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Minako sipped at her tea and scanned the Mare Serentaris Gardens from her
room in the crystal palace. The scene of danger and destruction prevented
her from sleeping.
She felt guilty, in a way. Outside she watched as the trellises and
pavilions were bent and snapped by the wind. The delicate flower beds were
uprooted before her eyes and stones and debris were scattered to the wind,
colliding with windows and threatening to smash them. Yet, she herself
remained in Neo-Queen Serenity's Venus guest room, powerless to help.
The golden tinge of the satiny fabrics of the bed-spread, the honey tones of
the curtains and walls and the black-cherry tints of the wooden furniture
emitted an aura of comfort and safety. But how many people could say that
they felt so serene during this time of approaching danger?
Minako felt so spoilt and undeserving. Each scout had their own room in the
Crystal Palace, complete with colours schemes matching the colours of their
planets.
She recalled this fact from her younger days. From the times when the scouts
would tip-toe across the corridors bare-footed and giggling, in the middle
of the night, hoping to sneak into each others rooms.
Makoto's room was emerald and forest green, sporting mahogany wood details.
Ami's room glistened with ice-blue and white, becoming the polar opposite of
Rei's room, which blazed crimson and ruby, the epitome of fire.
Minako smiled slightly. Such frivolous thoughts were comforting, like a toy,
something to take your mind of the pain.
She placed her hand on the cool glass and closed her eyes, focusing on the
roaring of the wind. It sounded so fierce, so angry. The moon no longer felt
like and resembled a silver pearl. It had morphed into a black shadow.
She felt weak in her flowing night-gown. It did not offer the security of
her Scout fuku, which held her so securely in battle.
She opened her eyes and cocked her head.
Someone's out there!
By the light of the fitful flashes of lightning she identified a small
garden house at the end of the garden. The wood quivered and shook against
the monstrous zephyrs. Through the shadowy windows of the hut, a body could
be seen. It wasn't clear who it was, but whoever it was, seemed frantic and
in desperate need of help.
"Oh my God!"
Minako grabbed a winter coat from the back of her chair and bolted out of
her room. Her naked feet slapped against the cold marble as she pulled her
coat over her arms and fastened one button to keep it together over her
torso.
The blood pounded in her ears and she hurtled out towards the garden, her
long blonde hair flicking out behind her. Her arms pumped and she began to
speed up.
She skidded to a halt by the door leading to the garden. She reached a
slender hand into the pocket of her coat and scrambled about in it. She
growled outwardly and stamped her foot at her own stupidity.
"Shoot! I left my stupid henshin stick on my dresser!"
She looked longingly at the corridor she had ran down. And shook her head
"Urrg! It could be to late by then!"
She turned to face the door and placed a hand on the handle. The weather was
terrifying and laced with darkness, yet she had no choice but to run blindly
into it to save one of the Moon-Kingdom's subjects. She laughed scornfully.
Damn my guilt.
With a deep intake of breath she heaved against the door and slipped out
into the storm.
Minako gasped in shock as the wind pushed her back. She felt her flaxen hair
whip behind her and her eyes water against the force. She raised a hand to
her face and glanced through the gaps in her fingers. With her other hand
she clasped at a handful of coat on her chest. She gritted her teeth in
pain.
The wind felt like knife edges. It slashed at her naked legs sending sharp
pains through her body like shock waves. She could almost feel her blood
freeze in her veins.
Her feet, bare and cut, slowly made their tortured way towards the garden
house. She could hear the creaking of the wood and the tinkling of glass
that was threatening to shatter.
Her body was soaring in pain. Yet she stirred herself on, each agonising
step bringing her closer to her goal. However, a flicker of doubt echoed in
her mind.
Why am I doing this?
Minako clamped her eyes shut, in a silent annoyance at her own audacity.
Because I'm Sailor Venus! It's my duty to protect people!
She once again scorned herself for forgetting her transformation stick.
Trickles of icy rain dripped from her cheek onto her lips. She wiped it away
and ducked for cover as a forked tree branch swept towards her. It missed
her torso by a hairs-breath, yet the frayed, leafless endings lashed against
her legs. A claret stream of blood slicked her pale thighs.
Minako gasped and pulled her coat tighter around herself. The torrential
downpour mingled with her tears and soaked her skin. Droplets of water slid
through her coat and drenched her night-gown.
With a final yell of determination, followed by a flash of light, Minako
launched herself at the door to the hut. It swung open with ease.
The figure turned around, open mouthed. He held a lamp light at an arms
length, shock stricken across his face.
"You stupid girl!"
It was Minako's turn to be open-mouthed. She limped forwards and allowed the
door to slam shut behind her. The screams of the storm where dampened but
did no go away completely. The whole hut was small and dark. It consisted of
four small rooms and a separate wash area, suprisingly clean and tidy. The
whole room seemed to breath as the wind bent and moulded the walls. Minako
gasped.
"What!?" she yelled.
"Not only stupid, but deaf as well?"
Minako narrowed her gaze at the stranger. He seemed to be about her age,
with dark, angry features. Chestnut eyes, rimmed with red tiredness, and a
head of thick, pitch-dark hair that fell in tendrils onto his shoulders. His
skin was smudged with dirt and a blood-slicked wound marked his forehead.
"I came to help you! I saw you from my window!" her voice raised an octave
in offence as she gestured towards the palace. He stared at her. Everything
displayed the mannerisms of sarcasm.
"Ha! A little blonde princess? What could you do?" the lamp he held shivered
in is bitter mirth.
Minako wiped a steam of water from her face.
"I made it here, didn't I?" she stepped forward to prove her point. She
winced and swept the ends of her coat away from her legs. The blood had
covered her legs and ran over her coat, changing the caramel-coloured
material to a maroon. The boy's face had softened with a slight flicker of
tenderness. She caught his eye and he frowned.
"Get back to the castle, Princess." He spat "I don't need you here."
Minako began to shake.
"SHUT UP!"
The boy's dark frown melted into a look of sheer suprise.
"My name is Minako! Got that? Minako! And I am Sailor Venus!"
The boy stepped back and averted his eyes. Long strands of his dark hair
fell over his face and he turned away. His features were handsome and rough,
though they seemed to be hidden by the frown he donned. Minako continued.
"I braved this...this storm to come and help you! Look!" she displayed her
slashed and bloodied legs and the bruise across her face. She couldn't
remember obtaining that, but it was worth using, considering that the boy
seemed so callous. The boy became shame-faced and took a step forward
"I don't need your help, Princess." He said, with less fury.
"Look!" she replied, slamming her fist on a wooden desk, causing the glass
cup on it to rattle,
"I don't care what you think. All I know is that something... bad... is on
its way and this house is coming down with it!"
She paused expecting a obstinate reply. She never received one.
"Come with me to the palace. Its safer there."
The boy sneered
"Ohhh! So the little princess has a pang of guilt! Bored of your little
subjects, Venus? Want a commoner to play with?"
He watched her shiver under her coat, her long aureate hair was drenched and
her pale, translucent skin was spattered with blood. He decided that it was
him who had the pang of guilt. He coughed uneasily as tears began to flow
from her eyes.
"Prin...Minako?" she looked up.
"I'll help you get back to the castle. Don't expect anything else, though."
She dabbed at her eyes and sniffed. She wanted to say that it was him who
needed help. But why fight it when he's responding?
"Where does that resentment come from?" she asked
He didn't reply.
He grasped her wrist and opened the door. In the illuminous lightening his
shirt was dusty and he seemed a lot more worse for wear.
Still handsome, though. Minako thought. She felt herself blushing. I am
Venus remember!
He looked at her coldly.
"What? What is it, Princess?"
No one had ever used the word princess with so much venom.
"I...I just realised I don't even know your name."
"Why do you want to know?" he sniffed
"Nevermind." She sighed.
He tightened the grip on her wrist and lead her out of the house towards the
palace. The wind seemed less fierce next to him as she pressed in close. She
felt him tense up. She squeezed her eyes together in embarrassment and
backed off slightly.
"Hey, Princess."
"What?"
"Zuben"
"Huh?"
"That's my name. Zuben."
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