A New World

Nova’s Tale II– Part 1

The world that you know can change in the time it takes you to take just one breath. My eyes could barely focus on the chaotic winds that swirled around us bearing away the fragments of the Undying and the Negaverse creatures that were caught in the blast that fell my terrible opponent. I couldn’t see her but I could just make out the scent Mina’s hair as I clung on her back as we made our way from the epicenter of the final blast. She was straining with all her strength against the pull of the void that must be filled where the Undying once stood; nature abhors a vacuum. I would help her in her struggle but my physical strength was exhausted in the final blast. All I had at my disposal was some defensive power and the raw energy that I could draw from my family that surrounded me. I couldn’t make out much through my weary eyes but I saw my baby girl in Serena’s arms and Susan was trying her best to hold off the swirling chaos. We had to hold back the encroaching storm if we will survive so I extended my hand and drew energy from Serena and Mina. With a quick wave of my hand, I sent the energy to the void to quell its hunger from our quadrant and insuring us a path from the area of destruction.

The storm settled down around us but I knew that I had to get them away from here before the other Sailor Warriors of this time period saw us in the swirling patterns of energy. My heart felt like it would break as I felt my darling wife’s energy so near and yet miles away. I hope that one day Mina will understand why I had to leave in this fashion and had to hold this secret from her. I saw Susan out the corner of my eye and extended my hand to draw some of her temporal energy from her. I wave my hand and transported the five of us to the Time Gate at the Nexus of Infinity. I knew that Susan would know what to do after we arrive so I let my consciousness fade off into a troubled slumber with the thought of the kiss that I stole from my love’s lips when she first arrived to rescue us.

My slumber was troubled by the demons of all those that I had wronged. Mina and Serena stood before me and cast their looks of disapproval at the falsehood that I had perpetrated on them and my entire family. I knew that they would die in the past but Serenity would send their souls to me in the future but I withheld my knowledge because it could change the course of history. The Silver Kingdom was doomed, doomed from the first vote of the Senate that brought the Grand Duke of the moon into the position that he could seize control over the Republic to form the oligarchy that was formed by the early houses on each planet. When he took the Staff of Life from its place before the throne of creation, the Kingdom was destined to fall but from its ashes a great time of peace and hope would rise like a phoenix and bring the universe to a greater glory. A glory that would shine from one end of the universe to the other with such brilliance that it would last until the end of time. The problem was that I couldn’t build that glory upon the foundation of the Silver Kingdom so I had to let it fall and let all those that I love fall with it. I could have easily saved it with my knowledge of the events but my choice was to let it fade. Chibi will forgive me but I don’t know about the others, in fact, except for Susan, their souls are there but will the same love for my cause continued to exist if they knew the full truth of my betrayal. I need to stay quiet so I can learn their thoughts to see where I stand in their eyes. Susan gave her memories to the Outer Sailors but the Inner ones are void of the times that we shared. Maybe, it’s better this way. It may be good because the less that they know, the better for them.

I don’t know how long I was out and it really doesn’t matter when you think about the Nexus of Infinity. I never had brought anyone here, not even Susan, who was my companion on many of my journeys to see the past and future. The Nexus was the one place where I felt the safest. It doesn’t actually exist in reality but a place created by the combined willpower of the three souls that dwelt in my thoughts. We … I … it’s confusing but we’ll stick to we. We had knowledge that one day we would need a refuge to recover our strength. A refuge that allows my physical body the necessary time to recover from any life threatening injury, a place of total peace and not buffered by the chaos of random energy. The only power that operates here is Time and what it will take for me to recover my lost power.

After a couple of hours, Susan was ready to travel and my reserves had built themselves from their almost non-existent levels. I could feel her open a gate to the time where they originated their journey. Susan lifted my limp body up but I felt her place my arms over Mina’s shoulders as she slipped her hands against my thighs. Even though I was technically unconscious, I still could feel her hands against my skin. Even though I knew that she was the future embodiment of my wife, I still thrilled my very soul to have her near at this time and the feel her flesh against mine. I felt the tingle of entering the time gate. The energies produced by the time gates are so unusual that you always know when one opens especially to time sensitive individuals such as Susan and myself. These energies are a major source of my power so they energized me more than a week of rest.

I felt the time shift and the lessen gravity from the moon overhead told me that we arrived at the pre-destined time, a thousand years into the future. I heard them scrambling around me and suddenly felt myself being lifted from Mina’s back. The strength of the hands told me that it was Erica cradling me against her body and I felt the warmth of her body flow into my soul as she laid me on the floor of a small room. I felt a small body next to me and knew that Serena must have placed Chibi next to me and my arm automatically crossed over her to comfort her in her time of sorrow. She lost as much as me in the span of a few minutes and I have no idea how to make it up to her. I hope that she will forgive me.

I heard them talking about removing the sword from my back and I felt Mina unbuckle the straps across my chest and something hard place between the sword and my back. I opened my eyes slightly and saw Mina’s breasts before me. I had always kidded her about their size and more than once stated that mine was larger than her; even though they had grew in the last year after Chibi’s birth but hers were the same size as a couple of years ago. She’s not the same Mina but I could feel that my love’s soul was still alive. I reached up to hug her neck but my aim was off and all I did was grabbed one of her breasts. She must have been startled as I rose off the futon but she held me close for a minute before she cradled my head as she started to place it on the pillow but stopped as she closed to her target and rested my head against her shivering chest. I drifted off to sleep knowing that the person that I love was again by my side.

I dreamed that I was kissing Mina’s neck like I tend to do when we were alone but then I felt my lips contact warmth and I knew that it was much more than a dream. I felt no resistance to my advances so I snuggled up close to her and rested. I felt a blanket being draped over my shoulders and around Mina. The warmth of her body against mine is so comforting but I knew that I soon had to regain my facility. I could feel the raw untapped energy that surrounded me but it was so untrained, almost without direction. I could see that the moon cats hadn’t been training the Sailors, as they should in the years that they have been together as a group. I reached, softly, into Mina’s memory and then to all the Sailors and saw the trials and tribulations that they have encountered since that first day when Luna found Serena. It’s hard to imagine that they had congealed into a group in just two years but the evidence was before me. I need to revive myself and get to the Fortress and research these new foes that they had fought. It seems that the Negaverse had busy the last thousand years but no monster that they face come close to the true power that the Negaverse possessed. Maybe, the death of the Undying threw all their plans into turmoil but I guess that’s a wish and not a true fact.

I knew that my daughter and I were safe in the hands of our family so I drifted off to sleep thinking of thoughts that I gleamed from Mina. I think that she has searched for love but her soul wouldn’t give up on me so she never truly found it. I need to make it up to her and I will try to the best of my ability to make her happy. I kissed her neck and snuggled closer to her. The last thing that I felt before I fell asleep was her lips touching my forehead.

I don’t know how long that I was asleep but when I woke I saw Mina’s face above me. My head was resting in her lap. She is so beautiful, a true beauty of the Silver Kingdom no matter how many years we were apart. I smiled and spoke very softly, “Hi, Love”, these were the only words that came to my mind when I saw her face. I grabbed Chibi from her neck and cradled her in my arms. I started to sit up and Mina supported me against her. I scanned the stunned faces that I saw before me and spoke directly to Chibi, “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.”

The tears of a million souls welled up in my eyes and I just couldn’t stop the tears of generations that had perished because of my decision. My soul bears the pain of the ones that my actions consigned to an early death. I could have stopped the destruction of the Silver Kingdom. I had turned back the Negaverse’s ranks but I knew that it would only have delayed the fall by a century at most. No, to save the dream that the Kingdom was founded upon, I had to allow it to fall by having my daughter and me brought to a time where we would make a difference and have a greater chance of forming the Silver Kingdom where it would survive forever. The tears were also for my Sailor Warriors who lost not only their lives but the great power that they once wielded … but with me near them, their power would increase on a daily basis. I will train them and once again, we will stand on the stoop of destiny and kick in the door to bring a new age to man.

Serena came to me and kissed me on the cheek. She is truly the Moon Princess. I see the steel of her mother in her but it hasn’t been tempered with the fire for having me as her uncle. She is power incarnate but hasn’t realized the full extent of her power. She came close, clasped my hands and said, “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.”

Maybe I told Susan a little too much about what may happen but before I could start to worry about that I heard a slight murmur from my arms as Chibi woke. She coughed slightly as she started to sit up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Those bright eyes shone with love as she stare at her mother and I, “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.” From the mouth of babes come the most profound words. We have to fight for the future and we have our family around us. I looked at the sailor-suited girls that surrounded me and then looked at Chibi, “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.” Chibi gave me a little giggle as she stood up. I started to rise and felt Lita’s arms around my waist supporting me as she had done in the past.

One by one, the Sailors came to us and greeted us as their family. Each hugged and kissed me on the cheek and then they performed the same ritual to Chibi who held my hand at my side. Soon all the girls had come and greeted me except one. Mina was holding back in the corner of the room. I saw the confusion on her face but I saw the love in her eyes and by the slight licking of her lips, I could tell that she wanted to press them to mine but she was scared. Scared … not of me but of her feelings about me. Her body was reacting to me but her mind has fully glimpsed what my return had in store for her. I love her more than time itself but I had to think about all mankind but my heart was always hers for the asking.

I almost moved to her when I saw Serena push her from behind. She lost her balance and stumbled towards me and I caught her in my arms. She was so light in my arms. I brought her face up to mine and gently spoke, “Hello, I’m Nova and … I love you.” The reaction to those words was beyond my understanding. Her face lightened and a broad smile formed on her face. My heart would have melted if it hadn’t over a thousand years ago when I saw that face that belong to the most beautiful six-year old girl that I have ever looked upon these many years. My face tilted down to her and hers automatically tilted up to meet mine. I saw her lips parted and her eyes closed. My lips reached for hers and met in their timeless embrace. We broke our kiss after a few seconds but I saw the uncertainty about our relationship fall from her face. We were destined to be together and nothing in the universe would come between us. I looked down and saw Chibi trying to nudge her way in between us and I reached down with one arm and swept her up to join us. She is the fruit of our love that spans the years. Mina took her from my arms and hugged her to her body. Now, I can think about our next move since my family was whole again.

Nova has come back into the lives of the Sailor Warriors. How will he change them or will they change him? Stay tune for the second part of the adventure in the new world in “To Find Love”.