The Past Revisited

Mina’s Tale II – Part 6

I awoke in the comfort of our bed but I was cold. I tucked the cover close to me but couldn’t break the chill of the room. I reached towards Nova for warmth and realized that he was not in the bed with me. I bolted out of bed and looked around the room. Where was he, is he hurt or in pain? My mind raced with the thought of my love being in danger or in pain. I saw that a light was coming from the dressing area of our bathroom so I ran to the room. I kept imaging the worst, Nova collapsed on the floor without me near him to help. As I entered the dressing room I noticed Nova sitting in a chair with needle and thread calmly putting a vertical split in the back of a gold jacket. He was male again. My heart resumed its normal pace, “Love, what’re you doing?” He put down the needle, stood and put his arms in the sleeves of the jacket. “It’s amazing, darling!” he said as he grasped me in his arms. “I have wings all the time.” To show me the wonder, he concentrated and his wings grow through the flap in his jacket and enveloped me in their downy warmth. I felt so happy for him but as he pressed me against his body I noticed that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. I put my hands on his bare chest, “Nova, aren’t you cold. Please put a shirt on to keep warm before you get sick and I have to nurse you through the flu.” He laughed and picked up a shirt with the same slit in the back and I took it from him and started to hold it for him. He must have noticed me shivering in the chilled air. “Mina, I’m sorry about the cold. Suite, readjust room standards to Venus.” Instantly, the room began to warm and a delicate scent of roses filled the air. It was so wonderful to be in the room surrounded by everything that I love. The stress of worry over Nova being injured was gone as warm scented air filled the room. I was warm but I don’t know if it was the warm air or just being in Nova’s arms for a few moments. “I’m so sorry, Mina. The room adjusted to my standards but with a higher body temperature in this body, the room adjusted to maintain a normal temperature.

I placed my forehead against him to check his temperature. He was warm to my touch. “Oh my! Now, get back to bed and I’ll get Amy and Michelle and we’ll get the fever down.” Nova grabbed me around the waist and kissed me on the lips. He held me against him, “Mina, slow down. My body has been changed by the crystals and this temperature is normal for me.” I placed my head against his chest and held him tight. “Nova, I’ll never understand. You are the most frustrating person that I have every met and if I wasn’t so in love with you I would tell you to leave me alone.” I thought for a second, “What do you mean the crystals changed you?” Nova sat down in the chair and placed me on his lap with me still holding his shirt in my hands. “It’s hard to explain. The crystals have always been a part of me but they never released their full power into me for fear that my body could not hold the power.” He kissed me on the neck and I placed my cheek against him. He is warmer than before but it’s comforting that he was all right. “I had to release my fears and when I faced the Unstoppable and released the Cosmic Bane, my fears dissolved in the brilliant light of the attack. I was not afraid to use the ultimate power if it was used for the good of the universe but the light being had to draw in its strength together to empower me so it arranged for me to be transported into the future when it would be at full power.” He sighed, “There is so much more to tell the Sailor Warriors, some of it you already know but I held from them and other things that I even withheld from you and Serena. Maybe now is the time for everything to come out.” I kissed him on the neck, “Well, you right. No use to go over this twice.” I rose from his lap and went to the closet for some clothes. Nova stayed in the chair. “Uh, are you still here?” I said. He looked at me, “Well, you saw everything last night so I just was returning the favor.” I giggled, “I had to undress you last night but until we’re married there are certain privileges that you don’t have in our relationship. Now, get dress and go outside and start breakfast.” I threw the shirt at him playfully.

I looked around the closet for something to wear and I saw on a small dressing table a transformation pen similar to the one that I use to transform into Sailor Venus. I picked it up and memories came to my mind. This pen was the one that I used to create outfits for myself. Nova had given it to me as a present but I knew he just wanted me to dress faster. I thought for a second and raised the pen, “Venus Transform into the vision in my mind”. Light flowed around me and I saw myself in the mirror. I was wearing a blue and orange sundress that I pictured in my mind. Open-toed sandals were on my feet and a red bow tied my head back from my face. I hurried to the bedroom to show Nova but the door was closing so I followed him out the room but for some reason I kept quiet.

I saw Nova walk across the Grand Hall to the kitchen. Lita was in the kitchen mixing some batter for pancakes that was to be the main course of our breakfast. Nova cleared his throat when he entered the kitchen. Lita turned and saw Nova. She placed the bowl on the counter and ran across the kitchen to Nova. Nova held out his arms and Lita wrapped her arms around him. They hugged, “Lita, always the first up in the morning making breakfast for everyone.” Lita hugged him tighter, “Nova, I was so worried last night. Are you okay?”

Nova kissed Lita on the cheek. “Lita, everything’s fine. Let me help you with the pancakes. Mina ran me out of the bedroom while she was getting dress. She said something about not being married so I didn’t have certain privileges. Lita started to laugh. It’s pleasant to see her laugh after all we have been through the last two years. She seemed so serious in the war against Galaxia. Maybe, she was going back to being her old self. I pray that she would become the free-spirited friend that I knew in the past. I heard Lita ask Nova a question, “Nova, are you and Mina serious about getting married? I mean you’re both still too young.”

Nova hugged Lita, “Lita, Mina is my soul, my best friend. We were married young last time but we have loved each other since our spirit has been in existence. Others may have peaked our interest but we are committed to each other for eternity. It seemed that the universe wants us together so who are we to fight its will.”

“Nova, what do you mean by ‘since our spirit has been in existence’?” Nova thought for a second, “It’s so hard to understand, I can barely comprehend the principle myself. The Sailors are created from the same power of the stars and planets so our spirits have existed for a long time … eons mean nothing for us.” Nova sat down on a stool while Lita went back to the batter. I came up behind him and hugged him from behind. “Go ahead, Love. Please explain it for us.” Nova leaned back against my chest. I was starting to get use to this action but I’m sure that I had to get him to stop doing this action when my parents were around. “Well, you know that I can and have looked through different times and dimensions. Every era had a different version of the Sailor Warriors. As far as I can tell our spirits have been in existence for over a million years but just as easy could have existed since the universe was formed.” I noticed the other Sailors coming into the kitchen but keeping quiet as not to disturb Nova. “Sometimes we were victorious in battles against our enemies and other times we lost miserably. No matter what, we were a family and we face death or glory as a group. In all those eras, you have been there for me, Mina. You have been a prize for me to win. I always fought my best when you were at my side. I love you so much.” I cradled Nova’s head against me and kissed the top of his head. “Nova, I will always be there for you. I’ll love you forever.” We were quiet for a couple of minutes but then each Sailor came and hugged Nova. I think that each of them wanted to prove that he was real and all right. Chibi came into the kitchen with Serena and the moment she saw Nova, she ran into his arms. My two loves together at one place. They are so beautiful when they are together. I have to ask Nova later about other children. After we are married, I think I would like a couple more kids around the house.

Michelle took over the gang that was forming in the kitchen. Lita and Nova made the main course, the pancakes. Chibi and Serena went to the large “cold” pantry, well, that was what Nova called it, to get juice and milk. It seemed to be a walk in refrigerator but that would be a modern word it. Amy and Raye were instructed by Susan to go through a door off the kitchen where they would find trees for the breakfast fruit. It’s amazing but everything that we would need was inside the Fortress. I didn’t even asked how Nova was growing trees inside or where the milk came from for the meal. I guess some things are better left unquestioned. The rest of the Sailors prepared the table for breakfast. The food was placed on the table but we were quiet as we ate because no one wanted to ask Nova about the events of the past night. I could see the look of worry on every face and I knew that could see it on mine. I did my heart go to see Nova eat five pancakes with some grapes. At least he has a good appetite this morning.

After breakfast, Nova led us to the gardens. Wonderful gardens of every plant that you could imagine grew from the rich loam. He grew the wings from his back and slowly rose in the air. Flying among the branches of the trees with such ease led my heart to understand that he was fine. He settled down on a small bench and we gathered around him; a teacher surrounded by his students. “I know what’s in everyone’s mind.” We all looked at him with wide eyes. “I talked a little about it with Mina but I think I need to tell you about the formation of the Sailor Warriors and a little of the past that brought us to the edge of destruction.” Nova looked at us and I noticed a small tear in his right eye. It pains me to see him sad but he had to get the story out for all the Sailors. “First, the Sailors were my response to the Negaverse. Serenity didn’t have anything to do with it and in fact tried to persuade me into not forming the group. She didn’t understand the threat that they posed to us. She was lax in developing a strategy against them so I started the High Guards and research into the power and magic of the planets to find a way to infused them in human bodies.”

Chibi crawled on her father’s lap, “Only two of you here today knows the true story of Serena and mine day of birth. You may know that my parents were killed in a blast but few knew that I was the cause of that blast.” I heard an audible sigh for the group. I knew the story and realize that it wasn’t really Nova but the Dark Queen. “The blast that destroyed the hospital wing was a direct result of the Negaverse interference with the natural course of the universe. They were trying to form the Dark Queen by infusing the power of the Nova Crystal inside the body of a royal child. They needed a newborn that was without thought or sin, an innocent victim for their amusement. I was born two minutes before Serena and the Negaverse threw the power of the Nova Crystal at my new born body in hope that the crystal’s power would take over my soul. They failed in part because even though I became the Dark Queen, my soul still fought for my life and being. I looked and saw my beloved sister standing before me with her newborn child in her arms. She held the Silver Crystal out to me and I heard the voice of the crystals ask me what was my choice. I thought for a minute with the awesome knowledge that being the Dark Queen has given me. I reached out for the Silver Crystal and drew an equal part of it into myself thereby balancing the law and chaos forces within my body. I changed to a small child but I kept the vast knowledge that I gathered as the Dark Queen. I had an adult mind inside the body of a child. I would tell you that there is no greater punishment to be able to do anything with your mind but having your body betray you. I’m just lucky that my little girl grew up quickly so she didn’t have to go through that difficult time.” He kissed the little girl on the back of her head, “Chibi, can you get me so juice?” The little girl ran to the kitchen and soon returned with a glass of orange juice that she handed to her father.

“Thank you, Princess.” Nova took a long sip of the juice, “Serenity bundled Serena and myself and started a new life. The Negaverse had made one mistake, for them to have absolute control over the Dark Queen they needed a female body. I was male so I controlled myself and never bowed to the power of the Negaverse.”

Serena sat down beside Nova and took his hand in hers. “Nova, I can’t imagine what you went through but why didn’t everyone know the story of the Dark Queen?”

“Serena, most of the hospital’s staff was more concerned with saving the patients from the explosion and not what was happening to three small people. But to give you a better answer, Serenity and myself decided to keep the secret that she was harboring the most dangerous entity in the universe. We could only imagine what the planets’ populace would have thought about the greatest possible enemy of them being raised as a royal prince. Serenity wanted to keep me close to her. She loved me with all her heart but she realized that she was the only person that could stop the Dark Queen if she would ever rise from her sleep.”

I sat down on the other side of Nova and took his hand. “Nova is that why you and Serena are so close. The two of you were raised together. Serenity was hoping that you would find the same love for Serena that you felt for her so she could stand against the Dark Queen and stop her with the love in her heart.”

“Yes, we were a family and I think that Serenity would have done everything in her power to keep us together. I think that she was so scare to let me out of her sight that she treated me more like a son than a brother.” Nova gripped my hand tighter. “She convinced everyone that I was special since I was the first male born in the royal family for over five hundred years. Well, since my father’s birth no male had been born even though over two hundred girls were born to the descendants of the first king.

Amy walked to stand in front of Nova. I could tell that she was deep in thought. “Nova, you said that Serenity was lax in her response to the Negaverse. Was she lax because she accepted that you had the power of the crystals inside you and thought the Negaverse was powerless without the Nova Crystal?”

Nova walked to Amy and reached for her hand, “You was always the smart one, Amy.” Nova raised her hand to his lips and he gave it a kiss. Amy blushed deep red when Nova looked down on the small girl and gave her a small kiss on the lips. Amy was shocked and so was I but I realized that Nova kissed all the Sailors in this manner except me. We had a more ‘friendly’ relationship. Amy quieted down and rested her head against Nova’s chest. “I’m sorry Amy but I kissed all the Sailors. We are a family and we always behaved as a close family.” Amy looked into Nova’s eyes, “That’s all right and I think I can get use to it.” She reached up and gently kissed Nova.

I cleared my throat as I stepped between the two of them, “Okay, a little is fine but all of you remember that he is my fiancé.” I put my arms around Nova’s waist and locked them against his back. He reacted in the same manner, “If I may continue,” he said as he gave me a lingering kiss and released me but took my hand in his strong hand. “Serena and I grew up almost like twins. In fact, for a while Serenity dressed us in the same colors until Serena began to favor pink and white and I wore blue and gold. I soon determined that I was developing at an amazing rate and because of my close contact with her; Serena was far in advance of her true age. At one year, we were walking, talking and reading in advance of all but the most learned scholars. I petitioned the royal court for permissions to run my own life and finances. Serenity reluctantly granted my petition and within two weeks had increased my personal fortune a hundredfold making me the richest person in the Silver Kingdom. I soon found out that wealth was not the most important power in the universe if it breaks apart your family.”

Nova paused and I sense that he was disturbed. I sat him down on the bench and handed him his juice. He took a sip of the juice and handed me the glass. I placed the glass back on the table and sat down in his lap with my arm around his shoulder. He talked about this time only fleeting in the past. He wrapped his arms around me and I laid my head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and rested his cheek against my head. “I learned just in time that my family and health was the most important things to me. I realized that I had to protect Serenity, Serena, and my future bride from all harm. This protection was the reason that I journeyed throughout the kingdom until I found Jadeite and made him my first general. Together we recruited the first hundred men who became the leaders of the High Guards and my personal troops and then we built …”

Nova stopped his narrative and I felt his arms tightening around me. “Nova, is everything all right?” He kissed me, “Yes, Love. I just was remembering things that I wish that I could forget. The High Guard was my first line of defense but I applied genetic engineering to the moon cats in the Palace and developed six cats that led to Luna and Artemis that would be guardians of the Sailor Warriors in the future.” Nova waved his hand and suddenly the two cats appeared in our midst. “Please my little friends take your seats. No one knew about the next part, not even Serenity or Serena, or could even imagine what was going through my mind. I’m afraid that I was not in my right mind at the time.” Artemis went to Chibi who picked him up and put him in her lap. Luna walked to Serena who reached down and hugged Luna before placing the cat in her lap. Nova withheld a secret from us all those years. What could it be?

I could see a small tear form in the corner of his eye. “I was young and fearful of the Negaverse. I didn’t know the power of the starburst was flowing through me. I only knew that there was a great force that was threatening my family. I let my fears overcome my senses and developed technologies far beyond what was even considered possible. I distorted all the principles of the universe to design weapons of such destructive power that the universe could be in danger from their power. I created warships and weapons that could destroy a small planet but my worst creation was the micro-spatial singularity.”

I didn’t understand what Nova had said so I looked to Amy but before she could say anything Susan jumped up for her seat and in a scream said, “A miniature black hole? You created a black hole!” She closed the distance between herself and Nova and I saw the fear in her eyes. Susan always was the most stable of us but her outburst scared me to the depth of my soul. Nova seemed disturbed by her outburst but she settled down when she saw the sorrow in his eyes and just hugged Nova, crushing him to her with an air of forgiveness that could be felt in the garden.

I recalled learning in school that a black hole was a space object of unimagined power and from the limited knowledge that I had acquired. I was scared. I knew that a black hole has never been seen but thought to be a collapsed star that had such a strong gravity that even light couldn’t escape its hold. Susan asked Nova to forgive him and the only response was to kiss her on the cheeks. He walked a short distance away. “Yes, I created the principles behind creating black holes and did create one in the cavern beneath this Fortress. A hundred feet below this room is a black hole held in balance by the primal forces of the universe. It’s what protected the Fortress from all the forces of the universe. Nothing can penetrate the Fortress; not even time unless the Fortress allows it. In fact, on Earth, only a few minutes have passed since we left and not the night and morning that we experienced. It is the most dangerous of my inventions and the most useful because it held the Negaverse at bay while Serenity summoned the final powers of the Silver Crystal to defeat them. The Fortress couldn’t directly help her because its powers are only within these walls but its mere presence on the moon discouraged them from making an all out attack.”

I looked at my love; he was going through so many emotions at one time. “I think that all we need to know now. Nova has just undergone a serious transformation and he needs to regain his strength.” I walked to where Nova was standing and he hugged me close. “If everyone gather around, we’ll head for our homes on Earth.” We all gather in a circle around Nova. I could see that each of us had many questions for him but no one said anything. Nova raised his hands and we were enveloped in light and found ourselves in Nova’s apartment. He was right; we were only gone ten minutes. We settled down and started talking among ourselves. We spent four hours discussing the past but none of us mention Nova’s greatest weapon and the one that caused him the most pain. He had suffered enough in the past. I wished that I was around him during that time but I can’t dwell on the past. Our future is brighter because Nova’s power is stronger than ever. He rested on the couch and I lay against him as our family started a card game. He hooked a leg over my hips and nestled his chin against my neck. I could feel him stroking my hair and I gave a deep sigh. I have never felt like this before. All my senses were electrified when he touches me. I was becoming an addict to his touch but I would never ask him to stop. It was actually a good addiction.

I began thinking about the future, “Nova, are all of enemies gone?” The room became quiet as all eyes turned to us. Nova rested his chin on my ear. “No, our most dangerous enemy is close at hand. The other was strong inside Galaxia but it only took one of the forms of Chaos. I can feel a power building its strength in the far reaches of the solar system but it won’t attack soon. No, it will attack when it thinks it has an advantage and our guard is down. It maybe tomorrow, next week, or next year but it will come and we have to ready for that day. We will be ready. We will stand against anything it has to throw at us and will win in the end because we can’t afford to lose. We are standing on the largest nexus point in time and our actions can change everything that comes after us. The future is depending on us. We will not fail.”

I looked at all my ‘sisters’. Each hung on every word he said except Susan. Her only movement was a simple nod of her head. What will the future hold? Who or what is our new enemy? I thought for a second and dismissed everything from my mind because I can get through anything the universe can throw at me as long as Nova was at my side. After a few minutes, everyone went back to the games and I heard a soft snore behind me. Nova had fallen asleep with me in his arms. After an hour, everyone started to get ready for bed. They pulled their futons from the hall closet and we all slept in Nova’s living room. We all wanted to be near him. The last thing that I saw before I fell asleep was the smiles on Serena and Chibi’s faces and my baby’s lips move and whispered, “I love you, Mommy.”

A new enemy on the horizon to torment our young friends? What does the future hold for our Sailors? Stay tune for the next installment, “Bad Moon on the Rise” for the answer and what the first days at school holds for Nova and Mina.