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Silver Alliance	By : lynnwood84 Category: Sailor Moon > General Views: 8546 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
Chapter Seventeen

Homecoming � Malachite

~~*~~

�� Malachite
stepped through the transporter gate after it had been keyed to the planet of
Venus and�as soon as he came through the other side�he jerked to a halt,
immediately feeling as though he�d just stepped into a furnace. Thick and
muggy, the oppressive heat threatened to steal his very breath, making him
gasp. He had been born in the frozen wastes of the North Lands. He was used to
ice and snow, and bitterly frigid winters.

Stars,
he was never going to survive this.

�I
told you it was suffocating,� a familiar voice called from his left, liberally
laced with a mixture of disgruntlement and humor. Malachite turned to see his
uncle approach, and received another shock at seeing the staunch warrior
dressed�not in the leather and armor that Malachite had ever seen him wear in
the past�but in airy white and blue cloth. The top was clasped over one of his
broad shoulders with a metal fastening, a long tail of fabric falling back
behind him, the rest leaving all of the other arm and much of one side of his
still powerfully built chest bare. The bottoms were airy cotton pants of a
sort, his feet covered only in a pair of thin sandals. The older man made a
face at Malachite�s disbelieving look, then scowled.

�I
don�t wear these damned frilly things by choice. Yet you try and strut
about in your full leathers for a while, lad, and we�ll just see how long it
takes you to concede. You�ll suffocate first.�

Malachite
snorted, though inwardly he didn�t doubt it. Only a few minutes here, and
already he could feel a trickle of sweat rolling down his spine beneath his
heavy armor. Yet he suddenly became aware of more of his surroundings besides
the sweltering sauna-like heat, and blinked in faint surprise.

There
was no question that he was on a completely different world than Earth. The sky
was a brilliant golden orange instead of blue, the sun much larger in the sky
than what he was used to. The thick vegetation that surrounded him beyond the
intricate stone pathway he currently stood on was of a more teal blue than
green, intermixed with random splashes of pink, violet or blue colored blossoms
that he didn�t recognize the name of. And alien creatures suddenly winged
overhead�what might have been a strange colorful cross between a bird and a
lizard�screeching and screaming their passage across the burning ochre sky.

�The
oddness takes some getting used to,� Alexandrite chuckled after a moment of
Malachite�s wide-eyed stare, guessing the direction of his nephew�s thoughts.
�I might have been okay except for the yellow sky. Damned unsettling, I still
can�t seem to get used to it, even five months later.�

Malachite
nodded, and would�ve responded, yet at that moment a group of three women
suddenly strolled past. Each one was painfully pretty, and not a one wearing a
stitch of clothing above the waist and not much more than a transparent bit of
colorful gauze below it. Despite his iron-clad control, Malachite felt his eyes
bulge at the unexpected display. The females saw the gold armband of his new
station and immediately stopped to bow respectfully to him, eying him curiously
at the same time. Malachite was still so dumbfounded that all he could do was
just stand there gaping like a moron. The women noticed his stupor then and
giggled to each other at his expense before turning to continue on their way,
more than one shooting a flirtatious look over her shoulder as they left.

Alexandrite
cleared his throat, now caught between amusement and pity. �Ah, that takes some
getting used to as well.�

Malachite
shook himself out of his shock and scowled, hopefully steeling himself against
any more embarrassing surprises. The Warrior King shifted his armor with a
jerk, his face wiping clean of all emotion before motioning to his Uncle to
lead the way. Alexandrite sighed slightly at the return of what he called his
�blank face,� but turned to do as he�d bid.

�How
goes the fortifications?� Malachite demanded. His uncle reached up to scratch
absently at his short-trimmed black goatee, his dark gray eyes pensive.

�As
well as can be expected, I guess. It�s a little slow going, as I�m not entirely
familiar with the layout here and their soldiers are more lax and indulgent
than I�m used to. That squadron of Northern warriors that decided to relocate
here with us definitely helped,� Alexandrite suddenly commented, grinning.

�Our
defenses have to be flawless,� Malachite advised softly, sternly. �We were
warned by a Time Priestess that there are those who would take the hard-won
prizes we have earned, should we fail to do so. I want no chances taken.�

�I�ll
redouble my efforts in the morning, lad,� Alexandrite assured calmly, surely.
�A belch won�t pass by my ranks without your knowledge, I guarantee it.�

Trusting
his Uncle�s word and his abilities explicitly, Malachite merely nodded and then
said nothing more on the matter.

The
two warriors entered into what was the seat of the Venusian monarchy then, a
massive, spacious and airy coral-colored building with many pillars and very
few walls. Vaulted archways extended upward to incredible heights and long,
gauzy bits of cloth hung from the ceiling, blowing restlessly in the muggy
breeze.

Soon
after they entered, Psyche appeared near-by�followed by a small procession of
female attendants. Thankfully all of them were fully covered, if just barely.
The beautiful former Queen shot his uncle a disgusted glare an instant before
her face smoothed into a soft smile of welcome for him. What was even more odd
was how Alexandrite�s entire body locked up with barely suppressed anger, his
fists clenching at his sides.

Malachite
felt his brow twitch. Apparently his Uncle and Mina�s mother didn�t get along.

�I
am glad to see you�ve returned to us whole and safe, Malachite,� Psyche called,
her soft, purring tone effortlessly exuding sensuality, much like her daughter.
Even in mid-life was the woman intoxicating�yet with her, all Malachite felt
was a general acknowledgement of her allure. Nothing like the damn-near obsession
he fought with from the other.

�There�s
no need to lay it on so thick, woman,� Alexandrite suddenly growled from beside
him, deep voice liberally laced with disgust. �Mal�s not in danger of tossing
you out on your ass, though I�ve tried several times to convince him of it.�

Psyche�s
fists clenched, golden eyes narrowed onto his Uncle in a look that should�ve
been able to strip flesh from his bones. Malachite just blinked, confused. His
uncle had told him nothing of the sort.

�Apparently
common courtesy escapes you, Alexandrite,� she snapped, her voice no longer as
sultry as it was before, now dripping with sarcasm. �Yet I suppose that�s not
all that surprising.�

Malachite
saw his uncle�s face flush and sighed, figuring he�d better step in and end
this scuffle before it got any further.

�Where
is Zaire,� he suddenly called, his softly spoken neutral tone cutting
immediately through the others� ire. Both turned to him, blinking. �I hope the
beast isn�t dying in this heat.� Zaire too was native to the frozen tundra, not
this sweltering jungle, and Malachite hoped the cat�s thick fur wasn�t proving
dangerous to his health. He�d had Zaire ever since he turned eleven years old,
finding him as an abandoned cub and raising the cat himself. The beast had a
very special place in his heart, one Malachite cherished, and it would be a
vast disappointment to have to send him back to Earth.

Neither
Psyche or Alexandrite answered him, instead a new voice to his left called out,
�your cat is fine, and eager to see you it would seem.�

That
warm, sultry tone immediately soaked through his every pore, causing Malachite
to stiffen. Gods, that voice had haunted his very dreams . . . . He braced
himself, then slowly turned to face his wife after nearly five months of
separation. When he took her in, however, his solemn vow not to allow anything
else to visibly stun him was thrown right out the window.

His
jaw dropped completely open instead.

Mina
stood in the entryway dressed in a pale pink gauzy gown, the strap-like sleeves
secured with metal fastenings on either shoulder, the fabric seeming to crisscross
from there over breasts much fuller than he remembered, the way the fabric was
arranged revealing the deepness of her new cleavage. The material gathered�
there, then spilled loosely over a very noticeably swollen middle and then all
the way to the floor at her bare feet. He almost didn�t even notice Zaire
standing protectively at her side, or her delicate hand resting gently atop his
massive head. Instead his wide eyes remained glued to her distended stomach,
frozen in shock, even as she slowly began gliding closer.

His
wife was pregnant. Very pregnant. Strange, but the possibility hadn�t
even entered his mind. To be so far along, she had to have either gotten that way
on their wedding night . . . or directly afterward. Malachite was so thrown out
of sorts that he did something he never did; opened his mouth and spoke
before he�d fully thought about what was coming out of it.

�Who�s
the father?�

Of
course, in immediate retrospect, that had not been the smartest thing to say.
Alexandrite hissed in amazement before smacking a hand over his eyes. Psyche
gaped, looking a mixture between stunned and outraged.

Mina
just froze two steps away from him, eyes wide and disbelieving a fraction of a
second before they flooded with tears. Yet her pretty face suddenly turned an
angry pink directly afterward, all an instant before her hand lashed out and
cracked him right across the face. Seeing as he felt that he more than deserved
it, Malachite didn�t even bother trying to avoid her. She spared herself a
moment to glare at him in disgust, her little fists clenched, before the blonde
turned on her heel and then marched angrily back the way she�d come without
another word.

Even
Zaire seemed to eye him disdainfully, huffing out a growling grunt before
turning about and trailing back after his wife.

The
room was silent then for several moments, broken only by the stunned tittering
of Psyche�s attendants. She turned slightly and motioned, immediately shushing
them, then turned back to him at his weary sigh.

�Well
that was quite possibly the dumbest thing I�ve ever said.� Alexandrite
just nodded, looking as if he wasn�t sure whether he wanted to be amused or
annoyed. Before Malachite could take him to task for apparently keeping this
all a secret, Psyche recovered from her row and spoke at last.

�I
will assume that it is the unfair shock you were just dealt and misconceptions
of our culture that has made you insult my daughter, warrior,� she called, tone
amazingly calm, perhaps deceptively so. He only nodded, and she sighed then. �While
it is true that my people are very free with their affections otherwise, when
Joined with another, we are completely monogamous with that partner. My
daughter takes her vows very seriously. She has lain with no other but you. The
babe is yours, Malachite,� she assured softly, then, taking pity on him.

Then
the older woman turned and left after Mina, her attendants following. Malachite
watched them go, then clenched his fists. Now alone with his uncle, some of his
impeccable mask cracked enough to show his anger. And fear.

Stars,
a baby . . . .

�Why
did no one tell me?� he demanded after a moment, tone hoarse. Alexandrite
winced, but sighed.

�I
kept my silence because I had hoped that the girl would come to tell you
herself. It is the mother�s place to tell a father she�s carrying his babe,� he
murmured softly then.

Malachite
swallowed the lump that seemed permanently lodged in his throat, frowning. �And
why didn�t she tell me? She had five months to work up the nerve.�
Alexandrite made a face, then, giving him a snide look.

�Perhaps
because you do your damndest to intimidate the hell out of people, and convince
them you�re nothing but a cold stone wall without any emotion?� Malachite
turned to him sharply with a slight glare, but for once his uncle seemed
unfazed, instead eying him with something that might have been disappointment.
�Try to put yourself in her position for a moment. Barely eighteen, married to
and owned by a complete stranger in less than two days time�of whom you�re
convinced, by the way, hates you�left alone again before the bed sheets barely
cool and then you discover after the fact that your womb is quickening with his
seed. Would you be eager to contact the man and give him the news?�

�She
should have told me�,�

�You
terrify her, Malachite!� Alexandrite suddenly yelled, cutting him off.
The pale-haired King stared at his uncle, somewhat stunned, as the man hadn�t
dared to raise his voice to him in years. Not since he�d fully entered manhood
and assumed command of the North. The older warrior just scowled at him,
unrepentant. �Would it kill you to ease up a little on that hell-be-damned
control of yours for once in your life�,�

�You
know I cannot,� he shot back, his face suddenly going cold and blank again. Alexandrite�s
eyes darkened with a remembered pain, then he sighed.

�That
was a long time ago, lad. Let it go. You�re not your brother.�

�Exactly,�
was his clipped retort, turning on his heel then and stalking off in the
direction of where he hoped his quarters would be. �I am not. Thus do I prove
it so.�

~~*~~

�� This is all
hormones,� Psyche tried to soothe, yet causing a fresh wave of angry tears from
her overly-emotional daughter instead.

�I
do not�think that�my husband practically�calling me a wh-whore�to my
face�is an irrational�reason to be�upset!� she shrieked in between sobs.

Zaire
sat near-by in the alcove where she had retreated to, watching Mina�s emotional
outburst with a faintly confused stare, head tilted to the side. No doubt it
was because he was a big, stupid male. At the moment, the Queen was
angry and hurt enough to take her upset out on the innocent cat as well, if for
no other reason than the condemnation of his gender.

�No
indeed,� her mother agreed calmly from where she sat near-by on a cushioned
bench. �Yet if the baby were not causing you to overreact so, you would be able
to look at the situation with a little more sympathy for his situation.
While not the best you could have hoped for, Malachite�s reaction was not
completely unfounded.� Mina turned to gape at her mother, her tears slowing
with her shock. Psyche just shook her head sadly. �Imagine how you would
feel, coming home fresh from war to find your wife�whom you have only lain with
one night�thick with child? Especially when the union was one that neither of
you really wanted, her people are known for their loose sexuality and the woman
in question never bothered to tell you of the child beforehand?�

Mina
winced, turning away slightly, pinched with guilt and then annoyed that she
should feel so. She wanted to be angry and upset just now, not forced to
concede to her mother�s wisdom.

�He
told you this?� she questioned after a moment, but Psyche shook her head.

�He
didn�t have to. I could see it well enough on my own.� Mina scoffed in
disbelief.

�How
can you tell anything about that man?� she sneered, finally heeding her
mother�s advice and coming to sit gingerly on the cushions beside her. �He is a
machine,� she continued bitterly, arms crossing.

�He
is a man, Mina,� her mother corrected softly. �He bleeds, he breathes,
he feels; just like any other. Malachite only hides it better than most. You
just have to learn how to see it.� Mina eyed her suspiciously.

�And
just how do you see it, when I cannot?� Psyche only smiled then, in an
annoyingly knowing sort of way.

�Because
I am not too blinded by other things to notice,� was her cagey response. Mina
started to ask her mother what she meant by that, then changed her mind with a
slight roll of her eyes. When Psyche was feeling cryptic, there was no getting
a straight answer out of her.

Meanwhile
Zaire braved her confusing behavior enough to approach. Mina�s heart melted at
the sight of the huge, dangerous creature creeping forward, head ducked down as
if afraid. �Oh come here, you,� she murmured. Zaire buried his face on her lap then
with a rumbling purr. Mina wrapped her arms around his huge neck, her face
hiding in his soft fur for a moment.

She
had to go face Malachite again, and she desperately didn�t want to. Of all the
reactions Mina had played through her mind over the past months, never had she
expected the one she�d gotten. Yet it had been partly her fault, as her mother
had said. The young Queen sighed after several more minutes, straightening
again and then getting to her feet, trying to steel her resolve.

She
wasn�t a little girl anymore. She was a wife, a Queen, and soon to be a mother.
And she had duties to see to, no matter how much her cold-hearted husband
scared her witless. Mina bid her mother an absent goodbye, then trailed off in
search of the great hulk.

She
found him in the master bedroom�what would now be their room together. Someone
must have pointed him in the right direction. For a moment Malachite didn�t
notice that she had entered, and in that brief time she caught a glimpse of
bone-deep exhaustion etched into the features of his handsome face as he undid
the last of the straps holding his plate armor to his muscled frame. Mina
unwillingly felt another twinge of guilt in her chest. The poor man had just
endured five months of hell fighting to protect her and her entire Kingdom, and
she�d repaid that by slapping him in the face with his foot barely in the door.

Zaire�who
had loped in at her side�let out a soft grunt of greeting, alerting Malachite
to their presence. He turned slightly, immediately all hint of fatigue wiping
clean and replaced with that horridly familiar blank mask. Yet Mina endeavored
not to let herself be affected by it, instead walking more fully into the room
and then over to the large sunken pool to the side that served as their bath.
She pretended to be as cool and aloof as he was while she carefully
crouched�mindful of her ungainly middle�reaching for the controls hidden by the
foliage that surrounded the pool. She maneuvered around Zaire�s curious
bulk�shoving a little ineffectually at the huge cat�s head when he butted it in
her way trying to see what she was doing�adjusting the water�s temperature to a
soothing heat. Then she fished out the decorative floating lilies before
turning on the massaging jets.

�What
are you doing?� he suddenly asked from somewhere behind her, his deep voice
carefully flat, yet suspicious�as if she were planning on doing him in or
something.

Exasperated,
Mina straightened again and whirled to him with a glare, her shortened temper
getting the best of her, hands catching onto her widened hips.

�I
may not have wanted this marriage, Malachite, but it is done and over with now
and I am not so childish and petty that I cannot accept that fact, and move on.
As well as appreciate the incredible things you and your comrades have done for
my people, for all of the Alliance.� Her eyes narrowed further. �And it it�s
not such a terrible thing for a wife to see to her husband�s comfort after
coming fresh from the battlefield. You�ll save us both a lot of headaches if
you�d stop insisting on believing that everything that I do has a devious, ulterior
motive!�

�Alright,
alright,� he finally called, sounding pained and looking it too as he waved her
down. He even winced a little before sighing, suddenly looking rather
uncomfortable. �I apologize for questioning your intentions,� he forced out
then, revealing the reason for his discomfort. She would bet a lot that
Malachite wasn�t a man used to apologizing very often. �And . . . thank you,�
he finally managed, tone gruff.

He
turned away slightly then, reaching for the neck of his dirt-smudged leathers
and pulled the clasp free. Mina watched him undress silently, enjoying the view
and doing her best to ignore the heat in her cheeks because of it. Yet when he
turned suddenly and showed her the broad expanse of his muscled back, she
gasped in shock at seeing what looked to be a painfully deep laceration that
started at one shoulder and cut diagonal down nearly to the base of his ribs on
the other side. The wound was gummed shut now with dried blood, attesting to
the incredible amount of time he�d borne it silently without the slightest hint
of complaint.

�You�re
hurt!� she accused, unconsciously taking a step toward him in concern.

He
blinked at her, then shifted slightly to look over his own shoulder before
shrugging with a wince. �What, that? A stray hit,� he heaved absently. �It
probably looks worse than it feels.�

�It
looks infected,� was her testy retort, for some reason annoyed by his
flippant disregard for his own health, �so I can only imagine what it feels
like.� Then she sighed heavily, turning toward her bureau. �Get in the pool,
and I�ll see what I can find to clean that up.�

Zaire
accompanied her on her search for a few medical supplies�some gauze and some ointment
to apply, to numb the pain and deaden the infection. When she returned,
Malachite had stripped fully and was sunk down belly-deep into the heated pool�no
doubt seated on the bench under the surface. His muscled arms were stretched
across the lip�the right bicep still adorned with the gold filigree arm band of
his station�and his head tilted back, face uncommonly smooth and free from
tension. Mina approached him silently and carefully sat on the cushions
near-by, her huge feline protector prostrating himself at her side with a loud
sigh. Malachite didn�t speak either, or open his eyes, merely leaned forward a
little when she touched his shoulder, giving her access to his wound.

They
sat in a strangely comfortable silence then for several minutes, as Mina
carefully cleaned the blood from his back and applied the water-proof ointment
to the cut, being as gentle as she possibly could even though he never once
flinched, or indicated any sort of discomfort throughout the entire process.

When
she was finished, Mina leaned forward a little to rinse her fingers . Malachite
slowly sat back, then turned a little toward her.

�So
. . . the baby,� he suddenly murmured, his deep voice a little more hesitant
than usual. �It fairs well?�

Mina
frowned with a lingering bit of spite. �So it�s yours now?� she demanded
somewhat petulantly.

That
made him sigh, as if being set upon, and immediately made her feel even more
childish for indulging in her moment of pettiness. Which of course only annoyed
her more. Yet then he spoke in a tight mutter, �I did not mean to offend you
earlier. I was only shocked . . . and . . . I know that you have no great like
of me,� Malachite suddenly bit out. Mina blinked at him, but he was staring at
the wall now, jaw tight. �I also know that your culture does not view sex and
physical love as strictly as mine,� he continued, and surprisingly he didn�t
sound offended by that as most were, merely stating a fact. When he continued,
his deep rumble had become a touch softer. If she didn�t know any better, she
would�ve sworn he sounded almost . . . vulnerable. In his own, subtle way. �I
would not have blamed you, had you strayed from me.�

Mina
frowned. �I gave sacred vows,� she announced adamantly, fists clenched in her
skirts. �I do not know how seriously Earthlings view a Joining, but to a
Venusian they are binding. I would never lay with another, now. I cannot.� A
dark thought suddenly occurred to her then, and she gasped. When she spoke
again, her voice was suddenly tiny, betraying her hurt. �H-have you . . . have
you lain with another woman while you were away?�

Yet
Malachite snorted at that, amused. He reached for the soft soap near by to
begin scrubbing at his skin. �There�s not much time nor opportunity for bedding
a woman in the middle of a battlefield,� he murmured dryly.

It
didn�t exactly confirm or deny whether or not he would have done so if he were
able, but Mina didn�t press him. Suddenly she was too afraid to know the
answer, let alone what such a question implied. She sighed instead, her hands
ghosting across her stomach.

�It�s
a boy,� she announced softly, causing him to turn to her in surprise. She
smiled. �And doing very well, according to the healer.�

�How
is it that you know what the child will be before it�s born?� he questioned,
confused. Mina blinked, having forgotten briefly that Earth didn�t have a lot
of the technology that they enjoyed. She smirked.

�Mercurian
scientists invented a machine�it�s all very technical and I don�t know how it
works exactly�but it can show a black and white picture of a baby still in the
womb. This way healers can check to make sure it�s growing properly without any
complications, and also to tell the gender.�

Malachite
just whistled low, stunned.

They
lapsed back into silence again at that, with Malachite continuing to wash up
and Mina silently watching him.

Hours
later Malachite entered through the curtain of gauze that shielded the massive
nest of pillows�what served as the bed�in preparation to lay down for sleep. He
was utterly exhausted, and eager for some rest without the tension of battle on
the horizon. Mina was already curled up in them, dressed in a diaphanous
nightgown with her lemon colored hair splayed out to one side. Unfortunately
his spot was currently being occupied by a massive feline.

�Zaire,
up,� he called, in no mood for games. Yet for the first time in fourteen years,
the white tiger completely ignored him. Mina just grinned sleepily.

�He�s
slept with me every night since he came here,� she revealed, then yawned. �You�ll
have a hard time getting him to move.�

Malachite
was a little surprised to hear this, but no where near as shocked as he was
when he neared the bed. Zaire suddenly lifted up, his lips curling back to show
his deadly fangs and a low, threatening snarl left the massive cat�s chest.
Malachite froze, stunned. Then he scowled, especially as Mina started giggling
at his expense. Unafraid, Malachite reached down, grabbed the tiger by his jaw
and forced the beast to look him in the eye.

�Don�t,�
was all he snapped, voice completely flat. Man and beast shared a silent stare
down for a moment, then Malachite tried again. �Move.�

Zaire
finally relented with a pained sigh. Sounding and looking as though he were
being egregiously set upon, the large white tiger heaved himself up and then
moped off the bed.

�Aw,
sorry boy,� Mina called playfully. �I�ll still let you take afternoon naps with
me, how�s that sound?�

Zaire
just plopped down again at the foot of the bed, not looking very appeased.

Malachite
grumbled a little to himself before he eased down onto the bed beside Mina, who
looked to be fast on her way to falling asleep. She lay on her side, facing
him, cuddling an especially large pillow to her chest with one leg thrown over
it�no doubt to ease the pressure on her back from her larger middle. His gaze
lingered on her stomach for a long time, lost in thought.

A
baby . . . a son. He was going to be a father. Such a monumental
concept, that. And strangely frightening. Yet . . . thrilling as well. A fierce
swell of protectiveness suddenly rose in him, for this as-yet unborn creature
he had created and�oddly enough�for the woman who carried him as well. With it
came stone-cold determination, Malachite�s expression hardening with it.

The
Plutonian Princess�s predictions be damned. No one�not man, woman or beast�would
be taking anything away from him again. He had already lost too much to the
cruel whims of fate. Not ever again.
- 17
- 18
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Silver Alliance