Return

Mina’s Tale III – Part 1

The war with the Black Moon is over but the damage that they did to the Earth is beyond measure. We are slowly returning to normal under Serena and Darien but I miss Nova and Chibi with all my heart. They were away from the Earth traveling space searching for the generals. They were accompanied in their mission to find the ‘lost sheep’ by the Outer Sailors, except for Susan. Our most powerful fighters were away from Serena and us when the Death Phantom and the Black Moon clan attacked but with help from the past, we were able to defeat the invaders. Serena has her heart set on bringing the surviving members of the clan into Crystal Tokyo and welcoming them into our midst. She’s probably right but it still hurts to think that they would have sided with something as evil as the Death Phantom but Artemis said it best, “They are us and we would be them if the same situation had happened.” I know in my heart that he’s right, even for a nosy cat, but I still wish that Nova were standing by my side and saying that it’s the correct thing to do with the clan. I also feel better when Nova agrees with a course of action but I hadn’t told him about Serena’s plan. Serena has to rise and fall on her own judgment. She is the Queen and has to be seen as able to make her own decision without help from Darien or Nova. She has really grown up in the last seven hundred years but every now and then, I see that young girl that we love come to the surface. Looking back, I think those early years was the best of our lives. Maybe it’s because we didn’t realize what responsibility for others that we held in our hands that made them so carefree and happy. Now the weight of a million souls lay in our hands every moment of the day. I wish those good old days would return.

Nova and Chibi have only been gone for three months but my heart tells me and believes that it has been many years. It’s hard to wake in the morning without him by my side with his arm draped over me and holding me tight to his warm body. He always seemed to be by my side forever but it’s only been over seven hundred years and some changes have occurred during that time. The changes are small between Nova and me but we love each other that we think alike. One mind inside two bodies is how Amy explains it. She looked at us both, “You two are too much alike, if Nova starts a sentence, and you can finish it.” It’s not that bad but we have developed the same taste and attitude but it’s probably because we are always together during the day and night.

The most dramatic change of all of us is my little girl; well, she’s not so little anymore. She appears to be around fourteen years old, a girl just developing into a beautiful young lady but she has been that age for three hundred years. It’s not easy having a teenager around for those years but she’s a good girl and has given us little cause for alarm. Nova doesn’t think that it’s unusual for her to stop growing because it’s common. Nova explains common in a simple way, “We are different from everyone. Look at Terri; she is still fourteen after all these years. We age when we wish and not before. We are the determinant factor in the way other perceives us. We control our bodies through the crystals that we carry. Chibi will grow when she needs to grow but until then, allow her to enjoy her teen years.” He’s correct about her but she’s still my child and I have the right to worry about her.

Chibiusa is another matter. She is a wonderful child, full of questions and wonder but she reminds me so much of Serena that it’s hard to distinguish between them. Her parents love her so much but constantly concerned about the reason that she stopped growing at six years old. Nova explained it simply, “Serena, don’t worry about her. She’s normal for a Sailor Warrior which, of course, means the she’s not normal. She will grow in due time but she has to undergo crisis and turmoil to develop internally as a person. Until she finds herself, she doesn’t need the power that she will wield one day.” With those words, he lifted his pink haired grand niece and held her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss. He reached for Chibi’s hand and the three of them went into the gardens to play.

I stood by Serena just watching them enjoy themselves in the courtyard, “Mina, Nova’s the most frustrating person that I have every known; worse than my father. He takes everything in stride. Nothing upset him or even make him think beyond the present.” I put my arm around my friend’s shoulder, “He is a strong believer in fate but he realizes that he can do little about the universe unless it wants help. He’s so powerful that I believe that he can cleave the heavens in two but he would rather make someone happy.” Serena giggled and looked at me, “You’re right. He’s best when he makes other happy. Changing the subject, have you and him been trying to … well … have another child?” I was startled at her question for a second, “Serena, we … uh … try as often as we can but Nova points out, we are Sailor Warriors and we reproduce rarely but we will continue to try as do you and Darien.” Serena blushed at my words but I continued, “Nova explains it as ‘the near immortal has little reason to reproduce’ but he tries with all his heart. I love him with all mine and I know that one day … I’ll have a new life in me but I’m not going to worry about it. A child will come in its own time.” We spent the next hour in small talk as my husband played hide and seek with the youngest members of his family.

Today, my love ones are returning with the four that they left to find. Nova’s generals are dear to him and he had to find them after they helped us against the four avatars many years ago. We didn’t have our memories before nor had met Susan yet or we would have fought for their souls when they were the henchmen of Queen Beryl. Serena knew that they weren’t all evil because Nephrite sacrificed himself to save Naru-chan from the monster sent to stop him. The generals just lost their way in the world when Nova appeared to die fighting the Unstoppable at Styx. He held himself responsible for their ‘defection’ to the Negaverse and did anything in his power to find them. When he could leave the Earth to search the heavens for his friends, he left to explore the stars once more. He talked to me all doing his voyage and it was when he found Zoicite that the Black Moon attacked. When we came out of the crystal that was protecting the city, I heard his pleading to me to answer him and I reached out my heart towards him. He pushed his starship to its limit to be at my side and to hold me in his arms once again. Three months seems like a lifetime when your love is not at your side.

This journey started years ago with the Fortress searching every piece of the night sky to find any clue of where the generals had gone after the disappeared from the Earth. After the first one was found, everything fell into place and soon he was preparing his ship to find them. Kunzite was waiting for him on a planet that bore no life but him. He was always the strongest of the generals and would survive anything to be once by his friend’s side. The ship landed on the planet and there he was standing in his gray uniform with a large smile on his face. I could see him in Nova’s mind as he kneeled before Nova, “My Lord, please forgive me for not being strong enough to resist the negative force.” He stayed in that position until Nova reached down and grabbed him around his shoulders. “Kunzite, you are welcome in my service.” Kunzite rose in Nova’s arm and embraced him. I felt his love flow from his body into Nova’s and I rejoice in the warmth of his welcome.

We had receive one that was lost back in our midst but what did this mean to the future? Will their return change something that Nova seen in one of his visions? Like he always says, “The future is malleable, nothing is concrete when you are dealing with the unknown.” I think that it’s the future that scares Nova the most. He always put up a strong presence when he’s around everyone else but he can’t fool me. I know him too well to be deceived by his facade of strength. Deep inside he’s still a little boy who never had the comfort of a mother. I guess that why I try to be as close as I can to Chibi. I look at Nova and realize that his sister loved him with all her heart but nothing can replace the love of your mother. He can only release his sorrow when we are alone late at night. I clasped his head to my chest and he sobs his sorrow against my breasts. I don’t know if he cries for the past or the future but he tears soak my gowns. My heart breaks every time that he sobs but I’m his soul mate and I will stay by his side and hold his love in my hands.

He quickly found the other generals and was on his way home. Home, Crystal Tokyo, yes, that was our home. We made it ours by our sweat and tears over the last seven hundred years and we almost lost it but in the end we were victorious. It will take a couple of months to clean up the mess but the fields are coming back green and healthy. Green is such a lovely color especially when it appears on the lands that were devastated so many years ago by the Unstoppable. Darien is planning to start a colony on the mainland in the area of China in an effort to bring the Earth back to where it once was with life filling every niche. The world is starting to approach normalcy but we’ll never depend on technology again. Magic, psionic powers, strength of one’s being, whatever name you would place upon the force behind the Sailor Warrior is manifesting itself in the populace. Amy believes that given ten generations that everyone on the face of the Earth will possess powers similar in strength to ours when we first started out in the twentieth century. I guess that you can call it a survival trait. These powers will help them strive in the future when the world will be a wilder place. Nova has already told us that we need to move to the moon soon in order to let the humans develop at their own pace. Serena will still hold court at the Crystal Palace but we will dwell on the moon with some of our retainers. Mankind needs to develop with less influence of us. They need to learn to protect themselves because Nova is planning to end the war with the Other and he cannot provide them the protection that he once demonstrated against evil.

The night before he left, he held me close to him, “Mina, I grew tire of the never-ending battles. I think that I know what we need to be do to decide the final outcome but we need to leave the Earth to its own.” I nestled my head against his neck, “Can we really leave the Earth and all that we have made?” I heard the laughter start in his chest, “Mina, all we made? Man is not our destiny in life. We have to think of the universe. The generals are only the first steps in our last battle. When I return with them, we will move to the moon and the fortress to gather our force for the last battle.” I didn’t say anything, I pledged myself to him long ago and I wasn’t going to try to change his mind now. He discussed some of his plan with all the Sailors at the breakfast before he left. We all agreed and started to make plan for the move but the Black Moon’s invasion threw off our schedule. They only delay the move for a couple of weeks. We will still be ready to move upon Nova’s return.

He is our leader and we will follow wherever he leads us in our quest to … to what? Why are we fighting this war? I know why I started fighting, as Sailor V to help destroy the criminals that I knew was not of this planet. A noble cause and I did well in that role of crime fighter. My family moved back to Japan and I met the Sailors and joined their battle against the Negaverse and I stayed with them to fight the good fight. We battled creatures and powers beyond our understanding but it wasn’t until Galaxia that we face a primal force of the universe, Chaos. Nova told me that Chaos was only associated with the Other as a partner but is part of the Other. I can’t say that I understand him completely but I trust him in my heart.

My heart, yes, my heart is glad today. Tonight, I’ll have my love at my side when we hold a party to welcome our generals back to our fold. We have been planning for weeks. Lita organized everything and Michelle and her are doing the most of the cooking. Serena and I are making the dessert but everyone is doing whatever she can to make the return a joyful occasion. It’s strange, many years ago, we fought against them when they sided with Queen Beryl but that’s in the past. Nova explained that they went insane when he disappeared from the battle at Styx so they were just ships at sea with rudders – going aimlessly wherever the wind blew. My heart goes out to them, calling them home to the ones that love them.

My heart is pounding in my chest. Today, I’m going to see my loves ones again. It has only been a short while since they left but my heart yearns for them. Every moment of the day is taken up by thoughts and memories of them. You grow use to having someone around for over seven hundred years that when they leave for a while, you are lost without them.

I see the small star moving across the vastness of space and I knew it was they even before Nova threw his thoughts in my mind. “Mina, darling, we won’t be long. Just wait there and we will come to you.” I stood on the surface of the moon looking as the great ship grew in size against the Earth. Yes, it was the Princess Mina, a ship that survived over fifteen hundred years in the sands of Mars where it hid itself after the Negaverse attack. Nova searched for it but two hundred years ago, it responded by shaking the loose sand that accumulated around it from its exhausts and hurried to the moon to be reunited with its master. It still appears as powerful today as the first day I saw it as a seven years old girl waiting for her true love. Now, it was bringing my love back to me. I pushed against Nova’s mental shield and he let me in. I saw all the specifics of each general’s discovery. I did it to save time but also I wanted to touch anything of Nova before I hugged his physical body.

The ship settled majestically upon the dusty surface, I started to run towards the ship but Nova’s words hung in my mind and I decided to wait where I stood. The hatch opened and the gangplank extended itself to the ground and the four generals, led by Jadeite, stoically walked down to the surface. I looked hard at them; they had changed since I saw them with the Negaverse. They looked weary but in good health and each wore a smile when they saw me. I couldn’t contain myself any longer and rushed to reach them. I threw myself in Jadeite’s arms and kissed him on the cheek. Soon, I had greeted all of them in the same manner and the other Sailors with Serena leading the charge joined me in their own greetings. I looked to the top of the gangplank and saw the Outer Sailors, Chibi and Nova looking silently on the mob assembled below them. Chibi rushed down the plank … my, how beautiful she looks, dress in blue and orange. She threw her arms around me, “Mom, I told you that we would bring them home but we also have another surprise.” She pointed to where Nova was standing and out of the brilliance of the ship came a figure that I recognized immediately.

She stood quietly at the hatch holding Erica and Michelle’s hands dressed in a white and gold gown looking demure but I knew it was Galaxia. She shyly tried to hide herself behind Nova. He pulled her from behind him and pushed her gently down the ramp. She stumbled slightly and righted herself just feet from me. She looked at me and dropped her eyes towards the ground. I went to her and raised her head, “Galaxia, it’s all right. You are one of us. One of my sisters even though we never knew you in the past.” Galaxia looked at me with tears in her eyes, “Please, Mina, call me Gail. That’s my given name.” She started to cry as she hugged me close and placed her head on my shoulder. Serena came over and touched her on the back. She looked at Serena and hugged her fiercely. We were growing as a family and I was glad that we were moving to the moon. We needed the space for everyone.

The Outer Sailors came to greet us and I made my way beyond everyone and walked up the plank to the hatch where Nova stood. “Love, don’t you want to join everyone?” Nova placed an arm around me and kissed me, “Mina, I’m just enjoying the sight.” I didn’t understand what he meant but I looked at the scene below and realized his smile was for his family assembled below. He was happy because his family was gathering itself together but a shiver run down my spine. What did this gathering mean … is it an omen of the future? I looked back on the vision that he had on the first night on the moon, was this structure of the gathering for the final battle? Would Sailor War lead us into the final battle? So many questions and so few answers came to my mind but I drove them out because I knew that Nova would tell everything in time. I settled against his shoulder and looked at Earth above my head. I was happy just to be in his arms and I will not worry about anything because I knew that he would protect his family.

What does the future holds? Is this gathering the vision of Sailor War or is something else happening in the universe that is bringing together all the ‘pawns’ of a greater game of chess? Stay tune for the next installment, Mina’s Tale III, Part 2, “The Gathering”.