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     Total Eclipse: Minako's story
      
     By: Zellie 
     6:31 PM 2/24/00	

Disclaimer: I don't own sailor Moon or any of the Sallior Moon 
characters.
		

      "Once upon a time I was falling in love, Now I'm only falling apart." 
	Total Eclipse of the Heart, by Rachel Sumthing or other (I
 have no clue! How many people have redone this one?)

	Prolouge: He was born of Venusian and Lunarian blood. 
She was full Venusian. The fate of their happiness rested in the 
hands of the gods. Each was destined to lead two separate groups 
of protectors. Once they were playmates. Then they were separated
 by circumstances that would split them apart forever. Will they find 
each other when they need the other the most, or will they submit 
to the greatest power of all: love?  

	"Mommy! Guess what?!"  I had been running circles 
around my mother for the past hour and a half now, trying to get her 
to pay attention to me.  She was preparing dinner and didn't want 
to listen. "Mommy!" I tugged at her skirt and clung for all I was worth
 until she looked down at me in an effort to get me off.  She laughed 
as I looked up at her and grinned. I might have pulled her skirt off 
completely a couple times, I don't quite remember, but still those 
days in my early childhood are some of my most favorite memories.
  She looked down and tried to wedge a wooden spoon between me
 and her skirt, but this only provoked me to cling farther. Finally, she
 sat down on a chair in the kitchen and pulled me up on to her lap. 
To this day, I still don't understand why she was cooking that day, 
maybe it was for a banquet or something and we were short in the
 kitchen or something, but anyways, I can still feel the warmth and 
the smile she had on her face when she held me that one time.  
	"What is it darling? You've been hanging off of me for 
so long now, I thought you were part of me!" She brushed a few 
strands of my hair out of my face and tucked them behind me ear, 
seeing as they had fallen out of the clip that held them back. She 
laughed again as I scrunched up my face at having to look proper-
and I was a mess. I had been playing with some of my friends in 
the fields for most of the day. My dress, which was a play dress, 
was torn and muddy. I also had mud on my face and, most likely, 
in my hair as well. There was supposed to be some big gala that
night and I was not looking forward to it. They bored me silly. All the
people dancing made me incredibly dizzy, and, as you might imagine,
it was no fun just to watch. 
	"There was this new kid that was playing with us today, 
Mommy! He was so funny! He was putting on airs like you would not 
believe, down right arrogant he was! I couldn't stop laughing and he 
said I was a stuck up little snott. Boy, did I show him!  But I couldn't
help it he was funny-looking...all tall and muscular and stuff. 'Said he 
was going to be Prince Endymion's  head guard, he did. Some macho 
guy like that didn't deserve to play with the Princess of Venus! So I told 
him off!" I had been very proud of myself after that. I don't know why, I
could have kicked any boy's butt, still can.  Kunzite had made me so 
angry, though. He told my friends that they were all a bunch of peasants
and that he didn't socialize with peasants. Well, no one messes with
my friends like that. Even if they were peasants. What I still find funny
to this day was that he thought I was one of them. I must have looked the
part, though, with my hair a mess and my dress  torn and all. What I didn't
know was that he was a Venusian nobleman.  My mother's eyes were 
shining. Here I was, a little girl of eight or so facing off to an eleven year
old boy, and I beat him. 
	"Minako! You shouldn't have beat him up, dear!" Her laughter
 filled the room. The kitchen maids turned to watch us, my mother, the 
queen of Venus, the leader of the then sailor senshi, and I, the princess and
 soon to be leader, giggling in the middle of the kitchen while preparations 
were being made for what might have been the most important night of our
 lives. It must have been quite a sight to see us there.  We sat there
 laughing for quite a while, until my father walked into the room in search of 
my mother. The room fell silent and I looked up to see him standing in the 
doorway, looking very angry. Daddy had always been very scary when 
he was angry, and I don't think he was ever too happy with me. I clung
 to my mother until she put me on the ground and stood up. Then I hid 
behind her fearing he would come after me again for playing in the 
garden. "Caleb, dear, what ever is the matter?" My mother pushed 
her shoulders back, and stood tall, not afraid to show him that she was
 his better. 
	"Matter? What's the matter? I told you to meet me over an 
hour ago! Why didn't you show up?  Wait, don't answer that. Let me guess.
Minako did something cute and you had to spend time with her, right? 
Minako did something that was good and you had to applaud her, right? 
Minako...where is she by the way?" Daddy advanced on us and I scurried
under the table. I didn't want him to find me then. Not with the tone in his
voice. It seems like he hated me and I never knew why. "Jace, don't you 
see what's happened to us? You don't spend time with me anymore. 
You're always to busy with that child. I want...I-" He saw me. I backed up
a little farther so that it would be harder for him to grab me. The look in 
his eyes scared me so. Mommy noticed that he had seen me and stepped
in between us.  "Move out of the way. I want to get a good look at my child."
*Fat chance,* I thought. After that I ran. I think I tipped over a chair in my 
hurry.He was going to hit me! I was sure of it! I ran all the way to my room.
I closed the door behind me as fast as I could and locked it, just in case he
was behind me, which was very unlikely. My room was dark and the floor
was hard as I slid down to it. It wasn't fair. All the other girls had fathers that
cared about them, that loved them, and I didn't. Well, if he did love me he 
never knew how to show it very well.  I took a deep breath and walked over
to my bed. My teddy bear lay on its side under the covers, tucked in, so that
he could get a good rest. I always thought that my teddy bear protected me 
at night. He protected me from that of which I was afraid at night, and 
therefore slept during the day. It was very tempting to just grab him then,
and curl up on the floor and cry, but it wasn't the time to cry. Not when 
I could be doing other things. I had to be strong. So instead I turned on
the light and rummaged through my closet in search of the perfect dress 
to wear that night. I wanted nothing orange. I hated the color orange. It 
was so cliche, just because I was Venusian and the Venusian color was 
orange, didn't mean I had to like it, and I didn't. 
	Meanwhile my mother was fighting my father off, in the middle
of the kitchen, where everyone could hear them. I couldn't stand it when
my parents fought. They always sounded so hateful toward each other.
That's not the way people who were in love should sound.  "Caleb, I 
don't understand. Why is it that you sound jelous of her? Jelous, of your 
own daughter. Why?  It's not like I've totally abandoned you! I love you, 
very much, in fact. So why do you feel it fit to torment her like that?" My 
mother's eyes flashed when she was angry. This was one of those times.
How could he be asking her to feel like she had to take sides with either
her husband or her daughter? That was like asking a man in the desert
to choose between water or shade. 
	"I don't want to torment her! I just want the best for her! And If
you keep babying her like you do she'll never grow up to be independent
enough to be a decent senshi!" He stood there fuming. I don't think that 
Daddy hated me then but years later I swear he did. He loved my mother 
so much that it killed him inside to see her show affection to anyone else,
even if it was his own daughter. 
	"I don't baby her! Whatever she does, she does on her own free
will! I don't do a thing for her. But if you really want the best for her why don't 
you try being a father to her once in a while! All she needs is a little support
from you. Whenever she does something commendable, you  just shove
it off like it was yesterday's news!  Why is it that what ever she does is 
never good enough for you?" I could hear Mommy screaming from my
room, which was an entire floor above them and also a completely 
different end.  The entire palace was silent at her rage. It wasn't often
my mother was this angry. While the war raged beneath me a heard 
a quiet knock on my door. 
	"Yes," I said with an exasperated tone. The door was 
rattled as if the handle had been turned and the door was attempted
to be opened. I had forgotten the door was locked. I walked over to
it and unlocked it then went back to my closet. The door opened quietly
and slowly and in walked one of my best friends, Princess Rei of Mars. 
She stood on the door way looking at me with a look that said,"I'm so sorry
about all of this." I ran over to her and hugged her. "Rei! How'd you get 
here? Wait...never mind! I just didn't think anyone had gotten here yet." 
Then, I pulled back and pulled her into the room, shutting the door and
locking it behind her. It was no time ot feel sorry for yourself now, I just
wanted to feel a little bit more safe. 
	"Minako, I haven't seen you in so long!" She finally smiled and
was back to her normal self.  "I can't believe that you're finally turning 9 today! 
You're the baby alright!" She playfully punched me in the arm.  "Didja hear
about what happened to the prince?" I shook my head. "Well, it turns out he
has the worst balance in the galaxy! He was walking on this fallen tree and 
slipped and fell into a river and broke his arm. I could have done that in heels
and he can't even do it barefoot!" Rei then fell on my bed in a giggling spree,
which caused me to laugh a little in turn. Rei had always thought that women
were better than men, but this was down right hilarious to her.  I felt bad for 
him but it was funny.
	"Serves him right for always making fun of us, huh Rei?" I said, 
smiling. It was then that she noticed that I was filthy. 
	"Minako! What happened to you? You're so...so dirty!" She
picked up a section of my hair that was caked in mud.  It was funny to 
see us in contrast to each other at that moment.  Her, with her dark hair 
and violet eyes in a stunning red gown lined with deep purple accents, 
I in a torn dress, with washed out blue eyes and caked with mud. My eyes
were only that color blue at the moment. They reflected my mood, which
was hidden under the happiness of seeing Rei again. "You smell too!" She
joked. I took a hint and headed off to my bathroom where I proceeded to 
run some hot water for a bath. I needed it. 
	"So how have you been recently?" I asked as I let the tub fill with
water. "Oh yeah, do you have to get back to your parents soon?" The tub 
was almost filled. 
	"No, that's why we got here early.  They wanted to chat, and 
knew that I wanted to talk to you. Hey...Who's that kid out there?" She
leaned against my window. I had a bay window in my room and Rei was
currently nestled deeply in the seat of it, with a few of my books. I popped
my head out of the doorway to the bathroom. The garden was all 
decorated for the night with tons of colored lights. But no one was out there
accept that little snott boy who I had fought with earlier. She looked at me
and shrugged. 
	"He's a real brat, Rei. Stay away from him. I'm telling you, bad 
news!" I whipped my hands on my skirt and walked over to the window and
opened it.  "Hey you! Think you're still all that?" I stuck my tongue out at him
and shut the window.  Rei stared at me, then blinked. 
	"Minako? Are you feeling alright?" I nodded and she giggled.
"Don't ever change on me, promise?"
	"Promise. Now I have to take a bath. I'm sorry I'm not that great
of a hostess." She waved her hand and I shut the door to the bathroom and 
washed up as quickly as I could. I needed to get ready fast now.  When I was
done with my bath, I looked healthier. I grabbed the first dress that was in my 
closet. Luckily it was a dark blue one that shimmered in any type of light. I 
slipped it on and grabbed a hairbrush.  Then I walked back out into my room
brushing my hair as I went. "What do you think?" Rei looked up, a bit dazed then 
snapped out of it. I smiled at her reaction. 
	"You look great! But what are you going to do with your hair?" As it
was still wet I figured I could do something interesting with it. But what? 
That was the question. 
	"I think I'll put it up some how." A couple twists and yanks later, we
had worked out the perfect style. It was done up neatly with my tiara
in place and the back was twisted in a look that had almost the same effect
of a braided halfer. "Ready, Rei?" She nodded and we walked out of the 
room together and down to the garden where the party was to begin. If only 
I had a few dolls with me! We stopped at the edge of the garden. I glanced
around worridly. My mother was chatting with Rei's parents and Makoto's
parents, but Makoto was nowhere to be found.  Daddy was sitting at a table
brooding. I wanted to avoid him as much as possible.  I frowned. Rei glanced
at me then scanned the crowd for a sign of any of our other friends. At long
last we spotted Makoto with a group of boys consisting of the prince from 
Earth and my little friend. Ami was with her looking at the boys with a
certain look of shock. I grabbed Rei's arm and stalked over to where 
the group was. "Just what do you think you're doing to my friends?" I 
questioned the boy. He spun around and glared at me. Then bowed, 
which threw me off. 
	"I'm sorry, Princess. I thought you were some over-placed peasant." 
He backed up a little bit and Makoto and Ami looked at him in a strange way. 
"I didn't mean to glare at you." I shrugged. "It's just that...your voice...Hey! 
You're that girl from this after noon!" Now was my time to shine. 
	"Yeah, what's it to ya?" I grinned. "Please, let me introduce
myself and my friends." I said as he blinked at me with disbelief. "I am
Princess Aino Minako. This is Princess Hino Rei of Mars," I said
pointing to Rei. "Princess Kino Makoto of Jupiter, and Princess Mizuno
Ami of Mercury." Makoto stuck out her hand to the boy and Ami nodded
when she was acknowledged.  "Now, I'd like to know, Mr. I'm going to be 
Endymion's head guard...just what is your name?"  The boy, still recovering
from shock barely managed to get his name out. 
	"Kunzite...." And that was all he had said to me for the rest of the night.

       ~ Notes from Zellie~	
             Well? What say you? Is this one better than the first? I sure hope
so...Anyways, I'll try and get these out faster than the other series. That
one is a lot harder to me for some reason...