Trial of the Ring

Chapter One: The Conversation

Uranus worried about the journey.  She knew that just getting to the moon would be difficult.  She was well known and didn’t want to be spotted. Plus she didn’t want Neptune to be alerted of her presence.  She wanted this to be a complete surprise.  If Neptune caught wind of Uranus’ trip to the Moon, she might speculate as to what the trip was for.  Especially since they had spent so much time talking about it the last time they had seen each other.

Despite her love for Neptune, Uranus felt that making a commitment to her was unwise and might anger some of the more conservative elements of the Moon Kingdom, mainly Neptune’s parents who weren’t too keen on the idea of their daughter being in love with another woman, especially another Sailor Senshi.   Even though the Queen accepted them as a couple, many people were upset at the increasingly intimate nature of the two senshi’s friendship.  They thought it was dangerous; that one of them might put their hearts before their duty, thus jeopardizing the Moon Kingdom’s safety in order to save one another.

But Neptune and Uranus had sworn to defend the Moon at all costs, even if it meant losing one another.  The idea of losing Neptune hadn’t quite registered at the time she made the commitment, but now with the treat approaching, she thought about it almost constantly.

Last time they met, the Moon Kingdom was still peaceful.  The Negaverse hadn’t started its threat yet.  Queen Serenity held a grand ball to celebrate the Princess and her Court.  As part of Princess Serenity’s court, it was mandatory for them to make an appearance, but Uranus and Neptune would rather have spent the time together.  Their positions prevented them from seeing each other outside of senshi business and royal family get-togethers, and it wasn't that they didn’t enjoy seeing the other senshi, or chatting with the Queen, but it was so hard for them to be together.

After an evening of shaking hands and dancing, Uranus and Neptune walked through the gardens of the palace arm in arm.  They looked up into the pale blue light of the Earth and strolled across a pond of stars.  They reached a gazebo in the center of the pond. Uranus sat down on the plush bench inside while Neptune leaned up against Uranus’ chest.  The young Emperor put her arms around the beautiful sea goddess and the two stared up at the sky and watched the falling stars.  Neptune closed her eyes and softly made a wish so that Uranus couldn’t hear.

“Aren’t you a little old to be wishing on stars my love?”

“Maybe, but I still wish it would come true.”

“Well what did you wish for?”

“If I tell you that, it will never come true.”

“Come on.” Uranus gently kissed Neptune on the back the neck.  But she felt Neptune shrug.

“What is it?”

Neptune stood up and stared angrily at her lover.

“I’m tired of this.”

“Of what?” Uranus asked.

“I hate not being able to be with you.”

“I’m not found of it either, but we promised.”

“I’m not talking about that.  I’m well aware of my responsibilities.”

“Then what is it?”

“The only one that seems to acknowledge us as a couple is the Queen.  Everyone thinks we’re just friends or going through a phase or something.  And your flirting doesn’t help thing very much either.”

“My flirting?”

“I see you with the other girls Uranus.  You’re so charming with them.  How could they resist you?  Just look at the Princess and Jupiter.”

“What about them?” Uranus said half-smiling.

“They adore you.”

“Neptune, I thought you didn’t mind.”

“It didn’t used to.  It’s just that…I love you.  I know you love me too.  But, you tell about all the girls that send you love letters and the cute servants that you have, and I wonder.”

Uranus stood up and walked over to Neptune.  She a put a hand on the sea nymph’s chin, and gently kissed the tip of her nose.

“My dearest girl, I’m sorry.  You are my only love.”

“Then why don’t you ask me to marry you?”

Uranus jerked her head back in surprise.

“What?  Whoa, where did that come from?”

“What?  If I’m your one and only true love that you keep claiming, then why don’t you ask me?”

Uranus scratched her head and tried to find a good answer.

“Umm, uhh, well…”

“Well what?”

“I don’t know.  For starters you parents wouldn’t like it.  You know what they say.  ‘The two of you should be concentrating on your duties as guardians not fooling around with each other.’”

“That’s a good impression of my father Uranus, but that’s not good enough.  I’m tired of having to turn away suitors that my parents set me up with”

“Go out with them then.”

“Why give them false hope?  I don’t want to be with anyone else but you.”

“Neptune even if we married, we still wouldn’t be able to see each other. True, it would be our marital right to be with each other, but still… it wouldn’t be that often.  Our primary duty is to protect the Moon Kingdom.  We’d weaken our defenses by being together.  Neptune. I can’t just abandon my duties as Emperor, and you can’t leave your people.  There is too mush at risk.  We cannot sacrifice it just so we can be together.”

“You sound like my father.”

“This isn’t like you Neptune.”

“What?”

“You are being unreasonable.  You’re being selfish.”

“Selfish?” Tears began to well up in her aquamarine eyes.

“The Queen has promised us that we can Uranus.  I want to be able to say to the entire universe that you are mine and I am yours.  That we’re bound together forever through the eternal bond of marriage blessed by the Imperium Silver Crystal.  Then not even death can tear us apart.”

“You are such a dreamer.  The crystal can’t bind us together for life Neptune. You know that.”

“The power of the Crystal is what keeps us alive and safe Uranus.”

“Well if it’s so powerful then why….”

“Why what?”

“Why did it let us fall in love?  We are destined to be kept apart because of our gifts, because of our duty.”

“Only our physical bodies Uranus.  Only our bodies are kept apart.  My spirit finds you every day.  I feel you in me always.” Neptune placed her hand over Uranus’ heart.  “Don’t you feel me in here?”

Uranus just looked down and tried to concentrate on her feelings.

“Don’t you?” Neptune said in a shaky voice.

Uranus kept silent.  Then turned away from Neptune.

“I see.” Neptune said as a single tear rolled down her alabaster cheek.  “You know what, Uranus.  I’m glad you don’t feel me.  Because you have to go through the pain of a broken heart.”  Neptune turned and ran back towards the palace weeping.  Uranus walked up the arch of the gazebo and lightly pounded her head against one of the pillars.  “Dammit.”  She said as tears began to stream from her eyes.  She held back her tears from Neptune, but now let them fall free.  She pounded her head again.  “I am such an idiot.”