Just once, Venus wished that she could be taller than her too short frame. It wasn’t that she was uncomfortable with being short. Her small build allowed her to be faster and to maneuver in tight places where others would not be so easily able to. She could sneak around and utilize her stealth when there was less of her that needed to be hidden in areas that were too open for her own comfort. Men adored her for her compactness and women envied her small stature.

It wasn’t even the height difference between her and Kunzite that made her self-conscious. When she and Kunzite would stand toe to toe, the top of her head would barely reach his chin. That first night when she wanted to kiss him, the only thought passing through her mind was how impossible it would be to make her lips reach his without tackling him to remove the obstacle of his height - which of course she didn’t do. Imagine the leader of the princess’s senshi attacking the head of the prince’s shitennou! Although when her love-me chain happened to slip from her waist and over his feet, there was nothing that she could do but fall herself while trying to help keep him upright.

No, it wasn’t until a millennia later when they had both been reincarnated and they were given another chance together. They stood close, standing at the edge of the ocean, the cold water of a tall wave rising far enough up shore to brush against their ankles. He had reminded her of that incident with the love-me chain and she had been foolish enough to forget to deny his claims. In an instant, his arms were around her and with little effort, threw her into the cold water in an undignified splash. In that moment, the only thing she could think was that if she had only been a bit taller she would have had the mass and arm span to have grabbed him and pulled him in with her….
 

( Voices spoke to her of kingdoms fallen and wars waged, innocents dying – demons slaughtering angels. )

Venus watched Kunzite standing next to his prince – admiring the way that he stood proudly with his shoulders squared – the perfect image of a soldier. His jaw was set in the firm line that told her he was at attention, watching his surroundings, seeing details that most others would ordinarily not.

She wanted to be the guardian that he was.

Her eyes followed him as he mocked at swordplay with his other Shitennou – admiring the way that his body moved with a grace that someone his size should not possess – the perfect warrior and commander. His features were schooled into a mask of indifference, but she could see in his eyes that he felt anything but.

She wanted to be the leader that he became.

His eyes looked down on her as she stood across from him – both breathless, both weary. His jaw was set in that familiar line and she knew that he could see what she was in that moment. Completely afraid and slowly dying from the unruly attack he had unleashed on her.

She wanted to be as cruel as him.

Then she wouldn’t have felt the unsettling guilt as she took his life with the golden kiss blown from her fingertips.

Extra thanks to Lovelylytton and sea_thoughts who helped out with some beta-ing. I can tell this story is already going to be a beast....

Comments= <3
 
Continued from:  I Don't Wanna Wait

Her presence did not escape his attention.

The second he felt her golden aura descend on the darkened planet he allowed himself to be pulled to her location. She shouldn’t be here. Her Queen had forbidden it. If there was ever one truth about her, it was that she always followed her orders.

So what then was strong enough to make the goddess descend from upon high?

No one understood how it could have happened.

It wasn’t believed that such a defeat would have been possible, not with two of Endymion’s Shitennou leading such a powerful army.

Word had come back that after three days of fighting, the war turned quickly from Earth’s favor to that of the dark army that had been amassed.

They said that no one survived.

From the moment Mina started to feel the first pangs of discomfort, she knew that something was wrong. But for reasons she could not explain she did nothing until the discomfort turned into a sharp pain, and even then she waited until the pain brought her to her knees and an ambulance was called to bring her to the hospital. Motoki, panic and dread filling his eyes, rode in the back of the ambulance holding her hand all the way.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Mina murmured quietly. She sat sullenly on the beige colored couch. Her arms lay uselessly at her sides and a look of defeat marred her beautiful features as she stared at her feet, unable to make eye contact with tall man across from her. The large room suddenly seemed to not be large enough for the two of them. She cringed at his silence and glanced over at him from the corner of her eye. Kunzite stood as still as a statue with his arms crossed and his back against the ledge of the large window overlooking the city. She was thankful to find that they were alone when she arrived at the penthouse that he shared with the other Shitennou, although she had the feeling that he may have encouraged the others to leave.