The Royal Guard

by little brown sumo

AN: I don't own Sailor Moon. A couple of people asked for a sequel or some story revealing Mamoru's identity. I tried to think of a sequel but nothing came to me :( I guess I just imagined nothing coming out since my original outline so my brain is blocked to possibilities. But I came up with this little short, hope you guys like it :)

Another Epilogue

Sunrise. The King gazed out the large window in his bedroom. Spring was slowly ebbing away, little flower buds had become full blooms all over the castle gardens. He watched the Earth wake, birds chirping, a gentle fog drifting above the ground. He took in the crisp morning air, breathing in, breathing out. He was good King. He cared for his people, protect them, loved them. His body was tall and strong, his face regal but mischievous. Today his eyes didn't have the usual spark, the bright glint telling everyone he was up to something. Today his eyes seemed dark and heavy. The past few weeks, hell the past few months had taken a toll on him. Cholera had spread through the neighboring villages. Every night, every morning all he saw was the smoke, smoke of burning blankets, the smoke of burning dead. So many had died so many good people. He gripped the window sill hard trying to ease the pain caught in his ribs.

A soft wail broke him out of his reverie. Turning he watched his wife shift gathering the baby as she tugged her nightdress down. She smiled at him, gave him the smile he fell in love with. He watched her for a moment, watched how life moves on no matter what happens. Turning back to the window he lost himself in the sunrise once more. Looking out at the gardens he was flooded with memories, thoughts of the Kingdom, of family, better times, worse times. Soon the sun was bright and heating his cold body, it was then he caught sight of something…what was that? Squinting he tried the focus on the moving body.

"Mother" he whispered. He grabbed his boots and kissed his wife quickly, with some mumbles and trips he was out the door. Running through the corridors and out into the garden the King searched the surrounding forest for his mother. Luckily her pale skin and silver hair were like a beacon, he found her within a matter of minutes kneeling at the river's edge.

Over the years his mother's figure had plumed out, kind wrinkles pressed into her once flawless face. With deep laugh lines and pure silver hair she seemed to exude happiness, even in times like these. Sapphire could never remember a moment when she had been unhappy. It was as if she had suffered once and refused to ever do it again, almost as if she was cherishing something. "Mother" the King said just a few paces behind her.

The old woman was so alarmed she dropped the heavy urn in her hands, thankfully it didn't break. Breathing a sigh of relief Usagi was ready to give her son a piece of her mind. "Sapphire! What is the matter with you? I've told you a million times not to sneak up on me."

Completely ignoring her statements he asked what she was doing.

"You know what I'm doing" she replied.

"Is that..." he couldn't finish.

"You know it is" she whispered.

"Why?" he asked. Sapphire hadn't been here in 15 years, not since his father had died. It was the place the ashes of the Earth Royals were spilled, flowing eternally through the Planet.

Turning up towards him, Usagi looked at her son. He looked so much like…she couldn't help the tears. Sapphire knelt down quickly embracing his mother. If possible his heart felt heavier and tighter watching the old woman cry. Slowly her emotions settled and Sapphire asked again. "Why did you bring Mamoru here Mother?"

Sniffling Usagi picked up the urn, it was heavy, too heavy. She couldn't mourn him alone, she just didn't have the strength to do it. She wanted Mamoru back. But he was gone, the epidemic had taken him along with countless more. She was still angry, why did he have to do so much? Why did he have to go the villages? Why did he have to die? How many times was she going to ask these questions? The old women trembled and placed the urn in Sapphire's lap. She didn't want to keep secrets anymore. She didn't want to come up with some lie as to why she was here. "I'm glad you came. It's…it's the son's responsibility to spill his father's ashes. He'll be happier knowing it was you" she whispered.

Sapphire sat still, his finger numb around the urn. Looking to his mother he wasn't sure if he had heard her. Her face was straight and honest. Her soft words were slowly understood giving way to confusion…very clouded confusion. Sapphire's borrows knit together, her words replaying in his mind. Mamoru was…what? His confusion soon gave way to anger. Anger because he couldn't believe this, because he should have known, because they should have told him. And the words were out of his mouth before he could think. "Fucking you doesn't make him Royalty."

Usagi's eyes widened in surprise, there was no controlling her actions. Within seconds her hand was in the air and she slapped her son hard across the face, the back of her ring leaving a small cut across his cheek bone.

Sapphire's cheek burned from the strike, from the anger. When he looked up he saw cool rage in his mother and something else, something he had never seen before…Disappointment. It washed over him, cooling him into rational thought. He brushed a hand over his face, massaging his temples for a moment. Suddenly he felt as if he should have known, Mamoru had always been very fatherly. A memory flashed through Sapphire's mind. He thought back to when Helios had started courting Chibi-Usa, there was a guard at almost every corner of the castle and behind every large bush in the gardens. All of them instructed to watch Prince Helios' hands...Guard's didn't do that sort of thing, Father's did. Sapphire's body slumped.

"Did Mamoru father all of us?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Did my dad…I mean did King Sapphire know?"

"Yes."

Sapphire sat back against a tree. "He allowed it?"

"Yes."

Sapphire was silent. "Why?" he whispered out. All his memories of the late King Sapphire were happy, practically rose-colored. How could the man have loved him so much, when he knew the relationship wasn't bond by blood?

Usagi looked at her son, maybe she had sprung this on him too quickly. This secret had just been a fact of her life for so long, she forgot that it might be shocking. Maybe he didn't need to know these things, but she needed to tell him. She grasped her son's hand and whispered the story of her past. "When my husband was young he loved a woman named Setsuna. Her family worked the stables, they still do. She wasn't of Noble blood so they were never married but she was blessed with a child. She passed on during the birth. Twenty some years later Sapphire married me to create an alliance between the Earth and the Moon but our marriage was never consummated. As time passed Mamoru and I began an affair to provide an heir for the throne. Sapphire allowed it because he wanted his lineage to continue through Mamoru." Usagi placed a hand under her son's chin and made him look into her eyes. "Sapphire wasn't your father, he was your grandfather. Mamoru was Sapphire's son, he never knew. I'm the only one that knew my husband's true reasons for allowing the affair."

Sapphire gripped his mother's hand hard, her story filling his mind. A new understanding swept through him, small events suddenly making sense. He wanted to say something, but what? "Mamoru was my father" the King whispered out. Sapphire felt hallow, he wished someone had told him this before Mamoru had died. The truth was Mamoru had always been a father to him. The late King Sapphire had passed when he was just twelve, at the time he was almost paralyzed with fear. The idea of ruling had been so truly daunting. But Mamoru had pulled him through, by guiding him and supporting him in everyway.

"Mamoru is a forgotten Prince of Earth… He served this nation just as much as his father and just as much as you. Doesn't he deserve the proper burial rights?" Silent tears were streaming down the High Queen's face as she remembered the past.

As the truth settled into him he pulled his mother into a hug, the urn between them. Both thinking of Mamoru and the love he had given them everyday, every moment. Pulling back Sapphire moved to the river, opening the urn he slowly let the ashes flow. His throat clenched, his head ached, tears streaming down his face as he realized this was the first time he had treated Mamoru like a father. This was the only thing he had given him as a son. As the gray trail moved further and further away he whispered: "I wish you had told me. I wish I could have loved you more…Dad."

******

AN: Sniff Sniff, yeah I know its still sad but hope you guys still liked it! Let me know! Thanks for reading.

PS I have come up with a story idea for my next fanfic, just plotting it out now. Hopefully I'll have the first chp up in 2 weeks or so :)