t even know who the young women is and all I could think was that I had her in my arms again and I never wanted to let her leave my arms.

I gently laid Nova’s head on the pillow, brushing the stray hairs from her face and she smiled at me without waking. “Susan,” I said as I looked at Nova and her daughter, “can you explain more about these two and why do I feel this way about Nova?” Nova reached up to embrace me around the neck, I couldn’t push her away from me as she rest her head against my chest.

Susan sat down at the low table and poured herself a cup of tea, “He is Nova and the girl is his daughter, Chibi.” Serena interrupted, “You keep saying he and I can plainly see,” as she pointed to Nova whose head I had resting against my chest, “if we can get Mina’s chest away from her head, that she is definitely not a he. I may not be as bright as Amy but I can see that she has breasts and a figure like a girl so I doubt that anatomy is different in the past.” Raye looked at Serena, “Very good, we may have hope for you yet.” I could see that they were about to get into a shouting match but Lita step between them, “Wait, let Susan finish.”

Susan raised her head and looked at Nova and me, “Nova is in the persona of Sailor Super Nova and not his normal appearance. To contain the full power of the Nova Crystal, he changes into a female form.”

“Oh, you mean like the Star Lights! They changed into girls”, shouted Serena from across the room. Raye punched Serena in ribs, very softly, and told the blonde in no uncertain terms that she should keep quiet. Susan continued, “Nova is our leader, our powers comes from him, he is the first Sailor Warrior and we had to save him. He told me what was going to happen a thousand years ago and what to do in his and Chibi’s rescue.” She took another sip of tea and cleared her throat, “To answer you question, Mina, he or she if you wish is your husband and Chibi is your child.”

My mind reeled for a few seconds and the room was utterly quiet as everyone looked at me. “My husband and child?” was all that I could get out of my mouth as Nova kissed my neck and made himself, I got to start thinking of him as a man, comfortable against me. My thoughts are becoming clearer, my body and heart was reacting to Nova like it should, it’s just is my mind that was giving me trouble. I looked over to Serena as the young child was slowly drinking some tea, “She is my daughter?”

“Yes, Chibi Mina is your daughter and Nova is your husband and you loved them more than anything in the universe. They are your family.” Susan looked up, “If we didn’t save them from the explosion, they would have probably died and their power would be lost forever.”

Lita tucked the blanket around Nova and me. He’s so warm against my body, it’s like something that was missing from me was returned. The Outer Warriors stood to leave, “Please protect them”, said Erica as she walked to the door, “They are important to us all. Bye, my Prince.”

The two new visitors were sleeping peacefully when Raye looked at Lita and said, “Remind you of your old boyfriend?” Lita was about ready to pounce on Raye when she looked at Nova, “No, especially like this, she doesn’t remind me of an old boyfriend but instead of a lost friend that has returned after many years. It seems that we are whole again.” I could only agree with her; something that has been missing from my life is back and I had no idea what I’m going to do but I knew that I had to try to understand my feelings.

After about two hours, my back was getting sore so I placed Nova on the futon, covered him up and went to the back of the room with Amy. “Amy, it’s hard to imagine that they are my family. I can’t remember anything about them but my heart tells me that they are close to me but still, my husband and daughter, … I don’t know how to act around them.” Amy placed her arms around me, “Mina, if you follow your heart, you won’t have a problem. Just let things develop and see how they work out. You have to remember that they love you; no matter what happens.”

The cats selected this precise moment to arrive. Artemis ran over to Nova and nuzzled against his face, “My friend, it has been so long.” Luna came over to Amy and me and sat down between us. Amy started stroking the cat. “We’re sorry that we didn’t come sooner. I wanted to check the data that Amy collected during the battle with the Unstoppable to see if we could find out what happened.” Amy picked up the black cat and placed her on her lap, “Well, what did you find?” Luna looked up at Amy and then me, “We found a time distortion that we didn’t think to look for before. If we would have done a complete analysis we probably would have found it but we all were,” she stopped for a couple of seconds, “devastated by Nova and Chibi’s death that we could do anything. Artemis took it the hardest and devoted him to Mina as the only bonded person he had left. When he found that Mina’s spirit was on the Earth that he traveled three thousand miles to find her. I feel so glad for him but we had to make sure that it’s Nova.” I was glad that Artemis had someone else; he’s my kitty but I would be more than willing to share him with Nova and Chibi.

The little girl, my daughter, stirred in Serena’s arms and opened her eyes, “Hi, Serena, did we destroy the monster?” Serena looked at us and then at her, “Yes, dear, it’s gone but your father is not doing well.” Chibi looked around the room and saw her father on the futon. “Well, sillies, he can’t heal fully when he’s a girl, it takes too much of his power to keep that form. We just have to activate his crystal in the locket, return him to normal and he’ll be fine in a couple of minutes.”

Raye heard the little girl and reached over to Nova’s chest to open the locket containing the Nova Crystal and with a flash of bright light she was thrown across the room into the wall. “What happened?” cried Serena as Lita, Amy and me rushed to see our fallen companion. Raye was fine, she just had the wind knocked out of her. Raye let Lita help her up, “I’m fine. Never had anything like that happen to me. It was raw unbridled power like the silver crystal but vastly more powerful.”

Chibi struggled out of Serena’s arms and ran across the room to see if Raye was hurt. She hugged the young priestess and said, “Raye, what are you thinking. Don’t you know that only Mommy and Daddy can touch the Nova Crystal while he’s Sailor Super Nova?” I looked at the crowd that was staring at me and cross the room to where Nova slept peacefully. Slowly, I touched the crystal and a shimmering light came over Nova’s body and I saw him transform back into a young man. I may have seen too much of his transformation because I was inside the light and well, I’m going to remember; never to have a camera running inside the “light” area of our transformation. He is my husband was all I could say to myself.

He was asleep before me. He is handsome and strong. My heart gave me to him at that moment. I have always been chasing boys even when I was little but I never felt like any of them like I felt about him. He stole my heart when he was a girl and now I would give it to him freely. His black hair felt soft in my hands as I placed his head on my lap. When he would wake, I was determined that I would be the first thing that he saw and felt; even if I had to stay with his head in my lap for the rest of my life. Now, maybe that wouldn’t be a bad life.

I looked at Chibi and noticed that she must have finally realized she was in a strange place. A look of fear come over her face that broke my heart, “Mommy, where are we? I don’t think we’re on the Moon.” With those words she rushed over to grab me by the waist. She was like a scared rabbit clinging to her mother. I moved and placed an arm around her and she pressed her head against my shoulder. I kissed her on the top of her head, “It’s a long story, honey, many things have happened.

She looked at me, “I don’t know who you are but you’re not my mommy.” I started to release the little girl but she grabbed my neck with a strength that surprised me. She nestled her head against my neck, “You may not have gave birth to me but you are Mina and your soul is that of my mother; please hold me.” I held the small girl in my arms as she sobbed deeply against my neck. I could feel her tears run down to my chest and I started crying with her. I may not have given birth to her but in every other way, she is my daughter and I will love her until the day I die.

Chibi feel asleep after five minutes of sobbing. It must hurt her inside to realize that everything that she knew was gone. Stripped from her like damp pages from a wet book. I must have looked a sight with Chibi hanging from my neck and Nova’s head on my lap. I suddenly noticed a stirring from Nova. He looked up at me with those green eyes, “Hi, Love.” I felt a power within him as he sat up and took his daughter from my shoulder and cradled her in his arms. “We are on the Earth and a thousand years in the future. I guess the path to tomorrow held true. Nothing remains of our great kingdom … except a small group of Sailors.” I saw tears well in his eyes. I can’t bear to see him sad. I wanted to hold him in my arms and comfort him but I didn’t know how he would react. I am Mina but not the Mina that he knew. I don’t think that anyone could have love him as much as I but I didn’t want to tarnish his feelings for me … the past me.

Serena came up to Nova and kissed him on the cheek, “Nova, we had to bring you to the future. Chibi and you would have died in the firestorm if Pluto hadn’t brought you back to us. Please forgive us, we just couldn’t let you die, we need your knowledge and strength now. Pluto said that you told her that there was nothing you can change in the past, it was pre-determined and even with all your powers, you couldn’t change the future and save the Moon Kingdom.”

Nova gave a great sigh as if he was in pain. Chibi woke in her father arms, “Daddy, everything will be all right. You saw that we would not fight with the Sailor Warriors in the last battle. Our past is gone, our family is still here and they need us.” Nova looked at us almost sizing us up, “Their spirits are here in these bodies, they have changed very little but they are missing the magic and training that they need to defeat any enemy. I guess we’ll have to train them.”

Nova sat up and each of us walked to him, hugged him, and kissed him on the cheeks. I stayed back; I don’t know how they will accept me. He held his arms up to me. I wanted to run to Nova and kiss him but I don’t know if I should. The matter was taken out of my hands when Serena pushed me forward. I stumbled and fell in Nova’s strong arms. He looked at me and said, “Hello, I’m Nova and … I love you.” With those three simple words, we began a new life together. Not as man and wife, that, hopefully will come later but we were bonded together by love. We are a family. I have a man that I love and his, no, our daughter. I am complete. I knew we had to get to know each other but I felt in my heart that he would be with me forever. Life is wonderful but we have a long way to go before it’s perfect. I think that I will enjoy the ride.

So ends Part 1, next we’ll see a little more about the opening days of this tale. Nova has to gain knowledge of this time and try to fit into the present. How will his relationships with the Sailors develop and what’s in store for Mina and Nova. So stay tune for the next installation, A Family Reunion.