Beyond the Facade

Chapter Nine, War in the Inner Solar System:

Princess Serena stood outside the palace gates, facing
Prince Darien, her beloved. \"Oh Darien I am going to miss you so
badly,\" Princess Serena said sincerely, tears flowing down her face.

Darien\'s eyebrows furrowed in concern, and he turned his
head so he did not have to look into her sad eyes. \"I have to help
the inner solar system army. It consists of the Moon army, Earth
army, Mercury army, Venus army, Mars army, and Jupiter army,\" he
said.
\"I know,\" she said sadly.

\"I will come back to you Serena. I promise. We will win
this fight,\" he said, fear lining his courageous, strong voice.
Serena\'s eyes filled again with tears.

\"Here,\" she said quietly as she held out the star locket.
It was open, playing beautiful music for only them.

\"I love you Serena. Remember I will be back.\"

Serena nodded sadly, not believing him.

Darien stood at the forefront of the armies, leading them
into battle. His mother and father had not been able to stop him
and his decision despite their efforts. They had finally given up
on controlling their son. He was obviously simply going to do
whatever he pleased. Even the desperate, begging Serena had not
been able to deter Darien from his choice to join the armies at
the forefront. She had come very close though, closer than anyone
else could have.

Darien swung his sword into the darkness, destroying a few
evil creatures with each swing.

They were training hard and fighting with one another
knowing the armies would soon need their help. \"Mars Fire Ignite!\"
Sailor Mars screamed, unleashing her fire power.

Jupiter and Venus were practicing hand to hand combat with
one another.

Sailor Mercury was going through all the options in her
scanner and computer.

They were all preparing to go to battle with these evil
Negaverse monsters threatening the safety, peace, and security of
the Silver Millennium Alliance.

As nearly always happened, they were one member short.
\"Who is going to get her this time?\" Jupiter finally asked.

Mars stopped practicing her fire attacks and gave a loud
sigh. \"I will go get her,\" she said wearily.

Princess Serena spent practically all of her time gazing
at Earth, where the battle was taking place, now. She often missed
training and meetings because she lost track of time.

Mars had detransformed back into Princess Raye. Raye
approached Serena. \"Serena, you are missing training!\" she said
loudly.

Serena turned, her eyes full of deep sadness.

Raye gasped. \"Oh Serena,\" she said, and she embraced her
friend.

Serena sniffled. \"I am sorry. I lost track of time again
it seems.\"

\"I am sure he loses track of time gazing at the Moon too,\"
Raye said wisely.

\"No, he is busy fighting,\" Serena said, misunderstanding
the meaning of Raye\'s words.

\"I know you are the one he thinks of day and night though,\"
Raye explained. \"And whose to say that before or after or even
during the battle he does not gaze up at the moon momentarily?\"

Serena\'s eyes filled with tears. \"You really think so
Raye?\" she asked hopefully.

\"I know so.\"

\"Oh Raye, thank you.\" She held her close, and Raye smiled
some. She was glad to give her best friend some comfort in this
dark, empty time.

\"I hate war,\" Amy said at the next sailor soldier meeting.
Why can we not just come to some peaceful solution?\" she wondered
out loud.

\"We cannot compromise with pure evil. They would take
advantage of us,\" Lita said simply.

\"Of course. I know you are right. I just wish...\" Amy
trailed off.

\"We all do Amy,\" Mina agreed. Serena and Raye nodded
their heads in agreement.

Prince Darien swung his sword, and he threw arrows at the
dark cloud that was slowly gaining more and more ground on Earth.
He shuddered. *We may not last much longer,* he thought
regretfully. Sweat covered his body as he continued to fight with
all the strength he and the rest of the remaining army had left.

Princess Serena walked out into the gardens. Standing
beside one of the fountains was a young lady in a white dress
that had cuts on the bottom. It was a cream color really that had
a beautiful light blue bow that was also cut up and lopsided.

\"Princess Serena?\" she ventured.

Princess Serena stopped and looked the girl up and down.
Suspicious but also aware that she was probably royalty or else
some kind of enemy who had somehow gotten through the garden gates.
\"Who are you?\" she asked, on guard.

\"My name is Molina.\"

\"What do you want of me?\" Serena asked cautiously.

\"Your help.\"

\"With what?\"

The woman collapsed. Serena gasped and ran to her side.
Alert and on guard but also helping her up. She sat the girl on
the edge of the fountain and held her up as she cupped her hands
together and let the water from the fountain flow into her cupped
hands. She put her hands up to the woman\'s lips, and the woman
drank. They continued this for awhile until Molina was revived.

\"Tell me Molina; what business do you have here?\" Serena
asked carefully.

\"I seek your help to get my cousin out of the war. I have
heard you are his one and only, his beloved.\"

\"Darien,\" Serena breathed.

\"Yes, yes,\" the woman said excitedly, color coming back
into her pale cheeks.

\"Oh Molina I am so sorry you came all this way. I tried
with all my heart to convince him not to fight, but alas it was to
no avail. He is set upon this course of action. All I can do is
support him while still wishing he was safe and sound here.\"

Molina heaved a huge sigh. \"Oh all this way for nothing. I
must say that I am surprised. It is no surprise that he would not
listen to me, but to not listen to his own beloved is surprising I
think.\"

\"He has strong convictions. I love that about him even if
I do wish he was safe here.\"

Molina nodded her head. \"I also wish he was safe. It is
even more frightening how he has stationed himself at the
forefront.\"

\"Yes, I wish so badly he had not done that,\" Serena said
sadly.

Molina began to cry as did Serena, and they held each other
as tears streamed down both their faces. Both in a white dress. One
dress unspoiled and one torn, but both of them crying the same
sobbing tears of having a loved one at the forefront of this
terrifying war.\"

\"Oh Molina, I am so glad to find someone else who knows him
and fears for him.\"

\"Yes, this war is horrible. I am so glad to have found you
as well. I see now what a wonderful love Darien has.\"

\"Serena blushed. \"You are so kind. Thank you. Would you like
a new, fresh dress?\" she asked considerately.

\"All right. Thank you,\" Molina said.

The battle on Earth was almost over with nearly all of the
army destroyed, but Darien still standing strong. The enemy made a
strategic move that no one expected. They moved the fight to the
Moon Kingdom where a new army that had been training added their
forces to the dwindling armies of all the combined inner solar
system planets.

The sailor soldiers continued their tough training inside
the heavily guarded palace. None of them joining the fight yet as
they finished up their training and preparations.

Chadwick sat with Raye. \"I do not want to see you go love,\"
he begged.

\"Chadwick, I am sorry. I do not want to leave you anymore
than you want me to go, but I do not have a choice. This is my
duty, my life.\"

Chadwick shook his head. \"No, forget duty. Choose love.
You do have a choice. Even now, one always has a choice.\"

\"Then I choose to fight with the power I have,\" Raye said
softly.

Chadwick hung his head. \"Please then,\" he pleaded. \"Take
good care of yourself.\"

\"For you Chadwick, I will do my best,\" she promised.

Amy leaned into her lover\'s embrace. \"Oh Gregory, I wish
so badly I did not have to go into this war.\"

\"I also wish you did not have to go.\"

\"I will stay. Stay with me please,\" she begged.

\"I have a responsibility. I have vowed to always protect
my planet Mercury as have you. Would you go back on those vows
because it has gotten so frightening and tough?\" he asked.

She thought for a few moments. \"No, you are right of
course. It is just so horrible, all of it.\"

\"I know,\" Gregory said sadly.

He put his arm around Lita\'s shoulder. She turned to
Kenneth and leaned back into his warm, safe embrace.

\"Are you going to join the army?\" she asked, already
knowing the answer.

\"Yes.\"

\"I am going to fight too,\" she said.

\"I know.\"

\"Will you miss me?\"

\"Terribly,\" he promised.

\"You will take care of yourself when you fight Kenneth?\"

\"Of course. I want to be back with you when it is all
over. You will also take good care of yourself right?\" he asked.

\"Yes,\" she promised him. Both held each other and said no
more. No more words were needed. They both silently understood
each other\'s fear and great responsibility to the future of the
Alliance.

Princess Mina looked at Artemis who was stretching out on
the bed. \"Another day Mina,\" Artemis said.

\"Yes, so it is,\" Mina said quietly.

\"Are you all right Mina?\"

\"I hate everything about this Artemis,\" she burst out.
\"It is too overwhelming. I know I have these powers, and I have
to fight to help save all the planets in the Alliance including
Venus. But I am so scared. The fighting and preparing is all
right, even fun sometimes. To actually fight in a real war
though-that is different. Overwhelming and reminds me too much
of my past.\"

\"I know Mina. I am so sorry this burden has been placed
on your shoulder. You are strong and intelligent enough to make
it, but you have gone through enough hell in your life. It would
be ideal if you got a break from that and had a chance to live
and find some happiness. Alas life gives you no chance, and the
people need you.\"

Mina nodded. \"I know,\" she said simply, exiting the room
to join the others in their last training and preparation
session.

And Sailor Pluto watched them all with a deep sadness
and overwhelming helplessness.

To Be Continued...