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Chapter 14: Bittersweet

Venus walked into her room, exhausted after the meeting and the day which had constantly provided new tortures around every corner. She had managed to halt her tears at some point as she had run down the hall, but she felt no better. She lay back on her bed, not caring that she is still dressed in her normal clothes, nor that the sheets are still nicely crisp beneath her. She stared up at the ceiling, as if the shadows fluttering across it are horribly interesting. Anything to take her mind off the troubles inside her heart. She runs her fingers along the sheets when suddenly her eyes open wide as she grasps something cool to the touch.

She sits up straight and stares at the object before her. And then she remembers of when she last saw it; right before Yahara left. His talisman to travel to his world. Her eyes suddenly brightened as a thought occurs to her. Sure there was danger involved, but then she remembered something Yahara had told her once: the only reason he could survive in the atmospheric differences was because of the talisman. That's why he was so desperate to go back to Alcatraz before and get it. He couldn't survive more than a few hours without it, and now she had it.

Minako blinked back tears of joy and gripped the cherished object tightly in her hand. She had to go. There wasn't a doubt in her mind about that.

"But there have been so many disappearances lately..." Minako whispered to herself, "Oh I don't care! I can't wait long enough to let them know. Besides, they may try and stop me... They'll just have to carry on without me... That shouldn't be too difficult."

With that mind set, Minako got up and shut off the lights in her room, so it looked like she was asleep. She wanted as much of a head start as she could, just in case, 'You can never tell what kind of knowledge these people have...' she thought grimly.

Minako squinted, trying to read the words inscribed on it. She whispered the words and found herself momentarily blinded, or perhaps it was that there was nothing to see but whiteness. And then she could see everything in the new dimension...

Meanwhile, a certain white cat, who was coming to inform her of dire events, was discovering that she had vanished... After Artemis had left the meeting to go find Minako, he had discovered her door was shut and locked. he knew immediately something was wrong, because Minako always left the door cracked for him. After much effort, he finally managed to find a way in through the window. He crept inside and saw that no one is there. He looks around the room in vain... no Minako.

Artemis groaned and murmured, "Don't tell me we have another missing senshi..." he shook his head and shouted, "Minako! Where are you?!"

"Excuse me miss, do you need some help?" an official looking guard asked, not at all surprised by her sudden appearance.

Minako blinked in surprise, realizing she hadn't thought this through very much, 'Great, now if I can't find him or his brother, they'll probably have me executed or something...'

She gulped a little at the thought and quietly said, "Uh well I..." Minako suddenly sees a familiar, tall, blond man talking very animatedly with a few others. She sighed in relief, glad her rather morbid prophesy won't have to come true, "Actually I've found him. Thank you anyway,"

Minako began to walk over to them, but stopped, unable to do it. Then she got a bolt of determination, and she walked over to Yahara. She tapped him on the shoulder, for his back was turned. He turned to face her, and then she did something very unexpected. But every instinct told her to do it. She slapped him.

"That was for leaving so abruptly three weeks ago," then Minako grabbed his shirt and yanked him down towards her with a surprising amount of force. She glared at him for a few moments, looking ready to kill him. Instead, she kissed him with all her might. Yahara, still shocked, didn't resist and merely waved the other men away over her shoulder.

After a few minutes, they broke apart. Minako smiled, very satisfied with herself and said, "And that was because you left so abruptly three weeks ago."

Yahara shook his head in disbelief, "Mina... How in the world did you get here?"

Minako smiled slyly and produced the talisman, still feeling very self-satisfied, "You know you really ought to learn to keep track of this thing... You never know what crazy psycho might travel through,"

Yahara smiled smugly and said, "Well I'm just glad it was the crazy psycho I'm engaged to," Minako hit him slightly on the arm and faked a pout; which she knew made her look absolutely adorable. Yahara smiled and continued, "Do the others know you're here?"

Minako laughed a little, not without a hint of bitterness, "Are you kidding? Do you actually think they'd let me come? Please! Artemis would have chained me to my doorknob first!"

Yahara chuckled and sweat dropped slightly, "Well I can't say what you did was necessarily smart..." he swept her up in his arms and held her close, "But I can never say I'm not glad you're here..."

Minako awoke before Yahara did, a little confused about where she was at first. But then she remembered. She sighed happily and relaxed in the warmth of the bed, slowly stroked Yahara's back. She gingerly got out of the bed, throwing on one of Yahara's shirts and went to the bathroom to wash up. When she returned, Yahara was stirring a little, still lying chest down. Minako screamed as she spotted pus on Yahara's back...

The virus had caught up to him....

Yahara sat straight up at her cry, not quite realizing what was happening at fist. Then he suddenly winced in pain coming from his back. He knew what had happened.

"So it’s started. If only I had kept a lower profile... then... then he wouldn't have known I was here... and he wouldn't have cast the spell to make me... Goddess why?" Yahara sucked in a breath, and looked over to Minako, as if only just now aware of her presence. His eyes were haunted, as he began to speak. "Minako, you have to get out of here - he'll know you are here soon and he'll send the spell out to you too and then.... and then... and then... Minako, I’ll be fine, but please, leave for your own sake!"

Minako quivered for a minute and then shook her head adamantly, "No! I won't leave you!" she ran back over to the bed and sat down on it, gripping his hand tightly, "I can't leave you now... I can't!"

"But you have to! Mina... I can't let you get this too... That's what I can't do..." Yahara was practically in tears from the immense pain, and not just the physical, "Now go... please..."

Minako felt tears streaming down her face and she held his hand even tighter and shook her head sadly, "I'm so sorry... If only I hadn't come... Maybe he wouldn't have--"

"Minako, stop it!" Yahara shouted angrily making Minako drop his hand and recoil slightly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back, "You always do this! I wish I knew why you always blame yourself for these things, but please, just stop it! You are not to blame for any of this!

"I can't risk you being here much longer... Just one more thing..." Yahara reached over to the night stand and picked up a small box, "I was going to give this to you when I came back but..." he tried to conceal all the pain he was going through at that point, but it was a futile attempt. He just opened the box, too tired to speak much more.

Minako gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand as she stared into the sparkling diamond surrounded by small topazes before her. She felt more tears spring to her cornflower eyes as she gently took the ring from the box, "Yahara... You really didn't have to--"

Before Minako could finish Yahara captured her lips in one final kiss before she left, tears running over their raw lips. She didn't even notice when Yahara removed the talisman from her neck.

When their lips parted, Yahara's face was twisted in pain and Minako gently helped him lie back down. He smiled softly at her and said, "Now you really do have to go... I'm only sorry you had to see that..." Minako nodded in defeat and got up off the bed, slipping the ring on her left hand as she stood, "Minako... I love you..."

Minako felt her throat tighten at his words, 'I know that was the main reason I came but...' she shook her head sadly and looked deeply into his eyes through her tears, "I won't tell you the same... not until you're safe and sound... and with me again... I'm sorry but... I need that hope..."

"I understand... But then some things don't need to be said..." Yahara said softly.

Minako nodded and reached up for the talisman around her neck. She gasped in shock when she found it absent and looked up at Yahara, knowing what happened to it, "Yahara wait!"

But it was too late. A few moments later, Minako was back at the Crystal Palace, still unclad in Yahara's shirt. Minako hugged herself tightly and fell down onto her empty bed, sobbing uncontrollably. The tears flowed out of her eyes like waterfalls, and they only made the tear stains on her pillow even worse than they had been before. Her pain was great, and her heart ached for her love, whom was now in more pain than she. And his heart, in turn, ached for her. And in that moment two soul mates shared but one thought...

'Why can I never be happy for long? Why must something always happen?'

Submitted by: kerry - Hits: 0

Pages Updated On: 14-Aug-2008 - 10:29:32
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