"What Love Feels Like"
A Minako and Artemis fan-fic
PG
Written By: Ataramos
Author's notes at the end

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The young princess sighed as she watched the Earth transport make 
its way back to the blue sphere which hovered above the Moon.  Blue 
eyes threatened to overflow with unshed tears as a lunar wind gently 
played with strands of her long blond hair. She shifted about slightly, 
her dress ruffling as she leaned against the smooth stone railing and 
continued to watch the ship move swiftly through space. Thoughts and 
visions of the man she loved drifted through her mind, and she smiled 
at the memory of the past few days, and the great enjoyment it had 
brought to both of them. They had both so desperately needed a vacation 
from regular duties that the rulers of the Moon and Earth virtually 
commanded the two to take time off. Convenient that they should both 
choose to be off at the same time. But now that time was over, and she 
was watching her lover drift off back to his command. A crystal tear 
slowly slid down her cheek, and with another sigh she slumped down onto 
a stone bench, and burying her face in her hands, began to cry.
"Baka?its not like you aren't going to see him again?next month 
as a matter of fact." She scolded herself for her weakness and the 
absurdity of her tears. She was able to hold back from crying as they 
parted, and for a good time after that, but now the tears were coming, 
and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
"Excuse me princess?but are you all right?" A soft voice asked, 
and a gentle touch was felt on her knee. She started upright and tried 
to hide her tears, frowning slightly at the white cat that sat next to 
her. After a moment of confusion she recognized him to be one of the 
ambassadors from the planet Mau, and an advisor to the Queen.
"I am. Thank you." She looked away, back towards Earth, and 
expected the cat to leave. Instead, he did something she didn't expect 
a highly intelligent species to do, he climbed into her lap and rubbed 
against her hand, purring softly. She blinked down at him, but began to 
stroke his fur, as if by reflex. 
"Pardon me for being so forward princess, but you don't appear to 
be all right?would you like to talk about it?" He quietly asked, his 
green eyes concerned.
"I'm not sure that you would understand?Artemis is your name 
correct?" He nodded and she nodded once. "Artemis?not a typical male 
name in our society?"
"Not really one in mine either. But its fitting I suppose." 
Artemis curled up in her lap, laying so that he could look up at her. 
She gently scritched behind his ears, and he purred.
"Yes, fitting?I suppose mine is as well." She stared off into the 
darkness of the space around the Earth.
"So you think I might not understand? Well?I might not, but I can 
listen quite well princess. I assure you that anything that you tell me 
will not be shared with anyone else."
She smiled softly. "Have you ever been in love?" she suddenly 
asked, and he blinked.
"Well?no, not madly. I have had a few crushes in my life, and I 
care deeply for several others, but no, I don't suppose I've really 
been in love."
"So you don't really know what it feels like?"
"No, I suppose I don't."
She sat quietly for a few moments before picking him up and 
walking towards a bench that was in a more secluded position on the 
balcony. She was silent for a few more minutes while she thought of his 
answer, and how to continue.
"Love is pretty important in this kingdom. In the Venetian court, 
the princess is practically expected to marry for love, and not some 
arrangement?I'm not worried about that at all?no?not that." She 
continued to stroke his fur, and he sat quietly, gently kneading his 
paws against her leg, not using his claws. He hadn't been on the moon 
for that long, but he knew that humans seemed to really enjoy the 
kneading sensation. They also found enjoyment and relaxation in 
stroking his fur, and finding it to be a pleasurable experience, he was 
happy to accept and encourage that activity. He quietly waited until 
she felt ready to speak again.
"No, I'm not worried about that. I'm not even really worried 
about never seeing him again, even though Earth is in civil war. He 
promised to return, and I shall hold onto that. Its just that?my heart 
aches to be away from him?I've never felt this sort of feeling before."
"I may have never felt such a feeling, but I do understand what 
you are saying princess." He began to purr softly.
"Please, call me Minako. I have to hear "princess" all the time 
when I'm not around Serenity, and then I have to hear "Venus" when I 
am. You wouldn't think I had a name?"
"Minako. Aye, your name is fitting." He nuzzled her hand and she 
smiled.
"For a child of Venus, yes, it is." She smiled down at him for a 
few moments before sighing softly and again turning her eyes to the 
planet that hovered above. "I just?want to be with him forever. Every 
time we have to separate, its like part of me is ripped out and walks 
away?and when he comes back, it's like being whole again. I know that 
when the Princess and the Prince get married, we'll be able to be with 
each other, but until then?each time we're together?I cant help but 
feel like it's the last. Each time is so precious to me?"
They sat there quietly for around an hour, she gently stroking 
his back and he softly purring, both thinking about love, life, and 
duty. A shout accompanied by a crackle of lightening and then laughter 
caught their attention, and they both leaned to look down at the 
grounds below the balcony. A girl with long brunette hair held up in a 
ponytail stood below, clad in a green fuku reminiscent of that of the 
sailors on Earth's oceans. Her green eyes shone with mischief as the 
antenna that emerged from her golden tiara sparkled with electricity. 
Several yards away sat another girl, shaking her head to get her ocean 
blue hair back into place. Her midnight blue eyes glared up at the tall 
girl as she stood up, smoothing her blue fuku down and dusting herself 
off. They heard something about water conducting electricity before a 
shouted command from the short girl had the brunette running as a blast 
of water rushed towards her, and quickly caught up and doused its 
victim. A few unladylike curses came from the tall girl as she was 
shocked by her own powers, and then she burst out laughing good-
naturedly at the deserved revenge. The shorter girl walked over to help 
the other girl stand, and the two on the balcony were able to see the 
scorch mark on her back which had undoubtedly been caused by the green 
eyed girl. Minako shook her head and smiled.
"Glad to see I trained them so wonderfully?" she chuckled and 
trailed off, leaning back against the railing.
Artemis looked up at her and smiled. "You did Minako. They're 
just playing?everyone needs to forget about duty every now and then?" 
he trailed off, noticing her eyes darken slightly at the mention of 
duty.
"Duty?I'm so bound to mine?and he to his. Somedays I just want to 
walk away from it all. Half of my heart just wants to run away from it 
all and just spend the rest of my life with him?and the other half is 
so tied to this that it would break if I left it. Another reason why it 
hurts so much?"
"Things will work out Minako."
"Promise?"
"I promise." She smiled at him and he purred loudly as she gave 
him a tight squeeze. The two spent the rest of the afternoon sitting 
quietly together, talking idly of dreams and wishes, planets and kings, 
of the fantastic things they had seen, and letting their bond begin to 
grow.

Though he was meant to be an advisor to the Queen, he was content 
to leave most of those duties to his dark furred female companion, and 
to spend time with the girl who was commander of the senshi that 
protected the Moon Princess. The bond between the two of them continued 
to flourish, and they became each other's support when things weren't 
going right, and each other's partner in revelry when things were. She 
was the first he showed the human form the Queen had given him, and he 
was the one she would save the first dance for during the many royal 
balls. She always saved the last dance for the man she loved, and he 
was happy to protect her from those who wished to steal her away for a 
dance or two. When her father passed away and her lover was unable to 
leave the front lines, he comforted her into the late hours of the 
night when she was unable to sleep, and was always there as a shoulder 
to cry on when she needed it. He saw through the mask she wore on the 
outside, the person she showed to the majority of the court was a 
strong, powerful and loyal warrior who never wavered. He knew her to be 
strong, powerful and loyal, but to also be fragile and self doubtful of 
herself and her ability to perform her duty. He knew how to tell when 
she was brooding over the subject their first conversation was about, 
and how to tell when she needed to be distracted lest she kill someone 
in barely concealed anger. He wished he were able to take away those 
things which caused her such internal conflict, but was more than happy 
to be there to give her support to get through tough times.
The Queen was an observant woman, and certainly noticed from the 
beginning that he was more concerned with the Venetian princess than 
with anything else, and while some would be angry at him for brushing 
off the duties he had been assigned there to do, she was not. Rather, 
she was quite pleased that the two had such a connection. She knew that 
her daughter and her guardians were the closest of friends, but even 
they were separated into pairs, leaving the child of love to fend for 
herself in most cases where the others would have someone to lean on. 
Minako took her duty seriously, and would rarely let even these closest 
of friends see the person inside. True, they knew her better than the 
rest of the court, and knew of her strong and weak points, like they 
knew each other's, but Minako had distanced herself just enough from 
even them from the very beginning. So the fact that she had opened up 
and formed such a bond with the Mau made the Queen quite happy. 
Especially now. Oracles from Pluto, Mars and Neptune had come to her 
with news that was quite disturbing and did not bode well for the 
future. The war on Earth had not gotten worse, rather, it seemed that 
the people we beginning to unite again. But the cause for their 
alliance was disturbing to her?it seemed as if they were beginning to 
speak of overthrowing the Silver Kingdom, and she sensed an evil force 
behind it, and did not like it one bit.

Time came to prove the oracles correct. An evil force twisted the 
minds of the Earthlings against the rest of the Moon kingdom, and one 
day an attack came against the Moon itself. It was the Princesses 16th 
birthday, and a ball was being held on the occasion. The situation on 
Earth had prompted the Queen and the other rulers to ban all Earthlings 
from visiting the kingdom, much to the dismay of the Princess and her 
guardians. The ban prevented the Earth prince and his generals from 
visiting, which meant that the girls we unable to contact the men they 
loved. The Earth prince was of determined stock, and had managed to 
sneak onto the Moon, and danced with the Princess at the costume ball. 
They had stolen away for a private moment when the attack suddenly 
came. Forces of men filled with evil power marched against the 
unprepared castle, quickly breaching all defenses and bringing the 
battle into the castle itself. 
Minako and the other planetary princesses had transformed into 
the Sailor Senshi and were quite effectively holding off the troops, 
determined to protect their Princess. Suddenly, a demon loomed over the 
castle, and a scream was heard which wrenched through the hearts of 
each of the girls. Rushing to their Princess, they were horrified to 
find the Earthen prince struck down by a blow from a woman who radiated 
demonic power. The Princess held her lover's lifeless body in her arms 
as the senshi fought to get to her. Then, to their ultimate horror and 
nightmare, the Princess lifted the holy blade of the Moon, and with a 
swift movement, joined her love in death. The senshi each screamed out 
in pain as the Princess fell, and finally breaking through, Venus ran 
her blade clean through the woman who had killed the Prince. Yet they 
were too late?and their nightmare was to end with one final horrifying 
blow. The four Earth generals, the men they loved, came to them. Their 
eyes were lifeless; they had been taken by the evil power that was 
destroying their kingdom. Simply unable to continue to fight, each 
senshi was struck down by the man they loved in the ultimate act of 
betrayal, Venus falling last, and next to her Princess.
The Queen and the two cats came upon this scene of terror, and 
the Queen screamed out in anguish at the death of her daughter, and 
anger at the demon that laughed above her. Using the holy power of the 
Silver Imperial Crystal, she sealed away the demon and all of its 
followers deep within the caverns of Earth's polar regions. Using this 
power came at a price, and the Queen was greatly weakened. Gazing upon 
her daughter and her court, she used the last of her powers to send 
them into the future, to live the normal life they all longed for, and 
to be free to love those they wished. Being a smart woman, she realized 
that her spell might not be unbreakable, and that the planetary powers 
of the Sailor Senshi may be needed to destroy the demon that had 
destroyed them. So she sent the two Mau advisors into the future as 
well, but with the most important memories intact, should they need to 
awaken the senshi again. And with that final act, she let the last of 
her energy drain away, and joined the rest of her kingdom in the 
silence of death.

Thousands of years went by, and the princess and her court were 
reborn. None of them had any memories of their past together and each 
lead a somewhat normal life, the princess living the most stable life 
of the group. Though they had no memories, each felt a nagging need to 
be with someone, and spent their life searching through the faces of 
the people who passed, looking for a spark of recognition. The two cats 
kept quiet vigil, watching over the girls should the need to awaken 
them ever arise. Remembering some of their past together, Artemis 
naturally gravitated towards Minako, and much to Luna's disapproval, 
was living with her. He never spoke to her, wanting her to live a happy 
life, and not wanting her to suffer through all the old pains of the 
past. One horrible day, Artemis discovered the awakening of the evil 
force that had destroyed everything in the past. He was torn inside?he 
didn't know if he should make Minako remember. 

One night, he woke to hear Minako crying. Sitting up, he meowed 
softly, but got no answer. Investigation showed that she was asleep, 
and crying in her dreams. The dreams turned into nightmares, and she 
suffered through them for several nights, finally talking to him and 
telling him of the strangeness of them. He didn't answer, but from what 
she was telling him, he began to think she was remembering on her own. 
He hated to see her confusion and pain, and finally, came to a 
decision. 
And so Sailor V was born, and the two were able to resume old 
roles of being each other's best friend. He found it somewhat amusing 
that she found enjoyment in being a senshi again, even if it wasn't her 
true powers. Especially since she had begun to loathe it so much in the 
past. They observed from afar as Luna began to reawaken the other 
senshi and train them to fight, and waited for the right time to rejoin 
the rest of the team. He was thankful that she didn't remember all of 
the past, and was spared the pain of remembering that the man who 
killed her, and who was now fighting against the senshi was the man she 
used to love, though somedays he thought he could see it in her eyes. 
Eventually, they grouped up with the rest of the senshi, and after 
several years, they did remember. He knew he would never forget the day 
he returned from a walk to find her slumped over and sobbing, a pang of 
d骠 vu in his gut. Smiling softly, he jumped up on the bed next to 
her, and gently placed his paw on her knee. 
"Excuse me princess?but are you all right?" 

Many more years went by, a thousand to be exact. Humanity slept 
for the thousand years as the Princess and the senshi saved the world 
yet again, and in the process created Crystal Tokyo.  The Prince and 
Princess became King and Queen, and presently a child was born. The new 
princess kept the senshi busy, constantly curious, just like her 
mother. One fateful day came, and another war broke out?the princess 
disappearing into the winds of time, the enemy strong and numerous. 
Visions from their childhood came and saved their own future, and life 
began again. Being immortal was difficult for the senshi, men they 
loved and married grew old and died while they seemed to never age, and 
their own children would follow suit, leaving each alone in the end. 
Fate reached her hand into their lives again, and one day, the four 
generals appeared on the castle steps, reborn, and cleansed. At last, 
the senshi had their lovers, and the happiness that the Queen had 
wished for them finally came. 

Minako sat in the window seat of her private study, gazing out at 
the castle grounds. She smiled softly, watching her husband, her love, 
playing with their daughter and the daughters of the other senshi. She 
glanced across the courtyard and saw her Queen and the teenage 
Princess, and old reminders of her past conflicts returned. The other 
senshi joined their husbands and children, but she stayed inside. She 
had had an argument with her love, and felt that he needed time to be 
with their child. She watched as her extended family enjoyed the day 
outside, and frowned at herself, and her old, extremely old, habit of 
distancing herself from the rest of them. A footfall caught her 
attention, and she turned to see a white form quietly making its way 
across the carpet. Smiling, she lifted Artemis up into her lap and once 
again affirmed the bond that the two of them had spent lifetimes 
building.

With the birth of their daughters, the heirs to their powers, the 
senshi finally began to feel the affects of time upon their bodies. 
Slowly, they began to finally grow old, and happily accepted it. The 
King and Queen felt it as well, and they all embraced their newfound 
mortality. Years went by and each senshi passed her powers down to her 
daughter, who grew strong in their duty and knowing that they would 
carry on the peace that was the trademark of the Crystal Kingdom. The 
elder senshi weren't the only ones growing old, their husbands aged as 
well, and they all made it a point to enjoy the twilight of their 
lives, each living the way they wished. 
A bit of that old age defying magic held on to the senshi, and 
one by one, each of their husbands passed away before they did. The 
King and Queen felt it coming and passed on the crown to the Princess 
and her love, the guardian Helios. Soon, death began to quietly come 
for the great guardians of the Earth, and one by one, the elder senshi 
passed on. Soon, Minako was the only senshi left.
"I was the first, and now I'm the last of us." She quietly 
whispered to the old white cat curled in her lap as she gazed upon the 
moon from her window seat.
Artemis purred, a bit rustily. He and Minako were the last, Luna 
had passed away shortly after the Queen, and he and his lifelong 
companion were spending what they knew to be their last days together. 
Minako coughed, and he looked up at her, concerned. "Are you all 
right?"
She smiled. "You seem to ask me that a lot."
He chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I do."
They both smiled and sat silently, she gently scritching behind 
his ear, he gently kneading her leg with his paws. "Being alone?missing 
him?missing them?sometimes it hurts so much." Minako whispered, a 
crystal tear sliding down her cheek.
"Things will work out Minako."





"Promise?"





"I promise."


A soft wind blew, and fate opened a final door. Minako held 
Artemis close, and together, they began the final journey. "I'll always 
be here for you Minako."
"Thank you Artemis."


"Minako?"


"Yes?"


"I know what love feels like now."

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Authors note. 
Heh, well?the reasons behind this are rather odd, so I'm going to 
leave them be.  I really liked this; I might change the ending, so this 
might show up revised at some point?but I did enjoy writing it. I hope 
you enjoyed reading it?you can write to me at ataramos@hotmail.com and tell 
me what you think about it?feed back is much appreciated. 
Standard disclaimer applies?I don't own SailorMoon, no matter how 
badly I wish I did, I just borrowed them for the story. I do own this 
story, and while I'm flattered if you're considering using it on a site 
somewhere, please ask me first. I like to know where my things go. ^_^ 
Thanks again for reading!

Sincerely,
Ataramos