Those Left at Home

Nova’s Tale – Part 6

I missed them. I didn’t think that I would feel this pain at their parting months ago but I almost cried but there were enough tears at their leaving that I held my back until I was alone. Serena and Amy are performing a necessary task by seeking the next two Sailor Warriors but it still hurts that I must remain on the moon but … it does have some advantages since Mina decided to remain by me. It’s hard to describe my relationship with my wife. She is my life; no other words would suffice to tell of my feelings for her. Originally, I married her because I saw a vision of us standing together against all odds as husband and wife but with the death of her parents, I just wanted her at my side so I could protect her from all harm. It has turned out differently since it seems that I need her by my side as much as she needs me. Amy asked her to go with them but Mina looked at me and said, “Amy, my place is here. I will never leave Nova’s side willingly. We are two parts of the same soul and I don’t know if we could continue to live if we were separated.”

No greater truth has come in such small words. We were not only married but also bonded together by more than our vows to each other. There is just one problem in our relationship. She asked me again the other day to start a family. She wants more than anything for us to have children but I still refuse because she has to make the decision to continue our marriage past her eighteenth birthday for her own reasons and may be a child would influence her to stay in the marriage when her heart is not in it. A great deal can change over the next six years and a child now would only complicate an already strange relationship. Mina takes my refusal in stride but she still brings up the subject every week. May be that’s why I love her, she sees a goal and steadfastly drives herself towards it. I hope that she make the right decision in six years but even if she leaves, I will always remember these years and, in my heart, realize that there will be no other woman for me. She has spoiled me for all others and I am glad.

It’s good for Amy and Serena to be away from us at this time. We have some official functions that we should attend, being part of the main house of the Silver Kingdom, but I also wanted Serena to get away from her ‘official’ position for her own good. I finally had brought His Highness Prince Mamoru Chiba or Darien as he asked us to call him from his home on Earth to join my personal staff. Darien fell in love with Serena at first sight, as I knew he would so the time alone away from a prying parent is probably the best thing for them to develop their relationship. I can trust Darien with my niece because he knows the kind of power that her mother and I can wield if we are angry and, also, Amy is with them to keep everything in order. Serena is another story, sometimes I think that girl has lost all the training that I gave her but she has to be herself.

I hate official functions. They take too much of my busy day but I hate to disappoint Serenity and strangely Mina has taken it upon herself to schedule many of these boring events for us as a couple. I can’t say that I mind. No, if fact, I enjoy appearing in public with the most beautiful young lady in the Silver Kingdom but I would rather spend time with her alone. Yes, you heard me right, I would rather spend every waking moment, and those hours spent in sleep, with my wife. You would think that after being married for four years that you would think that I would want some free time for myself but the best time that I could spend is just reading in the library while playing footsy with Mina. Just a small touch of her skin to mine sends jolts of electricity through my entire being. She plans my entire day from waking to sleep and I don’t know how I would get through the day without her guidance. She also seems to find time for us to cuddle during the day while we are between meetings or training.

It was an unusual day when neither of us had an appointment but this day was one of them. I decided that I would go back to sleep after awakening at my usual time and look at the beauty sleeping at my side. One on the barons from Earth told me that if you can look at a woman early in the morning and not flinch away then it’s true love. Well, I’m looking at the most beautiful sight in the universe and I couldn’t have been more attracted to her even if she was a black hole. If only I could orbit around her forever, I would be satisfied. I moved closer to her and place my arm across her chest. She must have felt it because she moved against my chest and I heard small sounds of pleasure as she drifted off to deep sleep again.

I woke and silently slipped out of bed and went to the window. The Earth was starting to peek over the horizon and I just stood in the light reflected from that world. I felt two arms wrap themselves around my waist and was thrilled to feel Mina’s breath on my back, “Nova, you can sleep in this morning. We don’t have anything to do.” I placed my hands over hers and leaned back against her chest. She has changed in the five years that I have known her. She has grown from a cute but determined girl to the lovely and determined woman that held me in her arms. “No, my love, I have something to do.” Mina spun me around, “Nova, no, I gave us a day all to ourselves so no training or research.” The look in her eyes told me that she was serious about her edict, “Okay, boss, we do it your way but I do have to visit a place.”

Mina released her grip on me, “Fine, then let me get dress.” I started to object but I saw those eyes that would have tears in them if I said no and, well, it won’t hurt to go to that secret place with her, “Yes, dear, we’ll get dress.” I smiled as she skipped off to her closet to find an outfit to wear, “Nova? What should I wear?” I thought for a second, “Something casual will do, we won’t see anyone else so we can be ourselves.” Mina selected a tunic and pants outfit that she is known to wear when she would hike the hills around the palace with me. She removed her gown and I turned my head. My face must be red as Mars. It’s not that I don’t have the right to look, as Mina herself have pointed out, but Serenity’s training about the relationship between men and women wasn’t the most liberal. May be I can talk to Jadeite or Kunzite about the subject. If our marriage continues past her eighteenth birthday then I would have to get over my shyness.

A shirt thrown at me broke me out of my daydreaming but the sight of Mina dressed just in pants almost sent me into that region again. “Slowpoke, hurry up and get dress and no slinking away to another room. I’m your wife and deserve to watch you dress every morning and undress every night.” I slowly got dress but I did notice the small smile on her face, the smile of her victory.

She is a vision in blue with the red bow restraining her hair. She continues to wear the bow of a Kanly engagement even though we have been married for years. Mina said that it’s a sign that only one man will even have her heart. Sometimes it takes all my powers to hold back my passion for her but I would never hurt her or take the decision to continue our marriage from her hands. Speaking of hands, she slipped hers in mine as she snuggled close to my side, “Nova, where are we going?” I looked into my love’s eyes and placed a kiss on her lips, “We are going to a place where the first light of the universe shone.” I raised my hand and summoned the power to move us through time and space. The universe rushed past us rapidly as we settled in the time stream. We rushed past the gate that Sailor Pluto would guard one day but she is not needed now but will hold an important place in the future. We slowed down as we approach the Nexus of Time. We appeared in a dark cavern that gained brilliance as we phased into the place’s time.

The light from a billion stars shone from the walls, “Nova, where are we?” I grasped her around the waist and spun her like a planet around a star. I held her close to me and tilted back her head as our lips met in a lingering kiss. “Mina, we are at the Nexus, a place that only I have seen until today. Now you look upon all of its secret.” I could see that she was amazed at the sight by the look of wonder on her face. “Nova, what is this? It seems that I’m … I’m at peace here. A feeling that nothing can hurt me.”

I came behind Mina and placed my arms around her. She placed her hands over them and leaned back against my chest. “The Nexus is the place that was first created when the universe sprung to life. The light that you see is the thread of the past, present, and future converging to form time, as we know it. Billions of years are represented on these walls and all the possibilities of the future hold court here in this cavern.” Mina reached her hands behind me and entwined them around my back, “The possibilities of the future? I don’t understand.”

I drew in a heavy sigh. How do you explain the theory of time to someone? “My love, think of time being an endless road with a beginning … there.” I pointed to a place at the far end of the cavern where a tiny spark shone at the start of a slender beam of light. “That point is the first moment of time and the single beam is the thread of the skein that led us to this moment.” I pointed to some darken lines on the wall. “These lines are possibilities of the future that because of certain events led them away from the line of the past. They are dead end that never will happen because the one important event was denied and that thread died.” Mina pointed to a place where the line spilt off into several lines, “Is that the present?” “Yes, dear, that’s the present and the possibilities that may occur depending on events and choices that we make.”

“I still don’t understand, love.” I released Mina and took her hand and led her to a darken thread that represented a point eleven years ago. I held her hand as I touched the dark thread. We saw the event that caused this line to fail. I … no, I should say the Dark Queen stand over the body of Serenity and Serena. I lifted my hands to summon the powers of Darkness and slowly engulfed the universe. I laughed as star after star disappeared from the vastness of space. “Mina, that’s what would have happened if I embraced the power of darkness when I was born. The Dark Queen would have her wish, to be the only creature in the universe.” I waved my hand, “All these dead lines are those presents that didn’t happen. In some way, I’m glad they darken for most of them are dark in content but some would have gained us much in our battle.”

Mina looked at the future threads, “Then … those beams of light tells future events that may happen. That’s how you are able to tell the future and start making plans.” I bowed my head but she raised it up in her hands, “No, my love, do not be ashamed. You are fighting against a great enemy and we need to seize all the power that we can muster in our hands.” I kissed that smiling face that hovered before me, “You’re right. We must try to see what the future holds but not today. Today, I just want to show you one possible future. It’s way down here.” She held me close as we walked the length of the cavern and approached three points of light. “Here, this is the end of time and this one in particular surprised me.” We held hands as we touch the light.

We were standing under a vast array of stars and many others were there with us before the Crystal Palace and a large walled structure. Mina held our daughter’s hand while I held my son in my arm. I heard a gasp from Mina, “Nova, what happens then?” I shook my head, “I don’t know, my love, that future must be under a different light then shines here. I guess that only the future will tell when it happens.

We explore more timelines. Some lines were sad but others gladden our hearts. After two hours, Mina looked at me, “Nova, it’s time to go. I want to see more but I realize that I can’t see everything. It has been a good experience to come here with you. Thank you for the chance to see what may come in the future.” With those simple words she throw her arms around my neck, kissed me, and the nuzzled against my neck. I placed an arm around her waist and with my other hand drew forth the power that would take us to the future.

Mina was still holding onto my neck when we enter the time stream again. “Nova, did you show me the Nexus because you wanted me to see what we have in store for the future?” I thought a second. Why did I bring her to that special place? “Mina, I just felt that I had to share that part of my life with you. You are so important to me because you are more than a wife. You are a part of me, a part that makes me whole.” I stopped for a moment to think, “I need to tell you everything about the Nexus.” Mina said that she was tired and wanted to sit. She led me over to a sofa and sat down beside me. She pulled my arm around her shoulders and rested her head on mine chest. “Go ahead, I can rest while I listen to you.”

“First, I should tell you that I wasn’t the one that found the Nexus. The Dark Queen told me of its existence. The Nexus is the Queen’s home, a cavern where she could explore all the possibilities of life without having another living soul that would cause any change to time. I always thought of the Dark Queen as a source of Chaos and Evil in the universe but since we have been talking, I have come to realize that she’s a source of Order. The most perverse type of Order where nothing changes and only entropy rules the cosmos. She wants all matter to be the same and unchanging.” I thought for a second, “We are two of a kind.” Mina wrapped an arm around my waist, “Nova, you are nothing like her. You are kind and gentle and you care for everyone, you are nothing like her.” I rested my head against her, “I don’t mean personality. We are alike that we don’t want things to change. If I had my wish, I would stay here with you in this position … for all eternity.” I heard a small sound from Mina. I looked at her and saw a small tear emerge from her eye. “Nova, sometimes you say the most wonderful things.” She kissed my neck, “Well, we had a rough morning. I think that we could do with a little nap before this afternoon.” She led me to our bedroom before I could say anything. I fell asleep with my soul mate in my arms.

I awoke after a couple of hours and looked at the sleeping young woman at my side. I first saw her years before we met in one of the threads of the Nexus. The Dark Queen wanted to show me my future and I found Mina in most of the threads. She was destined to be with me but the hardships that we had suffered to get here. As I look at her blonde hair spread out on the pillow, I would do it all again just for this moment. I saw the blue eyes open and a smile crept across her face as she reached up and brought my lips to her, “How long have you been watching me sleep?” I smiled and returned the kiss, “Just a couple of seconds. I wish it would’ve been more but I just woke up myself.”

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up in bed. I could hear her give a small laugh as she stretched her arms to the sides but soon she pounced upon me with her knees astride my hips. “Nova, one day I’m going to break down your resistance to having a child and on that day you will receive the greatest gift of all.” She lay upon my body and kissed me for a few minutes and then announced that she had to go and help Serenity prepared dinner. I started to rise, “No, love, I want to make you something special. We won’t need your help tonight. I’ll send someone to get you when it’s ready.” She skipped to the closet and selected another outfit for tonight. I looked at her while she was changing. We have gone through many changes in these years but no matter the years, I will see her as the small princess that I married. She gave me a last kiss before she left the suite for Serenity’s rooms. I’m a lucky man.

I changed for dinner and settled into the library to compose a couple of letters to various houses requesting items that was needed for the Fortress. After I finished the letters, I contacted the girls. They were doing fine but they were having trouble with the new Sailor Warriors. They were troubled that since they were not noble born that they weren’t worthy of their new position as defenders of the realm. I simply said that I would make them noble by my right of title creation so that would solve the problem but it didn’t really. Even as nobles of House Moon, they wouldn’t have complete access to the royal family that they would need in the future. Only members of the royal family have undisputed access to the Queen and her family. I didn’t have to worry about Mina since even if she was not married to me; she is family with all the rights and privileges.

I was deep in thought about the problem when the door to the library opened and a page announced that the Queen requested my presence in her rooms. I gather my jacket from our bedroom and noticed that Mina had left her shawl on the dresser. Even though the Palace is comfortable, the temperature tends to be decreased as the sun sets so she’ll need the wrap before we return from dinner. I folded it and tucked it under my arm. I arrived at Serenity’s door and a page let me into her rooms. I saw Mina and Serenity in the kitchen finishing the meal. I smiled at Mina and held up her wrap. She rushed to me and grabbed the wrap, “Darling, you are always thinking about me. Thank you.” Mina reached for my hand and held it in hers as we walked to the table. I could tell that Mina was in fine form tonight as I saw my favorite cake adorning the center of the table. She sat me down in my usual chair and went to the kitchen to help Serenity bring in the meal.

The food looked delicious but I waited for them to start eating before I sampled their fare. Mina is the most beautiful woman in the universe but when it comes to cooking, well, I just don’t say much and I have survived so far. Mina must have noticed my reluctance, “Don’t worry, Nova, I just help prepare the meal. Serenity cooked it for us.” Well, that’s a load off my mind. I started to prepare my plate when I saw Mina’s eyes. Her look froze me in my seat, “Is anything … wrong?” I prepared myself for her usual tirade about her cooking but she settled down quickly, “Nova, is that the reason that we can’t have children yet? Is it my cooking? If it is then I promise that I will never go in another kitchen.” I wished that she wouldn’t bring up children. I want her to carry my child in her body more than anything in the world. “Mina, you may still need some cooking lessons but I would trust my child with you.”

I looked at her and saw the puzzlement on her and Serenity’s face, “It’s just that your body needs to catch up with your actual age.” Serenity’s turn in questioning came, “I don’t understand. Mina’s body seems perfect for child bearing.” Mina started to blush but I had to cut them off soon before they found the real reason, “Girls, please understand my reason. Mina is only eleven but she has the body of a sixteen-year-old woman. I’m afraid that if Mina becomes pregnant before her actual age catches up with her body, it may put a strain on her systems that could possibly cause me … to … lose her.”

I heard a gasp from them, may be I can make this work. Some of it was true but I really believe that Mina couldn’t get pregnant for at least a couple more years because the crystal that powers her body is developing it at an accelerated rate and it would not allow a child to develop until it had brought Mina to the peak of her physical development. “I know that the reason is selfish but I want her to remain by me forever. I don’t want to lose her. We have to wait until your body tells you that it’s safe … you know … I sure Serenity has told you about that time in a girl’s life.” Mina started to smile and rush to my chair. She hugged me fiercely around the neck and kissed every part of my face, “I understand, my love, I’ll wait until I get my period and then we can start our family.” I couldn’t disagree with her since I just said the facts but I still didn’t want to take her choice away. I guess that I will have to think of something else when her time comes.

So ends this tale of the past. Next time, Nova’s Tale Part 7, a story retold from Nova’s point of view, “To Love and Live”.